cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative texture analysis: robustness of radiomics across two digital mammography manufacturers' systems.

The robustness of radiomic texture analysis across different manufacturers of mammography imaging systems is investigated. We quantified feature robustness across mammography manufacturers using a dataset of 111 women who underwent consecutive screening mammography on both general electric and Hologic systems. In each mammogram, a square region of interest (ROI) directly behind the nipple was manually selected. Radiomic features describing parenchymal patterns were automatically extracted on each ROI. Feature comparisons were conducted between manufacturers (and breast densities) using newly developed robustness metrics descriptive of correlation, equivalence, and variability. By examining the distribution of these metric values, we propose the following selection criteria to guide feature evaluation in this dataset: (1) 0.8 0.5, and (4) p<0.05. Statistically significant correlation coefficients ranged from 0.13 to 0.68 in comparisons between the two mammographic systems tested. Features describing spatial patterns tended to exhibit high correlation coefficients, while intensity- and directionality-based features had comparatively poor correlation. Our proposed robustness metrics may be used to evaluate other datasets, for which different ranges of metric values may be appropriate.
Perinatal hypothyroidism increases play behaviors in juvenile rats.

Abstract Thyroid hormones play an instrumental role in the development of the central nervous system. During early development, the fetus is dependent on maternal thyroid hormone production due to the dysfunction of its own thyroid gland. Thus, maternal thyroid dysfunction has been shown to elicit significant abnormalities in neural development, neurochemistry, and behavior in offspring. Previous reports have suggested that human maternal hypothyroidism may increase the chances of having children with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, very few studies have evaluated social behaviors in animal models of perinatal hypothyroidism. To evaluate the possibility that hypothyroidism during development influences the expression one of the most commonly observed non-reproductive social behaviors, juvenile play, we used the validated rat model of perinatal hypothyroidism by methimazole administration (MMI; 0.025% in drinking water) from GD12-PD23. Control animals had regular drinking water. During adolescence (PD33-35), we tested subjects for juvenile play behavior by introducing them to a same-sex, unfamiliar (since weaning) littermate for 30 min. Play behaviors and other behaviors (sleep, social contact, locomotion) were then scored. MMI-treated subjects played more than twice as much as control animals, and the increase in some behaviors was particularly dramatic in males. Locomotor and other affiliative social behaviors were unaffected. These data suggest that perinatal hypothyroidism may alter the organization of the neural networks regulating play behaviors, but not other social behaviors. Moreover, this implicates perinatal hypothyroidism as a potential etiological factor in the development of neurobehavioral disorders, particularly those characterized by heightened social interactions and impulsivity.
Optimal Timing of Delivery in Women with Higher Order Cesareans: A Cohort Study.

Objective To evaluate whether a planned early term delivery or a planned 39-week delivery is associated with differences in perinatal outcomes in women undergoing a higher order cesarean (HOC). Study Design This cohort study included women with singleton gestations with a history of three or more prior cesareans who delivered at one of two urban tertiary care hospitals. One center routinely delivered HOC at 39 weeks' gestation and the other at 37 weeks. Maternal and neonatal morbidities were compared using bivariable and multivariable analyses. Results The policy of 37-week delivery was associated with a decrease in unscheduled deliveries (15.3 vs. 41.1%; p Conclusion Compared with planned delivery at 39 weeks, a policy of planned delivery at 37 weeks was associated with a reduction in unscheduled deliveries, but there were no measured differences in perinatal outcomes.
Biological Network Alignment

Recent experimental approaches to high-throughput screening, combined with effective computational techniques have resulted in large, high-quality databases of biochemical interactions. These databases hold the potential for fundamentally enhancing our understanding of cellular processes and for controlling them. Recent work on analyses of these databases has focused on computational approaches for aligning networks, identifying modules, extracting discriminating and descriptive components, and inferring networks. In this chapter, we focus on the problem of aligning a given set of networks with a view to identifying conserved subnetworks, finding orthologies, and elucidating higher level organization and evolution of interactions. Network alignment, in general, poses significant computational challenges, since it is related to the subgraph isomorphism problem (which is known to be computationally expensive). For this reason, effective computational techniques focus on exploiting structure of networks (and their constituent elements), alternate formulations in terms of underlying optimization, and on the use of additional data for simplifying the alignment process. We present a comprehensive survey of these approaches, along with important algorithms for various formulations of the network alignment problem.
Peer Group Acceptance and Academic Performance Among Adolescents Participating in a Dropout Prevention Program

This investigation examines the relationship between peer group acceptance and academic performance among adolescents participating in a dropout prevention program. Three variables assessing school-related attitudes and behavior are identified as potential links between peer group acceptance and academic performance and the results are examined in the context of the gender and racial/ethnic group identification of adolescent respondents. Peer group acceptance is found to have an indirect rather than a direct influence on academic achievement. The behavior variable, avoidance of problem behavior, provides the strongest path of connection between peer group acceptance and academic performance. Implications of the findings for social work practice in the school setting are discussed.
Chapter 8 Total synthesis of myriaporones 1, 3, and 4

