cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Method of loops applied to lattice gauge theory.

The eigenvalue problem for the Hamiltonian of SU(2) lattice gauge theory is formulated in the loop representation, which is based on the fact that the physical Hilbert space can be spanned by states which are labeled by loops. Since the inner product between loop states can be calculated analytically, the eigenvalue problem is expressed in terms of vector components and matrix elements with respect to the loop basis. A small-scale numerical computation in 2+1 dimensions yields results which agree with results obtained from other methods.
Injection-coupled memory: A high-density static bipolar memory

The design of a new static bipolar memory comparable with dynamic FET storages in density, but superior in performance and power dissipation is discussed. The concept of direct minority carrier injection is utilized for both the cell current supply and the coupling to the read/write lines. This has led to an extremely high degree of device integration resulting in a cell size of 3.1 mil/SUP 2/ using a standard buried layer process with 5-/spl mu/ line dimensions and single layer metallization. Investigations on exploratory chips containing small arrays have fully verified the feasibility. The cells have been operated at an extremely small d.c. standby power of below 100 nW. For a 4K b chip of about 160/spl times/150 mil/SUP 2/, an access time around 50 ns can be projected from the measurements simulating a 64/spl times/64 bit array. An extrapolation of the memory cell layout with oxide isolation and self-aligned N/SUP +/ contacts has resulted in a 1.1-mil/SUP 2/ cell with 5-/spl mu/ line dimensions.
Inflamed Joints and Stiff Arteries Is Rheumatoid Arthritis a Cardiovascular Risk Factor

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of cardiovascular events, with an estimated 70% excess mortality rate that can be ascribed to cardiovascular causes in up to 50% of cases.1,2 A 3-fold-increased adjusted risk of myocardial infarction has been reported, particularly in subjects with longer disease duration.3 This has prompted recommendations that RA be considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis.2 Mechanisms underlying this increased susceptibility remain uncertain and range from exposure to traditional cardiovascular risk factors to enhanced inflammation and oxidative stress emanating from the synovium leading to early vascular disease,4 and extend to adverse cardiovascular effects of medications. Article p 1185 Epidemiological studies have found either no increase or often a decreased prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors in patients with RA.2,5 However, the dyslipidemia observed in RA is associated with low total and HDL cholesterol and high triglyceride levels, a pattern that is associated with a more dense, easily oxidizable, and intensely atherogenic low-density lipoprotein particle.5 Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance can occur in RA, an abnormality that correlates with underlying inflammation.6 The potential mechanisms for this include the use of glucocorticoids and the direct effects of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α on impeding insulin-mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and on lipolysis.5 It appears that an atherogenic modification of existing cardiovascular risk factors by the RA milieu, presumably as a result of increased systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, accounts for some of the increased cardiovascular risk. This viewpoint is substantiated by the observed increasing gradient between carotid atherosclerosis and the number of cardiovascular risk factors, with an additive impact of disease severity measured as sedimentation rate, in those with multiple risk factors.7 However, the sedimentation rate had little effect on carotid atherosclerosis in the …
Hybrid Amorphous/Nanocrystalline Silicon Schottky Diodes for High Frequency Rectification

We report hybrid amorphous (a-Si)/nanocrystalline (nc-Si) Schottky diodes for rectification at high frequencies. All fabrication steps are done at , making them compatible with processing on plastic. The diodes have a high current density (5 A/cm2 at 1 V and 100 A/cm2 at 2 V) and on-to-off current ratio (over 1000 for bias voltages of 1/-8 V). A 0.01- mm2 hybrid diode has a series resistance of 200 Ω and a capacitance of 7 pF, leading to a cutoff frequency of 110 MHz. As a half-wave rectifier driving a parallel 1- MΩ resistive and 100-nF capacitive load, the dc rectified voltage drops at frequencies , with a -3 dB point at 70 MHz.
An Analysis of Social Network Websites for Language Learning: Implications for Teaching and Learning English as a Second Language

Although educators are excited about the potential of social network sites for language learning (SNSLL), there is a lack of understanding of how SNSLL can be used to facilitate teaching and learning for English as Second language (ESL) instructors and students. The purpose of this study was to examine the affordances of four selected SNSLL (LingQ, Lang-8, italki, and Polyglotclub) through site design and user experience from two perspectives: Using the sites as a language teacher through site analyses and using the sites as a language learner through usability testing. The findings showed that these sites have the potential to facilitate language learning. The learning tasks created using the social networking features of these sites are to provide examples of how to use these SNSLL as teaching tools under a socio-constructivist learning framework. In addition, the results of the usability testing highlighted the importance of considering the website’s information, interface, and interaction designs. SNSLL should be as easy to use and as intuitive to navigate as possible. We hope the findings will provide valuable insights regarding how SNSLL can be used as teaching and learning tools, and how they should be designed to facilitate pedagogical goals.
Gastrointestinal disease in Sjogren’s syndrome: related to food hypersensitivities

