cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quorum-Sensing Regulation of the Biofilm Matrix Genes (pel) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Quorum sensing (QS) has been previously shown to play an important role in the development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms (D. G. Davies et al., Science 280:295-298, 1998). Although QS regulation of swarming and DNA release has been shown to play important roles in biofilm development, regulation of genes directly involved in biosynthesis of biofilm matrix has not been described. Here, transcription of the pel operon, essential for the production of a glucose-rich matrix exopolysaccharide, is shown to be greatly reduced in lasI and rhlI mutants. Chemical complementation of the lasI mutant with 3-oxo-dodecanoyl homoserine lactone restores pel transcription to the wild-type level and biofilm formation ability. These findings thus connect QS signaling and transcription of genes responsible for biofilm matrix biosynthesis.
Basilar Artery Occlusive Disease in the New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Registry

Background Most reports on basilar artery (BA) occlusive disease have retrospectively described single cases or small patient series. Objective To assess clinical and vascular features, stroke mechanisms, etiologies, and outcome of moderate to severe BA occlusive disease among 407 patients in the New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Registry, the largest prospective series of consecutively collected patients with posterior circulation ischemia to date. Results We studied 87 patients and identified 3 patient groups with distinct vascular, clinical, etiological, and prognostic characteristics: isolated BA disease (39 patients [44.8%]), BA involvement as part of widespread posterior circulation atherosclerosis (36 patients [41.4%]), and embolism to the BA (12 patients [13.8%]). Vascular risk factors were common and often multiple. Most patients (54 [62.1%]) had involvement of the midportion of the BA. Fifty-eight patients (66%) initially had transient ischemic attacks, of whom 34 (58.6%) progressed to stroke. Transient ischemic attacks were usually multiple, lasted for several months, and increased in frequency as the stroke approached. When an infarct was present, the middle posterior intracranial territory was most often involved (66 patients [75.9%]). Outcome was much better than previously assumed. The mortality rate was 2.3%, and 62 patients (almost 75%) had minor or no deficits at follow-up. Outcome was best among patients with widespread atherosclerotic disease and worst in 7; (58.3%, with major disability) of 12 patients with embolism to the BA. Distal territory involvement, embolism, BA occlusion, decreased level of consciousness, tetraparesis, and abnormal pupils were significant predictors of poor outcome. Conclusion Inclusion of patients into 1 of the BA groups and early identification of predictive outcome factors guide diagnostic evaluation and treatment.
Not Proved: Reply to Wynn

Findings on whether young infants look longer at incorrect addition and subtraction have been inconsistent or, as in our study, negative. We hypothesize that imprecise ordinal calculating with very small numbers of objects develops in late infancy and precise calculating in early childhood.
Dynamic Models of Optical Emission in Impulsive Solar Flares

Numerical simulations of the dynamics and radiation in a solar flare loop are presented. The heating processes in the lower atmosphere include nonthermal heating by accelerated electrons and thermal soft X-ray irradiation from the flare-heated transition region and corona. Important transitions of hydrogen, helium, and singly ionized calcium and magnesium are treated in non-LTE. The principal results of the analysis are the following:
FE-based Modeling of Single Phase Distribution Transformers With Internal Winding Short Circuit Faults

This paper presents a fast and accurate phase variable model of single-phase distribution transformers with internal winding short circuit faults. The flux linkages of windings (including the winding formed with the shorted winding turns) are used as the phase variables. Their variation with the winding currents is used to represent the nonlinear magnetization of the iron core. The flux linkage variation is obtained from the solutions of a series of FE computation, covering the full operation range of the transformer with short circuit faults. It is described using tables and utilized by table look up in the developed model. An equivalent magnetizing current is defined to reduce the number of the FE computations for building the flux linkage tables. The implementation of the proposed FE-based model is studied and the verification is performed. Also, the application examples are presented
Ideology and gender: observers' system justification and targets' gender as interactive predictors of citizenship expectations.

ABSTRACTWe integrate system justification and social role theory to explain how observers’ system justification and target employees’ gender interact to predict observers’ expectations of targets’ sportsmanship citizenship behaviors. In contrast with social role theory predictions, observers did not expect greater levels of sportsmanship from women compared to men. Yet observers expected more sportsmanship from women (a) when observers were ideologically motivated by gender-specific beliefs (gender-specific system justification; Study 1) and (b) when system justification was cued experimentally (Study 2). A heretofore-unexamined aspect, observers’ ideology, modifies their expectations of sportsmanship citizenship across target genders. This has implications for system justification, social role, and organizational citizenship theoretical perspectives.
Thermographie Imaging of Defects in Anisotropie Composites

Composite materials are of increasing interest to the aerospace industry as a result of their weight versus performance characteristics. One of the disadvantages of composites is the high cost of fabrication and post inspection with conventional ultrasonic scanning systems. The high cost of inspection is driven by the need for scanning systems which can follow large curve surfaces. Additionally, either large water tanks or water squirters are required to couple the ultrasonics into the part. Thermographic techniques offer significant advantages over conventional ultrasonics by not requiring physical coupling between the part and sensor. The thermographic system can easily inspect large curved surface without requiring a surface following scanner. However, implementation of Thermal Nondestructive Evaluations (TNDE) for flaw detection in composite materials and structures requires determining its limit.
Use of ground-penetrating radar to study tree roots in the southeastern United States.

