cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A simple penalty that encourages local invertibility and considers sliding effects for respiratory motion

Nonrigid image registration is a key tool in medical imaging. Because of high degrees of freedom in nonrigid transforms, there have been many efforts to regularize the deformation based on some reasonable assumptions. Especially, motion invertibility and local tissue rigidity have been investigated as reasonable priors in image registration. There have been several papers on exploiting each constraint separately. These constraints are reasonable in respiratory motion estimation because breathing motion is invertible and there are some rigid structures such as bones. Using both constraints seems very attractive in respiratory motion registration since using invertibility prior alone usually causes bone warping in ribs. Using rigidity prior seems natural and straightforward. However, the “sliding effect” near the interface between rib cage and diaphragm makes problem harder because it is not locally invertible. In this area, invertibility and rigidity priors have opposite forces. Recently, we proposed a simple piecewise quadratic penalty that encourages the local invertibility of motions. In this work we relax this penalty function by using a Geman-type function that allows the deformation to be piecewise smooth instead of globally smooth. This allows the deformation to be discontinuous in the area of the interface between rib cage and diaphragm. With some small sacrifice of regularity, we could achieve more realistic discontinuous motion near diaphragm, better data fitting error as well as less bone warping. We applied this Geman-type function penalty only to the x- and y-direction partial derivatives of the z-direction deformation to address the sliding effect. 192 × 128 × 128 3D CT inhale and exhale images of a real patient were used to show the benefits of this new penalty method.
Asymptotic radiance and polarization in optically thick media: ocean and clouds.

Deep in a homogeneous medium that both scatters and absorbs photons, such as a cloud, the ocean, or a thick planetary atmosphere, the radiance decreases exponentially with depth, while the angular dependence of the radiance and polarization is independent of depth. In this diffusion region, the asymptotic radiance and polarization are also independent of the incident distribution of radiation at the upper surface of the medium. An exact expression is derived for the asymptotic radiance and polarization for Rayleigh scattering. The approximate expression for the asymptotic radiance derived from the scalar theory is shown to be in error by as much as 16.4%. An exact expression is also derived for the relation between the diffusion exponent k and the single scattering albedo. A method is developed for the numerical calculation of the asymptotic radiance and polarization for any scattering matrix. Results are given for scattering from the haze L and cloud C3 distributions for a wide range of single scattering albedos. When the absorption is large, the polarization in the diffusion region approaches the values obtained for single scattered photons, while the radiance approaches the value calculated from the expression: phase function divided by (1 + kμ), where μ is the cosine of the zenith angle. The asymptotic distribution of the radiation is of interest since it depends only on the inherent optical properties of the medium. It is, however, difficult to observe when the absorption is large because of the very low radiance values in the diffusion region.
Lateral air cavities for microfluidic pumping with the use of acoustic energy

An acoustically activated micropump is fabricated and demonstrated using a single step lithography process and an off-chip acoustic energy source. Using angled lateral cavities with trapped air bubbles, acoustic energy is used to oscillate the liquid–air interface to create a fluidic driving force. The angled lateral cavity design allows for fluid rectification from the first-order pulsatile flow of the oscillating bubbles. The fluid rectification is achieved through the asymmetrical flow produced by the oscillating interface generating fluid flow away from the lateral cavity interface. Simulation and experimental results are used to develop a pumping mechanism that is capable of driving fluid at pressures of 350 Pa. This pumping system is then integrated into a stand-alone battery operated system to drive fluid from one chip to another.
Welfare Reform and “Welfare to Work” as Non-Sequitur: A Case Study of the Experiences of Latina Women in Massachusetts

ABSTRACT Welfare reform emerged as a public policy response to a presumed “dependency” on the part of impoverished individuals and families. This behavioral view of poor people is ensconced in the adoption of welfare reform nationally, and many states including Massachusetts, where “work-first” frenzy fed the political momentum for moving families off welfare as quickly as possible, regardless of the consequences for children and families. A study of the experiences of 100 Latina women in Massachusetts during the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2000 shows that welfare reform presents major obstacles for poor women seeking employment as a way out of poverty. These obstacles include three key problems: the lack of information about potential employment and training programs and services; unaccountable discretion on the part of caseworkers; and biased perceptions about Latina women on public assistance.
New form(at): using the Web to teach research and critical thinking skills

States that at Colorado State University, the library liaison works with the director of the first‐year composition program to design Web pages for courses. Updated annually, program assignments include a “library research” overview, created by the librarian, that identifies catalogs and indexes, along with suggested terms to search the sources. Research strategies and assistance pages describe how to use sources generally guiding the students to teach themselves to evaluate and analyze books, articles, and Web pages for validity and usefulness. Additionally, there are interactive exercises for basic skills. By using the Web to distribute this information, library assistance is available when it is needed – anywhere on campus, or remotely from off‐campus. Library evaluation includes an analysis of “hits” to each page, and reflects feedback gathered from an evaluation form completed by the instructors.
An Insider Perspective of Daily Stress and Coping in Elders With Arthritis

