cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders in Chinese Culture

According to Freud, obsessive symptoms are essentially substitutive infantile sexual activities to which the individual has regressed because of his inability to meet the demands of normal genital functioning after puberty or because of his failure to satisfy his libidinal desires in a normal way later in life. (13, pp. 41-48) The kinds of infantile sexual impulses that are believed to have been repressed during latency but that are now reactivated during or after adolescence are said to be mainly anal-sadistic and auto-erotic or, what is summarily called the pregenital sexual organization, as contrasted with the repressed early genital impulses that dominate hysterical symptoms. (12)
Quasiparticle representation of coherent nonlinear optical signals of multi-excitons

Multi-exciton Green's functions and scattering matrices in many- fermion systems are calculated using a quasiparticle approach based on a generalized Bethe-Salpeter equation. The simulation protocol only requires numerical diagonalization of the single-exciton manifold. Using coboson algebra all many-body effects are recast in terms of two tetradic exciton-exciton interactions: direct Coulomb scattering and Pauli exchange. The tedious equations-of-motion derivations and calculations of multi-exciton manifolds are avoided. The approach is applied to calculate the third- and fifth-order signals generated by sequences of femtosecond optical pulses. Several coherent fifth order optical signals that directly probe three-exciton states and their projections on double and single-exciton states are predicted.
Neuronal Aggregates: Formation, Clearance, and Spreading

Proteostasis is maintained by multiple cellular pathways, including protein synthesis, quality control, and degradation. An imbalance of neuronal proteostasis, associated with protein misfolding and aggregation, leads to proteinopathies or neurodegeneration. While genetic variations and protein modifications contribute to aggregate formation, components of the proteostasis network dictate the fate of protein aggregates. Here we provide an overview of proteostasis pathways and their interplay (particularly autophagy) with the metabolism of disease-related proteins. We review recent studies on neuronal activity-mediated regulation of proteostasis and transcellular propagation of protein aggregates in the nervous system. Targeting proteostasis pathways therapeutically remains an attractive but challenging task.
Participatory landscape analysis to guide restoration of ponderosa pine ecosystems in the American Southwest

Over the past 5 decades, stand-replacing crown fires have increased in size and frequency throughout the long-needled pine forests of the American Southwest. Suppression of frequent, low-intensity ground fires has resulted in dense stands of fire-prone trees over large areas. Efforts to restore forest structure to conditions that would permit a return to historical fire regimes, characterized by frequent ground fire, are hindered by the inability of managers and the public to compare the effects of alternative forest management practices on fire behavior and a host of other issues. Currently, forest management is mired in controversy, endangering ecosystem function, biodiversity, public safety, and municipal watersheds. Our research program, motivated by the need to examine cumulative effects of many independent management decisions over large planning areas, focuses on the development of spatial data and modeling tools that enable diverse stakeholders to work together to guide landscape-scale planning efforts. Data layers describing forest composition and structure facilitate modeling of fire threat and wildlife habitat over areas of several hundred thousand hectares. Modeling alternative forest management scenarios via a collaborative, public process fosters informed discourse and helps conflicting parties forge appropriate policy and identify management responses that meet restoration objectives.
Mixed-signal ASIC for increased definition television (IDTV) applications

An Increased Definition Television (IDTV) subsystem in a single mixed-signal ASIC device has been developed that processes video data with a combination of motion detection and vertical median filtering, and achieves 2h image enhancement. The implementation required that video Digital-to-Analog converters (DAC) and line memory modules be developed and introduced into the existing digital ASIC process technology and design environments. Chip-level to subsystem-level mixed-signal ASIC simulation is efficient by modeling the modules behaviorally. Design-for-test circuitry was built in to include boundary scan, direct access of modules and sine wave test techniques to verify such characteristics as the maximum sampling frequency, crosstalk, and differential phase and gain of analog functions. >
Design of control policies for spatially inhomogeneous robot swarms with application to commercial pollination

We present an approach to designing scalable, decentralized control policies that produce a desired collective behavior in a spatially inhomogeneous robotic swarm that emulates a system of chemically reacting molecules. Our approach is based on abstracting the swarm to an advection-diffusion-reaction partial differential equation model, which we solve numerically using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), a meshfree technique that is suitable for advection-dominated systems. The parameters of the macroscopic model are mapped onto the deterministic and random components of individual robot motion and the probabilities that determine stochastic robot task transitions. For very large swarms that are prohibitively expensive to simulate, the macroscopic model, which is independent of the population size, is a useful tool for synthesizing robot control policies with guarantees on performance in a top-down fashion. We illustrate our methodology by formulating a model of rabbiteye blueberry pollination by a swarm of robotic bees and using the macroscopic model to select control policies for efficient pollination.
Treating Low-Income and Minority Women With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study Comparing Prolonged Exposure and Treatment as Usual Conducted by Community Therapists

