cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
22 DIFFUSE PULMONARY MILIARY LESIONS: A CASE REPORT OF THYROID CARCINOMA AS THE UNSUSPECTED CAUSE.

Purpose To highlight the need for pediatricians to have an awareness of metastatic thyroid carcinoma in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary miliary lesions by presenting an unusual case presentation. Method We report a previously healthy 4-year-old female patient with a 9-week history of persistent cough and exertional dyspnea associated with decreased appetite and weight lost. The review of systems was positive for exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in her first year of life from her biological mother but otherwise negative. Her physical exam was notable for bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy, with the largest node measuring approximately 5 3 4 cm. Thyroid exam was normal. Chest roentgenogram revealed diffuse nodular densities in both lung fields. An extensive diagnostic work-up was undertaken to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the causative agent. A skin PPD test was nonreactive and gastric lavages failed to identify acid fast bacilli with Ziehl-Neelsen stain and direct fluorescent antibody. Silver stain for fungal elements and HIV titers were also negative. A subsequent lung bronchoscopy revealed compression of the left lung bronchus and microscopic analysis of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid demonstrated normal cellular distribution with no microbial pathogens. A fine-needle biopsy of her cervical lymph node revealed metastatic thyroid carcinoma. The metastatic nature of the miliary pulmonary lesions was confirmed by avid uptake of radioactive iodine by the lesions. Results Thyroid carcinoma is uncommon in the pediatric population, with an annual incidence of 0.02-0.3 cases per 100,000 population. It typically manifests as an asymptomatic mass in 60-80% of cases and often presents with advanced disease in children. Extensive regional nodal involvement has been reported in up to 70% of pediatric patients with distant metastasis to the lungs, bone, or liver present in 10-20% of patients. Diffuse miliary spread to the lungs is unusual, with bilateral total lung involvement reported only in several cases. Conclusion During the evaluation and diagnosis of diffuse interstitial lung lesions in pediatrics, it is important to identify any suspected infectious pathogens. When an infectious etiology is not identified, examination of tissues by nodal and/or lung biopsy is often necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Miliary dissemination of thyroid carcinoma is an unusual cause of diffuse interstitial nodular pulmonary infiltrates.
The Philosophy of Physical Education: A New Perspective

The Philosophy of Physical Education: A New Perspective is a new member of the Routledge Studies in Physical Education and Youth Sport series. This series, which examines current social issues, ped...
Investigating the debate of home birth safety: A critical review of cohort studies focusing on selected infant outcomes.

Aim There is a debate within the medical community regarding the safety of planned home births. The presumption of increased risk of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality at home due to limited access to life-saving interventions is not clearly supported by research. The aim of the present study was to assess strengths and limitations of the methodological approaches of cohort studies that compare home births with hospital births by focusing on selected infant outcomes. Methods Studies were identified that assess the risk for at least one of three infant outcomes (mortality, Apgar score, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit [NICU]) of home births compared with hospital births. Results Fifteen cohort studies were included. Two studies of low-risk births and two including higher risk births found home births to be at an increased risk of neonatal mortality. However, mortality is rare in developed nations and may not be the best measure of safety. When studies focused on low-risk pregnancies, planned birth location, and well-trained birth attendants, there was no difference in neonatal morbidity (Apgar score and NICU admission). Conclusion Many methodological challenges were identified among these studies. This review contributes to the home birth published work by identifying key strengths and limitations that need to be accounted for in the interpretation of study findings and the development of future studies. Based on this review, the key variables that would strengthen future studies are birth attendant identification, documented planned birth location, and specification of the birth risk level. Uniformity of data collection and minimizing missing data are also critical.
Thermoelectric Properties of Light-Element-Containing Zintl Compounds CaZn2−xCuxP2 and CaMnZn1−xCuxP2 (x = 0.0–0.2)

Light-element-containing CaAl2Si2-type Zintl phases CaZn2−xCuxP2 and CaMnZn1−xCuxP2 (x = 0.0–0.2) have been synthesized by solid-state reaction. Electrical resistivity (ρ), Seebeck coefficient (α), and thermal conductivity (κ) were measured over a wide temperature (T) range (80–1000 K) to evaluate the thermoelectric potential of these materials. Below 300 K, the power factor (PF; α2/ρ) is very small. Above 600 K, however, PF increases rapidly for all compositions because of a rapid increase of α and a simultaneous decrease of ρ. The measured large α is consistent with the wider band gap expected for these compositions. Compared with the pure compounds, larger PF values are observed for the Cu-substituted compounds; the largest observed PF is ∼0.5 mW/m K2. The thermal conductivity is found to be rather low, despite the presence of light elements, and is in the range 1.0–1.5 W/m K at 1000 K. Because of the combination of low κ and moderate PF values, the dimensionless figure of merit ZT = α2T/ρκ reaches a maximum of 0.4 for CaZn1.9Cu0.1P2.
Intensity Fluctuation Correlations in Amplified Spontaneous Emission From a Cw-Excited High Gain Laser Amplifier

