cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Double Embedding Again

A method of double embedding fixed tissues in 3% low viscosity nitrocellulose and paraffin is described. Five percent phenol in 80% alcohol during dehydration and 5% glycerin in the nitrocellulose solutions enhance cutting qualities. A modified Ruyter's solution is used to flatten sections. After a section is aflixed to a slide, it is passed through chloroform and acetone to remove the paraftin and celloidin. A 1% celloidin dip insures adherence of the seaion to the slide. Slides are stored in 70% alcohol until they are to be stained. Following staining and dehydration in graded alcohols, clearing should be done in a 1: 3 mixture of terpineol and toluene.
Some Problems in Alfred Schutz's Phenomenological Methodology

Alfred Schutz created a systematic methodology for the social sciences by integrating sociological concepts derived from Max Weber with the philosophical foundation provided by Edmund Husserl's phenomenology. However, much of the rigor of Schutz's analysis of social life is vitiated by his failure to come to grips with the philosophical problem of “other minds.” Analysis and critique of Schutz's “general thesis of the alter ego” reveal the sterility of either pragmatic or dogmatic use of philosophic concepts in social science conceptualization, and the failure of his methodological system demonstrates the serious epistemological consequences of doing social scientific work without rigorous and radical philosophical foundation.
Development of new unstructured model for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of starch to ethanol by recombinant strain

Abstract The development of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of starch to ethanol (SSFSE) by genetically modified microbial strains has been studied intensively [M.M. Altintas, B. Kirdar, Z.I. Onsan, K.O. Ulgen, Cybernetic modelling of growth and ethanol production in a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain secreting a bifunctional fusion protein, Process Biochem. 37 (2002) 1439–1445; G. Birol, Z.I. Onsan, B. Kirdar, S.G. Oliver, Ethanol production and fermentation characteristics of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains grown on starch, Enzyme Microb. Technol. 22 (1998) 672–677; F. Kobayashi, Y. Nakamura, Effect of repressor gene on stability of bioprocess with continuous conversion of starch into ethanol using recombinant yeast, Biochem. Eng. J. 18 (2004) 133–141; F. Kobayashi, Y. Nakamura, Mathematical model of direct ethanol production from starch in immobilized recombinant yeast culture, Biochem. Eng. J. 21 (2004) 93–101; M.M. Altintas, K.O. Ulgen, B. Kirdar, Z.I. Onsan, S.G. Oliver, Improvement of ethanol production from starch by recombinant yeast through manipulation of environmental factors, Enzyme Microb. Technol. 31 (2002) 640–647; K.O. Ulgen, B. Saygili, Z.I. Onsan, B. Kirdar, Bioconversion of starch into ethanol by a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YPG-AB, Process Biochem. 37 (2002) 1157–1168]. Saccharomyces cerevisiae YPB-G strain secretes a bifunctional fusion protein containing enzymatic activity of the B. subtilis alpha-amylase and of the Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase [M.M. Altintas, B. Kirdar, Z.I. Onsan, K.O. Ulgen, Cybernetic modelling of growth and ethanol production in a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain secreting a bifunctional fusion protein, Process Biochem. 37 (2002) 1439–1445], and therefore is distinguished in relation to SSFSE step. In this work we have used the experimental data, presented in the paper [M.M. Altintas, B. Kirdar, Z.I. Onsan, K.O. Ulgen, Cybernetic modelling of growth and ethanol production in a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain secreting a bifunctional fusion protein, Process Biochem. 37 (2002) 1439–1445] to develop two-hierarchic-level unstructured mathematical model describing kinetics of direct bioconversion of starch to ethanol. The first level has modeled enzymatic hydrolysis of starch to glucose by bifunctional protein and the second level includes utilization and bioconversion of glucose to ethanol by yeasts. The second level has unified the enzymatic degradation of starch, and glucose metabolization to ethanol by microorganisms. The response surface analysis was used to develop the rates models. A hybrid genetic algorithm and a decomposition approach were used in the nonlinear parameters identification procedure. The proposed model demonstrated excellent flexibility for different operational conditions of SSFSE process, and can be used successfully to describe microbial physiology of genetically modified strains.
Abstract WP244: The Stroke Interventional Radiology (SIR) Process for Rapid Transport of the Acute Stroke Patient

Background: Expedient transfer of acute stroke patients is imperative for optimizing stroke treatment. Our aim was to develop and evaluate a new process that would provide rapid accessibility to ex...
Measured Performance of a Laboratory Culvert

This study shows that the behavior of a soil culvert system can be modeled by a linear finite element program and a mathematical solution of a hole in an elastic sheet reinforced by a concentric ring. The finite element program produced equivilant computations as the mathematical solution. The results of the theoretical calculations were compared to the measured behavior of a 6.6-in. (167.6-mm) diameter instrumented culvert installed in a laboratory testing tank. The comparison between the theoretical and actual behavior correlated well. Parameter studies were done to show the influence of variations of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the soil on the culvert response.
Abortion Rights and the Largeness of the Fraction 1/6