Summary The objectives of our study were to assess the feasibility of using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to study roots over a broad range of soil conditions in the southeastern United States. Study sites were located in the Southern Piedmont, Carolina Sandhills and Atlantic Coast Flatwoods. At each site, we tested for selection of the appropriate antenna (400 MHz versus 1.5 GHz), determined the ability of GPR to resolve roots and buried organic debris, assessed root size, estimated root biomass, and gauged the practicality of using GPR. Resolution of roots was best in sandy, excessively drained soils, whereas soils with high soil water and clay contents seriously degraded resolution and observation depth. In the Carolina Sandhills, 16 1 × 1-m plots were scanned with the 1.5 GHz antenna using overlapping grids. Plots were subsequently excavated, larger roots (> 0.5 cm diameter) sketched on graph paper before removal, and all roots oven-dried, classified by size and weighed. Roots as small as 0.5 cm in diameter were detected with GPR. We were able to size roots (0.5 to 6.5 cm in diameter) that were oriented perpendicular to the radar sweep (r 2 = 0.81, P = 0.0004). Use of image analysis software to relate the magnitude of radar parabolas to actual root biomass resulted in significant correlations (r 2 = 0.55, P = 0.0274). Orientation and geometry of the reflective surface seemed to have a greater influence on parabola dimensions than did root size. We conclude that the utility of current GPR technology for estimating root biomass is site-specific, and that GPR is ineffective in soils with high clay or water content and at sites with rough terrain (most forests). Under particular soil and site conditions, GPR appears to be useful for augmenting traditional biomass sampling.
Risk Factors for Urinary Tract Infections in Cardiac Surgical Patients.

Abstract Background: Risk factors for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgical procedures have been well documented. However, the variables associated with CAUTIs in the cardiac surgical population have not been clearly defined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors associated with CAUTIs in patients undergoing cardiac procedures. Methods: All patients undergoing cardiac surgery at a single institution from 2006 through 2012 (4,883 patients) were reviewed. Patients with U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) criteria for CAUTI were identified from the hospital's Quality Assessment database. Pre-operative, operative, and post-operative patient factors were evaluated. Univariate and multivariable analyses were used to identify significant correlations between perioperative characteristics and CAUTIs. Results: There were 55 (1.1%) documented CAUTIs in the study population. On univariate analysis, older age, female gender,...
Credit Default Swaps as Sovereign Debt Collateral

A defining friction of sovereign debt is the lack of collateral that can back sovereign borrowing. This paper shows that credit default swaps (CDS) can serve as collateral and thereby support more sovereign borrowing. By giving more bargaining power to lenders in ex-post debt renegotiations, CDS becomes a commitment device for lenders to extract more repayment from the debtor country. This ex-post disciplining effect during debt renegotiations better aligns the sovereign's ex-ante incentives with that of the lender. CDS alleviates agency frictions that are present in any lending contracts but are particularly difficult to mitigate in sovereign debt context. As a result, CDS enables the borrower to raise more external capital.
Multiculturalism and democracy in North Africa: aftermath of the Arab spring

Minorities are disproportionately subject to marginalisation, hatred, and targeted violence in many parts of the world. The question of how governments deal with ethnic minorities and indigenous pe...
Perspectives: Ethical Decision Making: More Needed than Good Intentions

The flourishing field of behavioral finance indicates that people often do not engage in optimal decision making when investing. The same cognitive biases and mental heuristics that cause suboptimal investing may also cause people to make unethical decisions. For that reason, good intentions are necessary, but they are not sufficient for finance professionals who desire to act ethically. Insights presented in this article can assist the well-intentioned to do the right thing in difficult circumstances.
Delphacidae of Alaska (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea)

Fifteen species, in 10 genera, of Delphacidae are recorded from Alaska. One, Kusnezoviella macleani , is described as new to science. Acanthodelphax analis (Crawford), Javesella arcanastyla (Beamer), and J. atrata (Osborn) are new combinations. Delphacodes saileri Beamer is a synonym of Javesella simillima (Linnavuori). Of the 15 species, 1 is recorded only from Alaska, 3 are Holarctic, 4 are Nearctic, and 7 are Palearctic and restricted to tundra habitats, with 5 of these apparently found only north of the Brooks Range.
"Nip and tuck": Surgeries every nuclear medicine physician should know: A pictorial review utilizing simple balloon models

