cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elevated blood glucose after compound 48/80 treatment is not related to hepatic mast cell degranulation in rats.

Blood glucose, hepatic glycogen, and the histological integrity of hepatic mast cells, were evaluated in anesthetized rats receiving iv injections of 0.125 mg/kg body weight compound 48/80 (a mast cell degranulator) and/or of 0.001 to 10.0 mg/kg body weight lodoxamide tro- methamine (an inhibitor of mast cell degranulation). A nonglucogenic dose of lodoxamide, 0.00 1 mg/kg body weight, prevented dissipation of histochemically demonstrable fluorescence in mast cells (degranulation) without inhibiting compound 48/80-induced hyperglycemia and hepatic glycogenolysis. These results suggest that this glucotropic response is independent of compound 48/80-evoked release of mediators such as serotonin from mast cells. o 1986 Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.
Granulomatous mastitis: a 10 year experience from a large inner city county hospital

Background Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is a rare, chronic, inflammatory condition of the breast with unknown etiology that affects women of child-bearing age. It can be mistaken radiographically and clinically for breast cancer and due to its rarity can cause a delay in establishing a definitive diagnosis and subsequent initiation of treatment. Furthermore, GM has a progressive clinical course with multiple recurrences. To date, there is no universally accepted treatment for GM. The goal of this study is to review the experience with granulomatous mastitis at a large inner-city public hospital over a 10-y period.
Analysis of Complexity Preference in Head Start and Nursery School Children

The complexity preference of Head Start and nursery school children was assessed using both familiar geometric forms and random polygons. Before the Head Start program began the Head Start children exhibited a preference for lower complexity with geometric forms than did the nursery school children. After the program there was no difference in complexity preference with these forms. The two groups of children never differed on preference for random polygons.
Is a cambrian explosion coming for robotics

About half a billion years ago, life on earth experienced a short period of very rapid diversification called the “Cambrian Explosion.” Many theories have been proposed for the cause of the Cambrian Explosion, with one of the most provocative being the evolution of vision, which allowed animals to dramatically increase their ability to hunt and find mates (for discussion, see Parker 2003). Today, technological developments on several fronts are fomenting a similar explosion in the diversification and applicability of robotics. Many of the base hardware technologies on which robots depend—particularly computing, data storage, and communications—have been improving at exponential growth rates. Two newly blossoming technologies—“Cloud Robotics” and “Deep Learning”—could leverage these base technologies in a virtuous cycle of explosive growth. In Cloud Robotics— a term coined by James Kuffner (2010)—every robot learns from the experiences of all robots, which leads to rapid growth of robot competence, particularly as the number of robots grows. Deep Learning algorithms are a method for robots to learn and generalize their associations based on very large (and often cloud-based) “training sets” that typically include millions of examples. Interestingly, Li (2014) noted that one of the robotic capabilities recently enabled by these combined technologies is vision—the same capability that may have played a leading role in the Cambrian Explosion.
Class, Family, Education, and the Process of Status Attainment: A Comparison of American and British Women College Graduates*

Turner's conceptualization of the relationship between education and social mobility in Great Britain and the United States as forming "sponsored" and "contest" systems is used as a theoretical framework for comparing the process of occupational status attainment of British and American women college graduates. British women graduates are more occupationally mobile than Americans; they gain more from attending prestigious institutions, studying science and mathematics and securing a higher class degree as compared with American women with similar qualifications. American graduate women benefit more from attaining a Ph.D. Marriage and motherhood have less significant, but different, cross-national effects. Is occupational status affected more by educational attainment or by social class ascription? This question cannot be effectively examined for women without considering familial circumstances that often intervene before an established occupational status is achieved. Because women usually assume the roles of wife and mother (or are expected to) at a point when men of their age cohort are seeking to establish their career positions, cross-sex research on predictors of status attainment must either ignore or treat as a special female aberration the natural endeavors of women's early adult years. The predictors of women's occupational status might be better examined by comparing social class, educational attainment, and familial factors across nations rather than between women and men. The purpose of this paper is to compare the predictors of occupational status attainment of women college graduates in the United States and Great Britain. By largely controlling for education, age, and date of graduation in a crossnational comparison, a more concentrated analysis of effects of social origin, educational attainment, and familial factors can be achieved.
Intracortical impedance changes during spreading depression.

