cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Occupational Hazards Status of Oil Metering Transfer Station

[Objective] To assess the occupational hazards of an oil metering transfer station, propose improvement measures, and protect workers' health. [Methods] The transfer station was comprehensively evaluated by field survey and occupational hazards detection. [Results] Main occupational hazards included hydrogen sulfide, non-methane hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, xylene, methane, methanol, and noise. The concentrations or intensities of the hazards were lower than the corresponding national occupational exposure limits. The facilities for control of chemical poisons, noise, and high temperature were feasible to achieve designed preventive effects. The preventive measures adopted against occupational diseases, including occupational health management, occupational health surveillance, and personal protective equipment, basically met the requirements of Hygienic standards for the design of industrial enterprises. [Conclusion] The occupational hazard control measures of this transfer station are basically feasible and effective. Few adverse human health effects will occur with current control measures adopted.
A Positive Intracavernous Injection Test Implies Normal Veno-Occlusive but Not Necessarily Normal Arterial Function: A Hemodynamic Study

AbstractDuring impotence evaluations a positive intracavernous injection test has been presumed to signify normal erectile hemodynamics. This premise was tested by obtaining hemodynamic data in 80 patients 17 to 65 years old with positive injection tests: patients achieved maximal circumference responses and equilibrium intracavernous pressures of 80mm. Hg or more (range 80 to 136) sustained for 30 minutes or longer. Corporeal veno-occlusive testing revealed that flow-to-maintain (0.5 to 3ml. per minute) and pressure decay (0 to 47mm. Hg) values as well as pharmaco-cavernosography findings (absent or minimal contrast medium in venous structures m 92% of the cases) were all consistent with low outflow erection states. Arterial testing revealed right and/or left cavernous systolic arterial blood pressures always at 80mm. Hg or more, consistent with a prerequisite cavernous artery pressure value for a positive injection test. Systemic-cavernous systolic arterial blood pressure gradients were 0 to 24mm. Hg, 2...
Influences on stakeholder support for a wildfire early warning system in a UK protected area

ABSTRACTProjected increases in wildfire risk and impacts to human populations in the UK have prompted the installation of expanded management approaches such as early warning systems (EWSs). Newer iterations of wildfire EWSs help mitigate risk through rapid detection, often using high-resolution monitoring technology and instantaneous information collection. While existing research suggests that local social context plays an important role in the effective application of EWSs, little is known about factors that contribute to stakeholder support for these technocratic systems and their successful implementation in protected areas. This study examines support for an EWS in Northumberland National Park, UK, using focus groups with a broad range of local stakeholders. We found that diverse stakeholder understandings of wildfire, different perceptions of wildfire risk, and varied identification of values at risk collectively help explain mixed support for the EWS. Mixed support also was an outgrowth of distrus...
User Allocated Singly Linked Package

Compared to the System_Allocated_Singlys_Linked low-level data abstraction, this package provides more efficient allocation and deallocation of list nodes by allocating an array of records as a storage pool. This however makes it less flexible than the system allocated package since the array and the system heap are managed separately, producing a greater possibility of running out of storage.
Evaluation of the Fluence Conversion Factor for 32P in Sulfur

When 32S is exposed to neutrons it undergoes a 32S(n,p)32P reaction with a neutron cross section as shown in Figure 1. This reaction may be used to characterize the neutron fluence for neutrons greater than 3 MeV.
Ryan O’Hara Theisen and Jonathan Rosen

Ryan O’Hara Theisen began his creative endeavors in photojournalism with various newspapers and magazines. His curiosities then pulled him into advertising, where he worked as a full-time and freelance creative for award-winning traditional and digital agencies like McKinney, R/GA,Wieden+Kennedy, and BBDO. He has worked on global brands such as Nike, Audi, Starbucks, HBO, Smirnoff, and Heineken. O’Hara Theisen then attended Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies and eventually moved on to a directing program at New York University (NYU), where he met his sidekick Jonathan Rosen. O’Hara Theisen’s work has garnered him awards from the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the One Show, the One Show Interactive, the International Andys, and the London International Advertising Awards. He’s also been profiled in Communication Arts, Contagious Magazine, the New York Times, CNN, and NPR’s The State of Things.
The Role of Beta 2 Integrins in Macrophage Migration During Resolution of Inflammation.

