cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of Large‐Scale Fractionation Methods

. A modification of the method of Johnson for the preparation of clinical factor VIII concentrates is described by which a concentrate may consistently be obtained from 100-liter plasma volumes at a potency of 10 factor VIII units/ml or greater and a specific activity of 0.3 factor VIII units/mg protein (18 to 20-fold purification over plasma) with a final recovery close to 40% of the actual factor VIII activity of the starting plasma; these potency and purity values exceed the minimum requirements of the Division of Biologics Standards of the National Institutes of Health. The major changes that were introduced were: (a) an accelerated cryoprecipitation step to minimize the risk of pyrogen formation; (b) the elimination of ethanol to avoid coprecipitation of nonspecific proteins, thereby improving the purity of the final concentrate; (c) the reduction of the tris extraction volume to obtain a higher final factor VIII potency and smaller volumes for lyophilization; (d) the control of pH during the Al (OH)3 adsorption step to improve the purity and filtrability of the concentrate; (e) the removal of the Al (OH)3 precipitate by a foamless centrifugation technique to minimize denaturation of the factor VIII in the supernatant; and (f) the use of new clarification media to facilitate the final sterile filtration step.
Prevalence of Blood Parasites in Eastern Versus Western House Finches: Are Eastern Birds Resistant to Infection?

The rapid spread of the bacterial disease, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), throughout the introduced range of house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) in eastern North America, compared to its slower spread through the native western range, has puzzled researchers and highlights the need to understand the relative differences in health state of finches from both populations. We conducted a light-microscope survey of hemoparasites in populations of finches from Arizona (within the western range) and from Alabama (within the eastern range), and compared our estimates of prevalence to published reports from house finches sampled in both ranges. Of the 33 Arizona birds examined, we recorded hematozoan infections in 16 (48.5%) individuals, compared to 1 infected Alabama bird out of 30 birds examined (3.3%). Based on independent surveys of seven western North American and five eastern North American populations of house finches the average prevalence of blood parasites in western populations is 38.8% (±17.9 SD), while the average prevalence within the eastern range is only 5.9% (±6.1 SD). The average rate of infection among all songbirds sampled in the east is 34.2% (±4.8 SD). Thus, our surveys of wild birds as well as previously published observations point to eastern house finches having a much lower prevalence of blood parasite infections than their western counterparts. Combined with the fact that eastern finches also tend to have lower rates of avian pox infections than do western birds (based on a literature review), these observations suggest that eastern birds have either strong resistance to these infections or high susceptibility and associated mortality.
Model reduction for Metzlerian systems

The problem of model reduction for the special class of continuous-time Metzlerian system is considered in this paper. The model reduction is performed under structural maintainability and stability preserving constraints. It is shown that model reduction based on aggregation method enables to maintain the structure of the original Metzlerian system while preserving its stability. Furthermore, we employ the frequency weighted balancing to Metzlerian systems and show that the reduced order models obtained by either truncation or singular perturbation approximation are guaranteed to be stable for the general case of double-sided weighting.
Wine Tourism: A Serious Leisure Approach

Today wine tourism is emerging as an important component of rural diversification in North Carolina. Using Stebbins’ (1992) model of serious leisure as a guideline, the purpose of this study is to explore how wine tourism may be viewed as a type of serious leisure and to suggest a conceptual approach to the study of wine consumers in order to develop effective wine marketing strategies for local wineries in North Carolina. In addition, this study suggests an approach that small North Carolina wineries might use to identify various types of winery visitors and better position their products.
Cerebrovascular autoregulation during fetal development in sheep.

There are scant data regarding the development of cerebrovascular autoregulation in fetuses. We tested the hypothesis that a decrease in cerebrovascular resistance (CVR) at reduced cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) is absent in midgestation and near-term fetal sheep. Catheters were chronically implanted for microsphere determination of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in 9 fetuses at 92 days and in 10 fetuses at 132 days gestation (full term = 145 days). CPP was reduced by ventricular infusion of artificial cerebrospinal fluid. In 92-day fetuses, CPP was reduced stepwise from 35 to 25 and 18 mmHg and CBF decreased from 52 +/- 5 to 43 +/- 4 and 27 +/- 5 (SE) ml.min-1 x 100 g-1, respectively. Half of the immature fetuses showed some reduction in CVR at moderate reduction in CPP; however, there was no significant change in CVR in the group as a whole (from 0.72 +/- 0.06 to 0.61 +/- 0.04 and 0.89 +/- 0.20 mmHg.ml-1.min.100 g). In 132-day fetuses, CPP was reduced from 45 to 33 and 28 mmHg and CBF was unchanged (from 105 +/- 7 to 97 +/- 11 and 89 +/- 8 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1). CVR decreased from 0.45 +/- 0.05 to 0.41 +/- 0.08 and 0.33 +/- 0.03 mmHg.ml-1.min.100 g. There were no significant changes in arterial blood gases at reduced CPP in either age group. We conclude that cerebrovascular autoregulation at reduced CPP is not well developed at 92 days (0.63 gestation) in fetal sheep but that autoregulatory capacity is evident near term. We speculate that poor autoregulation may place the premature fetal brain at risk for injury.
A cage for pathogens

