cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Silicon Impurities on Superconducting Properties of V3Ga-Cu Wire

Superconducting critical current measurements have been undertaken to determine whether small amounts of Si impurity are detrimental to the performance of Cu-V3Ga composites. Vanadium metal is much less expensive if a few hundred ppm Si can be tolerated so this is an important economic consideration in large scale applications. It is found that critical currents in the 8 to 18 T range rise gradually with increasing Si out to about 1000 ppmw and then decrease at higher concentrations. Both monofilament bronze process material and in situ material have been examined and it is found that a few hundred ppmw Si is beneficial for both. No difficulty is found in mechanical processing of the material out to 3000 ppmw Si.
The clinical significance and improvement of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate to pulmonary function of children with asthma

Objective: To observe improvement of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate to pulmonary function in children with asthma. Methods: A survey of IOS and the flow volume (F-V) was conducted on 61 asthmatic children, who were treated with salmeterol/fluticasone propionate, with Jaeger Master screen IOS instrument. Forced vital capacity (FVC), the first second expired volume (FEV1), maximal expiratory flow at 25% of vital capacity (FEF25), maximal expiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity (MEF50), maximal expiratory flow at 75% of vital capacity (FEF75), respiratory resistance (Zrs), total airway resistance (R5), central airway resistance (R20), and frequency of response (Fres) were observed. Results: After inhaled salmeterol/fluticasone propionate, FVC, FEV1, PEF increased significantly. Zrs, R5, R20, Fres decreased significantly. The test results of two methods have significant differences. Conclusion: Inhaled salmeterol/fluticasone propionate can improve pulmonary respiratory function and decrease airway resistance of asthmatic children. It is one of ideal medicine in treatment of children asthma.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of PET,PTT and PBT materials

Conventional fiber analysis methods,e.g.AATCC 20A—2010,can be used to identify aromatic polyester from other fiber materials,but can not identify polyester types(PET,PTT,PBT).In this article,differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) is used to qualitatively characterize different types of polyester materials based on their difference in melting temperatures.Nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) was further used to quantitatively determine the polyester content based on the diagnostic chemical shift.The results show that DSC in combination with NMR can be used to determine the type and content of aromatic polyester effectively,and the accuracy and repeatability are good.This method can be used in inspection of textile products as well as content analysis of engineering plastics of polyester.
Growth factor effects on endometrial epithelial cell differentiation and protein synthesis in vitro

Objective To develop a baseline for projected studies of a rat endometriosis model. Design We investigated the effects of two macrophage-related growth factors, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), on proliferation, in vitro differentiation, and protein secretion of uterine epithelial cells from immature rats. Uterine epithelial cells grown on matrix covered filters were treated with growth factors (GFs) or estrogen and/or P. Incorporation of [35S]methionine by polarized uterine epithelial cell proteins and secretion of labeled proteins into apical and basal culture medium were examined. Setting Department of Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Main Outcome Measures Cell associated and secreted proteins were resolved by gel electrophoresis, fluorography, and immunoblotting. Proliferation was quantified by cell counts in parallel cultures by hemocytometer. Results Estrogen and P increase protein synthesis by uterine epithelium. Transforming growth factor-β depressed protein synthesis and secretion in uterine epithelial cells. Platelet-derived growth factor appears to have no effect on epithelial protein synthesis or secretion and does not modulate the effect of TGF-β. Estrogen and P increase complement component 3 (C3) production by epithelial cells. Conclusion Macrophage-secreted GFs may play a role in the development and maintenance of ectopic endometrial tissue. Both TGF-β and ovarian steroids may participate in the dynamic regulation of protein synthesis by ectopic uterine epithelium. These molecules may indirectly affect the macrophage-stromal axis through nonspecific modulation of C3 secretion. Platelet-derived growth factor appears to have no direct effect on uterine epithelial cells. The recognized effect of PDGF on ectopic endometrial tissue is most likely mediated via the stromal component.
Sturm-Liouville Theory

Other ordinary differential equations arise when the partial differential equations are solved by separation of variables, including Bessel's equation and Legendre's equation. Each of these is a Sturm-Liouville differential equation. This chapter presents the problem of solving a Sturm–Liouville differential equation as an eigenfunction/eigenvalue problem and finds conditions on a function that ensure the Fourier expansion of the function in terms of eigenfunctions converges to the function. The chapter considers only uniform convergence and L 2 convergence. The chapter also discusses the self-adjoint property of a Sturm-Liouville equation, completeness of eigenfunctions for Sturm-Liouville equations, and uniform convergence of Fourier series.
Atypical Vancouver Type-C Periprosthetic Fracture Complicated by Nonunion: A Case Report.

