cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experiment of 50 nm inorganic ceramic membrane for removal result of turbidity and organic substance in surface water

In order to discover the removal of micro-pollutant in the water source by ceramic membrane process and to offer reference to the development of field water treatment equipment,a process of 50 nm inorganic ceramic membrane for treatment of surface water was investigated in a pilot scale.In order to confirm the cleaning scheme,different cleaning ways were compared.The results show that 50 nm inorganic ceramic membrane is efficient for the removal of turbidity with residual turbidity within 0.1 NTU in the treated water;and that there is no obvious removal of organic substance with only 22.6%,while adding turbidity the filtration removal of organic substance is enhanced to 47%.The best cleaning way is the liquor whose hass fraction is 1% of NaOH and NaClO with the cleaning temperature of50 °C for 1 hour cleaning time.By cleaning,the membrane flux restores to more than 85%.
Emphysematous Pyelonephritis in a Solitary Kidney

Abstract Emphysematous pyelonephritis in a solitary kidney was present in a diabetic patient with severe electrolyte imbalance, hyperglycemia, oliguria and electrocardiographic changes suggestive of myocardial infarction. Percutaneous nephrostomy was performed as a life-saving procedure and a week later a large matrix stone obstructing the renal pelvis was removed. The optimal therapy with a surgical or conservative approach is discussed. The use of percutaneous nephrostomy as an initial life-saving procedure is suggested.
Parallel Computing You Can Do

Until a few years ago, parallel computing was an esoteric subject of interest only to theorists or to the few pockets of experimental computer science with real machines. Everyone knew that ultimately, for any given hardware technology, the only way to increase speed is to go to multiple processors, but such machines were rare, expensive, and complicated to use. Generally, the search for speed was satisfied by faster hardware — the only form of parallelism to make significant impact from the mid 70’s to the mid 80’s was vector computation. What has changed in the past few years is that microprocessors, and to a lesser extent VLSI, have made building parallel computers easy and inexpensive. Many architectures have been implemented, and manufacturers have found that customers will buy machines, if the machines are not too expensive, just to familiarize themselves with parallel computing, to experiment with how parallelism can be used in their problems, and to compare different ways of using parallelism. The availability of real machines has caused a radical shift in the computing community. Parallelism has become fashionable. There have been many conferences and journal issues on the subject. Even the general news media report on progress. The activity has spurred algorithm development and theoretical analysis. Myths and misconceptions have been debunked. There have been spectacular successes. This spring, the Bell and Karp prizes were awarded to a team from Sandia who used a 1024 processor hypercube, a general purpose computer, to obtain speedups of more than 500 on three diverse physical problems over what a single processor would have taken on those problems — which they prefer to describe as a speedup of 1020 over the largest versions of these problems that a single processor would have been used to solve.
Evaluation and Application of Dimethylated Amino Acids as Isobaric Tags for Quantitative Proteomics of the TGF-β/Smad3 Signaling Pathway.

Isobaric labeling has become a widespread tool for quantitative proteomic studies. Here, we report the development and evaluation of several dimethylated amino acids as novel isobaric tags for quantitative proteomics. Four-plex dimethylated alanine (DiAla), valine (DiVal), and leucine (DiLeu) have been synthesized, sharing common features of peptide tagging and reporter ion production. DiAla and DiLeu are shown to achieve complete labeling. These two tags’ impacts on peptide fragmentation and quantitation are further evaluated using HEK293 cell lysate. DiAla labeling generates more abundant backbone fragmentation whereas DiLeu labeling produces more intense reporter ions. Nonetheless, both tags enable accurate quantitative analysis of HEK293 cell proteomes. DiAla and DiLeu tags are then applied to study the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway with four differentially treated mouse vascular smooth muscle (MOVAS) cells. Our MS data reveal proteome-wide changes of AdSmad3 as compared to the GFP control, consistent with prev...
Rethinking individuality: the dialectics of the holobiont

Given immunity’s general role in the organism’s economy—both in terms of its internal environment as well as mediating its external relations—immune theory has expanded its traditional formulation of preserving individual autonomy to one that includes accounting for nutritional processes and symbiotic relationships that require immune tolerance. When such a full ecological alignment is adopted, the immune system becomes the mediator of both defensive and assimilative environmental intercourse, where a balance of immune rejection and tolerance governs the complex interactions of the organism’s ecological relationships. Accordingly, immunology, which historically had affiliated with the biology of individuals, now becomes a science concerned with the biology of communities. With this translocation, the ontological basis of the organism is undergoing a profound change. Indeed, the recent recognition of the ubiquity of symbiosis has challenged the traditional notions of biological individuality and requires a shift in the metaphysics undergirding biology, in which a philosophy of the organism must be characterized by ecological dialectics “all-the-way-down.”
Development of Complex SoC Devices Require New Design Technologies

