cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavioral intervention for community-dwelling individuals with urinary incontinence

Abstract Objectives . To review the use of behavioral modification as a treatment for urinary incontinence (UI) among individuals in the community. Methods. The implementation of pelvic floor rehabilitation and bladder training is discussed. "Cure rates" reported in studies of community-dwelling women with UI are presented, and possible mechanisms of the treatment effect are described. Results. Clinical trials of behavioral modification for UI have incorporated different therapeutic regimens and outcome measurements. On average, however, pelvic muscle rehabilitation has produced complete resolution in approximately 20% of patients and a 50% to 75% reduction in most individuals. Bladder training has produced complete resolution in fewer than 15% of patients and a 50% to 75% reduction in more than 50% of subjects. Although the mechanism of the treatment effect remains undetermined, it may involve modification of voluntary striated muscle contractility, reflex striated muscle contractility, cortical inhibition, and cortical facilitation. The structure and implementation of the technique, rather than the specific technique itself, may be responsible for the treatment effect. Conclusions. Behavioral interventions have a definite place in the management of UI. Most such therapies will reduce, rather than abolish, UI. However, the reduction in symptoms may improve the quality of life.
Characterization of bevacizumab dose response relationship in U87 brain tumors using magnetic resonance imaging measures of enhancing tumor volume and relative cerebral blood volume

Despite the early promising results with the anti-angiogenic agent, bevacizumab, to prolong time to progression in patients with brain tumors, the optimal dose and drug combinations have not yet been defined. The purpose of this study was to characterize the bevacizumab dose–response relationship for brain tumors by measuring the contrast-agent enhanced tumor volumes and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) using dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) imaging. The studies, performed in the U87 brain tumor model using doses of bevacizumab ranging from 0 to 10 mg/kg, demonstrate that tumor growth and vascularity are inhibited at all doses used, compared to untreated controls. However, only the maximum dose showed a statistically significant difference in growth rate. Conversely tumor vascularity, as measured with rCBV, was inhibited equally well for all doses used with no clear indication that higher doses are more effective.
Christmas and psychopathology. Data from a psychiatric emergency room population.

• It is widely believed among psychiatrists and laymen alike that Christmas and other holidays are associated with an increased incidence of psychopathology. Statistical studies, however, consistently have shown the Christmas season to be associated with a low incidence of suicide and psychiatric hospitalization. The present study examines the number and type of visits to a 24-hour psychiatric emergency service over a seven-year period. There is a decrease in the number of visits during the days and weeks before Christmas and an increase of roughly the same magnitude afterward. The effect is more prominent for women and older persons but does not seem to differentially affect persons of different racial, marital, or diagnostic status.
Managing the U.S.-Mexico Border

The rise of the military use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other advanced surveillance technologies has extended to efforts to more effectively monitor the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has adopted the Predator drone for border surveillance after the aircraft’s success in the Middle East and has commenced using UAVs on the border to form a “virtual fence.” This report examines both the merits and limitations of using emerging technologies as a potential way to deter border problems and how their use may affect U.S. diplomatic relations with Mexico.
Congruency precues moderate item-specific proportion congruency effects.

The item-specific proportion congruency (ISPC) effect refers to the reduction in the Stroop effect for items (e.g., words) that mostly appear in an incongruent format, as compared to items that mostly appear in a congruent format. It is thought to demonstrate reactive control of word-reading processes. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that using explicit, trial-by-trial congruency precues to proactively guide attention during a color-word Stroop task could reduce the otherwise robust ISPC effect. In Experiment 1, the precueing manipulation was employed alongside a manipulation traditionally thought to influence proactive control of word-reading processes (i.e., list proportion congruence [list PC]). Precueing participants with 100 %-valid precues eliminated both the ISPC effect and the list PC effect. In Experiment 2, we used 70 %-valid congruency precues to direct participants to generally expect conflict or congruence on a given trial. ISPC effects were selectively reduced when the participants expected conflict. These results suggest that precueing influences engagement in proactive control and, as a result, reduces the impact of item-specific and list-based tendencies to direct attention toward or away from word reading.
High density optically encoded information storage using second-harmonic generation in glass

A new type of optically encoded, optically readable, high-density information storage has been demonstrated in commercially available silicate glass. The effect is based on optically encoded second-harmonic generation (SHG) in glass. Information is stored in the form of wavelength selective, one dimensional χ(2) gratings within the glass and is read out by illuminating the encoded area with light at designated wavelengths. During the encoding process, the glass evolves in time to produce SHG with efficiencies greater than seven orders of magnitude above the initial values. It has been shown that the SHG occurs via a frozen-in χ2, which oscillates as cos(Δkz), where z is the beam propagation direction and Δk = k(2ω) - 2k(ω) is the wavevector mismatch between the fundamental and second-harmonic beams. For a sample encoded with ωo, ωo/2), the SHG as a function of readout frequency, ω, varies as:
Mitral Valve Adaptation in Ischemic Heart Disease.

