cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Haftungsfragen bei POCT

Entsteht bei der Anwendung von POCT ein Personenschaden, bestimmt sich die Haftung nach den allgemein fur Medizinprodukte geltenden Bestimmungen. Als Adressaten von Schadensersatzanspruchen kommen vor allem Hersteller, Betreiber und Anwender in Betracht. Hierbei geht es im Kern um einen Ausgleich des verletzten Integritatsinteresses. Darunter versteht man das Interesse eines Vertragspartners an der Unversehrtheit seiner auserhalb der vertraglichen Beziehung liegenden Rechtsguter, hier also der korperlichen Unversehrtheit. Diese Haftungsebene ist gesetzlich reguliert. Dem Geschadigten stehen vertragliche und auservertragliche (deliktische) Schadensersatzanspruche zu. Anders als fur Arzneimittel gibt es fur die Produkthaftung von Medizinprodukteherstellern kein besonderes Haftungsregime. Fur die Anwender- und Betreiberhaftung gelten ebenfalls die allgemeinen Regeln (BGB, ProdHaftG).
High-quality genome assemblies uncover caste-specific long non-coding RNAs in ants

Ants are an emerging model system for neuroepigenetics, as embryos with very similar genomes develop into different adult castes that display strikingly different physiology, morphology, and behavior. Although a number of ant genomes have been sequenced to date, their draft quality is an obstacle to sophisticated analyses of epigenetic gene regulation. Using long reads generated with Pacific Biosystem single molecule real time sequencing, we have reassembled de novo high-quality genomes for the two ant species Camponotus floridanus and Harpegnathos saltator. The long reads allowed us to span large repetitive regions and join sequences previously in separate scaffolds, leading to a comprehensive and accurate protein-coding annotation that facilitated the identification of a Gp-9-like gene as differentially expressed in Harpegnathos castes. The new assemblies also enabled us to annotate long non-coding RNAs for the first time in ants, revealing several that were specifically expressed during Harpegnathos development and in the brains of different castes. These upgraded genomes, along with the new coding and non-coding annotations, will aid future efforts to shed light on the epigenetic mechanisms of phenotypic and behavioral plasticity in ants.
Pubertal growth and adult height in relation to breast cancer risk in African American women.

Adult height has been positively associated with breast cancer risk. The timing of pubertal growth—as measured by age at menarche and age at attained height—may also influence risk. We evaluated associations of adult height, age at attained height, and age at menarche with incidence of invasive breast cancer in 55,687 African American women in the prospective Black Women's Health Study. Over 20 years, 1,826 invasive breast cancers [1,015 estrogen receptor (ER) positive; 542 ER negative] accrued. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations with breast cancer overall and by ER status, mutually adjusted for the three factors of interest. Adult height was associated with increased risk of ER+ breast cancer (HR for ≥70 inches vs ≤63 inches: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.89) but not ER− (corresponding HR: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.78, 1.71) (p heterogeneity = 0.34). HRs for attained height before age 13 versus age >17 were 1.30 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.76) for ER+ and 1.25 (95% CI: 0.80, 1.96) for ER− breast cancer. Results for age at menarche (≤11 vs ≥14 years) were similar for ER+ and ER− breast cancer (HR for breast cancer overall: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.50). We confirmed height as a strong risk factor for ER+ breast cancer in African American women and identified early age at attained height as a risk factor for both ER+ and ER− breast cancer, albeit without statistical significance of the latter associations. While adult height and timing of pubertal growth are inter-related, our findings suggest that they may be independent risk factors for breast cancer.
Can lateral nasopharyngeal radiographs be used to predict eustachian tube dysfunction

The objective of our case-control study was to determine whether craniofacial features on lateral nasopharyngeal radiographs (LNPRs) can predict eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). The study included patients seen in the otolaryngology clinic from 2005 to 2011. Patients 0 to 10 years old with pressure equalization tube (PET) placement and LNPR within 6 months were included. Measurements were compared with age-matched controls selected at random to identify craniofacial features associated with ETD. Using receiver operating curve methodology, selected measurements were used to correlate age, craniofacial features, and ETD. The study population consisted of 32 patients and 34 controls. No significant differences were found between groups on any individual measurement: cranial base angle; lengths of anterior, middle, and total skull base; mandible; hard and soft palates; sella-soft-palate tip; sella-posterior nasal spine; and nasopharyngeal and palatal airway. Further statistical analysis demonstrated that patients who required PETs were more likely to have shortened anterior cranial base and maxilla relative to mandibular length. Contrary to the findings of previous studies, no single measurement was found to identify craniofacial features that may select for children with ETD requiring PETs. However, younger patients with a smaller cranial base and/or maxilla relative to mandibular length are more likely to require PETs, implying persistent ETD.
Trends in long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) use, LARC use predictors, and dual-method use among a national sample of college women

