cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An automated technique for estimating patient-specific regional imparted energy and dose in TCM CT exams

Currently computed tomography (CT) dosimetry relies on CT dose index (CTDI) and size specific dose estimates (SSDE). Organ dose is a better metric of radiation burden. However, organ dose estimation requires precise knowledge of organ locations. Regional imparted energy and dose can also be used to quantify radiation burden. Estimating the imparted energy from CT exams is beneficial in that it does not require precise estimates of the organ size or location. This work investigated an automated technique for retrospectively estimating the imparted energy from chest and abdominopelvic tube current modulated (TCM) CT exams. Monte Carlo simulations of chest and abdominopelvic TCM CT examinations across various tube potentials and TCM strengths were performed on 58 adult computational extended cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantoms to develop relationships between scanned mass and imparted energy normalized by dose length product (DLP). An automated algorithm for calculating the scanned patient volume was further developed using an open source mesh generation toolbox. The scanned patient volume was then used to estimate the scanned mass accounting for diverse density within the scan region. The scanned mass and DLP from the exam were used to estimate the imparted energy to the patient using the knowledgebase developed from the Monte Carlo simulations. Patientspecific imparted energy estimates were made from 20 chest and 20 abdominopelvic clinical CT exams. The average imparted energy was 274 ± 141 mJ and 681 ± 376 mJ for the chest and abdominopelvic exams, respectively. This method can be used to estimate the regional imparted energy and/or regional dose in chest and abdominopelvic TCM CT exams across clinical operations.
FRI0308 Effectiveness of combining tuberculin skin test and interferon gamma release assays as a screening strategy for detecting latent tuberculosis infection in high risk patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background Latent TB reactivation is a cause of concern in patients with SLE, since the underlying immune dysregulation and concurrent immunosuppressive use may influence the sensitivity of both the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) and the newer interferon-Y release assays (IGRAs), such as the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) test. Screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) with TST has shown low sensitivity when used in SLE, with increased false negative results. The applicability of IGRAs in SLE patients has also not been fully explored. Objectives Our study aims at comparing the performance of TST and QFT-G testing as a screening strategy for the detection of LTBI in a high-risk, inner city, SLE patient population. Methods A retrospective chart review study was conducted in SLE patients at an outpatient rheumatology clinic of an urban teaching hospital serving a large immigrant population. 174 SLE patients were identified who satisfied the 2012 SLICC SLE diagnostic criteria. The patients had been screened for LTBI at initial evaluation using TST (positive if >/ 5mm), QFT-G, or both tests. QFT-G was interpreted as positive, negative, or indeterminate. Patients were diagnosed as having LTBI if TST and/or QFT-G were positive and were treated with 9 months of Isoniazid/B6, after ruling out active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) by chest radiography. Findings from this study were compared to a previously presented study in RA where similar methodology had been used. Results Of the 174 SLE patients who were studied, 73(42.0%) had documented LTBI screening. 45(25.9%) had been screened with TST, 28(16.1%) with QFT-G, and 15(8.62%) with both tests. Out of the 45 screened with TST, 8(17.7%) were positive, while of the 28 patients screened with QFT-G, 7(25%) had positive, 4(14.28%) indeterminate, and 17(60.7%) negative results. 2/7 QFT-G positive patients had a concurrent TST test done which was negative. When comparing patients who had both tests done, 1/15 tested positive and 10/15 tested negative for both tests, while 2/15 patient tested positive for TST but negative for QFT-G. The agreement between TST and QFT-G was 73.33% with a kappa value of 0.167(CI-95% -0.401 to 0.734) versus a kappa of 0.306(CI-95% 0.136-0.477) in the RA study. LTBI was diagnosed in 8% of the SLE patients in comparison to 38% in RA. Conclusions TST and QFT-G tests have poor correlation with each other and LTBI diagnosis can be missed in SLE patients when using each test alone. A safer, comprehensive approach for LTBI detection may be the combined use of TST and IGRAs, especially since potent biologic agents are being added in the SLE therapeutic armamentarium. *equal contribution Disclosure of Interest : None Declared
Phonon Dominated Heat Conduction Normal to Mo/Si Multilayers with Period below 10 nm

Thermal conduction in periodic multilayer composites can be strongly influenced by nonequilibrium electron–phonon scattering for periods shorter than the relevant free paths. Here we argue that two...
Surface Steps on (100) MgO Foils Imaged by TEM, SEM and AFM

The morphology characteristic of acid-washed and annealed MgO (100) surfaces used as substrates for pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) is studied employing TEM, SEM and AFM. Each of these three microscopal techniques provides information not so readily accessible by and complementary to the other two techniques, leading to a more rounded view of the characteristic morphology of these surfaces.
TARAMAGUTI TODAY: CHANGING ROLES OF SENIOR TIWI WIVES AS HOUSEHOLD MANAGERS

