cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment Outcome of Patients With Advanced Cervical Carcinoma After Concurrent Chemotherapy and External Beam Radiation Therapy Plus High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy

Purpose/Objective(s): Radiochemotherapy for cervical cancer may have a high risk of acuteand late side effects, and hence be considered too toxic for many elderly patients. The purpose was to evaluate treatment-, side effects and survival after radiotherapy (RT) alone, for patients age 80+. Materials/Methods: Consecutive cervical cancer patients, age 80+, treated between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2011, receiving curative intended RT were included. Patient characteristics, toxicities and survival data were retrieved from our in-department patient database and retrospectively evaluated. Patients received external RT either 46 Gy in 23 fractions (4 pelvic field conformal RT or Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (Rapid Arc)) or 64 Gy in 32 fractions (5-field intensity modulated RT (IMRT)) depending on the presence of lymph nodes metastases. Patients were also planned for PDR brachytherapy either intracavitary 17.5 Gy x 2 to point A or interstitial 30 Gy. Results: Twenty-five patients were included. The median age was 82(range 80-88) and the histology of the primary tumors was: Squamous cell carcinoma (64%), Adenocarcinoma (16%), Undifferentiated (4%), Rare types (8%), and Unknown (8%). Primary FIGO stages were: IIA (4%), IIB (56%), IIIA (4%), IIIB (32%), and IVA (4%). Two patients experienced acute side effects of RTOG grade 3 to bladder and vagina respectively. Other two experienced late side effect grade 4 due to vesicoand/or recto-vaginal fistulas. Six patients had had a relapse of their disease (31% actuarial (C.I. 10-52%)). Conclusions: With a relapse rate of 31% and little severe toxicity, our results show that using RT without Cisplatin to 80+ years old cervical cancer patients is safe and provides a good disease control. Author Disclosure: H. Hansen: None. C. Hogdall: None. S. Engelholm: None.
Direct and indirect relations between the Big 5 personality traits and aggressive and violent behavior

Relations between the Big 5 personality traits and aggressive behavior have been studied frequently. However, no work has tested whether that relation is direct or indirect through aggressive attitudes and aggressive emotions. Data from two large samples that used different Big 5 measures examined these effects. Overall, results showed that the paths from Big 5 traits to aggressive behavior depends on both the specific type of aggressive behavior and the Big 5 traits measured. For example, Openness and Agreeableness were both directly and indirectly related to physical aggression, but were only indirectly related (through aggressive attitudes) to violent behavior. Similarly, Neuroticism was both directly and indirectly (through aggressive emotions) related to physical aggression, but not to violent behavior. Theoretical implications and future work are discussed.
Association of MHC and rheumatoid arthritis: HLA polymorphisms in phenotypic variants of rheumatoid arthritis

Genes in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region remain the most powerful disease risk genes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Several allelic variants of HLA-DRB1 genes have been associated with RA, supporting a role for T-cell receptor-HLA-antigen interactions in the pathologic process. Disease-associated HLA-DRB1 alleles are similar but not identical and certain allelic variants are preferentially enriched in patient populations with defined clinical characteristics. Also, a gene dosing effect of HLA-DRB1 alleles has been suggested by the accumulation of patients with two RA-associated alleles, especially in patient subsets with a severe disease course. Therefore, polymorphisms in HLA genes are being explored as tools to dissect the clinical heterogeneity of the rheumatoid syndrome. Besides HLA polymorphisms, other risk genes will be helpful in defining genotypic profiles correlating with disease phenotypes. One such phenotype is the type of synovial lesion generated by the patient. HLA genes in conjunction with other genetic determinants may predispose patients to a certain pathway of synovial inflammation. Also, patients may or may not develop extraarticular manifestations, which are critical in determining morbidity and mortality. HLA genes, complemented by other RA risk genes, are likely involved in shaping the T-cell repertoire, including the emergence of an unusual T-cell population characterized by the potential of vascular injury, such as seen in extraarticular RA.
Multidecadal increase in North Atlantic coccolithophores and the potential role of rising CO2

As anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions acidify the oceans, calcifiers generally are expected to be negatively affected. However, using data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder, we show that coccolithophore occurrence in the North Atlantic increased from ~2 to more than 20% from 1965 through 2010. We used random forest models to examine more than 20 possible environmental drivers of this change, finding that CO2 and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation were the best predictors, leading us to hypothesize that higher CO2 levels might be encouraging growth. A compilation of 41 independent laboratory studies supports our hypothesis. Our study shows a long-term basin-scale increase in coccolithophores and suggests that increasing CO2 and temperature have accelerated the growth of a phytoplankton group that is important for carbon cycling.
Book Review - A Jury of Whose Peers? The Cultural Politics of Juries in Australia

