cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing a physical emulator for a flexible manufacturing system

In order to develop, test, and validate system control software for managing flexible manufacturing systems, most laboratories have constructed an experimental testbed using actual manufacturing equipment. These experimental systems typically occupy a large amount of lab space, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to construct, and require considerable human expertise to operate. In addition, given their experimental nature, there is little or no opportunity to recapture the costs through the manufacturing of commercial products. We propose an alternative solution for providing the essential testbed. Using dedicated micro-controllers (programmable logic controllers), we have developed a physical emulator for a flexible manufacturing cell which faithfully replicates the operating characteristics of an ensemble of physical equipment that would typically comprise a flexible manufacturing system. The proposed system has several unique advantages over the traditional testbeds. First, it is inexpensive and can easily be replicated at other laboratories. Second, it can be easily reconfigured to consider alternative manufacturing scenarios. Third, it can consider an emulated environment that is far more complex than those that are typically addressed by testbeds using actual equipment. Finally, it is totally reliable and safe, and it requires minimal expertise to operate. The paper discusses the design and operational characteristics of the developed emulator along with its anticipated uses and current limitations.
Emergence and natural selection of drug-resistant prions

Drug resistance is a refractory barrier in the battle against many fatal diseases caused by rapidly evolving agents, including HIV, apicomplexans and specific cancers. Emerging evidence suggests that drug resistance might extend to lethal prion disorders and related neurodegenerative amyloidoses. Prions are self-replicating protein conformers, usually ‘cross-β’ amyloid polymers, which are naturally transmitted between individuals and promote phenotypic change. Prion conformers are catalytic templates that specifically convert other copies of the same protein to the prion form. Once in motion, this chain reaction of conformational replication can deplete all non-prion copies of a protein. Typically, prions exist as ensembles of multiple structurally distinct, self-replicating forms or ‘strains’. Each strain confers a distinct phenotype and replicates at different rates depending on the environment. As replicators, prions are units of selection. Thus, natural selection inescapably enriches or depletes various prion strains from populations depending on their conformational fitness (ability to self-replicate) in the prevailing environment. The most successful prions confer advantages to their host as with numerous yeast prions. Here, I review recent evidence that drug-like small molecules can antagonize some prion strains but simultaneously select for drug-resistant prions composed of mammalian PrP or the yeast prion protein, Sup35. For Sup35, the drug-resistant strain configures original intermolecular amyloid contacts that are not ordinarily detected. Importantly, a synergistic small-molecule cocktail counters prion diversity by eliminating multiple Sup35 prion strains. Collectively, these advances illuminate the plasticity of prionogenesis and suggest that synergistic combinatorial therapies might circumvent this pathological vicissitude.
Primary Graft Failure Following Lung Transplantation

Study objectives To determine the incidence of primary graft failure (PGF) following lung transplantation, assess possible risk factors, and characterize its effect on outcomes. Methods Retrospective review of 100 consecutive patients undergoing lung transplantation at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. Fifteen patients meeting diagnostic criteria for PGF (PGF+ group) were compared with 85 patients without this complication (PGF– group). Results The incidence of PGF was 15%. There was no significant difference in age, sex, underlying pulmonary disease, preoperative pulmonary artery systolic pressure, type of transplant, allograft ischemic times, use of cardiopulmonary bypass, or use of postoperative prostaglandin E 1 infusion between the PGF+ and PGF– groups. Induction therapy with antilymphocyte globulin was used less frequently in the PGF+ group (p 1 at 1 year was 43% for the PGF+ group and 55% for the PGF– groups, but this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions PGF is a devastating postoperative complication, occuring in 15% of patients in the current series, and it is associated with a high mortality rate, lengthy hospitalization, and protracted and often compromised recovery among survivors.
A Jordan-type CFE for multipoint Pade approximants

A Jordan-type continued fraction expansion (CFE) is used to produce multipoint Pade approximants of high-order plant. An efficient algorithm which is conceptually simple and computationally convenient is proposed for expanding a transfer function into a Jordan continued fraction about any points of interest s=+or-j omega /sub i/ on the imaginary axis of the s-plane. No tedious computations involving complex algebra are required. This technique overcomes the chief problem of the Pade class, namely, that unstable estimates may result for a stable system. Also presented is an algorithm for inverting the multipoint Jordan continued fraction into a rational form. Finally, an example is used to illustrate the application of the proposed method. >
A simple 'derivation' of Maxwell's equations relying on the new extended Helmholtz theorem

Originally Maxwell's equations were obtained by the creation of mathematical expressions that modeled measurements and by Maxwell's hypotheses that filled in some of the missing relationships. Maxwell's equations were not actually derived until 1929 when Weyl (1950) using the methods of gauge theory obtained the electromagnetic field strength tensor in terms of potentials. In the 1980s Kobe (1980, 1981), in a set of papers, showed that they can be found by both classical mechanical and quantum mechanical gauge transformations. In 1985 Kapuscik proposed an extended Helmholtz theorem by which any two coupled time dependent vector fields can be related. He suggested, and Heras (see Am J. Phys., vol.62, p.949-950, 1994) formalized, a derivation of Maxwell's equations directly in terms of the fields, thereby avoiding gauges, potentials, and the methods of classical and quantum mechanics. The author also uses the extended Helmholtz theorem, but based on a set of hypotheses that diverge from those of Heras.
It takes guts: the Drosophila hindgut as a model system for organogenesis.