Specific impedance at various depths in the cerebral cortex of the rat was measured using a newly developed thin film coaxial microelectrode. This novel electrode has the advantage of measuring specific impedance of extremely small volumes of tissue, and thus of making highly localized measurements. The resting level of cortical impedance in the rat was found to be stable, but to vary for different sites and animals from 200–700 ohm-cm. During spreading depression, loop-shaped impedance loci were consistently observed in the complex impedance plane with peak magnitude 2–3 times resting level. These unusual loop-shaped loci are thought to represent distinct process differences during development and recovery phases of spreading depression. This preliminary investigation has demonstrated the feasibility of a technique for making highly localized impedance measurements in nervous tissue. Such measurements are useful for in vivo studies of such tissue parameters as extracellular space.
Factorization and the parton model in QCD

We argue that mass-singularities of inclusive cross sections in QCD factor to all orders in perturbation theory as required for a parton model interpretation.
Respiratory disease in Vermont: a population survey for planning a public education program.

Abstract A survey of knowledge, attitudes, and behavior relating to lung disease was conducted in Vermont on a sample of 1,553 residents. Results are presented according to the following risk groups: those at high risk of lung disease because of advanced age (35 and older) and/or smoking; and those who already experience lung disease symptoms, both smokers and nonsmokers. Data were interpreted using Berlo's SMCR (source, message, channel, receiver) model so that results could be used directly in planning a mass media educational program of primary and secondary prevention. Several knowledge gaps were identified suitable for educational efforts aimed at the specific audiences. Other conclusions were: (a) smokers were aware of many antismoking messages, but need motivation to accept such messages; (b) persons with lung disease symptoms were reluctant to seek medical help; (c) health education messages should contain a strong call to specific action, since persons were found to have good intentions regarding respiratory health but seldom carry them out; and (d) certain mass media are likely to be more effective than others in reaching specific high-risk or symptomatic target subpopulations.
Characterizing dissolved organic matter fractions using spectral fluorescent signatures and post processing by principal component analysis

Using modern computer enhanced control and acquisition systems, it is possible to process and analyze the entire usable portion of a spectral region in a reasonable amount of time. This paper describes the creation of a three dimensional fluorescent spectral library of dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions in water obtained by solid phase adsorption. Although analysis of the response surface and the emission characteristics can be documented manually, this process is subjective in nature and prone to errors. A more efficient method is to conduct post processing using multi-variate analysis of the response surface to identify specific characteristics of the sub-fraction of DOM in water.
A simple sleep stage identification technique for incorporation in inexpensive electronic sleep screening devices

This paper investigates pattern recognition techniques for identification of sleep stages based purely on respiratory signals. It focuses on computationally simplistic methods, which can be implemented on an inexpensive microprocessor in a low-cost and comfortable home-screening device for the detection of sleep-related disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea. In spite of the fact that sleep stages are defined by measurements of electrical activity in the brain, there are quantifiable changes in the respiratory pattern which can be used to distinguish between sleep stages with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Multiple respiratory features were evaluated for their efficacy in classifying each 30 second epoch of a respiratory signal as Wake, Non-REM, or REM sleep. Both linear and naive-Bayes classifiers were comparatively tested on nasal and abdominal respiration signals collected from MIT-BIH Polysomnographic database, but optimal results were achieved using a naive-Bayes classifier. The findings of this study support the feasibility of respiratory-based sleep stage classification, which can be refined to a technique accurate enough for inexpensive sleep monitoring devices.
Surface tension and the principle of corresponding states

Experimental surface-tension data for pure substances have been correlated successfully by the use of two recent modifications of the principle of corresponding states. The results are expressed in terms of simple analytical relations which allow one to calculate the surface-tension curves either from the critical constants Pc, Vc, and Tc or from Pc, Tc, and the boiling point Tb and also provide a method for estimating critical properties from surface-tension measurements. In addition, a method for estimating the surface tension of molten metals is suggested.
Movement based artifacts may contaminate extracellular electrical recordings from GI muscles.

Background Electrical slow waves drive peristaltic contractions in the stomach and facilitate gastric emptying. In gastroparesis and other disorders associated with altered gastric emptying, motility defects have been related to altered slow wave frequency and disordered propagation. Experimental and clinical measurements of slow waves are made with extracellular or abdominal surface recording. Methods We tested the consequences of muscle contractions and movement on biopotentials recorded from murine gastric muscles with array electrodes and pairs of silver electrodes. Key Results Propagating biopotentials were readily recorded from gastric sheets composed of the entire murine stomach. The biopotentials were completely blocked by nifedipine (2 μmol L−1) that blocked contractile movements and peristaltic contractions. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of myosin light chain kinase, also blocked contractions and biopotentials. Stimulation of muscles with carbachol increased the frequency of biopotentials in control conditions but failed to elicit biopotentials with nifedipine or wortmannin present. Intracellular recording with microelectrodes showed that authentic gastric slow waves occur at a faster frequency typically than biopotentials recorded with extracellular electrodes, and electrical slow waves recorded with intracellular electrodes were unaffected by suppression of movement. Electrical transients, equal in amplitude to biopotentials recorded with extracellular electrodes, were induced by movements produced by small transient stretches (<1 mm) of paralyzed or formalin fixed gastric sheets. Conclusions & Inferences These data demonstrate significant movement artifacts in extracellular recordings of biopotentials from murine gastric muscles and suggest that movement suppression should be an obligatory control when monitoring electrical activity and characterizing propagation and coordination of electrical events with extracellular recording techniques.
A9145, a New Adenine-Containing Antifungal Antibiotic: Fermentation

