cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of β-Adrenergic Antagonists on In-Hospital Mortality after Ischemic Stroke.

Background Ischemic stroke accounts for 85%-90% of all strokes and currently has very limited therapeutic options. Recent studies of β-adrenergic antagonists suggest they may have neuroprotective effects that lead to improved functional outcomes in rodent models of ischemic stroke; however, there are limited data in patients. We aimed to determine whether there was an improvement in mortality rates among patients who were taking β-blockers during the acute phase of their ischemic stroke. Methods A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of ischemic stroke patients was performed. Patients who were on β-adrenergic antagonists both at home and during the first 3 days of hospitalization were compared with patients who were not on β-adrenergic antagonists to determine the association with patient mortality rates. Results The study included a patient population of 2804 patients. In univariate analysis, use of β-adrenergic antagonists was associated with older age, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and more-severe initial stroke presentation. Despite this, multivariable analysis revealed a reduction in in-hospital mortality among patients who were treated with β-adrenergic antagonists (odds ratio, .657; 95% confidence interval, .655-.658). Conclusions The continuation of home β-adrenergic antagonist medication during the first 3 days of hospitalization after an ischemic stroke is associated with a decrease in patient mortality. This supports the work done in rodent models suggesting neuroprotective effects of β-blockers after ischemic stroke.
Redefining the clinical management of type 2 diabetes: matching therapy to pathophysiology

Conventional treatments for type 2 diabetes do not provide adequate glycaemic control to prevent the long-term progression of the disease. The introduction of increasingly intensive therapeutic regimens in stepwise management strategies aims to maintain glycaemic control in the face of progressive deterioration in beta-cell function. However, such an approach does not entirely address the underlying disease mechanisms. Although much remains unclear about the aetiology of type 2 diabetes, both beta-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance play important roles, and there is a complex, dynamic interaction between these two abnormalities. Growing evidence suggests that treatments that can reverse insulin resistance and improve beta-cell function may be able to slow or prevent the progression of the disease. The clinical management of type 2 diabetes therefore needs to be re-examined and redefined to reflect new insights into the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, including consideration of the potential benefits of early, aggressive intervention to counter both beta-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance.
Real-time classification of electromyographic signals for robotic control

Advances in bioengineering have led to increasingly sophisticated prosthetic devices for amputees and paralyzed individuals. Control of such devices necessitates real-time classification of biosignals, e.g., electromyographic (EMG) signals recorded from intact muscles. In this paper, we show that a 4-degrees-of-freedom robotic arm can be controlled in real-time using non-invasive surface EMG signals recorded from the forearm. The innovative features of our system include a physiologically-informed selection of forearm muscles for recording EMG signals, intelligent choice of hand gestures for easy classification, and fast, simple feature extraction from EMG signals. Our selection of gestures is meant to intuitively map to appropriate degrees of freedom in the robotic arm. These design decisions allow us to build fast accurate classifiers online, and control a 4-DOF robotic arm in real-time. In a study involving 3 subjects, we achieved accuracies of 92-98% on an 8-class classification problem using linear SVMs. These classifiers can be learned on-line in under 10 minutes, including data collection and training. Our study also analyzes the issues and tradeoffs involved in designing schemes for robotic control using EMG. Finally, we present details of online experiments where subjects successfully solved tasks of varying complexity using EMG to control the robotic arm.
Understanding Eating Disorders among Latinas

This paper provides a brief summary of the literature on eating disorders (EDs) among Latinas in the U.S and presents data that illustrate symptomatology and associated psychopathology in this group. The current empirical evidence suggests similarities between Latinas and white European-American women in regards to risk factors, symptomatology, psychopathology, and prevalence of EDs. Despite these similarities, Latinas are less likely to report dieting, dietary restriction, and are more likely to be obese compared to white women. Although Latinas report distress associated with EDs, only a small proportion ever seek treatment. Several factors appear to contribute to their under-utilization of services including lack of knowledge, stigma, beliefs about seeking treatment, lack of health insurance, and lack of affordable and accessible treatment services. It is unclear whether the identified differences between white and Latina women are the result of cultural factors or are better explained by disparities in SES. Efforts to meet the treatment needs of Latinas in the U.S. should aim to increase awareness and education about EDs in this population and to address cultural beliefs and norms that may act as barriers to treatment utilization. Further, it is important to educate and train healthcare professionals to be aware that EDs may develop in or affect Latina patients, and to develop accessible, culturally-appropriate and cost-effective evidence-based treatments that can be disseminated through partnerships with primary care providers and community organizations.
The Relationship Between the Numbers of Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Heidelberg, or Salmonella Hadar Colonizing Reproductive Tissues of Experimentally Infected Laying Hens and Deposition Inside Eggs

