cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and Evaluation of a Health Information Technology Dashboard of Quality Indicators

The objective of this work was to design and evaluate a health information technology (HIT) dashboard that presents evidence-based quality indicators for the purpose of evaluating patient risk in a hospital care setting. A focus group of nurse managers, physicians, and hospital quality professionals was conducted to identify design criteria for the HIT dashboard. The dashboard was developed from dynamic process data from a medical surgical unit in a Midwestern, academic hospital using human factors principles. Heuristic and system usability evaluations were performed to assess the HIT dashboard’s functionality and usability. Evaluation results suggest that the HIT dashboard was considered “good” by evaluators (following System Usability Scale criteria), with five suggested changes being recommended by 40% or more of the heuristic evaluators. This work provides a preliminary model for the development of future HIT dashboards intended to communicate patient risk information to hospital care staff.
Clinical detection and epidemiological characteristics of infantile diarrhea induced by rotavirus in Yuhang District,Hangzhou City

Objective To analyze the epidemiological features and trend of rotavirus-induced diarrhea in Yuhang District,Hangzhou City,and to explore the relationship between rotavirus diarrhea and climate factors so as to put forward targeted advice for its prevention and treatment. Methods Retrospective epidemiological method was used to analyze the characteristics of the reported rotavirus diarrhea cases through the Notifiable Disease Surveillance System in Yuhang District,Hangzhou City from 2008to 2010.Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between the daily incidence of rotavirus diarrhea and climatic factors. Results The incidence of rotavirus diarrhea in Yuhang District during 2008-2010was 150.76/100,000,125.65/100,000and 245.60/100,000,respectively,which mainly occurred in Xianlin Town,Qiaosi Town,Linping Street,Yuhang Town and Cangqian town.The peak of the yearly rotavirus epidemic occurred mainly between November and December.The majority of the cases were scattered children 2years of age and under(with the incidence of 6,609.95/100,000).The incidence of rotavirus diarrhea was significantly higher in males than in females(χ2=225.25,P=0.001).The surveillance data reported by hospitals showed that the positive rate of rotavirus was higher in November and December than those in other months each year(χ2=94.87,P=0.001).The incidence of rotavirus diarrhea was negatively associated with daily average temperature(℃),humidity(%)and visibility(km).Conclusions The epidemiological characteristics of rotavirus diarrhea in Yuhang District during 2008-2010are similar to those of other regions both at home and abroad.There is a morbidity peak during November and December in each year. The high incidence is mainly presented in the regions with dense floating population,and scattered children 2years of age and under accounted for the largest proportion.The positive rate of rotavirus detection in clinical practice is consistent with the epidemic tendency.The incidence of rotavirus diarrhea is negatively related to atmospheric temperature,humidity and visibility.More efforts should be intensified to protect and educate the high-risk group especially the scattered children 2 years of age and under in autumn and winter and effective countermeasures should be taken so as to decline the outbreak of rotavirus diarrhea.
AutoDock VinaXB: implementation of XBSF, new empirical halogen bond scoring function, into AutoDock Vina.

Halogen bonding has recently come to play as a target for lead optimization in rational drug design. However, most docking program don’t account for halogen bonding in their scoring functions and are not able to utilize this new approach. In this study a new and improved halogen bonding scoring function (XBSF) is presented along with its implementation in the AutoDock Vina molecular docking software. This new improved program is termed as AutoDock VinaXB, where XB stands for the halogen bonding parameters that were added. XBSF scoring function is derived based on the X···A distance and C–X···A angle of interacting atoms. The distance term was further corrected to account for the polar flattening effect of halogens. A total of 106 protein-halogenated ligand complexes were tested and compared in terms of binding affinity and docking poses using Vina and VinaXB. VinaXB performed superior to Vina in the majority of instances. VinaXB was closer to native pose both above and below 2 A deviation categories almost twice as frequently as Vina. Implementation of XBSF into AutoDock Vina has been shown to improve the accuracy of the docking result with regards to halogenated ligands. AutoDock VinaXB addresses the issues of halogen bonds that were previously being scored unfavorably due to repulsion factors, thus effectively lowering the output RMSD values.
Stroke Treatment and Management

The major breakthrough in acute stroke treatment occurred in 1995, when it was published that IV t-PA was effective in reducing disability in acute ischemic patients within 3 h after onset of symptoms. Attention has since shifted to acute stroke being at the centerpiece of stroke management. Twenty years later, stent retrieval devices were demonstrated to be effective in reducing disability in select patients. Despite the proven efficacy of these interventions, most stroke patients will not have access to these treatments for a number of reasons. Regardless, most strokes are attributed to modifiable risk factors, and primary and secondary prevention for cerebrovascular disease should be equally championed. The comprehensive stroke neurologist needs to be skilled at not only evaluating diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients that present early to the hospital but also patients that present past the window for acute intervention. Updates and recommendations for management guidelines are endorsed by the American Heart Association should be reviewed (http://my.americanheart.org/professional/index.jsp).
Richard Crashaw and Mystical Contemplation