A9145 is a basic, water-soluble, antifungal antibiotic which is produced in a complex organic medium by Streptomyces griseolus . The metabolite has a molecular weight of 510, and contains adenine as well as sugar hydroxyl and amino groups. Although glucose, fructose, glucose polymers, and some long-chain fatty acid methyl esters supported biosynthesis, oils were superior, with cottonseed oil being preferred. Several ions and salts, especially Co 2+ , PO 4 3− , and CaCO 3 , were stimulatory. Adenine, nucleosides, and some amino acids increased the accumulation of A9145 in shaken-flask fermentors. Enrichment of the culture medium with tyrosine afforded maximal enhancement of antibiotic production in both flask and tank fermentors. Control of the dissolved O 2 level was also critical, the optimal concentration being 3 × 10 −2 to 4.5 × 10 −2 μmole of O 2 /ml. Optimization of various fermentation parameters increased antibiotic titers approximately 135-fold in shaken flask fermentors and 225-fold in stirred vessels.
Signals for Lorentz violation in electrodynamics

An investigation is performed of the Lorentz-violating electrodynamics extracted from the renormalizable sector of the general Lorentz- and CPT-violating standard-model extension. Among the unconventional properties of radiation arising from Lorentz violation is birefringence of the vacuum. Limits on the dispersion of light produced by galactic and extragalactic objects provide bounds of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ on certain coefficients for Lorentz violation in the photon sector. The comparative spectral polarimetry of light from cosmologically distant sources yields stringent constraints of $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}32}.$ All remaining coefficients in the photon sector are measurable in high-sensitivity tests involving cavity-stabilized oscillators. Experimental configurations in Earth- and space-based laboratories are considered that involve optical or microwave cavities and that could be implemented using existing technology.
Electromagnetic scattering from transversely corrugated cylindrical structures using the asymptotic corrugated boundary conditions

Simple surface integral equations are obtained for infinitely extended cylindrical structures with arbitrarily shaped cross-section of transverse corrugations. The asymptotic corrugated boundary condition (ACBC) for periodic transverse corrugated surfaces is used. We show how to apply the method to calculate the plane wave scattering from arbitrarily shaped cylinders with dielectric-filled corrugations. The method of moments is used to solve the integral equations and the numerical solution is verified with some published results. Several examples of corrugated struts are analyzed to reduce the forward scattering from the structures.
Fallibilism and the Pursuit of Truth

Fallibilism is a philosophical doctrine most closely associated with the work of C. S. Peirce.1 The doctrine is best understood in terms of a contrast with some related positions regarding the prospects of scientific knowledge of the world about us: all claims to theoretical scientific knowledge are inappropriate: We humans cannot achieve real knowledge in this domain, none of our claims to knowledge here can ever be satisfactorily substantiated. (SCEPTICISM); what we claim as theoretical scientific knowledge is always inaccurate and approximate — sufficient by and large for our practical purposes, but never accurate and strictly speaking correct. (APPROXIMATIONISM); our theoretical scientific knowledge claims are always vulnerable: they must always be staked tentatively because the prospect that further inquiry and discovery will lead to their modification or replacement can never be eliminated; the things we take ourselves to know many in the end have to be abandoned. (FALLIBILISM).
Rational targeting of BRAF and PI3-Kinase signaling for melanoma therapy

Although mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors elicit initial regression of BRAF-mutated melanoma, drug resistance is an inevitable and fatal event. We recently reported that in genetically engineered mouse models of BRAF-mutated melanoma, isoform-selective phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibition cooperates with MAPK pathway inhibition to forestall the onset of MAPK pathway inhibitor resistance.
Scheduling parallel DAG jobs online to minimize average flow time

