cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosis and staging of musculoskeletal soft tissue sarcomas

Adequate resection of soft tissue tumors reduces the risk of local recurrence and improves survival. Lymphatic dissemination of these tumors may occur and is related to worst prognosis. Proper staging thus improves patient management. Therefore, 18F-FDG PET/CT has increasingly been incorporated in the management of patients with soft tissue sarcomas, from grading, prognostic evaluation, diagnosis, staging and subsequent patient management. Formerly, soft tissue malignancies, after diagnosis, were staged with only chest radiographs and chest CT. Initial studies using solely dedicated PET scanners revealed a low sensitivity to detect metastases, especially in the detection of lung nodules. However, with the advent of 18F-FDG PET/CT hybrid imaging, there is growing evidence of the added benefit in performing this whole-body imaging modality in the work-up of these patients. In this review, we will discuss the incremental value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and staging of soft tissue sarcomas, the patterns of uptake according to the different histological types as well as alert the nuclear medicine physician of the false-positive and false-negative situations.
Medical management of abnormal uterine bleeding

Abnormal uterine bleeding during the reproductive years is a common condition that responds in many cases to apprapriate medical therapy. Although structural lesions can contribute to bleeding, these abnormalities are frequently asymptomatic. For women experiencing bleeding secondary to leiomyomas, medical therapy offers the potential for short, and even long-term relief, particularly for women in the late reproductive years. Medical therapy is also important in the management of acute uterine blceding, regardless of the cause.
Methods for comparing the performance of energy-conversion systems for use in solar fuels and solar electricity generation

The energy-conversion efficiency is a key metric that facilitates comparison of the performance of various approaches to solar energy conversion. However, a suite of disparate methodologies has been proposed and used historically to evaluate the efficiency of systems that produce fuels, either directly or indirectly, with sunlight and/or electrical power as the system inputs. A general expression for the system efficiency is given as the ratio of the total output power (electrical plus chemical) divided by the total input power (electrical plus solar). The solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency follows from this globally applicable system efficiency but only is applicable in the special case for systems in which the only input power is sunlight and the only output power is in the form of hydrogen fuel derived from solar-driven water splitting. Herein, system-level efficiencies, beyond the STH efficiency, as well as component-level figures of merit are defined and discussed to describe the relative energy-conversion performance of key photoactive components of complete systems. These figures of merit facilitate the comparison of electrode materials and interfaces without conflating their fundamental properties with the engineering of the cell setup. The resulting information about the components can then be used in conjunction with a graphical circuit analysis formalism to obtain “optimal” system efficiencies that can be compared between various approaches. The approach provides a consistent method for comparison of the performance at the system and component levels of various technologies that produce fuels and/or electricity from sunlight.
Detecting Errors in Automatically-Parsed Dependency Relations

We outline different methods to detect errors in automatically-parsed dependency corpora, by comparing so-called dependency rules to their representation in the training data and flagging anomalous ones. By comparing each new rule to every relevant rule from training, we can identify parts of parse trees which are likely erroneous. Even the relatively simple methods of comparison we propose show promise for speeding up the annotation process.
Maternal obesity and congenital heart defects: a population-based study

Background: Obesity affects almost one-third of pregnant women and causes many complications, including neural tube defects. It is not clear whether the risk of congenital heart defects, the most common malformations, is also increased. Objective: This study was conducted to determine whether obesity is associated with an increased risk of congenital heart defects. Design: A population-based, nested, case-control study was conducted in infants born with congenital heart defects and unaffected controls from the cohort of all births (n = 1,536,828) between 1993 and 2003 in New York State, excluding New York City. The type of congenital heart defect, maternal body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2), and other risk factors were obtained from the Congenital Malformations Registry and vital records. Mothers of 7392 congenital heart defect cases and 56,304 unaffected controls were studied. Results: All obese women (BMI ≥ 30) were significantly more likely than normal-weight women (BMI: 19–24.9) to have children with a congenital heart defect [odds ratio (OR): 1.15; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.23; P < 0.0001]. Overweight women were not at increased risk (OR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.06). The risk in morbidly obese women (BMI ≥ 40) was higher (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.54; P = 0.0001) than that in obese women with a BMI of 30–39.9 (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.20; P = 0.004). There was a highly significant trend of increasing OR for congenital heart defects with increasing maternal obesity (P < 0.0001). The offspring of obese women had significantly higher ORs for atrial septal defects, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, aortic stenosis, pulmonic stenosis, and tetralogy of Fallot. Conclusions: Obese, but not overweight, women are at significantly increased risk of bearing children with a range of congenital heart defects, and the risk increases with increasing BMI. Weight reduction as a way to reduce risk should be investigated.
Multilevel multi-phase propulsion drives