Since ancient times, antiseptic agents such as wine and vinegar have been used to treat wounds and fight infection. Modern antiseptics are employed liberally both for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes, and total consumption in the United States amounts to a staggering 20 million liters annually
Diabrotica cristata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): Attraction to Eugenol and Related Compounds Compared with D. barberi and D. virgifera virgifera

Field tests using sticky traps revealed that eugenol and 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol were highly attractive to Diabrotica cristata (Harris) and D. barberi Smith & Lawrence, whereas isoeugenol acetate was not attractive. None of the compounds was highly attractive to D. virgifera virgifera LeConte but there was significant, albeit low, attraction of females to 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol. D. barberi in South Dakota responded in the same way to these compounds as it did in Ohio in earlier tests. Response to these attractants parallels host plant affinities among the species.
Chemosterilization of the Boll Weevil by Fumigation

Fumigation of adult Anthonomus grandis Boheman at atmospheric pressure with alkylating aziridinyl phosphine sulfides and oxides or with nonalkylating dimethylamino phosphorus amides induced sterility in both sexes. Lowest mortality and complete sterility of both sexes were obtained when the fumigant was a mixture of P, P -bis (l-aziridinyl)- N -methylphosphinothioic amide and hempa. The fumigation was performed at 30°±1°C in a 4-liter stainless steel vessel furnished with a fan driven by an external motor. At an exposure period of 2.5 h, the sterility of males and females was 100 and 99.9%. respectively; mortality of treated weevils was ca. 40% at 8 days posttreatment. The procedure is simple and applicable to mass treatment.
When Nationalism Goes to the Market: The Case of Chinese Patriotic Songs

To understand the role of the market in the promotion of nationalism, this article focuses on Chinese popular music and examines how nationalism is promoted in China through patriotic songs. It app...
Justice at a Distance: Extending Freedom Globally

The current global-justice literature starts from the premise that world poverty is the result of structural injustice mostly attributable to past and present actions of governments and citizens of rich countries. As a result, that literature recommends vast coercive transfers of wealth from rich to poor societies, alongside stronger national and international governance. Justice at a Distance, in contrast, argues that global injustice is largely home-grown and that these native restrictions to freedom lie at the root of poverty and stagnation. The book is the first philosophical work to emphasize free markets in goods, services, and labor as an ethical imperative that allows people to pursue their projects and as the one institutional arrangement capable of alleviating poverty. Supported by a robust economic literature, Justice at a Distance applies the principle of noninterference to the issues of wealth and poverty, immigration, trade, the status of nation-states, war, and aid.
Using Topic Model to Suggest Fine-Grained Source Code Changes

Prior research has shown that source code and its changes are repetitive. Several approaches have leveraged that phenomenon to detect and recommend change and fix patterns. In this paper, we propose TasC, a model that leverages the context of change tasks in development history to suggest fine-grained code change and fix at the program statement level. We use Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to capture the change task context via co-occurring program elements in the changes in a context. We also propose a novel technique for measuring the similarity of code fragments and code changes using the task context. We conducted an empirical evaluation on a large dataset of 88 open-source Java projects containing more than 200 thousand source files and 3.5 million source lines of code in their last revisions with 423 thousand changed methods. Our result shows that TasC relatively improves recommendation accuracy up to 130%–250% in comparison with the base models that do not use task context. Compared with other types of contexts, TasC outperforms the models using structural and co-change contexts.
Zooarchaeology in the 21st Century: Comments on the Contributions

In this chapter, I comment on all the papers in this volume. My discussion is organized around cross-cutting themes that appear in different chapters: collation, correlation, and causation; temporal, spatial, and analytic scale, new data on extinctions, the response to climatic change, archaeological data as climate proxies, and gaps in the record. Though recognizing areas that require reorientation and reconsideration, I conclude that the papers make important contributions to understanding human-climate-environment interaction as seen through the lens of zooarchaeology.
Comparative threat from LNG and fuel oil maritime accidents

ABSTRACT The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates a 3–4% increase in U.S. production levels of natural gas in 2017 from 2016 production rates, themselves increased from 2015. While much...
Influential factors affecting black carbon trends at four sites of differing distance from a major highway in Las Vegas