In this work, we study the problem of scheduling parallelizable jobs online with an objective of minimizing average flow time. Each parallel job is modeled as a DAG where each node is a sequential task and each edge represents dependence between tasks. Previous work has focused on a model of parallelizability known as the arbitrary speed-up curves setting where a scalable algorithm is known. However, the DAG model is more widely used by practitioners, since many jobs generated from parallel programming languages and libraries can be represented in this model. However, little is known for this model in the online setting with multiple jobs. The DAG model and the speed-up curve models are incomparable and algorithmic results from one do not immediately imply results for the other. Previous work has left open the question of whether an online algorithm can be O(1)-competitive with O(1)-speed for average flow time in the DAG setting. In this work, we answer this question positively by giving a scalable algorithm which is (1 + e)-speed O([EQUATION])-competitive for any e > 0. We further introduce the first greedy algorithm for scheduling parallelizable jobs --- our algorithm is a generalization of the shortest jobs first algorithm. Greedy algorithms are among the most useful in practice due to their simplicity. We show that this algorithm is (2 + e)-speed O([EQUATION])-competitive for any e > 0.
A rapid fractionation technique to characterise natural organic matter for the optimisation of water treatment processes

A rapid characterisation technique for natural organic matter (NOM), specifically designed to study water treatment processes, is reported. The organic carbon concentrations of four NOM fractions, very hydrophobic acids (VHA), slightly hydrophobic acids (SHA), hydrophilic charged (CHA) and hydrophilic neutral (NEU), were determined. Raw water and alum treated samples were analysed using this technique. A wide alum dose range (30–180 mg l −1 alum) was selected to simulate the situation of underdosing, conventional alum treatment, enhanced coagulation and extreme overdosing. The variation of the residual dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of each fraction was used to interpret the removal mechanism under different situations. The results showed that the NEU fraction was hardly removed by alum treatment. The CHA fraction was readily removed in the underdosing and extreme overdosing situations. In the alum dose range covering the conventional to enhanced coagulation, both the SHA fraction and the VHA fraction were preferably removed. This technique could be applied in the operation of the treatment plant and could potentially guide treatment operators to control and monitor the treatment processes in the most effective way for NOM removal.
A note on replication in (M,R)-systems.

The condition which allows the existence of induced replication maps in (M,R)-systems is shown to place strong restrictions on the “richness” of the category from which these systems can be constructed. This condition also admits of a simple biological interpretation, which can be checked empirically, and which may offer insight into the physical and biological realizations of these abstract systems.
Vitamin B12 Requirements for Hatchability and Production of High-Quality Chicks

Abstract VITAMIN B12 has been shown to support good hatchability in all-vegetable rations, containing soybean oil meal as the protein supplement, by Petersen et al. (1950), Carver and McGinnis (1950), Milligan and Combs (1950), Peeler et al. (1951), Johnson (1951), Yacowitz et al. (1952), and Milligan et al. (1952). Some conflicting reports have appeared in which B12 alone did not maintain hatchability at a high level. Olcese and Couch (1950), using a more purified diet containing sucrose and soybean protein, found that vitamin B12 would not support hatchability after the eighth week of feeding. Peeler et al. (1951) reported that hens kept in laying cages for a period of more than one year showed reduced hatchability due to early embryonic mortality which could not be improved by weekly injections of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 supported good hatchability of those embryos which passed this early embryonic period. The purposes of the experiments …
GASTROINTESTINAL REACTIONS TO RESPONSE-CONTINGENT STIMULATION.

Research by Brady and his collaborators (1958) and by Davis and Berry (1963) has shown that the gastrointestinal system reacts quite differently to response-contingent aversive stimulation than it does when the stimulation is non-response-contingent. The present experiment was designed to analyze in greater detail the system's reactions to the first of these two stimulus conditions. Nineteen student volunteers served as Ss in a research design based upon the use of each S as his own control. Continuous electrophysiological recordings of gastrointestinal activity were taken from surface electrodes on the abdomen of each S during an initial 15-min. rest period and an immediately subsequent 25-min. task period. During the task period S could avoid an aversive auditory stimulus if he pressed a key at the proper time intervals; the task was sufficiently difficult that successful avoidances for different Ss ranged from an over-all 16% to 72% with a mean of 44% for the group as a whole. The resulting data made i...
Functionalization of Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Fluorescence Photomodulation

