cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Copper Transporter-CTR1 Expression and Pathological Outcomes in Platinum-treated Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Patients.

Background/Aim: Platinum (Pt)-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the standard-of-care for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). However, the survival benefit with NAC is driven by patients with pathological response at cystectomy. Non-responders are subject to adverse effects of Pt, with delay in definitive treatment. Copper transporter receptor 1 (CTR1) plays an important role in Pt uptake and the level of expression may influence Pt sensitivity. We hypothesized that tumor CTR1 expression correlated with pathological outcome. Patients and Methods: We identified matched paraffin-embedded tissues from pre-NAC transurethral bladder tumor resection (TURBT) and post-NAC radical cystectomy (RC) specimens in 47 patients with MIBC who received Pt-based NAC. Tumor and adjacent normal tissues were stained with CTR1 antibody. CTR1 expression was determined through immunohistochemistry by two pathologists blinded to the outcome (0=undetectable; 1+=barely detectable; 2+=moderate; and 3+=intense staining). Pathological response was defined as either down-staging to non-MIBC (=pT1N0M0) or complete pathological response (pT0). Pathological outcome was compared between the CTR1 expression groups. Results: Forty-three percent of TURBT and 41% of RC specimens expressed a CTR1 score of 3+. Forty-four percent of patients had a pathological response to NAC, and 17% had pT0 disease at cystectomy. In both pre-NAC TURBT and post-NAC RC specimens, a CTR1 expression score of 3+ correlated with pathological response (p=0.0076 and p=0.023, respectively). Conclusion: This is the first study to demonstrate a correlation between CTR1 tumor expression and pathological outcome in Pt-treated MIBC. These findings suggest that CTR1 expression may be a biomarker for Pt sensitivity.
Bed Load Discharge Coefficient

Using dimensional analysis, the bed-load discharge coefficient for the case of two-dimensional flow over dunes is expressed in terms of bed-form geometry and the sand size of the bed material. Experiments are conducted in a rectangular flume using artifical dunes and a flow visualization method to measure the flow separation length from which the bed-load coefficients were determined. The results show that the bed-load coefficient is affected significantly by sand-grain size only when the dunes are flat. When dunes are steep, the value of the bed-load coefficient is affected mainly by the dune steepness. Application of the bed-load coefficient results in some improvement of estimating bed load.
Designing wearable computing technology for acceptability and accessibility

Wearable forms of assistive technology (AT) have the ability to support users while on the go. However, using AT in public can be subject to sociocultural influences (e.g., societal stigma, judgment, and social isolation) due to the conspicuousness of the device, often leading users to modify, hide, or even abandon their AT. As new physical forms of wearable AT enter the market (e.g., smart garments, head-up displays, and specialized on-body devices), such devices may or may not be socially acceptable when displayed or used in a public setting, respectively. This research seeks to explore how perceptions of wearable and collocated assistive technology, such as, the appearance or associated operation of the device, can influence whether individuals will use their AT. Our objective is to critically understand the role that design and aesthetics can play to mitigate the existing stigma concerns that permeate AT usage in order to inform the design of future AT devices.
Options in Prophylactic Surgery to Prevent Ovarian Cancer in High-Risk Women: How New Hypotheses of Fallopian Tube Origin Influence Recommendations

In women at increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy is the only intervention that has been shown to decrease mortality from ovarian cancer and is the standard of care for risk reduction. Prophylactic salpingectomy with delayed oophorectomy should be considered in high-risk premenopausal women in the setting of a clinical trial.
Discussion on possibility of incentive performance salary in disease control institutions

Since 2009 China has implement performance salary in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but there are many problems, such as performance salary has little relationship with the workload of the staff, the indicators of public health are complicated which are hard to measure, and the performance of professionals and administrative staff are hard to measure directly, etc. To solve these problem, we introduce a new method of "incentive performance salary", to selects and measures the indicators of incentive work, to give out a part of the performance salary base on the results. This paper provides the computing methods, indicator system and scores, to provide references for the performance evaluation of CDCs.
Economic Evaluation and Analysis of Project Investment of Some Road Construction

This text carry out economic evaluation and analyse through some highway project investment, On appraise parameter confirm, The calculation of the cost, The economic benefits are calculated,The direct benefit is calculated etc to analyse, Put forward the calculation ways. And economic rationality in project investment, Put up national economic and enterprise's financial affairs evaluation analysis separately, Have improved the dependability of decision and ability to resist risk of the investment project.
On Theory Innovation from the Perspective of Socialist Cultural Production

Theoretical innovation is one form of socialist cultural production. Inquiring theoretical innovation problems from a perspective of cultural production is an important research method. Theoretical reform of socialist cultural production with Chinese characteristics is of rich connotation and striking features,and is of significance and function to the construction of an all- over innovation system and the development of socialist course. Only by correctly dealing with the relationship between theory and practice,between regularity and initiation,between subject and context,and other factors can theoretical innovation be pushed forward.
The changing epidemiology and aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma from 1969 through 2013 in Alaska Native people