Literature is the art of discovering something extraordinary about ordinary people, and saying with ordinary words something extraordinary.—Boris Pasternak [(1)][1] The same can be said about scientific insights. In fact, profound scientific discoveries are often based on systematic approaches to
Biological Principles for Microbial Inactivation in Electric Fields

This chapter reviews microbial inactivation mechanisms in electrical fields—applicable to pulsed electric field (PEF) technology—and provides experimental evidence that support some of these theories. The primary effect of biological cell exposure to electric fields is an increase in the transmembrane potential, which results in electroporation. The formation of pores in the cell membrane leads to reversible (electrical) or irreversible (mechanical) breakdown and depends on the magnitude of the transmembrane potential. Pore formation involves a two-step mechanism of initial perforation followed by pore expansion; the entire process depends on the electric field intensity and pulse duration. If the electric field is stronger than the critical transmembrane potential, membrane cracks may develop and a large piece of the membrane may even get ripped off from the cell. The cause of hemolysis or rupture of the membrane is caused by osmotic imbalance generated by the leakage of ions and small molecules. An alternative theory suggests that pores are formed due to electro-conformational changes in lipid or protein molecules. Based on recorded observations of electric field-induced structural changes in microbial cells and membranes of different microorganisms, this chapter lends support to some of the reviewed theories although the microbial inactivation principle seems to vary from microorganism to microorganism and species to species.
Reusable launch vehicle engine systems operations analysis

To effectively design an operable reusable launch vehicle propulsion system a baseline operations model and supporting historical data are required. There are traditional problems with the definition of baseline systems for aerospace launch vehicle operations analyses. In this paper, these problems are discussed and an overall approach for establishing a detailed baseline ground operations model is presented. The SSME is used as the source of historical reusable engine systems operations experience. The approach demands the identification of the requirements for SSME ground operations and the root source of the requirements. From this, an RLV engine model is developed that is based on the baseline SSME operations model. This is done through incremental modification of the baseline operations model based on the proposed changes from the baseline SSME to the RLV engine. The modifications of the baseline processing activities are based on changes in hardware configuration and technology, processing technology improvements, and operations philosophy. The RLV engine system model is then traceable to past requirements and historical experience. This modeling approach supports credible operations modeling and analysis. In this paper, the baseline SSME model and a demonstration of its utility is presented. Modification of the baseline model will be based on three hypothetical changes that are potential candidates for use on an RLV engine system. Copyright © 1996 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. No copyright is asserted in the United States under Title 17, U.S. code. The U.S. Government has a royalty-free license to exercise all rights under the copyright claimed herein for government purposes. All other rights are reserved by the copyright owner. NOMENCLATURE EMA electro-mechanical actuator HEX heat exchanger HMS health monitoring system HPFTP high pressure fuel turbopump HPOTP high pressure oxidizer turbopump KSC Kennedy Space Center LH2 liquid hydrogen LO2 Equid oxygen LPFTP low pressure fuel turbopump LPOTP low pressure oxidizer turbopump MCC main combustion chamber MPS main propulsion system OMEF orbiter main engine facility OMI operations & maintenance instructions OMRSD operations & maintenance requirements & specifications document OPAD optical plume anomaly detection OPF orbiter processing facility R&R removal and replacement PR problem report PRACA problem reporting & corrective action database QC quality control RLV reusable launch vehicle SSME space shuttle main engine STS space transportation system
Effect of Wheat Germ Oil Upon E-Deficient Muscular Dystrophy

SummaryMuscular dystrophy was produced in rats by feeding a diet deficient in vitamin K, beginning at birth. At the age of 5 months muscle necrosis and muscle regeneration was evident histologically and chemical studies showed elevation of the chloride and water concentrations of the muscles.Subsequent addition of wheat germ oil or vitamin E concentrate to the diet for 2 to 3 months resulted in complete recovery with respect to the concentration of chloride and water in the muscle. Histologically the muscles showed practically no evidence of necrosis. Despite the chemical and histological evidence of recovery the muscles still lacked the ability to develop the normal amount of tension when tested by quantitative methods.
Novel features of Anderson localization in a partially random Bragg grating

It is shown that for partially random Bragg gratings, the logarithm of the average intensity transmittance over the reciprocal wavevector space is a conserved quantity, independent of the amount of disorder.
Experimental study on waste water from iron oxide red production using biochemical technology

Waste water from iron oxide red production features high content of ammonia and nitrogen,difficult degradation and low ratio of carbon to nitrogen.Commercial simulation tests were con- ducted using A/O process with additional minor carbon source and the credible data and process parameters were obtained,providing a reference for practice of pigment chemical waste water disposal trans- formation works.
Efficient threshold signature, multisignature and blind signature schemes based on the Gap-Diffie-Hellman-group signature scheme.

