cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Invasive urothelial carcinoma: diagnosis and staging on turbt

Invasive urothelial carcinoma is usually readily recognised, but the complex microanatomy of the urinary bladder often makes staging difficult in biopsy specimens. We will discuss recent studies describing heterogeneity in the musculature of the bladder and how this data may be applied to staging in difficult cases. Subtle morphologic variants of invasive urothelial carcinoma mimicking benign conditions (such as nested, tubular, and microcystic) will also be covered, as well as aggressive forms of urothelial carcinoma with potential therapeutic implications (micropapillary and small cell). Finally, we will discuss reporting of urothelial carcinomas in transurethral biopsy specimens with emphasis on what urologists need to know.
1D n–p Heterojunctions of Zinc Oxide on Gallium Nitride: A Structural Characterization

Recently, we showed lateral growth of ZnO nanowires and nanowalls on single crystal GaN and formation of bi- and tridirectional assembly of nanowires and nanowalls using a surface-directed vapor–liquid–solid process (SVLS). Taking advantage of this growth technique, planar arrays of electrically addressable n–p heterojunctions were fabricated. Each n–p heterojunction is formed at the interface of a nanowire or nanowall with the underlying substrate. In the present work, we further investigated the coherency of the crystal structure of the heterojunctions both along their width and length using focused-ion beam microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). We explain the anisotropic growth of ZnO in multi directions using a SVLS mechanism, whereas conventional crystal growth techniques only anticipate an isotropic island formation of ZnO on GaN. During the SVLS process, a ZnO nanocrystal forms inside a Au nanodroplet, and elongates via a sequential ZnO island formation during whi...
MR detection of brain iron

PURPOSE To provide further quantitative studies concerning the relationship with age between regional brain iron and T2 shortening. METHODS a) Quantitative T2 calculations of eight anatomic regions (red nucleus, substantia nigra, dentate nucleus, corpus callosum, caudate, putamen, temporal lobe white matter, and frontal lobe white matter) from T2-weighted spin-echo images were performed in 60 patients aged newborn to 35 years. b) Quantitative brain iron concentrations were obtained in six of the eight anatomic regions (red nucleus, substantia nigra, dentate nucleus, corpus callosum, cauda, and putamen) using 13 autopsied brains (newborn to 78 years). Brain tissue from these six regions was digested with 0.6 N HCl-2.5% wt/vol KMnO4 for 2 hours at 60 degrees C. After centrifugation, 0.1 mL of an iron-chelating reagent (2 mol/L ascorbic acid, 5 mol/L ammonium acetate, 6.5 nmol/L ferrozine, 13.1 mmol/L neocuprine) was added and the absorbance was measured at 562 nm/L and compared with a standard curve with ferric chloride. c) The in vivo iron concentrations in tissue that were obtained were reproduced in four test tube phantom studies with ferric ammonium sulfate or ferrous ammonium sulfate dissolved in either deionized water or 5% agarose. T2 calculations of the phantoms were made with a single-section multiple repetition time, multiple echo time acquisition. RESULTS a) Clinical T2 calculations--all eight anatomic regions showed a decrease with age in T2 value, beginning shortly after birth. During the first three decades, the T2 shortening was most significant in the region of substantia nigra. b) Quantitative brain iron--five anatomic regions but not the corpus callosum demonstrated an age-related increase in brain iron (1449.6 nmol/g for the red nucleus versus 261.8 nmol/g for the corpus callosum). c) T2 effect of iron in vitro--both the ferric and ferrous iron phantoms showed a decreased T2 value in the in vivo concentration range of iron obtained from the postmortem studies. The T2 shortening was most marked for the ferric phantoms. CONCLUSION There is an age-related accumulation of iron in five regions of the brain, correlating with an associated decrease in T2 value that can be demonstrated in iron phantoms. Brain iron appears to contribute to the progressive decrease of T2 signal that occurs with aging.
Memorial Statues, Art Markets and Museums: The Morality Chain of the Global Trade in African Cultural Property

Borrowing from recent economic commodity chains literature, this paper describes what I call the morality chain of cultural objects as they move from Africa to the United States (US) as part of the global traffic in art/artifacts. It does so by focusing upon the removal  usually by theft -- and global marketing of memorial statues (vigango) erected by the Mijikenda peoples of East Africa, more than 400 of which are now located in US museums. / Using two unusually well-documented statues whose theft from Kenya I recorded in 1985, to their discovery in two US museums 15 years later, I examine the moral constructs surrounding each of the parties involved in transactions with these statues. I conclude that the morality of each transaction is dubious at best, but the outcome -- deposition in and display by public museums -- is regarded by the US public as an unquestioned and untainted moral good. Like Parker Shiptons descriptions of the processes by which Luo interpret money as bitter or clean, so does a process that begins with the immoral act of stealing become laundered by the multiple transactions through which these statues are propelled around the world. Stripped by theft of their suprahuman moral qualities and reduced by dealers to mere commodities, once they come to rest in public museums, the sacred aura of these rare forms of East African art is resurrected and their donors celebrated as moral, generous and charitable citizens. /
Just Friends: The Ethics of (Postmodern) Relationships

