cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Remote Dielectric Sensing (ReDS) as Point-of-Care Testing Following Heart Failure Hospitalization and Risk of 30-Day Readmission

Purpose Readmission after hospitalization for heart failure (HF) remains a major public health problem. We hypothesized that point-of-care (POC) testing using remote dielectric sensing (ReDS) to measure percent lung water volume after HF hospitalization may improve guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and reduce 30-day hospital readmission. Methods Data were collected for patients scheduled for rapid follow-up (RFU) visits within 10 days post-discharge for HF at Mount Sinai Hospital between July 1, 2017 and July 21, 2018 and included whether ReDS readings were obtained and medication changes were made. Diuretics were adjusted using the following algorithm: hold diuretics if ReDS loop diuretic or hospitalization if ReDS > 46%. The association between use of ReDS and 30-day readmission was evaluated with multivariable logistic regression modeling adjusting for baseline confounders. Results Of the 290 patients included in the analysis, 238 (82.1%) presented to RFU clinic. Overall, mean age was 62.8±14.4 years and 36.5% were female. 30-day readmission rate was 35.3% in patients who did not present to RFU clinic versus 11.8% for those who did (p Conclusion Use of ReDS to guide GDMT and diuretic titration for HF was feasible and may be associated with lower 30-day readmission post-discharge for HF. Further longitudinal experience with POC ReDS testing can provide insights into the frequency of congestion early after HF discharge, reductions in hospital readmission and the optimization of GDMT.
Relationship between cortical thickness and fluency in the memory disorders clinic population.

Abstract As brain networks break down in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, language and executive function frequently decline. We aimed to quantify the relationship between fluency (both categorical and phonemic) and cortical thickness using data from a large cohort of patients who were undergoing assessment at a memory disorders clinic. In addition, we defined the pattern of these relationships across the four major lobes of the brain. A total of 590 patients underwent extensive psychometric testing, including categorical (animal-naming) and phonemic (FAS) tests of fluency. All patients also underwent structural MRI featuring a volumetric T1-weighted sequence that served as the input for postprocessing calculations using FreeSurfer, yielding cortical parcellations and thicknesses. The fluency-thickness relationships were summarized using Pearson's correlation coefficient. In a univariable analysis over all lobes, there were significant correlations using categorical fluency with both cortical thickness and age, with education less correlated; using phonemic fluency there were similar correlations with cortical thickness and age, but education was more correlated. Neither handedness nor sex was significantly correlated with either categorical or phonemic score. At a lobar level, for both fluency tests, scores were positively correlated with cortical thickness in all lobes; these relationships were strongest in the temporal lobe (p In conclusion, these results demonstrated that structural MRI and fluency tests reveal a significant spatial pattern of correlations between cortical thickness and fluency, which varies with the type of fluency test.
The association between geographic access to providers and the treatment quality of pediatric depression

Abstract Objective To examine the association of geographic access to providers with racial/ethnic variations in treatment quality among youth with depression. Methods The geographic access to providers who initiated the depression treatment was measured using the travel distance estimated based on Google Maps® and the provider density within a 5-mile radius of each patient residence. Depression treatment quality was measured as treatment engagement, defined as having ≥2 prescriptions or psychotherapy with 2-month following a new depression diagnosis, and treatment completion defined as having ≥8 sessions of psychotherapy within 12 weeks or received ≥84 days of continuous treatment with antidepressants within 114 days following the treatment initiation. Results The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis have demonstrated that the travel distance to provider was only negatively associated with the treatment engagement of Hispanics (5.0 - 14.9 vs ≤ 4.9 miles: OR=0.74, 95% CI [0.54–0.88]; ≥15 vs ≤ 4.9 miles: OR=0.82, 95% CI [0.56–0.97]), while a higher mental health specialist density was only positively associated with the treatment engagement of Blacks (1.00–1.99 vs Limitations The study did not account for types of transportation used by patients. Conclusion Geographic access barriers had a negative association with treatment quality of pediatric depression. Minority children were more sensitive to the barriers than Whites.
Conservation Politics: The Last Anti-Colonial Battle

Whilst the science of conservation biology is thriving as a discipline, ultimately global conservation is failing. Why, when the majority of people say they value nature and its protection? David Johns argues that the loss of species and healthy ecosystems is best understood as human imposition of a colonial relationship on the non-human world - one of exploitation and domination. Global institutions benefit from transforming nature into commodities, and conservation is a low priority. This book places political issues at the forefront, and tackles critical questions of conservation efficacy. It considers the role of effective influence on decision making, key policy changes to reduce human footprint, and the centrality of culture in mobilising support. It draws on political lessons from successful social movements, including human anti-colonial struggles, to provide conservation biologists and practitioners in scientific and social science disciplines and NGOs with the tools and wider context to accelerate their work's impact.
Synthesis and conformational properties of 2′-deoxy-2′-methylthio-pyrimidine and -purine nucleosides: Potential antisense applications†