BACKGROUND: Elders living with arthritis perceive chronic daily stress associated with a loss of function. Daily stress has a significant effect on the prediction of depression and decreased life satisfaction in older persons. However, little is known about the nature of the daily stress and coping process from their personal viewpoint. PURPOSE: This study explores stressors in daily life, coping strategies, and social support resources from the perspective of older adults with arthritis. METHODS: Thirteen older adults with arthritis participated in semistructured, individual interviews. Content analysis of the interview transcriptions was used. FINDINGS: Results revealed six sources of stress in the daily life of the participants: health, routine tasks, family issues, financial management, social relationships, and living conditions. Three major strategies of coping with daily stress emerged: cognitive efforts, diversional activities, and assertive actions. Participants reported a wide range of support resources to deal with daily stress. CONCLUSION: Recommendations for health professionals in assisting clients to minimize the impact of daily stress on mental health by assessing the sources of stress, improving cognitive‐behavioral coping techniques, and locating resources are given.
From small groups to learning communities: energizing large classes

Summary form only given. The article presents a brief work in progress which highlights over 60 interviews with faculty who have implemented active, interactive and cooperative learning and learning communities in large classes (over 100 students). The article summarizes the research case for small-group learning and learning communities, describes a variety of approaches for implementing small group learning based on practices of faculty who were interviewed, highlights faculty members' responses to common challenges and problems, and provides suggestions for moving to broader implementation to active, interactive and cooperative learning.
The civilizing process and its discontents: suicide and crimes against persons in France, 1825-1830.

A spatial analysis of data for French departements assembled in the 1830s by Andre‐Michel Guerry and Adolphe d’Angeville examines the impacts of modernization and resistance to governmental “Frenchification” policies on measures of violence and its direction. In the context of Unnithan et al.’s integrated model of suicide and homicide, high suicide rates in the northern core and a predilection for violence against others in the southern periphery may be consistently interpreted in terms of theories of the civilizing process and internal colonialism. Alternative explanations of southern violence in 19th‐century France are explored and rejected, and additional theoretical applications are suggested.
Adverse Effects of High-dose Vitamin A Supplements in Children Hospitalized With Pneumonia

Objective. To test the hypothesis that high-dose vitamin A supplements will enhance recovery of children hospitalized for the treatment of community- acquired pneumonia. Design. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of high-dose vitamin A supplements among children 3 months to 10 years of age (N 5 95) admitted to hospital with community-acquired pneumonia in Lima, Peru. Children 1 year of age received 200 000 IU on admission and 100 000 IU the next day. Results. Children receiving vitamin A (n 5 48) had lower blood oxygen saturation (the mean difference on day 3 in hospital was 1.1%), higher prevalence rates of retractions (37% in the vitamin A group vs 15% in the placebo group on day 3), auscultatory evidence of con- solidation (28% in the vitamin A group vs 17% in the placebo group on day 3), and were more likely to require supplemental oxygen (21% in the vitamin A group vs 8% in the placebo group on day 3) than children in the placebo group (n 5 47). Adjustment for baseline severity of disease and nutritional status did not alter the associ- ation of vitamin A with increased clinical severity, al- though the difference in blood oxygen saturation was no longer statistically significant. No differences were seen in duration of hospitalization or in chest x-ray changes 14 days after admission. No deaths occurred, and toxicity of vitamin A was not seen. Conclusions. This study indicates that high-dose vitamin A supplements cause modest adverse effects in children recovering from pneumonia and should not be used therapeutically in such patients unless there is clinical evidence of vitamin A deficiency or concurrent measles infection. Pediatrics 1998;101(5). URL: http:// www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/101/5/e3; vitamin A, pneumonia, children, Peru, respiratory, lung, retinol.
Multiple route real-time channels in packet-switched networks

A real-time channel is a communication mechanism commonly used to guarantee timely delivery of messages between two nodes of a distributed system. It is established at the request of an application task. In the request, the task specifies its worst-case traffic pattern and the required timing constraints. The system accepts the request only if it can guarantee the requested timing constraints without jeopardizing the guarantees provided to the established channels. The main objective of the scheme proposed in this paper is to increase the fraction of channel establishment requests accepted by the system. The proposed scheme increases the fraction of accepted requests by exploiting the existence of multiple routes between two nodes of a distributed system. In particular, unlike existing schemes, it carefully partitions a message and sends the message partitions along different routes to guarantee their timely delivery. In partitioning the message, it also ensures that the overhead of re-sequencing the partitions sent along different routes is minimal. The end result is a better channel establishment procedure for guaranteeing sequenced, timely delivery of messages in a real-time application. >
XPD Helicase Structures and Activities: Insights into the Cancer and Aging Phenotypes from XPD Mutations

