cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and evaluation of domain-specific interaction techniques in the aec domain for immersive virtual environments

Immersive virtual environments (VEs) are broadly applicable to situations where a user can directly perceive and interact with three-dimensional (3D) virtual objects. Currently, successful interactive applications of VEs are limited. Some interactive applications in the AEC (architecture/engineering/construction) domain have not yet benefited from applying VEs. A review of prior work has suggested that 3D interaction has not reached a level that meets real-world task requirements. Most interaction techniques pay little attention to the application contexts. When designers assemble these techniques to develop an interactive system, the interfaces often have very simple and not highly useful UIs. In this work, we describe a domain-specific design approach (DSD) that utilizes pervasive and accurate domain knowledge for interaction design. The purpose of this dissertation is to study the effects of domain knowledge on interaction design. The DSD approach uses a three-level interaction design framework to represents a continuous design space of interaction. The framework has generative power to suggest alternative interaction techniques. We choose the AEC domain as the subject of study. Cloning and object manipulation for massing study are the two example tasks to provide practical and empirical evidences for applying the DSD. This dissertation presents several important results of the knowledge use in the DSD approach. First, the DSD approach provides a theoretical foundation for designing 3D interaction. Techniques produced using DSD result in more useful real-world applications, at least in the domain of AEC. Second, the three-level interaction design framework forms a continuum of design and expands our understanding of 3D interaction design to a level that addresses real-world use. Third, this research proposes an integrated system design approach that integrates DSD and the usability engineering process. Fourth, this work produces a large set of empirical results and observations that demonstrate the effectiveness of domain-knowledge use in designing interaction techniques and applications. Finally, we apply domain-specific interaction techniques to real world applications and create a fairly complex application with improved usefulness.
Insights into length-dependent regulation of cardiac cross-bridge cycling kinetics in human myocardium

Cross-bridge cycling kinetics play an essential role in the heart's ability to contract and relax. The rate of tension redevelopment (ktr) slows down as a muscle length is increased in intact human myocardium. We set out to determine the effect of rapid length step changes and protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C-βII (PKC-βII) inhibitors on the ktr in ultra-thin non-failing and failing human right ventricular trabeculae. After stabilizing the muscle either at L90 (90% of optimal length) or at Lopt (optimal length), we rapidly changed the length to either Lopt or L90 and measured ktr. We report that length-dependent changes in ktr occur very rapidly (in the order of seconds or faster) in both non-failing and failing muscles and that the length at which a muscle had been stabilized prior to the length change does not significantly affect ktr. In addition, at L90 and at Lopt, PKA and PKC-βII inhibitors did not significantly change ktr. Our results reveal that length-dependent regulation of cross-bridge cycling kinetics predominantly occurs rapidly and involves the intrinsic properties of the myofilament rather than post-translational modifications that are known to occur in the cardiac muscle as a result of a change in muscle/sarcomere length.
Implantation does not affect luminal content and synthesis of uteroglobin in the rabbit.

AbstractTo evaluate the possibility that uterine decidual reaction to the implanting blastocyst may cause a decrease in the luminal content of uteroglobin during pregnancy, experiments were designed to have unilateral pregnancy in the rabbit. The unilateral pregnancy was obtained by ligating one of the oviducts with silk sutures, with the opposite horn remaining intact for pregnancy. Since the horn with sutures did not become pregnant, it was designated as a pseudopregnant horn. The uteroglobin content and 3H-amino acid incorporation were determined in the pseudopregnant and pregnant horns on Days 5, 7, and 10 of pregnancy. Our results indicate that there was no significant difference in the concentration of uteroglobin and incorporation of 3H-amino acid into the uteroglobin between the pregnant and pseudopregnant horns on different days of pregnancy. These studies suggest that the rapid decline of the luminal uteroglobin content in pregnant rabbits compared to pseudopregnant or progesterone-treated ovari...
Note on the interpretation of tracer experiments in biological systems

It is shown that the results of C. W. Sheppard and A. S. Householder (1951) can be modified to include open systems which may or may not be in the steady state. Some conditions are given under which simple chemical reactions can be included.
Impurity analysis of sintered ceramics by SIMS.

二次イオン質量分析法によるセラミックス焼結体の不純物分析について検討した.大幅なサンプルバイアスシフト法によってチャージアップを効果的に補償し,導電性付与などの試料に対する前処理なしで絶縁物であるセラミックス焼結体を感度よく測定することができた.妨害イオンの除去のためエネルギーフィルタリング法を用いた.本法をアルミナ及び窒化ケイ素焼結体の実試料に対して適用し,ICP-AESによるバルク分析の結果と比較したところ,満足すべきものではなかった.この結果の不一致は,試料中における元素の不均一分布や原料粉末及び製造方法などに起因する試料表面状態の違いに基づくものと推察された.
Dendritic network models: Improving isoscapes and quantifying influence of landscape and in-stream processes on strontium isotopes in rivers

