cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-performance iterative Viterbi algorithm for conventional serial concatenated codes

The Viterbi algorithm (1967) and conventional serial concatenated codes (CSCC) have been widely applied in digital communication systems over the last 30 years. We show that the Shannon capacity of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels can be approached by CSCCs and the iterative VA (IVA). We firstly study the algebraic properties of CSCCs. We then present the IVA to decode these codes. We also analyze the performance of the IVA and conclude that a better performance can be achieved if we replace the powerful block codes by some simple parity codes. One of the key results in this paper shows that by using a proper design for the decoding method, codes with small loops can be very efficiently decoded using a min-sum type algorithm. The numerical results show that the IVA can closely approach the Shannon sphere-packing lower bound and the Shannon limit. For block sizes ranging from 56 information bits to 11970 information bits, the IVA can perform to within about 1 dB of the Shannon sphere-packing lower bound at a block error rate of 10/sup -4/. We show that the IVA has a very low complexity and can be applied to many current standard systems, for example, the Qualcomm code-division multiple-access (CDMA) system and the NASA concatenated system, with very little modification or, for some cases, without any modification.
Surfactant composition and function in lungs of air-breathing fishes.

Examination of lung washings from primitive air-breathing fishes (ropefish, bichirs, and gar) revealed a lipid-based surfactant with an average disaturated phospholipid-to-total phospholipid ratio five times lower than in mammals. The lung lavage of fishes was exceptionally rich in cholesterol, resulting in average cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratios three times higher, and cholesterol-to-disaturated phospholipid ratios nearly 15 times higher, than those of mammals. Removal of lung surfactant doubled the pressures necessary to initially open the anterior regions of collapsed lungs in all three fish species but had little or no effect on pressures required to fill the lung (i.e., compliance) after the initial opening. The elevated cholesterol content found in pulmonary surfactant of these fishes is consistent with such findings in other ectotherms, suggesting that the proportional elevation of cholesterol may serve to stabilize the fluidity of the lung surfactant over broader temperature ranges. The influence of surfactant on lung opening pressures rather than on compliance contrasts with that seen in mammals and supports an "antiglue" role of pulmonary surfactant in the simpler open-design lungs of lower vertebrates.
An Interprofessional Simulation for Child Abuse Reporting

Abstract Background Health care providers applying for a license or certification issued by licensing boards in many states are identified as mandated child abuse reporters and must submit documentation of training. Method A Child Abuse Reporting Interprofessional Simulation-Based Experience (CAR-IBSE) was developed to augment mandatory online training for undergraduate pharmacy and nursing students. The goals of the CAR-IBSE were to provide opportunities for nursing and pharmacy students to (a) be immersed in a realistic yet safe situation in which child abuse needs to be reported, (b) work together to problem solve, and (c) collaborate and communicate to effectively assess, provide care, and evaluate family dynamics in a community setting. Results Fifty-five nursing and 74 pharmacy students participated in the CAR-ISBE which included planning, performing, and debriefing stages (20 minutes each). Seventy-four students responded to an online postsimulation survey. More than 90% of students agreed that the simulation objectives were met, and 88% of the respondents agreed that the quality of the experience was high. All the faculty facilitators who responded to a postsimulation survey agreed that the simulation was effective. Conclusions Simulation-based learning experiences are a unique and effective way for students to learn about child abuse and its reporting.
Effects of atrial natriuretic peptide on renal medullary prostaglandin E2 production

Like arachidonic acid (AA) and bradykinin (BK), the intrarenal administration of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) has been shown to increase the urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). In the present study, the direct in vitro effects of ANP on PGE2 production were compared with those of AA and BK. Canine renal inner medullary slices were preincubated for 30 min and washed in aerated Krebs-Ringer buffer (37 degrees C). During the final incubation period, with the use of varied concentrations of AA, BK, or ANP in Krebs-Ringer buffer, samples were obtained at 0 and 30 min to be used for radioimmunoassay of PGE2. Although the rate of PGE2 production was significantly increased 11-fold with AA and threefold with BK, it was unaffected by four different doses of ANP (10(-5) to 10(-11) M). Furthermore, the production of PGE2 during basal and stimulated (BK or AA) conditions was significantly blocked by indomethacin but not by ANP. These results indicate that ANP had no direct stimulatory or inhibitory effect on the medullary production of PGE2.
Optimized acquisition time for x-ray fluorescence imaging of gold nanoparticles: a preliminary study using photon counting detector