ABSTRACTObjective: Assess long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) and other contraceptive use trends, identify LARC use predictors, and examine dual method use. Participants: Women in the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) II, aged 18–24 years, who reported having vaginal sex (N = 37,899). Methods: Secondary analyses of Fall 2011–2014 ACHA-NCHA II data. Results: Statistically significant increases in LARC usage and, specifically, implant usage, were found. Characteristics associated with LARC use included age, race/ethnicity, relationship status, and school type. Students reporting LARC use had lower odds of condom usage compared with non-LARC hormonal method users. Conclusion: This analysis of LARC predictors and dual LARC/condom use has implications for research and health promotion efforts. Findings suggest that college health services are well positioned to meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of diverse populations of students. College heal...
The Anti-oppressive Value of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality in Social Movement Study:

Social movements can be important mechanisms of social change for vulnerable populations as the formal mechanisms of policy and legislation tend to be in the hands of the powerful in society. Acade...
Effect of Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy on Sleep and Activity Patterns in Early-stage Breast Cancer

Abstract Introduction Adherence to aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy is poor, often because of treatment-emergent side effects, including musculoskeletal symptoms, fatigue, and insomnia. In the present analysis, we examined the sleep patterns and daytime function both objectively using actigraphy and subjectively using validated questionnaires in women initiating AI therapy. Patients and Methods Postmenopausal women with stage 0-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who were initiating AI therapy were eligible. The patients wore actigraphy devices for 10 consecutive days and completed questionnaires at baseline before the initiation of AI and after 3 months of AI therapy. Associations between the baseline demographics and symptoms, changes in patient-reported outcomes and actigraphy measures from baseline to 3 months of AI therapy and discontinuation of AI therapy were examined using sign tests, logistic regression models, Spearman's correlation, and linear mixed models. Results Forty-two patients (86%) completed the baseline assessments and 23 patients (47%) completed both the baseline and the 3-month assessments. Objectively measured daytime function as measured by total daytime activity decreased during the 3 months after starting AI (232,566 activity count vs. 204,205 activity count; P = .023), and the decrease was more evident in women with higher baseline physical function. Reduced daytime activity correlated with increased fatigue (ρ = −0.49; P = .017). Conclusion Daytime function decreased after initiation of AI therapy and correlated moderately with increased fatigue, although no association was identified with changes in pain or sleep quality. Additional studies are required to understand why function is reduced, which could have implications for interventions to improve patient tolerance of, and persistence with, AI therapy.
Vibrational Relaxation in CO2 (1000)–CO2 Collisions

The overall rate of vibrational relaxation of symmetric stretch-excited carbon dioxide, CO2 (1000), was measured in a new laboratory experiment. A perturbation–relaxation approach was used where the (1000) vibrational state of CO2 was populated via a temperature jump, and the rate of collisional energy exchange was monitored using transient diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The rate coefficient for the overall de-excitation of this state through collisions with carbon dioxide, which includes both vibrational–vibrational and vibrational–translational pathways, was determined to be (2.9 ± 0.3) × 10–11 cm3 s–1. This work provides new information about the efficiency of the vibrational–vibrational collisional energy exchange processes involving the (1000) state, which are expected to be significantly faster than the vibrational–translational process. These results should be useful for improving non-local thermodynamic equilibrium models for CO2-rich planetary atmospheres.
Urine Arsenic and Arsenic Metabolites in U.S. Adults and Biomarkers of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Endothelial Dysfunction: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Arsenic (As) exposure has been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and with biomarkers of potential CVD risk and inflammatory processes. However, few studies...
Direct medical cost of diabetes in rural China using electronic insurance claims data and diabetes management data.

Aims/introduction To evaluate the annual direct medical cost attributable to type 2 diabetes mellitus according to socioeconomic factors, medical conditions and complications categories. Materials and methods We created uniquely detailed data from merging datasets of the local diabetes management system and the social security system in Tongxiang, China. We calculated the type 2 diabetes mellitus-related total cost and out-of-pocket cost for inpatient admissions and outpatient visits, and compared the cost for patients with or without complications by different healthcare items. Results A total of 16,675 patients were eligible for analysis. The type 2 diabetes mellitus-related cost accounted for 40.6% of the overall cost. The cost per patient was estimated to be a median of 1,067 Chinese Yuan, 7,114 Chinese Yuan and 969 Chinese Yuan for inpatient and outpatient cost, respectively. The median total cost for hospital-based care was 3.69-fold higher than that for primary care. The median cost of patients with complications was 3.46-fold higher than that of those without complications. The median cost for a patient with only macrovascular, only microvascular or both macrovascular and microvascular complications were 3.13-, 3.79- and 10.95-fold higher than that of patients without complications. Pharmaceutical expenditure accounted for 51.8 and 79.7% of the total cost for patients with or without complications, respectively. Conclusions Although the type 2 diabetes mellitus-related cost per patient was relatively low, it accounted for a great proportion of the overall cost. Complications obviously aggravated the economic burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Proper management and the prevention of diabetes and its complications are urgently required to curtail the economic burden.
Templated assembly of 1,2-bis(chloromercurio) tetrafluorobenzene in the presence of THF

