cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Point-of-care ultrasound versus radiology department pelvic ultrasound on emergency department length of stay.

Author(s): Wilson, Sean P; Connolly, Kiah; Lahham, Shadi; Subeh, Mohammad; Fischetti, Chanel; Chiem, Alan; Aspen, Ariel; Anderson, Craig; Fox, John C | Abstract: BackgroundThe study aimed to compare the time to overall length of stay (LOS) for patients who underwent point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) versus radiology department ultrasound (RDUS).MethodsThis was a prospective study on a convenience sample of patients who required pelvic ultrasound imaging as part of their emergency department (ED) assessment.ResultsWe enrolled a total of 194 patients who were on average 32 years-old. Ninety-eight (51%) patients were pregnant (l20 weeks). Time to completion of RDUS was 66 minutes longer than POCUS (95%CI 60-73, Pl0.01). Patients randomized to the RDUS arm experienced a 120 minute longer ED length of stay (LOS) (95%CI 66-173, Pl0.01).ConclusionIn patients who require pelvic ultrasound as part of their diagnostic evaluation, POCUS resulted in a significant decrease in time to ultrasound and ED LOS.
Cryptogenic Stroke and Nonstenosing Intracranial Calcified Atherosclerosis

Objective Because some cryptogenic strokes may result from large-artery atherosclerosis that goes unrecognized as it causes Methods In a prospective stroke registry, we identified patients with cerebral infarction limited to the territory of one internal carotid artery (ICA). We included patients with stroke of undetermined etiology and, as controls, patients with cardioembolic stroke. We used noncontrast computed tomography to measure calcification in both intracranial ICAs, including qualitative calcium scoring and quantitative scoring utilizing the Agatston–Janowitz (AJ) calcium scoring. Within subjects, the Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test for nonparametric paired data was used to compare the calcium burden in the ICA upstream of the infarction versus the ICA on the unaffected side. Results We obtained 440 calcium measures from 110 ICAs in 55 patients. Among 34 patients with stroke of undetermined etiology, we found greater calcium in the ICA ipsilateral to the infarction (mean Modified Woodcock Visual Scale score, 6.7 ± 4.6) compared with the contralateral side (5.4 ± 4.1) ( P = .005). Among 21 patients with cardioembolic stroke, we found no difference in calcium burden ipsilateral to the infarction (6.7 ± 5.9) versus the contralateral side (7.3 ± 6.3) ( P = .13). The results were similar using quantitative calcium measurements, including the AJ calcium scores. Conclusion In patients with strokes of undetermined etiology, the burden of calcified intracranial large-artery plaque was associated with downstream cerebral infarction.
Novel and Advanced Techniques for Complex IVC Filter Retrieval.

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement is indicated for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with a contraindication to or a failure of anticoagulation. With the advent of retrievable IVC filters and their ease of placement, an increasing number of such filters are being inserted for prophylaxis in patients at high risk for VTE. Available data show that only a small number of these filters are retrieved within the recommended period, if at all, prompting the FDA to issue a statement on the need for their timely removal. With prolonged dwell times, advanced techniques may be needed for filter retrieval in up to 60% of the cases. In this article, we review standard and advanced IVC filter retrieval techniques including single-access, dual-access, and dissection techniques. Complicated filter retrievals carry a non-negligible risk for complications such as filter fragmentation and resultant embolization of filter components, venous pseudoaneurysms or stenoses, and breach of the integrity of the caval wall. Careful pre-retrieval assessment of IVC filter position, any significant degree of filter tilting or of hook, and/or strut epithelialization and caval wall penetration by filter components should be considered using dedicated cross-sectional imaging for procedural planning. In complex cases, the risk for retrieval complications should be carefully weighed against the risks of leaving the filter permanently indwelling. The decision to remove an embedded IVC filter using advanced techniques should be individualized to each patient and made with caution, based on the patient’s age and existing comorbidities.
Motivators for Alzheimer's disease clinical trial participation.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research progress is impeded due to participant recruitment challenges. This study seeks to better understand, from the perspective of individuals engaged in clinical trials (CTs), research motivations. Participants, or their caregivers, from AD treatment and prevention CTs were surveyed about research motivators. The 87 respondents had a mean age of 72.2, were predominantly Caucasian, 55.2% were male, and 56.3% had cognitive impairment. An overwhelming majority rated the potential to help themselves or a loved one and the potential to help others in the future as important motivators. Relatively few respondents were motivated by free healthcare, monetary rewards, or to make others happy. Recruitment efforts should focus on the potential benefit for the individual, their loved ones, and others in the future rather than free healthcare or monetary rewards.
An Approach to Botnet Malware Detection Using Nonparametric Bayesian Methods

