cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of high pressure processing on dispersive and aggregative properties of almond milk.

Background A study was conducted to investigate the impact of high pressure (450 and 600 MPa at 30 °C) and thermal (72, 85 and 99 °C at 0.1 MPa) treatments on dispersive and aggregative characteristics of almond milk. Experiments were conducted using a kinetic pressure testing unit and water bath. Particle size distribution, microstructure, UV absorption spectra, pH and color changes of processed and unprocessed samples were analyzed. Results Raw almond milk represented the mono model particle size distribution with average particle diameters of 2 to 3 µm. Thermal or pressure treatment of almond milk shifted the particle size distribution towards right and increased particle size by five- to six-fold. Micrographs confirmed that both the treatments increased particle size due to aggregation of macromolecules. Pressure treatment produced relatively more and larger aggregates than those produced by heat treated samples. The apparent aggregation rate constant for 450 MPa and 600 MPa processed samples were k450MPa,30°C = 0.0058 s(-1) and k600MPa,30°C = 0.0095 s(-1) respectively. Conclusions This study showed that dispersive and aggregative properties of high pressure and heat-treated almond milk were different due to differences in protein denaturation, particles coagulation and aggregates morphological characteristics. Knowledge gained from the study will help food processors to formulate novel plant-based beverages treated with high pressure. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
RCCI of synthetic kerosene with PFI of N-butanol-combustion and emissions characteristics

In this study, the combustion and emissions characteristics of Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) obtained by direct injection (DI) of S8 and port fuel injection (PFI) of n-butanol were compared with RCCI of ultra-low sulfur diesel #2 (ULSD#2) and PFI of n-butanol at 6 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and 1500 rpm. S8 is a synthetic paraffinic kerosene (C6–C18) developed by Syntroleum and is derived from natural gas. S8 is a Fischer-Tropsch fuel that contains a low aromatic percentage (0.5 vol. %) and has a cetane number of 63 versus 47 of ULSD#2. Baselines of DI conventional diesel combustion (CDC), with 100% ULSD#2 and also DI of S8 were conducted. For both RCCI cases, the mass ratio of DI to PFI was set at 1:1. The ignition delay for the ULSD#2 baseline was found to be 10.9 CAD (1.21 ms) and for S8 was shorter at 10.1 CAD (1.12 ms). In RCCI, the premixed charge combustion has been split into two regions of high temperature heat release, an early one BTDC from ignition of ULSD#2 or S8, and a second stage, ATDC from n-butanol combustion. RCCI with n-butanol increased the NOx because the n-butanol contains 21% oxygen, while S8 alone produced 30% less NOx emissions when compared to the ULSD#2 baseline. The RCCI reduced soot by 80–90% (more efficient for S8). However, S8 alone showed a considerable increase in soot emissions compared with ULSD#2. The indicated thermal efficiency was the highest for the ULSD#2 and S8 baseline at 44%. The RCCI strategies showed a decrease in indicated thermal efficiency at 40% ULSD#2-RCCI and 42% and for S8-RCCI, respectively.S8 as a single fuel proved to be a very capable alternative to ULSD#2 in terms of combustion performance nevertheless, exhibited higher soot emissions that have been mitigated with the RCCI strategy without penalty in engine performance.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Current Trends in the Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Instruments in Degenerative Cervical Spine Surgery.

Study Design Bibliometric analysis. Objective To determine trends, frequency, and distribution of patient-reported outcome instruments (PROIs) in degenerative cervical spine surgery literature over the past decade. Methods A search was conducted via PubMed from 2004 to 2013 on five journals ( The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery , The Bone and Joint Journal , The Spine Journal , European Spine Journal , and Spine ), which were chosen based on their impact factors and authors' consensus. All abstracts were screened and articles addressing degenerative cervical spine surgery using PROIs were included. Articles were then analyzed for publication date, study design, journal, level of evidence, and PROI trends. Prevalence of PROIs and level of evidence of included articles were analyzed. Results From 19,736 articles published, 241 articles fulfilled our study criteria. Overall, 53 distinct PROIs appeared. The top seven most frequently used PROIs were: Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (104 studies), visual analog scale for pain (100), Neck Disability Index (72), Short Form-36 (38), Nurick score (25), Odom criteria (21), and Oswestry Disability Index (15). Only 11 PROIs were used in 5 or more articles. Thirty-three of the PROIs were appeared in only 1 article. Among the included articles, 16% were of level 1 evidence and 32% were of level 4 evidence. Conclusion Numerous PROIs are currently used in degenerative cervical spine surgery. A consensus on which instruments to use for a given diagnosis or procedure is lacking and may be necessary for better communication and comparison, as well as for the accumulation and analysis of vast clinical data across multiple studies.
Synthesis and Evaluation of [18F]RAGER: A First Generation Small-Molecule PET Radioligand Targeting the Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts

The receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) is a 35 kDa transmembrane receptor that belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface molecules. Its role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is complex, but it is thought to mediate influx of circulating amyloid-β into the brain as well as amplify Aβ-induced pathogenic responses. RAGE is therefore of considerable interest as both a diagnostic and a therapeutic target in AD. Herein we report the synthesis and preliminary preclinical evaluation of [18F]RAGER, the first small molecule PET radiotracer for RAGE (Kd = 15 nM). Docking studies proposed a likely binding interaction between RAGE and RAGER, [18F]RAGER autoradiography showed colocalization with RAGE identified by immunohistochemistry in AD brain samples, and [18F]RAGER microPET confirmed CNS penetration and increased uptake in areas of the brain known to express RAGE. This first generation radiotracer represents initial proof-of-concept and a promising first step toward quantifying CNS RAGE ...
Effects of Dietary Protein and Intestinal Microflora on Excretion of Amino Acids in Poultry

Abstract The effects of dietary protein and intestinal microflora on amino acid excretion by poultry were investigated. Adult roosters were force-fed casein, gelatin, corn gluten meal, or feather meal either as the sole dietary component or with a corn starch and cellulose mixture. Excreta were collected quantitatively for 12, 24, and 48 hr after feeding. Average digestibility of amino acids in casein, gelatin, and corn gluten meal was 96% and that of feather meal was 82%. The average digestibility of amino acids in feather meal was approximately 3% lower for a 48-hr than a 24-hr excreta collection period. All protein sources significantly (P
Siblings and Adolescent Weapon Carrying Contributions of Genetics, Shared Environment, and Nonshared Environment

Many past studies have observed evidence of sibling similarity and influence for delinquency and substance use. However, studies of sibling similarity for adolescent weapon carrying, particularly for weapons beyond firearms, are largely absent from the literature. The present study assesses sibling similarity in weapon carrying as well as the relative contributions of genetics, shared environment, and nonshared environment. Data are obtained from the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and analyzed using biometrical genetic models for twins and actor-partner interdependence models for nontwins. Results indicate little, if any, contribution stemming from genetics. There is also no evidence of a significant shared environment effect. Instead, all or nearly all of the variation and similarity in weapon carrying among siblings are related to the nonshared environment, particularly gang affiliation. Implications and possible extensions of these findings are discussed.
Notes on Endochytrium Du Plessis

In October 1933, Du Plessis described a new species of Synchytrium, S. Cotulae, on Cotula coronopifolia from South Africa in which the zo6sporangia are delimited within the walls of the resting spore while the latter is still embedded in the host tissues. Because of this characteristic, he proposed a new subgenus, Endochytrium, to include this fungus. In January of the same year, however, Sparrow used this generic name for a group of operculate chytrids which inhabit filaments of Cladophora and other algae. Both authors accordingly proposed Enldochytriumn within the same year, but Sparrow's paper appeared eight months earlier than Du Plessis' contribution. Under present rules of nomenclature, Sparrow's genus has priority, while Du Plessis' subgenus becomes untenable and should be discarded. To avoid possible confusion in the future, I propose another name, Endosynchytrium, for Du Plessis' subgenus. Endochytrium Sparrow includes at present two well-defined operculate species, E. operculatumn (de Wildeman) Karling (1937) and E. digitatum Karling (1938). Entophlyctis sp., Karling (pro parte, 1931) and E. maxima Dangeard (1932) are possibly identical to E. operculatumt also. Endochytrium oophilum Sparrow is a doubtful species. Sparrow found a few ovate operculate sporangia in rotifer eggs which he believed related to a species of Endochytrium. However, no rhizoids or evidence of a rhizomycelium were observed in connection with the sporangia. It is not improbable that Sparrow's fungus may relate to E. operculatum, since the author (Karling 1937) has often found this species inhibiting animal material such as cysts of Diplophysalis stagnalis, D. nitellarum, Vampyrella sp., and liver fluke ova where the rhizoids may frequently be obscured by the dense cell content. Endochytriumu oophilum, none the less, still stands as a questionable species.
THE IMPACT OF ELECTRONICS ON MEDICINE, PART I.

