cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending the recovery window: Effects of trait rumination on subsequent evening cortisol following a laboratory performance stressor

Summary Mental rehearsal of past stressors through rumination may extend the physiological stress response and exposure to stress-related physiological mediators, such as cortisol. If repeated over time, this prolonged activation may contribute to a number of chronic health conditions. Findings from the emerging literature on the tendency to ruminate and its association with cortisol have been somewhat mixed. In the present study, we tested whether trait rumination predicted elevated cortisol concentrations in response to a performance stressor, and whether this association varied by the social-evaluative context of the stressor and gender. We also examined whether associations persisted into the evening of the stressor. Participants (50% female; mean age = 19.83, SD = 1.62) were randomly assigned to complete a laboratory speech stressor either in a social-evaluative (SET; n = 86) or non-evaluative context (non-SET; n = 58). Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured throughout the laboratory visit and later that evening. There was a main effect of trait rumination on greater total cortisol exposure into the evening of the stressor. In addition, trait rumination interacted with stressor context to predict cortisol declines: on the night of the SET stressor, high trait ruminators did not exhibit typical declines in cortisol. Different cortisol patterns emerged for men and women with tendencies to ruminate: women with higher rumination scores had flatter cortisol slopes with greater evening cortisol, whereas men with higher trait rumination scores had greater initial cortisol reactivity to the stressor. Together, these findings suggest that the relationship between the tendency to ruminate and cortisol concentrations is qualified by individual differences (gender) and stressor characteristics (social-evaluative threat).
Connections between Engineering and Law Synergies and Opportunities

Despite the anecdotal animosity between Engineers and Lawyers, the attributes necessary for success in either profession are quite similar. These include the synthesis of information, making decisions when there are multiple feasible outcomes, and making decisions with uncertain information. In addition, in the US both professions require professional licensure. While there is no specific undergraduate curriculum leading to Law School, the American Bar Association has developed a list of Core Skills and Values that should be acquired before entering Law School. Many of the ABA Core Skills and Values are aligned with the the ABET a-k Program Outcomes for Engineering Education. This paper will correlate the attributes between Engineering and Law, describe the relationships between these Core Skills and Values and the ABET Program Outcomes and illustrate the interrelationship between preparation for Law School and an engineering degree. The paper will discuss the addition law-oriented topics to the engineering curriculum and illustrate a course that has been taught.
On the reliability-aware geographic routing

Reliable communication is achieved when most reliable route is chosen from source to destination in ad hoc networks. The design of efficient routing protocols for dynamically changing network topologies is a crucial part of building power-efficient and scalable ad hoc wireless networks. If position information is available due to GPS or some kind of relative positioning technique, a promising approach is given by geographic routing algorithms, where each forwarding decision is based on the positions of current, destination, and possible candidate nodes in vicinity only. We focus on greedy routing algorithm and introduce a new hybrid metrics for selecting the next hop node in order to find most reliable route to the destination. We develop optimization models and provide simulation results for three new hybrid metrics.
A model for the prediction of a successful stress-first Tc-99m SPECT MPI.

Stress-only Tc-99m MPI saves time, radiation exposure, and a normal study has a benign prognosis. However, a stress-first protocol is relatively labor intensive requiring pre-test screening for suitability and early post-stress image review to determine the need for rest imaging. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple clinical score used prior to a patient’s myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) study to determine if they should undergo a stress-first protocol. We reviewed all patients who underwent Tc-99m SPECT MPI over a 27-month period and divided them into derivation and validation cohorts. Patients were categorized as having a successful stress-first protocol based on a summed stress score ≤1, with or without attenuation correction. We generated a multivariable model from the derivation cohort to identify demographic and clinical correlates of successful stress-first imaging. Two validation cohorts using a CZT and a conventional SPECT camera were then used to test the performance of the model. The derivation cohort included 1,996 patients and the validation cohort consisted of 1,005 CZT SPECT patients and 2,430 conventional SPECT patients. The following variables were associated with unsuccessful (i.e., abnormal) stress-first imaging: age >65 years (1 point), diabetes (2 points), typical chest pain (2 points), congestive heart failure (3 points), abnormal ECG (4 points), male gender (4 points), and documented CAD (5 points). Emergency Department location (−2 points) was negatively associated with an unsuccessful protocol. An increasing score showed a strong association with an unsuccessful stress-first protocol in both the derivation and the validation cohorts (P < .0001) and dividing the cohorts into low (<5), intermediate (≥5 and <10), and high (≥10) risk scores accurately stratified patients based on their frequencies of unsuccessful stress-first imaging. ROC curve analysis showed excellent prediction in both the derivation and the validation cohorts with an area under the curve of 0.82 and 0.75-0.83, respectively. This pre-test scoring tool accurately identifies patients who can successfully undergo a stress-first imaging protocol without the need for rest imaging and may allow for wider adoption of stress-first imaging protocols.
Addressing Occupational Workplace Issues “In Action”: An Ongoing Study of Nursing Academic Program Directors