Slow evaporation of a THF solution containing the bidentate Lewis acid 1,2-bis(chloromercurio) tetrafluorobenzene (1) , yields colorless crystals of the complex 1⋅μ2-THF (2) as indicated by elemental analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis and 13C CPMAS solid-state NMR spectroscopy. As shown by X-ray analysis, the oxygen atom of the THF molecules bridges the two mercury center of the bidentate Lewis acid. Compound 2 forms an extended structure that features channels filled with THF molecules. In this structure, the individual molecules of the organomercurial are held together by π-π and Hg ⋅⋅⋅ Cl interactions. Immersion of 2 in water results in THF loss to afford 1,2-bis(chloromercurio) tetrafluorobenzene in a pure form. Exposure to THF vapor results in a stoichiometric uptake and formation of a solid whose composition corresponds to that of 2.
Image-guided chemistry altering biology: An in vivo study of thermoembolization.

RATIONALE Advances in image-guided drug delivery for liver cancer have shown a significant survival benefit. However, incomplete treatment is common and residual disease is often found in explanted liver specimens. In addition, the need to treat a malignancy from multiple mechanisms at the same time for optimal outcomes is becoming more widely appreciated. To address this, we hypothesized that an exothermic chemical reaction could be performed in situ. Such a strategy could in principle combine several angles of attack, including ischemia, hyperthermia, acidic protein denaturation, and metabolic modulation of the local environment. METHODS The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved this study. Outbred swine (25-35 kg, 5 control and 5 experimental) were treated under general anesthesia. Embolization was performed with coaxial microcatheter technique in a segmental hepatic arterial branch using either ethiodized oil as control or with thermoembolic solutionBlood samples were obtained before, immediately after, and the day following the procedure just before CT scans and euthanasia. Livers were explanted and samples were obtained for histologic analysis. RESULTS All animals survived the procedure and laboratory values of the control and experimental groups remained within normal limits. The control group had a diffuse or cloudy pattern of attenuation on follow-up CT scan the day after, consistent with gradual antegrade sinusoidal transit of the embolic material. The experimental group had clearly defined vascular casts with some degree of peripheral involvement. At histology, the control group samples had the appearance of normal liver, whereas the experimental group had coagulative necrosis in small pale, punctate areas extending several hundred microns away from the treated vessels and a brisk inflammatory response just outside the margins. CONCLUSION In situ chemistry via thermoembolization shows early promise as a fundamentally new tactic for image-guided therapy of solid tumors.
Methodology for building granular testing in multicomponent scientific software

Computational science and engineering communities develop complex application software with multiple mathematical models that need to interact with one another. Partly due to complexity of verifying scientific software, and partly because of the way incentives work in science, there has been insufficient testing of these codes. With a spotlight on the results produced with scientific software, and increasing awareness of software testing and verification as a critical contributor to the reliability of these results, testing is gaining more attention by the developing teams. However, many science teams struggle to find a good solution for themselves due either to lack of training or lack of resources within the team. In this experience paper we describe test development methodologies utilized in two different scenarios: one explains a methodology for building granular tests where none existed before, while the second demonstrates a methodology for selecting test cases that build confidence in the software through a process similar to scaffolding. The common insight from both the experiences is that testing should be a part of software design from the beginning for better software and scientific productivity.
Current perspectives in assessing humoral immunity after measles vaccination.

Introduction: Repeated measles outbreaks in countries with relatively high vaccine coverage are mainly due to failure to vaccinate and importation; however, cases in immunized individuals exist raising questions about suboptimal measles vaccine-induced humoral immunity and/or waning immunity in a low measles-exposure environment.Areas covered: The plaque reduction neutralization measurement of functional measles-specific antibodies correlates with protection is the gold standard in measles serology, but it does not assess cellular-immune or other parameters that may be associated with durable and/or protective immunity after vaccination. Additional correlates of protection and long-term immunity and new determinants/signatures of vaccine responsiveness such as specific CD46 and IFI44L genetic variants associated with neutralizing antibody titers after measles vaccination are under investigation. Current and future systems biology studies, coupled with new technology/assays and analytical approache...
Addiction as Disease