A critical challenge for the Earth sciences is to trace the transport and flux of matter within and among aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric systems. Robust descriptions of isotopic patterns across space and time, called “isoscapes,” form the basis of a rapidly growing and wide-ranging body of research aimed at quantifying connectivity within and among Earth's systems. However, isoscapes of rivers have been limited by conventional Euclidean approaches in geostatistics and the lack of a quantitative framework to apportion the influence of processes driven by landscape features versus in-stream phenomena. Here we demonstrate how dendritic network models substantially improve the accuracy of isoscapes of strontium isotopes and partition the influence of hydrologic transport versus local geologic features on strontium isotope ratios in a large Alaska river. This work illustrates the analytical power of dendritic network models for the field of isotope biogeochemistry, particularly for provenance studies of modern and ancient animals.
Contamination situation during therapy in department of stomatology

OBJECTIVE To understand the contamination situation of the air indoor and the surfaces of the objects at different areas from the therapeutic site in the department stomatology,so as to control and prevent securely the hospital infection. METHODS Sampling at the sites less-than 0.5 m,1 m,2 m,5 m and the differences between them were evaluated. RESULTS In 112 air samples,only 16 samples are acceptable and the eligible rate was 14.29%.In the 120 environmental samples,6 samples and 7 samples within 0.5m were separately examined HBsAg and pathogen,their rates were 5.00% and 5.83% with the bacterial colonies of 12564.30 CFU/m3,3659.90 CFU/m3 and the contaminations were 26.90,29.99,the bacterial colonies of 5 m away from the sampled locus were 467.00 CFU/m3,122.20 CFU/cm2,the contaminations were 1.00 and 1.00. CONCLUSION The level of contamination situation is lowing with the distance from the therapeutic site,so it supposes that the protective measures and the air′s dynamic disinfection should be strengthened in the department of stomatology.
Modeling embedded interpersonal and multiagent coordination

Interpersonal or multiagent coordination is a common part of everyday human activity. Identifying the dynamic processes that shape and constrain the complex, time-evolving patterns of multiagent be ...
Violence in the Social Networks of Homeless Youths Implications for Network-Based Prevention Programming

This study examined social network processes related to interpersonal violence using a sample of 360 homeless youths from Los Angeles. Results indicated that violence is pervasive among homeless yo...
An experimental comparison of seriation methods for one-mode two-way data

Abstract Seriation aims at finding a linear order for a set of objects to reveal structural information which can be used for deriving data-driven decisions. It presents a difficult combinatorial optimization problem with its roots and applications in many fields including operations research. This paper focuses on a popular seriation problem which tries to find an order for a single set of objects that optimizes a given seriation criterion defined on one-mode two-way data, i.e., an object-by-object dissimilarity matrix. Over the years, members of different research communities have introduced many criteria and seriation methods for this problem. It is often not clear how different seriation criteria and methods relate to each other and which criterion or seriation method to use for a given application. These methods are representing tools for analytics and therefore are of theoretical and practical interest to the operations research community. The purpose of this paper is to provide a consistent overview of the most popular criteria and seriation methods and to present a comprehensive experimental study to compare their performance using artificial and a representative set of real-world datasets.
Fear of a Black femme: The existential conundrum of embodying a Black femme identity while being a professor of Black, queer, and feminist studies

Although a Black femme identity has been defined and embodied by many as an identity with Black feminist roots and revolutionary potentials, Black femmes are still rendered hypervisible and invisible through racist and heteronormative politics. Similarly, embodying a Black femme identity as a professor in academia often engenders these same pretenses of hypervisibility and invisibility. This essay explores what this existential conundrum has been for me as both a Black femme and professor of Black queer and feminist studies, while illuminating the mix of forces within academia that have attempted to stifle my chosen sexual identity and gendered performance.
Rural Educator Policy Brief: Rural Education and the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Rural education is becoming an increasing focus of federal education legislation. The Every Student Succeeds Act explicitly addresses rural education through the REAP program, by taking steps to ensure geographic distribution in competitive grants, by requiring states to consider rural LEAs in the development of state plans, and in many other ways. The mandated report on rural education is intended to provide data about whether these provisions are sufficient for ensuring that federal policy and funding address the needs of rural schools and students and its impact remains to be seen.
Suppression of inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis by administration of recombinant Fcγ receptors (54.17)

Recently we have shown that immune-complex mediated inflammation can be blocked by recombinant dimeric FcγR-Ig molecules in a mouse Arthus reaction model. In the present study, we have investigated whether administration of FcγR-Ig would inhibit the antibody-mediated hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and arthritis in a mouse model. Systemic Administration of recombinant dimeric low affinity FcγRs such as human CD32A alleles (hCD32AR-Ig and hCD32AH-Ig) did not inhibit or prevent the antibody-induced hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Interestingly, we observed that after 48 hr of administration both hCD32AR-Ig and hCD32AH-Ig were able to inhibit 27% and 42% of the arthritic inflammation respectively, whereas the combination of hCD32AR-Ig and hCD32AH-Ig was able to inhibit 52% of arthritic inflammation. The severity of arthritis as assessed by inflammation and swelling in each digit and paw was significantly reduced. A single dose of hCD32A-Ig molecules was able to reduce the severity of arthritis up to 4 days, after which the disease returned and reached the maximum severity by day 7. The relapse of arthritis might be due to other mechanisms such as complement pathways or accelerated clearance of administered FcγR-Igs in arthritis mice. In conclusion, soluble dimeric FcγR-Igs could be of potential use in treating antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases such as arthritis but not for autoimmune diseases which affect blood cells such as hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia
Phase 2, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial assessing efficacy and safety of talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) neoadjuvant treatment (tx) plus surgery vs surgery for resectable stage IIIB/C and IVM1a melanoma (MEL).