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a promising spectroscopic technique to characterize imaging contrast agents with high atomic numbers (Z) such as gold nanoparticles (GNPs) inside small objects. Its utilization for biomedical applications, however, is greatly limited to experimental research due to longer data acquisition time. The objectives of this study are to apply a photon counting detector array for XRF imaging and to determine an optimized XRF data acquisition time, at which the acquired XRF image is of acceptable quality to allow the maximum level of radiation dose reduction. A prototype laboratory XRF imaging configuration consisting of a pencil-beam X-ray and a photon counting detector array (1 × 64 pixels) is employed to acquire the XRF image through exciting the prepared GNP/water solutions. In order to analyze the signal to noise ratio (SNR) improvement versus the increased exposure time, all the XRF photons within the energy range of 63 - 76KeV that include two Kα gold fluorescence peaks are collected for 1s, 2s, 3s, and so on all the way up to 200s. The optimized XRF data acquisition time for imaging different GNP solutions is determined as the moment when the acquired XRF image just reaches a quality with a SNR of 20dB which corresponds to an acceptable image quality.
A Gender Based Analysis of the Learning-Style Preferences of Principal Preparation Students.

Determining gender learning-style preferences is necessary in assuring that principal preparation programmes are inclusive of styles that benefit both males and females. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any gender differences for students in a principal preparation programme on responses to items measuring pedagogy (science of teaching children) and andragogy (science of teaching adults). Of the thirteen items on which there was statistical significance between genders' preferences, males had higher mean scores on nine items (70 per cent) and females on four items (30 per cent). Males had higher mean scores than females on all items measuring pedagogy and males and females had an equal number of high mean scores in response to items that measured andragogy.
Analysis of Failure in Metallic Thin-Film Interconnects Due to Stress and Electromigration-Induced Void Propagation

A theoretical analysis is presented of the morphological evolution of transgranular voids in metallic thin films driven by capillarity, stress, and electromigration. This highly nonlinear and complex dynamics is analyzed through self-consistent numerical simulations based on a two-dimensional phenomenological model of a passivated interconnect. The analysis follows a systematic exploration of a six-dimensional parameter space determined by the strengths of the electric and stress fields, surface diffusion anisotropy, and the size of the void. Our simulation results reveal a very rich nonlinear dynamical picture of void morphological evolution mechanism, including faceting, wedge void and faceted slit formation through a facet selection process, and soliton-like surface wave propagation. These results are in very good agreement with experimental observations and have important implications for interconnect failure.
Mechanisms of imipenem resistance of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolate

Objective To study the molecular mechanisms underlying the imipenem resistance in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolate.Methods Antibiotic resistance of the clinical isolate was detected by VITEK32 and Kirby-Bauer method.The expression level of antibiotic resistance related genes were analyzed by quantitative real time PCR method.PCR was performed to amplify the antibiotic resistance related genes and the amplified products were subject to sequencing for further analysis.Results The results of antimicrobial susceptibility analysis showed that the clinical isolate exhibited resistance to imipenem but susceptible to other tested antibiotics.Compared to the control strain,the expression level of the outer membrane channel encoding gene oprD was significantly decreased(0.000 17);while no obvious change was observed in the expression level of one of the RND efflux pump encoding gene mexE(0.60).There was a single amino acid substitution(Met372Ile)in protein OprD and no change in amino acid polarity.Conclusions The expression decrease of gene oprD may contribute to the imipenem resistance of the clinical isolate.However,the effect of the amino acid substitution could not be excluded completely.
Office Evaluation And Management Of The Sore Throat

The sore throat is one of the most common complaints that physicians encounter. Most sore throats are caused by viral infections; bacterial infections should be ascertained by laboratory testing. A systematic method of evaluation of the patient is proposed, and basic treatments for the common causes of this condition are reviewed.
Pilot plant and experimental laboratory production. The role in biotechnology industry development

A stage-phase approach can contribute to unnecessarily long product development time. A simultaneous approach that integrates all development resources through an effectively managed pilot plant can significantly shorten the product development cycle. An intensive development of the domestic biotechnology manufacturing is impossible without creation of the real pilot plant market in Ukraine.
Sex differences in career progression and satisfaction in an academic medical center.

