cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser Pulse Shaping for State-Selective Excitation

Our research focuses on the design and application of pulse sequences with enhanced control over the radiation field (tailored phase and amplitude modulated pulses or phase shifted sequences) to produce simple and interpretable molecular states in a wide variety of applications (nuclear magnetic resonance, magnetic resonance imaging, and laser spectroscopy). Experimentally generating such “ultracoherent transient” laser pulse sequences with complete control of pulse shapes, phases, and delays previously presented a formidable challenge, but theoretical work has shown that such capabilities would enhance multiphoton pumping1,2, selectively excite high vibrational levels of the electronic ground stated3 or measure contributions from transition electric dipole-dipole interactions in condensed phases4. There have even been recent calculations which show that a well-defined phase relation between multiple lasers5 or shaped laser pulses6,7 can promote state-selective chemistry. In this paper we will present the first results from an apparatus which lets us simultaneously tailor pulse shape and control phase shifts on a picosecond timescale, and compare the technological state-of-the-art in various laboratories to the level of sophistication necessary for experimental realization of these concepts.
Polymer-Based Biomimetic Membranes for Desalination

Membrane desalination technologies, such as reverse osmosis (RO) and forward osmosis (FO), have come to the forefront as excellent technologies for developing new saline source waters. The high energy requirement for current desalination membranes necessitates development of a new class of high flux membranes. Aquaporins, biological water transport proteins, demonstrate excellent water transport properties and biological membranes containing aquaporins have better permeabilities than current RO membrane technology while maintaining solute rejection. Incorporation of aquaporins in biomimetic block copolymers is a promising new approach for development of new desalination membranes. Using arrays of carbon nanotubes as synthetic analogs of aquaporin-based ­membranes is another potential approach for highly permeable membrane development.
Spine Tumors and Non-Spine Bone Metastases

Spine tumor is a broad term including primary and metastatic tumors. Only a minority of spine tumors are primary tumors. They include the vertebral column (bone) tumors, intradural-extramedullary tumors, and intramedullary tumors.
A Method to Retrieve the Total Flux at Lyman-Alpha in Micro-Channel-Plate Detectors Affected by Gain Sag: Application to the LAMP UV Imaging Spectrograph Onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) detectors can suffer from a form of degradation known as gain sag in regions with significant fluence. We have developed a method to recover the total Lyman-Alpha (Ly-α) e...
Seasonal Hydrological Loading from GPS Observed Data Across Contiguous United States Using Integrated Apache Hadoop Framework

The study examined the relationship between seasonal vertical loading deformation and seasonal hydrological loading from precipitation specified as rain and snow. The vertical loading deformation is characterized by time-series estimated from continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) network across the contiguous United States for a timeframe of 48 months (January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2016). The data processing used custom-built R scripts and spatial libraries that were integrated with Hive framework which is a data warehouse extension of Apache Hadoop that is used as a database query interface. The relationships of vertical displacement were explored by visualization techniques such as spatial maps and wavelet coherence plots.
A National Assessment of Access to Technology Among Nursing Home Residents: A Secondary Analysis.

Background: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there are over 1.7 million nursing home residents in the United States. Nursing home residents and their family members have unique needs and stand to benefit from using technology empowering them to be more informed and engaged health care consumers. Although there is growing evidence for benefits of patient-facing technologies like electronic patient portals on patient engagement in acute and outpatient settings, little is known about use of this technology in nursing homes. Objective: The purpose of this study was to report findings from a secondary analysis of data from a national nursing home study of information technology (IT) adoption, called IT sophistication. We describe the extent to which nursing homes (n=815) allow residents or their representatives to access technology including electronic health records, patient portals, and health information-exchange systems as well as the ability of the residents or representatives to self-report data directly into the electronic health record. Methods: We used descriptive statistics and regression techniques to explore relationships between information technology adoption (IT sophistication) and residents’ or their representatives’ access to technology. Covariates of location, bed size, and ownership were added to the model to understand their potential influence on the relationship between IT sophistication and resident access to technology. Results: Findings revealed that resident access to technology was a significant predictor of the nursing home IT sophistication (P<.001). The inclusion of covariates—nursing home location, bed size, and ownership—with their interactions produced a nonsignificant effect in the model. Residents’ or their representatives’ use of electronic health records and personal health records were both significant predictors of overall IT sophistication (P<.001). Conclusions: As nursing homes continue to progress in technological capabilities, it is important to understand how increasing IT sophistication can be leveraged to create opportunities to engage residents in their care. Understanding the impact of health information technology on outcomes and which technologies make a difference will help nursing home administrators make more informed decisions about adoption and implementation.
Factors that predict diagnostic stability in neurodegenerative dementia.

