cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of doxorubicin (DOX) delivery on tumor necrosis after drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE)

Purpose: Genetic analysis is an encouraging approach to improve the understanding of biochemical mechanisms that underlie tumor therapeutic outcome. While gene assays have been previously applied to liver tissues to identify genetic signatures associated with cytotoxic and ischemic tissue insults, investigation of the association between HCC gene expression and TACE treatment outcomes has not been performed. This study was undertaken to explore the relationship between HCC genetics and TACE response in order to identify potential biomarkers associated with enhanced treatment efficacy. Materials and Methods: In this single-institution study, pretreatment HCC biopsy specimens for tumors treated with TACE between 2007-2013 were analyzed for a panel of 60 chemosensitivity, hypoxia response, mitosis, and inflammatory mediator genes using the QuantiGenes Plex 2.0 mRNA detection assay (Affymetrix). Medical record and imaging review was used to collect demographic, disease, and procedure data, as well as tumor response outcomes, assessed using necrosis (EASL) criteria. Quantitative mRNA levels were compared between tumors exhibiting complete (CR) versus partial (PR) radiographic response. Results: The study sample included 19 biopsied index tumors (mean size 3.0 cm) from 19 patients (14 men, 5 women; mean age 59 years) who underwent mean 2 TACE sessions using 1:1 chemotherapy to ethiodized oil particle embolization. Thirteen and 6 tumors exhibited CR and PR, respectively, at mean 116 days post-treatment. CR tumors showed a statistical increase (Po0.05) in or trend (Po0.1) toward higher pre-treatment chemosensitivity and mitosis (ATF4, BAX, CCNE1, KIF11, NFX1, PPP3CA, SNX1, TOP2A, and TOP2B) gene mRNA expression compared to PR tumors, lower CXCL10 levels, and statistically higher (Po0.05) baseline VEGF-alpha levels. Conclusion: Genetic signatures may allow pre-TACE stratification of tumor response probability, and gene analysis may thus offer an opportunity to personalize locoregional therapy by enhancing treatment modality allocation (e.g. TACE vs. yttrium-90 radioembolization vs. ablative therapy). Further confirmation of identified markers and exploration of their respective predictive capacity thresholds is necessary.
Response of Fox Squirrels and Gray Squirrels to a Late Spring-Early Summer Food Shortage

The response of adult and juvenile fox squirrels ( Sciurus niger ) and gray squirrels ( S. carolinensis ) to a shortage in their two major May-June foods was monitored and compared to a year of typical food abundance. Squirrels foraged more frequently, but less efficiently, during the year of fruit failure than during the typical year. Juvenile survival of both species was reduced during the year of fruit failure, but adult survival remained high. Juvenile losses occurred during late June when weights of adults and juveniles were lower than in the year of typical fruit abundance. By influencing juvenile survival and body condition of adults, late spring-early summer can be a critical period for populations of tree squirrels.
Basic Concepts of Quantum Mechanics

In this chapter we discuss the basic principles of quantum mechanics that underlie optical spectroscopy. We consider wavefunctions, operators and expectation values, atomic and molecular orbitals, harmonic and Morse oscillators, spin wavefunctions for singlet and triplet states, time-dependent perturbation theory, and the dynamics of transitions between states.
A Bibliometrics Analysis of Atopic Dermatitis by Traditional Chinese Medicine

Objective To investigate the current situation and the trend of Atopic Dermatitis(AD) by Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM).Methods Statistical analysis is made on literature from "Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System-Chinese Biomedical Literature Database" on AD treated by TCM through bibliometrics.Results At present,the steadily increasing number of literature focuses on the determination of treatment based on syndrome differentiation of AD by TCM.Conclusion It is imperative to broaden the scope of research in that there are still many deficiencies in the treatment of AD by TCM.
An assessment of the association between smoking status, pain intensity, and functional interference in patients with chronic pain.

BACKGROUND This article examines the association between smoking and pain intensity and functional interference in a heterogeneous group of patients evaluated at a tertiary outpatient pain clinic. Current smoking is associated with less favorable clinical presentations. OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to determine if the smoking status of patients seen in an outpatient pain clinic is associated with differences in pain intensity and interference. METHODS Surveys were mailed to 500 consecutive new patients evaluated at an outpatient pain clinic. Measures included the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Univariate analyses compared BPI scores between smokers and non-smokers. Mean BPI scores were compared between smoking status via analysis of covariance (adjusted for demographic variables which differed significantly by smoking status). A p value < or = 0.05 was accepted as significant. RESULTS Survey completion rate was 46%, and 14.7% were current smokers. Smokers were younger, and more likely to be male and unemployed. Smokers had higher scores on all the pain intensity BPI scales (p < 0.01), and higher scores (indicating greater functional impairment) on the general activity (p = 0.007), mood (p = 0.003), normal work (p = 0.02), relationships (p = 0.04), sleep (p < 0.001), and life enjoyment (p = 0.03) BPI functional impairment scales. Severe nicotine dependence was associated with greater pain now, (p = 0.05), and greater functional interference on mood (p = 0.005), normal work (p = 0.02) and life enjoyment (p = 0.04) BPI scales. CONCLUSION In patients who completed evaluation in an outpatient pain clinic, current cigarette smokers reported significantly greater pain intensity and pain interference with functioning. Symptoms were more pronounced in smokers with more severe nicotine dependence.
A path towards uncertainty assignment in an operational cloud-phase algorithm from ARM vertically pointing active sensors

