cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atrial baffle problems following the Mustard operation in children and young adults with dextro-transposition of the great arteries: the need for improved clinical detection in the current era.

Objective. Intraatrial Mustard baffle repair of dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) is vulnerable to complications, typically obstruction and leaks. Because patients often require pacemakers or intracardiac electrophysiology studies (EPS)/ablation for arrhythmias, narrowed or obstructed baffles restrict cardiac access hindering intracardiac procedures. Current guidelines recommend clinical as well as comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic/Doppler (TTE) studies to identify baffle problems. This study reviews the effectiveness of these guidelines in detection of baffle issues pre-EPS catheterization and need for ancillary vascular interventions. Design. Data from all patients with repaired d-TGA referred for hemodynamic catheterization or EPS between 1995 and 2009 at our institution were reviewed, including symptoms and TTE findings. Obstruction was defined as either a disturbed color Doppler flow or mean velocity >1 m/s above the mitral valve or directly measured pressure gradient >4 mm Hg or more than 50% baffle diameter narrowing by venography. Results. Of 59 patients (34 pacemaker, 9 ablation, 16 routine hemodynamic) ages 8–39 years (mean 22.8), only three (5%) had symptoms of obstruction. However, baffle complications were found in 33 patients (56%), some with more than one problem: superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction in 32, inferior VC in two and leak in four. Baffle stenting was required in 24 patients and leak closure in two. Precatheterization TTE was available in 51 patients and showed 34% sensitivity, 61% specificity, 63% negative predictive value, and only 37% positive predictive value in recognizing baffle complications when compared with the actual catheterization findings. Conclusion. This study reports that baffle complications in patients with d-TGA following Mustard operation are more common than previously reported. However, comprehensive TTE and clinical symptoms are not effective enough to recognize these complications. Suspicion of and better noninvasive imaging prior to catheterization is required.
Congress and American Political Development: Territorial Policy and the House Committee on Territories

This paper takes an in-depth look at one of the major sources of congressional territorial policy, the House Committee on Territories. Using archival resources and historical records, the project will tie together significant areas of concern for the Committee on Territories dealing with national expansion and territorial management. By analyzing the decisions and actions of this committee, the committee membership, and the specific issues it chose to focus upon, from its creation in 1825 until the Spanish-American War at the end of the 19th-century, this paper will highlight various ways in which policy decisions crafted political development in the country as a whole. Issues of representation will also be addressed since the House Committee on Territories had both voting members from states and non-voting territorial delegates assigned to it throughout its history.
Poverty Revenue: The Subversion of Fiscal Federalism

Fiscal federalism is a staple of economic theory that underlies the federal-state partnership in the nation‘s largest federal grant-in-aid programs, such as Medicaid and Title IV-E Foster Care. The theory is founded on a simple principle, the collaboration of the federal government‘s financial power and stability and state governments‘ ability to deliver services tailored to regional needs. However, the theory ignores a vast industry that has grown around the flow of federal funds. In addition to providing operational and consulting services for all aspects of government aid, this poverty industry - which usurps inherently governmental functions and is rife with organizational conflicts of interest and a revolving door of personnel - has now tapped into grant-in-aid funding at its source. Through revenue maximization contracts, the poverty industry helps states increase claims for federal aid, and the additional funding is often diverted from its intended purpose. The contractors take as much as 25% as a contingency fee and assist cash-strapped states with strategies to route the aid dollars into general revenue rather than targeted assistance. Then, while maximizing claims on behalf of state clients, the industry simultaneously contracts with the federal government to reduce payout of the same federal funds. Analogous to the iron triangle formed by the military-industrial complex, the vertical relationship between the federal and state governments in grant-in-aid programs has been transformed by a poverty-industrial complex. And as the structure of fiscal federalism is subverted, the benefits of the theory break down. As the intended social welfare maximization goals of government turn to revenue maximization, and intergovernmental collaboration turns to conflict, the integrity of fiscal federalism in grant-in-aid programs is undermined and statutory purpose is lost.
Applying the Socio‐Ecological Outcomes Model to the Student Experiences of Men of Color

Despite the heavy concentration of men of color in US community colleges, theoretical and conceptual models that explain their development and success have been virtually absent from the published scholarship. Consequently, both scholars and practitioners have relied heavily on student success models that prioritize four-year institutional contexts and overlook race/ethnicity, gender, and other salient pieces in the student success puzzle for men of color in community colleges. In an effort to address this gap in the body of work on men of color in community colleges, the authors propose the Socio-Ecological Outcomes (SEO) model. The SEO model accounts for the primary factors affecting the success of men of color in community colleges, highlighting interactions between societal, environmental, intrapersonal, and campus-based factors that influence student success outcomes for these men.
Genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, reduces Ca2+ mobilization in swine carotid media.

