cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P2X7R antagonism after subfailure overstretch injury of blood vessels reverses vasomotor dysfunction and prevents apoptosis

Human saphenous vein (HSV) is harvested and prepared prior to implantation as an arterial bypass graft. Injury and the response to injury from surgical harvest and preparation trigger cascades of molecular events and contribute to graft remodeling and intimal hyperplasia. Apoptosis is an early response after implantation that contributes the development of neointimal lesions. Here, we showed that surgical harvest and preparation of HSV leads to vasomotor dysfunction, increased apoptosis and downregulation of the phosphorylation of the anti-apoptotic protein, Niban. A model of subfailure overstretch injury in rat aorta (RA) was used to demonstrate impaired vasomotor function, increased extracellular ATP (eATP) release, and increased apoptosis following pathological vascular injury. The subfailure overstretch injury was associated with activation of p38 MAPK stress pathway and decreases in the phosphorylation of the anti-apoptotic protein Niban. Treatment of RA after overstretch injury with antagonists to purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) antagonists or P2X7R/pannexin (PanX1) complex, but not PanX1 alone, restored vasomotor function. Inhibitors to P2X7R and PanX1 reduced stretch-induced eATP release. P2X7R/PanX1 antagonism led to decrease in p38 MAPK phosphorylation, restoration of Niban phosphorylation and increases in the phosphorylation of the anti-apoptotic protein Akt in RA and reduced TNFα-stimulated caspase 3/7 activity in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells. In conclusion, inhibition of P2X7R after overstretch injury restored vasomotor function and inhibited apoptosis. Treatment with P2X7R/PanX1 complex inhibitors after harvest and preparation injury of blood vessels used for bypass conduits may prevent the subsequent response to injury that lead to apoptosis and represents a novel therapeutic approach to prevent graft failure.
Shell thickness effects on quantum dot brightness and energy transfer.

Heterostructured core/shell quantum dots (QDs) are prized in biomedical imaging and biosensing applications because of their bright, photostable emission and effectiveness as Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) donors. However, as nanomaterials chemistry has progressed beyond traditional QDs to incorporate new compositions, ultra-thick shells, and alloyed structures, few of these materials have had their optical properties systematically characterized for effective application. For example, thick-shelled QDs, also known as ‘giant’ QDs (gQDs) are useful in single-particle tracking microscopy because of their reduced blinking, but we know only that CdSe/CdS gQDs are qualitatively brighter than thin-shelled CdSe/CdS in aqueous media. In this study, we quantify the impact of shell thickness on the nanoparticle molar extinction coefficient, quantum yield, brightness, and effectiveness as a FRET donor for CdSe/xCdS core/shell and CdSe/xCdS/ZnS core/shell/shell QDs, with variable thicknesses of the CdS shell (x). Molar extinction coefficients up to three orders of magnitude higher than conventional dyes and forty-fold greater than traditional QDs are reported. When thick CdS shells are combined with ZnS capping, quantum yields following thiol ligand exchange reach nearly 40%—5–10× higher than either the commercially available QDs or gQDs without ZnS caps treated the same way. These results clearly show that thick CdS shells and ZnS capping shells work in concert to provide the brightest possible CdSe-based QDs for bioimaging applications. We demonstrate that thicker shelled gQDs are over 50-fold brighter than their thin-shelled counterparts because of significant increases in their absorption cross-sections and higher quantum yield in aqueous milieu. Consistent with the point-dipole approximation commonly used for QD-FRET, these data show that thick shells contribute to the donor–acceptor distance, reducing FRET efficiency. Despite the reduction in FRET efficiency, even the thickest-shell gQDs exhibited energy transfer. Through this systematic study, we elucidate the tradeoffs between signal output, which is much higher for the gQDs, and FRET efficiency, which decreases with shell thickness. This study serves as a guide to nanobiotechnologists striving to use gQDs in imaging and sensing devices.
Visual Occlusion Decreases Motion Sickness in a Flight Simulator

Sensory conflict theories of motion sickness (MS) assert that symptoms may result when incoming sensory inputs (e.g., visual and vestibular) contradict each other. Logic suggests that attenuating input from one sense may reduce conflict and hence lessen MS symptoms. In the current study, it was hypothesized that attenuating visual input by blocking light entering the eye would reduce MS symptoms in a motion provocative environment. Participants sat inside an aircraft cockpit mounted onto a motion platform that simultaneously pitched, rolled, and heaved in two conditions. In the occluded condition, participants wore "blackout" goggles and closed their eyes to block light. In the control condition, participants opened their eyes and had full view of the cockpit's interior. Participants completed separate Simulator Sickness Questionnaires before and after each condition. The posttreatment total Simulator Sickness Questionnaires and subscores for nausea, oculomotor, and disorientation in the control condition were significantly higher than those in the occluded condition. These results suggest that under some conditions attenuating visual input may delay the onset of MS or weaken the severity of symptoms. Eliminating visual input may reduce visual/nonvisual sensory conflict by weakening the influence of the visual channel, which is consistent with the sensory conflict theory of MS.
Advances and Open Questions in the Science of Subjective Well-Being

