cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-sectional Imaging of the Female Urethra: Technique and Results

Clinical assessment of women with urethral symptoms is difficult, necessitating further evaluation with imaging. Urethrography provides limited information on luminal abnormalities of the urethra. Recent advances in ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have dramatically improved evaluation of the female urethra, clarifying findings at physical examination and providing accurate road maps for surgeons. High-resolution transvaginal US, transperineal US, and transurethral US are reliable techniques for diagnosis and characterization of urethral abnormalities. High-resolution multiplanar MR imaging with phased-array pelvic and endovaginal coils demonstrates the urethral anatomy in greater detail. In women with urethral diverticula, US and MR imaging demonstrate the number of diverticula and the location, size, configuration, and possible contents of the sac. Most important, the position of the neck of the diverticulum may be identified for the surgeon. Imaging features do not allow differentiation between histologic subtypes of urethral carcinoma; the diagnosis is established with histopathologic examination. Periurethral cysts do not communicate with the urethra and therefore can often be differentiated from urethral diverticula at endocavitary MR imaging. High-resolution multiplanar US and MR imaging allow comprehensive evaluation of abnormalities of the female urethra.
Mechanisms for the regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone gene expression in the developing mouse

The release of GnRH peptide from neuroterminals in the median eminence increases during postnatal development. We were interested in determining the biosynthetic component contributing to the regulation of GnRH decapeptide levels, and ascertaining the molecular mechanism for these changes. Male and female C57bl/6 mice, from embryonic day (E)16 through postnatal day (P)60, were killed, and the preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus was dissected out. Cytoplasmic and nuclear RNA were extracted separately. Levels of GnRH messenger RNA (mRNA) and primary transcript were quantitated in individual preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions, respectively, by ribonuclease protection assays. Serum LH levels were assayed by RIA. GnRH mRNA levels in the cytoplasm increased gradually and significantly during postnatal development in both males and females, reaching a peak at P55 in females and P40 in males. GnRH primary transcript levels in the nucleus, an index of GnRH gene transcription, cha...
Microstructural Behavior and Failure of FCC Crystalline Aggregates

A unified dislocation density-based microstructural representation of f.c.c. crystalline materials, has been developed such that the microstructural behavior can be accurately predicted at different physical scales. This microstructural framework is based on coupling a multiple-slip crystal plasticity formulation to three distinct dislocation densities, which pertain to statistically stored dislocations (SSDs), geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs), and grain boundary dislocations (GBDs). This interrelated dislocation-density formulation is then used with specialized finite-element modeling techniques to predict the evolving heterogeneous microstructure and the localized phenomena that can contribute to failure initiation as a function of inelastic deformation.
Inverse modeling using PS-InSAR for improved calibration of hydraulic parameters and prediction of future subsidence for Las Vegas Valley, USA

Abstract. Las Vegas Valley has had a long history of surface deformation due to groundwater pumping that began in the early 20th century. After nearly 80 years of pumping, PS-InSAR interferograms have revealed detailed and complex spatial patterns of subsidence in the Las Vegas Valley area that do not coincide with major pumping regions. High spatial and temporal resolution subsidence observations from InSAR and hydraulic head data were used to inversely calibrate transmissivities (T), elastic and inelastic skeletal storage coefficients (Ske and Skv) of the developed-zone aquifer and conductance (CR) of the basin-fill faults for the entire Las Vegas basin. The results indicate that the subsidence observations from PS-InSAR are extremely beneficial for accurately quantifying hydraulic parameters, and the model calibration results are far more accurate than when using only water-levels as observations, and just a few random subsidence observations. Future predictions of land subsidence to year 2030 were made on the basis of existing pumping patterns and rates. Simulation results suggests that subsidence will continue in northwest subsidence bowl area, which is expected to undergo an additional 11.3 cm of subsidence. Even mitigation measures that include artificial recharge and reduced pumping do not significantly reduce the compaction in the northwest subsidence bowl. This is due to the slow draining of thick confining units in the region. However, a small amount of uplift of 0.4 cm is expected in the North and Central bowl areas over the next 20 years.
Beyond Monte Carlo: A Computational Framework for Uncertainty Propagation in Planetary Entry, Descent and Landing

Space system verification and validation require high fidelity simulations to predict system performance in presence of uncertainties in the spacecraft and environment. Bruteforce Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are overly resource-expensive for such high-dimensional nonlinear systems. A computational framework for uncertainty propagation in planetary entry, descent and landing is proposed that goes beyond traditional MC based dispersion analysis. The methodology and simulation results for this transfer operator based method are provided and compared with MC results to bring forth the computational efficacies.
Taste responses of calves to various concentrations of different salts

