cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic repair of large hiatal hernia with polytetrafluoroethylene.

Background: Several studies have shown that large hiatal hernias are associated with a high recurrence rate. Despite the problem of recurrence, the technique of hiatal herniorrhaphy has not changed appreciably since its inception. In this 3-year study we have evaluated laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair in individuals with a hernia defect greater than 8 cm in diameter. Methods: A series of 35 patients with sliding or paraesophageal hiatal hernias was prospectively randomized to hiatal hernia repair with (n= 17) or without (n= 18) polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). All patients had an endoscopic and radiographic diagnosis of large hiatal hernia. Both repairs were performed by using interrupted stitches to approximate the crurae. In the group randomized to repair with prosthesis, PTFE mesh with a 3-cm ``keyhole'' was positioned around the gastroesophageal junction with the esophagus through the keyhole. The PTFE was stapled to the diaphragm and crura with a hernia stapler. Results: Patients were followed with EGD and esophagogram at 3 months postoperatively, and with esophagogram every 6 months thereafter. Individuals with PTFE had a longer operation time, but the 2-day hospital stay was the same in both groups. The cost of the repair was $1050 ± $135 more in the group with the prosthesis. There were two complications (1 pneumonia, 1 urinary retention) in the group repaired with PTFE and one complication (pneumothorax) in the group without prosthesis. The group without PTFE was notable for three (16.7%) recurrences within the first 6 months of surgery. Conclusion: On the basis of these preliminary results it appears that repair with PTFE may confer an advantage, with lower rates of recurrence in patients with large hiatal hernia defects.
Cognitive Appraisals and Interest in Visual Art: Exploring an Appraisal Theory of Aesthetic Emotions

Since Berlyne’s seminal research, the study of experimental aesthetics has examined interest as a response to art. The present research explores the implications of appraisal theories of emotion for the study of interest as an emotion relevant to aesthetics. Participants viewed pictures of modern experimental visual art and rated each picture for interest and for appraisals of complexity and comprehensibility. Multilevel modeling assessed the within-person effects of appraisals on interest. As predicted by appraisal theories, both appraisals significantly and strongly predicted interest at the within-person level. The within-person relationships were not moderated by individual-differences relevant to interest in art (e.g., trait curiosity). Theories of “aesthetic response” should capitalize on modern theories and findings in emotion psychology. In the decades following Berlyne’s (1971, 1974) seminal research on “the new experimental aesthetics,” a large literature has accumulated on people’s subjective reactions to art. Much of this research has been guided by Berlyne’s theorizing about the role of collative variables and arousal in determining the reward value of artistic stimuli. The collative–arousal theory of motivation that underlies Berlyne’s research has proved surprisingly resilient, given that psychology has moved away from arousal models of reward and from the concept of “arousal” itself (e.g., Neiss, 1988). Modern research on experimental aesthetics still takes inspiration from Berlyne’s ideas about how collative variables affect arousal, interest, and preference. The influence of the Berlyne tradition may be best seen in
Stimulation of phospholipid turnover in isolated sea urchin sperm heads by the fucose-sulfate glycoconjugate that induces an acrosome reaction.

The fucose-sulfate glycoconjugate (FSG) component of sea urchin egg jelly that induces an acrosome reaction in spermatozoa-stimulated multiple Cafl-dependent phospholipid changes in the sperm cell head and flagellum. When cells were radiolabeled with myo-f3Hjinositol, FSG treatment decreased radioactivity in phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate within 30 s. In addition, FSG treatment elevated concentrations of phosphatidic acid in spermatozoa. The Cafl-channel antagonist, verapamil, inhibited the effects of FSG on (3Hjpolyphosphoinositides and phosphatidic acid. To investigate the possible compartmentalization of phospholipid turnover, isolated heads and flagella were prepared. Treatment of sperm heads with FSG or the monovalent cation ionophore, gramicidin S, caused increased (3Hjinositol phosphate and phosphasidic acid accwnulation and induction of an acrosome reaction. Effects of FSG and grainicidin S on phosphatidic acid elevations in sperm heads and intact cells were inhibited by verapamil. FSG failed to cause detectable changes in (3Hjinositol phosphate or phosphatidic acid concentrations in isolated flagellar preparations. However, when cells were treated with FSG and the flagella were isolated subsequently, phosphatidic acid concentrations in the flagellar preparations were increased.
Networking Senescence-Regulating Pathways by Using Arabidopsis Enhancer Trap Lines

