cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gradient-Echo and Segmented-EPI Imaging Comparison in Thrombolytic Treated Patients (IN2-1.004)

Objective: The goal of this study was to compare segmented echo-planar imaging (EPI) for detection of HT and thrombus with traditional susceptibility-weighted gradient recalled echo (GRE) in acute stroke patients. Background Hemorrhagic transformation (HT), intra-luminal thrombus, and cerebral microbleeds are seen on GRE. Segmented EPI using a longer echo time (TE) increases the conspicuity of blood without increasing scan time. Design/Methods: Stroke patients treated with tPA were imaged with a 1.5T-General Electric MRI using standard GRE, (TE=25 ms, scan duration=83 seconds), and segmented EPI, (TE=40 ms, 4 segments, scan duration=39 seconds). Two readers blinded to clinical information independently assessed both GRE and EPI, noting presence and type of HT (hemorrhagic infarction (HI1 or HI2) and parenchymal hematoma (PH1 or PH2) and presence and location of thrombus. Results: Forty patients (70.8±14.6 years; 19 women) with median baseline NIHSS=12 (IQR 8-22) were studied. Median time from onset to baseline MRI was 1.8 hours (IQR 1.5-3.0) and to tPA treatment 2.6 hours (IQR 2.1-3.1). HT was seen on 18 patients on GRE (5 HI1, 5 HI2, 5 PH1, 3 PH2), and 17 on EPI (5 HI1, 3 HI2, 5 PH1, 4 PH2); in comparison to GRE, segmented EPI overestimated the severity of HT. Thrombus was detected in 15 patients on either GRE or EPI. Vascular occlusion evaluation yielded 5 confirmed positive for both, 3 could not be independently confirmed, 4 false negative on GRE, 1 was a false negative on EPI, and 2 were false positive on EPI. Conclusions: Segmented EPI adequately detected the presence of HT after tPA treatment, but overestimated its severity in comparison to GRE. Segmented EPI may be more sensitive to detect thrombus at the expense of an increased false positive rate. Segmented EPI may offer a faster MRI alternative in the acute clinical setting. Supported by: The Intramural DIvision of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health. Disclosure: Dr. Hernandez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Merino has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity as the Associate Science Editor of AAN.com. Dr. Freeman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Luby has nothing to disclose. Dr. Warach has nothing to disclose. Dr. Latour has nothing to disclose.
Sub-cellular modeling of platelet transport in blood flow through microchannels with constriction

Platelet transport through arterial constrictions is one of the controlling processes influencing their adhesive functions and the formation of thrombi. We perform high-fidelity mesoscopic simulations of blood flow in microchannels with constriction, resembling arterial stenoses. The wall shear rates inside the constrictions reach levels as high as ≈8000 s−1, similar to those encountered in moderate atherosclerotic plaques. Both red blood cells and platelets are resolved at sub-cellular resolution using the Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) method. We perform a systematic study on the red blood cell and platelet transport by considering different levels of constriction, blood hematocrit and flow rates. We find that higher levels of constriction and wall shear rates lead to significantly enhanced margination of platelets, which may explain the experimental observations of enhanced post-stenosis platelet aggregation. We also observe similar margination effects for stiff particles of spherical shapes such as leukocytes. To our knowledge, such numerical simulations of dense blood through complex geometries have not been performed before, and our quantitative findings could shed new light on the associated physiological processes such as ATP release, plasma skimming, and thrombus formation.
Clinical analysis of 19 adult heart failure patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Objective To analyze retrospectively adult patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in Fuwai Hospital.Methods We reviewed 19 adult patients (14 males,5 females) with heart and lung failure treated with ECMO from Dec,2004 to Apr,2006.The median age was 48.8 years (19 to 72 years),and the median body weight was 69.2 kg (37 to 100 kg).There were 4 patients from internal medicine ward,15 patients after open heart surgery.In all patients veno-arterial ECMO was instituted using Medtronic adult ECMO heparin-coated circuits.Results 13 of 19 patients (65.4%) successfully weaned from ECMO support,10 (52.6%) survived to hospital discharge,and 9 (47.4%) died.The average ECMO time was 83.3 h (11 to 196 h),the shortest time using single ECMO circuit was 40 h and the longest was 134 h.Conclusion ECMO is an effective mechanical assistant methad for clinical patients with heart and lung failure,it can buy time to recovery of cardiopulmonary function or transfer to heart or lung transplantation.
Yan Fu's Commentary on Taoism

Yan Fu attaches great importance to Taoism. He believes that Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi share remarkably with modern western science, and that both of them promulgate democracy and liberty. It is stated in this paper that Yan Fu's misunderstanding of Taoism is not caused by his deficiency in academic ability, but is undermined by his social ideal and the social background.
Case study on the benefits of an operational concept demo for GPS OCX

The following case study describes how a series of operational concept demonstrations provided significant benefits for the OCX program and how the lessons learned from that experience can be applied to other large, complex programs with multiple stakeholders.
Tissue plasminogen activator activity in human aqueous humor.

