cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING MODELING OF THE PELVIC FLOOR MUSCULATURE IN CLASSIC BLADDER EXSTROPHY BEFORE PELVIC OSTEOTOMY

Purpose: We provide a 3-dimensional (3D) model of the pelvic floor musculature in patients with classic bladder exstrophy using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: Five male infants 1 day to 12 months old underwent MRI of the pelvis, which was compared to pelvic MRI of 1 male infant without pelvic floor abnormalities. Of the patients 3 were studied before primary closure and 2 before reclosure. None of the patients had a prior pelvic osteotomy. While the entire pelvic floor was imaged, special attention was paid to the contours of the levator ani muscle group which were drawn on T1-weighted axial and coronal images. The overlap of contours in these 2 planes was used to construct a 3D model of this muscle group. The diastasis of the pubic symphysis was also measured for all patients on a plain pelvic radiograph. Results: The levator ani muscle group conformed to an elliptical dome shape in the control. For the patients the 3D shape was somewhat irregular with an apparent kink in the ellipse. The elliptical shape of the group was described by a shape factor, s, which equals the ratio of the maximum height-to-the length of the base of the ellipse. The shape factor was equal to 0.176 in the control compared to a mean of 0.448 for the patients. There was no relationship between diastasis of the pubic symphysis and the extent of disproportionate curvature of the levator group. Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first qualitative description of the pelvic floor anatomy in bladder exstrophy using MRI. Our model gives further insights into the true pelvic floor anatomy in exstrophy cases and is the first to suggest that abnormalities in the pelvic floor may not correlate with abnormalities of the bony pelvis.
A Clustering Approach in Developing Prognostic Systems of Cancer Patients

Accurate prediction of survival rates of cancer patients is often key to stratify patients for prognosis and treatment. Survival prediction is often accomplished by the TNM system that involves only three factors: tumor extent, lymph node involvement, and metastasis. This prediction from the TNM has been limited, mainly because other potential prognostic factors are not used in the system. Based on availability of large cancer datasets, it is possible to establish powerful prediction systems by using machine learning procedures and statistical methods. In this paper, we present a clustering based approach to develop prognostic systems of cancer patients. Our method starts with grouping combinations that are formed using levels of factors recorded in the data. The dissimilarity measure between combinations is obtained through a sequence of data partitions produced by multiple clusterings. This dissimilarity measure is then used with a hierarchical clustering method in order to find clusters of combinations. Prediction of survival is made simply by using the survival function derived from each cluster. Our approach admits multiple factors and provides a practical and useful tool in outcome prediction of cancer patients. A demonstration of use of the proposed method is given for lung cancer patients.
Prevalence of tethered spinal cord in infants with VACTERL

Object The term VACTERL represents a nonrandom association of birth defects including vertebral malformations, anal atresia, cardiac anomalies, tracheoesophageal fistulas (TEFs), renal anomalies, and limb malformations. Clinical experience and a few published case series suggest that a tethered spinal cord (TSC) occurs commonly in children with VACTERL, but to date, no study has defined the prevalence of TSC in patients with VACTERL. Such information would guide decisions about the appropriateness of screening spinal imaging. Methods The authors reviewed the charts of all patients discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Hospital Pittsburgh in the past 14 years with the diagnosis of VACTERL, TEF, or anal atresia. During that period, the authors' protocol has been to use spinal ultrasound to screen this population for TSC. The charts were reviewed for the presence of a TSC requiring surgery and for the features of VACTERL. Results Thirty-three patients with VACTERL and adequate spinal...
Outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous biliary drainage to reduce bilirubin for administration of chemotherapy.

