cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speckle reduction of ultrasound images

We describe a method to reduce speckles of ultrasound images. We first segment an ultrasound image with speckle segmentation algorithm. We compute an adjacency graph representation of the speckles. For each speckle region, we compute its area, mean and variation. Based on the simularity (Fisher distance) of the adjacent regions, we merge neighboring regions into larger regions. The merge operation is conveniently mapped to graph operations and holes are avoided. The merge process iterates until the graph is stable. We then assign for each region a grayscale equals to the mean. This method have the advantage that it provides region segmentation of the ultrasound images as well as speckle reduction without loss of the edge contrast.
A methodology for synthesis of efficient intrusion detection systems on FPGAs

Intrusion detection for network security is a computation intensive application demanding high system performance. System level design, a relatively unexplored field in this area, allows more efficient communication and extensive reuse of hardware components for dramatic increases in area-time performance. By applying optimization strategies to the entire database, we reduce hardware requirements compared to architectures designed with single pattern matchers in mind. We present a methodology for system-wide integration of graph-based partitioning of large intrusion detection pattern databases. Integrating ruleset-based graph creation and min-cut partitioning, our methodology allows efficient multi-byte comparisons and partial matches for high performance FPGA-based network security. Through pre-processing, this methodology yields designs with competitive clock frequencies that are a minimum of 8x more area efficient than previous non-predecoded shift-and-compare architectures.
Skull, mandible, and metapodials of the extinct Harrington's mountain goat (Oreamnos harringtoni)

ABSTRACT Chester Stock (1936) described a late Rancholabrean species of extinct mountain goat (Oreamnos harringtoni) based on scant remains from a cave in the Great Basin, Nevada. We present a review using cranial, mandibular, and metapodial remains of O. harringtoni from 13 localities in the southwest. The extinct mountain goat is not just a smaller form of the living species, O. americanus. O. harringtoni has metapodials 25% smaller than those of the living species, indicating that the mountain goat is shorter; however, its feet are relatively robust. Its masticatory region is robust but is situated on a narrower face; the apparently longer, narrower face is accentuated by the presence of thinner and smaller horns.
Protein Antigens of Mouse Melanomas

Two lines of evidence suggest that B16 melanoma cells express immunological determinants. The first is that syngeneic C57BL/6 mice may be immunized outright to B16 preparations—either whole-cell (Fidler et al., 1977) or extract (Bystryn, 1978). The second is that cultured cells, when injected into B16-sensitized hosts, exhibit in vivo behavior different from that observed following administration into naive hosts (Fidler et al.,1977; Gersten, 1980). It follows, then that B16 cells should possess unique molecules that are both absent from other C57BL/6 cells and immunogenic.
Intergalactic hostages: People who report abduction by UFOS

Quite a few people have reported what may seem to many to be a bizarre experience: They claim to have had painful and humiliating encounters with extraterrestrials. Some argue that these events actually occur, while others claim that the people reporting them are dishonest or mentally ill. Instead, it is argued here that UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) abduction accounts are false memories. Conditions encouraging the construction of pseudomemories are reviewed, and it is argued that these are the conditions associated with the construction of UFO abduction accounts. In addition, abduction accounts may be understood as stories that express the desire to escape from awareness of the self and the demands placed on it. Similarities between the typical abduction narrative and another form of fantasy and activity hypothesized to serve escape-from-self needs-masochism-are reviewed. Costs and benefits of a skeptical approach to the UFO abduction phenomenon are discussed.
Performance analysis for collaborative decoding with least-reliable-bit exchange over AWGN channels

In collaborative decoding, spatial diversity is achieved by exchanging decoding information among a cluster of physically separated receivers. The least-reliable-bit (LRB) exchange scheme helps collaborative decoding to lower the amount of information that must be exchanged while providing performance close to the maximal-ratio combining technique. In this paper, we approximately evaluate the error performance of the collaborative decoding with the LRB exchange scheme when nonrecursive convolutional codes are used. The Gaussian approximation and union bound are used in the analysis.
Older Women and Mercy Killing

Mercy killing is usually defined as intentional killing, often by family members or friends, with the stated intent to end perceived suffering. International evidence suggests that mercy killing ty...
Some considerations for optimization of desorption chromatography

The effect of isotherm parameters of a displacer on the efficiency of desorption Chromatography has been investigated numerically. A general nonlinear multicomponent rate equation model with Langmuir isotherm was used in this study. It was found that the best displacer in this kind of operation is usually not the one that is more strongly adsorbed than the adsorbates when the operation is to displace and concentrate the adsorbates from a saturated or partially saturated column and to minimize the amount of displacer used. The desorption Chromatography is different from the classical displacement development in both operational purpose and the requirement for the displacer. The desorption Chromatography in industrial practice was also analyzed and discussed for the case in which the displacer is introduced in either the same or the reverse flow direction after an incomplete frontal adsorption operation.
A Methodological Self-Study of Quantitizing: Negotiating Meaning and Revealing Multiplicity

