cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fibre fracture during equal-channel angular extrusion of short fibre-reinforced thermoplastics

Abstract Customised short fibre composite materials with optimal strength, stiffness and fracture energy are only possible when the fibre length is controlled. Current industrial processes produce a broad distribution in fibre length because the fibre flaw distribution controls the fracturing process. Glass fibre/polyacetal rods compounded by conventional melt processing/extrusion were processed by equal-channel angular extrusion (ECAE) to determine its capability for fibre length control. ECAE is a novel process for affecting the microstructure of a material by extreme shear deformation. Material in the solid state passes through a die with a sharp change in flow direction. Billets exit with the same shape they initially had. The process performed at 73 °C did not significantly reduce initial mean fibre length of 105.6 μm. Processing at room temperature reduced the mean fibre length to 81.0 μm showing the potential for length control by thermal manipulation of the matrix shear strength or the fibre/matrix interface strength. Repeating the process at room temperature had no further effect on the fibre length indicating that the process is limited by the critical length of fibres for fracture at a given temperature and that a single pass may be sufficient to control the fibre length.
A talent management tool using propensity to leave analytics

Modern organizations invest a lot of resources in recruiting, managing, and retaining people with high value and talent. In spite of several studies over the past fifty years, there is no silver bullet for talent management, since the area itself is constantly evolving due to the ever-changing nature of the enterprise in the knowledge economy. In this paper, we adopt an analytics-based approach to advancing talent management, particularly from the point of view of employee commitment. An individual employee's commitment is quantified using her propensity to leave the company, which is modeled using historical employee records and other organization-specific data. Furthermore, factors behind this predicted level of commitment are also identified using data mining approaches. The predictive modeling is made robust and actionable by paying special attention to the accuracy of the propensity scores, their stability over time, and the inter-pretability of the factors. The propensity scores and identified factors are used to infer meaningful recommendations that are helpful to an employee's career apart from being consistent with the business objectives of the organization. We have incorporated all of this in a talent management tool which is an integrated platform for all stakeholders — employees, managers, top-line management and human resource professionals. This tool has been deployed in a large, global, Fortune 500 organization for about 100,000 employees. The results of the deployment are very promising with significant tangible monetary benefits, as well as possible intangible benefits such as improved awareness of the management on factors behind employee commitment, increased communication of employees with the management, and improved employee engagement.
Adaptive peer-to-peer streaming with MutualCast

Application Layer Multicast (ALM) can greatly reduce the load of a server by leveraging the outgoing bandwidth of the participating nodes. However, most proposed ALM schemes become quite complicated and lose bandwidth efficiency if they try to deal with networks that are significantly heterogeneous or time-varying. In earlier work, we proposed MutualCast, an ALM scheme with fully connected mesh that quickly adapts to the time-varying networks, while achieving provably optimal throughput performance. In this paper, we study how MutualCast can be paired with adaptive rate control for streaming media. Specifically, we combine Optimal Rate Control (ORC), our earlier control-theoretical framework for quality adaptation, with the MutualCast delivery scheme. Using multiple bit rate video content, we show that the proposed system can gracefully adjust the common quality received at all the nodes while maintaining a continuous streaming experience at each, even when the network undergoes severe, uncorrelated bandwidth fluctuations at different peer nodes.
A Parametric Investigation of a Concentrating Photovoltaic/Thermal System With Spectral Filtering Utilizing a Two-Dimensional Heat Transfer Model

A 2D heat transfer model of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system has been created. This paper investigates the impact of ideal filters to best accommodate for a nonuniform PV temperature along the length of the receiver. The proposed configuration consists of a GaAs cell laminated to an aluminum extrusion. The working fluid, a transparent high-temperature heat transfer fluid with suspended nanoparticles, flows through the hollow extrusion where it cools the PV cell before it is redirected in front of the cell acting as an optical filter. The model accounts for PV cell efficiency, temperature, and bandgap dependence, the details often neglected in prior works.
Preparation and Electrochemical Characterization of DNA-modified Nanocrystalline Diamond Films

Nanocrystalline diamond thin films of sub-micron thickness have been covalently modified with DNA oligonucleotides. Quantitative studies of hybridization of surface-bound oligonucleotides with fluorescently tagged complementary and non-complementary oligonucleotides were performed. The results show no detectable nonspecific adsorption, with extremely good selectivity between matched and mismatched sequences. Impedance spectroscopy measurements were made of DNA-modified boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond films. The results show that exposure to non-complementary sequences induce only small changes in impedance, while complementary DNA sequences produce a pronounced decrease in impedance. The combination of high stability, selectivity, and the ability to directly detect DNA hybridization via electrical means suggest that diamond may be an ideal substrate for continuously-monitoring biological sensors.
The Yuba City flood: A case study of weather modification litigation

