cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cell Culture Studies Using Extracts of Extracellular Matrix to Study Growth and Differentiation in Mammalian Cells

With the evolution of metazoans came the evolution of multiple, specialized cell types that coordinate their activities with each other and in response to the organism’s environment. The regulation of growth and differentiation in such specialized cell types, and its loss in certain diseases such as malignancy, have been the focus of many major fields of scientific interest. This review will discuss the state of the art of specific culture conditions that optimize either growth or maintenance of the differentiated state in “committed” mammalian cells, that is, cells that have differentiated during embryological development to a specific cell type such as a fibroblast, hepatocyte, or neuron. Thus, we are distinquishing two aspects of differentiation: (1) the “committment” process, occurring during embryogenesis and resulting in multiple specialized cell types, and (2) regulation of gene expression within a committed cell.
Cashier's Check Scam Targets Attorneys

A modern version of advance fee fraud involving cashier's checks and wire transfers is targeting attorneys. Attorneys are contacted by a purported client and asked to collect a debt or perform other legal work. The attorney typically performs only a small amount of legal work before receiving a cashier's check on behalf of the client. The client instructs the attorney to keep his or her fee and wire the rest to the client. After the wire has been completed, the attorney learns the cashier's check was fraudulent. This article discusses the legal implications for attorneys caught in the fraud and offers suggestions for spotting and avoiding scam.
Dynamic Mechanical Testing to Evaluate Radiation Induced Changes in Polymers

Abstract Dynamic mechanical testing is one of the most useful tools for evaluating effects of radiation on polymers. Present property-temperature spectra provide molecular and mechanical information. Property-time spectra are of more fundamental interest but present molecular theories or molecular descriptions of phenomenological theories are too limited to allow interpretations of the spectra. The application of dynamic testing to specimens in a radiation field is a new approach to radiation effects studies and has great potential for further understanding the interaction of radiation with polymers.
In Situ Generated Platinum Catalyst for Methanol Oxidation via Electrochemical Oxidation of Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide Anion in Ionic Liquids at Anaerobic Condition.

The bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion is widely used as an ionic liquid anion due to its electrochemical stability and wide electrochemical potential window at aerobic conditions. Here we report an innovative strategy by directly oxidizing bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion to form a radical electrocatalyst on platinum electrode at anaerobic condition. The in situ generated radical catalyst was shown to catalytically and selectively promote the electrooxidation of methanol to form methoxyl radical, in which the formation potential was drastically decreased with the existence of bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide radical. The electrochemically generated radical catalyst not only facilitates the oxidation of methanol but also provides good selectivity. The unique double layer structure of the 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Bmpy][NTf2]) likely excludes the diffusion of larger molar mass molecules onto the electrode surface and enables the highly selective methanol...
Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis A Comparison of Tracheal Size

Objective:To assess the size of the cervical and thoracic trachea among female patients with idiopathic subglottic stenosis (SGS).Methods:Computed tomography (CT) scans of neck/chest from female pa...
Penal subjectivities: Developing a theoretical framework for penal consciousness:

This article develops a new theoretical framework, penal consciousness, that examines the ways in which prisoners orient to and make meaning of their punishment. Penal consciousness identifies the ...
The effect of water deprivation upon shock elicited aggression in the white rat

Aggressive responses were recorded for male albino rats under conditions of shock stimulation only and water deprivation plus shock. Results indicated that shock delivered while the S was water deprived elicited fewer aggressive responses than shock alone and that merely restraining the S did not elicit aggressive responses.
Long-term synthesis of antibody in vitro.

SummaryOrgan cultures of spleen, lymph nodes and thymus, maintained on the surface of agar, were shown to retain the antibody-producing function for periods of time exceeding those previously reported. The long-term synthetic process requires the presence of normal serum. Such cultures continued to produce antibodies whose synthetic process was initiated in vivo and also manifested clear-cut secondary responses upon stimulation in vitro.
The Heritability of Accumulative Monthly and Annual Egg Production

Abstract THE breeding of domestic animals for economic purposes has for centuries proceeded on the basis of trial and error methods, and by and large is still carried on in the same manner today. Although Wright (1921) more than a quarter century ago laid down most of the genetic principles upon which breeding schemes with predictable rates of gain could be established, it is only recently that, through the efforts of Lush (e.g., 1945) and of his students, the descriptive data which have been accumulating for many years have been subjected to analyses necessary for the formulation of efficient breeding plans. The validation by empirical tests of the theoretical principles deduced by Wright has been slow, largely because of the necessity of collecting data for a long period of time and of the laborious statistical analysis required. With respect to egg production in the domestic fowl such verification has been recently . . .
Borrowing information over time in binomial/logit normal models for small area estimation

