cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Embryonic mesencephalic grafts increase levodopa-induced forelimb hyperkinesia in parkinsonian rats.

Recent observations from clinical trials of neural grafting for Parkinson's disease (PD) have demonstrated that grafted dopamine neurons can worsen dyskinesias in some graft recipients. This deleterious side effect reveals a new challenge for neural transplantation, that of elucidating mechanisms underlying these postgraft dyskinesias. One problem facing this challenge is the availability of a cost-effective and reliable animal model in which to pursue initial investigations. In the current study, we investigated the interaction of an embryonic ventral mesencephalic (VM) dopamine (DA) neuron graft on levodopa (LD)-induced dyskinetic movements in unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. Rats were administered LD (levodopa-carbidopa, 50:5 mg/kg) twice daily for 6 weeks after either a sham graft or VM DA graft. Although a single solid graft of embryonic DA neurons can prevent progression of some lesioned-induced behavioral abnormalities such as LD-induced rotation and dystonia, it significantly increases hyperkinetic movements of the contralateral forelimb. This differential effect of grafted neurons on abnormal behavioral profiles is reminiscent of that reported in grafted patients with PD. Data from this study illustrate important similarities between this model of parkinsonism and PD in human patients that make it suitable for initial preclinical investigations into possible mechanisms underlying postgraft aggravation of dyskinetic movements.
Spatially Distributed Watershed Mapping and Modeling: Thermal Maps and Vegetation Indices to Enhance Land Cover and Surface Microclimate mapping (part 1)

The extent and type of watershed cover affects the movement of water in the hydrologic cycle, thus accurate representation of the physical and biological features of the landscape within the watershed is required. Satellite imagery from Landsat and other satellites provide land cover and surface microclimate information with high temporal and spatial accuracy. The use of these data to understand hydrologic processes depends on how accurately they are interpreted and mapped. This paper utilizes the surface radiant temperatures derived from the thermal band of Landsat images and vegetation indices derived from visible, near-infrared, thermal and midinfrared spectrums to further improve land cover and surface microclimate mapping. The study was done on three watersheds in Florida having mean area of 420 km2. Landsat images from 1984 and 2000 were processed using an unsupervised classification. Calibrated surface radiant temperatures and vegetation indices, which indicate a strong relationship with the ground truth data, were identified using scatter diagrams. Surface microclimate (pixel scale) parameters (percent vegetation cover, scaled surface temperature) were determined and their spatial and temporal distributions were studied. The results indicate that surface temperatures and derived vegetation indices (incorporating the thermal and shortwave-infrared bands) were useful for discriminating land cover classes and delineating boundaries between wetlands and water bodies. Accuracy assessment of the classification indicates overall accuracy of 85% was achieved with this technique. The fractional vegetation cover decreased from 1984 to 2000 with a respective increase in surface scaled temperature.
Bedside Treatment of Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Using Radiographic Characteristics to Revisit the Twist Drill.

Background and Study Aims Conventional treatment strategies for the management of symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) in the elderly include observation, operative burr holes or craniotomy, and bedside twist drill drainage. The decision on which technique to use should be determined by weighing the comorbidities and symptoms of the patient with the potential risks and benefits. The goal of this study was to identify radiographic characteristics on computed tomography scan that might be used to guide surgical decision making in terms of operative versus bedside removal of cSDH. Methods We retrospectively reviewed clinical and radiographic features in patients who underwent bedside twist drill evacuation of a cSDH and those for a cohort of patients who underwent operative intervention via burr holes. Results We did not identify any clinical features or preoperative imaging characteristics to suggest an advantage of one procedure over the other. Additionally, complete radiographic resolution of cSDH on postoperative imaging is not required to relieve patient symptoms. Conclusion Although bedside twist drill evacuation may avoid operating room costs and anesthetic complications in an elderly patient population and allow earlier resumption of anticoagulation treatment if necessary, there is also a risk of morbidity if uncontrolled bleeding is encountered or the patient is unable to tolerate the bedside procedure. However, bedside twist drill craniostomy is a reasonable and effective option for the treatment of subacute/chronic SDH in patients who may not be optimal surgical candidates.
Abstract P33: Improving Heart Failure Metrics: A Multidisciplinary Team Approach

