cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capacitance Transient Analysis of Mbe Grown Gaas on Silicon Substrates

Capacitance transient spectroscopy has been applied to identify deep levels associated with heteroepitaxial GaAs grown on silicon. Results from p+n diode test structures reveal creation of the electron trap EL2 and a high density of hole states in the bandgap. This is the first reported observation of hole traps in MBE GaAs on Si. The activation behavior of the electron and hole signal peaks fits the signature of two different charge states associated with EL2, a native point defect complex seen in MOCVD, VPE, and bulk-grown GaAs, but not usually observed in MBE grown GaAs. Interstingly, the spectra seen show many similarities with earlier deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) observations on plastically deformed GaAs.
Some key technologies during high energy solid motor development

Some key technologies solved during high-energy engine development were presented,including development of high energy solid propellant and appropriate liner and the design of high volumetric grain,as well as correlative experiments,burning rate correlation,throat erosion behavior,the storage of solid propellant,interface compatibility,safety,etc.Some important problems which need to be concerned in the next step were also discussed.
Dimethylthiourea does not ameliorate reperfusion lung injury in dogs or rabbits.

We previously demonstrated that in vivo reperfusion of a dog lung after 48 h of pulmonary arterial (PA) ischemia results in pulmonary edema with a significant infiltrate of polymorphonuclear leukoc...
Model Based Robust Balancing Approach for Rotating Machines

Unbalance is one of the most common problems found in rotating machines in the context of industrial plants. This phenomenon can generate high vibration amplitudes that can lead to the fatigue of rotor elements. Various approaches have been proposed in order to solve the rotor balancing problem, as the so-called influence coefficients technique. This paper presents an alternative balancing methodology for rotating machines, aiming at overcoming the limitations faced by the frequently used methods. This alternative technique first identifies the model of the machine, and then the unbalance is determined by solving a typical inverse problem through an optimization method by taking into account the inherent uncertainties that affect the balancing performance. The robust balancing methodology is based on a multi-objective fuzzy optimization procedure, in which the uncertainties are treated as fuzzy variables. The robust optimum is determined by using an objective function which minimizes a predefined robustness metric. Finally, the numerical investigation is applied to a rotor composed by a horizontal flexible shaft, two rigid discs, and two ball bearings. The results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Study in Eastern North Carolina.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an evidence-based measure to benefit chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Many patients have benefitted from our robust university hospital-based PR program. We have objectively assessed the benefit of our PR program for COPD patients in Eastern North Carolina. METHODS We used retrospective chart review to collect data from all the patients who completed PR from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013. Data collection included quality-of-life scores using short-form 36 (SF-36) and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) to measure exercise capacity before and after PR. We also collected data on COPD exacerbation frequency 1 year before and 1 year after PR. The data were analyzed using the statistical software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0. RESULTS We analyzed data from 51 patients with 4 categories of COPD: mild (n = 2), moderate (n = 12), severe (n = 23), and very severe (n = 14). The PR program resulted in improvement in 6MWD of an average of 263.8 feet (P < .01) and a decrease in COPD exacerbation frequency by 0.3 events per year (P < .05). There were mixed results for quality-of-life scores. LIMITATIONS Our study was conducted at 1 center and thus involved a single COPD patient population with limited sample size. We did not follow patients long term to see whether the benefits were sustained. CONCLUSIONS Our PR program resulted in a positive impact on exercise capacity, COPD exacerbation rate, and some aspects of quality of life.
$1.8 Million and counting: how volatile agent education has decreased our spending $1000 per day

Abstract Study Objective Volatile anesthetic agents comprise a substantial portion of every hospital's pharmacy budget. Challenged with an initiative to lower anesthetic drug expenditures, we developed an education-based intervention focused on reducing volatile anesthetic costs while preserving access to all available volatile anesthetics. When postintervention evaluation demonstrated a dramatic year-over-year reduction in volatile agent acquisition costs, we undertook a retrospective analysis of volatile anesthetic purchasing data using time series analysis to determine the impact of our educational initiative. Design/Setting We obtained detailed volatile anesthetic purchasing data from the Central Supply of Wake Forest Baptist Health from 2007 to 2014 and integrated these data with the time course of our educational intervention. Patients Aggregate volatile anesthetic purchasing data were analyzed for 7 consecutive fiscal years. Intervention The educational initiative emphasized tissue partition coefficients of volatile anesthetics in adipose tissue and muscle and their impact on case management. Measurements We used an interrupted time series analysis of monthly cost per unit data using autoregressive integrated moving average modeling, with the monthly cost per unit being the amount spent per bottle of anesthetic agent per month. Main Results The cost per unit decreased significantly after the intervention ( t =−6.73, P Conclusions An educational initiative focused solely on the selection of volatile anesthetic agent per case significantly reduced volatile anesthetic expense at a tertiary medical center. This approach appears promising for application in other hospitals in the rapidly evolving, value-added health care environment. We were able to accomplish this with instruction on tissue partition coefficients and each agent's individual cost per MAC-hour delivered.
Proliferation Versus Differentiation: The Effect of Growth Factor Stimulation Detected by HALO.

