cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knudsen effusion through polymer-coated three-layer porous graphene membranes

Graphene membranes have the potential to exceed the permeance and selectivity limits of conventional gas separation membranes. Realizing this potential in practical systems relies on overcoming numerous scalability challenges, such as isolating or sealing permeable defects in macroscopic areas of graphene that can compromise performance and developing methods to create high densities of selective pores over large areas. This study focuses on a centimeter-scale membrane design, where leakage is reduced by substrate selection, permeable polymer film coating, and stacking of three independent layers of graphene, while (selective) pores are created by high density ion bombardment. The three-layer graphene provides high resistance to gas flow, which decreases with ion bombardment and results in selectivity consistent with Knudsen effusion. The results suggest that the permeable pores created in three layer graphene were larger than those required for molecular sieving and that designs based on single layer graphene may lend themselves more easily to molecular sieving of gases.
Wrist Imaging: The “Top 5” Classic Diagnoses

The wrist has intricate anatomy that can be “dissected” non-invasively with imaging. Imaging interpretations can be accomplished comprehensively and efficiently by using a systematic “checklist” approach to these anatomic structures (e.g., osteoarticular, ligamentous, musculotendinous, neurovascular). Diagnostic accuracy is maximized by mastering the problems certain to appear in patients with wrist maladies undergoing imaging. “The Top 5” classic wrist disorders are highlighted here, including fractures (e.g., scaphoid), AVN (e.g., lunate), carpal instability (e.g., scapholunate and lunotriquetral ligament tears), TFCC injuries, and common soft-tissue masses.
Cracks in KRX: When more distant points are less anomalous

We examine the Mahalanobis-distance based kernel-RX (KRX) algorithm for anomaly detection, and find that it can exhibit an unfortunate phenomenon: the anomalousness, for points far from the training data, can decrease with increasing distance. We demonstrate this directly for a few special cases, and provide a more general argument that applies in the large bandwidth regime.
Compound-specific isotope records of late-quaternary environmental change in southeastern North Carolina

Abstract Reconstructions of late Quaternary paleohydrology are rare from the U.S. Atlantic coastal plain (ACP). Here we present compound-specific hydrogen (δ2Halkane) and carbon (δ13Calkane) isotope analyses of terrestrially-derived n-alkanes from Jones Lake and Singletary Lake in eastern North Carolina spanning the last ∼50,000 years. Combined with pollen, charcoal, and bulk geochemical analyses, the δ2Halkane data indicate arid conditions during the late-Pleistocene, but differing edaphic conditions at the sites perhaps related to differing water table depths. The δ13Calkane data indicate a significant C4 plant component during the late Pleistocene, but other proxies indicate a sparsely-vegetated landscape. The Pleistocene-Holocene transition is marked by rapid fluctuations in δ2Halkane values that are similar to the patterns of Bolling Allerod and Younger Dryas isotope data from Greenland indicating sensitivity of the regional climate to short-lived, high-amplitude climatic events. The δ2Halkane data indicate a mesic early Holocene that supported colonization by Quercus-dominated ecosystems. Evidence of middle Holocene aridity in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina contrasts with evidence of mesic conditions on the ACP, a geographic pattern similar to modern teleconnected precipitation responses to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. A transition to Pinus-dominated ecosystems ∼5500 cal yr B.P. is accompanied by a large increase charcoal, but is not coincident with any large changes in δ2Halkane values, indicating that hydrologic change was likely not responsible for sustained late-Holocene dominance of Pinus. The lack of a change in middle Holocene hydrology and the spatiotemporally heterogeneous nature of the Quercus-Pinus transition on the ACP indicate prehistoric anthropogenic land management practices may represent the most parsimonious explanation for the regionally pervasive ecological change.
Vaccination strategies for the prevention of meningococcal disease

Routine prophylactic vaccination and mass vaccination strategies have been used to control both endemic and epidemic disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis globally. This review discusses real-world examples of these vaccination strategies, their implementation, and outcomes of these efforts, with the overall goal of providing insights on how to achieve optimal control of meningococcal disease through vaccination in varied settings. Tailoring immunization programs to fit the needs of the target population has the potential to optimally reduce disease incidence.
Factors Associated With Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Admissions After Invasive Outpatient Procedures in the Veterans Health Administration.