If the criminal courtroom were a stage (as indeed it so often has been in pop culture), who would be the stars? The jury, according to Kate Auty and Sandy Toussaint, editors of A Jury of Whose Peers?, a collection of seven essays written by contributors running the gamut from academic to the "average Joe." The collection, which is subtitled The Cultural Politics of Juries in Australia, puts the jury center stage in an attempt to examine the culture of the courtroom as it is both created by and imposed upon the jury as a discreet social body.
Mechanism of Feminization in Primary Liver Cancer

Abstract Primary liver cancer occasionally presents with feminization. The mechanism is unknown. We studied a young man with primary liver cancer associated with feminization that disappeared after removal of the tumor. Before operation, the serum estrone level was markedly (1113 pg per milliliter) and estradiol and estriol levels were slightly elevated. Human placental lactogen was also increased (0.52 μg per milliliter). Luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin levels were normal, and testosterone reduced. Beta subunits of human chorionic gonadotropin were not detected in the serum. In vitro assay of tumor tissue showed estrogenic activity and high levels of these subunits. With a reversed isotope dilution technic with crystallization to constant specific activity, we showed the tumor tissue to convert dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and dehydroepiandrosterone to estrone and estradiol. Production of beta subunits of chorionic gonadotropin and raised serum levels of placental lactog...
Comparison of solutions to boundary-layer and Navier-Stokes equations for the case of mass removal from a turbulent boundary layer

Comparisons are made over a range of Mach numbers from 1.5 to 7.5 at a fixed Reynolds number for various amounts of mass removal (boundary-layer bleed). Results indicate that boundary-layer theory can be used for design purposes in the range of bleed rates required to eliminate separation in an isolated, strong, adverse pressure gradient. Only about 5% to 10% of the boundary-layer mass flow must be removed to prevent such separations. Direct comparisons of bleed rates required to eliminate separation predicted by boundary-layer and Navier-Stokes equations for an M = 3.5-engine inlet centerbody show comparable results.
Self-sensing concrete enabled by nano-engineered cement–aggregate interfaces

The objective of this study was to design a multifunctional cement composite that could not only bear loads but also possessed electromechanical properties that are sensitive to damage. A mainstrea...
Research on Coordinated Development of Industrial Innovation System ——Based on the Perspective of Er-Xiang Dual Theory and System Evolution

Based on the characteristics of temporal and spatial evolution of industrial innovation system,use Er-Xiang dual theory to regard industrial innovation system as the dynamic system with complete temporal and spatial significance composed of the state subsystem and process subsystem,the former is objective material sub-system,the latter is virtual image subsystem composed of the mapped attributes from this material sub-system. From this new perspective,it researches the nature of the evolution of industrial innovation system,redefines the meaning of coordinated development of industrial innovation system,and builds an evaluation model of coordinated development between Er-Xiang subsystems of industrial innovation system.
TREATING WHAT? - LABELING LABILITY IN PSYCHIATRY

The current state of our knowledge about the diseases we treat and the treatments we use is incomplete, tenuous, and often based upon hypotheses that have yet to be confirmed. Accordingly, we must continue to gather data from many levels and resist the temptation to squeeze out observations into a foxed and rigid mold that cannot incorporate new findings or different perspectives. Failure to do so will make it impossible to know how to apply any of the methods we devise to different populations, in different countries, and by workers of different theoretical persuasions.
Distinctiveness of "Defective" Fricative Sounds

A study was done in which a group of phonetically-trained listeners was asked to identify a fairly extensive range of fricatives from tape recordings. The data were analysed by means of confusion m...
The 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Thomas A. Steitz and the structure of the ribosome.

Over the past 200 years, there have been countless groundbreaking discoveries in biology and medicine at Yale University. However, one particularly noteworthy discovery with profoundly important and broad consequences happened here in just the past two decades. In 2009, Thomas Steitz, the Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for “studies of the structure and function of the ribosome,” along with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Ada E. Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science. This article covers the historical context of Steitz’s important discovery, the techniques his laboratory used to study the ribosome, and the impact that this research has had, and will have, on the future of biological and medical research.
TU-AB-BRA-06: BEST IN PHYSICS (JOINT IMAGING-THERAPY): An MRI Compatible Externally and Internally Deformable Lung Motion Phantom for Multi-Modality IGRT