Mutations in XPD helicase, required for nucleotide excision repair (NER) as part of the transcription/repair complex TFIIH, cause three distinct phenotypes: cancer-prone xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), or aging disorders Cockayne syndrome (CS), and trichothiodystrophy (TTD). To clarify molecular differences underlying these diseases, we determined crystal structures of the XPD catalytic core from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and measured mutant enzyme activities. Substrate-binding grooves separate adjacent Rad51/RecA-like helicase domains (HD1, HD2) and an arch formed by 4FeS and Arch domains. XP mutations map along the HD1 ATP-binding edge and HD2 DNA-binding channel and impair helicase activity essential for NER. XP/CS mutations both impair helicase activity and likely affect HD2 functional movement. TTD mutants lose or retain helicase activity but map to sites in all four domains expected to cause framework defects impacting TFIIH integrity. These results provide a foundation for understanding disease consequences of mutations in XPD and related 4Fe-4S helicases including FancJ.
Variational Approach to the Equilibrium Thermodynamic Properties of Simple Liquids. I

A variational technique which is based on two different inequalities for the Helmholtz free energies is used to calculate the equilibrium thermodynamic properties of simple fluids. A system with hard‐sphere potential function is used as the reference system. Helmholtz free energy of the original system is calculated by variation around the Helmholtz free energy of the reference system, and the other thermodynamic properties are calculated from free energy. By choosing a hard‐sphere reference system, it is possible to calculate the equilibrium thermodynamic properties of fluids from very low densities to densities close to solid, and from high temperatures in the gas phase to low temperatures in the liquid phase, in the ranges where experimental and machine‐calculated data are available. It is shown that the present variational technique is a better approach to the prediction of the equilibrium thermodynamic properties of liquids and vapor–liquid phase transition than any other approach so far developed. W...
Electrical Properties of Rat Skin and Design of Implantable Antennas for Medical Wireless Telemetry

The design and test is described of a small size dual band implantable antenna operating in Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) (402 MHz-405 MHz) and Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) (2.4 GHz-2.48 GHz) bands to be used in animal studies for medical research. The antenna is intended for wireless medical monitoring of the physiological parameters such as glucose, pressure, temperature, etc. First, the electrical properties (epsivr and sigma) of skin samples from donor rats are measured at Mississippi State University's (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine. A dual band antenna is then designed using an in-house finite element boundary integral solver in conjunction with particle swarm optimization algorithm. Finally, the antenna is tested using both skin-mimicking materials and real skin samples. The development details of the skin-mimicking materials are also given. Results regarding the S11 and gain of the designed antenna are given and discussed in detail.
Putative and Unique Gene Sequence Utilization for the Design of Species Specific Probes as Modeled by Lactobacillus plantarum

The concept of utilizing putative and unique gene sequences for the design of species specific probes was tested. The abundance profile of assigned functions within the Lactobacillus plantarum genome was used for the identification of the putative and unique gene sequence, csh. The targeted gene (csh) was used as the template for PCR amplification and construction of a non-radioactive DIG labeled probe. The csh derived probe aided in the preliminary and rapid identification of L. plantarum from mixed cultures by colony hybridization. The method described here for the rapid identification of L. plantarum can also be applied for the rapid detection of other bacteria if a unique gene sequence can be identified from its complete genome sequence.
NONLINEAR FILTERING OF SMOOTH SIGNALS

A nonlinear online Kalman type filter is proposed for the estimation of unknown function S(t) with the known smoothness β for the diffusion observed process with small, of the order e2, diffusion coefficient. Assuming that the drift coefficient of the observed process depends on an unknown function S(t), we propose an approach to the analysis of this estimator based on the Lyapunov's functions method. The best possible rate of convergence of risks to 0, as e → 0, is proven for β ≤ 2.
The Peroxin Pex19p Interacts with Multiple, Integral Membrane Proteins at the Peroxisomal Membrane

Pex19p is a protein required for the early stages of peroxisome biogenesis, but its precise function and site of action are unknown. We tested the interaction between Pex19p and all known Pichia pastoris Pex proteins by the yeast two-hybrid assay. Pex19p interacted with six of seven known integral peroxisomal membrane proteins (iPMPs), and these interactions were confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. The interactions were not reduced upon inhibition of new protein synthesis, suggesting that they occur with preexisting, and not newly synthesized, pools of iPMPs. By mapping the domains in six iPMPs that interact with Pex19p and the iPMP sequences responsible for targeting to the peroxisome membrane (mPTSs), we found the majority of these sites do not overlap. Coimmunoprecipitation of Pex19p from fractions that contain peroxisomes or cytosol revealed that the interactions between predominantly cytosolic Pex19p and the iPMPs occur in the organelle pellet that contains peroxisomes. These data, taken together, suggest that Pex19p may have a chaperone-like role at the peroxisome membrane and that it is not the receptor for targeting of iPMPs to the peroxisome.
Intein-mediated affinity-fusion purification of the Escherichia coli RecA protein