Purpose To describe outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous biliary drainage to reduce total serum bilirubin level for administration of chemotherapy. Materials and Methods A total of 647 consecutive patients underwent percutaneous biliary drainage between September 2001 and December 2008. In 168, the indication for biliary drainage was to decrease total serum bilirubin level to permit administration of chemotherapy. Of these, 20 were excluded because they had hepatic arterial infusion pumps, leaving 148 patients as the study group. The primary diagnoses for these patients were gallbladder cancer (n = 23), cholangiocarcinoma (n = 21), pancreatic cancer (n = 36), and other metastatic cancers (n = 68). Medical records and imaging studies were reviewed for demographic data, procedural information, pre- and postdrainage total serum bilirubin level levels, 30-day complications, and subsequent biliary procedures. Results The probability of attaining a total serum bilirubin level of 1 mg/dL or lower by 100 days was 31% (95% CI, 23%–39%). Predrainage total serum bilirubin level of 9 mg/dL or lower (hazard ratio [HR], 3.27; 95% CI, 1.86–5.75; P P P = .002) were associated with an increased likelihood of attaining a total serum bilirubin level of 1 mg/dL or lower. The most common indication for follow-up was pericatheter leakage, which occurred in nearly one third of cases. During follow-up, patients required three visits per 100 catheter-days, or approximately one per month. Median overall survival in this population was approximately 3.5 months. Conclusions Only 31% of patients attained a normal serum bilirubin level by 100 days, and median overall survival was 107 days. Careful patient selection is warranted before biliary drainage for this indication. Maximal biliary drainage, a preprocedure total serum bilirubin of less than 9 mg/dL, and a lower INR were factors associated with serum bilirubin normalization in this cohort.
Calculation of magnetic susceptibilities of diatomic molecules: VI. Hydrides

Abstract The diamagnetic susceptibilities of the diatomic hydrides LiH, BH and HF are evaluated from LCAO-MO-SCF functions by means of the method of gauge invariant atomic orbitals. The results are -9.6146 for LiH, -15.4223 for BH and -8.4229 for HF, where the susciptibilities are expressed in terms of cgs units × 10-6. The agreement with experiment and with other calculations is satisfactory.
Automatic topic identification using webpage clustering

Grouping Web pages into distinct topics is one way of organizing the large amount of retrieved information on the Web. In this paper, we report that, based on a similarity metric, which incorporates textual information, hyperlink structure and co-citation relations, an unsupervised clustering method can automatically and effectively identify relevant topics, as shown in experiments on several retrieved sets of Web pages. The clustering method is a state-of-art spectral graph partitioning method based on the normalized cut criterion first developed for image segmentation.
Image is everything: advancing HCI knowledge and interface design using the system image

As the field of human-computer interaction matures, the need for proven, dependable engineering processes for interface development becomes apparent. Our continuing work in developing LINK-UP, an integrated design and reuse environment, suggests that a better understanding of the system image is key to the successful evaluation of design prototypes, and an aide in applying knowledge from the repository. This paper describes our ongoing work to enhance LINK-UP by developing and augmenting the system image to make it the central communication point between different stages of design and between different stakeholders. We report on a study of the new task flow that demonstrated the value of the system image within a broader design context. Overall, our findings indicate that the effective creation and use of knowledge repositories by novice HCI designers hinges on successful application of existing HCI design concepts within a practical integrated design environment.
Efficacy of newer generation antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia

The advent of the newer 'atypical' antipsychotic medications has revolutionized the pharmacologic treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. In contrast to the older conventional antipsychotic agents, atypical medications have a broader spectrum of efficacy (greater efficacy in negative, cognitive, and mood symptoms) and a lower risk of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and tardive dyskinesia. Due to concerns surrounding hematological safety and other adverse effects, clozapine is used principally in patients refractory to treatment with other antipsychotic agents. The other three universally available atypical agents (risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine) collectively constitute about 70% of all antipsychotic prescriptions in the USA. Despite the broad popularity of these medications and their rapid adoption in general clinical practice, there are limited data on how they compare to each other with regards to their overall efficacy and also as to their efficacy in specific symptom domains. To address this question, two separate analyses were undertaken. First, all published, short-term, randomized, controlled clinical trials of these agents in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder were reviewed and the extent of improvement across these agents was compared. While the amount of improvement with a particular agent across its different studies varied, the average improvement was similar for the agents for all efficacy parameters considered. Secondly, all randomized, controlled clinical trials directly comparing two or more of these agents in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were analyzed. Only three such trials (all industry sponsored) were identified; while there were differences in methodology and small differences in efficacy on a minority of measures on which comparisons were undertaken, the preponderance of data suggested no differences in efficacy. While data thus far do not support assertions of differential efficacy between risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine, there are clear differences in their side-effect profiles and these are briefly summarized.
UNDERSTANDING DISCRIMINATION TESTS: A USER-FRIENDLY TREATMENT OF RESPONSE BIAS, RATING AND RANKING R-INDEX TESTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO SIGNAL DETECTION