DiSalvo and colleagues (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 190: 968-974, 1993) found that tyrosine kinase inhibitors reduced force at constant Ca2+ concentrations in permeabilized mesenteric arterioles...
An Intelligent C 3 Terminal Architecture

With some further development of current technologies it should be possible to realize a communication terminal that could enhance the capabilities of a commander in a significant way by utilizing machine intelligence in conjunction with modern digital communication and signal processing technologies. The terminal we envision would have modules supporting digital voice, video, graphics, and text communication at a variety of rates as well as interfaces to a wide range of communication networks and links. In the event of stress caused by network damage or jamming, the terminal would adapt its communications by choosing lower rates, different network paths, other modalities, or some combination of these options. End-to-end security layers would allow secure communication among these advanced terminals through public networks when necessary under emergency conditions. The "smarts" in the terminal would reside in a module called the Intelligent Communication Associate (ICA) that would utilize appropriate artificial intelligence and database management techniques to assist the commander in establishing connections to the parties with whom he wished to communicate, and to advise him as to current network status. The ICA would maintain a directory of other terminals with ICAs as well as other parties with whom the commander may have need to communicate. The directory would be designed to contain any information that might prove useful in achieving successful communication when normal paths are damaged or blocked.
Dynamic Finite Element Analysis of Viscoelastically Damped Composite Structures

Numerical procedures for analyzing transient responses of composite structures with time and temperature dependent linear viscoelastic damping have been developed in the time domain using variational principles and the Newmark average acceleration method. Recursion formulas also have been obtained in order to reduce computer storage and only the previous time solution is required to compute the next time solution. Verification studies were conducted to evaluate the accuracy and convergence of the present numerical algorithm and they show that the numerical solutions agree well with the analytical ones. As examples, the dynamic transient responses of long cantileveredT300/934 composite Euler beams subjected to unit step and impulse loads were calculated using the presently developed procedure.
Human-in-the-loop active electrosense

Active electrosense is a non-visual, short range sensing system used by weakly electric fish, enabling such fish to locate and identify objects in total darkness. Here we report initial findings from the use of active electrosense for object localization during underwater teleoperation with a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD). The advantage of electrolocating with a VR system is that it naturally allows for aspects of the task that are difficult for a person to perform to be allocated to the computer. However, interpreting weak and incomplete patterns in the incoming data is something that people are typically far better at than computers. To achieve human-computer synergy, we integrated an active electrosense underwater robot with the Oculus Rift HMD. The virtual environment contains a visualization of the electric images of the objects surrounding the robot as well as various virtual fixtures that guide users to regions of higher information value. Initial user testing shows that these fixtures significantly reduce the time taken to localize an object, but may not increase the accuracy of the position estimate. Our results highlight the advantages of translating the unintuitive physics of electrolocation to an intuitive visual representation for accomplishing tasks in environments where imaging systems fail, such as in dark or turbid water.
Breakup of drops in simple shear flows with high-confinement geometry