Background: Quality of care has become a priority as heart failure (HF) core measures and readmission have been publically reported on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. In an effort to decrease readmissions Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) joined the H2H (Hospital to Home) initiative. Based on the CMS data for 2005 to 2008 the middle Tennessee region was in the 5th Quartile of readmission scores (25.2%-29.0%). The 30-day HF readmission rate at VUMC (25.7%) was comparable to the national rate of 24.5%. Aim: The goal of this project was to decrease readmissions by 20% as suggested by the ACC through participation with the H2H initiative. Method: A multidisciplinary team, including Physicians, Pharmacist, Case Management, Nutrition, Nursing, and a Social Worker, was structured to round on the heart failure floor each morning to identify HF patients as part of a demonstration project. All identified patients were assessed by the multidisciplinary team for teaching needs and self care abilities based on their specialties. Based on their initial assessment, teaching was performed for newly diagnosed or reinforcement teaching. Education materials were updated for all patients and given to all heart failure patients regardless of status in the demonstration project. Results: Thirty day follow-up has been completed on 52 patients and 7 have been readmitted for any cause. This has decreased the readmission rate from 25.7% to 13.4%. There are 5 interventions which could have been completed. The most frequent, the Pharmacy intervention was completed on 76% of the patients; however there is not a statistical correlation between this intervention alone and readmission. Discharge instructions in core measures were also associated with a positive trend as evidence by quarter 4 2009 at 88.4% and quarter 4 2010 at 96.8%. Conclusions: Our project targeted recognizing the needs of the patient and matching them with the appropriate consult. This approach has been associated with reduction in readmission rates and in an increase in core measure compliance. Further data collection will be needed to confirm findings.
Vision-Based Inspection System for Dimensional Accuracy in Powder-Bed Additive Manufacturing

Laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process that enables fabrication of functional metal parts with near-net-shape geometries. The drawback to L-PBF is its lack of dimensional precision and accuracy. The efficiency of powder fusion process in powder-bed AM processes is highly affected by process errors, powder irregularities as well as geometric factors. Formation of defects such as lack of fusion and over-fusion due to the aforementioned factors causes dimensional errors that significantly damage the precision.This paper addresses the development of an automated in-situ inspection system for powder-bed additive manufacturing processes based on machine vision. The results of the in-situ automated inspection of dimensional accuracy allows for early identification of faulty parts or alternatively in-situ correction of geometric errors by taking appropriate corrective actions. In this inspection system, 2D optical images captured from each layer of the AM part during the build are analyzed and the geometric errors and defects impairing the dimensional accuracy are detected in each layer. To successfully detect geometric errors, fused geometric objects must be detected in the powder layer. Image processing algorithms are effectively designed to detect the geometric objects from images of low contrast captured during the build inside the chamber. The developed algorithms are implemented to a large number of test images and their performance and precision are evaluated quantitatively. The failure probabilities for the algorithms are also determined statistically.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Role of Lipid Rafts in GPVI Agonist-Induced Platelet Signaling.

The collagen receptor glycoprotein VI (GPVI), plays an essential role in platelet activation and the regulation of hemostasis. Microdomains within the plasma membrane, called lipid rafts, have been implicated in GPVI signaling. The GPVI receptor has been shown to associate with the lipid rafts in both resting and activated platelets. It has been reported that there is a reduction in GPVI signaling in raft-disrupted platelets following activation with various GPVI agonists, especially at low to moderate agonist concentrations. Since platelet aggregation is potentiated by secreted adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) at low concentrations of convulxin and at all concentrations of collagen and collagen-related peptide (CRP), we wanted to determine whether the decrease in GPVI signaling found in platelets with disrupted rafts was due to the loss of agonist potentiation by ADP. We compared platelet aggregation, protein phosphorylation, and calcium mobilization in platelets with intact and disrupted lipid rafts following activation with the GPVI agonists, collagen, convulxin and CRP. We show that lipid raft disruption inhibits aggregation induced by collagen and convulxin, but this inhibition is no longer apparent in the presence of ADP feedback inhibitors. Furthermore, raft-disrupted platelets had the same level of phosphorylation of proteins involved in GPVI signaling (i.e. Syk, LAT, and PLCγ2) and the same ability to mobilize calcium following activation with collagen or convulxin. Therefore, the effects of lipid raft disruption on aggregation can be attributed to the loss of ADP feedback. Interestingly, however, raft disruption directly inhibited aggregation and Syk phosphorylation induced by CRP in the presence and absence of ADP feedback. We propose that these differences are due to the fact that CRP is a relatively small, synthesized peptide of 37 amino acids, while collagen and convulxin are large ligands. These agonists are all able to bind the GPVI receptor, but they may not have the same ability to simultaneously cluster multiple receptors due to their size differential. The lipid rafts may be important for CRP stimulation, but not for collagen or convulxin, because they may have a higher density of the GPVI receptor than nonraft membrane regions, allowing CRP to cluster multiple receptors and activate the GPVI signaling cascade. When we disrupt the lipid rafts, we are reducing the effective concentration of GPVI available for activation by CRP but not by collagen or convulxin.
Insights into vehicle trajectories at the handling limits: analysing open data from race car drivers

Race car drivers can offer insights into vehicle control during extreme manoeuvres; however, little data from race teams is publicly available for analysis. The Revs Program at Stanford has built a...
Tree growth simulation associated with dielectric breakdown