In December 1955 a severe tropical storm caused severe flooding throughout Northern California with damage exceeding $200,000,000. One area suffering large-scale flooding was at Yuba City, at the confluence of the Feather and Yuba Rivers. The levees broke and consequent damage was in the magnitude of $65 million. Property-owners sought recompense through suits brought in the Superior Court of Sutter County against the State of California, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and North American Weather Consultants (NAWC). PG&E, through its contracting agent, NAWC, had undertaken cloud seeding operations in three places in the high Sierras, one of which was in the Lake Almanor water-shed in the Feather River system. NAWC had interrupted seeding activities in that area three days before the levees broke at Yuba City. Plaintiffs charged that PG&E and NAWC were negligent in the operation of their generators, had contributed to the total quantity of water produced by the watershed and therefore were legally...
Modeling for Leakages Calculation in Design of Rotary Regenerative Preheater

Pressure and carryover leakages are inherent in operation of rotary air preheater due to regenerative heat transfer mode.18 leakage flows take place in multiple sites,including peripheral and axial pressure leakages interacted with each other,which formulate a complex network of gas flow in tri-sectional rotary air preheater.The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive modeling for leakages calculation in the design of the preheater.It is based on the leakage mass flow rates governed by the matrix rotation and pressure drops across the seals,together with mass and energy balance equations in mixing processes.Air and flue gas temperature and pressure inlet/outlet the preheater,primary and secondary air mass flow rates outlet the preheater,flue gas mass flow rates inlet the preheater,as well as seal clearance are considered as known in the model,the leakage mass flow rates and directions,and actual gas flow rates through the matrix are determined by solving pressure leakage and mixing equations.For a tri-sectional rotary air preheater of a 600 MW boiler,pressure and carryover leakages are simulated in various seal settings,the results clearly show that primary air leakage accounts for about 75% of the amount of air leakage,the actual primary flow through the matrix accounts for 72% to 86% of the inlet flow,changes in seal settings have more impact on primary air system than secondary air system,ignore of flue gas carryover leakage,done as in National standards,can cause the measured air leakage rate 0.85% lower than the actual value.
Automatic Image Mosaic Technology Based on Overlapping Images

By analyzing the available disadvantages of the image mosaic,a fast automatic image mosaic algorithm is proposed.This algorithm takes into account the precision of image Mosaic as well as the speed of it.A best value which is used to segment the image is get automatically by the iterative algorithm.Then the image is changed to a kind of image which has only two values(0 or 255).After the processing of labeling and filtration,rapidly work out the feature blocks of the overlapping images that will be necessary in the matching later.In order to finish matching the images correctly and smoothly,the best place of the line is got based on the way of gray.The experiment shows that the proposed algorithm has good capabilities.
Non-Contingent Success Reduces People’s Desire for Processes that Adhere to Principles of Fairness

A central tenet of justice theory and research is that people prefer decisions to be made with processes that adhere to principles of fairness. The present research identified a boundary condition for this general tendency. Across three studies, we found that people who experienced non-contingent success had less of a desire for fair processes relative to their counterparts who experienced contingent success. Furthermore, results attributable to other independent variables, namely regulatory focus in Study 2 and self-affirmation in Study 3, shed light on the underlying mechanism: people experience non-contingent success as self-threatening and lower their desire for processes that adhere to fairness in the service of protecting themselves against the threat. Theoretical implications are discussed as are limitations of the studies and suggestions for future research.
Focus on the Fundamentals: Reflections on the State of Ethnic Conflict Studies

AbstractOur failure to come to consensus on the causes of ethnic conflict stems in part from disagreement on the field’s most basic concept, ethnicity. Yet surprisingly little research directly addresses the fundamental question of what ethnicity is, including whether it inherently involves conflictual behavior. New research is increasingly redressing this problem, but its grounding in social psychology often remains weak. Social scientists are urged to consider a sharper focus on the fundamentals, in particular using systematically contextualized experimental methods that blend the best of psychology with the best of sociology, history, anthropology, and political science.
Spinous Process and Transverse Process Fractures

Management of the spine trauma patient requires thorough neurologic and radiographic evaluation. While a majority of spine traumatic conditions can be managed nonoperatively, high index of suspicion must be maintained to avoid missing critical injuries that could lead to immediate or delayed neurologic deterioration.
Use of a rotating cylinder to induce laminar and turbulent separation over a flat plate

