cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Highly Porous Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia by Tape‐Casting Methods

Porous ceramics of Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) were prepared by tape-casting methods using both pyrolyzable pore formers and NiO followed by acid leaching. The porosity of YSZ wafers increased in a regular manner with the mass of graphite or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) to between 60% and 75% porosity. SEM indicated that the shape of the pores in the final ceramic was related to the shape of the pore formers, so that the pore size and microstructure of YSZ wafers could be controlled by the choice of pore former. Dilatometry measurements showed that measurable shrinkage started at 1300 K, and a total shrinkage of 26% was observed, independent of the amount or type of pore former used. Temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) measurements on the green tapes demonstrated that the binders and dispersants were combusted between 550 and 750 K, that PMMA decomposed to methyl methacrylate between 500 and 700 K, and that graphite combusted above 900 K. The porosity of YSZ ceramics prepared by acid leaching of nickel from NiO–YSZ, with 50 wt% NiO, was studied as a function of NiO and YSZ particle size. Significant changes in pore dimension were found when NiO particle size was changed.
Telecommunications and transnationalism: the polarization of social space

This article critically assesses the policy orientation, social impacts, and linkages of telecommunications in the United States within a government deregulated policy environment and an increasingly globalized economy. Deregulation has been driven by both ideological and technological demands, stemming from several political and economic transformations in the world economy, the collapse of state socialism in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and greater oligopolistic competition among transnational corporations. An expanded infrastructure of new digital information and communications technology (ICT) is the foundation of a worldwide political economic regime of accumulation. ICT increases command and control capabilities of large corporations, together with the mobility and liquidity of capital, making it essential to the restructuring of the world economy, the new international division of labor, and the creation of global "information city" networks. At the same time, government deregulation...
Minimally invasive pancreatic surgery

Robotic surgery remains in its infancy, and little experience has been reported, as surgeons carefully explore the application of this type of technology to diseases of the pancreas. While challenging and controversial, Dr. Zollinger would most likely support the ongoing research in the techniques of pancreatic surgery that can lead only to an improvement in the outcomes of our patients.
Navigating the Recent Articles on Girls’ Puberty in Pediatrics: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go from Here?

After the publication of the Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) study on the age of onset of pubertal characteristics and menses in US girls in 1997,1 a spate of related articles have appeared on emerging questions and controversies over recent pubertal data and the implications of these findings for clinical practice. The purpose of this commentary is to 1) summarize the consistencies and contradictions among some of these newer communications, 2) address misconceptions and misinterpretations of the PROS data, and 3) identify legitimate points of disagreement and areas for additional investigation. A survey of just some of the recent articles demonstrates the scope of additional research both in our country and abroad.2–17 The 1997 PROS study, a convenience sample of 17 077 white and black girls seen in pediatric practices across the United States and Puerto Rico used the Tanner method18 to describe the ages of onset of breast development, pubic hair growth, and menarche. It found that the mean ages for these characteristics varied significantly between white and black girls (with black girls being at younger ages), the median age of menarche for black girls had dropped over the past several decades, and the ages for the onset of development seemed to be earlier than previous US studies as well as Marshall and Tanner’s classic 1969 study.18 The PROS study pointed out that the prevalence of secondary sexual characteristics in girls <8 years old was substantially higher than what had been believed previously and “that more appropriate standards for defining delayed and precocious puberty may need to be developed, that the timing of sex education in the schools may need revision, and that the etiology and effects require further study.” The authors stated, “The findings of this study need to be confirmed … Reprint requests to (M.E.H.-G.) North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute, 311 E Edenton St, Raleigh, NC 27601. E-mail: mherman-giddens{at}unc.edu Dr Kaplowitz’s present address: Department of Endocrinology, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Effect of a pharmacist-run call center on medication access for ambulatory care patients.

Purpose. An outreach program created to assist an outpatient hospital pharmacy with helping patients unable to afford the cost of prescriptions and to increase patient access to medications is described. Summary. The MassMedLine pharmacy outreach program operates as a pharmacist-run call center that provides Massachusetts residents with information about appropriate medication assistance programs based on each patient’s needs. A collaboration between the UMass Memorial Medical Center outpatient pharmacy and MassMedLine was established to help outpatient pharmacy patients afford needed medications and educate the outpatient pharmacy staff about the various medication assistance programs available. In this collaboration, MassMedLine’s goals were to identify patients needing assistance with access to medications, develop a process to ensure that these patients received information on all eligible programs, follow up with patients to obtain feedback on recommendations, and determine the cost savings to the outpatient pharmacy for patients no longer relying on the “goodwill” stock supply. According to data collected between July 9, 2007, and November 9, 2007, MassMedLine staff found that 43 patients taking a total of 174 long-term medications were appropriately enrolled and benefiting from long-term prescription coverage programs. According to the outpatient pharmacy, the average price for a one-month supply of a dispensed prescription is $66.87. With this information and the confirmation of successful enrollments, the cost saving obtained through the MassMedLine program was estimated to be $139,629 per year. Conclusion. The collaboration between the MassMedLine outreach program and the outpatient pharmacy at a teaching hospital provided patients with long-term solutions for accessing and affording prescribed medications.
Raising The Bar In Troubled Times: Business Goals Of Our Future Leaders

