cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of a semitendinosus myocutaneous flap for soft-tissue reconstruction of a grade IIIB open tibial fracture in a dog.

Objective To describe the clinical use of a semitendinosus myocutaneous flap for soft-tissue reconstruction of a grade IIIB open tibial fracture. Study Design Case report. Animals A 5-year-old castrated male Labrador retriever with a grade IIIB open tibial fracture. Methods A myocutaneous flap was created by elevating the origin of the semitendinosus muscle and the associated overlying skin. The flap was rotated distally based on the distal vascular pedicle into a soft-tissue defect overlying the central and distal third of the tibia. Results The flap allowed one-stage reconstruction of a severe soft-tissue defect overlying denuded bone in a grade IIIB open tibial fracture. The muscular portion of the flap survived; however, there was necrosis of 3 cm of skin extending distally beyond the muscular portion of the flap. Conclusion Distal rotation of the semitendinosus muscle and overlying skin can be used in the treatment of severe soft-tissue defects of the canine crus. Clinical Relevance Complex soft-tissue injuries to the canine crus can be treated with a myocutaneous flap as a reasonable alternative to other reconstructive techniques.
THE (NON)UTILITY OF LINGUISTIC FEATURES FOR PREDICTING PROMINENCE IN SPONTANEOUS SPEECH

Conversational speech is characterized by prosodic variability which makes pitch accent prediction for this genre especially difficult. The linguistic literature points out that complex features such as information status, contrast and animacy help predict pitch accent placement. In this paper, we use a corpus annotated for such features to determine if they improve prominence prediction over traditional shallow features such as frequency and part-of-speech, or over new ones that we introduce. We demonstrate that while correlated with prominence, complex linguistic features do not improve prediction accuracy. Furthermore, the performance of our classifier is quite close to the ceiling defined by variability in human accent placement. An oracle experiment demonstrates, though, that at least some accuracy improvement is still possible.
Bayesian Inference for Kappa from Single and Multiple Studies

SUMMARY. Cohen's kappa coefficient is a widely popular measure for chance-corrected nominal scale agreement between two raters. This article describes Bayesian analysis for kappa that can be routinely implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methodology. We consider the case of m > 2 independent samples of measured agreement, where in each sample a given subject is rated by two rating protocols on a binary scale. A major focus here is on testing the homogeneity of the kappa coefficient across the different .samples. The existing frequentist tests for this case assume exchangeability of rating protocols, whereas our proposed Bayesian test does not make any such assumption. Extensive simulation is carried out to compare the performances of the Bayesian and the frequentist tests. The developed methodology is illustrated using data from a clinical trial in ophthalmology.
Dystrophin and utrophin expression require sarcospan: loss of α7 integrin exacerbates a newly discovered muscle phenotype in sarcospan-null mice

Sarcospan (SSPN) is a core component of the major adhesion complexes in skeletal muscle, the dystrophin- and utrophin (Utr)-glycoprotein complexes (DGC and UGC). We performed a rigorous analysis of SSPN-null mice and discovered that loss of SSPN decreased DGC and UGC abundance, leading to impaired laminin-binding activity and susceptibility to eccentric contraction-induced injury in skeletal muscle. We show that loss of SSPN increased levels of α7β1 integrin. To genetically test whether integrin compensates for the loss of DGC and UGC function in SSPN-nulls, we generated mice lacking both SSPN and α7 integrin (DKO, double knockout). Muscle regeneration, sarcolemma integrity and fibrosis were exacerbated in DKO mice and were remarkably similar to muscle from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients, suggesting that secondary loss of integrin contributes significantly to pathogenesis. Expression of the DGC and UGC, laminin binding and Akt signaling were negatively impacted in DKO muscle, resulting in severely diminished specific force properties. We demonstrate that SSPN is a necessary component of dystrophin and Utr function and that SSPN modulation of integrin signaling is required for extracellular matrix attachment and muscle force development.
Teaching Adolescents About Alcohol and Driving: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study

Previously reported data have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Teams, Games, Tournaments (TGT) alcohol education program. This article presents a 2-year follow-up of the effects of the TGT program as compared to the traditional instruction and no-instruction control groups. Follow-up data indicate that the TGT students maintained previous positive changes. Applications of this primary prevention program to social work practice are discussed.
Photosynthetic responses of Mojave Desert shrubs to free air CO2 enrichment are greatest during wet years