The last phase of leaf development, generally referred to as leaf senescence, is an integral part of plant development that involves massive programmed cell death. Due to a sharp decline of photosynthetic capacity in a leaf, senescence limits crop yield and forest plant biomass production. However, the biochemical components and regulatory mechanisms underlying leaf senescence are poorly characterized. Although several approaches such as differential cDNA screening, differential display, and cDNA subtraction have been employed to isolate senescence-associated genes (SAGs), only a limited number of SAGs have been identified, and information regarding the regulation of these genes is fragmentary. Here we report on the utilization of enhancer trap approach toward the identification and analysis of SAGs. We have developed a sensitive large-scale screening method and have screened 1,300 Arabidopsis enhancer trap lines and have identified 147 lines in which the reporter gene GUS (β-glucuronidase) is expressed in senescing leaves but not in non-senescing ones. We have systematically analyzed the regulation of β-glucuronidase expression in 125 lines (genetically, each contains single T-DNA insertion) by six senescence-promoting factors, namely abscisic acid, ethylene, jasmonic acid, brassinosteroid, darkness, and dehydration. This analysis not only reveals the complexity of the regulatory circuitry but also allows us to postulate the existence of a network of senescence-promoting pathways. We have also cloned three SAGs from randomly selected enhancer trap lines, demonstrating that reporter expression pattern reflects the expression pattern of the endogenous gene.
Spirometry testing standards in spinal cord injury.

Study objectives Because muscle paralysis makes it uncertain whether subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) can perform spirometry in accordance with American Thoracic Society (ATS) standards, determinants of test failure were examined. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. Participants Veterans with SCI at VA Boston Healthcare System and nonveterans recruited by mail and advertisement. Measurements and results Two hundred thirty of 278 subjects (83%) were able to produce three expiratory efforts lasting ≥ 6 s and without excessive back-extrapolated volume (EBEV). In 217 of 230 subjects (94%), FVC and FEV 1 were each reproducible in accordance with 1994 ATS standards. In the remaining 48 subjects, efforts with smooth and continuous volume-time tracings and acceptable flow-volume loops were identified. These subjects had a lower percentage of predicted FVC, FEV 1 , and maximum expiratory and inspiratory pressures compared to the others, and a greater proportion had neurologically complete cervical injury (42% compared to 16%). In 19 subjects (40%), some expiratory efforts were not sustained maximally for ≥ 6 s but had at least a 0.5-s plateau at residual volume (short efforts). In eight subjects (17%), some efforts were not short but had EBEV. In the remaining 21 subjects (44%), some efforts were short, some had EBEV, and some had both. If these efforts were not rejected, 262 of 278 subjects (94%) would have produced three acceptable efforts, and in 257 subjects (92%), the efforts were reproducible. Conclusions Subjects with SCI with the most impaired respiratory muscles and abnormal pulmonary function are able to perform spirometry reproducibly despite not meeting usual ATS acceptability standards. Exclusion of these subjects would lead to bias in studies of respiratory function in SCI. The modification of spirometry testing standards to include efforts with EBEV and with a 0.5-s plateau if
A review of modeling of soft-contact fingers and stiffness control for dextrous manipulation in robotics

Dextrous manipulation involves a variety of subjects in robotics, including kinematics, rolling and sliding, contact mechanics, grasping planning and optimization, dynamics, and control. It is generally postulated in the literature that contacts in all grasping and manipulation are point contacts or soft contacts. The former can be modeled as either a frictionless point contact or a frictional point contact; the latter, although being a more practical model, has not been commonly utilized. In this paper, the recent progress in the modeling of dextrous manipulation utilizing soft contacts and stiffness control is presented. The result augments the well-known Hertzian contact model from linear elastic contacts to soft contacts. In addition, the conservative congruence transformation for stiffness control in robotics, that are often used in dextrous grasping and manipulation, is presented.
Strategic impact of broadband telecommunications in insurance, publishing, and health care

The business environment of the insurance, publishing, and health care industries is described, and key points to their operations where broadband telecommunications can play a role are identified. Broadband applications are analyzed as to whether they provide both an operational and strategic benefit to innovating organizations in each of the three industries. The following impacts of broadband are identified: fast, efficient, and differentiated service to customers, reduced costs, targeted marketing, and market expansion. The traffic characteristics of the applications in terms of bandwidth and business are analyzed and shown to map on to the rollout of North American public network services by first implementing the less bursty, lower bandwidth applications requiring the interconnections of a small number of sites, and later those involving more bursty, higher bandwidth traffic and more numerous sites. >
Molecular Phylogeny and Historical Biogeography of Pacific Island Boas (Candoia)

Abstract The enigmatic biogeography of Pacific island boas of the genus Candoia is examined using DNA sequence variation from a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Estimates of the phylogenetic relationships and genetic distances between Candoia and the Old World (Sanzinia) and New World boids (Boa, Corallus, and Epicrates) suggest that a recent dispersal event from the Americas is not responsible for Candoia's Papuan distribution. Multiple populations from the three Candoia species are sampled to distinguish whether substantial evolutionary partitions exist within species as a result of colonization patterns or geographical barriers and to assess whether genetic partitions are concordant with species boundaries. In all analyses, Candoia and the Madagascan Sanzinia are sister taxa, and C. bibroni is basal to C. aspera and C. carinata. Mean sequence divergences between Candoia and the other boid genera Sanzinia, Corallus, Epicrates, and Boa are 0.19, 0.23, 0.24, and 0.25, respectively. Within C...
Access to Debt Capital for Women- and Minority-Owned Small Firms: Does Educational Attainment Have an Impact?