Publisher Summary The work in the total synthesis of myriaporones 1, 3, and 4was initiated by interest in the complex marine polyketide, Tedanolide. Tedanolide is a potent cytotoxic macrolide isolated from the Caribbean sponge, Tedania ignis . Tedanolide demonstrated cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines, but detailed biological studies were hampered by material supply issues. Despite significant synthetic interest, only 13-desoxytedanolide has been prepared to date. The structural similarities between the myriaporones and tedanolide suggest an evolutionary relationship among the organisms (PKS genes) that produce such elegant chemical entities. Moreover, it was wondered if their biological activity could be related as well and whether synthetic work toward the simpler of the two, the myriaporones, might lead to an understanding of both and an opportunity for new leads in cancer chemotherapy. The primary goal has been designing and executing efficient and elegant total syntheses of these natural products. To this end, obvious synthetic challenges have been identified and solutions have been proposed that offered high probabilities for success. Where possible, the aim has been to incorporate strategies applicable to the overall goals of the program and tactics that would highlight recent advances in chemical synthesis.
Racial Differences in Rate of Change of Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography-Measured Minimum Rim Width and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness.

Purpose To compare race-related differences in estimated rate of change of Bruch's membrane opening–minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) and circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) in healthy, glaucoma suspect, and glaucoma eyes of individuals of European (ED) and African descent (AD). Design Prospective cohort study. Methods This study investigated rate of change of BMO-MRW and RNFLT in 124 healthy, 227 glaucoma suspect, and 177 glaucoma eyes followed for approximately 3 years and tested with optical coherence tomography every 6 months. Suspect eyes had a history of untreated intraocular pressure (IOP) ≥ 22 mm Hg or suspicion of glaucoma by optic disc photograph assessment without repeatable abnormal standard automated perimetry (SAP) results. Glaucoma eyes had repeatable abnormal SAP results (GHT ONL or PSD ≤ 5%). Mixed-effects models were used to estimate the rate of change after controlling for age, mean follow-up IOP, central corneal thickness, axial length, and BMO area. Results A race-related difference in rate of change of global BMO-MRW but not average RNFLT in suspect eyes was observed. Rate of change of BMO-MRW was −1.82 μm/year and −2.20 μm/year in ED and AD suspect eyes, respectively (P = .03). Rate of change of RNFLT was −0.64 μm/year and −0.75 μm/year in ED and AD suspect eyes, respectively (P = .75). No race-related differences in change rate were found in healthy or glaucoma eyes. Conclusion Race is an important consideration when assessing structural change, particularly minimum rim width, in glaucoma suspect eyes. Differences in rate of structural change may help explain racial disparities in glaucoma susceptibility.
Magnetization and microstructures of dipolar soft sphere ferrofluid under shear flow: A non-equilibrium molecular dynamics study

Material properties of a ferrofluid are strongly influenced by the microstructures of the ferrofluid and aggregation behavior of the ferromagnetic nanoparticles. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations are employed in this work to study dipolar soft sphere ferrofluid systems containing small and large particles under the influence of both magnetic field and shear flow. The computational model considers both long-range dipolar interaction and short-range repulsive interaction of the ferromagnetic nanoparticles. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the effects of solvent friction coefficients, particle size, magnetic field strength and direction, and shear rate. The relation between the dynamic macroscopic magnetization of the ferrofluid and its associated microstructural behavior is investigated.
Towards efficient real-time decision support at the edge

In the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, the need for real-time decision support is increasing fast to support key applications, such as smart health, disaster recovery, or battlefield monitoring. In these applications, it is essential to efficiently retrieve fresh sensor data and process them in a timely manner to aid in decision making. However, related work is relatively scarce. In this paper, we formulate the problem of real-time decision support and explore a suite of scheduling methodologies to efficiently retrieve and process sensor data for real-time decision support subject to timing and data freshness constraints at the network edge and discuss open research issues.
Types of Childhood Exposure to Violence and Association With Caregiver Trauma in Peru.

