cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WE‐H‐BRC‐09: Simulated Errors in Mock Radiotherapy Plans to Quantify the Effectiveness of the Physics Plan Review

Purpose: A standard tool for ensuring the quality of radiation therapy treatments is the initial physics plan review. However, little is known about its performance in practice. The goal of this study is to measure the effectiveness of physics plan review by introducing simulated errors into “mock” treatment plans and measuring the performance of plan review by physicists. Methods: We generated six mock treatment plans containing multiple errors. These errors were based on incident learning system data both within the department and internationally (SAFRON). These errors were scored for severity and frequency. Those with the highest scores were included in the simulations (13 errors total). Observer bias was minimized using a multiple co-correlated distractor approach. Eight physicists reviewed these plans for errors, with each physicist reviewing, on average, 3/6 plans. The confidence interval for the proportion of errors detected was computed using the Wilson score interval. Results: Simulated errors were detected in 65% of reviews [51–75%] (95% confidence interval [CI] in brackets). The following error scenarios had the highest detection rates: incorrect isocenter in DRRs/CBCT (91% [73–98%]) and a planned dose different from the prescribed dose (100% [61–100%]). Errors with low detection rates involved incorrect field parameters in record and verify system (38%, [18–61%]) and incorrect isocenter localization in planning system (29% [8–64%]). Though pre-treatment QA failure was reliably identified (100%), less than 20% of participants reported the error that caused the failure. Conclusion: This is one of the first quantitative studies of error detection. Although physics plan review is a key safety measure and can identify some errors with high fidelity, others errors are more challenging to detect. This data will guide future work on standardization and automation. Creating new checks or improving existing ones (i.e., via automation) will help in detecting those errors with low detection rates.
The History of Jelly Husbandry at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Abstract The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) has been exhibiting jellyfish since 1985. Mr. David Powell, MBA's first Curator, learned culturing techniques for moon jellies ( Aurelia aurita ) from Mr. Yoshitaka Abe, who was then Curator at Ueno Zoo. Abe-san sent Mr. Powell and his staff their first Aurelia aurita polyps, and they used his tank design to build MBA's first moon jelly exhibit. Since those early days, a number of passionate aquarists have sought to find new gelatinous species to culture and new ways to interpret them to the public. After the first moon jelly exhibit, MBA next exhibited jellyfish in the temporary exhibitions Living Treasures of the Pacific (1989) and Planet of the Jellies (1992), testing out not only the ability to maintain a jellyfish gallery long term but also the public's interest in these ill-known creatures. In 1996, MBA committed to a permanent jellyfish gallery. The construction of the Outer Bay Wing included the Drifters Gallery, which exhibits jellyfish species local to Monterey Bay and the California coast. In the subsequent years, MBA continued to work with tropical and other exotic species in temporary exhibitions, including Jellies: Living Art and The Jellies Experience. These exhibitions gave the team opportunities to experiment with new ways to culture and exhibit unique species. In addition, MBA has been able to contribute to science by describing the life cycles of several jellyfish species and discovering new jellyfish species in the Monterey Submarine Canyon. MBA's work has not been conducted in a vacuum, however, as we have collaborated with institutions in the United States, Japan, and around the world to expand our collective knowledge of jellyfish husbandry.
A Pattern for Software-as-a-Service in Clouds

The three primary types of cloud computing services are Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). IaaS delivers computer infrastructure including servers, storage and network. PaaS offers the computer platform as a service which facilitates development and deployment of applications. In SaaS, applications are hosted and maintained by a cloud provider and delivered to the users as services on demand. We have developed two patterns for cloud delivery services: IaaS and PaaS patterns. We develop here a pattern for Software-as-a-Service to complete all the three cloud service levels. These patterns will be used to study cloud security requirements.
Perceived performance and impact of a non-physician-led interprofessional team in a trauma clinic setting.

ABSTRACTFaced with the challenge of meeting the wide degree of post-discharge needs in their trauma population, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) developed a non-physician-led interprofessional team to provide follow-up care at its UPMC Falk Trauma Clinic. We assessed this model of care using a survey to gauge team member perceptions of this model, and used clinic visit documentation to apply a novel approach to assessing how this model improves the care received by clinic patients. The high level of perceived team performance and cohesion suggests that this model has been successful thus far from a provider perspective. Patients are seen most frequently by audiologists, while approximately half of physical therapy and speech language therapy consults generate a new therapy referral, which is interpreted as a potential change in the patient’s care trajectory. The broader message of this analysis is that a collaborative, non-hierarchical team model incorporating rehabilitative specialists,...
Nitrogen Modulation on Plant Direct and Indirect Defenses