This inquiry developed during the process of “quantitizing” qualitative data the authors had gathered for a mixed methods curriculum efficacy study. Rather than providing the intended rigor to their data coding process, their use of an intercoder reliability metric prompted their investigation of the multiplicity and messiness that, as they suggest here, are inherent to work that crosses the epistemological boundaries of academic fields and research paradigms. Even as the authors developed a deeper understanding of—and appreciation for—the nature of quantitative rigor, they moved toward a more deeply constructivist view of the research process itself. Ultimately, the authors abandoned the neat study of intercoder reliability that they had envisioned and moved toward the present dialogic report to reveal and examine their process.
Regulation of c-jun mRNA expression in adult cardiocytes by MAP kinase interacting kinase-1 (MNK1)

Hypertrophic growth of adult myocardium is associated with increased expression of the early response gene c-jun. The purpose of this study was to determine whether eukaryotic initiation factor (elF) 4E (eIF4E) regulates translational efficiency of c-jun mRNA as measured by flux into polysomes. Adult feline cardiomyocytes in primary culture were treated with 0.2 microM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), and c-jun mRNA was quantified in total, monosome, and polysome fractions by real-time polymerase chain reaction. After 1 h, TPA increased total c-jun mRNA by 10.5-fold. The corresponding flux into polysomes was significantly lower (5-fold). Adenoviral-mediated overexpression of either eIF4E or a nonphosphorylatable mutant (S209/A) did not affect total c-jun mRNA or its flux between monosomes and polysomes. Similar results were obtained following overexpression of the eIF4E kinase Mnk1. Thus, translational efficiency of c-jun mRNA was not affected by changes in activity or amount of eIF4E. In contrast, a kinase-deficient Mnk1 mutant significantly reduced total c-jun mRNA from 9.8-fold to 6.0-fold while flux between monosomes and polysomes remained constant. The decrease in total c-jun mRNA resulted from increased decay of c-jun mRNA incorporated into the polysomes. We conclude that Mnk1 activity stabilizes c-jun mRNA in polysomes independent of eIF4E phosphorylation.
Feedback stitching for gigapixel video

Methods of stitching static panoramas are unsuitable for video-rate stitching from camera arrays, because these methods are too computationally intensive for real-time operation and do not take advantage of prior knowledge of camera positions or the coherence between successive frames of a video sequence. We propose feedback stitching, which embeds the stitching process in a feedback loop, so that as new frames are captured, any new stitching errors occurring in the video sequence are analyzed and corrected as the sequence progresses. These algorithms are suitable for multiscale cameras, a camera array technology proven to be capable of gigapixel snapshot and video imaging, to allow for real-time compensation of any registration or parallax errors.
Variation of radiosensitivity in synchronized cell populations of silkworm embryos exposed to X-rays.

SummaryTo clarify the relationship between radiosensitivity and cell-cycle in the early cleavage stages of the silkworm, the dose-response curves of different cell phases were analysed. Curves for the sensitive phase have a shoulder that is narrower than the curves for the resistant phase. This is the same regardless of developmental stages of embryos and change in the number of nuclei (or target). It implies that an explanation of this different shape of dose-response curve cannot be made within the framework of the target theory in the ordinary sense. Hence, it is tentatively proposed to explain these findings by an ‘all-or-nothing hypothesis’.
Detecting IOP Fluctuations in Glaucoma Patients

Lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) remains the guiding principle of glaucoma management. Although IOP is the only treatable risk factor, its 24-hour behavior is poorly understood. Current glaucoma management usually relies on single IOP measurements during clinic hours, even though IOP is a dynamic parameter with rhythms dependent on individual patients. It has further been shown that most glaucoma patients have their highest IOP measurements outside clinic hours. The fact that these IOP peaks go largely undetected may explain why certain patients progress in their disease despite treatment. Nevertheless, single IOP measurements have determined all major clinical guidelines regarding glaucoma treatment. Other potentially informative parameters, such as fluctuations in IOP and peak IOP, have been neglected, and effects of IOP-lowering interventions on such measures are largely unknown. Continuous 24-hour IOP monitoring has been an interest for more than 50 years, but only recent technological advances have provided clinicians with a device for such an endeavor. This review discusses current uses and shortcomings of current measurement techniques, and provides an overview on current and future methods for 24-hour IOP assessment. It may be possible to incorporate continuous IOP monitoring into clinical practice, potentially to reduce glaucoma-related vision loss.
Faith in Politics: The problem with secular reasons