Subjective well-being (SWB) is an extremely active area of research with about 170,000 articles and books published on the topic in the past 15 years. Methodological and theoretical advances have been notable in this period of time, with the increasing use of longitudinal and experimental designs allowing for a greater understanding of the predictors and outcomes that relate to SWB, along with the process that underlie these associations. In addition, theories about these processes have become more intricate, as findings reveal that many associations with SWB depend on people’s culture and values and the context in which they live. This review provides an overview of many major areas of research, including the measurement of SWB, the demographic and personality-based predictors of SWB, and process-oriented accounts of individual differences in SWB. In addition, because a major new focus in recent years has been the development of national accounts of subjective well-being, we also review attempts to use SWB measures to guide policy decisions.
Evaluation of a cleaning method for the tritium environment

Abstract Solvents can be used to clean process equipment and piping that will come in contact with tritium containing gas streams; but, the ways in which solvents interact with catalysts is also of interest. This method of cleaning does not account for impurities within the bulk of a material that could be released from catalyst or containment barriers during high temperature operation. One solvent of interest which can be used because of its ability to both degrease and be analyzed for carbon content is Vertrel™ MCA. Tests were performed to determine carbon, sulfur, and chlorine concentrations for two candidate materials which were subjected to Vertrel MCA cleaning. Comparisons with high temperature hydrogen reduction are provided. Solvent analysis, LECO carbon/low sulfur determination testing, and neutron activation testing were performed to provide comparisons. Results show potential risks of using solvent cleaning and analysis as the only method of determining impurity concentration of materials which will be exposed to high temperature testing.
Changes in insurance coverage for cancer patients receiving brachytherapy before and after enactment of the Affordable Care Act

Abstract Purpose The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act called for expansion of Medicaid in 2014. As some states elected to expand Medicaid and others did not, the goal of this study was to determine the effect of Medicaid expansion on the insurance status at cancer diagnosis of brachytherapy patients. Methods and Materials Patients aged 19–64 years with breast, cervical, uterine, or prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy from 2011 to 2014 with known insurance status were identified within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry. Fisher's exact test was used to test for associations of insurance status with expanded versus nonexpanded states. For multivariate analysis, a binomial logistic regression was performed, dichotomized to uninsured versus any insurance. Results Fifteen thousand four hundred ninety-seven subjects met entry criteria. In the entire cohort, rates of uninsurance were higher in nonexpanded states at baseline (4.5% vs. 2.9%, p Conclusions Patients who received brachytherapy were less likely to be uninsured in states where Medicaid was expanded, particularly evident in regions with highest poverty levels. These results should help inform policy decisions and efforts to ensure that all patients have access to high quality treatments, such as brachytherapy.
Minimizing airline and passenger delay cost in airport surface and terminal airspace operations

Abstract This research studies the effectiveness of incorporating airline and passenger delay cost (APDC) into an integrated airport surface and terminal airspace (ASTA) traffic management system. Most air traffic management systems typically schedule aircraft with an assumption that all flights want to be operated along the minimum fuel trajectory. However, airlines and passengers may have other preferences that can significantly influence flight schedules. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate the effect of incorporating APDC to ASTA scheduling, while ensuring safety. A mixed integer nonlinear programming model (MINLP-APDC) and a swap separation violating aircraft heuristic model (SSVA-APDC) are developed to minimize the cost of delays for airlines and passengers. The proposed approaches are compared to the first-come, first-serve heuristic and two integrated scheduling algorithms for ASTA operations: 1) minimizing runway makespan (MINLP-RM); and 2) minimizing flight delays (MINLP-FD). The experimental results show that the proposed approaches save at least 1.2% APDC compared to other approaches. The proposed approaches can also achieve at least 3.0% fewer flight delays than the MINLP-RM model without increasing either runway or schedule makespan. Compared to MINLP-FD, the MINLP-APDC model increases flight delays by on average 3.7% while the SSVA-APDC model achieves on average 15.1% more flight delays. Although the MINLP-APDC model outperforms the SSVA-APDC heuristic in terms of APDC and flight delays, it requires more than 30 min of computational time. Meanwhile, the SSVA-APDC heuristics requires only a few seconds to provide a feasible flight schedule, which makes it more practical.
Q&A: Array tomography

Array tomography encompasses light and electron microscopy modalities that offer unparalleled opportunities to explore three-dimensional cellular architectures in extremely fine structural and molecular detail. Fluorescence array tomography achieves much higher resolution and molecular multiplexing than most other fluorescence microscopy methods, while electron array tomography can capture three-dimensional ultrastructure much more easily and rapidly than traditional serial-section electron microscopy methods. A correlative fluorescence/electron microscopy mode of array tomography furthermore offers a unique capacity to merge the molecular discrimination strengths of multichannel fluorescence microscopy with the ultrastructural imaging strengths of electron microscopy. This essay samples the first decade of array tomography, highlighting applications in neuroscience.
The root coverage esthetic score: Intra-examiner reliability among dental students and dental faculty.