To determine the frequency and characteristics of clinical diagnostic change in frontotemporal dementia (FTD)-spectrum syndromes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-type dementia. We reviewed records and categorized diagnostic changes in patients seen ≥ 2 times with behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD, n = 99), nonfluent and semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA, n = 32; svPPA, n = 59), corticobasal syndrome (CBS, n = 40), progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS, n = 34), and AD-type dementia (n = 49). For bvFTD, we compared patients with and without diagnostic change, and assessed predictors of diagnostic change by logistic regression. Initial diagnoses changed infrequently at subsequent visits in svPPA (6.8%), PSP-RS (8.8%), and nfvPPA (12.5%), with rare changes largely involving clinicopathological overlap or diagnostic ambiguity. Changes in AD-type dementia (30.6%) and CBS (37.5%) were more common, but reflected greater specificity, predicted co-pathology, or overlapping syndromes. Diagnostic change in bvFTD was also common (32.3%), but more diverse, including motor neuron disease development, alternative neurodegenerative syndromes, and non-neurodegenerative diseases. Diagnostic change occurred more often in those who met possible rather than probable bvFTD criteria (70.6% vs 15.3%, p < 0.001). Patients with stable diagnoses showed greater overall impairment, bvFTD behavioral severity, and atrophy in core right-hemisphere bvFTD regions. Patients with diagnostic change had more severe depression (p < 0.05) and more frequent contributing, secondary diagnoses (p = 0.01), such as cerebrovascular disease. By logistic regression, the accuracy of predicting stable bvFTD diagnoses using first-visit data was 80%. bvFTD displays more diverse diagnostic change than other neurodegenerative syndromes. First-visit bvFTD diagnoses may waver if based on meeting possible criteria only.
Connecting wettability, topography, and chemistry in a simple lipid-montmorillonite system.

Abstract Hypothesis While soil water repellency causes a variety of undesirable environmental effects, the underlying mechanism is unknown. We investigate the coupled effects of chemical characteristics and surface topology in a simple model system of two lipids, DSPE (1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine) and DOPE (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine), and a clay substrate. These closely-related lipids allowed the study of how a small change in chemical structure influences the surface hydrophobicity. Experiments Techniques ranging from molecular (simulations) to nanoscopic (atomic force microscopy) to microscopic (fluorescence microscopy) to macroscopic (contact angle measurements) were used to explore interactions at all length scales. The wettability was assessed from initial contact angle and time-dependent changes in droplet shape. Findings The lipid distribution depended on the lipid’s melting temperature: solid lipids did not spread evenly through the film, while liquid ones did. However, the initial contact angle did not change appreciably with the addition of DSPE or DOPE. Only DSPE heated above its melting temperature induced significant changes. In addition to the initial contact angle, quantitative variables extracted from the change in droplet shape over time correlated with the film topography or lipid distribution. These results define a new quantitative approach to investigating partially-wettable soils and provide a potential rationale for why clays can remediate water-repellent soils.
A System Approach for Evaluating Current and Emerging Army Open-Source Intelligence Tools

The United States Army maximizes combat effectiveness by synthesizing intelligence on the enemy. Open Source Intelligence, also known as OSINT, is a growing and maturing intelligence discipline that has promising potential for the United States Army. Today’s OSINT tools provide various capabilities to enhance privacy and protect organizations from online threats. Although OSINT provides useful information, there are limitations that hinder the effectiveness of intelligence gathering. Our client, the Army Open Source Office (AOO), sponsored our team to develop a methodology to assess the current and emerging OSINT tools and technologies. Our team applies a systems decision process to develop a value model to improve OSINT operations. This paper outlines the systems approach, uses a client-oriented problem statement, and creates a value model. The results indicate that some OSINT tools do not completely meet the Army’s requirements. This indicates a significant value gap between the current and desired OSINT tools. The model also makes a cost versus value comparison; however, the costs and tools are classified. This model serves two purposes. First, this model measures the performance of the Army’s current toolkit to compare against other available tools. Secondly, this model evaluates emerging tools. Lastly, this model provides the decision maker with quantitative measures of performance to make better decisions on the allocation of resources.
Acute kidney injury is independently associated with mortality and resource use after emergency general surgery operations.

Abstract Introduction The incidence of severe perioperative renal dysfunction in high-acuity patients has not been well-explored at the national level. The present study aimed to evaluate the trends in the incidence of perioperative acute kidney injury and renal replacement therapy as well as associated mortality among patients undergoing an emergency general surgery operation. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using the National Inpatient Sample to identify all adult patients (>18 y) without chronic kidney disease who underwent an emergency general surgery procedure from 2008 to 2016. The study cohort was stratified based on presence of acute kidney injury and need for renal replacement therapy postoperatively. A multivariable logistic regression model was developed to predict the odds of mortality and composite morbidity. Nonparametric trend analyses of acute kidney injury and renal replacement therapy incidence and associated mortality were performed. Results Of an estimated 5,862,657 patients who underwent an emergency general surgery procedure during the study period, 7.4% patients developed an acute kidney injury and 0.48% patients required renal replacement therapy. Overall, the incidence of acute kidney injury (5.3%–19.4%) and renal replacement therapy (0.43%–0.93%) increased (P Conclusion In this national study, we found that the incidence of acute kidney injury and renal replacement therapy after an emergency general surgery operation has increased. Both acute renal failure and hemodialysis were associated with much greater odds of morbidity and mortality. The apparent increase in the rate of acute kidney injury and renal replacement therapy warrant further investigation of mechanisms for monitoring and limiting the impact of organ malperfusion associated with emergency general surgery operations.
Improvement of stiff-person syndrome symptoms in pregnancy: Case series and literature review.