TPS9094 Background: Risk of recurrence and death after resection of stage IIIB/C and IVM1a MEL is high. T-VEC is an HSV-1-derived oncolytic immunotherapy designed to selectively replicate in tumors...
An Investigation of Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Coastal Fishes in the Florida Big Bend Using Fishery-Independent Surveys and Stable Isotope Analysis

Abstract We employed catch data from 2 fishery-independent shark surveys conducted from 2009–2012, as well as stable isotope analysis, to investigate potential effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on large coastal fishes in Florida's Big Bend region. The catch-per-unit-effort of 5 indicator species (3 sharks and 2 teleosts) varied significantly among years in only 2 cases. The stable isotope profiles were significantly different among years in 2 of 5 indicator species, but the relative differences were small, and patterns were not consistent among taxa analyzed. Our results provide no evidence that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill had a significant effect on the relative abundances and food-web structure among large coastal fishes in Florida's Big Bend.
Literacy theories for the digital age: social, critical, multimodal, spatial, material and sensory lenses, edited by Kathy A. Mills

There is little doubt now that the digital age is upon us: the ubiquity of technology has bled into nearly every aspect of daily life, from entertainment purposes and health regulation to education...
Allelic Variation in the Toll-Like Receptor Adaptor Protein Ticam2 Contributes to SARS-Coronavirus Pathogenesis in Mice.

Host genetic variation is known to contribute to differential pathogenesis following infection. Mouse models allow direct assessment of host genetic factors responsible for susceptibility to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Based on an assessment of early stage lines from the Collaborative Cross mouse multi-parent population, we identified two lines showing highly divergent susceptibilities to SARS-CoV: the resistant CC003/Unc and the susceptible CC053/Unc. We generated 264 F2 mice between these strains, and infected them with SARS-CoV. Weight loss, pulmonary hemorrhage, and viral load were all highly correlated disease phenotypes. We identified a quantitative trait locus of major effect on chromosome 18 (27.1–58.6 Mb) which affected weight loss, viral titer and hemorrhage. Additionally, each of these three phenotypes had distinct quantitative trait loci [Chr 9 (weight loss), Chrs 7 and 12 (virus titer), and Chr 15 (hemorrhage)]. We identified Ticam2, an adaptor protein in the TLR signaling pathways, as a candidate driving differential disease at the Chr 18 locus. Ticam2−/− mice were highly susceptible to SARS-CoV infection, exhibiting increased weight loss and more pulmonary hemorrhage than control mice. These results indicate a critical role for Ticam2 in SARS-CoV disease, and highlight the importance of host genetic variation in disease responses.
Comprehensive Am 242 m neutron-induced reaction cross sections and resonance parameters

The $^{242}\mathrm{Am}$ metastable isomer's neutron-induced destruction mechanisms were studied at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center using the Detector for Advanced Neutron-Capture Experiments array with a compact parallel-plate avalanche counter. New $^{242\mathrm{m}}\mathrm{Am}$ neutron-capture cross sections were determined from 100 meV to 10 keV, and the absolute scale was set with respect to a concurrent measurement of the well-known $^{242\mathrm{m}}\mathrm{Am}$ neutron-induced-fission cross section. The new fission cross section spans an energy range from 100 meV to 1 MeV and was normalized to the ENDF/B-VII.1 evaluated cross section to set the absolute scale. Our $^{242\mathrm{m}}\mathrm{Am}(n,f)$ cross section agrees well with the cross section of Browne et al. [Phys. Rev. C 29, 2188 (1984)] over this large energy interval. The new neutron-capture cross section measurement complements and agrees well with our recent results reported below 1 eV in Buckner et al. [Phys. Rev. C 95, 024610 (2017)]. This new work comprises the most comprehensive study of $^{242\mathrm{m}}\mathrm{Am}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})$ above thermal energy. Neutron-induced resonance energies and parameters were deduced with the sammy $R$-matrix code for incident neutron energies up to 45 eV, and the new average ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ is $13%$ higher than the evaluated average $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ width.
ADVANCED DEVS CONCEPTS AND KERNEL-MODELS

This chapter introduces concepts that help create more meaningful models. On one hand, we learn to make more powerful atomicmodels by exploiting the phase and elapsed time variables. On the other hand, we shall show how the class kernel-models and its subclasses make it easy to specify coupled models with great flexibility and power.
Review of Thinking Like a Political Scientist: A Practical Guide to Research Methods

