cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimism and Education: The New Ideology of Development in Indonesia

AbstractBased on ethnographic field research conducted in Jakarta, this article argues that there is a new ideology of development in Indonesia that is cosmopolitan, nostalgic and individualist. To understand the new ideology, a historical sociological perspective is taken to examine the nationalist period of anti-colonial struggle, the state developmentalist period of Soeharto’s New Order, and the neoliberal period since 1998. Two interrelated arguments are made. First, the ideology of development in Indonesia has changed from earlier nationalist understandings of Pancasila to a cosmopolitan neoliberal ideology based in a nostalgic nationalism. Second, a modernist Islamic perspective on secularism and Islam both supports and is supported by this ideological shift. These arguments are illuminated through two examples of the advance of cosmopolitan neoliberal ideology: optimism and education. Optimism is focused on individual integrity to redress Indonesia’s problems with corruption. Education is offered b...
New Options for Iron Supplementation in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients

End-stage renal disease results in anemia caused by shortened erythrocyte survival, erythropoietin deficiency, hepcidin-mediated impairment of intestinal absorption and iron release, recurrent blood loss, and impaired responsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). Iron malabsorption renders oral iron products generally ineffective, and intravenous (IV) iron supplementation is required in most patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD). IV iron is administered at doses far exceeding normal intestinal iron absorption. Moreover, by bypassing physiologic safeguards, indiscriminate use of IV iron overwhelms transferrin, imposing stress on the reticuloendothelial system that can have long-term adverse consequences. Unlike conventional oral iron preparations, ferric citrate has recently been shown to be effective in increasing serum ferritin, hemoglobin, and transferrin saturation values while significantly reducing IV iron and ESA requirements in patients treated with HD. Ferric pyrophosphate citrate is a novel iron salt delivered by dialysate; by directly reaching transferrin, its obviates the need for storing administered iron and increases transferrin saturation without increasing serum ferritin levels. Ferric pyrophosphate citrate trials have demonstrated effective iron delivery and stable hemoglobin levels with significant reductions in ESA and IV iron requirements. To date, the long-term safety of using these routes of iron administration in patients receiving HD has not been compared to IV iron and therefore awaits future investigations.
Slack-Elasto-Plastic Dynamics of Cable Systems

A numerical procedure for determining the nonlinear dynamic response of cable systems is presented in which cable segments may be included as elastic, plastic, or buckled (slack) elements. Individual cable elements in the network are assumed either elastic, plastic, or slack, depending on the time history of load and system response. Finite element analogs are used as the basis for numerical modeling for spatial behavior. The equations of motion were derived from the nonlinear Hamilton's principle and linearized incrementally to approximate the true behavior within each load or time increment. A curved element is adopted which maintains slope continuity between cable segments, and isoparametric displacement functions are adopted. The Newmark B method is used as the basis for the numerical integration for the temporal behavior.
Internet Censorship in China: Examining User Awareness and Attitudes

Internet censorship has been a popular topic both in academia and in the popular press. A fundamental question that has not been fully addressed is how censorship is perceived by people who experience it. A person may exhibit pro- or anti-censorship attitudes, but it is possible that (s)he may not even be aware of its existence. In this study, we report results of a large-scale survey on Chinese Internet users' experiences with Internet censorship. The results show that users' demographic backgrounds, Internet usage experience, and personality influence their attitudes toward censorship. Those who score high on authoritarian personality measures tend to support censorship. Attitudes toward censorship change so that over time it is viewed as more normal, which suggests a “normalization” process. We discuss how these findings can generalize beyond the Chinese context to other societies in which Internet censorship can exist.
National Brands, Private Labels, and Food Price Inflation

This article investigates the extent to which national brand and private label (store brand) prices behave differently as food price inflation changes. Empirical tests using a range of indices support the hypotheses that rising commodity and fuel prices lead to relatively larger surges in private label prices. When food prices are rising or high, the average price difference between national brands and private labels shrinks. The findings have implications for understanding the welfare effects of private labels. Moreover, they suggest that food price inflation is stronger for low-income households as food prices rise.
Beyond Misclassification: Tackling the Independent Contractor Problem Without Redefining Employment

This short essay on the labor law status of independent contractors was written for the NLRB/George Washington University Law School symposium "The National Labor Relations Act at 75: Its Legacy and Its Future." It argues that attempts to fine tune the employee/independent contractor distinction likely have reached a dead end. An important reason why is that employers have the power not merely to misclassify "true" employees but also to restructure work into nonemployment forms. Legal interventions must address this structuring process, not merely its results. For instance, one might treat the deliberate avoidance of labor law coverage through independent contracting as an unfair labor practice analogous to the "runaway shop."
Structure and Stereochemical Determination of Hypogeamicins from a Cave-Derived Actinomycete.

