cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progress Toward a Deployable SQUID-Based Ultra-Low Field MRI System for Anatomical Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best method for non-invasive imaging of soft tissue anatomy, saving countless lives each year. But conventional MRI relies on very high fixed strength magnetic fields, ≥ 1.5 T, with parts-permillion homogeneity, requiring large and expensive magnets. This is because in conventional Faraday-coil based systems the signal scales approximately with the square of the magnetic field. Recent demonstrations have shown that MRI can be performed at much lower magnetic fields (~100 μT, the ULF regime). Through the use of pulsed prepolarization at magnetic fields from ~10-100 mT and SQUID detection during readout (proton Larmor frequencies on the order of a few kHz), some of the signal loss can be mitigated. Our group and others have shown promising applications of ULF MRI of human anatomy including the brain, enhanced contrast between tissues, and imaging in the presence of (and even through) metal. Although much of the required core technology has been demonstrated, ULF MRI systems still suffer from long imaging times, relatively poor quality images, and remain confined to the R&D laboratory due to the strict requirements for a low noise environment isolated from almost all ambient electromagnetic fields. Our goal in the work presented here is to move ULF MRI from a proof-of-concept in our laboratory to a functional prototype that will exploit the inherent advantages of the approach, and enable increased accessibility. Here we present results from a seven-channel SQUID-based system that achieves pre-polarization field of 100 mT over a 200 cm3 volume, is powered with all magnetic field generation from standard MRI amplifier technology, and uses off the shelf data acquisition. As our ultimate aim is unshielded operation, we also demonstrated a seven-channel system that performs ULF MRI outside of heavy magnetically-shielded enclosure. In this paper we present preliminary images and compare them to a model, and characterize the present and expected performance of this system.
A huge bile cyst--an unusual complication of percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC).

A huge subcapsular bile cyst, which formed over a period of six weeks following PTC, is described in a 54 year old male with obstructive jaundice. To our knowledge, this complication of PTC has been reported only once in the medical literature.
Electrical conductivity, seebeck coefficient and defect chemistry of Ca-doped YCrO3

The electrical transport behavior and defect structure of Ca-doped YCrO3 were studied using electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements as a function of oxygen activity and temperature. Defect models derived from the electrical conductivity data were found to adequately relate the concentration of charge carriers to the acceptor dopant and oxygen vacancy concentrations. Thermodynamic properties were calculated and found to be consistent with the model. Activation energy and carrier mobility data were also obtained. The analysis of the electrical conductivity, Seebeck and mobility data suggest that the conduction process in Ca-doped YCrO3 occurs via the small polaron hopping mechanism.
A survey of the use of facilitated communication in community agencies serving persons with developmental disabilities

Service providers to individuals with developmental disabilities at seven North Dakota agencies were surveyed on their current and past use of facilitated communication (FC). Perceived validity and effectiveness of FC were also assessed. Seventeen percent of the 177 direct care and supervisory staff surveyed reported that they had never heard of FC, 36% were aware of but had never used FC, 28% had previously used FC, and 18% currently used the technique despite overwhelming experimental evidence that FC is not a valid means of communication for people with disabilities. The results indicated that respondents who had previously used FC, but did not do so currently, gave it the lowest ratings of validity, usefulness, and likability, while current users gave FC the highest ratings. Current users had the fewest years of experience in the field of developmental disabilities. The majority of current users said guardian approval should not be required prior to the use of FC, whereas the majority of past users and non-users said that guardian approval should be required. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
'Negative refraction' (2004) by J.B. Pendry

In 1968 V.G. Veselago published a paper in which he investigated the possibility of media having electric permittivities and magnetic permeabilities that are both negative within some narrow band o...
Group foraging by a stream minnow: shoals or aggregations?

Abstract The importance of social attraction in the formation of foraging groups was examined for a stream-dwelling cyprinid, the rosyside dace, Clinostomus funduloides . Dace arrivals and departures at natural foraging sites were monitored and tested for (1) tendency of dace to travel in groups, and (2) dependency of arrival and departure rates on group size. Dace usually entered and departed foraging sites independently of each other. Group size usually affected neither arrival rate nor departure probability. Thus, attraction among dace appeared weak; foraging groups most often resulted from dace aggregating in preferred foraging sites. The strongest evidence of social attraction was during autumn, when dace departure probability often decreased with increasing group size, possibly in response to increased threat of predation by a seasonally occurring predator. Dace also rarely avoided conspecifics, except when an aggressive individual defended a foraging site. Otherwise, there was little evidence of exploitative competition among dace for drifting prey or of foraging benefits in groups, because group size usually did not affect individual feeding rates. These results suggest that the benefits of group foraging demonstrated under laboratory conditions in other studies may not always apply to field conditions.
Identifying postpartum intervention approaches to prevent type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes

Women who develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. Despite this "window of opportunity," few intervention studies have targeted postpartum women with a history of GDM. We sought perspectives of women with a history of GDM to identify a) barriers and facilitators to healthy lifestyle changes postpartum, and b) specific intervention approaches that would facilitate participation in a postpartum lifestyle intervention program. We used mixed methods to gather data from women with a prior history of GDM, including focus groups and informant interviews. Analysis of focus groups relied on grounded theory and used open-coding to categorize data by themes, while frequency distributions were used for the informant interviews. Of 38 women eligible to participate in focus groups, only ten women were able to accommodate their schedules to attend a focus group and 15 completed informant interviews by phone. We analyzed data from 25 women (mean age 35, mean pre-pregnancy BMI 28, 52% Caucasian, 20% African American, 12% Asian, 8% American Indian, 8% refused to specify). Themes from the focus groups included concern about developing type 2 diabetes, barriers to changing diet, and barriers to increasing physical activity. In one focus group, women expressed frustration about feeling judged by their physicians during their GDM pregnancy. Cited barriers to lifestyle change were identified from both methods, and included time and financial constraints, childcare duties, lack of motivation, fatigue, and obstacles at work. Informants suggested facilitators for lifestyle change, including nutrition education, accountability, exercise partners/groups, access to gyms with childcare, and home exercise equipment. All focus group and informant interview participants reported access to the internet, and the majority expressed interest in an intervention program delivered primarily via the internet that would include the opportunity to work with a lifestyle coach. Time constraints were a major barrier. Our findings suggest that an internet-based lifestyle intervention program should be tested as a novel approach to prevent type 2 diabetes in postpartum women with a history of GDM. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01102530
The Effect of Ethylene Exposure on Ethylene Oxide in Blood and on Hepatic Cytochrome P450 in Fischer Rats

Ethylene (74-85-1) is an important petrochemical and is produced endogenously. It is metabolized to ethylene oxide (EO) by cytochrome P450. We studied the inhibition of cytochrome P450 activity during exposure to ethylene, and verified that this inhibition was reflected in the concentration of EO in the blood. Male F344 rats were exposed to 1000, 600, and 300 ppm ethylene by nose-only inhalation for up to 6 h. Blood samples were obtained during exposure. On exposure to 600 ppm ethylene, blood EO concentration increased during the first hour of exposure and then decreased to approximately half of the peak blood concentration. A less pronounced decrease was observed at 300 ppm, and at 1000 ppm little change was observed between 10 min and 6 h of exposure. For the analysis of cytochrome P450 and isozyme-specific substrate activities, groups of four male F344 rats were removed for the collection of liver at various times after exposure to 300, 600, or 1000 ppm ethylene. At all concentrations, liver microsomal cytochrome P450 decreased during exposure. Of the various monooxygenase activities measured, 4-nitrophenol hydroxylase was the one most consistently altered, with maximal inhibition (approximately 50%) at 2 h of exposure to 1000 ppm ethylene, 4 h at 600 ppm, and 6 h at 300 ppm. Activity recovered to control levels by 6 h after exposure. Cytochrome P450 2E1 appears to be the major isoform of cytochrome P450 inhibited by exposure to ethylene, and this may explain in part the observed alteration in EO blood kinetics.
Failure mode effect analysis applied to hospital TB program

ISSUE: In 2001 the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) wrote a standard that requires healthcare organizations to conduct at least one failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) annually on a patient safety issue. The idea is to select a process that is thought to be working effectively. The FMEA is used to evaluate potential failure modes. PROJECT: This is a seven-campus hospital system. A multidisciplinary team was formed to perform an FMEA on the current TB program. The current process for identification and management of TB patients was flowcharted, as was the ideal process. Each step of the current process was then reviewed and evaluated for possible failure modes. Potential failures were then assigned a criticality score by members of the FMEA team. RESULTS: Eleven potential failure modes were identified. The failure mode that received the highest criticality score was ability to isolate. Of the seven campuses in the system, three of the emergency departments did not have airborne infection isolation (ABII) capacity. In addition, it was discovered that not all rooms thought to be suitable for ABII were. Nursing did not always activate alarms on ABII rooms or utilize portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters correctly. Failure to screen, and thereby identify, potential TB patients was identified as the next most critical potential failure. A flaw was found in the current screening tool—weight loss as a risk factor, had been left off of the TB assessment screen when computerized charting was implemented. In addition, there is always a risk that a screen may not consistently identify the conditions being screened, in this case potential active TB. In reviewing data, we found that in one-third of confirmed pulmonary TB cases there were exposures related to failure of healthcare workers to suspect TB and isolate. Other failure modes identified were employee knowledge of size and type of PFR-95 respirator, communication of ABII status to other departments, inefficient notification system to employees when an exposure had occurred, and appropriate reporting of PPD conversions in employees. LESSONS LEARNED: FMEA is an effective tool for healthcare facilities. By using a multidisciplinary team, failure modes can be effectively identified and corrective actions put into place that improve processes and outcomes.
A frequency domain model for generating B-mode images with array transducers