The RecA protein of Escherichia coli plays important roles in homologous recombination, recombinational DNA repair, and SOS induction. Because its functions are conserved among the phylogenetic kingdoms, RecA investigations have provided a paradigm for understanding these biological processes. The RecA protein has been overproduced in E. coli and purified using a variety of purification schemes requiring multiple, time-intensive steps. The purification schemes share a dependence on appropriate RecA structure and/or function at one or more steps. In this report, we used a modified protein splicing element (intein) and a chitin-binding domain, fused to the C-terminus of RecA, to facilitate a one-step affinity purification of RecA protein without modification of the native protein sequence. Following the single chromatographic step, RecA protein that is greater than 95% physical purity at a concentration of greater than microM was obtained. The protein displays in vitro activities that are identical to those of protein isolated using classical procedures. The purification strategy described here promises to yield mutant RecA proteins in sufficient quantity for rigorous biophysical characterization without dependence on intrinsic RecA function.
An Analytical Performance Model of Opportunistic Spectrum Access in a Military Environment

In an opportunistic spectrum sharing system, secondary users equipped with cognitive radios opportunistically access spectrum that is not being used by the primary users, i.e., the licensed spectrum users, without causing harmful interference to the primary users. We present an analytical performance model of opportunistic spectrum access in a military environment consisting of a group of secondary users sharing a set of channels with primary users in a coverage area. A secondary user occupying a given channel detects when a primary user accesses the channel and then either moves to another idle channel or is placed in a virtual queue where it waits until either a channel becomes available or a maximum waiting time is reached. Using a two-dimensional Markov model, we derive expressions for the blocking probabilities and reconnection probability and evaluate the performance metrics under a range of parameter settings.
Control of high-order nonholonomic systems in power chained form using discontinuous feedback

Addresses the problems of almost-asymptotic stabilization and global asymptotic regulation (GAR) for a class of high-order nonholonomic systems in power-chained form. This particular class of nonlinear systems is an extension of a nonholonomic system in chained form that has received considerable attention in the past few years. The nonholonomic system considered in this paper is not necessarily affine in the control variables and therefore cannot be handled by existing methods. Sufficient conditions are presented under which a discontinuous state-feedback control law (or a switching controller) can be recursively constructed, using the so-called "adding a power integrator" technique of C. Qian et al. (2001). We also illustrate how the results can be extend to multi-input systems in power-chained form. Simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controllers.
Nanoparticle Delivery of Cancer Drugs

Nanomedicine, the application of nanotechnology to medicine, enabled the development of nanoparticle therapeutic carriers. These drug carriers are passively targeted to tumors through the enhanced permeability and retention effect, so they are ideally suited for the delivery of chemotherapeutics in cancer treatment. Indeed, advances in nanomedicine have rapidly translated into clinical practice. To date, there are five clinically approved nanoparticle chemotherapeutics for cancer and many more under clinical investigation. In this review, we discuss the various nanoparticle drug delivery platforms and the important concepts involved in nanoparticle drug delivery. We also review the clinical data on the approved nanoparticle therapeutics as well as the nanotherapeutics under clinical investigation.
Dual‐Process Theory of Supportive Message Outcomes

The dual-process theory of supportive message outcomes applies the general logic of the dual-process framework to the processing and outcomes of varied forms of support, including advice, everyday emotional support, and grief management. This theory explains that supportive messages work as a joint function of the content of those messages and how they are processed by recipients. Drawing on social cognitive theory, theories of emotion, and theories specifying characteristics of quality supportive communication as well as the larger dual process framework developed in the field of psychology, this theory provides an empirically sound basis for prescribing types of supportive strategies. Most work to date has focused on testing key theoretical tenants and establishing the theory is a viable framework for organizing prior findings indicating variation in the effects supportive messages. Keywords: cognitive processes; communication theory; interpersonal communication
Object oriented systems engineering

Object-oriented methodology has developed to the point where it has the potential for being a powerful tool in the arsenal of the systems engineer. This paper suggests that the time is ripe for systems engineers to assimilate the method. Such assimilation will require modifications in the method to make it generalizable outside the software design environment. This paper presents the lessons learned from a systems engineering project where the object-oriented method is being applied to explore the scope and possibility of such assimilation.
Nitrogen Mineralization in Soils Used for Biofuel Crops

