cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pilot Study of the Effect of Lanthanum Carbonate (Fosrenol®) In Patients with Calciphylaxis: A Wisconsin Network for Health Research (WiNHR) Study.

Background: Currently there is a lack of effective treatment options for patients with calciphylaxis. There is anecdotal evidence that non-calcium based phosphorus binders may offer some benefit. The aim of this pilot study is to determine if lanthanum carbonate is effective in inducing remission of calciphylaxis lesions and demonstrate an improved DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index). Methods: This is a multi-site exploratory pilot study conducted through the Wisconsin Network for Health Research (WiNHR), a collaboration of health services researchers across the state of Wisconsin. Dialysis patients were recruited from in-center dialysis units, clinics and hospital admissions over a period of 24-months. Results: Due to the low inclusion rate, the trial was terminated after which 4 patients were prospectively analyzed. Dose of lanthanum carbonate was escalated to 3750 mg divided into 3 meals and titrated according to level of serum phosphorus. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common adverse effect. All 4 patients achieved complete remission by definition of skin re-epithelialization. Secondary outcome measurements showed a significant improvement in serum albumin (B coeff 0.17, 95% CI 0.002-0.031; p=0.023) and a significant improvement in overall DLQI score (B coeff -0.46, 95% CI -0.85- -0.08; p=0.019). Conclusions: Lanthanum carbonate appears to be efficacious as an adjunctive therapy to improve calciphylaxis lesions and symptom burden. More prospective clinical trials are warranted to determine the feasibility of this novel treatment strategy.
Quantitative genetics of growth and development in Populus. I. A three-generation comparison of tree architecture during the first 2 years of growth.

One approach to gain an insight into the genetics of tree architecture is to make use of morphologically divergent parents and study their segregating progeny in the F2 and backcross (B1) generations. This approach was chosen in the present study in which material of a three-generation pedigree growing side by side in a replicated plantation, was analyzed. The pedigree included Populus trichocarpa (T) and P. deltoides (D) parents, their F1 and F2 hybrids and their B1 hybrids to the D parent. The trees were grown in the environment of the T parent and measured for the first 2 years of growth. Nine quantitative traits were studied at the stem, branch and leaf levels of tree architecture, in which the original parents differed. Strong F1 hybrid vigor relative to the better parent (T) was expressed in growth and its components. Most quantitative traits in the F2 and B1 hybrids were intermediate between the T and D parents but displayed a wide range of variation due to segregation. The results from the analysis of variance indicated that all morphometric traits were significantly different among F2 and B1 clones, but the B1 hybrids were more sensitive to replicates than the F2. Broad-sense heritabilities (H2) based on clonal means ranged from moderately high to high (0.50–0.90) for the traits studied, with H2 values varying over age. The H2 estimates reflected greater environmental “noise” in the B1 than in the F2, presumably due to the greater proportion of maladaptive D alleles in those hybrids. In both families, sylleptic branch number and length, and leaf size on the terminal, showed strong genetic correlations with stem growth. The large divergence between the two original parents in the traits studied, combined with the high chromosome number in Populus (2n=38), makes this pedigree well suited for the estimation of the number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying quantitative variation by Wright's biometric method (1968). Variation in several traits was found to be under the control of surprisingly few major QTLs: 3–4 in 2nd-year height and diameter growth, a single QTL in stem diameter/height ratio.
Gas-source molecular beam epitaxial growth of low threshold current 1.3 μm InAsP/InGaAsP lasers

Highly strained InAsP/InGaAsP MQW lasers emitting at 1.3 μm grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy with threshold currents of 1.1 mA at 20°C are reported. Lasers with anti-reflection/high-reflection coated facets exhibited slope efficiencies as high as 0.48 mW/mA, output powers of 65 mW, and wall plug efficiencies of 30% at 10 mW.
Isotopic evidence for the source of lead in the North Pacific abyssal water.

National Science Foundation (U.S.) (OCE-0325031, OCE-0325031, OCE-0220978, OCE-0321402, OCE-0728930 and ARC-0612538)
ESD protection of MR sensors using a dissipative shunt

Cabled Magnetoresistive sensors (CMODs) can be damaged during manufacturing assembly when the CMOD voltage and the device to which they are connected have voltage differentials below about 25 V. This paper discusses the use of a dissipative shunt built into the CMOD to dissipate potential ESD charges.
Multiscale variability of the atmospheric mixed layer over the Western Pacific warm pool

Abstract Sounding data from Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) have provided a first opportunity to document the variability of the atmospheric mixed layer over the western Pacific warm pool on timescales ranging from diurnal to intraseasonal. Six-hourly sounding data from four sites—the atoll Kapingamarangi and R/Vs Moana Wave, Shiyan 3, and Xiangyanghong 5—are used to determine the mixed layer depth and its thermodynamic properties. Almost three-quarters of the soundings at these four sites exhibited well-mixed structures: nearly constant profiles of potential temperature and specific humidity capped by a ∼150-m-deep entrainment zone. The majority of the remaining soundings were modified by precipitation and their associated downdrafts. It is estimated that approximately 40%–50% of the total soundings in COARE were influenced by precipitation downdrafts. The mean mixed layer depth at the four sites was 512 m with large variations on multiple timesc...
Therapeutic inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