In many dielectric failures the final disruption is preceded by the sporadically progressive development of many minute branched channels(i.e., trees or dendrites), and the ultimate failure follows one of these channels. Trees often exhibit a strong tendency to branch into complicated patterns. Treeing, in general, is a weak-link phenomenon [1]. It has been shown that a simple stochastic model naturally leads to characteristic structures of the discharge pattern [2]. The type of tree dealt with in this paper is the one in which the configuration grows rapidly with a single discharge, and consists of a highly conducting gaseous plasma generated by the rapid dissociation of the solid. Tree growth is simulated by a Monte Carlo method based on a probability field associated with the electric potential, similar to that of Reference 2. Tree growth involves two competing factors, stochastic and deterministic. The patterns developed in the simulation depend upon the size of the lattice (the density of mesh points between two parallel electrode surfaces) and the way that the next growth site is selected from the local electric field and a stochastic algorithm. The tip effect and anisotropy due to lattice size are discussed in detail. The results of simulation give an insight into the mechanism of tree growth associated with dielectric breakdown.
Progenitor Recruitment and in Vitro Expansion of Immunostimulatory Dendritic Cells from Human CD34+ Bone Marrow Cells by c-kit-Ligand, GM-CSF, and TNFα

Several cytokines have been identified that support the development of dendritic cells from murine and human precursor populations, most notably GM-CSF, TNFα, and IL-4.1–7 We have been interested in human bone marrow as a source of defined CD34+ progenitors to generate large numbers of autologous dendritic cells for use as adjuvants in immune based therapy. In serum-replete conditions with c-kit-ligand, GM-CSF, and TNFα, dendritic cells constitute ~10–15% of the myeloid progeny (equivalent to ~1.7 x 106 dendritic cells per single ml of starting bone marrow); and they develop together with granulocytic intermediates and monocytes in the same cultures.8 CD14- dendritic cells share expression of class II MHC and costimulatory ligands with CD14+ monocyte progeny, but only the CD14- HLA-DR+ dendritic cells are highly stimulatory of resting unprimed T cells.8 We have further identified a novel colony that develops in the presence of GM-CSF and TNFα alongside typical CFU-GM, which is comprised of dendritic cells mixed with ≤ 15% monocytes (CFU-DC/mono).9 c-kit-ligand recruits and expands early progenitors responsive to the dendritic cell-differentiating effects of GM-CSF and TNFα, effecting a 100- to 1000-fold greater expansion of CFU-DC/mono by 14d and 2Id respectively than does the combination of GM-CSF and TNFα without c-kit-ligand.9 Conclusive proof that dendritic cells have been generated under these in vitro conditions has been founded on the morphologic, phenotypic, and functional criteria that are critical to their identification as potent accessories for primary T cell responses, and their distinction in particular from monocytes.
LPV Control of a Hydraulic Engine Cam Phasing Actuator

In this chapter, an LPV design example [63] that demonstrates how to design a dynamic, output-feedback gain scheduling controller using the LPV methods from Chap. 2 is presented. First, an LPV model is formulated from a family of linear models that were obtained from a series of closed-loop system identification tests for a variable valve timing cam phaser system [49]. Then a control strategy is developed and relevant control structures are appended onto the LPV system to produce the generalized LPV plant. A discussion on weighting function selection for mixed controller synthesis is presented, with an emphasis placed on examining various frequency responses of the system.
Most Myeloid Neoplasms With Deletion of Chromosome 16q Are Distinct From Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Inv(16)(p13.1q22): A Bone Marrow Pathology Group Multicenter Study

Objectives Isolated deletion of the long arm of chromosome 16 (del(16q)) is rare in myeloid neoplasms (MNs) and was historically considered a variant of inv(16)(p13.1q22) (inv(16)), a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) associated with CBFB-MYH11 rearrangement and favorable prognosis. This study aims to determine clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with isolated del(16q) in MNs in comparison to AMLs with isolated inv(16). Methods Clinicopathologic features were retrospectively reviewed in 18 MNs with del(16q) and 34 AMLs with inv(16) patients from seven institutions. Results MNs with del(16q) occurred in elderly patients, often as secondary MNs. Blood monocytes and marrow eosinophils were lower in del(16q) than inv(16). Deletion of CBFB but not CBFB-MYH11 rearrangement was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in 14 of 14 del(16q) patients. The median overall survival was shorter in del(16q) than in inv(16) patients (12 vs 94 months, log rank P = .0002). Conclusions Myeloid neoplasms with isolated del(16q) with deletion of the CBFB but lacking CBFB-MYH11 rearrangement should not be considered a variant of the AML-defining inv(16).
Cardiac Toxic Chemotherapy and Cancer Survivorship