Realization of the full potential of electronic instrumentation in clinical medicine must await solution of important problems of data interpretation and analysis as related to medical practice. Electronic instrumentation already is highly developed in areas of laboratory measurement and scientific research. Participation by the practicing physician is especially needed to define the areas wherein developmental efforts in the field of electronics may prove most fruitful. Understanding of the advantages and limitations of these devices also is essential in the selection of pertinent measurements and interpretation of the data.
Automated Construction of Multiple Regional Libraries for Neighborhoodwise Local Multiple Endmember Unmixing

Endmember variability has been recognized as a major source of error in spectral unmixing. Although numerous unmixing algorithms have been developed, there is a gap between the studies emphasizing automated processing and those focusing on estimation accuracy. Endmember variability is rarely considered in most automated processing approaches, while existing unmixing algorithms that accommodate endmember variability partially rely on human involvement. To fill this gap, an automated unmixing chain prototype is proposed in this research, which integrates endmember extraction, refinement, and multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA). In particular, this prototype is designed to automate three processing steps with intelligent approaches, including optimal size determination to generate neighborhoods as a spatial constraint, endmember refinement to select representative endmembers in spectral libraries, and automated construction of multiple regional libraries. Based on this prototype, three specific local and global MESMA variants with different neighborhood types were implemented, and their performances to estimate urban impervious surface abundance were compared. Analyses indicate three major conclusions. First, by examining spatial dependence of endmember spectra, an optimal neighborhood size can be obtained, with which a localized neighborhood can be derived by aggregating spatially close image segments. Second, by applying spatial and iterative K-means spectral clustering to endmembers from the identified neighborhoods, parsimonious and representative endmembers can be refined from a large endmember pool. Accordingly, a local spectral library can be automatically constructed in each neighborhood. Third, neighborhoodwise object-based MESMA (NEW OB-MESMA) significantly outperforms the other two MESMA variants with improved estimation accuracy and increased computational efficiency.
VEGFA SNPs (rs34357231 & rs35569394), Transcriptional Factor Binding Sites and Human Disease

Purpose: The human vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF)-A gene transcribes a signaling protein involved in the regulation of angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and endothelial cell growth. Two insertion/deletion (I/D) simple nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs34357231 & rs35569394) in the promoter region of the gene have been significantly associated with several human diseases. These SNPs were computationally examined with respect to changes in punitive transcriptional factor binding sites (TFBS) and these changes were discussed in relation to the diseases. Methods: The JASPAR CORE and ConSite databases were instrumental in identifying the TFBS. The Vector NTI Advance 11.5 computer program was employed in locating all the TFBS in the VEGFA gene from 2.7 kb upstream of the transcriptional start site to 1.6 kb past the 3’UTR. The JASPAR CORE database was also involved in computing each nucleotide occurrence (%) within the TFBS. Results: Regulatory SNPs (rSNPs) in the promoter region of the VEGFA gene alter the DNA landscape for potential transcriptional factors (TFs) to attach resulting in changes in TFBS. The VEGFA -deletion (D) allele of these SNPs has been found to be a risk factor for diabetic
Statin-associated muscle injury:

Some clinical trials experts are concerned that statinassociated muscle symptoms (SAMS) are given more attention than the life-saving ability of these drugs, and some experts doubt the existence of SAMS. We recently completed a six-month, randomized-assignment, double-blind study of the effects of atorvastatin (80mg daily) vs placebo on skeletal muscle performance, myalgia, and creatine kinase (CK) levels in 419 healthy adults. There were no differences in muscle strength or exercise performance between the patient groups. More patients in the statin group (9.4%) met the study definition of myalgia vs placebo (4.6%) (p1⁄4 0.054), and average CK increased 21U/l (p 2 baseline levels compared to 12 placebo subjects (p1⁄4 0.02). Greater increases in CK with atorvastatin did not deleteriously impact skeletal muscle performance or predict myalgia. The increase of CK in 65% of statin-treated subjects and the doubling of CK in 12% suggests that statins produce mild muscle injury in a large proportion of treated patients. The long-term consequences of this observation are unknown. Funding
Clinical analysis of Pneumocystis pneumonia in 3 children with nephropathy

Objective To further understand Pneumocystis pneumonia(PCP).Methods Clinical symptoms and laboratory data of 3 pediatric primary or secondary nephropathy cases with PCP were retrospectively analyzed.Results When infected with PCP,the three patients had the common characters of fever and cough at beginning with progressive hypoxia.Clinical presentations in the early stage were not special and may lead to misdiagnosis.Before PCP developed,the three patients had received immunosuppressant and high dose of oral corticosteroids for at least 8 weeks for the treatment of nephropathy.Full dose of methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide were used in two of them.The percent of CD4+ T-lymphocyte decreased to different extent in all patients.Conclusions To monitor immunosuppressive therapy and improve the living environment of these high-risk patients should be addressed.To observe lymphocyte counts and administer TMP-SMZ when necessary is important for reducing the occurrence of PCP.
ALS and physician-assisted suicide

Patients with a new diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may struggle with uncertainty about progression and the realization that they will lose key functions and how they will ultimately cope. Eventually, most lose abilities to talk, walk or transfer, swallow, and feed themselves, and are increasingly dependent on others. Thus, the diagnosis creates a complex psychodynamic and existential struggle based on current disabilities and future fears. It follows that patients with ALS elect physician-assisted death (PAD) with greater frequency than cancer.1,2
Application of a utility analysis to evaluate a novel assessment tool for clinically oriented physiology and pharmacology

