cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image intensifier-based computed tomography volume scanner for angiography

Rationale and Objectives. A prototype volume computed tomography (CT) system for use in angiography was designed, constructed, and tested. The system consisted of a fixed X-ray tube, a conventional image intensifier (II) coupled to a charge-coupled device camera, and a computer-controlled turntable on which phantoms were placed. We wanted to predict, through phantom studies, the imaging performance of an II-based volume CT for direct three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of vascular structures. Methods. To explore the imaging performance of the system for reconstructing a vascular structure, two sets of projection images of a vascular phantom, acquired over 250 projection angles with two different-sized IIs, were digitized and used for a direct 3D cone—beam reconstruction. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each reconstructed image was measured. From these measurements, image quality was accessed as a function of the number of reconstructions averaged and the different orientations. The spatial resolution limits of the system were measured from the 3D reconstructed images of a specially designed resolution phantom for different orientations and locations. Results. The measured SNRs of all direct 3D reconstruction images were reasonably good, and background noise levels measured from 3D reconstruction images were almost 30 Hounsfield units. The measured spatial resolution of the system was 0.5 line pairs per millimeter. However, spatial resolution was reduced around the edge of the II to nearly half that measured in the central area of the field of view. Conclusion. An II-based volume CT scanner can produce direct 3D reconstructions of vascular structures with good image quality for intraarterial angiography.
The spatial and temporal distribution of the Maine Coastal Current during 1982

Abstract The mean position of the cold, less-saline Maine Coastal Current and its spatial and temporal variability in the northern Gulf of Maine during 1982 were studied using optimally interpolated, satellite-derived, sea surface temperature maps and ship of opportunity data. Five-day averaged sea surface temperature maps were produced at five-day intervals at a spatial resolution of ∼11 km from daily, spatially averaged, full-resolution, declouded Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer data collected over the entire Gulf of Maine. Optimally interpolated mean sea surface temperature errors were less than half of the non-seasonal sea surface temperature root mean square variability over ∼95% of the study domain, including the Maine Coastal Current region. Results showed that 82% (88%) of the non-seasonal sea surface temperature variance within an inshore (offshore) branch of the Maine Coastal Current occurred on time scales of 1–2 months with little variance occurring within the 10-day to 1-month band. Furthermore, the non-seasonal sea surface temperature fluctuations within both branches of the Maine Coastal Current were coherent within the lower frequency band. Sea surface temperatures and ship of opportunity data suggest that the non-seasonal physical, chemical and biological variability within the inshore and offshore branches of the Maine Coastal Current during 1982 are related and were caused by advection resulting from low-frequency variability in the geostrophic flow over Jordan Basin, and exclusive of salinity, may account for most of the observed low-frequency physical, chemical and biological variability measured within the surface and near-surface waters of both branches of the Current during 1982. Differences between the non-seasonal fluctuations of surface salinity measured within both branches of the Maine Coastal Current during 1982 may have resulted from additional forcing by both remote and local freshwater sources.
Aspiration and Swallowing Dysfunction in Pediatric Patients

Early identification and management of aspiration associated with oral intake will help contribute to the best possible outcome for infants and children who have airway protection issues with swall...
Narrow versus wide margins in malignant melanoma.

SUMMARY Although wide surgical excision is the accepted treatment for thin malignant melanomas, there is reason to believe that narrower margins may be adequate. A randomized prospective study to assess the efficacy of narrow excision (excision with 1-cm margins) for primary melanomas no thicker than 2 mm was conducted at the National Institute of Health in Milan, Italy, and five other countries. Narrow excision was performed in 305 patients and wide excision (margins of 3 cm or more) in 307 patients. The major prognostic criteria were well balanced in the two groups. The mean thickness of the melanomas was 0.99 mm in the narrow-excision group and 1.02 mm in the wide-excision group. The subsequent development of metastatic disease involving regional nodes and distant organs was not different in the two groups (4.6% and 2.3%, respectively, in the narrow-excision group as compared with 6.5% and 2.6% in the wide-excision group). Disease-free survival rates and overall survival rates (mean follow-up period was 55 months) were also similar in the two groups. Only three patients had a local recurrence as a first relapse. All had undergone narrow excision, and each had a primary melanoma with a thickness of 1 mm or greater.
Electrospraying Large Sparingly Soluble Tetraalkylammonium Ions as Monomobile Standards of Moderately Low Electrical Mobility

A procedure is described to electrospray the relatively large ions tetrahexadecylammonium (C16H33)4N+ and tetraoctadecylammonium (C18H37)4N+ from their commercially available bromide salts. Their low solubility and the corresponding low conductivity of their alcohol solutions complicates their electrospraying by the convenient method of applying the high voltage to the solution reservoir (rather than to the electrospraying tip). If the capillary bore is widened to reduce the reservoir-tip electrical resistance, the solvent evaporates at its tip, leading to solute precipitation and spray destabilization. These difficulties are overcome via conventional nanospray: we use a wide (∼100 μm ID) capillary whose tip is pulled in a flame down to <20 μm OD. Mobility spectra result where the dominant and most mobile peaks are (C16H33)4N+ or (C18H37)4N+. Their electrical mobilities in air at room temperature and pressure are 0.63 and 0.60 cm2/V/s (±1%).Copyright 2015 American Association for Aerosol Research
Development and optimization of the relativistic klystron amplifier

