cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health solutions for the poor.

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) is the oldest international non-governmental organisation involved in the fight against tuberculosis. In 2008, the Institute of The Union was challenged to think boldly about the future and to develop a diverse work portfolio covering a wide spectrum of lung health and other disease-related problems. The vision adopted by The Union at that time was ‘Health solutions for the poor’. More recently, there has been lengthy debate about the need for the Union to concentrate just on its core mandate of tuberculosis and lung health and for the Union's vision to reflect this narrower spectrum of activity as ‘Lung health solutions for the poor’. In this viewpoint article we outline our reasons for believing that this narrower vision is incompatible with The Union's mission statement, and we argue that making such a change would be a mistake.
Significance of Heart Rate Variability in Neonates with Myocardial Lesion

Objective To discuss heart rate variability (HRV) changes in neonates with myocardial lesion and its clinical significance.Methods HRV analysis was performed on electrocardiogram of 60 cases neonates with myocardial lesion,50 cases of neonates without myocardial lesion,and 160 cases of children in different ages with myocardial lesion by Holter analysis system.Results HRV comparisons on neonates with and without myocardial lesion showed no significant differences on standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals(SDNN),standard deviation of the 5-minute mean R-R intervals(SDANN),percentage of neighbouring normal R-R-waves with difference superior to 50 ms(PNN50),total power(TP),and low frequency (LF) data between neonates with myocardial lesion and without myocardial lesion (Pa0.05).But root mean square successive difference (rMSSD) and high frequency(HF) values in neonates with myocardial lesion were obviously lower than those in neonates without myocardial lesion(Pa0.05),while LF/HF-values in neonates with myocardial lesion were obviously higher than those in neonates without myocardial lesion(P0.01).HRV comparisons between nenoates with myocardial lesion and children in different ages with myocardial lesion showed that SDNN and SDANN data in neonates with myocardial lesion were obviously lower than those in infants (Pa0.05),while HR and LF/HF value were obviously higher(Pa0.01).SDNN,SDANN,rMSSD,PNN50,TP,LF and HF parameters in neonates with myocardial lesion were obviously lower than those in infants and children (Pa0.01),while HR and LF/HF values were obviously higher (Pa0.01).Conclusions The function of cardiac autonomic nerves is obviously damaged to neonate with myocardial lesion.The HRV parameter is the stable target to judge neonate myocardial lesion and prevention
Comprehensive Screening of Gene Copy Number Aberrations in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Solid Tumors Using Molecular Inversion Probe–Based Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Array

Gene copy number aberrations (CNAs) represent a major class of cancer-related genomic alterations that drive solid tumors. Comprehensive and sensitive detection of CNAs is challenging because of often low quality and quantity of DNA isolated from the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) solid tumor samples. Here, in a clinical molecular diagnostic laboratory, we tested the utility and validated a molecular inversion probe-based (MIP) array to routinely screen for CNAs in solid tumors. Using low-input FFPE DNA, the array detects genome-wide CNAs with a special focus on 900 cancer-related genes. A cohort of 76 solid tumors of various types and tumor cellularity (20% to 100%), and four cancer cell lines were used. These harbored CNAs in clinically important genes (ERBB2, EGFR, FGFR1, KRAS, MYC) as detected by orthogonal techniques like next-generation sequencing or fluorescence in situ hybridization. Results of the MIP array were concordant with results from orthogonal techniques, and also provided additional information regarding the allelic nature of the CNAs. Limit-of-detection and assay reproducibility studies showed a high degree of sensitivity and reproducibility of detection, respectively. FFPE compatibility, ability to detect CNAs with high sensitivity, accuracy, and provide valuable information such as loss of heterozygosity along with relatively short turnaround times makes the MIP array a desirable clinical platform for routine screening of solid tumors in a clinical laboratory.
Stimulating Change Without Enduring a Coup

Stimulating change is the ultimate test of a leader. There is nothing more rewarding than enabling organizational change and, with the benefit of history and hindsight, having that effort validated. It requires just about every bit of information in this book and every skill that we’ve attempted to identify and transmit, as well as some additional concepts specific to a change agenda. A good idea is not enough. A good idea isn’t translated into action without a plan for every player and without a detailed implementation strategy. Expect change to be resisted. Most change occurs in response to an external threat, and thus crises represent opportunities. The base-level anxiety in an organization dictates different strategies. And, finally, change requires having the right people in the right place to carry it out.
Systems to determine treatment effectiveness in newborn screening.