Abstract. Knowledge of cloud phase (liquid, ice, mixed, etc.) is necessary to describe the radiative impact of clouds and their lifetimes, but is a property that is difficult to simulate correctly in climate models. One step towards improving those simulations is to make observations of cloud phase with sufficient accuracy to help constrain model representations of cloud processes. In this study, we outline a methodology using a basic Bayesian classifier to estimate the probabilities of cloud-phase class from Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) vertically pointing active remote sensors. The advantage of this method over previous ones is that it provides uncertainty information on the phase classification. We also test the value of including higher moments of the cloud radar Doppler spectrum than are traditionally used operationally. Using training data of known phase from the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) field campaign, we demonstrate a proof of concept for how the method can be used to train an algorithm that identifies ice, liquid, mixed phase, and snow. Over 95 % of data are identified correctly for pure ice and liquid cases used in this study. Mixed-phase and snow cases are more problematic to identify correctly. When lidar data are not available, including additional information from the Doppler spectrum provides substantial improvement to the algorithm. This is a first step towards an operational algorithm and can be expanded to include additional categories such as drizzle with additional training data.
pH Dependent hemolytic systems. III. The physical properties of the serum factors involved, with some observations on their occurrence in various disease states in man.

Agglutinins for various artificially altered red blood cells belong to the class of 19S macroglobulins, which migrate electrophoretically as fast gamma or slow beta globulins. The agglutinin activity of serum for altered red cells is readily destroyed by sulfhydryl compounds. Hemolysins for altered red cells are not readily recoverable from serum fractions prepared by starch block electrophoresis or density gradient ultracentrifugation, but, when present, are found to have the same properties. This information lends credence to the concept of these serum factors as examples of "natural antibody," although the stimulus to their formation is not understood. The sera from patients with various types of hemolytic anemias and various dysproteinemias including macroglobulinemia were found to contain normal amounts of altered red cell agglutinins and hemolysins. The sera from three patients with congenital agammaglobulinemia were studied. Two of these sera contained agglutinins and hemolysins for altered red blood cells, as well as isohemolysins and isoagglutinins. The significance of this finding is discussed. The "T" agglutinin and the agglutinin for periodate-treated red cells, both of which are macroglobulins, have been shown by other workers to be absent from newborn sera. Their inability to cross the placenta can be explained by their large size.
Duodenal ulcer as a second disease.

The occurrence of coronary artery disease, chronic pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes mellitus in a group of physicians with and without a history of duodenal ulcer has been determined by mail questionnaire. Even after adjustment for cigarette smoking, physicians with ulcer reported significantly more chronic pulmonary disease than physicians without ulcer. They also reported more coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis, but the excess was not statistically significant. There was no difference between physicians with and without ulcer in the reporting of a history of diabetes mellitus.
Motion-planning with global temporal logic specifications for multiple nonholonomic robotic vehicles

We investigate motion-planning for a team of robotic vehicles assigned to a collaborative intelligent task in the form of global linear temporal logic (LTL) specifications. Specifically, we extend recent results from the literature to include nonholonomic kinematic constraints on the robotic vehicles. The problem formulation relies on workspace cell decompositions, where certain regions of interest in the robots' shared workspace are defined. The proposed algorithm involves two graphs: first, the topological graph arising from the workspace cell decomposition, and second, a graph arising from vertex aggregation on the previous graph. The main technical innovation is the application of the so-called method of lifted graphs to determine the feasibility of edge transitions in these graphs. We illustrate the proposed approach with numerical simulation examples.
Molecular Diffusion at Interfaces and its Relationship to Disperse Phase Stability

Publisher Summary Chemical emulsifiers and proteins stabilize emulsions and foams by two distinct mechanisms. Perturbation of the interface, that is, by droplet deformation or dimple formation, causes the interface to stretch and leads to the generation of a surface tension gradient. Equilibrium is restored by lateral diffusion of the emulsifier at the interface against the surface tension gradient or by adsorption from bulk. This is termed the Gibbs-Marangoni effect. In contrast, adsorbed proteins interact with neighboring molecules to form a viscous or visco-elastic film at the surface. This immobilizes the protein molecules, and coupled with slow surface denaturation, reduces the rate of desorption. Thus, protein films are not stabilized by the Gibbs-Marangoni mechanism; rather, the effects of the perturbation are dissipated over a large area due to the connectivity present in the surface film. The mutual incompatibility of the mechanisms means that instability may arise in disperse phases that contain mixtures of these molecules. This chapter presents a study of surface diffusion in such a mixed system and correlates the onset of diffusion in the protein fraction with a change in foam stability.
Youth Perspectives on Meaningful Participation in Community Based Programs: A Qualitative Assessment

