cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of melamine in milk powder by GC-MS

Objective:To study a method that extracts and determines melamine in milk powder.Methods:Test sample was extracted with 10% trichloroacetic acid,then cleaned with cation-exchange extraction column.After being extracted and concentrated,serum sample has been monitored by GC-MS.Some factors effecting extracting melamine were considered,including solvent type and parameters of GC-MS.Results:10% trichloroacetic acid solution and the DB-1701 were determined to be the extraction dosage and splitter.Using the blank milk powder spiked with the standards,the average recovery in the range was 82.1% and the relative standard deviations(RSD) 1.82%.The linear ranges were from 0.2 μg/ml to 2.0 μg/ml with correlation coefficient of 0.9996.The limit of determination was 0.1 mg/kg.Conclusion:The proposed method has been proved to be satisfactory for qualitative and quantitative need that is required in poisons sample.
On Being Cited for Saying Nearly the Opposite of What You Said: A Comment on Duus (1988)

This note begins with a review of the particulars of my case: namely, a brief synopsis of my prior research on feedback, and the facts concerning the extent to which my ideas were misrepresented recently. Subsequently, broader issues are raised concerning the research process, and editorial review policies that might mitigate against the creation of academic victims and straw men/women.
Statistical Fault Localization Based on Importance Sampling

This paper presents a novel probabilistic approach for the fault localization challenge based on importance sampling. The iterative approach utilizes test results and execution profiles to estimate the likelihood of suspiciousness of program statements. Over a few iterations of probability updates and sampling, the procedure directs its attention towards those statements that are more likely to be faulty. The proposed approach is designed to be more sensitive to failing test cases in comparison to passing test cases. The effectiveness of the proposed stochastic approach is evaluated through two case studies and the results are compared against other popular fault localization methods.
Circulating Tumor Markers for Breast Cancer Management

Many patients with early stage cancers will go on to develop metastases. Blood based tests for circulating tumor markers can provide an invaluable minimally invasive method for assessing tumor and monitoring patients. Several markers are purported to be available for this purpose. These include some newer biomarkers such as tissue polypeptide antigens and serum autoantibodies against tumor associated antigens. In this chapter, we critically evaluate the available markers and describe their advantages and more importantly their limitations. A thorough review of the data available for these biomarkers leads us to conclude that sufficient evidence exists for the use of CEA, CA15-3, CA27.29 in metastatic breast cancers. However, none of the biomarkers are suitable for routine use in patients with early stage breast cancer. Novel blood based-biomarkers are urgently required to monitor patients with early stage breast cancer and predict the long-term outcomes.
Exploring the Social and Individual Differences Among Victims, Offenders, Victim-Offenders, and Total Abstainers

ABSTRACTAn emerging line of research has begun to reveal that victims of crime share many characteristics with offenders, leading to the conclusion that the victim-offender overlap is quite substantial. Though research suggests victims and offenders are both likely to display signs of low self-control and to share certain lifestyle factors, few studies have sought to systematically analyze the various factors that converge (or diverge) across different groups: victims, offenders, victim-offenders, and total abstainers. Using data obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we examined the risk factors associated with being classified into each of the four groups. Results revealed that victim-offenders—compared to others—tended to have the highest scores on risk factors for victimization and offending. Conversely, total abstainers tended to score the lowest on measures considered risk factors. Respondents classified as victim only and those classified as offend...
Predictors of Survival in CLL: Multivariate Analyses Reveal Significant Correlation with IgVH Gene Mutation Status, Clinical Stage, and Cellular CD38 (but Not Zap-70) Expression.

One of the complexities of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is that some patients die early from the disease, while others identically staged by conventional means may live more than two decades. This has led to a search for prognostic indicators that correlate better with eventual survival. Candidate markers include Rai stage, Binet stage, lymphocyte doubling time (DT), immunoglobulin heavy chain V region (IgV H ) mutation status, and leukemia cell CD38 and Zap-70 expression. To determine which of these markers correlate best with survival in univariate and multivariate analyses, we examined these parameters in 150 CLL patients from a VA medical center and a university medical center. CLL cells were purified from patients not receiving active treatment with WBC >20,000/uL by deleting T cells, monocytes, neutrophils, and erythrocytes using antibodies against CD2, CD3, CD16, CD36, CD56, and glycophorin A, and centrifugation over ficoll-Hypaque (CLL purity > 97%). In univariate analyses, patients with advanced stage on presentation had shorter survival than those with low stage [14.0 yr for high modified Rai stage vs. 25.3 yr for low stage (p = 0.013), and 13.8 yr, 13.4, and 25.3 yr for Binet stages C, B, and A, respectively (p = 0.033)]. Patients with a lymphocyte DT >3 yr survived twice as long (22.6 yr) as those with a DT H mutation status with survival (median survival 22.6 yr for mutated, 9.4 yr for unmutated; p = 0.0006). Likewise, cellular CD38 expression significantly correlated with survival (CD38 neg 25.3 yr, CD38 pos 13.4 yr, p = 0.008). Zap-70 expression determined by quantitative immunoblot [Zap-70/actin ratio (anti-Zap-70 antibody from Upstate; clone 2F3.2)] was not significantly related to survival (Zap-70 pos 20.8 yr, Zap-70 neg 22.6 yr). Other parameters found not to be related to eventual survival were WBC on presentation, maximum WBC reached before treatment, and time from diagnosis to initial treatment. IgV H mutation status was significantly related to lymphocyte DT, CD38 expression, and Zap-70 expression. In multivariate analyses using the proportional hazards model, IgV H mutation status (p = 0.001), cellular CD38 expression (p = 0.025), and Binet stage (p = 0.026) were significantly associated with survival (with p = 0.0002 overall for these three parameters in the model), but Zap-70 had no significant relationship to survival in the model. Thus, in contrast to other reports, cellular Zap-70 expression does not correlate with various parameters of disease severity (including survival) in our cohort of CLL patients. In summary, our univariate analyses show significant correlations of advanced clinical stage, short lymphocyte doubling time, high CD38 expression, and unmutated IgV H with short survival. However, multivariate analyses show that only IgV H gene mutation status, clinical stage at presentation, and cellular CD38 expression correlate significantly with survival.
Equations for O2 and CO2 solubilities in saline and plasma: combining temperature and density dependences.