It has been suggested that desert vegetation will show the strongest response to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide due to strong water limitations in these systems that may be ameliorated by both photosynthetic enhancements and reductions in stomatal conductance. Here, we report the long-term effect of 55 Pa atmospheric CO2 on photosynthesis and stomatal conductance for three Mojave Desert shrubs of differing leaf phenology (Ambrosia dumosa—drought-deciduous, Krameria erecta—winter-deciduous, Larrea tridentata—evergreen). The shrubs were growing in an undisturbed ecosystem fumigated using FACE technology and were measured over a four-year period that included both above and below-average precipitation. Daily integrated photosynthesis (Aday) was significantly enhanced by elevated CO2 for all three species, although Krameria erecta showed the greatest enhancements (63% vs. 32% for the other species) enhancements were constant throughout the entire measurement period. Only one species, Larrea tridentata, decreased stomatal conductance by 25–50% in response to elevated CO2, and then only at the onset of the summer dry season and following late summer convective precipitation. Similarly, reductions in the maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco were limited to Larrea during spring. These results suggest that the elevated CO2 response of desert vegetation is a function of complex interactions between species functional types and prevailing environmental conditions. Elevated CO2 did not extend the active growing season into the summer dry season because of overall negligible stomatal conductance responses that did not result in significant water conservation. Overall, we expect the greatest response of desert vegetation during years with above-average precipitation when the active growing season is not limited to ∼2 months and, consequently, the effects of increased photosynthesis can accumulate over a biologically significant time period.
Fast Fourier transform, iteration, and least-squares-fit demodulation image processing for analysis of single-carrier fringe pattern

Fast Fourier transform (FFT), iteration, and least-squares fit are combined to form an image-processing system for the analysis of a carrier-coded fringe pattern. Only one coded fringe pattern is needed for extracting unambiguous information. The coded fringe pattern is first two-dimensionally FFT filtered to produce an initial coded phase with the carrier phase in it. Several phase iterations are carried out if necessary to improve the coded phase. The least-squares-fit technique is used to obtain a pure carrier phase. Then the carrier is removed by subtracting the pure carrier phase from the coded phase. The algorithm offers an improvement over the Fourier-transform method reported in the literature. A program is designed to execute the algorithm, and the processing is automated by a personal computer with an image board. Theory and applications of speckle interferometry and three-dimensional contouring are presented.
Adjusting process count on demand for petascale global optimization

There are many challenges that need to be met before efficient and reliable computation at the petascale is possible. Many scientific and engineering codes running at the petascale are likely to be memory intensive, which makes thrashing a serious problem for many petascale applications. One way to overcome this challenge is to use a dynamic number of processes, so that the total amount of memory available for the computation can be increased on demand. This paper describes modifications made to the massively parallel global optimization code pVTdirect in order to allow for a dynamic number of processes. In particular, the modified version of the code monitors memory use and spawns new processes if the amount of available memory is determined to be insufficient. The primary design challenges are discussed, and performance results are presented and analyzed.
Spatial Cognition and Gender Instructional and Stimulus Influences on Mental Image Rotation Performance

Recent research has demonstrated that “sex differences” on mental image rotation (MIR) tasks may be attenuated through manipulations of instructional or stimulus conditions. The interaction of these variables was examined in two experiments. In the first, subjects received instructions that emphasized or de-emphasized the spatial nature of the MIR task. In the second, instructions emphasized the use of MIR abilities in stereotypically “masculine” or “feminine” occupations. The relevant interactions were significant in both experiments. Men performed at higher levels than women in the spatial instruction conditions, but no sex differences were observed under nonspatial instructions. These effects were further shown to be mediated by stimulus type; simpler or more familiar stimuli were less deleterious to the performance of women. These results add to the evidence that instructional and stimulus effects may exacerbate or eliminate sex differences in spatial cognition.
Secure probabilistic location verification in randomly deployed wireless sensor networks

Security plays an important role in the ability to deploy and retrieve trustworthy data from a wireless sensor network. Location verification is an effective defense against attacks which take advantage of a lack, or compromise, of location information. In this work, a secure probabilistic location verification method for randomly deployed dense sensor networks is proposed. The proposed Probabilistic Location Verification (PLV) algorithm leverages the probabilistic dependence of the number of hops a broadcast packet traverses to reach a destination and the Euclidean distance between the source and the destination. A small number of verifier nodes are used to determine the plausibility of the claimed location, which is represented by a real number between zero and one. Using the calculated plausibility metric, it is possible to create arbitrary number of trust levels in the location claimed. Simulation studies verify that the proposed solution provides high performance in face of various types of attacks.
On the importance of synthetic organic chemistry in drug discovery: reflections on the discovery of antidiabetic agent ertugliflozin

The discovery of antidiabetic agent ertugliflozin is described. The compound belongs to a new class of SGLT2 inhibitors bearing a dioxa-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane motif. This article describes the critical role that organic synthesis played in both influencing our medicinal chemistry strategy and speeding up the progression of our program.
Reengineering biomedical engineering curricula: a new product development approach

Product development engineers in medical industries have created design control procedures to ensure high quality designs that are as error-free as possible. The reason is simple; companies must adhere to certain engineering and manufacturing "best practices" in order to obtain certification of their devices for sale in the US and abroad. We describe here an ongoing effort to apply these industrial "best practices" to the design and implementation of a novel sequence of undergraduate biomedical computing courses within the Department of Bio-medical Engineering at Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). We have tightly integrated our industrial advisory board into this design and development effort. The board has contributed to significantly to the orderly generation of curricular requirements, the development of course implementation designs and the evaluation of these designs per requirements.
Reconstruction of the hard palate using the radial forearm free flap: indications and outcomes.

