cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Legislation to regulate medical devices.

In Congressional hearings on legislation to give the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate medical devices, a physician testified: “Under current standards of nonregulation in the United States, I could take a paper clip and fashion it into an IUD (intra-uterine device). I could then begin inserting it into women without even informing them that it is an experimental and never-tested IUD. And I would not even have to inform the FDA of my newly invented IUD.” Physicians, scientists, consumers, manufacturers, Congress and the Nixon Administration were all in agreement that FDA needs additional authority, through new legislation, to oversee the safety and efficacy of medical devices. An HEW commission recommended that medical devices be classified by FDA into three categories: those requiring testing prior to marketing, those for which standards would be sufficient to protect the public health and safety, and those generally recognized as safe and requiring neither standards nor premarket scient...
Invited Review: Pharmacogenetics of estrogen replacement therapy

There are a number of genetic factors that likely modulate both the beneficial and adverse effects of estrogen. An important domain of consideration is the relationship of estrogen and thrombosis risk. Gene polymorphisms among the key elements of the coagulation and fibrinolytic cascade appear to influence the effects of estrogen on risk for venous thromboembolic events and possibly arterial thrombosis as well. Emerging data also suggest that allelic variants in the estrogen receptor-α may modulate estrogen's effects, especially with respect to bone and lipid metabolism.
Abstract LB-54: Gap Junction Enhancer Increases Efficacy of Cisplatin to Attenuate Mammary Tumor Growth

INTRODUCTION : Cisplatin treatment has an overall 19% response rate in animal models with malignant tumors (Knapp et al. 1988). Increasing gap junction activity or enhancing GJIC in tumor cells provides the targets to enhance antineoplastic therapies. A new class of substituted quinolines (PQs) possesses inhibitory activities against breast cancer cells through the enhancement of gap junctional intercellular communication. We examined the effect of combinational treatment of PQ and antineoplastic drugs in an animal model to show an increase in efficacy of antineoplastic drugs via the enhancement of gap junctions. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Mice were implanted with estradiol-17s (1.7 mg/pellet) before the injection of 1 × 10 7 T47D breast cancer cells subcutaneously into the inguinal region of mammary fat pad. Animals were treated intraperitoneally with DMSO (control), Cisplatin (3.5mg/kg), PQ (25mg/kg), or a combining treatment of Cisplatin and PQ. RESULTS : Cisplatin alone decreased mammary tumor growth by 29% while combinational treatment of Cisplatin and PQ showed a 36% reduction after 7 treatments at every 2 days. Histological results showed a significant increase of gap junction proteins, Cx43 and Cx26, in PQ-treated tissues compared to control or Cisplatin. Furthermore, evidence of highly stained caspase 3 in tumors of combinational treatment (PQ and Cisplatin) was seen compared to Cisplatin alone. CONCLUSIONS : We have showed for the first time an increase in the efficacy of antineoplastic drugs via the enhancement of gap junctions with PQs, a specific class of gap junction enhancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-54. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-54
Abstract 5426: Severe hypoxia drives the increased glucose demand in ascites carcinomas.

Warburg reported his discovery in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model, that in the presence of ample oxygen (21% or 150 mmHg O2), cancer cells utilize glucose by “aerobic glycolysis” (Warburg effect), apparently, ascites carcinoma had been assumed to be oxic. However, during past decade, growing evidences indicated that hypoxic cancer cells had evaluated radiolabeled glucose analog18F-FDG uptake than oxic cancer cell in vitro and in vivo. The objective of this study was to observe the oxygen status of ascites fluid and ascites carcinoma in mouse model of ascites carcinoma and its effect on glucose metabolism. Methods: Ascites carcinoma (floating single cells or clusters) and serosa tumors (attached to serosa) were induced by HT29, A549 or MDA-MB-231 cancer cells in the mouse peritoneal cavity. Ascites pO2 was measured using OxyLite systems in ketamine/xylazene anesthetized mice. Hypoxia status in ascites carcinoma and serosa tumors was tested by immunohistochemical visualization of exogenous hypoxia marker pimonidazole binding and HIF1alpha induced glucose transporter-1 expression. Glucose metabolism of was examine by 18F-FDG autoradiography. Effect of carbogen breathing (95% O2 & 5% CO2) on 18F-FDG uptake was investigated. Results: The pO2 of ascites was measured as low as 0.90mmHg (or 0.5% O2) in mice with HT29 ascites carcinomas. In all cell lines we tested, ascites carcinomas was evident 4-6 wk after cell inoculation, all ascites tumors were stained positive for pimonidazole and glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1), indicating severe hypoxia. Hypoxia status in serosa tumors was heterogeneous and dependent on tumor size. 18F-FDG uptake was significantly higher in ascites and sub-millimeter serosa tumors than in larger ones (generally greater than 1 mm), the former was stained positive for pimonidazole and GLUT-1, but the latter was not. Carbogen breathing (2hrs) significantly reduced 18F-FDG uptake and pimonidazole binding in ascites carcinoma and submillimeter serosa tumors. GLUT1 expression was not affected. Conclusions: In mouse model of ascites carcinoma, ascites and floating ascites carcinoma are severely hypoxic which is in contradict with ample oxygen condition of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model where “Warburg effect” derived from. Glucose utilization measured by 18F-FDG uptake is oxygen dependent in both ascites carcinoma and serosa tumors, this is unexplained sole by “aerobic glycolysis” of glucose metabolism, thus challenging Warburg effect theory. This study was supported by Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Program Award Citation Format: Xiao-Feng Li. Severe hypoxia drives the increased glucose demand in ascites carcinomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5426. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5426
Intermediary's technology satisfaction and performance in Chhattisgarh public distribution system: Research Note