The Drosophila hindgut is fruitful territory for investigation of events common to many types of organogenesis. The development of the Drosophila hindgut provides, in microcosm, a genetic model system for studying processes such as establishment (patterning) of an epithelial primordium, its internalization by gastrulation, development of left--right asymmetric looping, patterning in both the anteroposterior and dorsoventral axes, innervation, investment of an epithelium with mesoderm, reciprocal epitheliomesenchymal interactions, cell shape change, and cell rearrangement. We review the genetic control of these processes during development of the Drosophila hindgut, and compare these to related processes in other bilaterians, particularly vertebrates. We propose that caudal/Cdx, brachyenteron/Brachyury, fork head/HNF-3, and wingless/Wnt constitute a conserved "cassette" of genes expressed in the blastopore and later in the gut, involved in posterior patterning, cell rearrangement, and gut maintenance. Elongation of the internalized Drosophila hindgut primordium is similar to elongation of the archenteron and also of the entire embryonic axis (both during and after gastrulation), as well as of various tubules (e.g., nephric ducts, Malpighian tubules), as it is driven by cell rearrangement. The genes drumstick, bowl, and lines (which encode putative transcriptional regulators) are required for this cell rearrangement, as well as for spatially localized gene expression required to establish the three morphologically distinct subregions of the hindgut. Expression of signaling molecules regulated by drumstick, bowl, and lines, in particular of the JAK/STAT activator Unpaired at the hindgut anterior, may play a role in controlling hindgut cell rearrangement. Other cell signaling molecules expressed in the hindgut epithelium are required to establish its normal size (Dpp and Hh), and to establish and maintain the hindgut visceral mesoderm (Wg and Hh). Both maternal gene activity and zygotic gene activity are required for asymmetric left--right looping of the hindgut. Some of the same genes (caudal and brachyenteron) required for embryonic hindgut development also act during pupation to construct a new hindgut from imaginal cells. Application of the plethora of genetic techniques available in Drosophila, including forward genetic screens, should identify additional genes controlling hindgut development and thus shed light on a variety of common morphogenetic processes.
A 12 mW wide dynamic range CMOS front end for a portable GPS receiver

This paper describes a CMOS low-noise amplifier (LNA) and mixer intended for use in the front-end of a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The circuits were implemented in a standard 0.35-/spl mu/m (drawn) CMOS process, with one poly and two metal layers. The LNA has a forward gain (S21) of 17 dB and a noise figure of 3.8 dB. The mixer has a voltage conversion gain of -3.6 dB and a third-order intermodulation intercept point (IP3) of 10 dBm, input referred. The combination draws 12 mW from a 1.5-V supply.
Using Digital 3D Scanning to Create “Artifictions” of the Passenger Pigeon and Harelip Sucker, Two Extinct Species in Eastern North America: The Future Examines the Past

The Virtual Curation Laboratory at Virginia Commonwealth University created 3D representations of digital morphological models, termed “artifictions,” of several bone elements from two extinct animals, the passenger pigeon ( Ectopistes migratorius Linnaeus Columbidae) and the harelip sucker ( Moxostoma lacerum Jordan and Brayton Catostomidae). Procuring recent comparative reference skeletons these species is extremely difficult. The creation of artifictions, 3D printed replicas of skeletal remains, aims to help researchers become familiar with the bones of harelip sucker and passenger pigeon to facilitate morphological identification of remains of these species within archaeological assemblages. Here, we discuss the two species, the techniques used to create digital topological models of individual skeletal elements, and the obstacles encountered regarding 3D printed artifictions in zooarchaeology.
Amicus Brief of Family Law Professors and AAML on the Merits of United States v. Windsor