ABSTRACTBackground: The incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing worldwide and is ranked as the fourth most common cause of death in the United States. COPD is caused by long-term exposure to cigarette smoke, toxic gases, and particulate matter, leading to airway flow limitation and pulmonary failure. The disease is characterized by an excess of extracellular matrix deposition, increased thickness of airway walls, and destruction of alveolar septae, resulting in reduced functional lung parenchyma and reduced elastic tethering forces to maintain airway patency. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been suggested as the major proteolytic enzymes involved in the pathogeneses of COPD because these proteins are a unique family of metalloenzymes that, once activated, can destroy connective tissue. Although several MMP inhibitors have been developed, in vivo specificity and selectivity have slowed the progress.Scope: This review discusses the structural features of MMPs, their pul...
CT-based analysis of dose homogeneity in total body irradiation using lateral beam

A computed tomography (CT) based treatment planning system for total body irradiation (TBI) is presented and compared with the commonly practiced lateral treatment delivery. The TBI regimen has been proved to be an essential conditional regimen for patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation. The advantage of the TBI regimen with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in hematological malignancies can be offset by toxicities arising from TBI in posttransplant complications. With the increasing survival rates, the evaluation of long-term side effects and quality of life has become an important area of research interest. There have been several treatment techniques developed over the decades designed to achieve accurate dose delivery and dose homogeneity. This paper reports on the verification of the dose delivery for a basic lateral technique using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) placed in an anthropomorphic phantom and its correlation with CT-based treatment planning. CT-based treatment plans on several patients were used to evaluate the doses delivered to the whole body and critical organs. A large variation in doses delivered to the whole body was demonstrated, with some parts of the bone marrow failing to receive the prescribed dose and some critical organs, such as the lungs, receiving excessive doses. Placing the arms at the sides only partially compensates for the increased transmission of the lungs because the arms only shadow part of the lung. This study shows that CT-based treatment planning for TBI provides precise and accurate dose calculations and allows for the correlation of clinical outcomes with the doses actually delivered to various organs.
Novobiocin-induced ultrastructural changes and antagonism of DNA synthesis in Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes growing in cell-free medium.

The antimicrobial agent novobiocin, an inhibitor of the bacterial enzyme topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase), is known to antagonize Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes growing in cell-free medium. To determine sites of antagonism of novobiocin, the effects of drug on parasite ultrastructure and incorporation of radiolabeled precursors of DNA, RNA and protein into macromolecules were determined. The predominant ultrastructural abnormality seen after exposure to 0.40 mM novobiocin for 24 h was the presence of electron-dense clumps in the mitochondrion-kinetoplast organelle in 95 of 257 (37%) of cells, in comparison to no clumps seen in 110 drug-free cells. In addition, in the nucleus, the karyosome was less distinct than in control cells and appeared to merge with the chromatin. In the radiolabcling studies, incorporation of thymidine was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by novobiocin (0.16–0.80 mM) in a range of drug concentrations that also inhibited parasite growth. For 0.16 and 0.24 mM novobiocin, incorporation of thymidine was inhibited up to 65% relative to drug-free control cells while uptake of uridine and leucine was unaltered. We interpret these ultrastructure and precursor-incorporation studies as suggesting that (i) the mitochondrion-kinetoplast and possibly the nucleus are sites of novobiocin antagonism of T. cruzi amastigotes and (ii) that novobiocin appears to antagonize DNA synthesis within these organisms. Whether the drug target is topoisomerase II, however, is as yet unknown.
Impact of ECCO Ocean-State Estimates on the Initialization of Seasonal Climate Forecasts

Abstract The impact of ocean-state estimates generated by the consortium for Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) on the initialization of a coupled general circulation model (CGCM) for seasonal climate forecasts is examined. The CGCM consists of the University of California, Los Angeles, Atmospheric GCM (UCLA AGCM) and an ECCO ocean configuration of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology GCM (MITgcm). The forecasts correspond to ensemble seasonal hindcasts for the period 1993–2001. For the forecasts, the ocean component of the CGCM is initialized in either early March or in early June using ocean states provided either by an unconstrained forward ocean integration of the MITgcm (the “baseline” hindcasts) or by data-constrained ECCO results (the “ECCO” hindcasts). Forecast skill for both the baseline and the ECCO hindcasts is significantly higher than persistence and compares well with the skill of other state-of-the art CGCM forecast systems. For March initial conditions, the sta...
A canonical expansion for nonlinear systems