This study evaluates the prevalence of postprocedure emergency department visits and admissions and the association of these outcomes with relevant patient, procedure, and facility factors.
Online screening of fruits and vegetables using hyperspectral line-scan imaging techniques

Over the last 50 years, myriad of hyperspectral imaging studies have focused and reported on finding spectral imaging approaches suitable for potential online implementation to evaluate produce. To achieve comprehensive online quality and safety inspection of fruits and vegetables, whole-surface sample presentation and imaging regimes must be considered. Because of the morphological shape differences between relatively round fruits and flat leafy greens, two independent methods are in development to achieve effective whole-surface sample evaluation based on the use of a single hyperspectral line-scan imaging device on a processing line. In this chapter, online whole-surface fruit and vegetable inspection methods using hyperspectral line-scan imaging techniques are presented.
Student Test Results in School Accountability

This article examines the use of student achievement test scores in test-based accountability systems that hold schools or teachers accountable for student performance. A variety of approaches have been used to create aggregate student achievement measures, or accountability indices. These range from simple status-based or cohort-to-cohort average scores to complex, multivariate value-added models. Each approach has strengths and limitations, and they vary in the extent to which they support inferences about educators' effectiveness. Moreover, all of these methods are subject to problems stemming from the use of achievement test scores as outcome measures.
Mitogenic Activation of Human T Lymphocytes Induces a High Affinity Morphine Binding Site

Activation of human T lymphocytes by mitogens or cytokines is a key event in the control of surface receptors central to the metabolism of these cells. Receptors for a wide range of compounds such as IL-2 (1) and serotonin (2) can be induced on human T lymphocytes by phytohemagglutin (PHA) and IL-2, alone or in combination. Similarly, PHA plus IL-1 induces an opiate receptor on murine thymocytes (3). We report below that treatment of human T lymphocytes by PHA followed by incubation with IL-2 leads to the appearance of a saturable morphine binding site. Morphine binding to this site is displaceable by both naloxone and B-endorphin, but not by such classic mu ligands as DAGO or morphiceptin.
Strategies in the Racemization-Free Synthesis of Polytripeptide Models of Collagen

Synthesis of racemization-free sequential polypeptides is a major challenge to the peptide chemist. The loss of optical integrity at a single residue can drastically alter the properties of the polymer. We have investigated racemization in the synthesis of polytripeptide models of collagen. The conformational features of collagen are determined by a large imino content and the presence of Gly in every third position. Thus polymers of tripeptides containing Pro and Gly with an asymmetric residue A permit evaluation of the contribution of A to collagen conformation. in the synthesis of such polymers, the position of Pro in the tripeptide is of importance because of its variable reactivity at the N or C terminal residue. N-terminal Pro is more reactive but also sterically hinders polycondensation. Terminal Pro also participates in undesirable side reactions such as formation of urea or diketopiperazine derivatives and cyclization. Cyclization can be avoided by using concentrated solutions of monomer. Racemization occurs during the synthesis of OCl5Ph or ONp esters but not in the synthesis of ONSu esters. This, however, does not guarantee formation of optically pure products. Best results are obtained with ONSu esters and limited use of base during polymerization. Polymerization appears to be stereoselective since the largest molecular weight polymers are purest, smallest molecular weight products highly racemized.
Transformation of an empirical distribution to normal distribution by the use of Johnson system of translation and symmetrical quantile method

This article deals with approximation of empirical distribution to standard normal distribution using Johnson transformation. This transformation enables us to approximate wide spectrum of continuous distributions with a normal distribution. The estimation of parameters of transformation formulas is based on percentiles of empirical distribution. There are derived theoretical probability distribution functions of random variable obtained on the base of backward transformation standard normal distribution in the paper. The Method is introduced on practical example.
Fallopian Tube Recanalization

With infertility prevalence data ranging from 7% to 20% in the United States, reproductive assistance methods are an important medical concern [1, 2]. In working up the infertile couple, practitioners must exclude anatomic causes. When proper work-up and imaging reveal a proximal fallopian tube occlusion, recanalization is a reasonably straightforward and low-risk procedure that can be beneficial to these patients.
Yukta: multilayer resource controllers to maximize efficiency

Since computers increasingly execute in constrained environments, they are being equipped with controllers for resource management. However, the operation of modern computer systems is structured in multiple layers, such as the hardware, OS, and networking layers---each with its own resources. Managing such a system scalably and portably requires that we have a controller in each layer, and that the different controllers coordinate their operation. In addition, such controllers should not rely on heuristics, but be based on formal control theory. This paper presents a new approach to build coordinated multilayer formal controllers for computers. The approach uses Structured Singular Value (SSV) controllers from Robust Control Theory. Such controllers are especially suited for multilayer computer system control. Indeed, SSV controllers can read signals from other controllers to coordinate multilayer operation. In addition, they allow designers to specify the discrete values allowed in each input, and the desired bounds on output value deviations. Finally, they accept uncertainty guardbands, which incorporate the effects of interference between the controllers. We call this approach Yukta. To assess its effectiveness, we prototype it in an 8-core big.LITTLE board. We build a two-layer SSV controller, and show that it is very effective. Yukta reduces the ExD and the execution time of a set of applications by an average of 50% and 38%, respectively, over advanced heuristic-based coordinated controllers.
An integrated framework for solid modeling and structural analysis of layered composites with defects