This Article advocates for federal funding of local public health campaigns based upon a disease model of addiction that incorporates findings from neuroscience, genetics, and public health. Rather than endorsing the idea that addiction stems from either immoral choices (the moral choice model) or a “hijacked” brain (the brain disease model), this Article offers a nuanced model that reflects its multifaceted etiology. I refer to this model as the “integrated disease model,” or IDM, as it explains addiction as a neurogenetic phenomenon but does not locate addiction entirely in the brain. The IDM recognizes that neurobiological vulnerabilities can lead to addiction, as opposed to just flow from it. But it situates the brain inside a human being, who has been exposed to various environmental stressors and responds differently to drug use. Simply put, the IDM places addiction on equal footing with other chronic diseases, such as lung cancer or diabetes, each of which has significant genetic, behavioral, and environmental causes. Early research demonstrates that by explaining addiction as a disease that can successfully be treated (and it is worth noting: most people with opioid use disorder who receive adequately dosed medication achieve recovery), we can reduce the stigma of addiction and get more people into treatment. Stigma leads many to avoid seeking treatment until their disease is too far gone, as they cannot bear to adopt the label of “addict.” The stigma surrounding addiction fuels, and is significantly fueled by, its criminalization. To combat our devastating opioid crisis, we need to put our collective legislative and public health efforts into explaining addiction as a disease—a disease that must be treated in the clinic, and not the courtroom.
Low Profile Airway Stent

Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) is a condition where the trachealis muscle is too weak to withstand the pressure difference between the outer and inner walls of the trachea. This causes the airway to narrow or collapse. Patients with TBM may have symptoms including coughing, wheezing, and/or difficulty in breathing. There are current treatments available but each one has their own limitations and complications. Such complications of current commercially available airway stents are migration, breakage, and mucus build-up. The team has developed a unique airway stent that potentially has fewer complications called the Low Profile Airway Stent. It is a thin, metal zig-zag shaped wire that will be anchored parallel to the trachealis muscle to prevent trachea narrowing and collapsing. The Low Profile Airway Stent will not fully cover the cilia in the trachea which reduces mucus build-up. The stent will also be anchored to the walls of the trachea which will prevent migration. The team is still in the process of developing an anchoring method and delivery device for the stent.Copyright © 2019 by ASME
Optimal soft real-time semi-partitioned scheduling made simple (and dynamic)

Semi-partitioned scheduling is an approach to multiprocessor real-time scheduling where most tasks are fixed to processors, while a small subset of tasks is allowed to migrate. This approach offers reduced overhead compared to global scheduling, and can reduce processor capacity loss compared to partitioned scheduling. Prior work has resulted in a number of semi-partitioned scheduling algorithms, but their correctness typically hinges on a complex intertwining of offline task assignment and online execution. This brittleness has resulted in few proposed semi-partitioned scheduling algorithms that support dynamic task systems, where tasks may join or leave the system at runtime, and few that are optimal in any sense. This paper introduces EDF-sc, the first semi-partitioned scheduling algorithm that is optimal for scheduling (static) soft real-time (SRT) sporadic task systems and allows tasks to dynamically join and leave. The SRT notion of optimality provided by EDF-sc requires deadline tardiness to be bounded for any task system that does not cause over-utilization. In the event that all tasks can be assigned as fixed, EDF-sc behaves exactly as partitioned EDF. Heuristics are provided that give EDF-sc the novel ability to stabilize the workload to approach the partitioned case as tasks join and leave the system.
Starting from scratch: Understanding the learning outcomes of undergraduate entrepreneurship education

Entrepreneurship education in business schools is experiencing tremendous growth, and there are many innovative programs at the college level (Newton and Henricks 2003). Several factors support this trend. First is a general shift in teaching methods away from programmed instruction in favor of experiential learning (Schank et al. 1999). As business schools look to implement experiential learning, entrepreneurship is emerging as a natural fit for this instructional technique. Many of the courses in university entrepreneurship programs rely upon experiential or ‘learning by doing.’ For example, at Babson College, one of the top-ranked institutions in the United States for entrepreneurship education (Newton and Henricks 2003), some courses require students to start and run actual businesses (www.babson.edu).
Response to ‘Hypospadias repair and caudal analgesia: biases and myths hinder meaningful meta-analysis’ by Haydar and Freed

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Dr Haydar’s[1][1] letter. We appreciated that Dr Haydar and his coauthors found our paper[2][2] of interest. He brought up several points, which we agree are worth clarifying. First, Dr Haydar and his coauthors thought that penile engorgement was a
Association Between Community Characteristics and Opioid Prescribing Rates

Past research has shown that certain community characteristics are associated with local opioid prescribing trends (Guy et al., MMWR-Morbid Mortal W, 66(26):697–704, 2017; see also: University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, 2019). The current chapter utilizes U.S. Census data and data from the PBSS from 2012–2017 to examine the association between community characteristics (demographics, population density, housing, income, employment, and health) and the opioid prescribing rate in California counties. Utilizing a series of Poisson regression models, each category of community characteristics were bivariately tested for an association with opioid prescribing behavior, along with a multivariable model with all community characteristics entered simultaneously. The results suggest that each type of community characteristics was independently and significantly associated with the 2012–2017 opioid prescribing rate (averaged by quarter for each year). Furthermore, even when controlling for the other important measures, nearly all of these relationships maintained their significant and independent association with opioid prescribing rates.
Funny Money: How Federal Education Funding Hurts Poor and Minority Students