Experiments were conducted to observe the taste responses of male and female calves to various levels of sodium salts, chloride solutions, and trace minerals. Animals were penned individually and given a completely pelleted ration ad libitum . Trace mineralized salt was freely available. Using water as a basis for determination, a non-discrimination zone was established. This zone represented an intake ranging from 63 to 37%. Preference threshold was set at 80% of intake, while the rejection threshold was set at 20% of intake. Responses were determined by expressing the intake of the test solution as a percentage of the total intake during the test period. Responses at a given chemical concentration were measured during two 8-hr periods. Taste response observations were made on the following: 0·02, 0·08, 0·32 or 1·25% sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium sulphate (Na 2 SO 4 ), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ), sodium carbonate, monobasic sodium phosphate (NaH 2 PO 4 ), dibasic sodium phosphate (Na 2 HPO 4 ), ammonium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and manganese chloride. In addition, observations were made when 0·02, 0·08, 0·32 or 1·25% NaHCO 3 , Na 2 SO 4 , or Na 2 HPO 4 were offered in opposition to equal concentrations of NaCl. The responses to 5, 10, 20, 40 and 60 p.p.m. concentrations of cupric chloride, zinc chloride, molybdenum trioxide and cobaltous chloride were observed also.
A Systematic Study of the Organisms Distributed under the Name of Coccobacillus Acridiorum D’Herelle

A large amount of work has lately appeared dealing with d’Herelle’s Coccobacillus acridiorum and his method of combating noxious grasshoppers. Some investigators have been able to confirm d’Herelle’s results; others have been unable to do so, and since the entire subject seems to be in a state of confusion, I undertook a systematic study of a number of cultures which I obtained and which were distributed under the name of Coccobacillus acridiorum d’Herelle. As I suspected, some of the separate cultures proved to represent either different species or varieties of the same species. This fact may account for some of the contradictory views held by so many workers and it is my hope that this article will also demonstrate the need for attention to the ordinary principles of bacteriology which seem to be so persistently neglected by many entomologists.
The Penile Versus the Perineal Approach With the Small-Carrion Prosthesis

AbstractWe reviewed our experience with insertion of the Small-Carrion prosthesis and compared the penile to the perineal approach. We found that the penile approach is more satisfactory since it resulted in fewer complications and a shorter operative time.
Increased expression of ceruloplasmin in the retina following photic injury.

PURPOSE Oxidative stress plays a role in the photic injury model of retinal degeneration and in age-related macular degeneration. Our preliminary microarray analysis of retinal gene expression upon photic injury suggested increased expression of ceruloplasmin, a ferroxidase that could reduce retinal oxidative stress. Patients with acerul oplasminemia have retinal degeneration, indicating that ceruloplasmin is necessary for maintenance of retinal health. The purpose of this study was to determine whether retinal ceruloplasmin is upregulated following photo-oxidation, to localize ceruloplasmin protein, and to determine which ceruloplasmin isoform is present in the retina. METHODS Balb/c mice were exposed to bright white light for seven hours. TUNEL labeling was used to detect photoreceptor apoptosis. At several intervals after the light injury, retinal ceruloplasmin was studied by quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western analysis. Expression of the secreted and expression of the membrane-anchored glycosyl phosphatidyl inositol (GPI) linked forms of ceruloplasmin were assesed in rat retina using primers specific for each form. Vitreous ceruloplasmin was detected by immunohistochemistry in Balb/c mouse eyes and by western analysis of aspirated vitreous from post-mortem human eyes. RESULTS Retinal ceruloplasmin mRNA was upregulated eight-fold following photic injury. Ceruloplasmin protein was detected throughout normal retinas by immunohistochemistry, with a specific increase in Muller cell labeling following photic injury. Western analysis confirmed an increase in ceruloplasmin protein following photic injury and revealed eight-fold more ceruloplasmin protein in normal retina than in brain. The mRNAs for both the secreted and GPI linked forms of ceruloplasmin were detected by RT-PCR in the retina. Ceruloplasmin protein was detected by western analysis of normal human vitreous and was increased in mouse vitreous following photic injury. CONCLUSIONS Ceruloplasmin, a retinal ferroxidase, is upregulated at the mRNA and protein levels upon light damage. The increased protein is primarily in Muller cells. Ceruloplasmin is considerably more abundant in retina than in brain. The retina expresses both the GPI-linked and secreted forms of ceruloplasmin, and since vitreous ceruloplasmin increases following photic injury, some of the retinal ceruloplasmin may be secreted into the vitreous. Ceruloplasmin may protect the retina from oxidative stress by decreasing the amount of ferrous iron available to produce reactive oxygen species.
On Halstead’s Language Level

The theory of Software Science, proposed by Halstead [1977] deals with measurable properties of computer programs. In software science, a computer program is considered to be a string of tokens which are divided into “operators” and “operands”. Generally, any symbol or keyword group in a program that specifies an algorithmic action of the computer is considered an operator, and any symbol used to represent data is considered an operand. All software science measures are functions of the counts of the operators and the operands.
Introduction: The Toby Waller Stereotype