Botnet malware, which infects Internet-connected devices and seizes control for a remote botmaster, is a long-standing threat to Internet-connected users and systems. Botnets are used to conduct DDoS attacks, distributed computing (e.g., mining bitcoins), spread electronic spam and malware, conduct cyberwarfare, conduct click-fraud scams, and steal personal user information. Current approaches to the detection and classification of botnet malware include syntactic, or signature-based, and semantic, or context-based, detection techniques. Both methods have shortcomings and botnets remain a persistent threat. In this paper, we propose a method of botnet detection using Nonparametric Bayesian Methods.
Electric field conjugation in the presence of model uncertainty

The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is a 2.4-meter-diameter space telescope NASA program. The payload will include a coronagraph instrument (CGI). The CGI designs under development use deformable mirrors (DM) to create a point spread function (PSF) with a dark region around the obscured star object. Electric field conjugation (EFC) is an iterative nonlinear optimization procedure that uses measurements of the electric field at the image to determine the DM displacements to modify the PSF to create the region of high contrast in the image. EFC requires a numerical model of the coronagraph to calculate the Jacobian of the system, which is used, along with regularization, to solve for the DM displacements for each iteration of the nonlinear optimization. Ideally, the coronagraph is aligned and calibrated, and the calibration data are used in the numerical model for calculating the Jacobian. However, calibration and alignment measurements always contain uncertainty resulting in calibration error. Therefore, the Jacobian calculated from the numerical model is not an exact representation of the physical coronagraph, and the resulting DM solution for an EFC iteration does not have the exact impact on the electric field of the coronagraph as predicted by the EFC. The result is slow convergence, and, as will be shown, drives the use of more restrictive regularization. Using Monte Carlo trials, we investigate the effect of calibration error on EFC convergence and regulatization. Comparison to results from the High Contrast Imaging Testbed Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph are also presented.
ImmunoPET of malignant and normal B cells with 89Zr- and 124I-labeled obinutuzumab antibody fragments reveals differential CD20 internalization in vivo

Purpose: The B-cell antigen CD20 provides a target for antibody-based positron emission tomography (immunoPET). We engineered antibody fragments targeting human CD20 and studied their potential as immunoPET tracers in transgenic mice (huCD20TM) and in a murine lymphoma model expressing human CD20. Experimental Design: Anti-CD20 cys-diabody (cDb) and cys-minibody (cMb) based on rituximab (Rx) and obinutuzumab (GA101) were radioiodinated and used for immunoPET imaging of a murine lymphoma model. Pairwise comparison of obinutuzumab-based antibody fragments labeled with residualizing (89Zr) versus non-residualizing (124I) radionuclides by region of interest (ROI) analysis of serial PET images was conducted both in the murine lymphoma model and in huCD20TM to asses antigen modulation in vivo. Results: 124I-GAcDb and 124I-GAcMb produced high-contrast immunoPET images of B-cell lymphoma and outperformed the respective rituximab-based tracers. ImmunoPET imaging of huCD20TM showed specific uptake in lymphoid tissues. The use of the radiometal 89Zr as alternative label for GAcDb and GAcMb yielded greater target-specific uptake and retention compared with 124I-labeled tracers. Pairwise comparison of 89Zr- and 124I-labeled GAcDb and GAcMb allowed assessment of in vivo internalization of CD20/antibody complexes and revealed that CD20 internalization differs between malignant and endogenous B cells. Conclusions: These obinutuzumab-based PET tracers have the ability to noninvasively and quantitatively monitor CD20-expression and have revealed insights into CD20 internalization upon antibody binding in vivo. Because they are based on a humanized mAb they have the potential for direct clinical translation and could improve patient selection for targeted therapy, dosimetry prior to radioimmunotherapy (RIT), and prediction of response to therapy.
All that glitters: Gold mining companies’ market reaction at the issuance of the “All-in Sustaining Costs” guidance

Abstract Despite the ubiquity of self-regulation and the attention it attracts in policy circles, empirical evidences about its relevance are scarce. We study the impact of a self-regulation initiative in the gold industry by investigating the share price reaction of global gold mining companies at the issuance of the Guidance Note on All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) by the World Gold Council (WGC). We find that gold producing companies experienced robust positive cumulative abnormal returns around the issuance date. The findings support the view that industry self-regulating initiatives could prove effective and they are recognized as such by financial markets. By examining the cross-sectional variation of firms’ returns we find that the impact was more pronounced for larger companies, for companies with more dispersed ownership, and for those that displayed the highest difference between the newly adopted AISC and the previously reported cost measure. Moreover, we explore the existence of a “lobbying effect” in the standard setting process that led to the adoption of AISC and show that firms belonging to the body proposing the new standard had a less positive reaction than those that weren’t WGC members.
Immunometabolism and PI(3)K Signaling As a Link between IL-2, Foxp3 Expression, and Suppressor Function in Regulatory T Cells

CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an essential component of immune homeostasis. Modulation of Treg function has been proposed as a means of treating autoimmune conditions and preventing rejection of organ transplants, although achieving this goal will require a detailed understanding of Treg signaling pathways. Signaling within Tregs is known to differ considerably from that observed in other T cell subsets. Of note, Tregs are the only cell type known to constitutively express CD25, the main ligand-binding subunit of the IL-2 receptor. The PI(3)K/Akt/mTOR cascade constitutes a major signaling pathway downstream of IL-2 and is closely tied to cellular metabolism. Due to increasing recognition of the links between cellular fuel usage and immune cell function, the interplay between IL-2 signaling and Treg metabolism represents an important space for exploration and a potential approach for immunomodulation. Here, we discuss how IL-2 may affect Treg metabolism via PI(3)K signaling, as well as the effects of altered metabolism on Treg lineage stability and suppressor function.
Evaluation of movement behaviors to inform toxic baiting strategies for invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa).

Background Invasive wild pigs damage agriculture, property, and natural ecosystems. To curtail damage, an effective and humane toxic bait containing microencapsulated sodium nitrite is under development. Strategies for delivering the toxic bait are needed to establish adequate spacing of bait sites, and for simultaneously accustoming wild pigs to the novel bait and wild pig-specific bait stations designed to exclude non-target species. Results We monitored movements of 32 Global Positioning System (GPS)-collared wild pigs relative to 41 bait sites containing placebo bait. Among the bait sites, we compared three experimental baiting strategies (and a control) to evaluate which strategy led to the most wild pigs accessing the placebo bait inside bait stations. We found that bait sites should be spaced 0.5-1 km apart to maximize opportunities for all wild pigs to find and utilize the bait sites. Baiting strategies that allowed ≥ 15 days for accustoming wild pigs to bait stations were most effective and resulted in nearly 90% of wild pigs accessing the placebo bait inside the bait stations. Bait stations excluded all non-target animals, except one instance with a raccoon (Procyon lotor). Conclusion These results demonstrate the potential for toxic bait to be an effective tool for reducing populations of wild pigs with minimal risks to non-target species, if optimized delivery procedures are followed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
Acute Hepatobiliary Imaging

Abdominal pain is a common chief complaint in the emergency department, and computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound are useful first-line imaging modalities in the appropriate clinical setting. Both are rapid, low cost, and easily accessible. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is increasingly used in equivocal situations, especially for imaging the biliary system and pancreas, in the setting of pregnancy, and in young or relatively young patients with chronic diseases which will require multiple imaging examinations, with the associated exposure of ionizing radiation if repetitive CT is performed. MR has proved particularly useful in the setting of Crohn disease, complications of pancreatitis, suspected appendicitis in pregnant patients, complications from pancreatic injury, choledocholithiasis, and biliary obstruction of indeterminate etiology. Acute abdominal pain related to liver, gallbladder, and biliary etiologies may present as acute infections with hepatitis or cholecystitis, acute obstruction with choledocholithiasis or malignancy, hemoperitoneum from a ruptured liver mass, or trauma/iatrogenic injury.
Quantifying the local influence of terminal voltages within an electron device

For an N-terminal device, we can define N dimensionless functions of position by differentiating the electrostatic potential with respect to each of the terminal voltages. At any point in the device these functions sum to unity. They provide a natural generalization of the Shockley-Ramo theorem relating the motion of charges within the device to the terminal currents, and also tell us how the electric field lines originating from an extra charge placed into the device are partitioned among the different terminals. They provide a microscopic indicator of amplification: values of these functions can be negative or greater than unity only in active devices. An examination of some textbook device examples demonstrates how the information encoded in these functions may be interpreted, and shows how the effects that they quantify have been repeatedly invoked in an intuitive fashion in past device analyses. We also illustrate the application of these functions to a current problem: understanding the current-control characteristics of short-channel FinFET devices.
Dielectric-barrier discharge for the removal of SO/sub 2/ from flue gas

Experimental results on the removal of SO/sub 2/ from a synthetic flue gas using a dielectric-barrier discharge have been obtained. The dielectric-barrier discharge, also known as silent discharge or partial discharge, is intermittent, and the current exhibits a large number of spikes during that part of the voltage period when the discharge is burning. The discharge electrode configuration is coaxial. The inner electrode is either exposed metal or is covered with glass, and the outer electrode is quartz coated with a conducting surface. The removal of SO/sub 2/ has been studied for several different gas mixtures, flows and pressures. A typical measurement shows a 44% reduction in SO/sub 2/ concentration for a sample gas of 32 parts per million of SO/sub 2/ in air in a 15-kV, 60-Hz, and 0.75-mA silent discharge. >
Closing the Loop on Protein-DNA Interactions: Interplay Between Shape and Flexibility in Nucleoprotein Assemblies Having Implications for Biological Regulation

The formation of DNA loops by proteins bound at distant sites along a single molecule is an essential mechanistic aspect of many biological processes including gene regulation, DNA replication, and recombination. The biological importance of DNA loop formation is underscored by an abundance of architectural proteins in cells such as HU, IHF, and HMGs, which facilitate looping by bending the intervening DNA between cognate protein-binding sites. We have developed a rigorous theory for DNA loop formation that connects the global mechanical and geometric properties of both DNA and protein, including previously neglected phenomena such as the conformational flexibility of protein domains. The theory is applied to the problem of loop-mediated gene repression in vivo by lac repressor.
Histology, not lymph node involvement, predicts long-term survival in bronchopulmonary carcinoids.