Neither race nor class alone can predict educational achievement. However, in America, disparities in funding for education may be an impediment to educational opportunity for disadvantaged youth. At the crux of the Nation's achievement gap among minority children is the question of the how states should allocate federal education funds, and how local school districts should use those monies. Educators have long recognized that the socioeconomic circumstances of many public school students present great educational challenges. Since 1965, Congress has authorized the use of federal funds by local school districts to remedy the achievement gap.Part I of this Article discusses the background and history of Title I, and reviews the debates surrounding the statute's enactment. The Section ends by arguing that problems with the statute's contorted history and weak initial implementation have contributed greatly to ineffective enforcement and inequitable funding outcomes. Part II discusses the appropriate role for federal government in local school funding. It describes federal funding for education as cooperative federalism, and argues that the federalist assertion that education is solely a local issue is mistaken by analyzing the characteristics and types of programs and funding historically and currently available for state and local education programs. Part II concludes by defining the role that federal government should play in eradicating improper funding allocations at the state and local level. Comparability is the most critical issue to examine if funding inequities are to be eradicated. Part III argues that there should be changes in both the ideology and the legislative schemes that encompass Title I. Specifically, Title I should be more “child-centered” and the funding formula should be keyed to the "Title I child."
Cholinergic modulation of membrane properties of calyx terminals in the vestibular periphery

Vestibular nerve afferents are divided into regular and irregular groups based on the variability of interspike intervals in their resting discharge. Most afferents receive inputs from bouton terminals that contact type II hair cells as well as from calyx terminals that cover the basolateral walls of type I hair cells. Calyces have an abundance of different subtypes of KCNQ (Kv7) potassium channels and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and receive cholinergic efferent inputs from neurons in the brainstem. We investigated whether mAChRs affected membrane properties and firing patterns of calyx terminals through modulation of KCNQ channel activity. Patch clamp recordings were performed from calyx terminals in central regions of the cristae of the horizontal and anterior canals in 13 - 18 day old Sprague-Dawley rats. KCNQ mediated currents were observed as voltage sensitive currents with slow kinetics (activation and deactivation), resulting in spike frequency adaptation so that calyces at best fired a single action potential at the beginning of a depolarizing step. Activation of mAChRs by application of oxotremorine methiodide or inhibition of KCNQ channels by linopirdine dihydrochloride decreased voltage activated currents by ~30%, decreased first spike latencies by ~40%, decreased spike thresholds by ~50%, and resulted in continuous firing during depolarizing steps. Interestingly, some of the calyces showed spontaneous discharge in the presence of these drugs. Together, these findings suggest that cholinergic efferents can modulate the response properties and encoding of head movements by afferents.
Chapter 7 – Reservoir Characteristics

Reservoir characteristics for unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs are presented. Types of unconventional reservoirs are introduced and types of unconventional oil and gas are categorized. The criteria for defining a prospect in continuous unconventional accumulations are explained and our understanding of extracting hydrocarbons from these reservoirs is broadened. Key variables that influence overall reservoir performance, including porosity, permeability, shale distribution and geological configuration, reservoir simulation, stress patterns, total organic carbon (TOC), thermal maturation, rock composition and mechanical properties, fluid properties and temperature, are discussed in detail. Modeling of unconventional reservoirs, including log analysis, special core analysis (SCAL), pre-and post-frac well test, rate transient analysis, reservoir simulation and hydraulic fracture modeling, is discussed with reference to a real data example from a tight oil basin reservoir in China. Critical elements for drilling and completion planning for an unconventional reservoir are also highlighted. Possible gas hydrate mechanisms, including biogenic and thermogenic methane; the primary seismic indicator, bottom-simulating reflector (BSR); gas hydrate production methods, including thermal stimulation, depressurization, and chemical inhibition; and the world’s first gas hydrates production test conducted by the Japan Oil, Gas, and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) are presented. To this end, reservoir engineering considerations for coal seam gas (CSG) reservoirs are discussed.
Patient-Provider communication with teach-back, patient-centered diabetes care, and diabetes care education.