Perennial biofuel crops such as Miscanthus and switchgrass are thought to increase soil organic matter and therefore may increase soil nitrogen (N) mineralization rates. Our objective was to evaluate a range of N-mineralization indices for soils with established biofuel crops and compare these results with soils in a traditional corn and soybean rotation. We sampled surface soil (0–10 cm deep) from switchgrass (6 years after establishment) and Miscanthus plots (5 years) in a high-organic-matter Mollisol. The longest potential N mineralization index, a 24-day incubation, was significantly greater in Miscanthus soils compared to switchgrass and corn–soybean. In addition, 7-day anaerobic N and potassium chloride–extractable ammonium N were both greater in Miscanthus soils compared to switchgrass and corn–soybean. Our results do support our hypothesis that N-mineralization rates are greater in soils under biofuel production.
Understanding and applying the dynamics of test practice and study practice

Two different methods of practice are available in the learning of simple information, test practice or study practice. Of these two methods of learning, research has generally shown that test practice is superior to study practice. However, this re- search has not considered the testing advantage with respect to the fact that test learning is uncertain (i.e. if recall fails, nothing appears to be learned) or with respect to the fact that study learning depends greatly on the duration of the study event. The following work clarifies these issues by presenting an integrated computational model of the relative costs and benefits of testing compared to study presentation (based on the ACT-R theory of declarative memory; Anderson, J.R. & Schooler, L.J. (1991). Psychological Science 2: 396-408; Pavlik Jr., P.I.. & Anderson, J.R. (2005). Cognitive Science 29: 559-586). This model was applied to determine how test and study practice can be optimally employed to improve learning and provides a framework for under- standing the effects of mnemonic strategies in simple memory tasks.
Semiparametric instrumental variables estimation

This paper considers a semiparametric regression model in which the error term is correlated with the nonparametric part. A technical difficulty of this semiparametric regression model is that we cannot eliminate the nonparametric part in the two-step estimation procedure of a typical semiparametric regression model. Yet, we can still obtain a semiparametric estimator, called a semiparametric instrumental variables (SIV) estimator, with consistency and asymptotic normality if there exist two sets of instrumental variables satisfying an orthogonality condition. An empirical example of the SIV estimation procedure is discussed.
Performance Preserving Topological Downscaling of Internet-Like Networks

The Internet is a large, heterogeneous system operating at very high speeds and consisting of a large number of users. Researchers use a suite of tools and techniques in order to understand the performance of complex networks like the Internet: measurements, simulations, and deployments on small to medium-scale testbeds. This work considers a novel addition to this suite: a class of methods to scale down the topology of the Internet that enables researchers to create and observe a smaller replica, and extrapolate its performance to the expected performance of the larger Internet. This is complementary to the work of Psounis, 2003, where the authors presented a way to scale down the Internet in time, by creating a slower replica of the original system. The key insight that we leverage in this work is that only the congested links along the path of each flow introduce sizable queueing delays and dependencies among flows. Hence, one might hope that the network properties can be captured by a topology that consists of the congested links only. Using extensive simulations with transmission control protocol (TCP) traffic and theoretical analysis, we show that it is possible to achieve this kind of performance scaling even on topologies the size of the CENIC backbone (that provides Internet access to higher education institutions in California). We also show that simulating a scaled topology can be up to two orders of magnitude faster than simulating the original topology
Resource sharing in rat gestation: role of maternal cardiovascular hemodynamics

There is a substantial decrease in blood pressure (BP) in late pregnancy in the laboratory rat. It is so pronounced that manipulations that produce sustained elevations in BP in nonpregnant animals have little or no effect during pregnancy. It is commonly believed that this decrease in BP is a consequence of a large decrease in total peripheral resistance resulting from the passive combination of the placental vasculature with a preexisting maternal vasodilation. An alternative view is presented here. We suggest that, in small mammals like the laboratory rat, pregnancy severely challenges the ability of the maternal cardiovascular system to meet its metabolic demands, so that during the last stages of maturation of the low-resistance placental circulation delivery of vital metabolic or nutritional substances to the maternal vasculature becomes marginal. When the so-called maternal hemodynamic preservation threshold is reached, a pronounced and wide-spread vasodilation occurs to maintain adequate perfusion of maternal organs. The late-gestational decrease in BP thus reflects a dynamic interaction between the maternal and placental circulations rather than reflecting their passive combination. The hypothesis provides a framework for the integrated discussion of a number of important phenomena: the fact that hypertensive rats exhibit a larger decrease in BP in late gestation than normotensive rats; the existence of a positive association between litter size and the magnitude of the late-gestational decrease in BP; and, finally, the well-established ability of the food-restricted pregnant rat to compartmentalize its nutritional resources.
Nomograms of the Fetal Neck Circumference and Area Throughout Gestation