Just Friends… Is it possible to be just friends? Who are just friends and who are not? Are just friends only friends if there is something more to it? The friends who are only friends are they friends because they have decided that they shall be nothing more – no love relation, no special interest, no intrigue – just friends? Or are they just friends because if there were anything more, then their relation might not be the kind of trust that would arise were they “really true friends?” Or are they just friends because there is a justice to their friendship – and hence a kind of friendship that resides elsewhere than in some decision effected by two or more persons. In this article I will discuss: I. Justice without Friendship; II. Friendship without Justice; III. The Justice of Friendship (a. Modern Friends – With Justice and Liberty for All; b. The Justice of Postmodern Friendships)
Stability and Frequency Response Under Stochastic Communication Delays With Applications to Connected Cruise Control Design

In this paper we investigate connected cruise control in which vehicles rely on ad hoc wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communication to control their longitudinal motion. Intermittencies and packet drops in communication channels are shown to introduce stochastic delays in the feedback loops. Sufficient conditions for almost sure stability of equilibria are derived by analyzing the mean and covariance dynamics. In addition, the concept of nσ string stability is proposed to characterize the input-output response in steady state. The stability results are summarized using stability charts in the plane of the control gains and we demonstrate that the stable regimes shrink when the sampling time or the packet drop ratio increases. The mathematical tools developed allow us to design controllers that can achieve plant stability and string stability in connected vehicle systems despite the presence of stochastically varying delays in the control loop.
A large eagle (Aves, Accipitridae) from the early Miocene of Panama

We report the first Tertiary bird fossil from Central America, an ungual phalanx from a large, unknown genus and species of Accipitridae from the early Miocene Centenario Fauna, Panama. This specimen provides another example of a Neogene bird from North and Central America with its possible closest living relatives occurring today in Africa. In contrast, there is no evidence of African affinities among the reptile or mammal fossils from the Centenario Fauna.
The Coat Protein and NIa Protease of Two Potyviridae Family Members Independently Confer Superinfection Exclusion

ABSTRACT Superinfection exclusion (SIE) is an antagonistic virus-virus interaction whereby initial infection by one virus prevents subsequent infection by closely related viruses. Although SIE has been described in diverse viruses infecting plants, humans, and animals, its mechanisms, including involvement of specific viral determinants, are just beginning to be elucidated. In this study, SIE determinants encoded by two economically important wheat viruses, Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus, family Potyviridae) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV; genus Poacevirus, family Potyviridae), were identified in gain-of-function experiments that used heterologous viruses to express individual virus-encoded proteins in wheat. Wheat plants infected with TriMV expressing WSMV P1, HC-Pro, P3, 6K1, CI, 6K2, NIa-VPg, or NIb cistrons permitted efficient superinfection by WSMV expressing green fluorescent protein (WSMV-GFP). In contrast, wheat infected with TriMV expressing WSMV NIa-Pro or coat protein (CP) substantially excluded superinfection by WSMV-GFP, suggesting that both of these cistrons are SIE effectors encoded by WSMV. Importantly, SIE is due to functional WSMV NIa-Pro or CP rather than their encoding RNAs, as altering the coded protein products by minimally changing RNA sequences led to abolishment of SIE. Deletion mutagenesis further revealed that elicitation of SIE by NIa-Pro requires the entire protein while CP requires only a 200-amino-acid (aa) middle fragment (aa 101 to 300) of the 349 aa. Strikingly, reciprocal experiments with WSMV-mediated expression of TriMV proteins showed that TriMV CP, and TriMV NIa-Pro to a lesser extent, likewise excluded superinfection by TriMV-GFP. Collectively, these data demonstrate that WSMV- and TriMV-encoded CP and NIa-Pro proteins are effectors of SIE and that these two proteins trigger SIE independently of each other. IMPORTANCE Superinfection exclusion (SIE) is an antagonistic virus-virus interaction that prevents secondary invasions by identical or closely related viruses in the same host cells. Although known to occur in diverse viruses, SIE remains an enigma in terms of key molecular determinants and action mechanisms. In this study, we found that Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) encode two independently functioning cistrons that serve as effectors of SIE at the protein but not the RNA level. The coat protein and NIa-Pro encoded by these two viruses, when expressed from a heterologous virus, exerted SIE to the cognate viruses. The identification of virus-encoded effectors of SIE and their transgenic expression could potentially facilitate the development of virus-resistant crop plants. Additionally, functional conservation of SIE in diverse virus groups suggests that a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of SIE could facilitate the development of novel antiviral therapies against viral diseases.
Electrodeposition of Cobalt for Interconnect Application: Effect of Dimethylglyoxime