Recently, the incidence of bronchopulmonary carcinoid has increased substantially, whereas survival associated with both subtypes has declined. We reviewed our experience with bronchopulmonary carc...
Electron-Ion Recombination Experiments on the KSU EBIS

A summary is given of experiments on dielectronic recombination and electron excitation in the Kansas State University electron-beam ion source. The use of charge state equilibria, x-ray yields and rate constants to determine cross sections for electron ion collision cross sections is discussed.
The Heliacal Rise of Sirius and Ancient Egyptian Chronology

L'ascension heliaque de Sirius est un marqueur important dans le calendrier de l'Egypte ancienne et la chronologie de l'astronomie
Categorical Extension Theory — Revisited

The study of extensions of semigroups with identity (monoids) leads naturally to the study of extensions of categories. The fundamental structure is developed from the study of group extensions in the context of wreath products done by Krasner and Kaloujnine [1].
Does Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey correlate with traditional metrics of patient satisfaction? The challenge of measuring patient pain control and satisfaction in total joint replacement

Abstract Background Medicare reimbursements have been tied to patient satisfaction measures. Despite these measures' influence on reimbursements, the relationship between pain management and patient satisfaction remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between traditional patient perception of pain control and their overall satisfaction after joint replacement. Methods This study is a retrospective review of consecutive primary total hip and total knee replacements. A total of 286 patients who underwent primary total hip (N = 106) and total knee (N = 196) replacements with completed Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys were evaluated. Pain control, communication, and hospital satisfaction were stratified into satisfactory or unsatisfactory groups. These 2 groups were compared in terms of visual analog scale (VAS), opioid use in morphine equivalents, length of hospital stay, anesthesia type, and demographics. Results Average VAS and opioid use did not differ between patient groups for any of the questions evaluated. Those who responded “always” to pain domain questions had a statistically shorter length of stay compared to patients with other response. On average, those who endorsed “always” on communication question were younger. Conclusions Patients who endorsed satisfactory pain control and communication with staff had shorter lengths of stay. There was no relationship between survey scores and traditional pain control measures such as VAS and opioid use. This questions the relevance of our primary pain measures in assessing patient perception of pain control. Length of stay may be a better surrogate marker for patient satisfaction of pain control.
Rural-Urban Differences in In-Hospital Mortality Among Admissions for End-Stage Liver Disease in the United States

Access to quality hospital care is a persistent problem for rural patients. Little is known about disparities between rural and urban populations regarding in-hospital outcomes for end-stage liver disease (ESLD) patients. We aimed to determine whether rural ESLD patients experienced higher in-hospital mortality than urban patients and whether disparities were attributable to the rurality of the patient or the center. This was a retrospective study of patient admissions in the National Inpatient Sample, a population-based sample of hospitals in the United States. Admissions were included if they were from adult patients who had an ESLD-related admission defined by codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, between January 2012 and December 2014. The primary exposures of interest were patient-level rurality and hospital-level rurality. The main outcome was in-hospital mortality. We stratified our analysis by disease severity score. After accounting for patient- and hospital-level covariates, ESLD admissions to rural hospitals in every category of disease severity had significantly higher odds of in-hospital mortality than patient admissions to urban hospitals. Those with moderate or major risk of dying had more than twice the odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] for moderate risk, 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62-3.59; OR for major risk, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.97-3.14). There was no association between patient-level rurality and mortality in the adjusted models. In conclusion, ESLD patients admitted to rural hospitals had increased odds of in-hospital mortality compared with those admitted to urban hospitals, and the differences were not attributable to patient-level rurality. Our results suggest that interventions to improve outcomes in this population should focus on the level of the health system.
Effective Computer Science Teacher Professional Development: Beauty and Joy of Computing 2018

The Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) course has been fully active for 2 years, garnering a large group of diverse students [2], and flaming the need for highly trained CSP teachers, especially in effective practices for diversity and equity. We have conducted summer professional development (PD) workshops from 2012-2018 which have prepared 748 teachers to teach AP CSP using the Beauty and Joy of Computing (BJC) curriculum. To improve equity and readiness for teaching, we have refined our PD by: shortening the PD from 6 weeks to 1 week; developing new, highly scaffolded pre-PD work; and modifying the in-person schedule to incorporate more pedagogy and teaching experiences, while continuing to provide in-depth, hands-on support for teachers to learn the basics of programming. The most recent revisions to our PD schedule resulted in improved post-PD survey results, with teachers from the 2018 cohort planning to adopt more of the BJC curriculum than in past years. From 2017 to 2018, planned adoption rates increased by 13%, resulting in 73% of the 2018 PD participants planning to adopt more than $60%$ of the BJC curriculum and 58% planning to adopt 80-$100% of the BJC curriculum in their classrooms in 2018-2019. In this paper, we discuss the most recent BJC PD implementation and provide evidence of increased teacher self-efficacy in areas including fostering interest in computing for underrepresented populations.
Fewer gastrointestinal bleeds with ticagrelor and prasugrel compared with clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome following percutaneous coronary intervention

Background Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) frequently occurs following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with the prescription of P2Y12 inhibiting antiplatelet agents. Compared with clopidogrel, the newer P2Y12 inhibitors lower major adverse cardiac events with similar or possibly higher major bleeding events. The comparative GIB rates of these medications remain poorly understood. Aim To compare GIB rates associated with clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor using national medical and pharmacy claims data from privately insured and Medicare Advantage enrollees . Methods Propensity score and inverse probability treatment weighting were used to balance baseline characteristics among treatment groups. The 1-year GIB risk was calculated using weighted Cox proportional hazard models and expressed as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and number needed to harm (NNH). Results We identified 37 019 patients with ACS (non-ST elevation ACS [NSTE-ACS] and ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI]) within 14 days of a PCI (mean age 63 years and 70% male). Clopidogrel prescription was most common (69%) with prasugrel (16%) and ticagrelor (14%) prescribed less frequently. When compared with clopidogrel, ticagrelor was associated with a 34% risk reduction (HR 0.66; 95% CI: 0.54-0.81) in GIB overall and with NSTE-ACS, and a 37% GIB risk reduction (HR 0.63; 95% CI: 0.42-0.93) in STEMI patients. When compared with clopidogrel, prasugrel was associated with a 21% risk reduction (HR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64-0.97) overall, a 36% GIB risk reduction (HR 0.64; 95% CI: 0.49-0.85) in STEMI patients but no reduction of GIB risk in NSTE-ACS patients. Conclusions In the first year following PCI, ticagrelor or prasugrel are associated with fewer GIB events than clopidogrel.
The Impact of Hurricanes on Trade and Welfare: Evidence from US Port-level Exports

Hurricanes cause extensive damage and disruption to ports and coastal infrastructure. However, the overall economic consequences of these storms are not necessarily limited to coastal regions. This paper analyzes the indirect effect of hurricanes on trade by considering the connections between affected and unaffected regions through the reliance on coastal ports. The analysis takes advantage of the exogenous variation in hurricane wind speeds at US customs ports to estimate how hurricane activity influences exports shipments originating in unaffected US states. The findings demonstrate that hurricanes have a severe negative impact on bilateral trade flows. For example, a Category 1 storm hitting a port has a similar effect on exports from unaffected US states as a 4% ad valorem tariff. These port-level disruptions aggregate up to broader trade frictions between US states and importing countries through price indices. The empirical estimates and the structure of the theoretical model are used to evaluate counterfactual hurricane scenarios. For example, foreign importers would have been willing to pay over $4 billion to have avoided the additional trade frictions caused by the 2005 hurricane season. Overall, the results shed light on the role of transportation networks in propagating the potential impacts of stronger hurricanes due to climate change.
Intranasal delivery of a nicotine vaccine candidate induces antibodies in mouse blood and lung mucosal secretions that specifically neutralize nicotine.

Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of death in the world. The majority of the smokers have tried to quit, but only a few of them were able to achieve long-term abstinence, due to the hi...
A prognostic gene signature for predicting survival outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an heterogenous cancer that can have profound differences in survival outcomes. Molecular profiling has allowed for the identification of DLBCL subclasses, and together with clinical prognostic factors, such as the international prognostic index, have improved clinical care and survival. Despite these advances, a gene signature that is associated with overall survival (OS) and is reproducible across different DLBCL studies could better classify risk and predict OS. Here, we have identified genes that are associated with OS in DLBCL using data from the Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project and developed a prognostic gene signature consisting of 33 genes that - when transformed into a risk score - can stratify individuals into high or low risk groups that have significantly different OS. The prognostic gene signature was associated with OS in multiple clinical studies, and when used in conjunction with DLBCL molecular subtype and IPI score, significantly predicted OS. Thus, we identified a potential prognostic gene signature that can discriminate high-risk from low-risk DLBCL patients.
Acoustic resolution photoacoustic doppler flowmetry for assessment of patient rectal cancer blood perfusion