A frequency domain B-mode imaging model applicable to linear and phased array transducers was developed for simulating ultrasound images of random media. Computations are based on an approximation that is less restrictive than the Fresnel approximation. The model is compared with the exact time domain impulse response method, regarded as the "gold standard". In a typical application, errors in simulated rf waveforms are less than 1% regardless of the steering angle for distances greater than 2 cm, yet computation times are on the order of 1/150 of those using the exact method. This model takes into account the effects of frequency-dependent attenuation, backscattering, and dispersion. Modern beam-forming techniques such as apodization, dynamic aperture, elevational focusing, multiple transmit focusing and dynamic receiving focusing also can be simulated.
Aberrant TGF-β signaling reduces T regulatory cells in ICAM-1-deficient mice, increasing the inflammatory response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Foxp3!T regulatory cells are required to prevent autoimmune disease, but also prevent clearance of some chronic infections. While natural T regulatory cells are produced in the thymus, TGF-!1 signaling combined with T-cell receptor signaling induces the expression of Foxp3 in CD4!T cells in the periphery. We found that ICAM-1"/"mice have fewer T regulatory cells in the periphery than WT controls, due to a role for ICAM-1 in induction of Foxp3 expression in response to TGF-!1. Further investigation revealed a functional deficiency in the TGF-!1-induced translocation of phosphorylated Smad3 from the cytoplasmic compartment to the nucleus in ICAM-1-deficient mice. This impairment in the TGF-!1 signaling pathway is most likely responsible for the decrease in T regulatory cell induction in the absence of ICAM-1. We hypothesized that in the presence of an inflammatory response, reduced production of inducible T regulatory cells would be evident in ICAM-1"/" mice. Indeed, followingMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection, ICAM-1"/"mice had a pronounced reduction in T regulatory cells in the lungs compared with control mice. Consequently, the effector T-cell response and inflammation were greater in the lungs of ICAM-1"/"mice, resulting in morbidity due to overwhelming pathology. J. Leukoc. Biol.86: 713‐725; 2009.
Role of Satellite Water Tanks in Intermittent Water Supply System

This study investigates the technical and economic feasibility of adding satellite water storage tanks to the current intermittent water distribution system of Kathmandu, Nepal to provide a more reliable continuous supply of high quality drinking water. The main objective of the research includes [1] modeling the existing intermittent water distribution network and the proposed continuous water distribution network; [2] evaluating water quality under both systems; and [3] investigating the economic feasibility of using satellite tanks. This paper focuses on the first objective of modeling the existing and the proposed water distribution network. The computer model SWMM has been used to simulate the hydraulic behavior of the study site under both intermittent and continuous flow conditions. BACKGROUND Water distribution systems are typically operated to provide uninterrupted service to the end users. Due to lack of proper hydraulic infrastructure and scarce water resources, the water supply systems in many developing nations are operated in an intermittent fashion. Intermittent supply is a mode where water is regulated to the end users for limited hours on certain days. About 350 million people in South Asia
Autophagy-mediated clearance of huntingtin aggregates triggered by the insulin-signaling pathway

Conditional mouse models of polyglutamine diseases, such as Huntington's disease (HD), have revealed that cells can clear accumulated pathogenic proteins if the continuous production of the mutant transgene is halted. Invariably, the clearance of the protein leads to regression of the disease symptoms in mice. In light of these findings, it is critical to determine the pathway responsible for alleviating this protein accumulation to define targets to fight these diseases. In a functional genetic screen of HD, we found that activation of insulin receptor substrate-2, which mediates the signaling cascades of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1, leads to a macroautophagy-mediated clearance of the accumulated proteins. The macroautophagy is triggered despite activation of Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and S6 kinase, but still requires proteins previously implicated in macroautophagy, such as Beclin1 and hVps34. These findings indicate that the accumulation of mutant protein can lead to mTOR-independent macroautophagy and that lysosome-mediated degradation of accumulated protein differs from degradation under conditions of starvation.
A laboratory study of the effect of verbal rhetoric versus repetition when consumers are not directed to process advertising

