cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BoB, a best-of-breed automated text de-identification system for VHA clinical documents.

Objective De-identification allows faster and more collaborative clinical research while protecting patient confidentiality. Clinical narrative de-identification is a tedious process that can be alleviated by automated natural language processing methods. The goal of this research is the development of an automated text de-identification system for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical documents. Materials and methods We devised a novel stepwise hybrid approach designed to improve the current strategies used for text de-identification. The proposed system is based on a previous study on the best de-identification methods for VHA documents. This best-of-breed automated clinical text de-identification system (aka BoB) tackles the problem as two separate tasks: (1) maximize patient confidentiality by redacting as much protected health information (PHI) as possible; and (2) leave de-identified documents in a usable state preserving as much clinical information as possible. Results We evaluated BoB with a manually annotated corpus of a variety of VHA clinical notes, as well as with the 2006 i2b2 de-identification challenge corpus. We present evaluations at the instance- and token-level, with detailed results for BoB's main components. Moreover, an existing text de-identification system was also included in our evaluation. Discussion BoB's design efficiently takes advantage of the methods implemented in its pipeline, resulting in high sensitivity values (especially for sensitive PHI categories) and a limited number of false positives. Conclusions Our system successfully addressed VHA clinical document de-identification, and its hybrid stepwise design demonstrates robustness and efficiency, prioritizing patient confidentiality while leaving most clinical information intact.
Culinary Deserts, Gastronomic Oases: A Classification of US Cities

Summary. This paper explores the role of restaurants, as consumption spaces, in defining the consumptional identity of 243 American cities. Specifically, it is asked whether, and how, US cities can be classified on the basis of the local prevalence of specific types of restaurants—are some cities culinary deserts, while others are gastronomic oases? A two-stage cluster analysis reveals four distinct city types, which fall along two intersecting dimensions: a quantitative dimension of restaurant availability and a qualitative cultural dimension. These four city types are characterised and connected to the existing literature on consumption spaces, with particular attention to a strong parallel between these city types and the communities discussed by Richard Florida. Several directions for future research using the city classification as a conceptual framework are offered. Additionally, these analyses involve the development and application of a new method of measuring a city’s number of consumption spaces, which is theoretically superior to traditional per capita measures and which is described in a methodological appendix.
CMOS design of PWM control circuitry for power converters

There are currently several commercially available integrated controllers capable of driving two transistors in PWM dc-dc power converters. The outputs of the chip are two PWM signals a that are 180/spl deg/ out of phase with an option to control the dead time between the transitions of the outputs. These chips require separate capacitors and resistors to produce this dead time. This paper shows the design, development, and simulation results of a CMOS chip that can be programmed to produce variable dead times using digital inputs. >
Formation of corrensite, chlorite and chlorite-mica stacks by replacement of detrital biotite in low-grade pelitic rocks

Transmission and scanning electron microscopy were utilized to investigate the nature and mechanisms of alteration of abundant detrital biotite of volcanic origin and progressive modification of phyllosilicate aggregates in a prograde sequence of pelitic rocks (illite crystallinity index = 0.19-0.58" A28) from the Gasp6 Peninsula in Quebec. Detrital biotite has been diagenetically altered to form corrensite and chlorite through two mechanisms; (1) layer-by-layer replacement gave rise to interstratification of packets of layers and complex mixed layering via several kinds of layer transitions between biotite and chlorite, corrensite or smectite; (2) dissolution-transport-precipitation resulted in the formation of relatively coarse-grained aggregates of randomly orientated, corrensite-rich flakes and fine-grained corrensite intergrown with chlorite and illite in the matrix. The data show that stacks consisting of alternating packets of trioctahedral and dioctahedral phyllosilicates originated during early diagenesis when lenticular fissures in strained altering biotite were filled by dioctahedral clays. Subsequent prograde evolution of dioctahedral clays occurred through deformation, dissolution and crystallization, and overgrowth. Illite evolved to muscovite, with K in part provided through biotite alteration, and corrensite/chlorite to homogeneous chlorite. The alteration of detrital biotite is closely related to the formation of titanite and magnetite in diagenetic rocks, and pyrite, calcite and anatase or rutile in the higher grade rocks. The observations demonstrate that detrital biotite of volcanic origin may be the principal precursor of chlorite in chlorite-rich metapelites originating in marginal basins. The mineral parageneses suggest that the transitions from corrensite to chlorite and illite to muscovite may be a function of local chemistry and time.
Characterization of the metabolism of benzaldehyde dimethane sulfonate (NSC 281612, DMS612)

