cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Millon behavioral health inventory scores of patients with chronic pain associated with myofascial pain syndrome.

Objectives. Normative data for the coping styles and psychogenic attitudes of the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory (MBHI) for male and female chronic pain patients (CPPs) with mixed pain diagnoses have previously been reported and compared with normative MBHI manual data. However, results from other studies have suggested that CPPs with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) may need to be considered as a distinct group in psychiatric/psychological studies. The purpose of the present study was then to provide normative data for each MBHI scale for male and female CPPs with MPS and to compare these data with MBHI manual norms for similarities and differences. Setting. Multidisciplinary pain facility. Patients. CPPs with an associated diagnosis of MPS. Outcome Measure. MBHI base rate scores. Methods. CPPs with an associated diagnosis of MPS were first broken down into two groups: males and females. Analyses were then performed using the MBHI base rate scores of these two groups. For each group, the percentages of CPPs who had a base rate of 75 or above were calculated for each individual coping style and psychogenic attitude. These percentages were then compared by chi square with percentages of patients with base rate scores of 75 or above for each coping style and psychogenic attitude to the MBHI Manual normative sample. Results. Female CPPs with MPS differed from MBHI Manual normative counterparts on two of the six psychogenic attitude scales (future despair and somatic anxiety); no differences were found in any of the eight coping style scales. Male CPPs with MPS differed from MBHI Manual normative counterparts on one coping style scale (sociable) and three psychogenic attitude scales (premorbid pessimism, future despair, and somatic anxiety). Conclusions. The pattern of the results indicated that CPPs with MPS, especially males, differ from the MBHI Manual normative data counterparts. These differences appear to be greater than those for CPPs with mixed pain diagnoses. Differences in MBHI scale scores between CPPs with MPS and MBHI Manual normative data counterparts may be related to a number of issues, such as whether differences in state factors reflecting depression and anxiety might affect trait factors purportedly measured by the MBHI.
Central venous pressure after coronary artery bypass surgery: does it predict postoperative mortality or renal failure?

Abstract Objective Although hemodynamic monitoring is often performed after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the role of monitoring postoperative central venous pressure (CVP) measurement as a predictor of clinical outcomes is unknown. As such, this study tests the hypothesis that postoperative CVP is predictive of operative mortality or renal failure. Methods This is an observational cohort study of detailed clinical data from 2390 randomly selected patients undergoing high-risk CABG or CABG/valve at 55 hospitals participating in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons' National Cardiac Surgery Database 2004-2005. Eligible patients underwent elective/urgent CABG with an ejection fraction less than 40% or elective/urgent CABG at 65 years or older with diabetes or a glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m 2 . The exposure of interest is CVP monitoring in the intensive care unit after adult cardiac surgery. The primary outcome measure was correlation between postoperative CVP and inhospital/30-day mortality and renal failure, assessed as a continuous variable, both unadjusted and after adjusting for important clinical factors using logistic regression modeling. Results Mean age was 72 years, 54% of patients had diabetes mellitus, 49% were urgent procedures, and mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 105 minutes. Patients' CVP 6 hours postoperation was strongly associated with inhospital and 30-day mortality: odds ratio (OR) of 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.87) for every 5-mm Hg increase in CVP; P P P Conclusions Patients' CVP at 6 hours after CABG surgery was highly predictive of operative mortality or renal failure, independent of cardiac index and other important clinical variables. Future studies will need to assess whether interventions guided by postoperative CVP can improve patient outcomes.
Development of the Be(d,n) neutron source for cross-section investigations in the few-MeV energy range

Bombardment of thick Be-metal targets with several-MeV deuterons produces continuum-neutron fields which offer considerable potential for the development and validation of neutron-reaction cross sections. A facility based on this concept has been installed at the Argonne National Laboratory FNG accelerator. A description is provided of this facility and of the research studies which have been initiated to exploit its capabilities. Some technical considerations in the utilization of accelerator-produced continuum-neutron fields for reaction cross-section investigations are discussed. Results from several recent neutron-spectrum and integral cross-section measurements are presented, and the implications are reviewed. 13 refs., 8 figs.
Adapting Conservative Correctional Policies to the Economic Realities of the 1990s

This article reviews the impact that the punitive, “get tough” policies of the 1980s have had on corrections. With record breaking increases in prison populations, legislators and policy makers have had to confront the realities of fiscal constraints while responding to the conservative agenda on crime. The consequence has been to develop and expand alternatives to incarceration which can be both tough on criminals but cheaper than traditional prison punishment. However, intermediate punishments such as intensive probation, electronic monitoring, and shock incarceration may be widening the correctional net. In reviewing these developments, the authors examine ideologies and consequences, and observe that economic considerations will influence corrections policies in the 1990s.
Mindfulness‐based treatments for co‐occurring depression and substance use disorders: what can we learn from the brain?

