cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of effectiveness of immunization with hepatitis B vaccine combined with hepatitis B immunoglobulin to block mother-to-child transmission in Dongcheng district of Beijing

Objective To analyze and evaluate effectiveness of immunization with hepatitis B (HB) vaccine combined with HB immunoglobulin (HBIG) to block its mother-to-child transmission and factors influencing it in Dongcheng district, Beijing, and explore scientific and effective methods to block it to provide scientific evidence for formulating measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HB. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate HB immunization status of children born to mothers with positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HB infection in mothers, their delivery mode and feeding pattern for their babies and other information. Serum indicators of HB infection and its protective antibodies were tested to evaluate effectiveness of HB vaccination to block mother-to-child transmission and analyze varied factors influencing it.Results In total, 464 children born to mothers with positive HBsAg were investigated in the study, with prevalence of HB infection 5.59 percent and protective efficacy of HB vaccine 93.42 percent. HB infection rate was 24.00 percent and 3.37 percent, respectively after immunization with plasma-derived HB vaccine and genetic engineering (recombinant yeast) HB vaccine. There was significant diference in HB infection rate between children immunized with varied HB vaccine (χ2=35.965, P=0.000). Conclusion Significant effectiveness of HB vaccination combined with HBIG to block mother-to-child transmission has been achieved in Dongcheng district, Beijing. HB infection rate in children born to mothers with positive HBsAg has reduced to relatively lower level. Proitective efficiacy of HB vaccine has increased significantly after introduction of genetic engineering HB vaccine instead of plasma-derived one. Effetiveness of HB vaccine combined with HBIG is not so significant. HB infection status in mothers is an important factor to block mother-to-child transmission. Effectiveness of blocking for single-positive mother-to-child transmission is better than that in dual-positive mothers. Relatively higher conversion rate of HB antibody and antibody titer have been kept in children born to mothers with positive HBsAg in Dongcheng district, Beijing.
Parallel HP adaptive finite element analysis for viscous incompressible flow problems

This dissertation discusses the development of parallel adaptive algorithms for the hp version of the finite element method. Such methods, wherein both the grid size and local polynomial orders are refined in a solution adaptive manner, have the potential for obtaining dramatic increases in numerical accuracy at much lower computational cost. However unavailability of systematic procedures for generating such grids adaptively and efficient solution procedures for the resulting linear equations has inhibited the practical application of these methods. An attempt is made in this study to address these difficulties. An important procedure developed in this study is a three step strategy for generating good adaptive hp meshes for a desired level of error. The strategy uses both a priori and a posteriori estimates to construct good meshes for desired error levels. The method uses an a posteriori error estimate on a coarse mesh solution to compute the constants involved in the a priori estimates. The a priori estimates can then be used to predict the distribution of mesh parameters required to achieve a target error. This procedure is carried out for both h and p refinements. Extensive numerical testing indicates good performance of this method on a wide variety of problems. Efficient parallel solution of the linear system requires (a) good methods for partitioning these meshes into load balanced sub-domains and (b) robust and efficient parallel solvers. Successful, existing strategies for partitioning are reviewed and a very efficient new algorithm using recursive bisection of a space filling curve based ordering of the elements is introduced. This method is shown to be competitive with much more sophisticated techniques available in the literature. A class of efficient domain decomposition iterative solvers for adaptive hp methods is then introduced. Both theoretical analysis and numerical experimentation are used to establish robust and efficient behavior of the solvers. Condition number bounds of the form $C{H\over h}(1+\log\ p)(1+\log\ {H\sb{p}\over h}),$ where H, h, p are discretization and partitioning parameters, are derived for elliptic problems. These solvers are then extended to Stokesian flows. Novel techniques are developed to solve for the velocities in a divergence free space. Condition number bounds similar to those above are also obtained for such problems. Finally the adaptive strategy, partitioner and iterative solver are integrated and applied to model problems.
Kleinian guilt, determinism, and free will : Implications for clinical theory and treatment

