cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application and Analysis of Microgrid

Microgrid integrates the advantages of power generation from new energy and renewable energy-distributed generation effectively and provides a new way for large scale new energy and renewable energy power generation systems connected to the grid.Microgrid can not only enhance the comprehensively cascaded utilization of energy,but also can be used as an effective complementary network of the utility in order to improve the power supply reliability and power quality.Microgrid is becoming one of the most up-to-date and important topics in the field of power systems all over the world.A detailed description on the definition and the basic structure of microgrid is given.The basic operation modes and control strategies for microgrid are presented.This paper analyzes the typical model projects of microgrid all over the world.Finally,the current research and research trends for microgrid in China are summarized,and the concept of building the microgrid with Chinese characteristics considering China's actual conditions is discussed.The related research programs which should be carried out for microgrid are given as well.
Algorithm-driven optimization of cryopreservation protocols for transfusion model cell types including Jurkat cells and mesenchymal stem cells

This investigation describes the use of a differential evolution (DE) algorithm to optimize cryopreservation solution compositions and cooling rates for specific cell types. Jurkat cells (a lymphocyte model cell type) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were combined with non-DMSO solutions at concentrations dictated by a DE algorithm. The cells were then frozen in 96-well plates at DE algorithm-dictated cooling rates in the range 0.5-10°C/min. The DE algorithm was iterated until convergence resulted in identification of an optimum solution composition and cooling rate, which occurred within six to nine generations (seven to 10 experiments) for both cell types. The optimal composition for cryopreserving Jurkat cells included 300 mm trehalose, 10% glycerol and 0.01% ectoine (TGE) at 10°C/min. The optimal composition for cryopreserving MSCs included 300 mm ethylene glycol, 1 mm taurine and 1% ectoine (SEGA) at 1°C/min. High-throughput concentration studies verified the optimum identified by the DE algorithm. Vial freezing experiments showed that experimental solutions of TGE at 10°C/min resulted in significantly higher viability for Jurkat cells than DMSO at 1°C/min, while experimental solutions of SEGA at 10°C/min resulted in significantly higher recovery for MSCs than DMSO at 1°C/min; these results were solution- and cell type-specific. Implementation of the DE algorithm permits optimization of multicomponent freezing solutions in a rational, accelerated fashion. This technique can be applied to optimize freezing conditions, which vary by cell type, with significantly fewer experiments than traditional methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Graphene-Riched Co9S8-N-C Non-Precious Metal Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline Media

In this work, a non-precious metal catalyst consisting of Co9S8 nanoparticles surrounded with nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon (Co9S8-N-C) was developed for oxygen reduction in alkaline media. Improved activity has been measured with the Co9S8-N-C catalyst relative to Pt/C and a non-precious metal catalyst based on Fe instead of Co (Fe-N-C). An extensive physical characterization, including XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS and electrochemical kinetic analysis was conducted to provide insight into the catalyst morphology and structure.
Chapter 3 - Cluster size effects on bound excited states of SO 2

Sulphuric acid resulting from the oxidation of atmospheric SO 2 is a major constituent of acid rain. The oxidation process is influenced by factors such as clouds and aerosol particles, light intensity, O 3 , and peroxides. Thus, the nature of the factors leading to the alteration of atmospheric SO 2 chemistry may be clarified by experimentally studying the excited state dynamics of SO 2 solvated in SO 2 clusters. It appears that the size of a particle containing SO 2 may alter its reactivity since the dynamics of (SO 2 )n clusters show a substantial dependence on n. The findings of the experiments presented in this chapter indicate that the time required for the transition from the initially excited 1 B 1 state to the double wells that result from the crossing of the 1 A 2 and 1 B 1 states is significantly greater than is found from a theoretical treatment of the transition. The study of the SO 2 F band provides experimental evidence that the SO 2 molecule remains in a bound excited state for a substantial time indicating that coupling to dissociative sates is not operative in this region of the potential energy surface. Thus, the experiments presented in this chapter provide previously unknown information about the properties of the little studied F band of SO 2 .
16 - Alcohol Misuse in Adolescents: Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, Diagnosis, and Treatment1

This chapter discusses the epidemiology of alcohol involvement and Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) in adolescents. Alcohol involvement is typical during adolescence, and AUD has a substantial prevalence in late adolescence. Etiological factors including: genetic and environmental influences, and predictive phenotypes— such as childhood Conduct Disorder (CD) are described. It also reviews the common clinical characteristics, including other substance use and psychiatric comorbidity. The differences between adolescents and adults with AUD are highlighted. The chapter reviews current research on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of AUD in adolescents. The clinical and research recommendations for adolescents with AUD are also presented. The adolescent developmental period is the peak time for initiation of alcohol consumption. Among those who progress to AUD, problems often begin in adolescence. Hence, consideration of adolescent alcohol involvement is critical to a thorough understanding of the etiology of AUD. The study of alcohol involvement in adolescence provides valuable insights into the development of serious alcohol-related pathology including abuse and dependence, because adolescence has been identified as a pivotal period in the history of AUD.
Success and failure rates of tumor genotyping techniques in routine pathologic samples with non-small cell lung cancer.