Currently, post-therapy evaluation of colorectal cancer relies on functional MRI, which does not possess resolution and sensitivity well-suited for the task. Endorectal photoacoustic microscopy offers blood contrast and much higher resolution in imaging residual tumor vasculature. Correlational acoustic resolution photoacoustic doppler flowmetry with amplitude dependent masking was implemented, validated with simulations and phantom experiments, and put into use on colorectal patient scanning data. Doppler velocity map demonstrated potential in highlighting flow in the photoacoustic signal region while removing stationary absorber signals, showing vascular density and distribution in agreement with current understanding of colorectal cancer pathology.
I Can Tell You Stories: Teacher Education during Educational Disruption

This phenomenological case study defined and described College of Education (COE) students’ perceptions of educational disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic and how that disruption shaped their understandings of education. Participants defined educational disruptions as the phenomenon when a plan is created by an individual or school and interrupted by the unplanned with overlapping and intersecting effects along a continuum of physical, social, and emotional well-being that potentially result in individualized trauma. Participants experienced educational disruption through their understandings of: (1) the purpose of education, (2) beliefs about education, (3) curriculum, (4) instruction, (5) assessment, and (6) child guidance and classroom community. Our findings highlight the need for COEs to understand the role of education within community and societies during educational disruptions to meet the needs of diverse students in an ethical and equitable manner. We recommend future studies consider how community-based relationships can inform institutional responses to educational disruptions. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Mitigating Voltage Attacks in Multi-Tenant FPGAs

Recent research has exposed a number of security issues related to the use of FPGAs in embedded system and cloud computing environments. Circuits that deliberately waste power can be carefully crafted by a malicious cloud FPGA user and deployed to cause denial-of-service and fault injection attacks. The main defense strategy used by FPGA cloud services involves checking user-submitted designs for circuit structures that are known to aggressively consume power. Unfortunately, this approach is limited by an attacker’s ability to conceive new designs that defeat existing checkers. In this work, our contributions are twofold. We evaluate a variety of circuit power wasting techniques that typically are not flagged by design rule checks imposed by FPGA cloud computing vendors. The efficiencies of five power wasting circuits, including our new design, are evaluated in terms of power consumed per logic resource. We then show that the source of voltage attacks based on power wasters can be identified. Our monitoring approach localizes the attack and suppresses the clock signal for the target region within 21 μs, which is fast enough to stop an attack before it causes a board reset. All experiments are performed using a state-of-the-art Intel Stratix 10 FPGA.
Towards Measuring the Food Quality of Grocery Purchases: an Estimation Model of the Healthy Eating Index-2010 Using only Food Item Counts

Abstract Measuring the quality of food consumed by individuals or groups in the U.S. is essential to informed public health surveillance efforts and sound nutrition policymaking. For example, the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI) is an ideal metric to assess the food quality of households, but the traditional methods of collecting the data required to calculate the HEI are expensive and burdensome. We evaluated an alternative source: rather than measuring the quality of the foods consumers eat, we want to estimate the quality of the foods consumers buy. To accomplish that we need a way of estimating the HEI based solely on the count of food items. We developed an estimation model of the HEI, using an augmented set of the What We Eat In America (WWEIA) food categories. Then we mapped ∼92,000 grocery food items to it. The model uses an inverse Cumulative Distribution Function sampling technique. Here we describe the model and report reliability metrics based on NHANES data from 2003-2010.
Filter design for 1000BASE-T analog front ends

This paper investigates the design of an analog receive filter with high-frequency boost for a 1000BASE-T analog front end. Several possible filter topologies are discussed and the most promising one is chosen based on system-level simulations. We then consider the nonidealities expected in an analog implementation of the proposed filter. Using behavioral simulations, the performance required of each circuit block is determined and the entire filter is specified to enable further circuit design. The results indicate that it is feasible to design a low-power, CMOS filter that will yield significant benefits in this application.
Trends and Cycles of Tech-Pole Housing Prices

This paper examines the transmission mechanism of tech-pole housing pricesand investigates the economic forces behind it. For this purpose, the work develops anMCMC algorithm to extract the latent common trend and cycle of the integrating pricesand conduct Bayesian stochastic search for restriction selection of the panel data model.The evidence shows that the transmission magnitude and persistence depend importantlyon the degree of IT-industry intensity between two metropolitan areas. While the commonstochastic trend behind the price dynamics is primarily determined by normal income, themonetary policy is responsible for the common boom and bust of tech-pole housingcycles. The policy implication for the real asset pricing and risk hedging strategies arealso discussed. (E32, R31, C11, C32)
Beyond Mott scattering

A review of past (from Mott scattering) and future topics in electron scattering is presented. In particular, the work of scientists at the University of Illinois is emphasized.
Association between clinical characteristics and risk-reduction interventions in women who underwent BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing: a single-institution study.

