cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding interpretive errors in radiologists learning computed tomography colonography.

Abstract Rationale and objectives To determine if interpretive errors in the course of learning CT colonography are secondary to failures in detection or in characterization and determine the types of lesions frequently missed. Materials and methods Fifteen radiologists completed an electronic CTC training module consisting of two parts: 1) a teaching file demonstrating the varied appearances of polyps, cancers, and pitfalls in interpreting exams; and 2) a test of 50 complete CTC datasets. Following review of each test case, radiologists were asked to indicate if and where a polyp was visualized. The module then showed each neoplasm (if any) located within the dataset. For false negative examinations, radiologists indicated if the lesion was not seen, was seen but interpreted as colonic wall or fold, or was seen but interpreted as stool or fluid. Results The average sensitivity for sessile, pedunculated, and flat polyps for these novice readers was 76%, 63%, and 32%, respectively. Average sensitivity for all morphologies of cancers (annular, polypoid, flat) was high (93%, 85%, 95%), with 8/11 missed cancers being secondary to failure in detection. The most frequently missed cancer was an annular constricting tumor (5/11). Overall, 55% (73/132) of errors were failures of detection and 45% (59/132) were errors in characterization. Conclusion Radiologists learning CT colonography had slightly more errors of detection than characterization, but this difference was not statistically significant. Flat and pedunculated polyps and annular constricting cancers were the most frequently missed morphologies. Examples of these abnormalities should be emphasized in CTC training programs.
Altering spinal cord excitability enables voluntary movements after chronic complete paralysis in humans

Previously, we reported that one individual who had a motor complete, but sensory incomplete spinal cord injury regained voluntary movement after 7 months of epidural stimulation and stand training. We presumed that the residual sensory pathways were critical in this recovery. However, we now report in three more individuals voluntary movement occurred with epidural stimulation immediately after implant even in two who were diagnosed with a motor and sensory complete lesion. We demonstrate that neuromodulating the spinal circuitry with epidural stimulation, enables completely paralysed individuals to process conceptual, auditory and visual input to regain relatively fine voluntary control of paralysed muscles. We show that neuromodulation of the sub-threshold motor state of excitability of the lumbosacral spinal networks was the key to recovery of intentional movement in four of four individuals diagnosed as having complete paralysis of the legs. We have uncovered a fundamentally new intervention strategy that can dramatically affect recovery of voluntary movement in individuals with complete paralysis even years after injury.
Gastric outlet obstruction: an unusual complication of tuberculous gastroduodenitis in two brothers

Gastric outlet obstruction: an unusual complication of tuberculous gastroduodenitis in two brothers
Identification of agonists and antagonists of the human melanocortin-4 receptor from piperazinebenzylamines

SAR studies of a series of piperazinebenzylamines resulted in identification of potent agonists and antagonists of the human melanocortin-4 receptor. Thus, the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-1-ylacetyl compound 12e and the quinolin-3-ylcarbonyl analogue 12l possessed K(i) values of 6.3 and 4.5 nM, respectively. Interestingly, 12e was a full agonist with an EC(50) value of 31 nM, and 12l was a weak partial agonist (IA=17%) and functioned as an antagonist (IC(50)=300 nM).
The genetics of congenital heart disease: A point in the revolution☆

Extraordinary diagnostic precision and definitive therapies characterize the current management of congenital heart disease, but the state of the art is not perfect; and in spite of tremendous progress in diagnosis and treatment, our understanding of cause is rudimentary. During the past decade, advances in molecular genetics have defined disease gene loci and lead to identification of genes whose mutations cause congenital heart disease. Identification of additional genes and mutations will lead to improved understanding of pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in the young. Better understanding of pathophysiology and identification of individuals at risk will provide an opportunity to develop preventive strategies. Taken as a whole, the prospect of understanding the genetic basis of congenital heart disease and translating it into improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies has never been better.
Model and Control Validation of High Speed Supercavitating Vehicles

This article presents a hybrid validation technique to test mathematical models and control systems for a High Speed Supercavitating Vehicle HSSV. The test method combines simulation of the vehicle motion, real-time experimental measurements of hydrodynamic forces acting at the vehicle wetted areas, and vehicle flight computer to evaluate the HSSV performance subject to steady and unsteady flows. The proposed validation platform is deployed in the high speed water tunnel located at the University of Minnesota Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory SAFL. The supercavitating test vehicle, operated with ventilation, consists of an actuated disk cavitator and two actuated lateral wedge fins. The model of the vehicle motion, used to develop the validation platform and design HSSV controllers, is derived through experimental data obtained in the high speed water tunnel. An illustration is given on how the control system is able to track pitch angle reference commands and reject flow perturbations produced by an oscillating foil gust generator.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Application of the method of auxiliary sources to the wide-band electromagnetic induction problem