A convenient and shorter synthesis of 2′-deoxy-2′-methylthiouridine analogs 5, −5-methyluridine 6, -cyti-dine 15, −5-methylcytidine 16, -adenosine 27 and -guanosine 34 was accomplished. Successful conversion of ribonucleosides (5-methyl U, U, A, G) into the corresponding 2′-substituted nucleosides involves nucleophilic displacement (SN2) of an appropriate leaving group at the 2′-position by methanethiol, a soft nucleophile. Reaction between 2,2′-anhydrouridine and methanethiol in the presence of N1,N1,N3,N3-tetramethylguani-dine in N,N-dimethylformamide gave 5, in 75% yield. Preparation of 6 by a similar route was described. Acylated 5 and 6 were transformed into their triazole derivatives, which on ammonolysis furnished 15 and 16, respectively in good yield. Similarly, tetraisopropyldisiloxanyl (TIPS) protected 2′-O-aratriflates- of-adenosine and -guanosine reacted with methanethiol in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene at - 25°, followed by deblocking of the TIPS protecting group furnished 27 and 34, respectively. The confor-mational flexibility (N/S equilibrium) of the sugar moiety in nucleosides 5, 15, 27 and 34 was studied utilizing nmr spectroscopy, suggesting that the 2′-methylthio group influenced the sugar conformation to adopt a rigid S-pucker in all cases. The extra stiffness of the sugar moiety in these analogs is believed to be due to the electronegativity of the substituent and the steric bulk. The usefulness of these nucleosides to prepare uniformly modified 2′-deoxy-2′-methylthio oligonucleotides for antisense therapeutics is proposed.
Surprise! Predicting Infant Visual Attention in a Socially Assistive Robot Contingent Learning Paradigm

Early intervention to address developmental disability in infants has the potential to promote improved outcomes in neurodevelopmental structure and function [1]. Researchers are starting to explore Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR) as a tool for delivering early interventions that are synergistic with and enhance human-administered therapy. For SAR to be effective, the robot must be able to consistently attract the attention of the infant in order to engage the infant in a desired activity. This work presents the analysis of eye gaze tracking data from five 6-8 month old infants interacting with a Nao robot that kicked its leg as a contingent reward for infant leg movement. We evaluate a Bayesian model of low-level surprise on video data from the infants’ head-mounted camera and on the timing of robot behaviors as a predictor of infant visual attention. The results demonstrate that over 67% of infant gaze locations were in areas the model evaluated to be more surprising than average. We also present an initial exploration using surprise to predict the extent to which the robot attracts infant visual attention during specific intervals in the study. This work is the first to validate the surprise model on infants; our results indicate the potential for using surprise to inform robot behaviors that attract infant attention during SAR interactions.
Laryngeal Web in the Pediatric Population: Evaluation and Management:

ObjectiveTo discuss the presentation, evaluation, and management of pediatric laryngeal web.Study DesignRetrospective case series.SettingSingle tertiary care center.SubjectsAll patients with laryng...
Least Squares Migration of Synthetic Aperture Data for Towed Streamer Electromagnetic Survey

Towed streamer electromagnetic (TSEM) survey is an efficient data acquisition technique capable of collecting a large volume of electromagnetic (EM) data over extensive areas rapidly and economically. The TSEM survey is capable of detecting and characterizing marine hydrocarbon (HC) reservoirs. However, interpretation of the TSEM data is still a very challenging problem. We propose solving this problem by migrating the optimal synthetic aperture (OSA) data for the TSEM survey. We first represent the OSA data as a solution of Lippmann–Schwinger equation and then demonstrate that the migration of OSA data is just the inner product of the backward-propagated and forward-propagated EM fields. The migration problem is solved iteratively within the general framework of the reweighted, regularized, conjugate gradient (RRCG) method. The proposed method was tested with two synthetic models. We also applied this method to the TSEM data set collected in the Barents Sea and revealed a resistive layer at a depth of about 500 m.
Net Charge and Nonpolar Content Guide the Identification of Folded and Prion Proteins

The degree of hydrophobicity and net charge per residue are physical properties that enable the discrimination of folded from intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) solely on the basis of amino acid sequence. Here, we improve upon the existing classification of proteins and IDPs based on the parameters mentioned above by adopting the scale of nonpolar content of Rose et al. and by taking amino acid side-chain acidity and basicity into account. The resulting algorithm, denoted here as net charge nonpolar or NECNOP, enables the facile prediction of the folded and disordered status of proteins under physiologically relevant conditions with >95% accuracy, based on amino-acid sequence alone. The NECNOP approach displays a much-enhanced performance for proteins with >140 residues, suggesting that small proteins are more likely to have irregular charge and hydrophobicity features. NECNOP analysis of the entire Escherichia coli proteome identifies specific net charge and nonpolar regions peculiar to soluble, integral membrane, and non-integral membrane proteins. Surprisingly, protein net charge and hydrophobicity are found to converge to specific values as chain length increases, across the E. coli proteome. In addition, NECNOP plots enable the straightforward identification of protein sequences corresponding to prion proteins and promise to serve as a powerful predictive tool for the design of large proteins. In summary, NECNOP plots are a straightforward approach that improves our understanding of the relation between the amino acid sequence and three-dimensional structure of proteins as a function of molecular mass.
Presenilin 1 phosphorylation regulates amyloid-β degradation by microglia

Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) accumulation in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's Disease. An important mechanism of Aβ clearance in the brain is uptake and degradation by microglia. Presenilin 1 (PS1) is the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase, an enzyme complex responsible for the maturation of multiple substrates, such as Aβ. Although PS1 has been extensively studied in neurons, the role of PS1 in microglia is incompletely understood. Here we report that microglia containing phospho-deficient mutant PS1 display a slower kinetic response to micro injury in the brain in vivo and the inability to degrade Aβ oligomers due to a phagolysosome dysfunction. An Alzheimer's mouse model containing phospho-deficient PS1 show severe Aβ accumulation in microglia as well as the postsynaptic protein PSD95. Our results demonstrate a novel mechanism by which PS1 modulates microglial function and contributes to Alzheimer's -associated phenotypes.
How Do Sensory Neurons Sense Danger Signals

Sensory neurons are activated by physical and chemical stimuli, eliciting sensations such as temperature, touch, pain, and itch. From an evolutionary perspective, sensing danger is essential for organismal survival. Upon infection and injury, immune cells respond to pathogen/damage-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs/DAMPs) through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and produce inflammatory mediators that activate sensory neurons through neuro–immune interactions. Sensory neurons also express TLRs and other PRRs that directly sense danger signals after injury or during infection, leading to pain, itch, or analgesia. In addition to slow-acting canonical TLR signaling, TLRs function uniquely in sensory neurons through non-canonical coupling to ion channels, enabling rapid modulation of neuronal activity. We discuss how sensory neurons utilize TLRs and other PRR pathways to detect danger signals in their environment.
Evaluation of the Minnesota Safe Patient Handling Act: trends in workers' compensation indemnity claims in nursing home workers before and after enactment of the law.

Objectives The 2007 Minnesota Safe Patient Handling Act aims to protect healthcare workers from injuries caused by lifting and transferring patients. The effectiveness of the law in nursing homes is unknown. This policy evaluation measured changes in patient handling injuries before and after the law was enacted. Additionally, it assessed whether effects of the law were modified by facility levels of staffing and retention. Methods Workers’ compensation indemnity claims for years 2005–2016 were matched to annual direct care productive hours and facility characteristics (eg, profit status, hospital affiliation and region) for all Medicaid-certified nursing homes in Minnesota. Trends in patient handling claims were analysed using negative binomial regression with generalised estimating equations. The primary predictors were time period, staff hours per resident day and staff retention. Results The patient handling indemnity claim rate declined by 25% in years 4–6 and 38% in years 7–9 following enactment of the law. Claims for all other injuries and illnesses declined by 20% in years 7–9 only. Associations between time period and patient handling claims did not vary by levels of staffing or retention. However, independent of time, facilities with annual retention ≥75% (vs Conclusions Results suggest the law reduced patient handling claims in nursing homes. However, claim rates were elevated in facilities with low worker retention and those that were non-profit, not hospital-affiliated or in a non-metro area. Facilities with these characteristics may benefit from targeted state grants and consultation efforts.
Computational Material Screening using Artificial Neural Networks for Adsorption Gas Separation

We present a computationally efficient methodology for screening microporous materials for adsorption-based gas separation. Specifically, we develop and employ artificial neural network (ANN)-based...
Understanding the Trends and Variability in Procedures Performed During Orthopedic Spine Surgery Fellowship Training: An Analysis of ACGME Case Log Data.

