cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation and properties of uniform mixed colloidal particles; VI, copper(II)–yttrium(III), and copper(II)–lanthanum(III) compounds

Uniform spherical colloidal particles of mixed internal composition were obtained by aging at 90 °C solutions containing Cu(NO3)2 + Y(NO3)3 and Cu(NO3)2 + La(NO3)3, respectively, in the presence of urea. The molar ratio of metal ions in the solids precipitated from a given solution varied with the reaction time. After sufficiently long aging, this ratio corresponded closely to that in solutions in which the particles were generated. The original precipitates consisted of basic carbonates, which on calcination converted to mixed oxides of defined composition.
Infinite-server queues with batch arrivals and dependent service times

Motivated by large-scale service systems, we consider an infinite-server queue with batch arrivals, where the service times are dependent within each batch. We allow the arrival rate of batches to be time varying as well as constant. As regularity conditions, we require that the batch sizes be i.i.d. and independent of the arrival process of batches, and we require that the service times within different batches be independent. We exploit a recently established heavy-traffic limit for the number of busy servers to determine the performance impact of the dependence among the service times. The number of busy servers is approximately a Gaussian process. The dependence among the service times does not affect the mean number of busy servers, but it does affect the variance of the number of busy servers. Our approximations quantify the performance impact upon the variance. We conduct simulations to evaluate the heavy-traffic approximations for the stationary model and the model with a time-varying arrival rate. In the simulation experiments, we use the Marshall-Olkin multivariate exponential distribution to model dependent exponential service times within a batch. We also introduce a class of Marshall-Olkin multivariate hyperexponential distributions to model dependent hyper-exponential service times within a batch.
Computational Sensitivity Analysis on a Mathematical Model of Epileptic Seizures

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a serious neurological disorder characterized by complex partial seizures, which are thought to originate in the hippocampus. Ordinary differential equation modeling has been used to describe changes in membrane potential of excitatory and inhibitory cells in order to gain insight into seizure propagation. In the current study, a system of ordinary differential equations based on previous modeling is used with distinct biologically reasonable values for membrane capacitance in order to determine model sensitivity to that parameter. Because delay differential equations are used in the model, sensitivity is investigated computationally by examining the variation in output relative to various inputs. Membrane capacitance was found to affect model predictions and whether groups of cells exhibited the same behavior after a certain period of time. Hence, membrane capacitance is a critical parameter when modeling changes in membrane potential and should be incorporated clearly. Changes in model output as a result of changes in a time delay parameter are also investigated.
Rate of Change of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness with Magnesium Administration in Abcc6−/− Mice

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene, demonstrates progressive build-up of calcium phosphate and proteoglycans in the skin, eye, and arteries, and is associated to myocardial infarctions, stroke, blindness and elevated carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Although CIMT reduction with magnesium (Mg) has been documented in a mouse model for PXE (Abcc6−/−), it is not clear if Mg is effective in humans with PXE to reduce CIMT. To examine this, we calculated the rate of change of CIMT (washout) in 15 month and 12-month-old Abcc6−/− mice fed standard rodent diet with or without Mg supplementation for 2 months. Using means in untreated 15-month and 12-month-old Abcc6−/− mice (145 μm and 120 μm, respectively), the rate of change was 8.3 μm/month. Using means in treated 15-month and 12-month-old Abcc6−/− mice (118 um and 104.6 um, respectively), the rate of change was 4.5 μm. Compared to normal progression of CIMT in humans without PXE, PXE has advanced atherosclerosis and possibly a higher CIMT rate of change. This experiment may portend, at least in PXE, the rationale for a one-year oral Mg CIMT clinical trial and may be useful for application in other progressive mineralizing disorders, like atherosclerosis.
Barr Donald A: Introduction to U.S. Health Policy: The Organization, Financing and Delivery of Health Care in America 2nd edition. Baltimore, MD, The Johns Hopkins University Press; 2007. xiv + 303 pages, ISBN – 13:978-0-8018-8574-7 (hardcover) and 13:978-0-8018-8574-4 (pbk)

Donald A. Barr's Introduction to U.S. Health Policy: The Organization, Financing, and Delivery of Health Care in America (second edition, 2007) offers a lucid and informative overview of the U.S. health system and the dilemmas policy makers currently face. Barr has provided a balanced introduction to the way health care is organized, financed, and delivered in the United States. The thirteen chapters of the book are quite comprehensive in the topics they cover. Even those knowledgeable about the U.S. health care system are likely to find much to stimulate their thinking in the text. The book can also appropriately serve as a basic text for a health policy course or in the medical or nursing school curriculum.
RESEARCH FOCUS: Tackling supervolcanoes: Big and fast?

The largest of all explosive volcanic eruptions, the so-called “supereruptions,” eject batholith-scale quantities of magma (> ∼450 km3) into the atmosphere and onto Earth’s surface. No eruptions of such a massive scale have occurred over recorded history, and thus from a human perspective
Demonstration in Cotton Rats and Rabbits of a Latent Virus Related to Pneumonia Virus of Mice.