Abstract In order for stem and progenitor cells to initiate the proliferation process to grow in vitro and form colonies of differentiated cells, growth factors are required. Some factors are specific for proliferation, some for differentiation. Others exhibit both a proliferative and differentiation function. To date, the classical colony-forming assay (CFA) has been used to ascertain the effectiveness of growth factors either individually or in combination. However, the CFA cannot differentiate between a proliferation or differentiation factor because the assay itself is a differentiation assay. We have now developed a unique in vitro system which measures the proliferative capacity of cells to respond to different growth factors. Based on the colony-forming assay, HALO (Hematopoietic Assays via Luminescence Output) measures cell proliferation as a function of the concentration of intracellular ATP which drives a luciferin/luciferase reaction. The end-point of the reaction is bioluminescence detected in a plate reader luminometer. Since the assay does not require cells to differentiate into colonies, no manual enumeration is needed. Furthermore, HALO is a rapid, non-subjective and standardized proliferation assay performed in 96-well plates with high-throughput capability. At least 14 different cell populations with differing proliferative potential from 5 different species can be detected simultaneously. For the present study, both mouse and human bone marrow target cells were used. Eight replicate microcultures of 100ul each were performed to investigate the dose-dependent effect of single growth factors on cell proliferation. The results are summarized as follows. Proliferation of mouse and human hematopoietic cells can be detected between 1 and 2 days and is optimal between 4 and 7 days respectively. The growth factors, SCF, IL-3, IL-6, Flt3-ligand, EPO, TPO and GM-CSF alone, all induce proliferation at less than 1ng/ml. At growth factor concentrations typically used in the colony-forming differentiation assay, many are inhibitory. The EPO dose response for murine CFU-E proliferation measured at 21h produced a flat response and inhibition at doses above 10mU/ml. The mirror image profile was obtained for CFU-E differentiation at 48 h. These results demonstrate that at the CFU-E level, EPO is a differentiation factor and not a proliferation factor. However, EPO alone does stimulate proliferation at the BFU-E stage of development. In conclusion, it is now possible to distinguish between a proliferation and differentiation factor at different hierarchical levels in the hematopoietic system.
From Users to Customers: HCI for Online Services

This paper discusses how different is the design of Human-Computer Interfaces (HCI) specifically tailored for online services. Unlike traditional HCI design methods, our proposal addresses issues specific to service interfaces such as the presence of customer information in the input, highly heterogeneous input and output, inseparability of production, ...etc. We draw from a multitude of previously reported experiences in services-related human-computer interfaces but never before systematized in for online services.
Unraveling the Physiology of (Pro)Renin Receptor in the Distal Nephron.

The classic renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is a well-defined endocrine system consisting of liver production of angiotensinogen, which is converted to angiotensin I by renin followed by a second cleavage to angiotensin II (AngII) by angiotensin-converting enzyme located on the surface of lung endothelium.1,2 AngII is the major effector hormone of the RAS, playing a key role in the maintenance of extracellular volume, blood pressure, renal hemodynamics, and tubular sodium transport, as well as in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and renal diseases.3–5 AngII acts on 2 types of membrane receptors, AngII type 1 receptor and type 2 receptor. The RAS interventions targeting AngII type 1 receptor and angiotensin-converting enzyme are widely used for management of hypertension, renal disease, and cardiovascular disease. During the past several decades, the RAS has evolved into a highly complex system as highlighted by the discovery of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2/Ang 1 to 7/Mas pathway and the local RAS found in several tissues, such as the kidney, the heart, and the brain.1,6,7 The RAS activity is largely controlled by renin-mediated conversion of angiotensinogen to Ang I, a rate-limiting step in the RAS. Renin is a protease produced by juxtaglomerular cells of the afferent arteriole as well as collecting duct (CD) principal cells,8 mast cells,9 adipocytes,10 etc. Prorenin, a precursor of renin, contains a prosegment covering the catalytic domain and undergoes proteolytic cleavage to generate the mature renin. Plasma prorenin levels are elevated in diabetic patients and predict microvascular complications, whereas plasma renin is normal or low.11 Animal data suggests that excess prorenin compared with active renin in diabetes mellitus originates from the CD rather than from the juxtaglomerular apparatus.12 High prorenin state is also seen in normal pregnancy.13,14 In …
Inferring Aggregate Market Expectations from the Cross-Section of Stock Prices