An innovative and easy technique using a rotating cylinder system has been implemented in a water tunnel experiment to generate an adverse pressure gradient (APG). The strength of the APG was varied through adjustment in the rotation speed and location of the cylinder. Then the technique was used for inducing a laminar separation bubble (LSB) and turbulent boundary layer (TBL) separation over a flat plate. A theoretical model to predict the pressure variation induced on the plate consists of an inviscid flow over a reverse doublet-like configuration of two counter rotating cylinders. This model quantified the pressure distribution with changes of cylinder speed and location. The dimensionless velocity ratio (VR) of the cylinder rotation rate to the mainstream velocity and gap to diameter ratio were chosen as the two main ways of varying the strength of the APG, which affects the nature and extent of the LSB as well as TBL separation. The experimental parametric study, using time-resolved digital particle image velocimetry, was then conducted in a water tunnel. The variation in height (h), length (l), and the separation point (S) of the LSB was documented due to the variation in the APG. The similar type of experimental parametric study was used to explore the unsteady, turbulent separation bubble in a 2D plane aligned with the flow and perpendicular to the plate. The mean detachment locations of TBL separation are determined by two different definitions: (i) back-flow coefficient (χ) = 50%, and (ii) location of start of negative mean skin friction coefficient (C f). They are in good agreement and separation bubble characteristics agreed well with results obtained using different methods thus proving the validity of the technique.
Ein Netzwerkansatz zur Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung und komplizierten Trauer

Im traditionellen psychopathologischen Konzept weisen psychiatrische Symptome auf zugrunde liegende (latente) kategorische Entitaten oder zugrunde liegende Dimensionen hin, welche die Genese und die syndromale Koharenz solcher Symptome bewirken. Bedauerlicherweise erfordert der Ruckschluss auf eine zugrunde liegende gemeinsame Ursache der Symptomkovarianz, dass keine kausalen Interaktionen zwischen den Symptomen selbst bestehen – eine auserst implausible Annahme fur die meisten psychiatrischen Storungen. Einige Forscher haben einen radikal anderen Ansatz zur Psychopathologie vorgeschlagen, der Storungen als dynamische Systeme kausal interagierender Symptome konzeptualisiert. In diesem Kapitel fasse ich diesen Netzwerkansatz zusammen und veranschauliche seine Anwendung unter Bezugnahme auf netzwerkanalytische Studien meiner Forschungsgruppe zur Posttraumatischen Belastungsstorung und komplizierten Trauerstorung.
A Resolution-Style Proof System for DQBF

This paper presents a sound and complete proof system for Dependency Quantified Boolean Formulas (DQBF) using resolution, universal reduction, and a new proof rule that we call fork extension. This opens new avenues for the development of efficient algorithms for DQBF.
Supervised Machine Learning to Predict Follow-Up Among Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Patients

Long-term adjuvant endocrine therapy patients often fail to follow-up with their care providers for the recommended duration of time. We used electronic health record data, tumor registry records, and appointment logs to predict follow-up for an adjuvant endocrine therapy patient cohort. Learning predictors for follow-up may facilitate interventions that improve follow-up rates, and ultimately improve patient care in the adjuvant endocrine therapy patient population.We selected 1455 adjuvant endocrine therapy patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and modeled them as a matrix of medical-related, appointment-related, and demographic related features derived from EHR data. We built and optimized a random forest classifier and neural network to differentiate between patients that follow-up, or fail to follow-up, with their care provider for at least five years. We measured follow-up three different ways: thought appointments with any care providers, appointments with an oncologist, and adjuvant endocrine therapy medication records. Classifiers make predictions at the start of adjuvant endocrine therapy, and additionally use temporal subsets of data to learn the change in accuracy as patient data accrues.Our best model is a random forest classifier combining medical-related, appointment-related, and demographic-related features to achieve an AUC of 0.74. The most predictive features for follow-up in our random forest model are total medication counts, patient age, and median income for zip code. We suggest that reliable prediction for follow-up may be correlated with amount of care received at VUMC (i.e., VUMC primary care).This study achieved moderately accurate prediction for followup in adjuvant endocrine therapy patients from electronic health record data. Predicting follow-up can facilitate interventions for improving follow-up rates and improve patient care for adjuvant endocrine therapy cohorts. This study demonstrates the ability to find opportunities for patient care improvement from EHR data.
INCREASING INCIDENCE OF CARDIOGENIC SHOCK IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDITIS: IS MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT DEVICE AN ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM

Acute myocarditis (AM) may be associated with hemodynamic instability and portends a poor prognosis when complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS). Data on the utilization of mechanical circulatory support devices (MCD) and temporal trends of outcomes in these patients are sparse. We used the NIS
Seismic velocities of unconsolidated sands: Part 1 — Pressure trends from 0.1 to 20 MPa