Abstract 3600 Poster Board III-537 The mobilization of blood monocytes and their differentiation into macrophages during the immune-inflammatory response helps to prepare the tissue for resolution. During the resolution phase of inflammation macrophages do not die locally: some cells emigrate by draining lymphatics whereas some remain at the site of inflammation. The major myelo-monocytic integrin α M β 2 (Mac-1, CD11b/CD18), together with two related integrins α D β 2 (CD11d/CD18) and α X β 2 (CD11c/CD18), mediate critical adhesive reactions of monocyte/macrophages. However, the roles of these adhesion receptors in control of macrophage retention at sites of inflammation and their emigration to lymph nodes are unclear. Using a mouse model of sterile peritonitis induced by thioglycollate injection, we examined the dynamics of macrophage β 2 integrins during the resolution phase of inflammation. Macrophages were defined by FACS analyses as a population of cells expressing α M β 2 high , α D β 2 + and CD115 + . The initial population of resident β 2 , positive for β D β 2 and negative for α X β 2 . The thioglycollate-challenged mice showed a ∼4-fold increase in macrophages on day 3 followed by a progressive decrease to normal resident cell numbers by day 13. Expression of α M β 2 on macrophages on day 3 decreased by 2.5-fold as a result of dilution of the initial population of α M β 2 high resident macrophages by infiltrating blood monocytes expressing α M β 2 low . However, after day 3, the density of α M β 2 on macrophages gradually increased and by day 13 returned to the high levels characteristic of resident macrophages. By contrast, expression of α D β 2 and α X β 2 on inflammatory macrophages increased by 2-fold by day 6-9 compared to that on resident macrophages and then returned to the resident levels by day 3. Thus, although the number of macrophages decreased from day 3 to day 9 by several fold, the population of macrophages which remained in the peritoneum was enriched in cells expressing the high levels of α M β 2 and α D α 2 . Tracking migration of fluorescently labeled peritoneal cells demonstrated that a population of macrophages which leaves the inflamed peritoneum and enters lymph nodes consists of cells expressing low levels of α M β 2 and α D β 2 . These data suggested that upregulation of β 2 integrins, especially α M β 2 , may be responsible for the retention of macrophages in the peritoneum. Indeed, the rate of macrophage emigration from the peritoneum in the α M β 2 -deficient mice was significantly higher than that in wild-type mice. The results indicate that macrophage emigration from the inflamed site is controlled by the level of integrin α M β 2 and α D β 2 with low expressors being migratory and high expressors remaining in the peritoneum. The data also highlight the importance of integrins α D β 2 and α X β 2 as specific markers of inflammatory macrophages. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Chapel-Organist’ – Saint or Siren? Gendered Perception and the Sacred Setting

Hardy’s portrayal of The Chapel-Organist provides an examination that centres on the woman organist and the gendered perception of her as the ‘Other’ within Victorian society. This role is placed in a further historical context by drawing on the study of women organists in both medieval and Victorian convents and sisterhoods proving that the perception was not far-reaching on Hardy’s part, but rather astutely gauged by historical and contemporary precedent. In considering aspects of women as the ‘Other’, this study utilises the writings of Michel Foucault and Sigmund Freud, along with Freud’s later respondents to assess how close Hardy’s fictional narrative was to the image of a Victorian woman and more critically the actions of the protagonist. Through this study an intriguing circumstance evolves filled with moral and ethical questions, all within a house of worship, that bring a unique resonance to the larger study of Victorian values when allied to music.
Ecological Limits and the Meaning of Freedom: A Defense of Liberty as Non-Domination

It is now widely acknowledged that global environmental problems raise pressing social and political issues, but relatively little philosophical attention has been paid to their bearing on the concept of liberty. This must surprise us, because the question of whether environmental policies are at odds with individual liberty is bound to be controversial in the political arena. First, this article explains why a thorough philosophical debate about the relation between liberty and environmental constraints is needed. Second, based on Philip Pettit’s typology of liberty, it assesses how different conceptions of liberty fare in a context of stringent ecological limits. Indeed, a simple conceptual analysis shows that some conceptions of liberty are more compatible than others with such limits, and with the policies necessary to avoid overshooting them. The article concludes that Pettit’s conception of liberty as non-domination is more compatible with the existence of stringent ecological limits than the two alternatives considered.
Effect of Cu promotion on cracking and methanation during the Ni-catalyzed deoxygenation of waste lipids and hemp seed oil to fuel-like hydrocarbons

