cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Structure-Activity Basis for Vasotropic Peptide Therapy in Shock

Chemical analogues which enhance one or several biologic properties of important naturally occurring substances are regularly sought. Currently in this regard, there is intense interest in developing such analogues of the neurohypophyseal hormones (NHPH), oxytocin and vasopressin. Several which have recently been synthesized not only offer the possibility of increased insight into structure-activity relationships but also may provide for more precise therapeutic drug actions (17).
Assessing Competencies: “What Have You Done for Me Lately?”†

The assessment of trainees in health professions has changed dramatically in recent years. Virtually every field has moved from the simple testing of knowledge to an approach involving the assessment of competencies, and health service psychology is no exception. It is more than just a little ironic, then, that the field that prides itself on setting the standard for what constitutes adequate assessment has lagged so far behind other health professions in developing procedures for conducting these assessments. The purpose of the current article is to raise four major questions about competency assessment in health service psychology. First, how should these competencies be defined? Second, what are the outcomes that should derive from successful achievement of these competencies? Third, when should these competencies be evaluated, and who should do the evaluating? Finally, where might this move to competency assessment lead us in the future?
Return of the prodigal form? Partnerships and partnership law in the People’s Republic of China

This paper provides a broad introduction to the legal partnership form of business organization in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), focusing on: historical antecedents of the law-based partnership form in China’s imperial, Republican, and Communist post-1949 but pre-reform periods; critical aspects of the PRC’s current partnership law and applied partnership norms (including those designed for foreign-invested but China-domiciled partnership vehicles); and the ways in which China’s judicial institutions presently engage with both formal partnership establishments and other law-based and non-law-based alternative enterprise forms in contemporary China (including holdovers from an entirely different ideological and political economic context). Initial findings from the review of more than one thousand post-2006 partnership-related PRC People’s Court case law opinions indicate that the PRC judiciary is moving aggressively and with some real competence in this most “private” corner of China’s state-dominated economy to identify partnerships and apply statutory or apparently equitable partnership law principles ex post with respect to capital aggregating arrangements that are not ex ante registered as formal partnerships under PRC law or subject to explicit partnership agreements, and indeed arrangements that are registered or self-declared as something else entirely. The paper will be published as a chapter in the book “Research Handbook on Partnerships, LLCs and Alternative Forms of Business Organizations” (Robert W. Hillman and Mark J. Loewenstein, eds.) forthcoming from Edward Elgar Publishing.
Categorizing Users of Cloud Services

Many services, e.g., in education and research, have witnessed increased productivity and scalability, mainly because of the growing prevalence of online platforms. To accelerate this progression, a detailed understanding of user interactions with these complex systems is instrumental. Current approaches for analyzing service user behavior have two main limitations: a unsupervised learning methods do not discriminate behavior meaningfully and scale poorly; and b surveys as input data probe only intentions. We introduce a framework to analyze user behavior in complex cloud services. Our objectives are a a computationally lean method to cope with large data sets and b for the input data to be free of assumptions. We define three data-driven metrics based only on the size and volume of data, using nested arrangements of zero and infinity norms. Using threshold analysis, user behavior data is categorized over one metric and subsequently verified over the other two metrics. We apply this method to analyze the behavior of users of nanoHUB services, the world's largest cyber-infrastructure for nanotechnology research and education. As input, actual user decisions are employed. The introduced frequency metric leads to a dispersion of usage duration. The resulting separated power and casual user categories are validated over the diversity and intensity metrics. Moreover, subcategories of previously unknown classroom users are identified. These findings allow policy makers to optimally tailor educational programs to such uncoordinated groups. Given nanoHUB's size, its leading role in educational services, and the approach's data-driven nature, the presented method is applicable to a wide range of cloud services.
Perceptions of Physical Therapy Competencies in Rheumatology Physical Therapists Versus Rheumatologists

The purpose of this article is to report the differences in perceptions among three groups of respondents who assessed the importance of 80 competencies for entry-level physical therapists who treat patients with arthritis. Nonparametric statistics were used to analyze the responses of physical therapists and rheumatologists who completed a questionnaire regarding the competencies. I used the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance to make group comparisons and the Mann-Whitney U test to complete pair-wise comparisons. The results revealed significant differences of opinion among the groups ( p = .007) for 20 of the 80 competencies. The significant differences in opinion were among physical therapy clinical educators (n = 100), physical therapy arthritis health professionals (n = 108), and rheumatologists (n = 80). Although the results suggested that some groups perceived certain physical therapy competencies in rheumatology to be useful but not essential for the entry-level physical therapist to perform, considerable variability existed within groups. Despite the variance in opinions, teaching of these competencies should be included in the entry-level physical therapy curriculum or in clinical settings.
Age of References in Chemistry Articles : A Study of Local Authors' Publications from Selected Years, 1975-2005