We propose a robust proactive threshold signature scheme, a multisignature scheme and a blind signature scheme which work in any Gap Diffie-Hellman (GDH) group (where the Computational Diffie-Hellman problem is hard but the Decisional Diffie-Hellman problem is easy). Our constructions are based on the recently proposed GDH signature scheme of Boneh et al. [BLS]. Due to the instrumental structure of GDH groups and of the base scheme, it turns out that most of our constructions are simpler, more efficient and have more useful properties than similar existing constructions. We support all the proposed schemes with proofs under the appropriate computational assumptions, using the corresponding notions of security.
Redefining Love in Margaret Atwood's VARIATION ON THE WORD SLEEP

Margaret Atwood's “Variation on the Word Sleep” resignifies a patriarchal definition of intimacy and love to an articulation of a gender-balanced definition of love. While the poem overtly presents...
Sociology of Religion: A Review

The title of Roberto Cipriani's book is misleading. It would be more accurate to describe what he has written as a text concerned with varied sociologies of religion, or more accurately with a wide array of Western European and North American sociologists of religion. Or to be even more precise, it deals with a substantial number of scholars operating within one of the various social sciences. Given the approach he opts for, the question at the end of the day is whether or not he has in fact written a historical introduction to the sociology of religion. If he has, one needs to dig beneath the surface to discover it.
Systematic review: patient-reported outcome measures in coeliac disease for regulatory submissions.

Summary Background New therapeutics are moving into phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of coeliac disease, a condition with no established therapies other than gluten-free diet. These trials will require a meaningful, validated and fit for purpose patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) to quantify the symptomatic improvement of patients. Aim To evaluate existing PROMs for suitability in a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval trial for a coeliac disease therapeutic. Method We performed a systematic search in five online databases (MedLine, EmBase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, CINAHL) for studies that enrolled patients with coeliac disease and used PROMs. Studies included in this review had to measure some PROM concept, be patient administered and based upon a previously validated instrument with published measurement properties. Results Our literature search identified 2706 unique records of which 199 ultimately qualified for abstraction. The majority of PROMs used in studies of coeliac disease was generic and did not measure numerous symptoms or concerns of interest to patients. Four PROMs were found to contain appropriate content for use in an FDA trial: the coeliac disease-specific modification of the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (CeD-GSRS), Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB), the Celiac Disease Symptom Diary (CDSD) and the Celiac Disease Patient Reported Outcome (CeD-PRO). The GSRS and PGWB are most often used together and are two of the most extensively used measures in coeliac disease. The CDSD and CeD-PRO were developed exclusively for trials in coeliac disease but have much less published information on their measurement properties. Conclusions While we did not find PROMs that currently meet the stated expectations of the FDA for regulatory purposes, four PROMs (CeD-GSRS, PGWB, CDSD and CeD-PRO) appear to contain appropriate content and with modest additional validation work could meet scientific standards for valid and sensitive measures of disease and treatment outcome. Specifically, what is needed for these instruments is an understanding of how sensitive they are to real changes in-patient condition, how stable they are over a period of time when health status should not have changed (test–retest reliability) as well as how they correlate with other measures of patient functioning such as intestinal biopsy. All of these objectives could feasibly be accomplished over a short cohort study of patients with biopsy-defined coeliac disease undergoing gluten challenge.
In memoriam: ULRICH BECK

Ο Ο ύλριχ Μ πeκ (Στολπ 15 . 05 . 1944 - Βeρολίνο 1 . 1 . 2015 ) ήταν ένας από τους σημαντικότeρους κοινωνιολόγους της μeταπολeμικής eυρώπης.
Dealing with Cassandras

Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam of Troy, warned against bringing the Trojan Horse into her city. But after Apollo put a curse on Cassandra, her warnings went un-heeded. The result was one disaster after another for the Trojans.
ParSocial 2016 Keynote

This talk will review several fundamental and general ideas surrounding decentralized algorithms and how they occur in a variety of computing and engineering fields. Of specific interest are convergence rates and limitations on asynchronicity which will be reviewed. Several applications of and implications for social systems simulation and modeling will be presented and conjectured. This talk will begin with tutorial material and lead to some recent research results and problems.
THE DEMOCRATIC DRIVE TO THE GREAT SOCIETY

