cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automating engineering with a domain-specific language and a code generator

The following is an industry experience on using well established concepts, domain-specific language and code generation, to automate the engineering process of sub-system interactions. A domain-specific language was used to improve the communication efficiency among several teams of engineers. A code generator transforms the models formed for communicating into executables that process data. While, the savings in terms of man-effort and schedule-time were high, the single point of failure is end-user adoption. Adoption failure was attributed to two factors: One, the distance between the end-user and the realized benefit. Two, the amount the end-user had to change (become proficient in skills outside of their discipline). In our experience, the lack of an appropriate editor was the dominate cause to both factors in adoption failure.
Synthetic Nucleic Acid Delivery Systems: Present and Perspectives

Self-assembled synthetic gene delivery systems represent the bottom-up approach to gene delivery and gene silencing, in which scientists are designing novel cationic and procationic amphiphiles that can pack, transport, and deliver nucleic acids to various targets in the body in a controlled manner. These supramolecular assemblies are safer than viruses, but they are lagging behind them in efficiency. We are presenting recent progress that has narrowed this gap through better understanding the delivery barriers and incorporation of this knowledge in the design of novel synthetic amphiphiles, formulations, and revolutionary screening and optimization processes. Structure–properties and structure–activity relationships were drawn within each amphiphile class, presenting the cellular and animal models used to generate them. We are also revealing pertinent in vitro/in vivo correlations that emphasize promising amphiphiles and successful formulation optimization efforts for efficient in vivo nucleic acid deliv...
Serum Immunoglobulins and Lymphocyte Subsets in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The concentrations of serum immunoglobulins were correlated to the stage of disease and the proportions of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in 25 untreated patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Diminished levels of at least one serum immunoglobulin were present in 77% of all patients with CLL and 73% of patients with Stage 0 disease. The mean concentration of IgG, IgM, and IgA decreased with advancing stage of CLL. The percentages of total T, T-helper (TH), and T-suppressor (TS) cells in the peripheral blood were less in patients with CLL than in healthy persons, but the absolute concentrations of total T, TH, and TS cells were greater in patients with CLL than controls (P less than 0.02). The absolute number of B-cells (P less than 0.01) and null cells (P less than 0.001) was also increased in patients with CLL, particularly those patients in advanced stages of CLL. These findings suggest that the hypogammaglobulinemia associated with CLL first occurs during the earliest stage of disease and may be related to the alterations in the proportion of peripheral blood lymphocytes.
An automated deformable image registration evaluation of confidence tool

Deformable image registration (DIR) is a powerful tool for radiation oncology, but it can produce errors. Beyond this, DIR accuracy is not a fixed quantity and varies on a case-by-case basis. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of an automated program to create a patient- and voxel-specific evaluation of DIR accuracy. AUTODIRECT is a software tool that was developed to perform this evaluation for the application of a clinical DIR algorithm to a set of patient images. In brief, AUTODIRECT uses algorithms to generate deformations and applies them to these images (along with processing) to generate sets of test images, with known deformations that are similar to the actual ones and with realistic noise properties. The clinical DIR algorithm is applied to these test image sets (currently 4). From these tests, AUTODIRECT generates spatial and dose uncertainty estimates for each image voxel based on a Student's t distribution. In this study, four commercially available DIR algorithms were used to deform a dose distribution associated with a virtual pelvic phantom image set, and AUTODIRECT was used to generate dose uncertainty estimates for each deformation. The virtual phantom image set has a known ground-truth deformation, so the true dose-warping errors of the DIR algorithms were also known. AUTODIRECT predicted error patterns that closely matched the actual error spatial distribution. On average AUTODIRECT overestimated the magnitude of the dose errors, but tuning the AUTODIRECT algorithms should improve agreement. This proof-of-principle test demonstrates the potential for the AUTODIRECT algorithm as an empirical method to predict DIR errors.
Comment on “A New Measure of Predictor Variable Importance in Multiple Regression”

The δi2 measure suggested by Green, Carroll, and DeSarbo for measuring the importance of individual independent variables in multiple regression is shown to involve exactly the same types of shortc...
The Box-Wetz Criterion Versus R2

SUMMARY The square of the multiple correlation coefficient in a regression fit, R2, can be made small simply by increasing the number of repeat data points. It is argued here that R2 is misleading in such cases, and that the Box-Wetz (1973) criterion, and a simpler but essentially equivalent criterion, are not.
A polygonal approximation for unsteady state diffusion of oxygen into hemoglobin solutions.

