cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dosimetric comparison of proton and photon three-dimensional, conformal, external beam accelerated partial breast irradiation techniques.

Purpose: To compare the dosimetry of proton and photon-electron three-dimensional, conformal, external beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (3D-CPBI). Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients with fully excised, Stage I breast cancer treated with adjuvant proton 3D-CPBI had treatment plans generated using the mixed-modality, photon-electron 3D-CPBI technique. To facilitate dosimetric comparisons, planning target volumes (PTVs; lumpectomy site plus 1.5–2.0 cm margin) and prescribed dose (32 Gy) were held constant. Plans were optimized for PTV coverage and normal tissue sparing. Results: Proton and mixed-modality plans both provided acceptable PTV coverage with 95% of the PTV receiving 90% of the prescribed dose in all cases. Both techniques also provided excellent dose homogeneity with a dose maximum exceeding 110% of the prescribed dose in only one case. Proton 3D-CPBI reduced the volume of nontarget breast tissue receiving 50% of the prescribed dose by an average of 36%. Statistically significant reductions in the volume of total ipsilateral breast receiving 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of the prescribed dose were also observed. The use of protons resulted in small, but statistically significant, reductions in the radiation dose delivered to 5%, 10%, and 20% of ipsilateral and contralateral lung and heart. The nontarget breast tissue dosimetric advantages of proton 3D-CPBI were not dependent on tumor location, breast size, PTV size, or the ratio of PTV to breast volume. Conclusions: Compared to photon-electron 3D-CPBI, proton 3D-CPBI significantly reduces the volume of irradiated nontarget breast tissue. Both approaches to accelerated partial breast irradiation offer exceptional lung and heart sparing.
Classification of linearly nonseparable patterns by linear threshold elements

Learning and convergence properties of linear threshold elements or perceptrons are well understood for the case where the input vectors (or the training sets) to the perceptron are linearly separable. Little is known, however, about the behavior of the perceptron learning algorithm when the training sets are linearly nonseparable. We present the first known results on the structure of linearly nonseparable training sets and on the behavior of perceptrons when the set of input vectors is linearly nonseparable. More precisely, we show that using the well known perceptron learning algorithm, a linear threshold element can learn the input vectors that are provably learnable, and identify those vectors that cannot be learned without committing errors. We also show how a linear threshold element can be used to learn large linearly separable subsets of any given nonseparable training set. In order to develop our results, we first establish formal characterizations of linearly nonseparable training sets and define learnable structures for such patterns. We also prove computational complexity results for the related learning problems. Next, based on such characterizations, we show that a perceptron does the best one can expect for linearly nonseparable sets of input vectors and learns as much as is theoretically possible. >
Constellations of Criteria

It is not uncommon for different kinds of considerations to enter into a prioritization context. Each consideration can have a constellation of indicators, and these constellations may be complementary or conflicting. Data on such an Italian context come from Angelo Pecci (personal communication) working with Prof. Orazio Rossi at University of Parma in relation to Italian Map of Nature on data from ISPRA and Ministry of Environment of Italy (Rossi et al. 2008). Basic ecological assessment is conducted at the level of a contiguous tract (ecotope) of a designated type. One constellation of indicators speaks to ecological value, and another constellation of indicators speaks to ecological sensitivity (to disruptions). Compilations have been done for ecological value and sensitivity over civil divisions called communes. Each commune thus has a suite (constellation) of indicators for ecological value and another for ecological sensitivity. Additionally, each commune has a constellation of indicators that speaks to human pressure on the natural elements. One situation of interest is to determine communes where there is high ecological value that also has high sensitivity in company with high human pressure. Such communes would be candidates for what might be called conservation crisis intervention through special funding programs. The data covers 108 communes, for which we are not presently concerned with their specific identity or location. Only what emerges analytically from the data is given here so that the data and identities remain anonymous.
Analysis and design of ESD protection circuits for high-frequency/RF applications

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection devices can have an adverse effect on the performance of high frequency and RF circuits. This work presents for the first time, an S-parameter based analysis of the performance of RF circuits with various ESD protection designs. Additionally, a design methodology for distributed ESD protection using coplanar waveguides is developed to achieve a better impedance match over a broad frequency range. By using this technique, an ESD device with a parasitic capacitance of 200 fF will attenuate the signal power by only 0.27 dB at 10 GHz.
Evaluation in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

We could conceive the scientific endeavor as being a four-step process, which can be succinctly outlined as the development of a new model, research question and hypothesis, systematic research designed to test the model by proving or disproving the hypothesis, application of the findings in real-life settings, and evaluation of the implications of the outcomes to improving the model and to generating novel hypotheses. That is to say, the phase of research and development both initiates and initiates anew, in a dynamic process, which is akin to the progression on a spiral, rather than on a circle: walking along a circular path leads us back to where we started from: progressing along a spiral leads us to ever newer, better, greater, and more fascinating discoveries than we could imagine at the onset.
All Military Adolescents Are Not the Same: Sexuality and Substance Use among Adolescents in the U.S. Military Healthcare System

