cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The utility of dermoscopy-guided histologic sectioning for the diagnosis of melanocytic lesions: A case-control study

Background Dermoscopy allows for visualization of morphologic structures beyond the epidermis, including features that may indicate early malignant transformation. However, dermoscopic features are rarely considered during routine histologic sectioning, and areas of clinical concern may be missed during microscopic evaluation. Objective We assessed the diagnostic impact of a dermoscopy-guided micropunch score for the evaluation of melanocytic lesions. Methods In this case-control study, we evaluated 150 scored melanocytic lesions. Original tissue specimens were reprocessed to create a control group, in which a new score was introduced elsewhere in the lesion to guide an alternative plane of section. Slides were reviewed in a randomized, double-blinded manner to assess histologic features and render a diagnosis. Dermoscopy was also reviewed. Results The proportion of cases with a higher grade in the original, dermoscopy-guided section was statistically significant. Four invasive melanomas were exclusively identified using the scoring protocol. The presence of regression structures, negative pigment network, radial streaming or pseudopods, and irregular blotches were highly specific for a higher diagnostic grade. Limitations This study is retrospective and reprocessing tissue does not perfectly mimic routine sectioning. Conclusion Dermoscopy can identify important, histologically high-grade areas, and this information can be used to optimize the sectioning of melanocytic neoplasms.
Abstract 2861: Nursing and Rehabilitation Research Needed at the Point of Care

Background: Although scientific statements and clinical guidelines are useful summaries of the evidence intended to guide practice, the identification of the gaps in knowledge can be just as informative. Purpose: The aims of this project were to (1) identify the contributions of nursing and rehabilitation professionals to the evidence summarized in comprehensive overviews of nursing and interdisciplinary care for stroke patients; and, (2) present the opportunities where research could be developed in practice by nursing and rehabilitation professionals in an effort to strengthen the evidence for the care delivered to stroke patients. Methods: We examined the 2009 and 2010 American Heart Association Scientific Statements intended to guide nursing and rehabilitation professionals in the care of stroke patients and reviewed each of the articles cited. The number of articles and studies cited were summarized. The credentials and institution for the first and last author of every unique article were sought and analyzed to identify professional affiliation and the profession’s contribution to specific clinical recommendations. The recommendations in these statements were then analyzed to identify clinical areas where additional studies are needed or where the standard of care would benefit from systematic investigation. Results: These two scientific statements summarized data and information from 893 unique sources (912 references in total that included 780 empirical studies). Of the 780 studies included in these comprehensive overviews, only 7% were led by nurses or persons affiliated with a nursing school or clinical department (N=51). Rehabilitation professionals or persons affiliated with allied health schools or clinical rehabilitation departments led 27% of the studies included (N=214). Over 300 recommendations for care of the stroke patient were made. The majority of the recommendations were either Class I Level of Evidence C or Class IIa/b Level of Evidence B or C. Conclusions: Nursing and rehabilitation professionals provide much of the care summarized in these documents but have led few of the studies used to develop the evidence for it. Significant advances in science and quality will continue to be made but the significant gaps in evidence could be addressed, at least in part, with systematic investigation at the point of care by mentored nursing and rehabilitation professionals.
Tumor-Specific Formation of Enzyme-Instructed Supramolecular Self-Assemblies as Cancer Theranostics

Despite the effort of developing various nanodelivery systems, most of them suffer from undesired high uptakes by the reticuloendothelial system, such as liver and spleen. Herein we develop an endogenous phosphatase-triggered coassembly strategy to form tumor-specific indocyanine green (ICG)-doped nanofibers (5) for cancer theranostics. Based on coordinated intermolecular interactions, 5 significantly altered near-infrared absorbance of ICG, which improves the critical photoacoustic and photothermal properties. The phosphatase-instructed coassembly process, as well as its theranostic capability, was successfully conducted at different levels ranging from in vitro, living cell, tissue mimic, to in vivo. Specifically, the tumor uptake of ICG was markedly increased to 15.05 ± 3.78%ID/g, which was 25-fold higher than that of free ICG (0.59 ± 0.24%ID/g) at 4 h after intravenous injection. The resulting ultrahigh T/N ratios (>15) clearly differentiated tumors from the surrounding normal tissue. Complete tumor e...
The Use of Cryotherapy for Treatment of Barrett Esophagus

Dr Dumot has received research funding from CSA Medical for ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01845454.
Tungsten Silicide Zinc as a High Temperature Zinc Diffusion Source

A process for Zn diffusion into GaAs during rapid thermal processing has been developed using Zn doped tungsten silicide as the diffusion source. The WSi:Zn is a sputter deposited, solid source layer that undergoes capless annealing in a quartz-halogen lamp system. For a given time and temperature the diffusion of Zn into GaAs is controlled by both the Zn concentration and the W/Si ratio in the film. Tungsten-rich films are Zn concentration “independent” while Si-rich films are Zn concentration “dependent.” Changing the film composition allows shallow Zn diffusions at either a low or a high temperature. Deep Zn diffusions are possible through higher temperatures or longer anneal times for any given WSi:Zn composition.
Variation for Canopy Morphology in Little Bluestem