Ne vers 1612 ou 1613 dans un milieu puritain, Richard Crashaw a vecu dans une atmosphere ou le catholicisme etait percu comme une menace pour l'Eglise d'Angleterre. L'A. propose un court rappel biographique puis il explore la spiritualite que Crashaw a developpee, pour en faire jaillir le centre : la contemplation mystique. Pour ce faire, il s'appuie sur les œuvres du theologien, et notamment sa poesie religieuse qui temoigne d'une experience mystique intense
The New Usual Care

Recent literature continues to refine which components of the early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) algorithm are necessary. Given it utilizes central venous pressure, continuous central venous oxygen saturation, routine blood transfusions, and inotropic medications, this algorithm can be timely, invasive, costly, and potentially harmful. New trials highlight early recognition, early fluid resuscitation, appropriate antibiotic treatment, source control, and the application of a multidisciplinary evidence-based approach as essential components of current sepsis management. This article discusses the landmark sepsis trials that have been published over the past several decades and offers recommendations on what should currently be considered 'usual care'.
Long-term results of endovascular repair for descending thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Abstract Objective Since thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of descending thoracic aneurysms in March 2005, excellent 30-day and midterm outcomes have been described. However, data on long-term outcomes are lacking with Medicare data suggesting that TEVAR has worse late survival compared with open descending repair. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the long-term outcomes for on-label use of TEVAR for repair of descending thoracic aneurysms. Methods Of 579 patients undergoing TEVAR between March 2005 and April 2016 at a single referral center for aortic surgery, 192 (33.2%) were performed for a descending thoracic aneurysm indication in accordance with the device instructions for use, including 106 fusiform (55.2%), 80 saccular (41.7%), and 6 with both saccular and fusiform (3.1%) aneurysms. All aneurysms were located distal to the left subclavian artery and proximal to the celiac axis, and hybrid procedures including arch or visceral debranching were excluded with the exception of left carotid-subclavian artery bypass. Aortic dissection and intramural hematoma as indications for TEVAR were also excluded. Primary 30-day and in-hospital outcomes included mortality, stroke, need for new permanent dialysis, and permanent paraparesis or paraplegia. Primary long-term outcomes included survival and rate of reintervention secondary to endoleak. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate long-term overall and aorta-specific survivals. Results The mean age was 71.1 ± 10.4 years. All aneurysms in this series were degenerative in nature and no patients with a connective tissue disorder were included. The mean aortic diameter was 5.9 ± 1.5 cm at time of intervention. Rates of 30-day and in-hospital mortality, stroke, permanent dialysis, and permanent paraparesis and paraplegia were 4.7%, 2.1%, 0.5%, and 0.5%, respectively. At a mean follow-up of 69 ± 44 months (range, 3-141 months), there were 68 late deaths (35.4%), two of which were due to aortic rupture. Overall and aorta-specific survivals at 141 months (11.8 years) were 45.7% and 96.2%, respectively. Endovascular reintervention was required in 14 patients (7.3%) owing to type I (n = 10), type II (n = 2), and type III (n = 2) endoleak, all of which subsequently resolved. No patient required open reintervention for any cause. Conclusions Long-term (12-year) aorta-specific survival after on-label endovascular repair of degenerative descending thoracic aneurysms in nonsyndromic patients is excellent (96%) with sustained protection from rupture, and a low rate of reintervention owing to endoleak (7%). Endovascular repair should be considered the treatment of choice for this pathology.
“It Just Always Seemed Like it Wasn't a Big Deal, Yet I Know for Some People They Really Struggle with It”: LGBT Religious Identities in Context

Scholarly examinations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) religious identities have typically focused on “identity reconciliation,” which assumes that being both LGBT and religious is a “contradiction,” and posits a “coherent” identity as a desired end goal. The present research draws on a qualitative study of three LGBT-identified congregations to demonstrate that there are a variety of ways in which LGBT religious people approach the connection between their LGBT identity and their religion. While some participants of the study did feel a need to reconcile these aspects of their self, others report never feeling a strong conflict between their LGBT identity and faith. The differences in these understandings of LGBT identity emerge out of the sociotemporal contexts the interviewees exist in, suggesting that different contexts provide divergent resources for identity performances. Through these findings, I contribute to our understanding of the intersection of religious agency, religious identities, and religion as a quality of social spaces.
The seed microbiome: Origins, interactions, and impacts