Patients with Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) frequently have irritable bowel like symptoms (IBS). Some have celiac sprue. The current studies were designed to examine the presence of food hypersensitivities in a population of patients with SS and IBS. Ten patients were selected from the autoimmune disease clinics at SUNY at Buffalo who had SS and IBS symptoms. Food hypersensitivities were determined by specific IgG ImmunoCAP® assays. Symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and joint pain were eliminated with dietary restriction of foods to which hypersensitivity was demonstrated. Symptoms recurred with re-institution of offending foods. Resolution of fatigue required elimination of offending foods as well as treatment of underlying metabolic disorders. The presence of IBS in patients with SS should lead to investigation of food hypersensitivities as possible culprits.
A Biphasic Ligand Exchange Reaction on CdSe Nanoparticles: Introducing Undergraduates to Functionalizing Nanoparticles for Solar Cells

Semiconductor nanoparticles, including cadmium selenide (CdSe) particles, are attractive as light harvesting materials for solar cells. In the undergraduate laboratory, the size-tunable optical and electronic properties can be easily investigated; however, these nanoparticles (NPs) offer another platform for application-based tunability—the NP surface. In the interest of exploiting these particles for solar applications, the surface can be tuned to facilitate charge transfer out of the nanoparticles to maximize photocurrent for high-efficiency, low-cost solar cells. This multiweek undergraduate laboratory experiment introduces students to semiconducting nanomaterials and to taking steps to ensure functionality of these materials for solar applications. The experiment includes the synthesis of oleic acid-capped (OLA) CdSe particles and a biphasic ligand exchange reaction to afford ionically functionalized CdSe nanoparticles capped with sodium 3-mercaptopropane-1-sulfonate (MPS). Both the CdSe-OLA and CdSe-...
From Fretté to E.B.: The European Court of Human Rights on Gay and Lesbian Adoption

European nations, while progressive in many areas pertaining to gay and lesbian family law, have been slow to recognize the rights of gay individuals or same-sex couples to adopt children. In January of 2008, however, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held in E.B. v France that France violated the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms when it denied a lesbian woman permission to adopt a child. Only six years earlier, the Court decided Frette v France, holding on virtually identical facts that France's denial of a gay man's application to adopt did not violate the Convention. The implications of EB. v France remain unclear, but this sea change in the ECHR's jurisprudence warrants consideration.Part I of this Article will provide background on the applicable provisions of the Convention and the jurisprudence of the ECHR. Part II will explore the holding of E.B. v France, and whether it overruled prior precedent. Part III will consider what happened between the decisions that shaped the outcome of E.B., and Part IV will discuss the potential effect the ECHR's decision may have on the legislation of other European States in relation to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
DriverTalk: Enabling targeted communication between drivers

Communication between neighboring drivers on the road is critical for safe and smooth driving. Drivers currently communicate by sounding horn or blinking lights, which sometimes is too coarse-grain to precisely convey the message, i.e., it is not apparent who the target and what the intent of the message is. Towards a better alternative, we explore the possibility of utilizing the smartphones of drivers to enable targeted communication between them. We propose a system, called DriverTalk, with which a driver can directly talk to convey messages such as you-are-blocking-traffic to the driver of the vehicle in front and do-not-tailgate-me to the driver behind. Furthermore, DriverTalk gives drivers the opportunity to seek and provide information as and when necessary during their driving. To identify the senders and receivers while exchanging messages, without an a priori knowledge about the drivers and their smartphones/vehicles, DriverTalk utilizes Visual IDs, i.e., the appearance images, of vehicles. Our evaluation shows that DriverTalk could deliver what a driver says to the target driver in about 1 second and with more than 95% success rate under various traffic conditions.
Review: Natural History of Neonatal Periventricular/Intraventricular Hemorrhage and Its Complications: Sonographic Observations

Cranial sonography is an established procedure for the detection of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage. A 3 year experience in imaging such infants is reviewed. Representative examples are presented to comprehensively illustrate the spectrum of sonographic appearances of intracranial hemorrhage and its complications from the initial hemorrhage to resolution. Diagnostic problems in the initial staging of the grade of hemorrhage and in evaluating subsequent ventricular changes are addressed.
Electrochemical Oxidization of Herring Sperm DNA and its Interaction with Histone