Culture extracts from the cave-derived actinomycete Nonomuraea specus were investigated, resulting in the discovery of a new S-bridged pyronaphthoquinone dimer and its monomeric progenitors designated hypogeamicins A–D (1–4). The structures were elucidated using NMR spectroscopy, and the relative stereochemistries of the pyrans were inferred using NOE and comparison to previously reported compounds. Absolute stereochemistry was determined using quantum chemical calculations of specific rotation and vibrational and electronic circular dichroism spectra, after an extensive conformational search and including solute–solvent polarization effects, and comparing with the corresponding experimental data for the monomeric congeners. Interestingly, the dimeric hypogeamicin A (1) was found to be cytotoxic to the colon cancer derived cell line TCT-1 at low micromolar ranges, but not bacteria, whereas the monomeric precursors possessed antibiotic activity but no significant TCT-1 cytotoxicity.
Irrationality and Popular Archaeology

An important aspect of archaeology is communicating the significance of data and research results to a fascinated, although often uninformed public. However, on the basis of book sales, newspaper coverage, television programming, and film presentations, it would seem that the public is inordinately fascinated by the more extreme, speculative, and often pseudoscientific claims made by those purporting to use archaeological data. Through questionnaires distributed to undergraduate students and to professional, teaching archaeologists, I made an attempt to comprehend the nature of the public's appetite for pseudoscientific archaeological claims. The role of education in refuting or perpetuating pseudoscience in archaeology was then assessed.
Peritoneal Drainage Versus Pleural Drainage After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Background:We aimed to determine whether infants undergoing cardiac surgery would more efficiently attain negative fluid balance postoperatively with passive peritoneal drainage as compared to traditional pleural drainage.Methods:A prospective, randomized study including children undergoing repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) or atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) was completed between September 2011 and June 2013. Patients were randomized to intraoperative placement of peritoneal catheter or right pleural tube in addition to the requisite mediastinal tube. The primary outcome measure was fluid balance at 48 hours postoperatively. Variables were compared using t tests or Fisher exact tests as appropriate.Results:A total of 24 patients were enrolled (14 TOF and 10 AVSD), with 12 patients in each study group. Mean fluid balance at 48 hours was not significantly different between study groups, −41 ± 53 mL/kg in patients with periteonal drainage and −9 ± 40 mL/kg in patients with pleural drainage (P = .10)....
Preparation and Properties of TiB2-SiC-Si Composites Fabricated by Reaction Bonding

TiB2-SiC-Si composite was fabricated by reaction bonding. The influence of carbon content on the phase compositions, microstructure, density and mechanical properties was studied. The results showed that the composite consists of TiB2, SiC and Si phases. The vol% of SiC increased with the increase of C contents, while that of TiB2 and free silicon reduced respectively. The mechanical properties of TiB2-SiC-Si composites are improved initially and then deteriorated with the increase in C contents of which the optimal amount is 8 %. The optimum open porosity, volume density, Vikers-hardness, flexural strength and fracture toughness of the obtained TiB2-SiC-Si composite are 0.12 %, 3.73 g/cm3, 17 GPa, 290 MPa and 5.9 MPa·m1/2, respectively.
Understanding the Performance and Bottlenecks of Cloud-Routed Overlay Networks: A Case Study

Studies have shown that overlay networks can significantly improve network performance; and with their large global footprint and flexible virtual machines offering, cloud service providers offer the new unique capability for users to easily and quickly create their own overlay networks. However, can an overlay network, built on a cloud service provider infrastructure, actually improve network performance, and if so by how much? These questions are critical given that existing studies have relied on high-speed experimental academic networks, but similar available opportunities for performance improvement have not been established in the public Internet. As such, to answer these questions, we deploy an overlay on top of the IBM Softlayer infrastructure, and conduct a number of measurements using multiple clients situated across the world. In contrast to previous studies, we observe that simple forwarding frequently does not improve performance by much, and provides at best 13% improvement on average. However, we show that a TCP overlay, can provide up to 184% improvement in bandwidth for downloads, and 228% improvement for uploads. Also, we find that in our cloud overlay network, the limiting bottleneck in network performance is actually not the overlay itself, but the Internet path to get to the overlay. These results have direct implications on the overlay design. More specifically, multi-hop indirection does not provide further improvement to single-hop indirection.
Student-Run Clinics: A Novel Approach to Integrated Care, Teaching and Recruitment.