1241 Learning Objectives In the daily interpretation of nuclear medicine studies, the nuclear medicine physician must be familiar with a variety of surgical procedures to accurately interpret nuclear examinations. In a pictorial review, we demonstrate a variety of surgical procedures utilizing simple 3 dimensional balloon models and compare these with actual nuclear medicine studies. The nuclear medicine physician and resident will have a better understanding of normal and abnormal patterns of uptake on studies where surgical procedures were performed. To adequately perform and interpret daily nuclear medicine studies, the nuclear medicine physician must be aware of the various common and uncommon surgical procedures which can affect the appearance of studies. In many cases, the appropriate clinical history is not conveyed, leading to potential problems with interpretation. We use simple balloon models which are 3 dimensional to demonstrate, simplify and understand the various procedures and appearances of the surgical procedures. In a pictorial review poster, we discuss various common and uncommon surgical procedures which can affect the appearance and dynamics of the nuclear medicine study interpretation and compare the surgical procedure with an example of an actual nuclear medicine studies. We will show cases of post cholecystectomy with leaks, post renal transplant with leaks, various gastric and bowel surgeries and effects on gastric emptying, various biliary surgeries and Kasai procedures, and several others. Upon review of this exhibit, the nuclear physician will have a better of understanding of various surgical procedures leading to improved understanding and interpretation of various nuclear studies.
Erwinia species from human sources.

Eight isolates of yellow pigmented, aerogenic and anaerogenic Gram-negative rods from human sources were characterized and identified as Erwinia. There were few definitive diagnostic criteria. Some isolates resembled Enterobacter, Serratia, or H2S negative Citrobacter. Electron microscopy revealed lateral peritrichous flagella which often appeared to be polar using light microscopy. Pigment production did not appear to be a stable characteristic, as one isolate was colorless. There was no evidence that the Erwiniae isolated from the seven patients in this study could be implicated as primary pathogens. The isolates were resistant to ampicillin and penicillin but sensitive to antibiotics commonly used for Gram-negative organisms. The capacity of Erwinia for opportunistic invasion suggests a need for an increasing awareness of these organisms in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
The effects of call-like masking diminish after nightly exposure to conspecific choruses in green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea)

One of the major difficulties encountered by animals that select mates using acoustic signals is discriminating individual calls from the background noise generated by other conspecifics. Reducing the effects of conspecific masking could improve discrimination of individual calls from background noise. We used auditory evoked potentials to investigate the effects of forward masking on the responses to artificial calls in male and female treefrogs (Hyla cinerea), as well as whether hearing advertisement calls over several nights, as happens in natural frog choruses, could modify the effects of masking. We found that response amplitude decreased with decreasing interstimulus interval when the masker was equal in amplitude to the stimulus. We also found evidence of a priming effect, whereby response amplitude at lower masker amplitudes was greater than when the target stimulus was not preceded by a masker. Finally, we found that the effect of masking was diminished by 10 nights of chorus exposure (i.e. responses were stronger to target stimuli), whereas there was no change in response in the control group. Our results show that hearing dynamic social stimuli, such as frog choruses, can alter the responses of the auditory periphery in a way that could enhance the detection of and response to conspecific acoustic communication signals.
Effect of mobile phase flow-rate on the recoveries and production rates in overloaded elution chromatography

Abstract The effect of mobile phase flow-rate on the recoveries and production rates in overloaded elution liquid chromatography was investigated from a theoretical standpoint. Numerical solutions of the semi-ideal model of non-linear chromatography were calculated for simulated columns, using a classical form of the HETP equation. Production rates and recoveries were derived for several mixtures with different relative retentions. It is generally observed that the recoveries decrease with increasing mobile phase flow-rate but that the production rates pass through a maximum which is reached at very high velocities. In the cases studied here, the optimum flow-rate corresponds to the efficiency for which the analytical resolution between the two compounds separated is around unity or even slightly lower.
Crystallization of Liver Fraction Protecting Against Necrosis from Carbon Tetrachloride or Chloroform Administration

We have reported1,2 on the use of a liver preparation in the prevention of liver necrosis from carbon tetrachloride or chloroform administration. At this time we wish to report a method for the preparation of this active principle in a crystalline form.A concentrated aqueous extract of hog liver representing approximately 10 gm. per cc, from which the heat coagulable materials have been removed, is warmed in a water bath to a temperature of approximately 60° C. To each 1000 cc. of this solution 2400 cc. of ethyl alcohol of about the same temperature is added with stirring. The precipitate which forms is filtered off after cooling and 2000 cc. of a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium sulfate added to the filtrate. The solution is then thoroughly shaken. On standing it separates into 2 layers: above, an alcoholic layer and below, a watery layer containing a great deal of precipitated ammonium sulfate. The upper layer is syphoned off and 1500 cc. of alcohol added to it to precipitate excess ammonium sulfa...
Chemisorption of Cyanogen Chloride by Spinel Ferrite Magnetic Nanoparticles