Abstract The problem of a drop subject to a simple shear flow in high constriction geometry is addressed numerically for different flow conditions. Wall effect on the critical capillary number and drop deformation is analyzed. Under uniform condition, drops in low and moderate Reynolds flows are more stable when the confinement is increased. The critical capillary number is shown to increase for drops more viscous than the medium (viscosity ratio λ = 0.3 ) and decreases when the medium is more viscous ( λ = 1.9 ) or when Reynolds number is increased. A discussion on the accuracy of the numerical method and solutions to typical problems are included for comparison. The drop interface is reconstructed using the piecewise linear interface calculation (PLIC) and transported with the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method, which follows unsplit case-by-case schemes based on the basic donating region (BDR) or the defined donating region (DDR). Surface tension is included with the continuum-surface-force (CSF) model. A high-resolution (SMART) semi-implicit finite-volume discretization is employed in the linear momentum equations. Mass is conserved by following an implicit pressure-correction method (SIMPLEC). The normal vector of the interface is computed from height functions using least squares fitting. The advantage of the DDR scheme lies in its volume-conserving capabilities which have not been exploited in recent investigations.
NEUROCOGNITIVE, NEUROIMAGING AND GENETIC PERSPECTIVE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Abstract Background The search for quantitative endophenotypes that can serve as biomarkers of risk for major psychiatric disorders requires the availability of large community samples that are genotyped as well “deep phenotyped”. The link from molecular processes to behavior requires understanding brain structure and function relevant to neurocognitive domains affected in neuropsychiatric disorders. The goal of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC) is to provide such a resource for the scientific community. Methods Participants in the PNC were about 9,500 youths, ages 8-21, who presented to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia network who were genotyped and underwent a comprehensive screen for psychopathology using a computerized adaptation of the KSADS supplemented by collateral information obtained from a parents and electronic medical records. All participants received a computerized neurocognitive battery (CNB) that measures executive function, episodic memory, complex cognition, social cognition and sensorimotor speed. A subsample of 1600 also received multimodal neuroimaging that includes structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), resting state cerebral blood flow measure with ASL and connectivity with BOLD and two activation tasks. Results Across measures, significant effects were evident for age group, indicating development, as well as sex differences. Both general effects of psychopathology and more specific effects were observed on the neurocognitive measures as well as the multimodal brain parameters. We have begun to find genetic links and are developing methodology for joint phenomic-genomic analysis. Conclusions The PNC provides a rich dataset with information sensitive to development and psychopathology. Initial analyses underscore the importance of sex difference and indicate that development is associated with dynamic changes in brain parameters of structure, function and connectivity. Understanding the links between behavior and brain parameters is prerequisite for establishing bridges between genomics and neuropsychiatric phenotypes.
Conclusion: Reimagining Community Planning in Health Care

The idea that health initiatives should be local is not altogether new. Going back to the passage of the Community Mental Health Act of 1963, efforts have been made to decentralize health services so that programs reflect the needs and perspectives of the intended communities. Clearly, a wide range of health practitioners recognize the value of a community’s perspective in shaping health care, especially if the intention is for programs to be sustainable in the long run. A central theme of this book, however, is that carrying the moniker of “community based” is not sufficient to ensure that health and other social interventions are relevant to those who utilize these programs. Similarly, projects run from within communities may have established elaborate networks with community members, but these connections may be superficial and short lived. At the core of these problems is the lack of a philosophy to help actualize community-based work. Without a proper guiding theory, projects will run the risk of missing the practices vital to providing community-based health care.
Considerations and Challenges for Describing Historical Research Data: A Case Study

This case study describes the several challenges faced by Library personnel at the University of Montana as they iteratively made an historical dataset available in the institutional repository in ...
Microfabrication, assembly, and hermetic packaging of mm-sized free-floating neural probes

In this paper, we present a new micromachining (MEMS) fabrication process, microassembly, and hermetic packaging of free-floating neural probes (<1 mm3), wrapped with a bonding-wire coil for wireless power/data transmission and remote monitoring of hermetic sealing failure. The current prototype probe is a pushpin-shaped implantable device consisting of a mock-up integrated circuit (IC) that also serves as a substrate, stacked above a microfabricated silicon die with a 0100 μm non-plated through-hole and embedded cavities to house small surface mount (SMD) capacitors. In center of the micromachined die, a 081 μm sharpened tungsten electrode is inserted and held upright in the through-hole. Except for the tip of the electrode, the device is coated with 5 μm thick parylene-C for hermetic sealing with an additional layer of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to improve biocompatibility. The bonding-wire wound coils are carefully characterized and compared with electromagnetic simulations. Variations in the Q-factor and resonance frequency, which affect power/data transmission performance have been examined across 12 samples in terms of phase-dip amplitude, which corresponds to failure in hermetic sealing.
Road and Habitat Interact to Influence Selection and Avoidance Behavior of Bats in Indiana

Abstract Research on the ecology of bats and roads has largely covered impacts of major highways, but varying types of roads and surrounding habitats may differ in their impacts on bat activity. We conducted 28 mobile acoustic surveys in and around Indiana state forests from May to August 2012. We employed Manly's selection ratios to examine levels of bat activity along different types of roads through various habitats, and the interaction of road and habitat, using an exact chi-squared test. Activity was higher than expected along unpaved local roads and roads that were lined with open-canopy forest and forest edges, whereas activity was lower than expected along state highways and “other” roads (e.g., service roads), as well as roads within open areas. The influence of a road on activity was dependent on surrounding habitat features. For example, activity on unpaved local roads was greater than expected when surrounded by closed-canopy forest, but lower than expected when surrounded by human development...
Patient-initiated request for donation information.