Abstract Deoxygenation of yellow grease and hemp seed oil was studied over 20% Ni/Al2O3 and 20% Ni-5% Cu/Al2O3 catalysts in the presence of H2. In the deoxygenation of 25 wt% yellow grease (dissolved in dodecane) both catalysts afforded a liquid product consisting of mainly linear C10–C17 alkanes; however, the Cu-promoted catalyst showed improved selectivity to long chain (C15–C17) hydrocarbons as a result of its lower cracking activity. Analysis of the light hydrocarbon products (C10–C16) showed that cracking mainly occurred via the removal of terminal carbons (with methane formation), although a small amount of internal cracking also occurs based on the presence of C6–C11 in the product mixtures. Similar improvements were also observed in the deoxygenation of 25 wt% hemp seed oil, showing that Cu was able to curb cracking even when a highly unsaturated feed was employed. The Cu promotion effect was more pronounced in the deoxygenation of 75 wt% yellow grease in which the 20% Ni/Al2O3 catalyst did not yield any liquid products, whereas the 20% Ni-5% Cu/Al2O3 catalyst afforded liquid products consisting of >90% diesel-like hydrocarbons.
Abstract WP231: Risk Factors for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter Detection Following Cryptogenic Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Long-term post-stroke insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) implantation has resulted in increasing frequencies of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (PAF) detection in a significant proportion of cryptogenic ischemic stroke (CIS) patients. Determining risk factors for PAF detection specific to the CIS population could allow for better selection of patients for ICM implantation. Methods: A retrospective study of CIS patients (n=95; mean age 65.9 years; 56.8% female) implanted with the Reveal LINQ ICM between September 2013 to July 2015. Device implantation was performed during, or soon after, index stroke admission. The study cardiac electrophysiologist confirmed PAF diagnosis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses compared clinical, laboratory, ECG and echocardiographic variables between patients with and without PAF. Results: PAF was detected in 22/95 (23.2%) patients. Factors associated with PAF detection include older age (mean (yr) 74.0 vs. 63.4; p=0.003), prolonged PR-interval (PR>175 ms; OR 3.88, 95% CI 1.28-11.7), mitral regurgitation (MR; OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.24-9.08), left atrial diameter (LA diameter mean (cm) 3.80 vs. 3.51; p=0.039), and left atrial volume index (LAVI mean (cc/m2); 32.8 vs. 25.0; p=0.037). Controlling for age in the multivariate logistic regression model, obesity (BMI>30; OR 4.80, 95% CI 3.50-9.60) and MR (OR 4.47, 95% CI 3.15-5.79) are independently associated with PAF detection. Conclusion: Long-term cardiac monitoring identified PAF in a substantial number of CIS patients. Older age, prolonged PR, MR, and larger LA diameter and LAVI are significantly associated with PAF diagnosis. Controlling for age, significant independent risk factors include obesity and MR. A larger prospective study is warranted to confirm these findings and to identify other possible risk factors. Ultimately, a risk factor based algorithm could enable better selection of CIS patients for ICM implantation.
Reply to Van Lange et al.: Proximate and ultimate distinctions must be made to the CLASH model

Transcending reviewed proximate theories, Van Lange et al.'s CLASH model attempts to ultimately explain the poleward declension of aggression and violence. Seasonal cold is causal, but, we contend, principally as an ecologically relevant evolutionary pressure. We further argue that futurity and restraint are life history variables, and that Life History Theory evolutionarily explains the biogeography of aggression and violence as strategic adaptation.
Finding Order Amid Complex Small-Scale Fisheries Self-Governance Arrangements

Small-scale fisheries are distributed in isolated, rural coastal areas around the globe, often far away from the control of the State. As such they are a quintessential example of self-governance. Our aim is to find order in the overwhelming institutional diversity we see in small-scale fisheries around the world. To do this in this paper we develop some theoretical tools we argue are key to organize ideas and build and test theory about self-governance in the context of small-scale fisheries. We argue that the first step is to start by making clear which is the basic set of action situations most common in fishing. What are the basic set of action situations that make up what we define as “small-scale fisheries”? We argue they are a set of regularized relations of production that start by accessing capital and other means of production and property-rights to go harvesting and end with the discount of costs of fishing to determine the fisher’s profit. In continuing this relation of production into the future fishers and fishbuyers seek certain characteristics in one another. We investigated what characteristics do they seek in one another to give meaning to the concept of micro-institutional arrangements in fishing. We then investigated the role of micro-institutions in the context of the two dominant types of self-governance around the world: patron-client relationships and fishing cooperatives. We conclude with the identification of different patterns of behavior among the two different forms of self-governance in the case studies we investigated. It remains to be investigated in the future whether these patterns are generalizable or unique.
We Shall See: Critical Theory and Structural Inequality in Economics

This paper seeks to provide educators with a critique of dominant narratives through the disciplinary tools of economics. Specifically; issues of race, gender, and geography are addressed via the common economic subjects of fiscal and monetary policy, economic indicators, wages, and economic growth. By providing a practical blueprint for a more critical curriculum in economics, these lessons and the literature that supports them demonstrates the potential of teachers to challenge taken-for-granted notions of what economics is and what it is for.
The most intense electrical currents in the solar wind: Comparisons between single spacecraft measurements and plasma turbulence simulations†