Developers of System on Chips devices are facing a constantly increasing demand for more complex and powerful products that need to be developed in very short time frames. These challenges can be mastered only by the use of a development environment that allows the developer to work on a high level of abstraction with the possibility to integrate existing IP.
Frequency modulated bandpass ΣΔ chirp synthesiser for sensor applications

A frequency modulated continuous-wave RF synthesiser based on a bandpass ΣΔ (BPΣΔ) direct digital frequency synthesised reference clock is presented. The synthesiser is fabricated using 0.13 μm CMOS process and measurement results show that, at the RF centre frequency of 2.3747 GHz, the chirp signal with chirp-rate of 10 kHz has a frequency linearity of 1% for frequency deviations up to 102 MHz. The measured phase noise of the radar synthesiser is -104 dBc at 1 MHz offset frequency.
Self-Leadership and Overcoming the Time Resource Constraint: Accelerating Innovation for New Products

Arguably the scarcest resource for startups in the commercialization of new products is time . Self-leadership—the self-direction and self-motivation—of the founder may help us to manage time scarcity by improving innovation speed. With limited structure or templates to follow in product development efforts, self-leadership could be a critical resource for technology entrepreneurs under closing windows of opportunities. Drawing from a sample of founders in the high-technology sector, controlling for a variety of venture-related attributes, higher levels of self-leadership was positively related to innovation speed, and even more positively related to innovation speed when entrepreneurs commercialize less radical products. We highlight self-leadership as an important behavioral and motivational resource for speeding product development in the new technology-based venture context. We also shed light on the value of self-leadership in accelerating the development of less radical, or incremental, product innovations. Our findings have implications for both entrepreneurship research and the self-leadership literature.
Bayesian regression for group testing data

Group testing involves pooling individual specimens (e.g., blood, urine, swabs, etc.) and testing the pools for the presence of a disease. When individual covariate information is available (e.g., age, gender, number of sexual partners, etc.), a common goal is to relate an individual's true disease status to the covariates in a regression model. Estimating this relationship is a nonstandard problem in group testing because true individual statuses are not observed and all testing responses (on pools and on individuals) are subject to misclassification arising from assay error. Previous regression methods for group testing data can be inefficient because they are restricted to using only initial pool responses and/or they make potentially unrealistic assumptions regarding the assay accuracy probabilities. To overcome these limitations, we propose a general Bayesian regression framework for modeling group testing data. The novelty of our approach is that it can be easily implemented with data from any group testing protocol. Furthermore, our approach will simultaneously estimate assay accuracy probabilities (along with the covariate effects) and can even be applied in screening situations where multiple assays are used. We apply our methods to group testing data collected in Iowa as part of statewide screening efforts for chlamydia, and we make user-friendly R code available to practitioners.
Becoming a person of dialogue

It is imperative that Social Sciences examine in depth the underlying issues in human relations that have contributed to divisions among persons, within families, institutions, between nations and religions. If we accept that dialogue is the main currency of statecraft, diplomacy, negotiation, mediation and peacebuilding (Rieker and Turn 2015), then we need to ask ourselves, what are the characteristics of a person capable of engaging in dialogue? Are they characteristics that can be taught? Are they characteristics that make us human?
A case series comparison of semantically focused vs. phonologically focused cued naming treatment in aphasia

There is a lack of clarity in the field regarding how to best predict which naming treatment will be most beneficial for a particular individual with aphasia. The purpose of this study was to elucidate whether or not semantic or phonological therapy differentially impacts on outcomes for people with a range of different aphasic profiles when given both therapies. A single-participant design, with multiple repeated baselines for naming, replicated across four participants, was used. Participants were provided with a counterbalanced order of Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) and Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) treatment. Findings demonstrated differential effects across participants. This seemed to be influenced by factors such as severity of anomia, order of treatment presentation, and capacity limits. Clinical implications of these findings highlight the importance of expanding our picture of a participant's behaviours to consider what other important factors can inform intervention decisions.
Circling a subject: chasing happiness in creative practice

ABSTRACTThis paper will examine issues arising from the attempt to record and portray happiness in a narrative. Roland Barthes writes of the impossibility of writing definitively about this most subjective of emotions in The Pleasure of the Text, in which he asserts that a writer ‘can only circle such a subject’ (34). This paper will therefore examine some of the ways in which I circle around the subject in my own creative practice, and suggest some working definitions of ‘textual’ happiness that can inform the writing process. It will analyse different conceptions and depictions of happiness, including Pater’s present tense epiphanies; depictions of states of transcendent joy; happiness as a facet of the past tense; and how Barthes’ definition of the text of bliss might be embodied within a creative text. The paper will include several excerpts from my creative struggle with this emotion, and end with a demonstration of how happiness within a text often proves contradictory and unsettling.
Spectroscopic sampling of the left side of long-TE spin echoes: a free lunch?

