cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adipose tissue and muscle attenuation as novel biomarkers predicting mortality in patients with extremity sarcomas

To assess CT-attenuation of abdominal adipose tissue and psoas muscle as predictors of mortality in patients with sarcomas of the extremities. Our study was IRB approved and HIPAA compliant. The study group comprised 135 patients with history of extremity sarcoma (mean age: 53 ± 17 years) who underwent whole body PET/CT. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and psoas muscle attenuation (HU) was assessed on non-contrast, attenuation-correction CT. Clinical information including survival, tumour stage, sarcoma type, therapy and pre-existing comorbidities were recorded. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine longitudinal associations between adipose tissue and muscle attenuation and mortality. There were 47 deaths over a mean follow-up period of 20 ± 17 months. Higher SAT and lower psoas attenuation were associated with increased mortality (p = 0.03 and p = 0.005, respectively), which remained significant after adjustment for age, BMI, sex, tumor stage, therapy, and comorbidities (p = 0.002 and p = 0.02, respectively). VAT attenuation was not associated with mortality. Attenuation of SAT and psoas muscle, assessed on non-contrast CT, are predictors of mortality in patients with extremity sarcomas, independent of other established prognostic factors, suggesting that adipose tissue and muscle attenuation could serve as novel biomarkers for mortality in patients with sarcomas. • CT-attenuation of adipose tissue and muscle predict mortality in sarcoma patients • CT-attenuation predicts mortality independent of established prognostic factors • Patients with sarcomas often undergo CT for staging or surveillance • Adipose tissue and muscle attenuation could serve as biomarkers for mortality
Static block jump techniques in volleyball: upright versus squat starting positions.

The difference in maximal jump height between static block jump starting from an upright position (upright BJ) and static block jump starting from a squat position (squat BJ) was determined in 10 division II collegiate women volleyball players. Also determined was the difference in take off time for quick block jump, to a constant point above the net, between upright BJs and squat BJs. An AMTI force plate and a video camera (60 Hz) were used to collect the data. Each subject performed three maximal upright BJs and three maximal squat BJs, and five quick upright BJs and five quick squat BJs, randomly. The highest jump for maximal upright BJs and squat BJs, and the fastest jump for quick upright BJs and squat BJs were recorded. There was a significant difference (p 0.5) was found for the fastest take off time (approximately 0.7 s) between quick upright BJs and squat BJs. These results suggest that college women volleyball players can jump higher from the upright, compared with the squat, position. They can take off to the same block position equally quickly from either the upright or squat starting position. These data may suggest that conditioning coaches should identify their players' preferred BJ position and incorporate a specific training program to enhance the players' power. Furthermore, the coaches may need to incorporate more specific squat endurance exercises.
Ambiguous genitalia in the neonate.

Since sexual disorders can be the result of genetic, hormonal, or gonadal degects, all three components have to be considered in the diagnosis and therapy of infants with ambiguous genitalia. The classification provided should enable the physician to initiate the most appropriate work-up, leading to an early diagnosis and to a decision as to future sex determination.
Abstract 1089: Dissecting the potential distinct role/s of the four RNA binding domains in a phosphoprotein nucleolin using bioinformatics tools

Nucleolin is an abundant RNA binding protein within the nucleolus containing four copies of a consensus RNA-binding domain (RBD1-4). Two of these contiguous RNA-binding domains (RBD12) are sufficient to bind to a variety of RNAs (e.g. rRNA, mRNA, ncRNA) through their highly conserved RNP-1/2 motifs. Nucleolin controls gene expression either post-transcriptionally through mRNA stability or by post-translational regulation, targeting mRNAs with ARE (AU-rich elements), NRE (nucleolin recognition elements) and/or G-rich regions. Nucleolin9s RNA binding functions are directly implicated in various pathological conditions e.g. Alzheimer9s disease, cancer and viral infection. Interestingly, nucleolin RNA binding properties and phosphorylation pattern change during the cellular response to stress suggesting possible collaboration in regulating gene expression. However, most RNA binding properties of nucleolin studied to date exclude its highly acidic N-terminus phosphorylation domain. Importantly, NMR structures are only available for RBD12 although RBD1-4 of nucleolin is required to interact with the evolutionary conserved motif (ECM) on pre-RNAs, which have important role/s in RNA processing. Our work in accordance with others has shown that the N-terminus domain plays a vital role in cell proliferation and therefore has potential to influence RNA-binding properties of nucleolin to regulate gene expression. Here we use bioinformatics tools to elucidate the RNA binding functions of all four RBDs of nucleolin individually and in various combinations. Using I-TASSER, a tertiary structure prediction algorithm, and the available structural data for RBD12, we first predicted models for RBD3 and 4.These models displayed nearly perfect superimposition of RBD34 with RBD12 where RBD3/2 and RBD4/1 align. Our central hypothesis is that nucleolin RBD3/4 domains can replace RBD1/2 domains in binding to RNAs. To test our hypothesis we have generated a variety of theoretical constructs of RBD1-4 with mutations in the RNP1/2 conserved sites of individual RBDs. We present the computational analyses of these constructs to predict the role/s of RBD3/4. We further predict any role/s imparted by N-terminus phosphorylation and/or the C-terminus GAR (Gly-Arg rich) domains in regulating RNA binding by nucleolin. This bioinformatics-based knowledge will provide useful insights about nucleolin-RNA interactions that can be framed into rationally designed experiments. Citation Format: Ruchama Chaya Steinberg, Shaneen Singh, Anjana D. Saxena. Dissecting the potential distinct role/s of the four RNA binding domains in a phosphoprotein nucleolin using bioinformatics tools. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1089. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1089
Semen Analysis: A Laboratory Approach