A number of available textbooks already cover the mechanics of political science analysis and/or social science statistics, useful for undergraduate, introductory methods sections (which most depar...
Chapter 7 – Mass Transport and Heat Transfer in the Microcirculation

In this chapter, we develop the equations for mass transport in the microcirculation. One of the most salient molecules that is transported in the microcirculation is oxygen, and we use this as our primary example. Fick’s laws of diffusion are developed and solved under these conditions. We also discuss how to model diffusion, when there is a combined convection component and when kinetic reactions play a role in the diffusion. The Krogh model for tissue oxygenation is also developed. Mechanisms for the transport of other molecules such as glucose are also described, and the relationship between vascular permeability and molecular size is discussed. Energy considerations for the transport of molecules are also presented. Transport through porous media and some of the relationships necessary for this modeling are shown. Lastly, methods to analyze the heat transfer under internal forced convection conditions are presented.
Circuit Descriptions of Switching and Storage Elements

This chapter discusses the circuit descriptions of switching and storage elements. A compatible set of switching and storage circuits, adequate for the realization of any sequential switching network that may be called for in a digital computer, is termed a system of circuit logic. In designing a digital computer, considerable effort is usually directed toward forming a system of circuit logic from a small set of standardized circuits. There are many physical elements available for the realization of both switching function and combinational switching functions. Often, the same physical element can be utilized for switching, storage, and auxiliary functions such as power amplification by incorporating it into appropriate circuits. The functioning of switching networks and of complete digital computers can be appreciated even with a very limited knowledge of circuitry. Ideal elements can be interconnected without restriction, real elements cannot. Accordingly, different types of physical elements impose different restrictions on the logical arrangement of switching networks. New components and techniques for their utilization are appearing on the scene at an amazing rate, and many, if not most, of the circuits common a few years ago have now been replaced. The principles and techniques of utilizing switching and storage elements enable the exploitation of new devices that may appear.
Bioinspired self-healing materials: lessons from nature.

Healing is an intrinsic ability in the incredibly biodiverse populations of the plant and animal kingdoms created through evolution. Plants and animals approach healing in similar ways but with unique pathways, such as damage containment in plants or clotting in animals. After analyzing the examples of healing and defense mechanisms found in living nature, eight prevalent mechanisms were identified: reversible muscle control, clotting, cellular response, layering, protective surfaces, vascular networks or capsules, exposure, and replenishable functional coatings. Then the relationship between these mechanisms, nature’s best (evolutionary) methods of mitigating and healing damage, and existing technology in self-healing materials are described. The goals of this top-level overview are to provide a framework for relating the behavior seen in living nature to bioinspired materials, act as a resource to addressing the limitations/problems with existing materials, and open up new avenues of insight and research into self-healing materials.
Clinical Practice, Religion, and Spirituality

This chapter reviews theories and empirical evidence on religious and spiritual (R/S) factors in clinical medicine. Conducting spiritual assessments is required in some settings by The Joint Commission for accreditation of healthcare organizations. Available published literature suggests that several dimensions of R/S predict better adherence to HIV treatment.
Vascular biology of atherosclerosis

Proliferation of smooth muscle is a key event in the genesis of the lesions of atherosclerosis. Summary In this paper, Russell Ross reviews the current data regarding the vascular smooth muscle cell in atherosclerosis. “Proliferation of smooth muscle is a key event in the genesis of the lesions of atherosclerosis”. At the time this paper was written, little was known about the genesis of atherosclerosis. Previous studies had demonstrated that blood pressure, smoking and plasma lipid concentrations could influence the development of clinical symptoms of atherosclerotic vascular disease but the sequence of pathological events at the cellular level was largely unknown. Focal accumulation of intimal smooth muscle cells was argued to be critical to the early stages of atherosclerosis. Ross argued that “the accumulation of smooth muscle cells necessarily precedes or accompanies both the deposition of lipid and the accumulation of extracellular connective matrix, because the lipid deposits occur either within smooth muscle cells or outside them in association with connective tissue matrix components which are secretory products of smooth muscle cells”. Ross stated that smooth muscle cell proliferation began when a breach of endothelial integrity occurred that would allow substances present in the plasma to stimulate cellular proliferation. Studies supporting these observations included the tendency of vascular smooth muscle cells to accumulate in the intima at arterial branch points, where endothelial permeability appeared to be increased. Stemerman and Ross had also demonstrated experimentally using macaques that vascular lesions could be induced by denuding the femoral artery vascular endothelium with balloon catheters. Three months after injury, the lesion contained as many as 15 layers of smooth muscle cells surrounded by collagen and immature elastic fibers. These lesions were described as identical in appearance to the “fibromusculoelastic” lesions seen in man. Ross also reviews evidence (in vitro and in vivo) that lipids appear to influence proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and that vascular smooth muscle cells are responsible for production of extracellular matrix.
Oncoplastic Surgery: Central Quadrant Techniques