. Aproblem central to sensory difference testing is response bias. There are two experimental strategies for dealing with this problem. The first is to use forced choice procedures, like the common duo-trio or triangle tests, while the second is to use signal detection measures like d′, P(A) and the R-index. These strategies are explained and discussed. The relationship between the R-index and the other signal detection measures is explained. The relationship between R-index values obtained by rating and ranking is explored, as are the alternative computations of the R-index by ranking: Rjb and Rmat.
Feyerabend’s Materialism

Although it will criticize some of his views, especially those on mind and brain, it is a purpose of this essay to praise Paul Feyerabend, not to bury him — not, of course, that he is in need of my praise, or of my defense; if there is anyone who can take care of himself, it is Paul Feyerabend’s influence on my own modest philosophical development has been deep and pervasive. It was first his former mentor, Karl Popper, and later, to an even greater and more revolutionary extent, Paul himself who confirmed my then incipient suspicions that most of the foundations of currently fashionable philosophy and even a great deal of the methodology to which many scientists pay enthusiastic lip service are based on simple mistakes — assumptions whose absurdity becomes obvious once attention is directed at them.
Devolution and Black State Legislators

Devolution and Black State Legislators. By Tyson King-Meadows and Thomas F. Schaller. Albany: SUNY Press, 2006. 302p. $85.00 cloth, $29.95 paper. It has been nearly a half century since the Civil Rights era, and there are today hundreds of black state legislators in the United States. Until now, however, no comprehensive examination of their contemporary legislative influence has been conducted. The need for such a study is clear, and Tyson King-Meadows and Thomas Schaller's research—part of the SUNY Series in African American Studies—is rooted in an interesting set of political trends. Since the Reagan Revolution of the early 1980s and the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, devolution (or new federalism) has pushed much power and many resources (though some would argue not enough resources) to the states. At the same time, since the early 1980s the number of black state legislators has increased substantially. The authors want to know whether these two trends have resulted in greater real (as opposed to symbolic or descriptive) representation of African American interests in state policy. They suggest that the answer generally is that it has not.
The Influences of Genetic and Environmental Factors on Methylome-Wide Association Studies for Human Diseases

DNA methylation (DNAm) is an essential epigenetic mechanism for normal development, and its variation may be associated with diseases. High-throughput technology allows robust measurement of DNA methylome in population studies. Methylome-wide association studies (MWAS) scan DNA methylome to detect new epigenetic loci affecting disease susceptibility. MWAS is an emerging approach to unraveling the mechanism linking genetics, environment, and human diseases. Here I review the recent studies of genetic determinants and environmental modifiers of DNAm, and the concept for partitioning genetic and environmental contribution to DNAm. These studies establish the correlation maps between genome and methylome, and enable the interpretation of epigenetic association with disease traits. Recent findings suggested that MWAS was a promising genomic method to identify epigenetic predictors accounting for unexplained disease risk. However, new study designs, analytical methods and shared resources need to be implemented to address the limitations and challenges in future epigenomic epidemiologic studies.
Neural network augmented control for nonlinear systems

The authors describe an ongoing effort to combine a state-space controller design using feedback linearization with a neural network. They discuss an architecture for the control of a nonlinear system that augments a state-space controller with a neural network. For this architecture, they derive equations for controlling the learning rate of the neural network as a function of the tracking error in the state-space controller. The effect of noise on model learning by the neural network is examined. >
Perception of geometric illusions in hemispatial neglect.