Higher education is a major financial industry in its own right. Indeed, in a report by New York State’s Comptroller (entitled The Economic Impact of Higher Education in New York State), the following data were cited.
The Effects of Wearing a Compression Top on Trunk and Golf Club Motions During Golf Swing

An increased interest in compression garments has led to a new golf fashion trend that includes wearing a long-sleeve compression top layered with a short-sleeve T-shirt over the compression top. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wearing a commercial compression top on golfers' kinematic variables required in full swing. This pilot study compared eleven male golfers' trunk rotations in a transverse plane recorded during ten full golf club swings under two conditions: wearing a golf T-shirt with and without a compression top. The results showed that wearing a compression top slightly restricted golfers' trunk rotational movement, but only marginally increased the peak velocity of the golf club during swing, though the increase was not statistically significant. The results of this study could help elite golfers make apparel decisions if they elect to use compression garments in order to reduce muscle soreness and aid muscle recovery post exercise.
On Estimating the Transition Probabilities of a Markov Process

This article is concerned with estimating transition probabilities reflecting the behavior of micro units when only aggregated outcome data are available. A proposal by Miller and others relating to least squares estimates of the transition probabilities is reviewed, and alternative estimators are formulated. The estimators are applied to both actual and hypothetical data. As a result of the limited examples analyzed, it appears that the restricted least squares estimator, based on quadratic programming procedures, provides a systematic way to achieve transition probability estimates which satisfy the Goodman criterion and provides a basis for combining prior and sample information in estimating the parameters of regression and other linear statistical models.
Interactions between Human Bronchoalveolar Macrophages and Blastomyces dermatitidis Conidia: Demonstration of Fungicidal and Fungistatic Effects

The effects of human bronchoalveolar macrophages (BAMs) on Blastomyces dermatitidis conidia were investigated. Macrophage monolayers were incubated for 5 days with or without interferon (IFN)-gamma or macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) before challenge with conidia for 48 h at 37 degrees C. Hyphal growth (germination) was inhibited 12% by resident BAMs (P < .05). In contrast, resident BAMs blocked conidial phase transition by 88% (P < .05). Intermediate forms, aggregates of large cells in clums (not conidia or yeasts by morphologic criteria), appeared after incubation with BAMs and grew into typical yeasts once removed from the BAMs. IFN-gamma and M-CSF inhibited the ability of BAMs to block phase transition but not germination. Human BAMs demonstrated fungicidal and fungistatic activity against B. dermatitidis conidia independent of reactive oxygen intermediates and had greater effects on phase transition than on germination. The phase transition-associated fungicidal and fungistatic activities of BAMs were inhibited by IFN-gamma and M-CSF.
Digital image analysis to quantify carbide networks in ultrahigh carbon steels

Abstract A method has been developed and demonstrated to quantify the degree of carbide network connectivity in ultrahigh carbon steels through digital image processing and analysis of experimental micrographs. It was shown that the network connectivity and carbon content can be correlated to toughness for various ultrahigh carbon steel specimens. The image analysis approach first involved segmenting the carbide network and pearlite matrix into binary contrast representations via a grayscale intensity thresholding operation. Next, the carbide network pixels were skeletonized and parceled into braches and nodes, allowing the determination of a connectivity index for the carbide network. Intermediate image processing steps to remove noise and fill voids in the network are also detailed. The connectivity indexes of scanning electron micrographs were consistent in both secondary and backscattered electron imaging modes, as well as across two different (50 × and 100 ×) magnifications. Results from ultrahigh carbon steels reported here along with other results from the literature generally showed lower connectivity indexes correlated with higher Charpy impact energy (toughness). A deviation from this trend was observed at higher connectivity indexes, consistent with a percolation threshold for crack propagation across the carbide network.
Analysis of adverse drug reaction and risk control measures of traditional Chinese medicine injection

Traditional Chinese medicine injections(TCMI) used in clinic is effective and wide.But with the development and use,the related TCMI adverse reaction report unceasingly increase,people worried more and more about its security,the development of TCMI is facing the unprecedented strain challenge,how to regard the TCMI and its security by the rational manner,seek for the TCMI conforms to the spirit of the age,suit the science law of development the path is the urgent duty of researcher of traditional Chinese medicine.This article by analyzing the characteristics on adverse drug reaction of TCMI,in order to put forward the some problems from component of drug,safety,efficiency,pharmacoeconomics,quality criteria,drug combination and drug reevaluation for providing a reference to quality improvement and rational drugs use of TCMI,and reduce or avoid ADR events.
Generalized Variable Inference for the Expected Winning Bids