BACKGROUND & AIMS Alaska Native people have an increased rate of hepatocellular carcinoma compared to the United States population. Viral hepatitis is a risk factor for malignancy and the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in Alaska. With the introduction of hepatitis B immunization in 1982, as well as the emergence of hepatitis C virus in this population, the epidemiology and aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in Alaska have changed. METHODS Using the Alaska Native Tumor Registry, all cases of viral and non-viral hepatocellular carcinoma occurring from 1969 through 2013 were identified and reviewed. Incidence rates per 100 000 population were calculated for hepatocellular carcinoma overall and by aetiological category. RESULTS One hundred and fifty-two cases of hepatocellular carcinoma were identified in 148 Alaska Native persons. Overall tumour rate was 3.82 per 100 000 and did not change significantly over the study period. Hepatitis B-associated cases decreased significantly over the study period (P = 0.048) and were eliminated in persons under the age of 20. Hepatitis C-associated cases increased significantly (P < 0.001). Undetermined hepatocellular carcinoma rates also decreased (P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS Overall hepatocellular carcinoma rates in Alaska Native people remained stable over the study period, but the epidemiology and aetiology are changing. Two decades after routine hepatitis B immunization, the hepatocellular carcinoma age distribution has shifted to cases presenting later in life. This is consistent with an ageing hepatitis B-infected population with no new infected young persons' coming into the population, as well as the emergence of hepatitis C in adults.
Privacy-Preserving Route Reporting Schemes for Traffic Management Systems

In this paper, we propose privacy-preserving route reporting schemes for traffic management for both infrastructure-supported and self-organizing vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). Using only pseudonyms and anonymous authentication to conceal the real identity of the drivers cannot fully preserve the drivers' privacy because the reported future positions can be used to link pseudonyms and identify the drivers, e.g., from the locations they visit. Motivated by the fact that traffic management systems do not need to know the vehicles' individual routes and the total number of vehicles in each road segment would suffice, the proposed schemes aggregate the vehicles' routes. Countering the collusion attacks is usually hard, particularly in a self-organizing setting. The concept we use to mitigate the attack is that one vehicle is not trusted to run the scheme because it can be curious to know the drivers' routes, but these schemes are run by multiple vehicles. Our ns-2 simulation results and analysis have demonstrated that our schemes can preserve the drivers' privacy with acceptable overhead.
Using ubiquitous communication technology to improve pediatric asthma management

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) for chronic care are increasingly being researched in Human-Computer Interaction [158]. For example, one of the current health management areas where ICTs have been employed is in supporting communications between patients and physicians [140]. This is particularly relevant for patients suffering from chronic diseases since there is evidence that better communication leads to better health outcomes [85]. HCI researchers are investigating different chronic diseases to design and test technology interventions to promote better chronic disease care [88, 102, 103, 137]. However, few have investigated asthma as a case study for designing communication technologies. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2008 that 300 million people suffer from asthma, and that asthma is the most common chronic illness among children [159]. Asthma affects an estimated 5.6 million children under the age of 18 in the United States. Although increases in asthma prevalence have slowed since the mid-1990s, asthma prevalence remains at high levels [2]. Asthma interferes with breathing by preventing airflow into the lungs. It is difficult to determine the actual cause of asthma and to predict who will have asthma. These unique challenges provide opportunities to investigate pediatric asthma management. I conducted a series of studies with pediatric asthma patients, families, and healthcare providers to better understand their needs, challenges and strategies regarding the use of technologies. I have conducted interviews, a focus group, and a technology probe study to create and refine initial technology designs for children with asthma and their caregivers. Based on the Health Belief Model (HBM), patient-provider communications, and my findings in the prior studies, I designed a mobile and web service to increase asthma knowledge and management awareness in the child for better health outcomes, and to affect the perceived quality of interaction with healthcare providers. I conducted the initial field deployment with twenty-three patients and eight physicians to learn how the system affected their practices and health outcomes. Based on the result of the first deployment, I changed the conditions of the first study and conducted a second hypothesis-driven field deployment. My contributions come from an increased understanding in three areas: physician-patient communication via a mobile and web services; ubiquitous communication technology designs to improve current pediatric asthma practices; and controlled evaluation of a ubiquitous communication technology, SMS, in the field.
THYRSIS’ ARCADIAN SHEPHERDS IN VIRGIL'S SEVENTH ECLOGUE

