cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation-induced lung injury in vivo: Expression of transforming growth factor—Beta precedes fibrosis

Cytokine release from irradiated cells has been postulated to start soon after irradiation preceding detectable clinical and pathological manifestation of lung injury. The expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), a fibrogenic and radiation-inducible cytokine, was studied from 1–16 weeks after the 15 and 30 Gray (Gy) of thoracic irradiation to rats. Thoracic irradiation caused an increase in TGFβ protein in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid peaking at 3–6 weeks as compared to sham-irradiated control rats. Steady state TGFβ mRNA expression as shown by whole lung northern blot assay paralleled the TGFβ protein expression in BAL fluid. The peak of TGFβ protein increase in BAL fluid between 3 and 6 weeks coincided with the initial influx of inflammatory cells in BAL fluid, but preceded histologically discernable pulmonary fibrosis that was not apparent until 8–10 weeks after irradiation. In conclusion, TGFβ and mRNA and protein upregulation preceded the radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting a pathogenetic role in the development of radiation fibrosis.
The Bearded box, a novel 3' UTR sequence motif, mediates negative post- transcriptional regulation of Bearded and Enhancer of split Complex gene expression

During the development of the Drosophila adult peripheral nervous system (PNS), inhibitory cell-cell interactions mediated by the Notch receptor are essential for proper specification of sensory organ cell fates. We have reported previously (M. W. Leviten, E. C. Lai and J. W. Posakony (1997) Development 124, 4039–4051) that the 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of many genes involved in Notch signalling, including Bearded (Brd) and the genes of the Enhancer of split Complex (E(spl)-C), contain (often in multiple copies) two novel heptanucleotide sequence motifs, the Brd box (AGCTTTA) and the GY box (GTCTTCC). Moreover, the molecular lesion associated with a strong gain-of-function mutant of Brd suggested that the loss of these sequence elements from its 3′ UTR might be responsible for the hyperactivity of the mutant gene. We show here that the wild-type Brd 3′ UTR confers negative regulatory activity on heterologous transcripts in vivo and that this activity requires its three Brd box elements and, to a lesser extent, its GY box. We find that Brd box-mediated regulation decreases both transcript and protein levels, and our results suggest that deadenylation or inhibition of polyadenylation is a component of this regulation. Though Brd and the E(spl)-C genes are expressed in spatially restricted patterns in both embryos and imaginal discs, we find that the regulatory activity that functions through the Brd box is both temporally and spatially general. A Brd genomic DNA transgene with specific mutations in its Brd and GY boxes exhibits hypermorphic activity that results in characteristic defects in PNS development, demonstrating that Brd is normally regulated by these motifs. Finally, we show that Brd boxes and GY boxes in the E(spl)m4 gene are specifically conserved between two distantly related Drosophila species, strongly suggesting that E(spl)-C genes are regulated by these elements as well.
Observation of long-range exciton diffusion in highly ordered organic semiconductors

Excitons in polycrystalline and disordered films of organic semiconductors have been shown to diffuse over distances of 10-50 nm. Here, using polarization- and wavelength-dependent photoconductivity in the highly ordered organic semiconductor rubrene, we show that the diffusion of triplet excitons in this material occurs over macroscopic distances (2-8 μm), comparable to the light absorption length. Dissociation of these excitons at the surface of the crystal is found to be the main source of photoconductivity in rubrene. In addition, we observe strong photoluminescence quenching and a simultaneous enhancement of photoconductivity when the crystal surface is functionalized with exciton splitters. In combination with time-resolved measurements, these observations strongly suggest that long-lived triplet excitons are indeed generated in molecular crystals by fission of singlets, and these triplets provide a significant contribution to the surface photocurrent generated in organic materials. Our findings indicate that the exciton diffusion bottleneck is not an intrinsic limitation of organic semiconductors.
Tolerating multiple failures in RAID architectures with optimal storage and uniform declustering

We present DATUM, a novel method for tolerating multiple disk failures in disk arrays. DATUM is the first known method that can mask any given number of failures, requires an optimal amount of redundant storage space, and spreads reconstruction accesses uniformly over disks in the presence of failures without needing large layout tables in controller memory. Our approach is based on information dispersal, a coding technique that admits an efficient hardware implementation. As the method does not restrict the configuration parameters of the disk array, many existing RAID organizations are particular cases of DATUM. A detailed performance comparison with two other approaches shows that DATUM'S response times are similar to those of the best competitor when two or less disks fail, and that the performance degrades gracefully when more than two disks fail.
Predicting a vehicle's attitude response to a single yo despin

The method developed for analysis of single yo despin systems is a two step process. The first step utilizes the despin equations for a yo or yo-yo system to compute the cable tension force and its point of application on the body throughout the despin process. The second step considers the actual body configuration and treats the force just discussed as a prescribed external force acting on the surface of the body at the physical location of the despin system. The resulting vehicle coning angle is first computed using a digital computer program for a body with no initial coning prior to despin. Closed form solutions which utilize the previous results are then used to treat the effects of initial conditions.
Polymorphism in Featherwing Beetles, with a Revision of the Genus Ptinellodes (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae)