Abstract This study analyzes the age of references contained within journal articles and review articles written by chemists associated with the University of Oklahoma that were published in selected years from 1975–2005. The median ages of references from journal articles to articles changed little over the period studied. The ages of references from journal articles to other sources are analyzed, along with the ages of references contained in review articles. Results indicate there is a difference between journal articles and review articles in ages of materials cited, with references in review articles generally being older. Median ages of references to journal articles were similiar to Journal Citation Reports' citing half-lives for chemistry subject collections. The ages of 90% of references are reported as well. Knowledge of the ages of information cited can inform librarians' collection development and management decisions.
Building on what you have learned Object construction skill during infancy predicts the comprehension of spatial relations words

Object construction involves organizing multiple objects into a unified structure (e.g., stacking blocks into a tower) and may provide infants with unique spatial information. Because object constr...
Task Shedding and Control Performance as a Function of Perceived Automation Reliability and Time Pressure

Research has demonstrated that workload and past machine performance influences operator allocation of task responsibilities to machines. We extended past investigations by offering task operators ...
Filter Failure During High Humidity Conditions

The operation of a gas turbine, by its basic design, requires it to ingest enormous quantities of air. Even in relatively clean environments, a gas turbine may ingest hundreds of pounds of foreign matter each year of various sizes. Also, the more advanced the turbine design, the more sensitive it is to the quality of the air ingested. Filtration is applied to the inlet air to provide protection against the effects of contaminated air. Filters used with gas turbines are designed to remove a specified amount of particular contaminants. One type of filter is the high efficiency filter. These are often installed in order to capture particles less than ten microns. These filters are sometimes susceptible to water penetration. If the filter is not designed to remove water, then water can absorb soluble contaminants and carry them through the filter into the inlet of the gas turbine. In the case where harmful contaminants travel through the filter with the water, this can be potentially damaging to the gas turbine. For example, salt is soluble and can lead to hot corrosion in the turbine section. If water is allowed to reach the high efficiency filters then the water may carry contaminants through the gas turbine. In order to mitigate this phenomenon, many filter systems have mist removal systems. Even with a good mist removal system, humidity can reach the high efficiency filters. As humid air flows past the high efficiency filters, the decrease in air pressure can lead to water condensing on the filters. A procedure is presented in this paper which shows that filters that have been fully or near fully loaded with contaminants may experience condensation in an environment with high humidity. This paper reviews a thermodynamic analysis that is used to determine the conditions that must be met in order to experience this phenomenon. The possible occurrence of condensation further demonstrates the criticality of replacing inlet filters as soon as the filter pressure loss shows an upward trend.© 2010 ASME
Temporal Dynamics of Emotional Processing in the Brain

Emotion theorists have long held that a fundamental characteristic of an emotion is how its constituent processes change and interact over time. Assessing these temporal dynamics of emotion in the ...
Epidemiological characteristics of food poisoning in Kunshan City from 2010-2012

[Objective]To understand the epidemiological characteristics and trend of food poisoning events in Kunshan City in recent years,provide the basis for making the prevention and control measures of food poisoning.[Methods]The reports of food poisoning events in Kunshan City from 2010-2012 were collected and analyzed,and were compared with national data in the same period. [Results]The incidence of food poisoning in Kunshan City showed a downward trend during the past three years. However,the average annual incidence was 7. 93 / lakh,which was significantly higher than national average level. The food poisoning events happened frequently in the third and the fourth quarter,and food poisoning events with unknown causes accounted for 51. 52% of total events. Most food poisoning events occurred in collective canteens.[Conclusion]Kunshan City is facing the grim situation of food poisoning,and the proportions of food poisoning events with unknown causes and food poisoning events happened in collective canteens are relatively high. It is necessary to strengthen the supervision and management measures aimed at collective canteens,enhance the test capacity,and perfect the early warning mechanism of food poisoning,to improve the prevention and control of food poisoning.
Effect of High Temperature on The Fasting Glucose of Workers

[Objective]To explore the effect of high temperature on fasting glucose of workers with heat exposure.[Methods]Totally 223 workers with heat exposure were selected as exposure group,70 workers without heat or other hazards exposure were selected as control group.AU-400 automatic biochemical analyzer was adopted to detect fasting glucose of all workers so as to observe the high temperature on their fasting glucose levels.[Results]The fasting glucose level of workers with heat exposure was(5.70±1.98)mmol/L,that of control group was(5.02±0.53)mmol/L,the difference was significant(t=5.63,P0.01).[Conclusion]High temperature operation do harm to glucose metabolism of workers,it is necessary to implement labor protection on these workers.
Discussion on Application of Mobile Internet in Smart Grid