International humanitarian law requires medical practitioners to be given "respect and protection" when serving as medical practitioners in the military. A component of this legal assurance is that when military medical personnel base their decisions on their medical code of ethics, that decision will be respected and protected. Although the "respect" that has been afforded by international humanitarian law has been part of the law for a considerable period of time, it is not always clear that military command or the courts are sufficiently aware of the ambit of this prescription.
Recovering from Collective Memory Loss: the Digital Mitford's feminist project

ABSTRACTThis article considers the impact of the digital turn on feminist efforts to restore value to women's literature of past centuries, and positions the Digital Mitford project as a next step in site-specific excavation following the large-scale surveys of women writers of the Orlando Project and the Women Writers Project. The Digital Mitford departs from these earlier projects by concentrating on an influential and prolific yet non-canonical woman writer who would otherwise garner only passing selective treatment in digital survey work. The very problem of Mary Russell Mitford's literary success over multiple decades and genres has led to a faulty collective memory of her that is fragmented along Romantic vs. Victorian period boundaries in literary studies. To redress this memory loss, the Digital Mitford team has initiated a network analysis study drawn from its TEI XML markup to call attention to the literary and historical figures together with the publications Mitford wrote about frequently in t...
Evolutionary Science as a Method to Facilitate Higher Level Thinking and Reasoning in Medical Training

Evolutionary science is indispensable for understanding biological processes. Effective medical treatment must be anchored in sound biology. However, currently the insights available from evolutionary science are not adequately incorporated in either pre-medical or medical school curricula. To illuminate how evolution may be helpful in these areas, examples in which the insights of evolutionary science are already improving medical treatment and ways in which evolutionary reasoning can be practiced in the context of medicine are provided. In order to facilitate the learning of evolutionary principles, concepts derived from evolutionary science that medical students and professionals should understand are outlined. These concepts are designed to be authoritative and at the same time easily accessible for anyone with the general biological knowledge of a first-year medical student. Thus we conclude that medical practice informed by evolutionary principles will be more effective and lead to better patient outcomes.Furthermore, it is argued that evolutionary medicine complements general medical training because it provides an additional means by which medical students can practice the critical thinking skills that will be important in their future practice. We argue that core concepts from evolutionary science have the potential to improve critical thinking and facilitate more effective learning in medical training.
Emotion spotting: discovering regions of evidence in audio-visual emotion expressions

Research has demonstrated that humans require different amounts of information, over time, to accurately perceive emotion expressions. This varies as a function of emotion classes. For example, recognition of happiness requires a longer stimulus than recognition of anger. However, previous automatic emotion recognition systems have often overlooked these differences. In this work, we propose a data-driven framework to explore patterns (timings and durations) of emotion evidence, specific to individual emotion classes. Further, we demonstrate that these patterns vary as a function of which modality (lower face, upper face, or speech) is examined, and consistent patterns emerge across different folds of experiments. We also show similar patterns across emotional corpora (IEMOCAP and MSP-IMPROV). In addition, we show that our proposed method, which uses only a portion of the data (59% for the IEMOCAP), achieves comparable accuracy to a system that uses all of the data within each utterance. Our method has a higher accuracy when compared to a baseline method that randomly chooses a portion of the data. We show that the performance gain of the method is mostly from prototypical emotion expressions (defined as expressions with rater consensus). The innovation in this study comes from its understanding of how multimodal cues reveal emotion over time.
Will Operating Rooms Run More Efficiently When Anesthesiologists Get Involved in Their Management

An operating room that has grown continuously has encountered managerial problems. Just a few years ago, there were 7 operating rooms performing annually about 3400 cases. The hospital has built 5 additional operating rooms with a staff of 11, and around 6000 cases will be performed by the end of this fiscal year.
Customer interface design for customer co-creation in the social era

The purpose of this study was to examine (1) whether six elements of a customer interface for co-creation, (a) character, (b) choice, (c) community, (d) contact interactivity, (e) convenience, and (f) customization, were related to customer commitment to co-creation, (2) whether customer commitment was related to patronage intention toward co-creation of ordinary fashion products (study 1) and Hawaiian Aloha fashion products (study 2), and (3) whether the moderating effects of financial and product performance risks affected the relationship between commitment and patronage intention. Data were collected from online apparel shoppers (n=688) for study 1 and online apparel shoppers who are willing to engage in co-creation for Aloha fashions (n=336) for study 2, using a U.S. consumer panel via an online survey. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed model. Among the 6Cs of the customer interface design for co-creation, character, choice, and customization were found to be important elements that affected customer commitment to co-creation for both ordinary fashion products and Aloha fashion products. Product performance risk did not moderate the relationship between customer commitment and patronage intention. The differences between the results of ordinary fashion products and Aloha fashion products were discussed. This study examined the influence of interface components for customer co-creation.Character, choice, and customization were related to customer commitment to co-creation.Community and contact interactivity were not related to customer commitment.Performance risk did not moderate the effect of commitment on patronage intention.
VEGFR1 promotes cell migration and proliferation through PLCγ and PI3K pathways