Spinel ferrite magnetic nanoparticles, MnFe2O4, NiFe2O4, and CoFe2O4, were synthesized and used as gas-phase adsorbents for the removal of cyanogen chloride from dry air. Fixed-bed adsorption breakthrough experiments show adsorption wave behavior at the leading edge of the breakthrough curve that is not typical of physically adsorbed species. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results indicate that CK is reacting with the spinel ferrite surface and forming a carbamate species. The reaction is shown to be a function of the hydroxyl groups and adsorbed water on the surface of the particles as well as the metallic composition of the particles. The surface reaction decreases the remnant and saturation magnetism of the MnFe2O4 and CoFe2O4 particles by approximately 25%.
Relative Amount of Mucin in Thick and in Thin Egg White

The white of a hen's tgg is readily separated into two portions, the thin white and the thick white. The yolk appears to be floating in thin white enclosed in a sac of thick white and this thick white is suspended in another (outer) layer of thin white.1Previous studies of tgg white have not demonstrated the nature of the difference between thick and thin white. In studying the proteins of egg white we have found that the thick portion of the white contains a much higher proportion of a protein possessing the properties of mucin than the thin white. This protein is soluble in an excess of mineral acids, insoluble in an excess of acetic acid, has a low nitrogen content (12.9%), and has the general physical properties of mucn. Examination of the eggs of some other birds indicates that this unequal distribution of mucin is not confined to the egg of the hen. Table I shows the mucin content of the eggs of the hen, pigeon and duck.The whites of the eggs were separated on a screen as described by Hoist and Almq...
Endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of biliary tract disease.

Endoscopic sphincterotomy has proved to be an effective, safe, and cost-efficient method for removal of common duct stones and relieving benign and malignant obstructions of the papilla of Vater. The success rate has been high (90.1 per cent), the morbidity low (8.6 per cent), and the mortality zero.
On the Use of Gaussian Random Processes for Probabilistic Interpolation of CubeSat Data in the Presence of Geolocation Error

With their greatly reduced sizes, low development cost, and rapid construction time, CubeSats have merged as a platform of considerable interest for a wide range of applications, including remote sensing. Many applications require the interpolation of sensor data into a regularly spaced grid for the development of downstream scientific products. This problem is complicated for CubeSat platforms due to potentially significant uncertainties associated with the spatial position of the satellite. In this paper, we present a probabilistic approach to the data interpolation problem in which we estimate both the platform location and data samples on a regular grid given observations corrupted by noise and location error. Our approach is based on a Gaussian process model to connect the measured data to the values on the grid. Two statistical models for positional uncertainties are considered, one based on an assumption of independent errors and another motivated by positional errors associated with a specific platform of interest, the MicroMAS radiometer. In each case, the maximum a posteriori estimate of the positions and the data is generated using an optimized Gaussian process regression (OGPR) method resulting in two algorithms: OGPR-IID and OGPR-PCA. The performance of this approach is tested on both simulated data and advanced technology microwave sounder data where significant improvements both qualitatively and quantitatively relative to traditional interpolation methods are observed.
Staphylococcus aureus Aggregation and Coagulation Mechanisms, and Their Function in Host-Pathogen Interactions.

The human commensal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus can cause a wide range of infections ranging from skin and soft tissue infections to invasive diseases like septicemia, endocarditis, and pneumonia. Muticellular organization almost certainly contributes to S. aureus pathogenesis mechanisms. While there has been considerable focus on biofilm formation and its role in colonizing prosthetic joints and indwelling devices, less attention has been paid to nonsurface-attached group behavior like aggregation and clumping. S. aureus is unique in its ability to coagulate blood, and it also produces multiple fibrinogen-binding proteins that facilitate clumping. Formation of clumps, which are large, tightly packed groups of cells held together by fibrin(ogen), has been demonstrated to be important for S. aureus virulence and immune evasion. Clumps of cells are able to avoid detection by the host's immune system due to a fibrin(ogen) coat that acts as a shield, and the size of the clumps facilitates evasion of phagocytosis. In addition, clumping could be an important early step in establishing infections that involve tight clusters of cells embedded in host matrix proteins, such as soft tissue abscesses and endocarditis. In this review, we discuss clumping mechanisms and regulation, as well as what is known about how clumping contributes to immune evasion.
Estimation of Membership Functions for Pattern Recognition and Computer Vision

Membership functions are of vital importance to applications of fuzzy theory. In this paper, we consider several methods for generating membership functions for pattern recognition and computer vision applications. The methods we discuss include heuristic methods, methods based on probability-possibility transformations, methods using feed-forward neural networks, the Fuzzy C Means algorithm, and the Possibilistic C Means algorithm. A qualitative comparison is made.
Policy Studies Debt: A Feminist Call to Expand Policy Studies Theory