The emission of conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs or Pdots) is often tailored for specific uses by functionalizing CPNs with dyes that act as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) acceptors. A number of dye functionalization methods for CPNs have been developed, ranging from simple noncovalent doping to covalent attachment. We seek to develop guidelines for when noncovalent doping is acceptable and when covalent attachment is necessary to achieve the desired result. We present results of CPNs functionalized with photochromic spirooxazines by four different methods: simple doping, doping with an amphiphilic coating polymer, covalent functionalization prior to CPN formation, and covalent functionalization after CPN formation. The different CPNs are evaluated in terms of their fluorescence photomodulation properties to determine how the preparation method affects the CPN-dye photophysical interactions. Doping preparations yield the most efficient quenching of CPN emission due to shorter donor-acceptor distances in these CPNs compared to those with covalently tethered dyes. Aging studies reveal that the photochromic dyes in doped samples degrade over time to a far greater extent than those in covalently functionalized samples. These results suggest that dye-doped CPNs are appropriate for short-term experiments where highly efficient FRET is desired while covalent dye functionalization is a better choice for experiments executed over an extended time frame.
The Multilocal Self: Performance Capture, Remote Surgery, and Persistent Materiality:

Over the last two decades, the technologies of performance capture and robotic surgery have increased in both use and visibility. While these technologies might initially seem quite dissimilar, they each produce a human–machine assemblage that enacts itself across different scales. Each technology ‘captures’ a performance, translates that performance into digital information, and recodes that performance into another body. This article argues that both performance capture and remote surgery penetrate the materiality of the body and reconstitute that materiality elsewhere, as a human’s bodily movements are captured, transmitted, translated, and finally recoded into that of another body, be it an analogue or digital form of embodiment. The shift in scale produced by each technology – in terms of movement, perception, experience, and sensation – demonstrates the extent to which these technologies of telepresence foster a multilocal experience of the body, the dispersion of authorial control across the human–...
Automatic behavior and communication due to pramipexole

A 45–year-old woman reported automatic behaviors and communication whilst she was being treated with pramipexole. These episodes vanished after the medication was tapered and she was started on levodopa/carbidopa. I hypothesize that the episodes were related to disordered awareness due to sleep disruption related to this medication.
Abstract 1: Nucleolar Proteins Controlling Cardiac Phenotype in Rat Myocytes and Zebrafish Revealed by Chromatin Proteomics

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common precursor to heart failure, during which cardiomyocytes grow to compensate for an increased workload. Hypertrophic cardiomyocytes undergo significant changes in cellular plasticity by adopting the expression profile and some phenotypic aspects of more primitive (embryonic or fetal) cardiac cells. These global changes in gene expression, conserved between humans and animal models of heart failure, must be preceded by structural alterations to the chromatin. Specifically, chromatin regions must be architecturally modified to allow or deny access for transcriptional machinery. However, the proteins responsible for remodeling chromatin to accomplish these gene expression changes during cardiac hypertrophy and failure are largely unknown. We used a proteomics approach to identify proteins bound to cardiac chromatin and to quantify changes in their abundance during disease. Quantitative mass spectrometry and bioinformatics revealed that 366 of the chromatin-bound proteins detected in this study displayed altered expression in a mouse model of pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy and failure. This included the chromatin remodeling protein Nucleolin (Ncl), which exhibited increased association with chromatin in the hypertrophic heart. To examine its role in regulating cardiac morphology and function we performed morpholino based knockdown of Ncl in zebrafish embryos. Ncl knockdown promoted the expression of bmp4 (a fetal marker), inhibited normal cardiomyocyte differentiation and resulted in abnormal heart chamber formation and looping. Hearts in surviving fish exhibited functional deficits as measured by fluorescence imaging and line-scanning analysis. To investigate the actions of Ncl in the mammalian cardiomyocyte, knockdown was carried out in isolated rat ventricular myocytes using siRNA. Loss of Ncl induced heterochromatin formation (increased Histone H3 K9-trimethylation), suppressed rDNA transcription (52% decrease in pre-rRNA via qPCR) and promoted fetal gene expression (65% increase in ANF; 41% increase in β-MHC transcripts). Overall, this study identifies Ncl as a regulator of chromatin structure, cell growth via ribosome biogenesis and cellular plasticity in the cardiomyocyte.
Magnetotunneling and Magnetic Freezeout in n-GaAs-Undoped AlxGa1-xAs-n+GaAs Capacitors