The purpose of this discussion of teleological and deterministic concepts in clinical theory and treatment was not to offer definitive answers to a timeless philosophical problem. Indeed, a solution to the problem of free will in a deterministic science eludes even the greatest thinkers (cf. Howard and Conway, 1987). Following Feyerabend (1984), the purpose was instead to question one of the "general and lasting boundary conditions" (p.3)-causal explanations-introduced by Enlightenment-era philosophers of science to "protect" (p.3) science. I have attempted to demonstrate the logical inconsistencies of Klein's theory of etiology of infantile guild using both a teleological perspective that questions the assumption of causal explanations imposed on a scientific inquiry of human experience, and a deterministic perspective that affirms this assumption. When taken to their logical conclusions, both perspectives reduce to mutually irreconcilable theoretical and clinical absurdities. As as clinician I myself have chosen to work within a deterministic framework. I have found that perceiving the patient deterministically allows me to empathize with even the most unspeakable intrapsychic experiences. I share with my patient the antecedent conditions that efficiently cause our common experiences. It is this empathy for our share human condition-in al its transcendence, frailty, and profanity-communicated through interpretation that seems to give birth to the healing process (Goodman, 1991). This discussion doubtless also contains inconsistencies. Nevertheless, it contributes to the ongoing discourse of clinical theory and treatment because it draws attention to the enormous, yet still largely implicit, debt that clinical theory and treatment owe to philosophy. It is a great irony that the discipline that has historically put scientific inquiry in shackles also has the power to set it free. Whether teleology is the philosophical perspective to set clinical theory and treatment free, however, seems unlikely. In choosing to discuss Klein's theory of infantile guilt, I have taken seriously R.J. Rychlak and Rychlak's (1990) implicit support (cf. p.48) for a teleology that functions throughout the life span, et find it difficult to imagine both the unconscious and conscious minds with freely premising capacities-as if human being were actually two persons in one. One the other hand, reducing human beings to the status of Hobbesian machines-as the deterministic perspective seems to imply-presents a similarly unattractive alternative. To understand the nature of human suffering and the process of healing it, however, one thing is certain: A philosophical discourse of clinical theory and treatment must continue.
Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction via Scrotal Urethrostomy in an Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Abstract A 2-year-old castrated male Eastern fox squirrel ( Sciurus niger ) presented with a 3- to 4-week history of stranguria and intermittent lower urinary tract obstruction. A complete blood count, serum chemistry analysis, urinalysis, urine culture, radiographic imaging, and ultrasonography helped formulate a diagnosis of severe, chronic cystitis-induced lower urinary tract obstruction. The patient was treated using a pigtail drainage catheter followed by scrotal urethrostomy and abdominal exploratory surgery. Lower urinary tract disease and obstruction can occur sporadically in rodent species, resulting in presentation for hematuria, stranguria, decreased appetite, and lethargy. When complete obstruction occurs, urinary catheterization and/or surgical intervention are warranted. This case report demonstrates the use of scrotal urethrostomy for treatment of complicated lower urinary tract obstruction in a rodent species.
LESSONS IN LEARNING

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights various lessons learned during different experimental studies. In September 1941, on the occasion of a symposium on respiratory enzymes, many young Americans were exposed to the Meyerhof School, among others, and to exciting news on the processes of glycolysis and respiration. It is pointed out that the pivotal role of pyruvate furnished a most appropriate experimental vehicle; E. coli provided separable enzymes for chain cleavage, oxidation, and acetyl transfer; the known cofactors were purchased, or given by friends, and phosphate or oxalacetate served as acyl acceptor to form acetyl phosphate or citrate. Particularly memorable meetings occurred at Pacific Grove in 1948 and Berkeley in 1949. The first was during an unusually open summer in an environment devoted to learning, humanity, and an intellectual view of the microbes as living creatures selected to nature's environmental niches with the Sage of the Western Rocks, Kees van Niel. The Berkeley and 1950 New York sojourns generated an ease and regard that permeate meetings and conversations with Severo over topics as deep as the meaning of the human endeavor and contribute in major importance to the learning and maturation.
VDPA: A WSN deployment and analysis tool for road network security

A city-wide deployment of advanced sensing technology will, undoubtedly, transform the way we live and interact with the surroundings. A countless number of applications would be feasible if such deployment is available. Of immense importance is the protection of roads and other important infrastructure of a city. This is only one such application. Accordingly, we present an integrated tool which is a part of a comprehensive framework for supporting national security agencies in making informed decisions and achieving the best security outcomes. The proposed tool: Virtual Deployment and Performance Analysis tool (VDPA) will enable national security specialists to obtain automatically-generated, city-tailored Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) deployment plans, compare different deployments, test their functionality, get real deployment information, and many other important functions needed for a reliable technology application. Two deployment algorithms addressing WSN performance issues and homeland security (HS) interests are presented. Tool validation and suitability verification are accomplished through a set of three design case studies including the city of Chicago, IL, city of Milwaukee, WI, and the capital area of the state of Texas (also called greater Austin). For each case study, a deployment is first generated, then performance evaluation is done through simulation using appropriate routing protocols. Results show that large scale deployments can be easily designed and tested using VDPA. The tool is expected to greatly reduce the cost and effort associated with WSN-deployment planning and realization.
Episodic Memory Reconsolidation: An Update

In contrast to the study of memory reconsolidation in animals, research in humans is still in the early stages. This reflects the challenge to directly target memory reconsolidation without the use of pharmacological interventions that are often not safe for humans. Most studies therefore use paradigms in which new material is presented soon after memory reactivation. These studies show that human memories can be modified contingent upon their reactivation. Specifically, the novel material leads to interference in the original memories. This chapter reviews research on episodic memory reconsolidation that uses this approach in an object-learning paradigm. Learning a new set of objects after reactivation of a previous object-set memory causes the new objects to become integrated into the reactivated memory. We present studies that assess different types of reminders and the effects of memory strength and time delays, and we evaluate different theoretical accounts of our findings.
Rethinking Crime and Punishment, Rebuke and Love