Both depression and substance use disorders represent major global public health concerns and are often co-occurring. Although there are ongoing discoveries regarding the pathophysiology and treatment of each condition, common mechanisms and effective treatments for co-occurring depression and substance abuse remain elusive. Mindfulness training has recently been shown to benefit both depression and substance use disorders, suggesting that this approach may target common behavioral and neurobiological processes. However, it remains unclear whether these pathways constitute specific shared neurobiological mechanisms or more extensive components universal to the broader human experience of psychological distress or suffering. We offer a theoretical, clinical and neurobiological perspective of the overlaps between these disorders, highlight common neural pathways that play a role in depression and substance use disorders, and discuss how these commonalities may frame our conceptualization and treatment of co-occurring disorders. Finally, we discuss how advances in our understanding of potential mechanisms of mindfulness training may offer not only unique effects on depression and substance use, but also offer promise for treatment of co-occurring disorders.
Scalpels, Beams, Drugs, and Dreams: Challenges of Stage IIIA-N2 Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

JNCI | Editorials 415 Approximately 30% of patients who are newly diagnosed with non – small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) have locally advanced disease, i.e., stages IIIA and IIIB in the current staging system ( 1 ). Roughly 10% will be classified as stage IIIA-N2 on the basis of metastasis to the ipsilateral mediastinal lymph nodes ( 2 ). Furthermore, in a small proportion of patients, metastatic disease will be detected from primary tumor and lymph node specimens obtained during an operative procedure ( 2 ). Patients with stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC often have a good prognosis after surgery, but today, many will also be treated with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy ( 3 , 4 ). In contrast, patients who have bulky mediastinal nodal involvement that is easily detected on a routine chest radiograph have poor prognosis after surgery alone ( 5 ) . Today, however, N2 disease is often initially suspected when mediastinal node enlargement (i.e., >1.0-cm short-axis diameter) is detected on a staging chest computed tomography (CT) scan, but increasingly sophisticated imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography (PET), integrated CT/PET, and endoscopic ultrasound (± fine-needle biopsy), have enhanced the detection of N2 disease ( 6 , 7 ). For the past 15 years or so, patients with stage Scalpels, Beams, Drugs, and Dreams: Challenges of Stage IIIA-N2 Non – Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Inside the Green House “Black Box”: Opportunities for High-Quality Clinical Decision Making

Objective To develop a conceptual model that explained common and divergent care processes in Green House (GH) nursing homes with high and low hospital transfer rates. Data Sources/Settings Eighty-four face-to-face, semistructured interviews were conducted with direct care, professional, and administrative staff with knowledge of care processes in six GH organizations in six states. Study Design/Data Collection The qualitative grounded theory method was used for data collection and analysis. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Data collection and analysis occurred iteratively. Principal Findings Elements of the GH model created significant opportunities to identify, communicate, and respond to early changes in resident condition. Staff in GH homes with lower hospital transfer rates employed care processes that maximized these opportunities. Staff in GH homes with higher transfer rates failed to maximize, or actively undermined, these opportunities. Conclusions Variations in how the GH model was implemented across GH homes suggest possible explanations for inconsistencies found in past research on the care outcomes, including hospital transfer rates, in culture change models. The findings further suggest that the details of culture change implementation are important considerations in model replication and policies that create incentives for care improvements.
ESTIMATING STAGE-SPECIFIC DAILY SURVIVAL PROBABILITIES OF NESTS WHEN NEST AGE IS UNKNOWN

Abstract Estimation of daily survival probabilities of nests is common in studies of avian populations. Since the introduction of Mayfield's (1961, 1975) estimator, numerous models have been developed to relax Mayfield's assumptions and account for biologically important sources of variation. Stanley (2000) presented a model for estimating stage-specific (e.g. incubation stage, nestling stage) daily survival probabilities of nests that conditions on “nest type” and requires that nests be aged when they are found. Because aging nests typically requires handling the eggs, there may be situations where nests can not or should not be aged and the Stanley (2000) model will be inapplicable. Here, I present a model for estimating stage-specific daily survival probabilities that conditions on nest stage for active nests, thereby obviating the need to age nests when they are found. Specifically, I derive the maximumlikelihood function for the model, evaluate the model's performance using Monte Carlo simulations, a...
Electromigration in Bicrystal Al Lines

We have developed a new experimental technique to study electromigration in bicrytal Al lines as a function of the type and location of the grain boundary as well as the testing temperature. The failure times of these lines are found to be lognormally distributed. The median time to failure (MTTF) depends more strongly on the boundary orientation than the type of grain boundary. The dependence of lifetimes on the type and orientation of grain boundaries, the location and appearance of the failure sites, and the measured activation energy (E.) of 0.94eV suggest that both interfacial and grain boundary diffusion contribute to failure in bicrystal lines, and likely in bamboo and near-bamboo lines as well.
RESPONSE TO SELECTION IN PARTIALLY SELF-FERTILIZING POPULATIONS. II. SELECTION ON MULTIPLE TRAITS.