The ability to control vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling offers promising therapeutic potential for vascular diseases and cancer. Despite this promise, VEGF-targeted therapies are not clinically effective for many pathologies, such as breast cancer. VEGFR1 has recently emerged as a predictive biomarker for anti-VEGF efficacy, implying a functional VEGFR1 role beyond its classically defined decoy receptor status. Here we introduce a computational approach that accurately predicts cellular responses elicited via VEGFR1 signaling. Aligned with our model prediction, we show empirically that VEGFR1 promotes macrophage migration through PLCγ and PI3K pathways and promotes macrophage proliferation through a PLCγ pathway. These results provide new insight into the basic function of VEGFR1 signaling while offering a computational platform to quantify signaling of any receptor.
Teleoperative control of intraocular robotic snake: Vision-based angular calibration

Lack of dexterity is one of the major challenges in retinal microsurgery because of the limited intraocular space and physical constraints of surgical tools in the current practice. Snake-like robots, therefore, have the potential to address this limitation. Their dexterity can reduce the (otherwise inevitable) eyeball manipulations to reach the target tissue and increase the workspace using the fixed sclerotomy port, which can result in an easier operation and less tissue damage. In the current study, we present the new version of our integrated intraocular snake (IRIS) robot — a sub-millimeter snake robot with 2DOF rotational motion at the tool tip. Real-time computer vision was used to measure the tip pose. Calibration of the tip bending angle based on the wire translation (motor rotation) was performed in the entire workspace of the robot combining its yaw and pitch motions. The robot is teleoperated from the master console (Phantom Omni) in an intuitive scheme so that the robot tip follows the motion of the user's hand with an angular accuracy of ±0.2°. Experimental results indicate that users were able to reach the target in about one minute and their performance improved in the subsequent trials.
A Note on the Relationship between Relative Precipitation Frequency and Percent of Correct Forecasts

Ramage (1982) has presented evidence, based on extensive verification data for precipitation forecasts, that the percent of correct forecasts decreases approximately linearly with increasing precipitation frequency. However, only a limited range of precipitation frequency was examined in his study. Here the theoretical reltionship between these quantities is derived for the full range of precipitation frequency with use of a model that assumes the forecasts to be unbiased and the Heidke Skill Score to be independent of precipitation frequency. It is shown that for this simple model the relationship is quadratic, the percent correct dropping from 100% for a relative precipitation frequency of zero to a minimum value for a relative frequency of 0.5 and rising again to 100% for a relative frequency of 1.0. The data presented by Ramage appear to fit the quadratic relationship well, within the limited range shown in Fig. 4 of his article.
Physical simulation of environmentally induced thin shell deformation

We present a physically accurate low-order elastic shell model that incorporates active material response to dynamically changing stimuli such as heat, moisture, and growth. Our continuous formulation of the geometrically non-linear elastic energy derives from the principles of differential geometry, and as such naturally incorporates shell thickness, non-zero rest curvature, and physical material properties. By modeling the environmental stimulus as local, dynamic changes in the rest metric of the material, we are able to solve for the corresponding shape changes by integrating the equations of motions given this non-Euclidean rest state. We present models for differential growth and shrinking due to moisture and temperature gradients along and across the surface, and incorporate anisotropic growth by defining an intrinsic machine direction within the material. Comparisons with experiments and volumetric finite elements show that our simulations achieve excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement. By combining the reduced-order shell theory with appropriate physical models, our approach accurately captures all the physical phenomena while avoiding expensive volumetric discretization of the shell volume.
Case Studies: Application of the Results

Several of the questions raised from the results from the quantitative analysis are perhaps best approached by considering how the results are reflected in specific case studies. Each case study can provide several opportunities to test or validate a theory. In this study, baseline data used in the 146 treaties are expanded even further in five case studies to explain in greater detail the changes in the causal variables over time. These cases also consider causal variables across geographic subunits (sub-basin, national, etc.) within a single basin, thereby allowing comparison across multiple units.
Ischemic Rescue with Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers

Experimental studies indicate that hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) can be effective in rescuing ischemic tissue with residual collateral blood flow after occlusion of a major artery supply. Much of the work showing positive effects of HBOC transfusion has been performed in middle cerebral artery occlusion models of stroke, although some evidence supports their use during ischemia in heart and peripheral tissue. Strategies for improving convective oxygen transport through collateral arteries with HBOCs include (1) boosting blood oxygen carrying capacity, (2) decreasing hematocrit and blood viscosity while limiting the decrease in oxygen carrying capacity, and (3) augmenting dilation of collateral arteries. In addition, plasma-based HBOCs may enhance the delivery of oxygen from the microcirculation to the ischemic parenchymal cells by (1) increasing oxygen flux through individual capillaries that have a disproportionately low flux of red blood cells but persistent plasma flow, (2) filling the capillary spaces between red blood cells with an oxygen source that increases the effective capillary surface area for oxygen diffusion, and (3) facilitating oxygen transport from the red blood cell to the endothelium through the plasma. Newer formulations of HBOCs with carbon monoxide, S-nitrosylation, and superoxide dismutase–mimetic activity endowed by polynitroxylation can be effective at relatively low plasma concentrations, possibly because they may serve to stabilize endothelial function and limit inflammation and reperfusion injury. Future development of HBOCs as a therapeutic for ischemic organs will require determining the precise mechanisms of action of each type of HBOC and the optimal dosage and timing for the specific application.
Novel Dielectrics for GaN Device Passivation and Improved Reliability

Proper surface cleaning processes and the type of passivation film (SiNX, Sc2O3, MgO) used to reduce the current collapse phenomena in the devices are very critical to reduce the inter-device isolation leakage currents in mesa-isolated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors and to improve reliability. Three different passivation layers (SiNX, MgO, and Sc2O3) were examined for their effectiveness in mitigating surface state-induced current collapse in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). The plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited SiNX produced ~80–85% recovery of the drain-source current, independent of whether SiH4/NH3 or SiD4/ND3 plasma chemistries were employed. Both the Sc2O3 and MgO produced essentially complete recovery of the current in GaN-cap HEMT structures and ~80–95% recovery in AlGaN-cap structures. The Sc2O3 had superior long-term stability with no change in HEMT behavior over 5 months aging. The use of MOSFETs could allow the use of complementary devices, thus producing less power consumption and simpler circuit design. The same novel oxides employed for alleviating many of the problems encountered in current Schottky-based devices were successfully used as the gate dielectric for MOS-diode and MOSFETs. Both MgO and Sc2O3 were shown to provide low interface state densities (in the 1011 eV−1 cm−2 range) on n- and p-GaN, making them useful for gate dielectrics for metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices and also as surface passivation layers to mitigate current collapse in GaN/AlGaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Clear evidence of inversion was demonstrated in gate-controlled MOS p-GaN diodes using both types of oxide. Charge-pumping measurements on diodes undergoing a high temperature implant activation anneal showed a total surface state density of ~3×1012 cm−2. On HEMT structures, both oxides provided effective passivation of surface states and these devices showed improved output power. The MgO/GaN structures were also found to be quite radiation resistant, making them attractive for satellite and terrestrial communication systems requiring a high tolerance to high energy (40 MeV) protons.
Sensing and Adapting to Anaerobic Conditions by Staphylococcus aureus

A highly adaptive commensal organism, Staphylococcus aureus, possesses an array of genes that allow the bacterium to survive and grow in a wide variety of niches. Several of these niches are known to be or become anaerobic during the course of an infection; additionally, biofilms that develop, commonly on implanted medical devices, become anaerobic. The metabolic capability of S. aureus provides the organism with the essential nutrients needed to continue to grow, divide, and thwart the host immune system in the presence or absence of oxygen. In order to utilize the ATP-producing pathways and maintain cellular health S. aureus has evolved a series of regulatory systems that regulate these ATP-producing pathways. In this review, we discuss the protein signaling systems that sense, indirectly and directly, anaerobic conditions, their sensory mechanisms and signals, and outline the genes that are altered due to the absence of oxygen and the subsequent response by the bacterial cell. The switch from aerobic to anaerobic growth in S. aureus is complex and highly regulated, with some metabolic pathways regulated by multiple regulatory systems to ensure maximal utilization of each pathway and substrate.
Noninvasive Respiratory Support for the Premature Infant: Choosing the Optimum Interface.

Preventing lung injury to reduce the burden of bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a crux of neonatal care. We know that decreasing the duration of intubation and duration of mechanical ventilation is a major component of injury prevention. As practices leading to earlier extubation become more common,
Drug Regimen Individualization for Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Guidance for Methylphenidate and Dexmethylphenidate Formulations