Mobile Internet has a great significance to the development of power systems. However,applications of mobile Internet in the construction of smart grid are still in its initial stage. This paper briefly describes the situations,key technologies and main characteristics of mobile Internet,and summaries the existing applications of mobile Internet in power systems and four possible and typical application modes in the future. From several aspects of security,reliability,real-time performance,controllability,cost,integration with cloud computing and standardization,possible critical challenges faced by applications of mobile Internet in smart grid are discussed.
Effect of Colonoscopy Volume on Quality Indicators

Background. The purpose of this study is to determine if colonoscopy quality is associated with the annual case volume of endoscopists. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was performed on 3235 patients who underwent colonoscopy in the city of St. John’s, NL, between January and June 2012. Data collected included completion of colonoscopy (CCR) and adenoma detection rates (ADR). Endoscopists were divided into quintiles based on annual case volume. To account for potential confounding variables, univariate analyses followed by multivariable logistic regression were used to identify variables independently associated with CCR and ADR. Results. A total of 13 surgeons and 8 gastroenterologists were studied. There was a significant difference in CCR (p < 0.001) and ADR (p < 0.001) based on annual volume. Following multivariable regression, predictors of successful colonoscopy completion included annual colonoscopy volume, lower age, male sex, an indication of screening or surveillance, and a low ASA score. Predictors of adenoma detection included older age, male sex, an indication of screening or surveillance, and gastroenterology specialty. Conclusion. Higher annual case volume is associated with better quality of colonoscopy in terms of completion. However, gastroenterology specialty appears to be a better predictor of ADR than annual case volume.
The Antiperiplanar Effect in 1,2-Asymmetric Induction.

The kinetics of the acid-catalyzed isotope 18O exchange in the nucleophilic addition of H218O to the ketones (I) and (II) show an antiperiplanar effect for the C-C bond, which is at least 1.9 kcal/mol greater than for the n-σ* interaction with the C-H bond.
The haemodynamic response to salt and water loading in patients with end-stage renal disease and anephric man.

1. Patients with end-stage renal disease and anephric patients underwent expansion and depletion of body fluids with salt and water. This resulted in four different sequential haemodynamic patterns: (i) no significant increase in blood pressure; (ii) increase in blood pressure associated with a rise in cardiac output and no effect on total peripheral resistance; (iii) increase in cardiac output followed by a rise in blood pressure and total peripheral resistance; (iv) increase in total peripheral resistance and blood pressure without significant changes in cardiac output. 2. It is concluded that an initial rise in cardiac output is not necessary to increase blood pressure in either anephric man or patients with end-stage renal disease.
Developmental Aspects of Bladder Contractile Function: Evidence for an Intracellular Calcium Pool

AbstractRecent studies indicate that specific functional changes in smooth muscle accompany development and that these functional differences may relate to developmental alterations in intracellular calcium content. The possibility that neonatal bladder smooth muscle might be more permeable to calcium ions was tested using the radioligand H3 PN-200 and subsequent Scatchard analyses. No differences in either receptor density or the dissociation constants were noted in comparisons between neonatal and mature rabbit bladder smooth muscle.The sensitivity to calcium in isolated bladder smooth muscle strips exposed to high potassium was tested following calcium depletion. Calcium repletion was performed and dose response curves were generated, which showed that the neonatal strips had a significantly lower effective dose producing 50% of maximal response than their mature counterparts (1.5 versus 7.5mM., p <0.05). These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that intracellular binding and secondary calcium...
Advanced GF(3 2 ) nonbinary LDPC coded modulation with non-uniform 9-QAM outperforming star 8-QAM

In this paper, we first describe a 9-symbol non-uniform signaling scheme based on Huffman code, in which different symbols are transmitted with different probabilities. By using the Huffman procedure, prefix code is designed to approach the optimal performance. Then, we introduce an algorithm to determine the optimal signal constellation sets for our proposed non-uniform scheme with the criterion of maximizing constellation figure of merit (CFM). The proposed nonuniform polarization multiplexed signaling 9-QAM scheme has the same spectral efficiency as the conventional 8-QAM. Additionally, we propose a specially designed GF(32) nonbinary quasi-cyclic LDPC code for the coded modulation system based on the 9-QAM non-uniform scheme. Further, we study the efficiency of our proposed non-uniform 9-QAM, combined with nonbinary LDPC coding, and demonstrate by Monte Carlo simulation that the proposed GF(23) nonbinary LDPC coded 9-QAM scheme outperforms nonbinary LDPC coded uniform 8-QAM by at least 0.8dB.
Long-Distance Signaling via Mobile RNAs