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the 5-phase induction motor driven by voltage-source inverter drives and particularly its steady-state performance evaluation. The performance of various modulation methods are analyzed with insightful look into their harmonic content and torque ripple. Three separate methods are proposed to reduce the torque ripple for low, middle and high modulation index regions while eliminating or controlling the non-torque-producing harmonics within the current machine rating. A complete set of simulations are carried out to verify the concepts and proposed methods. The multi-level multiphase topology is introduced and it is compared to the two-level system. The modification of switching sequence for reduction of torque ripple is applied to the three-level 5-phase motor drive. Application of the multilevel multi-phase concept to high power motor drives (as well as motor design and selection) is discussed.
LEARNING STYLE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN A COURSE ON RESEARCH METHODS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation of learning style and achievement during a course on research methods. Participants were 74 graduate students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. A series of setwise regression analyses indicated that students who evaluated research articles successfully maintained positive attitudes toward the presence of authority figures. Students adept at proposal writing preferred working alone in quiet environments, and those who had the most knowledge of research concepts, methods, and applications were those who preferred less course structure and who preferred working alone, learning by using multiple resources, and working in the evening. In addition, these students were not kinesthetically oriented and required caloric intake during study. Based on these findings, suggestions were made for effective teaching strategies in courses on research methods.
A 1.3–6 GHz triple-mode CMOS VCO using coupled inductors

An integrated VCO with an ultra-wide tuning range is designed and fabricated in a 0.13 mum CMOS technology. The triple-mode VCO uses a 6th-order resonator based on three coupled inductors with a compact common-centric layout, banks of switched varactors, and continuously-tuned varactors to cover the measured 1.28-6.06 GHz frequency range. Each mode corresponds to a resonant frequency of the 6th-order resonator. Mode selection is achieved using three independent active cores without using lossy switches in the resonator path. The VCO current consumption is automatically adjusted from 2.9 mA to 6.1 mA to achieve a low phase noise throughout the frequency range. The measured phase noises at 1 MHz offset from carrier frequencies of 1.76, 2.26, 3.3, 4.5, and 5.6 GHz are -120.89, -121.82, -118.46, -117.12, and -114.15 dBc/Hz, respectively. The chip area, including the pads, is 1 mm times 1 mm and the supply voltage is 1.5 V.
Continuous Cellulase Production

Trichoderma viride QM 9414 growth characteristics on glucose were investigated in single stage continuous stirred tank reactor operation and growth parameters μmax, Ks, QO2 identified. Multistage stirred tank fermentors in series with the first stage utilizing glucose and the subsequent stages utilizing cellulose yielded results in general agreement with theoretical predictions. Significant increase in enzyme productivity over single stage fermentation was obtained in multistage operation.
Two-phase (low-dose) computed tomography is as effective as 4D-CT for identifying enlarged parathyroid glands

Abstract Background Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) is often used for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and non-definitive localization after Sestamibi scan (MIBI) and ultrasound (US), but may expose patients to unnecessary radiation, typically between 10 and 26 millisieverts (mSv). We hypothesize that a simpler two-phase CT protocol would have a similar sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to those published for 4D-CT, while exposing the patient to less radiation. Methods We reviewed 54 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and non-definitive localization studies who had a two-phase CT between 2009 and 2012 at our tertiary referral center. Results The mean radiation dose of two-phase CT over the course of the study was 5.2 mSv (range 3.5 mSv–9.1 mSv). Two-phase CT had a 77% (CI = 65%–86%) sensitivity and an 87% (CI = 73%–95%) specificity to lateralize enlarged parathyroid glands to the correct side of the neck and a 58% (CI = 45%–68%) sensitivity and 91% (CI = 83%–94%) specificity to localize parathyroid tumors to the correct quadrant of the neck. The overall accuracy of two-phase CT to lateralize enlarged parathyroids was 81% (CI = 73%, 88%) and the accuracy to localize enlarged parathyroids was 79% (CI = 73%, 84%). Discussion As a second line investigation two-phase CT has a similar sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to those published for 4D-CT in patients with non-localized, enlarged parathyroids with less radiation exposure. Two-phase CT can help localize enlarged parathyroid glands not definitively identified using MIBI and US. Conclusion Two-phase CT allows clinicians to accurately identify enlarged parathyroid glands while exposing the patient to less radiation than 4D-CT.
Reaping the Processing Potential of FPGA on Double-Precision Floating-Point Operations: An Eigenvalue Solver Case Study

Many scientific applications such as electromagnatics require their operations carried out in double-precision floating-point format. The efficiency of these applications is mainly subject to the floating-point processing performance on the target processors. In this work, we use an eigenvalue solver application as a case study to demonstrate the processing potential of an FPGA device when dealing with floating-point operations. Relying on deep pipelines and large local memory directly accessible within the FPGA device, more than 20$\times$ performance improvement has been achieved for this particular case whose computation is intrinsically sequential. The methodology described in this paper can be conveniently applied to other domain applications that share similar data processing characteristics, demonstrating an impact on a broad range of scientific fields, e.g., numerical linear algebra.
Developing a Statewide Childhood Body Mass Index Surveillance Program.