The research and development of the relativistic klystron amplifier (RKA) at the Naval Research Laboratory is reviewed. The experimental and theoretical effort concentrated on the three main aspects of RKA technology development: (1) Limitation on high power RF extraction into the atmosphere (2) Reduction in beam loading effects (3) The new triaxial geometry, in which a large diameter electron beam propagates between two coaxial grounded tubes. The peak RF power generated by the RKA is limited by electron held emission in the RF converter. In the present L-band geometry, electron emission was detected at power levels above /spl sim/6 GW. Beam loading effects, which also affect power output, may be controlled by spatial and velocity inhomogeneities in the current of the electron beam driving the RKA. Finally, the new triaxial RKA, currently in the final stages of construction, promises to solve many of the existing problems and to extend the frequency domain to 10 GHz with power output in the 10's of GW. >
Fused Impurity P-N-P Junction Transistors

Fused impurity p-n-p junction transistors have been made which exhibit the useful circuit characteristics of high-gain, low-noise figure and alpha slightly less than unity. Such transistors are well adapted for application involving high ambient temperatures or high dissipation levels since alpha remains very nearly constant up to 120 degrees C and decreases somewhat above this temperature, permitting their stable use in emitter-grounded circuits at high temperatures. This is in contrast to junction transistors having high-resistivity collector regions, for which alpha often rises above unity at high temperatures leading to circuit instability. Satisfactory operation at several watts collector dissipation has been achieved.
A New Phenomenon of Retention Time Evolution in Embedded DRAM Technology with High-K Dielectrics (Ta2O5) MIM Capacitor After HTOL Test

In this paper, a new phenomenon regarding to failure bit count (FBC) distribution and data retention time of embedded DRAM with high-K dielectric Ta2O5 MIM capacitors has been observed and explored. Different from conventional knowledge with FBC increase or retention time reduction of DRAM after burn-in, it is found FBC decreased and retention time increased in the sub-0.1mum embedded DRAM technology with high-K dielectric Ta2O5 MIM capacitors. Although the band-to-defect tunneling (BDT) induced junction leakage currents of cell transistors under hot carrier injection (HCI) and off-state bias-temperature (BT) stress will be enhanced, which degrade the FBC and retention time performance. However, it was found the leakage current reduction of high-K dielectric Ta2O5 capacitor after burn-in dominates the FBC reduction and retention time increase
Pioneers in Neurophotonics: Special Section Honoring Professor Lawrence B. Cohen.

This PDF file contains the editorial “Pioneers in Neurophotonics: Special Section Honoring Professor Lawrence B. Cohen” for NPh Vol. 2 Issue 02
Influence of Decorin and Biglycan on Tensile Viscoelastic Properties in Knockout Mice

Tendons have a complex, viscoelastic mechanical behavior that depends on their composition and structure. Understanding these structure-function relationships may help elucidate important differences in the varying functional behaviors of specific tendons as well as guide targeted treatment modalities and tissue engineered constructs. The tendon extracellular matrix (ECM) can be described as a biocomposite material consisting of collagen fibers surrounded by an extrafibrillar matrix. Many studies have focused on the role of the fibers on the tensile properties of tendon; however, fibers alone do not completely explain the viscoelastic and non-linear response of tendon. The interactions of small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) with other ECM molecules, such as collagen fibrils, as well as their association with water suggest that SLRPs may play a role in tendon viscoelasticity. Some studies have assessed the role of SLRPs or glycosaminoglycans in the mechanical response of tendon, but few have explored their role in more sophisticated viscoelastic properties. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the viscoelastic response of the patellar tendon in two different SLRP knockout mice compared to wildtype. We hypothesized that the absence of SLRPs would lead to a stiffer dynamic tissue response compared to wildtype.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The message is clear: prevent as well as treat acute myocardial infarction.

