cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A randomized trial of iloprost in patients with intermittent claudication.

Prostanoids, which promote vasodilation and reduce platelet aggregation, have been proposed as candidate therapies for intermittent claudication due to peripheral arterial disease (PAD). However, studies of these medications have yielded inconsistent results. This study tested the hypothesis that iloprost, an oral prostacy- clin analogue, would improve walking distance and quality of life in patients with intermittent claudication. The study was a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing three doses of oral iloprost (50 μg, 100 μg, or 150 μg twice daily), pentoxifylline, or placebo in 430 patients with intermittent claudi- cation. The primary outcome measure was improvement in absolute claudication dis- tance (ACD) after 6 months. Secondary outcomes included initial claudication dis- tance and quality of life assessment. Placebo increased ACD by 3.3%, and iloprost increased peak ACD by 7.7%, 8.8% and 11.2% at the 50 μg, 100 μg, and 150 μg twice- daily doses, respectively (all insignificant relative to placebo). Pentoxifylline increased ACD by 13.9% relative to placebo (p = 0.039). Neither iloprost nor pentoxifylline enhanced quality of life. These results indicate that oral iloprost is not effective in improving exercise performance or quality of life in patients with PAD who have intermittent claudication.
Shared Spectrum Access for the DoD

The United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DoD) must anticipate and balance military, civil, and commercial interests in spectrum. Increasing demands are being placed on spectrum access, both domestic and abroad, as a result of current demands for global mobility, electromagnetic spectrum requirements of both outdated and future defense systems, and loss of military access to certain frequency bands due to spectrum legislation. Based on these conditions, the DoD should identify shared spectrum access opportunities and explore dynamic spectrum access technologies to help meet the growing spectrum needs of the military. This paper discusses a few cases of current and future shared spectrum access environments. The case studies highlight the circumstances for spectrum sharing and utilization of military and commercial frequency bands that can provide additional spectrum access and availability for DoD needs.
Dilemmas in the Study of Latin American Political Parties

2A very small handful of works has dealt intensively with political parties. Of particular interest are Frank R. Brandenburg, Partidos Politicos (Mexico: Problemas Agricolas e Industriales de Me'xico, 1957); Federico G. Gil, Genesis and Modernization of Political Parties in Chile (Gainesville: University tf Florida Press, 1962); Harry Kantor, The Ideology and Program of the Peruvian Aprista Movement (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1953); L. Vincent Padgett, "Mexico's One-Party System: Re-evaluation," The American Political Science Review, LI, No. 4, December 1957; and John Reese Stevenson, The Chilean Popular Front (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1942).
The reliability and construct validity of scores on the Japanese version of an academic self‐concept scale for a sample of college students1

: This study investigated the internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity of scores on the Japanese version of the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) academic self-concept scale for a sample of 177 students at a small Japanese private college. Confirmatory factor analyses showed promising support for the construct validity of scores on the six factor subscales (Level of Aspiration, Anxiety, Academic Interest and Satisfaction, Leadership and Initiative, Identification versus Alienation, and Stress), representing the six hypothesized constructs of academic self-concept. Internal consistency reliability of scores on the six subscales ranged from 0.82 to 0.87.
Development of an Infrared Absorption Spectroscope Based on Linear Variable Filters

The objective of this research is to develop a low-cost infrared absorption spectroscope based on linear variable filter technology for the automated detection of concentrated gases and vapors, and the semiautomated detection of liquids. This instrument represents an alternative to electronic-nose devices based on cross-selective gas sensor arrays. Instead, the proposed instrument uses the concept of computational ldquopseudosensors,rdquo whereby spectral lines in an analytical instrument are clustered into groups and used as independent variables. We characterize the system on a database of chemical mixtures, and evaluate it on two real-world applications in the foodstuffs domain: oil adulteration and trans-fatty acid detection. Our results show that the proposed system is a viable low-resolution, low-cost analytical technique for niche applications.
The Association between Peer Experiences and Identity Formation in Early Adolescence

Sixth grade boys and girls (N = 315) were asked to complete the Perceived Competence Scale for Children and a sociometric questionnaire in an investigation of the multidimensional nature of self-concept and the association between identity formation and social relations among early adolescents. Perceptions of general self-worth were found to be related to perception of social, physical, and cognitive competence. The strongest relationship was observed between perceived social competence and general self-worth with the strength of this association being significantly greater among boys than girls. Perceived social competence was more strongly related to perceived physical competence among boys than girls whereas social acceptance and perceived social competence were more strongly related among girls than boys. Overall, however, the degree of association between perceived competence and sociometric measures was rather small. The observed sex differences were consistent with previous theoretical proposals an...
Parkinson disease: A summary of recent evidence-based medicine reviews