Background The root coverage esthetic score (RES) was published in 2009 as an esthetic scoring system to measure visible final outcomes of root coverage procedures performed on Miller I and II recession defects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intra-examiner, intra-group, and inter-examiner reliability of the RES when used among periodontal faculty, post-graduate students in periodontology, and pre-doctoral DMD students when using the RES at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM). Methods Thirty-three participants (12 second-year DMD students, 11 periodontal residents, and 10 faculty members) were assembled to evaluate 25 baseline and 6-month post-treatment outcomes of mucogingival surgeries using the RES. Each projection was shown for 30 seconds during which the participants were asked to use the RES scoring system to evaluate the surgical outcomes. The results were then recorded on a standardized worksheet grid. To test intra-examiner reliability, seven of the 25 projections were shown twice. Intra-examiner reliability and inter-examiner reliability were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient using a two-way mixed effect model, and stratified by education level. Results Post-graduate (PG) residents had the highest tendency to agree with each other with an interclass correlation (ICC) of 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36 to 0.74). DMD students had an ICC: 0.51 (95% CI: 0.33 to 0.75), and PG faculty members produced an ICC: 0.41 (95% CI: 0.24 to 0.64). There was no statistically significant difference in ICC among the three groups of participants (Kruskal-Wallis test, P = 0.2440). When the data for each RES element were then combined, the mean ICC for the total inter-rater agreement for RES was 0.48 (95% CI: 0.32 to 0.71). This corresponds to an overall moderate agreement among all participants using the RES to evaluate the 25 surgical outcomes. The intra-examiner reliability within each of the three groups was quite high. The highest mean ICC was produced by PG faculty (0.908). The mean ICCs for PG residents was 0.867, and the mean ICC for DMD students was 0.855. The Kruskal-Wallis test (P = 0.46) failed to find any statistical difference in intra-examiner reliability among the three groups of participants. Conclusions The RES is a "moderately" reliable scoring system for mucogingival treatments in a dental school setting and can be used even by operators with different levels of periodontal experience. This scoring system can be repeated by the same examiner to obtain reliable results.
SLE: reconciling heterogeneity.

Patients with SLE experience multiple, varied symptoms and laboratory abnormalities that occur in different combinations, at different points in time.1 A result of the heterogeneity is that studies on SLE employ several, sometimes conflicting, definitions of the illness. Investigators disagree about when SLE begins; how SLE relates to similar and overlapping rheumatic illnesses; whether SLE-like illnesses of known genetic causes count as SLE; and whether the same diagnosis name should apply when investigators describe stratified populations, for instance, SLE with and without renal disease. Inconsistent definitions lead stakeholders—patients, practising physicians, administrators, epidemiologists and investigators—to count different patients and to develop different opinions about the mechanisms and treatment of SLE. To advocate a consensus vocabulary and conceptual model, in this paper we deconstruct the process of making a diagnosis of SLE by examining its classification and diagnostic criteria, definitions and illness models. We discuss the ways by which stratification biases conclusions and how the purpose for which a stakeholder names a diagnosis determines whom they accept as having this disease. ### Classification and diagnostic criteria When in the mid-19th century Cazenave first used the name lupus erythematosus , SLE was a rare and life-threatening illness.2 3 A century later, as new technologies identified more patients,4–10 physicians found SLE to be more clinically diverse, and often less severe, than they once believed. To improve homogeneity of patient populations identified for clinical studies, investigators developed classification criteria that are specific, binary (SLE is present or not) and time limited (valid only for the extent of a study). The homogeneity of classification criteria is implied but not real. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria allow 330 different combinations of symptoms and laboratory tests to affirm a diagnosis of SLE.11 Classification criteria are insensitive; they exclude patients who, despite disabling and treatable symptoms, fall below …
A continuous fluorescence assay for simple quantification of bile salt hydrolase activity in the gut microbiome.

The microbiota of the mammalian gut plays a dynamic role in controlling host physiology. The effect of gut microbiota activity on host health is particularly evident in the case of bile homeostasis. Bile is produced by the host and is modified by the gut microbiota, which impacts the net hydrophobicity of the total bile acid pool, and also modulates host signaling pathways. A key mechanism by which the microbiota modify bile is through deconjugation of bile salts through bile salt hydrolase (BSH) enzymatic activity, which is postulated to be a prerequisite for all further microbial metabolism. BSH activity in the gut is largely considered to be beneficial for the host, and genes encoding BSHs are found in the genomes of many taxa found in over-the-counter probiotics. Despite the therapeutic relevance of this enzyme, there is no sensitive and simple assay for continuous monitoring of BSH activity, and there are no non-destructive means of characterizing its activity in whole cell or microbial community samples. Herein, we describe a continuous fluorescence assay that can be used for characterization of BSH activity with purified protein, cell lysates, whole cells, and in human gut microbiome samples. The method is a “turn-on” reporter strategy, which employs synthetic substrates that yield a fluorescent product upon BSH-dependent turnover. This assay is used to show the first in vivo characterization of BSH activity. We also demonstrate continuous, non-destructive quantification of BSH activity in a human fecal microbiome sample containing recombinant BSH.
Quantification of location-dependence in a large-scale additively manufactured build through experiments and micromechanical modeling