�Rhetorical figures appear frequently in the headlines of magazine ads. This paper examines the effect of repetition on ads containing two types of rhetorical figures: easyto-understand rhymes and challenging puns. The findings indicate that high levels of repetition may not be necessary when ad headlines contain such rhetorical figures, even under conditions where subjects are not directed to process the ads. Moreover, in contrast to some prior work, rhymes appear to be at least as effective as puns when consumers are free to ignore ads. Overall, the research supports the idea that getting the ad message right is probably more important than simply repeating the message a greater number of times.
Thurstone's discriminal processes fifty years later

Four issues are discussed concerning Thurstone's discriminal processes: the distributions governing the representation, the nature of the response decision rules, the relation of the mean representation to physical characteristics of the stimulus, and factors affecting the variance of the representation. A neural schema underlying the representation is proposed which involves samples in time of pulse trains on individual neural fibers, estimators of parameters of the several pulse trains, samples of neural fibers, and an aggregation of the estimates over the sample. The resulting aggregated estimate is the Thurstonian representation. Two estimators of pulse rate, which is monotonic with signal intensity, are timing and counting ratios and two methods of aggregation are averaging and maximizing. These lead to very different predictions in a speed-accuracy experiment; data indicate that both estimators are available and the aggregation is by averaging. Magnitude estimation data are then used both to illustrate an unusual response rule and to study the psychophysical law. In addition, the pattern of variability and correlation of magnitude estimates on successive trials is interpreted in terms of the sample size over which the aggregation takes place. Neural sample size is equated with selective attention, and is an important factor affecting the variability of the representation. It accounts for the magical number seven phenomenon in absolute identification and predicts the impact of nonuniform distributions of intensities on the absolute identification of two frequencies.
Genomics and personalized medicine: a perspective

Dr Desnick is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Associate Dean for Genome-Based Research at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine (NY, USA) and Physician-in-Chief of the Department of Medical Genetics and Genomics at the Mount Sinai Hospital (NY, USA). In 1977 he joined the faculty of The Mount Sinai School of Medicine as the Arthur J and Nellie Z Cohen Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics, and as Chief of the Division of Medical and Molecular Genetics. In 1993 he became the first Chairman of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr Desnick’s research interests include molecular and biochemical genetics. He has published over 600 research papers and chapters, including nine edited books. He is Board Certified in clinical, biochemical and molecular genetics by the American Board of Medical Genetics (MD, USA) and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (IL, USA). He has been the recipient of various fellowshi...
Complexity Science—An Alternative Framework for Understanding Strategic Management in Public Serving Organizations

ABSTRACT Contemporary public-serving organizations—both government and nonprofit organizations—face increasing pressure to be innovative and adaptable amidst ongoing global changes. However, existing frameworks of strategic management are generally inadequate in managing the tensions between conflicting imperatives to be adaptable and innovative while providing stable and reliable services. In addition, existing strategic frameworks generally assume that strategic processes are dominated by a group of top decision makers. In contrast, public-serving organizations operate under growing legal and normative expectations to involve a diverse range of participants—individuals and organizations—in the strategy process. In this paper, we propose that complexity science offers promise in providing a theoretical framework that describes inclusive strategic processes that are associated with both innovation and emergent order. To more fully understand the potential contributions of complexity science, we provide an...
Electrostatics and Self-Contact in an Elastic Rod Approximation for DNA

DNA is a life-sustaining molecule that enables the storage and retrieval of genetic information. In its role during essential cellular processes, this long flexible molecule is significantly bent and twisted. Previously, we developed an elasto-dynamic rod approximation to study DNA deformed into a loop by a gene regulatory protein (lac repressor) and predicted the energetics and topology of the loops. Although adequate for DNA looping, our model neglected electrostatic interactions which are essential when considering processes that result in highly super-coiled DNA including plectonemes. Herein we extend the rod approximation to account for electrostatic interactions and present strategies that improve computational efficiency. Our calculations for the stability for a circularly bent rod and for an initially straight rod compare favorably to existing equilibrium models. With this new capability, we are now well-positioned to study the dynamics of transcription and other dynamic processes that result in DNA supercoiling.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Laboratory informatics based evaluation of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase C677T genetic test overutilization.