Use of spectroscopically-acquired spin echoes typically involves Fourier transformation of the right side of the echo while largely neglecting the left side. For sufficiently long echo times, the left side may have enough spectral resolution to offer some utility. Since the acquisition of this side is “free”, we deemed it worthy of attention and investigated the spectral properties and information content of this data. Theoretical expressions for left- and right-side spectra were derived assuming Lorentzian frequency distributions. For left-side spectra, three regimes were identified based upon the relative magnitudes of reversible and irreversible transverse relaxation rates, R 2′ and R 2, respectively. Point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) data from muscle, fat deposit and bone marrow were acquired at 1.5 T to test aspects of the theoretical expressions. For muscle water or methylene marrow resonances, left-side signals were substantially or moderately larger than right-side signals but were similar in magnitude for muscle choline and creatine resonances. Left- versus right-side spectral-peak amplitude ratios depend sensitively on the relative values of R 2 and R 2′ , which can be estimated given this ratio and a right-side linewidth measurement. Left-side spectra can be used to augment signal-to-noise and to estimate spectral R 2 and R 2′ values under some circumstances.
Genetic Disorders of Mucopolysaccharide Metabolism

The genetic mucopolysaccharidoses are a rare but potentially most instructive group of diseases. For at the root of the complex anatomical, neurological, and biochemical aberrations seen in each of the mucopolysaccharidoses lies a single malfunctioning protein—the product of a single genetic error. To the investigator, the problem is therefore crystallized: identify the defective protein and discover its normal function. Only then will it be possible to understand the exact pathophysiology of these diseases.
Partial mass isolation system for seismic vibration control of buildings

Summary In a previous study, the authors studied a partial mass isolation (PMI) system that through isolating different portions of story masses can provide a building with multiple inherent vibration suppressors. It was shown that the PMI strategy with isolated mass ratios (IMRs) of 0.05 or 0.90 could perform as effectively as an equivalent tuned mass damper or a base isolation system, respectively. In the present paper, the PMI system is examined in structural models with different fundamental periods. PMI configurations in a wide IMR range of (0.05:0.025:0.90) are optimized illustrating that applying an IMR of 0.25–0.50 can provide an efficient system, simultaneously satisfying the constraints related to different performance objectives (i.e., mitigating the overall building seismic responses and controlling isolated components' (ICs) responses while integrating these components into the building architecture). Simulation results reveal that using identical ICs at different stories, which have the advantage of facilitating the design and construction of the system, can lead to a near-optimal solution. It is also demonstrated that in terms of the spatial distribution of ICs, an adequate seismic performance improvement can be achieved by allocating ICs only at a subset of upper stories (e.g., top half stories), which can further simplify the PMI systems' construction.
Hadamard-encoded multi-pulses for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging

The development of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging has great potential for use in new ultrasound clinical applications such as myocardial perfusion imaging and abdominal lesion characterization. In CEUS imaging, the contrast agents (i.e., microbubbles) are used to improve the contrast between blood and tissue because they reflect high nonlinear energy under low ultrasound pressure. Several classic CEUS pulse sequences are widely used such as pulse inversion, amplitude modulation, and pulse inversion amplitude modulation combined. They generally involve two individual pulses which are emitted separately in two transmission events (i.e., pulse-echo events). However, single pulse emission with low acoustic pressure may result in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), especially in deeper imaging region. In this paper, we propose a new CEUS pulse sequence by combining Hadamard-encoded multi-pulses (HEM) with fundamental frequency bandpass filter (i.e., filter centered on transmit frequency). HEM consecutively emits multi-pulses encoded by a 2nd-order Hadamard matrix in each of the two transmission events rather than individual pulses in two separate events. The microbubble responses can thus be improved by the longer transmit pulse and the tissue harmonics can be suppressed by the fundamental frequency filter, leading to significantly improved SNR and contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR). In addition, the fast polarity change between consecutive coded pulse emissions excites strong nonlinear microbubble echoes, further enhancing the CEUS image quality. The spatial resolution of HEM image is compromised as compared to other CEUS methods due to the longer transmit pulses and the lower imaging frequency (i.e., fundamental frequency). However, the resolution loss was shown to be negligible and could be offset by the significantly enhanced CTR and SNR. These properties of HEM can potentially facilitate robust CEUS imaging for a wide spectrum of clinical applications, especially for deep abdominal organs and heart.
Comparison of soil strength measurements of agricultural soils in Nebraska