Abstract Wire-based directed energy deposition additive manufacturing techniques (AM) permit the rapid production of large-scale structural components which are not currently possible using the more common powder bed fusion (PBF) AM methods. However, due to larger melt pool widths and higher energy inputs than PBF methods, local thermal history effects produce significant location-dependent microstructure, porosity, and mechanical behavior that necessitates thorough quantification of this emergent technology. Wire + Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) was used to produce austenitic stainless-steel single bead walls in order to statistically quantify the variation of critical material properties within the build. Individual grain geometric properties evaluated using electron back scatter diffraction at different points in the build were well fit by a three-parameter Weibull cumulative distribution function, yet sufficiently different from averaged values. X-ray diffraction for each location disclosed a strong wire texture in the build direction, leading to anisotropic elastic moduli values that were well described by directionally-dependent modulus predictions obtained from diffraction peak analysis. Location-dependent mechanical behavior was examined and accurately captured by an elasto-viscoplastic model based on the Fast-Fourier Transforms (EvpFFT) using the local microstructure orientation data as input. Overall, a high-quality build was realized, with minimal porosity of less than 0.32%, and median yield and tensile strength values of approximately 320.4 ± 8.0 MPa and 531.6 ± 8.2 MPa, respectively. In conclusion, mean values for mechanical behavior within the wall build were found to closely resemble single pass weldments, with statistical variation between individual locations mainly occurring in the weld direction due to local thermal history effects.
Comparative Study of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate With MOSES Enabled Pulsed Laser Modulation

ABSTRACT Objective To compare outcomes for patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostate hyperplasia using 3 different laser fibers and 2 different laser energy modes. Materials and Methods This is a review of a clinic registry of men with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostate hyperplasia who underwent HoLEP between August 2018 and January 2019. Patients were assigned to group 1 (50 patients), group 2 (50 patients), and group 3 (50 patients) based on the HoLEP being completed with either a Slimline 550µm, Slimline 1000µm, or MOSES 550 µm laser, respectively. The groups were compared using SSPS for ANOVA comparison of means and multivariate logistic regression. Results Ten patients who underwent concomitant stone surgery (2 PCNL, 8 ureteroscopy , 3 bilateral cases) and 11 patients had bladder stones removed; ancillary procedures did not significantly differ between groups(P = .2). Prostate enucleation times differed significantly (22.5 + 7.3, 16.4 + 6.9, 18.1 + 8.6 minutes P ≤.001) between groups. However, statistical significance was lost once enucleation time was indexed against enucleated tissue weight. Time to achieve hemostasis (minutes) was statistically different between groups (10.6 + 6.1, 7.7 + 5.2, 6.3 + 4.8 P Conclusion Our findings suggest that modulated pulsed laser energy can improve hemostasis during the enucleation phase of a HoLEP resulting in shorter Operating Room times.
Online peer feedback in second language Chinese writing: From feedback, uptake, to perception

Abstract Online peer feedback is advocated but not sufficiently used or researched in language classrooms, especially in Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) context. There is not sufficient evidence on the relationship of peer feedback type and revision, and controversies remain regarding learners’ perceptions of peer feedback, especially in terms of its trustworthiness. This study examines the typology, uptake, and learner perceptions of online peer feedback in an advanced level CFL classroom. Participants’ first drafts, feedback, and revisions in four writing assignments were analyzed and interviews were conducted. Feedback was mostly given on vocabulary, grammar, and character. 70.9% of the corrective feedback led to successful revision, and direct change, suggestion, and clarification most frequently led to revision. Participants generally trusted peer feedback, while they were also autonomous in giving feedback and deciding on uptakes. Learners’ positive perceptions include the comprehensibility of peer feedback and a sense of supportive community.
Topology Learning in Radial Dynamical Systems with Unreliable Data.

Many complex engineering systems admit bidirectional and linear couplings between their agents. Blind and passive methods to identify such influence pathways/couplings from data are central to many applications. However, dynamically related data-streams originating at different sources are prone to corruption caused by asynchronous time-stamps of different streams, packet drops and noise. Such imperfect information may be present in the entire observation period, and hence not detected by change-detection algorithms that require an initial clean observation period. Prior work has shown that spurious links are inferred in the graph structure due to the corrupted data-streams, which prevents consistent learning. In this article, we provide a novel approach to detect the location of corrupt agents as well as present an algorithm to learn the structure of radial dynamical systems despite corrupted data streams. In particular, we show that our approach provably learns the true radial structure if the unknown corrupted nodes are at least three hops away from each other. Our theoretical results are further validated in test dynamical network.
Procedural frequency: Results from 18 academic, community and freestanding emergency departments.

