cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positive surgical margins during robotic radical prostatectomy: a contemporary analysis of risk factors

OBJECTIVE To determine the risk factors (clinical, pathological and technical) for positive surgical margins (PSMs) after robotically assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), as a PSM is associated with an increased risk of biochemical recurrence and often responsible for significant patient anxiety. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between November 2003 and March 2007, 216 consecutive patients had an RARP by one fellowship-trained urological oncologist. The surgical pathological specimens were fixed and processed using standard techniques, and assessed by a pathologist at the same institution. A PSM was defined as the presence of cancer adjacent to the inked margin. The clinical charts were reviewed retrospectively under an approved institutional review board protocol. Univariable and multivariable methods, including logistic regression models, were used to analyse the clinical, pathological and technical risk factors for PSM. RESULTS The overall prevalence of PSM was 14.8% (32/216), and 5.4% (8/149) for pT2 cancers. The only preoperative factor that was associated with a greater risk of a PSM was the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level (P = 0.012) and PSA density (P = 0.005). Age, clinical stage and clinical Gleason grade were not predictors of a PSM. The overall and pT2 PSM rate remained constant throughout the series of 216 patients (P = 0.371), indicating that the initial experience for RARP was not associated with a significantly greater risk of a PSM. However, there was a small independent ‘learning curve’ effect, with a lower rate of PSM associated with each increment of 25 patients (odds ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.6–1.0), supported by the significantly decreasing trend in PSM for pT3 cancers over time (P = 0.031) Although there was no significant increase over time in PSM with the use of an endostapler to control the dorsal venous complex (DVC), there was a significant learning effect, with a decrease in the PSM rate specifically in pT3 cancers using the suture technique (P = 0.005). A nerve-sparing procedure increased the risk of PSM in multivariable analysis (P = 0.03). As expected, pathological stage and pathological Gleason grade were the strongest predictors of PSM (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION The most important risk factors for a PSM after RARP are the preoperative PSA level, PSA density, pathological stage and Gleason grade. PSM rates for a surgeon in their initial experience can be comparable to that of a surgeon experienced in RARP. Using a stapling device to control the DVC does not appear to increase the risk of a PSM, although nerve-sparing increases the rates of PSM in extraprostatic prostate cancer.
Calcium influx at the tip of growing root-hair cells of Arabidopsis thaliana.

The role of extracellular Ca2+ in root-hair tip growth has been investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Root-hair length was found to be dependent on the concentration of Ca2+ in the growth medium, with maximum length achieved at [Ca2+] of 0.3–3.0 mM. Using a non-intrusive calcium-specific vibrating microelectrode, an extracellular Ca2+ gradient was detected at the tips of individual growing root-hair cells. The direction of the gradient indicated a net influx of Ca2+ into root-hair cells. No gradient was detected near the sides of the root hairs or at the tips of non-growing root hairs. When root hairs were exposed to the Ca2+-channel blocker nifedipine, tip growth stopped and the extracellular Ca2+ gradient was abolished. These results indicate that Ca2+ influx through plasma-membrane Ca2+ channels is required for normal root-hair tip growth.
Shared Medical Appointments in Cancer Survivorship Care: A Review of the Literature

Shared medical appointments (SMAs) may offer an innovative care model for cancer survivors and their providers. Implementation and evaluation of SMAs in the care of cancer survivors is warranted.
Recommendations for Preconception Care

Every woman of reproductive age who is capable of becoming pregnant is a candidate for preconception care, regardless of whether she is planning to conceive. Preconception care is aimed at identifying and modifying biomedical, behavioral, and social risks through preventive and management interventions. Key components include risk assessment, health promotion, and medical and psychosocial interventions. Patients should formulate a reproductive life plan that outlines personal goals about becoming pregnant based on the patient's values and resources. Preconception care can be provided in the primary care setting and through activities linked to schools, workplaces, and the community.
Teaching effectiveness as measured by student evaluation of teaching: an empirical study

This study focuses on the formative aspect of student evaluation of teachings (SETs) as one method of measuring teaching effectiveness from the student perspective. This study does not focus on the summative purpose of SETs, where the primary intent is forming a basis for tenure/promotion and/or pay for performance (raises). A longitudinal study of SET in an undergraduate operations management course required by all business majors, along with the grade point averages (GPAs) for the corresponding semester, provided the basis for predicting which questions (variables) on the SET predicted the students perception of overall teaching effectiveness and the impact of the SET on student GPA. Triangulation consisted of descriptive statistics analysis, variable selection regression, multiple regression with different dependent variables and exploratory principal components analysis. The results support that SETs can be used to measure overall teaching effectiveness for formative evaluation.
Commentary---Optimal Pricing and Return Policies for Perishable Commodities