Physicians are urged to help patients address their concerns about organ donation by providing educational literature and facilitating discussions with the local organ procurement organization. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Attachment behaviour of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans cells to refractory gold concentrate particles

In the biooxidation of minerals, cells of Thiobacillus are distributed between the surface of the particles and the liquid. This work quantifies the kinetics of attachment, the equilibrium between attached and suspended cells, and the influence of ferric ion and particle size on this phenomenon. The attachment kinetics were fast, the equilibrium was reached in 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the initial population. The equilibrium curves showed three distinct phases, and the first two could be modelled by Langmuir equations. The maximum concentration of attached cells increases with the addition of ferric ions and decreases with particle size.
Crisis in the case study crisis: marginal diminishing returns to scale in the quantitative-qualitative research debate

The quest for legitimation of research approaches preoccupies many information systems researchers. Researchers who have adopted various forms of “qualitative” research seem particularly concerned about legitimating their work. This desire for legitimation is stimulated in part by ongoing debates about the nature of human understanding and the way we come to know about the world. In healthy circumstances this produces a useful, self-critical discussion that heads to improvements in the development and execution of research projects. Often, however, these debates are facades. They cover an underlying political struggle for position within the broad patronage structure of the academic world. Certain approaches are seen as “better” — more scientific, more rigorous, more formal, more pure — while others are marginalized as weak, journalistic, and even “atheoretical.” These political dynamics are compounded by practical considerations (e.g., the length of time and cost required to conduct rigorous case research and the need for access to managers within companies) and the requirement for a researcher to have achieved a certain level of management and business sophistication to effectively collect and analyze qualitative data.
Integration of neoadjuvant systemic therapy into surgical practice

In breast cancer, the use of postoperative, or adjuvant, chemotherapy is inextricably linked to the improved outcomes seen over the past several decades. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has become the standard of care for patients with locally advanced breast cancer and has rapidly come to the forefront among potential treatments for patients with earlier-stage operable disease. Several studies have shown that breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy do not necessarily survive longer than those treated with conventional postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy; however, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy has several proven and theoretical advantages. This chapter reviews the potential merits of neoadjuvant therapy as it applies to breast cancer care in general, and breast surgery in particular.
MYC/BCL2/BCL6 triple hit lymphoma: A study of 33 patients who had an aggressive clinical course similar to patients with double hit lymphomas.

7559Background: Large B cell lymphomas with MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 rearrangements, designated as triple hit lymphoma (THL), are uncommon. Large series studies of THL are scant and studies comparing TH...
Sacroiliac Joint Fusion System for High-Grade Spondylolisthesis Using “Reverse Bohlman Technique”: A Technical Report and Overview of the Literature

Objective/Background High-grade spondylolisthesis (HGS) is a complex clinical problem that poses significant challenges to the treating physician. Contentious debate has continued regarding the most optimal surgical approach for these patients. A variety of transsacral and transvertebral techniques have been described in reported studies. Methods and Results We present 2 cases of low back pain and radicular symptoms. Our 2 patients were a 35-year-old woman and a 26-year-old white woman. The computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed progressive HGS (grade III) that had not been relieved by conservative measures. Both patients underwent transsacral fixation using the reverse Bohlman technique (RBT) at L5-S1 and L4-L5 anterior lumbar interbody fusion combined with posterolateral fusion. At the 9- and 10-month follow-up visits, the patients reported minimal back pain with no radicular symptoms, and the imaging studies showed satisfactory fusion in both patients. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate the utility of the sacroiliac joint fusion cage using RBT in patients with HGS with successful clinical outcome. The RBT is safe, feasible, and effective in carefully selected patients.
Facilitating Authentic Practice for Early Undergraduate Statistics Students

In current curricula, authentic statistical practice generally only occurs in capstone projects undertaken by advanced undergraduate and Master’s students. We argue that deferring practice is a mis...
Non-innocent Intercalation of Diamines into Tetragonal FeS Superconductor

We report two solvothermal pathways toward intercalated iron sulfide, [Fe8S10]Fe(en)3·en0.5 (en = ethylenediamine), featuring [Fe8S10]2– layers stacked by [Fe(en)3]2+ cations and free ethylenediami...
Abstract 34: Human Cardiac Mesenchymal Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles Promote Angiogenesis Through Angiopoietin-TIE2 Signaling

Cell-based therapy is considered a promising approach to treat the damaged heart due to myocardial infarction. Although the mechanisms for their beneficial action are not yet clear, exosome/extrace...
Maintenance rituximab every 2 months is more toxic than every 3 months in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

To the editor: The phase III PRIMA study of patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma randomly assigned to maintenance rituximab (MR; every 8 weeks for 2 years) vs observation following rituximab-based immunochemotherapy (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone [R-
Quantitative prediction and molar description of the environment.