Background Emergency physicians must maintain procedural skills, but clinical opportunities may be insufficient. We sought to determine how often practicing emergency physicians in academic, community and freestanding emergency departments (EDs) perform 4 procedures: central venous catheterization (CVC), tube thoracostomy, tracheal intubation, and lumbar puncture (LP). Methods This was a retrospective study evaluating emergency physician procedural performance over a 12-month period. We collected data from the electronic records of 18 EDs in one healthcare system. The study EDs included higher and lower volume, academic, community and freestanding, and trauma and non-trauma centers. The main outcome measures were median number of procedures performed. We examined differences in procedural performance by physician years in practice, facility type, and trauma status. Results Over 12 months, 182 emergency physicians performed 1582 of 2805 procedures (56%) and supervised (resident, nurse practitioner or physician assistant) an additional 1223 of the procedures they did not perform (43%). Median (interquartile range) physician performance for each procedure was CVC 0 [0, 2], tube thoracostomy 0 [0, 0], tracheal intubation 3 [0.25, 8], and LP 0 [0, 2]. The percentage of emergency physicians who did not perform at least one of each procedure during the 1-year time frame ranged from 25.3% (tracheal intubation) to 76.4% (tube thoracostomy). Physicians who work at high-volume EDs (>50,000 visits per year) performed nearly twice as many tracheal intubations, CVCs, and LPs than those at low-volume EDs or freestanding EDs when normalized per 1000 visits. Years out of training were inversely related to total number of procedures performed. Emergency physicians at trauma centers performed almost 3 times as many tracheal intubations and almost 4 times as many CVCs compared to non-trauma centers. Conclusion In a large healthcare system, regardless of ED type, emergency physicians infrequently performed the 4 procedures studied. Physicians in high-volume EDs, trauma centers, and recent graduates performed more procedures. Our study adds to a growing body of research that suggests clinical frequency alone may be insufficient for all emergency physicians to maintain competency.
Scliar, Moacyr. Eden-Brazil. Translated by Malcolm McNee, Tagus, 2019.

Expertly translated by Malcolm McNee, Associate Professor of Portuguese and Spanish at Smith College, Eden-Brazil appears in English at a time when such invisibility is not theoretical, and indigenous peoples are demanding they be protagonists in their own narratives. But it also masks Brazil’s history of anti-indigenous violence, detailed horrifically in documentary works such as Os fuzis e as flechas: historia de sangue e resistencia indigena na ditadura (Valente, 2017).
Herpes Simplex Virus Cell Entry Mechanisms: An Update.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) can infect a broad host range and cause mild to life threating infections in humans. The surface glycoproteins of HSV are evolutionarily conserved and show an extraordinary ability to bind more than one receptor on the host cell surface. Following attachment, the virus fuses its lipid envelope with the host cell membrane and releases its nucleocapsid along with tegument proteins into the cytosol. With the help of tegument proteins and host cell factors, the nucleocapsid is then docked into the nuclear pore. The viral double stranded DNA is then released into the host cell’s nucleus. Released viral DNA either replicates rapidly and produces viral progeny (more commonly in non-neuronal cells) or stays latent inside the nucleus (in sensory neurons). The fusion of the viral envelope with host cell membrane is a key step. Blocking this step can prevent entry of HSV into the host cell and the subsequent interactions that ultimately lead to production of viral progeny and cell death or latency. In this review, we have discussed viral entry mechanisms including the pH-independent as well as pH-dependent endocytic entry, cell to cell spread of HSV and use of viral glycoproteins as an antiviral target.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent C difficile Infection During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience and Recommendations.

Abstract Objective To report experience with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) and provide recommendations for management of rCDI and donor testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A retrospective study of patients with rCDI who underwent FMT from May 26, 2020, to September 30, 2020, with stool from well-screened donors with health and infectious screening and a newly implemented strategy for COVID-19 screening with every 2-week bookend testing with stool quarantine. Patients were followed up for development of rCDI and COVID-19. Results Of the 57 patients who underwent FMT for rCDI, 29 were tested for COVID-19 via nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 22 via serology. All results were negative, except for 1 positive serology. Donor testing every 2 weeks for COVID-19 via serology and nasopharyngeal swab PCR was negative, except for 2 donors at 1 center who were excluded. Three patients had rCDI after FMT, and 1 underwent repeat FMT. One patient developed respiratory symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and tested negative via nasopharyngeal PCR. Eleven patients who underwent COVID-19 testing for elective procedures or hospitalizations tested negative. No SARS-CoV-2 transmission was noted. Conclusions With appropriate donor screening, FMT can be performed safely for rCDI during the COVID-19 pandemic. Development of a validated stool assay for SARS-CoV-2 will simplify this process further.
Concurrent arterial and venous thrombosis in a patient with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.

