cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
It’s Critical: Student Attitudes Toward Critical Thinking and an Assessment of a Lecture to an Introductory Engineering Class

Critical thinking is an essential skill for achievement as an engineering student and for success in the engineering profession. Critical thinking can be defined as a mental process to responsibly form an unbiased conclusion that includes identification, skillful analysis, and evaluation of evidence to guide decision-making. This article evaluates a research project undertaken by students at the University of XYZ. In the investigatorsâ€™ work, they analyzed the definitions of critical thinking and bias, what tools could be used to help in the critical thinking process, and how concepts such as bias and critical thinking affect engineers in their occupations. The team then presented this information to several introductory engineering classes in the form of a lecture and asked the students to assess their knowledge and understanding of critical thinking concepts before and after the presentation. The investigators evaluated the surveys and discovered that most students improved their definitions of bias and critical thinking after the lecture. The students also generally improved their self-rating of understanding critical thinking concepts.
Geographic variation in liver transplantation persists despite implementation of Share35.

Aim Geographic disparities persist in the U.S. despite locoregional organ sharing policies. The impact of national organ sharing policies on waiting-list mortality on a regional basis remains unknown. Methods Data on all adult liver transplants between February 1, 2002 and March 31, 2015 were obtained from UNOS/OPTN. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were constructed in a time-to-event analysis to estimate waiting-list mortality for the pre- and post-Share35 eras. Results 134,247 patients were listed for transplantation and 54,510 received organs (42.8%). Listing volume increased following Share35 (15,976 candidates pre- vs. 18,375 post) without significant regional changes as did number of transplants (7,210 pre- vs. 8,224 post). Waiting-list mortality improved from 12.2% to 8.1% (p<0.001). Adjusted waiting-list mortality ratios remained geographically disparate. Region 10 and region 11 had lower HR but still had increased mortality (1.46, 95% CI 1.34-1.60, p<0.001 and HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.37-1.62, p<0.001 respectively). Regions 3 and 6 had increased HR with persistently elevated waiting-list mortality (1.79, 95% CI 1.66-1.93, p<0.001 and HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.16-1.45, p<0.001 respectively). MELD exception continued to propagate a survival benefit (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.63-0.68 p<0.001). Conclusions While overall waiting-list mortality has decreased, geographic disparities persist, but appear reduced despite broader sharing policies enacted by Share35. The advantage afforded by MELD exception, while still present, was diminished by Share35 as organs are being shifted to MELD >35 candidates. The disparities highlighted by our findings imply a need to review current allocation policies to best balance local, regional, and national transplant environments.
Fabrication of Solid-State Multilayer Glass Capacitors

Alkali-free glasses show immense promise for the development of high-energy density capacitors. The high breakdown strengths on single-layer sheets of glass suggest the potential for improved energy densities over existing state-of-the art polymer capacitors. In this paper, we demonstrate the ability to package thin glass to make solid-state capacitors. Individual layers are bonded using epoxy, leading to capacitors that exhibit stable operation over the temperature range −55 °C to +65 °C. This fabrication approach is scalable and allows for proof testing individual layers prior to incorporation of the stack, providing a blueprint for the fabrication of high-energy density capacitors.
Fathers’ Criminal Behavior and Involvement With Children: The Moderating Role of Family Relationships

AbstractObjective: Research indicates that fathers’ criminal behavior can be problematic for children through multiple pathways, yet few studies have examined the effect of fathers’ kinship network...
Perspective Transformation in the Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader

This qualitative case study explores how former Supplemental Instruction (SI) leaders experienced perspective transformation as a result of serving in a peer leadership role at a 4-year, private un...
The Search for the Meaning of the New Deal: Creating a Democratic Political Economy

The story of the New Deal is mainly a story about the transformation of American liberalism and democracy. Current debates concerning Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal tend to focus on stimulus packages: were the New Deal packages effective and by corollary, given the current economic crisis, what can we learn from the past? While the stimulus programs of the New Deal Era were an important element, more significant were the set of political commitments that forged the basis for a new more democratic political economy and a transformation in the meaning of liberalism. What was and is most significant, then, is to understand the deeper democratic meanings of the New Deal. While critics and advocates of the New Deal emphasize policy change, we show that the New Deal was primarily about institutional change. Institutional, rather than policy changes, created a system in which income disparity narrowed for the next fifty years. In the conclusion, we will argue that the lessons to be drawn from the New Deal are more wide-ranging than a narrow focus on stimulus.
Comparison between Three-Dimensional Echocardiography and Computed Tomography for Comprehensive Tricuspid Annulus and Valve Assessment in Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation: Implications for Tricuspid Regurgitation Grading and Transcatheter Therapies