ABSTRACT Parkinson disease (PD) is a complex movement disorder in which the symptomatology, severity and progression vary substantially among patients. Therefore, there is a need to individualize patient therapy. Factors that should be considered when individualizing therapy include published guidelines, practice parameters, and Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) reviews, as well as clinical experience and judgment, patient specific factors and preferences, consensus and expert opinions, and health economic constraints. This article discusses EBM findings regarding treatment of the motor symptoms and the non-motor symptoms associated with PD.
Technological Progress Through Trade Liberlization in Transition Countries

Trade liberalization increases competitive pressures on domestic firms, and thus creates incentives for reducing costs of production through technological progress. Through this channel, backward countries get a chance to narrow their technological gap with more advanced countries. In this paper, the case of transition countries is analyzed. A simple model of oligopolistic firms' strategic decision on R&D is developed to motivate the empirical analysis. The results suggest that some initial conditions such as size of the initial technological gap, and initial openness to international trade, as well as the stage of the market reforms, in particular, rate of liberalization and structure of domestic markets are important factors in narrowing the technology gap.
Advocacy for the Efficacy and Reinstatement of Funding Federal Even Start Family Literacy Grant Programs

The Even Start Family Literacy model builds coalitions of community partners that build learning communities throughout our nation. The problem for stakeholders in family literacy programs is how to continue funding to encourage success and sustainability of programs. The focus of the study was twofold: 1) the importance of using data from national studies to make program improvements 2) the importance of making program improvement prior to reducing or rescinding funding for the Even Start Family Literacy Program. This quantitative study identified program, participant, and funding characteristics that state and local educators can target for program improvement. Programs must demonstrate measurable outcomes of success for adults and children.
Triangularity and dipole asymmetry in relativistic heavy ion collisions

We introduce a cumulant expansion to parametrize possible initial conditions in relativistic heavy ion collisions. We show that the cumulant expansion converges and that it can systematically reproduce the results of Glauber type initial conditions. At third order in the gradient expansion the cumulants characterize the triangularity $\ensuremath{\langle}{r}^{3}\mathrm{cos}3(\ensuremath{\phi}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{3,3})\ensuremath{\rangle}$ and the dipole asymmetry $\ensuremath{\langle}{r}^{3}\mathrm{cos}(\ensuremath{\phi}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{1,3})\ensuremath{\rangle}$ of the initial entropy distribution. We show that for midperipheral collisions the orientation angle of the dipole asymmetry ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{1,3}$ has a $20%$ preference out of plane. This leads to a small net ${v}_{1}$ out of plane. In peripheral and midcentral collisions the orientation angles ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{1,3}$ and ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{3,3}$ are strongly correlated, but this correlation disappears towards central collisions. We study the ideal hydrodynamic response to these cumulants and determine the associated ${v}_{1}/{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}$ and ${v}_{3}/{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{3}$ for a massless ideal gas equation of state. The space time development of ${v}_{1}$ and ${v}_{3}$ is clarified with figures. These figures show that ${v}_{1}$ and ${v}_{3}$ develop toward the edge of the nucleus, and consequently the final spectra are more sensitive to the viscous dynamics of freezeout. The hydrodynamic calculations for ${v}_{3}$ are provisionally compared to Alver and Roland fit of STAR inclusive two-particle correlation functions. Finally, we propose to measure the ${v}_{1}$ associated with the dipole asymmetry and the correlations between ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{1,3}$ and ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{3,3}$ by measuring a two-particle correlation with respect to the participant plane $\ensuremath{\langle}\mathrm{cos}({\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}\ensuremath{-}3{\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}+2{\ensuremath{\Psi}}_{\mathit{PP}})\ensuremath{\rangle}$. The hydrodynamic prediction for this correlation function is several times larger than a correlation currently measured by the STAR collaboration $\ensuremath{\langle}\mathrm{cos}({\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}+{\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}\ensuremath{-}2{\ensuremath{\Psi}}_{\mathit{PP}})\ensuremath{\rangle}$. This experimental measurement would provide convincing evidence for the hydrodynamic and geometric interpretation of two-particle correlations at RHIC.
The Design of Terra: Harnessing the Best Features of High-Level and Low-Level Languages

Applications are often written using a combination of high-level and low-level languages since it allows performance critical parts to be carefully optimized, while other parts can be written more productively. This approach is used in web development, game programming, and in build systems for applications themselves. However, most languages were not designed with interoperability in mind, resulting in glue code and duplicated features that add complexity. We propose a two-language system where both languages were designed to interoperate. Lua is used for our high-level language since it was originally designed with interoperability in mind. We create a new low-level language, Terra, that we designed to interoperate with Lua. It is embedded in Lua, and meta-programmed from it, but has a low level of abstraction suited for writing high-performance code. We discuss important design decisions ‐ compartmentalized runtimes, glue-free interoperation, and meta-programming features ‐ that enable Lua and Terra to be more powerful than the sum of their parts. 1998 ACM Subject Classification D.3.3 Language Constructs and Features
Adult Attachment Orientations and College Student Distress: The Mediating Role of Problem Coping Styles