Why do we punish so hard and so much? What are the justifications for punishment? There is rampant confusion between wrongful behavior and the idea of “a bad person.” Our system of retribution denies the offender dignity. To Plato, it makes no sense to add further injury to injury, to hurt the hurter. His model is not of a bad person who needs to be punished but of a hurting person who needs healing. Shakespeare associates retribution with the onset of madness in Lear and Othello, and in Hamlet he writes an anti-revenge drama. And in this anti-revenge play where daggers are futile, rebuke is not futile.” In Leviticus 19:17-18, along with the injunctions against vengeance, against hating, and even against bearing a grudge, all alongside the command to love the neighbor, is the injunction: “You shall surely rebuke your neighbor.” The story of Jonah in the Bible mocks the idea of strict retributive justice: the inhabitants of the wickedest city on earth are rebuked, repent, and then are forgiven by God, who defies Jonah’s demand that justice requires their punishment. The Joseph story takes up retribution again, and again rebuke is restorative for perpetrators and for the victim. In not leaving the offense unrecognized, rebuke also restores justice for the community, the tribes of Israel. Rebuke and forgiveness, rather than ignoring the culpability of the offender, are designed to make it explicit. Forgiveness is relational, between someone who harms and someone harmed; and because their relation is broken, initiatives and responses are required from both for their relation to heal. From the side of the injured issues recognition of offense and rebuke, from the injurer, acknowledgement and confession, from the injured, an offering of help, from the injurer, remorse, from the injured, recognition of that remorse, from the injurer apology, from the injured, forgiveness. Forgiveness is a process, and its unfolding is not unlike narrative or theater: we see it at work in The Tempest.
Comparison of Parent Report and Direct Assessment of Child Skills in Toddlers.

Background There are unique challenges associated with measuring development in early childhood. Two primary sources of information are used: parent report and direct assessment. Each approach has strengths and weaknesses, particularly when used to identify and diagnose developmental delays. The present study aimed to evaluate consistency between parent report and direct assessment of child skills in toddlers with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) across receptive language, expressive language, and fine motor domains.
The relationship between in vivo generated hemoglobin skeletal protein complex and increased red cell membrane rigidity.

In vitro induced oxidative damage to normal human RBCs has previously been shown to result in increased membrane rigidity as a consequence of the generation of a protein complex between hemoglobin and spectrin. In order to determine if in vivo generated hemoglobin-spectrin complexes may play a role in increased membrane rigidity of certain pathologic red cells, we measured both these parameters in membranes prepared from hereditary xerocytosis (Hx), sickle cell disease (Sc), and red cells from thalassemia minor (beta thal). Membranes were prepared from density-fractionated red cells, and membrane deformability was measured using an ektacytometer. Hemoglobin-spectrin complex was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel analysis, as well as by Western blot analysis using a monoclonal antibody against the beta- subunit of hemoglobin. For these three types of pathologic red cells, progressive cellular dehydration was associated with increased membrane rigidity and increased content of hemoglobin-spectrin complex. Moreover, the increase in membrane rigidity appeared to be directly related to the quantity of hemoglobin-spectrin complex associated with the membrane. Our findings imply that hemoglobin-spectrin complex is generated in vivo, and this in turn results in increased membrane rigidity of certain pathologic red cells. The data further suggest that oxidative crosslinking may play an important role in the pathophysiology of certain red cell disorders.
Fashion Magazines and Social Media. Do they work together or against each other to influence body image and social comparison in men

Fashion magazines have been recognized as an important source of unrealistic body types and body ideals (Harper T, 2008). Fashion models and celebrities are depicted as thin, tall, young individuals with Caucasian-like features. These images are unattainable for an average individual and studies have shown over the years that exposure to such images in many media contexts causes body dissatisfaction in women (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008). Most studies have focused on female body dissatisfaction as a result of media exposure, and male individuals have been largely ignored. This study will attempt to close the gap in research on male body image perceptions. This is a quantitative study conducted at San Francisco State University. Male (N=584) participants were selected from a large sample pool of 1,391 participants. Results and Implications are thoroughly discussed.
Identification of Risk Factors for Refractory Status Epilepticus