Breast-conserving therapy was introduced as an alternative to breast sacrifice for women affected by breast cancer beginning in the 1970s and clinical trials have since demonstrated equivalency in terms of overall survival between lumpectomy plus radiation and mastectomy [1, 2]. Although there are clear contraindications to lumpectomy, for the appropriately selected individual, breast-conserving therapy offers both effective treatment and the psychological benefit of retention of the breast. This chapter specifically reviews techniques for managing central breast cancers that are in close proximity to the nipple-areolar complex.
The Epidemiology of Adenocarcinoma of the Cervix

Cancer of the cervix is the second most common malignant neoplasm amongst women worldwide (Parkin et al, 2001). Annually, it accounts for approximately 10% of all new cases of cancer in women (about 470,000 cases) (Parkin et al., 1999) and for about 8.5% of deaths from cancer (about 235,000 deaths) (Pisani et al., 1999). It is particularly common in developing countries, and is the main cancer amongst women in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South and South East Asia (Parkin et al., 2001). Histologically, about 75% of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (Vizcaino et al., 1998), the majority of the remainder being adenocarcinomas and mixed adenosquamous tumors (Schiffman et al., 1996). Given the relative rarity of the other histological types, it is perhaps not surprising that most epidemiological studies of cervical cancer either have focused on squamous cell carcinomas (see Chapter 7) or have not differentiated between squamous and other types (Schiffman et al., 1996). However, recent evidence for the increasing importance of adenocarcinoma of the cervix, both in absolute terms and in terms of its relative contribution to total cervical cancer incidence rates (Smith et al., 2000), highlights the need to elucidate its etiology and natural history, and to develop or refine approaches to its detection and prevention.
Cyclic-AMP waves in Dictyostelium: Specific models and general theories

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the specific models and general theories of cyclic-AMP waves in dictyostelium. The synthesis of experimental data into a coherent mathematical model of the cAMP signaling system in Dictyostelium has been carried out. The two forms of the receptor are interconverted by relatively slow phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions, and they can sense messenger by fast, reversible binding steps. In the absence of cAMP, most receptor molecules are in form R. When cAMP first appears to unstimulated cells, most of it binds rapidly to the R form, but this shifts the equilibrium in favor of form D. If only form RM is active in stimulating adenylate cyclase activity, on exposure to cAMP, adenylate cyclase activity first increases in response to RM formation but then decreases as RM is converted to the inactive form DM. As messenger is removed by phosphodiesterase, form D reverts slowly to form R and the cell recovers its ability to respond to extracellular cAMP.
Fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda and black cutworm Agrotis ipsilon susceptibility and avoidance to Bt maize, and implications for global insect resistance management

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize (Zea mays) was developed primarily for North American pests such as European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). However, most Bt maize products are also cultivated outside of North America, where the primary pests are different and often have lower susceptibility to Bt toxins. As these Bt maize products are commercialized in new geographies, insect resistance management (IRM) plans for those geographies need to consider these new pest and toxin combinations, instead of assuming the same refuge strategy applies to all pests in all geographies. Before implementing an IRM plan that includes size, placement and configuration of refuge, it is useful to understand the biology and susceptibility of the important pest(s) in each geography. Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) are examples of global pests with unique biology and susceptibility to Cry1F (expressed in event 1507). The initial behavioral response of each species to Cry1F maize was tested by measuring the time naive third instars spent feeding during a three-minute exposure. I also investigated whether these species had a behavioral and/or toxic response to Cry1F maize. Additional investigation of species susceptibility and ability to overcome an aversive response was conducted by exposing third-instars of each species to Cry1F maize and measuring weight gain and survival for 14 days.
Balancing Needs and Autonomy: The Involvement of Pregnant Women's Partners in Decisions About cfDNA.

Cell-free fetal DNA (cfDNA) screening is used to identify the presence of fetal genetic variants early in pregnancy. Patients’ informed decision-making is central to the success of this new screen ...
Defining the Need for Imaging and Biopsy After Mastectomy.

The proportion of patients eligible for breast-conservation therapy (BCT) yet opting for mastectomy is increasing. This decision is often driven by the desire to eliminate future screening and/or biopsy of the remaining breast or breasts. This study investigated the incidence of post-mastectomy imaging and biopsy. A retrospective review of all unilateral mastectomy (UM) and bilateral mastectomy (BM) cases managed at a single institution was undertaken. Post-mastectomy imaging and biopsy rates were determined. Between 2009 and 2015, 185 UM and 200 BM cases managed for breast cancer were identified. The mean follow-up period was 30 months (range 3–75 months). For the patients with UM, imaging studies and biopsies done on the contralateral side were excluded given the standard of care for continued surveillance of the contralateral breast. Of the 185 UM patients, 19 (10%) underwent ipsilateral imaging (all ultrasounds) for physical examination findings, 11 (6%) underwent biopsy, and 2 (1%) had malignant findings. Of the 200 BM patients, 31 (15.5%) required imaging (29 ultrasounds and 2 MRIs), with 76% of the ultrasounds performed on the side with previous cancer. Subsequently, 16 (8%) of the BM patients had biopsy, with 11 (69%) of the 16 biopsies performed on the ipsilateral side. Three (1.5%) of the biopsies done on ipsilateral side demonstrated malignancy, whereas all the contralateral biopsies were benign. For 10–15.5% of patients who undergo mastectomy, either UM or BM, subsequent imaging is required, whereas 6–8% undergo biopsy. The yield of malignancy is low, approximately 1%. Thus, after mastectomy, the need for imaging and biopsy is not eliminated. This information is critical for patient understanding and expectation related to surgical decision making.
Stability of Nanobubbles