Background. Although prosthetic obturation is the “gold standard” for restoration of hard-palate defects, obturators can be problematic. We present 10 cases of palatal reconstruction with the radial forearm free flap and compare patient satisfaction with defect-matched patients rehabilitated with prosthetic obturation. Methods. Twelve patients who underwent radial forearm free flap (RFFF) reconstruction of a hard-palate defect and eight patients, with similar-sized defects who were rehabilitated with a prosthetic obturator, were evaluated for donor site and recipient site complications, diet, and patient satisfaction. Results. All the patients in both groups were able to resume an unrestricted diet with normal mastication and articulation. Both groups achieved equivalent satisfaction scores with regard to appearance, chewing, and taste; however, the patients reconstructed with an RFFF reported higher satisfaction scores in speech, comfort, convenience, and social interaction. Conclusions. RFFF reconstruction of hard-palate defects provides a functional alternative to conventional prosthetic obturators. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck26: 808–814, 2004
Analysis of Rotator Cuff Repair Trends in a Large Private Insurance Population

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify current trends in open and arthroscopic surgical treatment of rotator cuff tears across sex, age, and region in the United States. Methods Using the PearlDiver Patient Record Database (PearlDiver, Fort Wayne, IN), a publicly available national database of insurance records, patients who underwent rotator cuff repair from 2004 through 2009 were identified. The number of open (CPT codes 23410, 23412, 23420) and arthroscopic (CPT code 29827) rotator cuff repairs were quantified in isolation and in combination with acromioplasty (CPT codes 23415, 29826). The type of procedure, date, sex, and region of the country was identified for each patient. Trend tests (χ 2 and Cochran-Armitage) were used to determine statistical significance. Results There were 151,866 rotator cuff repair procedures identified in the database from 2004 through 2009, which represented an incidence of 13.6 for every 1,000 patients assigned an orthopaedic International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) or Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code. Male patients accounted for 60% of the repairs and female patients for 40%. There were 98,174 arthroscopic cuff repairs (65%) and 53,692 open repairs (35%). The annual percentage of arthroscopic cases increased from 48.8% in 2004 to 74.3% in 2009, whereas the percentage of open cases decreased from 51.2% in 2004 to 25.7% in 2009 ( P P Conclusions Our analysis shows that the majority of rotator cuff repairs in the United States are now performed arthroscopically (>74%) and there has been a recent steady decline in performance of open rotator cuff repair. Concomitant acromioplasty is performed approximately half the time, and this trend is increasing slightly. These findings were consistent across age, sex, and region in the United States. Level of Evidence IV, cross-sectional study.
One Size Does Not Fit All: An Examination of Low Birthweight Disparities Among a Diverse Set of Racial/Ethnic Groups

To examine disparities in low birthweight using a diverse set of racial/ethnic categories and a nationally representative sample. This research explored the degree to which sociodemographic characteristics, health care access, maternal health status, and health behaviors influence birthweight disparities among seven racial/ethnic groups. Binary logistic regression models were estimated using a nationally representative sample of singleton, normal for gestational age births from 2001 using the ECLS-B, which has an approximate sample size of 7,800 infants. The multiple variable models examine disparities in low birthweight (LBW) for seven racial/ethnic groups, including non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, U.S.-born Mexican-origin Hispanic, foreign-born Mexican-origin Hispanic, other Hispanic, Native American, and Asian mothers. Race-stratified logistic regression models were also examined. In the full sample models, only non-Hispanic black mothers have a LBW disadvantage compared to non-Hispanic white mothers. Maternal WIC usage was protective against LBW in the full models. No prenatal care and adequate plus prenatal care increase the odds of LBW. In the race-stratified models, prenatal care adequacy and high maternal health risks are the only variables that influence LBW for all racial/ethnic groups. The race-stratified models highlight the different mechanism important across the racial/ethnic groups in determining LBW. Differences in the distribution of maternal sociodemographic, health care access, health status, and behavior characteristics by race/ethnicity demonstrate that a single empirical framework may distort associations with LBW for certain racial and ethnic groups. More attention must be given to the specific mechanisms linking maternal risk factors to poor birth outcomes for specific racial/ethnic groups.
Bulk modification of polymeric microfluidic devices