Centralized online real-time electronic Public Distribution System (COREPDS) is one of the various technological and administrative reforms introduced by state government of Chhattisgarh to empower beneficiary. COREPDS allows the beneficiary to choose fair price shop where they can purchase subsidized commodities. Salespersons' working in the fair price shops are the primary operators of point-of-sale (POS) devices introduced in COREPDS. The fact that adoption of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is mandatory in e-governance makes it important to study technology satisfaction. In this research note, we propose to investigate the relationship between fair price shop performance after the implementation of point-of-sale devices and technology satisfaction of salesperson. The paper also proposes to study the effect of various demographical and ICT related characteristics of the intermediaries on fair price shop performance. Further, a qualitative analysis of the responses will be done to further investigate into the results of quantitative data.
Reusable Inorganic Templates for Electrostatic Self-Assembly of Individual Quantum Dots, Nanodiamonds, and Lanthanide-Doped Nanoparticles

In this paper, we present an electrostatic self-assembly method for the controlled placement of individual nanoparticle emitters based on reusable inorganic templates. This method can be used to integrate quantum emitters into nanophotonic structures over macroscopic areas and is applicable to a variety of patterning materials and emitter systems. By utilizing surface-charge-mediated self-assembly, highly ordered arrays of nanoparticle emitters were created. To illustrate the broad applicability of this technique, we demonstrate self-assembly using colloidal quantum dots (QD), nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond nanoparticles, and lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP). Placement of single QDs and NV centers was confirmed by performing photon antibunching measurements using a Hanbury-Brown Twiss setup. In addition, template reusability was demonstrated through daily redeposition experiments over a one month period.
Pharmacologic and therapeutic strategies in treatment-resistant depression. Switching antidepressants vs. conventional augmentation strategies.

Antidepressants have been available since the 1950s, when the monoamine oxidase inhibitors were first discovered. Since then, our armamentarium of antidepressants has progressively expanded with the discovery of the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in the 1960s, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the 1980s, and, subsequently, the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and other agents possessing a diverse mechanism of action including buproprion, and mirtazapine.
E-51 ESWL and Hemiacidrin Renal Irrigation as a Treatment for Complex Struvite Calculi: A Review of 11 Patients

The management of complex struvite calculi continues to evolve. In an attempt to avoid the known complications associated with the primary ESWL therapy of large calculi (>2.5 cm) and to minimize the residual fragment rate, renal irrigation with 10% hemiacidrin was used in 11 patients (12 kidneys) with complex struvite calculi (volume>3 cm2) following ESWL.
Drawing Skills and Science Concepts in Young Children: A Study of Relationships

Relationships between drawing skills of young children, ages 4 to 8 years, and their ability to perform a cognitive task, materials identification, were investigated. Ninety-one children completed an art drawing and a task requiring the identification of materials in differing compositions. An aesthetic drawing score, a developmental drawing score, which included mark-making, design-making, creation of symbols and developed schemas, and a total drawing score were obtained. A simple linear regression procedure revealed significance for the total drawing scores and the identification scores. Age was found to be a factor in the identification scores, the total drawing scores, and the developmental drawing scores, but not in the aesthetic quality reflected in the drawing scores.
mTOR and neuronal cell cycle reentry: How impaired brain insulin signaling promotes Alzheimer's disease