The most important abortion rights Supreme Court case in decades may hinge on the answer to a seemingly trivial question—is 1/6 a large fraction?Last year, the Fifth Circuit answered by stating, with minimal analysis, that 1/6 is not a large fraction. The impact of this assertion is potentially enormous. The state of Texas's recently‐enacted abortion regulations—which require doctors who work at abortion clinics to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals and mandate that clinics where abortions are performed meet the exacting standards of ambulatory surgical centers—were found to be constitutional. As a result, a state that used to have over 40 clinics could have only 8 or 9.In this article, we challenge the Fifth Circuit's description of the fraction 1/6. We do so by empirically testing whether individuals consider 1/6 a large fraction in different scenarios. We find that the Fifth Circuit's understanding of 1/6 is at odds with the common semantic understanding of the fraction. In particular, our study produces four conclusions that are inconsistent with the Fifth Circuit's analysis:(i) In particular scenarios, an overwhelming majority of people characterize 1/6 as a large fraction. (ii) The expected outcome of a scenario influences whether people describe 1/6 as a large fraction. (iii) A large majority of people can sometimes consider fractions larger than 1/6 to be small, and fractions smaller than 1/6 to be large. (iv) In politically‐charged scenarios, political orientation can affect whether a person perceives 1/6 as a large fraction.What this means for the case before the Supreme Court is quite simple—that the Fifth Circuit's analysis of whether 1/6 is a large fraction has no basis in the everyday understanding of the term “large fraction” or of the fraction 1/6 itself. When the Supreme Court decides this case, it should heed this conclusion and offer a more thoughtful analysis of this potentially decisive question.
Evaluation of Wearable Head Set Devices in Older Adult Populations for Research

In this paper we would like to outline some of the wearable EEG headset available in the market that could be useful for the stress detection in older adults. These head set devices have EEG sensors that detect neurological activity and the data can be transferred to a smartphone via Bluetooth or wireless internet. With neurological activity the headset can detect attention, focus, engagement, interest, excitement, affinity, and relaxation and stress levels of the person. While there are several existing EEG headsets, in this investigation we have explored four EEG headset devices, Emotiv Epoc, Emotiv Insight, InteraXon Muse and Imec EEG headset for their applicability in cognitive research. The features of the four EEG headsets are summarized so that the researchers can choose the appropriate headset according to their research requirements.
Novel Mixed Coordination of N and C Donors to Gold–Gold Centers

Mixed-ligand gold(I) compounds featuring N and C connectivity from two dissimilar ligands, a formamidinate and a phosphorus ylide, are obtained by the reaction of a dinuclear gold(I) formamidinate with a phosphorus ylide in toluene solution under Schlenk conditions. When the reaction conditions such as polarity, basicity, and gold to ylide ratio are varied, a series of structures are produced, where the formamidinate (f = N,N′-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)methanimidamide) invariably bridges gold(I) centers. The aurophilic distances of Au(I)···Au(I) range around 3.00 A, whereas the ylide (dimethyldiphenylphosphonium, [H2y]+) is monocoordinated as [Hy]. This produces open dinuclear species, with two terminal Hy's as the cation [Au2f(Hy)2]+ (1), with the nitrate anion or terminal Hy and chloride anion in [Cl-Au2f(Hy)] (2), or Hy and phenyl in [Ph-Au2f(Hy)] (3). The activation of the ylide ligand by base liberates the phenyl group which produces 3. A related cationic mononuclear moiety [Au(Hf)(Hy)] (4), with neutra...
Adenoviral vector containing wild-type p16 suppresses prostate cancer growth and prolongs survival by inducing cell senescence

It is estimated that there will be >184,500 new cases of prostate cancer and 42,000 prostate cancer deaths in the United States this year. In the majority of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, the disease will be too advanced for cure with standard medical treatment. New therapeutic strategies against advanced prostate cancer are desperately needed. As alterations in tumor-suppressor gene p16 are common in prostate cancer, one novel approach is gene therapy using a replication-deficient, E1/E3-deleted adenovirus type 5 containing a p16 under the control of a truncated Rous sarcoma virus promoter (AdRSVp16). In vitro, PC-3 cells that had been stably transfected with p16 expression vector under the control of an inducible promoter had a 70% reduction in cell number compared with the parental and control vector-transfected PC-3 cells. Similarly, AdRSVp16 significantly inhibited the growth of PPC-1 and PC-3 prostate cancer cells in culture. Furthermore, PPC-1 tumors grown in nude mice treated by a single injection of AdRSVp16 had a marked reduction in tumor size compared with untreated control-treated or viral control-treated PPC-1 tumors. Animals bearing tumors treated with AdRSVp16 also had longer survival. Adenovirally mediated expression of transgene was detected in xenograft tumors for at least 2 weeks. Taken together, these results suggest that AdRSVp16 should be considered for prostate cancer gene therapy in human clinical trials.
Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy-Guided Dye Marking for Thoracoscopic Resection of Pulmonary Nodules

