cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Race as a social construct in head and neck cancer outcomes.

Objective. The authors examined ancestry informative markers (AIMs) to estimate the amount of population admixture and control for this heterogeneity for stage and survival in a primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cohort.Study Design. Historical cohort study.Setting. Integrated health care system.Subjects. The cohort comprised 358 patients with HNSCC who self-reported race as Caucasian American (CA), African American (AA), or other.Methods. DNA was interrogated for West African (WA) and European genetic background by genotyping AIMs. Associations of race (self-report or WA ancestry) with stage and survival were analyzed using logistic regression and Cox regression modeling. A subgroup analysis for diagnosis (late vs early stage) and survival (time to death) and WA ancestry was performed for self-reported AAs.Results. There were significant associations between stage and self-reported race (P = .04 [univariate]) and with cancer site (oropharynx: P = .014; hypopharynx: P = .026 [multivaria...
Behavioral Adaptations of Intertidal Hermit Grabs

SYNOPSIS. AS an ecotone, the littoral environment is often complex and is generally rich in numbers and species of organisms. The disadvantages of the biotope in terms of exposure to physical factors of both the marine and terrestrial environments are patent, but the advantages are not so evident. The continual replenishment of food brought from the sea, particularly for detritus-feeding animals such as hermit crabs, coupled with the possibility and ability to establish microhabitatswith microclimatic conditions may constitute the principal advantage. Escape from specialized predators may also be important. Hermit crabs have successfully exploited most intertidal environments. As members of the “benthic detritus-feeding guild” food is abundant, and by utilizing their shells in conjunction with movements within the littoral zone they have met successfully most of the rigors of the environment. The shell also provides some protection from predation, particularly from non-specialized predators.Indeed, the behavioral patterns associated with living in shells which permit the shell to serve as a microhabitat constitute the major adaptation enabling the hermit crabs to exploit the intertidal environment so successfully.
Overcoming the triad of rural health disparities: How local culture, lack of economic opportunity, and geographic location instigate health disparities:

Objective:To discuss how the effects of culture, economy, and geographical location intersect to form a gestalt triad determining health-related disparities in rural areas.Methods:We critically profile each component of the deterministic triad in shaping current health-related disparities in rural areas; evaluate the uniquely composed intersections of these disparities in relation to Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer prevention in three isolated rural Georgia counties; and develop implications for future leadership in rural healthcare research, policy, and practice.Results:The deterministic triad of culture, economy, and geographical location is unique to a rural community, and even if two rural communities experience the same health disparity, each community is likely to have a discretely different composition of cultural, economic, and geographic determinants.Conclusion:The deterministic triad presents a challenge for health policymakers, researchers, and practitioners trying to develop health-r...
Genetic-Environmental Interactions in Chronic Airways Obstruction

To examine patterns of interaction between cigarette smoking and genetic factors in relation to airways obstruction, cross sectional data were analysed on 1787 white non-patient adult participants in a genetic-epidemiological study of airways obstruction (AO), defined as one-second forced expiratory volume FEV1 less than 68% of forced vital capacity FVC. Interaction was examined between smoking and each of four factors previously found to be related to AO: alpha-1 antitrypsin (PiZ allele), ABO blood groups (A antigen), ABH non-secretor status, and first degree relationship to a COPD or lung cancer patient. Multiple linear regression was used to test for interaction and adjust mean FEV1 (as a per cent of FVC) and prevalence of AO for age, sex, socioeconomic status, coffee and alcohol intake. Statistical interaction was observed between smoking (measured in pack-years) and two genetic factors (presence of blood A antigen and the family history). At higher pack-year levels, those individuals with the A antigen or the family history, but especially those with both factors had a much lower mean FEV1/FVC % and a much higher prevalence of AO than expected based on a simple additive model. On the other hand, there was no interaction between smoking and PiZ allele, or smoking and ABH secretor status. The findings suggest a possible biological interaction between cigarette smoke and the airways of individuals with blood group A antigen and familial lung disease. The findings also emphasize the role of genetic-environmental interactions in chronic diseases of multifactorial aetiology.
A preliminary assessment of the Montréal process indicators of air pollution for the United States

Air pollutants pose a risk to forest health and vitality in the United States. Here we present the majorfindings froma national scale air pollution assessment that is part of the UnitedStates' 2003 Report on Sustainable Forests. We examine trends and the percent forest subjected to specific levels of ozone and wet deposition of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium. Results are reported by Resource Planning Act (RPA) reporting region and integrated by forest type using multivariate clustering. Estimates of sulfate deposition for forested areas had decreasing trends (1994-2000) across RPA regions that were statistically significant for North and South RPA regions. Nitrate deposition rates were relatively constant for the 1994 to 2000 period, but the South RPA region had a statistically decreasing trend. The North and South RPA regions experienced the highest ammonium deposition rates and showed slightly decreasing trends. Ozone concentrations were highest in portions of the Pacific Coast RPA region and relatively high across much of the South RPA region. Both the South and Rocky Mountain RPA regions had an increasing trend in ozone exposure. Ozone-induced foliar injury to sensitive species was recorded in all regions except for the Rocky Mountain region. The multivariate analysis showed that the oak-hickory and loblolly-shortleaf pine forest types were gen- erally exposed to more air pollution than other forest types, and the redwood, western white pine, and larch forest types were generally exposed to less. These findings offer a new approach to national air pollution assessments and are intended to help focus research and planning initiatives related to air pollution and forest health.
Effect of strain hardening on the elastic properties and normalized velocity of hybrid UHMWPE–nylon 6–SWCNT nanocomposites fiber