The importance of differential geometry, in particular, Lie brackets of vector fields, in the study of nonlinear systems is well established. Under very mild assumptions, we show that a real-analytic nonlinear system has an expansion in which the coefficients are computed in terms of Lie brackets. This expansion occurs in a special coordinate system. We also explain the concept of a pure feedback system. For control design involving a nonlinear system, one approach is to put the system in its canonical expansion and approximate by that part having only feedback paths.
Pulmonary immune changes early after laparoscopic antireflux surgery in lung transplant patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background The biologic mechanisms by which laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) might influence the inflammatory process leading to bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome are unknown. We hypothesized that LARS alters the pulmonary immune profile in lung transplant patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Ethanol suppresses hippocampal cell firing through a calcium and cyclic AMP-sensitive mechanism

Abstract The effects of ethanol were studied intracellularly in hippocampal pyramidal cells in vitro. Ethanol, 50–100 mM, produced a marked suppression of neuronal firing. This effect was blocked by treating the cell with cyclic 3′, 5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or cadmium ions. Ethanol had no effect on the after-hyperpolarizing current. It is concluded that the ethanol-induced reduction of firing rate is due to a calcium-dependent process, and modulated by cAMP.
Cathodoluminescence imaging and titanium thermometry in metamorphic quartz

Cathodoluminescence (CL) of quartz from metamorphic rocks representing a range of conditions from the garnet grade to the migmatite grade reveals a variety of textures, that is, a function of metamorphic grade and deformation history. Ti concentrations, determined by electron microprobe and ion microprobe, generally correlate with CL intensity (blue wavelengths), and application of the Ti-in-quartz thermometer (TitaniQ) reflects the temperature of quartz growth or recrystallization, and, in some settings, modification by diffusion. Quartz from garnet grade samples is not visibly zoned, records temperatures of 425-475 � C, and is interpreted to have recrystallized during fabric formation. Quartz grains from staurolite grade samples are zoned in CL with markedly darker cores and brighter rims, some of which are interpreted to have been produced by the dominant staurolite-producing reaction, whereas others are interpreted as having formed by diffusion of Ti into quartz rims. Quartz from the matrix of kyanite and sillimanite grade samples are generally unzoned, although locally displays slightly brighter rims (higher Ti); quartz inclusions within garnet and staurolite have distinctly brighter rims, which are interpreted as having been produced by diffusive exchange with the host mineral. Quartz from migmatite grade samples displays highly variable CL intensity, which is dependent on the location of the grain. Matrix grains in melanosomes are largely unzoned or rarely zoned with darker cores. Leucosome quartz is strongly zoned with bright cores and dark rims and is interpreted as having formed during crystallization of the melt. Locally within the leucosome is observed oscillatory-zoned quartz, which is interpreted as a subsolidus recrystallization to achieve strain relaxation. Quartz inclusions within garnet or plagioclase crystals often show bright domains separated by zones of dark CL. These enigmatic textures possibly reflect local melting fluxed by fluid inclusions. Temperatures calculated from the Ti- in-quartz thermometer are a function of the metamorphic grade of the sample, the textural setting of the quartz, the reaction history and the deformation history of the rock. The TitaniQ temperatures can be used to constrain the conditions at which various metamorphic processes have occurred.
A web-based course on integrated passive component technology

A web-based course in integrated passive technology is being developed for use by industrial or academic students. Funding for this project comes from an IEEE/NSF grant for packaging education. The course will be based on an upcoming hook on the subject, and will include fourteen modules designed to give the student a broad understanding of an evolving topic, with equal emphasis on materials science, fabrication technology, and the cost-effective use of integrated passives in electrical systems.
Ribosomal proteins mediate the hepatitis C virus IRES-HeLa 40S interaction.

Translation of the hepatitis C virus genomic RNA is mediated by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). The 330-nt IRES RNA forms a binary complex with the small 40S ribosomal subunit as a first step in translation initiation. Here chemical probing and 4-thiouridine-mediated crosslinking are used to characterize the interaction of the HCV IRES with the HeLa 40S subunit. No IRES-18S rRNA contacts were detected, but several specific crosslinks to 40S ribosomal proteins were observed. The identity of the crosslinked proteins agrees well with available structural information and provides new insights into HCV IRES function. The protein-rich surface of the 40S subunit thus mediates the IRES‐ribosome interaction.
Short note: O(N) implementation of the fast marching algorithm

In this note we present an implementation of the fast marching algorithm for solving Eikonal equations that in practice reduces the original run-time from O(NlogN) to linear. This lower run-time cost is obtained while keeping an error bound of the same order of magnitude as the original algorithm. This improvement is achieved introducing the straight forward untidy priority queue, obtained via a quantization of the priorities in the marching computation. We present the underlying framework, estimations on the error, and examples showing the usefulness of the proposed approach.
Video Games, Competition and Exercise: A New Opportunity for Sport Psychologists?