Twenty-one female psychiatric outpatients with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are randomly assigned to prolonged exposure (PE; n = 9) for PTSD or treatment as usual (TAU; n = 12). Participants are predominately low income and African American with complex trauma and psychiatric histories. Treatment is delivered by community therapists with no prior training in behavior therapy for anxiety disorders. Clients who completed PE show a greater improvement in PTSD symptoms, general anxiety, and depression than clients who completed TAU. These findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting that PE is an effective treatment for core PTSD symptoms, even when delivered by community therapists in a front-line services clinic.
Pediatric Colorectal Disorders

Approximately 5% of all visits to pediatricians and up to 30% of referrals to pediatric gastroenterologists involve children with a disorder of defecation. Abnormal stooling is invariably a source of great anxiety for parents and may be quite distressing for the affected child. Chronic fecal incontinence is particularly devastating for the child’s self esteem and for the parent-child interaction. One must remember that constipation and fecal incontinence are symptoms that can be caused by many different diseases. A plethora of organic disorders has been associated with constipation and/or fecal incontinence, but in the majority of cases children presenting with these symptoms suffer from functional constipation which may lead to fecal soiling. Childhood functional constipation differs significantly from constipation in adults. The diagnostic evaluation, differential diagnosis and treatment should be tailored to the pediatric population, because tests or therapies commonly used in adults may be unhelpful or even counterproductive in a constipated child (1).
Tracking instructional quality across secondary mathematics and English Language Arts classes

Teachers have the largest school-based influence on student learning, yet there is little research on how instructional practice is systematically distributed within tracking systems. We examine whether teaching practice varies significantly across track levels and, if so, which aspects of instructional practice differ systematically. Using multilevel modeling, we find that teachers of low track classrooms provided significantly less emotional support, organizational support, and instructional support to students in their classes than did teachers of high track classrooms. Mathematics classes were also observed to have higher quality instructional support for both content understanding and analysis and problem solving than English classes. We develop cases illustrating how small but significant differences in instructional quality are associated with substantially diverging lived experiences for students in high and low track classes.
Interfacing Monolayer MoS2 with Silicon-Nitride Integrated Photonics

We report integration of monolayer molybdenum disulphide with silicon nitride microresonators assembled by visco-elastic layer transfer techniques. Coupling between the photonic mode and the monolayer semiconductor flakes is confirmed by Q reduction.
Spherical wave propagation in a viscoplastic medium — The case of unloading

This is a continuation of a previous paper on the problem of spherical wave propagation in an infinite viscoplastic medium, with a spherical cavity subjected to a uniform impact load at the cavity's surface. In the present paper the problem of unloading waves is considered. Malvern's strain-rate theory is applied and the effects of the strain-hardening coefficient, of the viscosity coefficient as well as of the rate of unloading are considered. It is shown that a second viscoplastic region appears which gives rise to a quasiplateau of residual viscoplastic strains.
Intel®’s Silicon Photonics on an Advanced Manufacturing Platform

We discuss Intel®’s Silicon Photonics advanced fabrication advantages, highlighting the transition from 200mm to 300mm manufacturing. We use specific examples of the optical technologies to illustrate the advantages.
Editors at Small Newspapers Say Error Problems Serious

Three-quarters of editors at U.S. dailies with circulations of fewer than 25,000 thought that accuracy was a serious problem and more than half saw errors of fact in their own newspapers.
Analysis on Rubella in Lianyungang City in 2008

[Objective]To understand the rubella epidemic characteristics and laws,and develop appropriate prevention and control measures.[Methods]Epidemiological data of rubella cases in Lianyungang City in 2008 were collected and analyzed by SPSS 6.12.[Results]Totally 775 rubella cases were reported in 2008,without death case.The reported incidence was 15.9/100 000.90.06% cases were students,62.32% cases concentrated in 10～14 years age group,the peak incidence(93.25%)appeared during March to May.[Conclusion]There are rubella outbreaks in local areas,therefore the preventive measures should be strengthened on focus groups and areas.
Selective arterial drug infusions in the treatment of acute gastrointestinal bleeding. A preliminary report.

A new method of treatment of acute gastrointestinal bleeding by selective arterial infusions of vasoconstrictors is reported. The effects of selective infusions of a combination of epinephrine and propranolol and of pitressin into the superior mesenteric artery were explored first in 12 dogs. Subsequently, 5 patients with massive acute gastrointestinal bleeding were treated successfully by selective arterial infusions of propranolol and epinephrine. Suggestions concerning methodology and the further development of this method are offered.
Rift Valley fever virus NSs protein functions and the similarity to other bunyavirus NSs proteins

Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease that affects both ruminants and humans. The nonstructural (NS) protein, which is a major virulence factor for Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), is encoded on the S-segment. Through the cullin 1-Skp1-Fbox E3 ligase complex, the NSs protein promotes the degradation of at least two host proteins, the TFIIH p62 and the PKR proteins. NSs protein bridges the Fbox protein with subsequent substrates, and facilitates the transfer of ubiquitin. The SAP30-YY1 complex also bridges the NSs protein with chromatin DNA, affecting cohesion and segregation of chromatin DNA as well as the activation of interferon-β promoter. The presence of NSs filaments in the nucleus induces DNA damage responses and causes cell-cycle arrest, p53 activation, and apoptosis. Despite the fact that NSs proteins have poor amino acid similarity among bunyaviruses, the strategy utilized to hijack host cells are similar. This review will provide and summarize an update of recent findings pertaining to the biological functions of the NSs protein of RVFV as well as the differences from those of other bunyaviruses.
The Commercial Piracy of Intellectual Property

This paper looks at the growing problem of intellectual property theft in terms of the direct damages it inflicts on an economy but also the less obvious injury inflicted on reputation. Reasons for the growth of intellectual property piracy are reviewed along with current countermeasures to stem the tide.
Whole-Body Vibration Exercise Therapy Improves Cardiac Autonomic Function and Blood Pressure in Obese Pre- and Stage 1 Hypertensive Postmenopausal Women.

Abstract Objective: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is an unconventional exercise therapy that appears to provide the same benefits of resistance training in postmenopausal women while being more safe and gentle on the joints. This study evaluated the effect of an 8-week WBV exercise regimen on heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure (BP) in obese postmenopausal women. Design: Randomized controlled study with two parallel groups. Participants: Twenty-five (age 50–65 years) obese (body–mass index >30 and <40 kg/m2) postmenopausal women. Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to a WBV training group or nonexercising control group. Participants in the WBV group completed the supervised training 3 times a week. WBV training consisted of four static and four dynamic leg exercises (normal, high, and wide-stance squats and calf-raises) with vertical vibration (25–40 Hz and low-high amplitude) progressed throughout the 8 weeks. Outcome measures: Brachial systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) and ...
The Up-C Revolution

Over the past few years, a revolutionary new tax structure, known as the Up-C, has become increasingly popular, particularly in instances where an LLC is being taken public. In such an Up-C IPO, a newly formed C corporation is placed on top of the existing LLC, which continues to operate the business. Shares of the C corporation are sold to new investors, and the proceeds are used by the C corporation to buy an interest in the LLC. Meanwhile, the legacy owners of the LLC (typically, founders and private investment funds) retain their interests in the LLC, while receiving exchange rights that allow them to swap their LLC interests for equivalent-value shares of the C corporation. In addition, the legacy owners often receive the benefit of tax receivables agreements (TRAs), which provide that the owners will receive a specified percentage (usually 85 percent) of the tax benefits to the C corporation resulting from future exchanges. In combination, these features seem to provide a near-nirvana of tax efficiency. It is therefore unsurprising that the popularity of Up-Cs is growing at an exponential rate. Nevertheless, the Up-C has received very little attention in the academic literature. This paper endeavors to fill this void. It describes the complicated Up-C IPO structure (and its frequent complement, TRAs) in detail and discusses their many attractive tax features. While Up-Cs and TRAs have faced skepticism from some quarters, the paper explains that there appears to be nothing particularly nefarious about the use of Up-Cs or TRAs per se, at least from a tax policy perspective. In addition, the paper discusses some of the significant implications of the Up-C revolution, including choice-of-entity and international tax implications. We believe that ultimately the Up-C revolution will finally fulfill predictions that the advent of the LLC would fundamentally alter the landscape of business taxation in the United States, not by replacing corporations with LLCs but instead by combining the best features of both entities into a single dominant structure.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Signaling Profiling Identifies CLL-Specific Signaling Impairment That Discriminates CLL B-Cells From Normal Circulating B Cells