Hybrid ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene–nylon 6–single-wall carbon nanotube fibers were processed using solution spinning method. Elastic properties and normalized velocity ( $\sqrt[3]{\Omega}$ ) of the hybrid fibers were measured before and after strain hardening through repeated loading–unloading cycles. Phenomenal improvement in the properties was found: strength, modulus, and normalizing velocity increased by almost one order of magnitude after strain hardening. Neat and reinforced filaments were characterized through differential scanning calorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope before and after strain hardening. It has been revealed that nylon 6 contributed to the deformation ability of the composite fiber, while carbon nanotubes contributed to the sharing of load as they aligned during extrusion and strain hardening processes. Important morphological features determining the fiber properties were the change in crystallinity and rate of crystallization, formation of microdroplets, interfacial sliding, polymer coating of nanotubes, alignment of polymer fibrils and nanotubes.
Signal Integration During Development: Mechanisms of EGFR and Notch Pathway Function and Cross-Talk

Metazoan development relies on a highly regulated network of interactions between conserved signal transduction pathways to coordinate all aspects of cell fate specification, differentiation, and g...
Ten years of experimental animal isotopic ecology

Summary 1. Ten years ago Gannes et al. (1997, Stable isotopes in animal ecology: assumptions, caveats, and a call for laboratory experiments. Ecology , 78 , 1271‐1276, 1998) identified four major areas requiring further research in experimental animal isotopic ecology: (i) the dynamics of isotopic incorporation, (ii) mixing models, (iii) the problem of routing, and (iv) trophic discrimination factors. 2. Differences in isotopic incorporation rates among tissues seem to be explained by variation in protein turnover. The application of multi-compartment models to isotopic incorporation data has revealed that different inferences can be derived between these and one-compartment models. 3. A variety of mixing models of varying degrees of complexity and realism are used to find the contribution of isotopic sources to the elements in an organism’s tissues. The use of these models demands the use of tissue to diet discrimination factors that are rarely measured experimentally. 4. Mixing models assume that assimilated nutrients are disassembled into their elemental components and that these elements are reassembled into biomolecules. This assumption is unrealistic as macromolecules are routed differentially into tissues. Isotopic routing is an area that isotopic ecologists have neglected in their experimental and modelling research. 5. Isotopic ecologists are just beginning to understand why 15 N biomagnifies along trophic chains, and to explore the factors that determine the degree of 15 N biomagnification. We review the hypotheses that explain why 15 N biomagnifies up trophic chains.
Trends in major risk factors for cardiovascular disease among adults in the Mississippi Delta region, Mississippi Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2001-2010.

Introduction The prevalences of major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are disproportionately high in the 18-county Mississippi Delta region, and many of these risk factors disproportionately affect blacks. Temporal trends in the prevalence of CVD risk factors in the Mississippi Delta have not been determined. We examined trends in CVD risk factors from 2001 to 2010 in the region.
Overinhibition of corticostriatal activity following prenatal cocaine exposure

Objective Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) can cause persistent neuropsychological and motor abnormalities in affected children, but the physiological consequences of PCE remain unclear. Conclusions drawn from clinical studies can sometimes be confounded by polysubstance abuse and nutritional deprivation. However, existing observations suggest that cocaine exposure in utero, as in adults, increases synaptic dopamine and promotes enduring dopamine-dependent plasticity at striatal synapses, altering behaviors and basal ganglia function. Methods We used a combination of behavioral measures, electrophysiology, optical imaging, and biochemical and electrochemical recordings to examine corticostriatal activity in adolescent mice exposed to cocaine in utero. Results We show that PCE caused abnormal dopamine-dependent behaviors, including heightened excitation following stress and blunted locomotor augmentation after repeated treatment with amphetamine. These abnormal behaviors were consistent with abnormal γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneuron function, which promoted a reversible depression in corticostriatal activity. PCE hyperpolarized and reduced tonic GABA currents in both fast-spiking and persistent low-threshold spiking type GABA interneurons to increase tonic inhibition at GABAB receptors on presynaptic corticostriatal terminals. Although D2 receptors paradoxically increased glutamate release following PCE, normal corticostriatal modulation by dopamine was reestablished with a GABAA receptor antagonist. Interpretation The dynamic alterations at corticostriatal synapses that occur in response to PCE parallel the reported effects of repeated psychostimulants in mature animals, but differ in being specifically generated through GABAergic mechanisms. Our results indicate approaches that normalize GABA and D2 receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity may be useful for treating the behavioral effects of PCE and other developmental disorders that are generated through abnormal GABAergic signaling. ANN NEUROL 2013;73:355–369
Electroanatomic Mapping of Entrained and Exit Zones in Patients With Repaired Congenital Heart Disease and Intra-Atrial Reentrant Tachycardia

