cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
2535 Unusual Approach to Hysteroscopically-Guided Myomectomy in a Woman with a Septate Uterus

Video Objective Demonstrate innovative approach of hysteroscopically-guided myomectomy in a woman with a septate uterus. Setting 49 y/o with abnormal uterine bleeding secondary to a submucosal fibroid and presumed uterine didelphys who was found to have a partial septate uterus and duplicated cervix. Interventions Diagnostic hysteroscopy, dilation and curettage, with hysteroscopically-guided myomectomy under direct visualization by the hysteroscope by inserting the hysteroscope into one cervix while preforming instrumentation of the fibroid through the other cervix. Conclusion Uterine anomalies may be challenging to characterize based on exam or ultrasound alone. Surgical management of gynecological pathology, such as fibroids, requires understanding of normal and anomalous anatomic landmarks and innovative application of common instrumentation. This patient's unique anatomy allowed intrauterine instrumentation normally preformed blindly to be directly visualized by hysteroscopy. This allowed safe and effective treatment in a technically challenging case.
Current Differential System of Control of Isolation of Cable Lines

Recently, there has been an increase in the electrical loads of enterprises, which leads to the need to increase the reliability of power supply, including due to the timely determination of the electric networks elements with defects, primarily insulation, in the early stages of their development. Modern diagnostic equipment has wide capabilities for searching for various insulation defects, but it can only be used on the disconnected cable lines, that significantly limits the efficiency of the insulation defects detection. To control the insulation of cable lines, industry produces devices which respond to the zero sequence currents. The correct operation of these devices can be affected by the factors which lead to the false operation of the cable line insulation control device - unbalanced load, non-linear load, that will inevitably lead to an increase in time to search for a damage. To eliminate the influence of these factors, in article it is proposed to measure the zero sequence currents with two measuring sets located at the beginning and the end of the line. Assessment of the insulation condition should be carried out by the difference in the currents of the beginning and the end of the protected line. In the normal state of insulation, this difference will be close to zero even in the presence of an asymmetric load and other similar factors. In case of a noticeable decrease in the insulation level, this difference will become non-zero, that is a signal of the beginning of the insulation defect development.
Improvement of operational airborne gamma radiation snow water equivalent estimates using SMAP soil moisture

Abstract Knowledge of snow water equivalent (SWE) magnitude and spatial distribution are keys to improving snowmelt flood predictions. Since the 1980s, the operational National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) airborne gamma radiation soil moisture (SM) and SWE survey has provided over 20,000 SWE observations to regional National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers (RFCs). Because the gamma SWE algorithm is based on the difference in natural gamma emission measurements from the soil between bare (fall) and snow-covered (winter) conditions, it requires a baseline fall SM for each flight line. The operational approach assumes the fall SM remains constant throughout that winter's SWE survey. However, early-winter snowmelt and rainfall events after the fall SM surveys have the potential to introduce large biases into airborne gamma SWE estimates. In this study, operational airborne gamma radiation SWE measurements were improved by updating the baseline fall SM with Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) enhanced SM measurements immediately prior to winter onset over the north-central and eastern United States and southern Canada from September 2015 to April 2018. The operational airborne gamma SM had strong agreement with the SMAP SM (Pearson's correlation coefficient, R = 0.69, unbiased root mean square difference, ubRMSD = 0.057 m3/m3), compared to the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) SM (R = 0.45, ubRMSD = 0.072 m3/m3) and the North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2 (NLDAS-2) Mosaic SM products (R = 0.53, ubRMSD = 0.069 m3/m3) in non-forested regions. The SMAP-enhanced gamma SWE was evaluated with satellite-based SWE (R = 0.57, ubRMSD = 34 mm) from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) and in-situ SWE (R = 0.71–0.96) from the Soil Climate Analysis Network and United States Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) St. Paul District, which had better agreement than the operational gamma SWE (R = 0.48, ubRMSD = 36 mm for SSMIS and R = 0.65–0.75 for in-situ SWE). The results contribute to improving snowmelt flood predictions as well as the accuracy of the NOAA SNOw Data Assimilation System.
Beneficial Noncompliance and Detrimental Compliance: Expected Paths to Unintended Consequences

This paper explores the possibility that compliance and noncompliance to process specifications, software usage procedures, business rules, and best practices could be beneficial or detrimental. After introducing different types of compliance and noncompliance, it uses a simple 2 x 2 matrix to postulate four types of situations: beneficial compliance, detrimental compliance, beneficial noncompliance, and detrimental noncompliance. It provides examples that illustrate subcategories within all four possibilities, thereby bringing into question the common assumption that compliance is beneficial and noncompliance is detrimental. It presents a model that explains decisions related to intentions toward compliance and noncompliance. It concludes with implications for management and for systems analysis and design. An underlying theme throughout is that beneficial noncompliance and detrimental compliance can be viewed as expected paths to unintended consequences.
Predisposition or Protection?: COVID-19 in a Patient on LVAD Support With HIV/AIDS