Several authors have grappled with the problem of developing methods for conveniently calculating the rate of oxygen transfer into a film of whole blood. The problem is very difficult because blood is a heterogeneous fluid and also the hemoglobin-oxygen reaction is so complex. In order to obtain manageable analytical equations one is forced to assume that blood is a homogeneous fluid and that the saturation of hemoglobin is determined by equilibrium with the local dissolved oxygen concentration. One might question whether the latter assumption is valid, especially in situations where the blood film is exposed to a new gas environment for very short periods of time as in the disc oxygenator. Even if changes in oxygen concentration are occurring slowly enough so that one might assume that hemoglobin is in chemical equilibrium with the local oxygen concentration, there is still a problem of obtaining an approximation for the nonlinear oxygen hemoglobin saturation curve that can be used to generate valid analytical expressions for the unsteady state oxygenation process.
Rehabilitation of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common diseases capable of producing severe disability in the young adult population. In fact, only rheumatic disorders and trauma exceed MS in this respect. Because the total population of patients in the United States is probably 250,000 to 500,000 and as a substantial number suffer severe disability, MS is a disease of considerable social and economic impact. The authors discuss the treatment of many of the most troubling symptoms of MS, including disorders of gait, bladder and bowel, upper extremities, speech, and deglutition. Such treatment entails careful assessment of the patient’s neurologic and other symptoms; knowledge of his or her intellectual, emotional, and social skills and demands; and an understanding of the patient’s support network.
Spectrum of renal pathology in 100 selected children with nephrotic syndrome.

The study includes 100 renal biopsies from an equal number of patients referred to us with nephrotic syndrome (NS). Their ages ranged from one month to 13 years (medial five years) and included 59 ...
Philinidae, Laonidae and Philinorbidae (Gastropoda: Cephalaspidea: Philinoidea) from the northeastern Pacific Ocean and the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean).

Based on morphological data a total of nine native species of Philinidae are recognized from the northeastern Pacific including the Bering Sea and the adjacent Arctic Ocean (Beaufort Sea). Four of them have been previously described: Philine ornatissima Yokoyama, 1927, Philine bakeri Dall, 1919, Philine polystrigma (Dall, 1908), and Philine hemphilli Dall, 1919. Five of them are new and described herein: Philine mcleani sp. nov., Philine baxteri sp. nov., Philine malaquiasi sp. nov., Philine wareni sp. nov., and Philine harrisae sp. nov. These species display a substantial degree of variation in internal and external morphological traits (i.e., presence/absence of gizzard plates, different radular structure and tooth morphology, various reproductive anatomical features) and it is likely that they belong to different clades (genera). However, in the absence of a comprehensive phylogeny for Philine, they are here provisionally regarded as Philine sensu lato. In addition to the nine native species, two introduced species: Philine orientalis A. Adams, 1854 and Philine auriformis Suter, 1909 are here illustrated and compared to the native species to facilitate identification. Finally, two species previously considered members of Philinidae are examined anatomically and confirmed as members of Laonidae, Laona californica (Willett, 1944) and Philinorbidae, Philinorbis albus (Mattox, 1958), based on morphological data.
Referent Tracking for Corporate Memories

For corporate memory and enterprise ontology systems to be maximally useful, they must be freed from certain barriers placed around them by traditional knowledge management paradigms. This means, above all, that they must mirror more faithfully those portions of reality which are salient to the workings of the enterprise, including the changes that occur with the passage of time. The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how theories based on philosophical realism can contribute to this objective. We discuss how realism-based ontologies (capturing what is generic) combined with referent tracking (capturing what is specific) can play a key role in building the robust and useful corporate memories of the future.
Breast Cancer in Male Adolescents and Young Adults

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in female adolescent and young adults (AYA; age 15–39 years). However, few data exist detailing either in situ or invasive breast cancer in male AYAs. All male AYA breast cancer cases were identified in the National Cancer Data Base (1998–2010). Demographics, tumor, and treatment predictors of overall survival (OS) were determined for both patients with in situ and invasive tumors. Of 677 male AYAs, 122 patients (18 %) had in situ breast cancer, while 555 patients (82 %) were found to have invasive breast cancer. Compared to in situ breast cancer, invasive breast cancer in male AYAs was less likely to occur in patients with private or managed care insurance (p = 0.003) or <20 years of age (p = 0.028). In patients with invasive breast cancer, lower OS was associated with age ≤25 years (p = 0.006), black race (p = 0.018), not having Medicaid/Medicare/government/military insurance (p < 0.001), the lowest socioeconomic status (p = 0.001), higher overall stage (p < 0.001), T stage (p < 0.001), nodal stage (p < 0.001), and M stage (p < 0.001), as well as not having any surgery (p < 0.001) or nodal evaluation at surgery (p < 0.001). After controlling for competing factors, only age ≤25 years (hazard ratio 3.064, 95 % confidence interval 1.216–7.720) and not having nodal evaluation (hazard ratio 3.070, 95 % confidence interval 1.423–6.626) predicted decreased OS. Younger age and not having nodal evaluation at the time of surgery are associated with decreased OS in AYA male patients with invasive cancer. This highlights the need to perform axillary node sampling through sentinel node biopsy at the time of mastectomy in these young male patients.
Spatial acuity modulation of an address-event imager