Linear area level models for small area estimation, such as the Fay-Herriot model, face challenges when applied to discrete survey data. Such data commonly arise as direct survey estimates of the number of persons possessing some characteristic, such as the number of persons in poverty. For such applications, we examine a binomial/logit normal (BLN) model that assumes a binomial distribution for rescaled survey estimates and a normal distribution with a linear regression mean function for logits of the true proportions. Effective sample sizes are defined so variances given the true proportions equal corresponding sampling variances of the direct survey estimates. We extend the BLN model to bivariate and time series (first order autoregressive) versions to permit borrowing information from past survey estimates, then apply these models to data used by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program to predict county poverty for school-age children. We compare prediction results from the alternative models to see how much the bivariate and time series models reduce prediction error variances from those of the univariate BLN model. Standard conditional variance calculations for corresponding linear Gaussian models that suggest how much variance reduction will be achieved from borrowing information over time with linear models agree generally with the BLN empirical results.
Meanshift Robust Object Tracking Based on Feature Saliency

This paper proposes the saliency-based feature fusion and template updating strategy in the meanshift framework to realize robust tracking in dynamic complex environment.Firstly,A feature saliency measurement is defined as the contrast between object and background.The optimal color space based on feature saliency and the texture feature based on Gabor wavelet sparse coding are extracted.The reference histogram template initialization is weighted by feature saliency and an online template updating strategy is presented for occlusion and object deformation.Experimental results show that the proposed model is more precise and more robust compared with up-to-date competing models.
Genetic and Biochemical Analysis of Protozoal Polyamine Transporters

Polyamines are aliphatic polycations that function in key cellular processes such as growth, differentiation, and macromolecular biosynthesis. Intracellular polyamines pools are maintained from de novo synthesis and from transport of polyamines from the extracellular milieu. This acquisition of exogenous polyamines is mediated by cell surface transporter proteins. Protozoan parasites are the etiologic agents of a plethora of devastating and often fatal diseases in humans and their domestic animals. These pathogens accommodate de novo and/or salvage mechanisms for polyamine acquisition. Because of its therapeutic relevance, the polyamine biosynthetic pathway has been thoroughly investigated in many genera of protozoan parasites, but the polyamine permeation pathways have generally been ignored. Our group has now identified at the molecular level polyamine transporters from two species of protozoan parasites, Leishmania major and Trypanosoma cruzi, characterized these polytopic proteins with respect to ligand specificities and affinities, and determined the subcellular environments in which these transporters reside.
Positron Emission Tomography in Medicine: An Overview

Publisher Summary This chapter briefly discusses current and upcoming applications of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers in oncology, neurology, cardiology, infectious disease, and inflammatory disorders. Fluorene-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is the most widely available and currently the dominant PET tracer in oncology. Cancer imaging with FDG-PET takes advantage of increased glucose metabolism in cancer cells. FDG-PET is used for localization of suspected malignancies that appear as foci of high-glucose metabolism in low-insulin state, and ascertaining metabolic activities of a known focus of abnormality. Accurate tumor staging is essential for choosing the appropriate treatment strategy for patients with cancer; for example, FDG-PET scanning enables assessment of the local extent of thoracic malignancies as well as the presence of nodal or distant metastasis. At the time of diagnosis, PET is useful in initial preoperative staging for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Accurate tumor staging is essential for choosing the appropriate treatment strategy in patients with lung cancer. FDG-PET has become an invaluable tool in the evaluation of patients with suspected recurrent cancer based on increased serum tumor marker levels such as thyroglobulin, carcinoembryonic antigen, or CA-125. Positron emission tomography is useful as an adjunct modality in evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules, especially when results from conventional imaging modalities are equivocal. The sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET for evaluating radiologically indeterminate nodules are 92% and 90%, respectively. FDG-PET might be useful in the work-up of patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO). FDG is ideal because of its sensitivity in detecting metabolically active regions that may be the source of infection or neoplasm in the clinical setting.
Ovarian remnant syndrome: a retrospective evaluation of surgical management

The objective of the study is to report on patient characteristics, surgical findings, pathology, and recurrence of ovarian remnants. This is a retrospective case series completed at an academic tertiary care hospital. Seventeen patients were identified between September 2005 and December 2015 with ovarian remnant syndrome using a diagnosis code search at one institution. All patients underwent surgical excision. Pathology confirmed ovarian tissue. Three recurrences were treated non-surgically. All patients had a history of endometriosis and previous surgeries. The average number of laparotomies, laparoscopies, and cesarean sections was 1.29 (range, 0–3), 2.47 (range, 0–6), and 0.59 (range, 0–3), respectively. Ten patients (58.8 %) had a prior bilateral salpingoophorectomy. Seven patients (41.2 %) had a prior unilateral salpingoophorectomy. Five patients (29.4 %) had one prior excision; two patients (11.8 %) had two prior excisions of their ovarian remnant. Fifteen excisions were performed laparoscopically and two with planned laparotomy. There were no intraoperative complications. All cases had pathologically confirmed ovarian tissue. Three patients had recurrent disease. Treatments included medical suppression, ovarian artery embolization, and radiation. Surgical expertise, often utilizing minimally invasive techniques, allows for the dissection needed to remove ovarian remnants. Recurrence is possible. Medical or other procedural treatments may be appropriate alternatives or adjuncts to treatment.
Long and short walks in trees