As I noted in chapter 2, even though most scholars who have examined the issue coalesce around a broad consensus that argues against the use of religious reasons in political life, there persists a good deal of disagreement over the particulars. A few suggest that religion ought never intrude into political deliberations, while others think it may play some role depending on the sort of political question at hand, the particular office someone may hold, or the venue in which the deliberation occurs. I do not mean, in this chapter and the next, to engage the whole range of arguments included in what I have called deliberative restraint; that would be a book unto itself. Instead, I mean to examine what I take to be the most persuasive arguments available within the consensus and show why they are mistaken on both moral and empirical grounds. The broad consensus in favor of deliberative restraint makes mistakes both moral and empirical in that it overestimates both the plausibility and attractiveness of a “restrained” political order and the threat of a religiously “engaged” one. Proponents of deliberative restraint weave together a seemingly compelling set of claims making restraint a linchpin of the democratic social and political order, but these do not stand up to closer examination, especially one that disentangles their moral and empirical threads. I focus first on deliberative restraint's moral claims, in particular those that argue for the priority of secular and then “public” reasons.
Why does Gila elegans have a bony tail? A study of swimming morphology convergence

Caudal-fin-based swimming is the primary form of locomotion in most fishes. As a result, many species have developed specializations to enhance performance during steady swimming. Specializations that enable high swimming speeds to be maintained for long periods of time include: a streamlined body, high-aspect-ratio (winglike) caudal fin, a shallow caudal peduncle, and high proportions of slow-twitch ("red") axial muscle. We described the locomotor specializations of a fish species native to the Colorado River and compared those specializations to other fish species from this habitat, as well as to a high-performance marine swimmer. The focal species for this study was the bonytail (Gila elegans), which has a distinct morphology when compared with closely related species from the Southwestern United States. Comparative species used in this study were the roundtail chub (Gila robusta), a closely related species from low-flow habitats; the common carp (Cyprinus carpio), an invasive cyprinid also found in low-flow habitats; and the chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus), a model high-performance swimmer from the marine environment. The bonytail had a shallow caudal peduncle and a high-aspect-ratio tail that were similar to those of the chub mackerel. The bonytail also had a more streamlined body than the roundtail chub and the common carp, although not as streamlined as the chub mackerel. The chub mackerel had a significantly higher proportion of red muscle than the other three species, which did not differ from one another. Taken together, the streamlined body, narrow caudal peduncle, and high-aspect-ratio tail of the bonytail suggest that this species has responded to the selection pressures of the historically fast-flowing Colorado River, where flooding events and base flows may have required native species to produce and sustain very high swimming speeds to prevent being washed downstream.
Chromium propionate supplementation during the peripartum period interacts with starch source fed postpartum: Production responses during the immediate postpartum and carryover periods

Forty-eight multiparous cows were used in a randomized complete block design experiment with a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments to determine the interaction between chromium propionate (CrPr) supplementation and sources of corn varying in ruminal starch fermentability on production responses during the postpartum (PP) and carryover periods. During the peripartum period (28d before expected parturition until 28d PP), diets were top-dressed (20g/d) with either CrPr (KemTRACE Chromium Propionate, Kemin Industries, Des Moines, IA; 8mg of Cr/cow per day) or control (Con; ground corn). At parturition, cows were randomly assigned to corn treatment within CrPr and Con treatments: dry corn (DC) or high-moisture corn (HMC). Treatment combinations (CrPr/DC, CrPr/HMC, Con/DC, and Con/HMC) were fed from parturition until 28d PP (treatment period). Cows were fed a common diet to evaluate potential carryover effects of the treatment diets from 29 to 84d PP (carryover period). The CrPr and corn treatments interacted over time to affect yield of 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM) during both the treatment and carryover periods. The CrPr/HMC treatment combination tended to increase FCM compared with Con/DC and Con/HMC by 28d PP (57.4 vs. 48.6 and 48.5kg/d, respectively) and increased FCM compared with Con/DC by 42d PP (59.2 vs. 44.8kg/d). The CrPr tended to increase milk yield (55.4 vs. 51.9kg/d) regardless of corn source during the carryover period after treatment ceased. Daily and cumulative DMI were not affected by treatment during the PP period, but CrPr and corn treatments interacted over time to affect daily DMI during the carryover period; DMI was generally higher for CrPr/HMC, lower for Con/DC, and intermediate for CrPr/DC and Con/HMC from 29 to 84d PP. Supplementation of CrPr throughout the peripartum period interacted with starch source in PP diets over time to affect production responses that were sustained after treatment application ceased.
Queue length estimation from probe vehicles at isolated intersections: Estimators for primary parameters