Background: Laboratory data can provide a wide range of information to estimate adherence to guidelines and proper utilization of genetic testing. The methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T variant has been demonstrated to have negligible utility in patient management. However, the testing of this variant remains pervasive. The purpose of this study was to develop methods to analyze concordance of clinician ordering practices with national guidelines. Methods: We used laboratory data to extract specific data elements including patient demographics, timestamps, physician ordering logs and temporal relationship to chemistry requests to examine 245 consecutive MTHFR tests ordered in 2011 at an academic tertiary center. A comprehensive chart review was used to identify indications for testing. These results were correlated with a retrospective analysis of 4,226 tests drawn at a range of hospitals requesting testing from a national reference laboratory over a 2-year period. MTHFR ordering practices drawn from 17 institutions were examined longitudinally from 2002 to 2011. Results: Indications for testing included cerebrovascular events (40.0%) and venous thrombosis (39.1%). Family history prompted testing in eight cases. Based on acceptable hypercoagulability guidelines recommending MTHFR C677T testing only in the presence of elevated serum homocysteine, 10.6% (22/207) of adult patients met an indicated threshold at an academic tertiary center. Among 77 institutions, 14.5% (613/4226) of MTHFR testing met recommendations. Conclusion: We demonstrate an effective method to examine discreet elements of a molecular diagnostics laboratory information system at a tertiary care institution and to correlate these findings at a national level. Retrospective examination of clinicians' request of MTHFR C677T genetic testing strongly suggests that clinicians have failed to adjust their ordering practices in light of evolving scientific and professional organization recommendations.
The Old Cuba Trade: Highlights and Case Studies of Cuban-American Interdependence during the Nineteenth Century

The profitability and the mechanisms of the old Cuban sugar trade are illustrated through Professor Ely's study of the leading businessmen involved.
Spectrum of antiarrhythmic response to encainide

Abstract Encainide is effective in suppressing non-life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias; however, inconsistent results have been noted in patients with more serious ventricular arrhythmias. Thirty-seven patients with drug-resistant ventricular arrhythmias were studied. Patients in group I (n = 11) had sustained ventricular tachycardia and those in group II (n = 26) had nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias. In group I, 8 patients had remote myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and sustained ventricular tachycardia requiring repeated cardioversion (group Ia). None of these patients responded to encainide treatment, but 6 did have an antiarrhythmic response (complete in 3 and only partial in 3) to other investigational antiarrhythmic agents. Three patients in group I, all without ischemic heart disease (group Ib), had an excellent antiarrhythmic response to encainide, as did 21 of 26 patients in group II. In 4 of 5 patients in group II who did not respond, the dosage was limited due to the development of sinus pauses, atrioventricular block or bundle branch block, and in 3 of these 4 patients preexisting conduction disease was evident (PR longer than 0.2 second or QRS longer than 0.12 second). Diplopia occurred while taking the maximal oral dosage in the fifth patient. At 21.5 months of follow-up, 14 of the original 24 patients who responded to encainide continue to receive it; 3 have died (all due to natural progression of left ventricular dysfunction) and encainide was discontinued in 7: in 2 because of syncope, in 2 because of new-onset atrial fibrillation, in 1 patient because of exercise-induced polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, in 1 because of diplopia and in 1 because of skin exanthem. Paradoxical worsening of ventricular arrhythmias occurred more frequently (p
The Birds and the Bees: Integrating Other Organisms

Ecological landscapes are full of life. The myriad organisms that inhabit living soil are just the beginning. Spores settle on every leaf. Insects crawl along stems, while birds hop, strut, and chatter. Animals, like plants, have diversified to inhabit most every climate. They have further diversified to exploit different plants in each environment, and even different parts of those plants, and also other animals. This explains why, if we accept Robert May's (2000) estimates of the number of species on Earth, there are 300,000 plants and more than five million animals. Most of these animals are insects, and most of them have yet to be identified.
The Decay of California's Prohibition of the Corporate Practice of Medicine

In the 1990s, dentists in North Carolina began to whiten teeth. A decade later, nondentists across the state began to provide the same services, but at a lower price. In 2006, the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners (the “N.C. Dental Board”) responded by issuing more than 47 cease-and-desist letters to parties whitening teeth without degrees in dentistry, and in 2007 the N.C. Dental Board enlisted the aid of the North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners to issue similar warnings, specifically to cosmetologists Their combined efforts were successful, and North Carolina nondentists soon stopped offering teeth whitening services.The United States Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) took exception to the actions by the N.C. Dental Board, and in 2010 the FTC filed an administrative complaint, alleging the N.C. Dental Board acted deliberately for the benefit of North Carolina dentists and to the detriment of North Carolina nondentists. According to the FTC, these anticompetitive and unfair tactics violated the Federal Trade Commission Act, and in particular Section 5.In its 6-3 decision referring to the roles of dentists and nondentists in North Carolina, the Supreme Court reached a far greater audience than those concerned with tooth color in the Tar Heel state. In point of fact, the Court’s ruling did much to undermine most if not all authority held by professional organizations in California, including in particular the Medical Board of California (“MBC”). This article explores how and why such change came about.
Difference-frequency generation in MgO:LiNbO 3 tunable from 2.5 to 5 µm