The development and dispersal of seeds as well as their transition to seedlings represent perhaps the most critical stages of a plant’s life cycle. The endophytic and epiphytic microbial interactions that take place in, on, and around seeds during these stages of the plant’s life cycle may have profound impacts on plant ecology, health, and productivity. While our understanding of the seed microbiota has lagged far behind that of the rhizosphere and phyllosphere, many advances are now being made. This review explores the microbial associations with seeds through various stages of the plant life cycle, beginning with the earliest stages of seed development on the parent plant and continuing through the development and establishment of seedlings in soil. This review represents a broad synthesis of the ecological and agricultural literature focused on seed-microbe interactions as a means of better understanding how these interactions may ultimately influence plant ecology, health, and productivity in both natural and agricultural systems. Our current understanding of seed-microbe associations will be discussed, with an emphasis on recent findings that specifically highlight the emerging contemporary understanding of how seed-microbe associations may ultimately impact plant health and productivity. The diversity and dynamics of seed microbiomes represent the culmination of complex interactions with microbes throughout the plant life cycle. The richness and dynamics of seed microbiomes is revealing exciting new opportunities for research into plant-microbe interactions. Often neglected in plant microbiome studies, the renaissance of inquiry into seed microbiomes is offering exciting new insights into how the diversity and dynamics of the seed microbiome with plant and soil microbiomes as well as the microbiomes of dispersers and pollinators. It is clear that the interactions taking place in and around seeds indeed have significant impacts on plant health and productivity in both agricultural and natural ecosystems.
Rheology as a Mechanoscopic Method to Monitor Mineralization in Hydrogels.

Biominerals have been widely studied due to their unique mechanical properties, afforded by their inorganic–organic composite structure and well-controlled growth in macromolecular environments. However, a lack of suitable characterization techniques for inorganic minerals in organic-rich media has prevented a full understanding of biomineralization. Here, we applied rheometry to study mineral nucleation and growth dynamics by measuring viscoelastic material properties of a hydrogel system during mineralization. Our proof-of-concept system consists of a gelatin hydrogel matrix preloaded with calcium ions and a reservoir of carbonate ions, which diffuse through the gel to initiate mineralization. We found that gels with diffused carbonate show an increase in low frequency energy dissipation, which scales with carbonate concentration and gel pH. Using this signal, and recognizing that mineralization occurs simultaneously with carbonate diffusion in our system, we have mechanoscopically tracked mineral growt...
Risk factors for open conversion in minimally invasive cholecystectomy

Background and objectives Open conversion (OC) occurs in 5 to 10% of laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LCs) and results in suboptimal outcomes. Herein, we report our experience with OC in cholecystectomy performed with the minimally invasive (MIS) approach. Methods Data from 960 minimally invasive cholecystectomies performed in the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Division of General, Minimally Invasive, and Robotic Surgery were retrospectively compiled. Patient demographics and outcomes were analyzed for the major indicators that may predispose to OC. Results Male gender and intraoperative diagnosis of acute or gangrenous cholecystitis were identified as statistically significant individual predictors for OC. Conversion incidence was significantly lower in every paired demographic combination when compared with the laparoscopic data. Conclusions Our retrospective study identified some specific factors associated with significantly higher risk of OC in both laparoscopic and robotic cholecystectomy. The impact of these risk factors seems to be lesser in the robotic than in the laparoscopic approach. Further investigation is necessary to validate these findings.
Prestressing bridge girders with carbon fiber–reinforced polymer: State of knowledge and research needs:

Prestressing concrete bridge beams with composite materials has been investigated extensively within the last two decades. The outcomes of these research efforts, however, emerged only in a limited...
A DISLOCATION MODEL FOR FACETED MODE OF FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH

Accumulated evidence indicates that fatigue crack growth in planar slip materials occurs by a crystal-lographically well-defined faceted mode with facets along either slip planes or cleavage planes. It is argued here that the generally accepted plastic blunting model can not explain the faceted growth and a dislocation pile-up model is proposed for the growth along slip planes or cleavage planes. Crack growth according to this model occurs in discrete increments whenever the energy to pump additional dislocations onto the pile-up near the crack tip is more than the energy to extend the crack. The model provides a rationale for several experimental observations including the role of grain size and microstructure on fatigue crack growth.
Biomaterials and the Evolution of Hernia Repair I: The History of Biomaterials and the Permanent Meshes

Increasingly, bioprosthetic materials are being used for a variety of surgical applications. In general surgery, for example, surgical techniques for hernia repair have been influenced directly by the development of different prosthetic meshes. As the field of biomaterial science advances, new insight into the physiological response to materials guides the development of newer classes of biomaterials including synthetic, partially synthetic, and natural tissue derivatives. This chapter, the first of three parts on materials for hernia repair, outlines historical aspects of bioprosthetic materials, details experimental (often animal) and clinical evidence for use of current materials, and establishes a framework for understanding the principles used for development of new prostheses. Although hernias serve as the model disease, the fundamentals of bio-prostheses interactions are applicable to many different genres in medicine.
Abstract A055: RSPO3 overexpression is a characteristic feature of signet ring gastrointestinal malignancies

