cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D augmented reality with integral imaging display

In this paper, a three-dimensional (3D) integral imaging display for augmented reality is presented. By implementing the pseudoscopic-to-orthoscopic conversion method, elemental image arrays with different capturing parameters can be transferred into the identical format for 3D display. With the proposed merging algorithm, a new set of elemental images for augmented reality display is generated. The newly generated elemental images contain both the virtual objects and real world scene with desired depth information and transparency parameters. The experimental results indicate the feasibility of the proposed 3D augmented reality with integral imaging.
Altered subcellular Ca2+ regulation in papillary muscles from cardiomyopathic hamster hearts

To investigate whether cardiac dysfunction in prefailure cardiomyopathic (CM) hamster hearts is due to Ca2+ overload or alternatively to decreased availability of Ca2+ in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the Ca2+ channel agonist, BAY K 8644, was used to compare the effects of increased Ca2+ influx on function and subcellular Ca2+ distribution in papillary muscles from hearts of 110-day-old CM and normal hamsters. A band, mitochondrial, and junctional SR Ca2+ were measured by electron probe microanalysis in CM and normal papillary muscles, which were either untreated or pretreated with BAY K 8644. Muscles were then rapidly frozen during contraction or relaxation. The results showed decreased tension development and decreased inotropic response to BAY K 8644 in CM muscles versus normals. There was no elevation of mitochondrial or A-band Ca2+ in BAY K 8644-treated or untreated CM muscles frozen during contraction or relaxation compared with similarly treated normals. In muscles frozen during relaxation, junctional SR Ca2+ was lower in both untreated and BAY K 8644-treated CM muscles versus comparably treated normals. These results do not support the hypothesis of an increased sensitivity to Ca2+ in hypertrophied, prefailure CM hearts but do indicate that less Ca2+ is available in the SR for activation of contraction.
X-Ray Photoconductivity Measurements of EXAFS in Liquids: Techniques and Applications

We report recent developments of a novel technique, conductivity measurements of x-ray absorption of liquids [1–3]. The aims are: (a) to develop this as a technique for liquid state x-ray studies, (b) to study the implication of different decay channels to the yield spectrum and (c) to investigate the x-ray ion yield of the pure hydrocarbon liquids [3].
Clinical relevance of the routine daily chest X-Ray in the surgical intensive care unit.

Abstract Introduction A daily Chest X-ray (CXR) is obtained in many surgical intensive care units (SICU). This study implemented a selective CXR protocol in a high volume, academic SICU and evaluated its impact on clinical outcomes. Methods All SICU patients admitted in 2/2010 were compared with patients admitted in 2/2012. Between the time periods, a protocol eliminating the routine daily CXRs was instituted. Results In 02/2010 and 02/2012, 107 and 90 patients were admitted to the SICU, respectively, for a total of 1384 patient days. CXRs decreased from 365 (57.1% of patient-days) in 2010 to 299 (40.9% of patient days; p Conclusion Eliminating ADCXRs decreased the number of CXRs performed, without affecting LOS, mechanical ventilation, morbidity or mortality. Physician-directed ordering of CXRs increased the diagnostic value of the CXR and decreased the number of clinically irrelevant CXRs performed.
Quantitative assessment of the supraspinatus tendon on MRI using T2/T2* mapping and shear-wave ultrasound elastography: a pilot study

To determine whether there is an association between T2/T2* mapping and supraspinatus tendon mechanical properties as assessed by shear-wave ultrasound elastography (SWE). This HIPAA-compliant prospective pilot study received approval from our hospital’s institutional review board. Eight patients (3 males/5 females; age range 44–72 years) and nine shoulders underwent conventional shoulder MRI, T2/T2* mapping on a 3-T scanner, and SWE. Two musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed the MRI examinations in consensus for evidence of supraspinatus tendon pathology, with tear size measured for full-thickness tears. T2/T2* values and ultrasound shear-wave velocities (SWV) were calculated in three corresponding equidistant regions of interest (ROIs) within the insertional 1–2 cm of the supraspinatus tendon (medial, middle, lateral). Pearson correlation coefficients between T2/T2* values and SWV, as well as among T2, T2*, SWV and tear size, were calculated. There was a significant negative correlation between T2* and SWV in the lateral ROI (r = −0.86, p = 0.013) and overall mean ROI (r = −0.90, p = 0.006). There was significant positive correlation between T2 and measures of tear size in the lateral and mean ROIs (r range 0.71–0.77, p range 0.016–0.034). There was significant negative correlation between SWV and tear size in the middle and mean ROIs (r range −0.79–-0.68, p range 0.011–0.046). Our pilot study demonstrated a potential relationship between T2* values and shear wave velocity values in the supraspinatus tendon, a finding that could lead to an improved, more quantitative evaluation of the rotator cuff tendons.
Improving power production in linear forms of microbial fuel cells