Purpose. To determine the levels of free plasminogen activator activity in human aqueous humor and to identify the type of activity (i.e., tissue-type t-PA or urokinase-type u-PA) that is responsible. Methods. Aqueous humor was obtained by a simplified pipette paraccniesis before cataract surgery in 31 subjects, ages 57 to 93 years. Levels of plasminogen activator activity were determined using a modified 1 7-hour specific arnidolyik: assay. The type of plasminogen activator was investigated in selected samples based on its dependence on soluble fibrin, inhibition by amiloride, and specific antibody blocking. Activity-antigen ratios were compared in seven samples. Results. Plasminogen activator (PA) activity was present in all samples tested. PA activity ranged widely between 0.54 and 26.7 inlU/ml, with a mean value of 10.8 ± 8.1 rnlU/ml. Soluble fibrin, a known stimulator of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), was required in the assay system. Its absence decreased the measured activity by more than 90%. Amiloride, a known inhibitor of urokinase-type PA, had little or no effect in selected samples tested. The activity was blocked by anti-human t-PA antibodies but not by antibodies against human u-PA, further defining the type of PA responsible for the detected activity. t-PA antigen levels showed less variation among individuals than did activity levels. Antigen-activity ratios ranged between 89 and 552. Conclusion. Plasminogen activator activity is present in the human aqueous humor in measurable quantities. The type of PA activity present is almost exclusively t-PA. t-PA activity varies more widely than antigen, as is the case in plasma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1994;35: 48-53 X lasminogen activators (PAs) are serine proteases that cleave plasminogen to form plasmin; thus, they play a key role in the regulation of proteolysis, especially fibrinolysis. The two major types of PA are tissue-type plasminogen activator and urokinase. Tissuetype plasminogen activator (t-PA) is a 68 kd protein whose major source is vascular endothelium. Urokinase (u-PA) is expressed by several cell types, including vascular endothelium. 1 t-PA is maximally active when
Setting the record straight on “To the fullest extent”

The passage of Dr. Goddard from the federal regulatory scene is in many ways regrettable. He brought to the FDA a vigor and excitement which-although occasionally misdirected or injudicioushelped to shake up an agency that badly needed (and still needs) revamping.
Building an ethical hacking site for learning and student engagement

This research investigates the use of build-your-own capture the flag ethical hacking simulations to help learners engage and understand penetration testing methodologies. Students in a senior level ungraduated ethical hacking class were tasked with the development of a capture the flag platform that scored participants' progress while exploiting a vulnerable web site. Remediation of the found vulnerabilities was also demonstrated to illustrate secure coding best practices. This work chronicles the development of one of the CTF platforms and the process used to develop it.
Are IPSS-R and IPSS Cytogenetic Risk Stratification Informative At the Time of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation?

Abstract 1400 Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of hematopoietic stem cell disorders. Cytogenetic aberrations are one of the main elements of risk stratification among published scoring systems including the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) or its recent revision (R-IPSS). R-IPSS cytogenetic risk stratification has 5 cytogenetic subgroups rather than 3 in the IPSS. We hypothesized that R-IPSS and/or IPSS cytogenetic risk stratification at the time of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) can better predict outcome afterwards. In patients who had cytogenetic results at both diagnosis and alloHCT, we evaluated the cytogenetic changes over time and compared how well the two cytogenetic risk stratification systems predicted outcome. One hundred consecutive patients with MDS undergoing an alloHCT (52% related donor, 13% unrelated donor, and 35% umbilical cord blood) at the University of Minnesota between 1995 and 2011 were evaluated. Their median age was 52 years (range, 18–69 years). Seventy-eight percent of the patients had ≥90% Karnofsky performance score, and 60% had INT-2 or a high IPSS score. Half received reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC). Patients with IPSS good-risk cytogenetics at diagnosis had a significantly better OS (62% at 5-year) compared to patients with intermediate or poor-risk cytogenetics. However, IPSS cytogenetic stratification at the time of transplantation predicted neither overall survival (OS) nor relapse (Table). Patients with IPSS-R very poor risk cytogenetics at either diagnosis or alloHCT had a dismal outcome; no patients in this category at alloHCT survived 5 years, and their relapse rate was also significantly higher (41%) compared to other cytogenetic risk subgroups (Table). In multivariate analysis, the only factor predicting relapse was the intensity of the conditioning regimen: those patients receiving RIC had a higher risk of relapse (HR, 2.5, 95% CI 1.1–5.4, p=0.03) than those who received myeloablative conditioning regimens. This data indicate that IPSS (at diagnosis) and IPSS-R (at both diagnosis and alloHCT) cytogenetic classifications provide important prognostic information in the best and worst subgroups, respectively, but are not as helpful for patients in the intermediate subgroups. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Operating in the Middle: The Experiences of African American Female Transfer Students in STEM Degree Programs at HBCUs