Abstract Laminated fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are widely used in aerospace and automotive industries due to their combined properties of high strength and low weight. However, owing to their complex structure, it is difficult to assess the impact of manufacturing defects and service damage on their residual life. Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of composites using ultrasonic testing (UT) can identify the presence of defects. However, manually incorporating the damage in a CAD model of a multi-layered composite structure and evaluating its structural integrity is a tedious process. We have developed an automated framework to create a layered 3D CAD model of a composite structure and automatically preprocess it for structural finite element (FE) analysis. In addition, we can incorporate flaws and known composite damage automatically into this CAD model. The framework generates a layer-by-layer 3D structural CAD model of the composite laminate, replicating its manufacturing process. The framework can create non-trivial composite structures such as those that include stiffeners. Outlines of structural defects, such as delaminations detected using UT of the laminate, are incorporated into the CAD model between the appropriate layers. The framework is also capable of incorporating fiber/matrix cracking, another common defect observed in fiber-reinforced composites. Finally, the framework can preprocess the resulting 3D CAD models with defects for direct structural analysis by automatically applying the appropriate boundary conditions. In this paper, we show a working proof-of-concept of the framework with capabilities of creating composite structures with stiffeners, incorporating delaminations between the composite layers, and automatically preprocessing the CAD model for finite element structural analysis. The framework will ultimately aid in accurately assessing the residual life of the composite and making informed decisions regarding repairs.
A phase 1/2 study combining ipilimumab with abiraterone acetate plus prednisone in chemotherapy- and immunotherapy-naïve patients with progressive metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

e16507Background: We hypothesized that combining abiraterone acetate (AA), an androgen biosynthesis inhibitor shown to induce prostate cancer apoptosis for patients (pts) with mCRPC, with Ipilimuma...
A Standard Block of “Series Connected SiC MOSFET” for Medium/High voltage converter

The goal of this paper is to significantly improve the efficiency and power density of medium voltage drive and high-power converters. To achieve the goal, the proposed approach is to replace the high voltage Si IGBT by series connected SiC MOSFETs. Specifically, a game changing and universally applicable standard block of "series connected SiC MOSFET" with excellent dynamic voltage sharing and high reliability is proposed. The core technology in the block is the current source gate driver with device synchronization function. A down-scaled medium voltage drive prototype has been developed to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of the standard block.
Glatiramer Acetate Induced Serum Sickness (P5.393)

Objective: Define Glatiramer Acetate as potential etiology of serum sickness Background: Multiple sclerosis is a central nervous system demyelinating disease with an incidence a prevalence of just over 400,000 affected individuals in the United States. Glatiramer acetate is a frequently prescribed disease modifying therapy in the United States. A 40 y/o woman with relapsing multiple sclerosis presented with vomiting, fever, diffuse rash, joint and lumbar back pain, distal lower limb parasthesia. She was discharged initially after conservative management with IV methyl prednisolone and diphenhydramine as well as cessation of her home dosing of glatiramer acetate. She was restarted on glatiramer acetate three weeks later and required re-hospitalization for similar symptoms three days later and was diagnosed with serum sickness. Design/Methods: Patient admitted to inpatient acute hospital for evaluation. Results: Labratory analysis: mild pancytopenia. Hepatitis panel, blood smear, ESR, CRP, CMV, HIV, EBV were unremarkable. Imaging with MRI brain was unchanged from prior exam. CT abdomen was negative. CSF analysis for standard studies of cell count, glucose, protein, gram stain and culture which were negative. Serum studies again showed neutropenia. C3/C4 found to be low. She also had isolated IgM deficiency on serum immunoglobulin testing. Urine analysis showed proteinuria. Conclusions: The patient described developed signs, symptoms and laboratory data suggestive of serum sickness which was further supported by symptom recurrence with second challenge 21 days after initial cessation. Serum sickness is a type III hypersensitivity reaction that results from the injection of heterologous or foreign protein or serum. The clinical presentation of serum sickness is described as symptoms including fever, rash, arthralgia, nausea, vomiting, headaches and neurologic manifestations which can include peripheral neuropathy or brachial neuritis. Pathophysiologically it takes of 1–2 weeks or longer to manifest immunologic reaction to foreign substances following initial exposure with subsequent exposures resulting in reactivation in a little as three days. Disclosure: Dr. Ferguson has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec and Sanofi-Genzyme as a speakers bureau member. Dr. Ferguson has received research support from Novartis and Sun Pharmaceuticals.
Single-Station-Based Lightning Mapping System With Electromagnetic and Thunder Signals