Background —Characterization of reentrant circuits and targeting ablation sites remains difficult for intra-atrial reentrant tachycardias (IART) in congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods and Results —Electroanatomic mapping and entrainment pacing were performed before successful ablation of 18 IART circuits in 15 patients with CHD. Principal features of IART circuits were atrial septal defect (4 patients), atriotomy (3 patients), other atrial scar (3 patients), crista terminalis (3 patients), and right atrioventricular valve (5 patients). A median of 176 sites (range, 96 to 317 sites) was mapped for activation and 13 sites (range, 9 to 28 sites) for entrainment response. Postpacing intervals within 20 ms of tachycardia cycle length and stimulus–to–P-wave intervals of 0 to 90 ms (exit zones) were mapped to atrial surfaces generated by electroanatomic mapping. Criteria for entrainment were met over a median of 21 cm2 of atrial surface (range, 2 to 75 cm2), 19% (range, 1% to 81%) of total area tested. Using integrated data, relations between activation sequence and protected corridor of conduction could be inferred for 16 of 17 IARTs. Successful ablation was achieved at a site distant from the putative protected corridor in 9 of 18 (50%) circuits. Conclusions —The right atrium in CHD supports a variety of IART mechanisms. Fusion of activation and entrainment data provided insight into specific IART mechanisms relevant to ablation.
Quantification of mRNA for Endothelial NO Synthase in Mouse Blood Vessels by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

The mouse is useful in studies of vascular biology because of its well-defined genetics and because the mouse genome can be manipulated. However, because only small amounts of mRNA can be extracted from blood vessels, the quantification of gene expression in individual mice is difficult. Endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) plays a major role in the regulation of vascular tone and growth. In addition, there appear to be sex differences in the production of NO under basal conditions in mouse aortas. The goals of this study were to develop a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to quantify eNOS mRNA in blood vessels from mice and to examine eNOS mRNA levels in vessels from male and female mice. Blood vessels were isolated from C57BL/6 mice. Total RNA from individual mice was isolated and reverse-transcribed. The number of molecules of eNOS mRNA (after reverse transcription) was determined against cDNA standards, with 18S rRNA used as a control for RNA input and reverse-transcription efficiency. When expressed as copy numbers per nanogram of total RNA or as the ratio of eNOS to 18S rRNA, eNOS mRNA was lower in the aortas of female mice than in those of male mice at 7 to 9 months of age. In contrast, no difference in eNOS mRNA was found in the aortas of 2-month-old mice. In addition, eNOS mRNA levels were similar in the carotid, cerebral, and coronary arteries. These findings provide the first quantitative measurements of eNOS mRNA by using real-time PCR in the vessels of mice and suggest age- and sex-related differences in the basal levels of eNOS mRNA in mice. In addition, the eNOS region that was used for real-time PCR was amplified and sequenced for monkeys and other species. With modifications, this region may be used to design real-time PCR for eNOS in other species.
Alcohol-Induced Alterations in Maternal Uterine Endothelial Proteome: A Quantitative iTRAQ Mass Spectrometric Approach

Objective To quantitate alcohol-induced alterations in the maternal uterine endothelial proteome utilizing iTRAQ-based mass spectrometry.
De-worming school children and hygiene intervention.

Helminths or worm infestations refer to worms that live as parasites in the human body and are a fundamental cause of disease associated with health and nutrition problems beyond gastrointestinal tract disturbances. Globally, over 3.5 billion people are infected with intestinal worms, of which 1.47 billion are with roundworm, 1.3 billion people with hookworm and 1.05 billion with whipworm. School children aged 5-15 years suffer the highest infection rate and worm burden that attributes to poor sanitation and hygiene. About 400 million school-age children are infected with roundworm, whipworm and hookworm worldwide, a large proportion of whom are found in the East Asia region (Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam). These parasites consume nutrients from children they infect, thus retarding their physical development. They destroy tissues and organs, cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea, intestinal obstruction, anaemia, ulcers and other health problems. All of these consequences of infection can slow c...
New pulmonary nodules in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis

A 35-year-old male with a history of rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatoid pulmonary nodules and Graves' disease was admitted to the hospital due to new onset fever, worsening dyspnoea and cough. Laboratory workup showed leukocytosis, haematuria, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. CT of the chest showed an increase in the size …
The Transnational Kurdish Women's Movement Against Honor Killings

"The Transnational Kurdish Women's Movement Against Honor Killings" explores how the Kurdish women's movement, both in Iraq and in the Kurdish diaspora, has helped shape the current battle against honor-related violence.
CT negative attenuation pixel distribution and texture analysis for detection of fat in small angiomyolipoma on unenhanced CT.