ASE sources, such as long, thin gas laser amplifiers whose only input is the distributed spontaneous emission from the excited atoms, emit radiation that shows a high degree of directionality and coherence. The intensity of the spontaneously emitted field in any mode, however, displays rapid and significant fluctuations about the average intensity due to interference effects between the emissions from the incoherently excited sources. Due to competition between different modes for the finite amount of energy stored by the excited medium, fluctuations are expected to persist in the output of an ASE source, even under conditions of heavy gain saturation [1–4]. In particular, due to this coupling of the different fields to the same atomic population, one observes significant anti-correlations between orthogonally polarized components of the emitted field for gain saturated ASE sources [3–5,13]. We have experimentally correlated the intensity fluctuations for the orthogonally polarized components of the output from one end of a high-gain, CW excited, 3.51 μm Xe-He laser amplifier for various values of the small signal gain of the medium and for different degrees of homogeneous broadening.
Killing the Killer: Rampage and Gun Rights as a Syndrome

This essay examines the Sandy Hook school rampage in Newtown Connecticut (Dec. 14, 2012) and the subsequent radical firearms advocacy voiced by the National Rifle Association (NRA) as a traumatic syndrome. I foreground Adam Lanza’s slaughter of 26 primary school children and personnel at the Sandy Hook school because it caused exceptional shock and an impassioned reconsideration of firearms policies: “no story received more public attention” (Pew 2013a, May 7, Gun Homicide Rate Down 49 % Since 1993 Peak; Public Unaware. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/05/07/gun-homicide-rate-down-49-since-1993-peak-public-unaware/) than the debate over gun control that followed 2 months later. In addition, Adam Lanza’s behavior leading up to his rampage shows symptoms of traumatic stress that were mirrored in the positions of radical gun rights advocates.
The impact of social threat cues on a card sorting task with attentional-shifting demands.

Abstract Background and objectives The current study investigated social anxiety and attentional control using two versions of a task designed to tap intentional shifting of attention and set switching: the standard Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST; Heaton, 1981) and a modified version that included emotionally salient pictorial stimuli, the Emotional Faces Card Sorting Test (EFCST). A Group (lower-, higher-SPS) by Condition (WCST, EFCST) by Sorting Rule (color, form, number) interaction was expected in which the higher-SPS EFCST group would have worse overall performance and make more perseverative errors than the other groups. No differences were predicted on nonperseverative errors, which are typically caused by brief attentional lapses. Methods Participants were 80 undergraduate students who scored in the upper and lower quartile of the distribution on the Social Phobia Scale (SPS; Mattick & Clarke, 1998) were randomly assigned to complete either the WCST or EFCST. Results On the WCST, the higher-SPS group showed performance similar to that of the lower-SPS group. On the EFCST, the higher-SPS group evidenced more perseverative errors in the condition that depicted angry faces. Limitations Interpretations based on a non-clinical sample limit the generalisability of the conclusions. Reliability of this new measure has yet to be established. Successful completion of the WCST requires more than set-shifting processes. Conclusion These results suggest that the higher-SPS group in the EFCST condition might have had trouble disengaging attention from threat-related cues, despite ongoing corrective feedback.
Algorithmic Identification of Looted Archaeological Sites from Space

In response to widespread looting of archaeological sites, archaeologists have used satellite imagery to enable the investigation of looting of affected archaeological sites. Such analyses often require time-consuming direct human interpretation of images, with the potential for human-induced error. We introduce a novel automated image processing mechanism applied to the analysis of very high resolution panchromatic satellite images, and demonstrate its ability to identify damage at archaeological sites with high accuracy and low false-positive rates compared to standard image classification methods. This has great potential for large scale applications whereby country-wide satellite datasets can be batch processed to find looting hotspots. Time is running out for many archaeological sites in the Middle East and elsewhere, and this mechanism fills a needed gap for locating looting damage in a cost and time efficient manner, with potential global applications.
A Desire for the Dark Side: An Examination of Individual Personality Characteristics and Their Desire for Adverse Characteristics in Leaders

ABSTRACTPowerful and charismatic leaders are often highly desired by organizations and the followers that work within them. However, leaders who are highly skilled at developing relationships and accomplishing what they need to are often those individuals who rate very high on personality traits or characteristics that are considered “dark.” Although much attention has been paid to leaders and dark characteristics, we know much less regarding the dark side of leadership and followers’ susceptibility to these leaders. This article investigates the extent to which follower traits (i.e., the dark triad and the Big Five) predict a follower’s propensity to accept leader behaviors indicative of psychopathy (measured via the Hare P-Scan). Results suggest a follower’s psychopathy leads to the desire for dark leaders. Implications and future research suggest a more in-depth examination of followers and why certain individuals desire dark leadership, as well as examining negative environments.
Patient Complexity, Prescriber Continuity and Acute Care