Among the Tiwi of North Australia, before the arrival of the missionaries and Australian "protectors," all female Tiwi were considered married to their mother s son-in-law, selected at the time of the mother s puberty ceremony. A woman was born a wife and died a wife, having been inherited by a succession of men throughout her lifetime. Although all women were wives, some were designated in one of two particular categories of wife, the ningyka (chosen one) and the taramaguti (first one). This article discusses these two categories of wife and their transformations throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. I show that the economic "household" of the earlier period is still a socially important institution. A successful contemporary household is often headed by a senior woman (married or widowed) and comprises several nuclear family units. This article will explore how the contemporary household operates under the senior woman s direction in order to utilize the talents and skills of all age groups and provide a satisfactory subsistence and support basis for all.
Development situation and countermeasures of Guangdong pig industry in the first half of 2014

In the first half of 2014, the Guangdong pig industry developed steadily, but the growth was slow. The hog and the total meat wholesale prices showed "V"-shaped trend, the retail prices of pork presented seasonal fluctuation effect obviously. After 4 months' continusly falling, the pig grain price stayed stably in the yellow warning area, the overall price of feed was weak, and the whole pig industry ran under deficit. The paper focused on the high populus tomentosa difference, high slaughter circulation profits and the problem of excess production capacity, and proposed to reduce intermediate links, appropriatly eliminate excess production capacity, and diversify management measures.
Setting Adolescents Up for Success: Promoting a Policy to Delay High School Start Times

BACKGROUND A unique biological shift in sleep cycles occurs during adolescence causing later sleep and wake times. This shift is not matched by a concurrent modification in school start times, resulting in sleep curtailment for a large majority of adolescents. Chronic inadequate sleep is associated with poor academic performance including executive function impairments, mood, and behavioral issues, as well as adverse health outcomes such as an increased risk of obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. In order to address sleep deficits and the potential negative outcomes associated with chronic sleep deprivation, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) support delaying school start times for middle and high school students. METHODS We summarize current evidence, explicate the need for policy change, and urge school districts to put adolescent students' health as top priority and implement school start times consistent with their developmental needs. RESULTS Whereas substantial evidence illustrating adverse consequences of inadequate sleep on psychological and physical health, and recommendations exist to adapt daytime school schedules to match sleep needs have been released, actual implementation of these recommendations have been limited. CONCLUSIONS This is a call to action for the implementation of AAP/CDC recommendations across the state and nation.
Expanding the geriatric mental health workforce through utilization of non-licensed providers

ABSTRACTObjectives: We evaluate policy and practice strategies for bolstering the geriatric mental healthcare workforce and describe costs and considerations of implementing one approach.Method: Narrative overview of the literature and policy retrieved from searches of databases, hand searches, and authoritative texts. We identified three proposed strategies to increase the geriatric mental healthcare workforce: (1) production of more geriatric mental health providers; (2) team-based care; and (3) non-licensed providers. We evaluate each in terms of challenges and potential and provide estimates of costs, policy, and practice considerations for training, employing, and supervising non-licensed mental health providers.Results: Use of non-licensed providers is key to reforms needed to allow a more older adults to access necessary mental healthcare. Licensed and non-licensed providers have achieved similar improvements for generalized anxiety disorder among patients, although non-licensed providers did so at...
Structure of the (√3 × √3 )R30° Ag/Si(111) surface from first-principles calculations

The structure of (\ensuremath{\surd}3 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} \ensuremath{\surd}3 ) Ag/Si(111) is investigated using first-principles total-energy calculations. The lowest-energy configuration consists of a top layer of Ag atoms arranged as ``honeycomb chained trimers'' lying above a distorted ``missing top layer'' Si(111) substrate. We find that the honeycomb structure observed in scanning-tunneling-microscope images arises from the electronic charge density on an empty surface band near the Fermi level.
Failure to Rescue the Patient with a Complication

Over the last decade, much attention has been devoted to improving quality and safety in our healthcare system. Failure to rescue (FTR) is a key quality metric for assessing a hospital’s ability to prevent death from occurring after an adverse event and may explain why some hospitals have higher mortality rates than others. FTR can reveal gaps in a healthcare system and serves as a useful target for quality improvement. Rapid response teams and patient care protocols can reduce FTR, but require cultural acceptance and proper utilization. The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program addresses FTR by establishing quality standards and promoting a culture of safety and continuous quality improvement.
Creativity in Art Methods Classrooms: Designing a Curriculum That Looks Into the Kaleidoscope of Cultures

“I know nothing about art.”“I am horrible at art.”“I have never had any art classes before.”These were the voices I heard from my students at the beginning of this course. My students were afraid, ...
A comparison of cosegregation analysis methods for the clinical setting