Allowing the voiceless to have a voice is a tenet of empowerment. This paper highlights research that employed a participatory action research framework to gain a better understanding of young people’s perceptions about youth empowerment and acquire their perspective (voice) about the meaningfulness of participation in out-of-school advocacy and volunteer program activities. Using Photovoice, the research provides a missing point of view in youth empowerment model development. Results indicate that the quality of a youth’s participation in a community-based program is determined by 1) youth expressing themselves without censorship, 2) occasions for youth to expand their social networks with youth and adults, and 3) adults observing and valuing youth contributions. These findings raise implications for community-based, youth empowerment programs including program philosophy, program procedures, youth empowerment content and activities, and adult leadership style. The findings may assist practitioners when designing youth empowering activities and researchers when operationalizing youth empowerment.
A comparison of the pit scale genera of North and South America (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Asterolecaniidae)

A COMPARISON OF THE PIT SCALE GENERA OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA (HEMIPTERA: COCCOIDEA: ASTEROLECANIIDAE). Of the 12 asterolecaniid genera known from the New World, six are believed to have been introduced from other faunal regions. The distinctive morphological characters and generic relationships of the New World species are discussed, along with their biogeography and host plant affinities. Key Words: Asterodiaspis, Asterolecanium, Bambusaspis, Grammococcus, Mycetococcus, Mycococcus, Neoasterodiaspis, Palmaspis, Planchonia, Pollinia, Russellaspis, Sclerosococcus.
Interlanguage Pragmatic Development: Internal and External Modification in L2 Arabic Requests

This study investigated the way in which American university students learning Arabic as a foreign language in the United States developed the ability to make and modify requests both internally, through an addition of mitigating or aggravating modality markers, and externally, via supportive moves before or after the main request in formal and informal situations. Data were gathered from spoken discourse completion tasks for 56 university students from four different proficiency levels. While previous studies showed that learners at lower proficiency levels relied heavily on politeness markers, lower-proficiency students in this study most frequently used grounders. Also in contrast to previous studies, the ways in which advanced learners mitigated their requests diverged from those used by Arabic native speakers. Pedagogical implications are discussed.
Forest Canopy, Water Level, and Biopesticide Interact to Determine Oviposition Habitat Selection in Aedes albopictus

Understanding how interacting abiotic and biotic factors influence colonization rates into different habitat types is critical for both conserving and controlling species. For example, the rapid global spread of Asian tiger mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus, has reduced native species abundances and produced disease outbreaks. Fortunately, bacterial endospores of two Bacillus species (biospesticide) are highly lethal to Ae. albopictus larvae and have been commercially developed to reduce populations. Oviposition habitat selection is the first defense Ae. albopictus females possess against any control substance added to breeding sites, and considerable variation exists in their response to biopesticides. In a field experiment, I crossed the presence/absence of biopesticides, with two canopy (open, closed) and water (high, low) levels at 64 breeding sites, to examine if these interacted to influence oviposition site choice. Avoidance of biopesticide was most pronounced in closed canopy sites and those with low water levels, as all main effects and two-way interactions influenced oviposition. Oviposition habitat selection represents a possible mechanism of resistance to biopesticides and other methods used to kill mosquito larvae. Future experiments examining how larval density and mortality modify these results should allow for more effective control of this highly invasive species.
Food Insecurity and Behavioral Characteristics for Academic Success in Young Adults Attending an Appalachian University