Solubilities for oxygen and carbon dioxide are dependent on the density of the solution, on temperature, and on the partial pressure. We provide a brief equation suitable for hand calculators or ma...
Hard-Wired and Plastic Mechanisms in 3-D Shape Perception

Texture patterns on surfaces provide powerful cues to the three-dimensional shapes of objects. The perceived shapes, however, can be veridical or distorted depending on the texture pattern. By resolving retinal images of objects into orientation flows and frequency gradients, we can explain both types of percept. Specific patterns of orientation flows arise generically in retinal images of specific shapes and lead automatically to veridical percepts. This perceptual task is probably performed by hard-wired neural mechanisms, because it is affected by anisotropies in properties of early cortical cells, but not by conflicting haptic information. Frequency gradients in retinal images can arise from variations in distances or slants, but are perceived as if from distances even at the cost of ignoring pattern elements. However, the percepts can be corrected for surface slants with haptic feedback, indicating plastic mechanisms. Hardwired and plastic neural mechanisms thus play complementary roles in the perception of 3-D shapes from texture cues.
Academic Internships: To Take or Not to Take? Students’ Assessments of Public Health Fieldwork:

While academic internships can play irreplaceable roles by providing students hands-on learning opportunities, allowing them to collaborate with faculty, and strengthening ties between colleges and...
Gradient filling of copper in porous silicon using a non-contact electrochemical method

Abstract In this study, gradient bottom up filling of Cu in porous silicon substrates has been demonstrated using a non-contact electrochemical method. A radially symmetric current that gradually varied across the radius of the sample area was achieved using a modified cell design, which resulted in gradient filling of the vias. Effect of different deposition parameters such as applied current density, copper sulfate concentration and etching to deposition area ratio has been examined and discussed. Increasing the current density from 10 to 15 mA/cm2 resulted in bottom up deposition with less sharp gradients. Further, the study on the effect of copper sulfate concentration highlighted the importance of mass transfer in this process, as either bottom-up deposition or gradient filling could not be achieved at lower CuSO4 concentration (0.1 and 0.25 M). Interestingly, the filling gradient of deposited Cu was obtained with etching to deposition area ratio of 1.6 and 2.7, while a more uniform deposition was observed when the ratio was increased to 3.8. This suggested that the gradient filling may only be accomplished within a certain range of the etching to deposition area ratios.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as Nutritional Modulators of the Pulmonary Response to Sepsis

The salutary effects of nutritional therapy on respiratory function are receiving increased attention. However, caution must be exercised since the nutrients we supply, especially with respect to fatty acids, not only can be oxidized to meet energy requirements, but have important pharmacologic effects as well.
A Handheld, Colorimetric Optoelectronic Dynamics Analyzer for Measuring Total Ammonia of Biological Samples

This paper introduces a wireless, solid-state, portable, and automated device capable of measuring the total ammonia [ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+)] levels of fluids, including biological samples. This device reliably measures the total ammonia of biological samples (e.g., urine) faster than the current ammonia quantification techniques. Medical professionals typically estimate NH4+ levels using error-prone indirect measurement techniques (i.e., urine anion gap), which are time-consuming and are seldom suitable for periodic measurements. Several instantaneous measurements of total ammonia levels in a patient urine could be utilized as an early warning for both acid-base and/or potassium disturbances. Given the device’s operation mechanism, it is able to quantify the total ammonia concentration within a biological sample in only 5 s and can simultaneously transmit data to other devices via Bluetooth. The analytical operation demonstrated high sensitivity, high specificity, fast reversibility, rapid response time, and has enabled the accurate determination of total ammonia concentration in urine samples produced by subjects who had consumed diets of variable protein compositions.
Recruitment and Frequency Coding of Diaphragm Motor Units During Ventilatory and Non-Ventilatory Behaviors