To the Editors—Maciejewski et al.’s article on prescriber continuity is an important stepping stone in understanding the full impact of care continuity issues.1 They showed that more prescribers lead to increased health care utilization, concluding that “the number of prescribers may be an appropriate target for reducing utilization.” This conclusion, however, may be too simplistic a view. They report that patient-level factors including disease complexity and provider-level factors like extent of care coordination between providers were not analyzed. These elements are potentially more important factors. If the complexity of a patient’s care increases the need for multiple providers and patient care visits, then reducing utilization may lead to an overall decrease in quality of care. Similarly, provider-level factors, such as extent of care coordination, may be more important in the utilization of healthcare resources than simply the total number of providers. If the number of providers is merely a confounder or correlate, the simplistic conclusion to reduce the number of providers could lead to worsening quality of care. The Lean Six Sigma provides a more complete model for understanding the impact of multiple providers. Initially developed to improve the efficiency of manufacturing cars, it has been applied most recently to healthcare. Applied to clinical care, any increase in the number of providers or any increase in utilization of health care resources would improve patient care quality as long as these additional resources added necessary value to patient care. Only when these added providers or added patient visits were redundant or wasteful would they reduce quality of care. If there is a need for an increasing number of patient visits due to any patient-level or provider-level factors, any increase in health care utilization would actually improve patient care and possibly even long-term costs, not reduce it as Maciejewski implies. This model shifts our priorities from counting total number of providers and total number of patient visits to a more goal-directed question of utility: how does each provider or encounter enhance the care of a patient. Thought of another way, not all providers and not all patient visits are equal. Some provider involvement and acute care visits are valuable and necessary, while others are wasteful and redundant. In this model, it is about matching the right number of providers and the right number of visits to produce the best care possible.
A CMAC Neural Network for the Kinematic Control of Walking Machine

A Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller (CMAC) neural network is applied to coordinate and control the leg movements of a walking machine. In particular a CMAC network learns the non-linear relationships of the leg kinematics. A preliminary example is provided to evaluate the effectiveness of the CMAC network for the walking control of a four legged walking machine in straight line motion.
The multivariate normal model

Up until now all of our statistical models have been univariate models, that is, models for a single measurement on each member of a sample of individuals or each run of a repeated experiment. However, datasets are frequently multivariate, having multiple measurements for each individual or experiment. This chapter covers what is perhaps the most useful model for multivariate data, the multivariate normal model, which allows us to jointly estimate population means, variances and correlations of a collection of variables. After first calculating posterior distributions under semiconjugate prior distributions, we show how the multivariate normal model can be used to impute data that are missing at random.
Detection of Sublayer Fatigue Cracks under Airframe Rivets

The Rotating Self-Nulling Probe System developed as a part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Airframe Structural Integrity Program has been shown in the past to provide a quick and reliable method to detect fatigue cracks hidden under airframe rivets [1–3]. The previous research has concentrated on detecting cracks in the top layer of an airframe lap-splice joint, obtaining a 90% probability of detection for 0.032” long top layer fatigue cracks buried under airframe rivets [2,3]. Although this was a major accomplishment, the question of detectability of fatigue cracks in the lower layers of the joint has been left open. In this work the ability of the system to detect second and third layer fatigue cracks will be explored.
Infections in diabetes mellitus.

Infections constitute the most common cause of diabetic ketoacidosis and uncontrolled diabetes but diabetes also predisposes to the development of serious infections (1,2). The risk of infection and consequent hospitalization is higher in individuals with diabetes than in those without diabetes (3), and some infections, such as rhinocerebral mucormycosis and emphysematous pyelonephritis, occur almost exclusively in patients with diabetes (4). Individuals with diabetes mellitus might be at higher risk of moderate or severe infection-related morbidity and mortality, with almost a double risk of death related to an infection (3). This propensity for infection is attributed to effects of the metabolic dysregulation not only on immune function (5, 6, 7, 8) but also on the nervous and circulatory systems leading to disruption of the natural barriers to infection (9). For example, neuropathic and ischemic ulcers in patients with diabetes provide portals of entry for microorganisms, and neuropathic urinary bladder dysfunction predisposes to urinary tract infections (UTIs) (5,6,9).
A protein-protein host-guest complex: Thermostable ferritin encapsulating positively supercharged green fluorescent protein

We characterize the encapsulation of supercharged green fluorescent protein, GFP(+36), by thermophilic ferritin from Archaeoglobus fulgidus (AfFtn). The AfFtn-GFP(+36) assembly is rapid, nearly stoichiometric, and robust. Using a more stably assembled mutant AfFtn, we show that encapsulation can occur in the presence of mostly assembled cages, in addition to encapsulation starting from AfFtn individual subunits. Assembly and encapsulation do not occur with non-supercharged GFP or the alternately supercharged GFP(-30), highlighting the role of complementary electrostatic interactions between the cargo and AfFtn cage interior. We also present a method for verifying protein-protein encapsulation, using nickel nitrilotriacetic acid agarose resin. AfFtn-supercharged protein host-guest complexes could find applications in enzyme studies, protein separations, and in vivo protein stabilization and targeted delivery.
High Speed Rail in the US