The purpose of this study is to assess the educational impact of incorporating a psychiatry consult service into a medical student-run clinic. In November 2014, a psychiatry consult service was introduced at the Columbia-Harlem Homeless Medical Partnership (CHHMP), a student-run clinic located in Harlem, New York. From September 2015 to January 2016, surveys (Qualtrics) were then distributed to student members of the clinic. Surveys assessed how the psychiatric consult service impacted students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes about psychiatry. According to survey results (83.8% response rate, n = 31), 100% of students at CHHMP agreed that the psychiatry consult service is a useful addition to the clinic, and 94% agreed that the service helped increase their perceived knowledge of psychiatry. Survey results suggest that having a psychiatry consult service at a student-run clinic is a beneficial educational model in increasing medical students’ perceived knowledge and comfort with psychiatry.
Extracellular matrix and the myeloid-in-myeloma compartment: balancing tolerogenic and immunogenic inflammation in the myeloma niche

The last 10-15 years have witnessed a revolution in treating multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of Ab-producing plasma cells. Advances in myeloma therapy were ushered in by novel agents that remodel the myeloma immune microenvironment. The first generation of novel agents included immunomodulatory drugs (thalidomide analogs) and proteasome inhibitors that target crucial pathways that regulate immunity and inflammation, such as NF-κB. This paradigm continued with the recent regulatory approval of mAbs (elotuzumab, daratumumab) that impact both tumor cells and associated immune cells. Moreover, recent clinical data support checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy in myeloma. With the success of these agents has come the growing realization that the myeloid infiltrate in myeloma lesions-what we collectively call the myeloid-in-myeloma compartment-variably sustains or deters tumor cells by shaping the inflammatory milieu of the myeloma niche and by promoting or antagonizing immune-modulating therapies. The myeloid-in-myeloma compartment includes myeloma-associated macrophages and granulocytes, dendritic cells, and myeloid-derived-suppressor cells. These cell types reflect variable states of differentiation and activation of tumor-infiltrating cells derived from resident myeloid progenitors in the bone marrow-the canonical myeloma niche-or myeloid cells that seed both canonical and extramedullary, noncanonical niches. Myeloma-infiltrating myeloid cells engage in crosstalk with extracellular matrix components, stromal cells, and tumor cells. This complex regulation determines the composition, activation state, and maturation of the myeloid-in-myeloma compartment as well as the balance between immunogenic and tolerogenic inflammation in the niche. Redressing this balance may be a crucial determinant for the success of antimyeloma immunotherapies.
The who, how and why: Allogeneic transplant for acute myeloid leukemia in patients older than 60 years

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is primarily a disease of the elderly, and as such, our approach to treatment needs to be tailored to address an aging population. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains the only potentially curative treatment for intermediate and high risk AML, and until recently, its use had been limited to a younger population and dependent on availability of a donor. Advances in conditioning regimens, supportive care, and the use of alternative donor sources have greatly expanded access to this therapy. In this review, we summarize the challenges and unique biological aspects of treatment with allogeneic stem cell transplantation in this group of patients older than 60years. We also highlight areas of ongoing research including measurement of residual disease prior to and following transplant, post-remission maintenance therapy, and natural killer cell immunotherapy. Finally, we propose future directions for AML treatment in an elderly and aging population.
Localizing the Clipped Node in Patients with Node-Positive Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Early Learning Experience and Challenges.

Placement of a clip in the positive node in patients presenting with node-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) allows resection of the clipped node at SLN surgery and improves the accuracy of surgical staging. We sought to evaluate our experience with SLN surgery with resection of the clipped node since incorporation into our practice. With Institutional Review Board approval, we evaluated all breast cancer patients with a percutaneous biopsy-positive axillary lymph node, clipped at the time of diagnosis, who underwent NAC followed by surgery. Fifty-six node-positive patients were identified. Eighteen patients (32.1%) underwent axillary dissection without sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery, and 38 patients underwent SLN surgery (18 patients underwent SLN surgery alone, and 20 patients underwent SLN surgery and axillary lymph node dissection). In 25 patients, preoperative localization of the clipped node with an 125I radioactive seed was attempted. This was performed by ultrasound guidance in 18 cases (72%), computed tomography (CT) guidance in two cases (8%), and was unable to be localized in five cases (20%). In all 20 seed-localized cases, the seed and the clipped node were resected along with additional SLNs. In 14 patients without seed localization (nine not attempted, five unable to be localized), the clipped node was resected in 11 cases (79%)—as one of the SLNs (6), by intraoperative ultrasound (4), or by palpation (1). Overall, the clipped node was resected in 31/34 (91%) cases. Preoperative ultrasound localization of the clipped node was successful in 72% of cases. Alternatively, the clipped node can be identified by preoperative CT, routine SLN surgery, intraoperative ultrasound, or palpation.
Why send humans into space? Science and non-science motivations for human space flight

Abstract Although humans have been going into space for more than 50 years, it is still a fair question to ask why, given the expense and the risk. While there are scientific returns from having humans in space, it is often argued that science could be better served without a human presence. Here, I make a case for having a human presence in space to conduct a variety of scientific investigations, most notably those in the life sciences that involve humans as test subjects. There are aspects of the results from such investigations, and from the particular characteristics that make them especially challenging to perform, that are often overlooked. Non-scientific rationales for a human presence in space are also discussed briefly. Overall, when the relevance of the space sciences as a whole is considered, human space research has as much justification as other forms of space science, and in the end it is the quest for understanding our place in the universe that drives all of these scientific ventures.
Outcomes of a large cohort of individuals with clinically ascertained high-count monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis.