Summary and CommentFourteen rabbits in a total of 28 developed neutralizing antibodies to the pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) either before or during the time they were under experiment in this laboratory. The appearance of these antibodies could not be correlated with the kind of material injected or with the development of antibodies to the atypical pneumonia virus5 or to other agents. The incidence of antibodies to PVM was definitely higher in rabbits which had been kept in the laboratory for 2 to 10 months, and thus exposed to this agent carried by other rodents in active or latent form, than in normal rabbits newly received from an outside source or in those under experiment for a short interval of time. An agent related to PVM has been isolated from the lungs of apparently normal cotton rats, but as yet no attempt has been made to isolate a similar agent from rabbits. Human serums frequently contain neutralizing antibodies to PVM,2 but an increase in these antibodies has not been observed. Although th...
Direct Assessment as a Measure of Institutional Effectiveness in a Dental Hygiene Distance Education Program

This ten-year, longitudinal examination of a dental hygiene distance education (DE) program considered student performance on standard benchmark assessments as direct measures of institutional effectiveness. The aim of the study was to determine if students face-to-face in a classroom with an instructor performed differently from their counterparts in a DE program, taking courses through the alternative delivery system of synchronous interactive television (ITV). This study used students' grade point averages and National Board Dental Hygiene Examination scores to assess the impact of ITV on student learning, filling a crucial gap in current evidence. The study's research population consisted of 189 students who graduated from one dental hygiene program between 1997 and 2006. One hundred percent of the institution's data files for these students were used: 117 students were face-to-face with the instructor, and seventy-two received instruction through the ITV system. The results showed that, from a year-by-year perspective, no statistically significant performance differences were apparent between the two student groups when t-tests were used for data analysis. The DE system examined was considered effective for delivering education if similar performance outcomes were the evaluation criteria used for assessment.
Investigation and Analysis on Disinfecting Conditions of 26 Community Sanitary Service Stations in Binzhou

OBJECTIVE To learn the situation of disinfection in community sanitary service stations of Binzhou. To analysis the reason of the existing problems and strengthen disinfection management. METHODS According to the methods of GB15982-1995Sanitary Standard for Hospital Disinfectionand Management for Disinfection(2002). We conducted the sampling survey by field investigation and ask. RESULTS We investigated 26 community sanitary service stations,and the total of the samples come to 582,qualified 404,and the eligible rate was 69.4%. Thereinto,the eligible rate of air,object surface,using disinfectant,germfree substances,irradiation intensity of UV lamp,medical worker's hands,pressure sterilizers were 65.4%,57.8%,64.8%,92.1%,69.6%,58.8%,86.7%. 100 medical staff were surveyed,23(23.0%)were familiar with disinfection knowledge,35(35.0%)were less familiar with disinfection knowledge. The disposals of medical garbage were below standard. CONCLUSIONS The community sanitary service stations have more problems in the disinfection work.
Efficacy of the READY-Girls Program on General Risk-Taking Behaviors, Condom Use, and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Adolescent Females With Type 1 Diabetes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the short-term efficacy (3 months) of early diabetes-specific READY-Girls preconception counseling (RGPC) on more general risk-taking behaviors condom use and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescent females with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Secondary analysis was performed with data pooled from 2 independent randomized controlled trials to evaluate the short-term impact of RGPC. The pooled sample had 136 participants (mean age 16.9 years; range 13-19 years) and compared those who received the RGPC (n = 76) with a control group who received standard care (n = 60). Both groups self-reported on demographic characteristics risk-taking behaviors (eg substance use and unsafe sex) birth control and STIs. RESULTS: No effect of RGPC emerged on risk-taking behaviors condom use and STIs. Only 25% (n = 36) of the adolescents were sexually active at baseline and 29% (n = 39) were sexually active at 3 months. Their overall mean age of sexual debut was 15.4 years with more than half reporting an episode of unprotected sex. Condoms were the most frequent type of birth control used by both groups at both time points. By 3 months only 4 participants had been diagnosed with an STI. Over time subjects in both groups became more sexually active and used more condoms. CONCLUSION: RGPC did not appear to directly affect general risk-taking behaviors or STIs since it focuses on diabetes and reproductive health issues. Condom use did increase over time in both groups. More information on risk-taking behaviors and STIs should be included in diabetes-specific preconception counseling programs including RGPC. (c) 2016 The Author(s).
Nutritional management of children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a review by the diabetes care and education dietetic practice group.