Abstract Objective To examine how the teach-back, interactive communication loop between patient and provider, is utilized and its role in diabetes care delivery. Methods This was a cross-sectional analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 2011–2016. The study sample included US adults aged 18 or older with diabetes. Survey-design adjusted analyses were used to examine patterns of teach-back utilization across patient socioeconomic/clinical characteristics, patient-provider interactions, and diabetes care education. Results Analysis of 2901 US adults with diabetes showed that 25.0 % reported patient teach-back experience during their visit to care. Compared with patients without teach-back, those with teach-back experience had higher scores on interaction quality with their providers (composite score: 90.8 vs. 55.8, P Conclusion Teach-back communication appears to be effective in patient-provider interaction and diabetes care education, leading to higher confidence in self-care management. Practice Implications Despite its potential, the utilization of teach-back communication is suboptimal. More effort is needed to promote effective use of teach-back communication in routine diabetes care.
HRD research and practice after ‘The Great COVID-19 Pause’: the time is now for bold, critical, research

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life as we knew it and created an unprecedented opportunity to pause and assess ‘normal’ life and work. We have an opportunity to create a new ‘normal.’ What pos...
Imaging the Holon string of the Hubbard model.

It has been a long-sought goal of quantum simulation to find answers to outstanding questions in condensed-matter physics. A famous example is finding the ground state and the excitations of the two-dimensional (2D) Hubbard model with strong repulsion below half-filling. This system is a doped antiferromagnet and is of great interest because of its possible relation to high- T c superconductors. Theoretically, the fermion excitations of this model are believed to split up into holons and spinons, and a moving holon is believed to leave behind it a string of “wrong” spins that mismatch with the antiferromagnetic background. Here, we show that the properties of the ground-state wavefunction and the holon excitation of the 2D Hubbard model can be revealed in unprecedented detail by using the imaging and the interference technique in atomic physics. They allow one to reveal the Marshall sign of the doped antiferromagnet. The region of wrong Marshall sign indicates the location of the holon string.
BIOMECHANICAL MEASURES DURING TWO SPORT-SPECIFIC TASKS DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SOCCER PLAYERS WHO GO ON TO ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURY AND THOSE WHO DO NOT: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT ANALYSIS.

Background Decelerating and cutting are two common movements during which non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur in soccer players. Retrospective video analysis of ACL injuries has demonstrated that players are often in knee valgus at the time of injury. Purpose To determine whether prospectively measured components of valgus collapse during a deceleration and 90 ° cut can differentiate between collegiate women's soccer players who go on to non-contact ACL injury. Design Secondary analysis of prospectively collected data. Methods 51 NCAA women's soccer players completed motion analysis of a deceleration and 90 ° before the competitive season. Players were classified as Injured (noncontact ACL injury during the season) or Uninjured at the end of the season. Differences between groups for peak hip adduction, internal rotation, and knee abduction angles, and knee valgus collapse were analyzed with a MANOVA. Results Four non-contact ACL injuries were reported at the end of the season. There was a significant difference between groups for hip adduction angle during the 90 ° cut (p = 0.02) and deceleration (p = 0.03). Players who went on to ACL injury were in more hip adduction. Conclusions Hip adduction angle is larger in players who go on to ACL injury than those who do not during two sport-specific tasks. The components of knee injury prevention programs that address proximal control and strength are likely crucial for preventing ACL injuries. Level of evidence 2b.
Systemic Factors Contributing to Implant Failure

Summary No prospective studies in the literature demonstrate that specific systemic factors influence implant failure. Many large implant studies selected healthy patients to support their implant design. Lekhold et al26 and Matukas29 have suggested that endosseous implants can be placed in patients with a wide variety of medical conditions. More prospective studies are required to determine accurately the systemic factors that influence implant failure. Surgeons should follow the basic principles of surgery as they relate to performing elective surgery on medically compromised patients when considering patients for implant placement. Medical conditions that cause poor bone healing, decreased vascularity to the implant bed, and a decreased inflammatory response could be considered conditions that would cause a decreased rate of implant success. Conditions that fall into this category include poorly controlled diabetes, collagen disorders, blood dyscrasias, and possibly osteoporosis.
Characterization of Radar Absorbing Materials at 75 GHz - 90 GHz using Free-Space System

In this paper, we present a focused beam free-space measurement methodology for characterizing radar absorbing materials in the W-band. The measurements are obtained in the transmission mode using a PNA network analyzer with millimeter wave frequency extenders to provide four S-parameters over the W-band from 75 to 90 GHz. Good agreement is achieved between the calculated and the measured S-parameters of the sample under test that validates the extraction algorithm. The extracted complex relative permittivity results are compared with the commercial data.
Assessment of Near-Earth Asteroid Deflection Techniques via Spherical Fuzzy Sets