Beyond its role in moving sugars from source leaves to sinks, the phloem is an important conduit for transporting information molecules that function as signals responding to environmental and internal cues related to numerous aspects of physiology. One of the most prominent groups of these signaling molecules is full-length mRNAs. Thousands of full-length transcripts have been identified in sieve elements of the phloem, but only a few have been confirmed to be mobile. This chapter focuses on six RNAs that move long distance through the plant and have a documented role in regulating development. These include StBEL5 and POTH1 of potato, CmGAI of pumpkin, PFP-LeT6 from tomato, and Aux/IAA and FLOWERING LOCUS T from Arabidopsis. Their impact in controlling development and the mechanisms that facilitate their movement are discussed.
Polarization-modulated second harmonic generation ellipsometric microscopy at video rate.

Fast 8 MHz polarization modulation coupled with analytical modeling, fast beam-scanning, and synchronous digitization (SD) have enabled simultaneous nonlinear optical Stokes ellipsometry (NOSE) and polarized laser transmittance imaging with image acquisition rates up to video rate. In contrast to polarimetry, in which the polarization state of the exiting beam is recorded, NOSE enables recovery of the complex-valued Jones tensor of the sample that describes all polarization-dependent observables of the measurement. Every video-rate scan produces a set of 30 images (10 for each detector with three detectors operating in parallel), each of which corresponds to a different polarization-dependent result. Linear fitting of this image set contracts it down to a set of five parameters for each detector in second harmonic generation (SHG) and three parameters for the transmittance of the incident beam. These parameters can in turn be used to recover the Jones tensor elements of the sample. Following validation of...
Interpreting the Ethnicization of Social Conflict in China: Ethnonationalism, Identity, and Social Justice

Accompanying the tremendous growth of the PRC economy has been the ethnicization of social conflicts. This chapter explores why tensions between social groups in the PRC have frequently been cast in ethnic terms in recent decades. It questions the characterization of such tensions as “ethnic conflicts” and argues instead that they are reflections of fundamental issues of social justice, which will not be resolved solely by ethnic solutions, such as minority rights and ethnic autonomy. The chapter explains how ethnicity is made salient as a result of the increased density of ethnic mixing resulting from intensified migration within the PRC, as well as the impact of other aspects of economic liberalization and global integration. It is also a reflection of a social fragmentation that is the result of the crisis faced by the state. The crisis is marked by the undermining of the state as an autonomous unitary actor by the forces of decentralized economic power within the country and global pressure from without. The state’s failure to effectively address critical problems like regional disparity and economic and physical displacement contributes to the ethnicization of identity, as groups are put in increasing competition with each other in overlapping spaces and markets. The turn to a cultural basis of identity, therefore, arises as the material basis for a “civic” identity tied to the state no longer exists.
Rebooting Empathy for the Digital Generation Lawyer

There is a growing preference in today’s technology-saturated society for online interaction via email, text messages, social networks, and instant messaging, rather than real-world interaction through face-to-face or telephonic conversations. For today’s young people—the Digital Generation—this is more than a mere preference; it is a way of life. Research indicates that the movement toward virtual communication comes with negative consequences, such as poor real-world communication skills and underdeveloped social skills. Most significantly, research suggests that the Digital Generation are less empathic than elder generations are. Some researchers speculate that the rising prominence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in everyday life may have contributed to the Digital Generation’s decreased empathy. Today’s young ICT devotees are tomorrow’s future legal professionals. And when the Digital Generation enter legal practice they will find it entails far more than just reading cases and spotting issues. They will be called upon to counsel, to advocate, to persuade, and to adjudicate. To succeed in legal practice the Digital Generation will need strong empathic abilities. There are clear negative implications for the legal profession’s future if successful legal practice requires particular interpersonal skills but ICT usage is preventing the Digital Generation from developing these skills. This article analyzes social science literature regarding declining empathy, the Digital Generation, and technology. It establishes the importance of empathy in legal practice and examines prior suggestions for improving the legal profession’s historically fraught relationship with empathy. It then proposes new strategies to reverse this empathy decline so the Digital Generation may become successful legal practitioners despite—or perhaps even because of—their use of ICTs.
Photodoping and Transient Spectroscopies of Copper-Doped CdSe/CdS Nanocrystals