An original approach for dealing with High Speed Rail (HSR) transportation development in the United States, this book serves as a blueprint for such development by providing an in-depth evaluation of the different systems and their inherent linkage to other transportation modes, their potential costs, financing options, system benefits, the curren
Cooking Frequency Associated With Dietary Quality in iCook-4H Youth Participants at Baseline.

Background:Increased intakes of ready-made and fast foods paralleled with decreased homemade food consumption have been associated with increased rates of obesity. Researchers have shown associatio...
Abdominal Vessel Cannulation Before Resternotomy in Complex Congenital Heart Surgery.

Repeat cardiac operations are common among patients with complex congenital heart disease. Inadvertent cardiotomy during redo sternotomy can increase intraoperative time and mortality. Establishing extracorporeal circulation before resternotomy may render redo congenital cardiac surgery cases safer and more expeditious. In the present report, we describe the technique of preemptive cannulation of the abdominal aorta (or right common iliac artery) and inferior vena cava. This approach may be a useful when femoral vessels are occluded owing to many catheterizations or prior cannulations. In our practice, no reentry injuries or other complications related to abdominal vessel cannulation have occurred.
Implementation of an enhanced recovery program framework in medical oncology.

66Background: Enhanced recovery programs (ERPs) apply multi-modal approaches to manage symptoms, decrease complications, and reduce length of stay (LOS). Widely adopted in surgical settings, there ...
Urinary Tract: Normal Anatomy

This chapter centers on the normal anatomy of the urinary tract. Basics regarding the appearance and normal measurements of the kidneys and ureters on ultrasound and cross-sectional imaging are discussed. Anatomic landmarks of the ureter’s course are highlighted as is normal anatomic variation in the case of the extrarenal pelvis. Common fluoroscopic studies for evaluation of urinary tract anatomy are also introduced.
Associate Degree Nursing Faculty Perceptions of a Concurrent Associate–Baccalaureate Nursing Partnership

Abstract The purpose of this project was to explore and understand community college faculty experiences and perceptions of working with students enrolled in one public university concurrent enrollment nursing program (CEP). Three focus groups were conducted with faculty members of three partner community colleges. Several benefits for students enrolled in the CEP were noted, including students achieving the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree more rapidly with increased postgraduation employment opportunities. Challenges for students and faculty are also reported.
Frailty as measured by the Risk Analysis Index is associated with long-term death after carotid endarterectomy

Abstract Objective The role of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) continues to be debated in the age of optimal medical therapy, particularly for patients with limited life expectancy. The Risk Analysis Index (RAI) measures frailty, a syndrome of decreased physiologic reserve, which increases vulnerability to adverse outcomes. The RAI better predicts surgical complications, nonhome discharge, and death than age or comorbidities alone. We sought to measure the association of frailty, as measured by the RAI, with postoperative in-hospital stroke, long-term stroke, and long-term survival after CEA. We also sought to determine how postoperative stroke interacts with frailty to alter survival trajectory after CEA. Methods We queried the Vascular Quality Initiative CEA procedure and long-term data sets (2003-2017) for elective CEAs with complete RAI case information. For all analyses, the cohort was divided into asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis. Scoring was defined as not frail (RAI Results Of the 42,869 included patients, 17,092 (39.9%) were female, and 38,395 (89.6%) were white. There were 25,673 (59.9%) patients assigned to the asymptomatic stenosis group and 17,196 (40.1%) patients in the symptomatic stenosis group. Frailty was not associated with perioperative or long-term postoperative stroke. The risk of long-term mortality was significantly higher for frail (hazard ratio, 1.9 [1.7-2.3]) and very frail (hazard ratio, 3.1 [2.6-3.7]) asymptomatic patients; symptomatic frail and very frail patients also had a two to three times increased risk of long-term mortality. Frail and very frail patients had two to three times the risk for long-term mortality compared with patients who were not frail. Postoperative stroke negatively affected the mortality trajectory for all patients in the cohort, regardless of frailty status. Conclusions RAI score is not associated with postoperative stroke; however, frail and very frail status is associated with decreased long-term survival in an incremental fashion based on increasing RAI. RAI assessment should be considered in the preoperative decision-making for patients undergoing CEA to ensure long-term survival and optimal surgical outcomes vs medical management.
On the suitability of general-purpose finite-volume-based solvers for the simulation of atmospheric-boundary-layer flow