We have reported the observation of a remarkable periodic structure in the current-voltage (I-V) curves of n-GaAs-Undoped AlxGa1-xAs-n+GaAs capacitors at 1.6 K in the presence of high magnetic fields.(1) Current flow in the semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) capacitor is due to direct electron tunneling from n-GaAs through AlxGa1-xAs into n-GaAs. The periodic structure is seen only for magnetic fields, B, high enough (B>4 T) that magnetic freezeout of carriers in the n-GaAs-occurs. Contrary to the usual observations of magnetocon- duction or magnetophonon effects in semiconductors, neither the voltage spacing nor the phase of the observed oscillations depends on the magnitude of the magnetic field. The voltage periodicity is 0.036 V, independent of orientation of magnetic field. Results were presented for samples oriented perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field; sixteen periods are observed in this case. We present here results for a sample oriented parallel to the magnetic field; at least thirty periods can be observed for −1.2 V<VG<0 V where VG is the voltage applied to the n+GaAs gate. Periodic structure is also seen in capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of SIS capacitors. The mechanism appears to involve sequential LO phonon emission events by ballistic electrons. To our knowledge this is the first example of sequential single-phonon emission observed in electron transport.
Direct oral anticoagulant use and the incidence of bleeding in the very elderly with atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for stroke in the elderly population. The use of anticoagulation in patients with AF greatly reduces the risk for stroke, but results in an increased risk of bleeding. Over the past several years, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban) have been used in place of warfarin for stroke prevention in AF. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess the safety of DOACs in very elderly patients (75+) managed in a health care system encompassing both community and academic settings. We found that 36 % of patients had moderate to severe renal failure (estimated glomerular filtration rate <59 ml/min/1.73 m2) at the time of DOAC initiation. 142 patients were followed for a mean of 2.56 years, and five experienced a major bleeding episode while on anticoagulation, for a rate of 1.37 per 100 person years. All major bleeding episodes were associated with a decline in GFR compared to baseline. There were 12 non-major bleeding episodes reported. HAS-BLED scores were similar for those patients who experienced bleeding complications compared to those who did not. 21 % of patients were prescribed an inappropriately low dose of DOAC based on approved recommendations. DOACs appear to be a safe form of anticoagulation in very elderly patients with AF. However, the decline in GFR among patients with major bleeding highlights the importance of routine renal function monitoring.
Using Quality Improvement Methods to Improve Patient Experience

Patient experience is an important component of the overall medical encounter. This paper explores how patient experience is measured and its role in radiology, including its impact on clinical outcomes and reimbursement. Although typically applied to safety and clinical outcomes, quality improvement methodology can also be used to drive improvement efforts centered on patient experience. Applying an established framework for patient-centered care to radiology, this paper provides a number of examples of projects that are likely to yield significant improvement in patient satisfaction measures.
A study on the microstructural characterization of René 142 deposited atop René 125 processed through scanning laser epitaxy

Advancements in the design, optimization and manufacture of turbine engine hot-section components during the past few decades have contributed enormously to the improvement in power-ratings and efficiency levels of gas turbine engines. Nickel-base superalloys are extensively used to produce the hot-section components as this class of alloys offer improved creep strength and higher fatigue resistance compared to other alloys due to the presence of precipitate-strengthening γ' phases i.e. Ni3[Ti, Al, Ta etc.] in the normally face centered cubic (FCC) structure of the solidified nickel. Although this second phase is the main reason for the improvement in properties, it also results in increased processing difficulty as these alloys are prone to crack formation. In this work, we demonstrate powder-bed additive manufacturing of Rene 142 onto Rene 125 substrates through scanning laser epitaxy (SLE). Rene 142 is a high strength, nickel-base directionally solidified (DS) alloy that has high rupture strength, excellent resistance to grain boundary cracking, and superior high-velocity oxidation resistance. Successful deposition of Rene 142 on Rene 125 provides an avenue to repair legacy hot-section components by depositing superior quality alloys at the damage locations. The microstructure of the deposited Rene 142 is observed to follow the polycrystalline or EQ morphology of the underlying Rene 125 substrate. The SLE processed Rene 142 exhibits dense and crack-free deposits, and microstructure refinement compared to the underlying cast Rene 125 substrate. This work is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research through grants N00014-11-1-0670 and N00014-14-1-0658.
The future of scientific workflows

Today’s computational, experimental, and observational sciences rely on computations that involve many related tasks. The success of a scientific mission often hinges on the computer automation of these workflows. In April 2015, the US Department of Energy (DOE) invited a diverse group of domain and computer scientists from national laboratories supported by the Office of Science, the National Nuclear Security Administration, from industry, and from academia to review the workflow requirements of DOE’s science and national security missions, to assess the current state of the art in science workflows, to understand the impact of emerging extreme-scale computing systems on those workflows, and to develop requirements for automated workflow management in future and existing environments. This article is a summary of the opinions of over 50 leading researchers attending this workshop. We highlight use cases, computing systems, workflow needs and conclude by summarizing the remaining challenges this community...
International Intercomparison Exercise for Nuclear Accident Dosimetry at the DAF Using GODIVA-IV