Case: In recent years, atypical femoral fractures (AFFs) associated with bisphosphonate use have increasingly been reported, but current definitions limit their diagnosis to native femora. Atypical periprosthetic fractures are rare. We present a case of a Vancouver type-C periprosthetic fracture that was recognized as an AFF following nonunion. Conclusion: Bisphosphonate-associated AFFs can present as periprosthetic fractures. Delayed recognition of the role of bisphosphonates in a periprosthetic fracture may lead to a worse outcome, including a delay in diagnosis, delayed union, and failure of fixation.
Breast Cancer Disparities: Socioeconomic Factors versus Biology

Disparities in poverty and health care access barriers have a negative impact on the health and wellness of population subsets that bear a disproportionate share of these socioeconomic disadvantages, such as African Americans and Hispanic/Latina Americans. The more advanced stage distribution of breast cancer in these two population subsets is likely related to imbalance in distribution of socioeconomic resources in the United States. However, differences in the breast cancer burden of population subsets defined by racial/ethnic identity are also influenced by race/ethnicity-associated variation in tumor biology and hereditary susceptibility. Compared with white Americans, African-American women have higher population-based breast cancer mortality rates, which are at least partly explained by an increased risk for the biologically aggressive triple-negative phenotype. International studies correlate West African ancestry with predisposition for triple-negative breast cancer. In contrast, Hispanic/Latina Americans have lower population-based incidence and mortality rates for breast cancer despite their increased rates of socioeconomic challenges. Genetic studies suggest that extent of Native American ancestry among Hispanic/Latina women may reduce breast cancer risk. Eradication of disparate access to breast cancer early detection and treatment strategies is a public health imperative, but research to elucidate the genetics of breast cancer related to racial/ethnic identity is equally important as we strive to comprehensively define this complex disease.
Alfalfa-derived HSP70 administered intranasally improves insulin sensitivity in mice.

Heat shock protein (HSP) 70 is an abundant cytosolic chaperone protein that is deficient in insulin-sensitive tissues in diabetes and unhealthy aging, and is considered a longevity target. It is also protective in neurological disease models. Using HSP70 purified from alfalfa and administered as an intranasal solution, we tested in whether the administration of Hsp70 to diet-induced diabetic mice would improve insulin sensitivity. Both the 10 and 40 μg given three times per week for 26 days significantly improved the response to insulin. The HSP70 was found to pass into the olfactory bulbs within 4–6 hours of a single dose. These results suggest that a relatively inexpensive, plentiful source of HSP70 administered in a simple, non-invasive manner, has therapeutic potential in diabetes.
When less is more: From kitchen space assessments to food security for mobile and stationary recreational vehicle dwellers:

This study examined full-time recreational vehicle dwellers in the USA and revealed that mobile and stationary recreational vehicle dwellers were mainly the ‘young-old’ and those entering retiremen...
Statistical Process Monitoring for IoT-Enabled Cybermanufacturing: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract Initiated from services and consumer products industries, there is a growing interest in using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in various industries. In particular, IoT-enabled cybermanufacturing starts to draw increasing attention. Because IoT devices such as IoT sensors are usually much cheaper and smaller than the traditional sensors, there is a potential for instrumenting manufacturing systems with massive number of sensors. The premise is that the big data subsequently collected from IoT sensors can be utilized to advance manufacturing. Therefore, data-driven statistical process monitoring (SPM) is expected to contribute significantly to the advancement of cybermanufacturing. In this work, the state-of-the-art in cybermanufacturing is reviewed; an IoT-enabled manufacturing technology testbed (MTT) was built to explore the potential of IoT sensors for manufacturing, as well as to understand the characteristics of data produced by the IoT sensors; finally, the potentials and challenges associated with big data analytics presented by cybermanufacturing systems is discussed; and we propose statistics pattern analysis (SPA) as a promising SPM tool for cybermanufacturing.
Emergency department management of patients with rib fracture based on a clinical practice guideline

Background Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have the ability to increase efficiency and standardize care. A CPG based on forced vital capacity (FVC) for rib fractures was developed as a tool for triage of these patients. The objectives of this study were to assess the efficacy and compliance of physicians with this rib fracture CPG. Methods Patients >18 that were discharged from an urban level 2 trauma center emergency department (ED) between the dates of January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016, were eligible for the study. Demographics, mechanism, outcomes and FVC were abstracted by review of the electronic medical record. Compliance with the CPG was examined, and comparisons were made between patients successfully discharged and patients who returned. Results 455 patients met were identified during the study period. 233 were eligible after exclusions. 64% of the cohort was male with median age of 53 years. Falls were the most common mechanism (59.6%). The median number of rib fractures was 2 and median FVC 2500 mL. 28 (12.0%) of the 233 returned to the ED after discharge. The groups were well matched with no significant differences. The most common reason for return was pain (95%). Adjusted analysis showed that increasing age (adjusted OR (AOR) 0.968) and FVC (AOR 0.999) were independent predictors. Adherence with the CPG was good for hemothorax/pneumothorax and bilateral fractures (96%), but lagged with the number of fractures (74%). Conclusions This study confirms that the rib fracture CPG is safe and an FVC of 1500 mL is a safe criterion for discharging patients with rib fractures. Interestingly, it appears that older age is protective. More work needs to be done on effective pain control to decrease return to ED visits using this CPG. Level of evidence IV. Type of study Therapeutic.
Clinical Psychology, Insularity, and the World Outside the Clinic