There is a desperate search to discover effective therapies against coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) comprise a unique population whose clinical course may provide insights into the effects of antiretroviral therapy on COVID-19. We describe the case of a patient with HIV/AIDS on left ventricular assist device support who was hospitalized and recovered from COVID-19. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Variables, Decisions, and Scripting in Construct

Abstract : Simulation designers benefit from a flexible system for creating scenarios that are easy to modify, expressive, and allow for more complex interventions to be assessed. This technical report introduces a C-like scripting language that can be used with Construct in order to support numeric variables as well as user-specified decisions. This scripting language can be used to specify outputs in a targeted manner, allowing the user to modify the type of output created without modifying the underlying code. The scripting language also allows the simulation to be self-modifying, allowing the knowledge, beliefs, or decisions of an agent to influence the evolution of the overall simulation. Such abilities greatly increase the power of Construct and extend the scope of the simulation.
Usability Testing a Potentially Inappropriate Medication Dashboard: A Core Component of the Dashboard Development Process

Background With the increased usage of dashboard reporting systems to monitor and track patient panels by clinical users, developers must ensure that the information displays they produce are accurate and intuitive. When evaluating usability of a clinical dashboard among potential end users, developers oftentimes rely on methods such as questionnaires as opposed to other, more time-intensive strategies that incorporate direct observation. Objectives Prior to release of the potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) clinical dashboard, designed to facilitate completion of a quality improvement project by clinician scholars enrolled in the Veterans Affairs (VA) workforce development Geriatric Scholars Program (GSP), we evaluated the usability of the system. This article describes the process of usability testing a dashboard reporting system with clinicians using direct observation and think-aloud moderating techniques. Methods We developed a structured interview protocol that combines virtual observation, think-aloud moderating techniques, and retrospective questioning of the overall user experience, including use of the System Usability Scale (SUS). Thematic analysis was used to analyze field notes from the interviews of three GSP alumni. Results Our structured approach to usability testing identified specific functional problems with the dashboard reporting system that were missed by results from the SUS. Usability testing lead to overall improvements in the intuitive use of the system, increased data transparency, and clarification of the dashboard's purpose. Conclusion Reliance solely on questionnaires and surveys at the end stages of dashboard development can mask potential functional problems that will impede proper usage and lead to misinterpretation of results. A structured approach to usability testing in the developmental phase is an important tool for developers of clinician friendly systems for displaying easily digested information and tracking outcomes for the purpose of quality improvement.
The Diagnostic Yield and Cost of Radiologic Imaging for Urgent and Emergent Ocular Conditions in an Eye Emergency Room

Objective The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic yield and economic cost of radiologic imaging for urgent and emergent ophthalmic conditions in an emergency room (ER) setting Design Retrospective, consecutive case series. Methods Charts of all patients who underwent radiologic imaging in a dedicated eye ER over a single year were reviewed. Data collected included age, patient reported chief complaint, visual acuity, principal examination finding, indication for imaging, imaging modalities performed, and the current procedural terminology (CPT) codes billed for the imaging performed. Imaging results were classified into three groups with binary outcomes: normal or abnormal; significant if it led to a change in patient management, and relevant if the imaging findings were related to the chief complaint or principal examination finding. Imaging costs were calculated using the billed CPT codes. Results A total of 14,961 patients were evaluated during the 1-year study and 1,371 (9.2%) patients underwent imaging. Of these, 521 patients (38.0%) had significant findings. A majority of this group had significant and relevant findings (469, 34.2% of total). Subgroup analysis was performed based upon patient chief complaint, principal examination finding, and indication for imaging. Overall, the total cost of imaging was $656,078.34 with an average cost of $478.54 per patient. Conclusion Imaging for urgent and emergent ophthalmic conditions in an eye ER resulted in significant management changes in 38.0% of patients. Radiographic imaging contributes to healthcare expenditures; however, these costs must be weighed against the substantial costs of delayed and misdiagnoses, especially when patients present with acute ophthalmological symptoms.
Abstract 2042: The effect of time to treatment on survival varies by disease stage and surgery status for patients with colorectal cancer

