cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Colonic Gas Distribution in Toxic Megacolon

To determine whether dilation of the transverse colon is a specific pathophysiologic feature in toxic megacolon, plain films of the abdomen in different positions were obtained of 6 patients with ulcerative colitis complicated by toxic megacolon. All patients were examined initially in the supine position and subsequently in the prone position. Redistribution of gas in the colon occurred in all patients when the prone position was assumed. The shift of gas was largely from the transverse colon to the descending colon. Pathological examination of the colon in 5 patients revealed the transverse colon to be no more severely involved than the remainder of the colon. The findings suggest that distribution of colonic gas in toxic megacolon is largely governed by the influence of gravity and the anatomic position of the colon in the peritoneal cavity.
Physiological responses to simulated stair climbing in professional firefighters wearing rubber and leather boots

No studies have considered whether a firefighter’s boots are a factor influencing physiological responses. The purpose of this study was to examine physiological responses to a fire simulation activity (stair climb) in professional firefighters wearing rubber boots (RB) and leather boots (LB). Twelve professional firefighters participated in two counterbalanced simulated firefighter stair climb (SFSC) sessions, one wearing RB and the other wearing LB. Heart rate, oxygen uptake (VO2), expiratory ventilation (VE), blood lactate (BLa), salivary cortisol (SCORT), and leg strength were assessed prior to and following a SFSC. LB elicited significantly greater SCORT values and knee flexion time to peak torque. Furthermore, RB revealed significantly greater ankle dorsiflexion peak torque after SFSC. BLa was positively related to knee flexion peak torque after SFSC in the RB. Firefighters when wearing the RB may be more effective at resisting fatigue and increase more force production.
Oxygen: a master regulator of pancreatic development?

Beyond its role as an electron acceptor in aerobic respiration, oxygen is also a key effector of many developmental events. The oxygen-sensing machinery and the very fabric of cell identity and function have been shown to be deeply intertwined. Here we take a first look at how oxygen might lie at the crossroads of at least two of the major molecular pathways that shape pancreatic development. Based on recent evidence and a thorough review of the literature, we present a theoretical model whereby evolving oxygen tensions might choreograph to a large extent the sequence of molecular events resulting in the development of the organ. In particular, we propose that lower oxygenation prior to the expansion of the vasculature may favour HIF (hypoxia inducible factor)-mediated activation of Notch and repression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, limiting endocrine cell differentiation. With the development of vasculature and improved oxygen delivery to the developing organ, HIF-mediated support for Notch signalling may decline while the β-catenin-directed Wnt signalling is favoured, which would support endocrine cell differentiation and perhaps exocrine cell proliferation/differentiation.
Reiter's syndrome in children. A case report and review.

A case of Reiter's syndrome in a 3-year-old boy is reported. No recurrence developed during the following 10 years. A review of previous cases of Reiter's syndrome in children suggests that although this disease is uncommon in children, the findings were similar to those seen in adults.
A load on my mind: Evidence that anhedonic depression is like multi-tasking

Multi-tasking can increase susceptibility to distraction, affecting whether irrelevant objects capture attention. Similarly, people with depression often struggle to concentrate when performing cognitively demanding tasks. This parallel suggests that depression is like multi-tasking. To test this idea, we examined relations between self-reported levels of anhedonic depression (a dimension that reflects the unique aspects of depression not shared with anxiety or other forms of distress) and attention capture by salient items in a visual search task. Furthermore, we compared these relations to the effects of performing a concurrent auditory task on attention capture. Strikingly, both multi-tasking and elevated levels of anhedonic depression were associated with increased capture by uniquely colored items, but decreased capture by abruptly appearing items. At least with respect to attention capture and distraction, depression seems to be functionally comparable to juggling a second, unrelated cognitive task.
New surgical three-dimensional visualization system

The major drawback in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery is the loss of true 3D perception that is present in conventional surgery. An explosion in the number of minimally invasive surgical procedures highlights the need for improvement in visualization. Several manufacturers are working to develop monitor-based or head-mounted display for 3D visualization for minimally invasive surgery by combining emerging 3D endoscopes with visual immersion and head-mounted 3D stereo displays. One of them, Vista Medical Technologies, Inc., has developed a personal surgical monitor that offers a true 3D viewing when used with a 3D endoscope or a binocular viewing when used with a regular endoscope. This paper discusses advantages and shortcomings of this system on a background of emerging 3D endosurgical technology.
Synthesis of RLC Ladder Networks by Matrix Tridiagonalization