Background Computed tomography scans are increasingly used not only for lung cancer screening but also for staging and evaluation of other cancers. As a result, more patients with pulmonary nodules, many with subcentimeter lesions, are being referred to thoracic surgeons, some with concern for primary lung neoplasm and others with possible metastatic lung lesions. Obtaining a definitive diagnosis of these lesions is difficult. Electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB)-guided pleural dye marking followed by thoracoscopic resection is a novel alternative technique for definitive diagnosis. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and our initial experience with ENB-guided dye localization and minimally invasive resection for diagnosis of lung lesions. Methods Selected patients with lung lesions underwent ENB-guided dye marking and minimally invasive resection. The primary end points were the rate of nodule localization and definitive diagnosis of the nodule. Results We performed ENB-guided localization and minimally invasive resection in 29 patients. The median lesion size was 10 mm, with a median distance from pleural surface of 13 mm. The operative mortality was 0%. The median hospital stay was 3 days. The nodule was localized and resected, and a definitive diagnosis was obtained in all patients (29 of 29; 100%). The nodule was neoplastic in 19 patients. All malignant lesions were completely resected with negative microscopic margins. Conclusions Our initial experience with ENB-guided dye localization and minimally invasive resection found that the technique was feasible, safe, and successful in the diagnosis of small lung lesions. Thoracic surgeons should further investigate this method and incorporate it into their armamentarium.
Proteins Affect Rice Eating Quality Properties and Its Mechanism

With Fengliangyou 1 sowed or harvested at different dates,the effects of sowing and harvest dates on rice amylose content,swelling power(SP),protein content,RVA viscosities and eating quality were analyzed,respectively,as well as changes of RVA viscosity and swelling power after protein removal or disulphide bond disruption,and the factors related to rice eating quality.Pre-incubation of all flours with dithiothreitol(DTT) or a protease increased SP.The amylose content,protein content,SP and RVA viscosity values were similar between sowing Ⅲ(13th June) and sowing Ⅳ(23th June),but the eating quality of rice for sowing Ⅲ was better.When treated with trypsin,the slope of the linear region of each curve for both samples was similar,but the lift-off from hot viscosity to the cool viscosity part varied and the hot viscosity and cool viscosity of sowing Ⅲ were significantly lower than those of sowing Ⅳ.The latter part of the RVA paste rigidity was affected by the proportion of the quantity starch to water.Paste rigidity decreased greatly and resulted low values,suggesting that the difference of water holding capacity of protein after protein hydration may play a major role in determining the eating quality of cooked rice.
Road roughness evaluation using in-pavement strain sensors

The international roughness index (IRI) is a characterization of road roughness or ride quality that transportation agencies most often report. The prevalent method of acquiring IRI data requires instrumented vehicles and technicians with specialized training to interpret the results. The extensive labor and high cost requirements associated with the existing approaches limit data collection to at most once per year for portions of the national highway system. Agencies characterize roughness only for some secondary roads but much less frequently, such as once every five years, resulting in outdated roughness information. This research developed a real-time roughness evaluation approach that links the output of durable in-pavement strain sensors to prevailing indices that summarize road roughness. Field experiments validated the high consistency of the approach by showing that it is within 3.3% of relative IRI estimates. After their installation and calibration during road construction, the ruggedized strain sensors will report road roughness continuously. Thus, the solution will provide agencies a real-time roughness monitoring solution over the remaining service life of road assets.
A Right to Genetic Family History.

In “Does Lack of ‘Genetic-Relative Family Health History’ Represent a Potentially Avoidable Health Disparity for Adoptees?” May and colleagues (2016) argue that adoptee health disparities caused by...
Alterations in the gut microbiota can elicit hypertension in rats

Gut dysbiosis has been linked to cardiovascular diseases including hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that hypertension could be induced in a normotensive strain of rats or attenuated in a hype...
Control of Glyphosate-Resistant Common Waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis) in Glufosinate-Resistant Soybean

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) common waterhemp has become a significant problem weed in Nebraska and several Midwestern states. Several populations of GR common waterhemp are also resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides, making them difficult to control with POST herbicides in GR soybean. Glufosinate-resistant (GFR) soybean is an alternate system for controlling GR common waterhemp, justifying the need for evaluating glufosinate-based herbicide programs. The objectives of this study were to compare POST-only herbicide programs (including one-pass and two-pass POST programs) with PRE followed by (fb) POST herbicide programs for control of GR common waterhemp in GFR soybean and their effect on common waterhemp density, biomass, and soybean yield. Field experiments were conducted in 2013 and 2014 near Fremont, NE in a grower's field infested with GR common waterhemp. Glufosinate applied early- and late-POST provided 76% control of GR common waterhemp at 14 d after late-POST (DALPOST) compa...
Dispersal of Goeppertia marantifolia clonal offspring increases with greater canopy openness and larger plant size

