cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collaboration between Multiple Unmanned Vehicles for Increased Mission Efficiency

As the use of unmanned vehicles is increasing, cost effective operation requires collaboration between multiple vehicles. Such collaboration has many advantages such as the ability to handle more complex task, ability to tackle a task with increased robustness through redundancy, increased efficiency through task distribution, and reduced cost of operation. The main problem is to efficiently distribute the payloads and coordinate the actions of the vehicles so that each vehicle arrives at the desired location at an appropriate time. This requires control of individual vehicle and complex network of communication among the vehicles and between the vehicles and the Operator Control Unit which displays position and orientation of each vehicle in the team and alerts the operator of any anomalies in the health of the vehicles and safety of operations. Cal Poly Pomona is currently working on a project that involves two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and one unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The coordination between the vehicles has been successfully tested for search and rescue type missions. One UAV airplane was used for target identification and the determination of the target location. The second UAV, equipped with rescue package drop mechanism, received the target location from the first UAV and autonomously flew toward the target location. Based on the position of the target relative to the UAV, the flight management computer calculated the release point and autonomously triggered the release of the rescue package. The ground vehicle, which also received the target location from the first UAV, then travelled to the target location autonomously for the confirmation of the package delivery. The same concept can be extended to other military and civilian applications. This paper presents the overall architecture, concept of operations, autonomous navigation of the UAVs and UGV, target acquisition and processing, communication system, and experimental results.
Optical Properties and Radiation-Enhanced Evaporation of Nanfluid Fuels

The optical properties of various nanofluid fuels w ere quantitatively determined and their effects on nanofluid droplet evaporation were inves tigated. The results show that radiation absorption can be significantly enhanced by adding a small amount of nanoparticles such as Al and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to the base fluid et hanol. The strong absorption of radiation energy by nanoparticles increases their t emperature. As a result, nanoconvection occurs between nanoparticles and the surrounding liquid, providing a unique means by which radiation energy may be dispersed. It is also found that nanofluid with CNTs has higher droplet temperature and higher evaporation rate than that with Al or carbon nanoparticles. To determine the optical properties of various nanofluids, transmission spectrum was measured for each nanofluid and the extinction coefficient was determined accordingly. The optical properties were also model ed using Rayleigh approximation based on the radiation interaction with nanoparticles. Th e importance of radiation absorption and scattering were identified for various nanofluids. The results show that CNTs are more effective than aluminum and carbon nanoparticles for radiation absorption in nanofluid because less energy is scattered away.
Based on the Methods of Constructing the Radial Exposure Curves for Excel VBA

Introduced a method in constructing a radial exposure curve,attached with certain core codes.This method adopts the programming language form Office Excel VBA,the program will eventually capture the fitted equation by calculating the experimental data automatically,and at the same time the radial exposure curve is formed in terms of the graphs in EXCEL,under the premise of guaranteed high accuracy,the work load could be significantly reduce by then.
Analysis of Proportion of Container Leasing and Container Owned in Liner Shipping Company

This paper gives an analysis about container leasing in equipment control of liner shipping company.Container leasing includes long-term leasing,short-term leasing and master leasing.The essay gives the characteristic of each container-leasing mode,Two method to find out the proportion of container leasing and container owned is given.
Discovering important source code terms

Terms in source code have become extremely important in Software Engineering research. These ``important'' terms are typically used as input to research tools. Therefore, the quality of the output of these tools will depend on the quality of the term extraction technique. Currently, there is no definitive best technique for predicting the importance of terms during program comprehension. In my work, I perform a literature review of several techniques. I then propose a unified importance prediction model based on a machine learning algorithm. I evaluate my model in a field study involving professional programmers, as well as a standard 10-fold synthetic study. I found that my model predicts the top quartile of most-important source code terms with approximately 50\% precision and recall, outperforming tf/idf and other popular techniques. Furthermore, I found that, during actual program comprehension tasks, the predictions from my model help programmers equivalent to a real set of most-important terms.
Does Dinitrogen Hydrogenation Follow Different Mechanisms for [(η5-C5Me4H)2Zr]2(μ2,η2,η2-N2) and {[PhP(CH2SiMe2NSiMe2CH2)PPh]Zr}2(μ2,η2,η2-N2) Complexes? A Computational Study