The purpose of the paper is to evaluate if CT pixel distribution and texture analysis can identify fat in angiomyolipoma (AML) on unenhanced CT. Thirty-seven patients with 38 AMLs and 75 patients with 83 renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) were evaluated. Region of interest (ROI) was manually placed over renal mass on unenhanced CT. In-house software generated multiple overlapping small-ROIs of various sizes within whole-lesion-ROI. Maximal number of pixels under cutoff attenuation values in the multiple small-ROIs was calculated. Skewness of CT attenuation histogram was calculated from whole-lesion-ROI. Presence of fat in renal mass was also evaluated subjectively. Performance of subjective evaluation and objective methods for identifying fat was compared using McNemar test. Macroscopic fat was identified in 15/38 AMLs and 1/83 RCCs by both subjective evaluation and by CT negative pixel distribution analysis (p = 1.0). Optimal threshold was ≥6 pixels below −30 HU within 13-pixel-ROI. Skewness of < −0.4 in whole-lesion-ROI identified fat in 10/38 AMLs and 0/83 RCCs. By combining CT negative pixel distribution analysis and skewness, fat was identified in 20/38 AMLs and 1/83 RCCs, but the difference to the subjective method was not statistically significant (p = 0.07). CT negative attenuation pixel distribution analysis does not identify fat in AML beyond subjective evaluation. Addition of skewness by texture analysis may help improve identifying fat in AML.
Solution of a Ranking Problem from Binary Comparisons

(1957). Solution of a Ranking Problem from Binary Comparisons. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 64, No. 8P2, pp. 28-33.
Symposium on the Current Status and Prospects for Improved and New Bacterial Vaccines: Welcome and Introduction

the Bureau and to Dr. James Hill of the Bacterial Vaccines Program of the Infectious Disease Branch of this Institute. They and their associates and staff have carried the day, and the success of the Symposium rests with them as well as with you who have come to participate. We are anticipating with excitement the new work that you will present here, but at the same time, this occasion has a tragic aspect. We were all shocked to learn of the recent death of Dr. Malcolm Artenstein. He was to have been an ac-
Many Worlds, Many Theories, Many Rules: Formulating an Ethical System for the World to Come

There are many ways to speak about the modern world, and many theories setting it apart. I focus on a world facing economic decline and a return to the status-ordering of traditional societies. With republican theory as a backdrop, I show that an updated virtue ethics constitutes an ethical system uniquely suiting any society that is significantly status-ordered.
Low cost beam-steering approach for a series-fed array

Phased array antennas showcase many advantages over mechanically steered systems. However, they are also more complex and costly. This paper presents a concept which overcomes these detrimental attributes by eliminating all of the phased array backend (including phase shifters). Instead, a propagation constant reconfigurable transmission line in a series fed array arrangement is used to allow phase shifting with one small (≤100mil) linear mechanical motion. A novel slotted coplanar stripline design improves on previous transmission lines by demonstrating a greater control of propagation constant, thus allowing practical prototypes to be built. Also, beam steering pattern control is explored. We show that with correct choice of line impedance, pattern control is possible for all scan angles. A 20 element array scanning from -25° ≤ Θ ≤ 21° with mostly uniform gain at 13GHz is presented. Measured patterns show a reduced scan range of 12° ≤ Θ ≤ 25° due to a correctable manufacturing error as verified by simulation. Beam squint is measured to be ±2.5° for a 600MHz bandwidth and cross-pol is measured to be at least -15dB.
Platelet Transfusion Requirements Are Associated with Endothelial Cell Injury and Angiogenesis During Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Abstract 3487 Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with poor response to platelet (PLT) transfusions. It has been posited that vascular endothelial cell (EC) damage from the effects of high dose chemoradiotherapy is responsible for PLT consumption. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the relationship between serial levels of plasma markers of vascular damage and repair, and PLT transfusion requirement. Plasma samples were obtained on 40 adult and pediatric recipients of allogeneic HSCT with myeolablative conditioning for leukemia, lymphoma, or myelodysplastic syndrome at days -10, +5, +15, and +30. Single donor apheresis PLT transfusions were given prophylactically for PLT count 125% of ideal BW, adjusted BW was calculated as 0.25 × (actual – ideal BW) + ideal BW. The influence of response to PLT transfusions prior to transplant admission was considered. Poor response to PLT transfusion was defined as a PLT count rise of r 2 =0.32, p=0.05) (Figure). In simple linear regression, PLT transfusion at day 15 also was associated with hemorrhage (p=0.008) and VOD (p=0.083). Poor PLT response prior to HSCT was not associated with cumulative PLT transfusions at day 15 (p=0.47). In multiple linear regression controlling for hemorrhage and VOD, the association of log(Ang-2 day 15/Ang-2 baseline) with cumulative PLT transfusions remained significant (p=0.024). In conclusion, significant decreases in plasma levels of the vascular adhesion molecule sPECAM-1 and angiogenic growth factor PDGF-BB are seen at day +5 in HSCT. There was wide variation in Ang-2 levels; however increased Ang-2 at day +15 was associated with increased cumulative PLT transfusions at day +15, suggesting that vascular regeneration is associated with increased PLT consumption. Disclosures: Ofori-Acquah: Emory University: Patents & Royalties.
Epidemiology in PNH: The PNH Global Registry