Due to their inability to access public debt and equity markets, small firms are heavily dependent on loans as a financing source. Prior research reveals that women and minority borrowers experience greater difficulty securing loans than white male borrowers. Previous research has also revealed a link between the educational level of the owner and firm survival and profitability. This article examines the relationship between educational attainment and the firm's willingness and ability to secure loans with particular attention to the borrowing experience of women and minority borrowers. Results reveal that, even controlling for differences in educational level, black men were significantly less likely to be approved for their most recent loan request. Further, black men were significantly less likely to apply for loans because they assumed they would be denied. (Publication abstract)
Partial Transparency Effects of Silicon During Rapid Thermal Processing

The radiative properties of a silicon wafer undergoing Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) are contingent upon the doping level of the silicon substrate and film structure on the wafer, and fluctuate drastically with temperature and wavelength. For a lightly doped substrate, partial transparency effects must be considered that significantly affect absorption characteristics. Band gap, free carrier, and lattice absorption are the dominant absorption mechanisms and either individually or in concert have considerable effect on the overall absorption coefficient of the silicon wafer. At high doping levels, partial transparency effects dissipate, and the substrate may be considered optically thick. A numerical model has been developed to examine partial transparency effects, and to compare lightly doped (partially transparent) and heavily doped (opaque) silicon wafers with a multilayer film structure during RTP.
Abstract 5172: Developing a lung metastasis gene signature using a lung tropism model in melanoma

A patient with metastatic melanoma has a 5-year survival rate of only 15%. As with most cancers, approximately 90% of fatalities are caused by metastatic spread of tumor cells to vital organs like the liver, lung, brain, bone, etc. Lung is one of the leading metastatic sites of melanoma at initial presentation, yet the mechanisms that lead to melanoma lung metastases are not well understood. For our study we have developed an in vivo ‘spontaneous lung-metastasis model’ using two human melanoma cell lines, UACC903 and C8161, with different genetic backgrounds. Parental melanoma cells were injected subcutaneously into nude mice. After the tumors reached the maximum allowable size of 1.5 cm, survival surgery was performed to remove the subcutaneous tumors and the animals were observed for an additional 4 weeks or until the animals appeared ill. The animals were sacrificed and lung metastases were surgically removed and re-cultured. The two new cell lines were designated as UACC903-LM and C8161-LM. This process was repeated using these new cell lines to obtain a second round of lung metastasizing lines we designated as UACC903-LMM and C8161-LMM. Using the parental and metastasizing cell lines we have been able to identify a lung metastasis gene signature using PCR array analysis, validated by PCR and Western Blot. This lung metastasis gene signature was further supported by the identification of increased expression of the same set of genes in lung metastasis as compared to primary tumors from patients with melanoma. We have also observed increased migration in metastasizing cell lines as compared to the parental lines using a trans-well migration assay with fetal bovine serum as chemo-attractant. CXCR-4 was one of gene products up-regulated in the metastasizing cell lines and the FDA-approved CXCR-4 antagonist, AMD-3100, inhibited trans-well migration of the metastasizing cell lines far more than parental cell lines. Our ongoing studies are examining the potential of inhibiting CXCR-4, and other gene products from our metastasis gene signature, as a therapeutic option in patients with advanced melanoma. Funding: NIH RO1-563057 Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Yu Wen, Maung Naing Lin Shan, Jiadong Li, James Goydos. Developing a lung metastasis gene signature using a lung tropism model in melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5172. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5172
Are nurses prepared to care for Black American patients in pain

Nurses and healthcare providers must be able to provide culturally responsive pain care. But without some basic knowledge and understanding of biopsychosocial-cultural issues that affect Black Americans’ pain experience, pain management can be complicated.Although pain is a common human experience, Black Ameri-cans experience greater disparities and inequities in pain assessment, management, and outcomes compared with White Americans and many other racial groups.
Classification Performance of Rank Aggregation Techniques for Ensemble Gene Selection.