Category A-l continuing education credit is available to anyone who studies a C / f Update series and completes a written exam. Exams will appear with the final article of each series in LABORATORY MEDICINE. After receipt of a completed answer sheet at ASCP, a certificate of credit will be awarded to each participant.
Large-Scale Computerized Text Analysis in Political Science: Opportunities and Challenges

Text has always been an important data source in political science. What has changed in recent years is the feasibility of investigating large amounts of text quantitatively. The internet provides political scientists with more data than their mentors could have imagined, and the research community is providing accessible text analysis software packages, along with training and support. As a result, text-as-data research is becoming mainstream in political science. Scholars are tapping new data sources, they are employing more diverse methods, and they are becoming critical consumers of findings based on those methods. In this article, we first describe the four stages of a typical text-as-data project. We then review recent political science applications and explore one important methodological challenge—topic model instability—in greater detail.
Cost and effectiveness of commercially available nesting substrates for deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Provision of nesting material promotes species-typical behaviors in rodents including deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The purpose of this study was to determine which commercially available nesting material best promotes complex nest building in the subspecies P. m. bairdii yet remains cost-effective for use as enrichment in a laboratory research setting. An existing breeding colony consisting of cages containing all male mice, all female mice, and breeding pairs was evaluated. Five commercially available substrates-compressed cotton squares, cylindrical compressed cotton, cellulose bedding containing small pieces of evenly dispersed compressed paper, brown crinkled paper, and white crinkled paper-were provided according to the manufacturer's recommendation. Nests were evaluated at 24 h after cage change and scored for complexity. Nest complexity was compared between breeding pairs and single-sex cages and between male and female mice. Cages housing breeding pairs with pups had the highest average complexity score. The dispersed paper substrate was the least expensive substrate tested but had the lowest average nest complexity score. Nesting scores for brown crinkled paper, compressed cotton squares, and compressed cotton cylinders did not differ significantly despite the range in cost. Brown crinkled paper was the second least-expensive substrate tested, and mice used it to build consistently complex nests, making it the most practical substrate for use as enrichment for deer mice in a laboratory setting.
George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier: an experimental ethnographic study with a novelist’s touch

AbstractAlthough numerous critics identify The Road to Wigan Pier as George Orwell’s flawed depiction of working class life, Orwell’s memoir paints a picture of early ethnographic techniques in twentieth century England. This essay examines Orwell’s fieldworking process in terms of gaining access, representing informants, representing the self, and giving back to the community. In the essay, I acknowledge the flaws in Orwell’s fieldworking process while arguing that The Road to Wigan Pier should be labeled as an experimental ethnographic study. What readers consider flaws are in fact Orwell’s early attempts in experimenting and refining his fieldworking process, a process influenced by his work as a novelist. As a novelist and ethnographer, Orwell creates an intriguing vehicle for social change, for his vivid descriptions capture readers’ interest while the text calls attention to the working class’s living conditions.
Technical note: Preliminary evaluation of an automated indwelling rumen temperature bolus measurement system to detect pyrexia in preweaned dairy calves