The mechanisms of dinitrogen hydrogenation by two different complexes--[(eta(5)-C(5)Me(4)H)(2)Zr](2)(mu(2),eta(2),eta(2)-N(2)), synthesized by Chirik and co-workers [Nature 2004, 427, 527], and {[P(2)N(2)]Zr}(2)(mu(2),eta(2),eta(2)-N(2)), where P(2)N(2) = PhP(CH(2)SiMe(2)NSiMe(2)CH(2))(2)PPh, synthesized by Fryzuk and co-workers [Science 1997, 275, 1445]--are compared with density functional theory calculations. The former complex is experimentally known to be capable of adding more than one H(2) molecule to the side-on coordinated N(2) molecule, while the latter does not add more than one H(2). We have shown that the observed difference in the reactivity of these dizirconium complexes is caused by the fact that the former ligand environment is more rigid than the latter. As a result, the addition of the first H(2) molecule leads to two different products: a non-H-bridged intermediate for the Chirik-type complex and a H-bridged intermediate for the Fryzuk-type complex. The non-H-bridged intermediate requires a smaller energy barrier for the second H(2) addition than the H-bridged intermediate. We have also examined the effect of different numbers of methyl substituents in [(eta(5)-C(5)Me(n)H(5)(-)(n))(2)Zr](2)(mu(2),eta(2),eta(2)-N(2)) for n = 0, 4, and 5 (n = 5 is hypothetical) and [(eta(5)-C(5)H(2)-1,2,4-Me(3))(eta(5)-C(5)Me(5))(2)Zr](2)(mu(2),eta(2),eta(2)-N(2)) and have shown that all complexes of this type would follow a similar H(2) addition mechanism. We have also performed an extensive analysis on the factors (side-on coordination of N(2) to two Zr centers, availability of the frontier orbitals with appropriate symmetry, and inflexibility of the catalyst ligand environment) that are required for successful hydrogenation of the coordinated dinitrogen.
Problems and Prospects in Survey Research

Over the last few decades, survey research has witnessed a number of developments that have affected the quality of data that emerge using this methodology. Using the total survey error (TSE) appro...
Unpublished Decisions in the Federal Courts of Appeals: Making the Decision to Publish

The rise of cases brought before federal appellate courts has caused most opinions to be designated as unpublished. This practice has created much controversy. This essay addresses the decision to publish, guidelines for publication, and enforcement of those guidelines within courts.
Metabolomics to Detect Response of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) to Cu(OH)2 Nanopesticides: Oxidative Stress Response and Detoxification Mechanisms

There has been an increasing influx of nanopesticides into agriculture in recent years. Understanding the interaction between nanopesticides and edible plants is crucial in evaluating the potential impact of nanotechnology on the environment and agriculture. Here we exposed lettuce plants to Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides (1050-2100 mg/L) through foliar spray for one month. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) results indicate that 97-99% (1353-2501 mg/kg) of copper was sequestered in the leaves and only a small percentage (1-3%) (17.5-56.9 mg/kg) was translocated to root tissues through phloem loading. Gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) based metabolomics combined with partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) multivariate analysis revealed that Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides altered metabolite levels of lettuce leaves. Tricarboxylic (TCA) cycle and a number of amino acid-related biological pathways were disturbed. Some antioxidant levels (cis-caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, 3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid, dehydroascorbic acid) were significantly decreased compared to the control, indicating that oxidative stress and a defense response occurred. Nicotianamine, a copper chelator, increased by 12-27 fold compared to the control, which may represent a detoxification mechanism. The up-regulation of polyamines (spermidine and putrescine) and potassium may mitigate oxidative stress and enhance tolerance. The data presented here provide a molecular-scale perspective on the response of plants to copper nanopesticides.
Relationship of a Second Professional Degree to Research Productivity of General Surgery Residents

Objective Many general surgery residents interrupt clinical training for research pursuits or advanced degrees during dedicated research time (DRT). We hypothesize that time required to obtain a second degree during DRT decreases resident publication productivity. Design, Setting, and Participants All consecutive categorical general surgery residents at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, graduating in 2007 to 2016 were evaluated. PubMed queries identified journal publications for residents during and after DRT, limited to 1 year postgraduation. DRT varied between 1 and 3 years and was standardized by dividing publication number by DRT plus remaining clinical years and 1 postgraduation year. Median publications were compared between residents by receipt of a second degree. Results Thirty-six residents were eligible for analysis. Of these, 8 obtained a Masterʼs in Clinical Research, 3 received Master of Public Health, and 1 completed a Doctorate of Philosophy. Publications ranged from 2 to 76 for degree residents and 1 to 36 for nondegree residents. For the 12 degree residents, median publication number per year was 3.8 (interquartile range: 2.3, 5.2) compared to 2.6 (interquartile range: 1.6, 3.5) in residents not pursuing a postdoctoral degree (p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in median number of first and second author publications by degree status. Conclusion More publications per year were seen among residents earning a second degree, with a statistically significant difference between residents obtaining postdoctoral degrees during DRT compared with their counterparts. Our study demonstrates that residents pursuing a second degree are not hindered in their publication productivity despite the time investment required by the degree program. Additional research is needed to determine whether formal research training through a second degree corresponds to sustained scholarly productivity beyond residency.
Decision Tools for HealthCare Professionals