The surface properties of microfluidic devices play an important role in their flow behavior. We report here on an effective control of the surface chemistry and performance of polymeric microchips through a bulk modification route during the fabrication process. The new protocol is based on modification of the bulk microchip material by tailored copolymerization of monomers during atmospheric-pressure molding. A judicious addition of a modifier to the primary monomer solution thus imparts attractive properties to the plastic microchip substrate, including significant enhancement and/or modulation of the EOF (with flow velocities comparable to those of glass), a strong pH sensitivity and high stability. Carboxy, sulfo, and amino moieties have thus been introduced (through the incorporation of methylacrylic acid, 2-sulfoethyl-methacrylate and 2-aminoethyl-methacrylate monomers, respectively). A strong increase in the electroosmotic pumping compared to the native poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) microchip (ca. electroosmotic mobility increases from 2.12 to 4.30 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1) is observed using a 6% methylacrylate (MAA) modified PMMA microchip. A 3% aminoethyl modified PMMA microchip exhibits a reversal of the electroosmotic mobility (for example, −5.6 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1 at pH 3.0). The effects of the modifier loading and the pH on the EOF have been investigated for the MAA-modified PMMA chips. The bulk-modified devices exhibit reproducible and stable EOF behavior. The one step fabrication/modification protocol should further facilitate the widespread production of high-performance plastic microchip devices.
A Novel VLSI Divide and Conquer Implementation of the Iterative Array Multiplier

A novel VLSI architecture for binary multipliers is introduced. It is based on an existing parameterized divide and conquer algorithm that uses optimal partitioning and redundancy removal for simultaneous computation of partial sums. The VLSI implementation of the proposed parameterized binary multiplier architecture (PBMA) is obtained by applying this algorithm to the iterative array multiplier implementation. Two variations of the PBMA, namely PBMA-A and PBMA-AT, are implemented and compared to the conventional carry-save array multiplier implementation. For the 128-bit by 128-bit case, the area (A) optimized PBMA-A is shown to achieve significant area (A) savings of 57%, at the cost of18% increase in operational delay (T), while the area-time product (AT) optimized PBMA-AT is shown to achieve significant AT savings of 59%, reflecting area (A) and operational delay (T) savings of 46% and 24%, respectively
An intrinsic reward for affordance exploration

In this paper, we present preliminary results demonstrating how a robot can learn environmental affordances in terms of the features that predict successful control and interaction. We extend previous work in which we proposed a learning framework that allows a robot to develop a series of hierarchical, closed-loop manipulation behaviors. Here, we examine a complementary process where the robot builds probabilistic models about the conditions under which these behaviors are likely to succeed. To accomplish this, we present an intrinsic reward function that directs the robot's exploratory behavior towards gaining confidence in these models. We demonstrate how this single intrinsic motivator can lead to artifacts of behavior such as “novelty,” “habituation,” and “surprise.” We present results using the bimanual robot Dexter, and explore these results further in simulation.
Effect of sialodacryoadenitis virus exposure on acinar epithelial cells from the rat lacrimal gland

Sialodacryoadenitis virus (SDAV), a RNA coronavirus, induces degenerative, necrotic and atrophic alterations in acinar epithelial cells of the rat lacrimal gland. To begin to explore the underlying mechanism(s) of this viral effect, we sought in the present study to: (1) determine whether SDAV invades and replicates in lacrimal gland acinar cells in vitro and (2) assess whether short-term SDAV challenge interferes with the viability or function of acinar cells in vitro. For comparison we also evaluated the relative infectivity of SDAV in acinar epithelial cells from lacrimal, submandibular and parotid glands, given that salivary tissues are known to be highly susceptible to SDAV infection in vivo. Acinar epithelial cells from lacrimal, submandibular or parotid glands were isolated from male rats, exposed briefly to SDAV or control cell antigen and then cultured for four, eight or twelve days. At experimental termination, SDAV titers in both media and sonicated cell extracts were evaluated by plaque assay titration on mouse L2 cell monolayers. To evaluate functional aspects of lacrimal gland acinar cells, SDAV-infected cells were incubated in the presence or absence of dihydrotestosterone and culture media were analyzed by RIA to measure the extent of the androgen-induced increase in secretory component (SC) production. Our results showed that: (1) SDAV invades and replicates in lacrimal gland acinar cells, Viral challenge resulted in a significant, time-dependent increase in SDAV titers, that were primarily cell-associated and greatly exceeded amounts contained in the original inoculum; (2) SDAV infection did not compromise lacrimal acinar cell viability or prevent the cellular SC response to androgens. Viral presence, though, did often attenuate the magnitude of this hormone action; and (3) SDAV infects salivary acinar cells, but the kinetics and magnitude or viral replication in lacrimal, submandibular and parotid cells showed considerable variations. These findings demonstrate that SDAV invades and replicates in acinar epithelial cells from lacrimal and salivary glands. The resulting release of infectious progeny may play a role in the SDAV-induced pathology of exocrine tissues in vivo.
Fixed-Point Theory