Abstract With stable existence in liquids for over several weeks, nanobubbles have an extensive range of applications across many fields of science and engineering. For an effective and functional ...
Triggering Rowhammer Hardware Faults on ARM: A Revisit

The rowhammer bug belongs to software-induced hardware faults, and has posed great security challenges to numerous systems. On x86, many approaches to triggering the rowhammer bug have been found; yet, due to several different reasons, the number of discovered approaches on ARM is limited. In this paper, we revisit the problem of how to trigger the rowhammer bug on ARM-based devices by carefully investigating whether it is possible to translate the original x86-oriented rowhammer approaches to ARM. We provide a thorough study of the unprivileged ARMv8-A cache maintenance instructions and give two previously overlooked reasons to support their use in rowhammer attacks. Moreover, we present a previously undiscovered instruction that can be exploited to trigger the rowhammer bug on many ARM-based devices. A potential approach to quickly evicting ARM CPU caches is also discussed, and experimental evaluations are carried out to show the effectiveness of our findings.
Genomic Relationships, Diversity, and Domestication of Ananas Taxa

Ananas is home to cultivated pineapple (A. comosus var. comosus) and two taxa domesticated for fiber production (var. bracteatus and var. erectifolius). Ananas has undergone numerous taxonomic revisions over the past three centuries because of its leaky reproductive barriers and unclear origins. Early studies on Ananas genetic diversity found clear separation among the current two species and five botanical varieties, but indicated little variation exists within cultivated pineapple. This suggested much of the phenotypic variation in pineapple was due to somatic mutation rather than intense domestication and breeding efforts. The recent completion of the “F153” pineapple reference genome and resequencing of 89 diverse Ananas accessions provided insights into the relationships, diversity, and domestication history of Ananas. Cultivated pineapple has tremendous genetic diversity with extensive admixture and interbreeding. Pineapple was shaped primarily by sexual selection during its domestication, but evidence of asexual selection was also found. These findings challenged the notion of a one-step domestication in clonally propagated species. The wealth of new genomic resources within Ananas will be useful to further study the origins of this group and for establishing advanced pineapple breeding programs.
Small-Animal PET/CT Imaging of Local and Systemic Immune Response Using 64Cu-αCD11b

Current noninvasive imaging methods for monitoring immune response were largely developed for interrogation of the local reaction. This study developed the radiotracer 64Cu-labeled anti-CD11b (64Cu-αCD11b) for longitudinal assessment of local and systemic immune response involving mobilization of CD11b+ myeloid cells by small-animal PET/CT. Methods: Acute or chronic inflammation in the ears of BALB/c mice was induced by 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Acute lung inflammation was induced by intratracheal lipopolysaccharide inoculation. αCD11b was conjugated with p-SCN-Bn-DOTA followed by labeling with 64Cu. PET/CT and biodistribution were evaluated at different times after intravenous injection of 64Cu-αCD11b. Cell populations from bone marrow (BM) and spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results:64Cu-αCD11b was primarily taken up by BM and spleen in control mice. In comparison, 64Cu-αCD11b uptake was significantly reduced in the BM and spleen of CD11b-knockout mice, indicating that 64Cu-αCD11b selectively homed to CD11b+ myeloid cells in vivo. In mice with ear inflammation, for the local inflammatory response, 64Cu-αCD11b PET/CT revealed significantly higher 64Cu-αCD11b uptake in the inflamed ears in the acute inflammation phase than the chronic phase, consistent with markedly increased infiltration of CD11b+ cells into the inflammatory lesions at the acute phase. Moreover, imaging of 64Cu-αCD11b also showed the difference in mouse systemic response for different inflammatory stages. Compared with uptake in control mice, BM 64Cu-αCD11b uptake in mice with ear inflammation was significantly lower in the acute phase and higher in the chronic phase, reflecting an initial mobilization of CD11b+ cells from the BM to the inflammatory foci followed by a compensatory regeneration of CD11b+ myeloid cells in the BM. Similarly, in mice with lung inflammation, 64Cu-αCD11b PET/CT readily detected acute lung inflammation and recruitment of CD11b+ myeloid cells from the BM. Immunohistochemistry staining and flow cytometry results confirmed the noninvasive imaging of PET/CT. Conclusion:64Cu-αCD11b PET/CT successfully tracked ear and pulmonary inflammation in mice and differentiated acute from chronic inflammation at the local and systemic levels. 64Cu-αCD11b PET/CT is a robust quantitative method for imaging of local and systemic immune responses.
The impact of wildfires on particulate carbon in the western U.S.A

