cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Cerebral Blood Flow Pressure Autoregulation in Pediatric Patients During Cardiac Surgery

Background and Purpose—The limits of cerebral blood flow-pressure autoregulation have not been adequately defined for pediatric patients. Mean arterial blood pressure below these limits might contribute to brain injury during cardiac surgery. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess a novel method of determining the lower limits of pressure autoregulation in pediatric patients supported with cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods—A prospective, observational pilot study was conducted in children (n=54) undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass for correction of congenital heart defects. Cerebral oximetry index (COx) was calculated as a moving, linear correlation coefficient between slow waves of arterial blood pressure and cerebral oximetry measured with near-infrared spectroscopy. An autoregulation curve was constructed for each patient with averaged COx values sorted by arterial blood pressure. Results—Hypotension was associated with increased values of COx (P<0.0001). For 77% of patients, an...
Lobbying Success in the United States and the European Union

Scholars have avoided studying interest group influence because of the difficulty operationalising the concept. The research presented here introduces a new way of measuring lobbying success and lays out a model of its determinants. To understand why interest groups sometimes succeed and at other times fail, we must consider the institutional structure of the political system within which the advocates are operating; the characteristics of the issue at hand; and finally the characteristics of the interest group itself and their lobbying strategy. I test these factors with original data based on interviews with 149 advocates in Washington D.C. and Brussels active on a random sample of 47 policy issues. From the results, issue context emerges as a much more important determinant of lobbying success than institutional differences. The institutional differences that do emerge suggest that direct elections coupled with private campaign finance lead to winner-take-all outcomes biased in favour of wealthier business interests, while the lack of these institutional characteristics leads to more balanced policy compromises with more advocates achieving some of their policy goals.
Dynamics of a tubular reactor with recycle: Part II. Nature of the transient state

A theoretical study of the transient state of a plug-flow tubular reactor with recycle is presenred for a model in which axial dispersion of heat and mass is negligible. A qualitative description of the temporal behavior near the steady state is obtained from an analysis of the linearized transient equations, and some large-scale transient characteristics are studied by means of numerical solution of the nonlinear transient equations. A cursory study of the application of the Liapunov's direct method to predict regions of asymptotic stability is also presented. Numerical examples illustrate sustained oscillatory behavior as well as the transient nature of systems with multiple steady states.
AN ENDOTHELIAL CELL-DERIVED GROWTH FACTOR

Cell-free plasma-derived serum (PDS) is deficient in the platelet-derived growth factor and will not support the growth of 3T3 cells, fibroblasts, or smooth muscle cells. However, when PDS-containing medium is preincubated with endothelial cells, the medium becomes modified so that it will support growth. The activity produced by the endothelial cells results from a polypeptide of 10,000 to 30,000 daltons which has several features that differ from those of the platelet-derived growth factor, including heat instability and lack of adsorption to CM Sephadex.
Generating pictures from waves: aspects of image formation

The research communities, technologies, and tools for image formation are diverse. On the one hand, computer vision and graphics researchers analyze incoherent light using coarse geometric approximations from optics. On the other hand, array signal processing and acoustics researchers analyze coherent sound waves using stochastic estimation theory and diffraction formulas from physics. The ability to inexpensively fabricate analog circuitry and digital logic for millimeter-wave radar and ultrasound creates opportunities in comparing diverse perspectives on image formation, and presents challenges in implementing imaging systems that scale in size. We present algorithms, architectures, and abstractions for image formation that relate the different communities, technologies, and tools. We address practical technical challenges in operating millimeter-wave radar and ultrasound systems in the presence of phase noise and scattering. We model a broad class of physical phenomena with isotropic point sources. We show that the optimal source location estimator for coherent waves reduces to processing an image produced by a conventional camera, provided the sources are well-separated relative to the system resolution, and in the limit of small wavelength and globally incoherent light. We introduce quasi light fields to generalize the incoherent image formation process to coherent waves, offering resolution tradeoffs that surpass the traditional Fourier uncertainty principle by leveraging time-frequency distributions. We show that the number of sensors in a coherent imaging array defines a stable operating point relative to the phase noise. We introduce a digital phase tightening algorithm to reduce phase noise. We present a system identification framework for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) ultrasound imaging that generalizes existing approaches with time-varying filters. Our theoretical results enable the application of traditional techniques in incoherent imaging to coherent imaging, and vice versa. Our practical results suggest a methodology for designing millimeter-wave imaging systems. Our conclusions reinforce architectural principles governing transmitter and receiver design, the role of analog and digital circuity, and the tradeoff between data rate and data precision. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Quantification of Staphylococcus aureus adhesion to equine bone surfaces passivated with Plasmalyte and hyperimmune plasma.