The Method of Auxiliary Sources (MAS) is formulated and applied to solution of wide-band electromagnetic induction problems involving highly conducting and possibly permeable metallic objects. Improved remote sensing discrimination of buried unexploded ordnance (UXO) motivates the study. The method uses elementary auxiliary magnetic charges and magnetic current elements to produce the unknown field. Auxiliary sources are located on virtual surfaces that usually conform to but do not coincide with the real surface of the object. Once the source coefficients are determined, the-secondary field can easily be found. The method involves no confrontations with source or Green's function singularities. It is capable of treating penetrable as well as nonpenetrable objects. Because the solution is composed of fields that automatically satisfy the governing equations, by construction, all approximation resides only in the enforcement of boundary conditions at matching (collocation) points. Accuracy in satisfying the boundary conditions can be evaluated explicitly using noncollocation points over the surface. This in turn allows one to identify problem areas on the surface and make intelligent adjustments of the source distributions, to improve solutions at minimal cost. A general 3D formulation is presented, and a version specialized to treat bodies of revolution is applied in the specific test cases discussed.
Microprocessor based measurements of the range of motion of a human body joint

The design and development of a microprocessor-based apparatus capable of measuring the range of motion associated with the elbow joint is presented. The apparatus not only makes accurate angular measurements possible, but also allows the measurement of the velocity and acceleration associated with the motion. Thus, six different parameters associated with the motion of the elbow joint can be measured in real-time: the angular displacement and its velocity and acceleration with the forearm in flexion-extension, and the rotational displacement and its velocity and acceleration with the forearm in supination-pronation. >
Interpolation to increase facet resolution for RCS

Efforts in using a surface interpolation technique to improve flat triangular facet models are shown. The authors performed RCS (radar cross section) calculations on a triangular faceted sphere, created a new sphere using the interpolation technique, and re-performed the RCS calculations. The original model was created with a uniform radius, ensuring that the RCS was as accurate as possible before interpolation. Increasing the patch resolution on the surface of the sphere results in an improved RCS calculation. The authors then performed the same process for an ogive-shaped object, for which the theoretical value is also well-defined. It can also be seen here that, if there is an area on the original model that is slightly incorrect, smoothing the model using the interpolation technique can result in values farther from those of theory. In addition, the range profile of an aircraft wing is examined before and after interpolation. It is evident that although the surface of the object has not changed significantly, there is a change in the range profile. >
Intrinsically n-Linked Graphs

For every natural number n, we exhibit a graph with the property that every embedding of it in ℝ3 contains a non-split n-component link. Furthermore, we prove that our graph is minor minimal in the sense that every minor of it has an embedding in ℝ3 that contains no non-split n-component link.
Thin-film thermoelectric generator element characterization

A thermoelectric power generator using thin-film materials presents many challenges due to its inherently large temperature gradient and correspondingly large power density. We present measurements of generated power density from BiTe-based thin-film and thick-film single-element devices (Marlow) in a variety of different element lengths (150-1500 micron) with an experimental setup capable of generating a large temperature difference (>300 K) across the films, and a novel load-matching scheme capable of matching milliohm impedances. Power densities in excess of 2 W/cm have been measured from a single element. The heat spreading in the copper contacts allows an effective heat transfer coefficient of h=18 W/cm/sup 2//K, and the parasitic electrical resistance of the system is below 12 m/spl Omega/. The same setup has also been used to obtain power measurements on thin-film superlattice thermoelectric elements. The effects of non-idealities such as imperfect impedance matching and non-zero thermal contact resistance are discussed in light of this data.
National Identity and Democratization in Taiwan An Introduction

Taiwan is undergoing both a process of nation building and a phase of democratic consolidation, and the experience of divided government at the national level together with Taiwan’s unresolved rela...
Participant Diaries as a Source of Data in Research With Older Adults

Solicited participant diaries are an excellent source of data that has not been given sufficient attention as a data collection strategy for qualitative research. In a recent grounded theory study designed to explore strategies used by older adults to manage their chronic health problems, solicited diaries, when combined with an initial and follow-up interview, provided a rich source of data about day-to-day activities of participants. There were three options for maintaining the diary: written, audiotaped, or telephone conversation. The solicited diaries were guided by a set of open-ended questions designed to encourage participants to focus on daily activities and reflect on their values. The authors provide examples of data from participant diaries and suggestions for incorporating solicited participant diaries into data collection strategies for qualitative research.
Effect of diet on hepatic and serum inactivation of insulin.