Multiple-choice questions are a gold-standard tool in medical school for assessment of knowledge and are the mainstay of licensing examinations. However, multiple-choice questions items can be criticized for lacking the ability to test higher-order learning or integrative thinking across multiple disciplines. Our objective was to develop a novel assessment that would address understanding of pathophysiology and pharmacology, evaluate learning at the levels of application, evaluation and synthesis, and allow students to demonstrate clinical reasoning. The rubric assesses student writeups of clinical case problems. The method is based on the physician's traditional postencounter Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan note. Students were required to correctly identify subjective and objective findings in authentic clinical case problems, to ascribe pathophysiological as well as pharmacological mechanisms to these findings, and to justify a list of differential diagnoses. A utility analysis was undertaken to evaluate the new assessment tool by appraising its reliability, validity, feasibility, cost effectiveness, acceptability, and educational impact using a mixed-method approach. The Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan assessment tool scored highly in terms of validity and educational impact and had acceptable levels of statistical reliability but was limited in terms of acceptance, feasibility, and cost effectiveness due to high time demands on expert graders and workload concerns from students. We conclude by making suggestions for improving the tool and recommend deployment of the instrument for low-stakes summative assessment or formative assessment.
In Fencing, Are Left-Handers Trouble for Right-Handers? What Fencing Masters Said in the Past and What Scientists Say Today

Fencing masters in the past knew that left-handers have an advantage and agreed that it came from practice; as a minority, left-handers had more chances to compete against right-handers than right-handers had to compete against them. Fencing masters today have the same view. So do scientists, who credit the advantage to what is now called a “frequency-dependency” effect, although some suggest that it also may reflect certain natural differences in ability. This essay presents a sampling of these views and a summary of evidence.
An examination of the mass limit for stability at the triangular lagrange points for a three-body system and a special case of the four-body problem

While the three-body problem has been without an exact analytical solution for some 400 odd years, we have learned a great deal about the dynamics of three-body systems in that time. There are five points relative to two massive bodies where a third body will remain in a stable orbit. These are called the Lagrange points. Two of these points, located at the vertices of equilateral triangles, are stable equilibria. We find clear evidence for these stable points within our own solar system, most notably Jupiter's Trojan satellites. It may be possible to place a massive body at one of these triangular Lagrange points for the Earth-Moon system. This third massive body might be used to occult bright objects for deep space astronomy or to mine for platinum and other useful materials. The question then arises: how massive an object can one place at one of these triangular Lagrange points? Here we present answers to this question. There is the possibility of placing an object at both of the triangular Lagrange points simultaneously. We present an analysis of the relative motion of the Earth-Moon system when two massive bodies are added to the configuration. The system will remain stable if any two near Earth asteroids are placed at these Lagrange points.
Healthcare Information Technology Issues: Hospital CEO and CIO Perspectives

Healthcare Information Technology (IT) is widely regarded as a tool for improving the quality and perhaps reducing the cost of healthcare in the United States. Yet, its implementation is a continuous challenge for the healthcare industry. In this paper, we report the results of a survey distributed to CEOs and CIOs at 1400 U.S. hospitals regarding their perceptions of the key information technology (IT) issues for healthcare. Among the top ten issues, the implementation of electronic medical records is ranked the highest. Included in the top ten are issues related to: improving healthcare quality by the use of information technology; change management, privacy, security, and accuracy of electronic records; and decision support applications. We found remarkable similarity between the views of the CEOs and the CIOs, but they were also conservative and risk-averse in their entrepreneurial orientation. These results have wide implications for many stakeholders in the healthcare domain.
A 128/spl times/128 CMOS active pixel image sensor for highly integrated imaging systems

A new CMOS-based image sensor that is intrinsically compatible with on-chip CMOS circuitry is reported. The new CMOS active pixel image sensor achieves low noise, high sensitivity, X-Y addressability, and has simple timing requirements. The image sensor was fabricated using a 2 /spl mu/m p-well CMOS process, and consists of a 128/spl times/128 array of 40 /spl mu/m/spl times/40 /spl mu/m pixels. The CMOS image sensor technology enables highly integrated smart image sensors, and makes the design, incorporation and fabrication of such sensors widely accessible to the integrated circuit community. >
Teaching Resident Self-Assessment Through Triangulation of Faculty and Patient Feedback