Objective— To quantify the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to 4 equine bone surfaces passivated in a balanced polyionic solution (Plasmalyte™) or hyperimmune equine plasma (Polymune plasma™). Study Design— In vitro comparative study. Sample Population— Third metacarpal bone (MC3) surface explants from 9 equine cadavers. Methods— Approximately 1 cm2 sections of periosteum were removed from MC3 and stapled to sterile stainless steel screens. Three bone surface explants were cut using a surgical saw to present 1 cm2 surfaces of subperiosteal bone, cut cortical bone, or endosteum. Duplicate explants of each surface were immersed for 1 hour in Plasmalyte™ or hyperimmune equine plasma. Each explant was then placed in a well of a 6-well sterile tissue culture plate with the surface of interest exposed. Each surface was inoculated with approximately 100 colony-forming units of S. aureus in 10 μL of Mueller Hinton broth and incubated for 6 hours at 37°C. After gentle rinsing to remove non-adherent bacteria, samples were sonicated for 5 minutes at 60 kHz to loosen adhered bacteria. The number of adherent bacteria was determined by serial dilutions and incubation of the sonicate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed on samples identically treated from an additional horse to confirm bacterial removal by sonication from all surfaces and support quantitative culture results. Results— Less S. aureus adhered to periosteum than to cortical bone, cut cortical bone, and endosteal surfaces, which were all similar. Exposure of all surfaces to hyperimmune plasma reduced S. aureus adherence compared with Plasmalyte™ exposure; SEM supported these conclusions. Conclusion— Less bacteria adhere to periosteum than other bone surfaces. Hyperimmune plasma reduces bacterial adhesion to all bone tissue surfaces. Clinical Relevance— Understanding the factors that affect bacterial adhesion to bone will facilitate development of improved intraoperative lavage solutions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with postoperative infection.
Smart Garage Development Problem: Model Formulation and Solution Approach

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are becoming increasingly popular. In the next several years, all major vehicle manufacturers will introduce PEVs, either as battery electric vehicles (BEVs), such as the Nissan Leaf, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with a dual powertrain, such as the General Motors Volt and the Toyota Prius. This new generation of vehicles relies on electricity as a power source and a battery as an energy storage medium. Naturally, for PEVs, refueling occurs when the battery connects to an electrical outlet linked to a distribution network. The primary objective of this paper is to study optimal locations for building facilities (i.e., smart garages) that will maximize integrated benefits from the transportation system (i.e., parking fee) and the electric power system [i.e., revenue from vehicle-to-building (V2B) services]. A deterministic smart garage development problem (SGDP) is formulated and modeled as a bilevel program and solved by using a genetic algorithm. The results of a simple numerical example show the sensitivity of the model results with respect to parameters, including PEV penetration rate and battery capacity.
Smoking withdrawal and relapse in head and neck cancer patients.

Background Smoking withdrawal and relapse were characterized among newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients participating in a physician-delivered smoking cessation intervention. Methods Patients completed questionnaires at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 months following intervention delivery. Results Significant baseline predictors of smoking relapse included medical treatment (XRT versus surgical treatment), stage of change/readiness to quit (precontemplators), age of initiation (younger), and greater addiction (smoking ⩽30 minutes after waking). Relapsers were significantly more likely to quit using gradual reduction versus cold turkey and had less confidence in remaining quit. Relapsers experienced significantly higher levels of anxiety and craving during withdrawal. Relapse was temporally delayed compared with healthy populations. Conclusion Assistance with cessation efforts should be ongoing for one year and should include nicotine replacement therapy and psychotropic medications to address significant relapse triggers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 21: 420–427, 1999.
Is Skill Mismatch Impeding U.S. Economic Recovery

As the labor market continues its slow return to health following the Great Recession, economic policymakers have been concerned that unemployed workers do not have the skills required for the jobs...
Fabrication and Mode Identification of Compact Long-Period Gratings Written by CO $_{2}$ Laser

We report highly compact (1.2 cm) long-period fiber gratings (LPGs) exhibiting strong grating effect (>30-dB loss) and low insertion loss (<0.25 dB) inscribed by a continuously scanned CO2 laser. The LPG resonances are also probed using traveling acoustic gratings with variable period. Our results show that these CO2 laser side-exposed LPGs predominantly couple to antisymmetrical cladding modes.
Empirically Establishing Blood Glucose Targets to Achieve HbA1c Goals