Rats fed diets low in sulfur amino acids display an insulin-inactivating system in their sera, whereas rats fed normal diets do not. However, the supernatant fraction of livers taken from rats fed these diets are unable to inactivate added insulin unless small amounts of glutathione are added in vitro. Depletion of hepatic glutathione appears to be responsible for the loss of the hepatic glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase system which inactivates insulin. If cystine is added to the diet, then the liver supernatant fractions are able to inactivate insulin. (Endocrinology 77: 49, 1965)
Institutional Proliferation and the Global Refugee Regime

This article explores the impact of institutional proliferation on the politics of refugee protection. The refugee regime mainly comprises the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Recently, however, new parallel and overlapping institutions have emerged in relation to two previously unregulated areas: internally displaced persons (IDPs) and international migration. This institutional proliferation has affected both state strategy and IO strategy in relation to refugee protection. It has enabled Northern states to engage in regime shifting. They have used the new institutions to prevent refugees reaching their territory, thereby avoiding incurring UN rules on refugee protection, and transferring burdens to Southern states. The resulting reduction in international cooperation in the refugee regime has contributed to UNHCR fundamentally redefining its strategy in order to become more relevant to Northern states. In particular, it has pursued states into the migration and IDP regimes into which they have shifted through a combination of stretching its mandate, engaging in the politics of the emerging regimes, and issue-linkage. The article's analysis draws attention to the potentially significant relationship between institutional proliferation and IO adaptation and change. © 2009 Copyright American Political Science Association.
Lattice-matched ZnTe and CdZnTe/ZnTe heterostructures grown on GaSb for multijunction solar cell applications

Monolithically integrated high-efficiency multijunction solar cells are highly desirable for both space and terrestrial applications. This paper reports recent experimental work on newly proposed multijunction solar cell designs that utilize lattice-matched II/VI CdZnSeTe and III/V AlGaAsSb materials grown on GaSb substrates. Single ZnTe layers and thin CdZnTe/ZnTe quantum wells have been grown on GaSb substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction, high-resolution x-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence at various temperatures up to room temperature have been carried out to study these samples. These measurements show that excellent crystalline and optical quality can be realized in the integration of these materials.
Cluster Evolution and Interpretation via Penalties

There are many applications where the world being interpreted via clusters can change. We present a method that discovers new clusters and describes the changes. The method works by constraining existing prototypes while penalizing changes in a variable, total number of clusters. This results in a clustering that is comparable to the old yet still flexible enough to learn new behaviors. Moreover, the results are highly interpretable. The paper offers two main contributions. One, we present a framework that distinguishes different types of change of interest. Two, we present a new cluster-based change description algorithm and test, both of which are applicable to multiple underlying clusterers.
Perceived intensity of somatosensory cortical electrical stimulation

Artificial sensations can be produced by direct brain stimulation of sensory areas through implanted microelectrodes, but the perceptual psychophysics of such artificial sensations are not well understood. Based on prior work in cortical stimulation, we hypothesized that perceived intensity of electrical stimulation may be explained by the population response of the neurons affected by the stimulus train. To explore this hypothesis, we modeled perceived intensity of a stimulation pulse train with a leaky neural integrator. We then conducted a series of two-alternative forced choice behavioral experiments in which we systematically tested the ability of rats to discriminate frequency, amplitude, and duration of electrical pulse trains delivered to the whisker barrel somatosensory cortex. We found that the model was able to predict the performance of the animals, supporting the notion that perceived intensity can be largely accounted for by spatiotemporal integration of the action potentials evoked by the stimulus train.
Meaning and Reference in Maimonides' Negative Theology