Abstract Most of the previous investigations on the relationship between PM2.5 chemical characteristics and wildfire focused on the predictions of particle components concentrations or future pollution scenarios. Little research has focused on trends analyses based on large temporal datasets. Our research addresses this gap by quantifying the long-term impacts of wildfires on ambient particulate carbon levels (organic carbon - OC and elemental carbon - EC) in the western U.S. over a long of 29 years (1988–2016). We quantified the past wildfire-related increases in EC and OC concentration using Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). We used a framework that derives “penalties” (wildfire penalty, in μg/m3 per year) for each season (warm and cold) by accounting for the differences of the β values between two models – adjusted (wildfire included as covariate in the model) and unadjusted model (wildfire is removed from the model). While the wildfire impact is incorporated into the unadjusted trends, the control by wildfire in the adjusted model removes the impact of inter-annual wildfire variation on EC and OC trends. Therefore, we considered that any differences between the unadjusted and wildfire-adjusted trends are entirely attributable to the impact of long-term wildfire changes. A positive penalty ( β unadjusted > β adjusted ) suggests that an increase in EC and OC is associated with long-term wildfire changes between 1988 and 2016. Wildfires increased in the warm season and decreased in the cold season. We estimated an annual increase of 20.106 km2 of area burned (95% CI: 20.103; 20.109) in the warm period. EC and OC concentrations increased during the warm and cold season. EC and OC concentrations had an annual decrease of 0.03 μg/m3 (95% CI: −0.14; 0.08) and 0.10 μg/m3 (95% CI: −0.21; 0.01), respectively. In the cold period, our analyses showed an increase of 0.05 μg/m3 (95% CI: −0.07; 0.17) and 0.07 μg/m3 (95% CI: −0.04; 0.19) per year for EC and OC, respectively. In the warm season, during the study period (1988–2016), the estimated total concentration change (total penalty) for EC was 0.003 μg/m3 (95%CI: 0.001 and 0.005) and for OC was 0.015 μg/m3 (95%CI: 0.008 and 0.022). In the cold season the penalties were statistically insignificant.
Advanced Peripheral Artery Vessel Wall Imaging and Future Directions

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is considered the gold standard imaging modality for initial diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The ABI has limited utility for assessing arterial wall disease. We will review the current imaging techniques presently used for vessel wall imaging including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), fluorodeoxy-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). IVUS historically was the gold standard for evaluation of the vascular wall and lumen. However, it has been shown that IVUS is not suitable in the peripheral vasculature in the setting of extensive vessel wall calcifications. MRI has largely replaced IVUS, and most recent techniques in PAD have focused on non-contrast sequences of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) as it is a suitable vessel for high-resolution plaque imaging and is the most common site of lower extremity atherosclerosis. These new techniques set the stage for larger clinical trials studying SFA plaque characteristics and outcomes.
Engineering surface and morphology of La/WO3 for electrochemical oxygen reduction

Altering the surface electronic properties of non-precious electrocatalysts via metal incorporation is an effective approach towards enhancing the oxygen reduction performance. Here, we explored the effect of introducing a rare-earth metal (La up to 20 mole%) in WO3 using a novel crystal engineering strategy. Incorporation of La resulted in coalescence of randomly oriented nanoparticles directed towards one-dimensional growth into nanorods, exposing a preferential high catalytic active facet (002) of WO3. Simultaneously, introduction of La induced the formation of oxygen vacancies at the surface, which coincided with increased hydroxyl adsorption. Benefitting from a combined effect of highly active facet and increased density of surface vacancies, 10% La exhibited two times higher current than pure WO3. An improvement of 90 mV in onset potential highlights the prospects of La addition on electrochemical activity of metal oxides.
Chapter 5 – Assessment

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an ecosystemic approach to assessment and a discussion of some of the instruments that are particularly useful. Having completed the intake interview, the therapist might determine that additional information is needed to develop an accurate case conceptualization and subsequent treatment plan. In this chapter, assessment refers to any strategy for obtaining case-related data that goes beyond the intake interview and Mental Status Examination. Assessment data can be obtained from three different sources. First, data might already be available, in which case a signed Release-of-Information form is all that is needed to obtain this information. Second, the therapist may want to refer the client for an evaluation as part of the initial data gathering process. Finally, the therapist can collect the assessment data as part of the initial intake process. The purpose of this chapter is to show the use of assessment data in treatment planning from an ecosystemic perspective and to show the use of the play therapy treatment planning workbook for organizing these data. The chapter is relatively unstructured because of the fact that the information that can be presented in the assessment section of the workbook is diverse.
The effect of excessive dietary vitamin A on performance and vitamin E status in swine fed diets varying in dietary vitamin E