Are differences in men's and women's ha career progression and satisfaction in academia related to their sex? This article discusses the variables that contribute to sex-based career differentials ab and the implications both for the individual and for society.
Classical Discourse in British India II: Secret Knowledge

During the siege of Lucknow in 1857, Sir James Outram sent a message recounting the desperate plight of the outnumbered and encircled defenders to Sir Hope Grant, leader of the approaching relief column.717 The Indian courier hid the message in a quill, which he then secreted inside his walking stick. Unsatisfied with this level of security, Outram added another: ancient Greek script. This was not an uncommon ploy. Commenting on the parlous state of communications in the summer of 1857, William Hodson claimed that ‘[w]e get none even from Agra, and of course not below it, except by “Kossid,” [Indian courier] and they but little scraps, written half in Greek characters, to mislead or deceive, if the unfortunate bearer is stopped.’718
The Changing National Self-images in Chinese Diplomatic History

In Chapter 3, an argument predicated upon cybernetic theory is made that diplomacy is commanded by the dominant national self-image in the domestic political process. Chapter 4 laid out the potential alternative national self-images in Chinese psychoculture. Chapter 5 suggests how these national self-conceptions may be linked to leadership styles. Now it is possible to write Chinese diplomatic history in the light of the change and continuity in China’s national self-images.
Imaging the Congenitally Absent Kidney: A Case Report

Objective: This case report identifies the sources of an incorrect computer-assisted renogram analysis. Methods: A 74-yr-old male patient with a history of transitional cell bladder carcinoma resulting in radical cystectomy and ileal conduit construction presented with deteriorating renal function. The patient was known to have congenital absence of the right kidney, but this kidney was presumably identified by diuretic renography. Furosemide renography with 99mTc-MAG3 was performed to assess obstructive uropathy and overall renal function. Results: Diuretic renography and region of interest (ROI) analysis appeared to demonstrate the presence of a right kidney. The images obtained from the study demonstrated a markedly dilated left renal pelvis that was misidentified as a right kidney because of size and shape similarities. Conclusion: This case report demonstrates the importance of anatomic identification in the construction and analysis of renal scintigraphic images. It also demonstrates the importance of patient history to the overall evaluation of scintigraphic imaging.
A Recursive Algorithm for Diffuse Planar Tomography

Diffuse tomography generalizes the standard discrete tomography problem,permitting anisotropic scattering. The diffuse problem involves more unknowns, and also more data. Markov transition probabilities are recovered from measurements taken at all pairs of input/output ports on the boundary. A recursive algorithm is used to solve the problem on a general n × n lattice in the plane.
A molecular study of the wastewater contaminants atenolol and atrazine in 1- n -butyl-3-methylimidazolium based ionic liquids for potential treatment applications

ABSTRACTThe use of room temperature ionic liquids (ILs) as novel solvents in a range of industrial separation processes has received tremendous attention and research. Here, we investigate the potential application of ILs to remove the wastewater contaminants atenolol and atrazine. Specifically, using molecular simulation we predict IL/water partition coefficients of atenolol and atrazine in seven common 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium based ILs and investigate the underlying structural details. We find that atenolol and atrazine have a large affinity for the ILs over water. With a solute mole fraction of 0.1, the IL characteristic structure is virtually unchanged, suggesting ILs are able to accommodate the solutes well. Additionally, we demonstrate that within an IL, the solute affinity for the IL can be greatly improved by selecting an anion and/or cation that interacts strongly with the solute.
Predictors of Infant Body Composition at 5 Months of Age: The Healthy Start Study.

Objective To examine associations of demographic, perinatal, and infant feeding characteristics with offspring body composition at approximately 5 months of age. Study design We collected data on 640 mother/offspring pairs from early pregnancy through approximately 5 months of age. We assessed offspring body composition with air displacement plethysmography at birth and approximately 5 months of age. Linear regression analyses examined associations between predictors and fat-free mass, fat mass, and percent fat mass (adiposity) at approximately 5 months. Secondary models further adjusted for body composition at birth and rapid infant growth. Results Greater prepregnant body mass index and gestational weight gain were associated with greater fat-free mass at approximately 5 months of age, but not after adjustment for fat-free mass at birth. Greater gestational weight gain was also associated with greater fat mass at approximately 5 months of age, independent of fat mass at birth and rapid infant growth, although this did not translate into increased adiposity. Greater percent time of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower fat-free mass (-311 g; P P P P P Conclusions There are clear differences in infant body composition by demographic, perinatal, and infant feeding characteristics, although our data also show that increased adiposity at birth persists through approximately 5 months of age. Our findings warrant further research into implications of differences in infant body composition.
Translation of Saliva Proteins Into Tools to Prevent Vector-Borne Disease Transmission

Hematophagous arthropods transmit pathogens to humans and livestock worldwide. Arthropod vectors of pathogens are not live syringes that deliver microbes passively into a host as they obtain a blood meal. Advances over the last three decades provide insights into vector–host and vector–pathogen interactions that demonstrate the dynamic aspects of pathogen transmission by the arthropod vector. This chapter focuses on the role of vector saliva in transmission of the pathogen(s). Vector saliva contains pharmacologically active components that suppress and circumvent the host immune responses and are essential to obtain a blood meal. Microbes deposited into the host in vector saliva exploit this immunomodulated environment. In addition, microbes may usurp salivary components to enhance entry and survival in the host. These collective insights on the saliva of the arthropod in the context of microorganism transmission have emphasized the utility of these critical salivary proteins as viable targets to thwart pathogen transmission. We describe the progress made toward a molecular understanding of arthropod saliva and how saliva enables the vector, particularly ticks and mosquitoes, to successfully obtain blood and transmit pathogens, and how this information opens new avenues to prevent pathogen transmission.
Mechanical feedback control systems