We are interested in studying the behavior of continuous functions on manifolds with particular interest in detecting the presence or absence of fixed points or coincidences. This is a classical problem, so it may prove enlightening to take a brief look at some of its early development.
Anesthetic Success of an Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block and Supplemental Articaine Buccal Infiltration for Molars and Premolars in Patients with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the anesthetic success of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block, and supplemental articaine buccal infiltration after a failed IAN block, in first and second molars and premolars in patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Methods As part of 6 studies, 375 emergency patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis received 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine via an IAN block. After profound lip numbness, endodontic access and instrumentation were initiated. If the patient felt moderate to severe pain, a supplemental buccal infiltration of a cartridge of 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine was administered (204 patients), and endodontic treatment continued. Success was defined as the ability to access and instrument the tooth without pain (visual analogue scale rating of 0) or mild pain (visual analogue scale rating less than or equal to 54 mm). Results IAN block success was 28% for the first molars, 25% for the second molars, and 39% for the premolars. There were no significant differences when comparing molars with premolars. For the supplemental articaine buccal infiltration, success was 42% for the first molars, 48% for the second molars, and 73% for the premolars. There were no significant differences when comparing the molars, but there was a significant difference when comparing the premolars with the molars. Conclusions For patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, the success rates for the IAN block and supplemental buccal infiltration of articaine of the molars and premolars would not be high enough to ensure profound pulpal anesthesia.
Abstract 309: Is Right Bundle Branch Block Associated with Poor Outcomes in the Setting of an Acute Coronary Syndrome? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance: Up to 10% of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have right bundle branch block (RBBB), and RBBB has been associated with a higher risk of mortality. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prognostic significance of RBBB for patients with AMI. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) Data Sources: We have systematically searched Ovid, Scopus and Web of Science through January 2014. Study Selection: Reviewers working independently and in duplicate screened all eligible abstracts, selecting studies that described all-cause mortality or cardiovascular death in patients with RBBB and suspected ACS. We excluded studies that reported unadjusted outcomes. Knowledge synthesis: We pooled risk ratio with hazard ratio in studies reporting those outcomes. When reported, odds ratio was converted into risk ratio using reported event rate in each study’s unexposed -read: non RBBB- group. Main Outcomes: All-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality (death). Results: Eighteen studies were found that reported eligible data. All were observational studies, involving over 89,000 patients. In short-term follow up (up to 30 days), RBBB on presentation was associated with higher all-cause mortality rate, compared to patients without RBBB (RR 2.23, 95% CI 1.76-2.82). There was a trend for higher mortality at long-term follow up (range: 6 months-16 years) that did not reach statistical significance (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.93-2.25). Figure-1 demonstrates the forest plot. Risk of bias was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and majority of included studied were deemed moderate to high quality. Conclusion and Relevance: RBBB is associated with a more than 2-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality in patients with AMI at 30 days follow up. Patients with AMI and RBBB represent a high risk group for adverse outcomes. A sentence on the differential findings for new vs. old RBBB and association with outcomes could follow here. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Homicidal behavior and sleep apnea : a case report and medicolegal discussion

This case report documents the use of sleep apnea as a criminal defense for a man who fatally shot his wife during his usual sleeping hours. The defendant, who had severe sleep apnea as determined by a clinical evaluation and a polysomnographic study, admitted to shooting his wife but claimed that he was asleep at the time. Two physicians testified for the defense that the sleep apnea was of sufficient severity that the defendant may have had a confusional arousal related to the sleep apnea in which he could have shot his wife accidentally. Another physician, testifying for the prosecution, found no evidence to support this defense after a review of the patient's history and polysomnographic records and a review of relevant literature which may have linked sleep apnea with sleep-related violence. In this case, there was substantial apparent motive for the murder, including a past history of spousal and child abuse and a note written by the victim around the time of the shooting describing her intention to take the children and leave the suspect. The jury rejected the sleep apnea defense, handing down a first-degree murder verdict. In the discussion, we briefly review medicolegal issues related to the case as well as prospective guidelines for the medicolegal assessment of future cases.
Dexamethasone stimulates release of an ANP-like substance from rainbow trout cardiocytes