ABSTRACTIncreasing the representation of African American females is essential to ensure the United States (U.S.) remains a viable competitor in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce. With minorities anticipated to represent half of the resident U.S population by 2050, fostering STEM talent among this population is vital. Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) educate a large population of African Americans in STEM, with a large representation of this population entering via the community college. Understanding the experiences of African American female transfer students in STEM from the community college to the HBCU is essential. Utilizing the interplay of the Undergraduate Socialization Theory and the Triple Quandary Theory, this study explores the experiences of African American female community college transfer students into HBCUs, with a particular focus on the community college experiences that impacted their successful transition into STEM degree progr...
The robustness of single-point Tenax extractions of pyrethroids: Effects of the Tenax to organic carbon mass ratio on exposure estimates

Abstract Use of Tenax extractable concentrations to estimate biological exposure to hydrophobic organic contaminants is well documented, yet method variation exists between studies, specifically in the ratio of Tenax mass to organic carbon mass in the sediment (Tenax:OC ratio) being extracted. The effects of this variation on exposure estimates are not well understood. As Tenax is theoretically in direct competition with organic carbon for freely dissolved chemical in sediment interstitial water, varying the Tenax:OC ratio could impact single-point Tenax extraction (SPTE) exposure estimates. Therefore, the effects of varying Tenax:OC ratios on SPTE pyrethroid concentrations from field-contaminated and laboratory-spiked sediments were compared to bioaccumulation by Lumbriculus variegatus . The Tenax:OC ratio had minimal effect on SPTE pyrethroid concentrations. The SPTE pyrethroid concentrations obtained using the highest and lowest Tenax:OC ratios ranged from 0.85- to 3.91-fold different, which is unlikely to contribute substantial error to bioaccessibility estimates. Comparisons to Tenax exposure endpoints from previous research reveal the variation in these endpoints is likely due to toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic differences; processes common to exposure estimates provided by any chemical extraction technique. As the pyrethroid concentrations in the experimental sediments caused toxicity to L. variegatus , thus affecting bioaccumulation, the SPTE concentrations overestimated bioaccumulation. However, SPTE concentrations strongly correlated with growth inhibition regardless of the Tenax:OC ratio, providing accurate estimates of the correct exposure endpoint. Tenax masses of 0.500–0.800 g should provide sufficient Tenax to achieve Tenax:OC ratios of at least 5:1, which will provide accurate exposure estimates while retaining the ease of conducting SPTEs.
Case 4: Failure to Thrive and Electrolyte Abnormalities in a 3-year-old Girl

1. Danielle Brown, MD* 2. Lauren Hess, MD* 3. Geeta Singhal, MD, MEd* 1. *Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital. Houston, TX A 3-year-old girl presents to the emergency department after being referred from a pediatric gastroenterologist for failure to thrive. The girl’s foster mother reports that she has been noticing the child losing weight since she received her custody 7 months earlier. The girl has no significant medical history and, per her biological mother’s report, had been developing normally until the previous year. The biological mother supplies photographs and videos to support this claim; however, recent growth charts cannot be obtained. The only growth charts in the record show her at the 50th percentile for length and the 25th percentile for weight at 6 months of age. The foster mother reports frequent choking while eating but denies fever, headache, cough, abdominal pain, gross motor abnormalities, or changes in appetite. The girl’s weight is 9,000 g (<3rd percentile for age) and height is 33.5 in (85 cm) (1.53rd percentile for age). Her vitals are stable. On physical examination, she is an extremely thin child with very little subcutaneous fat and visible bony prominences. She is pale. Her abdomen is distended and tense but nontender. Her liver is enlarged. All other physical examination findings are normal. The patient is hospitalized. An abdominal ultrasound shows hepatomegaly, with the right lobe of the liver measuring 4.9 in (12.5 cm) in cephalocaudal length. Overnight, she becomes tachycardic to 150 beats/min, tachypneic to 33 breaths/min, and febrile to 100.5°F (38.0°C). Her blood pressure and oxygen saturation level are normal. On examination, she is not in respiratory distress, and her lungs are clear to auscultation without any adventitious sounds. Cardiac examination findings are normal. Laboratory evaluation at …
Black Swans, Lame Ducks, and the mystery of IPE's missing macroeconomy

ABSTRACTBritain's BREXIT vote and Trump's victory in the US presidential elections sent shockwaves through the Western liberal establishment, including academia. Both events suggest yet another ‘rethinking’ of International Political Economy (IPE). Yet we have been here before. After the global financial crisis of 2008, ‘Open Economy Politics’ (OEP) was criticized for being unable to either anticipate or adequately explain the global financial crisis. Now that IPE has been caught short twice in a decade, any rethinking must go beyond critique and beyond OEP. To stop being surprised, we argue that IPE needs to shift its focus from micro-foundations back to macro-effects. IPE today strangely lacks an appreciation for the global macroeconomics that drives the outcomes it has such difficulty explaining, such as recurring financial bubbles, increasing levels of inequality, and the global rise of populism. Bringing the global macroeconomy back into the IPE, we argue, is a necessary corrective.
Cultivating Subjects: Opium and rule in post-colonial Vietnam*