The structured linear model (SLM) is generalized to treat selection on multiple, correlated characters. Four different causes of phenotypic correlations are distinguished by the SLM: environmental covariance, identity disequilibrium, pleiotropy, and linkage disequilibrium. Each is characterized by distinct variables because they have different implications for character evolution. Correlations due to identity disequilibrium and linkage disequilibrium depend on both the mating system and the selection regime. As a consequence, they will evolve rapidly under selection. Correlations due to pleiotropy or environmental factors will evolve more slowly and are characterized by parameters that can be estimated from comparisons among relatives. These parameters include several novel "inbreeding covariance components" that emerge from the interaction of inbreeding and genetic dominance. Although data are limited, current estimates suggest that the expression of these components may substantially alter the pattern of multitrait evolution in self-fertilizing populations.
Demonstration of enhanced broadband unidirectional electromagnetic radiation enabled by a subwavelength profile leaky anisotropic zero-index metamaterial coating

In this paper, we report a technique for creating broadband unidirectional electromagnetic radiation with a grounded nonmagnetic anisotropic zero-index metamaterial coating. We demonstrate that the leaky modes supported by the finite sized coating structure can be exploited to create a unidirectional radiation device with a subwavelength thickness of only 0.12\ensuremath{\lambda}. Numerical simulations and experimental characterization of the metamaterial-enabled radiator confirm the physical mechanisms governing its performance, showing a stable directive beam with an over fivefold radiation power enhancement at broadside. Due to the resulting nonmagnetic material properties, this approach provides a new path to highly efficient, small footprint, low profile, and broadband directive radiation devices for microwave and potentially even optical wavelength applications.
A Neutral Model of Stone Raw Material Procurement

Stone, tool assemblage variability is considered a reliable proxy measure of adaptive variability. Raw material richness, transport distances, and the character of transported technologies are thought to signal (1) variation in raw material selectivity based on material quality and abundance, (2) optimization of time and energy costs associated with procurement of stone from spatially dispersed sources, (3) planning depth that weaves raw material procurement forays into foraging activities, and (4) risk minimization that sees materials transported in quantities and forms that are energetically economical and least likely to fail. This paper dispenses with assumptions that raw material type and abundance play any role in the organization of mobility and raw material procurement strategies. Rather, a behaviorally neutral agent-based model is developed involving a forager engaged in a random walk within a uniform environment. Raw material procurement in the model is dependent only upon random encounters with stone sources and the amount of available space in the mobile toolkit. Simulated richness-sample size relationships, frequencies, of raw material transfers as a function of distance from source, and both quantity-distance and reduction intensity-distance relationships are qualitatively similar to commonly observed archaeological patterns. In some archaeological cases it may be difficult to reject the neutral model. At best, failure to reject the neutral model may mean that intervening processes (e.g., depositional time-averaging) have erased high-frequency adaptive signals in the data. At worst, we may have to admit the possibility that Paleolithic behavioral adaptations were sometimes not responsive to differences between stone raw material types in the ways implied by current archaeological theory.
Hairpin Folding Behavior of Mixed α/β-Peptides in Aqueous Solution

The invention of new strategies for the design of protein-mimetic oligomers that manifest the folding encoded in natural amino acid sequences is a significant challenge. In contrast to the α-helix, mimicry of protein β-sheets is less understood. We report here the aqueous folding behavior of a prototype α-peptide hairpin model sequence varied at cross-strand positions by incorporation of 16 different β-amino acid monomers. Our results provide a folding propensity scale for β-residues in a protein β-sheet context as well as high-resolution structures of several mixed-backbone α/β-peptide hairpins in water.
The Roles of Receivables and Deferred Revenues in Revenue Management

First, I propose a specific accruals model approach that utilizes the exact income statement and exact cash flow measures, which underlies the matching function of accruals. Second, using revenue manipulators identified by SEC enforcement actions and firms that manage to just meet or beat revenue benchmarks, this paper shows how researchers and regulators can detect aggressive revenue recognition not only by abnormal changes in accounts receivables, but also by abnormal changes in current and long-term deferred revenues. The most robust application is to technology, internet, and software companies, whose elusive revenue recognition practices are of concern to the SEC, FASB, and IASB (e.g., ASU 2014-09 (Topic 606) and IFRS 1).
Influence of stimulus size on revealing non-cardinal color mechanisms

