cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modified Asymptotic Formulas for Critical Values of the Kolmogorov Test Statistic

Abstract A brief discussion is given of the Kolmogorov test of goodness of fit. Modified asymptotic formulas for critical values of the test statistic, much more accurate for small-to-moderate sample sizes than the usual asymptotic formulas, are given.
Gynecologic Causes of Acute Pelvic Pain: Ultrasound Imaging

Acute pelvic pain in women may be the manifestation of various gynecologic conditions that can range from less alarming rupture of the hemorrhagic cyst to life-threatening conditions such as rupture of ectopic pregnancy. Ultrasound is the primary imaging modality of choice in the evaluation of the premenopausal woman patient presenting with acute pelvic pain. This article discusses ultrasound imaging in the spectrum of various acute gynecologic conditions originating from uterus, ovaries, pelvic inflammatory disease, and ectopic pregnancy.
Housing, Poverty, and the Law

Throughout much of the late twentieth century, social scientists and legal scholars focused considerable attention on low-income housing and landlord-tenant law. In recent years, however, interest in housing has waned, leaving many questions fundamental to the poverty debate unanswered. This article calls for a renewed focus on housing, law, and poverty, with particular attention to the housing sector where most low-income families live, unassisted: the private rental market. Surveying social-scientific research, legal analysis, and case history on affordability, access, housing conditions, forced displacement, and homelessness, this article shows how housing plays a central, crucial role in the lives of poor Americans. The poor have been central to the development of housing law, and the law itself has done much to mitigate and aggravate their poverty.
Diagnosis of Intravascular Haemolysis Using Starch Gel Electrophoresis

Starch gel electrophoresis was used to screen for intravascular haemolysis in 15 patients with clinical disorders known to be characterized by intravascular haemolysis. Decreased serum haptoglobins, increased free plasma haemoglobin and the presence of methaemalbumin was documented in all 15 patients. It is suggested that starch gel electrophoresis and staining with haem specific stain is a simple and reliable method for confirming intravascular haemolysis.
Improved ATD positioning procedures

Current anthropomorphic test device (ATD) positioning procedures for drivers and front-seat passengers place the crash dummy within the vehicle by reference to the seat track. Midsize-male ATDs are placed at the center of the fore-aft seat track adjustment range, while small-female and largemale ATDs are placed at the front and rear of the seat track, respectively. Research on occupant positioning at UMTRI led to the development of a new ATD positioning procedure that places the ATDs at positions more representative of the driving positions of people who match the ATD’s body dimensions. This paper presents a revised version of the UMTRI ATD positioning procedure. The changes to the procedure improve the ease and repeatability of ATD positioning while preserving the accuracy of the resulting ATD positions with respect to the driving positions of people matching the ATD anthropometry.
Effects of rumen-protected choline and dry propylene glycol on feed intake and blood parameters for Holstein dairy cows in early lactation

Abstract A 6×6 Latin square design was used to test 3 sets of comparisons simultaneously to study response in dry matter intake, milk yield, and blood parameters to propylene glycol (PG) supplementation delivered by 2 methods [incorporating PG into the total mixed ration (TMR) vs. top dressing; comparison I]; individual or combined dietary choline and PG supplementation as a 2×2 factorial (comparison II); or increasing amounts of dietary choline (comparison III). Six multiparous (lactation number=1.5±0.8 SD) Holstein dairy cows were at 41 d in milk (±9 SD) at the start of the experiment. Propylene glycol used was a dry product containing 65% PG, and choline was a rumen-protected choline product (RPC; estimated to be 50% rumen-protected) containing 50% choline chloride. In comparison I, treatments compared were 1) control: no PG; 2) PG-TMR: 250g/d of dry PG (corresponding to 162.5g/d of PG) incorporated into the TMR; and 3) PG-top dress: 250g/d of dry PG top-dressed onto the TMR. In comparison II, treatments compared were 1) control: no PG and no RPC; 2) PG: 250g/d of dry PG incorporated into the TMR; 3) RPC: 50g/d of RPC top-dressed onto the TMR; and 4) PG+RPC: combination of treatments 2 and 3. In comparison III, treatments compared were 0, 25, and 50g/d of RPC top-dressed onto the TMR. Each experimental period lasted 10 d with 9 d of adaptation followed by 1 d of serial blood sampling. Dry matter intake and milk yield were recorded daily. During the serial blood sampling, jugular blood was sampled every 20min for the first 4h and at 8 and 12h after treatment administration. Results obtained from comparison I showed that feeding 250g/d of PG as a dry product decreased plasma β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentration (mean±SEM) from 701±81 (control) to 564±76μmol/L without affecting serum insulin, plasma glucose, or plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations. Top-dressing PG decreased plasma BHBA concentrations more than by incorporating it into the TMR [527 vs. 601μmol/L (± 81 pooled SEM)]. Results obtained from comparison II showed that supplementing choline as RPC, PG, or both had no effect on dry matter intake, milk yield, or any of the blood parameters measured. Results obtained from comparison III showed that milk yield tended to increase linearly with increasing amounts of dietary choline as RPC. We concluded that feeding PG as a dry product reduced plasma BHBA concentration but top-dressing PG was more efficient at reducing plasma BHBA level than incorporating PG into the TMR. Dietary choline as RPC tended to increase milk yield linearly. However, a combined effect of dietary PG and choline was not evident and therefore not beneficial.
Predictors of Relapse After Treatment for Methamphetamine Use