A substance that cross-reacts with antiserum to human atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is found in fish hearts. This ANP-like material increases sodium output from the gill and kidney while inhibiting sodium uptake in the gut. Mammalian ANP secretion is stimulated by glucocorticoids, and cortisol injection increases sodium output in salt-loaded fish. Therefore, we wanted to determine if the release of ANP in fish is sensitive to dexamethasone. Ventricle cardiocytes from the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were treated with various doses of dexamethasone for 18 or 72 h. Single ventricle cells were then assayed for ANP release using a reverse hemolytic plaque assay and antiserum to human alpha-ANP. Incubation with 100 microM dexamethasone almost doubled the population of ventricle cells committed to ANP release (basal, 15.0 +/- 0.3% vs. Dexamethasone, 28.3 +/- 1.4%; values are percent plaque formation +/- SE). Stimulation of ANP secretion was dependent on dose and time of exposure to dexamethasone. These results suggest that ANP secretion in fish is regulated by glucocorticoids.
Boas, Franz (1858–1942)

Franz Boas reshaped American anthropology from building and tending museum collections into a field-oriented academic discipline incorporating the disciplined professional study of living languages and cultures. He and his many students documented many American languages and greatly advanced the techniques of descriptive linguistics.
Prevalence of Hypopigmented and Cafe-Au-Lait Spots in Idiopathic Epilepsy

The prevalences of hypopigmented maculae and cafe-au-lait spots were investigated in 210 children with idiopathic epilepsy, between 2 and 17 years of age, and 2754 health controls children, at the Departments of Pediatrics and Dermatology, Hacettepe University and Inonu University Medical Schools, Turkey.
Informal Communication in Industrial Markets

Interviews with industrial buyers failed to identify a significant amount of word-of-mouth communication in industrial markets and suggested a key role for manufacturers’ salesmen.
Blood Pressure and Hematology in Dogs Injected with Ant. Pituitary Extract

SummaryNo increase in blood pressure or in erythrocytes, reticulocytes, or hemoglobin was produced by repeated injections of an active crude saline extract of anterior pituitary.
An improved implantable temporary pacemaker electrode

A new temporary pacemaker electrode, which leaves no exposed areas of wire when implanted, has been designed for use in postoperative cardiac surgical patients. The device, tested in 28 patients who underwent open-heart surgery, has significantly reduced the increase in myocardial threshold to pacing that occurs with the commonly used electrode. Sensing of the electrical signal has been excellent for demand pacing. We feel that this new electrode represents an improvement in the management of patients with postoperative arrhythmias.
Pediatric perioperative education current practices: a national survey of children's hospitals in the United States.

Identifying existing practices is a first step in the creation of developmentally and culturally effective teaching materials for children and families. This national survey queried two groups to e...
Privacy-Preserving Verifiable Set Operation in Big Data for Cloud-Assisted Mobile Crowdsourcing

The ubiquity of smartphones makes the mobile crowdsourcing possible, where the requester (task owner) can crowdsource data from the workers (smartphone users) by using their sensor-rich mobile devices. However, data collection, data aggregation, and data analysis have become challenging problems for a resource constrained requester when data volume is extremely large, i.e., big data. In particular to data analysis, set operations, including intersection, union, and complementation, exist in most big data analysis for filtering redundant data and preprocessing raw data. Facing challenges in terms of limited computation and storage resources, cloud-assisted approaches may serve as a promising way to tackle the big data analysis issue. However, workers may not be willing to participate if the privacy of their sensing data and identity are not well preserved in the untrusted cloud. In this paper, we propose to the use cloud to compute a set operation for the requester, at the same time workers’ data privacy and identities privacy are well preserved. Besides, the requester can verify the correctness of set operation results. We also extend our scheme to support data preprocessing, with which invalid data can be excluded before data analysis. By using batch verification and data update methods, the proposed scheme greatly reduces the computational cost. Extensive performance analysis and experiment based on real cloud system have shown both the feasibility and efficiency of our proposed scheme.
Analysis of Bulk FinFET Structural Effects on Single-Event Cross Sections

A set of upset criteria based on circuit characteristic switching time frame is developed and used to bridge transistor-level TCAD simulations to circuit-level single-event (SE) upset cross sections for advanced (fast and small) digital circuits. Interpretation of the measured and 3D TCAD simulated single-event upset (SEU) responses of bulk planar circuits and bulk FinFET circuits using the short-time based upset criteria quantitatively explains the observed divergence of low-LET FinFET cross sections from simple geometric scaling predictions. Comparisons of measured and computed single-event cross section responses show excellent agreement.
Automated Veri.cation of the Dependability of Object-Oriented Real-Time Systems

We develop an effective approach to formally specify and automatically verify the dependability of object-oriented real-time systems based on the Actor model and Real-Time Maude. Our approach decomposes an application into functional components represented as concurrent objects or actors, and separately specifies the timing constraints using RTSynchronizer. It achieves the goal of automatically verifying the dependability and timing properties of the target system by implementing the operational semantics of Actor and RTSynchronizer in Real-Time Maude, which supports executable specification and various temporal model checking analysis. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by an annotated case study of the Simplex architecture.
Metadata and Reproducibility: A Case Study of Gravitational Wave Research Data Management