Data examining sexuality and substance use among active duty and military-dependent youth is limited; however, these psychosocial factors have military implications. Adolescents and young adults aged 12–23 were recruited from an active-duty trainee clinic (n = 225) and a military pediatric clinic (n = 223). Active duty participants were more likely to be older, male, White, previous tobacco users, and report a history of sexual activity and less contraception use at their most recent intercourse, compared to the dependent group. Over 10% of all participants indicated attraction to members of the same gender or both genders. In logistic regression analysis, non-White participants were less likely to use contraception compared to White participants. Adolescents and young adults seen in military clinics frequently engage in high-risk behavior. Clinicians who care for military youth should assess their patient’s psychosocial history. Further study of this population is warranted to identify factors that may influence risk and resilience.
Non-invasive measurement using cardiovascular magnetic resonance of changes in pulmonary artery stiffness with exercise

Background Exercise stress tests are commonly used in clinical settings to monitor the functional state of the heart and vasculature. Large artery stiffness is one measure of arterial function that can be quantified noninvasively during exercise stress. Changes in proximal pulmonary artery stiffness are especially relevant to the progression of pulmonary hypertension (PH), since pulmonary artery (PA) stiffness is the best current predictor of mortality from right ventricular failure.
Optimizing performance on massively parallel computers using a remote memory access programming model

Parallel programming models are of paramount importance because they affect both the performance delivered by massively parallel systems and the productivity of the programmer seeking that performance. Advancements in networks, multicore chips, and related technology continue to improve the efficiency of modern supercomputers. However, the average application efficiency is a small fraction of the peak system efficiency. This research proposes techniques for optimizing application performance on supercomputers using remote memory access (RMA) parallel programming model. The growing gaps between CPU-network and CPU-memory timescales are fundamental problems that require attention in the design of communication models as well as scalable parallel algorithms. This research validates the RMA model because of its simplicity, its good hardware support on modern networks, and its posession of certain characteristics important for reducing the performance gap between system peak and application performance. The effectiveness of these optimizations is evaluated in the context of parallel linear algebra kernels. The current approach differs from the other linear algebra algorithms by the explicit use of shared memory and remote memory access communication rather than message passing. It is suitable for clusters and scalable shared memory systems. The experimental results on large scale systems (Linux-Infiniband cluster, Cray XT) demonstrate consistent performance advantages over the ScaLAPACK suite, the leading implementation of parallel linear algebra algorithms used today.
Atherosclerosis and Angiotensin II in Hypercholesterolemia and Diabetes. a Role for at1 Receptors Beyond Hypertension

The pathophysiological continuum that presumably begins with endothelial injury and dysfunction and ends with the fibronecrotic plaque, occlusive coronary artery disease, and diabetes-related nephropathy is potentially influenced by an association between hyper-glycemia, hypercholesterolemia and activation of the renin-angiotensin system. It is known that the resultant proliferative and progressive responses of the arterial wall in atherosclerosis and glomerulosclerosis are the culmination of the effects of a variety of mitogenic and inhibitory hormonal and trophic factors exerting their actions at stages that may be far removed both spatially and temporally from the initial injurious event. These processes are likely also at work in the diabetic kidney, but are not as well investigated. Regardless of the initiating mechanism, the vascular endothelium, inflammatory cell infiltration and the resultant tissue response have become the focus of attention in the pathogenesis of both atherosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy. A vast array of effects of angiotensin II likely to be mediated through both type 1 and type 2 angiotensin receptors are now described in the literature. Current data indicates that the role of angiotensin II in vascular remodeling and renal injury may originate from a local tissue source rather than the circulation. Regardless of its origin, angiotensin peptides and angiotensin receptors may contribute in significant ways to the atherogenic processes. While the stages of atherosclerosis and renal diabetic nephropathy in humans and animals are well defined morphologically, the mechanisms within vascular and renal tissues that contribute to these pathologies represent a spectrum of events occurring in different microenvironments over prolonged periods. This review describes well-established and novel aspects of angiotensin II-mediated actions as they relate to hypercholesterolemia-induced atherogenesis and diabetic nephropathy, and suggests potential pathways where angiotensin II might be substantially involved through the AT1 receptor in these processes, and thus may be blocked by AT1 receptor antagonists.
Non-Native Plant Invasion along Elevation and Canopy Closure Gradients in a Middle Rocky Mountain Ecosystem.