Abstract. In the present work, the quality and reliability of a general-purpose second-order-accurate Finite-Volume-based (FV) solver are assessed in wall-modeled large-eddy simulations of a neutrally-stratified Atmospheric-Boundary-Layer (ABL) flow with no Coriolis effects. The sensitivity of the solution to parameters such as grid resolution and aspect ratio is analyzed, and results are contrasted against those from a well-proven mixed Pseudo-Spectral and Finite-Difference (PSFD) code. Considered flow statistics include mean streamwise velocity, resolved Reynolds stress, turbulence intensities, skewness, kurtosis, spectra and spatial autocorrelations. It is found that first- and second-order velocity statistics are sensitive to the grid resolution and to the details of the near-wall numerical treatment, and a general improvement is observed with horizontal grid refinement. Higher-order statistics, spectra and autocorrelations of the streamwise velocity, on the contrary, are consistently mispredicted, regardless of the grid resolution. Skewness and kurtosis of the streamwise velocity, for instance, are overpredicted in the surface layer, whereas one-dimensional spectra feature a strong sensitivity to the grid resolution in the production range and a rapid decay of energy density at higher wavenumber. In addition, the typical signatures of Large-Scale Motions (LSMs) are absent in the premultiplied streamwise velocity spectra, the spatial autocorrelation functions rapidly decay along both the streamwise and spanwise coordinate directions, and instantaneous snapshots of the velocity field are populated by relatively short and thin streaks, confirming that the flow lacks LSMs. Further, the dominant mechanism supporting the tangential Reynolds stress in ABL flow – spanwise-paired sweeps and ejections– is much weaker than what commonly observed in ABL flows, ejections are severely underpredicted, and sweeps account for most of the tangential Reynolds stress in the surface layer, which is at odds with available measurements and with corresponing results from the PSFD-based solver. The inability of the solver to correctly capture the spatially-localized and relatively strong ejection events, in the authors’ opinion, is the root-canse of many of the observed mismatches and sensitivity of flow statistics to grid resolution. The present findings show that truncation errors have an overwhelming impact on the predictive capabilities of second-order-accurate FV-based solvers, introducing a degree of uncertainty in model results that may be difficult to quantify across applications involving boundary-layer flows. Although mean flow and second-order statistics become acceptable provided sufficient grid resolution, the use of said solvers might prove problematic for studies requiring accurate higher-order statistics, velocity spectra and turbulence topology.
Performance and psychometric properties of lupus impact tracker in assessing patient-reported outcomes in pediatric lupus: Report from a pilot study.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the reliability, validity, feasibility and psychometric performance of the Lupus Impact Tracker (LIT) as a patient reported outcome (PRO) measure tool in pediatric systemic lup...
Separable Influences of Reward on Visual Processing and Choice.

Primate vision is characterized by constant, sequential processing and selection of visual targets to fixate. Although expected reward is known to influence both processing and selection of visual ...
History of Cryptography from the 1800s

Cryptography is an integral part of information security. Thus, the need to understand cryptography is substantial. The study of cryptography can be daunting, particularly for readers who do not have a rigorous mathematical background. It is often useful to begin with studying ancient ciphers. While these ciphers lack sufficient security to be useful today, they are effective at teaching the fundamental concepts of cryptography. These ancient ciphers still have a plaintext, an algorithm, and a key, used to produce the ciphertext. For this reason, ancient ciphers are an appropriate starting point for the study of cryptography.
Differences in Interactions Within Viral Replication Complexes of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and SARS-CoV Coronaviruses Control RNA Replication Ability.

COVID-19 has become a global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2 shares many similarities with SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). A viral replication complex containing non-structural proteins (nsps) is the toolbox for RNA replication and transcription of both coronaviruses. In both cases, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain of the coronaviral replication complex dictates the primary polymerase activity by cooperating with cofactors. The higher transmissibility and mortality due to SARS-CoV-2 are related to its higher RNA replication activity compared to SARS-CoV. The discrepancy between the RNA replication efficiency of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 can be understood by exploring interactions within their viral replication complexes. Our modeling of molecular interactions within the viral replication complexes of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 using molecular dynamics simulations suggests that in contrast to SARS-CoVnsp12, SARS-CoV2nsp12 prefers helices as the dominant interacting secondary motifs. The relative differences in nonbonded interactions between nsps could suggest viral RNA replication ability in coronaviruses.
Racial differences in health and cognition as a function of HIV among older adults.