OBJECTIVE To determine the average fasting, postprandial, and bedtime self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) concentrations associated with specified HbA1c levels using data from the A1c-Derived Average Glucose (ADAG) study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The ADAG study was a multicenter observational study that used continuous glucose monitoring and SMBG testing to determine the relationship between mean average glucose and HbA1c. We used the SMBG data from 470 of the ADAG study participants (237 with type 1 diabetes and 147 with type 2 diabetes) to determine the average fasting, premeal, 90-min postmeal, and bedtime blood glucose (BG) for predefined target HbA1c groups between 5.5 and 8.5% (37-69 mmol/mol). t Tests were used to compare mean BG values between type 1 and type 2 diabetes groups. RESULTS The average fasting BG needed to achieve predefined HbA1c target levels of 5.5-6.49% (37-47 mmol/mol), 6.5-6.99% (48-52 mmol/mol), 7.0-7.49% (52-58 mmol/mol), 7.5-7.99% (58-64 mmol/mol), and 8.0-8.5% (64-69 mmol/mol) were 122 mg/dL with 95% CI 117-127, 142 mg/dL (135-150), 152 mg/dL (143-162), 167 mg/dL (157-177), and 178 mg/dL (164-192), respectively. Postmeal BG to achieve the HbA1c level of 6.5-6.99% (48-52 mmol/mol) and 7.0-7.49% (52-58 mmol/mol) were 139 mg/dL (134-144) and 152 mg/dL (147-157), respectively. Bedtime BG was 153 mg/dL (145-161) and 177 mg/dL (166-188), respectively. CONCLUSIONS We have determined the average BG at premeal, postmeal, and bedtime to achieve a variety of HbA1c targets. These results, based on empirical data, will help patients and providers set realistic day-to-day SMBG targets to achieve individualized HbA1c goals.
A Comprehensive Model That Explains the Regulation of Phospholipase D2 Activity by Phosphorylation-Dephosphorylation

We report here that the enzymatic activity of phospholipase D2 (PLD2) is regulated by phosphorylation-dephosphorylation. Phosphatase treatment of PLD2-overexpressing cells showed a biphasic nature of changes in activity that indicated the existence of “activator” and “inhibitory” sites. We identified three kinases capable of phosphorylating PLD2 in vitro—epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), JAK3, and Src (with JAK3 reported for the first time in this study)—that phosphorylate an inhibitory, an activator, and an ambivalent (one that can yield either effect) site, respectively. Mass spectrometry analyses indicated the target of each of these kinases as Y296 for EGFR, Y415 for JAK3, and Y511 for Src. The extent to which each site is activated or inhibited depends on the cell type considered. In COS-7, cells that show the highest level of PLD2 activity, the Y415 is a prominent site, and JAK3 compensates the negative modulation by EGFR on Y296. In MCF-7, cells that show the lowest level of PLD2 activity, the converse is the case, with Y296 unable to compensate the positive modulation by Y415. MTLn3, with medium to low levels of lipase activity, show an intermediate pattern of regulation but closer to MCF-7 than to COS-7 cells. The negative effect of EGFR on the two cancer cell lines MTLn3 and MCF-7 is further proven by RNA silencing experiments that yield COS-7 showing lower PLD2 activity, and MTLn3 and MCF-7 cells showing an elevated activity. MCF-7 is a cancer cell line derived from a low-aggressive/invasive form of breast cancer that has relatively low levels of PLD activity. We propose that PLD2 activity is low in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 because it is kept downregulated by tyrosyl phosphorylation of Y296 by EGFR kinase. Thus, phosphorylation of PLD2-Y296 could be the signal for lowering the level of PLD2 activity in transformed cells with low invasive capabilities.
Physical activity and health: what is the best dose?

Clinicians and scientists have known for a long time of the many health benefits obtained by regularly performing physical activity (PA). Studies by Morris and colleagues[1][1]–[2][2] 50 to 60 years ago showed that male workers in occupations requiring them to be physically active had
Guiding Principles for Diabetes Care

With the use of editorial commentaries over recent years, our editorial team has provided significant comments and updates at routine intervals regarding our progress as a leading diabetes journal. Many of the editorials were geared to addressing specific areas of science, providing discussion on clinical care or clinical research focus in a particular issue, or informing readers of new initiatives. With this issue of Diabetes Care , we want to provide comment on the process by which we acquire, gain, and put into practice recommendations based on new evidence, or when the evidence is not quite complete, how we make practice decisions based on the best evidence to date from consensus. Specifically, we are referring to the dissemination of recent updates from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in the form of position statements, scientific statements, and consensus reports (proceedings from ADA Consensus Conferences). It has been a special privilege for our journal to publish these important narratives. In this regard, this issue is particularly noteworthy as two comprehensive narratives (a consensus report and a scientific statement) are included that provide an enhanced focus on the advances in pathophysiology and pathways for development of therapies for type 1 diabetes. In addition, an ADA position statement provides an update on disease management and policy recommendations for students with diabetes in the elementary and secondary school settings. The updates in these particular areas not only provide important clinical information but also complement extremely well the special article collection in Diabetes Care (June 2015) entitled “Type 1 Diabetes at a Crossroads” (1). In that issue, the journal specifically focused on issues pertaining to type 1 diabetes and published articles that commented on the latest update from studies, opinions, and perspectives in the field. The fact that this issue highlights three specific narratives from the …
Socio-ecological Model as a Framework for Overcoming Barriers and Challenges in Randomized Control Trials in Minority and Underserved Communities