The theory of religious language advocated by the twelfth-century philosopher-jurist Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) contains an apparent paradox. Maimonides’ radical stance regarding the absolute unknowability of God leads him to an austere theology of negation, which appears to be incongruous with his representation of God as a moral agent or intellect. Through analysis of the functions of meaning and reference in Maimonides’ theory of language, as well as his explicit or implicit distinctions between literal, metaphoric, and symbolic uses of language in theological discourse, I argue that the purpose of the Maimonidean theology of negation is to establish the reference of the name “God,” thereby making possible a rationally disciplined constructivist theology. This article shows how Maimonides sought to include a certain type of religious anthropomorphism in a theology that upholds the wholly other nature of God.
Causal and bidirectional linkages over time between depression and diabetes regimen distress in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Abstract Aims Diabetes regimen distress (RD) and depression are related constructs, however the nature of their relationship has not been explored over time, leading to difficulties differentiating between RD and depression and for selection of programs of care. We examined longitudinal associations between RD and depression to explicate the direction and mechanism of operation between these two constructs. Methods 392 adults with type 2 diabetes participated in a randomized control trial (RCT) to reduce diabetes distress. Participants were assessed for RD and depression symptoms, using the PHQ-8, at baseline, and at 4 and 12 months. Latent growth curve models tested both predictive unidirectional and bidirectional longitudinal associations between changes in RD and depression. Results Changes in RD did not significantly predict changes in PHQ-8, nor did changes in PHQ-8 predict changes in RD. A significant bidirectional association was found (Coefficient Estimate = .081, p = .001), where decreases in RD were associated with decreases in PHQ-8. The association was strongest among those with high baseline RD or PHQ-8 scores. Conclusions In the context of an RCT to reduce distress, support was found for a covarying association, in which changes in RD and depression symptoms occurred in tandem over time. No support was found for a causative association. Findings point to RD and depression containing properties that may be related to a shared underlying dimension of emotional distress. Results suggest consideration of both RD and depression in clinical decision making, with interventions selected based on source of distress.
Subalpine forest development following a blowdown in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, Colorado

Abstract We documented the occurrence of a 1934 blowdown in a subalpine forest in northwestern Colorado, USA. Prior to the blowdown, the stand was dominated by old-growth Picea engelmannii - Abies lasiocarpa forests. Although blowdowns are believed to trigger outbreaks of Dendroctonus rufipennis (spruce beetle), we found no detectable increase in beetle caused mortality. Forest recovery was by both release of the previously suppressed regeneration and by new seedling establishment. Both recovery pathways were dominated by Abies. The blowdown thus caused a shift in species dominance from Picea to Abies; 65 yr after the blowdown, the fallen logs and tip up mounds continue to provide favourable habitat for seedling establishment of both species. The present study shows that the legacy of blowdowns can influence forest dynamics for decades following the disturbance event.
Mutual information, fisher information, and efficient coding

Fisher information is generally believed to represent a lower bound on mutual informationi¾ Brunel & Nadal, 1998, a result that is frequently used in the assessment of neural coding efficiency. However, we demonstrate that the relation between these two quantities is more nuanced than previously thought. For example, we find that in the small noise regime, Fisher information actually provides an upper bound on mutual information. Generally our results show that it is more appropriate to consider Fisher information as an approximation rather than a bound on mutual information. We analytically derive the correspondence between the two quantities and the conditions under which the approximation is good. Our results have implications for neural coding theories and the link between neural population coding and psychophysically measurable behavior. Specifically, they allow us to formulate the efficient coding problem of maximizing mutual information between a stimulus variable and the response of a neural population in terms of Fisher information. We derive a signature of efficient coding expressed as the correspondence between the population Fisher information and the distribution of the stimulus variable. The signature is more general than previously proposed solutions that rely on specific assumptions about the neural tuning characteristics. We demonstrate that it can explain measured tuning characteristics of cortical neural populations that do not agree with previous models of efficient coding.
River-to-sea pressure retarded osmosis: resource utilization in a full-scale facility.

Abstract Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is a technology that could be utilized to recover energy from the mixing of freshwater with seawater. This source of renewable energy is sizeable and in the past decade several investigations analyzed its potential. The vast majority of studies focused on mass transfer problems across the membrane in order to improve membrane productivity and just recently studies started to look at membrane module efficiencies and parasitic loads within the PRO facility. In this article, the net specific energy production from a facility-scale PRO system was determined and optimized by using a novel simulation method that integrates parasitic loads and efficiencies of the PRO facility components and combines the model with an optimization software in a linked system optimization scheme. It was found that the overall net specific energy that may be recovered by a river-to-sea PRO facility is approximately 0.12 kWh per m3 of permeate. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was performed to elucidate the relationship between net specific energy and power density as functions of membrane area, flow rates, and operating pressures. In general, in order to maximize resource recovery, a low power density, thus a low membrane productivity, must be accepted.
Effect of Arm Ergometry Training on Wheelchair Propulsion Endurance of Individuals with Quadriplegia