Knowledge of the pressure dependences of seismic velocities in unconsolidated sands is necessary for the remote prediction of effective pressures and for the projection of velocities to unsampled locations within shallow sand layers. We have measured the compressional- and shear-wave velocities and bulk, shear, and Pwave moduli at pressures from 0.1 to 20 MPa in a series of unconsolidated granular samples including dry and water-saturated natural sands and dry synthetic sand and glass-bead samples. The shear-wave velocities in these samples demonstrate an average pressure dependence approximately proportional to the fourth root of the effective pressure VSp 1/4 , as commonly observed at lower pressures. For the compressional-wave velocities, the exponent in the pressure dependence of individual dry samples is consistently less than the exponent for the shear-wave velocity of the same sample, averaging 0.23 for the dry sands and 0.20 for the glass-bead samples. These pressure dependences are generally consistent over the entire pressure range measured. A comparison of the empirical results to theoretical predictions based on Hertz-Mindlin effective-medium models demonstrates that the theoretical models vastly overpredict the shear moduli of the dry granular frame unless the contacts are assumed to have no tangential stiffness. The models also predict a lower pressure exponent for the moduli and velocitiesVp1/6 than is generally observed in the data. We attribute this discrepancy in part to the inability of the models to account for decreases in the amount of slip or grain rotation occurring at grain-to-grain contacts with increasing pressure.
Effectiveness of apraclonidine in preventing the rise in intraocular pressure after neodymium:YAG posterior capsulotomy.

Apraclonidine (para-aminoclonidine) is an alpha agonist that was studied for its effect on the IOP rise following YPC. In a prospective multicentered double-masked study 63 eyes were pretreated with one drop of either 1% apraclonidine or placebo 1 hour prior to performing YAG and again after the laser treatment. The greatest IOP rise in the placebo-treated eyes occurred in the third hour after YPC when the mean IOP rose from a baseline pressure of 16.4 +/- 3.7 mm Hg to 20.8 +/- 6.8 mm Hg (P less than .01). In apraclonidine-treated eyes the IOP fell from a mean of 15.6 +/- 3.8 mm Hg to 12.8 +/- 6.0 mm Hg 3 hours postoperatively (P less than .001). There were five times as many eyes that had a pressure rise greater than 10 mm Hg in the placebo-treated group compared to those treated with apraclonidine. Apraclonidine proved to be highly effective in preventing the rise in IOP following YPC.
Building and Managing Your Brand

Excerpt] Have you eaten at Zoup!, Smashburger, or Big Al's Steaks? Have you stayed at Andaz, Aloft, or Element? If you haven't yet experienced one of these products, let alone heard of them, it's probably because they are brands that are still in the building process. Each of these brands is relatively new in their industry sector, but they may someday be as familiar as Taco Bell or Marriott. From Andaz to Zoup!, these companies were built with a simple but powerful promise to guests that they will receive specific benefits from patronizing that brand. Smashburger's promise, for instance, is to be "THE place for burger lovers...Where smash, sizzle, savor, means a dedication to creating the best-tasting 'cooked-to-order' burger." Building a brand is not a new idea, but the process has become increasingly sophisticated and supported by marketing research. This chapter helps you to think like a brand marketer. Even as an independent operator, you can borrow from the playbook of the established brands and take a strategic approach to brand building and management. If you do work for an established brand—or are thinking about affiliating with one, this chapter helps you to understand the importance of branding in a crowded marketplace. The approach to brand strategy I introduce in this chapter is derived in part from a course on Service Experience Management that I teach at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, as well as lessons I've learned while providing brand-strategy consulting to hotel companies, cruise lines, and tourism destinations. The centerpiece of the approach is a Process Framework for Strategic Branding that serves as a guide for diagnosing brand problems and opportunities and for building successful brand experiences.
Learning to Identify Locally Actionable Health Anomalies

Local information access (LIA) programs tap into existing public health data flows, and present data in simple and useful ways to ground staff. LIAs hold great potential for improving rural health systems in developing regions; benefits include more evidence-based decision making and optimizations at a local scale, as well as improved service delivery and data quality. Our fledgling LIA program in rural Uganda currently provides clinicians with a small set of static data visualizations for discussion. To increase the program’s effectiveness, we want to automatically identify relevant data visualizations. We propose an adaptive tool that learns from local clinicians’ decision-making processes to predict and generate visualizations that show actionable anomalies.
Teacher Preparation Does Matter: Relationships between Elementary Mathematics Content Courses and Graduates' Analyses of Teaching

In the United States, teacher preparation programs are under increased pressure to demonstrate their effectiveness in producing graduates’ with knowledge, abilities, and competencies to be quality teachers. However, very little research shows this kind of evidence. In a rare exception, Hiebert, Miller, and Berk (in press) found significant positive results of the influences of an elementary teacher education program on graduates’ knowledge. Due to the rarity of these kinds of findings, we replicated their analyses with a different cohort of graduates from the same preparation program. Graduates completed a video analysis task correlated with high quality mathematics teaching for topics taught during the program and topics not taught during their program. Our results corroborate theirs, showing that graduates performed better on topics taught during their program versus topics not taught. These findings suggest that teacher education programs can have a significant positive and lasting effect on graduates’ knowledge several years after graduation.
The Aftermath of #BlackGirlsRock vs. #WhiteGirlsRock: Considering the DisRespectability of a Black Women’s Counterpublic