A very promising tool for data mining and bioinformatics is ensemble gene (feature) selection. Ensemble feature selection is the process of performing multiple runs of feature selection and then aggregating the results into a final ranked list. However, a central question of ensemble feature selection is how to aggregate the individual results into a single ranked feature list. There are a number of techniques available, ranging from simple to complex; the question is which one to choose. This paper is a comprehensive study on the use of nine different rank aggregation techniques for building classification models to use gene microarray data for distinguishing between cancerous and non-cancerous cells (or between patients who did or did not respond well to cancer treatment). The techniques are tested using an ensemble with twenty-five feature selection techniques and fifty iterations along with eleven bioinformatics datasets and five learners. Our results show that Lowest Rank is the worst performing aggregation technique by a clear margin. The other techniques perform similarly well and a simple technique (e.g., Mean aggregation) is preferable due to computation time and the limited possible benefit of a more complex technique. To our knowledge there has never been a study this intensive on the classification abilities of rank aggregation techniques in the field
The effect of positive end-expiratory pressure on regional ventilation and perfusion in the normal and injured primate lung

Although positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is being employed in the management of respiratory insufficiency, many of its physiological effects remain undetermined. The cardiopulmonary effects of PEEP as well as its effect on regional ventilation and perfusion were studied in 10 baboons before and after pulmonary injury with oleic acid. In the normal lung, there was significant improvement in oxygenation at a PEEP of 5 cm. of water secondary to improved ventilation and perfusion in all PEEP greater than 5 cm. of water produced increasing mismatch of ventilation and perfusion in all zones. After oleic acid was injected, hypoxemia was evident with a reversal of the normal ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) relationship between upper and lower lung zones. This mismatch of ventilation and perfusion was corrected at a PEEP of 15 cm. of water. It was reasonable to conclude that the use of PEEP in the injured lung exerts its beneficial effect by balancing regional ventilation and perfusion in addition to increasing functional residual capacity.
MetaCRAST: reference-guided extraction of CRISPR spacers from unassembled metagenomes

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) systems are the adaptive immune systems of bacteria and archaea against viral infection. While CRISPRs have been exploited as a tool for genetic engineering, their spacer sequences can also provide valuable insights into microbial ecology by linking environmental viruses to their microbial hosts. Despite this importance, metagenomic CRISPR detection remains a major challenge. Here we present a reference-guided CRISPR spacer detection tool (Metagenomic CRISPR Reference-Aided Search Tool-MetaCRAST) that constrains searches based on user-specified direct repeats (DRs). These DRs could be expected from assembly or taxonomic profiles of metagenomes. We compared the performance of MetaCRAST to those of two existing metagenomic CRISPR detection tools-Crass and MinCED-using both real and simulated acid mine drainage (AMD) and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) metagenomes. Our evaluation shows MetaCRAST improves CRISPR spacer detection in real metagenomes compared to the de novo CRISPR detection methods Crass and MinCED. Evaluation on simulated metagenomes show it performs better than de novo tools for Illumina metagenomes and comparably for 454 metagenomes. It also has comparable performance dependence on read length and community composition, run time, and accuracy to these tools. MetaCRAST is implemented in Perl, parallelizable through the Many Core Engine (MCE), and takes metagenomic sequence reads and direct repeat queries (FASTA or FASTQ) as input. It is freely available for download at https://github.com/molleraj/MetaCRAST.
Preoperative Portal Vein Embolization

This section provides a comprehensive procedural report for preoperative portal vein embolization procedure with up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications and contraindications, and potential complications in an organized and practical format.
0.25/spl mu/m In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As/In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As/InAs/sub 0.3/P/sub 0.7/ composite channel HEMTs with an f/sub T/ of 115GHz

In this paper we report growth, fabrication and characterization of In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.4/sAs/In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As/InAs/sub 0.3/P/sub 0.7/ composite channel HEMTs with a gate length of 0.25 /spl mu/m. In comparison with InAlAs/InGaAs/InP composite channel HEMTs, these devices have better band structure for transferring electrons to the composite channel under high electric field, thus exhibit excellent DC and microwave performance with a peak extrinsic transconductance of 888.3 mS/mm, an f/sub T/ of 115 GHz, and an f/sub max/ of 137 GHz. To our knowledge, this is the first report of InAlAs/InGaAs/InAsP composite channel HEMTs. The f/sub T/ is the highest ever reported for any composite channel HEMTs with the same gate length.
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus: Molecular Biology

Arenaviruses merit significant attention both as tractable model systems to study acute and persistent viral infections, and as clinically important human pathogens. Several arenaviruses, including Lassa fever, cause hemorrhagic fever (HF) disease in humans, and evidence indicates that the worldwide distributed prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is a neglected human pathogen. In the absence of immunization or effective treatment, these agents pose a public health concern, and thereby it is important to develop effective vaccines and better antiviral drugs to combat arenavirus infections. The development of reverse genetics systems for arenaviruses is allowing investigators to conduct a detailed characterization of the viral cis-acting signals and trans-acting factors that control each of the steps of the arenavirus life cycle, including RNA synthesis, packaging, and budding. This new knowledge will contribute to a better understanding of the arenavirus molecular and cell biology, and will facilitate the establishment of novel assays to identify and characterize novel antiviral compounds capable of interfering with specific steps of the arenavirus life cycle. Likewise, the ability to generate predetermined specific mutations within the arenavirus genome, and analyze their phenotypic expression, would significantly contribute to the elucidation of arenavirus–host interactions, including the bases arenavirus persistence and associated disease, as well as to cause severe HF disease in humans. These approaches could also lead to the development of novel potent and safe arenavirus vaccines.
A new and improved algorithm for the quantification of chromatin condensation from microscopic data shows decreased chromatin condensation in regenerating axolotl limb cells

