cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global scheduling based reliability-aware power management for multiprocessor real-time systems

Reliability-aware power management (RAPM) has been a recent research focus due to the negative effects of the popular power management technique dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) on system reliability. As a result, several RAPM schemes have been studied for uniprocessor real-time systems. In this paper, for a set of frame-based independent real-time tasks running on multiprocessor systems, we study global scheduling based RAPM (G-RAPM) schemes. Depending on how recovery blocks are scheduled and utilized, both individual-recovery and shared-recovery based G-RAPM schemes are investigated. An important dimension of the G-RAPM problem is how to select the appropriate subset of tasks for energy and reliability management (i.e., scale down their executions while ensuring that they can be recovered from transient faults). We show that making such decision optimally (i.e., the static G-RAPM problem) is NP-hard. Then, for the individual-recovery based approach, we study two efficient heuristics, which rely on local and global task selections, respectively. For the shared-recovery based approach, a linear search based scheme is proposed. The schemes are shown to guarantee the timing constraints. Moreover, to reclaim the dynamic slack generated at runtime from early completion of tasks and unused recoveries, we also propose online G-RAPM schemes which exploit the slack-sharing idea studied in previous work. The proposed schemes are evaluated through extensive simulations. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed schemes in yielding energy savings while simultaneously preserving system reliability and timing constraints. For the static version of the problem, the shared-recovery based scheme is shown to provide better energy savings compared to the individual-recovery based scheme, in virtue of its ability to leave more slack for DVFS. Moreover, by reclaiming the dynamic slack generated at runtime, online G-RAPM schemes are shown to yield better energy savings.
Design and fabrication of an ultra-compact silicon on insulator demultiplexer based on arrayed waveguide gratings

We present the design and fabrication of a SOI ultra-compact wavelength-demultiplexer based on arrayed-waveguide-gratings. The size of device is 30 dB between channels and insertion loss is ~1 dB.
Is liver transplantation using organs donated after cardiac death cost‐effective or does it decrease waitlist death by increasing recipient death?

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness in liver transplantation (LT) of utilizing organs donated after cardiac death (DCD) compared with organs donated after brain death (DBD). Methods A Markov‐based decision analytic model was created to compare two LT waitlist strategies distinguished by organ type: (i) DBD organs only, and (ii) DBD and DCD organs. The model simulated outcomes for patients over 10 years with annual cycles through one of four health states: survival; ischaemic cholangiopathy; retransplantation, and death. Baseline values and ranges were determined from an extensive literature review. Sensitivity analyses tested model strength and parameter variability. Results Overall survival is decreased, and biliary complications and retransplantation are increased in recipients of DCD livers. Recipients of DBD livers gained 5.6 quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) at a cost of US$69 000/QALY, whereas recipients on the DBD + DCD LT waitlist gained 6.0 QALYs at a cost of US$61 000/QALY. The DBD + DCD organ strategy was superior to the DBD organ‐only strategy. conclusions The extension of life and quality of life provided by DCD LT to patients on the waiting list who might otherwise not receive a liver transplant makes the continued use of DCD livers cost‐effective.
Quality of life with atrial fibrillation: do the spouses suffer as much as the patients?

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) can have a significant effect on quality of life (QoL). Other chronic diseases are known to not only affect the patient but to also impact the QoL of persons living with them. Scant data exist on the QoL effect of AF in spouses/significant others (SOs). Methods: An anonymous survey regarding the perceived effect of AF on QoL was designed and distributed to both patients and spouses/SOs during an educational symposium about living with AF. Both were asked to fill out the survey independently according to how their life was affected by either their AF or their partner's AF. Questions included demographics, perceived impairment of overall QoL on a 5-point scale, as well as effect on subcategories of QoL, namely daily activity, work life, sex life, physical activity, psychological well-being, and social activity. Results: Five hundred and sixty-eight subjects completed the survey of which 411 were AF patients and 129 were spouses/SOs. The perceived effect of AF on overall QoL (N = 527) was similar in patients and spouses (AF patients: mild 42.0%, moderate 26.0%, severe 32.0% vs. spouses: 44.1%, 25.2%, 31.7%; P = 0.917). This result did not change when adjusted for age and gender. There was also no significant difference between patients and spouses in the subcategories of QoL with the exception of the perceived effect on work life, which was greater in patients than spouses (P = 0.041). Conclusions: AF has a similar perceived impact on the QoL of spouses and patients. QoL improvement strategies for patients with AF should take spouses into account. (PACE 2011; 34:804–809)
Democracy and Student Discontent: Chilean Student Protest in the Post-Pinochet Era