Although individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) represent only a small proportion of the total number of persons with diabetes, IDDM is one of the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases. The goals of management in IDDM include normal growth and development, control of blood glucose, maintenance of optimal nutritional status, and prevention of complications. Insulin replacement is the mainstay of treatment in IDDM; however, optimal therapy requires a careful balance of food, insulin, and physical activity. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive nutrition review of IDDM that emphasizes research specifically in the area of IDDM (vs non—insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), including data on children and adolescents when available. The process of nutrition education utilizes a staged approach beginning with “survival” information and progressing to in-depth or continuing education and counseling. Important considerations should be to guide the child/adolescent to a meal plan that fits individual life-style, promotes optimal compliance, and advances the goals of management. Throughout the diabetes nutrition education process, the dietitian can positively affect the lives of children/adolescents and their families. More research is needed to better define ways of meeting the nutrition needs of children and adolescents with IDDM in the areas of fiber and glycemic control, fish oil and lipids, sodium and hypertension, and weight control.
How to Calibrate Your CCD in the Dark? a Precise CCD Calibration Method

Single particle tracking and super-resolution microscopy experiments require good knowledge of CCD pixels’ gains in terms of photoelectrons per ADU (Analog to Digital Unit, output of the CCD camera) registered by the read-out electronics of the CCD camera. This is because the observed CCD output in a given time period produced by light with constant intensity follows, ignoring other noise sources, statistics of photoelectrons produced by incident photons. It is common practice to calibrate the gain of a CCD camera using a constant intensity light source to get the gain in photoelectron per ADU. This procedure requires a stable light source and it is not always possible to achieve a truly uniform and stable illumination. We propose an easier calibration method that uses dark noise as the calibration source for a CCD camera; the method requires that the dark noise level is stable during the calibration data taking. The proposed method works as demonstrated under assumptions that statistics of photoelectrons and thermal electrons follow Poisson distribution and CCD pixel gains in electrons per ADU are the same for the both sources of electrons. We will show that these assumptions are valid and will demonstrate that it is possible to calibrate individual gain of each pixel at ∼1% level or better using real and simulated data. As a byproduct, the proposed calibration method provides properties of individual pixel, not only its gain but also other properties such as linearity in low photon intensity and dark noise level. This information gives assessment of quality of the CCD camera. All the necessary software is developed using freely available software package Octave similar to Matlab. This method might improve the localization of fluorescent molecules in super-resolution and particle tracking measurements.
The Progressive Prosecutor's Handbook

A growing number of chief prosecutors are winning office by pledging a more thoughtful and evenhanded approach to criminal justice—an approach more attentive to racial disparities, the risk of wrongful conviction, the problem of police violence, and the harms of mass incarceration. But there is no roadmap for progressive prosecutors, no consensus set “best practices” for elected prosecutors who want to make criminal justice not just more effective but also fairer and more humane. This short essay starts to develop such a roadmap. It offers ten suggestions to reform-oriented chief prosecutors: decide in advance how you want to be judged, evaluate and reward your attorneys for what you care about, collect and share data, build in second looks, have a clear and generous disclosure policy, do not turn a profit, reduce case delays, investigate police shootings independently and transparently, pay attention to office culture, and diversity your staff.
Evaluation of Sinus/Edge-Corrected Zero-Echo-Time-Based Attenuation Correction in Brain PET/MRI.

Purpose: In brain positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI), the major challenge of zero-echo-time (ZTE)-based attenuation correction (ZTAC) is the misclassification of air/tissue/bone mixtures or their boundaries. Our study aimed to evaluate a sinus/edge corrected (SEC) ZTAC (ZTACSEC), relative to an “uncorrected (UC)” ZTAC (ZTACUC) and a computed tomography (CT) atlas-based attenuation correction (ATAC). Materials and Methods: Whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose PET/MRI scans were performed for twelve patients, following PET/CT scans. Only data acquired at a bed station that includes the head were employed for this study. Only data acquired at a bed station that included the head were employed for this study. Using PET data from PET/MRI, ZTACUC, ZTACSEC, ATAC and reference CT-based attenuation correction (CTAC) were applied to PET attenuation correction. For ZTACUC, the bias-corrected and normalized ZTE was converted to pseudoCT with air (-1000 HU for ZTE 0.75), and bone (-2000*(ZTE-1) + 42 HU for 0.2 ≤ ZTE ≤ 0.75). Afterwards, in the pseudoCT, sinus/edges were automatically estimated as a binary mask through morphological processing and edge detection. In the binary mask, the overestimated values were rescaled below 42 HU for ZTACSEC. For ATAC, the atlas deformed to MR in-phase was segmented to air, inner-air, soft-tissue, and continuous bone. For the quantitative evaluation, PET mean uptake values were measured in twenty 1 ml volumes-of-interest distributed throughout brain tissues. The PET uptakes were compared using a paired t-test. An error histogram was employed to show the distribution of voxel-based PET uptake differences. Results: Compared to CTAC, ZTACSEC achieved the overall PET quantification accuracy (0.2±2.4%, P = 0.23) similar to CTAC, in comparison with ZTACUC (5.6±3.5%, P < 0.01) and ATAC (-0.9±5.0%, P = 0.03). Specifically, a substantial improvement with ZTACSEC (0.6±2.7%, P < 0.01) was found in cerebellum region, in comparison with ZTACUC (8.1±3.5%, P < 0.01) and ATAC (-4.1±4.3%, P < 0.01). The histogram of voxel-based uptake differences demonstrated that ZTACSEC reduced the magnitude and variation of errors substantially, compared to ZTACUC and ATAC. Conclusion: Sinus/edge corrected ZTAC can provide an accurate PET quantification in brain PET/MRI, comparable to the accuracy achieved by CTAC, particularly in the cerebellum.
Kienböck Disease in a Patient with Congenital Synostosis of the Lunate and the Triquetrum: A Case Report.