Little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash, is a native grass that has been shown to have high levels of genetic variation for traits such as biomass yield, disease resistance, plant height, leafi ness, maturity, and seed yield. If high levels of genetic variation exist for these traits, it is likely that it would exist for other traits as well. Thus, the objectives were to describe the variation in traits that contribute to canopy morphology within and among little bluestem parental lines, an F 1 plant population, and selected F 1 populations. Plants were classifi ed as not upright (NU), upright compact (UC), or upright open (UO) on the basis of their shape. As expected, all parental lines expressed considerable variation for frequencies of discrete morphological traits and for continuous morphological traits. The F 1 plant population was characterized by 12.2% NU plants, 22.4% UC plants, and 65.4% UO plants. The selected populations were fi xed for several discrete variables, including growth form, lack of lodging, and little or no leaf rust. To fully exploit the genetic variability of little bluestem, it would be necessary to obtain ecotypes from throughout its natural range and breed and select for new genetic variation that could be captured through recurrent selection. Little bluestem is an ideal species for breeding new cultivars and/or germplasm lines for pasture and rangeland renovation, roadside revegetation, wildlife habitat, and recreation areas.
Chikungunya Virus: Current Perspectives on a Reemerging Virus

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus in the family Togaviridae that causes outbreaks of debilitating acute and chronic arthralgia in humans. Although historically associated with localized outbreaks in Africa and Asia, recent epidemics in the Indian Ocean region and the Americas have led to the recognition that CHIKV is capable of moving into previously unaffected areas and causing significant levels of human suffering. The severity of CHIKV rheumatic disease, which can severely impact life quality of infected individuals for weeks, months, or even years, combined with the explosive nature of CHIKV outbreaks and its demonstrated ability to quickly spread into new regions, has led to renewed interest in developing strategies for the prevention or treatment of CHIKV-induced disease. Therefore, this chapter briefly discusses the biology of CHIKV and the factors contributing to CHIKV dissemination, while also discussing the pathogenesis of CHIKV-induced disease and summarizing the status of efforts to develop safe and effective therapies and vaccines against CHIKV and related viruses.
Extracellular Flux Analysis to Monitor Glycolytic Rates and Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption

Evidence accumulating over the past decade has linked alterations in bioenergetic metabolism to the pathogenesis of several diseases, including inflammatory conditions and cancer. However, the mutual relationship between the effector functions and the metabolism of immune cells has begun to emerge only recently. Similar to malignant cells, both innate and adaptive immune cells undergo a metabolic reprogramming that is required for effector functions, de facto underlying the elicitation of a robust immune response. These changes allow immune cells not only to rapidly respond to pathogens or (pre)malignant cells but also to adapt to changing microenvironmental conditions. Targeting the metabolic alterations of malignant cells has been the subject of an intense wave of investigation, resulting in the identification of promising therapeutic strategies. Since the inflammatory milieu and the tumor microenvironment are similar, the metabolism of immune cells and its regulation has recently come under renewed interest as a target for immunotherapy. Here, we describe different tools and techniques to study the bioenergetic metabolism of cultured cells, using immune cells as a model. Our methodological approach relies on an extracellular flux analyzer, an instrument that enables the real-time measurement of the two central pathways used by living cells to generate adenosine triphosphate: glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. This instrument and similar technological innovations have transformed the study of cellular metabolism, unveiling its profound impact on various immunologic and oncological disorders.
Comparative effectiveness of surgical and nonsurgical therapy for advanced laryngeal cancer

BACKGROUND The treatment of patients with advanced stage laryngeal cancer includes surgery or concurrent chemoradiation (CRT). Although CRT has become more common in recent years, to the authors' knowledge, the effectiveness of complete CRT in improving survival over surgery has not been studied. METHODS The authors examined patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare claims-linked data set with locoregional laryngeal cancer who were diagnosed between 1997 and 2007. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses were conducted to compare overall and cause-specific 5-year survival rates between treatment modalities, adjusting for patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. A propensity score-matched subcohort also was used to compare survival. RESULTS Of the 3212 patients in the study cohort, 42% underwent surgery and 18% underwent CRT. Only approximately one-quarter of patients who were treated with CRT completed the courses. In adjusted analyses, the authors were unable to reject the null hypothesis of no difference in 5-year all-cause or cause-specific mortality risk between patients treated with surgery and patients undergoing complete CRT (hazards ratio, 1.25 [95% confidence interval, 0.91-1.71; P = .16] and hazard ratio, 1.41 [95% confidence interval, 0.9-2.2; P = .14], respectively). Older age, not currently married, Medicaid eligibility, and prior cancer history were found to be associated with a higher risk of mortality (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS Patients with advanced laryngeal cancer who underwent complete CRT were found to have overall and cause-specific survival rates similar to those of patients undergoing surgery. However, a substantial percentage of patients who initiated CRT did not complete the course. Although CRT provides organ preservation, the benefits and trade-offs of CRT and total laryngectomy should be discussed fully with patients. The importance of completing the full course of CRT should be emphasized. Cancer 2016. © 2016 American Cancer Society. Cancer 2016;122:2845–2856. © 2016 American Cancer Society
Men’s Health: Beyond Masculinity