Introduction: The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is critical in the pathogenesis of many gastrointestinal malignancies, and, when disrupted, promotes aberrant cell proliferation and loss of cell stemness. Mutations in APC are the most common etiology of Wnt/β-catenin signaling dysfunction in colorectal (CRC) cancers. However, in the approximately 20% of CRCs that are APC wild-type, abnormalities in cell-surface genes like RNF43 and RSPO drive pathologic Wnt/β-catenin activity. We sought to characterize further gastrointestinal tumors harboring RSPO alterations. Methods: Under an IRB-approved protocol at MD Anderson, tumors from 665 patients with metastatic CRC at MD Anderson were evaluated by next-generation sequencing for APC mutations and for the presence of signet ring cells. Mutation profiling and gene expression data from the TCGA (www.cbioportal.org) were analyzed in 223 patients with CRC for APC mutations and for RSPO overexpression for a correlation using a Fisher’s exact test. RNA extracted from 19 separate frozen tumors from patients with confirmed signet ring metastatic CRC was next analyzed by RNA-seq for the presence for RSPO fusions and for RSPO gene expression levels. In a validation set of FFPE samples derived from patients with signet ring metastatic CRC or signet ring gastric adenocarcinomas, RSPO3 gene expression was analyzed using RT-PCR in a CLIA-validated setting (Oncomed Pharmaceuticals). Results: APC mutations were detected less frequently in signet ring CRC tumors relative to non-signet ring counterparts (18% vs. 56%, P 50% signet ring cells present (P=.20). In a validation cohort of patients with signet ring adenocarcinomas, RSPO3 overexpression was noted in 20/38 (52%) CRCs and 21/22 (96%) gastric adenocarcinomas. RSPO fusions were detected in 0 of 19 patients with signet ring CRC analyzed by RNA-seq. Conclusions: In molecularly specified populations of patients with colorectal and gastric malignancies, RSPO3 overexpression is detected in high frequencies in signet ring adenocarcinomas. Given the cell surface localization of RSPO3 and the importance of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the tumorigenesis of gastrointestinal malignancies, our findings warrant further evaluation for anti-RSPO3 therapies as novel treatment options for patients with signet ring adenocarcinomas. Citation Format: Van Morris, Alexey Sorokin, Mariela Blum, Krittiya Korphaisarn, Jeannelyn Estrella, Leonardo Faoro, Min Wang, Stanley Hamilton, Ann M. Kapoun, Scott Kopetz. RSPO3 overexpression is a characteristic feature of signet ring gastrointestinal malignancies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A055.
Antiviral adaptive immunity and tolerance in the mosquito Aedes aegyti

Mosquitoes spread pathogenic arboviruses while themselves tolerate infection. We here characterize an immunity pathway providing long-term antiviral protection and define how this pathway discriminates between self and non-self. Mosquitoes use viral RNAs to create viral derived cDNAs (vDNAs) central to the antiviral response. vDNA molecules are acquired through a process of reverse-transcription and recombination directed by endogenous retrotransposons. These vDNAs are thought to integrate in the host genome as endogenous viral elements (EVEs). Sequencing of pre-integrated vDNA revealed that the acquisition process exquisitely distinguishes viral from host RNA, providing one layer of self-nonself discrimination. Importantly, we show EVE-derived piRNAs have antiviral activity and are loaded onto Piwi4 to inhibit virus replication. In a second layer of self-non-self discrimination, Piwi4 preferentially loads EVE-derived piRNAs, discriminating against transposon-targeting piRNAs. Our findings define a fundamental virus-specific immunity pathway in mosquitoes that uses EVEs as a potent and specific antiviral transgenerational mechanism.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Barriers to Healthy Eating Scale: Results from Four Independent Weight Loss Studies

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 22-item Barriers to Healthy Eating (BHE) scale in four independent weight loss studies conducted over 13 years. METHODS Principal axis factoring with promax rotation was performed to reveal the underlying factor structure. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach α, and convergent validity was assessed by correlating the baseline BHE with the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle questionnaire total and subscale scores. Predictive validity was examined by the association of BHE change with weight loss over 6 months. RESULTS The four studies had similar gender (82.9%-89.9% female) and race (70.5%-81.4% white) distributions. Factor analyses suggested removal of two items and a three-factor structure: self-control and motivation (10 items), daily mechanics (7 items), and social support (3 items). The Cronbach α for the 20-item BHE ranged from 0.849 to 0.881 across the four studies. The BHE and Weight Efficacy Lifestyle questionnaire total and subscale scores were all negatively correlated with each other, showing good convergent validity (r = 0.120-0.544, P < 0.05). BHE change was associated with weight loss from 0 to 6 months (r = 0.282-0.450, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The BHE scale showed very good psychometric properties over time, supporting its use in measuring barriers to one's ability to adopt or maintain a healthy eating plan.
Defining Critical Thinking Across Disciplines: An Analysis of Community College Faculty Perspectives