In times of international terrorism, corporate corruption and economic uneasiness, it is easy to become cynical and jaded regarding the ethical, legal and social responsibilities of American business. A survey of management students however provides cause for optimism. According to the survey they perceive responsibilities towards employees and society, respecting ethical norms and staying within the law to be ‘moderately’ to ‘very’ important goals to the typical American business person and consider these same goals ‘very’ to ‘of utmost’ importance to themselves. Over the period of the study ‘personal wealth’ and ‘honor, face, reputation’ have decreased in importance while ‘patriotism and national pride’ has increased. This indicates that despite world events our future business leaders intend to raise the bar regarding issues of corporate performance and social responsibility.
Predicting Owner's Contingency for Transportation Construction Projects Using Intelligent Computing Techniques

Construction projects involve many uncertainties and risks in all phases. As a result, all types of construction projects, including transportation projects, have historically experienced significant cost increases. Project contingencies are important items in the cost estimate for compensating invisible and unforeseen risks against underestimating project costs and overrunning budgets. Generally, a contingency is represented as a fixed percentage of project cost (e.g., 5% of the contract value). However, it is not appropriate to apply this deterministic method to all construction projects because it provides an arbitrary percentage value based on only project costs. In this paper, a method for predicting the owner’s contingency for transportation construction projects is proposed by identifying factors that affect the owner’s contingency and using artificial neural network (ANN) techniques to predict these values. Transportation projects sponsored by the FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) and completed from 2004 to 2006 are used for this study. The finding shows the viability of the artificial neural network approach to predict the owner’s contingency for transportation projects. These predictions in turn can be used to better manage project contingency requirements and allow for additional projects to be brought online at a faster pace.
PH-responsive fluorescent molecular bottlebrushes prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization

Fluorescein O-methacrylate was copolymerized with n-butyl acrylate by atom transfer radical polymerization in a “grafting from” reaction with a multifunctional linear macroinitiator to form pH responsive fluorescent bottlebrushes. The brush-like structure of the synthesized macromolecules was confirmed through molecular imaging by atomic force microscopy. NMR spectroscopy showed that the fluorescent units were successfully incorporated into the polymer. The synthesized bottlebrushes displayed highly fluorescent properties under basic conditions, yet showed no fluorescence under neutral or acidic conditions. The fluorescence could be turned on and off by changing the pH of the solution. These bottlebrush molecules could have potential applications in molecular imaging.
Mechanical blood trauma in assisted circulation: sublethal RBC damage preceding hemolysis

After many decades of improvements in mechanical circulatory assist devices (CADs), blood damage remains a serious problem during support contributing to variety of adverse events, and consequently affecting patient survival and quality of life. The mechanisms of cumulative cell damage in continuous-flow blood pumps are still not fully understood despite numerous in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies of blood trauma. Previous investigations have almost exclusively focused on lethal blood damage, namely hemolysis, which is typically negligible during normal operation of current generation CADs. The measurement of plasma free hemoglobin (plfHb) concentration to characterize hemolysis is straightforward, however sublethal trauma is more difficult to detect and quantify since no simple direct test exists. Similarly, while multiple studies have focused on thrombosis within blood pumps and accessories, sublethal blood trauma and its sequelae have yet to be adequately documented or characterized. This review summarizes the current understanding of sublethal trauma to red blood cells (RBCs) produced by exposure of blood to flow parameters and conditions similar to those within CADs. It also suggests potential strategies to reduce and/or prevent RBC sublethal damage in a clinically-relevant context, and encourages new research into this relatively uncharted territory.
Nitrogen-vacancy-assisted magnetometry of paramagnetic centers in an individual diamond nanocrystal.

Semiconductor nanoparticles host a number of paramagnetic point defects and impurities, many of them adjacent to the surface, whose response to external stimuli could help probe the complex dynamics of the particle and its local, nanoscale environment. Here, we use optically detected magnetic resonance in a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center within an individual diamond nanocrystal to investigate the composition and spin dynamics of the particle-hosted spin bath. For the present sample, a ∼45 nm diamond crystal, NV-assisted dark-spin spectroscopy reveals the presence of nitrogen donors and a second, yet-unidentified class of paramagnetic centers. Both groups share a common spin lifetime considerably shorter than that observed for the NV spin, suggesting some form of spatial clustering, possibly on the nanoparticle surface. Using double spin resonance and dynamical decoupling, we also demonstrate control of the combined NV center–spin bath dynamics and attain NV coherence lifetimes comparable to those reported f...
An Investigation of the Variability in Human Performance during Manual Material Handling Activities