Benzaldehyde dimethane sulfonate (BEN, DMS612, NSC281612) is a bifunctional alkylating agent currently in clinical trials. We previously characterized the degradation products of BEN in plasma and blood. The conversion of BEN to its carboxylic acid analogue (BA) in whole blood, but not plasma, suggests that an enzyme in RBCs may be responsible for this conversion. BEN conversion to BA was observed in renal carcinoma cells and appeared to correlate with IC50. To better understand the pharmacology of BEN, we aimed to evaluate the metabolism and enzymes potentially responsible for the conversion of BEN to BA. Human red blood cells (RBC) were used to characterize kinetics and susceptibility to enzyme-specific inhibitors. Recombinant enzymes were used to confirm metabolism of BEN to BA. Analytes were quantitated with established LC–MS/MS methods. Average apparent Vmax and Km were 68 ng/mL min−1 [10 % RBC]−1 and 373 ng/mL, respectively. The conversion of BEN to BA in RBC was not inhibited by carbon monoxide, nitrogen gas, or menadione, an inhibitor of aldehyde oxidase. The conversion was inhibited by disulfiram, an inhibitor of ALDH. Of available ALDH isoforms ALDH1A1, ALDH3A1, ALDH2, and ALDH5A1, only ALDH1A1 converted BEN to BA. The activating conversion of BEN to BA is mediated not by CYP450 enzymes or aldehyde oxidase, but by ALDH1A1. This enzyme, a potential stem cell marker, may be a candidate biomarker for clinical activity of BEN.
Symptomatic and Electrodiagnostic Features of Peripheral Neuropathy in Scleroderma.

Objective To determine the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in scleroderma. Methods The prevalence of length-dependent peripheral neuropathy was rigorously assessed using signs and symptoms of neuropathy derived from the Total Neuropathy Score (TNS), and standardized nerve conduction study (NCS). All subjects underwent TNS and NCS. Those who were symptomatic or had NCS evidence of peripheral neuropathy underwent laboratory evaluation for secondary causes of neuropathy. Results A total of 130 subjects were approached for participation and 60 enrolled. Of the 60 subjects, 50 (83.3%) were female and 37 (61.7%) were of the limited cutaneous subtype. The mean ± SD age was 55 ± 11.1 years, and mean ± SD disease duration was 15.3 ± 10.1 years. A total of 17 of 60 (28%) had evidence of a peripheral neuropathy as defined by the presence of neuropathic symptoms on the TNS (12 of 60) and/or electrophysiologic evidence of neuropathy (5 subjects with neuropathic symptoms and 5 without neuropathic symptoms). Subjects with neuropathy were more likely to be male (60% versus 40%; P = 0.02), African American (41% versus 4.6%; P = 0.001), have diabetes mellitus (17.7% versus 0%; P = 0.02), have limited cutaneous scleroderma (82.3% versus 53.5%; P = 0.04), and have anti-U1 RNP antibodies (23.5% versus 0%; P = 0.009) than those without neuropathy. A potential nonscleroderma etiology for the peripheral neuropathy such as diabetes mellitus was found in 82.3% (14 of 17) of subjects with neuropathy. Conclusion While symptoms or objective evidence of peripheral neuropathy are common among patients with scleroderma, the cause may often be attributed to comorbid nonscleroderma-related conditions.
Endothelial sprouting and network formation in collagen- and fibrin-based modular microbeads

Abstract A modular tissue engineering approach may have advantages over current therapies in providing rapid and sustained revascularization of ischemic tissue. In this study, modular protein microbeads were prepared from pure fibrin (FIB) and collagen–fibrin composites (COL–FIB) using a simple water-in-oil emulsification technique. Human endothelial cells and fibroblasts were embedded directly in the microbead matrix. The resulting microbeads were generally spheroidal with a diameter of 100–200 μm. Cell viability was high (75–80% viable) in microbeads, but was marginally lower than in bulk hydrogels of corresponding composition (85–90% viable). Cell proliferation was significantly greater in COL–FIB microbeads after two weeks in culture, compared to pure FIB microbeads. Upon embedding of microbeads in a surrounding fibrin hydrogel, endothelial cell networks formed inside the microbead matrix and extended into the surrounding matrix. The number of vessel segments, average segment length, and number of branch points was higher in FIB samples, compared to COL–FIB samples, resulting in significantly longer total vessel networks. Anastomosis of vessel networks from adjacent microbeads was also observed. These studies demonstrate that primitive vessel networks can be formed by modular protein microbeads containing embedded endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Such microbeads may find utility as prevascularized tissue modules that can be delivered minimally invasively as a therapy to restore blood flow to ischemic tissues. Statement of significance Vascularization is critically important for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and materials that support and/or promote neovascularization are of value both for translational applications and for mechanistic studies and discovery-based research. Therefore, we fabricated small modular microbeads formulated from pure fibrin (FIB) and collagen–fibrin (COL–FIB) containing endothelial cells and supportive fibroblasts. We explored how cells encapsulated within these materials form microvessel-like networks both within and outside of the microbeads when embedded in larger 3D matrices. FIB microbeads were found to initiate more extensive sprouting into the surrounding ECM in vitro . These results represent an important step towards our goal of developing injectable biomaterial modules containing preformed vascular units that can rapidly restore vascularization to an ischemic tissue in vivo .
Active Learning in Economics: Increasing Student Engagement, Excitement and Success