Abstract This paper develops estimators for market penetration level and arrival rate in finding queue lengths from probe vehicles at isolated traffic intersections. Closed-form analytical expressions for expectations and variances of these estimators are formulated. Derived estimators are compared based on squared error losses. Effect of number of cycles (i.e., short-term and long-term performances), estimation at low penetration rates, and impact of combinations of derived estimators on queue length problem are also addressed. Fully analytical formulas with unknown parameters are derived to evaluate how queue length estimation errors change with respect to percent of probe vehicles in the traffic stream. Developed models can be used for the real-time cycle-to-cycle estimation of the queue lengths by inputting some of the fundamental information that probe vehicles provide (e.g., location, time, and count). Models are evaluated using VISSIM microscopic simulations with different arrival patterns. Numerical experiments show that the developed estimators are able to point the true arrival rate values at 5% probe penetration level with 10 cycles of data. For low penetrations such as 0.1%, large number of cycles of data is required by arrival rate estimators which are essential for overflow queue and volume-to-capacity ratios. Queue length estimation with tested parameter estimators is able to provide cycle-to-cycle errors within ±5% of coefficient of variations with less than 5 cycles of probe data at 0.1% penetration for all arrival rates used.
NATIONAL TRENDS AND OUTCOMES IN DIALYSIS REQUIRING ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY AFTER PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION AFTER ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (AKI-D) is a serious and potentially preventable complication of PCI. A number of risk scores and preventive methods have been developed to reduce risk of AKI-D, however data on national trends in AKI-D after PCI is lacking. We used the nationwide inpatient
The Power of One: a Highly Detailed, Log-Based, Case Example that Clearly Demonstrates the Effective Use of Ranolazine for the Control of Progressive Atrial Fibrillationn.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequently encountered tachyarrhythmia that can substantially impair quality of life through symptom production, adverse consequences (such as stroke, systemic embolization, heart failure, hospitalization, death), economic impact, and more.1, 2 In many patients AF is progressive and reaches a pattern (frequency, duration, and/or severity of symptoms) for which the patient seeks therapy. Such therapy often includes an antiarrhythmic strategy.3
Exploring the interface between single-walled carbon nanotubes and epoxy resin

Abstract A significant mechanical reinforcement of epoxy matrices with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) requires a very strong covalent interfacial bonding between the tube and the resin, diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). Using classical molecular dynamics (MD) and density functional theory (DFT), various methods of improving covalent binding to CNTs are applied on four major categories: CNT diameters, dopants, defects, and functional groups. The diameter category includes (n, 0) CNTs with n = 5, 7, 9,11, 13, 15; the dopant category includes B-, N-, and Si-doped CNTs; the defect category includes CNTs with monovacancies, Stone-Wales, and more complex nitrogen terminated monovacancies and divacancies; the functional group category includes CNTs with atomic oxygen, hydroxyl, amine, carboxyl, and a combination of oxygen and hydroxyl. The computation of binding energies (BE), affinity indices (AI), and shear fracture forces on all configurations converged to the conclusion that smaller tubes, Si-doped CNTs, CNTs functionalized with a combination of oxygen and hydroxyl, and CNTs with monovacancies show the strongest indication for mechanical reinforcement in their respective categories.
Measurement of BAG molecular weight and its distribution using laser light scattering method

A laser light scattering method to determine molecular weight and its distribution of a novel bonding agent BAG is introduced and experimental principle and procedure are given in the paper. The method takes dilute solution of KBr in N,N-dimethylformamide as mobile phase and solvent, and gel permeation chromatographic column as separation system. The results show that accuracy and precision of the method is satisfactory. It can be used as a routine method to determine BAG molecular weight and its distribution.
Short-term recovery of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy after treatment for pediatric non-CNS cancer.

Purpose Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a frequent side effect of pediatric cancer treatment. The presentation of CIPN, trajectory and completeness of recovery over the first 6 months postchemotherapy, and the influence of patient and treatment characteristics on recovery are described. Patients and Methods Sixty-seven children and adolescents treated for non-CNS cancers were evaluated for CIPN using the pediatric modified total neuropathy score (ped-mTNS) while on treatment and 3 and 6 months postchemotherapy. Differences between diagnostic groups and treatment type were evaluated as well as change in scores over time. Risk factors for on-treatment and persistent CIPN at 6 months were identified. Results Overall, ped-mTNSs were in the abnormal range for 86.5% during treatment and scores decreased over time (initial 9.3 ± 0.6, 6 months 4.3 ± 0.4; F = 38.14, P < 0.001). By 6 months posttreatment, mean scores and percentage of children with abnormal scores were reduced to 2.4 ± 0.3 and 11.5%, respectively, in the ALL group, but remained higher at 5.7 ± 0.7 and 57%, respectively, for lymphoma, and 5.2 ± 1.0 and 60%, respectively, for other solid tumors. At 6 months posttreatment, light touch deficits and foot strength deficits remained in 19.4 and 59.7%, respectively, compared with only 4.9 and 9.8% of the control population. Subjects who were older at exposure, female, or who received etoposide in addition to vincristine were at higher risk for on-treatment CIPN. On-treatment sensory abnormalities were associated with increased risk of persistent CIPN. Conclusion While CIPN improves in most pediatric patients, significant numbers, especially those treated for lymphoma or other solid tumors, have remaining neuropathic signs and symptoms 6 months posttreatment.
A Modified Approach to the Study of Blended Yarn Structures

