cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A versatile, computer-controlled, closed-loop system for continuous infusion of muscle relaxants.

A computer-controlled, closed-loop system for continuous infusion of muscle relaxants that allows the operator to choose either atracurium besylate or vecuronium bromide to provide any desired target level of neuromuscular blockade is described. This new system offers certain advantages over computer-controlled systems described previously for continuous infusion of muscle relaxants—that is, the option to choose either of two muscle relaxants to be infused and the inclusion of monitors to provide feedback about the dosage needed to produce a target level of neuromuscular blockade. The clinical performance of this system was tested in 36 patients who were 18 to 65 years old, were classified in American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 1 or 2, and were undergoing elective orthopedic, abdominal, or thoracic procedures. In all patients, the control algorithm rapidly induced the target level of neuromuscular blockade and maintained that level of blockade at steady state with minimal oscillation. We conclude that the automatic feedback control system described can induce and precisely maintain any predetermined target level of neuromuscular blockade.
Learning style: State of the science

(1984). Learning style: State of the science. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 23, Matching Teaching and Learning Styles, pp. 10-19.
Uncertainty, Prediction, and Competitive Equilibrium

I. Introduction, 41. — II. The equilibrium of the competitive firm, 42; the cost of uncertainty, 42; the economics of prediction, 46; prediction and profit, 48; prediction and supply, 51. — III. The equilibrium of the competitive industry, 54; prediction and profit in a closed industry, 55; prediction and economic equilibrium in an open industry, 58; prediction and price variation, 58; decentralization of prediction, 60. — IV. Conclusions, 61.
Transcervical thymectomy for myasthenia gravis achieves results comparable to thymectomy by sternotomy

Abstract Background . It remains controversial whether transcervical thymectomy offers results equivalent to thymectomy by way of a median sternotomy in the treatment of myasthenia gravis. Furthermore, preoperative prognostic factors have not been clearly defined. Methods . This study is a retrospective chart review and interview of 78 patients completing transcervical thymectomy for myasthenia gravis between 1992 and 1999. Results . There were 24 men and 54 women. Mean age was 40 years (range, 13 to 78 years). Twelve patients were in Osserman class 1, 25 in class 2, 30 in class 3, and 11 in class 4 (mean, 2.5). There was no perioperative mortality and 6 (7.7%) morbidities. Mean length of stay was 1.5 days and mean follow-up, 54.6 months. The crude cumulative complete remission (asymptomatic off medications for 6 months) rate was 39.7% (n = 31). Only 8 patients (10.3%) failed to improve after transcervical thymectomy. Kaplan-Meier estimates of complete remission were 31% and 43% at 2 and 5 years, respectively. Eight patients with thymoma had a 5-year estimated complete remission rate of 75% in contrast to 43% in 38 patients with thymic hyperplasia and 36% in 32 patients with neither thymoma nor hyperplasia ( p = 0.01). Twelve patients with ocular myasthenia had a 5-year estimated complete remission rate of 57%, whereas patients with mild-to-moderate (n = 55) or severe (n = 11) generalized symptoms had 5-year complete remission rates of 43% and 30%, respectively ( p = 0.21). Conclusions . Overall, extended transcervical thymectomy offers results that are comparable to those published for the transsternal procedure. Patients with milder disease (including isolated ocular disease) and taking no preoperative immunosuppressive agents appear to experience higher remission rates. In contrast to previous studies, we also find that small thymomas predict better responses to thymectomy.
Developments in diagnostics, instrumentation and facilities

Plasma diagnostic techniques which are used in the study of fusion plasmas are discussed. These techniques can be extended, in modified form, to the study of some of the properties of the plasma arc armature in an EM launcher. Also discussed are some of the instrumentation available for data acquisition and some of the facilities either presently online or coming online. The development of a proposed electrooptic data recording system is described. >
Mechanisms of pressor amine dependence

Abstract Hemodynamic, blood volume and renal function studies were performed in 4 patients with nonhemorrhagic hypotension who had received prolonged metaraminol infusions. Similar studies were made of two normal subjects who received continuous metaraminol infusions for 48 hours. The results suggest that reduced cardiac output secondary to hypovolemia was a major factor in the production of metaraminol dependence and postural hypotension. Hypovolemia is thought to be the result of transcapillary filtration of plasma and increased urinary loss. In one case, hypovolemia was present despite a progressive increase in extravascular and presumably interstitial fluid. Blood volume replacement increased cardiac output to the normal range and readily reversed the metaraminol dependence and postural hypotension. Brief therapy with low dosage of angiotensin or norepinephrine was necessary at times to maintain arterial pressure during volume replacement. An additional contributing factor was the loss of chronotropic cardiac response to hypotension noted after prolonged metaraminol infusion.
Pneumatosis and portal venous gas: do CT findings reassure?