Quantitative cosegregation analysis can help evaluate the pathogenicity of genetic variants. However, genetics professionals without statistical training often use simple methods, reporting only qualitative findings. We evaluate the potential utility of quantitative cosegregation in the clinical setting by comparing three methods. One thousand pedigrees each were simulated for benign and pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and MLH1 using United States historical demographic data to produce pedigrees similar to those seen in the clinic. These pedigrees were analyzed using two robust methods, full likelihood Bayes factors (FLB) and cosegregation likelihood ratios (CSLR), and a simpler method, counting meioses. Both FLB and CSLR outperform counting meioses when dealing with pathogenic variants, though counting meioses is not far behind. For benign variants, FLB and CSLR greatly outperform as counting meioses is unable to generate evidence for benign variants. Comparing FLB and CSLR, we find that the two methods perform similarly, indicating that quantitative results from either of these methods could be combined in multifactorial calculations. Combining quantitative information will be important as isolated use of cosegregation in single families will yield classification for less than 1% of variants. To encourage wider use of robust cosegregation analysis, we present a website ( http://www.analyze.myvariant.org ) which implements the CSLR, FLB, and Counting Meioses methods for ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, MEN1, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2. We also present an R package, CoSeg, which performs the CSLR analysis on any gene with user supplied parameters. Future variant classification guidelines should allow nuanced inclusion of cosegregation evidence against pathogenicity.
Association of urinary phenolic compounds, inflammatory bowel disease and chronic diarrheal symptoms: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Endocrine disruptors such as phenolic compounds and parabens may be involved in chronic non-infective disease. While products incorporating these compounds are extensively utilized in consumer and personal products, little is known about their effect on bowel health. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - consisting of the diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease - and irritable bowel syndrome are common chronic non-infectious diarrheal diseases. Despite limited knowledge on the etiology of IBD, these diseases have increased prevalence in industrialized countries and cause significant impairment to quality of life. In the present study we examine relationships between urinary environmental phenolic compounds, chronic diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease. Data was obtained from the 2005-2010 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) including demographics, lifestyle factors, self-reported health conditions, inflammatory markers and urinary phenolic chemical concentrations. Only participants with complete environmental phenols & parabens component were included in our analysis. Chronic diarrheal symptoms were determined by using the 2009-2010 NHANES questionnaire which included questions pertaining to bowel health. We utilized chronic bowel leakage symptoms as a surrogate marker for chronic diarrhea. The presence of IBD was also analyzed from 2009 to 2010 NHANES data, as a sub-analysis for arthropathy directly querying the presence or absence of IBD. Among the subset of 5218 American adults aged 20-80 years in the NHANES study period who completed environmental phenols & parabens component, 25.5% reported chronic diarrheal symptoms. Abnormal markers of inflammation were present in 2200 (42.2%) of respondents. For IBD, 19 individuals with arthropathy confirmed a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, and 1 person confirmed a Crohn's diagnosis. After adjustment for demographics, inflammatory and subsample weighing; lower paraben levels were associated with chronic bowel leakage (diarrheal) symptoms. Higher 4-tert-octylphenol levels was significantly associated with ulcerative colitis. Further study of underlying mechanisms should be considered.
Development of an analytical simulation tool for storage capacity estimation of saline aquifers

Abstract An enhanced analytical simulation tool (EASiTool) was developed to estimate CO2 storage capacity in saline aquifers. The tool provides a quantitative estimate of storage capacity for multi-well injection/extraction systems by applying novel analytical models for both closed- and open-boundary saline aquifers and analyzes the potential of enhancing storage efficiency by integrating active brine management (brine extraction technology). EASiTool includes a user-friendly interface and can be used to provide reservoir and basin-scale storage capacity estimates. The software and user manual are available for download at: http://www.beg.utexas.edu/gccc/EASiTool/ .
Synthesis of Alkanethiolate-Capped Metal Nanoparticles Using Alkyl Thiosulfate Ligand Precursors: A Method to Generate Promising Reagents for Selective Catalysis

Evaluation of metal nanoparticle catalysts functionalized with well-defined thiolate ligands can be potentially important because such systems can provide a spatial control in the reactivity and selectivity of catalysts. A synthetic method utilizing Bunte salts (sodium S-alkylthiosulfates) allows the formation of metal nanoparticles (Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, and Ir) capped with alkanethiolate ligands. The catalysis studies on Pd nanoparticles show a strong correlation between the surface ligand structure/composition and the catalytic activity and selectivity for the hydrogenation/isomerization of alkenes, dienes, trienes, and allylic alcohols. The high selectivity of Pd nanoparticles is driven by the controlled electronic properties of the Pd surface limiting the formation of Pd⁻alkene adducts (or intermediates) necessary for (additional) hydrogenation. The synthesis of water soluble Pd nanoparticles using ω-carboxylate-S-alkanethiosulfate salts is successfully achieved and these Pd nanoparticles are examined for the hydrogenation of various unsaturated compounds in both homogeneous and heterogeneous environments. Alkanethiolate-capped Pt nanoparticles are also successfully synthesized and further investigated for the hydrogenation of various alkynes to understand their geometric and electronic surface properties. The high catalytic activity of activated terminal alkynes, but the significantly low activity of internal alkynes and unactivated terminal alkynes, are observed for Pt nanoparticles.
Molecular Analysis in Pediatric Renal Tumors