Purpose: MRI has become an attractive tool for tumor motion management. Current MR-compatible phantoms are only capable of reproducing translational motion. This study describes the construction and validation of a more realistic, MRI-compatible lung phantom that is deformable internally as well as externally. We demonstrate a radiotherapy application of this phantom by validating the geometric accuracy of the open-source deformable image registration software NiftyReg (UCL, UK). Methods: The outer shell of a commercially-available dynamic breathing torso phantom was filled with natural latex foam with eleven water tubes. A rigid foam cut-out served as the diaphragm. A high-precision programmable, in-house, MRI-compatible motion platform was used to drive the diaphragm. The phantom was imaged on a 3T scanner (Philips, Ingenia). Twenty seven tumor traces previously recorded from lung cancer patients were programmed into the phantom and 2D+t image sequences were acquired using a sparse-sampling sequence k-t BLAST (accn=3, resolution=0.66×0.66×5mm3; acquisition-time=110ms/slice). The geometric fidelity of the MRI-derived trajectories was validated against those obtained via fluoroscopy using the on board kV imager on a Truebeam linac. NiftyReg was used to perform frame by frame deformable image registration. The location of each marker predicted by using NiftyReg was compared with the values calculated by intensity-based segmentation on each frame. Results: In all cases, MR trajectories were within 1 mm of corresponding fluoroscopy trajectories. RMSE between centroid positions obtained from segmentation with those obtained by NiftyReg varies from 0.1 to 0.21 mm in the SI direction and 0.08 to 0.13 mm in the LR direction showing the high accuracy of deformable registration. Conclusion: We have successfully designed and demonstrated a phantom that can accurately reproduce deformable motion under a variety of imaging modalities including MRI, CT and x-ray fluodoscopy, making it an invaluable research tool for validating novel motion management strategies. This work was partially supported through research funding from National Institutes of Health (R01CA169102).
Money Supply and Inflation

Decisions made by governments and central banks deeply affect macroeco- nomic factors, and through them households, companies, and generally the economy’s financial agents. Such decisions may be social in nature with economic aftermath; or they may primarily concern monetary and fiscal policies, the two discretionary tools available for the management of: Economic activity, and Financial infrastructure.
Resource stoichiometry and the biogeochemical consequences of nitrogen deposition in a mixed deciduous forest.

Ecosystems often show differential sensitivity to chronic nitrogen (N) deposition; hence, a critical challenge is to improve our understanding of how and why site-specific factors mediate biogeochemical responses to N enrichment. We examined the extent to which N impacts on soil carbon (C) and N dynamics depend on microbial resource stoichiometry. We added N to forest plots dominated by ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees - which have litter and soil pools rich in organic N and relatively wide C:N ratios – and adjacent forest plots dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees - which have litter and soil pools rich in inorganic N and relatively narrow C:N ratios. While microbes in both plot types exhibited fairly strict biomass homeostasis, microbes in AM- and ECM-dominated plots differed in their physiological responses to N addition. Microbes in ECM plots responded to N enrichment by decreasing their investment in N-acquisition enzymes (relative to C-acquisition enzymes) and increasing N mineralization rates (relative to C mineralization rates), suggesting that N addition alleviated microbial N demand. In contrast, heterotrophic microbial activities in AM plots were unaffected by N addition, most likely as a result of N-induced increases in net nitrification (60% increase relative to control plots) and nitrate mobilization (e.g., 6-fold increases in mobilization relative to control plots). Combined, our findings suggest the stoichiometric differences between AM and ECM soils are the primary drivers of the observed responses. Plant and microbial communities characterized by wide C:N are more susceptible to N-induced changes in decomposition and soil C dynamics, whereas communities characterized by narrow C:N are more susceptible to N-induced nitrate leaching losses. Hence, the biogeochemical consequences of N deposition in temperate forests may be driven by the stoichiometry of the dominant trees and their associated microbes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Development of an International Clinical Education Extracurricular Experience Through a Collaborative Partnership.

Background and Purpose Participating in global health care through international clinical education may enhance the development of cultural competence and professionalism. Many logistical issues need to be resolved in the development of international clinical education experiences that meet program requirements. The purpose of this case report is to describe how a university developed such an experience for students by partnering with Amizade Global Service-Learning (Amizade), an organization that facilitates global learning experiences. Case Description Medical, nursing, and pharmacy students were already participating in a 4-week international health-related service learning rotation through Amizade. The preexisting relationship and contractual agreement with the university provided the necessary legal framework. Amizade staff assisted in finding a physical therapist qualified and willing to host a student. The academic coordinator for clinical education at the university and Amizade liaisons determined living arrangements, schedule, clinical settings, and patient population. The selected student had expressed interest and had met all clinical education placement requirements. The academic coordinator for clinical education had ongoing electronic communications with all parties. Outcomes and Discussion The student demonstrated predicted attributes of cultural competence and professionalism; through the partnership with Amizade, the student was exposed to several unique interprofessional experiences. The steps used by the university faculty in developing this interprofessional, international clinical education experience through a collaborative partnership may provide guidance for other institutions.
Prosthetic valve endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A case report and current review

Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a rare but very serious and often deadly complication. Despite that, data are scarce and limited. Here, we report a case of a patient who developed PVE three months following TAVR and review the literature.
A Dynamic Evaluation of Blockers to Risk-Taking and Growth and the Agent's Employment Cycle

This paper examines some of the implications that technological innovations have had on the retail side of the commercial banking industry in the recent decade. These innovations enabled financial institutions to overcome previous constraining "blockages" to growth and costs savings, such as geographic distances and volume processing obstacles but at the same time also removed many of the previous "blockages" that prevented competitors from invading their turf. The nature of such constraints (or "blockages") has changed as technology changed, and the financial intermediation delivery has changed with it. Although this paper focuses on the innovations relevant to retail banking, many of the implications can be of interest to other aspects of the financial services industry outside the scope here. While enabling a greater variety of services and improved productivity, technology poses challenges to society since non-banks are often less regulated, compared to depository institutions. As noted in recent studies, despite the free spill-over of information, technology has the potential to increase monopolistic powers of institutions that develop advantages in the use of propriety information and technology. This paper reviews some recent innovations in the financial services industry that have a further potential role in the continuation of the transformation process. One needs to become familiar with them before one can proceed with further contemplation of the challenges that they pose to the banking and non-banking industries. This paper also addresses significant gaps in existing knowledge about the Internet banking landscape. Using information drawn from a survey of national bank examiners, it finds that as early as 5 years ago, while only 20 percent of national banks offered Internet banking in Q3 1999, these transactional Internet banks accounted for 84 percent of the total number of small deposit accounts. Today both numbers are already much higher. An estimated 45 percent of all national banks were offering Internet banking by the beginning of 2001, and today most already do. While most of the growth in new Internet banking was be due to small banks coming online, almost half of all national banks in 2001 had no plans to offer Internet services, while today the majority do. However, Internet was just a step and other products and service are emerging, and Banking institutions are becoming more challenged by those new competitors.
Just Say No to Commodity Fetishism: A Reply to Rakos

After touring the Peoples Republic of China plus several other worker states in Eastern Europe, Rakos (1988) concludes that capitalism is consistent with human nature (behavior principles) whereas socialism is not. In reply, I argue (a) that the fatal fiaw in his reasoning is the conceptual error of reductionism and (b) that his conclusion about capitalism is contrary to reality. Rakos fails to consider cultural evolution (Skinner, 1981). I consider capitalism as an evolved world culture in decline and present day worker states as the initial step toward the construction of a communist world culture - with the economic and political problems Rakos observed in them being transitional, not inherent. As evidence, I contrast the current political and economic reform programs of the Soviet Union and Cuba. Key words: behaviorism, capitalism, communism, cultural evolution, Marxism
Image Acquisition for Creation of a 3D Model: CT, CMR, and Echocardiography

3D imaging datasets from cardiac computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), or echocardiography can be used to create 3D virtual models for 3D printing. Although CT imaging is not considered first line to diagnose congenital heart disease, it has significant advantages when a 3D printed cardiac model is needed. Advantages over ultrasound include ability to depict vascular and non-vascular extracardiac structures and coronary anatomy with high tissue contrast between lumen and myocardium/vessel wall. CTA also offers superior spatial resolution to MRI, is more widely available, and can be acquired in shorter imaging times. Compared to cardiac CT, CMR offers the advantages of lack of radiation exposure, better temporal resolution, and good blood to myocardium differentiation without the necessary use of intravenous contrast. Echocardiography on the other hand allows real-time image acquisition often without the need for sedation, provides detailed images of valve anatomy, and is a readily available technology which does not routinely require much advanced notice for use of an ultrasound machine. This chapter covers the details of each technology including descriptions of imaging protocols and settings that may be applied to optimize images to be used for 3D printed model creation.
Identifying non-reference sites to guide stream restoration and long-term monitoring.