Given a graph G and a labeling λ of its vertices, say v1,...,vn, define h(λ) to be the sum Σ1≤i≤n d(vi,vi+1), where vn+1=v1 and d(vi,vi+1) is the distance from vertex vi to vi+1. Let h(G) and H(G) denote the minimum and maximum, respectively, of h(λ) over all labelings λ of G. For G a tree, we give algorithms for computing h(G) and H(G) and for finding the corresponding labelings. An application is made to the Traveling Salesman Problem.
Medical Therapies for Endometriosis Differentially Inhibit Stem Cell Recruitment.

Objective: To determine the effect of the 3 well-known endometriosis treatments on stem cell recruitment to endometriotic lesions. Study Design: C57BL/6 mice (aged 8 weeks, n = 20) underwent bone marrow transplant following submyeloablation with 5-fluorouracil using 20 × 106 bone marrow stem cells from green fluorescent protein (GFP) mice. Two weeks after transplantation, experimental endometriosis was created in mice by suturing segments of the uterine horn into the peritoneal cavity. Mice were then randomized to receive treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), leuprolide acetate (Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogue [GnRHa]), letrozole, or vehicle control (dimethyl sulfoxide). After 3 weeks of treatment, the mice were killed and the endometriosis lesions evaluated. Results: All 3 treatments resulted in a significant reduction in lesion volume and weight. Estrogen deprivation using GnRHa or letrozole resulted in greater lesion regression than the progestin MPA. The GFP+/CD45− bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) engrafted the lesions of endometriosis. Estrogen deprivation using GnRHa or letrozole significantly reduced BMDSC engraftment in the endometriosis lesions. MPA failed to significantly reduce stem cell number in endometriosis. Conclusion: The superiority of estrogen deprivation over progestin therapy in depriving the lesions of stem cells may have implications for the long-term treatment of endometriosis. Reduced stem cell engraftment is likely to result in long-term regression of the lesions, whereas progestins may only prevent their growth acutely.
Rational Basis With Economic Bite

In The Classical Liberal Constitution, Richard Epstein argues that the normative theory of classical liberalism underlies the Constitution and gives life to its guarantees; many constitutional guarantees have been undermined, however, by unduly deferential judicial review that is satisfied if there is a "rational basis," real or hypothetical, for a law. Yet even the rational basis standard asks whether a law serves a legitimate government purpose, which entails normative assumptions about the ends a government may permissibly pursue. Before the New Deal, the Supreme Court applied a form of rationality review that was deferential but not toothless because the Court had a stronger sense of the proper scope of the police power. The contemporary Court applies more searching "rational basis with bite" but only where it thinks impermissible purposes are at play, particularly where legislation appears to target a vulnerable group. Rational basis review, therefore, is variable depending upon the Court's normative frame.Recently, three circuit courts applying rational basis review have held licensing laws that restrict entry into a field of economic activity are unconstitutional. These circuits have concluded that a state's purpose to protect an interest group from economic competition is illegitimate — and have struck down licensing regulations that served no other purpose. This application of "rational basis with bite" to protect economic rights suggests another normative shift, one involving public disapproval of rent-seeking and special-interest legislation. In the nearly 60 years since the Court adopted its stance of extreme deference to economic legislation in Lee Optical, a deregulation movement has focused attention on the costs of excessive regulation and public choice theory has undermined the confidence expressed by the Court in Carolene Products that democratic political processes will protect the public from undesirable legislation. The occupational licensing laws invalidated in the circuit cases are precisely the sort of special-interest legislation that the political process is unlikely to screen out. Thus, even the modern concern with "clearing the channels of political change" suggests that heightened judicial scrutiny is warranted. Epstein connects that concern with the Madisonian focus on the problem of faction. His discussion suggests other types of economic legislation should be subject to judicial review using the "rational basis with bite" standard.
Sulfur-Capped Germanium Nanocrystals: Facile Inorganic Ligand Exchange

The development of applications for germanium nanocrystals has been hindered by the limited availability of synthetic methods coupled with poorly understood ligand-exchange chemistry. Herein we describe the synthesis of germanium nanocrystals and ligand exchange experiments designed to establish facile routes toward ligand replacement and, consequently, layers that are amenable to charge-transfer. After assessing thiols, carboxylates, and dithiocarbamates, sulfur dissolved in 1-ocatadecene was determined to be the most amenable to ligand exchange, with over 95% of the initial alkylamine ligand replaced as determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). These results were in good agreement with density functional theory calculations showing a strong preference for Ge–S bonding. The materials were fully characterized via powder X-ray diffraction, FTIR, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray and UV photoelectron spectroscopy. This new ligand exchange procedure provides a possible route tow...
Hegel’s ‘Deduction of the Concept of Science’