The goal of this study was to quantify the variability of the three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic parameters describing the motion of the torso during the performance of sagittally symmetric lifting tasks. Subjects performed eight repetitions of simple lifting tasks described by three levels of coupling (poor, fair and good) and seven levels of load (4.5, 9, 13.5, 18, 22.5, 27 and 31.5 kg). The three-dimensional, time dependent position, velocity and acceleration of the lumbar spine were monitored using the Lumbar Motion Monitor. These measures were then input into a dynamic biomechanical model which calculated torque about the L5/S1 joint in the sagittal plane. The results of the kinematic analysis showed significant variability in the magnitude of the peak velocity and acceleration in the sagittal plane and also showed significant motion in the transverse and coronal planes. The kinetic analysis showed an increase in the variability of the peak dynamic torque with greater levels of load but no coupl...
283 DO NOT RESUSCITATE ORDERS AND WITHDRAWAL OF LIFE SUPPORT IN DYING PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

Purpose For some critically ill children, no attempts at resuscitation are made because further therapy is judged inappropriate. Most pediatric deaths involve withdrawal of life support (WDS); however, do not resuscitate (DNR) orders remain infrequent in this population. We studied DNR orders and WDS decisions for children with life-limiting illnesses. Methods We randomly selected 57 hospital records from all 120 in-patient pediatric deaths that occurred in 1 year at an academic children9s hospital. Demographics, end-of-life patient care conferences with parents, DNR orders, WDS, and time intervals between conferences and death were abstracted. Results Of 57 pediatric in-patient deaths, median age at death was 29 days. Median length of stay for terminal hospitalization was 10 days. Median time from first patient care conference with parents to the child9s death was 2 days. 95% of deaths occurred in intensive care settings. 11 patients did not have support withdrawn or a DNR. 23 patients had a written DNR order, while 42 patients had WDS. Of 19 with both DNR and WDS support, 16 had the DNR written within 48 hours of WDS. DNR orders were more common when patients died ≥ 2 days vs. ≤ 2 days (p=0.01) after the first parent conference. DNR orders did not significantly differ by age at death, length of stay, race, or unit at death, although sample size was small. Differences among primary diagnoses (oncologic, infectious, prematurity, non-cardiac anomalies, cardiac, respiratory and CNS conditions) were not statistically correlated with DNR status. Conclusions Most pediatric deaths still occur in intensive care settings. Many patients have neither WDS nor a DNR order and die receiving maximal therapy. Almost 50% of patients in whom life-support is withdrawn do not have a written DNR order. DNR orders do not appear to be a common first step in limiting treatment, but are written with the expectation of WDS and imminent death. Finally, earlier patient care conferences significantly increased the probability of having a DNR order. Given the short interval from poor prognosis to death, we may need to redefine palliative care practices to fit the realities of how and where children die.
The Dematerialization of Architecture: Toward a Taxonomy of Conceptual Practice

In 1970 the journal Design Quarterly published a special issue titled “Conceptual Architecture.” While the term conceptual architecture has been invoked periodically in architectural discourse since this initial pronouncement, it has often been denigrated by skeptical historians and architects. In The Dematerialization of Architecture: Toward a Taxonomy of Conceptual Practice , Ross Elfline considers conceptualism as a set of broad aesthetic and antiaesthetic strategies designed to question the foundational premises of a discipline. With the Design Quarterly issue as a focus, Elfline divides conceptual architecture strategies into four main categories: the birth of the activated user, radical negation, disciplinary retrenchment, and ephemeral performance. He further establishes links between these strategies and their cognates in the field of conceptual art. The study provides a taxonomy of self-critical aesthetic strategies in conceptual architecture in the 1960s and 1970s.
The MCH Certificate Program: a new path to graduate education in public health.

Objective: The purpose of the MCH Certificate Program was threefold: to develop a new educational initiative in response to national and local demands for increased MCH workforce capacity, to eliminate key financial and nonfinancial barriers to advanced MCH academic preparation, and to improve rates of recruitment and retention of students from minority communities, thus enhancing the quality of MCH services available to the region. Methods: An MCH Certificate Program, designed for clinicians (e.g., nurses, occupational therapists and nutritionists) and public health practitioners as a bridge to graduate programs in public health, combined a competency based curriculum with skills workshops, leadership seminars, mentoring, small group activities, and an interactive teaching format. Results: Students from the first two cohorts (n = 45) report an expansion of core public health knowledge (issues, policies, and strategies), enhanced self-confidence, and efficacy. Half have experienced job changes that represent increased responsibility, leadership, and professional advancement. A third are enrolled in or have completed a formal program of graduate study in MCH. Conclusions: This innovative MCH Certificate Program, now in its fourth year, is a new approach to increasing workforce capacity and a successful model of instruction for adult learners. It has the potential for adaptation to a variety of educational settings and MCH populations, and helps to expand the continuum of MCH training experiences in schools of public health.
Domain decomposition methods in the distributed estimation of spatially distributed processes with mobile sensors