Swidden cultivators in the Southeast Asian highlands may work far from lowland centres, but certain crops attract powerful interests. During the First Indochina War (1946–54), French and Vietnamese political actors climbed the hills in pursuit of the Black River region's opium production and trade. Even after combat formally ended, opium contests continued into an independent Vietnam, intersecting with larger struggles over ethnic difference, state resource claims, and market organization. Using upland cultivators to examine post-colonial statemaking, this article tells a new story about opium's tangled relationship with socialist rule in Vietnam. Drawing on French and Vietnamese archival records, it traces the operation of successive opium regimes through war and into restive peace. Based on evidence of opium tax and purchase operations conducted by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) from 1951 to 1960, it argues that regulating the commodity sensitized cultivators to their long, fraught relations with state power. Far from passive, cultivating subjects animated revolutionary ideals, engaged smuggling networks, negotiated resource rights, and mounted an oppositional social movement. Peaking in 1957, the movement and subsequent crackdown illustrate tensions embedded in post-colonial relations of exchange and rule.
Hyperperiodic Tasks: A New Model for Hard Real-time Systems

Abstract Real-time scheduling algorithms have been extensively explored for real-time systems specified as a set of periodic or aperiodic tasks. In this paper, we propose a new model for real-time tasks called hyperperiodic tasks, and compare it with the classical notions. A hyperperiodic task is one that can be scheduled more frequently when there is "no load" on the system, but always recurs at least as frequently as a given hyperperiod. The hyperperiod thus represents the maximum time interval between two successive completions of execution. We also discuss conditions for the schedulability of hyperperiodic tasks and exhibit a scheduling algorithm.
Phase IV: Team President

Taking a Phase-IV leadership role represents a fundamental shift in duties. For one, your constituency is almost certain to contain professionals with distinctly different experiences and expertise from your own core competencies. Your initial selection may be based in part on your past achievements, but assessments of your efficacy will be based almost entirely on the success of others and the reputation of your institution. Your job is to further its broader mission by recruiting and retaining talent (human capital) and marshalling the resources they need.
Whole Body Periodic Acceleration (pGz) as a non-invasive preconditioning strategy for pediatric cardiac surgery.

Abstract We hypothesized that pGz has cardio and neuroprotective effects due to upregulation of pathways which include eNOS, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory pathways. We analyze protein expression of these pathways in the brain of neonatal piglets, as well as report on the myocardial function after Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest (DHCA) and pGz preconditioning. Animal data affirms both a cardio and neuroprotective role for pGz. These findings suggest that pGz can be a simple, non-invasive cardio and neuroprotective strategy preconditioning strategy in children requiring surgical intervention.
Likelihood-Based Approach for Uncertainty Quantification in Multi-Physics Systems

This chapter presents a computational methodology for uncertainty quantification in multi-physics systems that require iterative analysis between models corresponding to each discipline of physics. This methodology is based on computing the probability of satisfying the inter-disciplinary compatibility equations, conditioned on specific values of the coupling (or feedback) variables, and this information is used to estimate the probability distributions of the coupling variables. The estimation of the coupling variables is analogous to likelihood-based parameter estimation in statistics and thus leads to the likelihood approach for multi-disciplinary analysis (LAMDA). Using the distributions of the feedback variables, the coupling can be removed in any one direction without loss of generality, while still preserving the mathematical relationship between the coupling variables. The calculation of the probability distributions of the coupling variables is theoretically exact and does not require a fully coupled system analysis. The LAMDA methodology is first illustrated using a mathematical example and then applied to the analysis of a fire detection satellite.
On the application of kalman filtering to correct errors due to vertical deflections in inertial navigation

There is a large literature on the application of Kalman Filtering to Inertial Navigation Systems. (See e.g., [2], [7], [8], [12]). In this paper in order to present a concrete problem, we shall deal only with Shipboard Inertial Navigation Systems (SINS), and in particular, we shall discuss only the application of Kalman filtering for correcting errors due to vertical deflection (VD) of gravity. After briefly reviewing the basic physical theory, we shall formulate the main problems and indicate some current engineering solution, emphasizing the potential unsolved problems and research areas. Of particular mathematical interest here is the way in which random fields enter a "time-domain" filtering problem.
Social Skills Intervention for a Child who is Blind

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a social skills intervention plan for a preschool child who is blind and has no additional disabilities. After the plan was implemented, the child demonstr...
Size Distributions and Yields of Giant Vesicles Assembled on Cellulose Papers and Cotton Fabric