The paper discusses the genesis of the 1985 paper “Optimal Pricing and Return Policies for Perishable Commodities,” as well as the critical ideas presented in that research. A brief review of the literature that cited and expanded the results of the paper is also presented.
A general framework for machine vision: hierarchical token grouping

While the view of constructive and hierarchical vision prevails, the issues of cooperation and competition among individual modules become crucial. These issues are directly related to one of the most important aspects in computer vision research: integration. A major source of difficulty in developing a consistent and systematic integration formalism is the heterogeneity existing in modules, in information, and in knowledge. The author exploits, using the central theme of grouping, the homogeneous characteristics in vision problem solving and proposes a general framework, called hierarchical token grouping, that facilitates vision problem solving by providing a consistent and systematic environment for integrating modules, cues, and knowledge, all in a globally coherent mechanism. >
Prediction of cloud data center networks loads using stochastic and neural models

The increasing demand for cloud computing resources has led to a commensurate increase in the operating power consumption of the systems that comprise the cloud. In this paper, we introduce a novel framework combining load demand prediction and stochastic state transition models. We claim that our model will lead to optimal cloud resource allocation by minimizing energy consumed while maintaining required performance levels. We characterize the ability of neural network and auto-regressive linear prediction algorithms to forecast loads in cloud data center applications. In this paper, the performance of our models against two sets of data at multiple look-ahead times is also presented.
Composite right/left-handed leaky-wave antenna for concave surfaces

In this paper a novel conformal composite right/left-handed (CRLH) leaky-wave antenna (LWA) for concave surface application is introduced. The effect of conformation of a planar CRLH LWA on a concave surface is investigated. For this purpose, a 25-cell planar CRLH LWA has been fabricated and mounted inside a cylindrical concave surface with a radius of 20 cm. it will be shown that conforming the planar antenna results in degradation of its performance mainly by widening the main radiation beam. In this case, dispersion engineering comes to the rescue by taking advantage of the structure's right-handed and left-handed properties to modify the conformal structure to refocus the main radiation beam and obtain comparable result to the planar version.
Frequentist evaluation of group sequential clinical trial designs

Group sequential stopping rules are often used as guidelines in the monitoring of clinical trials in order to address the ethical and efficiency issues inherent in human testing of a new treatment or preventive agent for disease. Such stopping rules have been proposed based on a variety of different criteria, both scientific (e.g. estimates of treatment effect) and statistical (e.g. frequentist type I error, Bayesian posterior probabilities, stochastic curtailment). It is easily shown, however, that a stopping rule based on one of these criteria induces a stopping rule on all other criteria. Thus, the basis used to initially define a stopping rule is relatively unimportant so long as the operating characteristics of the stopping rule are fully investigated. In this paper we describe how the frequentist operating characteristics of a particular stopping rule might be evaluated to ensure that the selected clinical trial design satisfies the constraints imposed by the many different disciplines represented by the clinical trial collaborators.
A needs assessment of complementary and alternative medicine education at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Introduction: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses a wide variety of increasingly popular therapies not generally taught in allopathic medical schools but of apparent interest to medical trainees. However, little is known about the learners’ specific needs for improving their CAM clinical skills. Methods: Third-year medical students and internal medicine resident-physicians at the University of Kentucky were invited to participate in a voluntary questionnaire to assess CAM knowledge, skills, attitudes as well as their desired learning methods. Results: Medical students (n ¼ 22) and resident-physicians (n ¼ 39) generally hold favorable attitudes toward CAM but admit to significant knowledge deficits and do not feel adept at counseling their patients about CAM. Students indicate observation and hands-on experiences as their preferred pedagogy while residents favor textbooks, articles, and lectures to learn about CAM. Nevertheless, one resident noted, ‘‘any information in any format would be helpful as we get no teaching in this area’’. Conclusions: In our sample, learner-driven CAM education at undergraduate and graduate levels is indeed necessary and wanted. In constructing CAM education interventions, attitudes, perceived knowledge deficits, and preferred learning strategies should be considered for the trainees and thus ultimately responsive to the needs of their patients.
The pollination biology of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae) : Specialization and syndromes