Background: Despite national treatment guidelines for colorectal cancer (CRC), time to treatment (TT) is increasing. Currently, the impact of TT on survival among individuals with CRC is unknown. We examined the relationship between TT and CRC-specific survival and determined predictors of TT in the United States. Methods: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) Registry-18 database to identify patients age≥20 with a histologic diagnosis of colon cancer (CC) or rectal cancer (RC) and no other malignancies between 2010 and 2015. TT was defined as the number of months between CRC diagnosis and first treatment regardless of the type of treatment. We conducted Cox proportional hazard regression models to examine the association between TT and CRC-specific survival, adjusting for year of diagnosis, age, sex, race, socioeconomic index, insurance, stage, grade, and surgery, and accounting for the moderation effect of tumor stage and surgery on survival in association with TT. We used logistic regression to explore the relationship between longer TT (>1 month) and stage, surgery, and year of diagnosis. Results: A total of 138,060 patients were included. During a median follow-up time of 30 (IQR 36) months, 4-year CRC-specific survival was 69.6% in CC and 72.7% in RC. Mean TT (SD) was 0.5 (1.0) in CC and 0.9 (1.2) months in RC. Among CC patients, 93% underwent surgery, compared to 82% of RC patients. After adjusting for other factors, the impact of TT varied by stage and surgery (interaction test P values 1 month). Conclusion: Longer TT was associated with decreased survival for stage I CC/RC patients who did not have surgery. However, longer TT was associated with increased survival for late stage CC/RC and the impact was more pronounced for those who underwent surgery. Our findings highlight the complexity of late stage and surgical cases, and the importance of sufficient workup before treatment. Citation Format: Liu Yang, Aileen Bui, Anthony Myint, Folasade P. May. The effect of time to treatment on survival varies by disease stage and surgery status for patients with colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2042.
Elder neglect in civil versus criminal court: legal decision-making in cases of overmedication

Despite recent increases in reported cases of elder overmedication, there is little research investigating the perception of elder overmedication in the courtroom. Male and female participants (N =...
Do Lenders Favor Politically Connected Firms? Rent Provision in an Emerging Financial Market

Corruption by the politically connected is often blamed for economic ills, particularly in less developed economies. Using a loan-level data set of more than 90,000 …rms that represents the universe of corporate lending in Pakistan between 1996 and 2002, we investigate rents to politically connected …rms in banking. Classifying a …rm as “political”if its director participates in an election, we examine the extent, nature, and economic costs of political rent provision. We …nd that political …rms borrow 45 percent more and have 50 percent higher default rates. Such preferential treatment occurs exclusively in government banks - private banks provide no
Variability and contributions to cost associated with anterior versus posterior approaches to lumbar interbody fusion.

Abstract Objective Lumbar interbody fusions are being performed with increased frequency in the last decade. Anterior and posterior interbody techniques have demonstrated relatively similar success rates. Nonetheless, despite increased attention to cost-effective care delivery, approach-related differences in procedural cost and predictors for these differences remain poorly defined. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the variability in cost for anterior versus posterior-based lumbar interbody fusions and to identify key predictors of procedural cost. Methods We evaluated the records of all patients who underwent a primary anterior (ALIF) or posterior/transforaminal (PLIF/TLIF) lumbar interbody fusion with concomitant posterior fusion from 2016 to 2020 at four hospitals in a major metropolitan area. We reviewed the records of all included patients and abstracted demographics, insurance status, approach, operative time, diagnosis, surgeon, institution, open versus minimally invasive technique, and components of procedural costs. Costs based upon interbody approach were compared via multivariable adjusted analyses using negative binomial regression. Results We included 139 interbody fusion procedures; 98 were performed via posterior approach (TLIF/PLIF) and 41 using an anterior approach. Anterior techniques were associated with significantly increased costs as compared to posterior procedures (anterior, $16316 [SE 556] vs. posterior, $9415 [SE 345]; p Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that anterior interbody techniques are, on average, 173% (anterior, $16316 [SE 556] vs. posterior, $9415 [SE 345]; p
Credit Demand in a Crisis