A major obstacle to presymptomatic diagnosis and disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is inadequate understanding of molecular mechanisms of AD pathogenesis. For example, impaired brain insulin signaling is an AD hallmark, but whether and how it might contribute to the synaptic dysfunction and neuron death that underlie memory and cognitive impairment has been mysterious. Neuron death in AD is often caused by cell cycle reentry (CCR) mediated by amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) and tau, the precursors of plaques and tangles. We now report that CCR results from AβO-induced activation of the protein kinase complex, mTORC1, at the plasma membrane and mTORC1-dependent tau phosphorylation, and that CCR can be prevented by insulin-stimulated activation of lysosomal mTORC1. AβOs were also shown previously to reduce neuronal insulin signaling. Our data therefore indicate that the decreased insulin signaling provoked by AβOs unleashes their toxic potential to cause neuronal CCR, and by extension, neuron death.
Interpretation of HPV DNA in situ hybridization in HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: an achievable task in cell block and small biopsy material

Introduction Human papilloma virus (HPV)-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a distinct entity with a better prognosis than conventional disease. Therefore, an accurate and reproducible HPV test is needed. Herein, the analytical factors and interpretation of the HPV DNA in-situ hybridization (ISH) test are investigated. Materials and methods We evaluated 63 ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) HNSCC cases for a semi-quantitative assessment of the ease of interpretation, staining pattern, and highest magnification needed for HPV DNA ISH on cell block and core biopsy. Results A total of 72 HPV DNA ISH tests were performed in 59 (93.6%) cases. Of these, 17 had more than one HPV DNA ISH assays and 4 (6.4%) had no HPV tests. At least one HPV stain was positive in 38 (62.2%) cases. Eleven (28.95%) ISH tests were rated as difficult or moderately difficult to interpret, and 27 (78.05%) were rated as easy or moderately easy. Twenty-four (63.2%) ISH tests demonstrated strong staining and 14 (36.8%) demonstrated weak staining. Twenty-seven (71.1%) stained diffusely, and 11 (29.0%) focally. Twenty-seven ISH tests required 400× or higher magnification for interpretation. Background debris and nonspecific staining were present in 25 (35.7%) and 15 (21.4%) HPV DNA ISH cases, respectively. p16/HPV ISH was discrepant in 4 (7.3%) cases (3 P16+/HPV−, and 1 p16−/HPV+). Conclusions HPV DNA ISH interpretation can be challenging because of focal or weak staining, which requires careful examination at high magnification. An alternate method is needed for DNA ISH−/p16+ cases.
All-optical encoding of PET detector signals

Typical PET scanners use many electronic readout channels and dedicated electronic coincidence processing boards that contribute significantly to system complexity and costs. We have developed a method of optically encoding position, energy, and arrival time of annihilation photon interactions in PET detectors with fast coherent optical pulse (100 ps FWHM) trains from telecommunications-grade lasers, and propose a method that, if successful, will enable multiplexing the entire system output to a single optical fiber output channel. This will allow the elimination of much of the currently used processing electronics, achieving coincidence time resolutions of &#60;300 ps FWHM while decreasing system complexity. We constructed a single channel proof of concept system using fast 10 Gbps off-the-shelf optical components and a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) coupled to an LSO:Ce crystal. Using this system we demonstrated the encoding of position, energy, and arrival time into four coherent optical pulses. We measured extremely low timing jitter for the optical pulses (3 ps) and collected preliminary 137Cs energy spectra (energy resolution ∼17% FWHM at 662 keV - not optimized yet) with all-optical pulse encoding. Optical encoding and multiplexing could greatly facilitate the construction of high resolution PET scanners with thousands of detector channels.
Correlates of Postpartum Maternal Functioning in a Low-Income Obstetric Population.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mental health has been characterized primarily via depression evaluation. However, there may be advantages to complementary assessment of postpartum functional status. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with maternal functioning in low-income obstetrics patients. DESIGN: One hundred and twenty-eight women receiving postpartum obstetrical care at a large medical center in medically underserved, Middle Georgia were screened for depressive symptoms with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The women also completed the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning and a sociodemographic survey. Multivariate analysis was performed to elucidate factors independently associated with maternal functioning. RESULTS: Higher Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores (p < .0001) and being married (p = .043) were associated with decreased maternal functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers should be cognizant of the relationship ...
Blending Pedagogical Approaches in Public Health Education: The A.D.O.P.T. Model

Background. Developmental groundwork in the health professions begins with specialized training, knowledge acquisition, and critical thinking skills, each reliant on authentic pedagogical approache...
VINS on wheels

In this paper, we present a vision-aided inertial navigation system (VINS) for localizing wheeled robots. In particular, we prove that VINS has additional unobservable directions, such as the scale, when deployed on a ground vehicle that is constrained to move along straight lines or circular arcs. To address this limitation, we extend VINS to incorporate low-frequency wheel-encoder data, and show that the scale becomes observable. Furthermore, and in order to improve the localization accuracy, we introduce the manifold-(m)VINS that exploits the fact that the vehicle moves on an approximately planar surface. In our experiments, we first show the performance degradation of VINS due to special motions, and then demonstrate that by utilizing the additional sources of information, our system achieves significantly higher positioning accuracy, while operating in real-time on a commercial-grade mobile device.
Pseudocardia Conrad, 1866, A Disregarded Name in Carditidae