Elevated air pollution levels adjacent to major highways are an ongoing topic of public health concern worldwide. Black carbon (BC), a component of particulate matter (PM) emitted by diesel and gasoline vehicles, was measured continuously via a filter-based light absorption technique over ~ 16 months at four different stations positioned on a perpendicular trajectory to a major highway in Las Vegas, NV. During downwind conditions (winds from the west), BC at 20 m from the highway was 32 and 60% higher than concentrations at 100 and 300 m from the roadway, respectively. Overall highest roadside (20-m site) BC concentrations were observed during the time period of 4 a.m.–8 a.m. under low-speed variable winds (3.02 μg/m3) or downwind conditions (2.84 μg/m3). The 20-m site BC concentrations under downwind conditions are 85% higher on weekday periods compared to weekends during the time period of 4 a.m.–8 a.m. Whereas total traffic volume was higher on weekdays versus weekends and differed by approximately 3% on weekdays versus weekends, similarly, the detected heavy-duty fraction was higher on weekdays versus weekends and differed by approximately 21% on weekdays versus weekend. Low wind speeds predominated during early morning hours, leading to higher BC concentrations during early morning hours despite the maximum traffic volume occurring later in the day. No noticeable impact from the airport or nearby arterial roadways was observed, with the 300-m site remaining the lowest of the four-site network when winds were from the east. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that heavy-duty traffic volume, light-duty traffic volume, wind speed, weekday versus weekend, surface friction velocity, ambient temperature, and the background BC concentration were significant predictors of roadside BC concentrations. Comparison of BC and PM2.5 downwind concentration gradients indicates that the BC component contributes substantially to the PM2.5 increase in roadside environments. These results suggest that BC is an important indicator to assess the contribution of primary traffic emissions to near-road PM2.5 concentrations, providing opportunities to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of mitigation strategies.
Poly (vinyl alcohol) supported thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) nanosheets exhibit enhanced electrical and mechanical behavior

Abstract In the present work thermally reduced graphene oxide was reinforced into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film by the solution cast method. The structural and morphological characterization of prepared nanocomposite materials was done using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), field emission gun-transmission electron microscopy (FEG-TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The microscopic observations revealed by the SEM and TEM suggested for complete dispersion of thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) into the PVA film. The XRD studies of nanocomposite revealed an enhanced crystallinity in comparison to the native PVA film. The thermal reduction process enabled homogenous dispersion of reduced graphene oxide sheets and improved the electrical conductivity of nanocomposites due to their low damage level of conjugate-structures. As a result, the percolation threshold of PVA-TRGO nanocomposites was ∼ 0.189 wt% which is lower than the presently reported one (2 to 10 wt%). At the TRGO content of 2 wt%, the electrical conductivity of PVA-TRGO nanocomposite reached from 0.2491 to 0 . 2631 S cm − 1 . The enhancement mechanism of the composite was explained by the existence of multi-hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl (-OH) groups of PVA and oxygen-containing functional groups of graphene oxide (GO). The AC electrical conductivity and mechanical studies results indicated that the performance of nanocomposites was significantly improved as compared to the native PVA and offered the possibilities to use the prepared nanocompsoite films to be used in electronic devices.
Institutional Change and Firm Upgrading Speed in Emerging Economies

Institutional change in emerging economies provides both enabling and constraining forces for firm to upgrade capabilities rapidly to underpin organizational competitiveness. In this paper, I propo...
Initial validation of a novel ECGI system for localization of premature ventricular contractions and ventricular tachycardia in structurally normal and abnormal hearts.

Abstract Background View into Ventricular Onset (VIVO) is a novel ECGI system that uses 3D body surface imaging, myocardial CT/MRI, and 12‑lead ECG to localize earliest ventricular activation through analysis of simulated and clinical vector cardiograms. Objective To evaluate the accuracy of VIVO for the localization of ventricular arrhythmias (VA). Methods In twenty patients presenting for catheter ablation of VT [ 8 ] or PVC [ 12 ], VIVO was used to predict the site earliest activation using 12‑lead ECG of the VA. Results were compared to invasive electroanatomic mapping (EAM). Results A total of 22 PVC/VT morphologies were analyzed using VIVO. VIVO accurately predicted the location of the VA in 11/13 PVC cases and 8/9 VT cases. VIVO correctly predicted right vs left ventricular foci in 20/22 cases. Conclusion View into Ventricular Onset (VIVO) can accurately predict earliest activation of VA, which could aid in catheter ablation, and should be studied further.
System and methods for detecting unwanted voice calls