The floral traits of plants with specialized pollination systems both facilitate the primary pollinator and restrict other potential pollinators. To explore interactions between pollinators and floral traits of the genus Burmeistera, I filmed floral visitors and measured pollen deposition for 10 species in six cloud forest sites throughout northern Ecuador. Nine species were primarily bat-pollinated (84-100% of pollen transfer); another (B. rubrosepala) was exclusively hummingbird-pollinated. According to a principal components analysis of 11 floral measurements, flowers of B. rubrosepala were morphologically distinct. Floral traits of all species closely matched traditional ornithophilous and chiropterophilous pollination syndromes; flowers of B. rubrosepala were bright red, lacked odor, opened in the afternoon, and had narrow corolla apertures and flexible pedicels, which positioned them below the foliage. Flowers of the bat-pollinated species were dull-colored, emitted odor, opened in the evening, and had wide apertures and rigid pedicels, which positioned them beyond the foliage. Aperture width appeared most critical to restricting pollination; hummingbirds visited wide flowers without contacting the reproductive parts, and bats did not visit the narrow flowers of B. rubrosepala. Aperture width may impose an adaptive trade-off that favors the high degree of specialization in the genus. Other floral measurements were highly variable amongst bat-pollinated species, including stigma exsertion, calyx lobe morphology, and pedicel length. Because multiple species of Burmeistera often coexist, such morphological diversity may reduce pollen competition by encouraging pollinator fidelity and/or spatially partitioning pollinator's bodies.
Goal Setting and Recovery From Alcoholism

Evaluation of alcoholism treatment effectiveness needs to be based on the healthy goals that alcoholics themselves identify as important. This research uses ethnography and grounded-theory methods to develop a model of recovering alcoholics' goal progression. The author spent 28 days in a treatment center, engaging in all patient activities, and observed and interviewed 42 participants to determine what they wanted from treatment. The research indicates that recovering alcoholics' goals develop through four stages. Certain kinds of behavior must be accomplished for an alcoholic to move from one stage to another. Behavior that facilitates and inhibits goal progression is identified.
The Prognostic Value of Previous Irradiation on Survival of Bladder Cancer Patients.

Background: Radiation exposure is an established risk factor for bladder cancer, however consensus is lacking on the survival characteristics of bladder cancer patients with a history of radiation therapy (RT). Confounding patient comorbidities and baseline characteristics hinders prior attempts at developing such a consensus. Objective: To compare the survival characteristics of patients with suspected radiation-induced second primary cancer (RISPC) of the bladder to those with de novo bladder cancer, taking into account the patient comorbidities and baseline characteristics predictive of survival. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with muscle-invasive (≥T2a) or BCG-refractory stage Tis-T1 urothelial bladder cancer. Patients were excluded if prior RT exposure was used as treatment for bladder cancer or if cause of death was due to post-operative complications. A digit matching propensity score algorithm was used to match patients with prior radiation treatment to those without prior treatment. Cox regression analysis for time until death was performed following creation of the propensity score matched sample. Results: 29 patients with history of RT were matched with two controls each, resulting in a dataset of 87 observations in the event model. Results from the Cox model indicate a significantly increased hazard ratio for death at 2.22 (p = 0.047, 95% CI: 1.015-4.860) given a history of prior radiation therapy. Conclusions: In a small cohort, bladder cancer patients who underwent cystectomy had a significantly higher risk of death in the face of prior pelvic RT. This effect was found to be independent of surgical complications, numerous established patient characteristics and comorbidities traditionally predictive of survival.
Community Participation in Preservation of Lowcountry South Carolina Sweetgrass ( Muhlenbergia Filipes [M. A. Curtis] J. Pinson and W. Batson) Basketry

Sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia filipes [M. A. Curtis] J. Pinson and W. Batson) is a coastal, nontimber forest resource ranging from North Carolina southwestward to Texas. The plant has special cultural and economic importance in coastal South Carolina, where the local Gullah community uses this resource in a form of coiled basketry. The plant is becoming increasingly unavailable to basket makers, however, because of habitat destruction, habitat limitation, and private ownership of the resource. This study examines stakeholder involvement in and perceptions of past and current sweetgrass management. Twenty-three interviews were conducted with Charleston, South Carolina area basket makers and were analyzed for emergent themes using content analysis, a technique permitting objective analysis of text. Survey respondents identified residential development as a major cause of sweetgrass inaccessibility and indicated that purchasing raw materials has become standard practice. Furthermore, respondents indicated several potential solutions to the problem and expressed their willingness to contribute time to management efforts.
Deception in Medical and Behavioral Research: Is It Ever Acceptable?

Ethicists argue that deception is unacceptable, whereas researchers regard it as a necessary part of (certain kinds of) research. This impasse could be resolved by establishing the specific conditions under which deception in medical and behavioral research can be tolerated. An approach based on a consideration of the "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct," one of the few writings on this topic, would satisfy the needs of both parties. It takes the form of a requirement that subjects be informed of the use of deception before enrolling in a deceptive study. This "second order consent" approach to acceptable deception represents our best chance for reconciling respect for subjects with the occasional scientific need for deceptive research.
Contraction Mappings and Extensions