In one of his most memorable epigrams, Aristotle declares it to be the mark of an educated man to seek in each type of inquiry only as much precision or exactness as the nature of the subject matter allows. This remark, which appears at the beginning of his inquiry into ‘the practical sciences’ (i.e., Ethics and Politics), is designed to forestall the kind of mistakes made by his great predecessor, whom Aristotle criticizes for trying to determine the unity of the polis too precisely. He does not mean to suggest that an educated man should avoid the study of works such as Plato’s Republic; the suggestion is rather that his time would be better spent if he did not attempt to discover scientifically demonstrative arguments in them.
2003 SOLAS Summer School

In 2003, the United States provided support for the participation of 18 students, three research assistants, and seven lecturers in the first international Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) Summer School. The purpose of this school was to introduce graduate students and young researchers to different components of SOLAS research including biogeochemical interactions and feedbacks, exchange processes, and air-sea fluxes. Support was provided through grants from: NASA (contact: Charles Trees); NSF (contact: Anne-Marie Schmoltner); NOAA (contact: Kathy Tedesco); and ONR (contact: Ronald Ferek).
Exploiting Principle of Moving Target Defense to Secure FPGA Systems

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) enter a rapid growth era due to their attractive flexibility and CMOS-compatible fabrication process. However, the increasing popularity and usage of FPGAs also drive more motivated attacks on FPGA systems. In this work, we extensively investigate new potential attacks originated from the untrusted computer-aided design (CAD) suite for FPGAs and further propose a series of countermeasures. For the scenario of using FPGAs to replace obsolete components in legacy systems, we propose a Runtime Pin Grounding (RPG) scheme to ground the unused pins and check the pin status at every clock cycle, and exploit the principle of moving target defense (MTD) to develop a hardware MTD (HMTD) method to thwart hardware Trojan attacks. For general FPGA applications, we extend HMTD to an FPGA-oriented MTD (FOMTD) method, which is composed of three defense lines. FPGA emulation results and hardware cost analyses show that the proposed countermeasures are capable of tackling the attacks from malicious CAD tools with acceptable overheads.
Association of smoking with poor risk ELN 2017, cytogenetics/molecular profile, and survival outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia.

7002Background: Smoking increases the relative risk of AML by 40% and 25% in active and former smokers, respectively, compared with non-smokers (Fircanis et al., 2014). While the relationship of sm...
Active Surveillance for Black Men with Low-Risk Prostate Cancer in the United States

Active Surveillance in Black Men with Prostate Cancer Epidemiologic data have suggested that black men with low-risk localized prostate cancer are less likely to undergo active surveillance than me...
The closed eye harbors a unique microbiome in dry eye disease

Dry eye affects millions of individuals. In experimental models, dry eye disease is associated with T helper cell 17-mediated inflammation of the ocular surface that may cause persistent damage to the corneal epithelium. However, the initiating and perpetuating factors associated with chronic inflammation of the ocular surface remain unclear. The ocular microbiota alters ocular surface inflammation and may influence dry eye disease development and progression. Here, we collected serial samples of closed eye tears during a randomized clinical trial of a non-pharmaceutical dry eye therapy and used 16S rRNA metabarcoding to characterize the microbiome. We show the closed dry eye microbiome is distinct from the healthy closed eye microbiome. The ocular microbiome was described only recently, and this report implicates a distinct microbiome in ocular disease development. Our findings suggest an interplay between microbial commensals and inflammation on the ocular surface. This information may inform future studies of the pathophysiological mechanisms of dry eye disease.
Neoadjuvant Therapy for Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy (NT) versus surgery first (SF) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains controversial. A random-effects meta-analysis of only prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing NT versus SF for potentially resectable (PR) or borderline resectable (BR) PDAC was performed. Among six RCTs including 850 patients, 411 (48.3%) received NT and 439 (51.6%) SF. In all included trials, NT was gemcitabine-based: four using chemoradiation and two chemotherapy alone. Based on an intention-to-treat analysis, NT resulted in improved overall survival (OS) compared to SF (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61–0.86). This effect was independent of anatomic classification (PR: hazard ratio (HR) 0.73, 95% CI 0.59–0.91; BR: HR 0.51 95% CI 0.28–0.93) or NT type (chemoradiation: HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.98; chemotherapy alone: HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.54–0.87). Overall resection rate was similar (risk ratio (RR) 0.93, 95% CI 0.82–1.04, I2 = 39.0%) but NT increased the likelihood of a margin-negative (R0) resection (RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.18–1.93, I2 = 0%) and having negative lymph nodes (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.47–2.91, I2 = 12.3%). In this meta-analysis of prospective RCTs, NT significantly improved OS in an intention-to-treat fashion, compared with SF for localized PDAC. Randomized controlled trials using contemporary multi-agent chemotherapy will be needed to confirm these findings and to define the optimal NT regimen.
Mapping solvation heterogeneity in live cells by hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