Abstract The reference condition paradigm has served as the standard for assessing the outcomes of restoration projects, particularly their success in meeting project objectives. One limitation of relying solely on the reference condition in designing and monitoring restoration projects is that reference conditions do not necessarily elucidate impairments to effective restoration, especially diagnosing the causal mechanisms behind unsuccessful outcomes. We provide a spatial framework to select both reference and non-reference streams to guide restoration planning and long-term monitoring through reliance on anthropogenically altered ecosystems to understand processes that govern ecosystem biophysical properties and ecosystem responses to restoration practices. We then applied the spatial framework to East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC), Tennessee (USA), a system receiving 30 years of remediation and pollution abatement actions from industrialization, pollution, and urbanization. Out of > 13,000 stream reaches, we identified anywhere from 4 to 48 reaches, depending on the scenario, that could be used in restoration planning and monitoring for specific sites. Preliminary comparison of fish species composition at these sites compared to EFPC sites were used to identify potential mechanisms limiting the ecological recovery following remediation. We suggest that understanding the relative role of anthropogenic pressures in governing ecosystem responses is required to successful, process-driven restoration.
Palliative Wound and Skin Issues

Normal wound healing follows specific, predictable patterns. Systemic and local factors such as chronic illness and cancer treatment can affect the patient’s ability to heal. The goals of treatment must therefore reflect the patient’s current medical condition and ability to heal. Appropriate skin care measure must be taken for the patient with end-stage disease. Often palliative care patients will not be able to heal their wounds. It is important to remember that the clinician cannot “make a patient’s wounds heal,” but must support the patient, their family, and symptoms until death.
Zika Virus Awareness and Prevention Practices Among University Students in Miami: Fall 2016:

In January 2016, the first case of mosquito-borne Zika infection in the mainland United States was confirmed in Miami, Florida. The first locally acquired case was reported 6 months later. Local public health and school officials began warning students of the outbreak on their return to the classroom in August 2016. In November-December 2016, we conducted a survey of students attending a large public university in Miami to determine how well informed they were about Zika. A multistage sampling design was used to contact teaching assistants and ask them for help in recruiting their students. Eligible students had to be 18 years of age or older and enrolled in at least one three-credit course during fall semester. A 25-item questionnaire based on the World Health Organization Zika Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Resource Pack was developed, pretested, and approved by the university's institutional review board before it was made available to eligible students through Blackboard Learn or a survey link. About half (50.4%) of the 139 respondents had heard about Zika prior to 2016. Only one student was unaware of Zika before our survey. Most (47.1%) first learned about Zika through television, 18.8% from family or friends, and 15.2% from the Internet, social media, or university e-mail. Two thirds (66.2%) believed Zika could be prevented, 15.1% thought it might be prevented, and 85.7% had taken some precautions. A high level of awareness of the risk of Zika infection was apparent. Most students reported taking steps to avoid exposure to the Zika virus.
The California Cap-and-Trade Program: A Model Policy for Promoting Environmental Justice Using Accountability for Reasonableness.

In their article, Resnik and colleagues (2018) outline several theories of justice and argue convincingly that when it comes to environmental policymaking, many of these theories can be in conflict...
State of health (SOH) estimation of multiple switching devices using a single intelligent gate driver module

This paper presents a new platform for intelligent gate-driver architecture that enables real-time health monitoring of power devices while performing features offered by a commercially available driver. The novelty of this new technique is the application of spread spectrum time domain reflectometry (SSTDR) embedded pulse width modulated (PWM) sequence across the gate and the source of a power MOSFET. A degraded MOSFET experiences an increase in both ON-state channel resistance and equivalent series resistance of gate-source capacitance, and the SSTDR sequence can characterize the level of aging in a live circuit based on these impedance variations. To validate our proposed method, the SSTDR incident signal was applied across the high side MOSFET of a synchronous buck converter, and corresponding reflections were recorded and analyzed. Extensive variation in impedances throughout the circuit using PWM switching scheme makes the degradation detection more challenging. However, a new algorithm has been introduced in this paper to solve the problem mentioned above. Included experimental results demonstrate that the developed method can perform online degradation monitoring of multiple devices from a single measurement point, which will eliminate the need of a separate state of health (SOH) monitoring module for detecting degradation in each device. Although the initial test results are obtained for power MOSFETs, the proposed technique is equally applicable to other power devices such as IGBTs and silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs.
Development of an adaptive pulmonary simulator for in vitro analysis of patient populations and patient-specific data.