Abstract Indwelling rumen temperature bolus (RTB) systems have the potential to offer a convenient and timely method of detecting pyrexia, indicative of active infectious disease. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the utility of using RTB systems in preweaned dairy calves. First, an in vitro study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of the RTB in its immediate environment. Thirteen RTB were immersed in a hot water bath (WB). Variably collected RTB temperatures were then matched to WB temperatures, which varied from 36 to 41°C, with 1h spent at each temperature. Second, an in vivo study was performed to evaluate the ability of the RTB to predict a rectal thermometer (RT) temperature. Ten healthy heifer calves less than 1wk of age were administered an RTB. Rectal thermometer and matched RTB temperatures were taken hourly, over a 6-h period, 1 day per week during wk 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 of age. During each 6-h observation period, calves were offered both water and milk feedings and temperatures recorded every 15min for 1h thereafter. For both studies, the relationship between RTB and one of WB (in vitro) or RT temperature (in vivo) was described by calculating a concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and by use of a multivariable linear regression model with repeated measures. For the in vivo study, the model also controlled for week and breed. Diagnostic test characteristics were calculated for the ability of individual RTB measures to detect pyrexia (RT ≥39.5°C). For the in vitro study, the association between the RTB and a known temperature was strong (CCC=0.95), but the RTB measures underestimated the temperature of the water bath by 0.43±0.08°C. For the in vivo study, the association between RT and the RTB temperature measurement in a calf was weaker (CCC=0.29); the average RTB temperature was 0.33±0.06°C lower than the RT temperature. The sensitivity (29%) and positive predictive value (17%) of using individual RTB measures to detect a fever was low. The results of this pilot study suggest that an individual RTB measurement may not be a good diagnostic test to detect pyrexia in calves.
Multiscale atomistic modeling of fracture subjected to cyclic loading

It is an established fact that multiscale modeling is an effective way of studying materials over a realistic length scale. In this work, we demonstrate the use of sequential and concurrent multiscale modeling to study the effect of cyclic loading on both the atomic and continuum regions, of graphene, a material which comes with its own set of unique properties. Moreover, to further strengthen this work, we have studied the temperature effects during the cyclic loading, by analyzing the effect of loading and varying temperature gradients.
Investigation of viscoelastic fracture fields in asphalt mixtures using digital image correlation

In this work we have studied the fracture behavior of asphalt mixtures, a heterogeneous mix of hard aggregates (usually in the form of crushed quarried rock) with a petroleum based asphalt binder, used in paving applications. Specifically, we studied the dependence of asphalt mixes’ fracture response on loading rate, temperature, and recycled content—the latter used primarily to replace virgin materials like aggregates and binder. Fracture tests were conducted on semi-circular bend edge cracked specimens obtained from mixes with different compositions, and the fracture event was recorded with a camera to allow for digital image correlation (DIC) measurements. DIC, with a spatial resolution of about 40 $$\upmu $$ m/pixel, measured the far-field strain and displacement fields developing around a preexisting notch tip. Our focus here is on characterizing the material behavior by quantifying its viscoelastic response and fracture properties. The elastic–viscoelastic correspondence principle was used to extract viscous and elastic components from the full-field DIC-measured strain and displacement fields. Various energy dissipation mechanisms other than the fracture itself were evaluated. Stress–strain response and energy dissipated in the far-field regions were quantified. The pseudo-elastic stress intensity factor was then used to study the fracture properties, and quantify the effects on fracture properties of loading rate, temperature, and recycled content in the binder. It was seen that the viscoelastic characteristics of the material were a dominant factor in the material behavior obtained at room temperature. In general, the elastic component of the displacement was only up to about 30% of the total displacement, indicating a strong influence of viscoelasticity in this state. Loading rate, temperature and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) content all affected the viscous response by introducing more elastic response when loading rate or recycled content increased or when temperature decreased. It became clear from these macroscopic measurements that the increase of RAS content considerably embrittles the material producing less viscous effects and less energy dissipated in the far-field, almost comparable to reductions associated with the loading rate increase (from 6.25 to 50 mm/min) or the temperature change ( $$-12$$ to $$25\,{^{\circ }}$$ C).
Strategy-based reasoning training modulates cortical thickness and resting-state functional connectivity in adults with chronic traumatic brain injury

Introduction Prior studies have demonstrated training-induced changes in the healthy adult brain. Yet, it remains unclear how the injured brain responds to cognitive training months-to-years after injury. Methods Sixty individuals with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) were randomized into either strategy-based (N = 31) or knowledge-based (N = 29) training for 8 weeks. We measured cortical thickness and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) before training, immediately posttraining, and 3 months posttraining. Results Relative to the knowledge-based training group, the cortical thickness of the strategy-based training group showed diverse temporal patterns of changes over multiple brain regions (pvertex 1.96, pNBS < 0.05). Complementing the rsFC results, the strategy-based training group yielded monotonic improvement in scores for the trail-making test (p < .05). Analyses of brain–behavior relationships revealed that improvement in trail-making scores were associated with training-induced changes in cortical thickness (pvertex < .05, pcluster < .05) and rsFC (pvertex < .05, pcluster < .005) within the strategy-based training group. Conclusions These findings suggest that training-induced brain plasticity continues through chronic phases of TBI and that brain connectivity and cortical thickness may serve as markers of plasticity.
Opportunistic spectrum access in self similar primary traffic