We discuss here the problem of analyzing which classes of control systems may be put in a closed-loop form which is Lagrangian or Hamiltonian and ask when such controls are useful.
Framework for Modeling Information Flow in Biological Processes: Application to the Unfolded Protein Response

Abstract This paper presents a hierarchical framework for modeling intracellular biological phenomena. In addition to describing material flow in biological systems, this approach also accounts for regulatory flow. Whereas material flows serve as inputs to be acted upon by the system, regulatory flows refer to cellular processes that serve to control the process response to material inputs. Unlike other models, this approach accounts for the explicit time delays present in both regulatory and material flows. Iterations between experimental and modeling work allows for efficient improvements in both experimental design and model structure.
The philosophy of American forestry education.

An alternative title for this paper could be "The Profession of forestry and the education of foresters and the public - what can we learn from the Americans?" The paper is the end product of almost five years reflection on an academic year spent at an American University, followed by three months travelling in the United States of America, meeting foresters, forestry educators and researchers, forest industrialists, loggers and the American people. Since it is a reflection, coming after almost five years of thought, rather than a spur of the moment exercise, following impression or disappointment, it should be more objective in approach. [...]
Use of the Actigraph for Objective Quantification of Hand/Wrist Activity in Repetitive Work:

Valid and reliable measures of hand/wrist activity are needed to address the relationship between work tasks and the development of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. The utility of the act...
Second-order free-riding problem solved? (reply)

We have shown that, if a system of indirect reciprocity is stable, exclusion from that system could deter collective-action cheats1. Unlike direct punishment2,3,4,5, indirect punishers benefit by avoiding donation, obviating the second-order free-rider problem. Fowler claims6, however, that we assume away the second-order free-rider problem, and (by adding a new error term) argues that indirect-reciprocity defectors undermine cooperation.
Inelastic responses of wind-excited tall buildings: Improved estimation and understanding by statistical linearization approaches

Abstract Two statistical linearization approaches are used to determine the inelastic response statistics of wind-excited tall buildings with bilinear hysteretic restoring force character. Their accuracy and effectiveness are illustrated though the comparison with the predictions from response time history simulations. The statistical linearization approaches give good estimations of response standard deviation (STD), extreme value distribution and fatigue damage, while discrepancies are observed when the inelastic behaviour is significant that leads to hardening non-Gaussian response distribution. The results demonstrate that the inelastic response with zero mean component is lower than that of corresponding elastic system attributed to the increase in system damping resulted from the hysteretic restoring force. The ductility factor and reduction in response increase with the decrease in yield displacement, especially, for flexible tall buildings. On the other hand, when response has non-zero mean component under static load, the yielding results in displacement drift and the inelastic displacement is featured by stochastic drift and fluctuating components. The time-varying mean response can be calculated from state-space equation of motion, and its steady-state value is determined by the mean load and second stiffness. While the hysteretic damping results in reduction of the fluctuating response, the increase in the mean component can lead to total inelastic response noticeably higher than that of the corresponding elastic system. The results of this study help in developing improved understanding of inelastic building response under ultimate wind loads, contributing to achieve safer and more economical performance-based design of buildings beyond the current linear elastic framework.
Inhibition Mechanisms of Human Indoleamine 2,3 Dioxygenase 1

Human indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (hIDO1) and tryptophan dioxygenase (hTDO) catalyze the same dioxygenation reaction of Trp to generate N-formyl kynurenine (NFK). They share high structural similarity, especially in the active site. However, hIDO1 possesses a unique inhibitory substrate binding site (Si) that is absent in hTDO. In addition, in hIDO1, the indoleamine group of the substrate Trp is H-bonded to S167 through a bridging water, while that in hTDO is directly H-bonded to H76. Here we show that Trp binding to the Si site or the mutation of S167 to histidine in hIDO1 retards its turnover activity and that the inhibited activity can be rescued by an effector, 3-indole ethanol (IDE). Kinetic studies reveal that the inhibited activity introduced by Trp binding to the Si site is a result of retarded recombination of the ferryl moiety with Trp epoxide to form NFK and that IDE reverses the effect by preventing Trp from binding to the Si site. In contrast, the abolished activity induced by the S167H mut...
Economics and the Environment: A "Land Ethic" Critique of Economic Policy