This amicus brief – filed on behalf of Family Law Professors - clarifies the relationship between Congress and the states with regard to family status, particularly marital status. The brief argues that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act disestablishes marital status, for all federal purposes, for one subset of married couples, in contravention of an exceedingly strong norm of federal deference to state family status determinations. Unlike any other federal statute, DOMA selectively withdraws state-conferred marital status. Regardless of whether the federal government has the power to abrogate marital status for one subset of married couples for all federal purposes, it had never, before DOMA, done so.Part I of the brief explains why DOMA cannot be justified as an attempt to ensure federal uniformity with regard to the treatment of marriage because federal law is still silent on critical eligibility criteria for marriage. Thus, similarly situated couples in different states have always been and still are treated differently at the federal level. Moreover, Congress’ alleged need to maintain uniformity does not comport with its long history of deference to state divorce determinations (which are marital status determinations), when there was tremendous diversity between the states with regard to eligibility for divorce. Section 3’s marital restriction is also inconsistent with Congress’ ongoing deference to state determinations of other family statuses, particularly parental status. Modern technological and scientific achievements have made diversity in the state laws of parenthood far more complicated and extensive than current state disagreements over marriage for same sex couples. Yet there is no federal law of parenthood.Part II of the brief explains how all existing federal statues pertaining to family status can be divided into three categories and all maintain the federal government’s traditional deference to state-determined family status. First, and most common, are federal statutes that implicitly invoke the state law of family status. Second, are federal statutes and regulations that explicitly invoke the state law of family status. Third, there are federal statutes and regulations that expand or restrict the category of who will be eligible for federal benefits under particular statutes based on policy reasons, particularly fraud-prevention and public fisc protection, pertinent to those specific statutes. None of those statutory definitions of marriage does what DOMA does, which is selectively withdraw marital status for one subset of marriages for all federal purposes.
Investigating racial disparities in use of NK1 receptor antagonists to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among women with breast cancer.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a major concern for cancer patients and, if uncontrolled, can seriously compromise quality of life (QOL) and other treatment outcomes. Because of the expense of antiemetic medications used to prevent CINV (particularly oral medications filled through Medicare Part D), disparities in their use may exist. We used 2006–2012 SEER-Medicare data to evaluate the use of neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists (NK1s), a potent class of antiemetics, among black and white women initiating highly emetogenic chemotherapy for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. We used modified Poisson regression to assess the relationship between race and (1) any NK1 use, (2) oral NK1 (aprepitant) use, and (3) intravenous NK1 (fosaprepitant) use. We report adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The study included 1130 women. We observed racial disparities in use of any NK1 (aRR: 0.68, 95 % CI 0.51–0.91) and in use of oral aprepitant specifically (aRR: 0.54, 95 % CI 0.35–0.83). We did not observe disparities in intravenous fosaprepitant use. After controlling for variables related to socioeconomic status, disparities in NK1 and aprepitant use were reduced but not eliminated. We found racial disparities in women’s use of oral NK1s for the prevention of CINV. These disparities may be partly explained by racial differences in socioeconomic status, which may translate into differential ability to afford the medication.
AN OBJECT-ORIENTED INTERFACE FOR SIMULINK MODELS

Visual programs for modeling dynamic systems have become popular because they simplify the construction and maintenance of math models. These products also offer an appealing variety of analytical tools that aid the evaluation of model performance. With the addition of code generators, these tools can convert their visual diagrams into source code that can run standalone or be integrated within an existing software product. The simulation industry has experienced a growing trend of integrating generated code with existing, simulation frameworks. Because the simulation framework and the auto-code generator are based on independent designs, developers must add software layers that overcome incompatibilities. Ideally, the developer strives to design a reusable interface for the visual-modeling product. This frees future projects from handling autocode integration issues. However, achieving a reusable interface may require customization of the visual modeling product and restrictive guidelines on its use. Many simulation customers at NASA Langley Research Center have selected Mathworks' Simulink® for visual modeling. Mathworks supplies a code generator for Simulink called the Real-Time Workshop® (RTW).
A reduced relevance of vegetation change for alluvial aggradation in arid zones

A basic tenet of arid region geomorphology is that a decrease in hillslope vegetation density coupled with increases in monsoonal precipitation after a change to a warmer and drier climate is an essential factor for an increase in sediment yield and fan aggradation. Over the last two decades vegetative cover change is increasingly cited as a prominent factor in triggering the onset of fan aggradation in deserts of southwestern North America, especially in analysis of fan deposition during the late Pleistocene–Holocene (LPH) climatic transition. To assess this assertion, we compiled paleobotanical and alluvial fan stratigraphy histories from 18 published studies broadly representing four different areas in the Mojave and northern Sonoran Deserts. Instead of focusing on chronology aggregation and comparison with global or regional climate change proxies forced by orbital parameters, we discriminated by altitudinal regions, looking for linkages between local vegetation change and alluvial deposition. Results indicate that the onset of extensive alluvial fan deposition (1) began well before changes in catchment vegetative cover, and (2) can occur during several possible combinations of vegetation change. The ambiguous relation between vegetation change and alluvial fan aggradation indicates that vegetation had a reduced role in LPH aggradation. Other factors, such as local storm intensity and water and sediment redistribution pathways on hillslopes, need to be considered in this analysis given the important role that the combined hillslope/alluvial system has on arid region ecosystem functions.
Homogeneous Nucleation of Methane Hydrate in Microsecond Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We report atomistically detailed molecular dynamics simulations of homogeneous nucleation of methane hydrate in bulk aqueous phase in the absence of any interface. Subcritical clusters of water and methane molecules are formed in the initial segment of the simulations, which then aggregate to give the critical hydrate nucleus. This occurs over time scales of several hundred nanoseconds, indicating that the formation and aggregation of subcritical clusters can contribute significantly to the overall rate of hydrate nucleation. The clusters have elements of sI hydrate structure, such as 5(12) and 5(12)6(2) cages as well as other uncommon 5(12)6(3) and 5(12)6(4) cages, but do not possess long-range order. Clusters are dynamic in nature and undergo continuous structural rearrangements.
'Thrown in with the Rest' Local Policy on Children of Incarcerated Parents in Frederick, Md