This paper considers the state estimation of spatially distributed processes via the employment of mobile sensors. In order to reduce the computational demands, a domain decomposition method is utilized and which decomposes the spatial domain into two subdomains. The estimator in the inner domain implements a hybrid Kalman filter with a mobile sensor, whereas the outer subdomain implements a naive observer. Coupling conditions at the inner/outer boundary serve as a means to exchange information between the two estimators and which constitute a consensus protocol. The motion of the mobile sensor is based on a spatial gradient scheme and serves as a further means of reducing the computational load associated with the solution to large scale differential Riccati equations. The proposed scheme is further extended to collaborative distributed estimation in which multiple mobile sensors are enforcing another level of consensus protocol in order to penalize the differences between their state estimates. Extensive numerical simulations of a one-dimensional parabolic partial differential equation are presented to further demonstrate the multi-level computational savings associated with the use of domain decomposition in state estimation of spatially distributed processes with mobile sensors.
Delivering On Accountable Care: Lessons From A Behavioral Health Program To Improve Access And Outcomes

Patients with behavioral health disorders often have worse health outcomes and have higher health care utilization than patients with medical diseases alone. As such, people with behavioral health conditions are important populations for accountable care organizations (ACOs) seeking to improve the efficiency of their delivery systems. However, ACOs have historically faced numerous barriers in implementing behavioral health population-based programs, including acquiring reimbursement, recruiting providers, and integrating new services. We developed an evidence-based, all-payer collaborative care program called Behavioral Health Associates (BHA), operated as part of UCLA Health, an integrated academic medical center. Building BHA required several innovations, which included using our enterprise electronic medical record for behavioral health referrals and documentation; registering BHA providers with insurance plans' mental health carve-out products; and embedding BHA providers in primary care practices throughout the UCLA Health system. Since 2012 BHA has more than tripled the number of patients receiving behavioral health services through UCLA Health. After receiving BHA treatment, patients had a 13 percent reduction in emergency department use. Our efforts can serve as a model for other ACOs seeking to integrate behavioral health care into routine practice.
Renal Elimination of Drugs at Various Ages

The renal excretion of drugs and/or their active or inactive metabolites can involve the processes of glomerular filtration, active or passive tubular secretion, and/or active or passive tubular reabsorption (Weiner, 1971). Hydrophilic compounds, like the polycationic aminoglycosides, experience little passive reabsorption; their urine/plasma concentration ratios approximate 100, and their clearance is similar to that of inulin or creatinine. Lipophilic compounds, like caffeine, are filtered, but reabsorbed so rapidly that their urine/plasma concentration ratios approach 1 (Aldridge, Aranda & Neims, 1979). Under these circumstances renal excretion is most inefficient with clearance only approximating urine flow rate. Several organic acids such as penicillin, and organic bases such as procainamide, are secreted actively by the tubule. This presentation concerns the relationship between the various processes of renal excretion and age. There is no doubt that the impairment of the renal excretion of drugs at the two extremes of age has therapeutic and toxicological implications (Morselli, 1976; Kampmann & Molholm Hansen, 1979; Schmucker, 1979). My purpose is not to present original research, but rather to explore the issue from the perspective of someone interested in development in general.
Public Perception of the Army

Parnell considers the larger relationship between army and society in the sixth century by examining the public perception of the Byzantine army as an institution and of army officers individually. Recognizing that Byzantine society was not monolithic and that there was no single ‘public’ opinion of the army, Parnell addresses the perceptions of average civilians, elite civilians, and military men separately. Evidence suggests that the significance and popularity of the army varied wildly depending on whom it affected. Most military men seem to have been satisfied with the way the army functioned, most elite civilians seem to have been critical of its operation and particularly its cost, and many average civilians seem to have had reason to fear the excesses of soldiers.
Theoretical derivation of RIP-less compressive sensing for inverse scattering

Compressive sensing (CS) is a powerful sampling and reconstruction approach, if the unknown signal is sparse and the system matrix follows certain properties. It has been recently applied to inverse scattering problems numerous times without validating the properties of the system matrix. In this article, we seek to validate the applicability of CS to the inverse scattering problem. We formulate the problem such that the system matrix remains simple and universally applicable by using only a homogeneous background medium and then applying the CS constraints. Our analysis shows that the constraints can be satisfied under various scenarios. We then show the results of application of two such possible constraints.
Taiwan/Republic of China 2008–2016