Abstract Background and objective Patient-specific modeling (PSM) is gaining more attention from researchers due to its ability to potentially improve diagnostic capabilities, guide the design of intervention procedures, and optimize clinical management by predicting the outcome of a particular treatment and/or surgical intervention. Due to the hemodynamic diversity of specific patients, an adaptive pulmonary simulator (PS) would be essential for analyzing the possible impact of external factors on the safety, performance, and reliability of a cardiac assist device within a mock circulatory system (MCS). In order to accurately and precisely replicate the conditions within the pulmonary system, a PS should not only account for the ability of the pulmonary system to supply blood flow at specific pressures, but similarly consider systemic outflow dynamics. This would provide an accurate pressure and flow rate return supply back into the left ventricular section of the MCS (i.e. the initial conditions of the left heart). Methods Employing an embedded Windkessel model, a control system model was developed utilizing MathWorks’ Simulink® Simscape™. Following a verification and validation (V&V) analysis approach, a PI-controlled closed-loop hydraulic system was developed using Simscape™. This physical system modeling tool was used to (1) develop and control the in silico system during verification studies and (2) simulate pulmonary performance for validation of this control architecture. Results The pulmonary Windkessel model developed is capable of generating the left atrial pressure (LAP) waveform from given pulmonary factors, aortic conditions, and systemic variables. Verification of the adaptive PS's performance and validation of this control architecture support this modeling methodology as an effective means of reproducing pulmonary pressure waveforms and systemic outflow conditions, unique to a particular patient. Adult and geriatric with and without Heart Failure and a Normal Ejection Fraction (HFNEF) are presented. Conclusions The adaptability of this modelling approach allows for the simulation of pulmonary conditions without the limitations of a dedicated hardware platform for use in in vitro investigations.
Surface redox on Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2 characterized by in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ Auger electron spectroscopy

Abstract This work applies in situ Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to the study of surface redox on LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 during charging and overcharging. We observe that all three transition metals are surface redox active, and that oxygen oxidation occurs for voltages above ≈4.2 V O2 loss above ≈4.7 V, mediated by carbon redox, leads to partial reduction of the transition metals at the surface during overcharging.
Attitude Control System for a Balloon Based Telescope

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) is an 8-meter interferometer which operates on a high-altitude balloon. BETTII had its first successful engineering flight in June 2017. In this paper we discuss the design of the control system for BETTII, which includes the coarse pointing loop and the estimator controls algorithm (Extended Kalman Filter) implemented in FPGA. We will also discuss the different system modes that we defined in the controls system loop, which are used in different phases of the flight and are activated in order to acquire a target star in the science detector. The pointing loop uses different sensors and actuators in each phase to keep pointing at the desired target. The main sensors aregyroscopes, star cameras, and auxiliary sensors such as high-altitude GPS and magnetometers. The azimuth control is achieved with Compensated Controlled Moment Gyros (CCMG) and a Momentum Dump motor. For the elevation control, high-precision motors are used, which change the elevation of the siderostat mirrors. The combination of these instruments keep the baseline oriented within few arcseconds from the target star.In this paper, we will also present the software architecture relevant to the control system. This includes the description of the two flight computers present on the payload and the different control loops that are executed on them. Similarly, we will explain the importance of synchronization between all the sensors and actuators, which have to be referenced to a single master clock in order to obtain science data.
Overview of Current and Future Adjuvant Therapy for Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) has high metastatic potential at diagnosis but is still often curable with aggressive management, which may give patients the best odds for a favorable clinical outcome. The standard-of-care management of MIBC includes a radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection. If the patient is cisplatin-eligible, neoadjuvant cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy should also be given. Post-surgery adjuvant treatments include observation, chemotherapy, radiation, or enrollment in a clinical trial. Several adjuvant immunotherapy trials with checkpoint inhibitors, which block the interaction between PD-1 and PD-L1, as monotherapy or in combinations with chemotherapy, radiation, or other immunotherapy agents are currently ongoing. Given the lack of level 1 evidence for the survival benefit of adjuvant therapies post-cystectomy, the standard of care remains observation with radiologic and clinical surveillance. However, in patients who did not receive neoadjuvant cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy and are cisplatin-eligible, adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy should be considered and discussed. Genomic alterations and gene expression profiles may eventually help to identify patient subgroups for more effective adjuvant therapy. Genetic abnormalities in the DNA repair genes and basal intrinsic tumor subtype appear to predict response to neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy in MIBC. In the coming years, validating these genetic markers will be key to individualizing perioperative chemotherapy.
Electron Energy-Loss Spectrometers and Filters

Electron energy-loss spectrometry (EELS) is the analysis of the energy distribution of electrons that have come through the specimen. These electrons may have lost no energy or may have suffered inelastic (usually electron-electron) collisions.
Initiation of Protein Synthesis in E. Coli: The Two Crucial Steps

Our lab has long studied the action of translational repressors (Miller et al., 1985; Andrake et al., 1988; Tuerk et al., 1990; McPheeters et al., 1988) and, more recently, a bacteriophage T4-encoded, Shine and Dalgarno-specific endonuclease (Ruckman et al., 1989). We were concerned with mechanisms for controlling the yield of protein from a given amount of mRNA; repressors provide reversible diminution of yield, while the endonuclease provides irreversible cessation of translation initiation on mRNAs that have been torn from their Shine and Dalgarno. When we invented TOEPRINTING (Hartz et al., 1988), we used that assay to further study repression (Winter et al., 1987; McPheeters et al., 1988; Unnithan et al., submitted). However, we quickly understood that we could contribute to a basic understanding of the unregulated initiation pathway.
Scarring Alopecia: The Attitudes, Knowledge and Referral Patterns of Hair Stylists and Barbers