Abstract A patient with left hemispatial neglect, while completely unaware of features on the left side of figures, nevertheless perceived geometric illusions dependent on these features. Bisection errors were amplified not only by increasing line length, but also by perceived line length induced by these illusions. Bisection of Judd illusion figures was as much influenced by neglected features on the left as by perceived features on the right. These observations demonstrate that geometric illusions are generated through preattentive processes. They also suggest that in visual neglect there may be preattentive processing of location as well as shape information. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd
Treatment Trends for Stage I Renal Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma is increasingly diagnosed at stage I, and among stage I cases mean tumor size has been decreasing. Previous reports suggest that nephron sparing surgery is underused for small renal cell carcinomas. We determined updated, population based treatment trends for stage I renal cell carcinoma.Materials and Methods: The National Cancer Data Base, which captures approximately 70% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States, was queried for renal cell carcinoma in adults diagnosed between 1993 and 2007. Trends in treatment, including no surgery, total nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy and focal ablation, were analyzed among all stage I tumors and small stage I tumors categorized by size. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of nephron sparing surgery (partial nephrectomy or focal ablation).Results: During the study period we identified 242,740 renal cell carcinomas, of which 127,691 were stage I. For all stage I tumors partial nephrectomy increased from 6.3% to 32.2% o...
MILSA: A New Evolutionary Architecture for Scalability, Mobility, and Multihoming in the Future Internet

Many challenges to the Internet including global routing scalability have drawn significant attention from both industry and academia, and have generated several new ideas for the next generation. MILSA (Mobility and Multihoming supporting Identifier Locator Split Architecture) and related enhancements are designed to address the naming, addressing, and routing scalability challenges, provide mobility and multihoming support, and easy transition from the current Internet. In this paper, we synthesize our research into a multiple-tier realm-based framework and present the fundamental principles behind the architecture. Through detailed presentation of these principles and different aspects of our architecture, the underlying design rationale is justified. We also discuss how our proposal can meet the IRTF RRG design goals. As an evolutionary architecture, MILSA balances the high-level long-run architecture design with ease of transition considerations. Additionally, detailed evaluation of the current inter-domain routing system and the achievable improvements deploying our architecture is presented that reveals the roots of the current difficulties and helps to shape our deployment strategy.
TEMPORAL VARIATION IN THE VITAL RATES OF AN INSULAR POPULATION OF SPOTTED OWLS (STRIX OCCIDENTALIS OCCIDENTALIS): CONTRASTING EFFECTS OF WEATHER

Abstract We studied the demography of an insular California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) population in southern California for 12 years. We used model selection based on information theory to examine the relationship between weather and reproduction and survival. Mean annual fecundity was 0.139 (SE = 0.050) for subadult females and 0.345 (SE = 0.028) for adult females. Adult females had higher fecundity than subadult females during all years, and fecundity in both age classes was higher when a wet year preceded a dry spring (i.e. breeding season). A model incorporating these factors explained 100% of the estimated temporal process variation in fecundity. Mean apparent survival was 0.796 (SE = 0.012), 0.880 (SE = 0.041), 0.692 (SE = 0.062), and 0.368 (SE = 0.038) for adult, second-year subadult, first-year subadult, and juvenile (first-year) owls, respectively. We found no temporal process variation in survival. Using a Leslie projection matrix, we estimated the finite rate of population c...
Development and Aging of Human Visual Focusing Mechanisms

The ability of the young adult human eye to focus an image onto the retina over a range from infinity to a few centimenters is a function of the shape, thickness, and placement of the crystalline lens relative to the cornea. The cornea provides a fixed refractive contribution to image formation, while the lens provides a variable contribution controlled by coupling ciliary muscle contraction to lens elastic recovery. The precise mechanism by which this coupling occurs remains the subject of study, although most proposed mechanisms are based on a Helmholtzian model. The gradual reduction in accommodative range with age leading to presbyopia is characterized by the retreat of the nearest comfortable focal point toward the far point; because lens shape becomes more sharply curved with age, this maintenance of far focus at the expense of near must be addressed in terms of other compensatory age-related changes within the lens. The development of the lens and the factors leading to image formation during accommodation are described. The potential factors contributing to age-related accommodative loss are assessed, and models of the process evaluated for both human and non-human primates. The lens-based geometric model of accommodation and presbyopia appears to fit the human visual system optimally.
Education for Construction