Motivated by the residual income valuation model of Ohlson (1995), we introduce a new approach to forecasting market returns that combines the cross-section of dividends, earnings, and book values to explain current stock prices and extract aggregate expected returns. Our measure of market return expectations is strongly correlated with popular ex ante equity premium measures and business cycle variables. It portends a significant fraction of the time-series variation in stock market returns at horizons of one month to two years. Consistent with the theory on which our measure is based, the predictability that we uncover is particularly strong at longer return forecasting horizons, where it dominates that afforded by popular predictive variables, achieving an out-of-sample R2 of 12.6% at the annual horizon.
Perymenium vandevenderorum (Asteraceae), a New Species From Sonora, Mexico

A novel species of Perymenium from Sonora, Mexico is described. It appears to be closest to P. nesomii from southwestern Chihuahua, with which it is compared. A map showing distribution of the two taxa is provided.
A cellular automata simulation of atomic layer etching

A two-dimensional, cellular automata model for atomic layer etching (ALE) is presented and used to predict the etch rate and the evolution of the roughness of various surfaces as a function of the efficiencies or probabilities of the adsorption and removal steps in the ALE process. The atoms of the material to be etched are initially placed in a two-dimensional array several layers thick. The etch follows the two step process of ALE. First, the initial reaction step (e.g., Cl reacting with Si) is assumed to occur at 100% efficiency activating the exposed, surface atoms; that is, all exposed atoms react with the etching gas. The second reaction step (e.g., Ar ion bombardment or sputtering) occurs with efficiencies that are assumed to vary depending on the exposure of the surface atoms relative to their neighbors and on the strength of bombardment. For sufficiently high bombardment or sputtering, atoms below the activated surface atoms can also be removed, which gives etch rates greater than one layer per ALE cycle. The bounds on the efficiencies of the second removal step are extracted from experimental measurements and fully detailed molecular dynamics simulations from the literature. A trade-off is observed between etch rate and surface roughness as the Ar ion bombardment is increased.
Image Registration-Based Bolt Loosening Detection of Steel Joints

Self-loosening of bolts caused by repetitive loads and vibrations is one of the common defects that can weaken the structural integrity of bolted steel joints in civil structures. Many existing approaches for detecting loosening bolts are based on physical sensors and, hence, require extensive sensor deployment, which limit their abilities to cost-effectively detect loosened bolts in a large number of steel joints. Recently, computer vision-based structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies have demonstrated great potential for damage detection due to the benefits of being low cost, easy to deploy, and contactless. In this study, we propose a vision-based non-contact bolt loosening detection method that uses a consumer-grade digital camera. Two images of the monitored steel joint are first collected during different inspection periods and then aligned through two image registration processes. If the bolt experiences rotation between inspections, it will introduce differential features in the registration errors, serving as a good indicator for bolt loosening detection. The performance and robustness of this approach have been validated through a series of experimental investigations using three laboratory setups including a gusset plate on a cross frame, a column flange, and a girder web. The bolt loosening detection results are presented for easy interpretation such that informed decisions can be made about the detected loosened bolts.
Assuming the Adoptive Parent Role

Adoptive parents face role conflicts and problems that are different from those faced by biological parents. It is important that adoptive parents acknowledge these differences. Those who do acknow...
A Sinc-Galerkin Method for Convection Dominated Transport

The study of boundary layer equations in fluid flow leads one to consider parabolic partial differential equations with large Reynolds numbers.
The t(1;22) (p13;q13) Is Nonrandom and Restricted to Infants With Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia: A Pediatric Oncology Group Study

We report the nonrandom occurrence and frequency of the t(1;22)(p13;q13) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its close association with the French-American-British M7 subtype of AML in infants (less than 1 year). This chromosomal abnormality occurred in 6 of 252 (2.4%) children and adolescents with AML (6 of 28 infants, 22%; 6 of 18 M7 AML cases overall, 33%; and 6 of 6 M7 cases in infants). Infants with AML of M7 subtype and the t(1;22) often presented with prominent abdominal masses. Two of these infants were not treated and died early. Three of four treated infants entered complete remission with therapy for AML; the remaining infant died of hemorrhage on day 8. Of the three infants who entered remission, only one remains alive and disease free at 5+ months. The other two infants relapsed in the bone marrow at 5 and 2 months from the start of therapy, respectively. We conclude that M7 AML with the t(1;22) usually presents in infants with extensive infiltration of abdominal organs by leukemic cells and may confer a poor prognosis despite intensive AML-directed treatment. Identification of this nonrandom translocation exclusively in infants with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMkL) implies that it may serve as an additional diagnostic marker for this disease and links it to the pathogenesis of AMkL in infants.
Embolic and Noninflammatory Occlusive Vascular Disease of the Visual and Ocular Motor Systems

Neuro-ophthalmologic symptoms and signs are common in patients with cerebrovascular disease because the sensory visual and ocular motor systems, spread throughout the cerebrum, deep gray nuclei, brainstem, and cerebellum, are frequently damaged by ischemic disease. The character of the visual field defects and the ocular movement abnormalities, in association with other neurological dysfunction, have classically been used to localize the infarct.
Properties of an aggregate ribonucleic acid polymerase from rat thymus and its response to cortisol injection.