Case: We describe the case of a 40-year-old man with Minnaar type-III congenital synostosis of the lunate and the triquetrum who presented with Lichtman stage-I Kienbock disease. Surgical treatment consisted of capitate shortening with a capitate-hamate fusion. Conclusion: This case demonstrates the tenuous regional nature of the vascularity to the lunate, even in the setting of a complete lunotriquetral synostosis.
Seasonal trends in eDNA detection and occupancy of bigheaded carps

Abstract Bigheaded carps, which include silver and bighead carp, are threatening to invade the Great Lakes. These species vary seasonally in distribution and abundance due to environmental conditions such as precipitation and temperature. Monitoring this seasonal movement is important for management to control the population size and spread of the species. We examined if environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches could detect seasonal changes of these species. To do this, we developed a novel genetic marker that was able to both detect and differentiate bighead and silver carp DNA. We used the marker, combined with a novel occupancy model, to study the occurrence of bigheaded carps at 3 sites on the Wabash River over the course of a year. We studied the Wabash River because of concerns that carps may be able to use the system to invade the Great Lakes via a now closed (ca. 2017) connection at Eagle Marsh between the Wabash River's watershed and the Great Lakes' watershed. We found seasonal trends in the probability of detection and occupancy that varied across sites. These findings demonstrate that eDNA methods can detect seasonal changes in bigheaded carps densities and suggest that the amount of eDNA present changes seasonally. The site that was farthest upstream and had the lowest carp densities exhibited the strongest seasonal trends for both detection probabilities and sample occupancy probabilities. Furthermore, other observations suggest that carps seasonally leave this site, and we were able to detect this with our eDNA approach.
Influence of Biochar Amendment on Herb Growth in a Green Roof Substrate

The objectives of this research were: 1) to assess the effect of biochar incorporation on the growth of basil (Ocimum basilicum ‘Genovese Compact, Improved’) and peppermint (Mentha × piperita) and, 2) to determine the physical characteristic differences in heat-expanded clay (HEC) substrate following incorporations of biochar at 5%, 10%, or 15% (by volume). A commercially-available green roof substrate, Rooflite Intensive Ag (IA) substrate, was included for comparison. The IA substrate had the highest total porosity (TP), container capacity (CC), and air-filled porosity (AP). The HEC substrate showed a linear increase in TP and CC and a linear decrease in dry bulk density with increasing amounts of biochar. The commercially available IA substrate had the highest water retention (CC = 25.0%). Overall, there was a maximum increase of peppermint shoot dry weight (g/shoot) response in the HEC substrate using 15% biochar. Coverage area measurements indicated that peppermint benefited more than basil from the incorporation of biochar. Biochar alone did not influence stomatal conductance, although basil or peppermint grown in the IA substrate had higher stomatal conductance than plants grown on HEC with all three biochar incorporation rates at 3 and 4 d after irrigation, probably due to the lower aboveground biomass of the IA-grown plants. In conclusion, the addition of biochar amendment to HEC substrate had a minor influence on peppermint growth and no influence on stomatal conductance of either basil or peppermint.
MMPI-2 Content Scale Validity Within a Sample of Chronic Pain Patients

The concurrent, criterion-related and discriminant validity of four of the MMPI-2 content scales were examined within a population of 309 patients being evaluated for the treatment of chronic pain. Utilizing both self-report and therapist-derived criteria, the MMPI-2 content scales designed to assess symptoms of anxiety (ANX), depression (DEP), low self-esteem (LSE), and anger (ANG) demonstrated the ability to provide valid information beyond that provided by the traditional MMPI-2 clinical and validity indices. Further, a multi-trait/multi-method analytic approach revealed; (1) strong discriminant validity for the ANG content scale and (2) substantial variance overlap among all the self-report measures of subjective distress, compromising our efforts to evaluate the discriminant validity of the ANX, DEP, and LSE content scales.
Cocaine-Related Myocardial Infarction and Ventricular Rupture.

Cardiovascular complications following cocaine use are well described. We present a case of myocardial infarction and ventricular rupture in a young individual with limited underlying coronary disease and habitual cocaine use. The role of each is discussed.
Circuit-level reliability simulator for front-end-of-line and middle-of-line time-dependent dielectric breakdown in FinFET technology

This paper presents a lifetime simulator for both Front-End-of-Line (FEOL) time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) and the newly emerging Middle-of-Line (MOL) time dependent dielectric breakdown for FinFET technology. A lifetime assessment flow for digital circuits and microprocessors is proposed for the target wearout mechanisms, and its associated vulnerable feature extraction algorithms are discussed in detail. Our simulator incorporates the detailed electrical stress, temperature, linewidth of each standard cell within the digital circuit and microprocessor. Also, FEOL TDDB and MOL TDDB lifetimes are combined in the calculation of TDDB lifetime. Circuit designers can use the resulting lifetime information to guide and improve their circuits to make them more robust and reliable.
Air and Blood