Mountain environments are currently among the ecosystems least invaded by non-native species; however, mountains are increasingly under threat of non-native plant invasion. The slow pace of exotic plant invasions in mountain ecosystems is likely due to a combination of low anthropogenic disturbances, low propagule supply, and extreme/steep environmental gradients. The importance of any one of these factors is debated and likely ecosystem dependent. We evaluated the importance of various correlates of plant invasions in the Wallowa Mountain Range of northeastern Oregon and explored whether non-native species distributions differed from native species along an elevation gradient. Vascular plant communities were sampled in summer 2012 along three mountain roads. Transects (n = 20) were evenly stratified by elevation (~70 m intervals) along each road. Vascular plant species abundances and environmental parameters were measured. We used indicator species analysis to identify habitat affinities for non-native species. Plots were ordinated in species space, joint plots and non-parametric multiplicative regression were used to relate species and community variation to environmental variables. Non-native species richness decreased continuously with increasing elevation. In contrast, native species richness displayed a unimodal distribution with maximum richness occurring at mid–elevations. Species composition was strongly related to elevation and canopy openness. Overlays of trait and environmental factors onto non-metric multidimensional ordinations identified the montane-subalpine community transition and over-story canopy closure exceeding 60% as potential barriers to non-native species establishment. Unlike native species, non-native species showed little evidence for high-elevation or closed-canopy specialization. These data suggest that non-native plants currently found in the Wallowa Mountains are dependent on open canopies and disturbance for establishment in low and mid elevations. Current management objectives including restoration to more open canopies in dry Rocky Mountain forests, may increase immigration pressure of non-native plants from lower elevations into the montane and subalpine zones.
The Regimented Man: Interviews with German Officials Under the Nazis

The reaction to National Socialism on the part of the scientists of the Western world was unexpectedly varied. Only a few, perhaps, found themselves in sympathy with Nazi theory. Others, while vociferously protesting the Nazis' attack on science and Jewish scientists, may have felt that the reaction to it should be limited to assisting refugee scholars and the like. Still others retreated behind the convenient "blind" of "scientific objectivity"-that the scientist has little to offer in the political or social realms. In extreme cases this retreat led to an even more definite withdrawal from any socio-political activity. And finally, there were those scientists who accepted the fact that even if science is treated badly, it should, at most, be left alone. Yet the advent of Hitler changed these notions about science and the behavior of the scientist. Certainly the expulsion of Jewish scholars and liberal scientists abruptly reminded even the most complacent and well-entrenched scientists that they could no longer count on either personal or professional immunity-that science itself was endangered. In the case of Nazi Germany, it is apparent that the control of material factors alone could not be sufficient for the leaders of German fascism; in order to gain and retain power, they had to control and modify ideas as well. Modern science in the Western world is highly dependent upon prevailing economic structures and processes. It may very well be that the development of science in the Western world is a clear indication of the fundamental incompatibility between either the theory or application of science and the tendencies of dogmatic, absolutistic, and militant political developments wherever found. munists and Democrats, just as are the services of physicists and physicians." Can Science Save Us? (New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1947), pp. 47-50. Lundberg feels that the problem of the relation of sociological knowledge to social action can be reduced to one of simple "role taking," i.e., scientist, citizen, husband, father, etc. (Ibid., p. 28.) The Lundbergian formulation of this problem is, at best, a half-truth. The role-taking hypothesis presents an admirable device for classifying and analyzing the various social roles and their relationship, but it is of little help to the individual scientist who may operate with but one set of values at a time. This roleplaying in no way frees the scientist from all the social directions and consequences of his acts. But even more importantly, the value orientations that surround a scientist, under present circumstances, are not reconcilable on a purely verbal or analytical level. The individual social scientist makes choices and rejections in terms of the whole complex of socio-cultural influences bearing upon him, not just those of science or sociology.
Analysis on Support Function of the Local Cost Control Electric Energy Meter to Tiered Pricing for Electricity

With the tiered pricing for electricity policy has been put into practice by the government,this paper analyzes the summer and winter combined tiered pricing for electricity policy of Guangdong Province in the background of Guangdong Power Gird's pilot work of the application for the local cost control electric energy meter,points out the technical requirements to the electric energy meter,expounds the importance of the settlement function in the local cost control electric energy meter. Also the paper analyzes how the tiered pricing for electricity realized in the local cost control electric energy meter through the introduction of the measurement and cost control advantages of the local cost control electric energy meter,and considers that the local cost control electric energy meter has the function of supporting and promoting the implementation of tiered pricing for electricity.
Practice and effect of the disease management of patients with coronary heart disease