Negative shocks to housing, most households’ largest consumption good, are expected to create strong credit demand to smooth these shocks over time. We estimate and trace a credit demand curve for households who recently experienced a negative shock to their housing stock. We use administrative data on over one million applications to a federal loan program for households impacted by natural disasters. Our identification strategy exploits 24 quasi-experiments, leveraging exogenous, time-based variation in the program's offered interest rate to estimate extensive-margin demand. We find that households are surprisingly price-sensitive, only a third would accept loans offered at the 30-year mortgage rate. We find a large impact of credit quality on demand and evidence of monthly payment targeting. Credit-constrained households exhibit inelastic demand. Many high credit quality applicants are reluctant to borrow, even at very low interest rates where no private alternative exists.
Thrombus in Transit on Point-of-Care Ultrasound in COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Cause of Refractory Hypoxia Requiring Systemic Thrombolysis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is predominantly a pulmonary disease due to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with underlying systemic involvement associated with coagulopathy. The reported number of events of venous thromboembolism and refractory hypoxia remains high despite being maintained on prophylactic or therapeutic doses of anticoagulation in patients with a high clinical indication, which has shown a reduction in mortality otherwise. This report is of a case of severe COVID-19 pneumonia in a 37-year-old Hispanic man who developed coagulopathy with left popliteal vein thrombosis and subsequently a right ventricle thrombus in transit diagnosed by point-of-care ultrasound requiring systemic thrombolysis. Although patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia are routinely given therapeutic anticoagulants, this case has shown that monitoring acute thrombotic events, D-dimer levels, and the presence of refractory hypoxia may indicate a thrombotic event that requires further intervention. This report has demonstrated the value of point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnosis of thromboembolism and venous thrombosis in a patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
Changes in methadone take-home dosing before and after COVID-19.

Abstract Introduction In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a federal exemption allowed stable and less stable patients greater take-home doses of methadone. We assessed the adoption of increased take-home medication during COVID-19 and whether increased take-home doses is associated with clients' characteristics. Methodology We completed a pre-post study of adults receiving methadone for OUD from an OTP in Spokane, Washington. Our outcome was the change in the number of take-home methadone doses three months before and three months after the March 2020 take-home medication exemption. Clients' characteristics included age, gender, ethnicity, education level, homelessness, spatial access to the clinic, and methamphetamine use. Results The study included 194 clients in treatment for a median of three years. All study participants experienced an average increase in take-home medication of 41.4 in the three-month period after the COVID-19 exemption. In the final adjusted models, clients who reported using methamphetamine in the last 30 days experienced a significantly larger increase in take-home dosage (55.6 days) compare to clients who did not use methamphetamine (p ≤0.001). Most of the clients who reported using methamphetamine were also likely to be homeless. All other variables were not associated with a change in take-home doses. Conclusion These results suggest that the Spokane OTP quickly expanded take-home medication dosing in response to the COVID-19 exemption and broadly expanded take-home dosing among established clients. Clients with concurrent methamphetamine use were allowed fewer take-home doses prior to COVID-19, but after the exemption the clinic provided them the same number of take-home doses as clients who had not used methamphetamine.
Prehospital Tibial Intraosseous Drug Administration is Associated with Reduced Survival Following Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A study for the CARES Surveillance Group.

Abstract Background Recent reports have questioned the efficacy of intraosseous (IO) drug administration for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) resuscitation. Our aim was to determine whether prehospital administration of resuscitative medications via the IO route was associated with lower rates of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival to hospital discharge than peripheral intravenous (IV) infusion in the setting of OHCA. Methods We obtained data on all OHCA patients receiving prehospital IV or IO drug administration from the three most populous counties in Michigan over three years. Data was from the Michigan Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) database. The association between route of drug administration and outcomes was tested using a matched propensity score analysis. Results From a total of 10,626 OHCA patients, 6869 received parenteral drugs during their prehospital resuscitation (37.8% by IO) and were included in analysis. Unadjusted outcomes were lower in patients with IO vs. IV access: 18.3% vs. 23.8% for ROSC (p Conclusion In this cohort of OHCA patients, the use of prehospital IO drug administration was associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes.
Protected in Law, Cared for in Life: The New Health-Care Act Fails to Satisfy Pro-Life Principles

Protected in law and cared for in life. This is the basic pro-life political principle. Even though the final version of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) did not contain their amendments, some congressional (and other) pro-lifers insisted that the bill is indeed consistent with this basic pro-life principle. It is not. It is premised on the claim that abortion is health care. It allows federal dollars, collected from taxpayers, to fund plans that cover abortion and even to pay for abortion directly. It fails to protect adequately the conscience rights of health-care providers and may squeeze pro-life doctors and hospitals out of the market. With a new congress now in office and the 2012 election campaign already beginning, pro-lifers must know exactly how the bill affects abortion funding and conscience protection. But it is even more important for us to consider how pro-life principles should guide us as we deliberate about how to fix PPACA and reform American health care.
The Role of Bacterial Proteases in Microbe and Host-microbe Interactions.