Voice over IP (VoIP) is a key enabling technology for the migration of circuit-switched PSTN architectures to packet-based IP networks. However, this migration is successful only if the present problems in IP networks are addressed before deploying VoIP infrastructure on a large scale. One of the important issues that the present VoIP networks face is the problem of unwanted calls commonly referred to as SPIT (spam over Internet telephony). Mostly, these SPIT calls are from unknown callers who broadcast unwanted calls. There may be unwanted calls from legitimate and known people too. In this case, the unwantedness depends on social proximity of the communicating parties. For detecting these unwanted calls, I propose a framework that analyzes incoming calls for unwanted behavior. The framework includes a VoIP spam detector (VSD) that analyzes incoming VoIP calls for spam behavior using trust and reputation techniques. The framework also includes a nuisance detector (ND) that proactively infers the nuisance (or reluctance of the end user) to receive incoming calls. This inference is based on past mutual behavior between the calling and the called party (i.e., caller and callee), the callee's presence (mood or state of mind) and tolerance in receiving voice calls from the caller, and the social closeness between the caller and the callee. The VSD and ND learn the behavior of callers over time and estimate the possibility of the call to be unwanted based on predetermined thresholds configured by the callee (or the filter administrators). These threshold values have to be automatically updated for integrating dynamic behavioral changes of the communicating parties. For updating these threshold values, I propose an automatic calibration mechanism using receiver operating characteristics curves (ROC). The VSD and ND use this mechanism for dynamically updating thresholds for optimizing their accuracy of detection. In addition to unwanted calls to the callees in a VoIP network, there can be unwanted traffic coming into a VoIP network that attempts to compromise VoIP network devices. Intelligent hackers can create malicious VoIP traffic for disrupting network activities. Hence, there is a need to frequently monitor the risk levels of critical network infrastructure. Towards realizing this objective, I describe a network level risk management mechanism that prioritizes resources in a VoIP network. The prioritization scheme involves an adaptive re-computation model of risk levels using attack graphs and Bayesian inference techniques. All the above techniques collectively account for a domain-level VoIP security solution.
The IFLA Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records

The formal charge for the IFLA study involving international bibliography standards was to delineate the functions that are performed by the bibliographic record with respect to various media, applications, and user needs. The method used was the entity relationship analysis technique. Three groups of entities that are the key objects of interest to users of bibliographic records were defined. The primary group contains four entities: work, expression, manifestation, and item. The second group includes entities responsible for the intellectual or artistic content, production, or ownership of entities in the first group. The third group includes entities that represent concepts, objects, events, and places. In the study we identified the attributes associated with each entity and the relationships that are most important to users. The attributes and relationships were mapped to the functional requirements for bibliographic records that were defined in terms of four user tasks: to find, identify, select, and obtain. Basic requirements for national bibliographic records were recommended based on the entity analysis. The recommendations of the study are compared with two standards, AACR and the Dublin Core, to place them into pragmatic context. The results of the study are being used in the review of the complete set of ISBDs as the initial benchmark in determining data elements for each format.
WWOX, the FRA16D gene: A target of and a contributor to genomic instability

WWOX is one of the largest human genes spanning over 1.11 Mbp in length at chr16q23.1-q23.2 and containing FRA16D, the second most common chromosomal fragile site. FRA16D is a hot spot of genomic instability, prone to breakage and for causing germline and somatic copy number variations (CNVs). Consequentially WWOX is frequent target for deletions in cancer. Esophageal, stomach, colon, bladder, ovarian, and uterine cancers are those most commonly affected by WWOX deep focal deletions. WWOX deletions significantly correlate with various clinicopathological features in esophageal carcinoma. WWOX is also a common target for translocations in multiple myeloma. By mapping R-loop (RNA:DNA hybrid) forming sequences (RFLS) we observe this to be a consistent feature aligning with germline and somatic CNV break points at the edges and core of FRA16D spanning from introns 5 to 8 of WWOX. Germline CNV polymorphisms affecting WWOX are extremely common in humans across different ethnic groups. Importantly, structural variants datasets allowed us to identify a specific hot spot for germline duplications and deletions within intron 5 of WWOX coinciding with the 5' edge of the FRA16D core and various RFLS. Recently, multiple pathogenic CNVs spanning WWOX have been identified associated with neurological conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, infantile epileptic encephalopathies, and other developmental anomalies. Loss of WWOX function has recently been associated with DNA damage repair abnormalities, increased genomic instability, and resistance to chemoradiotherapy. The described observations place WWOX both as a target of and a contributor to genomic instability. Both of these aspects will be discussed in this review.
Introduction: Phenomenology and Governance The Administrative Situation

“The system of government is the devil—once administrators come to understand this, they can begin to get some things done.” —William (Bill) Denihan (2016).The study of administration is often view...
TDAG8 (GPR65) Inhibits Intestinal Inflammation in the DSS-Induced Experimental Colitis Mouse Model

Abstract T cell death-associated gene 8 (TDAG8, also known as GPR65) is a proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) predominantly expressed in immune cells. Genome-wide association studies identify TDAG8 as a susceptibility candidate gene linked to several human inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), asthma, spondyloarthritis, and multiple sclerosis. In this study, our results demonstrate that mice deficient of TDAG8 exhibited more severe inflammatory phenotypes than wild-type mice in a chronic dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Several disease parameters, such as diarrhea, colon shortening, fibrosis, histopathological score, and mesenteric lymph node enlargement were aggravated in TDAG8-null mice in comparison to wild-type mice treated with DSS. Increased leukocyte infiltration and myofibroblast expansion were observed in colonic tissues of DSS-treated TDAG8-null mice. These changes may represent a cellular basis of the observed exacerbation of intestinal inflammation and fibrosis in these mice. In line with high expression of TDAG8 in infiltrated leukocytes, real-time RT-PCR revealed that TDAG8 mRNA expression was increased in inflamed intestinal tissue samples of IBD patients when compared to normal intestinal tissues. Altogether, our data demonstrate that TDAG8 suppresses intestinal inflammation and fibrosis in the chronic DSS-induced colitis mouse model, suggesting potentiation of TDAG8 with agonists may have anti-inflammatory therapeutic effects in IBD.
A Facial Expression Recognition Approach Using DCNN for Autistic Children to Identify Emotions