This chapter argues that the field of policy studies faces a policy debt, a debt created by theoretical absences and blind spots, a debt unaccounted for. Citing an expanse of data that details a debt of school inequity, Pillow argues this is data that requires an obligation of policy scholars to engage in theory and praxis differently. Women of Color theorizing is introduced as one analytic, which when centered theoretically, challenges ontological and epistemological foundations of Critical Policy Analysis and creates obligations of praxis. Demonstrating what this looks like in a policy studies project, Pillow argues for the necessity of analytics such as Women of Color theories to be seen as more than identity additive models if policy studies is going to face and begin to take responsibility for its education debts.
France: New poles attract technology transfer

"Economic growth and job creation depend on innovation," said France's research minister Roger-Gerard Schwartzenberg as he launched 12 national "technology research poles" last month. The poles will link research groups in industry, government laboratories, universities and the grandes ecoles, and are part of the French government's drive to improve technology transfer.
Importance of Soil Amendments: Survival of Bacterial Pathogens in Manure and Compost Used as Organic Fertilizers

Biological soil amendments (BSAs) such as manure and compost are frequently used as organic fertilizers to improve the physical and chemical properties of soils. However, BSAs have been known to be a reservoir for enteric bacterial pathogens such as enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), Salmonella spp., and Listeria spp. There are numerous mechanisms by which manure may transfer pathogens to growing fruits and vegetables, and several outbreaks of infections have been linked to manure-related contamination of leafy greens. In the United States several commodity-specific guidelines and current and proposed federal rules exist to provide guidance on the application of BSAs as fertilizers to soils, some of which require an interval between the application of manure to soils and the harvest of fruits and vegetables. This review examines the survival, persistence, and regrowth/resuscitation of bacterial pathogens in manure, biosolids, and composts. Moisture, along with climate and the physicochemical properties of soil, manure, or compost, plays a significant role in the ability of pathogens to persist and resuscitate in amended soils. Adaptation of enteric bacterial pathogens to the nonhost environment of soils may also extend their persistence in manure- or compost-amended soils. The presence of antibiotic-resistance genes in soils may also be increased by manure application. Overall, BSAs applied as fertilizers to soils can support the survival and regrowth of pathogens. BSAs should be handled and applied in a manner that reduces the prevalence of pathogens in soils and the likelihood of transfer of food-borne pathogens to fruits and vegetables. This review will focus on two BSAs-raw manure and composted manure (and other feedstocks)-and predominantly on the survival of enteric bacterial pathogens in BSAs as applied to soils as organic fertilizers.
A Live Patient Simulation Model for Neurology Residents and Fellows to Effectively Communicate Bad News (P02.001)

OBJECTIVE: To improve interpersonal and communication skills in Neurology trainees as they deliver bad news to patients. BACKGROUND: Breaking bad news is an unfortunate, but necessary practice of medicine. Patients are often unsatisfied with the method in which physicians deliver bad news. This can have a broad psychosocial impact on both the patient and their families. The lack of appropriate tools and training to effectively deliver bad news is widely recognized by medical professionals at all levels of practice. This skill is especially important for Neurologists who frequently encounter patients with devastating medical conditions. DESIGN/METHODS: A curriculum was designed for postgraduate year (PGY) 3-5 neurology residents and fellows to improve their communication skills in “breaking bad news” to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. It included didactic lectures and articles on ALS, an ethics conference on end of life issues, and an independent review of articles providing information on the SPIKES protocol in breaking bad news. Residents were then scheduled to attend the VCU Human Simulation Center to provide the diagnosis of ALS to a trained standardized patient. The sessions were video-recorded and immediate feedback was provided to the participants by both the patient and a supervising physician who was monitoring the session. The participants were given the opportunity to review their recorded sessions either independently or with a Palliative Care physician. The residents and fellows9 feedback was collected through a computerized survey at the end of the simulation session. RESULTS: All twelve residents and fellows found the simulation to be educationally valuable. High marks were given to both the initial debriefing and the independent review of the simulated encounter. CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing simulated patients to train residents and fellows on how to deliver bad news is an effective way to prepare learners for real-time clinical scenarios. Disclosure: Dr. Guntur has nothing to disclose. Dr. Vota has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wong has nothing to disclose.
Zooming in on Gender Differences in Social Media

Men are from Mars and women are from Venus - or so the genre of relationship literature would have us believe. But there is some truth in this idea, and researchers in fields as diverse as psychology, sociology, and linguistics have explored ways to better understand the differences between genders. In this paper, we take another look at the problem of gender discrimination and attempt to move beyond the typical surface-level text classification approach, by (1) identifying semantic and psycholinguistic word classes that reflect systematic differences between men and women and (2) finding differences between genders in the ways they use the same words. We describe several experiments and report results on a large collection of blogs authored by men and women.
Efficient MSK spread-spectrum signaling