Abstract Lysis of rat thymic nuclei in hypotonic Tris-Cl buffer, pH 7.8, yielded an aggregate preparation containing the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity of the intact nuclei. The enzymic activity was maximal in the presence of all four nucleoside triphosphates and was minimal with added RNase or actinomycin D. Activity was also dependent upon the presence of either Mg2+ or Mn2+. Addition of the optimal concentration of (NH4)2SO4 to the assay medium markedly stimulated the rate as well as the duration of incorporation of nucleoside triphosphates into RNA in the presence of either Mg2+ or Mn2+. The concentration of enzyme was limiting and primarily responsible for the decline in activity as incubation time was extended. At this time, addition of either more enzyme, calf thymus DNA, or inorganic salts resulted in marked stimulation of enzymic rate. Injection of cortisol (5 mg of steroid per 100 g, body weight) 3 hours prior to death caused a significant decrease in the activity of the aggregate polymerase prepared from thymic nuclei of these rats. The decreased activity was also seen with other thymolytic steroids, but not with nonthymolytic steroids. The extent of incorporation of UTP into the trichloracetic acid-insoluble fraction was stimulated by the presence of an optimal concentration of either (NH4)2SO4, KCl, or polyethylene sulfonate. Addition of calf thymus DNA to the assay system with or without (NH4)2SO4 also markedly stimulated the rate of RNA synthesis. Under all of these conditions, however, the enzymic activity of the aggregate preparation from thymic nuclei of rats injected with cortisol was significantly lower than that of a similar preparation from control animals. Base ratio analyses indicated that the composition of the RNA species synthesized by the aggregate RNA polymerase differed considerably from that formed by this preparation in the presence of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and was also influenced by the nature of the cation used. The inhibitory influence of cortisol on UTP-3H incorporation was still evident even after addition of E. coli RNA polymerase alone to the assay mixture containing the aggregate enzyme. Addition of either E. coli enzyme or (NH4)2SO4 to the Mn2+-catalyzed reaction, immediately after endogenous enzymic activity had plateaued, stimulated RNA synthesis further but did not obliterate the cortisol effect. In contrast, simultaneous addition of E. coli polymerase and the optimal concentration of (NH4)2SO4 to the assay system eliminated the differences in the rates of UTP-3H incorporation between the aggregate enzyme preparations from control and cortisol-treated animals.
Comparative analysis of cellular immune responses in conventional and SPF Baboons (Papio spp.)

Baboons (papio spp.) have served as a successful model of human disease such as cardiac and respiratory, infectious, diabetes, genetics, immunology, aging, and xenotransplantation. The development of an immunologically defined specific-pathogen free (SPF) baboon model has further advanced research, especially with studies involving the immune system and immunosuppression. In this study, we compare normal immunological changes of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subsets, and their function in age-matched conventional and SPF baboons. Our results demonstrate that both groups have comparable numbers of different lymphocyte subsets, but there are phenotypic differences in central and effector memory T cells subsets that are more pronounced in the CD4+ T cells. Despite equal proportions of CD3+ T cells among the conventional and SPF baboon groups, PBMC show higher proliferative responses to mitogens PHA and PWM and higher IFN-γ producing cells to Con A and PWM in the conventional group. Plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α were significantly higher in SPF baboons. Exposure of PBMC from conventional baboons to various Toll like ligands (TLR ligands) TLR-3, TLR-4 and TLR-8 show higher IFN-γ producing cells while PBMC from SPF baboons stimulated with TLR-5 and TLR-6 ligand show higher IFN-γ producing cells. These findings suggest that while the lymphocyte subsets in conventional and SPF baboons share many phenotypic and functional similarities, specific differences exist in immune function of lymphocytes which could impact the quality and quantity of innate and adaptive immune responses. These differences should be considered for better experimental outcomes, specifically in studies measuring immunological endpoints.
AA-01 Phenome-wide association studies uncover hierarchy of autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous disease with diverse presentations. dsDNA antibodies associate with renal disease. Less is known about comorbidities in SLE patients without dsDNA antibodies. Using a large electronic health record (EHR) cohort, we sought to identify comorbidities that associate with dsDNA status. We used a technique that scans across EHR billing codes called phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) to compare SLE patients with and without dsDNA antibodies. We also evaluated the relative importance of SLE specific autoantibodies on SLE criteria. Methods We used our validated SLE algorithm of ≥4 counts of the SLE ICD-9 code and ANA positive ≥1:160 while excluding dermatomyositis and systemic sclerosis ICD-9 codes with a positive predictive value of 94% and a sensitivity of 86%. We identified SLE cases in a de-identified EHR that contains over 2.8 million subjects. Autoantibody status was defined as ever positive for dsDNA, RNP, Smith, SSA, and SSB. PheWAS was performed in dsDNA positive vs negative SLE patients using logistic regression adjusting for current age and race. For multiple testing, a false discovery rate (FDR) p of 0.05 was used. We also performed logistic regression to assess the impact of autoantibodies, age, sex, and race on SLE criteria. Results We identified 1097 SLE subjects. As expected, dsDNA positive subjects, compared to dsDNA negative, were more likely to have renal codes including nephritis (OR=4.60, FDR p=2.33 × 10-9), renal failure (OR=2.30, FDR p=1.85 × 10-5), and end stage renal disease (OR=2.63, FDR p=0.01). After adjusting for sex, race, age, and other autoantibodies, dsDNA was independently associated with nephritis (p=1.98 × 10-6) and chronic kidney disease (p=0.001) and also associated, along with SSB, with serositis (p=0.01) and hematologic criteria (p=0.001) (figure 1). dsDNA negative subjects were more likely to have codes for sleep, pain, and mood disorders. Conclusion Using PheWAS, we uncovered a hierarchy within SLE specific autoantibodies where dsDNA, compared to other autoantibodies, was a powerful predictor of major organ involvement in SLE.
Ring Ultrasound Transducer Based Miniaturized Photoacoustic Imaging System

