cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repeat CT imaging and replanning during the course of IMRT for head-and-neck cancer

Purpose: Many patients with head-and-neck (HN p = 0.003) and the brainstem D max increased in 85% of patients without replanning (range, 0.6–8.1 Gy; p = 0.007). Conclusions: Repeat CT imaging and replanning during the course of IMRT for selected patients with H&N cancer is essential to identify dosimetric changes and to ensure adequate doses to target volumes and safe doses to normal tissues. Future prospective studies with larger sample sizes will help to determine criteria for repeat CT imaging and IMRT replanning for H&N cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
Genome-wide association study for biomarker identification of Rapamycin and Everolimus using a lymphoblastoid cell line system.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, a set of promising potential anti-cancer agents, has shown response variability among individuals. This study aimed to identify novel biomarkers and mechanisms that might influence the response to Rapamycin and Everolimus. Genome-wide association (GWA) analyses involving single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), mRNA and microRNAs microarray data were assessed for association with area under the cytotoxicity dose response curve (AUC) of two mTOR inhibitors in 272 human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). Integrated analysis among SNPs, expression data, microRNA data and AUC values were also performed to help select candidate genes for further functional characterization. Functional validation of candidate genes using siRNA screening in multiple cell lines followed by MTS assays for the two mTOR inhibitors were performed. We found that 16 expression probe sets (genes) that overlapped between the two drugs were associated with AUC values of two mTOR inhibitors. 127 and 100 SNPs had P<10-4, while 8 and 10 SNPs had P<10-5 with Rapamycin and Everolimus AUC, respectively. Functional studies indicated that 13 genes significantly altered cell sensitivity to either one or both drugs in at least one cell line. Additionally, one microRNA, miR-10a, was significantly associated with AUC values for both drugs and was shown to repress expression of genes that were associated with AUC and desensitize cells to both drugs. In summary, this study identified genes and a microRNA that might contribute to response to mTOR inhibitors.
Sinusoid signal generator for on-chip impedance spectroscopy

Compact signal generators are a necessary component for many biomedical and chemical sensor microsystems. This paper presents a signal generator with precise digital frequency control that is 62% smaller the previous designs. The signal generator can produce analog sine waves and digital cosine waves from 4.8 Hz to 39 kHz with a SFDR greater than 99 dB. In a 0.5 µm CMOS process the total signal generator area is 361µm × 1048µm.
The Reaction of Term Structure of Interest Rates to the Monetary Policy Actions

This paper analyzes the response of the Term Structure of discount rates to the changes in the Federal Funds Target Rate. It also suggests a method of hedging fixed income portfolio's risk to the unexpected changes in monetary policy. We use two alternative widely used models of term structure of interest rates - the Extended Nelson-Siegel and the Extended Vasicek models. We show that only the slope of the term structure of zero-rates (also known as the spread between medium and short term rates) reacts significantly to the monetary policy. We also demonstrate that in our case, the Extended Vasicek model outperforms the Extended Nelson-Siegel model in capturing the impact of the monetary policy on the shape of the term structure. The results here can be used in practice to hedge the risk of the changes in the shape of the term structure of rates, due to monetary policy actions.
Noninvasive Functional and Anatomical Imaging of the Human Medial Temporal Lobe

The ability to remember life's events, and to leverage memory to guide behavior, defines who we are and is critical for everyday functioning. The neural mechanisms supporting such mnemonic experiences are multiprocess and multinetwork in nature, which creates challenges for studying them in humans and animals. Advances in noninvasive neuroimaging techniques have enabled the investigation of how specific neural structures and networks contribute to human memory at its many cognitive and mechanistic levels. In this review, we discuss how functional and anatomical imaging has provided novel insights into the types of information represented in, and the computations performed by, specific medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions, and we consider how interactions between the MTL and other cortical and subcortical structures influence what we learn and remember. By leveraging imaging, researchers have markedly advanced understanding of how the MTL subserves declarative memory and enables navigation of our physical and mental worlds.
Effect of drain-to-source spacing of AlGaN/GaN transistor on frequency response and breakdown characteristics

A report is presented on the effect of the distance between source and drain of an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor on the frequency response. Comparison of devices with different drain-to-source spacing has been performed. The intrinsic parameters have been extracted by means of parasitic parameter extraction. The influence of the source and drain resistances on the short circuit unity current gain was investigated. The trade-off between lower breakdown voltage, due to smaller drain-to-source spacing, and higher cutoff frequency has been addressed.
Residual Life Predictions in the Absence of Prior Degradation Knowledge