The article discusses the state of men's health and health care and the notion that masculinity is the reason behind men's poor health and shorter life expectancy. According to the authors, the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the potential to improve the health of men in southern states. My Brother's Keeper, an initiative started by U.S. President Barack Obama is also mentioned.
Atrophy is a Real Phenomenon that Can Result in Changes in Deep Brain Stimulation Outcome.

To the Editor We read the case report by Choi et. al. with great interest and would like to add to their observations and to lend strong support to the notion that atrophy impacts DBS outcome. Our experience was previously published in PLOSONE in 2014 but not cited in their report, and we think important for the readership to be aware of this phenomenon.1 Choi reported a 57-year old man who underwent bilateral thalamic DBS surgery for refractory epilepsy and had worsening of seizures following 8 years of reasonable seizure control. This exacerbation of symptoms was attributed to a lead migration into the third ventricle caused by significant ventricular enlargement and atrophy. Re-implantation of a new DBS lead revealed a clinically significant improvement. We agree with the authors that brain atrophy as a potential cause of lead migration leading to a loss of benefit from DBS is possible and should be a worrisome issue. DBS-induced side effects can also result from this phenomenon. We previously reported two Parkinson’s disease and one Essential Tremor patient with an unexpected loss of benefit and/or appearance of new side effects from DBS following several years of clinical benefit.2 Our patients underwent a DBS troubleshooting protocol and careful examination of the implantable pulse generator as well as a careful examination of the electrical system integrity (e.g. impedance and current drain). There were further studies of the DBS system with plain x-rays and no relevant issues were uncovered. We reviewed serial brain imaging studies inclusive of lead locations. We observed a substantial increase in brain atrophy indices (3rd ventricular width, Evans index, ventricular index, and cella media index) and also observed a relative lateral migration of the leads when compared to previous imaging examinations. The likely cause was atrophy which changed the relationship of the DBS leads over time to the surrounding neuroanatomical structures (i.e. a lead may be closer to the internal capsule and may more easily evoke side effects). There is pathological and imaging evidence that the brain changes with age, and that the most prominent changes have been in the frontal cortex, the temporal cortex, the putamen, the thalamus, and the nucleus accumbens though other regions are also at risk.3 We have now encountered another interesting case of shifting DBS leads due to atrophy. This case included serial brain scans and a post-mortenm pathological analysis in a Huntington’s disease patient with bilateral globus pallidus internus DBS. In this case, a change in lead position was observed over time (case has been accepted for publication and publication is pending). Atrophy is a real phenomenon that DBS clinicians should pay attention to as it could affect the long-term DBS outcome.
Beckett and the Eighteenth-Century Novel

In a 14 February 1935 letter to MacGreevy, Beckett mentioned that he was reading Jane Austen. “I think she has much to teach me,” he added.2 Indeed Beckett might have said the same about several British novelists of the eighteenth century, for during the 1930s he deliberately schooled himself on the canonical novelists of this period. We know from his correspondence with MacGreevy and from the Whoroscope notebook that at this time he read the following: Fielding’s Joseph Andrews, Jonathan Wild, Tom Jones and Journal of a Voyage to Lisbon; Sterne’s Tristram Shandy; Smollett’s The Expedition of Humphry Clinker; and a book that is technically an eighteenth-century novel, Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.3 In addition, he undoubtedly read Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (alluded to in More Pricks Than Kicks); Goldsmith’s Vicar of Wakefield (mentioned in a letter to MacGreevy); Sterne’s Sentimental Journey through France and Italy (he owned an eighteenth-century edition at his death); and a novel which is in many ways a product of the century, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (alluded to in Murphy).4
High-throughput stochastic tensile performance of additively manufactured stainless steel