Tunable coherent infrared sources are very useful for spectroscopic applications. The LiNbO3 crystal has been widely used to efficiently yield tunable mid-IR output (2.5 - 4.3 µm) because of its excellent linear and nonlinear optical properties in that wavelength range.1 However, its applications in nonlinear optics have been restricted by photorefractive damage. This has been greatly improved by doping LiNbO3 with MgO2. We report a practical operation of an MgO:LiNbO3-based difference-frequency generation (DFG) system that can generate mid-IR output tunable from 2.5 µm to 5 µm.
The Effects of Accounting Knowledge and Context on the Omission of Opportunity Costs in Resource Allocation Decisions

This paper uses a laboratory experiment to investigate the joint influence of accounting knowledge and decision context on the tendency of decision makers to ignore opportunity costs in resource allocation decisions. In the experiment, accounting knowledge was measured in two ways: discretely and continuously. The discrete measure classified subjects into high- and low-accounting knowledge categories based upon the program of graduate business study in which the subjects were enrolled. The continuous measure was the number of accounting courses the subjects had completed. Decision context was a manipulated variable. Subjects were presented with a resource allocation decision in either a business or a personal context. The experimental design randomized context treatments and controlled for the potential effect of analytical ability on performance. The experiment produced the counter-intuitive result that high-accounting knowledge interferes with a decision maker's ability to incorporate opportunity costs into a business decision, but such knowledge does not interfere with a decision maker's ability to factor opportunity costs into a personal decision. In particular, the results indicate that the number of opportunity costs ignored by subjects in a business resource allocation decision is greater for subjects with high-accounting knowledge than for subjects with low-accounting knowledge. The experiment also indicates that subjects with high-accounting knowledge ignore a greater number of opportunity costs when the decision is posed in a business context than when it is posed in a personal context. Finally, ex-post analyses show that the experiment's findings are robust to differences in the subjects' maximization objective for the resource allocation task.
Reversing the narrative of hillbilly history: a case study using archaeology at Van Winkle's Mill in the Arkansas Ozarks

One of the most powerful and pervasive narratives at work in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains is that of the “hillbilly.” This narrative emphasizes ruralness, whiteness, and an antimodern attitude that both frames how the world sees the Ozarks and how Arkansans see themselves. Since 1997, archaeological investigations have been ongoing at Van Winkle’s Mill, the site of a late-19th-century sawmill community in the Arkansas Ozarks. This multidisciplinary research endeavor has provided important information about the African diaspora in the Ozarks and also aided in the understanding of the industrialization and modernization of the region. Most importantly, it provided a platform for public history that may shed light on the processes of remembering and forgetting at work in Ozark history that have led to the proliferation of myths about the Ozark past and the erasure of a rich African American heritage in the region.
Styles of Pain Coping Predict Cardiovascular Function Following a Cold Pressor Test

BACKGROUND: While many studies have examined the impact of pain-related coping in adjustment to chronic pain, relatively few have evaluated the physiological consequences of differences in pain-coping styles.
The influence of subcutaneous injections of morphine upon the hydrogen ion concentration of the urine in the dog and rabbit

The subcutaneous administration of morphine (morphine sulphate, 10 mg. per kilo body weight) to fasting dogs results in the excretion of a strongly alkaline urine, which may persist for a period of twenty-four hours or more. The alkalinity is undoubtedly due to the presence of carbonates since addition of acid to the urine causes effervescence of carbon dioxide. After the urine has resumed its usual acid character a subsequent injection of morphine may fail to elicit an alkaline urine although the hydrogen ion concentration may be diminished appreciably. On the day of morphine introduction there is usually a definite increase in the elimination of the total urinary nitrogen.Rabbits fasted until they excrete a strongly acid urine show no significant change in the hydrogen ion concentration of the urine nor is the total nitrogen altered even though very large doses (80 mg. per kilo) of morphine are subcutaneously introduced. These results are in accord with the well-known resistance of rabbits to morphine n...
Abstract A61: Deleterious consequences of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations via CRISPR-Cas9 in ancestrally distinct triple-negative breast cancer cell lines