In order to investigate the impact of food insecurity on college students in a highly health disparate region we (1) assessed the prevalence of food insecurity among young adults at a large, rural university in Appalachia, and (2) investigated the relationship between food insecurity and behavioral characteristics including academic performance, coping strategies, and money expenditure. A cross-sectional design was used to capture a representative sample of young adults attending a large, central Appalachian university in Fall 2016. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Adult Food Security Survey was used to measure food insecurity. Independent variables include money expenditure (MES), coping strategies (CSS), academic performance (APS), and demographic, health, economic and culinary variables. Participant responses (n = 692) showed one third (36.6%) of respondents were food-insecure. Students with higher scores for MES and CSS had significantly higher odds of being food-insecure (odds ratio (OR) = 2.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81 to 2.38 and OR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.23, respectively). The odds of high APS scores (OR = 0.79; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.86) were inversely related to food insecurity. Results of the logistic regression showed MES, CSS, health, and school year remained a significant predictor of food insecurity in college students. These findings suggest behavioral differences in terms of coping strategies, money expenditure, and academic progress among food-insecure students and can be used to identify and target at-risk students to promote student food security and well-being.
An examination of the relationship between misophonia, anxiety sensitivity, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Abstract Misophonia is a decreased sound tolerance condition in which specific sounds elicit an intense negative emotional response. The aims of the current study were to examine how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and misophonia are related, and to examine the possibility that the relationship between anxiety sensitivity (AS) and misophonia may be explained in part by the presence of OCD symptoms. Data were collected from both undergraduate students (N = 451) and community participants (N = 377) using Amazon's MTurk. Participants completed an online survey assessing for decreased sound tolerance conditions, individual differences variables, and clinical variables. Misophonia was more strongly related to obsessive than to compulsive components of OCD, consistent with case reports of obsessive thoughts in misophonia. In addition, OCD symptoms partially mediated the relationship between AS severity and misophonia symptom severity. These results align with the theorized role of anxiety sensitivity in OCD and in misophonia, and provide suggested directions for future research into the mechanisms of misophonia.
Harmonic Analysis and Optimization of Traffic Signal Systems

This paper develops applications of harmonic analysis for traffic signal performance evaluation and optimization. Link Performance Functions in synchronized signal networks measure delay or travel time as a function of offsets.They depend on a variety of factors, including: traffic flow characteristics, link physical characteristics, and traffic signal controls. Being periodic with the cycle time they can be modeled as a Fourier Serieswhich is an expansion of a periodic function f(x)in terms of a sum of sines and cosines. Just a few harmonics can provide good approximations to the original functions. The paper shows how to derive the principal harmonics in terms of the underlying traffic, link and signal data. This enables one to construct a simple and very effective model for analysis, optimization and control. The paper proceeds to apply this model in two cases. The first case involves performance estimation of signal controlled intersections for planning and design purposes. The second case develops a novel Dynamic Programming optimization model which provides a rigorous procedure for signal coordination and synchronization.
Cellular and humoral mechanisms of cytotoxicity: structural and functional analogies.

Publisher Summary Target cell (TC) killing, however, is not restricted to immune cells and has been documented for various cell types, including bacteria, fungi, yeast, plant cells, and protozoan parasites. Perhaps one denominator common to all these different cytotoxic cell types and their killing machineries is the involvement of soluble cytotoxic mediators that are secreted by the killer cell and used to lyse the target. The increased interest in these soluble mediators of cell killing, generally referred to as “cytotoxins,” has been greatly stimulated in part by the feasibility of their isolation in the laboratory in high yields and their further characterization by conventional biochemical techniques. This chapter focuses on the molecular mechanisms of membrane. The surprising functional analogies between the cytotoxin released by lymphocytes and the better known toxins found in certain bacteria and insects, for example, should greatly stimulate and aid future studies on the cytotoxic reaction mediated by immune cells.
Female Representations in José Saramago: A Space for Oppositional Discourses from the Canonical Gospels to The Gospel According to Jesus Christ

The chapter analyzes how Saramago, in The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, shows Jesus’ utmost strengths through his representation of the women who strongly affect his life. It also argues that the attention given to the eroticized body of the women, in the novel, opposes the dualist view of the body-soul—which occurs in the fascist discourse of the Salazarean Portugal—and suggests a satirical tone toward Christian exegesis of the Canonical Gospels. As all the women, including Mary, his mother, and Mary Magdalene stand before the evidence that there is no godly salvation, they represent a redeemed view of women, whose lives play a fundamental role in the reinvention of the evangelical characters and in the total human experience of Christ.
Experimental Study of Operating Conditions and Integration of Thermoelectric Materials in Facade Systems

This article discusses the application of thermoelectric (TE) materials in building facade systems, which can be used to create active exterior enclosures. TEs are semiconductors that have the ability to produce a temperature gradient when electricity is applied, exploiting the Peltier effect, or to generate a voltage when exposed to a temperature gradient, utilizing the Seebeck effect. TEs can be used for heating, cooling, or electricity generation. In this research, heating and cooling applications of these novel systems were explored. We designed and constructed two prototypes, where one prototype was used to study integration of TE modules (TEMs) as stand-alone elements in the facade, and one prototype was used to explore integration of TEMs and heat sinks in facade assemblies. Both prototypes were tested for heating and cooling potential, using a thermal chamber to represent four different exterior environmental conditions (-18°C, -1°C, 16°C and 32°C). The interior ambient conditions were kept constant at room temperature. The supplied voltage to facade-integrated TEMs varied from 1 to 8 V. We measured temperature outputs of TEMs for all investigated thermal conditions using thermal imaging, which are discussed in this article. The results indicate that while stand-alone facade-integrated TEMs are not stable, addition of heat sinks improves their performance drastically. Facade-integrated TEMs with heatsinks showed that they would operate well in heating and cooling modes under varying exterior environmental conditions.
An atypical case of Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome presenting with crossed-bilateral limb hypertrophy and postaxial polydactyly: a case report

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare congenital condition characterized by the clinical triad of capillary malformations (port wine stains), varicose veins with or without venous malformations, and bony and/or soft tissue hypertrophy. Here we report the first case of a one-day-old male with KTS presenting with crossed-bilateral limb hypertrophy and post-axial polydactyly. This case serves to highlight the variable presentation and multiple problems faced by patients with KTS and why multidisciplinary management is mandatory.
Synthesis of AX7593, a quinazoline-derived photoaffinity probe for EGFR.