Background Tricuspid valve imaging is frequently challenging and requires the use of multiple modalities. Knowledge of limitations and methodologic discrepancies among different imaging techniques is crucial for planning transcatheter valve interventions. Methods Thirty-eight patients with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation were included in this retrospective analysis. Tricuspid annulus (TA) measurements were made during mid-diastole using three-dimensional (3D) transthoracic echocardiographic direct planimetry (TTE_direct) and transesophageal echocardiographic direct planimetry (TEE_direct). Moreover, a semiautomated software was used to generate two-dimensional (2D) and 3D perimeter and area on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) images. Both methods were compared with direct computed tomographic planimetry (CT_direct) and cubic spline interpolation (CT_indirect). The different TA values were used to calculate the effective regurgitant orifice area and compared with 3D Doppler vena contracta area. For tricuspid valve area TEE_direct and CT_direct as well as CT_indirect were measured. Results Agreement between TEE and computed tomography (CT) for TA sizing was obtained using semiautomated methods (3D TEE_indirect and CT_indirect). TTE_direct was overall less reliable compared with CT. TA area quantified by TEE_direct was 25% (difference 305 ± 238 mm2, P Conclusions In patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation, semiautomated indirect planimetry results in high agreement between TEE and CT for TA sizing and measurement of the tricuspid valve area. TEE_direct of the TA allows the most accurate measurement of diastolic stroke volume for the calculation of regurgitation severity compared with 3D vena contracta area.
MVP™ Micro Vascular Plug Systems for the Treatment of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations.

To describe our institutional experience with MVP™ micro vascular plug systems for the treatment of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs). We performed a retrospective medical record review of 52 patients with 119 PAVMs treated exclusively with MVP™ systems (69 procedures/153 MVP™ systems) between July 2014 and July 2018. All patients had PAVMs with feeding artery diameters ≥ 2 mm. MVP™ systems were deployed according to physician preference. We collected patient demographic information; procedural data (including size of feeding artery, size and number of embolics used per PAVM, fluoroscopy time, contrast administration), technical success rates, complications, and persistence. Persistence was assessed using computed tomography angiography (CTA) performed 1–3 months and 3–5 years after embolization per clinical protocol. All procedures were technically successful without major complications. Mean feeding artery diameter was 3.3 ± 1.2 mm. Mean fluoroscopy time per procedure and contrast volume administered per procedure were 35 ± 16 min and 217 ± 101 mL, respectively. A mean of 1.3 ± 0.8 MVP™ systems was used per PAVM. There were no instances of persistence during a mean follow-up time of 328 ± 258 days (range 26 to 914 days). For PAVMs with feeding artery diameters of 2 to 7.9 mm (mean 3.3 ± 1.2 mm), MVP™ systems are safe and effective given their high technical success rates and lack of persistence. Further prospective work will be required to elucidate the advantages and disadvantages of these MVP™ systems for PAVM embolization. Level III.
Equal Opportunities for West German Foreign Residents (1968–1977)

During the late 1960s, education reform swept the European continent. Responding in part to the 1968 revolutions, the United Nations and the Council of Europe both encouraged integration and emphasized host countries’ responsibility for ensuring human rights for all residents as opposed to citizens. Among other measures, they pushed education opportunity through secondary school in order to enable children to access the workforce. The Lander Ministries responded by encouraging its non-German population to integrate. Yet, looking at the growing Turkish population, most Lander governments assumed these children too culturally distant to fully integrate, turning Turkishness into the antithesis of Germanness precisely as the Turkish government began its Turkification campaigns.
Marketing Legal Assistance

Much of the American conversation about access to justice focuses on regulatory barriers to new forms of service delivery and treats regulatory resistance as the primary problem to be solved. Meanw...
Abstract 372: Master Transcriptional Regulators of Cardiac Gene Expression in Heart Failure

Background: Heart failure (HF) is characterized by complex transcriptional networks that direct the heart from a healthy to diseased state. Although some contributing genes have been identified thr...
Competency, Ethics, and Morality

This Article examines legal, ethical, and moral issues relating to the delays faced by pretrial detainees in Texas who have been declared incompetent to stand trial and ordered to receive competency restoration services, but for whom there are long waits for available treatment space at state hospitals or in other public facilities. There is pending litigation against the State of Texas involving this issue. The Article first describes the nature and extent of the challenges facing these pretrial detainees in Texas. It then addresses existing federal and Texas precedent pertaining to the legal issues that are at stake. And, finally, it provides several recommendations and discusses potential alternatives. The Article is based on a presentation delivered at the 2016 Mental Health Law Symposium sponsored by the Texas Tech Law Review and Texas Tech Administrative Law Journal on November 18, 2016.
Acute cholangitis secondary to biliary Ascariasis