The nuclear landscape plays an important role in the regulation of tissue and positional specific genes in embryonic and developing cells. Changes in this landscape can be dynamic, and are associated with the differentiation of cells during embryogenesis, and the de-differentiation of cells during induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) formation and in many cancers. However, tools to quantitatively characterize these changes are limited, especially in the in vivo context, where numerous tissue types are present and cells are arranged in multiple layers. Previous tools have been optimized for the monolayer nature of cultured cells. Therefore, we present a new algorithm to quantify the condensation of chromatin in two in vivo systems. We first developed this algorithm to quantify changes in chromatin compaction and validated it in differentiating spermatids in zebrafish testes. Our algorithm successfully detected the typical increase in chromatin compaction as these cells differentiate. We then employed the algorithm to quantify the changes that occur in amphibian limb cells as they participate in a regenerative response. We observed that the chromatin in the limb cells de-compacts as they contribute to the regenerating organ. We present this new tool as an open sourced software that can be readily accessed and optimized to quantify chromatin compaction in complex multi-layered samples.
Extending the performance of quasiconformal lens transformations using geometrical optics principles

The advent of quasi-conformal Transformation Optics (qTO) has occurred in conjunction with a renewed interest in gradient-index (GRIN) optics. In fact, the application of qTO on optical design has generated GRIN optics that achieve performance behaviors previously unattainable with traditional GRIN design methodologies. While qTO-derived GRIN solutions have been shown to often possess exotic index variations, recent developments have allowed these solutions to be understood with classical geometrical optics principles. Moreover, by analyzing qTO-derived GRIN lens solutions with a geometrical optics-inspired framework, one can extend the performance of these solutions to achieve designs that better match that of their pre-transformation counterparts.
Patient and treatment factors associated with survival among pediatric glioblastoma patients: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results study.

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is a rare malignancy in children. The United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database allows large-scale analyses of clinical characteristics and prognostic features. We used it to study patients aged
Calibrating the Robertson’s Platoon Dispersion Model on a Coordinated Corridor with Advance Warning Flashers

Platoon dispersion (PD) is the foundation of traffic signal coordination in an urban traffic network. PD describes the phenomenon by which vehicles depart from an upstream intersection as a platoon and begin to disperse before they arrive at the downstream intersection. Recently, advance warning flashers (AWFs) have been applied in many high-speed corridors. There is a need to update the traditional PD model to include the effect of AWFs. This paper examines the traffic flow dispersion patterns when an AWF is present and tests the hypothesis that the AWF will affect PD on a coordinated signal corridor. Platoon vehicles, which are not affected by the operation of the AWF, are used for comparison. Results show that when the AWF effect is included in the PD model, the smoothing factor F of the Robertson’s PD model ranges from 0.11 to 0.13. This range is smaller than the smoothing factor without the AWF effect. The platoon arrival time coefficient β ranges from 0.777 to 0.819 with the AWF effect. This is appr...
Bringing Earthbags to the People – A New, Democratic Approach to Sustainable Building

Earthbag technology builds safe, appealing, and cost-effective structures out of ordinary soil. Stronger, cheaper, and less harmful to the environment than conventional building techniques like brick and cement, Earthbag technology is generally considered the most promising of sustainable building techniques. But despite widespread support among environmental groups and eco-builders, this method is shunned by governments and remains virtually unknown to everyday building professionals and the public. This paradigm, however, is changing in Nepal, where a catastrophic 2015 earthquake flattened much of the housing stock. Good Earth Nepal, a non-profit organization, has pioneered a three-pronged approach designed to overcome resistance to sustainable building and to, for the first time, make Earthbag technology accessible to the masses.
Image-Guided Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (IG-VMAT) for Prostate Cancer