BACKGROUND: Several states have implemented childhood obesity surveillance programs supported by legislation. Representatives from Idaho wished to develop a model for childhood obesity surveillance without the support of state legislation, and subsequently report predictors of overweight and obesity in the state. METHODS: A coalition comprised of the Idaho State Department of Education and 4 universities identified a randomized cluster sample of schools. After obtaining school administrator consent, measurement teams traveled to each school to measure height and weight of students. Sex and race/ethnicity data were also collected. RESULTS: The collaboration between the universities resulted in a sample of 6735 students from 48 schools and 36 communities. Overall, 29.2% of the youth in the sample were classified as overweight or obese, ranging from 24.0% for grade 1 to 33.8% for grade 5. The prevalence of overweight and obesity across schools was highly variable (31.2 ± 7.58%). Hierarchical logistic regression indicated that sex, age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and region were all significant predictors of overweight and obesity, whereas school was not. CONCLUSIONS: This coalition enabled the state of Idaho to successfully estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity on a representative sample of children from all regions of the state, and subsequently identify populations at greatest risk.
A multi-ink linear array of nanofountain probes

After the successful design and fabrication of a single-probe nanofountain pen, a second-generation device with two on-chip ink reservoirs feeding a linear array of 12 microfluidic cantilever probes was manufactured. The new device excels by sharper and more uniform tips, more robust fabrication and improved performance in writing and imaging. Its capabilities in writing sub-100 nm features and with two different inks delivered in liquid phase were demonstrated. Their applications range from an affordable method of nanopatterning with sub-100 nm resolution to microspotters for bio-assay generation and tools for combinatorial nanoscale biochemical experiments.
Perspectives on an integrated theory of emotional development

We need a model of emotional development, but before we arrive at one we must address many theoretical issues that will guide future research.
ERRATUM AND ADDENDUM: "PROPERTY (FA) AND LATTICES IN SU(2,1)"

We first describe the organization of this addendum. Section 1 corrects the statement of [10, Theorem 1]. Section 2 corrects [10, Proposition 19], which applies to [10, Theorem 3 and Corollary 4]. This correction requires an extra hypothesis that, conjecturally, is unnecessary. Finally, Sec. 3 gives a corrected proof of [10, Proposition 20]. The corrected proof also implies Theorem 5 below, which generalizes [10, Theorem 3] to SU(n, 1) for n ≥ 4 (independent from the corrections to [10, Theorem 3]).
Splenic regeneration following splenectomy and impact on sepsis: a clinical review

The spleen is a large lymphoid intra‐abdominal organ. It is involved in immunological response, removal of particulate matter and aged or defective blood cells from the circulation.1 Correlation between splenectomy, infection risk and overwhelming sepsis was first reported over 50 years ago.2 The incidence of post‐splenectomy sepsis has been investigated and at‐risk patients stratified. Lowest infection rates have been reported in traumatic splenectomy patients and the highest in those with haematological disorders.3 Given the overall significant risk of post‐splenectomy sepsis, all such patients receive prophylaxis irrespective of the surgical indication. Current guidelines include antibiotic prophylaxis, immunization against pneumococci, meningococci, haemophilus influenza and flu vaccine. Patients need urgent hospital admission if overcome by serious infection and carry health warnings.4 These necessary steps have an obvious impact on their lifestyle. Splenectomy used to be the only surgical option for trauma patients suffering splenic injuries. In the past two decades the concept of spleen conservation has been widely accepted in selected patients and positive outcomes are reported.5,6 However patients with severe parenchymal tears, active intraabdominal bleeding and complete splenic fragmentation will still require surgery and often will need a splenectomy.7 In this review we studied the role of splenosis and spleen autotransplantation in patients who suffer splenic trauma and their possible protective role on post‐splenectomy sepsis.
In vitro studies on the initial reactions of anaerobic ethylbenzene mineralization.

Anaerobic mineralization of ethylbenzene by the denitrifying bacterium Azoarcus sp. strain EB1 was recently shown to be initiated by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to 1-phenylethanol. 1-Phenylethanol is converted to benzoate (benzoyl coenzyme A) via acetophenone as transient intermediate. We developed in vitro assays to examine ethylbenzene dehydrogenase and 1-phenylethanol dehydrogenase activities in cell extracts of this strain. With p-benzoquinone as the electron acceptor, cell extracts of Azoarcus sp. strain EB1 catalyzed ethylbenzene oxidation at a specific rate of 10 nmol min−1 [mg of protein]−1 and an apparent Km for ethylbenzene of approximately 60 μM. The membrane-associated ethylbenzene dehydrogenase activity was found to oxidize 4-fluoroethylbenzene and propylbenzene but was unable to transform 4-chloro-ethylbenzene, the ethyltoluenes, and styrene. Enzymatic ethylbenzene oxidation was stereospecific, with (S)-(−)-1-phenylethanol being the only enantiomer detected by chiral high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis. Moreover, cell extracts catalyzed the oxidation of (S)-(−)-1-phenylethanol but not of (R)-(+)-1-phenylethanol to acetophenone. When cell extracts were dialyzed, (S)-(−)-1-phenylethanol oxidation occurred only in the presence of NAD+, suggesting that NAD+ is the physiological electron acceptor of 1-phenylethanol dehydrogenase. Both ethylbenzene dehydrogenase and 1-phenylethanol dehydrogenase activities were present in Azoarcus sp. strain EB1 cells that were grown anaerobically on ethylbenzene, 1-phenylethanol, and acetophenone, but these activities were absent in benzoate-grown cells.
A stabilized mixed finite element method for the incompressible shear-rate dependent non-Newtonian fluids: Variational Multiscale framework and consistent linearization