With remarkable progress in cancer diagnosis and therapy, there are growing numbers of cancer survivors with almost 15 million current survivors in the United States. Because of the recognition that cardiovascular morbidity and mortality play an important role in outcomes of cancer survivors, understanding the unique cardiac needs of survivors and existing evidence for care is essential to cardio-oncology and survivorship care. Cancer survivors are a heterogeneous population with several potentially cardiotoxic exposures and several potential, and not mutually exclusive, complications of therapy (for instance cardiomyopathy and premature atherosclerosis) making uniform guidelines difficult to implement. Using case-based presentations, this chapter will address basic assessment and management of cardiac function and risk in cancer survivors. Best practices for assessment of survivors based on treatment modality (i.e., chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy) and host-related factors (i.e., age at diagnosis and pre-existing risk factors) are described.
“An Ancient Celtic world had filled the air”: the Celtic turn in Louis MacNeice’s mid-century radio writing

AbstractThis article focuses on the specific meanings and figurations of Celtic identity, myth and history in three works by Louis MacNeice: his long poem Autumn Sequel (1954), written for broadcast on the BBC, and his two late radio plays They Met on Good Friday (1959) and The Mad Islands (1961). It will demonstrate that the poet moves from expressing an archaic and insipidly romanticised form of Celticity in Autumn Sequel, to depicting a significantly more sophisticated Celtic character and identity in They Met on Good Friday and The Mad Islands; both dramas, it will be argued, are informed by a more thoroughly archipelagic conception of cultural formation and identity in the British and Irish isles. In all three texts, MacNeice’s radiogenic engagement with Celtic material functions as a means of interrogating, though not always successfully, the forms and potentialities of human agency, community, and artistic activity within a post-war climate of political disenchantment, social fragmentation and perc...
Race, Ethnicity, and SIDS.

* Abbreviations: SIDS — : sudden infant death syndrome SUID — : sudden unexpected infant death In the United States, race and ethnicity predict different outcomes in known diseases. Race and ethnicity also predict different outcomes in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), categories of mortality that are arguably as yet undiscovered diseases. It is important to monitor disparities affecting the health of children and to understand the impact of interventions aimed at them. In this issue of Pediatrics , Parks et al1 make a significant contribution to our understanding of the racial and ethnic factors in SUID trends after the introduction of the Back to Sleep campaign. In “Racial and Ethnic Trends in Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths: United States, 1995–2013,” the authors examine whether all children have shared equally in the decreases in SIDS/SUID that are attributed to the Back to Sleep campaign. The relative ranking of SUID rates by race and ethnicity remained constant throughout the 1995–2013 study period. But the … Address correspondence to Richard D. Goldstein, MD, Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, D2008, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: richard_goldstein{at}dfci.harvard.edu
Optimizing update scheduling parameters for distributed virtual environments supporting operational test

Summary Distributed virtual environments provide a shared sense of time and space to geographically distributed users. They depend on a limited ability to ensure system nodes at different locations maintain consistent state data. This paper presents system models and algorithms designed to find optimal update scheduling parameters that minimize the effects of inconsistent simulation state data. The first model is concerned with ensuring distributed virtual environments that present a fair experience to all users while simultaneously providing adequate levels of system performance. In the second model, we introduce the concept of plausibility limits and address their use in ensuring all participants in an interaction to see the same result.
Implementation of Active Traffic Management Strategies for Safety on Congested Expressway Weaving Segments

In weaving segments, traffic merges, diverges, and weaves in a limited space. These traffic maneuvers might result in high crash hazards. To improve the safety of a congested expressway weaving segment, this study tested various active traffic management (ATM) strategies in microsimulations. Crash odds and the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model were used to evaluate the impact of ATM strategies on traffic safety. The crash odds were calculated based on the real-time safety analysis model for weaving segments. The strategies included ramp metering (RM), variable speed limit (VSL), and integrated RM and VSL (RM-VSL). Overall, the results showed that the ATM strategies improved the safety of the studied weaving segment. The modified ALINEA RM algorithms, which took lane occupancy and safety into consideration, outperformed the traditional ALINEA algorithm from a safety perspective. The 45 mph VSLs, which were located at the upstream of the studied weaving segment, significantly enhanced safety without notably...
Segment removal strategy in SAQP for advanced BEOL application

In this paper, a strategy of performing segment removal in an SAQP (self-aligned quadruple patterning) and its implication on interconnect parasitic capacitance are reported. In order to reduce the cost and process complexity, through process emulations, this study specifically focuses on not introducing additional lithography step(s) or material to the conventional SADP (self-aligned double patterning) integration. Four SAQP process integrations are demonstrated to selectively remove dummy lines in between the signal lines from sea of lines, as a result, the line to line capacitance can be reduced. The conventional non-mandrel block lithography step will only remove every other line. Typically, to remove more lines requires an additional hard mask layer and a first non-mandrel block lithography step where the line to line capacitance can be further reduced. However, in this study, a double spacer transfer scheme is proposed to achieve the same final structure but without the additional hard mask layer and lithography step. Therefore, this could be another option for 7 nm or 5 nm process integration of BEOL interconnects.
VFI-Based Power Management to Enhance the Lifetime of High-Performance 3D NoCs