The motor unit, comprised of an alpha motoneuron and the muscle fibers it innervates, is the final common pathway by which the nervous system controls muscle contractions. Since the pioneering studies of Sherrington (13), it has been recognized that the central nervous system controls the force generated by a muscle by changing the number of activated motor units (recruitment coding) or by modifying the discharge frequency of recruited units (frequency coding). In mixed muscles, motor units display a variety of contractile and fatigue properties (2). Thus, to accomplish different motor behaviors, the nervous system has a repertoire of units from which to select, For example, under conditions requiring prolonged force production, the nervous system might select to recruit only those units that are fatigue resistant. Under other conditions requiring shorts bursts of force, unit fatigue resistance might not be an important determinant in unit recruitment. Instead, more fatigable units, which typically generate greater forces might be selectively recruited. The nervous system might also select to increase force by increasing the discharge rate of those units already active.
Laser damage to retinal ganglion cells: the effect on circadian rhythms.

Abstract Laser therapy (LRx) may affect the retinal ganglion cells (RGC), which play a role in circadian rhythms. This study assesses the effect of LRx on the circadian variation of cortisol (F), measured in 20 Type 2 diabetic patients (DM), 10 following LRx for diabetic proliferative retinopathy (DPR), and 10 control (CTR) without laser Rx or retinopathy. The diurnal F variation in the CTR followed a normal pattern. Compared with CTR, the F levels of the DPR group were significantly higher at 1600 and 2400 h (10.2±2.5 vs. 6.9±4.0 mcg/dl, P P
The importance of fine-scale studies for integrating paleogenomics and archaeology

There has been an undercurrent of intellectual tension between geneticists studying human population history and archaeologists for almost 40 years. The rapid development of paleogenomics, with geneticists working on the very material discovered by archaeologists, appears to have recently heightened this tension. The relationship between these two fields thus far has largely been of a multidisciplinary nature, with archaeologists providing the raw materials for sequencing, as well as a scaffold of hypotheses based on interpretation of archaeological cultures from which the geneticists can ground their inferences from the genomic data. Much of this work has taken place in the context of western Eurasia, which is acting as testing ground for the interaction between the disciplines. Perhaps the major finding has not been any particular historical episode, but rather the apparent pervasiveness of migration events, some apparently of substantial scale, over the past ∼5000 years, challenging the prevailing view of archaeology that largely dismissed migration as a driving force of cultural change in the 1960s. However, while the genetic evidence for `migration' is generally statistically sound, the description of these events as structured behaviours is lacking, which, coupled with often over simplistic archaeological definitions, prevents the use of this information by archaeologists for studying the social processes they are interested in. In order to integrate paleogenomics and archaeology in a truly interdisciplinary manner, it will be necessary to focus less on grand narratives over space and time, and instead integrate genomic data with other form of archaeological information at the level of individual communities to understand the internal social dynamics, which can then be connected amongst communities to model migration at a regional level. A smattering of recent studies have begun to follow this approach, resulting in inferences that are not only helping ask questions that are currently relevant to archaeologists, but also potentially opening up new avenues of research.
Percutaneous Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain: A Case Series.

Background Persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) can be refractory to conventional management approaches. Neuromodulatory procedures such as percutaneous trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) have been sparsely reported as potential treatment options for amelioration of debilitating refractory pain associated with PIFP. The present study investigated the use of percutaneous TNS in a series of patients with PIFP to evaluate the potential efficacy of pain relief. Methods We performed a retrospective medical record review for patients with PIFP who had presented to Emory University Hospital and had undergone TNS for PIFP. The primary outcomes were postoperative pain using the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and morphine equivalent use. Descriptive statistics, mean ± standard deviation, and the nonparametric Wilcoxon sign rank test were used, as appropriate. A P value of Results A total of 23 patients underwent percutaneous TNS for PIFP. Of the 23 patients, 20 (86.9%) reported a >50% improvement after trial stimulation. Of the patients who had received permanent TNS implants, 13 of 17 (76.4%) had VAS scores available. For these patients, the mean preoperative VAS score had decreased from 5.69 ± 2.09 to 0.15 ± 0.55 postoperatively. The VAS scores displayed a statistically significant decrease after TNS (P = 0.0014). A subset of 9 patients with available data also demonstrated a significant reduction in morphine equivalent use after TNS (before, 50.54 ± 51.30; after, 25.83 ± 33.58; P = 0.048). Conclusion The results from the present study have indicated that percutaneous stimulation of the trigeminal nerve is efficacious in the treatment of PIFP and can significantly decrease morphine equivalent use. Further longitudinal studies are required to validate our results.
Strategija monetarne politike - kako smo dospeli ovde?