Abstract This paper presents a stabilized mixed finite element method for shear-rate dependent incompressible fluids. The viscosity of the fluid is considered a function of the second invariant of the rate-of-deformation tensor, thus making the shear-stress shear-strain relation nonlinear. The weak form of the generalized Navier–Stokes equations is cast in the Variational Multiscale (VMS) framework that leads to a two-level description of the problem. Consistent linearization of the fine-scale problem with respect to the fine-scale velocity field and the use of bubble functions to expand the fine-scale trial and test functions lead to an analytical expression for the fine-scale velocity along with a definition of the stabilization tensor τ. The ensuing nonlinear stabilized form is presented and the consistent tangent tensor is derived. Numerical convergence of the proposed method on structured and unstructured meshes that are composed of linear triangles and bilinear quadrilaterals are presented. Shear-thinning and shear-thickening effects are investigated via the backward facing step problem and the effects of geometric parameters on the flow characteristics are highlighted. Time dependent features are investigated via the transient vortex-shedding problem and the accuracy and stability properties of the new method are shown.
TCT-162 Universal Versus Platelet Reactivity Assay-Driven Use of P2Y12 Inhibitors in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: Cost-Effectiveness Analyses from Five European Perspectives

Platelet reactivity assays (PRAs) can predict patients' likely response to clopidogrel. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of universal compared to PRA-driven selection of ticagrelor or prasugrel for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients living in multiple European countries. An Markov model was
Predictability of operational processes over finite horizon

Operational processes are usually studied in terms of stochastic processes. The main information measure used for predictability of stochastic processes is the entropy rate, which is asymptotic conditional entropy, thus not suitable for application over a finite horizon. We use the conditional entropy to study the predictability of stochastic processes over the finite horizon. It is well-known that the conditional entropies of stationary processes decrease as the processes evolve, implying that, on average, their pasts become more informative about prediction of their future outcomes. Some important operational processes such as martingale, models for maintenance policies, nonhomogeneous Poisson, and mixed Poisson processes are nonstationary. We show that as a nonstationary process evolves, it may provide more information or less information about the future state of the system. We develop results for comparing the predictability of stochastic processes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2011
Imaging analysis of early DMP1 mediated dentine remineralization.

Abstract Objective This study assessed the micro-morphological changes in demineralized dentine scaffold following incubation with recombinant dentine matrix protein 1 (rDMP1). Design Extracted human molar crowns were sectioned into 6 beams (dimensions: 0.50 mm × 1.70 mm × 6.00 mm), demineralized and incubated overnight in 3 different media ( n = 4): rDMP1 in bovine serum albumin (BSA), BSA and distilled water. Samples were placed in a chamber with simulated physiological concentrations of calcium and phosphate ions at constant pH 7.4. Samples were immediately processed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) after 1 and 2 weeks. Results Analysis of the scaffold showed that decalcification process retained the majority of endogenous proteoglycans and phosphoproteins. rDMP1 treated samples promoted deposition of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) precursors and needle shaped hydroxyapatite crystals surrounding collagen fibrils. The BSA group presented ACP bound to collagen with no needle-like apatite crystals. Samples kept in distilled water showed no evidence of ACP and crystal apatite. Results from rDMP1 immobilized on dentine matrix suggests that the acidic protein was able to bind to collagen fibrils and control formation of amorphous calcium phosphate and its subsequent transformation into hydroxyapatite crystals after 2 weeks. Conclusion These findings suggest a possible bio-inspired strategy to promote remineralization of dentine for reparative and regenerative purposes.
Development of a single-use, disposable, electricity-free, nucleic acid amplification platform