CASE REPORT A 50-year-old female with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 presented with a one-day history of acute onset dull, achy epigastric pain associated with nausea and bilious vomiting. She had a history of such repeated attacks over the past five months for which she was being investigated. On admission, her initial vital signs were within normal limits. Shortly after admission, however, the patient developed low-grade fevers (100.7°F) and sinus tachycardia. On investigation, hemoglobin was 10.2 g/dl and her WBC was 14.71 /L with mild eosinophilia. Liver function tests (LFTs) showed an elevated alkaline phosphatase (206 u/L) and mild transaminitis (AST 38 u/L, ALT 59 u/L). Total bilirubin, amylase, and lipase were unremarkable. Review of ultrasonography and abdominal CT scan from a prior admission at an outside medical center showed mild intrahepatic biliary dilatation. Given these findings and symptoms of a presumed biliary etiology of her abdominal pain, she underwent Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and biliary sphincterotomy two weeks prior to the current admission; sludge like material was reportedly removed. During this admission, on a repeat CT scan of the abdomen, pneumobilia with a linear filling defect in the common bile duct was noted (Figure 1). A repeat ERCP was performed and a large Ascaris lumbricoides worm was visualized in the second portion of the duodenum protruding from the common bile duct (CBD) and the major ampulla (Figure 2a). The worm was gently removed using a snare (Figure 2b); a hydratome was subsequently used to cannulate the CBD and a cholangiogram was performed. There were no filling defects seen once the worm was removed. A 9–12 mm balloon was used to sweep the CBD; no additional debris or stones were removed. The procedure was uneventful and the patient reported significant relief of her symptoms following the worm extraction. Her leukocytosis and abnormal liver tests returned to baseline as well. She was further treated with a three-day course of mebendazole and was discharged home in stable condition one day following the procedure. A CASE REPORT
Colorectal Cancer Screening for the Serrated Pathway

Serrated polyps are classified into hyperplastic polyps, sessile serrated adenomas/polyps, and traditional serrated adenomas. Although all serrated polyps share characteristic colonic crypts serrations, distinguishing hyperplastic polyps from sessile serrated adenomas/polyps is challenging. Traditional serrated adenomas are cytologically dysplastic lesions; sessile serrated adenomas/polyps develop cytologic dysplasia as they progress to colorectal cancer. A flat and pale appearance of serrated polyps may make detection difficult. Endoscopic mucosal resection has higher rates of complete resection. Close surveillance is recommended for sessile serrated adenomas/polyps, sessile serrated adenomas/polyp with dysplasia, hyperplastic polyps ≥10 mm, and traditional serrated adenomas.
Wilderness and conservation policies needed to avoid a coral reef fisheries crisis

Abstract Conservation and management policies rely on the perceived status of marine ecosystems, which are influenced by proxies and estimation methods. These include the number of protected areas, the percent coverage of nearshore areas, frequency or area relative to other ecosystems, and a diverse set of possible but often poorly evaluated impacts. Based on the emerging studies of the geographic distribution of reef fish biomass, I used two metrics of travel time to human settlements (>4-h) and major markets (>9-h) to estimate the percentage of passive conservation as remote wilderness in 99 tropical ecoregions. Randomly selecting >25,000 tropical coral reefs from a current coral reef map, 2.5% of the random reefs were classified as active conservation or high compliance marine reserves. Passive conservation was considerably larger at ~12% using the >4-h and 48% by the >9-h travel time thresholds. Marine reserves were more frequently located >4-h than
Clinical and therapeutic analysis of 46 cases of tsutsugamushi disease complicated with encephalitis and multiple organ damage

Objective To summarize the clinical diagnosis and treatment experience of tsutsugamushi disease complicated with encephalitis and multiple organ damage.Methods Forty-six hospitalized patients were choosed as the research object with tsutsugamushi disease complicated with encephalitis and multiple organ damage from January 2009 to November 2012.All cases were given Doxycycline hydrochloride tablets to anti-infection,dehydrator to lower cranial pressure and hormone of short-term application.Intravenous gamma globulin and human serum albumin was applied to support treatment if blood platelet and albumin were low.Two cases of respiratory failure had applied mechanical ventilation therapy.Results By the positive and effective treatment,45 cases were crued and discharged from hospital,except 1 case death,when admitted to hospital less than 4 hours.Conclusions Tsutsugamushi disease is acute infectious diseases and a serious threat to children' s health,and it is easy to cause multiple organ damage and concurrent encephalitis.Basic-level hospitals easily misdiagnosis because of lack of awareness of the disease.Eschar is the most significant for diagnosis of tsutsugarmushi disease.Doxycycline tablets is effective drug to treat tsutsugamushi disease,it is the key to early diagnosis and treatment to reduce tsutsugamushi disease complicated with multiple organ damage and mortality. Key words: Tsutsugamushi disease ; Encephalitis ; Multiple organ damage ; Eschar; Treatment
Challenging research norms in educational psychology

In this commentary, I identify some common themes in the six articles in this special issue, including the importance of aligning research methods with research questions and embracing the complexi...
Legislative Entrenchment Rules in the Tax Law

Numerous federal statutes contain legislative entrenchment rules, i.e., provisions that condition the effect of future legislation on the satisfaction of some specified requirement. For example, the War Powers Resolution says that no future statute may authorize war unless the future statute says that it is doing so within the meaning of the War Powers Resolution. Along the same lines, some federal tax statutes say that to amend a provision of the tax code, the amending statute must itself be in the tax code. Statutes outside of the tax code, even if they directly seek to amend the protected provision, are irrelevant. Although the requirements imposed by a legislative entrenchment rule may seem easy to follow, later Congresses have frequently enacted statutes that fail to comply with the requirements imposed by previous Congresses. This raises the issue of whether these later statutes have any legal effect or must instead be disregarded entirely. Scholars and courts have wrestled with this issue, and conflicts involving the Administrative Procedure Act's legislative entrenchment rule have been especially common. This Article analyzes whether legislative entrenchment rules (including the APA's) may categorically control the interpretation of subsequently enacted tax statutes. The Article considers and rejects arguments made by some scholars who favor strict application of legislative entrenchment rules, and also considers some of the political motivations and costs/benefits of these rules.
Measurement of cellular-interstitial water exchange time in tumors based on diffusion-time-dependent diffusional kurtosis imaging.