The increasing influence of technology on sports and games is examined and the widespread popularity of video and computer games is identified as an oppor tunity for sport and exercise psychologists. Modern video and computer games can involve considerable physical activity and social competition and are thus a suitable subject for the application of sport psychology theories and intervention methods. A brief overview of some of the existing research from other fields on video and serious interactive games is presented. The advantages of studying competition, cooperation and exercise in video game play include application of existing theories to new areas, methodological research advantages, and new applied opportunities for practitioners. Sport and exercise psychologists are encouraged to research the long-term viability of studying important sport and exercise psychology topics such as aggression, teamwork and psychological skills using video game and related technologies. Sports and technology have always had a symbiotic relationship. One can imagine that children in early civilizations soon realized some of the fun that was possible when they began playing with stones and sticks. The ancient Olympics of the early Greeks featured simple technological devices such as the discus and javelin (Coakley, 2001). Games that have been popular for the past 100 years feature other simple devices such as bats and balls, and in the past 50 years more complex technologies have made sports such as skiing and cycling extremely popular. Now in the 21st century, new technologies such as joysticks, dance pads, portable controllers and internet access have transformed the kinds of games and competitions that are popular in our society. Nowhere has the influence of technology on competitive games been greater than in the development of computer and video games, which are now one of the favorite leisure-time activities for children and adults in Western industrialized countries (Subrahmanyam, Kraut, Greenfield, & Gross, 2001). In just a few decades, computer and video games have become so popular that many parents now worry that previously popular childhood physical activities such as backyard games of touch football or organized sporting contests such as youth baseball have
Panel on: The Creation and Distortion of Communication through Information Technology Misinformation published on the Internet: It's time to update the Sullivan Rule

The United States Supreme Court has ruled on several cases concerning the publication of misinformation, either intentional or unintentional. In the leading case, New York Times v. Sullivan, the Court ruled that public figures can recover damages for misinformation by proving "actual malice" from the publisher. As "publication" on the Internet provides the ability to quickly and anonymously modify text, this presentation will suggest that the Court should review Sullivan in light of the new technology.
cAMP-induced NF-κB (p50/ relB ) binding to a c- myb intronic enhancer correlates with c- myb up-regulation and inhibition of erythroleukemia cell differentiation

During hexamethylene bisactamide (HMBA)-induced differentiation of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells erythroid genes are transcriptionally activated while c-myb and several other nuclear proto-oncogenes are down-regulated. Differentiation is inhibited by cAMP analogues and the adenyl cyclase-stimulating agent forskolin. We found that these drugs prevented the late down-regulation of c-myb which is known to be critical for MEL cell differentiation. Since the increase in c-myb mRNA levels was due to increased mRNA transcription, we examined the transcription factors NF-kappaB and AP-1 which have been implicated in the regulation of c-myb expression. Binding of MEL cell nuclear proteins to a NF-kappaB recognition sequence in c-myb intron I was strongly induced by 8-Br-cAMP or forskolin; induction was delayed and correlated with the up-regulation of c-myb. The cAMP-induced NF-kappaB complex contained p50 and RelB; in co-transfection assays, p50 and RelB transactivated a reporter construct containing the c-myb intronic NF-kappaB site upstream of a minimal promoter. 8-Br-cAMP and forskolin also increased the DNA binding activity of AP-1 complexes containing JunB, JunD and c-Fos in MEL cells which could cooperate with NF-kappaB. We conclude that inhibition of MEL cell differentiation by pharmacological doses of cAMP can be explained by the up-regulation of c-myb which is mediated, at least in part, by NF-kappaB p50/RelB heterodimers.
Mucoproteins of Human Plasma. IV. Electrophoretic Demonstration of Mucoproteins in Serum at pH 4.5.

SummaryWhen serum is subjected to electrophoresis at pH 4.5, two components are seen which have isoelectric points more acid than those of albumin. One of these has been identified with a mucoprotein which has been shown to increase in amount in cancer, pneumonia, and certain other diseases. The second component, with a less acid isoelectric point, may also be a mucoprotein, but this point has not been definitely established.
Effect of reticuloendothelial stimulation on plasma acid hydrolase activity in hemorrhagic shock.

SummaryPrior stimulation of the reticulo-endothelial system (RES) with zymosan and glucan markedly altered plasma acid phos-phatase and plasma beta glucuronidase activity during subsequent hemorrha...
Two-tone measurements of optical modulator response

As the bandwidth of optical modulators increases it is important to develop techniques for measuring their frequency response which do not depend on the precise calibration of high-speed photodiodes. We describe here a technique using the nonlinear mixing of two microwave signals in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to give a fixed low-frequency modulation which is used to calibrate a modulator to millimeter wave frequencies.
Identification of Vulnerable Coronary Plaque With Intravascular OCT