Accurate diagnostic tools are essential for effective diagnosis, treatment, and tracking of individuals with infectious diseases. Diagnosis can be especially difficult in low-resource settings with limited infrastructure or unreliable access to electricity. Our previous work has demonstrated feasibility of a reusable configuration of an electricity-free, non-instrumented nucleic acid amplification platform (NINA) that complements isothermal assays for precise detection of a variety of pathogens. To maximize the potential impact of the NINA technology, we redesigned the technology in a disposable configuration to meet challenging cost, size, and ease of use requirements. This paper discusses the development of the single-use, disposable NINA platform. Key challenges included meeting repeatability, temperature stability, and precision targets. Through an iterative design process, we met these challenges using a novel design strategy including re-engineering of phase change materials (PCMs), addition of thermal enhancement additives to the PCM, and metered introduction of reactants using porous media. Manufacturing, performance, and reproducibility challenges were addressed, and the resultant design was rigorously tested in preparation for the production of a pilot batch of 150 disposable NINA devices that will be used for device and assay performance testing.
A Property Tax Scam: Washington D.C. $48 Million Embezzlement

This case details how $48 million dollars was systemically stolen by one DC government worker over a nearly 20 year period; how the funds were deposited and cashed with the help of friends, family members and bank employees; how the funds were spent to support a lavish lifestyle; and how the embezzlement was eventually discovered. This case was written for use in a Business Law class.
Mesostructure electronics

Control of composition during the growth of compound semiconductors, especially by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), makes possible the fabrication of heterostructures with composition varying on a space scale of order ten to one hundred lattice constants. These have distinctive physical properties with possibilities of device applications. This paper considers some structures consisting of parallel layers, and discusses eleclctronic phenomena involving conduction parallel to the layers and polarization normal to them.
Comments on “microecological factors in oyster epizootics” by Marshall Laird

The provocative paper by Laird (1961) was reviewed to call attention to its strong and weak points. Laird concludes correctly that when anaerobic conditions in oyster bed sediments reach a certain level and oysters are under stress from one or another environmental factor, the benthic saprobes may invade oyster tissues with diasastrous results. This is probably the sequence in many major oyster mortalities. The emphasis, however, place by Laird onHexamita as the major lethal organism is questionable. It is concluded that Laird's microenvironmental concept has possible application in connection with the recent “MSX”-linked oyster mortalities in Delaware and Chesapeake Bays.
Geometric Theory of Seismic Imaging

In this paper I provide an overview of main concepts and results by S.V.Goldin in the field of geometric theory of seismic imaging. Then I present some recent results on velocity continuation of seismic images developing his ideas. Introduction Main areas of seismology that S.V. Goldin have contributed to include: statistic methods of signal detection in seismic traces; inverse kinematic problem for layered media; geometric theory to seismic imaging, physics of the earthquake source. In this paper we will discuss geometric theory of seismic imaging following Goldin (1998,2003). Theory of contact mappings in seismic imaging was first discussed in details in (Goldin, 1994). Similar ideas were developed in (Hubral et al., 1996; Tygel et al., 1996). Concept of velocity continuation was first introduced by (Fomel, 1994a). Operators. Let us consider an operator F transforming some input function to another one: : ( ) ( ) F u w → x y , (1) and its adjoint F∗ . Here we will consider the case when x and y are of the same dimension and F is invertible. We usually assume that ( ) u x and ( ) w y contain singularities supported on a piece-wise smooth surfaces Φ and Ψ correspondingly. Popular examples are reflectors present in an image and traveltime surfaces in data. Then we use terms ‘migration’ for F∗ and ‘demigration’ for F in general sense of displacing singularities in ( ) u x into those in ( ) w y . Note that most of seismic processing procedures fall into category of operators (1): modeling, migration, offset data transformation, remigration etc. There are few ways to implement these operators: 1. Boundary-value problems for hyperbolic partialdifferential equations (PDEs). 2. Generalized Radon Transform (GRT) integral operators. 3. Fourier Integral Operators (FIOs). GRT or Kirchhoff type integral operators can be defined as follows: ( ) ( ) ( , ) ( , ) ( ) w a u d δ φ = ∫ y y x y x x x , (2) where ( , ) 0 φ = y x defines summation hypersurfaces. Inverse scattering theory developed in the framework of FIOs is described in (De Hoop, 2003). FIOs represent a class of operators even more general than GRT: ( , , ) ( ) ( , , ) ( ) i w a e u d d φ = ∫∫ y xθ y y x θ x x θ , (3) with some properties on ( , , ) a y xθ and ( , , ) φ y xθ amplitude and phase function correspondingly. Below we will consider a relation between these two types of operators.
‘The Direct Medium of the Vision’: Visual Education, Virtual Witnessing and the Prehistoric Past at the American Museum of Natural History, 1890-1923

In the early 20th century, artists and administrators at New York City’s American Museum of Natural History relied upon the tools of visual education to help visitors ‘virtually witness’ the prehistoric past. This decision to reconstruct a world no one had ever seen aroused hot debate among the museum’s staff. Reconstructions forced the museum’s scientists, artists and administrators to decide whether emotional, scientific or artistic truths were in conflict and, if so, which should take priority. The conflicts over the museum’s reconstructions of the past illuminate the difficulties of rendering information that could not be verified by eyewitnesses, and the limitations of visual education when it came to representing scientific and historical information.
Self-Locking Optoelectronic Tweezers for Single-Cell and Microparticle Manipulation across a Large Area in High Conductivity Media