In 2000, the first biphasic modified-release (MR) formulation of methylphenidate (MPH) was approved for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). An immediate-release (IR) MPH pulse (22% of the dose) facilitates rapid onset of stimulant action, while the remaining MR portion of the dose provides for day-long duration of efficacy. A wide array of oral MR-MPH products has subsequently been approved that also allows for once-daily dosing, though each product is characterized by distinctive exposure time courses. This review compares each member of the current MPH armamentarium to assist in the rational selection of a specific MPH regimen for the individualized treatment of patients with ADHD. The IR portion of biphasic MPH formulations now ranges from 15%, 20%, 22%, 25%, 30%, and 37% IR-MPH, as well as a 50% IR-MPH product whose distinctly pulsatile time course closely resembles that of the pre-century "gold standard" twice-daily IR-MPH regimen. Further, transdermal, suspension, and orally disintegrating tablet products are now available to overcome any solid dosage form swallowing difficulties. Most of these formulations are racemic, though in 2001, a chiral switch drug IR-dexmethylphenidate (dexMPH) was approved, followed by biphasic MR-dexMPH (50% IR) in 2005. New U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) partial area under the curve (pAUC) bioavailability metrics have improved discrimination between specific generic MR-MPH products. This has resulted in two Orange Book MR-MPH products being recoded from "AB" (i.e., meets necessary bioequivalence requirements) to "BX" (i.e., insufficient data to confirm bioequivalence). The metabolic drug interaction between MPH and alcohol, which increases MPH bioavailability, potentiates euphoric effects, and heightens abuse liability, is discussed. This review concludes with brief considerations of pharmacogenomic predictors of ADHD first-line drug selection, carboxylesterase allelic variants influencing interindividual MPH metabolism, and novel MPH formulations in the regulatory pipeline.
Long-Term Corticosteroid-Sparing Immunosuppression for Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background Long-term corticosteroid therapy is the standard of care for treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). The efficacy of long-term corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppression in CS is unknown. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of methotrexate with or without adalimumab for long-term disease suppression in CS, and to assess recurrence and adverse event rates after immunosuppression discontinuation. Methods and Results Retrospective chart review identified treatment-naive CS patients at a single academic medical center who received corticosteroid-sparing maintenance therapy. Demographics, cardiac uptake of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose, and adverse cardiac events were compared before and during treatment and between those with persistent or interrupted immunosuppression. Twenty-eight CS patients were followed for a mean 4.1 (SD 1.5) years. Twenty-five patients received 4 to 8 weeks of high-dose prednisone (>30 mg/day), followed by taper and maintenance therapy with methotrexate±low-dose prednisone (low-dose prednisone, <10 mg/day). Adalimumab was added in 19 patients with persistently active CS or in those with intolerance to methotrexate. Methotrexate±low-dose prednisone resulted in initial reduction (88%) or elimination (60%) of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, and patients receiving adalimumab-containing regimens experienced improved (84%) or resolved (63%) 18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake. Radiologic relapse occurred in 8 of 9 patients after immunosuppression cessation, 4 patients on methotrexate-containing regimens, and in no patients on adalimumab-containing regimens. Conclusions Corticosteroid-sparing regimens containing methotrexate with or without adalimumab is an effective maintenance therapy in patients after an initial response is confirmed. Disease recurrence in patients on and off immunosuppression support need for ongoing radiologic surveillance regardless of immunosuppression regimen.
Thiophene-fused polyaromatics: synthesis, columnar liquid crystal, fluorescence and electrochemical properties

Efficient syntheses that incorporate thiophene units into different extended conjugation systems are of interest as a result of the prevalence of sulfur-rich aromatics in organic electronics. Self-organization by using liquid crystal properties is also desirable for optimal processing of organic electronics and optical devices. In this article, we describe a two-step process to access extended regioisomers of polyaromatics with different shapes. This method involves an efficient single or double benzannulation from an alkyne precursor followed by Scholl cyclization. In spite of their unconventional nondiscoid shape, these materials display stable columnar liquid crystal phases. We examine the photophysical and electrochemical properties and find that structurally very similar thiophene-fused polyaromatics display significant differences in their properties.
Refusal of Local Therapy in Esophageal Cancer and Impact on Overall Survival

The aim of this study was to understand factors associated with refusal of local therapy in esophageal cancer and compare the overall survival (OS) of patients who refuse therapies with those who undergo recommended treatment. National Cancer Database data for patients with non-metastatic esophageal cancer from 2006 to 2013 were pooled. T1N0M0 tumors were excluded. Pearson’s Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess demographic, clinical, and treatment factors. After propensity-score matching with inverse probability of treatment weighting, OS was compared between patients who refused therapies and those who underwent recommended therapy, using Kaplan–Meier analyses and doubly robust estimation with multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling. In total, 37,618 patients were recommended radiation therapy (RT) and/or esophagectomy; we found 1403 (3.7%) refused local therapies. Specifically, 890 of 18,942 (4.6%) patients refused surgery and 667 of 31,937 (2.1%) refused RT. Older patients, females, those with unknown lymphovascular space invasion, and those uninsured or on Medicare were more likely to refuse. Those with squamous cell carcinoma, N1 disease, higher incomes, living farther from care, and those who received chemotherapy were less likely to refuse. Five-year OS was decreased in patients who refused (18.1% vs. 27.6%). The survival decrement was present in adenocarcinoma but not squamous cell carcinoma. In patients who received surgery or ≥ 50.4 Gy RT, there was no OS decrement to refusing the other therapy. We identified characteristics that correlate with refusal of local therapy. Refusal of therapy was associated with decreased OS. Patients who received either surgery or ≥ 50.4 Gy RT had no survival decrement from refusing the opposite modality.
Chemically Sensitive Microelectrochemical Devices: New Approaches to Sensors