A vector space formulation of a ladder network synthesis problem is given and algorithms for the solution are obtained, which provide a concise and flexible synthesis method. Specifically, the problem of realizing a specified reflection coefficient with a RLC ladder network is treated as a matrix synthesis problem. The matrix to be synthesized is both tridiagonal and cyclic, properties that are utilized to obtain a solution and relate it to the synthesis procedures employing continued fraction expansions. The solution is effected by tridiagonalization of a pair of matrices, a procedure observed to be a vector space analog of the Euclidean algorithm. Algorithms are given, which permit the user to specify the representation of the vectors that are formed recursively during tridiagonalization. This capability, in effect, permits the polynomials that are formed in continued fraction expansions to be represented as linear combinations of various sets of polynomials, such as the Lagrange interpolation polynomials. Experiments are described, which illustrate the advantages of the new algorithms that allow the representation to be specified.
Effects of various salts on the steady-state enzymatic activity of E. coli alkaline phosphatase

Seventeen salts were tested at various concentrations for their effects on E. coli alkaline phosphatase steady-state activity. Three effects were distinguished: a general ionic strength effect, and weaker cation and anion effects. 1. All salts tested, including those with "noninteracting" cations and anions, stimulate alkaline phosphatase activity usually ca. 100% at moderate (0.05-0.3 M) concentrations. 2. Cations such as Na+ and Li+ produce further increases in activity at concentrations up to 1 M. The noninteracting cations tetramethylammonium and tetrapropylammonium produce lower activities at these concentrations. These do not provide the secondary stimulatory effect of cations such as Na+ or Li+. 3. Anions associated with greater "salting in" effectiveness such as thiocyanate also reduce activity at ca. 1 M concentrations. These latter effects are not dependent on protein concentration so they probably do not involve subunit dissociation. There is little effect on the fluorescence or fluorescence-polarization spectrum of the enzyme so there is no general effect of 1 M salts on the conformation of the protein. The Michaelis constant for the substrate, p-nitrophenylphosphate, and inhibition constant for inorganic phosphate are increased to some extent by salts, but the increase in activity is due to an increase in Vmax. Our working hypothesis is that increased ionic strength weakens electrostatic interactions, enabling noncovalently bound phosphate to dissociate more rapidly.
Observations on the Chermidae (Hemiptera ; Homoptera). Part ii

This genus was named by Enderlein for the reception of a single species, S. cornutiventris Enderlein, from Peru. No indication was given as to the systematic position of the genus, but the generic characters were clearly indicated and it is evident that it belongs—on the basis of Crawford's system, at least—in the subfamily Cherminae, which is Crawford's subfamily Carsidarinae. In fact, on the basis of Crawford's keys it would apparently run to Chermes (=Homotoma) . On the basis of the very brief characterization of this genus elsewhere given by Enderlein it would appear that the genus Synoza is sufficiently distinct by reason of the curious venation of the wings alone.
Analytic model for the dynamics of electron trapping materials with applications in nonlinear optical signal processing

The optical mechanism and dynamics of electron-trapping material under simultaneous illumination with two wavelengths is investigated. Our analytical model proves that the equilibrium-state luminescence of such a material can be controlled to produce highly nonlinear behavior with potential applications in nonlinear optical signal processing and optical realization of nonlinear dynamical systems. Combining this new approach with state-of-the-art fast spatial light modulators and CCD cameras that can precisely control and measure exposure, large arrays of nonlinear processing elements can be accommodated in a thin film of this material.
A low-sidelobe partially overlapped constrained feed network for time-delayed subarrays

Completely overlapped space-fed subarrays have been shown to provide sufficient pattern control to enable (modestly) wide-band arrays using time delays at the input to each subarray and phase shifters at the array face. These configurations are bulky, but have been proposed for space-based use as well as for certain ground-based applications that do not have severe volume constraints. Other applications for space-based and airborne radar require much more compact, constrained array feed networks, but until now there have been few appropriate constrained networks for inserting time delay at the subarray ports without causing high sidelobes. This paper describes one such network that, at the outset, provided far lower sidelobes than the usual contiguous subarrays, but retained closely spaced high lobes near the main beam. This paper presents a synthesis procedure that alters the subarray patterns and reduces nearly all array sidelobes to levels determined by tolerance errors. Several examples are presented that synthesize sidelobes at -40 dB. The resulting network operates over 70% to 80% of the maximum theoretical bandwidth.
Human vergence eye movements initiated by competing disparities: Evidence for a winner-take-all mechanism