Abstract An adage within the Additive Manufacturing (AM) community is that “complexity is free”. Complicated geometric features that normally drive manufacturing cost and limit design options are not typically problematic in AM. While geometric complexity is usually viewed from the perspective of part design, this advantage of AM also opens up new options in rapid, efficient material property evaluation and qualification. In the current work, an array of 100 miniature tensile bars are produced and tested for a comparable cost and in comparable time to a few conventional tensile bars. With this technique, it is possible to evaluate the stochastic nature of mechanical behavior. The current study focuses on stochastic yield strength, ultimate strength, and ductility as measured by strain at failure (elongation). However, this method can be used to capture the statistical nature of many mechanical properties including the full stress-strain constitutive response, elastic modulus, work hardening, and fracture toughness. Moreover, the technique could extend to strain-rate and temperature dependent behavior. As a proof of concept, the technique is demonstrated on a precipitation hardened stainless steel alloy, commonly known as 17-4PH, produced by two commercial AM vendors using a laser powder bed fusion process, also commonly known as selective laser melting. Using two different commercial powder bed platforms, the vendors produced material that exhibited slightly lower strength and markedly lower ductility compared to wrought sheet. Moreover, the properties were much less repeatable in the AM materials as analyzed in the context of a Weibull distribution, and the properties did not consistently meet minimum allowable requirements for the alloy as established by AMS. The diminished, stochastic properties were examined in the context of major contributing factors such as surface roughness and internal lack-of-fusion porosity. This high-throughput capability is expected to be useful for follow-on extensive parametric studies of factors that affect the statistical reliability of AM components.
Genetic Disruption of Rac1 but Not Rac2 Is Sufficient To Ameliorate the Development of Juvenile Myeloproliferative Myeloid Leukemia in Nf1−/− Mice.

Neurofibromin, the protein encoded by the NF1 tumor-suppressor gene, negatively regulates the output of p21 ras proteins by accelerating the hydrolysis of active Ras-guanosine triphosphate to inactive Ras-guanosine diphosphate. Children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are predisposed to juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) associated with loss of the normal NF1 allele. Genetically engineered mice containing nullizygous loss of Nf1 in the hematopoietic system develop a leukemia with complete penetrance that is similar to JMML, including hepatosplenomegaly, elevated peripheral blood cell counts, and elevated numbers of myeloid progenitors that are hypersensitive to multiple cytokines, particularly GM-CSF. Though we and others have found that p21 ras is hyperactivated in Nf1 − / − myeloid progenitors, inhibiting Ras specifically as a therapeutic target has been challenging. Therefore, identification of alterations in distinct p21 ras effector pathways that control leukemia progression in Nf1 -deficient cells is critical for understanding disease pathogenesis and identifying therapeutic targets. Here we intercrossed MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox mice with mice that are deficient in the small Rho GTPases Rac1 or Rac2 to generate syngeneic progeny that were MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox , MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox ;Rac1 flox flox or MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox ; Rac2 − / −. Consistent with previous studies (Le, Blood 2004) MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox mice develop a progressive myeloproliferative disease with 100% penetrance 6 months following interferon inducible induction of the MxCre transgene to disrupt the Nf1 flox alleles. Eighty percent of MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox die by 9 months after inactivation. Genetic disruption of Rac2 was not sufficient to diminish the onset or severity of the characteristic myeloproliferative disease of MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox mice. In contrast, MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox ; Rac1 flox/flox mice followed for 11 months all survived and had normal bone marrow cellularity, spleen weight and splenic architecture. MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox mice have elevated numbers of both HPP-CFC and LPP-CFC in the bone marrow and spleen. In contrast, MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox ; Rac1 flox/flox mice had myeloid progenitor numbers that were comparable to wildtype, age-matched controls. Further, though myeloid progenitors from MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox mice are hypersensitive to GM-CSF, myeloid progenitors from MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox ; Rac1 flox/flox have a sensitivity to GM-CSF comparable to wildtype controls. The correction in the myeloproliferative phenotype isolated from MxCre; Nf1 flox/flox ; Rac1 flox/flox mice was associated with the reduction in Rac-GTP and prolonged Erk phosphorylation, a MAPK effector that is characteristically elevated in Nf1 − / − myeloid progenitors. Collectively, these genetic data identify Ras-Rac1 signaling pathway as a key axis in the genesis of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia and provide evidence that Rac1 is a therapeutic molecular target for this myeloproliferative disease that currently has no effective therapies.
An off-the-shelf, low detectability, low data rate, timing-based covert channel for IEEE 802.11 wireless networks

In this paper, we propose and implement a novel covert channel for wireless networks employing the IEEE 802.11 standard. This timing-based covert channel trades off data rate to provide a covert channel that is detectable only at the physical layer (layer 1) and is compatible with all off-the-shelf versions of the current standard. Information is embedded in the interarrival times of probe request frames or beacon frames and data rates in excess of 50 bps with observed symbol error rates of less than 2% and 6.25% in a controlled environment and uncontrolled environment respectively.
Five-fraction SBRT for ultra-central NSCLC in-field recurrences following high-dose conventional radiation.