This paper is a twenty-five year retrospective on the development of environmental consciousness in the US The Clean Air Act is taken as proxy for companion measures in water and other areas of the environment, and the emphasis on "efficiency" and "market compatibility" is noted with a mixture of caution and hope. The work of an eminent pragmatic ethicist, Ado Leopard, is re-visited. From the pages of A Sand County Almanac, his notion that right and wrong, good and bad, be assessed in terms of the tendency to produce or preserve "the integrity, beauty, and stability of the biotic community" is explicitly adopted. Leopold's ethical consciousness raises a question: what reasons do we have to believe that an efficient, booming economy can be made compatible with a finite natural system? Are there boundaries that the economy must respect, or can we "out run" those limits with our technology and expertise?
Portable Micro Method for Quantitative Determination of Vitamin C in Fruit and Vegetable Juices

A portable rapid and accurate micro method is described for the quantitative determination of vitamin C in fruit and vegetable juices. Chromatographic paper is impregnated with DCP by immersion in 95% ethanol solution and sprayed with a protective starch solution. Papers are usable indefinitely when protected from moisture, light, air, and high temperatures. Determinations can be completed in 60 s with an accuracy of +/- 2.0 mg/100 mL fruit or vegetable juice. Cloudy or lightly colored samples do not interfere with the determination. The method was compared with the official AOAC 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCP) titration method and gave a linear correlation coefficient of 0.99749.
What Is the Effect of Treating Mandibular Fractures on Weight and Prealbumin

Purpose Fracture healing relies on the body to coordinate an inflammatory and anabolic reaction to re-establish osseous union. Although many factors affect this process or even disrupt it, the role of the body's nutritional reserves is not well understood. The purposes of this study were to describe the weight changes and to identify trends in laboratory values commonly used in nutritional assessment during mandibular fracture treatment. Materials and Methods A prospective cohort study was designed. The study cohort included patients who sustained a mandibular fracture from September 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018. The primary outcome variable was the percentage weight change from baseline. Secondary outcome variables included serum albumin and serum prealbumin levels. Weight change was analyzed using a linear mixed model. Paired Wilcoxon tests were used to compare laboratory values with baseline levels. Results Thirty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria with sufficient follow-up data for analysis. The linear mixed model predicted a peak weight loss of 4.1% of the initial body weight by day 34. The serum prealbumin level increased over the study period (P Conclusions During the course of treatment for mandibular fractures, patients lost an average of more than 4% of their body weight. However, the study did not show any meaningful change in nutritional laboratory values. Although it is important for patients and surgeons to be able to anticipate a weight loss of about 4 to 5% during mandibular fracture treatment, it is unlikely that this represents a large challenge to the nutritional status of patients.
Effective delivery of social-behavioral change communication through a care group model in a supplementary feeding program: a descriptive analysis

ObjectiveA USAID/FFP-Funded study implemented by Tufts University (Food Aid Quality Review) in Southern Malawi found that intensified social-behavioral change communication (SBCC) in combination wi...
Negative Correlation, Non-linear Filtering, and Discovering of Repetitiveness for Cache Timing Channel Detection

Physically shared micro-architecture can be exploited by adversaries to communicate covertly via timing modulation without leaving any physical traces. Among different micro-architecture units, caches provide one of the largest attack surfaces because it is frequently accessed by multiple processes and it cannot be disabled. In this work, we show that by collecting cache occupancy traces, we can distinguish adversary from benign workloads through multiple signal processing techniques. When two processes are communicating by creating conflict misses, they would take cache memory space from each other. Consequently. the cache occupancies of two involved processes would be negatively correlated. Besides, the activity of the adversary in occupying the victim’s cache space would be repetitive as a result of long-term, continuous transmission of secret information in a covert manner. By filtering the non-negatively correlated part and analyzing the repetitiveness of cache occupancy trace, we can achieve zero false negative rate and 4% false positive rate in cache timing channel detection.
Ensemble Pruning via Margin Maximization.

Ensemble models refer to methods that combine a typically large number of classifiers into a compound prediction. The output of an ensemble method is the result of fitting a base-learning algorithm to a given data set, and obtaining diverse answers by reweighting the observations or by resampling them using a given probabilistic selection. A key challenge of using ensembles in large-scale multidimensional data lies in the complexity and the computational burden associated with them. The models created by ensembles are often difficult, if not impossible, to interpret and their implementation requires more computational power than single classifiers. Recent research effort in the field has concentrated in reducing ensemble size, while maintaining their predictive accuracy. We propose a method to prune an ensemble solution by optimizing its margin distribution, while increasing its diversity. The proposed algorithm results in an ensemble that uses only a fraction of the original classifiers, with improved or similar generalization performance. We analyze and test our method on both synthetic and real data sets. The simulations show that the proposed method compares favorably to the original ensemble solutions and to other existing ensemble pruning methodologies.
Isotretinoin in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa: a retrospective study.