Objective indicators suggest that economic and political conditions improved in Chile between the country’s democratization in 1990 and 2011. Average incomes increased, poverty rates decreased, and the number of positive reviews of Chilean democratic institutions rose. Despite this progress, massive student-led protest waves in 2006 and 2011 demonstrated high levels of subjective discontent in Chile. This paper proposes a three-part explanation for the paradoxical emergence and escalation of the post-Pinochet-era Chilean student protests, and, in so doing, contributes to the broader understanding of social movements and political action. The first two parts of the argument relate to generational change. Firstly, a gap between expectations and capabilities provoked discontent amongst a new generation of Chilean students. Secondly, the new generation’s collective identity as “ la generacion sin miedo ” (the fearless generation) motivated the students to turn discontent into political action. Thirdly, government and student actor agency influenced the variance in protest strength between 2005 and 2011.
Psychological evaluation and support in a program of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

This report describes the psychological evaluation of 200 couples consecutively seen at a pretreatment consultation in an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer program. Attitudinal and emotional characteristics of the sample are also described. Half the women and 15% of the men reported that infertility is the most upsetting experience of their lives. On the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), approximately 20% of the males and females had one or more elevated scale scores, suggesting dysfunctional emotional distress or personality difficulties. Half the sample had high scores on the MMPI Ego Strength scale, which indicated effective functioning and ability to withstand stress. T scores for the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale were in the normal range before treatment. Further longitudinal study is needed to define the emotional impact of procedures and reactions to treatment outcomes.
Waste Assessment Baseline for the IPOC Second Floor, West Wing

Following a building-wide waste assessment in September, 2014, and subsequent presentation to Sandia leadership regarding the goal of Zero Waste by 2025, the occupants of the IPOC Second Floor, West Wing contacted the Materials Sustainability and Pollution Prevention (MSP2) team to guide them to Zero Waste in advance of the rest of the site. The occupants are from Center 3600, Public Relations and Communications , and Center 800, Independent Audit, Ethics and Business Conduct . To accomplish this, MSP2 conducted a new limited waste assessment from March 2-6, 2015 to compare the second floor, west wing to the building as a whole. The assessment also serves as a baseline with which to mark improvements in diversion in approximately 6 months.
Rapid and slow swelling during hypoxia in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices.

The role of swelling in hypoxic/ischemic neuronal injury is incompletely understood. We investigated the extent and time course of cell swelling during hypoxia, and recovery of cell volume during r...
Host-Related Microhabitat Preferences of the Gypsy Moth Larval Parasitoid, Parasetigena agilis

Insect parasitoids are known to exhibit habitat preferences during host-searching activities. For example, the polyphagous tachinid, Compsilara concinnata (Meigen) attacked larvae of Acromycta aceris L. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) less often on isolated trees than on trees in clumps (Schwenke 1958). Also, Brachymeria intermedia (Nees) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) parasitized gypsy moth pupae at ground level in a defoliated area and not in an adjacent shaded area (Leonard 1971). In non-defoliated forests this parasitoid was found to parasitize pupae only near the tops of trees (Weseloh 1972).
Usability revisited

It can be a peculiar experience to revisit something one wrote (or co-wrote) a long time ago. Reading the Systems Journal article again after the passage of more than a decade aroused a jumble of thoughts and memories. Along with other things, the titles of Dumas' sequels Ten Years Later and Twenty Years After floated up into my consciousness. Not that there's much parallel between the romantic world of Dumas and our all-too-realistic and decidedly non-swashbuckling profession; but the echoes rang faintly, nonetheless.
Implementation of an environmental monitoring system based on Wi-Fi

A kind of Wi-Fi technology-based environmental monitoring system is realized.It can accurately obtain temperature,light sensor parameter and RSSI value,establish connection with the server,by wireless mode and server can real-time receive sensing datas and complete real-time targets monitoring and other related results display.While,if the system monitors one parameter of monitoring area such as temperature or RSSI beyond user's demands,the buzzer will alarm and screen will display the corresponding parameter and its value for user to adjust.Repeat experiments several times,it shows that the system can monitor environmental area real-time,correctly and stably,and possess good practical value and application prospect.
Prospective identification of the risk of SIDS.

In the general population, there are a number of epidemiologic and physiologic factors that have been identified as increasing the risk for sudden infant death syndrome. To date, optimum combinations of these factors do not sufficiently discriminate the high-risk infant in order to serve as a basis for prospective screening. In the subsequently born sibling, the risk is only slightly increased and again there are nc factors that discriminate the infant at-risk of death Among infants who have sustained a life-threatening event, there are several identifiable causes or Physiologic factors associated with high risk for a repeat event. This article reviews the association between risk factors and death in each of these threee categories of patients.
Competing for Sports Franchises and Events