It is possible to implement an MSK DS/SSMA system in the parallel or serial mode. In the serial mode the hardware is simpler and a single channel system is possible. By precisely stating the relationship between the parallel and serial modes of transmission, results are obtained which provide the means to evaluate the effects of sequence selection on the multiple-access capability of the system.
Differences in Fertility and Assisted Reproduction in South Asian Women

Recently, interest in ethnic-mediated disparities in assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes has been increasing. Studies report that a large proportion of South Asian women experience infertility as a consequence of anovulatory endocrinopathies, most commonly caused by PCOS. South Asian patients with infertility may be phenotypically different from their Caucasian counterparts, which may affect the outcomes of ART. Here we review the current literature evaluating ART outcomes in South Asian women.
Role of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Differentiation of Glioblastomas from Solitary Brain Metastases

Differentiation between glioblastomas and solitary brain metastases is an important clinical problem as the treatment strategy can significantly differ depending on the tumor type. However, due to their similar appearance on conventional magnetic resonance imaging, accurate distinction between glioblastomas and brain metastases remains challenging and often necessitates an invasive surgical biopsy for a definitive diagnosis. Recently, diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) has been applied in solving this problem and has demonstrated potential as a noninvasive imaging biomarker to differentiate glioblastomas from solitary brain metastases. This chapter provides a brief review on the fundamental concepts of DTI and how this new imaging method can be applied in differentiation between glioblastomas and solitary brain metastases. It also includes discussions on some practical issue to further improve the reliability of the method and potential metrics sensitive to tumor that can be derived from DTI data.
Alcoholic Korsakoff’s Syndrome

Prolonged and heavy alcohol consumption is a well-known cause of brain damage and neuropsychological deficits (Talland & Waugh, 1969). Observations of brain images using techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) generally provide evidence of a relationship between extensive alcohol consumption and structural brain changes (Pfefferbaum & Rosenbloom, 1993). Similarly, results of neuropsychological tests sensitive to impaired mental processes after damage to particular brain systems have disclosed changes in cognitive abilities in chronic alcoholics (e.g., Walsh, 1994). One of the most tragic of the possible legacies of decades of chronic alcoholism is the severe neuropsychological condition Korsakoff’s syndrome. Alcoholic Korsakoff’s syndrome is characterized, most dramatically, by amnesia (memory loss), and it often is referred to as alcohol amnestic disorder. The amnesia of Korsakoff’s syndrome does not encompass all memories equally. Instead, memory loss for recent events—anterograde amnesia—is considerably more severe than loss of memories for information learned prior to the onset of alcoholism—retrograde amnesia. Because patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome have a permanent short-term memory impairment, that is, they are unable to remember new information for more than a few seconds, virtually nothing new is learned.
Intracellular Crystalline Deposits by Bacteria Grown in Urine

Several species of bacteria formed calcium containing crystalline material when grown in urine obtained from a subject with a history of infrequent renal calculi formation. The following species: Proteus mirabilis, Proteus rettgerii, Providencia stuartii, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans formed crystals of hydroxyapatite. Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus vulgaris produced crystals of calcite-III. Several of these bacteria have been isolated from the kidneys of patients with kidney stones, indicating that microorganisms may be involved in the enucleation process during calculogenesis.
Is Planning ‘Secular’? Rethinking Religion, Secularism, and Planning

Responding to the call for a deeper understanding of the religious phenomenon in planning – advanced, among others, by Leonie Sandercock and June Thomas in this journal – this paper argues that understanding religion in planning entails understanding religion’s constitutive other: secularism. This position draws on the burgeoning field of secular studies as well as examples of entanglement of religion, secularism, and planning in the United States and France. It problematizes a long-held assumption that good planning is based upon the notion of ‘religious indifference,’ for the assumption is conceptually anachronistic and practically untenable. This paper offers a set of methodological considerations as to how planners can radically rethink this assumption while effectively attending to the religious subjectivities of their constituencies and actively working through the structures of the modern state. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of this analysis for planning practice against...
PV module loss analysis using system in-situ monitoring data

Outdoor PV module monitoring has been widely applied for fault detection and degradation analysis of today’s PV systems. As the monitoring resolution increases, module-level ${I-V}$ tracing becomes more common, which allows the in-situ monitoring of PV module level performance during system operation. In this work, we present a method to store and process the in-situ monitoring data for an outdoor PV system. OSIsoft PI system is used for data storage and organizing. Self-developed algorithms are implemented in Python for data extraction and processing. The power loss on different mechanisms are evaluated then calculated from 62 of the module level ${I-V}$ tracers. The method proposed in this work can be very useful for degradation analysis of PV modules and systems.
Enhancing diabetes care through care coordination, telemedicine, and education: Evaluation of a rural pilot program