Instead of being passively attacked by insect herbivores, plants possess a myriad of defense mechanisms to protect themselves. These mechanisms function broadly either by directly reducing herbivore fitness (direct plant defense), or by indirectly attracting natural enemies of the herbivores (indirect plant defense). Many biotic and abiotic factors including nitrogen affect the expression of plant defenses. Nitrogen fertilization is by and large the most common agronomic practice in crop production. Anthropogenic use of nitrogen contributes to meeting the food supply for the rapidly increasing in human population. On the other hand, it alters plant defense capability and the global nitrogen cycle, which is increasingly threatening plant and animal biodiversity in managed and natural ecosystems. In this chapter, we first briefly review types of plant defense and ecological and environmental consequences associated with anthropogenic addition of nitrogen into ecosystems. We then review the influences of nitrogen fertilization on plant direct and indirect defenses. Finally, we discuss the possibility of developing new sustainable pest management tactics through nitrogen management minimizing the negative and maximizing the positive components of tritrophic interactions through optimized nitrogen applications in agricultural production.
Habitat and forage selection by the American beaver (Castor canadensis) on a regulated river in the Chihuahuan Desert

The American beaver (Castor canadensis) has been promoted as a tool for restoring aquatic and riparian ecosystems in Western North America. However, little is known about the ecology of beavers in arid environments. The purpose of this study was to examine selection of habitat and woody forage species during winter along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico. We compared habitat characteristics at sites where beavers were present and absent and evaluated forage selection of woody plants at presence sites. Beavers occurred at sites that retained water over winter and that had larger pools, higher cover of sedges (Cyperaceae), higher abundance of narrowleaf willow (Salix exigua) stems, and higher diversity of woody stems. For foraging, beavers strongly selected Rio Grande cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and used willows slightly more than available proportionately. We concluded that, while cottonwoods might require protection from beaver foraging, beavers were not having a negative impact on willows and did not promote saltcedars via ecological release.
Enterprise Community Detection

Employees in companies can be divided into different social communities, and those who frequently socialize with each other are treated as close friends and will be grouped in the same community. In the enterprise context, a large amount of information about the employees is available in both (1) offline company internal sources and (2) online enterprise social networks (ESNs). What's more, each of the information sources can also contain multiple categories of employees' socialization activity information at the same time. In this paper, we propose to detect the social communities of the employees in companies based on these different information sources simultaneously, and the problem is formally called the "Enterprise Community Detection" (ECD) problem. To address the problem, a novel community detection framework named "HeterogeneoUs MultisOurce ClusteRing" (HUMOR) is introduced in this paper. Based on the various enterprise social intimacy measures introduced in this paper, HUMOR detects a set of micro community structures of the employees based on these different categories of information available in the online and offline sources respectively. (A full version of this paper is available in [5]).
Leading and Collaborating for (Disruptive) Change in Higher Education Language Programs.

An introduction is presented that discusses issue articles on topics including a change process in language education departments at Mount Holyoke College and Drexel University, the need for sustaining innovation in language education, and the teaching of English-as-a-second-language.
SRS: A Dynamic Tool for Learning

(1974). SRS: A Dynamic Tool for Learning. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 45, No. 7, pp. 28-29.
Disability art and culture: A model for imaginative ways to integrate the community

Abstract This article suggests a turn to disabled people's formations of disability culture, as expressed in the arts, for new ways to imagine community integration. As I look to the arts, I examine not only the representations disabled artists create, but the art-making and arts-presenting processes themselves. I illustrate this argument by analyzing innovations in the integration of people with disabilities in professional concert dance in two American companies: AXIS Dance Company and Kinetic Light.
A Self-Paced, Web-Based, Positive Emotion Skills Intervention for Reducing Symptoms of Depression: Protocol for Development and Pilot Testing of MARIGOLD.

Background: Living with elevated symptoms of depression can have debilitating consequences for an individual’s psychosocial and physical functioning, quality of life, and health care utilization. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that skills for increasing positive emotion can be helpful to individuals with depression. Although Web-based interventions to reduce negative emotion in individuals with depression are available, these interventions frequently suffer from poor retention and adherence and do not capitalize on the potential benefits of increasing positive emotion. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and test a Web-based positive emotion skills intervention tailored for individuals living with elevated depressive symptoms, as well as to develop and test enhancement strategies for increasing retention and adherence to that intervention. Methods: This study protocol describes the development and testing for Mobile Affect Regulation Intervention with the Goal of Lowering Depression (MARIGOLD), a Web-based positive emotion skills intervention, adapted for individuals with elevated depressive symptomatology. The intervention development is taking place in three phases. In phase 1, we are tailoring an existing positive emotion skills intervention for individuals with elevated symptoms of depression and are pilot testing the tailored version of the intervention in a randomized controlled trial with two control conditions (N=60). In phase 2, we are developing and testing three enhancements aimed at boosting retention and adherence to the Web-based intervention (N=75): facilitator contact, an online discussion board, and virtual badges. In phase 3, we are conducting a multifactorial, nine-arm pilot trial (N=600) to systematically test these enhancement strategies, individually and in combination. The primary outcome is depressive symptom severity. Secondary outcomes include positive and negative emotion, psychological well-being, and coping resources. Results: The project was funded in August 2014, and data collection was completed in May 2018. Data analysis is currently under way, and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2018. Conclusions: Findings from this investigation will enable us to develop an optimal package of intervention content and enhancement strategies for individuals with elevated symptoms of depression. If this intervention proves to be effective, it will provide a cost-effective, anonymous, appealing, and flexible approach for reducing symptoms of depression and improving psychological adjustment through increasing positive emotion. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01964820 (Phase 1); https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01964820 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6zpmKBcyX). ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02861755 (Phase 2); https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02861755 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6zpmLmy8k). Registered Report Identifier: RR1-10.2196/10494
Predicting Treatment Outcome:Why We Have Been So Unsuccessful

