cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of mouthguard materials: thermal properties of commercialized products.

Abstract Objectives Several mechanisms have been purported to describe how mouthguards protect the orofacial complex against injury. As the properties needed for these mechanisms to be effective are temperature and frequency dependent, the specific aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive thermal characterization of commercial mouthguard materials. Methods Five commercially representative thermoplastic mouthguard materials (Essix™ Resin, Erkoflex™, Proform™-regular, Proform™-laminate, and Polyshok™) were tested. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) techniques were implemented to measure thermal transitions and mechanical properties. Measurements were conducted three times per sample. One-way ANOVA and one-sample t-tests were used to test for differences between commercial products on selected mean thermal property values. Results The DSC measurements indicated no differences between commercial materials for mean glass transition (p = 0.053), onset melt (p = 0.973), or peak melt (p = 0.436) temperatures. Likewise, DMA measurements revealed no differences between commercial materials for the mean glass transition (p = 0.093), storage modulus (p = 0.257), or loss modulus (p = 0.172) properties, respectively. The one-sample t-tests revealed that glass transition temperatures were different from intra-oral temperature (p Significance Commercialized mouthguard materials are sensitive to repetitive heating and cooling cycles, prolonged thermal treatment, and have glass transitions well below their end-use intra-oral temperature. As such, these materials are functioning as elastomers and not optimal mechanical damping materials. Dental clinicians, healthcare practitioners, or end-users should be aware that these materials are at best problematic with respect to this protective mechanism.
DNA Macrorestriction Analysis of Nontypeable Group B Streptococcal Isolates: Clonal Evolution of Nontypeable and Type V Isolates

Group B streptococci (GBS) are serotyped according to capsular polysaccharide (CPS) type (Ia to VIII); an isolate is classified as nontypeable (NT) if no detectable CPS is found. Surface-localized protein antigens (α, β, R1, and R4) serve as additional markers to classify GBS isolates, which is particularly useful since NT isolates often express one or more of these proteins. To compare genetic resemblance among isolates with similar protein profiles, we studied 58 NT isolates digested with the SmaI macrorestriction enzyme prior to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Of these 58, 15.5% expressed α only, 20.7% expressed α+β, 15.5% expressed R4, and 25.8% expressed R1,R4, while 22.4% of the isolates expressed no detectable proteins. The largest PFGE profile group, with 48% of the isolates, was group 4, composed primarily of isolates that expressed R1,R4 or no proteins. The second most common profiles were 3 and 32, each with 13.8% of the isolates. Since NT isolates in profile group 4 were highly related to type V isolates, as demonstrated by PFGE profiles, we investigated 45 type V isolates. Two-thirds of the type V isolates within profile group 4 were classified into subgroup 4a, compared to 28.2% of 39 NT isolates. Only 11% of the V/R1,R4 isolates were identical to the prototype group 4 profile, in contrast to 75% of the NT/R1,R4 isolates. A shift of type V isolates into profile 4 subgroups may be indicative of a genetic change over time. PFGE is a valuable approach for comparison of GBS isolate relatedness and for monitoring of NT and typeable GBS isolates for potential clonal divergence.
Precollege and College Preparation for Becoming a Scientist

Preparing for a career in science has to begin at a very early age, especially for the disadvantaged, in order for the individual to be competitive. In fact, for those interested in science careers, decisions are often made as early as the fourth grade, resulting in a significant loss of numbers of students, particularly ethnic minorities, for future science careers at a very early age. As such, it is critical to not only expose young people very early to positive influences of science but also to engage them in a way that will help them to continue to stay on track and actually build up their experiences so as to make them most competitive in the field. Although the “things” that they need to do are easily identifiable, the key component is having mentors there to assist them, advise them and generally help to guide them in taking full advantage of the opportunities, and in doing so, strengthening their credentials so that they will be successful. Interestingly, many of the things that students need to do in K-12 are similar to those that they need to do as a college student, obviously just at a different level, which is why the earlier they start, the better prepared and more competitive they will be.
Associations between Post‐Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Stimulant Use, and Treatment Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis of NIDA's Women and Trauma Study

Background and Objectives To examine the associations between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, stimulant use, and treatment outcomes among dually diagnosed women. Methods Participants were 141 women who participated in a multisite clinical trial of group treatments for PTSD and addictions. Results Generalized linear models indicated Seeking Safety (SS; a cognitive-behavioral intervention) was significantly more effective than Women's Health Education (WHE; a control group intervention) in reducing stimulant use at follow-up among women who were heavy stimulant users at pre-treatment and who showed improvements in PTSD symptoms. There were no significant differences between the interventions among women who were light stimulant users at treatment entry. Conclusions and Scientific Significance These findings suggest that integrated treatment of co-occurring PTSD and addictions may be more effective than general health education approaches for heavy stimulant users. Assessment of frequency of stimulant use among individuals with PTSD symptoms may inform treatment selection for this population. (Am J Addict 2014;23:90–95)
Election Night’s Alright for Fighting: The Role of Emotions in Political Participation