In Virgil's seventh Eclogue, Meliboeus relates a singing contest that Corydon and Thyrsis undertook. Upon beginning their songs, Corydon invokes the Libethrian nymphs (21), and Thyrsis invokes ‘Arcadian shepherds’ (25–6). Scholars have previously interpreted Thyrsis’ Arcadian shepherds as people, but here I suggest that they should be interpreted as divinities. In support of this assertion, I rely on the expectations of the capping style (which requires that Thyrsis ‘cap’ Corydon's invocation of Libethrian nymphs), Virgil's description of the setting and the characters present, an epigram by Erucius (an intertext for this poem), the Greek and Roman literary tradition that developed especially in relation to gods associated with Arcadia, and Thyrsis’ quatrains, which can be profitably interpreted if we assume that Arcadian gods have heard Thyrsis' prayer and are now inspiring his song.
The relationship between floor vibration from an underground source and the airborne sound pressure level in the room

ABSTRACTPrediction, measurement, and assessment of groundborne noise in buildings due to the operation of underground railways frequently involves knowledge of floor vibration and requires a calculation to be made to estimate the airborne sound pressure level that will be caused by the floor vibration. A rule-of-thumb conversion between the vertical velocity level and the airborne sound level is frequently made. Approximations using calculations of radiation efficiency of the floor plate and the room reverberation time are also sometimes made. This article reviews the classical equations for coupling between finite plates and rectangular rooms using wave acoustics, and their application to floor plates in buildings at low frequencies. It also compares calculated relationships between floor velocity and the room sound pressure level with numerically modelled sound pressure in the airspace above a vibrating plate. Conclusions are drawn regarding appropriate ways of assessing airborne noise caused by a vibra...
Congress, Parliament, Presidents, and Monarchs

Homeopaths have been politically influential in several countries. Among the best known are Royal Copeland and Jacob Gallinger. Both promoted health causes in the US Senate over the course of several decades, and Copeland amassed an impressive track record in ophthalmic surgery, medical school administration, public health, use of the media to popularize medicine, and legislation to promote drug safety. The political contributions of Jesse Dickson Mabon are also described. The homeopaths Susan Edson, Charles Sawyer, and Joel Boone served as personal physicians to US presidents, while Willis Danforth ministered to the widow of President Abraham Lincoln. Sir John Weir was physician to seven British, Swedish, and Norwegian monarchs.
The acetylene-induced decline in nitrogenase activity in root nodules of Elaeagnus angustifolia

The rate of C2H2 reduction by nodulated seedlings of Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive) was followed as a function of time. Our goals were to: 1) determine whether there is an C2H2-induced decline in nitrogenase activity; and 2) investigate the mechanism of any decline. We found a peak rate of C2H2 reduction at 1.5 min after the introduction of C2H2 that was followed by a rapid decline in activity to 56% of the peak value. After the decline there was a partial recovery to 67% of the peak value at 60 min. When the pO2 was decreased during the decline there was no significant effect (p≤0.05) on nitrogenase activity. When the C2H2 reduction assay was preceded by an incubation in a gas mixture (20 kPa O2) with Ar substituted for N2, there was little decline in nitrogenase activity as a function of time, but the rate of C2H2 reduction per gram nodule was reduced by approximately 50%. From these results we conclude that t Elaeagnus angustifolia exhibits a pronounced C2H2-induced decline and consequently the initial peak rate C2H2 reduction must be determined to obtain a valid measure of nitrogenase activity. We further suggest that cessation of NH3 formation initiates the decline and that the decline is not caused by a change in nodule permeability to gases.
Polydiacetylene Macromolecules in Solution: Rods, Coils and Gels

In this review of work at the Institute for Polymers and Organic Solids at UCSB, we summarize the results obtained from spectroscopic studies, quasi-elastic light scattering and field induced birefringence of dilute solutions. We then turn to more recent studies which focus on gels made up of networks of the rodlike molecules.
CNS Dopamine Receptors

The past 20 years has seen our appreciation of the function of dopamine in the brain elevated from that of a precursor for other catecholamines, principally norepinephrine, to a neurotransmitter in its own right. The association of disturbances of dopaminergic neurotransmission with neurological and psychiatric disorders has further emphasized the crucial role of this neurotransmitter in normal brain functioning and stimulated much basic research into dopaminergic neurotransmission. Dopaminergic agonists with the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier now have a firmly established role in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, and may be of value in the therapy of tardive dyskinesia. Dopaminergic antagonists have a longer history in the treatment of schizophrenia, Huntington’s disease, and Gilles de la Tourette’s syndrome. This pharmacological arsenal, available because of the pharmaceutical industries’ search for better therapeutic agents, also provides the major tools for experimental approaches. Both agonists and antagonists are available from diverse structural groups. Some exist as stereo or geometric isomers which differ markedly in their ability to interact with dopaminergic systems.
SnO2 Nanoribbons as NO2 Sensors: Insights from First Principles Calculations