Ptinellodes Matthews 1872, and its polymorphic type species lecontei (Gemminger and Harold) 1868 from the southeastern United States are redescribed and the following 4 polymorphic species are newly described: suteri n. sp. (southeastern United States), similis n. sp. (Jamaica), malkini n. sp. (Nicaragua), and heterosternus n. sp. (Bolivia and Brazil). Ptinellodes and several other genera in the family exhibit a characteristic kind of polymorphism. Two strongly differentiated morphs occur in each sex, a normal morph with normal eyes, wings, and body pigmentation, and a vestigial morph, in which the eyes, wings and other structures are reduced or absent. The vestigial morph is by far the more abundant (ca. 90% or more of all individuals). Typically, each species of polymorphic Ptiliidae is represented by all 4 phenotypes (males and females of both morphs), although the degree of regression in particular vestigial characters varies according to species. The morphs occur together at the same time and place, but in very unequal numbers. Sex and morph data are presented for all the specimens (ca. 1100) of the 5 species of Ptinellodes in the study. The characters involved in the polymorphism, the relative proportions of the different phenotypes, and the taxonomic, geographic, and ecological distribution of the polymorphism in the family are reviewed. Other topics discussed are the possible mechanisms controlling the expression of the morphs, the proportion of phenotypes in relation to habitat, sex ratios, and the possible adaptive significance or selective advantage of the polymorphism. Ptiliidae are the smallest beetles in the vast order Coleoptera, and it can be assumed that availability of space and materials for essential structures is a limiting condition in such minute forms. Among the various explanations that have been proposed to account for loss or reduction of structure (regressive evolution), the principle of material compensation, as a means of conserving developmental energy and space in favor of reproductive effort, is considered to account best for the selective advantage and high incidence of polymorphism in the Ptiliidae, as well as for the great numerical preponderance of the vestigial morph in all the polymorphic species. Parthenogenesis, like polymorphism, also has an exceptionally high incidence in the Ptiliidae. Only one egg is accomodated and matured in the abdomen at a time, and a low fecundity is postulated. Thelytokous parthenogenesis (production of females from unfertilized eggs) in this family has been previously interpreted as an adaptation that enhances fecundity (because no eggs need to be “wasted” on males). I hypothesize that the 2 phenomena, polymorphism and parthenogenesis, represent adaptations or solutions to the limiting factors resulting from evolution to small size in the Ptiliidae. If the hypothesis has validity, there should be a higher incidence of both phenomena in the smallest members of various lineages of arthropods in which evolution to small size has occurred.
Dysprosium-Containing Nanocrystals for Thermal Neutron Detection

We propose a novel concept of optical detection of thermal neutrons in a passive device that exploits transmutation of Dy-164, a dominant, naturally occurring isotope of dysprosium, into a stable isotope of either holmium Ho-165 or erbium Er-166. Combination of the high thermal neutron capture cross section of ~2,650 barns and transmutation into two other lanthanides makes Dy-164 a very attractive alternative to traditional methods of neutron detection that will be completely insensitive to gamma irradiation, thus reducing greatly the likelihood of false alarms. The optically enabled neutron detection relies on significant differences in optical properties of Dy, Ho, and Er that are not sensitive to a particular isotope, but change considerably from one element to another. While the concept applies equally well to bulk materials and to nanocrystals, nanocrystalline approach is much more attractive due to its significantly lower cost, relative ease of colloidal synthesis of high quality nanocrystals (NCs), and superior optical and mechanical properties of NCs compared to their bulk counterparts. We report on colloidal synthesis of DyF3 NCs, both doped and undoped with Ho and co-doped with Ce and Eu to enhance their optical properties. We also report on DyF3:10%Ce and DyF3:10%Eu NCs irradiated with thermal neutrons from a Cf-252 source and their optical characterization.
Separation of Contaminating Pyrogenic Material from Commercial Bovine Serum Albumin.

SummaryA pyrogenic material in commercial supplies of bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been identified as bacterial endo-toxin by its hyporeactivity in endotoxin-tolerant rabbits. Non-pyrogenic BSA was prepared from sterile calf serum. Using Sephadex G-100 column chromatography, the pyrogen could be separated from the protein in commercial BSA samples. Because of the widespread use of commercial BSA in immunologic and other types of biologic research, the contaminating endotoxin could modify results or lead to misinterpretation of experimental observations.The authors would like to thank Mrs. Elizabeth Desmond and Miss Dorothy Maloney for their technical work. Dr. Elisha Atkins helped with the studies of pyrogenicity and provided much helpful advice.
Visualization aided engagement pattern validation for big longitudinal web behavior intervention data

