cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decreased Early Mortality in Young Adult Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated at Specialized Cancer Centers in California.

PURPOSE:Studies suggest that patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have superior survival when treated at specialized cancer centers (SCCs). However, the association of early mortality (...
Synthesis of high surface area transition metal sponges and their catalytic properties

We have reported sucrose-mediated facile route for the preparation of high surface area cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu) sponges. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the sponge-like and nanoparticle-like morphologies of the metal sponges. The catalytic activity of the metal sponges was studied via the reduction of organic pollutants, including 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) in water. It was found that the Cu sponge exhibited the fastest rate for the reduction of 4-NP, MO, and MB, followed by the Co and Ni sponges, respectively. The metal sponges exhibited excellent catalytic stability for the reduction of 4-NP for multiple cycles. In addition, due to their magnetic properties, the Co and Ni sponges could be easily recovered and reused by applying an external magnetic field.
Guided Cognition Effects in Learning Literature

Abstract This chapter reports 11 experiments that were done to determine whether Guided Cognition-designed homework would facilitate learning in high school and middle school literature classes. The experiments were done in an authentic learning environment, which means that students were in their normal school environment and were not aware that their learning was being observed. Students never saw the researchers, and all materials were handled by their regular teachers. The experiments fit seamlessly into the regular curriculum and did not affect students' course grades. Typically, a student would experience Guided Cognition-designed homework only once or twice during the entire school year. Guided Cognition homework was found to improve students' performance on unexpected quizzes by about 10%, approximately one letter grade. The effects were replicated with various literature (Shakespeare's MacBeth , Conrad's The Secret Sharer, Anouilh's Becket, Hinton's The Outsiders ), under controlled time conditions, with and without explicit teaching of the content, with repetition of Guided Cognition homework, for grades 7–12 (ages 12–18) and for students of average, and advanced abilities. These results demonstrate that the advantages of Guided Cognition study are not due to specific content, time-on-task, teaching effects, or novelty and are obtained across a range of ages, ability levels, and subject matter. Improved learning resulted from engaging in effective cognitive processes triggered by the cognitive events that were embedded into the homework questions and tasks.
How Stigma Toward Anal Sexuality Promotes Concealment and Impedes Health-Seeking Behavior in the U.S. Among Cisgender Men Who Have Sex with Men

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) experience alarming HIV disparities alongside sub-optimal engagement in HIV interventions. Among MSM, stigma toward anal sexuality could interfere with engagement in HIV prevention, yet few studies have examined MSM perspectives on anal sex stigma or its health-related sequelae. Guided by theory, we aimed to characterize anal sex stigma, related sexual concerns, and barriers to health seeking, like concealment. We elicited community input by purposively interviewing 10 experts in MSM health and then 25 racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse cisgender MSM. Participants reported experienced, internalized, and anticipated forms of anal sex stigma that inhibited health seeking. Experienced stigma, including direct and observed experiences as well as the absence of sex education and information, contributed to internalized stigma and anticipation of future devaluation. This process produced psychological discomfort and concealment of health-related aspects of anal sexuality, even from potentially supportive sexual partners, social contacts, and health workers. Participants characterized stigma and discomfort with disclosure as normative, pervasive, and detrimental influences on health-seeking behavior both during sex and within healthcare interactions. Omission of information appears to be a particularly salient determinant of sexual behavior, inhibiting prevention of harm, like pain, and leading to adverse health outcomes. The development of measures of anal sex stigma and related sexual concerns, and testing their impact on comfort with disclosure, sexual practices, and engagement in health services could identify modifiable social pathways that contribute to health disparities among MSM, like those seen in the HIV epidemic.
Women's Report of Health Care Provider Advice and Gestational Weight Gain: A Systematic Review.

Background: Inadequate and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with adverse health outcomes for mother and child. Health care providers are well positioned to help women achieve appropriate GWG. This systematic review examined associations between women's report of provider advice on GWG and women's compliance with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) GWG guidelines. Materials and Methods: In March 2019, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched. Observational studies were eligible if published from 1990 to 2019, described provider advice on GWG, and determined whether women's target or actual GWG was consistent with the 1990 or 2009 IOM guidelines. Heterogeneity across studies precluded the use of meta-analytic methods. Results: Seventeen cross-sectional and cohort studies of poor to good quality, representing 20,717 women were included. Approximately 69% of women reported provider advice on GWG during pregnancy; however, only 50% reported provider advice consistent with IOM guidelines. Eleven studies found that provider advice on GWG was significantly associated with women's compliance with IOM guidelines, and six studies found no association. Conclusions: While a high percentage of women report provider advice on GWG, accuracy of reported advice is less than optimal. The evidence examining associations of provider advice and women's compliance with guidelines is mixed and limited by methodological concerns. Future studies using more robust methods in diverse populations are needed to confirm the role of provider advice in optimizing GWG. Intervention studies are also necessary to increase the proportion of providers who accurately counsel their patients on appropriate GWG to improve health outcomes.
Ultrasound detection of fetal ductus arteriosus