A single-station-based lighting mapping system comprising a microphone array, which detects electromagnetic (EM) and thunder signals, has recently been developed and deployed for lightning observations. Using one microphone array consisting of 19 electret microphones installed on a 3-D steel frame, this system receives and processes the EM and thunder signals to determine the location of lightning thunder sources. We implement a new broadband direction-of-arrival estimation technique, namely, the maximum power beamforming algorithm and derive the 3-D location results based on the time difference between the acoustic signal and the EM signal. In this paper, four cloud-to-ground flashes with different branch channels recorded by the system are analyzed and presented in which the located thunder sources of two lightning flashes are compared with the photograph of the high-speed camera. The details of the system implementation along with the successful reconstruction of the lightning channel in 2-D and 3-D space are discussed. The results indicate that the location system could effectively map the lightning thunder sources, and the result is highly consistent with the high-speed video camera images. Moreover, the acoustic mapping system is capable of locating the main channel produced by the return stroke process; it also depicts the branching channels. It is shown that the system is capable of distinguish different branches of the same lightning; it also obtains different lightning channels occurring almost simultaneously.
Summary of Working Group 3: Laser and High-Gradient Structure-Based Acceleration

High-gradient particle acceleration with reduced power demands is essential for miniaturization and cost reduction of future accelerators. Working Group 3 discussed and surveyed the recent advances in achieving higher gradients and better acceleration efficiency in externally powered, structure-based accelerators. The working group was organized as a survey of the different schemes and the relevant associated techniques and structures as a function of frequency, all the way from radiofrequency (RF) bands to infrared and visible lasers. Other relevant topics such as power sources or electron beam sources peculiar of a given frequency range were also discussed. Further details on each of these topics can be found in the respective papers in these Proceedings.
Otitis-Related Disorders

Otitis related disorders constitute a broad class of inflammatory conditions that may involve the outer, middle, or inner ear. Each area is susceptible to pathogenic contamination and may produce a range of complex problems. Otic inflammatory disorders, such as otitis externa, acute otitis media, chronic suppurative otitis media, labyrinthitis, and vestibular neuritis, exhibit a complex pattern of disease pathogenesis, often with distinct clinical manifestations. The close anatomical proximity of the three otic regions to each other, the nasopharynx, and the brain, contributes to the spread of infection and increases the risk of associated complications. This article summarizes the common inflammatory conditions associated with the outer, middle, and inner ear, and reviews recent information regarding the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and associated complications resulting from the spread of infection.
Listeria monocytogenes F5069 thermal death times in liquid whole egg.

Thermal death times (F-values) for L. monocytogenes F5069 inoculated into sterile liquid whole egg were determined between 62 and 73°C by a submerged capillary tube procedure. The initial population was 5 × 106 to 2 × 107 CFU/tube (0.05 ml). High populations intentionally were selected to build in a safety factor. At each temperature, F-values were determined to be the shortest heating time which did not permit recovery of L. monocytogenes from six or more replicate tubes. L. monocytogenes were recovered by incubating the entire contents of the capillary tube in brain heart infusion broth at 25°C for 2 weeks. At 62°C, F = 16 min and at 69°C, F = 1.6 min. The zF-value was 7.1°C. Minimal pasteurization of egg would not result in product free from L. monocytogenes if initial populations were large. Ultrapasteurization processes may be designed to produce product free from L. monocytogenes and appropriate for prolonged refrigeration.
Description of a transitions of care and telemedicine simulation lab activity.

Abstract Background and purpose Transitions of Care (ToC) is an important clinical practice area requiring trained health care professionals, but there is limited literature describing ToC in the didactic curriculum. The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate a ToC telemedicine simulation activity in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum. Educational activity and setting A one-hour lecture and simulation activity was incorporated into a second-year course. Student teams participated in discharge and telemedicine encounters with standardized patients (SPs). Six medication-related problems (MRPs) were incorporated into the activity. Activity documents were collected to identify student competency. Findings Fifty-nine student pharmacists in 16 teams participated. All teams accurately identified five of the six MRPs. Fourteen teams (87.5%) accurately identified the sixth MRP after completion of the telemedicine encounter. Six teams (62.5%) completed the discharge medication list accurately and completely. All teams provided medication education, and 93.8% (n = 15) of teams identified follow-up was needed. Ten teams utilized effective interview sequence and structure during both encounters. Activity challenges included resources, financial support and SP training. Summary Case-based learning and the use of simulation has good evidence supporting its use in education. Utilizing these techniques to reinforce concepts may be a beneficial way for students to be trained effectively to deliver impactful ToC services.
ESTIMATES OF ACCURACY OF ATLANTIC MISSILE INSTRUMENTATION

Atlantic Missile Range tracking instrumentation errors are defined and discussed. They may be identified as random or systematic depending upon their frequency components “when considered as a time series. Random errors are estimated by variate difference or least square curve fitting methods. Systematic errors may be estimated by systems analysis or by analysis of residuals resulting from least squares reduction. A summary is given of the current best estimate of the tracking instrumentation errors. Methods for estimating the effect of propagation of instrumentation errors of position, velocity and acceleration data are discussed. A set of curves is given which illustrates typical instrumentation accuracies in position and velocity for a typical ballistic missile trajectory.
Telehealth: Advances in Alternative Payment Models