Colloidal Cu+-doped CdSe/CdS core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) are investigated in their as-prepared and degenerately n-doped forms using time-resolved photoluminescence and transient-absorption spectroscopies. Photoluminescence from Cu+:CdSe/CdS NCs is dominated by recombination of delocalized conduction-band (CB) electrons with copper-localized holes. In addition to prominent bleaching of the first excitonic absorption feature, transient-absorption measurements show bleaching of the sub-bandgap copper-to-CB charge-transfer (MLCBCT) absorption band and also reveal a photoinduced midgap valence-band (VB)-to-copper charge-transfer (LVBMCT) absorption band that extends into the near-infrared, as predicted by recent computations. The photoluminescence of these NCs is substantially diminished upon introduction of excess CB electrons via photodoping. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements reveal that the MLCBCT excited state is still formed upon photoexcitation of the n-doped Cu+:CdSe/CdS NCs, ...
Leveraging a relationship-based sexual health framework for sexual risk prevention in adolescent men in the United States.

Background Studies link sexual health to lower sexual risk in adolescent women, yet no empirical literature evaluates these associations in adolescent men. Methods: Data were drawn from a longitudinal cohort study of sexual relationships and sexual behaviour among adolescent men (n = 72; 14–16 years) in the US. Participants contributed quarterly partner-specific interviews, from which sexual health information and partnered sexual behaviours were drawn. A multidimensional measure of sexual health was constructed and linked to partnered outcomes, including oral–genital, vaginal and anal sex, condom use, partner concurrency and intimate partner violence. Random intercept, mixed-effects linear, ordinal logistic or binary logistic regression were for analyses. Models controlled for participant age, race/ethnicity and relationship length. Results: Adolescent men contributed 651 unique partner-specific interviews. A higher sexual health score with partners was significantly associated with more frequent oral–genital and vaginal sex, as well as higher condom use, lower partner concurrency and lower received and perpetuated intimate partner violence. Conclusion: Positive sexually related experiences in adolescent men contribute to a core of sexual wellbeing, which in turn is linked to lower levels of sexual risk with partners. The present study data support both developmental and public health applications of sexual health, with attention on promoting healthy sexuality as well as risk reduction. Higher sexual health among adolescent men from the US is associated with more frequent condom use, lower partner concurrency and less frequent intimate partner violence. Young men’s exercising the skills associated with healthy sexuality may also reinforce the skills needed to both enjoy sexuality with partners and to avoid adverse sexual outcomes.
Living Organ Video Educated Donors Program for Kidney Transplant-eligible African Americans to Approach Potential Donors: A Proof of Concept.

Background The purpose of the Living Organ Video Educated Donors (LOVED) program is to address living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) disparities in African Americans who experience half the rates of LDKTs compared with whites in the United States. Methods LOVED is an iterative-designed, distance-based, navigator-led, mobile health educational program, developed via guidance from patients, Self-determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of LOVED using a proof-of-concept design to increase African Americans' knowledge about the living donor process to improve their willingness to approach others about being a potential kidney donor. The 8-week LOVED program consisted of (1) a computer tablet-delivered education program, (2) group video chat sessions with an African American LDKT recipient navigator, and (3) additional communication between group members and the navigator. Results Twenty-five participants completed the LOVED study. Poststudy focus groups were analyzed using inductive and deductive qualitative descriptive techniques and analysts found 6 themes reporting LOVED being highly acceptable with the program being overall empowering and helpful. The study had 0% attrition, 90.9% adherence to the education videos and 88% adherence to the video chat sessions. Surveys showed statistically significant improvements in LDKT knowledge, higher willingness to communicate to others about their need, lower donor concerns, and higher self-efficacy about LDKT. Conclusions Findings indicate that participation in LOVED can lead to improvements in predictors to increase the number of evaluations and LDKTs in African Americans; however, these findings need to be confirmed in adequately powered, randomized controlled trials. Using LOVED may reduce barriers to broadly address LDKT disparities. Findings from this study will inform the design of a future statewide randomized controlled trials.
Implantable Artificial Heart Systems

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), is fostering research to provide circulatory support for heart failure and reduce the complications of cardiovascular implants such as heart valves, vascular grafts, stents, and the artificial heart.
Prognostic Implications of Depression in Ischemic Syndromes

In a nation of almost 300 million people, ischemic heart disease (IHD) and depression remain two of the nation’s most pressing public health issues. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death and hospitalization in the USA, and according to the American Heart Association, IHD alone demonstrated a total prevalence of 13 million individuals (6.9% of the US population) and was responsible for 2,125,000 hospital discharges, 656,000 deaths, and $142 billion in health care spending in 2002 [1]. As a growing proportion of patients survive myocardial infarction (MI), the number of patients with chronic, often nonrevascularizable IHD continues to increase. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 5% of the American population suffers from major depressive disorder (MDD) in any given 1-year period [2], and depression has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the leading cause of disability worldwide [3].
Surgeon-Reported Complications vs AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators: A Comparison of Two Approaches to Identifying Adverse Events.