Ma Ying-jeou, a Nationalist Party (KMT) pragmatist, overwhelmingly won the 2008 presidential elections. As they say the “election was about the Economy.”
Asian migrations to Latin America in the Pacific World, 16th–19th centuries

This historiographical essay discusses Asian migrations to Latin America from a Pacific World perspective and employs a longue-duree periodization. The Pacific World paradigm offers a path for studying the movement of people and ideas as multi-directional flows that impacted communities around the Pacific basin. The pre-1900 century timeframe similarly urges scholars to move beyond nation-bound narratives and to consider instead the long-standing cultural and ethnic ties that connected Asia and the Americas before the reification on national borders.
Mitochondrial protein import defect in Huntington’s Disease

Mitochondria are dependent on import of cytosolic proteins. Of the approximate 1,500 mitochondrial proteins, only 13 are encoded by the mitochondrial genome. Therefore, over 99% of the proteins required for proper mitochondrial function are encoded in the nucleus, translated in the cytosol and imported into mitochondria. Mitochondrial protein import (MPI) is a targeted and regulated process mediated through several multiunit complexes located in the mitochondrial outer (TOM-translocase of the outer membrane) or inner membrane (TIM-translocase of the inner membrane). Given the prominent mitochondrial dysfunction in Huntington’s disease (HD), we evaluated the integrity of the MPI in brain mitochondria. We found, in HD mice, an early MPI defect specifically in synaptosomal mitochondria. Synaptosomal mitochondria are the most pure fraction of neuronal mitochondria and represent the most distal mitochondria in the synapse. MPI defects result in mitochondrial vulnerability leading to a decreased threshold for release of cytochrome c, caspase activation leading to synaptic dysfunction and cell death. Given the prominent role of caspases in HD, understanding the trigger of this process is of paramount importance. We found that mutant huntingtin (the cause of HD) specifically binds to the TIM23 complex resulting in MPI inhibition. We therefore believe that this is a direct demonstration of mutant huntingtin-mediated toxicity and is an early and relevant therapeutic target for the disease.
Fear of violent crime and anxiety/depression among adolescents

Fear of crime has been associated with mental health outcomes. Yet, causal relationships have not been established. We examined the relationship between fear and mental health while accounting for potential endogeneity. A sample of 2329 adolescents from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods dataset was analyzed to assess the effect of fear of neighborhood violent crime on anxiety/depression. Instrumental variable (IV) methods were used to address endogeneity. There is evidence that the estimated effect of fear on depressive symptoms does not suffer from endogeneity bias in single-equation models. Adolescents who were more fearful had higher anxiety/depression scores. In adjusted analyses, for each one unit increase in fear (in this case, a move from one level of fear to the next), anxiety/depression scores increased by 1.32 points. There is support for the hypothesis that fear of neighborhood violent crime caused an increase in anxiety/depression scores among adolescents. Many programs address exposure to violence as a potential cause of depression, however few address the fear of violent victimization as a cause. Interventions and services should address fear as a root cause of anxiety/depression among adolescents.
ADHD and Grief: Diagnosis and Differentiation at One Federally Qualified Health Center

Family physicians provide medical care including diagnosis for children experiencing loss and grief. The cognitive impact of loss includes poor attention and concentration, suggestive of attention ...
Linear power-flow models in multiphase distribution networks

This paper considers multiphase unbalanced distribution systems and develops approximate AC power-flow models wherein voltages, line currents, and powers at the point of common coupling are linearly related to the nodal net power injections. The linearization approach is grounded on a fixed-point interpretation of the AC power-flow equations, and it is applicable to distribution systems featuring a variety of connections for loads and generation units (e.g., wye and ungrounded delta, as well as line-to-line and line-to-grounded-neutral at the secondary of the distribution transformers). The approximate linear models can be naturally leveraged to facilitate the development of computationally-affordable optimization and control applications — from applications for advanced distribution management systems to online and distributed optimization routines. The approximation accuracy of the proposed method is evaluated on different feeders.
A Hierarchical Inference Model for Internet-of-Things