Recent developments in degradation modeling have been targeted towards utilizing degradation-based sensory signals to predict residual life distributions. Typically, these models consist of stochastic parameters that are estimated with the aid of an historical database of degradation signals. In many applications, building a degradation database, where components are run-to-failure, may be very expensive and time consuming, as in the case of generators or jet engines. The degradation modeling framework presented herein addresses this challenge by utilizing failure time data, which are easier to obtain, and readily available (relative to sensor-based degradation signals) from historical maintenance/repair records. Failure time values are first fitted to a Bernstein distribution whose parameters are then used to estimate the prior distributions of the stochastic parameters of an initial degradation model. Once a complete realization of a degradation signal is observed, the assumptions of the initial degradation model are revised and improved for future predictions. This approach is validated using real world vibration-based degradation information from a rotating machinery application.
Do Sidewinder Rattlesnakes (Crotalus cerastes, Viperidae) Cease Feeding During the Breeding Season?

Seasonal aphagia (a lack of feeding) can occur if foraging and reproduction occasionally result in conflicting demands on an individual, such that one activity takes precedence over the other. We tested the hypothesis that female and male Crotalus cerastes (Sidewinders) exhibit seasonal aphagia during the reproductive season. We examined the stomach contents of preserved specimens to assess variation in the feeding rates of C. cerastes. Non-reproductive females fed during the early and late stages of the active season, but reproductive females only ate during the first half of the active season. Female Sidewinders fed throughout the early vitellogenic phases of the reproductive cycle, but exhibited a tendency to reduce or cease feeding during the later stages of the cycle (gestation). Prey consumption during early reproductive stages can provide valuable energetic resources for sustaining a female's subsequent breeding activities. However, the physical burden of offspring mass and the concomitant decrease...
Towards physical dynamic tolerance: an approach to resolve the conflict between free will and physical determinism.

This paper attempts to resolve the conflict between free will and determinism. The problem is approached by demonstrating that: (a) some well-established experimental observations indicate that irreversibility persists at the molecular level, (b) microscopic reversibility is not fully compatible with macroscopic irreversibility, (c) an overall consistency can be maintained if microscopic reversibility is regarded only as an excellent approximation, whereas microscopic irreversibility together with chaos can account for macroscopic reversibility, and (d) endogenous noise serves a vital function of nerve excitation. Thus, the mean of position and momentum specified by a non-deterministic law of motion gives the law its superficially deterministic behavior and predictability, whereas its dispersion grants dynamic tolerance and irreversibility. Therefore, causality is preserved while a limited degree of freedom allows for the exercise of free will. However, it is argued that free will can never be proven or disproven by a conventional behavioral experiment.
Translabyrinthine and Transcochlear Petrosal Approaches

The objective of transtemporal surgery is wide skull-base exposure obtained by precise anatomic management of the temporal bone. These techniques involving the collaboration of neurotologists and neurosurgeons provide ample surgical exposure and minimize brain retraction during access to posterior and lateral skull-base lesions. The transpetrosal surgical routes can be classified broadly into anterior and posterior. The posterior transpetrosal approaches include the retrolabyrinthine, translabyrinthine and transcochlear, whereas the anterior approaches are extensions of the basic middle fossa approach. The posterior approaches are based on the standard mastoidectomy, and involve resection of the otic capsule to various degrees which provides the most direct route to the internal auditory canal (IAC) and the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) without the need for brain retraction.
A distributed robust convergence algorithm for multi-robot systems in the presence of faulty robots

In this paper, we propose a distributed control policy to achieve rendezvous by a set of robots even when some robots in the system do not follow the prescribed policy. These nonconforming robots correspond to faults in the multi-robot systems, and our control policy is thus a fault-tolerant policy. We consider the case in which each robot is an autonomous decision maker that is anonymous (i.e., robots are indistinguishable to one another), memoryless (i.e., each robot makes decisions based upon only its current information), and dimensionless (i.e., collision checking is not considered). Each robot has a limited sensing range, and is able to directly estimate the state of only those robots within that sensing range, which induces a network topology for the multi-robot systems. We assume that it is not possible for the fault-free robots to identify the faulty robots (e.g., due to the anonymous property of the robots). Our main result is a practical algorithm that achieves approximate rendezvous in the face of faulty robots under a few assumptions on the network topology. In simulation results, we show that our algorithm performs better in the face of faulty robots than other contemporary convergence algorithms, e.g., the circumcenter law, and local coordinate averaging.
Refractive surgery policy and its effect on visual acuity qualification rates for the 2004 and 2011 Army ROTC flight applicant pools.

