cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A substantial and unexpected enhancement of motion perception in autism

Atypical perceptual processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is well documented. In addition, growing evidence supports the hypothesis that an excitatory/inhibitory neurochemical imbalance might underlie ASD. Here we investigated putative behavioral consequences of the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in the context of visual motion perception. As stimulus size increases, typical observers exhibit marked impairments in perceiving motion of high-contrast stimuli. This result, termed "spatial suppression," is believed to reflect inhibitory motion-processing mechanisms. Motion processing is also affected by gain control, an inhibitory mechanism that underlies saturation of neural responses at high contrast. Motivated by these behavioral correlates of inhibitory function, we investigated motion perception in human children with ASD (n = 20) and typical development (n = 26). At high contrast, both groups exhibited similar impairments in motion perception with increasing stimulus size, revealing no apparent differences in spatial suppression. However, there was a substantial enhancement of motion perception in ASD: children with ASD exhibited a consistent twofold improvement in perceiving motion. Hypothesizing that this enhancement might indicate abnormal weakening of response gain control, we repeated our measurements at low contrast, where the effects of gain control should be negligible. At low contrast, we indeed found no group differences in motion discrimination thresholds. These low-contrast results, however, revealed weaker spatial suppression in ASD, suggesting the possibility that gain control abnormalities in ASD might have masked spatial suppression differences at high contrast. Overall, we report a pattern of motion perception abnormalities in ASD that includes substantial enhancements at high contrast and is consistent with an underlying excitatory/inhibitory imbalance.
Analysis of Extracellular RNA by Digital PCR

The transfer of extracellular RNA is emerging as an important mechanism for intracellular communication. The ability for the transfer of functionally active RNA molecules from one cell to another within vesicles such as exosomes enables a cell to modulate cellular signaling and biological processes within recipient cells. The study of extracellular RNA requires sensitive methods for the detection of these molecules. In this methods article, we will describe protocols for the detection of such extracellular RNA using sensitive detection technologies such as digital PCR. These protocols should be valuable to researchers interested in the role and contribution of extracellular RNA to tumor cell biology.
Factors Associated with Exercise Motivation among African-American Men.

The primary aims of this study were to: (1) characterize exercise stages of change among a sample of African-American men, (2) determine if exercise motivation was associated with self-reported exercise behavior, and (3) examine if groups of personal (i.e., age, BMI, income, educational attainment, and perceived health), psycho-social (i.e., exercise self-efficacy, personality type, social influence), and environmental factors (i.e., neighborhood safety) predicted stages of change for physical exercise among African-American men. One hundred seventy African-American male participants were recruited for this study (age: 47.63(10.23) years). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire assessing study variables. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine the association of exercise stages of change with an array of personal, psychosocial, and environmental factors. BMI, exercise self-efficacy, and nighttime neighborhood safety were entered as independent variables in the full model. BMI and exercise self-efficacy continued to be significant predictors of exercise stages of change in the full model. Obese men had a 9.24 greater odds of being in the action stage of change than in the maintenance stage. Also, men reporting greater exercise self-efficacy had lower odds of being in the lower stages of change categories (pre-preparation, preparation, and action) than in the maintenance stage. Our results confirmed that using an ecological framework explained more of the variance in exercise stages of change than any of the individual components alone. Information gleaned from this study could inform interventionists of the best ways to create tailored exercise programs for African-American men.
Osteonecrosis of the Humeral Head

Current understanding of osteonecrosis of the humeral head is largely based on previous studies of the femoral head. Similarities between the two sites are numerous, but the shoulder has many unique characteristics. The anatomy of the glenohumeral joint, motion at the scapulothoracic joint, the rich vascular supply of the surrounding soft tissues, and the accommodations for the different forces (shear, compression) exerted across the glenohumeral joint all allow the shoulder to tolerate a greater amount of deformity. A number of pathologic agents can cause bone death by disrupting the blood supply, among them corticosteroid use, trauma, dysbarism, hemoglobinopathies, and various systemic diseases that disrupt the vascular system, such as Gaucher's disease and systemic lupus erythematosus. Management is similar to that of femoral osteonecrosis; the earlier stages respond well to nonoperative approaches, and the more advanced stages require surgical intervention. Hemiarthroplasty and total shoulder arthroplasty have produced good outcomes. Surgical intervention with core decompression, vascular flaps, and arthroscopic debridement have also shown promise, but further studies are necessary to define their optimal use.
Dissimilation of spillovers effects between the foreign exchange market and the stock market in different market states after the 2005 exchange rate reform