The purpose of this study is to describe treatment utilization and relapse and examine possible predictors of time to relapse after treatment for methamphetamine (MA) use. This analysis is based on natural history interview data from 98 subjects treated for MA use in publicly-funded programs in Los Angeles County in 1995-97 and interviewed two to three years following their treatment admission. Results showed that half of the subjects had resumed MA use: 36% within six months of the end of treatment, and 15% more within seven to 19 months. Survival analysis methods showed significant predictors of (shorter) time to relapse were shorter length of treatment, older age of first substance use, and involvement in selling MA; ethnicity (being Hispanic) and more previous time in treatment had weaker effects.
Use of Nondestructive Test Deflection Data for Predicting Airport Pavement Performance

Surface deflections using nondestructive tests (NDTs) were measured prior to and throughout the traffic testing at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF). The first series of traffic tests involved repeated loading of six-wheel Boeing 777 and four-wheel Boeing 747 test gears on two different lanes until the pavements were deemed failed. The NAPTF structural failure criterion was defined as at least 25.4 mm (1 in.) surface upheaval adjacent to the traffic lane. A predetermined wander sequence was applied. Two low-strength subgrade and two medium-strength subgrade flexible pavement test sections were tested. Transverse surface profiles were measured periodically to monitor the progression of permanent deformation in pavements. Deflection basin parameters derived from NDT surface deflections were related to pavement rutting performance. An airport pavement functional failure criterion, defined in terms of number of traffic load repetitions to reach specific rut depth levels, was used in characterizing the structural response-performance relations.
Near-ML Decoding of CRC Codes

We study a new bit-flipping algorithm, coupled with an algebraic decoder, for near-ML decoding of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) codes on the binary AWGN channel. The asymptotic coding gain of such codes approaches 6 dB, and the real gain at 10-4 block error probability is about 4.5 dB. We show that a generalization of Chase's algorithm, called the {a,b} algorithm, is able to achieve nearly all of this gain at modest complexity. Here a denotes the number of bit positions having lowest confidence, and b denotes the maximum number of bits to be flipped among this low-confidence set. For a 16-bit CRC code of length n=1024, we show a=8, b=3 represents a good design choice.
Sixth Grade Students Who Use Alcohol: Do We Need Primary Prevention Programs for “Tweens”?:

Young adolescent alcohol users drink at higher rates than their peers throughout adolescence and appear to be less amenable to intervention. This study compares those who reported alcohol use in the past year to those who reported no use in a multiethnic, urban sample of sixth graders in 61 schools in Chicago in 2002 (N = 4,150). Demographic, behavioral, intrapersonal, and socioenvironmental factors were identified based on behavioral theories and potential mediators of the Project Northland Chicago intervention. Single and multiple regression models were created for users and nonusers to determine associations between these factors and alcohol use behavior and intentions. The multiple regression models explained 35% and 56% of the variance in alcohol use behavior and intentions between students for nonusers and users, respectively. Results suggest that primary prevention programs for alcohol use should occur prior to sixth grade, particularly for the substantial group at high risk for early use.
Suppression of innate immunity by acute ethanol administration: a global perspective and a new mechanism beginning with inhibition of signaling through TLR3.

Excessive consumption of ethanol (EtOH) suppresses innate immunity, but the mechanisms have not been fully delineated. The present study was conducted to determine whether EtOH suppresses TLR signaling in vivo in mice and to characterize the downstream effects of such suppression. Degradation of IL-1R-associated kinase 1 induced by a TLR3 ligand in peritoneal cells (∼90% macrophages) was suppressed by EtOH. Phosphorylation of p38 kinase in peritoneal macrophages (F4/80 + ) was suppressed, as was nuclear translocation of p-c-Jun and p65 in peritoneal cells. EtOH decreased IL-6 and IL-12 (p40), but did not significantly affect IL-10 in peritoneal lavage fluid or in lysates of peritoneal cells. Changes in cytokine mRNAs (by RNase protection assay) in macrophages isolated by cell sorting or using Ficoll were generally consistent with changes in protein levels in cell lysates and peritoneal lavage fluid. Thus, suppression of TLR signaling and cytokine mRNA occurred in the same cells, and this suppression generally corresponded to changes in i.p. and intracellular cytokine concentrations. DNA microarray analysis revealed the suppression of an IFN-related amplification loop in peritoneal macrophages, associated with decreased expression of numerous innate immune effector genes (including cytokines and a chemokine also suppressed at the protein level). These results indicate that EtOH suppresses innate immunity at least in part by suppressing TLR3 signaling, suppressing an IFN-related amplification loop, and suppressing the induction of a wide range of innate effector molecules in addition to proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines.
An Unusual Knee Mass in a Soccer Player