The effect of dimethylglyoxime on Co electrodeposition was investigated with cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, quartz microbalance as well as electrochemical impedance. A potential dependent suppression effect was observed at low potential with a breakdown of the suppression at high potential, resulting in a hysteresis in CV. The addition of dimethylglyoxime not only causes a fast and strong suppression in potential transients but also modifies the impedance spectra. Additional capacitive loops and inductance loops emerged depending on the applied potential, suggesting a competitive adsorption between different surface adsorbed intermediates. A relaxation of suppression effect was observed in absence of agitation and a strong suppression was re-established upon agitation. A reverse relation between Co deposition rate and rotation rate was observed when the rotation rate is below a critical value, providing a path to enable the preferential deposition at the bottom of a small damascene feature.
Habitual aerobic exercise does not protect against micro- or macrovascular endothelial dysfunction in healthy estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women.

This is the first study to demonstrate that habitual aerobic exercise may not protect against age/menopause-related whole forearm microvascular endothelial dysfunction in healthy nonobese estrogen-...
Faster variance computation for patterns with gaps

Determining whether a pattern is statistically overrepresented or underrepresented in a string is a fundamental primitive in computational biology and in large-scale text mining. We study ways to speed up the computation of the expectation and variance of the number of occurrences of a pattern with rigid gaps in a random string. Our contributions are twofold: first, we focus on patterns in which groups of characters from an alphabet Σ can occur at each position. We describe a way to compute the exact expectation and variance of the number of occurrences of a pattern w in a random string generated by a Markov chain in O(|w|2) time, improving a previous result that required O(2|w|) time. We then consider the problem of computing expectation and variance of the motifs of a string s in an iid text. Motifs are rigid gapped patterns that occur at least twice in s, and in which at most one character from Σ occurs at each position. We study the case in which s is given offline, and an arbitrary motif w of s is queried online. We relate computational complexity to the structure of w and s, identifying sets of motifs that are amenable to o(|w|log|w|) time online computation after O(|s|3) preprocessing of s. Our algorithms lend themselves to efficient implementations.
A Setback to Universal Pediatric Lipid Screening and a Call for More Research

In 2011, a report published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on pediatric cardiovascular health and risk reduction put forth a recommendation for universal lipid screening in children and adolescents between the ages of 9 and 11 (1). Although the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Lipid Association, and the American Heart Association have supported this recommendation, there has been substantial debate questioning this approach. Fuel was added to the fire in this debate when in August of this year the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a report on childhood dyslipidemia, concluding there is insufficient evidence either in support of or against universal lipid screening in children and adolescents (2). A recent article published in Science entitled “Cholesterol screening for kids …
Determinants of the impact of blood pressure variability on neurological outcome after acute ischaemic stroke

Introduction Increased blood pressure variability (BPV) is detrimental after acute ischaemic stroke, but the interaction between BPV and neuroimaging factors that directly influence stroke outcome has not been explored. Methods We retrospectively reviewed inpatients from 2007 to 2014 with acute anterior circulation ischaemic stroke, CT perfusion and angiography at hospital admission, and a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 30–365 days after stroke onset. BPV indices included SD, coefficient of variation and successive variation of the systolic blood pressure between 0 and 120 hours after admission. Ordinal logistic regression models were fitted to mRS with predictor variables of BPV indices. Models were further stratified by CT perfusion volumetric measurements, proximal vessel occlusion and collateral score. Results 110 patients met the inclusion criteria. The likelihood of a 1-point rise in the mRS increased with every 10 mm Hg increase in BPV (OR for the 3 BPV indices ranged from 2.27 to 5.54), which was more pronounced in patients with larger ischaemic core volumes (OR 8.37 to 18.0) and larger hypoperfused volumes (OR 6.02 to 15.4). This association also held true for patients with larger mismatch volume, proximal vessel occlusion and good collateral vessels. Conclusions These results indicate that increased BPV is associated with worse neurological outcome after stroke, particularly in patients with a large lesion core volume, concurrent viable ischaemic penumbra, proximal vessel occlusion and good collaterals. This subset of patients, who are often not candidates for or fail acute stroke therapies such as intravenous tissue plasminogen activator or endovascular thrombectomy, may benefit from interventions aimed at reducing BPV.
Effects of Aging on the Oral Phase of Deglutition