A large literature has established a persistent association between the skills and resources citizens possess and their likelihood of participating in politics. However, the short-term motivational forces that cause citizens to employ those skills and expend resources in one election but not the next have only recently received attention. Findings in political psychology suggest specific emotions may play an important role in mobilization, but the question of “which emotions play what role?” remains an important area of debate. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory and the Affective Intelligence model, we predict that anger, more than anxiety or enthusiasm, will mobilize. We find evidence for the distinctive influence of anger in a randomized experiment, a national survey of the 2008 electorate, and in pooled American National Election Studies from 1980 to 2004.
Continuing evolution of therapy for coronary artery disease. Initial results from the era of coronary angioplasty.

Background Survival after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)andmedical therapy inpatients withcoronaryartery disease (CAD)hasbeenstudied inbothrandomized trials andobservational treatment comparisons. Overthe pastdecade, theuseofcoronary angioplasty (PTCA)has increased dramatically, without guidance fromeither randomizedtrials orprospective observational comparisons. The purpose ofthis study wastodescribe thesurvival experience of a large prospective cohort ofCAD patients treated with
An Induction-Motor Speed Estimator Based on Integral Sliding-Mode Current Control

This paper presents a speed-estimation method for the induction-motor (IM) drive that is based on a special current-control scheme called integral sliding-mode current control (ISM-CC). classic current control for the IM drive is done by regulating the d-q synchronous reference frame currents using PI controllers with or without a decoupling compensator. If a decoupling compensator is used, the speed and the motor parameters are needed to compute the decoupling voltages. Often, the speed (or the speed estimate) is not available, and the decoupling compensator is omitted; this leads to a degraded performance of the current controller. The ISM-CC scheme was developed for the decoupled control of the d-q currents and does not require the knowledge of the speed. In the ISM-CC, PI controllers act on simulated ideal plant models, and the resulting command voltages are complemented with voltages generated by SM controllers. It is shown that the SM controllers play the same role as the compensation voltages produced by a decoupling compensator. The speed estimator is constructed based on this observation-speed is estimated through algebraic calculations. This paper describes both the ISM-CC method and the speed estimator. Simulations and experimental results on a 1/4-hp three-phase IM confirm the validity of the method.
Generation and characterization of dihydroxycarbene, HOCOH, by neutralization/reionization mass spectrometry

Dihydroxycarbene is produced in the gas phase by neutralization of the HO-C-OH+. radical cation which is formed by dissociative electron ionization of oxalic acid. Reionization approximately 0.3 microseconds later shows that HO-C-OH can survive intact and, thus, exists as a stable species with appreciable barriers for dissociation or rearrangement to formic acid (HCOOH). Within the time scale of the experiment, a small fraction of the carbene decomposes to H2O+CO. Comparison of the experimental results with ab initio theory shows that the dissociating HO-C-OH molecules are generated in the electronically excited triplet state, while the large amount of surviving carbene molecules is formed in the singlet ground state.
High-Risk HIV Transmission Behavior in Prison and the Prison Subculture:

Nearly two million people are currently housed in state and federal prisons. The rate of AIDS infection is 5 times higher in prisons than in the general population. High-risk HIV transmission behaviors take place inside prisons, and there is little doubt that intraprison HIV transmission occurs. What is not well understood is what determines whether high-risk HIV transmission behaviors occur and how they can be prevented inside prison. In this article, an integrated theoretical framework, which merges the importation and deprivation models of inmate behavior, is proposed to explain intraprison high-risk HIV transmission behavior. Data from an inmate survey suggest that sex and tattooing are the two most prevalent intraprison high-risk HIV transmission behaviors and that the majority of high-risk behavior in prison can be attributed to the deprivation model. These data, coupled with insightful inmate comments, carry important policy implications and should inform future HIV education and prevention efforts.
Moving Away, Moving Onward: Displacement Pressures and Divergent Neighborhood Politics in Buenos Aires

This paper focuses on two Buenos Aires neighborhoods that face displacement pressures. Building on research about urban mobilization in a range of cities, this paper highlights how collaboration can vary in its configuration and orientation at the neighborhood level, despite similar circumstances. Data include ethnographic excerpts from the experiences of residents who fight to remain in their homes but ultimately leave, which trace out distinct neighborhood trajectories—moving onward and moving away. These accounts indicate divergence in how residents respond to displacement threats due to the differently situated, networked nature of the two sites as political spaces. Moreover, distinct logics of collaboration inflect ongoing displacement politics in the threatened neighborhoods as well as in the destinations of displaced residents.
Vulnerability and Violation in the New Ethnography

Vulnerability and Violation in the New Ethnography. Carolyn Ellis and Arthur Bochner. eds. Composing Ethnography: Alternative Forms of Qualitative Writing. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira, 1998.400 pp.
Thermomechanical fatigue of solder joints: a new comprehensive test method