In this paper, an initial work of a research is discussed which is to teach young autistic children recognizing human facial expression with the help of computer vision and image processing. This paper mostly discusses the initial work of facial expression recognition using a deep convolutional neural network. The Kaggle's FER2013 dataset has been used to train and experiment with a deep convolutional neural network model. Once a satisfactory result is achieved, the dataset is modified with pictures of four different lighting conditions and each of these datasets is again trained with the same model. This is necessary for the end goal of the research which is to recognize facial expression in any possible environment. Finally, the comparison between results with different datasets is discussed and future work of the project is outlined.
TRANSP-based optimization towards tokamak scenario development

Abstract An optimization approach that incorporates the predictive transport code TRANSP is proposed for tokamak scenario development. Optimization methods are often employed to develop open-loop control strategies to aid access to high performance tokamak scenarios. In general, the optimization approaches use control-oriented models, i.e. models that are reduced in complexity and prediction accuracy as compared to physics-oriented transport codes such as TRANSP. In the presented approach, an optimization procedure using the TRANSP code to simulate the tokamak plasma is considered for improved predictive capabilities. As a test case, the neutral beam injection (NBI) power is optimized to develop a control strategy that maximizes the noninductive current fraction during the ramp-up phase for NSTX-U. Simulation studies towards the achievement of noninductive ramp-up in NSTX-U have already been carried out with the TRANSP code. The optimization-based approach proposed in this work is used to maximize the noninductive current fraction during ramp-up in NSTX-U, demonstrating that the scenario development task can be automated. An additional test case considers optimization of the current ramp rate in DIII-D for obtaining a stationary plasma characterized by a flat loop voltage profile in the flattop phase.
Science and Nature: Past, Present, and Future

Introduction: A Look Back I. The Scientific Revolution 1. The Death of Nature 2. Francis Bacon 3. Isis Consciousness Raised II. On Energy and Momentum 4. Leibniz 5. Newton 6. D'Alembert III. Women and the Scientific Revolution 7. Margaret Cavendish 8. Anne Conway 9. Emelie du Chatelet IV. Ecology and Conservation 10. Ecological Revolutions 11. Shades of Darkness: Race and Environmental History 12. Restoring Nature V. Environmental Ethics 13. Is it Time for an Earth Ethic? 14. Ecofeminism and Feminist Theory 15. Partnership Ethics VI. Conclusion Conclusion: Science for the Twenty-First Century Epilogue: Can Science Know Nature?
Application of Ice for Postoperative Total Knee Incisions - Does this Make Sense? A Pilot Evaluation of Blood Flow Using Fluorescence Angiography.

Introduction Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common procedure with significant advances over the past several years, many pertaining to improved perioperative pain control. Cryotherapy is one method thought to decrease swelling and pain postoperatively. To our knowledge no study has directly visualized the effect cryotherapy has on skin blood flow following TKA. The primary aim was to determine if cryotherapy (icing) affects peri-incisional skin blood flow and if this is lessened with an alternate placement of the ice. We hypothesized that blood flow would decrease following cryotherapy, and this decrease would be greater with ice placed directly over the incision as compared to placement along the posterior knee. Methods This study included 10 patients who underwent TKA. During the postoperative hospitalization, they were given an injection of indocyanine green dye. A baseline image was recorded of the skin blood flow. Images were then collected following a five-minute interval placement of ice over the incision. The experiment was then repeated with the ice placed along the posterior knee. Results There was an approximate 40% decrease in skin blood flow following placement of the ice compared to baseline. We observed a greater decrease in blood flow when ice was placed over the incision as compared to when ice was placed posterior to the knee (p ≤ 0.020). Conclusion We found a significant decrease in peri-incisional blood flow with icing of the knee. Physicians should be cognizant of this when recommending cryotherapy to patients after surgery, especially in at-risk wounds.
A Real-Time Automated Patient Screening System for Clinical Trials Eligibility in an Emergency Department: Design and Evaluation