Ovaj rad, koji predstavlja uvodno poglavlje u mojoj predstojecoj knjizi Strategija monetarne politike (Monetary Policy Strategy) MIT Pressa, sumira kako se razvijala akademska misao i misao centralnih banaka o strategiji monetarne politike. Pokazuje da su sest ideja koje sada prihvataju monetarni organi i vlade u skoro svim zemljama sveta dovele do unapređenog monetarnog poslovanja: 1) nema dugorocnog "trade-off"-a između outputa (zaposlenosti) i inflacije; 2) ocekivanja su od osnovne važnosti za ishode monetarne politike 3) inflacija ima visoke troskove; 4) monetarna politika podleže problemu vremenske nedoslednosti; 5) nezavisnost centralnih banaka pomaže u unapređenju efikasnosti monetarne politike i 6) snažno nominalno sidro je kljucni faktor za stvaranje dobrih ishoda monetarne politike.
Recovery of the Xenopus laevis heart from ROS-induced stress utilizes conserved pathways of cardiac regeneration.

Urodele amphibians and some fish are capable of regenerating up to a quarter of their heart tissue after cardiac injury. While many anuran amphibians like Xenopus laevis are not capable of such feats, they are able to repair lesser levels of cardiac damage, such as that caused by oxidative stress, to a far greater degree than mammals. Using an optogenetic stress induction model that utilizes the protein KillerRed, we have investigated the extent to which mechanisms of cardiac regeneration are conserved during the restoration of normal heart morphology post oxidative stress in X. laevis tadpoles. We focused particularly on the processes of cardiomyocyte proliferation and dedifferentiation, as well as the pathways that facilitate the regulation of these processes. The cardiac response to KillerRed-induced injury in X. laevis tadpole hearts consists of a phase dominated by indicators of cardiac stress, followed by a repair-like phase with characteristics similar to mechanisms of cardiac regeneration in urodeles and fish. In the latter phase, we found markers associated with partial dedifferentiation and cardiomyocyte proliferation in the injured tadpole heart, which, unlike in regenerating hearts, are not dependent on Notch or retinoic acid signaling. Ultimately, the X. laevis cardiac response to KillerRed-induced oxidative stress shares characteristics with both mammalian and urodele/fish repair mechanisms, but is nonetheless a unique form of recovery, occupying an intermediate place on the spectrum of cardiac regenerative ability. An understanding of how Xenopus repairs cardiac damage can help bridge the gap between mammals and urodeles and contribute to new methods of treating heart disease.
Examining Adherence with Different Mediterranean Diet Scoring Systems (P13-032-19)

The primary aim of this study is to compare adherence levels between several Mediterranean Diet scoring (MDS) systems. Fifty weeks’ worth of participants diets were analyzed and scored for adherence (>70%) with four MDS methods. The MDS method 1 had 11 total available points. This method based adherence on a met or not-met scale and awarded points per category if the participant met the noted requirements. MDS method 2 had 17 available points with increased value and partial points given in certain categories (vegetables, fish, beans, grains) based on serving thresholds. MDS method 3 also had 17 available points, but partial points were given in the select categories based on percentage. MDS method 4 only had 11 points total but awarded partial points to the same selective categories based on a percentage met. In the 50 diets analyzed, the number of diets that met the 70% adherence threshold differed based on MDS system. We found that 15 of the diets scored our 70% threshold for adherence with MDS method 1, 18 scored with MDS method 2, 24 scored with MDS method 3, and 26 scored with MDS method 4 met adherence. Adherence levels may differ based on MDS system used. In future HEART lab studies, we will use MDS system 2 to score our diets. We feel that it sufficiently scores participants adherence while emphasizing the important aspects of the diet. Support by the FUTURE summer Fellowship program.
I Beg to Differ: Soft Conflicts in Collaborative Design Using Design Fictions

The adoption of design fiction into design research has recently been expanding within the HCI community. Design fiction workshops have fruitfully facilitated users and researchers discussing and creating future technologies by exposing differing viewpoints. Yet, most scholarship focuses on the ostensibly successful outputs of these workshops. It remains unclear exactly what sort of interaction dynamics are instigated by design fiction in collaborative design. How might design fiction affect what we consider in design, and how is this reflected in the ensuing design? To fill this gap, our study examines design fictions across five workshops where diverse participants created futuristic autobiographies, a method to elicit values, and built diegetic prototypes both individually and collaboratively. We detail their design processes and unpack three kinds of soft conflicts that arose between participants and allowed them to bring up and discuss differing values regarding technology in society. Reflecting on our workshops, we discuss their implications on how one might employ design fiction in collaborative design.
A CRISPR Test for Detection of Circulating Nuclei Acids