Timothy Conrad, although a respected and knowledgeable paleontologist of the last century, was at times criticized by other authors for carelessness in some of his publications. His enigmatic proposal of the generic name Pseudocardia, in an article on new taxa of Recent and fossil mollusks, is an example.
Yogi Detox Tea: A Potential Cause of Acute Liver Failure

We present a case of acute fulminant liver failure from a liver detoxification tea. We present a 60-year-old female with weakness, lethargy, scleral icterus, jaundice, and worsening mental status. She drank herbal tea three times a day for 14 days prior to symptom development. Liver tests were elevated. Remaining laboratory tests and imaging were negative for other etiologies. An ultrasound-guided liver biopsy showed submassive necrosis. A literature search on the ingredients shows six ingredients as having hepatotoxic effects and remaining ingredients as having very sparse hepatoprotective data. Healthcare professionals should discuss herbal medication and tea use and report adverse effects.
50th Anniversary Perspective: Polymer Conformation—A Pedagogical Review

The study of the conformation properties of macromolecules is at the heart of polymer science. Essentially all physical properties of polymers are manifestations of the underlying polymer conformations or otherwise significantly impacted by the conformation properties. In this Perspective, we review some of the key concepts that we have learned over nearly eight decades of the subject and outline some open questions. The topics include both familiar subjects in polymer physics textbooks and more recent results or not-so-familiar subjects, such as non-Gaussian chain behavior in polymer melts and topological effects in ring polymers. The emphasis is on understanding the key concepts, with both physical reasoning and mathematical analysis, and on the interconnection between the different results and concepts.
What Is Local Food Entrepreneurship? Variations in the Commercially and Socially Oriented Features of Entrepreneurship in the Southeastern Arizona Local Food System

Entrepreneurial activities are sometimes framed as market-based strategies that compromise the integrity of the movement against the global agrifood system. Other times, scholars have argued that entrepreneurship is a critical component of local food system viability. This study helps reconcile these conflicting views through a qualitative exploration of the variations in the commercially and socially oriented features of local food entrepreneurship in the southeastern Arizona local food system. Researchers gathered data between August 2014 and December 2016 through semistructured interviews with and direct observations of 36 southeastern Arizona local food entrepreneurs. A conceptual continuum that articulates the variations between commercial and social entrepreneurship according to market condition, mission, resource mobilization, and performance measurement guides the exploration. The findings reveal commercial and social variations in local food entrepreneurship to be assorted, yet synergistic enactments of the economic, environmental, and social conditions and principles that characterize the southeastern Arizona local food system. The findings push the local food entrepreneurship narrative beyond the limitations of a rigid activist-market dichotomy by illuminating the synergistic complexities that influence the form and function of local food systems. The article discusses implications for both local food practitioners and scholars.
Osteochondral defects of the talus with a focus on platelet-rich plasma as a potential treatment option: a review.

Objective To provide a review of osteochondral lesions of the talus, to discuss the evidence of the risks and benefits of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a viable treatment option, and to measure the efficacy of PRP using MRI evidence of cartilage regeneration, as well as scales that measure improvement in ‘pain’ and ‘functionality’. Eligibility criteria Studies that use PRP in either conservative or intraoperative settings to treat osteochondral defects of the talus. Results There are seven studies that compare hyaluronic acid or standard surgical options against PRP in treating osteochondral lesions of the talus. Five studies use PRP as supplemental treatment in intraoperative settings, while two studies use PRP conservatively as intra-articular injections. There were minimal adverse effects. Pain and functionality scores consistently improved in those who underwent PRP treatments over the course of 4 years. MRI showed significant but inconsistent results in chondral regeneration. Conclusion PRP may show clinical benefit in those with osteochondral lesions of the talus in terms of pain and functionality, although chondral regeneration via MRI is inconsistent. Limitations include the small sample sizes in these seven studies, as well as no standardised formula for PRP preparation. Clinical relevance To serve as an overview of the literature regarding PRP treatment for osteochondral lesions of the talus and how this modality may improve patient outcomes in pain, functionality and chondral regeneration. A case is reported to complement the subject review.
Hard and Soft Tangibles: Mixing Multi-touch and Tangible Interaction in Scientific Poster Scenarios