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) remains the prevailing radiation treatment modality for localized prostate cancer. However, IMRT has three pronounced deficiencies: an elevated MU, a reduced MU-to-c-Gy coefficient, and the inability to track target motion. To address these issues, we have developed a novel radiation treatment technique, called the image-guided volumetric modulated radiation therapy (IG-VMAT) for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. In IG-VMAT approach, the image-guided target localization is achieved through point-based image registration using implanted gold-seed markers as a similarity measure, MU reduction is realized by using beam aperture-based inverse optimization, and the desired dose distribution is obtained through a synergistic modulation of MLC linear speed, temporal dose rate, and LINAC gantry angular speed. Our preliminary clinical data indicate that IG-VMAT can produce equal or better treatment plans than IMRT, reduce mean beam-on time by 45.8%, and achieve 1 mm accuracy in target localization.
Application of photoelasticity to a weld-penetration problem

The need for more information on the “initiation period” in fatigue tests of weld specimens with penetration defects is discussed and the literature which relates the elasticity stress-concentration factor and Irwin's stress-intensity factor is reviewed.
Features for the Detection of Flat Polyps in Colonoscopy Video

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States, with an estimated 140,000 new cases leading to 50,000 deaths this year. The best treatment is to detect and treat the cancer before it becomes invasive and spreads. The most common form of detection is the use of optical colonoscopy in which the clinician visually inspects the surface of the colon through an endoscope to detect the presence of polyps. Studies have shown that even the best clinicians will sometimes miss polyps, especially the more subtle flat polyps, and that many cancers that develop in the years immediately following a colonoscopy likely originate from missed polyps. In this paper we describe techniques for extracting several medically-driven features from colonoscopy video that can be used to detect the presence of flat polyps. Initial quantitative and qualitative results show that each of these features on their own provide some level of discrimination and, when combined, have the potential to support robust detection of flat polyps.
The Smart Black Box: A Value-Driven Automotive Event Data Recorder

Autonomous vehicles require reliable and resilient sensor suites and ongoing validation through fleet-wide data collection. This paper proposes a Smart Black Box (SBB) to augment traditional low-bandwidth data logging with value-driven high-bandwidth data capture. The SBB caches short-term data in buffers and determines the compression quality for each frame by optimizing the trade-off between data value and storage cost. With finite storage, prioritized data recording discards low-value buffers to make room for new data. This paper formulates SBB data compression decision making as a constrained multi-objective optimization problem with novel data filtering and value estimation metrics. A traffic simulator generates trajectories containing events of interest. SBB compression efficiency is assessed by comparing storage requirements with different compression quality levels and event capture ratios. Performance is evaluated by comparing results with a traditional first-in-first-out recording scheme.
360° ab-interno trabeculotomy in refractory primary open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) with 360° ab-interno trabeculotomy using the TRAB360 device as a stand-alone procedure in patients with refractory primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and preoperative IOP ≥18 mmHg. Setting This study evaluated patients treated in a tertiary-referral clinical practice setting. Design This study is a retrospective analysis of 81 eyes. Methods Patients with refractory open-angle glaucoma underwent stand-alone 360° ab-interno trabeculotomy using the TRAB360 device. Effectiveness was determined by reduction in medicated IOP and the use of medications from baseline. Safety was determined by the rate of adverse events and secondary surgical interventions. The time points assessed were baseline and postoperative day 1, week 1, and months 1, 3, 6, and 12. A subgroup analysis was performed on eyes with medicated preoperative IOP values of ≥25 mmHg. Results The reductions in IOP from 1 day to 12 months postoperatively were statistically significant compared to baseline values. The mean reduction in IOP at 12 months was 7.3±6.7 mmHg from baseline. At 12 months, 59% eyes achieved ≥20% reduction in IOP and IOP <18 mmHg with the same or fewer numbers of IOP-lowering medications compared with those at baseline. The mean number of IOP-lowering medications was reduced from 1.7±1.3 at baseline to 1.1±1.0 at 12 months. At 12 months, 67% of eyes with preoperative IOP values of ≥25 mmHg achieved ≥20% reduction in IOP and IOP <18 mmHg with the same or fewer numbers of IOP-lowering medications compared with those at baseline. The most common adverse event for all eyes was mild, transient hyphema (57 eyes). During the first year after the procedure, 20 (25%) eyes were considered failures since they required reinterventions. Conclusion Trabeculotomy using the TRAB360 device resulted in significant IOP reductions up to 1 year with a favorable safety profile. The device is an effective stand-alone MIGS procedure for patients with refractory POAG.
Cross-Coupling of Heteroatomic Electrophiles

At the advent of cross-coupling chemistry, carbon electrophiles based on halides or pseudohalides were the only suitable electrophilic coupling partners. Almost two decades passed before the first cross-coupling reaction of heteroatom-based electrophiles was reported. Early work by Murai and Tanaka initiated investigations into silicon electrophiles. Narasaka and Johnson pioneered the way in the use of nitrogen electrophiles, while Suginome began the exploration of boron electrophiles. The chemistry reviewed within provides perspective on the use of heteroatomic electrophiles, specifically silicon-, nitrogen-, boron-, oxygen-, and phosphorus-based electrophiles in transition-metal catalyzed cross-coupling. For the purposes of this review, a loose definition of cross-coupling is utilized; all reactions minimally proceed via an oxidative addition event. Although not cross-coupling in a traditional sense, we have also included catalyzed reactions that join a heteroatomic electrophile with an in situ generated nucleophile. However, for brevity, those involving hydroamination or C-H activation as a key step are largely excluded. This work includes primary references published up to and including October 2018.
Twin Pregnancy Complicated By Interlocking: A Case Report