Education for construction is extremely diverse, reflecting diversity in the industry. Starting with the first formal degree courses in the 1920's, it now comprises many university programs, ranging from small options in existing departments of civil engineering, architecture, and management, to full separate departments offering undergraduate and graduate programs. Many utilize the AGC suggested curricula, others do not. Programs may be sophisticated and based on mathematical theory, or they may be mainly pragmatic. The trend is toward emphasis on organization, management and control. Differences from traditional engineering and architectural curricula lead to questions of professional recognition and accreditation. Financing is a perennial problem. Curricula at technical institutions grow at a rapid rate, reflecting demands by the construction industry for a wide range of educational backgrounds.
Relationship of DNA Viruses and Cervical Carcinoma

A state of the art workshop held in June 1984 under the aegis of the Biological Carcinogenesis Branch of the US National Cancer Institute focused on the relationship between DNA viruses and cervical carcinoma. Cervical cancer a major health problem worldwide has been linked to sexual promiscuity and poor hygiene. Various studies have addressed the possible association between cervical carcinoma and herpes-viruses cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human papillomaviruses (HPV); however HPV appears to be the virus group with the strongest link to cervical carcinoma and cervical dysplasia. About 50% of cervical carcinoma samples have HPV 16 genomes and 20% have HPV 18 genomes. HPV 6 and 11 seem to be linked with surface pathologic conditions and mild dysplasia while HPV 16 and 18 are more often found in deeper lesions or severe dysplasia. Needed is a study of the progression of primary genital HPV infection. It will have to be established that virus infection precedes the development of cervical disease and that HPV infection and cervical carcinoma are not 2 independent consequences of sexual promiscuity. Although workshop participants concurred that basic research should focus on the role of the HPV group data collection on concurrent infection with CMV and herpes-viruses is also recommended.
Endothelial mitochondria regulate the intracellular Ca2+ response to fluid shear stress

Shear stress is known to stimulate an intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) response in vascular endothelial cells (ECs). [Ca2+]i is a key second messenger for signaling that leads to ...
Crafting a software engineering capston project course

When properly constructed, a project-based capstone software engineering course can provide the challenging, but essential bridge from academic computing to the world of professional software development while fostering critical teamwork, leadership, and communications skills. In this work, we discuss experiences with five distinct student projects that involved heterogeneous teams, both systems and software engineering disciplines, industrial partnerships, component-based in addition to traditional development methodologies, and interactions with "real" customers. The heterogeneous teams included computer science, systems engineering, and systems engineering management majors and ranged in size from five to nine students. The projects included a protocol for file transfers between ground stations and on-orbit satellites, a satellite telemetry archiving and visualization tool, porting and extending an evolutionary algorithm for runway damage optimization, an unmanned aerial vehicle situational awareness capability, and a pedagogical interactive game for learning the concepts and applications of public key infrastructures. Partnership with an aerospace industry corporation exposed our students to Capability Maturity Model (CMM) Level 3 processes and facilitated enriching professional mentorships while stimulating student motivation and ownership of their efforts. The structure of the course afforded students significant autonomy to develop and explore both their interpersonal communication skills as well as the tenets of effective project management including scheduling, project tracking, and risk management. In addition, each project was specifically selected to offer the teams the opportunity to develop a useful deliverable with potential for use beyond this pedagogical setting. The result was a high-energy, dynamic, and demanding learning experience with plenty of lessons and opportunities for improvement by the instructor as well as the student.
Intricate regulation of IL-17 response by IFN-γ and IL-27 determines the outcome of the pathogenetic events in experimental autoimmune arthritis (143.18)