In this study, the authors examined relations among adult attachment orientations, maladaptive problem coping styles, and a composite measure of current distress within a sample of 55 undergraduates (17 men, 38 women). Results indicated that each adult attachment orientation and each problem coping style measure was related in expected directions to students' distress. In addition, problem coping styles largely mediated the impact of insecure adult attachment orientations on distress. Implications of our findings to advancing an attachment theory-informed perspective on college student coping, distress, and intervention are discussed.
Finding the most reliable path with and without link travel time correlation: A Lagrangian substitution based approach

Abstract Path travel time reliability is an essential measure of the quality of service for transportation systems and an important attribute in travelers’ route and departure time scheduling. This paper investigates a fundamental problem of finding the most reliable path under different spatial correlation assumptions, where the path travel time variability is represented by its standard deviation. To handle the non-linear and non-additive cost functions introduced by the quadratic forms of the standard deviation term, a Lagrangian substitution approach is adopted to estimate the lower bound of the most reliable path solution through solving a sequence of standard shortest path problems. A subgradient algorithm is used to iteratively improve the solution quality by reducing the optimality gap. To characterize the link travel time correlation structure associated with the end-to-end trip time reliability measure, this research develops a sampling-based method to dynamically construct a proxy objective function in terms of travel time observations from multiple days. The proposed algorithms are evaluated under a large-scale Bay Area, California network with real-world measurements.
Comprehensive insight into supplier quality and the impact of quality strategies of suppliers on outsourcing decisions

Purpose – This study aims to provide a comprehensive insight into the role of the quality management (QM) systems in international suppliers (e.g. ISO, Total Quality Management, Lean and Six Sigma) on outsourcing decisions of buyer companies with regard to reshoring activities. Design/methodology/approach – By the means of a comprehensive survey data collected within USA textile and apparel industry, the authors identify four quality factors and compare these factors for international and domestic suppliers by the means of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and consequently define a reshore vector. Next, the most-effective QM system within international suppliers is analyzed by the means of a new application based on LDA. Findings – The results reveal that international suppliers perform worse for all quality factors compared to domestic USA suppliers, which may leave the door open for reshoring activities. Furthermore, it is shown that Lean and Six Sigma within international suppliers lead to superior le...
Fatty Liver in Dairy Cows

An increase in liver fat concentration during the peripartum period is extremely common in dairy cows and, to some degree, is probably normal. When severe, it is associated with clinical problems including increased morbidity and mortality and reduced breeding efficiency. Fatty liver develops when serum NEFA concentrations rise and hepatic uptake of NEFA exceeds the liver's ability to synthesize and secrete lipoproteins. In most cases, hepatic lipid accumulation appears to commence prepartum, in association with rising serum NEFA concentrations and declining serum lipoprotein concentrations. Commonly used clinicopathologic tests of liver function do not yield clearly abnormal results except in animals with extremely high concentrations of liver fat. Clinically useful estimates of hepatic lipid concentration can be obtained in the field by determining the buoyancy of needle biopsy samples in liquids of various specific gravities. Clinically ill animals with liver fat concentrations of greater than 35 per cent by weight have a poor prognosis, and those that do survive will have a protracted convalescence. Treatment of dairy cows with clinical fatty liver should be aimed at reducing further adipose lipid mobilization and promoting hepatic lipoprotein synthesis; however, protocols for therapy have not as yet been evaluated critically. Prevention of fatty liver is more rewarding than treatment. Dry cows should be maintained in a moderately fat condition and fed high-quality, palatable feeds in amounts necessary to met or slightly exceed their energy requirements. Free-choice feeding of high-energy feeds should be avoided in late lactation and during the nonlactating period.
Scalable image coding for interactive image communication over networks

This paper presents a new, scalable coding technique that can be used in interactive image/video communications over the Internet. The proposed technique generates a fully embedded bit stream that provides scalability with high quality for the whole image and it can be used to implement region based coding as well. The embedded bit stream is comprised of a basic layer and many enhancement layers. The enhancement layers add refinement to the quality of the image that has been reconstructed using the basic layer. The proposed coding technique uses multiple quantizers with thresholds (QT) for layering and it creates a bit plane for each layer. The bit plane is then partitioned into sets of small areas to be coded independently. Run length and entropy coding are applied to each of the sets to provide scalability for the entire image resulting in high picture quality in the user-specific area of interest (ROI). We tested this technique by applying it to various test images and the results consistently show high level of performance.
Images Objects of Analysis in Sociology and Relational Psychoanalysis

This article responds to Bersani’s critique of psychoanalysis’ personalism by focusing on the role of art, images, and objects in both psychoanalysis and sociology. I take examples of my research i...
Social Character and Acceptance of New Products

It has been almost twenty years since David Riesman published his famous work on the social character of people [8]. In brief, Riesman's theory is that individuals can be grouped into three types: "tradition-directed," "inner-directed," or "other-directed." A person who is tradition-directed guides himself by membership in a particular clan or caste. Riesman believes that there are few, if any, such individuals in America today. Instead, he conceives the social character of the majority of the people in the United States as falling somewhere along a continuum from innerto other-directed.
The Metabolism of Pathogenic Yeasts.