8050 Background: Identification of somatic molecular alterrations in NSCLC has become evidence-based practice. The success and failure rate of using commercially-available tumor genotyping techniqu...
Philosophical and Practical Ethics

The vocabulary of ethics includes a specialized terminology and unique concepts; both are important if one is to understand the topic. Ethics has both theoretical and practical aspects. Theoretical (also formal) ethics has a long history, beginning in ancient times. Prominent philosophers and religious writers have made important contributions that affect modern professionals. In contrast, practical ethics includes both the study of how people actually behave and the rules, such as codes of conduct, that professionals must follow to maintain their status and privileges. Codes of conduct solidify the ethical expectations for health professionals, their specialties and subspecialties. This chapter provides a basic ethics foundation, and thus it is a point of departure for further exploration.
Ultra-deep-subwavelength light transport in hybrid nanowire-loaded silicon nano-rib waveguides

We report a high-performance silicon-based hybrid plasmonic waveguide that consists of a silicon nano-rib loaded with a metallic nanowire. An ultra-deep-subwavelength mode area (λ2/4.5×105 ∼ λ2/7×103), in conjunction with a reasonable propagation distance (2.2 ∼ 60.2 μm), is achievable at a telecommunication wavelength of 1.55 μm, which indicates that this device outperforms its conventional hybrid and nanowire waveguiding counterparts.
LMS IPRO: Enabling local registration measurements for efficient e-beam writer correction

Mask registration data are presented, which demonstrate local errors that can be correlated to writing swathes of state-of-the-art e-beam writers and multi-pass strategies. A unique measurement methodology, Local Registration Metrology, allows for dense sampling of reticle dies to characterize the local e-beam registration error and enables e-beam corrections via feed forward.
Scope on Medication Errors during Pregnancy ina Sample Iraqi Two Cities Samawah & Diwania.

The pregnancy is sensitive period and administration of drugs may lead to threating of fetus life or cause malformations teratogenicity etc. A cross-sectional study of medication errors of 100 prescriptions dispensed to a pregnant women in a sample of Iraqi two cities (Sammawa & Diwania) during October,2016. The total number of medication errors identified was 364 (74%),included 110 irrational & inappropriate prescribing,47 over prescribing,19 under prescribing,and 8 ineffective prescribing errors. The drug interactions were classified to drug-drug interactions 126 interactions identified and drug food interactions 54 interactions was recorded. 0.8 % of all interactions was major,76 % moderate and 23% mild. Luminal (Phenobarbital) is the drug that caused the most of medication error that identified as it dispensed 23 times but all of these patient luminal was irrational and inappropriate and it caused the most of interactions recorded as 44 interactions was caused by luminal. While duphaston (Dydrogesterone) was prescribed 21 times,and this considered as irrational & inappropriate prescribing. Duvadilane (isoxsuprine) prescribed irrationally 17 times. The parenteral iron administered without sensitivity test nor calculating the dose depending on the body weight and blood Hb.Most of antibiotics and antifungal prescribed for incorrect duration or dose. The other errors were related to other drugs duration,dose and indication errors. Percentage of medication errors were high. Types of medication errors were mostly drug-drug interaction,irrational and inappropriate use. The impact of these medication errors may include teratogenic effect.
Oligometastatic status as predictor of survival in metastatic human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Background Oligometastasis is a good prognostic indicator when compared to widely metastatic disease in malignancies of other organ systems. We hypothesized that oligometastasis in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) would be associated with better overall survival. Methods This is a retrospective review of all HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC treated at one center with at least 1-year of follow-up. Patients were stratified into 2 cohorts: oligometastasis (1-2 metastases, confined to 1 organ system) or polymetastasis (>2 metastases or multiple organ involvement) with cohorts compared for time to distant metastasis and overall survival after metastasis. Results Thirty-eight of 506 patients (7.5%) developed metachronous distant metastasis; 12 developed oligometastasis and 26 developed polymetastasis. Median overall survival after oligometastasis was significantly longer than polymetastasis at 45 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 19 months - not reached) and 10 months (95% CI 5-24 months; P = .00028). Conclusion Oligometastasis in metastatic HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC portends a better prognosis than polymetastasis.
Robust cooperative output regulation under exosystem detectability constraint