We have implemented a foveated vision system that uses an 80/spl times/60 address-event neuromorphic image sensor. Its effective spatial acuity is varied throughout the visual field to use bandwidth more efficiently. Low resolution pixels are created by pooling spikes from neighboring photoreceptors using overlapping Gaussian kernels. The pooling is effected by routing address-events through a memory-based projective field mapping, and new pixels are created by summing inputs on an array of integrate-and-fire neurons. The fovea can be relocated without physically moving the imager by performing a simple computation in the address domain. We provide an example of the system in operation and compute a figure of merit to quantify foveation savings.
Dual X/Ka-band corrugated feed horn for deep space telecommunications

A dual X/Ka-band corrugated feed horn has been developed for deep space telecommunications. The feed horn geometry uses a spline-based profile with dual-depth corrugations where the X-band signal is injected by a set of four transverse rectangular waveguides. The geometry of the horn is optimized to have the same pattern shape and collocated phase centers at all frequencies of interest.
Interfacing Graphene for Electrochemical Biosensing

The integration of carbon-based materials to bridge the biological and electronic worlds has fundamentally changed the understanding of how to generate functional bioelectronic devices, including biosensors, biofuel cells and bioactuators, and also opened up a new window for the future of bioelectronics.
Diagnostic Utility of Ultrasound in Diagnosis of Carpal Tunell Syndrome (P4.079)

Objective: To assess the utility of using ultrasound for the detection of carpal tunnel syndrome. Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most frequent entrapment neuropathy and a common reason for referral to electrodiagnostic (EDx) laboratories. Median nerve ultrasound (US) is now used as an adjunct diagnostic tool. Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients who presented to the Duke EMG lab over 2013-2014 with a final diagnosis of CTS identified through the Duke Elecromyography Laboratory database (ELMS). Accompanying EMG findings, US findings and patient demographics were reviewed. US diagnosis of CTS was based upon median nerve cross-sectional area of >9mm 2 or wrist-to-forearm ratio of >1.4. EDx testing was considered the gold standard for diagnosis of CTS. Results: A total of 1,021 patients and 2,042 extremities were studied. 1,425 extremities carried a final diagnosis of CTS. Of these, 1,405 extremities were examined using both US and EDx studies. The mean age of patients was 56.6 +/- 15 years. Mean BMI was 31.8 +/- 8. The most commonly associated comorbidities were hypothyroidism (47.6[percnt]), followed by diabetes mellitus (41.7[percnt]). Of the 1,405 extremities examined, US was detected CTS in 97.6[percnt] of the extremities. US was positive in 94.3[percnt] of EDx confirmed CTS. 3.3[percnt] of patients had a positive US but normal EDx studies. Conclusions: Median nerve US is nearly as sensitive as EDx testing for the diagnosis of CTS. US may also have added value in detecting CTS in a select number of patients where EDx studies remain normal. Large prospective trials are needed to examine this question. Disclosure: Dr. Billakota has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hobson-Webb has received personal compensation for activities with Genzyme and Sanofi for speaking. Dr. Hobson-Webb holds stock and/or stock options in Aerpio Therapeutics. Dr. Hobson-Webb has received research support from Valerion Therapuetics and C
Epitaxial NixPd1-x (111) Alloy Substrates with Continuously Tunable Lattice Constants for 2D Materials Growth.

Epitaxial strain can be a powerful parameter for directing the growth of thin films. Unfortunately, conventional materials only offer discrete choices for setting the lattice strain. In this work, it is demonstrated that epitaxial growth of transition metal alloy solid solutions can provide thermally stable, high-quality growth substrates with continuously tunable lattice constants. Molecular beam epitaxy was used to grow NixPd1–x(111) alloy films with lattice constants between 3.61 and 3.89 A on the hexagonal (0001) basal planes of α-Al2O3 and Cr2O3 (grown as epitaxial films on α-Al2O3 (0001)). The Cr2O3 acted as an adhesion layer, which not only improved the high-temperature stability of the films but also produced single-domain films with NixPd1–x [112] parallel to Cr2O3 [1120], in contrast to growth on α-Al2O3 that yielded twinned films. Surface characterization by electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) as well as bulk X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the films are sui...
Comparison of five elastin histochemical stains to identify pulmonary small vasculature

AbstractOptimization of an elastic tissue histochemical stain to enable clear, crisp visualization and quantification of pulmonary small vasculature is central to the histomorphologic quantitation of pulmonary vasculature wall thickness. To accomplish elastic tissue histochemical stain optimization, five histochemical elastin stains were compared to identify the internal and external elastic laminae of small arteries (50–100 μm in external diameter) to very small intra-acinar vessels (10–50 μm in external diameter) in rat lung tissue sections. The five elastin stains included: a modified Verhoeff’s elastin stain, Miller’s elastic van Gieson, and three modifications of the Miller’s stain. The Miller elastin stain is a progressive procedure that does not require a differentiation step, thus enabling consistency and reliability of staining from slide to slide. A modified Miller’s histochemical staining methodology successfully highlighted the pulmonary small caliber vasculature wall thickness. The modified m...
The genetic breakdown of sporophytic self-incompatibility in Tolpis coronopifolia (Asteraceae).