Advances in the clinical and scientific underpinnings of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) have had a profound impact on the natural history of PNH. Over the past 25 years, novel diagnostics and therapeutic agents have refined the definition of the disease and improved clinical outcomes. These achievements have set the stage for developing an International PNH Registry that is an ongoing worldwide, noninterventional study collecting safety, effectiveness, and quality-of-life data from patients with a confirmed PNH diagnosis or a detectable PNH clone (≥0.01 %). This registry is the first PNH Registry to collect data on the disease burden from the patient’s perspective and is the first to collect data on the natural history of PNH patients treated with eculizumab.
AUTO-SELECTION OF VERY RAPIDLY GROWING MICROORGANISMS

ABSTRACT With very rapid flow rates, in a continuous culture vessel almost all cells are young because of the low probability of long residence. In contrast to a conventional chemostat which is unstable as the washout rate is approached, controlling the limiting nutrient to achieve a high rate is self-adjusting and stable. Convenient, rapid detection of nutrient concentration presents problems, but pH is an index of glucose consumption when organic acids are formed. A feedback control system that adjusted dilution rate to hold pH constant was used to investigate the effects of pH set point, nutrient strength, and buffer capacity of the medium. A dilution rate exceeding 6.6 hr−1 could be maintained with the proper selection of pH and buffer capacity of the medium, and the organisms tended to pure culture.
Cytoreductive nephrectomy in the modern era: Predictors of use, morbidity, and survival

Introduction: To determine tumour, patient, and provider factors associated with cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) use and to identify those factors that predicted short-term and long-term surgical outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective review (1998‒2011) of the National Cancer Database, a U.S. population-based oncology outcomes database. The review included 36 549 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We assessed predictors of CN use, length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality using multivariable logistic regression. The Cox proportional hazards model assessed predictors of overall survival (OS). Results: Overall, 10 809 (29.6%) patients received CN, increasing from 15.2% to 36.1% over time. Private insurance (odds ratio [OR] 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16‒1.37) and academic facilities (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.68‒1.99) were associated with receiving CN (p<0.0001). Charlson score ≥2 and older age group were less likely to undergo surgery (p<0.0001). Median LOS was five days (interquartile range [IQR] 3‒7), while 30-day readmission and 30-day mortality were 5.3% and 3.3%, respectively. Undergoing CN (hazard ratio [HR] 0.48; 95% CI 0.44‒0.52; p<0.0001) and treatment at academic centres (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.81‒0.95; p=0.001) were independently associated with improved OS. Limitation includes retrospective design with possible selection bias. Conclusions: Increased CN use continues in the modern era, with relatively low surgical morbidity. Further study is required to determine if the finding of lower all-cause mortality in patients treated at academic centres is due to improved care or unmeasured confounders.
Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Noise Pollution With the Use of a Pediatric Delirium Bundle

Objectives:Noise pollution in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) contributes to poor sleep and may increase risk of developing delirium. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends <45 ...
TCT-594 Trans- Subclavian and Axillary Access for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Using Sapien 3 THV from the US STS/ACC TVT Registry

The transsubclavian and transaxillary approaches (supra- and infra-clavicular respectively) for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are rapidly growing alternatives in the setting of hostile iliofemoral arteries. Yet, there are few data regarding these approaches, and what data exist are
A Recording-Based Method for Auralization of Rotorcraft Flyover Noise

Rotorcraft noise is an active field of study as the sound produced by these vehicles is often found to be annoying. A means to auralize rotorcraft flyover noise is sought to help understand the factors leading to annoyance. Previous work by the authors focused on auralization of rotorcraft fly-in noise, in which a simplification was made that enabled the source noise synthesis to be based on a single emission angle. Here, the goal is to auralize a complete flyover event, so the source noise synthesis must be capable of traversing a range of emission angles. The synthesis uses a source noise definition process that yields periodic and aperiodic (modulation) components at a set of discrete emission angles. In this work, only the periodic components are used for the source noise synthesis for the flyover; the inclusion of modulation components is the subject of ongoing research. Propagation of the synthesized source noise to a ground observer is performed using the NASA Auralization Framework. The method is demonstrated using ground recordings from a flight test of the AS350 helicopter for the source noise definition.
Transfer learning with convolutional neural networks for lesion classification on clinical breast tomosynthesis.