Introduction: The hospital sector has shifted its focus to advanced information and communication technologies to facilitate health care delivery through telehealth services to alleviate the industry's most pressing challenges in quality care and access, especially under changing reimbursement payment approaches. The aim of this study was to examine the association between alternative payment models (APMs), market competition, and telehealth provisions in the hospital setting. Materials and Methods: A secondary cross-sectional design to analyze 2018 census data of nonfederal short-term acute care hospitals in the United States was used. Multilevel logistic regressions models were used to analyze data from 4,257 hospitals across 1,874 counties. Counties with less than one hospital were excluded. Results: Regarding APMs, we found that hospital participation in accountable care organizations and participation in a bundled payment risk arrangement are significantly associated with the provision of telehealth services. From the market perspective, competitive advantage was found to be statistically associated with hospitals providing telehealth services. In addition, other hospital characteristics such as ownership, part of a system, part of a network, and major teaching affiliation also have impact on the provision of telehealth. Conclusions: The increase uptake of telehealth-related capabilities and their strong integration into care-delivery systems under APMs present exciting opportunities to enhance the merit of clinical care, and challenges as clinical professionals are not adept to using such technologies. There is a need to provide comprehensive of evidence on telehealth.
Predictive Analytics for Storage Management Using Time-Series Forecasting Techniques

Storage availability and performance are key to enterprise private cloud deployments. Artificial Intelligence algorithms provides significant opportunity for addressing the storage management challenges. The idea of going beyond automation of routine storage management tasks and adding intelligence to solve the challenging problems on performance management is getting more adoption in the industry. In this paper, we provide AI based solutions to two key problems in storage management - congestion detection and load balancing.
Kilohertz frame rate snapshot hyperspectral imaging of metal reactive materials

We demonstrate a kilohertz frame rate snapshot hyperspectral imaging system suitable for high-speed imaging, which we name snapshot hyperspectral imager for emission and reactions (SHEAR). This system splits the sensor of a single high-speed camera to simultaneously capture a conventional image and a spectrally sheared response of the scene under study. Given the small, point-source-like nature of burning metal micro-particles, the spectral response of the species is captured without the need for a slit, as is needed in conventional imaging spectrometers. We pair robust image registration techniques with sparse reconstruction algorithms to computationally disentangle overlapping spectra associated with many burning particles over the course of a combustion experiment. As a proof-of-concept experiment, representative physical vapor deposited Al:Zr composite particles are ignited, and their burn evolution is recorded at a frame rate of 2 kHz using this method. We demonstrate operation over two distinct wavelength ranges spanning hundreds of nanometers in wavelength and with sub-nanometer resolution. We are able to track hundreds of individual Al:Zr particles in a single high-speed video, providing ample statistics of burn time, temperature, and AlO emission timing in a high-throughput method. The demonstrated technology is high-throughput, flexible in wavelength, inexpensive, and relatively easy to implement, and provides a much needed tool for in situ composite metal fuel diagnostics.
Long-time Behavior of Isolated Periodically Driven Interacting Lattice Systems

The periodic input of energy into systems---driving---can have profound effects. Scientists studying driven interacting quantum systems find that a lattice model displays three different regimes as a function of driving period.
Life Admin When Life Turns Upside Down: A Book Review (Of Sorts)

Prof. Elizabeth Emens is a law professor, a parent, and the author of Life Admin: How I Learned to Do Less, Do Better, and Live More - a book published in 2019. Life Admin made its way into our stack of “life improvement to-reads” (not to be confused with our stack of educational pedagogy to-reads, our parenting to-reads, our for-enjoyment to-reads, our legal education to-reads, or our political and non-fiction to-reads). As we face luxurious 10-30 minutes between Zoom classes, Zoom faculty meetings, Zoom student counseling, and Zoom parent-teacher council, we wondered in the context of a COVID Cares academic symposium: what might Life Admin have to teach us, here and now, in the midst of this chaos? This book review is generous and practical. Prof. Emens did not intend her advice to be delivered during a pandemic, but we suspect the challenges we and our caretaker colleagues in academia face right now are not new—they are simply exacerbated by the challenges of 2020. This review of Life Admin distils the book down to its most basic themes relevant to us “Super Doer” lawyer and professor types who juggle the constant mental load of service, teaching, scholarship, and parenting demands. It brings comfort in numbers and shared experience, we hope, and some tips for readers who have never been more overwhelmed by the admin of life than right now.
A dual-sensor ultrasound based method for detecting elevated muscle compartment pressures: A prospective clinical pilot study