Background: One critical hurdle for clinical trial recruitment is the lack of an efficient method for identifying subjects who meet the eligibility criteria. Given the large volume of data documented in electronic health records (EHRs), it is labor-intensive for the staff to screen relevant information, particularly within the time frame needed. To facilitate subject identification, we developed a natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning–based system, Automated Clinical Trial Eligibility Screener (ACTES), which analyzes structured data and unstructured narratives automatically to determine patients’ suitability for clinical trial enrollment. In this study, we integrated the ACTES into clinical practice to support real-time patient screening. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate ACTES’s impact on the institutional workflow, prospectively and comprehensively. We hypothesized that compared with the manual screening process, using EHR-based automated screening would improve efficiency of patient identification, streamline patient recruitment workflow, and increase enrollment in clinical trials. Methods: The ACTES was fully integrated into the clinical research coordinators’ (CRC) workflow in the pediatric emergency department (ED) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The system continuously analyzed EHR information for current ED patients and recommended potential candidates for clinical trials. Relevant patient eligibility information was presented in real time on a dashboard available to CRCs to facilitate their recruitment. To assess the system’s effectiveness, we performed a multidimensional, prospective evaluation for a 12-month period, including a time-and-motion study, quantitative assessments of enrollment, and postevaluation usability surveys collected from the CRCs. Results: Compared with manual screening, the use of ACTES reduced the patient screening time by 34% (P<.001). The saved time was redirected to other activities such as study-related administrative tasks (P=.03) and work-related conversations (P=.006) that streamlined teamwork among the CRCs. The quantitative assessments showed that automated screening improved the numbers of subjects screened, approached, and enrolled by 14.7%, 11.1%, and 11.1%, respectively, suggesting the potential of ACTES in streamlining recruitment workflow. Finally, the ACTES achieved a system usability scale of 80.0 in the postevaluation surveys, suggesting that it was a good computerized solution. Conclusions: By leveraging NLP and machine learning technologies, the ACTES demonstrated good capacity for improving efficiency of patient identification. The quantitative assessments demonstrated the potential of ACTES in streamlining recruitment workflow and improving patient enrollment. The postevaluation surveys suggested that the system was a good computerized solution with satisfactory usability.
Non-thermal histotripsy tumor ablation promotes abscopal immune responses that enhance cancer immunotherapy.

Background Developing the ability to use tumor-directed therapies to trigger potentially therapeutic immune responses against cancer antigens remains a high priority for cancer immunotherapy. We hypothesized that histotripsy, a novel non-invasive, non-thermal ablation modality that uses ultrasound-generated acoustic cavitation to disrupt tissues, could engender adaptive immune responses to tumor antigens. Methods Immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice inoculated with flank melanoma or hepatocellular carcinoma tumors were treated with histotripsy, thermal ablation, radiation therapy, or cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) blockade checkpoint inhibition. Lymphocyte responses were measured using flow cytometric and immunohistochemical analyses. The impact of histotripsy on abscopal immune responses was assessed in mice bearing bilateral tumors, or unilateral tumors with pulmonary tumors established via tail vein injection. Results Histotripsy ablation of subcutaneous murine melanoma tumors stimulated potent local intratumoral infiltration of innate and adaptive immune cell populations. The magnitude of this immunostimulation was stronger than that seen with tumor irradiation or thermal ablation. Histotripsy also promoted abscopal immune responses at untreated tumor sites and inhibited growth of pulmonary metastases. Histotripsy was capable of releasing tumor antigens with retained immunogenicity, and this immunostimulatory effect was associated with calreticulin translocation to the cellular membrane and local and systemic release of high mobility group box protein 1. Histotripsy ablation potentiated the efficacy of checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy in murine models of melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusions These preclinical observations suggest that non-invasive histotripsy ablation can be used to stimulate tumor-specific immune responses capable of magnifying the impact of checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy.
Reproductive Function in Dialysis Patients: CAPD vs Hemodialysis:

A variety of hormonal disturbances and reproductive abnormalities occur in women on chronic maintenance hemodialysis. Recently, it has been noted that, when transferred from hemodialysis to continu...
Realism in Fatigue Testing: The Effect of Flight-by-Flight Thermal and Random Load Histories on Composite Bonded Joints

Current military specifications call for increased realism in fatigue testing. Criteria are discussed which recognize those portions of a spectrum that should be random and those that should be deterministic. This paper documents a research program which included spectrum development, test facility setup, and a limited test series. The spectrum was a flight-by-flight random load history including realistic mission temperature exposures. The test facility utilized a small digital computer for closed-loop control of load and temperature. Results of tests on three sets of five boron-epoxy-to-titanium bonded joints are discussed, and the effects of temperature exposure and time acceleration are investigated.
Role of thromboelastography in predicting and defining pump thrombosis in left ventricular assist device patients