Arm cycle ergometry has been shown to be an effective mode of cardiopulmonary training for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Arm cycle ergometry training results in an increased maximal oxygen uptake, exercise-induced bradycardia, and increased physical work capacity. Whether improvements in cardiopulmonary function parallel improvements in functional endurance, however, is unknown. In addition, no readily available tool to evaluate improvements in functional endurance has been identified. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of arm cycle ergometry training on the wheelchair propulsion endurance of individuals with spinal cord injuries. Eight adult men with quadriplegia were evaluated before and after eight weeks of arm cycle ergometry training. A modified Cooper's 12-minute run-walk test, a sustained wheelchair propulsion task, was used to document improvements in functional endurance. Submaximal exercise heart rate, physical work capacity, and maximal oxygen uptake were used to document improvements in cardiopulmonary function. The results demonstrate that improvements in cardiopulmonary function parallel increases in wheelchair propulsion endurance. A sustained 12-minute wheelchair propulsion task is shown to be a readily available tool in the evaluation of functional endurance of individuals with spinal cord injuries. The improvements in wheelchair propulsion endurance should assist the individual in completing activities of school, work, recreation, and daily living.
The Biology of Typhlocyba Prunicola Edwards and T. Quercus (Fabricius) (Cicadellidae-Homoptera)

Typhlocyba prunicola Edwards and T. quercus (Fabricius), commonly known as the prune and the oak leafhopper respectively, are well known palearctic species which have only recently been found to be of economic importance on fruit trees in North America. Little attention has been given to their biology or to the damage they may cause to deciduous fruits.
Pediatric hemiplegic migraine: role of multiple MRI techniques in evaluation of reversible hypoperfusion.

BackgroundHemiplegic migraine (HM) is a rare type of migraine with aura that involves motor weakness. Data on conventional and advanced neuroimaging findings during prolonged attacks of HM are limi...
SYNOPTIC OBSERVATIONS OF SAND MOVEMENT

The U S Army Corps of Engineers' Coastal Engineering Research Center, in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Commission, initiated a multi-agency program to create a viable radioisotopic sand tracing (RIST) program Other agency participants in this program have been the Los Angeles District, Corps of Engineers, U S Air Force (First Strategic Aerospace Division), U S Navy (Pacific Missile Range), U S Army Mobility Equipment Command, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the State of California (Dept of Navigation and Ocean Development) CERC, together with the AEC's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed tagging procedures, hardware development, field surveys and data handling techniques that permit collection and analysis of over 12,000 bits of information per hour over a survey track of approximately 18,000 feet Data obtained with the RIST system can be considered as nearly synoptic observations of sediment transport m a single environmental zone or in adjacent beach, surf and offshore zones Using sand tagged with isotopes of gold, experiments have been carried out at several sites on the California coast Surf, Point Conception area, Point Mugu, and Oceanside Data from the studies carried out in beach areas unmodified by littoral barriers indicate that under a given set of wave conditions the alongshore velocity of sediment transport differs from zone to zone such that transport seaward of peakmg-breaking waves < transport on the beach face < transport in the plunge and surf zone Because of these differences, tracing surveys confined solely to the foreshore or offshore zones produce data only partially indicative of transport in the zone of immediate concern to coastal engineers.
Constitutional Drift and Political Dysfunction: Underappreciated Maladies of the Political Commons

In this paper I offer a novel interpretation of the challenges posed by ‘constitutional drift’ — the tendency for de facto political procedures to alter when these procedures no longer are incentive-compatible for those wielding political power — for sound governance institutions, with special reference to the American republic. While it is widely recognized that various watershed political events, most obviously the New Deal, have upended American constitutional arrangements, what is less obvious is how the new constitutional order presents severe difficulties for discovering which political projects, out of the limitless number which are technically feasible, are truly in the interests of both governors and governed. These difficulties, incorrectly identified as problematic only for adherents of conservatism or classical liberalism, in fact exist for a wide range of political philosophies. Drawing on insights from constitutional political economy and market process economics, I discuss possibilities for escaping the accompanying tragedy of the political commons.
Eighth International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research

This special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is dedicated to the publication of selected papers presented at the Eighth International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research. The Symposium was organized by Jackson State University (JSU) from September 18-21, 2011 at the Marriott Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. It was built upon the overwhelming success of seven previous symposia hosted by JSU. [...]
The Research on the Poet of Late Tang in the Early Song Dynasty

Lean type,Late-Tang poem style and Xikun group of Poetry circles in the early Song have the deep influence and the mom-entum of the extremely wins,but in ci circles,the poet of Late-Tang poem style take the leading,the number of ci poetry are far more than any other two body poet.The reason is that they have the same theme of the poetry orientation and style characteristics consistent design.
324 ARE ROUTINE CRANIAL SONOGRAMS NECESSARY IN PREMATURE INFANTS GREATER THAN 30 WEEKS GESTATION