Lamellar phospholipid stacks on cellulose paper vesiculate to form cell-like giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) in aqueous solutions. The sizes and yields of the GUVs that result and their relationship to the properties of the cellulose fibers are unknown. Here, we report the characteristics of GUVs produced on four different cellulose substrates, three disordered porous media consisting of randomly entangled cellulose fibers (high-purity cellulose filter papers of different effective porosities), and an ordered network of weaved cellulose fibers (cotton fabric). Large numbers of GUVs formed on all four substrates. This result demonstrates for the first time that GUVs form on cotton fabric. Despite differences in the effective porosities and the configuration of the cellulose fibers, all four substrates yielded populations of GUVs with similar distribution of diameters. The distribution of diameters of the GUVs had a single well-defined peak and a right tail. Ninety-eight percent of the GUVs had diameters ...
Deepfake Video Detection Using Recurrent Neural Networks

In recent months a machine learning based free software tool has made it easy to create believable face swaps in videos that leaves few traces of manipulation, in what are known as "deepfake" videos. Scenarios where these realistic fake videos are used to create political distress, blackmail someone or fake terrorism events are easily envisioned. This paper proposes a temporal-aware pipeline to automatically detect deepfake videos. Our system uses a convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract frame-level features. These features are then used to train a recurrent neural network (RNN) that learns to classify if a video has been subject to manipulation or not. We evaluate our method against a large set of deepfake videos collected from multiple video websites. We show how our system can achieve competitive results in this task while using a simple architecture.
Successful Transplantation of 96 Hepatitis C-positive Donor Hearts in the Era of Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapies

Purpose The shortage of suitable donors for heart transplantation (HT) contributes to wait-list mortality and increased reliance on mechanical circulatory support. Since the advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) for treatment of hepatitis C (HCV), utilization of hepatitis C-exposed donors is now a viable strategy to expand the donor pool and potentially reduce waitlist time. Methods Between September 2016 and October 2018, 58 patients underwent HT from HCV-exposed donors. All patients were treated with standard immunosuppression and, for those who developed HCV infection, with a course of DAA. Data collection and analysis were performed after obtaining informed patient consent and IRB approval. Results Baseline characteristics: Mean age of recipients at time of HT was 52 ± 13 years (72% male, 69% Caucasian, 41% on left ventricular assist device support). Mean age of donors was 30 ± 7 years. Among donors, results of HCV antibody (Ab) and nucleic acid testing (NAT) were: 47 Ab+/NAT+, 9 Ab+/NAT-, 2 Ab-/NAT+. Time to transplant: Among all patients, active waitlist time from time of consent to accept HCV-exposed donors was median 4 days (IQR 1, 17). Hepatitis C testing and treatment: No recipients of NAT- donor hearts developed HCV infection. Of the 49 patients who received NAT+ donor hearts, 46 (94%) developed HCV infection, including 27 patients who completed DAA therapy with cure demonstrated by absence of viremia at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12), 7 patients in whom treatment is ongoing or recently completed, and 7 patients who have yet to initiate treatment. By the time of ISHLT 2019, we expect to have SVR12 data for all infected patients who have completed treatment, 30 of whom will be at least one year post-HT. To date, there has been no suggestion of increased rates of rejection, graft dysfunction or vasculopathy among infected patients, nor has there been a suggestion of liver injury. Conclusion In the era of highly effective HCV pharmacotherapy, the use of HCV-exposed donors safely allows for expansion of the donor pool.
Disparities in breast cancer subtypes among women in the lower Mississippi Delta Region states.

To describe and elucidate rates in breast cancer incidence by subtype in the federally designated Mississippi Delta Region, an impoverished region across eight Southern/Midwest states with a high proportion of Black residents and notable breast cancer mortality disparities. Cancer registry data from seven LMDR states (Missouri was not included because of permission issues) were used to explore breast cancer incidence differences by subtype between the LMDR’s Delta and non-Delta Regions and between White and Black women within the Delta Region (2012–2014). Overall and subtype-specific age-adjusted incidence rates and rate ratios were calculated. Multilevel negative binomial regression models were used to evaluate how individual-level and area-level factors, like race/ethnicity and poverty level, respectively, affect rates of breast cancers by subtype. Women in the Delta Region had higher rates of triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive subtype, than women in the non-Delta (17.0 vs. 14.4 per 100,000), but the elevated rate was attenuated to non-statistical significance in multivariable analysis. Urban Delta women also had higher rates of triple-negative breast cancer than non-Delta urban women, which remained in multivariable analysis. In the Delta Region, Black women had higher overall breast cancer rates than their White counterparts, which remained in multivariable analysis. Higher rates of triple-negative breast cancer in the Delta Region may help explain the Region’s mortality disparity. Further, an important area of future research is to determine what unaccounted for individual-level or social area-level factors contribute to the elevated breast cancer incidence rate among Black women in the Delta Region.
The Evolution of Britain's Defense Posture, 1945-1979