Background: Numerous barriers and challenges can hinder the successful enrollment and retention of study participants in clinical trials targeting minority populations. To conduct quality research, it is important to investigate these challenges, determine appropriate strategies that are evidence-based and continue seeking methods of improvement. Methods: In this paper, we report such experiences in a registered clinical trial in an underserved minority population in the Southern part of United States. This research study is a randomized doubleblind controlled clinical trial that tests the efficacy of higher-strength as compared to low-strength/standard of care folic acid to prevent fetal body and brain size reduction in pregnant women who smoke. A unique approach in this socio-behavioral, genetic-epigenetic clinical trial is that we have adopted the socio-ecological model as a functional platform to effectively achieve and maintain high participant recruitment and retention rates. Results: We highlight the barriers we have encountered in our trial and describe how we have successfully applied the socio-ecological model to overcome these obstacles. Conclusions and Global Health Implications: Our positive experience will be of utility to other researchers globally. Our findings have far-reaching implications as the socio-ecological model approach is adaptable to developed and developing regions and has the potential to increase recruitment and retention of hard-to-reach populations who are typically under-represented in clinical trials. Key words: Participant Enrollment • Recruitment • Genetic-Epigenetics • Socio-Ecological Model (SEM) • Clinical Trials • Retention • Challenges Copyright © 2015 Salihu et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Financial Constraints, Corruption and Growth: Firm Level Evidence

This paper looks at the interactive effects of bribes and financial constraints on firm growth. Existing empirical work, such as Fisman and Svensson (2007) find the rate of taxation and bribery are negatively correlated with firm growth, has been challenged by the positive association between bribes and growth caused by the tendency for better performing firms to be targeted or are more capable to pay higher amounts of bribes. I propose that the effect of bribes on firm growth is better identified through their demands on liquidity. Utilizing a unique panel dataset that contains information on both liquidity constraints and bribe payments of the firm, I test whether bribes on the procurement of business licenses affect the growth of firms that are financially constrained. Results show that a one percent point increase in bribes is associated with a decrease of between 0.22 to 0.26 of a percentage point in growth for financially constrained firms while for non-financially constrained firms, bribes may be positively associated with growth. The interaction between financial constraints and bribes show that bribes can be distortionary even when bribes act as fixed costs. These results imply that corruption alone may not be detrimental to firm growth but when combined with limited access to finance, the cost of corruption seriously hampers the growth of firms. One policy implication is that tackling the issue of financial constraints need not only be through improving the supply of credit, but may also include decreasing the demands on liquidity such as minimizing the unnecessary costs imposed on firms in the form of bribes.
The benefits of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibition during primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: drug-specific or class effect?

For patients with ST-segment elevation (acute) myocardial infarction (STEMI), reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) results in excellent short- and long-term outcome, predominantly because of the high rate of restoration of normal flow at the epicardial and myocardial
Endothelial Cell Bioenergetics and Mitochondrial DNA Damage Differ in Humans Having African or West Eurasian Maternal Ancestry.

Background—We hypothesized that endothelial cells having distinct mitochondrial genetic backgrounds would show variation in mitochondrial function and oxidative stress markers concordant with known...
Rorschach Assessment in Child Custody Case

SUMMARY This article describes the utility and limitations of the Rorschach Inkblot Test for addressing issues in child custody cases, with particular attention to identifying level of adjustment or psychological disturbance, personality characteristics that may foster or impede adequate parenting, and possible childhood experiences of trauma and sexual abuse. Data are reviewed that document the scientific respectability and widespread use of Rorschach assessment and attest the regularity with which Rorschach-based testimony is admitted into evidence in the courtroom. Also noted are ways in which Rorschach findings can lend incremental validity to forensic evaluations and circumvent efforts atmalingering or deception.
On the specific acquired resistance of red blood cells

It is a well known fact that the serum plays a preponderating role in the immune reactions of animals. On the other hand, it has been amply shown that the immune characters of the serum may be in no proportion to the immunity of the organism as a whole. There must therefore be an additional factor, hypothetically designated by Behring as cytogenetic immunity. Of this type of immunity there is the following experimental evidence. In 1898, Kossel stated that if an animal were injected with eel serum, its washed red cells manifested resistance to the hemolytic action of the latter in vitro; a fact confirmed by Camus and Gley, and by Tshistovitch. In 1908, it was shown by Morawitz and Pratt that in animals injected with phenylhydrazin, the red cells became resistant to all hemolytic agents. This they showed to be not an immune reaction, but the direct result of the chemical action of the drug on the red cells.
School Factors Associated With the Percentage of Students Who Walk or Bike to School, School Health Policies and Practices Study, 2014.