Background: Small, single-institution studies have suggested risk factors for bowel ischemia/necrosis (I/N) in patients with computed tomography (CT) findings of pneumatosis (PN) and portal venous gas (PVG). Here, analysis has been expanded in a large, multicenter study. Materials & methods: Logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to construct a scoring system for I/N in cases of PN/PVG. Results: Of 265 patients with PN/PVG identified, 209 had adequate data. In unadjusted analyses the following variables were significantly associated with I/N: age, peritoneal signs, ascites, the presence of both PVG and PN, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), CO2, albumin, and a history of hypertension, myocardial infarction, or stroke. In contrast, the CT findings of mesenteric stranding, bowel-wall thickening, and type of PN were not associated with I/N. In adjusted analyses, three variables were significantly associated with I/N: age � 60 y (odds ratio ¼ 2.51, 95% confidence interval: 1.26e4.97), peritoneal signs (10.58, 4.23e26.4), and BUN >25 mg/dL (3.08, 1.54e6.17), whereas presence of both PN and PVG (versus only one) was associated with an increase (but not statistically significant increase) in odds (2.01, 0.94e4.36). Although several ad hoc models were used to maximize diagnostic ability, with maximal odds ratio ¼ 174, the areas of receiver operating characteristic curves were all below 0.80, revealing suboptimal accuracy to diagnose I/N. Conclusions: Older age, peritoneal signs, and high BUN are associated with I/N, suggesting an ability to predict which patients need operation. CT findings traditionally suggestive of ischemic PN/PVG, however, do not diagnose I/N accurately enough to reliably identify patients needing operation.
Moisture retention properties of a mycorrhizal soil

The water relations of arbuscular mycorrhizal plants have been compared often, but virtually nothing is known about the comparative water relations of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal soils. Mycorrhizal symbiosis typically affects soil structure, and soil structure affects water retention properties; therefore, it seems likely that mycorrhizal symbiosis may affect soil water relations. We examined the water retention properties of a Sequatchie fine sandy loam subjected to three treatments: seven months of root growth by (1) nonmycorrhizal Vigna unguiculata given low phosphorus fertilization, (2) nonmycorrhizal Vigna unguiculata given high phosphorus fertilization, (3) Vigna unguiculata colonized by Glomus intraradices and given low phosphorus fertilization. Mycorrhization of soil had a slight but significant effect on the soil moisture characteristic curve. Once soil matric potential (Ψm) began to decline, changes in Ψm per unit change in soil water content were smaller in mycorrhizal than in the two nonmycorrhizal soils. Within the range of about −1 to −5 MPa, the mycorrhizal soil had to dry more than the nonmycorrhizal soils to reach the same Ψm. Soil characteristic curves of nonmycorrhizal soils were similar, whether they contained roots of plants fed high or low phosphorus. The mycorrhizal soil had significantly more water stable aggregates and substantially higher extraradical hyphal densities than the nonmycorrhizal soils. Importantly, we were able to factor out the possibly confounding influence of differential root growth among mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal soils. Mycorrhizal symbiosis affected the soil moisture characteristic and soil structure, even though root mass, root length, root surface area and root volume densities were similar in mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal soils.
An Insight-Based Longitudinal Study of Visual Analytics

Visualization tools are typically evaluated in controlled studies that observe the short-term usage of these tools by participants on preselected data sets and benchmark tasks. Though such studies provide useful suggestions, they miss the long-term usage of the tools. A longitudinal study of a bioinformatics data set analysis is reported here. The main focus of this work is to capture the entire analysts process that an analyst goes through from a raw data set to the insights sought from the data. The study provides interesting observations about the use of visual representations and interaction mechanisms provided by the tools, and also about the process of insight generation in general. This deepens our understanding of visual analytics, guides visualization developers in creating more effective visualization tools in terms of user requirements, and guides evaluators in designing future studies that are more representative of insights sought by users from their data sets
Consumption of a high-fat diet abrogates inhibitory effects of methylseleninic acid on spontaneous metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice

We investigated the effect of dietary supplementation with selenium on spontaneous metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice fed a high-fat diet. Mice were fed a low-fat diet or that diet modified with 45% of calories from corn oil and supplemented with 0 or 2.5mg selenium/4029 kcal as methylseleninic acid. After 6 weeks, mice were each injected 2.5 × 10(5) Lewis lung carcinoma cells subcutaneously. The resulting primary tumor was removed surgically 10 days later; the experiment was terminated after an additional 10 days. High-fat feeding increased pulmonary metastases by 17% compared to the low-fat diet (P < 0.01). Selenium supplementation reduced the metastases by 11% compared to nonsupplemented controls (P < 0.05); the reduction was less for animals fed the high-fat diet (5%) than for those fed the low-fat diet (18%). Supplemental Se lowered plasma concentrations of proteases (urokinase plasminogen activator, P < 0.01; matrix metalloproteinase-9, P < 0.05) and angiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, P < 0.01; tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, P < 0.01) compared to nonsupplemented controls. High-fat feeding increased plasma concentrations of adipokines plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, and leptin regardless of the level of dietary selenium; supplemental selenium lowered plasma concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (P ≤ 0.05) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (P ≤ 0.05) in low-fat fed mice but not in high-fat fed mice. These results indicate that consumption of a high-fat diet abrogated the antimetastatic effects of selenium by increasing the expression of adipose-derived inflammatory cytokines.
A model for the release of adsorbed molecules from the surfaces of airborne particulate matter based on liquid-phase desorption from amorphous carbon blacks