The paper describes a method by which two different but important aspects of blended yarn structures could be studied together by a common procedure and set of parameters. These two aspects are: fiber helix migration, the importance of the study of which has been generally overlooked in blended yarns, and preferential radial migration. The present work is largely a theoretical attempt to relate a fiber helix migration parameter, the mean fiber position , with a preferential radial migration parameter, the linear migration index V. The latter is a new parameter that is introduced in this paper, and although quite similar to Hamilton's migration index M in its general properties, it characterizes the preferential radial migration on a linear scale and bears, under uniform packing conditions, an exact and a simple relationship with . An appendix included at the end gives the treatment relating with M. The results of a small experiment carried out on a binary blend, 50/50 by weight of 3- and 6-denier, 21/2-in...
Identification of Elastic Material Symmetry by Acoustic Measurement

The problem considered is that of identifying the type of elastic symmetry of a material from a small specimen of the material using acoustic wave measurements. The method described also determines the elastic constants of the material.
Thermodynamic studies of dynamic metal ligands with copper(II), cobalt(II), zinc(II) and nickel(II)

AbstractThe self-assembly of unsymmetrical metal ligands from simpler components circumvents complex synthetic approaches. We show herein how a recently developed three-component assembly to create tripicolylamine-like ligands can be extended to the use of azides rather than pyridines. Substituent effects, metal dependence, and reversibility of the assembly are explored. Further, we show that the extent of assembly directly correlates with the differential binding of the templating metals between dipicolylamine-like and tripicolyamine-like ligands.
LINC complexes promote homologous recombination in part through inhibition of nonhomologous end joining

The Caenorhabditis elegans SUN domain protein, UNC-84, functions in nuclear migration and anchorage in the soma. We discovered a novel role for UNC-84 in DNA damage repair and meiotic recombination. Loss of UNC-84 leads to defects in the loading and disassembly of the recombinase RAD-51. Similar to mutations in Fanconi anemia (FA) genes, unc-84 mutants and human cells depleted of Sun-1 are sensitive to DNA cross-linking agents, and sensitivity is rescued by the inactivation of nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). UNC-84 also recruits FA nuclease FAN-1 to the nucleoplasm, suggesting that UNC-84 both alters the extent of repair by NHEJ and promotes the processing of cross-links by FAN-1. UNC-84 interacts with the KASH protein ZYG-12 for DNA damage repair. Furthermore, the microtubule network and interaction with the nucleoskeleton are important for repair, suggesting that a functional linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex is required. We propose that LINC complexes serve a conserved role in DNA repair through both the inhibition of NHEJ and the promotion of homologous recombination at sites of chromosomal breaks.
Determining and Understanding N-H Bond Strengths in Synthetic Nitrogen Fixation Cycles

The fixation of atmospheric dinitrogen to ammonia using molecular catalysts has been a long-standing challenge in homogeneous catalysis and synthetic chemistry. New approaches to this problem may offer more energy-efficient and carbon-neutral routes to this important industrial compound. Despite the ubiquity of ammine, amide, imide and diazenide ligands in coordination chemistry, little thermodynamic data is available for understanding N-H bond strengths in molecules bearing these nitrogenous fragments. This article presents an overview of both computational and experimental approaches for the determination of N-H bond dissociation free energies in a variety of compounds relevant to nitrogen fixation to ammonia. The influence of metal oxidation state, ancillary ligand and identity of the nitrogen donor are highlighted. Implications for future design of molecular systems for the reduction of dinitrogen are discussed.
ADAM Metalloprotease-Released Cancer Biomarkers

Identification of early cancer, detection of progression, and monitoring of therapeutic success remain urgent issues in clinical medicine, particularly given the increasing cancer incidence in our aging populations. New methodologies have provided enormous progress over the past decades by defining the genetic and proteomic composition of cancers, yielding putative cancer biomarkers detectable in blood or other body fluids less invasively and more cheaply than using currently available screening techniques that often involve biopsies or surgery. However, the clinical use of these new methodologies is still far off. In this review, we focus on putative soluble cancer biomarkers shed from the cell surface by metalloproteases overexpressed in numerous cancers. Although useful candidates have been identified, their validation and adoption into clinical use remain challenging.
Additions to the Typhinae (Gastropoda: Muricidae) of the Gatun Formation, Panama

The molluscan fauna of the Gatun Formation of Panama is one of the most completely studied fossil assemblages in the Western Hemisphere (see Woodring, 1957-1982). A total of 396 shelled mollusks have been described from the unit (Woodring, 1982, p. 542) and yet, as a recent collecting trip to Panama revealed, the treasure trove is far from exhausted.
A Prospective, Quantitative Evaluation of Fatty Infiltration Before and After Rotator Cuff Repair.