Introduction Many cities have an unmet demand for a professional sports franchise in their midst. Whenever an existing franchise expresses an interest in relocating to greener pastures, there is no apparent shortage of willing hosts. The same is true when one of the major sports leagues contemplates expansion. For strategic reasons, the major sports leagues make sure that there are a few viable locations that go unserved. In this way, they ensure the presence of excess demand and thereby improve the credibility of threats by existing franchises to move. This excess demand also provides leverage when either a new or existing franchise is bargaining with a city for benefits. Cities also compete for major sports events. Major cities around the world compete with one another to host the Olympics or the World Cup. On a somewhat smaller scale, Omaha pursued the College World Series. Some U.S. cities compete to host the NFL player draft, which has turned into a media event. Cities compete in the only way they can by providing benefits to the organizers. Usually these are legitimate, but there have been instances of corruption.
Glycemic Control for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Our Evolving Faith in the Face of Evidence

Background—We sought to determine the concordance between the accumulating evidence about the impact of tight versus less tight glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus since the publication of UKPDS (UK Prospective Diabetes Study) in 1998 until 2015 with the views about that evidence published in journal articles and practice guidelines. Methods and Results—We searched in top general medicine and specialty journals for articles referring to glycemic control appearing between 2006 and 2015 and identified the latest practice guidelines. To summarize the evidence, we included all published systematic reviews and meta-analyses of contemporary randomized trials of glycemic control measuring patient-important microvascular and macrovascular outcomes, and completed a meta-analysis of their follow-up extensions. We identified 16 guidelines and 328 statements. The body of evidence produced estimates warranting moderate confidence. This evidence reported no significant impact of tight glycemic co...
Reversible Macrocyclization of Peptides with a Conjugate Acceptor

Macrocyclic peptides are an increasingly important class of biopharmaceuticals. A new method of macrocyclization is reported that involves reaction of the N-terminal amine and thiol side chain of cysteine with a Meldrum’s acid derived conjugate acceptor. This reaction, which utilizes naturally occurring amino acids and requires no orthogonal protection of side chains, can also be reversed to yield the original linear peptide as desired.
Passive ultra-brief video training improves performance of compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Abstract Background Bystander compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improves survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. To broaden CPR training, 1–2 min ultra-brief videos have been disseminated via the Internet and television. Our objective was to determine whether participants passively exposed to a televised ultra-brief video perform CPR better than unexposed controls. Methods This before-and-after study was conducted with non-patients in an urban Emergency Department waiting room. The intervention was an ultra-brief CPR training video displayed via closed-circuit television 3–6 times/hour. Participants were unaware of the study and not told to watch the video. Pre-intervention, no video was displayed. Participants were asked to demonstrate compression-only CPR on a manikin. Performance was scored based on critical actions: check for responsiveness, call for help, begin compressions immediately, and correct hand placement, compression rate and depth. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants who performed all actions correctly. Results There were 50 control and 50 exposed participants. Mean age was 37, 51% were African-American, 52% were female, and 10% self-reported current CPR certification. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups. The number of participants who performed all actions correctly was 0 (0%) control vs. 10 (20%) exposed (difference 20%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.9–31.1%, p Conclusion Passive ultra-brief video training is associated with improved performance of compression-only CPR.
Fast dose optimization for rotating shield brachytherapy.

Purpose To provide a fast computational method, based on the proximal graph solver (POGS) - a convex optimization solver using the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), for calculating an optimal treatment plan in rotating shield brachytherapy (RSBT). RSBT treatment planning has more degrees of freedom than conventional high-dose-rate brachytherapy due to the addition of emission direction, and this necessitates a fast optimization technique to enable clinical usage. Methods The multi-helix RSBT (H-RSBT) delivery technique1 was investigated for five representative cervical cancer patients. Treatment plans were generated for all patients using the POGS method and the commercially available solver IBM ILOG CPLEX2. The rectum, bladder, sigmoid colon, high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV), and HR-CTV boundary were the structures included in our optimization, which applied an asymmetric dose-volume optimization with smoothness control. Dose calculation resolution was 1X1X3 mm3 for all cases. The H-RSBT applicator had 6 helices, with 33:3 mm of translation along the applicator per helical rotation and 1:7 mm spacing between dwell positions, yielding 17.5° emission angle spacing per 5 mm along the applicator. Results For each patient, HR-CTV D90, HR-CTV D100, rectum D2cc, sigmoid D2cc, and bladder D2cc matched within 1% for CPLEX and POGS methods. Also, similar EQD2 values between CPLEX and POGS methods were obtained. POGS was around 18 times faster than CPLEX. Over all patients, total optimization times were 32.1-65.4 seconds for CPLEX and 2.1-3.9 seconds for POGS. Conclusions POGS reduced treatment plan optimization time approximately 18 times for RSBT with similar HR-CTV D90, organ at risk (OAR) D2cc values, and EQD2 values compared to CPLEX, which is significant progress toward clinical translation of RSBT. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Perioperative hypothalamic pituitary adrenal function in patients with silent corticotroph adenomas.