Swallowing is a highly complex activity that requires the sensorimotor integration and coordination of multiple anatomic structures, muscles, nerves and the brain. All of these functional components go through healthy chronologically-related anatomical and physiological changes as people age. The present chapter aims to focus on the aging changes that occur in primarily, but not solely, oral components of the swallowing process, highlighting the crucial role of the oral cavity in the initial stages of the swallowing mechanism and process. The oral components of normal deglutition are described in detail followed by a comprehensive summary of all the known motor, taste, sensory and neural changes affecting the oral swallow in healthy elders. Although these changes appear to be modest and to occur slowly and insidiously in most elders, at times they may signify reductions in the swallowing functional reserve capacity and endurance, increasing their vulnerability to dysphagia and airway invasion secondary to disease and environmental complications. Understanding these changes and their underlying peripheral and central mechanisms is necessary in finding solutions to treat and even prevent certain conditions.
EFFECT OF BIVALIRUDIN VERSUS UNFRACTIONATED HEPARIN IN TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT WITH SELF-EXPANDING VALVES: FROM THE BRAVO-3 RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Background: Selection of valve and sheath type may impact on procedural complications in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Whether bivalirudin (BIV) reduces bleeding compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) specifically with self-expanding (SE) TAVR is unknown. We sought to compare
A GIS Tool for Applying Habitat Suitability Models to Inform Management (Poster)

The spatial and temporal availability of grizzly bear foods influences bear health and reproduction and is likely to change with the changing climate. Even short-term shortages of bear foods may increase bear movements into human settlements and the potential for conflicts, which may lead to increased bear mortality. However, climate drivers of bear food availability are poorly understood and few resources are available for long-term monitoring at a spatial scale to adequately connect food availability to climate. We are proposing to evaluate citizen science as a potential mechanism for researching and monitoring relationships of multiple bear food sources with climate change. We have several questions and are seeking input: 1) How much interest is there among various groups (e.g., Glacier National Park visitors, Salish tribal members, Blackfeet tribal members, backcountry horsemen, naturalists, conservation group members) in collecting these kinds of data? 2) What are the best protocols for citizen scientists to measure bear food availability across the ecosystem? 3) What would the ongoing costs be for coordinating a citizen science program? We will discuss several ideas for which we are seeking pilot project funding that will help to answer these questions, including 1) a geocaching app that would initially target park visitors and school programs to collect huckleberry phenology and berry abundance data, and 2) multiple ways to engage citizens in using National Phenology Network protocols.
Geoinformatics for Disaster Risk Assessment, Monitoring, and Management

Over the past years, there has been a shift in focus from “disaster recovery and response” to “risk management and mitigation,” and the use of geoinformatics has become an integrated, well-developed, and successful tool in disaster risk management. Geoinformatics technologies include communication and information technologies coupled with geographic information systems, or GIS, GPS, and remote sensing. There are many technologies that can be used to facilitate mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery when dealing with natural disasters due to climate issues. However, the most effective programs will require coordination, cooperation, and communication. Technologies are developing rapidly while costs are falling, and disaster relief efforts stand to benefit.
Enzymatic Synthesis of Cytidine Diphosphate 3,6-Dideoxyhexoses I. OVER-ALL REACTIONS

Abstract The following reactions which lead to formation of a 3,6-dideoxyhexose have been described in the five known serotypes of Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis: formation of cytidine diphosphate d-glucose from CTP and α-d-glucose 1-phosphate, formation of CDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-glucose from CDP-d-glucose, and conversion of CDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-glucose to CDP-3,6-dideoxyhexose. The dideoxyhexose synthesized enzymatically in these pathways (paratose in Types I and III, abequose in Type II, tyvelose in Type IV, or ascarylose in Type V) was in each case the same as that which is found in the lipopolysaccharide of the smooth strain. A rough mutant of Type I lacked CDP-d-glucose oxidoreductase. This pathway was also found in several strains of Salmonella.
Therapeutic Ultrasound and Prostate Cancer

Therapeutic ultrasound approaches including high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) are emerging as popular minimally invasive alternative treatments for localized, low-to-intermediate risk prostate cancer. FDA approval was recently granted for two ultrasound-guided HIFU devices. Clinical trials for devices using MRI guidance are ongoing. The current level of evidence for whole-gland ultrasound ablation suggests that its clinical efficacy and adverse event rates including erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence are similar to current definitive therapies such as radical prostatectomy and external-beam radiotherapy. Short-term data suggest that more focal therapy could reduce the rates of adverse events.
Measurement Techniques for Radio Frequency Nanoelectronics

Connect basic theory with real-world applications with this practical, cross-disciplinary guide to radio frequency measurement of nanoscale devices and materials.Learn the techniques needed for characterizing the performance of devices and their constituent building blocks, including semiconducting nanowires, graphene, and other two dimensional materials such as transition metal dichalcogenidesGain practical insights into instrumentation, including on-wafer measurement platforms and scanning microwave microscopyDiscover how measurement techniques can be applied to solve real-world problems, in areas such as passive and active nanoelectronic devices, semiconductor dopant profiling, subsurface nanoscale tomography, nanoscale magnetic device engineering, and broadband, spatially localized measurements of biological materialsFeaturing numerous practical examples, and written in a concise yet rigorous style, this is the ideal resource for researchers, practicing engineers, and graduate students new to the field of radio frequency nanoelectronics.
Burkholderia sacchari DSM 17165: A source of compositionally-tunable block-copolymeric short-chain poly(hydroxyalkanoates) from xylose and levulinic acid.