Active learning is not new. By definition, active learning has forever been at the heart of the human desire to explore, discover and share knowledge. Early humans did not sit through lectures on the use of fire or which plants were safe to eat. The Socratic method’s use of questions to stimulate critical thinking recognizes the importance of engaging the learner in the process of learning. Nevertheless, the relatively passive learning environment of the lecture was the dominant form of pedagogy, particularly in higher education, for hundreds of years. Recognizing the shortcomings of passive learning methods, Dewey and Dewey (1915) argued for the importance of student engagement in the learning process:
Co-movement of State’s Mortgage Default Rates: A Dynamic Factor Analysis Approach

Underestimated default correlations of the underlying assets of Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) products have been partially blamed for the initial inaccurate ratings. Given the increasingly reliant on mortgage related assets in CDO products, a way to test the underestimation default correlation theory is to estimate how mortgage loan defaults have co-moved across states over time. In this paper, we use a dynamic factor model to estimate the co-movement of mortgage loan default rates across states. The results show that with only one latent factor about 62% of the variation in the states mortgage default rates could be explained when the full sample, 1979 to 2010, is used. However, limiting the sample from 1979 to 2003, the factor explains only 28% of the default variation. There was not much co-movement until the beginning of the 1st quarter of 2007 to 2009. This implies that the initial assigned default correlations were perhaps not inaccurate. An examined relationship between the latent factor and some national variables show a positive correlation between the factor and the St. Louis Fed’s Financial Stress Index, and a negative correlation for percentage change in GDP, Retail and Food Services Sales and Consumer sentiments. The factor seems to be a leading indicator for Retail and Food Sales and the percentage change in the GDP.
Novel mechanism-based therapeutics for androgen axis blockade in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Purpose of reviewUnderstanding the mechanisms by which castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progresses provides an opportunity to identify novel therapeutic strategies to treat this disease. This understanding has led to approaches to attack prostate cancer's androgen axis in unique ways. Thi
Commentary: decentralizing quality improvement.

American Journal of Medical Quality http://ajm.sagepub.com/ Decentralizing Quality Improvement Ulfat Shaikh and Frederick J. Meyers American Journal of Medical Quality published online 6 October 2012 DOI: 10.1177/1062860612461523 The online version of this article can be found at: http://ajm.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/10/05/1062860612461523.citation Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of: American College of Medical Quality Additional services and information for American Journal of Medical Quality can be found at: Email Alerts: http://ajm.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://ajm.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav >> OnlineFirst Version of Record - Oct 6, 2012 What is This? Downloaded from ajm.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA DAVIS on October 8, 2012
Use Examples To Analysis The Recursive Computation In The Program Designing

Recursive computation is important in program designing.The program structure designed by recursion is clear and concise.But it′s hard to master the realizing process and computation′s complexity analysis of recursion.Therefore this article aims to illustrate and analyze the realizing process and complexity of recursion,in order to deepen the understanding of recursive computation.
MANAGERS IN STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES:ABILITY,EFFORTS,AND PRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY-A CASE STUDY OF THE IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY IN CHINA

With the deepening of the reform of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China,the role of the managers in raising productive efficiency has become increasingly more important.The key questions are how to select and appoint capable managers and how to provide them appropriate work incentives.This paper uses data from a specifically designed survey of various types of enterprises in the iron and steel industry to investigate the relationship between managers'characteristics and productive efficiency of the sample enterprises.The results of the production function analysis indicate that managers in SOEs lack managerial abilities and face weak incentives to work.The implication is that the reform of property rights and the establishment of efficient corporate governance are important and indispensable for true SOE reforms.
Indications for pediatric cochlear implantation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Objective To classify and describe causes of hearing loss in children of Mississippi. Setting Tertiary, university practice. Design Consecutive series of children undergoing cochlear implantation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Materials and methods A prospectively maintained database has been kept since the inception of the cochlear implant program at UMMC. Records were queried as to the diagnosis of hearing loss, perioperative complications, and postoperative acceptance of the device by the patient. Results Fifty-nine children underwent cochlear implantation from April 2003 to March 2007. Twenty-two children had no risk factors for hearing loss and were presumed to have genetic hearing loss. Seven had hearing loss related to complications of prematurity. Four had abnormal genes for Connexin 26, and four had congenital cytomegalovirus infections. Three had unclassified autosomal dominant hearing loss. Conclusions Since nearly half of the patients in this series had no known risk factors for hearing loss, our findings support the need for universal newborn hearing screening. Further advancements in genomic research will facilitate diagnosis of genetic hearing loss.
Early life growth, socioeconomic status, and mammographic breast density in an urban US birth cohort.

