cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal gelation and tissue adhesion of biomimetic hydrogels

Marine and freshwater mussels are notorious foulers of natural and manmade surfaces, secreting specialized protein adhesives for rapid and durable attachment to wet substrates. Given the strong and water-resistant nature of mussel adhesive proteins, significant potential exists for mimicking their adhesive characteristics in bioinspired synthetic polymer materials. An important component of these proteins is L-3,4-dihydroxylphenylalanine (DOPA), an amino acid believed to contribute to mussel glue solidification through oxidation and crosslinking reactions. Synthetic polymers containing DOPA residues have previously been shown to crosslink into hydrogels upon the introduction of oxidizing reagents. Here we introduce a strategy for stimuli responsive gel formation of mussel adhesive protein mimetic polymers. Lipid vesicles with a bilayer melting transition of 37 degrees C were designed from a mixture of dipalmitoyl and dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholines and exploited for the release of a sequestered oxidizing reagent upon heating from ambient to physiologic temperature. Colorimetric studies indicated that sodium-periodate-loaded liposomes released their cargo at the phase transition temperature, and when used in conjunction with a DOPA-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) polymer gave rise to rapid solidification of a crosslinked polymer hydrogel. The tissue adhesive properties of this biomimetic system were determined by in situ thermal gelation of liposome/polymer hydrogel between two porcine dermal tissue surfaces. Bond strength measurements showed that the bond formed by the adhesive hydrogel (mean = 35.1 kPa, SD = 12.5 kPa, n = 11) was several times stronger than a fibrin glue control tested under the same conditions. The results suggest a possible use of this biomimetic strategy for repair of soft tissues.
Bacterial FIC Proteins AMP Up Infection

Proteins containing FIC (filamentation induced by cyclic adenosine monophosphate) domains are found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, but their function has remained elusive. Recent studies indicate that bacterial FIC domain-containing proteins disrupt host cell processes after being delivered into eukaryotic host cells: The Vibrio parahaemolyticus VopS protein interferes with Rho guanine triphosphatase (GTPase) function, and the Legionella pneumophila AnkX protein disrupts the microtubule-dependent transport of vesicles. Analysis of the VopS protein revealed that the FIC domain covalently modifies Rac by transferring adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) to a threonine residue in the switch 1 region of the protein. Thus, FIC domain-mediated AMPylation is involved in the posttranslational regulation of protein function, and this activity has been subverted by microbial pathogens to modulate cellular functions during infection.
2SNP: Scalable Phasing Method for Trios and Unrelated Individuals

Emerging microarray technologies allow affordable typing of very long genome sequences. A key challenge in analyzing such a huge amount of data is scalable and accurate computational inferring of haplotypes (that is, splitting of each genotype into a pair of corresponding haplotypes). In this paper, we first phase genotypes consisting only of two SNPs using genotypes frequencies adjusted to the random mating model and then extend the phasing of two-SNP genotypes to the phasing of complete genotypes using maximum spanning trees. The runtime of the proposed 2SNP algorithm is O(nm(n + logm)), where n and m are the numbers of genotypes and SNPs, respectively, and it can handle genotypes spanning the entire chromosomes in a matter of hours. On data sets across 23 chromosomal regions from HapMap [11], 2SNP is several orders of magnitude faster than GERBIL and PHASE when matching them in quality measured by the number of correctly phased genotypes, single-site, and switching errors. For example, the 2SNP software phases the entire chromosome (l05 SNPs from HapMap) for 30 individuals in 2 hours with an average switching error of 7.7 percent. We have also enhanced the 2SNP algorithm to phase family trio data and compared it with four other well-known phasing methods on simulated data from [15]. 2SNP is much faster than all of them while losing in quality only to PHASE. 2SNP software is publicly available at http://alla.cs.gsu.edu/~software/2SNP.
A Gas Density Detector Utilizing Uranium Doped Scintillating Ceramic Microchannels

This paper reports on a contactless gas density sensor, which utilizes an injection molded cast ceramic that is doped with uranyl acetate nanoparticles. This cast micro channel provides a robust, on chip beta particle (fast electron) source. High-energy sources with tunable particle fluxes can be cast at room temperature with protective polymer coatings for flux tuning. A room temperature cured polymer scintillating resin is patterned on a glass substrate, which is bonded to the radioactive microchannel. This detector produces pulses of light when beta particles emitted from the microchannel impinge on the scintillator. The detected pulses of lights caused by the electron-scintillator interaction are attenuated by the presence of gas in the microchannel; more and larger gas molecules block more beta particles. This allows real time measurement of gas density (and therefore pressure, or percentage gas impurity) flowing through a channel, with no sensor in direct contact to impede or change the rate gas flow. The radioactive microchannel is coated to prevent contamination of the flowing gas, and to block lateral beta emission.
A graph cut algorithm for higher-order Markov Random Fields

