cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DOUBLETS AND DOUBLE PEAKS: LATE-TIME [O I] λλ6300, 6364 LINE PROFILES OF STRIPPED-ENVELOPE, CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

We present optical spectra of SN 2007gr, SN 2007rz, SN 2007uy, SN 2008ax, and SN 2008bo obtained in the nebular phase when line profiles can lead to information about the velocity distribution of the exploded cores. We compare these to 13 other published spectra of stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae (Type IIb, Ib, and Ic) to investigate properties of their double-peaked [O I] λλ6300, 6364 emission. These 18 supernovae are divided into two empirical line profile types: (1) profiles showing two conspicuous emission peaks nearly symmetrically centered on either side of 6300 A and spaced ≈64 A apart, close to the wavelength separation between the [O I] λλ6300, 6364 doublet lines, and (2) profiles showing asymmetric [O I] line profiles consisting of a pronounced emission peak near 6300 A plus one or more blueshifted emission peaks. Examination of these emission profiles, as well as comparison with profiles in the lines of [O I] λ5577, O I λ7774, and Mg I] λ4571, leads us to conclude that neither type of [O I] double-peaked profile is necessarily the signature of emission from front and rear faces of ejecta arranged in a toroidal disk or elongated shell geometry as previously suggested. We propose possible alternative interpretations of double-peaked emission for each profile type, test their feasibility with simple line-fitting models, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. The underlying cause of the observed predominance of blueshifted emission peaks is unclear, but may be due to internal scattering or dust obscuration of emission from far side ejecta.
Expression of glutathione S-transferase π and glutathione synthase correlates with survival in early stage non–small cell carcinomas of the lung

Summary The glutathione S-transferase (GST) family of genes encode for detoxification enzymes that protect against reactive oxygen species and influence host susceptibility to carcinogens, including tobacco smoke. It has not been determined whether isoenzyme GST- π or glutathione synthase (GSH2) expression by tumor cells bears a relationship to survival. A total of 201 non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) with long-term follow-up were immunostained with antibodies to GST- π and GSH2 using standard immunostaining techniques. Results were graded semiquantitatively using a scale of 0 to 3 (0 ≤ 10%; 1=10%-50%; 2=51%-80%; 3 ≥ 80%) for both nuclear and cytoplasmic staining. Results were correlated with patient survival using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Nuclear staining with GST- π in greater than 10% of the cells was closely associated with decreased survival ( P = .02) in stage I and II squamous cell carcinomas (n = 40). Cytoplasmic staining showed a similar trend that did not reach statistical significance. No significant correlation between GST- π staining and survival was determined for other histologic types of NSCLC. Cytoplasmic GSH2 staining in greater than 80% of tumor cells was associated with a trend toward improved survival for stage I adenocarcinoma ( P = .08) but did not show a relationship to survival for other histologic types of NSCLC. GST- π expression predicts prognosis in stage I and II squamous cell lung carcinoma, and GSH2 expression may indicate better survival in early stage adenocarcinoma of the lung. Manipulation of GST- π and GSH2 may be a potential basis for treatment of some NSCLC.
Foreign Embassies and Roman Universality in Einhard's Life of Charlemagne

In chapter sixteen of his Life of Charlemagne , Einhard celebrates his subject's peaceful relations with foreign princes. Notker the Stammerer would later offer his own, more fanciful version of this material, including his bold embellishment of Einhard's suggestion that Caliph Harun-al-Rachid had handed over control of the Holy Lands. This study presents Einhard's portrait of Charlemagne's post-coronation diplomatic relations with foreign princes as a meticulously constructed biographical episode rich in the rhetoric of Roman panegyric. His merging of panegyric structure and Frankish historiographical content established a uniquely Carolingian refashioning of a classical and late antique topos of Roman universality, one whose significance lies both in its mimetic relationship to classical models and in its influence on subsequent works.
Speedup of fuzzy logic through stream processing on Graphics Processing Units

As the size and operator complexity of a fuzzy logic system increases, computational tractability becomes a problem. There is a significant amount of parallelism in both the creation of the fuzzy rule base and in fuzzy inference. Traditional processors (CPUs) cannot take full advantage of this natural parallelism graphics processing units (GPUs) speed up rule construction and inference by utilizing up to 128 processing units operating in parallel. Normally, these processors are used to perform high speed graphics calculations for video games, movies, and other areas of intense graphical work. In this paper, a method is discussed for speeding up fuzzy logic by structuring it into a format such that it resembles the standard rendering procedure for a graphics pipeline based on rasterization.
Growth factor effects on passaged TMJ disk cells in monolayer and pellet cultures.