In recent years photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) systems have attracted significant attention from biomedical researchers due to their ability to provide label-free imaging of hemoglobin (vasculature), lipids, and melanin with high spatial and temporal resolutions, even from > 1 mm depths inside biological tissue. This work reports the development of a low-cost and miniaturized photoacoustic imaging device for microscopy applications. A ring ultrasound transducer with 2.5 mm outer diameter and 0.5 mm inner diameter is fabricated using a 150 µm thick PZT element working as the piezoelectric layer. A fiber coupled pulsed laser diode is coaxially fed through the ring transducer that is mounted on the top of a ferrule. Raster scanning of the integrated device generated three-dimensional images of a tissue-mimicking phantom.
Modeling risk attributes of wastewater treatment plant violations of total ammonia nitrogen discharge limits in the United States

A performance-based modeling framework is developed to estimate three attributes of the risk of Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN) permit limit violations: probability, magnitude and frequency of violations. Discharge Monthly Report data from a sample of 106 US municipal treatment plants for the period of 2004–2008 is used for the analysis. A Generalized Linear Model regression produces estimates for the probability and frequency of TAN discharge violations, using logistic and Poisson distributions, respectively. The expected magnitude of violations is modeled as a non-stationary Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD), using Extreme Value Theory. Regression covariates are plant inflow, fractional use of design hydraulic capacity, seasonality and previous month’s performance. The logistic regression model of the probability of a TAN violation has a median Brier Skill Score of 0.25, while the Poisson regression model of violation frequency has a median of 65% correct prediction in validation. The GPD model has equivalent model and empirical quantiles. Model predictions of probability and frequency are combined to obtain two composite risk indices—the Estimated Violation Index (EVI), which is the product of the average probabilities of violation and frequency at each location, and the Estimated Severity Index (ESI) which is the product of the EVI and the predicted 2-year return value of discharge TAN concentrations above the regulatory limit. Spatial maps of ESI and EVI provide visual guides for regulatory agencies to identify risks and prioritize compliance and enforcement efforts.
High-temperature stable refractory nanoneedles with over 99% solar absorptance

Solar absorber coatings have widely been investigated for solar-thermal technologies including concentrated solar power and solar thermochemistry. While various nanostructures such as nanowires and nanotubes have been commonly used for high solar absorptance owing to their potent light trapping effect, the high temperature stability of these nanostructures has yet to be established due to either coarsening of nanostructures or oxidation of certain materials in air (e.g., Si and C). In this work, we developed a nanostructured solar absorber from a family of high-temperature refractory spinel oxides, Co3O4 and CuCo2O4, with ultra-high solar absorptance over 99%. Once coated with a thin layer of HfO2 or SiO2 through atomic layer deposition, the Co3O4 and CuCo2O4 nanoneedles preserve their high aspect ratio and sharp tips, allowing the solar absorbers to maintain the superior absorptivity and excellent thermal stability at an elevated temperature for an extended period (650 °C and 800 °C for 100 h for passivated Co3O4 and Cu1Co2O4, respectively). These results suggest that solar absorbers made from refractory spinel oxide nanoneedles can be used for high-temperature solar thermal applications with ultrahigh absorptance.
Unusual Case of Malignant Struma Ovarii and Cervical Thyroid Cancer Preceded by Ovarian Teratoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Objective. To present a rare case of malignant struma ovarii (MSO) and synchronous thyroid cancer, review the medical literature, and present the latest trends in management. Methods. The case of a woman with MSO and concomitant thyroid cancer is presented, including clinical presentation, treatment, and follow-up care. A search of the English-language literature was conducted using MEDLINE and Google Scholar data bases. Results. We found 10 publications (one abstract) describing 10 patients with MSO and concomitant thyroid cancer. Six additional patients were reported by a study that analyzed the SEER (cancer registry) database. The median age of women was 42 years, with the majority of them presenting with abdominal symptoms. Histologically, most tumors were papillary carcinomas in both organs. In 5 patients, there was extrathyroidal tumor extension at time of surgery. Conclusion. MSO can occasionally coexist with highly aggressive eutopic thyroid cancer. Although this concurrence is even rarer than MSO, clinicians should routinely investigate for possible synchronous thyroid cancer in all cases of MSO and also consider aggressive postoperative treatment including thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation therapy in cases of MSO.
Ethical Frameworks for CBRNE Crises: Toward Shared Concepts and Their Practical Application