Local treatment options for patients with in-field non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) recurrence following conventionally fractionated external beam radiation therapy (CF-EBRT) are limited. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a promising modality to achieve reasonable local control, although toxicity remains a concern. Patients previously treated with high-dose CF-EBRT (≥59.4 Gy, ≤3 Gy/fraction) for non-metastatic NSCLC who underwent salvage SBRT for localized ultra-central in-field recurrence were included in this analysis. Ultra-central recurrences were defined as those abutting the trachea, mainstem bronchus, or esophagus and included both parenchymal and nodal recurrences. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate local control and overall survival. Durable local control was defined as ≥12 months. Toxicity was scored per the CTC-AE v4.0. Twenty patients were treated with five-fraction robotic SBRT for ultra-central in-field recurrence following CF-EBRT. Fifty percent of recurrences were adenocarcinoma, while 35% of tumors were classified as squamous cell carcinoma. The median interval between the end of CF-EBRT and SBRT was 23.3 months (range: 2.6 – 93.6 months). The median CF-EBRT dose was 63 Gy (range: 59.4 – 75 Gy), the median SBRT dose was 35 Gy (range: 25 – 45 Gy), and the median total equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) was 116 Gy (range: 91.3 – 136.7 Gy). At a median follow-up of 12 months for all patients and 37.5 months in surviving patients, the majority of patients (90%) have died. High-dose SBRT was associated with improved local control (p < .01), and the one-year overall survival and local control were 77.8% and 66.7% respectively in this sub-group. No late esophageal toxicity was noted, although a patient who received an SBRT dose of 45 Gy (total EQD2: 129.7 Gy) experienced grade 5 hemoptysis 35 months following treatment. Although the overall prognosis for patients with in-field ultra-central NSCLC recurrences following CF-EBRT remains grim, five-fraction SBRT was well tolerated with an acceptable toxicity profile. Dose escalation above 35 Gy may offer improved local control, however caution is warranted when treating high-risk recurrences with aggressive regimens.
Christian Nurture and Conversion: A Conversation between Horace Bushnell and John Wesley:

This article provides an overview of Horace Bushnell's view of Christian nurture and its impact on the field of Christian education. Specific attention is given to how Bushnell's thesis has been cr...
Sensitization of Hypoxic Tumors to Radiation Therapy Using Ultrasound-Sensitive Oxygen Microbubbles

Purpose Much of the volume of solid tumors typically exists in a chronically hypoxic microenvironment that has been shown to result in both chemotherapy and radiation therapy resistance. The purpose of this study was to use localized microbubble delivery to overcome hypoxia prior to therapy. Materials and Methods In this study, surfactant-shelled oxygen microbubbles were fabricated and injected intravenously to locally elevate tumor oxygen levels when triggered by noninvasive ultrasound in mice with human breast cancer tumors. Changes in oxygen and sensitivity to radiation therapy were then measured. Results In this work, we show that oxygen-filled microbubbles successfully and consistently increase breast tumor oxygenation levels in a murine model by 20 mmHg, significantly more than control injections of saline solution or untriggered oxygen microbubbles (P Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the potential advantages of ultrasound-triggered oxygen delivery to solid tumors and warrant future efforts into clinical translation of the microbubble platform.
A Methodology for Problem-System Identification:

Although the necessity of knowing whether change has occurred after intervention is stressed in social work practice, a method of helping practitioners do this has not been clearly defined.This art...
Lifestyle and outcomes after gastrointestinal cancer: A prospective cohort study (LOGIC).

180Background: The number of individuals living after a diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is increasing. Emerging data suggest modifiable lifestyle factors impact survival after colorectal ...
Multivariate Spatial Measures

Multidimensional scaling is a technique for reducing dimensionality and is based on the distance between points. The result is a reduction in the dimensions used to represent the data with as little distortion as possible. It is similar in its objective to principal components analysis discussed earlier. If the methods employed use rank data, then it is called non-metric scaling otherwise, the terminology used is metric scaling. Studies concerning the analysis of distances between places on a map have received great attention in multidimensional scaling applications. The reader is referred to other references for additional insight (Chatfield and Collins 1980; Marriott 1974; and Mardia et al. 1979).
Adventitious Bud Production from Mature Picea Abies : Rejuvenation Associated with Female Strobili Formation

Developing female strobili of mature Picea abies were induced to form adventitious bud primordia when cultured on half-strength LP medium, containing 10-5 M 6-benzyl amino purine. Further development of buds required transfer to media free of growth regulators. A high frequency of strobili discs forming bud primordia was obtained only when strobili were collected at about the time of meiosis. Adventitious buds arose mainly from the outside edges of strobili discs; some also arose from the cut surface of the ovuliferous scales. The frequency of adventitious bud formation varied from tree to tree, indicating intraspecific variation in bud formation.
Robust3D Zn Sponges Enable High-Power, Energy-DenseAlkaline Batteries

We previously demonstrated that a redesign of the form factor for zinc (Zn) anodes to a monolithic, porous 3D-wired sponge sets a new benchmark for rechargeable alkaline Zn batteries. By engineerin...
Social influences of interest: Conceptualizing group differences in education through a self-regulation of motivation model:

Understanding group-based inequalities in education requires attention not only to performance and achievement outcomes, but also to whether and how students sustain motivation for their educationa...
Electron hydrodynamics with a polygonal Fermi surface

The authors identify a geometric effect that constrains scattering on polygonal Fermi surfaces and leads to an intermediate transport regime that alters traditional signatures of the ballistic-to-hydrodynamic crossover, including a modification of the well-known Gurzhi effect. In the hydrodynamic limit, the authors find a new dissipative ``rotational viscosity'', which arises from anisotropy in the Fermi surface and opposes rotations of the electronic fluid. Finally, the authors revisit the putative hydrodynamic transport data in PdCoO${}_{2}$, an ultrapure metal with an approximately hexagonal Fermi surface.
Horner Syndrome After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Case Series and Systematic Review.