Objective To explor the ultrasonography methodology of the fetal ductus arteriosus.Methods Based on the fetal four-chamber sight, the characteristic ultrasound images were observed by moving probe,such as "V-shape" sign,"three-finger" sign,"Z-shape" sign and"hockey-handle" sign making up of the ductus arteriosus and the nearby structures were observed by moving probe. The inner diameter,the systole flow velocity,the diastole flow velocity and the resistance index of the ductus arteriosus via the "V-shape" sign section were measured. Results Among the 365 normal fetus cases,355 "V-shape" sign cases,237 "three-finger" sign cases,298 "Z-shape" sign cases and 331 "hockey-handle" sign cases were identified. The inner diameter of the fetal ductus arteriosus increases gradually with the growth of the gestational weeks and the flow velocity increases gradually too, while the resistance index had no obvious variation with the growth of the gestational weeks. Conclusions According to the characteristic ultrasound images, such as "V-shape" sign, "three-finger" sign, "Z-shape" sign and "hockey-handle" sign, the fetal ductus arteriosus can be identified promptly. Key words: Ultrasonography,prenatal; Fetus; Ductus arteriosus
Recidivism and Relationships: Examining the Role of Relationships, Transitions, and Relationship Quality in Reincarceration

Marriage encourages desistance, yet how post-release marital transitions (i.e., marital formation and dissolution) impact reentry outcomes is not commonly studied. Romantic partnership formation and dissolution is even less frequently studied. Moreover, the impact of the quality of marital and serious romantic relationships has not yet been linked to reentry outcomes. We explore whether marriage, being in a relationship, and post-release marital and relationship transitions impact reincarceration. Using data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative, we estimate a series of logistic regressions assessing whether post-release marital or relationship transitions, as well as relationship quality, influence the likelihood of reincarceration. We find that relationship quality, not marriage or relationship transitions, is associated with a lower likelihood of reincarceration. Being in any relationship, including a marriage, however, is associated with and increased likelihood of reincarceration. Future research efforts should seek to shed additional light on how the reintegration process is affected by specific types of relationships and relationship transitions, as well as how relationship quality may mitigate negative reentry outcomes.
‘Lifting the Veils and Illuminating the Shadows’: Furthering the Explorations of Race and Ethnicity in Sport Management

This essay provides a general introduction to and foundation for the scholarly explorations of how race and ethnicity impact Sport Management. Briefly discussed are the changing portraits of racial and ethnic demography, the conceptual treatments of race and ethnicity, and the methodological challenges and research imperatives. This essay also offers a brief summary of the trends in research on race and ethnicity in Sport Management, and it provides an integrated overview of the scholarship featured in this Special Issue which (in varied ways) explicate the salience of race and ethnicity to Sport Management practices, and to the experiences of sport employees, athletes, and sport marketing and media consumers.
China's Emerging Role As a Global Source of FDI

China’s position as the world’s second largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) has been well documented. However, it is less well known that China has recently become an important supplier of global FDI. This briefing describes what is known about the magnitude and composition of China’s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Official data show that China’s OFDI is large (relative to that of most countries), growing, and is mostly comprised of investments directed towards the financial sectors of Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Luxembourg. Since much of China’s OFDI is eventually redirected back to China and other markets, it is difficult to isolate the magnitude and composition of its true outbound investment. Firm-level data provide clearer insight. That data suggests that Chinese OFDI may be higher than what has been reported, and that its investments have mostly been directed towards the building of new facilities in primary commodity sectors (e.g.,oil,coal, metals) in Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean, and Africa. The findings are relevant to the United States, since China’s OFDI – most of which is conducted by state-owned enterprises– is likely to add competitive pressure to U.S.-based multinational firms operating in similar markets.
Mycoplasma hominis abscesses after caesarean section: a rare complication of a common procedure

A 24-year-old woman who delivered via C-section 8 days prior to admission presented with abdominal pain and signs of pulmonary embolism confirmed on CT-angiography. Of note, she had been treated for chorioamnionitis. The development of leucocytosis and fever, with recent abdominal surgery prompted
Binary Complex Neural Network Acceleration on FPGA : (Invited Paper)