The New Deal dramatically changed the role of the federal government in the United States. The Social Security Act of 1935 established a national program to provide for the elderly and the disabled. For the first time, the federal government assumed some responsibility for the unemployed by making it attractive for states to implement unemployment insurance. Federal expenditures on and responsibility for public works programs of all shapes and sizes increased exponentially. Regulation and oversight of financial markets and other important segments of the economy expanded significantly, and in a long-sought victory by labor activists, the federal government used its coercive power to ensure workers the right to organize and bargain collectively. Taxation expanded as well in order to fund all of this new government activity. Franklin Roosevelt and his fellow Democrats in Congress responded to the Great Depression and made federal government action legitimate and even desirable, at least to most Americans. World War II further expanded the role of the national government. Tax levels increased again, and still more federal agencies were established. To many it seemed clear that the political dialogue, and indeed the public mood itself, had shifted to the left. Government was not a destroyer of freedom, but rather a source of assistance and an actor to make sure that no interest had undue influence and that no American was unduly left behind.
The Design and Implementation of Substation Graphic Gateway System Based on IEC61850 Technology

As the application of IEC61850, the condition monitoring systems and auxiliary systems have been used in substation, and the amount of substation data becomes more and more large. In order to solve the management problems generated by large amounts of substation data, the National Dispatching Center has proposed the Direct alarm and Remote browsing techniques based on traditional remote communication device. This paper uses an embedded platform graphic gateway and uses IEC61850 to get real-time data and graphics of substation. It sends the data to D5000 system of dispatch center via DL/476, and the real-time data transmission and monitoring data refresh have reached the requirements of engineering applications and achieved good applied effect.
The Beast in Florida: A History of Anti‐Black Violence. By Marvin Dunn. (Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2013. Pp. 186. $24.95.)

The scholarship on lynching has exploded in the last two decades. Because of the nature of the crime, however, there is a certain sameness to the account: A white woman makes a false accusation of ...
Word-Phrase-Entity Recurrent Neural Networks for Language Modeling.

The recently introduced framework of Word-Phrase-Entity language modeling is applied to Recurrent Neural Networks and leads to similar improvements as reported for n-gram language models. In the proposed architecture, RNN LMs do not operate in terms of lexical items (words), but consume sequences of tokens that could be words, word phrases or classes such as named entities, with the optimal representation for a particular input sentence determined in an iterative manner. We show how auxiliary techniques previously described for n-gram WPE language models, such as token-level interpolation and personalization, can also be realized with recurrent networks and lead to similar perplexity improvements.
Methylmercury-Induced Fetal Neurologic Dysfunction

The effects of seafood contaminants in maternal diet during pregnancy on neonatal neurologic function were examined in 182 singleton term births in the Faeroe Islands, and reported from the Institute of Public Health, Odense University, Denmark.
West of the Revolution: An Uncommon History of 1776. By Claudio Saunt. (New York, NY: W. W. Norton, 2014). Pp. 288. $26.95.)

Placing the American Revolution into a larger context is nothing new. Clearly, it was linked to what developed in France, Haiti, and Central and South America. In elegant prose and with a large vis...
Darrach’s Procedure

This chapter details the steps in performing Darrach’s Procedure to treat disruption and/or arthritis of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ). The distal ulna is osteotomized and completely removed. Indications, essential steps, postoperative care, and sample operative dictation are included.
Stochastic Processes: Basic Concepts and Definitions

In this chapter and the next, we state a number of important results which are necessary for the work of the later chapters. Some of them might not be explicitly referred to in the later work, but they all form essential links in the chain of reasoning. To present the proofs of all of these results here would require preparatory background material which would considerably increase both the size and scope of this book. We therefore adopt the following approach with the aim of making the development of the text as self-contained as possible. We omit the proofs of those theorems which are treated in detail in well-known standard textbooks, such as P. A. Meyer’s book, Probability and Potentials [41]. However, those proofs will be presented which are not available in existing books and are to be found scattered in the literature, or which discuss ideas specially relevant to our purpose.
The Mittag Leffler reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces of entire and analytic functions

Abstract This paper investigates the function theoretic properties of two reproducing kernel functions based on the Mittag-Leffler function that are related through a composition. Both spaces provide one parameter generalizations of the traditional Bargmann–Fock space. In particular, the Mittag-Leffler space of entire functions yields many similar properties to the Bargmann–Fock space, and several results are demonstrated involving zero sets and growth rates. The second generalization, the Mittag-Leffler space of the slitted plane, is a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) of functions for which Caputo fractional differentiation and multiplication by z q (for q > 0 ) are densely defined adjoints of one another.
Thermal analysis and pyrolysis modeling of NOMEX IIIA fabric

NOMEX® fabric is widely used in fire safety and military applications for its advantages in thermal and chemical resistance. In this research, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and microscale combus...
Crystal-Melt Interfaces