Although faculty agree that critical thinking is an important learning outcome for college courses, experts disagree on how to define and conceptualize critical thinking. Some researchers see it as...
Risk of Serious Infection in Patients Receiving Systemic Medications for the Treatment of Psoriasis

Importance There is a need for better understanding of the comparative safety of systemic medications used in the treatment of psoriasis. Objective To compare the risk of serious infection associated with biologic and nonbiologic systemic medications in patients with psoriasis. Design, Setting, and Participants An observational cohort study was conducted using medical and outpatient pharmacy claims from 2 large US health insurance claims databases from January 1, 2003, through September 30, 2015. We included patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis who were new users of systemic medications for psoriasis. Exposures Prescription claims for acitretin, adalimumab, apremilast, etanercept, infliximab, methotrexate, or ustekinumab. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was serious infection, defined by inpatient discharge diagnosisInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare rates of serious infection for each exposure (acitretin, adalimumab, apremilast, etanercept, infliximab, and ustekinumab) with the referent group (methotrexate). We used pairwise 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching to adjust for potential confounders, which were assessed during a 180-day baseline period prior to study drug initiation. Results from the 2 databases were pooled via fixed-effects analysis. Results The databases included 31 595 patients in the Optum Clinformatics Data Mart and 76 112 patients in Truven MarketScan who were new users of acitretin, adalimumab, apremilast, etanercept, infliximab, methotrexate, and ustekinumab. Users of acitretin, apremilast, infliximab, and methotrexate were older and had higher baseline comorbidity scores than subcutaneous biologic users (adalimumab, etanercept, and ustekinumab). The pooled PS-matched analysis yielded a decreased rate of overall serious infection in users of apremilast (hazard ratio [HR], 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26-0.94), etanercept (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93), and ustekinumab (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47-0.89) compared with methotrexate. We did not find a different rate of overall serious infection among users of acitretin, adalimumab, and infliximab compared with methotrexate. Subanalysis by type of serious infection showed a significantly increased risk of cellulitis among users of acitretin compared with methotrexate (PS-adjusted HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.11-2.80). Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with psoriasis treated with systemic medications in 2 large US claims databases, new users of apremilast, etanercept, and ustekinumab had a decreased rate of serious infection compared with methotrexate.
Public Health and Social Policy Perspectives on DOHaD

This chapter introduces the role of public health to the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) primarily through social policy approaches. Social policies affect people’s well-being. The chapter provides background to various levels of prevention and actions needed in relation to DOHaD. DOHaD research underscores the importance of an individual’s circumstances and surrounding environment, particularly during the most vulnerable times of life, which provide great implications for improving social policy. Several social and environmental factors are discussed in relation to DOHaD, including among underserved or disadvantaged populations. The lack of action on social policy may well be due to policymakers’ lack of awareness of DOHaD. Suggestions for improving social policy incorporate peer-reviewed-policy recommendations. Finally, the chapter concludes with multiple factors that both public health practitioners and policymakers can consider to more systematically develop social policies in response to the mounting evidence supporting DOHaD.
A Critical Appraisal of the July Effect: Evaluating Complications Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Reports of higher rates of medical errors in the month of July have generated concern regarding major surgery at academic institutions early in the yearly promotion cycle. This study was designed to evaluate perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) at different times of the year. Outcomes were retrospectively evaluated for patients treated in July versus the rest of the year and in the first quarter (July–September) versus the remaining quarters. The primary outcome was operative morbidity as measured by Clavien-Dindo grade, a classification system of surgical complications. Secondary outcomes included mortality, operative blood loss, pancreatic fistula formation, delayed gastric emptying, intraabdominal abscess, anastomotic leak, reoperation, and other variables of interest. From January 2003 to September 2015, 472 patients underwent PD by a single academic surgeon. Overall, 77.1% of PDs were performed for malignancy. The number of patients did not significantly vary by month or by quarter. The incidence of major morbidity (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III) in patients who had a PD was 12.2% in July and 17.5% in all other months (P = 0.79). The rate of pancreatic fistula, intraabdominal abscess, reoperation, readmission, and mortality did not differ significantly by month or by quarter (P > 0.05 for all). The current study does not find any correlation between time of year and operative morbidity or mortality, suggesting that PD can be safely performed irrespective of timing.
Optimum Communication Network Design for Distributed Secondary Voltage Control in Microgrids