Background Horner syndrome is an infrequently seen complication of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Multicenter studies have reported a very low incidence, less than 0.1%. Objective To identify the incidence in, characteristics of, and postoperative course in patients in whom postoperative Horner syndrome developed after ACDF. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all patients who experienced Horner syndrome after ACDF for cervical degenerative disease at a single tertiary care institution between 2017 and 2018. A systematic review was then performed to identify studies investigating prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of postoperative Horner syndrome after ACDF. Results Of 1116 patients at our institution who underwent ACDF, the incidence of Horner syndrome was 0.45%. C4/5 and C5/6 were the 2 most common surgical levels. The complication was noted to occur immediately after surgery, and at least partial improvement was identified in all patients an average 3.5 months after surgery (range, 10 days to 6 months). These findings were consistent with our systematic review of 21 studies that showed an incidence of 0.6% (range, 0.02% to 4.0%), the most common surgical level C5/6 (64%), and 82% of patients experiencing at least partial resolution of symptoms within 1 year (60.7% complete, 21.4% partial resolution). Conclusion Horner syndrome occurs in 0.6% of patients undergoing ACDF. Careful postoperative examination should reveal this complication, which may be underdiagnosed or underreported in larger multicenter case series. The majority of patients experience complete resolution of symptoms within 6 months to 1 year and can be treated conservatively and expectantly.
Modeling the Comorbidity of Cannabis Abuse and Conduct Disorder/Conduct Problems from a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective

Objective: A cognitive neuroscience perspective seeks to understand behavior, in this case the comorbidity of cannabis abuse and conduct disorder/conduct problems, in terms of dysfunction in cognit...
Prospective association between suicide cognitions and emotional responses to a laboratory stressor: The mediating role of nightly subjective sleep quality.

Abstract Background Sleep is a reliable correlate of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), yet few studies have directly examined negative affect in the context of this association. The present study combined daily experience methods with a laboratory paradigm to investigate suicide cognitions as a predictor of emotional responses to environmental stressors, and tested the role of nightly sleep parameters. Method 72 participants (Mage = 24.25; 41 with a recent history of suicide ideation and 31 without a history of STBs) completed a four-day study. Suicide cognitions were measured on the first day, and actigraphy-based sleep duration and fragmentation, and morning ratings of prior night subjective sleep quality (SSQ) were subsequently measured over three consecutive nights. Participants returned on the fourth day to complete the Trier Social Stress Task, where self-report changes in negative affect immediately post-task (i.e., reactivity) and five minutes post-task (i.e., recovery) were observed. Results Regression analyses indicated that suicide cognitions predicted negative affect reactivity and recovery. Simple mediation analyses revealed that SSQ partially mediated the relation between suicide cognitions and negative affect recovery (especially shame), but not reactivity. No significant associations were observed for the actigraphy-based sleep parameters. Limitations Just three nights of actigraphy-based data collection. A single item was used to measure SSQ. Conclusions Suicide cognitions predict negative affective responses to situational stressors and SSQ may have a key role in this effect, especially the duration of negative emotional reactions. Hence, sleep and emotional reactivity may be potential targets for suicide prevention efforts.
Content and Correlational Analysis of a Corpus of MTV-Promoted Music Videos Aired Between 1990 and 1999:

From 1990 to 1999 MTV promoted a series of 288 music videos called “Buzz Clips”, designed to highlight emerging artists and genres. Such promotion had a measurable impact on an artists’ earnings an...
EFFECT OF BASELINE LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION ON FUTURE CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN A REAL-WORLD POPULATION OF PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE: HOW EXACTLY DOES HFREF COMPARE WITH HFPEF?