Abstract 1374 CLL is the most common leukemia in the Western world. It is characterized by the clonal expansion of CD5+/CD19+ B cells, expressing surface immunoglobulins (sIg), most often of the IgM subset. Clinically, it can either manifest as an indolent disease with little impact on the lifespan of a subset of patients or as an aggressive, highly drug-resistant disease with lethal outcome but all possible scenarios in between these extremes are routinely observed. The degree of somatic mutations of the sIg has been shown to affect survival; patients expressing highly mutated sIg have a better prognosis than patients whose sIg are less than 2% different from germline sequences. Therefore, it is intuitive that signaling through the sIg, or B-cell receptor (BCR), must have a role in determining the fate of the CLL cells, veering the intracellular machinery towards proliferation or apoptosis. We have systematically investigated the downstream events caused by BCR stimulation via crosslinking of the sIg in a series of about 60 heterogeneous CLL patients and 15 normal donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Using multiplexed phosphoflow cytometry we were able to assess the intensity of multiple signaling events at specific stages of the BCR signaling pathway. By combining phosphospecific staining and classic immunophenotyping we were also able to evaluate signaling intensity at the at the single cell level as well as correlating the signal intensity of CLL-specific surface markers to that of the phosphoproteins analyzed. We used principal component analysis to combine phosphospecific staining within individual cells and generate a variable that discriminates efficiently between CLL and PBMCs B-cells. We found that signaling properties of CLL B-cells were impaired when compared to normal B cells from healthy donors, both at the level of upstream members of the BCR signaling pathway (pBLNK, pSYK, pZap70, pBTK, pPLCg2) and downstream components such as pp38 and pERK. However, within the cohort of CLL samples we identified a small subpopulation in which signaling proceeded as well or more efficiently than in normal B cells. We also used our principal component variable to quantify the heterogeneity of signaling responses within populations of CLL B-cells and correlate them with clinical parameters that are known prognostic indicators in CLL. In conclusion, multiplexed phosphoflow cytometry of individual CLL cells provides a novel and highly specific method to determine the use of signaling pathways (such as BCR-mediated) in comparison to normal B cells. Our studies indicate a significant decrease in BCR signaling of CLL B cells, which involves both upstream and downstream components. Disclosures: van den Brink: Cytheris: Research Funding.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study Presented from a Parent's Perspective

This paper presents two case study style observations that were conducted by a parent of a seven-year-old child living with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD). The case study operates as a needs assessment to understand the particular interaction limitations facing the child. These observations also attempt to illustrate the noticeable behaviors that parents, friends, relatives, and caregivers may notice in children on the spectrum. Information in this paper will also provide some guidance and reassurance that these behaviors are not exclusive to only your child. In the discussion, the paper provides some specific elements found in all of the observations which highlight the Autistic behavior that is manifesting in interactions with others. A graphic organizer presented in the findings highlight the particular nuances of Autistic behavior identified by the child’s father.
Sustained Release of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone from Bioresorbable Poly(ester urea) Nanofibers

Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has been used clinically for several decades. However, rhGH has a short half-life in vivo and therefore for efficacy requires frequent subcutaneous injection, leading to pain and poor patient compliance. An effective rhGH delivery system able to continuously release rhGH over a comparatively long period (generally over a month) would be a significant clinical advance. In this study, a novel long-duration release strategy of rhGH was developed by encapsulating sugar glass-stabilized rhGH in electrospun, bioresorbable poly(ester urea) (PEU) nanofibers. The rhGH was found to be randomly dispersed among the fibers, and sustained rhGH release with only a modest burst was observed for at least 6 weeks as studied by a bicinchoninic acid (BCA) protein assay. Significantly, the released rhGH remained bioavailable and bioactive as determined by an Nb2 cell bioassay specific for rhGH. Our results suggest the feasibility of this system as an effective long-term sustained releas...
Abstract 11162: Hypothermia Attenuates Postresuscitation Myocardial Dysfunction by Inhibiting Beta Adrenergic Signaling

Introduction: Therapeutic hypothermia reduce the severity of post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction caused by epinephrine administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) , and the mechan...
Purchasing Postproduction Equipment: Video Editing Programs

Video editing is the act of piecing together media assets to build your story. In the early days of film, footage was chemically developed, and physically cut and spliced. Now, computer programs allow you to rapidly sequence media such that one clip follows the other. More impressively, you may overlap a video clip with music or titles. These steps were once next to impossible or took immense amounts of time to execute. Today, they are easy to accomplish on the most basic video editing programs. More complex programs give you additional options for refined manipulation of media. For some introductory editors, the limited choices that accompany basic editing programs will simplify workflow. Enthusiastic film producers may choose a more sophisticated video-editing program that will provide greater room for growth. Video editing programs are tools to reach your end. If you know your end, you can invest in the right program.
Adaptive wavelet stochastic collocation for resonant transmission line circuits

An adaptive wavelet stochastic collocation method for uncertainty quantification is applied to a resonant circuit with stochastic parameters. The outputs of many electrical systems vary rapidly with respect to internal random parameters, for example due to resonance conditions. Accurate and efficient characterization of output statistics is key in designing systems with irregularities, but poses a challenge for conventional sampling-based stochastic collocation methods. The adaptive method in this paper constructs a hierarchical sparse grid approximation using wavelet basis functions. Since wavelet expansion coefficients are rigorous error estimators, wavelet sparse grids can potentially meet error tolerances with optimal efficiency and outperform local polynomial and other adaptive finite-element methods. The advantages and efficiency of this method is explored in the context of the circuit problem presented.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics for prostate cancer radiotherapy