Objective To discuss the effects of the disease management of patients with coronary heart disease.Methods There were 305 patients with coronary heart disease involved in the research.Firstly,they were investigated with a questionnaire about the life style,and their health records were established after receiving comprehensive assessment of risk factors.Then the disease management plan was developed,and the targeted health education and follow-up and personal health guidance were implemented.Lastly,the effects of disease management were collected and analyzed.Results By the way of disease management,the life style of patients with coronary disease was improved significantly(P0.05 or P0.01).There were 92.57% cases giving up smoking,90.10% cases stopping drinking alcohol,64.85% cases insisting on low-salt and low-fat diet,and 89.60% cases persisting on physical exercise.Conclusion The disease management of patients with coronary heart disease could improve their life style,increase their awareness of self-protection,and play an important role in preventing adverse cardiac events.
The Incidence and Outcomes of Pancreatectomy in Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Context Despite current management guidelines, patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer continue to undergo pancreatic resection. Objective Our objective was to determine the incidence and outcomes of pancreatic resection in the setting of known metastatic disease. Design Using the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program, patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent pancreatic resection with known M1 (AJCC stage IV) metastatic disease between the years 1988-2006 were assessed. Setting Large population based database query. Patients Patients with biopsy proven M1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Interventions Pancreatic resection, systemic chemotherapy, radiation therapy. Main outcome measure Overall survival. Results Of 8,549 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma from Cancer Surveillance Program, 54% (n=4,649) initially presented with M1 disease. Within this M1 cohort, 2% (n=92) of patients underwent pancreatic resection and formed our final study cohort; these patients comprised 7% of the overall number of pancreatic resections performed for pancreatic adenocarcinoma during the study period. Only 35% (n=32) of the study cohort received adjuvant chemotherapy; and 13% (n=12) received adjuvant radiotherapy. Median survival for the study cohort was 6.3 months. Surgery provided no survival benefit over chemotherapy in patients with M1 disease and was associated with an 18% 30-day mortality. Conclusion A large number of patients from Los Angeles County have undergone pancreatic resection despite the presence of known metastatic disease. Patient survival remains abysmal in this setting and these results are likely a microcosm of the surgical management of metastatic pancreatic cancer in the USA. These results highlight the necessary efforts to maintain appropriate standards of care in the management of pancreatic cancer. Image: Survival analysis of M1 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
What Is the Best Strategy for Incorporating New Agents into the Current Treatment of Follicular Lymphoma

Overview:Although there is increasing knowledge about the pathobiology of follicular lymphoma (FL), the incorporation of new agents is challenged by the long clinical course and inherent heterogene...
Insurance Reimbursement for Complementary Healthcare Services

Abstract Introduction: Insurance reimbursement for clinical services provided by complementary healthcare professionals in the United States likely differs by provider specialty. It is hypothesized that a lower likelihood of insurance reimbursement demonstrates that complementary healthcare services are not utilized to an optimal level and are not financially accessible to all who may need or want these services. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the likelihood of insurance reimbursement for complementary healthcare services compared with other complementary services and with conventional primary care medical services in New Hampshire. Methods: The authors studied health claims for services provided in a nonemergent outpatient setting in New Hampshire in 2014. The study population consisted of New Hampshire residents aged 18–99 years with claims for selected clinical services commonly provided by complementary healthcare providers. The authors modeled the proportion of reimbursed claims by speci...
Changing relative crank angle increases the metabolic cost of leg cycling

Historically, the efficiency of leg cycling has been difficult to change. However, arm cycling research indicates that relative crank angle changes can improve efficiency. Therefore, we investigated if leg cycling with different relative crank angles affects efficiency. Ten healthy, male, recreational bicycle riders (27.8 ± 8.2 years, mean ± SD, mass 69.8 ± 3.2 kg) pedaled a pan-loaded cycle ergometer at a fixed power output of 150 watts at a cadence of 90 RPM. Each subject completed six, 5-min trials in random order at relative crank angles of 180°, 135°, 90°, 45°, 0°, and 180°. We averaged rates of oxygen uptake ( $${\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{ 2}$$ ) and carbon dioxide production ( $${\dot{\text{V}}\text{CO}}_{ 2}$$ ), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) for the last 2 min of each trial. Crank angles other than 180° required a greater metabolic cost. As relative crank angle decreased from 180°, metabolic power monotonically increased by 1.6% at 135° to 8.2% greater when the relative crank angle was 0° (p < 0.001). We find that, unlike arm cycling, radically changing the relative crank angle on a bicycle from an out-of-phase (180°) to in-phase (0°) position decreases leg cycling efficiency by ~8%. We attribute the increase to changes in cost of breathing, muscle co-activation, trunk stabilization, power fluctuations, and possibly lifting the legs during the upstroke. Our findings may have relevance in the rehabilitation of patients recovering from stroke or spinal cord injury.
Ab-Initio Molecular Dynamics: Principles and Practical Implementation