The technical term, ‘capillarity’, applies broadly to a large class of interfacial phenomena that deal with a range of thermodynamic influences associated with internal and external surfaces. Geometric aspects of surfaces and interfaces also connote associated metric quantities, including volumes, areas, lengths, and curvatures, all of which determine the relative importance of capillary phenomena in determining the behavior of a thermodynamic system.
The Curious Dynamic of Players' Associations Bargaining Eligibility Rules on Behalf of Prospective Players

Is it appropriate that pro athletes in a players' association -- a union -- can collectively bargain away the eligibility of athletes who, because of their age or inexperience, are denied entry into a professional sports league? This question relates more specifically to eligibility restrictions in the NFL, NBA and the WNBA. These are the only three major U.S. sports leagues that prohibit players until a prescribed period after high school graduation.. While modern views of labor law suggest that players' association have the legal right to bargain on behalf of prospective players and to bargain away their eligibility, this arrangement carries conflicts of interest and highlights a need for a federal sports law.This work-in-progress consists of remarks I made to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference on August 9, 2012.
Policy Challenges Ahead

Social provisioning benefitting low-income working families at the beginning of the twenty-first century face formidable obstacles in light of the collapse of the housing market and the accompanying financial crisis that began at the end of 2007 and continued through much if not all of 2009 (the official month or quarter marking the end of the recession has yet to be announced at the time of this writing in early 2010) (Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, 2010). A primary political concern at the national level is job creation, as the unemployment rate hovers around 10% and as millions of unemployed persons, especially men in general and Black males in particular, face the prospect of ever longer spells of joblessness. In January 2010 some 6.3 million Americans were unemployed for 6 months or longer, the largest number since 1948 when the government began keeping track (Goodman, 2010a; Hennepin County, 2002; Myers, 2006; Office of Management and Budget [OMB], 2010). A related concern further complicating the prospects for social provisions benefitting low-income working families is the federal deficit, 10.6% of GDP in 2010, the highest percentage since 1946 (it peaked at 28.1% in 1943 during World War II) (Chantrill, 2010), along with the national debt, $12 trillion deeper than in 2001 (OMB, 2010).
STABILITY OF A LARGE FLEXIBLE BEAM IN SPACE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the stability of a large flexible beam in space. Future large space structures such as a space power satellite will tend to be extremely light with respect to their size. As beam-like elements will be a fundamental component in large space systems, an investigation of the dynamics of a simple beam in orbit is presented in the chapter. Orbit frequency, material attributes of the beam, and orientation in space can be combined to excite the modes of vibration. The chapter presents a stability chart delineating stable and unstable regions. Jacobi's elliptic functions and the Floquet theory are used to derive criteria for the stability boundaries. Numerical calculations use initial value differential equation codes in conjunction with Newton's method.
Shoulder Instability: Interobserver and Intraobserver Agreement in the Assessment of Labral Tears

Background:The glenohumeral joint combines large range of motion and insufficient bony stabilization, making it susceptible to instability and dislocations. Arthroscopic surgery is routinely used a...
MATLAB/Simulink-Based Electromagnetic Transient-Transient Stability Hybrid Simulation for Electric Power Systems with Converter Interfaced Generation

This paper introduces a Hybrid Electromagnetic Transient (EMT)-Transient Stability (TS) simulation method implemented in the MATLAB/Simulink environment for modeling and simulation of power electronic based power systems. The hybrid simulation technique suitably captures accuracy of EMT simulation and efficiency of TS simulation, therefore adequately representing the behavior of power systems with high penetration of converter interfaced generation. In order to foster the interaction between the EMT and TS simulation in MATLAB/Simulink, an interface algorithm is designed. A case study has been carried out based on the IEEE 9-bus system, which is modified to integrate a solar PV plant. The simulation performance of the hybrid model is evaluated and compared with the benchmark full EMT model, in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The study results demonstrate the competence of the presented hybrid simulation technique.
Left Ventricular Re-training: Feasibility and Effectiveness—What Are the Limits?

The concept of ‘re-training’ the morphologic left ventricle (mLV) is based on the crude principle of applying a fixed afterload by means of pulmonary artery banding. The complex physiological, molecular and structural responses to banding are poorly understood, and complicated by the fact that re-training is undertaken in a variety of different morphological settings and age-groups. This article reviews the evidence for re-training in different situations with particular focus on the age at banding and on the best ways to assess suitability for subsequent repair. Particular importance is placed on the role of re-training in congenitally corrected transposition as this is the commonest current indication – looking at better ways to train the mLV, the role of combined pressure and volume loading, and more sophisticated ways of assessing the adequacy of training. Current evidence suggests that age at banding has a fundamental impact on ability to re-train and long-term mLV function with the best results being achieved in infancy and concerns at any attempt beyond 2 years of age.
Electrophysiologic and molecular mechanisms of a frameshift NPPA mutation linked with familial atrial fibrillation.