In radiotherapy (RT) of prostate cancer, dose escalation has been shown to reduce biochemical failure. Dose escalation only to determinate prostate tumor habitats has the potential to improve tumor control with less toxicity than when the entire prostate is dose escalated. Other issues in the treatment of the RT patient include the choice of the RT technique (hypo- or standard fractionation) and the use and length of concurrent/adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Up to 50% of high-risk men demonstrate biochemical failure suggesting that additional strategies for defining and treating patients based on improved risk stratification are required. The use of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) is rapidly gaining momentum in the management of prostate cancer because of its improved diagnostic potential and its ability to combine functional and anatomical information. Currently, the Prostate Imaging, Reporting and Diagnosis System (PIRADS) is the standard of care for region of interest (ROI) identification and risk classification. However, PIRADS was not designed for 3D tumor volume delineation; there is a large degree of subjectivity and PIRADS does not accurately and reproducibly elucidate inter- and intra-lesional spatial heterogeneity. "Radiomics", as it refers to the extraction and analysis of large number of advanced quantitative radiological features from medical images using high throughput methods, is perfectly suited as an engine to effectively sift through the multiple series of prostate mpMRI sequences and quantify regions of interest. The radiomic efforts can be summarized in two main areas: (I) detection/segmentation of the suspicious lesion; and (II) assessment of the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. As related to RT, the goal of the latter is in particular to identify patients at high risk for metastatic disease; and the aim of the former is to identify and segment cancerous lesions and thus provide targets for radiation boost. The article is structured as follows: first, we describe the radiomic approach; and second, we discuss the radiomic pipeline as tailored for RT of prostate cancer. In this process we summarize the current efforts and progress in integrating mpMRI radiomics into the radiotherapeutic management of prostate cancer with emphasis placed on its role in treatment target definition, treatment plan strategizing, and prognostic assessment. The described concepts, methods and tools are not currently applicable to the radiation oncology practice outside of the research setting. More data are required in the form of clinical trials to assess the robustness of radiomics-based predictive models, and to maximize the efficacy of these models.
Asset Ownership and Academic Achievement among Youth in Ghana: Examining Associations Based on Asset Type and Academic Subject.

This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between asset type and academic achievement among Ghanaian junior high school students. Results suggest that the positive relationship between ...
Explorations in Juror Emotion and Juror Judgment

The fictional sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, was acutely sensitive to the importance – even the primacy – of empirical evidence for developing workable theories. It is an insight which modern behavioral scientists might be well advised to recognize. Elsewhere (Kerr 1998), I reported some survey data that indicated that modern editors, reviewers and readers expect nearly any sound piece of behavioral science to begin with an explicit hypothesis, derived from a priori theory. I went on to suggest that this strong preference was based on both a healthy and unhealthy premise. The healthy premise is that cogent a priori theory can do much to justify, organize, and empower our observations – an axiom of the classic hypothetico-deductive model of science (e.g., Hempel 1966). The unhealthy premise is that this is always or invariably the case – that “…it is a capital mistake not to theorize, regardless of the knowledge, understanding, or even existence of the facts” (Kerr 1998, p. 201).1 This tempts us to attempt to make theoretical bricks, even when we lack empirical clay.
Mechanism of Action of Topoisomerase 1 Poisons

DNA topoisomerases are important nuclear enzymes involved in many aspects of DNA metabolism, such as DNA replication, RNA transcription, chromosome condensation, and segregation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). They perform their topological transformation reactions on DNA via a concerted breakage/religation mechanism (4,6, 7, 8). Because of their delicate act on DNA, topoisomerases can be double-edged swords. It is now well established that many xenobiotics, DNA lesions, and physiological stresses (e.g., oxidative stress, acidic pH stress, thiol stress) can interfere with the breakage/religation reactions of topoisomerases, resulting in topoisomerase-mediated DNA damage (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14). Among the five human DNA topoisomerases (hTOP1, hTOP2α, hTOP2β, hTOP3α, and hTOP3β), the first three have been identified to be molecular targets of anticancer drugs (1,9,11,15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22).
New perspectives on criticality of multiple identical imaginary roots (MIR) in time-delayed systems

We consider an extremely degenerate class of linear time-invariant time-delayed systems (LTI-TDS) with commensurate delays which creates multiple identical imaginary characteristic roots (MIR) for certain values of the delay. Their stability behavior as the delay departs from these values has lately occupied a number of investigators who deployed some elegant mathematics to resolve it. New and interesting properties of such systems are introduced here. One of them is that, under mild assumptions, these occurrences of MIR represent transitions between two unstable operating modes. Separately we prove that such stability assessments can be completely treated, regardless of the mild exemptions above, using a well-established paradigm called the Cluster Treatment of Characteristic Roots (CTCR). This treatment only requires a simple limiting study, at the end of which one can also explore the variations of the number of unstable roots (NU) as delay changes in $\mathfrak{R}^{+}$ , including the infinitely long delays.
Robot-assisted versus laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy: a propensity score-matched comparative analysis using the 2015-2016 MBSAQIP database