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify risk factors for the development of refractory status epilepticus (RSE). Methods: This was an IRB-approved, retrospective case control study that included patients admitted with status epilepticus between August 1, 2014, and July 31, 2017. Cases were defined as those with RSE, and controls were those who did not develop RSE. A bivariate analysis was conducted comparing those with RSE and those without RSE. A stepwise logistic regression model was constructed predicting for progression to RSE. Risk factors for progression to RSE were extrapolated from this model. Results: A total of 184 patients met inclusion criteria for the study (99 controls and 49 cases). After adjusting for covariates in the logistic regression, patients with convulsive seizures had a lower odds of developing RSE (odds ratio [OR] = 0.375; 95% CI = 0.148 to 0.951; P = 0.0388). Treatment with benzodiazepines plus levetiracetam had a higher odds of developing RSE (OR = 3.804; 95% CI = 1.523 to 9.499; P = 0.0042). Conclusion and Relevance: This study found that patients with convulsive seizures had a lower odds of developing RSE. In addition, patients treated with benzodiazepines and levetiracetam had a higher odds of developing RSE. This information can be used to potentially identify patients at higher risk of developing RSE, so that treatment can be modified to reduce morbidity and mortality. These results may warrant further investigation into the effectiveness of levetiracetam as a first-line agent for the treatment of SE.
Protein kinase Cα mediates recovery of renal and mitochondrial functions following acute injury.

Previously, we have shown that active protein kinase Cα (PKCα) promotes recovery of mitochondrial function after injury in vitro [Nowak G & Bakajsova D (2012) Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 303, F515-F526]. This study examined whether PKCα regulates recovery of mitochondrial and kidney functions after ischemia-induced acute injury (AKI) in vivo. Markers of kidney injury were increased after bilateral ischemia and returned to normal levels in wild-type (WT) mice. Maximum mitochondrial respiration and activities of respiratory complexes and Fo F1 -ATPase decreased after ischemia and recovered in WT mice. Reperfusion after ischemia was accompanied by translocation of active PKCα to mitochondria. PKCα deletion reduced mitochondrial respiration and activities of respiratory complex I and Fo F1 -ATPase in noninjured kidneys, indicating that PKCα is essential in developing fully functional renal mitochondria. These changes in PKCα-deficient mice were accompanied by lower levels of complex I subunits (NDUFA9 and NDUFS3) and the γ-subunit of Fo F1 -ATPase. Also, lack of PKCα exacerbated ischemia-induced decreases in respiration, complex I and Fo F1 -ATPase activities, and blocked their recovery after injury, indicating a crucial role of PKCα in promoting mitochondrial recovery after AKI. Further, PKCα deletion exacerbated acetylation and succinylation of key mitochondrial proteins of energy metabolism after ischemia due to decreases in deacetylase and desuccinylase (sirtuin3 and sirtuin5) levels in renal mitochondria. Thus, our data show a novel role for PKCα in regulating levels of mitochondrial sirtuins and acetylation and succinylation of key mitochondrial proteins. We conclude that PKCα deletion: (a) affects renal physiology by decreasing mitochondrial capacity for maximum respiration; (b) blocks recovery of mitochondrial functions, renal morphology, and functions after AKI; and (c) decreases survival after AKI. ENZYMES: Protein kinase C: EC 2.7.11.13; NADH : ubiquinone reductase (H+ -translocating; complex I): EC 7.1.1.2; FoF1-ATPase (H+ -transporting two-sector ATPase): EC 7.1.2.2; Succinate : ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex II): EC 1.3.5.1; Ubiquinol : cytochrome-c reductase (complex III): EC 7.1.1.8; Cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV): EC 1.9.3.1; NAD-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin-3, mitochondrial: EC 2.3.1.286; NAD-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin-5, mitochondrial: EC 3.5.1.-; Proteinase K (peptidase K): EC 3.4.21.64.
The Effect of Heat Treatment on the Stability of Nb3Sn RRP-150/169 Strands

Superconductins magnets fabricated with multi-filamentary Nb3Sn strands and cables are the best candidates for high field accelerator magnets in the field region of up to 16 T. A key challenge to Nb3Sn wires and cables is their magnetic instability [1]-[5], which can significantly depress their current-carrying capability to a fraction of the theoretical limit. The instability of Nb3Sn composite wires can be attributed to the redistribution of magnetic field inside a single superconducting filament or a strand as a whole (flux jump) induced by a perturbation. It was shown theoretically and confirmed experimentally that small filament size and low RRR of copper matrix are essential to a stable, high-Jc Nb3Sn composite strand. While there have been considerable amount of experimental and theoretical studies on this topic, they largely focused on some early Nb3Sn strands. With the development of Nb3Sn techniques in recent years, it is necessary to continue this work, both experimentally and theoretically, on state-of-the-art conductors. At Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), the design and fabrication of a 15 T dipole demonstrator magnet is in progress [6], [7]. In this work, we present some experimental study of the stability of Nb3Sn composite strands that will be used in this magnet. This work is also done jointly with variation of the heat treatment parameters.
9 – Antibacterial polyurethanes