In this chapter, we first examine why the world outside the clinic matters for clinical psychology, as well as offer a preliminary sketch of how travel and movement can serve as vehicles toward overcoming various insular tendencies of the field. We begin by introducing the four forms of insularity that plague the field—social-ecological, practical, cultural, and scientific-philosophical—situating these within a rich history of critique. We then suggest that in order to better address the world outside the clinic, which is integral to the very possibility of well-being, let us venture outside the clinic. We conclude with a sketch of the remaining chapters.
Role of sentinel lymph node harboring 4T1 tumor metastases in the development of systemic antitumor immune response

1038 The standard treatment of early breast cancer is surgical removal of primary tumors along with regional lymph-nodes (LN) if positive sentinel LN are detected. In the absence of positive sentinel LN, only primary tumors are removed. These procedures are generally believed to be curative if cancer cells have not metastasized to distant visceral organs. We developed an animal model using 4T1 mammary carcinoma to study the role of tumor-draining LN (TDLN) that harbored metastases in the development of an antitumor immune response. BALB/c mice were inoculated with 1x10 6 4T1 tumor cells subdermally on the right hind leg and primary tumors were surgically removed on day7 or day10. To detect the presence of 4T1 cells in the draining inguinal LN and other visceral organs such the lung and liver, we prepared single cell suspensions and cultured them in the presence of 60 μM 6-thioguanine. This method allows the detection of a single viable tumor cell, thus provided evidence of early metastases. Analyses of metastases on day7 revealed that 98% (43/44), 80% (8/10), of TDLN and lungs had metastases, respectively, with no evidence of metastases (0/10) in the liver. Metastases were detected on day10 in 100% (16/16), 100% (9/9), and 80% (4/5) of TDLN, lung and liver, respectively. Surgical removal of primary tumors alone on day7 cured 91% (20/22) of mice despite the presence of metastases in the TDLN and lung. Similarly, removal of primary tumors on day10 cured 73% (11/15) of mice. By contrast, resection of both primary tumors and TDLN on day7 cured 68% (27/40), and resection of primary tumors and TDLN on day10 cured only 27% (4/15) of mice. Preliminary experiments also showed that 89% (8/9) of survival mice after removal of primary tumors with intact TDLN resisted a secondary subdermal challenge of 4T1 tumor cells. Sublethal whole body irradiation (500 rad) of mice on the day of the removal of primary tumors on day7 or day10 reduced survival rates from 80% (8/10) to 43% (6/14). Our results suggest that despite the presence of tumor metastases, sentinel TDLN played an important role in the development of a systemic antitumor immunity. Surgical removal of the TDLN at the time of primary tumor surgery could interfere with the immune response mounted against the growing tumor metastases.
Image-Based Shape Characterization and Three-Dimensional Discrete Element Modeling of a Granular Martian Regolith Simulant

Particle size distribution (grading) and particle shape are two of the most salient factors that affect the mechanical behavior of a granular material. In this paper, a machine learning and level set-based method is proposed to obtain the particle size distribution and three-dimensional particle shape information of a granular Martian regolith simulant from its X-ray computed tomography (CT) images. The extracted realistic particle shapes are characterized by various shape descriptors and are then incorporated into the development of a shape and grading-dependent three dimensional discrete element model. Numerical repose angle tests are conducted to demonstrate the capability of the DEM model and to study the mechanical behavior of the Martian regolith simulant. Validated against conventional laboratory tests, the numerical analysis provides insights of the material behavior from the fundamental level.
A pumpless body-on-a-chip model using a primary culture of human intestinal cells and a 3D culture of liver cells

We describe an expanded modular gastrointestinal (GI) tract-liver system by co-culture of primary human intestinal epithelial cells (hIECs) and 3D liver mimic. The two organ body-on-chip design consisted of GI and liver tissue compartments that were connected by fluidic medium flow driven via gravity. The hIECs and HepG2 C3A liver cells in the co-culture system maintained high viability for at least 14 days in which hIECs differentiated into major cell types found in native human intestinal epithelium and the HepG2 C3A cells cultured on 3D polymer scaffold formed a liver micro-lobe like structure. Moreover, the hIECs formed a monolayer on polycarbonate membranes with a tight junction and authentic TEER values of approximately 250 Ω cm2 for the native gut. The hIEC permeability was compared to a conventional permeability model using Caco-2 cell response for drug absorption by measuring the uptake of propranolol, mannitol and caffeine. Metabolic rates (urea or albumin production) of the cells in the co-culture GI-liver system were comparable to those of HepG2 C3A cells in a single-organ fluidic culture system, while induced CYP activities were significantly increased in the co-culture GI tract-liver system compared to the single-organ fluidic culture system. These results demonstrated potential of the low-cost microphysiological GI-liver model for preclinical studies to predict human response.
Development of NPACI Grid Application Portals and Portal Web Services