Abstract Introduction Optimal anticoagulation for left ventricular assist device recipients aims to balance thrombosis and bleeding complications. Routine plasma-based coagulation tests may not accurately reflect overall hemostasis, and surrogate markers are used to help guide clinicians in the diagnosis of pump thrombosis. Thromboelastography derived coagulation index (CI) has been shown to be a parameter that can reflect “normocoagulability” in mechanical circulatory support device patients, but there is minimal data with regard to outcomes available. Our aim was to determine the role of CI in predicting and defining suspected pump thrombosis in HeartMate II™ recipients. Materials and methods We performed a single center, retrospective longitudinal cohort study with a nested case-control analysis to compare serial CI values over time in adult HeartMate II™ recipients who had confirmed or suspected pump thrombosis to those who did not. Results and conclusions A multivariate linear mixed model analysis of the suspected pump thrombosis versus no pump thrombosis groups found a significantly lower mean change in CI over time when recipients were followed for 24 months post-implant [0.71 (95% CI 0.1–1.32, p = .02)]; CI was first significant at six months. Within each arm, CI significantly decreased in the no pump thrombosis group, but did not significantly differ within the suspected pump thrombosis group. No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding the outcomes of death, transplant, or neurological events.
Risk and Reward: Public Perception of Gluteal Fat Grafting Safety.

This study aims to understand how sociodemographic factors influence perceptions of “Brazilian Butt Lift” (BBL), the cosmetic procedure with the highest reported mortality rate, among adult women. We also investigate whether education about risks changes willingness to receive this procedure. A Qualtrics© survey including education about BBL was administered on Amazon Mechanical Turk, with inclusion criteria of female sex. Survey data from 489 female participants were included. 78.1% of participants found the BBL mortality rate to be higher than expected. 70.1% of the original 177 willing or neutral participants became unwilling to undergo a BBL after education. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that individuals who were more willing to undergo BBL after education were individuals who have a diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder (OR 60.5, p = 0.02) or have an acquaintance who received a BBL (OR 230.2, p < 0.01). Overall, survey participants were less willing to undergo BBL after learning its risks, indicating the critical role of patient education during informed consent. Additionally, individuals who are unhappy with their body shape, or who feel cultural or social pressure to attain a certain body shape, may accept higher levels of risk to improve their looks, suggesting patient motivation for the procedure may limit even the most effective informed consent process. In light of these findings, the surgical community may consider regulating the BBL procedure and improving safety using evidence-based risk reduction techniques. Ensuring that patients fully understand the risks associated with the BBL procedure is critical for both surgeon and patient. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
New Woman ecologies: from arts and crafts to the Great War and beyond: by Alicia Carroll, Charlottesville, U of Virginia P, 2019, 260 pp., $59.50 (cloth-bound), ISBN 978-0-8139-4282-7, $29.50 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-8139-4282-7

Now that 2020 is nearing its end, a recurring phrase in Alicia Carroll’s book – “more than human nature” – has a vivider illustration than it had at the year’s beginning. More than human nature – n...
Manufacturing Polypropylene (PP)/Waste EPDM Thermoplastic Elastomers Using Ultrasonically Aided Twin-Screw Extrusion.

The compounding of waste EPDM from postindustrial scrap with polypropylene (PP) is a possible way to manufacture thermoplastic elastomers to solve a significant environmental problem. Accordingly, the present study considers the one-step (OS), two-step (TS), and dynamic revulcanization (DR) compounding methods for the manufacturing of PP/EPDM blends at different ratios of components with the aid of an ultrasonic twin-screw extruder (TSE) at various ultrasonic amplitudes. In the OS method, PP and waste EPDM particles were directly compounded using TSE with and without ultrasonic treatment. In the TS and DR methods, the waste EPDM particles were fed into the TSE and devulcanized without and with ultrasonic treatment. Then, in the TS method the devulcanized EPDM was compounded with PP using TSE without the imposition of ultrasound. In the DR method, the devulcanized EPDM after compounding with curatives was mixed with PP and dynamically revulcanized without the imposition of ultrasound in TSE. The die pressure during compounding was recorded and correlated with the rheological properties of compounds. The mechanical properties of the PP/EPDM blends obtained in the OS and TS methods did not show any improvement with ultrasonic treatment. In the DR method, all the PP/EPDM blends showed a significant increase in the tensile strength and elongation with ultrasonic amplitude and a slight decrease in the Young’s modulus. In particular, a tensile strength of 30 MPa and an elongation at break of 400% were achieved at an ultrasonic amplitude of 13 μm for the PP/EPDM blend at a ratio of 75/25. The complex viscosity, storage, and loss moduli of dynamically revulcanized PP/EPDM blends increased with the ultrasonic amplitude while the loss tangent decreased. At the same time, the results for the blends obtained by the OS and TS methods showed an opposite trend in the dynamic property behavior with the ultrasonic amplitude. Optical micrographs indicated that the blends obtained by the DR method at an ultrasonic treatment at 13 μm showed the lowest sizes of dispersed revulcanized EPDM particles in the PP matrix, leading to the excellent performance of these thermoplastic elastomers.
Adding vaping restrictions to smoke-free air laws: associations with conventional and electronic cigarette use.