Polyurethanes have been widely used for the manufacturing of medical devices due to their excellent mechanical property and good hemocompatibility, but they perform only moderately well in resistance to bacterial adhesion, they are susceptible to bacterial colonization and have a higher risk of infection. The current strategies for antibacterial polyurethanes generally focus on designing antibacterial surfaces to repel or resist bacterial attachment through incorporation or coating with antibiotic agents or surface modification in order to impart an anti-biofouling effect or a bactericidal effect. This chapter reviews developments in antibacterial polyurethanes by addressing anti-adhesive (anti-biofouling) polyurethanes and bactericidal polyurethanes. Anti-adhesive polyurethanes include the techniques of surface modification by chemical or physical topographical approaches, while the bactericidal polyurethanes include contact biocidal polyurethanes and biocidal-releasing polyurethanes. Other strategies and approaches of antibacterial polyurethanes and future perspective are also discussed.
Custody and Access to Children

Most people who divorce with children are able to decide what is in the best interests of their child without having to go to court to have the judge make the decision for them. In fact, it is usually a whole industry of health care and legal professionals who make the decisions and most family court judges merely ratify their recommendations, which more likely than not will be to share custody and access. Each parent is required to support themselves and their children which is presumed to be 50/50 unless there has been a disparity in income levels. In custody cases there are several presumptions that are believed to be in the best interests of the child although research in this chapter challenges most of the presumptions that are not supported by scientific research. We give examples of how shared parental custody and responsibility may not be in the best interests in families where there is domestic violence and child abuse or when one parent is not as available or competent as the other. Nor is the friendly parent in front of the judge or the child custody evaluators necessarily the best parent as many who abuse their power and control can manipulate and harass to get what they demand. Keeping siblings together may be harmful in families where sibling rivalry or mental illness in one of the children will compromise the development of the others. Forcing a parent to remain in the same geographic location even when better opportunities are elsewhere may also not be in the best interests of the child. The chapter is critical of the current child custody process and makes suggestions on other types of access to children. Research shows judges have bias against women when they allege abuse to themselves or their children by the fathers. The bias is shown to be worse when the father claims the mother is alienating him from the children and negates the reports of abuse placing both the mother and child in danger (Meier, 2019). Unfortunately child custody evaluators are recommending dangerous custodial arrangements attempting to conform with the law even though most laws have room for modification of the presumptions. Assessment of competent parenting skills and a thorough model custody and parental fitness evaluation is included. Resolving the Hague International Convention cases where children reside in two countries is also discussed.
The Development of the Measure of Adolescent Relationship Harassment and Abuse (MARSHA): Input From Black and Multiracial, Latinx, Native American, and LGBTQ+ Youth:

This formative research study was designed to collect opinion data from adolescents historically underrepresented in adolescent dating abuse (ADA) research measure development. Eight in-person focus groups and 7 telephone-based one-on-one interviews were conducted with U.S. youth aged from 11 to 20 years (N=48). We conducted two focus groups with Black, Multiracial, Latinx, Native American, and LGBTQ+ youth. Seven LGBTQ+ youth participated in one-on-one telephone-based interviews. Focus group participants and interview subjects were asked the same 11 questions from a semi-structured focus group question guide. Five questions were on the topic of dating behaviors in general. In addition, six questions were asked for reactions to a paper-based list of 75 abusive acts. Youth generated ideas for 10 new possible cyber-ADA items and 14 emotionally abusive items for inclusion on the ADA measurement instrument. They did not generate any new physical or sexual ADA items. Youth identified 14 acts that they felt should not be on the measure, either because the acts were not abusive and too common, because they could not understand the item, or because it seemed unrealistic as an act of ADA. The study faced several limitations and was a good first step toward enriching the cultural inclusivity of ADA measurement instrument. Continued attention to inclusionary research that seeks to understand the cultural milieux of diverse participants is essential for violence prevention scholarship and subsequent health programming and policy that derive from it.
A Systematic Review of the Effects of Schoolwide Intervention Programs on Student and Teacher Perceptions of School Climate.

A safe, supportive school climate is critical for school effectiveness. Unfortunately, the research linking a positive school climate to critical student outcomes includes few systematic reviews of...
Replica exchange Wang–Landau sampling of long HP model sequences

Abstract Long sequences of the HP model of protein folding are studied using replica exchange Wang–Landau sampling. We find lower ground state energies than found from earlier simulations using PERM and replica exchange Monte Carlo and, for the first time, extract specific heat curves.
Looking a Gift-Horse in the Mouth: Some Observations and Suggestions for Improving Internal Revenue Code Section 1244