The Nuclear Criticality Safety Program operated under the direction of Dr. Jerry McKamy completed the first NNSA Nuclear Accident Dosimetry exercise on May 27, 2016. Participants in the exercise were from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Sandia National Laboratory (SNL), Savanah River Site (SRS), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), US Navy, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (United Kingdom) under the auspices of JOWOG 30, and the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (France) by special invitation and NCSP memorandum of understanding. This exercise was the culmination of a series of Integral Experiment Requests (IER) that included the establishment of the Nuclear Criticality Experimental Research Center, (NCERC) the startup of the Godiva Reactor (IER-194), the establishment of a the Nuclear Accident Dosimetry Laboratory (NAD LAB) in Mercury, NV, and the determination of reference dosimetry values for the mixed neutron and photon radiation field of Godiva within NCERC.
A Novel VHR Image Change Detection Algorithm Based on Image Fusion and Fuzzy C-Means Clustering

This thesis describes a study to perform change detection on Very High Resolution satellite images using image fusion based on 2D Discrete Wavelet Transform and Fuzzy C-Means clustering algorithm. Multiple other methods are also quantitatively and qualitatively compared in this study.
Seismic hazard maps in Macedonia

Abstract We present seismic hazard maps for Macedonia and show how the Uniform Hazard Spectra (UHS) method eliminates the difficulties associated with the use of the fixed- shape design spectra. The UHS method also eliminates the issues that result from scaling in terms of peak accelerations—when it is necessary to include hazard contributions from large distant earthquakes—as well as the problem of the inability of the fixed-shape spectra to describe frequency-dependent spectral shapes for different probabilities of exceedance. We also show how far south contributions of the Vrancea earthquakes reach as seen in the UHS of strong ground motion in Macedonia.
A framework for improving network resilience using SDN and fog nodes

The IoT (Internet of Things) is one of the primary reasons for the massive growth in the number of connected devices to the Internet, thus leading to an increased volume of traffic in the core network. Fog and edge computing are becoming a solution to handle IoT traffic by moving timesensitive processing to the edge of the network, while using the conventional cloud for historical analysis and long-term storage. Providing processing, storage, and network communication at the edge network are the aim of fog computing to reduce delay, network traffic, and decentralise computing. In this paper, we define a framework that realises fog computing that can be extended to install any service of choice. Our framework utilises fog nodes as an extension of the traditional switch to include processing, networking, and storage. The fog nodes act as local decision-making elements that interface with software-defined networking (SDN), to be able to push updates throughout the network. To test our framework, we develop an IP spoofing security application and ensure its correctness through multiple experiments.
Another American Pharmacists Month Comes to a Close.

October has long served as a time for calling attention to the important and changing roles pharmacists play in the lives of consumers. First appearing as National Pharmacy Week and now expanded to American Pharmacists Month, there are so many stories to share with people and policy makers to help
When physicians and patients think alike: patient-centered beliefs and their impact on satisfaction and trust.

OBJECTIVE Our goal was to identify physician and patient characteristics associated with patient-centered beliefs about the sharing of information and power, and to determine how these beliefs and the congruence of beliefs between patients and physicians affect patients' evaluations. STUDY DESIGN Physicians completed a scale assessing their beliefs about sharing information and power, and provided demographic information. A sample of their patients filled out the same scale and made evaluations of their physicians before and after a target visit. POPULATION Physicians and patients in a large multispecialty group practice and a group model health maintenance organization were included. Forty-five physicians in internal medicine, family practice, and cardiology participated, as well as 909 of their patients who had a significant concern. OUTCOMES MEASURED Trust in the physician was measured previsit, and visit satisfaction and physician endorsement were measured immediately postvisit. RESULTS Among patients, patient-centered beliefs (a preference for information and control) were associated with being women, white, younger, more educated, and having a higher income; among physicians these beliefs were unrelated to sex, ethnicity, or experience. The patients of patient-centered physicians were no more trusting or endorsing of their physicians, and they were not more satisfied with the target visit. However, patients whose beliefs were congruent with their physicians' beliefs were more likely to trust and endorse their physicians, even though they were not more satisfied with the target visit. CONCLUSIONS The extent of congruence between physicians' and patients' beliefs plays an important role in determining how patients evaluate their physicians, although satisfaction with a specific visit and overall trust may be determined differently.
Oxygen and Nitric Oxide Quenching of the Luminescence of Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the luminescence of aromatic hydrocarbons by quenching mechanism of paramagnetic species—namely, oxygen (O2) and nitric acid (NO). Because the nature of the mechanism is reflected in the dependence of the interaction upon intermolecular distance, an estimate of the reflecting quenching efficiencies of these perturbing species can be obtained by measuring their relative interaction radii. It is necessary to cool the samples below 77°K to avoid phosphorescence quenching by the diffusion of O2 and NO. The spectral distribution of the emission spectra is independent of the quencher concentration. At 67°K, the photostationary-state phosphorescence intensity (IP) of naphthalene-h8 and naphthalene-d8 in 3-methylpentane decreases when the concentration of dissolved O2 is increased. The rate constant for quenching by O2 decreases significantly upon naphthalene deuteration. The static quenching of the triplet-state occurs predominantly by an enhancement of the intersystem crossing, and not by energy transfer. Static quenching by NO decreases naphthalene fluorescence and phosphorescence by the same factor. Fluorescence and phosphorescence lifetimes, however, remain constant even when the emission yields decrease by 80%. It is found that NO may quench the fluorescence by enhancing the internal conversion to the ground state.
Definitional Dilemmas and the Baccalaureate Generalist