With growing adoption of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in breast cancer screening protocols, it is important to compare the performance of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) in the diagnosis of breast lesions on DBT images compared to conventional full-field digital mammography (FFDM). In this study, we retrospectively collected FFDM and DBT images of 78 lesions from 76 patients, each containing lesions that were biopsy-proven as either malignant or benign. A square region of interest (ROI) was placed to fully cover the lesion on each FFDM, DBT synthesized 2D images, and DBT key slice images in the cranial-caudal (CC) and mediolateral-oblique (MLO) views. Features were extracted on each ROI using a pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN). These features were then input to a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used as the figure of merit. We found that in both the CC view and MLO view, the synthesized 2D image performed best (AUC = 0.814, AUC = 0.881 respectively) in the task of lesion characterization. Small database size was a key limitation in this study, and could lead to overfitting in the application of the SVM classifier. In future work, we plan to expand this dataset and to explore more robust deep learning methodology such as fine-tuning.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound Assessment of Bladder Fullness for Female Patients Awaiting Radiology-Performed Transabdominal Pelvic Ultrasound in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Study objective Radiology-performed transabdominal pelvic ultrasound, used to evaluate female patients with suspected pelvic pathology in the pediatric emergency department (ED), is often delayed by the need to fill the bladder. We seek to determine whether point-of-care ultrasound assessment of bladder fullness can predict patient readiness for transabdominal pelvic ultrasound more quickly than patient sensation of bladder fullness. Methods We performed a randomized controlled trial of female patients aged 8 to 18 years who required transabdominal pelvic ultrasound in a pediatric ED. Patients were randomized to usual care or point-of-care ultrasound and then assessed every 30 minutes for subjective bladder fullness (0 to 4 ordinal scale) and qualitative bladder fullness by point-of-care ultrasound. Patients were sent for pelvic ultrasound when they reported 3 or 4 on the subjective fullness scale (usual care) or a large bladder was visualized (point-of-care ultrasound). Primary outcome was time from enrollment to completion of pelvic ultrasound. Secondary outcome was success rate of pelvic ultrasound on first attempt. Results One hundred twenty patients were randomized and 117 had complete outcomes (59 usual care, 58 point-of-care ultrasound). Kaplan-Meier curves differed between groups (P Conclusion Point-of-care ultrasound assessment of bladder fullness decreases time to transabdominal pelvic ultrasound and improves first-attempt success rate for female patients in the pediatric ED.
Discrete Character of Meson Masses

Mesons of a given family show an approximately linear dependence of squared mass on angular momentum. Regge has expressed such trajectories in the mass squared – angular momentum plane as a multiple set of curves. These lines are analogous to the hydrogen atom energy level – angular momentum relationship. Further investigation shows that these sets of multiple lines can be reduced to a single line representing an entire meson family. In this work, the entire set of multiple lines representing the light meson family is replaced by a single line which arises naturally when the squared mass of each meson depends linearly on the squared mass of the pion. This relation is analogous to the Rydberg formula for the hydrogen spectrum, with the electron mass replaced by the pion mass.
Evaluating Adherent Bacteria and Biofilm Using Electron Microscopy

The secreted exopolysaccharide that constitutes the bacterial glycocalyx allows bacterial proliferation in a well-protected environment.2,19 Bacterial adherence, proliferation and biofilm production on a biomedical device can have catastrophic consequences for the patient, resulting in infection or failure of the device. Therefore, laboratory studies of the pathogenesis of these latent device-related infections is critical.3 However, attempts to study the bacterial biofilm by electron microscopy employing only conventional fixation techniques suffer from inadequately preserved or stained glycocalyx. This is largely due to the characteristics of the glycocalyx as a highly hydrated, polymerized anionic matrix of variably substituted polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are not well stabilized by the conventional fixatives, namely the aldehydes, glutaraldehyde and paraformaldehyde, or osmium tetroxide. Graded dehydration with alcohol to gradually remove water from this highly hydrated structure may further distort delicate features resulting in observation of condensed or collapsed structure.2,15,16,18 Not naturally electron-dense, the conventional means for adding contrast with the poststains uranyl acetate and lead citrate is usually not sufficient to enable exopolysaccharide constituents to appear dark or electron-dense on the phosphorescent screen of the transmission electron microscope. Too electron-translucent on its own, and unable to gain contrast from conventional poststains, the glycocalyx is often indistinguishable from the embedding resin background.16
Work in Invertebrates on the Mechanisms Underlying Learning