The voltammetric behavior of herring sperm DNA at glassy carbon electrode and its interaction with histone have been investigated by using cyclic voltammetry,differential pulse voltammetry,and fluorescence measurement.In the potential range of 0.20 V to 1.25 V,it is found that an irreversible oxidative peak is exhibited in acid solution,but in the neutral or alkaline solution two oxidative peaks are observed.Oxidative peak potential values show a negative shift with increasing pH via a slope of-57 mV·pH-1 and a linear relation with DNA concentration in the range of 0.45 to 8.20 mmol·L-1.In the presence of histone,the oxidative peak current of DNA and the fluorescence intensity of interactive product between a ruthenium complex and DNA are found to have an obvious decrease and the oxidative potentials show a positive shift.Moreover,the experimental results suggest that the DNA damage is weakened based on its binding interaction with histone.
Surveillance of avian influenza virus in population with occupational exposure and in out-environment in Quzhou,Zhejiang

Objective To understand the infection status of avian influenza virus in poultry and people with occupational exposure in Quzhou,Zhejiang province,and provide evidence for the prevention and control of human infection with avian influenza virus. Methods Totally 132 blood samples collected from people with occupational exposure and 231 out-environment samples were tested for avian influenza A viruses subtype H9 and H5 in Quzhou from 2009 to 2012. Results The overall positive rate of subtype H9 in 132 blood samples was 3. 79%,the positive rate in people working in poultry markets was highest( 10. 53%). No subtype H5 was detected. In out-environment samples, the overall positive rate of avian influenza virus was 23. 38%,and the positive rates of subtype H5 and H9 were 3. 46% and 17. 75% respectively. The positive rate of avian influenza virus was higher in poultry markets than in poultry farms, the difference in positive rate between subtype H5 and subtype H9 had no statistical significance. The positive rate of avian influenza virus in poultry drinking water samples was higher than feces and cage smears. The detection rate of subtype H9 was higher in drinking water samples than in feces and cage smears and in contaminated blood than in feces. The difference in subtype H5 detection rate had no statistical significance. Conclusion The infections of avian influenza A viruses subtype H9 and H5 were detected in poultry in Quzhou. The people engaged in poultry trade are at high risk to be infected. It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of human infection with avian influenza virus.
Testicular histology in children with unilateral testicular torsion.

AbstractTesticular biopsies from 38 boys at the time of unilateral testicular torsion were studied retrospectively. Of the patients 30 were adolescent and 8 were prepubertal. In 18 boys biopsy of the torsed testis only was performed, while in another 18 bilateral testis biopsy was obtained. The remaining 2 patients had biopsy of the contralateral testis only because the torsed testis was infarcted completely. After allowances were made for the acute testicular changes associated with the torsion itself, significant pre-existing testicular abnormalities could be identified in 20 of the 38 patients (53 per cent), including the Sertoli-cell-only syndrome (7), partial Sertoli-cell-only syndrome (4), defective spermatogenesis (8) and mucous plugs caused by cystic fibrosis inducing tubular changes (1). In 70 per cent of the biopsies from prepubertal boys the number of spermatogonia per tubule was diminished. In adolescent boys the mean number of late spermatids also was diminished severely in the contralateral ...
SyPRID sampler : a large-volume, high-resolution, autonomous, deep-ocean precision plankton sampling system

Abstract The current standard for large-volume (thousands of cubic meters) zooplankton sampling in the deep sea is the MOCNESS, a system of multiple opening–closing nets, typically lowered to within 50 m of the seabed and towed obliquely to the surface to obtain low-spatial-resolution samples that integrate across 10 s of meters of water depth. The SyPRID (Sentry Precision Robotic Impeller Driven) sampler is an innovative, deep-rated (6000 m) plankton sampler that partners with the Sentry Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to obtain paired, large-volume plankton samples at specified depths and survey lines to within 1.5 m of the seabed and with simultaneous collection of sensor data. SyPRID uses a perforated Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight (UHMW) plastic tube to support a fine mesh net within an outer carbon composite tube (tube-within-a-tube design), with an axial flow pump located aft of the capture filter. The pump facilitates flow through the system and reduces or possibly eliminates the bow wave at the mouth opening. The cod end, a hollow truncated cone, is also made of UHMW plastic and includes a collection volume designed to provide an area where zooplankton can collect, out of the high flow region. SyPRID attaches as a saddle-pack to the Sentry vehicle. Sentry itself is configured with a flight control system that enables autonomous survey paths to low altitudes. In its verification deployment at the Blake Ridge Seep (2160 m) on the US Atlantic Margin, SyPRID was operated for 6 h at an altitude of 5 m. It recovered plankton samples, including delicate living larvae, from the near-bottom stratum that is seldom sampled by a typical MOCNESS tow. The prototype SyPRID and its next generations will enable studies of plankton or other particulate distributions associated with localized physico-chemical strata in the water column or above patchy habitats on the seafloor.
Women’s Rap

This sample of women in Narcotics Anonymous (NA) attend women’s-only meetings called Women’s Rap primarily because they provide a comfortable environment in which to discuss gendered issues related to recovery. These women report that attending women’s meetings, working with and learning from other women in the NA program enables them to work through perceptions of stigma and feelings of shame. The belief that other women in NA understand what it is like to be a female addict helps these women to recover not only from their addiction but also to work through stigma and shame.
The instruments of literacy