This paper revisits the robust cooperative output regulation problem for a class of linear uncertain multi-agent systems. In particular, it is assumed here that the agents in the system can only ac...
Cooperation in an all-RNA network

The discovery of catalytic RNA molecules (ribozymes) capable of catalyzing a significant number of diverse chemical reactions suggests that an RNA world preceded the DNA-RNA-Protein world we know today. The self-replication of RNA molecules would be the central process of the RNA world.However, a single selfreplicating RNA would not sustain information on its own if it surpassed the “error threshold” leadingto an error catastrophe (1). On the other hand, a cooperative network of RNA replicators would be able to accumulate, preserve and process information.In the current work, we used a collection of RNA fragments that covalently assemble into an Azoarcus group I ribozyme (2) to explore the ability of RNA replicators to form a cooperative catalytic network. Three different constructs of the Azoarcus ribozyme with different internal guide sequences (IGS) – GUG (canonical), GAG, and GCG – were designed that are capable of a minimal amount of self-assembly when broken into two fragments. Here, self-assembly depends on a mismatch with non-complementary sequences, CGU, CAU and CUU, respectively, to be recognized by IGS via autocatalysis. Yet when all three constructs are present in the same reaction vessel, concomitant assembly of all three covalent ribozymes is enhanced through an interdependent reaction network. Analysis of these reactions indicates that each system is capable of guiding its own reproduction weakly, along with providing enhanced catalytic support for the reproduction of other constructs through matched and mismatched IGS-tag interactions. The resulting RNA population was observed to evolve over time based on genotyping of more than 50 individual RNAs for various time-points. The unequal catalytic rates of various assembly reactions favor the assembly of one construct over the others. However, the cooperation among all three constructs help all constructs to assemble demonstrating that this RNA networkmeets many of the requirements of an all RNA hypercycle as envisioned by Eigen (1). Also, when co-incubated with non-interacting (i.e., selfish) yet efficient self-assembly systems, the cooperative assembly outcompetes the selfish self-assembly systems, demonstrating the ability of a cooperative organization to possess an evolutionary advantage (3).
Biodegradation kinetics for pesticide exposure assessment.

Exposure characterization for the purpose of risk assessment is a key element of decision making regarding pesticide safety. Exposure characterization and risk assessments require understanding of pesticide fate within the environment in a manner that can be broadly generalized across widely varied conditions of use. The coupled processes of sorption and soil degradation are especially important for understanding the potential environmental fate and transport of pesticides. The data derived from laboratory soil metabolism studies and terrestrial field dissipation studies are inherently variable and, when limited in extent, they lend uncertainty to the process of exposure characterization and risk assessment.
Metabolite transport at cell membranes.

From the assigned title I am glad to assume that the organizers would like to have me discuss some general ideas of metabolite transport, rather than to try to summarize the findings specific to the nervous system, the details of which most of you may know rather better than I do. Fortunately, transport behavior seems in general to be similar among tissues, so that the history of transport ideas and findings is a single history and not one specific to each anatomical or functional field, despite occasional impressions to the contrary. I assume that the means of discrimination of distinct transport systems falls among the subjects that I might more logically discuss. That subject continues to deserve attention, because one still sees bent Lineweaver-Burk plots treated as though they were sufficient evidence for the contribution of two parallel transport systems. I feel obliged, however, not to spend much of my time in this presentation in explaining what my colleagues and I have been doing in past years to codify the several amino acid transport systems, or in indicating what the new difficulties are, or in summarizing how these codifications have so far applied to nervous tissue. Instead I want mainly to treat a theoretical problem that has come to seem to me critically restrictive to progress. I trust I can later help you with some useful thoughts on the discrimination of the several systems, as such comments may become appropriate during the discussion time.
Technology Standards Development: A Framework

Distributed Innovation and inter-company collaborative development have become prevalent modes of operation for some technology-intensive firms which rely on them to reduce their investment outlays while concomitantly preserving their technology leadership positions within their respective industries. Technology standards development has become a key enabler for achieving these seemingly bipolar objectives. The de facto model that exemplifies this trend can be summed up as: ‘collaborate, standardize, compete!’
AN OVERVIEW OF FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTION BOILERS