Objective To understand trends and variability of procedures performed by orthopedic spine surgery fellows during training. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) case logs. Participants Fellows enrolled in ACGME-accredited “Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine” fellowships from 2010 to 2015. Results The 2010 to 2015 ACGME fellowship case logs for “Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine” were retrieved. Spine cases in case logs are grouped into the following categories: (1) Excision, (2) Osteotomy, (3) Fracture and/or Dislocation, (4) Decompression, (5) Anterior fusion/arthrodesis, (6) Posterior fusion, (7) Deformity surgery, (8) Exploration, (9) Instrumentation, and (10) other/uncategorized. The total number of spine cases logged by each fellow increased from 821 in 2010 to 1134 in 2015 (38.2% increase). The greatest increases were noted from fracture/dislocation cases (77.9%), followed by posterior fusions (62.2%), anterior fusions (43.6%), decompressions (36.3%), and instrumentation (29.5%). The average number of deformity cases decreased from 23 in 2010 to 19 in 2016 (18.6% decrease). The average number of adult-only cases increased from 770 in 2010 to 1100 in 2015 (42.8% increase), whereas the average number of pediatric-only cases declined from 51 in 2010 to 35 in 2015 (32.1% decrease). Based on case logs from 2015, the greatest variation in case volume between the 10th centile and 90th centile of fellows was noted for deformity cases, followed by decompressions and posterior fusions. Conclusions Even though there has been a 38% increase in the overall number of spine cases performed by fellows during training, a large amount of variation in type of case exposure exists between fellowships. The findings of our study call for the establishment of minimal case volumes and/or uniformity of training spectrums across the nation to ensure appropriate surgical care is made accessible to all patients.
Water and nitrate loss from dryland agricultural soils is controlled by management, soils, and weather

Abstract The vast majority (82 %) of the earth’s cultivated area is not irrigated, and half is in semi-arid regions where water tends to limit crop growth. In dryland semi-arid agroecosystems, any precipitation not transpired indicates crop yield that is below potential. Precipitation that is partitioned to deep percolation can transport nitrate out of the root zone, reducing nitrogen use efficiency and potentially contaminating groundwater. To mitigate loss of crop yield to drought, the practice of chemical summer-fallow (suppressing plant growth for a full growing season with herbicide) has been common in semi-arid regions to store water for the following growing season. However, precipitation losses during fallow tend to exceed the amount of precipitation stored, and fallow tends to increase nitrate leaching. We present model simulations informed by field observations that explore the interaction of crop rotation, weather, and soils as controls on precipitation partitioning and nitrate leaching. Simulations reveal that high intensity precipitation periods produce hot moments of deep percolation and nitrate leaching such that 54 % of deep percolation and 56 % of leaching occurs in two of 14 model years. Simulations indicate that thin soils (having limited water storage capacity) produce hot spots for deep percolation and nitrate leaching such that thinner soils ( 100 cm). The practice of fallow facilitates mineralization of soil organic nitrogen to nitrate and increases deep percolation, magnifying the interaction of hot moments and hot spots. Simulations suggest that a field with fallow in rotation once every three years experiences 55 % of its deep percolation and 43 % of its leaching losses during fallow years.
Political Invisibility and Mobilization: Women against State Violence in Argentina, Yugoslavia, and Liberia

Political Invisibility and Mobilization explores the unseen opportunities available to those considered irrelevant and disregarded during periods of violent repression. In a comparative study of three women’s peace movements, in Argentina, the former Yugoslavia, and Liberia, the concept of political invisibility is developed to identify the unexpected beneficial effects of marginalization in the face of regime violence and civil war. Each chapter details the unique ways these movements avoided being targeted as threats to regime power and how they utilized free spaces to mobilize for peace. Their organizing efforts among international networks are described as a form of field-shifting that gained them the authority to expand their work at home to bring an end to war and rebuild society. The robust conceptual framework developed herein offers new ways to analyze the variations and nuances of how social status interacts with opportunities for effective activism. This book presents a sophisticated theory of political invisibility with historical detail from three remarkable stories of courage in the face of atrocity. With relevance for political sociology, social movement studies, women’s studies, and peace and conflict studies, it contributes to scholarly understanding of mobilization in repressive states while also offering strategic insight to movement practitioners. Winner of the ASA Peace, War and Social Conflict Section's 2021 Outstanding Book Award.
Pediatric Autoimmune Ocular Myasthenia Gravis: Evaluation of Presentation and Treatment Outcomes in a Large Cohort.

Abstract Background In autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG), autoantibodies target the neuromuscular junction. Ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) is localized, affecting only extraocular and/or levator palpebrae muscles. OMG presents across all ages, varying in presentation, treatment modalities, and outcomes. Recently, there have been advances in MG/OMG treatment; their utilization and effectiveness are an important part of optimal disease management. Methods We completed a retrospective chart review of children aged 18 years or younger with a confirmed diagnosis of OMG presenting from 2002 to 2019. Results Forty-two patients were included with mean age at presentation of 8.5 years (2 to 18 years). Twenty-one patients (50%) had positive antibodies; 90% had acetylcholine receptor antibodies. Ten patients developed generalized symptoms with mean time to generalization of 13.6 months. Multiple logistic regression showed that older age of onset was a trend predictive factor (P = 0.054; odds ratio 1.17) for generalized disease. All patients were treated with pyridostigmine. Immunomodulating agents included steroids (15), mycophenolate mofetil (four), and intravenous immunoglobulin (one). Three patients underwent thymectomy. Twenty patients reached minimal manifestation status, and 12 achieved remission. Gender, race, and positive antibody status were not statistically significant predictors for advanced immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusions We summarize one of the largest cohorts of pediatric patients with OMG who have undergone up-to-date diagnostic and therapeutic regimens. The predictors of outcome and treatment pathway for OMG patients suggested by this report may be further elucidated by future prospective studies.
Abnormal Message Detection for CAN Bus Based on Message Transmission Behaviors