This paper proposes a visualization aided pattern validation to identify optimal number of clusters for big longitudinal web behavior intervention data. The proposed validation consists of two parts: The weighted validation index including overlap and separation measures, and visualization integrating a between-stress mapping and trajectory characterization. The proposed method is applied to a longitudinal web behavior intervention dataset and a set of simulated zero-inflated data using parameters from this web trial. Four engagement patterns for this web behavioral intervention are identified and validated using our proposed method.
Design and Implementqtion of Communivation Protocol Based on A Single-chip Computer

In this paper, the design and implementation of communication protocol of remote control system for power switch is introduced.The paper mainly introduces the wireless communication protocol and software implementation on the system. The protocol ensures that the information of address and command can be transmitted accurately and safely, and the communication resource is held least.
Land: The Effects of Resources on Economic Growth

The economic progress of any society depends in large measure on its ability to adapt its productive structure to its wants and to its available natural resources. The natural endowment is usually less important to this process than the human contribution, but the quantity and character of natural resources have an important effect on the pattern of production and often on the level of incomes achieved.
Integration of error correction, encryption, and signature based on linear error-correcting block codes

McEliece has proposed a public-key cryptosystem based on algebraic linear error-correcting block codes, in particular Goppa codes. Its security is derived from the intractibility of the general decoding problem. In McEliece's system, the Goppa code is used to correct errors invoked intentionally by the transmitter. A series of modifications are introduced on McEliece's system that allow the Goppa code to be used for the correction and/or detection of errors caused by noise on the communication channel. The channel is modeled as an M-state Markovian chain in which each state is associated with a binary symmetric channel with fixed bit error rate. In the modified system, the code is used as an FEC, type-I hybrid ARQ, and adaptive type-I hybrid ARQ protocols. A tradeoff between reliability and security is thus created, and the modified system provides error-correction and encryption. Xinmei's scheme and the Harn-Wang modified version of Xinmei's scheme are both true trapdoor digital signature schemes based on linear error-correcting block codes. The securities of the schemes were investigated where it was shown that both schemes are vulnerable to several attacks. A scheme was devised that overcomes the weaknesses of both schemes. Further analysis of this scheme indicated the vulnerability of this scheme to a different attack. Using the previous attacks as guidelines, a new signature scheme was constructed. Extensive security analysis on this new scheme was conducted; the scheme was shown to be secure against all the attacks that were successful on the previous schemes as well as other attacks. The new scheme is designed to be used with the modified McEliece's system, and thus a provision for encryption, error correction, and signature is achieved.
Analysis of the X-Linked F-Cell Production Locus.

Abstract This laboratory has previously identified a locus on the X chromosome at Xp22.2–22.3 (F-cell production locus or FCP) that is responsible for approximately 40% of the genetic variability in F-cell number in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). We have re-examined the association of this region with F-cell production by multipoint linkage analysis. We have confirmed linkage to Xp22.2–22.3 and refined the candidate locus to a region of approximately 3 cM, between markers DXS452 and DXS410, with a maximum LOD score of 3.315. Linkage to a more extended region of 11 cM with an average LOD score of 1.5 could not be excluded. In an effort to identify candidate genes within this region that influence F-cell production, we screened known genes within this region for transcription factor binding sites that had relevance to HbF production. We first searched for CREB binding sites given the involvement of cAMP in of HbF induction in CD34 cells recently identified by this laboratory. Of the 15 ESTs containing CREB sequences, several also had binding sites for NFE2 or NFE2-like transcription factors. We examined 4 genes, 3 within the refined candidate locus (KIAA1280, TBL1X, and KAL1) and one in the more extended locus region (EGFL6) for expression levels within pedigrees of known F-cell phenotypes. Results indicate that, within families, a reduced level of KIAA1280 message is associated with high F-cell phenotypes in lymphoblastoid cells from patients with sickle cell anemia. The other genes examined had no such correlation. KIAA1280, also designated BMO42 is a gene of unknown function that is expressed in bone marrow. The predicted protein contains a region homologous to a conserved protein kinase C domain. While not yet definitive, these studies provide the first suggestive evidence for a candidate gene within the FCP locus. Further studies will attempt to define the function of this gene and explore it's involvement in F-cell regulation.
Biomes, Human Settlement, and the Selection of Cities

The concept of the biome is reviewed in this chapter. A biome is a large region of the earth characterized by its vegetation. Biome classifications by various geographers are reviewed and combined into a set of eleven biomes. Human settlement and population distribution are reviewed in relation to the characteristics of the world’s biomes. Three cities were selected on each biome for characterizing the world’s urban forests. The selection involved consideration of the worldwide distribution each biome, historical development of cities within each biome, and variation in dominant plant species across a biome.
State of the Art of Multihazard Design

Abstract This paper provides perspectives on multihazard engineering in the contemporary structural engineering context in order to frame the breadth and multiple dimensions it encompasses, to summ...
Dosing immunotherapy combinations: Analysis of 3,526 patients in cancer clinical trials.