Abstract Contamination of eggs by Salmonella Enteritidis has been a prominent cause of human illness for several decades and is the focus of a recently implemented national regulatory plan for egg-producing flocks in the United States. Salmonella Heidelberg has also been identified as an egg-transmitted pathogen. The deposition of Salmonella strains inside eggs is a consequence of reproductive tract colonization in infected laying hens, but prior research has not determined the relationship between the numbers of Salmonella that colonize reproductive organs and the associated frequency of egg contamination. In the present study, groups of laying hens in two trials were experimentally infected with large oral doses of strains of Salmonella Enteritidis (phage type 13a), Salmonella Heidelberg, or Salmonella Hadar. Reproductive tissues of selected hens were cultured to detect and enumerate Salmonella at 5 days postinoculation, and the interior contents of eggs laid between 6 and 25 days postinoculation were t...
Boundary detection based on neural networks model

A new model of feedforward neural networks is proposed for solving the problem of robust boundary detection. Structurally, it is based on a circular mask which is characterized as a symmetrical neural network. By analyzing the weighted intermediate pattern, a dominant pattern is found to appear repeatedly for similar boundary orientation. Hence, a piecewise linearized edge could be detected by this approximation. Experimental results show that this new architecture can be applied to experience scaling effect by changing the mask size. >
ANTERIOR ENTEROCELE FOLLOWING CYSTECTOMY FOR INTRACTABLE INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS

AbstractPurpose: We clinically define the development of an anterior vaginal wall hernia following cystectomy for the management of intractable interstitial cystitis and establish surgical technique for its correction.Materials and Methods: Of 27 women who underwent simple cystectomy and urethrectomy for intractable interstitial cystitis an anterior vaginal wall hernia developed in 3 (71, 56 and 61 years old) at 8, 14 and 16 months, respectively, postoperatively. Clinical appearance was similar to a midline cystocele but it contained bowel contents in the form of an anterior enterocele. Anterior enterocele was associated with vaginal vault prolapse in 1 patient who was treated with transvaginal sacro-spinous colpopexy. Patients with isolated anterior enterocele required a transabdominal approach with mobilization of the intestinal hernia contents and obliteration of the intervaginal abdominal wall space.Results: At 12, 19 and 33 months following reconstruction prolapse has not recurred, and sexual functio...
Antigenic cross-reactivity among avian pneumoviruses of subgroups A, B, and C at the matrix but not nucleocapsid proteins.

SUMMARY. Earlier findings from our laboratory based on analysis of nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence identities of 15 avian pneumoviruses (APVs) isolated from the United States (subgroup C) demonstrated that the viruses were phylogenetically separated from the European subgroup A and subgroup B viruses. Here, we investigated whether viruses from the three subgroups were cross-reactive by testing field sera positive for each of the APV subgroups in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test with recombinant matrix (M) and nucleoprotein (N) proteins generated from a Minnesota APV isolate (APV/MN2A). Sera from turkeys infected with APV subgroup A, B, or C reacted with recombinant M protein derived from APV/MN2A. In contrast, recombinant N protein from APV/MN2A virus was reactive with sera from subtypes A and C viruses but not from subtype B virus. The results illustrate that viruses from the three APV subtypes share antigenic homology, and the M protein—based ELISA is adequate for monitorin...
The Effects of Repeating Purchase Cues and Mixed Reviews on Product Attribution

Prior research has shown that negative online reviews are more valuable than positive reviews due to differences in casual attribution for positive versus negative information such that negative reviews tend to be relatively attributed more to the product (vs. reviewer) than positive reviews. We propose that the presence of repeating purchase cues, which indicates using a product for a reasonable period of time, reduces the relative extent to which positive reviews are attributed to the reviewer and mitigates the negativity bias. We also evaluate the behavior of customers when online reviews include positive and negative information at the same time, and propose that characteristics of mixed reviews are closer to negative reviews than positive reviews. An experimentation involving 74 subjects shows that causal attribution to a product is negatively related to review valence, but that this relationship is less for reviews that contain repeated purchase information.
A model for pleiotropic muscarinic potentiation of fast synaptic transmission.

The predominant form of muscarinic excitation in the forebrain and in sympathetic ganglia arises from m1 receptors coupled to the Gq/11 signal transduction pathway. Functional components of this sy...
The legacy of lead (Pb) in fluvial bed sediments of an urban drainage basin, Oahu, Hawaii.