Silent corticotroph adenomas (SCAs) are characterized by strong ACTH immunostaining without clinical manifestations of hypercortisolism. Patients with SCAs often present with mechanical symptoms related to tumor growth. This study investigates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) characteristics after adenomectomy in patients with SCAs. Biochemical parameters of HPA function were monitored frequently after surgical resection of non-functioning macroadenomas. Levels of ACTH, cortisol, DHEA and DHEA-S were measured frequently for 48 h after adenomectomy. HPA data of patients with SCAs (n = 38) were compared to others (Controls) with non-secreting, ACTH-negative immunostaining adenomas of similar age and gender distribution (n = 182) who had adenomectomy. Plasma ACTH increased (P < 0.0001) equally in patients with SCA and controls reaching a peak at 3 h (238 ± 123 vs. 233 ± 96 ng/L, respectively) after extubation declining thereafter to baseline values 24–36 h. Similarly, serum cortisol levels increased (P < 0.0001) equally in both groups reaching a maximum at 7 h (36.8 ± 13.9 vs. 39.3 ± 13.3 ug/dL). Serum DHEA also increased (P < 0.001) equally in both groups in parallel to the rise in serum cortisol. Serum DHEA-S levels similarly increased (P < 0.001) from their respective baseline (105.9 ± 67.5 and 106.5 ± 58.7 ug/dL) reaching their peak (154.5 ± 69.5 and 153.5 ± 68.6 ug/dL; respectively) at 15 h after extubation. None of the patients acquired any hormone deficits. Under the maximal stimulation of the peri-operative stress, HPA function in patients with SCA behaved in an identical manner to others with ACTH-negative macroadenomas. Thus, despite the strong ACTH-positive immunostaining of these tumors, SCAs are truly non- functional.
A Comparative Study of Atmospheric Moisture Recycling Rate Between Observations and Models

AbstractPrecipitation and column water vapor data from 13 CMIP5 models and observational datasets are used to analyze atmospheric moisture recycling rate from 1988 to 2008. The comparisons between the observations and model simulations suggest that most CMIP5 models capture two main characteristics of recycling rate: (1) long-term decreasing trend of global-average maritime recycling rate (atmospheric recycling rate over ocean within 60°S-60°N) and (2) dominant spatial patterns of the temporal variations of recycling rate (i.e., increasing in the Intertropical Convergence Zone and decreasing in sub-tropical region). All models except one successfully simulate not only the long-term trend but also inter-annual variability of column water vapor. The simulations of precipitation are relatively poor especially over the relatively short time scales, which lead to the discrepancy of recycling rate between the observations and the CMIP5 models. Comparisons of spatial patterns also suggest that the CMIP5 models s...
Health Literacy and Demographic Disparities in HIV Care Continuum Outcomes

Studies evaluating the association between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continuum of care outcomes [antiretroviral (ART) adherence, retention in care, viral suppression] and health literacy have yielded conflicting results. Moreover, studies from the southern United States, a region of the country disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic and low health literacy, are lacking. We conducted an observational cohort study among 575 people living with HIV (PLWH) at the Vanderbilt Comprehensive Care Clinic (Nashville, Tennessee). Health literacy was measured using the brief health literacy screen, a short tool which can be administered verbally by trained clinical personnel. Low health literacy was associated with a lack of viral suppression, but not with poor ART adherence or poor retention. Age and racial disparities in continuum of care outcomes persisted after accounting for health literacy, suggesting that factors in addition to health literacy must be addressed in order to improve outcomes for PLWH.
Covariate-dependent negative binomial factor analysis of RNA sequencing data

Motivation High-throughput sequencing technologies, in particular RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), have become the basic practice for genomic studies in biomedical research. In addition to studying genes individually, for example, through differential expression analysis, investigating co-ordinated expression variations of genes may help reveal the underlying cellular mechanisms to derive better understanding and more effective prognosis and intervention strategies. Although there exists a variety of co-expression network based methods to analyze microarray data for this purpose, instead of blindly extending these methods for microarray data that may introduce unnecessary bias, it is crucial to develop methods well adapted to RNA-seq data to identify the functional modules of genes with similar expression patterns. Results We have developed a fully Bayesian covariate-dependent negative binomial factor analysis (dNBFA) method-dNBFA-for RNA-seq count data, to capture coordinated gene expression changes, while considering effects from covariates reflecting different influencing factors. Unlike existing co-expression network based methods, our proposed model does not require multiple ad-hoc choices on data processing, transformation, as well as co-expression measures and can be directly applied to RNA-seq data. Furthermore, being capable of incorporating covariate information, the proposed method can tackle setups with complex confounding factors in different experiment designs. Finally, the natural model parameterization removes the need for a normalization preprocessing step, as commonly adopted to compensate for the effect of sequencing-depth variations. Efficient Bayesian inference of model parameters is derived by exploiting conditional conjugacy via novel data augmentation techniques. Experimental results on several real-world RNA-seq datasets on complex diseases suggest dNBFA as a powerful tool for discovering the gene modules with significant differential expression and meaningful biological insight. Availability and implementation dNBFA is implemented in R language and is available at https://github.com/siamakz/dNBFA.
Conceptual knowledge acquisition in search