Robotic-assisted bariatric surgery is part of the armamentarium in many bariatric centers. However, limited data correlate the robotic benefits to with clinical outcomes. This study compares 30-day outcomes between robotic-assisted and laparoscopic procedures for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Using the 2015–2016 Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) database, patients between18- and 65-year-old were included. To adjust for potential confounders, 1:1 propensity-score matching (PSM) was performed using 22 preoperative characteristics. Second PSM analysis was performed adding operative time and conversion rate. 269,923 patients underwent SG (n = 190,494) or RYGB (n = 79,429). The operative time was significantly longer in the Robotic-assisted compared to laparoscopic approach either for SG (102.58 ± 46 vs. 73.38 ± 36; P < 0.001) or for RYGB (158.29 ± 65 vs. 120.17 ± 56; P < 0.001). In the SG cohort (12,877 matched cases), the robotic approach showed significant reduction of postoperative bleeding (0.16% vs. 0.43%; P < 0.001) and strictures (0.19% vs. 0.33%; P = 0.04) with similar results in the other 30-day outcomes in both analyses. Similarly, for the RYGB cohort (5780 matched cases), the robotic approach showed significantly fewer requirements for blood transfusions (0.64% vs. 1.16%; P = 0.004) with no statistically different results for the other’s outcomes. Conversely, when adding operative time and conversion rate to the PSM analysis, the robotic platform showed significantly shorter length of stay (2.12 ± 1.9 vs. 2.30 ± 3.1 days; P < 0.001), reduction of anastomotic leak (0.52% vs. 0.92%; P = 0.01), renal complications (0.16% vs. 0.38%; P = 0.004), and venous thromboembolism (0.24% vs. 0.52%; P = 0.02). Our findings show that postoperative bleeding and blood transfusion are significantly reduced with the robotic platform, and after correcting for all factors including operative time, the robotic-assisted approach is associated with better postoperative outcomes especially for RYGB.
New Pistol Grip Control for an Electric Utility Aerial Bucket Reduces Risk of Forearm Muscle Fatigue

Overhead line workers have anecdotally reported elevated levels of fatigue in forearm muscles when operating the pistol grip control that maneuvers an aerial bucket on a utility truck. Previous research with surface electromyographic (sEMG) recordings of forearm muscles corroborated these reports of muscle fatigue. A new pistol grip was designed that reduces the applied force by 50% in all directions of movement. In laboratory testing, sEMG signals were recorded from the upper extremity muscles of twenty subjects, who operated a conventional-force pistol grip and the 50% reduced-force control to move a 1/15 scale model of an aerial truck boom. The muscle that resulted in the greatest sEMG activity (extensor digitorum communis (EDC)) was the muscle that workers typically pointed to when they reported forearm muscle fatigue from using the control. The reduced-forced pistol grip decreased EDC sEMG by an average of 5.6%, compared to the conventional control, increasing the maximum endurance time by 38% accord...
Macrophage Trafficking, Inflammatory Resolution, and Genomics in Atherosclerosis: JACC Macrophage in CVD Series (Part 2)

Abstract Atherosclerosis is characterized by the retention of modified lipoproteins in the arterial wall. These modified lipoproteins activate resident macrophages and the recruitment of monocyte-derived cells, which differentiate into mononuclear phagocytes that ingest the deposited lipoproteins to become “foam cells”: a hallmark of this disease. In this Part 2 of a 4-part review series covering the macrophage in cardiovascular disease, we critically review the contributions and relevant pathobiology of monocytes, macrophages, and foam cells as relevant to atherosclerosis. We also review evidence that via various pathways, a failure of the resolution of inflammation is an additional key aspect of this disease process. Finally, we consider the likely role played by genomics and biological networks in controlling the macrophage phenotype in atherosclerosis. Collectively, these data provide substantial insights on the atherosclerotic process, while concurrently offering numerous molecular and genomic candidates that appear to hold great promise for selective targeting as clinical therapies.
Acculturation and Stress within Chinese American Families

This study explored the effects of acculturation on stress levels. The sample consisted of 510 Chinese Americans on a Mid-Western college campus. A self-administered bilingual questionnaire was use...
A Mixed-Methods, Randomized Clinical Trial to Examine Feasibility of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Management and Diabetes Risk Reduction Intervention for African Americans with Prediabetes