Virtually all cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are preceded by a pre-malignant condition known as monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL).[1][1] MBL is defined as a clonal lymphoproliferative disorder with an absolute B-cell count of <5 × 109/L, in the absence of symptoms, organomegaly,
An edge-concave underestimator for the global optimization of twice-differentiable nonconvex problems

We present a new relaxation method for the deterministic global optimization of general nonconvex and $${\mathscr {C}}^2$$ -continuous problems. Instead of using a convex underestimator, the method uses an edge-concave (componentwise concave) underestimator to relax a nonconvex function. The underestimator is constructed by subtracting a positive quadratic expression such that all nonedge-concavities in the original function is overpowered by the added expression. While the edge-concave underestimator is nonlinear, the linear facets of its vertex polyhedral convex envelope leads to a linear programming (LP)-based relaxation of the original nonconvex problem. We present some theoretical results on this new class of underestimators and compare the performance of the LP relaxation with relaxations obtained by convex underestimators such as $$\alpha \hbox {BB}$$ and its variants for several test problems. We also discuss the potential of a hybrid relaxation, relying on the dynamic selection of convex and edge-concave underestimators using criteria such as maximum separation distance.
Membrane microdomains regulate NLRP10- and NLRP12-dependent signalling in A549 cells challenged with cigarette smoke extract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is predicted to become the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide by 2030; with cigarette smoking (active or passive) being one of the chief cause of its occurrence. Cigarette smoke exposure has been found to result in excessive inflammation and tissue injury, which might lead to COPD, although the exact pathophysiology of the disease remains elusive. While previous studies have demonstrated the role of membrane-bound Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in cigarette smoke (CS)-induced inflammation, scant information is available about the role of cytosolic NOD-like receptors (NLRs) in regulating CS-mediated inflammatory responses. Thus, we investigated the role of NLRP10 and NLRP12 in regulating inflammatory responses in human alveolar type II epithelial cells (A549) and human monocytic cells (THP-1) in response to a challenge with cigarette smoke extract (CSE). We observed CSE-mediated increase in caspase-1 activity; production of IL-1β and IL-18; and expression of NLRP10 and NLRP12 in A549 and THP-1 cells. Interestingly, immunofluorescence imaging results demonstrated an increase in the membrane recruitment of NLRP10 and NLRP12 proteins in CSE-challenged A549 cells. We also observed an increase in the expression of lipid raft proteins (caveolin-1, caveolin-2, and flotillin-1) and an induction of lipid raft assembly following CSE-exposure in A549 cells. Lipid rafts are cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains well known to act as harbours for signalling molecules. Here we demonstrate the recruitment of NLRP10 and NLRP12 in lipid raft entities as well as the interaction of NLRP12 with the lipid raft protein caveolin-1 in CSE-challenged A549 cells. Furthermore, enrichment of lipid raft entities with poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) rescued A549 cells from CSE-mediated membrane recruitment of NLRP10 and NLRP12, and also from inflammatory responses and inflammasome activation. Enrichment of membrane microdomains with PUFA was able to reverse filipin (chemical agent used for disrupting lipid rafts)-mediated enhanced inflammation in CSE-challenged A549 cells. Overall, our findings unveil a novel mechanism by identifying an important role of membrane microdomains (lipid rafts) in regulating CSE-induced inflammation and NLRP10/NLRP12-dependent signalling in A549 cells.
Seguridad nacional y medio ambiente: una visión global

Como resultado del fin de la Guerra Fria existe una necesidad automatica de revisar la nocion de seguridad nacional bajo el nuevo contexto mundial. Temas como el narcotrafico y el terrorismo se consolidan al frente de las preocupaciones de la seguridad de las naciones, pero tambien destaca el surgimiento de otros asuntos que tienen el potencial de atentar contra la seguridad de los Estados. Este articulo examina el tema de la seguridad y el medio ambiente poniendo especial atencion en el caso de Mexico. Se argumenta que el deterioro ambiental y la escasez de recursos naturales tienen el potencial suficiente para atentar contra la estabilidad de las naciones y, en algunas ocasiones, pueden dar lugar a conflictos violentos. Como potenciales causas de conflicto se mencionan los efectos adversos del cambio climatico, la escasez de agua y otros recursos naturales, la deforestacion, el crecimiento demografico y los emigrantes ambientales, por mencionar algunos. Asimismo, se hace un recuento de las principales respuestas gubernamentales, como la Cumbre de Rio y la Cumbre Mundial sobre Desarrollo Sostenible celebrada en Johannesburgo, haciendo mencion concreta de la Conferencia Especial de Seguridad, celebrada en el seno de la Organizacion de Estados Americanos en otono de 2003.
Postoperative Care of Adult Cardiac Transplant Patients