SnO2 nanoribbons with exposed (1 0 1) and (0 1 0) surfaces have recently been demonstrated to be highly effective NO2 sensors even at room temperature. The sensing mechanism is examined here through first principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We show that the most stable adsorbed species involve an unexpected NO3 group doubly bonded to Sn centers. Significant electron transfer to the adatoms explains an orders-of-magnitude drop in electrical conductance. X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicates predominantly NO3 species on the surface, and computed binding energies are consistent with adsorbate stability up to 700 K. Nanoribbon responses to O2 and CO sensing are also investigated.
A SANS Study of Organoclay Dispersions

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is used to investigate the dispersion in toluene of various forms of the complex, Cloisite C15A. Cloisite is a commercially important exchanged clay prepared from montmorillonite and the cation di-tallow ammonium. Points discussed include estimates of the extent to which the complex is dispersed, the amount of organic clay platelet surface layer coverage, and possible network formation of the complex in the solvent. From power-law plots of the scattered neutron intensity versus the wave vector, it is estimated that C15A is well dispersed into clusters which consist of a stack of between three and seven di-tallow-coated montmorillonite platelets. The removal of excess di-tallow from the surface layer reduces the number of platelets in the cluster. Substitution of dimethydioctodecyl ammonium for the di-tallow molecule promotes network formation. It is demonstrated that SANS is a powerful tool for examining these complicated organic/inorganic systems.
Effects of allopurinol and oxipurinol on pyrimidine biosynthesis in man.

The final steps of pyrimidine biosynthesis de novo which are catalyzed by two sequential enzymes, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT) and orotidylic decarboxylase (ODC), involve the PP-ribose-P dependent conversion of orotic acid to orotidine-5′-monophosphate (OMP) followed by decarboxylation at the 7 position to form uridine 5′-monophosphate (UMP) (Fig. 1). UMP is then utilized further in the synthesis of nucleic acids and co-enzymes. Defects at this site in this metabolic pathway are important for they can result in “pyrimidine starvation” from depletion of the intracellular pool of pyrimidine nucleotides. In man the rare genetic disease, orotic aciduria, involves a deficiency of both OPRT and ODC (Type 1) (Smith, Sullivan and Huguley, 1961) or, less commonly, only ODC (Type II) (Fox, O’Sullivan and Firken, 1969). The resultant clinical state is characterized by failure of growth and development, megaloblastic anemia, and the increased urinary excretion of orotic acid (Types I and II) and orotidine (Type II).
Flow Cytometry in Hematology

Flow cytometry is a technique of cell analysis commonly used in laboratory hematology and immunology. The basic operational principles of a flow cytometer are reviewed, and its uses in diagnostic hematology and immunology are discussed.
Influence of transverse cracks and interfacial damage on corrosion of steel in concrete with and without fiber hybridization

Abstract This study aims to correlate the role of transverse cracks and their associated interfacial steel-concrete damage to corrosion activity of steel reinforcing bars embedded in plain and hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete. Both the transverse cracks and the interfacial damage were artificially induced in a controlled manner. Corrosion rates and corrosion damage were found to increase with the presence of the transverse crack and were further aggravated by the interfacial disturbance. The inclusion of hybrid fibers in concrete reduced the corrosion activity and mass loss of the steel reinforcing bars, and limited the propagation and opening of the corrosion-induced splitting cracks.
Rigidity in Higher Rank Abelian Group Actions

This self-contained monograph presents rigidity theory for a large class of dynamical systems, differentiable higher rank hyperbolic and partially hyperbolic actions. This first volume describes the subject in detail and develops the principal methods presently used in various aspects of the rigidity theory. Part I serves as an exposition and preparation, including a large collection of examples that are difficult to find in the existing literature. Part II focuses on cocycle rigidity, which serves as a model for rigidity phenomena as well as a useful tool for studying them. The book is an ideal reference for applied mathematicians and scientists working in dynamical systems and a useful introduction for graduate students interested in entering the field. Its wealth of examples also makes it excellent supplementary reading for any introductory course in dynamical systems.
Multidisciplinary Teams in the Management of Placenta Accreta Spectrum Disorders

The three-fold purpose of this review is to summarize recent evidence supporting the use of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach in patients with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), to describe essential members and processes of the PAS MDT, and to highlight necessary resources for both planned and unexpected cases of PAS. Maternal outcomes in women with PAS are improved when an antenatal diagnosis occurs and referral is made to centers with MDT specialization and experience in treating PAS. New guidelines unequivocally recommend referral to higher-volume, experienced PAS centers of excellence. The diagnosis and treatment of patients with PAS are complex, resource-intensive, and pose high risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. Recent evidence suggests that stable, experienced MDTs focused on continuous systems improvement at high-volume tertiary care centers are superior to standard obstetric management for patients with PAS. Referral to a center of excellence is indicated when PAS is suspected.
The incommensurately modulated structures of volcanic plagioclase: displacement, ordering and phase transition