Background Cranial ultrasonography (US) is an established modality for detection of brain injury in very low birth weight infants. Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) are major brain abnormalities detected on US that could affect neurological development of preterm infants. In infants less than 1500 g birth weight and/or less than 33 weeks gestation, 12-51% have abnormal findings on US. At our institution, it has been our practice to obtain a sonogram at 7-10 days of age for infants 33 weeks gestation or less and/or birth weight less than 1600 g. A repeat sonogram is obtained at 40 weeks postconceptional age for infants 30 weeks gestation or less and/or birth weight less than 1250 g. Objective To describe the prevalence of abnormal sonograms among infants from 30-33 weeks gestation. Methods Records of infants 30-33 weeks born January 1, 1999 to June 30, 2004, were reviewed and data were collected. Results 486 infants of 30-33 weeks gestation had screening cranial US performed. IVH occurred in 22 of 486 (4.5%). Of the 22 infants, 4 infants had significant IVH (grade III and/or grade IV). Of the 4 infants with significant IVH, 2 were 30 weeks and 2 were 31 weeks gestation. All 4 infants had either significant risk factors for brain injury (abruption, asphyxia) or clinical symptoms (seizures) that would warrant US during their hospital course. Of the 486 infants who had US, 5 additional infants (1%) had PVL, and 2 of these 5 had risk factors (abruption, shock) that warranted obtaining a sonogram. There was a statistically significant trend towards fewer abnormal sonograms from 33 weeks to 30 weeks gestation (p = .04). (table) Conclusion There is an extremely small percentage of premature infants older than 30 weeks gestation in whom US findings would alter treatment or provide prognostic information. Our data support that cranial sonograms are not routinely recommended in neonates over 30 weeks gestation unless there are risk factors or clinical symptoms indicating a possible brain lesion.
Current indications for blow-hole colostomy:ileostomy procedure. A single center experience.

Abstract Background and aims. Because of improved medical care and surgical techniques blow-hole colostomy with loop ileostomy is now rarely performed to reduce operative risks in patients with toxic megacolon related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We reviewed patient charts to identify continuing indications for this procedure. Patients and methods. Seventeen patients underwent blow-hole colostomy procedure with (n=15) or without (n=2) ileostomy (8 men, 9 women; median age 51 years, range 21–79) during the past 18 years (1983–2001). Results. The indications for the procedure were: toxic megacolon related to IBD (n=6), toxic megacolon related to IBD and associated with pregnancy (n=2), Clostridium difficile colitis (n=3), adult Hirschsprung's disease (n=1), pancreatitis with obstructing pseudocyst (n=1), and palliation for malignant bowel obstruction with metastases (n=4). Patients were discharged home after a median stay of 10 days (range 4–32 days). The 4 patients who underwent a palliative blow-hole procedure had died secondary to their underlying disease by the time of follow-up. Of the remaining 13 patients 12 had their alimentary tract reconstituted, and one still awaits a definitive procedure. Conclusion. The blow-hole colostomy-ileostomy procedure is still indicated for select patients with toxic megacolon and large-bowel obstruction. The procedure acts as a bridge to definitive operation for toxic patients with benign disease and palliates those with malignant obstructions and metastasis.
A feasibility study of 2-mm bolus for postmastectomy radiation therapy.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the use of daily 2-mm bolus in patients undergoing postmastectomy radiation without reconstruction using optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry and weekly assessment of skin toxicity. Methods and materials We prospectively collected data from the first 49 women treated with a daily 2-mm Superflab bolus during their postmastectomy radiation therapy from 2013 to 2016 at The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross. Within the first 3 days of starting radiation therapy, we measured the surface dose in vivo at 5 anatomical locations under the 2-mm bolus on the chest wall. We assessed weekly the acute skin toxicity during radiation using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria. Patients with reconstruction before radiation therapy were excluded. Results Forty-nine women with a mean age of 54.3 years were treated with daily 2-mm bolus to the chest wall following mastectomy. Median follow-up was 32.7 weeks. The mean percentages of prescribed dose (standard deviation) for the median, central, lateral, superior, and inferior optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters were 100.1% (5.6%), 108.1% (6.7%), 98.1% (6.5%), 102.6% (8.9%), and 106.3% (6.6%), respectively. The majority (71.4%) of women experienced a maximum acute National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria skin toxicity score of 2, with only 12.2% experiencing a score of 3. There were no grade 4 toxicities. There were no local recurrences during our follow-up period. Conclusions A daily 2-mm bolus is a feasible regimen for chest wall bolus during postmastectomy radiation therapy with acceptable dose buildup and skin toxicity.
Effects of early life stress and adolescent ethanol exposure on adult cognitive performance in the 5-choice serial reaction time task in Wistar male rats