Shared decision making is often used in situations of clinical equipoise—where there is no clear recommended course of management based on existing scientific evidence and the “right” decision depends on a patient’s values. In shared decision making, a patient and a provider deliberate healthcare options together by considering the risks and benefits for a decision based on a patient’s particular values and a provider’s medical expertise. Decision aids are tools to facilitate shared decision making. Most decision aids present essential health information, highlight that a decision must be made that depends on the values and preferences of the patient, list the options available, describe the potential benefits and harms of the various options, and help patients clarify their personal values.
A semi-empirical approach to determine the effective minimum current pulse width (T) for an operating silicon chip

In this paper we are going to discuss a semi-empirical approach, which will allow us, to determine the effective minimum time interval (T), over which voltage noise affects the performance of a silicon integrated circuit. This interval corresponds to simultaneous voltage collapse of the power delivery network, and current demand from the silicon. The current amplitude I0 in this paper is assumed to be an average current drawn by the device when measured close to the power supply or close to the voltage regulator. This minimum time width (T) is equivalent to the amount of time the chip takes to ramp the current from 0 amps to some average current. This minimum current pulse width and current height can be used to construct various current waveforms generated by the device, including a step current.
Increased Prevalence of Cerebrovascular Disease in Hospitalized Patients with Marfan Syndrome.

Background and Purpose Small studies have suggested that Marfan syndrome is associated with a number of cerebrovascular complications. We sought to determine whether a clinical diagnosis of Marfan syndrome is associated with a higher prevalence of cerebrovascular diseases than the general population by performing a case-control study of hospitalized patients in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). Methods Using the 2000-2012 NIS, we performed a case-control study matching cases of Marfan syndrome to controls without such a diagnosis. The prevalence of various cerebrovascular diseases between the 2 groups were compared, and multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for suspected comorbidities. Results Between 2000 and 2012, there were a total of 13,883 discharges carrying a diagnosis of Marfan syndrome. On univariate analysis, patients with Marfan syndrome were more likely to have a primary or secondary diagnosis of hemorrhagic stroke (0.5% versus 0.3%, odds ratio [OR] = 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-2.29, P = 0.02) as well as intracranial hemorrhage (subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH] and hemorrhagic stroke) (0.3% versus 0.2%, OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.05-2.82, P = 0.03). Patients hospitalized with Marfan syndrome were significantly more likely to have carotid dissection (0.3% versus 0.0%, OR = 11.69, 95% CI = 3.60-38.08, P P = 0.0002). On multivariate analysis adjusted for age, race, and comorbidities, patients with Marfan syndrome had significantly higher odds of ischemic stroke (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.02-1.43, P = 0.03), hemorrhagic stroke (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.18-2.63, P = 0.005), carotid artery dissection (OR = 11.94, 95% CI = 4.23-50.03, P P 0.0001). Conclusions There is a modestly increased prevalence of ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and cerebral aneurysms in hospitalized patients with Marfan syndrome when compared with controls.
Rock Uniaxial Compression Test and Axial Splitting

Abstract Axial splitting is an important failure mechanism in rock engineering. This failure mechanism is particularly observed in the vicinity of free surfaces of rock structures. Different possibilities such as existence of defects, pores and micro-cracks in the rock specimen have been attributed as the cause of axial splitting in the literature. Based on some physical uniaxial compression tests on Pennsylvania blue sandstone, an alternative theory for axial splitting is proposed. In this theory, axial shear cracks are considered that are induced because of non-uniform deformation of the specimen ends. Dislocation along these axial shear cracks is the cause of rock lateral dilation which results in radial stresses. The radial stresses push out the cylindrical thin shells of the specimen. Consequently, radial cracks are developed which subsequently cause rock spalling in mode-I fracture. The proposed failure mechanism is discussed within the framework of a simplified theoretical model. The prediction of the model is then compared with the physical observations. In addition, a discrete element bonded particle system is utilized for rock simulation in uniaxial compression testing. The prediction of the numerical model is consistent with the physical observations.
Epstein-Barr virus lymphoproliferative disease after solid organ transplantation

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first identified human oncovirus and is also one of the most ubiquitous viral infections known with established infections in more than 90% of individuals by early adulthood. EBV establishes latency by controlling expression of the viral genome making it silent to immune surveillance. In immunocompetent individuals, up to 1% of circulating T cells are directed at maintaining control over EBV replication. In addition to being involved in oncogenesis of lymphoid and epithelial tumors in immune-competent individuals, loss of immune surveillance over EBV predisposes individuals to EBV malignancies. Lymphoid proliferations from EBV-infected B cells arise in up to 20% of recipients of solid organ transplants (SOTs). One question not answered is why, when EBV requires such active immune surveillance, EBV malignancies are not even more prevalent in severely immune-compromised individuals. A better understanding of who develops complications related to EBV and what the immunologic risks are will ultimately make it feasible to perform prophylactic trials in those at highest risk. This review summarizes our current understanding of factors in SOT recipients that predispose them to the development of an EBV malignancy and that predict response to initial therapy. We then review the current landscape of those therapies, focusing on the goal of restoring long-term EBV-directed immunity to patients at risk.
Survival Outcomes Following the Use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as a Rescue Technology in Critically Ill Patients: Results From Pennsylvania 2007-2015.