Following Dr Wilson’s paper (Wilson, this volume), we will discuss a bit more about prediction. From a somewhat more methodological point of view, we will explore some reasons why we have such trouble predicting treatment outcome.
Genetic Predisposition to Critical Illness in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Much progress has been made in the past decade in the understanding of the genetic contribution to the development of human disease in general, and critical care illness specifically. With the mapping of the human genome and on-going mapping of genetic polymorphisms and haplotypes in humans, the field of critical care is now in prime position to study the impact of genetics on common illnesses that affect children who require critical care, to examine how differences of the host defense response lead to variable outcomes in outwardly appearing similar disease states, and to study how genetic differences in response to therapy will help practitioners tailor therapeutic interventions to an individual child’s genetic composition. While we are still years away from true individualized medicine, we are now closer than ever to understanding why two might children respond to the same environmental insult in vastly different ways.
Altered Cumulative Calcium Influx for Biological Cells: An Illustration of the Theory of Signal Averaging by Rectification of Weak Extremely Low Frequency Electric Fields

What are the necessary conditions for causing biological effects by weak electric and magnetic fields? We argue that the main conceptual controversy involves understanding how exposure to these physical fields results in potentially causal molecular changes. That is, there is no conceptual difficulty with the idea that a small number of molecules can lead to a biological response, but there is a fundamental limit on the ability of weak fields to create that molecular change. This difficulty is of interest to two problems: (1) evolved systems that allow animals to sense weak electric or magnetic fields, and (2) the possibility that 50–60 Hz fields are potential human health hazards. Here we consider only the latter, which by definition involves sinusoidal fields of extremely low frequency (ELF).
Diagnostic applications of millimeter waves in coal conversion systems

The feasibility of millimeter-wave (MMW) techniques is discussed for in-situ diagnostics of particulate-laden multiphase streams in coal conversion and combustion systems. The techniques investigated include MMW spectroscopy for determination of molecular species and gas-phase temperature, MMW radiometry for particle temperature measurement, and MMW scattering for particle characterization. The theoretical feasibility of each technique is presented together with the applicable range of measurement/system parameters.
Bergman Projection and Weighted Holomorphic Functions

In this paper, we first survey some regularities and irregularities resulting from the effects of weighted Bergman projections on decoupled and worm domains in ℂ n+1. In the second part of the paper, we characterize weighted Bergman spaces with the help of the weighted Bergman kernel. Then we show that the generalized Cesaro operator is bounded on Bloch, Bergman and Hardy spaces.
Urban ecosystem management: bringing science and policy together

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has many programs that directly affect urban ecosystems, and many more, such as the collection, interpretation, and dissemination of natural resource data, that affect rural and urban areas alike. The policy challenge is to bring the vast scientific resources of the Department to the urban decision maker in an effective manner. This requires teamwork on the part of federal agencies, which can be greatly improved by innovative programs such as the Urban Resources Partnership. In spite of the progress being made, there are many challenges and opportunities ahead as national policymakers seek to bring science and policy together in ways that assist local leaders and citizens in improving environmental quality and the quality of life in urban and suburban areas.
Hearth and Home: Infants, Birth Through 1.5 Years of Age

This chapter examines the skeletal and historical evidence for the childhood experiences of infants. The focus in this chapter is on the structures of home and caregivers. A key topic for this age cohort is nutrition. Thus, access to food resources, weaning, and nutritional deficiencies are explored. Rates of rickets, scurvy, cranial lesions, and other pathologies are discussed. This chapter draws evidence for parenting trends from parenting manuals from the early nineteenth century. Causes of death from death records are examined in light of the historical literature as well. There are brief biographies from the historical records and osteobiographies from the skeletons that highlight the specific conditions and experiences detailed here.
Learning Simplified Decision Boundaries from Trapezoidal Data Streams