Being able to learn from complex data with phase information is imperative for many signal processing applications. Today’s real-valued deep neural networks (DNNs) have shown efficiency in latent information analysis but fall short when applied to the complex domain. Deep complex networks (DCN), in contrast, can learn from complex data, but have high computational costs; therefore, they cannot satisfy the instant decision-making requirements of many deployable systems dealing with short observations or short signal bursts. Recent, Binarized Complex Neural Network (BCNN), which integrates DCNs with binarized neural networks (BNN), shows great potential in classifying complex data in real-time. In this paper, we propose a structural pruning based accelerator of BCNN, which is able to provide more than 5000 frames/s inference throughput on edge devices. The high performance comes from both the algorithm and hardware sides. On the algorithm side, we conduct structural pruning to the original BCNN models and obtain 20 × pruning rates with negligible accuracy loss; on the hardware side, we propose a novel 2D convolution operation accelerator for the binary complex neural network. Experimental results show that the proposed design works with over 90% utilization and is able to achieve the inference throughput of 5882 frames/s and 4938 frames/s for complex NIN-Net and ResNet-18 using CIFAR-10 dataset and Alveo U280 Board.
Methods to Engage Patients in the Modern Clinic.

Abstract Objective To identify current patient and provider engagement methods that utilize technology in allergy and immunology clinics, hospitals and at home. Data Sources Apple App Store and Google searches for allergy and immunology technology apps, PubMed search of literature involving keywords of: website, technology, EMR, medical devices, disparity in technology, coding for remote patient monitoring and artificial intelligence. Study Selections Studies that addressed the keywords were included and narrowed down based upon their applicability in the allergy and immunology clinic. Results There has been rapid innovation in the digital healthcare space with expansion of EMR services and the patient portal, creation of allergy and immunology specific medical devices and apps with remote patient monitoring capabilities, and website and artificial intelligence development to interact with patients. Conclusion These technological advances provide distinct advantages to the provider and patient, but also have a burden of time for evaluation of the data for the provider and disparate access to certain technologies for patients. The development of these technologies has been fast-tracked since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the explosion in telehealth and medical device development, advancement of medical technology is not showing any signs of slowing down. It is paving a new way to interact with patients in the future.
Family Therapy Education for Psychiatry Residents

Teaching and clinical supervision of family therapy can enhance a resident’s clinical skills and also promote movement from a linear, reductionistic type of thinking to a dynamic understanding of complex systems. Second-year postgraduate residents who completed a 10-month family therapy program were tested for their ability to understand family systems dynamics with the Family Therapy Assessment Exercise. Comparison of their test results before and after the program indicated significant improvement, which was entirely accounted for by improvement in the area of therapeutic skills.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Wood using Ultrasonic Frequency Domain Analysis

In-situ performance assessment of wooden structural components are very important for maintenance and rehabilitation of timber structures. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods can play an important role in the in-situ assessment of structural performance. The ultrasonic technique has been found to be more accurate than the conventional practice of visual inspection in assessing the defects such as decays, knots, and splits in wood [1].
SU-E-J-199: A Software Tool for Quality Assurance of Online Replanning with MR-Linac

Purpose: To develop a quality assurance software tool, ArtQA, capable of automatically checking radiation treatment plan parameters, verifying plan data transfer from treatment planning system (TPS) to record and verify (R&V) system, performing a secondary MU calculation considering the effect of magnetic field from MR-Linac, and verifying the delivery and plan consistency, for online replanning. Methods: ArtQA was developed by creating interfaces to TPS (e.g., Monaco, Elekta), R&V system (Mosaiq, Elekta), and secondary MU calculation system. The tool obtains plan parameters from the TPS via direct file reading, and retrieves plan data both transferred from TPS and recorded during the actual delivery in the R&V system database via open database connectivity and structured query language. By comparing beam/plan datasets in different systems, ArtQA detects and outputs discrepancies between TPS, R&V system and secondary MU calculation system, and delivery. To consider the effect of 1.5T transverse magnetic field from MR-Linac in the secondary MU calculation, a method based on modified Clarkson integration algorithm was developed and tested for a series of clinical situations. Results: ArtQA is capable of automatically checking plan integrity and logic consistency, detecting plan data transfer errors, performing secondary MU calculations with or without a transverse magnetic field,more » and verifying treatment delivery. The tool is efficient and effective for pre- and post-treatment QA checks of all available treatment parameters that may be impractical with the commonly-used visual inspection. Conclusion: The software tool ArtQA can be used for quick and automatic pre- and post-treatment QA check, eliminating human error associated with visual inspection. While this tool is developed for online replanning to be used on MR-Linac, where the QA needs to be performed rapidly as the patient is lying on the table waiting for the treatment, ArtQA can be used as a general QA tool in radiation oncology practice. This work is partially supported by Elekta Inc.« less
Reactor antineutrino anomaly with known θ 13