The present study investigated the contribution of health risk factors (using the Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI]) on cognitive outcomes in a sample of 380 HIV-positive (HIV+; n = 221) and HIV-seronegative (HIV-; n = 159) African American and European American adults aged 50+. Participants were recruited from HIV clinics and community advertisements. HIV status was confirmed by serological testing. Self-report and chart history review was used to gather information about medical ssscomorbidities. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was used to create a comorbidity score. Participants were administered a brief cognitive test battery. As expected, health risks were greater among those with HIV. There was a HIV × Race interaction on CCI scores, such that in the HIV + group, European Americans had significantly higher CCI scores (M = 3.74; SD = 2.1) than African American HIV + participants (M = 2.70; SD = 1.9). However, in the HIV - group, African Americans had significantly higher CCI scores (M = 2.20; SD = 1.1) than HIV - European American participants (M = 1.80; SD = 1.2). Also, consistent with hypotheses, across the entire sample CCI score was significantly associated with global cognition (β = -.24, p = .02). Study results underscore the importance of considering HIV serostatus in studies examining racial disparities in health, and how multiple medical risks relate to cognitive outcomes. Neuropsychologists evaluating patients living with HIV should consider how the presence of multiple medical comorbidities may contribute to the course of cognitive decline as people age.
Mentorship in academic medicine: Competitive advantage while reducing burnout?

Abstract Increased regulatory oversight, mandated use of electronic medical records, and economic constraints on healthcare and research confront academic medical institutions while the core requirements for productivity in research, teaching and excellence and equity in clinical care remain. “Burnout” is an important challenge to healthcare and reflects the alienation, cynicism and decreased productivity of responsibilities in medicine that may detract from individual career engagement. Mentorship is advantageous in the successful navigation of careers in academic medicine, notably for individuals in need of specialized knowledge, skills or psychological support to accelerate their development. A formalized mentorship program provides individuals with the guidance and support needed for career development and may alleviate some of the alienation associated with burnout. The interdisciplinary nature of biomedicine supports the use of multiple mentors to provide diverse perspectives for trainees and junior faculty. Mentorship programs require institutional engagement with clear articulation of institutional goals and values as well as financial and political support. Such programs will identify and train potential leaders throughout an organizational hierarchy, support innovation and flexibility within the organization, increase job satisfaction and retention, and, as a result, enhance the institution's competitive position. Notably, relationships developed within a supportive environment may also mitigate the development of professional burnout.
Racial and/or Ethnic Differences in Formal Sex Education and Sex Education by Parents among Young Women in the United States

Abstract Study Objective We sought to investigate the associations between race and/or ethnicity and young women's formal sex education and sex education by parents. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of 1768 women aged 15-24 years who participated in the 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth. Interventions and Main Outcome Measures We assessed 6 main outcomes: participants' report of: (1) any formal sex education; (2) formal contraceptive education; (3) formal sexually transmitted infection (STI) education; (4) any sex education by parents; (5) contraceptive education by parents; and (6) STI education by parents. The primary independent variable was self-reported race and/or ethnicity. Results Nearly all of participants (95%) reported any formal sex education, 68% reported formal contraceptive education, and 92% reported formal STI education. Seventy-five percent of participants reported not having any sex education by parents and only 61% and 56% reported contraceptive and STI education by parents, respectively. US-born Hispanic women were more likely than white women to report STI education by parents (adjusted odds ratio = 1.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.99). No other significant racial and/or ethnic differences in sex education were found. Conclusion There are few racial and/or ethnic differences in formal sex education and sex education by parents among young women.
Long-Term Outcomes of Bladder Neck Reconstruction without Augmentation Cystoplasty in Children.

Purpose: Bladder outlet procedures without augmentation cystoplasty remain controversial. We hypothesized that bladder outlet procedures without augmentation cystoplasty may lead to unfavorable bladder dynamics, upper tract changes and/or continued incontinence. We reviewed long-term urodynamic, upper tract and continence outcomes following bladder outlet procedures without augmentation cystoplasty.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent bladder neck reconstruction/closure/sling without augmentation cystoplasty between 2000 and 2014. Because of variation in length of followup, we calculated the cumulative incidence and proportion of cases of upper tract and urodynamic changes, augmentation cystoplasty and subsequent continence procedures. Preoperative factors were compared between patients with and without adverse outcomes.Results: A total of 109 patients underwent bladder outlet procedures without augmentation cystoplasty at a mean age of 8.5 years. At a mean of 4.9 ...
A Mobile Transient Internet Architecture

This paper describes a new architecture for transient mobile networks destined to merge existing and future network architectures, communication implementations and protocol operations by introducing a new paradigm to data delivery and identification. The main goal of our research is to enable seamless end-to-end communication between mobile and stationary devices across multiple networks and through multiple communication environments. The architecture establishes a set of infrastructure components and protocols that set the ground for a Persistent Identification Network (PIN). The basis for the operation of PIN is an identification space consisting of unique location independent identifiers similar to the ones implemented in the Handle system. Persistent Identifiers are used to identify and locate Digital Entities which can include devices, services, users and even traffic. The architecture establishes a primary connection independent logical structure that can operate over conventional networks or more advanced peer-to-peer aggregation networks. Communication is based on routing pools and novel protocols for routing data across several abstraction levels of the network, regardless of the end-points' current association and state...
Increase in spermine content coordinated with siderophore production in Paracoccus denitrificans.