Background Traditionally, clinicians present complications at surgical morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences, and the AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) use inpatient administrative data to identify certain adverse outcomes. Although both methods are used to identify adverse events and inform quality improvement efforts, these 2 methods might not overlap. Study Design This is a retrospective observational study of all hospitalizations at a single academic department of surgery (including subspecialties) in 2016 involving a PSI-defined event (PSIs 03, 05 to 15) identified by surgery faculty and residents for review by departmental M&M conference or administrative data (according to AHRQ, version 6.0). Pediatric cases were excluded. We analyzed the degree to which these 2 processes captured PSI-defined events and reasons for exclusion by each process. Results Among 6,563 surgical hospitalizations, 647 hospitalizations (9.9%) had at least 1 complication identified by the M&M process or the PSIs (or both). Of these hospitalizations, 116 had at least 1 PSI-defined event (for a total of 149 PSI-defined events) captured by either M&M or the PSIs. Most complications (n = 82 [88.2%]) identified by M&M alone were excluded by PSI criteria (as intended), but 11 true PSI events (ie false negatives) were identified by M&M only. In contrast, pressure ulcers and central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections were detected exclusively by the PSIs and not reported via M&M. There was limited overlap, with 18 events (12.1%) captured by both processes. Conclusions Surgical M&M and the PSIs are complementary approaches to identifying complications. Both case-finding processes should be used to inform quality improvement efforts.
Abstract 2239: Is folic acid safe for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients? An evidence-based cohort study

Background: Cancer patients are highly concerned about food choices and dietary supplements that may affect their treatment outcomes. Excess folic acid (synthetic folate) from supplements or fortification can lead to accumulation of unmetabolized folic acid in the systemic circulation and urine, and may promote cancer growth, especially among those with neoplastic alterations. Objective: We investigated the prospective association between synthetic versus natural folate intake and clinical outcomes in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), which is a highly recurrent disease. Design: In a cohort of 619 NMIBC patients, folate intake at diagnosis was assessed with a previously validated food frequency questionnaire and categorized according to tertiles. After a median follow-up of 5.2 years, 303 tumor recurrence and 108 progression events were documented from medical record review. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards and logistic models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Synthetic folic acid intake was positively associated with risk of recurrence among NMIBC patients (medium vs. low intake: HR=1.72; 95% CI=1.20, 2.48; P=0.003; high vs. low intake: HR=1.80; 95% CI=1.14, 2.84; P=0.01). Patients with higher folic acid intake were more likely to have multifocal tumors at diagnosis (medium/high vs. low: OR=2.08; 95% CI=1.08, 4.02; P=0.03). In contrast, natural folate intake tended to be inversely associated with risk of progression (medium/high vs. low: HR=0.68; 95% CI=0.44, 1.04; P=0.08). Conclusions: High intake of synthetic folic acid, in contrast to the natural forms, is associated with increased risk of recurrence in NMIBC and multifocal tumors at diagnosis, suggesting that folic acid may be unsafe for NMIBC patients. These findings provide some evidence for nutritional consultation regarding folate intake among NMIBC patients. Citation Format: Huakang Tu, Colin P. Dinney, Yuanqing Ye, Barton H. Grossman, Seth P. Lerner, Xifeng Wu. Is folic acid safe for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients? An evidence-based cohort study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2239.
Abstract WP33: Impact of Treatment Time on the Long-term Outcome of Stroke Patients Treated With Mechanical Thrombectomy

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy is the standard of care for patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). Recent studies have shown that door to reperfusion time is longer during nighttime and weekends. In this study we examine the long term functional outcome of stroke patient treated with mechanical thrombectomy performed during work hours (on-hours) versus after hours (off-hours). Methods: Data on all patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy at a comprehensive stroke center between Dec/2014 and Dec/2016 was collected. Our primary outcome was the 90-day Modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Independent variables included receiving thrombectomy during on-hours (7am and 4pm) or off-hours 4pm-7am, weekends, and official holidays), admission NIH stroke scale, age, race, and sex. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between off-hours thrombectomy and mRS, controlling for patient baseline characteristics. Chi-square and t-tests were us...
Ranking Approach to Compact Text Representation for Personal Digital Assistants