Four basaltic phenocryst samples of plagioclase, with compositions ranging from An48 (andesine) to An64 (labradorite), have been studied with single-crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques. The samples were also subjected to a heating experiment at 1100°C for two weeks in an effort to minimize the Al–Si ordering in their structures. The average and the modulated structures of the samples (before and after the heating experiment) were compared, in order to understand the mechanism of the phase transition from the disordered C\bar 1 structure to the e-plagioclase structure. A comparison between the structures from neutron and X-ray diffraction data shows that the 〈T—O〉 distance does not solely depend on the Al occupancy as previously thought. A dramatic decrease of the Al–Si ordering is observed after heating at 1100°C for two weeks for all four samples, with an obvious change in the intensities of the satellite reflections (e-reflections) in the diffraction pattern. Evident changes in the modulation period were also observed for the more calcic samples. No obvious change in the Ca–Na ordering was observed after the heating experiment. An in situ heating X-ray diffraction experiment was carried out on the andesine sample (An48) to study the change in the satellite intensity at high temperature. A dramatic weakening of the satellite peaks was observed between 477°C and 537°C, which strongly supports the displacive nature of the initiation of e2 ordering. Rigid-Unit Mode (RUM) analysis of the plagioclase structure suggests the initial position of the e-reflections is determined by the anti-RUMs in the framework.
The CS-Ed podcast

The CS-Ed podcast is a new podcast featuring 6 episodes hosted by Kristin Stephens-Martinez from Duke University. Each episode is a conversation with a computer science educator talking about teaching and managing their classrooms. This project is funded in part by a SIGCSE special project grant!
Ancient slavery and modern ideologies: Orlando Patterson and M. I. Finley among the dons

In 1978 and 1979, while a visiting fellow at Cambridge University, Orlando Patterson engaged in a number of conversations about slavery with Cambridge ancient historian M. I. Finley. Both men were at the time writing influential books on slavery that would mark important benchmarks in their careers and defined two approaches to the study of slavery, one fading in significance, the other introducing a comparative approach to the institution more focused on dynamics of power and social alienation. At the end of 1978, Finley delivered at the College de France four lectures that summarized his thinking on the topic over more than thirty years; two years later they appeared in print under the title Ancient Slavery and Modern Ideology. In 1982 Patterson published Slavery and Social Death, a ground-breaking study that to this day remains unparalleled in its attempt to establish a globally valid definition of slavery applicable to some sixty-six slave-owning societies across three millennia. This article explores the intersection of these two works, the intellectual currents of the times in which they were produced, and the influence each exerted on the study of slavery in subsequent decades, as models and paradigms of two approaches to understanding the significance of the institution.
Addressing Latent Tuberculosis Infection Treatment Through a Collaborative Care Model With Community Pharmacies and a Health Department.

Introduction The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel collaborative care model using community pharmacies as additional access points for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) treatment for patients using combination weekly therapy with isoniazid and rifapentine (3HP) plus directly observed therapy for 12 weeks. Methods This prospective pilot study included adult patients diagnosed with LTBI. Patients were eligible for study participation if they spoke English or Spanish and were followed by the New Mexico Department of Health (NM DOH). Patients were excluded if they were pregnant, receiving concomitant HIV antiretroviral therapy, or had contraindications to 3HP due to allergy or drug interactions. Community pharmacy sites included chain, independent, and hospital outpatient pharmacies in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Results A total of 40 patients initiated treatment with 3HP and were included. Most were female (55%) and had a mean age of 46 years (standard deviation, 12.6 y). A total of 75.0% of patients completed LTBI treatment with 3HP in a community pharmacy site. Individuals of Hispanic ethnicity were more likely to complete treatment (76.7% vs 40.0%, P = .04). Most patients (60%; n = 24) reported experiencing an adverse drug event (ADE) with 3HP therapy. Patients who completed treatment were less likely to experience an ADE than patients who discontinued treatment (50.0% vs 90.0%, P = .03). Pharmacists performed 398 LTBI treatment visits (40 initial visits, 358 follow-up visits), saving the NM DOH approximately 143 hours in patient contact time. Conclusion High completion rates and safe administration of LTBI treatment can be achieved in the community pharmacy setting.
Mechanism-Based Models for Predicting the Microstructure and Stress–Strain Response of Additively Manufactured Superalloy 718Plus