Higher-order Markov Random Fields, which can capture important properties of natural images, have become increasingly important in computer vision. While graph cuts work well for first-order MRF's, until recently they have rarely been effective for higher-order MRF's. Ishikawa's graph cut technique [8, 9] shows great promise for many higher-order MRF's. His method transforms an arbitrary higher-order MRF with binary labels into a first-order one with the same minima. If all the terms are submodular the exact solution can be easily found; otherwise, pseudo-boolean optimization techniques can produce an optimal labeling for a subset of the variables. We present a new transformation with better performance than [8, 9], both theoretically and experimentally. While [8, 9] transforms each higher-order term independently, we transform a group of terms at once. For n binary variables, each of which appears in terms with k other variables, at worst we produce n non-submodular terms, while [8, 9] produces O(nk). We identify a local completeness property that makes our method perform even better, and show that under certain assumptions several important vision problems (including common variants of fusion moves) have this property. Running on the same field of experts dataset used in [8, 9] we optimally label significantly more variables (96% versus 80%) and converge more rapidly to a lower energy. Preliminary experiments suggest that some other higher-order MRF's used in stereo [20] and segmentation [1] are also locally complete and would thus benefit from our work.
Eigenvalue estimates and critical temperature in zero fields for enhanced surface superconductivity

We derive estimates for the principal eigenvalue of the boundary value problem \( \Delta u = \lambda (\alpha) u \) in Ω, \( \frac{\partial u}{\partial v} = \alpha u \) on ∂Ω, with α > 0 and \( \Omega \subset \mathcal{R}^{n} \) a bounded domain. In the context of superconductivity, our results show the increase of the critical temperature in zero fields for systems with enhanced surface superconductivity. In term of long time behavior of a Brownian motion with creation of particles at the boundary, our study gives estimates for the expected number of particles inside the domain.
CD30 Signals Integrate Expression of Cytotoxic Effector Molecules, Lymphocyte Trafficking Signals, and Signals for Proliferation and Apoptosis

Although CD30 has long been recognized as an important marker on many lymphomas of diverse origin and as activation molecule on B cells and T cells, its primary function has remained obscure. We now report that CD30 signals may serve to inhibit effector cell activity by integrating gene expression changes of several pathways important for cytotoxic NK and T cell effector function. In the large granular lymphoma line YT, CD30 signals down-regulate the expression of cytotoxic effector molecules, Fas ligand, perforin, granzyme B, and abrogate cytotoxicity. c-myc, a regulator of proliferation and an upstream regulator of Fas ligand expression, is completely suppressed by CD30. Furthermore, CD30 signals strongly induce CCR7, suggesting a role for CD30 signals in the homing of lymphocytes to lymph nodes. The up-regulation of Fas, death receptor 3, and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand by CD30 indicates an increase in susceptibility to apoptotic signals whereas up-regulation of TNFR-associated factor 1 and cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 2 protect cells from certain types of apoptosis. Using gene microarrays, 750 gene products were induced and 90 gene products were suppressed >2-fold by CD30 signals. Signals emanating from CD30 use both TNFR-associated factor 2-dependent and -independent pathways. The integration of CD30 signals in a lymphoma line suggests that CD30 can down-modulate lymphocyte effector function and proliferation while directing the cells to lymph nodes and increasing their susceptibility to certain apoptotic signals. These studies may provide a molecular mechanism for the recently observed CD30-mediated suppression of CTL activity in vivo in a diabetes model.
An instruction for direct interpretation of LZ77-compressed programs

A new instruction adapts LZ77 compression for use inside running programs. The instruction economically references and reuses code fragments that are too small to package as conventional subroutines. The compressed code is interpreted directly, with neither prior nor on-the-fly decompression. Hardware implementations seem plausible and could benefit both memory-constrained and more conventional systems. The method is extremely simple. It has been added to a pre-existing, bytecoded instruction set, and it added only 10 lines of C to the bytecode interpreter. It typically cuts code size by a third; that is, typical compression ratios are roughly 0.67×. More ambitious compressors are available, but they are more complex, which retards adoption. The current method offers a useful trade-off to these more complex systems. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alternaria Induces STAT6-Dependent Acute Airway Eosinophilia and Epithelial FIZZ1 Expression That Promotes Airway Fibrosis and Epithelial Thickness

The fungal allergen, Alternaria, is specifically associated with severe asthma, including life-threatening exacerbations. To better understand the acute innate airway response to Alternaria, naive wild-type (WT) mice were challenged once intranasally with Alternaria. Naive WT mice developed significant bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia following Alternaria challenge when analyzed 24 h later. In contrast to Alternaria, neither Aspergillus nor Candida induced bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia. Gene microarray analysis of airway epithelial cell brushings demonstrated that Alternaria-challenged naive WT mice had a >20-fold increase in the level of expression of found in inflammatory zone 1 (FIZZ1/Retnla), a resistin-like molecule. Lung immunostaining confirmed strong airway epithelial FIZZ1 expression as early as 3 h after a single Alternaria challenge that persisted for ≥5 d and was significantly reduced in STAT6-deficient, but not protease-activated receptor 2-deficient mice. Bone marrow chimera studies revealed that STAT6 expressed in lung cells was required for epithelial FIZZ1 expression, whereas STAT6 present in bone marrow-derived cells contributed to airway eosinophilia. Studies investigating which cells in the nonchallenged lung bind FIZZ1 demonstrated that CD45(+)CD11c(+) cells (macrophages and dendritic cells), as well as collagen-1-producing CD45(-) cells (fibroblasts), can bind to FIZZ1. Importantly, direct administration of recombinant FIZZ1 to naive WT mice led to airway eosinophilia, peribronchial fibrosis, and increased thickness of the airway epithelium. Thus, Alternaria induces STAT6-dependent acute airway eosinophilia and epithelial FIZZ1 expression that promotes airway fibrosis and epithelial thickness. This may provide some insight into the uniquely pathogenic aspects of Alternaria-associated asthma.
U.S. consumer demand for restaurant calorie information: targeting demographic and behavioral segments in labeling initiatives.