Grid portals and services are emerging as convenient mechanisms for providing the scientific community with familiar and simplified interfaces to the Grid. Our experiences in implementing computational grid portals, and the services needed to support them, has led to the creation of GridPort: a unique, integrated, layered software system for building portals and hosting portal services that access Grid services. The usefulness of this system has been successfully demonstrated with the implementation of several application portals. This system has several unique features: the software is portable and runs on most webservers; written in Perl/CGI, it is easy to support and modify; a single API provides access to a host of Grid services; it is flexible and adaptable; it supports single login between multiple portals; and portals built with it may run across multiple sites and organizations. In this paper we summarize our experiences in building this system, including philosophy and design choices and we describe the software we are building that support portal development, portal services. Finally, we discuss our experiences in developing the GridPort Client Toolkit in support of remote Web client portals and Grid Web services.
Relationship between the feasible group and the point group of a rigid molecule

The role of the point group in conventional rigid molecule theory is reviewed and its relationship to the feasible group discussed.
Natural Spontaneities and Morality in Confucian Philosophy

The concept of spontaneity is as rich as it is important. It is rich in meaning and ambiguity, and yet no thorough explanation has been given it in philosophy, although the word has been used in various contexts of common language. It is also important because it arises from some fundamental experiences of life and reality in their process aspect and seems to capture an essential characteristic of life and reality, thereby contributing to their understanding. Western philosophers in general have not particularly focused on this concept in order to explore its reference and structure, but seem instead to have attempted to explain it away. The mechanistic model of classical physics is a good example. Even in contemporary philosophy of mind and history, systematic explanation is based upon considerations of workings of mechanic laws or law-like regularities. Spontaneity is not considered as a principle of its own; it is not analyzed or made precise. There is an escape from spontaneity. On the contrary, Eastern philosophy, particularly Confucianism and Taoism, from the very beginning have focused on spontaneity as an ultimate principle: a principle of explanation and a principle of justification as well as a principle which is identified with the most general and most profound experience of man and his relation to the world. Vested in the concept of spontaneity is the whole corpus of our understanding of nature, life, reality, and the ultimate destiny and fulfillment of man. It can be shown that all the major concepts found in Confucianism and Taoism are based upon or derived from our understanding and experience of spontaneity.
Organic Matter Oxidation in Marine Sediments

The diagenesis and preservation of organic matter in marine sediments has received considerable attention in the past several years. Studies have quantified rates of organic carbon oxidation in sediments and how these rates vary among sedimentary environments, representing a range in sedimentation rates, levels of bottom water oxygen (for example, Canfield, 1989b; Emerson, 1985), and other factors. Also explored has been the relative importance of various oxidants (e.g. O2, NO3 −, etc.) in total carbon oxidation (see reviews by Henrichs and Reeburgh, 1987; Jorgensen, 1983; Reeburgh, 1983; Smith and Hinga, 1983).
Light: Physical Optics

This chapter explains physical optics of light. Physical optics treats those phenomena associated specifically with the wave nature of light. No restrictions apply to physical optics, and some optical interference phenomena are most apparent when light passes through slits or circular openings having dimensions of a few wavelengths of light. Such phenomena can be explained only in terms of the wave-like characteristics of light. The description of another category of optical phenomena, polarization effects, depends on the wave nature of light. Polarization is related specifically to the transverse character of light waves. Optical interference may occur when two light waves are simultaneously present in the same region of space. The effects of interference, when they exist, may usually be observed as alternating regions of bright and dim light on a screen. At those locations on the screen that appear relatively bright, constructive interference occurs; at locations that appear relatively dim or perhaps completely dark, destructive interference takes place.
The Photographer and the Zoo: A Memoir of Mediated Encounters

What kinds of encounters are possible in places entirely structured according to anthropocentric norms and with only minimal regard for the interests of other creatures? The zoo, an institution centered on the human gaze and the satisfaction of human consumptive desires, pushes this question to its extreme, given that the nonhuman creatures involved have been actively transported to and imprisoned in this ostensibly ‘animal-centered’ but in fact violently anthropocentric place. Zoo creatures are, first and foremost, living testimony to the power of humans to remove them from their habitats and put them into places where they do not belong and do not want to be. In this personal essay, the author reflects on his long friendship and collaboration with German photographer Britta Jaschinski, whose photography captures captive animals from zoos around the world, conveying a strong sense of the animals’ out-of-place-ness and the limiting artificiality of their surroundings and living conditions. Her photos point to the ways in which the zoo, rather than being a place that uniquely allows for encounters between human and nonhuman creatures, actually serves as a monument to the impossibility of such encounters—it is a strikingly non-reciprocal, and monological place that forcefully reinscribes, and itself performs, the supposed divide that separates humans from other species.
Quality Improvement, Performance Management, and Outcomes: Lean Six Sigma for Integrated Behavioral Health