We revisit the reactor antineutrino anomaly using the recent reactor flux independent determination of sizable θ_(13) by considering the full set of the absolute reactor ν_e flux measurements. When normalized to the predicted flux of Mueller et al. Phys. Rev. C 83 054615 (2011), the new world average, after including results from Palo Verde, Chooz, and Double Chooz, is 0.959 ± 0.009 (experiment uncertainty) ± 0.027 (flux systematics). Including the data with kilometer baseline, the new world average is only about 1.4σ lower than the unity, weakening the significance of the reactor antineutrino anomaly. The upcoming results from Daya Bay, RENO, and the Double Chooz will provide further information about this issue.
Etiology of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder: Biological, Familial and Environmental Factors Identified in the Development of Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Conduct problems are associated with a large number of biological, affective, cognitive, familial, and environmental risk factors. Further, research suggests that there may be multiple developmental pathways to conduct problems, each with their own unique constellation of risk and protective factors. Attempts at disaggregating youth into more homo­geneous subtypes have uncovered groups of youth that show similar risk factors and distinct developmental trajectories. This chapter will provide an overview of these major subtypes of conduct disorder (CD) and the specific risk factors associated with each subtype. Assessment and treatment implications are discussed.
Tracing the Foundations of the Best Interest of the Child Standard in American Jurisprudence

The best interests of the child doctrine is at once the most heralded, derided and relied upon standard in family law today. It is heralded because it espouses the best and highest standard; it is derided because it is necessarily subjective; and it is relied upon because there is nothing better. And in every case, a judge must decide what is “best” for any child at any time under any particular circumstance. This standard, so central to family law, is of critical importance, yet surrounded by a muddled legal haze of judicial confusion over just how to determine what “the best” really is. Discerning the roots of the legal standard applied to children in literally every early American case, this article thoroughly analyzes the English roots of common law and case law which established legal principle in family sovereignty. Impressions of judicial review of the standard begs for assistance in the proper use of judicial discretion in cases involving children, yielding a more appropriate analysis of the most suitable application of the best interests standard. The article demonstrates that the best interest of the child doctrine is as old as the American colonies and can be traced to America’s earliest case law foundations, concluding that though scattered in and out of English law, the best interests of the child doctrine is uniquely American in its development. This strong base has in turn caused a near global adoption of the concept. The doctrine, however it may be derided or heralded, is the American legacy America to global family law. The article argues, nonetheless, that the application of this standard has turned toward near pure judicial discretion in contemporary judging causing litigators and advocates to have no rule of law to rely upon. While setting out the basis for the doctrine, this article calls for a rebuilding of the legal foundations of the best interests of the child standard not only in America and in western tradition, but worldwide.
Profilaggrin is a major epidermal calcium-binding protein.

Abstract Profilaggrin is a major highly phosphorylated protein component of the keratohyalin granules of mammalian epidermis. It contains 10 to 12 tandemly repeated filaggrin units and is processed into the intermediate filament-associated protein filaggrin by specific dephosphorylation and proteolysis during terminal differentiation of the epidermal cells. Later, filaggrin itself is degraded to free amino acids that participate in maintenance of epidermal flexibility. The present paper describes the structural organization of the 5' region of the human profilaggrin gene as well as the amino terminus of the profilaggrin protein. The primary profilaggrin transcript consists of three exons and two introns. The first exon (exon I) is only 54 bp and is untranslated. The coding sequences are distributed between exon II (159 bp) and exon III, which contains the information for 10 to 12 filaggrin repeats (972 bp each) and the 3' noncoding sequences. A very large intron separates exons I and II. The combination of a very short exon I with an unusually long intron 1 makes the structure of the profilaggrin gene unique among the epidermally expressed genes investigated so far. Comparison of the expression patterns revealed by primer extension and RNase protection analysis of foreskin epidermal and cultured keratinocyte RNAs suggests that alternately spliced messages, which are different from profilaggrin mRNA, are transcribed from the profilaggrin gene system at earlier stages of epidermal differentiation. The amino terminus of profilaggrin exhibits a significant homology to the small calcium-binding S100-like proteins. It contains two alpha-helical regions, termed EF-hands, that bind calcium in vitro. This is the first example of functional calcium-binding domains fused to a structural protein. We suggest that in addition to its role in filament aggregation and the maintenance of epidermal flexibility, profilaggrin may play an important role in the differentiation of the epidermis by autoregulating its own processing in a calcium-dependent manner or by participating in the transduction of calcium signal in epidermal cells.
An estimate of the proportion of symptomatic gonococcal, chlamydial and non-gonococcal non-chlamydial urethritis attributable to oral sex among men who have sex with men: a case-control study.

Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) of the pharynx are common among men who have sex with men (MSM); the degree to which these infections are transmitted through oral sex is unknown. Methods We conducted a case–control study of MSM attending Public Health—Seattle & King County STD Clinic between 2001 and 2013 to estimate the proportion of symptomatic urethritis cases attributable to oral sex using two methods. First, we categorised men into the following mutually exclusive behavioural categories based on their self-reported sexual history in the previous 60 days: (1) only received oral sex (IOS); (2) 100% condom usage with insertive anal sex plus oral sex (PIAI); (3) inconsistent condom usage with anal sex (UIAI); and (4) no sex. We then determined the proportion of cases in which men reported the oropharynx as their only urethral exposure (IOS and PIAI). Second, we calculated the population attributable risk per cent (PAR%) associated with oral sex using Mantel–Haenszel OR estimates. Results Based on our behavioural categorisation method, men reported the oropharynx as their only urethral exposure in the past 60 days in 27.5% of gonococcal urethritis, 31.4% of chlamydial urethritis and 35.9% non-gonococcal, non-chlamydial urethritis (NGNCU) cases. The PAR%s for symptomatic gonococcal urethritis, chlamydial urethritis and NGNCU attributed to oropharyngeal exposure were 33.8%, 2.7% and 27.1%, respectively. Conclusions The pharynx is an important source of gonococcal transmission, and may be important in the transmission of chlamydia and other, unidentified pathogens that cause urethritis. Efforts to increase pharyngeal gonorrhoea screening among MSM could diminish STI transmission.
Partial purification and kinetic characterization of transaldolase fromDictyostelium discoideum

Abstract Transaldolase was purified 42-fold from Dictyostelium discoideum and the resulting preparation exhibited stoichiometry. Kinetic analyses consisted of initial velocity and product inhibition studies in both the forward and the reverse directions. The enzyme exhibited ping-pong kinetics with sedoheptulose 7-phosphate adding first and erythrose 4-phosphate releasing first. The K m values for sedoheptulose 7-phosphate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, erythrose 4-phosphate, and fructose 6-phosphate were 0.46, 0.072, 0.10, and 1.6 m M , respectively. The K i values for sedoheptulose 7-phosphate and erythrose 4-phosphate were 3.6 and 0.062 m M , respectively. Inorganic phosphate inhibited enzymatic activity and showed mixed-type inhibition when fructose 6-phosphate was varied. A K i value of 35.2 m M was determined for inorganic phosphate.
A Site-specific Measure for Rate Difference After Gene Duplication or Speciation

Gene family proliferation by gene (genome) duplication has provided the raw materials for functional innovations (Ohno 1970; Lundin 1993; Holland et al. 1994; Henikoff et al. 1997; Golding and Dean 1998). Several models were proposed for functional divergence among member genes (e.g., Li 1983; Clark 1994; Hughes 1994; Fryxell 1996; Nei, Gu, and Sitnikova 1997; Force et al. 1999), but the details remain largely unknown. Gu (1999) developed a statistical method for testing type I functional divergence, i.e., changes in protein function between two gene clusters result in changes in selective constraints (and therefore shifted evolutionary rates) at some residues. It stands in contrast to type II functional divergence, i.e., changes in protein function between two gene clusters do not alter the level of selective constraints. Amino acid residues with rate shifts are the sites that have either gained or lost importance as a consequence of the change of function during evolution, as proposed by the hypothesis of type I functional divergence (Gu 1999). Moreover, type I functional divergence provides a biological basis for the covarion theory of molecular evolution (Fitch and Markowitz 1970). If a statistical testing shows a significant rate difference between two gene clusters, it is of great interest to predict important amino acid residues, which can be further verified by available functional-structural evidence (Dermitzakis and Clark 2001; Gaucher, Miyamoto, and Benner 2001; Wang and Gu 2001). The posterior probability of each site is suitable to develop a statistically sound profile for selecting critical amino acid residues (Gu 1999), but little information is provided about how much rate difference is generated at these sites after gene duplication. In this article, we report a new site-specific profile for the rate difference, which is useful for studying the pattern of protein sequence evolution. Consider two gene clusters generated by gene duplication (or speciation), e.g., see figure 1, the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) gene family tree. In each cluster, a site can be in either of two states: (1) F0, which means no altered functional constraint after gene duplication, and (2) F1, which means altered functional constraint at this site after gene duplication. As a result, there are four combined states in the case of two gene clusters: (1) F0 in both clusters, denoted by S0 5 (F0, F0), resulting in no rate difference between clusters; and
An Overview of Infertility

Infertility is a significant problem affecting one in every six couples in the United States. More recently and more appropriately, the emotional care of the couple has begun to receive greater attention. The nurse can play a key role in the care of infertile individuals by being knowledgeable about current tests, being aware of the emotional stresses surrounding the couple, and assisting with the necessary educational and counseling encounters which must take place.
Anyone can broadcast video over the internet

A mesh-based P2P streaming mechanism provides TV-like distribution service to average computer users over the Internet with no special support from the network.
Columns of uniform color in a rectangular array with rows having cyclically repeated color patterns

Given positive integers p1,…,pn, consider a rectangular array of balls of m different colors, with the ith row containing, in repeated succession, pi balls of each color. This paper initiates the problem of finding the number of columns having balls of the same color, and obtains the solution in various cases.
Lab-on-a-Cable for electrochemical monitoring of phenolic contaminants.