ABSTRACT An overview of fluidized-bed combustion boilers was based on the verified problems, factors that prompted evolutional changes in fluidized-bed combustion boilers, and classification of fluidized-bed combustion boilers. Fluidized-bed combustion boilers have been and will be an efficient energy conversion tool for indigenous low-grade fuels utilization.
THERMOREGULATION IN HUMANS OF DIFFERENT AGES DURING THERMAL TRANSIENTS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses thermoregulation in humans of different ages during thermal transients. A description of appropriate thermoregulatory changes as a function of deviations from normal body temperature has helped clarify the contribution of afferent input from the skin and internal thermal receptors on heat loss and heat production responses. Some studies using thermal transients, whereby air temperature is changed toward the heat or toward the cold, have pointed out differential responses in the way a thermal load is handled among males and females. Both the range of increases or decreases in internal body temperature has been found to be wider in men than in females. Within a group, although thermoregulatory control is similar, the ease in handling a thermal load as a function of changes in deep body temperature can have dramatic effects on how an individual responds to the environment.
Extraction and Analysis of RPE layer from OCT Images for Detection of Age Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease which affects elderly people. Cholesterol deposits in central part of retina, known as macula, damages the photoreceptors present in a particular area of eye. AMD usually effects only central vision of patient. In medical field various imaging techniques are used for diagnosis of eye diseases. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a relatively newer technique that is found to be very useful in analyzing eyes. In this research, we used OCT images to automatically detect and classify AMD. First we extract the retinal layer known as Retinal Pigment Epithelium by utilizing Graph Theory Dynamic Programming technique, after successfully enhancing the quality of OCT image by using Wiener filter. We used a unique feature set consisting of features extracted from difference signal of RPE and Inner Segment Outer Segment layer of RPE. Feature set includes approximation coefficient, entropy and spectrum energy of the resulting difference signal. Support Vector Machine classifier was used to classify AMD affected and normal image. The developed system gives an accuracy of 95% for AMD detection.
From bench to bedside: Current developments and future possibilities of artificial human ovary to restore fertility

Several fertility restoration options are not feasible for some cancer patients, poor responders and patients with premature ovarian failure who have diminished ovarian reserve. To preserve and restore fertility in such patients, new strategies should be offered including artificial human ovary technology. In this mini-review, we explore from bench to bedside the current developments and future possibilities of artificial human ovary technology to restore fertility.
Global existence and asymptotic behavior of classical solutions to a parabolic–elliptic chemotaxis system with logistic source on RN

In the current paper, we consider the following parabolic–elliptic semilinear Keller–Segel model on RNRN, {ut=∇⋅(∇u−χu∇v)+au−bu2,x∈RN,t>0,0=(Δ−I)v+u,x∈RN,t>0, where χ>0,a≥0,b>0 are constant real numbers and N is a positive integer. We first prove the local existence and uniqueness of classical solutions (u(x,t;u0),v(x,t;u0))(u(x,t;u0),v(x,t;u0)) with u(x,0;u0)=u0(x)u(x,0;u0)=u0(x) for various initial functions u0(x)u0(x). Next, under some conditions on the constants a,b,χa,b,χ and the dimension N , we prove the global existence and boundedness of classical solutions (u(x,t;u0),v(x,t;u0))(u(x,t;u0),v(x,t;u0)) for given initial functions u0(x)u0(x). Finally, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of the global solutions with strictly positive initial functions or nonnegative compactly supported initial functions. Under some conditions on the constants a,b,χa,b,χ and the dimension N , we show that for every strictly positive initial function u0(⋅)u0(⋅), limt→∞⁡supx∈RN⁡[|u(x,t;u0)−ab|+|v(x,t;u0)−ab|]=0, and that for every nonnegative initial function u0(⋅)u0(⋅) with non-empty and compact support supp(u0)supp(u0), there are 0<clow⁎(u0)≤cup⁎(u0)<∞ such that limt→∞⁡sup|x|≤ct⁡[|u(x,t;u0)−ab|+|v(x,t;u0)−ab|]=0∀0<c<clow⁎(u0) and limt→∞⁡sup|x|≥ct⁡[u(x,t;u0)+v(x,t;u0)]=0∀c>cup⁎(u0).
External validation of prognostic models for overall survival (OS) in patients (pts) with advanced cancer (UC) treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

4592 Background: The most commonly used model predicting OS for UC pts treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy is based on 2-variables (visceral metastases and performance status), developed at M...
Proliferation of adult human bronchial epithelial cells without a telomere maintenance mechanism for over 200 population doublings

To date, there is no direct evidence of telomerase activity in adult lung epithelial cells, but typical culture conditions only support cell proliferation for 30-40 population doublings (PD), a point at which telomeres remain relatively long. Here we report that in in vitro low stress culture conditions consisting of a fibroblast feeder layer, rho-associated coiled coil protein kinase inhibitor (ROCKi), and low oxygen (2%), normal human bronchial epithelial basal progenitor cells (HBECs) divide for over 200 PD without engaging a telomere maintenance mechanism (almost four times the "Hayflick limit"). HBECs exhibit critically short telomeres at 200 PD and the population of cells start to undergo replicative senescence. Subcloning these late passage cells to clonal density, to mimic lung injury in vivo, selects for rare subsets of HBECs that activate low levels of telomerase activity to maintain short telomeres. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of human telomerase reverse transcriptase or treatment with the telomerase-mediated telomere targeting agent 6-thio-2'deoxyguanosine abrogates colony growth in these late passage cultures (>200 PD) but not in early passage cultures (<200 PD). To our knowledge, this is the first study to report such long-term growth of HBECs without a telomere maintenance mechanism. This report also provides direct evidence of telomerase activation in HBECs near senescence when telomeres are critically short. This novel cell culture system provides an experimental model to understand how telomerase is regulated in normal adult tissues.
Factor structure and measurement invariance of the Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide® (JTOG®) individual version