The ultimate goal of all cardiovascular clinical research should be to reduce the morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases at an acceptable cost. In no area of medicine has clinical research led to a greater change in medical care than in the management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We now try to accomplish early coronary reperfusion in all ST-elevation MIs and administer a combination of drugs in the postinfarction period to halt or slow the progressive remodeling process that leads to heart failure and shortened survival.1 Clinical trials have documented the dramatic efficacy of these therapeutic interventions on morbidity and mortality.2–5 Article see p 2577 The old nontherapeutic approach was not so long ago. During my internship in Boston in 1956, my first admission was a middle-aged man with an acute transmural anterior wall MI. After ministering to him for his 4-week hospital stay, which was mandatory in those days, he went home stable, only to return in 6 months with fulminant heart failure that took his life. What happened to him in that 6 months was mysterious to me, as well as to my Harvard attending physicians, who viewed the patient’s course as a rather uninteresting response to heart damage. It was 30 years before the concept of structural remodeling became recognized and effectively treated.6 Chin et al7 in this issue of Circulation explore changes in the course of patients like mine as a consequence of our new aggressive therapeutic approach. They used a complete national sample of AMI hospitalizations in nearly 3 million …
Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Complicated by a Proliferation of Large B Cells

We studied 14 cases that showed a morphologic appearance of peripheral T-cell lymphoma and contained substantial numbers of CD20+ large B cells. In all but 2 cases, the CD20+ large cells showed a mix of kappa and lambda light chain expression. Two cases showed a focal predominance of kappa expression. In situ hybridization using the EBER1 probe for detection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) RNA was performed on every case. EBV RNA was present in 10 cases. Of 8 cases with EBV RNA stained by immunohistochemistry for the latent membrane protein of EBV, 6 were positive. Double-labeling immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization confirmed that EBV was present in the large B cells. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed a clonal rearrangement of the T-cell receptor (TCR)-gamma chain gene in 12 of 13 cases tested. One additional case showed a clonal rearrangement of the TCR-beta chain gene by Southern blot hybridization. PCR analysis showed a clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in 5 cases, a suggestion of a clonal rearrangement in 1, an oligoclonal pattern in 4, and a polyclonal pattern in 4. The finding of large B and T cells may result in a misdiagnosis of a reactive process or of T-cell–rich B-cell lymphoma. The presence of EBV in some cases could cause further confusion with the reactive T- and B-immunoblastic proliferation of infectious mononucleosis.
Implementing Use of Donor Breast Milk in the Well Baby Population: It's Not Just for the NICU Any More

Newborn Care Paper Presentation Purpose for the Program Donor breast milk has been used in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) since the 1990s and has been proved to increase infant survival rates. Since our hospital instituted the use of human donor milk in our NICU in 2011, we have seen a significant improvement in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and survival rates. Exclusive breast milk feeding is now recognized as a Perinatal Core measure by the Joint Commission and defined as feeding infants no other nutrition besides breast milk (breast milk includes human donor milk). Therefore, to provide the best evidence-based feeding practices, UT Southwestern has begun the process of making pasteurized donor milk available to our well newborn population of infants who require medical supplementation of breastfeeding. Proposed Change Implementing the use of donor milk in our well infant population was a result of best practices research and education of staff and patients. Ethical considerations for the use of a limited resource and cultural practices that involved the use of donor milk also were explored, discussed, and adopted. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation By applying ethical and evidenced-based best practice principles to the process, our staff implemented the controlled use of donor breast milk on the well infant unit. Innovative practices for this change included the creation of consent and information for parents, criteria for use, cost versus benefit analysis, procurement donor milk from sources approved by the Human Milk Bank Association of North America, and implementation of proper storage for the donor milk supplied. Implications for Nursing Practice Exclusive breast milk feeding is known to be the best practice for all infants. Infants in the well newborn population also may need supplementation of breastfeeding because of hypoglycemia, excessive weight loss, hyperbilirubinemia, and other associated factors. By offering donor milk as a means of supplementing these infants, we preserve the health benefits associated with exclusive breastfeeding and decrease the risk of readmission and potentially preventing an extended length of hospital stay.
Metalloproteinase activity has a role in equine chorionic girdle cell invasion.

Chorionic girdle cells are a highly invasive subpopulation of trophoblast cells of the equine conceptus. By Day 35 (Day 0 = day of ovulation), cells of the chorionic girdle adhere to the uterine epithelium and begin to invade the endometrial wall. Invasive cells must attach to extracellular matrix proteins, secrete proteinases capable of degrading matrix, and migrate through the degraded matrix ; invasion is largely dependent on the proteinase activity of the cells. The objective, therefore, was to develop an in vitro system to examine the mechanisms of equine chorionic girdle cell invasion through extracellular matrix. Day 34 chorionic girdle cell preparations were cultured on Matrigel Invasion Chambers. The cultured invasive cells were binucleate with prominent nucleoli and were often highly vacuolated, consistent with in vivo cup cell morphology. In addition, the cultured cells produced eCG. Additional Day 34 chorionic girdle cell preparations were cultured on Matrigel Invasion Chambers with or without proteinase inhibitors (aprotinin, bestatin, 1,10-phenanthroline) to determine the proteinase activity associated with girdle cell invasion. Only the metalloproteinase inhibitor, 1,10-phenanthroline, inhibited chorionic girdle cell invasion through Matrigel. Chorionic girdle cell supernatants were characterized by zymography, and the proteinases produced by these cells were confirmed to be metalloproteinases at approximate molecular masses of 72 and 95 kDa. The results indicated that equine chorionic girdle cells have matrix-degrading capabilities through metalloproteinase activity. Similar metalloproteinase activity has been reported to be necessary for mouse and human trophoblast invasion, suggesting a similar mechanism of implantation.
Heparin oligosaccharide sequence and size essential for inhibition of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation

Heparin has a wide range of important biological activities including inhibition of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation. To determine the minimum size of the heparin glycosaminoglycan chain essential for antiproliferative activity, porcine intestinal mucosal heparin was partially depolymerized with heparinase and fractionated to give oligosaccharides of different sizes. The structure of these oligosaccharides was fully characterized by 1D and 2D 1H NMR spectroscopy. These oligosaccharides were assayed for antiproliferative effects on cultured bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). The tetrasaccharide (4-mer) exhibited no heparin-like activity. Decasaccharides (10-mers) and dodecasaccharides (12-mers) displayed a reduced level of activity when compared to full-length heparin. Little effect on activity was observed in deca- and dodecasaccharides with one less 2-O-sulfo group. The 14-, 16-, and 18-mers showed comparable growth-inhibition effects on PAMSC as porcine intestinal mucosal heparin. These data suggest that a 14-mer is the minimum size of oligosaccharide that is essential for full heparin-like antiproliferative activity. Since the 14- to 18-mers have no 3-O-sulfo groups in their glucosamine residues, their full activity confirms that these 3-O-sulfonated glucosamine residues, which are required for heparin's anticoagulant activity, are not an essential requirement for antiproliferative activity.
A reduced data set method for support vector regression

Support vector regression (SVR) has been very successful in pattern recognition, text categorization, and function approximation. The theory of SVR is based on the idea of structural risk minimization. In real application systems, data domain often suffers from noise and outliers. When there is noise and/or outliers exist in sampling data, the SVR may try to fit those improper data, and obtained systems may have the phenomenon of overfitting. In addition, the memory space for storing the kernel matrix of SVR will be increment with O(N^2), where N is the number of training data. Hence, for a large training data set, the kernel matrix cannot be saved in the memory. In this paper, a reduced support vector regression is proposed for nonlinear function approximation problems with noise and outliers. The core idea of this approach is to adopt fuzzy clustering and a robust fuzzy c-means (RFCM) algorithm to reduce the computational time of SVR and greatly mitigates the influence of data noise and outliers.
A Compact, Broadband Spiral Antenna With Unidirectional Circularly Polarized Radiation Patterns

A low-profile, compact spiral antenna with a broadband circularly polarized (CP) response is presented. The antenna is backed by a ground plane and has unidirectional radiation patterns over its entire frequency band of operation. This antenna is a multilayer structure composed of a center-fed modified Archimedean spiral that exploits a novel loading structure, a ring-shaped absorber, and a feed network, which includes a 180° power splitter. The loading structure possesses both inductive and capacitive characteristics, which increase the equivalent electrical length of the antenna while maintaining its maximum dimensions. The Archimedean spiral is integrated into the multilayer dielectric structure along with its differential feed network. An optimized ring-shaped absorber is used on the periphery of the antenna to reduce the ground effects on the antenna performance. The proposed antenna occupies a volume that is 89% smaller than that occupied by a conventional ground-plane-backed Archimedean spiral antenna. At its lowest frequency of operation, the antenna has electrical dimensions of $0.21\lambda_{\rm{ min}}\times 0.21\lambda_{\rm{ min}}\times 0.09\lambda_{\rm{ min}}$ , where $\lambda_{\rm{ min}}$ is the free-space wavelength at the lowest frequency of operation (0.5 GHz). Over the frequency range from 0.5 to 1.4 GHz (2.8:1), the antenna has a VSWR of 2.4:1, and it has a CP radiation pattern with an axial ratio better than 1.2 dB. Within this frequency range, the antenna has minimum and maximum realized gain values of $-5.0$ dBiC and 3.1 dBiC, respectively.
Neural stem cells and neuro-oncology: quo vadis?

Conventionally, gliomas are assumed to arise via transformation of an intraparenchymal glial cell that forms a mass that then expands centrifugally, eventually invading surrounding tissues. We propose an alternative model in which gliomas arise via initiation and promotion of cells within the brain's subependymal layer or subventricular zone, the source of a recently characterized pool of neural cells with the properties of self-renewal and multipotentiality (i.e., stem cells) that persists into adulthood. In this model, the particular histological subtype of glioma would represent the effects of temporal and spatial environmental influences rather than the particular cell of origin and the disease's centrifugal point would be the subependymal layer. The implications of such a model are discussed. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparative seasonal observations of soil temperature and moisture and the occurrence of two earthworms inhabiting prairie and deciduous woodland sites.