Abstract Purpose Rapid infant and childhood growth has been associated with chronic disease later in life, including breast cancer. Early life socioeconomic status (SES) influences childhood growth, but few studies have prospective measures from birth to consider the effects of early life growth and SES on breast cancer risk. Methods We used prospectively measured early life SES and growth (percentile weight change in height and weight between each pair of consecutive time points at birth, 4 months, 1 and 7 years). We performed linear regression models to obtain standardized estimates of the association between 1 standard deviation increase in early life SES and growth and adult mammographic density (MD), a strong risk factor for breast cancer, in a diverse birth cohort ( n = 151; 37% white, 38% black, 25% Puerto Rican; average age at mammogram = 42.4). Results In models adjusted for race/ethnicity, prenatal factors, birthweight, infant and childhood growth, and adult body mass index, percentile weight change from 1 year to 7 years was inversely associated with percent MD (standardized coefficient (Stdβ) = −0.28, 95% CI: −0.55 to −0.01), and higher early life SES was positively associated with percent MD (Stdβ = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.04–0.43). Similar associations were observed for dense area, but those estimates were not statistically significant. Conclusions These results suggest opposite and independent effects of early life SES and growth on MD.
Extremality, controllability, and abundant subsets of generalized control systems

The generalized control system that we consider in this paper is a collection of vector fields, which are measurable in the time variable and Lipschitzian in the state variable. For such system, we define the concept of an abundant subset. Our definition follows the definition of an abundant set of control functions introduced by Warga. We prove a controllability–extremality theorem for generalized control systems, which says, in essence, that either a given trajectory satisfies a type of maximum principle or a neighborhood of the endpoint of the trajectory can be covered by trajectories of an abundant subset. We apply the theorem to a control system in the classical formulation and obtain a controllability–extremality result, which is stronger, in some respects, than all previous results of this type. Finally, we apply the theorem to differential inclusions and obtain, as an easy corollary, a Pontryagin-type maximum principle for nonconvex inclusions.
A Multilevel Test of the Racial Threat Hypothesis in One State’s Juvenile Court:

Noting the paucity of research on the racial threat hypothesis in the juvenile courts, this study examined the interplay of defendant characteristics and country-level characteristics on dispositio...
Phonovoltaic. III. Electron-phonon coupling and figure of merit of graphene:BN

The phonovoltaic cell harvests optical phonons like a photovoltaic harvests photons, that is, a nonequilibrium (hot) population of optical phonons (at temperature ${T}_{p,\mathrm{O}}$) more energetic than the band gap produces electron-hole pairs in a $p\text{\ensuremath{-}}n$ junction, which separates these pairs to produce power. A phonovoltaic material requires an optical phonon mode more energetic than its band gap and much more energetic than the thermal energy $({E}_{p,\mathrm{O}}g\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{E}_{e,g}\ensuremath{\gg}{k}_{\mathrm{B}}T)$, which relaxes by generating electrons and power (at rate ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}}_{e\text{\ensuremath{-}}p}$) rather than acoustic phonons and heat (at rate ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}}_{p\text{\ensuremath{-}}p}$). Graphene (h-C) is the most promising material candidate: when its band gap is tuned to its optical phonon energy without greatly reducing the electron-phonon $(e\text{\ensuremath{-}}p)$ coupling, it reaches a substantial figure of merit $[{Z}_{\mathrm{pV}}=\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{E}_{e,g}{\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}}_{e\text{\ensuremath{-}}p}/{E}_{p,\mathrm{O}}({\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}}_{e\text{\ensuremath{-}}p}+{\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}}_{p\text{\ensuremath{-}}p})\ensuremath{\approx}0.8]$. A simple tight-binding (TB) model presented here predicts that lifting the sublattice symmetry of graphene in order to open a band gap proscribes the $e\text{\ensuremath{-}}p$ interaction at the band edge, such that ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}}_{e\text{\ensuremath{-}}p}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$ as $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{E}_{e,g}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{E}_{p,\mathrm{O}}$. However, ab initio (DFT-LDA) simulations of layered h-C/BN and substitutional h-C:BN show that the $e\text{\ensuremath{-}}p$ coupling remains substantial in these asymmetric crystals. Indeed, h-C:BN achieves a high figure of merit $({Z}_{\mathrm{pV}}\ensuremath{\approx}0.6)$. At 300 K and for a Carnot limit of $0.5({T}_{p,\mathrm{O}}=600\text{K})$, a h-C:BN phonovoltaic can reach an efficiency of ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\mathrm{pV}}\ensuremath{\approx}0.2$, double the thermoelectric efficiency $(ZT\ensuremath{\approx}1)$ under similar conditions.
Body temperature monitoring