Isotretinoin has been used off-label in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) patients with variable results, making it difficult to predict which patients with HS are likely to benefit.We conducted a retr...
Dynamic Sizing of Continuously Divisible Jobs for Heterogeneous Resources

Many scientific applications operate on large datasets that can be partitioned and operated on concurrently. The existing approaches for concurrent execution generally rely on statically partitioned data. This static partitioning can lock performance in a sub-optimal configuration, leading to higher execution time and an inability to respond to dynamic resources. We present the Continuously Divisible Job abstraction which allows statically defined applications to have their component tasks dynamically sized responding to system behavior. The Continuously Divisible Job abstraction defines a simple interface that dictates how work can be recursively divided, executed, and merged. Implementing this abstraction allows scientific applications to leverage dynamic job coordinators for execution. We also propose the Virtual File abstraction which allows read-only subsets of large files to be treated as separate files. In exploring the Continuously Divisible Job abstraction, two applications were implemented using the Continuously Divisible Job interface: a bioinformatics application and a high-energy physics event analysis. These were tested using an abstract job interface and several job coordinators. Comparing these against a previous static partitioning implementation we show comparable or better performance without having to make static decisions or implement complex dynamic application handling.
What Drives Municipal Capital Investment? A Long-panel Data Analysis of U.S. Central Cities:

Cities across the United States are facing a severe infrastructure deficit. The challenge of financing infrastructure capital assets has emerged as one of the most urgent issues of the country. Usi...
Methods of assessing categorical agreement between correlated screening tests in clinical studies.

Advances in breast imaging and other screening tests have prompted studies to evaluate and compare the consistency between experts' ratings of existing with new screening tests. In clinical setting...
Scaphotrapezoid Assessment during Thumb Carpometacarpal Arthroplasty: A Cadaveric Study

Background Due to limited sensitivity of radiographs for scaphotrapeziotrapezoid (STT) arthritis and the high rate of concurrence between thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) and STT arthritis, intraoperative visualization of the STT joint is recommended during CMC arthroplasty. Purpose We quantified the percentage of trapezoid facet of the scaphotrapezoid (ST) joint that could be visualized during this approach, and compared it to the degree of preoperative radiographic STT arthritis. Methods We performed dorsal surgical approach to the thumb CMC joint after obtaining fluoroscopic anteroposterior, lateral, and oblique wrist radiographs of 11 cadaver wrists. After trapeziectomy, the ST joint was inspected and the visualized portion of the trapezoid articulation marked with an electrocautery. The trapezoid was removed, photographed, and the marked articular surface area and total surface area were independently measured by two authors using an image analysis software. The radiographs were analyzed for the presence of STT arthritis. Results The mean visualized trapezoid surface area during standard approach for CMC arthroplasty was 60.3% (standard deviation: 24.6%). The visualized percentage ranged widely from 16.7 to 96.5%. There was no significant correlation between degree of radiographic arthritis and visualized percentage of the joint (p = 0.77). Conclusions: On average, 60% of the trapezoid joint surface was visualized during routine approach to the thumb CMC joint, but with very large variability. Direct visualization of the joint did not correlate with the degree of radiographic STT arthritis. Clinical Relevance A combination of clinical examination, pre- and intraoperative radiographs, and intraoperative visualization should be utilized to assess for STT osteoarthritis and determine the need for surgical treatment. Level of Evidence This is a Cadaveric Research Article.
Electrochemical Techniques, Introduction

Modern electrochemistry provides both a synthetic methodology to the materials scientist and an analytical tool for the evaluation of compositions and the kinetics of charge transfer processes. On the one hand, a variety of bulk materials and functional surfaces are prepared electrochemically. Historically this includes the electrorefining of materials such as aluminum, gold, and copper; surface preparation as illustrated in the anodization of aluminum, the electroetching of semiconductors, and the electroplating of thick metallic films. Similarly, the electrosynthesis of soft materials, for example, conducting organic polymers is an important route in select cases. More recently, the electrosynthesis of quantum structures either by direct deposition as in the case of ultra-thin film layered metal structures, or by electroetching as exemplified in the synthesis of porous silicon has become an important application of electrochemistry. On the other hand, electroanalytical chemistry has been developed as an extremely sensitive physical characterization technique for the quantification of conducting and semiconducting surfaces and interfaces. The corrosion properties/processes of metallic surfaces and semiconductor electronic properties are two key areas where electrochemical characterization has had high impact. In keeping with the central analytical theme of this work, this chapter details the class of electrochemical techniques specifically aimed at characterizing materials and their interfaces. Keywords: electrochemical techniques; electrochemistry; electroanalytical techniques; potentiometric measurements; voltammetric measurements
Competing Narratives about Competing Narratives: Psychology and Palestinian–Israeli Conflict