Angiosperm diversity has been shaped by mating system evolution, with the most common transition from outcrossing to self-fertilizing. To investigate the genetic basis of this transition, we performed crosses between two species endemic to the Canary Islands, the self-compatible (SC) species Tolpis coronopifolia and its self-incompatible (SI) relative Tolpis santosii. We scored self-compatibility as self-seed set of recombinant plants within two F2 populations. To map and genetically characterize the breakdown of SI, we built a draft genome sequence of T. coronopifolia, genotyped F2 plants using multiplexed shotgun genotyping (MSG), and located MSG markers to the genome sequence. We identified a single quantitative trait locus (QTL) that explains nearly all variation in self-seed set in both F2 populations. To identify putative causal genetic variants within the QTL, we performed transcriptome sequencing on mature floral tissue from both SI and SC species, constructed a transcriptome for each species, and then located each predicted transcript to the T. coronopifolia genome sequence. We annotated each predicted gene within the QTL and found two strong candidates for SI breakdown. Each gene has a coding sequence insertion/deletion mutation within the SC species that produces a truncated protein. Homologs of each gene have been implicated in pollen development, pollen germination, and pollen tube growth in other species.
Force and form: properties of gases, liquids, and solids

There are therefore Agents in Nature able to make the Particles of Bodies stick together by very strong Attractions. And it is the Business of experimental Philosophy to find them out.
Modulation of Escherichia coli UvrD Single-Stranded DNA Translocation by DNA Base Composition

Escherichia coli UvrD is an SF1A DNA helicase/translocase that functions in chromosomal DNA repair and replication of some plasmids. UvrD can also displace proteins such as RecA from DNA in its capacity as an anti-recombinase. Central to all of these activities is its ATP-driven 3'-5' single-stranded (ss) DNA translocation activity. Previous ensemble transient kinetic studies have estimated the average translocation rate of a UvrD monomer on ssDNA composed solely of deoxythymidylates. Here we show that the rate of UvrD monomer translocation along ssDNA is influenced by DNA base composition, with UvrD having the fastest rate along polypyrimidines although decreasing nearly twofold on ssDNA containing equal amounts of the four bases. Experiments with DNA containing abasic sites and polyethylene glycol spacers show that the ssDNA base also influences translocation processivity. These results indicate that changes in base composition and backbone insertions influence the translocation rates, with increased ssDNA base stacking correlated with decreased translocation rates, supporting the proposal that base-stacking interactions are involved in the translocation mechanism.
Deep Adversarial Learning for Multi-Modality Missing Data Completion

Multi-modality data are widely used in clinical applications, such as tumor detection and brain disease diagnosis. Different modalities can usually provide complementary information, which commonly leads to improved performance. However, some modalities are commonly missing for some subjects due to various technical and practical reasons. As a result, multi-modality data are usually incomplete, raising the multi-modality missing data completion problem. In this work, we formulate the problem as a conditional image generation task and propose an encoder-decoder deep neural network to tackle this problem. Specifically, the model takes the existing modality as input and generates the missing modality. By employing an auxiliary adversarial loss, our model is able to generate high-quality missing modality images. At the same time, we propose to incorporate the available category information of subjects in training to enable the model to generate more informative images. We evaluate our method on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative~(ADNI) database, where positron emission tomography~(PET) modalities are missing. Experimental results show that the trained network can generate high-quality PET modalities based on existing magnetic resonance imaging~(MRI) modalities, and provide complementary information to improve the detection and tracking of the Alzheimer's disease. Our results also show that the proposed methods generate higher quality images than baseline methods as measured by various image quality statistics.
Computer Storage and Manipulation of Data

The computer is a tool for a variety of applications. The statistical applications include storage, manipulation, and presentation of data. The data may be numbers, text, or images. For each type of data, there are several ways of coding that can be used to store the data, and specific ways the data may be manipulated.
Anonymized Reachability of Hybrid Automata Networks