Water provides a dynamic matrix in which all biochemical processes occur in living organisms. The structure and dynamics of intracellular water constitute the cornerstone for understanding all aspects of cellular function. Fundamentally, direct visualization of subcellular solvation heterogeneity is essential but remains challenging with commonly used nuclear magnetic resonance methods due to poor spatial resolution. To explore this question, we demonstrate a vibrational-shift imaging approach by combining the spectral-focusing hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering technique with an environmentally sensitive nitrile probe. The sensing ability of a near-infrared nitrile-containing molecule is validated in the solution phase, microscopic droplets, and cellular environments. Finally, we quantitatively measure the subcellular solvation variance between the cytoplasm (29.5%, S.E. 1.8%) and the nucleus (57.3%, S.E. 1.0%), which is in good agreement with previous studies. This work sheds light on heterogeneous solvation in live systems using coherent Raman microscopy and opens up new avenues to explore environmental variance in complex systems with high spatiotemporal resolution.
Predicting postoperative day 1 hematocrit levels after hysterectomy for malignant indication: Validating a previously published model

Objective To determine whether the Swenson model of postoperative day 1 (POD1) hematocrit after benign hysterectomy is applicable to gynecologic oncology hysterectomies. Methods Data were retrospectively collected from cases of hysterectomy with malignant pathology in Hartford, USA, from 2014 to 2016. Predicted POD1 hematocrit was compared with actual hematocrit. ROC curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off point for predicting hematocrit levels of 30% or less. Results Among 107 women, mean age was 62.9 years and body mass index was 34.0. Most underwent robotic (44.9%) or abdominal (43.9%) hysterectomy. The published equation correctly predicted hematocrit to within ±5% for 83.2% of women, which was less accurate than observed in the original validation set. The equation was more likely to underestimate lower hematocrit levels, adding safety to its use. By ROC curve analysis, the best cut-off point for predicting actual hematocrit above 30% was predicted hematocrit 32.3% (100% specificity). Conclusion The Swenson equation predicted POD1 hematocrit less accurately in the current dataset. As a screening tool for hematocrit below 30%, however, ordering postoperative hematocrit is probably unnecessary if the predicted value is 32.3% or higher. This equation should be used as a screening tool to reduce unnecessary laboratory tests.
412. Assessment and Capability of SARS-CoV-2 Detection in the Veterans Health Administration

Background: Rapid scale up of testing to detect Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential to direct clinical management, optimize infection control actions, and guide public health response efforts to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) As the largest integrated health care system in the United States, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) supported the laboratory-based detection of COVID-19 in a network of 170 medical centers across the country Methods: SARS-CoV-2 testing data from VHA databases were analyzed to assess SARS-CoV-2 detection characteristics Testing capacity was calculated by multiplying the number of inventoried instruments available for SARS-CoV-2 detection by estimates of instrument-specific maximum throughput with the assumption that instruments would be operational for 16 hours a day and 7 days a week Results: From March 01, 2020 to May 31, 2020, 224,059 Emergency Use Authorization approved RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 on more than 7 different assay platforms were conducted among 168,761 individuals attending VHA facilities;10,048 individuals (5 9%) tested positive During this period, the average rate of tests completed for SARS-CoV-2 increased to more than 4,000 per day (Figure 1A), the percentage of hospitalized individuals who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 increased to approximately 80% (Figure 1B), the median turnaround time from specimen collected to result reported decreased to less than 1 day (Figure 1C), and the percentage of SARSCoV- 2 clinical specimens collected in VHA facilities that were tested at VHA laboratories increased to more than 80% (Figure 1D) Based on inventories of high-throughput and rapid diagnostic instruments (Figure 2), VHA could perform at least 20,000 tests for SARS-CoV-2 per week Figure 1 Testing metrics for SARS-CoV-2 across VHA facilities A) Number of daily tests for SARS-CoV-2 completed B) Percentage of hospitalized Veterans tested for SARS-CoV-2 C) Median turnaround time of completed tests for SARS-CoV-2 from specimen collection to result reported D) Percentage of SARS-CoV-2 specimens collected in VHA facilities that were tested in VHA laboratories Conclusion: Key indicators of laboratory performance for SARS-CoV-2 detection, including test turnaround time, percentage of hospitalized individuals tested, and overall testing volume improved substantially in VHA during the first 3 months of testing during the pandemic Ongoing efforts seek to enhance just-in-time diagnostic capacity, ensure continuity of specimen collection supplies and laboratory consumables, and identify and minimize gaps in access to testing facilities (Figure Presented)
Time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements of a tandem jet array in a crossflow at low velocity ratios