Abstract Two unmanaged sites (blackland prairie and deciduous woodland) in Walker County, southeastern Texas, were sampled monthly from February 2000 through January 2001 to determine effects of temperature and moisture on activity and population density of earthworms. The blackland-prairie grassland site supported an endemic earthworm fauna of two species of Diplocardia. A population of Diplocardia invecta was most numerous in the deep clay soil of this grassland site. The deciduous-woodland site supported a population of the exotic species Amynthas corticis (syn. Amynthas diffringens). This epigeic earthworm occurred in an isolated patch of disturbed, sedimentary clay soil in an otherwise sandy area. All observed D. invecta demonstrated seasonal vertical migration, but were quiescent from June to October. All observed A. corticis remained seasonally in the upper 10 cm of woodland soil, but were not observed during July, September, or October. Soil temperature and moisture at depths where earthworms occu...
Why It's a Crime to Tear the Tag Off a Mattress: Overcriminalization and the Moral Content of Regulatory Offenses

This article offers an analytical framework for evaluating the claim, made by numerous "overcriminalization" critics over the years, that regulatory offenses such as selling liquor without a license, taking sleeping pills without a prescription, and carrying a gun without a permit, involve what they call "morally neutral" acts, and that the value of the criminal sanction, when applied to such acts, has become diluted. Contrary to many scholars' assumptions, I argue, regulatory violations of this sort do, in certain circumstances, contain significant moral content. In the kinds of cases I describe, the source of moral content is not the underlying act that is prohibited (the liquor selling, sleeping pill taking, or gun carrying). Rather, it is the knowing or intentional violation of the law itself, and the cheating or promise breaking or defiance that is often involved in such lawbreaking. (For example, a business entity that seeks to gain a competitive advantage by failing to comply with a trivial administrative regulation that it knows its competitors will honor has, in a sense, cheated and thereby done a morally wrongful act.) Criminal sanctions, moreover, can provide an appropriate response to such malum prohibitum conduct. This is best illustrated by an analogy to offenses such as criminal contempt, perjury, and obstruction of justice, where criminal sanctions have traditionally been used against acts that are viewed as morally wrongful in large part because they are performed in violation of the law.
Cell Cycle Targets of Viral Oncoproteins

Although the viruses classified as the small DNA tumor viruses, which includes the adenoviruses, the polyomaviruses (SV40), and the human papillomaviruses possess the capacity to transform cells in culture to an oncogenic state, and indeed the papillomaviruses represent an important causative agent for human cervical carcinoma, this activity is generally the result of a non-productive viral infection. Rather, these viruses are lytic viruses that have evolved mechanisms to efficiently replicate in a variety of cells. Indeed, it would appear that it is the strategy that these viruses have developed to achieve a replicative cycle in a quiescent cell that likely also results in oncogenic transformation when a lytic infection cannot proceed. Recent events have revealed details of these mechanisms, including the ability of these viruses to inactivate key regulatory proteins involved in cell growth control. An understanding of these events in the context of the lytic infection has shed light upon the manner by which these viruses can cause oncogenic transformation and cancer.
Endotoxin-induced activation of cerebral catecholamine and serotonin metabolism: comparison with interleukin-1.

Administration of either endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) or interleukin-1 (IL-1) activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and cerebral catecholamine systems. Because LPS can stimulate IL-1 production in vivo, it is possible that the effects of LPS are mediated by IL-1. This hypothesis was evaluated by comparing the neurochemical and corticosterone responses to i.p. LPS and IL-1. In addition, the possibility that LPS acts by penetrating the brain was examined by comparing the neurochemical responses to i.p. and i.c.v. administration. Intraperitoneal injection of LPS increased mouse brain concentrations of the norepinephrine catabolite, 3-methoxy,4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG), the dopamine catabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and the 5-hydroxytryptamine catabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and tryptophan in all brain regions examined. By contrast, i.p. IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta increased cerebral concentrations of MHPG, 5-HIAA and tryptophan, but not DOPAC. The MHPG responses to IL-1 were substantially greater in hypothalamus than in other brain regions, whereas those to LPS were less regionally specific. The minimum effective doses of LPS and IL-1 were around 1 microgram and 10 ng, respectively. After i.p. LPS, plasma concentrations of corticosterone, DOPAC and MHPG peaked around 2 hr, whereas peak concentrations of tryptophan and 5-HIAA occurred around 8 hr. Intracerebroventricular LPS also elevated plasma corticosterone and cerebral concentrations of MHPG and 5-HIAA, but DOPAC was unchanged. LPS was not substantially more potent i.c.v. than i.p.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The influence of obesity on perinatal outcomes in pregnancies achieved with assisted reproductive technology: A population-based retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE To determine the influence of obesity on neonatal outcomes of pregnancies resulting from assisted reproductive technology. METHODS Population-based retrospective cohort study of all non-anomalous, live births in Ohio from 2007 to 2011, comparing differences in the frequency of adverse neonatal outcomes of women who conceived with assisted reproductive technology versus spontaneously conceived pregnancies and stratified by obesity status. Primary outcome was a composite of neonatal morbidities defined as ≥1 of the following: neonatal death, Apgar score of <7 at 5 min, assisted ventilation, neonatal intensive care unit admission, or transport to a tertiary care facility. RESULTS Rates of adverse neonatal outcomes were significantly higher for assisted reproductive technology pregnancies than spontaneously conceived neonates; non-obese 25% versus 8% and obese 27% versus 10%, p < 0.001. Assisted reproductive technology was associated with a similar increased risk for adverse outcomes in both obese (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.59) and non-obese women (aOR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.18-1.51) even after adjustment for coexisting risk factors. This increased risk was driven by higher preterm births in assisted reproductive technology pregnancies; obese (aOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.86-1.31) and non-obese (aOR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.00-1.32). DISCUSSION Assisted reproductive technology is associated with a higher risk of adverse neonatal outcomes. Obesity does not appear to adversely modify perinatal risks associated with assisted reproductive technology.
Translational Research--New Evidence for Guiding Intervention Development to Improve the Lives of Children and their Families