Abstract Purpose. To identify different segments of U.S. consumers based on food choices, exercise patterns, and desire for restaurant calorie labeling. Design. Using a stratified (by region) random sample of the U.S. population, trained interviewers collected data for this cross-sectional study through telephone surveys. Setting. Center for Rural Studies U.S. national health survey. Subjects. The final sample included 580 responses (22% response rate); data were weighted to be representative of age and gender characteristics of the U.S. population. Measures. Self-reported behaviors related to food choices, exercise patterns, desire for calorie information in restaurants, and sample demographics. Analysis. Clusters were identified using Schwartz Bayesian criteria. Impacts of demographic characteristics on cluster membership were analyzed using bivariate tests of association and multinomial logit regression. Results. Cluster analysis revealed three clusters based on respondents' food choices, activity leve...
Toxicity analysis of direct nonthermal plasma treatment of living tissue

Non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma produced at normal atmospheric pressure and applied directly to living tissues is now being widely considered for various applications in medicine, viz; skin sterilization, wound treatment, treatment in malignant tissues and many others. One of the key questions that arise in this type of topical treatment is whether the skin remains undamaged after non-thermal plasma treatment. In this paper we study the possible short term and long term toxic effects of the non-thermal plasma treatment on intact living tissue. The results from the previous rodent model provided strong evidence for the ability of non-thermal plasma to sterilize the surface of the tissue without any visible or microscopic damage to the tissue. We evaluated the potential toxic effects of non-thermal plasma treatment on underlying skin cells and tissue on intact porcine skin, since it is well established that porcine (pig) skin closely resembles human skin. Based on prior knowledge that non-thermal plasma has non-damaging and damaging regimes, an experimental protocol based on the pig model was constructed. In a Yorkshire pig model, the intact skin treatment was carried out at varying doses to locate the damaging power/time (dose) combination and the resulting skin damage was analyzed. Once the dose where damage occurred was located, the treatment was stopped recording the power level and time of application. Then successively lower power levels were applied on different patches to find a dose (power/time) which was non-damaging for prolonged treatment times. The pig was kept alive for one day post treatment and the tissue samples were sectioned before euthanizing the animal. From the experiments we determined that a dose of 15 mins at a low power of 0.2 Watt/cm2 caused no visible or microscopic damage to the tissue while a dose of 3 mins at high power of 1.0 Watt/cm2 caused a second degree burn. These results were confirmed by histology staining. Of note is that sterilization is achieved in about 5 sec at a low power treatment of 0.2 Watt/cm2. Detailed analysis of any biochemical changes and inflammatory response initiation in the treated tissue will be carried out. In this paper we show that low power plasma treatment is non-toxic to intact pig skin.
Power flow between adjacent electric dipoles

The Poynting vector field is shown for two adjacent electric dipoles, when there is a phase difference between them. There is a boundary around the two dipoles, inside which the time-averaged Poynting-vector field flows from one dipole to the other, and outside which it flows outwards. It is shown that in spite of the behavior of the Poynting-vector field, in which the time-averaged power leaves one dipole and enters the other, it complies with Poynting's theorem for harmonic fields, and maintains the constancy of the net radiated power. It is also shown that the total time-averaged power radiated from the two-dipole system comes from the small area between the axis along which the two dipoles are aligned and the boundary or separatrix at one of the dipoles. This two-dipole model also helps us understand the behavior of the Poynting-vector field near the edge of a semi-infinite current sheet.
M. J. Hartmann Memorial Session Paper: Some Results of NASA-Iowa State University Research on Axial-Flow Pumps

This paper is a commentary on a small chapter in the recent history of turbomachinery research. It was written to describe the positive influence of an individual, Melvin J. Hartmann, working in federal research center, on a particular university research program. However, in its final form, it cannot help but shed some light on the longterm effects of small-scale, mission-oriented, federal agency funding of engineering research in universities. Secondarily, it will recall a series of experimental investigations of axial-flow pump configurations, which produced data of possible relevance to current compressor and pump problems
Governing Charlotte-Mecklenburg:

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, and Mecklenburg County, in which harlotte lies, have been touted as examples of success. In terms of governance and regional economic leadership, the repu? tation is deserved. This reputation has been earned, however, not through a rational and comprehensive approach toward governance associated with consolidation but through a series of steps associated with the New Re? gionalism, particularly functional consolida? tion of services (either Charlotte or Mecklen? burg County delivering a particular service countywide) and annexation of adjacent sub? urbs by Charlotte.
Anamorphic temporal imaging using a warped time lens

Anamorphic temporal imaging concept incorporating a warped time lens is introduced. The system is placed in front of spectrometer to enhance its spectral resolution and update rate and minimizes the volume of the generated data.
Brain Monoamines in Cerebral Ischemic Edema, the Effect of Gamma-Hydroxy-Butyrate

The ischemically induced disturbances of monoamines metabolism may persist longer than those of energy metabolism3,4. Among the observed changes in the monoamines of the brain, the reduction of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels correlated best with the formation of ischemic edema induced in gerbils by 15 minutes of bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and release9. This type of brain edema was ameliorated by treatment with γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) or its metabolite γ-butyrolactone (GBL)1. Both of these substances belong to the naturally occurring central nervous system depressants which affect various cerebral metabolic pathways including those of the neurotransmitters when given to normal animals14,18. In the gerbil model of ischemia, they were found not only to reduce the progression of edema but to spare the energy metabolism and increase the survival rate of the affected animals. Moreover, correlative studies showed that the GHB or GBL treatment was of greater benefit than hypothermia or pentobarbital1,13,15 Since the overall advantages of GHB or GBL could not be entirely explained on the basis of hypometabolism, which is the common denominator for each of these therapeutic agents19, we investigated the GHB effect on the cerebral monoamines in ischemic cerebral edema.
Does the Shadow of the St. Petersburg Paradox Fall Upon Poverty Indices

The lessons I (Gana 2014) have learned from the vivid contrast between the mean and median fair values (Hayden and Platt 2009) of the game (Bernoulli 1738) underlying the St. Petersburg Paradox (SPP) are applied, by implicating the median, to modify two unidimensional poverty indices: the Sen (1976, 1979) index and the Palma (2011) ratio. By implicating the median in economic analysis when necessary, the SPP urges us to consider the economic and ethical consequences of our interpretation of the complex idea called “probability” (Ergodos 2014) in the pursuit of the political end which Aristotle (circa 350 BC), at the very beginning of his Nicomachean Ethics, defined as the “good for man”. The seminal Sen index, as modified by Shorrocks (1995) and decomposed by Osberg and Xu (2000), is S_P = H_poor × |P| × (1 plus G_poor), where H_poor is the proportion of the population (the “poor”) with incomes below a poverty line, P is the average income gap ratio ( 0) of the rich relative to the wealth line, and G_rich is the Gini coefficient of the censored wealth gap ratios for the population. S_P and S_R are modified, to S_P* and S_R*, respectively, by replacing |P| and R by P* ≡ |min {P, P_med}| and R* ≡ min {R, R_med}, respectively; where P_med and R_med are the median poverty and wealth gap ratios, respectively. The modified indices are used to modify the Palma ratio to S_R* / S_P*. Economic policies targeting these modified indices may benefit the “missing poor” living in the shadows of society incompletely touched by indices that only take mean values as inputs. That is, only accounting for mean poverty gaps may well benefit the “richer” among the poor at the expense of the “poorer” among the poor. Furthermore, because it is better to be rich than poor (S_R* / S_P* > 1), alleviation of poverty may well dependent on also targeting the contrast between the rich and the poor. Using the modified indices to alleviate poverty will be a bit more in line with the critically important moral heuristics, and demands, of Rawls (1971, 2001) and Sen (1992), because the modifications give greater weight to the poorest of the poor.
Debates to personal conclusion in peripheral nerve injury and reconstruction: A 30-year experience at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Significant progress has been achieved in the science and management of peripheral nerve injuries over the past 40 years. Yet there are many questions and few answers. The author, with 30 years of experience in treating them at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, addresses debates on various issues with personal conclusions. These include: (1) Degree of peripheral nerve injury, (2) Timing of nerve repair, (3)Technique of nerve repair, (4) Level of brachial plexus injury,(5) Level of radial nerve injury,(6) Traction avulsion amputation of major limb, (7) Proximal Vs distal nerve transfers in brachial plexus injuries and (8) Post paralysis facial synkinesis.
Designing global futures: A mixed methods study to develop and validate the teaching for global readiness scale

Abstract In response to globalization, leaders have called for more global education in K-12 schools. This study utilized a sequential exploratory mixed methods design to validate the construct teaching for global readiness. After exploratory qualitative analysis of 24 expert teacher interviews, an instrument was developed and administered to K-12 U.S. classroom teachers. Based on EFA and CFA, four factors were interpreted as: situated practice, integrated global learning, critical literacy instruction, and transactional experiences. The end product was a measurement model and scale of teacher practices related to global readiness instruction.
An Immunoassay for Quantification of Contamination by Raw Meat Juice on Food Contact Surfaces