This study examined typologies of childhood polyvictimization and the associations of profiles with demographic characteristics at the levels of child, household, and primary caregiver. This study ...
Fusions involving BCOR and CREBBP are rare events in infiltrating glioma

BCOR has been recognized as a recurrently altered gene in a subset of pediatric tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we describe a novel BCOR-CREBBP fusion event in a case of pediatric infiltrating astrocytoma and further probe the frequency of related fusion events in CNS tumors. We analyzed biopsy samples taken from a 15-year-old male with an aggressive, unresectable and multifocal infiltrating astrocytoma. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and targeted DNA sequencing. In the index case, the fused BCOR-CREBBP transcript comprises exons 1–4 of BCOR and exon 31 of CREBBP. The fused gene thus retains the Bcl6 interaction domain of BCOR while eliminating the domain that has been shown to interact with the polycomb group protein PCGF1. The fusion event was validated by FISH and reverse transcriptase PCR. An additional set of 177 pediatric and adult primary CNS tumors were assessed via FISH for BCOR break apart events, all of which were negative. An additional 509 adult lower grade infiltrating gliomas from the publicly available TCGA dataset were screened for BCOR or CREBBP fusions. In this set, one case was found to harbor a CREBBP-GOLGA6L2 fusion and one case a CREBBP-SRRM2 fusion. In a third patient, both BCOR-L3MBTL2 and EP300-BCOR fusions were seen. Of particular interest to this study, EP300 is a paralog of CREBBP and the breakpoint seen involves a similar region of the gene to that of the index case; however, the resultant transcript is predicted to be completely distinct. While this gene fusion may play an oncogenic role through the loss of tumor suppressor functions of BCOR and CREBBP, further screening over larger cohorts and functional validation is needed to determine the degree to which this or similar fusions are recurrent and to elucidate their oncogenic potential.
Infant Mortality among Adolescent Mothers in the United States: A 5-Year Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Disparities.

Objective This study was aimed to examine differences in infant mortality outcomes across maternal age subgroups less than 20 years in the United States with a specific focus on racial and ethnic disparities. Study Design Using National Center for Health Statistics cohort-linked live birth–infant death files (2009-2013) in this cross-sectional study, we calculated descriptive statistics by age ( Results Disparities were greatest for mothers Conclusion Although infants born to younger mothers were at increased risk of mortality, variations by race/ethnicity and timing of death existed. When adjusted for preterm birth, differences in risk across age subgroups declined and, for some racial/ethnic groups, disappeared. Key Points
Multiple Emergency Department Visits for a Diagnosis of Kawasaki Disease: An Examination of Risk Factors and Outcomes

Objectives To determine predictors of >1 emergency department (ED) visit for a Kawasaki disease diagnosis in a quaternary care pediatric hospital and compare outcomes between patients with 1 vs >1 visit for Kawasaki disease diagnosis. Study design Medical records of patients evaluated for Kawasaki disease between January 2006 and August 2018 at Boston Children's Hospital were abstracted for demographic and clinical data. Predictors of >1 visit were explored using logistic regression and classification and regression tree analysis. Results Of 530 patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, 117 (22%) required multiple ED visits for Kawasaki disease diagnosis. Multivariable regression and classification and regression tree analysis identified ≤2 Kawasaki disease criteria (OR 33.9; 95% CI 18.1-63.6), 1 visit. There were no significant differences in duration of hospitalization, day of illness at initial Kawasaki disease treatment, intravenous immunoglobulin resistance, need for adjunctive therapies, or coronary artery outcomes between patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at initial visit vs subsequent visits. Conclusions Incomplete Kawasaki disease criteria, fewer days of fever, and non-White race were significant predictors of multiple ED visits for Kawasaki disease diagnosis in this single institution study. Our findings underscore the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for Kawasaki disease in patients with
A Cost Comparison of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate with and without Moses

AbstractIntroduction:Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a size-independent treatment option for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. HoLEP has been shown to have excelle...
Large Variation in International Prescribing Rates of Opioids After Robotic Prostatectomy

Abstract OBJECTIVE To compare international opioid prescribing patterns for patients undergoing robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess international opioid prescribing trends among urologists. METHODS An anonymous Web-based survey assessing the frequency and quantity of opioid prescriptions for RALP was designed using Qualtrics software. The survey was distributed to urologists internationally via Twitter and email in early 2021. Prescribing patterns were analyzed based on country of practice in three groups: United States, Canada, and all other countries. RESUL TS 160 participants from 26 countries completed the survey including the United States (51%), Greece (19%), Canada (9%), Israel (3.1%). The percentage of providers prescribing post-discharge opioids significantly differed between Canada, the United States, and other countries (86%, 63%, and 11%, respectively, p CONCLUSIONS Opioid prescriptions after robotic assisted prostatectomy are common in North America and used sparingly in the rest of the world.
Analysis of a Celestial Icosahedron

AbstractThis paper presents the experimentation and finite-element analysis of a unique structure called a celestial icosahedron. The structure is being considered in a project related to lighter-t...
Optimized Self-Healing in concrete using engineered aggregates