ConclusionThe principal products of 13 pathogenic yeasts (12 monilia and Cryptococcus Iiominis) in a buffered peptonemeat-extract medium, with 5% glucose, were ethyl alcohol and CO2. The yield of metabolic products was identical with that from 3 non-pathogenic yeasts.
Effect of dietary linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on growth and fatty acid composition of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Methyl linolenate 18∶3ω3 and docosahexaenoate 22∶6ω3 were incorporated in semipurified diets at several levels and fed to trout previously maintained on a fat-free diet. After 14 weeks, the weight gain and feed conversion of the fish on each diet were determined. The fatty acid composition of the lipid from each group of fish was analyzed by gas liquid chromatography. Both 18∶3ω3 and 22∶6ω3 fed at the 1% level supported maximum growth of the fish. The control group, which were fed no ω3 fatty acids, exhibited a shock syndrome, poor appetite and a very slow growth rate. Tissue fatty acid analysis revealed eicosatrienoic acid 20∶3ω9 accumulated in the phospholipid fraction of this group. The 20∶3ω9 level was lowered when either 18∶3ω3 or 22∶6ω3 was included in the diet. Analysis showed that the dietary 18∶3ω3 was rapidly converted by the fish into 22∶6ω3 with a high concentration in the phospholipid. However 22∶6ω3 fed to the fish remained unchanged and little or no retroconversion of this fatty acid was observed.
Control of Adult Lycoriella mali and Megaselia halterata

Abstract Keil, C. B., 1986. Control of Adult Lycoriella mali and Megaselia halterata. It is important to adequately control adult Lycoriella mali and Megaselia halterata both to limit larval populations in compost and to reduce mechanical transmission of mushroom pathogens, particularly Verticillium fungicola. Evaluation of currently registered compounds and application techniques was undertaken in an effort to improve efficacy of control practices. Permethrin, dichlorvos, piperonyl butoxide and combinations were applied with a thermal fogger. Carrier was applied as a control. Permethrin was also evaluated in a dust formulation. Applications were made late in the crop cycle when populations were high. Evaluation of control was made with replicated light trap counts of adult flies 20 hours after application. Trap response to fly numbers was linear. Initial population size varied significantly and ranged from under ten flies of each species per minute to 3650 M . halterata and 78. 50 L. mali per minute. Two liquid formulations of permethrin, and permethrin dust gave variable results. Control of M. halterata never exceeded 80%. L. mali populations were reduced from 65% to almost 90%. The addition of piperonyl butoxide to the fog mix was not effective in increasing the toxicity of permethrin. The dust formulation and fog gave similar results at low populations but the fog was ineffective at higher fly levels. Dichlorvos was very effective as a fog and reduced population size by about 90% for both species. A permethrin-dichlorvos combination was very toxic to both species but not more so than dichlorvos alone. Sub-lethal dosages of dichlorvos disrupted attraction of both M. halterata and L. mali to chemical attractants. Permethrin resistance appears to be developing in mushroom fly populations, particularly in M. halterata. Large phorid populations are very difficult to control with this compound. Laboratory studies indicate that L. mali populations exhibit a range of tolerances to permethrin and may soon exhibit resistance in the field. Development of additional adulticides may be necessary to adequately control insects and Verticillium.
NRC's Licensing of Ge/Ga-68 Medical Generators

1122 Objectives Evolving technologies and radiopharmaceutical development advances have allowed access to novel Gallium-68 (Ga-68) labelled radiopharmaceuticals for clinical nuclear medicine PET uses. Methods These Ga-68 labeled radiopharmaceuticals have proven to be effective in the diagnosis and management of oncology patients. In order to prepare a Ga-68 radiopharmaceutical a Germanium-68 (Ge-68)/Ga-68 generator is needed. Results The US NRC is working with other regulators and key stakeholders to assure the NRC’s regulatory framework is equipped to ensure public health and safety, and at the same time, allow for wide spread access to this generator and to the Ga-68 radiopharmaceuticals developed from it. Conclusions The US NRC will highlight the path forward and the plan for licensing Ge/Ga-68 generators in the US
The vitamin D receptor: a tumor suppressor in skin.