The image of the black male in the twenty-first century is projected as a Toby Waller stereotype. He is the fictional, yet, symbolic character from Alex Haley’s highly acclaimed book and mini-series, Roots. It is a richly detailed, fictional story about slavery and an enslaved African man’s struggle to regain freedom. The parallel of the life of enslaved Toby Waller and present day black males is that, by and large, their lives are on a similar plane. Both are individuals who are often stripped of their cultural identity and exist within an institutional and systemic framework in American society that devalues black male life. For centuries, the embodiment of black males has been subjected to racial castigation. Their societal worth has continually been a cord of debate. Once counted as three-fifths of a person in the US Constitution, the struggle to fight for their devalued status has at times been challenged by a society that has yet to grapple with the history of slavery.
Pacific Worlds: Trading rings and tidal empires

That a reconstructed voyaging canoe from Polynesia should make a twenty-first-century journey to Micronesia to define the Pacific is historically fitting, for the water world of small islands and atolls had long played a key role in Oceanian histories. Archeologists have determined that Taiwan was a likely origin point for voyagers out towards the Marianas, and the indigenous language is a first-order branch of the Austronesian family that spread east. In addition, ceramics from the third millennium BCE seem to share common features with Marianas Red Ware and shell artifacts. Successive generations of voyaging settlers were original human colonizers. In the islands and atolls, Micronesian ancestors developed sophisticated trading and tribute systems and have been renowned across generations for their wayfinding genius. Navigator Mau Piailug himself hailed from Satawal and carried in him traditions of an epic heritage.
Introduction: From Popular Fronts to Liberal Conspiracies

It was on the USS Missouri that World War II finally came to an end. Her deck, once a theater of war, was the stage for World War II’s final act: the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. Waving in the brisk winds that September day were two American flags. One was a fresh set of stars and stripes from the many spare flags onboard the ship. The other was the flag that had waved from the mast of Admiral Matthew Perry’s ship, the USS Mississippi, when it entered Tokyo Bay in 1853. Presiding over the signing in 1945 was General Douglas MacArthur. As the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces and a direct descendant of Perry’s family, MacArthur was styled as the second “opener” of Japan. On VJ Day MacArthur had this past in mind and it weighed heavily on his present. But what sort of American past did Perry represent to MacArthur? After the ceremony, MacArthur approached a microphone to address the Americans who had tuned in to listen to the event on the radio. His comments give us some insight into how MacArthur understood Perry’s role in American history: We stand in Tokyo today reminiscent of our countryman, Commodore Perry, ninety-two years ago. His purpose was to bring to Japan an era of enlightenment and progress, by lifting the veil of isolation to the friendship, trade, and commerce of the world. But alas the knowledge thereby gained of Western science was forged into an instrument of oppression and human enslavement. Freedom of expression, freedom of action, even freedom of thought was denied through appeal to superstition, and through the application of force. We are committed by the Potsdam Declaration of principles to see that Japanese people are liberated from this condition of slavery. (316)
Simulating Civilian and U.S. Military Use of European Airspace

A request for modeling of the European air traffic environment was addressed using an existing playback and analysis capability. Previously used only to represent United States (US) airspace, the tool was accoutered to handle civilian air traffic over Europe and part of southwest Asia, as well as U.S. military flights pursuing specific tactical missions. Analysts and developers searched the World Wide Web and were able to identify and retrieve several key elements necessary for a simulation: a source for commercial traffic routes, traffic growth factors for future years, the upper wind field, and formulae for discerning localized traffic congestion. The completed simulation infrastructure was used to answer questions regarding purchasing advanced avionic equipment for the U.S. military aircraft fleet. Full details addressing those questions can be found in (Wigfield, 2006)
Body size and thermal tolerance in tropical gobies

Abstract Climatic models have projected an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves and cold events over the next century that have the potential to disrupt community dynamics, by reducing resilience of keystone species, such as cleaner fishes. One of the universal responses to global warming, together with shifts in geographic range and phenology, is the reduction of body size across taxonomic groups. As this phenomenon will likely play a major role in shaping communities, we investigate the effect of body size on acute thermal tolerance in cleaner gobies. In this study we set out to test the hypothesis that smaller fishes may be better able to tolerate acute temperature changes in the environment thus making them more resilient during extreme thermal events. We raised cleaner gobies of the genus Elacatinus ( E. oceanops and the dwarf-sized E. lobeli ) under common garden conditions and tested the effect of inter-individual variation in adult body size on thermal tolerance, using critical thermal methodology. Results from this study show that both species exhibit a limited capacity for acquired thermal tolerance following acclimation. Additionally, the smaller E. lobeli was able to tolerate higher and lower temperatures than E. oceanops . However, E. oceanops showed intraspecific difference in thermal tolerance, with smaller individuals being more thermo-tolerant. The comparison within these two species suggests that body size could have a role in thermo-tolerance and future physiological studies may test a range of sizes to capture the variation in responses of species and populations to temperature stress.
Abstract 624: Evaluation and comparison of two commercially available targeted NGS platforms to assist oncology decision making