Congress enacted section 1244 of the Internal Revenue Code to encourage investment in small businesses and to place stockholders of small corporations on a nearly equal basis with proprietors and partners. Despite Congress’s broad goals enacting section 1244, taxpayers must meet certain requirements in order to ensure the availability of the section 1244 deduction. Generally, the requirements fall into three main categories: the stock, the corporation, and the stockholder. The taxpayer or corporation must meet further requirements, which concern high basis property transferred to the corporation, the plan requirement for taxable years ending before November 6, 1978, and additional stock issuances after an initial offering. Of all of the original requirements that Congress imposed on section 1244 stock, the most restrictive and problematic was the necessity to adopt a qualified plan. Several additional problems may arise in connection with section 1244 that the Code and regulations do not sufficiently cover. Surprisingly, these difficulties are quite common, and include the debt-equity problem, the gross receipts test, and partnership incorporation. The Revenue Act of 1978 provided some relief to the technical and administrative difficulties of section 1244, but several problem areas still remain. Hopefully, section 1244 will become a simplified and meaningful method of attracting capital, which would exemplify Congress's intent to encourage the growth of small business.
Knowledge-Infused Abstractive Summarization of Clinical Diagnostic Interviews: Framework Development Study.

Background: In clinical diagnostic interviews, mental health professionals (MHPs) implement a care practice that involves asking open questions (eg, “What do you want from your life?” “What have you tried before to bring change in your life?”) while listening empathetically to patients. During these interviews, MHPs attempted to build a trusting human-centered relationship while collecting data necessary for professional medical and psychiatric care. Often, because of the social stigma of mental health disorders, patient discomfort in discussing their presenting problem may add additional complexities and nuances to the language they use, that is, hidden signals among noisy content. Therefore, a focused, well-formed, and elaborative summary of clinical interviews is critical to MHPs in making informed decisions by enabling a more profound exploration of a patient’s behavior, especially when it endangers life. Objective: The aim of this study is to propose an unsupervised, knowledge-infused abstractive summarization (KiAS) approach that generates summaries to enable MHPs to perform a well-informed follow-up with patients to improve the existing summarization methods built on frequency heuristics by creating more informative summaries. Methods: Our approach incorporated domain knowledge from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 lexicon into an integer linear programming framework that optimizes linguistic quality and informativeness. We used 3 baseline approaches: extractive summarization using the SumBasic algorithm, abstractive summarization using integer linear programming without the infusion of knowledge, and abstraction over extractive summarization to evaluate the performance of KiAS. The capability of KiAS on the Distress Analysis Interview Corpus-Wizard of Oz data set was demonstrated through interpretable qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Results: KiAS generates summaries (7 sentences on average) that capture informative questions and responses exchanged during long (58 sentences on average), ambiguous, and sparse clinical diagnostic interviews. The summaries generated using KiAS improved upon the 3 baselines by 23.3%, 4.4%, 2.5%, and 2.2% for thematic overlap, Flesch Reading Ease, contextual similarity, and Jensen Shannon divergence, respectively. On the Recall-Oriented Understudy for Gisting Evaluation-2 and Recall-Oriented Understudy for Gisting Evaluation-L metrics, KiAS showed an improvement of 61% and 49%, respectively. We validated the quality of the generated summaries through visual inspection and substantial interrater agreement from MHPs. Conclusions: Our collaborator MHPs observed the potential utility and significant impact of KiAS in leveraging valuable but voluminous communications that take place outside of normally scheduled clinical appointments. This study shows promise in generating semantically relevant summaries that will help MHPs make informed decisions about patient status.
Inequity in Racial-Ethnic Representation in Randomized Controlled Trials of Diabetes Technologies in Type 1 Diabetes: Critical Need for New Standards.

Racial/ethnic inequity exists in all aspects of health care and does not exclude the field of advanced diabetes technology. Despite the recent increase in technological therapeutic options for diabetes management and mounting evidence of positive effects on glycemic outcomes, emerging reports have highlighted that insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor use remain significantly lower in Black and Hispanic compared with White populations (1,2). Critical needs remain to bridge gaps in technology use. An important issue that we in the scientific and research communities can modify is the inclusion of minorities in clinical trials of diabetes devices. The population prevalence estimates of type 1 diabetes in the U.S. were as follows: non-Hispanic White, 72%; Hispanic, 15.7%; non-Hispanic Black, 9.3%; and Asian, 2.4% (3). Adequate racial/ethnic representation in parallel with the prevalence of type 1 diabetes is needed not only to evaluate widespread efficacy and acceptability of diabetes technology but also to create better dissemination and marketing plans that increase use among underrepresented groups. To evaluate the current state, we investigated racial/ethnic enrollment of participants in published clinical trials of type 1 diabetes technology to estimate whether trial enrollment had adequate representation of racial/ethnic minority groups. We used Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases to systematically search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of currently U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved hybrid closed-loop and continuous glucose monitoring devices in the U.S. We included only U.S. studies, as …
Chitosan Effect in Vascular Surgery, Tissue Culture and Tissue Regeneration