A comprehensive method for testing solder joints under conditions of thermomechanical fatigue is presented. The method involves simultaneous imposition of temperature cycles and strain on discrete solder joints in a shear orientation. The stress, microstructure, and number of cycles to failure were monitored. Cycles to failure were determined by a continuous electrical detection method. 60Sn-40Pb and 40Sn-40In-20Pb solder joints were tested using the proposed method at 20% shear strain. The 60Sn-40Pb alloy has a shorter fatigue lifetime than 40Sn-40In-20Pb. This is attributed to heterogeneous coarsening strain in a small area of the 60Sn-40Pb microstructure. In contrast, the 40Sn-40In-20Pb microstructure becomes refined. The heterogeneous coarsening also results in cyclic softening in 60Sn-Pb, which was not observed in 40Sn-40In-20Pb. Failures initiated within the coarsened band in 60Sn-40Pb at Sn-Sn grain boundaries or phase boundaries. In contrast, failures initiated at the surface of 40Sn-40In-20Pb joints and propagated through both phases of the microstructure. >
Lutein and zeaxanthin intakes and risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts: an evaluation using the Food and Drug Administration's evidence-based review system for health claims

The labeling of health claims that meet the significant scientific agreement standard and of qualified health claims on conventional foods and dietary supplements requires premarket approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA conducts an evidence-based review to ascertain whether sufficient evidence exists to support a significant scientific agreement standard or a qualified health claim. The FDA recently reviewed intervention and observational studies that evaluated the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. On the basis of this evidence-based review, the FDA concluded that no credible evidence exists for a health claim about the intake of lutein or zeaxanthin (or both) and the risk of age-related macular degeneration or cataracts.
A Smoothed Approximate Linear Program

We present a novel linear program for the approximation of the dynamic programming cost-to-go function in high-dimensional stochastic control problems. LP approaches to approximate DP naturally restrict attention to approximations that are lower bounds to the optimal cost-to-go function. Our program - the 'smoothed approximate linear program' - relaxes this restriction in an appropriate fashion while remaining computationally tractable. Doing so appears to have several advantages: First, we demonstrate superior bounds on the quality of approximation to the optimal cost-to-go function afforded by our approach. Second, experiments with our approach on a challenging problem (the game of Tetris) show that the approach outperforms the existing LP approach (which has previously been shown to be competitive with several ADP algorithms) by an order of magnitude.
Is there a Multiple Pesticide Metabolizing Cytochrome P450 in Maize

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450) were long considered to be a potentially important enzyme system for the detoxification of herbicides in maize and other crop plants. Only recently has herbicide metabolism by P450 in maize microsomes been conclusively demonstrated. Fourteen herbicides in six chemical families have been shown to be metabolized by P450 in maize. Herbicides demonstrated as metabolized by P450 in maize include bentazon, chlortoluron, linuron, acetochlor, metolachlor, flumetsulam, CGA152005, chlorimuron-ethyl, chlorsulfuron, nicosulfuron, primisulfuron, triasulfuron, imazethapyr, and AC 263,222. Reactions with the herbicides catalyzed by P450 include a number of ring hydroxylations, alkyl hydroxylations and N and O demethylations. These are all typical P450 reactions. In addition to the herbicides discussed, organophosphate insecticides (diazinon and malathion) are desulfurated by P450 in corn microsomes. The desulfurated metabolites are actually the active insect toxicant. This is the same reaction that can occur in insects and mammals. P450 is now considered of equal importance to glutathione-S-transferases (GST) for the metabolism of herbicides in maize.
Operative vs Nonoperative Management of Pediatric Blunt Pancreatic Trauma: Evaluation of the National Trauma Data Bank.

Background Traumatic pancreatic injury is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the differences in outcomes among children with blunt pancreatic injuries managed operatively and nonoperatively. Study Design The National Trauma Data Bank was evaluated from 2002 to 2011. Patients less than18 years of age with blunt pancreatic injuries and Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) scores ≥ 3 were identified. Patients were divided into nonoperative (NO), operative (O), and delayed operative (DO; operation performed 48 hours or more after admission) groups. Outcomes evaluated were total length of stay (LOS), ICU use/LOS, complications, and death. Univariate comparisons were performed using Fisher's exact and Kruskal-Wallis rank tests. Multivariable analyses were performed using robust regression and logistic regression. Results There were 424 cases analyzed. Mean (± SD) age was 10.6 ± 5.3 years, and mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 23.4 ± 13.4. Operative groups differed by age (p = 0.002), AIS severity (p = 0.04), and concomitant head injury (p = 0.01), but were similar with regard to sex, race, and ISS. Length of stay was significantly higher in the DO group compared with the NO or O groups; the NO group had the lowest LOS (covariate-adjusted: 18.7 days vs 11.8 days, p Conclusions Overall, children managed nonoperatively have equivalent or better outcomes when compared with operative and delayed operative management in regard to death, overall complications, LOS, ICU LOS, and ICU use.
Evaluating the Usability of a Web-Based Stress Management Course