The “Lab-on-a-Cable” concept, based on scaling down an electrochemical flow system to a cable platform, is described. The system integrates the analyte collection and the sample handling, with the electrochemical detection of the reaction product in a sealed cylindrical unit, connected to a long shielded cable. An enzymatic assay, involving collection of a phenolic substrate, its mixing with an internally delivered tyrosinase solution, and amperometric detection of the liberated quinone product, is used for illustrating the operation of the flow probe and demonstrating its advantages over remote phenol sensors. The internal buffer solution ensures independence of sample conditions such as pH, ionic strength, or natural conditions, that commonly influences the performance of remote sensors. The “built-in” flow pulsation of the integrated micropump is exploited for a sensitive hydrodynamic-modulation voltammetric detection of hydrazine and peroxide pollutants.
Role of ERCP in pediatric blunt abdominal trauma: A case series at a level one pediatric trauma center

Abstract Background There is no consensus regarding the appropriate use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in pediatric trauma. We report our experience with ERCP for management of pediatric pancreatic and biliary injury following blunt abdominal trauma. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed for pediatric patients with blunt abdominal trauma from July 2008 through December 2012 at our pediatric trauma center. For patients who underwent ERCP, demographics, injury characteristics, diagnostic details, procedures performed, length of stay, total parenteral nutrition use, and complications were reviewed. Results There were 532 patients identified: 115 hepatic injuries, 25 pancreatic injuries and one gall bladder injury. Nine patients (mean age 7.8 years) underwent ERCP. Seven (78%) had pancreatic injuries, while two (22%) had bilateral hepatic duct injuries. The median time to diagnosis was one day (range, 0-12). Diagnostic ERCP only was performed in three patients, two of which proceeded to distal pancreatectomy. Five patients had stents placed (two biliary and three pancreatic) and four sphincterotomies were performed. Despite pancreatic stenting, one patient required distal pancreatectomy for persistent leak. Median length of stay was 11 days. Conclusions Pediatric pancreatic and biliary ductal injuries following blunt abdominal trauma are uncommon. ERCP can safely provide definitive treatment for some patients.
A Method for Multivariate Probability Distributions Construction via Parameter Dependence

The nature of stochastic dependence in the classic bivariate normal density framework is analyzed. In the case of this distribution we stress the way the conditional density of one of the random variables depends on realizations of the other. Typically, in the bivariate normal case this dependence takes the form of a parameter (here the “expected value”) of one probability density depending continuously (here linearly) on realizations of the other random variable. Our point is that such a pattern does not need to be restricted to that classical case of bivariate normal. We show that this paradigm can be generalized and viewed in ways that allows us to extend it far beyond the bivariate normal distributions class.
In Vitro Reconstitution of the Modulation of Drosophila Notch-Ligand Binding by Fringe

Notch signaling plays critical roles in animal development and physiology. The activation of Notch receptors by their ligands is modulated by Fringe-dependent glycosylation. Fringe catalyzes the addition of N-acetylglucosamine in a β1,3 linkage onto O-fucose on epidermal growth factor-like domains. This modification of Notch by Fringe influences the binding of Notch ligands to Notch receptors. However, prior studies have relied on in vivo glycosylation, leaving unresolved the question of whether addition of N-acetylglucosamine is sufficient to modulate Notch-ligand interactions on its own, or whether instead it serves as a precursor to subsequent post-translational modifications. Here, we describe the results of in vitro assays using purified components of the Drosophila Notch signaling pathway. In vitro glycosylation and ligand binding studies establish that the addition of N-acetylglucosamine onto O-fucose in vitro is sufficient both to enhance Notch binding to the Delta ligand and to inhibit Notch binding to the Serrate ligand. Further elongation by galactose does not detectably influence Notch-ligand binding in vitro. Consistent with these observations, carbohydrate compositional analysis and mass spectrometry on Notch isolated from cells identified only N-acetylglucosamine added onto Notch in the presence of Fringe. These observations argue against models in which Fringe-dependent glycosylation modulates Notch signaling by acting as a precursor to subsequent modifications and instead establish the simple addition of N-acetylglucosamine as a basis for the effects of Fringe on Drosophila Notch-ligand binding.
Effects of 3D Random Correlated Velocity Perturbations on Predicted Ground Motions