Abstract A frameshift (fs) mutation in the natriuretic peptide precursor A (NPPA) gene, encoding a mutant atrial natriuretic peptide (Mut-ANP), has been linked with familial atrial fibrillation (AF) but the underlying mechanisms by which the mutation causes AF remain unclear. We engineered 2 transgenic (TG) mouse lines expressing the wild-type (WT)-NPPA gene (H-WT-NPPA) and the human fs-Mut-NPPA gene (H-fsMut-NPPA) to test the hypothesis that mice overexpressing the human NPPA mutation are more susceptible to AF and elucidate the underlying electrophysiologic and molecular mechanisms. Transthoracic echocardiography and surface electrocardiography (ECG) were performed in H-fsMut-NPPA, H-WT-NPPA, and Non-TG mice. Invasive electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and patch clamping of membrane potentials were performed. To examine the role of the Mut-ANP in ion channel remodeling, we measured plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels and protein kinase A (PKA) activity in the 3 groups of mice. In H-fsMut-NPPA mice mean arterial pressure (MAP) was reduced when compared to H-WT-NPPA and Non-TG mice. Furthermore, injection of synthetic fs-Mut-ANP lowered the MAP in H-WT-NPPA and Non-TG mice while synthetic WT-ANP had no effect on MAP in the 3 groups of mice. ECG characterization revealed significantly prolonged QRS duration in H-fsMut-NPPA mice when compared to the other two groups. Trans-Esophageal (TE) atrial pacing of H-fsMut-NPPA mice showed increased AF burden and AF episodes when compared with H-WT-NPPA or Non-TG mice. The cardiac Na+ (NaV1.5) and Ca2+ (CaV1.2/CaV1.3) channel expression and currents (INa, ICaL) and action potential durations (APD90/APD50/APD20) were significantly reduced in H-fsMut-NPPA mice while the rectifier K+ channel current (IKs) was markedly increased when compared to the other 2 groups of mice. In addition, plasma cGMP levels were only increased in H-fsMut-NPPA mice with a corresponding reduction in plasma cAMP levels and PKA activity. In summary, we showed that mice overexpressing an AF-linked NPPA mutation are more prone to develop AF and this risk is mediated in part by remodeling of the cardiac Na+, Ca2+ and K+ channels creating an electrophysiologic substrate for reentrant AF.
Efficient Indoor Localization via Switched-Beam Antennas

Location-based services have become extremely popular. As a result, indoor localization has received a lot of attention from both industry and academia. Despite the plethora of existing approaches, no method can achieve high accuracy without major, expensive changes to existing systems. For example, to achieve good accuracy, fingerprinting methods require many APs within range of a client, time-of-arrival methods require tight synchronization, client hardware changes and line-of-sight, and direction-of-arrival methods require expensive antenna front ends and line-of-sight. In this paper, we take advantage of inexpensive, off-the-shelf switched-beam antennas (SBAs) to increase the diversity of measurements used for fingerprint-based localization. We show using experiments that a single AP equipped with $n$ n SBAs may infer equally rich localization information as $n$ n APs equipped with $n$ n omnidirectional antennas each, as long as the SBAs are properly configured. We then establish via extensive experiments that a single packet reception from a commodity client at a single AP equipped with a handful of SBAs (e.g., eight SBAs costing a couple of dollars more than omni antennas) achieves localization accuracy in the order of half a meter with or without line-of-sight, in any indoor environment, with zero airtime overhead and zero client support.
A general approach to minimal mass tensegrity

Abstract This work is motivated by the fundamental questions in engineering mechanics: Does continuum guarantee a minimal mass structure? What is a more mass efficient way to design structures? Moreover, what are the fundamental laws of the new approach? This paper provides a general unified approach for the minimal mass design of any solid or hollow bar tensegrity structures with any given external forces subject to the structure equilibrium conditions and the maximum stress constraints of structure members (strings yield, bars yield or buckle) in a compact matrix form. The methodology yields several nonlinear programming problems. Local stability is assured by checking the modes of failure of all the structure members, and global stability is guaranteed by solving a linear matrix inequality with the derived stiffness matrix. To further reduce mass, the choice of the cross-section of bars are also discussed. For practical problems, joint mass is considered as a penalty to the total structure mass. The principles developed in this paper demonstrates a fundamental insight into both materials and structures.
Rupture of Hypogastric Artery Aneurysm

Open repair of ruptured hypogastric aneurysm was performed in a 90-year-old male following failed endovascular repair. Patient has been followed for 9 years with satisfactory result. Cause of failure of endovascular repair is discussed.
Media Studies and the Pitfalls of Publicity