Background and aims To reduce electronic cigarette use, some U.S. states and localities have added vaping restrictions to established smoke-free indoor air laws. Yet, if smokers use e-cigarettes to quit, such restrictions could have the unintended effect of attenuating the original smoke-free air policy's effects on smoking. This study estimated changes in current smoking, past-year smoking cessation, and recent vaping following the introduction of smoke- and vape-free air laws. Design Observational study of nationally representative data from the 2014-2018 National Health Interview Survey. Setting United States. Participants/cases 87,334 18 to 54 year-olds. Measurements Multivariable linear regressions estimated the association between increased exposure to smoke- and vape-free worksite and restaurant laws and self-reported current smoking and recent vaping among emerging adults (ages 18 to 25), as well as past-12-month smoking cessation among prime age adults (ages 26 to 54). All regressions adjusted for respondent sociodemographics and other tobacco control policies, along with state and year fixed effects. Findings Smoke-free worksite laws were associated with significant reductions in the likelihood of current smoking ( β =-0.050, 95%CI: -0.098, -0.002, p=0.038) and recent vaping ( β =-0.040, 95%CI: -0.072, -0.007, p=0.013), as well as increases in the likelihood of smoking cessation ( β =0.026, 95%CI: 0.000, 0.052, p=0.046). Adding vaping restrictions to smoke-free worksite laws did not yield further reductions in recent vaping ( β =0.008, 95%CI: -0.021,0.036, p=0.568) and counteracted over half of the estimated association with current smoking relative to smoke-free policies alone ( β =0.030, 95%CI: -0.028,0.088, p=0.301). Conclusions United States smoke-free worksite laws appear be associated with reductions in both current smoking and recent vaping as well as increases in smoking cessation. However, adding vaping restrictions to smoke-free worksite laws does not appear to be associated with a reduction in recent vaping among emerging adults and may attenuate the policy's impact on current smoking in this age group, though the latter result was not statistically significant.
Oil & gas produced water retention ponds as potential passive treatment for radium removal and beneficial reuse

Oil and gas (O&G) extraction generates large volumes of produced water (PW) in regions that are often water-stressed. In Wyoming, generators are permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program to discharge O&G PW for beneficial use. In one Wyoming study region, downstream of the NPDES facilities exist naturally occurring wetlands referred to herein as produced water retention ponds (PWRPs). Previously, it was found that dissolved radium (Ra) and organic contaminants are removed within 30 km of the discharges and higher-resolution sampling was required to understand contaminant attenuation mechanisms. In this study, we sampled three NPDES discharge facilities, five PWRPs, and a reference background wetland not impacted by O&G PW disposal. Water samples, grab sediments, sediment cores and vegetation were collected. No inorganic PW constituents were abated through the PWRP series but Ra was shown to accumulate within PWRP grab sediments, upwards of 2721 Bq kg−1, compared to downstream sites. Ra mineral association with depth in the sediment profile is likely controlled by the S cycle under varying microbial communities and redox conditions. Under anoxic conditions, common in wetlands, Ra was available as an exchangeable ion, similar to Ca, Ba and Sr, and S was mostly water-soluble. 226Ra concentration ratios in vegetation samples, normalizing vegetation Ra to sediment Ra, indicated that ratios were highest in sediments containing less exchangeable 226Ra. Sequential leaching data paired with redox potentials suggest that oxic conditions are necessary to contain Ra in recalcitrant sediment minerals and prevent mobility and bioavailability.
Pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease in Florida and association with large-scale natural disasters.

Background Little is known about the impact of the ecosystem disruption and its contribution on the non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) diseases (cases) rate in Florida (FL), a state with a high prevalence of NTM in the United States. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiological distribution of NTM in FL and identify its association with extreme weather events. Methods We used OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium dataset and extracted data on NTM cases using ICD codes 9- CM 031.0 and ICD-10 A31 during 2012-2018. The number of hurricanes during the study period which affected FL were extracted data from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Results Prevalence of NTM gradually increased during the study period. The rate was 2012: 14.3/100,000, 2015; 20.1/100,000 and 2018; 22.6/100,00 except in 2014 where there was an 8% decrease. The incidences were 2012; 6.5/100,00, 2015; 4.9/100,000 and in 2015; 5.4/100,000. Geographical analysis demonstrated a gradual expansion of the NTM cases in Alachua, and Marion Counties throughout the study period. Notably, the 2018 heat map showed higher prevalence of NTM in the northwestern, panhandle region of FL which had been absent in the heat maps for years 2012-2018. High number of the hurricanes was associated with the higher number of the new cases of NTM infection for years 2012, 2016-2018, while the lower number of the hurricanes was associated with the lower number of the new cases of NTM infection for years 2014-2015. Conclusion The current study found the prevalence rates of NTM disease in FL rose from 2012 to 2018. A higher prevalence was seen following the hurricanes.