Investigation of the near field dynamics of a single and tandem array of three jets are provided by 2-D time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) measurements. Instantaneous velocity fields are examined in the transverse and spanwise planes with jet to crossflow velocity ratios in the range from 0.9 to 1.7. Previous studies have shown that for high ratios ( $$\ge$$ 2), the leading jet provides sufficient shielding to ensure that all jets downstream exhibit nearly identical flow characteristics. The current transverse plane measurements exhibit more unique and localized features as a result of the competing effects of pressure gradients and vortex mechanisms assessed via the jet exit profiles, first and second order turbulent statistics, streamline trajectories, recirculation areas and penetrations depths. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is applied to the spanwise plane instantaneous velocity fields to determine the statistically dominant features of the single and tandem jet configurations at equivalent velocity ratios. The velocity fields are then reconstructed using the truncated POD modes to provide further insight into the shear layer and wake vortices that drive these configurations. Vortex identification algorithms are applied to the reconstructed velocity fields to determine the statistical characteristics of the vortices, including their centroids, populations, areas and strengths, each of which exhibit largely different dependencies on jet configuration and velocity ratio. Several of the investigated metrics are found to exhibit different behaviors below and above a velocity ratio of unity and also as a function of increasing velocity ratio between 1 and 2, implying that several transitions mechanisms are present in the low velocity ratio regime investigated herein.
COVID-19 and Its Impact(s) on Innovation

In previous work, we explored how certain characteristics of adversity are often more conducive to innovation than others. In this Article, prepared as part of the Lee E. Teitelbaum Utah Law Review Symposium—The Law & Ethics of Medical Research, we review some of that work and apply it specifically to the COVID-19 context. We conclude by assessing certain policy implications in light of how the COVID-19 pandemic has both spurred and hindered innovation.
Deformation Twinning in Polycrystalline Perovskites

This paper is a review of work done on the mechanical behavior of some perovskite structure ceramics. Most attention was given to SrZrO3 because it has the highest melting point and was the first to exhibit permanent mechanical deformation as a polycrystalline ceramic.
Theory of accretion disk coronae

Accretion disk coronae are likely to be the dominant site for X-ray absorption and reprocessed emission in low mass X-ray binaries, and may be present in other classes of compact X-ray sources such as active galactic nuclei and cataclysmic variables. In spite of this fact, and in spite of the observational evidence for their existence, there remain many uncertainties about the structure of accretion disk coronae. This paper will discuss the coronal structure and dynamics, their X-ray spectral signatures including coupling to the variability behavior of compact X-ray sources, and the major unsolved theoretical issues surrounding them.
Smartphone apps to improve fitness and increase physical activity among young people: protocol of the Apps for IMproving FITness (AIMFIT) randomized controlled trial

Physical activity is a modifiable behavior related to many preventable non-communicable diseases. There is an age-related decline in physical activity levels in young people, which tracks into adulthood. Common interactive technologies such as smartphones, particularly employing immersive features, may enhance the appeal and delivery of interventions to increase levels of physical activity in young people. The primary aim of the Apps for IMproving FITness (AIMFIT) trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of two popular “off-the-shelf” smartphone apps for improving cardiorespiratory fitness in young people. A three-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial will be conducted in Auckland, New Zealand. Fifty-one eligible young people aged 14–17 years will be randomized to one of three conditions: 1) use of an immersive smartphone app, 2) use of a non-immersive app, or 3) usual behavior (control). Both smartphone apps consist of an eight-week training program designed to improve fitness and ability to run 5 km, however, the immersive app features a game-themed design and adds a narrative. Data are collected at baseline and 8 weeks. The primary outcome is cardiorespiratory fitness, assessed as time to complete the one mile run/walk test at 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes are physical activity levels, self-efficacy, enjoyment, psychological need satisfaction, and acceptability and usability of the apps. Analysis using intention to treat principles will be performed using regression models. Despite the proliferation of commercially available smartphone applications, there is a dearth of empirical evidence to support their effectiveness on the targeted health behavior. This pragmatic study will determine the effectiveness of two popular “off-the-shelf” apps as a stand-alone instrument for improving fitness and physical activity among young people. Adherence to app use will not be closely controlled; however, random allocation of participants, a heterogeneous group, and data analysis using intention to treat principles provide internal and external validity to the study. The primary outcome will be objectively assessed with a valid and reliable field-based test, as well as the secondary outcome of physical activity, via accelerometry. If effective, such applications could be used alongside existing interventions to promote fitness and physical activity in this population. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12613001030763 . Registered 16 September 2013.
The Mississippi Burning Trial (U. S. vs. Price et al.)