Benthic microbial fuel cells (BMFCs) are devices that generate persistent energy by coupling bioanodes and biocathodes through an external energy harvester. Advances in BMFC system design have increased feasibility for its use in ocean monitoring. Previous iterations of BMFCs designed by this same group have relied upon carpet like anodes to harvest energy from electrochemically active bacteria in the sediment at power densities of 10 – 20 mW/m−2. Although successful, these 2D anodes are difficult to deploy. In this paper, we evaluate linear cable anodes as an alternative scaling strategy. Commercially manufactured, these cable anodes are wound around insulated underwater cables and can be handled similar to linear hydrophone arrays. Used as delivered, cable anodes performed poorly and generated ∼0.3 mW/m. To improve power production, we added a washing step to remove any chemical binders used in manufacturing and frayed the cable, exposing short strands of carbon yarn. Treated cable anodes generated 1–2 mW/m, which was comparable to and slightly improved over the performance of carpet like anodes.
Cooperative and noncooperative magnetization reversal in alnicos

It is investigated how magnetostatic interactions affect the coercivity of alnico-type magnets. Starting from exact micromagnetic relations, we analyze two limits, namely cooperative reversal processes operative on short lengths scales and noncooperative reversal processes on long length scales. In alnicos, intrawire interactions are predominantly cooperative, whereas interwire effects are typically noncooperative. However, the transition between the regimes depends on feature size and hysteresis-loop shape, and interwire cooperative effects are largest for nearly rectangular loops. Our analysis revises the common shape-anisotropy interpretation of alnicos.
Review article: pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis.

SummaryBackground Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) involvement is a common cause of debilitating symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). There are no disease modifying therapies for this condition and the treatment remains symptomatic, largely owing to the lack of a clear understanding of its pathogenesis. Aims To investigate novel aspects of the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal involvement in SSc. To summarise existing knowledge regarding the cardinal clinical gastrointestinal manifestations of SSc and its pathogenesis, emphasising recent investigations that may be valuable in identifying potentially novel therapeutic targets. Methods Electronic (PubMed/Medline) and manual Google search. Results The GIT is the most common internal organ involved in SSc. Any part of the GIT from the mouth to the anus can be affected. There is substantial variability in clinical manifestations and disease course and symptoms are nonspecific and overlapping for a particular anatomical site. Gastrointestinal involvement can occur in the absence of cutaneous disease. Up to 8% of SSc patients develop severe GIT symptoms. This subset of patients display increased mortality with only 15% survival at 9 years. Dysmotiity of the GIT causes the majority of symptoms. Recent investigations have identified a novel mechanism in the pathogenesis of GIT dysmotility mediated by functional anti-muscarinic receptor autoantibodies. Conclusions Despite extensive investigation, the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis remains elusive. Although treatment currently remains symptomatic, an improved understanding of novel pathogenic mechanisms may allow the development of potentially highly effective approaches including intravenous immunoglobulin and microRNA based therapeutic interventions.
The Effect of Age and Employment on Students’ Perceptions of Online Course Quality

ABSTRACTThree thousand, one hundred sixty students involved in online instruction at 31 colleges and universities across the United States completed a survey designed to probe into whether statements derived from 8 standards in the Quality MattersTM (QM) rubric contributed to their success. The 43-item survey instrument measured students’ perceptions of online course quality. The effect of age and employment status on their perceptions was measured. Based on a series of ANOVA (analysis of variance)s, it was found that the highest rated standard was QM3 on Assessment and Measurement. There were significant differences between age groups. Students under 45, contrasted to those over 45, highly valued clarity and appropriateness of assessments and clear criteria for grading. For students above the age of 45, QM6 on Course Technology was valued highest. They placed a high value on the tools and media that support learning objectives and classmate interactivity. QM3 was rated highest across all employment group...
Finding and Rating Personal Names on Drives for Forensic Needs

Personal names found on drives provide forensically valuable information about users of systems. This work reports on the design and engineering of tools to mine them from disk images, bootstrapping on output of the Bulk Extractor tool. However, most potential names found are either uninteresting sales and help contacts or are not being used as names, so we developed methods to rate name-candidate value by an analysis of the clues that they and their context provide. We used an empirically based approach with statistics from a large corpus from which we extracted 303 million email addresses and 74 million phone numbers, and then found 302 million personal names. We tested three machine-learning approaches and Naive Bayes performed the best. Cross-modal clues from nearby email addresses improved performance still further. This approach eliminated from consideration 71.3% of the addresses found in our corpus with an estimated 67.4% F-score, a potential 3.5 times reduction in the name workload of most forensic investigations.
REMOVED: Severe recalcitrant cutaneous eruption with dual immune checkpoint blockade

Immune checkpoint inhibitors represent one of the newest and most promising therapies for malignancy, but place patients at risk of autoimmune sequelae development, including cutaneous eruptions. M7824, a novel bifunctional fusion protein currently in clinical trials, is directed against both programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). It is well known that PD-1 checkpoint inhibition may lead to symptomatic cutaneous eruptions that most often can be effectively managed without discontinuation of antitumor therapy. We report a case of a treatment-refractory morbilliform eruption that began after M7824 infusion, suggesting that dual immune checkpoint blockade may lead to more severe, recalcitrant cutaneous eruptions relative to mono checkpoint inhibition alone.
Parental Self-Assessment of Behavioral Effectiveness in Young Children and Views on Corporal Punishment in an Academic Pediatric Practice:

This article assesses parental confidence and current behavioral techniques used by mostly African American caregivers of young children in an urban Southeastern setting, including their use and attitudes toward corporal punishment (CP). Two hundred and fifty parental participants of children aged 18 months to 5 years completed a survey on factors affecting their behavioral management and views on CP. Statistical analysis included χ2 test and logistic regression with confidence interval significance determined at P <.05. Significant associations of CP usage were found in parents who were themselves exposed to CP and parental level of frustration with child disobedience. A total of 40.2% of respondents answered that they had not received any discipline strategies from pediatricians and 47.6% were interested in receiving more behavioral strategies. Clear opportunities exist for pediatricians to provide information on evidence-based disciplinary techniques, and these discussions may be facilitated through the creation of a No Hit Zone program in the pediatric practice.
Estimation of Intraoperative Brain Deformation

Image-guided neuronavigation based on preoperative images has become the standard-of-care in many open cranial surgeries. The accuracy of patient registration between structures of interest in the operating room and preoperative images is essential for effective deployment of image-guidance. Brain shift is widely recognized as the single most important factor that degrades registration accuracy during surgery. Intraoperative imaging techniques are important to compensate for brain shift. However, they alone are either impractical for broad clinical acceptance due to high capital cost and intrusion on surgical workflow (e.g., intraoperative magnetic resonance) or insufficient to provide full-field image data for neuronavigation (e.g., intraoperative ultrasound, stereovision, and laser range scanning). Alternatively, biomechanical models are becoming increasingly attractive for estimating brain deformation intraoperatively because they offer whole-brain displacement fields from which to generate model-updated MR images for subsequent guidance, and are low in cost. Because parenchymal feature displacements derived from intraoperative images can be incorporated into model computation, brain deformation is estimated on a patient-specific basis and may allow sufficient accuracy in image-to-patient registration to be maintained throughout surgery. Apparently, the clinical feasibility of this technique for application in the OR depends on the performance of the modeling updates as well as the generation of feature displacements from intraoperative images. This chapter presents details on the important aspects of a computational scheme for estimating intraoperative whole-brain deformation to produce an updated MR image volume. Preliminary results using intraoperative fluorescence imaging for validation of model estimation are also described.
Religious Freedom and the Australian Constitution : Origins and Future

This book examines the origins of Australia’s constitutional religious freedom provision. It explores, on the one hand, the political activities and motives of religious leaders seeking to give the Australian Constitution a religious character and, on the other, the political activities and motives of a religious minority seeking to prevent the Australian Constitution having a religious character. The book also interrogates the argument advanced at the Federal Convention in favour of section 116, dealing with separation of religion and government, and argues that until now scholars and courts have misunderstood that argument. The book casts new light to show how the origins of the provision lead to section 116 being conceptualised as a safeguard against religious intolerance on the part of the Commonwealth. Written in an accessible style, the work has potential to influence the development of constitutional doctrine by the High Court through its challenge of historical assumptions on which the High Court’s current doctrine is based. Given the ongoing political debates concerning the interaction of discrimination law and religious freedom, the book will be of interest to academics and policy-makers working in the areas of law and religion, constitutional law and comparative law.
Abstract 1799: ATRX, DAXX or MEN1 mutant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are a distinct “alpha-cell signature” subgroup

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) or islet cell tumors are a rare neuroendocrine malignancy with an annual incidence of less than 1 per 100,000 per year. Current classification scheme for PanNETs include grade and stage. While well-differentiated PanNETs can be successfully treated with surgery, there are few treatments for metastatic PanNETs. A greater understanding of the cells of origin of PanNETs, tumor progression and pathway pathogenesis may guide the development of novel therapeutic options. The most commonly mutated genes in PanNETs are ATRX, DAXX, and MEN1. Little is known about the cells-of-origin for non-functional neuroendocrine tumors. Here, we genotyped 64 PanNETs for mutations in ATRX, DAXX, and MEN1 and found 37 tumors (58%) carry mutations in these three genes (A-D-M mutant PanNETs) and this correlates with a worse clinical outcome than tumors carrying the wild-type alleles of all three genes (A-D-M WT PanNETs). We performed RNA sequencing (n=33) and Illumina 450K DNA methylation (n=32) analysis on randomly selected PanNETs to reveal two distinct subgroups with one group consisting exclusively of A-D-M mutant PanNETs. Pair-wise correlation of gene expression between all PanNETs, showed A-D-M mutant PanNETs are more homogeneous as a group than A-D-M WT PanNETs. Among A-D-M mutant PanNETs, mutants with the same genotype (mutations in ATRX/DAXX/MEN1) did not show greater gene expression correlation. Two biomarkers differentiating A-D-M mutant from A-D-M WT PanNETs were high ARX gene expression and low PDX1 gene expression with PDX1 promoter hyper-methylation in the A-D-M mutant PanNETs. Moreover, A-D-M mutant PanNETs had a gene expression signature similar to that of alpha cells (pval Citation Format: Saurabh V. Laddha, Chang S. Chan, Peter Lewis, Matthew Koletsky, Kenneth Robzyk, Edaise Da Silva, Paula J. Torres, Brian Untch, Promita Bose, Timothy Chan, David S. Klimstra, David C. Allis, Laura H. Tang. ATRX, DAXX or MEN1 mutant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are a distinct “alpha-cell signature” subgroup [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1799.
Use of Screening Mammography to Detect Occult Malignancy in Autologous Breast Reconstructions: A 15-year Experience