Background Secreted proteases are an important class of factors used by bacterial to modulate their extracellular environment through the cleavage of peptides and proteins. These proteases can range from broad, general proteolytic activity to high degrees of substrate specificity. They are often involved in interactions between bacteria and other species, even across kingdoms, allowing bacteria to survive and compete within their niche. As a result, many bacterial proteases are of clinical importance. The immune system is a common target for these enzymes, and bacteria have evolved ways to use these proteases to alter immune responses for their benefit. In addition to the wide variety of human proteins that can be targeted by bacterial proteases, bacteria also use these secreted factors to disrupt competing microbes, ranging from outright antimicrobial activity to disrupting processes like biofilm formation. Objective In this review, we address how bacterial proteases modulate host mechanisms of protection from infection and injury, including immune factors and cell barriers. We also discuss the contributions of bacterial proteases to microbe-microbe interactions, including antimicrobial and anti-biofilm dynamics. Conclusion Bacterial secreted proteases represent an incredibly diverse group of factors that bacteria use to shape and thrive in their microenvironment. Due to the range of activities and targets of these proteases, some have been noted for having potential as therapeutics. The vast array of bacterial proteases and their targets remains an expanding field of research, and this field has many important implications for human health.
An isolated white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population on St. John, US Virgin Islands shows low inbreeding and comparable heterozygosity to other larger populations

This is the first study to document the genetic diversity of the white-tailed deer population on St. John, US Virgin Islands. The island population was founded by a small number of animals, has very limited hunting or predation, and recently experienced a reduction in size following an extended drought in 2015. DNA samples were collected from hair from 23 anesthetized adult deer (13 males, 10 females) ranging in age from 1 to 8 years (3.36 ± 1.9 years) and also from fecal DNA samples, for a total of 42 individuals analyzed for genetic diversity. The St. John deer data set averaged 4.19 alleles per marker and demonstrates the second lowest number of alleles (A) when compared to other populations of Odocoileus virginianus (4.19). Heterozygosity was similar to the other studies (0.54) with little evidence of inbreeding. To explain the level of heterozygosity and level of inbreeding within the St. John population, three hypotheses are proposed, including the effect of intrinsic biological traits within the population, a recent infusion of highly heterogeneous loci from North American populations, and a consistent level of immigration from a nearby island. Additional work is needed to further understand the genetic history of the St. John and regional deer populations.
Long Run Employment and Income Growth: A by Sector Analysis

Given today’s economic conditions it is becoming more essential to gain a better understanding of long run economic development in the US. This paper seeks to find economic sectors that show a significant impact on employment and income growth. This was done by estimating the elasticities for individual sectors (Manufacturing, Trade, Information, Business Services and Finance, Health and Education, and Other) and using a growth accounting approach to determine the contributions of labor for each. Over the sample period years (2001-11) it was found that business services and finance had the highest contribution to labor growth with an average annual growth of 15.7% for total output and 6.5% for total employment. In contrast, the manufacturing sector had an average annual growth of 0.14% for total output and -2.77% for employment over the same period. In the most recent years, 2010-11, the contribution of labor accounted for 8.1% of output growth in manufacturing versus 17.5% in the business services and finance sector. This suggests that there are structural changes occurring in today’s economy, and there is benefit to long run economic planning at the local level.
Association Between Mohs Surgery Wait Times and Surgical Defect Size in Patients With Squamous Cell or Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin.

BACKGROUND Consequences of delays in treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCA) are largely unstudied. OBJECTIVE To determine the relationship between Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) delay time and final MMS defect size. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients who underwent MMS for biopsy-proven basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) between 2004 and 2006. Time delay between date of biopsy and date of surgery and lesion diameter increase between biopsy and surgical defect were calculated. RESULTS Two hundred eighty-three lesions qualified for inclusion in the study. No significant difference in mean change of major diameter between primary and recurrent tumors (1.0 vs 1.1 cm, p = .67), between BCCs and SCCs (both were 1.0 cm, p = .99), and between tumor size at presentation <1.0 versus ≥1.0 cm (1.1 vs 0.8 cm, p = .11) were found. However, the mean number of MMS layers taken was significantly different between BCCs and SCCs (1.9 vs 1.5, respectively; p = .0022). Linear regression analysis of major diameter change versus time delay to MMS showed no significant increasing trend over time. CONCLUSION No evidence was found that time delays of up to 1 year from biopsy to MMS impact the growth of NMSCA.
SU‐E‐T‐108: An Investigation of Cerenkov Light Production in the Exradin W1 Scintillator Under Various Measurement Conditions