We take a stochastic control approach to opportunity tracking and access in self-similar primary traffic. Based on a multiple time scale hierarchical Markovian model, we formulate opportunity tracking and access in self-similar primary traffic as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process. We show that for independent and stochastically identical channels under certain conditions, the myopic sensing policy has a simple and robust structure that obviates the need to know the channel parameters. Furthermore, the myopic policy achieves comparable performance as the optimal policy that requires exponential complexity and assumes full knowledge of the channel model.
Sand in demand: Trapped behind dams

In their Perspective “A looming tragedy of the sand commons” (8 September, p. [970][1]), A. Torres et al. suggest that sand scarcity, driven primarily by rapid urban expansion, needs to be recognized as a global sustainability issue. Absent from their discussion is a key component of the “
Materials and Morphology Study for Templated Hydrogen Solidification

AbstractWe performed a series of experiments to elucidate the characteristics of a good template for solid hydrogen nucleation. Zinc stands out among several materials with comparable size and shape. Nucleation could be observed to occur on top of sharp features, such as grain boundaries and cracks, but our attempts proved unsuccessful to fabricate or replicate such features. The variations of the supercooling (ΔT) values measured for comparable samples and the dependence of ΔT on the cell temperature cycling revealed that templated nucleation of solid hydrogen is a very delicate process.
Abstract P1-01-18: Disrupting interactions between human breast cancer cells, adipocytes, and macrophages

An increasing number of studies have found that other cells in the tumor microenvironment can influence tumor cells. Adipocytes, which were once thought to function only in energy storage, are now considered an active endocrine organ that secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteases. In human breast cancer patients, invading tumor cells are surrounded by mature adipocytes. The breast cancer cells cause the adipocytes to undergo phenotypic changes and overexpress pro-inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), such as MMP-3 and MMP-11. The presence of the changed adipocytes then increases the invasion capacity of breast cancer cells. Obesity is an important breast cancer risk factor. It causes changes to adipocytes and the surrounding microenvironment by invasion of macrophage cells. The effects of obesity-induced macrophage invasion have not been well characterized in the sector of breast cancer-adipocyte crosstalk. A novel 3D co-culture system was used to investigate how macrophage-induced inflammation can worsen this crosstalk, and what changes are involved in cytokine expression, adipocyte de-differentiation, breast cancer aggressiveness, and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition. When macrophage conditioned media was added to adipocytes and breast cancer cells in co-culture, the breast cancer cells showed increased cell proliferation and migration abilities. Experimental co-culture (adipocytes, breast cancer cells, macrophage conditioned media) showed almost twice the number of cells than the control co-culture (adipocytes, breast cancer cells, non-conditioned media). Interestingly, breast cancer cells alone in macrophage conditioned media did not show an increase in proliferation. This shows that macrophages may not affect breast cancer proliferation directly, as all three cell types are needed for increased proliferation of breast cancer cells. Introducing macrophages into this crosstalk also resulted in increased migration abilities. After 24 hours, breast cancer cells grown in experimental co-culture migrated further to close a wound than breast cancer cells grown in control co-culture. These results show that macrophages can affect adipocyte-breast cancer cell crosstalk. This may help explain why obese breast cancer patients have worse prognosis than non-obese breast cancer patients. Further investigation into these effects may identify targets to improve prognosis and abate breast cancer aggressiveness in obese breast cancer patients. Citation Format: Vallega KA, Sang Q-XA. Disrupting interactions between human breast cancer cells, adipocytes, and macrophages [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-18.
Modern and Postmodern Issues in Christian Psychology: An Integrative Transmodern Proposal:

The conflicts between modern and postmodern viewpoints are being energetically presented and debated, yet much confusion remains. Each system, especially in its extreme form, is incomplete without some aspects of the other. Argument for a preliminary model that includes combined interactive aspects of both modern and postmodern paradigms is advanced. Integrative ramifications of considering special revelation, general revelation, and personal revelation as mutually influencing and interacting dynamic aspects of reality are described in a final comprehensive model.
A method for generating reduced-order combustion mechanisms that satisfy the differential entropy inequality