SUMMARY Anesthesia and surgery interfere with the normal homeostatic mechanisms that regulate body temperature. Hypothermia (both intentional and inadvertent) is commonly seen in the perioperative period, whereas hyperthermia is less common. Malignant hyperthermia has historically been associated with significant morbidity, but with current monitoring standards, early detection, and aggressive treatment, the mortality is much improved. Modern thermometry equipment includes a variety of devices, most of which have been developed recently. The characteristics of the different instruments have been described, and the clinical applications reviewed. Several different body sites have been used to monitor temperature and these have been reviewed with specific focus on the relative value of the various sites for thermometry during anesthesia and surgery. The particular monitoring site that is used should be chosen based on the individual characteristics of the patient and the anticipated surgical procedure. Some situations not only require an accurate assessment of core, but also a measure of peripheral temperature because the core-peripheral gradient is a valuable index for completeness of cooling and rewarming. Finally, temperature monitoring techniques for thermoregulatory research require multichannel monitoring of several different sites to assess thermoregulatory reflexes such as vasoconstriction. With greater awareness of the available modalities for the assessment and regulation of body temperature in the perioperative period, the anesthesiologist will have more information and improved control of one of the body's most basic homeostatic parameters.
Analysis of renal cancer cell lines from two major resources enables genomics-guided cell line selection

The utility of cancer cell lines is affected by the similarity to endogenous tumour cells. Here we compare genomic data from 65 kidney-derived cell lines from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia and the COSMIC Cell Lines Project to three renal cancer subtypes from The Cancer Genome Atlas: clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC, also known as kidney renal clear cell carcinoma), papillary (pRCC, also known as kidney papillary) and chromophobe (chRCC, also known as kidney chromophobe) renal cell carcinoma. Clustering copy number alterations shows that most cell lines resemble ccRCC, a few (including some often used as models of ccRCC) resemble pRCC, and none resemble chRCC. Human ccRCC tumours clustering with cell lines display clinical and genomic features of more aggressive disease, suggesting that cell lines best represent aggressive tumours. We stratify mutations and copy number alterations for important kidney cancer genes by the consistency between databases, and classify cell lines into established gene expression-based indolent and aggressive subtypes. Our results could aid investigators in analysing appropriate renal cancer cell lines.
The Fate of the Universe

Will the universe continue to expand forever, or will it eventually halt and start to collapse?
Improved Survival of High Risk Patients with Parainfluenza Virus Following Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Role of Aerosolized Ribavirin

Parainfluenza viruses (PIV) ARE associated with severe respiratory tract infections among immunocompromised patients. However, the most perplexing feature of PIV following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the dichotomous nature of risk for life-threatening infection. Specifically, the vast majority of patients will not require treatment of any kind whereas a small subset appears to be at such high risk of death that it has been questioned if successful treatment is even possible. In 2007, we implemented a standardized approach to patients diagnosed with Parainfluenza virus (PIV) following HCT at Stanford University Medical Center (Fig 1) based on the need for supplemental oxygen and/or specific risk factors. We performed both a prospective analysis of cases of lower respiratory tract infection and a retrospective review of all 2495 patients transplanted during this period. The epidemiology, risk factors, clinical status, and outcome of the 115 PIV patients using this protocol from September 2007 through May 2015 shows that prudent, risk-stratified application of antiviral therapies in can result higher survival rates among patients with PIV post-HCT. Moreover, high risk patients who received aerosolized ribavirin had a lower mortality rate than those who were either not treated or received oral ribavirin. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Transfer properties of touch elicited waves: Effect of posture and contact conditions

During haptic interaction with touched objects, contact with the skin elicits mechanical signals that propagate rapidly to distances removed from the location of contact. Prior research has shown that these touch elicited mechanical signals travel predominantly as waves, and during manual touch, reach distances spanning the entire hand. While the structure in these signals is well preserved across distance, it is unknown how the propagation of these signals from the contact locus to other areas of the hand or finger depend on posture or contact conditions. To address this, we measured empirical transfer functions from a contacting plate that stimulated the fingertip to other sites on the finger, and analyzed the dependence of the corresponding frequency domain transfer functions on location, posture, and contact forces. The results suggest that the frequency and spatial dependence of these transfer functions varied consistently, and encoded contact conditions and relative contact location. Greatest variation was observed in the low or high frequency ranges of vibrotactile sensation, and at large distances from the contact surface. In contrast, mechanical information in the frequency range from 100 to 200 Hz was well preserved at large distances, and across conditions, indicating that tactile information in this frequency range is transmitted to other finger locations in a manner that is relatively invariant to the conditions and location of touch contact. The results may refine current understanding of the biomechanics of cutaneous wave propagation in the hand, may hold implications for understanding information content in touch-related cutaneous waves, and could hold inform the design of tactile displays worn on the skin.
The impact of solvent doping on the morphology and performance of spray-coated PEDOT:dPSS: A USANS and SANS study