Heart failure (HF), which is often subdivided according to baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Although HF with reduced LVEF (HFrEF), when compared with preserved LVEF (HFpEF), is often considered to be more fatal
Predicting the second wave of COVID-19 in Washtenaw County, MI

Marissa Renardy and Denise Kirschner University of Michigan Medical School The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the patchwork nature of disease epidemics, with infection spread dynamics varying wildly across countries and across states within the US. These heteroge- neous patterns are also observed within individual states, with patches of concentrated outbreaks. Data is being generated daily at all of these spatial scales, and answers to questions regarded re- opening strategies are desperately needed. Mathematical modeling is useful in exactly these cases, and using modeling at a county scale may be valuable to further predict disease dynamics for the purposes of public health interventions. To explore this issue, we study and predict the spread of COVID-19 in Washtenaw County, MI, the home to University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, and Google, as well as serving as a sister city to Detroit, MI where there has been a serious outbreak. Here, we apply a discrete and stochastic network-based modeling framework allowing us to track every individual in the county. In this framework, we construct contact net- works based on synthetic population datasets specific for Washtenaw County that are derived from US Census datasets. We assign individuals to households, workplaces, schools, and group quarters (such as prisons). In addition, we assign casual contacts to each individual at random. Using this framework, we explicitly simulate Michigan-specific government-mandated workplace and school closures as well as social distancing measures. We also perform sensitivity analyses to identify key model parameters and mechanisms contributing to the observed disease burden in the three months following the first observed cases on COVID-19 in Michigan. We then consider several scenarios for relaxing restrictions and reopening workplaces to predict what actions would be most prudent. In particular, we consider the effects of 1) different timings for reopening, and 2) different levels of workplace vs. casual contact re-engagement. Through simulations and sensitivity analyses, we explore mechanisms driving magnitude and timing of a second wave of infections upon re-opening. This model can be adapted to other US counties using synthetic population databases and data specific to those regions.
Designing Instruction for Strategic Planning in a Complex, Multi-sector System

As part of a consulting initiative to guide a workforce development board in the design of a strategic plan, the authors created instruction integrating systems thinking and design thinking for the board and staff. The purpose of this instruction was to foster participant engagement in a holistic approach to the development of a strategic plan for a local workforce development area. It was important to members of the board and their staff that the strategic plan integrate both compliance with the law and innovation in practice. The strategic plan would fulfill the mission of a federally funded workforce development initiative in a manner that emphasized innovative approaches to serving employers and jobseekers in the established geographic location. Systems thinking as a foundation for strategic planning within a complex, multi-sector system, integrates and connects otherwise silo-ed organizations and processes to fulfill one clear mission.
A Person-Centered Examination of Community Characteristics and Prosocial Behaviors Among Young Adults

The goal of the current study was to examine latent profiles of young adults based on neighborhood risk, social cohesion, and community self-efficacy, and to examine whether these profiles predicted prosocial behaviors (i.e., actions intended to benefit others) toward both friends and strangers. Participants were 197 emerging adults (M age = 20.94 years; range = 18–25 years; 76.5% women; 36.5% White; 50.5% Latino/a; 7.7% Black; 5.7% Asian; 5.5% Native; 13.6% other and included groups such as Mestizo, mixed race, and Mexican) who completed measures of their own environmental characteristics and prosocial behaviors. Results demonstrated three groups of emerging adults. Group membership was also marginally associated with prosocial behaviors toward friends but not strangers. Specifically, the moderate community risk group scored marginally higher than the community efficacy group on prosocial behaviors toward friends. Discussion focuses on the role of contexts in shaping social responding of emerging adults with an emphasis on factors that promote helping behaviors toward both friends and strangers.
Pharmacologic manipulation of skin pigmentation

Skin complexion is among the most recognizable phenotypes between individuals and is mainly determined by the amount and type of melanin pigment deposited in the epidermis. Persons with dark skin complexion have more of a brown/black pigment known as eumelanin in their epidermis whereas those with fair skin complexions have less. Epidermal eumelanin acts as a natural sunblock by preventing incoming UV photons from penetrating into the skin and therefore protects against UV mutagenesis. By understanding the signaling pathways and regulation of pigmentation, strategies can be developed to manipulate skin pigmentation to improve UV resistance and to diminish skin cancer risk.
Exploring the Social Security Benefit Implications of Same-Sex Marriage

Same-sex marriage became legal nationwide in the United States on June 26, 2015. Federal legalization of same-sex marriage expands the pool of individuals potentially eligible for spousal Social Security benefits to the estimated 4 percent of the population that is lesbian, gay, or bisexual. This paper is a foundational step toward better understanding the potential impact of the expansion of marriage rights to same-sex couples on Social Security. We primarily use data from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey to describe the economic circumstances of couple households. Building on this information, we find that same-sex couples tend to have higher household earnings than heterosexual couples, especially male couples. We estimate that same-sex couples have a smaller earnings gap (up to 4 percentage points) compared with heterosexuals. Intrahousehold division of labor explains 58 to 66 percent of the observed smaller earnings gaps in same-sex versus heterosexual couples. Same-sex married couples are less likely than heterosexuals to qualify for spousal SS benefits, but given that they are eligible, males can generally claim higher benefit amounts than heterosexuals (about $8,400 /year), while female couples could claim similar amounts to heterosexuals (about $7,200 /year). We project spousal benefit claims for same-sex couples 2017 to 2040, using standard demographic methods to estimate the gay and lesbian population by age and sex for this period. Finally, we collect new data that confirm the results obtained from the ACS, and provide insights about subjective expectations about marriage and labor supply prospects for this population. These can be used for future estimations.
MVD-Fuse: Detection of White Matter Degeneration via Multi-View Learning of Diffusion Microstructure