And then he told us such things about verbs, and nouns, and adverbs, that never entered our heads before, and emphasis, and accent; heav'n bless us, I did not think there had been such things in the world. (Samuel Foote, The Orators : 1762) This chapter deals with three genres that encouraged writtenness in English prose of the second half of the eighteenth century. Grammars, magazines , and dictionaries played a role in the increasingly commercial culture of the period, a key to which was the rapidly growing trade of publishing. A few generalizations about the growth of publishing in the eighteenth century may help to introduce these three “instruments of literacy.” The eighteenth century saw an extraordinary revolution in publishing and bookselling, one that reflected a rapid assimilation of printed texts of many kinds (not just books) into the daily life of the nation. Terry Belanger's studies of the publishing business between 1695 and 1850 show that “England in the 1790s was a well-developed print society,” whereas in 1695 print culture was still in its infancy. In 1695, except for certain parts of certain towns, the life of the written language for most Britons was what Elizabeth Eisenstein calls “scribal” more than printed. A few hundred professionals took care not only of the printing, but also of the binding, distribution, advertising, and selling of books, mostly in London. By 1790, thousands of people made their living from specialized jobs in the printing world all over Great Britain, and the majority of the population had to deal one way or another with printed texts. In 1690, writers who wanted to get their manuscripts into print had relatively few options.
Jobs in Biomedical Science: Seeking, Landing, and Changing

There are entire books on how to apply for jobs, from writing resumes to interviewing successfully to effective negotiation. I cannot possibly hope to cover all that in a single chapter; indeed, that is not my goal here. Rather, I would like to give an overview of some broad rules governing the road to finding faculty positions in the biomedical sciences, with a focus mainly on the United States, though I suspect certain aspects of this review may hold value abroad as well. Of note, I am also only focusing on academic positions, not industry positions, as I do not believe I am sufficiently versed in that area to provide useful advice (beyond what I described in the previous chapter).
Imaging Artifacts and Common Misdiagnoses

The ability to identify imaging artifacts and normal anatomic variants commonly encountered during a TEE exam can be as important as identifying normal anatomy and function. Lack of knowledge regarding these anatomic structures and imaging artifacts can result in misdiagnoses and adverse effects for patients. Anatomic variants commonly encountered in a TEE exam include Lambl’s Excrescences, Eustachian Valve, Chiari Network, Moderator Band, Crista Terminalis, Nodules of Arantius, and the Coumadin Ridge. Imaging artifacts that result from the violation of the basic assumptions of ultrasound physics include Dropout, Acoustic Shadowing, Side Lobes, Reverberation, and Mirroring. The focus of this chapter will be the identification of the aforementioned anatomic variants/imaging artifacts and the general techniques the echocardiographer can utilize to distinguish them from pathology.
Electrochemistry at One Nanoparticle

ConspectusElectrochemistry at metal nanoparticles (NPs) is of significant current interest because of its applications in catalysis, energy conversion and storage, and sensors. The electrocatalytic activity of NPs depends strongly on their size, shape, and surface attachment. The use of a large number of particles in most reported kinetic experiments obscured the effects of these factors because of polydispersity and different NP orientations. Recent efforts to probe electrochemistry at single NPs included recording of the catalytically amplified current produced by random collisions of particles with the electrode surface, immobilizing an NP on the surface of a small electrode, and delivering individual NPs to electrode surfaces. Although the signals recorded in such experiments were produced by single NPs, the characterization issues and problems with separating an individual particle from other NPs present in the system made it difficult to obtain spatially and/or temporally resolved information about ...
Communicating Library Impact on Retention: A Framework for Developing Reciprocal Value Propositions

ABSTRACTThis article explores the trends identified in a survey of library directors on efforts to document and communicate library contributions to student retention. Library deans/directors have little in the way of communication methods for sharing library impact on retention. Methods that are used tend to be unidirectional in nature. Based on these results, this article also presents a framework of stakeholder markets and examples of reciprocal value propositions library leaders could develop around library contributions to retention efforts. This in turn can assist with advocacy and the communication of academic library value to university leaders and other higher education stakeholders.
Prepurchase Behavior and Consumer Lifestages

In this study, a basic model of consumer decision-making was employed to examine for differences among diverse lifestage groupings in processes leading to a purchase. Over 400 National Family Opini...
A Companion to Ancient Aesthetics

‘Beautiful things are hard’ says Socrates at the end of Plato’s Hippias Major, but A Companion to Ancient Aesthetics, the first publication of its kind, is certainly not an attempt to streamline an...
Isotopically Nonstationary Metabolic Flux Analysis (INST-MFA) of Photosynthesis and Photorespiration in Plants.