College students must continually deal with the pressures of deadlines, exams, and major life changes. Such stress can affect physical and emotional health, productivity, and lead to self-destructive coping mechanisms. Teaching students effective stress management skills is critical to their success and well-being. To help meet that educational need a Web-based stress management course entitled Stress and Self Care was developed. The objective of the first phase of the project was to examine the usability and acceptability of an eight-lesson prototype. College students from four universities participated in a pilot to provide formative evaluation. In addition, one student group was tested on recall of factual information contained in the first lesson. They showed significant recall of material at posttest compared to pretest. Overall the prototype was determined to be an effective strategy in terms of usability and acceptability.
Research on Some Critical Issues of the Nonlinear Support Vector Machine

Firstly,some critical issues about the nonlinear binary-class support vector machine(SVM)are studied.Secondly,the function of the nonlinear mapping used in nonlinear classification,the connotation of the dimension disaster,and the essence of the kernel function are elaborated.Thirdly,a new method to obtain connotative nonlinear mapping of the kernel function is put forward and the expression for the binary-class SVM is presented.And finally,data-classification experiments with the binary-class SVMs are performed.
Analysis of fly density monitoring results in Hongkou district from 2006 to 2010

Objective To analyze the species composition,seasonal variation and the diversity of fly at different habitants in Hongkou district,Shanghai from 2006 to 2010 to provide evidence for the prevention and control.Methods Cage traps with sugar and vinegar baits were used to capture flies.Quarterly analysis of biodiversity was performed from March to November each year.Results The flies in this district belonged to 10 species,7 genera and 3 families.The highest density was noted in Musca domestica(0.62 flies per day for every cage).The density of M.domestica was increased,whereas the density of Lucilia sericata declined each year.The fly densities were 2.52,1.91,1.46,1.12,and 0.70 flies per day for every cage from 2006 to 2010,respectively.The highest density was noted in late April,early May,late June and mid-July from 2006 to 2010.In July,eight species were collected at most.The species diversity index and evenness index were highest in May.Different habitats by fly density in descending in the last five years were: farm trade market residential area public green belt external environment of restaurants.The most abundant species were observed in residential areas(ten species),which had the highest species diversity index and evenness index.Conclusion The fly diversity declined year by year from 2006 to 2010,which had a peak from late April to mid-July each year.The dominant species were M.domestica and L.sericata.The population characteristics could be generally described by the species diversity index and evenness index.
Binary trees, left and right paths, WKB expansions, and painlevé transcendents

During the 10th Seminar on Analysis of Algorithms, MSRI, Berkeley, June 2004, Knuth posed the problem of analyzing the left and the right path length in a random binary trees. In particular, Knuth asked about properties of the generating function of the joint distribution of the left and the right path lengths. In this paper, we mostly focus on the asymptotic properties of the distribution of the difference between the left and the right path lengths. Among other things, we show that the Laplace transform of the appropriately normalized moment generating function of the path difference satisfies the first Painleve transcendent. This is a nonlinear differential equation that has appeared in many modern applications, from nonlinear waves to random matrices. Surprisingly, we find out that the difference between path lengths is of the order n5/4 where n is the number of nodes in the binary tree. This was also recently observed by Marckert and Janson. We present precise asymptotics of the distribution's tails and moments. We shall also discuss the joint distribution of the left and right path lengths. Throughout, we use methods of analytic algorithmics such as generating functions and complex asymptotics, as well as methods of applied mathematics such as the WKB method.
Experimental study on bubble dynamics and wall heat transfer arising from a single nucleation site at subcooled flow boiling conditions – Part 1: Experimental methods and data quality verification

Abstract A novel experimental method and data acquisition/analysis strategy that ensures reliable measurements of various subcooled flow boiling parameters is discussed. In this study, all experiments were performed by keeping a single active nucleation site within the entire heated area in a square upward flow channel. This approach greatly facilitated the observation of bubble and wall heat transfer features in subcooled boiling flow. Vapor bubbles originating from the nucleation site were observed with both micro- and macroscopic views from high-speed cameras while corresponding wall temperature was measured by an infrared camera. This allowed simultaneously capturing various bubbles characteristics with multiple scales (both space and time) as well as their impact on wall heat transfer. In addition, efforts were made to characterize the observed boiling behavior with high statistical accuracy by analyzing numerous images taken at each test condition. This study proves that by taking the current strategy excellent repeatability and thus reliability can be achieved for a wide range of flow boiling parameters such as bubble size, bubble velocity, statistical distribution of bubble size and time-averaged wall heat transfer coefficients. Also, the major sources of uncertainty for each measurement are thoroughly investigated, from which the final uncertainties are determined. Overall, the present study suggests what we must concern to achieve truly reliable and useful data from any boiling experiments.
A Built-In Temperature Sensor in an Integrated Microheater