The emergence of 3D network-on-chip (NoC) has revolutionized the design of high-performance and energy-efficient manycore chips. However, the anticipated performance gain can be compromised due to the degradation and failure of vertical links (VLs). The Through-Silicon-Via (TSV)-enabled VLs may fail due to workload-induced stress; the failure of a VL can affect the neighboring VLs, thereby causing a cascade of failures and reducing the lifetime of the chip. To enhance the reliability of 3D NoC-enabled manycore chips, we propose to incorporate a voltage-frequency island (VFI)-based power management strategy that helps to reduce the energy consumption and hence, the workload-induced stress of the highly utilized VLs. The adopted power-management strategy relies on control decisions about the voltage/frequency (V/F) levels on VLs. We demonstrate that compared to the well-known spare TSV allocation and adaptive routing strategies, power management is more effective in enhancing the reliability of a 3D NoC. VFI-based power management improves the reliability of the 3D NoC by one order of magnitude compared to both adaptive routing and spare allocation while running popular SPLASH-2 and PARSEC benchmarks. The principal benefit of power management is that it is capable of reducing the operating temperature of the system, which in turn enhances the Mean-Time-To-Failure (MTTF) of the VLs and reliability of the overall 3D NoC.
Memristor-based perceptron classifier: increasing complexity and coping with imperfect hardware

We experimentally demonstrate classification of 4×4 binary images into 4 classes, using a 3-layer mixed-signal neuromorphic network (“MLP perceptron”), based on two passive 20×20 memristive crossbar arrays, board-integrated with discrete CMOS components. The network features 10 hidden-layer and 4 output-layer analog CMOS neurons and 428 metal-oxide memristors, i.e. is almost an order of magnitude more complex than any previously reported functional passive (0T1R) memristor classifier. Moreover, the inference operation of this classifier is performed entirely in the integrated hardware. To deal with larger crossbar arrays, we have developed a semiautomatic approach to their forming and testing, and compared several memristor training schemes for coping with imperfect behavior of these devices, as well as with variability of analog CMOS neurons. The effectiveness of the proposed schemes for defect and variation tolerance was verified experimentally using the implemented network and, additionally, by modeling the operation of a larger network, with 300 hidden-layer neurons, on the MNIST benchmark. Finally, we propose a simple modification of the implemented memristor-based vector-by-matrix multiplier to allow its operation in a wider temperature range.
Influences on farmer and rancher interest in supplying woody biomass for energy in the US Northern Great Plains

State and federal policy targets for renewable energy production in the US have prompted investigations into the feasibility of different biomass feedstock types for use in transportation fuels or electricity production. Woody biomass systems can be integrated strategically within agricultural systems for multifunctional benefits while building regional biomass supply capacity. In order to assess the potential for biomass-based bioenergy, it is essential to characterize the interest that potential suppliers have in such an endeavor. In the US Northern Great Plains region (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas), this begins with assessing relevant perceptions of farmers and ranchers. Results from a 2014 survey of farm and ranch operators managing agriculturally marginal farmland indicated that 61% of operators have some degree of interest in woody biomass production. An ordered probit regression was utilized to further investigate how farm system attributes, individual farmer/rancher characteristics, relevant attitudes, knowledge, and perceived constraints affect interest. This study highlights attributes of operators who are most likely to be early adopters of a woody biomass crop and has implications for the development of relevant policy initiatives and management practices.
Does Citizen Participation Matter to Performance-Based Budgeting?

According to the meta-analysis on performance budgeting theory and practice, the relationship between citizens’ role and performance-based budgeting is an important but under-researched topic. Miss...
Extent of regional lymph node surgery and impact on outcomes in patients with early-stage breast cancer and limited axillary disease undergoing mastectomy.

Management of the axilla in patients with early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) has evolved. Recent trials support less extensive axillary surgery in patients undergoing mastectomy. We examine factors affecting regional lymph node (RLN) surgery and outcomes in patients with ESBC undergoing mastectomy. Women with clinical T1/2 N0 M0 invasive BC who underwent mastectomy with 1–2 positive nodes were selected from the National Cancer Database (2004–2015). Axillary surgery was defined by number of RLNs examined: 1–5 sentinel LN dissection (SLND), and ≥ 10 axillary LND (ALND). Binary logistic regression and survival analyses were performed to assess the association between axillary surgery and clinical characteristics, and overall survival (OS), respectively. 34,243 patients were included: 13,821 SLND (40%) and 20,422 ALND (60%). SLND significantly increased from 21% (2004) to 45% (2015) (p < .001). Independent factors associated with SLND were treatment year, non-Academic centers, geographic region, tumor histology, and postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). Multivariable survival analysis showed that ALND was associated with better OS (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.72–0.83, p < .001) relative to SLND; however, there was no difference in patients with LN micrometastases treated without RT (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.73–1.05, p = .153) or patients receiving PMRT (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.76–1.13, p = .433). SLND has significantly increased in patients undergoing mastectomy with limited axillary disease and is influenced by patient, tumor, and treatment factors. Survival outcomes did not differ by axillary treatment for patients with LN micrometastases treated without RT or patients who received PMRT. SLND may be considered in select patients with ESBC and limited axillary disease undergoing mastectomy.
Effect of silver from cloud seeding on rumen microbial function