The release of molecules adsorbed on the surfaces of amorphous carbon blacks has been studied using liquid-solid chromatography. Adsorbate molecules, adsorbents, and mobile phases were selected on the basis of their relevance as models for the release of toxic agents adsorbed on inhalable environmental particulate matter that originates from the incomplete combustion of organic materials. The presence of surface active groups on the carbon blacks has been shown to adsorb and retain adsorbate molecules selectively, and this selectivity can be reduced by competition for these active groups by the displacing solvent. Release is also governed by the surface coverage of the particles and increases as coverage approaches the monolayer.
Developing an Assessment of Learning Process: The Importance of Pre-Testing.

Colleges and universities are increasingly being held accountable for assessing and reporting student learning. Recently there has been increased focus on using assessment to improve learning over time. In this paper we present a simple, step-by-step assessment process that will deliver meaningful results to achieve these ends. We emphasize the need to conduct controlled and consistent pre- and post-testing so that the impact of pedagogical changes can be effectively measured. We explain how we have utilized this process in our Principles of Microeconomics courses to assess learning objectives and show that absolute performance on the assessment of a learning objective is not always consistent with relative performance improvement. These results reinforce the need to use pre-testing to effectively assess learning and measure the impact of pedagogical changes over time.
Developing Data-driven Models to Predict BEMS Energy Consumption for Demand Response Systems

Energy consumption prediction for building energy management systems BEMS is one of the key factors in the success of energy saving measures in modern building operation, either residential buildings or commercial buildings. It provides a foundation for building owners to optimize not only the energy usage but also the operation to respond to the demand signals from smart grid. However, modeling energy consumption in traditional physic-modeling techniques remains a challenge. To address this issue, we present a data-mining-based methodology, as an alternative, for developing data-driven models to predict energy consumption for BEMSs. Following the methodology, we developed data-driven models for predicting energy consumption for a chiller in BEMS by using historic building operation data and weather forecast information. The models were evaluated with unseen data. The experimental results demonstrated that the data-driven models can predict energy consumption for chiller with promising accuracy.
Regional Integration in North America and Europe: Lessons About Civil Rights and Equal Citizenship

In an era of globalization facilitated by rapid technological change, regional integration of national economies has grown in popularity around the world. Europe and the Americas today both are in the midst of a grand experiment with regional integration. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has facilitated a freer flow of goods and capital between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Although the trade accord initially sparked controversy about the propriety of free trade between the three nations, they all ultimately approved the pact. The public controversy over the trade agreement focused little on human and civil rights. Nonetheless, these rights, particularly ones implicated by labor mobility, have emerged to the forefront in the years since NAFTA went into effect. Spain's experiences as part of the European Union's common market hold valuable lessons about the impact on regional integration of national markets on human and civil rights. At the same time, the history of Latina/os in the Americas should be of great interest to Spaniards, if not only because persons of Latin American ancestry represent the legacy of Spain's colonization of a large portion of the Western Hemisphere. California, for example, once was part of Spain; the Spanish initially settled the territory that later became part of Mexico and ultimately the United States. Spain's imprint on the hemisphere remains intact as Latin America today is largely Spanish speaking. Understanding this colonial history helps place the ongoing regional integration into context. Colonialism represented a form of expansion of markets and accumulation of resources similar to the desired economic impacts of regional integration. Although colonial relationships often came through force, regional integration constitutes the more acceptable modern alternative. In this vein, the analysis of regional integration in this series of essays reveals the economic, civil rights, and citizenship issues implicated by integration. The civil rights struggles of Latina/os in the United States, a focal point of LatCrit analysis, show the limits on integration as people move across the borders between the developing and developed worlds. With the help of Spanish legal scholars, LatCrit scholarship, which has been committed to investigating international law and human rights, stands to gain. As Spain grapples with the undocumented migration of North Africans into its territory, Spain, which like the United States has a southern border with the developing world, also may learn from studying the struggles of persons of Latin American ancestry in the Western Hemisphere. Part I of this article discusses the lessons of regional integration. Part II analyzes the specific human and civil rights consequences of the migration issues implicated by regional integration in North America and Europe.
Cellular pathology of the rat aorta. Pseudo-vacuoles and myo-endothelial herniae.