In this paper, we present a method for computing the set of reachable states for networks consisting of the parallel composition of a finite number of the same hybrid automaton template with rectangular dynamics. The method utilizes a symmetric representation of the set of reachable states (modulo the automata indices) that we call anonymized states, which makes it scalable. Rather than explicitly enumerating each automaton index in formulas representing sets of states, the anonymized representation encodes only: (a) the classes of automata, which are the states of automata represented with formulas over symbolic indices, and (b) the number of automata in each of the classes. We present an algorithm for overapproximating the reachable states by computing state transitions in this anonymized representation. Unlike symmetry reduction techniques used in finite state models, the timed transition of a network composed of hybrid automata causes the continuous variables of all the automata to evolve simultaneously. The anonymized representation is amenable to both reducing the discrete and continuous complexity. We evaluate a prototype implementation of the representation and reachability algorithm in our satisfiability modulo theories (SMT)-based tool, Passel. Our experimental results are promising, and generally allow for scaling to networks composed of tens of automata, and in some instances, hundreds (or more) of automata.
Moral Aspects of Executive Leadership

This paper argues that the crisis in management is a crisis in leadership and that the heart of leadership is the moral challenge for managers to see themselves and others as colleagues and collaborators. The search for a new leadership paradigm is a call to foster the human spiritual dimension which respects the deepest concerns and values of everyone in the enterprise. Islamic beliefs and heritage provide a natural basis for transformational leadership and for implementing a paradigm shift which integrates spirituality and work.
Association of HIPEC with survival in patients with ovarian metastases of gastrointestinal origin.

e15124Background: Metastatic ovarian involvement in primary gastrointestinal (GI) carcinomas (CA) is associated with a poor prognosis. We performed a survival analysis in patients with ovarian meta...
#freemind: Young Women Using Mindfulness Meditation to Cope with Life in a Juvenile Justice Institution

The purpose of this study was to introduce mindfulness meditation, a recommended adjunctive treatment for trauma in juvenile justice-involved youth, to incarcerated young women and collect narrative commentary about their experiences to answer the following research questions: What is the experience of incarcerated young women who participate in Internet-based mindfulness meditation classes? How do incarcerated young women apply mindfulness meditation to life in a juvenile justice facility? Participants attended bi-weekly guided meditation sessions and wrote about their experiences after each session in a journal. Three coders used open-coding content analysis to identify topics and themes across 38 journal entries. The primary theme, found in 61% of entries, described the difficulties of living in a juvenile justice facility, providing context for the descriptions found in 58% of entries regarding the usefulness of mindfulness meditation to cope with those difficulties. This study highlights the challenges of living in a correctional institution as a young woman and the barriers such settings pose to the wellbeing and healthy development of their residents. It also points to mindfulness meditation as an operative method of supporting these highly traumatized young women until that time when alternatives to incarceration can be identified.
Effect of the use of immediate reconstruction on the rates of bilateral mastectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy use in women with node-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy on ACOSOG Z1071 (Alliance).

1060 Background: Each treatment decision can impact other multidisciplinary treatment recommendations. Herein we evaluate the interaction of surgery, reconstruction and radiation in node-positive b...
"Point-of-Care Manufacturing": Maker Perspectives on Digital Fabrication in Medical Practice

Maker culture is on the rise in healthcare with the adoption of consumer-grade fabrication technologies. However, little is known about the activities and resources involved in prototyping medical devices to improve patient care. In this paper, we refer to such activity asmedical making to report findings based on a qualitative study of stakeholder engagement in physical prototyping (making) experiences. We examine perspectives from diverse stakeholders including clinicians, engineers, administrators, and medical researchers. Through 18 semi-structured interviews with medical-makers in the US and Canada, we analyze making activity in medical settings. We find that medical makers share strategies to address risks, adopt labor roles, and acquire resources within traditional medical practice. Our findings outline how medical-makers mitigate risks for patient safety, collaborate with local and global stakeholder networks, and overcome constraints of co-location and material practices. We recommend a clinician-aided software system, partially-open repositories, and a collaborative skill-sharing social network to extend their strategies in support of medical making.
Zealous Administration: The Deportation Bureaucracy

An agency’s culture shapes its lawmaking. Under certain conditions, agency culture dominates decisionmaking so strongly that it mutes the influence of those factors that administrative law scholars have traditionally focused on—including presidential will, judicial oversight, internal resistance, and public opinion. We call this undertheorized phenomenon “zealous administration.” The immigration enforcement bureaucracy has vast discretion to remove unauthorized immigrants from the United States. Current immigration policies—such as indiscriminate deportation, family separation, and harsh detention—represent the most prominent example of zealous administration in the federal government. This Article focuses on that bureaucracy to plumb the causes and effects of zealous administration and to explore ways to limit it. Zealous administration manifests in three principal ways. First, the agency engages in hyper-regulation—the exercise of authority in indiscriminate, pervasive, and performative modes. Second, the agency is politically resilient—it is uniquely impervious to influence from the President, pressure from other government entities, public disapproval, and internal dissent. Third, zealous administration—once it has taken root in an agency and absent some powerful intervention—will grow over time and coopt for its mission other agencies sharing the same regulatory space. The immigration enforcement bureaucracy’s zealous administration complements President Trump’s aggressive agenda, but it is not merely a product of it. Zealous administration in that bureaucracy has deep structural roots long predating the current administration. Neither the reigning presidential-control view of administrative lawmaking nor the alternative deliberative-democratic view can fully account for it. This Article fills the gap by drawing on classic public choice theory to construct a model of immigration enforcement as regulation. It concludes that taming zealous administration requires policymakers to focus on redirecting bureaucratic incentives, redesigning institutions, and expanding judicial review.
Chapter 2 – Bioaccumulation Mechanisms