Three dimensional hybrid simulations of solar wind turbulence near the orbit of the earth are used to investigate the plasma current density over the range of scales from 0.5 proton inertial lengths to hundreds of proton inertial lengths. The data is analyzed along a simulated spacecraft trajectory in order to directly compare the results against single-spacecraft measurements. The most intense current densities are identified using an amplitude threshold technique and the properties of 5σ events identified in the true current density are compared to the properties of 5σ events identified using a proxy for the current density designed for studies of single-spacecraft solar wind measurements. The proxy is proportional to the magnitude of the directional derivative of the magnetic field along the spacecraft trajectory. The results from the simulation show that the properties of 5σ events observed in the proxy are quantitatively similar to those observed in the true current density, properties such as the spatial size of the events, the nearest neighbor distance, and the peak current density of the events. This provides some justification for the use of the proxy for the statistical analysis of solar wind data even though the simulation indicates that the occurrence times of large amplitude events in the proxy are not always a reliable indicator of the occurrence times of large amplitude events in the true current density. The physical properties of 5σ events in simulated spacecraft data show remarkable quantitative agreement with the properties of 5σ events observed in solar wind data.
Efficacy of Onalespib, a Long-Acting Second-Generation HSP90 Inhibitor, as a Single Agent and in Combination with Temozolomide against Malignant Gliomas

Purpose: HSP90, a highly conserved molecular chaperone that regulates the function of several oncogenic client proteins, is altered in glioblastoma. However, HSP90 inhibitors currently in clinical trials are short-acting, have unacceptable toxicities, or are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We examined the efficacy of onalespib, a potent, long-acting novel HSP90 inhibitor as a single agent and in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) against gliomas in vitro and in vivoExperimental Design: The effect of onalespib on HSP90, its client proteins, and on the biology of glioma cell lines and patient-derived glioma-initiating cells (GSC) was determined. Brain and plasma pharmacokinetics of onalespib and its ability to inhibit HSP90 in vivo were assessed in non-tumor-bearing mice. Its efficacy as a single agent or in combination with TMZ was assessed in vitro and in vivo using zebrafish and patient-derived GSC xenograft mouse glioma models.Results: Onalespib-mediated HSP90 inhibition depleted several survival-promoting client proteins such as EGFR, EGFRvIII, and AKT, disrupted their downstream signaling, and decreased the proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and survival of glioma cell lines and GSCs. Onalespib effectively crossed the BBB to inhibit HSP90 in vivo and extended survival as a single agent in zebrafish xenografts and in combination with TMZ in both zebrafish and GSC mouse xenografts.Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the long-acting effects of onalespib against gliomas in vitro and in vivo, which combined with its ability to cross the BBB support its development as a potential therapeutic agent in combination with TMZ against gliomas. Clin Cancer Res; 23(20); 6215-26. ©2017 AACR.
The -Files: A Review of the Psychological Literature Regarding False Memories of Alien Abduction

Memories of alien abduction events present researchers with a unique opportunity to explore memories for events which, in all likelihood, did not occur. In this review of the literature, the factors which can lead to the development of abduction memories are explored. These include personality and psychopathology variables, as well as instances of sleep paralysis and the effects of hypnosis and memory implantation. In the end, while the events abductees report are unlikely to have occurred, the earnestness with which they endorse these memories is a strong indicator that memory is a malleable and complicated phenomenon, with implications in a wide range of psychological topics. Keywords: Alien Abduction, False Memories, Recovered Memories, the truth is out there
Piloting a patient safety and quality improvement co-curriculum.

Background: Despite the push for resident and faculty involvement in patient safety (PS) and quality improvement (QI), there is limited literature describing programs that train them to conduct PS/...
Verifying Parallel Code After Refactoring Using Equivalence Checking

To take advantage of multi-core systems, programmers are replacing sequential software with parallel software. Software engineers often avoid writing their parallel software from scratch and prefer refactoring their legacy application, either manually or with the help of a refactoring tool. In either case, it is extremely challenging to produce correct parallel code, taking into account all synchronization issues. Furthermore, the complexity of parallel code makes its verification extremely difficult. We introduce a method for the verification of parallel code after refactoring. Our method, which is based on symbolic interpretation, leverages the original sequential code that in most cases was already tested and/or verified, and checks whether it is equivalent to the code after refactoring. The advantage of this method is that it can generically find any problem in the parallel code that does not exist in the original sequential code. As a result, it can help create higher quality and safer parallel code.
Engineering a designer immunotherapy

Understanding of the human immune system has fueled development of numerous drugs, categorized as biologics, designed to mimic or inhibit natural immune responses. Recently, immunoengineering has emerged as a distinct discipline aimed at creating increasingly sophisticated therapeutics that can tailor immune responses for increased potency and/or diminished toxicity. On page 1037 of this issue, Sockolosky et al. ( 1 ) test the hypothesis that an engineered interleukin-2 (IL-2)–IL-2 receptor-β (IL-2Rβ) pair can expand effector T cells for cancer immunotherapy while avoiding the toxicities associated with administration of natural IL-2.
Investigating three sources of bias in hook-and-line surveys: survey design, gear saturation, and multispecies interactions