Mass Incarceration is making significant impacts on communities — particularly African American communities and most importantly on the families of the incarcerated individuals. Michelle Alexander and others have pointed out the potential impact that having an incarcerated parent is likely to have on the parent’s children. Children with a parent or guardian in prison are more likely to experience incarceration themselves, live in poverty, and have lower educational attainment. This paper examines local policies, and a number of nonprofit organizations in Frederick, Maryland to determine how the specific needs of children who have at least one parent who is incarcerated are addressed by these agencies. In the paper I describe the few programs and services that are available to children of incarcerated parents. I found that the programs that address the particular needs of children who have incarcerated parents are severely lacking (particularly at the level of local government) and that there is generally a dearth of public policy that addresses this issue. Furthermore, currently there is not even an accounting of families impacted by incarceration in Frederick. There needs to be public policy that measures the scope of the problem in Frederick. There also needs to be a greater allocation of funds to existing programs that address the particular needs of this demographic. As a result of the lack in services geared directly toward the children, myself and another colleague are at the inception of such a program which I will go in more detail about later on.
How Avoidable are Hospitalizations for Children With Medical Complexity? Understanding Parent Perspectives.

Abstract Objective Children with medical complexity (CMC) are a small group that utilizes large amounts of health care resources. Although parents are the primary healthcare decision-makers for their children, little is known from their perspective about why CMC are hospitalized. We sought to understand what parents think about factors leading to hospitalization and whether any recent hospitalizations might have been avoidable. Methods We conducted qualitative, semistructured interviews with 35 parents of hospitalized CMC who receive care in the Pediatric Medical Home Program, a complex care program at University of California, Los Angeles. Interviews were conducted in English and in Spanish, audio-recorded, transcribed and translated, then coded in ATLAS.ti (Scientific Software Development Gmbh, Berlin, Germany) for qualitative analysis. We sorted qualitative codes into groups with shared concepts, to generate emergent themes. Results Parents described their experiences leading up to their children's hospitalization, but no one suggested that the hospitalization was potentially avoidable. Most parents perceived their children as having higher susceptibility because of underlying conditions, perceived the symptoms they observed as high-risk, and described seeking emergent care only when they no longer were comfortable at home. Decisions about where to seek care were influenced by health care system factors such as accessibility and continuity of care. Most parents expressed a desire to learn more about their children's conditions and how best to care for them at home. Conclusions Parents of CMC believe that hospitalizations are largely unavoidable because of higher susceptibility and higher risk. Increasing parents' self-efficacy in caring for children at home might influence their decisions to seek emergent care.
User-Centered and Analytic-Based Approaches to Generate Usable Gestures for Individuals With Quadriplegia

Hand gesture-based interfaces have become increasingly popular as a form to interact with computing devices. Unfortunately, standard gesture interfaces are not very usable by individuals with upper limb motor impairments, including quadriplegics due to spinal cord injury (SCI). The objective of this paper is to convert an existing interface to be usable by users with motor impairments. The key idea is to project existing patterns of gestural behavior to match those exhibited by users with quadriplegia due to common cervical SCIs. Two complementary approaches (a user-centered and an analytic approach) have been developed and validated to provide both subjective and quantitative solutions to interface design. The feasibility of the proposed methodology was validated through user-based experimental paradigms. Through this study, subjects with upper extremity motor impairments preferred (gave a significantly lower Borg scale) the use of alternative constrained gestures generated by the proposed approach rather than the standard gestures.
Research of Nonlinear Elastic Deformation of MAX Phases

MAX phases,include Ti3SiC2,Ti2AlC etc,are a kind of new machinable ceramics with excellent properties.However,these materials have obvious nonlinear elastic deformation due to their layered crystal structure.Their stress-strain curves of cyclically load-unload test have large hysteretic loops.Because of this hysteresis(nonlinear elastics),the strain of MAX phases cannot be calculated from stress directly.This paper describes the influence of grain size,chemical composition and porosity on the nonlinear elastic strain.Because this hysteresis has two properties:wiping out and congruency,the classic hysteretic mathematic model(Preisach-Mayergoyz model)is applied to calculate the strain of MAX phases from stress history.
Preparation of Amyloid Fibrils Seeded from Brain and Meninges