The transition to value-based healthcare is shifting reimbursement for integrated behavioral healthcare from fee-for-service to value-based contracts that emphasize improved quality, efficiency, and outcomes. The Lean Six Sigma approaches to quality improvement are well-suited to meet these new criteria. Techniques such as the value stream map, the plan-do-study-act cycle, control charts, and the A3 Report are Lean Six Sigma approaches to quantifying value-based care, evaluating improvements over time, and initiating quality improvement efforts as needed. The competencies covered in this chapter reflect the importance of improving efficiency, decreasing waste, and improving outcomes in integrated behavioral healthcare delivery. Examples of measurement and evaluation of these competencies are included.
Putative inhibitors of homology-modelled chorismate synthase of Shigella flexneri

Shigellosis is an infection of the intestinal epithelium. We focus on the multidrug-resistant S. flexneri (MDRSf) pathogen. We chose as our target chorismate synthase (SfCS), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids in the shikimate-chorismate pathway. The SfCS crystal structure is unknown, so we built a homology model using the SfCS Serotype 2a sequence. Using the model, clusters of protein-protein interaction anchor residue hotspots were obtained, upon which a pharmacophore model was built. Virtual screening on 22,723,923 compounds resulted in seven hits. Of these, one was admissible against checks for ADME-Tox pharmacokinetics and cytochrome P450 toxicities. A scaffold-hopping procedure resulted in two other candidates. All three were docked to pockets determined using a new measure of residue depth associated with the Voronoi procedure. Remarkably, the three putative inhibitors have high pIC50 values that exceed those of many common antibiotics now in use.
Caveolae facilitate TRPV4-mediated Ca2+ signaling and the hierarchical activation of Ca2+-activated K+ channels in K+-secreting renal collecting duct cells.

Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4)-mediated Ca2+ signaling induces early activation of small/intermediate Ca2+-activated K+ channels, SK3 (KCNN3) and IK1 (KCNN...
Experimental study of 35 Cl excited states via 32 S(α ,p )

Presolar grains originating in oxygen-neon novae may be identified by their sulfur isotopic ratios compared with theoretical estimates. These ratios depend on reliable $^{33}$S($p, \gamma$)$^{34}$Cl and $^{34}$S($p, \gamma$)$^{35}$Cl reaction rates. The latter rate has recently been computed based on experimental input, and many new excited states in $^{35}$Cl were discovered above the proton threshold. The experimental $^{34}$S($p, \gamma$)$^{35}$Cl rate was found to be 2 - 5 times smaller than the theoretical one, and the simulated $^{34}$S/$^{32}$S isotopic ratio for nova presolar grains was thus predicted to be smaller than that of type II supernova grains by up to a factor of 3.7. The present study was performed to confirm the existence of these new resonances, and to improve the remaining uncertainties in the $^{34}$S($p, \gamma$)$^{35}$Cl reaction rate. Energies and spin-parities of the $^{35}$Cl excited levels were investigated with an Enge split-pole spectrograph using the $^{32}$S($\alpha, p$)$^{35}$Cl reaction. Differential cross sections of the outgoing protons were measured at $E_{\alpha}$ = 21 MeV. The existence of the newly discovered states are largely confirmed, although a few states were not observed in this study. The spins and parities of several $^{35}$Cl states were assigned tentatively for the first time. The present $^{34}$S($p, \gamma$)$^{35}$Cl experimental thermonuclear reaction rate is consistent within 1$\sigma$ with the previous evaluation. However, our rate uncertainty is larger due to a more realistic treatment of the experimental uncertainties. The uncertainty in the present rate is up to a factor of 3.5 at nova temperatures. We recommend future work to focus on the unknown properties of four excited states of $^{35}$Cl at 6643 keV, 6761 keV, 6780 keV, and 6800 keV.
Emerging Novel Pharmacological Non-opioid Therapies in Headache Management: a Comprehensive Review

Chronic headache is a significant worldwide problem despite advances in treatment options. Chronic headaches can have significant a detrimental impact on the activities of daily living. Patients who do not obtain relief from chronic head and neck pain from conservative treatments are commonly being managed with interventional treatments. These interventional treatment options include botulinum toxin A, injections, local occipital nerve anesthetic and corticosteroid infiltration, occipital nerve subcutaneous stimulation and occipital nerve pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), sphenopalatine ganglion block, and radiofrequency techniques. Recently, evidence has emerged to support non-opioid-based drug and interventional approaches. Overall, more research is necessary to clarify the safety and efficacy of interventional treatments and to better understand the pathogenesis of chronic headache pain.
The Price of Aesthetics After Nipple-Sparring Mastectomy: A Cost-Minimization Analysis of Skin Banking With Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap.