Abstract This paper presents optimal self-healing configurations in concrete using a new concept referred to herein as engineered aggregates (EA). EA are hollow particles designed to carry healing agents into the cracks in concrete. The concept of EA has been developed by the authors as a cost-effective method for self-healing in conventional concrete without having to modify the existing materials or mixing procedures. EA have an internal brittle capsule carrying the healing agents and they are covered with a cementitious coating. They are similar in size to a concrete coarse aggregate and they are added during the mixing process replacing a portion of the coarse aggregates. Similar to other self-healing materials with cast in capsules, one of the basic requirements of EA is that when concrete cracks, the cementitious coating and the embedded brittle capsule break to release the healing agents into the cavity of the crack. The goal of this study is to identify the optimal shapes and sizes of EA that can be effectively used in self-healing concrete while minimizing the volume fraction of the added healing agent (and thereby EA). The tools of geometric probability are used to determine the probability of intersection of cracks with EA and the probability of healing of cracks with different geometries: a single crack, parallel cracks, mapping cracks and multiple discrete penny-shape cracks. As such, the optimal size and shape of EA are selected based on the density and type of cracking that might occur in concrete.
An Overview: The Bureaucracy and the Plan

Before we begin our in-depth analyses of the individual agencies engaged in foreign trade decision-making, it will serve us well to survey the landscape and take a preliminary reading of how the agencies are, as it might be said, organically related. The joint activity of these agencies that is most fully described in the Soviet literature is the preparation of a variety of plans, including those for foreign economic relations. Later in this chapter we shall review the composition of those plans and the participation of the various agencies in their compilation.
Counting minimum (s, t)-cuts in weighted planar graphs in polynomial time

We give an O(nd+nlogn) algorithm computing the number of minimum (s, t)-cuts in weighted planar graphs, where n is the number of vertices and d is the length of the shortest s-t path in the corresponding unweighted graph. Previously, Ball and Provan gave a polynomial-time algorithm for unweighted graphs with both s and t lying on the outer face. Our results hold for all locations of s and t and weighted graphs, and have direct applications in image segmentation and other computer vision problems.
Genomes as resources for biocatalysis.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes efforts to use a reverse-genetics approach for building a library of synthetically useful dehydrogenases from the genome of bakers' yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ). Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the only living organism that is accepted as a “normal” reagent in the organic laboratory because of its combination of low cost, lack of toxicity, and ready availability. It was also the first genome to be completely sequenced. The advent of routine genome sequencing has dramatically expanded inventory of putative protein sequences that has now made a reverse‐genetics approach to biocatalyst discovery feasible. The key advantage of reverse-genetics is that it eliminates the need for painstaking purification of low-abundance proteins prior to gene cloning; instead, the gene itself becomes the starting point for an expedited screening process. The power of the method increases in direct proportion to the number of sequenced genomes and accuracy in assigning functions to the hypothetical proteins. With the success of the genome library approach in providing reductases with a good substrate range and high stereoselectivities, the future of genome-based approach seems bright.
Network subsystems reloaded: a high-performance, defensible network subsystem

Traditionally, operating systems have used monolithic network stack implementations: implementations where the whole network stack executes in the kernel or (in microkernels) in a single, trusted, user level server. Code maintenance issues, ease of debugging, need for simultaneous existence of multiple protocols, and security benefit have argued for removing the networking implementation from kernel and dividing it into multiple user level protection domains. Previous attempts to do so have failed to deliver adequate performance. Given the advances made in both hardware (CPU, Memory, NIC) and micro-kernel design over the last decade, it is now appropriate to re-evaluate how these re-factored implementations perform, and to examine the reasons for earlier failures in greater detail. Building on the primitives of the EROS microkernel, we have implemented two network subsystems: one a conventional, user mode, monolithic design and the other a domain-factored user level networking stack that restructures the network subsystem into several protection domains. We show that the restructuring maintains performance very close to that of the monolithic design, and that both designs compare favorably to a conventional in-kernel implementation. We discuss the issues faced in engineering the domain-factored implementation to achieve high performance, and present the quantitative evaluation of the resulting network subsystems.
Formation and reactivity of a cobalt (II) hydroperoxide intermediate.

Reaction of Tpt-Bu,MeCo–H with O2 proceeds via a spectroscopically observable hydroperoxide whose reactivity in solution and in the solid state differ dramatically.
The Linker for Activation of T Cells (LAT) Signaling Hub: From Signaling Complexes to Microclusters

Since the cloning of the critical adapter, LAT (linker for activation of T cells), more than 15 years ago, a combination of multiple scientific approaches and techniques continues to provide valuable insights into the formation, composition, regulation, dynamics, and function of LAT-based signaling complexes. In this review, we will summarize current views on the assembly of signaling complexes nucleated by LAT. LAT forms numerous interactions with other signaling molecules, leading to cooperativity in the system. Furthermore, oligomerization of LAT by adapter complexes enhances intracellular signaling and is physiologically relevant. These results will be related to data from super-resolution microscopy studies that have revealed the smallest LAT-based signaling units and nanostructure.
The impact of assimilation of unmanned aerial system observations on numerical weather prediction modeling of modified refractivity and electromagnetic propagation