Seeding of amyloid fibrils into fresh solutions of the same peptide or protein in disaggregated form leads to the formation of replicate fibrils, with close structural similarity or identity to the original fibrillar seeds. Here we describe procedures for isolating fibrils composed mainly of β-amyloid (Aβ) from human brain and from leptomeninges, a source of cerebral blood vessels, for investigating Alzheimer's disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. We also describe methods for seeding isotopically labeled, disaggregated Aβ peptide solutions for study using solid-state NMR and other techniques. These methods should be applicable to other types of amyloid fibrils, to Aβ fibrils from mice or other species, tissues other than brain, and to some non-fibrillar aggregates. These procedures allow for the examination of authentic amyloid fibrils and other protein aggregates from biological tissues without the need for labeling the tissue.
Estimation of capillary reflection coefficients and unique PS products in dog paw.

Lymphatic protein flux (Js) obtained in canine hindpaws at low lymph flows were used to determine the capillary osmotic reflection coefficients (sigma d) and unique permeability surface area (PS) products for total proteins, albumin, immunoglobulin (Ig)G, and IgM. This new analysis is based on the phenomenon that when maximal diffusion occurs across the capillary membrane, the Peclet number [x = Jv(1 - sigma d)/PS] attains a unique value defined only by sigma d. The diffusive flux is maximal when the relationship between protein flux and transcapillary fluid flux (Jv) changes from a curvilinear to a linear relationship. The slope of the linear portion of this protein flux relationship was used to determine sigma d as (1 - sigma d) = delta Js/(delta JvCp), where Cp is the plasma protein concentration. With the use of sigma d, the Jv at which the maximal diffusion occurred, and the corresponding Peclet number, a unique value is obtained for the PS product. Experiments performed using lymph from canine hindpaws (n = 6) yielded sigma d9s (mean +/- SD) of 0.91 +/- 0.03, 0.83 +/- 0.11, 0.96 +/- 0.03, and virtually 1 for total protein, albumin, IgG, and IgM, respectively. The corresponding PS products for total protein, albumin, and IgG were 25.0 +/- 13.2, 28.4 +/- 6.6, and 14.0 +/- 7.9 microliters.min-1.100 g-1, respectively; PS for IgM was almost zero.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Geographic Polarization of American Voters

For the past two decades, the presidency and both houses of Congress have been hotly contested by the two major political parties. Yet, geographically, the United States seems to be increasingly ma...
So Much More than Salary: Outcomes Research in the Liberal Arts

This chapter explores case studies from four private liberal arts colleges with different approaches to expanding the college “value proposition” to include the values of a liberal education.
Computational structure revision of a longipinane derivative meridane

Structure revision of a recently reported longipinane derivative, meridane, was enabled by computations of its NMR spectra. This structural revision necessitates corrections in the originally proposed Wagner–Meerwein mechanism for the formation of meridane.
Application of Ground Penetrating Radar for Identification of Washover Deposits and Other Stratigraphic Features: Assateague Island, MD

ABSTRACT A combination of ground penetrating radar (GPR) data, core data, and aerial photographs were analyzed to better understand the evolution of two portions of Assateague Island, Maryland. The focus of the study was to investigate the applicability of using GPR data to image washover deposits in the stratigraphic record. High amplitude reflections observed in two shore-perpendicular GPR profiles were correlated to shallow (<1 m) lithologic contacts observed in sediment cores. At these contacts, deposits consisting primarily of quartz sand overlie sediments with organic matter that include degraded plant root or stem material. The underlying organic matter likely represents the vegetated portion of the barrier island that was buried by washover fans deposited during hurricanes Irene (2011) and Sandy (2012), as indicated in high-resolution aerial photographs. The GPR data were able to delineate the washover deposits from the underlying stratigraphic unit; however, the radar data did not resolve finer s...
Predicting sensitivity to azacytidine in non-small cell cancer lines by absence of activating mutations.

e18147 Background: A completed clinical trial has demonstrated activity of a combination of epigenetic therapies: entinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, and azacytidine (AZA), a hypomethylati...
Effect of improving guideline-based prophylactic growth factor (pGCSF) use with chemotherapy (CT) on the risk of febrile neutropenia (FN) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts): A Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute (TCI) Quality Improvement (QI) Project.