Background: It is widely acknowledged that there is value in examining cancers for genomic aberrations via Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue. How commercially available NGS platforms compare with each other and the clinical utility of the reported actionable results is not well known. During the course of the study, the Foundation One (F1) test generated data on a combination of somatic mutations, indels, chromosomal abnormalities, and DNA copy number changes at ∼250X coverage, while the PCDx test generated the same type of data at >5,000X coverage plus provided mRNA expression levels. We sought to compare and evaluate paired FFPE tumor using these two platforms. Methods: Paired FFPE blocks from patients were submitted to both vendors for NGS analysis. Samples were from patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients either had a cancer type for which no standard of care exists or had progression on >1 line of systemic therapy. Turnaround time (TAT) was calculated (calendar days between the date sample received at the vendor to time of first NGS report). A biomarker was considered actionable if it has a published association with treatment response in humans. The assay report was assigned the highest of the following categories based on the list of actionable biomarker(s): commercially available drug (CA) (highest), clinical trial drug (CT), or neither option (NO) (lowest). Results: There were 10M:11F; median age was 56 (range 35-65). The most common cancer types were 7 thoracic, 4 GI, and 3 GU. Paired F1 and PCDx results for 21 unique patient tumors submitted between 3/2014 and 9/2014 were available. Due to insufficient archival tissue from the same collection period, 1 case used samples from different collections. PCDx reported first results faster than F1 in 20 cases. When received at both vendors on the same day, PCDX reported first results for 14 of 15 cases, with a median TAT of 9 days earlier than F1 (range -7 to 14 days). PCDx and F1 reported a CA 6 and 5 times, CT 4 and 4 times, and NO 11 and 12 times; respectively. PCDx provided higher ranking actionable targets for 5 cases vs. 3 cases for F1; the rest had equivalent ranking. Conclusions: In this analysis, commercially available NGS platforms provided clinically relevant actionable targets (CA or CT) in ∼45% of diverse cancer types. PCDx outperformed F1 in TAT and clinically relevant higher ranking of actionable targets. Citation Format: Glen J. Weiss, Brandi R. Hoff, Robert P. Whitehead, Ashish Sangal, Susan A. Gingrich, Vivek Khemka. Evaluation and comparison of two commercially available targeted NGS platforms to assist oncology decision making. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 624. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-624
Fostering success: Understanding the experience of foster youth undergraduates

Abstract Although foster youth aspire to complete college, studies suggest that less than 10% are successful in obtaining a bachelor's degree (McMillen, Auslander, Elze, White, & Thompson, 2003; Rios & Rocco, 2014; Wolanin, 2005). The low graduation rates suggest that these students face unique obstacles in attaining their educational goals. To date, there is little information about the particular challenges they face. To address this gap, this paper presents survey findings of undergraduates enrolled at a public university and engaged in a campus support program for foster care alumni. Results show that these students are hesitant to disclose their foster youth identity, need help securing stable housing and suffer from food insecurity. Campus support programs and services help students feel a sense of belonging and safety on campus. Findings can aid policy makers and student affairs staff in refining current support systems for foster youth to increase enrollment and rate of graduation.
Contributions of Cognitive Neuroscience to the Understanding of Behavior and Aging

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some of the contributions that the cognitive neuroscience approach has produced so far in the area of aging. These include the existence of functional difference between younger and older adults, both in the timing and sequence of brain processes, and in the brain areas that are recruited during the performance of specific tasks. These age-related effects are likely to reflect differential strategic processes in task performance, as well as in anatomical and physiological changes in the brain substrate. Within a network view of brain function, it will be important to explore the relationship between areas that are involved in memory, attentional, and other processes. The chapter discusses a couple of promising areas of research on aging and neurocognitive function. Techniques used in the examination of human brain structure and function are analyzed. These techniques are used to examine some specific questions concerning changes in the brain and cognition across the adult life span.
The Origins of Complex Dispute Resolution Provisions

Although disputes are frequent in interorganizational relationships, they are more or less difficult to resolve. Contractual mechanisms of dispute resolution designed ex ante have important implica...
Review: Melania: Early Christianity Through the Life of One Family, edited by Catherine M. Chin and Caroline T. Schroeder