Abstract Background Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a limb-threatening condition associated with elevated muscle compartment pressures (MCPs). The only existing treatment of ACS is to reduce MCP by fasciotomy; however, a reliable clinical method for detecting elevated MCPs is lacking. A dual-sensor (ultrasound and pressure) technology to detect elevated MCPs was previously tested on cadavers. Our goal was to examine the use of this technology in the clinical setting. Methods Patients with tibia fractures were prospectively enrolled. Observers used a dual-sensor probe to measure the amount of pressure required to flatten the anterior compartment fascia (CFFP). Direct-MCP measurements and 4-compartment fasciotomy were done for suspected ACS. Results Fifty-two patients were enrolled into the study. Nine patients underwent fasciotomy for a clinical diagnosis of ACS. Both CFFP (p-value = 8.395e-08) and delta-CFFP (p-value = 4.114e-05) were significantly larger in the fasciotomy group compared to the non-fasciotomy group. CFFP measurements showed very strong correlations to the direct MCP measurements (p-value = 0.006746, rho = 0.9285714), and delta-CFFP showed strong correlation (p-value = 0.06627, rho = 0.75). CFFP measurements had good inter-observer variability, with an interclass correlation (ICC) of 0.814 (95%-Confidence Interval: 0.631-0.907) and excellent intra-observer variability with an ICC of 0.942 (95%-Confidence Interval: 0.921-0.958). Conclusion The results of this pilot study suggest that the proposed ultrasound-based method is useful in detecting elevated MCPs and may be helpful in the diagnosing ACS or ruling out the need for urgent fasciotomy. Large-scale clinical trials are needed to validate these claims.
Cesarean Scar Pregnancy

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) presents a diagnostic as well as a therapeutic challenge. Since more cesarean deliveries (CDs) are performed, its frequency is increasing. Although there are no general guidelines for the management of this rather threatening entity, this chapter deals with a set of diagnostic and treatment criteria of this complication of pregnancy. Awareness and timely diagnosis of CSP by a very early transvaginal ultrasound scan (TVS) of a new pregnancy in a patient with previous CD may enable early treatment and mitigate complications.
Effects of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) on Restoration of Lung Immunity and Tuberculosis Reactivation

While the advent of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART, ART) has significantly improved survival, tuberculosis (TB) still accounts for one-third of deaths in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected populations, suggesting incomplete restoration of immune function by ART. Mtb/Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) co-infected macaques have been used to model Mtb/HIV co-infection in humans. To identify the components of TB immunity that remain impaired following HIV-infection and ART treatment, macaques with asymptomatic M. tuberculosis (Mtb) infection were subsequently co-infected with SIV. Animals were then randomly assigned to ART or control groups and studied longitudinally. While ART significantly reduced viral loads and increased CD4+T cell counts in whole blood and BAL samples, it did not reduce the relative risk of SIV- induced TB reactivation (RR 1·23, 95% CI 0·97-1·5) in ART treated macaques. CD4+T cells were poorly restored specifically in the lung interstitial region, despite their significant restoration in the alveolar compartment of the lung as well as in the periphery. IDO1 induction on myeloid cells in the iBALT likely contributes to dysregulated T cell homing and impaired lung immunity. Thus, while ART is indispensable for controlling viral replication, CD4+T cells restoration and in preventing opportunistic infection, it is however inadequate in reversing Mtb-specific T cell impairment. This warrants modeling concurrent treatment of TB and HIV to potentially reduce the risk of reactivation of TB due to HIV. The current and future studies like this have the potential to inform treatment strategies in patients with Mtb/HIV co-infection. The study was funded through grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Funding Statement: This work was primarily supported by NIH awards to D.K. and J.R. (R01AI111943, R01AI123047) with additional support from NIH awards R01AI111914, R01AI134240, R01AI135726, U19AI111211 and institutional awards P51OD111033 and P51OD111004. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that no conflict of interest exists. Ethics Approval Statement: All the animals were housed in the Animal Biosafety level III (ABSL3) at Tulane National Primate Research Center where they were treated as per the standards recommended by Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International and the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The study was approved by the IACUC of the Tulane National Primate Research Center (protocols P0247R, P0324, P0295R).
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

Purpose of review Here, we provide an overview of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH), including recent updates in our understanding of disease pathophysiology, classification and therapeutics. Recent findings Advancements in bioinformatics, metabolomics and genomics investigations continue to illuminate VKH pathogenesis, and may provide insight into future therapeutic options. Multimodal imaging is indispensable in the initial evaluation of VKH, and is becoming increasingly important in understanding disease pathogenesis, as well as monitoring therapeutic response. Enhanced VKH classification criteria, released in 2021, provide standardized guidelines and terminology for clinical and research purposes. Summary Modern research and imaging techniques continue to improve our understanding of VKH; more work is needed to further elucidate pathogenic mechanisms and establish optimal therapeutic recommendations.
Data analysis for continuous school improvement

Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement, Third Edition, is a call to action. It is about inspiring schools and school districts to commit to continuous school improvement by providing a framework that will result in improving teaching for every teacher, and learning for every student, through the comprehensive use of data. It provides a new definition of improvement, away from a singular focus on compliance, toward a true commitment to excellence. This Third Edition is the culmination of over 25 years of doing the hard work in schools and districts, both nationally and internationally, to analyze, report, communicate, and use multiple measures of data for continuous school improvement. This book provides new and very specific tools, timelines, and strategies that will help schools and districts become true learning organizations.
Chapter 11. Serotonin Modulators and Cardiovascular/Gastrointestinal Diseases