INTRODUCTION: Active school transport, such as by walking or biking, increases physical activity levels, which has health and academic benefits for children. We examined school demographic and other characteristics to determine their association with the percentage of students who walk or bike to school. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study. The response rate for the module containing questions about transportation was 70% (N = 577). Multivariate logistic regression models examined whether certain school characteristics were associated with a school having 26% or more of students who walk or bike to school in the morning on an average school day. RESULTS: In most (61.5%) schools, 10% or fewer students walked or biked to school in the morning on an average school day; in 22.7% of schools, 26% or more students did so. Although having crossing guards (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-6.0), having bicycle racks (AOR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-5.8), and providing promotional materials to students or families on walking or biking to school (AOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7-5.1) were associated with having 26% or more students who walk or bike to school, only 47.7% of schools had crossing guards, 62.4% had bicycle racks, and 33.3% provided promotional materials. CONCLUSION: Several low-cost or no-cost strategies were associated with having 26% or more students who walked or biked to school, but these strategies are not commonly used in schools. Language: en
Palliative Wound Care for Malignant Fungating Wounds: Holistic Considerations at End-of-Life

Timely, holistic interventions aimed at easing the despair of patients with advanced cancer and malignant fungating wounds (MFWs) must incorporate patient and family goals of care in all aspects of decision-making. People with MFWs suffer from a devastating and often crippling symptom burden including disfigurement, pain, pruritus, malodor, exudates, and bleeding. These symptoms may lead to psychosocial and/or spiritual distress, isolation, and diminished quality of life. The complexity of caring for hospice patients with MFWs requires a pragmatic and holistic interdisciplinary approach guided by specialist-level palliative wound care. This article introduces a framework to assist clinicians in the assessment and management of terminally ill patients with MFWs.
Abstract 4098: SPARC expression stimulates paracrine inhibitory response from bone marrow stroma during dormancy of prostate cancer in the bone

Recurrent disease is the most daunting aspect of cancer treatment; however, how tumor cells become dormant and later recur even years after “successful” treatment is poorly understood. However, studies to decipher mechanisms responsible for dormancy have been hampered due to lack of appropriate model. In this study, we isolated two syngeneic cell lines (Indolent and Aggressive), which recapitulates dormancy and recurrence of prostate cancer in the bone microenvironment. We found that Indolent cells retained dormant phenotype whereas Aggressive cells grew rapidly in the tibial bone in vivo whereas the in vitro cell proliferation, invasion, migration and self-renewal properties of both cells in culture were not altered, suggesting the role of microenvironment in regulation of dormancy and recurrence. The expression profile by our microarray analysis revealed that SPARC and Noggin (a known inhibitor of BMP7) were significantly upregulated in Indolent and Aggressive cells, respectively. SPARC secreted by Indolent cells was found to stimulate BMP7 expression in bone stromal cells that in turn inhibited cancer cells by activating the dormancy-associated p38 MAPK pathway and its downstream cell cycle inhibitors, p21 and p18. In addition, BMP7 increased senescence and diminished stem-cell phenotype of cancer cells, which was rescued by addition of recombinant Noggin. We also found that BMPR2 plays a crucial role in SPARC-induced paracrine inhibition of tumor cells residing in the bone. Accordingly, BMPR2 knockdown rescued the BMP7-mediated decrease in stemness. Importantly, the BMPR2 correlative signature was enriched in patients who did not experience recurrence for a long period of time, which further verified the role of BMPR2 downstream signaling in dormancy. When primary tumor samples were examined by immunohistochemistry, both SPARC and BMPR2 were found to be significantly downregulated in patients with bone metastasis. Moreover, patients who did not experience bone metastasis were found to express high level of both SPARC and BMPR2. Importantly, we also observed elevated expression of DNA methylase genes, DNMT1 and -3B in Aggressive cells. Treatment of Aggressive cells with NS398, a COX-2 inhibitor downregulated DNMTs and concomitantly augmented SPARC expression in vitro. Therefore, recurrence of cancer cells in the bone microenvironment involves epigenetic regulation of SPARC and disruption of inhibitory crosstalk of cancer cells with the stroma. These findings suggest that SPARC plays a critical role in maintaining dormancy of prostate cancer cells in bone microenvironment. Citation Format: Sambad Sharma, Fei Xing, Kerui Wu, Yin Liu, Kounosuke Watabe. SPARC expression stimulates paracrine inhibitory response from bone marrow stroma during dormancy of prostate cancer in the bone. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4098.
Hybrid object detection system for x-ray radiographs