Cardiac transplantation remains the definitive therapy for end-stage heart failure. Meticulous postoperative management is essential for optimizing successful outcomes in this relatively complex patient cohort. While the critical care considerations of heart transplant recipients are largely similar to that of other cardiac surgery patients, there exist important transplant-specific factors which require attention.
Effects of age on metabolic responses to acute and chronic stress

The effect of age on the capacity of an organism to mobilize glucose and free fatty acids during stress and to adapt these responses from an acute to a chronic stress situation is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether aging impaired the capacity to 1) raise glucose and free fatty acid levels and suppress insulin release in acute stress situations and 2) develop adaptation of these responses to exposure to chronic stress. Our results indicate that 6-mo-old rats (young) trained to escape electric shock (short-term modulation) showed greater acute stress-induced hyperglycemic, hypoinsulinemic, and lipolytic responses than untrained young rats. By contrast, in 22-mo-old rats (old), responses of trained and untrained animals were not different. In the chronic stress (long-term adaptation) experiments, it was found that 1) adaptation of stress-induced hyperglycemia occurred at a faster rate in young than in old animals; 2) in young but not in aged rats, a strong positive correlation was observed between adaptation of stress-induced hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia; and 3) in young rats, stress-induced lipolytic responses declined proportionately to the duration of chronic stress exposure, whereas by contrast in chronically stressed aged rats steady-state levels of free fatty acids were not raised during exposure to stress. Thus we conclude that 1) glucose intolerance may play a key role in the altered stress-induced metabolic responses of aged rats; 2) with age, there is a loss of plasticity in physiological adaptive response mechanisms associated with metabolic responses to stress.
Integrally Closed Projectively Equivalent Ideals

In this paper, I will be a regular ideal in a Noetherian ring R and Ī will denote the integral closure of I. If J is another ideal of I. and J are said to be projectively equivalent if there are positive integers n and m with \(\overline {{I^n}} \, = \,\overline {{J^m}} \). Projective equivalence was introduced by Samuel in [S], and further developed by Nagata in [N]. The concept of projective equivalence is rather interesting, but there appears to be much about it which is not known. We hope to dispel some of the darkness. We study the set of integrally closed ideals which are projectively equivalent to I, and show that this set is rather well behaved. For instance, it is linearly ordered by inclusion, and ”eventually periodic”, a phrase we will make more precise in the next paragraph. An interesting corollary to our work is that there is a fixed positive integer d such that for any ideal J projectively equivalent to I, there is a positive integer n with \(\overline {{I^n}} {\mkern 1mu} = {\mkern 1mu} \overline {{J^d}} \).
Admission pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide by Obesity Category in Hospitalized Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) constitutes half of HF hospitalizations today and is commonly associated with obesity. Levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP or pro-BNP), a prognostic marker in HF, have been shown to inversely correlate with obesity, and are lower in HFpEF compared to HF with reduced EF patients. It is unclear, however, how obesity affects admission pro-BNP in HFpEF patients hospitalized with acute HF. Objective We sought to compare admission and % change in pro-BNP levels with diuresis across obesity categories in HFpEF patients hospitalized with acute HF. Methods We analyzed data from the Randomized Evaluation of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Patients with Acute Heart Failure and Dopamine (ROPA-DOP) study. Patients were stratified into 3 obesity categories by body mass index (BMI; non-obese: 2 ). Enrollment and discharge pro-BNP were compared with the Kruskal-Wallis test and multivariable linear regression was performed. Results The ROPA-DOP trial enrolled 90 HFpEF patients hospitalized for acute HF of which 88 (98%) and 71 (79%) had complete pro-BNP data at admission and discharge, respectively. The mean age of the cohort was 66 years (±13 years), 94% with hypertension, 59% with diabetes, and mean BMI of 40.8 kg/m 2 (±12.9 kg/m 2 ). Pro-BNP at enrollment and discharge were inversely correlated with BMI (p= 0.001, respectively; Table ). In multivariable linear regression, pro-BNP was lower in obese and morbidly obese groups compared to the non-obese group (p=0.008 and p Conclusions In an obese HFpEF population hospitalized with acute HF, we found that admission pro-BNP was elevated across all BMI groups, and was inversely associated with BMI. Those with morbid obesity (≥40 kg/m 2 ) had greater % decrease in pro-BNP with diuresis. Our results suggest that obesity category should be used to inform the interpretation of admission pro-BNP levels, and that % pro-BNP change may be an alternative marker of decongestion in obese HFpEF patients.
Object Detection to Assist Visually Impaired People: A Deep Neural Network Adventure