The study of fluvial bed sediments is essential for deciphering the impact of anthropogenic activities on water quality and drainage basin integrity. In this study, a systematic sampling design was employed to characterize the spatial variation of lead (Pb) concentrations in bed sediment of urban streams in the Palolo drainage basin, southeastern Oahu, Hawaii. Potentially bioavailable Pb was assessed with a dilute 0.5 N HCl extraction of the Pukele (19) > Waiomao (8). Comparisons to sediment quality guidelines and potential toxicity estimates using a logistic regression model (LRM) indicated a significant potential risk of Palolo Stream bed sediments to bottom-dwelling organisms.
Platonic Polypsychic Pantheism

Etude du pantheisme platonicien polypsychique definissant l'univers comme un etre divin vivant compose d'une pluralite de dieux-âmes. Soulevant le probleme de la parente entre les elements cosmiques et les elements divins, d'une part, et la parente entre les elements rationnels et les elements irrationnels de l'âme humaine, d'autre part, l'A. montre que le pantheisme polypsychique permet de reconcilier la religion et la cosmologie de Platon au sein d'un ensemble organique heterogene et inclusif comprenant a la fois le bien et le mal
Ultrasonography as a Tool for Monitoring In Ovo Chicken Development. 2. Effects of Eggshell Alteration and Ultrasonography on Embryonic and Posthatch Development

The influence of creating and closing acoustic windows on embryonic and posthatch development for the purpose of chicken embryogenesis monitoring by real-time ultrasonography (US) was evaluated at 2, 6, 9, 14, and 17 days of incubation. Acoustic windows were closed using either a porous dialysis film and tape (FM) or an eggshell allograft attached with collodion (CP). Results from eggs closed in each manner with and without concurrent nonsterile US examination were compared with two control groups. Window creation reduced hatchability. The hatchability reduction was caused primarily by bacterial contamination. Contamination was more common in the FM eggs than in the CP eggs and was greater in eggs that also underwent US. Hatchability increased and contamination decreased when US was performed closer to hatch. Egg weight loss was increased after Day 6 of incubation in FM + US eggs treated on Day 2 and after Day 9 in all eggs with windows except CP eggs treated on Day 9 and CP + US eggs treated on Days 6 and 9. Hatch weight decreased in chicks from eggs that had windows, particularly in FM eggs.
Canine adipose-derived stromal cell viability following exposure to synovial fluid from osteoarthritic joints

Introduction Stem cell therapy used in clinical application of osteoarthritis in veterinary medicine typically involves intra-articular injection of the cells, however the effect of an osteoarthritic environment on the fate of the cells has not been investigated. Aims and Objectives Assess the viability of adipose derived stromal cells following exposure to osteoarthritic joint fluid. Materials and Methods Adipose derived stromal cells (ASCs) were derived from falciform adipose tissue of five adult dogs, and osteoarthritic synovial fluid (SF) was obtained from ten patients undergoing surgical intervention on orthopedic diseases with secondary osteoarthritis. Normal synovial fluid was obtained from seven adult dogs from an unrelated study. ASCs were exposed to the following treatment conditions: culture medium, normal SF, osteoarthritic SF, or serial dilutions of 1:1 to 1:10 of osteoarthritic SF with media. Cells were then harvested and assessed for viability using trypan blue dye exclusion. Results There was no significant difference in the viability of cells in culture medium or normal SF. Significant differences were found between cells exposed to any concentration of osteoarthritic SF and normal SF and between cells exposed to undiluted osteoarthritic SF and all serial dilutions. Subsequent dilutions reduced cytotoxicity. Conclusions Osteoarthritic synovial fluid in this ex vivo experiment is cytotoxic to ASCs, when compared with normal synovial fluid. Current practice of direct injection of ASCs into osteoarthritic joints should be re-evaluated to determine if alternative means of administration may be more effective.
A data exchange model based on XML schema

We have established a data exchange model based on XML Schema for data integration for enterprises. The data exchange model falls into three levels: core level DEM (Data Exchange Model), initial level CM (common component) and extension level BM (business model). There are four parts in DEM that are data types, exchange objects, units of measure and exchange data set. Considering the characteristics of data exchange, a group of data types that is suitable to exchange data in database are defined. Based on defining entity, exchange data set defines general instance element and rules to extend entities.
Epidemic situation of brucellosis in Pingdingshan City from 2007 to 2011

Objectives To analyze the epidemiological features of brucellosis in Pingdingshan city from 2007 to 2011 and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of brucellosis.Methods Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the epidemiological features of brucellosis.Results A total of 441 cases were reported from 2007 to 2011,the average annual incidence rate was 1.78 /100,000;Highest incidence occurred in 2011 with year by year increasing,development and increase speed with link-relative were the fastest in 2011 within five years.Incidence rate in Ruzhou county had been in the first rank in the five years,incidence rate with the most rapid growth occurred in Lushan county which was up to the second place in 2011 from the sixth place in 2007;Perennial cases were report,high-occurrence season were spring and summer;Morbidity of men was higher than that of women and concentrated in the ages between 30 and 70;Patients were mainly farmers,the occupational distribution gradually extended year by year.Conclusion The brucellosis incidence bas been increasing in Pingdingshan city,it is recommended that health education should be strengthened in the future,especially in high-risk groups,to improve their awareness of disease prevention and reduce the occurrence of brucellosis.
Near-threshold circuit variability in 14nm FinFETs for ultra-low power applications

Ultra low power (ULP) applications use supply voltage (Vdd) scaling as an effective way of reducing power. However, as Vdd is scaled near the threshold voltage (Vt), increased variability limits the minimum Vdd and power that can be realized. This paper outlines a Veff variability framework to capture the total delay variation seen in digital circuits and describes its applicability for near-threshold delay variability analysis. The low-voltage variability framework has been validated against 14nm-FinFET ring oscillator (RO) measurements.
Intracavernous drug administration: its role in diagnosis and treatment of impotence.