Although the incidence of pediatric cancers has increased steadily over the last 35 years, the incidence of pediatric kidney tumors has not changed in the same time period. Pediatric kidney tumors represent approximately 5% of cancer diagnoses among children and adolescents below the age of 20 (http://seer.cancer.gov/, Fig. 10.1). However, the incidence is age dependent so that malignant kidney tumors account for 9.7% of the total among children younger than 5 years of age, 5.4% in children 5–9 years of age, 1.1% in children 10–14 years of age, and 0.6% in adolescents 15–19 years of age. Of the approximately 550 children and adolescents diagnosed with renal tumors each year, approximately 500 are Wilms tumor (WT). The remaining includes variants of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, rhabdoid tumor of the kidney, congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN), as well as other rare tumors (Histopathology 54:516–528, 2009). Because the incidence of WT and other pediatric renal tumors is very much agedependent, age at diagnosis perhaps provides the best clinical clue to the diagnosis. For example, some tumors occur almost entirely in infancy (e.g., CMN) whereas others occur almost exclusively in adolescence (e.g., RCC). Indeed, RCC accounts for about 5% of pediatric renal tumors but comprises the majority of tumors by late adolescence (Cancer Incidence and Survival among Children and Adolescents: United States SEER Program 1975–1995, National Cancer Institute, SEER Program, 1999) (Fig. 10.2).
Personal Reflection: Reflections on a Family Health History Assignment for Undergraduate Public Health and Nursing Students

This personal reflection describes our experiences with incorporating the scholarship of teaching and learning and problem-based techniques to facilitate undergraduate student learning and their professional development in the health sciences. We created a family health history assignment to discuss key concepts in our courses, such as health disparities, culture, and cultural competency in patient, provider, and health care team interactions. In this essay we share how we were able to listen to students’ needs regarding the assignment and make improvements based on their feedback. This was an iterative process where we learned as much as our students by remaining flexible and receptive to students’ unique circumstances.
RMB Internationalization: Onshore/Offshore Links

Among emerging market currencies, the RMB holds the most potential to become widely used internationally, due to China‘s large economic size, diversified trade structure and network, macroeconomic stability, and high growth rates - both current and expected. Yet, foreign access to RMB-denominated assets that could act as global stores of value remains limited due to extensive restrictions on capitals flows. At the same time, the rapid expansion of RMB trade settlement and issuance of RMB-denominated bonds by the Chinese government and corporates in Hong Kong, SAR have created some feedback channels across onshore (CNY) and offshore (CNH) RMB markets. We employed a bivariate GARCH model to understand the inter-linkages between onshore and offshore markets and found that, while developments in the onshore spot market exert an influence on the offshore spot market, offshore forward rates have a predictive impact on onshore forward rates. We also find evidence of volatility spillovers between two markets. Overtime, those spillover channels would be expected to grow as the offshore market further develops.
Biomarkers for Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) account for more than 500,000 new cancer cases worldwide each year. Approximately 250,000 people in the United States live with head and neck cancer. In recent years, the incidence of HNSCC has been increasing among individuals without the typical risk factors of tobacco use and age. The 5 year survival rate for HNSCC is low and has not improved in recent years despite the availability of new targeted therapies. Tobacco carcinogens and their metabolites can directly damage DNA, inducing DNA repair activity. Defective DNA repair can lead to mutations, genomic instability, and altered gene expression leading to cellular transformation. Molecular changes in HNSCC lead to accumulation of genetic defects and clonal expansion. This review summarizes recent results in HNSCC biomarker research. We review the literature on the tumor suppressor p53 as a biomarker for HNSCC. This review also describes published studies on cytokines in HNSCC. We also review the roles of growth factor receptors as biomarkers in HNSCC. The literature on matrix metalloproteinases as HNSCC biomarkers will be reviewed. The use of DNA methylation as biomarkers will also be examined. Finally, we summarize literature on high throughput methods and other gene products which predict cancer risk, progression, and survival. This review provides a valuable resource for design of future translational and clinical studies aimed at prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HNSCC.
Upper extremity injuries associated with all terrain vehicle accidents: A multicenter experience and case review