Photorespiration is a central component of photosynthesis; however to better understand its role it should be viewed in the context of an integrated metabolic network rather than a series of individual reactions that operate independently. Isotopically nonstationary 13C metabolic flux analysis (INST-MFA), which is based on transient labeling studies at metabolic steady state, offers a comprehensive platform to quantify plant central metabolism. In this chapter, we describe the application of INST-MFA to investigate metabolism in leaves. Leaves are an autotrophic tissue, assimilating CO2 over a diurnal period implying that the metabolic steady state is limited to less than 12 h and thus requiring an INST-MFA approach. This strategy results in a comprehensive unified description of photorespiration, Calvin cycle, sucrose and starch synthesis, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and amino acid biosynthetic fluxes. We present protocols of the experimental aspects for labeling studies: transient 13CO2 labeling of leaf tissue, sample quenching and extraction, mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of isotopic labeling data, measurement of sucrose and amino acids in vascular exudates, and provide details on the computational flux estimation using INST-MFA.
Time Course Change in Muscle Swelling: High-Intensity vs. Blood Flow Restriction Exercise.

This study determined the time course for changes in muscle swelling and plasma volume following high (HI) and low-intensity resistance exercise with blood-flow restriction (LI-BFR). Ten male participants (22.1±3.0 yrs) completed three experimental conditions: high-intensity exercise (HI - 80% of 1RM), low-intensity exercise with BFR (LI-BFR –20% of 1RM, and 160 mmHg of BFR), and control (CON – no exercise or BFR). Muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA), muscle thickness, thigh circumference, and percentage change in plasma volume (PV%∆) were measured. mCSA was significantly greater than rest values at 15 min post-exercise (p
Phenology of the Dalmatian Toadflax Biological Control Agent Mecinus janthiniformis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Utah.

The phenology of the stem-mining weevil Mecinus janthiniformis Tosevski and Caldara (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) as adults attacking Dalmatian toadflax, Linaria dalmatica (L.) Miller (Plantaginaceae), was studied in 2014-2015 at two low elevation sites in northern Utah. The seasonal pattern of adult weevil abundance on the host plant at the two sites was most similar between years when described by degree-day accumulation, versus calendar date. Repeated censusing over the growing season revealed that males appeared first and subsequently peaked in abundance on the host plant earlier than females did, such that the adult population was dominated by males early in the season and by females late in the season. Peak female abundance on the host plant occurred at the time when Dalmatian toadflax stems reached their maximum height and density and when they began flowering widely. Maximum toadflax stem heights and densities, and flowering activity, were markedly reduced in 2015 compared to 2014. In contrast to these host plant parameters that vary between years, degree-day accumulation can be used readily for timing collection and survey efforts for adult weevils and female adult weevils in particular. Use of degree-day accumulation can thereby facilitate implementation of redistribution and monitoring programs for M. janthiniformis as a biological control agent of Dalmatian toadflax.
Digital Imaging: Capture, Display, Restoration, and Enhancement

Abstract This section of the reference, as the title suggests, reviews the state of the art in digital imaging starting with capture and ending with display. Between these two extremes, we review basic restoration and enhancement methods. We leave coding, a vast and more specialized topic to another section. Here we concentrate on capture by cameras and scanners, display by both hard and soft copy devices. Image capture is more challenging today with the inclusion of cameras in almost every mobile device. The new mobile devices also pose a fascinating challenge for displaying images with its small size and uncontrolled viewing environment.
An exploration of the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on youth engagement in residential treatment

Abstract Literature suggests that child maltreatment may have a negative impact on a youth's ability to engage in treatment, particularly because it might hinder their ability to form a therapeutic bond with the clinician. Despite the prevalence of this viewpoint, there have been few empirical studies that substantiate this negative relationship. This study uses a sample of youth in residential treatment to assess the relationship between child maltreatment, as assessed by the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire, and engagement in treatment, including readiness to change, bond with staff and collaboration on goals and tasks. Results from a sample of 130 youth in residential treatment indicate that instead of a negative relationship between maltreatment and engagement, including its components, a positive relationship exists. Youth with higher levels of maltreatment as measured by ACEs displayed higher levels of engagement in treatment and its components. The findings suggest that more research needs to be done to better understand how maltreatment impacts engagement in treatment and its components.
Reflections on Andreas Kazamias and Greek Myth

As a graduate student I had the opportunity to study with Professor Andreas Kazamias and see his dynamic teaching and scholarship in action. This short reflection piece discusses the turn to Greek ...
Reconstruction-of-difference (RoD) imaging for cone-beam CT neuro-angiography