Many plants within the neotropical understorey produce both seeds and clonal offspring. Plant attributes (i.e. size) and variability in light can influence seed dispersal but it is not known if these factors influence the dispersal of clonal offspring. Our goal was to determine if canopy openness and plant size influence clonal-offspring dispersal of the herb Goeppertia marantifolia, which produces clonal bulbils on above-ground shoots. We monitored plants in permanent plots with varying levels of canopy openness in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. We recorded canopy openness, leaf area and the distance clonal offspring travelled from their parent plant (N = 283). Our path analysis model demonstrated that canopy openness had a strong positive effect on dispersal distance, while the association between clonal-offspring dispersal distance and parent plant leaf area was only weakly positive. On average, plants experiencing high canopy openness dispersed their clonal offspring further than plants under low canopy openness (124 cm vs. 79 cm, respectively). Contrary to studies on species that utilize rhizomes and stolons for clonal reproduction, we found that in this bulbil-producing species light availability is positively associated with clonal dispersal distance. Therefore, the influence of resource availability on spatial population dynamics of clonal species may be influenced by the species’ growth-form.
Abstract 098: The Prevalence of Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in an Outpatient Transitional Care Clinic

Background: Bridging the Discharge Gap Effectively (BRIDGE) is a cardiac transitional care clinic. BRIDGE has demonstrated improved patient outcomes for some populations. This study sought to determine if differences in outcomes (readmissions, ED visits, death) exist for Caucasian and non-Caucasian patients based on BRIDGE attendance and socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: Data on patients referred to BRIDGE from 2008-2014 were analyzed. Patients were split into two cohorts (Caucasian and non-Caucasian) and outcomes for each were independently compared by BRIDGE attendance and SES. Non-low SES was defined as income > $48,600 (200% poverty line for a family of 4) and low SES was income ≤ $48,600. Demographics and outcomes were compared between groups. Results: Of 2964 patients, 15.1% were non-Caucasian (n=448). Caucasians were significantly older than non-Caucasians (66.16±14.29 v 59.14±14.75, p Conclusions: BRIDGE attendance was associated with improved outcomes in Caucasians that were not seen in non-Caucasians, with the exception of reduced mortality. Also, SES appears to impact non-Caucasians more than Caucasians, with low SES non-Caucasians having higher readmission rates and lower BRIDGE attendance than non-low SES non-Caucasians. Differences seen may be biased due to unevenly distributed groups (i.e. age and diagnosis). Efforts to target these vulnerable populations are warranted to reduce disparities.
Age and Sex Disparities in Discharge Statin Prescribing in the Stroke Belt: Evidence From the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study.

BackgroundStroke is a costly and debilitating disease that disproportionately affects blacks. Despite the efficacy of statins, evidence suggests racial disparities may exist in statin prescribing. ...
Distributed control of nonstationary LPV systems over arbitrary graphs

Abstract This paper deals with the l 2 -induced norm control of discrete-time, nonstationary linear parameter-varying (NSLPV) subsystems, represented in a linear fractional transformation (LFT) framework and interconnected over arbitrary directed graphs. Communication between the subsystems is subjected to a one-step time-delay. NSLPV models have state-space matrix-valued functions with explicit dependence on time-varying terms that are known a priori, as well as parameters that are not known a priori but are available for measurement at each discrete time-step. The sought controller has the same interconnection and LFT structures as the plant. Convex analysis and synthesis results are derived using a parameter-independent Lyapunov function. These conditions are infinite dimensional in general, but become finite dimensional in the case of eventually time-periodic subsystems interconnected over finite graphs. The method is applied to an illustrative example.
Copper-only Superoxide Dismutases as Novel Drug Targets for Fungal Pathogens

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are metalloenzymes that disproportionate superoxide produced by aerobic metabolism as well as the oxidative bursts present at the host-pathogen interface. Bimetallic eukaryotic Cu/Zn SOD molecules are potent antioxidants found in most intracellular compartments and in extracellular locations. Our lab has recently discovered a new class of extracellular copper-only SODs found only in the fungal kingdom that are structurally distinct from bimetallic Cu/Zn SODs while still retaining equivalent catalytic efficiency. This novel class of copper only SODs are unique in that they lack zinc-binding residues and an electrostatic loop, creating an open active site that is accessible to solvent. Importantly these copper only SODs have been shown to be virulence factors in fungal pathogens such as Candida albicans and Histoplasma capsulatum. The uniquely accessible active site of these copper only SODs and their role in pathogenesis make them good candidates for selective drug design. We screened for compounds that selectively inhibit copper-only C. albicans SOD5 over mammalian Cu/Zn SOD1. We found that pyrithione zinc (PZ), a well-known antifungal in dandruff shampoo, has highly selective and potent activity against C. albicans copper only SOD5. The metal complex of pyrithione (Zn or Cu) appears to be more effective against SOD5 than pyrithione alone, suggesting the di-pyrithione structure selectively targets the open active site of fungal Cu-only SODs. Metal-pyrithione complexes are promising candiates for new anti-fungals that target the curious family of fungal Cu-only SODs.
A pilot resting-state functional connectivity study of the kynurenine pathway in adolescents with depression and healthy controls.