Multiple studies have shown that performance of subjects on a number of visual tasks is worse for non-cardinal than cardinal colors, especially in the red-green/luminance (RG/LUM) and tritan/luminance (TRIT/LUM) color planes. Inspired by neurophysiological evidence that suppressive surround input to receptive fields is particularly sensitive to luminance, we hypothesized that non-cardinal mechanisms in the RG/LUM and TRIT/LUM planes would be more sensitive to stimulus size than are isoluminant non-cardinal mechanisms. In Experiment 1 we tested 9-10 color-normal subjects in each of the three color planes (RG/TRIT, RG/LUM, and TRIT/LUM) on visual search at four bull's-eye dot sizes (0.5°/1°, 1°/2°, 2°/4°, and 3°/6° center/annulus dot diameter). This study yielded a significant main effect of dot size in each of the three color planes. In Experiment 2 we tested the same hypothesis using noise masking, at three stimulus sizes (3°, 6° and 9° diameter Gabors), again in all three color planes (5 subjects per color plane). This experiment yielded, in the RG/TRIT plane, a significant main effect of stimulus size; in the RG/LUM plane, significant evidence for non-cardinal mechanisms only for the 9° stimulus; but in the TRIT/LUM plane no evidence for non-cardinal mechanisms at any stimulus size. These results suggest that non-cardinal mechanisms, particularly in the RG/LUM color plane, are more sensitive to stimulus size than are non-cardinals in the RG/TRIT plane, supporting our hypothesis.
Rapidly progressive cataract formation associated with non-small-cell lung cancer therapy

We report 6 patients who developed rapidly progressive hypermature cataracts after starting treatment with rociletinib, a non-small-cell lung cancer therapy with known side effects of hyperglycemia, fatigue, and prolonged QT. Early cataract detection and surgery may prevent complications during future cataract removal. Although rociletinib development has been suspended, there are patients who have been treated and will continue to be treated with this medication based on their physician's judgment. These physicians should know about the potential for rapid vision loss due to cataracts as a manageable side effect. Financial Disclosure Neither author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Possible malfunction in widely used methane sampler deserves attention but poses limited implications for supply chain emission estimates

Estimates of methane emissions from natural gas production sites in the United States based on recent studies have been questioned due to possible malfunction of the Bacharach Hi Flow® Sampler (BHFS), the primary measurement instrument used for two out of five source types examined in those studies (equipment leaks and chemical injection pumps). Without assessing whether the BHFS malfunction occurred in those studies, we constrain the possible underestimation of emissions associated with the BHFS-based results by excluding potentially affected measurements. Assuming leak emission rates are similar for sites with low and high methane content, U.S. methane emissions from equipment leaks and chemical injection pumps in recent studies could be underestimated by up to 40–80% due to a malfunctioning BHFS. We discuss uncertainties associated with this estimate. While a 40–80% underestimation is important when characterizing individual source categories, the potential implications are attenuated when aggregating emissions across the five sources examined in the recent studies (<12–24%), across all sources in the natural gas production segment (<7–14%), or across the entire supply chain (<2–5%). Therefore, potential errors caused by BHFS malfunction in recent studies would not substantially alter estimates of methane emissions from the U.S. natural gas supply chain. The possible malfunction of such a widely-used instrument deserves further attention to ensure that its use in quantifying emissions from individual supply chain components is not compromised.
Modeling of terracette‐hillslope soil moisture as a function of aspect, slope and vegetation in a semi‐arid environment

In the semi-arid western United States, water availability plays a defining role in land use. Soil moisture, vegetation, and microtopography are key variables in the hydrologic function of these ecosystems. Previous research has not addressed the influence of site-specific aspect, vegetation, or slope gradient on terracette soil moisture patterns in semi-arid rangelands. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: (1) assess the influence of terracette site aspect, vegetation cover, and slope on soil moisture; (2) conceptualize conditions at the hillslope scale given terracette morphology; and (3) estimate the extent of terracettes at a regional scale. The Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) model was used to simulate soil water dynamics of terracettes given variations in site conditions. These results were coupled with time-of-flight laser scans to quantify terracette bench and riser percent-area, and statewide assessments of terracette extent using digital orthoimagery and a geographical information system (GIS). Modeling results indicated site aspect had minimal influence (±0.005 m3 m−3) on terracette soil moisture. Vegetation, represented as leaf area index (LAI), had the single-most influential effect on terracette volumetric water content (θv) demonstrated by an inverse relationship of LAI to mean terracette hillslope θv; and slope increases of ≥15% on northern azimuths increased mean θv which contrasted with southern azimuths for similar slope increases. Laser scanning results indicated bench width and riser length could be estimated from mean site slope (R2 = 0.82 risers and R2 = 0.93 benches). Aerial orthoimagery/GIS assessments estimated >159 000 ha of terracettes throughout the State of Idaho, with >41 000 ha (~26%) occurring on lands managed as grazing allotments. These findings provide an increased understanding of rangeland hydrologic processes as influenced by cattle density, vegetation, and terracettes which can aide land managers in their selection and application of best management practices on these lands. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Minute Virus of Canines NP1 Protein Governs the Expression of a Subset of Essential Nonstructural Proteins via Its Role in RNA Processing