In this paper, a two-layered cooperative voltage control using droop controller in primary layer and a distributed voltage regulation in the secondary layer is utilized for microgrid control purposes. The focus of this paper is on secondary voltage control in which an Average Consensus Algorithm (ACA) is used and applied on a network of agents with an optimally designed network based on communication cost and graph connectivity (GC). The main purpose of the ACA is to keep the average voltage of key buses at a desired level during islanding. This algorithm, along with the primary control, enables microgrids to maintain voltage stability as well as voltage quality by smoothing the voltage profile. To evaluate the proposed control strategy, a system consisting of 3 pilot nodes (key buses) is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. The results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed average voltage control approach.
Normal-mode splitting in coupled high-Q microwave cavities

Three-dimensional radio frequency cavities demonstrate excellent frequency selectivity and, as such, are known for their use in RF filters. These cavities have potential applications in quantum information science, precision displacement metrology, and quantum electrodynamics. Additionally, coupled cavities that form a spectral doublet allow for parametric gain when incorporating mechanical elements. Here, we investigate normal-mode splitting in a pair of quarter-wave stub microwave cavities at room temperature and cryogenic environments in order to identify coupling mechanics for normal and superconducting systems. Superconducting quarter-wave stub cavities with a resonant frequency of 10 GHz are made from reactor-grade niobium and exhibit Q ranging from 10 5 to 10 9. We varied cavity-to-cavity coupling to observe several normal-mode splittings of increasing peak separation until we observed a mode crossing. The minimum observed peak separation was 7 MHz for room temperature tests and 200 kHz for cryogenic tests. We also report on values of an intrinsic quality factor for the tuning cavity as a dielectric rod is translated along its symmetry axis. The realization of coupled superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities of this type is a necessary step toward implementation of parametric SRF-mechanical gain.
Risk factors for liposomal bupivacaine resistance after total hip or knee arthroplasties: a retrospective observational cohort in 237 patients.

Liposomal bupivacaine demonstrated promise decreasing postoperative pain in total hip and total knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA). Some randomized trials have shown non-superior results; however, confounding variables were not accounted for in such analyses. This study attempts to determine risk factors associated with failure of pain management in patients receiving liposomal bupivacaine. Postoperative pain scores were collected following primary or revision arthroplasties between January 2016 and December 2017. Retrospective analysis of institutional total joint quality and outcomes registry was screened and patients undergoing primary or revision arthroplasties who completed a multi-modal pain management including liposomal bupivacaine were included in the study. Patients with a history of infection/deviated from the institutional pain management protocol were excluded. A total of 237 patients were included for analysis. Younger patients less than 64 years old had significantly higher pain scores between 0 and 12 h and > 24 h. Active smokers had significantly higher pain scores between 0 and 6 h and > 24 h. Patients with a history of opioid use/pain management had significantly higher pain scores at 6-12 h and 24-48 h. Regression analysis indicated risk factors for resistance to liposomal bupivacaine are younger patients less than 64 years old, those undergoing primary THA, and patients with a history of smoking/pain management/opioid use. We identify risk factors for resistance to liposomal bupivacaine, which include younger age less than 64 years old, history of smoking/pain management/opioid use. Future studies should use these risk factors as exclusion criteria when using liposomal bupivacaine or initiating any randomized trials regarding efficacy.
LCOE Design Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm with Improved Component Models for Medium-Voltage Transformerless PV Inverters

For real-world installations of photovoltaic and other renewable energy resources, the critical design metric is the levelized cost of energy (LCOE); however, many power electronics design optimizations are performed with efficiency and power density as the primary design goals. Recent work has shown that a new LCOE-focused optimization approach can yield improved system designs balancing cost and energy generation. This paper expands the LCOE optimization approach by considering comprehensive optimization parameters, adding new modeling of inductor cost, extending the semiconductor model to include effects of losses on housing cost, and implementing a genetic algorithm to improve computation efficiency.
Military Life Narratives and Identity Development among Black Post-9/11 Veterans