The novel approach to the study of electronic and thermodynamical properties of condensed matter systems, proposed by Car and Parrinello in 1985, has made it possible to perform molecular dynamics simulations with parameter-free potentials. In this scheme, interatomic forces due to the quantum electronic system are derived from first principles, within the framework of density functional theory. We describe the foundations of the method and present in some detail the practical performance of an ab-initio molecular dynamics simulation.
A biological network-based regularized artificial neural network model for robust phenotype prediction from gene expression data

Stratification of patient subpopulations that respond favorably to treatment or experience and adverse reaction is an essential step toward development of new personalized therapies and diagnostics. It is currently feasible to generate omic-scale biological measurements for all patients in a study, providing an opportunity for machine learning models to identify molecular markers for disease diagnosis and progression. However, the high variability of genetic background in human populations hampers the reproducibility of omic-scale markers. In this paper, we develop a biological network-based regularized artificial neural network model for prediction of phenotype from transcriptomic measurements in clinical trials. To improve model sparsity and the overall reproducibility of the model, we incorporate regularization for simultaneous shrinkage of gene sets based on active upstream regulatory mechanisms into the model. We benchmark our method against various regression, support vector machines and artificial neural network models and demonstrate the ability of our method in predicting the clinical outcomes using clinical trial data on acute rejection in kidney transplantation and response to Infliximab in ulcerative colitis. We show that integration of prior biological knowledge into the classification as developed in this paper, significantly improves the robustness and generalizability of predictions to independent datasets. We provide a Java code of our algorithm along with a parsed version of the STRING DB database. In summary, we present a method for prediction of clinical phenotypes using baseline genome-wide expression data that makes use of prior biological knowledge on gene-regulatory interactions in order to increase robustness and reproducibility of omic-scale markers. The integrated group-wise regularization methods increases the interpretability of biological signatures and gives stable performance estimates across independent test sets.
Label-free screening of foodborne Salmonella using surface plasmon resonance imaging

It is estimated that 95% of the foodborne infections are caused by 15 major pathogens. Therefore, rapid and effective multiplex screening techniques for these pathogens with improved efficiencies could benefit public health at lower costs. Surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) provides a label-free, multiplex analytical platform for pathogen screening. In this study, we have developed a singleplex immunoassay for Salmonella to evaluate the potential of SPRi in pathogen detection. Anti-Salmonella and control ligands were arrayed onto the SPRi sensor chip in a microarray format. The influences of ligand immobilization pH and concentration were optimized, and a pause flow protocol was adopted to improve assay rapidity and sensitivity. The method shows good specificity against 6 non-Salmonella species and was able to detect 5 of 6 Salmonella serotypes, including 3 serotypes most frequently associated with outbreaks. Limits of detection were found to be 2.1 × 106 CFU/mL in phosphate-buffered saline and 7.6 × 106 CFU/mL in the presence of chicken rinse matrix with 8.9 × 107 CFU/mL of indigenous microflora. The condition of antibody array regeneration was optimized for sequential sample injections. Finally, the SPRi immunoassay was used to detect Salmonella directly from artificially spiked chicken carcass rinse samples. As low as 6.8 CFU/mL of Salmonella could be detected after overnight enrichment in buffered peptone water, demonstrating the potential in streamlined pathogen screening with minimal sample preparation and without detection labels.
Initial Approach to Ultrasound Management: Making Ultrasound Meaningful from the Start

Ultrasound technology has undergone tremendous evolution and advancement, leading to dissemination across medicine. Point-of-care (POC), clinical use of ultrasound has been adopted by many clinical specialties, and its implementation into an effective program requires a plan for management. This chapter covers the essential structure and framework for an US management plan, and identifies critical steps that must be covered as a program is created for effective translation to meaningful outcome for your patients, department, and system.
Urban mycorrhizas: predicting arbuscular mycorrhizal abundance in green roofs

Abstract Mycorrhizas face unique anthropogenic stressors in urban environments, but the factors influencing their abundance in cities remains comparatively unstudied. Using green roofs as a model system, we built a conceptual model outlining the biotic and abiotic factors influencing arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal abundance in cities. We then tested this model and its multiple causal hypotheses with structural equation modeling using plant, soil, and AM fungal abundance measurements from 60 plots across 12 green roofs in Chicago, USA. The best direct predictor of AM fungal abundance was not plant cover, plant richness, or soil nutrients, but instead green roof age, suggesting temporal accumulation of AM fungal propagules in degraded urban environments. Soil P had the strongest total effect on AM fungal abundance both directly and via indirect promotion of plant cover. This study highlights knowledge gaps and challenges to studying the urban ecology of AM fungi.
Magnifying the View of the Hand Changes Its Cortical Representation. A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study.