Abstract Background All terrain vehicle accidents are a common cause of trauma admission and often associated with extremity injuries. However specifics of injury patterns to the upper extremity has not previously been described. A multicenter, retrospective study was conducted to determine the frequency and distribution of upper extremity injuries sustained from ATV accidents. Methods Medical records of all patients presenting to two trauma centers with ATV related upper extremity trauma from 2001 to 2013 were reviewed. Patient records and radiographic data were analyzed for detailed extremity injury data. The identified injuries were classified by: anatomic location (shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand) and structures involved (fracture/dislocation, amputation, nerve, artery, soft tissue). In addition, patient demographic information, length of stay (LOS), airway status, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), use of safety equipment, and associated injuries Results Two hundred seventy-seven patients with upper extremity injuries secondary to ATV accidents presented from 2001 to 2013. The frequency and distribution of ATV related upper extremity injuries classified by anatomic location demonstrated 18% of injuries involving the shoulder, 20% arm, 16% elbow, 18% forearm, 40% wrist, and 24% hand, with 30% of patients having injuries that involved more than one anatomic location. Injuries classified by structure involved indicated 73% of injuries were fracture/dislocations, 4% nerve injury, 2% vascular injury, and 36% soft tissue injury. Conclusion The most common upper extremity injuries experienced in ATV injuries were fractures/dislocations with one third of patients having injuries that involved more than one anatomical location. Less than half of the patients were documented as having worn safety equipment, illustrating a need for increased awareness and enacted of measures to improve safety and prevent accidents.
A 32-Year-Old Woman With Miscarriage, Headache, Hepatitis, and Pulmonary Disease.

Case Presentation A 32-year-old Nigerian woman, who became pregnant after undergoing in vitro fertilization, was admitted with nausea and abdominal pain. She had a history of two miscarriages and infertility because of tubal blockage treated by salpingectomy. One week prior, she presented to an outside hospital with premature rupture of membranes resulting in stillborn delivery of twins. Endometrial cultures from dilatation and curettage grew Escherichia coli, and she was started on a fluoroquinolone for chorioamnionitis.
Structure of 1,2,3,4,9,9-hexachloro-6,7-tetrahydro-l,4-methano-naphthalene: a facially differentiated, annulated 1,3-cyclohexadiene

The X-ray crystal structure of the title compound is reported. Crystal data: T = 100 K, monoclinic, P21/n, a = 8.2990(17), b = 13.2300(26), c = 12.0350(24) A, β = 93.676(30)°, V = 1318.7 (5) A3, and R = 0.0368. The methylene carbon atoms in the cyclohexadiene ring are disordered over two positions above and below the ring plane. The chlorine substituted endocyclic double bond deviates from planarity with an angle of 8.10(13)° toward the endo-face. The facially differentiated 1,3-cyclohexadiene moiety is only slightly pyramidalized, deviating 1.75(20)° also toward the endo-face of the tricyclic system.
Type-2 Phosphatidylserine (PS)-Positive Erythrocytes and Their Association with Markers of Hemolysis and Hemostatic Activation in Children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)

Abstract Introduction: Type-2 phosphatidylserine (PS)-positive red cells are a subpopulation of erythrocytes that are highly positive for PS, contain low levels of fetal hemoglobin, are specific for sickle cell disease (SCD) and have been identified in the dense red cell fraction. Studies have implicated PS-positive red cells in enhancing anemia due to phagocytosis and hemolysis. Shielding of red cell PS by diannexin, a synthetic homodimer of human annexin-V, has been demonstrated to provide protection against hemolysis and prevent activation of prothrombinase. Methods: Using flow cytometry, we measured the levels of type-1 (red cells with low PS positivity) and type-2 PS-positive red cells in 50 children with SCD (31 with HbSS and 19 with HbSC), and assessed their association with various markers of hemolysis and hemostatic activation. Markers of hemolysis evaluated included plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), reticulocyte count, and hemoglobin. Whole blood tissue factor (WBTF), pro-thrombin fragment F1+2, and D-dimer were evaluated as markers of hemostatic activation. Results: We demonstrate that the levels of type-2 PS-positive red cells are significantly increased in HbSS patients (1.37 ± 0.97%, p Table 1 . Association of PS-positive RBCs with markers of hemolysis and hemostatic activation Biomarker Type-1 PS-positive RBCs Type-2 PS-positive RBCs Markers of Hemolysis LDH r = 0.44, p r = 0.63, p % Reticulocyte r = 0.43, p=0.002 r = 0.66, p Hemoglobin r =-0.35, p=0.014 r =-0.63, p Markers of Hemostatic Activation WBTF r = 0.41, p=0.008 r = 0.56, p F1+2 r = 0.26, p=0.07 r = 0.31, p D-dimer r = 0.46, p r = 0.56, p Conclusions: Type-2 PS-positive red cells are elevated in SCD and the number of these cells correlates significantly with both markers of hemolysis and hemostasis. These findings provide a patho-physiologic link between the intravascular hemolytic milieu of SCD and the hemostatic perturbations previously noted in this disease. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Psychological Adaptation of International Students in the Northern Part of Cyprus