BACKGROUND. Women who are at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancers, especially BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, face a myriad of risk-reduction options, including increased surveillance, chemoprevention, prophylactic oophorectomy, and prophylactic mastectomy. However, little is known about which clinical, demographic, or cancer-related factors are associated with risk-reduction interventions. METHODS. The authors conducted a retrospective review of records for 554 women who had undergone testing at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between 2000 and 2006 for deleterious BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Data were collected on the risk-reduction interventions these women adopted after they underwent genetic testing. These data were tested for associations with demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS. Among the 554 women who underwent genetic testing for BRCA mutation, 78 were found to have a deleterious mutation in the BRCA1 gene, and 54 had a mutation in the BRCA 2 gene. Of the 554 women, 85 underwent prophylactic mastectomy, 30 prophylactic oophorectomy, and 52 both surgeries; 387 women opted for surveillance. Women who had BRCA mutations, a history of breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or previous breast biopsies were more likely to have prophylactic surgery. Women with a family history of ovarian cancer were more likely to undergo prophylactic oophorectomy. Women with a personal history of ovarian cancer or advanced breast cancer were more likely to undergo surveillance only. Women with breast cancer who had had a total mastectomy as part of their prior breast cancer treatment underwent prophylactic mastectomy more frequently than women who either had breast-conserving surgery or no history of breast cancer. In multivariate analysis, only positive BRCA mutation carrier status was associated with having had prophylactic surgery. In addition, breast cancer history was significantly associated with prophylactic mastectomy. CONCLUSIONS. Women who were BRCA carriers, women who had a history of breast cancer, DCIS, or breast biopsy, or had a family history of ovarian cancer were more likely to have undergone surgery for cancer risk reduction. Women with ovarian cancer or advanced breast cancer were more likely to have undergone surveillance. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Digestive System and Mesenteries

The digestive system is derived almost entirely from the splanchnopleura forming the roof of the yolk sac. The primitive gut regions (foregut, midgut, hindgut) are identifiable by the fourth week of development. The endoderm of the primitive gut will form the epithelial lining of the greater part of the digestive tract and biliary passages as well as the parenchyma of the liver and pancreas. The epithelium of the most cranial (anterior two-thirds of the oral cavity) and the most caudal (lower one-third of the anal canal) is derived from the ectoderm of the stomodeum and proctodeum respectively. The other components of the definitive hollow organ form are derived from the splanchnic layer of lateral plate mesoderm surrounding the primitive gut.
Chemotherapy-induced histologic changes in mastectomy specimens and their potential significance

Abstract The aim was to assess chemotherapy-induced histologic changes in breast cancer and to evaluate their relationship with tumour response, to treatment and patient survival. We examined paired pre- and post-chemotherapy tumour specimens from 57 patients with stages II and III breast cancers. All patients received three to four courses of anthracycline-containing preoperative treatment and subsequently underwent modified radical mastectomy 3–5 months after diagnosis. Histologic parameters evaluated included extent of residual disease and cytologic changes in residual tumour and in non-neoplastic breast tissue and lymph nodes. Correlation of pathologic changes with disease-free and overall survival was evaluated. Clinical evaluation indicated that 24% ( n =14) of patients had a complete response, 53% ( n =30) had a partial response, and 22% ( n =13) had stable disease. Pathologic assessment revealed a complete response in 14% ( n =8) of patients. Clinical and histologic complete responses were discordant in 35% of patients. Sixty-eight percent of tumours demonstrated moderate to severe cytologic changes in the cytoplasm and nucleus of neoplastic cells. These were characterized by increased overall cell size, cytoplasmic vacuolization, nuclear enlargement, multinucleation, and vesiculation of chromatin. Chemotherapy-induced histologic changes varied within a tumour and between patients. Tumour cytologic changes were significantly associated with histologic ( p =0.03) as well as clinical ( p =0.02) tumour response. Pathologic tumour response, but not histologic changes, was also a powerful predictor of overall survival and relapse-free survival. In the non-neoplastic glandular tissue, periductal and perilobular fibrosis and atrophy of lobular acini similar to those seen in postmenopausal breast tissue were noted. Changes in lymph nodes were characterized by lymphoid depletion and fibrosis with and without tumour metastasis. Chemotherapy-induced cytologic changes are frequently seen in neoplastic breast epithelium and correlate with response to treatment. Histologic confirmation of clinical tumour response to preoperative chemotherapy is necessary for accurate characterization of patients', response to treatment.
An Analysis of the Effects of Self-Esteem, Social Support, and Participation in Student Support Services on Students' Adjustment and Commitment to College

Universities are becoming increasingly concerned with ways to increase retention rates, student success in college, and comfort level on campus for demographically underrepresented and first-genera...
Poly[mu4-sulfido-tris(thiocyanato-kappaN)tris(mu3-1,2,4-triazolato-kappa(3)N(1):N(2):N(4))tetrazinc(II)]: a three-dimensional zinc sulfide coordination polymer