This article will summarize briefly the physiology and pharmacology of erection and the various tests and agents used in the diagnosis and treatment of impotence
TH‐AB‐209‐03: Overcoming Resolution Limitations of Diffuse Optical Signals in X‐Ray Induced Luminescence (XIL) Imaging Via Selective Plane Illumination and 2D Deconvolution

Purpose: To evaluate the resolution and sensitivity of XIL imaging using a surface radiance simulation based on optical diffusion and maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) image reconstruction. XIL imaging seeks to determine the distribution of luminescent nanophosphors, which could be used as nanodosimeters or radiosensitizers. Methods: The XIL simulation generated a homogeneous slab with optical properties similar to tissue. X-ray activated nanophosphors were placed at 1.0 cm depth in the tissue in concentrations of 10−4 g/mL in two volumes of 10 mm3 with varying separations between each other. An analytical optical diffusion model determined the surface radiance from the photon distributions generated at depth in the tissue by the nanophosphors. The simulation then determined the detected luminescent signal collected with a f/1.0 aperture lens and back-illuminated EMCCD camera. The surface radiance was deconvolved using a MLEM algorithm to estimate the nanophosphors distribution and the resolution. To account for both Poisson and Gaussian noise, a shifted Poisson imaging model was used in the deconvolution. The deconvolved distributions were fitted to a Gaussian after radial averaging to measure the full width at half maximum (FWHM) and the peak to peak distance between distributions was measured to determine the resolving power. Results: Simulated surface radiances for doses from 1mGy to 100 cGy were computed. Each image was deconvolved using 1000 iterations. At 1mGy, deconvolution reduced the FWHM of the nanophosphors distribution by 65% and had a resolving power is 3.84 mm. Decreasing the dose from 100 cGy to 1 mGy increased the FWHM by 22% but allowed for a dose reduction of a factor of 1000. Conclusion: Deconvolving the detected surface radiance allows for dose reduction while maintaining the resolution of the nanophosphors. It proves to be a useful technique in overcoming the resolution limitations of diffuse optical imaging in tissue. C. S. acknowledges support from the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (Award number R25GM109439, Project Title: University of Chicago Initiative for Maximizing Student Development, IMSD). B. Q. and P. L. acknowledge support from NIH grant R01EB017293.
Synthesis of Biaryl Ethers by the Copper-Catalyzed Chan–Evans–Lam Etherification from Benzylic Amine Boronate Esters

The copper-catalyzed etherification of ortho-borylated benzylic amines with phenols has been achieved to provide biaryl ethers that are prevalent in biologically active compounds. A variety of substitution patterns on the aryl boronate ester and the phenol are tolerated under the reaction conditions, providing moderate to high yields. A competition reaction between phenol and aniline revealed condition-dependent selectivity in which the phenol could be highly favored over the aniline.
Fully Focused SAR Altimetry: Theory and Applications

In this paper, we introduce the concept, develop the theory, and demonstrate the advantages of fully focused coherent processing of pulse echoes from a nadir-looking pulse-limited radar altimeter. This process, similar to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging systems, reduces the along-track resolution down to the theoretical limit equal to half the antenna length. We call this the fully focused SAR (FF-SAR) altimetry processing. The technique is directly applicable to SAR altimetry missions such as CryoSat-2, Sentinel-3, or Sentinel-6/Jason-CS. The footprint of an FF-SAR altimeter measurement is a narrow strip on the surface, which is pulse limited across track and SAR focused along track. Despite the asymmetry of the altimeter footprint, the fully focused technique may be useful for applications in which one needs to separate specific targets within highly heterogeneous scenes, such as in the case of sea ice lead detection, hydrology, and coastal altimetry applications. In addition, over rough homogeneous surfaces, such as the ocean or ice sheets, the improved multilooking capability of FF-SAR leads to a significant increase in the effective number of looks with respect to the delay/Doppler processing, resulting in better geophysical parameter estimation. The proposed processing technique was verified by processing full bit rate CryoSat-2 SAR mode data over the Svalbard transponder. Hydrology, sea ice, and open ocean applications are also demonstrated in this paper, showing the improvement of this technique with respect to conventional and delay/Doppler altimetry.
Prognostic and Predictive Gene Expression Signatures in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer patients have varying prognoses and responses to treatment due to the heterogeneity of the disease. This chapter surveys the histopathological features, molecular markers, and multigene signatures used for prognosis and prediction of treatment response. The commercially available gene expression based assays for prognostication/prediction in ER+ breast cancer are briefly described and critically discussed. We analyze the underlying reasons for the comparable significance of these tests at the population level, while the tests are discordant for many individual patients. The current challenges to development of future assays are discussed.
Nitro-Fatty Acid Pharmacokinetics in the Adipose Tissue Compartment