Hook-and-line surveys can be used to estimate population trends in fish species where conventional methods such as trawl, acoustic, visual, or pot surveys cannot be applied. Hook-and-line surveys a...
Mentorship for Research Success

There are increasing challenges to building a productive and successful career in academic medicine in the modern era, including increasing clinical and administrative demands and a progressively more competitive funding environment. It has become nearly impossible to navigate the academic maze in a confident and efficient manner without support, guidance, encouragement, and mentorship. A dynamic mentee/mentor relationship is therefore critical to the growth and development of future clinician-scientists. With regard to research mentorship, the mentee/mentor team must actively pursue the immediate requirements for research progress, funding, and academic advancement while simultaneously anticipating the long-term requirements for academic independence, longevity, research program building, and national recognition. This chapter outlines the lessons and pearls learned from a productive and successful research mentee/mentor relationship, with a focus on clinical research.
DataRemix: a universal data transformation for optimal inference from gene expression datasets

RNAseq technology provides an unprecedented power in the assesment of the transcription abundance, which benifits various downstream biological studies, such as gene-correlation network inference and eQTL discovery. However, raw gene expression values have to be normalized for nuisance biological variation and technical covariates, and different normalization strategies can lead to dramatically different results in the downstream study. Here we present a simple three-parameter transformation, DataRemix, which can greatly improve the biological utility of gene expression datasets without any specific knowledge on the dataset. As we optimize the transformation with respect to the downstream biological objective, this parametric framework reweighs the contribution of each hidden factor and make the biological signals visible. We demonstrate that DataRemix can outperform complicatd normalization methods which make explicit use of dataset specific technical factors. Also we show that DataRemix can be efficiently optimized via Thompson Sampling approach, which makes it feasible for computationally expensive objectives such as eQTL analysis. Finally we reanalyze the Depression Gene Networks (DGN) dataset, and we highlight new trans-eQTL networks which were not reported in the initial study.
Transmission Electron Microscopy for Physical Metallurgists

Abstract The aim of this chapter is to provide the reader with an outline of the methods most commonly used to characterize samples, taken from studies involving physical metallurgy, using techniques allied with transmission electron microscopy. In the main, rather than provide full and comprehensive details on all methods including various imaging techniques, diffraction methods, and analytical spectroscopies, it is the attempt of the coauthors to outline techniques, and then provide ways in which difficulties in interpretation may be avoided.
Behavioral Toxicity of Cholinesterase Inhibitors

Publisher Summary Acute exposure to cholinesterase inhibitors produces a well-defined spectrum of behavioral effects in mammals that are generally well explained by overstimulation of cholinergic receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Compensations for these neurochemical effects complicate the situation when exposure is prolonged or repeated. Acute poisoning can lead to persistent disorders in the cognitive, motor, sensory, and affective domains. This chapter reviews the acute behavioral effects of organophosphates (OP) and carbamate (CM) pesticides in humans and animals. The classic behavioral signs and symptoms experienced by humans poisoned with these compounds are described, and ways in which animal models have been used to characterize them are illustrated to understand the mechanisms by which they are produced. Studies on persistent effects of exposure to cholinesterase inhibitors are also reviewed. The human epidemiological literature is examined for evidence that persistent behavioral effects of exposure can be measured in populations with histories of acute poisoning and/or chronic ongoing exposure. Behavioral data from animal models designed to characterize the behavioral changes caused by experimental treatments with cholinesteraseinhibiting pesticides is discussed, and similarities with the literature on humans occupationally exposed to these compounds are identified. Age-related differences in sensitivity to cholinesterase inhibitors are also reviewed. Data comparing the sensitivity of young and adult animals to the neurochemical and behavioral effects of these compounds is presented, and the factors that appear to mediate differences in response during development is discussed.
Size, shape and structure of insect wings

The size, shape and structure of insect wings are intimately linked to their ability to fly. However, there are few systematic studies of the variability of the natural patterns in wing morphology across insects. We assemble a comprehensive dataset of insect wings and analyze their morphology using topological and geometric notions in terms of i) wing size and contour shape, ii) vein geometry and topology, and iii) shape and distribution of wing membrane domains. These morphospaces are a first-step in defining the diversity of wing patterns across insect orders and set the stage for investigating their functional consequences.
Contemporary suprasternal transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A multicenter experience using a simple, reliable alternative access approach