Objective The purpose of this study was to create reference range nomograms of the axial fetal neck circumference (FNC) and fetal neck area (FNA) throughout gestation. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study involved pregnant patients between 14 and 40 weeks' gestation. Inclusion criteria consisted of well-established dates (confirmed by early sonography) and nonanomalous singleton fetuses with intact fetal membranes. Sonographic measurements included biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length, humerus length, transcerebellar diameter, and sonographically estimated fetal weight. Axial FNC and FNA values were calculated as means of 3 separate measurements. The 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles were estimated at each week of gestational age (GA) by least squares regression for the mean and SD of the FNC and FNA as functions of GA. R(2) and associated P values for the relationships between the FNC, FNA, and other sonographic biometric measurements were calculated. Results The study included 720 consecutive patients. The mean maternal age +/- SD was 27.3 +/- 6.6 years; median gravidity, 3 (range, 1-13); and median parity, 1 (range, 0-10). The following equations were devised: mean FNC (centimeters) = -11.85 + 1.687 x GA (weeks) -0.043 x GA(2) + 0.0004951 x GA(3); SD(FNC) = 3.15 - 0.3823 x GA + 0.01733 x GA(2) - 0.0002179 x GA(3); mean FNA (square centimeters) = 37.29 - 7.0 x GA + 0.4717 x GA(2) - 0.01245 x GA(3) + 0.0001222 x GA(4); and SD(FNA) = 7.08 - 0.9413 x GA + 0.04135 x GA(2) - 0.0004829 x GA(3). Both the FNC and FNA correlated significantly and strongly with biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, humerus length, femur length, transcerebellar diameter, and sonographically estimated fetal weight. Conclusions Current nomograms of the axial FNC and FNA throughout gestation have been provided.
The Post-WWI Red Scare and the Effect on Civil Liberties

This brief Article discusses the Red Scare – the post-World War I government campaign against suspected domestic communists, anarchists and other radicals – and its effect on the civil liberties of those groups and individuals.
Autism, the Social Thinking Curriculum, and moral courage:

Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking Curriculum is widely used by schools across the USA and has garnered attention internationally. The curriculum addresses social language and behavior defici...
Illuminating structural proteins in viral “dark matter” with metaproteomics

Viruses are ecologically important, yet environmental virology is limited by dominance of unannotated genomic sequences representing taxonomic and functional "viral dark matter." Although recent analytical advances are rapidly improving taxonomic annotations, identifying functional dark matter remains problematic. Here, we apply paired metaproteomics and dsDNA-targeted metagenomics to identify 1,875 virion-associated proteins from the ocean. Over one-half of these proteins were newly functionally annotated and represent abundant and widespread viral metagenome-derived protein clusters (PCs). One primarily unannotated PC dominated the dataset, but structural modeling and genomic context identified this PC as a previously unidentified capsid protein from multiple uncultivated tailed virus families. Furthermore, four of the five most abundant PCs in the metaproteome represent capsid proteins containing the HK97-like protein fold previously found in many viruses that infect all three domains of life. The dominance of these proteins within our dataset, as well as their global distribution throughout the world's oceans and seas, supports prior hypotheses that this HK97-like protein fold is the most abundant biological structure on Earth. Together, these culture-independent analyses improve virion-associated protein annotations, facilitate the investigation of proteins within natural viral communities, and offer a high-throughput means of illuminating functional viral dark matter.
Implications of Mutant Epidermal Growth Factor Variant III in Brain Tumor Development and Novel Targeted Therapies

The mutant epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) oncogene has attracted much attention due to its critical functions in primary brain cancer development, treatment resistance and disease relapse. The EGFRvIII mutant is frequently overexpressed during brain cancer initiation and progression in conjunction with the wild-type EGFR amplification while no expression level of its truncated receptor is detected in normal brain tissue specimens and any distant tissues. The constitutively activated EGFRvIII mutant can substantially contribute in cooperation with other receptor tyrosine kinases, including wild-type EGFR, to the sustained growth, migration and local metastases of brain cancer cells and resistance to current therapies. Therefore, the truncated EGFRvIII mutant represents a therapeutic target of great clinical interest for developing new effective treatments against primary brain tumors. In this chapter, we summarize the recent advancements on the characterization of key functions supplied by the EGFRvIII mutant and wild-type EGFR in brain tumor development and the most important findings about the novel therapeutic strategies developed for their effective molecular targeting. The emphasis is on the specific roles played by the EGFRvIII mutant and its cooperative interactions with wild-type EGFR in brain tumor cells, treatment resistance and disease relapse. The implications of targeting the EGFRvIII mutant and/or wild-type EGFR to develop novel combination therapies for improving the current treatments against aggressive and recurrent medulloblastomas and glioblastoma multiforme are also discussed.
CARBONIC ANHYDRASE POLYMORPHISM IN A NEW JERSEY POPULATION OF THE WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE PEROMYSCUS LEUCOPUS