Electronic control units and actuators in a modern vehicle communicate with each other through controller area network (CAN) bus to ensure driving safety. Current methods assume that time interval or frequency of a normal message always keeps constant and detect abnormal messages by checking whether a message’s time interval or frequency changes. However, through real CAN bus dataset analysis, we find that time interval and frequency of a normal message may change greatly in different vehicle driving conditions (such as Acceleration, Deceleration, and Driving mode shift), which can cause low detection accuracy of current methods. To handle this problem, in this paper, we propose a message transmission behavior based abnormal message detection system (MetraDS), which detects abnormal messages in CAN bus based on message transmission behaviors including frequency and message sequence. Through real dataset analysis, we find that a message’s sequence usually does not change in different vehicle driving conditions, and also an abnormal message affects the frequency of itself and its subsequent messages. Accordingly, MetraDS checks message sequence dissimilarity to determine whether abnormal messages exist in a message sequence and then checks each message’s influence to itself and its subsequent messages to locate the abnormal messages in the sequence. We used the real dataset to test the abnormal message detection performance of MetraDS in comparison with state-of-the-art methods. The experimental results show that MetraDS improves the abnormal message detection accuracy of other methods by as much as 33.8%, and its memory and computational cost requirements are acceptable.
Cartilage Tissue Engineering

This chapter provides an introduction to tissue engineering for cartilage repair. Tissue engineering scaffolds are designed to provide a 3D environment to support and direct cellular processes in their migration, proliferation, and differentiation toward functional tissue. The selection of bioscaffolds for cartilage engineering requires excellent mechanical properties to support cellular functions, biocompatibility, capability of waste and nutrient transport, and sufficient structural integrity for joint reconstruction. Both natural and synthetic materials are applied as cartilage tissue engineering scaffolds in a variety of forms, including fibrous structures, porous sponges, woven or nonwoven meshes, and hydrogels. Biological factors are commonly applied to guide cellular differentiation, migration, adhesion, and gene expression. These factors include soluble biochemical signals, transfection of gene vectors, and cell–cell interactions. Soluble signaling molecules are used to instruct cells to proliferate, differentiate, and generate cartilage matrix during cartilage tissue reconstruction. The signaling molecules of growth factors are investigated intensively, especially TGF-β superfamily, several bone morphogenetic protein (BMPs), insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Gene therapy techniques are developed to deliver therapeutic genes encoding necessary gene products to cells at the site of cartilage injury to synthesize biological factors of interest for sustained local expression. Bioreactors are developed to provide adequate mass transfer and mechanical stimulation in order to enhance the biochemical and mechanical properties of engineered cartilage tissues.
Intravascular histiocytosis: mimicker of cellulitis, angiosarcoma, inflammatory breast cancer, and others.

Background Intravascular histiocytosis is an underrecognized reactive skin condition characterized by the clinical finding of poorly demarcated erythematous to violaceous patches and plaques. The diagnosis is confirmed by the histologic findings of intraluminal histiocytes on skin biopsy and exclusion of an alternative diagnosis. Methods A review of patients with a histologic diagnosis of intravascular or intralymphatic histiocytosis and seen at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 2010, to October 10, 2020, was performed. Histologic and clinical information was collected from the medical records. Results Nine patients were identified. Clinical impressions prior to biopsy varied widely, and no clinician included intravascular histiocytosis in the initial clinical differential diagnosis. Eight patients had preceding trauma to the affected area. Conclusion Intravascular histiocytosis remains a rare skin condition. Clinical identification remains low. Our cases add support to the hypothesis that intravascular histiocytosis is a reactive condition often preceded by trauma and/or surgery.
Impact of telemedicine adoption on accessibility and time to treatment in patients with thoracic malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: To ensure safe delivery of oncologic care during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has been rapidly adopted. However, little data exist on the impact of telemedicine on quality and accessibility of oncologic care. This study assessed whether conducting an office visit for thoracic oncology patients via telemedicine affected time to treatment initiation and accessibility. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with thoracic malignancies seen by a multidisciplinary team during the first surge of COVID-19 cases in Philadelphia (March 1 to June 30, 2020). Patients with an index visit for a new phase of care, defined as a new diagnosis, local recurrence, or newly discovered metastatic disease, were included. RESULTS: 240 distinct patients with thoracic malignancies were seen: 132 patients (55.0%) were seen initially in-person vs 108 (45.0%) via telemedicine. The majority of visits were for a diagnosis of a new thoracic cancer (87.5%). Among newly diagnosed patients referred to the thoracic oncology team, the median time from referral to initial visit was significantly shorter amongst the patients seen via telemedicine vs. in-person (median 5.0 vs. 6.5 days, p < 0.001). Patients received surgery (32.5%), radiation (24.2%), or systemic therapy (30.4%). Time from initial visit to treatment initiation by modality did not differ by telemedicine vs in-person: surgery (22 vs 16 days, p = 0.47), radiation (27.5 vs 27.5 days, p = 0.86, systemic therapy (15 vs 13 days, p = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: Rapid adoption of telemedicine allowed timely delivery of oncologic care during the initial surge of the COVID19 pandemic by a thoracic oncology multi-disciplinary clinic.
Instrumental cardiovascular conditioning: a review.