Intravascular OCT was performed in patients following myocardial infarction. Atherosclerotic plaque type and structure were compared for disrupted and non-disrupted locations. Our results suggest that intravascular OCT provides an accurate method for identifying vulnerable plaques.
Research on toxin gene and molecular genotype of Vibrio parahaemolyticus with different serotypes isolated from samples of one food poisoning

Objective:To analyse the toxin genes and molecular genotype of Vibrio parahaemolyticus with two kinds of serotypes isolated from samples of one food poisoning.Methods: The isolation and identification of pathogen from swab anal were conducted according to WS271-2007 etc.Then serological test was done on the isolated Vibrio parahaemolyticus,fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the toxin gene,and PFGE was used for molecular typing.Results: All the 10 samples were positive for O4: K8 Vibrio parahaemolyticus,of which 5 samples were also positive for O3: K6 Vibrio parahaemolyticus.Toxin gene detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus of two serotypes were tdh positive,trh negative.PFGE typing showed that strains of the same serotype were highly similar,and the similarity was from 92.9% to 100%,while strains from the same sample of different serotypes were different clones.Conclusion: This food poisoning was caused by coinfecion with two serotypes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus: the O4: K8 serotype and the O3: K6 serotype.
Nevus spilus: is the presence of hair associated with an increased risk for melanoma?

Nevus spilus (NS), also known as speckled lentiginous nevus, is characterized by background cafe au lait-like lentiginous melanocytic hyperplasia speckled with small, 1- to 3-mm, darker foci. Nevus spilus occurs in 1.3% to 2.3% of the adult population worldwide. Reports of melanoma arising within hypertrichotic NS suggest that hypertrichosis may be a marker for the development of melanoma. We present a case of a hypertrichotic NS without melanoma and also provide a review of previously reported cases of hypertrichosis in NS. We believe that NS has a lower risk for malignant degeneration than congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) of the same size, and it is unlikely that hypertrichosis is a marker for melanoma in NS.
Girls with childhood ADHD as adults: Cross-domain outcomes by diagnostic persistence.

OBJECTIVE To ascertain adult outcomes in 10 domains reflecting symptomatology (internalizing, externalizing, self-injury, substance use), attainment (education, employment), and impairment (health, social, driving, overall) as a function of both childhood diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and persistence of ADHD symptoms across time. METHOD We prospectively followed 140 grade-school-aged girls with rigorously diagnosed childhood ADHD and 88 age- and ethnicity-matched comparison girls for 16 years. Outcome measures were obtained via self- and parent-report questionnaires, interviews, and objective tests. RESULTS Childhood ADHD, whether it remitted or persisted, was a pernicious risk factor for a limited number of poor outcomes, including low educational attainment, unplanned pregnancy, body mass index (BMI), and clinician-rated impairment. Childhood ADHD that persisted over time, whether completely or partially, was associated with a number of additional detrimental outcomes in the externalizing, internalizing, self-injury, occupational, social, and overall impairment domains. Finally, in this all-female sample, ADHD was not associated with objective measures of employment, substance use, or driving outcomes. CONCLUSIONS We discuss the considerable impairments accruing from both childhood-limited and adult-persisting ADHD, with major implications for the health and well-being of females with this neurodevelopmental disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record
TranSearch: A Multilingual Search User Interface Accommodating User Interaction and Preference

Multilingual Information Retrieval systems and interfaces tackle the challenges multilingual searchers face when searching for information in multiple languages. In this paper, we present preliminary findings from a qualitative study of design and evaluation of a multilingual search User Interface, TranSearch. Findings highlight that 1) during query translation phase, intuitive user interaction, specifically, automatic machine translation with user ability to edit and keep track of queries is especially beneficial; 2) in search phase, result displays facilitating comparison across languages, customizable result panels accommodating user preferences, and flexibility to switch result languages play important roles. It is identified that simplicity, visibility, and customization are the characters mostly preferred. Based on user preference explanation, implications for design are discussed around these themes.
Rapid transformation of two libraries using Kotter's Eight Steps of Change.

Background: Two new directors were each charged by their institutions to catalyze transformational change in their libraries and to develop dynamic and evolving information ecosystems ready for the information challenges of the future. The directors approached this transformational change using a strategic, forward-looking approach. Results: This paper presents examples of actions that served as catalysts for change at the two libraries using Kotter’s Eight Steps of Change as a framework. Small and large changes are critical for successfully transforming library services, resources, and personnel. Conclusions: Libraries are faced with incredible pressure to adapt to meet emerging and intensifying information needs on today’s academic medical campuses. These pressures offer an opportunity for libraries to accelerate their evolution at the micro and macro levels. This commentary reports the expansion of new services and areas of support, enhancement of professional visibility of the libraries on their campuses, and overall, a more positive and productive environment at the respective institutions.
Angela Merkel’s discourse about the past: Implications for the construction of collective memory in Germany:

This article examines German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political discourse about the past. Through analysis of 54 of Merkel’s speeches over a 10-year period, I explore when and how she references ...
An energy-based optimal control problem for unmanned aircraft systems flight planning