Parvoviruses use a variety of means to control the expression of their compact genomes. The bocaparvovirus minute virus of canines (MVC) encodes a small, genus-specific protein, NP1, which governs access to the viral capsid gene via its role in alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing of the single MVC pre-mRNA. In addition to NP1, MVC encodes five additional nonstructural proteins (NS) that share an initiation codon at the left end of the genome and which are individually encoded by alternative multiply spliced mRNAs. We found that three of these proteins were encoded by mRNAs that excise the NP1-regulated MVC intron immediately upstream of the internal polyadenylation site, (pA)p, and that generation of these proteins was thus regulated by NP1. Splicing of their progenitor mRNAs joined the amino termini of these proteins to the NP1 open reading frame, and splice site mutations that prevented their expression inhibited virus replication in a host cell-dependent manner. Thus, in addition to controlling capsid gene access, NP1 also controls the expression of three of the five identified NS proteins via its role in governing MVC pre-mRNA splicing.IMPORTANCE The Parvovirinae are small nonenveloped icosahedral viruses that are important pathogens in many animal species, including humans. Minute virus of canine (MVC) is an autonomous parvovirus in the genus Bocaparvovirus It has a single promoter that generates a single pre-mRNA. NP1, a small genus-specific MVC protein, participates in the processing of this pre-mRNA and so controls capsid gene access via its role in alternative internal polyadenylation and splicing. We show that NP1 also controls the expression of three of the five identified NS proteins via its role in governing MVC pre-mRNA splicing. These NS proteins together are required for virus replication in a host cell-dependent manner.
Application of Natural Language Processing and Network Analysis Techniques to Post-market Reports for the Evaluation of Dose-related Anti-Thymocyte Globulin Safety Patterns.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of automated dose and adverse event information retrieval in supporting the identification of safety patterns. Methods: We extracted all rabbit Anti-Thymocyte Globulin (rATG) reports submitted to the United States Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from the product’s initial licensure in April 16, 1984 through February 8, 2016. We processed the narratives using the Medication Extraction (MedEx) and the Event-based Text-mining of Health Electronic Records (ETHER) systems and retrieved the appropriate medication, clinical, and temporal information. When necessary, the extracted information was manually curated. This process resulted in a high quality dataset that was analyzed with the Pattern-based and Advanced Network Analyzer for Clinical Evaluation and Assessment (PANACEA) to explore the association of rATG dosing with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). Results: Although manual curation was necessary to improve the data quality, MedEx and ETHER supported the extraction of the appropriate information. We created a final dataset of 1,380 cases with complete information for rATG dosing and date of administration. Analysis in PANACEA found that PTLD was associated with cumulative doses of rATG >8 mg/kg, even in periods where most of the submissions to FAERS reported low doses of rATG. Conclusion: We demonstrated the feasibility of investigating a dose-related safety pattern for a particular product in FAERS using a set of automated tools.
Edge and Corner Interface Cracks

Chapters 4 and 5 cover delamination in multilayers that have interface crack lengths that are extremely large in comparison to other dimensions, in which case the energy release rate becomes independent of the crack size (i.e., the steady-state limit). However, when the interface crack length is comparable to other dimensions in the problem, the energy release rate generally depends on the interface crack length, and as such, numerical solutions are needed. This chapter describes the relationship between crack length and crack tip parameters, and in so doing provides guidelines that identify crack lengths for which the steady-state solution is accurate. The focus of coverage is on plane strain (two-dimensional) geometries, with a limited discussion of an interface crack at the corner of a thin film, which is inherently three-dimensional. It will be demonstrated that the two-dimensional results provide the necessary insight for most cases of interest. The two-dimensional results in this chapter were generated using the software described in Chapter 16 and are essentially a reiteration of the results in original papers by Zhuk, Evans, Hutchinson & Whitesides (1998) and Yu, He & Hutchinson (2001). Related coverage of three-dimensional problems is also provided in Chapter 11, which addresses interface cracks between a semi-infinite substrate and patterned lines, that is, thin film strips bonded to very thick substrates. Interface Edge-Cracks: The Transition to Steady State Consider the interface cracks located at the edge of a film bonded to a substrate, as illustrated in Figure 9.1. One of the remarkable aspects of thin film mechanics is how quickly a short edge-crack approaches the steady-state limit for a semi-infinite crack. The rapidity of this transition depends on whether the film edge is aligned with the edge of the substrate, as in Figure 9.1(a), or whether the film edge is interior to the edge of the substrate, as in Figure 9.1(b). In this section, we focus on two-dimensional film/substrate systems in plane strain with an infinitely long crack front in the out-ofplane direction. A limited discussion of semicircular crack fronts is provided in the next section, while three-dimensional aspects of debonding of finite width features are considered in Chapter 11.
Treatment of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci: Focus on Daptomycin.