Background Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is marked by arterial, venous, or small vessel thrombosis. There have been few reported cases on APS presenting as thrombosis simultaneously involving large arteries and venous side of the blood circulation. CAPS can easily be confused with DIC, HIT, and other TMA. Anticoagulants remain the mainstay of treatment for CAPS, whereas in DIC and TMA, anticoagulants have no role. Case Presentation A 43-year-old male presented to our facility with a chief complaint of right foot pain, calf cramps, and shortness of breath. The patient's right dorsal pedal artery was not palpable. CT angiogram showed bilateral pulmonary emboli (fig.1), emboli within the right saphenofemoral artery (SFA), and popliteal artery (PA). Digital subtraction angiogram showed occlusive thrombi in SFA and in the PA. Thrombolysis was performed by an intra-arterial catheter-directed tissue plasminogen activator. Agitated saline bubble study showed no evidence of atrial shunting. The patient was noted to have thrombocytopenia, hypofibrinogenemia, high serum D-Dimer and normal activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). The patient tested positive for anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies and lupus anticoagulant (LA). After 12 weeks, aCL antibodies and LA testing were suggestive of APS. Conclusion Simultaneous thrombosis in large arteries and veins is a very unusual presentation for the APS. The patients should be started on anticoagulants immediately as the mortality rate associated with CAPS is high and the key to management is initiating anticoagulants expeditiously.
Beyond COVID-19: what’s next for skill assessment practices in social work education?

Due to COVID-19, many higher education institutions abruptly transitioned to virtual instruction. For social work programs in the United States, this included supervised field education learning ex...
MO-FG-206-00: Practical Statistics for Medical Physicists

Physicists are often expected to have a solid grounding in experimental design and statistical analysis, sometimes filling in when biostatisticians or other experts are not available for consultation. Unfortunately, graduate education on these topics is seldom emphasized and few opportunities for continuing education exist. Clinical physicists incorporate new technology and methods into their practice based on published literature. A poor understanding of experimental design and analysis could result in inappropriate use of new techniques. Clinical physicists also improve current practice through quality initiatives that require sound experimental design and analysis. Academic physicists with a poor understanding of design and analysis may produce ambiguous (or misleading) results. This can result in unnecessary rewrites, publication rejection, and experimental redesign (wasting time, money, and effort). This session will provide a practical review of common study designs and statistical tests. Instruction will primarily focus on practical implementation and answer questions such as: when a test/design is typically applied, what information is attained, and when the test/design is typically misapplied (i.e., common pitfalls). Learning Objectives: 1.Understand common experimental designs, what questions they can answer, and how to interpret their results 2.Review basic statistical tests commonly implemented in medical physics 3.Determine where specific statistical tests are appropriate and identify common pitfalls 4.Identify multiple hypothesis testing and how it impacts reported results
Some Critical Questions About Deterministic and Stochastic Adaptive Control Algorithms

The purpose of this informal paper is to discuss certain robustness issues associated with existing adaptive control algorithms. A modeling framework for incorporating high-frequency unknown dynamics in the adaptive control framework is suggested. Possible fundamental limitations of existing adaptive control framework is suggested. Possible fundamental limitations of existing adaptive control algorithms are also discussed, with emphasis upon their closed-loop stability properties in the presence of unmodeled high-frequency dynamics.
Energy Conservation And Efficiency

The sections in this article are 1 Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Industry 2 Energy Conservation In Transportation 3 Summary
“WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE GIVEN?”: TOWARDS AN EXPLORATION OF KENOSIS AS FORGIVENESS—CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN COAKLEY, HAMPSON, AND PAPANIKOLAOU1

This article engages the conversation between Sarah Coakley, Daphne Hampson, and Aristotle Papanikolaou (Modern Theology, Vol. 19 no. 1, January 2003) on the appropriateness of kenosis as a theological trope for women and deeply oppressed and vulnerable others. It affirms Coakley's and Papanikolaou's stance, which maintains that kenosis is a necessary or at least distinctively valuable category in Christian theology for understanding the transformation and redemption of all persons. The paper expands on Papanikolaou's analysis of the kenosis involved in the healing and recovery of personhood, arguing that the “emptying of fear” reaches the fullness of self-giving love in the scandalous act of forgiveness.
Total cavopulmonary direct anastomosis in the beating heart without prosthetic material: preliminary experience with modified extracardiac fontan procedure.