Purpose To assess the feasibility of using diffusion-time-dependent diffusional kurtosis imaging (tDKI) to measure cellular-interstitial water exchange time (τex ) in tumors, both in animals and in humans. Methods Preclinical tDKI studies at 7 T were performed with the GL261 glioma model and the 4T1 mammary tumor model injected into the mouse brain. Clinical studies were performed at 3 T with women who had biopsy-proven invasive ductal carcinoma. tDKI measurement was conducted using a diffusion-weighted STEAM pulse sequence with multiple diffusion times (20-800 ms) at a fixed echo time, while keeping the b-values the same (0-3000 s/mm2 ) by adjusting the diffusion gradient strength. The tDKI data at each diffusion time t were used for a weighted linear least-squares fit method to estimate the diffusion-time-dependent diffusivity, D(t), and diffusional kurtosis, K(t). Results Both preclinical and clinical studies showed that, when diffusion time t ≥ 200 ms, D(t) did not have a noticeable change while K(t) decreased monotonically with increasing diffusion time in tumors and t ≥ 100 ms for the cortical ribbon of the mouse brain. The estimated τex averaged median and interquartile range (IQR) of GL261 and 4T1 tumors were 93 (IQR = 89) ms and 68 (78) ms, respectively. For the cortical ribbon, the estimated τex averaged median and IQR were 41 (34) ms for C57BL/6 and 30 (17) ms for BALB/c. For invasive ductal carcinoma, the estimated τex median and IQR of the two breast cancers were 70 (94) and 106 (92) ms. Conclusion The results of this proof-of-concept study substantiate the feasibility of using tDKI to measure cellular-interstitial water exchange time without using an exogenous contrast agent.
Racial Disparities in Ischemic Stroke among Patients with COVID-19 in the United States

Abstract Background Cerebrovascular prevalence is high in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, whether racial disparities exist among this population have not been systematically explored. Methods We performed a retrospective study to assess the prevalence of stroke stratified by race among patients aged 18 years or older with COVID-19 who visited emergency department (ED) up to August 13, 2020 in the United States (US). We used multivariable logistic regression to compare the odds of stroke in Black patients with COVID-19 compared to their non-Black counterparts while adjusting for the major potential confounders. Results Among 8815 patients with ED visits with COVID-19, 77 (0.87%), 95% confidence interval CI (95% CI): 0.69% to 1.10%) had ischemic stroke. The mean age of patients with stroke was 64 years (SD: 2 years); 28 (43%) were men, 55 (71%) had hypertension, and 29 (50%) were Black. The prevalence of ischemic stroke in Blacks, non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics was 1.26% (95% CI: 0.86% to 1.83%), 0.84% (95% CI: 0.51% to 1.37%) and 0.49% (95% CI: 0.26% to 0.88%) respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, drinking and smoking, the likelihood of stroke was higher in Black than non-Black patients (adjusted odds ratio, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.13 to 7.15, p=0.03). Conclusions Racial disparities in the prevalence of stroke among patients with COVID-19 exist, higher in Black population.
Retrospective diagnostic analysis of localized prostate cancer comparing needle core biopsy results to ProstaScint/SPECT fused with CT