Structured Abstract Authors – Allen KD, Athanasiou KA Objectives – Previously, we demonstrated rapid changes in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disk gene expression during monolayer expansion. This study's objective was to investigate the ability of pellet culture and growth factors to rescue TMJ disk gene expression changes. Design – Temporomandibular joint disk cells were isolated from mature porcine tissue and passaged up to five times. At each passage, 300 000 cells were placed in a monolayer or pellet culture environment before being exposed to transforming growth factor-beta 3 (TGF-β3) (5 ng/ml), TGF-β1 (5 ng/ml), and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) (10 ng/ml). Outcome Measure – After 24 h, gene expression was analyzed via reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results – Pelleting was detrimental to TMJ disk gene expression, marked by gene expression decreases in collagen type I (5.5-fold), aggrecan (1.4-fold), decorin (0.73-fold), and biglycan (0.73-fold) relative to monolayer cultures. IGF-I, TGF-β1, and TGF-β3 demonstrated limited ability to rescue TMJ disk gene expression in the pellet culture. In monolayer, TGF-β3 and TGF-β1 increased decorin and biglycan gene expression relative to passaged controls. Collagen type I expression, the TMJ disk's primary matrix constituent, was highest in TGF-β3 cultures; however, differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion – These results indicate that pellet cultures are a poor choice for TMJ disk tissue engineering, and the effects of TGF-β1, TGF-β3, and IGF-I on TMJ disk gene expression are minimal relative to passaging and pelleting effects.
Further Studies of a Model for the Development and Regeneration of Eye-Brain Maps

We describe a computational model of the development and regeneration of specific eye-brain circuits. The model comprises a self-organizing map-forming network which uses local Hebb rules, constrained by (genetically determined) molecular markers. Various simulations of the development and regeneration of eye-brain maps in fish and frogs are described, in particular successful simulations of experiments by Schmidt-Cicerone-Easter; Meyer; and Yoon.
In vivo detection of the effects of preconditioning on LNCaP tumors by a TNF-α nanoparticle construct using MRI

The outcome of systemic and local therapies (e.g. chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, focal ablation) for prostate cancer can be significantly improved by using tumor-specific adjuvants prior to treatment ("preconditioning"). We propose to use dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to monitor the in vivo response of a mouse model of prostate cancer treated with a vascular disruptive agent, TNF-α, delivered on a gold nanoparticle (NP-TNF). Six male nude mice bearing 4-5 week old LNCaP tumors were scanned at 9.4 T. DCE-MRI was performed two days before and 4-5 h after treatment with NP-TNF. An intraperitoneal (i.p.) bolus of gadolinium-DTPA (Gd) was administered and contrast enhancement was measured for 90 min. Concentration-time curves of Gd were calculated and the area under the Gd curve (AUGC) was determined pre- and post-treatment. NP-TNF treatment caused an increase in contrast uptake in tumors. Interestingly, the early concentration (10 min post Gd bolus i.p.) was similar in both untreated and treated conditions; however, 90 min after injection, [Gd] was 3.4 times higher than before treatment. AUGC doubled from (11 ± 6) [Gd] × min before treatment to (22 ± 9) [Gd] × min after treatment. An increase in signal enhancement was also observed in the muscle but to a lesser degree. We also evaluated the kinetics of intravenous Gd administration in mice bearing a jugular vein catheter to mimic the delivery method used in clinical trials. The overall treatment effects were independent of the delivery pathway of the contrast agent. In conclusion, we show that DCE-MRI is suitable to detect changes associated with a vascular disruptive agent in a mouse model of prostate cancer. The ability to characterize the effects of nanoparticle therapy in vivo with non-destructive methods is important, as such compounds, in combination with treatment strategies, are progressing towards clinical trials.
A Two-Way Coupled Polydispersed Two-Fluid Model for the Simulation of Air Entrainment Beneath a Plunging Liquid Jet

Plunging liquid jets are commonly encountered in nature and are widely used in indus-trial applications (e.g., in waterfalls, waste-water treatment, the oxygenation of chemicalliquids, etc.). Despite numerous experimental studies that have been devoted to this inter-esting problem, there have been very few two-phase ﬂow simulations. The main difﬁcultyis the lack of a quantitative subgrid model for the air entrainment process, which plays acritical role in this problem. In this paper, we present in detail a computational multi-phase ﬂuid dynamics (CMFD)-based approach for analyzing this problem. The mainingredients of this approach are a comprehensive subgrid air entrainment model thatpredicts both the rate and location of the air entrainment and a two-ﬂuid transport model,in which bubbles of different sizes are modeled as a continuum ﬂuid. Using this approach,a Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RaNS) two-way coupled two-phase ﬂow simulationof a plunging liquid jet with a diameter of 24mm and a liquid jet velocity around 3.5m/swas performed. We have analyzed the simulated void fraction and bubble count rate pro-ﬁles at three different depths beneath the average free surface and compared them withexperimental data in literature. We observed good agreement with data at all locations.In addition, some interesting phenomena on the different movements of bubbles with dif-ferent sizes were observed and discussed. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4007335]
A Massively Parallel FPGA-Based Coprocessor for Support Vector Machines