e14620Background: Immunotherapy combinations are used to improve outcomes in metastatic cancer, but knowledge of appropriate starting doses for novel combinations is lacking. Methods: Phase I-III a...
The HELP-Based DNA Methylation Assays

Restriction enzymes have been valuable tools for representing the genome for DNA methylation assays, whether by using methylation-dependent enzymes or by sampling a reduced representation of the genome using a methylation-insensitive enzyme. These survey assays have remained mainstays of genome-wide approaches even with the development of more comprehensive shotgun genome-wide bisulphite sequencing-based assays, as they are significantly more affordable. DNA methylation survey assays are numerous and include reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS), the Illumina HumanMethylation450K and EPIC microarray system, and our evolving series of HELP-based assays. The HELP (HpaII tiny fragment Enrichment by Ligation-mediated PCR) assays initially involved microarray-based reporting of DNA methylation, but have now migrated to the use of massively parallel sequencing. In this chapter, we describe the latest HELP-tagging assay that uses Illumina Tru-Seq adapters, and mention the extension of the HELP-tagging assay to quantify 5-hydroxymethylation using the HELP-GT assay.
Characterization of the EBV-Induced Persistent DNA Damage Response

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic herpesvirus that is ubiquitous in the human population. Early after EBV infection in vitro, primary human B cells undergo a transient period of hyper-proliferation, which results in replicative stress and DNA damage, activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway and, ultimately, senescence. In this study, we investigated DDR-mediated senescence in early arrested EBV-infected B cells and characterized the establishment of persistent DNA damage foci. We found that arrested EBV-infected B cells exhibited an increase in promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML NBs), which predominantly localized to markers of DNA damage, as well as telomeric DNA. Furthermore, arrested EBV-infected B cells exhibited an increase in the presence of telomere dysfunction-induced foci. Importantly, we found that increasing human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression with danazol, a drug used to treat telomere diseases, permitted early EBV-infected B cells to overcome cellular senescence and enhanced transformation. Finally, we report that EBV-infected B cells undergoing hyper-proliferation are more sensitive than lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) to inhibition of Bloom syndrome-associated helicase, which facilitates telomere replication. Together, our results describe the composition of persistent DNA damage foci in the early stages of EBV infection and define key regulators of this barrier to long-term outgrowth.
Can SNOMED CT Changes Be Used as a Surrogate Standard for Evaluating the Performance of Its Auditing Methods

We introduce RGT, Retrospective Ground-Truthing, as a surrogate reference standard for evaluating the performance of automated Ontology Quality Assurance (OQA) methods. The key idea of RGT is to use cumulative SNOMED CT changes derived from its regular longitudinal distributions by the official SNOMED CT editorial board as a partial, surrogate reference standard. The contributions of this paper are twofold: (1) to construct an RGT reference set for SNOMED CT relational changes; and (2) to perform a comparative evaluation of the performances of lattice, non-lattice, and randomized relational error detection methods using the standard precision, recall, and geometric measures. An RGT relational-change reference set of 32,241 IS-A changes were constructed from 5 U.S. editions of SNOMED CT from September 2014 to September 2016, with reversals and changes due to deletion or addition of new concepts excluded. 68,849 independent non-lattice fragments, 118,587 independent lattice fragments, and 446,603 relations were extracted from the SNOMED CT March 2014 distribution. Comparative performance analysis of smaller (less than 15) lattice vs. non-lattice fragments was also given to approach the more realistic setting in which such methods may be applied. Among the 32,241 IS-A changes, independent non-lattice fragments covered 52.8% changes with 26.4% precision with a G-score of 0.373. Even though this G-score is significantly lower in comparison to those in information retrieval, it breaks new ground in that such evaluations have never performed before in the highly discovery-oriented setting of OQA.
Complications of Nephroureterectomy

Open radical nephroureterectomy (ONU) and excision of the ipsilateral ureteral orifice with a periureteral cuff of the bladder is the gold standard for the treatment of upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC). Laparoscopic techniques were introduced as a less invasive alternative in 1991 by Clayman et al. The use of minimally invasive nephroureterectomy (MINU) has increased for the management of UTUC with majority of nephroureterectomies being performed robotically. Patients with UTUC are often elderly and comorbid secondary to associated risk factors for developing this malignancy. Significant perioperative complications may occur in this surgical population with rates as high as 40%. Preoperative considerations include medical optimization, patient positioning, antibiotic prophylaxis, and deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis. Intraoperative vascular, bowel, and adjacent organ injuries are potential serious complications that can be life-threatening. The incidence and effects of many complications can be minimized with meticulous attention to the anatomical details and proper surgical techniques.
Diffusion-Weighted, Perfusion-Weighted, and Functional MR Imaging

Over the last decades, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revolutionized our understanding of the dynamics of organ morphology and physiology in health and disease. In conventional MRI, most of the signal arises from differences in the amount of bulk water between tissues, and image contrast is determined by T1 and T2 relaxation mechanisms that originate from interactions on a molecular level, either between water protons or via exchange with protons at the surface of macromolecules. Therefore, image contrast of a tissue or organ structure appears rather homogeneous on conventional MRI.
[Molecular pathology, histopathologic features and differential diagnosis of sarcomatoid carcinoma of urinary bladder].