Catherine M. Chin and Caroline T. Schroeder, eds. Melania: Early Christianity Through the Life of One Family . Christianity in Late Antiquity. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2017. 328 pp. ISBN 9780520292086. $95.00. Melania is a tribute to the renowned historian Elizabeth Clark. It is a tribute in a concrete and rather obvious sense, in that the volume is dedicated to Clark and most of the essays derive from papers presented at a 2013 Duke symposium held in her honor. More importantly, the book embodies a coherent and compelling intellectual project and vision—unusual for a Festschrift—that is a tribute not only to the paths opened up by Clark's groundbreaking publications but also to her extraordinary teaching career. Clark has trained an entire generation of skilled and gifted scholars of late ancient Christianity, two of whom, Catherine Chin and Caroline Schroeder, edited Melania . Chin, Schroeder, and the other contributing authors (most of whom were also her students) have clearly worked hard to produce a book that gathers and carries forth Clark's multifaceted contributions while also continuing to move them in new directions. Some of what makes the volume work so well is structural: the essays cross-reference each other frequently and effectively; references to Clark's work are pulled through the chapters rather than merely providing jumping off points; and in addition to the general Introduction, each of the six parts (“Aristocracy,” “Body and Family,” “Gender and Memory,” “Wisdom and Heresy,” “In the Holy Places,” and “Modernity”) opens with an introduction of its own. More significant, though, is the wager that provokes and unifies the volume's contributions, namely, that it might be possible to write new histories of early Christianity by attending to the lives of two Roman women, each named Melania—the so-called Elder (ca. 341–ca.410) and …
Counteractive effects of increased temperature and p CO 2 on the thickness and chemistry of the carapace of juvenile blue crab, Callinectes sapidus , from the Patuxent River, Chesapeake Bay

Abstract Exoskeletons are central to the physiology and survival of marine invertebrates, but future increases in the temperature and pCO2 of the marine environment may alter the biomineralization processes involved in their formation. Thus, it is important to consider the impacts of a changing climate on the functionality of invertebrate exoskeletons. In this study, juvenile blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, from the Chesapeake Bay were exposed to increased temperature and pCO2 in a 2 × 2 factorial design for a period of two molts (approximately 30 days). Treatment levels were chosen to represent current (26 °C and 800 μatm CO2) and predicted future conditions in the year 2100 (32 °C and 8000 μatm CO2) in the Chesapeake Bay. Thickness was determined by light microscopy and carapace calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) content were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectrometry. All Ca and Mg in the carapace were assumed to be present in the form of high‑magnesium calcite (HMC). Increased temperature decreased the thickness of juvenile blue crab carapaces by 8.5% and significantly reduced weight percent HMC by 2.0% (P
Resting-State Functional Connectivity Measured By Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy

We used Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy to show that Resting State Functional Connectivity in dorsolateral-dorsolateral region is significantly stronger than inferior-dorsolateral regions in nine adult subjects, in line with previous observations with functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
Touching to See: Tactile Learning, Assistive Technologies, and 3-D Printing

ART AND DESIGN EDUCATION IS MOST VITAL WHEN REALIZED AS A WORLD REIMAGINED. There is an important opportunity to reimagine our world when embracing the learning styles and abilities of all that par...
Autoimmune liver disease and the enteric microbiome

The human enteric microbiome is highly complex and has more than 150 times more genes within it than its host. The host and the microbiome have a commensurate relationship that can evolve over time. The typically symbiotic relationship between the two can become pathogenic. The microbiome composition in adults reflects their history of exposure to bacteria and environmental factors during early life, their genetic background, age, interactions with the immune system, geographical location, and, most especially, their diet. Similarly, these factors are thought to contribute to the development of autoimmune disease. It is possible that alterations in the intestinal microbiome could lead to liver disease. There is emerging data for the contribution of the microbiome in development of primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis, and autoimmune hepatitis; liver disorders associated with aberrant immune function in genetically susceptible individuals.
Justice for Border Crossing Communities: Lessons from Property Law

This paper seeks to advance the conceptual and normative analysis of what Rogers Smith (2014) calls “appropriately differentiated citizenship” for a particular category of would-be border crossers who have so far been absent from the normative literature on immigration and exclusion: border crossing peoples. Such peoples are defined by a longstanding history of crossing a particular international border for reasons — cultural, political, and/or economic — central to their collective identity. National territorial rights theorists such as David Miller argue that restrictive immigration policies can be justified via a collectivist Lockean analogy: private property rights are to individuals as national territory rights are to national communities. In this paper, I accept the basic validity of this analogy, but suggest it may demand heretofore unappreciated restrictions on the scope of permissible territorial exclusions. In particular, I argue (following the private property analogy) that national territorial rights ought to be understood as being subject to border crossing easements. Such border crossing rights have been granted in a number of cases, most commonly for residents or those who have regular business in territorial enclaves, and indigenous peoples whose traditional territory straddled an international border. Beyond those easements currently existing, I argue that other longstanding migration patterns, such as labor migration from Lesotho to South Africa or Mexico to the United States, also meet the conditions for an easement right. National territorial rights theorists are mistaken insofar as they deploy the collectivist Lockean property analogy one-sidedly in the direction of justifying restrictions.
A cracked-fuel constitutive equation.