We present a novel adaptive feedforward neural network for online learning from doubly-streaming data, where both the data volume and feature space grow simultaneously. Traditional online learning and feature selection algorithms can’t handle this problem because they assume that the feature space of the data stream remains unchanged. We propose a Single Hidden Layer Feedforward Neural Network with Shortcut Connections (SLFN-S) that learns if a data stream needs to be mapped using a non-linear transformation or not, to speed up the learning convergence. We employ a growing strategy to adjust the model complexity to the continuously changing feature space. Finally, we use a weight-based pruning procedure to keep the run time complexity of the proposed model linear in the size of the input feature space, for efficient learning from data streams. Experiments with trapezoidal data streams on 8 UCI datasets were conducted to examine the performance of the proposed model. We show that SLFN-S outperforms the state of the art learning algorithm from trapezoidal data streams [16].
Influencing surface plastic flow in metals using common chemical media

ABSTRACTWe demonstrate a unique mechanochemical effect – change in surface plastic flow by action of chemical media such as inks and glues – in large-strain deformation of metals. Unlike other well-known phenomena such as stress corrosion cracking and liquid metal embrittlement, the effect is not catastrophic and is largely material independent. High-speed in situ imaging shows that the media influence the flow by effecting a local ductile-to-brittle transition – from unsteady, large-amplitude, plastic folding, to repeated fracture and segmentation – with large decrease in deformation forces. The benign nature of the media offers opportunities for enhancing performance of metal cutting and deformation processes.
1536-P: Parametric Survival Analysis of Complications from Type 1 Diabetes

Aim: To develop novel models of the risk of fatal and non-fatal complications for individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Models used two 30 years’ follow-up studies: Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) and Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC). Method: Models were developed for: Microalbuminuria, Macroalbuminuria, End-Stage Renal Disease, Impaired Glomerular Filtration Rate, Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy, Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy, Clinically Significant Macular Edema, Ketoacidosis, Hypoglycemia, Ulcers, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Amputations, Cardiovascular (CVD) Major Adverse Cardiac Event (MACE), CVD non-MACE, Death after CVD MACE, Death after CVD non-MACE, and Death with no history of CVD. Each model considered 44 risk factors, including demographics, time-varying clinical measures, and other T1D complications. Bivariate associations, followed by stepwise regression, were used for variable selection. Interval-censored Weibull and Gompertz survival models were chosen for non-fatal and fatal complications, respectively. Final models combined optimal statistical prediction and expert knowledge for model interpretability. Results: All models included age, gender, diabetes duration, and HbA1C, with HbA1c significantly increasing the risk of most complications. Across all models, the highest predictor of a complication was history of another complication(s). Blood pressure (e.g., systolic, diastolic), pulse rate, and lipid variables (e.g., triglycerides, LDL, HDL, total cholesterol) were significantly predictive of most complications. Cumulative hazard plots comparing predicted and actual hazards indicated good accuracy of prediction for all models. Conclusion: Our risk equations highlight the importance of accounting for the time-varying nature of many risk factors and the impact that history of diabetes complications has on a different complication. Disclosure C. Barbosa: None. N. Mack: None. G. Bobashev: None. G.A. King: None. Y. Liu: None. R. Hilscher: None. S. Neuwahl: None. T.J. Hoerger: Research Support; Self; Sanofi. Funding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Alpha Isoform of Heat Shock Protein 90 and the Co-chaperones p23 and Cdc37 Promote Opioid Anti-nociception in the Brain

Opioid activation of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) promotes signaling cascades that evoke both analgesic responses to pain and side effects like addiction and dependence. Manipulation of these cascades, such as by biased agonism, has great promise to improve opioid therapy. However, the signaling cascades of the MOR are in general poorly understood, providing few targets for drug development. In our earlier work, we identified Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) as a novel and crucial regulator of opioid anti-nociception in the brain by promoting ERK MAPK activation. In this study, we sought to identify the molecular isoforms and co-chaperones by which Hsp90 carried out this role, which could provide specific targets for future clinical intervention. We used novel selective small molecule inhibitors as well as CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing constructs delivered by the intracerebroventricular (icv) route to the brains of adult CD-1 mice to target Hsp90 isoforms (Hsp90α/β, Grp94) and co-chaperones (p23, Cdc37, Aha1). We found that inhibition of the isoform Hsp90α fully blocked morphine anti-nociception in a model of post-surgical paw incision pain, while blocking ERK and JNK MAPK activation, suggesting Hsp90α as the main regulator of opioid response in the brain. We further found that inhibition of the co-chaperones p23 and Cdc37 blocked morphine anti-nociception, suggesting that these co-chaperones assist Hsp90α in promoting opioid anti-nociception. Lastly, we used cycloheximide treatment in the brain to demonstrate that rapid protein translation within 30 min of opioid treatment is required for Hsp90 regulation of opioid response. Together these studies provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which Hsp90 promotes opioid anti-nociception. These findings thus both improve our basic science knowledge of MOR signal transduction and could provide future targets for clinical intervention to improve opioid therapy.
Surface complexation model of rare earth element adsorption onto bacterial surfaces with lanthanide binding tags