Objective: To examine real-world outcomes of survival, length of stay, and discharge destination, among all adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation admissions in one state over nearly a decade. Design: Retrospective analysis of administrative discharge data. Setting: State-wide administrative discharge data from Pennsylvania between 2007 and 2015. Patients: All 2,948 consecutive patients billed under a Diagnosis-Related Grouper 3 grouper and in whom a procedural code for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was present, admitted between the beginning of 2007 and the end of 2015 to hospitals regulated by the state of Pennsylvania. Admitting diagnoses were coded as respiratory, cardiac, cardiac arrest, or uncategorized based on administrative data. Measurements and Main Results: Unadjusted in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and discharge destination. Summary statistics and tests of differences by age 65 years or older and by admitting diagnosis were performed. Outcomes by age were plotted using running-mean smoothed graphs. Over the 9-year period, the average observed death rate was 51.7%. Among all survivors, 14.6% went home to self-care and a further 15.2% to home health care. Of all survivors, 43.8% were readmitted within 1 month, and 60.6% within 1 year. Among elderly survivors, readmission rates were 52.3% and 65.5% within 1 month and 1 year, respectively. The likelihood of dying in-hospital increased with age that of being discharged home or to postacute care decreased. Conclusions: In a “usual clinical practice” setting, short-term outcomes are similar to those observed in clinical trials such as Conventional Ventilation or ECMO for Severe Adult Respiratory Failure, in registries such as extracorporeal life support organization, and in smaller single-site studies. More data on longer term follow-up are needed to allow clinicians to better inform patient selection and care.
Constitutive modeling of compressible type-I collagen hydrogels.

Abstract Collagen hydrogels have been used ubiquitously as engineering biomaterials with a biphasic network of fibrillar collagen and aqueous-filled voids that contribute to a complex, compressible, and nonlinear mechanical behavior - not well captured within the infinitesimal strain theory. In this study, type-I collagen, processed from a bovine corium, was fabricated into disks at 2, 3, and 4% (w/w) and exposed to 0, 105, 106, and 107 microjoules of ultraviolet light or enzymatic degradation via matrix metalloproteinase-2. Fully hydrated gels were subjected to unconfined, aqueous, compression testing with experimental data modeled within a continuum mechanics framework by employing the uncommon Blatz–Ko material model for porous elastic materials and a nonlinear form of the Poisson's ratio. From the Generalized form, the Special Blatz–Ko, compressible Neo–Hookean, and incompressible Mooney–Rivlin models were derived and the best-fit material parameters reported for each. The average root-mean-squared (RMS) error for the General (RMS = 0.13 ± 0.07) and Special Blatz–Ko (RMS = 0.13 ± 0.07) were lower than the Neo–Hookean (RMS = 0.23 ± 0.10) and Mooney–Rivlin (RMS = 0.18 ± 0.08) models. We conclude that, with a single fitted-parameter, the Special Blatz–Ko sufficiently captured the salient features of collagen hydrogel compression over most examined formulations and treatments.
Wideband source localization using one-bit quantized arrays

We consider the problem of source localization with signals that are quantized to a single bit. While this problem has been previously addressed for narrowband signals quantized in complex baseband, we consider wideband signals quantized directly in the time domain. We adapt the generalized cross correlation estimator to work with quantized signals and analyze its theoretical performance as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We find that quantization imposes a small penalty at low SNR but scales poorly at high SNR. Furthermore, we analyze the effects of sampling on estimation performance and show that oversampling is necessary at high SNR. Finally, we apply the generalized cross correlation weighting function to steered response power direction-of-arrival estimation with a larger array. We demonstrate the performance of the system for speech localization.
Growth Factor-Gonadotropin Interactions in Ovarian Cells

The literature now contains several publications demonstrating that classical reproductive hormones and growth factors interact to modulate ovarian cellular function (see reviews 1–3). Examples on a general level are: (1) regulation by reproductive hormones of growth factor production; (2) modulation of growth factor receptor expression/function by reproductive hormones; or conversely, (3) modulation of the production of reproductive hormones by growth factors; and, (4) growth factor involvement in regulating the expression/function of receptors for reproductive hormones. However, detailed biochemical knowledge in terms of the intracellular mechanisms by which these various effectors interact to regulate growth or differentiation is not yet available for any cell type. Also, at this level, there is no information to indicate whether growth factor-initiated mechanisms are the same in reproductive hormone-responsive vs. nonresponsive cells.
Isothermal Diffusion Studies of Water-Choline Chloride-Hydrogen Chloride System