Hazards of Ag from weather modification to micro-organisms of the rumen were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Silver iodide complexes at a concentration of 38 ppm of Ag in dry alfalfa substrate did not affect substrate digestion in vitro. Inhibition of rumen microbial digestion was noted with 100 or more ppm of Ag, as Ag NO3, in an in vitro fermentation system. A chronic intake of 1 ppm of Ag in dry-matter intake did not produce gradual accumulation of Ag in the rumens of two goats. Silver passed from a goat rumen with a half time of 1.3 days. In two in vivo trials, neither suspensions of AgI complexes simulating 1 ppm of Ag in dry food intake nor solutions of AgNO3 simulating 100 ppm of Ag in dry food intake inhibited rumen digestion rates. An abundance of chloride ions, proteins, bacteria and other organic matter precludes persistence of Ag ions in the rumen. Based on these results, Ag in forages in areas where clouds are seeded with AgI complexes, including areas near AgI generators, where forages rarely contain more than 1 ppm of Ag in dry matter, will not affect rumen microbial digestion.
Quantitation of Platelet Consumption in Health and Disease

The cloning of platelet receptors (glycoproteins) by recombinant-DNA technology and blocking the receptor functions by monoclonal antibodies, platelet consumption in health and diseases is being understood at a molecular level. The platelet survival times in healthy volunteers and patients were determined with three markers: 51Cr-disodium chromate in ACD-plasma, 111In-oxine in ACD-saline and 111In-tropolone in ACD-saline and ACD-plasma media. Difference found between 51Cr and lllIn labels can be attributed to a variation in localization of the label on the subcellular components and renal handling of the label after release. The mean platelet survival time with 51Cr was slightly longer than 111In and showed a sex difference not seen with 111In-oxine. Protein bound plasma 51Cr was lower than plasma 111In and remained constant throughout the study. Plasma 111In increased with time and correction by subtraction of free 111In from blood radioactivity is necessary. Both In-markers gave similar survival time and biodistribution; elaborate plasma labeling with 111In-tropolone showed no measurable advantage. The contribution of platelets and clotting factors in thrombosis on cardiovascular diseases, prostheses and the effect of platelet-inhibitors, anticoagulants and plasminogen-activators on the dynamics and organization of adherent thrombus, had been evaluated with several radiolabeled tracers. The platelet consumption by the three processes, phagocytosis, thrombosis and fragmentation could be quantitatively evaluated with radiolabeling, platelet kinetics, imaging with a gamma camera, flow-cytometry and autoradiography.
Klinik der postoperativen Störungen des N-Metabolismus und des Elektrolythaushaltes

Es gibt keine Storung des Stickstoffmetabolismus und Elektrolythaushaltes, die nicht auch den postoperativen Verlauf komplizieren konnte.
Patterns of Asian American Intermarriage and Marital Assimilation

The significance of intermarriage in the assimilation of Asians in the United States was examined using data based on the 1980 Population Census of the United States. Ethnic differentials in interm...
Limited Intragenerational Mobility of Surgical Caseload of Iowa Hospitals

We previously calculated the Gini index for 121 Iowa hospitals over the ten-year period 2007-2016. The Gini index is a statistic used in economics to assess difference in the distribution of wealth among groups. We reported a high degree of “inequality” among hospitals. In this paper, we extend this work by calculating the intragenerational mobility for the hospitals present in 2007-2008 and 2015-2016. Whereas in economics intragenerational mobility often is measured as changes in income over time within a group, we study changes in hospitals’ surgical caseloads. Intragenerational mobility was quantified using the Spearman rank correlation, the slope of the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression line in the log scale, and the Shorrocks trace index. The results were consistent across the three measures. There was a low degree of mobility for the surgical caseloads of the hospitals during the 10-year period under study. For example, based on the slope of the OLS regression, intragenerational mobility was not significantly different from zero (P > 0.05). None (0%) of the 113 hospitals with at least 10 cases both periods increased from the 1st to 5th quintile, 1st to 4th quintile, 2nd to 5th quintile, 2nd to 4th quintile, or even from 3rd to 5th quintile. The results show the importance of hospitals not investing irrationally based on false hope of surgical growth.
Concurrent Engineering for Composites