Objective To describe 2 cases from a single academic institution of improvement in stiff-person syndrome (SPS) symptoms during pregnancy and to review the clinical outcomes of SPS in 6 additional pregnancies described in the literature. Methods Evaluation of clinical symptoms and treatment changes of disease state during pregnancy. Results Seven patients with 9 pregnancies are described in women with a diagnosis of SPS. Six of 7 (86%) women were positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) antibody. In 5 of 9 (56%) pregnancies, symptomatic medications (antispasmodics) were significantly reduced with stabilization or improvement in symptoms through pregnancy. Nine live, healthy pregnancies resulted. All 7 (100%) women experienced worsening of symptoms after the birth of their children, and symptomatic therapies were resumed and/or increased. Conclusions The immune pathogenesis of SPS continues to be explored. Immunomodulatory shifts during pregnancy may influence changes of clinical SPS symptoms and provide insight into the unique pathogenesis of SPS. Some women with SPS may be able to reduce symptomatic medications related to clinical improvement during pregnancy. Women with SPS may safely carry pregnancies to term, delivering healthy and unaffected babies.
Comparison of surface tension generation methods in smoothed particle hydrodynamics for dynamic systems

Abstract Developing robust numerical models of surface tension dominated dynamic multiphase systems is an ongoing challenge, especially in scenarios with large density and viscosity ratios. This is critical to the design and understanding of various physical and engineering systems, such as three-phase fluidized beds, fuel injectors, and drug delivery schemes. Much of the computational work in surface tension dominated multiphase flows has employed the continuum surface force method (CSF) of Brackbill et al. (1992), which recasts surface tension from a surface force to a volumetric force that can be imposed in the vicinity of an interface. The CSF method produces accurate results across a variety of systems, however it relies on the identification of surface normals, which can be unreliable under certain conditions. Alternative methods of simulating surface tension have been proposed. This work uses smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), a particle based computational fluid dynamics method, as the framework for exploring the advantages and disadvantages of the CSF method in comparison to a pairwise forces (PF) method proposed by Tartakovsky and Panchenko (2016). Dynamic systems are modeled and the results are compared to existing test cases from the literature and to analytic solutions derived from fundamental normal mode behavior of bubbles and droplets. Initial studies of droplet-droplet collisions, a physical system for which the PF method is more stable and physically appropriate than the CSF method, are described.
Preliminary Study of Connectivity for Quantum Key Distribution Network

Quantum network is fragile to disturbances when qubits are transmitted through quantum channel. Reliability is an essential requirement for a quantum network and even the future quantum internet. A metric is needed to describe the reliability of a quantum network to build a robust infrastructure and communication protocols. In this work, we combined quantum physical parameters with graphic algebraic connectivity to indicate the transmission throughput of a grid quantum network. This metric can be extended to multiple equal point-to-point distance topology. This work also studies how to tune specific physical parameters to maintain or even increase connectivity when nodes or edges are removed from a network. Using this metric, resources consumption are compared.
Context-Sensitive Cleavage of Folded DNAs by Loop-Targeting bPNAs.

Herein, we demonstrate context-dependent molecular recognition of DNA by synthetic bPNA iron and copper complexes, using oxidative backbone cleavage as a chemical readout for binding. Oligoethylenimine bPNAs displaying iron·EDTA or copper·phenanthroline sites were found to be efficient chemical nucleases for designed and native structured DNAs with T-rich single-stranded domains. Cleavage reactivity depends strongly on structural context, as strikingly demonstrated with DNA substrates of the form (GGGTTA)n. This repeat sequence from the human telomere is known to switch between parallel and antiparallel G-quadruplex (G4) topologies with a change from potassium to sodium buffer: notably, bPNA-copper complexes efficiently cleave long repeat sequences into ∼22-nucleotide portions in sodium, but not potassium, buffer. We hypothesize preferential cleavage of the antiparallel topology (Na+) over the parallel topology (K+) due to the greater accessibility of the TTA loop to bPNA in the antiparallel (Na+) form. Similar ion-sensitive telomere shortening upon treatment with bPNA nucleases can be observed in both isolated and intracellular DNA from PC3 cells by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Live cell treatment was accompanied by accelerated cellular senescence, as expected for significant telomere shortening. Taken together, the loop-targeting approach of bPNA chemical nucleases complements prior intercalation strategies targeting duplex and quadruplex DNA. Structurally sensitive loop targeting enables discrimination between similar target sequences, thus expanding bPNA targeting beyond simple oligo-T sequences. In addition, bPNA nucleases are cell membrane permeable and therefore may be used to target native intracellular substrates. In addition, these data indicate that bPNA scaffolds can be a platform for new synthetic binders to particular nucleic acid structural motifs.
Intraoperative image guidance for lateral position surgery