Sets of four diffusion coefficients were obtained for the water-choline chloridehydrogen chloride system at 25°C. The cross-term diffusion coefficients were found to be very large, and the electrostatic force is the dominant factor for these cross-term diffusion coefficients.
A Sublayer Bursting Model for Turbulent Boundary Layers

Modelling of turbulence near a wall requires the accurate representation of the statistics of the fluctuating velocities and pressures with as few empirical parameters as possible Commonly used boundary layer turbulence models such as Prandtl’s mixing-length model, large-eddy simulation models or the k- e model attempt to do this essentially without taking into account the basic structure of the turbulent fluctuating field Landahl (1975, 1990) suggested that the stress-carrying eddies could be modelled as localized disturbances created by small-scale breakdowns due to a local instability or other strong nonlinearity. He showed (1993) that the arising initial-value problem could be solved analytically through a time sequential procedure, in which the linear shear interaction stage will govern the flow during the early times of the order of 1/U’(y),U(y) being the mean velocity distribution, (treated as approximately parallel), with their long-time asymptotes serving as the initial values for the subsequent viscous and nonlinear stages. Calculations presented in Landahl (1990) demonstrated that initial disturbances due to oblique instability waves without spanwise symmetry gave as a result streaky structures with good qualitative agreement with those observed in the near-wall region of a turbulent boundary layer. Here we present a simple model along such lines showing how Prandtl’s (1925) mixing-length theory comes out from averaging a random distribution of initially localized three-dimensional disturbances.
Civil Juries in Ecological Context: Methodological Implications for Research

In this essay I argue that our actual knowledge base about civil jury decision-making processes and the quality of civil jury verdicts is not as robust as wewant it to be and it needs to be. More innovative research methodologies need to be undertaken. In 1999 Brian Bornstein, one of the editors of this volume, pointed out that jury researchers are motivated by the ‘‘desire to apply findings from simulation studies to understanding, and ultimately improving, the legal system.’’ As a consequence, he pointed out, major validity concerns discussed in the literature involved the juror sample (students versus non-student adults), the research setting (laboratory versus courtroom), the trial medium (written summaries versus more realistic trial materials), the trial elements (e.g., presence or absence of deliberation), dependent variables used (dichotomous versus probability judgments) and the consequentiality of the task (e.g., making a hypothetical versus a real decision). Yet, his review of twenty years of research revealed that most published studies on juries continue to involve minimal verisimilitude. Bornstein offered the caution the jury was still out on whether the research could be generalized to real juries. Devine et al. also commented on the need for more realism in their article reviewing over four decades of research on deliberating juries. Devine et al., also noted that few studies have surveyed or interviewed real jurors, a subject that I shall return to later in this essay. I take a stronger position than Bornstein and Devine et al. and offer the view that advocates of simulation research have not carried their burden of proof. Even if meta-analyses show effects over multiple simulation studies, I take the
“Subsidizing the State": The Political Ecology and Legal Geography of Social Movements in Chilean Water Governance

Abstract Water conflicts are increasingly spilling into the streets in Chile, as communities struggle to make their voices heard in formal decision-making forums. However, these growing social movements are doing much more than just marching. Combining insights from political ecology and legal geography, this article approaches water governance as a complex field of struggle in which social movement resistance plays a crucial role. In the case of the Alto Maipo hydropower conflict in central Chile, social movement actors have taken on a wide range of roles that they feel should correspond to the state: monitoring the hydropower company, documenting citizen concerns, and demanding accountability from government agencies. Attention to the legal dimensions of this struggle reveals how this work of “subsidizing the state” was built into the new institutional order ushered in during the Pinochet dictatorship, and how the capacity of social movement actors to mold this space to their advantage has been restricted by the legal framework for water governance. While there has been considerable attention to the role of resistance from water user associations in reshaping neoliberal water reforms in other parts of Latin America, the Chilean case highlights the need to also consider social movement actors from outside of the conventional water sector who struggle to defend in-stream uses not recognized under the law. Faced with limited legal recourse in the courts and little legitimacy in decision-making forums, Chilean activists have pursued alternative strategies that have expanded the scope of their resistance and built broader political pressure for change.
The Ethics of Technology: Response to Critics

The Ethics of Technology: A Geometric Analysis of Five Moral Principles proposes five moral principles for analyzing ethical issues related to engineering and technology. The objections raised by several authors to the multidimensional scaling technique used in the book reveal a lack of familiarity with this widely used technique.
Optimization of Medium Frequency Transformers with Practical Considerations