Metabolic and redox reactions of nitric oxide and nitrite induce the nitration of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Nitrated unsaturated fatty acids (NO2-FAs) promote adaptive and anti-inflammatory cell signaling responses as a result of an electrophilic character that supports post-translational protein modifications. By reversibly adducting nucleophilic amino acids such as cysteine, NO2-FAs induce salutary enzymatic and transcriptional regulatory protein responses. NO2-FAs are found endogenously in a broad range of living organisms, become elevated in concentration during metabolic and inflammatory stress and at present, synthetic NO2-FA homologs are being tested in humans as a drug strategy for treating kidney disease. A unique pharmacokinetic profile is expected for electrophilic fatty acids because of an ability to undergo both Michael addition with biological nucleophiles and esterification into complex lipids. We now report new methods for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of complex lipids containing esterified NO2-FAs. This new capability supports the more complete definition of the distribution and metabolism of electrophilic fatty acid derivatives in tissue lipid compartments. Herein we report via quantitative whole-body autoradiography analysis of rats gavaged with radiolabeled 10-nitro-[14C]oleic acid (10-NO2-[14C]OA). This NO2-FA preferentially accumulates in adipose tissue over two weeks. To define the metabolism and incorporation of NO2-FA and their metabolites in adipose tissue lipids, adipocyte cultures were supplemented with 10-NO2-OA, nitro-stearic acid (NO2-SA), nitro-conjugated-linoleic acid (NO2-CLA) and nitro-linolenic acid (NO2-LnA). Then, quantitative high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis was performed on adipocyte neutral and polar lipid fractions, both before and after acidic hydrolysis of esterified fatty acids. Electrophilic nitroalkene derivatives preferentially incorporated in the monoacyl- and diacyl-glyceride than in the triacylglyceride lipid pools of adipocytes, while the non-electrophilic NO2-SA showed an opposite distribution. This differential distribution profile was confirmed in vivo in the adipose tissue of NO2-OA-treated mice. This pattern of electrophilic nitroalkene deposition lends new insight into the unique pharmacokinetics and pharmacologic actions displayed by this chemically-reactive class of endogenous signaling mediators and synthetic drug candidates.
Unique Fabrication Method for Novel MEMS Micro-contact Structure

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch reliability is a major obstacle for large-volume commercial applications despite offering lower power consumption, better isolation, and lower insertion loss compared to conventional field-effect transistors and PIN diodes (Yang et al. IEEE J Microelectromech Syst 18(2): 287–295, 2009). To enhance reliability and performance, MEMS researchers focus on the micro-contact lifecycle evolution based on material choice and design of the micro-contact. In order to examine the micro-contact phenomena and physics, a novel DC MEMS micro-contact structure has been developed. The structure is composed of a Gold contact pad and a layered Gold beam. The reliability and performance of a micro-contact is directly influenced by its ability to make and break its electrical connection. Its ability to separate from the contact area is a function of applied force, adhesion forces, and the restoring force. The layered Gold micro-contact structure was fabricated and the processing steps, performance, and experimental results of the device reliability of the device are presented.
Some Parametrizations of Mixed States Motivated by Quantum Information

Abstract This work provides explicit parametrizations of unit trace, positive semidefinite matrices operating in low dimensions. It also characterizes those positive matrices which are projections. Two distinct types of parametrizations are provided. Neither relies on the spectral data of the Hermitian matrices being parametrized. The types of parametrizations (which are further one-one) are very suitable for calculating several quantitative measures in quantum information science
“Conservative” Ideological Principles and Social Programs

Although Max J. Skidmore employs the form of a review essay in this piece, his analysis is actually not a review, and makes no pretense of reviewing the works listed below. Instead, it is an examination of the failure of what passes today in the United States for conservatism, its inability to achieve the stated goals of its adherents, its role in reducing the ability of those adherents to determine fact from fiction, its harmful effects upon the body politic, its especially harmful effects on social programs, and its revelation of the unanticipated vulnerability of American political institutions.
The Method of Centroids in Plane Geometry.