Purpose To examine how often screening mammography depicts clinically occult malignancy in breast reconstruction with autologous myocutaneous flaps (AMFs). Materials and Methods Between January 1, 2000, and July 15, 2015, the authors retrospectively identified 515 women who had undergone mammography of 618 AMFs and who had at least 1 year of clinical follow-up. Of the 618 AMFs, 485 (78.5%) were performed after mastectomy for cancer and 133 (21.5%) were performed after prophylactic mastectomy. Medical records were used to determine the frequency, histopathologic characteristics, presentation, time to recurrence, and detection modality of malignancy. Cancer detection rate (CDR), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and false-positive biopsy rate were calculated. Results An average of 6.7 screening mammograms (range, 1-16) were obtained over 15.5 years. The frequency of local-regional recurrence (LRR) was 3.9% (20 of 515 women; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2%, 5.6%); all LRRs were invasive, and none were detected in the breast mound after prophylactic mastectomy. Of the 20 women with LRR, 13 (65%) were screened annually before the diagnosis. Seven of those 13 women (54%) had clinically occult LRR, and mammography depicted five. Five of the six clinically evident recurrences (83%) were interval cancers. The median time between reconstruction and first recurrence was 4.4 years (range, 0.8-16.2 years). The CDR per AMF was 1.5 per 1000 screening mammograms (five of 3358; 95% CI: 0.18, 2.8) after mastectomy for cancer and 0 of 1000 examinations (0 of 805 mammograms; 95% CI: 0, 5) after prophylactic mastectomy. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and false-positive biopsy rate were 42% (five of 12), 99.4% (4125 of 4151), 16% (five of 31), and 0.6% (26 of 4151), respectively. Conclusion The CDR of screening mammography (1.5 per 1000 screening mammograms) of the AMF after mastectomy for cancer is comparable to that for one native breast of an age-matched woman. Screening mammography adds little value after prophylactic mastectomy. © RSNA, 2018.
Prevalence of autoimmune conditions among patients with lung cancer: Implications for immunotherapy treatment options.

9039Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a highly promising treatment option for advanced lung cancer. Pre-existing autoimmune conditions, with some exceptions, are considered c...
You Get What You Share: Incentives for a Sharing Economy

In recent years, a range of online applications have facilitated resource sharing among users, resulting in a significant increase in resource utilization. In all such applications, sharing one’s resources or skills with other agents increases social welfare. In general, each agent will look for other agents whose available resources complement hers, thereby forming natural sharing groups. In this paper, we study settings where a large population self-organizes into sharing groups. In many cases, centralized optimization approaches for creating an optimal partition of the user population are infeasible because either the central authority does not have the necessary information to compute an optimal partition, or it does not have the power to enforce a partition. Instead, the central authority puts in place an incentive structure in the form of a utility sharing method, before letting the participants form the sharing groups by themselves. We first analyze a simple equal-sharing method, which is the one most typically encountered in practice and show that it can lead to highly inefficient equilibria. We then propose a Shapley-sharing method and show that it significantly improves overall social welfare.
Language ideology and identity construction in public educational meetings

The study explores educational meetings that have a goal of promoting the Belarusian language and providing a platform for people who want to interact in this language. These meetings are not like ...
Sonar signal representation mimicking the inner ear of horseshoe bats

Current models of the initial stages of auditory processing in mammals usually agree that the input signals are split into a bank of bandpass filters. However, the available models differ substantially in their level of complexity and the number of parameters needed. In the current work, the varying levels of complexity in filterbank models of the basilar membrane have been evaluated in the context of modeling the cochlear processing of natural biosonar echoes in horseshoe bats. To this end, three different types of filterbank models have been implemented to represent the range of complexity spanned by models that are in use for the human inner ear: The simplest model, a gammatone filterbank, is a linear model with symmetric filter transfer functions. The gammachirp filterbank is also linear, but mimics the asymmetric transfer functions of the basilar membrane. Finally, the dual resonance nonlinear (DRNL) model adds a level-dependent behavior. Here, all three models have been adapted to the specifics of the basilar membrane of horseshoe bats which is characterized by an “auditory fovea” with exceptionally high filter qualities. The outputs of the different models have been encoded into a sequence of neural spike times before being evaluated with various information-theoretic methods.
Insurance Challenges and Art Crime

This chapter written by an insider of the insurance industry will outline many of the issues that affect the underwriting of fine art. It will highlight the challenges that insurance companies face with issues such as valuation, appraisals damage and loss as well as outright fraud which have always been part of the process in underwriting fine art. On the other hand, it will also bring to light more contemporary issues such as conversion, title, authenticity, money laundering and the role of the Internet which pose new challenges.
The National Palliative Care Registry: A Decade of Supporting Growth and Sustainability of Palliative Care Programs.