Optoelectronic tweezers (OET) has advanced within the past decade to become a promising tool for cell and microparticle manipulation. Its incompatibility with high conductivity media and limited throughput remain two major technical challenges. Here a novel manipulation concept and corresponding platform called Self-Locking Optoelectronic Tweezers (SLOT) are proposed and demonstrated to tackle these challenges concurrently. The SLOT platform comprises a periodic array of optically tunable phototransistor traps above which randomly dispersed single cells and microparticles are self-aligned to and retained without light illumination. Light beam illumination on a phototransistor turns off the trap and releases the trapped cell, which is then transported downstream via a background flow. The cell trapping and releasing functions in SLOT are decoupled, which is a unique feature that enables SLOT's stepper-mode function to overcome the small field-of-view issue that all prior OET technologies encountered in manipulation with single-cell resolution across a large area. Massively parallel trapping of more than 100,000 microparticles has been demonstrated in high conductivity media. Even larger scale trapping and manipulation can be achieved by linearly scaling up the number of phototransistors and device area. Cells after manipulation on the SLOT platform maintain high cell viability and normal multi-day divisibility.
Ultrasound evaluation of pelvic masses seen within a university gynecologic oncology clinic: does the scan location matter?

To quantify variations in the reporting of ultrasound characteristics of adnexal masses between local ultrasound centers and a tertiary care center for women referred to gynecologic oncology for evaluation of a pelvic mass. This study also sought to evaluate whether a gynecologic oncologist’s impression regarding the suspicion for malignancy differed based upon the information provided in the local ultrasound report as compared to the tertiary care center ultrasound report.
Microjets and coated wheels: versatile tools for exploring collisions and reactions at gas–liquid interfaces

This tutorial review describes experimental aspects of two techniques for investigating collisions and reactions at the surfaces of liquids in vacuum. These gas–liquid scattering experiments provide insights into the dynamics of interfacial processes while minimizing interference from vapor-phase collisions. We begin with a historical survey and then compare attributes of the microjet and coated-wheel techniques, developed by Manfred Faubel and John Fenn, respectively, for studies of high- and low-vapor pressure liquids in vacuum. Our objective is to highlight the strengths and shortcomings of each technique and summarize lessons we have learned in using them for scattering and evaporation experiments. We conclude by describing recent microjet studies of energy transfer between O2 and liquid hydrocarbons, HCl dissociation in salty water, and super-Maxwellian helium evaporation.
Clinical Assessment of Gallinaceous Birds and Waterfowl in Backyard Flocks

Backyard poultry species are often presented for examination in clinical practice. Assessment of these cases requires knowledge of clinically relevant anatomy and physiology. Obtaining a complete history is important in reaching a correct diagnosis. This article provides a guide to history-taking and physical examination techniques. A differential diagnosis list is included for common clinical abnormalities. Preventive measures used in poultry medicine are also discussed.
Psychoactive Drugs in Psychosomatic Medicine

When dealing with a patient who has a chronic or a life-threatening illness, physical illness receives utmost care but psychosomatic aspect very little. Thus, we speak of the “coronary” needing intensive care and the “psychosomatic” needing psychotherapy which in fact is responding to one part of the problem. The patient who suffers from a disease is neither psyche nor soma alone and will be grateful to you if he will derive benefit from a comprehensive therapy. The origin, perpetuation and treatment of psychosomatic illnesses are multifaceted. Focusing on one aspect of the problem to the exclusion of others is definitely not beneficial. I address myself primarily to the usefulness of psychoactive drugs in some of the physical disorders not to imply its exclusive value but to expose its synergestic value with other forms of therapy. In addition, the opposite problem, rather more serious, psychosomatic disorders secondary to psychoactive drug therapy will also be elucidated to impart the feeling that art of using the medication in the total treatment regime and not mere application is important.
Streamflow response at the catchment scale

In this chapter different formulations are considered that are available to transform the lumped water input by rainfall or melt events directly into streamflow output from the catchment area. The basic philosophy of this type of approach is that the physical processes are assumed to take place at the scale of the catchment, without consideration for the detailed subscale processes or for the intricacies of the flow paths inside the watershed. In a sense, this is analogous with the view espoused in continuum mechanics or thermodynamics (albeit in their own respective scale ranges), where only the “macro” or “everyday” properties of the fluids are taken into account, without consideration of their properties at the molecular or nuclear scales. Because by far most applications of the lumped approach in the past have been based on the assumptions of linearity and stationarity, these will be treated first and in greatest detail. STATIONARY LINEAR RESPONSE: THE UNIT HYDROGRAPH Basic concept Definition The unit hydrograph, or unit graph, can be defined as the hydrograph of unit volume of storm runoff produced by a unit volume of uniform (in space and in time) intensity excess rainfall over a unit period D u , with the basic assumptions of linearity and time invariance . As defined here, the unit hydrograph is the response function of a linear system, which is treated in more general terms in the Appendix, and can be denoted by u ( D u ; t ).
Life Tables for Natural Populations of Animals

In selecting from Deevey's extensive review, we have tried to emphasize the different types of problems that arise in working with animal populations; our most serious omission is a detailed study of barnacles that examines crowding effects and mortality. Deevey begins his article with discussions of the life table and of different general survival patterns, which we also omit.
Group therapy with WWII ex-POW's: long-term posttraumatic adjustment in a geriatric population.