Abstract Emerging CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection shows great promise in molecular diagnosis of diseases. CRISPR-Cas12a can sensitively and specifically detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in anal swabs. However, the current CRISPR-Cas12a system needs auxiliary and expensive equipment, which limit its application as a point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tool. This study aimed to develop CRISPR-Cas12a as a POC test to directly target plasma for circulating HPV DNA detection by immediately reading results with naked eyes. Cell-cultured supernatants of either HPV16- or 18-positive cancer cells were treated with lysis buffer followed by isothermal amplification without DNA isolation . Cas12a, crRNA, and fluorescent-biotin reporters were incubated with the lysates. Our data showed that integrating CRISPR-Cas12a with lateral-flow strips could directly and specifically detect HPV16 and 18 in the liquid samples with the same limit of detection (0.24 fM) as did polymerase chain reaction but requiring less time. Furthermore, the CRISPR-Cas12a system could rapidly detect presence of HPV16 and HPV18 in plasma samples of 13 of 14 and 3 of 10 the patients with histopathological diagnosis of cervical cancer, respectively . Therefore, a CRISPR-Cas12a–based POC system was developed for conveniently detecting circulating nuclei acid targets in body fluids without requiring technical expertise and ancillary machineries.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Neuropathic Pain in Patients with a Rotator Cuff Tear.

BACKGROUND Until now, few studies had investigated the neuropathic pain component in patients with a rotator cuff tear (RCT). OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to identify the neuropathic pain component in patients with RCT and to determine the factors correlated with neuropathic pain in patients with RCT. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, cohort, prognostic study. SETTING Study patients who required arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were analyzed in a hospital setting. METHODS We prospectively studied 101 patients who were less than 60 years old with full-thickness tears requiring arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify variables that independently affected neuropathic pain in patients with a RCT. We use Douleur neuropathique 4 questionnaire (DN4) to assess neuropathic pain, which was >/= 4 points of the DN4 questionaire. The visual analog scale (VAS) for the most severe pain within 4 weeks before admission and mean pain level during the last 4 weeks were checked. The atrophy grades of the rotator cuff muscles were classified on magnetic resonance images according to the Goutallier classification. The size and medial retraction of the RCT were measured during arthroscopic repair for RCT. RESULTS Sixteen (15.8%) of the 101 patients had neuropathic pain according to the cut-off values on the DN4 questionnaire for diagnosing neuropathic pain. The neuropathic pain group had significantly higher prevalence of smoking (P = 0.042), more mean VAS during last 4 weeks (P = 0.008), larger cuff tear (P = 0.003), more medial retraction of cuff (P = 0.016), and severe fatty degeneration of rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, P < 0.001; subscapularis, P < 0.001; and infraspinatus, P = 0.003) than the nonneuropathic pain group. The multiple logistic regression analyses showed that more mean VAS during the last 4 weeks and tear size of a rotator cuff were independent of other factors for the neuropathic pain of the patients with a full-thickness RCT. LIMITATIONS Small sample size is the first limitation of this study. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of neuropathic pain in patients with a full-thickness RCT requiring arthroscopic rotator cuff repair was 15.8 % according to the DN4 questionnaire. The neuropathic pain component was more relevant to the severity of pain and tear size in the patients with a full-thickness RCT. It is important to be aware of the existence of neuropathic pain when treating a patient presenting with pain due to a RCT because accompanying neuropathy with a RCT could have a worse effect on repair of a RCT. IRB approval and clinical trial registration number: CR-15-045. KEY WORDS Shoulder, rotator cuff tear, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, neuropathic pain.
High-throughput, volumetric quantitative phase imaging with multiplexed intensity diffraction tomography.

Intensity diffraction tomography (IDT) provides quantitative, volumetric refractive index reconstructions of unlabeled biological samples from intensity-only measurements. IDT is scanless and easily implemented in standard optical microscopes using an LED array but suffers from large data requirements and slow acquisition speeds. Here, we develop multiplexed IDT (mIDT), a coded illumination framework providing high volume-rate IDT for evaluating dynamic biological samples. mIDT combines illuminations from an LED grid using physical model-based design choices to improve acquisition rates and reduce dataset size with minimal loss to resolution and reconstruction quality. We analyze the optimal design scheme with our mIDT framework in simulation using the reconstruction error compared to conventional IDT and theoretical acquisition speed. With the optimally determined mIDT scheme, we achieve hardware-limited 4Hz acquisition rates enabling 3D refractive index distribution recovery on live Caenorhabditis elegans worms and embryos as well as epithelial buccal cells. Our mIDT architecture provides a 60 × speed improvement over conventional IDT and is robust across different illumination hardware designs, making it an easily adoptable imaging tool for volumetrically quantifying biological samples in their natural state.
Helicity in Hamiltonian dynamical systems

Helicity plays a unique role as an integral invariant of a dynamical system. In this paper, the concept of helicity in the general setting of Hamiltonian dynamics is discussed. It is shown, through examples, how the conservation of overall helicity can imply a bound on other quantities of the motion in a nontrivial way.
Fellowship Match Outcomes in the U.S. From 2010 to 2017: Analysis of San Francisco Match.