This paper concerns effective and efficient concept learning in difficult situations, when the data are uncertain and learning must be incremental. The probabilistic learning system PLS is outlined, and some ideas and principles underlying it are developed. PLS1 was the first AI system to use probabilistic conceptual clustering, and to exhibit optimal learning. A new system PLSO may permit tractable induction of structure and relations using “second order” clustering.
Nihilism, Relativism, and Engelhardt

This paper is a critical analysis of Tristram Engelhardt's attempts to avoid unrestricted nihilism and relativism. The focus of attention is his recent book, The Foundations of Bioethics (Oxford University Press, 1996). No substantive or “content-full” bioethics (e.g., that of Roman Catholicism or the Samurai) has an intersubjectively verifiable and universally binding foundation, Engelhardt thinks, for unaided secular reason cannot show that any particular substantive morality (or moral code) is correct. He thus seems to be committed to either nihilism or relativism. The first is the view that there is not even one true or valid moral code, and the second is the view that there is a plurality of true or valid moral codes. However, Engelhardt rejects both nihilism and relativism, at least in unrestricted form. Strictly speaking, he himself is a universalist, someone who believes that there is a single true moral code. Two argumentative strategies are employed by him to fend off unconstrained nihilism and relativism. The first argues that although all attempts to establish a content-full morality on the basis of secular reason fail, secular reason can still establish a content-less, purely procedural morality. Although not content-full and incapable of providing positive direction in life, much less a meaning of life, such a morality does limit the range of relativism and nihilism. The second argues that there is a single true, content-full morality. Grace and revelation, however, are needed to make it available to us; secular reason alone is not up to the task. This second line of argument is not pursued in The Foundations at any length, but it does crop up at times, and if it is sound, nihilism and relativism can be much more thoroughly routed than the first line of argument has it.
E-161 Intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator is a safe adjunctive therapy to mechanical thrombectomy

Introduction Intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator (IA-tPA) has been widely used in conjunction with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) or as rescue therapy. Data on the safety of IA-tPA during thrombectomy is scarce. Objective To report the safety outcome of MT with IA tPA and compare it to MT without IA-tPA. Methods We reviewed our prospectively maintained data and identified patients who received mechanical thrombectomy between 11/1/2014 to 4/1/2017. Collected variables included demographics, comorbidities, baseline NIHSS, procedural variables and outcome variables. Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) was divided into hemorrhagic infarction and parenchymal hemorrhage (PH) based on ECASS criteria. Functional outcome was assessed based on modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results Total of 408 patients were included in this study. 57 patients were treated with MT and IA tPA, and 351 were treated with MT alone. Median IA tPA dose was 5 mg (IQR,4–6). Both groups did not differ in baseline characteristics, comorbidities or admission NIHSS. Around 45% of patients achieved a favorable outcome (mRS ≤2) in both groups (p=0.97). The rate of any hemorrhagic complications and parenchymal hemorrhage (PH) did not differ between groups (any hemorrhage; 38.6% vs 35.9%; p=0.69, PH; 10.5% vs 12.3%; p=0.71). Conclusion Intra-arterial tPA is a safe adjunctive therapy to mechanical thrombectomy. ASPECT, Alberta stroke program early CT score; IV tPA, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator; mRS, modified Rankin Scale; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; PH, parenchymal hemorrhage; TICI, Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia. Disclosures M. Anadani: None. S. Ajinky: None. A. Alawieh: None. A. Chatterjee: None. J. Vargas: None. R. Turner IV: 1; C; Codman, Penumbra, Microvention, Pulsar Vascular Stock. 2; C; Codman, Covidien, Penumbra, Microvention, Blockade-Stocks, Pulsar Vascular Stock, Medtronic. 3; C; Codman, Covidien, Penumbra, Microvention, Blockade-Stocks, Pulsar Vascular Stock, Medtronic. A. Turk: 6; C; Codman Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau, Research Funding; Covidien Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau; Penumbra Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau, Research Grants; Microvention Consult. M. Chaudry: 6; C; Codman Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau, Research Funding; Covidien Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau; Penumbra Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau, Research Grants; Microvention Consult. A. Spiotta: 6; C; Penumbra Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau; Pulsar Vascular Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau; Microvention Consulting, Honorarium, Speaker Bureau, Research; Stryker Consulting, Honorarium.
Electromagnetic Transthoracic Nodule Localization for Minimally Invasive Pulmonary Resection.