Military culture is heterogenous and comprised of various subcultures with their own distinct military identity. The call for cultural competence has remained ubiquitous within the mental health field for decades, and a great need exists to provide increasingly culturally sensitive and informed mental health care for Black veterans. The purpose of this phenomenological study was twofold: (a) to privilege the diverse experiences of Black military veterans and (b) to advance a theory of Black veteran identity development to assist mental health professionals in further comprehending the psychosocial needs of Black veterans. Twelve Post-9/11 veterans who identified within the Black diaspora were interviewed about their service and post-service experiences, which resulted in the following four themes. (a) keep pushing/suck it up demonstrated an inclination among Black servicemembers toward emotional restraint and limited self-disclosure when answering emotionally-activating questions related to deployment and the impact of systemic discrimination within the military, (b) family orientation/communalism: “I’m sticking with the community” described how many consistently expressed their own identity in terms of family attachments or community affiliations. This communalistic approach is furthered in (c) seeing green/colorblindness. As many veterans reported, green was the only color seen, referring to the deindividuation process that unfolded for them during service including in regard to their Black identity. However, those holding multiple marginalized identities reported being highly subject to substantial discrimination, and as a result, described the military through the lens of (d) no protective cloak/microcosm of American society. Also elicited were several essential chapters comprising the military life cycle for Black veterans. This model provides an initial framework for understanding the Black veteran identity, consisting of distinct tasks and intrapsychic negotiations to be made before the Black servicemember/veteran can proceed onto the next stage. An additional theme, understanding blackness requires a cultural fluency, provides critical implications for behavioral health providers in working to become better attuned to their Black veteran patients’ needs. In describing their Blackness as “unique and dynamic,” these participants encourage providers to “go beyond the symptoms,” and instead to privilege their unique sociohistorical and identity specific factors in kind.
Differential Macrophage Responses in Affective Versus Non-Affective First-Episode Psychosis Patients

Increased innate immune activation and inflammation are common findings in psychotic and affective (mood) disorders such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD), including increased numbers and activation of monocytes and macrophages. These findings often differ depending on the disorder, for example, we previously found increases in circulating inflammatory cytokines associated with monocytes and macrophages in SCZ, while BD had increases in anti-inflammatory cytokines. Despite these differences, few studies have specifically compared immune dysfunction in affective versus non-affective psychotic disorders and none have compared functional monocyte responses across these disorders. To address this, we recruited 25 first episode psychosis (FEP) patients and 23 healthy controls (HC). FEP patients were further grouped based on the presence (AFF) or absence (NON) of mood disorder. We isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and cultured them for 1 week with M-CSF to obtain monocyte-derived macrophages. These cells were then stimulated for 24 h to skew them to inflammatory and alternative phenotypes, in order to identify differences in these responses. Following stimulation with LPS and LPS plus IFNγ, we found that macrophages from the NON-group had diminished inflammatory responses compared to both HC and AFF groups. Interestingly, when skewing macrophages to an alternative phenotype using LPS plus IL-4, the AFF macrophages increased production of inflammatory cytokines. Receiver operating curve analysis showed predictive power of inflammatory cytokine concentrations after LPS stimulation in the AFF group versus NON-group. Our results suggest dysfunctional monocyte responses in both affective and non-affective psychotic disorder, with varying types of immune dysfunction depending on the presence or absence of a mood component.
Principles of Radiation Oncology

The medical specialty of radiation oncology has evolved significantly over the past 50 years, having begun as a subspecialty within diagnostic radiology in the 1930s and 1940s. Today, more than 50% of newly diagnosed cancer patients receive radiation therapy, typically as a part of curative combined modality treatment with surgery and/or chemotherapy. Additionally, a majority of patients who present with metastatic disease or who develop metastases following initial cancer treatment require palliative radiation therapy. As such, the radiation oncologist plays a major role in the management of most adult cancers and certain groups of pediatric and adolescent cancers. The intent of this chapter is to provide an overview of radiation biology, newer approaches to radiation treatment planning, the use of specialized applications of radiation therapy, and the mechanisms of drug-radiation interactions leading to radiosensitization, as well as the evolving area of targeted radiation therapy. It is hoped that this overview provides the necessary fundamental knowledge of radiation oncology for the reader (particularly nonradiation oncologists) to then better understand the rationale for the use of radiation therapy in specific cancers as detailed in other chapters throughout this textbook.
Research on Remote Work in the Era of COVID-19

Greetings from your new Senior Editor! My new role entails working closely with the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Prashant Palvia, to solicit quality submissions, screen submissions for appropriateness to J...
An Improved Hybrid RSS/TDOA Wireless Sensors Localization Technique Utilizing Wi-Fi Networks

This paper presents a hybrid localization algorithm for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that simultaneously exploits received signal strength (RSS) and time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements. The accuracy and convergence reliability of the proposed hybrid scheme are also enhanced by incorporating RSS measurements from Wi-Fi networks via cooperative communications between Wi-Fi and sensor networks. To this end, two different types of estimators based on Taylor-series (TS) expansion and maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation are first proposed to solve the set of nonlinear RSS/TDOA equations taking into account measurement errors. The corresponding Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the established scheme is then derived and utilized as a performance measure for the two estimators. Simulation results show that the proposed hybrid positioning approach significantly outperforms the previously considered localization solutions in WSNs, thanks to the joint process of the received signals' power and time difference of arrival. The advantages of the proposed scheme in providing high location accuracy, fast convergence, low complexity implementation, and low power consumption make it an attractive localization solution via WSNs.
Preclinical chemotherapy with the VEGFR-2 and PDGFR inhibitor, BAY 57-9352, in combination with Capecitabine and Paclitaxel