ABSTRACT Objectives: The goal of this study was to ascertain the effect of recent U.S. Army Aviation corneal refractive surgery (CRS) policy changes on the size of flight school applicant pools by comparing statistics from the 2004 and 2011 Warrior Forge Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps training camps. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed using the United States Army Aeromedical Activity's Aeromedical Electronic Resource Online database. Results: Of the 607 applicants from 2004, 100 (16%) were disqualified for decreased visual acuity and had refractive errors correctable by CRS. Thirty-four cadets (6%) had prior CRS, and 21 qualified for flight school in 2004. Of the 625 applicants from 2011, 105 (17%) were disqualified for decreased visual acuity and had correctable refractive errors. Sixty-four applicants (10%) had prior CRS, and 54 subsequently qualified in 2011. Conclusions: Changes to Army Aviation CRS policy over the last decade have been associated with an increased number of in...
HARMFUL DIAGNOSTIC ERRORS OCCUR FREQUENTLY IN PEDIATRIC CARDIAC INTENSIVE CARE: A MULTI-SITE SURVEY

Errors in diagnosis cause significant harm and increase costs. Data characterizing such errors in pediatric cardiac intensive care units (PCICU) are limited. An anonymous, 23-item survey was sent to 432 PCICU practitioners (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses) at 3
Lattice Approach in Continuum and Fracture Mechanics

This study reveals some aspects of lattice formulations to analyze the strain concentration of a famous classic problem in solid mechanics at two different mechanics perspectives: continuum and fracture. A 2D plane stress square panel with a single circular hole is discretized based on Voronoi tessellation. A superelliptic formulation is used to distribute lattice computational points over the panel. From the perspective of linear elasticity under uniaxial and biaxial loading, translational and rotational degrees-of-freedom are considered at each computational node of the lattice to obtain strain concentration factors (SCFs) around the circular perforation. It is observed that the lattice approach is able to approximate the elastic SCFs of three, four, and two in uniaxial, biaxial shear, and equibiaxial tension loadings, respectively. To study the linear elasticity and fracture mechanic (LEFM) and Griffith energy balance in uniaxial loading, a brittle lattice erosion technique is used to compute the energy release rate determined by change in the global stiffness matrix of the mesh with respect to crack extension. This fracture energy is then used to determine the mode I stress intensity factor of the crack emanating from the hole which is validated by the analytical formulation for the same problem. The comparison shows that both methods give very close results for the mode I stress intensity factor. Being simple in terms of constitutive formulation and failure criterion for erosion of brittle material, and also using a propagating crack extension approach, the lattice formulation is used to determine the fracture properties of cohesive/frictional material.
Orthostatic hypotension: diagnosis and treatment

Nearly all clinicians have encountered patients with orthostatic symptoms severe enough to require therapy. In many cases, the condition can be corrected by treatment of a primary disease; in others, simple physical measures may suffice. But a number of patients may need complicated drug regimens for amelioration of symptoms.
Diagnostic and surgical applications of arthroscopy in dogs: Hindlimb joint diseases

This article discusses the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of arthroscopy for various hindlimb joint disorders. The advantages of arthroscopy over arthrotomy in diagnosing and treating hindlimb joint diseases are emphasized. Understanding joint pathophysiology can help prevent and treat joint diseases. As more specialists become familiar with arthroscopic instrumentation and techniques, patients will benefit from arthroscopy.
Lazy Repair for Addition of Fault-Tolerance to Distributed Programs

We focus on the issue of realizability constraints in the context of model repair. Model repair focuses on revising a given program to satisfy new properties of interest while satisfying existing properties such as fault-tolerance. An important difficulty in using model repair is that the repaired model must be realizable in the constraints given by the underlying system. It is well-known that these realizability constraints cause an increase in the complexity of model repair (e.g., from P to NP-complete). Hence, existing approaches for adding fault-tolerance to distributed program focuses on cautious repair where in every step, the model being repaired satisfies the realizability constraints. They also utilize heuristics to reduce the complexity of repair. In this work, we focus on using lazy repair while adding fault-tolerance. Specifically, in this work, we utilize a two-step approach. The first step ignores the realizability constraints and performs model repair to add fault-tolerance. This ensures that the resulting program satisfies the desired property of interest (namely, fault-tolerance) although it may not be realizable. The second step attempts to revise this program to ensure that realizability constraints are satisfied without creating new program behaviors. This ensures that the resulting program satisfies both the properties of interest and realizability constraints. We demonstrate that this approach is more efficient than the cautious repair algorithm in the literature. We also note that inherently the lazy repair approach is also applicable in other contexts such as synchronous systems, cyber-physical systems, etc.
27. Faulkner’s the Sound and the Fury, Appendix

(1962). 27. Faulkner’s the Sound and the Fury, Appendix. The Explicator: Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 49-51.
Dual-energy CT workflow: multi-institutional consensus on standardization of abdominopelvic MDCT protocols.