This study examined how cultural distance, acculturative stress, and social support interacted to influence emotional responses among international students studying in the northern part of Cyprus. Acculturation models and the stress-buffering hypothesis served as theoretical frameworks. The research questions involved understanding whether international students experienced more negative emotional responses compared to students from the home culture and whether social support moderated acculturative stress and reactions to being in the northern part of Cyprus. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) examined differences in emotional reactions between home and international students while hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine the moderation hypotheses. ANOVA results indicated that Turkish-Cypriots had more positive emotional responses than international students to being in the host culture. Results did not support social support as a moderator for either international students’ acculturative stress or their emotional reactions. However, results suggested that unmet expectations, less financial satisfaction, and less social support predicted acculturative stress, while being in a relationship, higher Turkish proficiency, unmet expectations, and higher acculturative stress predicted more negative emotional responses. These results may help universities design programs to support psychological adaptation among international students, which could ultimately facilitate student retention.
Transvesical Versus Transabdominal - Which is the Best Approach to Bladder Diverticulectomy Using the Single Port Robotic System?

Abstract Objective Application of the Single Port (SP) robotic platform [Intuitive] is expanding. Using 2 illustrative examples of bladder diverticula (BD) resulting from bladder outflow obstruction (BOO), we describe in this video our techniques utilizing SP to treat BD via Extravesical (EV#1) and Transvesical (TV#2) approaches. Methods In EV#1, a 56-year old, with BOO due to benign prostate enlargement (BPE) of a 30 mL prostate, and a 5 cm BD, was treated with RABD-SP. A subumbilical SP access was used to approach and excise the BD in an EV fashion. The BPE was treated with Rezum. A 16 Fr urethral catheter was placed. In TV#2, a 67-year old, with urinary retention due to a 55 mL BPE and a 6 cm BD in the right posterolateral aspect adjacent the ureteric orifice, was treated with RABD-SP using a Gelport (no additional assistant ports). An open cut-down was performed onto a prefilled bladder and secured onto the abdominal wall with stay sutures. After draining the bladder, a Gelport was introduced into the bladder for SP docking with pneumo-vesical insufflation. Intravesical (inside-out) excision of the BD was performed with protection of the adjacent right ureteric orifice with an open access ureteral catheter. Utilizing the TV access, a simple prostatectomy was performed. A 22 Fr, 3-way catheter was placed at the end. Results For EV#1 and TV#2, estimated blood losses were 5 and 100 mL, length stay was 1 day in both, without any immediate perioperative complications. Both patients had successful trials of void on postoperative day 7 and 9, respectively. Conclusion RABD-SP can be customized to treat BD, via transabdominal (extravesical) or transvesical (with bladder pneumo-insufflation) approaches, and combined with different BOO treatments (Rezum or simple prostatectomy, for instance), in a patient-specific personalized manner.
E-198 Facial pain caused by a cavernous sinus aneurysm treated with endovascular flow diversion: case report and review of the literature

Flow diversion is a commonly-used endovascular modality to treat intracavernous aneurysms. Cases of intracavernous aneurysms causing facial pain are rare, and flow diversion may represent a viable treatment option in order to alleviate pain caused by these aneurysms. We present the case of a 53-year-old woman who presented with a two-year history of persistent, left-sided and facial pain and numbness located in the left V1-V2 distribution of the Trigeminal nerve. A brain MRI was obtained which showed a left internal carotid artery aneurysm projecting infero-laterally within the cavernous sinus and possibly compressing left V1 and V2 roots of the Trigeminal nerve. This was further investigated and confirmed with digital subtraction angiography. To reduce mass effect, the aneurysm was treated with flow-diversion rather than coil-embolization. Her pain and numbness gradually improved with near-complete resolution at 6 months post-treatment. 6-month follow-up angiography demonstrated minimal residual filling of the aneurysm suggesting a reduction in size of the aneurysm sac. This case, in addition to prior reports which we review here, demonstrate the ability of flow diversion to treat facial pain secondary to intracavernous aneurysms. Disclosures A. Larson: None. T. Mehta: None. A. Grande: None.
Automatic estimation and correction of anisotropic magnification distortion in electron microscopes.

We demonstrate a significant anisotropic magnification distortion, found on an FEI Titan Krios microscope and affecting magnifications commonly used for data acquisition on a Gatan K2 Summit detector. We describe a program (mag_distortion_estimate) to automatically estimate anisotropic magnification distortion from a set of images of a standard gold shadowed diffraction grating. We also describe a program (mag_distortion_correct) to correct for the estimated distortion in collected images. We demonstrate that the distortion present on the Titan Krios microscope limits the resolution of a set of rotavirus VP6 images to ∼7 A, which increases to ∼3 A following estimation and correction of the distortion. We also use a 70S ribosome sample to demonstrate that in addition to affecting resolution, magnification distortion can also interfere with the classification of heterogeneous data.
Overview of Ceramic Materials, Design, and Application