Abstract Three-dimensional, finite-difference simulations of a realistic finite-fault rupture on the southern Hayward fault are used to evaluate the effects of random, correlated velocity perturbations on predicted ground motions. Velocity perturbations are added to a three-dimensional (3D) regional seismic velocity model of the San Francisco Bay Area using a 3D von Karman random medium. Velocity correlation lengths of 5 and 10 km and standard deviations in the velocity of 5% and 10% are considered. The results show that significant deviations in predicted ground velocities are seen in the calculated frequency range (≤1 Hz) for standard deviations in velocity of 5% to 10%. These results have implications for the practical limits on the accuracy of scenario ground-motion calculations and on retrieval of source parameters using higher-frequency, strong-motion data.
Minimisation of Non-periodic Preventive Maintenance Cost in Series-parallel Systems

A new method to optimise the non-periodic preventive maintenance model of a series-parallel system is proposed. A two-stage algorithm that incorporates the failure limit policy to determine maintenance components, maintenance times, and total maintenance cost is suggested. When the reliability of the system reaches a threshold value, preventive maintenance is performed. The first stage identifies the parallel subsystem required to be maintained, while the second stage determines the component required to be maintained in the parallel sub-system. A unit-cost life index (UCL) has been developed to evaluate the extent to which maintaining a component extends the life of a system for the parallel subsystem. Three simulated cases demonstrate the effectiveness and the practicality of the proposed method in optimising the non-periodic preventive maintenance model of a series-parallel system. Defence Science Journal, 2011, 61(1), pp.44-50 , DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.61.61
An improved comprehensive data base for matching unknown mass spectra

Abstract The data base of reference mass spectra in computer-searchable form has been doubled in size to obtain 79560 spectra of 67128 different compounds. The utility of the new spectra was tested with the Probability Based Matching System using 392 unknowns selected at random from the original data base. The relative probability of incorrectly matching one of the new spectra is only half of that of the original spectra, demonstrating that the larger library is substantially less biased than the original. Of the best matching spectra, 74% were correct answers; when the data base was restricted to one spectrum of each compound, only 61% of the best matching spectra were correct.
Ultrasound contrast-detail analysis: A preliminary study in human observer performance

Results of a human observer performance study using a new ultrasound contrast‐detail (CD) phantom are reported. The new phantom allows estimates of the fundamental statistical uncertainties involved in CD analysis. Results of these experiments show that observers generally considered to be ‘‘trained’’ require experience at the specific task of low‐contrast target detection under signal known exactly (SKE) conditions, and that observers require an orientation period at the beginning of each observation session to obtain stable responses. The results obtained in this study can be used to estimate the number of independent images, observers, and repeat observation sessions required for a desired uncertainty in CD curves, and show that 10% fractional standard deviations are obtainable with modest observer effort.
Free radical-induced endothelial membrane dysfunction at the site of blood-brain barrier: relationship between lipid peroxidation, Na,K-ATPase activity, and 51Cr release.

Na,K-ATPase activity, membrane lipid peroxidation (TBARM), and membrane 'leakiness' for small molecules were examined in rat cerebromicrovascular endothelial cells (RCEC) following exposure to hydrogen peroxide and xanthine/xanthine oxidase. Whereas short-term (15-30 min) exposure to either oxidant decreased ouabain-sensitive 86Rb uptake and increased TBARM in a concentration-dependent fashion, significant release of 51Cr (30-40%) from cells was observed only after one hour exposure to the oxidants. By comparison, much longer exposure times (i.e., 4 hours) were needed to induce significant lactate dehydrogenase release from oxidant-treated cells. The oxidant-evoked decrease in Na,K-ATPase activity and increases in TBARM and RCEC 'permeability' were abolished in the presence of the steroid antioxidants U-74500A and U-74389G (5-20 microM). Reduced glutathione (4 mM) partially attenuated oxidant-induced changes, whereas ascorbic acid (2 mM) and the disulfide bond-protecting agent, dithiothreitol (1 mM), were ineffective. These results suggest that the oxidant-induced loss of Na,K-ATPase activity in RCEC results primarily from changes in membrane lipids, and implicate both the inhibition of Na,K-ATPase and membrane lipid peroxidation in the mechanism responsible for the delayed free radical-induced increase in RCEC membrane 'permeability'.
On semantic issues connected with incomplete information databases

Various approaches to interpreting queries in a database with incomplete information are discussed. A simple model of a database is described, based on attributes which can take values in specified attribute domains. Information incompleteness means that instead of having a single value of an attribute, we have a subset of the attribute domain, which represents our knowledge that the actual value, though unknown, is one of the values in this subset. This extends the idea of Codd's null value, corresponding to the case when this subset is the whole attribute domain. A simple query language to communicate with such a system is described and its various semantics are precisely defined. We emphasize the distinction between two different interpretations of the query language—the external one, which refers the queries directly to the real world modeled in an incomplete way by the system, and the internal one, under which the queries refer to the system's information about this world, rather than to the world itself. Both external and internal interpretations are provided with the corresponding sets of axioms which serve as a basis for equivalent transformations of queries. The technique of equivalent transformations of queries is then extensively exploited for evaluating the interpretation of (i.e. the response to) a query.
A few considerations for ascribing statistical significance to earthquake predictions