We present a massively parallel FPGA-based coprocessor for Support Vector Machines (SVMs), a machine learning algorithm whose applications include recognition tasks such as learning scenes, situations and concepts, and reasoning tasks such as analyzing the recognized scenes and semantics. The coprocessor architecture, targeted at both SVM training and classification, is based on clusters of vector processing elements (VPEs) operating in single-instruction multiple data (SIMD) mode to take advantage of large amounts of data parallelism in the application. We use the FPGA’s DSP elements as parallel multiply-accumulators (MACs), a core computation in SVMs. A key feature of the architecture is that it is customized to low precision arithmetic which permits one DSP unit to perform two or more MACs in parallel. Low precision also reduces the required number of parallel off-chip memory accesses by packing multiple data words on the FPGA-memory bus. We have built a prototype using an off-the-shelf PCI-based FPGA card with a Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGA and 1GB DDR2 memory. For SVM training, we observe application-level end-to-end computation speeds of over 9 billion multiply-accumulates per second (GMACs). For SVM classification, using data packing, the application speed increases to 14 GMACs. The FPGA-based system is about 20x faster than a dual Opteron 2.2 GHz processor CPU, and dissipates around 10W of power.
Complement Protein C1q Directs Macrophage Polarization and Limits Inflammasome Activity during the Uptake of Apoptotic Cells

Deficiency in C1q, the recognition component of the classical complement cascade and a pattern recognition receptor involved in apoptotic cell clearance, leads to lupus-like autoimmune diseases characterized by auto-antibodies to self proteins and aberrant innate immune cell activation likely due to impaired clearance of apoptotic cells. In this study, we developed an autologous system using primary human lymphocytes and human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs) to characterize the effect of C1q on macrophage gene expression profiles during the uptake of apoptotic cells. C1q bound to autologous apoptotic lymphocytes modulated expression of genes associated with JAK/STAT signaling, chemotaxis, immunoregulation, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-stimulated HMDMs. Specifically, C1q sequentially induced type I IFNs, IL-27, and IL-10 in LPS-stimulated HMDMs and IL-27 in HMDMs when incubated with apoptotic lymphocyte conditioned media. Coincubation with C1q tails prevented the induction of type I IFNs and IL-27 in a dose-dependent manner, and neutralization of type I IFNs partially prevented IL-27 induction by C1q. Finally, C1q decreased procaspase-1 cleavage and caspase-1-dependent cleavage of IL-1β suggesting a potent inhibitory effect of C1q on inflammasome activation. These results identify specific molecular pathways induced by C1q to suppress macrophage inflammation and provide potential therapeutic targets to control macrophage polarization and thus inflammation and autoimmunity.
Stability of T-2, HT-2, and T-2 Tetraol in Biological Fluids

Abstract : The present study defines how biological samples should be collected and stored for the most accurate analysis of T-2 toxin and its metabolites. T-2 toxin was stable in blood and urine if stored in the presence of sodium fluoride at -70 C. The degradation products most likely to be detected in blood samples collected and stored under adverse conditions were HT-2 and T-2 tetraol. In vivo, T-2 mycotoxin is rapidly metabolized to more-polar metabolites. T-2 tetraol is a major metabolite found in excreta of animals after exposure of T-2 toxin by parenteral or dermal routes. Our data showed T-2 tetraol to be the most stable metabolite and, therefore, the most appropriate metabolite for diagnostic testing.
Behavioral Effects of Driver Distraction and Alcohol Impairment

There remains some debate regarding secondary task distractions, such as cell phones, as a risk factor in traffic crashes and their relative risk compared to existing factors, such as engagement in common in-vehicle tasks and alcohol impairment. Moreover, studies of driver impairment often investigate single risk factors rather than combined factors (e.g. distraction task while drunk). This study compared non-distracted driving in a motion-based driving simulator to distracted driving (hands-free cell phone conversations, common in-vehicle tasks) either while sober or combined with alcohol (BAC 0.08). The results indicated that during a car following scenario, drivers engaged in the conversations or completing in-vehicle tasks were more impaired than drivers that were not involved in any distraction task. Indeed, both the cell phone and in-vehicle sources of distraction were generally more impairing than intoxication at the legal limit.
Fields and Waves in Rectangular Coordinates

This chapter contains sections titled: Uniform Waveguides Uniform Cavities Partially Filled Waveguides and Dielectric Slab Waveguides Field Excitation in Waveguides Fields in Planar Layered Media Note References Problems
Paclitaxel, Ifosfamide, and Cisplatin Efficacy for First-Line Treatment of Patients With Intermediate- or Poor-Risk Germ Cell Tumors

PurposePaclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (TIP) achieved complete responses (CRs) in two thirds of patients with advanced germ cell tumors (GCTs) who relapsed after first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide with or without bleomycin. We tested the efficacy of first-line TIP in patients with intermediate- or poor-risk disease.Patients and MethodsIn this prospective, multicenter, single-arm phase II trial, previously untreated patients with International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group poor-risk or modified intermediate-risk GCTs received four cycles of TIP (paclitaxel 240 mg/m2 over 2 days, ifosfamide 6 g/m2 over 5 days with mesna support, and cisplatin 100 mg/m2 over 5 days) once every 3 weeks with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support. The primary end point was the CR rate.ResultsOf the first 41 evaluable patients, 28 (68%) achieved a CR, meeting the primary efficacy end point. After additional accrual on an extension phase, total enrollment was 60 patients, including 40 (67%) ...
On the Personalization-Anonymity Relationship in Mail Surveys—Reply:

Professor Wiseman [9] offers a brief but sufficient review of the results of studies assessing the effects of personalization on response patterns in mail surveys. Receiving major emphasis in his review is a study reported by these authors in which it was concluded that personalization negatively affected response [5]. Wiseman questions this conclusion by suggesting that a loss of confidentiality rather than personalization may have caused the response rate to decline in the relevant experimental groups. We are not in disagreement with Wiseman that a similar type of effect did occur; however, we prefer to think of it as a removal of anonymity. A loss of confidentiality implies an extension of respondent answers to individuals other than the researcher. A removal of anonymity implies to the respondent that his name can be specifically associated with his answers. A removal of anonymity may lead to a perceived loss of confidentiality. In our study, if a loss of confidentiality occurred, it resulted from a removal of anonymity which, in turn, resulted from our "personalized" procedures, a key element of which involved placing the name and address of the respondent on the first page of the questionnaire. The purpose of personalizing a mail survey package, regardless of the form it takes, is to impress upon the potential respondent the uniqueness and singular importance of his answers by conveying to him that he is receiving personal attention. The assumption underlying our investigation was that as the level of personal attention conveyed in a mail survey increases, the loss of anonymity becomes more salient to the respondent who is sensitive to individual attention. This effect, in turn, reduces the probability of response from such subjects because they may feel by completing and returning the questionnaire they will be subject to some subsequent, undesired event. To insure this
The international normalized ratio and uncertainty : validation of a probabilistic model

The motivation behind the creation of the International Normalized Ratio (INR) was to improve interlaboratory comparison for patients on anticoagulation therapy. In principle, a laboratory that reports the prothrombin time (PT) as an INR can standardize its PT measurements to an international reference thromboplastin. Using probability theory, the authors derived the equation for the probability distribution of the INR based on the PT, the International Sensitivity Index (ISI), and the geometric mean PT of the reference population. With Monte Carlo and numeric integration techniques, the model is validated on data from three different laboratories. The model allows computation of confidence intervals for the INR as a function of PT, ISI, and reference mean. The probabilistic model illustrates that confidence in INR measurements degrades for higher INR values. This occurs primarily as a result of amplification of between-run measurement errors in the PT, which is inherent in the mathematical transformation from the PT to the INR. The probabilistic model can be used by any laboratory to study the reliability of its own INR for any measured PT. This framework provides better insight into the problems of monitoring oral anticoagulation.
Standards for the prevention of occupational lead poisoning.

(1971). Standards for the Prevention of Occupational Lead Poisoning. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 245-248.
First-Trimester Diagnosis of Familial Split-Hand/Split-Foot Malformation

Split-hand/split-foot malformation (SHFM), also called lobster claw deformity or ectrodactyly, is a rare congenital defect expressed as a median cleft of hands, feet, or both due to the absence of the central rays. The reported incidence is approximately 1 per 90,000. The anomaly results from abnormal development of the hand and foot plates during the seventh week of gestation.' The malformations can be isolated to the hands and feet with variable expression or more commonly may be seen as part of a syndrome. Typical and atypical forms are recognized. The typical variety has a V-shaped central defect, whereas the atypical form, usually sporadic, has a U-shaped cleft. 2 Advancements in screening sonography have led to the potential for detecting this rare malformation at mid gestation. 3-6 We report a case of familial SHFM diagnosed by transvaginal sonography at 11 weeks' gestation.
COASTAL ARMORING: EFFECTS, PRINCIPLES AND MITIGATION

An attempt is made to conduct a rational assessment of the potential adverse effects of coastal armoring on adjacent shorelines and to propose methodology for mitigation, where appropriate. Specific attention is directed toward claims that armoring causes: profile steepening, increased longshore sediment transport, intensified local scour, transport of sand to substantial offshore distances, etc. The assessment presented here is based on a combination of sound principles and the availability or lack, of laboratory and field data to either support or refute the claims. Although it is found that data relating to coastal armoring effects are sparse, conclusions can be drawn. There seems to be no factual data to support the contentions that armoring causes profile steepening, increased longshore transport, transport of sand to a substantial distance offshore, or significantly delayed profile recovery following a severe erosion event. Armoring does have the potential to cause intensified local scour both in front of and at the ends of an armored segment. Reasons for these effects, based on knowledge of response of a natural profile, are presented. Additionally, armoring which projects into the active surf zone can act as a partial barrier to the net longshore sediment transport, thereby causing downdrift erosion. Methodology is presented for quantifying the appropriate mitigation for a particular armoring situation. The proposed mitigation is the annual placement of sand in the vicinity of the armoring to offset its potential adverse effects. The two potential adverse effects addressed in the methodology include the reduction of sediment supplied to the system as a result of the armoring and the blockage of longshore sediment transport by a protruding armoring installation.
The Renaissance of Halide Perovskites and Their Evolution as Emerging Semiconductors.