Abstract Background: Palliative care program service delivery is variable, and programs often lack data to support and guide program development and growth. Objective: To review the development and...
Size Matters: The Independent Effects of Birth Weight and Maternal Diabetic Status on Infant Outcomes

Background: Infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) are at increased risk for neonatal complications. It is unclear which risks are most related to large infant size versus maternal diabetic status. Objective: To determine how birth weight (BW) and IDM status independently affect congenital anomalies, delivery complications, NICU interventions, and survival in infants. Design/Methods: Retrospective multi-center cohort of infants in Pediatrix NICUs from 2005-12. Infants were grouped by BW z-score and categorized as being IDM with maternal medication (IDM-meds), IDM without maternal …
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults have Higher Prevalence of Illicit Opioid Use than Heterosexual Adults: Evidence from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2015-2017.

Abstract Purpose: We estimated illicit opioid use prevalence among LGB and heterosexual adults. Methods: Cross-sectional National Survey on Drug Use and Health data (2015–2017) were used to estimat...
Towards an Epistemology of Interdependence Among the Orthogonal Roles in Human–Machine Teams

Rational social theorists (e.g., game and decision theorists) have failed to confirm that observations of social reality equal social reality. Yet they argue that teams, organizations and social systems should minimize interdependence and competition, echoed by social psychologists to make data iid (i.e., independent and factorable). But the evidence indicates that competitive teams maximize interdependence; self-reports of social reality correlate poorly with social behavior; and only competition measures interdependent social states. Rational expectations aside, we report progress towards a science of interdependence for human–machine teams. Our model of interdependence works like an uncertainty principle in the sense that tradeoffs arise from the uncertainty caused by measuring interdependent actors in orthogonal roles; e.g., in the tradeoff between teams and individuals, teams are more productive but more opaque. Previously, we described interdependence as bistable stories of social reality; the motivation to reject alternative interpretations, increasing uncertainty and errors; and the inability to factor social states. Now we explore education as a surrogate for intelligence in teams. We hypothesized that teams rely on the education (a trained intellect) of its members to produce more patents (a team’s goals). We found that the average schooling in a nation is significantly related to its total patents produced.
GaAs Solar Cells Grown on Sapphire with Multi-Layer Transfer Printed Virtual Substrates

Transfer printed virtual substrates (TPVS) is a promising technique for drastic III-V substrate cost reduction. In this work, we grew a three-period stack of GaAs virtual substrates on a source wafer and transfer printed material from each individual period to a single handle sapphire substrate. We characterized metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) GaAs solar cell regrowth performance on the printed virtual substrate. Device performance is consistent between the virtual substrate layers, however, the devices presently lag behind performance of identical solar cell structures on conventional substrates. This serves as a first report for numerous critical aspects of the TPVS concept: multi-layer source stacks, MOCVD regrowth, and device results on sapphire handle wafers.
Semi-supervised breast cancer histology classification using deep multiple instance learning and contrast predictive coding (Conference Presentation).

Subjective interpretation of histology slides forms the basis of cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response prediction. Deep learning models can potentially help serve as an efficient, unbiased tool for this task if trained on large amounts of labeled data. However, labeled medical data, such as small regions of interests, are often costly to curate. In this work, we propose a flexible, semi-supervised framework for histopathological classification that first uses Contrastive Predictive Coding (CPC) to learn semantic features in an unsupervised manner and then use an attention-based multiple Instance Learning (MIL) for classification without requiring patch-level annotations.
Too Good to Be True: Firm Social Performance and the Risk of Data Breach

Data breaches are now a daily occurrence. What corporate leaders may not realize is that certain actions they are taking in the social responsibility space may, in fact, be placing a proverbial tar...
Textbook Outcomes in Liver Transplantation