Two electrophoretic forms of erythrocytic carbonic anhydrase were found to be controlled by one autosomal locus with two codominant alleles, CAf and CA8. The gene frequencies for the CAf and CA8 alleles were found to be.15 and.85, respectively, in a sample of 53 mice from Middlesex County, New Jersey. The observed genotypic frequencies indicated that the population was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
Solvent-Dispersed Benzothiadiazole-Tetrathiafulvalene Single-Crystal Nanowires and Their Application in Field-Effect Transistors

A new organic semiconductor (BT-TTF) based on molecular moieties of benzothiadiazole and tetrathiafulvalene was designed and synthesized, and its structure, molecular packing and charge-transporting properties were determined. Thermal properties, electrochemical behaviors, and optical absorption of this molecule were studied by using differential scanning calorimetry/thermal gravimetric analysis, cyclic voltammetry, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, respectively. Its bulk and nanowire single crystals were prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and field-effect transistors. It is found that short intermolecular S···S (3.41 A), S···C (3.49 A), and S···N (3.05 A) contacts define the solid-state structure of BT-TTF single crystals which π-stack along the [100] with interplanar distances of 3.49 A. Solvent-cast single-crystal nanowire transistors showed mobilities as large as 0.36 cm2/(V s) with current on/off ratios of 1 × 106. ...
Enhancement of Ultrasonic De-Icing via Tone Burst Excitation

Previous ultrasonic de-icing research on rotorcraft has demonstrated that applying multifrequency burst actuation schemes has increased the ice protection area coverage of the system. The physical mechanisms responsible for this increase in de-icing performance are modeled using finite elements and tested using both freezer ice and impact ice in the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand facility at the Pennsylvania State University. Freezer ice was tested using a 0.035-in.-thick (0.889-mm-thick) titanium grade 2 plate. Impact ice testing was conducted using a 0.035-in.-thick (0.889-mm-thick) stainless steel NACA 0015 airfoil structure (16 in. or 40.64 cm chord). It is proven that the increase in ice shedding area when using multifrequency tone bursts is due to the transient nature of the excitation and not the multimode control of the structure at varying frequencies surrounding the resonance of the structure. During bench-top testing using freezer ice, ultrasonic burst actuation techniques that exploit tr...
WS-3 The role of the ACP facilitator: The importance of achieving and maintaining competence

Background The introduction of the advance care planning (ACP) facilitator, as a new and emerging role for the healthcare setting, was first introduced in 1993 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. ACP Facilitators are typically non-physicians/providers who have clinical roles such as nurses and social workers, but also can include non-clinicians, such as chaplains, members of faith ministries, or other community volunteers. The role of the ACP Facilitator has expanded across the USA and to other parts of the world like Australia, Singapore, and parts of Europe and Canada. ACP facilitators provide a valuable service for individuals and their families, promoting ACP conversations as a component of quality care. However, there are many questions and concerns about how non-physicians can provide this ACP service. What training should be provided? What are the core competencies of the role? How is initial competency achieved? How is competence maintained? What standards exist to guide the development of competency based education? What difference do certification programs make? Aim In this workshop, the presenters will offer a definition of the role, responsibilities, and competencies of the ACP Facilitator. Discussion The Respecting Choices® approach to designing effective certification programs for ACP Facilitators will be explored as a critical component of ensuring competence in fulfilling their responsibilities. This standardised approach to certification successfully enables non-physicians to provide a reliable ACP service. The presenters will also discuss the importance of facilitator certification for different stages of illness; clarifying the need for specific skills and competencies when facilitating ACP conversations for individuals with chronic illness, or those who are approaching the last years of life. Strategies to achieve and maintain competence in the role of the ACP Facilitator will be discussed. Lastly, the presenters will provide evidence of the outcomes that result from the Respecting Choices approach to ACP Facilitator certification.
Testing Across the Curriculum (Abstract Only)

Many students find testing software as difficult and frustrating as they find writing prose. As with writing, no pedagogy will magically replace the need for plenty of practice. Therefore, we believe students should be required to write tests in as many courses as practical. This workshop will present a survey of tools that instructors can use to incorporate testing into many different courses throughout the curriculum. We will begin with a quick review of JUnit, then present tools such as (1) RSpec (Ruby's unit testing framework, on which many other testing frameworks are based), (2) MIPSUnit (MIPS assembly) (3) DLUnit (digital logic and simulated CPUs), (4) CUnit (Operating Systems and Networking), (5) Jasmine (JavaScript), (6) and Cucumber (which has many uses, including system tests on web applications). See http://www.cis.gvsu.edu/~kurmasz/TestingWorkshop for more details. (Note: This workshop is not designed to teach high-level testing principles such as "what tests do I need?", or "how do I know when I've written enough tests?" Similarly, this workshop will not cover TDD or BDD.)
The window of improved neonatal respiratory compliance after rescue antenatal steroids