ABSTRACT Raw chicken products often are contaminated with Salmonella and Campylobacter, which can be transmitted from packages to contact surfaces. Raw meat juices from these packages also provide potential media for cross-contamination. There are limited quantitative data on the levels of consumer exposure to raw meat juice during shopping for and handling of chicken products. An exposure assessment is needed to quantify the levels of transmission and to assess the risk. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed and validated for quantitative detection of raw meat juice on hands and various food contact surfaces. Analytical procedures were designed to maximize the recovery of raw meat juice from various surfaces: hands, plastic, wood, stainless steel, laminated countertops, glass, and ceramics. The ELISA was based on the detection of a soluble muscle protein, troponin I (TnI), in the raw meat juice. The assay can detect levels as low as 1.25 ng of TnI, which is equivalent to less than 1 ...
Impact of light quality on a native Louisiana Chlorella vulgaris/ Leptolyngbya sp. co-culture

Light effect on cultures of microalgae has been studied mainly on single species cultures. Cyanobacteria have photosynthetic pigments that can capture photons of wavelengths not available to chlorophylls. A native Louisiana microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) and cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya sp.) co-culture was used to study the effects of light quality (blue-467 nm, green-522 nm, red-640 nm and white-narrow peak at 450 nm and a broad range with a peak at 550 nm) at two irradiance levels (80 and 400 μmol m-2 s-1) on the growth, species composition, biomass productivity, lipid content and chlorophyll-a production. The co-culture shifted from a microalgae dominant culture to a cyanobacteria culture at 80 μmol m-2 s-1. The highest growth for the cyanobacteria was observed at 80 μmol μmol m-2 s-1 and for the microalgae at 400 μmol m-2 s-1. Red light at 400 μmol m-2 s-1 had the highest growth rate (0.41 d-1), biomass (913 mg L-1) and biomass productivity (95 mg L-1 d-1). Lipid content was similar between all light colors. Green light had the highest chlorophyll-a content (1649 μg/L). These results can be used to control the species composition of mixed cultures while maintaining their productivity.
Lower Aorto-Iliac Bifurcation Position and Incident Cardiovascular Disease: A Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

BACKGROUND With increasing age, a downward shift of the aorto-iliac bifurcation relative to the lumbar spine occurs. A lower bifurcation position is an independent marker for adverse vascular aging and is associated with increased burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors; however, the associations between lower bifurcation position and CVD events remain unknown. METHODS Abdominal computed tomography scans were used to measure the aorto-iliac bifurcation distance (AIBD, distance from the aorto-iliac bifurcation to the L5/S1 disc space). Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to determine the independent hazard of a lower bifurcation position (smaller AIBD) for incident coronary heart disease (CHD, defined as myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac death), CVD (CHD plus stroke or stroke death), and all-cause mortality (ACM). RESULTS In the 1,711 study participants (51% male), the mean AIBD was 26 ± 15 mm. After a median follow-up of 10 years, 63 (3.7%) developed CHD, 100 (5.8%) developed CVD, and 129 (7.5%) were deceased. Compared to the 4th quartile of AIBD (highest bifurcation position), participants in the 1st quartile (lowest bifurcation position) had increased risk for CHD (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8-3.0, P = 0.2), CVD (HR = 1.8, 95% CI: 0.9-2.7, P = 0.1), and ACM (HR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.3-3.6, P = 0.01). After adjustments for CVD risk factors, the HR for ACM was no longer significant. CONCLUSION Despite being an independent marker for adverse vascular changes in the aorta, a lower aorto-iliac bifurcation position was not independently associated with future CVD events. The opposing effects of atherosclerosis and stiffness in the aorta may, in part, explain our null findings.
The next generation of enterprise knowledge management systems for the IT service industry

The rise of knowledge-based organizations is one of the most important business trends of the past three decades. A knowledge-based organization is one that creates its primary value by absorbing, manipulating, and disseminating knowledge. Knowledge-based organizations are characterized jointly by the nature of their work, the kind of employees they hire, the tools that they use, and the way they employ people.
Prevalence of self-reported cognitive dysfunction in breast cancer patients.

131 Background: In 2011 a series of four time-limited, psycho-educational workshops was conducted by a neuropsychologist at a major urban academic medical center, providing information, coping strategies, and resources to women who had been treated for breast cancer (BrCa) and who then sought cognitive treatment. Based on positive evaluations of these workshops, we assessed the prevalence of self-reported cognitive dysfunction in BrCa patients with the goal of expanding cognitive services to all affected cancer patients. Methods: The study was IRB approved. We surveyed a convenience sample of 50 BrCa patients in a single medical oncology waiting room over several weeks. Subjects completed a 16 item questionnaire assessing potential cognitive problems on a 4 point-scale. Results: Fifty patients completed the survey, of whom 46% were currently employed. Sixty-eight percent of respondents were currently receiving cancer treatment and of those, 61.8% had also received prior treatment. Conclusions: An unexpect...
The aborted candidacy of Rabbi Asher Ginsburg: A failed attempt at modernization