In this paper,the whole sample period from 22 July 2005 to 28 October 2008 is divided into two periods one is the bull market period and the other is the bear market period.Using the daily log return of the CIB-CNY Composite Index and the Shanghai Composite Index in both the bull and bear markets,we empirically analyze the dissimilation of spillovers effects between the foreign exchange market and the Chinese stock market in different market states after the 2005 exchange rate reform with VAR-BVGJR-GARCH-BEKK model.The empirical results demonstrate that distinct differences exist in the spillovers effects between the foreign exchange market and the Chinese stock market in the bull and bear markets.In the bull market,there is the response of the market to its own past negative shocks for the two financial markets.At the same time,there are not significantly mutual mean spillovers effects within the two financial markets,whereas there are remarkably bidirectional volatility spillovers effects between the two markets,and there is the response of the one market to the negative shocks of other market.However,in the bear market,we find evidence of unidirectional mean and volatility spillovers from the Chinese stock market to the foreign exchange market,and there is only the response of the market to its own past negative shocks for the foreign exchange market,but there is not the response of the one market to the negative shocks of the other market.
AUGMENTED REALITY BASED DOPPLER LIDAR DATA VISUALIZATION: PROMISES AND CHALLENGES

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology in which the enables the user to view virtual content as if it existed in real world. We are exploring the possibility of using this technology to view radial velocities or processed wind vectors from a Doppler wind lidar, thus giving the user an ability to see the wind in a literal sense. This approach could find possible applications in aviation safety, atmospheric data visualization as well as in weather education and public outreach.As a proof of concept, we used the lidar data from a recent field campaign and developed a smartphone application to view the lidar scan in augmented reality. In this paper, we give a brief methodology of this feasibility study, present the challenges and promises of using AR technology in conjunction with Doppler wind lidars.
Survival Following Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Mortality in a Diverse Patient Population.

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is a form of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) indicated for patients with severe respiratory disease unresponsive to medical therapy and mechanical ventilation. According to the 2014 Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) international report, the amount of recorded adult respiratory ECLS cases has increased over the last decade. Clinical outcomes analyzed according to racial/ethnic groups post VV-ECMO are limited. Such information could help to identify and to rectify disparities that may be due to modifiable causes. Observational studies examining VV-ECMO patients have reported survival to discharge between 51% and 68% (1–4). A recent review documented adult respiratory ECLS survival between 51% and 79% (5); however, these results did not report survival for racial/ethnic sub-populations. One limitation of the literature is that many studies report survival to discharge, however length of stay among institutions may vary. Moreover, this method may over-estimate survival if the sickest patients are transferred, suggesting that longer-term survival estimates may provide more robust information about potential disparate outcomes. Previous work on respiratory ECLS patients has identified a number of factors associated with mortality (1–3,5,6), but potential confounders have not been systematically examined to explain variations in outcomes among diverse patient populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival at standardized time points (discharge, 30 days, and 1 year), and to determine if survival varied by demographics (racial/ethnic status) after adjustment for potential confounders in a diverse contemporary patient population at a large academic medical center.
Reducing Societal Obesity: Establishing a Separate Exercise Model through Studies of Group Behavior

The past 50 years has brought attention to high and increasing levels of human obesity in most of the industrialized world. The medical profession has noticed, has evaluated, and has developed models for studying, preventing, and reversing obesity. The current model prescribes activity in specific quantities such as days, minutes, heart rates, and footfalls. Although decreased levels of activity have come from changes revolving around built environments and social networks, the existing medical model to lower body weights by increasing activity remains individually prescriptive. It is not working. The study of societal obesity precludes the individual and must involve group behavioral studies. Such studies necessitate acquiring separate tools and, therefore, require a significant change in the evaluation and treatment of obesity. Finding groups with common activities and lower levels of obesity would allow the development of new models of land use and encourage active lifestyles through shared interests.
Status of Dolphin Stocks in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Since the passage of the U. S. Marine Mammal Protection Act, approximately 1.25 million dolphins have been killed incidentally during purse seine fishing operations for yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The three species of pelagic dolphins primarily involved in this fisheries interaction are the spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata), spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), and common dolphin (Delphinus delphis). We review the status of these species relative to stock structure, current population size, levels of fishery-related mortality, and trends in abundance. Abundance estimates have been derived from two sources: data collected by observers on research vessels and data collected by observers on tuna vessels. Estimates of incidental mortality are currently derived only from data collected by observers on tuna vessels. There is no evidence of any significant change in abundance for any of these three species since 1985. However, declines in abundance have been detected over the last 15 yr.
The STEM Method