The aortic intima of adult rats, studied by electron microscopy, showed several changes indicative of spontaneous cellular pathology. These changes occurred almost exclusively at the level of fenestrae in the internal elastic membrane. The initial event was the formation of club-shaped cell processes arising from the smooth muscle cells and protruding into the fenestrae; this phenomenon gave rise to four types of images: (a) shortpseudopodia reaching through the fenestrae; (b) long pseudopodia that pushed their way into the body of the overlying endothelial cells, giving rise tomyo-endothelial herniae (reminiscent of the cell-to-cell herniae previously described in small, normal muscular arteries); (c) membrane-bound cellular parts apparently lying free beneath the endothelium, for which the current termghost bodies in convenient; and (d) intraendothelial structures lined by two membranes, clearly arising through the mechanism of herniation, and best referred to aspseudo-vacuoles. Some of the myo-endothelial herniae become very large and stretch the endothelium to such an extent that it could easily burst, especially during tissue processing. This mechanism should account for many of the endothelial bulges and “craters” often seen by scanning electron microscopy. The formation of such craters (arising from the collapse of myo-endothelial herniae as well as of endothelial blebs) offers a plausible explanation for the “stomata” and “stigmata” that have been described in silver nitrate preparations of the endothelium for over a century.
Concentration-Mortality Response of Phyllophaga hirticula (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to Three Entomogenous Nematodes

LC 50 S of Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser), S. glaseri (Steiner), and Heterorhabditis heliothidis (Khan, Brooks & Hirschmann) to third-instar Phyllophaga hirticula (Knoch) were 210, 86, and 12 nematodes per grub, respectively, when administered as peroral injections. Bioassay of the three nematodes against P. hirticula larvae in soil arenas without food, however, failed to produce discernible concentration-mortality responses. Observations indicated that, although infective nematodes remained in the soil and on the grubs 2 wk after application, a large proportion of the nematodes migrated from the soil immediately after application. Thus, the actual concentration of nematodes in the arenas was less than the concentration applied, and probably accounted for the lack of response in bioassays in soil arenas
Psychopathic Traits Mediate the Relationship Between Exposure to Violence and Violent Juvenile Offending

Exposure to violence (ETV) has emerged as a key and stable predictor of violent offending. However, not all youth offenders who experience ETV go on to chronic violent offending. Consequently, it is possible that individual differences, such as psychopathic traits, may be an important factor in the link between ETV and violent offending. These traits are associated with exposure to violence and, separately, to violent offending. The present study used data from Pathways to Desistance, a multisite, longitudinal study of serious juvenile offenders (N = 1170, Meanage = 16.05, SD = 1.16) to explore these relationships, simultaneously. First, autoregressive cross-lagged path models were used to examine the longitudinal bivariate relations among violent offending, ETV, and psychopathic traits. Second, latent class growth analysis was used to determine trajectories ETV. And third, the mediating influence of psychopathic traits was examined. Results indicated that ETV predicted later engagement in violence, but there was some degree of reciprocity between ETV and violence over time. Additionally, respondents with stable high or increasing trajectories of ETV reported more instances of violent offending. Finally, psychopathic traits mediated the relationship between ETV and violent offending. Together these findings support the notion that individuals with psychopathic traits perceive and internalize their environment differently than others and that this difference guides their own violent offending. Given the importance of psychopathic traits for understanding the influence of ETV on violent offending, prevention and intervention strategies must be developed that take into account both individual differences and environmental factors.
Application of Firewall and Intrusion Detection System in the Information Network of Electric Power Enterprise

This paper points out the security barrier technology of electric power enterprise network in the application process of the existing problems,The firewall and intrusion detection system effectively set achieve technical superiority be explained.
[Genetic characteristics of VP1 region of coxsackievirus A10 strains isolated from hand foot and mouth disease patients in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 2013].

Objective To study the genetic characteristics of VP1 region of coxsackievirus A10 (Cox A10) strains isolated from hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Ningxia) in 2013. Methods A total of 280 specimens, which were identified as non-enterovirus 71 and non-Cox A16 by real-time PCR, were collected and cultured by using RD cell, and the VP1 genes of isolated strains were amplified by using reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) with degenerated primers and sequenced. The sequencing results were aligned with the sequences in GenBank with BLAST algorithm to identify the virus genotypes. Homologous comparison and phylogenetic analysis were conducted for all the Cox A10 strains identified. Results Among 36 virus strains isolated from 280 clinical specimens, 6 were identified as Cox A10. The homologies of nucleotide and amino acid of the Cox A10 strains isolated in Ningxia were 97.0%-99.8% and 99.0%-99.7% respectively, and the Cox A10 strains isolated in Ningxia shared 76.3%-77.2%, 81.6%-83.1%, 94.4%-98.9% and 80.0%- 82.3% nucleotide homologies respectively and shared 92.3%-93.0%, 94.0%-95.3%, 98.0%-99.7% and 90.6%-94.0% amino acid homologies respectively with the representative strains of A, B, C and D genotypes. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that Cox A10 strains isolated in Ningxia belonged to genotype C. Conclusion Cox A10 is one of the most common pathogen causing HFMD in Ningxia in 2013. All the Cox A10 stains isolated from HFMD patients in Ningxia belonged to genotype C. Key words: Hand foot and mouth disease; Coxsackievirus A10; Genetic characteristics
3D Finite Element Methods for Modeling MFL Inspection of Pipelines