Abstract Lanthanide binding tags (LBTs) have been engineered onto the cell surface of E. coli to enhance biosorption and recovery of rare earth elements (REEs). The protonation behavior of the bacterial surfaces before and after LBT-display was compared by modeling acid-base titration data. A multiple discrete site, constant capacitance surface complexation model was constructed to examine rare earth (Tb) binding to cell surface functional groups, comparing wild type and LBT-engineered surfaces. Our acid-base titrations show similar pKa values between the two strains, suggesting induction of LBTs does not significantly alter cell surface protonation behavior. Tb sorption onto the wild type cell surface can be captured by a one-site carboxyl model. The LBT strain exhibited a higher metal loading that can be explained by the increase of sorption sites in the form of lanthanide binding tags. Furthermore, carboxyl site concentrations between wild type and LBT-induced cells were statistically indistinguishable. We thus attribute the engineered strains’ increase in Tb adsorption capacity and affinity to the addition of lanthanide binding tags to the cell surface. The Tb stability constant with the LBT site is two orders of magnitude higher than that with the carboxyl functional group. As a result, at low metal loading 10 μM, a more abundant but low affinity functional group becomes the main source of adsorption that results in an overall higher sorption capacity. This work demonstrates how surface complexation modeling can be implemented for bacterial surfaces engineered with a known protein tag to optimize REE recovery from fluids with variable pH and metal loadings.
Serum concentrations of polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the Michigan PBB Registry 40 years after the PBB contamination incident.

Abstract Widespread polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) contamination occurred in Michigan from 1973 to 1974, when PBBs were accidentally substituted for a nutritional supplement in livestock feed. People who lived in the state were exposed to PBBs via several routes including ingestion, inhalation and skin absorption. PBBs sequestered in lipid-rich matrices such as adipose tissue, are slowly eliminated after entering the human body, and can also be transferred from a mother to her offspring through the placenta and breastfeeding. Due to the long biological half-lives of PBBs, as well as concerns from the exposed community, biomonitoring measurements were conducted from 2012 to 2015. Because of their similar structures, serum PBBs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were all measured 40 years after the PBB contamination incident (N = 862). The serum PBB-153 levels among the original highly-exposed groups (i.e., chemical workers, the family of chemical workers, and individuals who lived on or received food from the contaminated farms) remains significantly higher than other Michigan residents. Several predictors such as sampling age, sex, and smoking status were significantly associated with the serum levels of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Higher average values and also wider ranges of serum POP levels were found in this study compared to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), with the most substantial difference in serum PBB-153. This was true for all groups of Michigan residents including those who were not part of the above-described highly-exposed groups. Moreover, the people born after the contamination incident began also have higher serum PBB-153 levels when compared with more recent NHANES data (2010–2014), which suggests potential intergenerational exposure and/or continued environmental exposure following the contamination period.
Acute effects of Nitrosigine® and citrulline malate on vasodilation in young adults

Athletes are increasingly exploring ways to enhance their physical performance. Increasing blood flow to the working tissues through endothelium-dependent vasodilation is one factor athletes use to realize these results. Sports supplements such as pre-workouts tout this benefit; however, many have not been tested under laboratory conditions to examine the effects of commonly used supplements on vasodilation. Two popular supplements are Nitrosigine® and citrulline malate (CM). Thus, the purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of Nitrosigine and CM on vasodilation using ultrasound and flow mediated dilation (FMD). Healthy, normotensive, and physically active male (n = 16) and female (n = 8) young adults participated in the present investigation. We utilized a randomized, double-blind, within-subjects design where participants reported for three trials, each preceded by a 7-day washout period. Baseline FMD measurement was obtained for each visit, followed by consumption of one clinical dose CM (8 g), Nitrosigine (1.5 g), or dextrose placebo (8 g). Following a 60-min digestion period, FMD was repeated. Supplementation order was randomized controlling for potential order effects. Repeated measures ANOVA yielded a significant supplement (3) x time (2) effect (p < .001), such that Nitrosigine and CM yielded a greater improvement in FMD response than placebo. After supplementation, Nitrosigine and CM increased FMD by 31 and 34%, respectively, compared to a decrease of 2% during the placebo trial. After allometric scaling of the FMD values, supplement x time effect remained significant (p = .001) and changes were similar to non-scaled results. Nitrosigine (23%) and CM (25%) generated significantly greater allometric scaled FMD values when compared to the placebo trial (0.60%). Both Nitrisigine and CM increased endothelial-dependent vasodilation as measured by a change in FMD. Increased vasodilation leads to an increase in skeletal muscle blood flow resulting in potential improvements in exercise performance.
Red-blue Light combined with recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel in treatment of acne