Alloy 718Plus, commonly known as ATI 718Plus®, is a Ni-based superalloy that has been developed to exhibit a γ + γ′ microstructure with a higher high-temperature strength capability compared to Alloy 718. In addition to wrought products, Alloy 718Plus has also been processed by additively manufacturing processes via layer-by-layer deposition. Additively manufactured (AM) 718Plus is typically heat-treated using multiple steps in order to provide an optimized microstructure and desired mechanical properties. In this article, mechanism-based heat treatment and constitutive models were developed for Alloy 718Plus. In particular, solution treatment and aging models were developed for predicting the grain size and the size, number density, and volume fraction of δ, secondary γ′, and tertiary γ′ precipitates in the microstructure. This microstructural information was then utilized in conjunction with a physics-based constitutive model, called MicroROM, to predict the stress–strain response of Alloy 718Plus. The predictive capabilities of the heat treatment models, named HTM718Plus, and the constitutive model (MicroROM) were first benchmarked against literature data of ATI 718Plus. Subsequently, the heat treatment models and constitutive model were applied to predict the microstructure and tensile response of AM 718Plus heat-treated by a multi-step procedure with good agreement between computed results and experimental data.
Automation and flow control for particle manipulation

In recent years, several new methods have been developed to precisely manipulate small particles using optical, electric, acoustic, magnetic, or fluidic fields. Automated fluidic trapping has emerged as a particularly powerful method to control colloidal particles, cells, or single polymers using only fluid flow. Here, we discuss recent advances in the automation of particle manipulation, focusing on flow-based and electric field-based methods. Broadly, automated flow control enables the precise manipulation of multiple freely suspended particles using gentle flow, thereby enabling new directions in chemical and biological systems.
Analyzing longitudinal clustered count data with zero inflation: Marginal modeling using the Conway–Maxwell–Poisson distribution

Biological and medical researchers often collect count data in clusters at multiple time points. The data can exhibit excessive zeros and a wide range of dispersion levels. In particular, our research was motivated by a dental dataset with such complex data features: the Iowa Fluoride Study (IFS). The study was designed to investigate the effects of various dietary and nondietary factors on the caries development of a cohort of Iowa school children at the ages of 5, 9, and 13. To analyze the multiyear IFS data, we propose a novel longitudinal method of a generalized estimating equations based marginal regression model. We use a zero-inflated model with a Conway-Maxwell-Poisson (CMP) distribution, which has the flexibility to account for all levels of dispersion. The parameters of interest are estimated through a modified expectation-solution algorithm to account for the clustered and temporal correlation structure. We fit the proposed zero-inflated CMP model and perform a comprehensive secondary analysis of the IFS dataset. It resulted in a number of notable conclusions that also make clinical sense. Additionally, we demonstrated the superiority of this modeling approach over two other popular competing models: the zero-inflated Poisson and negative binomial models. In the simulation studies, we further evaluate the performance of our point estimators, the variance estimators, and that of the large sample confidence intervals for the parameters of interest. It is also demonstrated that our longitudinal CMP model can correctly identify the time-varying dispersion patterns.
Establishing the Most Accurate Due Date in Dichorionic Twin Gestations by First and Second Trimester Ultrasound

Objective To determine the optimal sonographic dating of dichorionic gestations. Materials and methods We reviewed dichorionic pregnancies conceived with assisted reproductive technologies (ART) at 2 institutions between 2006-2016, excluding fetuses with major anomalies. Gestational age was calculated with smaller, larger, and mean of the crown-rump lengths (CRL) and biometry midgestation and compared to the ART age. The mean and mean absolute deviation of the observed gestational age from the ART age was calculated to assess accuracy, precision, and presence of bias. The incidence of small for gestational age using the smaller and larger CRLs was compared to the ART age via McNemar's test. Results Based on 140 ultrasounds, the CRL from the smaller twin best approximates the true gestational age with least bias compared to the larger twin or average (mean absolute deviation: 2.8, mean deviation: -0.1 [95% CI: -0.4, 0.2] versus 2.7, -0.9 [-1.1, -0.6] and 2.9, -1.5 [-1.8, -1.3], in days, respectively). Based on 165 ultrasounds, biometry from the smaller fetus is least accurate compared to the larger or mean (11.8, 2.5 [1.5, 3.6] versus 11.7, 0.8 [-0.3, 1.8] and 11.9, -1.0 [-2.0, 0.04], respectively). The incidence of small for gestational age neonates did not differ from the true rate using either the CRL from the larger or smaller twin (p > 0.05). Conclusion In ART dichorionic gestations, ultrasound of the smaller fetus is most accurate in establishing gestational age in the first trimester but least accurate in the second, though all methods performed well with little clinical difference.
Multivariate extremes and max-stable processes: discussion of the paper by Zhengjun Zhang

This discussion reviews the paper by Zhengjun Zhang in the context of broader research on multivariate extreme value theory and max-stable processes.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage in benign biliary pathology with normal foregut anatomy: a multicenter study.