Background:Current evaluation of muscle fatty infiltration has been limited by subjective classifications. Quantitative fat evaluation through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may allow for an impr...
Personalized Bioactive Nasal Supports for Postoperative Cleft Rhinoplasty

Purpose After cleft lip and palate surgical procedures, patients often need nostril supports to help the reconstructed nostrils retain their shape during healing. Many postoperative nasal stents use a one-size-fits-all approach, in which a standard rubber tube retainer is trimmed and used to support the healing nares. The purpose of this study was to examine photogrammetry and 3-dimensional (3D) printing as a fabrication tool for postoperative patient-specific nasal supports that can be loaded with bioactive agents for localized delivery. Materials and Methods A “normal” right nostril injection mold was prepared from a left-sided unilateral cleft defect, and the negative-space impression was modeled using a series of photographs taken at different rotation angles with a commercial mobile phone camera. These images were “stitched” together using photogrammetry software, and the computer-generated models were reflected, joined, and digitally sculpted to generate hollow bilateral supports. Three-dimensional prints were coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone-penicillin and validated for their ability to inhibit Escherichia coli using human blood agar diffusion assays. Results The results showed that our approach had a high level of contour replication and the antibiotic coating was able to inhibit bacterial growth with a mean zone of inhibition of 15.15 ± 0.99 mm (n = 9) (P Conclusions Consumer-grade 3D printing displays potential as a fabrication method for postoperative cleft bilateral nasal supports and may support the surgically reconstructed internal contours. The results of this study suggest that such types of bioactive 3D prints may have potential applications in personalized drug-delivery systems and medical devices.
Managing Patient with Mutations in PALB2 , CHEK2 , or ATM

The use of panel testing of multiple cancer-causing genes has allowed to find a subset of patients with harmful mutations in moderate penetrance genes. While extensive information is available regarding patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants, information regarding these less common genes and their management remains scarce. The aim of this review is to discuss penetrance, incidence, and management recommendations for PALB2, ATM, and CHEK2. NCCN guidelines now provide management recommendation for patients with pathogenic variants in these genes. In addition, more widespread testing has provided more information on penetrance and incidence. Although this is a huge step toward improving quality of care, prospective studies are still needed. We summarize the NCCN and other guidelines/suggestions for these genes and deliver our insight on the matter based on the best information we could find. PALB2, ATM, and CHEK2 are less penetrant than BRCA1–2 and have a different spectrum, suggesting differing management. Data about incidence and penetrance along with management recommendations for these genes are provided.
Conceptual Knowledge About Cognitive Activities

Empirical research concerning developmental changes in children’s understanding of cognitive activities is reviewed. Age-related changes in children’s knowledge of seven aspects of cognitive functioning are considered: (a) the stream of consciousness, (b) attention, (c) memory, (d) inference, (e) imagination, (f) relations between thoughts and emotions, and (g) the controllability of thoughts. Three general levels of understanding are distinguished: (a) occurrence knowledge: knowledge of the occurrence of particular cognitive activity, (b) organizational knowledge: knowledge of similarities and differences in the functions of cognitive activities, and (c) epistemological thought: broad, abstract thinking about the nature of knowledge and mind.
Retirement and Profit Sharing Plans

Retirement plans attempt to provide sufficient post-retirement income so that workers can achieve their pre-retirement standard of living. Hence, pension plans offer some retirement guarantee: the employer either guarantees a specified benefit at retirement under a defined benefit plan, or guarantees a contribution to a fund that is available to the retiring worker under a defined contribution fund. Private pension plans cover approximately 42 percent of all black and white workers, but only about 28 percent of Hispanic workers. Females have slightly lower coverage than males: 43.8 percent of all male workers are covered by a private pension, but only 39.8 percent of females are1. Table 15.1 indicates that participation in defined contribution plans more than doubled during the 1980 to 1994 period, while participation in defined benefit plans leveled off, or fell, depending upon how participation is measured.
Functional Domains of the c-Myc Protein

The ability of c-myc to transform cells in transgenic animals and its deregulated expression in human cancers provide evidence that c-myc plays a central role in neoplastic transformation. Its transforming activity can be assayed in tissue cultured cells as well. c-myc requires cooperation with an activated ras gene to transform primary rat embryo cells (RECs) in a focus formation assay1,2 (Fig. 1.12), whereas c-myc alone is able to transform a derivative rat embryo fibroblast cell line called Rat 1 a.3,4 In the avian system, v-Myc transforms macrophages and fibroblasts.5,6
Endoscopic and Robotic Thyroidectomy: An Evidence Approach

Thyroidectomy performed via the midline transverse incision remains the standard thyroidectomy approach ever since Theodor Kocher revolutionised thyroid surgery with his technique in the 1800s. With enhanced optics and development of energy devices capable of sealing moderate-calibre (5–8 mm) vessels, the ability to perform thyroidectomy through small midline incisions or via remote access incisions is made possible. Moreover, the desire of some patients to avoid conspicuous midline neck scars led to the push for alternate approaches to the thyroid through remote-access incisions. In this chapter, we will review the evidence in the use of endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy in the management of thyroid diseases.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Acute Pediatric Respiratory Failure