There is a critical need to identify additional viable treatment options for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) that is more likely to develop in African American (AA) women who have a lower incidence of BCa, in general, but have a higher mortality from all invasive BCa subtypes compared to Caucasian (CA) women. The ground-breaking genomic editing CRISPR-Cas9 technology was used to better understand cancer driving mutations amongst two different genetic backgrounds. Using this tool, potentially deleterious mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 DNA repair genes were introduced in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) lines from African or Caucasian ancestries. The dependence of the tumor protein p53 (TP53) activity due to the R248Q mutation was also be examined by reverting that mutation to wild-type. As a positive control, we also targeted the “187delAG” mutation in the BRCA1 gene. This mutation is a two base-pair deletion (AG), causing a frameshift mutation resulting in a stop codon and premature truncation leading functional loss of BRCA1. Following successful introduction of this variant in two TNBC cell lines (AA: HCC70 & CA: HCC1143), two other variants identified previously by next generation sequencing of 32 high risk patients (young African American women with breast cancer) were also tested. To introduce the variants, guide RNA (gRNA) sequences were designed using the online CRISPR design tool (http://crispr.mit.edu). Three optimal gRNAs were chosen to limit off-target effects, mismatches close to the PAM site and minimize the distance to the target site. To ensure homologous recombination repair, template donor sequences (100bp) were designed with the target variant as well as a silent mutation site to introduce either an Hpy8I or SsiI cut site. Cells were transfected via Lipofectamine Messenger Max with the donor sequence, mRNA for the Cas9 protein and gRNA from the GeneArt CRISPR T7 Strings system. The most efficient gRNA was chosen for further optimization. Finally, the R248Q TP53 mutation in both cell lines was reverted to wild-type. The introduction of these mutations were tested for the effects on cell survival in response to ionizing radiation and bleomycin to determine the functional consequences. Future studies will introduce variants of unknown significance for functional testing to better understand potential drug targets in precision medicine. Citation Format: Marcus Spears, Luisel Ricks-Santi, John Tyson McDonald. Deleterious consequences of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations via CRISPR-Cas9 in ancestrally distinct triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A61.
Ablation and Cementation Technologies

Metastatic bone tumors can replace and compress normal healthy tissue, causing structural instability, elicit pain, and cause fractures which often require treatment. Treatment has historically focused on radiation, medical, and surgical options with interventional therapies providing a limited role. Interventional therapies, however, continue to evolve providing additional treatment options such as vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, radiofrequency ablation, and cryoablation for metastatic bone malignancies, particularly for treatment of spinal tumors and their associated pathologies. These interventional therapies can provide alternate or complimentary therapies for patients in the appropriate clinical setting. This chapter provides an overview of these interventional treatment options and discusses some of the more recent developments in this rapidly growing field.
Reactions of snail secretions and lymphocytes to Schistosoma japonicum larvae in Oncomelania hupensis pre-infected with Exorchis trematode

The objective was to understand the reactions of snail secretions and lymphocytes to the larval Schistosoma japonicum in Oncomelania hupensis snails pre-infected with Exorchis sp.and they were compared with the conditions of negative O.hupensis snails,snails singly infected with Exorchis,and singly infected with S.japonicum.In the snails at 12-105 d after infection with Exorchis,snail secretions and lymphocytes increased much.Those situations were also found in the O.hupensis snails dual infected with Exorchis and S.japonicum.Thick secretion with granular and crystal structure on snail body surface and in snail inner tissue were much small secretive granules with some small cell nuclei,lymphocyte with spherical nuclei of 3 varying sizes and accessory gland cells,some of which were found in the bodies of all abnormal S.japonicum larvae.In the negative O.hupensis and snails singly infected by S.japonicum the secretions and lymphocytes were very few.Neither secretive granule nor lymphocytes was found in any bodies of S.japonicum larvae in O.hupensis snail singly infected by S.japonicum.
Do School Report Cards Produce Accountability Through the Ballot Box

Public education has been transformed by the widespread adoption of accountability systems that involve the dissemination of school district performance information. Using data from Ohio, we examine if elections serve as one channel through which these accountability systems might lead to improvements in educational quality. We find little evidence that poor performance on widely disseminated state and federal indicators has an impact on school board turnover, the vote share of sitting school board members, or superintendent tenure, suggesting that the dissemination of district performance information puts little (if any) electoral pressure on elected officials to improve student achievement.
Injury surveillance in Jinan,2013

Objective To understand epidemiological characteristics of injury in Jinan in 2013 and provide evidence for the target intervention of injury. Methods The incidence data of injury in 2013 were collected from sentinel hospitals in Jinan. Results A total of 4021 injury cases were reported in 2013. The male to female ratio of the cases was 1. 84∶ 1.The cases aged 15- 64 years accounted for the largest proportion( 81. 20%),followed by the cases aged 65 years( 12. 66%). The cases in famers,workers and students accounted for 73. 36%,8. 73% and 4. 77% respectively. The incidence peaks occurred between 8 and 11 o'clock a. m. and between 15 and 17 o'clock p. m.,during which 2093 cases were reported( 53. 42%). The injuries mainly occurred on road and street( 39. 59%),at home( 30. 96%) and at industrial or construction sites( 13. 16%). Blunt instrument injury, puncture wound / sharp instrument injury and overexertion injury were the first 3 injuries,accounting for 73. 39%,8. 16% and 5. 99% respectively. The first 3 injury sites were face,upper limb and lower limb,accounting for 30. 99%,22. 23% and 21. 84% respectively. Conclusion M ore injuries occurred in males than in females. Blunt instrument hit,puncture / sharp instrument cut and overexertion were the major injury causes. M ost cases were unintentional injuries.
Considerations for a Primary Care Physician Assistant in Treating Kidney Transplant Recipients