Abstract Burkholderia sacchari was used to produce poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate block copolymers from xylose and levulinic acid. Levulinic acid was the preferred substrate resulting in 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) contents as high as 95 mol% at 24 h. The 3HB:3HV ratios were controlled by the initial levulinic acid media concentration and fermentation length. Higher levulinic acid concentrations and longer durations, resulted in polymers with two glass transition temperatures, each approximating those associated with poly-3HB and poly-3HV. 13C NMR confirmed the presence of high concentrations of 3HB-3HB and 3HV-3HV homopolymeric dyads, while mass spectrometry of the partial hydrolysis products did not conform to Bernoullian statistics for randomness, confirming block sequences. MS/MS analysis of specific oligomers showed the mass-loss of 86 amu (a 3HB unit) and 100 amu (a 3HV unit) attesting to some randomness within the polymers. This study verifies the potential for producing Poly-3HB-block-3HV copolymers from inexpensive biorenewable feedstocks without sequential addition of carbon sources.
Setting Acceptable Risk Levels for Astronauts

The permissible exposure levels (PELs) for radiation exposure that NASA sets for its astronauts are meant to prevent inflight risks and to limit risk to a level that is acceptable from an ethical, moral, and financial standpoint. In the 1960s and 1970s, PELs were set based on recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences. In the 1980s, more data on radiation exposure had been accumulated, and NASA asked the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) to re-assess the dose limits for astronauts working in LEO. This re-assessment culminated in the NCRP Report No. 98, published in 1989, which recommended age and gender career dose limits that applied a 3% increase in cancer mortality as a risk limit.
Thin metal-dielectric nanocomposites with a negative index of refraction

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on simple and intuitive ways of designing negative index metamaterials (NIMs). The chapter discusses the way in which one can unambiguously retrieve the effective refractive index of a given thin nanostructured layer from data accessible to measurements, and reveals difficulties in cascading individual layers in a bulk material. Various approaches to new design outlines, which are making active use of localized plasmonic effects, are also presented in the chapter. It also demonstrates an impedance-matched design to suppress reflection. It shows intuitive ways of designing NIMs where efficient magnetic resonators, which are used to provide the required negative permeability, are combined with bulk or semicontinuous metal elements to provide the necessary permittivity. The combined multilayered structure requires additional optimization due to the interaction of the elementary layers of periodic metal–dielectric composite with metallic strips. Numerical simulations show that a composite material comprising silver strips and a gain providing material can simultaneously have a negative refractive index and a 100% transmission.
Semantic and Reasoning Systems for Cities and Citizens

The Semantic Web is finally leaving the lab. In this article, we examine some practical, industry-oriented Semantic Web systems and discuss the costs and benefits on this disruptive technology. We focus on applications for cities and citizens and present a set of key challenges and solutions made possible using semantics at scale. When applicable, we report on the differentiating factors for Semantic Technologies, showcasing their unique capabilities, as well as the cost of this paradigm shift.
The development of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic achievement gaps during the school years

Abstract Although a large body of research has documented racial/ethnic gaps in academic achievement at school entry, less is known about the interaction between race and poverty as achievement gaps develop. This study examined developmental trends in academic achievement gaps between poverty and race/ethnicity groups from school entry to middle school using two large longitudinal data sets. We used time-varying effect modeling (TVEM) to estimate how the associations among race/ethnicity, poverty status, and math and reading achievement vary across continuous age from age 5 to age 15. Poor White students consistently outperformed poor Black and poor Hispanic students, with gaps widening around ages 7–8. Furthermore, we found that within-group variation increased across time, which indicated that a standardized difference in later grades translates to a larger difference in knowledge in later grades. The results highlight the importance of studying race and poverty in interaction when measuring achievement gaps.
Framework for the co-registration of MRI and histology images in prostate cancer patients with radical prostatectomy

Prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows the detection and treatment planning of clinically significant cancers. However, indolent cancers, e.g., those with Gleason scores 3+3, are not readily distinguishable on MRI. Thus an image-guided biopsy is still required before proceeding with a radical treatment for aggressive tumors or considering active surveillance for indolent disease. The excision of the prostate as part of radical prostatectomy treatments provides a unique opportunity to correlate whole-mount histology slices with MRI. Through a careful spatial alignment of histology slices and MRI, the extent of aggressive and indolent disease can be mapped on MRI which allows one to investigate MRI-derived features that might be able to distinguish aggressive from indolent cancers. Here, we introduce a framework for the 3D spatial integration of radiology and pathology images in the prostate. Our approach, first, uses groupwise-registration methods to reconstruct the histology specimen prior to sectioning, and incorporates the MRI as a spatial constraint, and, then, performs a multi-modal 3D affine and deformable alignment between the reconstructed histology specimen and the MRI. We tested our approach on 15 studies and found a Dice similarity coefficient of 0.94±0.02 and a urethra deviation of 1.11±0.34 mm between the histology reconstruction and the MRI. Our robust framework successfully mapped the extent of disease from histology slices on MRI and created ground truth labels for characterizing aggressive and indolent disease on MRI.
STERN, Matthew B.: Pennsylvania/USA