This paper describes the two-year process of group therapy in a geriatric population of WWII ex-prisoners-of-war. Therapeutic conduct and content are considered, including themes of grief, trust, m...
The Filtered Spectral Rotation Measure

Many signal processing techniques were proposed in the past to identify the so-called period-3 component in the protein coding regions of DNA sequences. Most of these methods evaluate the magnitude of the out-put of an M-point sliding window DFT at the frequency k = M/3. In this paper, we introduce a new multirate DSP approach that computes the phase of the output of the sliding window DFT at the above frequency. We first show that, similar to the magnitude case, the phase component is completely defined by the so-called filtered polyphase sequences. We then propose the filtered spectral rotation measure for detecting the periodicity in genetic regions by modifying the polyphase sequences using digital filters. Experimental results show that the new filtered measure performs better than the existing non-filtered approaches.
Application of multivariate empirical mode decomposition and canonical correlation analysis for EEG motion artifact removal

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a tool to record the electrical activity of brain. It often records artifacts which are the electrical activities originating from sites other than brain. The presence of artifacts is undesirable as it increases the probability of misinterpretation that may result in adverse clinical consequences. In this paper, we present a novel method of motion artifact removal from the EEG signals. The proposed method employs multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) with canonical correlation analysis (CCA) for the removal of motion artifacts from EEG signal. The mode alignment property of the multivariate empirical mode decomposition is used in EEG signal analysis where a similarity between different channels is the key to decode the signals. When compared with the results of existing methods for motion artifacts removal on the same data set, the MEMD-CCA is shown to perform better with 16 % increase in the percent artifact removal. Unlike the other competing methods, this method is totally algorithmic and does not require any manual intervention.
Efficient Nanovaccine Delivery in Cancer Immunotherapy

Vaccines hold tremendous potential for cancer immunotherapy by treating the immune system. Subunit vaccines, including molecular adjuvants and cancer-associated antigens or cancer-specific neoantigens, can elicit potent antitumor immunity. However, subunit vaccines have shown limited clinical benefit in cancer patients, which is in part attributed to inefficient vaccine delivery. In this Perspective, we discuss vaccine delivery by synthetic nanoparticles or naturally derived nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy. Nanovaccines can efficiently codeliver adjuvants and multiepitope antigens into lymphoid organs and into antigen-presenting cells, and the intracellular release of vaccine and cross-presentation of antigens can be fine-tuned via nanovaccine engineering. Aside from peptide antigens, antigen-encoding mRNA for cancer immunotherapy delivered by nanovaccine will also be discussed.
“Until Death Do Queers Part”: The Rhetoric of Queer Biblical Interpretation

Is Jonathan the lover of King David? Are Ruth and Naomi in a same-sex, romantic relationship? For some readers of the Bible, the answer to these questions is a swift “no.” Yet, for others, the answer is an emphatic “yes!” By exploring interpretive disputes concerning the sexuality of biblical characters, I attempt to understand how queer biblical interpretations challenge and undermine conservative readings of the biblical text. Broadly, my investigation enables us to understand how radical, queer interpretations can aid more moderate, liberal interpretations to challenge and undermine conservative biblical readings. In particular, I argue that rhetors can tactically utilize particular queer interpretations to entice specific responses from other rhetors that undermine the credibility of conservative hermeneutic strategies.
Effect of Thymectomy on the Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus Auratus) . I. Wasting Disease

A fatal progressive wasting disease was produced in male hamsters by thymectomy. The disease was characterized by generalized atrophy of lymphoid tissue, pancytopenia and decreased gamma globulins. Two unique features of this wasting disease were its occurrence in a significant number of animals thymectomized at 4 weeks of age and its development in males only. The thymectomized female hamster could be made to waste if treated with testosterone proprionate or bilateral oophorectomy. The mechanisms involved in the post-thymectomy wasting disease are discussed, as well as the relationship of runt disease (graft vs. host disease) to thymic wasting. The relationship of the thymus to lymphoid tissue, immune globulins, and certain diseases in man are pointed out. The possibility that the wasted thymectomized hamster may be an experimental model for the human disease known as "alymphocytosis" or "lymphocytophthisis" is discussed.
Simulation of steady flow of natural gas in a subsea flexible riser with heat exchange