AbstractThis study considers the failed attempts at unifying Black women with Black men and white women after the #BlackGirlsRock mantra was criticized on social media in 2013. I examine the discur...
Surveying Vocational Rehabilitation Applicants Online: A Feasibility Study:

Web surveys enable efficient data collection, but their usefulness is potentially limited when studying people with disabilities, who often lack Internet access. We test the feasibility of collecti...
A Population-Based Perspective onClinically Recognized Venous Thromboembolism:Contemporary Trends in Clinical Epidemiology andRisk Assessment of Recurrent Events: A Dissertation

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising the conditions of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a common acute cardiovascular event associated with increased long-term morbidity, functional disability, all-cause mortality, and high rates of recurrence. Major advances in identification, prophylaxis, and treatment over the past 3-decades have likely changed its clinical epidemiology. However, there are little published data describing contemporary, population-based, trends in VTE prevention and management. Objectives: To examine recent trends in the epidemiology of clinically recognized VTE and assess the risk of recurrence after a first acute episode of VTE. Methods: We used population-based surveillance to monitor trends in acute VTE among residents of the Worcester, Massachusetts, metropolitan statistical area (WMSA) from 1985 through 2009, including in-hospital and ambulatory settings. Results: Among 5,025 WMSA residents diagnosed with acute PE and/or lowerextremity DVT between 1985 and 2009 (mean age = 65 years), 46% were men and 95% were white. Ageand sex-adjusted annual event rates (per 100, 000) of clinically recognized acute first-time and recurrent VTE was 142 overall, increasing from 112 in 1985/86 to 168 in 2009, due primarily to increases in PE occurrence. During this period, non-invasive diagnostic VTE testing increased,
Radars with the function of detecting and tracking artillery shells - selected methods of field testing

The article presents a short characterization of radiolocation devices enabling the detection and tracking of artillery shells. Selected types of Polish radars with shells detection functions are discussed. Also field tests methods for their basic parameters related to detection and tracking of various types of missiles are described. Selected examples of practical verifications are presented: accuracy of determining the coordinates of artillery firing positions (Points Of Origin POI), points of impacts of shells (Points Of Impact POI) and parameters of the detection and tracking zone of shot missiles.
Fault detection and identification using Bayesian recurrent neural networks

Abstract In the processing and manufacturing industries, there has been a large push to produce higher quality products and ensure maximum efficiency of processes, which requires approaches to effectively detect and resolve disturbances to ensure optimal operations. While many types of disturbances can be compensated by a control system, it cannot handle some large process disruptions. As such, it is important to develop monitoring systems to effectively detect and identify those faults such that they can be quickly resolved by operators. This article proposes a novel probabilistic fault detection and identification method which adopts a newly developed deep learning approach using Bayesian recurrent neural networks (BRNNs) with variational dropout. The BRNN model is general and can model complex nonlinear dynamics. Moreover, compared to traditional statistic-based data-driven fault detection and identification methods, the proposed BRNN-based method yields uncertainty estimates which allow for simultaneous fault detection of chemical processes, direct fault identification, and fault propagation analysis. The performance of the method is demonstrated and contrasted to (dynamic) principal component analysis, which is widely applied in the industry, in the benchmark Tennessee Eastman process (TEP) and a real chemical manufacturing dataset.
Grouped variable screening for ultra-high dimensional data for linear model

Abstract Ultra-high dimensional data sets often need a screening step that removes irrelevant variables prior to the main analysis. In high-dimensional linear regression, screening relevant predictors before the model estimation often yields a better prediction accuracy and much faster computation. However, most existing screening approaches target on individual predictors, thus are not able to incorporate structured predictors, such as dummy variables and grouped variables. New screening methods for naturally grouped predictors for high dimensional linear regression are presented. Two popular variable screening methods are generalized to the grouped predictors case, and also a novel screening procedure is proposed. Asymptotic sure screening properties for all three methods are established. Also empirical benefits of the screening approaches via simulation and a real data analysis are demonstrated. Specifically, a two-step analysis that does a screening followed by a sparse estimation improves the prediction accuracy as well as computing time, compared to one-stage sparse regression.
High levels of androgens cause chondrocyte accumulation and loss of smooth muscle in the mouse penile body