Blindness or vision impairment, one of the top ten disabilities among men and women, targets more than 7 million Americans of all ages. Accessible visual information is of paramount importance to improve independence and safety of blind and visually impaired people, and there is a pressing need to develop smart automated systems to assist their navigation, specifically in unfamiliar healthcare environments, such as clinics, hospitals, and urgent cares. This contribution focused on developing computer vision algorithms composed with a deep neural network to assist visually impaired individual’s mobility in clinical environments by accurately detecting doors, stairs, and signages, the most remarkable landmarks. Quantitative experiments demonstrate that with enough number of training samples, the network recognizes the objects of interest with an accuracy of over 98% within a fraction of a second.
Afroalpine Wetlands of the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia: Distribution, Dynamics, and Conceptual Flow Model

The Bale Mountains of Ethiopia contain the largest contiguous area of alpine habitat in Africa. The region provides critical water resources and other essential environmental services to highland communities, endemic wildlife, and millions of downstream people in East Africa. Increasing land use change has created concern over degradation to headwater wetlands and potential impacts on hydrologic regimes. Baseline understanding of wetland dynamics is lacking, however, and little is known about their function in the regional hydrologic system. We used remote sensing, machine learning, and field surveys to map the distribution of Afroalpine wetlands in the Bale Mountains. We developed a wetland typology based on hydrogeomorphic characteristics and a conceptual model of surface-groundwater flow. Our results show that wetland extent more than doubles between wet and dry seasons and that only 4 percent of the Afroalpine zone is saturated year-round. We also found evidence of a hydrologic continuum based on volc...
Medial epithelial seam cell migration during palatal fusion

The mammalian secondary palate forms from two shelves of mesenchyme sheathed in a single-layered epithelium. These shelves meet during embryogenesis to form the midline epithelial seam (MES). Failure of MES degradation prevents mesenchymal confluence and results in a cleft palate. Previous studies indicated that MES cells undergo features of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and may become migratory as part of the fusion mechanism. To detect MES cell movement over the course of fusion, we imaged the midline of fusing embryonic ephrin-B2/GFP mouse palates in real time using two-photon microscopy. These mice express an ephrin-B2-driven green fluorescent protein (GFP) that labels the palatal epithelium nuclei and persists in those cells through the time window necessary for fusion. We observed collective migration of MES cells toward the oral surface of the palatal shelf over 48 hr of imaging, and we confirmed histologically that the imaged palates had fused by the end of the imaged period. We previously reported that ephrin reverse signaling in the MES is required for palatal fusion. We therefore added recombinant EphA4/Fc protein to block this signaling in imaged palates. The blockage inhibited fusion, as expected, but did not change the observed migration of GFP-labeled cells. Thus, we uncoupled migration and fusion. Our data reveal that palatal MES cells undergo a collective, unidirectional movement during palatal fusion and that ephrin reverse signaling, though required for fusion, controls aspects of the fusion mechanism independent of migration.
Ratio of Arteriovenous Malformation Draining Vein to Adjacent Venous Sinus Diameter Is Associated with Increased Risk of Venous Stenosis.

Background The development of venous outflow stenosis in cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is poorly understood. The location of stenosis within the AVM draining vein in relation to the adjacent venous sinus and the hypothesis that the ratio of draining vein to adjacent sinus diameter might predict the development of venous stenosis were explored. Methods Patients with supratentorial AVMs (1997–2018) were reviewed (N = 290). AVM draining vein and adjacent venous sinus diameters, degree of draining vein stenosis, and distance from the maximal stenotic point to the junction of the adjacent draining sinus were recorded. Correlation between percentage of AVM draining vein stenosis and the ratio of AVM draining vein to venous sinus diameters was analyzed. Results A total of 360 draining veins in 243 AVMs with complete angiographic data were measured. Venous stenosis (in 131 draining veins) was observed within 20 mm of the junction to the adjacent draining sinus in 85% of our sample. The ratio of draining vein to adjacent sinus diameter correlated positively with the percentage of venous stenosis (P 1.0 showed significant tighter stenosis compared with the ratio ≤0.5 (25.9% and 28.9% vs. 10.0%, respectively; P Conclusions AVM venous outflow stenosis is observed close to the adjacent venous sinus junction. The degree of venous stenosis is greater when the ratio of AVM draining vein/adjacent venous sinus diameter is >0.5. This may be related to more turbulent flow at the junction of the draining vein and venous sinus, especially in larger draining veins, which causes venous stenosis to develop over time.
A Smart Sensor Prototype for Vibration Sensing in Nuclear Power Plants

Smart sensors can be used in nuclear power plants to detect operational vibrations in order to predict plant maintenance schedules. The sensor design process includes characterization of the sensing element and determination of the optimal sensor location for nuclear applications. The selection of appropriate amplifiers, filters, and control elements are analyzed using the sensor’s specifications such as output amplitude, frequency, etc. A mock-up experiment was designed to test the performance of the vibration sensor and the sensitivity of the sensing element in real time. The experimental tests showed the system tank experiencing vibrations due to various water flow rates. This research is used to validate the working of the smart sensor and highlight its capability to perform detailed calculations, make appropriate decisions, and communicate these decisions to a remote monitoring system.
Identifying Behavioral Differences Between People With and Without Previous Cancer Diagnosis