Objectives To describe outcomes after suprasternal (SS) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as a new alternative access approach. Background There still remains a cohort of the TAVR population who are not suitable for a transfemoral (TF) approach. SS-TAVR is a safe and effective alternative to TF-TAVR and has now become our preferred alternative access route. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients from New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center and Princeton Baptist Medical Center who underwent SS-TAVR from 2015 to July 2018. A total of 84 patients were included in the study. Results Technical success was achieved in all cases. Thirty-day survival was 98.8% (n = 83). There were minimal complications. Most notably, there were no transient ischemic attacks or strokes (0%, n = 0). Reexploration for bleeding was 3.6% (n = 3), and major bleeding was 1.7% (n = 1). We also achieved satisfactory results with a mean aortic valve gradient of 6.07 ± 3.79 mmHg and an aortic valve area of 2.21 ± 0.51 cm2 . No patients had anything more than mild paravalvular leak. The mean length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit was 1.42 ± 1.23 days, and hospital LOS was 4.20 ± 3.29 days. Conclusions SS access for TAVR is an extremely important technique to have in any valve team's alternative access armamentarium. This technique can be safely and reliably reproduced with any standard hybrid operating room setup and no additional equipment, and it can be used with any commercially available valve system. In the current experience, minimal complications and excellent early term results were obtained.
The Generalized Nyquist Criterion Applied to Complex DC Power System Networks

Advanced high-power shipboard applications such as electromagnetic rail-guns, semiconductor lasers, advanced radar, etc. create an emergent need to support large electric loads on various Navy vessels. With the necessary push towards highly regulated DC distribution through power electronics on shipboard power systems, these loads are becoming more likely to cause destabilizing behavior at their source interfaces. The stability of a system can be understood as the ability to operate as intended at a given operating point and if perturbed, the disturbance to the system will diminish over time and the system will return to its original operating behavior. Traditionally, it has been sufficient to analyze small signal stability through testing the ratio of the source impedance and load impedance with respect to the Nyquist Criterion. However, for Navy power systems with more complex circuit topologies and a trend towards higher switching frequencies, the impact of dual feed interfaces as well as previously unaccounted for common mode currents, could cause erroneous stability assessments when applying traditional techniques. This paper proposes a new method to classify the small signal stability of a complex DC interface. This is done through an expanded characterization of a system’s impedances to address the coupling between all interface connections. In this study, an example power system is defined and classified using traditional techniques in comparison to the technique proposed.
Clinical impact of concomitant tricuspid valve procedures during left ventricular assist device implantation.

BACKGROUND Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is common in patients with end-stage heart failure receiving left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), but the benefit of concomitant tricuspid valve procedures (TVPs) remains uncertain. This study examined the impact of TVP at the time of LVAD implantation on clinical outcomes and quality of life (QOL) metrics. METHODS We included adult patients in the Interagency Registry for Mechanical Circulatory Support database with various degrees of TR who received continuous-flow LVADs from 2008 to 2017. Patients undergoing concomitant TVP were compared with those without the intervention in a stratified analysis. Descriptive analyses, survival analyses, and Andersen‒Gill hazard models were used as appropriate to examine associations with clinical and patient-centered QOL outcomes. Results Our analysis included 8,263 (53.1%) mild, 4,252 (33.3%) moderate, and 2,100 (13.5%) severe TR cases. TVP rate increased with severity: 8.6% of mild, 18.0% of moderate, and 43.9% of severe cases. TVP was not associated with survival benefit in cases of mild (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.79–1.19, p = 0.75), moderate (aHR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.88–1.20, p = 0.72), or severe (aHR: 1.20, 95% CI: 0.98–1.48, p = 0.08) TR. For patients with combined moderate or severe TR, TVP was associated with increased mortality (log-rank p 0.05). Conclusions TVP at the time of LVAD implantation was not associated with either improved survival or QOL, and there were associations with increased risk of adverse events among patients with moderate and severe TR.
Development of an Accurate Bedside Swallowing Evaluation Decision Tree Algorithm for Detecting Aspiration in Acute Respiratory Failure Survivors.

Background The bedside swallowing evaluation (BSE) is an assessment of swallowing function and airway safety during swallowing. After extubation, the BSE often is used to identify the risk of aspiration in acute respiratory failure (ARF) survivors. Research Question We conducted a multicenter prospective study of ARF survivors to determine the accuracy of the BSE and to develop a decision tree algorithm to identify aspiration risk. Study Design and Methods Patients extubated after ≥ 48 hours of mechanical ventilation were eligible. Study procedures included the BSE followed by a gold standard evaluation, the flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Results Overall, 213 patients were included in the final analysis. Median time from extubation to BSE was 25 hours (interquartile range, 21-45 hours). The FEES was completed 1 hour after the BSE (interquartile range, 0.5-2 hours). A total of 33% (70/213; 95% CI, 26.6%-39.2%) of patients aspirated on at least one FEES bolus consistency test. Thin liquids were the most commonly aspirated consistency: 27% (54/197; 95% CI, 21%-34%). The BSE detected any aspiration with an accuracy of 52% (95% CI, 45%-58%), a sensitivity of 83% (95% CI, 74%-92%), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 81% (95% CI, 72%-91%). Using recursive partitioning analyses, a five-variable BSE-based decision tree algorithm was developed that improved the detection of aspiration with an accuracy of 81% (95% CI, 75%-87%), sensitivity of 95% (95% CI, 90%-98%), and NPV of 97% (95% CI, 95%-99%). Interpretation The BSE demonstrates variable accuracy to identify patients at high risk for aspiration. Our decision tree algorithm may enhance the BSE and may be used to identify patients at high risk for aspiration, yet requires further validation. Trial Registry ClinicalTrials.gov ; No.: NCT02363686; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov ;
The microtubule stabilizing agent discodermolide is also a powerful inducer of accelerated senescence