ABSTRACTProblem: To accurately determine one's ability in any clinical competency, an individual must be able to self-assess performance and identify personal limitations. Existing research demonstrates that physicians of all levels are unreliable self-assessors. This poses a concern in medical practice, which requires continuous updates to clinical competencies and awareness of personal limitations. Few published studies examine graduate medical education curricula designed to develop self-assessment skills. Intervention: Conceptual models, such as self-determination theory, suggest that self-assessment is most effectively learned through reflective processes. The Family Medicine Residency Program at Lehigh Valley Health Network developed a learner-centered competency assessment process that integrates advising and performance review. The multisource, observable behavior-based process encourages conversation between resident and advisor. Utilizing feedback from clinical preceptors and patient surveys, ad...
Multivariate functional response regression, with application to fluorescence spectroscopy in a cervical pre-cancer study

Many scientific studies measure different types of high-dimensional signals or images from the same subject, producing multivariate functional data. These functional measurements carry different types of information about the scientific process, and a joint analysis that integrates information across them may provide new insights into the underlying mechanism for the phenomenon under study. Motivated by fluorescence spectroscopy data in a cervical pre-cancer study, a multivariate functional response regression model is proposed, which treats multivariate functional observations as responses and a common set of covariates as predictors. This novel modeling framework simultaneously accounts for correlations between functional variables and potential multi-level structures in data that are induced by experimental design. The model is fitted by performing a two-stage linear transformation-a basis expansion to each functional variable followed by principal component analysis for the concatenated basis coefficients. This transformation effectively reduces the intra-and inter-function correlations and facilitates fast and convenient calculation. A fully Bayesian approach is adopted to sample the model parameters in the transformed space, and posterior inference is performed after inverse-transforming the regression coefficients back to the original data domain. The proposed approach produces functional tests that flag local regions on the functional effects, while controlling the overall experiment-wise error rate or false discovery rate. It also enables functional discriminant analysis through posterior predictive calculation. Analysis of the fluorescence spectroscopy data reveals local regions with differential expressions across the pre-cancer and normal samples. These regions may serve as biomarkers for prognosis and disease assessment.
Civil-Military Relations in Two “Third Wave” Democracies: The First and a Follower

This chapter utilizes the framework described in the Introduction, which includes both democratic civilian control and military effectiveness, to compare and contrast the experiences of two “Third Wave” democracies: Portugal, which initiated the third wave on 25 April 1974, and Brazil, where the democratic transition began in 1985 with a civilian president coming into office following 21 years of military governments. The chapter argues that democratic civilian control has been achieved in both countries, but only in Portugal has military effectiveness also been sought. The chapter seeks to explain the differences in the two countries’ experiences based on the incentives of the civilian decision makers as defined in the very different strategic cultures of the two countries. The data utilized in this chapter comes from published books and articles, official documents, on-line resources, and personal interviews by the author.
Yale-CMU-Berkeley dataset for robotic manipulation research:

In this paper, we present an image and model dataset of the real-life objects from the Yale-CMU-Berkeley Object Set, which is specifically designed for benchmarking in manipulation research. For ea...
Hair Follicle Terminal Differentiation Is Orchestrated by Distinct Early and Late Matrix Progenitors

During development and regeneration, matrix progenitors undergo terminal differentiation to form the concentric layers of the hair follicle. These differentiation events are thought to require signals from the mesenchymal dermal papilla (DP); however, it remains unclear how DP-progenitor cell interactions govern specific cell fate decisions. Here, we show that the hair follicle differentiated layers are specified asynchronously, with early matrix progenitors initiating differentiation before surrounding the DP. Furthermore, these early matrix cells can undergo terminal differentiation in the absence of Shh, BMP signaling, and DP maturation. Whereas early matrix progenitors form the hair follicle companion layer, later matrix populations progressively form the inner root sheath and hair shaft. Altogether, our findings characterize some of the earliest terminal differentiation events in the hair follicle and reveal that the matrix progenitor pool can be divided into early and late phases based on distinct temporal, molecular, and functional characteristics.
Ion Bernstein instability as a possible source for oxygen ion cyclotron harmonic waves

This paper demonstrates that an ion Bernstein instability can be a possible source for recently reported electromagnetic waves with frequencies at or near the singly-ionized oxygen ion cyclotron frequency, ΩO+, and its harmonics. The particle measurements during strong wave activity revealed a relatively high concentration of oxygen ions (∼15%) whose phase space density exhibits a local peak at energy ∼20 keV. Given that the electron plasma-to-cyclotron frequency ratio is ωpe/Ωe≳1, this energy corresponds to the particle speed v/vA≳0.3, where vA is the oxygen Alfven speed. Using the observational key plasma parameters, a simplified ion velocity distribution is constructed, where the local peak in the oxygen ion velocity distribution is represented by an isotropic shell distribution. Kinetic linear dispersion theory then predicts unstable Bernstein modes at or near the harmonics of ΩO+ and at propagation quasi-perpendicular to the background magnetic field, B0. If the cold ions are mostly protons, these unstable modes are characterized by a low compressibility ( |δB∥|2/|δB|2≲0.01), a small phase speed (vph∼0.2vA), a relatively small ratio of the electric field energy to the magnetic field energy (between 10−4 and 10−3), and the Poynting vector directed almost parallel to B0. These linear properties are overall in good agreement with the properties of the observed waves. We demonstrate that superposition of the predicted unstable Bernstein modes at quasi-perpendicular propagation can produce the observed polarization properties, including the minimum variance direction on average almost parallel to B0.
Improving the quality of depression and pain care in multiple sclerosis using collaborative care: The MS-care trial protocol.