Biliary drainage using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS-BD) has been developed as a novel technique to obtain biliary access and drainage when ERCP fails. Numerous studies have demonstrated its safety and efficacy specifically pertaining to those with malignant distal biliary obstruction or altered foregut anatomy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EUS-BD in benign indications in patients with normal foregut anatomy. We performed a retrospective comparative study from 5 academic medical centers (2008–2018) involving patients with benign biliary obstruction and native foregut anatomy who had an initial failed ERCP with subsequent attempt at biliary decompression via EUS-BD or by repeating ERCP. 36 patients (mean age 61.6 ± 2.2, 38.9% female) who underwent attempted EUS-BD following initial failed ERCP were compared to 50 patients (mean age 62.7 ± 2.3, 73.5% female) who underwent repeat ERCP following an initial failed cannulation. EUS-BD was technically successful in 28 (77.8%) patients with rendezvous being the most common approach (86.1%). A higher level of pre-procedural bilirubin was found to be associated with technical success of EUS-BD (3.65 ± 0.63 versus 1.1 ± 0.4, p value 0.04). Success of repeat ERCP following failed cannulation was 86%. Adverse events were significantly more frequent in the EUS-BD cohort when compared to the repeat ERCP (10 (27.8%) versus 4 (8.0%), p = 0.02, OR 4.32. EUS-BD remains a viable therapeutic option in the setting of benign biliary disease, with success rates of 77.8%. Adverse events were significantly more common with EUS-BD vs. repeat ERCP, emphasizing the need to perform in expert centers with appropriate multidisciplinary support and to strongly consider the urgency of biliary decompression before considering same session EUS-BD after failed initial biliary access.
Deep learning predicts chromosomal instability from histopathology images

Summary Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of human cancer yet not readily testable for patients with cancer in routine clinical setting. In this study, we sought to explore whether CIN status can be predicted using ubiquitously available hematoxylin and eosin histology through a deep learning-based model. When applied to a cohort of 1,010 patients with breast cancer (Training set: n = 858, Test set: n = 152) from The Cancer Genome Atlas where 485 patients have high CIN status, our model accurately classified CIN status, achieving an area under the curve of 0.822 with 81.2% sensitivity and 68.7% specificity in the test set. Patch-level predictions of CIN status suggested intra-tumor heterogeneity within slides. Moreover, presence of patches with high predicted CIN score within an entire slide was more predictive of clinical outcome than the average CIN score of the slide, thus underscoring the clinical importance of intra-tumor heterogeneity.
The Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America: by Conor Dougherty, New York, Penguin Press, 2020, 269 pp., USD$19.86 (hardback), ISBN 0525560211

Golden Gates is a tour de force, capturing the many complexities of housing politics within those metro areas where demand for housing keeps growing, while supply does not increase proportionally. ...
The Complexity of Eye Diseases.

Complaints of the eye often scare primary care clinicians. The eyes are vital organs subjected to the perils of chronic diseases and are at a great risk of acute infection and injury that can quickly and permanently compromise their function. Primary care clinicians are generally poorly trained in even basic ophthalmology, so they often feel limited in the approach and diagnosis to many presenting complaints of the eye. Depending on the location of primary care practices, the luxury of an ophthalmologist to evaluate the patient with an ocular complaint in a timely fashion may not always be available. This issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice explores the wide spectrum of eye diseases encompassing both acute and chronic diseases. The first article provides a detailed introduction to the approach to the patient with a red eye, which is often a common yet concerning presenting complaint in ambulatory care practices. Subsequent articles explore acute conditions, including herpes zoster ophthalmicus, uveitis, conjunctivitis, acute vision loss, and corneal abrasions. Chronic ocular conditions, including macular degeneration, strabismus, cataracts, flashes and floaters, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, are also explored in detail. The importance of augmenting knowledge in these topics cannot be understated, as primary care clinicians can often manage many of these acute conditions, and plays an integral role in the prevention and screening of these chronic conditions. It was a pleasure to serve as the guest editor for this issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice dedicated to the topic of ophthalmology. I am grateful for the dedicated authors who lent their time, expertise, and wisdom to create informative articles for this compendium of commonly encountered conditions in ambulatory care ophthalmology. Admittedly, I learned more about office-based ophthalmology in reviewing these articles than I did in both medical school and family medicine residency combined! This issue should serve as an invaluable reference for learners of ambulatory care medicine at all levels, but certainly can act as a foundation of “the basics and essentials” of ophthalmology, allowing primary care clinicians to appropriately diagnose and manage
Neural Basis of Haptic Perception

Haptic perception depends on four types of cutaneous mechanoreceptors. Combined psychophysical and neurophysiological research supports the idea that each of the four mechanoreceptive afferent systems innervating the hand serves a distinctly different perceptual function and that haptic perception can be understood as the sum of these functions. The evidence reviewed in this chapter supports the following synthesis: (1) SA1 mechanoreceptive afferent, which innervate the skin densely and are selectively responsive to points, edges and curvature, are responsible for form and texture perception. (2) RA mechanoreceptive afferents, which also innervate the skin densely, are responsible for motion detection. Their most important function is the provision of feedback signals about slip between the skin and an object held in the hand, which is critical for grip control. (3) Pacinian afferents, which are extremely sensitive, are responsible for the perception of distant events through vibrations transmitted to the hand through tools, objects, and probes held in the hand. (4) SA2 mechanoreceptors provide information about skin stretch. Perhaps their most important function is the provision of a neural image of skin stretch that signals the shape of the hand and fingers. Keywords: PC system; RA system; SA1 system; SA2 system; tactile form perception; tactile texture perception; tactile vibration perception
A mcirofluidic device of biodegradable porous silicon nanowires for size based capturing and releasing viruses