Cutaneous malignancies including melanomas and keratinocyte carcinomas (KC) are the most common types of cancer, occurring at a rate of over one million per year in the United States. KC, which include both basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, are substantially more common than melanomas and form the subject of this chapter. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), both UVB and UVA, as occurs with sunlight exposure is generally regarded as causal for these malignancies, but UVB is also required for vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Keratinocytes are the major cell in the epidermis. These cells not only produce vitamin D but contain the enzymatic machinery to metabolize vitamin D to its active metabolite, 1,25(OH)2D, and express the receptor for this metabolite, the vitamin D receptor (VDR). This allows the cell to respond to the 1,25(OH)2D that it produces. Based on our own data and that reported in the literature, we conclude that vitamin D signaling in the skin suppresses UVR-induced epidermal tumor formation. In this chapter we focus on four mechanisms by which vitamin D signaling suppresses tumor formation. They are inhibition of proliferation/stimulation of differentiation with discussion of the roles of hedgehog, Wnt/β-catenin, and hyaluronan/CD44 pathways in mediating vitamin D regulation of proliferation/differentiation, regulation of the balance between oncogenic and tumor suppressor long noncoding RNAs, immune regulation, and promotion of DNA damage repair (DDR).
Kinetics of hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of 2,5-dimethylfuran over noble metals catalysts under mild conditions

Abstract Ketones, derived via the selective ring-opening hydrogenation of biomass-derived furanic compounds, are useful synthons for the production of fuels and lubricant. In this study, 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) was used as a model to investigate the liquid-phase hydrogenation of substituted furans over noble metals. The activity and selectivity of carbon-supported Pt, Pd, Rh, and Ru were compared under identical conditions. Pt/C exhibited the highest activity and selectivity for C O bond hydrogenolysis, whereas all other catalysts exhibited a high selectivity for ring hydrogenation to form 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran. The reaction kinetics were measured in detail for liquid-phase hydrogenation of DMF over Pt/C, under conditions that excluded the effects of internal or external mass transfer (333 K–363 K, pH2 = 0.41–0.69 MPa). A reaction mechanism is proposed to explain the parallel formation of 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran, 2-hexanone, and 2-hexanol. This mechanism is consistent with what is known about the adsorption of DMF on Pt, and explains why ring opening occurs directly from adsorbed DMF and not via secondary reaction of 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran. The kinetics of DMF hydrogenation are well represented by the mechanism and the assumption of non-competitive adsorption of organic species and hydrogen atoms. The step involving C O bond cleavage of the aromatic ring had the highest activation energy, 45.4 kJ/mol, and is favored over the steps involving C C bond hydrogenation of the furan ring at elevated temperatures and low pH2. The reaction kinetics reveal that DMF hydrogenation can be tuned to produce 2-hexanone with 92% selectivity at 100% conversion under relatively mild liquid phase conditions (0.41 MPa, 393 K).
Field performance of concrete pavement incorporating recycled concrete aggregate

Abstract This paper reports test results of a field-oriented study carried out to demonstrate the performance of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) for use in the construction of rigid pavement. Properties of eight concrete mixtures containing RCA were first compared to those of a reference mixture. Two mixtures proportioned with 30% and 40% of coarse RCA along with the reference concrete were then used for field implementation, which involved casting a 300-m long pavement section in St. Louis, Missouri. Samples were taken during slip-form pavement construction. Core samples were extracted at 120 days to determine in-situ properties. Instrumentation was incorporated to monitor the long-term deformation of different pavement sections. Incorporation of 30% and 40% RCA reduced the 91-day compressive strength by 7% and 12%, and the 56-day modulus of elasticity by 22% and 14%, respectively. The 56-day splitting tensile strength and flexural strength values of the two RCA mixtures were similar to those of the reference concrete. Mixtures exhibited similar performance in terms of durability against abrasion, freeze and thaw cycles, and rapid chloride ion permeability. An increase of 100 μe in shrinkage was observed for the 40% RCA compared to the reference concrete. However, all field investigated mixtures exhibited similar long-term deformation patterns and magnitudes. In-situ deformation of all pavement sections was limited to 150 μe at sensor locations.
Chikungunya Virus Infection Manifesting as Intermediate Uveitis.

ABSTRACTPurpose: To describe a case of intermediate uveitis caused by chikungunya virus infection in the Western Hemisphere.Methods: Case report of a patient diagnosed with chikungunya infection presenting with blurry vision and floaters.Results: Exam revealed a unilateral intermediate uveitis, with an extensive work-up positive for chikungunya virus immunoglobulin M and G titers. The patient responded to oral corticosteroids with signs and symptoms resolving over the course of 3 months’ treatment.Conclusions: While anterior uveitis and retinitis are the most common ocular manifestations of chikungunya infection, we report here a case of chikungunya infection presenting as an intermediate uveitis, responding well to oral corticosteroids. This case demonstrates the varied presentation of chikungunya-related uveitis and highlights its consideration in the differential diagnoses of those who have had preceding systemic viral symptoms and uveitis.
Establishing a normative atlas of the human lung: intersubject warping and registration of volumetric CT images.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives To establish the range of normal values for quantitative CT-based measures of lung structure and function, the authors developed a method for matching pulmonary structures across individuals and creating a normative human lung atlas. Materials and Methods A computerized human lung atlas was synthesized from computed tomographic (CT) images from six subjects by means of three-dimensional image registration. The authors identified a set of reproducible feature points for each CT image and used these points to establish correspondences across subjects, used a landmark- and intensity-based consistent image registration algorithm to register a template image volume from the population to the rest of the pulmonary CT volumes in the population, averaged these transformations, and constructed an atlas by deforming the template with the average transformation. Results The effectiveness of the authors' method was evaluated and visualized by means of both gray-level and segmented CT images. The method reduced the average landmark registration error from 10.5 mm to 0.4 mm and the average relative volume overlap error from 0.7 to 0.11 for the six data sets studied. Conclusion The method, and the computerized human lung atlas constructed and visualized by the authors with this method, provides a basis for establishing regional ranges of normative values for structural and functional measures of the human lung.
PreNoc: Neural Network based Predictive Routing for Network-on-Chip Architectures