Disorders of hair loss are commonly encountered by hair stylists, who are in a unique position to identify early signs and symptoms. The goals of this study were to assess hair stylists’ knowledge of and propensity to refer patients with scarring alopecias. One-hundred-eighteen stylists completed surveys to this effect. The majority of respondents (66.1%) stated that they had been asked by clients to evaluate for hair loss, whereas approximately half reported routinely referring clients with hair loss to a dermatologist. Although knowledge of alopecia varied, the vast majority indicated they would be willing to undergo further training in identifying hair loss disorders and would be willing to discuss this information with clients. These results demonstrate that hairdressers frequently interact with patients suffering from hair loss and that many are receptive to receiving additional training to ensure proper identification and prompt referral.
Your Attention is Unique: Detecting 360-Degree Video Saliency in Head-Mounted Display for Head Movement Prediction

Head movement prediction is the key enabler for the emerging 360-degree videos since it can enhance both streaming and rendering efficiency. To achieve accurate head movement prediction, it becomes imperative to understand user's visual attention on 360-degree videos under head-mounted display (HMD). Despite the rich history of saliency detection research, we observe that traditional models are designed for regular images/videos fixed at a single viewport and would introduce problems such as central bias and multi-object confusion when applied to the multi-viewport 360-degree videos switched by user interaction. To fill in this gap, this paper shifts the traditional single-viewport saliency models that have been extensively studied for decades to a fresh panoramic saliency detection specifically tailored for 360-degree videos, and thus maximally enhances the head movement prediction performance. The proposed head movement prediction framework is empowered by a newly created dataset for 360-degree video saliency, a panoramic saliency detection model and an integration of saliency and head tracking history for the ultimate head movement prediction. Experimental results demonstrate the measurable gain of both the proposed panoramic saliency detection and head movement prediction over traditional models for regular images/videos.
Gravitational Waves from Compact Dark Objects in Neutron Stars.

Dark matter could be composed of compact dark objects (CDOs). We find that the oscillation of CDOs inside neutron stars can be a detectable source of gravitational waves (GWs). The GW strain amplitude depends on the mass of the CDO, and its frequency is typically in the range 3--5 kHz as determined by the central density of the star. In the best cases, LIGO may be sensitive to CDO masses greater than or of order ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$.
Inclusion of Ceria in Alumina- and Silica-Based Aerogels for Catalytic Applications

Abstract Ceria-alumina (CeAl) and ceria-silica (CeSi) catalytic aerogels were prepared. Cerium undergoes rapid changes in oxidation state, which makes it a good oxygen-storage component for automotive catalysis applications. The high surface area and thermal stability of alumina- and silica-based aerogels render them attractive catalyst platforms. Co-precursor (for CeAl and CeSi) and impregnation (for CeSi) synthetic approaches were employed, followed by rapid supercritical extraction (RSCE) to yield aerogels. Physical characterization (bulk density, surface area, FTIR, XRD, and SEM/EDX) was performed on the as-prepared aerogels, after heat treatment (calcining), and after catalytic testing in a testbed that simulates aspects of catalytic converter conditions. The aerogels have low densities (≤0.1 g/cm3) and relatively high surface areas (ca. 100 m2/g for CeAl, ≥400 m2/g for CeSi). Microcrystalline CeO2 is observed in heat-treated and catalytically tested aerogels. CeSi aerogels show catalytic activity toward CO and NO; at high temperature, CeAl aerogels act as three-way catalysts.
Resting-state functional connectivity imaging and nicotine dependence

Abstract The neurological effects of nicotine can be observed even during moments of unchallenged rest. In this resting-state condition, fluctuations of brain activity are observed at low frequencies presenting important patterns of coactivations. These coactivations are regarded as functional connectivity. Disruptions of brain connectivity have been linked to the presence of neurological dysfunctions in subjects with different types of addiction. In particular, nicotine affects functional connectivity on areas commonly associated with addiction such as the insula and the anterior cingulate cortex. Nicotine also affects the functional balance of the resting-state brain networks including the default mode, the executive control, and the salience networks. The following summary focuses on nicotine and its effects exerted on the main brain networks involved in resting-state functional connectivity.
Incipient fault detection and identification in process systems using accelerated neural network learning