The synthesis of a photoaffinity probe for EGFR is described. O-Alkylation of 4-(meta-azidoanilino)-6-methoxy-7-hydroxy-quinazoline with a protected tetraethyleneglycol linker followed by the attachment of tetramethylrhodamine yielded the fluorescent probe AX7593. Photoaffinity labeling of EGFR by AX7593 (Kb = 280 nM) was shown to have an efficiency of 34% and to be competitive with the EGFR inhibitors PP2 and AG1478.
Preliminary design, experiment, and numerical study of a prototype hydraulic bio-inspired damper

Abstract A series of studies with both numerical simulation and small laboratory experimental models of a bio-inspired damper which mimics the behavior of a bio-mechanism found in abalone shells, bones, and titin have been conducted. The results have been promising for various applications including cross-bracings, base-isolators, and tuned mass dampers for building frame structures for seismic damage mitigation. The small laboratory scale bio-inspired damper is in this study enhanced with increased force capacity using a hydraulic damper. A detailed description of the damper design is introduced, and its intermediate scale structural performance is studied by experimental validation and numerical simulation. The damper is mechanically tested on a linear electromagnetic stage at two different force settings of 800 N (180 lbF) under sinusoidal excitation inputs of 0.25 Hz and 0.5 Hz, and 400 N (90 lbF) at 0.25 Hz, 0.5 Hz and 1.0 Hz. The experimental results closely match the theoretical prediction of the damper with a consistent force output for these excitation frequencies. Furthermore, three numerical studies of the theoretical damper for an application in two automotive suspensions over sinusoidal road disturbance and a bump type road disturbance, and an application in a mountain bicycle suspension over bump type road disturbance are presented. In these illustrative numerical examples, the theoretical damper shows improved vibration reduction performance over traditional passive systems and performed comparably to the active and semi-active suspension systems. These studies provide examples of the versatility of the bio-inspired damper but more research is needed to validate the viability for physical applications. In particular, improved prototypes and testing at higher frequencies than were available will be needed.
Unusual Beach Changes Induced by Hurricane Irma with a Negative Storm Surge and Poststorm Recovery

ABSTRACT Cheng, J. and Wang, P., 2019. Unusual beach changes induced by Hurricane Irma with a negative storm surge and poststorm recovery. Journal of Coastal Research, 35(6), 1185–1199. Coconut Cre...
“I Wish Someone Had Told Me That Could Happen”: A Thematic Analysis of Patients’ Unexpected Experiences With End-Stage Kidney Disease Treatment:

Background:Preparedness regarding prognosis and treatment options enables patients to cope with uncertainties, make value-based treatment decisions, and set treatment goals. Yet, little is known ab...
The impact of infant formula production on the concentrations of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters.

ABSTRACTFatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD), 2-monochlorpropanediol (2-MCPD), and glycidol are process-induced chemical contaminants found in refined vegetable oils. Due to their ...
Analysis of vaccination rates of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine after quality improvement project in hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus

Introduction: Since 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that patients over two years with diabetes mellitus (DM) receive the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). Methods: Retrospective chart review was initiated by a quality improvement (QI) project to determine PPSV23 administration rates for inpatients with DM at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). The QI project included education for staff and families regarding need for PPSV23 in patients with DM. Electronic medical record (EMR) order sets for DM were updated with PPSV23 vaccine. Data were collected from EMR to identify differences in subjects who were vaccinated with PPSV23 and unvaccinated from April 2015 to April 2016. Results: Before April 2015, PPSV23 was not being given to inpatients with DM. There were 199 individual subjects admitted to CHOC with DM from April 2015 to April 2016. Of those, 78 subjects (39.1%) received vaccine. Data were categorized to identify if vaccine was ordered (n = 152) or not (n = 47). Univariate logistic regression analysis performed on whether PPSV23 was ordered showed age, location (pediatric intensive care unit [PICU] vs. floor), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), primary DM admission, and insulin pump vs. injection usage were significant factors (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that those with higher HbA1c (P = 0.014), new-onset DM (P = 0.009), and those admitted for primary DM-related issues (P = 0.007) were more likely to have PPSV23 ordered. No significant subject factors identified differences in why vaccine was not administered (n = 74) once ordered. Conclusion: PPSV23 rates for pediatric inpatients with DM increased from 0% to 39% during one year following education and EMR modifications.
Mathematical Modeling of a Smart Antenna Based on Hybrid Beam-forming Technique