Spermine is present in relatively low amounts in Paracoccus denitrificans cultured aerobically in an ammonium succinate minimal salts medium supplemented with 50 microM iron(III). However, in iron-deprived cultures [minimal salts medium containing 0.5 microM iron(III)], spermine content increases by an order of magnitude in coordination with the well-known responses to iron derivation, e.g., derepression of siderophore synthesis and siderophore excretion. When iron-deprived cultures exhibiting both high spermine content and strong siderophore production are reseeded into fresh minimal salts medium containing 50 microM iron[III], both siderophore production and spermine content fall rapidly. Five hours after iron supplementation, spermine is below limits of detection. These results suggest a specific role for spermine in the response of P. denitrificans to low-iron stress.
Alan G. MacDiarmid (1927-2007)

A. G. MacDiarmid, a chemist who co-discovered metallic organic polymers, had a profound sense of responsibility toward individuals and humankind.
Abstract W P422: ABC/2 Does Not Accurately Predict Volume of Arteriovenous Malformations

Introduction: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) represents an important method of curing arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and preventing associated hemorrhages. The decision to proceed with SRS is commonly based on calculated nidal volume, as smaller AVMs are more likely to obliterate. When counseling patients for SRS, physicians commonly use the ‘ABC/2’ method. We aim to understand whether such an approximation is accurate when compared to the exact volume calculated from thin-cut axial sections used for SRS planning. Hypothesis: AVM volume calculated by the ‘ABC/2’ method on digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is significantly different than the volume calculated using SRS planning techniques. Methods: 85 AVMs treated with SRS were identified from our database. Maximum nidal diameters in orthogonal planes on DSA images were recorded to determine volume by the ‘ABC/2’ formula. The nidal target volume was extracted from operative reports of SRS. The volumes were then compared using descriptive statistics and the paired t-test. Results: The average volume was 7.1 cm3 (SD 7.94) when using SRS planning methods, and 11.2 cm3 (SD 15.6) when using the ABC/2 methodology. Moderate correlation was seen between ABC/2 and SRS (r = 0.657; p <0.001). Paired samples T-test revealed significant differences between the SRS volume and ABC/2 (t = -3.2; p = 0.002). When the AVMs were stratified based on an ABC/2 volume, the significant differences remained (t = -2.1; p = 0.046 for ABC/2 volume less than 7 cm3 and t= -4.2; p <0.001 for ABC/2 volume greater than 7 cm3). Comparisons of AVM volume using SRS planning techniques with analysis utilizing equations for the volumes of various shapes (cones, cylinders, and spheres) demonstrated significant differences with cones and solids (p < 0.001 in both) while spherical volume was statistically indistinguishable from SRS planning volumes (p = 0.388). Conclusions: ‘ABC/2’ on DSA is not an accurate method of calculating AVM nidal volumes as it overestimates the volume by 57.7%. As a result, practitioners may choose not to offer SRS - incorrectly concluding that a particular AVM is too large to have an appropriate response to SRS. We propose that SRS planning techniques should be utilized before counseling patients on treatment.
Integrated Crop–livestock Management Systems in Sub-saharan Africa

This paper outlines the advantages of integrated crop–livestock systems and unsolved problems that need to be studied further. The discussion is subdivided by ecozone with consideration of arid and dry semi-arid areas with extensive livestock management; moist semi-arid and semi-humid areas where integrated crop–livestock systems are common; and humid areas where swine and poultry often predominate. To maintain soil organic matter in all ecozones, efficient recovery and use of nutrients from animal manures, crop residues and green manures is essential. In extensive systems in dry zones, animals transport nutrients from grazing areas to cropland, while in moister regions that are more intensively farmed, the emphasis is on the efficiency of nutrient recovery. Specific research questions relating to the overall ecosystem, nutrient cycling, plants, and animals are posed.
Introduction to the Practice-Based IS Research Minitrack

The debate over rigor and relevance has extended many decades with rigor leading the way in the overwhelming majority of our academic journals where theory contribution and methodological excellence transcend any practical implication the research may have. In its first decade, MIS Quarterly had a special section devoted to practice-based research called "Application". Over the years, this section produced highly sighted and highly relevant work that often paved the way for a new research area based upon developments in practice, such as Watson, Rainer, and Koh's 1991 article on EIS that largely introduced a new research stream to our academic journals, or that introduced to the academic reader current state of the art practices in industry, such as Kettinger, Teng, and Guha's 1997 description of business process chance techniques, or that provided practical guidance to organizations on highly relevant IS issues, such as Watson, Pitt and Kavan's 1998 article on measuring and sustaining information systems quality in organizations. Unfortunately, the application section was discontinued after 1999. Today one can publish essays, opinions, idea, and method pieces in our top journals, but not exploratory or descriptive field studies on emerging topics. This mini-track seeks to encourage practice-based research on new and emerging IS issues in organizations. Practice-based research aspires to bridge the gap between academic theory and practice, it aspires both to introduce researchers to state of the art practices and issues from industry as well as introduce managers to research that makes sense of and brings coherence to the issues they face. The methods used in practice-based research are often exploratory, field-based studies involving interviews, observations, and/or descriptive surveys. The intense pressure to achieve methodological distinction and theoretical contribution often results in very current practice-based topics being eschewed by researchers, because the topics themselves are not mature enough in practice to achieve desirable samples or sample sizes, nor are they conducive to theorizing since so little is known. These are precisely the reasons that exploratory, practice-based research can play a tremendous role in helping establish and lay the foundations of a research domain while providing insights into an emerging topic.
GABA synapses formed in vitro by local axon collaterals of nucleus accumbens neurons