Matthew B. Stern, MD, is the Parker Family Professor Emeritus of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Director Emeritus of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center.
Association Between Warfarin Control Metrics and Atrial Fibrillation Outcomes in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation.

Importance Bleeding and thrombotic events (eg, stroke and systemic embolism) are common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) taking warfarin sodium despite a well-established therapeutic range. Objective To evaluate whether history of therapeutic warfarin control in patients with AF is independently associated with subsequent bleeding or thrombotic events. Design, Setting, and Participants In this multicenter cohort study of 176 primary care, cardiology, and electrophysiology clinics in the United States, data were obtained during 51 830 visits among 10 137 patients with AF in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT-AF) Registry; 5545 patients treated with warfarin were included in the bleeding analysis, and 5635 patients were included in the thrombotic event analysis. Patient follow-up was performed from June 29, 2010, to November 30, 2014. Data analysis was performed from August 4, 2016, to February 15, 2019. Exposures Multiple measures of warfarin control within the preceding 6 months were analyzed: time in therapeutic range of 2.0 to 3.0, most recent international normalized ratio (INR), percentage of time that a patient had interpolated INR values less than 2.0 or greater than 3.0, INR variance, INR range, and percentage of INR values in therapeutic range. Main Outcomes and Measures Association of INR measures, alone or in combination, with clinical factors and risk for thrombotic events and bleeding during the subsequent 6 months was assessed post hoc using logistic regression models. Results A total of 5545 patients (mean [SD] age, 74.5 [9.8] years; 3184 [57.4%] male) with AF were included in the major bleeding analysis and 5635 patients (mean [SD] age, 74.5 [9.8] years; 3236 [57.4%] male) in the thrombotic event analysis. During a median follow-up of 1.5 years (interquartile range, 1.0-2.5 years), there were 339 major bleeds (6.1%) and 51 strokes (0.9%). Multiple metrics of warfarin control were individually associated with subsequent bleeding. After adjustment for clinical bleeding risk, 3 measures—time in therapeutic range (per 1-SD increase ≤55: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02-1.32), variation in INR values (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.19-1.47), and maximum INR (aOR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.10-1.31)—remained associated with bleeding risk. Adding INR variance to a clinical risk model slightly increased the C statistic from 0.68 to 0.69 and had a net reclassification improvement index of 0.028 (95% CI, −0.029 to 0.067). No INR measures were associated with subsequent stroke risk. Conclusions and Relevance Three metrics of prior warfarin control were associated with bleeding risk but only marginally more so than traditional clinical factors. This study did not identify any measures of INR control that were significantly associated with stroke risk.
Diffuse correlation spectroscopy for intracranial pressure estimation through cardiac pulse waveform analysis

Measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) is typically a highly invasive procedure, in which a ventricular catheter or pressure sensor is placed into the brain. To improve the availability of ICP measurements in non-intensive care patients and research and to reduce the invasiveness and underlying risks of ICP sensing, we developed a non-invasive method to measure ICP with Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS) and machine learning. ICP baseline changes were induced in non-human primates (Macaca mulatta) through adjusting the height of a saline reservoir connected to the lateral ventricle via a catheter. ICP was precisely measured with an invasive parenchymal pressure sensor. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured with DCS. The DCS system was operated by a software correlator able to resolve cardiac pulse waves at a sampling rate of 100Hz. To increase signal-to-noise ratio, multiple cardiac pulse waves in CBF were averaged based on systolic peak maximum in invasively measured arterial blood pressure. We hypothesized that the cerebral blood flow pulse waves will change their shape with increasing ICP. The shape of the curve was expressed in numerical features and passed into a regression forest training algorithm. Preliminary results show successful prediction of underlying ICP baselines by the decision forest in one animal. The prediction of non-invasive ICP was achieved with a sampling rate of 1 Hz, an equivalent of about 120 averaged pulses. A larger data set for increased generalizability is the next step to push this approach further.
CFIR simplified: Pragmatic application of and adaptations to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) for evaluation of a patient-centered care transformation within a learning health system.