Abstract Vergence eye movements were elicited in human subjects at short latencies (∼70 ms) by applying binocular disparities briefly (200 ms) to large grating patterns (46° wide, 35° high). The positions of both eyes were recorded with the electromagnetic search coil technique. Using a dichoptic viewing arrangement (Wheatstone stereoscope), each eye viewed two overlapping 1-D sine waves that had the same orientation but different spatial frequencies. These two sine waves each had a binocular disparity that was 1/4 of its wavelength and the effect of varying their relative contrasts was examined (15 contrast ratios ranging from 0.125 to 8). The first experiment used horizontal gratings and recorded the vertical vergence responses when the two sine waves had spatial frequencies in the ratio 3:5 and vertical disparities of opposite sign. Initial vergence responses showed a highly nonlinear dependence on the contrast ratio. On average, when the contrast of one sine wave exceeded that of the other by a factor of >2.2, the sine wave with the higher contrast dominated responses and the sine wave with the lower contrast had almost no influence: winner-take-all. A second experiment, which used vertical gratings and recorded the horizontal vergence responses when the two sine waves had spatial frequencies in the ratio 3:5 and horizontal disparities of opposite sign, also uncovered nonlinear interactions but these were much more variable from one subject to another and, on average, one sine wave did not achieve complete dominance until its contrast exceeded that of the other by a factor of >4.5. When these two experiments were repeated with grating patterns in which the two sine waves had spatial frequencies in the ratio 3:7 and disparities of the same sign, similar nonlinear interactions were apparent. We attribute the nonlinear dependence on relative contrast to mutual inhibition between the neural elements processing the disparities of the two sine waves. We further suggest that this interaction will help to maintain binocular alignment on the objects in the plane of regard because the retinal images of those objects will tend to be better focused—and hence tend to have higher contrasts—than the images of objects in other depth planes.
Pharmacokinetics and amyloid plaque targeting ability of a novel peptide-based magnetic resonance contrast agent in wild-type and Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice.

A novel magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast agent based on a derivative of human amyloid β (Aβ) peptide, Gd[ N -4ab/Q-4ab]Aβ 30, was previously shown to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and bind to amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) transgenic mouse (APP/PS1) brain. We now report extensive plasma and brain pharmacokinetics of this contrast agent in wild-type (WT) and in APP/PS1 mice along with a quantitative summary of various physiological factors that govern its efficacy. Upon i.v. bolus administration, 125I-Gd[ N -4ab/Q-4ab]Aβ 30 was rapidly eliminated from the plasma following a three-exponential disposition, which is saturable at higher concentrations. Nevertheless, the contrast agent exhibited rapid and nonsaturable absorption at the BBB. The brain pharmacokinetic profile of 125I-Gd[ N -4ab/Q-4ab]Aβ 30 showed a rapid absorption phase followed by a slower elimination phase. No significant differences were observed in the plasma or brain kinetics of WT and APP/PS1 animals. Emulsion autoradiography studies conducted on WT and APP/PS1 mouse brain after an i.v. bolus administration of 125I-Gd[ N -4ab/Q-4ab]Aβ 30 in vivo confirmed the brain pharmacokinetic data and also demonstrated the preferential localization of the contrast agent on the plaques for an extended period of time. These attributes of the contrast agent are extremely useful in providing an excellent signal/noise ratio during longer MR scans, which may be essential for obtaining a high resolution image. In conclusion, this study documents the successful plaque targeting of Gd[ N -4ab/Q-4ab]Aβ 30 and provides crucial pharmacokinetic information to determine the dose, mode of administration, and scan times for future in vivo MR imaging of amyloid plaques in AD transgenic mice.
Concord in Minimalist Theory

Concord within DP argues that movement is driven by uninterpretable features of either the target or the moved item, contra Chomsky 1995. The uninterpretable f-features of which concord consists mu...
The Miseducation of White America

This paper was delivered at the University of Delaware during the first Louis L. Redding Civil Rights Symposium. The premise of this paper is that most public school curriculum remains a vestige of segregation. In order to desegregate public education, effective means must be developed to challenge the uniquely American racial hierarchy in which many white students view people of color as inferior. Desegregation should not simply be viewed as the process of placing people of different races in close proximity. Creating racially mixed schools as the primary remedy for desegregation has failed to promote racial equality as mandated by the Fourteenth Amendment because it has not challenged our ideas about race and racial identity. A democratic theory of education would encompass the idea of a desegregation process that includes transforming the curriculum in public institutions of education to divest students of wrongly held views about race.
The Final Frontier of Competitive Advantage

This is a book review of "Proactive Law for Managers: A Hidden Source of Competitive Advantage" by George Siedel and Helena Haapio (Gower Publishing Company, 2011). This book proposes a new approach to law, not from the attorney’s perspective, but from the manager’s. The authors show that law and lawyers are not simply a barrier to competitiveness or a necessary cost of doing business. A firm’s understanding of a regulatory environment can generate value-capturing opportunities that rivals fail to achieve.
Sum Labeling for Some Star and Cycle Related Special Graphs

A sum labeling is a mapping from the vertices of G into the positive integers such that, for any two vertices u, v V (G) with labels (u) and (v), respectively, (uv) is an edge iff (u) + (v) is the label of another vertex in V (G). Any graph supporting such a labeling is called a sum graph. It is necessary to add (as a disjoint union) a component to sum label a graph. This disconnected component is a set of isolated vertices known as isolates and the labeling scheme that requires the fewest isolates is termed optimal. The number of isolates required for a graph to support a sum labeling is known as the sum number of the graph. In this paper, we will obtain optimal sum labeling scheme for some star and cycle related special graphs.
Images in clinical medicine. Whooping cough in an adult.