Recent advances in minimally invasive spine surgery techniques have precipitated the popularity of lateral position spine surgery, such as lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) and oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF). Lateral position surgery offers a unique, minimally invasive approach to the lumbar spine that allows for preservation of anterior and posterior spinal elements. Traditionally, surgeons have relied upon fluoroscopy for triangulation and implant placement. Over the last decade, intraoperative 3-dimensional navigation (ION) has risen to the forefront of innovation in LLIF and OLIF. This technology utilizes intra-operative advanced imaging, such as comminuted tomography (CT), to map the patient's 3D anatomy and allows the surgeon to accurately visualize instruments and implants in spatial relationship to the patient's anatomy in real time. ION has the potential to improve accuracy during instrumentation, decrease operating room times, lower radiation exposure to the surgeon and staff, and increase feasibility of single-position surgery during which the spine is instrumented both laterally and posteriorly while the patient remains in the lateral decubitus position. Despite the advantages of ION, the intra-operative radiation exposure risk to patients is controversial. Future directions include continued innovation in ultra low radiation imaging (ULRI) techniques and image enhancement technology and in uses of robot-assisted navigation in single-position spine surgery.
A New Teaching Program

The authors describe the utilization of telemedicine technology to provide psychiatry residents with a 10-week series of seminars on the subject of managed care. Residents at two schools of medicine participated in a series of interactive seminars with presenters at distant sites through the use of telemedicine technology. The authors describe a cost-effective approach to teaching managed-care concepts to residents, using telemedicine technology to allow experts to present from distant sites.
The commercial antimicrobial triclosan induces high levels of antibiotic tolerance in vitro and reduces antibiotic efficacy up to 100-fold in vivo

Abstract The antimicrobial triclosan is used in a wide range of consumer products ranging from toothpaste, cleansers, socks, and baby toys. A bacteriostatic inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis, triclosan is extremely stable and accumulates in the environment. Approximately 75% of adults in the US have detectable levels of the compound in their urine, with a sizeable fraction of individuals (>10%) having urine concentrations equal to or greater than the minimal inhibitory concentration for Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Previous work has identified connections between defects in fatty acid synthesis and accumulation of the alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp), which has been repeatedly associated with antibiotic tolerance and persistence. Based on these data, we hypothesized that triclosan exposure may inadvertently drive bacteria into a state in which they are able to tolerate normally lethal concentrations of antibiotics. Here we report that clinically relevant concentrations of triclosan increased E. coli and MRSA tolerance to bactericidal antibiotics as much as 10,000 fold in vitro and reduced antibiotic efficacy up to 100-fold in a mouse urinary tract infection model. Genetic analysis indicated that triclosan-mediated antibiotic tolerance requires ppGpp synthesis, but is independent of growth. These data highlight an unexpected and certainly unintended consequence of adding high concentrations of antimicrobials in consumer products, supporting an urgent need to reevaluate the costs and benefits of the prophylactic use of triclosan and other bacteriostatic compounds. Importance Added as a prophylactic to a wide range of consumer products, the fatty acid synthesis inhibitor triclosan accumulates to high levels in humans and the environment. Based on links between defects in fatty acid synthesis and accumulation of the alarmone ppGpp, we hypothesized that triclosan would render cells tolerant to bactericidal compounds due to ppGpp-mediated inhibition of biosynthetic capacity. Our data indicate that clinically relevant concentrations of triclosan induces higher tolerance of E. coli and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) to a panel of bactericidal antibiotics up to 10,000-fold. In a urinary tract infection model, mice exposed to triclosan exhibited bacterial loads ~100-fold higher in the bladder than control animals following ciprofloxacin challenge. These findings highlight an unexpected consequence of antimicrobials in consumer products and support an urgent need to reevaluate the costs and benefits of the prophylactic use of triclosan and other bacteriostatic compounds.
Engaging in advocacy during medical training: assessing the impact of a virtual COVID-19-focused state advocacy day.

Purpose The physician voice is crucial to shaping health policy and public health guidelines, particularly during COVID-19. However, there are gaps in health policy and advocacy education within graduate medical education. This study sought to characterise the impact of a virtual COVID-19 focused advocacy day among medical trainees in Massachusetts. Study design The half-day event featured speakers drawn from government relations experts, physician advocates, and state and federal legislators as well as breakout discussions among attendees. A 25-question Redcap survey and list of resources/opportunities for continued advocacy was administered to all participants at event’s conclusion on 19 May 2020. Results There were 60 responses from 141 participants (43% response rate). One-third reported no prior formal health policy instruction, and over half reported getting information from news publications, social media and peers. 58% believed physician involvement in advocacy to be ‘extremely important’ prior to COVID-19; 83% believed the same after onset of COVID-19 (p Conclusions Trainees recognise the importance of health policy and advocacy and value opportunities to gain the necessary skills/knowledge to effect tangible change. Virtual advocacy days can be replicated nationwide to help trainees learn about advocacy efforts and find their legislative voices during COVID-19 and beyond.
Can Time‐Varying Risk Premia and Household Heterogeneity Explain Credit Cycles?