Abstract Purpose : To describe applicant characteristics and outcomes associated with the ophthalmology fellowship match. Design : Retrospective case-control study.Methods Setting : San Francisco (SF) Matching data for ophthalmology fellowship applicants in the U.S. Study Population : Registrants for the 2010-2017 ophthalmology fellowship match cycles. Main Outcome Measure(s) : Match rate over the 8-year study period, applicant characteristics stratified by match status and factors associated with matching to ophthalmology fellowship positions. Results Between 2010-2017, most applicants (73.7%, 2558/3471) matched into ophthalmology fellowship programs. No difference over time in the proportion of applicants that matched for fellowship was identified (P=.41). On average, ophthalmology residents who matched into fellowship had higher Step 1 (difference = 9, 99% CI: 6.8-10.9; P Conclusions : From 2010-2017, approximately three-quarters of residents applying for an ophthalmology fellowship position matched. Factors associated with increased likelihood of matching included the applicant’s graduating from a U.S. residency, graduating from a U.S. medical school, ranking more programs, and having a higher percentage applications ranked (number of programs ranked by applicant/number of applications distributed). The information gained from this study may help applicants as they consider applying to fellowship programs.
Water and the death of ambition in global health, c.1970-1990

Abstract Economic development and good health depended on access to clean water and sanitation. Therefore, because economic development and good health depended on access to clean water and sanitation, beginning in the early 1970s the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), and others began a period of sustained interest in developing both for the billions without either. During the 1980s, two massive and wildly ambitious projects showed what was possible. The International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade and the Blue Nile Health Project aimed for nothing less than the total overhaul of the way water was developed. This was, according to the WHO, “development in the spirit of social justice.”
Family Dynamics and Pediatric Weight Management: Putting the Family into Family-Based Treatment

The treatment of pediatric obesity entails working with entire families. However, aside from parenting and family health behaviors, family dynamics and relationships are not often incorporated in clinical treatment of obesity. Evidence across several studies suggest a relationship between family dynamics and child weight, with impaired family dynamics associated with higher weight status in children. Evidence is mixed if child age and family function are associated. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that addressing family dynamics (i.e., relationships and overall family system) will improve weight in children with obesity. Notably, few studies target family dynamics specifically. There are several validated measures of family dynamics available for researchers to explore the family system as it relates to child health and behaviors. A deeper understanding of family dynamics and relationships may provide new avenues to address issues of weight in children; accounting for the family, and their underlying functioning, may benefit the clinician and child engaged in weight management.
782 ALDH1A inhibition as adjuvant to ovarian cancer immunotherapy

Background Despite some recent advances, new therapeutic approaches for ovarian cancer (OvCa), the 5th leading cause of cancer deaths in women, are clearly needed. Aldehyde dehydrogenase-1A (ALDH1A) enzymes represent a novel therapeutic target for OvCa. ALDH1A is upregulated in OvCa initiating cells and mediate the biosynthesis of retinoic acid (RA) to regulate numerous cellular processes, including proliferation, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. We recently identified novel pan-ALDH1A family inhibitors (ALDHi) that induce necroptosis in OvCa stem-like cells and synergize with chemotherapy, leading to tumor eradication in vivo. Here, we hypothesize that, in addition to controlling tumor progression, ALDHi trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) via necroptosis and can potentiate anti-tumor immunity. Methods We performed RNA-Seq on four human OvCa cell lines (A2780, CAOV-3, OVCAR-5, OVSAHO) treated for 8 hours with two different ALDHi. To measure the impact on T cell immunity we performed flow cytometry to measure cell proliferation assays and CD4 naive differentiation into Th1/Th17/Treg subsets. Molecular targets in the RA pathway were confirmed by western blot. Results ALDHi triggered significant changes in (i) ER stress unfolded protein response and regulators of the ER stress response, such as ATF4 and EIF2aK3 (PERK), (ii) inflammatory pathways, (iii) cell death, survival, and (iv) gene transcription-RAR signaling. Treatment of cancer cell lines with ALDHi induced expression of Phospho-eIF2α, a marker for the ICD, along with increased expression of ATF3 and ATF4, and calreticulin, suggesting cancer cells undergoing ICD. Using polyclonal stimulation of murine splenocytes and human PBMC, we observed that ALDHi promote T cell proliferation, especially of CD8 T cells. Furthermore, exposure of naive CD4 cells to Th1 and Treg differentiation conditions leads to increased production of INFγ and reduced number of Foxp3+ iTregs, respectively. Further, in a co-culture of iTreg and stimulated splenocyte, ALDHi treatment diminishes the iTreg’s capacity to induce immune suppression. Ex vivo treatment of ovarian cancer ascites cells with various ALDHi leads to significant decrease of CD14+ cells, an effect associated with downregulation of NR4A1 (NUR77), a nuclear receptor that interacts RAR/RXR, downstream of RA signaling. Conclusions ADLHi induce immunogenic cell death in cancer cells. Immune cells respond to ALDHi in a cell specific manner. ALDHi support CD8 T cell proliferation and CD4 Th1 induction, while inhibiting iTregs. Exposure to ALDHi leads to downregulation of NR4A1 and reduction in suppressive macrophage numbers. Our results support the use of ALDHi as immune modulators in ovarian cancer and adjuvants to immunotherapy.
Solar-Powered Crystal-Free 802.15.4 Wireless Temperature Sensor