Abstract Background The neuroimmunological kynurenine pathway (KP) has been hypothesized to play a role in depressive/anhedonic symptoms and related CNS disturbances. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is the rate limiting enzyme which leads to neurotrophic [kynurenic acid (KA)] and neurotoxic [Quinolinic acid (QUIN)] branches. In this pilot, we sought to examine associations between blood KP neuro-toxic/trophic measures and anhedonia/depression associated networks in youth with major depression (MDD) and healthy controls (HC). Methods Subjects were 14 psychotropic-medication free adolescents with MDD and 7 HC, ages 12–19 yo. All underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) scans. Voxel-wise maps were generated indicating correlation strengths among 4 bilateral seeds [(dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), perigenual ACC (pgACC), subgenual ACC (sgACC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc)] and remaining brain regions. FMRI analyses were family-wise error corrected. KP metabolites were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results Connectivity between the right dACC and the right precuneus was positively correlated with KA levels. This same cluster demonstrated an inverse correlation with IDO activity. Exploratory analysis at a more liberal clustering threshold showed the KA/QUIN ratio was positively correlated with connectivity between the pgACC and the right medial prefrontal cortex. Lastly, connectivity between the pgACC and the left inferior temporal gyrus was positively correlated with QUIN levels. Limitations Findings are preliminary due to the small sample size. Conclusions This pilot study is the first report in depressed adolescents demonstrating associations between the KP and anhedonia/depression-associated brain networks. This pilot adds evidence to the putative role of the KP in MDD.
Microring weight bank designs with improved channel density and tolerance

Microring weight banks enable reconfiguration in analog photonic networks and multi-channel RF front-ends. We demonstrate 2-ring weight banks and show that they are tolerant to fabrication and thermal effects. Weights consisting of two microrings can potentially increase channel capacity by a factor of 2.72-fold.
3.22 – Cerebral Cortex: Motor Learning

Multiple brain regions participate in acquisition of motor skills and their retention and expression. These motor skills include simple practice, sensory-motor adaptations and movement sequences, and arbitrary sensory-motor associations. Similar to other skills, processes related to motor learning evolve in time and involve multiple structures across neocortex and related subcortical structures. Modification of neural properties, synchrony, and synaptic efficacy each has an impact on development and maintenance of motor skills.
MOUNTAIN LEE WAVES AT WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE

Abstract : The need for knowledge of wind effect and its variability is well known to all who have worked in the field of unguided missiles. To meet this need, a study of mountain lee waves is now being conducted at White Sands Missile Range. The basic observational technique consists of releasing superpressure balloons, with radar targets and radiosondes attached, at points west of the range and following their trajectories with radars while simultaneously recording temperatures on the GMD's. The balloons are assumed to follow isopycnic surfaces as they float across the range and to trace out the shape of the lee wave. Two balloons are usually released to float simultaneously over the range at two heights and yield a vertical profile of the wave.
Applying Ethical Principles to Information and Communication Technology Research: A Companion to the Menlo Report

Researchers are faced with time-driven competitive pressures to research and publish, to achieve tenure, and to deliver on grant funding proposals. That ethical considerations can be incongruent with these incentives is neither novel nor unique to information and communication technology (ICT) research. Those conducting ICT research (ICTR) do, however, face a different breed of tensions that can impact research ethics risks. Unfortunately, institutionalized guidance on the protection of research subjects has not kept pace with the rapid transformations in information technology and infrastructure that have catalyzed changes in research substance and mechanics.The Menlo Report summarizes a set of basic principles to guide the identification and resolution of ethical issues in research about or involving ICT. It illuminates a need to interpret and extend traditional ethical principles to enable ICT researchers and oversight entities to appropriately and consistently assess and render ethically defensible research. The framework it proposes can support current and potential institutional mechanisms that are well served to implement and enforce these principles, such as a research ethics board (REB). The Menlo Report is not an official policy statement of the Department of Homeland Security, but rather, offers guidance primarily for ICT researchers in academia and the private sector who may be funded by the government, as well as corporate and independent researchers, professional societies, publication review committees, and funding agencies.This Companion is a complement to the Menlo Report that details the principles and applications more granularly and illustrates their implementation in real and synthetic case studies. It is fundamentally intended for the benefit of society, by illuminating the potential for harm to humans (either directly or indirectly) and by helping researchers understand and preempt or minimize these risks in the lifecycle of their research. This document integrates comments received after the December 28, 2011 publication of the Menlo Report in the Federal Register.
Near-Infrared Optical Contrast of Skull Base Tumors During Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery.