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 2030 BAY 57-9352 is an orally active, small molecule inhibitor of VEGFR-2 and PDGFR-b tyrosine kinases, which is currently in Phase I clinical trials. BAY 57-9352 blocks tumor growth through the inhibition of these key regulators of tumor angiogenesis. It exhibits a broad-spectrum of activity as a single agent in multiple human tumor xenograft models representing breast, colon, prostate and lung cancer. The clinical development of BAY 57-9352 is anticipated to include combination chemotherapy with the current standards of care for a variety of histological types of cancer. In the current studies, we have examined the anti-tumor activity and tolerability of BAY 57-9352 when co-administered with either capecitabine (Xeloda® ) or paclitaxel (Taxol® ). The anti-tumor efficacy and tolerability of BAY 57-9352 in combination with capecitabine or paclitaxel were examined using subcutaneous Colo-205 human colorectal cancer or H460 human non-small cell lung cancer xenograft models, respectively, implanted in female athymic (NCr- nu/nu ) mice. In two studies combining BAY 57-9352 with capecitabine, both agents were administered p.o. for 9 or 10 days. When combined with paclitaxel, BAY 57-9352 was administered p.o. for 9 days and paclitaxel was administered concurrently (i.v.) for the first 5 days. Efficacy was assessed as the days delay in tumor growth to reach a specified size (TGD). BAY 57-9352 (60 mg/kg, p.o.) and capecitabine (500 mg/kg, p.o.) demonstrated significant anti-tumor activity following once daily administration as single agents in the Colo-205 model with an average TGD of 16 and 30 days, respectively. Combination of these agents showed an average TGD of 40 days with no toxicity. Combination of BAY 57-9352 with paclitaxel required reduction of BAY 57-9352 from 60 mg/kg to 40 mg/kg to achieve acceptable tolerability. In the H460 model, BAY 57-9352 (40 mg/kg, p.o.) and paclitaxel (15 mg/kg, i.v.) exhibited anti-tumor activity as single agents with a TGD of 6 days and 10 days, respectively. When combined, these agents produced a TGD of 14 days and demonstrated acceptable toxicity. In all studies, the combination of BAY 57-9352 with capecitabine or paclitaxel was at least as effective as the individual agents administered alone. The results of these studies support the combination of BAY 57-9352 with either capecitabine or paclitaxel in clinical studies with these agents.
Performance Evaluation of Distributed Prefetching for Asynchronous Multicast in P2P Networks

We consider the problem of delivering real-time, near real-time and stored streaming media to a large number of asynchronous clients. This problem has been studied in the context of asynchronous multicast and peer-to-peer content distribution. In this paper we evaluate through extensive simulations the performance of the distributed prefetching protocol, dPAM [20], proposed for scalable, asynchronous multicast in P2P systems. We show that the prefetch-and-relay strategy of dPAM can reduce the server bandwidth requirement quite significantly, compared to the previously proposed cache-and-relay strategy, even when the group of clients downloading a stream changes quite frequently due to client departures.
Application of quantitative EEG to aircraft assessment, management, and control

Recent advances in the understanding and computer processing of human brain wave (EEG) activity have produced renewed interest in the possibility of a bioengineering control interface using this signal. Evidence concerning the neurophysiological substrates of EEG frequency modulation and topographic expression provide a basis for the differentiation of functional states during vehicle control performance. These and other studies have identified EEG signal components which are subject to learned voluntary manipulation. Progress and problems in this area of investigation are discussed.
Estimation of gamma phase composition in nickel-base superalloys

The gamma-gamma prime region of the Ni−Al−Cr−Ti system at 750°C has been analyzed through the use of phase rule principles and analytic geometry to allow estimation of gamma phase composition when the composition of a two-phase quaternary alloy is known. By application of currently used phase computation methods with the above calculation, the gamma phase composition of several nickel-based superalloys was estimated and found (except for tungsten) to be in good agreement with compositions for these alloys as reported in the literature.
Common and reusable avionics for the rotorcraft market

Rockwell Collins has partnered with Sikorsky Aircraft to develop a flexible glass cockpit system designed to reuse several blocks of existing civil application software, and to interface with the various avionics subsystems using industry standards. A systematic process is used to define avionics attributes, major capabilities and cost targets in the beginning phases and tracked through development. The system is designed to provide flight and mission redundancy without impacting system recurring costs. With this new integrated glass cockpit system, Sikorsky and Rockwell Collins have been able to offer this new configuration to several international customers. This glass cockpit system is being offered on the S-70A and S-70B series of helicopters and the most current helicopter, the S-92. There has been a shift in the rotorcraft business from a high volume production of US military aircraft in a single configuration to multi-customer/multi-mission aircraft for both US and international customers.