This chapter provides an overview of the STEM method. The STEM method seeks to identify a solution that minimizes the maximum weighted distance from the feasible region to the ideal solution while interactively reducing the size of the feasible region. The feasible region is constricted by having the decision maker successively identify objective functions that can be converted into constraints. In this method, first a payoff table is constructed, which arrays all objective function values obtained when each objective in turn is separately optimized. Then, non-normalized weights are calculated. A problem with the STEM method is that there is always the danger of premature termination, that is, the decision maker may conclude that an acceptable solution has been found without really having a clear conception of the range of other possible non-inferior alternatives. This problem arises out of the absence of any mechanism within the method to insure a representative sampling of the non-inferior set.
Integration and Packaging of Embedded Radial Micro-Channels for 3D Chip Cooling

This paper reports on the integration and packaging of embedded radial micro-channels for 3D chip cooling. A thermal demonstration vehicle (TDV) has been designed, fabricated and assembled. Radial micro-channels based on deep Si etching was integrated with a manifold chip to form a 2-layer chip stack, which has been assembled using a ceramic substrate and a Cu manifold. A test vehicle with an effective critical heat flux of 340 W/cm2 and uniform cooling has been successfully demonstrated using a dielectric coolant (R1234ze).
Analysis of Monoclonal Antibodies in Human Serum as a Model for Clinical Monoclonal Gammopathy by Use of 21 Tesla FT-ICR Top-Down and Middle-Down MS/MS

With the rapid growth of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), stringent quality control is needed to ensure clinical safety and efficacy. Monoclonal antibody primary sequence and post-translational modifications (PTM) are conventionally analyzed with labor-intensive, bottom-up tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), which is limited by incomplete peptide sequence coverage and introduction of artifacts during the lengthy analysis procedure. Here, we describe top-down and middle-down approaches with the advantages of fast sample preparation with minimal artifacts, ultrahigh mass accuracy, and extensive residue cleavages by use of 21 tesla FT-ICR MS/MS. The ultrahigh mass accuracy yields an RMS error of 0.2-0.4 ppm for antibody light chain, heavy chain, heavy chain Fc/2, and Fd subunits. The corresponding sequence coverages are 81%, 38%, 72%, and 65% with MS/MS RMS error ~4 ppm. Extension to a monoclonal antibody in human serum as a monoclonal gammopathy model yielded 53% sequence coverage from two nano-LC MS/MS runs. A blind analysis of five therapeutic monoclonal antibodies at clinically relevant concentrations in human serum resulted in correct identification of all five antibodies. Nano-LC 21 T FT-ICR MS/MS provides nonpareil mass resolution, mass accuracy, and sequence coverage for mAbs, and sets a benchmark for MS/MS analysis of multiple mAbs in serum. This is the first time that extensive cleavages for both variable and constant regions have been achieved for mAbs in a human serum background. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
Video analysis of high-magnitude head impacts in men's collegiate lacrosse.

Background/aim Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the USA. Efforts to minimise head injuries focus on promoting safe play through player and coach education, rules enforcement and use of effective protective equipment. The study aims to determine event characteristics of high-magnitude head impacts in men’s collegiate lacrosse competitions through video analysis. Methods Seventeen Division I men’s collegiate lacrosse players wore instrumented helmets that collected biomechanical measures of head impacts. During 15 competitions, the magnitude of linear acceleration, rotational velocity and helmet impact location were recorded. Impacts with linear accelerations above a 70 g threshold were correlated with video to confirm impact location and to determine event characteristics—source of impact and player activity at the time of impact. Results A total of 122 high-magnitude impacts were reviewed on video. Player-to-player contact (n=94, 77.0%) was the most common impact mechanism, followed by stick-to-player contact (n=11, 9.0%). Impacts occurred most often when the athlete was delivering a body check (n=39, 32.0%), fighting for loose ball possession (n=35, 28.7%) or attacking the goal (n=35, 28.7%). The most frequent impact locations were the front of the helmet (n=46, 37.8%) and the left side of the helmet (n=26, 21.3%). Conclusions In men’s collegiate lacrosse games, the majority of high-magnitude head impacts resulted from player-to-player contact when the sensored athlete did not have possession of the ball. Video analysis provides the game context for head impact mechanisms, which is critical to developing sport-specific injury prevention strategies.
Sensitivity improvement of a photoresistive image sensor with novel programmable dual element readout and calibration method

This paper describes a novel readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for a nanoscale photoresistive image sensor array with a novel dual element readout and calibration method. The dual element readout increases detector signal sensitivity and sensor dynamic range. It works on the assumption that adjacent nanoscale detectors have similar illumination levels. A novel on-chip two-point calibration method is also proposed; two on-chip 12-bit R-2R ladder digital-to-analog converters (DAC) are used for offset calibration, whereas the variable-gain switched-capacitor amplifier enables the gain calibration. The programmability feature allows the system to be converted to single element readout. Detector bias voltage is supplied by the two on-chip DACs and is programmable between 0 to 1.8 V for ROIC performance optimization. This image sensor and ROIC system is intended to be used as an endoscope camera which demands strict silicon area and low power consumption requirements. A sample 1×16 line sensor is used for proof of concept. This work focuses on the analog signal processing chain of the ROIC. The column-wise design makes the ROIC scalable for larger image sensor sizes. The proposed ROIC is designed in 0.18 μm CMOS process and the system is verified with post-layout simulations.
Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis of Fluidic Actuator for Active Flow Control Applications