The Trident Warrior observational field campaign conducted off the U.S. East Coast in July 2013 included the deployment of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) with several payloads on-board for atmospheric and oceanic observation. Measurements collected from seven UAS flights over five days were assimilated into a three-dimensional variational data assimilation system (NAVDAS) used to generate analyses for a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model (COAMPS®). Profiles of modified refractivity (M) in the lower atmosphere are diagnosed from the model forecast fields. NWP modeling experiments with and without the assimilation of UAS measurements demonstrate the impact of UAS data assimilation (DA) on forecasts of modified refractivity profiles, including the presence and characteristics of atmospheric ducts. These forecasts are verified using a set of 50 radiosondes launched in the vicinity of the UAS flights. Results indicate significant model forecast error reduction in the M profiles at short lead times (less than 12 hours) with UAS DA. Propagation path loss modeled using NWP model forecast fields matches well the path loss modeled using radiosonde measurements, which included periods of varied atmospheric conditions. Results will also be shown for the impact of UAS DA on propagation path loss.
An Ultrastable Measurement Platform for Single-Molecule Studies: Sub-NM Lateral Stability Over 1 hour using a Multiplexed Back-Scattered Detection

Single-molecule techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical traps, are capable of measuring atomic-scale (1 A) displacement. However, drift limits the utility of these instruments in a number of exciting assays. Prior work from our lab demonstrated atomic-scale stabilization in 3D over 100 s using back-scattered detection (BSD). BSD works by scattering a focused laser off a small silicon post, bead, or AFM tip. The backscattered light is collected by the objective lens and projected onto a quadrant photodiode (QPD). The optical and mechanical conciseness of BSD makes this technique amenable to a wide variety of applications. For instance, to make an ultrastable AFM, we use two lasers, one to stabilize the sample and one the AFM tip. The fundamental limit to positional stability in such assays is the differential pointing stability between these lasers. In this work, we present a number of technical improvements in BSD to enhance long-term stability. The central idea is to use a single QPD to detect both laser beams, suppressing residual motion of the QPD. To detect both lasers with a single QPD, we modulated each laser at separate frequencies (1 and 2.5 MHz) using acousto-optic modulators and deconvolved the signals using lock-in amplifiers. High-resolution z detection was preserved by implementing active intensity control of modulated laser beams. We demonstrated this system by stabilizing an optical microscope with one laser while measuring the resulting stability with the other, as an out-of-loop monitor. This improved BSD system achieved atomic-scale stability in 3D on 100 s but also sub-nm lateral stability for over an hour (2 and 6 A RMS in x, and y respectively; Δf = 0.0002-0.1 Hz).
Synthesis of polyquinanes I: intramolecular diels-alder reaction☆

Abstract The intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of several substituted cyclopentadienes to functionalized tricyclic products, suitable for transformation to polyquinane natural products, is described.
The Common Monetary Area in Southern Africa: Shocks, Adjustment, and Policy Challenges

This study assesses the experience of the Common Monetary Area (CMA) based on available empirical evidence over the last two decades. It pays particular attention to member countries' adjustment to economic shocks in recent years and the inter-country linkages, including the spillover effects of policies. The paper draws the main lessons from the CMA experience, identifies key policy challenges, and discusses the issues facing the member countries in their efforts to achieve sustained growth. Implications for further economic integration in a broader regional context are also noted.
Annual Heat Balance of Martian Polar Caps: Viking Observations

The Infrared Thermal Mappers aboard the two Viking orbiters obtained solar reflectance and infrared emission measurements of the Martian north and south polar regions during an entire Mars year. The observations were used to determine annual radiation budgets, infer annual carbon dioxide frost budgets, and constrain spring season surface and atmospheric properties with the aid of a polar radiative model. The results provide further confirmation of the presence of permanent CO_2 frost deposits near the south pole and show that the stability of these deposits can be explained by their high reflectivities. In the north, the observed absence of solid CO_2 during summer was primarily the result of enhanced CO_2 sublimation rates due to lower frost reflectivities during spring. The results suggest that the present asymmetric behavior of CO_2 frost at the Martian poles is caused by preferential contamination of the north seasonal polar cap by atmospheric dust.
Fractionation of amino acid mixtures in acetone by means of alkyl acid phosphates.