We undertake a study to determine and assess the effects of the statistically significant predictors of the behaviors and notions that are associated with a cancer diagnosis using the 2014 Health I...
Study on the changes and clinical significance of the DNT cells and T lymphocyte subtype in children with infectious mononucleosis

Objective To study on the changes of the DNT cells and T lymphocyte subtype in children with infectious mononucleosis (IM) and its clinical significance.Methods The flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detected the DNT cells and other T lymphocyte subtype in 48 cases of IM.Results The study showed that DNT cells( 9.39 ± 4.89 )% were greatly increased in comparison with normal controls (NC) (4.26 ± 1.68)% ( P ＜0.01 ).CD4 cells(21.45 ±9.87)% were decreased ( P ＜0.01 ) and CD8 cells increased in comparison with NC (32.43 ± 5.07) % ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusion DNT cells and T lymphocyte subtype can be used to evaluate the immune function of children with infectious mononucleosis (IM) and provide guidance for adoptive immunotherapy. Key words: Infectious mononucleosis/IM/ME; T-lymphocytes/IM/ME; T-lymphocyte subsets/IM/ME; Antigens, CD3/IM/ME; Antigens, CD4/IM/ME; Antigens, CD8/IM/ME
An electrochemical biosensor exploiting binding-induced changes in electron transfer of electrode-attached DNA origami to detect hundred nanometer-scale targets

The specific detection in clinical samples of analytes with dimensions in the tens to hundreds of nanometers, such as viruses and large proteins, would improve disease diagnosis. Detection of these "mesoscale" analytes (as opposed to their nanoscale components), however, is challenging as it requires the simultaneous binding of multiple recognition sites often spaced over tens of nanometers. In response, we have adapted DNA origami, with its unparalleled customizability to precisely display multiple target-binding sites over the relevant length scale, to an electrochemical biosensor platform. Our proof-of-concept employs triangular origami covalently attached to a gold electrode and functionalized with redox reporters. Electrochemical interrogation of this platform successfully monitors mesoscale, target-binding-induced changes in electron transfer in a manner consistent with coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Our approach enables the specific detection of analytes displaying recognition sites that are separated by ∼40 nm, a spacing significantly greater than that achieved in similar sensor architectures employing either antibodies or aptamers.
Risk, Protection, and Identity Development in High‐Achieving Black Males in High School

The resilience of high-achieving Black male students is often overshadowed in scholarly literature by narratives of deficit, disorder, and disdain that position Black males as particularly vulnerable in educational spaces. This study builds from two prior analyses of a group of mathematically high-achieving Black males living in high-poverty urban communities and attending underresourced schools during their middle school years and focuses on the external risk and protective factors these students experienced during high school. Findings suggest that Black male high achievers were forced to overcome a confluence of institutional and curricular barriers while leveraging relational and organizational resources that promoted positive identity development and mathematics achievement.
Does sex influence the effects of experimental sleep curtailment and circadian misalignment on regulation of appetite

Sleep curtailment and circadian misalignment disrupt energy sensing and eating behaviors, which can contribute to weight gain and obesity-related comorbidities. Herein, we review the effects of experimental manipulations of sleep duration and circadian alignment on circulating concentrations of appetite hormones, specifically leptin and ghrelin. Further, we focus on sex differences in hormonal and behavioral responses related to food intake. The studies reviewed suggest potential sex-specific effects of sleep curtailment on key hormones involved in the gut-brain axis, presumably leading to downstream effects on neural processes involved in food seeking and consumption behaviors. However, there is insufficient evidence to declare any sex-specific effects of circadian misalignment on appetite regulation. More research is needed to elucidate the complex sex-specific relationships between sleep, circadian rhythms, energy homeostasis, and appetite regulating mechanisms. Greater knowledge of these mechanisms would aid in the development of targeted methods to mitigate risk for obesity and related metabolic diseases.
Impella percutaneous left ventricular assist device as mechanical circulatory support for cardiogenic shock: A retrospective analysis from a tertiary academic medical center.