In their professional and academic roles as well as their personal and political efforts, many psychologists seek to understand, and ultimately help resolve, the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. Too often, however, they overemphasize the centrality of competing narratives, partly in response to depoliticizing academic norms that demand the appearance of objectivity and neutrality. As a result, conflict-resolution approaches such as dialog and mediation and common suggestions based on split-the-difference compromise favor a status quo in which the side with more power, Israel, remains dominant. In contrast, a critical psychology perspective consistent with justice-based conflict transformation understands that even-handed empathy-seeking and negotiations prioritizing procedural minutiae can achieve neither justice nor reconciliation.
Wollaston, William Hyde

British physician–scientist William Hyde Wollaston (1766–1828) – perhaps most famous for his discovery of a method for producing pure platinum and welding it into vessels, and for his discovery of palladium in platinum ores – was the first to realize the significance of hemiretinal differentiation in homonymous hemianopsias. Although Isaac Newton (1642–1727) had suggested the semidecussation of optic nerves at the chiasm as early as 1682 on theoretical grounds, Wollaston independently deduced a semidecussation of the optic nerves in 1824 after he had experienced two episodes of transient homonymous hemianopsia, each lasting 15–20 mins. Wollaston later died of a brain tumor but his episodes of hemianopia may have resulted instead from migraine.
Velocity model reference adaptive control of the conventional permanent magnet and variable flux DC motors

Model reference adaptive control (MRAC) is applied to either the variable magnetic flux or constant magnetic flux DC motor configured within a closed-loop velocity system. At the steady state level, the varying steady state gain and the perturbation effects of a constant, linear, and fluctuating loads on the closed-loop velocity response are compensated by MRAC. The controller is a digital design featuring a one-tap adaptive filter that matches the steady state velocity performance with that of a reference model. In order to corroborate theory, real-time evidence is shown using the Modular Servo System MS150 and the SPROClab development system. >
Troilite formation kinetics and growth mechanism in the solar nebula

Troilite formation via the reaction Fe(s) + H2S(g) + H2(g) is the major mechanism for S retention in grains in the solar nebula. Thermodynamic calculations predict that troilite condenses from a solar composition gas. We present experimental results on the kinetics and growth of troilite crystals on Fe metal at temperature (450-650 C) and composition (50-1000 ppm H2S in H2) conditions similar to those in the solar nebula. The fraction of Fe reacted (based on gravimetric data) is plotted at 450, 505, 575, and 650 C. The thickness change of unreacted iron (measured by optical microscopy) is plotted at 575 and 650 C vs. time. the weight change per unit area varies as the square root of time at the lower temperatures and varies linearly with time at the highest temperature. The growth behavior along the lower isotherms is due to diffusion. This behavior suggests sulfide diffusion to the metal-sulfide interface and suggests Fe(2+) diffusion to the sulfide-gas interface. The reaction along the highest isotherm appears to be interface controlled. The formation of troilite crystals is a rapid process forming measurable layers in a few hours. The crystalgrowth is complicated. Initially there are intergrowths of troilite into the pure Fe metal. As the reaction progresses two distinct layers of troilite crystals form. One is in contact with the Fe metal and consists of small randomly oriented crystals with pore space between them. The outermost layer contains large crystals that are all oriented in the same direction. The intergrowth layer is much smaller at 650 C than at 575 C. This suggest that FeS nucleation is inhibited at the higher temperature, accounting for the initially slower reaction rate. Once nucleated, the reaction kinetics are apparently controlled by the growth of the crystals at the interface.
Leprosy in a Vietnamese adoptee.