1699 Objectives: Retrospective analysis compared diagnostic Capromab Pendetide (ProstaScint) SPECT images fused with non-contrast CT for localized prostate cancer (LPC) as compared to the needle core biopsy (NCB) reports of 748 patients. Methods: NCB pathology reports were retrospectively compared to focal uptake on ProstaScint SPECT/CT images of 748 patients that had been referred to the Department of Radiology at University Hospitals of Cleveland between 1999 – 2005 for prostate cancer imaging. For the study group, the average patient age was 64.8 ± 8.1 years (range 30 – 90) and Gleason score mean was 6.85, with 36% having a Gleason score ≤ 6. Statistical analysis comparing diagnostic methods was performed using Cohen and Byrt’s kappa indices. Results: For patients with suspected LPC, NCB identified 740 patients (99%) with disease and 8 (1%) with no malignancy. NCB found (7.2%)with unspecified unilateral disease;(40.6%) with bilateral disease;(9.8%) with right and (11.6%) with left unilateral disease;(29.7%) with unspecified disease location and (1%) with no malignancy. SPECT/CT identified(73.8%) patients as non-normal and (26.2%) as normal. Patients with non-normal SPECT/CT findings were identified with positive disease locations in the gland or fossa, (73.6%); internal obturator (hypogastric) (7.35%); common iliac (6.0%); peri-aortic (4.7%); mesenteric ( Conclusions: Cohen and Byrt’s kappa indices analysis demonstrated agreement between NCB and SPECT/CT (-0.021 and 0.455) defined as less than chance to a fair level of agreement, respectively. Prostate cancer patients with Gleason scores of 6 and below are known to express PSMA less avidly, as compared to those with Gleason ≥ 7. For the cohort, a significant (38%) number of patients had Gleason scores below 6, which may be causal in having inflated the SPECT/CT rate of false negatives. As expected, NCB identified a larger percentage of patients with disease than did SPECT/CT fusion, with SPECT/CT Sensitivity = 0.735, (95% CI: 0.702 – 0.759). These results indicate that LPC diagnosis with SPECT/CT may be utilized as an adjunct to NCB methods for identification of extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle with or without bladder involvement, and metastatic disease in other areas; and may prove particularly useful for the diagnosis of disease at sites where NCB cannot be safely performed. Research Support (if any): Cytogen Corp., Princeton, NJ
Utility of measuring serum creatinine to detect renal compromise in ED patients receiving IV contrast-enhanced CT scan

The objectives of this study are to determine the efficacy of a roster of clinical factors in identifying risk for renal insufficiency in emergency department (ED) patients requiring intravenous contrast-enhanced CT scan (IVCE-CT) and to help mitigate potential for developing contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). A review was conducted of consecutive ED patients who received IVCE-CT during a 4-month period in our urban ED. The values of ED serum creatinine (SCr) performed were tabulated. The medical records of all patients with an elevated SCr (> 1.4 mg/dL) were reviewed to determine and correlate the presence of clinical risk factors for underlying renal insufficiency. During the 4-month study period, there were 2260 consecutive cases who received IVCE-CT; of these, 2250 (99.6%) had concomitant measurement of SCr. Elevated SCr occurred in 141 patients (6.2%); of these, 75 had a SCr > 2 mg/dL. In all, 139/141 (98.6%) with an elevated SCr had an underlying chronic or acute medical condition identified by medical record review which potentially compromised renal function, including chronic renal disease, diabetes mellitus, HIV infection, cancer, hypertension, congestive heart failure, sepsis/septic shock, chronic alcoholism, and sickle cell disease. Two patients with no identified risk factor each had (mildly) elevated SCr; both had a normal SCr measured post-CT scan. The total cost of performing serum basic metabolic panel to measure SCr in all patients during the 4-month study period was $94,500. Elevated SCr is rarely present in ED patients without recognized risk factors who receive IVCE-CT scan. The vast majority with underlying renal insufficiency are readily identified by a review of the patient’s medical history and/or clinical findings. Routine SCr measurement on all ED patients regardless of risk stratification prior to IVCE imaging is neither time nor cost-effective.
Lower-Extremity Segment-Length Prediction Accuracy of the Sanders Multiplier, Paley Multiplier, and White-Menelaus Formula.

Background Several methods are available to estimate leg lengths at maturity to facilitate the determination of timing of epiphysiodesis. We compared the Paley multiplier, Sanders multiplier, and White-Menelaus methods in an epiphysiodesis-aged cohort. We assessed intra- and interrater reliability for Sanders skeletal stages and Greulich and Pyle atlas skeletal age. Methods Actual growth was recorded in healthy, unoperated femoral and tibial segments from an epiphysiodesis database. The predicted and actual lengths were compared with use of the Paley multiplier and White-Menelaus methods, Greulich and Pyle skeletal age, and the Sanders multiplier using Sanders stages. Intra- and interrater reliability were assessed in a separate group of 76 skeletal age films. Results The cohort included 148 femora and 195 tibiae in 197 patients. Femoral length at maturity was slightly underestimated by the Sanders multiplier and staging, was overestimated by the Paley multiplier and skeletal age, and was most accurately predicted with use of the White-Menelaus formula and skeletal age. All methods overestimated tibial length at maturity. The whole-leg prediction accuracy of the Sanders multiplier and White-Menelaus formula were comparable and were more accurate than that of the Paley multiplier. For Sanders skeletal staging, the interrater reliability varied from 0.86 to 0.88 and the intrarater reliability varied from 0.87 to 0.96. For Greulich and Pyle skeletal age, the interrater reliability varied from 0.87 to 0.89 and the intrarater reliability varied from 0.91 to 0.95. Conclusions Use of the Sanders multiplier and skeletal stages was more accurate than the Paley multiplier and skeletal age in this cohort. Use of the White-Menelaus formula and skeletal age was slightly more accurate in predicting femoral length and slightly less accurate in predicting tibial length compared with the Sanders multiplier. Intra- and interrater reliability were similar between Sanders skeletal stages and Greulich and Pyle atlas skeletal age. The White-Menelaus formula and skeletal age was the recommended method for predicting lower-extremity segment lengths at maturity and epiphysiodesis effect. Although easier to recall without referencing an atlas and not sex-specific, Sanders skeletal staging does not correspond directly to years of growth remaining, and thus cannot be used with the White-Menelaus formula. Clinical relevance The Greulich and Pyle atlas to determine skeletal age and the White-Menelaus formula to determine growth remaining are reliable predictors of epiphysiodesis effect in the lower extremities.
Pre- and Postnatal Detection of Tay-Sachs Disease. A Comparative Study of Biochemical Screening Methods