Abstract Molecular explanations of behavior, based on momentary events and variables that can be measured each time an event occurs, can be contrasted with molar explanations, based on aggregates of events and variables that can be measured only over substantial periods of time. Molecular analyses cannot suffice for quantitative accounts of behavior, because the historical variables that determine behavior are inevitably molar. When molecular explanations are attempted, they always depend on hypothetical constructs that stand as surrogates for molar environmental variables. These constructs allow no quantitative predictions when they are vague, and when they are made precise, they become superfluous, because they can be replaced with molar measures. In contrast to molecular accounts of phenomena like higher responding on ratio schedules than interval schedules and free-operant avoidance, molar accounts tend to be simple and straightforward. Molar theory incorporates the notion that behavior produces consequences that in turn affect the behavior, the notion that behavior and environment together constitute a feedback system. A feedback function specifies the dependence of consequences on behavior, thereby describing properties of the environment. Feedback functions can be derived for simple schedules, complex schedules, and natural resources. A complete theory of behavior requires describing the environment's feedback functions and the organism's functional relations. Molar thinking, both in the laboratory and in the field, can allow quantitative prediction, the mark of a mature science.
The structure of the hard domains in trans,trans‐HMDI‐based polyurethane elastomers

X-ray methods have been used to investigate the structure of the hard domains in polyurethane elastomers based on trans, trans-dicyclohexylmethane 4,4'-diisocyanate (HMDI) with butanediol as the chain extender. The crystalline hard segments become oriented on stretching the films at room temperature, although the degree of crystallinity remains relatively low. The ordering is improved considerably by annealing the films for several hours at 130-190°C : the fiber diagram contains 25 sharp Bragg reflections which are indexed by a triclinic unit cell with dimensions a = 5.1 A, b = 10.2 A, e = 37.5 A, α = 115.2°, β = 84.9°, and γ = 94.2°. The cell contains dimer units of two chains which are probably staggered along the c axis direction in the bc plane. In the samples annealed for shorter periods of time, second less abundant crystal structure is observed that coexists with the first. This second structure is also triclinic with a more extended fiber repeat of c= 41.3 A and is slowly converted to the contracted form on further annealing. Molecular models show that in the extended form the butanediol units have the all-trans conformation, whereas in the contracted form they probably have the tg + tg - t or tg - tg + t conformations, which have lower potential energies than the all-trans form. The chains in both the extended and the contracted conformations are able to form a network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds, and in this regard the structures are very similar to those reported previously for the analogous diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI)-based elastomers. Thus the higher melting points for the HMDI-based hard segments are most likely due to hydrophobic interactions between the dicyclohexyl methanes that are stronger than those between the diphenyl methanes of the MDI-based elastomers.
EPR spectroscopic studies of radical cations in a novel nonconjugated conductive polymer, poly(β-pinene)

Electrical conductivity, FTIR spectroscopy and electro-optic effect in a novel nonconjugated conductive polymer, poly(β-pinene), have been recently reported. The conductivity increases by more than ten orders of magnitude upon doping with iodine. The double bonds decrease upon doping due to charge-transfer and formation of radical cations. In this report, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic measurements of poly(β-pinene) before and after iodine doping are discussed. The results show that the EPR signal increases in proportion to the doping level consistent with the formation of radical cations upon doping. Hyperfine splitting has been observed at high doping levels due to reduction in distance between the radical cation and the iodine anion. Such splitting was not observed for a doped conjugated polymer since in that case the radical is delocalized.
Sickle cell anemia and hematopoietic cell transplantation: When is a pound of cure worth more than an ounce of prevention?

: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is curative therapy for sickle cell anemia (SCA). However, its widespread use is constrained by donor availability and by concerns about its short-term and long-term toxicities. Current efforts to identify suitable candidates for HCT, to decrease the toxicity of HCT, and to broaden its availability are discussed.
Defined nutrient medium for the in vitro maintenance of Xenopus laevis oocytes.