While object detection is a relatively well-developed field with respect to visible light photographs, there are significantly fewer algorithms designed to work with other imaging modalities. X-ray radiographs have many unique characteristics that introduce additional challenges that can cause common image processing and object detection algorithms to begin to fail. Examples of these problematic attributes include the fact that radiographs are only represented in gray scale with similar textures and that transmission overlap occurs when multiple objects are overlaid on top of each other. In this paper we not only analyze the effectiveness of common object detection techniques as applied to our specific database, but also outline how we combined various techniques to improve overall performance. While significant strides have been made towards developing a robust object detection algorithm for use with the given database, it is still a work in progress. Further research will be needed in order to deal with the specific obstacles posed by radiographs and X-ray imaging systems. Success in this project would have disruptive repercussions in fields ranging from medical imaging to manufacturing quality assurance and national security.
Steganalysis of content-adaptive steganography in spatial domain

Content-adaptive steganography constrains its embedding changes to those parts of covers that are difficult to model, such as textured or noisy regions. When combined with advanced coding techniques, adaptive steganographic methods can embed rather large payloads with low statistical detectability at least when measured using feature-based steganalyzers trained on a given cover source. The recently proposed steganographic algorithm HUGO is an example of this approach. The goal of this paper is to subject this newly proposed algorithm to analysis, identify features capable of detecting payload embedded using such schemes and obtain a better picture regarding the benefit of adaptive steganography with public selection channels. This work describes the technical details of our attack on HUGO as part of the BOSS challenge.
Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs About Mathematics: A Review of the Literature

The Mathematics Enthusiast Special Issue (2014) presented an extensive review of the literature around the content knowledge of prospective elementary teachers (PTs). The issue excluded articles around PTs’ beliefs. Understanding research around PTs’ beliefs is important to understanding how to design and support their teaching preparation. Attending to PTs’ beliefs helps to ensure their content knowledge and instructional methods are aligned with reform-based mathematics. This article highlights a literature review that addressed the omission of beliefs and explored how teacher preparation might address PTs’ held beliefs.
α 1 á-Antichymotrypsin

Normal brain aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and Down’s syndrome are all characterized by similar neuropathological lesions. Such neuropathology is much more severe and occurs at much earlier ages in Alzheimer’s disease and Down’s syndrome than in normal aging and suggests that these diseases should be studied as model systems of a more widespread problem. In addition, the fact that Alzheimer’s disease arises repeatedly in certain families in which it appears to be passed down from generation to generation as an autosomal-dominant trait indicates that mutation in a single gene can lead to the disease (Heston et al., 1981; for reviews, Matsuyama et al., 1985; Jarvik and Matsuyama, 1986). The same neurodegeneration, loss of memory, and neuropathological lesions characterize both these familial and the more common sporadic cases of Alzheimer’s disease (Terry 1978a,b; Heston et al., 1981; McKahnnet al., 1984). Therefore, the study of an aberrant protein in inherited Alzheimer’s disease might lead to an understanding of the biochemical mechanism for the generation of the disease in certain families, and by extension, perhaps all other cases as well. Furthermore, an understanding of the physiological basis of the disorder should be directly relevant to understanding the process of normal aging.
Using Adaptive Motion Constraints to Support UWB/IMU Based Navigation

This study addresses the problem of short UWB (ultra-wide band) outages in a UWB/IMU (inertial measurement unit) integrated navigation system. UWB outages may occur due to non-line-of-sight between the UWB radios. To mitigate the errors during short UWB outages, we consider the special dynamics of the platform by adaptively applying constraints in the navigation filter. The application presented here is the navigation problem of the unexploded ordnances (UXOs) mapping platform. A UXO platform moves straight or performs turns or stops; these are the three dynamic states with pre-defined constraints. Two neural networks are examined to determine the current dynamic state based on IMU data. Tests on open-sky and canopied areas were carried out for the performance assessment. The networks were trained on the open-sky dataset, and then tested on the canopied area. The detected improvement of the proposed solution is 10–30% (10–15 cm) for 5–10 s long outages.
Offshore Dollar Creation and the Emergence of the Post-2008 International Monetary System