It is estimated that there are about one million kilometers of gas and liquid transmission pipelines operating across the globe today. Pipelines, owing to their strategic role of transporting gas and liquid fuels, are of immense capital value. Potential degradation and failure of pipelines is a sensitive issue both with the public and legislative bodies, since the consequences of failure could include injuries and death. In addition, pipeline failures have severe financial consequences. More than half the pipelines in use today are 30 or more years old and invariably have experienced some deterioration. Preventive maintenance using nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques plays an important role in ensuring safe pipeline operation [1].
A Nonsmooth Calculus for Solving Some Graph-Theoretic Control Problems

Abstract: Motivated by the needs of real-time tasking of a nonlinear controlled dynamical system, we develop the notion of a real-valued label space to represent a complete graph. A walk in the graph maps to a controlled trajectory in label space. We use the indicator function as our primary tool to formulate such problems within a calculus-based setting. Urysohn’s Lemma forms the key bridge for approximating the resulting nonsmooth optimal control problem to a smooth computational framework. An illustrative uninhabited-aerial-vehicle collection planning and and scheduling problem is solved to illustrate the viability of the entire framework.
Dipicolinic Acid Release by Germinating Clostridium difficile Spores Occurs through a Mechanosensing Mechanism

ABSTRACT Classically, dormant endospores are defined by their resistance properties, particularly their resistance to heat. Much of the heat resistance is due to the large amount of dipicolinic acid (DPA) stored within the spore core. During spore germination, DPA is released and allows for rehydration of the otherwise-dehydrated core. In Bacillus subtilis, 7 proteins are encoded by the spoVA operon and are important for DPA release. These proteins receive a signal from the activated germinant receptor and release DPA. This DPA activates the cortex lytic enzyme CwlJ, and cortex degradation begins. In Clostridium difficile, spore germination is initiated in response to certain bile acids and amino acids. These bile acids interact with the CspC germinant receptor, which then transfers the signal to the CspB protease. Activated CspB cleaves the cortex lytic enzyme, pro-SleC, to its active form. Subsequently, DPA is released from the core. C. difficile encodes orthologues of spoVAC , spoVAD , and spoVAE . Of these, the B. subtilis SpoVAC protein was shown to be capable of mechanosensing. Because cortex degradation precedes DPA release during C. difficile spore germination (opposite of what occurs in B. subtilis), we hypothesized that cortex degradation would relieve the osmotic constraints placed on the inner spore membrane and permit DPA release. Here, we assayed germination in the presence of osmolytes, and we found that they can delay DPA release from germinating C. difficile spores while still permitting cortex degradation. Together, our results suggest that DPA release during C. difficile spore germination occurs though a mechanosensing mechanism. IMPORTANCE Clostridium difficile is transmitted between hosts in the form of a dormant spore, and germination by C. difficile spores is required to initiate infection, because the toxins that are necessary for disease are not deposited on the spore form. Importantly, the C. difficile spore germination pathway represents a novel pathway for bacterial spore germination. Prior work has shown that the order of events during C. difficile spore germination (cortex degradation and DPA release) is flipped compared to the events during B. subtilis spore germination, a model organism. Here, we further characterize the C. difficile spore germination pathway and summarize our findings indicating that DPA release by germinating C. difficile spores occurs through a mechanosensing mechanism in response to the degradation of the spore cortex.
Context Matters: Getting Systems to Adopt Treatments

This is the final chapter in the section on client variables, values, and preferences. Decisions to select a treatment are not exclusively made by target and stakeholder clients (e.g., parents, teachers, direct care staff). Often center directors, special education directors, principals, and other organizational leaders play either direct or indirect roles in treatment selection. These leader clients must consider not only the immediate needs of a given client but also the impact that treatment selection can have on the entire system. Leader clients are also well positioned to determine whether or not resource constraint or environmental supports will enhance or undermine the likelihood a given treatment can be implemented with fidelity. This chapter describes strategies for gaining input from leader clients when treatments are selected.
Diagnostic and prognostic procedures for equine colic surgery.