Uranium dioxide fuel pellets crack during the irradiation of light water reactor fuel rods, enhancing fuel/cladding mechanical interactions and creating asymmetric fuel rod internal geometries that...
A Convenient Derivatization Method for Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometric Determination of Phenmetrazine in Urine Using 2,2,2-Trichloroethyl Chloroformate

Phenmetrazine is a central nervous system stimulant currently used as an anorectic agent. The drug is abused and is reported to cause death from overdose. We describe a new derivatization method for phenmetrazine using 2,2,2-trichloroethyl chloroformate. Quantitation of urinary phenmetrazine can be easily achieved by using N-propylamphetamine as an internal standard. The phenmetrazine 2,2,2-trichloroethyl carbamate showed a molecular ion isotope cluster at m/z 351, 353, 355, and 357 (isotope effect of three chlorine atoms in the derivatized molecule) and other peaks at m/z 247, 245, 204, 114, and 70 in the electron ionization mass spectrometry, thus aiding in unambiguous identification. The underivatized phenmetrazine showed a relatively weaker molecular ion at m/z 177 and a base peak at m/z 71. The N-propylamphetamine 2,2,2-trichloroethyl carbamate (internal standard) showed a very weak molecular ion at m/z 351 and a base peak at m/z 260. Another strong characteristic peak at m/z 91 was also observed. The retention time of derivatized phenmetrazine (9.5 min) was substantially longer than the retention time of the underivatized molecule (2.5 min). Moreover, underivatized phenmetrazine showed poor peak shape (substantial tailing) while derivatized phenmetrazine had excellent chromatographic property. The within-run and between-run precisions of the assay were 1.9% and 3.2% at a urinary phenmetrazine concentration of 20 · g/mL. The assay was linear for urinary phenmetrazine concentration of 1 · g/mL to 100 · g/mL with a detection limit of 0.5 · g/mL.
Antibiotic prophylaxis for children with sickle cell disease: a survey of pediatric dentistry residency program directors and pediatric hematologists.

Purposes The purposes of this study were to: (1) investigate the current clinical practice regarding the use of antibiotic prophylaxis by pediatric dentistry residency program directors and pediatric hematologists for children with sickle cell disease (SCD) requiring dental treatment; and (2) evaluate the perceived relative risk of bacteremia following specific dental procedures, as defined by pediatric dentistry residency program directors and pediatric hematologists. Methods A written survey depicting various clinical scenarios of SCD children requiring common dental procedures was mailed to directors of pediatric dental advanced education programs and distributed to pediatric hematologists attending the 2003 Annual Sickle Cell Disease Association of America conference in Washington, DC. Results Surveys were returned by 60% (N=34/57) of the pediatric dentistry residency program directors. The surveys were obtained from 51% of pediatric hematologists at the meeting (N=72/140). At least 50% of all respondents recommended prophylaxis for the following clinical situations: dental extractions, treatment under general anesthesia, and status post splenectomy. The perceived risk of infectious complication was highest for extractions, followed by restorative treatment and tooth polishing. Dental residency program directors were more likely (71%, N=24/34) to recommend additional antibiotic therapy for patients taking penicillin prophylaxis if they required an invasive oral surgical procedure. Conversely, only 38% (N=25/66) of pediatric hematologists recommended additional antibiotic therapy (P=.001). Eighty-six percent of dental residency program directors (N=25/29) chose amoxicillin for prophylaxis whereas only 62% of pediatric hematologists (N=36/58) recommended amoxicillin. (P Conclusions There is a lack of consensus on the appropriate use of antibiotic prophylaxis in SCD children undergoing dental treatments. Further research and risk/benefit assessment is needed to create a unified approach.
Oropharyngeal CSF Leak Secondary to Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

We present a case of an oropharyngeal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula in a patient that presented with headache, rhinorrhea, and pneumocephalus years after an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Imaging suggested a defect in the fovea ethmoidalis, but endoscopic surgery revealed the defect in the oropharynx. A second procedure was performed to remove the spinal hardware and repair the leak. This case is not only unique in the literature but also highlights the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis to include rare complications and shows that despite dramatic improvements in imaging, locating CSF leaks still presents a challenge.
BISMAP: A Non-Contact Biaxial Displacement Measurement System

The development and validation of a prototype BISMAP (Biaxial Displacement Measurement by Machine Vision Processing) system is described. The non-contact biaxial displacement measurement system adapts machine vision technology to create a unique extensometer. The BISMAP system is built around a vision processing system that tracks and recognizes surface texture features around specific control points by using a normalized correlation technique. The system has numerous advantageous features including non-contact measurement in two-dimensions, variable gage length, direct surface measurement (no attached target) and real-time measurement of multiple, discrete points. The performance of the system is demonstrated with evaluations of the monotonic (and in some cases cyclic) stress-strain response for four different materials: aluminum, LEXAN, rubber and baboon tendon. The system has a measured accuracy of 370 μ∈ with ′50 μ∈ variability when compared to a strain gage. It is best-suited for measuring strains in excess of 5000 μ∈ and there is no practical upper limit on the measurable strain with retraining. The BISMAP system shows promise for development from prototype into a laboratory instrument capable of measuring strains in pliable or delicate materials.
An Introduction to Mixed Methods Design in Program Evaluation