Androgens are essential for penile development and for maintaining penile structural and functional integrity. Loss of androgen levels or function results in a decrease in smooth muscle content, accumulation of adipocytes in the corpora cavernosa, and inhibition of erectile function. Our previous studies with a mouse model (KiLHRD582G) of constitutive luteinizing hormone receptor activity also showed structural abnormalities in the penis caused by a decrease in smooth muscle content, accumulation of chondrocytes, and sexual dysfunction. As KiLHRD582G mice exhibit very high levels of testosterone at all postnatal ages, the goal of this study was to determine if the elevated androgen levels were responsible for the morphological changes in the penis. Implantation of testosterone capsules in wild-type mice at neonatal (2 weeks) and postpubertal (5 weeks) ages resulted in the accumulation of chondrocytes in the corpora cavernosa of the adult animals. Mice implanted with testosterone capsules at 2 weeks of age exhibited a 4-fold increase in serum testosterone with a 1.5-fold loss of smooth muscle at 24 weeks of age. Collagen content was unchanged. Only 57% of testosterone implanted mice were fertile at 24 weeks of age. Mice implanted with testosterone capsules at 5 weeks of age showed no decrease in smooth muscle content at 24 weeks, although serum testosterone levels were elevated 5-fold. Implantation with dihydrotestosterone also resulted in chondrocyte accumulation and a 2-fold loss in smooth muscle content. Together, these studies demonstrate that supraphysiological levels of androgens cause structural changes in the penile corpora cavernosa and impair fertility.
PREGNANCY IN WOMEN WITH HEART DISEASE: IMPACT OF OBESITY ON MATERNAL AND FETAL OUTCOMES

Women with heart disease are at high risk for pregnancy complications. Obesity is an emergent health risk for women, and in the non-cardiac pregnant population, it has been shown to adversely impact the health of mother and baby. Therefore, we sought to determine if obesity increased maternal
Alarm Strategies and Surveillance for Mechanical Ventilation

Clinical alarms, including those for mechanical ventilation, have been one of the leading causes of health technology hazards. It has been reported that < 15% of alarms studied rose to the level of being clinically relevant or actionable. Most alarms in health care, whether by default or intention, are set to a hypothetical average patient, which is essentially a one size fits most approach. A method of tuning to individual patient characteristics is possible, similar to the treatment philosophy of precision medicine. The excessive amount of alarms in a clinical environment is thought to be the largest contributing factor to alarm-related adverse events. All these factors come to bear on human perception and response to mechanical ventilation and clinical alarms. Observations of human response to stimuli suggest that response to alarms is closely matched to the perceived reliability and value of the alarm system. This paper provides a review examining vulnerabilities in the current management of mechanical ventilation alarms and summarizes best practices identified to help prevent patient injury. This review examines the factors that affect alarm utility and provides recommendations for applying research findings to improve safety for patients, clinician efficiency, and clinician well-being.
Important considerations when assessing the effect of essential fatty acids on cognitive performance.

Over the past decade, there have been many studies determining the effect of dietary ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids intake on cognitive performance; however, they have largely been inconsistent in their conclusions. In this letter, we provide context to the article by Dong et al., titled “Association of dietary ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids intake with cognitive performance in older adults: National Health and nutrition examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014” and provide methodological considerations with regards to covariate measurement and inclusion that can be generalized to future cross-sectional studies. In particular, delineating 1) the type and source of fatty acid, in context of an individual’s overall dietary patterns, 2) sociobehavioral risk factors and physical & mental comorbidities, 3) and daily cognitive activity are important to adequately control for covariates.
Periosteum Mimetic Coating on Structural Bone Allografts via Electrospray Deposition Enhances Repair and Reconstruction of Segmental Defects

Structural bone allograft transplantation remains one of the common strategies for repair and reconstruction of large bone defects. Due to the loss of periosteum that covers the outer surface of the cortical bone, the healing and incorporation of allografts is extremely slow and limited. To enhance the biological performance of allografts, herein, we report a novel and simple approach for engineering a periosteum mimetic coating on the surface of structural bone allografts via polymer-mediated electrospray deposition. This approach enables the coating on allografts with precisely controlled composition and thickness. In addition, the periosteum mimetic coating can be tailored to achieve desired drug release profiles by making use of an appropriate biodegradable polymer or polymer blend. The efficacy study in a murine segmental femoral bone defect model demonstrates that the allograft coating composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 mimicking peptide significantly improves allograft healing as evidenced by decreased fibrotic tissue formation, increased periosteal bone formation, and enhanced osseointegration. Taken together, this study provides a platform technology for engineering a periosteum mimetic coating which can greatly promote bone allograft healing. This technology could eventually result in an off-the-shelf and multifunctional structural bone allograft for highly effective repair and reconstruction of large segmental bone defects. The technology can also be used to ameliorate the performance of other medical implants by modifying their surfaces.
Evaluation of the need to prescribe opioid medication to control post-surgical pain of different periodontal/oral surgeries.