Abstract Flexible riser technology is widely used in today's offshore industry. Evaluating pressure, temperature and velocity profiles in a subsea riser or a flexible pipe is essential in the design of a gas transfer system. Conventional pipeline correlations fail to give an acceptable accuracy for sizing, design and flow assurance applications of flexibles. Hence, availability of a rather simple computational model, which can give results with acceptable accuracy is highly advantageous. The aim of this article is to present a simple numerical method which can be used efficiently to accomplish this goal. A one dimensional finite difference method is used where the riser length is discretized into small segments. Natural gas physical and transport properties are calculated in each segment and flow equations in addition to a state equation are solved simultaneously to find the velocity, pressure and temperature profiles in the flexible riser. The Lee-Kesler corresponding states EOS has been used as the state equation. Mathcad™ has been applied for solving equations. The ability of the model to predict thermodynamic properties of natural gas has been compared with experimental data. Furthermore, friction and heat transfer models for a smooth and rough bore riser have been analyzed. For a rough bore riser with carcass corrugations, selecting a reasonable value for the equivalent sand grain roughness has been found to be crucial. The authors have also found the Joule-Thomson effect to be decisive in temperature change for a high pressure rough bore flexible gas riser subject to high pressure drop.
Gradient Boosted Trees for Corrective Learning.

Random forests (RF) have long been a widely popular method in medical image analysis. Meanwhile, the closely related gradient boosted trees (GBT) have not become a mainstream tool in medical imaging despite their attractive performance, perhaps due to their computational cost. In this paper, we leverage the recent availability of an efficient open-source GBT implementation to illustrate the GBT method in a corrective learning framework, in application to the segmentation of the caudate nucleus, putamen and hippocampus. The size and shape of these structures are used to derive important biomarkers in many neurological and psychiatric conditions. However, the large variability in deep gray matter appearance makes their automated segmentation from MRI scans a challenging task. We propose using GBT to improve existing segmentation methods. We begin with an existing ‘host’ segmentation method to create an estimate surface. Based on this estimate, a surface-based sampling scheme is used to construct a set of candidate locations. GBT models are trained on features derived from the candidate locations, including spatial coordinates, image intensity, texture, and gradient magnitude. The classification probabilities from the GBT models are used to calculate a final surface estimate. The method is evaluated on a public dataset, with a 2-fold cross-validation. We use a multi-atlas approach and FreeSurfer as host segmentation methods. The mean reduction in surface distance error metric for FreeSurfer was \(0.2-0.3\) mm, whereas for multi-atlas segmentation, it was 0.1mm for each of caudate, putamen and hippocampus. Importantly, our approach outperformed an RF model trained on the same features (\(p<0.05\) on all measures). Our method is readily generalizable and can be applied to a wide range of medical image segmentation problems and allows any segmentation method to be used as input.
Can a Novel ICU Data Display Positively Affect Patient Outcomes and Save Lives

The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of ProCCESs AWARE, Ambient Clinical Analytics, Rochester, MN, a novel acute care electronic medical record interface, on a range of care process and patient health outcome metrics in intensive care units (ICUs). ProCCESs AWARE is a novel acute care EMR interface that contains built-in tools for error prevention, practice surveillance, decision support and reporting. We compared outcomes before and after AWARE implementation using a prospective cohort and a historical control. The study population included all critically ill adult patients (over 18 years old) admitted to four ICUs at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, who stayed in hospital at least 24 h. The pre-AWARE cohort included 983 patients from 2010, and the post-AWARE cohort included 856 patients from 2014. We analyzed patient health outcomes, care process quality, and hospital charges. After adjusting for patient acuity and baseline demographics, overall in-hospital and ICU mortality odds ratios associated with AWARE intervention were 0.45 (95% confidence interval 0.30 to 0.70) and 0.38 (0.22, 0.66). ICU length of stay decreased by about 50%, hospital length of stay by 37%, and total charges for hospital stay by 30% in post AWARE cohort (by $43,745 after adjusting for patient acuity and demographics). Better organization of information in the ICU with systems like AWARE has the potential to improve important patient outcomes, such as mortality and length of stay, resulting in reductions in costs of care.
The cohomological structure of compact abelian groups

For compact abelian groups (as for arbitrary compact groups) there are at least two different cohomology theories. One of them arises from the topological, one from the algebraic structure of the group. The first one is the Cech cohomology H of the compact space underlying the group, the second is the functor h introduced in Chapter III (and the appendix, Chapter VI) which, when restricted to the discrete (hence finite) objects in the category yields the algebraic cohomology over a given module with the group operating trivially.
The Apheresis Donor

A 53-year-old female is preparing to donate blood stem cells for her sister who is in second remission of acute myeloid leukemia. The prospective donor is in good health and has not had significant medical antecedents. She weighs 70 kg (BMI 28.7), while the recipient weight is 80 kg (BMI 30.5). Requested CD34+ cell dose is 4 × 106/kg recipient body weight.