Textbook outcome (TO) is an emerging concept within multiple surgical domains, which represents a novel effort to define a standardized, composite quality benchmark based on multiple postoperative endpoints that represent the ideal “textbook” hospitalization. We sought to define TO for liver transplantation (LT) using a cohort from a high procedural volume center. Patients who underwent LT at our institution between 2014 and 2017 were eligible for the study. The definition of TO was determined by clinician consensus at our institution to include freedom from: mortality within 90 days, primary allograft non-function, early allograft dysfunction (EAD), rejection within 30 days, readmission with 30 days, readmission to the ICU during index hospitalization, hospital length of stay > 75th percentile of all liver transplant patients, red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirement greater than the 75th percentile for all liver transplant patients, Clavien–Dindo Grade III complication (re-intervention), and major intraoperative complication. Two hundred and thirty-one liver transplants with complete data were performed within the study period. Of those, 71 (31%) achieved a TO. Overall, the most likely event to lead to failure to achieve TO was readmission within 30 days (n = 57, 37%) or reoperation (n = 49, 32%). Overall and rejection-free survival did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Interestingly, patients who achieved TO incurred approximately $60,000 less in total charges than those who did not. When we limit this to charges specifically attributable to the transplant episode, the difference was approximately $50,000 and remained significantly less for those that achieved TO. Here, we present the first definition of TO in LT. Though not associated with long-term outcomes, TO in LT is associated with a significantly lower charges and costs of the initial hospitalization. A multi-institutional study to validate this definition of TO is warranted.
Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With Psychogenic Nonepileptic Events Using a Multidisciplinary Clinic Approach.

Background:Psychogenic nonepileptic events (PNEE) are paroxysmal events that resemble epileptic seizures but are caused by psychological factors. Coordination of care has been recommended as one st...
Introduction to the Soils of the Great Lakes Coastal Zone

There are many definitions for soil ranging from the utilitarian to a description that focuses on material. Soil has been recognized.
Examining the high-pressure response and shock melting in cerium using optical pyrometry

The ability to measure temperature in shock wave experiments has been a long-standing scientific challenge complicated by the short timescales involved ($l1$ microsecond) and the presence of nonthermal or external light sources that pollute measured radiances using optical pyrometry methods. In the current work, we present the first experimental data on cerium metal designed to measure the temperature on-Hugoniot from the low-pressure $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ phase well into the high-pressure liquid phase. Radiance data obtained in this work were used to determine the Hugoniot curves for solid ($\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Ce) and liquid cerium by measuring the longitudinal stress and temperature simultaneously in the shocked state. These data were used to estimate the temperature for incipient shock melting and complete melting, and to further constrain a multiphase equation of state developed to describe the dynamic response of cerium at high pressures.
Preservation of organic carbon in the Cretaceous Hue Shale on the North Slope of Alaska: Insights from pyrite morphology

Abstract The Cretaceous Hue Shale is a condensed mudstone section of the Brookian sequence with type II and type III kerogen, and it is one of the major source rocks that fill the world-class conventional oil fields on the North Slope, Alaska. The bottom section of the Hue Shale is referred to as Gamma Ray Zone (GRZ) or Highly Radioactive Zone (HRZ) and believed to be the most organic-rich section. The thermal maturity increases from immature to over oil window towards the southwest. Although, the research on the Hue Shale as an unconventional shale reservoir is still at an early stage, where exploration activities are very limited. The Hue Shale thickens to the east in general. However, regional variations of thickness and more importantly total organic carbon (TOC) have been reported. In this research, a suite of nineteen core samples of the Hue Shale are selected. These cores are collected from six wells covering a wide spectrum of thermal maturity with four wells in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska and two wells in the state land. A combined geochemical and petrographic methodology is utilized to address the regional redox conditions and the preservation of organic carbon. TOC, Tmax, hydrogen index, and oxygen index are acquired through pyrolysis to characterize the abundance, thermal maturity, the origin, and the evolution of organic matter. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) is used to investigate the mineralogy and diagenesis of the Hue Shale. Pyrite crystal forms, and pyrite framboid size distributions are used as an indicator of the redox conditions during deposition. The results show substantial variance in oxygen levels in the water column. High abundance and small sizes of pyrite framboids, which indicates a depleted oxygen environment, show better preservation potential of organic matter.
HIGH AND VOLATILE TREASURY YIELDS IN TANZANIA: THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC BIDDING AND AUCTION MICROSTRUCTURE

The observed increase in the level and volatility of Tanzania's Treasury yields in recent years against an otherwise benign macroeconomic backdrop presented a puzzle for policymakers, while raising concerns about the fiscal burden of rising debt interest payments and diversion of bank credit away from the private sector. Using evidence from bid-level data, and supported by a simple theorising of bidder incentives under unorthodox issuance practices, this paper traces the recent volatility in yields to the emergence of a sharp segmentation of the T-bill market between sophisticated financial market players (foreign-controlled banks) and a less-experienced group of investors (domestic pension funds and small banks). An important policy recommendation that emerges is that public debt managers should avoid micro-managing Treasury bill auctions by issuing amounts in excess of those offered or by dipping into oversubscribed segments of the yield curve, as such practices seriously disadvantage the less-sophisticated (but more competitive) investors vis-a-vis the more sophisticated players.
Differential gene expression analysis of palbociclib-resistant TNBC via RNA-seq