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACTWithin both the common- and private-value paradigms, statistical inferences for the expected winning bids are considered. Under the common-value setting, Weibull and normal distributions are considered for modeling the cost estimates whereas Weibull, Pareto, and exponential distributions are considered under the private-value setting. Using the recently introduced Generalized Variable Method (GVM), we propose generalized tests and generalized confidence intervals for the expected winning bids for risk-neutral sealed-bid auctions with common- and private-value bidders under various bidders’ cost-estimate distributions. A simulation study is described to illustrate the proposed procedures.
Phenotypic variability in patients with Fanconi anemia and biallelic FANCF mutations

Fanconi anemia is a heterogeneous genetic disorder that is characterized by progressive bone marrow failure, congenital anomalies, and markedly increased risk for malignancies. Mutations in the FANCF (FA-F) gene represent approximately 2% of affected patients. Currently, information on the phenotypic findings of patients with Fanconi anemia from biallelic mutations in FANCF is limited. Here, we report three patients who illustrate the clinical variability within the FA-F group. This analysis suggests a more severe phenotype for those with the common c.484_485delCT mutation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Profiling, characterization, and analysis of natural and synthetic acylsugars (sugar esters)

Acylsugars are an underappreciated group of specialized metabolites and synthetic products comprised of a sugar core esterified to one or more carboxylic acids at specific positions on the ring. Synthetic acylsugars have a wide array of commercial applications as food additives and preservatives, emulsifiers, cosmetic ingredients, plasticizers, and non-ionic surfactants, as well as in the formulation and delivery of drugs. In nature, acylsugars are specialized metabolites that are best known for accumulating in glandular trichomes of the plant family Solanaceae (tomato and its wild relatives and the genera Nicotiana and Datura), and evidence suggests they play important roles in plant chemical defenses against insects and other herbivores. Analysis and characterization of acylsugars involve: (a) purity assessment, (b) structural characterization of the sugar cores and the carboxylic acid esterified to the cores, (c) analysis of the number of acyl groups and their positions of esterification, and (d) quantitative determination. This review briefly describes and compares historical and current analytical strategies for acylsugar profiling including GC and GC/MS, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, enzymatic transformations, and other liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry based approaches for analysis, characterization, localization, and quantification of acylsugars.
Limiting performance of massive MIMO downlink cellular systems

Massive MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) antenna technology can provide significant performance improvement for cellular systems in terms of both throughput and energy efficiency. It is widely recognized that inter-user interference can be eliminated with a large number of antennas because of the asymptotical orthogonality among users when linear MF (Matched Filter) downlink precoding is used in the eNodeB. In this paper, system level simulation performance for the downlink, based upon current LTE systems, provides an indication of the achievable potential system performance improvement by employing massive MIMO in future (5G) cellular networks. System simulations consider various performance limiting factors including non-ideal asymptotical orthogonality, transmit channel correlation, imperfect channel estimation and pilot contamination. It is demonstrated that even as the number of transmit antennas is increased to a large number, the accumulative effects of the non-ideal asymptotical orthogonality among different users constitute a significant limiting degradation to the system performance. Likewise, a significant performance decrease is also incurred due to transmit channel correlation, imperfect channel estimation, and pilot contamination.
Assessment and Localization of Active Discontinuities Using Energy Distribution Between Intrinsic Modes

A method for localization and severity assessment of structural damages is proposed. The algorithm works based on nonlinear behavior of certain type of damages such as breathing cracks which are called active discontinuities in this paper. Generally, nonlinear features are more sensitive to such damages although their extraction is sometimes controversial. A major controversy is the imposition of spurious modes on the expansion of the signal which needs to be addressed for an effective application and robustness of the method. The energy content of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs), which are the resultants of Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD), and also the shape of energy distribution between these modes before and after damage, are used for localization and severity assessment of the damages. By using EMD, we preserve the nonlinear aspects of the signal while avoiding imposition of spurious harmonics on its expansion without any assumption of stationarity. The developed algorithms are used to localize and assess the damage in a steel cantilever beam. The results show that the method can be used effectively for detecting active structural discontinuities due to damage.
The role of nitric oxide in metabolic regulation of Dendritic cell immune function.