For more than a half-century in the field of bioethics, ethical principles generally considered applicable across religions and national boundaries and embedded in international guidelines included autonomy, beneficence, respect for human dignity, and justice. For more than a decade, there has been a flourishing of philosophical, social, and other discourse regarding health ethics, much of which has benefited from a rich diversity of scholars and experts who have explored health ethics from a wide range of perspectives, including bioethicists from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa, philosophers from Cameroon and India, public health physicians from Egypt, and biomedical researchers from Argentina and Venezuela. Given that we live in an increasingly global system, consideration of these new concepts of and frameworks for bioethics is essential for all those engaged in preventing and/or addressing the aftermath of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive (CBRNE) crises. This chapter presents several of these frameworks, as well as an alternative global ethical framework relevant for CBRNE. An example of the practical application of this framework – to the use of “big data” to prevent and address consequences of CBRNE threats – is also presented.
PEGylated β-NaGdF4/Tb@CaF2 Core/Shell Nanophosphors for Enhanced Radioluminescence and Folate Receptor Targeting

Lanthanide-doped nanocrystals have been examined extensively as contrast agents for various optical molecular imaging techniques. One of the greatest strengths of these nanomaterials is their abili...
Excitation-inhibition balance as a framework for investigating mechanisms in neuropsychiatric disorders

In 2003 Rubenstein and Merzenich hypothesized that some forms of Autism (ASD) might be caused by a reduction in signal-to-noise in key neural circuits, which could be the result of changes in excitatory-inhibitory (E-I) balance. Here, we have clarified the concept of E-I balance, and updated the original hypothesis in light of the field’s increasingly sophisticated understanding of neuronal circuits. We discuss how specific developmental mechanisms, which reduce inhibition, affect cortical and hippocampal functions. After describing how mutations of some ASD genes disrupt inhibition in mice, we close by suggesting that E-I balance represents an organizing framework for understanding findings related to pathophysiology and for identifying appropriate treatments.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 in the Treatment of Juvenile Renal Osteodystrophy

The discovery of the vitamin D-endocrine system and the finding that the kidney is a major site of the synthesis of vitamin D metabolites, provides a theoretical explanation for the vitamin D resistance of uremic osteodystrophy (1). Calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D) and 24,25(OH)2D are predominately synthesized in mitochondria of proximal tubule cells. Because of the reduction in nephron mass in uremia, the synthesis of these metabolites is impaired and circulating levels are low (2). A reduction in calcitriol levels, and possibly in those of 24,25(OH)2D, results in diminished gut calcium absorption, secondary hyperparathyroidism and undermineralized osteoid and growing surfaces of bone (3). Ultimately, uremic children develop widened growth plates, bone age retardation and growth failure.
Rigid Cranial Fixation for Robot-Assisted Stereoelectroencephalography in Toddlers: Technical Considerations

BACKGROUND Stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG) using depth electrodes has become a mainstay of pediatric epilepsy surgery. This technique relies on rigid cranial fixation using skull pins, which forms the basis for accurate stereotactic navigation. The use of cranial fixation pins poses the threat of traumatic skull injuries in young children because of inadequate cranial bone thickness. OBJECTIVE To describe a rigid cranial fixation technique involving the integrated Gel Head Ring from the DORO QR3 multipurpose skull clamp set (Pro Med Instruments) with superimposed pin fixation in children below the age of 36 mo undergoing sEEG. METHODS Patients were placed in the supine position and the head was fixed using a DORO skull clamp with 3 pediatric cranial pins. The head was supported on the integrated Gel Head Ring, and a pin pressure of 20 pounds was applied. The DORO skull clamp set was then attached to the ROSA neurosurgical robot support telescopic arm for stereotactic navigation. RESULTS We present an illustrative series of 2 patients below the age of 3 yr with medically refractory epilepsy who underwent sEEG using our modified cranial fixation technique. Head position and reference registration were stable throughout the surgeries. Postoperative volumetric computed tomography scans of the head showed accurate placement of sEEG depth electrodes and did not reveal any fractures or epidural hematoma. No other complications related to cranial fixation were noted. CONCLUSION Concurrent use of rigid and nonrigid cranial fixation using the DORO skull clamp set provides safe and effective cranial fixation in infants and toddlers undergoing sEEG.
Spatial variations in gut permeability are linked to type 1 diabetes development in non-obese diabetic mice.