The management of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a significant clinical challenge due to the lack of effective targeted therapies. Inhibitors of the cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) are emerging as promising therapeutic agents against TNBC; however, cells can rapidly acquire resistance through multiple mechanisms that are yet to be identified. Therefore, determining the mechanisms underlying resistance to CDK4/6 inhibition is crucial to develop combination therapies that can extend the efficacy of the CDK4/6 inhibitors or delay resistance. This study aims to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG) associated with acquired resistance to palbociclib in ER− breast cancer cells. We performed next-generation transcriptomic sequencing (RNA-seq) and pathway analysis in ER− MDA-MB-231 palbociclib-sensitive (231/pS) and palbociclib-resistant (231/pR) cells. We identified 2247 up-regulated and 1427 down-regulated transcripts in 231/pR compared to 231/pS cells. DEGs were subjected to functional analysis using Gene Ontology (GO) and the KEGG database which identified many transduction pathways associated with breast cancer, including the PI3K/AKT, PTEN and mTOR pathways. Additionally, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) revealed that resistance to palbociclib is closely associated with altered cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis suggesting that resistance to palbociclib may be dependent on lipid metabolic reprograming. This study provides evidence that lipid metabolism is altered in TNBC with acquired resistance to palbociclib. Further studies are needed to determine if the observed lipid metabolic rewiring can be exploited to overcome therapy resistance in TNBC.
A Low-Cost Autonomous Surface Vehicle for Multi-Vehicle Operations

To provide a low-cost modular easily deployable platform for advancing marine autonomy and supporting multi-vehicle missions, an Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASV) called BREAM (Boat for Robotic Engineering and Applied Machine-Learning) is de veloped by Purdue University. BREAM is equipped with a Ultra Short Baseline (USBL) system for underwater localization, an acoustic modem for underwater communication, and a portable and adaptable docking station for underwater power/data transfer. This paper discusses the design, construction, control and experimental validation of the vehicle's autonomous capabilities.
A Statistical Approach for Identifying Private Wells Susceptible to Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Contamination

Drinking water concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exceed provisional guidelines for millions of Americans. Data on private well PFAS concentrations are limited in many reg...
Ultrafast Solid-State Circuit Breaker with a Modular Active Injection Circuit

This paper proposes a new modular active injection circuit (AIC) for solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB). The modular AIC is used to achieve soft-switching turn-off during DC current interruption. The proposed AIC presents following contributions: selectable resonant currents are obtained to obtain a reliable artificial zero crossing points in DC currents; current rating scalability is provided; passive components of the AIC are optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and new proposed objective functions; an external wireless charger is developed to charge the injection capacitor of the AIC to provide voltage isolation, compactness, and flexibility in choosing the pre-charge voltage value on the injection capacitor; the proposed AIC needs no discharge circuits which simplifies the control and accelerates reclosing process. The proposed SSCB is simulated in a 6kV system in PSCAD/EMTDC in interrupting currents of normal and different scenarios . The designed SSCB can interrupt the DC currents up to 200A with the adaptive response time from 3.74s to 6.71s, faster response time in interrupting higher values of DC currents. The effectiveness of the proposed SSCB in practice is validated by experiments of a downsize 380V/20A prototype with only 2.8s response time and 99.91% efficiency.
Supinator to Posterior Interosseous Nerve Transfer for Restoration of Finger Extension.

BACKGROUND Cervical spinal cord injuries result in a severe loss of function and independence. The primary goal for these patients is the restoration of hand function. Nerve transfers have recently become a powerful intervention to restore the ability to grasp and release objects. The supinator muscle, although a suboptimal tendon transfer donor, serves as an ideal distal nerve donor for reconstructive strategies of the hand. This transfer is also applicable to lower brachial plexus injuries. OBJECTIVE To describe the supinator to posterior interosseous nerve transfer with the goal of restoring finger extension following spinal cord or lower brachial plexus injury. METHODS Nerve branches to the supinator muscle are transferred to the posterior interosseous nerve supplying the finger extensor muscles in the forearm. RESULTS The supinator to posterior interosseous nerve transfer is effective in restoring finger extension following spinal cord or lower brachial plexus injury. CONCLUSION This procedure represents an optimal nerve transfer as the donor nerve is adjacent to the target nerve and its associated muscles. The supinator muscle is innervated by the C5-6 nerve roots and is often available in cases of cervical SCI and injuries of the lower brachial plexus. Additionally, supination function is retained by supination action of the biceps muscle.
Visual Illusions: Insights from Comparative Cognition

Visual illusions emerge as a byproduct of an otherwise highly functional perceptual system, leading to dissociations of the physical world and the perceptual interpretation of environmental stimuli. Insights from comparative cognition research are discussed in this chapter, including the role of species' unique evolutionary pressures, perceptual mechanisms, and the impact of experimental paradigms on the emergence of illusory phenomena, including visual illusions and perceptual completion.
The Association Between Conventional Cancer Treatment History and Dissatisfaction Among Those Seeking Alternative Cancer Therapies: Insights From a Crowdfunding Platform.