Internet-of-Things (IoT) has connected billions of devices to the Internet. These devices are already collecting zettabytes ( $10^{21}$ ) of data. However, the current IoT framework suffers from limited sensor energy, communication bandwidth, and server storage. These limitations impede the ability to send all the sensor data to the server all the time. Compact smart sensors provide a way to address this challenge. As opposed to the conventional sense-and-transmit sensors, emerging smart sensors can collect data, extract features, derive local inferences, and transmit only inference outcomes and possibly some raw data associated with rare events instead of all the raw data. This can dramatically cut down on the amount of sensor data transmitted, and hence its communication energy and network traffic. However, edge or server inference models trained with conventional machine learning approaches do not account for the fact that the smart sensors in the system have already performed a local inference. These approaches need all the sensor data and hence only cater to the traditional sense-and-transmit paradigm. This undoes the energy benefits brought about by smart sensors. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical inference model for IoT applications based on hierarchical learning and local inferences. Our model is able to take advantage of inference already performed on smart sensors, while at the same time accommodating conventional sense-and-transmit sensors in the IoT system. It also generalizes sensor-level inference to inference at other edge nodes by exploiting the intrinsically sensor/edge-grouped IoT data structure. We train classifiers hierarchically, aligned with the sensor-edge-server IoT paradigm. We verify our approach with seven IoT applications, demonstrating that the model is accurate, efficient, and generally applicable. We derive four edge-level inference models and four server-level inference models for these applications. For the four edge-level inference models, we reduce the number of bits transmitted from the sensor by $3.2\times$ - $42.7\times$ while at the same time also improving the classification accuracy by 0.3-6.7 percent. For the four server-level inference models, we reduce the number of edge-to-server bits transmitted by $17\times$ - $60\times$ , with classification accuracy change in the $-0.4$ - $+0.1$ percent range.
Low Yield of Paired Head and Cervical Spine Computed Tomography in Blunt Trauma Evaluation.

Abstract Background With increased computed tomography (CT) utilization, clinicians may simultaneously order head and neck CT scans, even when injury is suspected only in one region. Objective We sought to determine: 1) the frequency of simultaneous ordering of a head CT scan when a neck CT scan is ordered; 2) the yields of simultaneously ordered head and neck CT scans for clinically significant injury (CSI); and 3) whether injury in one region is associated with a higher rate of injury in the other. Methods This was a retrospective study of all adult patients who received neck CT scans (and simultaneously ordered head CT scans) as part of their blunt trauma evaluation at an urban level 1 trauma center in 2013. An expert panel determined CSI of head and neck injuries. We defined yield as number of patients with injury/number of patients who had a CT scan. Results Of 3223 patients who met inclusion criteria, 2888 (89.6%) had simultaneously ordered head and neck CT scans. CT yield for CSI in both the head and neck was 0.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3–0.8%), and the yield for any injury in both the head and neck was 1.4% (95% CI 1.0–1.8%). The yield for CSI in one region was higher when CSI was seen in the other region. Conclusions The yield of CT for CSI in both the head and neck concomitantly is very low. When injury is seen in one region, there is higher likelihood of injury in the other. These findings argue against paired ordering of head and neck CT scans and suggest that CT scans should be ordered individually or when injury is detected in one region.
Asthma: Symptoms and Presentation

The goal of this article is to inform readers of the common and uncommon signs and symptoms of asthma. After completion of this article, readers should have a firm understanding of the symptoms and presentation leading to a diagnosis of asthma.
FORM FACTOR OF 3 He WITH THE HAMADA-JOHNSTON POTENTIAL

Publisher Summary The charge form factor, Coulomb energy, and root-mean-square charge radius of 3He are calculated with a number of variational wave function. The wave functions are expanded in terms of the polynomials of interparticle distances with proper symmetry. The 170-term wave functions are calculated with the Hamada-Johnston potential. Nonlinear variational parameters in the exponential tails are varied to give the various wave functions. Binding energy for 3H obtained for those wave functions ranges between −4 MeV and −6.1 MeV. Coulomb energy for the 3He varies from 0.64 MeV to 0.71 MeV. Coulomb energy is calculated with a point proton. The wave function with good binding energy does not give better agreement with other experimental data except the Coulomb energy. The chapter presents that the binding energy and the minimum in the charge form factor are systematically correlated. Lower binding energy wave functions are more favored by most of the experimental data.
Colloid osmotic parameterization and measurement of subcellular crowding.

Crowding of the subcellular environment by macromolecules is thought to promote protein aggregation and phase separation. A challenge is how to parameterize the degree of crowding of the cell inter...
The Effect of Short-Term Noise Exposure on Audiometric Thresholds, Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions, and Electrocochleography

Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of short-term noise exposure on audiometric thresholds, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), and electrocochleography (ECochG) as a function of ear and sex. Method Preexposure and postexposure measures of audiometric thresholds, DPOAEs, and ECochG indices were examined. Sixteen male and 16 female adults participated. Participants were exposed to a 2000-Hz narrowband noise presented at 105 dBA for 10 min. Results Following noise exposure, significantly ( p < .0001) larger auditory threshold differences were observed for left ears. Larger auditory threshold differences were also observed for 3000 and 4000 Hz versus 2000 and 6000 Hz. DPOAE absolute amplitude differences increased with decreasing L 1, L 2 level ( p < .0001). DPOAE absolute amplitude differences also significantly rose with increasing f2 frequencies ( p < .0001). Females generally had larger DPOAE absolute amplitude differences than males ( p < .05). Summating potential amplitudes were significantly larger for female left ears following noise exposure ( p = .03). Left-ear summating potential/action potential amplitude ratios and summating potential/action potential area ratios were increased following noise exposure ( p < .05). Conclusions Utilizing a test battery to examine the effects of short-term noise exposure can reveal the functional status of different structures in the cochlea. There appears to be a susceptibility of the left ear to short-term loud noise exposure. Findings with respect to a sex susceptibility to short-term loud noise exposure were not strong, as sex differences were only observed for a subset of the conditions.
Growing Up in the Upside Down: Youth Horror and Diversity in Stranger Things