There are many potential pitfalls in assigning statistical significance to “successful” earthquake predictions, including sensitivity to the stochastic model for earthquake occurrence, dependence among the parameters used to specify an earthquake, and the stochastic alternative model for the predictions. There is no simple resolution to these difficulties, but it is clear that assuming earthquake location and size variables are independent can lead to the erroneous impression that predictions are statistically significant when they are not, and that assuming that main shocks follow a Poisson process in time (and space) can make chance predictions appear statistically significant, and can make sound predictions appear statistically insignificant. It is possible to avoid assuming any probability distribution for the occurrence of earthquakes, treating the seismicity history as fixed (conditioning on the observed seismicity) and testing the performance of the prediction algorithm against various random predictors; this “conditional” approach seems preferable.
Enhancing wound healing with growth factors.

Stephen C. Adler, MD*, Kriston J. Kent, MD Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Bronchoesophagology, Temple University School of Medicine, 3400 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA Adler Facial Plastic Surgery, 900 East Ocean Blvd., Suite 338, Stuart, FL 34994, USA Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Florida School of Medicine, P.O. Box 100264, Gainesville, FL 32610-0264, USA Naples Facial Plastic Surgery, 1660 Medical Blvd., Suite 100, Naples, FL 34110, USA
Circular component measurements and particle shape determination: A Monte Carlo simulation study

Monitoring aviation safety hazards, such as icing conditions, and retrieving cloud physical properties for climate modeling studies requires cloud thermodynamic phase (water/ice) discrimination. Polarization information from lidar measurement provide such information. Depolarization of lidar backscattering indicates that the scattering cloud particles are non-spherical (i.e., ice clouds). For space based lidar measurements, backscatter from water cloud particles is also depolarized because of multiple scattering. Thus cloud water/ice discrimination is not straight-forward. An alternative method which is less sensitive to multiple scattering is proposed in this study. The new approach is based on the fact that there are big differences in P44 (an element of the scattering phase matrix) at 180° between spherical and non-spherical particles. When the incident beam is left-hand-circularly polarized, backscattering by a nonspherical particle is also left handed. Circular component of backscattering by a spherical particle is right-handed for left-hand-circularly polarized incident beam. Monte Carlo simulations with full Stokes vector indicate that multiple scattering does not affect the sphere/non-sphere determination with this new circular polarization approach.
Are antiaromatic rings stacked face-to-face aromatic?

The stacking of 4n pi electron hydrocarbon rings into superphane structures can eliminate their antiaromaticity and result in through-space three-dimensional arom. character. This is demonstrated by the bond length equalized geometries and diatropic NICS values of the methano-bridged superphane series with interacting three- to nine-membered 4n pi electron rings. Along with triplet and Moebius strategies, stacking is the third way to achieve arom. ring systems with 4n pi electrons. [on SciFinder (R)]
The reproductive biology of Amathys lutzi, an ampharetid polychaete from hydrothermal vents on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

. The reproductive biology of polychaetes includes a diverse array of characteristics that sometimes have been related to features of the habitat and others times appear to be phylogenetically constrained. The reproductive biology of polychaetes from deep-sea hydrothermal vents is of particular interest, given the continuing supply of food when vents are active and the ephemeral nature of the vent environment. As part of a survey of reproductive attributes of vent polychaetes, we undertook a descriptive study of the anatomy of the ampharetid polychaete, Amathys lutzi, which lives in mucus-lined tubes attached to mussel shells or rocks at hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Reproductive features of ampharetids from the Logatchev vent site were examined with serial sections under light microscopy and with transmission electron microscopy. Members of A. lutzi are gonochoric and lack external sexual dimorphism. Gonads are associated with 3 pairs of mixonephridia found laterally in the anterior region of the polychaete. Oocytes undergo extraovarian oogenesis and are released into the coelom in the previtellogenic phase. Maximum oocyte diameter is∼190 μm, suggesting lecithotrophic development. Within individual females, oocyte size-frequencies suggest the presence of cohorts of maturing oocytes, consistent with periodic release of gametes. There is no evidence for sperm storage in females. Early stages of developing sperm are also found in the coelom; mature sperm fit the general description of ect-aquasperm. These reproductive characteristics of individuals of A. lutzi are similar to those of the Pacific vent ampharetid, Amphisamytha galapagensis.