ConspectusThe recent re-emergence of the halide perovskites, of the type AMX3, derives from a sea-changing breakthrough in the field of photovoltaics that has led to a whole new generation of solar devices with remarkable power conversion efficiency. The success in the field of photovoltaics has led to intense, combined research efforts to better understand these materials both from the fundamental chemistry and physics points of view and for the improvement of applied functional device engineering. This groundswell of activity has breathed new life into this long-known but largely “forgotten” class of perovskites. The impressive achievements of halide perovskites in photovoltaics, as well as other optoelectronic applications, stem from an unusually favorable combination of optical and electronic properties, with the ability to be solution processed into films. This defines them as a brand new class of semiconductors that can rival or exceed the performance of the venerable classes of III–V and II–IV semi...
Quality control in cytopathology

Quality control in cytopathology involves specimen collection, preparation, screening, and final diagnosis. The measures to assure the optimal performance and to detect the malfunctions in these areas are discussed. Careful selection and application of proper procedures, proper training and continuing education of cytotechnologists and pathologists, and reasonable workload for screening cytotechnologists and important factors in quality assurance.
Physical Literacy: Getting Kids Active for Life

The purpose of this article is to explore the context of the physical literacy movement and how it can impact play and participation. The article is intended to assist play advocates (i.e., physical education, recreation, sport educators) in implementing quality programs linked to curricular outcomes designed to foster the development of physically literate students. It is also intended to bridge a significant gap that often exists between sport, play and physical education. This article will compare physical literacy to similar concepts of literacy in language arts, math and music. Physical literacy has the potential to affect the students of today, not only so they are better prepared to lead healthy and active lives, but so they are better prepared to help others and to generate new and innovative ideas.
Locality and network-aware reduce task scheduling for data-intensive applications

MapReduce is one of the leading programming frameworks to implement data-intensive applications by splitting the map and reduce tasks to distributed servers. Although there has been substantial amount of work on map task scheduling and optimization in the literature, the work on reduce task scheduling is very limited. Effective scheduling of the reduce tasks to the resources becomes especially important for the performance of data-intensive applications where large amounts of data are moved between the map and reduce tasks. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm (LoNARS) for reduce task scheduling, which takes both data locality and network traffic into consideration. Data locality awareness aims to schedule the reduce tasks closer to the map tasks to decrease the delay in data access as well as the amount of traffic pushed to the network. Network traffic awareness intends to distribute the traffic over the whole network and minimize the hotspots to reduce the effect of network congestion in data transfers. We have integrated LoNARS into Hadoop-1.2.1. Using our LoNARS algorithm, we achieved up to 15% gain in data shuffling time and up to 3-4% improvement in total job completion time compared to the other reduce task scheduling algorithms. Moreover, we reduced the amount of traffic on network switches by 15% which helps to save energy consumption considerably.
Novel Agents in the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) are a heterogeneous group of mature T-cell malignancies associated with exceptionally poor prognoses. Currently, chemotherapy remains the standard of care, but outcomes are suboptimal, with 5-year survival rates ranging from 15% to 25%. In recent years, several novel agents, including pralatrexate, romidepsin, belinostat, and brentuximab vedotin, have been approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory PTCL. In addition, numerous other therapies with different mechanisms of action and targets are currently under investigation. This article discusses in detail agents currently available, those currently under investigation, and active combination trials.
FEEDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF NABIS ROSEIPENNIS (HEMIPTERA: NABIDAE) ON HELIOTHIS VIRESCENS (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) LARVAE

Feeding, development, and duration of life stages of Nabis roseipennis Reuter, on different size (2, 3, 4, or 5 mm) early instar Heliothis virescens (F.) larvae were studied in the laboratory. Thre...
Protein deimination in aging and age-related diseases with ocular manifestations

Deimination refers to the conversion of protein-bound arginines into citrulline. It has been established as a posttranslational modification due to the lack of any known tRNA carrier for citrulline, as well as the presence of deiminases that are capable of catalyzing this modification in vitro. There is no known enzyme that can revert protein-bound citrulline into arginine, rendering it a relatively long-term modification. Elevated deimination has been found in neuronal tissues in a number of neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis and glaucoma. Observations in the retina, a tissue where the retinal ganglion cell layer lacks a substantial presence of astroglial cells, demonstrated that elevated and reduced deimination occurs simultaneously in astroglial cells and neurons, respectively. Such opposite effects are expected to complicate therapeutic strategies, necessitating cell-specific delivery systems for perturbation of deiminases that catalyze deimination in neuronal tissues. In this review, we will briefly discuss the occurrence of deimination with normal aging, the importance of deimination in diseases, and the effect of deimination on mRNA transport in neuronal tissue. Elevated deimination induces proteolysis via modification of protein structures, while reduced deimination affects protein synthesis and the outgrowth of dendrites in neurons.
Economics of Pain Management Testing