Management of labor in multiple pregnancies is one of the most attracting subjects of obstetrics. Presentation of twin pairs is the major determinant of the route of deliv ery. In the past how to deliv er breech v ertex twin pairs was a conf licting decision. Anesthesia, technical difficulties and antibiotic options restricted the use of cesarean section. Under such circumstances ev en sacrif ication of one of the babies could be acceptable and thus mortality and morbidity was high. Recently we pref er the abdominal route f or delivery of breech vertex twins. Maternal morbidity is only slightly increased in cesarean sections when compared to vaginal deliv ery with the innovations of today. We now present a case of breech vertex twins which were interlocked during v aginal deliv ery and the f irst twin could be deliv ered up to the scapulas. The delivery of the first breech twin could be completed only after the abdominal deliv ery of the second v ertex twin. The babies both did very well in contrast to their difficult deliv ery. This condition presented a chance for us to rev iew the management of deliv ery of breech v ertex twin pairs in the literature and to present our own clinical experience.
An Ultrasensitive Colorimetric Biosensor for Copper Ion Detection

Copper ion is a type of micronutrients and plays important roles in metabolic processes of organisms. Copper ion can act as an essential cofactor of various enzymes such as nitrate reductase, cytochrome oxidase, and superoxide dismutase.
Modelling crushing crab predation on bivalve prey using finite element analysis

Amongst the many adaptive features of a bivalve shell, valve shape has been hypothesised to increase structural stability and to aid in withstanding crushing predation. Using Finite Element Analysi...
Radiotherapy dose and survival outcomes in human papillomavirus positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Objective To evaluate the effect of definitive radiotherapy dose on survival in patients with human papillomavirus positive oropharyngeal carcinoma. Methods Human papillomavirus positive oropharyngeal carcinoma patients staged T1–3 and N0–2c, who received definitive radiotherapy (fraction sizes of 180 cGy to less than 220 cGy), were identified from the National Cancer Database 2010–2014 and stratified by radiation dose (50 Gy to less than 66 Gy, or 66 Gy or more). Results A total of 2173 patients were included, of whom 124 (6 per cent) received a radiation dose of 50 Gy to less than 66 Gy. With a median follow up of 33.8 months, patients had a 3-year overall survival rate of 88.6 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval = 87.1–90.1 per cent). On multivariate Cox analysis, a radiotherapy dose of 50 Gy to less than 66 Gy (hazard ratio = 0.95, 95 per cent confidence interval = 0.52–1.74, p = 0.86) was not a predictor of increased mortality risk. Conclusion Human papillomavirus positive oropharyngeal carcinoma patients had excellent outcomes with definitive radiotherapy doses of 50 Gy to less than 66 Gy. These results further support patients enrolling into clinical trials for radiation dose de-escalation.
Incarceration exposure and electronic cigarette use during pregnancy: Findings from the pregnancy risk assessment monitoring system, 2016-2018.

Abstract Smoking during pregnancy is a serious public health concern that poses risks for maternal and infant health. Considering the rise of electronic cigarette use in recent years, there is also growing concern about electronic cigarette use during pregnancy. Recent research has begun to explore correlates of electronic cigarette use among pregnant women. While research has revealed a strong connection between incarceration and smoking, scholars have yet to examine the connection between a woman's exposure to incarceration in the year prior to birth – either personally or vicariously through her husband or partner – and prenatal electronic cigarette use. The current study uses data from 74,554 recent mothers from the 2016–2018 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess the association between incarceration exposure and electronic cigarette use. The findings indicate a robust association between incarceration exposure and electronic cigarette use during pregnancy. Specifically, analyses demonstrate that incarceration-exposed women were approximately 2.7 times (AOR = 2.699, 95% CI = 1.939, 3.755) as likely to use electronic cigarettes after adjusting for a host of demographic, economic, health, and pregnancy related characteristics. Additional analyses reveal this association remains after accounting for conventional cigarette use during pregnancy. Considering the potential harmful health ramifications for electronic cigarette use during pregnancy, these findings suggest a need for interventions targeting electronic cigarette use among incarceration-exposed populations and point to electronic cigarette use among pregnant women in particular as an important area of focus for both criminal justice and public health practitioners.
Taste in the brain is encoded by sensorimotor state changes