Publisher Summary Discharge of large volumes of treated produced water to coastal and offshore waters results in an increase in the concentrations in the receiving waters of those chemicals that are present in the produced water at concentrations much higher than their concentrations in the ambient seawater. The major chemical components of produced water are all natural products that occur at low concentrations in seawater, marine sediments, and the tissues of marine organisms. These chemicals are taken up into the tissues of marine organisms living near the produced water discharge. The extent of this bioaccumulation depends on the concentrations and physical forms of the chemicals in the ambient water and sediments near the discharge. The form of a chemical in the environment has a marked effect on the extent to which it can be taken up into the tissues of organisms and on the extent to which it can interact with the tissues to cause various harmful biological effects in the organisms themselves and their consumers, including man.
Navigating the Culture and Context of Medicine

In recent years, medicine and healthcare has been increasingly embracing the integration of behavioral health providers working in these practice settings. Students and interns seek out fellowships and even careers in concentrated medical areas such as diabetes, opioid use, and oncology. Although several mental health disciplines teach “self of the therapist” curriculum in coursework and curriculum, this training has been largely applied to traditional psychotherapy settings. This chapter will introduce readers to some common topics and areas when entering a medical setting for the first time. Several helpful tips for entering a new setting will also be outlined at the end of the chapter. Additionally, a case vignette will highlight how a new behavioral health provider handled certain challenges with a family in practice that activated specific family of origin areas.
Overcoming barriers to adolescent vaccination: perspectives from vaccine providers in North Carolina.

To capture strategies for achieving high adolescent coverage of tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap), meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY), and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, we surv...
Simulation-based analysis of full-scale implementation of energy neutral wastewater treatment plants

Abstract Achieving an energy-positive operation is critical to meet the sustainability paradigm for wastewater management. While there is interest in developing energy positive schemes, a comprehensive analysis on full-scale implementation of such schemes is lacking. We used advanced simulation techniques to evaluate a low-energy treatment scheme capable of increasing resource recovery, while simultaneously meeting typical effluent limits (total N [TN] ≤ 3 mg/L; total P [TP] ≤ 1 mg/L). Major components of the treatment scheme include anaerobic membrane bioreactors (BOD/TSS removal), polymeric anion exchangers (P removal) and mainstream anammox process (N removal). Simulation results indicate the potential for reduction in net treatment energy requirement by about 0.46 kW h/m3 (∼ 94 %) compared to a conventional activated sludge system. Energy recovery through biogas combustion (0.29 kW h/m3) was about 90 % of the total energy required for treatment. Sludge production was reduced by 49 % using mainstream anaerobic configurations, while 55 % of the influent COD was recovered as biogas. Sensitivity analysis indicated that dominant parameters controlling energy production and consumption include temperature, influent COD, electric efficiency of combined heat and power (CHP) engine. Determination of solution space for energy self-sufficiency indicated that the proposed treatment scheme could reach a break-even point at 544 mg/L COD and 38 % electric efficiency of the CHP engine. Our analysis helped identify potential challenges for full-scale implementation and determination of operational strategies to overcome these challenges. We believe that our advanced simulation-based analysis provides a platform that utilities can apply to make decisions to achieve sustainable wastewater management.
The Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes With 5-Fluorouracil-Associated Coronary Vasospasm.

Abstract Background Coronary vasospasm is a recognized side effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). There are limited and conflicting data on the incidence, risk factors, and prognostic effect of 5-FU–associated vasospasm. Objectives This study sought to assess the incidence, risk factors, and prognostic implications of 5-FU coronary vasospasm among patients receiving 5-FU regimens at a single tertiary care center. Methods The study conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients who received 5-FU at a single academic center from January 2009 to July 2019. Vasospasm was defined as the occurrence of a typical chest pain syndrome in the presence of 5-FU. The presence of associated electrocardiogram changes or elevated biomarkers was used to further confirm the diagnosis. Patients with vasospasm were compared with patients treated with 5-FU without vasospasm in a 1:2 ratio. Data regarding demographics, medical history, and follow-up were collected by manual chart review. Results From approximately 4,019 individual patients who received 5-FU from 2009 to 2019 at a single center, 87 (2.16%) developed vasospasm. Patients who developed vasospasm were younger (age 58 ± 13 years vs. 64 ± 13 years; p = 0.001) and were less likely to have any cardiovascular risk factors (70.1% vs. 84.5%; p = 0.007). Patients with vasospasm and patients without vasospasm were otherwise similar in terms of types of cancer, stage of cancer, sex, and race. There was no significant difference in progression-free survival, overall mortality or cancer specific mortality between patients who developed vasospasm versus those who did not. Conclusions In a large, single-center report of 5-FU–associated vasospasm, patients who developed vasospasm were younger, had lower rates of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and had no significant difference in progression-free or overall survival compared with those who did not develop vasospasm.
Bariatric surgery prior to transplantation and risk of early hospital re-admission, graft failure, or death following kidney transplantation.