In this paper, we formulate the flight planning problem for a multirotor Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) as an optimal control problem. The cost optimized is the energy consumption at the cruise phase of a mission. We first present a general formulation, then address a special cases: optimizing flight directions given vehicle speed. The problem was solved numerically on digital elevation models (DEM) with the Ordered Upwind Method (OUM). By combining the optimized path with timestamps, we can generate 4D trajectories typically used in aviation flight planning, and thus maximize the software compatibility between manned and unmanned aviation. Simulation shows that the algorithm can generate energy-optimal paths avoiding obstacles, as well as estimate energy consumption along the entire trajectory.
Poor theory and the art of plastic pollution in Nigeria: relational aesthetics, human ecology, and “good housekeeping”

ABSTRACTThe art of plastic pollution from Nigeria marks more than an environmental consciousness. It also marks an ecological consciousness based on contemporary plastic-waste artists’ commitment t...
Is China Killing the WTO

This article briefly discusses how China has performed in the WTO and the implications of its failure to enforce its own laws; a possible violation of its accession commitments. I argue that China's membership in the WTO has provided benefits for the world's people, but China is exporting its inadequate governance, with implications for the rule of law under the WTO.
Performance Nutrition Dining Facility Intervention Improves Special Operations Soldiers' Diet Quality and Meal Satisfaction.

Abstract Objective To assess the impact of the Special Operations Forces Human Performance Program dining facility (DFAC) intervention on patron diet quality and meal satisfaction. Design Nonrandomized, controlled time series study using digital food photography and surveys pre-post intervention (0, 4, 8, and 12 months). Setting Two Fort Bragg, NC military installation DFACs. Participants Volunteers (n = 688 total; n = 573 complete dataset) were US Army active duty soldiers. Intervention The DFAC intervention included food choice architecture, new performance-optimizing food recipes to increase nutrient density, revised menus to offer more performance foods daily, and nutrition labeling to influence food choice. Main Outcome Measures Daily DFAC nutrient intake and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010 scores. Analysis Descriptive and ANOVA statistical analyses were performed between control and intervention groups and from baseline to 4, 8, and 12 months postintervention (α = .05; 80% power). Results The intervention resulted in a higher posttest HEI score (60.1 ± 8.8 points; +3.4%; P = .005) and DFAC satisfaction compared with control (49.0 ± 10.4 points; P > .05). Improved intervention HEI scores were attributed to changes in citrus and melon fruit (+46%), red and orange vegetables (+35%), whole grains (+181%), legumes (65%), yogurt (+45%), oils (–26%), and solid fat (–18%) consumption (all P Conclusions and Implications These data illustrate that the Special Operations Forces Human Performance Program military DFAC nutrition intervention was feasible to implement and was associated with diet quality improvements. Access to high-quality ingredients and recipes may improve soldier meal quality and acceptance in other settings and warrants further investigation.
Pirro Ligorio and the design of the Fontana del Diluvio at the Villa d’Este

On 6 November 1568, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese wrote to Alfonso II d’Este on the recent news of Pirro Ligorio’s intention to leave Rome and move with his family to Ferrara. There, reasoned the car...
Sugar sweetened beverages on emerging outdoor advertising in New York City.

Abstract Objectives As a replacement for traditional phone booths, LinkNYC kiosks provide the ability to make free calls, connect to WiFi, and to charge electronic devices. These structures, which are supported by advertising revenue, are found in growing numbers on the streets of New York City (NYC). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of sugar-sweetened beverage advertisements on LinkNYC kiosks. Study design Cross-sectional, observational. Methods A total of 100 kiosks from a sample of 507 kiosks were randomly selected and observed in Manhattan, NYC. Results A total of 2025 advertisements, including duplicates, were observed that included 347 (17.1%) viewed at 64 kiosks for non-alcoholic beverages. Over half (n = 206, 59.4%) featured beverages with added sugar. For the 206 beverages with sugar, the mean kilocalories and grams of sugar per serving were 149.90 (SD = 64.95, range = 90–300) and 35.04 (SD = 19.54, range = 17–81), respectively. Differences in the frequency of these 206 advertisements were examined by the median annual income quartile of the census tract where the kiosk was located, and no significant differences were observed, χ2 (3, N = 206) = 3.09, P = 0.38. Conclusions As the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene invests in efforts to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, promoting these very products through new media controlled by the City does not seem well aligned with the goal of improving dietary intake of citizens.
No Sweat! Bilateral Shoulder Reduction Using a Modified Davos Technique.

Shoulder dislocations are a common entity seen and treated in the everyday practice of emergency physicians. Bilateral simultaneous shoulder dislocations, however, are rare and are only described in the literature through case reports with no consensus about how to effectively and efficiently reduce them. We present a case of a 21-year-old male who sustained bilateral simultaneous anterior shoulder dislocations after a suspected seizure. Following confirmation with radiographs, the patient’s dislocations were reduced successfully and in a timely manner using a novel method: the modified Davos technique.
Immunotherapeutic Approaches for Multiple Myeloma: Where Are We Now?