The idea that air and blood meet within the lungs and that from this conjunction blood gains a vital essence for distribution throughout the body is an old one. Indeed, it can be traced back to Ionia, the cradle of Greek science. Nonetheless, despite the antiquity of the idea, our present knowledge of this subject is still incomplete and in the process of development. Accordingly, it is reasonable to ask if it may not be a needless distraction for modern scientists to look back to the state of knowledge of ancient or even recent times.
Uncovering Complexity in the Policy Mix for Sustainability Transitions

The primary purpose of this introductory chapter is to raise a question about why the development of the Third World has evolved over the past five decades in a direction that deviates from the developmental path assumed by the orthodox economic schools of thought. The underlying background to this question is that economic growth; normative ideas of equitable, inclusive, and sustainable development; and technological innovation are interacted to jointly shape a country’s process of development, which can be contextualised under three broad problems: (1) complexity of the inequality and growth interactions, (2) normative force of sustainability for national development, and (3) radical technological progress in linking between the two development dimensions mentioned in (1) and (2). Synthesising the aforementioned into one core overarching framework, this book employs a mixed methods approach to benefit from greater scope from a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods in the context of a single study—through linking economic growth, inequality, sustainability, and technological innovation in a historical and normative process of development.
The ultimate decrease in length of stay: Outpatient spine surgery

Abstract Objectives This review will provide a critical analysis of the current body of literature regarding outpatient spine surgery along with an assessment of the associated economic implications. Findings The recent adoption and growing utilization of outpatient spine surgery has attracted increasing attention for its potential to provide efficient and economical care in this era of health care reform. Its growth has been supported by evidence derived primarily from retrospective case series that have reported comparable safety and equivalent clinical outcomes when compared to inpatient spinal surgery. Conclusions Financial drivers have placed a greater emphasis on cost-containment and expanded investment in ambulatory surgical centers. Promise for surgeons to share in profits from such centers has been an additional drive for expansion of outpatient spinal surgery.
Using Design Patterns for Math Preservice Teacher Education

Experienced teachers effectively address student misconceptions and learning difficulties by employing high-quality pedagogical strategies that they have developed through experience. It is difficult to discover effective strategies because it takes a lot of trial and error before a teacher can conclude that a particular approach improves student learning. Researchers have used educational design patterns to encapsulate high-quality strategies that facilitate the transfer of pedagogical knowledge. In this work, we investigated the feasibility of utilizing three educational design patterns as a teaching tool for math preservice teacher education: Feedback Sandwich, Pitfall Diagnosis and Prevention, and Worked Examples. Specifically, we used design patterns to investigate how preservice teachers provided feedback to students who gave common wrong answers to a given math problem and compared their feedback before and after they were introduced to educational design patterns. Results indicated that design patterns helped preservice teachers consider other aspects of feedback such as students' self-regard, common misconceptions, and prior knowledge into their feedback for common wrong answers on math problems. The limited set of three design patterns introduced in the study focused on feedback presentation. Results also indicated preservice teachers may benefit from design patterns that address other aspects of feedback such as content granularity, feedback length, and presentation medium. Implications of this study, including the potential of using educational design patterns to improve preservice teacher education, are discussed.
Geographic wayfinders and space-time algebra

Abstract Time Geography is a framework for describing reachable points in a (static) spatio-temporal environment. While originally devised to facilitate reasoning about an individual's or a population's living conditions, it was later adapted to many other applications. A wayfinder is an entity that moves through a space-time continuum with possible obstacles. We show how to model the pertinent notions in relational algebra (and, more abstractly, in modal semirings) with box and diamond operators. Admissible or undesired regions can be described as Boolean combinations of primitive regions such as the set of all points reachable by forward or backward movement from a given region or starting point. To derive results about the region blocked by the union of two regions we introduce an abstract algebraic view of coordinates that is largely independent of dimensional and metric aspects and thus very general. Moreover, the approach lends itself quite well to machine-supported proofs.
When pigs fly: Reducing injury and flight response when capturing wild pigs

Abstract Research on the ecology, behavior, and movements of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) often involves immobilization of study animals to attach GPS collars or other monitoring devices. In this process, it is important to minimize stress and injury to study subjects. Challenges in handling trapped wild pigs are common because multiple animals are often captured together, wild pigs exhibit intense fight-or-flight responses, large traps provide space for severe trap-related injuries, and immobilization drugs are less effective on excited wild pigs. We trapped and handled 148 wild pigs in corral traps in TX, USA, and evaluated two trap modifications for alleviating these issues, including: 1) using tightly spaced wire mesh for trap walls, and 2) enshrouding traps with a visual barrier prior to handling. We identified that the tightly spaced wire mesh of horse panels (10.2 × 5.1 cm) reduced injuries 88% compared to more widely spaced mesh sizes (10.2 × 10.2 cm or larger). We documented that it took an average of 71.6 s to enshroud traps, which corresponded to a rapid reduction in flight behaviors from wild pigs (i.e., ≤52.6 s until stationary). Enshrouding corral traps facilitated a 28% quicker delivery of chemical immobilization drugs via darting as wild pigs became inactive. We recommend using tightly spaced mesh of horse panels to reduce trap-related injuries and incorporation of trap shrouds to facilitate delivery of chemical immobilization drugs when handling wild pigs.
Pragmatic Trials: Solving the Dilemma of Psychiatric Nonadherence