New evidence generated from research and translated into practice is essential to guide the development of effective interventions to improve the lives of children and their families. NEW EVIDENCE GUIDES the development of more effective interventions for children and their families. Findings from research generate new evidence that is critical for evidence-based practice to advance pediatric nursing practice. New evidence leads to the development of new knowledge and new intervention strategies to improve the lives of children and their families. As new knowledge is gained and translated into pediatric nursing practice, the health of children and their families is enhanced. With new evidence, the lives of children and their families are improved. New evidence generated through nursing research and translated into practice provides the foundation for evidence-based practice leading to improvements in health outcomes (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2014; Polit & Beck, 2012) and the quality of pediatric nursing care for children and their families (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2011). Translation of new evidence from research into pediatric nursing practice provides new intervention strategies to improve health of children and their families (Christian, 2011, 2013a,2013b, 2014a,2014b). For instance, articles in this issue highlight new evidence about a lack of standardized developmental screening in pediatric primary care, clinical indicators to resolve child malnutrition, parents' misperceptions of their child's body weight, differences in parents' death rituals among racial and ethnic groups, pediatric nurse residency programs, and the prevailing inaccurate image of nurses in children's literature. To that end, new evidence for the development of intervention
Comparison of Quartz-enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy and Conventional Photoacoustic Spectroscopy based Detectors

Performance of quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy and conventional photoacoustic spectroscopy based detectors applied to trace gas sensing was compared. Nitrogen with 10 ppmv of acetylene and a diode laser accessing 6529.17 cm-1absorption line were used.
Spectral diversity for ground clutter mitigation in forward-looking GPR

The operational constraints associated with a forward-looking ground-penetrating radar (GPR) limit the ability of the radar to resolve targets in the dimension orthogonal to the ground. As such, detection performance of buried targets is greatly inhibited by the relatively large response due to surface clutter. The response of buried targets differs from surface targets due to the interaction at the boundary and propagation through the ground media. The electromagnetic properties of the media, interrogation frequency, depth of buried target, and location of the target with respect to the the sensing platform all contribute to the shape, position, and magnitude of the point spread function (PSF). The standard FLGPR scenario produces a wide-band data set collected over a fixed set of observation points. By observing the shape, position, and amplitude behavior of the PSF as a function of frequency and sensor position (time), energy resulting from surface clutter can be separated from energy resulting from buried targets. There are many possible ways beyond conventional image resolution that might be exploited to improve distinction between buried targets and surface clutter. This investigation exploits the frequency dependence of buried targets compared to surface targets using a set of sub-banded images.
New Trend of Insurance for Tunnel Projects

Owing to the serious accidents occurred frequently in China,the author introduced "The Joint Code of Practice For Risk Management of Tunnel Works in the UK"prepared jointly by The British Tunnelling Society and The Association of British Insurers.This code of practice may be useful to the clients,designers and contractors as well as the insurers for tunnel projects in China.
The Case for Aggressive Lipid Regulation

Lowering cholesterol levels with dietary or drug interventions lowers the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) proportionately and reduces CHD morbidity and mortality, as well as overall mortality in patients with CHD. Antihyperlipidemic drugs are currently underused. Aggressive therapy is warranted for patients with established CHD, whose LDL cholesterol levels should be reduced to 100 mg/dL or lower.
Massive stars dying alone: The extremely remote environment of SN 2009ip

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through HST from the Space Telescope Science Institute [GO-13787]; NASA [NAS5-26555]; National Science Foundation (NSF) [AST-1210599, AST-1312221]; National Science Foundation
Ligand Design for Luminescent Lanthanide-Containing Metallopolymers