A complete survey of all that has been written about contraction mappings would appear to be nearly impossible, and perhaps not really useful. In particular the wealth of applications of Banach’s contraction mapping principle is astonishingly diverse. We only attempt to touch on some of the high points of this profound and seminal development in metric fixed point theory.
Expanding the Vocabulary of Organizing: Design in Social-Organizational Life (WITHDRAWN)

In this symposium we will explore the expansive vocabulary and generative practices associated with the word “design,” through three presentations. We will discuss the importance of emphasizing design as action rather than design as thought. We will also present two case studies of the social dynamics involved in efforts to introduce design processes in two unusual social settings – inner city schools and the US Navy submarine community. In the two cases, we will explore how organizations and communities that adopt the language of design in novel ways are able to expand repertoires of generative activity.
Preoperative evaluation of intersex patients with pelvic magnetic resonance imaging in search of Y chromosome-bearing gonadal tissue.

Objective To illustrate the utility of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of intersex patients who require gonadectomy. Design Case reports of two phenotypic females having karyotypes containing a Y chromosome whose preoperative evaluation included pelvic magnetic resonance imaging. Setting Tertiary academic referral center. Main Outcome Measure Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging for gonadal localization. Results Preoperative evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging correctly identified the most appropriate surgical approach to gonadectomy. Conclusions Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging can be useful in the preoperative evaluation of intersex patients having nonpalpable Y chromosome-bearing gonadal tissue.
Molecular underpinnings of diabetic polyneuropathy.

to the editor: Allen and colleagues ([2][1]) provided an in-depth review of the pathophysiology and functional outcomes of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). As explained ([2][1]), DPN often manifests in a symmetrical and length-dependent pattern affecting
Light jets near light speed

What creates the high-speed jets of material that emerge from quasars, radio galaxies and other active galactic nuclei? A subtle feature in the radio emission from one quasar is evidence that these jets are mostly made of electron-positron pairs, with only a small number of protons. This lightweight plasma should be easier to accelerate than a heavy mix of electrons and protons.
Study of time-reversal-based signal processing applied to polarimetric GPR detection of elongated targets

Abstract Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a useful sensing modality for mapping and identification of underground infrastructure networks, such as metal and concrete pipes (gas, water or sewer), phone conduits or cables, and other buried objects. Due to the polarization-dependent response of typical targets, it is of interest to investigate the optimum antenna arrangement and/or combination of arrangements that maximize the detection and classification capabilities of polarimetric GPR imaging systems. Here, we provide a preliminary study of time-reversal-based techniques applied to target detection by GPR utilizing different relative orientations of linear-polarized antenna elements (with respect to each other, as well as to the targets). We modeled three different pipe materials (metallic, plastic and concrete) and GPR systems operating at center frequencies of 100 MHz and 200 MHz. Full-wave numerical simulations are adopted to account for mutual coupling between targets. This type of assessment study may contribute to the improvement of GPR data interpretation of infrastructure networks in urban area surveys and in other engineering studies.
Lepton-number-driven sterile neutrino production in the early universe

We examine medium-enhanced, neutrino scattering-induced decoherent production of dark matter candidate sterile neutrinos in the early universe. In cases with a significant net lepton number we find two resonances, where the effective in-medium mixing angles are large. We calculate the lepton number depletion-driven evolution of these resonances. We describe the dependence of this evolution on lepton numbers, sterile neutrino rest mass, and the active-sterile vacuum mixing angle. We find that this resonance evolution can result in relic sterile neutrino energy spectra with a generic form which is sharply peaked in energy. We compare our complete quantum kinetic equation treatment with the widely-used quantum Zeno ansatz.
Surgery for Priapism

Priapism is a persistent, uncontrolled erection without sexual purpose. Ischemic priapism, which is a compartment syndrome of the penis, requires immediate intervention. First-line treatment is aspiration with or without irrigation of the corpora cavernosa and intracavernous injection of sympathomimetic agents. For patients who have persistent priapism despite corporal aspiration and sympathomimetics, surgical shunting is recommended. Typically, distal shunts with or without intracorporal cannulation (Winter, Ebbehoj, Lue, El-Ghorab, and Burnett) are performed, and proximal shunts (Quackels, Grayhack, and Barry) are increasingly performed infrequently but are of historic interest. For patients who present after 48 h, corporal aspiration may be skipped as it is unlikely to be beneficial, and such patients may undergo an immediate attempt at shunting. For patients who present in an even more delayed fashion (>72 h), the probability of recovering erectile function is minimal and proceeding with penile prosthesis placement is acceptable. The rationale for not delaying prosthesis placement is that necrosis and fibrosis of the corpora cavernosa ensues after a protracted episode of priapism, making later prosthesis placement quite challenging. For patients with nonischemic priapism, initial management is usually observation, since a substantial number of cases will experience spontaneous resolution. If priapism persists after a period of observation, or upon patient request, angiography with selective embolization of a vascular fistula or aneurysm may be undertaken.
“LA OTRA VULNERABILIDAD” MASCULINIDADES Y VIOLENCIA URBANA EN EL ESPACIO PÚBLICO DE CIUDAD JUÁREZ