Taste coding theories in the central nervous system have largely been based on those derived from peripheral structures. Two of these, the labeled line and across unit pattern theories, have both been applied to taste-related structures in the brain, with disappointing results. Recent work has underscored the influence of sensory modalities other than taste in every brain region in the gustatory pathway. In addition, neurons appear to track taste-related behavior, suggesting that the taste system is essentially sensorimotor, rather than exclusively sensory. Thus, when food enters the mouth, neural activity in taste-related structures across the brain is coordinated by its multimodal sensory and taste-driven motor components. This widespread alignment of activity can be thought of as a sensory acquisition ‘state’ that can be influenced by metabolic and attentional variables while maintaining the core purpose of the system, that is, to identify and consume food.
The Galactic Environment of the Ne VIII Absorber Toward HE0226 – 4110

We report the discovery of a small galaxy system in the vicinity of the Ne VIII absorber at z = 0.20701 toward HE0226 – 4110. The galaxy system consists of two 0.25 L * disk galaxies and a 0.05 L * galaxy all within Δ v < 300 km s–1 and ρ ≤ 200 h –1 physical kpc of the absorber. We consider various scenarios for the origin of the Ne VIII absorption, including photo-ionized gas from an active galactic nucleus, a starburst-driven wind, a hot intragroup medium, hot gas in a galaxy halo, and a conductive front produced by cool clouds moving at high speed through a hot medium. We argue that the conductive front scenario is most likely responsible for producing the Ne VIII feature, because it is consistent with the observed galactic environment around the absorber and because it naturally explains the multi-phase nature of the gas and the kinematic signatures of the absorption profiles. Although our preferred scenario suggests that Ne VIII may not be directly probing the warm-hot intergalactic medium, it does imply the existence of an extended hot confining medium around a disk galaxy that may contain a significant reservoir of baryons in the form of hot gas.
Archives and the Labor of Building Feminist Theory: An Interview with Sharon Davenport

This article traces the labor of archiving the papers of the Third World Women’s Alliance (TWWA)--a multiracial women’s organization that grew out of the Civil Rights/Black Power movements and maintained active chapters in NYC and the Bay Area during the 1970s. By focusing on the labor of archiving, I take a lead from the methodologies of social-movement scholars in rhetoric and writing who orient to the behind-the-scenes labor of organizing, and the everyday textual labor of building movements and preserving movement histories (Leon; Monberg). My embodied experiences as a cross-disciplinary teacher/scholar of rhetoric and composition and women’s and gender studies, and organizer who prioritizes behind-the-scenes, feminized labor like internal document preparation and childcare—orient me to the labor that scaffolds more public-facing work like publishing theory and speaking publicly. Drawing on an interview with Sharon Davenport, who processed the TWWA’s archives, this article situates archiving as indispensable, feminized, and often-invisible labor that builds the context for feminist writing, theorizing, and teaching in institutions of higher education.
Insight into the chemistry of TNT during shock compression through ultrafast absorption spectroscopies

Thin films of trinitrotoluene (TNT) were shock compressed using the ultrafast laser shock apparatus at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Visible (VIS) and mid-infrared (MIR) transient absorption spectroscopies were simultaneously performed to probe for electronic and vibrational changes during shock compression of TNT. Three shock pressures (16 GPa, 33 GPa, and 45 GPa) were selected to observe no reaction, incipient reaction, and strongly developed reactions for TNT within the experimental time scale of <250 ps. Negligible absorption changes in MIR or VIS absorptions were observed at 16 GPa. At 33 GPa, MIR absorptions in the 3000 cm−1–4000 cm−1 range were observed to increase during the shock and continue to increase during the rarefaction, in contrast to the VIS absorption measurements, which increased during the shock and almost fully recovered during rarefaction. At 45 GPa, both VIS and MIR absorptions were strong and irreversible. The intense and spectrally broad MIR absorptions were attributed to short lived intermediates with strong, spectrally broad absorptions that dominate the spectral response. The MIR and VIS absorption changes observed at 33 GPa and 45 GPa were credited to shock induced chemistry, most likely including the formation of a very broad hydrogenic stretch feature. The results from these experiments are consistent with the chemical mechanisms that include O–H or N–H formation such as CH3 oxidation or C–N homolysis.
Longitudinal and Panel Data: Analysis and Applications in the Social Sciences

This focuses on models and data that arise from repeated observations of a cross-section of individuals, households or companies. These models have found important applications within business, economics, education, political science and other social science disciplines. The author introduces the foundations of longitudinal and panel data analysis at a level suitable for quantitatively oriented graduate social science students as well as individual researchers. He emphasizes mathematical and statistical fundamentals but also describes substantive applications from across the social sciences, showing the breadth and scope that these models enjoy. The applications are enhanced by real-world data sets and software programs in SAS and Stata.