The isolation of emissive materials with lanthanide ions is a topic of interest for imaging, display, and sensing applications, and it requires tuning of the electronics of the systems, such that, during the process of sensitization of the metal-centered luminescence, energy transfer from the sensitizer to the lanthanide ion is efficient and the resulting materials have the characteristics required for a given application. We discuss here our group’s work in controlling the singlet- and triplet-state energies of sensitizing ligands through the choice of functional groups on the pyridine rings chelating to the lanthanide ions and show how we achieved progressively higher emission efficiencies. We describe targeted functionalization that led to highly emissive systems in solution and in the solid state and to new metallopolymers with norbornene or dicyclopentadiene-based backbones and pyridinebis(oxazoline) pendants, which display red EuIII-based, green TbIII-based, and, for the first time, blue TmIII-based...
Achieving Coherence Between Macroeconomic and Development Objectives

In the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis of 2007–2008, the United States and Europe are stuck in a state of political paralysis that is leading to a new norm of fiscal austerity, high unemployment, and, in the case of Europe, economic stagnation. With fiscal policy orientated around austerity it is the central banks—the Federal Reserve (the Fed), the Bank of England (BOE) and the European Central Bank (ECB)—that remain the only macroeconomic authorities with the authority and political power to try to revive these struggling economies.
Developing Validity Evidence for the Written Pediatric History and Physical Exam Evaluation Rubric.

Abstract Objective The written history and physical examination (HP the highest interitem correlation was between assessment and differential diagnosis (0.78). Mean time to review and score an HP residents took significantly longer than attending physicians. All raters described rubric utility as "good" or "very good" and endorsed continued use. Conclusions The P-HAPEE rubric offers a novel, practical, reliable, and valid method for supervising physicians to assess pediatric written H&Ps.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of High-Density Lipoprotein Through Activating Transcription Factor 3 Benefit Beyond Cholesterol Transport–Dependent Processes

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are inversely proportional to the risk of atherosclerosis. However, the evidence that raising HDL per se will reduce atherosclerosis and thereby cardiovascular events remains controversial, and mechanisms of putative HDL-mediated atheroprotection remain unclear. In addition to canonical role of HDL in mobilizing excess cholesterol from arterial wall macrophages (the first step in reverse cholesterol transport), there is compelling evidence to support the anti-inflammatory effects of HDL, both dependent and independent of its cholesterol transport capacities.1 Macrophages serve as important orchestrators of inflammation at the intersection of immunity, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases. Yet anti-inflammatory effects of HDL in macrophages are less well understood. In a recent issue of Nature Immunology , De Nardo et al2 report that anti-inflammatory effects of HDL in macrophages are mediated through the induction of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), an ancient transcriptional modulator that provides negative feedback on toll-like receptor (TLR) innate immune signaling. The authors first describe that pretreatment with both native HDL and reconstituted HDL (apoA-I and phospholipids) inhibited cytokine production by multiple distinct TLR ligands in murine bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDM), human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and TLR ligand–treated mice, an in vivo model of acute inflammation and liver injury. Although HDL is known to interact and neutralize the TLR4 ligand lipopolysaccharide directly, the authors showed that HDL did not interact with TLR1/2 ligands (Pam3CSK4) and the TLR9 ligand (CpG DNA) and did not directly modulate TLR1/2/9 activation, signaling transduction (eg, …
Autonomous tracking of vehicle taillights from a mobile platform using an embedded smart camera

The detection and tracking of vehicle taillights is an important aspect of collision avoidance systems and autonomous vehicle applications. In this paper, we present a novel and efficient algorithm for tracking the vehicle taillights from a mobile platform, under both daytime and nighttime conditions, which is entirely implemented on a CITRIC embedded smart camera. The algorithm uses a Kalman filter and a codebook to achieve a high level of robustness. On the microprocessor of the camera, it takes about 177 ms to process one frame of live camera data (which translates to approximately 6 fps). We demonstrate lightweight and reliable tracking of vehicle taillights, despite foreign objects appearing in view, blocking the view, or the vehicle changing lanes. In all of these cases, the algorithm is able to gracefully recover and resume normal operation. We will use this system as an initial platform for implementing other functionality, such as the detection of vehicle alert signals (brakes, turn signals, emergency flashers), which is also discussed. Compared to most existing work that focuses only on nighttime detection, the proposed algorithm provides daytime tracking of taillights, which is inherently more challenging.
The Conditional Indirect Effects of Suicide Attempt History and Psychiatric Symptoms on the Association Between Intimate Partner Violence and Suicide Ideation.