Non-traumatic knee joint effusion and fullness is a relatively common presenting complaint among athletes and non-athletes. Due to its broad differential diagnosis, a comprehensive evaluation beginning with history and physical examination are recommended. Imaging including plain radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and in some cases ultrasound are preferred modalities. If inflammatory arthritis is suspected, joint aspiration and analysis may help diagnosis.A 37-year-old male soccer player presented with a complaint of left anterior knee pain and fullness for a few months. Physical examination revealed a healthy appearing male with obvious fullness of his left suprapatellar pouch and posterolateral knee. Plain radiographs were unremarkable. MRI demonstrated an effusion infiltrated by multiple, low intensity projections from a fatty mass in the suprapatellar pouch consistent with lipoma arborescens.Lipoma arborescens is a rare synovial disorder characterized by replacement of subsynovial tissue with mature fat cells, most commonly in the knee joint. MRI is the best diagnostic modality to evaluate and confirm the diagnosis as well as rule out other pathologies. More recent single case-reports and clinical series endorse arthroscopic synovectomy as the treatment of choice.
LOSS OF LONG-SHOOT LEAVES MAY MASK TERMINAL STEM SEGMENT AGE IN OCOTILLO (FOUQUIERIA SPLENDENS)

Abstract Short-shoot leaves on the terminal stem segments of the drought-deciduous desert shrub ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) are retained long after long-shoot leaves are lost through senescence and abscission. This formerly unreported observation has relevance for determining whether a terminal stem segment is new or old, because newly produced segments are routinely associated with the presence of long-shoot leaves. It is now clear that the absence of long-shoot leaves on a terminal stem segment cannot be used as unequivocal evidence that the segment is old. The relatively rapid loss of long-shoot leaves from new terminal stem segments may be an adaptation to reduce herbivory by accelerating maturation of the spine that develops from tissues left by each senescing long-shoot petiole.
An Improved Hilbert Transform for Nonlinear Vibration Signal Analysis

The Hilbert transform (HT), as a powerful signal processing method, has been widely applied in analyzing nonlinear and nonstationary signals. Currently, the implementation of HT is realized by the discrete Fourier transform (FT), which, however, is based on the assumption that the signal to be analyzed is periodic in nature and of infinite length. Therefore, the conventional HT of nonlinear signals inherits the leakage and distortion problems introduced by the discrete FT. Although the local maxima interpolation (LMI) based approach demonstrated a significant improvement to the conventional FT based approach, it still underestimates the Hilbert amplitude. In this paper, we propose an improved LMI approach to address the underestimation issue. The HT obtained by the improved approach is proven to be a very close approximation to the analytic HT. Benchmark simulations as well as practical example will show that the new approach can further improve the HT accuracy and consequently identify the dynamic characteristics of a baseline blade successfully.
Complaints, redress, and subsequent purchases of medical services by dissatisfied consumers

Consumer complaints about dissatisfactory medical services as a method to increase quality and competition in the medical industry are examined by using a block-recursive simultaneous equation model. The probability of complaining about a specific service, the number of complaints made about it, the probability of its resolution, and the probability of subsequently purchasing the same service are estimated. Variables that measure learning, constraints, attitude, and cost/benefits are included. Results indicate that the learning variables, represented by age, education, and gender, are most associated with the process of medical complaints. Overall findings indicate that placing the burden of controlling the costs and quality of medical services on the consumer is not viable given the current structure of the U.S. medical industry.
Development of Leishmania mexicana in Lutzomyia diabolica and Lutzomyia shannoni (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Extrinsic development of Leishmania mexicana was observed in two anthropophilic sand flies, Lutzomyia diabolica (Hall) and Lu. shannoni (Dyar). First indication of development of ingested amastigotes appeared between 18 and 24 h postfeeding, when light to moderate infections of short, ovoid, slightly motile forms with short flagella were seen undergoing binary fission within the intraperitrophic space of the abdominal midgut. Later the parasites elongated and migrated forward, establishing a massive infection in the cardia, where broad, dividing forms were packed behind the stomodeal valve; many were attached to its cuticular surface by flagellar modifications called hemidesmosomes. Once this point in the life cycle of the parasite was reached, most promastigotes ceased dividing and became shorter and highly active. These metacyclic forms appeared first in the region of the cardia and stomodeal valve, then spread anteriorly to the pharynx, cibarium, and proboscis, as well as posteriorly to the midgut and hindgut.
New Techniques to Bioassay the Sex Attractant of Pink Bollworms with Olfactometers