McDaniel argues that the Netflix series Stranger Things shows youth horror films have entered a progressive era where the old rules do not capture the diversity of human experience. The protagonists’ statuses as outsiders—in terms of gender, disabled, queer, and racial identities, their self-proclaimed “geekiness,” and their adolescence—places them in a liminal space where they are more susceptible to the Upside Down and better able to overcome its powers. Through tactics such as the uncanny, Stranger Things endorses a therapeutic version of rites of passage in youth horror and critiques traditional exclusionary psychological and narrative models of adolescent identity. As a result, the show’s vision of adolescent development is more flexible and inclusive than traditional teen films.
On integer closure in a system of unit two variable per inequality constraints

In this paper, we study the problem of computing the lattice point closure of a conjunction of Unit Two Variable Per Inequality (UTVPI) constraints. We accomplish this by adapting Johnson’s all pairs shortest path algorithm to UTVPI constraint systems (UCSs). Thus, we obtain a closure algorithm that is efficient for sparse constraint systems. This problem has been extremely well-studied in the literature, since it arises in a number of applications, including but not limited to, program verification and operations research. In UTVPI constraints, linear feasibility does not always imply integer feasibility. Thus, there is a difference between the linear closure of a UCS and the integer closure of that same system. Finding the linear closure requires only a single inference rule called the transitive inference rule. This inference rule corresponds to the addition of constraints and preserves both linear and integer solutions. The problem of finding the integer closure requires the use of the tightening inference rule. Unlike the transitive inference rule, the tightening inference rule does not preserve linear solutions. However, it does preserve integer solutions. The complexity of solving the integer closure problem has steadily improved over the past several decades with the fastest algorithm for this problem running in time O(n3) on a UCS with n variables and m constraints. For the same input parameters, we detail an algorithm that runs in time $O(m\cdot n +n^{2} \cdot \log n)$ . It is clear that our algorithm is superior to the state of the art when the UCS is sparse (m ∈ o(n2)), and no worse than the state of the art when the UCS is dense (m ∈Θ(n2)). The best known running time for computing the closure of a conjunction of difference constraints (m constraints, n variables) is $O(m\cdot n +n^{2} \cdot \log n)$ , and UTVPI constraints subsume difference constraints.
Failing to forget? Evidence for both impaired and preserved working memory control in older adults.

Voluntary forgetting is accomplished via top-down control over memory contents. Age-related declines in cognitive control may compromise voluntary forgetting. Using a working-memory variant of a di...
An Empirical Analysis of IEEE 802.11 ax

An empirical analysis of the newly released standard IEEE 802.11ax, widely known as Wi-Fi 6, is presented in this paper. Several tests were conducted to evaluate key performance metrics, including throughput and jitter as a function of network parameters (e.g., packet size and window size), as well as environment variables (e.g., SNR). Empirical models were developed using collected results to quantify the behavior of said metrics. Channel utilization of the system was also investigated and compared to its precedent, 802.11ac.
Reverse order-disorder transition of Janus particles confined in two dimensions.

Janus particles with different patch sizes, confined to two dimensions, generate a series of patterns of interest to the field of nanoscience. Here we observe reverse melting, where for some densities the system melts under cooling. For a broad range of hydrophobic patch sizes $({60}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}l{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{0}l{90}^{\ensuremath{\circ}})$, a reentrant transition from solid to liquid and then to an ordered phase emerges as temperature $(T)$ decreases due to the formation of rhombus chains at low $T$. This reentrant phase has pseudo long-range orientational order but short-range translational order, similar to a hexatic phase. Our work provides guidelines to study the melting and assembly of Janus particles in two dimensions, as well as mechanisms to generate phases with specific symmetry.
MICA/B antibody induces macrophage-mediated immunity against acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell malignancy characterized by poor clinical outcomes. MICA and MICB (MICA/B) are stress-proteins expressed by cancer cells, and antibody-mediated inhibition of MICA/B shedding represents a novel approach to stimulate immunity against cancers. We found that the MICA/B antibody 7C6 potently inhibits the outgrowth of AML in two models in immunocompetent mice. Macrophages were essential for therapeutic efficacy, and 7C6 triggered antibody-dependent phagocytosis of AML cells. Furthermore, we found that romidepsin, a selective histone deacetylase inhibitor, increased MICB mRNA in AML cells and enabled subsequent stabilization of the translated protein by 7C6. This drug combination substantially increased surface MICA/B expression in a human AML line, pluripotent stem cell-derived AML blasts and leukemia stem cells, as well as primary cells from three untreated AML patients. Human macrophages phagocytosed AML cells following treatment with 7C6 and romidepsin, and the combination therapy lowered leukemia burden in a humanized model of AML. Therefore, inhibition of MICA/B shedding promotes macrophage-driven immunity against AML via Fc receptor signaling and synergizes with an epigenetic regulator. These results provide the rationale for the clinical testing of this innovative immunotherapeutic approach for the treatment of AML.
Cell Attachment and Spreading Properties of Laminin Subunits from Normal and Neoplastic Tissues