Chip-based microheaters have been widely used in many applications, including gas sensors, flow meters, mass sensors, and polymerase chain reaction chambers, where accurate monitoring of temperature is critical. The temperature measurement is conventionally done with the aid of a separate sensor, which may add to the cost and inaccuracy. In this paper, a built-in temperature sensing method is provided for the microheaters. The resistor-based microheater relies on Joule heating mechanism and its resistance is dependent upon its own body temperature, implying that the microheater has an inherent temperature sensing mechanism. It is found that an intermittent temperature sampling in the middle of the heating cycle does not disturb the body temperature if the temperature sampling voltage and pulsewidth are sufficiently low and short, respectively. The built-in temperature sensing is attributed to the electrical time constant being few orders of magnitude smaller than the thermal time constant. The temperature estimation results using the built-in method show excellent agreement with the benchmark measurements from an infrared pyrometer.
Alkalinity Showed Limited Effect on Turfgrass Germination under Low to Moderate Salinity

Salineand alkaline conditionsoften coexist in nature.Unlike salinity that causes osmotic and ionic stresses, alkalinity reflects the impact of high pH on plant growth and development. In this research, seven turfgrass species, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.), bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon var. dactylon (L.) Pers.), and alkaligrass (Puccinellia distans (Jacq.) Parl.), were germinated under 10 saline-alkaline conditions (two salinity concentrations (25 and 50 mM) 3 five alkalinity levels (pH = 7.2, 8.4, 9.1, 10.0, 10.8)) in a controlled environment. Seed germination was evaluated based on final germination percentage and daily germination rate. Alkaligrass and kentucky bluegrass showed the highest and lowest germination under saline conditions, respectively. Limited variations in germination were observed in otherspecies, except bermudagrass, whichshowed alow germination rate at 50 mM salinity. Alkalinity did not cause a significant effect on seed germination of tested turfgrass species.
Optical technology development for mouse brain imaging

Optical imaging of the structure and function deep within a mouse brain is a major scientific challenge in neuroscience. We review recent advances in multiphoton microscopy for mouse brain imaging, and discuss some future directions.
A Response Model with a Fixed Probability Boundary

The optimal policy for either problem TDC or DC prescribes a decision rule that is deterministic in the probability boundaries ϒ* or ϒ*, respectively. Given the problem parameters α, fj(x), w, and F, the value of ϒ* (or ϒ*) may be obtained numerically together with the minimum expected loss R(P) (or R(P)). The optimal policy may then be tested with data collected in detection of change experiments, as done in Chapter 8. If the major purpose of such an investigation is to assess the DM’s efficiency in detecting a change, then the actual loss he incurs may be compared to the appropriate minimum loss expected in employing the optimal policy. As shown in Chapter 6, however, such an investigation may not be very informative because of the flatness of the expected loss functions at the minima. A psychologically more valuable prediction concerns the actual decision rule employed by the DM, According to the optimal policy, the decision rule should be stated only in terms of Pn-1 = P, the probability of change prior to stage n, as compared to the appropriate probability boundary. P may be estimated directly, by employing one of the many procedures for assessing subjective probabilities (see Slovic and Lichtenstein, 1971, for a review of these procedures), or indirectly, by assuming a model for revision of probabilities, Bayesian or not, which predicts the stage-to-stage changes in P Note also that adherence to the optimal policy implies ratio scale utilities of the delay and error costs, both of which should be specified in the task instructions.
Policy Forum: Prospects for Future Policy

The policy forum characteristic of all Levy Institute sponsored conferences was scheduled as a debate for or against the major public policy issues raised in the individual chapters of this volume. The panelists were Robert B. Avery, Professor of Economics at Cornell University; Sheldon Danziger, Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan; William T. Dickens, Professor of Economics at the University of California-Berkeley; Robert Haveman, Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Timothy M. Smeeding, Professor of Economics at Syracuse University; Edward N. Wolff, Professor of Economics at New York University; and Dimitri B. Papadimitriou (moderator), Professor of Economics at Bard College and executive director of the Jerome Levy Economics Institute.
Overcoming Legal Impediments to Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment.