Timely evaluation of neurovasculature via CT angiography (CTA) is critical to the detection of pathology such as ischemic stroke. Cone-beam CTA (CBCT-A) systems provide potential advantages in the timely use at the point-of-care, although challenges of a relatively slow gantry rotation speed introduce tradeoffs among image quality, data consistency and data sparsity. This work describes and evaluates a new reconstruction-of-difference (RoD) approach that is robust to such challenges. A fast digital simulation framework was developed to test the performance of the RoD over standard reference reconstruction methods such as filtered back-projection (FBP) and penalized likelihood (PL) over a broad range of imaging conditions, grouped into three scenarios to test the trade-off between data consistency, data sparsity and peak contrast. Two experiments were also conducted using a CBCT prototype and an anthropomorphic neurovascular phantom to test the simulation findings in real data. Performance was evaluated primarily in terms of normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) in comparison to truth, with reconstruction parameters chosen to optimize performance in each case to ensure fair comparison. The RoD approach reduced NRMSE in reconstructed images by up to 50%?53% compared to FBP and up to 29%?31% compared to PL for each scenario. Scan protocols well suited to the RoD approach were identified that balance tradeoffs among data consistency, sparsity and peak contrast?for example, a CBCT-A scan with 128 projections acquired in 8.5?s over a 180???+??fan angle half-scan for a time attenuation curve with ~8.5?s time-to-peak and 600 HU peak contrast. With imaging conditions such as the simulation scenarios of fixed data sparsity (i.e. varying levels of data consistency and peak contrast), the experiments confirmed the reduction of NRMSE by 34% and 17% compared to FBP and PL, respectively. The RoD approach demonstrated superior performance in 3D angiography compared to FBP and PL in all simulation and physical experiments, suggesting the possibility of CBCT-A on low-cost, mobile imaging platforms suitable to the point-of-care. The algorithm demonstrated accurate reconstruction with a high degree of robustness against data sparsity and inconsistency.
Group Therapy for Substance Use Disorders

Group therapy is the predominant type of behavioral therapy offered in substance use disorder treatment settings. This chapter provides an overview of the research literature on the efficacy of group therapy for substance use disorders and discusses research challenges and important future directions in the study of this topic. Research on the efficacy of group therapy for substance use disorders has generally found that group therapy is associated with superior outcomes compared to no treatment or treatment-as-usual. Studies examining the combination of group therapy with other forms of treatment, such as pharmacotherapy, have been mixed, with some studies finding additive benefits and others finding no benefit. However, group therapy appears to be equally as effective as individual therapy and may offer cost benefits relative to individual treatment. Group therapy for co-occurring substance use disorders and other psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, is associated with benefits for both disorders. Due to methodological and logistical challenges of conducting research on group therapy, this treatment modality remains understudied compared to individual therapy. Additional research is needed to identify the most effective types of group therapy and its optimal delivery method, either alone or in combination with other therapies.
Cadasides, calcium-dependent acidic lipopeptides from the soil metagenome that are active against multidrug resistant bacteria

The growing threat of antibiotic resistance necessitates the discovery of antibiotics that are active against resistant pathogens. Calcium-dependent antibiotics are a small family of structurally diverse acidic lipopeptides assembled by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) that are known to display various modes of action against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Here we use NRPS adenylation (AD) domain sequencing to guide the identification, recovery, and cloning of the cde biosynthetic gene cluster from a soil metagenome. Heterologous expression of the cde biosynthetic gene cluster led to the production of cadasides A (1) and B (2), a subfamily of acidic lipopeptides that is distinct from previously characterized calcium-dependent antibiotics in terms of both overall structure and acidic residue rich peptide core. The cadasides inhibit the growth of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens by disrupting cell wall biosynthesis in the presence of high concentrations of calcium. Interestingly, sequencing of AD domains from diverse soils revealed that sequences predicted to arise from cadaside-like gene clusters are predominantly found in soils containing high levels of calcium carbonate.
The evolution of radiographic edema in ARDS and its association with clinical outcomes: A prospective cohort study in adult patients.

Abstract Purpose To assess the longitudinal evolution of radiographic edema using chest X-rays (CXR) in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and to examine its association with prognostic biomarkers, ARDS subphenotypes and outcomes. Materials and methods We quantified radiographic edema on CXRs from patients with ARDS or cardiogenic pulmonary edema (controls) using the Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema (RALE) score on day of intubation and up to 10 days after. We measured baseline plasma biomarkers and recorded clinical variables. Results The RALE score had good inter-rater agreement (r = 0.83, p Conclusions The RALE score is easily implementable with high inter-rater reliability. Longitudinal RALE scoring appears to be a reproducible approach to track the evolution of radiographic edema in patients with ARDS and can potentially predict prolonged need for mechanical ventilation.
Positive Health Beliefs and Blood Pressure Reduction in the DESERVE Study

Background There is growing recognition that positive health beliefs may promote blood pressure (BP) reduction, which is critical to stroke prevention but remains a persistent challenge. Yet, studi...
Chapter 2 – Vapor Pressure