Engineering ceramics possess unique combinations of physical, chemical, electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. Consequently, many exciting new applications for the ceramic materials have emerged over the past several decades. Among the major commercial applications for these materials are: passive electronics; optronics/photonics; piezoceramics; mechanical; biomaterials; refractories; electrochemical and transparencies. This chapter provides a brief overview of how ceramics are processed and the ramifications of processing on properties. Next, a short discussion of the special issues that one encounters in mechanical design with brittle materials is presented. The chapter reviews several of the engineering applications of ceramics and glasses, which discuss some of the specific combinations of properties that have led design engineers to the selected material(s), follow. It provides how to obtain information on materials sources. Future growth in advanced ceramics utilization will be driven by organic growth in many existing applications and by expansion into new ones. Keywords: brittle materials; ceramic materials; engineering applications; mechanical design; passive electronics; piezoceramics
Natural Selection: Sex Ratio

Natural selection acts strongly on the proportional numbers of male and female offspring among the progeny of adults. The equilibrium is often one at which males and females are produced in roughly equal numbers, but under certain ecological and genetic circumstances there may be dramatic population-wide biases, and even in populations with balanced sex ratios, parents are often selected to produce strongly male- or female-biased progenies in response to variations in their individual condition. Keywords: evolutionarily stable strategy; ESS; frequency-dependent selection; local mate competition; reproductive conflicts; resource allocation; social insects
On Death and Magic: Law, Necromancy and the Great Beyond

Every now and then, our legal system interacts with the spirit world, whether by virtue of seances being used in establishing the defense in a criminal matter or being used by the prosecution to impugn the defendant, or because of the impact that ghosts may have on stigmatized property or by virtue of houses being built on cemeteries, like in the movie "Poltergeist." Our legal system has an uneasy relationship with the spirit world and this chapter in the book explores that relationship.
Polarization and Depolarization of Light

Electromagnetic scattering by a small particle or a collection of small particles can produce light with polarization characteristics different from those of the incident beam. If the incident beam is unpolarized, the scattered light generally has at least one nonzero Stokes parameter other than intensity, and this phenomenon is often called “polarization.” When the incident beam if fully linearly or circularly polarized, the scattered light may become partially polarized or even totally unpolarized, and this phenomenon is called “depolarization.” In this paper we use exact solutions of Maxwell’s equations and the vector radiative transfer equation to study the dependence of polarization and depolarization on such characteristics of scattering particles as size, refractive index, and shape. We also discuss the use of polarization and depolarization phenomena in remote sensing studies and particle characterization.
Incentives, Teachers, and Gender at Work

Incentive pay programs have become panacea for a multitude of educational challenges. When aimed at teachers the assumption is that rewards entice them to work in particular ways or particular schools. However, the assumption is based on an economic formula that does not take into consideration the gendered nature of policy processes. This study examined ethnographically 10 teachers’ decision-making processes regarding whether to take up The Rural Program [La Ruralidad] in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, which rewarded qualified educators with bonus pay to work in hard-to-staff schools, to address the question: How does gender mediate teachers’ decision-making process to take up an incentive reward? I isolate three conditions: safety, transportation, and community, to show how gendered relations, identities, and roles incentivize teachers. I argue that masculinities and femininities mediated teachers’ approach to taking up incentives. Rather than a simplistic, one-time-only decision, the study shows an on-going policy process that involves women and men in “rational economic decision making” mired by gender.
Foodwork in Newly Married Couples

Foodwork is the labor involved in making meals. We examined foodwork negotiations of twenty newly married couples using qualitative in-depth interviews at the time couples married and again one year later. The findings revealed that dinner decision-making, food shopping, and cooking were linked: partners who cooked dinner were also involved in dinner decision-making and food shopping; those who cooked infrequently rarely chose what the couple ate for family dinners and usually were not involved in shopping. In just under half of the couples, both partners shared in foodwork activities; in just over half, a sole partner (equally divided between men and women) bore primary responsibility for foodwork tasks. Conditions influencing couples' foodwork negotiations included partners' enjoyment of cooking, prior foodwork experiences, employment responsibilities and feedback about one's cooking from one's mate. Only infrequently was the role of primary household foodworker assigned or sought without negotiation. A...
An innovative multidisciplinary elective on optoelectronic materials and devices

An elective course in optoelectronic materials and devices is being developed in the Electrical Engineering Department at Bucknell University. To educate productive engineers who can compete in today's economy, it is essential to introduce them to the important concepts underlying modern multidisciplinary technologies such as optoelectronics. This course was first offered in Spring 1994. The course goals are to provide an introduction to optoelectronic materials and devices and to aid the students' professional development by addressing issues such as the ability to critically evaluate technical papers, conduct effective literature research, and successfully communicate information orally and in writing. The topics explored in the course include band structure, semiconductor alloys, carrier motion, optical processes, photodetectors, LEDs, laser diodes, and optical communication. A basic understanding of device physics is an essential prerequisite for this course to be a success. Variations to the typical lecture format include discussing articles from sources such as Business Week, Scientific American, and IEEE Spectrum, "surfing" on the World Wide Web, field trips, and trade magazines. In addition, students are encouraged to improve upon vital skills for engineers in today's marketplace by researching a topic and presenting their findings orally and in writing. A difficult aspect of preparing a course on a new topic is the lack of a good textbook at the undergraduate level. Experiences with two recently published (1994) textbooks are described. Finally, the laboratory component of the course is considered.
Studies of the Immunochemical I Specificity of Some Antibodies to Human Gastrin