肉瘤样癌是一种形态学和免疫组织化学显示上皮和间叶分化的、少见的恶性肿瘤,有关其名称、病理诊断标准和组织发生尚有争议[1-4].膀胱肉瘤样癌非常少见,目前文献中大多为病例报道.虽然膀胱肉瘤样癌很早就被病理医师所认识,但对其进行的合适分类所达成的共识以及对其来源的阐明却是最近研究结果.我们主要就膀胱肉瘤样癌的名称分类、组织发生、临床病理学特征、免疫表型、鉴别诊断以及治疗和预后综述如下。
Assessing Hypochondriasis: Findings on the Survey of Health Concerns

We describe a brief self-report measure for assessing hypochondriacal fears in adults. Called the Survey of Health Concerns (SHC), the measure was developed using DSM IV criteria for diagnosing hypochondriacal disorder as a guide. The measure was standardized on a sample of 188 college students. It was shown to have good internal and temporal reliability over a 2-week period. Moreover, scores on the SHC correlated significantly with worry proneness as measured by the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, and with the Hs scale of the MMPI-2, which together support the convergent validity of the measure. While men and women scored the same, participants who were being treated for a medical condition scored higher than those who were not being treated. Men who were under a doctor's care scored especially high, although this was based on a small sample of men and the effect could be spurious. A principal component factor analysis revealed two primary factors: one that described participants who felt poorly, made frequent trips to the doctor, and were fearful of illness and dying, and another that described participants who were particularly fearful of infectious diseases and took active steps to avoid becoming sick. Relatively little is known about hypochondriacal disorder. One reason for the dearth of knowledge in this area is that there has been no practical and reliable way to assess hypochondriacal fears, or more generally speaking, people's tendency to worry about their health. The SHC may help to fill this void. Results are admittedly preliminary and further study in medical settings is needed.
Sleep and Sleep States: Cytokines and Neuromodulation

Sleep regulation is an important problem in neuroscience. There is substantial evidence from human and animal studies that tumor necrosis factor-α is a key non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) regulatory substance and that prolactin is involved in REMS regulation. These substances enhance sleep if administered to normal animals; if inhibited, sleep is reduced, their circulating and central levels are linked to sleep propensity, and during pathology their levels co-vary with sleepiness. These substances have also provided insight into how the brain is organized to produce sleep. These mechanisms include dynamic oscillations of states within cortical neural assemblies coordinated into coherent whole animal states by sleep regulatory circuits and homeostatically driven by sleep regulatory substances.
School Lunch Environmental Factors Impacting Fruit and Vegetable Consumption.

Abstract Objective Assess impact of school lunch environmental factors on fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption in second and third grade students. Design Cross-sectional observations in 1 school year. Participants Students from 14 elementary schools in 4 New York City boroughs (n = 877 student-tray observations). Main Outcome Measure(s) Dependent variables were F&V consumption collected by visual observation. Independent variables included school lunch environmental factors, and individual-level and school-level demographics. Analysis Hierarchical linear modeling was used with F&V consumption as the outcome variable, and relevant independent variables included in each model. Results Slicing or precutting of fruits and having lunch after recess were positively associated (P Conclusions and Implications Although there was a small increase in intake, results of the study support that some school lunch environmental factors affect children's F&V consumption, with some factors leading to more impactful increases than others. Slicing of fruits seems most promising in leading to greater fruit consumption and should be further tested.
Novel Immunotherapies for T Cell Lymphoma and Leukemia

Novel immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells are leading to promising responses when treating solid tumors and hematological malignancies. T cell neoplasms include leukemia and lymphomas that are derived from T cells and overall are characterized by poor clinical outcomes. This review describes the rational and preliminary results of immunotherapy for patients with T cell lymphoma and leukemia. For T cell neoplasms, despite significant research effort, only few agents, such as monoclonal antibodies and allogeneic stem cell transplantation, showed some clinical activity. One of the major hurdles to targeting T cell neoplasms is that activation or elimination of T cells, either normal or neoplastic, can cause significant toxicity. A need to develop novel safe and effective immunotherapies for T cell neoplasms exists. In this review, we will discuss the rationale for immunotherapy of T cell leukemia and lymphoma and present the most recent therapeutic approaches.
A Litz-Wire Based Passive Shield Design to limit EMF Emission from Wireless Charging System