Research on tangible user interfaces commonly focuses on tangible interfaces acting alone or in comparison with multi-touch or graphical interfaces. In contrast, hybrid approaches can be seen as the norm for established "mainstream" interaction paradigms. This paper proposes interfaces that support complementary use of physical and virtual interaction modalities with tangible and multi-touch interactions. We describe prototypes involving capacitively-sensed surfaces combined with laser-cut and 3D-printed dial-like tangibles. We employ them in the context of several computationally-mediated scientific poster scenarios, which we argue to have a number of attractions for such deployments. We present two platforms: one templated, the other highly customizable, supporting both tangible and multi-touch interactions across horizontal and vertical displays. We explore users' interaction modality choice among the options presented, draw lessons and challenges from posters developed by students, and consider future directions.
Assessing Diversity in Public Affairs Curricula: A Multi-Methodological Model for Student-Led Programmatic Self-Study

Since the late 1960s, leading scholars have called for a greater emphasis on diversity and social equity in public affairs programs. For years, they have documented that even nationally prominent p...
GIS, Public Participation

Public participation geographic information system (PPGIS) is an approach to GIS application that emphasizes grassroots participation in spatial data development, analysis, and application; empowerment of traditionally marginalized social groups through self-directed use of spatial data and technologies, and adaptation of existing GIS software and data structures to diversify the forms of spatial knowledge that may be included. PPGIS initiatives are being carried out around the world, in a variety of application contexts, including rural and urban community development, activist movements, and participatory research projects. The characteristics and specific practices of PPGIS initiatives vary widely, but usually include a collaborative approach to research, decision making, and problem solving that uses GIS or digital spatial data; initiation and direction by grassroots, activist, or nongovernmental institutions; and efforts to include in a GIS application the knowledge, needs, and priorities of socially diverse constituencies. PPGIS emerged in response to critiques of GIS that raised questions about its social and political impacts, particularly focused on limitations on including and representing diverse forms of knowledge; inequalities in access to the needed hardware, software, data and expertise; and potential barriers to participation that might emerge in planning and decision-making processes that incorporate GIS.
Standard Reference Materials for Thermophysical Properties

For several years we have frequently heard of the publication explosion. This situation is often viewed with mixed emotions because of the tremendous task of searching the literature, but after the data have been found, it is tacitly assumed that a clear and correct picture will emerge. Unfortunately, the latter does not necessarily follow, because the publication or data explosion has not led to an equivalent information explosion.
Distributed Damage Processes in Fracture

Fracture events in materials occur in a wide variety of ways, ways which differ in both macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. One class of such characteristics has come to be called “distributed damage”. The concept of distributed damage processes as part of a total fracture event implies multiple sites of cracking, void formation, or other damage phenomena, instead of a single crack which causes fracture by self-extension. An important consequence of the multiple damage concept has to do with fracture kinetics. The rates of damage formation at these multiple sites need not replicate the rate of crack motion, so that the familiar models of the crack tip as stationary in a field of moving material must become much more complex to represent varying damage rate phenomena Finally, even the concept of fracture by crack motion can be less relevant, even irrelevant, in the presence of multiple damage. It is in principle possible for a specimen which is undergoing distributed damage processes to exhibit fracture, for example by stable growth and impingement of microvoids, without ever containing a distinct crack. Thus description of distributed damage fractures typically requires greater complexity (or sophistication), both in experimental viewpoint and also in modeling, compared to self-extending cracks. In addition, they often are markedly sensitive to microstructural parameters, and thus are of particular interest to the metallurgist and materials scientist.
Regulation of the HPA Axis by Acute and Chronic Stress

The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis is essential for adaptation to physical or psychological stress. Glucocorticoid hormones, which are the final product of HPA-axis activation by stress, are responsible for re-establishment of homeostasis following an acute physical or environmental challenge, and have numerous functions that promote survival. However, physiological processes initiated by glucocorticoids can prove deleterious if prolonged. Efficient inhibitory mechanisms are required to maintain HPA tone within tight physiological limits. Persistent stimulation, in the form of chronic stress, can tax these regulatory systems and result in the emergence of glucocorticoid-mediated systemic and importantly, neural pathologies.
Incomplete revascularization: what the surgeon needs to know