Earlier studies from this laboratory (Ohno, M. et al., 1983) demonstrated the presence of a new laminin subunit which we termed “M” in extracts of normal placental membranes. This subunit could not be detected by immunoblot in laminin isolated from the mouse EHS tumor or in cultures of cells isolated from human neoplasms (Ohno, M. et al., 1986). In time, the presence of laminin isoforms was demonstrated in normal tissues having the molecular compositions A, B1, B2 (classical), M, B1, B2 (merosin) (Ehri& K et al., 1990) and A, S, B2 (synaptic lamimn) (Sanes, J.R. et al., 1990). Additional studies by Rao et al. (Rao, C.N. et al., 1990) demonstrated an altered ratio of B1 to B2 subunits as well as of the mRNAs for the same subunits during increased tumorigenesis of A9 cells to A9HT cells. In the present study we compared the cell (HT1080) attachment promoting activity of laminin molecules isolated from normal human placenta, a mouse solid tumor (EHS), a normal mouse cell line (B82) and a tumorigenic cell line (B82HT) derived from the former by serial passage in mice. Laminin at various concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 µg/well) was used as a substrate. HT1080 cells adhered more efficiently when laminin from B82 cells was used as a substrate (40%, 65%, 82% adhesion), compared to laminin from B82HT cells (23%, 35%, 64% and 72% adhesion, at the same substrate concentrations) and to laminin from EHS tumor (10%, 17%, 18%, 31% and 36% adhesion, at the same substrate concentrations). Spreading of HT1080 cells was maximal with the laminin from B82 cells, intermediate with that from B82HT cells and minimal with that from EHS tumor.
Visual Group Theory

Preface Overview 1. What is a group? 2. What do groups look like? 3. Why study groups? 4. Algebra at last 5. Five families 6. Subgroups 7. Products and quotients 8. The power of homomorphisms 9. Sylow Theory 10. Galois theory.
Feedback in Speech Production: an Ecological Perspective

Publisher Summary One of the most spectacular findings in recent experimental phonetics is the great ability of experimental subjects to compensate for interference with the operation of the speech apparatus. There has been a number of studies of the effects of placing bite blocks of various sizes between the teeth and asking the subject to produce steady state vowels immediately afterwards. These studies have been unanimous in showing that even with bite blocks 22-25 mm in height, subjects were able to produce vowels with appropriate formant frequencies, as early as the first pitch period of phonation. The results of the bite block studies appear to demand the use of peripheral somatic sensory feedback to inform the control mechanism about the state of the articulators prior to the generation of control signals compensating for that state. It is argued that successful speech observed under bite block conditions, and also under a wide range of self imposed postural constraints, which typically precede and accompany ordinary speech, requires a speech control mechanism which uses (both off-line and on-line) peripheral somatic sensory feedback.
Objective evidence of aspirin use in both ulcer and nonulcer upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding

To obtain the best evidence for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use in gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, a detailed patient history was supplemented with objective tests of aspirin use, i.e., high-performance liquid chromatography of plasma and platelet cyclo-oxygenase inhibition, which detect aspirin intake within 24 and 120 hours, respectively. Seventy-one patients consecutively admitted for upper or lower GI bleeding and 138 age- and sex-matched controls were studied. Five bleeders were excluded for confounding factors, e.g., warfarin. Of the other 66 bleeders, 45 had upper GI bleeding (28 from peptic ulcer, 14 from duodenal ulcer, and 14 from gastric ulcer) and 21 lower GI bleeding. Evidence of current NSAID use (of which 89% was aspirin) was found in 80% of bleeders vs. 24.3% of controls (P less than 0.0001), for an odds ratio of 13.7 (95% confidence interval, 6.39-27.27). The cyclo-oxygenase test uncovered 21.5% more aspirin users than history alone. Severity of bleeding was not different in acetylsalicylic acid users. The surprisingly high association of current intake of NSAIDs, especially aspirin, with nonulcer GI bleeding including colonic bleeding, changes the conventional view of the following hierarchy of the risk: NSAID----peptic ulcer----bleeding to: NSAIDs----GI bleeding. This view has important implications for current ulcer cotherapy prophylactic strategies, which could fail to prevent greater than 50% of GI bleeding episodes.