Objective To explore the clinical effect of red-blue light combined with recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel in the treatment of acne. Methods 122 patients with acne treated at our hospital from September, 2016 to October, 2017 were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, 61 cases for each group. The control group were treated with red-blue light, and the observation group with red-blue light and recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel. The treatment effects and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results The effective rate was higher in the observation group than in the control group (93.44% vs. 83.61%), with a statistical difference ( P 0.05). Conclusion Red-blue light combined with recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel in the treatment of acne is effective, safe, and reliable, so it is worth being clinically generalized. Key words: Acne; Red-blue light; Recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel; Clinical efficacy
The Women of the Globe: A Retrospective Quest for the Unified Gender Discrimination

The works written by women focus on the discrimination they were subjected to from the primordial times either through the various mythical stories or through the patriarchal ideologies prevalent in the society. The shift in the marginal positioning of women was bought into question through the feminist movements and the literary works of women. Though the literary works of women aimed at a new understanding of the position of women it left out the aim of uniting the narratives of women from different classes. The elimination of these class differences and creation of a common understanding bereft of any class, nation or race barriers is necessary. This act of bringing together the narratives of women from different classes helps in developing a universal or global understanding among women. The attempt made by Margaret Atwood in her novella The Penelopiad to narrate the mythical story of Homer’s Odyssey from the point of view of Penelope and the twelve maids blurs the margin of class discrimination and calls for a global understanding. The novella focuses on the point that it is only through the “act of looking back” from a new position that reveals various misunderstandings we lived through.
Plasma-Like Negative Capacitance in Nano-Colloids

A negative capacitance has been observed in a nano-colloid between 0.1 and 10^-5 Hz. The response is linear over a broad range of conditions. The low-omega dispersions of both the resistance and capacitance are consistent with the free-carrier plasma model, while the transient behavior demonstrates an unusual energy storage mechanism. A collective excitation, therefore, is suggested.
Rapid ascending aorta stiffening in bicuspid aortic valve on serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance evaluation: comparison with connective tissue disorders

Aortic stiffness has been shown to be abnormal in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), and is considered a component of the aortopathy associated with this condition. Progressive aortic stiffening associated with aging has been previously described in normal adults. However, it is not known if aging related aortic stiffening occurs at the same rate in BAV patients. We determined the longitudinal rate of decline in segmental distensibility in BAV patients using serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) studies, and compared to previously published results from a group of patients with connective tissue disorders (CTD). A retrospective review of CMR and clinical data on children and adults with BAV (n = 49, 73% male; 23 ± 11 years) with at least two CMRs (total 98 examinations) over a median follow-up of 4.1 years (range 1–9 years) was performed to measure aortic distensibility at the ascending (AAo) and descending aorta (DAo). Longitudinal changes in aortic stiffness were assessed using linear mixed-effects modeling. The comparison group of CTD patients had a similar age and gender profile (n = 50, 64% male; 20.6 ± 12 years). Compared to CTD patients, BAV patients had a more distensible AAo early in life but showed a steeper decline in distensibility on serial examinations [mean 10-year decline in AAo distensibility (× 10−3 mmHg−1) 2.4 in BAV vs 1.3 in CTD, p = 0.005]. In contrast, the DAo was more distensible in BAV patients throughout the age spectrum, and DAo distensibility declined with aging at a rate similar to CTD patients [mean 10 year decline in DAo distensibility (× 10−3 mmHg−1) 0.3 in BAV vs 0.4 in CTD, p = 0.58]. On serial CMR measurements, AAo distensibility declined at significantly steeper rate in BAV patients compared to a comparison group with CTDs, while DAo distensibility declined at similar rates in both groups. These findings offer new mechanistic insights into the differing pathogenesis of the aortopathy seen in BAV and CTD patients.
Fingertip Non-Contact Optoacoustic Sensor for Near-Distance Ranging and Thickness Differentiation for Robotic Grasping *