Abstract Background and objectives Evidence-based pharmacological and behavioral interventions are often underutilized or inaccessible to persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have chronic pain and/or depression. Collaborative care is an evidence-based patient-centered, integrated, system-level approach to improving the quality and outcomes of depression care. We describe the development of and randomized controlled trial testing a novel intervention, MS Care , which uses a collaborative care model to improve the care of depression and chronic pain in a MS specialty care setting. Methods We describe a 16-week randomized controlled trial comparing the MS Care collaborative care intervention to usual care in an outpatient MS specialty center. Eligible participants with chronic pain of at least moderate intensity (≥ 3/10) and/or major depressive disorder are randomly assigned to MS Care or usual care. MS Care utilizes a care manager to implement and coordinate guideline-based medical and behavioral treatments with the patient, clinic providers, and pain/depression treatment experts. We will compare outcomes at post-treatment and 6-month follow up. Projected patient outcomes We hypothesize that participants randomly assigned to MS Care will demonstrate significantly greater control of both pain and depression at post-treatment (primary endpoint) relative to those assigned to usual care. Secondary analyses will examine quality of care, patient satisfaction, adherence to MS care, and quality of life. Study findings will aid patients, clinicians, healthcare system leaders, and policy makers in making decisions about effective care for pain and depression in MS healthcare systems. (PCORI- IH-1304-6379; clinicaltrials.gov : NCT02137044 ). This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , protocol NCT02137044 .
Patient Knowledge Regarding Colorectal Cancer Risk, Opinion of Screening, and Preferences for a Screening Test

Aims To assess patient knowledge about colorectal cancer incidence and prognosis as well as willingness to undergo screening with various tests (eg, optical colonoscopy, stool-based tests, computed tomographic colonography (CTC)). Materials and Methods A survey was administered to consecutive patients of a general academic-based internal medicine clinic. Results Survey response rate was 86.3%. A majority of respondents (55%) reported being aware of general information about colorectal cancer, and 99% indicated a belief that colorectal cancer screening was a good idea. A majority of respondents (73%) were willing to undergo optical colonoscopy, and some were willing to undergo stool-based tests (48%), or CT colonography CTC (40%). A majority reported being more willing to undergo a colorectal cancer screening test if the test did not involve radiation (86%), did not involve insertion of a tube or device into the rectum (78%), did not involve a pre‐proceduralpreprocedural bowel cleansing regimen (73%), or did not involve sedation (60%). Conclusion Improved patient education about the negligible radiation risk associated with CTC or development of a non‐invasive imaging test that did not involve a preprocedural bowel cleansing regimen may increase rates of colorectal cancer screening.
One Bit World

We want to acknowledge Michael Gerzon of Oxford who had been an early pioneer of one bit audio.
History of Research and Practice of the Stability of Steel Structures in the Twentieth Century

ABSTRACT This paper traces the historical developments on the subject of the stability of steel structures through the present century, touching on the heritage of the previous century and detailing the work left to the researchers in the next one. The historical trace concentrates on the axially loaded column to illustrate the intellectual and technological history as a representative example. The paper ends with an accounting of the state-of-art at the end of our century, and a list of the challenges for researchers for the 21st century.
Recreating the Scene: An Investigation of Police Report Writing:

Police officers do a significant amount of high-stake writing in police reports, but report writing is given little attention in policy academies, and prevailing guidelines treat the task as a mech...
Positive and Monotone Approximation

Let T be a linear bounded operator that maps C[a, b] into C(k)[a, b] (with the natural topology of C(k)).
Identification of Discriminative Subnetwork from fMRI-Based Complete Functional Connectivity Networks

The comprehensive set of neuronal connections of the human brain, which is known as the human connectomes, has provided valuable insight into neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders. Function...
Improving Social‐Behavioral Modeling

We identify priority challenges for SB modeling. These involve dealing with complex adaptive systems and deep uncertainty, but also cultural issues such as better relating data-driven and theory-driven research and seeking more coherent models.
Development of a rapid viability polymerase chain reaction method for detection of Yersinia pestis