A microfluidic device of porous silicon nanowire (PSNW) channel walls was fabricated as a point-of-care platform to capture nanoparticles (NPs) like viruses based on their sizes. PSNWs were synthesized on the bottom and sidewalls of the micro channels with metal-assisted etching. The space between PSNWs was controlled to capture NPs with a specific size. To enhance the capture rate, meandering channels were designed to increase the interaction between NPs and PSNWs by the Dean flow. With this system, we demonstrated label-free N5H2 avian influenza virus capture. In addition, virus can be released later and collected at the outlet by degrading PSNWs in PBS for 24 hours.
Effective inhibition of mannitol crystallization in frozen solutions by sodium chloride.

Purpose. The purpose of this work was to study the possibility of preventing mannitol crystallization in frozen solutions by using pharmaceutically acceptable additives. Methods. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and low-temperature X-ray diffractometry (LTXRD) were used to characterize the effect of additives on mannitol crystallization. Results. DSC screening revealed that salts (sodium chloride, sodium citrate, and sodium acetate) inhibited mannitol crystallization in frozen solutions more effectively than selected surfactants, α-cyclodextrin, polymers, and alditols. This finding prompted further studies of the crystallization in the mannitol-NaCl-water system. Isothermal DSC results indicated that mannitol crystallization in frozen solutions was significantly retarded in the presence of NaCl and that NaCl did not crystallize until mannitol crystallization completed. Low-temperature X-ray diffractometry data showed that when a 10% w/v mannitol solution without additive was cooled at 1°C/min, the crystalline phases emerging after ice crystallization were those of a mannitol hydrate as well as the anhydrous polymorphs. In the presence of NaCl (5% w/v), mannitol crystallization was suppressed during both cooling and warming and occurred only after annealing and rewarming. In the latter case however, mannitol did not crystallize as the hydrate, but as the anhydrous δ polymorph. At a lower NaCl concentration of 1% w/v, the inhibitory effect of NaCl on mannitol crystallization was evident even during annealing at temperatures close to the Tg′ (−40°C). A preliminary lyophilization cycle with polyvinyl pyrrolidone and NaCl as additives rendered mannitol amorphous. Conclusion. The effectiveness of additives in inhibiting mannitol crystallization in frozen solutions follows the general order: salts > alditols > polyvinyl pyrrolidone > α-cyclodextrin > polysorbate 80 ∼ polyethylene glycol ∼ poloxamer. The judicious use of additives can retain mannitol amorphous during all the stages of the freeze-drying cycle.
Statistical performance evaluation of the S-model arm signature identification technique

The authors apply Monte Carlo simulation techniques to gain further insight into the relationship between manufacturing errors and the performance of a robot using either the design model or arm signature model for control. In conventional design-model robot control, manufacturing errors contribute most to robot positioning errors. The authors relate the statistical parameters which characterize the manufacturing error probability distribution functions. In arm signature-based robot control (S-model), the correct arm signature model eliminates kinematic errors due to manufacturing. In this case, robot performance is limited by sensor errors which contribute to inaccuracy of the identified arm signature model. The relationship between the statistical parameters which characterize a robot's positioning accuracy to the statistical parameters which characterize the sensor performance is presented. The authors analyze and quantify the requirements of an arm signature identification system in terms of the underlying sensor performance. >
Channeling and chaos

Abstract In principle, the dynamics of channeling illustrate many physical features related to chaos. Theoretical models of a channeled particle in an idealized lattice exhibit a rich variety of both regular and chaotic motion. Unfortunately, non-periodic features of real lattices, such as lattice vibrations, tend to destroy the distinction between regular and chaotic motion. Chaos may become a tool for understanding channeling only if these additional random effects can be incorporated into a useful theory.
Antimicrobial Mouthrinces: Impact on Dental Hygiene

Within the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation phases of the dental hygiene process of care model, the hygienist can decide which antimicrobial mouthrinse is best suited for a patient's given periodontal condition. First, the initial periodontal condition and the home care of the patient is assessed. Next, the hygienist can plan which protocol, in-office and/or at-home, will best meet the needs of the patient. Implementation of a program can include antimicrobial mouthrinses as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in the office, and the mechanical removal of plaque at home. Finally, the hygienist can evaluate the concerted efforts of both patient and clinician. Patients with extensive crowns and bridges, implants, and orthodontics can also benefit from the use of antimicrobial mouthrinses.