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) infections are problematic due to limited availability of anti-VRE agents and their potential for adverse effects and drug interactions. This review focuses on the role of daptomycin in treating VRE infections by summarizing key points of relevant clinical studies. Higher doses of daptomycin (≥ 6 mg/kg), as compared to standard doses, were found to be safe in terms of creatinine phosphokinase elevation and associated with successful infection outcomes and microbiological clearance. High doses are especially important in treatment of infections involving elevated daptomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (3–4 μg/mL). Daptomycin, especially in higher doses, has been shown to be an effective and safe VRE agent for a variety of serious infection types, such as catheter-associated bloodstream and intra-abdominal infections, and for different populations including oncology. Infections involving higher daptomycin MIC values were associated with previous daptomycin use and prosthetic devices.
Laser printing of flip-chip interconnects for high frequency applications

Abstract We demonstrate flip-chip interconnects using laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of Ag nanopaste. To achieve this, Ag nanopaste interconnects were laser printed directly onto the bond pads of an RF switch. The devices were bonded to test fixtures via reflow processing, eliminating the need for thermocompression bonding. High frequency measurements were performed on both a switch with laser printed / reflow cured interconnects and a wire-bonded switch. After bonding, the RF switch with laser printed interconnects performed similar to a wirebonded switch, confirming the bonding process does not degrade high frequency performance. This result implies that laser printing directly onto device bond pads in combination with reflow processing offers a fast and efficient alternative to current flip-chip packaging techniques.
SHARKZOR: Human in the Loop ML for User-Defined Image Classification

Sharkzor is a web-based user interface for user defined image classification. We present here a human in the loop system with interactions focusing on 3 main user tasks. The user triages a number of images by organizing them into arbitrary groups with few examples. Sharkzor's sophisticated few-shot learning back end then approximates the user's mental model and automates organization of the entire dataset.
Health and Travel

Awareness of the many different connections between health and travel is growing. While safety has long been the pre-eminent health concern in the transportation field, the health impacts of harmful pollutants became a public concern starting in the 1950s, and concerns over a decline in active forms of travel rose to prominence in the last decade. Efforts to address these concerns recognize that driving has negative impacts on health, while the alternatives can have positive impacts. Travel choices are thus central to all three health concerns. Strategies that aim to improve the healthiness of travel by changing these choices fall into three general categories: reducing the harms of driving, reducing the amount of driving, and increasing the use of active travel modes. Many of these strategies are synergistic in that they help to address all three health concerns simultaneously and are more effective when employed together. Given the substantial connections between health and daily household travel, it is important that health impacts be considered in the formation of transport policy. The movement towards “sustainable transport planning” offers an unprecedented opportunity to bring health considerations into the mainstream by recognizing health as a critical component of sustainability.
Internet accuracy of publicly available images of meniscal tears

Background: The Internet is an easily accessible resource for both providers and patients. Despite this, the Internet is not peer reviewed, leaving Internet searches subject to inaccuracies, especi...
Logics of stratified identity management in world politics

The importance of concerns about status in world politics has rarely been as evident as it is today. Yet our understanding of how status dynamics influence politics and foreign policy remains limited. Dominant approaches draw on insights from social psychology about individual attitudes and behavior, but scale these up to build accounts of states as unitary or anthropomorphic actors. This results in serious theoretical problems and analytical blind spots. In this article, I offer a new framework – still rooted in social psychological insights about intergroup status dynamics – that addresses these problems. I recast the fundamental question from one about how states react to status dissatisfaction to one about how individuals – with different psychological profiles, different interests, and different positions within the national community – react to anxiety about the status of the state with they identify. I develop four broad logics that inform responses to national status dissatisfaction: identification change, emulation, transformation, and rejection. These logics subsume familiar arguments about how states seek status, but they also accommodate additional variation and explanatory possibilities. They thus constitute a more flexible framework that is better suited than existing alternatives to understand the full variety of ways in which status dynamics may influence world politics.
Application of Machine Learning to Antenna Design and Radar Signal Processing: A Review