The treatment landscape for multiple myeloma has evolved rapidly with the availability of multiple new drugs; however, although patient survival has improved, the disease remains incurable. Multiple myeloma is characterized by the unregulated growth of malignant plasma cells accompanied by immune dysfunction as well as disrupted immune surveillance mechanisms. Here, we analyze clinical modalities, with a focus on monoclonal antibodies and adoptive cellular therapy that enhance patients’ immune systems and overcome these defects. Early clinical trials with PD-1 inhibitors were promising, but randomized phase III trials with immunomodulatory drugs showed increased toxicities. Monoclonal antibodies targeting surface antigens led to substantial clinical efficiency in relapsed myeloma. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for multiple myeloma represents a significant advance, as exciting and dramatic responses in early clinical trials have been seen. Immunotherapeutic approaches are promising and can augment or replace the current standard of care, with the potential to offer extended survival for myeloma patients.
Common Seed Potato Certification Schemes

Superior potato planting stock is becoming ever more important as world food needs increase. With current technology, maximum production per unit area of land can only be achieved by planting vigorous, disease-free tubers derived through well-designed and carefully monitored production and certification schemes. Such tubers are asexually propagated, or cloned, by dividing tubers of preceding generations. While cloning provides excellent genetic uniformity, yields, and quality, it also presents serious pest control problems. Cloning effectively spreads diseases, nematodes and other organisms from generation to generation.
Single-Satellite Doppler Localization with Law of Cosines (LOC)

Modern day localization requires multiple satellites in orbits, and relies on ranging capabilities which may not be available in most proximity flight radios that are used to explore other planetary bodies such as Mars or Moon. The key results of this paper are: 1. A novel relative positioning scheme that uses Doppler measurements and the principle of the Law of Cosines (LOC)to localize a user with as few as one orbiter 2. The concept of “pseudo-pseudorange” that embeds the satellite's velocity vector error into the pseudorange expressions of the user and the reference station, thereby allowing the LOC scheme to cancel out or to greatly attenuate the velocity error in the localization calculations In this analysis, the Lunar Relay Satellite (LRS)was used as the orbiter, with the reference station and the user located near the Lunar South Pole. Multiple Doppler measurements by the stationary user and the reference station at different time points from one satellite can be made over the satellite's pass, with the measurements in each time point processed and denoted as from a separate, faux satellite. The use of the surface constraint assumption was implemented with this scheme; using the knowledge of the altitude of the user as a constraint. Satellite's ephemeris and velocity, and user's and reference station's Doppler measurement errors were modeled as Gaussian variables, and embedded in Monte Carlo simulations of the scheme to investigate its sensitivity with respective to different kinds of errors. With only two Doppler measurements, LOC exhibited root mean square (RMS)3D positional errors of about 22 meters in Monte Carlo simulations. With an optimal measurement window size and a larger number of measurements, the RMS error improved to under 10 meters. The algorithm was also found to be fairly resilient to satellite velocity error due to the error mitigating effects in the LOC processing of the pseudo-pseudorange data type. A sensitivity analysis was performed to understand the effects of errors in the surface constraint, showing that overall position error increased linearly with surface constraint error. An analysis was also performed to reveal the relationship between the distance between the user and the reference station; a distance of up to 100 km only lead to an increase of 10 meters in RMS 3D position error. Ultimately, the LOC scheme provides localization with a minimal navigation infrastructure that relaxes hardware requirements and uses a small number of navigation nodes (as small as one).
Early temporal characteristics of elderly patient cognitive impairment in electronic health records

The aging population has led to an increase in cognitive impairment (CI) resulting in significant costs to patients, their families, and society. A research endeavor on a large cohort to better understand the frequency and severity of CI is urgent to respond to the health needs of this population. However, little is known about temporal trends of patient health functions (i.e., activity of daily living [ADL]) and how these trends are associated with the onset of CI in elderly patients. Also, the use of a rich source of clinical free text in electronic health records (EHRs) to facilitate CI research has not been well explored. The aim of this study is to characterize and better understand early signals of elderly patient CI by examining temporal trends of patient ADL and analyzing topics of patient medical conditions in clinical free text using topic models. The study cohort consists of physician-diagnosed CI patients (n = 1,435) and cognitively unimpaired (CU) patients (n = 1,435) matched by age and sex, selected from patients 65 years of age or older at the time of enrollment in the Mayo Clinic Biobank. A corpus analysis was performed to examine the basic statistics of event types and practice settings where the physician first diagnosed CI. We analyzed the distribution of ADL in three different age groups over time before the development of CI. Furthermore, we applied three different topic modeling approaches on clinical free text to examine how patients’ medical conditions change over time when they were close to CI diagnosis. The trajectories of ADL deterioration became steeper in CI patients than CU patients approximately 1 to 1.5 year(s) before the actual physician diagnosis of CI. The topic modeling showed that the topic terms were mostly correlated and captured the underlying semantics relevant to CI when approaching to CI diagnosis. There exist notable differences in temporal trends of basic and instrumental ADL between CI and CU patients. The trajectories of certain individual ADL, such as bathing and responsibility of own medication, were closely associated with CI development. The topic terms obtained by topic modeling methods from clinical free text have a potential to show how CI patients’ conditions evolve and reveal overlooked conditions when they close to CI diagnosis.
Bedtime and sleep problems in children