A method to design and optimize a Medium Frequency Transformer (MFT) based on commercially available components and semiconductor and converter constraints is presented. The optimization algorithm is used to redesign the transformer for a scaled-down electric vehicle (EV) fast charger using a three-level resonant circuit topology. The main consideration of this paper is the uncertainty caused by modeling assumptions in optimization algorithms. To reduce this uncertainty, space mapping is used to create an optimized design point. Finally, a comparison of the designs found using the original optimization algorithm and the space mapping technique are compared and analyzed. For simplicity, only a single objective optimization routine is employed.
Abstract P2067: Trends in Ambulatory and Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Use for Confirmation of Hypertension or Resistant Hypertension Among the Commercially-Insured in the U.S., 2008-2017

Objectives: Out-of-office BP measurement, including ambulatory and home BP monitoring (ABPM, HBPM, respectively) are considered the gold standard for hypertension and treatment-resistant hypertensi...
Curative intent resection for loco-regionally recurrent colon cancer: Cleveland clinic experience.

Abstract Background Locoregional colon cancer recurrence occurs in around 10% of patients following initial curative intent primary resection. We hypothesized oncological results can vary based on the recurrence site. Our aim was to determine outcomes for patients undergoing resection with curative intent for locally recurrent colon cancer. Methods Patients with locoregional recurrence after curative intent resection for colon cancer were identified (1999–2017). Demographics, operative details and outcome data were recorded. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare survival differences. Results Fifty-two patients (mean age, 62) were included. The most common recurrence site was primary anastomosis (48%). R0 resection was obtained in 68%. Major morbidity occurred in 37%. Patients with anastomotic recurrence had a statistically significant overall survival compared to other sites (71.6 vs. 40.8 months respectively with a P value of 0.05). Conclusions Excellent outcomes are possible for curative intent recurrent colon cancer surgery. The site of loco-regional recurrence plays a significant role in outcomes. Table of Contents Summary: Colon cancer recurrence can be treated surgically with optimal outcomes. Anastomotic recurrence is associated with improved survival.
Motoori, Haruniwa (1763–1828)

Haruniwa Motoori (1763–1828), the son of the great philologist Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801), was a scholar and teacher who learned from his father, and by copying his father's writings for publication. Haruniwa, blind by the time he was thirty-two, persevered on his own, having people read to him and take dictation. In addition to editing his father's collected works after Norinaga's death, Haruniwa developed the morphological analysis of Japanese his father had begun, and adding his own syntactic analysis. Haruniwa's work formed the basis for the systems used in the Japanese national school system to teach Japanese today. Long neglected by scholars who preferred to credit Norinaga with Haruniwa's achievements, the importance of the work of this blind scholar was finally recognized in the 1970s.
Tensile response of unidirectional ceramic minicomposites

Abstract Mechanical response of ceramic matrix composites is critically dependent on properties of fibers and fiber coatings. In the present study, we examine effects of these and other constituent properties on the tensile response of unidirectionally-reinforced composites through a combination of existing models of fiber fracture, Monte Carlo simulations of concurrent matrix and fiber fragmentation, and complementary experimental measurements. The results show that, contrary to prevailing understanding, the process of fiber fragmentation cannot go to completion in a uniaxial tensile test. At low stresses (before the maximum), fiber breaks are essentially random throughout the bundle; in contrast, at the stress maximum, all additional breaks are localized to regions close to the fracture plane (within a distance dictated by the characteristic transfer length). Therefore, the resulting distributions in fiber pullout length and strength of pulled-out fibers do not match predictions from existing models. Although the composite stress-strain response associated with fragmentation can be accurately predicted by existing fragmentation models, accurate prediction of the point of instability requires consideration of the local response of fibers in the most heavily strained regions (within matrix crack planes). The response in the latter regions leads to instability at stresses and strains that are lower than those obtained from the average stress-strain response. Additionally, the composite strength and failure strain are found to be sensitive to the fiber volume fraction and the matrix strength distribution. One implication is that the full potential of the fibers may not be realizable in composites of practical interest.
Measurements and modeling of absorptive partitioning of volatile organic compounds to painted surfaces

Partitioning to surfaces is an important sink for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) indoors, but the mechanisms are not well understood or quantified. Here, a mass spectrometer was coupled to a portable surface reactor and a flow tube to measure partitioning of VOCs into paint films coated onto glass or wallboard, and their subsequent diffusion. A model was developed to extract values of the effective absorbing organic mass concentration of the film, Cw , which is a measure of absorption capacity, and VOC diffusion coefficients, Df , from VOC time profiles measured during film passivation and depassivation. Values of Cw agreed well with the value estimated from the paint film mass and flow tube air volume, and Df values (also measured using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) correlated well with VOC vapor saturation concentrations, C*, estimated using a group contribution method. The value of these relationships for estimating key parameters that control VOC partitioning into paint and the fate of VOCs indoors was demonstrated using a house model, which indicated that >50% of VOCs with C* ≤108 μg/m3 (C* of octane, hexanone, and propanol) that contacted a paint film of typical thickness fully permeated the film regardless of emission duration.
Synthesis of 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-2'-C-methyl spiro cyclopentyl carbocyclic uridine analog as potential inhibitors of HCV NS5B polymerase.