Early life stress combined with heavy adolescent alcohol use predicts impaired neuropsychological functioning in adulthood. We investigated whether adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure combined with neonatal maternal separation in rats altered attentional processes and impulsivity in adulthood. Male Wistar rat pups were exposed to maternal separation (postnatal days (PNDs) 1–14) and moderate AIE exposure (PNDs 28–57). Adult rats were tested in the five-choice serial reaction time task, which provides separate measures of attention, motor impulsivity, and compulsivity. Rats were tested under baseline conditions and in response to task manipulations that increased attentional load and impulsive behaviors, and after acute ethanol administration. Short stimulus and short intertrial interval (ITI) durations disrupted attention while long ITI durations impaired impulsivity in all rats. Moderate- and high-dose ethanol challenges impaired attention in all rats. Rats exposed to maternal separation and/or AIE exposure had significantly decreased omissions than non-handled water-exposed rats at baseline and tended to retain this effect in response to task challenges (i.e., the shorter stimulus and ITI durations, longer test session) and ethanol challenges, indicating moderate improvement of attentional performance. Maternal separation significantly increased perseverative responses at baseline and in response to decreased stimulus duration challenge, suggesting increased compulsivity. Separate or combined exposure to early life stress and AIE exposure moderately disrupts some aspects of adult executive control functions (e.g., increased compulsivity) but improves others (e.g., increased attention). The relative intensity of either manipulation during neonatal and adolescent periods may influence the direction in which cognitive behaviors are affected in adulthood.
Evaluating climate model simulations of drought for the northwestern United States

Projected changes in regional characteristics of drought throughout the 21st century can help inform climate change assessments across drought-sensitive sectors. However, the ability of global climate models (GCMs) to reproduce statistical attributes of observed drought at regional scales has not typically been considered. We present a framework for evaluating the fidelity of GCMs to simulate regional drought to help guide model selection for users of regional climate projections where drought plays a key climate impact, and elucidate shortcomings of model simulations of hydroclimate variability. Monthly precipitation (Pr) and potential evapotranspiration (ETo) from 24 GCMs of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 were compared to observations, with a focus on the northwestern United States (NWUS), using a suite of statistics for capturing multi-scalar aspects of drought and both supply (Pr) and atmospheric demand (ETo). Model fidelity was generally higher for drought metrics evaluated with ETo versus Pr, and for seasonal and annual time scales versus multi-year time scales. While some GCMs performed well across the suite of drought metrics and time scales, models systematically underestimated the severity of regional drought in the NWUS defined by precipitation deficits, particularly for multi-year time scales.
Cold Tolerance of Pityophthorus juglandis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) From Northern California

Winter survivorship of insects is determined by a combination of physiological, behavioral, and microhabitat characteristics. We characterized the cold tolerance of the walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman, a domestic alien invasive bark beetle that vectors a phytopathogenic fungus. The beetle and fungus cause thousand cankers disease in species of Juglans and Pterocarya. The disease is spreading in the United States of America (USA) and Italy. Contact thermocouple thermometry was used to measure the supercooling points of adults and larvae and lower lethal temperatures of adults from a population from northern California. Supercooling points ranged from -12.2 °C to - 25.0 °C for adults and -13.6 °C to - 23.5 °C for larvae; lower lethal temperatures of adults ranged from -14 °C to - 23 °C. We found seasonal changes in adult supercooling points in fall, winter, and spring. The supercooling point for males was 0.5 °C colder than for females over all months and 1 °C colder in the winter than in other seasons. The cold-tolerance strategy shifted in P. juglandis adults from freeze intolerance (December 2013 and January 2014) to partial freeze tolerance (February 2014). An intermediate level of cold tolerance with a plastic response to cold partially explains survival of P. juglandis outside of its native range in the southwestern USA. In addition, we characterized the relationship between minimum air temperatures and minimum phloem temperatures in two Juglans spp. in northern California and Colorado and characterized portions of the native geographic range of eastern black walnut, J. nigra L., that may be too cold currently for this insect to persist.
ICT and income inequality: a cross-national perspective

The importance of information and communications technology (ICT) for economic growth and development is widely researched and seemingly well understood, but the effect of such investments on incom...
Protochromic Devices from a Cephalopod Structural Protein