Abstract : Described herein are the proof of concept results demonstrating a new approach to electrochemical sensors based upon chemically sensitive microelectrochemical devices. A typical device consists of at least two individually addressable electrodes. The working electrode is a microelectrode and is derivatized with at least one molecule that has a chemically sensitive formal potential and serves as the indicator, and one molecule that has a chemically insensitive formal potential and serves as a reference. The indicator and reference molecules are confined to the electrodes either by monolayer self assembly techniques or by dissolving in a thin film of solid electrolyte. Detection in these systems is accomplished by measuring either the potential difference associated with current peaks for oxidation (or reduction) of microelectrode confined redox reagents.
Critical Study on a Reclaimed Wastewater Allocation Optimization Model for Agricultural Irrigation

Climate change, pollution, civil conflicts, political instability, and a high rate of population growth all contribute to water shortages in Iraq which are predicted to increase in the future. Due to the importance of agriculture in Iraq which forms more than 75 percent of total demand, a sustainable agricultural water allocation scheme is necessary to find practical and applicable water conservation measures that helps mitigate the impact of potential droughts and water shortages. An agricultural irrigation reclaimed wastewater allocation optimization model was developed to optimally allocate crops and reclaimed wastewater (RW) on cultivated farmlands in order to maximize the net benefit. The optimization model is formulated using mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) solved by the branch and reduce optimization navigator (BARON) in the general algebraic mathematical solver (GAMS). The model maximizes the net farm income to determine the cultivated crop assigned to each farmland using three types of reclaimed wastewater (RW); tertiary treated wastewater; secondary treated wastewater; and primary treated wastewater. Constraints in the optimization model include: (1) reclaimed wastewater availability constraints and (2) irrigated farmlands constraints. The optimization model has been applied to 7045 hectares of farms located in the Alrustumia district to the south east of Baghdad, Iraq with 5.5 × 105 m3/d of treated wastewater. In addition, the available wide range of selected crops considering RW type A offered the model a flexibility in selecting the highest economic crops to satisfy the maximum limit of the allowable cultivated area by each crop. The use of tertiary treated wastewater provided the greatest net benefit under most scenarios evaluated while primary effluent provided the lowest net benefit as only low value crops could be cultivated.
In vivo microscopic assessment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis using endobronchial optical coherence tomography: a prospective diagnostic study

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal form of fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). Early diagnosis of IPF is essential, but often requires invasive surgery. We conduct a prospective study evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of endobronchial optical coherence tomography (EB-OCT) for IPF diagnosis as compared to concurrent surgical lung biopsy (SLB) and clinical follow-up diagnosis. EB-OCT was performed immediately prior to SLB in 27 ILD patients. EB-OCT was 100% sensitive and 100% specific for both histologic and clinical follow up diagnosis of IPF. The results demonstrate the potential of EB-OCT as minimally-invasive, low-risk in vivo method for microscopic IPF diagnosis.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Spiral Whole-Heart Quantitative Adenosine Stress Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance With Motion Compensated L1-SPIRIT.

Background Variable density spiral (VDS) pulse sequences with motion compensated compressed sensing (MCCS) reconstruction allow for whole-heart quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion but are not clinically validated. Purpose Assess performance of whole-heart VDS quantitative stress perfusion with MCCS to detect obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Study type Prospective cross sectional. Population Twenty-five patients with chest pain and known or suspected CAD and nine normal subjects. Field strength/sequence Segmented steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence, segmented phase sensitive inversion recovery sequence for late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging and VDS sequence at 1.5 T for rest and stress quantitative perfusion at eight short-axis locations. Assessment Stenosis was defined as ≥50% by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). Visual and quantitative analysis of MRI data was compared to QCA. Quantitative analysis assessed average myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR), average stress myocardial blood flow (MBF), and lowest stress MBF of two contiguous myocardial segments. Ischemic burden was measured visually and quantitatively. Statistical tests Student's t-test, McNemar's test, chi-square statistic, linear mixed-effects model, and area under receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results Per-patient visual analysis demonstrated a sensitivity of 84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 60%-97%) and specificity of 83% [95% CI, 36%-100%]. There was no significant difference between per-vessel visual and quantitative analysis for sensitivity (69% [95% CI, 51%-84%] vs. 77% [95% CI, 60%-90%], P = 0.39) and specificity (88% [95% CI, 73%-96%] vs. 80% [95% CI, 64%-91%], P = 0.75). Per-vessel quantitative analysis ROC showed no significant difference (P = 0.06) between average MPR (0.68 [95% CI, 0.56-0.81]), average stress MBF (0.74 [95% CI, 0.63-0.86]), and lowest stress MBF (0.79 [95% CI, 0.69-0.90]). Visual and quantitative ischemic burden measurements were comparable (P = 0.85). Data conclusion Whole-heart VDS stress perfusion demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy and ischemic burden evaluation. No significant difference was seen between visual and quantitative diagnostic performance and ischemic burden measurements. Evidence level 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
A Math Formula Extraction and Evaluation Framework for PDF Documents