Background Increased use of chest computed tomography and the institution of lung cancer screening have increased the detection of ground-glass and small pulmonary nodules. Intraoperative localization of these lesions via a minimally invasive thoracoscopic approach can be challenging. We present the feasibility of perioperative transthoracic percutaneous nodule localization using a novel electromagnetic navigation platform. Methods This is a multicenter retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of patients who underwent perioperative electromagnetic transthoracic nodule localization before attempted minimally invasive resection between July 2016 and March 2018. Localization was performed using methylene blue or a mixture of methylene blue and the patient's blood (1:1 ratio). Patient, nodule, and procedure characteristics were collected and reported. Results Thirty-one nodules were resected from 30 patients. Twenty-nine of 31 nodules (94%) were successfully localized. Minimally invasive resection was successful in 93% of patients (28/30); 7% (2/30) required conversion to thoracotomy. The median nodule size was 13 mm (interquartile range 25%-75%, 9.5-15.5), and the median depth from the surface of the visceral pleura to the nodule was 10 mm (interquartile range 25%-75%, 5.0-15.9). Seventy-one percent (22/31) of nodules were malignant. No complications associated with nodule localization were reported. Conclusions The use of intraoperative electromagnetic transthoracic nodule localization before thoracoscopic resection of small and/or difficult to palpate lung nodules is safe and effective, potentially eliminating the need for direct nodule palpation. Use of this technique aids in minimally invasive localization and resection of small, deep, and/or ground-glass lung nodules.
Distinguishing Between Need Support and Regulatory Focus with LIWC

The need-support model bridges regulatory focus theory and self-determination theory. Research on this model has shown that support of needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (key constructs in self-determination theory) is higher in experiences of pursuing hopes versus duties (key constructs in regulatory focus theory). The current research used LIWC 2015’s standard dictionary to examine differences between descriptions of high and low support of these needs (N = 941), descriptions of pursuing hopes and duties (N = 1,047), high need support and hopes, and low need support and duties. As expected, descriptions of high need support and hopes were more emotionally positive than low need support and duties, whereas high need support and duties showed more attention to social relationships than low need support and hopes. These and additional findings of this research support the need-support model’s proposal that regulatory focus and need support do not reduce to each other. Publisher's Note: A corrigendum relating to this article has been published and can be found at http://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.341
Review of Recent Aromatic–Aliphatic–Ionic Liquid Ternary Liquid–Liquid Equilibria and Their Modeling by COSMO-RS

Separation of aromatics from aliphatics following catalytic reforming or steam cracking processes is difficult and energy intensive, even with highly optimized extraction solvents like sulfolane. A...
Study on risk factors and the cause of acute attack of asthma in children

Objective To investigate the risk factors and cause of acute attack of children with asth-ma , in order to adopt the valid treatment to decrease the morbidity, relapse rate and mortality of children with asthma. Methods One thousand patients including 500 cases of asthma and 500 cases of non-asthma were collected,who were treated in the respiratory department of Hebei Provincial Children' s Hospital from June, 2007 to March,2009. The asthmatic patients were 1:1 matched with non-asthmatic children by the same age, sex, place of residence, thus 500 paired groups were formed. Then the investigation was carried out using a questionnaire in order to find out risk factors among children with asthma. The case history was traced back from the first wheeze after birth in all the asthmatic cases. The cause of acute attack of case group was also studied. Results The study revealed 33 risk factors according to logistic regression analysis. There were 6 high risk factors,2 mid-range risk factors and 12 low risk factors. The most common causes of acute asthma attack included respiratory tract infection, irregular treatment, weather change. Conclusion Genetic factors are closely related to the development of asthma in children. The atopy constitution is a risk factor of asthma. Frequent respiratory tract infection may induce the persistent asthma and becomes the most common reason that causes acute asthma attack. Key words: Asthma; Children; Risk factors; Acute attack
A Paper-Based Flexible Tactile Sensor Array for Low-Cost Wearable Human Health Monitoring

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization results of a paper-based, low-cost, easy-to-use, comfortable and wearable tactile sensor array for human health monitoring applications. Paper substrate and spray-deposited metallic electrodes and traces are employed to achieve a low fabrication cost. Capacitive sensing scheme employing a deformable triangular PDMS sensing membrane is chosen due to its high sensitivity and zero DC power dissipation. Trade-offs among different sensor array designs are investigated to achieve an optimal design, which consists of a $1\times 5$ sensor array occupying an area of 10 mm $\times10$ mm. Each sensor in the array achieves a nominal capacitance value and sensitivity of approximately 1 pF and 30 fF/mmHg, respectively. Fabricated sensor array can be comfortably attached to an individual’s temporal region and ankle area to monitor real-time blood pressure (BP) pulse waveform with high fidelity, from which heart rate and heart rate variability information can be accurately obtained. In addition, the prototype sensor array demonstrates its capability of detecting atrial fibrillation (AFib) from BP pulse waveform measured from an AFib patient. [2020-0179]
Security Assessment of Dynamically Obfuscated Scan Chain Against Oracle-guided Attacks