Purpose: To investigate the effects of depth, fiber-optic cable bends, and incident radiation angle on Cerenkov production in the Standard Imaging Exradin W1. Methods: Measurements were completed using a Varian Clinac 21EX linear accelerator with an Exradin W1 scintillator as well as a cable-only scintillator (no scintillation material) to isolate the Cerenkov signal. The effects of cable bend radius and location were investigated by bending the fiber-optic cable into a circle with radii ranging from 1.0 to 10.8 cm and positioning the center of the coil at distances ranging from 10.0 to 175.0 cm from the photodiode. The effects of depth and incident radiation angle were investigated by performing measurements in water at depths ranging from 1.0 cm to 25.0 cm and angles ranging from 0° to 80°. Eclipse treatment-planning software was utilized to ensure a consistent dose was delivered to the W1 regardless of depth or angle. Results: Measured signal in both channels of the cable-only scintillator decreased as the bend radius decreased and as the distance between the bend and photodiode increased. A fiber bend of 1.0 cm radius produced a 17.1% decrease in the green channel response in the cable-only scintillator. The effect of depth was less severe; a maximum increase of 6.6% in the green channel response was observed at a depth of 25.0 cm in the W1. In the angular dependence investigation, the signal in both channels of the W1 peaked at an angle of 40°; which is in agreement with the nominal Cerenkov emission angle of 45°. Conclusion: The green channel response in the W1 (mainly Cerenkov signal) varied with depth, fiber-optic cable bends, and incident radiation angle. Fully characterizing Cerenkov production is essential to ensure it is properly accounted for in scintillator measurements. Research funding and materials received by Standard Imaging, Inc. (Middleton WI)
Update Monitoring: The CQ Project

In rapidly growing open environments such as the Internet, users experience information starvation in the midst of data overload, due to difficulties similar to finding the needle in a haystack. Update monitoring is a promising area of research where we bring the right information to the user at the right time, instead of forcing the user through manual browsing or repeated submission of queries. As an example of update monitoring research, we outline our work in the Continual Queries (CQ) project, including its basic concepts, software architecture, and current implementation status.
Designing teaching and assessment tools for an integrated engineering ethics curriculum

In 1996, the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan adopted an across-the-curriculum approach for teaching engineering ethics as part of the implementation of a new curriculum-Curriculum 2000. This paper describes the implementation of that decision, looking at the limitations and goals that shaped curriculum design; the strategic plan for weaving an ethics thread through the curriculum; the underlying teaching philosophy followed; the development of Web resources to support the teaching effort, plans for assessment; and finally prospects for the future. It is concluded that with proper planning, commitment and support, engineering faculty can, in the normal course of teaching in regular courses, help students develop a sufficient "understanding of professional and ethical responsibility" to satisfy EC 2000.
Parallel and Distributed Algorithms for High-Speed Image Processing

Abstract : Typical desktop workstations can be a severe bottleneck in the viewing and enhancement of imagery data. Due to the nature of many image processing algorithms, an effective method for alleviating this problem is through parallelism. Parallel hardware can come in many forms, from small clusters of workstations and workstations with many processors to dedicated hardware containing 10's, 100's and 1000's of processing nodes. One of the challenges is developing a portable parallel image processing library in such a potentially diverse environment. These issues led to the development of a Parallel Image Processing Toolkit (PIPT). The toolkit hides the detail of parallelization from the users of the PIPT and provides a uniform programming interface. In developing the toolkit the issues of advanced data handling, load, balancing and parallel visualization were addressed. In addition a specific computationally expensive High Resolution Video Stills algorithm was implemented within the PIPT. The important contributions that resulted from this work transcend the individual tasks that were undertaken. First, the general approach that was taken to implement the PIPT illustrates several important principles for the design and implementation of general purpose parallel libraries. in this regard, the PIPT design can serve as a "design pattern" for an extensible parallel library. Second, the design pattern of the current implementation of the PIPT contains some notable attempts at programming image processing tasks in a generic fashion.
Risk-Return Assessment of Irrigation Decisions in Humid Regions

The environment for decision-making at the farm-firm level has always been volatile, but particularly so in recent years. Product prices have seen wide fluctuations, due in part to a reduced emphasis on farm-price support programs and more reliance on world markets. Input prices, especially those that are energy related (fertilizers, chemicals, fuels), have also increased in an erratic manner in recent years.
Differential fly-throughs (DFT): a general framework for computing flight paths

In this paper, we propose a new variational framework based on distance transform and gradient vector flow, to compute flight paths through tubular and non-tubular structures, for virtual endoscopy. The proposed framework propagates two wave fronts of different speeds from a point source voxel, which belongs to the medial curves of the anatomical structure. The first wave traverses the 3D structure with a moderate speed that is a function of the distance field to extract its topology, while the second wave propagates with a higher speed that is a function of the magnitude of the gradient vector flow to extract the flight paths. The motion of the fronts are governed by a nonlinear partial equation, whose solution is computed efficiently using the higher accuracy fast marching level set method (HAFMM). The framework is robust, fully automatic, and computes flight paths that are centered, connected, thin, and less sensitive to boundary noise. We have validated the robustness of the proposed method both quantitatively and qualitatively against synthetic and clinical datasets.
A Layered Approach to a Common Ground Reading