Purpose To standardize workflow for dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) involving common abdominopelvic exam protocols.
Thermodynamic properties of tremolite: A correction and some comments

Microprobe analysis of tremolite from “St. Gotthard,” Switzerland, shows that it is close to end-member in composition (Ca = 1.97 apfu), and not hypercalcic (Ca = 2.16 apfu), as a previous wet-chemical analysis suggested. The latter formula, and a corresponding thermodynamic activity (0.67), were used in the experimental database for the extraction of an optimal set of thermodynamic properties for tremolite (Chernosky et al. 1998). We derive a revised enthalpy of formation of tremolite (−12307.9 kJ/mol) based on bracketing experiments for the breakdown reactions of tremolite and tremolite + forsterite, and the assumption of time-averaged effective equilibrium compositions of phases in the experimental charges. Mg-cummingtonite substitution in tremolite is accommodated during free-energy minimization calculations by allowing the stoichiometry of the standard-state reaction to vary with the changing bulk composition of the amphibole. The breakdown temperature of tremolite is lowered with increasing cummingtonite component. Our procedure also allows continuous variation in the equilibrium compositions and activities of pyroxene and amphibole phase-components with P and T .
The Credit Crisis of 2008: An Overview

This case examines the causes and consequences of the credit crisis of 2008 from a national and global perspective and explores the actions taken and proposed by the U.S. and European governments.
"Resident as teacher" in pediatric surgery: Innovation is overdue in Central Europe.

Abstract Purpose We set out to evaluate how residents in pediatric surgery learn and how they teach. We hypnotized that European residents learn as much from their peers and teach as much as their fellows worldwide, but that they receive comparably less educational training. Methods An online questionnaire was distributed to the participants of the combined annual meeting for German, Swiss and Austrian residents in pediatric surgery. Participants were asked whom they learn from in different workplace environments (ward, operating room, emergency department), how, when and why they adopt the role of teacher and how they were prepared for this role. Results Response rate was 48%. 65 questionnaires were analyzed. Residents stated that they predominantly learn from each other on wards and in the emergency department, less frequently in the operating room. They ranked fellow residents as first or second most important source of instruction. 53% of participants have never had any educational training, for another 33% the instruction was being done by fellow residents without any set curriculum. 93% of the participating residents had no or did not know about any resident as teacher training program available to them. Nevertheless, motivation to teach was stated to be high and interest in educational training was assured. Conclusions Our data delivers evidence that peer teaching during residency is the rule rather than the exception in Central Europe. Educational training however is scarce. Resident as teacher-training programs need to be introduced. Next to local initiatives, we strongly recommend national initiatives powered by regulatory authorities and surgical associations. Type of study Research paper. Level of evidence II.
SPORTS-RELATED ELBOW ULNAR COLLATERAL LIGAMENT INJURY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Background Elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries are common injuries in adolescent athletes, particularly overhead athletes. Surgical UCL incidence and outcomes are well-researched, but non-surgical UCL injury patterns and management in developing athletes are not clear. Objective To determine patterns of UCL injuries among competitive athletes aged 11–22 years. We hypothesized that non-surgical UCL injuries occurred more frequently in younger athletes during the time frame of 2000–2016. Design Descriptive epidemiological study. Setting Academic, tertiary medical center. Patients (or Participants) Electronic medical records and key word searches were used to identify patients with UCL injuries sustained during competitive athletics (N=136). Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors) Age, time of injury by year, sport classification, sex. Main Outcome Measurements UCL injuries and severity; injury management (surgical, non-surgical). Results There were 53 surgical and 83 non-surgical UCL injuries. Non-surgical cases increased nine-fold from 2009–2016 compared to 2000–2008. Injury distribution was as follows: 60 sprains, 39 partial tears, 36 ruptures, 1 re-rupture. 92% of sprains did not undergo surgical intervention, whereas 51% of partial tears and 78% of ruptures underwent UCL-Reconstruction (UCL-R). There are increasing numbers of UCL injuries with increasing age; X2 (4,136)=14.209, p=0.007. Non-surgical UCL injuries occurred in highest frequency in the youngest athletes (100% of total injuries in 11–13 years; 71.4% of 14–16 years; 44.3% of 17–22 years). UCL injury volume was most commonly associated with the sports baseball (OR 1.55, p=0.32; 95% CI 0.69–3.51), softball (OR 0.76, P=0.76, 95% CI 0.22 to 2.68), American football (OR 0.50, p=0.48; 95% CI 0.10–2.59, and javelin (OR 6.69, p=0.07; 95% CI 0.72–61.62). Conclusions Younger athletes are sustaining more frequent, less severe UCL injuries. Enforcement of appropriate rest, proper sport-related mechanics and diversifying sport participation are important to prevent a) UCL injury at a young age, and b) progression of a non-surgical injury to a potential UCL-R.
Elastic Consistent Hashing for Distributed Storage Systems