We present a processing pipeline for math formula extraction in PDF documents that takes advantage of character information in born-digital PDFs (e.g., created using Open image in new window or Word). Our pipeline is designed for indexing math in technical document collections to support math-aware search engines capable of processing queries containing keywords and formulas. The system includes user-friendly tools for visualizing recognition results in HTML pages. Our pipeline is comprised of a new state-of-the-art PDF character extractor that identifies precise bounding boxes for non-Latin symbols, a novel Single Shot Detector-based formula detector, and an existing graph-based formula parser (QD-GGA) for recognizing formula structure. To simplify analyzing structure recognition errors, we have extended the LgEval library (from the CROHME competitions) to allow viewing all instances of specific errors by clicking on HTML links. Our source code is publicly available.
t(4;12)(q12;p13) ETV6-rearranged AML without eosinophilia does not involve PDGFRA: relevance for imatinib insensitivity

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t(4;12)(q12;p13) translocation is rare, and often associated with an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. Previous reports based on fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) analysis have suggested that ETV6-PDGFRA fusions are present in these patients despite the absence of eosinophilia, which is typically found in other hematopoietic malignancies with PDGFRA¬-containing fusions. We first detected an ETV6-SCFD2 fusion by targeted RNA sequencing in a patient with t(4;12)(q12;p13) who had previously been diagnosed with an ETV6-PDGFRA fusion by FISH analysis but failed to respond to imatinib. We then retrospectively identified four additional AML patients with t(4;12)(q12;p13) with apparent ETV6-PDGFRA fusions using chromosome and FISH analysis and applied targeted RNA sequencing to archival material. We again detected rearrangements between ETV6 and non-PDGFRA 4q12 genes including SCFD2, CHIC2 and GSX2. None of the three patients who received imatinib based on the incorrect assumption of an ETV6-PDGFRA fusion responded. Our findings highlight the importance of using a sequencing-based assay to confirm the presence of targetable gene fusions, particularly in genomic regions such as 4q12 with many clinically relevant genes that are too close to resolve by chromosome or FISH analysis. Finally, combining our data and review of the literature, we show that sequence-confirmed ETV6-PDGFRA fusions are typically found in eosinophilic disorders (3 of 3 cases), and patients with t(4;12)(q12;p13) without eosinophilia are found to have other 4q12 partners on sequencing (17 of 17 cases).
Risk of acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis after contrast-enhanced imaging after traumatic injury: A National Trauma Databank analysis.

Abstract Background Trauma patients undergo routine contrast administration for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence and predictors of contrast-induced nephropathy requiring acute hemodialysis in the trauma population. Methods Adult patients (age ≥16) were identified from the National Trauma Databank (2017–2018) and were grouped based on contrast received. The defined groups included no contrast, computed tomography intravascular contrast only, and angiography contrast. Patient demographic and clinical variables collected included vital signs (systolic blood pressure, pulse rate) recorded upon arrival to the emergency room, injury severity score, shock index, Glasgow Coma Scale, and mechanism. Outcome measures included mortality, hospital discharge disposition, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and need for hemodialysis. We performed a Poisson regression to assess relative risk for undergoing hemodialysis during hospital admission. Results In total, 1,850,460 patients were included in the analysis (no contrast: 1,189,209; computed tomography intravascular contrast only: 621,846; angiography: 39,405); 3,135 patients required hemodialysis during the admission. Patients with reduced Glasgow Coma Scale, higher injury severity score, higher shock index, and preexisting diabetes mellitus and hypertension were more likely to require hemodialysis. Poisson regression revealed the relative risk of requiring hemodialysis as 1.49 with computed tomography intravascular contrast only, 4.33 with angiography only, and 5.35 with consecutive computed tomography intravascular and angiography. Conclusion Intravascular contrast administration through computed tomography and or angiography is independently associated with increased risk of requiring hemodialysis after a traumatic injury. Trauma surgeons should consider the necessity of contrast for each clinical situation and understand the potential for contrast-induced nephropathy.
Attack-Resilient Path Planning Using Dynamic Games With Stopping States