This paper attempts to concisely detail the evolution of Britain's post-war defense posture. Dividing it into six phases between 1945 and 1979 its emphasis is on the trends with regard to defense spending as a share of GDP, the manning of the forces, their mission and deployment internationally, and to a lesser extent the force sizing and technological development of key capabilities (e.g. nuclear and naval).
Extrinsic Photoluminescence in Unintentionally and Magnesium Doped GaInAs/GaAs Strained Quantum Wells

Low temperature photoluminescence spectra of various InxGa1-xAs/GaAs strained quantum wells and superlattices have been analyzed to study the contribution of residual and magnesium acceptors to the photoluminescence emissions. Sharp and intense structures due to free exciton recombinations dominate the spectra of undoped samples. These structures broaden, and weaker emissions on their low energy side become more prominent when intentional p-type doping is larger than 1016 cm-3. The broadening of the excitonic structure is interpreted as being due to additional emission from excitons bound either to neutral acceptors in the wells or to impurities or defects at the well-barrier interfaces. The small structures are due to recombinations between electrons and acceptors confined in the wells. The binding energy of the acceptors deduced from the spectra is compared to that calculated taking into account the strain induced valence band splitting and the large heavy hole anistropy, together with the binding energy enhancement due to confinement.
Dual mechanisms suppress meloxicam bioactivation relative to sudoxicam

Thiazoles are biologically active aromatic heterocyclic rings occurring frequently in natural products and drugs. These molecules undergo typically harmless elimination; however, a hepatotoxic response can occur due to multistep bioactivation of the thiazole to generate a reactive thioamide. A basis for those differences in outcomes remains unknown. A textbook example is the high hepatotoxicity observed for sudoxicam in contrast to the relative safe use and marketability of meloxicam, which differs in structure from sudoxicam by the addition of a single methyl group. Both drugs undergo bioactivation, but meloxicam exhibits an additional detoxification pathway due to hydroxylation of the methyl group. We hypothesized that thiazole bioactivation efficiency is similar between sudoxicam and meloxicam due to the methyl group being a weak electron donator, and thus, the relevance of bioactivation depends on the competing detoxification pathway. For a rapid analysis, we modeled epoxidation of sudoxicam derivatives to investigate the impact of substituents on thiazole bioactivation. As expected, electron donating groups increased the likelihood for epoxidation with a minimal effect for the methyl group, but model predictions did not extrapolate well among all types of substituents. Through analytical methods, we measured steady-state kinetics for metabolic bioactivation of sudoxicam and meloxicam by human liver microsomes. Sudoxicam bioactivation was 6-fold more efficient than that for meloxicam, yet meloxicam showed a 6-fold higher efficiency of detoxification than bioactivation. Overall, sudoxicam bioactivation was 15-fold more likely than meloxicam considering all metabolic clearance pathways. Kinetic differences likely arise from different enzymes catalyzing respective metabolic pathways based on phenotyping studies. Rather than simply providing an alternative detoxification pathway, the meloxicam methyl group suppressed the bioactivation reaction. These findings indicate the impact of thiazole substituents on bioactivation is more complex than previously thought and likely contributes to the unpredictability of their toxic potential.
Fabrication of bimorph lead zirconate titanate thick films on metal substrates via the cold sintering-assisted process

Abstract A novel process was developed for the fabrication of 5–50 µm lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thick films on metal substrates. Tape cast PZT with a methyl cellulose binder was burned out at 275 °C, humidified, and then partially densified at 300 °C by cold sintering with a wet lead nitrate liquid phase. Lamination of the green tape on dense metal foils led to incomplete densification due to constrained sintering. However, when metal foils were replaced with tape cast Cu, fully sintered PZT/Cu/PZT composites were acquired after a secondary heat treatment at 800 °C. The PZT films has a relative permittivity over 500 and a loss tangent ~12% at 100 Hz because of a Cu2O interface between the PZT and Cu presumably formed during the cold sintering process. The polarization-electric field hysteresis loop shows a remanent polarization over 20 µC/cm2, and the e31,f of the samples is -4.7 C/m2.
The Use of Curriculum-Based Measures/Response to Intervention Within the Context of Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing

Curriculum-based measures (CBM) of reading, writing, and math are frequently employed in the schools to document a student’s growth within a response to intervention (RTI) framework. The data gleaned from these quick, frequent measures can be used within the specific learning disabilities eligibility decision-making process as one assessment method in a comprehensive evaluation. CBM provides educators with information regarding a student’s skill deficits and areas to target within intervention. This chapter provides an overview of CBM and how it can be used in the prereferral and eligibility evaluation processes to document student progress. Additionally, this chapter provides an example psychoeducational report that incorporates CBM and tips for writing such reports.
Evaluating the cytotoxicity of a large pool of metal oxide nanoparticles to Escherichia coli: Mechanistic understanding through In Vitro and In Silico studies