Background Skin necrosis after nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) and deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) breast reconstruction impacts cosmesis and patient satisfaction. Skin grafting might mitigate these sequelae, but oftentimes creates a color and texture mismatch with native breast skin. In contrast, abdominal skin on the DIEP flap is an excellent match and can be banked. The purposes of this study are to review our experience with skin banking of DIEP flaps and determine the cost-benefit of skin banking compared with other reconstructive options. Methods This was a retrospective review study conducted from 2011 to 2014 to examine patients undergoing staged DIEP reconstruction immediately after NSM. Medicare reimbursement costs using Current Procedural Terminology codes, and provider and facilities fees for conventional reconstructions options versus skin banking were obtained with subsequent cost-minimization and sensitivity analyses. Results The proportion of patients who developed mastectomy skin necrosis was 12.1%, and that of those who had a positive retroareolar biopsy corresponding to an average surface area of 58.3 cm was 3.0%. Average per patient cost of skin banking was $1224, $844 more than split-thickness skin graft (STSG) without Integra, $420 more than STSG with Integra, and $839.01 more than full-thickness skin graft. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that skin banking was less than managing mastectomy skin loss with STSG and Integra when the incidence of necrosis >10 cm exceeded 25.3%. Conclusions Skin banking maximizes aesthetic outcomes after skin loss from either positive margins or skin flap necrosis. Use of this technique should occur especially in select patients at increased risk of mastectomy skin flap/nipple-areola complex (NAC) necrosis and/or suspicion for occult NAC carcinoma. Furthermore, among reconstructive plastic surgeons whose rate of mastectomy flap/NAC necrosis >10 cm exceeds 25.3%, sensitive analysis favors undergoing a staged reconstruction after NSM.
Abstract A081: Phase I study of mesothelin-targeted immunotoxin LMB-100 given as a long infusion

Purpose: LMB-100 recombinant immunotoxin consists of a mesothelin-binding Fab for targeting and a modified Pseudomonas exotoxin A payload. Previous Phase 1 clinical testing of a 30-minute LMB-100 infusion format identified dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of capillary leak syndrome (CLS) and a serum half-life of ~60 minutes. Pre-clinical data suggested that extending infusion time could improve anti-tumor efficacy by increasing tumor cell duration of exposure to LMB-100. The primary objective of this study was to determine the safety and tolerability of administering LMB-100 over a longer infusion time. We hypothesized that reduced CMAX would result in decreased severity of off-target toxicities like CLS without decreasing anti-tumor activity. Patients and Methods: Patients (n = 15) with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and other mesothelin-expressing solid tumors (n = 3; mesothelioma, colon adenocarcinoma, ampullary carcinoma) treated on 3 dose levels received long infusion (24-48 hours) LMB-100 (65 or 100 mcg/kg/day) with or without a loading dose (40 mcg/kg over 30 minutes) for up to 2 cycles. Safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity and anti-tumor activity were assessed. Results: DLT of proteinuria (grade 3) was observed in 1 of 6 patients receiving 100 mcg/kg/day over 48 hours with pre-load. Three of 6 patients at this dose level developed significant CLS (>5 kg weight gain from fluid edema) that was not dose-limiting. No CLS was observed in the 6 patients who received 100 mcg/kg over 24 hours on days 1 and 4 with pre-load. Increased immunogenicity was observed with the long infusion compared to standard administration format: 8 of 9 patients receiving 2nd cycle treatment had undetectable plasma LMB-100 concentration during this cycle that was associated with the development of high titer anti-LMB-100 antibodies. Progressive disease was observed in 11 of 12 evaluable patients, and none of 8 evaluable patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma had a clinically significant decline in CA 19-9 tumor marker. Conclusions: Long infusion format of delivery for LMB-100 can reduce CLS but increases immunogenicity. No anti-tumor activity was observed. Citation Format: Christine Alewine, Mehwish Iqra Ahmad, Cody J Peer, Seth Steinberg, William D Figg, Raffit Hassan, Ira Pastan. Phase I study of mesothelin-targeted immunotoxin LMB-100 given as a long infusion [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A081. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-A081
Depth of Use: An Empirical Framework to Help Faculty Gauge the Relative Impact of Learning Management System Tools

Learning management system (LMS) tools are increasingly relevant to scaling computing pedagogies. Measuring their utilization and impact at scale, however, remains computationally expensive. We examine the problem of estimating the utilization of a department-wide LMS, and its impact on the design, management and outcomes of Computer Science courses. We introduce 'depth-of-use' (DOU): a first-principles, resource-specific metric of LMS utilization. We then hypothesis-test the relationship between DOU and course attributes like modality (course level, mode-of-delivery, third-party app use), participation (enrollment, viewership), logistics (teaching support, digital skills training) and outcomes (average GPA, DFW rate). Experiments on metadata from over 1300 Computer Science courses taught at Virginia Tech between 2015 and 2019 suggest that our framing of DOU helps identify resource-level preferences of micro-cohorts of courses, linked to their content, logistics and pedagogies. We discover that, across the Computer Science department at Virginia Tech, overall LMS use is consistently linked to favorable learning outcomes. We also discover that a complex interaction between the needs for scale, ubiquitous access and interoperability drives strong LMS utilization, with graduate and online-only courses faring highest in their aggregate use of LMS services. Finally, we describe two key applications of our analyses. One, we demonstrate how DOU can help CS faculty identify the relative impact of transition from legacy apps to LMS services. Two, we describe how DOU can help instructional designers evaluate and improve their design interventions.
Examining the Effect of Microcredit on Employment in Peninsular Malaysia