Bariatric surgery has been shown to be safe in the dialysis population. Whether bariatric surgery before kidney transplantation influences posttransplant outcomes has not been examined nationally. We included severely obese (BMI >35) dialysis patients between 18 and 70 years who received a kidney transplant according to the US Renal Data System. We determined the association between history of bariatric surgery and risk of 30-day readmission, graft failure, or death after transplantation using multivariable logistic, Fine-Gray, and Cox models. We included 12 573 patients, of whom 503 (4%) received bariatric surgery before transplantation. Median age at transplant was 53 years; 42% were women. Overall, history of bariatric surgery was not statistically significantly associated with graft failure (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.77-1.35) or death (HR 1.10; 95% CI 0.84-1.45). However, sleeve gastrectomy (vs. no bariatric surgery) was associated with lower risk of graft failure (HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.16-0.95). In conclusion, history of bariatric surgery prior to kidney transplantation was not associated with allograft or patient survival, but findings varied by surgery type. Sleeve gastrectomy was associated with better graft survival and should be considered in severely obese transplant candidates receiving dialysis.
A data-driven approach to classifying daily continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) time series.

According to the World Health Organization, about 422 million people worldwide have type 1 or type 2 diabetes (T1D, T2D), with the latter accounting for 90-95% of cases. Safe and effective treatment of patients with diabetes requires accurate and frequent monitoring of their blood sugar levels. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a monitoring technology developed to address this need, and its use among U.S. T1D patients has increased from 6% in 2011 to 38% in 2018 and continues to increase worldwide in both T1D and T2D. This paper presents a data-driven approach to determine Ω, a finite set of representative daily profiles (motifs) such that almost any daily CGM profile generated by a patient can be matched to one of the motifs in Ω. The training data set (9,741 profiles) was used to identify 8 candidate sets of motifs, while the validation data set (14,175 profiles) was used to select the final set Ω. The robustness of Ω was established by using it to successfully classify (match against a representative daily profile in Ω) 99.0% of 42,595 daily CGM profiles in the testing data set. All data sets contained daily CGM profiles from six studies involving T1D and T2D patients using a variety of treatment modes, including daily insulin injections, insulin pumps, or artificial pancreas (AP). The classified profiles can be used in predictive modeling, decision support, and automated control systems (e.g., AP).
Can conservation trump impacts of climate change on soil erosion? An assessment from winter wheat cropland in the Southern Great Plains of the United States

With the need to increase crop production to meet the needs of a growing population, protecting the productivity of our soil resource is essential. However, conservationists are concerned that conservation practices that were effective in the past may no longer be effective in the future under projected climate change. In winter wheat cropland in the Southern Great Plains of the U.S., increased precipitation intensity and increased aridity associated with warmer temperatures may pose increased risks of soil erosion from vulnerable soils and landscapes. This investigation was undertaken to determine which conservation practices would be necessary and sufficient to hold annual soil erosion by water under a high greenhouse gas emission scenario at or below the present soil erosion levels. Advances in and benefits of agricultural soil and water conservation over the last century in the United States are briefly reviewed, and challenges and climate uncertainties confronting resource conservation in this century are addressed. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) computer model was used to estimate future soil erosion by water from winter wheat cropland in Central Oklahoma and for 10 projected climates and 7 alternative conservation practices. A comparison with soil erosion values under current climate conditions and conventional tillage operations showed that, on average, a switch from conventional to conservation tillage would be sufficient to offset the average increase in soil erosion by water under most projected climates. More effective conservation practices, such as conservation tillage with a summer cover crop would be required to control soil erosion associated with the most severe climate projections. It was concluded that a broad range of conservation tools are available to agriculture to offset projected future increases in soil erosion by water even under assumed worst case climate change scenarios in Central Oklahoma. The problem is not one of a lack of effective conservation tools, but one of adoption and implementation. Increasing the implementation of today’s conservation programs to address current soil erosion problems associated with the large year-to-year climate variability in the Southern Great Plains would greatly contribute towards mitigation of projected future increases in soil erosion due to climate change.
Examining Approaches to Effective Concept Delivery; One Professor's Approach in the MIS Survey Course