Antibodies to gastrin obtained from rabbits immunized with human gastrin I (residues 2 through 17)-bovine serum albumin conjugates were evaluated in respect to specificity using a variety of peptides. These antibodies to human gastrin I demonstrated a high degree of binding of gastrin molecules from several other mammalian species. Limited antibody cross-reactivity was observed with porcine cholecystokinin-pancreozymin: the extent of cross-reactivity was of the same order observed with the gastrin-like pentapeptide (ICI 50,123) which contains the carboxyl-terminal tetrapeptide amide of gastrin. Among antibodies evaluated in these studies there was minimal antibody specificity demonstrated exclusively for the 1through 13-residue region of the gastrin molecule.
Highly efficient infrared optical nonlinearity of a wide-bandgap chalcogenide Li(2)CdGeS(4).

A quaternary chalcogenide Li2CdGeS4 is an excellent candidate for a nonlinear optical (NLO) material exhibiting wide transparency spanning from its fundamental band edge (3.15 eV) to the terahertz regime (23.5 μm). Strong optical nonlinearity of Li2CdGeS4 has been investigated over a wide spectral range (λ=1.064–3.3 μm) based on second- and third-harmonic generation. The compound has a high damage threshold at λ=1.064 μm because of saturable three-photon absorption, and is phase-matchable for λ>1.5 μm with χ(2)≃50 pm/V. It also exhibits strong third-order nonlinearity of χ(3)≃105 pm2/V2. Li2CdGeS4 is promising for high-power NLO applications in the broad infrared spectrum.
Non -Redundancy: Towards a Semantic Reinterpretation of Binding Theory

In Generative Grammar, Binding Theory has traditionally been considered a part of syntax, in the sense that some derivations that would otherwise be interpretable are ruled out by purely formal principles. Thus Hei likes himiwould in standard semantic theories yield a perfectly acceptable interpretation; it is only because of Condition B that the sentence is deviant on its coreferential reading. We explore an alternative in which some binding-theoretic principles (esp. Condition C, Condition B, Condition A, a modified version of the Locality of Variable Binding argued for by A. Kehler and D. Fox, and Weak and Strong Crossover) follow from the interpretive procedure – albeit a somewhat nonstandard one. In a nutshell, these principles are taken to reflect the way in which sequences of evaluation are constructed in the course of the interpretation of a sentence. The bulk of the work is done by a principle of Non-Redundancy, which prevents any given object from appearing twice in any sequence of evaluation. An account of split antecedents and non-overlapping-reference effects is included in the analysis, and a detailed implementation of a large part of the theory is given in an Appendix.
Low-energy ionization cooling of ions for beta beam sources

Rubbia et al.[1] have recently suggested that multiturn passage of a low-energy ion beam (v/c {approx_equal} 0.1) through a low-Z target can be used in the production of ions useable for beta-beam sources and that ionization cooling techniques can increase the circulating beam lifetime and thus enhance that production. Some parameters in their initial discussion are somewhat optimistic, and the conditions for 3-D cooling are not completely developed. In the present paper we reconsider some features of the scenarios and suggest some variations that may be more practical. While 3-D cooling is possible at these energies, mixing of longitudinal motion with both horizontal and vertical motion is necessary to obtain simultaneous cooling in all dimensions; we suggest lattice variations that would be needed. Direct and reverse kinematics are described and explored.
The financial news ecosystem: Journalists’ perceptions of group hierarchy:

While global financial journalism has grown substantially in recent decades, little is known about journalists’ perceptions of the key players in this news ecosystem. This study draws from research...
Perception of technical personnel on research and education needs for land application of sewage sludge

A questionnaire was developed and sent to individuals involved in waste management to get their perspective on problem areas associated with land application of sewage sludge that need additional research. From their responses, a list of research priorities was formulated to give direction to future research in land application of sewage sludge. All the questions received a mean response that was greater than 2.9 out of a possible 5.0, indicating that all the topics listed were considered to be important and should be evaluated further. Two topics: (1) educating the public, and (2) accumulation of heavy metals in soils, had the highest mean response. Entrance of heavy metals into the food chain, methods of determining heavy metals in sludge or in sludge-amended soils, protection of the water through a monitoring system and methods of applying sewage sludge to agricultural lands were other topics which had high mean response values. In general, the surveyed population targeted the health aspects of land application, public acceptance, and protection of the environment, both soil and water, as the key issues for additional emphasis and research.