Faced with increasing global competitiveness, the issues of high costs, product robustness, and long lead times associated with product development are emerging in forefront of the problems facing American industry. It is increasingly clear that a significant (70–80%) percentage of system life cycle costs are committed during the phase of concept development and this is of special significance in composites were design decisions are highly coupled. The continued growth of composites is thus dependant on both development of low–cost fabrication technologies and adoption of the philosophy of concurrent engineering. It is essential that the early decisions are made based on the integration of all phases of product development. In this paper we discuss the need for concurrent engineering methodology for composites, and present framework for such an approach.
Arteriovenous Fistula of the Filum Terminale: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background Fistulas of the filum terminale are rare lesions that result from a fistulous connection between the artery and vein of the filum terminale. These lesions often present as progressive thoracic myelopathy secondary to venous hypertension that is transmitted to the coronal venous plexus of the spinal cord. Frequently, filum fistulas will be associated with lumbar stenosis and likely form as a result of chronic inflammation and compression. However, owing to the relative rarity of filum fistulas and the commonality of lumbar stenosis, the presence of a filum fistula could be overlooked or misdiagnosed. Case Description We have presented the case of a 62-year-old man with severe lumbar stenosis who had presented with progressive thoracic myelopathy. The evaluation, including spinal angiography, identified a low-flow arteriovenous fistula within the filum terminale that was successfully treated with microsurgical obliteration. The patient tolerated the procedure well, with good functional recovery within 1 month. Conclusion Just as was the case with our patient, these lesions demonstrate a high association with lumbar stenosis and tethered or tight cord syndrome. We reviewed the clinical presentation, imaging findings, surgical management, and possible mechanisms of development for these rarely encountered fistulas.
Intraoperative assessment of mitral valve repair: Validation of the saline test with nonresectional repair techniques.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Intraoperative assessment of the repaired mitral valve (MV) by saline testing is a standard maneuver in MV repair. Despite a growing interest in application of nonresectional techniques, the utility of the saline test following repair with neochordae has not been systematically assessed. We sought to determine the accuracy of the saline test following MV repair using nonresectional techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS We included 25 adult patients undergoing MV repair for degenerative valve disease between November 2018 and February 2019. The surgical repair was performed using nonresectional techniques with neochordae either through a sternotomy or a robotic approach. RESULTS Twenty-five patients underwent successful MV repair, all with excellent echocardiographic results. In four patients (16%), the saline test suggested discrete areas of leaflet malcoaptation and leakage, leading to additional repair maneuvers. In 16 patients (64%), the final saline test demonstrated excellent coaptation with little or no leak. In nine patients (36%), the final saline test was inconclusive (ventricle could not be filled) or poor (diffuse leak). Post-repair intraoperative echocardiography demonstrated no or trivial mitral regurgitation in all patients, and no patient required a second pump run. CONCLUSION After repair with neochordae, a satisfactory saline test indicates a good repair and discrete leaks on the saline test suggest the need for further surgical maneuvers. If the surgeon has employed standard repair techniques using neochordae but the saline test is inconclusive or poor, additional repair maneuvers are generally unnecessary, as intraoperative echocardiography will usually demonstrate a good repair.
Exploration of CCA-added RNAs revealed the expression of mitochondrial non-coding RNAs regulated by CCA-adding enzyme.

ABSTRACTPost-transcriptional non-template additions of nucleotides to 3′-ends of RNAs play important roles in the stability and function of RNA molecules. Although tRNA nucleotidyltransferase (CCA-...
IoT-Based Electric Vehicle State Estimation and Control Algorithms Under Cyber Attacks

In order to provide intelligent services, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) facilitates millions of smart devices to be enabled with network connectivity to sense, collect, process, and exchange information. Based on the communication infrastructure, the IoT can allow cyber-physical devices, such as an electric vehicle, to sense, monitor, and control from the remote control center in real time. Unfortunately, the traditional communication infrastructure is vulnerable to cyber attacks, so it is a challenging task for the IoT to explore these applications. In order to overcome the problem, this article proposes an algorithm for monitoring and controlling the electric vehicle using the IoT communication network considering false data-injection attacks. First, the driverless electric vehicle with onboard vision system is represented by a state-space framework. As the electric vehicle and monitoring control center are far away, the IoT-embedded smart sensors and actuators are used to measure and control the system states. The vehicle sensing information is transmitted to the control center over an unreliable communication channel where attacks happen. Based on the mean square error principle, the optimal state estimation algorithm is derived to know and visualize the vehicle states. In order to regulate the vehicle states, the optimal control algorithm is designed based on the semidefinite programming approach. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithms are able to properly estimate and regulate the vehicle states within a short period of time.
The Association Between Neighborhood Socioeconomic and Housing Characteristics with Hospitalization: Results of a National Study of Veterans.