BACKGROUND To determine the level of perceived pain after different types of periodontal/oral surgical procedures, and the differences in patients' selection of pain management, over the counter (OTC) versus opioid, based on procedure type. METHODS Patients undergoing surgical procedures were asked to complete a pain questionnaire at four time points: 1) before surgery 2) first dose of analgesic at home, 3) 24 hours postoperatively, and 4) 72 hours postoperatively. The questionnaire consisted of numerical and descriptive scales to describe the perceived pain. RESULTS A total of 198 patients completed the questionnaire. All surgical procedures were grouped into five major categories: bone augmentation procedures (11% BAP), teeth extractions (26% EXT), surgical implant placement (25% IP), mucogingival surgeries (21% MGS), and pocket elimination procedures (17%). IP surgery was associated with significantly less pain compared with MGS and EXT (P <0.05). There was a statistically significant difference for taking any medication based on type of surgical procedure at 24 hours (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS IP is associated with significantly lower perceived pain compared with EXT and MGS surgery. Analgesic consumption was generally parallel to pain perception. A considerable number of patients elected to control the post-surgical pain using OTC medication up to 72 hours. Periodontal/oral surgery procedures vary in the amount of perceived postoperative pain. Tailoring postoperative medications to the type of periodontal/oral surgery performed will help prevent overprescribing of opioids.
Stellar SEDs from 0.3-2.5 Microns: Tracing the Stellar Locus and Searching for Color Outliers in SDSS and 2MASS

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) are rich resources for studying stellar astrophysics and the structure and formation history of the Galaxy. As new surveys and instruments adopt similar filter sets, it is increasingly important to understand the properties of the ugrizJHKs stellar locus, both to inform studies of `normal' main sequence stars as well as for robust searches for point sources with unusual colors. Using a sample of ~600,000 point sources detected by SDSS and 2MASS, we tabulate the position and width of the ugrizJHKs stellar locus as a function of g-i color, and provide accurate polynomial fits. We map the Morgan-Keenan spectral type sequence to the median stellar locus by using synthetic photometry of spectral standards and by analyzing 3000 SDSS stellar spectra with a custom spectral typing pipeline. We develop an algorithm to calculate a point source's minimum separation from the stellar locus in a seven-dimensional color space, and use it to robustly identify objects with unusual colors, as well as spurious SDSS/2MASS matches. Analysis of a final catalog of 2117 color outliers identifies 370 white-dwarf/M dwarf (WDMD) pairs, 93 QSOs, and 90 M giant/carbon star candidates, and demonstrates that WDMD pairs and QSOs can be distinguished on the basis of their J-Ks and r-z colors. We also identify a group of objects with correlated offsets in the u-g vs. g-r and g-r vs. r-i color-color spaces, but subsequent follow-up is required to reveal the nature of these objects. Future applications of this algorithm to a matched SDSS-UKIDSS catalog may well identify additional classes of objects with unusual colors by probing new areas of color-magnitude space.
A Case Report of Pediatric Geniculate Neuralgia Treated with Sectioning of the Nervus Intermedius and Microvascular Decompression of Cranial Nerves IX and X.

Background Classic geniculate neuralgia (GN) is a rare condition characterized by lancinating pain centered in the ear and not involving the throat. To the best of our knowledge, no case of pediatric GN has been reported in the English literature. Case presentation We present the first reported case of successfully treated GN in a child via an endoscopic approach. The patient was a 9-year-old boy who presented with a 1-year history of lancinating right ear pain. Neuroleptics resulted in a short-lived improvement in symptoms, but with significant side effects. Extensive evaluation by multiple specialties did not reveal a cause for his pain. Imaging disclosed a tortuous loop of the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery abutting cranial nerves IX and X but no other abnormalities. The patient underwent an endoscopic microvascular decompression of cranial nerves IX and X, and sectioning of the nervus intermedius through a right retromastoid craniotomy. Postoperatively, the patient reported complete resolution of his symptoms that persisted at 3 months of follow-up. At the 5-year follow-up, the patient maintained pain relief and was developing normally. Conclusion GN can affect the pediatric population. In carefully selected patients with consistent clinical and radiographic presentation, sectioning of the nervus intermedius and microvascular decompression of the lower cranial nerves can be an effective treatment.
Chances of Prolonged 5- and 10-year Survival after Continuous-Flow LVAD Implantation?