The Napoleonic edict of 1808 that established theconsistorial system for French Jewry created a new rabbinate thatwas intended to differ from the ``old'' both in terms of itsauthority and its mission. When the first vacancy occurred in therabbinical triumvirate that, together with two lay leaders,constituted the Central Consistory, it afforded the leadership anopportunity to shape the future of the French rabbinate andJewish religious life. Their choice of Rabbi Asher Low Ginsburg,son of the late and distinguished rabbi of Metz (the ShaagatAryeh), signals an attempt to endow the new rabbinate withprestige and legitimacy. In addition, the consistorial leadershipmay have chosen R. Asher, a man with positive views on haskalahand secular learning, in the hope that his candidacy would helpmodernize the rabbinate and further the goal of ``regeneration''for French Jewry set by both the French government and theenlightened Jewish leadership. Seen in this light, R. Asher'sultimate rejection of the post, followed by the appointment ofRabbi Emmanuel Deutz, was a setback for the consistory and theprocess of modernization.
MLMVN as an intelligent image filter

In this paper, we employ the multilayer neural network with multi-valued neurons (MLMVN) as an intelligent image filter. MLMVN is a powerful complex-valued feedforward neural network, which has shown its high efficiency in solving various classification and prediction problems. Here we employ it as an intelligent filter. MLMVN containing a single hidden layer is used to filter overlapping patches taken from a noisy image. Then the resulting image is obtained by averaging the intensities in all overlapping pixels. MLMVN is trained using a number of n × n patches from different images to obtain a clean patch from a noisy one. Then MLMVN is used to process overlapping patches taken from a noisy image. It is shown that this approach works better when an m × m patch is resulted from an n × n patch where m < n, thus when the inner area of the patch is filtered. It is shown that this filter is robust, since it performs well on different images, which did not participate in the learning process. It terms of PSNR, this approach shows results better or comparable with BM3D filter commonly recognized as the best nonlinear filter. A specific advantage of the presented approach is its ability to preserve small details carefully. A batch learning algorithm (MLMVN-LLS) is employed to train the network.
The Effect of Beaver Ponds on Water Quality in Rural Coastal Plain Streams

We compared water-quality effects of 13 beaver ponds on adjacent free-flowing control reaches in the Coastal Plain of rural North Carolina. We measured concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and suspended sediment (SS) upstream and downstream of paired ponds and control reaches. Nitrate and SS concentrations decreased, ammonium concentrations increased, and SRP concentrations were unaffected downstream of the ponds and relative to the control reaches. The pond effect on nitrate concentration was a reduction of 112 ± 55 μg-N/L (19%) compared to a control-reach—influenced reduction of 28 ± 17 μg-N/L. The pond effect on ammonium concentration was an increase of 9.47 ± 10.9 μg-N/L (59%) compared to the control-reach—influenced reduction of 1.49 ± 1.37 μg-N/L. The pond effect on SS concentration was a decrease of 3.41 ± 1.68 mg/L (40%) compared to a control-reach—influenced increase of 0.56 ± 0.27 mg/L. Ponds on lower-order streams reduced nitrate concentrations by greater amounts compared to those in higher-order streams. Older ponds reduced SS concentrations by greater amounts compared to younger ponds. The findings of this study indicate that beaver ponds provide water-quality benefits to rural Coastal Plain streams by reducing concentrations of nitrate and suspended sediment.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Comparing Transfemoral, Transcarotid, and Transcaval Access

Background Despite newer-generation valves using smaller-sized sheaths, 10% to 20% of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) require nonfemoral artery access for valve delivery. To avoid a transthoracic procedure, we have used transcarotid (TC) and transcaval (TCav) approaches in these patients. This study compared the results of a contemporary experience with transfemoral (TF), TC, and TCav approaches. Methods Between January 2015 and March 2017, 491 patients underwent TAVR at our institution, of which 463 were included in this analysis. Valve delivery was TF in 373 patients, TCav in 58, and TC in 32. Patient characteristics and outcomes, including 1-year survival, were compared. Results Preoperative demographics and postoperative outcomes were similar for the three groups with several exceptions. TCav patients had higher The Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score than TF patients (8.0 ± 5.2 vs 6.1 ± 4.3, p = 0.004). Lung disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease were more common in TC and TCav patients. Median length of stay was 2 days for TF, 3 days for TC, and 4 days for TCav (TF vs TCav, p = 0.001). Procedural mortality, percentage discharged home, and the 30-day readmission rate were similar for all. Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier survival was also similar at 1 year (TF, 86%; TC, 83%; TCav, 80%). Conclusions Patients unsuitable for TF TAVR treated with TC or TCav access had 30-day/in-hospital and 1-year survival similar to a contemporary cohort undergoing TF access. Avoiding surgical entry to the chest may offer procedural and intermediate-term outcomes equivalent to TF TAVR.
Initial Experience Using Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging During a Trans-Sulcal Tubular Retractor Approach for the Resection of Deep-Seated Brain Tumors: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND Treatment of deep-seated subcortical intrinsic brain tumors remains challenging and may be improved with trans-sulcal tubular brain retraction techniques coupled with intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI). OBJECTIVE To conduct a preliminary assessment of feasibility and efficacy of iMRI in tubular retractor-guided resections of intrinsic brain tumors. METHODS Assessment of this technique and impact upon outcomes were assessed in a preliminary series of brain tumor patients from 2 centers. RESULTS Ten patients underwent resection with a tubular retractor system and iMRI. Mean age was 53.2 ± 9.0 yr (range: 37-61 yr, 80% male). Lesions included 6 gliomas (3 glioblastomas, 1 recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma, and 2 low-grade gliomas) and 4 brain metastases (1 renal cell, 1 breast, 1 lung, and 1 melanoma). Mean maximal tumor diameter was 2.9 ± 0.95 cm (range 1.2-4.3 cm). The iMRI demonstrated subtotal resection (STR) in 6 of 10 cases (60%); additional resection was performed in 5 of 6 cases (83%), reducing STR rate to 2 of 10 cases (20%), with both having tumor encroaching on eloquent structures. Seven patients (70%) were stable or improved neurologically immediately postoperatively. Three patients (30%) had new postoperative neurological deficits, 2 of which were transient. Average hospital length of stay was 3.4 ± 2.0 d (range: 1-7 d). CONCLUSION Combining iMRI with tubular brain retraction techniques is feasible and may improve the extent of resection of deep-seated intrinsic brain tumors that are incompletely visualized with the smaller surgical exposure of tubular retractors.
Government web portals: management issues and the approaches of five states