For many academics, using social media has both drawbacks and advantages. Social media may allow connection with colleagues, scholarly promotion, and public engagement, and may also open researcher...
NFκB promotes oxidative stress-induced necrosis and ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting Nrf2-ARE pathway

In this study, we identified an unexpected pro-cell death role for NFκB in mediating oxidative stress-induced necrosis, and provide new mechanistic evidence that NFκB, in cooperation with HDAC3, negatively regulates Nrf2-ARE anti-oxidative signaling through transcriptional silencing. We showed that genetic inactivation of NFκB-p65 inhibited, whereas activation of NFκB promoted, oxidative stress-induced cell death and HMGB1 release, a biomarker of necrosis. Moreover, NFκB-luciferase activity was elevated in cardiomyocytes after simulated ischemia/reperfusion (sI/R) or doxorubicin (DOX) treatment, and inhibition of NFκB with Ad-p65-shRNA or Ad-IκBαM diminished sI/R- and DOX-induced cell death and HMGB1 release. Importantly, NFκB negatively regulated Nrf2-ARE activity and the expression of antioxidant proteins. Mechanistically, co-immunoprecipitation revealed that p65 was required for Nrf2-HDAC3 interaction and transcriptional silencing of Nrf2-ARE activity. Further, the ability of HDAC3 to repress Nrf2-ARE activity was lost in p65 deficient cells. Pharmacologic inhibition of HADCs or NFκB with trichostatin A (TSA) or BMS-345541, respectively, increased Nrf2-ARE activity and promoted cell survival after sI/R. In vivo, NFκB transcriptional activity in the mouse heart was significantly elevated after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, which was abolished by cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of p65 using p65fl/flNkx2.5-Cre mice. Moreover, genetic ablation of p65 in the mouse heart attenuated myocardial infarct size after acute I/R injury and improved cardiac remodeling and functional recovery after chronic myocardial infarction. Thus, our results identified NFκB as a key regulator of oxidative stress-induced necrosis by suppressing the Nrf2-ARE antioxidant pathway through an HDAC3-dependent mechanism. This study also revealed a new pathogenic role of NFκB in cardiac ischemic injury and pathological remodeling.
In situ AFM-based nanoscale rheology reveals regional non-uniformity in viscoporoelastic mechanical behavior of the murine periodontal ligament

The periodontal ligament (PDL) is a critical player in the maintenance of tooth health, acting as the primary stabilizer of tooth position. Recent studies have identified two unique regions within the PDL, the 'dense collar' region and the 'furcation' region, which exhibit distinct structural and compositional differences. However, specific functional differences between these regions have yet to be investigated. We adapted an AFM-based nanoscale rheology method to regionally assess mechanical properties and poroelasticity in the mouse PDL while minimizing the disruption of the 3-dimensional native boundary conditions, and then explored tissue mechanical function in four different regions within the dense collar as well as in the furcation region. We found significant differences between the collar and furcation regions, with the collar acting as a stabilizing ligamentous structure and the furcation acting as both a compressive cushion for vertical forces and a conduit for nutrient transport. While this finding supports our hypothesis, based on previous studies investigating structural and compositional differences, we also found surprising inhomogeneity within the collar region itself. This inhomogeneity supports previous findings of a tilting movement in the buccal direction of mandibular molar teeth and the structural adaptation to prevent lingual movement. Future work will aim to understand how different regions of the PDL change functionally during biological or mechanical perturbations, such as orthodontic tooth movement, development, or aging, with the ultimate goal of better understanding the mechanobiology of the PDL function in health and disease.
Beyond the City: Exploring the Suburban and Rural Landscapes of Racial Residential Integration Across the United States

In recent decades, racial and ethnic diversity has expanded from the city into the suburbs, the rural–urban interface, and remote rural places across all regions in the United States. This study examines how these population trends shape the possibility of racial residential integration across the American rural–urban continuum and regions. Using the information theory index (H) and racial and ethnic composition thresholds, we identify integrated cities, suburbs, and rural towns and villages that are stably integrated between the 2000 and 2010 censuses. This study shows a substantial number of diverse places where people of different races and ethnicities live near each other. Further, the largest clusters of integration locate in suburbs, followed by rural places, while central cities show the lowest rates of integration. In addition, the West typically hosts larger numbers of integrated communities compared to other regions. Findings suggest that to better understand shifting patterns of American racial inequality, research must look outside the city and toward the West to investigate residential integration as a new form of twenty-first-century race relations.
(Re)thinking the Residential in Residency: Modern Surgical Practice Continues to Move Away From the Inpatient Setting.