For many years, the concept of “complete revascularization” (CR) was considered an absolute truth in coronary surgery with improved long-term survival and a lower rate of reintervention. This was derived from early publications which showed a survival benefit for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) who received CR. Many advances in the field of coronary revascularization have been made in the years that passed since those publications, including more frequent use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with multivessel disease (MVD). This has led some to question the importance of CR and raise the option of “reasonable incomplete revascularization” (IR) for selected patients. The definition of CR is variable in the literature with the two most common definitions being an anatomical (revascularization of all coronary segments with stenosis and larger than a predefined size) and a functional definition (where revascularization is considered complete if all ischemic and viable territories are reperfused). No randomized control trials have been conducted to compare complete versus IR, and a significant proportion of data is based on post hoc analysis of data from randomized control trials and registries. Multiple studies have proven that CR is achieved more frequently with CABG then with PCI. A review of the available data from the past three to four decades shows a trend toward improved results with CR, regardless of the reperfusion strategy chosen. This should impact the heart team discussion when choosing a revascularization strategy and impact the surgical decision making while preforming CABG. IR can be part of a hybrid revascularization strategy or be reserved for rare cases where the cost of achieving CR much outweighs the benefit.
Western diet regulates immune status and the response to LPS-driven sepsis independent of diet-associated microbiome

Sepsis is a deleterious immune response to infection that leads to organ failure and is the 11th most common cause of death worldwide. Despite plaguing humanity for thousands of years, the host factors that regulate this immunological response and subsequent sepsis severity and outcome are not fully understood. Here we describe how the Western diet (WD), a diet high in fat and sucrose and low in fiber, found rampant in industrialized countries, leads to worse disease and poorer outcomes in an LPS-driven sepsis model in WD-fed mice compared with mice fed standard fiber-rich chow (SC). We find that WD-fed mice have higher baseline inflammation (metaflammation) and signs of sepsis-associated immunoparalysis compared with SC-fed mice. WD mice also have an increased frequency of neutrophils, some with an “aged” phenotype, in the blood during sepsis compared with SC mice. Importantly, we found that the WD-dependent increase in sepsis severity and higher mortality is independent of the microbiome, suggesting that the diet may be directly regulating the innate immune system through an unknown mechanism. Strikingly, we could predict LPS-driven sepsis outcome by tracking specific WD-dependent disease factors (e.g., hypothermia and frequency of neutrophils in the blood) during disease progression and recovery. We conclude that the WD is reprogramming the basal immune status and acute response to LPS-driven sepsis and that this correlates with alternative disease paths that lead to more severe disease and poorer outcomes.
Application of Cyclomatic Complexity in Enterprise Architecture Frameworks

In this paper, an application of cyclomatic complexity to enterprise scale is proposed. Enterprise architecture frameworks are introduced as a standard way to document enterprises. A specific enterprise architecture framework is selected for the implementation of the proposed cyclomatic complexity application. A candidate implementation shows how the cyclomatic complexity of an enterprise documented in an enterprise architecture framework is estimated. Results from manual analysis of the enterprise elements comprising enterprise cyclomatic complexity are compared to results of the proposed extension, showing the two approaches are equivalent. The method is applied to U.S. Army application showing the ease of the practical use. The result is a tool for enterprise architects to easily assess the complexity of enterprises of interest.
A Base Station Location Planning Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm

As a new intelligent optimization algorithm, artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm has the characteristics of fast convergence and simple implementation. In this paper, ABC algorithm is for the first time applied to base station (BS) location planning. Under the comprehensive consideration of coverage and cost, the problem of BS location planning is effectively solved. Simulation results indicate the optimum BS location planning scheme and the best BS number. Moreover, they show that this method can achieve the trade-off between network construction cost and network coverage, and provide a reference for the practical application of network planning.
Novel magneto-plasma processing for enhanced modification of electrospun biomaterials

Abstract We report a method to increase the efficiency of radio-frequency (RF) generated plasma for surface modification of electrospun biomaterials by introducing magnetization. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals the oxygen/carbon ratio is consistently higher for various exposure times for magnetized plasma than non-magnetized plasma. The principle demonstrated here supports the use of magnetic fields as an additional controllable parameter in plasma processing of biomaterials and is extendable to other plasma sources. The surface activation and functionalization of biomaterials has impact in the broader arena of tissue engineering applications in that magneto-plasma processing (MPP) enables us to tune the shape of plasma plume for selective enhanced functionalization of surface of scaffolds, which in turn has wide applications for basic cell-patterning science and in applied regenerative medicine.
Association between blastocyst morphology and pregnancy and perinatal outcomes following fresh and cryopreserved embryo transfer