Abstract Background The Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide® (JTOG®) is a self-report measure that has been developed into several additional versions (patient, support person, and individual) in order to provide a 360-degree assessment of teamwork skills of health professions students and providers. Purpose The primary aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Individual JTOG when used both as a self-assessment and as a peer assessment of collaborative practice (CP) and teamwork skills. Method Two samples of nursing undergraduate and health sciences graduate students (N = 1347, total) used the Individual JTOG to assess their own and their teammates’ collaborative practice skills following an IPE module. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine the structure and reliability of the self- and peer assessments. Discussion Results illustrated that a two-factor structure was sufficient to explain most of the variance in both self- and peer assessments of teamwork. Multiple-groups confirmatory factor analysis illustrated that both the self-assessments and peer assessments have strong measurement invariance across genders.. Conclusions The Individual JTOG can be used as a valid and reliable indicator of CP skills, and is best used as a formative assessment..
Picturing Katrina: The queer child and black death-birthing narratives

Drawing on refugee studies, “Picturing Katrina: The Queer Child and Black Death-Birthing Narratives” explores the transient performance of antiblack and refugee policies and procedures and how this...
Effects on tactile transmission by serotonin transporter inhibitors at Merkel discs of mouse whisker hair follicles

The Merkel disc is a main type of tactile end organs formed by Merkel cells and Aβ-afferent endings as first tactile sensory synapses. They are highly abundant in fingertips, touch domes, and whisker hair follicles of mammals and are essential for sensory tasks including social interaction, environmental exploration, and tactile discrimination. We have recently shown that Merkel discs use serotonin to transmit tactile signals from Merkel cells to Aβ-afferent endings to drive slowly adapting type 1 impulses on the Aβ-afferent nerves. This raises a question as whether the serotoninergic transmission at Merkel discs may be regulated by serotonin transporters and whether serotonin transporter inhibitors may affect the tactile transmission. Here, we made recordings from whisker afferent nerves of mouse whisker hair follicles and tested the effects of monoamine transporter inhibitors on slowly adapting type 1 impulses. We show that methamphetamine, a monoamine releasing facilitator and reuptake inhibitor, elicited spontaneous impulses as well as increased the numbers of slowly adapting type 1 impulses elicited by whisker hair deflections. S-duloxetine, a potent inhibitor of transporters of serotonin and norepinephrine, and fluoxetine, a selective inhibitor of serotonin transporters, both also increased the numbers of slowly adapting type 1 impulses. Prolonged treatment of whisker hair follicles with methamphetamine abolished most of slowly adapting type 1 impulses. Furthermore, the treatment of whisker hair follicles with methamphetamine resulted in serotonin release from whisker hair follicles. Taken together, our results suggest that serotonin transporters play a role in regulating tactile transmission at Merkel discs.
Designing an Interactive Eco-Feedback Environment

The purpose of this research project is to study the current designs of eco-feedback technologies, assess how effective they are, and propose viable solutions to increase the performance of these technologies, and in turn reduce the cumulative environmental impact. While there are currently many technologies in the works of being created, with similar intent, they all seem to share one common problem; Eco-Feedback technologies are costly to produce with a low net gain, when it comes to user satisfaction and hence future investment. Design expands further than visual appeal, and this project dives into all components of proper design. From the depths of environmental psychology, all the way to visualization design, this paper proposes a future for a more sustainable environment.
Berry-Esseen Bounds for Projection Parameters and Partial Correlations with Increasing Dimension

The linear regression model can be used even when the true regression function is not linear. The resulting estimated linear function is the best linear approximation to the regression function and the vector $\beta$ of the coefficients of this linear approximation are the projection parameter. We provide finite sample bounds on the Normal approximation to the law of the least squares estimator of the projection parameters normalized by the sandwich-based standard error. Our results hold in the increasing dimension setting and under minimal assumptions on the distribution of the response variable. Furthermore, we construct confidence sets for $\beta$ in the form of hyper-rectangles and establish rates on their coverage accuracy. We provide analogous results for partial correlations among the entries of sub-Gaussian vectors.
Review: Puberty blockers for transgender and gender diverse youth-a critical review of the literature.