A 64-year-old man was admitted to the medical service with a presumed asthma exacerbation. His symptoms had worsened during the preceding 3 weeks despite treatment with oral glucocorticoids, leading him to present to the emergency department multiple times with a progressive cough.
Mo3Sb7–C Composite Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Mo3Sb7–C composite has been synthesized by first firing a mixture of Mo and Sb metals and then ball-milling the resultant material with carbon. X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) data reveal that these composites are composed of uniformly dispersed, submicrometer sized, crystalline Mo3Sb7 in a conductive carbon matrix. The presence of carbon in the composite drastically improves the cycle life of Mo3Sb7 as the carbon buffers the volume changes occurring during charge–discharge cycling. With a discharge capacity of 518 mAh/g and 907 mAh/cm3 and a tap density of 1.75 g/cm3 for the composite, the Mo3Sb7–C composite anodes offer three times higher volumetric capacity than the graphite anode. Also, with an operating voltage (∼0.8 V) well above that of Li/Li+, the Mo3Sb7–C composite anodes offer better safety.
Performance Assessment of Model-Based Artificial Pancreas Control Systems

Many artificial pancreas control systems are based on models that predict glucose concentrations. The performance of these control systems depends on the accuracy of the models and may be affected when large dynamic changes in the human body or changes in equipment performance occur and move the operating conditions away from those used in developing the models and designing the control system. A controller performance assessment (CPA) module is developed to evaluate the performance of model-based controllers and initiate controller retuning if there is significant performance deterioration. The generalized predictive control (GPC) approach that utilizes models for glucose concentration predictions is used for illustrating the performance of the CPA. The module has six indexes that capture different aspects of model and controller performance, which can be analyzed to determine the specific component of the controller that caused performance deterioration. Four different kinds of controller errors were diagnosed by indexes and used for controller retuning. Thirty subjects in the UVa/Padova metabolic simulator are used in simulations to evaluate the performance of the CPA module. The results indicate that a GPC with the proposed CPA module has a safer range of glucose concentration variation and more reasonable insulin suggestions than a GPC without controller retuning guided by the CPA module.
Erratum to “Water Vapor Enhancement of Rates of Peroxy Radical Reactions”

The article to which this erratum refers was published in Int J Chem Kinet 2015, 47, 395-409 (2015) (10.1002/kin.20917).
Pitfalls in Cerebrospinal Fluid Examination

The spinal tap may not only be useless in a particular case but dangerous; on the other hand, when the indications for it are clear-cut it should not be omitted for fear of the risks. Once the decision for the examination has been made, the physician must insist on careful performance and recording of the data it provides. And he must remember that its results dictate neither a diagnosis nor a course of treatment.
Self-sensing of Damage and Strain in Carbon Fiber Polymer-Matrix Structural Composites by Electrical Resistance Measurement:

The self-sensing of damage and strain in carbon fiber polymer-matrix structural composites has been attained by DC electrical resistance measurement. This paper reviews the self-sensing behavior, i...
Multilayer films for reducing bleeding and infection

Bleeding and infection resulting from traumatic wounding are significant contributors to mortality and morbidity, necessitating the development of advanced bandages capable of their treatment in the field. It is desirable to embed or coat bandages with hemostats and antimicrobials to create a portable, lightweight, and durable field dressings. Nano- to micrometer-scale thin films assembled from aqueous solutions by the layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of polymers, proteins, or drugs can conformally coat a variety of substrates with high drug loadings and tunable release kinetics. To address the therapeutic needs of uncontrolled bleeding and bacterial infection, several LbL films have been developed with a variety of drugs and tunable release kinetics. Herein, examples of LbL films developed to establish hemostasis, fight infection, or the combination thereof, are reviewed with a discussion of the rationale behind their components and architectures.
Benign Joint Hypermobility Minimally Impacts Autonomic Abnormalities in Pediatric Subjects with Chronic Functional Pain Disorders.