Under current and developing law, physicians should not fear legal repercussions for writing and honoring Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST).
Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis: A Gray Distinction

Abstract Background Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an immune-mediated, inflammatory acquired demyelinating syndrome predominantly affecting the white matter of the central nervous system. Methods We describe a three-year-old boy whose clinical presentation was suspicious for ADEM but whose initial imaging abnormalities were confined to the deep gray matter (without evidence of white matter involvement). His clinical course was fluctuating and repeat imaging one week after presentation demonstrated interval development of characteristic white matter lesions. Results Treatment with adjunctive intravenous immunoglobulin and high-dose corticosteroids resulted in significant clinical improvement. Conclusions Isolated deep gray matter involvement can precede the appearance of white matter abnormalities of ADEM, suggesting that repeat imaging is indicated in individuals whose findings are clinically suspicious for ADEM but who lack characteristic imaging findings.
RÔLE DU CONE BEAM DANS LE DIAGNOSTIC DES PATHOLOGIES DES ARTICULATIONS TEMPORO-MANDIBULAIRES. PRÉSENTATION DE TROIS CAS CLINIQUES

Cone Beam Computed Tomography or CBCT has multiple advantages in comparison with conventional means of radiography and CT scan, such as precision, low radiation and rapidity of aquisition. For temporo-mandibular joints (TMJ) exploration, it is nowadays the best technique used to detect various anomalies of the bony structures, whether of traumatic, degenerative, congenital, arthritic or tumoral origin, with great precision and without superimposition of neighboring anatomical structures. Three clinical cases are reported to illustrate the advantages and superiority of the Cone Beam in the diagnosis of TMJ disorders. Resume La technique d’imagerie Cone Beam ou CBCT presente de multiples avantages par rapport aux moyens conventionnels de radiographie et a la tomodensitometrie, tels que la precision, la faible dosimetrie et la rapidite d’acquisition. Pour l’exploration des articulations temporo-mandibulaires (ATM), elle est de nos jours la technique de choix servant a detecter les diverses anomalies des structures osseuses, qu’elles soient d’origine traumatiques, degeneratives, congenitales, arthritiques ou tumorales, avec une grande precision et sans superposition de structures avoisinantes. Trois cas cliniques sont rapportes pour illustrer les avantages et la superiorite du Cone Beam dans le diagnostic des troubles des ATM.
The Use of Soft Tissue Expanders Prior to Total Ankle Arthroplasty.

Soft tissue coverage and tension-free closure can often be challenging in patients with ankle arthropathy being considered for total ankle arthroplasty. We present 2 patients with severe posttraumatic ankle arthropathy who underwent placement of a soft tissue expander to assist with soft tissue coverage prior to total ankle arthroplasty. Levels of evidence Level IV.
SmartPA: An Electronic Solution for Secure Prior Authorization Processing

Electronic Prior Authorization (Electronic PA) is a fast and efficient way of ensuring that prior authorization, needed for medical drug and treatment dispensing, is accurately and promptly completed, supporting quick delivery of medications to patients. Electronic PA (ePA) solutions are the next big revolution in healthcare industry after the introduction of electronic health records. ePA is a time saver for prescribers as well as a cost-saving solution to insurance companies and Medicare services. ePA is new to the industry and due to a knowledge gap among medical professionals and their IT solution providers, ePA applications lack sophisticated components to ease the workflow. Instead of being time-saving, broken ePA processes become time consuming. A research study identified common gaps around the PA process by interviewing and gathering feedback from key stakeholders in the process. The results of the study have demonstrated how a new electronic solution that was developed working with the stakeholders has helped close some of the identified gaps. The resulting solution, SmartPA, provides a secure, reliable interface in support of medical standards, as well as enhancing the PA workflow process.
Breastfeeding is Natural but Not the Cultural Norm: A Mixed-Methods Study of First-Time Breastfeeding, African American Mothers Participating in WIC.

Abstract Objective Identify facilitators, barriers, and needs to increase breastfeeding (BF) support. Design Semistructured interviews based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale, and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form to measure attitudes and self-efficacy, respectively. Setting One WIC clinic in central Illinois. Participants First-time BF African American mothers enrolled in WIC (n = 15). Phenomenon of Interest BF facilitators and barriers in the African American community. Analysis Descriptive coding and inductive thematic analysis. Results Six themes emerged: normative infant feeding behavior within the sociocultural context; cultural beliefs about maternal nutrition and BF; time and costs associated with BF; managing and integrating BF while maintaining a social life; necessity of social support from significant others and female role models; and suboptimal support from institutions (hospitals, schools, workplace, and community). A novel finding was that participants believed that BF was expensive, because they believed that mothers must eat healthy to breastfeed. In addition, BF was considered natural but not the cultural norm. Mean Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale score (n = 15) was 70 (SD = 7), indicating a positive attitude toward BF. Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form mean score of 62 indicated a relatively high level of self-efficacy. Conclusions and Implications Interventions should focus on providing social support (emotional, tangible, informational, and encouragement) to African American mothers and their social networks to promote a BF-friendly environment.
Deep learning based Nucleus Classification in pancreas histological images