Web portals are the dominant organizational motif for e-government service delivery. To date, most reviews of government portal experiences focus on the types and technical sophistication of delivered services as well as design issues, such as usability. Management issues, like commercialization and centralization, receive relatively little attention. The authors define and argue for a more management-oriented perspective. Several major issues are explored and then the experiences of five states are used to demonstrate how their consideration presents a very different view of portal strategies for researchers.
Electronic Performance Monitoring and sustained attention: Social facilitation for modern applications

Abstract Electronic Performance Monitoring, or EPM, has been described as the use of electronic systems to monitor and evaluate performance. Research on the effects of EPM has indicated that electronic monitoring may improve employee productivity and performance. However, most of the prior research has utilized computer-based electronic presence to examine the effects of EPM on short-duration, clerical-based tasks. Relatively little is known about how EPM can affect longer-duration sustained attention tasks, like vigilance. The present study was comprised of two experiments that sought to examine the effects of EPM on sustained attention and to provide further evidence that video-based monitoring can be an effective form of EPM. A total of 197 participants (106 in experiment one and 91 in experiment two) completed a 24-minute cognitive-based vigilance task. The results indicated that not only could EPM improve sustained attention, but also that video-based electronic presence was an effective implementation of EPM. However, the results also indicated that the most robust performance effects were associated with employing two forms of video-based electronic presence simultaneously rather than individually. Theoretical implications and practical applications are further discussed.
Direct laser writing of optical biosensor based on photonic Floquet topological insulator for protein detection

Photonic Floquet topological insulators (PFTI) allow scatter-free propagation of light along its edges. The PFTI of interest consists of helical waveguides arranged in a honeycomb lattice. When irradiated with an input beam on the edge of the PFTI, light propagates from one end of the waveguide-system to the other along the edges. The intensity and the final position of light is theoretically found to be dependent on the difference in the refractive indices of the core and cladding of the waveguides. For a system of helical-waveguides filled with a solvent, the effective refractive index of the system varies with the concentration of the analyte in the solvent and this can be measured by monitoring the position and intensity of the output-light. This paper discusses the design, principle, simulation and fabrication of such a PFTI based biosensor.
Associations between health risk behaviors and perceived health status among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI)

Individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) suffer from chronic medical problems and have greater mortality rates than the general population. The combination of four health-risk behaviors (i.e.,...
Perspectives of Clinicians, Staff, and Veterans in Transitioning Veterans from non-VA Hospitals to Primary Care in a Single VA Healthcare System.

Background Veterans with healthcare needs utilize both Veterans Health Administration (VA) and non-VA hospitals. These dual-use veterans are at high risk of adverse outcomes due to the lack of coordination for safe transitions. Objectives The aim of this study was to understand the barriers and facilitators to providing high-quality continuum of care for veterans transitioning from non-VA hospitals to the VA primary care setting. Design Guided by the practical robust implementation and sustainability model (PRISM) and the ideal transitions of care, we conducted a qualitative assessment using semi-structured interviews with clinicians, staff, and patients. Setting This study was conducted at a single urban VA medical center and two non-VA hospitals. Participants A total of 70 participants, including 52 clinicians and staff (23 VA and 29 non-VA) involved in patient transition and 18 veterans recently discharged from non-VA hospitals, were included in this study. Approach Data were analyzed using a conventional content analysis and managed in Atlas.ti (Berlin, Germany). Results Four major themes emerged where participants consistently discussed that transitions were delayed when they were not able to (1) identify patients as veterans and notify VA primary care of discharge, (2) transfer non-VA hospital medical records to VA primary care, (3) obtain follow-up care appointments with VA primary care, and (4) write VA formulary medications for veterans that they could fill at VA pharmacies. Participants also discussed factors involved in smooth transition and recommendations to improve care coordination. Conclusions All participants perceived the current transition-of-care process across healthcare systems to be inefficient. Efforts to improve quality and safety in transitional care should address the challenges clinicians and patients experience when transitioning from non-VA hospitals to VA primary care.
Spectrum Availability Prediction for Cognitive Radio Communications: A DCG Approach