Abstract Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is used in a broad range of organic electronics devices, where their performance can be dramatically enhanced by solvent processing. The morphological changes that occur with solvent processing, as well as the impact of deposition technique, are not well understood, but this understanding is crucial to rationally tune the performance of PEDOT:PSS. In this study, the change in the morphology and conductivity of spray-coated PEDOT:PSS films with pre- and post-deposition processing in the presence of polar solvents is investigated by means of neutron scattering. Deuterium labeling of PSS is used to distinguish between the PEDOT and PSS phases. Changes in the morphology of PEDOT:deuterated PSS (PEDOT:dPSS) films with the addition of 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to the pre-deposition PEDOT:dPSS solutions enhances the conductivity by ca. 60-fold, and is further enhanced by ca. 2-fold by soaking the films in ethylene glycol (EG). Neutron scattering reveals that the morphology of the spray-coated PEDOT:dPSS film consists of a two-phase structure on the micron to nanometer length scales, where more locally ordered PEDOT-rich fibril-like domains are dispersed on the smallest length scale. Upon DMSO addition, the PEDOT:dPSS domain sizes decrease dramatically. However, with soaking in EG, the sizes of the local domains increase isotropically. Thus, the enhanced electrical conductivity of the spray-coated PEDOT:dPSS with solvent doping is dominated by morphological changes, and not changes in the PEDOT:dPPS composition in these spray-coated films.
Wealthy Hand-to-Mouth Households in China

The wealthy hand-to-mouth are households who are poor in liquid wealth (e.g. cash and checking accounts) and rich in illiquid wealth (e.g. housing and retirement accounts), while the poor hand-to-mouth are poor in both liquid and illiquid wealth. Data from the China Household Finance Survey reveal the following facts about the country’s wealthy hand-to-mouth. First, they represent the majority of the hand-to-mouth households in China. Second, they have different wealth portfolios and demographic features from the poor hand-to-mouth. Finally, they have larger consumption responses to income fluctuations than non-hand-to-mouth households, after controlling for endogeneity, income, hand-to-mouth status and other household characteristics.
The Basics of Machine Intelligence

First, we must define what we mean by intelligent machines. In 1950 the British mathematician Alan Turing concluded that the question “Can Machines think?” has ambiguous meaning, so he offered his Turing Test as a less ambiguous substitute.1 In his test, a human tester communicates via an electronic chat session with an unknown entity, either a machine or another human. If the tester cannot distinguish the machine from another human, then the machine is judged as intelligent. During the past 50 years there have been numerous efforts to write computer programs that fool testers into thinking that they are human. Some of these programs, without being truly intelligent, have been successful against some testers.
Ion Probe Determination of the Abundances of all the Rare Earth Elements in Single Mineral Grains

Although the measurement of rare earth element (REE) abundances in mg aliquots of geo­logical samples has contributed much to the understanding of petrogenetic processes, probe techniques, which would allow the measurement of compositional variations between grains and within grains (crystal zoning), have so far been of limited usefulness for REE determi­nations. The electron microprobe detection limit for these elements is ~ 500 ppm and the concentrations of only a few REE can be determined, usually with large uncertainties.
Role playing a city's response to climate change: Engaging undergraduate geoscience students

A clear understanding of climate change and its impacts on society is an integral component of scientific literacy today. However, college students in introductory and lower division science course...
Probing the Nucleus

We saw in Chapter 14 that studies of the atom indicated that the atom consists of a very small, positively charged nucleus surrounded by negatively charged electrons. Experiments on the scattering of a particles revealed that the nucleus has dimensions of the order of 10-14 m. Since the diameter of an atom is of the order of 10-10 m, the nucleus takes up only a minute fraction of the volume of an atom. The nucleus, however, contains nearly all of the mass of the atom, as was also shown by the scattering experiments.
The Haunts Confer at Gorttoose

I first met Farrell O’Gara on June 13, 1994. An elderly farmer, Mr. O’Gara embodies rural Ireland. He is a quiet, deeply religious man. He is the sort of person from whom you can learn volumes in a few moments. He projects a quiet strength and a deep understanding of the Irish soil. I visited him at his neat farmhouse on the land that once contained Gorttoose, a late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century village almost 5 km (3 mi) east of Strokestown in the north-central part of County Roscommon (Figure 4). His house was surrounded by a rich vegetable garden, a well-tended and colorful flower garden, and a yard of emerald green. Upon meeting Mr. O’Gara, I immediately felt that I had encountered Ireland itself. O’Gara’s Ireland is not the playground of the tourist. It is not blarney stones and leprechauns, shamrocks and shillelaghs. It is the Ireland that is lived every day, the Ireland of actual history.
The role of place in science learning among urban middle school students: science as a context and tool

An important conundrum that the science education community faces is "why is it so difficult to bridge everyday science with school science?" Drawing upon sociocultural perspectives on learning and critical ethnographic research methods, we examine students' changing participation within middle school learning science. Our findings reveal the importance of "place" in how and why these youth pursue science learning. We argue that one way in which place shapes their learning is in how the youth take up science as both a context and a tool for change. We look at two interrelated kinds of changes within the classroom: crafting new forms of participation and new points on entry into the science learning community, and redefining the purpose of science activity. We also argue these instantiations of place in learning serve to connect the worlds of youth with the worlds of school science.
The Local Food System Vitality Index: A Pilot Analysis to Demonstrate a Process for Measuring System Performance and Development