Diagnostic methods such as abdominal radiography, endoscopy, laparoscopy, and peritoneal fluid analysis can be helpful in the decision-making process, regarding the horse with colic. Evaluation of clinicopathologic data, physical examination findings, and histology of tissues removed at surgery can accurately predict case outcome in terms of survival.
Nail Enthesis Ultrasound in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: A Report from the 2016 GRAPPA Annual Meeting

Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is gaining favor in the evaluation of enthesitis in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Imaging modalities have shown that the enthesis of the distal interphalangeal joint has a close relationship to the nail itself. Studies have focused on the structure and morphology of nails to determine an association between psoriasis nail changes and the presence or severity of PsA. With the use of higher frequency probes, power Doppler (PD) can determine subclinical inflammation of the area under ultrasound examination. At the 2016 meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), we proposed an ultrasonographic index for the assessment of the nail enthesis to identify the morphologic and PD findings of the nail, with the potential that both rheumatologists and dermatologists can use it to evaluate their patients.
Plastic litter in streams: The behavioral archaeology of a pervasive environmental problem

Plastic deposition in hydrological systems is a pervasive problem at all geographic scales from loci of pollution to global ocean circulation. Much attention has been devoted to plastic deposition in marine contexts, but little is known about inputs of plastics into local hydrological systems, such as streams. Attempts to prevent plastic litter must incorporate the role of people's behaviors, so we employ a behavioral archaeological framework to distinguish between various cultural inputs (e.g., littering) and noncultural forces (e.g., stream transport and wind) that affect litter patterns on the landscape. Four sites with varying cultural uses were surveyed monthly for eight months along a creek in Texas, and analysis of the data included chi-square and Kruskal Wallis tests, and abundance indices comparing material types across sites. We found that sites have drastically different distributions in plastic litter, and these patterns appear to align with the cultural uses (hiking, fishing, roadway) and presence or absence of noncultural forces at each site. This information can be used to inform efforts to reduce littering at these and potentially other locations with similar characteristics. This study illustrates that an archaeological framework provides an efficient and accurate way to generate local data on littering behaviors.
Effects of Berry Maturity and Wine Alcohol on Phenolic Content during Winemaking and Aging

In this study, grape cultivar, fruit maturity, and alcohol were varied to determine their impacts on polymeric pigment formation in artificially aged wines. Polymeric pigments are formed primarily, but not exclusively, through the reaction of anthocyanins and tannins during wine aging. Two cultivars (Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon) that differ in their native anthocyanin and tannin content were harvested at three maturities (20, 24, and 28 Brix) in order to vary the initial anthocyanin and tannin content and their ratio (A:T). At each harvest, juice sugar content was manipulated in the winery to simulate the two other respective maturities. The range of initial wine A:T varied by cultivar (Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.36 to 0.93; and Syrah, 1.3 to 2.1). Results of two-way ANOVAs indicated that fruit maturity and wine age significantly affect anthocyanin content and decline, as well as small polymeric pigment formation. The anthocyanin decline could be modeled by an exponential decay regression, with R2 values ranging from 0.996 to 0.999, depending on maturity and cultivar. Winery alcohol treatment and time significantly impacted the formation of large polymeric pigments. The initial wine anthocyanin content had the strongest correlation to total polymeric pigment content in wines (R2 of 0.735 and 0.670 for Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, respectively), while the relationship between A:T and total polymeric pigments was relatively poor (R2 of 0.042 and 0.405 for Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, respectively). Measuring wine phenolic hydrophobicity is also proposed to evaluate overall phenolic characteristics, and it was significantly impacted by cultivar, fruit maturity, and aging time.
Increasing Coupling Between NPGO and PDO Leads to Prolonged Marine Heatwaves in the Northeast Pacific

The marine heatwave of 2014/2015 in the Northeast Pacific caused significant impacts on marine ecosystems and fisheries. While several studies suggest that land and marine heatwaves may intensify under climate change less is known about the prolonged multi-year nature (~2 years) of the Northeast Pacific events. Examination of reanalysis products and a 30-member climate model ensemble confirms that prolonged multi-year marine heatwaves are linked to the dynamics of the two dominant modes of winter sea surface temperature variability in the North Pacific, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO). Specifically, we find a significant correlation between winter warm NPGO anomalies and the following winter PDO arising from extra-tropical/tropical teleconnections. In the model projections for 2100 under the RCP8.5 scenario, this NPGO/PDO 1 year lag-correlation exhibits a significant positive trend (~35%) that favors more prolonged multi-year warm events (>1°C) with larger spatial coverage (~18%) and higher maximum amplitude (~0.5°C for events >2°C) over the Northeast Pacific.
Survival in patients with primary dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: National Cancer Database analysis.