Objective To determine if children with benign joint hypermobility (BJH) syndrome and chronic functional pain disorders have more autonomic dysfunction. Study design Retrospective chart review study of pediatric patients seen in the pediatric neurogastroenterology and autonomic clinic who underwent autonomic testing and had either a Beighton score of ≥6 and met Brighton criteria for BJH (with BJH) or a score of ≤2 (no BJH). Results Twenty-one female subjects (10 without BJH) met inclusion criteria; 64% of BJH had diagnosis confirmed by genetics consultation. We evaluated for postural tachycardia syndrome, syncope, orthostatic intolerance, and orthostatic hypotension. None of these diagnoses, as well as baseline heart rate, peak heart rate in first 10 minutes of head up tilt ( P = .35 and P = .61, respectively), and sudomotor index (suggestive of autonomic neuropathy) ( P = .58), showed differences between the groups. Age of onset of symptoms was also similar ( P = .61) (BJH vs without BJH: median [range]:15.6 years [12.9-17.5] vs 15.4 years [11.1-18.2]). There was no difference between groups in complaints of migraine, chronic nausea, chronic fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting >3 times/lifetime, delayed onset of sleep, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, abdominal migraine, functional abdominal pain, constipation, or fibromyalgia. Conclusions Children with chronic functional pain disorders and BJH have autonomic testing findings and comorbid features compared with a similar cohort of subjects without BJH, suggesting that BJH is not the driver of the autonomic and comorbid disorders.
The power spectral density of a time hopping UWB signal: a survey

We discuss in this publication the power spectral density (PSD) of some common time hopping impulse radio signals. Both analytical expressions and simulation results for the PSD are provided. The impact of the PSD on the transmitted power is analyzed in respect to the Federal Committee on Communications regulations on UWB emissions.
Strabismus from supernumerary extraocular muscle restriction

A 39-year-old Caucasian woman, right-handed and myopic, complained of binocular horizontal diplopia, which was worse at distance than near. Examination revealed a −1 abduction limitation of the right eye (figure 1). There was a 10-prism diopter esophoria in primary gaze that increased to an esotropia of 25 prism diopters in right gaze, and was 12 prism diopters in left gaze. An MRI of the brain and orbits with and without contrast revealed an isointense thin tissue band posterior to the right globe connecting the superior and inferior rectus muscles (figures 2 and 3). Strabismus from restrictive supernumerary extraocular muscle bands may be misinterpreted as sixth nerve palsies.1,2
America’s Health, Innovation, Technology and the United States Presidential Election

Addressing America’s health and healthcare is one of the challenges for the next president of the United States, since the U.S. healthcare system represents now nearly 20% of America’s GDP.
Surgical Considerations in Neurogenic Bladder

An understanding of potential voiding dysfunctions is essential in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods of an individual with SCI. This chapter reviews the anatomy, neurophysiology, and expected type of bladder function based on the level of injury and urodynamic findings. The different types of bladder managements available to the SCI patient are discussed. This chapter also reviews some of the more common urological problems in those with SCI such as urinary tract infections, autonomic dysreflexia, and bladder stones.
Data-Independent Acquisition and Parallel Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry Identification of Serum Biomarkers for Ovarian Cancer:

A data-independent acquisition (DIA)/parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) workflow was implemented to identify improved ovarian cancer biomarkers. Data-independent acquisition on ovarian cancer versus control sera and literature searches identified 50 biomarkers and indicated that apolipoprotein A-IV (ApoA-IV) is the most significantly differentially regulated protein. Parallel reaction monitoring with Targeted Ovarian Cancer Proteome Assay validated differential ApoA-IV expression and quantified 9 other biomarkers. Random Forest (RF) analyses achieved 92.3% classification accuracy and confirmed ApoA-IV as the leading biomarker. Indeed, all samples were classified correctly with an [ApoA-IV] breakpoint. The next best biomarkers were C-reactive protein, transferrin, and transthyretin. The Targeted Ovarian Cancer Proteome Assay suggests that ApoA-IV is a more reliable biomarker than had been determined by immunological assays and it is a better biomarker than ApoA-I, which is in the OVA1 test for ovarian cancer. This research provides a PRM/RF approach together with 4 promising biomarkers to speed the development of a clinical assay for ovarian cancer.
Detection of CuAuPd Phase Boundaries Using Core Level Shifts

A high throughput study has been conducted of the Cu 2p3/2, Au 4f7/2, and Pd 3d3/2 X-ray photoemission spectra obtained from a continuous distribution of CuxAuyPd1–x–y alloy samples prepared as a single composition spread alloy film (CSAF). All three elements exhibit shifts of their core level binding energies with respect to their pure states when diluted into the alloy. The Cu 2p3/2 core level shift (CLS) exhibits additional shifts over the composition ranges at which the CuxAuyPd1–x–y alloy transitions between FCC and B2 phases. This discontinuous CLS has been used to map the extent of the B2 phase across the ternary CuxAuyPd1–x–y alloy composition space. The sensitivity of core level binding energies to the alloy phase offers an opportunity to use XPS to study phases in alloy nanoparticles, ultrathin films, and other morphologies that are not amenable to structure determination by diffraction based methods.
Dispersion of extremely nondegenerate nonlinear refraction in semiconductors

Dispersion of nondegenerate nonlinear refraction in semiconductors is measured using the Beam-Deflection technique. With large nondegeneracy, n2 is greatly enhanced and exhibits a strong nonlinear dispersion, which rapidly switches sign to negative near the bandgap. Potential applications including nondegenerate all-optical switching and pulse shaping are discussed.
Shifts in the thermal niche of almond under climate change