Since I see, however, as I have previously said, that you are a capable scholar and a prominent teacher of philosophy, and also that you understand how to value a mathematical method of investigation when the opportunity is offered, I have thought it well to an alyze and lay down for you in this same book a pecul iar method by means of which it will be possible for you to derive instruction as to how certain mathemati cal questions may be investigated by means of me chanics. And I am convinced that this is equally prof itable in demonstrating a proposition itself; for much that was made evident to be through the medium of mechanics was later proved by means of geometry be cause the treatment by the former method had not yet been established by way of demonstration. For of course it is easier to establish a proof if one had i this way previously obtained a conception of the questions than for him to seek it without such a preliminary no tion. [Heiberg 1909] Archimedes viewed the method of cen troids as a valuable tool for intuitive dis coveries. I will present several uses of this technique and discuss how the method of centroids could be used in secondary schools. The Appendix includes some de tailed proofs of several of the theorems in the text. To each point A in the plane a positive number w will be assigned. Such a point will be called a weighted point and will be designated by the pair (A, w), where A is the location of the point and w is its weight. With any two weighted points (Ax, w,) and (A 2, w2% a third weighted point (C, w) is as sociated, such that
Modeling thermal and irradiation-induced swelling effects on the integrity of Ti3SiC2/SiC joints

Abstract Previously, results for CVD-SiC joined by a solid state displacement reaction to form a dual-phase SiC/MAX phase joint subsequently irradiated at 800 °C to 5 dpa indicated some cracking in the joint. This paper elucidates the cracking origin by developing a model that accounts for differential thermal expansion and irradiation-induced swelling between the substrate and joint materials by using a continuum damage mechanics approach with support from micromechanical modeling. Damage accumulation in joined specimens irradiated at four temperatures (300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C and 800 °C) is analyzed. We assume the experimental irradiation dose is sufficient to cause saturation swelling in SiC. The analyses indicate that the SiC/MAX joint survives irradiation-induced swelling at all the irradiation temperatures considered. The joint experiences only minor damage when heated to and irradiated at 800 °C as well as cooling to room temperature. The prediction agrees with the experimental findings available for this case. However, the joint heated to 300 °C suffers severe damage during irradiation-induced swelling at this temperature, and additional damage after cooling to room temperature. Irradiation at 400 °C and subsequent cooling to room temperature produced similar damage to the irradiation 300 °C case, but to a lesser extent. The joint heated to 500 °C and irradiated at this temperature suffered only very minor damage, but further moderate damage occurred after cooling to room temperature.
Evaluating the role of repetitive negative thinking in the maintenance of social appearance anxiety: An experimental manipulation

Abstract Social appearance anxiety (SAA), or fear of having one's appearance negatively evaluated by others, is a risk factor for eating pathology and social anxiety, but maintenance processes for SAA remain unclear. The current study evaluated repetitive negative thinking (RNT) as a process through which SAA is maintained over time. Undergraduates (N = 126) completed self-report measurements, made an impromptu speech task to induce SAA, and were randomized to either engage in RNT or distraction following the speech task. Participants then attended a second appointment one day later and were asked to make a second speech. Results indicated positive associations between self-reported trait SAA and RNT. Individuals asked to engage in RNT following the appointment 1 speech task reported significantly higher state SAA than those who engaged in distraction. Findings indicated no significant effect of group on appointment 2 SAA, but post-hoc analyses suggested that naturally-occurring RNT may have accounted for increases in SAA across appointments. Overall, results provide support for the importance of RNT in maintaining various internalizing symptoms.
Opportunities and challenges for big data ornithology

ABSTRACT Recent advancements in information technology and data acquisition have created both new research opportunities and new challenges for using big data in ornithology. We provide an overview of the past, present, and future of big data in ornithology, and explore the rewards and risks associated with their application. Structured data resources (e.g., North American Breeding Bird Survey) continue to play an important role in advancing our understanding of bird population ecology, and the recent advent of semistructured (e.g., eBird) and unstructured (e.g., weather surveillance radar) big data resources has promoted the development of new empirical perspectives that are generating novel insights. For example, big data have been used to study and model bird diversity and distributions across space and time, explore the patterns and determinants of broad-scale migration strategies, and examine the dynamics and mechanisms associated with geographic and phenological responses to global change. The appli...
Tumor Ablation for Patients with Lung Cancer: The Thoracic Oncologist’s Perspective

Lung cancer is the second most frequent cause of cancer in both men and women in the United States (1). There were an estimated 91,800 lung cancer cases in men and 80,100 cases in women in the United States in 2003. The most effective treatment for patients with localized lung cancer is surgical resection. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy also are established effective treatments in patients with more advanced lung cancer. The role of tumor ablation in the management of patients with lung cancer is evolving. To understand the current and future potential role in the management of patients with lung cancer, it is important to have information about the available therapies for the different stages of lung cancer.
Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure: Rate Versus Rhythm Control

Atrial fibrillation and heart failure are commonly coexisting conditions with important pathophysiologic interactions impacting patient management. Treatment of atrial fibrillation with impaired ventricular function is focused towards preventing adverse hemodynamic effects that may result in more symptoms and decreased exercise tolerance. While rate control using medications or atrioventricular nodal ablation combined with pacing is the primary emphasis of management, rhythm control using pharmacologic or pulmonary vein isolation remains a feasible alternative strategy for some patients. The prevalence, mechanisms, and management strategies of atrial fibrillation and heart failure are reviewed in this chapter.
Preeclampsia and diuresis criteria: our experience at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder that complicates approximately 5-8% of pregnancies. It is known that the clinical manifestations of preeclampsia are a result of widespread vasoconstriction. It is therefore thought that the onset of diuresis may signal a reversal of this vasoconstriction, and thus resolution of the disease. This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) to validate our diuresis criteria and determine if there was a trend for diuresis that was dependent on the type of preeclampsia. This study suggests that the diuresis curves for those women with mild preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia do not vary significantly after the first 5 hours We were able to separate the women with severe preeclampsia into two groups, one of which would have met our diuresis criteria prior to 24 hours and the other of which would not have met diuresis criteria at 24 hours post-delivery.
Radiation-Like Modification of DNA and H2O2 Formation by Activated Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes (PMNs)