A numerical study is conducted to explore the unsteady nature of fluidic oscillators, which are responsible for generating sweeping jets for effective flow control of large-scale applications. Two-...
Bicontinuous microemulsions as a biomembrane mimetic system for melittin

Antimicrobial peptides effectively kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria by forming pores in prokaryotes' biomembranes via penetration into the biomembranes' interior. Bicontinuous microemulsions, consisting of interdispersed oil and water nanodomains separated by flexible surfactant monolayers, are potentially valuable for hosting membrane-associated peptides and proteins due to their thermodynamic stability, optical transparency, low viscosity, and high interfacial area. Here, we show that bicontinuous microemulsions formed by negatively-charged surfactants are a robust biomembrane mimetic system for the antimicrobial peptide melittin. When encapsulated in bicontinuous microemulsions formed using three-phase (Winsor-III) systems, melittin's helicity increases greatly due to penetration into the surfactant monolayers, mimicking its behavior in biomembranes. But, the threshold melittin concentration required to achieve these trends is lower for the microemulsions. The extent of penetration was decreased when the interfacial fluidity of the microemulsions was increased. These results suggest the utility of bicontinuous microemulsions for isolation, purification, delivery, and host systems for antimicrobial peptides.
Modulation classification using convolutional neural networks and spatial transformer networks

In this paper, we propose a method for modulation classification based on Spatial Transformer Networks and Convolutional Neural Networks. Spatial Transformer Networks were originally proposed by the computer vision community to make images invariant to spatial transformations. We adopt this model in the modulation classification problem by making the raw baseband I/Q samples invariant for some channel effects. We study the impact of adding STN to CNN classifier in terms of classification accuracy for different oversampling ratios. We also compare the accuracy of proposed classifier with a conventional statistical method based on forth order cumulants. Results show that proposed classifier has better classification accuracy than the one based on cumulants, and its performance is improved for low oversampling ratios.
Military service and political participation in the United States: Institutional experience and the vote

Abstract This article tests whether military service is associated with subsequent electoral engagement by veterans. In particular, we are interested in how military service may help to overcome the costs of participation for those with relatively low levels of education. We thereby examine Current Population Survey (CPS) data from 1994 to 2014 to understand how veteran status is associated with participation for Anglos (non-Latino whites), African Americans, and Latinos. We find that prior military service generally increases the likelihood of voting, even after controlling for standard demographic determinants. Furthermore, the participatory boost is strongest for those with the lowest levels of formal education. Military service is also important to shaping participation in “off year” elections, which typically see lower levels of overall turnout. These findings suggest that serving in the military not only spurs participation but also helps to overcome the socioeconomic dynamics that often impede political participation in the United States.
The use of human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells to enhance characterization of the LMX1B pathway

LMX1B is a homeodomain transcription factor critical to kidney development and glomerular filtration. In humans, LMX1B haploinsufficiency causes a condition known as Nail Patella syndrome (NPS). Individuals with NPS typically have under developed nails, absent patellae, and impaired kidney function. In Lmx1b knockout mice, the absence of Lmx1b function disrupts glomerular filtration and abates urine production. The molecules targeted by LMX1B that regulate glomerular development and function, however, are poorly characterized. Immortalized human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells provide a potential tool for high-throughput identification of LMX1B targets and an in vitro system for dissecting the functional role of targets. Thus, we characterized the known LMX1B pathway in HEK 293 cells and evaluated sites of LMX1B binding. We demonstrate the expression of LMX1B and its renal targets, COLLAGEN 4 ALPHA 4 and PODICIN in HEK 293 cells by RT-PCR. Protein expression of LMX1B was verified by w...
Network Reconstruction from Perturbation Time Course Data

Quantitative, directional network structure inference remains challenging even for small systems, particularly when loops and cycles are present. We report a method that robustly infers direct, signed connections between network nodes from noisy, sparse perturbation time course data requiring only one perturbation per node. We find good sensitivity and specificity for classification, as well as quantitative agreement in randomized 2- and 3-node systems having varied and complex dynamics. Experimental application of the method to the ERK and AKT pathways, widely important in mammalian signaling, reveals evidence of bi-directional cross-talk coupled with strong negative feedback on both pathways, consistent with prior knowledge. Systematic application of this method can reduce important subnetwork structural uncertainty, enabling better prediction of dynamics, response to perturbations such as drugs, and understanding of biological networks. The method is general and can be applied to any network inference problem where perturbation time course experiments are possible.
Basic Science of Paediatric Fractures