Elastic distributed storage systems have been increasingly studied in recent years because power consumption has become a major problem in data centers. Much progress has been made in improving the agility of resizing small- and large-scale distributed storage systems. However, most of these studies focus on metadata based distributed storage systems. On the other hand, emerging consistent hashing based distributed storage systems are considered to allow better scalability and are highly attractive. We identify challenges in achieving elasticity in consistent hashing based distributed storage. These challenges cannot be easily solved by techniques used in current studies. In this paper, we propose an elastic consistent hashing based distributed storage to solve two problems. First, in order to allow a distributed storage to resize quickly, we modify the data placement algorithm using a primary server design and achieve an equal-work data layout. Second, we propose a selective data re-integration technique to reduce the performance impact when resizing a cluster. Our experimental and trace analysis results confirm that our proposed elastic consistent hashing works effectively and allows significantly better elasticity.
The Sicuani Region: A Capsule Description

The concept of region is fundamental to several disciplines, particularly geography and economics. This chapter discusses three criteria that are considered necessary and sufficient to mark an area off as a region and highlights the Sicuani region. Although they are considerably more stringent than those used by geographers and economists, these criteria are continuous rather than discrete variables. The Sicuani region is surrounded by natural barriers: the narrow river gorges of the Rios Apurimac, Vilcanota, and Mara to the north, the Nevados de Condoroma and the Cordillera de Chilca to the south, the barren high puna to the west, and the Cordillera de Vilcanota and the Cordillera de Carabaya to the east. These correspond to the provinces of Canas, Canchis, Espinar, and Chumbivilcas. The Sicuani region is, thus, defined as these four provinces; adjacent areas of other provinces, particularly Quispicanchis, Acomayo, Melgar, and Cailloma, share some activities with the Sicuani region but do not form a part of it. A number of geographical factors in the area act as constraints on human activity and, thus, partly determine the character of the Sicuani area as a region.
Similar Outcomes After Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Intact and -Reconstructed Knees: A Comparative Matched-Group Analysis With Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up.

Purpose To compare failure rates and clinical outcomes of osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-intact versus ACL-reconstructed knees at midterm follow-up. Methods After a priori power analysis, a prospective registry of patients treated with OCA for focal chondral lesions ≥2 cm 2 in size with minimum 2-year follow-up was used to match ACL-reconstructed knees with ACL-intact knees by age, sex, and primary chondral defect location. Exclusion criteria included meniscus transplantation, realignment osteotomy, or other ligamentous injury. Complications, reoperations, and patient responses to validated outcome measures were reviewed. Failure was defined by any procedure involving allograft removal/revision or conversion to arthroplasty. Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression were performed to evaluate the association of ACL reconstruction (ACLR) with failure. Results A total of 50 ACL-intact and 25 ACL-reconstructed (18 prior, 7 concomitant) OCA patients were analyzed. The mean age was 36.2 years (range, 14-62 years). Mean follow-up was 3.9 years (range, 2-14 years). Patient demographics and chondral lesion characteristics were similar between groups. ACL-reconstructed patients averaged 2.2 ± 1.9 prior surgeries on the ipsilateral knee compared with 1.4 ± 1.4 surgeries for ACL-intact patients ( P = .014). Grafts used for the last ACLR included bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft, hamstring autograft, Achilles tendon allograft, and tibialis allograft (data available for only 11 of 25 patients). At final follow-up, 22% of ACL-intact and 32% of ACL-reconstructed patients had undergone reoperation. OCA survivorship was 90% and 96% at 2 years and 79% and 85% at 5 years in ACL-intact and ACL-reconstructed patients, respectively ( P = .774). ACLR was not independently associated with failure. Both groups demonstrated clinically significant improvements in the Short Form-36 pain and physical functioning, International Knee Documentation Committee subjective, and Knee Outcome Survey—Activities of Daily Living scores at final follow-up ( P Conclusions OCA in the setting of prior or concomitant ACLR does not portend higher failure rates or compromise clinical outcomes. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Comprehensive Diagnosis and Planning for the Difficult Rhinoplasty Patient: Applications in Ultrasonography and Treatment of the Soft-Tissue Envelope.