SummarySeven alkyl acid phosphates have been found able to solvate amino acids in dry acetone. Marked differences in solvating power are shown by these reagents for individual amino acids, and for selective solvation of amino acids from complex mixtures such as a protein hydrolysate. Mixtures of amino acids greatly influence each others' solubility when fractionation is effected by the method described.When systems consisting of aeetone-amino acid-solvating reagent, are neutralized with triethylamine, amino acids are precipitated) but never quantitatively. Marked differences occur in the extent to which the dissolved amino acids precipitate with this treatment; e.g. 90% were precipitated from the n-propyl, as against but 45% from the isopropyl system, when the amino acids were solvated from a dry casein hydrolysate.These reagents offer prospects for usefulness in the fractionation of amino acid mixtures.
P05.12. The formation of scholars: doctoral education in the field of acupuncture and Asian medicine

Purpose Practitioners of acupuncture and Asian medicine have begun to engage in doctoral education, however the impact of doctoral level education on this medicinal discipline is yet to be fully evaluated. This research examines three graduated cohorts and assesses the impact of doctoral education on clinical practice, employment, integrated health care settings and professionalism. This research surveys and interviews Asian Medicine practitioners that completed the doctoral program at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) in San Franciso, CA. ACTCM began its first doctoral cohort in fall 2006. The 2.5 year Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) program is offered 4 days a month (Friday through Monday), in an intensive format basis. It is a case-based program, focusing on practical and advanced knowledge and skills, collaboration with other health care practitioners, and scholarly activities. So far ACTCM has graduated three cohorts: 2009, 2010 and 2011 with a total of 36 alumni.
Impact of Culture on Lactation Policies: The Case of United States and Liberia

ABSTRACT Programs or policies that are effective in reducing social problems have several things in common: They acknowledge the realities of culture, respect the sociocultural underpinnings of the community, and are often built on an innovative understanding of the issues. Policies that are created without regard for the culture in which they are to operate are destined to fail. This study discusses cultural attributes of different motivations, benefits, and approaches to breast-feeding, depending on the development of their infrastructure, scientific understanding, reliance on myths to understand their environment, and social norms. It argues that in some cases ignorance and lack of scientific information result in policies (both formal and informal) that negatively impact breast-feeding, whereas in other cases cultural or social norms drive policy decisions. Three examples of policies that impact breast-feeding negatively are discussed in this article. Two of them relate to developing nations and the t...
Congruence and Clash of Scientific and Spiritual Identities: Consequences for Scientists, Organizations, and Organizational Leadership

The foci of this paper are the implications of the relationship between scientific identities and spiritual identities for individual and collective affect and, through them, individual and organizational processes and outcomes. Attachment to and involvement with science (and closely allied disciplines such as engineering) are both driven by and impact individuals' identities (Jackson, 1987; Pacey, 1983; Reich, 2000). Spirituality also both unfolds from, and influences, identity (Fry, in press; Gorsuch, 1988; Mael and Ashforth, 2001). Scientific and spiritual identities can fit together harmoniously; can be essentially independent and neutral in how their relationship impacts affective and organizational outcomes, or can be discrepant. The match of the two types of identity depends on their specific contents, their internal strength, surrounding events and contexts, and the nature of other identities that either they or situations evoke (James, 2000; Mael and Ashforth, 2001). Affective processes and react...
Endovascular Treatment of an Aortic Saddle Embolism Resulting in Full Neurologic Recovery

Aortic saddle embolism (ASE) and aortic saddle thrombosis are rare and occasionally associated with spinal ischemia and paraplegia. Patients have traditionally been treated with transfemoral balloon thromboembolectomy. In the following case report, we present a patient with suspected ASE and paraplegia, who was successfully treated by an endovascular approach using covered stents. Following intervention, the patient regained full neurologic function. To our knowledge, it is the first time that this type of endovascular treatment for ASE has been applied successfully.
Political regime and social performance

The association between political regime form and social performance, measured by the infant mortality rate, is explored using time-series cross-sectional regression analysis of 155–180 countries observed annually from 1972 to 2007. Controlling for other factors likely to affect infant mortality, democracies are found to have lower infant mortality than authoritarian regimes, and long-term democratic experience is found to matter more than short-term democratic practice. Among authoritarian regime types, one-party regimes have lower infant mortality than military or limited multiparty regimes, which have lower infant mortality than monarchies.
Supersymmetric Ward-Takahashi identities and the 't Hooft-Veltman dimensional regulator

Supersymmetric Ward-Takahashi identities are generalized for the dimensional regulator of 't Hooft and Veltman by appropriately incorporating the terms arising as a result of breaking of supersymmetry in arbitrary space-time dimensions. These identities are then verified for the Wess-Zumino scalar multiplet model by explicit computation. The origin of the anomalies found in previous work is identified.
Survivable Differential Delay Aware Multi-Service Over SONET/SDH Networks with Virtual Concatenation

We propose a model for differential-delay compensation and two approaches for provisioning survivable service on Data-over-SONET/SDH networks with virtual concatenation. Our approaches optimize the resource subject to the constraint of differential-delay compensation.
Identification and validity of accelerometer cut-points for toddlers.