This study employs a cross sectional design with stratified random sampling method to examine how participation in Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s (AIM) microcredit program affects employment rate of hardcore poor clients household and community in Peninsular Malaysia. So far no known study has been conducted to measure the effect of AIM’s microcredit program on employment. Findings of this study show that participation in AIM’s microcredit program increases employment generating opportunities at household and community level. The policy may be reviewed and re-organized to increase the employment rate and income generating opportunities by providing appropriate training and diversified and flexible loan offers.
Probabilistic segmentation of small metastatic brain tumors using liquid state machine ensemble

Segmenting small brain tumors (diameter ≤ 0.5 cm) on contrast enhanced MRI images presents a particular problem, as enhancing blood vessels of similar size can be detected as false positives. The capabilities of Liquid State Machines (LSM) ensembles to separate high dimensional data are used in this project to overcome this problem. Contrast enhanced MRI images were first transformed into time series before being fed into the LSM, which consists of a 3 dimensional array of spiking neurons, the resulting activation patterns of both the excitatory and inhibitory neurons differed from each other to a high enough degree that enhancing tumors and blood vessel of similar size could be distinguished from one another. An ensemble of two LSM’s, which differed in the way the time series information was input was used to enhance data separation. The combined output of the LSM ensemble was then used as input into a random forest to classify the final result as tumor vs. non-tumor. In comparison with deep learning CNN our results show excellent small tumor recognition and generate probability maps that cover the tumors but ignore blood vessels and other contrast-enhancing objects.
WiFi-based Environment Adaptive Positioning with Transferable Fingerprint Features

Channel state information (CSI)-based fingerprint approach for WiFi-based indoor localization has attracted a lot of attention recently. The fine-grained CSI represents the location-dependent channel characteristics more effectively than the coarse-grained received signal strength indicator (RSSI). However, the CSI fingerprints can deviate drastically with environmental variations. Consequently, the CSI-based fingerprint positioning models need to be adapted for different environments and/or updated over time, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive in practice. In this paper, an environment-adaptive positioning system is proposed to transfer the fingerprint features that significantly reduce reconstructing the fingerprint database. A CSI extraction platform is developed based on the modified OpenWrt firmware, enabling access to CSI measurements on commodity WiFi devices. To transfer the fingerprint features, a domain adaptation approach is proposed to reconstruct the CSI fingerprint database from the existing fingerprints with a limited number of new measurements. Experiments are conducted in several real-world test sites, including the laboratory and the lounge, with environmental change. The results show that the performance of the proposed system is promising in terms of localization accuracy and adaptation efficiency.
Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich Syndrome: A Case Report on a Congenital Uterine Anomaly With Literature Review:

During fetal development, abnormalities during Mullerian duct formation can lead to varied types of uterine, cervical, or vaginal anomalies. Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich Syndrome (HWWS) is a rare, cong...
Spectrometric Determination of Protein for Electrophoresis

Proteins purified from cells grown in culture or tissues obtained from animal sources are first separated based on the size on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gel proteins are transferred to nitrocellulose or polyvinylidene difluoride membranes by the method known as western blotting. However, it is important to know how much protein is present in each sample obtained from cells or tissues. This is helpful in loading known amounts of protein in each well of a gel. Proteins amounts in the solution obtained from cells or tissues can be determined by measuring the protein solution’s absorbance in the ultraviolet range or staining the protein with dyes or copper. This chapter walks through the different protein determination methods described earlier by Dr. Dean Goldring for measuring the amount of protein in a solution.
Monolithic Indium Phosphide Dual Laser Photonic Integrated Circuit for Remote Sensing Lidar

A dual laser indium phosphide photonic integrated circuit for remote sensing lidar was realized. A twentyfold improvement in the long-term frequency stability of the master laser was demonstrated using an on-chip phase modulator.
Diversity and transparency in gynecologic oncology clinical trials