In this paper, we have proposed a mathematical model for the design of a hybrid beam-forming antenna. Antenna beam is steered by the hybrid of switched parasitic array and phased array approach, this technique is based on our recently awarded patent. Our design consists of two circular arrays of parasitic elements, each array has six parasitic / passive elements around an active element. Phased shift between the excitation currents is introduced by adding a phase shifter. Antenna beam is steered by the switching (opening / shorting) of the parasitic elements as well as by regulating phase shift. In conventional switched parasitic array antennas beam-steering is not continuous. However, by using our approach continuous beam-steering (0°-360°) is achieved in the azimuth plane. Moreover our antenna gain is 4 dB higher than the conventional switched parasitic array and electronically steerable parasitic array radiator (ESPAR) antennas, typical gain of such antennas is 6.5 dBi.
Feasibility and continence outcomes of extended prostatic urethral preservation during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

The prostatic urethra is conventionally resected during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). We describe the technical feasibility and urinary continence outcomes of extended prostatic urethral preservation (EPUP) during RARP. A single surgeon at a National Comprehensive Cancer Network institute performed 48 consecutive RARP operations using EPUP from March 2014 to March 2016, during which time 177 conventional non-EPUP RARP operations were performed by other surgeons. Prior to this period, the EPUP surgeon had performed 17 non-EPUP RARP operations over 15 months. Total intracorporeal urethral length (IUL) preserved during EPUP was measured intraoperatively. Associations of EPUP and IUL with continence recovery rates and/or times were tested in Fisher’s exact and log rank univariate analyses and Cox logistic regression multivariable analyses. Median IUL preserved during EPUP was 4.0 cm (range 2.5–6.0 cm), and urethral dissections typically spanned the prostatic apex to mid-gland or base. Seven-week continence rates were significantly higher with versus without EPUP. EPUP patient rates of using 0 or 0–1 pads per day immediately after catheter removal were 19% and 35%, respectively. These rates increased significantly (53% and 76%, respectively), as did the IUL preserved (median 5.0 cm), among more recent EPUP patients (n = 17), which suggested a learning curve. In multivariable analyses including all patients, an EPUP approach was an independent predictor of faster continence recovery. In multivariable analyses of the EPUP subset, a longer IUL preserved was independently associated with faster continence recovery. No EPUP patient had a urethral fossa positive margin, and apical positive margins were similarly infrequent among EPUP and non-EPUP patients. EPUP is technically feasible during RARP and associated with faster continence recovery. Future investigation into the generalizability of these findings and the oncologic safety of EPUP is warranted.
Comparison of intrusive and nonintrusive polynomial chaos expansion-based approaches for high dimensional parametric uncertainty quantification and propagation

Abstract We present an uncertainty quantification (UQ) algorithm using the intrusive generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) expansion in combination with dimension reduction techniques and compare the UQ accuracy and computational efficiency of the intrusive gPC-based UQ algorithm to other sampling-based nonintrusive methods. The successful application of intrusive gPC-based UQ is associated with the stochastic Galerkin (SG) projection, which yields a family of models described by several coupled equations of gPC coefficients. Using these coefficients, the evolution of uncertainty in a dynamic system can be quickly determined when there is probabilistic uncertainty in the system. While elegant, when dealing with models that involve complex functions (e.g., nonpolynomial terms) and larger numbers of uncertainties, SG projection becomes computationally intractable and cannot be applied directly to solve gPC coefficients in real-time. To address this issue, the generalized dimension reduction method (gDRM) is used to convert a high-dimensional integral involved in the SG projection into several lower-dimensional integrals that can be easily solved. To show the accuracy of UQ, the algorithm in this work is compared to sampling-based approaches such as the nonintrusive stochastic collocation (SC) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations using three cases: a nonlinear algebraic benchmark, a penicillin manufacturing process, and autocrine signalling networks of living cells.
CHAPTER 8 – Some Applications