The toxic effect of eight metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) on Escherichia coli was experimentally evaluated following standard bioassay protocols. The obtained cytotoxicity ranking of these studied MONPs is Er2O3, Gd2O3, CeO2, Co2O3, Mn2O3, Co3O4, Fe3O4/WO3 (in descending order). The computed EC50 values from experimental data suggested that Er2O3 and Gd2O3 were the most acutely toxic MONPs to E. coli. To identify the mechanism of toxicity of these 8 MONPs along with 17 other MONPs from our previous study, we employed seven classifications and machine learning (ML) algorithms including linear discriminant analysis (LDA), naive bayes (NB), multinomial logistic regression (MLogitR), sequential minimal optimization (SMO), AdaBoost, J48, and random forest (RF). We also employed 1st and 2nd generation periodic table descriptors developed by us (without any sophisticated computing facilities) along with experimentally analyzed Zeta-potential, to model the cytotoxicity of these MONPs. Based on qualitative validation metrics, the LDA model appeared to be the best among the 7 tested models. The core environment of metal defined by the ratio of the number of core electrons to the number of valence electrons and the electronegativity count of oxygen showed a positive impact on toxicity. The identified properties were important for understanding the mechanisms of nanotoxicity and for predicting the potential environmental risk associated with MONPs exposure. The developed models can be utilized for environmental risk assessment of any untested MONP to E. coli, thereby providing a scientific basis for the design and preparation of safe nanomaterials.
Prognostic Factors in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancers Metastatic to the Cervical Spine

OBJECTIVES The spine is the most common site of bone metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The role of surgery in the management of cervical spine (C-spine) metastases (CSpM) has not been adequately explored. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary referral center from 2002 to 2018. Inclusion criteria were pathologic diagnosis of DTC and imaging/pathologic diagnosis of CSpM. Statistical analysis utilized t tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for categorical variables. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves with univariate and multivariate Cox regressions. RESULTS Fifty patients with DTC and CSpM were identified. Of those, 16 underwent surgical resection of the C-spine, whereas 34 did not. The most common presenting symptom was neck pain (N = 37, 74%). Patients in the surgery group were more likely to report a subjective improvement of symptoms (P < .01) and to have local (P < .01) and systemic (P = .04) disease control. Five-year overall survival was 44.7% for the surgery group (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.1-69.3) and 11.1% (95% CI: 2.1-28.8) for the nonsurgery group (P = .01). The strongest risk factor for improved overall survival after C-spine metastasis was local disease control at the C-spine (multivariate hazard ratio [HR] = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12-0.85, P = .02). Surgical intervention was significantly associated with improved survival on both univariate (HR = 0. 35, 95% CI: 0.15-0.82, P = .02) and multivariate (HR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14-0.98, P = .04) analysis. CONCLUSION Surgical management of CSpM in differentiated thyroid cancers is associated with significantly improved local disease control and overall survival. Referral to spine surgeons should be considered after diagnosis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV. Laryngoscope, 131:E1741-E1747, 2021.
Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on adolescents in India

Background: It has been six months since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in India. Since then, the focus has been on finding a cure to the disease. Largely neglected is the psychological impact of the pandemic on the adolescent population in the country. Methods: A hybrid combination of interviews and standardised questionnaires was used for data collection. The questionnaires were sent through an anonymous link on a social media platform to collect responses from July 4-8. The Impact of Events scale-Revised (IES-R) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used to assess the psychological impact and perceived social support. Results: Approximately, every four in five respondents had a significant psychological impact (IES score>24). Higher psychological impact was significantly associated with females, lower perceived social support, decreased sleep quality and a greater frequency of watching pandemic related news. Increased physical activity and time spent to relax predicted lower psychological impact. Conclusion: Approximately 81% of the adolescents surveyed had a significant psychological impact due to the pandemic which highlights the need of more longitudinal studies to be conducted on this age group. Urgent care and appropriate formulation of policies is needed to address the identified problems and to provide care to those in need.
5G Satellite-Cellular Coexistence: SER Analysis toward Coordinated Adaptive Modulation

Satellite communication and cellular communication systems have not been cooperative for use cases during the past two decades. However, recent research seriously takes into account consolidating satellite and cellular communication systems in 5th and 6th generation (5G and 6G) wireless communications. This paper analyzes the potential symbol error rate (SER) performance considering 5G coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission with the satellite and next-generation Node B (gNB), considering adaptive modulation in satellite communication downlink. The comprehensive simulations consider higher-order modulation schemes than those conventionally supported by the satellite in a variety of scenarios in terms of phase noise, modulation order, and altitude of satellite or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The simulation results exhibit that satellites or UAVs need to adaptively change their modulation schemes.
Improving Instruction of Programming Patterns with Faded Parsons Problems