In this article, we consider a path planning problem on a graph, wherein a vehicle (defender) seeks to find an optimal path from a source to a destination vertex in the presence of an attacker. The defender is equipped with a countermeasure that can detect and permanently disable the attack if it occurs concurrently. We model the problem over an edge as a zero-sum multistage game played between the defender and the attacker with a stopping state, termed as the edge game. We analyze this game under full information, in which each player has complete knowledge of the past actions taken by the opponent at every stage. We also analyze the game under a partial information structure, wherein the defender obtains complete knowledge of the attacker’s actions only when the defender uses the countermeasure. We characterize the Nash equilibria of the edge game in both information structures with two actions per player and analyze its sensitivity to the game parameters. We then construct a meta-game using the edge game solutions to determine an attack-resilient path and compare it with an efficient novel heuristic with a constraint on the number of edges attacked. We illustrate our methodology through simulations in a Robot Operating System/Gazebo environment and with experiments on a ground robot.
Spouses Need Not Apply: The Legality of Anti-Nepotism and No-Spouse Rules

The article discusses the practical and legal implications of using anti-nepotism and no-spouse rules in workplaces across the United States. Anti-nepotism and no-spouse rules have remained popular while the labor force participation rates of women and the presence of dual earner couples have increased. Not surprisingly, employees, primarily women, affected by the application of these rules have raised challenges under various legal theories. Their primary argument has been that while neutral on their face, anti-nepotism and no-spouse rules significantly burden women to a larger extent than men. Courts, however, have been ambivalent about the treatment afforded to challenges to the application of these rules. In general, courts continue to treat these rules as sex-neutral, and deny employees affected by them any form of relief. This article argues that the view that anti-nepotism and no-spouse rules are sex-neutral ignores the real life employment experiences of married women. These rules are antiquated policies, based on a traditional, conservative view of appropriate gender roles. Courts, should recognize these realities and provide women appropriate relief. The article evaluates the various legal frameworks used to challenge the use of these rules in the context of our current knowledge about the economics regarding job choices of families where both spouses work.
Natural and Magnetic Vacuum Ultraviolet Circular Dichroism Measurements at the Synchrotron Radiation Center University of Wisconsin-Madison

Substances which rotate the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light are called optically active. The optical rotation occurs due to unequal responses to left and right circularly polarized radiation. Circular dichroism spectroscopy measures the difference in absorption between left and right circularly polarized light (usually expressed as the difference in molar extinction coefficient, eL-eR, or absorbance, AL-AR) as a function of wavelength.
Botnets and Cyber Criminals

In the last several years, the nature of computer hacking has completely changed. Cyber crime has risen to unprecedented sophistication with the evolution of botnet technology, and an underground community of cyber criminals has arisen, capable of inflicting serious socioeconomic and infrastructural damage in the information age. This chapter serves as an introduction to the world of modern cyber crime and discusses information systems to investigate it. We investigated the command and control (C&C) signatures of major botnet herders using data collected from the Shadowserver Foundation, a nonprofit research group for botnet research. We also performed exploratory population modeling of the bots and cluster analysis of selected cyber criminals.
Book review: A reflection on A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

No abstract available! (Published: 1 October 2014) This paper is part of the Special Issue: Resilience and Trauma . More papers from this issue can be found at http://www.eurojnlofpsychotraumatol.net Citation: European Journal of Psychotraumatology 2014, 5 : 25305 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v5.25305
Expression of herpes simplex virus type 2 antigens in premalignant and malignant human vulvar cells.

Abstract Vulvar biopsies and explants from patients with vulvitis, hyperkeratosis, condyloma acuminatum, severe dysplasia, and squamous cell carcinoma were screened for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) antigens. Immunoperoxidase staining for VP143, an early nonstructural polypeptide of HSV-2, was identified within three biopsies exhibiting severe dysplasia, three of seven with carcinoma in situ, and one of three with invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Similar staining for VP143 was observed in derived explants. Staining for VP119, the major envelope glycoproteins of HSV-2, was identified within tissues which were positive for VP143. Both proteins were expressed in the absence of staining for virus capsid proteins, detection of virus structures by electron microscopy, and isolation of infectious virus by co-cultivation indicating that only a fragment of the virus genome was expressed. Neither VP143 nor VP119 was identified in biopsies exhibiting vulvitis, hyperkeratosis, or condyloma acuminatum. These data indicate a close relationship between HSV-2 and vulvar neoplasia.