In Chapters 2–7 we studied probability inequalities in multivariate distributions from a theoretical point of view and did not describe their applications. The purpose of this chapter is to concentrate on the applications of certain inequalities in the areas of estimation, hypothesis testing, simultaneous comparisons, ranking and selection, and reliability theory. (There are a number of other areas in statistics (e.g., Bayesian inference and nonparametric inference) in which such inequalities are also useful, but these will not be discussed here.) Most applications described in this chapter have already appeared in the literature, and it is likely that many new applications will be made available in the future through a wider use of the theory. It should be emphasized here that we do not try to include all possible applications in this chapter. Instead we hope to demonstrate the main point that the inequalities, although developed in a theoretical way, are important and powerful tools for solving many real-life problems in statistics.
Trefoil factor 3 positively associates with IL-25 in patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Abstract Background Trefoil factor family cytokines (TFF1-3) have documented reparative and immunoregulatory effects on mucosal epithelial cells that include: blocking apoptosis, directed cell migration, and regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine production. TFF1 and TFF3 have been shown to undergo altered expression within sinonasal tissues of patients with various forms of chronic rhinosinusitis including those with or wthout polyp associated disease, but the cellular source(s) of TFF members in CRS remains unclear. To further explore the role of TFF3 in inflammatory sinonasal disease, we sought to determine its expression pattern in immune and non-immune cell types in CRS disease. Methods Polyp and inferior turbinate tissues were isolated from patients undergoing surgical resection for treatment of CRS. Tissue homogenates and single cell suspensions were subjected to enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and single-cell RNA sequencing. Air liquid interface cultures of sinonasal epithelia were subjected to immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy. Interleukin 25, TFF2 and TFF3 protein levels were compared to sinonasal outcome test scores (SNOT-22) to determine whether levels associated with post-operative outcomes. Results TFF3 was broadly expressed in goblet cells, ciliated cells, Tuft cells and T lymphocytes. TFF3 protein levels positively associated with IL-25 in CRSwNP patients. Lastly, TFF3 protein levels positively associated with clinical improvement post-surgery. Conclusions TFF3 is broadly expressed within multiple epithelial and immune cell lineages in patients with CRSwNP. Protein levels of TFF3 correlate with IL-25 and clinical signs of disease, however TFF3 levels associate with clinical improvement following surgical intervention indicating a potential beneficial role for this reparative cytokine in CRS patients.
How Other Minorities Gained Access: The War on Poverty and Asian American and Latino Community Organizing:

In the early twentieth century, Asian Americans and Latinos organized along national origin lines and focused on assimilation; By the 1960s and 1970s, community organizers from both groups began to...
Restoration “Four American Films, Reincarnated”

In recent decades, some older films have been reconstituted in what was, or ought to have been, their original form. This essay discusses four such restorations—American ones—made over a ten-year period (1993-2002): Elia Kazan’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Orson Welles’s Touch of Evil, Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers, and Peter Fonda’s The Hired Hand.
Thor: A Deep Learning Approach for Face Mask Detection to Prevent the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the rapid worldwide spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19 and COVID-20), wearing face masks in public becomes a necessity to mitigate the transmission of this or other pandemics. However, with the lack of on-ground automated prevention measures, depending on humans to enforce face mask-wearing policies in universities and other organizational buildings, is a very costly and time-consuming measure. Without addressing this challenge, mitigating highly airborne transmittable diseases will be impractical, and the time to react will continue to increase. Considering the high personnel traffic in buildings and the effectiveness of countermeasures, that is, detecting and offering unmasked personnel with surgical masks, our aim in this paper is to develop automated detection of unmasked personnel in public spaces in order to respond by providing a surgical mask to them to promptly remedy the situation. Our approach consists of three key components. The first component utilizes a deep learning architecture that integrates deep residual learning (ResNet-50) with Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) to detect the existence of human subjects in the videos (or video feed). The second component utilizes Multi-Task Convolutional Neural Networks (MT-CNN) to detect and extract human faces from these videos. For the third component, we construct and train a convolutional neural network classifier to detect masked and unmasked human subjects. Our techniques were implemented in a mobile robot, Thor, and evaluated using a dataset of videos collected by the robot from public spaces of an educational institute in the U.S. Our evaluation results show that Thor is very accurate achieving an $F_{1}$ score of 87.7% with a recall of 99.2% in a variety of situations, a reasonable accuracy given the challenging dataset and the problem domain.
Retinopathy of prematurity shows alterations in Vegfa 164 isoform expression.