Abstract Dendritic cells (DCs) are canonical antigen presenting cells of the immune system and serve as a bridge between innate and adaptive immune responses. When DCs are activated by a stimulus through toll-like receptors (TLRs), DCs undergo a process of maturation defined by cytokine & chemokine secretion, co-stimulatory molecule expression, antigen processing and presentation, and the ability to activate T cells. DC maturation is coupled with an increase in biosynthetic demand, which is fulfilled by a TLR-driven upregulation in glycolytic metabolism. Up-regulation of glycolysis in activated DCs provides these cells with molecular building blocks and cellular energy required for DC activation, and inhibition of glycolysis during initial activation impairs both the survival and effector function of activated DCs. Evidence shows that DC glycolytic upregulation is controlled by two distinct pathways, an early burst of glycolysis that is nitric oxide (NO) –independent, and a sustained commitment to glycolysis in NO-producing DC subsets. This review will address the complex role of NO in regulating DC metabolism and effector function.
Looking for (women’s) rights in all the wrong places? Country music and hillbilly feminism in the 1990s

Country music in the 1990s not only gained increased popularity globally, but did so using explicit references to female performers and traditionally feminist themes (Julie Haynes 2003; Cecelia Tic...
Abiraterone acetate (AA) or docetaxel (D) in metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC): A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

243Background: AA and D have been shown in separate trials to increase overall survival in patients with mCSPC compared to Androgen Derivation Therapy (ADT). In the absence of head to head clinical trials and to provide clinical guidance, we performed an indirect comparison of AA and D using network meta-analysis. Methods: We performed a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify relevant clinical trials. Collected data included hazard ratio and confidence interval (CI) for Overall Survival (OS) and number of adverse events in each study arm. Risk for bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted using WinBUGS 1.4.3 software (MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge, UK) to perform an indirect comparison of D and AA. Results: Five clinical trials were included in this analysis. Two trials (LATITUDE, STAMPEDE) compared AA to ADT and three trials (CHAARTED,STAMPEDE, GETUG-AFU 15 study) compare...
Fast Track Your Mindset: Engineering Confidence and Streamlining Feedback for Full Steam Success in Legal Practice

Students face two obstacles to success in law school and later in legal practice: reduced confidence and an inability to receive feedback. Feeling insecure and having trouble internalizing feedback are interrelated emotional responses that can derail both the legal education experience and a subsequent career in the law.In two recent books, The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance – What Women Should Know, and Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well, four authors – two journalists and two Harvard Law Professors, respectively – delineate remedies to address reduced confidence and organize feedback internally for successful careers and relationships. Relying on the theory of adopting a growth mindset, the authors’ suggestions can be adapted to the law school and legal practice settings to provide new pathways to success both during school and later in the legal profession.
The Politics of the Nazi Past in Germany and Austria

This book argues that Germans and Austrians have dealt with the Nazi past very differently and these differences have had important consequences for political culture and partisan politics in the two countries. Drawing on different literatures in political science, Art builds a framework for understanding how public deliberation transforms the political environment in which it occurs. The book analyzes how public debates about the 'lessons of history' created a culture of contrition in Germany that prevented a resurgent far right from consolidating itself in German politics after unification. By contrast, public debates in Austria nourished a culture of victimization that provided a hospitable environment for the rise of right-wing populism. The argument is supported by evidence from nearly two hundred semi-structured interviews and an analysis of the German and Austrian print media over a twenty-year period.
Synthesis and Characterization of Some Schiff Bases and Their Cobalt (II), Nickel (II) and Copper (II) Complexes via Environmentally Benign and Energy-Efficient Greener Methodology

Bifunctional tetradentate Schiff bases of o-vanillin and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde with ethylenediamine and their complexes of cobalt (II), nickel (II) as well as copper (II) have been synthesized. Schiff base ligands and their metal complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, molecular weight determination, molar conductance measurements, and UV-Vis., IR, NMR (1H and 13C) and mass spectral studies. Compounds have been synthesized in an open vessel under microwave irradiation using a domestic microwave oven. The free ligands and their complexes have been tested in vitro against a number of microorganisms in order to assess their anti-microbial properties.
The Role of the Simple Cystectomy in Urologic Surgery

The simple cystectomy is defined as removal of the bladder without the adjacent structures such as prostate, seminal vesicles, and urethra in the male and the vagina, adnexa, uterus, and urethra in the female. Lymph node dissection is not performed. The simple cystectomy is indicated in the cases that necessitate urinary diversion for non-malignant processes of the bladder. The majority of indications for cystectomy are related to malignancies of the bladder and this implies, with a few exceptions,8,11,13 the operative technique of radical cystectomy. Thus, the simple cystectomy is infrequently performed.
Characteristics of Middle Range Organizational Theories and their Implications for Operationalization and Testing

Merton’s original definition of theories of the middle range was relatively straightforward, and remained almost unchanged from 1949 to 1968. Middle range theories are “Theories that lie between the minor but necessary working hypotheses… and the all-inclusive systematic… unified theory…. Each… is more than a mere empirical generalization…. (It is) a set of assumptions from which empirical generalizations have themselves been derived” (Merton, 1968, pp. 39, 41). Despite being one of the most widely cited ideas of the most often cited American sociologist, however, the concept has had relatively little systematic development, and most of that has been by Merton.
Accretion of magnetized stellar winds in the Galactic centre: implications for Sgr A* and PSR J1745-2900