Using micro-level household mortgage data, I measure dispersion in the credit quality of borrowers in the housing market and show that it forecasts regional real economic activity. I provide empirical evidence that associates the predictive power of dispersion with heterogeneity in the exposure of households' labor income to economy-wide shocks. I explain these observations in a model featuring time-varying risk premia, incomplete markets, and household heterogeneity. Due to risk aversion, the consumption and investment responses of households have a convex association with their labor income exposure to aggregate risks. As a result, dispersion forecasts the aggregate output more strongly in more heterogeneous regions, consistent with the data.
Empirical evidence on jumps and large fluctuations in individual stocks

We make use of the extant testing methodology of Barndorff-Nielsen and Shephard (2006) and Ait-Sahalia and Jacod (2009a,b,c) to examine the importance of jumps, and in particular “large" and “small" jumps, using high frequency price returns on 25 stocks in the DOW 30 and S&P futures index. In particular, we examine jumps from both the perspective of their contribution to overall realized variation and their contribution to predictive regressions of realized volatility. We find evidence of jumps in around 22.8% of the days during the 1993-2000 period, and in 9.4% of the days during the 2001-2008 period, which implies more (jump induced) turbulence in financial markets in the previous decade than the current decade. Also, it appears that frequent “small" jumps of the 1990s have been replaced to some extent with relatively infrequent "large" jumps in recent years. Interestingly, this result holds for all of the stocks that we examine, supporting the notion that there is strong comovement across jump components for a wide variety of stocks, as discussed in Bollerslev, Law and Tauchen (2008). In our prediction experiments using the class of linear and nonlinear HAR-RV, HAR-RV-J and HAR-RV-CJ models proposed by Muller, Dacorogna, Dave, Olsen, Puctet, and von Weizsackeret (1997), Corsi (2004) and Andersen, Bollerslev and Diebold (2007). we find that the “linear" model performs well for only very few stocks, while there is significant improvement when instead using the “square root" model. Interestingly, the “log" model, which performs very well in their study of market indices, performs approximately equally as well as the square root model when our longer sample of market index data is used. Moreover, the log model, while yielding marked predictability improvements for individual stocks, can actually only be implemented for 7 of our 25 stocks, due to data singularity issues associated with the incidence of jumps at the level of individual stocks.
Clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients treated with convalescent plasma or remdesivir alone and in combination at a community hospital in California's central valley

Rationale: The optimal treatment regimen for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection remains to be determined. The purpose of this study was to compare how treatment with convalescent plasma (CP) monotherapy, remdesivir (RDV) monotherapy, and combination therapy (CP + RDV) in patients with COVID-19 affected clinical outcomes. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted between May-August 2020 at a 150-bed academic community hospital in San Joaquin County, California. Patients with COVID-19 infection who were hospitalized during the study period received CP, RDV, or a combination of both. Clinical outcomes including mortality, discharge disposition, hospital length of stay, ICU length of stay, and total ventilation days were compared between each treatment group and stratified by ABO blood group. An exploratory analysis identified risk factors for mortality. Adverse effects were also evaluated. Results: A total of 213 patients with COVID-19 were admitted and 106 patients received one of the three prespecified treatments during the study period. 53 received CP alone, 11 received RDV alone, and 42 received combination therapy. RDV monotherapy showed an increased chance of survival compared to combination therapy or CP monotherapy (p = 0.052) (Figure 1). There were 15, 3, and 6 deaths in the CP, RDV, and CP + RDV groups, respectively. The median number of ventilation days was the longest in the CP + RDV group (8, IQR 4.5-14, p = 0.091). The median ICU length of stay was also longest in the CP + RDV group (8, IQR 4.5-15.5, p = 0.220). The median hospital length of stay was longest in the CP group (11, IQR 7-15.5, p = 0.175). Age (p = 0.036), initial SOFA score (p = 0.013), and intubation (p = 0.005) were statistically significant predictors of mortality. Patients with type O blood had less ventilation days, ICU LOS, and total LOS but the difference was not statistically significant. Thirteen treatment-related adverse events occurred. Conclusion: No significant differences in clinical outcomes including mortality, length of stay, or total ventilator days were observed between hospitalized patients with COVID 19 treated with RDV, CP, or CP + RDV. Elderly patients, those with a high initial SOFA score, and those who require intubation are at increased risk of mortality associated with COVID-19. Blood type did not demonstrate significant differences in clinical outcomes.
MRI Changes in Breast Skin Following Preoperative Therapy for Patients with Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