In this paper, we introduce a neural network based predictive routing algorithm for on-chip networks which uses anticipated global network state and congestion information to efficiently route network traffic. The core of the algorithm is a multi-layer neural network machine learning approach where the inputs are level of occupancy of virtual channels, average latency for a particular router to be selected for route computation, the probability of virtual channel allocation, and the probability of winning switch arbitration at the crossbar. The algorithm lends itself to both node routing and source routing. To evaluate the PreNoc routing algorithm, we simulate both synthetic traffic and real application traces using a cycle-accurate simulator. In most test cases, the proposed approach outperforms current deterministic and adaptive routing techniques in terms of latency and throughput. The hardware overhead for supporting the new routing algorithm is minimal.
Conformational Statistics of Dna and Diffusion Equations on The Euclidean Group

Semi-flexible (or wormlike) polymer chains such as DNA possess bending and torsional stiffness. Given a semi-flexible polymer structure that is subjected to Brownian motion forcing, the distribution of relative positions and orientations visited by the distal end of the chain relative to its proximal end provides important information about the molecule that can be linked to experimental observations. This probability density of end-to-end position and orientation can be obtained by solving a Fokker-Planck equation that describes a diffusion process on the Euclidean motion group. In this paper, methods for solving this diffusion equation are reviewed. The techniques presented are valid for chains of up to several persistence lengths in open environments, where the effects of excluded volume can be neglected.
Image Guidance in Pediatric Brain Radiotherapy

Image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) in pediatrics provides a means for reduction of treatment volumes by permitting for the use of highly conformal plans with smaller treatment margins. IGRT may additionally allow for dose escalation and adaptive radiotherapy strategies. Current practice patterns and clinical protocols support the use of weekly or daily IGRT as standard practice in pediatric brain-directed IGRT. However, the benefits of IGRT must be weighed against its costs including potentially significant additional radiation dose, supporting the need to study lower dose IGRT protocols in this population. This chapter reviews common modalities of IGRT and the literature regarding its use specific to pediatric brain radiotherapy.
A dual-phase microstructural approach to damage and fracture of Ti3SiC2/SiC joints

Abstract The microcracking mechanisms responsible for Ti 3 SiC 2 /SiC joint damage observed at the macroscopic scale after neutron irradiation experiments are investigated in detail. A dual-phase microstructural approach to damage and fracture of Ti 3 SiC 2 /SiC joints is developed that uses a finely discretized two-phase domain based on a digital image of an actual microstructure involving embedded Ti 3 SiC 2 and SiC phases. The behaviors of SiC and Ti 3 SiC 2 in the domain are described by the continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model reported in Nguyen et al., J. Nucl. Mater. , 2017, 495:504–515. This CDM model describes microcracking damage in brittle ceramics caused by thermomechanical loading and irradiation-induced swelling. The dual-phase microstructural model is applied to predict the microcracking mechanisms occurring in a typical Ti 3 SiC 2 /SiC joint subjected to heating to 800 °C followed by irradiation-induced swelling at this temperature and cooling to room temperature after the applied swelling has reached the maximum swelling levels observed in the experiments for SiC and Ti 3 SiC 2 . The model predicts minor damage of the joint after heating but significant microcracking in the SiC phase and along the boundaries between SiC and Ti 3 SiC 2 as well as along the bonding joint during irradiation-induced swelling and cooling to room temperature. These predictions qualitatively agree with the limited experimental observations of joint damage at this irradiation temperature.
Easing of Physical Distress in Pediatric Cancer

Easing physical distress is a major focus in the practice of palliative care in a child with malignancy throughout the disease course from diagnosis to cure and survivorship or death.
Gene therapies for hemophilia hit the mark in clinical trials

Two recent studies describe clinical successes for single-dose gene therapy in trials for two forms of hemophilia.
Relationships between external sexually dimorphic characteristics and internal gonadal morphology in a sex-changing fish