Background Near-infrared (NIR) tumor contrast is achieved through the "second-window ICG" technique, which relies on passive accumulation of high doses of indocyanine green (ICG) in neoplasms via the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Objective To report early results and potential challenges associated with the application of second-window ICG technique in endonasal endoscopic, ventral skull-base surgery, and to determine potential predictors of NIR signal-to-background ratio (SBR) using endoscopic techniques. Methods Pituitary adenoma (n = 8), craniopharyngioma (n = 3), and chordoma (n = 4) patients received systemic infusions of ICG (5 mg/kg) approximately 24 h before surgery. Dual-channel endoscopy with visible light and NIR overlay were photodocumented and analyzed post hoc. Results All tumors (adenoma, craniopharyngioma, chordoma) demonstrated NIR positivity and fluoresced with an average SBR of 3.9 ± 0.8, 4.1 ± 1.7, and 2.1 ± 0.6, respectively. Contrast-enhanced T1 signal intensity proved to be the single best predictor of observed SBR (P = .0003). For pituitary adenomas, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of NIR-guided identification of tumor was 100%, 20%, 71%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusion In this preliminary study of a small set of patients, we demonstrate that second-window ICG can provide NIR optical tumor contrast in 3 types of ventral skull-base tumors. Chordomas demonstrated the weakest NIR signal, suggesting limited utility in those patients. Both nonfunctional and functional pituitary adenomas appear to accumulate ICG, but utility for margin detection for the adenomas is limited by low specificity. Craniopharyngiomas with third ventricular extension appear to be a particularly promising target given the clean brain parenchyma background and strong SBR.
Response to discussants of “survival models and health sequences”

Survival studies often generate not only a survival time for each patient but also a sequence of health measurements at annual or semi-annual check-ups while the patient remains alive. Such a sequence of random length accompanied by a survival time is called a survival process. Robust health is ordinarily associated with longer survival, so the two parts of a survival process cannot be assumed independent. This paper is concerned with a general technique-reverse alignment-for constructing statistical models for survival processes, here termed revival models. A revival model is a regression model in the sense that it incorporates covariate and treatment effects into both the distribution of survival times and the joint distribution of health outcomes. The revival model also determines a conditional survival distribution given the observed history, which describes how the subsequent survival distribution is determined by the observed progression of health outcomes.
Contemporary Management of Direct Oral Anticoagulants During Cardioversion and Ablation for Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation.

As overall prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) continues to rise, the number of patients who undergo ablation, or electrical/chemical cardioversion, to restore normal sinus rhythm continues to increase as well. As direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have continued to be incorporated into clinical practice for long-term anticoagulation for AF, experience with how best to manage use of DOACs during electrophysiologic procedures is evolving. This review is intended to provide health care providers with a summary of current evidence regarding the use of DOACs during cardioversion and catheter ablation and provide key considerations for their use during such electrophysiologic procedures. PubMed and MEDLINE were searched from inception through June 2018 for studies in humans comparing DOACs alone or against vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in adult patients (> 18 yrs) who underwent cardioversion or AF catheter ablation using the following key words: "rivaroxaban," "dabigatran," "apixaban," "edoxaban," "non-vitamin K antagonists," "direct or new oral anticoagulants," "warfarin," "vitamin K antagonists," "cardioversion," "ablation of atrial fibrillation," "uninterrupted," and "catheter ablation." Four retrospective studies and three prospective trials comparing DOACs with VKA in patients undergoing cardioversion and three prospective studies in patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF were identified. Observational data and meta-analyses were also critically reviewed. Prospective trials to date suggest similar efficacy and safety with using DOACs in the setting of cardioversion and AF ablation compared to traditional therapy with VKA, with or without bridging. Injectable anticoagulant overlap can be avoided in patients receiving DOACs in the setting of cardioversion for AF. Minimal interruption in anticoagulation may be only necessary for AF ablation in those with highest bleeding risk, such as in renal dysfunction and where drug-drug interactions may increase risk for anticoagulant accumulation. Periprocedural advantages of DOACs include convenience, rapid and predictable onset of effect, improved patient satisfaction, and potential for reduced costs.
Public Speaking Anxiety in a Real Classroom: Towards Developing a Reflection System

Public speaking is recognized as an important skill for success in learning and education. However, the mere thought of public speaking elicits anxiety in many people. This anxiety may manifest in a student's nonverbal behaviors and physiological responses which can negatively affect both performance and evaluation. While public speaking training systems have employed a variety of speaker cues to automatically evaluate and score public speaking performance, many are built on data collected in a lab setting. However, it is difficult to achieve the same level of anxiety in these environments. We posit that students would benefit from a system that provides the ability to reflect on and practice public speaking presentation skills. This preliminary study explores public speaking anxiety from physiological responses and nonverbal behaviors of English language learners in-situ as a first step toward the design and development of a public speaking practice and reflection system.
Teaching Perspective Taking in Intercultural Contexts: Encounters with International Teaching Assistants with Foreign Accents.