Background Increasingly, early adolescents who are transgender or gender diverse (TGD) are seeking gender-affirming healthcare services. Pediatric healthcare providers supported by professional guidelines are treating many of these children with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa), which reversibly block pubertal development, giving the child and their family more time in which to explore the possibility of medical transition. Methods We conducted a critical review of the literature to answer a series of questions about criteria for using puberty-blocking medications, the specific drugs used, the risks and adverse consequences and/or the positive outcomes associated with their use. We searched four databases: LGBT Life, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. From an initial sample of 211 articles, we systematically reviewed 9 research studies that met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results Studies reviewed had samples ranging from 1 to 192 (N = 543). The majority (71%) of participants in these studies required a diagnosis of gender dysphoria to qualify for puberty suppression and were administered medication during Tanner stages 2 through 4. Positive outcomes were decreased suicidality in adulthood, improved affect and psychological functioning, and improved social life. Adverse factors associated with use were changes in body composition, slow growth, decreased height velocity, decreased bone turnover, cost of drugs, and lack of insurance coverage. One study met all quality criteria and was judged 'excellent', five studies met the majority of quality criteria resulting in 'good' ratings, whereas three studies were judged fair and had serious risks of bias. Conclusion Given the potentially life-saving benefits of these medications for TGD youth, it is critical that rigorous longitudinal and mixed methods research be conducted that includes stakeholders and members of the gender diverse community with representative samples.
Oxidase-loaded hydrogels for versatile potentiometric metabolite sensing.

Abstract Continuous monitoring of biological metabolites of interest necessitates sensors that are robust, versatile, miniaturizable, and reliable. Electrochemical biosensors have dominated the field of biosensors for decades due to their robust and inexpensive nature. Classically, these sensors use amperometric and voltammetric methods as the sensing modality. One of the greatest limitations with these methods is the dependence of the signal (current, i) on the electrode size, which can change with respect to time due to fouling. Here, we present open circuit potential, an electrochemical technique that is relatively insensitive to electrode size, as a reliable alternative to amperometric and voltammetric techniques for monitoring metabolites of interest. The sensor operates by trapping an oxidase enzyme in a chitosan hydrogel. The oxidase enzyme is required for metabolite specificity. When the oxidase enzyme meets its substrate, oxygen is consumed, and hydrogen peroxide is generated. Hydrogen peroxide generation dominates a half reaction at the platinum surface, resulting in a change in potential. Using the above criteria, we demonstrate the efficacy, long lifetime, sensitivity, and ease of fabrication of glucose sensors, and miniaturize the sensors from macro- to microelectrodes. Additionally, we demonstrate the ease with which this platform can be extended to detect other analytes in the form of a galactose sensor. Our results set a foundation for the generalized use of potentiometric sensors for a broad range of metabolites and applications.
Abstract PO-035: Development of a robust radiomic biomarker of PDL1 expression and patient survival after first-line immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Pembrolizumab (PEMBRO), a PD1antagonist, is 1st-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without actionable mutations. While up to 70% of PDL1 enriched NSCLC respond to PEMBRO, those that will fail therapy, with resulting worse overall survival, cannot be reliably predicted. We propose a novel radiomic biomarker which integrates with PDL1 expression data to enhance precision in therapy response prediction. NSCLC patients (n=98) treated with PEMBRO at our institution, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, with available staging computed tomography (CT) imaging were retrospectively identified. 3D tumor CT volumes were labeled by thoracic radiologists using ITK-SNAP software and radiomic features were extracted from segmented tumor volumes using PyRadiomics (Py) (107 features) and the Cancer Imaging Phenomics Toolkit (CaPTk)(102 features). The impact of imaging acquisition heterogeneity was mitigated using a nested ComBat approach, sequentially parsing parameters as batch covariates to harmonize differences in radiomic features. Harmonization reduced the number of features (KS test p 50% PDL1 expression into a model. The complete dataset was used to evaluate the models’ ability to separate patients above versus below the median prognostic score in a Kaplan Meier curve (for all cases, log-rank test p values Citation Format: Apurva Singh, Hannah Horng, Joanna Weeks, Michelle Hershman, Leonid Roshkovan, Sharyn Katz, Despina Kontos. Development of a robust radiomic biomarker of PDL1 expression and patient survival after first-line immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Diagnosis, and Imaging; 2021 Jan 13-14. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(5_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-035.
Quantifying Vocal Repertoire Tessituras Through Real-Time Measures.