Aim To describe modified extracardiac Fontan procedure characterized with total cavopulmonary direct anastomosis in the beating heart without using prosthetic material in seven patients and summarize the clinical experiences and follow-up results. Methods From April 2007 to April 2011, seven patients with complex cardiac anomalies underwent this operation. The main pulmonary artery (MPA) was transected at the base of the pulmonary valve and the pulmonary annulus was oversewn. Then the inferior vena cava (ICV) was transected at the junction with the atrium. The MPA was brought to the side of the ICV and anastomosed in an end-to-end fashion. The superior vena cava (SVC) was transected at its entrance into the right atrium and was anastomosed to the right pulmonary artery. Five patients received transcatheter device closure of the fenestration with either a small atrial septal defect or ventricular septal defect occluder. Results All patients were in sinus rhythm and extubated on the first postoperative day. Immediate postoperative arterial oxygen saturation was 95% (93% to 96%). During the follow-up period from 17 to 65 months (median 48 months), there were no deaths and reoperations. Arterial oxygen saturation ranged from 88% to 92% on room air. The fenestration was closed in five patients postoperatively and the arterial oxygen saturation rose to 95%. Conclusion Total cavopulmonary direct anastomosis in the beating heart without the use of prosthetic material provides growth potential, and avoids the need for anticoagulation. Longer follow-up will be necessary to evaluate this modification. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12203 (J Card Surg 2013;28:576–579)
Understanding the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse: Feminist Revolutions in Theory, Research and Practice, by S. Warner

In the first chapter of Understanding the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse: Feminist Revolutions in Theory, Research and Practice, Sam Warner states, “This book is concerned with how the effects of ch...
On-orbit direction finding of lightning radio frequency emissions recorded by the FORTE satellite

[1] The recording of radio frequency signals from space potentially provides a means for global, near-real-time remote sensing of vigorous convective storms and a possible early warning system for convection-associated severe weather. In general, radio frequency signals arriving at a satellite with modest antenna gain do not directly reveal the ground location of those signals' source. We develop here a means of inferring the source location using repeated signal recordings from the same source storm, with the successive recordings taken along a significant segment of the satellite pass in view of the storm. The method is based on the ratio of received power on each of a pair of crossed dipole antennas. This method has a positional accuracy of 100–500 km. Moreover, the method has an intrinsic right-left (with respect to the subsatellite track) location ambiguity. A promising use of this technique in future applications will be as an aid in assigning lightning RF emission sources to meteorological features from other global remote-sensing products, for example satellite infrared imagery of clouds.
Use of wire sutures for fracture fixation.

Abstract A new technique of using double-armed wire sutures for circummandibular and circumzygomatic wiring is described. The technique has not been previously reported in the literature.
Solar system science with subarcsecond slit spectroscopy

During its first year of shared-risk observations, the PALAO/PHARO adaptive optics system has been employed to obtain near-infrared R approximately 1000 spectra of solar system targets at spectroscopic slit widths of 0.5 and 0.1 arcsec, and corresponding spatial resolution along the slit as fine as 0.08 arcsec. Phenomena undergoing initial investigation include condensate formation in the atmospheres of Neptune, and the Saturnian moon, Titan. We present the results of this AO spectroscopy campaign and discuss AO specific considerations in the reduction and interpretation of this data.
In vitro susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to trospectomycin, pirlimycin (U-57930E), mirincamycin (U-24729A) and N-demethyl clindamycin (U-26767A)

The in vitro activity of trospectomycin, pirlimycin, mirincamycin and N-demethyl clindamycin was measured against 46 clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori using an agar dilution technique. The MIC50 and MIC90 were 4 and 64 micrograms/ml for pirlimycin and N-demethyl clindamycin, and 32 and 128 micrograms/ml for mirincamycin, respectively. All 46 strains were sensitive to trospectomycin with an MIC50 of 8 micrograms/ml and an MIC90 of 16 micrograms/ml. Of seven strains with the highest trospectomycin MICs (8 or 16 micrograms/ml) 100% were found to be resistant to metronidazole. Among ten strains with low trospectomycin MICs (2 micrograms/ml or less) 100% were sensitive to metronidazole. Possible explantations for the apparent correlation between the MICs of the two drugs are discussed. Since all metronidazole resistant strains were sensitive to trospectomycin, this drug may be useful in treating infection with metronidazole resistant Helicobacter pylori.
Neuromuscular transmission in insects: Effect of injected chemical agents

Abstract Electrical activity was measured in single muscle fibers of the fly Sarcophaga bullata during treatmnet with several pharmacological agents known to modify vertebrate neuromuscular transmission. Drugs were administered by two routes, viz. topical application and intra-abdominal injection. 1. 1. Acetylcholine, eserine and GABA had no effect when topically applied. 2. 2. Acetylcholine and glutamic acid caused depolarization when injected, while eserine provoked repetitive spontaneous firing. 3. 3. In view of the differential effects observed with respect to the route of drug administration, the role of acetylcholine in neuromuscular transmission in insects may require reconsideration.
Spontaneous ‘Phasic-Firing’ in Supraoptic Neurons Recorded from Hypothalamo-Neurohypophysial Explants in vitro