Logic locking has emerged as a promising solution to protect integrated circuits against piracy and tampering. However, the security provided by existing logic locking techniques is often thwarted by Boolean satisfiability (SAT)-based oracle-guided attacks. Criteria for successful SAT attacks on locked circuits include: (i) the circuit under attack is fully combinational, or (ii) the attacker has scan chain access. To address the threat posed by SAT-based attacks, we adopt the dynamically obfuscated scan chain (DOSC) architecture and illustrate its resiliency against the SAT attacks when inserted into the scan chain of an obfuscated design. We demonstrate, both mathematically and experimentally, that DOSC exponentially increases the resiliency against key extraction by SAT attack and its variants. Our results show that the mathematical estimation of attack complexity correlates to the experimental results with an accuracy of 95% or better. Along with the formal proof, we model DOSC architecture to its equivalent combinational circuit and perform SAT attack to evaluate its resiliency empirically. Our experiments demonstrate that SAT attack on DOSC-inserted benchmark circuits timeout at minimal test time overhead, and while DOSC requires less than 1% area and power overhead.
Pleural lipoma: when to intervene.

A 49-year-old woman with a medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnoea and morbid obesity presented to the pulmonary clinic with chest discomfort on her right side. On physical examination, the patient was in no acute distress, had air entry bilaterally with
Area-based Backbone for Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks

This research proposes an area method to produce a vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) backbone topology. The road network is partitioned into a grid of cells sized based on transmission range, and a vehicle in each cell providing the most stable network topology is selected as a backbone node. The reliability of the backbone is based on the link quality and the stability, where stability is based on how long the topology will be in effect given the time vehicles spend in each cell.
Japonisme and the Birth of Cinema

In this essay, I examine the connection between Japonisme and the films of the Lumiere brothers. Lumiere films have been considered to be “actuality films” or documentary. By focusing on Japonisme that is observed in these films, I locate them in a broader field of media interactions among such cultural products as painting and photography. One of my focuses is on the conflict and negotiation between the camera eye and the physicality of the human eyes and hands that can be witnessed in Lumiere films. Moreover, considering the questions posed in Marxist, subaltern, and postcolonial theory about the relationship between center and periphery in formations of modernity, this essay attempts to reveal the process of conflict and negotiation encountered by France and Japan during the period of emerging cinema as a new global visual medium.
Early Resumption of Sexual Intercourse after First Childbirth and Unintended Pregnancy within Six Months.

Abstract Objective We aimed to evaluate factors associated with early resumption of sexual intercourse after first childbirth and assess whether early intercourse is associated with unprotected intercourse, subsequent pregnancy, and unintended pregnancy over 6 months. Methods This secondary analysis used data from the First Baby Study, a prospective study of women aged 18–35 years with singleton pregnancies who delivered at 76 hospitals in Pennsylvania. At 1 and 6 months postpartum, women were asked about intercourse and the use of birth control since childbirth. We compared women who resumed intercourse in the first month after childbirth (early resumption) with those who resumed intercourse later, via multivariable logistic regression models. Results In our cohort, 261 of 2,643 women (9.9%) reported first intercourse within the first postpartum month (7–31 days). Women who resumed intercourse early were less educated, younger, and less likely to breastfeed, have had a perineal laceration, or have had an episiotomy than those who resumed intercourse later. In addition, they were more likely to have unprotected intercourse in at least one of the first 6 months after first childbirth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76–3.09); to be pregnant by 6 months postpartum (aOR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.48–6.20); and to report that pregnancy as unintended (aOR, 3.32; 95% CI, 1.50–7.36). Conclusions Nearly 10% of women resumed intercourse in the first month after childbirth. Because early resumption of intercourse was associated with a greater likelihood of unprotected intercourse and unintended pregnancy within 6 months of first childbirth, clinicians should focus efforts on comprehensive family planning and contraception counseling beginning in the prenatal period.
THE EFFECT OF DEXAMETHASONE ON IL-33-MEDIATED MAST CELL ACTIVATION

THE EFFECT OF DEXAMETHASONE ON IL-33-MEDIATED MAST CELL ACTIVATION By Oksana Igorevna Chernushevich, B.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University. University of Virginia, 2011 Major Director: John J. Ryan, Ph.D. Professor of Biology, Department of Biology Dexamethasone has been shown to inhibit IgE-mediated mast cell activation, and the present research investigated its role in suppressing IL-33-mediated mast cell activation. We have found that micromolar concentrations of Dexamethasone are capable of suppressing IL-33mediated mast cell cytokine production, on several genetic backgrounds, and in not only bone marrow derived mast cells, but also peritoneal mast cells. Intracellular staining demonstrated that Dexamethasone significantly reduces expression of the IL-33 receptor, T1/ST2, in mast cells; however, the cytokine suppression is independent of T1/ST2 downregulation. At the same time, Dexamethasone pretreatment significantly reduced ERK phosphorylation, but our data suggests that inhibition occurs even prior to ERK blockade. Finally, Dexamethasone treatment in vivo reduced IL-33-mediated cytokine production and neutrophil infiltration in the murine peritoneum. Thus, Dexamethasone, a well-established therapy for inflammatory disease, can suppress IL-33-
Mean Field Theory for Fermion-based U(2) Anyons