Delineating geographic shifts in crop cultivation under future climate conditions provides information for land use and water management planning, and insights to meeting future demand. A suitability modeling approach was used to map the thermal niche of almond cultivation and phenological development across the Western United States (US) through the mid-21st century. The Central Valley of California remains thermally suitable for almond cultivation through the mid-21st century, and opportunities for expansion appear in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon, which is currently limited by insufficient heat accumulation. Modeled almond phenology shows a compression in reproductive development under future climate. By the mid-21st century, almond phenology in the Central Valley showed ~ 2-week delay in chill accumulation and ~ 1- and ~ 2.5-week advance in the timing of bloom and harvest, respectively. Although other climatic and non-climatic restrictions to almond cultivation may exist, these results highlight opportunities for shifts in the geography of high-value cropping systems, which may influence growers’ long-term land use decisions, and shape regional water and agricultural industry discussions regarding climate change adaptation options.
CT-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Pulmonary Nodules 8 mm or Less Has a Higher Diagnostic Accuracy than Positron Emission Tomography-CT.

Abstract Purpose To compare diagnostic accuracy of CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA-B) with positron emission tomography (PET)–CT for pulmonary nodules ≤ 8 mm. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of all CT-guided lung FNA-Bs performed between 2011 and 2014 at a single institution was undertaken to evaluate patients who had FNA-B and PET-CT imaging of nodules of ≤ 8 mm. Patients without surgical pathology or 2-year follow-up CT scans were excluded. Of 1,896 patients, 41 patients with 43 subcentimeter pulmonary nodules met study criteria. The McNemar test was used to compare FNA-B with PET-CT results. Results FNA-B had a sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of 88.9% and 81.4%, respectively. PET-CT had an overall sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of 38.9% and 46.5%, respectively. FNA-B had a significantly higher sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for malignant nodules compared with PET-CT ( P Conclusions FNA-B is a safe procedure with superior sensitivity and higher diagnostic accuracy compared with PET-CT in pulmonary nodules ≤ 8mm in size.
The Effect of Mental Illness on Segregation Following Institutional Misconduct

Recent anecdotal reports have suggested that disciplinary segregation in prison is disproportionately used against mentally ill inmates. To date, little research has examined this phenomenon empirically. This study analyzes the impact of a prediagnosed mental illness on the likelihood an inmate is sentenced to segregation following an institutional misconduct in state facilities. Findings suggest that inmates with a mental illness have a higher likelihood of being sentenced to segregation compared with inmates without a mental illness (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36), net of other factors. Further analyses indicate that mentally ill inmates are more likely to receive segregation compared with a range of other less serious disciplinary actions. Practical implications and directions for future research are explored.
Mysticism and SF in Ṭālib ‘Umrān’s Beyond the Veil of Time

This chapter examines Syrian writer Ṭālib ‘Umrān’s 1985 novel Khalfa Ḥājiz al-Zaman [“Beyond the Veil of Time”] as a manifestation of the trope from classical Arabic literature of the romantic relationship as a metaphor for a union with the divine. Beyond the Veil of Time may at first seem only superficially to be a work of ASF, given its concern with a love relationship that has little to do with either space exploration or cognitive estrangement. Yet, though its portrayal of a woman as a symbol has problematic implications, the novel in fact serves as a union, if not a mystic one, between SF and Arabic literature and culture, and thereby familiarizes SF to Arabic literature and culture, creating a text that renders space exploration more cognitive within the Arabic literary context. In addition, lurking behind the spiritual utopia the explorer encounters are slavery, death, and authoritarianism: this estrangement provides a powerful critique of the class of intellectuals to which ‘Umrān’s readers belong.
More to gain: dietary energy density is related to smoking status in US adults.

Given the current prevalence of both cigarette use and obesity in the United States, identification of dietary patterns that reduce mortality risk are important public health priorities. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the correlation between cigarette use and dietary energy density, a marker for diet quality, in a population of current smokers, former smokers, and never smokers. Data from a nationally representative sample of 5293 adults who participated in the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) were analyzed. Specific survey procedures were used in the analysis to account for sample weights, unequal selection probability, and clustered design when evaluating the association between dietary energy density (ED, energy per weight of food, kcal/g) and current smoking status. Never smokers reported 100 lifetime cigarettes and current smoking status was recorded as daily, some days (nondaily), or not at all (former). A strong linear relationship was observed between smoking pattern and dietary ED in current smokers. Compared to never smokers, daily smokers and nondaily smokers have significantly higher dietary ED (1.79 vs. 2.02 and 1.88, respectively; both p < 0.05); demonstrating that any amount of current cigarette consumption is associated with poor diet. Though former smokers had a higher dietary ED than never smokers, this difference still significantly lower than that of current smokers (p = 0.002). These findings suggest that smoking status is associated with poor diet quality. Former smokers had a slightly lower ED value (1.84) than current non-daily smokers (1.89) but a higher value than never smokers (1.79).
Semi-automatic suggestion generation for young novice programmers in an open-ended context