In this paper, a litz wire based passive shield design is proposed which shows the ability to suppress the electromagnetic field (EMF) emission below the limit set by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and also minimize the shield loss. Traditionally passive aluminum plate or active anti-turn has been used in EMF suppressing shield design. However, these designs show limited controllability of the shield current. Moreover, the high-frequency eddy current loss in the passive aluminum plate is approximately 0.4% and it can increase more than 2.0% at low coupling operation under misalignment. The shield current and associated shield loss are highly localized around the outer boundary of the shield in a unipolar pad. Therefore, it can be optimized effectively with passive litz wire turn at the outer boundary of the traditional aluminum shield. In this paper, a shield design is proposed with a thin aluminum plate and a passive litz-wire-loop around the outer radius of the pad. The result shows that approximately 80% of the shield current is induced in the newly added litz-wire-loop and results in a greater controllability on the shield current and EMF suppression. The litz wire mitigates the high-frequency skin effect and significantly reduces the shield resistance. In this paper, this advantage is applied in shield design for EMF suppression using a passive litz-wire loop. This method is also effective for shield loss minimization. Moreover, the proposed design provides a highly effective and efficient shielding for a high-power loosely coupled system.
Endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery in children

With increasing adoption of endoscopic techniques and improved knowledge of skull base anatomy and approaches, transsphenoidal pituitary surgery is now being performed on patients of all ages. Surgical principles are similar between pediatric and adult patients, but there are special considerations for the pediatric population in terms of instrumentation, surgical anatomy, and postoperative care. Wide exposure to the sella, oftentimes to accommodate multiple instruments and the endoscope, is frequently necessary. Persistent collaboration among the otolaryngology, neurosurgery, and anesthesiology teams is of critical importance to ensure optimal outcomes.
Abstract 140: Prehospital Protocols for Post-Return of Spontaneous Circulation Care Are Highly Variable

Introduction: Up to 40% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients will re-arrest in the immediate post-return of spontaneous circulation (post-ROSC) period, and re-arrest is associated with decrea...
Ask Me Anything: Assessing Academic Dishonesty

We provide a method for assessing self-reported rates of cheating among students. The method is both i) privacy-preserving in the sense that one cannot use answers as evidence that any particular student cheated and ii) non-anonymous in the sense that one can record each student's answer for use in future correlative studies. Because accuracy relies on students' willful participation, we describe how to convince students that they take no risk by taking the survey. This method showed that 42% of 847 students willfully cheated in an Algorithms course. Surveying 181 CS Theory students showed no difference in cheating rates on written vs. coding assignments.
Interpreting Deep Neural Networks Beyond Attribution Methods: Quantifying Global Importance of Genomic Features

Abstract Despite deep neural networks (DNNs) having found great success at improving performance on various prediction tasks in computational genomics, it remains difficult to understand why they make any given prediction. In genomics, the main approaches to interpret a high-performing DNN are to visualize learned representations via weight visualizations and attribution methods. While these methods can be informative, each has strong limitations. For instance, attribution methods only uncover the independent contribution of single nucleotide variants in a given sequence. Here we discuss and argue for global importance analysis which can quantify population-level importance of putative features and their interactions learned by a DNN. We highlight recent work that has benefited from this interpretability approach and then discuss connections between global importance analysis and causality.
Mapping of primary somatosensory cortex of the hand area using a high-density electrocorticography grid for closed-loop brain computer interface.

The ideal modality for generating sensation in sensorimotor brain computer interfaces (BCI) has not been determined. Here we report the feasibility of using a high-density "mini"-electrocorticography (mECoG) grid in a somatosensory BCI system. Thirteen subjects with intractable epilepsy underwent standard clinical implantation of subdural electrodes for the purpose of seizure localization. An additional high-density mECoG grid was placed (Adtech, 8 by 8, 1.2-mm exposed, 3-mm center-to-center spacing) over the hand area of primary somatosensory cortex. Following implantation, cortical mapping was performed with stimulation parameters of frequency: 50 Hz, pulse-width: 250 µs, pulse duration: 4 s, polarity: alternating, and current that ranged from 0.5 mA to 12 mA at the discretion of the epileptologist. Location of the evoked sensory percepts was recorded along with a description of the sensation. The hand was partitioned into 48 distinct boxes. A box was included if sensation was felt anywhere within the box. The percentage of the hand covered was 63.9% (± 34.4%) (mean ± s.d.). Mean redundancy, measured as electrode pairs stimulating the same box, was 1.9 (± 2.2) electrodes per box; and mean resolution, measured as boxes included per electrode pair stimulation, was 11.4 (± 13.7) boxes with 8.1 (± 10.7) boxes in the digits and 3.4 (± 6.0) boxes in the palm. Functional utility of the system was assessed by quantifying usable percepts. Under the strictest classification, "dermatomally exclusive" percepts, the mean was 2.8 usable percepts per grid. Allowing "perceptually unique" percepts at the same anatomical location, the mean was 5.5 usable percepts per grid. Compared to the small area of coverage and redundancy of a microelectrode system, or the poor resolution of a standard ECoG grid, a mECoG is likely the best modality for a somatosensory BCI system with good coverage of the hand and minimal redundancy.
Exploring Smart Home Device Use by Airbnb Hosts