The sex attractant of female pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) contained in a methylene chloride extract of the abdominal tips of 5- to 8-day-old virgin females induced qualitative and quantitative changes in the response of virgin males in an olfactometer, and these changes were dependent on the age of the insect, the concentration of the extract, and the time of exposure. The clasper extension sion (a mating response) of the males was regulated by changes in the concentration of the crude extract, an indication that this female sex attractant may possibly act simultaneously but independently as a true attractant and as an aphrodisiac. Another possibility is that the male moths were attracted by the action of a volatile substance in the attractant but were stimulated to mate by another less volatile substance that acted like an aphrodisiac.
Oviposition Attractants and Repellents of Mosquitoes: Oviposition Responses of Culex Mosquitoes to Organic Infusions

The oviposition responses of Culex tarsalis and C. pipiens quinquefasciatus females to 2 organic infusions have been studied in the laboratory. A 1% lab chow infusion was significantly repellent to ovipositing C. tarsalis and C. p. quinquefasciatus females when tested in both one liter choice bioassay units and screen cage choice tests. C. p. quinquefasciatus females were attracted to a 1% chicken manure infusion while C. tarsalis females were repelled by this infusion when both were tested in one-liter units. These infusions were quite stable when stored at –20°C and remained active for 10 wk. Biological parameters including interval between blood feeding and oviposition, parity, and prior exposure to test infusions in bioassays did not affect the responses to the 1% lab chow infusion. Microorganisms were found to be involved in the responses to both infusions.
Balancing Communities, Cultures, and Conflict Lessons Learned From the East Ramapo School District Legal Battle

This case illustrates why future school leaders must be prepared to handle complex legal and political issues that commonly arise in school districts today. We discuss a long-standing and unresolved legal battle between a Hasidic Jewish community and the public school district in East Ramapo, New York. In particular, we examine the difficulties educational leaders face when they must balance the needs of diverse groups within a school district. We conclude by analyzing the legal and political issues that arose in East Ramapo, including church–state separatism and special education. We also pose questions designed to prepare educational leaders for similar situations where they must address complex legal and political issues.
Characterizing food usage by demographic variables.

Information about food usage practices of individuals and groups will help dietitians establish realistic nutrition improvement objectives and compare clients food practices to those of the general population.
A Narrative Review of High-Quality Literature on the Effects of Resident Duty Hours Reforms.

Purpose To summarize current high-quality studies evaluating the effect and efficacy of resident duty hours reforms (DHRs) on patient safety and resident education and well-being. Method The authors searched PubMed and Medline in August 2012 and again in May 2013 for literature (1987-2013) about the effects of DHRs. They assessed the quality of articles using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) scoring system. They considered randomized controlled trials (RCTs), partial RCTs, and all studies with a MERSQI score ≥ 14 to be "high-quality" methodology studies. Results A total of 72 high-quality studies met inclusion criteria. Most studies showed no change or slight improvement in mortality and complication rates after DHRs. Resident well-being was generally improved, but there was a perceived negative impact on education (knowledge acquisition, skills, and cognitive performance) following DHRs. Eleven high-quality studies assessed the impact of DHR interventions; all reported a neutral to positive impact. Seven high-quality studies assessed costs associated with DHRs and demonstrated an increase in hospital costs. Conclusions The results of most studies that allow enough time for DHR interventions to take effect suggest a benefit to patient safety and resident well-being, but the effect on the quality of training remains unknown. Additional methodologically sound studies on the impact of DHRs are necessary. Priorities for future research include approaches to optimizing education and clinical proficiency and studies on the effect of intervention strategies on both education and patient safety. Such studies will provide additional information to help improve duty hours policies.
Who will become the system integrators as health care delivery systems reinvent themselves

The author's main point is that the primary impetus for success is effective system integration, rather than the issue of size. Bigger is not necessarily better, even if his company, MetLife, has agreed to merge its health care operations with the Travelers', creating the nation's largest health insurance payer.
Ranking support for matched patterns over complex event streams: The CEPR system

There is a growing interest in pattern matching over complex event streams. While many bodies of techniques were proposed to search complex patterns and enhance the expressive power of query language, no previous work focused on supporting a well-defined ranking mechanism over answers using semantic ordering. To satisfy this need, we proposed CEPR, a CEP system capable of ranking matchings and emitting ordered results based on users' intentions via a novel query language. In this demo, we will (i) demonstrate language features, system architecture and functionalities, (ii) show examples of CEPR in various application domains and (iii) present a user-friendly interface to monitor query results and interact with the system in real time.
Individual and Population Level Resource Selection Patterns of Mountain Lions Preying on Mule Deer along an Urban-Wildland Gradient