Counseling researchers possess a distinct skill set that lends itself to program evaluation of community-based treatment programs. Specifically, using a mixed-methods approach to program evaluation...
On the Secondary Stability of Swept Wing Flows

In this brief article we are concerned with the secondary stability of swept wing flows. It is well known that these situations are susceptible to crossflow modes. We shall consider the temporal secondary stability of profiles comprised of the Falkner-Skan-Cooke state and a finite primary amplitude wave. A three-dimensional Orr-Sommerfeld equation is solved to determine the primary wave’s characteristics, and then a Rayleigh equation is solved in planes aligned with the periodic coordinate of the primary wave, to obtain the secondary stability characteristics of the disturbed flow. These characteristics are assumed to be determined by an inviscid analysis; unfortunately there is not the disparity in scales in the spanwise and streamwise variations that there would be in, for example, the Gortler problem. This preliminary study is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of this type of calculation, so that it can be attempted within a. larger framework.
Assessment of Arrhythmia Burden through the Use of an Implantable Cardiac Monitor in Patients with a Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device

Purpose The benefit of an ICD in patients with an LVAD remains unclear. There is a growing number of patients with LVADs who do not have concomitant ICDs and therefore implantable cardiac monitors (ICMs) are being used to monitor arrhythmia burden. We report our series of LVAD patients who underwent ICMs for long-term heart rhythm monitoring. We aim to (1) evaluate the burden of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with a LVAD following ICM implant and (2) to determine whether the ICM generated data results in interventions. Methods Patients were recruited from the University of Rochester Advanced Heart Failure Service. All ICMs were implanted in the electrophysiology suite using standard sterile techniques. All patients were enrolled into remote ICM monitoring. Results Implantable cardiac monitors were implanted in 10 LVAD patients who did not already have an ICD. No ICM implant procedure related adverse events occurred. Adequate and interpretable signals were obtained from each ICM (9 Medtronic Reveal LINQs, 1 Biotronik BioMonitor) (Figure) with no appreciable artifact. Indications for ICM implant varied, and included documented tachyarrhythmia (VT and/or AF), syncope and presyncope (Table). During long-term monitoring (mean of 357.2 days), 4 patients (40%) had arrhythmia detected on ICM, with an average of 47.5 days to first arrhythmia detected. Decision was made to adjust medication therapy in all 4 of these patients and to implant an ICD in 2 patients (20%) due to ICM detected sustained VT resulting in compromised VAD function. Conclusion In select LVAD patients, use of an ICM may be used to further risk stratify patients at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias and for whom an ICD implant may confer long term benefit. With observational data showing no survival benefit for ICD therapy in patients with continuous flow LVADs, ICMs may help guide therapy in patients without concomitant ICD. Future studies with larger sample size are warranted.
Surgical management of obstructing clot at the jejunojejunostomy after gastric bypass: a single center experience and literature review

Abstract Background Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a proven treatment for morbid obesity and its sequelae. Gastric bypass has a safe risk profile, but postoperative complications can be seen. We report on 10 cases of postoperative bleeding causing an obstructing clot at the jejunojejunostomy (JJ) occurring over a 9-year period. Objectives The aim was to document presenting symptoms of obstructing clots at the JJ and to suggest a treatment approach to minimize complications. Setting University Hospital, United States Methods The local Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) database was queried for all patients undergoing reoperation after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, from July 2009 until December 2019. All patients who were found to have postoperative bleeding causing an obstructing clot at the JJ were selected for retrospective medical-record review. Results The most common presenting symptoms were Hematocrit drop (10 of 10), nausea (9 of 10), abdominal pain (7 of 10), and hematemesis (4 of 10). There were 12 reoperations in the 10 patients, 10 of which were completed laparoscopically. Infectious complications were the most frequent morbidity in our patients; 4 patients developed abscesses. In all of these, the operative notes described gross spillage into the peritoneal cavity. In later cases, the remnant stomach was decompressed before reoperation, reducing spillage. Conclusions Despite the low rate of obstructing clots at the JJ, without rapid recognition and reoperation, there is a risk for serious complications. Typical presenting symptoms include nausea and abdominal pain, which help differentiate it from other causes of decreased hematocrit. Diagnosis is commonly made with computerized tomographic (CT) scan. Decompression of a dilated remnant stomach before addressing the clot can prevent intraperitoneal spillage and subsequent abscess formation. Enterotomy creation and removal of clot is recommended, without fear of continued bleeding.
An exploratory study of clinical and physiological correlates of problematic social media use in adolescents