The observed rotation measures (RMs) towards the galactic centre magnetar and towards Sagittarius A* provide a strong constraint on MHD models of the galactic centre accretion flow, probing distances from the black hole separated by many orders of magnitude. We show, using 3D simulations of accretion via magnetized stellar winds of the Wolf-Rayet stars orbiting the black hole, that the large, time-variable RM observed for the pulsar PSR J1745-2900 can be explained by magnetized wind-wind shocks of nearby stars in the clockwise stellar disc. In the same simulation, both the total X-ray luminosity integrated over 2-10$''$, the time variability of the magnetar's dispersion measure, and the RM towards Sagittarius A* are consistent with observations. We argue that (in order for the large RM of the pulsar to not be a priori unlikely) the pulsar should be on an orbit that keeps it near the clockwise disc of stars. We present a 2D RM map of the central 1/2 parsec of the galactic centre that can be used to test our models. Our simulations predict that Sgr A* is typically accreting a significantly ordered magnetic field that ultimately could result in a strongly magnetized flow with flux threading the horizon at $\sim$ 10$\%$ of the magnetically arrested limit.
Abstract #1969: Ubc9 promotes breast tumor metastasis in a sumoylation-independent manner

Ubc9 is an E2 conjugating enzyme that transfers the activated SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) to protein substrates, and thus it plays a critical role in sumoylation-mediated cellular pathways. However, Ubc9 may also exert its function independent of sumoylation. We have previously reported that Ubc9 promotes tumor growth in the xenograft mouse model using breast cancer cell line MCF-7 in part through regulation of Bcl-2 expression. In this study, we show that ectopic expression of wild type Ubc9 (Ubc9-WT) promotes cell invasion and metastasis. Surprisingly, the SUMO defective mutant Ubc9 (Ubc9-DN) also causes the same phenotype, indicating that the ability of Ubc9 to promote invasion and metastasis is separable from its ability to conjugate SUMO to protein substrates. Of considerable interest, several microRNAs such as miR-224 are regulated by Ubc9. While ectopic expression of Ubc9 causes downregulation of miR-224, and suppression of Ubc9 by Ubc9-siRNAs leads to its upregulation. We further demonstrate that miR-224 can inhibit cell invasion and directly targets CDC42 and CXCR4 which are well known for their role in cell migration and metastasis. Together, these results demonstrate a molecular link between Ubc9 and the metastasis genes such as CDC42 and CXCR4, and thus provide new insight into the mechanism of Ubc9-mediated tumor metastasis. (supported by grants CA102630 from NCI and postdoctoral fellowship from IDPH ). Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 1969.
Decentralized Adaptive Harmonic Control for Rejection of Sinusoidal Disturbances Acting on an Unknown System

We present a decentralized adaptive harmonic control, which is effective for rejection of sinusoidal disturbances of known frequencies that act on a completely unknown asymptotically-stable linear time-invariant system. The decentralized control architecture consists of multi-input multi-output subsystems, where each local controller does not have access to any information regarding the system or the nonlocal measurements. We analyze stability and performance properties of the closed-loop for multi-input multi-output subsystems. We show that the decentralized control rejects sinusoidal disturbances asymptotically. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of controller by numerical simulations.
Size specific chemoreception and ontogenic responses to food in the brittle star Ophioderma cinerea (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

Ophioderma cinerea (Muller & Troschel, 1842) is a species of warm water ophiuroid that lives primarily in rocky habitats in the tropical Atlantic. Competition for resources can be high in their habitat. Behavioral observations in aquaria led to a hypothesis that differences in body size may affect feeding strategies, and thus affect survivorship. It is widely accepted that echinoderm ontogenic growth is sigmoidal, with juveniles growing much faster than adults. Yet, it is not understood what affect this has on behavior. Individuals were kept in replicate experimental tanks. After a 3-d starvation period, each individual was exposed to a proteinaceous food stimulus. The animals were observed and a time measurement was taken to determine how long it took the animals to sense the food and to begin moving toward the food during both day and night. Smaller individuals were found to sense food significantly faster than larger ones, while no difference was observed for time-to-motion. Several explanations may support this finding. One of these explanations highlights how the need to compete with larger animals may have selectively adapted ontogenetically more sensitive chemoreceptors in smaller animals.
Improving soil moisture retrieval accuracy of Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 in vegetated areas using land surface parameters of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite

The current remote sensing systems designed to measure soil moisture have a relatively coarse spatial resolution ranging from 25 to 50 km. The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) is a passive sensor that measures soil moisture through C-band (6.9 and 7.3 GHz) observation of brightness temperature (BT). AMSR2 uses land parameter retrieval model to retrieve surface soil moisture and vegetation optical depth. This model partitions the microwave observation into its respective soil and vegetation emission components. AMSR2 loses sensitivity to soil moisture as vegetation density increases, during the growing season. Field observations show that AMSR2 tends to overestimate the soil moisture when the vegetation intensity increases and covers the soil. We address two existing issues in the use of soil moisture products of the AMSR2: (1) spatial resolution of the soil moisture product and (2) the impact of vegetation cover on the radiative transfer. We used a vegetative index to estimate when soil moisture retrieval is not sufficiently accurate and how the optical data can be used to improve soil moisture estimation. The land surface temperature and vegetation index products of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite are used to downscale the AMSR2 soil moisture products to 1 km. A series of soil moisture data collected in the field were used to analyze the accuracy of the downscaled soil moisture values and the results indicated that introduction of the BT in the downscaling model improves the accuracy of the soil moisture products over the vegetated areas. The mean absolute error (MAE) of the downscaled soil moisture values is ∼5.6 % —an improvement to 8.0% of original AMSR2 soil moisture products. In the presence of vegetation, however, the MAE is still greater than that of a similar analysis of AMSR2 product over semiarid areas.
Patients with pathogenic variants for breast cancer other than BRCA1 and BRCA2: qualitative interviews about health care experiences.

Genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes has been revolutionized by next-generation sequencing, which allows for simultaneous review of numerous genes. Multigene panels are regularly offered to patients because of their scope and decreased cost and turnaround time. However, many genes included on larger panels have not been studied as extensively as BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2), and their clinical effects are often not as well established. We identified patients who received positive test results for pathogenic variants of breast cancer genes from January 2012 through May 2018. We mailed a survey and conducted qualitative interviews to explore the personal and health care experiences of patients with pathogenic variants of BRCA1/2 and patients with “other” (ie, non-BRCA1/2 or PALB2; PTEN; ATM; TP53; NBM, RAD51C; MSH6) variants. We compared the experiences of these patients. Fifty-nine out of 128 individuals responded to the survey (46%). Thirty-two patients had BRCA1/2 variants, and 27 had other variants. (49 women and 10 men; median [range] age, 63 [34–87] years). We interviewed 21 patients (17 women and 4 men; median [range] age, 59.6 [34–82] years). Of the interview participants, ten patients had BRCA1/2 variants, and 11 had non-BRCA1/2 variants. Patients reported receiving poor information about their genetic test results, and they often educated their physicians about their results. Some patients believed that they had been ignored or “brushed off” by health care professionals because non-BRCA1/2 genes are less understood outside the genetics research community. Patients with BRCA1/2 variants had similar problems with health care providers, despite increased awareness and established guidelines about BRCA1/2. Research is required to understand the clinical significance and proper management of diseases attributable to newly characterized hereditary cancer genes. Additional evaluation of patient and provider education should be at the forefront of efforts to improve patient care.
Watching the Brain: an Overview of Neuromonitoring Systems and Their Utility in the Emergency Department

This review describes strategies for the emergency department setting that help facilitate monitoring of patients with acute neurological injuries. Multiple invasive and non-invasive modalities are available for the emergency physician to utilize as adjuncts to the physical examination and imaging of patients with neurological injuries. The value of these modalities lies in detection of subtle changes that signal early neurological decompensation. This article focuses on the most common devices along with their adoption and implementation into the practice of emergency medicine. The field of non-invasive neuromonitoring techniques is rapidly flourishing with an emphasis on portability and reproducibility, enhancing adoption into the practice of emergency medicine. Devices such as the extra-ventricular drain have proven to be of both diagnostic and therapeutic benefit, allowing for both global ICP monitoring and CSF sampling. However, as emergency physicians become more facile in the use of ultrasound, procedures such as optic nerve sheath diameter evaluation and transcranial Doppler assessments add to the availability of bedside neuromonitoring. It is important to note that many of these devices still require further validation. The field of neuromonitoring encompasses invasive and non-invasive techniques. While useful, they require further validation to establish standardized protocols that would allow for consistent and reliable implementation in the emergency department.
Quantification of fluorophore distribution and therapeutic response in matched in vivo and ex vivo pancreatic cancer model systems