GABAergic medium-spiny neuron axons not only form the principal projections of the nucleus accumbens (nAcc) but also branch locally in a dense network overlapping their own dendrites, suggesting that their recurrent synapses mediate the major information processing functions of the nAcc. We used postnatal nAcc cultures to study these synapses individually. In culture, as in the intact nAcc, medium-spiny neurons account for over 95% of the cells and are GABAergic. Strikingly, these neurons showed a spike afterhyperpolarization (AHP) that was largely blocked by the GABAA antagonist bicuculline. The bicuculline-sensitive AHP occurred without or with latency, and met criteria for monosynapticity; consistent with this, dye fills showed the presence of recurrent axons and a low incidence of dye coupling. Blockade of Ca2+ influx eliminated this autaptic PSP, while TTX almost completely eliminated it, indicating that it is due to exocytic GABA release principally at axodendritic contacts. While blocking GABAB receptors had no direct effect on the autaptic PSP, activating these receptors with baclofen produced presynaptic inhibition, as well as directly mediated hyperpolarization; together, these actions increased the signal-to-noise ratio in the cellular response to synaptic inputs. Bicuculline also increased the signal-to-noise ratio; in addition, it induced burst firing and depolarization inactivation. In contrast, the indirect GABA agonist flurazepam and the GABA uptake blocker nipecotic acid each enhanced autaptic PSPs. Since autapses formed in vitro appear to be functionally equivalent to synapses between neighboring medium- spiny neurons that receive similar inputs, these results bear on the function of intrinsic GABA synapses in the intact nAcc. Thus, intrinsic GABA synapses are likely to regulate the signal-to-noise ratio in nAcc information processing and may be important targets for the modulatory actions of endogenous neurotransmitters and drugs.
The nature and heritability of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

This article reviews family, twin, and adoption studies, along with segregation analyses and molecular genetic studies, sug gesting that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the etiology of ADHD. Findings also indicate that the genetic mechanisms that predispose individuals to ADHD are likely to be complex, and the literature on ADHD raises many questions regarding clinical and pathophysiologic heterogeneity of the disorder. Although there is no single pathophysiologic profile of ADHD, data do implicate dysfunction in the frontosubcortical pathways that control attention and motor behavior. Moreover, the effectiveness of stimulants, along with animal models of hyperactivity, point to catecholamine dysregulation as at least one source of ADHD brain dysfunction.
Control of visible harmonic generation using polarization in photonic crystal fibers

Summary form only given. We present the dependence of the generated visible radiation on the polarization state of the input pulse coupled into the photonic crystal fiber. We experimentally observe that the propagation of a pulse of fixed energy, yet polarized along different directions, yields different visible components at the output, suggesting polarization-dependent selectivity for phase-matching according to the input polarization state.
Signs of algebraic numbers

This payer presents an algorithm for the computation of the sign of the value of a polynomial at an algebraic number.
URBAN FORESTRY IN AMERICA: THE CAUSE

(1984). URBAN FORESTRY IN AMERICA: THE CAUSE. Arboricultural Journal: Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 317-319.
Demonstration Of A Free Electron Laser With An Electromagnetic Wiggler

Abstract It has been suggested that for a given output wavelength, electron energy requirements could begreatly reduced in a two stage FEL. The principal of a two -stage device has been demonstrated in anexperiment where the same intense relativistic election beam first produces 500 MW of 12.5 GHz radia-tion through a backward- wave -oscillatior (BWO) process, and then uses the BWO radiation as a wigglerfor an FEL operating at -200 GHz. Improvements in the initial experimental configuration which willoptimize the 200 GHz emission are described.IntroductionIn the usual FEL configuration, a relativistic electron beam ispassed through a wiggler magnet producing conditions for coherentamplification of radiation at a wavelength X --- 4/2y2, where 1, is the wiggler period and y = (1 - v2 /c2) -112 is the axial relativisticenergy factor. With a typical wiggler period of a few cm, FEL's have been operated in the infraredl,2 with y - 100 and at mm- wavelength3b with y 3. At mm wavelengths where the value ofy is modest, strong resonance effects have been observed6 and