Publisher Summary This chapter presents results for vapor pressure as a function of temperature for major organic chemical compounds. The coefficients are displayed in an easy-to-use table, which is especially applicable for rapid engineering usage with the personal computer or hand calculator. The organic chemicals encompass hydrocarbon, oxygen, nitrogen, halogen, silicon, sulfur and other chemical type compounds. In preparing the tabulation, a literature search was conducted to identify data source publications. The publications were screened for appropriate data. The compilation resulting from the screening is based on both experimental data and estimated values. In the absence of experimental data, estimates were primarily based on Riedel equation and on adjusting the A value in the equation to match the boiling point temperature of the compound. The estimates of the other coefficients for the compound were based on the same values of the compound's brother, who is the closest member of same chemical family. Experimental data and estimates are then regressed to provide the same equation for all compounds.
Identification of Na+/I- symporter phosphorylation sites and their biological significance

LB-307 The Na+/I- symporter (NIS) mediated iodide uptake activity is the basis for targeted radioiodide ablation of thyroid cancers. While it has been shown that NIS protein is phosphorylated, no NIS phosphorylation site in vivo has been reported. To identify NIS phosphorylation sites, we conducted proteomic analysis of NIS immunoprecipitates from Flag-tagged rat NIS transfected HEK 293 cells. We identified S43, T49, S227, T315, T575 or T577, and S581 as in vivo NIS phosphorylation sites by mass spectrometry. To characterize the functional significance of these NIS phosphorylation sites, we generated Flag-tagged rat NIS mutants with single phospho-defective or phospho-mimicking mutations and evaluated NIS-mediated radioiodide uptake (RAIU) activity, total NIS protein levels, as well as cell surface NIS levels in transfected HEK 293 cells. Our study indicates that (1) the phosphorylation status of S43 and S581 appears to modulate NIS activity without affecting cell surface NIS levels or total NIS protein levels; (2) the phosphorylation status of T577 may be important for NIS protein stability, as NIS phospho-defective mutant T577A had decreased total protein levels while NIS phospho-mimicking mutant T577D had comparable total protein levels as wildtype NIS; and (3) the threonine residue at position 49 of NIS may be critical for proper local structure/conformation of NIS protein since mutation of T49 to either alanine or aspartic acid both resulted in reduced RAIU activity, without alterations in total or cell surface NIS protein levels.
AUTO SUFICIÊNCIA NA PRODUÇÃO DE ENERGIA: CASO FAZENDA SEIS AMIGOS

O Brasil e pais com grande potencial para a producao de bioenergia e biocombustiveis, haja vista possuir grande quantidade de materias primas e recursos naturais, os quais fontes de energias renovaveis e alternativas, sendo assim, causam pouco impacto ao meio ambiente. O presente artigo teve como objetivo, avaliar a implementacao de uma unidade de producao de bioenergia, em relacao as normas ambientais, a forma com que utiliza-se a adubacao com biofertilizantes, bem como identificar os gargalos da producao de biofertilizantes e bioenergia. Ainda, conhecer todo o processo produtivo de energia e entender o projeto de viabilidade ambiental, a partir de uma visita a campo e entrevista semiestruturada, com isso, foi possivel observar que as normas ambientais sao respeitadas na propriedade e que os proprietarios possuem, grande preocupacao com as questoes ambientais, praticam agricultura, voltada para a sustentabilidade, onde a totalidade produzida, inclusive os dejetos suinos, sao aproveitados na producao de subprodutos, os quais utilizados no proprio empreendimento, fazendo com que os custos finais de producao diminuam e ainda polua-se o minimo possivel a atmosfera, auxiliando para que as condicoes de habitabilidade nao se modifiquem, contribuindo assim, para a perpetuacao da atividade e consequentemente do ser humano, em vista a seu habitat natural, ser praticamente inalterado.
Competencies in Context: New Approaches to Capturing, Recognizing, and Endorsing Learning

Most current practices for measuring, credentialing, and accrediting achievement are opaque and analog. This makes them expensive, inefficient, and entrenched, characteristics that in turn obstruct innovation and other necessary developments in education and educational technologies. This chapter describes general and specific responses to these achievement problems. These responses represent a trend towards capturing, recognizing, and endorsing learning. This trend is part of a larger movement in educational technology towards a focus on the context in which learning takes place and the contexts to which the resulting knowledge might transfer. These trends are increasingly important because new technologies (and particularly digital networks) can provide useful information about the context in which learning took place and the context in which evidence of that learning was gathered. Including information about context makes it possible to capture, recognize, and endorse a much broader range of learning and to do so in a much broader range of settings. After summarizing broader responses to problematic achievement practices, this chapter delves into a more specific response in the form of open digital badges. Examples from one digital badge system developed by the authors for an open online course are presented to illustrate new ways of capturing, recognizing, and endorsing learning.
A Pattern Sequence for Designing Blockchain-Based Healthcare Information Technology Systems.