To evaluate whether premature infants delivered ≤7 days after rescue antenatal steroid treatment (ideal treatment) have increased passive respiratory compliance compared to those delivered >7 days after treatment (remote treatment). Secondary analysis of a randomized trial of rescue antenatal steroids on respiratory compliance. Infants in the treatment group were stratified by the interval between rescue antenatal steroids and delivery. We then compared the respiratory compliance in the ideal vs. remote groups. Forty-four women (56 infants) received rescue antenatal steroids. Forty-nine infants had evaluable respiratory compliance measurements, with 27 (GA 30.1 weeks, BW 1362 g) “ideally” treated, and 22 (GA 33.8 weeks, BW 2248 g) “remotely” treated. Respiratory compliance was significantly higher for the ideal compared to the remote group (1.32 vs. 1.06 mL/cm H2O/kg; p = 0.037). Infants treated with rescue antenatal steroids have a significantly higher respiratory compliance if delivery occurs within 7 days after treatment.
Scaling Puppet and Foreman for HPC

The Ohio Supercomputer Center has deployed a Puppet configuration management and Foreman provisioning environment that scales to almost one thousand servers that are a mix of HPC cluster compute and service nodes as well as storage, web, and infrastructure servers. The motivation for using a common provisioning and configuration management environment for all computers at OSC was to minimize the unique environments with their own management tools, as well as to provide for unified management of network booting, DNS, and audit interfaces for change management. In this paper, we describe several novel methods used to scale Puppet to a large number of servers, as well as the use of the Foreman provisioning environment as a global key-value store. We also present our implementation of multiple environment configurations that allow us to support development and test environments in parallel and integrated with production configuration management.
Practical Issues in Prescribing Peritoneal Dialysis

Intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD) regimen for chronic renal failure was introduced in the early 1960s (1) and gained popularity after two crucial improvements made by Tenckhoff: a safe and permanent chronic peritoneal access (2) and an automated sterilization and delivery system of dialysis solution that allowed therapy at home (3). The method, however, could not compete successfully with hemodialysis because of low efficiency, resulting in inadequate dialysis and a shorter technique survival than on other forms of renal replacement therapy. All efforts to increase the efficiency of dialysis to shorten the time of dialysis proved unsuccessful and peritoneal dialysis for chronic renal failure began to decline in the early 1970s.
On a Theorem of Wilson

§1. In 1770 Wilson found the following result in the Number’s Theory: “If p is prime, then p 1 ! 1mod p ”. Did you ever question yourself what happens if the module m is not anymore prime? It’s simple, one answers, “if m is not prime and m 4 then m 1 ! 0 modm ”; for the proof see [4]. This is fine, I would continue, but if in the product from the left side of this congruence we consider only numbers that are prime with m ? For this reason we’ll address this case, and provide a generalization of Wilson’s theorem to any modulo, this will conduce to a nice result.
From Seed to Product: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Linking the Agriculture and Industrial Stages of Cotton through Water Research

The apparel industry has a tremendous impact on water, yet unlike food systems, where consumer interest in sustainability is growing, it is difficult for the everyday consumer to understand the nuances of sustainable clothing and there has been little growth in sustainability labels and claims. Water use and pollution needs to be evaluated throughout the clothing supply chain to identify leverage points to reduce water impacts and design new processes to integrate water sustainability into production industry-wide.
Evaluating Venous Drainage in Reverse Flow Pedicles: Available Evidence and Mechanisms.

Background The anatomy and physiology of venous drainage in the reversed flow vascular pedicle is controversial and there have been few well-designed, controlled studies to effectively evaluate the physiology. We evaluated the available evidence for venous drainage to synthesize the conclusions of these studies, and to identify areas in need of further research. Methods Electronic databases were searched for articles published from January 1, 1950 to November 1, 2017. A total of 316 citations were screened for inclusion. Fifty articles met inclusion criteria and underwent review, yielding 12 articles for final data analysis. Three principal study types were found: human cadaveric (7), animal (3), human clinical (1), and mixed (1). Results We identified two main theories regarding the mechanism of venous drainage in reverse flow flaps. The “avalvular bypass” theory is based on the findings of intact valves of the venae comitantes, and venous outflow through the crossover pattern of the communicating branches and bypass pattern of the collateral branches. Alternatively, the “valvular incompetence” theory implies that pedicle dissection, proximal ligation, and insetting of the flap cause physiologic changes, such as increased venous pressure, denervation, and simultaneous proximal and distal filling, which together result in valvular insufficiency. Conclusion The mechanism by which retrograde venous outflow occurs in reverse flow flaps remains controversial. Nonetheless, a few well-designed studies have contributed to the understanding of venous anatomy and outflow. Most likely, the true mechanism is based on venous outflow that occurs via the “avalvular bypass” route initially and the “valvular incompetence” route later.