The objective of this paper is to present the development and numerical testing of a robust fault detection and identification (FDI) system using artificial neural networks (ANNs), for incipient (slowly developing) faults occurring in process systems. The challenge in using ANNs in FDI systems arises because of one's desire to detect faults of varying severity, faults from noisy sensors, and multiple simultaneous faults. To address these issues, it becomes essential to have a learning algorithm that ensures quick convergence to a high level of accuracy. A recently developed accelerated learning algorithm, namely a form of an adaptive back propagation (ABP) algorithm, is used for this purpose. The ABP algorithm is used for the development of an FDI system for a process composed of a direct current motor, a centrifugal pump, and the associated piping system. Simulation studies indicate that the FDI system has significantly high sensitivity to incipient fault severity, while exhibiting insensitivity to sensor noise. For multiple simultaneous faults, the FDI system detects the fault with the predominant signature. The major limitation of the developed FDI system is encountered when it is subjected to simultaneous faults with similar signatures. During such faults, the inherent limitation of pattern-recognition-based FDI methodsmore » becomes apparent. Thus, alternate, more sophisticated FDI methods become necessary to address such problems. Even though the effectiveness of pattern-recognition-based FDI methods using ANNs has been demonstrated, further testing using real-world data is necessary.« less
Abstract 47: Changes in Gut-microbial Metabolite L-carnitine and Improvements in Atherogenic Lipoprotein Metabolism in Overweight and Obese Individuals: The POUNDS Lost Trial

Introduction: Atherogenic lipoproteins, apolipoproteins (apo), and lipoprotein subspecies with apo CIII are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). A gut-microbiota related metabolite L-carn...
Prevalence of early left ventricular thrombus after primary coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction

The prevalence of left ventricular (LV) thrombus after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been reported high at 20–60%. Current reperfusion therapies such as thrombolysis have shown a trend toward reducing the incidence of LV thrombosis. However, the prevalence of LV thrombus after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI has not been systematically studied. At Massachusetts General Hospital 71 consecutive patients who underwent primary PCI for acute ST elevation MI were reviewed for the prevalence of LV thrombus evaluated by echocardiography. Echocardiography was performed within 5 days of infarction. PCI was successful in all patients. The time delay from symptom onset to intervention was 191 minutes. Thrombolysis in Myocardiol Infarction (TIMI) grade 3 flow was achieved in more than 80% of cases. Only 3 patients (4%) had echocardiographic evidence of LV thrombus. All 3 patients had anterior infarctions. The incidence among patients with anterior MI was 10% (3 of 30 patients). The prevalence of LV thrombus in patients treated with primary PCI for AMI is low (4%).
Using Motion Sensors to Understand Collaborative Interactions in Digital Fabrication Labs

Open-ended learning environments such as makerspaces present a unique challenge for instructors. While it is expected that students are given free rein to work on their projects, facilitators have to strike a difficult balance between micromanaging them and letting the community support itself. In this paper, we explore how Kinect sensors can continuously monitor students’ collaborative interactions so that instructors can gain a more comprehensive view of the social dynamics of the space. We employ heatmaps to examine the diversity of student collaborative interactions and Markov transition probabilities to explore the transitions between instances of collaborative interactions. Findings indicate that letting students work on their own promotes the development of technical skills, while working together encourages students to spend more time in the makerspace. This confirms the intuition that successful projects in makerspaces necessitate both individual and group efforts. Furthermore, such aggregation and display of information can aid instructors in uncovering the state of student learning in makerspaces. Identifying the instances and diversity of collaborative interactions affords instructors an early opportunity to identify struggling students and having these data in a near real-time manner opens new doors in terms of making (un)productive behaviors salient, both for teachers and students. We discuss how this work represents a first step toward using intelligent systems to support student learning in makerspaces.
The First Reported Case of Metoprolol-Induced Pemphigus Foliaceus in the United States: A Critical Report and Review of Literature

Pemphigus is a rare family of autoimmune disorders characterized by epithelial and mucosal blisters. Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) commonly affects the scalp, face, and trunk. Lesions often arise as superficial blisters and develop into scaly, crusted erosions. Management includes corticosteroids with immunosuppressants. Novel therapies include immunoadsorption and active clinical trials. We present the only reported case of metoprolol-induced PF in the United States (US), with an extremely complicated hospital course. A 66-year-old male patient with a history of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia presented to his doctor with a blistering, pruritic rash that started after switching to metoprolol for hypertension treatment. PF is very rare in North America. Given its solely superficial penetration, it creates no direct fatal complication. However, the developing blisters and subsequent wounds are susceptible to a wide array of secondary infections, which can be life-threatening.