As part of the introductory level, management information systems (MIS) course, some of the topics covered during the semester include software, Decision Support Systems (DSS), the hardware and software purchase process, and individual hardware components. Considering the characteristics of today’s learner, these concepts are often best learned through projects and exercises. However, due to time restrictions, learning resources must be critically evaluated to determine their overall contribution to the learning process. The author describes two approaches that were used, in a junior level MIS survey course, to address multiple MIS concepts and illustrate their interrelationships. In light of AACSB considerations, the University’s University Studies Program learning goals and objectives were also examined to observe how well the intentions of the project addressed the Program’s learning objectives. The question that this paper attempts to address is, “Considering the current generation of students, what approach to addressing MIS hardware and software concepts will be most effective?”
Consumer Engagement Among HSA and HRA Enrollees: Findings from the 2013 EBRI/Greenwald & Associates Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey

Health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) are very similar, though there are some key differences that may produce different incentives related to using health care services, and thus, different consumer engagement experiences. This paper examines how consumer engagement varies for individuals enrolled in HSA-eligible plans and HRAs. The HSA sample includes only individuals who have an HSA. Data from the 2013 EBRI/Greenwald & Associates Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey (CEHCS) are used for the analysis. Factors affecting use of health care services, choice of health plan, use of cost information, and participation in wellness programs are examined. The 2013 CEHCS found evidence that adults with an HSA were more likely than those with an HRA to exhibit a number of cost-conscious behaviors related to use of health care services. Specifically, those with an HSA were more likely than those with an HRA to report that they asked for a generic drug instead of a brand name (52 percent HSA vs. 49 percent HRA); checked the price of a service before getting care (41 percent HSA vs. 34 percent HRA); asked a doctor to recommend less-costly prescriptions (40 percent HSA vs. 38 percent HRA); developed a budget to manage health care expenses (32 percent HSA vs. 22 percent HRA); and used an online, cost-tracking tool provided by the health plan (27 percent HSA vs. 21 percent HRA). The 2013 CEHCS found that adults with an HSA were more likely than those with an HRA to be engaged in their choice of health plan, when they had a choice. Individuals with an HSA were more likely than individuals with an HRA to report that they had participated in a health-risk assessment, health-promotion program, or biometric screening program when it was available. An individual’s health status may also influence how engaged he or she is in health insurance and health-care-use decisions. The 2013 CEHCS found that individuals with an HSA were more likely than those with an HRA to report that they were in excellent or very good health and that they exercise at least four days per week. Individuals with an HSA were also less likely than those with an HRA to be obese, though they were more likely to smoke cigarettes. The PDF for the above title, published in the June 2014 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another June 2014 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “’Short’ Falls: Who’s Most Likely to Come up Short in Retirement, and When?”
Consumer Ethics Research: Review, Synthesis and Suggestions for the Future

This manuscript reviews and synthesizes most of the major research studies in the area of consumer ethics that have appeared since 1990. It examines both conceptual and empirical works with an objective of encouraging researchers to pursue research in the consumer ethics area. Toward this end, the paper also suggests directions for future research.
Decoding Attentional Orientation from EEG Spectra

We have carried out preliminary experiments to determine if EEG spectra can be used to decode the attentional orientation of an observer in three-dimensional space. Our task cued the subject to direct attention to speech in one location and ignore simultaneous speech originating from another location. We found that during the period where the subject directs attention to one location in anticipation of the speech signal, EEG spectral features can be used to predict the orientation of attention. We propose to refine this method by training subjects using feedback to improve classification performance.
A Primer on Credit Default Swaps (CDS)

The market for Credit Default Swaps (CDS) has grown from nothing just fifteen years ago to a huge market today. For a plain-vanilla single-name CDS this primer aims to answer the questions: What is a CDS? How does a CDS behave in response to changes in the markets? How does one value a CDS? What is the risk? The short answer to these questions is that a CDS behaves, in almost all respects, as a leveraged or financed floating-rate corporate bond. This means that anyone acquainted with corporate bonds understands the most important aspects of a CDS.
Free space quantum key distribution in daylight

Summary form only given. The Los Alamos free-space quantum key distribution (QKD) system operates at a 1-MHz clock rate. On each clock cycle a /spl sim/1-ns "bright timing pulse" is emitted from an array of /spl sim/1550-nm lasers at the transmitter ("Alice"). After a /spl sim/100 ns delay one of four temperature-controlled "data" diode lasers emits a /spl sim/1-ns, 772-nm optical pulse that is attenuated to the single-photon level. We present results from operations over multi-kilometer atmospheric ranges. The spectral, spatial and temporal filtering allow practical secret bit rates even in full daylight. We also present a study of a satellite-to-ground QKD system, and an analysis of the expected secret bit rate.