Fractures account for 10%–25% of all injuries in children. Boys are affected more commonly than girls. From birth until the age of 16 years of age, a girl has a 27% chance of sustaining a fracture while this rises to 42% for boys (Landin 1997). The physis is the weakest part of the bone and diaphyseal long bone fractures account for approximately 10% of children’s fractures. Of these, the tibial shaft is most common, followed by diaphyseal fractures of the forearm
What if endoscopic hemostasis fails? Alternative treatment strategies: interventional radiology

Since the 1960s, interventional radiology has played a role in the management of gastrointestinal bleeding. What began primarily as a diagnostic modality has evolved into much more of a therapeutic tool. And although the frequency of gastrointestinal bleeding has diminished thanks to management by pharmacologic and endoscopic methods, the need for additional invasive interventions still exists. Transcatheter angiography and intervention is a fundamental step in the algorithm for the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding.
Expert resolution

This paper discusses some current issues in the combination of probabilities and serves as an introduction to a series of four papers and a rejoinder relating to a paper by Morris Morris, P. A. 1983. An axiomatic approach to expert resolution. Management Sci.29 24-32. on an axiomatic approach to expert resolution. The axiomatic approach and the modeling approach to expert resolution are discussed, and some comments on practical issues are given.
Adolescent Health Behaviors and Difficulty Concentrating, Remembering, and Making Decisions:

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations among physical activity, dietary behaviors, and other salient health behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and sleeping with self...
Case Study 3: Energy Management and Control Systems at Princeton University

Princeton University has grown through the years to the point where it now includes two campus locations; a main campus and the Forrestal campus located approximately five miles away. The University has six million square feet of building floor space in 186 buildings ranging in character from single family homes converted to dormitories up to sophisticated genetic research laboratories. A large number of the laboratory and academic buildings were constructed in the early 1900s and have since been modified considerably including the addition of air conditioning and laboratory hoods.
Alignment of Goals and Perceptions of Computing Predicts Students' Sense of Belonging in Computing

The lack of diversity has been a troubling issue for the field of computing. As the industry continues to expand, it is imperative that diversity levels in computing fields increase to fill the ever-growing number of computing jobs and to represent the technological needs of a diverse populace. Our research seeks to better understand the factors that lead to this lack of diversity by analyzing data from computing majors from colleges within the United States and Canada. Our study reveals that students of different demographic backgrounds have varying levels of communal values, which, depending on how they perceive the affordance of computing to fulfill such values, predict their sense of belonging in computing, which is an important predictor of student retention.
Evaluation of L-1-[18F]Fluoroethyl-Tryptophan for PET Imaging of Cancer

1263 Objectives: Tryptophan crosses cancer cells through amino acid transporters, and further undergoes catabolism mainly through intracellular IDO/TDO (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase/tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase)-mediated kynurenine pathway, which regulates immune response by suppressing T cell function and allow tumor immune escape. Overexpressed amino acid transporters and altered IDO-mediated kynurenine pathway found in multiple cancers, serve as valid targets for cancer imaging and therapy. Recently, we have reported the radiosynthesis and preliminary evaluation of L-1-[18F]fluoroethyl-tryptophan (L-1-[18F]FETrp) for PET imaging of IDO-mediated kynurenine pathway in breast cancer xenografts.1 In the present study, we described the further evaluation of L-1-[18F]FETrp as an imaging agent in more wide range types of tumor models. Methods: Radiotracer L-1-[18F]FETrp was prepared following our previously reported Methods: 1 The mice bearing subcutaneous H2009 and H460 lung cancers, orthotopic A549 lung cancer, subcutaneous PC-3 prostate cancer, and intracranial 73C glioma tumor xenografts, were used in L-1-[18F]FETrp PET imaging. Each mouse was injected with 100-150 μCi of L-1-[18F]FETrp in saline via the tail vein. PET images were acquired at 2 h post-injection on a Siemens Inveon PET-CT multimodality system. Results: Small animal PET/CT imaging of L-1-[18F]FETrp visualized all tumors in these different mouse models with high accumulations of radioactivity in PC-3 (7.5 ± 0.6 % ID/g), H2009 (5.3 ± 0.8 % ID/g), H460 (9.0 ± 1.4 % ID/g), A549 (4.5 ± 0.5 ID/g), and 73C (4.1 ± 0.7 % ID/g) tumors (Fig. 1). The radiotracer uptakes in lung cancers H2009 and H460 were higher than these in normal lung tissue (1.6 ± 0.1 % ID/g), which also presented in orthotopic A549 lung cancer. The uptake in H460 was about 1.7-fold than that in H2009. These results suggest that L-1-[18F]FETrp not only enables to detect multiple lung cancers, but also can differentiate the subtype H2009 and H460 cancers by imaging quantification. Furthermore, the PET/CT imaging of intracranial brain tumor revealed L-1-[18F]FETrp could pass BBB (blood brain barrier) and accumulated in brain tumor with favorable image contrast (tumor/brain: 2.9). Conclusions: L-1-[18F]FETrp highly accumulates in a wide range of malignancies including lung cancer, prostate cancer, and brain tumor. These PET imaging results suggested that L-1-[18F]FETrp is a promising radiotracer for cancer imaging. Research Support:This work was supported by the Simmons Cancer Center Grant (NIH 5P30 CA 142543), and American Cancer Society and the Simmons Cancer Center (ACS-IRG-02-196).Reference: Xin, Y. & Cai, H. Improved Radiosynthesis and Biological Evaluations of L- and D-1-[18F]Fluoroethyl-Tryptophan for PET Imaging of IDO-Mediated Kynurenine Pathway of Tryptophan Metabolism. Mol. Imaging Biol.19, 589-598 (2017).
Arthroscopy Versus Open Arthrotomy for Treatment of Native Hip Septic Arthritis: An Analysis of 30-Day Complications.