Purpose Despite the overall shift in care delivery to an ambulatory setting, the majority of general surgical education still relies on the experience of caring for inpatients. We aimed to investigate how the inpatient practice patterns of newly minted general surgeons (GS) have changed since 2008, in order to better inform education policies regarding both training approach and setting for modern surgical trainees. Methods State discharge data from NY and FL (2008-2017) were linked to data on GS from the American Medical Association Masterfile, and to hospital data from the American Hospital Association annual survey. Mean annual inpatient case volume (CV) and case type breadth (CB) were compared between surgeons who were new-to-practice (0-3 years of experience) in 2008 and in 2013. Each new surgeon cohort was followed for 5 years. Case type was classified by organ system. Results The 2008 cohort included 328 GS with a mean age of 37.1, 79.6% male and 94.2% board-certified. The 2013 cohort included 359 GS with a mean age of 36.2, 73.0% male and 93.9% board-certified. CV was higher among the 2008 cohort than the 2013 cohort for each year of practice in the study period. CB included at least 4 organ system types for all new GS with greater breadth among the 2008 cohort for each year in the study period. Conclusions Declining rates of inpatient surgery affect general surgeons who were new-to-practice in 2013 significantly more than those entering practice only 5 years ahead of them. New surgeons continue to start their practices broadly, suggesting a need to continue broad training while expanding formal educational policies to include the full spectrum of ambulatory surgery.
Patient Representation and Diversity in Plastic Surgery Social Media

BACKGROUND Plastic surgeons increasingly use social media as a means for patient engagement, trainee education, and research dissemination. Appropriate patient diversity on these platforms is critical to promote interaction with all patients and ensure adequate training of plastic surgeons to work with diverse populations. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess patient representation, particularly of racial and ethnic groups, among plastic surgery Instagram accounts. METHODS Nine Instagram accounts of plastic surgery journals and professional organizations were analyzed for posts containing patient images between April 2015 and June 2020. Each unique patient image was assessed for demographic factors. Skin tone was analyzed as a proxy for racial diversity, with Fitzpatrick scale scores of 1 to 3 indicating white and 4 to 6 indicating nonwhite. Univariate analysis was performed to determine differences in representation. RESULTS A total of 6719 posts from 5 journal and 4 professional organization accounts were found to contain 2547 unique patient images. Overall, 88.14% of patient images had white skin tone, whereas only 11.86% displayed nonwhite skin tone. Cosmetic procedure patient images had a higher frequency of white skin tone than reconstruction images (89.93% vs 81.98%, P < 0.001). When compared with US Census data and the ASPS Annual Report data on race of patients undergoing plastic surgery, our data revealed significant underrepresentation of patients of color on social media (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the underrepresentation of patients of color within social media imagery. Equitable representation of patients on social media is important to decrease patient barriers to healthcare and improve physician training to engage with diverse populations.
A novel approach to the empirical characterization of learning in biological systems

Learning to execute precise, yet complex, motor actions through practice is a trait shared by most organisms. Here we develop a novel experimental approach for the comprehensive investigation and characterization of the learning dynamics of practiced motion. Following the dynamical systems framework, we consider a high-dimensional behavioral space in which a trial-by-trial sequence of motor outputs defines a trajectory that converges to a fixed point - the desired motor output. In this scenario, details of the internal dynamics and the trial-by-trial learning mechanism cannot be disentangled from behavioral noise for nonlinear systems or even well estimated for linear systems with many parameters. To overcome this problem, we introduce a novel approach: the sporadic application of systematic target perturbations that span the behavioral space and allow us to estimate the linearized dynamics in the vicinity of the fixed point. The steady-state Lyapunov equation then allows us to identify the noise covariance. We illustrate the method by analyzing sequence-generating neural networks with either intrinsic or extrinsic noise, at time resolutions that span from spike timing to spiking rates. We demonstrate the utility of our approach in experimentally plausible and realizable settings and show that this method can fully characterize the linearized between-trials learning dynamics as well as extract meaningful internal properties of the unknown mechanism that drives the motor output within each trial. We then illustrate how the approach can be extended to nonlinear learning dynamics through a flexible choice of the basis and magnitude of perturbations. Significance statementMovement control ties brain activity to measurable external actions in real time, providing a useful tool for both neuroscientists interested in the emergence of stable behavior and biomedical engineers interested in the design of neural prosthesis and brain-machine interfaces. We approach the question of motor skill learning by introducing artificial errors through a novel perturbative scheme amenable to analytic examination in the linearized regime close to the desired behavior. Numerical simulations then demonstrate how to probe the learning dynamics in both linear and nonlinear systems. These findings stress the usefulness of analyzing responses to deliberately induced errors and the importance of properly designing such perturbation experiments. Our approach provides a novel generic tool for monitoring the acquisition of motor skills.