Purpose Continuous-flow LVADs (CF-LVADs) have been implanted for both bridge-to-transplant and for destination therapy. Extended survival with CF-LVADs has not been completely examined. We examined the likelihood of surviving more than 5 to 10 years with a CF-LVAD Methods We reviewed the 198 patients alive and currently being followed at our institution after CF-LVAD implantation. Patients were stratified as to type of pump implanted (HeartMate 2, HeartWare, or HeartMate 3), reason for implantation (Bridge-to-transplant or destination therapy), and length of survival ( 10 years). Results Seven (7) of the 198 patients being followed had a CF-LVAD in place and functioning for more than 10 years. 4 of these 7 patients surviving more than 10 years had not required pump exchange. There were 18 patients being followed with a CF-LVAD in place for 5-10 years. There were 173 being followed with a CF-LVAD in place for Of the 7 patients with a CF-LVAD in place >10 years, 6 were HeartMate 2 (HM2) CF-LVADs and one was a HeartWare (HW). Five (5) of the 7 patients with a CF-LVAD in place >10 years had the LVAD implanted as a bridge-to-transplant. Of the 18 patients with a CF-LVAD in place for 5-10 years, 9 had a HM2, 8 had a HW, and 1 had a HeartMate3 (HM3). The CF LVAD was implanted as a bridge-to-transplant in 5 of the 18 patients Conclusion Prolonged survival after CF-LVAD implantation is increasingly likely. A substantial number of patients with a CF-LVAD in place for more than 5 years originally had the device implanted as a bridge-to-transplant.
Abstract 14745: The Histone Reader PHF7 Cooperates With the SWI/SNF Complex at Cardiac Super Enhancers to Promote Direct Cardiac Reprogramming

Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblasts to cardiomyocytes presents an attractive therapeutic strategy to restore cardiac function following injury. Cardiac reprogramming was initially achieved ...
The emerging RNA-centric world of neurobiology.

Rapid advances in genome and transcriptome-sequencing methodologies have revolutionized our understanding of the biological roles of both coding and noncoding RNAs. New discoveries, from the regula...
Good Baskets and a Well-Kept House: Weaving a Living in Botswana and Namibia

While baskets are a popular souvenir in Botswana and Namibia, they are also vessels for understanding the myriad ways in which women participate in local economies and tourism. More than just a cultural symbol, baskets can provide cash income crucial for household basics, school fees, and health care. But when women are also able to participate in running markets and local businesses, the potential for baskets to hold transformative power can be even more significant. Opening a shop or making decisions on a market management committee can offer women the opportunity to develop leadership skills and to expand social networks. This paper examines the operation of four different venues for the sale of baskets in Botswana and Namibia, comparing the ways in which women participate in not just craftmaking but also the operation of markets and shops. In this way, a deeper understanding of how to effectively engender empowerment through tourism can be reached. Situating craft within local and regional political economies also offers a view into the ways that women use forest resources, a crucial consideration for markets in the emerging Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, a five-country environmental initiative seeking to link parks beyond national borders.
Bevacizumab Monotherapy as Salvage Therapy for Advanced Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Pretreated With Targeted Drugs.

Abstract Background Bevacizumab has shown benefit in the first-line treatment of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) in combination with interferon α. In this retrospective analysis we assessed the efficacy of bevacizumab monotherapy in patients whose disease progressed during treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and/or mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors. Patients and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on metastatic ccRCC patients who received bevacizumab monotherapy after their disease progressed during treatment with previous targeted therapies. The primary objective was to assess overall survival (OS) and the secondary objectives includes progression-free survival (PFS), therapy duration, and incidence of serious adverse events assessed during visits to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) urgent care center. Results Seventy-one patients were treated with bevacizumab as monotherapy in the salvage setting. Most patients were heavily pretreated with 36 patients (51%) who received bevacizumab as a fourth-line or later agent, and 33 patients (46%) who received at least 2 previous VEGF targeted agents. Eighteen patients (25%) had a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) 12 months. Four patients (6%) discontinued therapy because of adverse events. Poor KPS ( P P = .021), respectively. Conclusion Bevacizumab monotherapy resulted in prolonged disease control and few discontinuations because of adverse events in patients whose disease had progressed during treatment with other targeted therapies, including patients who were heavily pretreated.
Rapid Characterization of in vivo Phosphorylation Sites and the Protein Kinases and Phosphatases that Regulate them by Affinity Capture

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses methodologies for analysis of the phosphoproteome, and describes how affinity captures using naturally occurring small molecules can be utilized to define protein kinases and phosphatases regulating phosphorylation events in vivo . In this light, it offers alternatives to strategies driven purely by molecular biology for defining phosphoregulation of signaling pathways in vivo . Protein phosphorylation is a reversible and widespread mechanism for regulating protein function, so the phosphoproteome is of great interest. There are several advanced mass spectrometric techniques available to the investigator that enable detailed characterization of phosphoproteomes. These techniques typically use cultured cells, and include phosphopeptide capture approaches, precursor ion scanning, isotope-coded affinity (ICAT), and stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC). However, the majority of these techniques have several limitations that result in missing important regulatory sites of phosphorylation. This study describes a procedure that has the considerable advantage over purely MS-based approaches to phosphopeptide analysis in that it is highly quantitative and comprehensive. Finally, it deals with rapid protein kinase and phosphatase identification by small molecule affinity capture and high throughput mass spectrometry.