This paper studies the transformation of the International Monetary System (IMS) in the run up to and after the 2007-9 Financial Crisis. Adopting a Money View perspective, it argues that the IMS, in contrast to wide-spread skepticism, does have a system-like quality. This paper understands the IMS as a US-centered hierarchical payments system within which short-term debt instruments are issued as credit money by various public and private financial institutions, in particular central, commercial and shadow banks. With the Fed located at the apex of the IMS, credit money forms denominated in US dollars are located highest up in the hierarchy and trade at par with each other, whilst they typically have fluctuating exchange rates to credit money forms denominated in the units of account of other monetary jurisdictions. From this, the paper argues that the key component of today’s IMS is the 'realm' of offshore US dollar creation, which is situated in between US dollar-denominated credit money issued in the US ('onshore dollars') and non-US dollar-denominated credit money issued outside the US. In this 'offshore dollar realm', non-US financial institutions are able to create international liquidity via US dollar-denominated private credit money outside the US. The paper systematically carves out the post-2008 setup of the offshore dollar realm with a focus on Eurodollar deposits, offshore money market fund shares, foreign exchange swaps and central bank swaps. With the institutional innovations materializing during the 2007-9 Financial Crisis, the IMS is now a public- private hybrid that fully mirrors the onshore US monetary system in the offshore dollar realm. This discussion paper is the first in a series of two complementary pieces on the past, present and possible futures of the International Monetary System. It lays the theoretical and historical foundation for the paper "The Future of Offshore Dollar Creation: Four Scenarios for the International Monetary System by 2040", authored by Steffen Murau, Joe Rini and Armin Haas (https://ssrn.com/abstract=3191786).
Laboratory Information Systems and Instrument Software Lack Basic Functionality for Molecular Laboratories

Laboratory information systems (LISs) have some basic functionality necessary for molecular workflow that is glaringly absent. This study determined functionality gaps of LISs in molecular laboratories and the associated impact to workflow, efficiency, and security by collecting anonymous survey data from clinical laboratory professionals. A 34-question survey (30 required + 4 optional) was compiled using an online survey tool. Participants were recruited through several professional molecular society listservs and given 4 weeks to complete the survey. Data collected included participant demographics, scope of testing, software capabilities for the LIS and molecular instruments, and comments. Eighty respondents completed the entire survey. Many desired versus actual functionality gaps were identified. Prominent among these were bar coding, LIS interfacing, storage of preanalytical data, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance/information security, and reporting. Much basic functionality is lacking in molecular LISs and molecular instrument software. Some of these results indicate that instruments and LISs are not compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Collaboration between molecular professionals and manufacturers of instruments and software is necessary to correct these deficits and is critically important to ensure the continued high quality and safety of molecular practice as the volume of testing skyrockets.
Combinatorial dimension and measurements of interdependencies

The concepts of fractional Cartesian products and combinatorial dimension were originally cast in a framework of multi-dimensional lattices [1], [2], [3], [6]. In this paper, I will describe the extension of these ideas to the J — dimensional Euclidean setting RJ, taking into account its usual topological structure. As in the discrete framework of multi-dimensional lattices, the ‘combinatorial dimension’ of a set in the topological setting will be viewed as a measurement of interdependencies between coordinates of points in the given set.
Percutaneous Ultrasound Guidance Techniques and Procedures

Ultrasound has been used to guide interventional procedures for more than 30 years, and the field continues to expand. Surgeons are becoming more and more involved in the use of ultrasound for not only diagnostic purposes but also interventional procedures. Indications for interventional ultrasound are numerous and expanding: needle aspiration, biopsy, drainage, catheterization, tumor ablation, and tissue dissection. There are many advantages of using ultrasound as the imaging modality to guide interventional procedures. In particular, the real-time feature, safety, relatively low cost, portability, and expediency make ultrasound an ideal modality to perform interventional procedures at various locations including the surgeon’s office as well as the operating room. Introduction and availability of newer devices such as automated core biopsy needles have allowed for increased reliability in the performance of interventional ultrasound. Because of the remarkable success of interventional procedures guided by sonography, combined with an outstanding safety record, there is no doubt that there will be a future increase in the number and types of interventional procedures performed under sonographic guidance.
Resident Training and RRSs

An increased focus on patient safety on the part of regulatory and accreditation agencies has led to a host of reforms aimed at improving patient welfare. Rapid response systems (RRSs) have emerged at the same time as resident work hour restrictions have come into effect, public awareness of medical error has increased, and new models of residency program accreditation have been instituted.1,2 While well-intentioned, these reforms and improvements in healthcare have not emerged as a coherent and user-friendly package. For example, concerns over medication error have led to directives for computer entry of drug orders, but this is not always compatible with a desire to maximize time at the bedside in the face of work-hour limitations. Likewise, the implementation of protocols and pathways that have provided higher quality of care may pose a threat to the concept of applying and individualizing basic and clinical science at the bedside. And while resident work-hour restrictions have been promulgated as a measure to improve patient safety, compliance with these new rules requires even greater reliance on patient handoffs – a class of events believed to be associated with risks of their own.3,4 While numerous other challenges abound for those involved in resident education, the question to be dealt with here is whether the implementation of medical emergency teams or rapid response systems – a classically patient-centered intervention – interferes with medical education, or whether there are ways in which medical education can be enhanced through the existence and operation of a medical emergency team.
Soil N2O emissions as affected by long‐term residue removal and no‐till practices in continuous corn