Rationale and Objectives Preoperative systemic therapy (PST) followed by mastectomy and radiation improves survival for patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Residual disease within the skin post-PST adversely impacts surgical outcome and risk of local-regional recurrence (LRR). We aimed to assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) breast skin changes post-PST with pathologic response and its impact on surgical resectability. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed 152 baseline and post-PST breast MRIs of 76 patients with IBC. Using the ACR-BIRADS MRI lexicon, we correlated skin thickness, qualitative enhancement, and kinetic analysis with pathologic response in the skin at mastectomy. Results Baseline MRI showed skin thickening in all 76 patients, 75/76 (99%) showed skin enhancement, 54/75 (72%) had medium/fast initial kinetics, usually with persistent delayed kinetics in 49/54 (91%). Following PST, 66/76 (87%) had residual skin thickening with 64/76 (84%) showing a decrease; 33/76 (43%) had persistent enhancement. The median thickness post-PST was 4.7 mm with residual tumor in the skin, and 3.0 mm without residual tumor (p = 0.008). Regardless of pathologic response, the majority of patients had persistent skin thickening on MRI following PST (100% [14/14] with residual tumor and 84% [52/62] without residual tumor). There was no association between post-PST skin thickness on breast MRI and rate of LRR. Conclusion Patients with IBC have skin thickening and enhancement on baseline breast MRI, with a statistically significant reduction in skin thickness following successful PST. Despite persistent skin changes on MRI, patients achieving a partial or complete parenchymal response to PST may proceed to mastectomy with low LRR rates.
Computerdiagnostik und diagnostische Hilfen in innerer Medizin und Radiologie (Konversationelle Computeranwendung)

In den letzten Jahren sind in der Medizin Elektronenrechner (E.R.) auf den verschiedensten Gebieten angewandt worden. Sie umfassen: 1. Statistik und mathematische Berechnung (scientific computation), 2. Informationsverarbeitung (data processing), wobei administrative Daten eingeschlossen sind, 3. Diagnostik und diagnostische Hilfen, 4. Computerclidaktik (computer-aided instruction) und 5. Simulation von physiologischen und pathologischen Prozessen sowie von Funktionen und Kosten von Krankenhausern und Abteilungen [vgl. 28, 33].
Effects of Gonadal and Contraceptive Hormones on Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism

The literature on androgens and anabolic steroids has been reviewed extensively (5, 49, 57, 101, 112, 128, 214). The actions of estrogens and progestins on nonsexual organs have also been reviewed with general emphasis on their catabolic effects (7, 70, 107, 112, 128) except in the veterinary literature where attention has focused on growth-promoting or weight-gaining and meat “finishing” effects (10, 51, 52, 72, 140, 150, 153, 206). Most of the recent laboratory investigation has been devoted to sites and mechanisms of action particularly in target tissues with mechanisms being sought within the framework of the Jacob-Monod hypothesis at the level of transcription (57, 100, 183, 214).
Variations on the Excuse of a Celibate Imagination

There's nothing new under the sun, no thunder when he sung in street, no tunes when she returned. Thing is, we need Hun-strength on the run, we need thinner thugs then, no sur render. The sun, us, then nothing. We hush, get neither new nor stunned. Winter hut. Rent. Genes undone. Shh . . . God's shut inn. There-there. New nun, new unthoughts, dinner sneer, the Hun, the hunt, new sting, order seen? the strung nun heeds none whiter. Unsnow the nun. Destring the here. There in the unsung, wonder's then.
Protein constituents of the mouse spermatozoon: II. Temporal synthesis during spermatogenesis

Abstract The temporal synthesis profiles for fractionated mouse spermatozoan proteins were determined following intratesticular injections of [ 3 H]leucine. Mice were killed on alternate days over a 32-day period and cauda epididymal spermatozoa were fractionated into SDS-soluble proteins, SDS-insoluble tail components, and SDS-insoluble head components. Radioactivity in each fraction was monitored by liquid scintillation counting. It was observed that, relative to the known kinetics of mouse spermatogenesis, the SDS-soluble proteins are translated predominantly during meiosis and early spermiogenesis. In contrast, the SDS-insoluble proteins of both the head and tail segments are synthesized primarily in the haploid spermatid stages, with maximal incorporation at approximately midspermiogenesis. Furthermore, additional studies indicate that the proteins in each of the spermatozoan fractions are synthesized in a defined temporal sequence. For the SDS-soluble and tail fractions, the distribution of radioactivity on SDS-polyacrylamide gels exhibits both qualitative and quantitative changes at successive stages of spermatogenesis. Using ultracentrifugation and ion-exchange chromatography, the SDS-insoluble sperm heads were fractionated into four protein subclasses including the residual, acidic, and moderately basic proteins and the protamines. These four subfractions are also synthesized during distinct intervals of spermatogenesis. Incorporation of [ 3 H]leucine into the residual protein rises during meiosis and early spermiogenesis and reaches a peak at approximately midspermiogenesis. The protamines are maximally synthesized during middle to late spermiogenesis. Both the acidic and moderately basic sperm head proteins are synthesized in the terminal steps of spermiogenesis when transcription is no longer detectable.
Sample matrix effects in capillary electrophoresis: II. Acetonitrile deproteinization