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to support children with acute respiratory failure has steadily increased over the past several decades, with major advancements having been made in the care of these children. There are, however, many controversies regarding indications for initiating ECMO in this setting and the appropriate management strategies thereafter. Broad indications for ECMO include hypoxia, hypercarbia, and severe air leak syndrome, with hypoxia being the most common. There are many disease-specific considerations when evaluating children for ECMO, but there are currently very few, if any, absolute contraindications. Venovenous rather than veno-arterial ECMO cannulation is the preferred configuration for ECMO support of acute respiratory failure due to its superior side-effect profile. The approach to lung management on ECMO is variable and should be individualized to the patient, with the main goal of reducing the risk of VILI. ECMO is a relatively rare intervention, and there are likely a minimum number of cases per year at a given center to maintain competency. Patients who have prolonged ECMO runs (i.e., greater than 21 days) are less likely to survive, though no absolute duration of ECMO that would mandate withdrawal of ECMO support can be currently recommended.
A Mathematical Model of the Human Cardiac Na+ Channel

Sodium ion channel is a membrane protein that plays an important role in excitable cells, as it is responsible for the initiation of action potentials. Understanding the electrical characteristics of sodium channels is essential in predicting their behavior under different physiological conditions. We investigated several Markov models for the human cardiac sodium channel NaV1.5 to derive a minimal mathematical model that describes the reported experimental data obtained using major voltage clamp protocols. We obtained simulation results for peak current-voltage relationships, the voltage dependence of normalized ion channel conductance, steady-state inactivation, activation and deactivation kinetics, fast and slow inactivation kinetics, and recovery from inactivation kinetics. Good agreement with the experimental data provides us with the mechanisms of the fast and slow inactivation of the human sodium channel and the coupling of its inactivation states to the closed and open states in the activation pathway.
6 – Bioarchaeological Interpretations of Subsistence Economy and Behavior from Human Skeletal Remains

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a synthesis of recent advances made in bioarchaeology, an emerging discipline that emphasizes the human biological component of the archaeological record. The chapter presents an examination of the impact of economy and behavior on skeletal and dental tissues. Skeletal and dental tissues are remarkably sensitive to the environment. Such factors as diet, disease, population size and mobility, physical exercise, and work leave indelible marks on these tissues. The chapter describes the means by which skeletal remains have been and can be used for understanding processes that underlie human behavior. It also explores the impact of different lifeways on the skeleton with reference to nonpathological and pathological changes in articular joints, bone form and function, and the nature of skeletal and dental changes in light of the use of the jaws and teeth in both masticatory and non-masticatory roles.
Intra-hour Cloud Index Forecasting with Data Assimilation

We introduce a computational framework to forecast cloud index fields for up to one hour on a spatial domain that covers a city. Our method combines a 2D advection model with cloud motion vectors (CMVs) derived from a mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) model and optical flow acting on successive, geostationary satellite images. We use ensemble data assimilation to combine these sources of cloud motion information based on the uncertainty of each data source. Our technique produces forecasts that have similar or lower root mean square error than reference techniques that use only optical flow, NWP CMV fields, or persistence. Further discussion and results of the forecasting system presented here can be found in [1].
Anticoagulation Strategy in Patients with HeartMate II Undergoing Elective Surgery

Introduction Management of anticoagulation in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) undergoing elective invasive procedures or surgeries is challenging. We studied the patterns and outcomes of management of anticoagulation in patients with HeartMate II. Methods We prospectively included patients with HeartMate II, followed at our institution, who were scheduled for elective invasive procedures or surgeries, and recorded anticoagulation management. Primary outcome was bleeding or pump thrombosis within 3 months following the procedure. Chi square test was used to calculate statistical significance. Results A total of 29 patients underwent 41 elective procedures. Before procedure, all were taking warfarin. Their mean INR was 2.3±0.9, and mean dose of warfarin was 4.9±2 mg/day. Five patients had more than one procedure. Out of them, 21 had 34 elective invasive procedures or surgeries raging from endoscopy and dental extraction to ileostomy reversal. There was no significant blood loss, with hematocrit 32.1±6.4 and 32.2±6.0 before and after procedure, respectively. INR on the day of the procedure was 1.6±0.4. Bleeding or thrombotic events within three months of the procedure occurred in 5 cases (16.1%). Anticoagulation was continued without interruption in 9 (26.4%) cases, interrupted without bridging in 16 (52.8%), and interrupted with bridging with heparin/low molecular weight heparin in 9 (26.4%) cases. In those who had uninterrupted anticoagulation during the procedure, one patient (11.1%) had oral bleeding requiring hospitalization after teeth extraction. There were no thromboembolic events. In patients with interruption of warfarin but no bridging there were no bleeding complications but there was one pump thrombosis requiring the device exchange (6.3%). Patients who were bridged had 4 bleeding events and no thrombosis (44.4%), p Additionally, 10 patients had procedures in the catheterization laboratory, including right heart catheterization and cardiomems implantation. All of them continued routine anticoagulation with warfarin. Only one patient with history of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding was admitted for GI bleeding one month after cardiomems implantation. Conclusions In patients with HeartMate II, bridging with low molecular weight heparin results in more bleeding events than continuing anticoagulation without interruption or interrupting warfarin without bridging.
Doing Our Part: Trust and Relational Dynamics in Literacy Coaching