Changes in the perceived size of a body part using magnifying lenses influence tactile perception and pain. We investigated whether the visual magnification of one's hand also influences the motor ...
An Interactive Algorithm for Synchronizing from Burst Deletions

We study the efficient synchronization between two distant nodes, A and B, that are connected through a lossless bidirectional communication channel. In our setup, Node A contains file X, and node B contains file Y that is generated through burst deletions from X. The burst deletion pattern is modeled by a stationary two-state Markov chain. Inspired by the previously proposed synchronization protocol of Yazdi and Dolecek that is specifically designed to handle i.i.d. deletions, we create a new synchronization algorithm that is efficient for the case of burst deletions. Utilizing the previous overall framework from Yazdi and Dolecek, we first prove that the matching module still works well in our scenario. We then invent two new schemes for the implementation of the burst deletion recovery module. The remaining errors created in the first two modules are eliminated by the final LDPC decoder. Lastly, we provide experimental results of the proposed synchronization algorithm for both i.i.d. and realistic sources.
Molecular and Ionic Adsorption onto Atomic-Scale Metal Wires

The recent surge of interest in nanostructured materials and devices is triggered not only by the need of device miniaturization but also by the appearance of many novel quantum phenomena at the nanometer scale. These phenomena may lead to new applications from electronic and optical devices to chemical and biological sensors. One interesting example that will be discussed in this chapter is conductance quantization in atomic-scale metal wires [1–5].
The senses in the writings of Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179): theory, practice and power in medieval religion

Mark M. Smith (2007) exclaimed ten years ago that it was a “good moment to be a sensory historian” (841). Surveying the field of sensory history, one might have been inclined to agree, with some qu...
Lysosomal catch-and-release controls mTORC1

Rag GTPases facilitate mTORC1 activation by recruiting it to Rheb at the lysosome when amino acids are abundant. A study now shows that the amino acid-induced change in the GTP/GDP-binding state of the Rag heterodimer paradoxically increases its dynamic release from the Ragulator at the lysosome and may limit mTORC1 activation.
Video Education Improves Heart Failure Knowledge and Self-Care

Background Patient education is recommended to enhance self-care in all heart failure (HF) guidelines. The optimal method of educating HF patients is not known, but video education (VE) can provide a standardized and cost-effective method to deliver HF patient education. In addition, mobile technology can be an efficient and convenient way to deliver patient education as patients transition from hospital to home. Purpose The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) Evaluate whether HF knowledge, self-efficacy, self-care skills, and readmission rates improved after adding VE to usual care, and 2) Evaluate patient satisfaction with VE. Methods A convenience sample of adult HF inpatients was recruited over 11 weeks at an academic medical center. Participants received access via tablet, smartphone, or computer to 26 videos, each between 2-4 minutes in length, and lasting a total of 1.5 hours. The first video was shown while inpatient and subsequent videos were viewed at participants’ discretion while inpatient as well as after discharge. Participants received a “Managing Your Heart Failure With Video Education” booklet to aid accessing the videos. HF knowledge and self-care were measured before and after VE using the Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test and the Self-care of Heart Failure Index. A patient log and satisfaction with each video was collected. Seventy participants enrolled and 30 completed the questionnaires. All-cause 30-day readmission data were compared to a randomly selected historical group from the previous months and year. Results Participants’ mean age was 66 years, 70% (21) were female, 67% (20) were Caucasian, 63% (19) high school educated or less, 83% (25) had hypertension, 73% (22) were New York Heart Association Class III-IV, and 43% (13) had HF with reduced ejection fraction. Mean Charlson Comorbidity Index scores was 6.2 ± 2.3. HF knowledge and self-maintenance scores increased (mean 1.7, + 3.2, p =.008, mean 13.96 + 20.99, p =.001 respectively). Participants’ scores improved by at least 5% on 20 of the 30 questions on the HF knowledge test. Self-efficacy (self-care confidence) and self-care management did not significantly improve (mean 1.67, SD 26.69, p = .735; mean 9.4, SD 22.7, p =.073 respectively). All-cause 30-day hospital readmissions did not significantly decrease (9 to 7, p= .276). HF patients were satisfied with the VE information (96%) and all would recommend the videos (100%). The videos rated most helpful were: Heart Failure Medications: Diuretics (71.4%), Managing Heart Failure: Limiting Sodium (65%), and Taking Your Heart Failure Medications (61.9%). Conclusion VE was associated with improved HF knowledge and self-maintenance with high patient satisfaction. HF Knowledge scores may further be used to tailor patient education based on identified knowledge gaps. Future work is needed to investigate whether self-efficacy and self-management improves with continued follow-up.
I-SceI Meganuclease-mediated transgenesis in the acorn worm, Saccoglossus kowalevskii