Background: Chronic pain management accounts for a significant portion of health-care costs and has important societal implications, including the increasing availability of prescription narcotics. Urine drug testing (UDT) is an effective tool to monitor adherence to prescription medications and has been recommended by several guidelines. Furthermore, the clinical and technical benefits of UDT using definitive testing methods such as LC-MS/MS are well documented. However, the cost-effectiveness is not well studied. Content: In this article, we discuss the cost considerations associated with different UDT methodologies, including point-of-care immunoassays, laboratory-based immunoassays, and definitive testing by LC-MS/MS. The costs of reagents, consumables, instrumentation, service, and labor are described, as well as the opportunity each methodology offers in relation to test utilization and clinical cost savings. An overview of how to assess the cost-effectiveness of insourcing definitive testing and how to generate a comprehensive insourcing proposal is provided. Billing options for UDT and the recent changes in current procedural terminology codes are also discussed. Summary: Given the current health-care environment, additional studies and recommendations that incorporate the cost-effectiveness of definitive testing to monitor compliance in pain management are needed. The decreasing cost of mass spectrometry, the increasing visibility of the value of the laboratory medicine, the new prescriber regulations for opioids, and the push to change reimbursement for definitive UDT will all contribute to the cost-effectiveness of definitive LC-MS/MS to monitor patients with chronic pain.
Quantum Noise and the Detection of Squeezed States

The semi classical theory of photo detection treats the electromagnetic field as a classical entity and assumes that the fundamental noise observed in converting a light beam into an electrical current is the shot noise associated with the discreteness of the electron charge. Statistically, this leads to a conditional Poisson-process model for direct detection, i.e., given knowledge of the short- time average optical power illuminating the active region of the photo detector, the resulting photoemissions are Poisson distributed. From this model the signal plus additive white Gaussian noise models for optical homodyne and heterodyne (coherent optical) detection are easily derived
A Comparative Study of Ego-Motion Estimation Algorithms for Teleoperated Robotic Endoscopes

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in the world, although it can be efficiently treated if detected early. Colonoscopy is the most-commonly adopted visual screening procedure of the colon by means of a flexible tiny endoscopic camera. In an effort to promote early screening and to facilitate mastering the endoscope motion by the physician, teleoperable robotic endoscopes and wireless capsules are being developed. In order to enable precise and fast closed-loop control for these devices, the accurate 3-D position and orientation of the camera must be known. Estimating the camera ego-motion by processing the endoscopic video provides a viable solution since it does not require the adoption of external magnetic trackers during the screening procedure that can occupy the scope’s operation channel. Furthermore, and compared to SLAM or registration approaches, ego-motion estimation algorithms do not require to deal with the highly deformable (and thus highly-uncertain) global 3D map of the colon.
Renovation in hospitals: a case study of source control ventilation in work zones

Approximately half of the nosocomial aspergillosis outbreaks in hospitals have been associated with renovation activities. When disturbed, spores encapsulated in building materials can be aerosoliz...
Tilting the balance: hemidiaphragm paralysis leading to right to left cardiac shunt.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a congenital abnormality present in 25%–30% of healthy adults and rarely leads to any sequelae.1 2 It is associated with a left-to-right shunt which usually does not lead to any haemodynamic compromise. Occasionally, the shunt can get reversed; that is, right-to-left shunt occurs due to worsening pulmonary hypertension and can lead to persistent hypoxia. It is rare for the shunt reversal to happen in the absence of pulmonary hypertension. Here, we present an exceedingly rare case in a 61-year-old man presenting with hypoxia, was found to have shunt reversal due to unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis. He was successfully treated with PFO closure. The purpose of this report is to consider rare possibilities of PFO shunt reversal when the right-sided heart pressure is normal and to highlight that a simple chest X-ray can be a clue to the diagnosis.
Opioid prescribing in minimally injured trauma patients: Effect of a state prescribing limit.