Background The predictors of mortality, second surgery, and postoperative radiation therapy for treating dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) are not well described. Objective We sought to determine the impact of patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment site and modality on survival after primary DFSP. Methods A retrospective analysis of data from the National Cancer Database was performed for patients diagnosed with DFSP during 2003-2012. Results A total of 5249 cases were identified. Of these, 3.1% of patients died during an average of 51.4 months of follow-up. After adjusting for relevant factors, lack of insurance, Medicaid and Medicare insurance, anaplastic histology, and positive postoperative margins all predicted mortality, while treatment at an Integrated Network Cancer Program predicted survival ( P Limitations Survival data was not cancer-specific. Conclusion Better understanding of factors affecting survival outcomes might help improve management of DFSP and delineate other potential causes of increased morbidity and mortality.
An Exploratory Study of Smartphone and Smartphone Application Use in the U.S. Forest Products Industry

This work conducted market research on the use of smartphones and smartphone applications (apps) in the forest products industry and academia. Scholarly literature was reviewed, and related apps were considered. An online survey was conducted to collect data adopting a convenience sampling method. Participants were individuals who work with wood or wood-based products. The sample was compiled from publicly available online and offline sources. A questionnaire was specifically developed for this study. Out of 1,221 email invitations, 311 responses were returned at the response rate of 27.2%. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used for analysis. Nearly all of the respondents (95.7%) had smartphones, and over half of them were iOS users (52.3%). A higher personal use, as compared to work use, of smartphone apps was observed. Respondents of Millennials and Generation X indicated higher personal app use than Baby Boomers. Academia and research users showed higher app uses. More respondents had purchased paid apps (45.2%) than in-app services on free apps (28.5%). This finding indicates that paid apps may be of more interest to respondents than in-app purchases.
The enlarged ileocecal valve. Report of cases.

It is not the purpose of this presentation to prove that all prominent ileocecal valves should be removed or that enlargement of the ileocecal valve is a normal condition and should be studiously ignored. It is rather intended to assure that the enlarged ileocecal valve be evaluated in the light of clinical findings and the need for surgery be determined by a complete examination of the patient.
Novel processing technology for microelectronics

Large-area electronic circuits on thin foil substrates can be made with techniques adapted from conventional printing. Conventional printing can provide a resolution and an overlay registration of 10 μm and ±5 μm, respectively, which will allow making thin-film transistors (TFTs) at densities above 10 000 per square centimeter. An early example is the use of laser-printed toner etch masks for the fabrication of amorphous silicon TFTs. Patterned devices can be made by direct printing, as demonstrated by the jet printing of the active polymer for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Paper-thin foils of glass, steel, and polyimide can serve as substrates for making TFTs with characteristics comparable to those made on glass plates. Materials options for thin foil substrates are described. A study of the mechanics of films on stiff and compliant foil substrates shows that particularly rugged and flexible device structures can be made when the foils are very thin. Integrating OLEDs with thin-film transistors on steel foil substrates provides an early example of 3-D integrated components for macroelectronics.
Chapter 2 Modern Carbonate Sediments

Summary Modern carbonate sediments are accumulating in almost all depositional environments except for the very deep oceans. Chemical and physical conditions, however, govern preservation and abundance of carbonate relative to non-carbonate material. Most modern marine carbonate sediments owe their origin to accumulation of bioclastic debris. Rarely can inorganic precipitation be actually proven. Mineralogical analysis of these sediments has shown that deep cold-water carbonates are predominantly low-magnesium calcites; whereas shallow, warm-water shelf deposits are composed predominantly of metastable carbonates (aragonite and high-magnesium calcite) with minor amounts of low-magnesium calcite. Significant quantities of supratidal dolomite has been reported in modern sediments. Diagenesis is taking place in modern sediments; however, only rarely can mineralogical or chemical changes be demonstrated in sediments that have not been exposed to fresh water. If modern shelf sediments are good examples of ancient sediments, almost all limestones have recrystallized.
Testicular Tumors in Mice Exposed in Utero to Diethylstilbestrol

AbstractTreatment of pregnant women with diethylstilbestrol (DES) is associated with the subsequent development of reproductive tract abnormalities such as epididymal cysts, retained hypotrophic testes and sperm abnormalities in their male offspring. It recently has been suggested that prenatal DES exposure is associated with development of testicular seminoma in humans. Studies of in utero exposure of laboratory animals to DES are few, but previous reports from our laboratory have described several abnormalities in the reproductive tract of the mouse following prenatal DES exposure. To study the possible association of testicular tumors and prenatal DES exposure in mice, pregnant outbred CD-I mice were injected subcutaneously with daily doses of DES (100μg./kg.) on days nine through 16 of gestation. DES-exposed and age-matched control male mice were sacrificed at 10 to 18 months of age and examined for testicular lesions. In addition to the nonmalignant abnormalities reported in previous studies such as ...
Determination of Strain and Stress Fields by Diffraction Methods

Up to this point the mechanical and micromechanical behavior of solids and basic concepts of x-ray and neutron scattering from crystalline solids have been presented. In this chapter these concepts are combined in the derivation of the basic equations of residual stress determination with diffraction. The fundamental assumptions inherent in these derivations and the limits they impose on the applicability of the stress measurement will also be discussed. Various problems in an actual stress measurement, such as the effect of stress gradients, the separation of micro and macrostresses, determination of stresses in thin films and single crystals, etc., are also considered, with special emphasis on the interpretation of the data within the limitations of the theory.
Adaptable Energy Storage System Control for Microgrid Stability enhancement