This chapter aims to describe pragmatic clinical trials and how they differ from traditional explanatory trials in terms of validity, design, and setting. We discuss the defining principles of pragmatic clinical trials and how they are vital in moving psychiatric research forward to the development of better-informed treatment choices for patients and providers. We describe the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), their tenets, and how they are a large funding source of pragmatic trials and clinical effectiveness research. We highlight two pragmatic clinical trials in the field of child psychiatry as a way of showcasing how pragmatic clinical trials can help in shared decision-making and solve the dilemma of psychiatric nonadherence.
Targeted Inhibition of the Dual Specificity Phosphatases DUSP1 and DUSP6 Suppress MPNST Growth via JNK

Purpose: In neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and in highly aggressive malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), constitutively active RAS-GTP and increased MAPK signaling are important in tumorigenesis. Dual specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) are negative regulators of MAPK signaling that dephosphorylate p38, JNK, and ERK in different settings. Although often acting as tumor suppressors, DUSPs may also act as oncogenes, helping tumor cells adapt to high levels of MAPK signaling. We hypothesized that inhibiting DUSPs might be selectively toxic to cells from NF1-driven tumors. Experimental Design: We examined DUSP gene and protein expression in neurofibroma and MPNSTs. We used small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to knock down DUSP1 and DUSP6 to evaluate cell growth, downstream MAPK signaling, and mechanisms of action. We evaluated the DUSP inhibitor, (E)-2-benzylidene-3-(cyclohexylamino)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one (BCI), in MPNST cell lines and in cell-line and patient-derived MPNST xenografts. Results: DUSP1 and DUSP6 are expressed in NF1-deleted tumors. Knockdown of DUSP1 and DUSP6, alone or in combination, reduced MPNST cell growth and led to ERK and JNK hyperactivation increasing downstream TP53 and p-ATM. The DUSP inhibitor, BCI, diminished the survival of NF1-deleted Schwann cells and MPNST cell lines through activation of JNK. In vivo, treatment of an established cell-line xenograft or a novel patient-derived xenograft (PDX) of MPNSTs with BCI increased ERK and JNK activation, caused tumor necrosis and fibrosis, and reduced tumor volume in one model. Conclusions: Targeting DUSP1 and DUSP6 genetically or with BCI effectively inhibits MPNST cell growth and promotes cell death, in vitro and in xenograft models. The data support further investigation of DUSP inhibition in MPNSTs.
Reply to “Comments on ‘A Dual-Band Port-Extended Branch-Line Coupler and Mitigation of the Band-Ratio and Power Division Limitations”’

This paper is reply to comments on a dual-band port-extended branch-line coupler and mitigation of the band-ratio and power division limitations. The author would like to thank Sinha for showing interest in the author work. The work was interestingly submitted to the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, PACKAGING, AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY (TCPMT) almost at the same time as [3] was to the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS (TIE). Therefore, the discussion in these two works regarding the phase errors associated with the port-extended couplers in case of unequal port terminations is completely independent. With regards to the comments made by Sinha , we wish to make the following comments. 1) The phase error depicted in [2, Fig. 17] is valid only at the two design frequencies, which is why the two points were circled. 2) Reference [2, Fig. 17] was obtained by writing in MATLAB the equations for transmission phase found in many popular textbooks such as [4], assuming two unequal real port termination impedances. 3) The errors in [2, eqs. (24)-(27)] are not due to incorrect port terminations used in [2]. The error is possibly due to the fact that while manually obtaining a simplified version of equations used in MATLAB, R2 and R3 were replaced by the symbol Z 0 .
The efficacy of individual and combined commercial protective cultures against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, O157 and non-O157 shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in growth medium and raw milk