Personal digital assistants must display the output from the speech recognizer in a compact and readable representation. The process of transforming sequences from spoken words to written text is called inverse text normalization (ITN). In this paper, we present a ranking based approach to ITN that incorporates predicative information from various neural-net LSTM and n-gram models to select the best written text to display. Our approach ranks the written text candidates, generated by applying weighted FSTs to the spoken words, using a gradient boosted decision tree ensemble (GBDT). The ranker achieves a 18.48% relative reduction in word error rate over an unweighted FST system. Further, our two-stage approach allows us to decouple speech recognition from ITN and gives us greater flexibility in system configuration, since the written-form can vary by domain.
Reducing the Optical Gain Threshold in Two-Dimensional CdSe Nanoplatelets by the Giant Oscillator Strength Transition Effect.

Two-dimensional CdSe nanoplatelets are promising lasing materials. Their large lateral areas reduce the optical gain threshold by increasing the oscillator strength and multiexciton lifetimes but also increase the gain threshold by requiring multiple band-edge excitons (>2) to reach the optical gain. We observe that the optical gain threshold of CdSe nanoplatelets at 4 K is ∼4-fold lower than that at room temperature. Transient absorption spectroscopy measurements indicate that the exciton center-of-mass coherent area is smaller than the lateral size at room temperature and extends to nearly the whole nanoplatelets at 4 K. This suggests that the reduction in the optical gain threshold at a low temperature can be attributed to exciton coherent area extension that reduces the saturation number of band-edge excitons to enable biexciton gain and increases the radiative decay rate, consistent with the giant oscillator strength transition effect. This work demonstrates a new direction for lowering the optical g...
Integrated Parylene Photonic Waveguides with Embedded Micromirrors for Light Delivery and Manipulation Deep into Tissue

We demonstrate flexible photonic waveguides realized in a biocompatible PDMS/Parylene C platform with broadband out-of-plane input/output coupling. The waveguides are packaged with laser diodes to realize a compact, fully functional photonic device for in-vivo applications. © 2019 The Author(s)
From Raw Data to Biological Discoveries: A Computational Analysis Pipeline for Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics

In the last two decades, computational tools for mass spectrometry-based proteomics data analysis have evolved from a few stand-alone software solutions serving specific goals, such as the identification of amino acid sequences based on mass spectrometry spectra, to large-scale complex pipelines integrating multiple computer programs to solve a collection of problems. This software evolution has been mostly driven by the appearance of novel technologies that allowed the community to tackle complex biological problems, such as the identification of proteins that are differentially expressed in two samples under different conditions. The achievement of such objectives requires a large suite of programs to analyze the intricate mass spectrometry data. Our laboratory addresses complex proteomics questions by producing and using algorithms and software packages. Our current computational pipeline includes, among other things, tools for mass spectrometry raw data processing, peptide and protein identification and quantification, post-translational modification analysis, and protein functional enrichment analysis. In this paper, we describe a suite of software packages we have developed to process mass spectrometry-based proteomics data and we highlight some of the new features of previously published programs as well as tools currently under development.
Analysis of Spherical Shells with Stress Functions

The homogenous equations of thin spherical shells are reduced, through the stress function and strain compatibility formulation, to two linear partial differential equations of fourth and sixth order, respectively, without any approximations other than those inherent in the initial equations and with the inclusion of transverse shear deformability. The elementary states of stress, known as the membrane, inextensional and edge zone states of stress, are each expressed in terms of one stress function and a corresponding differential equation. Two edge zone states of stress are obtained, one of which is completely associated with transverse shear deformability.
A Case Summary of Treatment for Frequent Bathroom Visits in Pediatric OCD

Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder is a common anxiety disorder impacting children and their families in several domains. This paper summarizes treatment of an elementary school-age child (i.e...
Wireless Visual Sensor Networks: Applications, Challenges, and Recent Advances

Wireless visual sensor networks (WVSNs) provide great opportunities to use a large number of low-cost low-resolution camera-equipped sensor nodes to monitor the areas of interest thanks to the rapid development of sensor technology with cost reduction. As compared to traditional wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that can only provide scalar data (e.g., temperature, light, sound, pressure, vibration, etc.), visual data (e.g., image/video) can provide much richer sensing and monitoring information, enabling more applications such as security, military, industrial, medical and environmental monitoring. However, it also introduces new challenges with opportunities. In this paper, we review existing research efforts on the visual sensor coverage/deployment, and visual data capturing/processing/transmission issues in WVSNs, as well as the recent research advances therein. Based on our survey, we identify several future research directions with a number of issues that have not been fully addressed yet. New solutions and schemes are envisioned to be proposed to tackle these issues to better improve the performance for visual sensor coverage and visual data capturing/processing/transmission in WVSNs.
Marked lateral ST-segment elevation with inferior ST-segment depression in an asymptomatic 12 year-old girl: A normal variant?