Single unit, extracellular electrical activity of 97 hypothalamic supraoptic neurons was recorded with micropipettes from rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial explants maintained acutely in vitro. Spontaneously firing as well as quiescent neurons were encountered in roughly equal numbers. Of the spontaneously active neurons, 36.3% fired in a phasic mode quantitatively similar to that of ‘vasopressin-secreting’ neurons recorded in vivo under conditions of enhanced hormone release. A small portion (∼14%) of the recorded supraoptic neurons had spikes which showed constant latency and high frequency following responses to stimulation of the neural stalk, responses characteristic of antidromically stimulated neurons. The mean latency and the range of latencies to these responses were similar to that recorded in vivo. Hypothalamo-neurohypophysial explants maintained in vitro thus provide a useful tool for investigating the electical activity of supraoptic neurosecretory cells. Since the explant contains both the supraoptic neurons and their neurohypophysial projection path, this preparation offers an opportunity for characterizing further the relationship between electrical activity and hormone release.
Reliability Considerations for Distribution Automation Equipment

Adequate reliability of distribution automation equipment for control, monitoring, and protection is essential to performance of automated distribution systems and to their acceptance by electric utilities. It is necessary to establish reliability goals for this equipment. A number of factors influence equipment costs and maintenance costs. Some of these are parts quality, redundancy, and the skill level of maintenance personnel. Self test capabilities can provide improved availability even though distribution automation equipment is more complex in design. Considerations to achieve lowest annual revenue requirements are presented.
Improved precision measurement of the Casimir force

We report an improved precision measurement of the Casimir force. The force is measured between a large Al coated sphere and flat plate using an atomic force microscope. The primary experimental improvements include the use of smoother metal coatings, reduced noise, lower systematic errors, and independent measurement of surface separations. Also the complete dielectric spectrum of the metal is used in the theory. The average statistical precision remains at the same 1% of the forces measured at the closest separation.
High sensitivity, low voltage silicon photodetectors compatible with silicon integration

Summary form only given. The work reports a new high responsivity high sensitivity, high frequency and low voltage photodetector capable of operating at 850 nm and lower wavelengths at multi-GHz frequencies, while providing compatibility with silicon system-on-chip technology. By decoupling the carrier generation process from the carrier collection process, silicon can provide performance characteristics that are either comparable of superior to that achieved from III-V semiconductors. This decoupling is achieved using deep-trench technology based lateral p/sup ++/-polysilicon doped and n/sup ++/-doped junctions that allow for short carrier collection distances while allowing for large absorption depths. Use of poly-silicon-based junctions in silicon allows for low darkcurrent and nearly ideal diodes. Small junction separations and low doping allow low bias and efficient separation of carriers.
Differences in sugars, chip color, specific gravity and yield of selected potato cultivars grown in michigan

Six cultivars, Atlantic, Eramosa, Kanona, Norchip, Onaway and Saginaw Gold and four selections, MS 700-70, MS 700-83 (Spartan Pearl), MS 716-15 and W-855 (Snowden), were analyzed for sucrose, glucose, chip color, specific gravity and yield at 98 and 138 days in 1988 and 1989, t evaluate their performance to Michigan growing conditions. The average yield of these cultivars at the two harvests for 1988 and 1989 was 46.9 and 54.7 t/ha and 43.1 and 52.3 t/ha, respectively. Eramosa and Onaway were the earliest maturing varieties with low specific gravity, high glucose content and processed into dark colored chips. The glucose and sucrose contents of the remaining eight cultivars at each harvest date were low and produced acceptable chips. The specific gravity of Atlantic, MS 700-70, MS 716-15 and W-855 was in the range of 1.079–1.088 and for Norchip, Kanona and Saginaw Gold the range was 1.071–1.076. The date of harvest, variety and year of production had significant effect (p > 0.01) on yield. The specific gravity, glucose content and chip color were significantly influenced by variety and year of production. The correlation between chip colorvs glucose (r= -0.842, p = 0.000) and harvest datevs yield (r= -0.572, p = 0.000) was also significant.
Bestiality and the Queering of the Human Animal

We provide an account of a bizarre sex panic from rural Washington State, USA. There, a man died after having sex with a horse and a panic ensued because there was no law against human – animal sex...
Dielectric function, Wigner crystal and Coulomb liquids

Abstract We analyze the high frequency expansion of the dielectric function of the Wigner crystal both in three and two dimensions. We show that the angle-averaged expansion bears a close resemblance to the similar expansion of a strongly coupled Coulomb liquid. This leads to a useful relationship between the respective plasmon dispersion relations in the two systems.
Micro-stereolithography of polymeric and ceramic microstructures

Abstract Micro-stereolithography (μSL) is a novel micro-manufacturing process which builds the truly 3D microstructures by solidifying the liquid monomer in a layer by layer fashion. In this work, an advanced μSL apparatus is designed and developed which includes an Ar + laser, the beam delivery system, computer-controlled precision x–y–z stages and CAD design tool, and in situ process monitoring systems. The 1.2 μm resolution of μSL fabrication has been achieved with this apparatus. The microtubes with high aspect ratio of 16 and real 3D microchannels and microcones are fabricated on silicon substrate. For the first time, μSL of ceramic microgears has been successfully demonstrated.