This paper reviews experiments, hypotheses, and current controversies about instrumental cardiovascular conditioning. Demonstrations of such conditioning in curarized animals challenged a differentiation between instrumental and classical learning on the basis of their respective effector systems but did not prove direct operant learning by the autonomic nervous system. In humans, ethical prohibition of curarization and lack of adequate controls for respiration and muscle tension have resulted in incomplete understanding of the roles of voluntary, somatic mediators. Despite a variety of potential clinical applications of biofeedback, the available literature lacks studies of its efficacy compared to more standard modes of therapy. The physiological mechanisms and central neural pathways involved ininstrumental cardiovascular conditioning remainalmost totally unknown.
SU-E-E-06: Teaching About the Gamma Camera and Ultrasound Imaging

Purpose: Instructional modules on applications of physics in medicine are being developed. The target audience consists of students who have had an introductory undergraduate physics course. This presentation will concentrate on an active learning approach to teach the principles of the gamma camera. There will also be a description of an apparatus to teach ultrasound imaging. Methods: Since a real gamma camera is not feasible in the undergraduate classroom, we have developed two types of optical apparatus that teach the main principles. To understand the collimator, LEDS mimic gamma emitters in the body, and the photons pass through an array of tubes. The distance, spacing, diameter, and length of the tubes can be varied to understand the effect upon the resolution of the image. To determine the positions of the gamma emitters, a second apparatus uses a movable green laser, fluorescent plastic in lieu of the scintillation crystal, acrylic rods that mimic the PMTs, and a photodetector to measure the intensity. The position of the laser is calculated with a centroid algorithm.To teach the principles of ultrasound imaging, we are using the sound head and pulser box of an educational product, variable gain amplifier, rotation table, digital oscilloscope, Matlab software,more » and phantoms. Results: Gamma camera curriculum materials have been implemented in the classroom at Loyola in 2014 and 2015. Written work shows good knowledge retention and a more complete understanding of the material. Preliminary ultrasound imaging materials were run in 2015. Conclusion: Active learning methods add another dimension to descriptions in textbooks and are effective in keeping the students engaged during class time. The teaching apparatus for the gamma camera and ultrasound imaging can be expanded to include more cases, and could potentially improve students’ understanding of artifacts and distortions in the images.« less
A Man Who Would Be Santa

OLD BILL could hardly have been a less likely candidate for fame and fortune. He spent forty-four years in an institution for the feeble minded, entering it at the age of seven, and his I.Q. barely matched his age when he was finally discharged to his home community. Without a doubt he was "feeble-minded" as some were labeled in his day, though he chose to call himself a crack-minded man. Yet fame came his way, even though fortune continued to elude him. Bill died as he had lived, a certified pauper. His brush with fame was occasioned by a couple of television movies that chronicled his life. The first of these went on to win Emmy Awards?for the actor who played his part, and for the script writer who had once served as his conservator. Thus Bill's life was bared to hundreds of millions of viewers world wide. What on earth had he done to draw this kind of attention? To many outside observers, not much. Following his discharge from the state hospital in the late 1960s, Bill had been befriended by a young college student. He followed this young man to the University of Iowa where he eventually found employment running a small coffee shop. But Bill had a special charm that drew people to him. Children followed him as they might the pied piper. Instead of a flute, Bill played the har monica. He played with more heart than talent and with a repertoire of no more than three songs. Yet, no one tired of listening to him. Tapping his foot, his eyes ablaze, he made listeners want to dance. At one of the big movie award ceremonies, in full view of a nationwide audience, Jane Fonda had done just that to Bill's impromptu rendition of the "Too Fat Polka" when he stepped on stage to receive an award on behalf of Mickey Rooney, who had played his part. In minutes the whole celebrity audience was clapping and tapping along with Bill. "Why you looks jus like downtown," Bill would say to any child to whom he was introduced. But his magnetism extended beyond chil dren and adults; he seemed to have a special way with birds and other pets. He spoke to animals with the same rapt attention he gave to the
Solution of Large Scale Engineering Problems Using a Loosely Coupled Array of Processors

Our interest in parallel processing systems has been motivated by the need to solve large scale computational problems occuring in theoretical chemistry, biophysics, and more recently in engineering. We have been experimenting with a loosely coupled system, that uses a master processor to control a group of independent slave processors. This architecture was designed to meet the following objectives: the initial system 1) should be classifiable as a “supercomputer”, 2) be easily extended to higher computing speeds, 3) be flexible and fault tolerant, 4) permit easy migration of large codes to parallel execution 5) be relatively inexpensive.
Derivation of normal macrophages from human embryonic stem (hES) cells for applications in HIV gene therapy.