African Americans have disproportionately high rates of stress-related conditions, including diabetes and diabetes-related morbidity. Psychological stress may negatively influence engagement in risk-reducing lifestyle changes (physical activity and healthy eating) and stress-related physiology that increase diabetes risk. This study examined the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial comparing a novel mindfulness-based stress management program combined with diabetes risk-reduction education versus a conventional diabetes risk-reduction education program among African American adults with prediabetes and self-reported life stress. Participants were recruited in collaboration with community partners and randomized to the mindfulness-based diabetes risk-reduction education program for prediabetes (MPD; n = 38) or the conventional diabetes risk-reduction education program for prediabetes (CPD; n = 30). The mindfulness components were adapted from the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Program. The diabetes risk-reduction components were adapted from the Power to Prevent Program and the Diabetes Prevention Program. Groups met for eight weeks for 2.5 hours, with a half-day retreat and six-monthly boosters. Mixed-methods strategies were used to assess feasibility. Psychological, behavioral, and metabolic data were collected before the intervention and at three and six months postintervention to examine within-group change and feasibility of collecting such data in future clinical efficacy research. Participants reported acceptability, credibility, and cultural relevance of the intervention components. Enrollment of eligible participants (79%), intervention session attendance (76.5%), retention (90%), and postintervention data collection attendance (83%, 82%, and 78%, respectively) demonstrated feasibility, and qualitative data provided information to further enhance feasibility in future studies. Both groups exhibited an A1C reduction. MPD participants had reductions in perceived stress, BMI, calorie, carbohydrate and fat intake, and increases in spiritual well-being. Considering the high prevalence of diabetes and diabetes-related complications in African Americans, these novel findings provide promising guidance to develop a larger trial powered to examine efficacy of a mindfulness-based stress management and diabetes risk-reduction education program for African Americans with prediabetes.
Medium Voltage Asynchronous Micro-grid Power Conditioning System Enabled by HV SiC Devices

This research paper addresses a Medium-Voltage Asynchronous Micro-grid Power Conditioning system enabled by HV SiC devices to Asynchronously flow power from microgrids to the larger grid. The Asynchronous Microgrid Power Conditioning System is a modular MVAC (13.8kV AC) to MVAC (4,160 V AC and 13.8 kV AC) power conditioning systems blocks (PCSB) that can be used for grid interconnection of Megawatt-scale flow control microgrids (Asynchronous MVAC Microgrids), bidirectional power flow capablity and scalablity so that they can be used for a broad range of flow control microgrids of different scale (100 kW to multi MW) including microgrids which have net generation or net load flow at point of connection of larger grids. This modular approach is intended to result in higher-volume, lower-cost power electronics building blocks that service many applications at standard voltages: 4,160 V AC and 13.8 kV AC. This Microgrid PCS solution should enable multi-port integration of renewable energy sources to the main grid. The Microgrid PCS solution can be implemented with 3.3 kV to 10 kV SiC MOSFET modules. The modular converters will utilize highvoltage, high frequency (10 kHz) power electronics to reduce cost, size, footprint, volume and weight and to provide the bandwidth (voltage control BW = 300 Hz and current control BW = 1 kHz) needed for both the grid-facing and microgrid facing functions required by interconnection standards plus functions required for a wide range of generator, storage and load applications.
High-performance full-field crystal plasticity with dislocation-based hardening and slip system back-stress laws: Application to modeling deformation of dual-phase steels

Abstract This paper presents a microstructural cell-level crystal plasticity model aimed at predicting elasto-plastic, anisotropic, rate- and temperature-sensitive deformation of polycrystalline aggregates subjected to large plastic strains. The crystallography-based model embeds strain-path aware dislocation-based hardening and slip-system-level kinematic back-stress laws. The crystal-level response is linked to the microstructural cell-level response using an elasto-viscoplastic fast Fourier transform-based (EVPFFT) micromechanical homogenization. The overall model is ported on a high-performance computational platform integrating a graphics processing unit (GPU) to facilitate computationally efficient modeling of high-resolution microstructures. The high-performance multi-level EVPFFT is applied to modeling monotonic and cyclic deformation of dual-phase (DP) steel sheets. To this end, the effective elastic and flow stress behavior under monotonic and cyclic deformation is calculated for several steels: three DP, DP 590, DP 980, and DP 1180, and one martensitic (MS), MS 1700. Crystallographic textures and phase fractions of these steels are characterized using electron microscopy along with electron-backscattered diffraction to initialize the models. A comprehensive set of Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and flow stress data is used to calibrate and validate the model. The model parameters for ferrite and martensite are identified using data for two steels and used to predict the behavior of the other two streels. The model captures elasto-plastic monotonic behavior as well as the particularities pertaining to large strain cyclic deformation characteristics such as non-linear unloading upon the load reversal, the Bauschinger effect, and changes in hardening rate during strain reversals based on evolving microstructure including the evolution of dislocation density and crystallographic grain reorientation. In addition, it offers insights into the role of back-stress and dislocation annihilation on the cyclic deformation of DP steels.
Higher and Colder: A History of Extreme Physiology and Exploration

From 1928 to 1929, Vilhjalmur Stefansson and his co-explorer Karsten Anderson consumed a ‘meat only’ diet under the watchful eye of four physicians at the Bellevue Hospital in New York. Surviving o...
Continuing Medical Education Questions: August 2020.