Understanding population and individual-level behavioral responses of large carnivores to human disturbance is important for conserving top predators in fragmented landscapes. However, previous research has not investigated resource selection at predation sites of mountain lions in highly urbanized areas. We quantified selection of natural and anthropogenic landscape features by mountain lions at sites where they consumed their primary prey, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), in and adjacent to urban, suburban, and rural areas in greater Los Angeles. We documented intersexual and individual-level variation in the environmental conditions present at mule deer feeding sites relative to their availability across home ranges. Males selected riparian woodlands and areas closer to water more than females, whereas females selected developed areas marginally more than males. Females fed on mule deer closer to developed areas and farther from riparian woodlands than expected based on the availability of these features across their home ranges. We suggest that mortality risk for females and their offspring associated with encounters with males may have influenced the different resource selection patterns between sexes. Males appeared to select mule deer feeding sites mainly in response to natural landscape features, while females may have made kills closer to developed areas in part because these are alternative sites where deer are abundant. Individual mountain lions of both sexes selected developed areas more strongly within home ranges where development occurred less frequently. Thus, areas near development may represent a trade-off for mountain lions such that they may benefit from foraging near development because of abundant prey, but as the landscape becomes highly urbanized these benefits may be outweighed by human disturbance.
Association of HIV infection with extrapulmonary tuberculosis: a systematic review

HIV/AIDS is a known risk factor for the development of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). However, the association is less clear between HIV and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). We conducted a systematic review to determine the association between HIV and EPTB. We searched the electronic databases Medline, Embase, and relevant conference literature using defined search terms for EPTB and HIV. Only publications in English and only studies reporting adjusted estimates were included, while our search criteria did not include restriction by age or geographic location of study participants. Qualitative and quantitative analyses (including I 2 test for heterogeneity) were performed. Sixteen studies (15 cross-sectional and 1 case–control) conducted from 1984 to 2016 were included in the final analyses after screening 5163 articles and conference abstracts. Our qualitative analysis showed heterogeneity in study design and study population characteristics along with a medium/high risk of bias in the majority of studies. While most of the individual studies showed increased odds of EPTB compared with PTB among HIV-infected individuals, we did not provide an overall pooled estimate, as the I 2 value was high at 93% for the cross-sectional studies. While an association between HIV and EPTB is observed in most individual studies, the high heterogeneity and risk of bias in these studies highlight the need for further well-designed prospective cohort studies to assess the true risk of EPTB in the HIV-infected patient population.
Time Limits, Information Search and the Use of Search Assistance

In this paper, we analyze the impact of task time limits as described by 24 participants in an experimental study investigating the use of a search assistance tool, the Search Guide (SG), during four search tasks with varying levels of cognitive complexity. Participants were given a 12 minute task time limit and a warning notification when 3 minutes remained. In post-experiment interviews, participants reported two different impacts of the time limit on use of the SG: ten described using the SG as a way to save time given the time limit while five reported less SG use due to uncertainty whether it would contain useful information. Participants also described skimming and reading pages more shallowly, selecting easier to read search results, and bookmarking pages more freely because of the limited time they had to complete the task.
Dynamic Traffic Routing in a Network with Adaptive Signal Control

In real traffic networks, travellers’ route choice is affected by traffic control strategies. In this research, we capture the interaction between travellers’ route choice and traffic signal control in a coherent framework. For travellers’ route choice, a VANET (Vehicular Ad hoc NETwork) is considered, where travellers have access to the real-time traffic information through V2V/V2I (Vehicle to Vehicle/Vehicle to Infrastructure) infrastructures and make route choice decisions at each intersection using hyper-path trees. We test our algorithm and control strategy by simulation in OmNet++ (A network communication simulator) and SUMO (Simulation of Urban MObility) under several scenarios. The simulation results show that with the proposed dynamic routing, the overall travel cost significantly decreases. It is also shown that the proposed adaptive signal control reduces the average delay effectively, as well as reduces the fluctuation of the average speed within the whole network.
Rationalism, Empiricism, and Evidence-Based Medicine: A Call for a New Galenic Synthesis.

Thirty years after the rise of the evidence-based medicine (EBM) movement, formal training in philosophy remains poorly represented among medical students and their educators. In this paper, I argue that EBM’s reception in this context has resulted in a privileging of empiricism over rationalism in clinical reasoning with unintended consequences for medical practice. After a limited review of the history of medical epistemology, I argue that a solution to this problem can be found in the method of the 2nd-century Roman physician Galen, who brought empiricism and rationalism together in a synthesis anticipating the scientific method. Next, I review several of the problems that have been identified as resulting from a staunch commitment to empiricism in medical practice. Finally, I conclude that greater epistemological awareness in the medical community would precipitate a Galenic shift toward a more epistemically balanced, scientific approach to clinical research.
The Infrastructure of Racism: The Psychic Dimensions