Introduction The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) is a commonly used implementation science framework to facilitate design, evaluation, and implementation of evidence-based interventions. Its comprehensiveness is an asset for considering facilitators and barriers to implementation and also makes the framework cumbersome to use. We describe adaptations we made to CFIR to simplify its pragmatic application, for use in a learning health system context, in the evaluation of a complex patient-centered care transformation. Methods We conducted a qualitative study and structured our evaluation questions, data collection methods, analysis, and reporting around CFIR. We collected qualitative data via semi-structured interviews and observations with key stakeholders throughout. We identified and documented adaptations to CFIR throughout the evaluation process. Results We analyzed semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (n = 23) from clinical observations (n = 5). We made three key adaptations to CFIR: (a) promoted "patient needs and resources," a subconstruct of the outer setting, to its own domain within CFIR during data analysis; (b) divided the "inner setting" domain into three layers that account for the hierarchy of health care systems (i. pilot clinic, ii. peer clinics, and iii. overarching health care system); and (c) tailored several construct definitions to fit a patient-centered, primary care setting. Analysis yielded qualitative findings concentrated in the CFIR domains "intervention characteristics" and "outer setting," with a robust number of findings in the new domain "patient needs and resources." Conclusions To make CFIR more accessible and relevant for wider use in the context of patient-centered care transformations within a learning health system, a few adaptations are key. Specifically, we found success by teasing apart interactions across the inner layers of a health system, tailoring construct definitions, and placing additional focus on patient needs.
Critical Care Educational Modeling

Developing, disseminating, and evaluating ICU education is an essential operation in every ICU worldwide. ICU service lines are being reshaped in the face of growing volume, increasing acuity, and evolving provider identities. Teaching in the ICU is challenging due to the complexity of the patients and the seemingly ever-increasing time pressure. Modern ICUs are multidisciplinary with staff physicians, residents, advanced practice professionals, nurses, medical students, and tiered levels of other health-care disciplines, both at the staff and training levels. Teaching and learning transcend professional barriers. In-line with this concept, we have used the term “learner” as a generic fit for principles that are equally applicable across the disciplines. ICU educational modeling must also evolve in order to ensure impactful, immersive, and adaptive education that targets both the “learner” and best practices.
Toward practical automatic program repair

Automated program repair (APR) reduces the burden of debugging by directly suggesting likely fixes for the bugs. We believe scalability, applicability, and accurate patch validation are among the main challenges for building practical APR techniques that the researchers in this area are dealing with. In this paper, we describe the steps that we are taking toward addressing these challenges.
Rural–urban disparities in colorectal cancer survival and risk among men in Utah: a statewide population-based study

Rural areas of the U.S. experience disproportionate colorectal cancer (CRC) death compared to urban areas. The authors aimed to analyze differences in CRC survival between rural and urban Utah men and investigate potential prognostic factors for survival among these men. A cohort of Utah men diagnosed with CRC between 1997 and 2013 was identified from the Utah Cancer Registry. Survival and prognostic factors were analyzed via 5-year CRC survival and Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by rural/urban residence. Among 4,660 men diagnosed with CRC, 15.3% were living in rural Utah. Compared with urban men, rural CRC patients were diagnosed at older ages and in different anatomic subsites; more were overweight, and current smokers. Differences in stage and treatment were not apparent between rural and urban CRC patients. Compared with urban counterparts, rural men experienced a lower CRC survival (Hazard Ratio 0.55, 95% CI 0.53, 0.58 vs. 0.58, 95% CI 0.56, 0.59). Race and cancer treatment influenced CRC survival among men living in both urban and rural areas. Factors of CRC survival varied greatly among urban and rural men in Utah. The influence of social and environmental conditions on health behaviors and outcomes merits further exploration.
Factors Influencing Decisions About Prenatal Genetic Testing for Autism Among Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Prenatal genetic testing (PGT) for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is clinically available in the USA; however, PGT-for-autism is controversial in actual clinical practices. This study investigated the association between psychosocial determinants and the intention to undergo PGT among mothers of children with autism. Questionnaires were distributed through electric recruitment letters sent to the major local and regional autism parent groups and organizations. Also, paper-and-pencil-based surveys were administered in two local school settings. The final sample consisted of 184 mothers with an average age of 37.7 years old. The majority was Caucasian (74.5%) and most (85.4%) had attained “Some college degree,” “Bachelor’s degree,” or “Graduate degree.” Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with mothers’ intention to undergo PGT-for-autism, controlling social-demographic variables (e.g., age race/ethnicity, income level). Results showed that “opinion of a healthcare professional,” “desire to help with autism research,” and “accuracy of the test results” were significantly associated with mothers’ intention to undergo PGT-for-autism (p < 0.05 for all). The findings highlight the important role of health professionals in helping mothers understand PGT-for-autism, making relevant genetic testing recommendations and assisting mothers to make informed decisions regarding PGT-for-autism.
A hybrid simulation approach for aeroelastic wind tunnel testing: challenges and foundational work