This paper presents a new method for determining the Arrhenius parameters of a reduced chemical mechanism such that it satisfies the second law of thermodynamics. The strategy is to approximate the progress of each reaction in the reduced mechanism from the species production rates of a detailed mechanism by using a linear least squares method. A series of non-linear least squares curve fittings are then carried out to find the optimal Arrhenius parameters for each reaction. At this step, the molar rates of production are written such that they comply with a theorem that provides the sufficient conditions for satisfying the second law of thermodynamics. This methodology was used to modify the Arrhenius parameters for the Westbrook and Dryer two-step mechanism and the Peters and Williams three-step mechanism for methane combustion. Both optimized mechanisms showed good agreement with the detailed mechanism for species mole fractions and production rates of most major species. Both optimized mechanisms show...
Hypertidal Facies from the Pennsylvanian Period: Eastern and Western Interior Coal Basins, USA

Siliciclastic tidal facies have been recognized in Pennsylvanian coal measures of the Eastern Interior (Illinois) and Western Interior (Forest City) basins. In particular, rhythmic tidal laminations or tidal bundles are recorded in shale-rich, heterolithic estuarine and coastal paleofacies, as well as within tidal and fluvio-estuarine channels. The tidal facies are recurring and range from the upper Morrowan (Early Pennsylvanian) through at least the Desmoinesian (late Middle Pennsylvanian). Laminae-thickness series within tidal facies in both basins exhibit a variety of well-developed, tidal cycles that include semidiurnal, diurnal, neap-spring, apogean-perigean, and seasonal to annual periodicities. Study of modern analogs, predominantly from hypertidal settings, provides evidence to suggest the presence of elevated paleotidal ranges in the Pennsylvanian seaways in both basins. The tidal facies are best developed within transgressive systems, particularly within incised valley-fill sequences. During sediment accumulation, the extreme tidal dynamics resulted in widespread deposition of rhythmites. Cyclic rhythmites that contain high-resolution records of daily to yearly periodicities are much more locally restricted. Preservation of tidal rhythmites was likely aided by (1) rapid, high-magnitude changes in global paleosealevel, (2) strongly resonant depositional embayments, (3) formation of large tropical Pangean rivers during lowstand that were converted to estuaries during subsequent periods of glacial melting and the resultant sea-level rise, and (4) a strongly resonant, extensive global paleo-ocean. Preservation of cyclic tidal rhythmites that contain high-resolution records were likely controlled by the generation of local accommodation space via (1) peat compaction, (2) faulting, and (3) tidal and fluvial channel avulsion.
Polyglutamylation and the fleer gene.

Publisher Summary The zebrafish fleer gene is a homolog of Caenorhabditis elegans dyf-1 and encodes a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) repeat protein that is a component of the cilia proteome. fleer is essential for cilia function and its deficiency reduces cilia tubulin glutamylation in zebrafish, disrupts OSM-3 kinesin-dependent assembly of the singlet microtubule of C. elegans amphid cilia and induces B-tubule structural defects. fleer is highly expressed in ciliated cells, localizes to cilia, and regulates tubulin glutamylation selectively within the cilia axoneme. Polyglutamylation is a posttranslational tubulin modification that modulates charge-based protein interactions of microtubules by enhancing their electronegative character. Polyglutamylated tubulins are abundant in stable microtubule-rich organelles: cilia, centrioles, and neuronal axons. This chapter describes tubulin polyglutamylation with respect to cilia structure and function and provides a synopsis of zebrafish cilia defects in the fleer mutant as a reference for using zebrafish to study the in vivo significance and enzymatic mechanisms of tubulin glutamylation.
Abstinence Does Work

Controlled clinical trials provide support for a finite number of strategies, including aversion therapies, behavioral self-control training, monitored disulfiram, social skills training, behavioral marital therapy, stress management, and community reinforcement. What these strategies have in common, aside from their support in the scientific literature, is the fact that they are rarely used in current U.S. treatment practice. In contrast, the typical components of current treatment programs have in common a lack of empirical evidence for effectiveness….
Application of Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) to the Development of a Light Truck Sound Package

This paper describes the application of Statistical Energy Analysis to the development of a light truck sound package. The development concerns addressed included airborne engine noise, tailpipe exhaust noise and rear road noise. SEA provided a framework to investigate different sound package configurations quickly and easily. SEA helped prioritize design alternatives to maximize benefit/cost ratio and to shorten development time. The project resulted in significant contributions to the development and optimization of the sound package and added value to the vehicle.
Hypergroups All Nonidentity Elements of Which Are Involutions

The notion of a hypergroup generalizes the notion of a group. We introduce a hypergroup-theoretic generalization of the group-theoretic notion of an involution and characterize the hypergroups all nonidentity elements of which are involutions. Our characterization sheds new light on previous investigations in which a corresponding condition was considered within the theory of association schemes [10, 12] and table algebras [2]. We also show in how far hypergroups all nonidentity elements of which are involutions play a role in the investigation [11] of constrained hypergroups and their relationship to Coxeter hypergroups.
Palliative care and imaging utilisation for patients with cancer.