In our previous studies of hemostasis utilizing Chitosan solution (2 mgm/ml.pH4)1,2 we found that the Chitosan solution formed a coagulum in contact with whole blood. No such reaction was obtained with albumen, globulin, white cells, or platelets. Further investigation showed that the reaction did occur with heparinized blood, defibrinated blood, washed red cells and pure red cell membranes. Therefore, the mechanism for the coagulation appears to be a reaction between the red cell membrane and the Chitosan solution leading to crosslinkage or re-polymerization. (Fig 1)
ADOLESCENT ENAMEL DECALCIFICATION. REPORT OF A CASE

Abstract 1. 1. A case in which a 16-year-old Caucasian boy exhibited severe loss of enamel has been presented. The lesions showed features commensurate with the commonly defined pathologic processes of decalcification, crosion, attrition, and abrasion. 2. 2. Experimental roentgenographic evidence indicates a zone of demineralization of a degree that might account for an apparent advancement of the lesion by secondary factors even though the primary etiological factor has been eliminated.
Design for manufacturing in the nanoscale era

Design for manufacturing, DFM, has been an increasingly important area for several years. Lithography at 90nm, 65nm, and below takes DFM into the critical zone for designers. Designers must now use extreme measures to achieve full technology entitlement of performance, power, area, reliability and yield. This presentations focus on major physical DFM effects and their impact on designers. It uses real life examples from 90 and 65nm to illustrate problems and trends. Several focus issues are linked to design impact and onto rules, modeling and other mitigation techniques. This talks touch on several critical areas such as RET/OPC/litho/etch, simulation, layout rules, and extraction. Both systematic and random effects are mentioned. Also covered are examples of some methods that are used to model or design around these issues to enable designers to meet technology entitlement goals.
Decision Theory and the Case for a Disclosure-Based Insider Trading Regime

Stock trading on the basis of material, nonpublic information (insider trading) is a “mixed bag” in that it can create both social harms and social benefits. Attempts to regulate such mixed bag business practices may err in two directions: They may wrongly permit or encourage socially undesirable instances of the practice at issue, or they may wrongly condemn or deter socially desirable instances. In either case, social welfare suffers (i.e., “error costs” result). Attempts to avoid error in one direction or another by heightening the liability inquiry will tend to increase the administrative costs (“decision costs”) of the regulatory regime. Decision theory therefore calls for regulating mixed bag practices under a regime that “minimizes the sum of error and decision costs.” Adjudged under the decision-theoretic criterion, the current regime for regulating insider trading in the United States fails; it is difficult to administer, and it deters many instances of socially desirable informed trading. The approach apparently favored by the enforcement agencies fares even worse. The laissez-faire, “contractarian” approach favored by many law and economics scholars would represent an improvement over both the legal status quo and the approach favored by the enforcement agencies, but that approach, too, may be suboptimal.This paper advocates an optional, disclosure-based regulatory regime. Under the regime, authorized informed trading would be permitted as long as the trader first disclosed to a centralized, searchable database her insider status, the fact that she was trading on the basis of material, nonpublic in-formation, and the nature of her trade. Such an approach would (1) enhance the market efficiency benefits of insider trading by facilitating “trade decoding,” while (2) reducing potential costs stemming from deliberate mismanagement, disclosure delays, and infringement of informational property rights. By “accentuating the positive” and “eliminating the negative” consequences of informed trading, the proposed approach would perform better than the legal status quo and the leading proposed regulatory alternatives at minimizing the sum of error and decision costs resulting from insider trading restrictions.
Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: Another Battle in the Culture Wars

Protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, we do not share a common morality. Moreover, there are deep and divisive moral disagreements about medical matters. We are divided by substantive differences regarding the content of morality, even with respect to the meaning of morality. Is morality the reflection of a Platonic world of enduring values? Or, is it merely the product of evolution and culture, contingent and fraught with internal contradictions? Or is it properly an expression of God’s will? Depending on the moral framework affirmed, physician-assisted suicide will be an element of patient empowerment or assisted self-murder. Physician-assisted suicide and voluntary active euthanasia1 evoke controversies that reflect foundationally contrasting moral visions with important implications for bioethics and health care policy. To place the disputes regarding physician-assisted suicide in a larger context, this essay explores the depth of the moral disagreements that exist in secular bioethics.
Mannose binding lectin genotypes are not associated with increased risk of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss

Purpose Immune response to infections has been associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Low plasma mannose binding lectin (MBL) levels, an innate immunity factor in infections, has been related to RPL. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that MBL genotypes that are known to cause reduced plasma MBL levels are significantly more frequent among women experiencing unexplained RPL.
Accuracy of highway surveys