Hemichordates are a phylum of marine invertebrate deuterostomes that are closely related to chordates, and represent one of the most promising models to provide insights into early deuterostome evolution. The genome of the hemichordate, Saccoglossus kowalevskii, reveals an extensive set of non-coding elements conserved across all three deuterostome phyla. Functional characterization and cross-phyla comparisons of these putative regulatory elements will enable a better understanding of enhancer evolution, and subsequently how changes in gene regulation give rise to morphological innovation. Here, we describe an efficient method of transgenesis for the characterization of non-coding elements in S. kowalevskii. We first test the capacity of an I-SceI transgenesis system to drive ubiquitous or regionalized gene expression, and to label specific cell types. Finally, we identified a minimal promoter that can be used to test the capacity of putative enhancers in S. kowalevskii. This work demonstrates that this I-SceI transgenesis technique, when coupled with an understanding of chromatin accessibility, can be a powerful tool for studying how evolutionary changes in gene regulatory mechanisms contributed to the diversification of body plans in deuterostomes.
Tradeoffs Between Equity and Efficiency at the Heart of Population Health Science: A Public Health of Consequence, April 2019.

The author discusses a study by Sabbath et al. on the inequality paradox or the efficiency-equity tradeoff in public health or population health science and the importance of science communication in population health to educate the public.
Examining developmental fit of the Adult Attachment Interview in adolescence

Abstract When measuring attachment security, considering the developmental period of interest is imperative when deciding which measure of attachment to use. In the current review, we note a lack of fit between the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) – which is widely regarded as the gold standard for assessing attachment in adolescence – and the stage-salient experiences of adolescence. First, we explore how some of these normative experiences complicate assessment of attachment in adolescence. Second, we review the tenets of the AAI and detail its use with teenagers. Third, we investigate attachment in the context of multiple key developmental tasks of adolescence, including maintaining open communication, self-concept and identity formation, deidealization of parents, autonomy development, the shift of attachment behavior toward peers, and advances in executive functioning through development of the prefrontal cortex. After noting incongruences between those tasks and the AAI, additional weaknesses to using the AAI in adolescence are considered, including: (1) the “generalized state of mind,” (2) reliance on retrospectively reporting childhood experiences with parents, and (3) the apparent abundance of dismissing individuals. Considering the presented evidence, we resolve that the AAI – although a well-established measure of adult attachment – is not a good fit to the developmental stage of adolescence and thus, the development of other assessments of parent–adolescent attachment is needed. We conclude by making suggestions for future assessments of parent–child attachment in adolescence.
Biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy: Current status of its use as a treatment endpoint and early management strategies

Prostate cancer is one of the most common urological malignancies managed by a practicing urologist. Treatment strategies are varied, but radical prostatectomy (RP) remains a viable and commonly used option for many patients. A continuing challenge in the management is how to approach a patient who has biochemical recurrence (BCR) after RP. There are no consensus guidelines on the appropriate strategy, and the current recommendations, although useful, are at times confusing. The natural history of BCR is heterogeneous. Published studies aid in the clinician's ability to predict patients most likely to recur; however, this remains inexact. In addition, recent changes in the recommendations for disease screening, as well as technological advances, have added to the already challenging task of the clinician. The objective of this review is to provide an up-to-date summary of the definitions, diagnosis, and management strategies of BCR after RP. This narrative review was conducted by searching Medline for all relevant articles in English with the key terms of biochemical recurrence, prostate cancer, management, and other relevant terms. Information was compiled and reviewed for relevance to the article. Consideration was given to all articles with sufficient evidence including systematic review, retrospective studies, and clinical trials.
Electrically Conductive CNT Composites at Loadings below Theoretical Percolation Values.

It is well established that dramatic increases in conductivity occur upon the addition of conductive filler materials to highly resistive polymeric matrices in experimental settings. However, the mechanisms responsible for the observed behavior at low filler loadings, below theoretical percolation limits, of even high aspect ratio fillers such as carbon nanotubes (CNT) are not completely understood. In this study, conductive composites were fabricated using CNT bundles dispersed in epoxy resins at diverse loadings, using different dispersion and curing protocols. Based on electron microscopy observation of the CNTs strands distribution in the polymeric matrices and the corresponding electrical conductivities of those specimens, we concluded that no single electron transfer model can accurately explain the conductive behavior for all the loading values. We propose the existence of two different conductive mechanisms; one that exists close to the percolation limit, from ‘low loadings’ to higher CNT contents (CNT % wt > 0.1) and a second for ‘extremely low loadings’, near the percolation threshold (CNT % wt < 0.1). The high conductivity observed for composites at low CNT loading values can be explained by the existence of a percolative CNT network that coexists with micron size regions of non-conductive material. In contrast, samples with extremely low CNT loading values, which present no connectivity or close proximity between CNT bundles, show an electrical conductivity characterized by a current/voltage dependence. Data suggests that at these loadings, conduction may occur via a material breakdown mechanism, similar to dielectric breakdown in a capacitor. The lessons learned from the data gathered in here could guide future experimental research aimed to control the conductivity of CNT composites.
Point Processes of Excursions