We demonstrate a wireless temperature sensor consisting of only a chip with an ARM Cortex-M0 and radio, a mm-scale solar panel, and one surface mount capacitor. The radio lacks a crystal reference in favor of other on-chip oscillators to reduce cost and size. Without an absolute time reference, the on-chip oscillators need to be calibrated because their frequencies vary with supply voltage and temperature. An initial optical calibration procedure is used along with temperature-based compensation. This enables the radio to properly transmit standards-compatible IEEE 802.15.4 wireless packets over a temperature range from 35.5 C to 40.0 C. The standard deviation of the temperature estimate error relative to a reference is 0.28 C. The power for all of the components, including the radio and the microprocessor, is supplied by a solar panel on a CMOS chip under 200 mW/cm2 of irradiation.
Differences in disease characteristics and outcomes in older versus younger adults with multiple myeloma.

e20041Background: Older adults are underrepresented in clinical trials in multiple myeloma (MM), as are the risk prognostication schema derived from them, which limits their generalizability to thi...
The Use of Larval Sea Stars and Sea Urchins in the Discovery of Shared Mechanisms of Metazoan Whole-Body Regeneration.

The ability to regenerate is scattered among the metazoan tree of life. Further still, regenerative capacity varies widely within these specific organisms. Numerous organisms, all with different regenerative capabilities, have been studied at length and key similarities and disparities in how regeneration occurs have been identified. In order to get a better grasp on understanding regeneration as a whole, we must search for new models that are capable of extensive regeneration, as well as those that have been under sampled in the literature. As invertebrate deuterostomes, echinoderms fit both of these requirements. Multiple members regenerate various tissue types at all life stages, including examples of whole-body regeneration. Interrogations in two highly studied echinoderms, the sea urchin and the sea star, have provided knowledge of tissue and whole-body regeneration at various life stages. Work has begun to examine regeneration in echinoderm larvae, a potential new system for understanding regenerative mechanisms in a basal deuterostome. Here, we review the ways these two animals’ larvae have been utilized as a model of regeneration.
Scattering in geometric approach to quantum theory

We define inclusive scattering matrix in the framework of geometric approach to quantum field theory . We review the definitions of scattering theory in the algebraic approach and relate them to the definitions in geometric approach.
SU-D-BRD-04: The Impact of Automatic Radiation Therapy Plan Checks in Treatment Planning

Purpose: The physics plan check verifies various aspects of a treatment plan after dosimetrists have finished creating the plan. Some errors in the plan which are caught by the physics check could be caught earlier in the departmental workflow. The purpose of this project was to evaluate a plan checking script that can be run within the treatment planning system (TPS) by the dosimetrists prior to plan approval and export to the record and verify system. Methods: A script was created in the Pinnacle TPS to automatically check 15 aspects of a plan for clinical practice conformity. The script outputs a list of checks which the plan has passed and a list of checks which the plan has failed so that appropriate adjustments can be made. For this study, the script was run on a total of 108 plans: IMRT (46/108), VMAT (35/108) and SBRT (27/108). Results: Of the plans checked by the script, 77/108 (71%) failed at least one of the fifteen checks. IMRT plans resulted in more failed checks (91%) than VMAT (51%) or SBRT (63%), due to the high failure rate of an IMRT-specific check, which checks that no IMRT segment < 5 MU. The dose gridmore » size and couch removal checks caught errors in 10% and 14% of all plans – errors that ultimately may have resulted in harm to the patient. Conclusion: Approximately three-fourths of the plans being examined contain errors that could be caught by dosimetrists running an automated script embedded in the TPS. The results of this study will improve the departmental workflow by cutting down on the number of plans that, due to these types of errors, necessitate re-planning and re-approval of plans, increase dosimetrist and physician workload and, in urgent cases, inconvenience patients by causing treatment delays.« less
Penetration of Rhizopus oligosporus into Soybeans in Tempeh

Abstract Histological observations were made on the penetration of hyphae of Rhizopus oligosporus into soybean cotyledons in tempeh, an Indonesian soybean food. Hyphal penetrations averaged one per 1,400 μm2 (±390 μm2) on the curved (outer) cotyledon surface and one per 1,010 μm2 (±340 μm2) on the flat (inner) one. Hyphae infiltrated to a depth of 742 μm, or about 25% of the average width of a soybean cotyledon. This previously unreported degree of penetration offers partial explanation for the rapid physical and chemical changes in soybeans during tempeh fermentation.
Junction/well stain (delineation) technique to unveil different types of implantation defects

Implantation is a key process in semiconductor manufacturing. However, the implantation related defects are not easily inspected by Scanning Electron Microscope, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Focused Ion Beam without chemical treatment. In this paper, implantation related defects were isolated by FA techniques and wet chemical stain technique was employed to unveil the different types of implant defects.
The Folly of Nation Building