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of high dietary vitamin A on vitamin E status and performance of growing-finishing pigs fed diets supplemented with varying levels of vitamin E. Treatments consisted of corn-soybean meal-based diets supplemented with retinyl acetate to provide 2,000 or 20,000 IU of vitamin A/kg of diet and with DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate to provide 0, 15, or 150 IU of added vitamin E/kg in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement. The trial involved 84 crossbred pigs (26 kg initial BW) allotted to pens of two pigs each (one gilt, one barrow). Serum was obtained from all pigs on d 0, 3, 7, 21, 35, 63, and 77 of the 83- or 90-d feeding period. Tissue samples (liver, leg, and neck muscle, backfat, and leaf fat) were collected from one pig (barrow) in each pen at the end of the feeding period. Average daily gain and gain:feed were .93 kg and .30, respectively, without treatment differences (P > .10). Serum alpha-tocopherol increased linearly (P .10) on other days. Tissue alpha-tocopherol increased linearly (P < .001) as dietary vitamin E increased in all tissues examined. No consistent evidence was found to indicate that a high level of dietary vitamin A interfered with performance or with blood serum or tissue alpha-tocopherol concentrations in growing-finishing swine.
A path to successful patient outcomes through aerosol drug delivery to children: a narrative review

Although using aerosolized medications is a mainstay of treatment in children with asthma and other respiratory diseases, there are many issues in terms of device and interface selection, delivery technique and dosing, as well as patient and parental education that have not changed for half a century. Also, due to many aerosol devices and interfaces available on the market and the broad range of patient characteristics and requirements, providing effective aerosol therapy to children becomes a challenge. While aerosol delivery devices are equally effective, if they are age-appropriate and used correctly, the majority of aerosol devices require multiple steps to be used efficiently. Unfortunately, many children with pulmonary diseases have problems with the correct delivery technique and do not gain therapeutic benefits from therapy that result in poor disease management and increased healthcare costs. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the current knowledge on aerosol delivery devices used in children and guide clinicians on the optimum device- and interface-selection, delivery technique, and dosing in this patient population. Strategies on how to deliver aerosolized medications in crying and distressed children and how to educate parents on aerosol therapy and promote patient adherence to prescribed medications are also provided. Future directions of aerosol therapy in children should focus on these issues and implement policies and clinical practices that highlight the potential solutions to these problems.
Role of echocardiographic scoring systems in predicting successful biventricular versus univentricular palliation in neonates with critical aortic stenosis

Background: There are several published echo-derived scores to help predict successful biventricular versus univentricular palliation in neonates with critical aortic stenosis. This study aims to determine whether any published scoring system accurately predicted outcomes in these neonates. Methods: Single centre, retrospective cohort study including neonates who underwent aortic valve intervention (surgical valvotomy or balloon valvuloplasty) with the intention of biventricular circulation. Primary outcome was survival with biventricular circulation at hospital discharge. Data from their initial neonatal echocardiogram were used to compute the following scores – Rhodes, CHSS 1, Discriminant, CHSS 2, and 2 V. Results: Between 01/1999 and 12/2017, 68 neonates underwent aortic valve intervention at a median age of 4 days (range 1–29 days); 35 surgical valvotomy and 33 balloon valvuloplasty. Survival with biventricular circulation was maintained in 60/68 patients at hospital discharge. Of the remaining eight patients, three were converted to univentricular palliation, four died, and one underwent heart transplant prior to discharge. None of the binary score predictions of biventricular versus univentricular (using that score’s proposed cut-offs) were significantly associated with the observed outcome in this cohort. A high percentage of those predicted to need univentricular palliation had successful biventricular repair: 89.4% by Rhodes, 79.3% by CHSS 1, 85.2% by Discriminant, and 66.7% by CHSS 2 score. The 2 V best predicted outcome and agreed with the local approach in most cases. Conclusion: This study highlights the limitations of and need for alternative scoring systems/cut-offs for consistently accurate echocardiographic prediction of early outcome in neonates with critical aortic stenosis.
Observations of the 10-μm natural laser emission from the mesospheres of Mars and Venus

Abstract Nonthermal emission which occurs in the cores of the 9.4- and 10.4-μm CO 2 bands on Mars has been recently identified as a natural atmospheric laser. The emission is believed to be excited by absorption of near-ir solar flux, followed by collisional transfer to the 00°1 state of CO 2 . A numerical model based on this mechanism is developed which includes the solar pumping contributed by ∼2 × 10 4 near-ir CO 2 lines. The non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) radiative transfer problem is solved to obtain the 00°1 vibrational state population. This model successfully reproduces the existing center-to-limb observations, although higher spatial resolution observations are needed for a definitive test. The model also predicts total fluxes which are close to the observed values. The strength of the emission is predicted to be closely related to the instantaneous near-ir solar heating rate. Calculation of the CO 2 level populations in this model supports the identification of this emission as a natural atmospheric laser. Both Mars and Venus are predicted to exhibit level inversions; at large zenith distances several percent of the emergent intensity will be due to stimulated emission. While the stimulated emission present in these lines is not large enough to be of importance to mesospheric radiative equilibrium, it has other interesting consequences. The construction of large-volume radiation-pumped lasers, which utilize CO 2 planetary mesospheres as a gain medium, is theoretically possible.