Objectives To describe hemodynamic efficacy and clinical outcomes of Impella percutaneous left ventricular assist device (pLVAD) in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS). Background Percutaneous LVADs are increasingly used in CS management. However, device-related outcomes and optimal utilization remain active areas of investigation. Methods All CS patients receiving pLVAD as mechanical circulatory support (MCS) between 2011 and 2017 were identified. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed. A multivariable logistic regression model was created to predict MCS escalation despite pLVAD. Outcomes were compared between early and late implantation. Results A total of 115 CS patients (mean age 63.6 ± 13.8 years; 69.6% male) receiving pLVAD as MCS were identified, the majority with CS secondary to acute myocardial infarction (AMI; 67.0%). Patients experienced significant cardiac output improvement (median 3.39 L/min to 3.90 L/min, p = .002) and pharmacological support reduction (median vasoactive-inotropic score [VIS] 25.4 to 16.4, p = .049). Placement of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) occurred in 48 (41.7%) of patients. Higher pre-pLVAD VIS was associated with subsequent MCS escalation in the entire cohort and AMI subgroup (OR 1.27 [95% CI 1.02-1.58], p = .034 and OR 1.72 [95% CI 1.04-2.86], p = .035, respectively). Complications were predominantly access site related (bleeding [9.6%], vascular injury [5.2%], and limb ischemia [2.6%]). In-hospital mortality was 57.4%, numerically greater survival was noted with earlier device implantation. Conclusions Treatment with pLVAD for CS improved hemodynamic status but did not uniformly obviate MCS escalation. Mortality in CS remains high, though earlier device placement for appropriately selected patients may be beneficial.
Temporal trends in preterm birth phenotypes by plurality: Black-White disparity over half a century.

To examine trends in rates of preterm birth by race and plurality; to evaluate the association between race, plurality, and phenotypes of preterm birth. Temporal trends analyses for preterm birth by race and plurality were performed for the years 1971–2018. Adjusted logistic regression models were utilized to evaluate the association between race, plurality, and phenotypes of preterm birth. We observed that 1105,266 (0.7%), 1901,604 (1.2%), and 14,769,746 (9.3%) births belonged to extreme preterm, very preterm, and moderate-to-late preterm categories, respectively. We also observed that the risk of extreme preterm (RR: 2.69, 95% CI: 2.642–2.75) was highest for Black mothers as compared to White mothers. Over the study period, preterm births disproportionately impacted Black mothers as well as pregnancies of higher plurality. With the persistence of racial disparities and growing trend of delayed childbearing and multiple pregnancies, targeted intervention is necessitated toward these vulnerable subgroups.
Low-grade gliomas in adults

Making treatment decisions for patients with infiltrating low-grade gliomas (LGGs) is challenging. Patients frequently present with seizures and usually have little or no neurologic deficit. In this younger and relatively well patient population, despite the potential for significant morbidity, we believe that surgical resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy each play an important role in the optimal management of these tumors. Randomized clinical trials have begun to address some of the many questions about prognosis, natural history, and treatment, but most questions have yet to be answered. We believe that, when possible, a maximal surgical resection consistent with preservation of neurologic function should be performed, even though it is likely that no randomized clinical trial will ever be done to demonstrate a survival advantage for this approach. External beam radiation therapy is most often given to a total dose of 50.4 or 54 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions. The role of chemotherapy is less certain, but a growing body of evidence suggests that temozolomide, a generally well-tolerated drug, is active in the treatment of LGGs. In recent years, loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 1p and 19q, as well as silencing of the MGMT gene, have been identified as promising predictors of response to adjuvant therapy in gliomas. Although randomized trials have not yet shown a survival benefit for early radiation therapy or chemotherapy, one study by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer did show an improvement in time to tumor progression with the earlier use of radiation therapy. In addition, a trial by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (soon to be analyzed and reported) is comparing radiation alone with radiation followed by a year (six cycles) of standard-dose PCV chemo therapy (procarbazine, CCNU, and vincristine); this trial may shed light on the use of chemotherapy in conjunction with radiation therapy for the initial treatment of LGGs. Because patients remain at risk for tumor progression for the remainder of their lives, we recommend lifelong follow-up with MRI scans, even for patients without documented tumor regrowth over long intervals. To give clinicians a more solid basis for guiding therapy recommendations, we encourage participation in large cooperative group clinical trials.
Association of hospitalization with driving reduction and cessation in older adults.

BACKGROUND Driving has not been considered as part of the social cost of acute illness and may go unnoticed in the post-hospital care of older adults. Decreases in driving after hospitalization and at-risk populations have not been investigated. OBJECTIVE To determine the association between driving reduction and cessation and hospitalization in older adults by using nationally representative data. DESIGN Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING Health and Retirement Study survey from 2004 to 2014. PARTICIPANTS Adults aged 65 years and older who were able to drive and had an available car (n = 12,110; 40,364 interviews). MEASUREMENTS Self-report of a hospitalization requiring an overnight stay, changes in driving patterns including driving cessation or limitations over a 2-year period, comorbid conditions, health utilization, and behaviors. RESULTS Of hospitalizations in adults aged 65 years and older, 22% were associated with a decrease in driving patterns within 2 years. The relative risk of a reduction or cessation in driving was 1.62 (95% CI: 1.54, 1.70, p < 0.001) when there was a hospitalization compared with when a hospitalization did not occur. Baseline functional, cognitive, and visual impairment, fair or poor self-rated health, and diabetes were identified as independent risk factors for decreased driving patterns after hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Changes in driving patterns are common after a hospitalization in older adults. The findings suggest that driving, although not a current goal of post-hospital care, is important to the continued autonomy and community mobility of older adults and needs to be addressed as part of discharge planning and their recovery.