Abstract Cheeses made from unpasteurized milk are preferred by many consumers for their complex flavors and aromas among other attributes. However, the potential presence and survival of foodborne pathogens remain a concern. There is, therefore, a need for developing practical and science-based preventive strategies to enhance the safety of these products. The use of commercially produced protective bacterial cultures (PC) can be a practical approach. This study examined the potential of commercially produced PCs when used both individually or in combinations to control Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella, as well as O157:H7 and non-O157:H7 shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in growth medium and raw milk. The antimicrobial activity of nine individual PCs and 28 combinations thereof was first determined in growth medium using the cell-free supernatants (CFS). Following the determination of median inhibitory concentrations of individual PCs and their combinations, fractional inhibitory concentration indexes were calculated to classify combinations as synergistic, additive, or antagonistic. Overall, L. monocytogenes was inhibited by lower concentrations of CFS compared to the Gram-negative pathogens. Combinations of PCs with synergistic antimicrobial activity against each pathogen were identified. The efficacy of individual PCs was further determined in raw milk following an incubation time and temperature profile similar to that of cheesemaking and ripening. L. monocytogenes growth was inhibited to counts of ~6 log and ~3 log CFU/mL lower than control when cocultured with PCs of Lactococcus lactis or Lactobacillus plantarum, respectively. Hafnia alvei inhibited the growth of STEC O157, non-O157 STEC, and Salmonella enterica in coculture to ~2 log, ~3.5 log, and ~3 log CFU/mL lower than pathogen controls, respectively. Potential synergistic activity was noted for the combination of Lc. lactis and Pediococcus acidilactici against L. monocytogenes when cocultured in raw milk. This study provides data for the efficacy of commercially produced PCs in controlling the growth of pathogens, suggesting that the use of PCs is a promising strategy for enhancing food safety including the safety of raw milk products such as cheese.
TNFRSF25 and CD25 Stimulation Expands Tregs and ILC2s in the GI Tract: Recipient Modulation Pre-HSCT

Our lab has shown that using a 2-pathway strategy of stimulating TNFRSF25 and CD25 with a TL1A-Ig fusion protein (FP) and low dose IL-2, Treg frequency and numbers in the lymphohematopoietic (LHC) compartment can be markedly increased. Tregs and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are critical to maintaining immune homeostasis and generating tolerance in the GI tract. In addition to a highly diverse population of Tregs, the GI also contains various populations of ILCs, recently shown to modulate GVHD (Bruce, 2017). ILCs express CD25 as well as TNFRSF25 and respond individually to IL-2 and TL1A administration respectively. Here we asked how our 2-pathway (FP+IL-2) approach affected Tregs and ILCs in the GI of healthy mice. First, we examined Tregs from B6-Nur77GFP or B6-Nur77GFPFoxP3RFP mice to assess the Treg TcR signaling status in different tissues. Mice were administered FP, IL-2, or FP+IL-2 over 1 wk. The frequency of Treg/CD4 in the lamina propria (LP) of the large intestine (LI) reached levels >60% (1A). This elevation included FoxP3+RORyt− and FoxP3+RORyt+ Tregs. In contrast to our previous findings in the LHC, treatment with FP alone elevated levels to the same extent as the FP+IL-2 in the LI/LP, whereas IL-2 treatment alone had only a modest effect on elevating the frequency of Tregs (1A), suggesting that the activation status of Tregs differs based on compartmental location. The frequency of GFP+ Tregs and the GFP MFI was clearly highest (>45%) in the SI and LI LP vs. LHC ( In total, these findings demonstrate 1) basal Treg activation status differs depending on the compartment and mucosal Tregs express highest TcR activation, 2) FP alone vs. FP+IL-2 stimulation results in equivalent expansion of GI Tregs, 3) only FP+IL-2 effectively expand ILC2s and 4) pre-TBI FP+IL-2 treatment results in elevated Treg and ILC2 levels post-irradiation. Ongoing experiments are examining GI GVHD and the role of Tregs/ILCs in TNFRSF25 +/- CD25 stimulated aHSCT recipients.
Simulating breast mammogram using conditional generative adversarial network: application towards finding mammographically-occult cancer

We are developing a computerized method to detect mammographically-occult (MO) breast cancers in screening mammograms. The technique exploits asymmetries between mammograms of the left and right breasts. In this study we investigated whether using a conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN) to produce simulated images of the contralateral breast can provide additional information as to breast cancer occurrence (supplementing the left-right mammogram comparison). We trained the CGAN using 1366 normal screening mammograms to simulate the opposite breast, by using the left-right pair as input. After training, we found increased similarity (mean squared error (MSE) and 2D-correlation) between the pair of simulated contralateral and actual (real) mammograms (SR) compared to that of the pair of actual (real left and real right) mammograms (RR). We then applied the CGAN on the independent screening mammogram dataset of 333 women with dense breasts, containing 97 unilateral MO cancer. We computed the similarity measures on the SR and RR pairs. The similarity between the SR pairs of MO cases was smaller than that of controls, while the similarity between the RR pairs of MO cases and controls was similar to each other. We trained a logistic regression classifier using similarity measures as markers for finding MO cancer. Using 10-folder cross-validation, the AUC of the SR+RR classifier was 0.67±0.09 compared to 0.57±0.1 for the RR classifier (p=0.032). We conclude that by comparing a mammogram with simulated images can provide additional information than obtained by comparing pairs of actual mammograms.
An atypical neurologic complication of Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis that was first described in Japan in 1972. It is most commonly seen in women younger than the age of 30 years. The typical presentation includes cervical lymphadenopathy, fever, and cutaneous rash. Less often, KFD can present with axillary and mesenteric lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, parotid gland enlargement, arthralgia, myalgia, and interstitial lung disease. Diagnosis of KFD is made when a lymph node biopsy shows necrotizing lymphadenitis with karyorrhexis and absence of granulocytes. The etiology of the disease is unknown, but an autoimmune or a postinfectious process has been proposed. Parvovirus 19, hepatitis B, HTLV-1, and toxoplasma are believed to be associated with KFD.1 The disease is self-limiting. In rare cases, neurologic complications including meningoencephalitis, cerebellar ataxia, encephalitis with CNS lesions, and most commonly aseptic meningitis have been described.1–5
151 – Cerebral Arteriography