Tumor specimens contain a variety of healthy cells as well as cancerous cells, and this heterogeneity underlies resistance to various cancer therapies. But this problem has not been thoroughly investigated until recently. Meanwhile, technological breakthroughs in imaging have led to an explosion of molecular and cellular profiling data from large numbers of samples, and modern machine learning approaches including deep learning have been shown to produce encouraging results by finding hidden structures and make accurate predictions. In this paper, we propose a Deep learning based Nucleus Classification (DeepNC) approach using paired histopathology and immunofluorescence images (for label), and demonstrate its classification prediction power. This method can solve current issue on discrepancy between genomic- or transcriptomic-based and pathology-based tumor purity estimates by improving histological evaluation. We also explain challenges in training a deep learning model for huge dataset.
The Role of Prostaglandins in Dysmenorrhea and Menorrhagia

First identified in prostatic secretions, the 20-carbon eicosanoids that make up the prostaglandins, prostacyclins, and thromboxanes, perform critical cellular and regulatory functions throughout the body. These molecules are produced from arachidonic acid by the enzymatic action of cyclooxygenase and other enzymes. Part of the broader class of paracoids and autacoids, biological agents that function as local hormones, have a short half-life, and act very near the point of synthesis; these molecules play important roles in both physiology and pathology. Prostaglandins mediate inflammatory and anaphylactic reactions, the prostacyclins are active in clotting and the resolution phase of inflammation, and the thromboxanes are mediators of vasoconstriction. In the uterus, prostaglandins are critical to vascular tone, normal blood clotting, and orchestrating labor and parturition.
Properties of a Dicarboxylic Amino Acid Transport-deficient Mutant of Streptococcus faecalis

A mutant of Streptococcus faecalis has been isolated which has a 20-fold higher growth requirement for l -glutamic acid than the parent strain. The ability to utilize l -glutamine for growth is not affected. The mutant also has a greater dependence than the parent strain on an external supply of vitamin B6. The rate of glutamic acid transport at low extracellular concentrations (0.05 m m ) was greatly reduced in the mutant but was only moderately affected at higher concentrations (5 m m ). In contrast to the parent, in which kinetic studies revealed the operation of a high affinity and a low affinity system for glutamic acid transport, the mutant possessed a single catalytic component with kinetic constants equal to those of the low affinity system. These findings and the greatly elevated growth requirement for glutamic acid indicate that the high affinity system is inactive in the mutant. The transport of aspartic acid and d -glutamic acid by the mutant were similarly adversely affected, whereas essentially identical kinetic constants for glutamine, α-aminoisobutyric acid, and cycloleucine transport were obtained for the mutant and parent strains. The absence of a functional high affinity dicarboxylic amino acid transport system in the mutant allowed a study of the specific properties of the low affinity system. In contrast to the parent strain, the initial rate of uptake of isotopically labeled glutamate in the mutant was not stimulated by glucose at any concentration. However, the accumulation of large amounts of this amino acid on extended incubation was dependent on an energy source. Glutamine competitively inhibited glutamic acid uptake in the mutant. There was no evidence that the mutant produced an inhibitor of the high affinity transport component.
On-Line Fuzzy Recognition of Abrasive Waterjet Nozzle Wear

The wear of an abrasive waterjet nozzle tends to produce unacceptable manufacturing quality. Several approaches for monitoring wear have been proposed in previous works. In this paper, an on-line scheme for the wear monitoring is proposed. This novel scheme is based upon a relationship between the inside diameter of the nozzle and the normal workpiece force. A fuzzy algorithm has been developed for the recognition of the wear state. Using the on-line measure of the normal force and the assumption on the normal distribution of measure error, the determination of the nozzle replacement is made on-line.
Beyond Linear Congruential Generators

Developing random number generators which involve some nonlinear operation in their generation schemes has been a central research issue in this area, since the nonlinearity has long been believed to be useful to make the resulting sequences look more random. In this chapter, we discuss three types of nonlinear generator. The first and second ones are defined by slightly modifying linear congruential generators, using polynomial arithmetic and multiplicative inversion, respectively. The third type consists of random number generators for cryptographic applications, which require the sequences produced to have a certain property of ‘ unpredictability.’ This property turns out to be strongly connected with the ‘nonlinearity’ involved in the generation scheme. In fact, linear congruential sequences are known to be unsuitable for such applications because of their polynomial-time ‘predictability.’
Dendrite morphogenesis from birth to adulthood

Dendrites are the conduits for receiving (and in some cases transmitting) neural signals; their ability to do these jobs is a direct result of their morphology. Developmental patterning mechanisms are critical to ensuring concordance between dendritic form and function. This article reviews recent studies in vertebrate retina and brain that elucidate key strategies for dendrite functional maturation. Specific cellular and molecular signals control the initiation and elaboration of dendritic arbors, and facilitate integration of young neurons into particular circuits. In some cells, dendrite growth and remodeling continues into adulthood. Once formed, dendrites subdivide into compartments with distinct physiological properties that enable dendritic computations. Understanding these key stages of dendrite patterning will help reveal how circuit functional properties arise during development.
Impact of High-Polyphenol Sorghum Varieties on Expression of Selenoproteins in Human Colon Cancer Cells (P06-047-19)