An increasing number of Airbnb hosts are using smart home devices to manage their properties; as a result, Airbnb guests are expressing concerns about their privacy. To reconcile the tensions between hosts and guests, we interviewed 10 Airbnb hosts to understand what smart home devices they use, for what purposes, their concerns, and their unmet needs regarding smart home device usage. Overall, hosts used smart home devices to give remote access to their home to guests and safeguard their investment properties against misuse. They were less concerned about guest privacy and felt that smart home devices provided unique value to guests and, thus, a competitive advantage over other Airbnb properties.
X-57 High-Lift Propeller Control Schedule Development

The NASA X-57 distributed electric propulsion flight demonstrator uses a high-lift propeller system to maintain low-speed capability with a highly loaded, cruise-efficient wing. Previous research showed that the control scheme for the high-lift propellers was a crucial factor to enable an adequate balance between stabilized glideslope control and appropriate lift margin during the approach-to-landing phase of flight. This paper expands the high-lift propeller control considerations to include all phases of low-speed flight, including preflight, taxi, takeoff, initial climb, approach, and landing. Two control modes, termed airspeed and fixed mode, are developed in this paper. The airspeed mode varies propeller torque based on equivalent airspeed to account for different phases of ground and flight operations. The fixed mode operates the high-lift propeller system at a fixed rotational speed to account for failures in the air data system, preflight checkout, and high-performance takeoff operations. Modeling of the high-lift propellers within the X-57 low-speed flight envelope shows that (1) the structural rotational speed limit of the propeller blades limits their effectiveness at higher altitudes and airspeeds, (2) the speed setting of the fixed mode is set by the maximum torque of the airspeed mode, and (3) minimizing the potential for windmilling in non-standard conditions sets the torque schedule at higher speeds. Additionally, the fixed mode is shown to provide an increased climb rate during normal takeoff operations.
Globally Optimal Surface Segmentation using Deep Learning with Learnable Smoothness Priors.

Automated surface segmentation is important and challenging in many medical image analysis applications. Recent deep learning based methods have been developed for various object segmentation tasks. Most of them are a classification based approach, e.g. U-net, which predicts the probability of being target object or background for each voxel. One problem of those methods is lacking of topology guarantee for segmented objects, and usually post processing is needed to infer the boundary surface of the object. In this paper, a novel model based on convolutional neural network (CNN) followed by a learnable surface smoothing block is proposed to tackle the surface segmentation problem with end-to-end training. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to learn smoothness priors end-to-end with CNN for direct surface segmentation with global optimality. Experiments carried out on Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) retinal layer segmentation and Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) vessel wall segmentation demonstrated very promising results.
Bombs, Bullets and Bread: The Politics of Anarchist Terrorism Worldwide, 1866-1926

Bombs, Bullets and Bread concentrates on the individual motivations, histories, and experiences of anarchist terrorists, a subject that the author claims to have been “sadly missed” by historians (...
The Role of Intranasal Oxytocin on Social Cognition: An Integrative Human Lifespan Approach.

This narrative review synthesizes research from the last two decades on the modulatory role of intranasal OT administration (IN-OT) on social cognition in early life, young/middle adulthood, and older adulthood. Advances and knowledge gaps are identified, and future research directions are discussed within an integrative human lifespan framework to guide novel research on IN-OT and social cognition. Current evidence regarding IN-OT modulation of social-cognitive processes, behavior, and related neurocircuitry is mixed with some studies suggesting benefits (e.g., improved social perception/interactions, emotion processing) depending on contextual (e.g., social stimuli) and interindividual factors (e.g., age, sex, clinical status). Current research, however, is limited by a focus on isolated life phases, males, and select clinical populations as well as a lack of standardized protocols. This literature-based reflection proposes that greater generalizability of findings and scientific advancement on social-cognitive modulation via IN-OT requires standardized, multi-method, longitudinal, and cross-sequential assessments in well-powered, well-controlled, and representative samples in line with an integrative lifespan approach, which considers development as a lifelong dynamic process involving both change and stability characterized by the interplay between genetic, neurobiological, and socio-behavioral factors.
Breastfeeding Decision-Making in an Addiction Trajectory: An Exploratory Grounded Theory Study.