The lotus-eaters may be the first amnesiacs in literature. Penelope, at the other extreme of memory retentiveness, personifies the salient ideal of the Odyssey — faith and constancy in the face of time and change. In the twenty-eight centuries since Homer, humanists have speculated occasionally, often eloquently, about the origins and effects of memories. The issue was turned into a scientific one at the beginning of this century by Pavlov, Thorndike, and others, who took a few instances of learning, removed them from the sphere of subjective speculation, and made them accessible to quantitative experiments in the laboratory. In the years following, there was a tendency to emulate the experiments of the pioneers rather than their reductionist spirit. Psychologists have been industrious and successful in cataloguing the phenomenology of learning, but scientists of all stripes have met with real difficulty in pursuing their understanding past overt behavior.
Long-term efficiency preservation for gradient phase metasurface diffraction gratings in the visible

Metal-dielectric metasurfaces with an engineered phase response provide a versatile technology for the next generation of optical systems. However, metal oxidation is detrimental to the performance and lifespan of these devices. Here we demonstrate the design and fabrication of a 1200 lp/mm coated reflective metal-dielectric metasurface grating for use with 650 nm illumination. An 80 nm PMMA coating protects the sample from metal oxidation and sample degradation. The fabricated samples exhibit ~45% efficiency in the first diffractive order over 0-50° angle of incidence consistent with the electromagnetic simulations. The coated samples preserve the performance over 25 weeks in standard room temperature and humidity while the unprotected samples show over an 80% drop in efficiency.
Advances in the medical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

In this KOL (key opinion leader) interview, Herbert Lepor, MD, co-Medical Editor of Reviews in Urology, discusses the medical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Historical Background to the Proposal, 40 Years Ago, of an Active Model for Cochlear Frequency Analysis

Professor Thomas Gold, FRS, is best known for his work in astronomy and cosmology — particularly the theory of continuous creation of matter, the nature of pulsars as rapidly-rotating high-density neutron stars, and his controvertial non-biological hypothesis for the origin of oil, currently receiving supporting evidence from a 6 km deep borehole in Sweden. He did, however, start his research career in hearing and published papers [1,2, see also 3] which although prophetic, were not accepted by the auditory establishment at the time.
First Detection of Boscalid Resistance in Podosphaera xanthii in the United States Associated With Failure to Control Cucurbit Powdery Mildew in New York and New Jersey in 2009

The most effective management tool for powdery mildew on cucurbit crops is mobile, targeted fungicides having a moderate or high resistance risk and the causal pathogen has proven to be a high-risk...
Unveiling the role of super-jogs and dislocation induced atomic-shuffling on controlling plasticity in magnesium

Abstract Magnesium (Mg) alloys are promising metals for many lightweight structural applications. However, the fundamental deformation mechanism in Mg that lead to poor ductility, formability and anomalous thermal-hardening response remain elusive. Here, atomistic simulations were utilized to unveil the mechanisms responsible for these undesirable properties. We show that pyramidal 〈 c + a 〉 screw dislocations glide in hexagonal-close packed crystals by a fundamentally new mechanism that involves atomic shuffling and kink pair formation on the trailing partial. Due to local fluctuations in the stresses in the dislocation core, stable super-jogs subsequently form due to inhomogeneities in the shuffling process along the dislocation length as well as due to kink pair collisions. The screw dislocation then moves while dragging these super-jogs, sometimes leaving debris behind (e.g. vacancies or interstitials) as well as long faulted loops on the basal plane that are aligned along the basal plane intersection with the pyramidal-II plane. These dragged out super-jogs dissociate athermally on the basal plane and exert a strong drag-effect on dislocation glide, resulting in dramatic work-hardening at small strains between 0 and 600K, which correlates with the experimentally observed low-ductility during c-axis compression of Mg. Furthermore, this new mechanism also accounts for the experimentally reported anomalous thermal-hardening as a result of the increase in the number of super-jogs per dislocation unit-length due to thermal activation.
Opportunistic Discovery of Personal Places Using Multi-Source Sensor Data

Modern smartphones and wearables are able to continuously collect significant amounts of sensor data, where such data can be helpful to study a user’s mobility or social interaction patterns, but also to deliver various services based on a user’s presence at different places during certain times of the day. Therefore, it is important to accurately identify personal places of interest (POIs), such as a user’s workplace or home. Such places are usually determined using segmentation of location traces, but frequent gaps in the data (i.e., missing location readings) can result in a large number of small and incomplete segments that should actually be grouped together into a single large segment. This paper presents a segmentation approach that utilizes a user’s personal data obtained from multiple sensor sources and devices such as the battery recharge behavior (measured on smartphones), step counts, and sleep patterns (measured by wearables), to opportunistically fill gaps in the user’s location traces. Using the data from a mobile crowd sensing study of more than 450 users over a 2-year period, we show that our approach is able to generate fewer, but more complete segments compared to the state of the art.
Impact of preoperative wireless pH monitoring in the evaluation of esophageal conditions prior to bariatric surgery in a severely obese patient population