There is a growing consensus that the United States can't afford another war, or even a major armed humanitarian intervention. But in reality, the cost of war itself is not the critical issue. It is the nation building following many wars that drives up the costs.
Lean psychology and the theories of “Thinking, Fast and Slow”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop insights about the psychological factors that contribute to lean’s success as a holistic and adaptive system. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use the best-selling book “Thinking, Fast and Slow” (TFAS) (2011) by Nobel-prize winner Daniel Kahneman to provide a familiar lens for readers who might not otherwise be familiar with the psychology theories that are used in this paper to study lean conceptually. With this approach, the paper sheds light on psychological factors that tie together many of the philosophies, principles and practices of lean. Findings – The paper shows how lean’s philosophies, principles and practices provide a synergistic and self-reinforcing system that drives employee thinking and actions. TFAS characterizes thought processes as “fast System 1 thinking” that relies on intuition and “slow System 2 thinking” that is more rational and logical. Lean psychology eliminates waste and adds customer value by supporting, enhancing and...
Ambiguous Multi-Symmetric Cryptography

In this paper, we propose a new method called Ambiguous Multi-Symmetric Cryptography (AMSC) that conceals multiple plain-texts in a cipher-text using the same number of keys. The goal of this method is to overcome the problem of symmetric cryptography failure when the shared key is exposed. The proposed method AMSC is a cryptographic primitive that preserves plausible deniability after a cryptographic key is discovered. We evaluate AMSC in terms of security and complexity. The security analysis shows that our scheme withstands all security attack models with different knowledge of the adversary. In terms of time complexity, AMSC produces the cipher-text in polynomial time with respect to the number and size of the plaintexts and keys. AMSC has two main applications: a) It sends multiple messages for multiple receivers through one cipher-text. b) It sends one real message and multiple decoys to defeat attacks by providing security beyond conventional brute-force bounds. For both applications, AMSC can be used to deny encryption.
Obtaining full contact for measuring polydimethylsiloxane mechanical properties with flat punch nanoindentation

Procedure to establish full contact between the sample and the 1 mm diameter cylindrical flat punch tip to measure polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mechanical properties using the Hysitron TriboIndenter is described. This procedure differs from the standard automated indentation because each indent has to be performed manually after establishing full contact with the sample surface. Incomplete contact happens because of the sample tilt with respect to the flat punch surface and results in incorrect elastic modulus values.•Automated indentation results in incorrect values of the elastic modulus due to initial incomplete contact between the flat punch and the PDMS sample surface, caused by the tilt, and using the unloading slope, which is affected by viscoelastic soft polymer deformation.•Correct procedure requires establishing the full contact between the tip and the sample. This is achieved by moving the tip into the sample in 1-2 μm increments, up to 40-80 μm maximum combined displacement, until the loading stiffness no longer increases.•The elastic modulus is calculated from the loading stiffness and the diameter of the flat punch, instead of the unloading stiffness, which is larger due to viscoelastic unloading. After establishing the full contact, other mechanical testing can be conducted.
The teen empowerment through reading, research, and action (TERRA) project

The Teen Empowerment through Reading, Research, and Action (TERRA) Project involved a design study on the implementation of an after-school historical reading and action research program for students in an urban school. As a design study, the project was carried out with the goal of studying the initial effectiveness of the model and refining its design as an intervention model for future research. Twelve students were initially recruited to meet once a week during the school year to take part in this effort in an urban school located in a primarily Latino community.
Dissection of Structure and Function of the N-Terminal Domain of Mouse DNMT1 Using Regional Frame-Shift Mutagenesis

Deletion analysis of mouse DNMT1, the primary maintenance methyltransferase in mammals, showed that most of the N-terminal regulatory domain (amino acid residues 412–1112) is required for its enzymatic activity. Although analysis of deletion mutants helps to identify regions of a protein sequence required for a particular activity, amino acid deletions can have drastic effects on protein structure and/or stability. Alternative approaches represented by rational design and directed evolution are resource demanding, and require high-throughput selection or screening systems. We developed Regional Frame-shift Mutagenesis (RFM) as a new approach to identify portions required for the methyltransferase activity of DNMT1 within the N-terminal 89–905 amino acids. In this method, a short stretch of amino acids in the wild-type protein is converted to a different amino acid sequence. The resultant mutant protein retains the same amino acid length as the wild type, thereby reducing physical constrains on normal folding of the mutant protein. Using RFM, we identified three small regions in the amino-terminal one-third of the protein that are essential for DNMT1 function. Two of these regions (amino acids 124–160 and 341–368) border a large disordered region that regulates maintenance methylation activity. This organization of DNMT1's amino terminus suggests that the borders define the position of the disordered region within the DNMT1 protein, which in turn allows for its proper function.
Ericksonian Hypnosis: A Dialogue with Charles Citrenbaum, Mark King, and William Cohen

The three subjects of this article, Charles Citrenbaum, Mark King, and William Cohen, are authors, hypnotherapists, and educators par excellence. In this interview they discuss a variety of topics, including Milton H. Erickson (the “Father of Clinical Hypnosis”), hypnosis, hypnotherapy, and effective clinical practice.