Abstract Acetonitrile deproteinization [acetonitrile-serum (3:2, v/v)] was found to be a suitable method for removal of serum proteins for the analysis of drugs and small molecules by capillary electrophoresis. Many compounds exhibited higher plate numbers and peak heights in the presence of 60% acetonitrile. This effect is due to a special stacking brought along by the low resistivity of the acetonitrile in the sample. In addition to removing serum proteins, acetonitrile improves the solubility of some compounds and increases the sample volume which can be introduced into the capillary. Serum theophylline analysis was used here as an example for the analysis of drugs by capillary electrophoresis using acetonitrile deproteinization.
User interface design for virtual reality: a research tool for tracking navigation

In the rapidly developing area of user interface design (UID), the existing knowledge and understanding of UID serves as a basis for further research and study of factors affecting users as they interact with interfaces that utilize the technology of multimedia, virtual reality and intelligent agents. Navigation is one of the factors that is being investigated to help designers develop user interfaces that are effective and efficient for the users. This paper describes a web-based navigation tool developed to support research into factors that affect navigational decisions in a virtual reality environment. The tool, VR Navigation Research Tool (VRNRT), allows the design and exploration of three-dimensional worlds and provides for navigational tracking. When using VRNRT, the structure of the virtual worlds is confined to 3D mazes. VRNRT enables researchers to customize experiments that allow for testing a subject's navigational and spatial behavior.
Development of a forward calorimeter system for the STAR experiment

We present results of an R&D program to develop a forward calorimeter system (FCS) for the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at BNL. The FCS is a very compact, compensated, finely granulated, high resolution calorimeter system being developed for p+p and p+A program at RHIC. The FCS prototype consists of both electromagnetic and hadron calorimeters. The electromagnetic portion of the detector is constructed with W powder and scintillation fibers. The hadronic calorimeter is a traditional Pb/Sc-plate sandwich design. Both calorimeters were readout with Hamamatsu MPPCs. A full- scale prototype of the FCS was tested with a beam at FNAL in March 2014. We present details of the design, construction technique and performance of the FCS prototype during the test run at FNAL.
Commentary on elger and hardingcan suicide be rational in persons who are not terminally ill

c c e a l M The accompanying article by Elger and Harding [1] bout whether a nonterminally ill suicidal patient should be ospitalized against her will is relevant to the ongoing ebate about the morality of physician acquiescence in uicide and of physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Whether AS ever is ethically justified, and under what conditions, if ny, it should be legal, depend upon several considerations. or example, some persons believe that assistance in hasening death, under any circumstances, represents a perverion of the doctor’s role, and should be prohibited on that round alone [2]. Others acknowledge that hastening death ay be ethical under certain conditions, but fear that legalzation would open the door to unpreventable abuse [3,4]. I hink that there are convincing reasons to reject both of hese arguments [5]. These objections to legalization are not onsidered by Elger and Harding, however, and will not be iscussed further here. A central concern with regard to the ethics of PAS is hether and, if so, when, suicide can be a rational act. sychiatrists are well aware of the strong association beween suicide and mental illness, including depression, subtance abuse and psychosis [6–8]. This association supports uch contemporary psychiatric practice; i.e., active interention, even to the point of involuntary hospitalization, to ave the lives of acutely suicidal persons. Yet a facile onclusion that every suicidal person is mentally ill is unarranted. Indeed, a major textbook of psychiatric ethics efers confidently to “rational suicide”, and states (perhaps vercategorically) that “no psychiatrist would consider orced hospitalization” for a terminally ill patient who has ade a “decision to die [which] is deliberate, authentic, and, n all likelihood, irreversible,” as well as consistent with the atient’s long-held values [9]. It is for patients such as hese that PAS has been legalized in Oregon [10]. In spite of
Spatiotemporal induction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 transcription after discrete myocardial injury