Purpose To evaluate differences in short-term complications in patients treated with open arthrotomy or arthroscopy for septic arthritis (SA) of the native hip and identify risk factors associated with return to the operating room (ROR). Methods Patients who underwent hip arthrotomy or arthroscopy for native hip SA between 2007 and 2017 were queried in the Humana database via the PearlDiver research tool. Patients with a previous history of total hip arthroplasty were excluded from this study. Basic demographics and various 30-day perioperative complications, including ROR, were compared between the 2 cohorts. Multivariate analysis was performed for ROR within 30 days following arthroscopy and arthrotomy. Results We identified 421 patients with SA of the native hip, of whom 387 (91.9%) and 34 (8.1%) were treated with open arthrotomy and arthroscopy, respectively. There were no significant differences in demographic variables between groups. On univariate analysis, the incidence of total adverse events (arthrotomy: 75.7% vs arthroscopy: 52.9%, P = .0038) was significantly greater in the open arthrotomy cohort. However, there was little difference in ROR between both cohorts (arthrotomy: 45.9% vs arthroscopy: 38.2%, P = .3836). Multivariate analysis identified preoperative septicemia or septic shock (odds ratio [OR] 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-2.89, P = .0026) as a significant risk factor for ROR within 30 days after surgery. Neither arthrotomy (OR 4.93, 95% CI 0.42-115.2, P = .2174) nor arthroscopy (OR 3.55, 95% CI 0.33-78.01, P = .3077) were significant risk factors to ROR. Conclusions Patients with SA of the hip had similar short-term complication rates and ROR regardless of open arthrotomy or arthroscopic management. This suggests that arthroscopic management may be a safe option for the treatment of SA of the hip with potentially limited morbidity. Level of Evidence Level IV (treatment harms investigation).
Outcomes of invasive fungal infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

e18008 Background: Invasive fungal infections are associated with higher mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients despite the use of broad spectrum antifungal agents. With ...
Reoperative Cardiac Surgery is a Risk Factor for Long-term Mortality

Background Reoperative cardiac surgery has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Large propensity-matched series comparing all first-time and redo cardiac operations are lacking. The primary objective of the current study was to provide detailed outcomes and risk factors for mortality and readmissions after reoperative cardiac surgery. Methods All patients who underwent cardiac surgery from 2011 to 2017 were included. Propensity matching yielded equitable cohorts. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year mortality and readmissions. Results A total of 14,151 patients underwent cardiac surgery, of which 1700 (12%) had reoperative cardiac surgery. There were significantly (P 24 hours) (20% vs 17%; P = .02) were increased for the reoperative cohort. On multivariable analysis for propensity-matched cohorts, reoperation was an independent predictor of mortality at 30 days (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.75; P = .02), 1 year (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.09-1.55; P = .004), and 5 years (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14-1.5; P = .002). Conclusions After risk-adjusting for baseline characteristics, the need for reoperation was an independent predictor of both short-term and long-term mortality after reoperative cardiac surgery. These data are relevant when considering alternative therapies such as percutaneous coronary or transcatheter valve interventions.
“Down with Bridewealth!” The Organization of Mozambican Women Debates Women’s Issues

In the early 1980s, Mozambique was in its first decade of independence under a socialist government that supported women’s issues. This chapter reports on a single provincial-level meeting of the women’s organization in 1983. The meeting included extended discussion about policy issues that affected women, keynote speeches by male political leaders, and songs. The analysis also discusses media reports that focused on men’s speeches, and personal reflections of the author. The official approach of Frelimo, the ruling party, called for an end to “traditional” practices such as polygyny, initiation rites, and bridewealth, while local women activists continued to see value in such practices and pushed back against the government perspective.
Tiered daily huddles: the power of teamwork in managing large healthcare organisations