In this chapter we will develop the theory of Poisson point processes, and give Ito’s theory of the analysis of a Markov process in terms of its excursions away from a fixed point in the state space.
Poor survival after resection of early gastric cancer: extremes of survivorship analysis reveal distinct genomic profile

A subset of patients with early gastric cancer demonstrate early recurrence and poor survival despite margin-negative resection. This study used an extremes-of-survivorship approach to identify an association between TP53 hotspot mutations co-occurring with loss of heterozygosity and unexpectedly poor survival in early gastric cancer. This distinct genomic profile may be a novel biomarker of poor survival in patients with completely resected early gastric cancer, and warrants large-scale validation. Promising, validation needed.
The Myth of Tobacco Road

In this paper, I use descriptive observation to analyze the song “Tobacco Road.” During analysis, I describe certain principles of structural-systemic epistemology and define categories to elaborate on relationships between technology and primary and ideal forms of a skill. In this way, qualitatively differently forms of transmission for magical thinking and myths originate. Analysis reveals certain forms of magical thinking and myth inherent to “Tobacco Road.” I conclude by applying this myth to current social dilemmas.
Evaluating the Power Efficiency of Visual SLAM on Embedded GPU Systems

SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) on mobile robot requires high performance but low power consumption because it is constrained to the battery. This paper testes the performance and evaluates the power efficiency of enabling GPU acceleration for ORB-SLAM2 on three embedded GPU systems: Jetson Xavier, Jetson TX2 and Jetson Nano.
The Health and Socioeconomic Outcomes of Abortion Denial in Rhode Island: A Health Impact Assessment.

Objectives To determine the health and socioeconomic consequences of comprehensive abortion denial in Rhode Island. Methods Using Turnaway Study findings and RI abortion data from 2013-2016, we project the burden of negative outcomes for women and their families under 100% abortion denial conditions. Results Findings suggest negative impacts on the health and socioeconomic well-being of RI women and their families. 982 and 910 women, who would have otherwise received an abortion, will report anxiety and depression, respectively, at one-week post abortion denial, and 1,499 will report receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding at six months post denial. Conclusions If women who would seek a safe and legal abortion in RI are denied one, clear and undue burden will exist for those who carry to term and raise the child, as well as affecting existing children.
Colonial Consciousness and Civilizing Therapy

This chapter is a deliberate and persistent effort to tap into the colonial legacy of arms control and disarmament. In this chapter much attention is focused on how practices of colonial science are deployed to constitute martial races in the colonies. The tension between the contending forces of colonial science and national science is made visible to bring forth the dilemma of heroic scientists located in the colonies and hybrid scientists navigating the gatekeeping practices of the imperial West. An understanding of this predicament of heroic and hybrid scientists is imperative to gauge the significance of their role in modern state building empowered with sophisticated weaponry to safeguard sovereignty. This understanding is buttressed with acknowledging differences in nationalism in the colonies vis-a-vis the West. These carefully calibrated differences in nationalism exacerbate the racial tensions associated with waging civilizational wars that reach a climax with the use of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Where Will You Deliver this Fetus with an Abnormal Echocardiogram

You are a neonatologist in a small rural hospital with a newborn nursery and no pediatric cardiology services. The nearest hospital with a NICU and pediatric cardiology services is 50 miles away. The closest tertiary care hospital, with all pediatric surgeries and subspecialties, is 100 miles away. An obstetrician wants your advice about the delivery plan for a pregnant woman with the fetal echocardiogram shown (Video). The family is currently planning on a home delivery. You counsel the family about the next steps for delivery. What is the best advice to give this family? 1. Deliver at home as planned because the infant is at low risk for initial medical needs 2. Deliver in the local hospital, transition with the mother in the nursery, and obtain an electrocardiogram before discharge 3. Deliver in the nearest hospital with a NICU and pediatric cardiology services, monitor oxygen saturations, and obtain an echocardiogram before discharge 4. Deliver in the nearest tertiary center, admit to the NICU, place umbilical lines, and start prostaglandin infusion 5. Deliver in the nearest tertiary center and plan for emergency cardiac surgery after birth Video. Click here to view the video. Fetal echocardiogram of a fetuswith tetralogy of Fallot. This video demonstrates a large ventricular septal defect, an overriding aorta, and mild obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract. The 4th component of “tetralogy” is right ventricular hypertrophy, which is not well demonstrated in this clip. Which laboratory test, if performed, is most likely to have an abnormal …