We report the feasibility study of a new optoacoustic sensor for both near-distance ranging and material thickness classification for robotic grasping. It is based on the optoacoustic effect where focused laser pulses are used to generate wideband ultrasound signals in the target. With a much smaller optical focal spot, the optoacoustic sensor achieves a lateral resolution of 93 μm, which is six times higher than ultrasound pulse-echo ranging under the same condition. A new multi-mode wideband PZT (lead zirconate titanate) transducer is built to properly receive the wideband optoacoustic signal. The ability to receive both low- and high-frequency components of the optoacoustic signal enhances the material sensing capability, which makes it promising to determine not only material type but also the sub-surface structures. For demonstration, optoacoustic spectra are collected from hard and soft materials with different thickness. A Bag-of-SFA-Symbols (BOSS) classifier is designed to perform primary material and then thickness classification based on the optoacoustic spectra. The accuracy of material / thickness classification reaches ≥ 99% and ≥ 94%, respectively, which shows the feasibility of differentiating solid materials with different thickness by the optoacoustic sensor.
Amino acids dominate diffusive nitrogen fluxes across soil depths in acidic tussock tundra

Organic nitrogen (N) is abundant in soils, but early conceptual frameworks considered it nonessential for plant growth. It is now well recognised that plants have the potential to take up organic N. However, it is still unclear whether plants supplement their N requirements by taking up organic N in situ: at what rate is organic N diffusing towards roots and are plants taking it up? We combined microdialysis with live-root uptake experiments to measure amino acid speciation and diffusion rates towards roots of Eriophorum vaginatum. Amino acid diffusion rates (321 ng N cm-2 h-1 ) were c. 3× higher than those for inorganic N. Positively charged amino acids made up 68% of the N diffusing through soils compared with neutral and negatively charged amino acids. Live-root uptake experiments confirmed that amino acids are taken up by plants (up to 1 µg N g-1 min-1 potential net uptake). Amino acids must be considered when forecasting plant-available N, especially when they dominate the N supply, and when acidity favours proteolysis over net N mineralisation. Determining amino acid production pathways and supply rates will become increasingly important in projecting the extent and consequences of shrub expansion, especially considering the higher C : N ratio of plants relative to soil.
Considering Criteria for Active Phase Labor Management of Nulliparous Women: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Objective The aim of the study is to evaluate differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes based on updated criteria for defining active labor at 6 cm of cervical dilation and to determine if these recommendations are cost-effective. Study design A decision-analytic model was built using TreeAge Pro 2020 software. We included maternal outcomes of mode of delivery, endometritis, postpartum hemorrhage requiring transfusion, and death. Neonatal outcomes included rates of shoulder dystocia and permanent brachial plexus injury. Costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were included from the maternal and infant perspectives. We used a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per QALY and all model inputs were subjected to sensitivity analysis. Results In a theoretical cohort of 1.4 million women, a threshold of 6 cm to define active labor resulted in 373,668 fewer cesarean deliveries, 33,181 fewer cases of endometritis, 143 fewer postpartum hemorrhages requiring transfusions, and seven fewer maternal deaths when compared with a threshold of 4 cm. However, there were higher rates of adverse neonatal outcomes, including 484 more cases of shoulder dystocia and 17 more instances of permanent brachial plexus injury. Using 6 cm as the threshold resulted in lower costs and greater effectiveness, making it a dominant strategy. Multivariate sensitivity analysis demonstrated the model was robust over a wide range of assumptions. Conclusion In this model, considering 6 cm of cervical dilation as the threshold for the active phase of labor compared with 4 cm was a cost-effective strategy to prevent primary cesarean deliveries, lower costs, and improve maternal outcomes, despite associated increased adverse neonatal outcomes. Key points · Cervical dilation of 6 cm should be considered the threshold for the active phase of labor. This is a change from the prior definition of 4 cm.. · We built a theoretical model to compare outcomes and costs associated with the new active phase definition of 6 cm.. · Using a 6-cm threshold is a cost-effective strategy for decreasing primary cesarean deliveries..
Prevalence of Cervical Artery Abnormalities on CTA in Patients with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: Fibromuscular Dysplasia, Dissection, Aneurysm, and Tortuosity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Little is known about associations between spontaneous coronary artery dissection and cervical artery abnormalities. This study sought to assess the prevalence of cervical artery abnormalities among patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was completed of patients who underwent CTA neck imaging as part of arterial assessment following the diagnosis of spontaneous coronary artery dissection. The internal carotid and vertebral arteries were evaluated for the presence of fibromuscular dysplasia, dissection and/or pseudoaneurysm, ectasia and/or aneurysmal dilation, atherosclerosis, and webs. Carotid tortuosity was categorized into kinks, loops, coils, and retrojugular and/or retropharyngeal carotid courses; vertebral tortuosity was classified by subjective analysis of severity. RESULTS: Two hundred fourteen patients were included in the final cohort, of whom 205 (95.8%) were women; the average age was 54.4 years. Fibromuscular dysplasia was the most frequently observed abnormality (83 patients; 38.8%), followed by dissections and/or pseudoaneurysms (n = 28; 13.1%), ectasia and/or aneurysmal dilation (n = 22; 10.3%), and carotid webs (n = 10; 4.7%). At least 1 type of carotid tortuosity was present in 99 patients (46.3%). The majority (n = 185; 86.4%) of patients had no carotid atherosclerosis; and 26 (12.2%) had mild; 3 (1.4%), moderate; and 0, severe carotid atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: The most common abnormality in the cervical artery vasculature of patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection is fibromuscular dysplasia. Cervical dissections were higher than previously reported but were not observed in most patients.
Abstract 12250: Type 2 Myocardial Infarction: An Observational Study of Provoking Conditions, Management and In-Hospital Outcomes