Objectives To determine if spatial variations in gut permeability play a role in regulating type 1 diabetes (T1D) progression. Research design and methods Spatially resolved duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and large intestine sections from end-stage T1D non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice were probed by immunohistochemistry to quantify zonulin levels as a measure of gut permeability in early-progressor and late-progressor NOD mice in comparison with non-progressor NOD mice and healthy NOR/LtJ control mice. Results Zonulin levels were elevated in the small and large intestines in early-progressor and late-progressor NOD mice in comparison with non-progressor NOD mice and healthy NOR control mice. In early-onset mice, elevated zonulin levels were maximum in the duodenum and jejunum and decreased in the ileum and large intestine. In late-progressor mice, zonulin levels were elevated almost evenly along the small and large intestines. In non-progressor NOD mice, zonulin levels were comparable with NOR control levels in both the small and large intestines. Conclusions Elevated zonulin expression levels indicated that gut permeability was increased both in the small and large intestines in NOD mice that progressed to end-stage T1D in comparison with non-progressor NOD mice and healthy NOR control mice. Highest elevations in zonulin levels were observed in the duodenum and jejunum followed by the ileum and large intestines. Spatial variations in gut permeability appeared to play a role in regulating the rate and severity of T1D progression in NOD mice indicating that spatial variations in gut permeability should be investigated as a potentially important factor in human T1D progression.
Comparison of Deep Learning and Classical Image Processing for Skin Segmentation

Skin stiffness correlates with the progression of sclerotic skin diseases. Ultrasound shear wave elasticity imaging techniques can measure skin stiffness, but an accurate skin thickness measurement is required to compute the elastic modulus. We explored different automated methods to segment the skin for use in real-time skin elastography. Local gradient-based methods could not robustly segment the skin on our B-mode images, so we developed a new thresholding method to detect the edges of the skin. We also used our thresholding method to generate labels to train a deep neural network. We compared the performance of thresholding and the trained network for central thickness estimation on a held-out test set. Our thresholding method correctly segmented 58% of images, and the neural network correctly segmented 82%. More than half of thresholding failures on the test set were from overestimation of the bottom skin boundary. The neural network had significantly less overestimation failures and similar rates of failure due to bubbles and underestimation.
Understanding Individual and Family Experiences Associated with DUP: Lessons from the Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA) Program in Oregon, USA

Research shows that a longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is associated with worse psychiatric outcomes, with average length of DUP of 73 weeks in the U.S. The aim was to examine the DUP period for first episode psychosis in Oregon, with a focus on the processes between the first positive symptoms and first treatment. To investigate DUP, researchers used methods consistent with grounded theory to collect data from 9 participants and their families about the process between onset of psychotic symptoms and entrance into treatment. Results suggest that recognition of symptoms was the primary driver of help-seeking in this study, and this was influenced by type of symptom as well as the presence or absence of supportive others, which in most cases was regular family contact. Implications indicate a need for in-depth research on individual and family recognition of symptoms, as well as underscoring the need for community education.
LEITURA COMPARADA INTERAMERICANA DA LITERATURA AMERÍNDIA

In her last book, Rita Olivieri-Godet unveils the voices of Amerindian women in Brazilian and Quebec literature, elaborating an in-depth and sensitive reflection on the work of two female indigenous writers from Brazil and two from Quebec.
ESTÁGIO SUPERVISIONADO NO CURSO DE LICENCIATURA DE LETRAS NO IFES: DESAFIOS, DEBATES E PROPOSTAS NA FORMAÇÃO INICIAL

A proposta desse artigo e dar visibilidade as acoes oferecidas para a formacao inicial do docente em Curso de Licenciatura em Letras dentro dos Institutos Federais, avancos durante sua formacao e possiveis propostas de acao para a melhoria de se fazer uma educacao mais coletiva, participativa e de qualidade, em um espaco consagrado em formar tecnicos e bachareis de outras areas que nao sejam das humanas. Os procedimentos metodologicos se basearam em rodas de conversas e relatorios que ocorreram de forma sistematizada durante o desenvolvimento da disciplina curricular de Estagio Supervisionado. Como abordagem teorica utilizamos os estudos realizados por Pimenta (2015), Pimenta e Lima (2012), Barreiro e Gebran (2006) e Rodrigues (2015). Os resultados alcancados foram pertinentes para a nossa reflexao sobre o ensino-aprendizagem da lingua materna e a formacao inicial docente. Faz-se necessario darmos voz aqueles(as) que se tornarao futuros docentes do curso de Letras-Portugues de um Instituto Federal.
A SAP-Capable Electroless Copper Plating Procedure Deploying Palladium-Free Activation