Author(s): Yuan, M; Greer, KD; Nafziger, ED; Villamil, MB; Pittelkow, CM | Abstract: The environmental consequences of residue removal practices to support cellulosic biofuel production remain poorly understood. In the U.S. Midwest, corn (Zea mays L.) stover removal combined with no-till practices may increase or decrease soil N2O emissions by influencing soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient dynamics, yet empirical evidence from long-term field experiments is inconsistent. We investigated the effects of residue management (residue retained or removed) and tillage (chisel-till or no-till) on cumulative soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, grain yield, and yield-scaled N2O emissions in a 3-year study initiated 10nyears after treatment implementation in a long-term, continuous corn experiment in Illinois, United States. Crop yields were affected by treatment in only one of three study years, with the combination of residue removal and no-till reducing yields compared to both chisel-till treatments. Cumulative N2O emissions, soil inorganic N concentrations, and yield-scaled N2O emissions differed over the 3-year period and were significantly affected by tillage, with no response to residue management. In 2nyears, no-till decreased cumulative N2O emissions and yield-scaled N2O emissions by an average of 64% and 60%, respectively. Correlations between daily N2O fluxes and soil moisture, temperature, and inorganic N concentrations suggested that the relative importance of these variables changed depending on year and treatment. While more research across a range of sites and management practices is needed, our findings support previous studies which have challenged IPCC methodology assumptions regarding the effects of residue removal on N2O emissions. We conclude there is inherent difficulty in predicting the impacts of residue removal due to the complexity of soil processes underlying N2O emissions coupled with inter-annual weather variability in this rainfed continuous corn system. Future efforts to evaluate the net greenhouse gas emissions of cellulosic biofuel production may benefit from accounting for this uncertainty.
Versatile exclusion-based sample preparation platform for integrated rare cell isolation and analyte extraction

Rare cell populations provide a patient-centric tool to monitor disease treatment, response, and resistance. However, understanding rare cells is a complex problem, which requires cell isolation/purification and downstream molecular interrogation - processes challenged by non-target populations, which vary patient-to-patient and change with disease. As such, cell isolation platforms must be amenable to a range of sample types while maintaining high efficiency and purity. The multiplexed technology for automated extraction (mTAE) is a versatile magnetic bead-based isolation platform that facilitates positive, negative, and combinatorial selection with integrated protein staining and nucleic acid isolation. mTAE is validated by isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) - a model rare cell population - from breast and prostate cancer patient samples. Negative selection yielded high efficiency capture of CTCs while positive selection yielded higher purity with an average of only 95 contaminant cells captured per milliliter of processed whole blood. With combinatorial selection, an overall increase in capture efficiency was observed, highlighting the potential significance of integrating multiple capture approaches on a single platform. Following capture (and staining), on platform nucleic acid extraction enabled the detection of androgen receptor-related transcripts from CTCs isolated from prostate cancer patients. The flexibility (e.g. negative, positive, combinatorial selection) and capabilities (e.g. isolation, protein staining, and nucleic acid extraction) of mTAE enable users to freely interrogate specific cell populations, a capability required to understand the potential of emerging rare cell populations and readily adapt to the heterogeneity presented across clinical samples.
Palliative care use amongst patients with bladder cancer

Objectives To describe the rate and determinants of palliative care use amongst Medicare beneficiaries with bladder cancer and encourage a national dialogue on improving coordinated urological, oncological, and palliative care in patients with genitourinary malignancies. Patients and methods Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data, we identified patients diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) between 2008 and 2013. Our primary outcome was receipt of palliative care, defined as the presence of a claim submitted by a Hospice and Palliative Medicine subspecialist. We examined determinants of palliative care use using logistic regression analysis. Results Over the study period, 7303 patients were diagnosed with MIBC and 262 (3.6%) received palliative care. Of 2185 patients with advanced bladder cancer, defined as either T4, N+ , or M+ disease, 90 (4.1%) received palliative care. Most patients that received palliative care (>80%, >210/262) did so within 24 months of diagnosis. On multivariable analysis, patients receiving palliative care were more likely to be younger, female, have greater comorbidity, live in the central USA, and have undergone radical cystectomy as opposed to a bladder-sparing approach. The adjusted probability of receiving palliative care did not significantly change over time. Conclusions Palliative care provides a host of benefits for patients with cancer, including improved spirituality, decrease in disease-specific symptoms, and better functional status. However, despite strong evidence for incorporating palliative care into standard oncological care, use in patients with bladder cancer is low at 4%. This study provides a conservative baseline estimate of current palliative care use and should serve as a foundation to further investigate physician-, patient-, and system-level barriers to this care.