The complexity of computationally-intensive scientific research poses great challenges for both research data management and research reproducibility. What metadata needs to be captured for tracking, reproducing, and reusing computational results is the starting point in developing metadata models to fulfil these functions of data management. This paper reports the findings from interviews with gravitational wave (GW) researchers, which were designed to gather user requirements to develop a metadata model. Motivations for keeping documentation of data and analysis results include trust, accountability and continuity of work. Research reproducibility relies on metadata that represents code dependencies and versions and has good documentation for verification. Metadata specific to GW data, workflows and outputs tend to differ from those currently available in metadata standards. The paper also discusses the challenges in representing code dependencies and workflows. .
Clark model in the general situation

For a unitary operator U in a Hilbert space H the family of its unitary perturbations by rank one operators with fixed range is parametrized by a complex parameter γ, ǀγǀ = 1. Namely, all such unitary perturbations are operators U γ := U + (γ − 1)( ·, b 1) H b, where b ∈ H, ǁbǁ = 1, b 1 = U −1 b, ǀγǀ = 1. For ǀγǀ < 1, the operators U γ are contractions with one-dimensional defects. Restricting our attention to the non-trivial part of perturbation, we assume that b is a cyclic vector for U, i.e., $${\rm H} = \overline {span} \left\{ {{U^n}b:n \in \mathbb{Z}} \right\}$$ . In this case, the operator U γ, ǀγǀ < 1 is a completely non-unitary contraction and thus unitarily equivalent to its functional model M γ , which is the compression of the multiplication by the independent variable z onto the model space $${K_{{\theta _\gamma }}}$$ ; here, θ γ is the characteristic function of the contraction U γ . The Clark operator Φ γ is a unitary operator intertwining the operator U γ , ǀγǀ < 1 (in the spectral representation of the operator U) and its model M γ , M γ Φ γ = Φ γ U γ . In the case when the spectral measure of U is purely singular (equivalently, the characteristic function θ γ is inner), the operator Φ γ was described from a slightly different point of view by D. Clark [3]. The case where θ γ is an extreme point of the unit ball in H ∞ was treated by D. Sarason [18], using the sub-Hardy spaces H(θ) introduced by L. de Branges. In this paper, we treat the general case and give a systematic presentation of the subject. We first find a formula for the adjoint operator Φ * , which is represented by a singular integral operator, generalizing in a sense the normalized Cauchy transform studied by A. Poltoratskii [16]. We begin by presenting a “universal” representation that works for any transcription of the functional model. We then give the formulas adapted for specific transcriptions of the model, such as Sz.-Nagy–Foias and the de Branges–Rovnyak transcriptions. Finally, we obtain the representation of Φ γ .
Dose optimization in pediatric nuclear medicine

Diagnostic nuclear medicine studies provide invaluable information in the diagnosis and follow-up of many disorders in children. These studies are physiologic, highly sensitive, and minimally invasive. It is generally agreed that when performed appropriately, these procedures carry low radiation exposures and pose no demonstrable risk to patients. To date, there have not been documented risks to the patient with such low doses of radiation from nuclear medicine studies. During the past few years, there has been an increased level of interest and concern over the potential health risks to children from diagnostic imaging studies that utilize ionizing radiation. Reported risks from CT in children include the development of cancers and, in the case of CT radiation levels to the head in early life, the effect on cognitive function. These concerns have been a source of extensive coverage both in the scientific literature and in the public press. These communications are too many to cite in this chapter. Even with such a wealth of published literature, controversy still exists regarding what the real or potential risks are from low radiation exposures in diagnostic imaging in children. This topic is likely to remain a source of ongoing discussion and further research for some time to come.
p53: master of life, death, and the epigenome.

Long understood as a bona fide tumor suppressor that safeguards the integrity of the genome via regulating numerous cellular outcomes, p53 may also exert its decisive and versatile functions by controlling DNA methylation. In this issue of Genes & Development, Tovy and colleagues (pp. 959-972) report that, in naive mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), p53 controls DNA methylation homeostasis by regulating the expression of key counteracting components of the DNA methylation machinery. Their findings indicate that p53 may exert its "guardian of genome" duties at least in part via safeguarding the epigenome of ESCs.
An occurrence of apnea, bradycardia, and desaturation events resulting in a delay of discharge in late preterm and full term infants.