The possession of a foreign accent constitutes one of the challenges international teaching assistants have to deal with in their encounters in U.S. classrooms. This challenge often impacts their p...
A Fluorescent 18-Crown-6 Based Luminescence Sensor for Lanthanide Ions

Abstract The synthesis and photophysical behavior of a luminescent chemosensor for the early lanthanide elements is described. The sensor is a 1,4-diphenylethynyl-benzene chromophore having 18-crown-6 moieties bound to the outer phenyl rings. The chromophore is luminescent and the emission is quenched by lanthanide (Ln3+) ions with larger ionic radii and existing f–f transitions (Ce3+, Pr3+ and Nd3+). Alkali, alkaline earth ions and lanthanides with smaller radii (Ge3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, and Yb3+) do not affect the emission.
A COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUMENT FOR EVALUATING MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (MTBI)/CONCUSSION IN INDEPENDENT ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY.

BACKGROUND One common component of concussion rehabilitation is a computerized cognitive test free of concomitant physical demands. Healthcare professionals may be able to provide more patient-centered care after a diagnosed concussion if specific areas of impairment are identified and treated, such as the physical aspect of neurocognitive function. Hypothesis/Purpose: To evaluate the test-retest reliability of a unique combination of neurocognitive assessment tools currently utilized in concussion assessments into one single, inclusive instrument that measures both neurocognitive function and physical capability. STUDY DESIGN Original research - diagnostic tests. METHODS Fourteen individuals (nine males, age: 29 + 17.9, five females, age: 46.0 ± 21.5 years) either with normal cognitive function (NBI) without history of a health event (e.g. cerebral vascular accident/stroke, mTBI) that resulted in brain injury within one year of the study, or who had suffered a health event that has resulted in a medically documented brain injury (BI) participated in the study. Participants completed the full hybrid assessment instrument for a baseline test, then completed a follow-up test using the same instrument within 72-96 hours of baseline. Test-retest reliability was measured using Pearson product-moment correlations of the first and second testing sessions, and a two-way ANOVA (group between factor: NBI and BI and time within factor: session 1 and session 2) was performed on the summative scores to determine differences between each group. RESULTS Test-retest reliability was strong and statistical significant for both the NBI (r = .858, p = .014) and the BI (r = .967, p = .033) groups. There was a significant difference between summative scores for the NBI and BI groups (F1,20 = 42.325, p < .0001). CONCLUSION The newly created Comprehensive Instrument for Evaluating Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (CIEMTBI) demonstrates good test-retest reliability and was able to discriminate the results between individuals in the NBI and BI groups. Further research, specifically with different samples, is needed to better determine the reliability and diagnostic accuracy of the instrument. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2c.
Value as Fiction: An Anthropological Perspective

This chapter examines the notion of ‘value’ in arts and cultural management. Drawing upon methodological and theoretical tools from anthropology, it examines the culturally relative and inherently subjective nature of value, arguing that this is contra prevailing perspectives that view value as set and quantifiable. The chapter introduces the term ‘cracked art world’, which is proffered as an analytical tool for making sense of value’s inherent subjectivity, and the conflicts in art worlds that arise from value divergences among arts and culture stakeholders. It further argues that, without critical examination, cracked art worlds can serve to reify inequalities and thus reinforce dominant values while ignoring or silencing marginal ones. The chapter closes by suggesting ways in which these concepts might be usefully incorporated by arts and cultural managers engaged in intercultural dialogue and exchange.
Peer Leader Reflections on Promoting Discussion in Peer Group-Learning Sessions: Reflective and Practiced Advice through Collaborative Annual Peer-Advice Books.

This paper contributes to the literature on peer-leader training by studying annual advice books written by emergent peer leaders. Qualitative analysis was used to examine peer-leaders’ practiced a...
Disparities in utilization of palliative care during terminal hospitalizations in patients with metastatic cancer: A nationwide analysis.

e19027Background: Palliative care during the end of life is associated with greater patient satisfaction, improved quality of life and lower health care costs. Our aim was to study temporal trends ...
Predicting outcome of patients with severe urinary tract infections admitted via the emergency department.

Objective To evaluate clinical prediction tools for making decisions in patients with severe urinary tract infections (UTIs). Methods This was a retrospective study conducted at 2 hospitals (combined emergency department (ED) census 190,000). Study patients were admitted via the ED with acute pyelonephritis or severe sepsis-septic shock related UTI. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) augmented by decision curve analysis and sensitivity of each rule for predicting mortality and ICU admission were compared. Results The AUROC of PRACTICE was greater than that of BOMBARD (0.15 difference, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.09-0.22), SIRS (0.21 difference, 95% CI = 0.14-0.28) and qSOFA (0.06 difference, 95% CI = 0-0.11) for predicting mortality. PRACTICE had a greater net benefit compared to BOMBARD and SIRS at all thresholds and a greater net benefit compared to qSOFA between a 1% and 10% threshold probability level for predicting mortality. PRACTICE had a greater net benefit compared to all other scores for predicting ICU admission across all threshold probabilities. A PRACTICE score >75 was more sensitive than a qSOFA score >1 (90% versus 54.3%, 35.7 difference, 95% CI = 24.5-46.9), SIRS criteria >1 (18.6 difference, 95% CI = 9.5-27.7), and a BOMBARD score >2 (12.9 difference, 95% CI = 5-12.9) for predicting mortality. Conclusion PRACTICE was more accurate than BOMBARD, SIRS, and qSOFA for predicting mortality. PRACTICE had a superior net benefit at most thresholds compared to other scores for predicting mortality and ICU admissions.
Synthesis of a novel amorphous metal organic framework with hierarchical porosity for adsorptive gas separation