Active oxygen species generated by stimulated PMNs were found to be mutagenic and carcinogenic (1,2). We (3–5) and others (6,7) have shown that oxygen species produced by phagocytic cells are capable of modifying bases in DNA exposed to them. Those identified to date are 5-hydroxymethyl uracil (HMU) (3–5), thymine glycol (TG) (4–6) and 8-hydroxyguanine (BOHG) (7). All of them are known to be formed by the action of ionizing radiation (8–11). HMU and TG are excreted in the urine by humans and rats which points to these thymine derivatives as products of the normal biological processes (12), That these oxidized DNA base derivatives are potentially harmful to the well-being of humans and animals is shown by the existence of the repair enzymes HMU- and TG-glycosylases in mammalian cells (13–16). There is also evidence that 80HG might be repaired as well (11). However, when removal of abnormal bases from DNA is not complete or timely, they have the potential to exert their deleterious effects. For example, TG is thought to provide a replication block (17,18), whereas, HMU and particularly its deoxyribonucleoside HMdU are mutagenic (19). HMdU, which is known to be incorporated into cellular DNA, is also cytotoxic and cytostatic to a number of mammalian cells, and acts as a radiomimetic agent as it causes diarrhea and leukopenia, symptoms of acute radiation sickness (20–23). Thus PMNs, whose role is to protect against invading bacteria or other opsonized particles, are capable of imparting a radiation-like damage, certain types of which might be heritable.
Secure Fingerprint Authentication

Biometrics-based authentication systems offer advantages over the present practices of knowledge and/or possession-based authentication systems. However, when using biometrics, the overall authentication architecture needs to be reexamined to ensure that no new weak security points are introduced. After analyzing a pattern recognition-based threat model of a biometrics authentication system, this chapter describes secure fingerprint authentication. Several solutions are proposed to alleviate the threats using conventional encryption as well as novel techniques that exploit the richness of biometrics data. The proposed methods are applicable in many application areas. These includes system security, electronic commerce security, point of sale, point of entry/exit and point of access. We also argue that an authentication scheme with both smart card and biometrics improves the overall security of a system.
Cost-effective TA cloning applied to Sanger sequencing and HLA allele typing

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technology for clinical HLA typing involves DNA Sanger sequencing of the PCR amplified products of polymorphic loci of HLA, such as HLA-A, -B, -C, -DPB1,-DQB1, and -DRB1, in support of unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The TA cloning of all the amplicons, followed by Sanger sequencing, provides a primary screening tool of potential organ donors, or to identify individuals who might have potential adverse drug responses. The Class I exon 2 and 3 genes of HLA was amplified as a single fragment and cloned into a TA cloning vector pTZ57R/T, while the Class II exon 2 and 3 amplified fragments were added together in a ligation mix with the vector pTZ57R/T. Positive clones were subjected to Sanger sequencing, and HLA alleles determined using the IMGT database. Results indicate that all the exons of the HLA genes by could be cloned by the strategies described. Furthermore, we were also successful in achieving the amplification of all the desired amplicons as a multiplex PCR, thereby reducing the cost of the modified method further by almost 60 %. We present a cost-effective TA cloning strategy for achieving accurate allele typing of HLA at 2- digit resolution. Taken together, an efficient cloning methodology with a significant lower cost for accurate HLA typing presented here is encouraging. The data suggests that it may be employed for routine cloning of variable targets in molecular biology applications.
Can Tenax Extraction Be Used as a Surrogate Exposure Metric for Laboratory-Based Bioaccumulation Tests Using Marine Sediments?

The Tenax technique was used as an alternative exposure metric to assess the bioavailability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from contaminated marine sediments. The sediments used were collected from 2 Superfund sites, New Bedford Harbor (MA, USA) and Gould Island (RI, USA). No sieving was conducted for either sediment after arrival, and sediments were stored in stainless steel drums at 2.8 to 4.0 °C in the dark until use. Exhaustive chemical extractions, single-point 24-h Tenax extractions, and 14-d bioaccumulation tests using the amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus were conducted for both sediments. The sum of 119 PCB congeners from total exhaustive chemical extraction in the New Bedford Harbor and Gould Island sediments were 1084 and 188.2 µg/g organic carbon, respectively. The PCB concentrations from the bioaccumulation tests and Tenax extractions showed that both exposure metrics followed a similar trend in amount and distribution of PCB congeners. The results from both exposure metrics were fit into a log-log linear regression, and then compared with a previously developed log-log linear model for freshwater organisms. The results showed that although the marine data fell within the prediction intervals of the freshwater linear model, the marine regression followed a lower trajectory due to the differences in both the slopes and intercepts between the marine and freshwater regressions. The present study showed a strong relationship between Tenax and marine invertebrate PCB concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1188-1197. © 2019 SETAC.
Iterative development of a web-based intervention for families of young children with type 1 diabetes: DIPPer Academy.