Abstract Background Opioid-prescribing practices for minimally injured trauma patients are unknown. We hypothesized that opioid-prescribing frequency and morphine-equivalent doses prescribed have decreased in recent years, specifically surrounding an acute prescribing limit implemented in August 2017 mandating opioid prescriptions not exceed 210 morphine-equivalent doses. Methods A single-center retrospective study was performed in the month of May during the years 2015 to 2018 on minimally injured trauma patients in a level I trauma center. Minimally injured trauma patients included patients discharged within 2 midnights of trauma evaluation without surgical intervention. Primary outcomes were discharge opioid-prescribing frequency and dosing in morphine-equivalent doses. Secondary outcomes were occurrence and timing of postdischarge follow-up. Results For 673 minimally injured trauma patients, opioid-prescribing frequency and morphine-equivalent doses prescribed decreased between 2015 and 2017 (49.3% to 31.5%, P = .006, mean 229 to 146 morphine-equivalent doses, P = .007). Decreases between 2017 and 2018 were not statistically significant. Acute prescribing limit compliance was 97% in 2018. After the acute prescribing limit was implemented, outpatient opioid prescribing did not increase and time to earliest follow-up did not decrease. Conclusion Opioid-prescribing frequency and morphine-equivalent doses prescribed to minimally injured trauma patients decreased dramatically between 2015 and 2018. These changes occurred primarily before the implementation of an acute prescribing limit; however, incremental improvement and high compliance since implementation are demonstrated. Patients did not have significantly earlier follow-up encounters for pain or additional opioid prescriptions. Prospective research on pain control for minimally injured trauma patients is needed.
The forms and use of intuition in top management teams

Abstract Nascent research suggests that benefits of intuition use accrue not only to individuals but also to teams. These benefits may be especially important for top management teams (TMTs), who formulate strategic decisions for their firms. However, work on intuition use in strategic decision making (SDM) remains focused on the intuitions of chief executive officers (CEOs). Furthermore, the emerging literature on team intuition is very fragmented, leaving an unclear picture of how teams may develop and use intuition in their decision-making activities. To address these problems, we integrate team intuition and TMT research to propose four forms of TMT intuition, which differ based on the locus and integration of intuition. We describe the forms of TMT intuition, clarify the mechanisms that shape them, and discuss their relevance for TMTs' decision-making activities. Overall, we advocate for strategy research that focuses on the notion of “team” in team intuition.
Sepsis in Complex Patients in the Emergency Department: Time to Recognition and Therapy in Pediatric Patients With High-Risk Conditions.

Objectives To compare timeliness of sepsis recognition and initial treatment in patients with and without high-risk comorbid conditions. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting to a pediatric emergency department (ED) who triggered a vital sign-based electronic sepsis alert resulting in bedside "huddle" assessment per institutional practice. A positive sepsis alert was defined as age-specific tachycardia or hypotension, concern for infection, and at least 1 of the following: abnormal capillary refill, abnormal mental status, or a high-risk condition. High-risk conditions were derived from the American Academy of Pediatrics sepsis alert tool. Patients with a positive alert underwent bedside huddle resulting in a decision regarding initiation of sepsis protocol. Placement on the protocol and time to initiation of protocol and individual therapies were compared for patients with and without high-risk conditions. Results During the 1-year study period, there were 1107 sepsis huddle alerts out of 96,427 ED visits. Of these, 713 (65%) had identified high-risk conditions, and 394 (35%) did not. Among patients with sepsis huddles, there was no difference in sepsis protocol initiation for patients with high-risk conditions compared with those without (24.8% vs 22.0%, P = 0.305). Between patients with high-risk conditions and those without, there were no differences in median time from triage to sepsis protocol activation, triage to initial intravenous antibiotic, triage to initial intravenous fluid therapy, or ED length of stay. Conclusions Timeliness of care initiation was no different in high-risk patients with sepsis when using an electronic sepsis alert and protocolized sepsis care.
Exploring the experiences and dynamics of an unconditional cash transfer for low-income mothers: A mixed-methods study

Little is understood about how an unconditional cash transfer might operate and affect behavior among low-income parents of infants in the United States. We investigate these questions using data f...
Non-breaking Wave Effects on Buoyant Particle Distributions

The dispersal of buoyant particles in the ocean mixed layer is influenced by a variety of physical factors including wind, waves, and turbulence. Microplastics observations are often made at the free surface, which is strongly forced by surface gravity waves. Many studies using numerical simulations to examine how turbulence and wave effects (e.g. breaking waves, Langmuir circulation) control buoyant particle dispersal at the ocean surface, however, are not wave phase-resolving. Therefore, the effects of an unsteady free surface due to surface gravity waves remain unknown in this context. Using numerical models and analytical techniques, we quantify the effects of a nonbreaking, monochromatic, progressive wave train on the equilibrium vertical and horizontal distributions of buoyant particles. We find that waves result in non-uniform horizontal distributions of particles with more particles under the wave crests than the troughs. We also find that the waves can stretch or compress the equilibrium vertical distribution. Finally, we consider the effects of waves on the sampling of microplastics with a towed net, and we show that waves have the ability to lower the measured concentrations relative to nets sampling without the influence of waves.
Thomas Harriot: a life in science: by Robyn Arianrhod, New York, Oxford University Press, 2019, 376 pp., $29.95 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-019-271855 [also available as Ebook]

In the Preface to the second edition of his Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1694), John Locke singled out Boyle, Sydenham, Huygens, and, above all, Newton as “Master-Builders” in “advancing t...
Chapter 83 – Autoantibodies to C1q