Abstract A novel amorphous iron metal-organic framework (NEU-2 = Fe(BPDI)(Py)2, BPDI = N,N'bis(glycinyl)pyromellitic diimide; Py = pyridine) with multichannel pore systems is synthesized, and subsequently tested as class 1 sorbent by evaluating its CO2 capture capacity. Whereas the meso- and macro-pores present in NEU-2 are loaded with polietilenimina (PEI), micropores are maintained accessible for CO2 diffusion. Tests at different temperatures and cyclic adsorption-desorption experiments are performed to examine CO2 uptake and amine efficiency evolution. Moreover, the diffusion resistance present within the pores of the material is measured by comparing the fast uptake at the beginning of the capture (pseudo-kinetic regime) to the slow uptake at the end of capture towards equilibrium (pseudo-diffusive regime). It is also reported a comparative study of the CO2 capture capacity of amorphous NEU-2 and crystalline NEU-1c. This research demonstrates that the ordered crystalline state of MOFs is not a requirement for gas uptake, establishing novel amorphous MOFs with hierarchical porosity as promising materials for CO2‐capture applications. It is evidenced that amorphous MOFs may facilitate a variety of chemical separations due to its framework flexibility and, ultimately, its guest-responsive capability.
Results of a Feasibility Study of Helpers Stay Quit Training for Smoking Relapse Prevention.

INTRODUCTION Most smoking quit attempts end in relapse, and interventions focused on relapse prevention are lacking. Helpers Stay Quit (HSQ) is a novel behavioral relapse prevention intervention that teaches newly abstinent smokers to offer a "helping conversation" (HC) to help others quit tobacco. METHODS Pre-post intervention feasibility study with state quitline participants ≥14 days abstinent. Measures at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months included smoking status, offering HCs, and cessation self-efficacy. Primary outcomes: self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence; offering HCs. Cox models explored association of HCs with relapse. Preliminary effects analysis using propensity score matching compared 30-day abstinence of quitline clients with study sample at 7 months. RESULTS Participants (N = 104) were as follows: mean age of 53 years (SD 13.9 years), 48.1% male, mean of cigarettes smoked/day of 16.2 (SD 9.7). Compared with participants who remained abstinent (n = 82), relapsers (n = 22) had fewer HCs over 6 months (2.6 vs 7.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4, 7.8, p = .006). Using adjusted Cox regression, the hazard ratio of relapse for each HC was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.99, p = .03). Compared with a matched sample of quitline clients not exposed to HSQ, study participants were 49% more likely to report 30-day abstinence at 7-month quitline follow-up (95% CI: 40%, 59%, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS HSQ, delivered to newly abstinent smokers who received standard quitline treatment, was associated with less self-reported relapse. These promising preliminary study results warrant further research to evaluate HSQ as a novel behavioral intervention to prevent smoking relapse. IMPLICATIONS To date, behavioral interventions for smoking relapse prevention that teach abstainers cessation skills to apply to themselves have not shown effectiveness. This feasibility study examines the preliminary efficacy of a conceptually novel, "help others" behavioral intervention approach for relapse prevention in newly abstinent smokers recruited from a state quitline. HSQ teaches the newly abstinent smoker communication and listening skills to encourage other smokers in their personal social network to quit. Exploratory analysis using propensity score matching suggests that participants exposed to HSQ were significantly more likely to self-report 30-day abstinence at quitline 7-month follow-up than other quitline clients.
Estimating COVID-19 exposure in a classroom setting: A comparison between mathematical and numerical models

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven numerous studies of airborne-driven transmission risk primarily through two methods: Wells–Riley and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. This effort provides a detailed comparison of the two methods for a classroom scenario with masked habitants and various ventilation conditions. The results of the studies concluded that (1) the Wells–Riley model agrees with CFD results without forced ventilation (6% error); (2) for the forced ventilation cases, there was a significantly higher error (29% error); (3) ventilation with moderate filtration is shown to significantly reduce infection transmission probability in the context of a classroom scenario; (4) for both cases, there was a significant amount of variation in individual transmission route infection probabilities (up to 220%), local air patterns were the main contributor driving the variation, and the separation distance from infected to susceptible was the secondary contributor; (5) masks are shown to have benefits from interacting with the thermal plume created from natural convection induced from body heat, which pushes aerosols vertically away from adjacent students.