Identifying successful development priorities for local food systems (LFSs) is a challenge for pro­ducers, LFS advocates, Extension agents, and policymakers. Consumer perceptions and prefer­ences regarding what constitutes an active, healthy, and vibrant LFS often differ within and between diverse communities. Producers, development entities, and others would benefit from rapid assessment processes that provide detailed information on consumer preferences and potential market opportunities within their LFS. In this paper, we introduce the analytic possi­bilities of our Local Food System Vitality Index (LFSVI). Using data collected from a pilot survey in Lexington, Kentucky, we rapidly assess the per­formance of 20 different components of our LFS. The LFSVI differs from most other food system and quality-of-life indices by focusing on the per­ceptions of resident food consumers. In our analysis, we identify that Lexington resi­dents generally associate farmers markets, farm-to-fork restaurants, local product diversity, and retail sourcing of local food with high overall vitality of the local food system. While residents score the first three components as high performing, they perceive the retail component to be less functional. We use results such as these to compare which aspects of the LFS are valued versus which are high performing. We do this comparison across different resident food consumer segments in and between geographic locations. Throughout our analysis, we discuss how this index method is gen­erally applicable and conducive to identifying LFS development priorities.
Mode I characterization of toughened epoxy adhesive joints under shock-wave loading

Abstract With the advances in adhesive technology, the use of structural adhesive joints has extended to the broader engineering field as an alternative to traditional joining methods such as bolting, riveting, and welding. Therefore, characterization the adhesive joints under different loading and environmental conditions has been becoming more significant in designing adhesives joints for an engineering application. Since most of the polymer-based adhesives have non-linear mechanical behavior and loading rate sensitivity caused by their viscoelastic properties, testing adhesive joints under quasi-static loading cannot give adequate information to predict the response of adhesive joints to high loading conditions. It is therefore imperative to characterize the adhesive joints under high loading rates in order to integrate them into the applications that require high impact resistance. This study focused on the bending (mode I) characterization of adhesive joints under shock-wave loading generated by a large-scale shock tube. A specially designed adhesive joint that transfers the shock-wave loading to the bond in the mode-I form was designed, fabricated and tested. A series of shock-wave loading experiments were carried out with two different adhesive joints: aluminum-epoxy and steel-epoxy and their performances were compared. In addition to the experimental work, an FEM parametric study by an inverse problem-solving technique was used to estimate the mechanical properties of adhesive in both adhesive joints under different shock wave loading conditions. This technique also allowed to estimate the energy absorption capabilities of aluminum-epoxy and steel-epoxy joints.
Nickel complexes of phosphine-appended benzannulated boron heterocycles

Abstract We report the synthesis and characterization of two diphosphine nickel complexes containing 9-borafluorene (PBFlu, 9-(diisopropylphosphino)phenyl-9-borafluorene) and 9,10-dihydroboranthrene (B2P2, 9,10-bis(2-(diisopropylphosphino)phenyl)-9,10-dihydroboranthrene) cores. Metalation of PBFlu and B2P2 with Ni(PPh3)4 leads to the monometallic complexes (PBFlu)Ni(PPh3) and (B2P2)Ni, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry studies show a reversible redox event at ∼0.1 V and a quasi-reversible event at ca. −3 V versus ferrocene/ferrocenium for (B2P2)Ni while (PBFlu)Ni(PPh3) features no reversible redox events. Electronic structure calculations were performed to provide further insight into the bonding in these complexes.
Human (Mesenchymal Stem Cells) SC Loaded Single Lung Allograft

Purpose Single lung transplantation is an acceptable therapeutic option. Here we use our single lung porcine allograft as a vehicle for stem cell transfer. We present our protocol for perfusion of porcine lungs with human stem cells using our ex-vivo machine. Methods Adult pigs underwent unilateral left pneumonectomy . The explanted lungs were removed from surgical field and connected to ex-vivo circuit. Porcine lungs were perfused with human albumin after explanation. Lungs were ventilated during perfusion. Total ex vivo perfusion In group 1 CD133+ cells were only passed through the needle. In group2, MSCs were perfused into the pulmonary artery using the ex vivo machine Results 1. Human male somatic CD133+ Cells were passed through a Microlance needle (BD Gr.20, ∅ 0,8 × 40 mm, 26 Gauge)without injection into the lung. 750,000 human CD133+ cells (mobilized peripheral blood), purity (92.4-99.4%), frozen sample were used and different verification runs pump/syringe (n=10, flow rate up to 4mL/min, 30sec), viability was not unchanged (Table 1). 2. 100,000,000 human BMCs were perfused using the ex-vivo machine. The viability of the cells before and after lung perfusion did not show any significant in regard to viability rate, FACS and histological characteristics. Conclusion Both methods showed safe application route for pulmonary stem cell transfer. The viability of CD105+/45- cells is not as affected during ex vivo perfusion as rest of the cells. The Ex-Vivo mediated transfer is more practical for lung treatment. More histologic and cell culture studies are needed to confirm the feasibility.
Recognizing F-formations in the open world