ABSTRACTLiteracy coaching has become a prevalent model of professional development (PD) that embodies the characteristics of high-quality teacher learning. At the same time, many literacy coaches h...
Glycemic control in tuberculosis: Lessons learned from Taiwan

The global epidemic of diabetes and tuberculosis poses challenges to the control of both diseases. Patients with tuberculosis and diabetes experience worse clinical manifestations, increased risk of treatment failure, recurrence, and death. Diabetes is also associated with risk for latent tuberculosis infection. Management of hyperglycemia reduces the risk and improves the outcome of tuberculosis in diabetic patients. Recent epidemiological studies from Taiwan have provided new and important information on the benefits of metformin in tuberculosis. When addressing the issue of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a shortened anti-tuberculous therapeutic regime seems a feasible approach for better cure rates, with less loss-to-follow.
Automotive 3.0 µm Pixel High Dynamic Range Sensor with LED Flicker Mitigation.

We present and discuss parameters of a high dynamic range (HDR) image sensor with LED flicker mitigation (LFM) operating in automotive temperature range. The total SNR (SNR including dark fixed pattern noise), of the sensor is degraded by floating diffusion (FD) dark current (DC) and dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU). We present results of FD DC and DSNU reduction, to provide required SNR versus signal level at temperatures up to 120 °C. Additionally we discuss temperature dependencies of quantum efficiency (QE), sensitivity, color effects, and other pixel parameters for backside illuminated image sensors. Comparing +120 °C junction vs. room temperature, in visual range we measured a few relative percent increase, while in 940 nm band range we measured 1.46x increase in sensitivity. Measured change of sensitivity for visual bands—such as blue, green, and red colors—reflected some impact to captured image color accuracy that created slight image color tint at high temperature. The tint is, however, hard to detect visually and may be removed by auto white balancing and temperature adjusted color correction matrixes.
Preconditioner for estimation of multipole sources via full waveform inversion

Abstract Accurate representation and estimation of seismic sources is crucial to the joint medium-source full waveform inversion problem. We focus on the source estimation subproblem and its difficulties, where seismic sources are modeled by truncated series of multipoles. The source full waveform inversion formulation results in a highly ill-conditioned (potentially ill-posed) linear least squares problem which we attempt to solve iteratively via conjugate gradient. Our main contribution lies in developing a preconditioner to accelerate the performance of conjugate gradient on multipole source inversion. The proposed preconditioner consists of (fractional) time derivative/integral operators based on analytical solutions to the wave equation with multipole sources in an unbounded, homogeneous medium. Numerical results in 2D demonstrate that the conjugate gradient iterations are accelerated when incorporating the proposed preconditioning scheme.
Reducing Delays in Therapy for Children With Asthma Admitted From the Emergency Department

Background: A score-based asthma pathway is utilized at Arkansas Children’s Hospital to manage and treat asthma exacerbation in children. The pathway is initiated by the physician and completed by the respiratory therapist (RT) who assesses and provides treatment based on the score. Frequency of treatments and reassessment is dependent upon the score. When admission from the Emergency Department (ED) for asthma exacerbation occurs, an inpatient RT coordinator evaluates the patient upon arrival to the medical-surgical ward. Delays in treatment and escalations of care have occurred due to waiting on bed placement. During this time, inpatient orders are held until arrival to the ward and the coordinator is unable to assess. We hypothesized that if the RT coordinator evaluated the patient before transferring to the inpatient ward, delays in care would be decreased. Methods: The study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board. Several process changes were made including improved communication between the ED admitting nurse and the RT coordinator, patient assessment by the coordinator in the ED, and monitoring of the ED tracker board. A retrospective and prospective chart review was utilized to compare the length of time between rescoring in the ED and on the inpatient ward before and after process changes were made. Children with asthma admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) were excluded as assessment is done by the RT assigned to the unit rather than the coordinator. Results: There were 261 children with asthma admitted from the ED between June 2018 and January 2019. Of those, 95 were treated before changes were made while 114 where managed with new process. Fifty-two were excluded due to transfer to the PICU. The baseline for time between rescoring in the ED and on the inpatient ward was 132 minutes. Under the new process, the time was reduced to 81.48 minutes which resulted in a 38% decrease in waiting time. Conclusions: Implementing process changes for children with asthma admitted from the ED resulted in a significant reduction in the wait time for care.