Purpose/Objective(s) We previously reported on dissatisfaction with conventional cancer treatment as a primary theme among online crowdfunding campaigns created for individuals seeking alternative cancer treatments. Here, we determine the impact of specific conventional cancer treatments, as well as cancer stage and cancer type, on dissatisfaction leading to the selection of alternative cancer treatments. Materials/Methods A cross-sectional mixed methods analysis of 778 online campaigns for people seeking financial assistance for alternative cancer treatments through GoFundMe between 2011 and 2019 were evaluated. Clinical and treatment data were extracted from the campaign descriptions. Motivational themes were identified using a rigorous process of thematic analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify significant associations between cancer type, cancer stage, and prior conventional cancer treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone and immunotherapy and dissatisfaction, defined by concerns that conventional treatment was ineffective, too expensive, or associated with intolerable side effects. Results Of the 778 campaigns analyzed, 68.3% (531) campaigns contained themes of dissatisfaction. Of those 531, 41.8% (222) reported having had surgery, 49.5% (263) reported having had chemotherapy, 28.6% (152) radiotherapy, 3.0% (16) hormone therapy, and 2.6% (14) immunotherapy. Significant independent predictors of dissatisfaction were prior use of chemotherapy (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.93, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:1.34-2.83) and having Stage IV cancer (OR: 2.29, 95% CI:1.65-3.20). No other therapies or cancer types were significantly associated with dissatisfaction. Conclusion Prior use of radiation therapy, surgery, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy were not independent predictors of dissatisfaction, nor were the individuals’ cancer types; however, chemotherapy was an independent predictor of dissatisfaction when controlling for other important factors as reported in crowdsourcing campaigns seeking financial assistance for alternative cancer therapies. This information highlights the importance of doctor-patient communication regarding complications of and expectations for cancer treatment.
Infrared planar laser-induced fluorescence with a CW quantum-cascade laser for spatially resolved CO 2 and gas properties

The design and demonstration of a new infrared laser-induced fluorescence (IR-LIF) technique that enables spatially resolved measurements of CO2, temperature, and pressure, with potential for velocity, are presented. A continuous-wave, wavelength-tunable, quantum-cascade laser (QCL) near $$4.3\,\upmu \hbox {m}$$ with up to 120 mW was used to directly excite the asymmetric-stretch fundamental-vibration band of CO2 for approximately 200 to $$10^5$$ times more absorbance compared with previous IR-LIF techniques. This enabled LIF detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio of 1) of 20 and 70 ppm of CO2 in Ar and $$\hbox {N}_2$$ , respectively, at 1 bar and 296 K in static-cell experiments. Simplified and detailed kinetic models for simulating the LIF signal as a function of gas properties are presented and enable quantitative, calibration-free, IR-LIF measurements of CO2 mole fraction within 1–8 % of known values at 0.5–1 bar. By scanning the laser across two absorption transitions and performing a multi-line Voigt fit to the LIF signal, measurements of temperature, pressure, and $$\chi _{\hbox {CO}_2}$$ within 2 % of known values were obtained. LIF measurements of gas pressure at a repetition rate up to 200 Hz (in argon) are also presented. Planar-LIF (PLIF) was used to image steady and unsteady CO2–Ar jets at 330 frames per second with a spatial signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) up to 25, corresponding to a detection limit (SNR = 1) of 200 ppm with a projected pixel size of $$40\,\upmu \hbox {m}$$ . The gas pressure was measured within $$3 \pm 2$$ % of the known value (1 bar) at 5 Hz by scanning the QCL across the P(42) absorption transition and least-squares fitting a Voigt profile to the PLIF signal. Spatially resolved measurements of absolute CO2 mole fraction in a laminar jet are also presented.
2-Methoxyethanol inhibits gap junctional communication in rat myometrial myocytes

The glycol ethers 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME) and 2-ethoxyethanol (2-EE) prolong gestation in rodents. Because gap junctions in the myometrium likely facilitate parturition, the present study examined inhibition of gap junctional communication by 2-ME and 2-EE in myometrial smooth-muscle cell cultures. To measure gap junctional communication, the fluorescent dye Lucifer yellow was injected into cultured cells and the transfer of the dye to adjacent cells was scored with epifluorescence microscopy. The data are presented as the percentage of cells adjacent to the microinjected cell that exhibited dye following microinjection. A 30 min treatment with 32 or 63 mmol/L 2-ME decreased dye transfer to 71% and 63%, respectively (p≤0.05; control 90%). Similarly, 2-EE inhibited dye transfer, although myometrial cells were less sensitive to 2-EE compared to 2-ME. Dye transfer returned to control levels after 2 h in the continued presence of 2-ME. The primary metabolite of 2-ME, methoxyacetic acid (MAA), had no effect on dye transfer at concentrations equimolar to 2-ME. Because 2-ME and 2-EE inhibited gap junctional communication only at high concentrations and because the inhibition reversed in the continued presence of the compounds, it is suggested that glycol ethers delay parturition by a mechanism independent of a direct action on myometrial gap junctions.