The mangrove rivulus fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus) is an emerging model for research in the biological sciences. The species is androdioecious, with populations consisting predominantly of self-fertilizing hermaphrodites and a low abundance of males, but no females. Males arise either through environmental sex determination at the embryonic stage or environmentally driven sex change from hermaphrodite at the adult stage. Marked sexual dimorphisms in external morphological characters accompany gonadal transitions, including the loss of a caudal ocellus (‘eyespot’) and the development of orange color in males. How well external morphological features predict internal gonadal morphology, however, has not been systematically examined across the geographical range of this species. Our goal was to identify reliable external morphological predictors of animals possessing an ovotestis (hermaphrodite) or a testis (male) and to see if the strength of prediction is consistent throughout rivulus’ geographical range. We demonstrate that the state of the ocellus and, to a greater extent, orange coloration are key predictors of internal gonadal state. However, the degree to which these characteristics are predictive of internal gonadal state was region-specific, with the ocellus and orange status of animals from Bahamas and Belize, respectively, having a lower probability of forecasting internal gonadal state than those from other regions. These results will help to streamline laboratory studies by allowing unambiguous assignment of sex, and will assist field studies by providing greater opportunity to determine sex ratios in wild populations.
Training Psychiatric Residents in a Family Agency

Assessment of a program that has been in existence for five years leads to the conclusion that the benefits outweigh the difficulties
Superplasticity of Nanograin Ceramic Films Tested by the Stress Relaxation Method

We have developed a technique to prepare finegrain ceramic fibers and thin films through a powder free route, and to test the superplastic properties of these free standing specimens at high temperatures. This method is based on physical vapor deposition and photolithography and makes it possible to process amorphous or nanocrystalline specimens with high purity, uniform mixing and good control of dopants. These dopants have a significant effect on the grain boundary cohesive strength and diffusion along interfaces which mainly control the strain rate and the tensile ductility of superplastic nanocrystalline ceramics.
Automatic Control of Oxygen Delivery

A. Supplemental oxygen is required to maintain adequate oxygenation in most preterm infants with respiratory insuffi ciency and this can be prolonged. Frequently, the inspired oxygen is excessive resulting in hyperoxemia and an increased risk of ROP, BPD, and oxidative damage to the CNS and other organs. B. Arterial oxygen saturation is monitored continuously by pulse oximetry (SpO 2 ) and the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO 2 ) is titrated to maintain a clinically intended range of SpO 2 in what can be described as an open loop system. C. Because of their respiratory instability and limitations in intensive care staffing, SpO 2 is kept within the intended range only around 50% of the time. This is dependent on postnatal age, infant-to-nurse ratio and workload. D. Systems of automatic FiO 2 control have been developed to improve maintenance of SpO 2 within a desired range and reduce periods of extreme hypoxemia, hyperoxemia, and exposure to high FiO 2 .
The Wisconsin Story in the 1980s: Discovery of Target Site-Specific Estrogen Action

The idea that tamoxifen could potentially be employed to prevent breast cancer in populations of women with high risk, naturally mandated an extensive laboratory and clinical investigation of potential toxicological concerns. It was reasoned that if estrogen was necessary to maintain bone density and protect women from coronary heart disease, then an “antiestrogen” might prevent breast cancer but increase the risks of osteoporosis and coronary heart disease. Laboratory results and translation to clinical trial proved the reverse was true, and the new drug group, selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), was discovered. Tamoxifen (and raloxifene) paradoxically prevented bone loss in ovariectomized rats (estrogen-like) but prevented rat mammary carcinogenesis (antiestrogen-like). The same was true in patients with tamoxifen (and raloxifene) maintaining bone density but preventing breast cancer. Additionally, circulating cholesterol decreased (an estrogen-like effect) in patients. However, an estrogen-like effect of tamoxifen that became a concern was the discovery that in the laboratory, tamoxifen prevented breast cancer growth but enhanced the growth of endometrial cancer.
Self-Reflection, Insight, and Individual Differences in Various Language Tasks

This study explored the relationships of self-reflection and insight with individuals’ performances on various language tasks. The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS; Grant, Franklin, & Langford, 2002) assessed individual differences in three factors: engagement in reflection, need for reflection, and insight. A high need for reflection was associated with a low vocabulary level and a small number of intrusive errors on a recognition task. A high level of insight was associated with a high accuracy rate and high response speed on a sentence-sensibility judgment task. In addition, groups who differed in need for reflection and insight did not differ on a working memory test, suggesting that need for reflection and insight account for the variation in the language tasks independent of working memory capacity. The findings suggest connections between self-reflection, insight, and proficiency in language processing. The author would like to thank Jennifer Harvey, Hilary Michels, and Megan Taylor for their assistance with data collection and Colleen Willard-Holt and Kathy Brode for their help with this article.
Introducing Primary Care Telephone Visits: An Urban Safety-Net Community Clinic Experience.