Summary Introduction Voice teachers use anecdotal evidence and experience in determining the appropriateness of repertoire for each student's development. Tessitura is important in that determination, but until recently a straightforward, repeatable, and quantifiable method for determining tessitura has not existed. However, technology exists to provide the means to estimate the tessituras of standard vocal repertoire by measuring sung pitch (fundamental frequency) and vocal dose (amount of phonation) in real-time performance. Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the combined use of tessituragrams, Voice Range Profiles (VRPs), a singer's self-perception of a performance, and expert listeners perception of a performance towards the goal of a more systematic way of selecting appropriate voice repertoire for singers. The following research questions guided this investigation: 1) How do Performance Range Profiles (PRPs, performance-based tessituragrams computed from neck skin surface vibration during singing), compare to score-based tessituragrams of the same selection in the same key? 2) How do PRPs of the same vocal score compare when performed in three different keys? 3) How do singer VRPs compare with PRPs of three performances of a score, each sung in a different key? and 4) How do singer and expert panel perceptions of the selection's “fit” in three different keys compare with the alignment of each singer's VRP to their PRPs? Four female singers and five expert voice pedagogues were enlisted to address these questions. Results The distribution (histogram) of the score-based tessituragram closely matched the distribution of performance-based tessituragrams (PRP), suggesting that score-based tessituragrams have promise in accurately reflecting the performance-based tessitura of a musical vocal work. Acquired data revealed relationships of practical importance between score-derived tessituragrams, PRPs, acquired VRPs, and singer perceptions of ease in singing. These data suggest that score-based tessituragrams aligned with singer VRPs show promise in repertoire selection. However, there was only a minor relationship between expert panel perceptions of ease in singing and the acquired PRPs or singer perceptions of ease. Creation of a score-based tessituragram database could be combined with singer VRPs to assist in appropriate repertoire selection.
Employing Synthetic T-cell Biology to Target AML without On-Target/Off-Cancer Toxicity

Summary: Ideal targets for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain elusive. In this issue of Blood Cancer Discovery, Richards and colleagues explore CD93 as a potential AML target antigen, and devise an approach to mitigate “on-target/off-cancer toxicity.” See related article by Richards et al., p. 648.
Inventing New Models of Social Support Groups: A Feasibility Study of an Online Stress Management Support Group for Social Workers

ABSTRACT Online support groups represent one of the many new forms of computer-mediated social interaction that have emerged on the Internet. These support groups are a new phenomenon and little is known about how this kind of communication affects group structure and process, or which formats will be most helpful for different client populations. This article describes a pilot study to test the technical feasibility and appropriateness of a six-week, online support group to help social workers manage stress. The implications of these findings for a study of a more comprehensive pilot study of a ten-week-long group are also discussed.
Mathematical Models for Fermentation Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that models serve to correlate data and so provide a concise way of thinking about a system or process. They help to sharpen thinking about a system or process and can be used to guide one's reasoning in the design of experiments to isolate important parameters and elucidate the nature of the system or process. The scope, the scale, and the complexity of fermentation processes are such that changes in technology will likely occur; indeed, there is an emphasis on investigations on continous culture techniques, fermentation vessels are no longer always of the stirred-tank variety, and mixed cultures are starting to become common. The chapter discusses that mathematical models of microbial growth are generated by a combination of three processes. First, well-established physical, chemical, or biological principles may provide certain parts of the model. Second, some hypotheses of the model may be plausible inferences from existing data. Finally, the remaining parts of the model are guesses, but one hopes, educated ones.
Learning to detect and track cells for quantitative analysis of time-lapse microscopic image sequences

Studying the behaviour of cells using time-lapse microscopic imaging requires automated processing pipelines that enable quantitative analysis of a large number of cells. We propose a pipeline based on state-of-the-art methods for background motion compensation, cell detection, and tracking which are integrated into a novel semi-automated, learning based analysis tool. Motion compensation is performed by employing an efficient nonlinear registration method based on powerful discrete graph optimisation. Robust detection and tracking of cells is based on classifier learning which only requires a small number of manual annotations. Cell motion trajectories are generated using a recent global data association method and linear programming. Our approach is robust to the presence of significant motion and imaging artifacts. Promising results are presented on different sets of in-vivo fluorescent microscopic image sequences.
Energy Balance in Solar and Stellar Chromospheres

The spectrum from a specific region of the sun or from a star can be used to determine the temperature-density stratification and other physical properties of the emitting atmospheric layers. We need such a description of the atmosphere in order to understand the causes of solar activity and the nature of various stellar phenomena. Computer programs are available for solving the detailed radiative transfer and statistical equilibrium equations to calculate the spectrum emerging from an optically thick gaseous medium of prescribed properties. It is usually possible to adjust the properties of the atmospheric model to obtain a spectrum which agrees with an observed one. Current models of the solar atmosphere indicate that a meaningful temperature-density stratification can be determined from the, spectrum: using relatively few atmospheric parameters to define the model, good agreement can be obtained between the calculated spectrum and the observed one. In this paper we consider the chromospheric models corresponding to faint, average, and bright components of the quiet sun, a solar plage and flare, and the stars a Boo and λ And. In each case we calculate as a function of depth the net radiative cooling rate per unit volume due to the transitions of various atoms and ions (principally H, Mg II, Ca II, and H-). This radiative cooling must be balanced by the same amount of mechanical heating at each depth. The chromospheric cooling rate, obtained from models based on observations, provides a detailed constraint on theories which explain how the chromosphere is heated.
Intensive care unit readmission prevention checklist: Is it worth the effort?