This article presents through twelve interviews/oral histories made in public spaces of Ciudad Juarez in 2015 economically active men, about their discursive construction in topics like: Poverty, Inequality, Unemployment, Economic Growth, Urban Equipment, Education, School Dropout and its consequent relation with masculinity and urban violence. It is found at the results that, in general, young men are the main victims of urban violence, meaning that they are vulnerable too, but at the same time, they are the biggest perpetrators of urban violence because they are in a stage of building their own masculinity, gender and identity. In turn, this construction is influenced by all members of society including their peers.
Compaction Characteristics, Unconfined Compressive Strengths, and Coefficients of Permeability of Fine-Grained Soils Mixed with Crumb-Rubber Tire

AbstractIn this study, five different weak soils were mixed with five different sizes of crumb rubber in six different proportions and used to understand the influence of the size and quantity of c...
Color mixing from monolithically integrated InGaN-based light-emitting diodes by local strain engineering

Additive color mixing across the visible spectrum was demonstrated from an InGaN based light-emitting diode (LED) pixel comprising red, green, and blue subpixels monolithically integrated and enabled by local strain engineering. The device was fabricated using a top-down approach on a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition-grown sample consisting of a typical LED epitaxial stack. The three color subpixels were defined in a single lithographic step. The device was characterized for its electrical properties and emission spectra under an uncooled condition, which is desirable in practical applications. The color mixing was controlled by pulse-width modulation, and the degree of color control was also characterized.
Abstract 16568: Investigation of Adverse Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Pulmonary Hypertension at the Time of Delivery

Introduction: Pregnant women with heart disease often have major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during delivery. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been widely presumed to be a strong contraindication ...
Co-gasification of pine and oak biochar with sub-bituminous coal in carbon dioxide

Abstract Pine and oak biochars derived as byproducts of demonstration-scale pyrolysis, and blends of these two feedstocks with Powder River Basin coal, were gasified in a carbon dioxide environment using a modified drop tube reactor (MDTR) and a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The impact of gasification temperature on conversion kinetics was evaluated from the temporal evolution of major product gases in the MDTR as measured using a mass spectrometer. Random pore modeling was conducted to simulate gasification in the MDTR with favorable results. The MDTR and TGA were used to conduct gasification for assessment of non-linear additive effects in the blends. Additive analysis of the blends showed deviation from the experimental blend results, indicating inhibiting effects of co-gasifying the biochar and coal. Inhibitory effects are more significant for oak than pine and more pronounced in the TGA at lower gasification temperatures. Results are discussed in the context of feedstock and reactor type.
Substance P Content in and Capsaicin-Evoked Release from Dissociated Cultures of Rat Nodose Ganglion (Vagal Sensory) Neurons

In dissociated cultures of neonatal rat nodose ganglion (vagal sensory) neurons, there is a steady net increase of 15–20 pg SP per ganglion equivalent per day. SP content but not neuron survival is enhanced by NGF. SP is released durtng exposure to 50 mmol potassium (K+) or the sensory neurotoxin, capsaicin (10 umol). These neurons in culture exhibit properties analogous to vagal sensory SP-containing neurons in vivo and may prove useful for the study of neuropeptide regulation in this visceral afferent nerve.
Ring current dynamics during the 13-18 July 2000 storm period

We study the development of the terrestrial ring current during the time interval of 13–18 July, 2000, which consisted of two small to moderate geomagnetic storms followed by a great storm with indices Dst=−300 nT and Kp=9. This period of intense geomagnetic activity was caused by three interplanetary coronal mass ejecta (ICME) each driving interplanetary shocks, the last shock being very strong and reaching Earth at ∼ 14 UT on 15 July. We note that (a) the sheath region behind the third shock was characterized by B z fluctuations of ∼35 nT peak-to-peak amplitude, and (b) the ICME contained a negative to positive B z variation extending for about 1 day, with a ∼ 6-hour long negative phase and a minimum B z of about −55 nT. Both of these interplanetary sources caused considerable geomagnetic activity (Kp=8 to 9) despite their disparity as interplanetary triggers. We used our global ring current-atmosphere interaction model with initial and boundary conditions inferred from measurements from the hot plasma instruments on the Polar spacecraft and the geosynchronous Los Alamos satellites, and simulated the time evolution of H+, O+, and He+ ring current ion distributions. We found that the O+ content of the ring current increased after each shock and reached maximum values of ∼ 60% near minimum Dst of the great storm. We calculated the growth rate of electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves considering for the first time wave excitation at frequencies below O+ gyrofrequency. We found that the wave gain of O+ band waves is greater and is located at larger L shells than that of the He+ band waves during this storm interval. Isotropic pitch angle distributions indicating strong plasma wave scattering were observed by the imaging proton sensor (IPS) on Polar at the locations of maximum predicted wave gain, in good agreement with model simulations.
Cell division in Astasia longa