Abstract Abstract: Background: Respiratory events including apnea, bradycardia, and desaturation (ABD) have been well described in early preterm infants. Minimal data are available regarding the epidemiology of such events that result in delayed discharge in the late preterm (>34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks gestational age (GA)) and term (> 37 weeks GA) population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of 59,968 infants born at ≥34 weeks GA at two tertiary hospitals between January 2009 and December 2013. Infants who experienced ABD events that resulted in delay of discharge were identified and analyzed. Results: Among 59,968 late preterm and term infants, 1.2% were diagnosed with discharge-delaying ABD events. Persistent ABD events resulting in delayed discharged was not associated with prior respiratory support. Conclusions: Discharge-delaying ABD events affect a small proportion, but large absolute number of late preterm and term infants highlighting the opportunity for quality improvement via a standardized management approach.
Unpacking the Structure of Coordination Mechanisms and the Role of Relational Coordination in an Era of Digitally Mediated Work Processes

Relational coordination suggests that high-quality relationships improve coordination. Yet as the landscape of work shifts toward digitization of coordination processes, organizations increasingly ...
Separation of Protactinium Employing Sulfur-Based Extraction Chromatographic Resins.

Protactinium-230 (t1/2 = 17.4 d) is the parent isotope of 230U (t1/2 = 20.8 d), a radionuclide of interest for targeted alpha therapy (TAT). Column chromatographic methods have been developed to separate no-carrier-added 230Pa from proton irradiated thorium targets and accompanying fission products. Results reported within demonstrate the use of novel sulfur bearing chromatographic extraction resins for the selective separation of protactinium. The recovery yield of 230Pa was 93 ± 4% employing a R3P═S type commercially available resin and 88 ± 4% employing a DGTA (diglycothioamide) containing custom synthesized extraction chromatographic resin. The radiochemical purity of the recovered 230Pa was measured via high purity germanium γ-ray spectroscopy to be >99.5% with the remaining radioactive contaminant being 95Nb due to its similar chemistry to protactinium. Measured equilibrium distribution coefficients for protactinium, thorium, uranium, niobium, radium, and actinium on both the R3P═S type and the DGTA...
Growth regulations of human malignant cells.

Until recently it was accepted that a hallmark of malignant cells was their lack of responsiveness to normal growth regulation. In fact, malignant cell populations were generally characterized as being rapidly growing and out of control.
A review of computer graphics equipment for engineering applications

This paper looks at the development of computer graphics equipment from the 1960s up to the present time, and at the different technologies which have emerged to fill the needs of the engineering community.
Creating New Technologies for Companionable Agents to Support Isolated Older Adults

This article reports on the development of capabilities for (on-screen) virtual agents and robots to support isolated older adults in their homes. A real-time architecture was developed to use a virtual agent or a robot interchangeably to interact via dialog and gesture with a human user. Users could interact with either agent on 12 different activities, some of which included on-screen games, and forms to complete. The article reports on a pre-study that guided the choice of interaction activities. A month-long study with 44 adults between the ages of 55 and 91 assessed differences in the use of the robot and virtual agent.
Organocatalyzed Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Catalyzed by Core Modified N-Aryl Phenoxazines Performed under Air

Organocatalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (O-ATRP) was performed under air using core modified N-aryl phenoxazines as photoredox catalysts (PCs) to synthesize poly(methyl methacrylate) in a controlled fashion with initiator efficiency (I* = Mn,theo/Mn × 100) ranging from 84 to 99% and dispersity being ∼1.2–1.3. Reduction of the reaction vial headspace was key for enabling the polymerization to proceed in a controlled fashion, as has been observed in Cu catalyzed controlled radical polymerizations. The ability to synthesize block copolymers and turn the polymerization on and off via manipulation of the light source was demonstrated. Six core modified N-aryl phenoxazines were able to catalyze O-ATRP under air, albeit with most PCs achieving I*s ∼ 5% lower under air compared to when the reaction was performed under nitrogen.
Identifying Missed Clinical Opportunities in Delivery of Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Prescription to Adolescents Using Opioids.

Abstract Purpose Pediatricians play a role in reducing opioid-related harms, including deaths, for patients and families. We examine knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to overdose prevention and naloxone prescribing in the clinical setting by pediatric trainees. Methods Pediatric trainees at an academic medical center were surveyed using an adapted 17-item instrument examining knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of naloxone and overdose prevention. Results Eighty-two percent reported frequent exposure to patients using opioids and at risk of overdose. While 94% felt they had the responsibility to educate patients about overdose risk, only 42% ever discussed overdose prevention. The majority (71%) were aware of naloxone as a prevention measure, but only 10% ever prescribed naloxone. Conclusions Pediatric residents frequently encountered patients using opioids, but the majority failed to deliver interventions to reduce overdose and related harms. We need concerted efforts to educate pediatric providers on delivering overdose harm prevention to opioid-using adolescents as part of routine clinical care.