The purpose of this study was to derive ActiGraph cut-points for sedentary (SED), light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in toddlers and evaluate their validity in an independent sample. The predictive validity of established preschool cut-points were also evaluated and compared. Twenty-two toddlers (mean age = 2.1 years ± 0.4 years) wore an ActiGraph accelerometer during a videotaped 20-min play period. Videos were subsequently coded for physical activity (PA) intensity using the modified Children's Activity Rating Scale (CARS). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted to determine cut-points. Predictive validity was assessed in an independent sample of 18 toddlers (mean age = 2.3 ± 0.4 years). From the ROC curve analyses, the 15-s count ranges corresponding to SED, LPA, and MVPA were 0–48, 49–418, and >418 counts/15 s, respectively. Classification accuracy was fair for the SED threshold (ROC-AUC = 0.74, 95% confidence interval = 0.71–0.76) and excellent for MVPA threshold (ROC-AUC = 0.90, 95% confidence interval = 0.88–0.92). In the cross-validation sample, the toddler cut-point and established preschool cut-points significantly overestimated time spent in SED and underestimated time in spent in LPA. For MVPA, mean differences between observed and predicted values for the toddler and Pate cut-points were not significantly different from zero. In summary, the ActiGraph accelerometer can provide useful group-level estimates of MVPA in toddlers. The results support the use of the Pate cut-point of 420 counts/15 s for MVPA.
Similar threshold functions from contrasting neural signal models

Abstract Three neural signal models of increment threshold detection are compared. All assume that the criterion for threshold is the attainment of a critical, minimum neural signal (or difference between two neural signals), and that the signal due to a test flash of intensity λ in the absence of a background light is λ (λ + σ) (where σ is the semi-saturation constant). The models differ in the manner in which a background light of intensity θ is assumed to affect the signal. One model (due to Alpern et al., 1970a , Alpern et al., 1970b , Alpern et al., 1970c ) assumes that the test flash signal, λ (λ + σ) , is attenuated by the multiplicative factor θ D (θ + θ D ) (where θD is a constant interpreted as sensory noise); another model specifies that the test flash signal is simply reduced (by subtraction) by the amount θ (θ + K) (K a constant). One main result of this paper is that in the absence of pigment bleaching, these two models imply indistinguishable increment threshold functions. Further, a necessary and sufficient condition for each model guaranteeing the absence of saturation with steady backgrounds is found to be empirically satisfied. A third model is considered where the background field is assumed both to contribute to the neural signal and simultaneously to attenuate it (via a gain change). These assumptions are closely related to theoretical accounts of color induction and color perception. Though this model needs further investigation, it appears to be in better accord with actual increment threshold data than the others.
Single-trial latency variability does not contribute to fast habituation of the long-latency averaged auditory evoked potential in the albino rat

Abstract Fas habituation (FH) is defined as a general reduction in long-latency, vertex-recorded, averaged auditory evoked potential (AEP) amplitude that occurs in response to the second of a pair of acoustic stimuli. Our laboratory has been studying FH in a variety of human populations with different paradigms and has interpreted it to be a measure of neural attentional mechanism(s) and/or resource allocation related to the processing of cognitive information. We have also reported an analogous phenomenon in the rat. In the present investigation, we examined the relationship between FH (viz., averaged AEP component amplitude decrement) and the single-trial latency variability of the AEP peaks comprising that component. Specifically, AEPs were obtained to 60 paired-tone stimuli from unanesthetized and restrained albino rats previously implanted with chronic skull electrodes. Using a template-matching algorithm similar to that used by Michalewski et al. (Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1986, 65:59–71), the latency variability for each animal was computed for the N1 and P2 peaks of the single-trial AEPs that were used to compose the averaged wave form. Findings indicated that (a) there was no difference in single-trial latency variability for these peaks either within or across tones, and (b) there was no relationship between single-trial latency variability for either the N1 or the P2 peaks and the overall peak-to-peak amplitude (N1-P2) of the averaged wave form in response to the second tone. Thus, FH of the N1-P2 (i.e. Peak 2) amplitude in the rat is not due to an increase in latency variability across tones.
Measurement of the cytosolic sodium ion concentration in rat brain synaptosomes by a fluorescence method

A method for the measurement of the cytosolic Na+ concentration in intact synaptosomes is described. This method makes use of a pH sensitive dye (BCECF) that can be loaded into the cytosol and a relatively specific ionophore (monensin) that can exchange Na+ for H+ across the synaptosomal membrane. By setting conditions such that there is no electrochemical potential difference for H+ across the membrane (no membrane potential and pHi = pHo), addition of ionophore would induce a H+ flux only if there is a concentration difference for Na+. Thus, when there is no fluorescence change (no cytosolic pH change) extracellular [Na+] equals intrasynaptosomal [Na+]. The intrasynaptosomal [Na+] concentration was determined to be 7 +/- 3 mM (n = 5; mean +/- S.E.). The results obtained with this fluorescence method are compared with estimates obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry. Limitations and applications of the method are discussed.
Transfer of Instructional Behavior and Performance Acquired in Simulated Teaching.