This study highlights the potential benefits of flexibly utilizing a battery energy storage system (BESS) to enhance the stability of a microgrid. The goal of this paper is to propose an adaptable fast frequency regulation strategy using a BESS. This work presents a novel converter nonlinear droop control with droop gain dependent on the Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) frequency measurement. Compared with traditional linear droop control, this new adaptable nonlinear droop demonstrates additional stability margin of the controller without performance sacrifice. A fast secondary control loop works contemporaneously to help the microgrid frequency return to the nominal value with a zero steady state error. Simulation results reveal the robustness of the control under both fault induced islanding and load switching during microgrid autonomous operation.
Reflection-Driven Design

This chapter presents a recipe for design-as-a-verb as a reflective conversation. The recipe employs the medium of construction guided by a composite appreciative system of the invested stakeholders. The terms “recipe” and “conversation” steer clear of any appearance of prescription. Both terms connote a sense of “becoming” rather than consummation. In that sense, the focus is on design as a “living cycle” rather than a final product of construction. At its core, the “becoming” conversation manifests the paradigm reminiscent of Agile development process models where refining the goals of the development project depends upon a conversation among designers and stakeholders. For example, in Scrum the product owner, Scrum master, and development team cooperate in artefact emergence by repeatedly assessing and adjusting the product backlog and sprint planning to react to the progressive learning and refinement of the project goals among the stakeholders. This chapter first presents the reflection-driven design recipe as it has evolved. Then a synopsis of its origin in the analysis of code refactoring examines the role of Thriving Systems Theory in emancipating an operative appreciative system.
Sensitivity and uncertainty quantification for the ECOSTRESS evapotranspiration algorithm – DisALEXI

Abstract Evapotranspiration (ET) is a measure of plant water use that is utilized regionally for drought detection and monitoring, and locally for agricultural water resource management. Understanding the uncertainty associated with this measurement is vital for science predictions and analysis and for water resource management decision making. In this manuscript, the uncertainty in disaggregated Atmosphere-Land Exchange (disALEXI) is quantified; disALEXI is an ET algorithm that utilizes land surface temperature (LST) derived from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), as well ancillary inputs for landcover, elevation, vegetation parameters, and meteorological inputs. Since each of these inputs has an associated, and potentially unknown, uncertainty, in this study a Monte Carlo simulation based on a spatial statistical model is used to determine the algorithm's sensitivity to each of its inputs, and to quantify the probability distribution of algorithm outputs. Analysis shows that algorithm is most sensitive to LST (the input derived from ECOSTRESS). Significantly, the output uncertainty distribution is non-Gaussian, due to the non-linear nature of the algorithm. This means that ET uncertainty cannot be prescribed by accuracy and precision alone. Here, uncertainty was represented using five quantiles of the output distribution. The distribution was consistent across five different datasets (mean offset is 0.01 mm/day, and 95% of the data is contained within 0.3 mm/day). An additional two datasets with low ET, showed higher uncertainty (95% of the data is within 1 mm/day), and a positive bias (i.e., ET was overestimated by an average of 0.12 mm/day when ET was low).
Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) Mitigates the Host Inflammatory Response during Clostridioides difficile Infection by Altering Gut Bile Acids.

ABSTRACT Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is associated with increasing morbidity and mortality posing an urgent threat to public health. Recurrence of CDI after successful treatment with antibiotics is high, thus necessitating discovery of novel therapeutics against this enteric pathogen. Administration of the secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA; ursodiol) inhibits the life cycles of various strains of C. difficilein vitro, suggesting that the FDA-approved formulation of UDCA, known as ursodiol, may be able to restore colonization resistance against C. difficilein vivo. However, the mechanism(s) by which ursodiol is able to restore colonization resistance against C. difficile remains unknown. Here, we confirmed that ursodiol inhibits C. difficile R20291 spore germination and outgrowth, growth, and toxin activity in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. In a murine model of CDI, exogenous administration of ursodiol resulted in significant alterations in the bile acid metabolome with little to no changes in gut microbial community structure. Ursodiol pretreatment resulted in attenuation of CDI pathogenesis early in the course of disease, which coincided with alterations in the cecal and colonic inflammatory transcriptome, bile acid-activated receptors nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and transmembrane G-protein-coupled membrane receptor 5 (TGR5), which are able to modulate the innate immune response through signaling pathways such as NF-κB. Although ursodiol pretreatment did not result in a consistent decrease in the C. difficile life cycle in vivo, it was able to attenuate an overly robust inflammatory response that is detrimental to the host during CDI. Ursodiol remains a viable nonantibiotic treatment and/or prevention strategy against CDI. Likewise, modulation of the host innate immune response via bile acid-activated receptors FXR and TGR5 represents a new potential treatment strategy for patients with CDI.