To assess the importance of each blastocyst morphological criteria with pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. This single-center retrospective cohort study included blastocyst single embryo transfers (SET) performed between 1/2012–2/2018. Poisson regression was used to evaluate pregnancy outcomes following fresh and cryopreserved embryo transfer (CET) for association with blastocyst expansion, inner cell mass (ICM) quality, and trophectoderm (TE) quality. Among cycles resulting in live birth, associations with preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA), were evaluated using logistic regression. A total of 1023 fresh and 1222 CET cycles were included, of which 465 (45.1%) fresh and 600 (48.5%) CET cycles resulted in singleton live birth. Clinical pregnancy rates increased with increasing expansion among fresh transfers (p for trend = 0.001) but not CET (p = 0.221), and with TE quality for both fresh and CET cycles (p = 0.005 and < 0.0001, respectively). Live birth rates increased with increasing expansion (fresh p = 0.005, CET p = 0.018) and TE quality (fresh p = 0.028, CET p = 0.023). ICM grade was not associated with pregnancy outcomes; however, higher ICM quality among CET cycles was associated with increased chance of preterm birth (p = 0.005). In blastocyst SET, blastocyst expansion and TE quality were each associated with clinical pregnancy and live birth. While higher ICM quality was associated with increased chance of preterm birth among CET, no other associations with perinatal outcomes were identified. Clinicians can be reassured that pregnancies from blastocysts with lower expansion, ICM, or TE qualities are not more likely to result in adverse perinatal outcomes.
Operando multimodal x-ray tomography of transport in electrochemical energy-conversion and storage devices (Conference Presentation)

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a promising technique for three-dimensional imaging of batteries, electrolyzers and fuel cells. Operando techniques rely significantly on reactor design, where the operando cell should approximate the actual device. Furthermore, nano- and micro-scale hierarchical materials are used to convert or store electrochemical energy. Imaging with the single scale or synchrotron beamline provides only sliver of information needed. Carbon and ionomer materials that are used as bulk materials in the electrochemical devices are soft and phase-contrast imaging is required. We present our micro- and nano-X-ray CT reactors designs for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), electrolyzers, and micro X-ray CT operando pouch cell for battery. With the PEFC hardware we control temperature, relative humidity, pressure of gasses, as well as current density. By imaging the PEFCs at various current densities we are able to observe physical phenomena of membrane swelling with relative humidity increase and formation and removal of liquid water from the cell. With nano X-ray CT we are able to combine morphology with x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) to elucidate the oxidation state of the catalyst within the active porous layer. Using phase-contrast we are able to distinguish between liquid water and carbon phases. For electrolyzers, understanding formation and removal of oxygen bubbles, which is sub-second transport phenomena is critical. We combine X-ray CT with sub-second X-ray radiography to understand this transient process. For the batteries, we have developed a high throughput pouch cell design for x-ray CT imaging featuring 1 cm diameter active area.
Stable multi-megahertz circular-ranging optical coherence tomography at 1.3 µm.

In Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), the finite bandwidth of the acquisition electronics constrains the depth range and speed of the system. Circular-ranging (CR) OCT methods use optical-domain compression to surpass this limit. However, the CR-OCT system architectures of prior reports were limited by poor stability and were confined to the 1.55 µm wavelength range. In this work, we describe a novel CR-OCT architecture that is free from these limitations. To ensure stable operation, temperature sensitive optical modules within the system were replaced; the kilometer-length fiber spools used in the stretched-pulse mode-locked (SPML) laser was eliminated in favor of a single 10 meter, continuously chirped fiber Bragg grating, and the interferometer’s passive optical quadrature demodulation circuit was replaced by an active technique using a lithium niobate phase modulator. For improved imaging penetration in biological tissues, the system operating wavelength was shifted to a center wavelength of 1.29 µm by leveraging the wavelength flexibility intrinsic to CFBG-based dispersive fibers. These improvements were achieved while maintaining a broad (100 nm) optical bandwidth, a long 4 cm imaging range, and a high 7.6 MHz A-line rate. By enhancing stability, simplifying overall system design, and operating at 1.3 µm, this CR-OCT architecture will allow a broader exploration of CR-OCT in both medical and non-medical applications.
NFκB (Nuclear Factor κ-Light-Chain Enhancer of Activated B Cells) Activity Regulates Cell-Type–Specific and Context-Specific Susceptibility to Calcification in the Aortic Valve

Objective: Although often studied independently, little is known about how aortic valve endothelial cells and valve interstitial cells interact collaborate to maintain tissue homeostasis or drive v...
Buckling Analysis of Sandwich Shell Structures Subjected to Hydrostatic Load

This paper examines the buckling phenomenon of sandwich cylindrical shell structures subjected to hydrostatic pressure. Global bifurcation buckling is considered, and the effect of discrete ring stiffeners on the critical pressure is analyzed. The local buckling problem is discussed, including the influence of the shape and the thickness of the core stiffeners on the critical load. Finally, the paper treats the sensitivity of local and global buckling on the thickness distribution between the inner and outer shells of the sandwich structure.
Understanding Characteristics of Acute Brain Injury in Adult Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: An Autopsy Study.