It was an old-fashioned lynching, carried out with the help of county officials, that came to symbolize hardcore resistance to integration. Dead were three civil rights workers, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney. All three shot in the dark of night on a lonely road in Neshoba County, Mississippi. Many people predicted such a tragedy when the Mississippi Summer Project, an effort that would bring hundreds of college-age volunteers to the most totalitarian state in the country was announced in April, 1964. The FBI's all-out search for the conspirators who killed the three young men, depicted in the movie Mississippi Burning, was successful, leading three years later to a trial in the courtroom of one of America's most determined segregationist judges.
Interferon-γ regulates cellular metabolism and mRNA translation to potentiate macrophage activation

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) primes macrophages for enhanced microbial killing and inflammatory activation by Toll-like receptors (TLRs), but little is known about the regulation of cell metabolism or mRNA translation during this priming. We found that IFN-γ regulated the metabolism and mRNA translation of human macrophages by targeting the kinases mTORC1 and MNK, both of which converge on the selective regulator of translation initiation eIF4E. Physiological downregulation of mTORC1 by IFN-γ was associated with autophagy and translational suppression of repressors of inflammation such as HES1. Genome-wide ribosome profiling in TLR2-stimulated macrophages showed that IFN-γ selectively modulated the macrophage translatome to promote inflammation, further reprogram metabolic pathways and modulate protein synthesis. These results show that IFN-γ-mediated metabolic reprogramming and translational regulation are key components of classical inflammatory macrophage activation.
Augmented Reality Visualization for Laparoscopic Surgery

We present the design and a prototype implementation of a three-dimensional visualization system to assist with laparoscopic surgical procedures. The system uses 3D visualization, depth extraction from laparoscopic images, and six degree-of-freedom head and laparoscope tracking to display a merged real and synthetic image in the surgeon’s video-see-through head-mounted display. We also introduce a custom design for this display. A digital light projector, a camera, and a conventional laparoscope create a prototype 3D laparoscope that can extract depth and video imagery.
Formal Service Learning Opportunities: Engineering Internships in Social Entrepreneurship Organizations

Over the past three years, a collaboration between the School of Engineering and the ABC Center for DEF at the University of the XYZ has provided students with internship opportunities at five different social entrepreneurship organizations distributed among six countries. The summer internship program administered by the ABC Center seeks to provide an enriching experience for participants, to raise awareness of the broad application of social entrepreneurship across different disciplines, and provide qualified student assistance to organizations seeking specific help. Working with the socially entrepreneurial organization, students were required to apply problem-solving skills in environments where language, culture, technical support, and supervision were very different from levels experienced during their more ‘traditional’ internships in the United States. These internships in social entrepreneurship allowed students to learn first-hand that successfully implementing projects in other countries requires strong technical skills and a fundamental understanding of local cultural, political, and contextual factors. At the institutional level, lessons learned included the importance of forming strategic partnerships to increase opportunities and capitalize on limited resources, and the need to use existing frameworks to facilitate student involvement in such service-learning opportunities.
Catheterization–Doppler Discrepancies in Nonsimultaneous Evaluations of Aortic Stenosis

Prior validation studies have established that simultaneously measured catheter (cath) and Doppler mean pressure gradients (MPG) correlate closely in evaluation of aortic stenosis (AS). In clinical practice, however, cath and Doppler are rarely performed simultaneously; which may lead to discrepant results. Accordingly, our aim was to ascertain agreement between these methods and investigate factors associated with discrepant results. We reviewed findings in 100 consecutive evaluations for AS performed in 97 patients (mean age 72 ± 10 yr) in which cath and Doppler were performed within 6 weeks. We recorded MPG, aortic valve area (AVA), cardiac output, and ejection fraction (EF) by both methods. Aortic root diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVIDd) and posterior wall thickness (PWT) were measured by echocardiography and gender, heart rate, and heart rhythm were also recorded. An MPG discrepancy was defined as an intrapatient difference > 10 mmHg. Mean pressure gradients by cath and Doppler were 36 ± 22 mmHg and 37 ± 20 mmHg, respectively (P = 0.73). Linear regression showed good correlation (r = 0.82) between the techniques. An MPG discrepancy was found in 36 (36%) of 100 evaluations; in 19 (53%) of 36 evaluations MPG by Doppler was higher than cath, and in 17 (47%) of 36, it was lower. In 33 evaluations, EF differed by >10% between techniques. Linear regression analyses revealed that EF difference between studies was a significant predictor of MPG discrepancy (P = 0.004). Women had significantly higher MPG than men by both cath and Doppler (43 ± 25 mmHg versus 29 ± 15 mmHg [P = 0.001]; 42 ± 23 mmHg versus 32 ± 15 mmHg [P = 0.014], respectively). Women exhibited discrepant results in 23 (47%) of 49 evaluations versus 13 (25%) of 51 evaluations in men (P = 0.037). After adjustment for women's higher MPG, there was no statistically significant difference in MPG discrepancy between genders (P = 0.22). No significant interactions between MPG and aortic root diameter, relative wall thickness (RWT), heart rate, heart rhythm, cardiac output, and time interval between studies were found. In clinical practice, significant discrepancies in MPG were common when cath and Doppler are performed nonsimultaneously. No systematic bias was observed and Doppler results were as likely yield lower as higher MPGs than cath. EF difference was a significant predictor of discrepant MPG. Aortic root diameter, relative wall thickness, heart rate, heart rhythm, cardiac output, presence or severity of coronary artery disease, and time interval between studies were not predictors of discrepant results.
Systemic lupus erythematosus presenting as an intracranial bleed