Background: Social determinants of health (SDOH) have an inextricable impact on health. If remained unaddressed, poor SDOH can contribute to increased health care utilization and costs. We aimed to determine if geographically derived neighborhood level SDOH had an impact on hospitalization rates of patients receiving care at the Veterans Health Administration9s (VHA) primary care clinics. Methods: In a 1-year observational cohort of veterans enrolled in VHA9s primary care medical home program during 2015, we abstracted data on individual veterans (age, sex, race, Gagne comorbidity score) from the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse and linked those data to data on neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) and housing characteristics from the US Census Bureau on census tract level. We used generalized estimating equation modeling and spatial-based analysis to assess the potential impact of patient-level demographic and clinical factors, NSES, and local housing stock (ie, housing instability, home vacancy rate, percentage of houses with no plumbing, and percentage of houses with no heating) on hospitalization. We defined hospitalization as an overnight stay in a VHA hospital only and reported the risk of hospitalization for veterans enrolled in the VHA9s primary care medical home clinics, both across the nation and within 1 specific case study region of the country: King County, WA. Results: Nationally, 6.63% of our veteran population was hospitalized within the VHA system. After accounting for patient-level characteristics, veterans residing in census tracts with a higher NSES index had decreased odds of hospitalization. After controlling all other factors, veterans residing in census tracts with higher percentage of houses without heating had 9% (Odds Ratio, 1.09%; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.14) increase in the likelihood of hospitalization in our regional Washington State analysis, though not our national level analyses. Conclusions: Our results present the impact of neighborhood characteristics such as NSES and lack of proper heating system on the likelihood of hospitalization. The application of placed-based data at the geographic level is a powerful tool for identification of patients at high risk of health care utilization.
Multidrug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: Resistance by Any Other Name Would Still be Hard to Treat

Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) is an infamous nosocomial pathogen with a seemingly limitless capacity for antimicrobial resistance, leading to few treatment options and poor clinical outcomes. The debatably low pathogenicity and virulence of AB are juxtaposed by its exceptionally high rate of infection-related mortality, likely due to delays in time to effective antimicrobial therapy secondary to its predilection for resistance to first-line agents. Recent studies of AB and its infections have led to a burgeoning understanding of this critical microbial threat and provided clinicians with new ammunition for which to target this elusive pathogen. This review will provide an update on the virulence, resistance, diagnosis, and treatment of multidrug resistant (MDR) AB. Advances in bacterial genomics have led to a deeper understanding of the unique mechanisms of resistance often present in MDR AB and how they may be exploited by new antimicrobials or optimized combinations of existing agents. Further, improvements in rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and their more pervasive use in combination with antimicrobial stewardship interventions have allowed for more rapid diagnosis of AB and decreases in time to effective therapy. Unfortunately, there remains a paucity of high-quality clinical data for which to inform the optimal treatment of MDR AB infections. In fact, recently completed studies have failed to identify a combination regimen that is consistently superior to monotherapy, despite the benefits demonstrated in vitro. Encouragingly, new and updated guidelines offer strategies for the treatment of MDR AB and may help to harmonize the use of high toxicity agents such as the polymyxins. Finally, new antimicrobial agents such as eravacycline and cefiderocol have promising in vitro activity against MDR AB but their place in therapy for these infections remains to be determined. Notwithstanding available clinical trial data, polymyxin-based combination therapies with either a carbapenem, minocycline, or eravacycline remain the treatment of choice for MDR, particularly carbapenem-resistant, AB. Incorporating antimicrobial stewardship intervention with RDTs relevant to MDR AB can help avoid potentially toxic combination therapies and catalyze the most important modifiable risk factor for mortality—time to effective therapy. Further research efforts into pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic-based dose optimization and clinical outcomes data for MDR AB continue to be desperately needed.
Functional principal component based time-series genome-wide association in sorghum

The phenotypes of plants develop over time and change in response to the environment. New engineering and computer vision technologies track phenotypic change over time. Identifying genetic loci regulating differences in the pattern of phenotypic change remains challenging. In this study we used functional principal component analysis (FPCA) to achieve this aim. Time-series phenotype data was collected from a sorghum diversity panel using a number of technologies including RGB and hyperspectral imaging. Imaging lasted for thirty-seven days centered on reproductive transition. A new higher density SNP set was generated for the same population. Several genes known to controlling trait variation in sorghum have been cloned and characterized. These genes were not confidently identified in genome-wide association analyses at single time points. However, FPCA successfully identified the same known and characterized genes. FPCA analyses partitioned the role these genes play in controlling phenotype. Partitioning was consistent with the known molecular function of the individual cloned genes. FPCA-based genome-wide association studies can enable robust time-series mapping analyses in a wide range of contexts. Time-series analysis can increase the accuracy and power of quantitative genetic analyses.
Impaired Immune Health in Survivors of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

PURPOSETherapeutic advances for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have led to an increasing number of survivors. Both DLBCL and its treatments perturb the immune system, yet little is known abo...