Therapeutic resistance plagues cancer outcomes, challenging treatment particularly in aggressive disease. A unique method to decipher drug interactions with their targets and inform therapy is to employ fluorescence-based screening tools; however, to implement productive screening assays, adequate model systems must be developed. Patient-derived pancreatic cancer models (e.g., cell culture, patient-derived xenograft mouse models, and organoids) have been traditionally utilized to predict personalized therapeutic response. However, cost, long read out times and the inability to fully recapitulate the tumor microenvironment have rendered most models incompatible with clinical decision making for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. Tumor explant cultures, where patient tissue can be kept viable for up to weeks, have garnered interest as a platform for delivering personalized therapeutic prediction on a clinically relevant timeline. To fully explore this ex vivo platform, a series of studies were completed to quantitatively compare in vivo models with tumor explants, examining gemcitabine therapeutic efficacy, small molecule uptake and drug-target engagement using a novel fluorescently-labeled gemcitabine conjugate. This initial work shows promise for patient-specific therapeutic selection, where tumor explant drug distribution and response recapitulated the in vivo behavior and could provide a valuable platform for understanding mechanisms of therapeutic response and resistance.
A Case for Social Entrepreneurship in Our Times

This chapter presents seven cases of social entrepreneurs, to illustrate the need for the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship in our increasingly intertwining global society. The seven cases are the following: (1) Kenton Lee’s Shoe that Grows in the US, inspired by children without shoes in Kenya, (2) Andy Moon’s Sunfarmer solar energy project, inspired by healthcare and farming energy problems in Nepal, (3) Jeremiah Kimbugwe’s sanitary napkin operation to enhance women’s participation in education and professional development in Uganda, (4) Luis Cruz’ Eyeboard system to assist physically disabled persons in Honduras, (5) William Kamkwamba’s construction of electricity resources to ensure energy in his village in Malawi, (6) Brittany Wenger’s artificial brain to timely help detect cancer in the US, and (7) Arpit Dhupar’s self-cleaning trap for particulate matter emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, to reduce pollution in India. Each of the cases will briefly be evaluated on the basis of three aspects to determine social entrepreneurship: (1) the predominance of a social mission, (2) the importance of innovation, and (3) the role of earned income.
Abstract 13505: Validated Model for Predicting Pacemaker Implantation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has surpassed surgical valve replacement for the management of severe aortic stenosis. High grade AV block is a well-described complicati...
Circuit and System-Level Aspects of Phase Change Memory

Phase Change Memory (PCM) is a new nonvolatile memory technology that promises to disrupt current big data applications and even create entirely new ones. This is because it can serve as both fast storage and large memory, which is out of reach for incumbent memory technologies. This tutorial focuses on recent technological developments and system-level concepts for the realization of PCM-based systems. We also discuss new circuits and architectures that enable novel applications of PCM in big data analytics and hardware for artificial intelligence.
Organic Synthesis at High Pressure

The recommendation is developed that all synthetic chemists should always consider pressure as one of the routine variables available to them, along with temperature, solvent, reaction time, catalysts, and so forth. Ideally, equipment should be available both in the 1–5 and 10–20 kbar range, the former for the habitual testing of all reaction steps under increased pressure, and the latter for the more unusual instances in which gigapascal pressures appear to force otherwise reluctant reactions. The hope is that synthetic chemists will learn to optimize yields and conversions with respect to pressure as well as the other variables, and to report the pressure used just as routinely as they report reaction times and temperatures now.
Exposure to e-cigarette TV advertisements among U.S. youth and adults, 2013-2019.

Introduction E-cigarette advertising has been shown to increase e-cigarette awareness and use. Although e-cigarette marketing in the early 2010s has been well-documented, little is known about how it has changed in recent years in response to the regulatory scrutiny from the FDA and the Congress to combat youth vaping epidemic. This study aims to examine the exposure to e-cigarette TV advertising among youth and adults in the U.S. from 2013 to 2019, overall and by media market and brand. Methods Quarterly data on e-cigarette TV advertising exposure, measured by target rating points (TRPs), and expenditures from 2013 to 2019 were compiled from the StradegyTM of Kantar Media. Trends of quarterly e-cigarette advertising TRPs were reported by age group, market, and brand. Results Over the study period, overall exposure to e-cigarette TV advertising was higher among adults than among youth. E-cigarette advertising TRPs and expenditures were relatively stable, despite intermittent fluctuations, between 2013 Q1 and 2017 Q1 except for a one-time dip in 2015 Q3, followed by a sharp decline in 2017 Q2 and stayed low till the end of 2018. A resurgence of e-cigarette advertising TRPs occurred in 2019 Q1, led by the advertising from JUUL, Blu, and Vuse, which peaked in the third quarter of 2019, with quarterly TRPs reaching 316.8 for youth and 1,701.9 for adults, and quarterly advertising expenditure totaling $31 million. Conclusions Significant variations, both over time and across media markets and brands, were observed for e-cigarette televised advertising between 2013 and 2019. Following a lull in TV advertising in 2017/18, major e-cigarette companies have substantially increased advertising of their products on American television since early 2019, resulting in a surge in exposure to e-cigarette advertising among both youth and adults. Our findings highlighted the importance of continued monitoring of e-cigarette advertising in the U.S.
Associations between pesticide mixtures applied near home during pregnancy and early childhood with adolescent behavioral and emotional problems in the CHAMACOS study.