Abstract Morphological changes during division have been studied in synchronized cultures of Astasia longa . Each normal adult cell is covered by 36 helical pellicle complexes which arise in the cytostome and contain a fixed number of tubular fibrils. In early prophase, beginning at the lip of the cytostome, presumptive new pellicle complexes rise on top of newly formed tubular fibrils which appear between each original adult pellicle complex and which grow posteriad, ultimately establishing the 72 pellicle complexes characteristic of the pre-cytokinesis cell. Also in early prophase “spindle fibers” appear in the nucleus, attached both to chromatin and to the endosome. Evidence is presented suggesting that these spindle fibers briefly come into direct contact with the kinetosomes. Low in the reservoir of these cells, where the flagella originate from the kinetosomes, the flagellae are enveloped in a membranous fold which may have some bearing on the fusion of pairs of flagella during mitosis to form the single flagellum emanating from each daughter cell.
Central Modulation of Blood Pressure by N- and C-Terminal Fragments of Substance P

Recent evidence suggests that substance P (SP) may be involved in central regulation of cardiovascular function (1). SP and SP receptors are found in several brainstem structures, among them the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) (2, 3), which plays a major role in regulating blood pressure (bp) (4). Afferent fibers of the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves, some containing SP (5), come from baroreceptors in the carotid sinus and aortic arch, activation of which leads to a depressor effect (fall in bp) (4). Removal of the nodose ganglion leads to a decline in the SP content of those regions of the NTS that receive baroreceptor afferents (6).
Social media data and post-disaster recovery

Abstract This study introduces a multi-step methodology for analyzing social media data during the post-disaster recovery phase of Hurricane Sandy. Its outputs include identification of the people who experienced the disaster, estimates of their physical location, assessments of the topics they discussed post-disaster, analysis of the tract-level relationships between the topics people discussed and tract-level internal attributes, and a comparison of these outputs to those of people who did not experience the disaster. Faith-based, community, assets, and financial topics emerged as major topics of discussion within the context of the disaster experience. The differences between predictors of these topics compared to those of people who did not experience the disaster were investigated in depth, revealing considerable differences among vulnerable populations. The use of this methodology as a new Machine Learning Algorithm to analyze large volumes of social media data is advocated in the conclusion.
Policy Instruments and Incentives for Coordinated Habitat Conservation

Nearly half of imperiled species (IS) listed under the US Endangered Species Act have most of their habitat on private land. Management of IS therefore relies on engaging private landowners in conservation to avoid listing and the accompanying land use restrictions. Two types of voluntary policy instruments are used to incentivize conservation on private lands: subsidies and voluntary conservation agreements with assurances (VCAAs), under which landowners implement conservation practices in return for assurance that no land use restrictions will be imposed if the practices are maintained. No prior work compares landowners’ incentives for strategic behavior under these instruments. This is important because habitat quality is influenced by landscape size, connectivity, and composition. The probability that an IS becomes listed—and the economic risks facing landowners—depends endogenously on management decisions by multiple landowners. We use theoretical and experimental approaches to compare conservation effort, spatial allocation of this effort, and cost-effectiveness of species protection under each instrument when species protection requires spatially-contiguous coordination. We find that VCAAs with land use restrictions are no more effective than land use restrictions with or without subsidies in coordinating conservation effort, and they do not result in greater species protection. Land use restrictions—either alone or coupled with subsidies—improve coordination.
Reinventing boiling: A rapid ethnographic and engineering evaluation of a high-efficiency thermal water treatment technology in Uganda

Abstract Often in engineering for global development, product designers do not have the time or resources to conduct long-term technology adoption studies with large sample sizes for every iteration of their design and therefore must rely on shorter, targeted studies that measure both the technical and user acceptance parameters. This work presents a combination of experimental engineering and rapid anthropological methods to provide a mixed-methods approach to evaluate and improve the design of a novel water treatment technology, the InStove Water Purifier. This product uses the principles of pasteurization and heat recuperation to theoretically reduce energy consumption for water purification by 97% in a continuous process, producing enough water for 1400 people each day. The case study in Mbale, Uganda, used rapid ethnographic methods that included participant observation, focal follow, and time allocation; and engineering performance experiments that included fuel efficiency tests, water bacteria measurements, and data collection of temperature and flow rates. Data from all methods were synthesized in a Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) framework to gain insight into potential barriers and benefits of adoption of the technology within this specific context. As defined in a DoI framework, potential benefits to adoption include decreased overall time and labor to purify water, decrease in use of biomass resources, increase in overall water throughput, and low learning curve for the product operator. Similarly, potential barriers to user acceptance include the trust required by users towards product efficacy, lack of customization, and potentially undesirable changes in time allocation and fuel wood preparation.
PEt3-Mediated Deoxygenative C-N Coupling of Nitroarenes and Boronic Acids.