Extensions of fuzzy sets to broader contexts constitute one of the leading areas of research in the context of problems in artificial intelligence. Their aim is to address decision-making problems in the real world whenever obtaining accurate and sufficient data is not a straightforward task. In this way, spherical fuzzy sets were recently introduced as a step beyond to modelize such problems more precisely on the basis of the human nature, thus expanding the space of membership levels, which are defined under imprecise circumstances. The main goal in this study is to apply the spherical fuzzy set version of Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a well-established multicriteria decision-making approach, in the context of planetary defense. As of the extraction of knowledge from a group of experts in the field of near-Earth asteroids, they rated four deflection technologies of asteroids (kinetic impactor, ion beam deflection, enhanced gravity tractor, and laser ablation) that had been previously assessed by means of the classical theory of fuzzy series. This way, a comparative study was carried out whose most significant results are the kinetic impactor being the most suitable alternative and the spherical fuzzy set version of the TOPSIS approach behaves more sensitively than the TOPSIS procedure for triangular fuzzy sets with regard to the information provided by our group of experts.
Integrating Cybernetic Big Five Theory with the free energy principle: A new strategy for modeling personalities as complex systems

Abstract Cybernetics is the study of goal-directed systems that self-regulate via feedback, a category that includes human beings. Cybernetic Big Five Theory (CB5T) attempts to explain personality in cybernetic terms, conceptualizing personality traits as manifestations of variation in parameters of the neural mechanisms that evolved to facilitate cybernetic control. The Free Energy Principle and Active Inference framework (FEP-AI) is an overarching approach for understanding how it is that complex systems manage to persist in a world governed by the second law of thermodynamics—the inevitable tendency toward entropy. Although these two cybernetic theories were developed independently, they overlap in their theoretical foundations and implications and are complementary in their approaches to understanding persons. FEP-AI contributes a potentially valuable formal modeling framework for CB5T, while CB5T provides detail about the science and structure of personality. In this chapter, we explore how CB5T and FEP-AI may begin to be integrated into a unified approach to modeling persons.
Min-Max Optimal Design of Two-Armed Trials with Side Information

In this work, we study the optimal design of two-armed clinical trials to maximize the accuracy of parameter estimation in a statistical model, where the interaction between patient covariates and ...
Investigating the Use of Virtual Reality Headsets for Postural Control Assessment: Instrument Validation Study

Background: Accurately measuring postural sway is an important part of balance assessment and rehabilitation. Although force plates give accurate measurements, their costs and space requirements make their use impractical in many situations. Objective: The work presented in this paper aimed to address this issue by validating a virtual reality (VR) headset as a relatively low-cost alternative to force plates for postural sway measurement. The HTC Vive (HTC Corporation) VR headset has built-in sensors that allow for position and orientation tracking, making it a potentially eﬀective tool for balance assessments. Methods: Participants in this study were asked to stand upright on a force plate (NeuroCom; Natus Medical Incorporated) while wearing the HTC Vive. Position data were collected from the headset and force plate simultaneously as participants experienced a custom-built VR environment that covered their entire field of view. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to examine the test-retest reliability of the postural control variables, which included the normalized path length, root mean square (RMS), and peak-to-peak (P2P) value. These were computed from the VR position output data and the center of pressure (COP) data from the force plate. Linear regression was used to investigate the correlations between the VR and force plate measurements. Results: Our results showed that the test-retest reliability of the RMS and P2P value of VR headset outputs (ICC: range 0.285-0.636) was similar to that of the RMS and P2P value of COP outputs (ICC: range 0.228-0.759). The linear regression between VR and COP measures showed significant correlations in RMSs and P2P values. Conclusions: Based on our results, the VR headset has the potential to be used for postural control measurements. However, the further development of software and testing protocols for balance assessments is needed.
Optically detected NMR in a diamond-anvil cell for geochemistry

Abstract Developments in quantum-information processing are being adapted to perform nuclear-magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on solutions in very small volumes. Here we describe efforts to adapt the technology to a diamond-anvil cell (DAC), with the goal of conducting solution NMR measurements at elevated pressures and temperatures. At the center of the method is the use of diamonds that have a particular type of defect that pairs a nitrogen atom substitution for near-surface carbon with a vacancy. These NV− sites have unpaired electrons that can be excited while conserving electron spins and the amount of light released upon decay of the excited state depends upon the orientation of the electron spin. Under certain conditions the NV− centers can probe AC magnetic fields from nearby nuclei with exquisite sensitivity.
Equity and the Law: The Effect of a Harmdoer's “Suffering in the Act” on Liking and Assigned Punishment

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews equity theory concerning its possible usefulness in illuminating the legal process and presents some preliminary research findings. It discusses the four propositions of the equity theory: individuals will try to maximize their outcomes; groups can maximize collective reward by evolving accepted systems for “equitably” apportioning rewards and costs among members; when individuals find themselves participating in inequitable relationships, they become distressed; and individuals who discover they are in an inequitable relationship attempt to eliminate their distress by restoring equity. Equity theory deals with men's perceptions of fairness and justice. It seems reasonable to suppose that men's perceptions should have some impact on their judicial decisions. The application of equity principles enables judges to consider mitigating circumstances (i.e., inputs) in handing down sentences (i.e., outcomes). The chapter considers the equity theory and the law from perspective of the harmdoer, the victim, or an impartial observer.
Characterization of the Pigments in Reaction Center Preparations from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides

Abstract The pigments in reaction center preparations from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides strain R-26 have been characterized. The absorption spectra and magnesium content of both intact preparations and organic extracts as well as thin layer chromatography of the extracts indicate that the pigment complex of the reaction center contains both bacteriopheophytin a and bacteriochlorophyll a. The functional unit of the reaction center contains 2 bacteriopheophytin a molecules and 4 bacteriochlorophyll a molecules. In dark-adapted preparations, the extinction coefficients for the three red and near infrared absorption maxima of the reaction center are: 1.6 x 105 m-1 cm-1 at 757 nm, 3.0 x 105 m-1 cm-1 at 803 nm, and 1.4 x 105 m-1 cm-1 at 865 nm.
Computing and signal processing: an experimental multidisciplinary course

In the Fall of 1993 at Berkeley we offered an experimental graduate course that focused on languages for modeling and design of signal processing systems. A major motivation for the course is our Ptolemy project, in which we are experimenting with models of computation and design methodology for signal processing systems. The applicable theory of computation primarily concerns stream datatypes and their implementation in dataflow, functional, and concurrent imperative languages. The issues addressed in the course include determinacy, concurrency, strictness, parallel scheduling, polymorphism, recursion, higher-order functions, and visual syntax. The emphasis is on studying strengths and weaknesses of existing and proposed design environments for signal processing. >
Treatment of a Jehovah's Witness with immune globulin: case of a child with Kawasaki syndrome.

Immune globulin for injection or infusion has been used as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment in such diverse conditions as Kawasaki disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and hepatitis B.8 Pediatricians may care for Jehovah9s Witness children who have these disorders. The biological precedent of active immunoglobulin transfer during fetal life identifies immune globulin as different than red blood cells and provides a rationale for Jehovah9s Witnesses to accept immune globulin therapy for their children without compromising their religious beliefs.
Polyamines in amniotic fluid, plasma, and urine during normal pregnancy

Polyamines have been implicated as markers of cell kinetic parameters. Putrescine and spermine were elevated in the urine of women with normal pregnancies. Particularly striking was the over 75-fold increase in spermine excretion. Putrescine was more than twofold that found for normal women. In several patients followed serially during pregnancy to assess the temporal pattern of the urinary excretion of polyamines, it was found that the highest levels of all three polyamines occurred at 12 weeks of gestation. In amniotic fluid, putrescine was higher prior to 30 weeks of gestation whereas spermidine was significantly higher at or beyond 30 weeks of gestation. Spermine was relatively high in both groups. Studies are ongoing to assess whether alterations from these normally elevated patterns will occur in the fluids of pregnant women at high risk for abnormal fetal development.
Single acupuncture session does not decrease stress in women with phonotraumatic injuries

Kwong EY, Yiu EM. A preliminary study of the effect of acupuncture on emotional stress in female dysphonic speakers. J Voice 2010; 24: 719–23.
Model independent results for B ---> D1(2420) lepton anti-neutrino and B ---> D2* (2460) lepton anti-neutrino at order Lambda(QCD) / m(c,b)

Exclusive semileptonic B decays into $D_1$ and $D_2^*$ mesons are investigated including order $\Lambda_{QCD}/m_{c,b}$ corrections using the heavy quark effective theory. At zero recoil, the $\Lambda_{QCD}/m_{c,b}$ corrections can be written in terms of the leading Isgur-Wise function for these transitions, $\tau$, and known meson mass splittings. We obtain an almost model independent prediction for the shape of the spectrum near zero recoil, including order $\Lambda_{QCD}/m_{c,b}$ corrections. We determine $\tau(1)$ from the measured $B\to D_1\ell\bar\nu$ branching ratio. Implications for B decay sum rules are discussed.
Polymorphic transformations of triphenyllead azide

Abstract Triphenyllead azide exists in three polymorphic forms between room temperature and the decomposition point. Two forms are reversibly interconverted at 48°C; a third polymorph is metastable and convertible to the reversible forms at 110°C. Conditions for preparation of each form and their behaviour using DTA are described.
Isosmolar coma during parenteral alimentation with protein hydrolysate in excess of 4 gm/kg/day

Isosmolar coma occurred during the first week of parenteral nutrition in four infants when the amount of protein hydrolysate infused was rapidly increased to or above 4 gm/kg/day. Coma developed within a 6- to 12-hour period and was characterized by (1) a normal serum osmolality, (2) an elevated urine specific gravity, and (3) the rapid reversal of the clinical signs when the protein containing solution was discontinued. A very gradual increase in protein content to a total of no more than 4 gm/kg/day is advised to provide an adequate yet safe protein load for intravenous nutrition.