Background Many novel studies and therapies are possible with the use of human embryonic stem cells (hES cells) and their differentiated cell progeny. The hES cell derived CD34 hematopoietic stem cells can be potentially used for many gene therapy applications. Here we evaluated the capacity of hES cell derived CD34 cells to give rise to normal macrophages as a first step towards using these cells in viral infection studies and in developing novel stem cell based gene therapy strategies for AIDS.
Mobile Banking for the Unbanked Poor without Mobile Phones: Comparing Three Innovative Mobile Banking Services in India

Mobile banking has created a new channel to reach over 2.5 billion unbanked poor in developing countries. Conventional mobile banking services require clients to be able to own a mobile phone and know how to operate it. However, a majority of the unbanked poor in developing countries are illiterate or semi-literate earning fluctuating incomes, often less than USD2.00 a day, and live in remote rural areas without reliable technology infrastructure. We evaluate three companies providing innovative mobile banking services, ZERO, FINO, and ESE, which do not require the poor to own a mobile phone or know how to operate it. All three companies employ human agents equipped with combinations of mobile technologies like NFC and smart cards, who meet the poor in their villages to conduct financial transactions. We reflect on the economic impact, market opportunity, and other issues related to innovative mobile banking services in the concluding section.
The Case for Overseas Article III Courts: The Blackwater Effect and Criminal Accountability in the Age of Privatization

Several incidents involving U.S. contractors, most famously Blackwater Worldwide, have highlighted the difficulty in providing consistent overseas criminal jurisdiction for U.S. citizens serving overseas. Congress has attempted fill a jurisdictional void with the passage of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) and an amendment to the Uniform Code of Military Justice which could be interpreted to subject contractors to trial by military courts-martial. However, both these efforts have serious shortcomings in that MEJA narrowly defines who qualifies as a “contractor”, and the assertion of criminal jurisdiction over U.S. civilians raises constitutional questions.In addition, a new Status of Forces Agreement ratified by the Iraqi parliament on November 27, 2008 purports to grant Iraq “the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over United States contractors and United States contractor employees.” The agreement carefully defines “United States contractors” and “United States contractor employees” as non-Iraqi persons or legal entities, and their employees, who are citizens of the United States or a third country and who are in Iraq to supply goods, services, and security in Iraq to or on behalf of the United States Forces under a contract or subcontract with or for the United States Forces. Thus, the new SOFA seems to have perpetuated the same loophole as the 2004 amendment to MEJA in that it only covers contractors working “on behalf of” or “under contract with” the United States military.Unfortunately, none of these attempted solutions will prove effective in addressing the challenges created by the last 12 years of privatization of former U.S. military positions. I propose the creation of an overseas Article III court which will allow the U.S. to establish accountability for the ever-increasing number of contractors and other U.S. citizens who are working overseas. This article will focus on the constitutionality of the establishment of such an Article III court, and describe how the proposed court could effectively address the gap that has long existed for exercising effective criminal accountability over U.S. citizens and, in certain instances, non-U.S. citizens working overseas under the authority of the U.S. government. The article will also address a cost-effective and practical way to implement the overseas Art III court using many currently existing resources.
Antitrust policy and Japan's international steel trade

This paper was presented as part of a workshop, The Changing Japanese Firm, Dec 11-12, 1998 at Columbia University. The workshop was sponsored by the Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School, with additional financial support from The Jerome A. Chazen Institute of International Business, Columbia Business School and the Center for International Business Education, Columbia University.
Studies on the supracallosal mesial cortex of unanesthetized, conscious mammals: II. Monkey. D. vertex sharp waves and epileptiform activity