Plant secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols, are found in many fruits, grains, and vegetables, and are thus a part of normal human diet. One such food is sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), a cereal grain that contains varying concentrations of polyphenols. Many polyphenols have been implicated in the regulation of colon cancer through modulating the antioxidant defense, which includes some of the major selenoproteins, e.g., thioredoxin reductases (TXNRD) and glutathione peroxidases (GPX). However, because such redox-active enzymes have been shown to be involved in both cancer prevention and promotion, the goal of our study is to assess the impact of high-polyphenol sorghum extracts on the expression of selenoproteins. Human colon cancer cells (HT29, HCT116) were incubated with 1.25 mg high-polyphenol sorghum bran extract per mL medium for 48 h. RNA was extracted with Trizol/Chloroform, and reverse-transcribed to cDNA. mRNA expression of selenoproteins was quantitated using qPCR, normalized to GAPDH, and analyzed using GraphPad Prism. Protein lysates will be used for Western blotting and catalytic activity assays. Compared to solvent control, incubation of human colon cancer cells with high-polyphenol sorghum extracts for 48 h moderately impacted mRNA expression of investigated selenoproteins. One of the extracts resulted in a nearly doubled GPX1 mRNA expression in HCT116 cells (p = 0.08), whereas preliminary results suggest that TXNRD1 expression may be lowered. High-polyphenol varieties of sorghum may affect selenoprotein expression. Further investigations involving both shorter and longer-term incubation times, as well as effects on protein expression and activity will help elucidate the effects of these new sorghum varieties on selenoprotein expression important in prevention and promotion of colon cancer. Financial support was provided by Towson University's Fisher College of Science and Mathematics (P. Tsuji) and the USDA (D. Smolensky).
Adipocyte deficiency of ACE2 increases systolic blood pressures of obese female C57BL/6 mice

Obesity increases the risk for hypertension in both sexes, but the prevalence of hypertension is lower in females than in males until menopause, despite a higher prevalence of obesity in females. We previously demonstrated that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which cleaves the vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II (AngII), to generate the vasodilator, angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), contributes to sex differences in obesity-hypertension. ACE2 expression in adipose tissue was influenced by obesity in a sex-specific manner, with elevated ACE2 expression in obese female mice. Moreover, estrogen stimulated adipose ACE2 expression and reduced obesity-hypertension in females. In this study, we hypothesized that deficiency of adipocyte ACE2 contributes to obesity-hypertension of females. We generated a mouse model of adipocyte ACE2 deficiency. Male and female mice with adipocyte ACE2 deficiency or littermate controls were fed a low (LF) or a high fat (HF) diet for 16 weeks and blood pressure was quantified by radiotelemetry. HF-fed mice of each sex and genotype were challenged by an acute AngII injection, and blood pressure response was quantified. To translate these findings to humans, we performed a proof-of-principle study in obese transwomen in which systemic angiotensin peptides and blood pressure were quantified prior to and after 12 weeks of gender-affirming 17β-estradiol hormone therapy. Adipocyte ACE2 deficiency had no effect on the development of obesity in either sex. HF feeding increased systolic blood pressures (SBP) of wild-type male and female mice compared to LF-fed controls. Adipocyte ACE2 deficiency augmented obesity-induced elevations in SBP in females, but not in males. Obese female, but not obese male mice with adipocyte ACE2 deficiency, had an augmented SBP response to acute AngII challenge. In humans, plasma 17β-estradiol concentrations increased in obese transwomen administered 17β-estradiol and correlated positively with plasma Ang-(1-7)/AngII balance, and negatively to SBP after 12 weeks of 17β-estradiol administration. Adipocyte ACE2 protects female mice from obesity-hypertension, and reduces the blood pressure response to systemic AngII. In obese transwomen undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy, 17β-estradiol administration may regulate blood pressure via the Ang-(1-7)/AngII balance.
Improving Urban and Peri-urban Health Outcomes Through Early Detection and Aid Planning

Chronic food insecurity significantly constrains short- and long-term health, as well as the development of individuals and households, ultimately impacting economic progress in some of the poorest and fastest growing communities on the planet. One of the strategies used to combat household- and individual-level food insecurity is food aid. Ensuring that food aid reaches the neediest people, however, is an ongoing challenge. In this chapter, we explore the use of geospatial technologies as part of a framework for improving food aid targeting in Bamako, Mali. We develop and apply quantitative models that rely on remotely sensed data and health survey data to highlight the importance of different aspects of demand for food aid in urban spaces. The results highlight the usefulness of this approach for food aid planning in urban areas where food need is unevenly distributed over a densely populated area.
Dissemination of cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorders in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System: Description and evaluation of Veteran outcomes.

AbstractBackground: As part of the nation’s largest dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) and the promotion of EBPs for substance use disorders (SUDs), the Veter...