Learning to recognize and apply programming patterns — reusable abstractions of code — is critical to becoming a proficient computer scientist. However, many introductory Computer Science courses do not teach patterns, in part because teaching these concepts requires significant curriculum changes. As an alternative, we explore how a novel user interface for practicing coding — Faded Parsons Problems — can support introductory Computer Science students in learning to apply programming patterns. We ran a classroom-based study with 237 students which found that Faded Parsons Problems, or rearranging and completing partially blank lines of code into a valid program, are an effective exercise interface for teaching programming patterns, significantly surpassing the performance of the more standard approaches of code writing and code tracing exercises. Faded Parsons Problems also improve overall code writing ability at a comparable level to code writing exercises, but are preferred by students.
Impaired sleep-dependent consolidation after stroke - interaction of slow waves, rehabilitation and GABA

Sleep is known to be important for promoting recovery after brain injuries such as stroke. Yet, it remains unclear how stroke affects neural processing during sleep and how to precisely enhance sleep-dependent memory consolidation after stroke, i.e., stabilize motor memories during rehabilitation. Using a rat stroke model along with long-term electrophysiological monitoring of neural firing and sleep microarchitecture, here we show that motor memory consolidation after cortical stroke is impaired. Specifically, we find that the precise coupling of spindles to global slow-oscillations (SO), a phenomenon that is known to be important for memory consolidation, is disrupted by a pathological increase in "isolated" local delta waves. The transition from this pathological to a more physiological sleep state - with both a reduction in isolated delta waves and increased spindle coupling to SO - was found to be important for sustained performance gains with task training. Interestingly, post-stroke sleep processing could be pushed towards a more physiological state via a pharmacological reduction of tonic GABA. Together, our results indicate that sleep processing after stroke is impaired due to an increase in local delta waves and that restoration of physiological processing is important for motor memory consolidation during rehabilitation.
Preparing for a diminished cryosphere

The global implications of a rapidly diminishing Cryosphere urge a human-centered framework to address the sustainability and equity concerns arising from impacts of cryospheric change and economic development. This more inclusive paradigm would enable research and policy approaches premised on causalities, historical injustices, and needs for enhancing the resilience of and for indigenous peoples and smallholders. This framework will need to reconsider what human dimensions can be added to current biophysical monitoring, including evaluations of infrastructure, land and marine resources, institutions, and policies. It should facilitate the sharing of data and lived experiences of people affected by and interacting with social-ecological systems with less sea ice, glaciers, and snow cover.
Modulation of MNC Phenotype and Macrophage Differentiation by the Matrix Elasticity in the Foreign Body Reaction

Biomaterial-induced multinucleated cells (MNC) have been observed within the material implantation sites, but their subtypes and roles in tissue repair and wound healing remain unclear. Herein, we present using an elastic gradient of the gelatin-based 3D matrix (Col-Tgel), as compared to cytokine, to induce MNCs in the in vitro and in vivo models. The 3D embedded Raw264.7 cells and rat bone marrow-derived monocytes (BMDMs), with or without cytokines such as IL-4 and RANKL, were characterized in terms of their MNCs morphologies and subtypes by in situ immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. The macrophage polarization or osteoclasts differentiation markers such as NO production, arginase, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activities assays were conducted to compare matrix specific effects. 3D matrix-induced MNCs expressed the same phenotypic heterogeneity as the IL-4 and RANK treated ones. The high elastic matrix (1006.48±92.29 Pa) induced high proinflammatory and osteoclast-like MNCs populations, but pro-, anti-inflammatory, and osteoclast-like macrophage differentiation and gene expression were highly active in the low elastic matrix (38.61±7.56 Pa). The matrix elasticity also altered the effect of IL-4 and RANKL on macrophage-derived MSC polarization. In the in vivo subcutaneous implantation model, higher CD86+ and RANK+ MNCs populations displayed in the medium to high elastic matrices while relatively high CD206+ MNCs population presented in the low elastic matrix. Results suggested that the matrix elasticity modulated macrophage differentiation and MNCs phenotype. The low elastic matrix may favor anti-inflammatory MNCs and macrophage differentiation for subcutaneous implantation.
Systems with General Ontologies

The feature systems with general ontologies that are considered in this chapter reduce the “ontological commitment” of the feature systems. Using features to describe the shape of a homogeneous region implies that such shape has relevance in the process of signification. Such relevance goes beyond the purely syntactic description: only the components for which features are selected have semantic value. In other words, such features are based on a prior semantic assessment of the relevance of certain components of the image. Only once these components are identified can one face the technical problem of how to extract an appropriate description from the image data. The features introduced in this chapter attempt a syntactic description of the image as a datum. Most of the methods in this chapter are based on transforms: mappings from the image space to some different space that preserve all information in the image, in the sense that they allow a reconstruction of the image they describe. Transforms are not completely free of ontological investments, but these investments are perceptual rather than semantic. Many transforms of practical utility decompose images along axes that are known to play an important role in the early analysis of image, like spatial frequency, scale, and direction.