Abstract Significant ST-segment changes raise concern for myocardial ischemia, cardiomyopathy or myocardial inflammation and therefore, warrant an extensive and often invasive cardiovascular evaluation. We report a 12 year-old asymptomatic African-American girl with marked ST-segment elevation in leads I and aVL and ST-segment depression in inferior leads II, III and aVF. Extensive cardiovascular evaluation did not reveal any abnormality suggesting that these findings, which have previously not been reported, are likely benign, at least in this young girl.
The pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) consciousness of black college women and the perceived hesitancy of public health institutions to curtail HIV in black women.

Consistent use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a biomedical intervention for HIV seronegative persons, has been shown to significantly decrease HIV acquisition. Black women are a viable population segment to consider for PrEP use as their HIV incidence is overwhelmingly higher than all other women groups. We developed and piloted a cultural- and age- appropriate PrEP education intervention to determine Black college women’s: 1) perceptions of and receptivity to PrEP use; and 2) preferences for PrEP information delivery. We recruited N = 43 Black college women. Most of our sample were sophomore and Juniors of whom identified as heterosexual (83%) and single (67%). Over 50% of young women had never been HIV tested and only 28% had been tested in the last 6 months; however, 100% of the women believed their HIV status was negative. Prior to participating in the study, most Black college women (67%) had not heard about PrEP and were unsure or apprehensive (72%) to initiate PrEP. The Black college women indicated that our educational intervention was extremely helpful (67%) for understanding and learning about PrEP. Post participating in our PrEP education module, regardless of delivery modality, participants reported being likely (62.55–70%) to initiate PrEP in the future. Results indicate that Black college women would strongly consider PrEP when provided with basic knowledge, regardless of delivery modality. Participants also showed greater appreciation for in-person delivery and found it to be significantly more helpful and of greater quality for learning about PrEP; comprehension or perceived usefulness of PrEP-related content was relatively the same between groups. PrEP content delivery -- via in-person or online methods – is contingent on learning style and presentation. This study has been registered under the ISRCTN Registry as of July 6, 2020. The trial registration number is ISRCTN14792715 . This study was retrospectively registered.
The continued urbanization of American surgery: A threat to rural hospitals.

Abstract Background In 2011, we predicted that surgeon shortages for rural hospitals would contribute to closures of rural hospitals. Here, we update population trends, the distribution of rural and urban hospitals, and surgeon supply to estimate surgeon demand for rural and urban hospital settings by 2040. Methods Surgeon supply was based on new certifications for general surgery, orthopedic surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology adjusted for retirement. Surgeon demand from 2020 to 2040 was projected based on the US Census and published practice ratios: general surgery 10.7/100,000, orthopedic surgery 7.9/100,000, and obstetrics and gynecology 13.0/100,000. Results The US population grew from 309 million in 2011 to 327 million in 2017 with rural populations unchanged at 56 million. By 2040, the US population will be 374 million (urban 85% and rural 15%) creating shortages of general surgery (–31.5%), orthopedic surgery (–34.3%), and obstetrics and gynecology (–25.3). Future hiring needs for urban hospitals will be 5 times greater than rural hospitals. Urban hospitals will likely recruit most newly certified surgeons. Conclusion Increases in surgery trainees will not meet the demand. The continued urbanization of American surgery may push rural hospitals into a vicious financial cycle leading to additional closures of rural hospitals and worsening issues of access. An alternative training paradigm for the rural surgeon is recommended to meet the unique demands of rural hospitals.
The Role of Assistive Technology in Enhancing Disability Arts

This research explores published articles, websites, and incorporates the writer’s observations on how Assistive Technology (AT) has revolutionized what disabled artists can do better today. It provides resources and examples of integrating AT in art. Advances in AT and changes in federal laws have propelled disability in the arts. The Role of Assistive Technology in Enhancing Disability Arts by Gina Wong is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://rdsjournal.org. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://www.rds.hawaii.edu.
The assessment of carbon nanotube (CNT) geometry on the mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites

The geometric effect of single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) on mechanical performances of epoxy nanocomposites was investigated under different loading conditions. The reactive force field (ReaxFF)...