The arrival in the United States of large numbers of Vietnamese war orphans and refugees means that physicians in this country may encounter exotic diseases that they have not been trained to recognize. We report here the case of a 10-year-old Vietnamese adoptee with tuberculoid leprosy. (This case was described in a brief letter to the editor, Pediatrics 61:330, 1978.) Our purpose is to remind physicians that leprosy is a common infection in Vietnam and that clinical symptoms may not appear for several years because of the long incubation period. CASE HISTORY A 10-year-old girl was seen in March 1977 because of a swollen finger and a tender mass in her palm.
The generalized patchmatch correspondence algorithm

PatchMatch is a fast algorithm for computing dense approximate nearest neighbor correspondences between patches of two image regions [1]. This paper generalizes PatchMatch in three ways: (1) to find k nearest neighbors, as opposed to just one, (2) to search across scales and rotations, in addition to just translations, and (3) to match using arbitrary descriptors and distances, not just sum-of-squared-differences on patch colors. In addition, we offer new search and parallelization strategies that further accelerate the method, and we show performance improvements over standard kd-tree techniques across a variety of inputs. In contrast to many previous matching algorithms, which for efficiency reasons have restricted matching to sparse interest points, or spatially proximate matches, our algorithm can efficiently find global, dense matches, even while matching across all scales and rotations. This is especially useful for computer vision applications, where our algorithm can be used as an efficient general-purpose component. We explore a variety of vision applications: denoising, finding forgeries by detecting cloned regions, symmetry detection, and object detection.
A dialectic of cooperation and competition: solidarity and universal health care provision.

The concept of solidarity has achieved relatively little attention from philosophers, in spite of its signal importance in a variety of social movements over the past 150 years. This means that there is a certain amount of preliminary philosophical work concerning the concept itself that must be undertaken before one can ask about its potential use in arguments concerning the provision of health care. In this paper, I begin with this work through a survey of some of the most prominent bioethical, political philosophical and intellectual historical literature concerned with the project of determining a philosophically specific and historically perspicacious meaning of the term ‘solidarity’. This provides a conceptual foundation for a sketch of a four-tiered picture of social competition and cooperation within the nation-state. Corresponding to this picture is a four-tiered account of health care provision. These two models, taken together, provide a framework for articulating the conclusion that, while there are myriad examples of solidarity in claiming health care for some, or even many, the concept does not provide a basis for claiming health care for all.
α‐Acetyl‐δ‐chloro‐γ‐valerolactone

α-Acetyl-δ-chloro-γ-valerolactone reactant: Eastman Kodak Company white label quality ethyl acetoacetate Butadiene monoxide Propylene oxide Styrene oxide Ethyl glycidyl ether Phenyl glycidyl ether product: α-Acetyl-δ-chloro-γ-valerolactone Keywords: alkylation, C-alkylation; annulation, heterocyclic-[5]; cyclization, condensation; ethanol
Gait Speed and Dismobility in Older Adults.

Abstract Objectives To classify hospitalized older patients with slow gait speed, and test the hypothesis that slow gait speed or dismobility is associated with increased mortality risk. Design Prospective study. Setting Acute care geriatric hospital unit. Participants Older patients (N=289) admitted to a geriatric hospital unit. Intervention Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Two-year survival determined by medical record review and a search of the National Death Index. Results Most of the older patients were women (61.6%) and non-Hispanic white (72.3%). A total of 213 older patients (73.7%) had gait speeds ≤0.6m/s and were classified with dismobility; 17% (49/289) of the sample died during the 2-year follow-up. All but 5 deaths occurred in older patients with dismobility. Older patients with dismobility were more than 2.5 times as likely to die than those with gait speeds >.60m/s (hazard ratio, 2.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–6.77), after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and comorbidity. Conclusions A simple and quick screen for gait speed was evaluated in this study of hospitalized older patients. A clinical classification of dismobility could provide the inpatient health care team with meaningful information about the older patients' underlying health conditions and future prognosis, and provides an opportunity to discuss and implement treatment options with patients and their families.
Observers, Publications, and Surveys: Astronomy in the United States in 1849

By the mid-19th century, astronomy in the United States was productive and growing. Information gathered by and at the behest of the Smithsonian Institution shows that the community consisted of approximately 50 individuals, including a significant number of military officers, and a dozen observatories. Americans were deeply involved in astronomical research, and the discipline was entrenched in the college curriculum. What the discipline lacked was an adequate publication vehicle to ensure refereed, rapid dissemination of observations.
An investigation of differences between three age groups in verbal and spatial task performance using the dual-task paradigm.

Abstract A dual-task paradigm with concurrent verbal and spatial tasks was used to investigate differences across three age groups for lateralized effects, magnitude of tapping interference, and cognitive task output. In addition, rescaled scores comparing verbal with spatial measures within and across age groups were analyzed to examine asymmetric age differences for right versus left hemisphere abilities. Results of the present dual task finger tapping investigation of three age groups showed ail groups left lateralized for verbal tasks and right lateralized for spatial tasks. However, the magnitude of interference in tapping was significantly greater in paced nonideational shadowing tasks and during paced purposeful spatial tasks. Outcomes of exploratory analyses suggest a complex interplay between aptitude and the corresponding lateralized effects and cognitive effort to perform the task.