Abstract In 2014 the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL) was engaged in field testing program to investigate a soil moisture mapping system as a crop management tool. In conjunction with this work, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (ERDC-CRREL) deployed a team to perform soil characterization and strength measurements at three agricultural test sites. The primary objective was an investigation of the Lightweight Deflectometer (LWD) as a soil surface strength tool for the purposes of assessing bearing capacity of soft soils. The LWD measurements were performed with those from more “standard” tests, i.e. the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer, Cone Penetrometer, and Clegg Impact Hammer to determine if the LWD produced results that compared with these methods. The strength test data were also used to calculate California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values using existing equations in order to see if the different test methods produced similar CBR values that could in turn be used to predict the bearing capacity of the sites. The secondary objective was to compare the strength data with the corresponding soil water content data taken by UNL to determine if soil moisture was an indicator of soil strength.
Integrated scheduling of m-truck, m-drone, and m-depot constrained by time-window, drop-pickup, and m-visit using constraint programming

Abstract The idea of deploying unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, for final-mile delivery in logistics operations has vitalized this new research stream. One conceivable scenario of using a drone in conjunction with a traditional delivery truck to distribute parcels is discussed in earlier literature and termed the parallel drone scheduling traveling salesman problem (PDSTSP). This study extends the problem by considering two different types of drone tasks: drop and pickup. After a drone completes a drop, the drone can either fly back to depot to deliver the next parcels or fly directly to another customer for pickup. Integrated scheduling of multiple depots hosting a fleet of trucks and a fleet of drones is further studied to achieve an operational excellence. A vehicle that travels near the boundary of the coverage area might be more effective to serve customers that belong to the neighboring depot. This problem is uniquely modeled as an unrelated parallel machine scheduling with sequence dependent setup, precedence-relationship, and reentrant, which gives us a framework to effectively consider those operational challenges. A constraint programming approach is proposed and tested with problem instances of m-truck, m-drone, m-depot, and hundred-customer distributed across an 8-mile square region.
Parent-level risk factors for children's obsessive beliefs, interpretation biases, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms: A cross-sectional examination

Abstract There is conflicting research on the association between parents’ and children's obsessive-compulsive (OC) features (obsessive beliefs, interpretation biases, and OC symptoms) and how other parent-level risk factors (e.g., depression) influence the emergence of OC features in youth. To bridge this gap, we adopted a multi-method and multi-informant approach, including both child- and parent-report measures, as well as in vivo behavioral tasks, to evaluate how parent-level factors contribute to children's OC features. Twenty-seven parents and 48 children, who reported OC features across a spectrum of severity, completed diagnostic interviews, self-report questionnaires, and attended an experimental session in our laboratory. We first conducted univariate linear regressions to identify the significant parent-level predictors and applied the False Discovery Rate to control for Type 1 error. Next, significant predictors were entered into a multivariate mixed-effects linear regression model that included a random intercept for family unit. Results suggested that the transmission of beliefs, interpretations, and symptoms is not domain-specific; rather, certain parent factors - religiosity, depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological control - seem to operate as general vulnerability factors for children's OC features. Although the cross-sectional design precludes conclusions regarding causation, findings can inform individualized prevention programs that alter the trajectory of at-risk youth.
The Golden Rule Formalism in Electron Tunneling Can It Be Justified

Recently KIRTLEY et al. [1] reported observing a marked asymmetry under bias reversal, of the inelastic tunneling spectra in metal insulator metal junctions with molecular impurities embedded in the insulator. This observation can be accounted for both within a ‘golden-rule’ formalism, and the conventional linear-response formulation of the transfer-Hamiltonian theory of inelastic tunneling, as developed by BENNET et al. [2]. However these two formulations differ considerably in their detailed expression for the tunneling current. This raises anew the practical question of determining the fundamental limitations, if any, on the ‘golden-rule’ in the electron tunneling problems in question. The golden rule formalism for inelastic tunneling is shown to be equivalent to the conventional transfer-Hamiltonian formalism as opposed to the linear response theory. Thus, the fundamental limitations on the two formulations of tunneling are equivalent. Recently CAROLI et al. [3] and FEUCHTWANG [4] have developed two alternative versions of a general and rigorous many-body formulation of tunneling which provides the necessary tool for the analysis of these limitations.
Diagnostic Methods in Alzheimer’s Disease: Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging and CSF Neurotransmitter Markers

The clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) depends upon a history of progressive cognitive impairments, lack of focal neurological signs, and laboratory tests that exclude other known causes of dementia (1,2). A definitive diagnosis of AD depends upon characteristic histopathological features, including abundant senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the cortical neuropil (3,4). Other anatomical features include decreased numbers of neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (5), the brain stem nucleus locus coeruleus (6,7), and the frontal and temporal cortices (8). Frequent neurochemical correlates of AD are decreased choline acetyltransferase (CAT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities, and decreased somatostatin, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels (9–20). Diagnosis of AD would be enhanced greatly if it were possible to detect any of these pathological or neurochemical changes in patients before death. Without such measures, the clinical diagnosis of AD is confirmed pathologically in only 60–75% of the cases (21, 22); in these instances, Parkinson’s disease (PD) and vascular disease are the most prevalent unrecognized causes of dementia. This chapter describes our experience with two approaches that may render diagnosis of the dementias more accurate: morphological studies with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and biochemical analyses of neurotransmitter markers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
A 27-Month-Old Boy with Polyuria and Polydipsia

Psychogenic polydipsia is a well-described phenomenon in those with a diagnosed psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. Primary polydipsia is differentiated from psychogenic polydipsia by the lack of a clear psychotic disturbance. We present a case of a 27-month-old boy who presented with polyuria and polydipsia. Laboratory studies, imaging, and an observed water deprivation test were consistent with primary polydipsia. Polydipsia resolved after family limited his fluid intake and began replacing water drinking with other transition objects and behaviors for self-soothing. This case highlights the importance of water deprivation testing to differentiate between causes of polyuria, thereby avoiding misdiagnosis and iatrogenic hyponatremia. Secondly, primary polydipsia can result during the normal stages of child development without overt psychiatric disturbances.
Occult stage IIIA-N2 patients have excellent overall survival with initial surgery

Background: Patients may be found to have stage IIIA-N2 at the final pathology after the initial surgery. We want to determine the survival rate in this unique group of patients. Methods: We reviewed all patients who underwent surgical resection for lung cancer from 2000 to 2011 who had pathologic stage N2 without induction therapy. We determined the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival rate in this unique group of patients. Results: A total of 101 patients met the inclusion criteria. The average age of the group was 65 years old with 53 (53%) females. The chest computed tomography (CT) scans showed 30 patients (30%) with mediastinal lymphadenopathy (>1 cm) and 13 (13%) with multistation disease. The positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) showed 24 patients (24%) with N2 positive uptake. Invasive mediastinal staging prior to surgery occurred in 43 patients (43%). Eighty-four patients underwent a lobectomy (83%), 7 with bilobectomy (7%), and 10 with pneumonectomy (10%). The most common pathology was adenocarcinoma with 73 patients (72%) and the second most common was squamous cell carcinoma with 22 patients (22%). Most of the patients completed the adjuvant chemoradiation therapy (86%). The 5-year survival rate was 48% and the 10-year survival rate was 24%. Conclusions: Pathologic stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease process with a very small group of patients undergoing initial surgery. Patients with occult stage IIIA-N2 who undergo initial surgery have an excellent overall survival rate.
Comorbid cancer and use of thrombolysis in acute pulmonary embolism.

Guidelines suggest the use of thrombolytic therapy for acute pulmonary embolism (PE) patients with hypotension who are not at high-risk of bleeding. Data describing the use of thrombolysis in patients with cancer are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cancer and the use of thrombolysis for acute PE. The 2013 and 2014 US National Inpatient Sample was used to identify admissions for acute PE. Identified admissions were stratified based on the presence or absence of cancer. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the association between comorbid cancer and the odds of receiving thrombolysis after adjustment for patient- and hospital-level covariates. In those receiving thrombolysis, the association between cancer and in-hospital mortality was determined using logistic regression after adjusting for age ≥ 65 years and sex. We identified 72,546 admissions for acute PE; of which, 14.7% (n = 10,673) had comorbid cancer. A total of 3.4% (n = 2439) of patients received thrombolysis. Upon multivariable adjustment, cancer was associated with decreased odds of receiving thrombolysis (odds ratio = 0.55; 95% confidence interval = 0.48–0.64). When the population was restricted to PE admissions receiving thrombolysis, mortality occurred in 315 (12.9%) admissions; with no difference in in-hospital mortality observed between those with versus without cancer (p = 0.11). In this study of admissions for acute PE, comorbid cancer was associated with decreased odds of receiving thrombolysis. As PE is a common complication among patients with cancer, the risk–benefit profile of thrombolysis in this patient population should be determined.
Robotic sacrocolpopexy: adverse events reported to the FDA over the last decade.