Background and purpose Globally, five million women are affected by opioid use disorder (OUD). Women with OUD are less likely to breastfeed than the general population, increasing risk of neonatal withdrawal. Theoretical frameworks related to breastfeeding did not address women with OUD. The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual model to better understand breastfeeding disparities among this vulnerable population. Methods A grounded theory study was conducted from August 2018 to March 2019 to investigate concepts likely to influence breastfeeding decisions in women with OUD. In-depth interviews were conducted in North Carolina with 10 women in recovery who breastfed, and their six identified support persons. Data were analyzed through iterative coding. This article focuses on maternal perspectives of breastfeeding informed by support persons. Results The overarching theme was breastfeeding decision-making in an addiction trajectory. Two antecedent pathways led to the recovery-relapse cycle. This cycle involved seeking, initiating, and maintaining recovery with episodic relapse. Perceived stigma linked the recovery-relapse cycle with breastworks. Breastworks, an emergent concept, was characterized by learning and knowing, good intentions, and health-care provider sensitivity. Implications for practice This grounded theory model may inform clinicians in caring for women with OUD and support breastfeeding and newborn well-being. Strategies to address research and practice may include the development of a mobile application, having women in recovery on the health-care team, and incorporation of breastfeeding guidelines.
EMS responses and non-transports during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic may affect both use of 9–1-1 systems and prehospital treatment and transport practices. We evaluated EMS responses in an EMS region when it experienced low to moderate burden of COVID-19 disease to assess overall trends, response and management characteristics, and non-transport rates. Our goal is to inform current and future pandemic response in similar regions. Methods We performed a retrospective review of prehospital EMS responses from 22 urban, suburban, and rural EMS agencies in Western Pennsylvania. To account for seasonal variation, we compared demographic, response, and management characteristics for the 2-month period of March 15 to May 15, 2020 with the corresponding 2-month periods in 2016–2019. We then tested for an association between study period (pandemic vs historical control) and incidence of non-transport in unadjusted and adjusted regression. Finally, we described the continuous trends in responses and non-transports that occurred during the year before and initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic from January 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020. Results Among 103,607 EMS responses in the 2-month comparative periods of March 15 to May 15, 2016–2020, we found a 26.5% [95% CI 26.9%, 27.1%] decrease in responses in 2020 compared to the same months from the four prior years. There was a small increase in respiratory cases (0.6% [95%CI 0.1%, 1.1%]) and greater frequency of abnormal vital signs suggesting a sicker patient cohort. There was a relative increase (46.6%) in non-transports between periods. The pandemic period was independently associated with an increase in non-transport (adjusted OR 1.68; 95%CI 1.59, 1.78). Among 177,194 EMS responses occurring in the year before and during the early period of the pandemic, between January 1, 2019, and May 31, 2020, we identified a 31% decrease in responses and a 48% relative increase in non-transports for April 2020 compared to the previous year's monthly averages. Conclusion Despite a low to moderate burden of infection during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic, we found a decline in overall EMS response volumes and an increase in the rate of non-transports independent of patient demographics and other response characteristics.
A Motivational Interviewing Intervention for Adolescents in Accelerated High School Curricula: Applicability and Acceptability in a Second Sample.

The paper describes the applicability and acceptability of a selective intervention—Motivation, Assessment, and Planning (MAP)—for high school students that was developed based on the principles of motivational interviewing (MI) and tailored to the unique needs and strengths of students taking accelerated coursework, specifically Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. In addition to detailing the intervention in terms of MI spirit, processes, and relational and technical skills, we report applicability and acceptability data from a second iteration of MAP implementation in eight AP/IB programs in a Southeastern state during spring 2018. We analyzed quantitative and qualitative acceptability data from 121 high school freshmen (97 from AP and 24 from IB courses), as well as the seven MAP coaches who were trained using the Motivational Interview Training and Assessment System (Frey et al. 2017). To gain perspectives from the intended end users of the refined MAP, 12 school counselors and school psychologists who were not trained in MAP evaluated the intervention and provided qualitative and quantitative data on applicability and acceptability. All three stakeholder groups (students, coaches, and school mental health staff) rated and described the intervention as highly acceptable and appropriate for addressing the social-emotional needs of adolescents in AP/IB classes.
Factors Determining Early Intervention Referrals and Successful Evaluation

Background: Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) aids states in implementing the Early Intervention (EI) program for children with developmental delays.1 EI program helps children under 3 years of age with developmental delay by providing services like speech therapy and physical therapy to those who are determined eligible, as defined by New York State.2 There are many steps involved in the EI process, and failure at any step can result in a child with a developmental delay not getting the services he or she needs. Objective: We aim to get a comprehensive understanding of the …
Regularized spatial and spatio-temporal cluster detection

Abstract Spatial and spatio-temporal cluster detection are important tools in public health and many other areas of application. Cluster detection can be approached as a multiple testing problem, typically using a space and time scan statistic. We recast the spatial and spatio-temporal cluster detection problem in a high-dimensional data analytical framework with Poisson or quasi-Poisson regression with the Lasso penalty. We adopt a fast and computationally-efficient method using a novel sparse matrix representation of the effects of potential clusters. The number of clusters and tuning parameters are selected based on (quasi-)information criteria. We evaluate the performance of our proposed method including the false positive detection rate and power using a simulation study. Application of the method is illustrated using breast cancer incidence data from three prefectures in Japan.