Synthesis of 1-((4 R,5S,6R,7R)-5,6-dihydroxy-7-(hydroxymethyl)spiro[2.4]heptan-4-yl)pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (12) and its phosphoramidate prodrug 18 is reported. The synthesis of the targeted co...
Online Data Generation in Quantitative Analysis: Excel Spreadsheets and an Online HPLC Simulator Using a Jupyter Notebook on the Chem Compute Web site

Students used an Excel spreadsheet and a Jupyter notebook located at https://chemcompute.org/jupyterhub/ to generate data in lieu of face-to-face laboratory instruction during COVID-19. This communication discusses strengths and weaknesses of both exercises. First, students generated absorbance data using an Excel spreadsheet, but they were overwhelmingly put off by simulated noise in their absorbance values. Second, students simulated running an HPLC using a Jupyter notebook and designed a method to separate three components of Excedrin. Students reported that the simulation helped them to understand HPLC and suggested that the online activity be used as a supplement when face-to-face laboratory instruction resumes. The main weakness of the online activities was that students did not perform any sample preparation. Therefore, they did not experience the extractions and dilutions required to prepare the analytical sample and had a difficult time working backward to calculate starting amounts from simulated sample concentrations. Concerns that students would extract answers from the equations used in the spreadsheet and Jupyter notebook were not realized.
Jumping droplet condensation in internal convective vapor flow

Abstract Condensation is an important process in the Rankine cycle that significantly affects overall efficiency. Condensate typically forms a liquid film due to the high surface energy of industrial condenser materials; by engineering the condenser surface with a superhydrophobic layer, however, we can increase condensation heat transfer by an order of magnitude with the jumping droplet mode of condensation. While the basic phenomenon of jumping droplet condensation has been explored in depth, its effects on heat transfer and pressure drop in confined vapor flow inside a condenser tube, as in power plant condensers, have not been considered. Here, we report an experimental study of internal forced convective condensation with hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and superhydrophobic surfaces to study condensation in the filmwise, dropwise, and jumping droplet modes, respectively. The condenser tube samples were tested in a closed system internal flow condensation setup, and the heat transfer and pressure drop behavior were characterized over various operating conditions. In the jumping droplet mode, the heat transfer coefficient was highest at lower condensation heat flux and condenser surface subcooling, but a transition to the flooded mode at higher subcooling resulted in a heat transfer coefficient comparable to filmwise condensation. For dropwise condensation in the hydrophobic tube, the condensation heat transfer coefficient increased with the vapor velocity, similar to observations in past work. In addition to a large heat transfer coefficient, the pressure drop with the superhydrophobic tube samples was the lowest. These experimental results demonstrate the viability of harnessing the jumping droplet mode of condensation to enhance heat transfer and reduce pressure drop for internal forced convective flow condensation in industrial condensers.
A Survey of the Surgical Morbidity and Mortality Conference in the United States and Canada: A Dying Tradition or the Key to Modern Quality Improvement?

Objective We seek to identify the current role and practices of the surgery morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference in academic surgery departments in the United States and Canada. Design, Setting, and Participants All members of the Society of Surgical Chairs, a program of the American College of Surgeons, were e-mailed an IRB-approved 28-question electronic survey in fall 2017. Up to 3 reminders were sent. Results Responses from 129/186 (69%) departments of surgery were received. Nearly all departments (96%) continue to have a departmental M&M conference. The M&M conference is typically weekly (93%), between 7 and 9 AM (80%), on weekdays during which there are no scheduled elective operations (84%). Attendance is mandatory for residents (98%), but required for faculty in only 49% of departments. Fewer than half of all departments (44%) have written guidelines as to which complications should be reported to M&M. Most conferences are prepared case presentations (89%), but may include unprepared discussions (17%), case-based educational presentations (30%), or a combination (28%). The most common classification category was by root case of the error (60%) and preventability (58%). Most departments keep electronic and/or physical M&M reports, while 21% maintain a relational database and 25% do not retain records. While almost all (96%) departments reported participating in at least one national quality improvement program, these are not often linked to the M&M process. Conclusions M&M is predominantly seen as an educational conference based on a few select cases. Departmental quality is monitored with hospital-driven or national quality improvement efforts. Integration of hospital-based quality metric programs with surgery M&M conference is uncommon and represents an opportunity for hospital-department collaboration.
Systems toxicogenomics of prenatal low-dose BPA exposure on liver metabolic pathways, gut microbiota, and metabolic health in mice.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial plasticizer widely found in consumer products, and exposure to BPA during early development has been associated with the prevalence of various cardiometabolic diseases including obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. To elucidate the molecular perturbations underlying the connection of low-dose prenatal BPA exposure to cardiometabolic diseases, we conducted a multi-dimensional systems biology study assessing the liver transcriptome, gut microbial community, and diverse metabolic phenotypes in both male and female mouse offspring exposed to 5 μg/kg/day BPA during gestation. Prenatal exposure to low-dose BPA not only significantly affected liver genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, PPAR signaling and fatty acid metabolism, but also affected the gut microbial composition in an age- and sex-dependent manner. Bacteria such as those belonging to the S24-7 and Lachnospiraceae families were correlated with offspring phenotypes, differentially expressed liver metabolic genes such as Acadl and Dgat1, and key drivers identified in our gene network modeling such as Malat1 and Apoa2. This multiomics study provides insight into the relationship between gut bacteria and host liver genes that could contribute to cardiometabolic disease risks upon low-dose BPA exposure.
Aerosol agitation: Quantifying the hydrodynamic stressors on particulates encapsulated in small droplets