As surgeons increase the volume of robotic abdominal sacrocolpopexies (rASCs) and become more experienced, a subsequent decrease in the number of adverse events is expected over time. Further, as the leading manufacturer of the operative robot (Intuitive Surgical) improves the technology, adverse events should also decrease. We hypothesized that there has been a decrease in adverse event reporting for rASCs and that serious adverse events are rare. We performed a search of the FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database. All entries with the manufacturer “Intuitive Surgical” were exported from 2007 to 2017. All entries with “sacrocolpopexy” were then isolated and analyzed. The number of adverse events reported for rASC peaked in 2013 and 2014, at 107 and 124 respectively. In 2015 and 2016, the number dropped to 11 and 7 respectively. There were 334 reported adverse events from 2007 to 2017. Five (1.50%) were categorized as death, 33 (9.88%) as injury, and 296 (88.62%) as malfunction. Analysis of the malfunction reports found that 15 out of 296 (5.07%) were converted to open surgery, 4 out of 296 (1.3%) were converted to laparoscopic surgery, 4 out of 296 (1.3%) cases were aborted, and 6 out of 296 (2.03%) malfunctions resulted in patient injury. Although the MAUDE database has its limitations, it does indicate that the number of adverse events reported for rASC peaked in 2013 and 2014 and has decreased annually since then. This may be due to improved proficiency of the surgeon and surgical team, in addition to improvements in the robot. When malfunctions do occur, they infrequently cause serious injury or have an impact on surgical approach.
Will/Heart/Spirit: Discipleship that Forms the Christian Character:

This article seeks to provide some clarity on the role of human will in Christian formation through engaging Dallas Willard’s understanding of the human will/heart/spirit. The first part of the art...
Postoperative Respiratory Distress in the PACU: A Unique Differential Diagnosis

Postoperative respiratory distress is a condition that most anesthesiologists are very familiar with treating. In this case, we present a case of postoperative respiratory distress due to anxiety-induced paradoxical vocal cord dysfunction. Here, we review the pathophysiology of paradoxical vocal cord dysfunction and discuss other etiologies of postoperative respiratory distress that may assist the anesthesiologist in distinguishing between, and expanding upon, the differential diagnoses for this common postoperative event.
Crystal Structures of Fully La3+-Exchanged Zeolite X: an Intrazeolitic La2O3 Continuum, Hexagonal Planar and Trigonally Monocapped Trigonal Prismatic Coordination

Three single crystals of sodium zeolite X were fully La3+-exchanged at 90 °C from aqueous solution (pH = 7.45, 7.45, and 6.89 at 22 °C, respectively). One was vacuum dehydrated at 400 °C (crystal 1), another at 22 °C (crystal 2), and the third remained fully hydrated (crystal 3). Their structures at 22 °C were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography in the cubic space groups Fd3m (a = 24.999(4) and 25.059(4) A) and Fd3 (a = 25.154 (3) A), respectively. They were refined to the final error indices R1 = 0.076, 0.091, and 0.078 with 471, 374, and 725 reflections, respectively, for which Fo > 4σ(Fo). The number of La3+, H3O+, and OH- ions found in the three structures are about 38, 0, 18; 38, 28, 50; and 33, 16, 24, respectively, per unit cell. Crystal 1 also has 48 nonframework oxide ions and 92 H+ ions per unit cell. In all cases overexchange occurred. In crystal 1, 32 La3+ ions per unit cell fill site I‘, with the remaining six at 12-ring centers (site V). Each of these six coordinates to thre...
Uterine Mesenchymal Lesions

This chapter will cover the pathology of uterine mesenchymal tumors, including endometrial stromal neoplasms, undifferentiated uterine sarcomas, uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (UTROSCT), smooth muscle tumors, perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa), Mullerian adenosarcoma, and inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, as well as some less common mesenchymal tumors that may be encountered in the uterus. The salient histopathologic, immunophenotypic, as well as molecular findings that help separate these different tumor types will be discussed.
On the r-continued fraction expansions of reals

Abstract In this paper, we consider r-continued fraction expansions, which are a type of generalized continued fraction expansions. We show that every real number has a valid r-continued fraction expansion. In 1960, Parry proved that a sequence is admissible as the β-expansion of a real number if and only if all of the shifts of the sequence are dominated lexicographically by the sequence obtained from the β-expansion of 1. We prove a similar result for the r-continued fraction expansions. We prove that a sequence is admissible, that is, it comes from the r-continued fraction map, if and only if all of its shifts are alternating-lexicographically less than the sequence obtained from the r-continued fraction expansion of 1. Finally, we show that the r-continued fraction map admits an ergodic absolutely continuous invariant measure that is equivalent to Lebesgue measure.
From action to abstraction: The sensorimotor grounding of metaphor in Parkinson's disease