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the myocardium causes discrete sites of injury. RF scars can expand, altering the extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and the continuity of the electrical syncytium of the adjacent myocardium. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), such as MMP-9, contribute to ECM remodeling. However, whether and to what degree transcriptional induction of MMP-9 occurs after myocardial RF injury and the association with electrical conduction patterns after RF injury remains unexplored. This study examined MMP-9 gene promoter (M9PROM) activation after myocardial RF injury using mice in which the M9PROM was fused to a β-galactosidase (β-gal) reporter. RF lesions (0.5-mm probe, 80°C, 30 s) were created on the left ventricular (LV) epicardium of M9PROM mice (n=62) and terminally studied at 1 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, and 28 d after RF injury. M9PROM activation was localized through β-gal staining. The RF scar area and the area of β-gal staining were measured and normalized to LV area (planimetry). RF scar size increased from 1 h post-RF-injury values by 7 d and remained higher at 28 d. M9PROM activation became evident at 3 d and peaked at 7 d. Electrical conduction was measured (potentiometric dye mapping) at 7 d after RF injury. Heterogeneities in action potentials and electrical impulse propagation coincident with M9PROM activation were observed after RF injury. For example, conduction proximal to the RF site was slower than that in the remote myocardium (0.15±0.02 vs. 0.83±0.08 mm/ms, P<0.05). Thus, a unique spatiotemporal pattern of MMP-9 transcriptional activation occurred after discrete myocardial injury, which was associated with the development of electrical heterogeneity. Therefore, these findings suggest that changes in a key determinant of extracellular matrix remodeling, in addition to changes in myocardial structure, can contribute to arrhythmogenesis around the region of myocardial injury.—Mukherjee, R., Colbath, G. P., Justus, C. D., Bruce, J. A., Allen, C. M., Hewett, K. W., Saul, J. P., Gourdie, R. G., Spinale, F. G. Spatiotemporal induction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 transcription following discrete myocardial injury.
Impact of Changing Technology on the Evolution of Complex Informational Networks

We live in an era of increasing connectivity in human societies and in technology. These structural changes in the ways we interact with each other and with increasingly ubiquitous computational and communication devices have been formalized in research across several disciplines through the dynamics of complex informational networks. Complex networks are (mathematical) graphs, connecting nodes (people, computers) via edges (relationships, wires). While much progress in methods for network analysis has been achieved, the fundamental principles that drive network growth in human societies and in worldwide computer networks remain rather obscure. Mechanistic models for the origin of certain structural graph elements have now become common, but the formal connection between large empirical studies of network evolution and fundamental concepts of information, learning, and social theory remains only latent. To address these issues, I argue here that the most interesting aspect of the dynamics of informational networks in complex systems is that they are the physical manifestations of processes of evolution, inference, and learning, from natural ecosystems, to cities and to online environments. I formalize the general problem of learning and computation in network environments in terms of average structural network changes and propose a conceptual framework to explain the transition from initially static, undifferentiated, and information-poor environments to dynamical, richly diverse, and interconnected systems. I illustrate these ideas empirically by providing examples from cities, and from global computer networks and webs of documents. I finish with an overview of expected changes to urban form and function and to computational hardware under likely technological scenarios.
The physical and adhesive properties of dental cements used for atraumatic restorative treatment

Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART), a recently reported field dentistry technique, involves removal of carious debris using only hand instruments and placement of a glass-ionomer cement (GIC) restoration. While small ART-GIC restorations are effective short-term replacements for lost tooth form, many larger ART-GIC restorations are defective after two years. Presently, resin-modified GICs (R-M GIC) are available which require no special activation equipment and handle easily in field settings. This study measured the compressive, tensile, and shear bond strengths to enamel and dentin of a conventional ART-GIC (Fuji IX) and two R-M GICs (Fuji Plus and Advance) at a powder-to-liquid ratio of 3.6:1. The compressive strengths of the GICs tested were significantly different. Fuji IX had the highest compressive strength, and Advance had the lowest strength (p < 0.05). The tensile strength of the R-M GICs was greater than that of the ART-GIC. Fuji Plus showed the highest shear bond strength to enamel and dentin and was significantly different from both Fuji IX and Advance. A clinical protocol is presented followed by case reports where the ART technique was used for management of acute caries in a modern dental setting.
Cross-reaction between antigens of human myelogenous leukemia and Mason-Pfizer monkey virus.

Abstract An antigen similar to a major protein of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV) was found in breast cancers of 2 out of 9 women and in splenic tissue or peripheral leukocytes from 12 of 12 patients with myelogenous leukemias. Such antigen was not detected in other tumors or normal tissues. The cross-reactivity was detected using inhibition of the indirect quantitative radioimmunoprecipitation of 125 I-labeled purified MPMV p 25 and anti-MPMV antiserum. Particles banding in a density region of 1·15 to 1·17 g/ml, the density characteristic of the known animal leukemia viruses, were used as inhibitors for the precipitation. An antigen isolated from a spleen of a patient with myelogenous leukemia using anti-p 25 immunoabsorbent column was similar in net electrical charge and molecular weight to MPMV p 25 . These results suggest that a virus-like particle bearing some antigenic relatedness to MPMV may be potentially important in the pathogenesis of human myelogenous leukemia.
Hybrid analog-digital design microelectromechanical systems spectral processor for simultaneous gain slope and channel equalization controls

To the best of our knowledge, this paper demonstrates the first hybrid analog-digital design fiber-optic spectrum processor that can simultaneously provide spectrum gain slope adjustment as well as independent channel equalization attenuation controls.