5608 Discodermolide, a small molecule isolated from a Caribbean sponge, inhibits cell growth, blocks cells in mitosis and stabilizes microtubules, as does Taxol. Presently in Phase I clinical trials, the drug has a greater aqueous solubility than Taxol, making it a poor substrate for P-glycoprotein. Since Taxol-resistant cell lines that do not express P-glycoprotein demonstrated no cross resistance to discodermolide, we wanted to explore differences between the mechanisms of action of these two agents. While attempting to isolate discodermolide resistant A549 non-small cell lung carcinoma cells, we found a single clone that proliferated in 8nM of the drug. Any further increase in the concentration resulted in a senescence phenotype, including a β-galactosidase activity that was functional at pH 6.0. After six days of growth the following was observed: 1) the senescence effects produced by discodermolide more closely resembled those of the powerful senescence inducing, DNA damaging agent doxorubicin, than of Taxol; and 2) the occurrence of both mitotic catastrophe (aberrant mitosis) and apoptosis resembled that produced by comparable concentrations of Taxol. These three mechanisms of growth inhibition are not mutually exclusive, as all combinations were observed with discodermolide. Senescence markers investigated include characteristic changes in the expression and activity of proteins involved in such diverse functions as tumor suppression, mitogenic signaling, and cell cycle and mitotic checkpoint regulation. The observed increase in levels of proteins, such as cyclin D-CDK4 and PCNA, that can sequester cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors, suggests mechanisms that allow the resistant clone to survive in 8nM discodermolide, and reasons why the cells cannot grow in higher concentrations of drug. Our findings provide interesting initial insights into this potentially important new anticancer agents mechanism of action, explaining previously reported observations that are difficult to understand within the realm of microtubule stabilization. One example is that despite discodermolides significantly enhanced affinity, in vitro, for the same or overlapping binding site used by Taxol, and its more impressive bundling of microtubules in cells at comparable concentrations to that of Taxol, the drug was found, by the methods used to assess cell proliferation, to be a less potent inhibitor of cell growth than Taxol. Another unexplained observation from our laboratory is the synergy observed between Taxol and discodermolide in cell growth inhibition. Our results also explain some of the difficulties encountered in isolating cell lines resistant to discodermolide. This is the first report of a microtubule stabilizing agent with a repertoire of tumor cell growth inhibitory mechanisms that includes a powerful induction of senescence.
Race-Dependent Differences in Risk, Genomics, and Epstein–Barr Virus Exposure in Monoclonal Gammopathies: Results of SWOG S0120

Purpose: Risk of multiple myeloma is increased in African American (AA) populations compared with European American (EA) cohorts. Current estimates of risk of progression of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) are based largely on studies in EA cohorts. Prospective analyses of this risk in AA cohorts are lacking. Patients and Methods: Between 2003 and 2011, 331 eligible patients with IgG/A monoclonal gammopathy were enrolled in a prospective observational trial (SWOG S0120). Results: Of 331 eligible patients, 57 (17%) were of AA descent. The risk of transformation to clinical malignancy in AA patients was significantly lower than in non-AA cohort (2-year risk 5% vs. 15%; 5-year risk 13% vs. 24%; log-rank P = 0.047). Differences in risk were evident for both MGUS and asymptomatic multiple myeloma. Gene expression profile (GEP) of CD138-purified plasma cells revealed that all molecular multiple myeloma subsets can be identified in both cohorts. However, the proportion of patients with high-risk GEP risk score (GEP-70 gene risk > −0.26) was lower in the AA cohort (0% vs. 33%, P = 0.01). AA cohorts also have higher levels of antibodies against Epstein–Barr nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1; P Conclusions: These data provide the first prospective evidence that multiple myeloma precursor states in AA patients may have lower risk of disease compared with non-AA counterparts with lower incidence of high-risk GEP and increased EBV seropositivity. Race-dependent differences in biology and clinical risk of gammopathy may impact optimal management of these patients.
Hydration and Early Age Properties of Cement Pastes Modified with Cellulose Nanofibrils

In this work, the effects of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) on workability, hydration reaction, microstructure, early age shrinkage, fracture properties, flexural strength, and compressive strength o...
Exploring Eating Disorder Topics on Twitter: Machine Learning Approach.