Abstract Embodied cognition theories propose that the semantic representations engaged in during language comprehension are partly supported by perceptual and motor systems, via simulation. Activation in modality-specific regions of cortex is associated with the comprehension of literal language that describes the analogous modalities, but studies addressing the grounding of non-literal or figurative language, such as metaphors, have yielded mixed results. Differences in the psycholinguistic characteristics of sentence stimuli across studies have likely contributed to this lack of consensus. Furthermore, previous studies have been largely correlational, whilst patient studies are a critical way of determining if intact sensorimotor function is necessary to understand language drawing on sensorimotor information. We designed a battery of metaphorical and literal sentence stimuli using action and sound words, with an unprecedented level of control over critical psycholinguistic variables, to test hypotheses about the grounding of metaphorical language. In this Registered Report, we assessed the comprehension of these sentences in 41 patients with Parkinson's disease, who were predicted to be disproportionately affected by the action sentences relative to the sound sentences, and compared their performance to that of 39 healthy age-matched controls who were predicted to show no difference in performance due to sensory modality. Using preregistered Bayesian model comparison methods, we found that PD patients' comprehension of literal action sentences was not impaired, while there was some evidence for a slowing of responses to action metaphors. Follow up exploratory analyses suggest that this response time modality effect was driven by one type of metaphor (predicate) and was absent in another (nominal), despite the fact that the action semantics were similar in both syntactic forms. These results suggest that the conditions under which PD patients demonstrate hypothesized embodiment effects are limited. We offer a critical assessment of the PD action language literature and discuss implications for the embodiment debate. In addition, we suggest how future studies could leverage Bayesian statistical methods to provide more convincing evidence for or against embodied cognition effects.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and Childhood Mental Health Conditions, 2009-2015: Commercial Versus Medicaid Populations.

Objective:This study aimed to examine mental health conditions of children diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in a commercially insured population and compare them with a multistate ...
Unperturbed Detection of the Dynamic Structure in the Hydrophobic Core of Trp-Cage via Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy.

The tyrosine ring mode is an intrinsic non-perturbing site-specific infrared reporter for conformational dynamics within protein systems. This transition is influenced by direct and indirect intera...
Yozgatlı Ihsan Efendi: Kaybolan Dünyadan Nurlu Bir Sima by Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu

The growing field of the intellectual and social history of the interwar period is richer for this biography of Yozgatli Ihsan Efendi, written by his son, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and titled Yozgatli Ihsan Efendi: Kaybolan Dunyadan Nurlu Bir Sima (Yozgatli Ihsan Efendi: An Illuminated Face from a Lost World). The title of the book lends itself to layered interpretation: the word simâ (face, but also sign) indicates that it is about a historical persona, Yozgatli Ihsan Efendi: Islamic scholar, dedicated teacher and a member of the late Ottoman ulama, as well as a witness to the dramatic changes of the early 20th century. On the other hand, Yozgatli Ihsan Efendi appears as deeply human, in roles that are not readily visible in other historical sources: devoted son, caring father to his own family, and a mentor to many students who passed through Cairo. Download
Response to open peer commentaries on "Compelled authorizations for disclosure of health records: magnitude and implications".

Lee Black and Emilie E. Anderson (2007) make a key point about the important role of physicians in protecting the confidentiality of health records. Regardless of the design features of a health record system, the first requirement of health privacy and confidentiality is trust by patients in their health care providers. If patients lack trust in their physicians’ commitment to protect their sensitive health information, they will not disclose matters essential to their health and they may even forego medical care altogether. We agree that the ethical duty of physicians to protect the confidentiality of patient health records does not change with the advent of electronic health records. The American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) Code of Ethics, section 5.07, which Black and Anderson quote, provides, in part, that “[r]elease of confidential medical information from the data base should be confined to the specific purpose for which the information is requested and limited to the specific time frame requested . . . ” (AMA 2006). Contextual access criteria, which, in our main article, we urge policy makers to research, develop and incorporate into the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN), would substantially assist physicians and other custodians of health records by facilitating more targeted disclosures of health information in response to an authorization. The AMA’s statement that disclosures “should be confined” to relevant matters is of little practical value if there is no way for a physician to respond easily and accurately to a request for disclosure of a certain class of health information. Physicians simply do not have the time to scour health records to assess what entries in a voluminous record meet the criteria for disclosure. Black and Anderson suggest that physicians are in a “unique position to help patients understand what the disclosure means and how to limit such disclosures to the
Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Glucose Tolerance, and β-Cell Function in Adults With Prediabetes or Untreated Type 2 Diabetes in the Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) Study.