A procedure is described for the isolation and culture of large numbers of follicle cell-freeXenopus laevis oocytes in all stages of development. The isolation procedure involves the incubation of pieces of ovary in a calcium-free solution OR2 containing 0.2% collagenase. A defined nutrient medium for the maintenance of the oocytes in vitro is presented. It is shown that this medium, referred to as DNOM, can maintain certain morphological and functional characteristics of oocytes for periods up to 3 weeks.
Food security and health status in the United States

Food security is defined as access by all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. This paper explores the relationships between food security and women's self-evaluated health status. A theoretical model is developed which suggests that our primary interests can be served by estimating health and food security production functions. We find that food security has a significant influence on a woman's self-evaluated health status. However, the exact manifestations are difficult to quantify; they may be psychological or physiolgical. The most food-insecure women tend to be poor and less educated. Tobacco use, lack of physical exercise and obesity also weigh heavily good health status.
Conductivity at low temperatures, are the rings eclipsed or perpendicular?

For seven and nine tolane molecules, forming a T-shaped arrangement, the conformation with eclipsed rings on each tolane molecule is more stable than the one with rings perpendicular to each other on each tolane molecule. The implication for the low temperature conductivity measurements is discussed.
Not-so-incidental findings: the ACMG recommendations on the reporting of incidental findings in clinical whole genome and whole exome sequencing

The issue of incidental findings in genomics research has been contentious, particularly in whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WES). An incidental or secondary finding has generally been defined as ‘a finding concerning an individual research participant that has potential health or reproductive importance and is discovered in the course of conduct – but is beyond the aims of the study.’ [1]. However, as WGS and WES increasingly enter the clinical realm, these concerns are extended to individually relevant findings that are unrelated to the clinical purpose of sequencing. In May 2012, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) released a policy statement on Points to Consider in the Clinical Application of Genomic Sequencing in which they cautioned that ‘when interpreting secondary findings, or results that are generated in the course of screening asymptomatic individuals, it is critical that the standards for what is reportable be high to avoid burdening the health care system and consumers with what could be very large numbers of false positive results’ [2]. As a result, ACMG convened a working group to offer recommendations on handling incidental findings in clinical sequencing. The Working Group on Incidental Findings in Clinical Exome and Genome Sequencing of the ACMG (‘the Working Group’) published its Recommendations for Reporting of Incidental Findings in Clinical Exome and Genome Sequencing (‘the recommendations’) in March 2013 [3]. On the one hand, the recommendations take seriously the need to focus incidental findings on only those findings with clear clinical utility and actionable results. They provide a stringently curated list of specific variants that they believe rise to the level of clinical obligation to report. On the other hand, the zeal with which these variants were selected apparently encouraged the Working Group towards recommendations that depart significantly from existing practice and policy. First, they suggest that rather than reporting findings that are incidental to the purpose of the clinical sequencing as ordered, clinical sequencing laboratories have an obligation to seek out actively the variants as listed in the recommendations and include these findings in the clinical report. Second, they do not recommend considering patient preferences in reporting results. That is, all patients (or their guardians) should receive all recommended results whether they desire the information or not. This recommendation specifically includes sequencing on children. Although we support the desire of the Working Group to honor beneficence by providing patients with information that may affect their future health, we find these recommendations challenging from both an ethical and a practical perspective. Not only do they redefine incidental findings in a problematic manner, but the implication that individual autonomy should be over-ridden by physicians for the patient’s ‘own good’ is weakly supported in modern clinical ethics.
CoOL Studio: using simple tools to expand the discursive space of the design studio

Abstract Collaborative On-line Studio for Architecture (CoOL Studio) was aimed at aiding the architecture studio by: (1) supporting input by distant critics; (2) providing access to on-line cases and reference materials; (3) encouraging students to be clear and articulate about their projects; (4) supporting collaboration among students. The project employed a Collaborative Website (CoWeb), which allowed easy creation and modification of webpages without any security measures. Students posted their designs at several points during the term and six distant expert consultants provided critiques. This project demonstrates that a relatively simple representation tool, one that allowed students and critics to interact on editable webpages, can usefully open up the design space of the architecture studio. However, care is needed in understanding how computer tools relate to the tasks and rituals of interaction that go on in everyday architecture studio pedagogy.
Anomaly Detection and Artifact Recovery in PET Attenuation-Correction Images Using the Likelihood Function