Author(s): Hyland, Carly; Bradshaw, Patrick T; Gunier, Robert B; Mora, Ana M; Kogut, Katherine; Deardorff, Julianna; Sagiv, Sharon K; Bradman, Asa; Eskenazi, Brenda | Abstract: Studies suggest that exposure to pesticides during pregnancy and early childhood is associated with adverse child neurodevelopment. Research to date has focused primarily on exposure to single pesticides or pesticide classes in isolation; there are little data on the effect of exposure to pesticide mixtures on child and adolescent neurodevelopment.MethodsUsing California's Pesticide Use Reporting database, we estimated agricultural pesticide use within 1 km of the home during the prenatal and postnatal (ages 0-5 years) periods among participants in the Center for the Health Assessment for Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) birth cohort. We implemented a Bayesian Hierarchical linear mixed-effects model to examine associations with maternal- and youth-reported behavioral and emotional problems from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2) at ages 16 and 18 years (n = 593).ResultsWe observed mostly null associations between pesticide applications and neurobehavioral outcomes. There were some trends of modestly increased internalizing behaviors and attention problems in association with organophosphate insecticide use near the home during the prenatal period. In the postnatal period, a two-fold increase in glyphosate applications was associated with more youth-reported depression (β = 1.2, 95% credible intervals [CrI] = 0.2, 2.2), maternal-reported internalizing behaviors (β = 1.23, 95% CrI = 0.2, 2.3), and anxiety (β = 1.2, 95% CrI = 0.2, 2.3). We observed some protective associations with imidacloprid during the prenatal period, particularly in sex-specific analyses.ConclusionsWe found only some subtle associations between some pesticides and neurobehavioral outcomes. This study extends previous work by considering potential exposure to mixtures of pesticides.
Clinical Assessment of Corneal Biomechanics

Only two devices for assessing corneal biomechanics are commercially available, the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) and the Corvis ST. Both utilize an air puff as the nondestructive load and both assess biomechanical deformation response of the cornea. However, they differ in strategies for loading with distinct air pressure profiles, as well as for assessing corneal response. The ORA uses an indirect assessment and the Corvis ST uses direct assessment via high-speed imaging. These differences have strong implications on how the data may be interpreted since the corneal biomechanical response depends on the applied load. Details of the differences are discussed in detail, and the devices are directly compared. Each device provides an important and unique biomechanical assessment of the cornea and the data are complimentary rather than competitive in nature.
Hand Pathology: Nontraumatic

The hands are largely the means by which we interact with our surroundings. Together, the hands account for a quarter of the bones in the human body, which are interconnected through a complex latticework of interacting muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It is not surprising that such unique and specialized anatomy bears its own cohort and manifestations of nontraumatic pathology. While radiography and ultrasonography have important roles in the imaging of these pathologies, the superior soft tissue characterization capabilities of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging enable it be an apt modality for identification and characterization of the inflammatory, neoplastic, and infectious processes of the hand.
Fair value measurement capabilities, disclosure, and the perceived reliability of fair value estimates: A discussion of Bhat and Ryan (2015)

Selecting an appropriate measurement basis for financial reporting is a fundamental and contentious accounting policy issue. While many argue that fair value is the most relevant measurement basis for financial reporting, other observers express concerns about the reliability (or “faithful representation”), and thus the usefulness, of fair value measurements. Bhat and Ryan (2015) consider the role of risk management technologies—in particular, market and credit risk modeling—in the estimation of fair values. In light of our discussion of Bhat and Ryan’s study, we argue that future research should aim to extend our understanding of the fair value estimation process and the factors that explain variation in the reliability of fair values as well as the channels through which investors learn about fair value measurement reliability.
The impact of 6 weeks of atrial fibrillation on left atrial and ventricular structure and function

Objective The impact of prolonged episodes of atrial fibrillation on atrial and ventricular function has been incompletely characterized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of atrial fibrillation on left atrial and ventricular function in a rapid paced porcine model of atrial fibrillation.
Avoiding the Spotlight: Human Rights Shaming and Foreign Direct Investment

Nonstate actors, such as international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and multinational corporations (MNCs), have attained an increasingly prominent role in modern world affairs. While previous research has focused on these actors� respective interactions with states, little attention has been paid to their interactions with each other. In this paper, we examine the extent to which the decisions of private actors seeking to invest abroad are affected by the reputational costs of doing business in countries publicly targeted by human rights activists. We find that ��naming and shaming�� by human rights INGOs tends to reduce the amount of foreign direct investment received by developing states, providing evidence that INGO activities affect the behavior of MNCs. An additional implication of our findings is that shaming by INGOs can impose real costs on targeted states in the form of lost investment.