Objectives: Racial disparities in clinical trial enrollment are ethically dubious and, in some cases, threaten the applicability of results beyond the studied population. The objective of this study is to assess racial diversity, and reporting thereof, in gynecologic oncology clinical trials. Methods: Clinical trials in gynecologic oncology were identified by searching ClinicalTrials.gov for the following cancer types: ovarian, uterine, endometrial, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar. Data collection was performed in February 2020. Data on these trials were downloaded from the website and supplemented with manual codification. We excluded trials that were currently active, duplicative, and/or not enrolling patients with gynecologic malignancies. Race and ethnicity data were extracted from participant demographics included on ClinicalTrials.gov; trials that did not include this data were considered non-reporters. Results: A total of 1882 trials met inclusion criteria, of which 179 (10%) reported the race of trial participants. Racial reporting in domestic trials was slightly higher compared to international trials, at 12% domestically vs 7% internationally. Of the trials that reported race, the majority of participants were White for both international and domestic U.S. trials, though international trials enrolled a higher proportion of White and Asian patients than domestic trials and a far lower percentage of Black/African American patients (Figure 1). Globally, 14% of the trials that reported race enrolled zero non-White participants, and 34% enrolled fewer than 10% non-White participants. Fourteen percent of industry funded trials reported race, higher than the global average of 10%. Industry funded trials enrolled a higher percentage of White participants (68%) as compared to non-industry funded trials (58%) globally. Reporting of race has increased from 4% for trials started 2000-2004, to 12% for trials started between 2014-2018. Between 2000-2004, 79% of participants were White, as compared to 63% between 2014-2018. Download : Download high-res image (80KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: There is a paucity of data about ethnic and racial composition of participants in gynecologic oncology clinical trials. The majority of trials do not provide demographic data on publicly accessible platforms. Where the data are reported, clinical trials for patients with gynecologic malignancies enroll White patients at rates that exceed the epidemiologic burden of disease. International and industry funded trials enroll a higher percentage of White participants than domestic and non-industry funded trials, respectively. Reporting rates and diversity of enrollees appear to be improving modestly with time.
Experimental Study on Soil–Water Retention Properties of Compacted Expansive Clay

The soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) defines the relationship between water content and matric suction in soil, which contains fundamental information needed for the hydromechanical behavior of expansive soil that generally lies within the unsaturated soil mechanics framework. Moreland clay is highly expansive soil abundant in northern Louisiana, part of Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Unsaturated soil properties for shear strength, permeability, and volume change are needed to identify expansive soil-induced stresses on pavement or railroad track due to seasonal variation of moisture content in the subgrade layers. Determination of the two critical variables obtained from the SWCC, i.e., the air-entry value (AEV) and the residual state suction, is essential for the prediction of unsaturated soil deformations. In this research, an experimental testing program was conducted on the expansive Moreland clay to investigate the soil–water retention properties by adopting the axis translation technique to control suction in the range of 0–1500 kPa. A computer program was developed to fit experimental data, and it was compared with predicted SWCC using empirical relationships. The AEV and the residual state suction, two critical variables, were obtained from the SWCC formulation of Fredlund and Xing equation. Finally, the shrinkage curve was determined to interrelate between elastic deformation and SWCC of Moreland clay.
Determination of the Separate Lipid and Protein Profile Structures Derived from the Total Membrane Profile Structure of Isolated Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Via X-Ray and Neutron Diffraction

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes were prepared to contain biosynthetically deuterated SR phospholipids utilizing specific and general phospholipid exchange proteins (PLEP). Functional measurements and freeze fracture on SR dispersions and x-ray diffraction of hydrated oriented membrane multilayers revealed that the exchanged SR membranes were very similar to unexchanged SR membranes. Low resolution (28-A) neutron diffraction studies utilizing SR membranes exchanged with either protonated or perdeuterated SR phospholipids allowed direct determination of the lipid profile within the isolated SR membrane at two different unit cell repeat distances. These lipid profile structures were found to be highly asymmetric regarding the conformation of the fatty acid chain extents and compositional distribution of phospholipid molecules in the inner vs. outer monolayer of the SR membrane bilayer. The relatively high resolution (11-A) electron-density profile from x-ray diffraction was decomposed by utilizing the asymmetry in the number of phospholipid molecules residing in the inner vs. outer monolayer of the SR lipid bilayer as obtained from the neutron diffraction study. This model refinement analysis of the corresponding electron density profile was found to be dependent upon the direct results obtained via the neutron diffraction study. The asymmetry in the isolated SR profile structures was the result of a localization of a greater portion of the calcium pump protein (and correspondingly less lipid) in the extravesicular half of the SR membrane in contrast to the intravesicular half, and the cylindrically averaged static conformational shape and molecular dimensions of the calcium pump protein as it resides in the isolated SR membrane were obtained. To our knowledge, this represents the first direct determination of a lipid bilayer profile structure within an isolated membrane system.
Sexual Abuse and Chemical Dependency:: Implications for Women in Recovery

This article examines the relationship between alcohol use and sexual abuse for both male perpetrators and female survivors with a special emphasis on antecedent factors of substance abuse for survivors. Treatment issues for women survivors are discussed and therapeutic interventions are suggested. Finally, the use of 12-step programs in a manner which is helpful with survivors is discussed.