Abstract Due to the occurrence of natural plague outbreaks and its historical usage as a biological weapon, Yersinia pestis is considered one of the high-priority biological threat agents. It can remain viable in certain environments including water for >100 days. Because of its slow-growth characteristic, it usually takes three or more days to detect and confirm the identity of viable Y. pestis cells by PCR, serological, or biochemical assays when using the traditional microbiological plate-culture-based analysis, and that too, assuming faster growing microbes present in a water sample do not mask the Y. pestis colonies and interfere with analysis. Therefore, a rapid-viability Polymerase Chain Reaction (RV-PCR) method was developed for detection of Y. pestis. The RV-PCR method combines 24 h-incubation broth culture in a 48-well plate, and pre- and post-incubation differential PCR analyses, thereby allowing for rapid and high-throughput sample analysis compared with the current plate culture method. One chromosomal and two plasmid gene target-based real-time PCR assays were down-selected, showing ca. 10 genome equivalent detection; the chromosomal assay was then used for RV-PCR method development. A 101-cell level (10–99 cells) sensitivity of detection was demonstrated even with complex sample backgrounds including known PCR inhibitors (ferrous sulfate and humic acid), as well as metal oxides and microbes present in Arizona Test Dust (ATD). The method sensitivity was maintained in the presence of dead Y. pestis cells up to 104 cells per sample. While affording high-throughput and rapid sample analysis, the 48-well plate format used in this method for sample enrichment significantly reduced labor requirements and generation of BioSafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory waste as compared to the usual microbiological plate-culture-based methods. This method may serve as a model for other vegetative bacterial pathogens.
Energy Storage Systems Architecture Optimization for Grid Resilience With High Penetration of Distributed Photovoltaic Generation

Renewable generation on the electric power grid is expected to increase in prevalence, but once this technology reaches a certain level of penetration, the grid will not be able to handle the variability and intermittency of the generation without the inclusion of energy storage systems. Simultaneous with this increase in renewables with energy storage, the incidence of disturbance events such as extreme weather that cause significant faults and failures on the power grid is also expected to increase. This research optimizes the architecture of energy storage systems on the electrical power grid for resilience to faults caused by extreme disturbance events under a high penetration scenario for rooftop photovoltaic generation. A grid fault model was applied to simulated generation and demand data to determine the application of storage on the grid that maximizes grid resilience to faults. Failures were simulated at multiple locations on the grid model and combinations of storage architectures were applied to determine the application strategy of energy storage that maximized the resilience of the grid.
Situational awareness measurement in a simulation-based training framework for offshore well control operations

Abstract Human factors are identified as the major contributor to oil and gas drilling and operations related accidents. One major limitation of the currently available simulation-based training programs is the lack of objective and validated measures for human factors and non-technical skills. These objective measures are necessary to evaluate the skills and training of drilling crews. Situational awareness (SA) describes the person's perception, comprehension, and prediction in dynamic environments. SA is critical in time-sensitive decision making, which may be especially pertinent for kick-detection and blowout mitigation. This paper presents the analyses of multiple objective SA measures in an immersive training environment. The SA for a sample of engineering-in-training students (n = 13) was measured using a well control incident simulator. The data analyses include knowledge tests, a voice log analysis, usability measures, check-lists compliance, pre/post performance surveys, and eye-tracking data. The results show that task knowledge (e.g. current pressure readings, current bit depth) was predictive of overall blowout mitigation performance. Further, the usability results provide some preliminary insights into task risk perceptions, task difficulty, and perceptions of communication. The results may help design an objective simulation-based training framework for human factors and non-technical skills measurement in oil and gas well control operations.
A 9-bit Resistor-Based All-Digital Temperature Sensor with a SAR-Quantization Embedded Differential Low-Pass Filter in 65nm CMOS Consuming 57pJ with a 2.5 μs Conversion Time

This paper presents a resistor-based area-compact temperature sensor for on-chip thermal detection. It has three novel features: (1) a differential low pass RC filter (DLPF) -based thermal sensing reduces the area; (2) the SAR-quantization embedded in the DLPF reuses the capacitor in the DLPF for capacitive-DAC, eliminates DAC reference, and utilizes the full input range of the ADC, and (3) an all-digital circuit architecture which can be easily migrated to different processes. The temperature sensor was fabricated in a 65nm CMOS technology and achieved 0.4 ○C resolution at room temperature. After a 2-point calibration, the sensor achieves a$3 \sigma $ inaccuracy of ± 1.2 ○C from -30 to 100 ○C. It consumes 22.8 $\mu$W power from a 0.9V supply. With a$2.5 \mu \mathrm {s}$ conversion time, the sensor achieves a 57 pJ/Conversion energy efficiency, which yields a 9 pJ$\cdot \mathrm {K}^{2}$ resolution FoM.
"You are not clean until you're not on anything": Perceptions of medication-assisted treatment in rural Appalachia.