Rhinoplasty is one of the most complicated operations that a plastic surgeon will encounter. In the early history of rhinoplasty, operations were done with a closed approach, and the structures were shrouded in mystery while surgeons relied on surface aesthetics for diagnosis and treatment. Finally, with the advent of the extended open approach, power tools, and piezosurgery, the whole bony pyramid can be directly visualized, shaped, and sculpted. Osteotomies can be done under direct vision with high precision. Using this approach, every part of the osseocartilaginous vault and nasal tip can now be directly observed, diagnosed, and surgically treated. However, this only occurs once the patient is in the operating room. This article will detail the diagnosis and treatment of the difficult soft-tissue envelope of the nose. It will also describe the use of ultrasonography for preoperative planning as well as postoperatively for diagnosis and treatment during the healing period and for planning possible revision and secondary surgery.
MR Image Segmentation Based on Contrast Enhancement with Collaborative Learning

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used on clinical applications. Due to different weighting strategies MRI, different weighting images have different contrast even for the same anatomy structure of the same subject. Since some MR brain images have low contrast, different types of tissues such as white matter, grey matter, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are difficult to be divided and segmented. Image contrast needs to be enhanced for better post-processing and image analysis. In this paper, a two-step MR brain image segmentation technique is proposed to solve low contrast MR image segmentation problem. A collaborative learning based image enhancement is firstly applied on low contrast MR brain image. Then, spectral clustering algorithm is used for segmenting enhanced image. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed 2-step segmentation method is able to identify boundaries between tissues well, so that MR image segmentation accuracy is improved in compared to image segmentation without contrast enhancement and exact histogram equalization enhanced image segmentation.
Kinetic glomerular filtration rate equation can accommodate a changing body volume: Derivation and usage of the formula.

Abstract Ascertaining a patient's kidney function is more difficult to do when the serum creatinine is changing than when it is stable. To accomplish the task, various kinetic clearance equations have been developed. To date, however, none of them have allowed for ongoing changes to the creatinine's volume of distribution. These diluting or concentrating effects on the [creatinine] can greatly impact the accuracy of kidney function assessment. Described herein is a model of creatinine kinetics that also accommodates volume changes. The differential equation is solved for the kinetic glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is helpful information to the physician. Some of the equation's discontinuities, such as from dividing by a volume rate of zero, can be resolved by using limits. Being “volume-capable,” the new kinetic equation reveals how a changing volume influences the maximum rate of rise in [creatinine], a parameter that heretofore was chosen empirically. To show the advantages of incorporating volume, the new and old kinetic equations are applied to a clinical case of overzealous fluid resuscitation. Appropriately, when the volume gain's dilution of [creatinine] is taken into account, the creatinine clearance is calculated to be substantially lower. In conclusion, the kinetic GFR equation has been upgraded to handle volume changes simultaneously with [creatinine] changes.
Algorithms for knowledge-enhanced supertrees

Supertree algorithms combine smaller phylogenetic trees into a single, comprehensive phylogeny, or supertree. Most supertree problems are NP-hard, and often heuristics identify supertrees with anomalous or unwanted relationships. We introduce knowledge-enhanced supertree problems, which seek an optimal supertree for a collection of input trees that can only be assembled from a set of given, possibly incompatible, phylogenetic relationships. For these problems we introduce efficient algorithms that, in a special setting, also provide exact solutions for the original supertree problems. We describe our algorithms and verify their performance based on the Robinson Foulds (RF) supertree problem. We demonstrate that our algorithms (i) can significantly improve upon estimates of existing RF-heuristics, and (ii) can compute exact RF supertrees with up to 17 taxa.
Adolescence-Limited Offending

One of the strongest correlates of crime is age, with a common empirical finding of an adolescent rise and peak of offending. One theory in particular, Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy, advances a specific hypothesis for the age–crime relationship, with a focus on a specific typology of offenders, adolescence-limited, who offend for specific reasons during adolescence. This chapter reviews the adolescence-limited hypothesis, relevant empirical research, and concludes with summary statements, challenges to Moffitt’s adolescence-limited hypothesis, and directions for future research.
SUPPRESSION OF EXPERIMENTAL URATE NEPHROPATHY BY SALICYLATE

An experimental model for sustained hyperuricemia, uricosuria and associated nephropathy was produced by feeding rats a potent uricase inhibitor — sodium oxonate, together with dietary supplements of uric acid (1,2). In both human gouty nephropathy and in this experimental hyperuricemic nephropathy in rats, deposition of crystalline materials within the renal tubules and parenchyma have been observed (3). The deposition of urate crystals in the kidney could account for many of the inflammatory features of human gouty nephropathy, but the absence of a satisfactory experimental model has precluded detailed study of this possible relationship.
Microbial contamination in the genome of the domesticated olive

Draft genomes of both the wild and domesticated olive were recently published. While working with these genomes, we identified contamination in the domesticated olive genome representing .06% of basepairs and 1.3% of scaffolds. We used targeted and untargeted approaches to identify the contaminating sequences, the majority of which were *Aureobasidium pullulans*. We applied the same method to the wild olive genome and did not find evidence of contamination. Although contamination in the domesticated olive genome was not prolific, it could lead to biased results either from functional content encoded in the contaminant sequences, or from using it to separate microbial reads from olive reads in microbiome studies.
Global Epidemiology of Lung Cancer

While lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for many years in the United States, incidence and mortality statistics – among other measures – vary widely worldwide. The aim of this study was to review the evidence on lung cancer epidemiology, including data of international scope with comparisons of economically, socially, and biologically different patient groups. In industrialized nations, evolving social and cultural smoking patterns have led to rising or plateauing rates of lung cancer in women, lagging the long-declining smoking and cancer incidence rates in men. In contrast, emerging economies vary widely in smoking practices and cancer incidence but commonly also harbor risks from environmental exposures, particularly widespread air pollution. Recent research has also revealed clinical, radiologic, and pathologic correlates, leading to greater knowledge in molecular profiling and targeted therapeutics, as well as an emphasis on the rising incidence of adenocarcinoma histology. Furthermore, emergent evidence about the benefits of lung cancer screening has led to efforts to identify high-risk smokers and development of prediction tools. This review also includes a discussion on the epidemiologic characteristics of special groups including women and nonsmokers. Varying trends in smoking largely dictate international patterns in lung cancer incidence and mortality. With declining smoking rates in developed countries and knowledge gains made through molecular profiling of tumors, the emergence of new risk factors and disease features will lead to changes in the landscape of lung cancer epidemiology.
Sustained Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Activity of Aflibercept (Eylea) After Storage in Polycarbonate Syringes Used for Intravitreal Injection: A Pathway to Safety and Efficiency.

Abstract Purpose: Aflibercept (Eylea™, Regeneron) is supplied in single-use glass vials along with 1 cc polycarbonate syringes. We sought to determine if storage of aflibercept for sustained period...
Recent Studies Based on Piaget's View of Object Concept Development

… the object is known because of conformity to a prior conception … an idea is tentative…. It controls an action to be performed, but the consequences of the operation determine the worth of the directive idea, the directive idea does not fix the nature of the object [Dewey, 1960, p. 288].
Photosensitized Regeneration of Carbonyl Compounds from Oximes

Deprotection of oximes to their corresponding carbonyl compounds through the use of photosensitized electron-transfer reactions proceeds in reasonable to good yields. Better yields are obtained in nonpolar solvents and when triplet sensitizers are used. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest the involvement of an iminoxyl radical.
Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome: 2019 update on diagnosis, risk-stratification, and management.

Disease overview Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are a heterogenous group of T-cell neoplasms involving the skin, the majority of which may be classified as Mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sezary syndrome (SS). Diagnosis The diagnosis of MF or SS requires the integration of clinical and histopathologic data. Risk-adapted therapy TNMB (tumor, node, metastasis, blood) staging remains the most important prognostic factor in MF/SS and forms the basis for a "risk-adapted," multi-disciplinary approach to treatment. For patients with disease limited to the skin, skin-directed therapies are preferred, as both disease-specific and overall survival for these patients is favorable. In contrast, patients with advanced-stage disease with significant nodal, visceral or blood involvement are generally approached with systemic therapies. These include biologic-response modifiers, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, or antibody-based strategies, in an escalating fashion. In highly-selected patients, allogeneic stem-cell transplantation may be considered, as this may be curative in some patients.
Quantitative 3D myocardial perfusion with an efficient arterial input function

Purpose The purpose of this study was to further develop and combine several innovative sequence designs to achieve quantitative 3D myocardial perfusion. These developments include an optimized 3D stack-of-stars readout (150 ms per beat), efficient acquisition of a 2D arterial input function, tailored saturation pulse design, and potential whole heart coverage during quantitative stress perfusion. Theory and methods All studies were performed free-breathing on a Prisma 3T MRI scanner. Phantom validation was used to verify sequence accuracy. A total of 21 subjects (3 patients with known disease) were scanned, 12 with a rest only protocol and 9 with both stress (regadenoson) and rest protocols. First pass quantitative perfusion was performed with gadoteridol (0.075 mmol/kg). Results Implementation and quantitative perfusion results are shown for healthy subjects and subjects with known coronary disease. Average rest perfusion for the 15 included healthy subjects was 0.79 ± 0.19 mL/g/min, the average stress perfusion for 6 healthy subject studies was 2.44 ± 0.61 mL/g/min, and the average global myocardial perfusion reserve ratio for 6 healthy subjects was 3.10 ± 0.24. Perfusion deficits for 3 patients with ischemia are shown. Average resting heart rate was 59 ± 7 bpm and the average stress heart rate was 81 ± 10 bpm. Conclusion This work demonstrates that a quantitative 3D myocardial perfusion sequence with the acquisition of a 2D arterial input function is feasible at high stress heart rates such as during stress. T1 values and gadolinium concentrations of the sequence match the reference standard well in a phantom, and myocardial rest and stress perfusion and myocardial perfusion reserve values are consistent with those published in literature.
Portfolio and Certification Programs in Community Engagement as Professional Development for Gradute Students: Lessons Learned from Two Land-Grant Universities