Electroless copper plating on various materials, including SAP-relevant substrates, was conducted by using a recently developed procedure involving palladium-free activation. The plating performance of this procedure was assessed by measuring the thickness, coverage, adhesion and electrical reliability of the electroless copper deposit and by comparing the results of these measurements with those obtained for a reference system in which an established process based on ionic palladium was used. The results presented herein demonstrate that the palladium-free system performed as well as the palladium-based reference process.
Anaesthesia risks for non-cardiac procedures in cardiac patients

The number of patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) presenting for non-cardiac procedures is steadily increasing and more and more anaesthesiologists will be asked to participate in their care. This can be a very challenging task and will require adequate planning and preparation, but also some basic scientific inquiries.
Survey for Adventive Populations of the Samurai Wasp, Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) in Pennsylvania at Commercial Fruit Orchards and the Surrounding Forest

The samurai wasp, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), is an egg parasitoid associated with the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Trissolcus japonicus is a candidate for classical biological control of H. halys populations. Since 2014, adventive populations of T. japonicus have been detected in 14 US states, in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, and in two European countries, Switzerland and Italy. Establishing baseline information about populations of T. japonicus is important, as this species is not host specific to H. halys and the potential ecological effects of the accidental introductions are not fully known. In this study, yellow sticky cards were deployed at commercial fruit orchards in nine counties in Pennsylvania separated by more than 400 km. Trissolcus japonicus was detected on cards in eight counties, and in two habitats, in the orchard and at the forest border. Other native species of Scelionidae known to attack the eggs of H. halys were also identified, including Trissolcus euschisti (Ashmead), Trissolcus brochymenae (Ashmead), and Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). These results are important baseline ecological knowledge for both T. japonicus, which appears to be established in orchards throughout Pennsylvania, and other native Scelionidae.
Kcnq2/Kv7.2 controls the threshold and bi-hemispheric symmetry of cortical spreading depolarization

Spreading depolarization is a slowly propagating wave of massive cellular depolarization associated with acute brain injury and migraine aura. Genetic studies link depolarizing molecular defects in Ca2+ flux, Na+ current in interneurons, and glial Na+-K+ ATPase with spreading depolarization susceptibility, emphasizing the important roles of synaptic activity and extracellular ionic homeostasis in determining spreading depolarization threshold. In contrast, although gene mutations in voltage-gated potassium ion channels that shape intrinsic membrane excitability are frequently associated with epilepsy susceptibility, it is not known whether epileptogenic mutations that regulate membrane repolarization also modify spreading depolarization threshold and propagation. Here we report that the Kcnq2/Kv7.2 potassium channel subunit, frequently mutated in developmental epilepsy, is a spreading depolarization modulatory gene with significant control over the seizure-spreading depolarization transition threshold, bi-hemispheric cortical expression, and diurnal temporal susceptibility. Chronic DC-band cortical EEG recording from behaving conditional Kcnq2 deletion mice (Emx1cre/+::Kcnq2flox/flox) revealed spontaneous cortical seizures and spreading depolarization. In contrast to the related potassium channel deficient model, Kv1.1-KO mice, spontaneous cortical spreading depolarizations in Kcnq2 cKO mice are tightly coupled to the terminal phase of seizures, arise bilaterally, and are observed predominantly during the dark phase. Administration of the non-selective Kv7.2 inhibitor XE991 to Kv1.1-KO mice partly reproduced the Kcnq2 cKO-like spreading depolarization phenotype (tight seizure coupling and bilateral symmetry) in these mice, indicating that Kv7.2 currents can directly and actively modulate spreading depolarization properties. In vitro brain slice studies confirmed that Kcnq2/Kv7.2 depletion or pharmacological inhibition intrinsically lowers the cortical spreading depolarization threshold, whereas pharmacological Kv7.2 activators elevate the threshold to multiple depolarizing and hypometabolic spreading depolarization triggers. Together these results identify Kcnq2/Kv7.2 as a distinctive spreading depolarization regulatory gene, and point to spreading depolarization as a potentially significant pathophysiological component of KCNQ2-linked epileptic encephalopathy syndromes. Our results also implicate KCNQ2/Kv7.2 channel activation as a potential adjunctive therapeutic target to inhibit spreading depolarization incidence.