Background: Type 2 myocardial infarction (MI) is defined as myocardial necrosis due to an imbalance in supply and demand. Clinical characteristics predisposing to Type 2 MI and medical therapy use remain uncertain. Methods: Charts of patients admitted to NYU Langone Medical Center in 2013 with a diagnosis of secondary myocardial ischemia (ICD9 411.89) or non-primary diagnosis of non-ST-elevation MI (ICD9 410.71) were retrospectively reviewed, following hospital standardization of acute MI ICD9 coding. Cases with suspected/confirmed Type 1 MI or without rise and fall of troponin were excluded. Results: Charts of 104 inpatients with Type 2 MI have been reviewed to date, with evaluation of additional cases ongoing. Conditions associated with and possibly provoking Type 2 MI included sepsis (defined as SIRS with an infectious source, 39%), surgery (37%), anemia (Hgb 1.0 ng/mL (35%) were more likely to be discharged on aspirin (p=0.004) and beta-blocker (p=0.027), but not statin or ACEi. Conclusions: Type 2 MI occurs most frequently in the setting of sepsis, surgery, and/or anemia in patients with cardiovascular risk factors, but mechanisms of Type 2 MI remain poorly understood. Rates of outpatient antiplatelet and statin prescription are low at hospital discharge, reflecting physician uncertainty about the role of secondary prevention. Further research into mechanisms is needed to inform management of patients with Type 2 MI. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Neural foundations of imagery.

Mental imagery has, until recently, fallen within the purview of philosophy and cognitive psychology. Both enterprises have raised important questions about imagery, but have not made substantial progress in answering them. With the advent of cognitive neuroscience, these questions have become empirically tractable. Neuroimaging studies, combined with other methods (such as studies of brain-damaged patients and of the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation), are revealing the ways in which imagery draws on mechanisms used in other activities, such as perception and motor control. Because of its close relation to these basic processes, imagery is now becoming one of the best understood 'higher' cognitive functions.
Surface Modification and Alloying: Aluminum

Ion implantation in combination with electron or laser beam pulsed heating provides a way to adjust the surface composition and microstructure of alloys independently of the usual equilibrium constraints. A variety of such surface modification studies have recently been carried out in aluminum by several groups (Battaglin et al., 1981; Hussain et al., 1980; Peercy et al., 1982; and Picraux et al., 1980. Selected results from these studies are summarized in the present chapter, with the objective of better clarifying the fundamental mechanisms involved for the case of metals. Thus for a single host system, we illustrate the various aspects of directed energy modification of materials discussed individually in previous chapters.
Defensive state feedback control of asynchronous sequential machines

The design of state feedback controllers that protect asynchronous sequential machines from pre-programmed adversarial agents is considered. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such controllers are derived. These conditions are stated in terms of certain matrices of zeros and ones derived from the given description of the protected machine. Controller design algorithms are outlined.
Vitamin D, inflammation, and relations to insulin resistance in premenopausal women with morbid obesity

Objective In this study, the associations between vitamin D, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation and their relationships with adipose tissue expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and inflammatory markers in women with morbid obesity were determined. Methods An oral glucose tolerance test prior to surgery was completed by healthy premenopausal women (n = 76) seeking bariatric surgery. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were collected during surgery. Results Approximately, 70% of our subjects were vitamin D sufficient or optimal, and 80% had normal glucose tolerance. No significant association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] with circulating inflammatory markers or insulin sensitivity was identified. In subjects with waist circumference of <139 cm (n = 42), log25(OH)D positively predicted VAT logIL-6 mRNA expression (P = 0.003). LogVDR expression was positively correlated with the expression of inflammatory markers in both SAT (logIL-1β mRNA: r = 0.95, P < 0.0001; logTNF mRNA: r = 0.82, P < 0.0001) and VAT (logIL-1β mRNA: r = 0.89, P < 0.0001; logTNF mRNA: r = 0.75, P < 0.0001). VAT logVDR expression positively predicted logHOMA-IR in non-African American subjects (P = 0.05). Conclusions The beneficial effects of vitamin D on inflammation and insulin sensitivity were not supported by our findings. VDR does not appear to possess a protective effect in adipose tissue.