Abstract Background Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based strategy to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). However, MAT-related stigma reduces MAT uptake, which is particularly low in rural areas. To date, perceptions and attitudes towards MAT in rural settings have not been described. Objective This qualitative study aims to characterize perceptions and attitudes towards MAT and the environmental factors contributing to these views in Appalachian Ohio. Methods From February to July 2018, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 stakeholders (12 healthcare professionals, 12 substance use treatment providers, 7 law enforcement agents and judicial officials, and 3 members of relevant organizations) in three rural counties in Appalachian Ohio. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed to characterize the risk environment and participants’ perceptions and attitudes towards MAT. Results Participants expressed or described pervasive MAT-related stigma in the region. Participants consistently described three elements of the environment affecting stigma: (1) a “conservative” culture in which abstinence is necessary to be in recovery successfully, (2) fear of medication diversion and abuse, and (3) drug court policies that keep MAT out of the criminal justice system. Conclusion MAT-related stigma will need to be addressed to tackle the opioid epidemic through evidence-based treatment effectively.
Patterns in Pain and Opiate Use after Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

ObjectiveTo evaluate postoperative opiate use and patients’ opinions regarding pain management after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).Study DesignCase series with planned data collection.SettingTerti...
The combat application of queuing theory model in formation ship to air missile air defense operations

This paper is trying to analyze the dynamic process of air defense operations by using queuing theory synthetically, targeting at the firepower optimization and effectiveness evaluation in air defense operations of surface vessel formation. It also establishes the service model of intercepting air targets by single type and multi type ship to air missiles, and finally comes up with the optimization model of air defense firepower. Vaule for formation configuration, optimization of air defense firepower and effectiveness evaluation.
Minimal clinically important difference for chest discomfort in patients undergoing pleural interventions

Rationale Therapeutic thoracentesis is among the most frequently performed medical procedures. Chest discomfort is a common complication and has been associated with increasingly negative pleural pressure as fluid is withdrawn in the setting of non-expendable lung. Visual analogue scales (VASs) are commonly employed to measure changes in discomfort and dyspnoea related to pleural interventions. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID), defined as the smallest change in VAS score associated with patient report of significant change in a symptom, is required to interpret the results of studies using VAS scores and is used in clinical trial power calculations. The MCID for chest discomfort in patients undergoing pleural interventions has not been determined. Methods Prospectively collected data from two recent randomised trials of therapeutic thoracentesis were used for this investigation. Adult patients with symptomatic pleural effusions referred for therapeutic thoracentesis were enrolled across ten US academic medical centres. Patients were asked to rate their level of chest discomfort on 100 mm VAS before, during and following thoracentesis. Patients then completed a 7-point Likert scale indicating the significance of any change in chest discomfort from preprocedure to postprocedure. The mean difference between discomfort 5 min postprocedure and discomfort just prior to the start of pleural fluid drainage was categorised by Likert scale response. Results Data from a total of 262 thoracenteses were included in the analysis. Thirty-four of 262 patients experienced a ‘small but significant increase’ or a ‘large or moderate increase’ in discomfort following thoracentesis. The mean increase in VAS score in those reporting a ‘small but significant increase’ in chest discomfort (n=23) was 16 mm (SD 22.44, 95% CI 6.87 to 25.21). Conclusions The MCID for thoracentesis-related chest discomfort measured by 100 mm VAS is 16 mm. This MCID specific to discomfort resulting from pleural fluid interventions can inform the design and analysis of future pleural intervention studies.
Scleral patch graft as a rescue for infectious scleritis

We report a case of a 68-year-old male who presented with redness and pain in the right eye with a previous history of pterygium surgery with mitomycin-C in the same eye 2 weeks before onset of symptoms. On examination, visual acuity in the right eye was counting fingers at 2 m improving to 6/24 with pinhole and the left eye was 6/18 improving to 6/12 with pinhole. Right eye showed signs of melting in the nasal sclera with avascularity and perilimbal corneal infiltrate. Scraping was done and culture showed growth of Fusarium species. The patient was started on antifungal drops, and a scleral patch graft was done with multilayered amniotic membrane graft with fibrin glue. On follow-up, the patient showed symptomatic improvement with vascularization of scleral graft and vision improved following cataract surgery.
The Effect of Content and Model Type in Sidebar Advertising on Middle-Aged Women's Online Purchases and Anti-Aging Products

With marketing strategies, for anti-aging products targeted to middle-aged women, changing from traditional mass media to sidebar advertising on social media sites like Facebook, it is important to understand if the middle-age women purchased these anti-aging products based on the content and model type portrayed in the sidebar advertisement. Previous studies about advertising to middle-aged women indicated advertisements did not make a connection with women. This study examined whether or not sidebar advertisements created with credibility, informativeness, and believability would make a connection with middle-aged women motivating them to buy an anti-aging product. Three-hundred and eighty-five women participated in the testimonial study. Results indicated that there was significant difference found in middle-aged women’s perception of the believability to purchase from an advertisement depicted in an online sidebar advertisement for an anti aging product.