Recently, machine learning has received a great deal of attention thanks to its success in a range of applications in engineering science, medicine, and economics. The new technology has also been gaining popularity in electromagnetics. In this paper, the application of machine learning algorithms, for antenna design and radar signal processing, is reviewed.
Improving Satellite Global Chlorophyll a Data Products Through Algorithm Refinement and Data Recovery

A recently developed algorithm to estimate surface ocean chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl in milligrams per cubic meter), namely, the ocean color index (OCI) algorithm, has been adopted by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration to apply to all satellite ocean color sensors to produce global Chl maps. The algorithm is a hybrid between a band‐difference color index algorithm for low‐Chl waters and the traditional band‐ratio algorithms (OCx) for higher‐Chl waters. In this study, the OCI algorithm is revisited for its algorithm coefficients and for its algorithm transition between color index and OCx using a merged data set of high‐performance liquid chromatography and fluorometric Chl. Results suggest that the new OCI algorithm (OCI2) leads to lower Chl estimates than the original OCI (OCI1) for Chl less than 0.05 milligrams per cubic meter, but smoother algorithm transition for Chl between 0.25 and 0.40 milligrams per cubic meter. Evaluation using in situ data suggests that similar to OCI1, OCI2 has significantly improved image quality and cross‐sensor consistency between SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor), MODISA (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on Aqua), and VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) over the OCx algorithms for oligotrophic oceans. Mean cross‐sensor difference in monthly Chl data products over global oligotrophic oceans reduced from approximately 10 percent for OCx to 1-2 percent for OCI2. More importantly, data statistics suggest that the current straylight masking scheme used to generate global Chl maps can be relaxed from 7 by 5 to 3 by 3 pixels without losing data quality in either Chl or spectral remote sensing reflectance (R (sub rs) by lambda (sensor wavelength), per steradian (sr (sup −1)) for not just oligotrophic oceans but also more productive waters. Such a relaxed masking scheme yields an average relative increase of 39 percent in data quantity for global oceans, thus making it possible to reduce data product uncertainties and fill data gaps.
Ligand selectivity in the recognition of protoberberine alkaloids by hybrid-2 human telomeric G-quadruplex: Binding free energy calculation, fluorescence binding, and NMR experiments

The human telomeric G-quadruplex (G4) is an attractive target for developing anticancer drugs. Natural products protoberberine alkaloids are known to bind human telomeric G4 and inhibit telomerase. Among several structurally similar protoberberine alkaloids, epiberberine (EPI) shows the greatest specificity in recognizing the human telomeric G4 over duplex DNA and other G4s. Recently, NMR study revealed that EPI recognizes specifically the hybrid-2 form human telomeric G4 by inducing large rearrangements in the 5′-flanking segment and loop regions to form a highly extensive four-layered binding pocket. Using the NMR structure of the EPI-human telomeric G4 complex, here we perform molecular dynamics free energy calculations to elucidate the ligand selectivity in the recognition of protoberberines by the human telomeric G4. The MM-PB(GB)SA (molecular mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann/Generalized Born) Surface Area) binding free energies calculated using the Amber force fields bsc0 and OL15 correlate well with the NMR titration and binding affinity measurements, with both calculations correctly identifying the EPI as the strongest binder to the hybrid-2 telomeric G4 wtTel26. The results demonstrated that accounting for the conformational flexibility of the DNA-ligand complexes is crucially important for explaining the ligand selectivity of the human telomeric G4. While the MD-simulated (molecular dynamics) structures of the G-quadruplex-alkaloid complexes help rationalize why the EPI-G4 interactions are optimal compared with the other protoberberines, structural deviations from the NMR structure near the binding site are observed in the MD simulations. We have also performed binding free energy calculation using the more rigorous double decoupling method (DDM); however, the results correlate less well with the experimental trend, likely due to the difficulty of adequately sampling the very large conformational reorganization in the G4 induced by the protoberberine binding.
PIK3CA mutation as a prognostic factor in HPV-associated oropharynx cancer.

6011Background: PIK3CA is the most frequently mutated gene in HPV-associated oropharyngeal SCC (OPSCC), with a prevalence of 20-30%. While PIK3CA mutations have been associated with adverse outcome...
Vasopressors in Obstetrics