In dual modality PET/CT, CT data are used to generate the attenuation correction applied in the reconstruction of the PET emission image. This requires converting the CT image into a 511-keV attenuation map. Algorithms for making this transformation require assumptions about the makeup of material within the patient. Anomalous material such as contrast agent administered to enhance the CT scan confounds conversion algorithms and has been observed to result in inaccuracies, i.e. inconsistencies with the true 511-keV attenuation present at the time of the PET emission scan. These attenuation artifacts carry through to the final attenuation-corrected PET emission image and can resemble diseased tissue. We propose an approach to correcting this problem that employs the attenuation information carried by the PET emission data. A likelihood-based algorithm for identifying and correcting contrast artifacts is presented and tested. The algorithm exploits the fact that contrast artifacts manifest as too-high attenuation values in an otherwise high quality attenuation image. In a separate study, the performance of the loglikelihood as an objective-function component, independent of any particular algorithm, is mapped out for several imaging scenarios as a function of statistical noise. Both the full algorithm and the loglikelihood performed well in studies with simulated data. Additional studies including those with patient data are required to fully understand their capabilities .
L-ascorbic acid quenching of singlet delta molecular oxygen in aqueous media: Generalized antioxidant property of vitamin C

L-ascorbic acid quenches singlet (1 delta g) molecular oxygen in aqueous media (pH 6.8 for [1H]H2O and pD 7.2 for [2H]D2O) as measured directly by monitoring (0,0) 1 delta g leads to 3 sigma-g emission at 1.28 micron. Singlet oxygen was generated at room temperature in the solutions via photosensitization of sodium chrysene sulfonate; this sulfonated polycyclic hydrocarbon was synthesized to provide a water soluble chromophore inert to usual dye-ascorbate photobleaching. A marked isotope effect is found; kHQ2O is 3.3 times faster than kDQ2O, suggesting ascorbic acid is chemically quenching singlet oxygen.
Hertz and Debye potentials and electromagnetic fields in general relativity

In this paper the authors extend earlier work on the application of curved space Hertz and Debye bivector potentials to the solution of Maxwell's equations for source-free electromagnetic test fields in general relativity. They classify all Hertzian schemes by considering bivector potentials which are eigenvectors of the Hodge duality operator. This approach has the advantage of simplifying the task of solving the system of coupled equations which determine the Hertz potential. They then apply their results to several Debye schemes and present a new scheme which can be used in Petrov type-D spacetimes. For each of these schemes, the one-component wave equation for the potential is given with respect to the null tetrad/Newman-Penrose formalism and, for the first time, with respect to an orthonormal basis.
Edge Detection Algorithm for Magnetic Resonance Images Based on Multi-scale Morphology

Medical image edge detection is an important work for object recognition of human organs and it is an important pre-processing step in medical image segmentation and 3D reconstruction. Conventionally, edge is detected according to some early brought forward algorithms such as gradient-based algorithm, but they are not so good for noise medical image edge detection. In this paper, based on multi-scale morphology algorithm is proposed to detect the edge of brain MRI with Gaussian and salt & pepper noise. Threshold is to classify the MRI into two opposite classes: object and background. The part which is larger than the threshold uses large-scale structure element to detect the edge, and uses small-scale structure element for the part less than the threshold. Large-scale structure element gets through small-scale structure element's dilation. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is more efficient for medical image denoising and edge detection than the usually used gradient-based edge detecting algorithms.
Data analysis paradigms for metabolic‐flow data: Combining neural modeling and functional neuroimaging

Two primary data analysis techniques are used with functional neuroimaging data: the subtraction paradigm and the covariance paradigm. The first is based on the assumption that a brain region participating in a specific task should show altered neural activity (relative to a control task). The second, which is not mutually contradictory with the first, assumes that tasks are mediated by networks of interacting regions and that different tasks involve differences in the pattern of functional connections among brain regions. The neurobiological assumptions governing each paradigm and the kinds of questions each seeks to address are discussed. Illustrations of each technique using positron emission tomographic data of a blood flow study of visual processing are given. The use of neural modeling techniques for analyzing functional neuroimaging data is also discussed, with explicit reference to such systems-level approaches as structural equation modeling. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A body-voltage-sensing-based short pulse reading circuit for spin-torque transfer RAMs (STT-RAMs)

With scaling of CMOS and Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) devices, conventional low-current reading techniques for STT-RAMs face challenges in achieving reliability and performance improvements that are expected from scaled devices. The challenges arise from the increasing variability of the CMOS sensing current and the reduction in MTJ switching current. This paper proposes a short-pulse reading circuit, based on a body-voltage sensing scheme to mitigate the scaling issues. Compared to existing sensing techniques, our technique shows substantially higher read margin (RM) despite a much shorter sensing time. A narrow current pulse applied to an MTJ significantly reduces the probability of read disturbance. The RM analysis is validated by Monte-Carlo simulations in a 65-nm CMOS technology with both CMOS and MTJ variations considered. Simulation results show that our technique is able to provide over 300 mV RM at a GHz frequency across process-voltage-temperature (PVT) variations, while the reference designs require 4.3 ns and 2.3 ns sensing time for a 200 mV RM, respectively. The effective read energy per bit required by the proposed sensing circuit is around 195 ft in the nominal case.
Learning biophysically-motivated parameters for alpha helix prediction.