OBJECTIVE To provide a comprehensive evaluation of a grant-funded pilot diabetes care program. Rural adult patients living with poorly controlled diabetes were targeted for care. DESIGN AND SAMPLE Retrospective study using a purposive sample of patients at select primary care sites with a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) greater than 8%. Interventions included nurse care management, telemedicine endocrinology consults, as well as diabetes self-management education (DSME), to enhance disease management and prevention of complications. MEASURES Pre/post labs, DSME test scores, hospital claims data, satisfaction surveys, and a focus group were evaluated. RESULTS Fifty-nine adults, 21-76 years of age, participated. Interventions demonstrated statistically significant reduction in A1C (10.10 vs. 9.27; p value = 0.002); DSME test score improvement (76.23 vs. 96.04; p < 0.05) and reduced hospital utilization (Emergency Department use 0.86 vs. 0.40; p value = 0.04; inpatient admissions 0.09 vs. 0.02; p value = 0.02). Patients and providers indicated strong satisfaction with the program components. Less hospital utilization reduced emergency department costs by 51.4% and inpatient costs by 96%. A rural community advisory network indicated satisfaction in delivery of program activities and outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS This rural model shows potential for improving diabetes control, access to specialty care through telemedicine, and reduction of health care utilization costs.
GAN is a friend or foe?: a framework to detect various fake face images

Creating fake images such as replacing one's face with other person's face has become much easier due to the advancement of sophisticated image editing tools. In addition, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) enable creating natural looking human faces. However, fake images can cause many potential problems, as they can be misused to abuse information, hurt people, and generate fake identification. Therefore, detecting fake face images is critical for protecting individuals from various misuses. In this work, we propose an image forensic platform using neural networks, FakeFaceDetect, to detect various fake face images. In particular, we focus on detecting fake images automatically created from GANs as well as manually created by humans. In addition, we assume a strong adversary who can arbitrarily change and remove metadata of the original images. We demonstrate that FakeFaceDetect achieves high accuracy in detecting fake face images created by humans and GANs.
Effects of Creep Feeding, Zeranol Implants and Breed Type on Beef Production: I. Calf and Cow Performance

A 2-yr study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a high-energy creep feed, preweaning zeranol implants and breed type on calf and cow performance. Two hundred calves sired by Brahman and Romana Red bulls out of Angus and Angus x Brown Swiss reciprocal crossbred (F1) dams were stratified by breed type and sex to three creep treatments: no creep feed (NC); long-term creep (LC), creep-fed from 56 to 210 d of age (weaning); and short-term creep (SC), creep-fed from 146 to 210 d of age. Alternate calves within sex, breed type and creep treatment were implanted with 36 mg of zeranol at an average of 56 d and reimplanted 90 d later. The LC and SC calves had heavier (P less than .001) 210-d weights than NC calves (264 and 257 vs 231 kg, respectively), and the LC calves were heavier (P less than .001) at 146 d than NC calves. The LC calves had higher (P less than .001) ADG from 118 to 210 d of age and higher 146 and 210-d condition scores than did NC calves. Pregnancy rate was not affected (P greater than .46) by creep treatment of calf. Zeranol implants increased (P less than .01) 146- and 210-d weights (184 vs 175 kg and 259 vs 243 kg) and ADG during all periods to weaning. Brahman-sired calves had higher (P less than .005) 146- and 210-d weaning weights and frame scores than Romana Red-sired calves.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Excystation of Eimeria acervulina, E. maxima, and E. tenella differs in response to trypsin and chymotrypsin and the presence of reducing agents DTT and TCEP.

Abstract Release of sporozoites from Eimeria oocysts/sporocysts is an essential step in the intracellular development of the parasite in its host. Little is known about this process except that elevated temperature (∼ 40 °C) plus trypsin and bile salts are required for sporozoite to escape from sporocysts. In this study, it was found that adding a reducing agent, either dithiothreitol (DTT) or Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP), increased the lifespan of sporozoites released from Eimeria maxima. While the addition of DTT or TCEP affected the apparent molecular weight of trypsin, it did not interfere with excystation of E. maxima, but rather had a positive effect on the number of viable sporozoites present after release. This effect was time-dependent in that the number of intact sporozoites at 15 and 30 min after excystation was similar between untreated and DTT- or TCEP-treated sporocysts. However, by 45 – 60 min, virtually no sporozoites were observed in excystation fluid not containing DTT or TCEP. Of interest is that this effect appeared to be Eimeria species-dependent. Eimeria acervulina and E. tenella sporozoites remained viable for at least 60 min after excystation in the absence of DTT or TCEP. The effect of DTT and TCEP on chymotrypsin was also studied with all 3 Eimeria species because there is some evidence that chymotrypsin is an effective excystation enzyme. Indeed, E. maxima sporozoites excysting from sporocysts with chymotrypsin in the presence of DTT or TCEP remained viable for at least 60 min after release, unlike excystation done in the absence of these reducing agents. Chymotrypsin was capable of excysting E. acervulina in the presence or absence of DTT or TCEP. Of interest, is that chymotrypsin was ineffective in the excystation of E. tenella. These findings suggest that trypsin and chymotrypsin have differential effects on sporozoite excystation and that reducing agents may alter sites on the enzyme that affect sporozoite viability, but not release from sporocysts.
Both trusting and understanding medical advice: Assessing patient alliance and confusion after medical consultations.