Abstract Prior validation studies of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) demonstrate its utility for identifying problematic social media use in adolescents. There are knowledge gaps regarding the potential clinical and physiological underpinnings of problematic social media use in adolescents. This cross-sectional, single-visit study examined a sample of depressed (n = 30) and healthy (n = 30) adolescents who underwent clinical assessments of depressive symptom severity, bullying, cyberbullying, self-esteem, salivary measures of stress (cortisol and α-amylase) to identify correlates with adolescent and parental reports of the BSMAS. LASSO-penalized multiple linear regression models were implemented. With respect to the adolescent BSMAS scores in all subjects, the risk of problematic social media increased as depressive symptom severity increased. Depressed female adolescents appeared to have a greater risk. Based on parental BSMAS scores, depression status, depressive symptom severity, cyberbullying score, and salivary cortisol significantly predicted problematic social media use. For the depressed sample, the risk of problematic social media use increased as salivary cortisol increased. No significant predictors of problematic social media usage emerged in the healthy control sample. These preliminary results provide novel insights into clinical and physiological characteristics of problematic social media use in adolescents.
The Standardisation of handoffs in a large academic paediatric emergency department using I-PASS.

Background and objectives Despite the American College of Emergency Physicians and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for standardised handoffs in the emergency department (ED), few EDs have an established tool. Our aim was to improve the quality of handoffs in the ED by establishing compliance with the I-PASS handoff tool. Methods This is a quality improvement (QI) initiative to standardise handoffs in a large academic paediatric ED. Following review of the literature and focus groups with key stakeholders, I-PASS was selected and modified to fit departmental needs. Implementation throughPlan–Do–Study–Act cycles included the development of educational materials, reminders and real-time feedback. Required use of I-PASS during designated team sign-out began in June 2016. Compliance with the handoff tool and handoff deficiencies was measured through observations by faculty trained in I-PASS. As a balancing measure, time to complete handoff was monitored and compared with preintervention data. Results Compliance with I-PASS reached 80% within 6 months, 100% within 7 months and sustained at 100% during the remainder of the study period. The average percent of omissions of crucial information per handoff declined to 8.3%, which was a 53% decrease. Average percentage of tangential information and miscommunications per handoff did not show a decline. The average handoff took 20 min, which did not differ from the preintervention time. Survey results demonstrated a perceived improvement in patient safety through closed-loop communication, clear action lists and contingency planning and proper patient acuity identification. Conclusions I-PASS is applicable in the ED and can be successfully implemented through QI methodology contributing to an overall culture of safety.
Letters to the editor on the Zika virus: a bibliometric analysis

Objective: To conduct a bibliometric analysis of Letters to the Editor published on the Zika virus from 1952–2018. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted using the terms (Zika OR ZIKV). Results were limited to 1952–2018 and Publication Type = Letter. Results were exported to EndNote, and the full text of each Letter examined. Each Letter was assigned to one of five categories: Reader Response, Author Reply, Observation, Case Report, or Research. Additional study parameters included number of authors, number of references, use of graphics, and funding. Citation reports were generated for each category and the entire dataset, producing lists sorted by Times Cited. Results: Of 499 Letters, only 15 (3.0%) were published before 2016. In 2016, at the height of the Zika virus epidemic in the Americas, 244 (48.9%) Letters were published, dropping to 145 (29.1%) in 2017 and 95 (19.0%) in 2018. Letters included 149 (29.9%) Reader Responses, 56 (11.2%) Author Replies, 112 (22.4%) Observations, 70 (14.0%) Case Reports, and 112 (22.4%) Research. The Letters were written by 1–35 authors; 369 (74.0%) Letters had 1–5 authors, and 130 (26.0%) had 6 or more. The Letters cited 0–63 references, with an average of 7.0 per Letter. Graphics appeared in 192 (38.5%) Letters, and 77 (15.4%) Letters reported funding. An interesting anomaly was the 104 (20.8%) Letters authored or co-authored by 1 individual. Conclusion: Letters to the Editor remain an important component of scientific communication and may serve as a valuable source of clinical and research information.
Periductal Stromal Hyperplasia and Periductal Stromal Tumor

Periductal stromal tumors (PDST), originally defined by Burga & Tavassoli, are marked by cuffs of spindled, mitotically active stroma encasing open lobules. This group presents a classification challenge. PDST are composed of two entities, the rarer initial presentation of periductal stromal hyperplasia (PDSH) and the more common presentation of periductal stromal sarcoma (PDSS). PDST are uncommon biphasic breast lesions that occur in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women (range: 24–89-years-old). PDST represent <1% of breast malignancies. Previously thought to be a subcategory of phyllodes tumors, their status as a distinct entity remains unclear.