Tay-Sachs disease, an invariably fatal cerebral storage (GM2-ganglioside) disorder inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, is presently the only such genetic disease which possesses all three criteria necessary to prevent the birth of homozygotes. These criteria are:- (a) The characterization of a well-defined, high risk group in the general population which carries the defective gene, e.g., Ashkenazi Jews in the United States (1). (b) A simple, quantitative biochemical test, preferably based upon the analysis of the deficient enzyme, which will permit the detection of the heterozygotes in the normal population and the isolation of the high-risk carrier-couples, e.g., the assay of hexosaminidase A in serum (2) or white blood cells (3,4) with fluorimetric procedures. (c) The prenatal diagnosis of the disease by enzymatic analysis of the amniotic fluid or cells obtained from the fetuses of carrier-couples sufficiently early to give the parents the choice of safely terminating the pregnancy(5).
Toward Intelligent Software Defect Detection

Source code level software defect detection has gone from state of the art to a software engineering best practice. Automated code analysis tools streamline many of the aspects of formal code inspections but have the drawback of being difficult to construct and either prone to false positives or severely limited in the set of defects that can be detected. Machine learning technology provides the promise of learning software defects by example, easing construction of detectors and broadening the range of defects that can be found. Pinpointing software defects with the same level of granularity as prominent source code analysis tools distinguishes this research from past efforts, which focused on analyzing software engineering metrics data with granularity limited to that of a particular function rather than a line of code.
Transition from Interictal to Ictal Activity in Limbic Networks In Vitro

The transition from brief bursts of synchronous population activity characteristic of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) to more prolonged epochs of population activity characteristic of seizures (ictal-like activity) was recorded in juvenile rat hippocampal-entorhinal cortex slices and hippocampal slices using multiple-site extracellular electrodes. Epileptiform activity was elicited by either increased extracellular potassium or 4-AP. IEDs originated in the CA3 a-b region and spread bidirectionally into CA1 and CA3c dentate gyrus. The transition from IEDs to ictal-like sustained epileptiform activity was reliably preceded by (1) increase in IED propagation velocity, (2) increase in IED secondary afterdischarges and their reverberation between CA3a and CA3c, and (3) shift in the IED initiation area from CA3 a-b to CA3c. Ictal-like sustained network oscillations (10-20 Hz) originated in CA3c and spread to CA1. The pattern of hippocampal ictal-like activity was unaffected by removal of the entorhinal cortex. These findings indicate that interictal and ictal activity can originate in the same neural network, and that the transition from interictal to ictal-like-sustained activity is preceded by predictable alterations in the origin and spread of IEDs. These findings elucidate new targets for investigating the proximate causes, prediction, and treatment of seizures.
Parametric Families of Density Functions

Some specific functional forms of probability density functions that have been found to be useful in statistical applications are examined in this chapter. The selection includes a number of the more commonly used densities.1 Our density function definitions will actually identify parametric families of density functions. That is, the algebraic expressions for the density functions will contain one or more unknowns, called parameters, which can be assigned values chosen from a set of admissible values called the parameter space. A specific member of a family of densities will be associated with each specific value of the parameters contained in the parameter space. The general notation f(x; θ) will be used to distinguish elements in the domain of the density function from elements in the parameter space of the parametric family of functions. In particular, the argument preceding the semicolon (x in the present case) represents domain elements, while the argument following the semicolon (θ in this case) represents elements of the parameter space.
Abstract 15301: Skilled Nursing Facilities and 30-day Hospital Readmissions in Heart Failure

Background: Referral to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) should contribute to reducing hospital readmissions; however, a “revolving door” phenomenon after admission to SNF has been hypothesized to drive readmissions. The urgent need to study the impact of SNF on readmissions in heart failure (HF) was recently emphasized, yet this has never been studied in the community. Objectives: To evaluate the association between discharge to SNF and 30-day readmissions in a community cohort of hospitalized incident HF patients. Methods: Olmsted County, MN residents hospitalized with first ever (incident) HF (International Classification of Diseases-9th Revision code 428) from 1995 through 2010 were identified. HF was validated by Framingham criteria. Patients residing in a SNF prior to hospitalization were excluded from the analysis. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between discharge to SNF and 30-day readmissions. Results: Among 1360 HF patients (mean age 74±14, 47% male), 241(18%) were referr...
Effects of Solvent Composition and Hydrogen Pressure on the Catalytic Conversion of 1,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene to Cyclohexane