The individual psyche is an important component of the societal infrastructure that assists in maintaining racism in the United States. The internalization of racism is an intrinsic part of who we are and is the outcome of centuries of acceptance and reinforcement of societal norms that reflect an unequal society. This chapter focuses on internalization of societal cues that help to form one’s racial identity. A case scenario to illuminate the impact of racial identity on people of all races is used. It explains that societal cues affect the formation of a racial sense of self for people of color and for whites. It also compares and distinguishes between ethnicity and race. Personal and environmental events are rooted in a racist society in America. Racial discrimination is analyzed with a model, based on distancing and oppression that assists with understanding internalized racism. Finally, the chapter presents and discusses Cross’ Racial Identity Development Model and Helms’ Identity Models, presenting scenarios to illustrate different stages in racial identity development.
The Role of Sensing and Measurement in Achieving FHWA’S Strategic Vision for Highway Infrastructure

Like many countries, the United States has implemented a bridge inspection program to collect information on bridges. In the US, the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory database is one of the most comprehensive sources of long-term bridge information in the world. In the US the majority of the States have implemented element level inspection programs to support State and local level bridge management programs. A basic limitation of both the NBI and element level approach is that the data collected relies almost totally upon visual inspection techniques. Visual inspection is not quantitative and hidden or otherwise invisible deterioration damage is missed. The non-quantitative, subjective, highly variable, and nonspecific nature of this data makes it inadequate for comprehensive long-term decision support. Essential research necessary to support the information needs for bridge management for the future is a Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program. Sensing and measurement technologies play an essential role in this program.
Redefining the mission: the Mercy Model as a leadership approach for public health systems and population-based programs.

Kevin M. McGuinness, PhD, MPa Jon T. Perez, PHDb Jeff A. Coady, PsyDc As evidenced by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Hurricanes Ike and Gustav in 2008, the aftermath of natural disasters all too often leaves previously functioning public health infrastructures damaged, fragmented, or completely destroyed. Additionally, the effects of war, famine, and other natural and manmade crises similarly impact fragile or developing public health systems. U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps officers charged with responding to these large-scale events have often been faced with chaotic environments characterized by high levels of need and very limited resources. They have had to sort through a wide range of relief agencies that have dem onstrated only marginal capability to coordinate their collective efforts and intended services.
Clinging to the past: Circulation policies in academic libraries in the United States

This study reports on a national survey of circulation policies in academic libraries in the United States. Circulation policies are similar at most responding libraries and are typically restricti...
Flipping ATP to AMPlify Kinase Functions

Understanding protein kinase family members that lack key catalytic residues—or pseudokinases—is a major challenge in cell signaling. In this issue of Cell, Sreelatha et al. (2018) describe how one pseudokinase transfers adenosine monophosphate (AMP) rather than phosphate to protein substrates, revealing unexpected catalytic diversity for the kinase fold.
Circumscribing equality

One important facet of common-sense reasoning is the ability to draw default conclusions about the state of the world. Such an abili ty enables one to assume, for example, that a given bird flies in the absence of information to the contrary. One drawback of the circumscriptive approach to common-sense reasoning has been its inability to produce default conclusions about equality. For example, generally one cannot tentatively conclude that President (USA) ≠ Fido using circumscription. In this paper we give a second-order axiom and model theory for circumscribing equality, and prove that they are equivalent.
Regularization and error characterization of GRACE mascons

We present a new global time-variable gravity mascon solution derived from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Level 1B data. The new product from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) results from a novel approach that combines an iterative solution strategy with geographical binning of inter-satellite range-acceleration residuals in the construction of time-dependent regularization matrices applied in the inversion of mascon parameters. This estimation strategy is intentionally conservative as it seeks to maximize the role of the GRACE measurements on the final solution while minimizing the influence of the regularization design process. We fully reprocess the Level 1B data in the presence of the final mascon solution to generate true post-fit inter-satellite residuals, which are utilized to confirm solution convergence and to validate the mascon noise uncertainties. We also present the mathematical case that regularized mascon solutions are biased, and that this bias, or leakage, must be combined with the estimated noise variance to accurately assess total mascon uncertainties. The estimated leakage errors are determined from the monthly resolution operators. We present a simple approach to compute the total uncertainty for both individual mascon and regional analysis of the GSFC mascon product, and validate the results in comparison with independent mascon solutions and calibrated Stokes uncertainties. Lastly, we present the new solution and uncertainties with global analyses of the mass trends and annual amplitudes, and compute updated trends for the global ocean, and the respective contributions of the Greenland Ice Sheet, Antarctic Ice Sheet, Gulf of Alaska, and terrestrial water storage. This analysis highlights the successful closure of the global mean sea level budget, that is, the sum of global ocean mass from the GSFC mascons and the steric component from Argo floats agrees well with the total determined from sea surface altimetry.
An isotopically depleted lower mantle component is intrinsic to the Hawaiian mantle plume