Publisher Summary Research in the past decade has led to tremendous advances in the understanding of both the central and peripheral physiological effects of serotonin (5HT). This chapter discusses recent advances in drug discovery efforts toward serotonin modulators for cardiovascular (CV) and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. The Serotonin Club Nomenclature Committee has recognized three major classes of serotonin receptors: 5HT1 receptors, which have a high affinity for serotonin itself; 5HT2 receptors, which have a low affinity for serotonin; and 5HT3 receptors, which have moderate affinity. The 5HT1 family is further subdivided into 5HT1A, 5HT1B, 5HT1C, and 5HT1D subtypes, each of which differs in the physiological roles, in distribution, and in effector pathways. To date, the 5HT1A, 5HT1C, 5HT1D, and 5HT2 receptors have been cloned and characterized at the molecular level, showing marked differences in protein sequences. Of the high affinity 5HT1 subtypes of serotonin receptors, the 5HT1A and 5HT1D subtypes have been most widely studied with respect to the CV/GI systems. In addition to the consensus subtypes, other serotonin binding sites have been proposed and their relevance to CV and GI disorders continues to unfold. The structural diversity, permitted by each receptor-binding site, allows the modification of the chemical and pharmacological properties of the compounds to address issues such as the central nervous system (CNS) penetration, bioavailability, and metabolic half-life. This chapter discusses the importance of 5HT in cardiovascular and gastrointestinal pathophysiology.
Resilience of anostracan cysts to fire

California's Mediterranean ecosystems include shrubland and grassland vegetation types that are fire-prone. Dotted within this landscape are ephemeral wetlands called vernal pools. Since surrounding upland vegetation is adapted to survive fire, it is expected that vernal pool organisms should be able to survive as well. One group of animals common to vernal pools are anostracan crustaceans that survive the pool's dry period as encysted embryos. We hydrated anostracan cysts from the soil of a recently burned pool and from soil samples intentionally burned in a prescribed fire. We also sampled burned pools when refilled the next rainy season. We found that anostracan cysts in the soil can survive fire and that shrimp occur in pools in the first post-burn season. This information is important from a management perspective concerning fire effects, controlled or natural, on vernal pools and their rare and endangered species.
Aldehyde and unburned fuel emission measurements from a methanol-fueled Texaco stratified charge engine

A Texaco L-163S TCCS (Texaco Controlled Combustion System) engine was operated with pure methanol to investigate the origin of unburned fuel (UBF) and formaldehyde emissions. Both continuous and time-resolved exhaust gas sampling methods were used to measure UBF and formaldehyde concentrations. Fuel impingement is believed to be an additional source of UBF emissions from this methanol-fueled TCCS engine. At increased load we believe that it is the primary source of the UBF emissions. Formaldehyde emissions were found to originate in the cylinder gases, especially at low load. However the formation of aldehydes in the exhaust port after leaving the cylinder does occur and becomes more important as the load increases. Increasing the engine load resulted in a decrease in UBF emissions but in most cases increased the formaldehyde emissions. Increased engine speed resulted in slightly increased UBF and formaldehyde emissions.
A semi‐Lagrangian water temperature model for advection‐dominated river systems

[1] This paper describes a one-dimensional stream temperature model that is computationally efficient and highly scalable in both time and space. The model is developed within the framework of state space structure. The time-dependent equations for the conservation of thermal energy in a flowing stream or river are solved using a mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian, or semi-Lagrangian, numerical scheme. Solutions are obtained by tracking individual water parcels along their flow characteristics and storing the simulated results at discrete points on a fixed grid. Computational efficiency and accuracy of the numerical scheme are demonstrated by comparison of model estimates with observations of stream temperatures from rivers in the Pacific Northwest as well as with results from a closed-form solution of the energy equation. A preliminary analysis of the impact of climate changes on stream temperature in the Columbia River system illustrates the strengths of the semi-Lagrangian method for addressing water quality issues of regional, national, and, ultimately, global scale. Further development of the semi-Lagrangian method has the potential to improve the ability of water quality planners to perform uncertainty analysis, risk analysis, and forecasting for large, complex river systems.
A Context Sensitive Texture Nib

Commonly, a “nib” refers to the point of a pen. When used with reference to painting packages, a nib refers to the pattern with which one draws. We introduce a technique for painting with smart nibs that draw and blend textures into an existing image. These nibs look in the neighborhood of pixels to be drawn and determine color values that create textures that blend in naturally with what is already in the image. Our technique is based on mimicking second order statistics of samples of scanned textures, typically taken from photographs of real textures occurring in nature. We use Color Co-Occurrence Matrices to capture and optimize these second order statistics. This technique is shown to provide interactive response and good performance over a broad range of stationary textures, from periodic to stochastic.
The Purification and Properties of β-Galactosidase from Bovine Testes