The escalating amount of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) represents a significant dilemma for primary care providers. As the number of physician assistants (PAs) has been steadily increasing in primary care in the United States, the utilization of these healthcare professionals presents a solution for the care of post-kidney transplant recipients. A physician assistant (PA) is a state licensed healthcare professional who practices medicine under physician supervision and can alleviate some of the increasing demands for primary patient care. Here we provide an outline of the crucial components and considerations for PAs caring for kidney transplant recipients. These include renal function and routine screenings, drug monitoring (both immunosuppressive and therapeutic), pre-existing and co-existing conditions, immunizations, nutrition, physical activity, infection, cancer, and the patient's emotional well-being. PAs should routinely monitor renal function and blood chemistry of KTRs. Drug monitoring of KTRs is a crucial responsibility of the PA because of the possible side-effects and potential drug-drug interactions. Therefore, PAs should obtain a careful and detailed patient history from KTRs. PAs should be aware of pre- and co-existing conditions of KTRs as this impacts treatment decisions. Regarding immunization, PAs should avoid administering vaccines containing live or attenuated viruses to KTRs. Because obesity following kidney transplantation is associated with decreased allograft survival, PAs should encourage KTRs to maintain a balanced diet with limited sugar. In addition, KTRs should be urged to gradually increase their levels of physical activity over subsequent years following surgery. PAs should be aware that immunosuppressive medications diminish immune defenses and make KTRs more susceptible to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Moreover, KTRs should be screened routinely for cancer due to the higher risk of development from immunosuppressive therapy. PAs must remain cognizant of the emotional well-being of the KTR, as many transplant patients struggle with fear, frustration, and acceptance.
Distributed adaptive framework for multispectral/hyperspectral imagery and three-dimensional point cloud fusion

A proposed framework using spectral and spatial information is introduced for neural net multisensor data fusion. This consists of a set of independent-sensor neural nets, one for each sensor (type of data), coupled to a fusion net. The neural net of each sensor is trained from a representative data set of the particular sensor to map to a hypothesis space output. The decision outputs from the sensor nets are used to train the fusion net to an overall decision. During the initial processing, three-dimensional (3-D) point cloud data (PCD) are segmented using a multidimensional mean-shift algorithm into clustered objects. Concurrently, multiband spectral imagery data (multispectral or hyperspectral) are spectrally segmented by the stochastic expectation–maximization into a cluster map containing (spectral-based) pixel classes. For the proposed sensor fusion, spatial detections and spectral detections complement each other. They are fused into final detections by a cascaded neural network, which consists of two levels of neural nets. The success of the approach in utilizing sensor synergism for an enhanced classification is demonstrated for the specific case of classifying hyperspectral imagery and PCD extracted from LIDAR, obtained from an airborne data collection over the campus of University of Southern Mississippi, Gulfport, Mississippi.
Enforcing spectrum access rules in cognitive radio networks through cooperative jamming

In Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) with dynamic spectrum access, it is of paramount importance to ensure the spectrum access rules are honestly followed by each secondary user. Existing approaches either require significant modifications to the system hardware, or can only deter the spectrum abuse from happening by punishing abusers after-the-fact, which is ineffective in reality as there lacks universal identification for each device. In this paper, we propose a novel spectrum access rule enforcing scheme by introducing a "spectrum guardian", who punishes abusers immediately on-the-scene through optimally jamming their signals using multiple antennas while without affecting the communication between primary users, thus removing abusers' incentive to exploit the spectrum for their own benefit. Our scheme requires no modifications to Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) CR devices, nor the need of device identification.
Networks in Finance

Finance is concerned with the study of capital flows over space and time in the presence of risk. As a subject, it has benefited from numerous mathematical and engineering tools that have been developed and utilized for the modeling, analysis, and computation of solutions in the present complex economic environment. Indeed, the financial landscape today is characterized by the existence of distinct sectors in economies, the proliferation of new financial instruments, with increasing diversification of portfolios internationally, various transaction costs, the increasing growth of electronic transactions through advances in information technology and, in particular, the Internet, and different types of governmental policy interventions. Hence, rigorous methodological tools that can capture the complexity and richness of financial decision-making today and that can take advantage of powerful computer resources have never been more important and needed for financial quantitative analyses.