The title compound, [Zn4(C2H2N3)3(NCS)3S]n, is a three-dimensional coordination polymer consisting of tetra­hedral SZn4 clusters bridged by triazole ligands. In the tetra­hedral unit, three Zn atoms are connected to six bridging triazolate ligands, whereas the fourth Zn atom (site symmetry 3m) is bonded to three terminal thio­cyanate anions that protrude into the void space created by the Zn–triazolate network. The network prototype is simple cubic, but a strong distortion along a body diagonal and the imposition of a polar direction by the arrangement of the mol­ecular constituents lead to the trigonal space group R3m. This study demonstrates the use of the 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole ligand as an effective source for sulfide ions in the synthesis of sulfide-based coordination polymers.
Copious direct photon production: A possible resolution of the prompt-lepton puzzle

We propose that all direct leptons not due to vector meson decay can be attributed to the decay of virtual photons. At p⊥≈3 GeV/c, we expect γ / π, the ratio of direct photons to pions, to be about 10 to 20% for sqrt[s]≈20-60 GeV.
Lateral diffusion of bovine serum albumin adsorbed at the solid-liquid interface

Abstract The lateral mobility of eosin isothiocyanate-labeled bovine serum albumin irreversibly adsorbed to poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces from aqueous solution was measured by a combination of total internal reflection fluorescence and fluorescence recovery after pattern photobleaching techniques. Lateral mobility over distances of several micrometers was probed by photobleaching and monitoring fluorescence with the fringe pattern formed by two intersecting coherent laser beams in total internal reflection. The period of the fringes determined the characteristic length for transport on the surface and was varied by changing the angle of intersection. The dependence of the fluorescence recovery time on the period of the fringes indicates that lateral migration of the adsorbed protein on PMMA is by surface diffusion with D = (1.2 ± 0.3) × 10−9cm2/s, while the extent of fluorescence recovery reveals the coexistence of a mobile population and a population that is apparently immobile over 20 min. For comparison, D = (2.6 ± 0.1) × 10−9cm2/s on PDMS.
Lateral manipulation of single-walled carbon nanotubes on H-passivated Si(100) surfaces with an ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscope.

Ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) can be used for the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules into complex arrangements for sensitive electrical and structural characterization. However, the systematic UHV STM manipulation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), high-aspect-ratio molecular wires derived from graphene that exist in both semiconducting and metallic forms, has yet to be reported. In this work, we demonstrate the room-temperature lateral manipulation of ≈1-nm-diameter SWNTs on UHV-prepared, hydrogen-passivated Si(100) surfaces. We show the reproducible actuation of SWNTs having lengths as small as 13 nm, along with the partial division of a two-tube bundle. Moreover, UHV STM desorption of H at the SWNT/Si interface is introduced as a means of locally strengthening the interaction between the tube and the surface. The UHV STM manipulation scheme described here is potentially extensible to the orientational control of SWNTs interfaced with atomically clean semiconducting surfaces, such as InAs(110), GaAs(110), and unpassivated Si(100), for which first-principles calculations based on density functional theory have been reported recently in the literature.
Dynamic Changes in Histone H3 Phosphoacetylation during Early Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation Are Directly Mediated by Mitogen- and Stress-activated Protein Kinase 1 via Activation of MAPK Pathways

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells capable of unlimited self-renewal and differentiation into the three embryonic germ layers under appropriate conditions. Mechanisms for control of the early period of differentiation, involving exit from the pluripotent state and lineage commitment, are not well understood. An emerging concept is that epigenetic histone modifications may play a role during this early period. We have found that upon differentiation of mouse ES cells by removal of the cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor, there is a global increase in coupled histone H3 phosphorylation (Ser-10)-acetylation (Lys-14) (H3 phosphoacetylation). We show that this occurs through activation of both the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. Early ES cell differentiation is delayed using pharmacological inhibitors of the ERK and p38 pathways. One common point of convergence of these pathways is the activation of the mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1). We show here that MSK1 is the critical mediator of differentiation-induced H3 phosphoacetylation using both the chemical inhibitor H89 and RNA interference. Interestingly, inhibition of H3 phosphoacetylation also alters gene expression during early differentiation. These results point to an important role for both epigenetic histone modifications and kinase pathways in modulating early ES differentiation.
Microscopic calculations for (p, n) reactions to isobaric analogue states

Abstract Calculations of (p, n) transitions to 0+ isobaric analogue states have been made taking into account the (p, d) (d, n) contribution as well as the usual charge exchange. Satisfactory agreement in shape between calculated and experimental angular distributions is obtained over a broad range of target nuclei and proton energies and the resulting strengths needed to reproduce magnitudes are much more consistent than when the two-step mechanism is omitted.