Abstract Highway surveys range from the general to the specific. Where the area of concern is large, generalities are acceptable and accuracy is less important. Whereever details are required, as for location, for design, and for right-of-way and construction plans, precision is needed in both dimensions and position. Accuracies are related to the type of topography traversed, the intensity and character of land use encountered, and the economic value of the property affected, and for rights-of-way needed. The essential accuracies required and now feasible when aerial surveys are employed properly and comprehensively enough for each particular purpose, according to the circumstances and conditions encountered, and to the engineering requirements, are presented.
Sensitivity of MRI Tumor Biomarkers to VEGFR Inhibitor Therapy in an Orthotopic Mouse Glioma Model

MRI biomarkers of tumor edema, vascular permeability, blood volume, and average vessel caliber are increasingly being employed to assess the efficacy of tumor therapies. However, the dependence of these biomarkers on a number of physiological factors can compromise their sensitivity and complicate the assessment of therapeutic efficacy. Here we examine the response of these MRI tumor biomarkers to cediranib, a potent vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor, in an orthotopic mouse glioma model. A significant increase in the tumor volume and relative vessel caliber index (rVCI) and a slight decrease in the water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were observed for both control and cediranib treated animals. This contrasts with a clinical study that observed a significant decrease in tumor rVCI, ADC and volume with cediranib therapy. While the lack of a difference between control and cediranib treated animals in these biomarker responses might suggest that cediranib has no therapeutic benefit, cediranib treated mice had a significantly increased survival. The increased survival benefit of cediranib treated animals is consistent with the significant decrease observed for cediranib treated animals in the relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), relative microvascular blood volume (rMBV), transverse relaxation time (T2), blood vessel permeability (K(trans)), and extravascular-extracellular space (ν(e)). The differential response of pre-clinical and clinical tumors to cediranib therapy, along with the lack of a positive response for some biomarkers, indicates the importance of evaluating the whole spectrum of different tumor biomarkers to properly assess the therapeutic response and identify and interpret the therapy-induced changes in the tumor physiology.
Ballistic impact of anisotropic 2024 aluminum sheet and plate

Abstract 2024 Aluminum sheet and plate are known to have anisotropic strength characteristics with regard to plasticity. However, numerical investigations of the impact behavior of sheet metals rarely consider anisotropic behavior. The effect of anisotropy in an impacted 2024 aluminum target is investigated experimentally and numerically. Normal impact experiments of titanium alloy and tool steel projectiles, with impact velocities ranging from 190 to 299 m/s, into 3.175 mm thick 2024-T3 sheet and 12.7 mm thick 2024-T351 plate are presented. Rear surface strains and displacements are measured using three-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC). Simulations of selected impact experiments, using a six-component anisotropic plasticity model for the target, are compared to the experimental data. Two model parameter sets are used. The first set accounts for initial anisotropic strength properties of the target, while the second reduces to an isotropic (von Mises) yield function. The objective of the numerical simulations is to study the difference in the results between the anisotropic and isotropic parameter sets. Results show that the yield function parameters used for simulations of both the 3.175 mm sheet and 12.7 mm plate have a significant effect on the calculated residual velocity of the projectile. The anisotropic parameter set simulations agree with experimental rear surface panel displacements and strains for both target thicknesses. There is experimental evidence of anisotropic deformation behavior only in the case of the 3.175 mm thick 2024-T3 target panels. The results demonstrate that the form of the yield function has a significant effect on the results of the impact simulations.
Protein C pathway impairment in nonsymptomatic cigarette smokers.

Abstract ABSTRACT Increased risk of thrombosis in cigarette smokers implies the existence of an underlying prethrombotic state. It is known that oxidative damage to the endothelium surface occurs in chronic smokers. Protein C activation takes place mostly on the endothelium of small vessels and the anticoagulant activity of protein C requires the presence of lipid membranes that are vulnerable to oxidation. Our objective was to analyze the relationship between smoking and plasma levels of activated protein C, protein C zymogen, activated protein C complexed with serpins, total and free protein S, C4b-binding protein, and thrombomodulin, as well as fibrinogen, fibrinopeptide A, and protease-cleaved antithrombin III. Of the 189 plasma donors used in this study 83 were nonsymptomatic smokers (age range 20–44 years, women/men ratio = 1.13) and 106 were healthy nonsmokers (age range 22–59 years, women/men ratio = 1.36). Smokers had 23.3% lower circulating activated protein C than nonsmokers ( p = 0.003) and the differences were more pronounced in males than in females. Protein C levels were also significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers ( p = 0.034). Correlations were negative between the intensity of smoking and circulating activated protein C levels ( r = −0.31, p = 0.004) and between smoking and the ratio of activated protein C to protein C zymogen ( r = −0.37, p = 0.001). Positive correlations were found between smoking intensity and fibrinogen ( r = 0.21, p = 0.042), or fibrinopeptide A ( r = 0.219, p = 0.034). Other parameters tested did not show a statistically significant dose–response for the number of cigarettes smoked. Cigarette smoke dose-dependent hypercoagulability due to acquired activated protein C deficiency could contribute to the increased risk of thrombosis in smokers.