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are a group of mental illnesses that have an adverse effect on both mental and physical health. As social media platforms (eg, Twitter) have become an important data source for public health research, some studies have qualitatively explored the ways in which EDs are discussed on these platforms. Initial results suggest that such research offers a promising method for further understanding this group of diseases. Nevertheless, an efficient computational method is needed to further identify and analyze tweets relevant to EDs on a larger scale. Objective: This study aims to develop and validate a machine learning–based classifier to identify tweets related to EDs and to explore factors (ie, topics) related to EDs using a topic modeling method. Methods: We collected potential ED-relevant tweets using keywords from previous studies and annotated these tweets into different groups (ie, ED relevant vs irrelevant and then promotional information vs laypeople discussion). Several supervised machine learning methods, such as convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), support vector machine, and naive Bayes, were developed and evaluated using annotated data. We used the classifier with the best performance to identify ED-relevant tweets and applied a topic modeling method—Correlation Explanation (CorEx)—to analyze the content of the identified tweets. To validate these machine learning results, we also collected a cohort of ED-relevant tweets on the basis of manually curated rules. Results: A total of 123,977 tweets were collected during the set period. We randomly annotated 2219 tweets for developing the machine learning classifiers. We developed a CNN-LSTM classifier to identify ED-relevant tweets published by laypeople in 2 steps: first relevant versus irrelevant (F1 score=0.89) and then promotional versus published by laypeople (F1 score=0.90). A total of 40,790 ED-relevant tweets were identified using the CNN-LSTM classifier. We also identified another set of tweets (ie, 17,632 ED-relevant and 83,557 ED-irrelevant tweets) posted by laypeople using manually specified rules. Using CorEx on all ED-relevant tweets, the topic model identified 162 topics. Overall, the coherence rate for topic modeling was 77.07% (1264/1640), indicating a high quality of the produced topics. The topics were further reviewed and analyzed by a domain expert. Conclusions: A developed CNN-LSTM classifier could improve the efficiency of identifying ED-relevant tweets compared with the traditional manual-based method. The CorEx topic model was applied on the tweets identified by the machine learning–based classifier and the traditional manual approach separately. Highly overlapping topics were observed between the 2 cohorts of tweets. The produced topics were further reviewed by a domain expert. Some of the topics identified by the potential ED tweets may provide new avenues for understanding this serious set of disorders.
Combining Spin-Seebeck and Nernst Effects in Aligned MnBi/Bi Composites

The spin-Seebeck effect (SSE) is an advective transport process traditionally studied in bilayers composed of a ferromagnet (FM) and a non-magnetic metal (NM) with strong spin-orbit coupling. In a temperature gradient, the flux of magnons in the FM transfers spin-angular momentum to electrons in the NM, which by the inverse spin-Hall effect generates an SSE voltage. In contrast, the Nernst effect is a bulk transport phenomenon in homogeneous NMs or FMs. These effects share the same geometry, and we show here that they can be added to each other in a new combination of FM/NM composites where synthesis via in-field annealing results in the FM material (MnBi) forming aligned needles inside an NM matrix with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) (Bi). Through examination of the materials' microstructural, magnetic, and transport properties, we searched for signs of enhanced transverse thermopower facilitated by an SSE contribution from MnBi adding to the Nernst effect in Bi. Our results indicate that these two signals are additive in samples with lower MnBi concentrations, suggesting a new way forward in the study of SSE composite materials.
Testing the circumstellar disk hypothesis: A search for H 2 outflow signatures from massive YSOs with linearly distributed methanol masers

The results of a survey searching for outflows using near-infrared imaging is presented. Targets were chosen from a compiled list of massive young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with methanol masers in linear distributions. Presently, it is a widely held belief that these methanol masers are found in (and delineate) circumstellar accretion disks around massive stars. If this scenario is correct, one way to test the disk hypothesis is to search for outflows perpendicular to the methanol maser distributions. The main objective of the survey was to obtain wide-field near-infrared images of the sites of linearly distributed methanol masers using a narrow-band 2.12 µm filter. This filter is centered on the H2 v=1–0 S(1) line; a shock diagnostic that has been shown to successfully trace CO outflows from young stellar objects. Twenty-eight sources in total were imaged of which eighteen sources display H2 emission. Of these, only two sources showed emission found to be dominantly perpendicular to the methanol maser distribution. Surprisingly, the H2 emission in these fields is not distributed randomly, but instead the majority of sources are found to have H2 emission dominantly parallel to their distribution of methanol masers. These results seriously question the hypothesis that methanol masers exist in circumstellar disks. The possibility that linearly distributed methanol masers are instead directly associated with outflows is discussed.