Abstract A method for the preparation of aryl- and heteroarylamine products by triethylphosphine-mediated deoxygenative coupling of nitroarenes and boronic acids is reported. This method provides access to an array of functionalized (hetero)arylamine products from readily available starting materials under the action of an inexpensive commercial reagent. The developed triethylphosphine-mediated transformation highlights the capability of organophosphorus compounds to carry out this useful deoxygenative transformation without the necessity of any transition metal additives.
A Novel Hybrid Fixed and Mobile Ultra-Widefield Imaging Program for Diabetic Teleretinopathy Screening.

Purpose To describe a new approach for telemedicine screening of diabetic retinopathy (DR) using a combination of a mobile ultra-widefield camera, mounted in a van and able to travel to areas of need, and several fixed-location cameras in high-volume clinics and to report predictors of DR in a diverse urban population of 2788 patients. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Two thousand seven hundred eighty-eight patients enrolled in the San Francisco Health Network who underwent DR screening using the novel hybrid telemedicine system. Methods The study was carried out at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in the San Francisco Health Network. A van was specially equipped to allow an ultra-widefield fundus camera to be mounted inside, and the van was sent with a technician to primary care clinics throughout the city on a rotation schedule determined according to clinical need. Additional fundus cameras were placed in several high-volume clinic locations. Patient demographic and clinical information was collected at the time of screening. Photographs were transmitted to a reading center and were graded for DR and other findings by trained readers. Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of DR subtypes and odds ratios for development of DR and proliferative DR (PDR). Results The hybrid mobile and fixed-location ultra-widefield camera screening system was able to be deployed to carry out the telemedicine screening program for diabetic patients throughout the city of San Francisco referred for screening during the period of the study. Of 2788 patients screened, 736 (27%) were found to have DR. Of these, 34 (5%) had PDR, and 702 (95%) had nonproliferative DR. In multivariate analysis, factors found to be associated with development of any DR were diabetes duration, hemoglobin A1C level, insulin use, and end-organ damage. Diabetes duration was the only factor associated with PDR. Conclusions Diabetic retinopathy screening can be accomplished in an urban setting using a combination of fixed-location and mobile ultra-widefield cameras to extend the reach of the screening opportunity throughout a health network. In a diverse group of patients, factors associated with DR and PDR were identified and support ongoing efforts to screen for retinopathy and maintain diabetic control.
Cell cycle dynamics of human pluripotent stem cells primed for differentiation

Understanding the molecular properties of the cell cycle of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is critical for effectively promoting differentiation. Here, we use the Fluorescence Ubiquitin Cell Cycle Indicator (FUCCI) system adapted into hPSCs and perform RNA-sequencing on cell cycle sorted hPSCs primed and unprimed for differentiation. Gene expression patterns of signaling factors and developmental regulators change in a cell cycle-specific manner in cells primed for differentiation without altering genes associated with pluripotency. Furthermore, we identify an important role for PI3K signaling in regulating the early transitory states of hPSCs towards differentiation.
Impact of cleaning procedures on restoring cathode performance for microbial fuel cells treating domestic wastewater.

Degradation of cathode performance over time is one of the major drawbacks in applications of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for wastewater treatment. Over a two month period the resistance of air cathodes (RCt) with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) diffusion layer increased of 111% from 70 ± 10 mΩ m2 to 148 ± 32 mΩ m2. Soaking the cathodes in hydrochloric acid (100 mM HCl) restored cathode performance to RCt = 74 ± 17 mΩ m2. Steam, ethanol, or sodium hydroxide treatment produced only a small change in performance, and slightly increased RCt. With a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) diffusion layer on the cathodes, RCt increased from 54 ± 14 mΩ m2 to 342 ± 142 mΩ m2 after two months of operation. The acid concentration was critical for effectiveness in cleaning, as HCl (100 mM) decreased RCt to 28 ± 8 mΩ m2. A lower concentration of HCl (<1 mM) showed no improvement, and vinegar (5% acetic acid) produced 48 ± 4 mΩ m2.
Deep Spatial-Temporal Convolutional Neural Networks for Medical Image Restoration

Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) facilitates low-cost diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke. Cine scanning allows users to visualize brain anatomy and blood flow in virtually live time. However, effective visualization exposes patients to radiocontrast pharmaceuticals and extended scan times. Higher radiation dosage exposes patients to potential risks including hair loss, cataract formation, and cancer. To alleviate these risks, radiation dosage can be reduced along with tube current and/or X-ray radiation exposure time. However, resulting images may lack sufficient information or be affected by noise and/or artifacts. In this chapter, we propose a deep spatial-temporal convolutional neural network to preserve CTP image quality at reduced tube current, low spatial resolution, and shorter exposure time. This network structure extracts multi-directional features from low-dose and low-resolution patches at different cross sections of the spatial-temporal data and reconstructs high-quality CT volumes. We assess the performance of the network concerning image restoration at different tube currents and multiple resolution scales. The results indicate the ability of our network in restoring high-quality scans from data captured at as low as 21% of the standard radiation dose. The proposed network achieves an average improvement of 7% in perfusion maps compared to the state-of-the-art method.
Governing the Fix: Energy Regimes, Accumulation Dynamics, and Land Use Changes in Japan’s Solar Photovoltaic Boom

This article examines the role of recent reforms to Japan’s energy governance regime in stimulating fixed capital investments in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and analyzes the investment trends a...
Effect of increasing occlusal vertical dimension on lower facial form and perceived facial esthetics: A digital evaluation

Abstract Statement of problem Increasing occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) is often indicated in complex prosthodontic rehabilitations to gain restorative space and improve the occlusal relationship and esthetics. The effect of increasing occlusal vertical dimension on lower facial height (distance from subnasale to soft-tissue menton) and perceived facial esthetics is not well understood. Purpose The purpose of this clinical study was to investigate the effect of incremental increases in the occlusal vertical dimension on lower facial height and perceived facial esthetics by using a digital approach. Material and methods Twenty-five participants with Class I jaw relationship and no loss of OVD participated in the study. Custom mandibular devices were digitally designed and 3-dimensionally printed to increase the OVD by 3, 6, and 9 mm in each participant. Three-dimensional facial scans and frontal photographs were made with the participants wearing a specific device to achieve the desired OVD increase. The lower facial height, total facial height (distance between nasion to soft-tissue menton), nasolabial angle, lip width, and lip height were digitally measured on facial scans. All measurements were recorded in a computer-aided design (CAD) software program and were repeated 3 times. Subsequently, frontal photographs of 10 participants were randomly selected for survey. Three groups each of 10 prosthodontists, general dentists, or laypersons participated in the survey and were asked to detect OVD difference in 2 photographs of the same participant and to rank facial esthetics at varying OVDs. One-way repeated measures ANOVA (α=.05) for the facial measurements and descriptive statistics for the survey results were used. Results Lower facial height, the ratio of lower facial height to total facial height, lip height, and nasolabial angle increased with an OVD increase, whereas lip width decreased (P Conclusions Increased OVD increases lower facial height, the ratio of lower facial height to total facial height, lip height, and nasolabial angle but decreases lip width. Prosthodontists are more sensitive to a smaller increase in OVD, closely followed by general dentists and then laypersons. In case of no loss of OVD, a vertical increase as small as 3 mm can be detected by both dentists and the general public and perceived as less esthetic. The larger the increase in OVD, the more detectable the difference and the less the faces are perceived as esthetic.
Machine learning prediction in cardiovascular diseases: a meta-analysis

Several machine learning (ML) algorithms have been increasingly utilized for cardiovascular disease prediction. We aim to assess and summarize the overall predictive ability of ML algorithms in cardiovascular diseases. A comprehensive search strategy was designed and executed within the MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus databases from database inception through March 15, 2019. The primary outcome was a composite of the predictive ability of ML algorithms of coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and cardiac arrhythmias. Of 344 total studies identified, 103 cohorts, with a total of 3,377,318 individuals, met our inclusion criteria. For the prediction of coronary artery disease, boosting algorithms had a pooled area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88 (95% CI 0.84–0.91), and custom-built algorithms had a pooled AUC of 0.93 (95% CI 0.85–0.97). For the prediction of stroke, support vector machine (SVM) algorithms had a pooled AUC of 0.92 (95% CI 0.81–0.97), boosting algorithms had a pooled AUC of 0.91 (95% CI 0.81–0.96), and convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithms had a pooled AUC of 0.90 (95% CI 0.83–0.95). Although inadequate studies for each algorithm for meta-analytic methodology for both heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias because the confidence intervals overlap between different methods, showing no difference, SVM may outperform other algorithms in these areas. The predictive ability of ML algorithms in cardiovascular diseases is promising, particularly SVM and boosting algorithms. However, there is heterogeneity among ML algorithms in terms of multiple parameters. This information may assist clinicians in how to interpret data and implement optimal algorithms for their dataset.