Abstract This chapter provides an update on pediatric sleep research with a specific focus on best practices in behavioral methods to prevent and address bedtime problems in youth. The chapter covers how to best manage the most common sleep problems in children and adolescents including recommendations for addressing night wakings, insomnia, bedtime refusal and delays, and parasomnias in children and adolescents. Case examples highlighting some of the recommended interventions are included. This chapter also discusses the importance of screening for sleep-disordered breathing/obstructive sleep apnea and the impacts of these disorders on children’s health and mental health. Recommendations on media and sleep are also provided. Efficacious methods to provide parent education and guidance on these issues are detailed.
HemoSYS: A Toolkit for Image-based Systems Biology of Tumor Hemodynamics.

Abnormal tumor hemodynamics are a critical determinant of a tumor’s microenvironment (TME), and profoundly affect drug delivery, therapeutic efficacy and the emergence of drug and radio-resistance. Since multiple hemodynamic variables can simultaneously exhibit transient and spatiotemporally heterogeneous behavior, there is an exigent need for analysis tools that employ multiple variables to characterize the anomalous hemodynamics within the TME. To address this, we developed a new toolkit called HemoSYS for quantifying the hemodynamic landscape within angiogenic microenvironments. It employs multivariable time-series data such as in vivo tumor blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV) and intravascular oxygen saturation (Hbsat) acquired concurrently using a wide-field multicontrast optical imaging system. The HemoSYS toolkit consists of propagation, clustering, coupling, perturbation and Fourier analysis modules. We demonstrate the utility of each module for characterizing the in vivo hemodynamic landscape of an orthotropic breast cancer model. With HemoSYS, we successfully described: (i) the propagation dynamics of acute hypoxia; (ii) the initiation and dissolution of distinct hemodynamic niches; (iii) tumor blood flow regulation via local vasomotion; (iv) the hemodynamic response to a systemic perturbation with carbogen gas; and (v) frequency domain analysis of hemodynamic heterogeneity in the TME. HemoSYS (freely downloadable via the internet) enables vascular phenotyping from multicontrast in vivo optical imaging data. Its modular design also enables characterization of non-tumor hemodynamics (e.g. brain), other preclinical disease models (e.g. stroke), vascular-targeted therapeutics, and hemodynamic data from other imaging modalities (e.g. MRI).
Promoting Children’s Rights Through School Leadership: Implications for School Psychologists

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has delineated numerous principles that serve to promote the welfare of children, and many of these principles have implications for educational policies and practices. School psychologists can advance children’s rights by working with administrators to encourage leadership styles and educational practices that promote these rights. School psychologists can also take administrative positions in schools, working directly to exercise these leadership styles and emphasize children’s rights as a priority. This chapter illustrates how school psychologists can have an impact on school culture by highlighting participatory leadership styles that can be used to transform education. Included is a discussion of how program-centered and consultee-centered administrative consultation can be used by school psychologists to facilitate the efforts of administrators to promote children’s rights. The chapter identifies four themes related to children’s rights that have particularly important implications for transforming education. These include (1) child-centered, nondiscriminatory education; (2) childcare and protection; (3) culture, leisure, and play; and (4) respect for children’s views. The chapter provides two examples of the school psychologist’s role in promoting children’s rights. One illustrates strategies for responding to the theme of childcare and protection, and the other illustrates strategies related to the theme of child-centered, nondiscriminatory education by focusing on child-centered approaches to school discipline. Recommendations are made about the roles that school psychologists can play to promote children’s rights as practitioners, administrators, and researchers.
Office Hysteroscopy for Retained Products of Conception

Study Objective Our goal is to present benefits and safety of different techniques in office hysteroscopy for removal of retained products of conception by vaginoscopic approach. Design Surgical video. Setting MIGS Office. Patients or Participants Reproductive age patients presenting with retained products of conception. Interventions Office hysteroscopy. Measurements and Main Results N/A Conclusion Office hysteroscopy is the safe and effective approach for removal of retained products of conception with proper patient selection. If vaginoscopic approach is used, there is less pain and no need for sedation or local anesthetic. Surgeon needs to be familiar with different techniques. It is cost effective and spares the operating room for more complex cases or during the limited resources (such as pandemic).