Abstract Detecting neuro-degenerative disorders in early-stage and asymptomatic patients is challenging. Diffusion MRI (dMRI) has shown great success in generating biomarkers for cellular organization at the microscale level using complex biophysical models, but there has never been a consensus on a clinically usable standard model. Here, we propose a new framework (MVD-Fuse) to integrate measures of diverse diffusion models to detect alterations of white matter microstructure. The spatial maps generated by each measure are considered as a different diffusion representation (view), the fusion of these views being used to detect differences between clinically distinct groups. We investigate three different strategies for performing intermediate fusion: neural networks (NN), multiple kernel learning (MKL) and multi-view boosting (MVB). As a proof of concept, we applied MVD-Fuse to a classification of premanifest Huntington’s disease (pre-HD) individuals and healthy controls in the TRACK-ON cohort. Our results indicate that the MVD-Fuse boosts predictive power, especially with MKL (0.90 AUC vs 0.85 with the best single diffusion measure). Overall, our results suggest that an improved characterization of pathological brain microstructure can be obtained by combining various measures from multiple diffusion models.
Rituximab, but not other antirheumatic therapies, is associated with impaired serological response to SARS- CoV-2 vaccination in patients with rheumatic diseases.

There is a paucity of data on the effect of antirheumatic drugs on serological responses to COVID-19 vaccines. Anti-CD20 therapies deplete B-cells, with reconstitution often not beginning for 6–9 months after infusion, resulting in diminished humoral immune responsiveness to recall antigens.1–6 We retrospectively assessed response to COVID-19 vaccination in rheumatic disease patients treated with a variety of antirheumatic medications including rituximab. A retrospective chart review of adult patients from one rheumatology practice who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was performed. Data were collected from patients who had a clinic visit from 24 February 2021 to 8 April 2021 and were serologically screened for antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Serological response to vaccination was assessed using a semiquantitative anti-SARS-CoV-2 enzyme immunoassay. Vaccination responsiveness was compared between patients receiving various antirheumatic medications. In patients treated with rituximab time between most recent administration of drug and vaccination was recorded. Exposure to rituximab was defined as having ever been treated, however, all patients were within 4.5 years (median (IQR) 0.70 (0.41–1.74)) years of last exposure. B-cell reconstitution at time of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies measurement was documented, when available, for rituximab-treated patients. Primary outcome was the presence of a serological response to COVID-19 vaccination. Descriptive statistics, box …
Optimizing transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) electrode position, size, and distance doubles the on-target cortical electric field: Evidence from 3000 Human Connectome Project models

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a widely used noninvasive brain stimulation technique with mixed results and no FDA-approved therapeutic indication to date. So far, thousands of published tDCS studies have placed large scalp electrodes directly over the intended brain target and delivered the same stimulation intensity to each person. Inconsistent therapeutic results may be due to insufficient cortical activation in some individuals and the inability to determine an optimal dose. Here, we computed 3000 MRI-based electric field models in 200 Human Connectome Project (HCP) participants, finding that the largely unexamined variables of electrode position, size, and between-electrode distance significantly impact the delivered cortical electric field magnitude. At the same scalp stimulation intensity, smaller electrodes surrounding the neural target deliver more than double the on-target cortical electric field while stimulating only a fraction of the off-target brain regions. This new optimized tDCS method can ensure sufficient cortical activation in each person and could produce larger and more consistent behavioral effects in every prospective research and transdiagnostic clinical application of tDCS.
Stability of anti-reflection coatings via the self-assembly encapsulation of silica nanoparticles by diazo-resins

A modified silica nanoparticle (MSNP) solution was formed by the encapsulation of negatively charged silica nanoparticles by the UV-crosslinkable polycation oligomer diazo-resin (DAR). Appropriate DAR encapsulation concentrations were determined by use of zeta-potential and dynamic light scattering measurements. The MSNPs were used in conjunction with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) to grow homogenous ionic self-assembled multilayer anti-reflection coatings. Stability was induced within the films by the exposure of UV-irradiation that allowed for crosslinking of the DAR and PSS. The films were characterized by UV/vis/IR spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The transmission and reflection levels were >98.5% and <0.05%, respectively. The refractive indices resided in the 1.25–1.26 range. The solvent stability was tested by sonication of the films in a ternary solvent (H2O/DMF/ZnCl2 3:5:2 w/w/w).
Affective touch for robotic companions

As robotic platforms are designed for human robot interaction applications, a full body sense of touch, or “sensitive skin,” becomes important. The Huggable is a new type of therapeutic robotic companion based upon relational touch interactions. The initial use of neural networks to classify the affective content of touch is described.