A previously healthy 12-year-old girl presented with fever and mental status changes without focal neurologic deficit. A CBC and computed tomography scan revealed thrombocytopenia and an intracranial bleed. Further laboratory studies were consistent with systemic lupus erythematosus. This case emphasizes the need to maintain a high index of suspicion for atypical presentations of an uncommon childhood illness.
High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of pentamidine in plasma

Abstract This report describes the analysis of pentamidine by isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a commercially available compound (melphalan) as the external standard. Previously described assays use ion-pairing HPLC, an internal standard (hexamidine) that is not readily available, and require a relatively large sample size. In the present assay, pentamidine was extracted from plasma using solid-phase extraction and was analyzed using a C18 column and a mobile phase containing 18% acetonitrile, 2% methanol, 0.2 M ammonium acetate and 0.5% triethylamine. The identity of the eluting peaks was verified using a diode array detector. The extraction yield of pentamidine was 82%. The limit of detection was 8.6 ng/ml with a sample size of 100 μl. The inter-day and intra-day coefficients of variation ranged between 0.3% and 10% with an average of 5%. This method was applied to study the pharmacokinetics of pentamidine in rodents.
Localization of Luminescent Inhomogeneities in Turbid Media with Spatially Resolved Measurements of cw Diffuse Luminescence Emittance.

We present a steady-state method for localizing a source of luminescence (i.e., fluorescence or phosphorescence) buried in a semi-infinite turbid medium with unknown optical properties. A diffusion theory expression describing the emittance of an isotropic point source is fit to spatially resolved surface measurements of the diffuse emittance from the luminescent source. The technique reports the location of the center of a 6.0-mm-diameter, fluorophore-containing spherical bulb embedded in a liquid phantom with an accuracy of 1.0 mm or better for source depths as great as 40.0 mm. Monte Carlo data are analyzed to investigate the range and the possible sources of error in the reconstructed source depth.
Lateral stability of proximal interphalangeal joint replacement

The lateral stability of the cadaver proximal interphalangeal joint was studied with an electromagnetic tracking system before and after implant replacement. Ten middle fingers were retrieved and randomly divided into two groups for joint replacement with either a silicone rubber flexible finger joint implant or a custom surface replacement prosthesis. Each finger was mounted on a fixture that allowed loading of the proximal interphalangeal joint with tension through the flexor, extensor, and intrinsic tendons. For the intact proximal interphalangeal joint under lateral stress, lateral angulation averaged 4 degrees in extension and 8 degrees with the joint in 60 degrees of flexion. Although lateral angulation increased after surface replacement prosthesis implantation when the joint was flexed more than 20 degrees, comparison with the intact joint showed no statistical difference. With the silicone implant, lateral angulation became more pronounced even in the extended position and showed a significant difference when the proximal interphalangeal joint was flexed more than 20 degrees.
Heat production and geotherms for the continental lithosphere

Abstract We propose a continental lithosphere heat production model based on the petrology of crust and mantle, heat production measurements of surface and xenolith samples, and tectono-thermal constraints. Continental elevation considered within a thermal isostasy rubric is used to partition crustal heat production into upper crustal and lower crustal contributions. The best-fitting partition model using elevation data from 33 North American tectonic provinces suggests upper crustal heat production on average accounts for ~ 6% of observed surface heat flow. An average heat production for the lower crust of 0.4 μW/m 3 is based on measurements from exposed granulite terranes while a lithospheric mantle heat production of 0.02 μW/m 3 is based on chemical analyses of mantle xenoliths. Results are relatively insensitive to mantle composition and thickness of the upper crustal heat producing layer. Continental geotherms are computed using the generalized heat production model and incorporating thermal conductivity results from a number of recent laboratory studies. P–T conditions of xenoliths provide further constraints to ensure that our geotherms and hence the heat production model are reasonable. P–T conditions of 10 Precambrian regions are consistent with surface heat flow of 40 mW/m 2 and a lithospheric thickness of 200 km. Our generalized model for heat production can serve as a reference model from which anomalies are identified.