Wind real-time hybrid simulation (wRTHS) is an evolving approach that can be utilised to improve current wind tunnel testing approaches. While RTHS has been extensively used for earthquake engineering applications, this paper aims at building on such knowledge to assess the performance of a typical RTHS setup for conducting future wRTHS. Wind loads form the Tokyo Polytechnic database are used to represent a hypothetical wind tunnel force that are applied in real-time to scaled numerical models of four building structures with different breadth to height aspect ratios, one of them being controlled by a tuned mass damper, to calculate deformed shape of the building and reflect such deformation using a hydraulic actuator. Given the different way of substructuring the equation of motion and frequency content of wind loads versus earthquakes, the test results indicate the validity and efficiency of the proposed hardware, software, and transfer system for future wRTHS.
Floquet exceptional contours in Lindblad dynamics with time-periodic drive and dissipation

The dynamics of an isolated quantum system is coherent and unitary. Weak coupling to the environment leads to decoherence, which is traditionally modeled with a Lindblad equation for the system's density matrix. Starting from a pure state, such a system approaches a steady state (mixed or otherwise) in an underdamped or overdamped manner. This transition occurs at an eigenvalue degeneracy of a Lindblad superoperator, called an exceptional point (EP), where corresponding eigenvectors coalesce. Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in creating exceptional points in a truly quantum domain, driven by the enhanced sensitivity and topological features EPs have shown in their classical realizations. Here, we present Floquet analysis of a prototypical qubit whose drive or dissipator strengths are varied periodically. We consider models with a single dissipator that generate global loss (phase damping) or mode-selective loss (spontaneous emission). In all cases, we find that periodic modulations lead to EP lines at small dissipator strengths and a rich EP structure in the parameter space. Our analytical and numerical results show that extending Lindblad Liouvillians to the Floquet domain is a potentially preferred route to accessing exceptional points in the transient dynamics towards the Lindblad steady state.
Cluster Detection in Astronomical Databases: the Adaptive Matched Filter Algorithm and Implementation

Clusters of galaxies are the most massive objects in the Universe and mapping their location is an important astronomical problem. This paper describes an algorithm (based on statistical signal processing methods), a software architecture (based on a hybrid layered approach) and a parallelization scheme (based on a client/server model) for finding clusters of galaxies in large astronomical databases. The Adaptive Matched Filter (AMF) algorithm presented here identifies clusters by finding the peaks in a cluster likelihood map generated by convolving a galaxy survey with a filter based on a cluster model and a background model. The method has proved successful in identifying clusters in real and simulated data. The implementation is flexible and readily executed in parallel on a network of workstations.
Computationally Efficient Formulations for Fault Isolation and Service Restoration in Distribution Systems

This paper proposes two computationally efficient mixed integer optimization models, in quadratic-constrained (QC) and linear forms, for optimal real-time fault isolation and service restoration (FISR) in distribution systems. The proposed models integrate an efficient integer programming formulation to model the automated switching operation, which use only one set of binary variables, and therefore are suitable to use in real-time switching application because of their relatively lower computational burden. The proposed models are implemented on the 32-bus and 123-bus test distribution systems under multiple fault scenarios in order to compare their accuracy and speed of computations. The simulations results show that the linear model can provide FISR solutions in almost real-time, with an acceptable accuracy compared to the QC model.
Disclosure of Electronic Documents in International Construction Arbitration

Disclosure of electronic documents in international arbitration may raise difficult procedural issues. However, much of the concern with electronic disclosure is not the electronic form of the information per se but rather the sense that many requests for disclosure are mere "fishing expeditions." This sense is confirmed by a tendency of counsel to allege claims and defences that make every scrap of data potentially relevant. Unnecessary expense and delay are best prevented by effective management of the proceedings by the tribunal, which should separate claims for which there is prima facie support from those that do not.
Getting Clear About the Role of Communities in Open Innovation

Research on open source software, user innovation and open innovation have increasingly emphasized the role of communities in creating, shaping and disseminating innovations. However, the comparability of such studies has been hampered by the lack of a precise definition of the community construct. In this paper we review prior definitions (implicit and explicit) of the community construct, and other suggestions for future research.
Affective Assessment and Mathematics Classroom Engagement: A Case Study

This paper reports a case study of one student’s pattern of engagement in an eighth-grade algebra class. The student, Bryan, was a participant in a yearlong study of mathematical communication in middle school classrooms. His case is interesting both because of the striking differences between his being engaged and disengaged in classroom work, and because of the reasons he gives for his pattern of engagement. Several current theories of engagement and motivation are discussed as we attempt to gain insight into his actions and explanations. All are successful in describing parts of Bryan’s behavior. However, we argue both empirically and theoretically that none serve to characterize what we feel is the core of Bryan’s decision about engagement: his affective assessment of mathematics. We provide an analysis based on Rychlak’s (1988, 1994)Logical Learning Theory to give insights into Bryan’s assessment of mathematics, and discuss what this approach adds to our understanding of this particular case.