Although growing numbers of graduate students nationwide express interest in developing and documenting boundary-spanning skills in community-engaged research, teaching, and outreach, formal opportunities to do so are often limited, especially at the large research institutions producing most future faculty members. This article focuses on initial steps being taken to provide professional development for graduate students through portfolio and certification programs at two large, public, land-grant, research-intensive, Carnegie-engaged institutions in different parts of the United States: Michigan State University and the University of Georgia. For each university, the authors describe the context and history; the specific steps being taken to support graduate students in community-engaged research, teaching, and practice; and the impacts, outcomes, and lessons learned to date from this work.
Utilizing a novel four-drug regimen to reduce the incidence of infusion-related reactions for first-dose rituximab infusions: An institutional review of rituximab infusion-related reactions in lymphoma patients.

e19148Background: Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody utilized in the treatment of several disease states including B-cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Infusion-related reactions (IRR) ...
A Comparison of Two Gelatin Consolidants for the Preservation of Thermally Altered Skeletal Remains

A recent study (Topoleski & Christensen 2019) found that applying a food-grade gelatin solution to thermally altered skeletal remains resulted in significantly better structural preservation (reduced fragmentation) during recovery and transport compared to untreated controls. Here we expand upon this research and test whether a technical-grade gelatin would result in even better skeletal evidence preservation. Results show that bones treated with both the food-grade and technical-grade gelatins were better preserved (i.e., had less fragmentation) than untreated controls. Application of the technical-grade gelatin, however, did not result in significantly better preservation than the food-grade gelatin, and is less accessible, more expensive, and more difficult to prepare. Food-grade gelatin is therefore recommended, but other types of gelatins can be equally effective.
Evaluation of a novel handheld point-of-care ultrasound device in an African emergency department.

Many point-of-care ultrasound devices are now “pocket-sized” or handheld, allowing easy transport during travel and facilitating use in crowded spaces or in austere low-resource settings. Concerns remain about their durability, image quality, and clinical utility in those environments. Five emergency physicians with training in point-of-care ultrasound employed the Butterfly iQ, a novel handheld ultrasound device, in routine clinical care in a busy, high-acuity African emergency department over a period of 10 weeks. We retrospectively evaluated the performance of the Butterfly iQ from the perspectives of both the clinicians using the device and expert ultrasound faculty reviewing the images. We found advantages of the Butterfly iQ in a high-acuity African emergency department include its use of a single probe for multiple functions, small size, ease of transport, relatively low cost, and good image quality in most functions. Disadvantages include large probe footprint, lower, though still adequate, cardiac imaging quality, frequent overheating, and reliance on internet-based cloud storage, but these were surmountable. We also report a wide variety of patient presentations, pathology, and procedures to which the device was used. We conclude the Butterfly iQ is an effective, though imperfect, point-of-care ultrasound device in a low-resource emergency setting. We will continue to employ the device in clinical emergency care and teaching in this setting.
Trampling the Public Trust

Livestock production is a chief contributor to many significant and intractable environmental problems. This Article examines the causal role of livestock (especially beef) production in global climate change, predator control in the western United States, and winter elk feeding in Wyoming. It argues that ending livestock grazing on western public lands is a cost effective first step for dealing with these problems and is readily achievable under existing law. Removing livestock would lead to improved watershed conditions and make reintroduction of predators politically feasible, which would promote further recovery of landscapes impacted by native ungulate populations. Ending public-land grazing would facilitate the closure of (arguably unlawful) elk feedgrounds, which contribute to unnaturally high elk populations and promote the spread of diseases. Closing the feedgrounds would improve conditions on these sites and slow the spread of disease. Collectively, these measures would promote ecosystem restoration, which would enhance prospects for coping with climate change.
GUEST EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Research Methods in School Psychology II

(1990). GUEST EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Research Methods in School Psychology II. School Psychology Review: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 223-223.
Observation and model resolution implication to ocean prediction

We must reconcile ocean modeling capability growing exponentially while ocean observation density has not maintained pace (1) leading to seemingly degraded forecast skill when model resolution is increased (2). Ocean forecasting skill requires satellite and in situ observations continually correcting numerical model conditions(3). Observations constrain positions of larger ocean model features, while smaller features are unconstrained. We show the separation of constrained and unconstrained features as a function of spatial scale and demonstrate observation density controls the boundary between scales. Constrained scales have deterministic skill in predictions, and unconstrained scales provide skill in predicting areas of higher expected errors. Separating scales allows us to reconcile the issue.