BACKGROUND Telephone consultation is widely used in primary care and can provide an effective and efficient alternative for the in-person visit. Gouverneur Health, a safety-net primary care practice in New York City serving a predominately immigrant population, evaluated the feasibility and physician and patient acceptability of a telephone visit initiative in 2015. MEASURES Patient and physician surveys, and physician focus groups. RESULTS Though only 85 of 270 scheduled telephone visits (31%) were completed, 84% of patients reported being highly satisfied with their telephone visit. Half of physicians opted to participate in the pilot. Among participating physicians, all reported they were able to communicate adequately and safely care for patients over the telephone. CONCLUSIONS Participating patients and physicians in a linguistically and culturally diverse urban safety-net primary care clinic were highly satisfied with the use of telephone visits, though completion of the visits was low. Lessons learned from this implementation can be used to expand access and provision of high-quality primary care to other vulnerable populations.
Persistent Sox9 expression in hypertrophic chondrocytes suppresses transdifferentiation into osteoblasts.

Abstract Longitudinal bone growth is driven by endochondral ossification, a process in which cartilage tissue is generated by growth plate chondrocytes and then remodeled into bone by osteoblasts. In the postnatal growth plate, as hypertrophic chondrocytes approach the chondro-osseous junction, they may undergo apoptosis, or directly transdifferentiate into osteoblasts. The molecular mechanisms governing this switch in cell lineage are poorly understood. Here we show that the physiological downregulation of Sox9 in hypertrophic chondrocyte is associated with upregulation of osteoblast-associated genes (such as Mmp13, Cola1, Ibsp) in hypertrophic chondrocytes, before they enter the metaphyseal bone. In transgenic mice that continued to express Sox9 in all cells derived from the chondrocytic lineage, upregulation of these osteoblast-associated genes in the hypertrophic zone failed to occur. Furthermore, lineage tracing experiments showed that, in transgenic mice expressing Sox9, the number of chondrocytes transdifferentiating into osteoblasts was markedly reduced. Collectively, our findings suggest that Sox9 downregulation in hypertrophic chondrocytes promotes expression of osteoblast-associated genes in hypertrophic chondrocytes and promotes the subsequent transdifferentiation of these cells into osteoblasts.
Acute generalised skin rash secondary to the Nystatin Oral Suspension.

A 65 -year-old male presented to emergency room (ER) for the complaint of skin rash of 2 days duration. Recently, patient was diagnosed with lung cancer for which he was receiving chemotherapy (cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1 and etoposide injection 120 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, 3 planned for
Evaluating the association between food insecurity and dental caries in US children 1-19 years: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014.

Objectives To evaluate the association between food insecurity and dental caries in US children aged 1-19 years. Methods Data from children ages 1-19 collected through the 2013/2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed. Descriptive analysis of both the exposure (food insecurity) and outcome variables (dental caries), as well as covariates, was carried out. Strata-specific odds ratios and respective 95 percent confidence intervals for each covariate were determined, followed by linear regression models. Results The odd of having dental caries was 2.9 times higher for children who had very low food security. The odds of having dental caries was 2.6 times higher for children aged 6-11, 2.9 times higher for children aged 12-15, and 4.2 times higher for children aged 16-19 when compared to children aged 1-5. Conclusions There is a significant association between food insecurity and dental caries in children and dental caries prevalence increases with age.
Federal Control of Carbon Capture and Storage

The U.S. Department of Energy is working to develop and implement commercial-scale carbon capture and storage. This article discusses the technical and legal problems that must be resolved to have a viable program. It concludes that whether carbon sequestration becomes a commercial reality will depend on reducing its costs or imposing legal requirements on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants that make carbon capture and storage an attractive option.
Intra-arterial neuroprotective therapy as an adjunct to endovascular intervention in acute ischemic stroke: A review of the literature and future directions:

Mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion has been shown to significantly improve outcomes. However, despite efficient rates of recanalization (60-90%), the rates of functional independence remain suboptimal (14-58%), most likely due to pathways of cell death in the brain that have already committed despite successful reperfusion. Pharmacologic neuroprotection provides a potential means of preventing this inevitable damage through targeting excitotoxicity, reactive oxygen species, cellular apoptosis, and inflammation. Numerous clinical trials using various neuroprotective agents have failed, but the majority of these trials did not include endovascular reperfusion, and thus the drugs were not reaching the therapeutic target. Intra-arterial delivery of neuroprotective agents via the guide catheter already in place for mechanical thrombectomy could provide a way to deliver high doses directly to the affected territory while limiting systemic exposure. Agents that have shown promise via the intra-arterial route in preclinical as well as some clinical models include magnesium sulfate, verapamil, cold saline, stem cells, and various combined approaches. Targeted hypothermia, achieved with intra-carotid infusion of cold saline, may provide an effective means of achieving hypothermia of the ischemic tissue while avoiding the systemic effects that have limited its use previously. Combination therapy of targeted hypothermia and a cocktail of drugs that provide anti-excitotoxic, anti-oxidant, anti-apopototic, and anti-inflammatory effects may provide an ideal approach that deserves further study in clinical trials.