Abstract A β-galactosidase was purified 600-fold from bovine testes by ammonium sulfate precipitation, acetone fractionation, and affinity chromatography on agarose substituted with terminal thio-β-galactopyranosyl residues. The preparation was devoid of protease, α-fucosidase, α-mannosidase, β-glucosidase, β-glucuronidase, and hyaluronidase activities. A wide variety of compounds containing terminal nonreducing galactose residues were hydrolyzed by the enzyme, including proteoglycans, glycoproteins, gangliosides, disaccharides, and nitrophenylgalactosides. Kinetic studies showed that galactose was released at approximately the same maximal rate from several substrates, but that the Km values differed widely. The enzyme exhibited a high affinity for nitrophenylgalactosides (Km less than 10-4 m). The purified β-galactosidase had a pH optimum of 4.3, required sulfhydryl groups for activity, and was neither stimulated nor inhibited by alkalimetal ions or by EDTA. A single band of β-galactosidase activity was observed after disc gel electrophoresis at several pH values. At each pH value the enzyme activity corresponded in migration to the major protein band. The β-galactosidase eluted as a single peak from Sephadex G-200 (apparent molecular weight 68,000). The enzyme catalyzed the transfer of galactose from p-nitrophenyl-β-galactoside to glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, and N-acetylgalactosamine. Galactose, galactal, galactonolactone, and thio-β-galactopyranosides inhibited the enzyme. Two distinct β-galactosidase activities were shown in bovine liver extracts. One enzyme (or enzymes) (type I) was bound to the affinity column whereas the second enzyme (or enzymes) (type II) passed through the column. While type I β-galactosidase had properties similar to those ascribed to the testicular enzyme, type II β-galactosidase did not hydrolyze lactose or transfer galactose from β-galactosides to glucose.
An in silico expert system for the identification of eye irritants

This report describes development of an in silico, expert rule-based method for the classification of chemicals into irritants or non-irritants to eye, as defined by the Draize test. This method was developed to screen data-poor cosmetic ingredient chemicals for eye irritancy potential, which is based upon exclusion rules of five physicochemical properties – molecular weight (MW), hydrophobicity (log P), number of hydrogen bond donors (HBD), number of hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA) and polarizability (Pol). These rules were developed using the ADMET Predictor software and a dataset of 917 eye irritant chemicals. The dataset was divided into 826 (90%) chemicals used for training set and 91 (10%) chemicals used for external validation set (every 10th chemical sorted by molecular weight). The sensitivity of these rules for the training and validation sets was 72.3% and 71.4%, respectively. These rules were also validated for their specificity using an external validation set of 2011 non-irritant chemicals to ...
Differential inhibition of fat intake in two strains of rat by the peptide enterostatin

The effect of enterostatin, the amino-terminal pentapeptide of pancreatic procolipase, on food intake was investigated in two strains of rat, the dietary fat-sensitive Osborne-Mendel (OM) rat and the dietary fat-resistant S5B/Pl rat. After an overnight fast, enterostatin inhibited intake of high-fat (HF) but not low-fat (LF) diets in OM rats, but had no effect in S5B/Pl rats. When fed a macronutrient three-choice diet, OM rats selected fat preferentially, whereas S5B/Pl rats selected carbohydrate. Enterostatin specifically inhibited the intake of fat in OM rats but not S5B/Pl rats fed a three-choice macronutrient diet. The activity of pancreatic colipase was increased in S5B/Pl rats on both HF and LF diets compared with OM rats. Pancreatic colipase activities were negatively related to the voluntary intake of fat on three-choice macronutrient diets. The data support the hypothesis that enterostatin may control the intake of dietary fat.
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide carboxy-terminal fragment, VIP(22-28), and other fragments of VIP, in the central nervous system of the rat.

Abstract The possible existence in rat brain tissues of shorter peptides related to VIP has been examined. VIP and PHI both contain paired basic amino acid residues at which posttranslational cleavage of these peptides might occur. Antiserum to VIP(22–28) was raised in rabbits. The antiserum was carboxy-terminus directed, showing cross-reactivity with all tested peptides containing the VIP carboxy-terminus sequences. Chromatographic analysis of rat brain extracts demonstrated that recovered VIP(22–28) immunoreactivity [VIP(22–28)-ir] was heterogeneous, consisting of a major fraction [60–70% of total VIP(22–28)-ir] which eluted as authentic VIP(1–28) on gel filtration and on reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) columns. A second fraction (30–35% of total VIP(22–28)-ir] eluted from gel filtration columns in the position of VIP(22–28). HPLC analysis of this fraction from extracts of rat cortex, hippocampus, and midbrain indicated that it was heterogeneous. One component corresponded to authentic VIP(22–28). The other two components have not been identified; one appears to be a VIP fragment intermediate in size between VIP(1–28) and VIP(22–28).