Our goal is to develop a state-of-the-art protein secondary structure predictor, with an intuitive and biophysically-motivated energy model. We treat structure prediction as an optimization problem, using parameterizable cost functions representing biological "pseudo-energies". Machine learning methods are applied to estimate the values of the parameters to correctly predict known protein structures. Focusing on the prediction of alpha helices in proteins, we show that a model with 302 parameters can achieve a Q α value of 77.6% and an SOV α value of 73.4%. Such performance numbers are among the best for techniques that do not rely on external databases (such as multiple sequence alignments). Further, it is easier to extract biological significance from a model with so few parameters. The method presented shows promise for the prediction of protein secondary structure. Biophysically-motivated elementary free-energies can be learned using SVM techniques to construct an energy cost function whose predictive performance rivals state-of-the-art. This method is general and can be extended beyond the all-alpha case described here.
Chemically-assisted fracture of thermoplastic PET reinforced with short E-glass fibre

The study of the stress-rupture lifetime of a PET/glass fibre system by means of fracture mechanics methods indicates the degradation of lifetime under an aggressive environment (10% HCl solution). The SEM-EDAX analysis reveals the depletion of calcium and aluminium elements from the fibre, and this is believed to be the cause of multiple fibre fractures. The fracture toughness is decreased because the role of fibre pull-out, which is the significant energy-consuming process, is negligible. A statistical analysis, from which the lifetime behaviour can be predicted, is carried out.
Fast index assignment algorithm for vector quantisation over noisy transmission channels

Vector quantisation, a widely used technique in low bit rate coding of speech signals, is highly sensitive to errors in the transmitted codeword caused by noise in the transmission channel. The authors describe an efficient index assignment algorithm, based on Hall's solution to the quadratic assignment problem, used to re-order the codebook such that the effect of transmission errors is minimised.
Cell proliferation, apoptosis, Bcl-2 and Bax expression in obstructed opossum early metanephroi.

Purpose: Complete ureteral obstruction (CUTO) in the fetal kidney induces tubular and glomerular cysts, interstitial fibrosis, and halts renal development. Previous studies have shown that apoptosis is a predominant mechanism in the chronically injured kidney following obstruction, but the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms are poorly understood.Materials and Methods: We have used CUTO in opossum pups with early metanephric kidneys, sacrificed at two weeks, to evaluate the role of cell proliferation, apoptosis and apoptosis regulating genes, Bcl-2 and Bax.Results: Obstructed fetal kidneys demonstrate high apoptosis in the renal pelvis and tubulointerstitium, compared with sham operated animals. Apoptosis is accompanied by statistically significant increased cell proliferation in the interstitium but not in tubules. Apoptosis in the tubules is accompanied by increased Bax and decreased Bcl-2 staining. In the nephrogenic zone apoptosis is increased, even though it is not statistically significant. Bc...
Approximate Confidence Limits on the Mean of X + Y Where X and Y Are Two Tabled Independent Random Variables

Abstract A general method is developed for obtaining confidence limits on the mean of X + Y where X and Y are two independent random variables whose individual distributions and percentiles are in standard statistical tables. The procedure uses this information to obtain approximations for the percentiles of the sum or approximate confidence limits on the mean of the sum. The method is applied to two problems: approximating the percentiles of the noncentral t distribution, and determining confidence limits for variance components in a one-way classification. Numerical examples compare it to other approximations.
The effect of estimation risk in establishing safety stock levels in an inventory model

This article illustrates the impact of estimation risk on decisions involving a one-period inventory problem such as the Christmas-tree stocking problem. It is shown that when estimation risk is ignored, stock levels may be incorrectly compiled and service levels may be inadequate. This article describes a regression-based method which adjusts the size of the stock by incorporating an additional safety stock requirement which reflects the uncertainty associated with lack of precise knowledge of the true parameters.