6565 Background: Per accepted guidelines, pGCSF is not recommended for pts receiving CT regimens with low risk ( < 10%) for FN. Factors contributing to inappropriate pGCSF use include lack of provi...
“Every Person's Just Different”: Women's Experiences with Counseling for Early Pregnancy Loss Management

Abstract Background Women have strong preferences for their choice of early pregnancy loss (EPL) management. However, current practice patterns suggest that some women may not be offered counseling about the full range of management options. To develop a foundation for quality counseling about EPL treatment, we elicited patients' perspectives regarding their preferences and values for communication during this decision-making process. Methods Twenty-one individual interviews were conducted with women who recently experienced EPL. Interviews discussed their experiences surrounding EPL diagnosis, counseling for and support during treatment decision making, and management outcomes, and concluded with questions seeking feedback on a decision tool. Interview transcripts were coded in an iterative and collaborative process by two authors, using constructivist grounded theory analysis. Results Women in our study overwhelmingly preferred having options for EPL management rather than being prescribed a single treatment by their provider. Women reported a wide variety of personal priorities that influence decision making for EPL management. They valued providers who engaged in a balanced conversation about these priorities and medical recommendations. Participants stressed the importance of candid counseling about treatment options and expressed frustration with delayed news delivery for EPL diagnosis. Conclusions A patient-centered approach to EPL management includes unbiased counseling about the full range of options available. Women may perceive communication during EPL diagnosis as a critical time to initiate these discussions. Women are often weighing personal priorities to make decisions about EPL management and use of a decision aid may offer a systematic approach to identifying women's preferences for treatment.
Recombination-free reactive ion etch for high efficiency silicon solar cells

Abstract Carrier lifetime degradation of reactive ion etch-processed silicon samples are investigated. Two types of carrier recombination: reversible and irreversible degradations induced by reactive ion etching (RIE) are identified. Irreversible carrier recombination is due to surface damage created by the RIE process that propagates a few microns deep into the silicon substrate. Reversible carrier recombination, on the other hand, is found to be caused by radiation damage when RIE etches only into the silicon oxide, and nitrogen annealing can restore the degraded carrier lifetime. A recombination-free RIE process is then developed in combination with a passivation stack consisting of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride layers. This improved RIE process is applied to the development of high efficiency silicon solar cells resulting in a conversion efficiency exceeding 24%.
Jacques Daviel: The Invention of Modern Cataract Surgery

The eighteenth century French surgeon Jacques Daviel is generally credited with introducing cataract extraction. His advance was made possible by earlier studies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries which revealed the correct anatomical location of the lens in the eye as well as the true nature of the cataract. Daviel had limited his surgical practice to ophthalmology and had gained an excellent reputation as a “coucher” of cataracts prior to introducing his method of extracapsular extraction. It is debatable whether extraction was a safer method than couching before the introduction of anesthesia, asepsis and corneal sutures. Indeed, there were nearly a hundred years of controversy before extraction was fully accepted as the preferred technique by eye surgeons.
A prospective study evaluating the utility of a 2-mm biopsy margin for complete removal of histologically atypical (dysplastic) nevi

Background Complete removal of individual dysplastic nevi (DN) is often accomplished by a second surgical procedure after the initial biopsy. The choice to perform the second procedure is strongly influenced by histopathologic margin status of the initial biopsy specimen. Objective To evaluate the clinical and histopathologic outcomes of in toto biopsy of DN using a predetermined margin of normal skin. Methods We conducted a prospective study of a saucerization method using a defined 2-mm margin in patients undergoing biopsy of a pigmented skin lesion. Results We performed 151 biopsies in 138 patients. Overall, 137 of 151 lesions subjected to biopsy (90.7%) were melanocytic: 86 DN (57.0%), 40 nevi without atypia (26.5%), and 11 melanomas (7.3%). Of 78 DN, 68 (87.2%) were removed with clear histopathologic margins (8 DN were excluded because of inadequate processing). There was no clinical evidence of recurrence at any of the biopsy sites that were simply observed (i.e., not re-excised) over a median of 16.9 months. Limitations There were few biopsies performed on the face. Conclusions The complete histopathologic removal of nearly 9 of 10 DN using a peripheral margin of 2 mm of normal skin and a depth at the dermis and subcutaneous fat junction has the potential to decrease second procedures at DN biopsy sites, thereby decreasing patient morbidity and saving health care dollars.
Beyond the verbal: Pregnant women's preferences for receiving influenza and Tdap vaccine information from their obstetric care providers.

Objective: Prenatal providers are pregnant women's most trusted sources of health information, and a provider's recommendation is a strong predictor of maternal vaccine receipt. However, other ways...
Differential Inhibition of Tamoxifen’s Oncostatic Functions in a Human Breast Cancer Cell Line by a 12 mGauss (1.2 uT) Magnetic Field

Our original observation that continuous exposure of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in vitro to an environmental-level 12 mG (1.2 (T), 60Hz magnetic field, but not a 2 mG (0.2 uT), significantly inhibits the growth-inhibitory action of tamoxifen1,2, raises several interesting mechanistic questions related to tamoxifen’s mode of action. The drug tamoxifen is widely used as a synthetic nonsteroidal antiestrogen in the post-surgical management of human breast cancer. However, tamoxifen is known to be a multifactor drug with several cellular activities. For example, in estrogen-receptor positive (ER+) cells, such as MCF-7 cells, tamoxifen’s oncostatic action is believed to act through the ER. Tamoxifen is known, however, to inhibit the growth of ER- cell lines in which the ER pathway is not a possible site of interaction. For example, across a number of different cell types tamoxifen is reported a) to be a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC) activity, b) to be an effective antagonist of calmodulin, and c) to reduce constitutive levels of cell cycle regulators, particularly D1 cyclins3.
Laboratory Studies of Turbulent Mixing