This study examined whether instructional performance acquired during simulated teaching with peers acting as students would transfer to a setting in which "real" pupils were students. Four ratings and two descriptive measures were obtained for forty-four preservice secondary teachers using lessons taught to peers and to sixth, seventh, and eight grade students. Comparisons of the teachers' rated performance and behaviors in the peer les sons and the "real" pupils lesson indicated that performance improved during a series of simulated lessons using peers as students and that the increased levels of performance were maintained or improved when "real" pupils were used. Results are interpreted as evidence for transferability of instructional behavior across settings. THE PURPOSE of this investigation was to determine whether instructional behavior learned during a series of simulated teaching experiences using peers as students would transfer to a set ting in which "real" pupils were students. Simulated teaching has recently come into more extended use in teacher preparation, both in pre service and in-service programs. Programs which use simulated teaching include the minicourse (3), microteaching (2), and laboratory teaching (5). Although differences exist among these vari eties of simulation, their applications in teacher education are similar. Simulated teaching involves the presentation of a lesson in which a teacher practices some instructional behavior or teaching style in a small group, and subsequently receives feedback about aspects of his behavior or about the effects of his instruction. Prior to teaching, a description of the teaching task is given with modeling procedures commonly used; video and audio tape replays of the lessons are sometimes supplied as part of the feedback and peers and/or secondary and elementary school pupils act as students in the lesson.
Rat Spongiotrophoblast-specific Protein Is Predominantly a Unique Low Sulfated Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan

We have previously demonstrated that the human placenta contains a uniquely low sulfated extracellular aggrecan family chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG). This CSPG is a major receptor for the adherence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (IRBCs) in placentas, causing pregnancy-specific malaria. However, it is not known whether such low sulfated CSPGs occur in placentas of other animals and, if so, whether IRBCs bind to those CSPGs. In this study, we show that rat placenta contains a uniquely low sulfated extracellular CSPG bearing chondroitin sulfate (CS) chains, which comprise only approximately 2% 4-sulfated and the remainder nonsulfated disaccharides. Surprisingly, the core protein of the rat placental CSPG, unlike that of the human placental CSPG, is a spongiotrophoblast-specific protein (SSP), which is expressed in a pregnancy stage-dependent manner. The majority of rat placental SSP is present in the CSPG form, and only approximately 10% occurs without CS chain substitution. Of the total SSP-CSPG in rat placenta, approximately 57% is modified with a single CS chain, and approximately 43% carries two CS chains. These data together with the previous finding on human placental CSPG suggest that the expression of low sulfated CSPG is a common feature of animal placentas. Our data also show that the unique species-specific difference in the biology of the rat and human placentas is reflected in the occurrence of completely different CSPG core protein types. Furthermore, the rat SSP-CSPG binds P. falciparum IRBCs in a CS chain-dependent manner. Since IRBCs have been reported to accumulate in the placentas of malaria parasite-infected rodents, our results have important implications for exploiting pregnant rats as a model for studying chondroitin 4-sulfate-based therapeutics for human placental malaria.
Infectious complications of liver disease

Most internists frequently see cirrhotic patients whose general conditions have deteriorated. In this setting, infection is a common precipitating factor. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is common and may be fatal if not detected and managed early. The common problem of GI hemorrhage in persons with portal hypertension is frequently complicated by infection. Less common situations such as FHF or hepatic iron-overload states present special risks for infection. This increased risk of infection is due largely to reduced mononuclear phagocyte function and depressed opsonic activity of serum and ascites. Consistent with this idea, persons with chronic cholestatic liver diseases have a relative preservation of hepatocellular and phagocyte mass and have fewer infections than do those with hepatic parenchymal disease. While patients with acute hepatitis rarely have infectious complications, progression to FHF results in significant risk for serious infections. Clinicians should be aware of the infectious complications that arise in the treatment of patients with liver disease.
The homotopy type of four-dimensional knot complements

One of the more useful ways of studying knots is by studying various algebraic invariants of their complements. This paper studies the general problem of characterizing smooth four-dimensional knot complements, and gives examples which show how certain algebraic invariants can fail to determine the k n o t complement. For example, two well-known theorems in three-manifold theory show that (i) the homotopy type of a knot exterior in S 3 is determined by its fundamental group, and (ii) the homeomorphism type of a knot exterior in S 3 is determined by its fundamental group together with the conjugacy class of the Z x7Z subgroup of ~1 coming from the boundary, so that a boundary preserving homotopy equivalence between knot exteriors can be deformed to a homeomorphism. We show how both of these properties can fail in dimension four. For a knot in S 4, we have the following "hierarchy" of properties of their exteriors; that is, successively stronger statements which one might make about two knot exteriors X and X' (the exterior of a knot K in S 4 is S 4 K x/~2, the complement of an open tubular neighborhood of K):