Cognitive Radio (CR) technology enables secondary users (SUs) to opportunistically access unused licensed spectrum owned by primary users (PUs). It has the potential to significantly enhance communication capacity, which is very critical to the next-generation wireless network design and has attracted intensive attention. One of the key issues in CR communications is to detect spectrum availability. Traditional approaches rely on spectrum sensing techniques to address this problem, which, however, consume considerable energy and time, and require complex prior information from PUs. In this paper, we develop a hierarchical spectrum learning system that takes advantage of the fine-tuned convolutional neural network (CNN) and the gated recurrent unit network (GRU), which is called the dual CNN and GRU (DCG), for spectrum availability prediction. Particularly, this model performs accurate predictions on local spectrum availability for each SU without any prior information of PUs. On the other hand, knowing their spectrum availability does not necessarily enable two SUs to successfully communicate on the same channel. This is a challenging problem and has been largely ignored by previous studies designing learning models for CR communications. Towards this goad, we design an enhanced DCG model called EDCG to enable two SUs to find the same channel to communicate with each other by performing channel selection prediction. The performance of the designed DCG and EDCG models is demonstrated through extensive and thorough simulations. The results show that our designed models achieve high prediction accuracy with limited training overhead.
CRT-600.15 Procedural Complications of Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement Versus Surgical Aortic-Valve Replacement in Low- to Intermediate-Risk Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

This study compares procedural complications between transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic-valve replacement (SAVR) in low- to intermediate-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). PubMed, [ClinicalTrials.gov][1], Google Scholar and the Cochrane Central Register
Quantifying Variation in Zostera marina Seed Size and Composition at the Species’ Southern Limit in the Western Atlantic: Implications for Eelgrass Population Resilience

At the southern limit of Zostera marina in the Western Atlantic, sexual reproduction has provided a mechanism of recovery following thermal stress–related interannual losses. To understand the natural variability in seed quality in eelgrass meadows, flowering shoots were collected weekly to bi-weekly during the 2018 flowering season (March–June) from three sites in Topsail Sound, North Carolina (NC). Seeds were also collected during the period of maximum flowering (May) and examined for changes in seed composition (carbohydrates and proteins) and viability across seed sizes and between sites. The results of the present study show that while eelgrass phenology is following recognized temperature patterns, flowers matured 2–4 weeks earlier in the year than was previously documented. NC eelgrass populations also produced smaller seeds at greater densities than more northern perennial North American populations. In addition, viability did not differ across seed sizes suggesting that seed weight at the time of seed release may not be a reliable measure of seed quality. However, absolute carbohydrate and protein content did increase with seed size. More energy resources in larger compared with smaller seeds may result in better seed germination success. There was also site-based variation in seed length, width, area, and carbohydrate content despite similar temperature environments across the sites, indicating that local-scale factors may affect Z. marina seed size and composition. Information on variations in phenology, seed production, seed size, and seed composition across the species’ geographic range is necessary to better predict eelgrass response to biophysical disturbances and climate change.
High-Q spiral-based coupled-resonator device on a Si 3 N 4 platform for ultrasensitive sensing applications

We demonstrate high-Q Si3N4 racetrack-spiral and spiral-spiral coupled-resonator devices for sensing applications. The coupled-resonator architecture resolves the confusion caused by small free spectral range (FSR) in conventional long resonators. The sensitivity of the racetrack-spiral coupled-resonator device for sodium chloride (NaCl) and biomolecule detection is numerically achieved at around 199 nm/RIU (bulk sensitivity) and 183 pm/nm (surface sensitivity), respectively. We fabricate a racetrack-spiral coupled-resonator device with intrinsic Q of 560,000 (263,000) at near-infrared wavelengths, at around 1300 nm, for air (water) cladding. We extract an experimental bulk sensitivity of around 131 nm/RIU for this device from the wavelength shift of the device with different concentrations of the NaCl solution. The performance of the spiral-spiral coupled-resonator device for NaCl and biomolecule detection is theoretically calculated. For biomolecular detection, this device is self-referenced, and its FSR increases almost linearly with the refractive index of biomolecular layer in a certain range. A theoretically defined FSR sensitivity of 74 nm/RIU is extracted from the experimental data. We fabricate a spiral-spiral coupled-resonator device with intrinsic Q of 276,000 (112,000) at around 1300 nm for air (water) cladding, and a bulk sensitivity of 167 nm/RIU for NaCl detection.