Abstract Background Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is currently the most commonly performed bariatric procedure in the United States; however, it can be associated with development of de novo gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or worsening of existing GERD. Preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and findings of esophagitis are commonly used as screening tool, but the alternative use of preoperative objective measurement of acid reflux has not been studied. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate if preoperative objective measurement of acid reflux by using wireless pH monitoring (WPHM) could have an impact on surgical planning and outcomes. Setting Academic Center of Excellence. Methods Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of 43 adult obese patients with reflux symptoms who underwent outpatient EGD and WPHM between September 2011 and September 2017. Results Change in planned surgical management from SG to Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass with the use of WPHM occurred in 21.0% (n = 9) of patients. Only 2.3% (n = 1) developed de novo GERD after SG. Nonerosive reflux disease was the most common esophageal condition on preoperative EGD. EGD, as a single diagnostic tool, appeared insufficient to diagnose acid reflux and help with the decision planning in this patient population. Conclusions Based on objective data obtained by measurement of GERD, using preoperative WPHM compared with preoperative EGD alone aids in a better patient selection for either SG or Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass. Our cohort with preoperative WPHM required no surgical conversions or revisions.
Neonatal and Maternal Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Cardiac Disease.

Background Pregnant women with underlying heart disease ( HD ) are at increased risk for adverse maternal, obstetric, and neonatal outcomes. Methods and Results Inpatient maternal delivery admissions and linked neonatal stays for women with cardiomyopathy, adult congenital HD, pulmonary hypertension ( PH ), and valvular HD were explored utilizing the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (New York), January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2014, with the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). Maternal major adverse cardiac events, neonatal adverse clinical events ( NACE ), and obstetric complications were recorded. Outcomes were compared using multiple logistic regression modeling. Among 2 284 044 delivery admissions, 3871 women had HD ; 676 (17%) had cardiomyopathy, 1528 (40%) had valvular HD, 1367 (35%) had adult congenital HD, and 300 (8%) had PH . Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 16.1% of women with HD , with most in the cardiomyopathy (45.9%) and PH (25%) groups. NACE was more common in offspring of women with HD (18.4% versus 7.1%), with most in the cardiomyopathy (30.0%) and PH (25.0%) groups. Increased risk of NACE was noted for women with HD (odds ratio [ OR ]: 2.8; 95% confidence interval [ CI ], 2.5-3.0), with the highest risk for those with cardiomyopathy ( OR : 5.9; 95% CI , 5.0-7.0) and PH ( OR : 4.5; 95% CI , 3.4-5.9). Preeclampsia ( OR : 5.1; 95% CI , 3.0-8.6), major adverse cardiac events ( OR : 2.3; 95% CI , 1.8-2.9), preexisting diabetes mellitus ( OR : 4.3; 95% CI , 1.5-12.3), and obstetric complications ( OR : 2.9; 95% CI , 1.7-5.2) were independently associated with higher NACE risk. Conclusions Neonatal complications were higher in offspring of pregnant women with HD , particularly cardiomyopathy and PH . Preeclampsia, major adverse cardiac events, obstetric complications, and preexisting diabetes mellitus were independently associated with a higher risk of NACE .
PO 8276 COMMUNITY INDEX CASE APPROACH AND HIV TESTING AND COUNSELING (HTC) FOR SEXUAL PARTNERS OF HIV-POSITIVE PATIENTS LOST TO FOLLOW-UP: THE EXPERIENCE OF WORLD VISION MOZAMBIQUE

Background HIV-positive patients lost to follow-up (HP-LTFU) represent a challenge for HIV/AIDS control efforts as they are associated with higher risk of HIV transmission to their sexual partners, low viral load suppression and higher risk of morbidity and mortality than adherent patients. The SCIP-Ogumaniha programme implemented by World Vision Mozambique, has been utilising the index case approach together with systematic home-based HIV testing and counseling (hHTC) since August 2016 in 7 districts of the Zambezia province. This abstract outlines an evaluation of the contribution of this approach to HIV/AIDS care and treatment (HACT) of sexual partners of HP-LTFU in alignment with the first and second targets of the 90–90–90 UNAIDS strategy. Methods The study involved HP-LTFU returned to HACT between October 2016 and September 2017. These patients reported to have sexual partners who had not been tested for HIV and provided informed, written consent for joint hHTC with these individuals. The hHTC package for sexual partners was offered by World Vision project counselors and those who tested HIV-positive were referred to HACT. Results Of 7.084 patients who returned to HACT and reported to have an untested sexual partner, 63% (4,471) provided informed, written consent for joint hHTC. Of 4264 sexual partners found and tested, 52% was female, 64% was in the 15–34 age groups, and 88% had never been tested for HIV. About 28% (1.205/4.264) was HIV-positive, 56% of the sexual partners who tested HIV-positive, was female and 98% of these was successfully referred to HACT. Conclusion The index case approach together with hHTC has contributed to the early diagnosis of 28% of new HIV infections among sexual partners of HP-LTFU and 98% of them ensured timely linkage to the HACT. Therefore, broader promotion and adoption of this approach would make a significant contribution to achievement of the first and second targets of the 90–90–90 UNAIDS strategy.