Abstract Toward the development of a “green” technology for cleaning soil contaminated by halogenated hydrophobic organic contaminants, here we demonstrate that combined use of palladium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh) catalysts enables the conversion of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (TeCB) to cyclohexane in mixtures of water and ethanol. We tested the hypotheses that, in batch reactors, (1) an increased ratio of water to ethanol in water/ethanol solvents would increase the reaction rates of both Pd-catalyzed hydrodehalogenation (HDH) and Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation, and (2) catalytic reaction rate coefficients would be constant above a hydrogen (H2) pressure threshold, but would decrease with decreasing H2 pressure below that threshold. These hypotheses were derived from a Langmuir–Hinshelwood model for the heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Complete conversion of TeCB to cyclohexane was achieved at all experimental conditions tested, suggesting that the proposed technology may be technically viable. Concentration dat...
Three-Dimensional Separation for Interaction of Shock Waves with Turbulent Boundary Layers

For the interaction of shock waves with turbulent boundary layers, obtained experimental three-dimensional separation results and correlations with earlier two-dimensional and three-dimensional data are presented. It is shown that separation occurs much earlier for turbulent three-dimensional than for two-dimensional flow at hypersonic speeds.
Dynamics of α‐synuclein aggregation and inhibition of pore‐like oligomer development by β‐synuclein

Accumulation of alpha-synuclein resulting in the formation of oligomers and protofibrils has been linked to Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. In contrast, beta-synuclein (beta-syn), a close homologue, does not aggregate and reduces alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn)-related pathology. Although considerable information is available about the conformation of alpha-syn at the initial and end stages of fibrillation, less is known about the dynamic process of alpha-syn conversion to oligomers and how interactions with antiaggregation chaperones such as beta-synuclein might occur. Molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations based on the micelle-derived structure of alpha-syn showed that alpha-syn homodimers can adopt nonpropagating (head-to-tail) and propagating (head-to-head) conformations. Propagating alpha-syn dimers on the membrane incorporate additional alpha-syn molecules, leading to the formation of pentamers and hexamers forming a ring-like structure. In contrast, beta-syn dimers do not propagate and block the aggregation of alpha-syn into ring-like oligomers. Under in vitro cell-free conditions, alpha-syn aggregates formed ring-like structures that were disrupted by beta-syn. Similarly, cells expressing alpha-syn displayed increased ion current activity consistent with the formation of Zn(2+)-sensitive nonselective cation channels. These results support the contention that in Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, alpha-syn oligomers on the membrane might form pore-like structures, and that the beneficial effects of beta-synuclein might be related to its ability to block the formation of pore-like structures.
Markov analysis of human-in-the-loop system performance

Pilot interaction with complex vehicles involves information perception and understanding, as well as decision making to select and execute the desired action. These decisions and actions are often time-critical and require an accurate response. When designing a complex system, the analysis of human-in-the-loop system performance is important during early-stage system design to assess the impact of varying levels of automation, redundancy, and task allocation. We have integrated several human performance models with a model of a piloted vehicle to analyze human-in-the-loop performance using Draper Laboratory's Performance and Reliability Analysis via Dynamic Modeling (PARADyM) toolkit. This approach provides a framework for understanding the effects of a vehicle component failure or human error as it propagates through a complex system. Vehicle and human performance models, which include a model of the Space Shuttle Orbiter lateral flight dynamics, visual and vestibular perception, rule-based judgment and decision making, and pilot action, were implemented using MATLAB/Simulink?. Trajectory scenarios were simulated for analysis with and without instrumentation failures, and with and without human errors. The resulting pilot-vehicle performance during scenarios with a component failure was compared to a baseline (no failure) trajectory. Performance thresholds were specified to determine whether the resulting vehicle trajectory represented degraded performance that was within the specified bounds (operational) or outside the bounds (resulting in system loss). At the present stage, this analysis methodology is viable as an early-stage design tool. However, if associated with experimentally validated models for both the human performance and vehicle dynamics, this approach has the potential for a mission and configuration design analysis tool.
Aligning METS with the OAI-ORE data model

The Open Archives Initiative - Object Reuse and Exchange (OAI-ORE) specifications provide a flexible set of mechanisms for transferring complex data objects between different systems. In order to serve as an exchange syntax, OAI-ORE must be able to support the import of information from localized data structures serving various communities of practice. In this paper, we examine the Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard (METS) and the issues that arise when trying to map from a localized structural metadata schema into the OAI-ORE data model and serialization syntaxes.
Pretreatment assessment of prognostic indicators in endometrial cancer.