This paper serves as a guide to understanding the rationale for present day baccalaureate practice and those factors which may contribute to the difficulty in defining the term "generalist". It reviews the significant actions taken by our professional organizations and the curriculum building activities which led to the current view of the BSW as a generalist practitioner. The definitional dilemma is related to the situational qualities of BSW practice which stem from the nature of who is involved in the defining process. This dilemma seems to be a symptom of a larger professional concern, the need to differentiate between practice behaviors for the BSW and MSW
Planning cancer prevention strategies based on epidemiologic characteristics: an Egyptian example.

Background and Methods: We describe the epidemiology, cancer prevention strategies, and educational messages to be learned from four characteristic cancers in Egypt: urinary bladder, liver, lung, and early -onset colorectal cancers. Results: For bladder cancer, effective and convenient treatment of schistosomiasis, using social marketing and mass media in public and medical education has contributed dramatically to primary prevention of bladder cancer in Egypt. For liver cancer, educating hospital administrators to remove structural barriers to good practice may help the control of hepatitis transmission and related liver cancer. For lung cancer, the 50-year American experience for controlling tobacco smoking, beginning with physicians, could be very effective in Egypt and other countries with increasing smoking rates in the young so as to avert the expected epidemics of lung cancer. For colorectal cancer, more attention to physician and public education about the importance of interviewing colorectal cancer patients about a family history of cancer and the screening of at -risk families could be very effective in early detection of colorectal cancer. Conclusion: Countries with similar cancer epidemiology experience should make use of successful cancer prevention and education strategies that could be translated from the Egyptian experience.
High-Resolution Microwave Dosimetry in Lossy Media

Measurement of the local specific absorption rate (SAR) in microwave-exposed specimens is a necessary task in a variety of bioelectromagnetic studies. Numerical techniques, such as finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) modeling, are widely used to evaluate local SAR and its distribution [1]. This modeling is laborious and expensive, and involves certain approximations of the spatial organization of exposed subjects and their dielectric properties. Since these approximations introduce an error into SAR predictions, the accuracy of the method may be difficult to assess.
A systematic digital approach to implementation and dissemination of eating disorders interventions to large populations identified through online screening: implications for post-traumatic stress.

Background: We describe an approach to implementation and dissemination that focuses on changing outcomes variables within a large, defined population and attempts to provide cost-effective opportunities and resources—which might include the provision of both digital and traditional interventions—to address individual needs and interests. We present a case example of how aspects of this model are being applied to increase reach, engagement and outcomes for individuals who complete a national eating disorders screen, and are likely to have an eating disorder but who are not in treatment. We then describe how this model can apply to post-traumatic stress (PTS) and conclude with a discussion of limitations and issues with the model. Methods: The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) provides online screening for eating disorders. Results: From February 2017 through March 2018, over 200,000 individuals completed the NEDA screen. Of these, 96% screened positive or at risk for an eating disorder, and most of those who screened positive for a clinical/subclinical eating disorder were not currently in treatment. Less than 10% engaged in self-help or guided self-help online digital program, or expressed interest in calling a helpline for referral to treatment. Conclusions: A systematic digital approach to implementation and dissemination has the potential to increase the number of individuals who benefit from interventions in defined populations. Uptake rates need to be improved.
Salivary alkaline phosphatase activity and chronological age as indicators for skeletal maturity

ABSTRACT Objectives: To investigate the relationship between salivary alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), protein concentration, and chronological age with cervical vertebral maturation stages (CV...
Effect of documenting prognosis on the information provided to ICU proxies: A randomized trial

Objectives:The Critical Care Choosing Wisely Task Force recommends that intensivists offer patients at high risk for death or severe functional impairment the option of pursuing care focused on comfort. We tested the a priori hypothesis that intensivists who are prompted to document patient prognosi