Most ocean island basalts sample an isotopically depleted mantle component, but the origin of this component is unclear. It may come from either the entrained upper mantle or from a reservoir intrinsic to the plume, sourced from the lower mantle. For Hawaii, the isotopically depleted component is primarily sampled during the secondary rejuvenated-stage volcanism, 0.5–2 million years after the initial shield-stage volcanism. However, it is also inferred in shield and post-shield lavas. We analyse the radiogenic isotopic and trace element compositions of a suite of Mauna Kea shield-stage tholeiites, and found that they have the same isotopic compositions as rejuvenated-stage lavas. We use trace element models to show that these shield-stage basalts can be explained as higher degree partial melts of a rejuvenated-stage source. Our data, therefore, show that the depleted rejuvenated-stage component was directly sampled during shield-stage volcanism. The common source for both shield-stage and secondary rejuvenated volcanism implies that the depleted rejuvenated component is intrinsic to the Hawaiian mantle plume. It is further inferred that the mantle region from which the Hawaiian plume originates, probably in the lower mantle, is also isotopically depleted, similar but not identical to the upper mantle. A mantle component that is isotopically depleted is intrinsic to the Hawaiian mantle plume, and is probably sourced from the lower mantle, according to radiogenic isotope analyses on shield-stage tholeitic basalts from Mauna Kea.
Instruments to Measure Elementary Student Mindsets about Smartness and Failure in General and with respect to Engineering

The aim of this study was to assess evidence for the validity of General Mindset (GM) and Engineering Mindset (EM) surveys that we developed for fifth-grade students (ages 10-11). In both surveys, we used six items to measure student mindset to determine if it was more fixed (presuming intelligence is fixed and failure is a sign that one is not smart enough) or more growth-minded (presuming one can become smarter and that failures are signals to improve) (Dweck, 1986). We administered surveys to 2473 fifth-grade students (ages 10-11) who learned one or two engineering units during one academic year. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) then Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), we identified a single factor for each survey. We assert that there is strong evidence for the validity of using the GM or EM survey with students ages 10-11. The EM survey should be given after students have engaged in engineering classwork in school.
Xenograft-based, platform-independent gene signatures to predict response to alkylating chemotherapy, radiation, and combination therapy for glioblastoma

BACKGROUND Predictive molecular biomarkers to select optimal treatment for patients with glioblastoma and other cancers are lacking. New strategies are needed when large randomized trials with correlative molecular data are not feasible. METHODS Gene signatures (GS) were developed from 31 orthotopic glioblastoma patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), treated with standard therapies, to predict benefit from radiotherapy (RT-GS), temozolomide (Chemo-GS), or the combination (ChemoRT-GS). Independent validation was performed in a heterogeneously treated clinical cohort of 502 glioblastoma patients with overall survival as the primary endpoint. Multivariate Cox analysis was used to adjust for confounding variables and evaluate interactions between signatures and treatment. RESULTS PDX models recapitulated the clinical heterogeneity of glioblastoma patients. RT-GS, Chemo-GS, and ChemoRT-GS were correlated with benefit from treatment in the PDX models. In independent clinical validation, higher RT-GS scores were associated with increased survival only in patients receiving RT (P = 0.0031, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78 [0.66-0.92]), higher Chemo-GS scores were associated with increased survival only in patients receiving chemotherapy (P < 0.0001, HR = 0.66 [0.55-0.8]), and higher ChemoRT-GS scores were associated with increased survival only in patients receiving ChemoRT (P = 0.0001, HR = 0.54 [0.4-0.74]). RT-GS and ChemoRT-GS had significant interactions with treatment on multivariate analysis (P = 0.0009 and 0.02, respectively), indicating that they are bona fide predictive biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS Using a novel PDX-driven methodology, we developed and validated 3 platform-independent molecular signatures that predict benefit from standard of care therapies for glioblastoma. These signatures may be useful to personalize glioblastoma treatment in the clinic and this approach may be a generalizable method to identify predictive biomarkers without resource-intensive randomized trials.
Organophosphorus flame retardants in surface and effluent water samples from the Vaal River catchment, South Africa: levels and risk to aquatic life

The occurrence and risk assessment of seven organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in surface water samples within the Vaal River catchment in South Africa were investigated. Wastewater treatment works effluents as the potential sources of OPFRs in surface water were also analysed. In surface water, tris-(chloro-propyl)-phosphate (TCPP) – the total of the three TCPP isomers studied, and tris-(2, 3 dibromo-propyl)-phosphate (TDBPP) were the most abundant OPFRs, with mean concentrations of 276 ng/L and 227 ng/L; respectively. In effluent water samples, the most abundant OPFR was TCPP with a mean concentration of 700 ng/L. A high detection frequency (> 80%) was observed for six of the seven OPFRs with tris-(1, 3- dichloro-propyl)-phosphate (TDCPP) detection frequency being the lowest at 17%. Assessment of risk to aquatic organisms using risk quotients based on measured environmental concentrations (MEC) and predicted no-effect concentrations (PNEC) ranged from no significant risk (for algae, daphnia and fish) to low potential for adverse effects (for algae and fish).
Review of Efficacy and Comparison of Intracameral Antibiotics for Postcataract Surgery Endophthalmitis Prophylaxis