The energy density is computed for a U(2) Chern-Simons theory coupled to a non-relativistic fermion field (a theory of ``non-Abelian anyons'') under the assumptions of uniform charge and matter density. When the matter field is a spinless fermion, we find that this energy is independent of the two Chern-Simons coupling constants and is minimized when the non-Abelian charge density is zero. This suggests that there is no spontaneous breaking of the SU(2) subgroup of the symmetry, at least in this mean-field approximation. For spin-1/2 fermions, we find self-consistent mean-field states with a small non-Abelian charge density, which vanishes as the theory of free fermions is approached.
Efficient prediction of crosstalk in VLSI interconnections using neural networks

The unique approach proposed for VLSI crosstalk prediction involves the creation of parameterized models of primitive interconnect structures-wirecells-using modular artificial neural networks (MANNs). The finite element method, a circuit simulator and a neural network multi-paradigm prototyping system are coupled together to produce a library of re-usable MANN-based wirecell models.
Modeling Solar Thermochemical Splitting of CO2 Using Metal Oxide and a CR5

A two-dimensional, multi-physics computational model based on the finite-element method is developed for simulating the process of solar thermochemical splitting of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) using ferrites (Fe3 O4 /FeO) and a counter-rotating-ring receiver/recuperator or CR5, in which carbon monoxide (CO) is produced from gaseous CO2 . The model takes into account heat transfer, gas-phase flow and multiple-species diffusion in open channels and through pores of the porous reactant layer, and redox chemical reactions at the gas/solid interfaces. Results (temperature distribution, velocity field, and species concentration contours) computed using the model in a case study are presented to illustrate model utility. The model is then employed to examine the effects of injection rates of CO2 and argon neutral gas, respectively, on CO production rate and the extent of the product-species crossover.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Pure ventricular septal defect and ventricular septal defect with pulmonic stenosis; hemodynamic and clinical changes following open heart surgery.

Abstract 1. (1) Pre- and postoperative right heart catheterization and clinical evaluation were performed in twelve patients who underwent open heart surgery. Seven had pure ventricular septal defects while five had ventricular septal defect and pulmonic stenosis. 2. (2) In all patients in this series the pulmonary artery and right ventricular pressures fell postoperatively, as well as the pulmonic blood flow, right ventricular work and the total pulmonary vascular resistance, while the left ventricular work was increased. Physiologically and clinically, all patients were improved in this selected series. 3. (3) In both groups a complete right bundle branch block was observed in the electrocardiogram and vectorcardiogram postoperatively. 4. (4) Open heart surgery when indicated is the treatment of choice for patients with either pure ventricular septal defect or ventricular septal defect with pulmonic stenosis.
Generalized linear threshold scheme

A generalized linear threshold scheme is introduced. The new scheme generalizes the existing linear threshold schemes. The basic principles involved in the construction of linear threshold schemes are laid out and the relationships between the existing schemes are completely established. The generalized linear scheme is used to provide a hierarchical threshold scheme which allows multiple thresholds necessary in a hierarchical environment.
Projections of 21st Century Sierra Nevada Local Hydrologic Flow Components Using an Ensemble of General Circulation Models

: Sierra Nevada snowmelt and runoff is a key source of water for many of California’s 38 million residents and nearly the entire population of western Nevada. The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of expected 21st Century climatic changes in the Sierra Nevada at the subwatershed scale, for all hydrologic flow components, and for a suite of 16 General Circulation Models (GCMs) with two emission scenarios. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was calibrated and validated at 35 unimpaired streamflow sites. Results show that temperatures are projected to increase throughout the Sierra Nevada, whereas precipitation projections vary between GCMs. These climatic changes drive a decrease in average annual streamflow and an advance of snowmelt and runoff by several weeks. The largest streamflow reductions were found in the mid-range elevations due to less snow accumulation, whereas the higher elevation watersheds were more resilient due to colder temperatures. Simulation results showed that decreases in snowmelt affects not only streamflow, but evapotranspiration, surface, and subsurface flows, such that less water is available in spring and summer, thus potentially affecting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Declining spring and summer flows did not equally affect all subwatersheds in the region, and the subwatershed perspective allowed for identification for the most sensitive basins throughout the Sierra Nevada.