In a January 27, 2011 interview on the National Public Radio radio show Fresh Air (hosted by Terry Gross), guest Robert Spitzer made this comment: “Brazil doesn’t have a second amendment in their constitution.” However, as of May 2010 the Citizen Constitution (Brazil’s constitution since 1988) has been amended 64 times, which necessarily includes a second instance of an amendment being made. This fact renders a literal reading of Spitzer’s remark to be infelicitous. Instead, it is argued that Spitzer’s remark utilized the architecture of the situation to engage participants in a joint activity of maximizing the common ground.This essay explores the role of a shared common ground in layered communication situations which enables participants to understand speaker construals. This falls within the domain of joint attention and pragmatic analysis of communication situations. Clark’s (1996) notion of Common Ground will be used to analyze the situation and untangle the communication layers to question what each participant needs to understand in order to orient on the intended meaning of the speaker. Using attested data from a radio interview, this paper explores three layers of communication and identifies the various aspects of a common ground that are required for a proper reading of a speaker’s intended meaning. This common ground is argued to be essential in the process of the negotiation of meaning. What follows is an initial exposition of the methodological process in this analysis, followed by a situating of the context for the data, and finally the application of the analytical method to the data with appropriate conclusions.
Memory Change: An Intimate Measure of Persuasion

ABSTRACT A major goal for advertising is to have an enduring emotional impact on an audience by facilitating their creation of personally relevant understandings of an advertisement. This is achieved through a process of cocreation in which consumers integrate advertising content with their own attitudes, beliefs, and values to produce the meaning of an advertisement. This article proposes an approach to evaluating advertisements that builds on the reconstructive nature of memory, the dominant view of memory today. The reconstructive view of memory holds that the memory for the same event is different each time it is recalled and that the person doing the recalling is unaware of these changes. We present an experimental paradigm that assesses advertising9s influence on consumers9 own memory of their beliefs. We demonstrate that advertising can unconsciously alter consumers9 beliefs as reflected by a change in how consumers recall their earlier reporting of these beliefs following an advertising exposure. That is, advertising that causes consumers to remember differently earlier (preadvertising exposure) reported beliefs and in which the change is in the direction of the advertisement9s message is an advertisement that contains information the consumer has unconsciously adopted as their own and therefore is likely to be personally relevant and to have an enduring impact on their emotions.
Developmental Trajectories of Youth Character: A Five-Wave Longitudinal Study of Cub Scouts and Non-Scout Boys

Youth development programs, such as the Boy Scouts of America, aim to develop positive attributes in youth (e.g., character virtues, prosocial behaviors, and positive civic actions), which are necessary for individuals and societies to flourish. However, few developmental studies have focused on how specific positive attributes develop through participation in programs such as the Boy Scouts of America. As part of the Character and Merit Project, this article examined the developmental trajectories of character and other positive attributes, which are of focal concern of the Boy Scouts of America and the developmental literature. Data were collected from 1398 Scouts (M = 8.59 years, SD = 1.29 years, Range 6.17–11.92 years) and 325 non-Scout boys (M = 9.06 years, SD = 1.43 years, Range 6.20–11.81 years) over five waves of testing across a two-and-half-year period. Latent growth-curve analyses of self-report survey data examined the developmental trajectories of the attributes. Older youth rated themselves lower than younger participants on helpfulness, reverence, thriftiness, and school performance. However, all youth had moderately high self-ratings on all the attributes. Across waves, Scouts’ self-ratings increased significantly for cheerfulness, helpfulness, kindness, obedience, trustworthiness, and hopeful future expectations. Non-Scout boys’ self-ratings showed no significant change for any attributes except for a significant decrease in religious reverence among non-Scout boys from religious institutions. We discuss implications for positive youth development and for the role of the Boy Scouts of America programming in character development.
Bacteriophage T7 Lysozyme Is an N-Acetylmuramyl-l-alanine Amidase