Justify universal adoption of intracameral antibiotic for prophylaxis against postcataract endophthalmitis. Review of both placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials for intracameral cefuroxime and moxifloxacin as well as large retrospective studies demonstrate efficacy in reducing the risk of postcataract endophthalmitis when the intracameral antibiotic choice is targeted to the causative pathogens of the demographic studied. Clinical evidence demonstrates the benefit of intracameral antibiotic use from statistical, clinical, and cost-effective analyses. Cases with higher risk for endophthalmitis such as posterior capsule rupture, manual extracapsular cataract extraction, immunocompromised patients, and age > 85, warrant special attention and greater consideration for intracameral antibiotic use. Further research to identify the optimal drug, formulation, and concentration can improve patient outcomes.
The First Cohomology Group of a Maximal Ideal Space

Given Banach algebras 𝔄1 and 𝔄2 with maximal ideal spaces ℳ 1 and ℳ 2, if 𝔄1 and 𝔄2 are isomorphic as algebras, then ℳ 1 and ℳ 2 are homeomorphic. It is thus to be expected that the topology of ℳ (𝔄) is reflected in the algebraic structure of 𝔄, for an arbitrary Banach algebra 𝔄.
Pulmonary blastoma: A clinical study of three cases.

e18109 Background: Pulmonary blastoma (PB) is a rare biphasic neoplasm composed of both immature mesenchymal and epithelial cells representing 0.2-0.5% of pulmonary malignancies. Initial presentati...
Witnessing gendered testimony: Reader ethics in Bapsi Sidhwa’s Cracking India:

Much of Cracking India’s scholarship focuses on how the text provides a representation of gendered trauma during Partition. These analyses, however, overlook the reader’s role, which minimizes lite...
Female Athlete Hip Injuries: A Narrative Review.

Objective In this narrative review, we highlight sex-specific anatomic and biomechanical features of the hip region in female athletes, as well as the potential impact of these characteristics on observed disparities in both intra-articular and extra-articular injury patterns between female and male athletes. It is our goal to broaden the scope of knowledge related to hip pathology in active female athletes among sports medicine providers with the hope of better optimizing sport participation and performance in female athletes. Data sources A literature review was conducted using PubMed database and Google Scholar search engine. Search terms included sport, female, athlete, sex differences, injury, hip, and all diagnoses discussed in this review. Cross-reference of these articles identified additional resources. Main results Sex-specific differences in both static design and dynamic function contribute to disparities in hip injury patterns between female and male athletes. Intra-articular injuries, including labral and ligamentum teres pathology, as well as extra-articular injuries, including iliopsoas tendon dysfunction, gluteal and proximal hamstring tendinopathy, ischiofemoral impingement, bone stress injuries, and certain nerve entrapment syndromes, seem to affect female athletes more commonly than male counterparts. Conclusions Given unique anatomic and functional considerations, the growing population of female athletes worldwide warrants specialized care and consideration. Potential predisposition to specific hip injuries should be taken into consideration during diagnostic evaluation of hip pain in the female athlete.
Overview and Management of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a major public health concern with one-third of the youth in United States having either overweight or obesity (Ogden et al., JAMA. 311:806–14, 2014). With the increasing prevalence of youth with severe obesity (Skinner and Skelton, JAMA Pediatr. 168:561–6, 2014), pediatricians are now more likely to manage medical conditions once considered to be “adult diseases” such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), dyslipidemia, fatty liver disease, and hypertension. Pediatric caregivers have a unique opportunity to prevent and mitigate the escalation of obesity by intervening early in life. Initial management of obesity at the pediatrician’s office includes lifestyle modification and behavioral-psychological support and is critically important for the amelioration of obesity and prevention of associated comorbidities.
A reverse engineering and redesign methodology for product evolution

New products drive business. To remain competitive, industry is continually searching for new methods to evolve their products. To address this need, we introduce a new reverse engineering and redesign methodology. Motivation is provided by the S-curve product improvement history. We start by formulating the customer needs, followed by reverse engineering, creating a functional model through teardowns. The functional model leads to specifications that match the customer needs. Depending upon required redesign scope, new features are possibly conceived, or not. Next models of the specifications are developed and optimized. The new product form is then built and further optimized using designed experiments. An electric wok redesign provides an illustration. The methodology has had a positive impact in results and systematic approach, both on design education and application.