Publisher Summary This chapter describes arterial imaging techniques that are used to evaluate the brain vasculature and how they are specifically applied to the study of stroke. The role of conventional cerebral angiography is better defined for the evaluation of intracranial vascular anatomy and morphology of arterial or venous abnormality. Stenotic or occlusive arteriopathy, vasculitis, aneurysm, arteriovenous malformations, collagen vascular disease, fibromuscular hyperplasia, traumatic dissection, moyamoya, vasospasm due to subarachnoid hemorrhage, and dural venous sinus thrombosis are important causes of stroke, where conventional angiography has unmatched superiority compared to noninvasive magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Correspondence between the findings of 2D time-of-flight MRA of the carotid bifurcation and conventional angiography is best when carotid bifurcations are normal or the carotid arteries have mild degrees of stenosis. For moderate stenosis, MRA overestimates the degree of stenosis. On MRA, severe stenosis appears as a segmental signal loss at the level of the stenosis and the immediate poststenotic segment. The characteristic flow gap sign is due to intravoxel dephasing associated with loss of laminar blood flow signal in this region. Hardware improvements are expected to reduce artifacts significantly and improve sensitivity and specificity in measurement of vessel diameter and percent stenosis.
Debate: Transplant Is Still Necessary in the Era of Targeted Cellular Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Despite high complete remission (CR) rates, relapse remains a significant problem among subsets of patients with B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and is associated with poor prognosis. The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of highly effective immunotherapies for B-lineage ALL (B-ALL), blinatumomab, inotuzumab ozogamicin, and tisagenlecleucel, a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T-cell therapy, targeting CD19, or CD22, have dramatically changed the therapeutic landscape for the treatment of B-ALL, resulting in high rates of deep and durable remissions. Therefore, there is now debate regarding the role of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in this new landscape. Herein, we review these novel agents, and discuss the sequence of therapy, including allogeneic HCT in B-ALL.
Pulmonary barotrauma in mechanically ventilated coronavirus disease 2019 patients: A case series.

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may result in hypoxic respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation. Barotrauma is a well-documented complication of mechanical ventilation. Objective To describe the presentation, characteristics, and management of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 who developed barotrauma. Methods Retrospective case series study of 13 adult, mechanically ventilated, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 positive patients admitted between 3/15/2020 and 4/14/2020 to a community hospital in New York City. Patient demographics, clinical course, ventilatory parameters, and radiographic results were obtained from electronic medical records. Barotrauma was defined as pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, and or pneumothorax on chest X-ray. Descriptive analyses and Mann-Whitney U test were performed, where appropriate. Results Of the 574 COVID-19 positive patients, 139 (24.2%) needed mechanical ventilation and 13 (9.4%) of those developed barotrauma. Majority of patients were Black race (92.3%), older than age 65 (56.8%), male (69.2%), and had comorbidities (76.9%). Most common presenting symptoms were cough (84.6%) and dyspnea (76.9%). Barotrauma presentations included 3/13 pneumothoraces and pneumomediastinum, 12/13 pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema, and 1/13 pneumothorax alone. The average days on ventilator was 3.4, average positive expiratory-end pressure 15.5 cmH2O, dynamic compliance 33.8 mL/cmH2O, and P/F ratio 165. Interventions were 4/13 chest tubes and 2/13 pigtail catheters. Conclusions Barotrauma is a common complication of mechanical ventilation of COVID-19 patients. Despite high ventilatory pressures, tension pneumothorax is rare and barotrauma could potentially be managed conservatively. Further studies are needed to evaluate the indication and outcome of thoracostomies and conservative management.
Differential algebraic fast multipole-accelerated boundary element method for nonlinear beam dynamics in arbitrary enclosures

A novel method is developed to take into account realistic boundary conditions in intense nonlinear beam dynamics. The algorithm consists of three main ingredients: the boundary element method that provides a solution for the discretized reformulation of the Poisson equation as boundary integrals; a novel fast multipole method developed for accurate and efficient computation of Coulomb potentials and forces; and differential algebraic methods, which form the numerical structures that enable and hold together the different components. The fast multipole method, without any modifications, also accelerates the solution of intertwining linear systems of equations for further efficiency enhancements. The resulting algorithm scales linearly with the number of particles $N$, as $m\text{ }\mathrm{log}\text{ }m$ with the number of boundary elements $m$, and, therefore, establishes an accurate and efficient method for intense beam dynamics simulations in arbitrary enclosures. Its performance is illustrated with three different cases and structures of practical interest.