Abstract Studies on the specificity of a lytic enzyme induced by bacteriophage T7 infection of Escherichia coli were carried out by analyzing the products of the enzyme's action on purified E. coli peptidoglycan. The E. coli peptidoglycan is known to contain a lipoprotein (molecular weight = 7,200) covalently attached to diaminopimelic acid. When radioactively labeled E. coli peptidoglycan was digested with purified bacteriophage T4 lysozyme, the lipoprotein was cleaved from the peptidoglycan and migrated to a position of molecular weight 10,600 in a sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretogram. The lipoprotein was found to contain both radioactive N-acetylglucosamine and diaminopimelic acid, as expected from the known enzymatic specificity of T4 lysozyme (an N-acetylmuramidase). On the other hand, when the labeled peptidoglycan was digested with a bacteriophage T7 lysate, the lipoprotein migrated to a position of significantly lower molecular weight than that of the lipoprotein cleaved by T4 lysozyme. Furthermore, the lipoprotein contained diaminopimelic acid, but not N-acetylglucosamine. This suggested that the release of the lipoprotein from the peptidoglycan by the T7 lysate was not due to the hydrolysis of one of the bonds in the glycan backbone, but due to the hydrolysis of one of the bonds in the peptide portion of the peptidoglycan. Peptidoglycan radioactively labeled with l-alanine was prepared, digested with the lytic enzyme in a T7 lysate, and the digestion products analyzed. From these experiments, it was concluded that the T7 enzyme cleaves the bond between N-acetylmuramic acid and l-alanine. This conclusion was confirmed by observing that the release of NH2-terminal l-[14C]alanine was chemically detected by dinitrophenylation after digestion of labeled peptidoglycan with the T7 lysate. Hence the T7 lytic enzyme is an N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase. It is most likely the product of the T7 lysozyme gene (gene 3.5), since no lytic activity was detected in a lysate prepared by infection of E. coli with a T7 lysozyme mutant.
A subtropical episode of production of kinetic energy from condensation heating. Ein subtropisches Beispiel der Entstehung kinetischer Energie aus Kondensationswärme

On 10–11 June 1981 a major outbreak of precipitation took place in the southern United States around the West and Middle Gulf coast. The system had many features of tropical disturbances. It originated however without evidence of a definite antecedent disturbance. Further, it did not interact with belts of westerlies to north and south, rather developed in a high-tropospheric light wind area between these belts. Considerable kinetic energy was generated at high levels which could only be ascribed to transformation of latent heat of condensation, and a complete upper anticyclone developed from the initial flat wind field.
Academic challenges in large-scale multiphysics simulations

Multiphysics simulations are increasingly playing a critical role in scientific and engineering applications. The complex and cross-disciplinary nature of such applications poses many challenges and opportunities in both research and education. In this paper we overview some of these research challenges, as well as an academic program designed to prepare students to meet them.
The Relationship of Reflective Functioning to Parent Child Interactions in a Sample of Fathers With Concurrent Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Substance Abuse Problems

This study is the first to examine reflective functioning (RF) and direct parent-child interactions of fathers with concurrent intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and substance abuse (SA) problems. Twenty-four fathers, with children between the age of one and seven, completed a structured interview to assess RF, self-report measures of hostile-aggressive parenting behaviors, IPV perpetration severity, SA severity, and a coded play session with their children. Results of three simultaneous multiple regressions revealed that RF in fathers was not associated significantly with observed parenting behaviors. However, fathers' SA severity emerged as a significant predictor for child avoidant behavior and dyadic tension, and fathers' IPV perpetration severity contributed unique variance to child avoidant behavior and dyadic constriction. These results suggest that fathers' SA severity and IPV perpetration behaviors may be more salient factors in predicting their father-child interactions than paternal RF.
Using Distributed Processing to Create More Powerful, Flexible and User Matched Accessibility Services

Accessibility today is characterized by individual devices, which have been custom-built for people with disabilities (talking alarm clock, braille watches, special communication devices, etc.) or mainstream devices such as computers, which have been adapted with hardware or software to be usable by an individual with disabilities. This model results in more isolated access packages whose capabilities are limited by the particular devices on which they are run. By moving to more distributed, network-based accessibility solutions, we open up the potential for a much wider range of accessibility solutions which can not only evolve over time, but vary by environment, task, etc. A rainbow of on-demand services and capabilities can be available to them. It also opens up the potential for individuals who cannot afford assistive technologies to be able to tap into a pool of free public assistive services that they can use on any device which they encounter.
A queuing theoretic model for IEEE 802.11 DCF using RTS/CTS

An M/MMG1/1/K queuing model is developed for the analysis of IEEE 802.11 DCF using RTS/CTS. Results are based on arbitrary contention conditions, namely, collision probabilities, transmission probabilities and contention window sizes that vary arbitrarily among nodes contending for channel access. This is fundamentally different from the earlier works. Results are presented for the fully-connected case and validated via simulation with statistical analysis. The main contributions are the analysis of DCF and the foundation for the analysis of multi-hop scenarios. A key element of the model is the effective reduction of the normally encountered complexity by effectively restoring the independence between service times and packet inter-arrivals.