Objective A new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) can be stressful for families as they are expected to learn a large amount of information regarding disease management and treatment in a short period of time. Currently, parents complete diabetes education at the time of diagnosis. However, this format may not be sustainable as rates of T1D climb. The current study aimed to develop an online platform to provide educational material in the form of video micro-lectures using an iterative, user-centered, design process. Methods In the first stage of development, parents of young children with T1D identified information they felt most important to their child's T1D care. In the second stage, healthcare providers contributed qualitative and quantitative feedback regarding the educational material and video mock-ups. The third stage involved parents of young children with T1D providing feedback on the completed video micro-lectures. Results Providers and parents reported that the videos were highly useful, important to T1D care, and the majority would recommend them to other parents. Conclusions The iterative design process used by the research team incorporated multiple perspectives and ultimately developed educational resources that were well-received by providers, researchers, and parents. Implications for impact statement This study used an iterative, user-centered design to develop a series of web-based videos for parents of young children with type 1 diabetes. Primary stakeholders, both healthcare providers and parents, described videos as highly important, useful, enjoyable, and would recommend these resources to others. Parents rated videos highly across a variety of presentations that ranged in development time and cost, indicating that researchers can feasibly and cost-effectively create web-based resources for parents.
Integrating cultivation using a tine weeder with herbicides in conventional peanut production

Research from the 1980s reported sweep cultivation being a cost-effective component in an integrated system to manage weeds in peanut. Previous weed management research conducted on organic peanut indicated that repeated cultivation with a tine weeder was an effective component in that production system. Studies were conducted in Tifton, GA, from 2014 through 2017 to determine whether tine weeding can be integrated with herbicides in conventional peanut production to supplement herbicides. Experiments evaluated a factorial arrangement of eight herbicide combinations and two levels of cultivation using a tine weeder. Herbicides were labeled rates of ethalfluralin PRE, S-metolachlor PRE, imazapic POST, ethalfluralin PRE + S-metolachlor PRE, ethalfluralin PRE + imazapic POST, S-metolachlor PRE + imazapic POST, ethalfluralin PRE + S-metolachlor PRE + imazapic POST, and a nontreated control. The herbicides chosen were based on knowledge of the weed species composition at the research sites and their common use in peanut. Cultivation regimes were cultivation with a tine weeder (six times at weekly intervals) and a noncultivated control. Benefits of tine weeding supplementing control from herbicides varied according to herbicide and weed species. For example, annual grasses were effectively controlled (88% to 97%) by ethalfluralin or S-metolachlor and did not need cultivation to supplement control provided by the herbicides. However, imazapic alone did not effectively control (54% to 75%) annual grasses and needed supplemental control from cultivation with the tine weeder. Similarly, imazapic effectively controlled (84% to 93%) smallflower morningglory and did not require cultivation to supplement control from the herbicide. However, cultivation with the tine weeder improved smallflower morningglory control (76% to 95%) when supplementing ethalfluralin or S-metolachlor. Peanut yields did not respond to any of the herbicide combinations integrated with cultivation using the tine weeder. During the time period when peanut was cultivated, there was greater total rainfall and more days of rainfall events in 2014 and 2017 compared with the other years. Rainfall and wet soils reduced the performance and weed control benefits of the tine weeder. This highlights the risk of depending on cultivation for weed control.
Rapid screening of ternary rare-earth – Transition metal catalysts for dry reforming of methane and characterization of final structures

Abstract Several Ce La and Ce Zr oxides, with different transition metal additives, were studied for the dry reforming of methane. A rapid screening technique was developed to measure reforming and coking rates at low partial pressures. It is a good indicator of catalyst behavior at higher conversions and partial pressures. Following rapid screening, select catalysts were examined at longer times on stream. Those containing Ni and Co together were the most stable. Catalysts containing Ce La oxides lacked practicality, partly due to more reverse water-gas shift. Catalysts containing Ce Zr oxides fared better, with Ce/Zr = 3 (molar) showing the best stability for Ni-based catalysts. Reaction and deactivation results for Ni- and Ni/Co-containing catalysts could be explained partly in terms of DFT calculations for model surfaces, and partly in terms of spent catalyst characterizations. The Ni interacts strongly with the mixed oxides, even when it is in a mostly reduced state, as in Ce Zr.