Abstract Objective: The object of this study was to assess the association of histologic, cytokinetic, and molecular variables in preoperative endometrial samples with extrauterine disease, recurrence, and survival among patients with endometrial cancer. Study Design: In a case-cohort study of 125 women, ploidy, S-phase fraction, proliferative index, deoxyribonucleic acid index, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, MIB-1 proliferation marker, p53 tumor suppressor gene, and cytoplasmic HER-2/neu oncogene and bcl-2 expressions were quantitated. Results: A model with only one independent term predicted progression-free survival; that variable was p53 ( P p53 ( P =.0002; relative risk, 7.39) and MIB-1 ( P =.03; relative risk, 3.27). Among patients with tumors with both p53 and MIB-1 expression exceeding 33%, a total of 32% had died of disease by 2 years. A model for predicting extrauterine disease selected two independent variables: p53 (odds ratio, 3.20; P =.01) and ploidy (odds ratio, 2.16; P =.04). An advanced surgical stage was encountered in 26% to 35% of cases in which either the p53 expression exceeded 33% or the deoxyribonucleic acid content was nondiploid and in 53% of cases in which both variables were unfavorable. Conclusions: Preoperative evaluation of quantifiable cytokinetic and molecular variables can assist in identifying tumor types that are predisposed toward a more aggressive clinical course. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1535-44.)
Building Reliable and Secure Virtual Machines Using Architectural Invariants

HyperTap is a hypervisor-level monitoring framework for virtual machines (VMs). It uses hardware architectural invariants properties defined and enforced by a hardware platform to establish the root of trust for logging data and events. HyperTap also supports continuous, event-driven VM monitoring, which enables both capturing the system state and responding rapidly to actions of interest.
How not to get bugged by bugs: mechanisms of cellular tolerance to microorganisms.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Advances in the characterization of the receptors and signaling pathways involved in the response to infection have led to a more detailed understanding of cellular tolerance to endotoxin and other microbial components. This review summarizes recent progress in the field, particularly in relation to the molecular mechanisms that underlie the development of tolerance to microorganisms. RECENT FINDINGS The identification of Toll-like receptors as major sensors of microbial molecules has led to numerous studies of their function in tolerant cells. Decreased Toll-like receptor expression, altered interactions between the Toll-like receptors and intracellular signal transducers, and decreased expression or activity of downstream signaling molecules have all been implicated. Upregulation of specific proteins that inhibit Toll-like receptor signaling has also been described. Apart from these general mechanisms, special features of the intestinal microenvironment and its resident cells also contribute to making the gut hyporesponsive to microorganisms. SUMMARY The application of gene knockout technology has highlighted the importance of macrophage tolerance in regulating innate immunity to microbial infection. Such studies have indicated that the failure of tolerance can lead to exaggerated inflammatory responses to intestinal bacteria, raising the possibility that defects in tolerance may be linked to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. Further characterization of this link will help in elucidating the pathogenesis of such conditions and in devising new approaches to treatment.
Signification, Intention, Projection

Locke is what present-day aestheticians, critics, and historians call an intentionalist. He believes that when we interpret speech and writing, we aim—in large part and perhaps even for the most part—to recover the intentions, or intended meanings, of the speaker or writer. Berkeley and Hume shared Locke’s commitment to intentionalism, but it is a theme that recent philosophical interpreters of all three writers have left largely unexplored. In this paper I discuss the bearing of intentionalism on more familiar themes in empiricist reflections on language, among them the signification of things (as opposed to ideas); the signifying role of whole propositions; and the possibility of reference to an “external” world.
Is Weaning Failure Caused by Low-Frequency Fatigue of the Diaphragm?

Because patients who fail a trial of weaning from mechanical ventilation experience a marked increase in respiratory load, we hypothesized that these patients develop diaphragmatic fatigue. Accordingly, we measured twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure using phrenic nerve stimulation in 11 weaning failure and 8 weaning success patients. Measurements were made before and 30 minutes after spontaneous breathing trials that lasted up to 60 minutes. Twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure was 8.9 +/- 2.2 cm H2O before the trials and 9.4 +/- 2.4 cm H2O after their completion in the weaning failure patients (p = 0.17); the corresponding values in the weaning success patients were 10.3 +/- 1.5 and 11.2 +/- 1.8 cm H2O (p = 0.18). Despite greater load (p = 0.04) and diaphragmatic effort (p = 0.01), the weaning failure patients did not develop low-frequency fatigue probably because of greater recruitment of rib cage and expiratory muscles (p = 0.004) and because clinical signs of distress mandating the reinstitution of mechanical ventilation arose before the development of fatigue. Twitch pressure revealed considerable diaphragmatic weakness in many weaning failure patients. In conclusion, in contrast to our hypothesis, weaning failure was not accompanied by low-frequency fatigue of the diaphragm, although many weaning failure patients displayed diaphragmatic weakness.
Distribution of enteroviruses in sediments contiguous with a deep marine sewage outfall

Abstract The distribution of enteroviruses, coliforms, fecal coliforms and fecal streptococcus discharged from a raw sewage outfall pipe 3.6 km from shore at a depth of 44 m was studied. Enteroviruses and indicator bacteria were only isolated from water in an area within 200 m of the outfall. However, viruses were isolated from sediments as far as 3.6 km from the outfall at recreational bathing beaches. The concentration of enteroviruses in the sediment at the outfall boil ranged from 112 to 78 PFU l −1 and 0 to 30 PFU l −1 at the bathing beach. Indicator bacteria were not detected in the water or sediment at the bathing beach. Analysis of sediments for viruses may give a better idea of the long term distribution of sewage discharged from the outfall pipe.