Independent novice programmers in open-ended contexts rely on help systems to support their learning. These help systems are often laboriously hand-authored by experts. This paper describes a semi-automatic process for the creation of a suggestion-based help system. We demonstrate and evaluate the potential utility of our approach within a blocks-based programming environment for children. With less human effort per suggestion, our approach generated a set of suggestions comparable to a hand-authored set and a set of original suggestions. We ran a study to explore the number and types of suggestions children received, accessed, and used. In 30 minutes, children on average received 9 suggestions, accessed 2.6 suggestions, and inserted 0.8 new concepts from suggestions.
Short range clear air turbulence induced angle-of-arrival error measurements at 10 GHz

Clear air turbulence is known to induce angle-of-arrival errors in microwave wavefronts. Several researchers have measured clear air turbulence over ranges of hundreds to thousands of meters. We present measurements made over a much shorter range of less than two meters using fan generated turbulence. We used a two channel X-band interferometer at 10 GHz to measure angle-of-arrival errors. We calculated values for the refractive index structure constants on the order of 10−13 (m−2/3) using our observed angle-of-arrival error variance results. Our observed results compare favorably with the geometric optics theory although additional measurements to independently calculate the refractive index constant using log amplitude fluctuation measurements are desirable. We discuss these results and our plans for future work. The measurements described in this paper were made under a Naval Innovative Science and Engineering (NISE) research project. The knowledge gained from these measurements is aimed at developing applications for clear air turbulence in areas including electronic warfare, aviation safety, and atmospheric science.
Quantitative body DW-MRI biomarkers uncertainty estimation using unscented wild-bootstrap

We present a new method for the uncertainty estimation of diffusion parameters for quantitative body DW-MRI assessment. Diffusion parameters uncertainty estimation from DW-MRI is necessary for clinical applications that use these parameters to assess pathology. However, uncertainty estimation using traditional techniques requires repeated acquisitions, which is undesirable in routine clinical use. Modelbased bootstrap techniques, for example, assume an underlying linear model for residuals rescaling and cannot be utilized directly for body diffusion parameters uncertainty estimation due to the non-linearity of the body diffusion model. To offset this limitation, our method uses the Unscented transform to compute the residuals rescaling parameters from the non-linear body diffusion model, and then applies the wildbootstrap method to infer the body diffusion parameters uncertainty. Validation through phantom and human subject experiments shows that our method identify the regions with higher uncertainty in body DWIMRI model parameters correctly with realtive error of ~36% in the uncertainty values.
A review of film boiling at cryogenic temperatures.

Among the various modes of heat transport to liquids, film boiling is considered to be an inefficient mechanism. However, in many practical engineering applications it occurs. Consequently, film boiling must be studied and understood for design applications. Film boiling is invariably encountered in quenching of metals, in chilling of biological species, in regenerative cooling of rockets, and in cooling down a cryogenic fuel tank, and occasionally film boiling can also happen in a nuclear reactor or in a cryomagnet.
Motives and Modus Vivendi

John Rawls rejected modus vivendi political outcomes as normatively deficient because he believed that the participants are not motivated by moral reasons. Contemporary defenders of modus vivendi reject the importance of distinguishing between moral and nonmoral reasons for constructing terms of peaceful coexistence. Theorists have highlighted peace and security as values that are integral to a modus vivendi. I argue that the idea of mutuality ought to be included in an account of how a modus vivendi emerges between parties who have opposed views about how to decide jointly a matter of common concern.
Ethnographic Interview Methods in Researching Language and Education

Interviewing in the nineties has become a powerful form of communication in our society and in social scientific research. It is estimated that 90 percent of all social science research uses interview data (Briggs, 1992/1986). This review will provide a historical and current overview of the role of ethnographic interviews in language and education research. To successfully examine the role of interviews in language and education research it is imperative to understand the interview as an important tool of anthropologically grounded research. Ethnographic interviews are used by social scientists and educators today to get the informant’s or interviewee’s perspective on their beliefs, values, and understandings of life and other topics or cultural events. Interviews in language and education research are also seen as ‘an information-providing speech exchange in which some of the knowledge of the consultant is given to the interviewer’ Werner & Schoepfle (1987, p. 302). Erickson (1981) suggests that there are two main ways by which peoples’ cultural knowledge can be studied, the first is by asking them, and the second, by watching them. He distinguishes between the different approaches based primarily on asking, such as questionaires with their attendant technical problems involving possible sample and instrument bias, and formal and ‘friendly conversations’ , as defined for example by spradely (1979, pp. 3–55) and Erikson (1981, pp. 29–30).
Cardiolipins and mitochondrial proton-selective leakage.