Rationale, aims and objectives Checklists have been adopted by various institutions to improve patient outcomes. In particular, readmission prevention checklists may be of potential value to improve patient care and reduce medical costs. As a result, a prior quality improvement study was conducted to create an intensive care unit readmission prevention checklist. The previous pilot demonstrated zero readmissions when the readmission prevention checklist was utilized but yielded low compliance (30%). Thus, a subsequent quality initiative was undertaken to refine the readmission prevention checklist with the primary aim of improved compliance while maintaining a reduced readmission rate that was observed with the original quality improvement study. Method A single-centre, cross-sectional study for assessing baseline data and a prospective observational study to assess the effectiveness of a refined readmission prevention checklist tool in a 20-bed tertiary medical-surgical intensive care unit at an academic medical centre in Rochester, MN was conducted. Medical patients admitted through the emergency department, upon direct transfer from outside facility, and post-operative surgical patients at our institution were included. A refined readmission prevention checklist tool was administered during an 8-week pilot period for medical and post-operative surgical patients. Results The refined readmission prevention checklist resulted in an even lower compliance (10.5%) from the initial phase likely resulting from utilization of a paper readmission prevention checklist in an electronic medical environment. Moreover, the refined readmission prevention checklist demonstrated a 22% unplanned readmission rate for patients in which the tool was utilized. Conclusions In conclusion, the findings of the current quality improvement study may serve to rethink the process of health care delivery that applies paper tools in an electronic medical environment.
Partitions, Kostka polynomials and pairs of trees

Bennett et al. presented a recursive algorithm to create a family of partitions from one or several partitions. They were mainly interested in the cases when we begin with a single square partition or with several partitions with only one part. The cardinalities of those families of partitions are the Catalan and ballot numbers, respectively. In this paper we present a non-recursive description for those families and prove that the generating function of the size of those partitions is a Kostka number. We also present bijections between those sets of partitions and sets of trees and forests enumerated by the Catalan an ballot numbers, respectively.
Autonomous Mobile Robot Navigation Using Fish-Eye Lenses

We present an autonomous mobile robot navigation system using stereo fish-eye lenses for navigation in indoor structured environments. The system estimates the three-dimensional (3D) position of significant features in the environment, and by estimating its relative position, navigates through narrow passages and makes turns at the end of corridors. Fish-eye lenses are used to provide a large field of view, which helps in imaging objects close to the robot. The system is implemented and tested in a structured environment at our laboratory. Results from the robot navigation in real environments are presented.
An integrated urban development and ecological simulation model

This paper develops an integrated strategy to model the urban development and ecological dynamics in the Central Puget Sound Region. This effort is part of the Puget Sound Regional Integrated Synthesis model (PRISM) – an interdisciplinary initiative at the University of Washington aiming to develop a dynamic and integrated understanding of the environmental and human systems in the Puget Sound. We describe a model that predicts the environmental stresses associated with urban development and related changes in land use and human activities under alternative demographic, economic, environmental, and policy scenarios. We build on UrbanSim, an existing urban simulation model developed by Waddell [42]. The principal urban actors, represented in the model as objects corresponding to businesses, households, developers, and governments, make choices about location of activities and land development. We extend the object properties and methods now implemented in the UrbanSim model to predict three types of human-induced environmental stressors: land conversion, resource use, and emissions. The core location model in UrbanSim will be revised from its current aggregate structure to one based on microsimulation, and from a zone description of space to one based on a high-resolution grid structure. We will use a spatially explicit process-based landscape modeling approach to replicate ecosystem processes and represent land use–cover interactions at the regional scale. The output of the urban ecological model will serve as the input to several biophysical models for hydrology, hillslope stability, water quality, atmosphere, and ecosystems. Ecological changes will feed back on the choices of both households and business locations, and availability of land and resources.
Improved performance of 10 Gb/s multimode fiber optic links using equalization

A differential 7-tap transverse filter was designed and used to equalize an 850nm multimode link. The ISI penalty was reduced from 11dB to 2.2dB on a l0Gb/s link with 600m of 50/spl mu/m next-generation multimode fiber.