Autoantibodies to C1q, which bind to epitopes on the collagen-like region (CLR) of the C1q molecule, are one of the best biomarkers of active, proliferative forms of lupus nephritis. Anti-C1q antibodies probably arise after immunization with neoantigens on C1q bound to immune complexes or to early apoptotic cells, and they play a pathogenic role in augmenting immune complex glomerulonephritis by leading to aggregation of glomerular basement membrane immune complexes that have bound C1q.
Computational restructuring: rethinking image processing using memristor crossbar arrays

Image processing is a core operation performed on billions of sensor-devices in the Internet of Things (IoT). Emerging memristor crossbar arrays (MCAs) promise to perform matrix-vector multiplication (MVM) with extremely small energy-delay product, which is the dominating computation within the two-dimensional Discrete Cosine Transform (2D DCT). Earlier studies have directly mapped the digital implementation to MCA based hardware. The drawback is that the series computation is vulnerable to errors. Moreover, the implementation requires the use of large image block sizes, which is known to degrade the image quality. In this paper, we propose to restructure the 2D DCT into an equivalent single linear transformation (or MVM operation). The reconstruction eliminates the series computation and reduces the processed block sizes from NxN to $\sqrt N {\mathbf{x}}\sqrt N $ Consequently, both the robustness to errors and the image quality is improved. Moreover, the latency, power, and area is reduced with 2X while eliminating the storage of intermediate data, and the power and area can be further reduced with up to 62% and 74% using frequency spectrum optimization.
Shades in gender: Visualizing gender diversity through color palettes

Courses: Gender roles and communication, interpersonal communication, communication theory. Objectives: This activity introduces students to the social construction of gender, and asks them to cons...
National Quality Measure Compliance for Palliative Bone Radiation Among Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background There exists wide practice variability in palliative treatment schedules for bone metastases. In an effort to reduce variation and promote high-quality, cost-conscious care, the National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed measure 1822 in 2012. This measure recommends the use of 30 Gy in 10 fractions, 24 Gy in 6 fractions, 20 Gy in 5 fractions, or 8 Gy in a single fraction for palliative radiation for bone metastases. We report on longitudinal compliance with this measure. Methods Using the National Cancer Database, patients with metastatic thoracic non-small cell lung cancer diagnosed between 2004 and 2016 who received radiation therapy for bony sites of metastatic disease were identified. Treatment courses fitting 1 of the 4 recommended schedules under NQF 1822 were coded as compliant. Rates of compliance by patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were analyzed. Results A total of 42,685 patients met the criteria for inclusion. Among all patients, 60.2% of treatment courses were compliant according to NQF 1822. Compliance increased over time and was highest for treatments to the extremity (69.8%), lowest for treatments to the skull or head (48.8%), and higher for academic practice (67.1%) compared with community (56.0%) or integrated network facilities (61.2%). On multivariable analysis, predictors of NQF 1822 compliance included year of diagnosis after 2011, treatment to an extremity, or treatment at an academic facility. Of noncompliant treatment courses, extended fractionation (≥11 fractions) occurred in 62.6% and was more common before 2012, in community practice, and for treatments of the skull or head. Conclusions Among patients treated for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, compliance with NQF 1822 increased over time. Although extended fractionation constituted a majority of noncompliant treatment courses, a substantial proportion also involved shorter courses.
THE EFFECT OF PARENTAL TRANSFERS AND BORROWING CONSTRAINTS ON EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

A strong positive association between one’s school attainment and that of one’s parents has been consistently documented in numerous empirical studies.2 The underlying cause of this intergenerational correlation has been the subject of contentious debate in the social sciences for many years. Two competing types of explanations are prominent. The first is based on the heritability of traits, that is, that children of more educated parents may inherit the abilities, personalities, and preferences that led to the higher educational achievement of their parents. The second type of explanation is based on human capital production, namely that more educated parents, due to their own preferences for more educated children and/or due to their higher wealth, may invest more heavily in their children’s human capital. Human capital investments in children take many forms, such as parental time (e.g., reading to young children), the purchase of market goods that are complementary to learning (e.g., books), or direct financial subsidies (e.g., in the form of college tuition payments). In this article, we focus on the decision process of young adults (beginning at age 16) for whom parental subsidies (monetary and in-kind transfers) to postsecondary education are likely to be the most salient of parental human capital investments. A central question we ask is: To what extent and through what mechanisms do differences in parental transfer behavior account for the positive intergenerational correlation in educational attainment? The importance of parental transfers in the postsecondary educational decisions of their children may be affected by the degree to which young adults have access to capital markets as a means of financing postsecondary educational expenditures. Thus, a second key question we address concerns the extent to which borrowing constraints, i.e., restrictions on the availability of uncollateralized loans, affect educational attainment. Clearly, if borrowing constraints are binding, then youths from families with