Objective This observational study explores the association between palliative care (PC) involvement and high-cost imaging utilisation for patients with cancer patients during the last 3 months of life. Methods Adult patients with cancer who died between 1 January 2012 and 31 May 2015 were identified. Referral to PC, intensity of PC service use, and non-emergent oncological imaging utilisation were determined. Associations between PC utilisation and proportion of patients imaged and mean number of studies per patient (mean imaging intensity (MII)) were assessed for the last 3 months and the last month of life. Similar analyses were performed for randomly matched case-control pairs (n = 197). Finally, the association between intensity of PC involvement and imaging utilisation was assessed. Results 3784 patients were included, with 3523 (93%) never referred to PC and 261 (7%) seen by PC, largely before the last month of life (61%). Similar proportions of patients with and without PC referral were imaged during the last 3 months, while a greater proportion of patients with PC referral were imaged in the last month of life. PC involvement was not associated with significantly different MII during either time frame. In the matched-pairs analysis, a greater proportion of patients previously referred to PC received imaging in the period between the first PC encounter and death, and in the last month of life. MII remained similar between PC and non-PC groups. Finally, intensity of PC services was similar for imaged and non-imaged patients in the final 3 months and 1 month of life. During these time periods, increased PC intensity was not associated with decreased MII. Conclusions PC involvement in end-of-life oncological care was not associated with decreased use of non-emergent, high-cost imaging. The role of advanced imaging in the PC setting requires further investigation.
Push-To Telescope Mathematics.

SummaryTwo coordinate systems are related here, one defined by the earth's equator and north pole, the other by the orientation of a telescope at some location on the surface of the earth. Applying an interesting though somewhat obscure property of orthogonal matrices and using the cross-product simplifies this relationship, revealing that a surprisingly small amount of information is needed for the telescope controller to locate objects in the night sky.
Heat transfer enhancement of internal laminar flows using additively manufactured static mixers

Abstract This paper investigates heat transfer enhancement by means of additively manufactured static mixers during liquid water cooling of a horizontal, heated flat plate. The static mixers disrupt the thermal boundary layer and induce mixing, resulting in an increased heat transfer rate of about 2X larger than flows without mixers. Simulations of the flows provided insights into the flows near the mixers, and guided selection of specific mixer geometries. The mixers were fabricated directly into the flow channels using additive manufacturing and then assembled onto the heated plate. Two types of mixing structures were analyzed: twisted tape structures that are similar to conventional static mixers; and novel chevron-shaped offset wing structures. Heat transfer performance was measured for liquid water (510 ≤ Re ≤ 1366) cooling the heated section with convective heat flux ranging between 0.1 and 0.8 W/cm2. This work demonstrates the potential of additive manufacturing to enable novel flow geometries that can enhance convection heat transfer whilst minimizing pressure drop penalties and volumes.
What do we Learn by Observing Collaborative Design Among Cross-Domain, Cross-Role Educators?

Designing with cross-domain, cross-role educators leads to innovations more likely to be adopted and sustained. Yet, there are few opportunities and little guidance to do so. We contrast the challenges and successes faced by two teams of members with diverse roles in education (pre/in-teacher, administrator, graduate student) during a summer institute on designing classroom-based games for learning. Descriptive cases based on video of teams' collaboration and design artifacts illustrate how members' differing views on learning impacted their collaborative experiences and the games they produced. Findings contribute to understanding the value and challenges of similar collaborations, particularly given the increasing need for learners and educators to integrate multiple perspectives.
Surgeon presence and utilization of bariatric surgery in the United States.

Bariatric surgery is the most effective long-term treatment for morbid obesity; however, it is under-utilized. This study examines the association between morbid obesity rates, bariatric surgeon presence, and utilization of bariatric surgery in the United States. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s 2013 National Inpatient Sample was used to determine the incidence of inpatient bariatric procedures using ICD-9 codes. The Center for Disease Control’s 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey was analyzed to determine estimates of bariatric surgery qualified adults, aged 18–70, with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with diabetes. The number of bariatric surgeons was determined from four online sources: searches of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program accredited bariatric programs, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery membership, and two adjustable gastric band manufacturer “find a surgeon” search tools. Correlations between rates of morbid obesity, bariatric surgeon presence, and incidence of inpatient bariatric surgery were determined. The defined bariatric surgery eligible population comprised between 3.6% (New England) to 6.8% (East South Central) of the total division population (p < 0.001). Incident rates of bariatric surgery ranged from 0.9% in East South Central to 2.2% in New England (p < 0.001). 2124 bariatric surgeons were identified. The rate of bariatric surgery by division was negatively correlated with division morbid obesity rates (r = − 0.65) and strongly positively correlated with surgeon presence (r = 0.91). After adjusting for demographic differences between divisions, surgeon presence remained highly associated with surgery utilization (p < 0.001). Rates of bariatric surgery procedures in the U.S. are minimally correlated with rates of morbid obesity and are strongly correlated with the number of available bariatric surgeons. Effective therapy for the morbidly obese may be limited by the lack of qualified surgeons.
Subspace Identification of Temperature Dynamics.