Laboratory measurements are required to determine the rates of turbulent mixing and dissipation within flows of stratified fluid. Rates based on other methods (theory, numerical approaches, and direct ocean measurements) require models based on assumptions that are suggested, but not thoroughly verified in the laboratory. An exception to all this is recently provided by direct numerical simulations (DNS) mentioned near the end of this article. Experiments have been conducted with many different devices. Results span a wide range of gradient or bulk Richardson number and more limited ranges of Reynolds number and Schmidt number, which are the three most relevant dimensionless numbers. Both layered and continuously stratified flows have been investigated, and velocity profiles include smooth ones, jets, and clusters of eddies from stirrers or grids. The dependence of dissipation through almost all ranges of Richardson number is extensively documented. The buoyancy flux ratio is the turbulent kinetic energy loss from raising the potential energy of the strata to loss of kinetic energy by viscous dissipation. It rises from zero at small Richardson number to values of about 0.1 at Richardson number equal to 1, and then falls off for greater values. At Richardson number greater than 1, a wide range of power laws spanning the range from − 0.5 to − 1.5 are found to fit data for different experiments. Considerable layering is found at larger values, which causes flux clustering and may explain both the relatively large scatter in the data as well as the wide range of proposed power laws.
Impersonation-based mechanisms

In this paper we present a general scheme to create mechanisms that approximate the social welfare in the presence of selfish (but rational) behavior of agents. The usual approach is to design truthful mechanisms in which an agent can only lose by impersonating as another agent. In contrast, our approach is to allow an agent to impersonate several different agents. We design the mechanisms such that only a limited set of impersonations are reasonable to rational agents. Our mechanisms make sure that for any choice of such impersonations by the agents, an approximation to the social welfare is achieved. We demonstrate our results on the well studied domain of Combinatorial Auctions (CA). Our mechanisms are algorithmic implementations, a notion recently suggested in (Babaioff, Lavi, & Pavlov 2006).
Chlorpyrifos oxon promotes tubulin aggregation via isopeptide cross-linking between diethoxyphospho-Lys and Glu or Asp: Implications for neurotoxicity.

Exposure to organophosphorus toxicants (OP) can have chronic adverse effects that are not explained by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, the cause of acute OP toxicity. We therefore hypothesized that OP-induced chronic illness is initiated by the formation of organophosphorus adducts on lysine residues in proteins, followed by protein cross-linking and aggregation. Here, Western blots revealed that exposure to the OP chlorpyrifos oxon converted porcine tubulin from its original 55-kDa mass to high-molecular-weight aggregates. Liquid chromatography–tandem MS analysis of trypsin-digested samples identified several diethoxyphospho-lysine residues in the OP-treated tubulin. Using a search approach based on the Batch Tag program, we identified cross-linked peptides and found that these chemically activated lysines reacted with acidic amino acid residues creating γ-glutamyl-ϵ-lysine or aspartyl-ϵ-lysine isopeptide bonds between β- and α-tubulin. Of note, these cross-linked tubulin molecules accounted for the high-molecular-weight aggregates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that chlorpyrifos oxon–exposed tubulin protein forms intermolecular cross-links with other tubulin molecules, resulting in high-molecular-weight protein aggregates. It is tempting to speculate that chronic illness from OP exposure may be explained by a mechanism that starts with OP adduct formation on protein lysines followed by protein cross-linking. We further speculate that OP-modified or cross-linked tubulin can impair axonal transport, reduce neuron connections, and result in neurotoxicity.
Ecocorrelates of pelage coloration in pigs and peccaries

We scored pelage coloration of pigs and peccaries and matched them to socioecological variables to assess the relative strengths of protective coloration and signaling in driving coat coloration. Using phylogenetically controlled analyses, we found that faces, bellies, and perhaps flanks are lighter in larger species; ear coloration is lighter in less-shady environments and in more-social species; white facial spots are associated with less shade and with nighttime activity; and white body spots are associated with greater sociality. There is a marginal association between striped natal coats, a classically cryptic pelage, and litter size. These findings indicate that the body coloration of Suiformes has been selected to match overall background lighting conditions in both adults and neonates, but that specific areas and color patches on the body are associated with signaling. Our study suggests that small areas of contrasting pelage coloration are superimposed on classically cryptic body plans to allow both protective coloration and signaling to operate simultaneously.
Redesigning a Software Development Course as a Preparation for a Capstone: An Experience Report