A key skill for social robots in the wild will be to understand the structure and dynamics of conversational groups in order to fluidly participate in them. Social scientists have long studied the rich complexity underlying such focused encounters, or $\pmb{F}$ -formations. However, current state-of-the-art algorithms that robots might use to recognize F-formations are highly heuristic and quite brittle. In this report, we explore a data-driven approach to detect F-formations from sets of tracked human positions and orientations, trained and evaluated on two openly available human-only datasets and a small human-robot dataset that we collected. We also discuss the potential for further computational characterization of F-formations beyond simply detecting their occurrence.
Preeclampsia and Renal Disease in Pregnancy: Obstetric Perspective

Preeclampsia is a common obstetrical complication that results in serious maternal as well as neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is more common and frequently more severe in patients with underlying renal disease. Management does not differ significantly in patients with preeclampsia superimposed on chronic kidney disease (CKD), but judicious care needs to be taken of fluid status and magnesium toxicities. As we develop further understanding of pathophysiology of the disease, both prevention and treatment are expected to improve.
The scientific legacy of Judit Bar-Ilan

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the scholarly and scientific achievements of Judit Bar-Ilan through an analysis of her publications. The article sketches the various disciplines she published in, her collaboration network as well as the impact of her work seen by citations and altmetric indicators.
Textbook oncologic outcome is associated with increased overall survival after esophagectomy.

Abstract Background Assessment of quality in oncologic operations traditionally involves use of discrete metrics reported individually. Such metrics have limited value to payers and patients making broad comparisons of clinical programs. We define a composite textbook oncologic outcome for esophagectomy. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried to identify patients presenting with clinically resectable esophageal cancer between 2004 and 2015. Textbook oncologic outcome was defined as stage-appropriate use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by margin negative esophagectomy with formal lymph node assessment and having no prolonged hospitalization, readmission, or 30-day mortality. Results Fourteen thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine patients underwent esophagectomy. Of those, 5,561 (37.2%) had textbook oncologic outcome. The overall survival of patients having textbook oncologic outcome was significantly longer than those who did not (52.1 (95% confidence interval [49.0–58.8]) vs 29.1 months (95% confidence interval [29.1–32.3]). On multivariable modeling adjusted for age, comorbid conditions, demographics, treatment characteristics, and esophagectomy volume, volume (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval [1.16–1.65]) and minimally invasive approach were independently associated with textbook oncologic outcome (odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval [1.02–1.30]), and textbook oncologic outcome was independently associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval [0.68–0.80]). Conclusion Textbook oncologic outcome is achieved in a minority of patients undergoing esophagectomy. Textbook oncologic outcome is independently associated with improved overall survival.
Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis of Iliocaval Thrombosis in Patients With COVID-19 Infection

We present the characteristics and outcomes of the first 2 cases of catheter-directed thrombolysis performed in patients presenting with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-related iliocaval thrombosis. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).
Associations Among Adipose Tissue Immunology, Inflammation, Exosomes and Insulin Sensitivity in People With Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background And Aims Insulin resistance is a key factor in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We evaluated the importance of subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SAAT) inflammation and both plasma and SAAT–derived exosomes in regulating insulin sensitivity in people with obesity and NAFLD. Methods Adipose tissue inflammation (macrophage and T-cell content and expression of proinflammatory cytokines), liver and whole-body insulin sensitivity (assessed using a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp and glucose tracer infusion), and 24-hour serial plasma cytokine concentrations were evaluated in 3 groups stratified by adiposity and intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) content: (1) lean with normal IHTG content (LEAN; N = 14); (2) obese with normal IHTG content (OB-NL; N = 28); and (3) obese with NAFLD (OB-NAFLD; N = 28). The effect of plasma and SAAT–derived exosomes on insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation in human skeletal muscle myotubes and mouse primary hepatocytes was assessed in a subset of participants. Results Proinflammatory macrophages, proinflammatory CD4 and CD8 T-cell populations, and gene expression of several cytokines in SAAT were greater in the OB-NAFLD than the OB-NL and LEAN groups. However, with the exception of PAI-1, which was greater in the OB-NAFLD than the LEAN and OB-NL groups, 24-hour plasma cytokine concentration areas-under-the-curve were not different between groups. The percentage of proinflammatory macrophages and plasma PAI-1 concentration areas-under-the-curve were inversely correlated with both hepatic and whole-body insulin sensitivity. Compared with exosomes from OB-NL participants, plasma and SAAT–derived exosomes from the OB-NAFLD group decreased insulin signaling in myotubes and hepatocytes. Conclusions Systemic insulin resistance in people with obesity and NAFLD is associated with increased plasma PAI-1 concentrations and both plasma and SAAT-derived exosomes. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02706262 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02706262).