Successful management of large healthcare organisations has always been challenging but never more than today. We must all think, work and act differently to deliver the highest quality and safest patient care amidst the challenges of payment reform, regulatory requirements, expense growth and resource constraints.1 2 These problems are particularly challenging for non-profit academic medical centres given the need to balance financial demands with commitments to teaching, research and the communities we serve. We observed that in our large healthcare organisation (66 000 caregivers serving approximately 2 million unique patients annually), our leadership team holds immense responsibility but lacked daily insight into our performance, and as a result, took action in retrospect. In order to address this challenge we built a tiered huddle system across our hospitals and outpatient facilities that has produced significant learnings and rapid results. We now reflect and share what we have done and hope others can benefit from this simple, powerful practice. Our tiered huddle system was built on a cultural foundation of every caregiver capable, empowered and expected to make improvements every day. Core to our ‘culture of improvement’ is a strong team-based culture in which all caregivers feel safe and supported to solve problems. In addition, I valued the daily, hospital-wide huddles we used in some of our hospital locations, and sought the same level of daily operational awareness for leaders across a large system. Huddles are not new in healthcare. However, tiered huddles are uncommon in large organisations due to their novelty, complexity and an overall lack of current, actionable information.3 In early 2018 we developed our system of tiered daily huddles in order to improve our daily insight into our operations and empower caregivers and teams at all levels to identify and solve problems on a daily basis. After …
Managing Multiple Knowledge Sources In Constraint-Based Parsing Of Spoken Language

In this paper, we describe a system which is capable of utilizing a variety of knowledge sources to select the most appropriate parse for a spoken sentence. These knowledge sources include syntax, semantics, and contextual information. We discuss one way to utilize contextual information when determining the parse for a sentence. At its simplest level, the system can be thought of as a general-purpose query answering system for multiple topical databases. The user's input would be processed by the language processor which interfaces to the databases with the goal of interacting with the correct database in order to provide a reasonable answer to the user's spoken request. Initially, it analyzes a word graph of sentence hypotheses provided by a speech recognizer using general syntactic and semantic rules. Then, if the utterance is still ambiguous, it utilizes context-specific constraints to further refine the analysis. This brings us closer to developing a more general purpose interface for multiple databases.
Studies in the pinane series

Abstract The conversion of 6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]heptan-3-one into 3,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]-heptene-2(“orthodene”), formerly considered to be a naturally occurring isomer of α-pinene, is described.
Influence of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Degradation Products and Orthophosphate on Deoxynucleotide Kinase Activity and Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Pneumococcus Type III

Firshein, William (Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn.). Influence of deoxyribonucleic acid degradation products and orthophosphate on deoxynucleotide kinase activity and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in pneumococcus type III. J. Bacteriol. 90: 327–336. 1965.—An oligodeoxynucleotide fraction derived from a deoxyribonuclease-treated calf-thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) can enhance the activity of deoxycytidylic acid (dCMP) and deoxyguanylic acid (dGMP) kinases in cell suspensions of type III pneumococci. High levels of orthophosphate can produce similar effects. For part of the incubation period, the activity of dCMP and dGMP kinases is very low or undetectable in unsupplemented-cell suspensions of pneumococci. In contrast, the remaining kinases, deoxyadenylic acid and thymidylic acid, which are present in ample amounts in control and supplemented cells throughout the incubation period, are unaffected by the addition of oligodeoxynucleotides and orthophosphate. The stimulation of kinase activity is amino acid-dependent and can be abolished by adding chloramphenicol. When the oligodeoxynucleotide fraction and orthophosphate are further supplemented with all eight of the naturally occurring deoxynucleosides and deoxynucleotides (which do not affect kinase activity), a preferential enhancement of DNA synthesis occurs in comparison with cell growth or protein synthesis. Addition of deoxynucleosides and deoxynucleotides to unsupplemented cells produces only a slight increase in DNA synthesis. The preferential enhancement of DNA synthesis can be prevented by adding chloramphenicol at a certain time during incubation.
On the voltage dependence of copper/low-k dielectric breakdown

We investigate the voltage dependence of porous low-k dielectric breakdown. We show that interconnect geometric variability will affect both intrinsic Weibull slope (β) and field acceleration. We proposed a new method to verify the low-k electric field dependence that uses complete failure time distributions instead of single median time to fail values measured at different voltages. Our results show that both E and √E model can describe failure distributions for high and low test voltages, while the failure time data at low-voltages is inconsistent with the prediction from power law, impact damage, and 1/E models.
Decision Making Given Sample Data

This paper presents a natural generalization of the von Neumann and Morgenstern axioms to a space of random samples. The representation allows for preferences that exhibit ambiguity (or uncertainty) aversion in a way that is analogous to risk aversion. The recursive representation also satisfies Time Neutrality axiom. That is, the decision maker is indifferent as regards to which uncertainty is resolved. This is possible because the early stage of the two-stage lottery representation are derived from preferences over sample data. The implication is that Time Neutrality is satisfied (almost) trivially for samples with non-zero elements.
Marginal Iodine Status and High Rate of Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Washington DC Women Planning Conception.