Abstract Objective The current objective is to validate the Medical Consultation Experience Questionnaire (MCEQ) and to examine distinctions between constructs of patient perceived alliance and experienced confusion in relation to key health outcomes. Methods A total of 857 participants were recruited online across two samples (adults with various medical conditions and with diabetes and/or hypertension specifically). Results A confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good fit and high item loadings for the theoretical bifactor model. Item response theory analyses showed very high individual item discrimination and good test information across a wide range of values. Confusion was uniquely and significantly more strongly related to psychological distress than was alliance; the same was true for alliance with positive affect. Both alliance and confusion significantly contributed to treatment motivation. Only confusion explained unique variance in control of HbA1C levels and blood pressure after controlling for alliance and other variables. Conclusions The MCEQ is a valid instrument for assessing distinct constructs of alliance and confusion. Future research should focus on the unique role of confusion for patient outcomes. Practice implications By using the MCEQ to assess patient alliance and confusion, it may be possible to detect and prioritize individual patient needs and improve patient outcomes.
Multi-element effects on arsenate accumulation in a geochemical matrix determined using µ-XRF, µ-XANES and spatial statistics.

Soils regulate the environmental impacts of trace elements, but direct measurements of reaction mechanisms in these complex, multi-component systems can be challenging. The objective of this work was to develop approaches for assessing effects of co-localized geochemical matrix elements on the accumulation and chemical speciation of arsenate applied to a soil matrix. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microprobe (µ-XRF) images collected across 100 µm × 100 µm and 10 µm × 10 µm regions of a naturally weathered soil sand-grain coating before and after treatment with As(V) solution showed strong positive partial correlations (r′ = 0.77 and 0.64, respectively) between accumulated As and soil Fe, with weaker partial correlations (r′ > 0.1) between As and Ca, and As and Zn in the larger image. Spatial and non-spatial regression models revealed a dominant contribution of Fe and minor contributions of Ca and Ti in predicting accumulated As, depending on the size of the sample area analyzed. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis of an area of the sand grain showed a significant correlation (r = 0.51) between Fe and Al, so effects of Fe versus Al (hydr)oxides on accumulated As could not be separated. Fitting results from 25 As K-edge microscale X-ray absorption near-edge structure (µ-XANES) spectra collected across a separate 10 µm × 10 µm region showed ∼60% variation in proportions of Fe(III) and Al(III)-bound As(V) standards, and fits to µ-XANES spectra collected across the 100 µm × 100 µm region were more variable. Consistent with insights from studies on model systems, the results obtained here indicate a dominance of Fe and possibly Al (hydr)oxides in controlling As(V) accumulation within microsites of the soil matrix analyzed, but the analyses inferred minor augmentation from co-localized Ti, Ca and possibly Zn.
MARS MRI Characteristics of Adverse Local Tissue Reactions in Taper Corrosion of Metal-On-Polyethylene THA Differ From Metal-On-Metal THA.

Abstract Background Metal artifact reduction sequence (MARS) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been recommended as a cross-sectional imaging modality in clinical evaluation of adverse local tissue reactions (ALTRs) in metal-on-metal (MoM) patients and metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) patients with taper corrosion. The aim of the study was to compare MARS MRI characteristics of ALTR in MoM total hip arthroplasty (THA) with ALTR in MoP THA with modular taper corrosion. Methods A total of 197 patients with ALTR were evaluated: 86 patients with MoM THA; 37 MoP patients with head-neck taper corrosion; and 74 MoP patients with neck-stem dual taper corrosion. MARS MRI scans were evaluated to identify location, size, type of ALTR (I-III), and associated ALTR synovitis (cystic, solid, and mixed). Results MARS MRI characteristics of ALTR were significantly different between the MoM and MoP groups (P = .017). The MoP group demonstrated the highest proportion of thick-walled cystic masses type II (56.7% in head-neck taper corrosion MoP and 46.5% in dual taper corrosion MoP vs 28.7% in MoM), whereas the MoM group had the highest proportion of thin-walled cystic masses type I. MoM implants (96.8%) were significantly more likely to have ALTR in multiple locations compared with both MoP groups (P = .001). Conclusion This study demonstrates that MARS MRI characteristics of ALTR differ by bearing type with a significantly higher percentage of mixed type and solid type ALTR in the taper corrosion MoP THA compared with MoM THA. This information provides clinically useful information in evaluation of symptomatic MoP and MoM THA patients for ALTRs.