Data-driven modeling and control of temperature dynamics in mechatronics systems and industrial processes are challenging control engineering problems. This is mainly because the temperature dynamics is inherently infinite-dimensional, nonlinear, spatially distributed, and coupled with other physical processes. Furthermore, the dominant time constants are usually long, implying that in practice due to various economic and time constraints, we can only collect a relatively small number of data samples that can be used for data-driven modeling. Finally, since sensing and actuation of temperature dynamics are often spatially discrete, special attention needs to be given to sensor (actuator) placement and identifiability problems. Motivated by these challenges, in this manuscript, we consider the problem of data-driven modeling and validation of temperature dynamics. We have developed an experimental setup consisting of a long aluminum bar whose temperature dynamics is influenced by spatially distributed heat actuators and whose temperature is sensed by spatially distributed thermocouples. We address the noise reduction problem and perform step response and nonlinearity analyses. We combine predictor based subspace identification methods with time series analysis methods to identify a multiple-input multiple-output system model. We provide detailed treatments of model structure selection, validation, and residual analysis problems under different modeling and prediction scenarios. Our extensive experimental results show that the temperature dynamics of the experimental setup can be relatively accurately estimated by low-order models.
Downlink Asynchronous Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Systems with Imperfect Channel Information

Recent studies have demonstrated that asynchronous non- orthogonal multiple access (ANOMA) outperforms conventional (synchronous) NOMA under the condition of perfect channel state information (CSI). In this paper, we investigate a downlink ANOMA system with imperfect CSI. It is analytically proved that the ANOMA system with a relatively large frame length outperforms the NOMA system in terms of the outage probability. To this end, we derive the analytical expressions for the individual throughput of each user and simplify them in the asymptotic case of infinite frame length. Besides, we show that with channel estimation error, the optimal timing mismatch converges to half of a single symbol length as the frame length goes to infinity.
Abstract 16247: Methamphetamine Use Predicts Worse Prognosis in a Safety Net Heart Failure Population

Background: Methamphetamine (MA) use is rising, and overdose deaths have increased by 500% in San Francisco since 2008. MA use is associated with heart failure (HF); yet, cardiovascular (CV) outcom...
Perioperative Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Incidence and Outcomes in Neurosurgical Patients at Two Tertiary Care Centers in Washington, DC, During a Pandemic: A 6-Month Follow-up

Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to affect all aspects of health care delivery, and neurosurgical practices are not immune to its impact. We aimed to evaluate neurosurgical practice patterns as well as the perioperative incidence of COVID-19 in neurosurgical patients and their outcomes. Methods A retrospective review of neurosurgical and neurointerventional cases at 2 tertiary centers during the first 3 months of the first peak of COVID-19 pandemic (March 8 to June 8) as well as following 3 months (post-peak pandemic; June 9 to September 9) was performed. Baseline characteristics, perioperative COVID-19 test results, modified Medically Necessary, Time-Sensitive (mMeNTS) score, and outcome measures were compared between COVID-19–positive and–negative patients through bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results In total, 652 neurosurgical and 217 neurointerventional cases were performed during post-peak pandemic period. Cervical spine, lumbar spine, functional/pain, cranioplasty, and cerebral angiogram cases were significantly increased in the postpandemic period. There was a 2.9% (35/1197) positivity rate for COVID-19 testing overall and 3.6% (13/363) positivity rate postoperatively. Age, mMeNTS score, complications, length of stay, case acuity, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, and disposition were significantly different between COVID-19–positive and–negative patients. Conclusions A significant increase in elective case volume during the post-peak pandemic period is feasible with low and acceptable incidence of COVID-19 in neurosurgical patients. COVID-19–positive patients were younger, less likely to undergo elective procedures, had increased length of stay, had more complications, and were discharged to a location other than home. The mMeNTS score plays a role in decision-making for scheduling elective cases.
Projecting Daily Travel Behavior by Distance During the Pandemic and the Spread of COVID-19 Infections – Are We in a Closed Loop Scenario?