Objectives Current studies lack information on characteristics of acute brain injury in patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. We sought to characterize the types, timing, and risk factors of acute brain injury in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting We reviewed the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients who had undergone brain autopsy with gross and microscopic examinations from January 2009 to December 2018 from a single tertiary center. Patients Twenty-five patients (median age 53 yr) had postmortem brain autopsy. Interventions Description and analysis of neuropathologic findings. Measurement and main results Of 25, 22 had venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (88%) (nine cardiac arrest; 13 cardiogenic shock) and three had venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation (12%). The median extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support time was 96 hours (interquartile range, 26-181 hr). The most common acute brain injury was hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (44%), followed by intracranial hemorrhage (24%), and ischemic infarct (16%). Subarachnoid hemorrhage (20%) was the most common type of intracranial hemorrhage, followed by intracerebral hemorrhage (8%), and subdural hemorrhage (4%). Only eight patients (32%) were without acute brain injury after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The most common involved location for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury was cerebral cortices (82%) and cerebellum (55%). The pattern of ischemic infarct was territorial in cerebral cortices. The risk factors for acute brain injury included hypertension history (11 vs 1; p = 0.01), preextracorporeal membrane oxygenation antiplatelet use (7 vs 0; p = 0.03), and a higher day 1 lactate level (10.0 vs 5.1; p = 0.02). Patients with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury had more hypertension (8 vs 4; p = 0.047), a higher day 1 lactate level (12.6 vs 5.8; p = 0.02), and a lower pH level (7.09 vs 7.24; p = 0.027). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation duration, cannulation methods, hemoglobin level, coma, renal impairment, and hepatic impairment were not associated with acute brain injury. Conclusions In the population who underwent postmortem neuropathologic evaluation, 68% of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation nonsurvivors developed acute brain injury. Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury was the most common type of injury suggesting that patients sustained acute brain injury as a consequence of cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. Further research with a systematic neurologic monitoring is necessary to define the timing of acute brain injury in patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Falls: descriptive rates and circumstances in age-unspecified patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Falls can occur in older cancer patients, but few studies have examined falls in an age-unspecified group of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Because these patients are often administered neuropathy-inducing agents, are weak, and can develop orthostatic symptoms, examining falls appears relevant. Electronic medical records were used to examine falls and their circumstances in locally advanced esophageal cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and radiation and often surgery. Among 300 patients, 62 (21%) suffered a fall, yielding 6 falls per 100 patient years. The median age at first fall was 64 years (range 31 to 83). The median time from cancer diagnosis to first fall was 11 months (range 0 to 107). Forty-two patients (68%) who fell had active cancer; 20 (32%) were cancer-free. Fall-related injuries occurred in 42 patients and included fractures, hematomas, and other musculoskeletal events. Eighteen patients (29%) fell repeatedly. Neuropathy, general weakness, and orthostatic symptoms were associated with falls (“He does state his neuropathy is more bothersome…. He did have a fall last week….” “He has been increasingly weak to the point where he fell down last week….” “Upon rising… [he] felt like somebody had put a sheet over his eyes, felt very lightheaded, and fell to the floor….”). At times, falls occurred under commonplace circumstances, such as slipping on ice or tripping on an underfoot pet. Regardless of patient age, clinicians should remain vigilant for fall risk in adult patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.
Improving the performance of global courier & delivery services industry by analyzing the voice of customers and employees using text analytics

Even with the adaptation of recent technologies to ensure the quick delivery of products at a reasonable cost, most courier companies are poorly rated by customers, especially in social networking ...
Material-specific gap function in the high-temperature superconductors

We present theoretical arguments and experimental support for the idea that high-Tc superconductivity can occur with s-wave, d-wave, or mixed-wave pairing in the context of a magnetic mechanism. The size and shape of the gap is different for different materials. The theoretical arguments are based on the t-J model as derived from the Hubbard model so that it necessarily includes three-site terms. We argue that this should be the basic minimal model for high-Tc systems. We analyze this model starting with the dilute limit which can be solved exactly, passing then to the Cooper problem which is numerically tractable, then ending with a mean field approach. It is found that the relative stability of s-wave and d-wave depends on the size and the shape of the Fermi surface. We identify three striking trends. First, materials with large next-nearest-neighbor hopping (such as YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-x)) are nearly pure d-wave, whereas nearest-neighbor materials (such as La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4)) tend to be more s-wave-like. Second, low hole doping materials tend to be pure d-wave, but high hole doping leads to s-wave. Finally, the optimum hole doping level increases as the next-nearest-neighbor hopping increases. We examine the experimental evidence and find support for this idea that gap function in the high-temperature superconductors is material-specific.