Students need a wide variety of skills before they can successfully engage in real-world projects with paying customers. Some of these skills, such as the "soft skills" of communicating with a non-technical customer and working in a larger team to collaboratively develop a project, are generally not present in Computer Science courses. In this paper, we discuss our experience teaching these skills and explain the structure of our redesigned Software Development course and how it aligns with the Capstone experience. The main novelty of our approach is the specific implementation of the rotating project manager role and the introduction of the final portfolio reflection. We believe that the concepts we introduced during our redesign can be useful to any educator wanting to include collaborative project-based work in their courses. To enable faculty to apply and enhance these concepts, the resources that we used in this course, which include activities, templates, guidelines, rubrics, and questionnaires, are available as an open source project at https://team-repo.github.io/.
Machine learning for optical skin microscopy: a tutorial, current advances, and challenges (Conference Presentation)

Traditional clinical diagnosis and research on skin lesions, performed by visual examination, dermoscopy, biopsy, and pathology, are complemented with newer noninvasive optical imaging approaches, including reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Limitations such as single contrast (gray-scale) (RCM, OCT), limited structure-specific contrast (RCM, OCT), en face orientation (RCM), relatively low resolution (OCT), and spatially variable speckle noise (RCM, OCT), contrary to the orthogonal orientation, purple and pink color contrast and noise-free appearance of pathology. Interpreting nuclear, cellular and morphologic patterns at different magnifications and scales are mostly manual, qualitative and subjective, with consequent intra- and inter-observer variability among experts and extensive training requirements for novices. These new / developing approaches need quantitative, accurate and repeatable image reading and analysis tools, which may be created with machine learning (ML) and associated methods. Recent advances in ML offer an intellectually rich "sandbox," which can be simply and naively applied as "off the shelf" solutions. However, we contend that for longer-term success, it is critical to avoid such off-the-shelf solutions and instead design novel, specialized, microscopy-specific ML algorithms. The "sandbox" provides ideas, concepts, developments, low-level feature extraction tools and higher-level ML tools. Recent work has focused on using ML for detection of the dermal-epidermal junction in image-stacks (RCM, OCT), classification of cellular patterns in image-mosaics of melanocytic lesions (RCM), basal cell carcinoma detection (OCT), and videomosaicking (RCM). In this presentation, we provide a tutorial on applying ML to skin microscopy in the context of our experience developing novel learning models for RCM skin image analysis.
Ethical considerations for cardiac surgical interventions in children with trisomy 13 and trisomy 18.

Medical and surgical approaches to children with trisomy 13 and 18 are evolving, and an increasing number of patients are being considered for simple and complex cardiac procedures. This review describes how the shifts in medical and social considerations for children with trisomy 13 and 18 mirror the shifts that occurred 50 years ago for children with trisomy 21. Yet the variability in cardiac lesions, and variability in non-cardiac comorbidities, is much greater for patients with trisomy 13 and 18 than for those with trisomy 21. That variability, combined with the severe neurologic impairment in survivors, complicates the current risk: benefit balance of surgical intervention. Consistent approaches to care for these patients should be built on an evidence base, and should include contributions from specialists in medical ethics and palliative care.
A taxonomic renaissance in three acts

Rapid species extinction means that a limited time exists in which to revitalize taxonomy and explore the diversity of species on earth. Three actions have the potential to ignite a taxonomic renaissance: (1) clarify what taxonomy is, emphasizing its theoretical advances and status as a rigorous, independent, fundamental science; (2) give taxonomists a mandate to organize and complete an inventory of earth species and the resources to modernize research and collections infrastructure; and (3) collaborate with information scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to inspire the creation of a sustainable future through biomimicry.
Maternal obesity increases offspring’s mammary cancer recurrence and impairs tumor immune response

Over 50% of women at a childbearing age in the United States are overweight or obese, and this can adversely affect their offspring. We studied if maternal obesity-inducing high fat diet (HFD) not only increases offspring's mammary cancer risk but also impairs response to antiestrogen tamoxifen. Female rat offspring of HFD and control diet-fed dams, in which estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) mammary tumors were induced with the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), exhibited similar initial responses to antiestrogen tamoxifen. However, after tamoxifen therapy was completed, almost all (91%) tumors recurred in HFD offspring, compared with only 29% in control offspring. The increase in local mammary tumor recurrence in HFD offspring was linked to an increase in the markers of immunosuppression (Il17f, Tgfβ1, VEGFR2) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Protein and mRNA levels of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II), but not MHC-I, were reduced in the recurring DMBA tumors of HFD offspring. Further, infiltration of CD8+ effector T cells and granzyme B+ (GZMB+) cells were lower in their recurring tumors. To determine if maternal HFD can pre-program similar changes in the TME of allografted E0771 mammary tumors in offspring of syngeneic mice, flow cytometry analysis was performed. E0771 mammary tumor growth was significantly accelerated in the HFD offspring, and a reduction in the numbers of GZMB and non-significant reduction of interferon γ (IFNγ) secreting CD8+ T cells in the TME was seen. Thus, consumption of a HFD during pregnancy increases susceptibility of the female rat and mouse offspring to tumor immune suppression and mammary tumor growth and recurrence.