OBJECTIVE Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with insulin resistance and has been described as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Whether OSA adversely impacts pancreatic islet β-cell function remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of OSA and short sleep duration with β-cell function in overweight/obese adults with prediabetes or recently diagnosed, treatment-naive type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Two hundred twenty-one adults (57.5% men, age 54.5 ± 8.7 years, BMI 35.1 ± 5.5 kg/m2) completed 1 week of wrist actigraphy and 1 night of polysomnography before undergoing a 3-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and a two-step hyperglycemic clamp. Associations of measures of OSA and actigraphy-derived sleep duration with HbA1c, OGTT-derived, and clamp-derived outcomes were evaluated with adjusted regression models. RESULTS Mean ± SD objective sleep duration by actigraphy was 6.6 ± 1.0 h/night. OSA, defined as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of five or more events per hour, was present in 89% of the participants (20% mild, 28% moderate, 41% severe). Higher AHI was associated with higher HbA1c (P = 0.007). However, OSA severity, measured either by AHI as a continuous variable or by categories of OSA severity, and sleep duration (continuous or CONCLUSIONS In this baseline cross-sectional analysis of the RISE clinical trial of adults with prediabetes or recently diagnosed, untreated type 2 diabetes, the prevalence of OSA was high. Although some measures of OSA severity were associated with HbA1c, OSA severity and sleep duration were not associated with measures of insulin sensitivity or β-cell responses.
Time lag effects of COVID-19 policies on transportation systems: A comparative study of New York City and Seattle

Abstract The unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic demand timely action. However, due to the complex nature of policy making, a lag may exist between the time a problem is recognized and the time a policy has its impact on a system. To understand this lag and to expedite decision making, this study proposes a change point detection framework using likelihood ratio, regression structure and a Bayesian change point detection method. The objective is to quantify the time lag effect reflected in transportation systems when authorities take action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using travel patterns as an indicator of policy effectiveness, the length of policy lag and magnitude of policy impacts on the road system, mass transit, and micromobility are investigated through the case studies of New York City (NYC), and Seattle—two U.S. cities significantly affected by COVID-19. The quantitative findings show that the National declaration of emergency had no policy lag while stay-at-home and reopening policies had a lead effect on mobility. The magnitude of impact largely depended on the land use and sociodemographic characteristics of the area, as well as the type of transportation system.
Nutritional Management of Sarcopenia in Chronic Liver Disease

The progressive loss of muscle mass known as sarcopenia is prevalent in patients with cirrhosis and contributes to morbidity and mortality. This review highlights recent literature on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of sarcopenia in chronic liver disease. Multiple mechanisms contribute to sarcopenia in cirrhosis, including poor nutritional intake, physical inactivity, accelerated starvation state, chronic inflammation, and hormonal and metabolic derangements. Specific nutritional interventions as well as exercise and novel pharmacologic therapies show promise in attenuating muscle loss, but ongoing research is needed to define the optimal management especially in patients with sarcopenic obesity and children with chronic liver disease. Early detection of sarcopenia and patient-tailored interventions are increasingly recognized as mainstays in the management of patients with cirrhosis. Data continues to emerge on the mechanisms contributing to sarcopenia and the interventions needed to slow muscle loss.
Automated compromised right lung segmentation method using a robust atlas-based active volume model with sparse shape composition prior in CT

To resolve challenges in image segmentation in oncologic patients with severely compromised lung, we propose an automated right lung segmentation framework that uses a robust, atlas-based active volume model with a sparse shape composition prior. The robust atlas is achieved by combining the atlas with the output of sparse shape composition. Thoracic computed tomography images (n=38) from patients with lung tumors were collected. The right lung in each scan was manually segmented to build a reference training dataset against which the performance of the automated segmentation method was assessed. The quantitative results of this proposed segmentation method with sparse shape composition achieved mean Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of (0.72, 0.81) with 95% CI, mean accuracy (ACC) of (0.97, 0.98) with 95% CI, and mean relative error (RE) of (0.46, 0.74) with 95% CI. Both qualitative and quantitative comparisons suggest that this proposed method can achieve better segmentation accuracy with less variance than other atlas-based segmentation methods in the compromised lung segmentation.
Mitochondrial DNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes. I. Displacement loop occurrence.

Abstract Displacement loops are found in mitochondrial DNA isolated from the ovaries of mature female Xenopus laevis . These displacement loops subtend some 7% of the contour length of a mitochondrial circular DNA. When mature oocytes are shed as unfertilized eggs at least 76% of the mitochondrial DNA in these eggs contains displacement loops. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to displacement loop occurrence in other mitochondrial DNAs and especially with respect to mitochondrial DNA replication.