The proton-selective leak (State 4 respiratory rate) but not Δψ, in mitochondria from thyroid-sensitive tissues, responds to in vivo stimuli in unique correlation with changes in cardiolipins, saturated and mono-unsaturated (extended) fatty acyl contents, cardiolipins/phospholipids ratios, and/or membrane outer-sidedness. Liver mitochondrial State 4 respiration, basal in fasted rats, contributes little to resting metabolic rate in fed rats, where State 3 depresses Δψ. In a proposed model, an essential inner-membrane outer-surface proton antenna collects protons and donates them, via a water-shuttle, to transmembrane porters: transient water-molecule-chains between extended phospholipid acyls; protonophores, and uncoupling proteins. Only cardiolipin microdomains can donate, from an anomalously-dissociating phosphate group in each headgroup; unadapted cardiolipins have few conducting water chains. Thyroid states regulate each cardiolipin property, and are permissive, via the proton antenna, for proton leaks, including those through adapted and possibly constitutive BAT and ectopic uncoupling proteins. Slow leakage in liposomes may reflect insufficient cardiolipin proton antennas.
Design Rules for Template-Confined DNA-Mediated Nanoparticle Assembly*

Template-based strategies are becoming increasingly important for controlling the position of nanoparticle-based (NP-based) structures on surfaces for a wide variety of encoding and device fabrication strategies. Thus, there is an increasing need to understand the behavior of NPs in confined spaces. Herein, a systematic investigation of the diffusion and adsorption properties of DNA-modified NPs is presented in lithographically defined, high-aspect-ratio pores using a template-confined, DNA-mediated assembly. Leveraging the sequence-specific binding affinity of DNA, it is discovered that although NP adsorption in deep polymer pores follows a traditional Langmuir adsorption model when under thermodynamic control, such NPs kinetically follow Fick's classical law of diffusion. Importantly, these observations allow one to establish design rules for template-confined, DNA-mediated NP assembly on substrates based on pore dimensions, NP size and shape, NP concentration, temperature, and time. As a proof-of-concept example, these design rules are used to engineer a vertical, four-layer assembly consisting of individual octahedral NPs stacked on top of one another, with in-plane positioning defined by pores generated by e-beam lithography.
Missing sensor network data

AbstractWe describe details of a missing data method for longitudinal motion sensor data. The method uses Markov Chain Monte Carlo computations on a Bayesian Markovian hierarchical model that is de...
Assessing the Rationale for the U.S. EPA’s Proposed “Strengthening Transparency In Regulatory Science” Rule

AbstractThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering a new policy that would prohibit the agency from issuing regulations that rely on studies whose underlying data are not publicl...
Severe meningoencephalitis secondary to calvarial invasion of Lagenidium giganteum forma caninum in a dog.

Background: The oomycete Lagenidium giganteum forma caninum is an uncommon cause of severe dermal and subcutaneous infections in dogs with possible vascular invasion and other fatal sequelae. Infection within the central nervous system of affected dogs has not been previously reported.Case Description: A 6-year-old spayed female mixed-breed dog was evaluated at a referral institution with a 2-month history of suspected fungal infection in the region of the right mandibular lymph node that was refractory to surgical resection and empiric medical therapy. Physical examination identified a 6-cm fluctuant subcutaneous mass caudoventral to the ramus of the right mandible and a second firm mass in the region of the right caudal maxilla. Lesional punch biopsies were submitted for fungal culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which subsequentlyidentified L. giganteum forma caninum infection. Initial treatment consisted of anti-inflammatory doses of prednisone and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Four weeks following initial evaluation, the patient was presented with progressive neurological signs consistent with a forebrain lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed soft-tissue, contrastenhancing lesions ventral to the calvarium adjacent to the site of original surgical resection and throughout the brain. Humane euthanasia was elected, and postmortem examination was consistent with the extension of local disease from the right masseter muscle into the right ventral calvarium. Postmortem DNA sequencing confirmed the identity of the organism as L. giganteum forma caninum.Conclusion: This is the first reported case of intracranial lagenidiosis in the dog. PCR distinguished this species from other Lagenidium species and from oomycetes of other genera, such as Pythium insidiosum and Paralagenidium karlingii. Regional extension of cutaneous lagenidiosis should therefore be considered in cases with concurrent or spontaneous neurologic disease. Keywords: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Lagenidium giganteum forma caninum, Neurologic disease, Oomycete.
Development of Machine Learning Models to Validate a Medication Regimen Complexity Scoring Tool for Critically Ill Patients.

Introduction:The Medication Regimen Complexity -Intensive Care Unit (MRC-ICU) is the first tool for measuring medication regimen complexity in critically ill patients. This study tested machine lea...