The authors study how pathogens can be exposed to damaging hydrodynamic stressors during the aerosolization process.
Summary of Injuries and Fatalities Involving Livestock Manure Storage, Handling, and Transport Operations in Seven Central States: 1976-2019.

Highlights A total of 133 cases were documented in a seven-state region, with Iowa reporting 43% of the cases and asphyxiations accounting for 42% of all cases. Most victims were male (>79%) with an average age of 38 years. The overall fatality rate was 57%, and 16% of the victims were under the age of 21. Thirteen incidents involved secondary victims, including eleven incidents involving two, one incident involving three, and one incident involving four. Abstract. Research was conducted to document, classify, analyze, and summarize available injury and fatality data involving facilities and equipment for livestock manure storage, handling, and transport in the seven-state region (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) served by the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH). Data were initially drawn from the Purdue Agricultural Confined Space Incident Database (PACSID), which contained over 2,400 individual U.S. cases of agricultural confined space related entrapment, engulfment, entanglement, asphyxiation, and falls that were documented between 1975 and 2019. Data from these cases have been partially summarized and published, but the findings did not include in-depth analysis of manure-related incidents. Approximately one in five (460) of the 2,400+ cases that were documented over 44 years involved storage, handling, or transport of livestock wastes, including exposure to toxic gases. Of these, 133 cases were documented as having occurred in the targeted seven-state region. Each case was identified and coded according to a protocol developed previously to classify incidents related to livestock manure handling, storage, and transport. Iowa and Minnesota accounted for 79% of the total, with swine operations accounting for 33% of cases when livestock type was known. Of the victims, 79% were male. Ages ranged from 1 to 85, with an average age of 38, and 15% of the victims were age 21 and under. There were 13 incidents for which two or more victims were identified, including one incident involving four victims. It is believed that historical under-reporting of incidents, especially non-fatal incidents, continues to be a barrier to achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the scope and magnitude of the problem. However, the findings are sufficient to be used in cooperation with stakeholders to enhance the content and delivery of evidence-based agricultural safety and health programs, promote safer work practices, and contribute to the development of engineering design standards. The desired outcomes of this research include more effective strategies to protect farmers and farm workers who are at high risk of manure-related injuries. The findings also provide a sufficient baseline to gauge the effectiveness of future injury prevention measures.
Gene regulatory network inference in single-cell biology

Abstract Gene regulatory networks record relationships between transcription factors and the genes whose expression they control. Recent computational methods have been developed to predict these regulatory interactions based on gene expression data generated by single-cell sequencing technologies. In this review, we summarize these gene regulatory network inference algorithms, methods for evaluating predicted regulatory interactions, and approaches to simulate scRNA-seq data. We conclude by discussing developing trends in single-cell multiomics that we expect to influence future research on network inference.
Herding History: Law and Collective Subjectivities in the Dairyspheres of Ukraine

In response to the limitations of socialism and capitalism in meeting basic needs, this article explores the alternative version of modernity offered in post-Soviet Ukraine and its agriculture. Tracing a century of fundamental transformations through the story of milk, it finds a history that troubles universalized framings of indigeneity and colonialism. This article argues that under socialism milk became a product of collectivized effort and a reservoir of household resilience; and then, with post-Soviet disintegration of some forms of collective life and emergence of others, that milk has come to delineate spheres of both collective action and individual striving. This research finds in Ukrainian farming communities a tale of two privatizations, one concentrating wealth and the other, distributing it in more equalizing ways. In the dispersed structure that results, much Ukrainian milk production avoids some of the more environmentally harmful forms for which the contemporary milk economy is famous elsewhere. This study reveals the pragmatic play of gender dynamics within legal disputes and social transformation. Though now enmeshed in global economic networks and policy agendas, milk has remained the ground of specific social networks; this article shows the resilience of intimate relationships between dairy cows and their keepers and the political strength, untapped nationally but salient locally, of dairy maids.