Author(s): Ordinario, David Diaz | Advisor(s): Gorodetsky, Alon A | Abstract: The field of bioelectronics has the potential to revolutionize both fundamental biology and personalized medicine. As such, much research effort has been devoted to the development of devices and materials that are intrinsically compatible with biological systems. Within this context, several recent studies have focused on protonic transistors from naturally occurring materials, such as squid-derived polysaccharides and proteins. Herein, we report the rational design, fabrication, and characterization of protonic devices, for which the active material consists of a cephalopod protein-based proton conducting material known as reflectin. We first characterize the proton-conducting capabilities of reflectin, demonstrate reflectin-based two- and three-terminal protonic devices, and then investigate strategies for optimizing their performance. Next, we investigate the conductive properties of a reflectin isoform and then proceed to fabricate and characterize protonic devices where it serves as the active layer. We then investigate the properties of protonic devices featuring reflectin films doped with a small molecular photoacid, and show the selective enhancement of their electrical properties through an exogenous photophysical stimulus. Finally, we demonstrate reflectin-based protonic devices that mimic the color-changing functionality of natural iridophores in cephalopod skin. Altogether, our findings underscore the potential of reflectins as functional materials and hold significance for both developing novel color-changing technologies and the understanding and control of proton transport in both biological systems and bioelectronic platforms.
Is Bathysiphon Aaltoi Miller, 1986 the Largest Foraminiferid?

Species in the genus Bathysiphon are among the largest foraminiferids ever described. Bathysiphonids produce tests that may surpass the size of the associated metazoa (e.g. , Gage and Tyler, 1991; Gooday et al., 1992). Large fossil tests also have been described (Miller, 1991, 1995). The tests are agglutinated, simple cylinders, often tens-of-centimeters long and several millimeters in diameter. Most of the modern species occur in deep marine environments at bathyal to abyssal depths. Fossil species are mostly restricted to off-shelf, basinal, and flysch deposits. Loeblich and Tappan (1988) give the geologic range for Bathysiphon as Upper Triassic to Recent; Conkin and Conkin (1977, text-fig. 1) extend the range of the genus back to the Middle Ordovician.
Rapamycin targets several pathophysiological features of immune-mediated bone marrow failure in murine models.

In this issue of Haematologica , Feng et al. [1][1] compare the efficacy of treatment with cyclosporine A (CsA) and rapamycin to ameliorate pancytopenia, improve bone marrow (BM) cellularity, and extend survival in murine models of immune-mediated aplastic anemia (AA). Interestingly, while the
Charting the Path Not Taken: Pluralist Explorations in Early Modern Political Thought

It is the fate of theories of strong pluralism to be notable chiefly by their absence from the mainstream of modern Western political thought. Whether because of the concern to achieve a strong basis of unity amid warring religious factions, or, more strongly, to make a political declaration of faith in the autonomy of human reason, moderns have sought to develop rights-based theories of political rule upon whatever non-religious bases that people might be found to hold in common. And so from Hobbes to Hegel, from Bodin to Bentham, students of the mainstream of Western political theory learn that a healthy public life is one wherein people depend upon the things they have in common, rather than their differences.This paper explores the early development of this “common-basis” strategy, focusing on the 100-year period prior to Thomas Hobbes (approximately 1550-1650). It considers the strategies developed in this period that attempted to “filter out” certain complicating social phenomena or institutions - especially religion, but also the family, ethnicity and culture more broadly - in favor of a focus on the singular relationship between the individual and the state. As non-state social phenomena were diminished insofar as rights were concerned, differences between persons also faded from significance. The result was a modern politics of rights that systematically diminished vital features of political and social life, perhaps at the cost of the very resources we most need as we contemplate the great political challenges around us. The paper concludes with a consideration of the possibilities for a re-reading of the tradition, including a search for solutions from countries where the Protestant Reformation was “incomplete,” and where approaches other than the “common-basis” strategy were pursued in order to find ways that groups who disagreed on a great deal could live together peaceably. This results of such an exploration, the paper suggests, will have relevance, first, to those societies presently experiencing great conflicts, including violent conflicts, concerning religion and other differences, but second, to modern liberal democracies that experience great difficulty navigating the contemporary politics of difference.
The Assimilation of Classical Genetics into Human Genetics

The major findings of classical genetics were worked out between 1900 and 1920. Although those interested in human heredity knew of these findings, the techniques used in fruit flies or maize were not possible for humans, and thus, there was a delay of several decades for most of these findings to be demonstrated in humans. What turned out to be a surprise was the way human (and other mammals) differed in their mechanisms and outcomes. For sex determination, the Y was male determining in humans but not in fruit flies. For nondisjunction, the sexual outcomes differed for conditions like XXY (fertile females in fruit flies but Klinefelter sterile males in humans). This was also true for several other classical genetic applications in humans which illustrated the difficulty of finding ways to replicate laboratory findings in humans. Victor McKusick assimilated these findings in his classic publication, Mendelian Inheritance in Man, the most valuable sourcebook for the literature and commentary on any human inherited disorder. The molecularization of genetics after 1990 made it easier for mapping, the analysis of multiple allelic series, and identifying lesions in mutant genes, but major differences still exist between human and medical genetics when these are compared to fruit fly or maize genetics.