Article Title: Management of Post-Cholecystectomy Biliary Complications: A Narrative Review.
Exosomal Formulation Escalates Cellular Uptake of Honokiol Leading to the Enhancement of Its Antitumor Efficacy

Honokiol is a phytochemical isolated from the Magnolia plant. It exhibits significant antitumor activity against a variety of cancer cell types via targeting of critical mediators of tumor progression, stromal remodeling, and chemoresistance. However, poor bioavailability and inefficient tumor uptake remain some of the hurdles in its translation as a therapeutically useful drug. Here, we developed a nanoformulation of honokiol using mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes, which are nonimmunogenic and express surface markers to support their tumor-targeted delivery. Maximum entrapment of honokiol occurred when it was mixed in a 1:4 weight ratio with exosomes and subjected to six cycles of sonication. Dynamic light scattering analysis demonstrated that the average size (∼175.3 nm), polydispersity (∼0.11), and integrity (∼12.9 mV) of exosomes remained in the desirable range post honokiol encapsulation. Exosome-encapsulated honokiol exhibited significantly higher therapeutic efficacy over the free honokiol in WST-1 growth and long-term clonogenicity assays. Flow cytometry-based cell cycle and live/dead cell assay, respectively, confirmed the enhanced effect of exosomal honokiol formulation on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. More significant alterations in the expression of cell cycle- and survival-associated proteins were also observed in cancer cells treated with exosomal honokiol over free honokiol. Higher intracellular accumulation of honokiol was recorded in cancer cells treated with equivalent doses of honokiol as compared to the free honokiol. Together, our work is the first demonstration of exosomal encapsulation of honokiol and its improved antitumor efficacy resulting from improved cellular uptake.
Mashing Up the Copyright Act: How to Mitigate the Deadweight Loss Created by the Audio Mashup

In the past decade, the music industry has welcomed a new art form to its center stage: the audio mashup, a form of “recycled art” that involves digital sampling from multiple songs. While some artists who sample do so legally by obtaining the appropriate licenses, the vast majority of mashup artists sample without a license. This practice of unlicensed sampling deprives the original artists of valuable licensing fees and the mashup artists of the ability to sell their music legally through traditional music vendors. Instead, mashup artists rely on public performances for revenue, and the original artists and production companies are left to sue under an uncertain legal framework to recover licensing fees. Copyright law’s inability to address the tension between mashup artists and the artists from whom they sample thus creates a deadweight loss that is increasing with the mashup’s rise in popularity. This Article analyzes the mashup problem from several aspects. First, Part I discusses why this new form of art deserves copyright protection in the first place. Part II then discusses how current copyright laws fail to offer an adequate legal framework for resolving this problem, because of both a lack of consensus among courts and the inability of the relevant legal doctrines — substantial similarity and fair use — to provide answers to the unique legal questions posed by the audio mashup. Building on this discussion, Part III calls for congressional action to amend the Copyright Act in order to provide a more workable framework for this increasingly pervasive legal problem.
Tamoxifen suppresses brain metastasis of estrogen receptor-deficient breast cancer by skewing microglia polarization and enhancing their immune functions.

Brain metastasis of breast cancer exhibits exceedingly poor prognosis, and both triple negative (TN) and Her2+ subtypes have the highest incidence of brain metastasis. Although estrogen blockers are considered to be ineffective for their treatment, recent evidence indicates that estrogen blockade using tamoxifen showed certain efficacy. However, how estrogen affects brain metastasis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains elusive. To examine the effect of estrogen on brain metastasis progression, nude mice were implanted with brain metastatic cells and treated with either estrogen supplement, tamoxifen, or ovariectomy for estrogen depletion. For clinical validation study, brain metastasis specimens from pre- and post-menopause breast cancer patients were examined for microglia polarization by immunohistochemistry. To examine the estrogen-induced M2 microglia polarization, microglia cells were treated with estrogen, and the M1/M2 microglia polarization was detected by qRT-PCR and FACS. The estrogen receptor-deficient brain metastatic cells, SkBrM and 231BrM, were treated with conditioned medium (CM) derived from microglia that were treated with estrogen in the presence or absence of tamoxifen. The effect of microglia-derived CM on tumor cells was examined by colony formation assay and sphere forming ability. We found that M2 microglia were abundantly infiltrated in brain metastasis of pre-menopausal breast cancer patients. A similar observation was made in vivo, when we treated mice systemically with estrogen. Blocking of estrogen signaling either by tamoxifen treatment or surgical resection of mice ovaries suppressed M2 microglial polarization and decreased the secretion of C-C motif chemokine ligand 5, resulting in suppression of brain metastasis. The estrogen modulation also suppressed stemness in TNBC cells in vitro. Importantly, estrogen enhanced the expression of signal regulatory protein α on microglia and restricted their phagocytic ability. Our results indicate that estrogen promotes brain metastasis by skewing polarity of M2 microglia and inhibiting their phagocytic ability, while tamoxifen suppresses brain metastasis by blocking the M2 polarization of microglia and increasing their anti-tumor phagocytic ability. Our results also highlight a potential therapeutic utility of tamoxifen for treating brain metastasis of hormone receptor-deficient breast cancer.