Abstract 1. 1. This paper analyzed the experimental K complex and the epileptiform activity elicited by repetitive electrical stimulation of the mesial surface of twelve unanesthetized monkeys with chronically implanted electrode arrays. 2. 2. The K complex has been mapped and three prominent loci have appeared on the anterior, mid and posterior cingular gyrus. Mapping of the K complex on the lateral surface, where the amplitude was generally smaller, also showed three loci on the frontal, central and occipital areas. 3. 3. The lowest frequency of repetitive ictal activity on the mesial surface was seen on the occipital area (3–8/sec); the highest frequency appeared on the postcentral mesial region (13–24/sec). The frequency of the discharge did not appear to be related to the threshold of epileptiform activity, but varied only with the position or locus of the discharge on the mesial surface. The lowest threshold of electrographic seizure activity was on the occipital area and the next lowest on the postcentral mesial region. 4. 4. Repeated electrographic seizures would result in an increasing amount of desynchronization in the epileptiform activity. 5. 5. “Spontaneous” discharges had similar amplitudes within a distance of 7–9 mm from the region considered to contain the cells directly participating in the discharge. 6. 6. Ictal activity, at times, spread slowly across the mesial surface at the average rate of 20–25 mm/min. This rate of spread may be suggestively similar to that of the “march” of Jacksonian epilepsy. 7. 7. Seizure discharges elicited on the superior frontal region may be transmitted to the superior parieto-occipital region. Discharges elicited on the cingular gyrus may be transmitted to the inferior parieto-occipital area. 8. 8. Clinical seizures did not accompany electrographic seizure activity from the mesial poles. Ictal head and eye movements appeared with discharges on the mid-superior frontal gyrus and on the parieto-occipital region. Generalized seizures were elicited from stimulation of the pre- and postcentral mesial regions. Licking and chewing movements, in addition to ipsilateral tonic-clonic movements, were occasionally associated with seizure activity on the cingular gyrus.
Local-Federal Immigration Enforcement in North Carolina: Mapping the Criminal-Immigration Overlap

This essay explores local-federal immigration enforcement in North Carolina's Wake, Durham, and Guilford Counties through ethnographic analysis. It situates 287(g) and Secure Communities partnerships in their regional, historical, and structural contexts, namely the broader southern response to immigration, the expansion of local-federal enforcement, and the contemporary U.S. immigration detention pipeline. Section 287(g) and Secure Communities highlight growing linkages between criminal and immigration law with increasingly punitive consequences. Comparing these programs illuminates the gap between policy and practice and subsequent barriers to justice. The article discusses the significance of narrative and coalition-building in contemporary resistance work and concludes with preliminary policy recommendations related to identification and federal detainer usage.
Tourism, crime and risk perception: An examination of broadcast media's framing of negative Aruban sentiment in the Natalee Holloway case and its impact on tourism demand

Abstract The results of a mixed method study conducted on media coverage in the aftermath of the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba confirmed the hypothesis that prolonged negative media coverage was responsible, at least in part, for the decline in U.S. tourist arrivals to Aruba, which began in 2006. Prior to 2006, Americans accounted for approximately 73% of tourism demand in Aruba and current statistics indicate the percentage has dropped to 58%. Protracted media storms, which often follow a crime or murder, can be devastating to countries that rely on tourism as the largest economic driver. Americans were heavily exposed to the Natalee Holloway case by far reaching cable and network news channels which, combined, covered the story more than 950 times during the first six months of coverage. The content analysis revealed the framing of negative Aruban sentiment by the media. The often contentious relationship between the media and foreign justice systems spurred by allegations of police misconduct and the shrouding of Aruban culture in mystery characterized much of the news content. A least squares regression revealed that prolonged negative media coverage impacted the decline in U.S. tourist arrivals to Aruba. Previous studies have noted that risk perception and fear of crime plays a role in the tourist travel decision. This study proposes an additional factor; the American public's outrage at Aruba's inability and perceived unwillingness to bring the prime suspect to justice. Implications of the study are that in the aftermath of a serious crime against a tourist recovery is possible; however destinations should have a plan in place for dealing with the home country's media and make regular attempts to communicate openly to avoid negative coverage.
Cell Mediated Immunity induced in Vitro

A CELLULAR immune response to antigenic stimulation is frequently accompanied by a humoral immune response. This conjugal behaviour has complicated an understanding of the specific steps of a cellular immune response. Humoral immunity is easily measured apart from cellular immunity. Specific measurement of cellular immunity however, is complicated by the ability of some cells in lymphoid organs to produce both complement1 and antibody2. Brunner et al.3 have introduced a 51Cr release technique for measuring cellular immunity, and our modifications4 have increased the sensitivity of the procedure and the certainty that cellular immunity is being detected. We have now used this method to detect the in vitro induction of cellular immunity.
Management of the Pediatric Postoperative Cardiac Surgery Patient

Optimal management of the postoperative pediatric cardiac surgical patient requires a thorough understanding of patient anatomy, physiology, surgical repair or palliation, and clinical condition. This necessitates a dedicated team of clinicians including skilled nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists specialized in the care of patients who have complex congenital heart disease. This article provides an overview of the multisystemic risk factors and consequences associated with cadiopulmonary bypass and cardiac surgery. An evaluation of cardiac hemodynamics and a review of major organ systems are included. Essential assessment information and interventional strategies for managing the pediatric postoperative cardiac surgery patient are detailed.