Abstract Understanding the future development of COVID-19 is the key to contain the spreading of the coronavirus. The purpose of this paper is to explore a potential relationship between United States residents’ daily trips by distance and the COVID-19 infections in the near future. The study used the daily travel data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the COVID-19 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. Time-series forecast models using Autoregressive Moving Average (ARIMA) method were constructed to project future trends of United States residents’ daily trips by distance at the national level from November 30, 2020, to February 28, 2021. A comparative trend analysis was conducted to detect the patterns of daily trips and the spread of COVID-19 during that period. The results revealed a closed loop scenario, in which the residents’ travel behavior dynamically changes based on their risk perception of COVID-19 in an infinite loop. A detected lag in the travel behavior between short trips and long trips further worsens the situation and creates more difficulties in finding an effective solution to break the loop. The study shed new light on efforts to contain and control the spread of the coronavirus. The loop can only be broken with proper and prompt mitigation strategies to reduce the burden on hospitals and healthcare systems and save more lives.
The CDC crossmatch in the era of flow cytometric cross-match and single antigen beads

The complement-dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch (CDC-XM), a technique that uses T and B lymphocytes to detect donor-specific antibodies (DSA) via activation of the classical pathway of complement, has been widely used for the detection of alloantibodies in transplant patients since it was introduced in the 1960s. In their seminal paper published in 1969, Patel and Terasaki demonstrated 24 out of 30 immediate graft failures in kidney transplants performed across a positive crossmatch, compared to eight out of 195 transplanted across a [...]
Els dilemes històrics de la democràcia i la seva rellevància contemporània per a la ciutadania

Aquest assaig analitza la relacio dialectica entre els conceptes de democracia i de ciutadania a la llum dels debats actuals , en els quals es combinen una transformacio de la tradicio filosofica i una avaluacio de les situacions en que es questiona la distincio juridica entre el «ciutada» i el «nacional» . A partir de consideracions sobre les tensions semantiques de les categories gregues i llatines ( politeia , demokratia , isonomia , ius civitatis ), s'analitzen les apories de la democracia, entesa com a model o ideologia, que filosofs com Jacques Ranciere i Hannah Arendt ens permeten superar mitjancant la definicio de la democracia com un proces d'insurreccio permanent «anti-oligarquic» en lloc d'un regim estable. No es la propagacio de la democracia, per tant, el que constitueix l'objecte primordial de la teoria politica, sino la democratitzacio de la democracia, de si mateixa, especialment en la forma d'eliminacio de l'exclusio interna. Aquesta teoria s'il·lustra i es perfecciona encara mes en referir-se als debats sobre la discriminacio de classe i raca, les lluites violentes a la recerca del reconeixement que afecten les institucions republicanes, les formes de ciutadania nomades o diasporiques, i la relacio entre drets socials i politics .
How Do Demand-Pull Policies Affect Firm-level Innovation Activities?

This paper examines the impact of demand-pull policies and regulatory uncertainty on the propensity of firms to engage in exploratory or exploitative innovation. I take an institutional perspective...
Current Medical Therapies for Men With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Achievements and Limitations

Over the last 20 years, our understanding of the pathophysiology and symptomatology of men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) has become increasingly more sophisticated. With this increase in sophistication, our utilization of various medical therapies, either alone or in combination, has also increased the understanding of the roles of individual medications, combinations of medications, and the benefits of different types of intervention. The rapid decline of the use of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and other surgical procedures for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the 1990s is due in part to the introduction of medical therapy. This article reviews the current state of medical therapy for men with LUTS and highlights its promises and its current limitations.
Identifying Independence in Relational Models

The rules of d-separation provide a framework for deriving conditional independence facts from model structure. However, this theory only applies to simple directed graphical models. We introduce relational d-separation, a theory for deriving conditional independence in relational models. We provide a sound, complete, and computationally efficient method for relational d-separation, and we present empirical results that demonstrate effectiveness.
The association between pituitary adenomas and chronic anovulation syndrome

A cohort of 487 patients with chronic anovulation syndrome diagnosed between January 1, 1970, and January 1, 1980, were followed up to determine the frequency of pituitary adenomas among them. Of the 487 patients, four (0.8%) had pituitary adenoma. This compares with an expected number of 0.42, yielding a relative risk of 9.5 (95% confidence interval, 2.6 to 24.3). Within this cohort, the prevalence rate was 2.7% for galactorrhea and 3.3% for hyperprolactinemia. The prevalence rate of abnormal radiologic findings was 6.4% for roentgenography of the sella, 25.4% for sellar tomography, and 14.7% for computed tomography. In addition, 15 patients with pituitary adenomas and 60 control subjects were compared for prior anovulation syndrome. The relative risk of pituitary adenomas for patients with chronic anovulation syndrome in this case-control study was 24.3 (95% confidence interval, 4.9 to 120.6).