Abstract Background Women seeking shelter from intimate partner violence (IPV) experience heightened risk for suicide ideation and attempts compared to abused and non-abused women in the general population. However, few theory-guided studies have examined what cognitive-emotional symptoms might underlie this increased risk. Methods Guided by fluid vulnerability theory, this cross-sectional, survey study tested whether depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and hopelessness mediate the association between IPV (coercive control and physical violence) and suicide ideation and whether suicide attempt history facilitated these mediated relations in 134 women seeking shelter from IPV. Results Depressive symptoms, but not PTSD symptoms or hopelessness, mediated the relation between coercive control and suicide ideation, and suicide attempt history facilitated this association. No variables mediated the association between physical violence and suicide ideation. Limitations: The small sample size may have limited statistical power. The cross-sectional design precludes temporal conclusions from being drawn. Conclusions Shelter-seeking women subjected to coercive control who experience associated depressive symptoms may be at risk of suicide ideation, with history of a suicide attempt increasing this risk. Fluid vulnerability theory may help guide suicide risk assessment and intervention efforts among women seeking shelter from IPV.
A tunable quarter-mode substrate integrated waveguide antenna

A varactor-tuned quarter-mode substrate integrated waveguide (QMSIW) antenna is presented for the first time. Quarter mode cylindrical substrate integrated waveguide cavity resonators are used to design an ultra-compact antenna with an operating frequency of ∼2.7 GHz. In order to make reactive loading of the structure possible, a corner via is connected to two surface ring gaps. Frequency tuning is achieved by loading these surface ring gaps with four back-to-back varactor diodes. Using this technique, a frequency tuning ratio of ∼1.7:1 (1.55–2.55 GHz) is achieved. The antenna shows similar radiation pattern with high co- to cross-polarization and front-to-back ratio for all operating states.
Multispectral iris recognition based on group selection and game theory

A commercially available iris recognition system uses only a narrow band of the near infrared spectrum (700-900 nm) while iris images captured in the wide range of 405 nm to 1550 nm offer potential benefits to enhance recognition performance of an iris biometric system. The novelty of this research is that a group selection algorithm based on coalition game theory is explored to select the best patch subsets. In this algorithm, patches are divided into several groups based on their maximum contribution in different groups. Shapley values are used to evaluate the contribution of patches in different groups. Results show that this group selection based iris recognition
Comparison of Strength Gains in Untrained College-Age Females Using Free Weights and FreeMotion Machines

Resistance training has become a preferred method for developing muscular strength among various populations. A variety of resistance training modes are available, but there are mixed outcomes regarding strength development among barbells, dumbbells, and weight machines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in strength improvements between dumbbell and FreeMotion machine training. Twenty college-age females were randomly assigned into dumbbell or FreeMotion groups, but only 8 in the dumbbell group completed. Both groups followed a nearly identical progressive strength training program on each of their training modes for 8 weeks. Participants were tested on their one-repetition max (1-RM) on a barbell bench press and barbell back squat before and after the intervention program. A repeated measures ANOVA analysis compared 1-RM changes between groups, and effect sizes were calculated. Significant increases in strength improvements (p < .001) were observed for the dumbbell and FreeMotion groups, with moderate effect size for the 1-RM barbell bench press (d = 0.56) and a moderate to large effect size for the 1-RM barbell back squat (d = 0.73). There was no Group × Time interaction for the strength tests (p = .201 for 1-RM barbell bench press and p = .816 for the 1-RM barbell back squat, respectively). Dumbbells and FreeMotion machines were equally effective in improving strength in college-age females. The findings add to the literature on FreeMotion machines and benefit novice resistance trainers, physical educators, and fitness professionals. The study should be replicated with additional populations. Subscribe to TPE
PiFM vs s-SNOM: a comparative study

Scattering scanning near field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) is a useful tool for providing optical resolution well below the diffraction limit with chemical selectivity. s-SNOM relies on recording the scattering light of a scanning probe tip, coupling the near-field interaction to a far field photo-detector. Photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM) is a much newer technique that also provides chemical resolution well below the diffraction limit. In PiFM, the signal arises from measuring the light induced force on a scanning probe tip of a sample interacting with laser light. It measures and records all information in the near field, with no need for a photo-detector. In this presentation, we describe results comparing and contrasting s-SNOM and PiFM displaying the strengths and weaknesses of both methods.
Metastatic primary pulmonary melanoma successfully treated with checkpoint inhibitors.

Our patient is a 69-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with left-sided hemiparesis that started 4 hours prior to presentation. Brain CT showed right basal ganglia and internal capsule haemorrhagic strokes. MRI revealed multiple brain lesions suspicious for metastases. Further workup revealed a 5 cm lung mass and a 1 cm pancreatic nodule. Biopsy of both pulmonary and pancreatic lesions was consistent with melanoma and was similar histologically. The patient underwent cyberknife stereotactic radiosurgery to the brain metastases followed by immunotherapy with pembrolizumab, and then by nivolumab and ipilimumab. The patient remains free of disease progression 2 years after treatment.
Contracts for Healthcare Referral Services: Coordination via Outcome-Based Penalty Contracts

This work focuses on the business-to-business interaction between a service requester and a service provider in a healthcare environment. The requester is the primary caregiver responsible for mana...