Background Pathologic ocular neovascularization in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and other proliferative retinopathies are characterized by dysregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). A study of Vegfa isoform expression during oxygen-induced ischemic retinopathy (OIR) may enhance our understanding of Vegf dysregulation. Methods Following induction of OIR, immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on room air (RA) and OIR mice. Results Total Vegfa messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was stable in RA mice, but increased in OIR mice with a peak at postnatal day 17 (P17), before returning to RA levels. Vegfa164a expression was similar in both OIR and RA mice at P10 (Phase 1 OIR), but 2.4-fold higher in OIR mice compared to RA mice at P16 (Phase 2 OIR). At P10, Vegfa164b mRNA was similar in OIR vs RA mice, but was expressed 2.5-fold higher in OIR mice compared to RA mice at P16. At P10 and P16, Vegfr2/Vegfr1 expression was increased in OIR mice compared to RA mice. Increased activation of microglia was seen in OIR mice. Conclusions Vegfa164a, Vegfa164b, and Vegfr1 were overexpressed in OIR mice, leading to abnormal signaling and angiogenesis. Furthers studies of mechanisms of Vegf dysregulation may lead to novel therapies for ROP and other proliferative retinopathies. Impact Vegfa164 has two major isoforms, a proangiogenic, Vegfa164a, and an antiangiogenic, Vegfa164b, with opposing receptors, inhibitory Vegfr1, and stimulatory Vegfr2, but their role in OIR is unclear. In Phase 1 OIR, both isoforms and receptors are expressed similarly. In Phase 2 OIR, both isoforms are overexpressed, with an increased ratio of inhibitory Vegfr1. Modulation of angiogenesis by Vegf regulation enables pruning of excess angiogenesis during physiology, but results in ineffective angiogenesis during OIR. Knowledge of VEGF dysregulation may have novel therapeutic implications in the management of ROP and retinal proliferative diseases.
Early experience with donation after circulatory death heart transplantation using normothermic regional perfusion in the United States.

Abstract Objective This pilot study sought to evaluate the feasibility of our donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplant protocol using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for normothermic regional reperfusion (NRP). Methods Suitable local DCD candidates were transferred to our institution. Life support was withdrawn in the operating room (OR). Upon declaration of circulatory death, sternotomy was performed and the aortic arch vessels were ligated. CPB was initiated with left ventricular venting. The heart was reperfused with correction of any metabolic abnormalities. CPB was weaned and cardiac function assessed at 30-minute intervals. If accepted, the heart was procured with cold preservation and transplanted into recipients in a nearby OR. Results From January 2020 to January 2021, a total of 8 DCD heart transplants were performed: six isolated hearts, one heart-lung, and one combined heart-kidney. All donor hearts were successfully resuscitated and weaned from CPB without inotropic support. Average lactate and potassium levels decreased from 9.39 ± 1.47 mmol/L to 7.20 ± 0.13 mmol/L and 7.49 ± 1.32 mmol/L to 4.36 ± 0.67 mmol/L, respectively. Post-transplant, the heart-lung recipient required venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for primary lung graft dysfunction, but was decannulated on postoperative day 3 and recovered uneventfully. All other recipients required minimal inotropic support without mechanical circulatory support. Survival was 100% with median follow-up of 304 days (interquartile range, 105–371 days). Conclusions DCD heart transplant outcomes have been excellent. Our DCD protocol is adoptable for more widespread use, and will increase donor availability in the United States.
Association of baseline neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio with response to nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

The identification of biomarkers to select patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) most likely to respond to combination immunotherapy (IO) is needed. We sought to investigate an association of the baseline neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio (NER) with outcomes to nivolumab plus ipilimumab for patients with mRCC. We performed a retrospective review of patients with clear cell mRCC treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Duke Cancer Institute. Patients with prior receipt of immunotherapy and those without available baseline complete blood count with differential were excluded. Patients were divided into groups by the median baseline NER and analyzed for overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR). Patients were also divided by median baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and analyzed for clinical outcome. Further analyses of patients above/below the median NER and NLR were performed in subgroups of IMDC intermediate/poor risk, IMDC favorable risk, and treatment naive patients. A total of 110 patients were included: median age was 61 years and 75% were treatment naive. The median NER (mNER) at baseline was 26.4. The ORR was 40% for patients with mNER (OR 2.39, p = 0.04). The median PFS for patients with mNER (HR 0.50, p mNER (HR 0.31, p mNLR group. A lower baseline NER was associated with improved clinical outcomes (PFS, OS, and ORR) in patients with mRCC treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab, and prospective validation of the baseline NER as a predictive biomarker for response to immunotherapy-based combinations in mRCC is warranted.
Enhancing Employee Engagement via Leaders’ Motivational Language in times of crisis: Perspectives from the COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract By bridging theoretical perspectives from diverse disciplines including public relations, organizational communication, psychology, and management, this study advances a sequential mediation process model that links leaders’ motivational communication—specifically, direction-giving, empathetic, and meaning-making language—to employees’ organizational engagement during times of crisis. The model incorporates employees’ psychological needs satisfaction and their subsequent crisis coping strategies so as to explain the process that underlies the effects of leader communication on employee engagement. We tested the model in a unique yet underexplored crisis context: organizational crises triggered by the global pandemic of COVID-19. The results of an online survey of 490 full-time U.S. employees provide strong support to the model’s predictions. Our research extends internal crisis communication scholarship in public relations by addressing what types of leader communication strategies as well as how these strategies contribute to employee engagement in a holistic fashion. It also advances theoretical development of the motivational language theory, self-determination theory, transactional model of stress and coping, and organizational engagement—the four theoretical bases of our study—in the context of organizational crises. Lastly, the study results provide timely practical insights on effective internal crisis communication.