Introduction: Subclinical hypothyroidism during pregnancy has been associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. A subset of pregnant women in the United States have been shown to have mild iodine deficiency. No study has evaluated the thyroid and iodine status of women who are planning to become pregnant in the near future. Methods: Thyroid function tests, thyroid antibodies, and urine iodine levels were evaluated in women presenting for preconception screening and counseling. A thyrotropin (TSH) level above 3.0 mIU/L was considered abnormal. Results: One hundred and forty one women enrolled in the study. The median TSH level was 1.70 mIU/L (range 0.43–5.3 mIU/L). Sixteen women (11%) had a TSH above the upper limit of normal (>3.0 mIU/L). Eleven women (8%) were positive for TPO-Ab and 21 women (15%) for TgAb. Twenty-three women (16%) were positive for at least one thyroid antibody (TPOAb and/or TgAb). Median serum TSH concentrations were higher in women with detectable antithyroid antibodies than ...
A Rigorous Approach to Fault-Tolerant Programming

The design of programs that are tolerant of hardware fault occurrences and processor crashes is investigated. Using a stable storage management system as a running example, a new approach is suggested for specifying, understanding, and verifying the correctness of fault-tolerant software. The approach extends previously developed axiomatic reasoning methods to the design of fault-tolerant systems by modeling faults as being operations that are performed at random time intervals on any computing system by the system's adverse environment.
Chinese citizens' opinions on e-government benefits, issues and critical success factors

E-government is important for China's economic and social development. A survey was conducted to understand the Chinese internet users' opinions on and usage patterns of local Chinese e-government websites. A trust in government websites and a positive attitude towards e-government were found among the Chinese netizens. Unique concerns of Chinese netizens regarding government websites were revealed. Critical factors of successful e-government as seen by the Chinese netizens are identified.
Power transmission for sensors embedded in reinforced concrete structures

Wireless power transmission for structural health monitoring sensors buried inside reinforced concrete structures are studied here. The effects of various rebar configurations on the efficiency of wireless powering are investigated through far field and near field antenna coupling at three typical ISM frequencies. These analysis leads to the identification of optimum frequency for powering structural health monitoring sensors embedded in reinforced concrete.
TU‐C‐12A‐06: Computerized Analysis of Diffusion‐Weighted Images in Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Purpose: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for breast MRI is a non-invasive technique which maps the diffusion process of water molecules, with the use of Brownian motion, in biological tissues, yielding apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC). Quantitative image analyses of the resulting images can yield information about the surrounding tissues in vivo. In this study, we investigated computerized image analyses of DWI images, including automated lesion segmentation, calculation of ADC values, and assessment of tumor heterogeneity, on a dataset of malignant and benign breast lesions. Method and Database: The IRB-approved, retrospectively collected dataset included 46 breast lesions -- 36 malignant and 10 benign. The DW images had been acquired during clinical breast MRI on a high-field 1.5 T echo-planar system using five b values [b = 0, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 s/mm2]. Seed-point-initiated 3D Gaussian-based lesion segmentation was conducted to yield the lesion margins, and within the margin and after b-value fitting, ADC values were calculated. Average ADC values and various measures of heterogeneity were calculated for benign and malignant lesions. Results: Our findings showed that malignant lesions tended, as expected, to have lower ADC values relative to benign lesions with average ADC values for benign and malignant lesions being 1.70 +/− 0.50 × 10(−3) and 1.07 +/− 0.37 × 10(−3), respectively. In addition, malignant lesions showed higher heterogeneity. In the task of distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions, ROC analysis, from histogram analysis, yielded AUC values of 0.86 +/− 0.07 and 0.88 +/− 0.06 for average ADC values and standard deviation of ADC values, respectively. Conclusion: DWI exhibits potential for differentiating between benign and malignant lesions, and inclusion of computerized quantitative image analysis methods allow for more objectives and efficient calculations of the ADC values and their variations, for potential use in decision making. M. L. Giger is a stockholder in R2 Technology/Hologic, is a shareholder/investor in Quantitative Insights, Qview Medical,receives royalties from Hologic, GE Medical Systems, MEDIAN Technologies, Riverain Medical, Mitsubishi and Toshiba.