Vasopressors used in obstetrics, as adjuvants to prevent or treat hypotension secondary to spinal or epidural anesthesia, not only maintain or increase arterial blood pressure but may also increase uterine vascular and myometrial tone, thereby increasing uterine vascular resistance, which would reduce uterine blood flow. However, some vasopressors increase uterine perfusion pressure more than they increase uterine vascular resistance; thus blood flow would be maintained at normal levels. Most pressor drugs are sympathomimetic amines, and their site and form of action depend on whether alpha- or beta-adrenergic receptors are stimulated. The pregnant human myometrium has both: stimulation of the alpha receptors increases uterine activity; beta-receptor stimulation decreases uterine activity. Vasopressor drugs that are solely or predominantly alpha-receptor activators (methoxamine, phenyleprine hydrochloride, levarterenol bitartrate) produce uterine artery vasoconstriction with increased muscle tone and tetanic contractions. Therefore, it would appear more prudent to use ephedrine, mephentermine, or dilute metaramine bitartrate, which produce their effects primarily by stimulating the heart while causing only mild vasoconstriction and, to date, have not been shown to have adverse effects in obstetrics.
Macrophage Activation Syndrome in the Setting of Rheumatic Diseases

Patients with established rheumatic disorders may develop complications of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) due to severe flares of the underlying disease (adult-onset Still disease, systemic lupus erythematosus); however, in most other rheumatic disorders, MAS develops in association with identified viral or other infectious triggers. It is therefore important to pursue appropriate studies to identify potential infectious triggers in rheumatic disease patients who develop MAS. Management is best directed toward treatment of the triggering infections as well as combinations of high-dose corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and biologic therapies targeting IL-1 and/or IL-6 to suppress the associated cytokine storm.
Bio-impedance Simulation Platform using 3D Time-Varying Impedance Grid for Arterial Pulse Wave Modeling

Accurate measurement of various parameters including the arrival time, velocity, and pressure of the arterial pulse wave is essential for continuous monitoring of hemodynamic parameters and early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Noninvasive sensors such as bio-impedance (Bio-Z) have been used to measure the arterial pulse wave by sensing the change in blood volume. However, the measured hemodynamic parameters are significantly affected by the electrode positioning relative to the artery and the electrode configuration. In this work, we created a Bio-Z simulation platform using a 3D time-varying impedance grid to model the arterial pulse wave. This platform can be used to guide design decisions (i.e. electrode placement relative to the artery and electrode configuration) prior to experimentation. We present simulations of the arterial pulse waveform for different sensor locations, current injection frequencies, and artery depths. The simulations are validated by measurements. This model will enable designers and researchers to create time-varying hemodynamic signals and rapidly test the effectiveness of circuits and algorithms without the need for extensive and burdensome experimentation.
History of appendectomy? An atypical case of recurrent abdominal pain

Abstract Acute appendicitis is a common condition emergency physician encounter during pediatric emergency visits. With a reported incidence of 1 in 50,000 appendectomies, stump appendicitis, an acute inflammation of the residual appendicular tissue, is a rare post-operative complication. The diagnosis of stump appendicitis is time-critical to prevent associated morbidities of abscess formation, perforation and sepsis. Another atypical presentation of appendicitis includes recurrent appendicitis, which is recognized as one or more previous episodes of similar clinical presentation as acute appendicitis, but symptoms subside within 24 to 48 hours. Intervals between attacks may vary from weeks to years during which the patient may be asymptomatic. Although recurrent appendicitis is rare, emergency physicians should be aware of this possibility and to not assume that previous appendectomy precludes recurrent appendicitis. This case highlights the importance of considering such unusual condition in a patient presenting with recurrent right-sided abdominal pain.
Daily Time of Radiation Treatment is Associated with Subsequent Oral Mucositis Severity during radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Background: Limited treatment options are available for oral mucositis, a common, debilitating complication of cancer therapy. We examined the association between daily delivery time of radiotherapy and the severity of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients. Methods: We used electronic medical records of 190 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients who completed radiotherapy, with or without concurrent chemotherapy, at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center between 2015 and 2017. Throughout a seven-week treatment course, patient mouth and throat soreness (MTS) was self-reported weekly using a validated oral mucositis questionnaire, with responses 0 (no)~4 (extreme). Average treatment times from day one until the day before each mucositis survey were categorized into seven groups. Multivariable-adjusted marginal average scores (LSmeans) were estimated for the repeated- and maximum-MTS, using a linear-mixed model and generalized-linear model, respectively. Results: Radiation treatment time was significantly associated with the oral mucositis severity using both repeated-MTS (n=1156;p=0.02) and maximum-MTS (n=190;p=0.04), with consistent patterns. The severity was lowest for patients treated during 8:30-<9:30am (LSmeans for maximum-MTS=2.24; standard error=0.15), increased at later treatment times and peaked at early afternoon (11:30 am-<3:00 pm, LSmeans=2.66~2.71; standard errors=0.16/0.17), and then decreased substantially after 3 pm. Conclusions: We report a significant association between radiation treatment time and oral mucositis severity in head-neck cancer patients. Impact: While additional studies are needed, these data suggest a potential simple treatment time solution to limit severity of oral mucositis during radiotherapy without increasing cost.