Known for its decentralized and tamper-aware properties, blockchain is attractive to enhance the infrastructure of systems that have been constrained by traditionally centralized and vendor-locked environments. Although blockchain has commonly been used as the operational model behind cryptocurrency, it has far more foreseeable utilities in domains like healthcare, where efficient data flow is highly demanded. Particularly, blockchain and related technologies have been touted as foundational technologies for addressing healthcare interoperability challenges, such as promoting effective communications and securing data exchanges across various healthcare systems. Despite the increasing interests in leveraging blockchain technology to improve healthcare infrastructures, a major gap in literature is the lack of available recommendations for concrete architectural styles and design considerations for creating blockchain-based apps and systems with a healthcare focus. This research provides two contributions to bridge the gap in existing research. First, we introduce a pattern sequence for designing blockchain-based healthcare systems focused on secure and at-scale data exchange. Our approach adapts traditional software patterns and proposes novel patterns that take into account both the technical requirements specific to healthcare systems and the implications of these requirements on naive blockchain-based solutions. Second, we provide a pattern-oriented reference architecture using an example application of the pattern sequence for guiding software developers to design interoperable (on the technical level) healthcare IT systems atop blockchain-based infrastructures. The reference architecture focuses on minimizing storage requirements on-chain, preserving the privacy of sensitive information, facilitating scalable communications, and maximizing evolvability of the system.
Deep learning predicts gene expression as an intermediate data modality to identify susceptibility patterns in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infected Diversity Outbred mice.

Abstract Background Machine learning sustains successful application to many diagnostic and prognostic problems in computational histopathology. Yet, few efforts have been made to model gene expression from histopathology. This study proposes a methodology which predicts selected gene expression values (microarray) from haematoxylin and eosin whole-slide images as an intermediate data modality to identify fulminant-like pulmonary tuberculosis ('supersusceptible') in an experimentally infected cohort of Diversity Outbred mice (n=77). Methods Gradient-boosted trees were utilized as a novel feature selector to identify gene transcripts predictive of fulminant-like pulmonary tuberculosis. A novel attention-based multiple instance learning model for regression was used to predict selected genes' expression from whole-slide images. Gene expression predictions were shown to be sufficiently replicated to identify supersusceptible mice using gradient-boosted trees trained on ground truth gene expression data. Findings The model was accurate, showing high positive correlations with ground truth gene expression on both cross-validation (n = 77, 0.63 ≤ ρ ≤ 0.84) and external testing sets (n = 33, 0.65 ≤ ρ ≤ 0.84). The sensitivity and specificity for gene expression predictions to identify supersusceptible mice (n=77) were 0.88 and 0.95, respectively, and for an external set of mice (n=33) 0.88 and 0.93, respectively. Implications Our methodology maps histopathology to gene expression with sufficient accuracy to predict a clinical outcome. The proposed methodology exemplifies a computational template for gene expression panels, in which relatively inexpensive and widely available tissue histopathology may be mapped to specific genes' expression to serve as a diagnostic or prognostic tool. Funding National Institutes of Health and American Lung Association.
Trends in Operative Treatment of Pediatric and Adolescent Forearm Fractures Among American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part II Candidates.

Background Pediatric and adolescent forearm fractures are among the most common injuries treated by orthopaedic surgeons. Recent literature shows that there has been an increased interest in operative management for these injuries. The purpose of the current study was to examine the trends in case volume, patient age, surgeon fellowship training, and postoperative complications of surgically treated pediatric forearm fractures over >15-year period of American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Part II Oral Examination candidates. Methods ABOS Part II candidates' Oral Examination Case List data from 2003 to 2019 was queried for all pediatric and adolescent (19 y of age and below) forearm fractures treated operatively. Patient demographics, fracture type, complications, and candidate fellowship type were identified for each case. Linear regression was used to delineate annual trends in patient age, complication rates, and case volume by fellowship type. Analysis of variance was performed to evaluate complication rates by fellowship type. Statistical significance for all comparative analyses was set at P-value Results A total of 4178 pediatric and adolescent forearm fractures (mean age: 12.6 y; SD: 3.7 y) were treated surgically among ABOS Part II Oral Examination candidates during their 6-month collection periods from 2003 to 2019. The mean patient age decreased significantly (P 15% complication rate of closed fractures (P Conclusions Fellowship-trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeons are performing an increasing number of pediatric and adolescent forearm fracture fixation when compared with other orthopaedic surgeons. The mean age of surgically managed pediatric forearm fracture patients has decreased from 2003 to 2019. There has been an increase in the rate of overall reported complications following pediatric forearm fracture surgery over recent years, without any significant association to any particular subspecialty. Future studies should evaluate the comparative effectiveness of surgical treatment of pediatric forearm fractures compared with closed management.