Recent advances in defining the new subsets of T cells and the related newer cytokines have stimulated new undertakings in examining the pathogenesis of autoimmunity beyond the traditional Th1-Th2 paradigm. We report here novel findings regarding the roles of IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-27 in the adjuvant arthritis (AA) model of human rheumatoid arthritis that challenge the traditional viewpoints. We hypothesized that the temporal kinetics and the relative levels of antigen-induced cytokine responses determined both the propagation of AA as well as resistance to the disease. We determined the cytokine responses of arthritic Lewis rats at different phases of the disease and that of the arthritis-resistant, MHC-compatible Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats given a potentially arthritogenic challenge. In Lewis rats, IL-17 dominated the early (incubation phase) response, whereas IFN-γ and IL-27 appeared late (peak phase). Intriguingly, in WKY rats, all these 3 cytokines appeared concomitantly and early, showing that IFN-γ and IL-27 successfully pre-empted the pathogenicity of IL-17. This cross-regulation, along with the novel finding of upregulation of IL-27 by IFN-γ, was validated through mechanistic experiments, including the AA-protective effect of IFN-γ injected in vivo, and the differential modulation of specific signaling biomolecules and inflammatory mediators in the joints. These results provide a novel IL-17-IL-27-centered perspective on the pathogenesis of autoimmune arthritis.
Exploration on Efficient Cropping Cultivation Mode of Mustard-Babycucumber-Single Season Late Rice in Northern Zhejiang

Combining production practices in northern Zhejiang in recent years, the efficient cropping cultivation mode of mustard-babycucumber-single season late rice was explored, and this mode achieved significant economic benefits. The crops arrangements and cultivation techniques of this efficient cropping cultivation mode were elaborated in detail.
Improving Estimates of Economic Parameters by Use of Ridge Regression with Production Function Applications: Comment

There has been increasing attention given to the use of biased estimators for many economic problems. They have generally been suggested when multicollinearity impedes the researcher's ability to derive stable estimates of a model's parameters with reasonable levels of precision. The basic rationale for these techniques is that one can trade off some bias to achieve a smaller variance for the parameter estimates. Thus, in terms of the mean squared error of the estimates, the techniques which allow some bias may be superior to ordinary least squares. Ridge regression is one of the most popular of the biased estimators. Brown and Beattie (1975) have recently explored the potential gains from and limitations of it for economic models. In particular, they use the technique in a series of simple (and somewhat limited) Monte Carlo experiments (see Newhouse and Omon for more comprehensive experiments) and in the reestimation ofRuttan's Cobb-Douglas functions to measure the effect of irrigation on the output of irrigated cropland in 1956. Overall, their findings indicate that the ridge estimator appears to have promise for estimating Cobb-Douglas production functions (p. 31). However, they are careful to caution the reader that "the successful application of ridge regression actually requires considerable prior information" (p. 31). A number of authors have suggested that the ridge estimator can be given a Bayesian interpretation (Hoerl and Kennard, Goldstein and Smith). For example, Marquardt and Snee note that "least squares implies an assumption of an unbounded uniform prior distribution on the coefficient vector. ... The ridge estimate is equivalent to placing mild boundedness requirements on the coefficient vector" (p. 6). Lindley and Smith also derive the ridge technique as a special case of a wider class of Bayes's estimators. Thus, it is clear that there are rather specific prior restrictions implicit in the ridge estimator. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the ridge estimator is a member of the TheilGoldberger class of mixed estimator. Accordingly, it can be viewed as a natural generalization of the Wallace approach to model specification using tests for exact linear restrictions. Consider the conventional statement of the general linear model:
The human fetal electroencephalogram: I. An electrode for continuous recording during labor

Abstract The continuous recording of the fetal EEG in labor is possible with the use of specially constructed scalp electrodes. The quality of the recording is equal to that obtained in the newborn infant. The positive fetal evoked response to sound in labor is used to confirm the origin of these brain potentials. The technique is offered as a method of studying the fetal brain during birth.
Modeling of Surface Effects on the Mesoscale

Mesoscale meteorological processes may originate from a variety of mechanisms; however, one of the most important is forcing by the earth’s surface. Terrain height variations and differential surface fluxes of heat, momentum, and moisture force myriad phenomena on a wide range of scales—from the mesoalpha to the mesogamma (length scales of greater than 2 km and less than 2000 km). These include thermally forced circulations over differentially heated land surfaces, drylines that can be associated with spatial variations in surface moisture fluxes, mountain lee waves, mountain-valley circulations, and coastal frontogenesis and cyclogenesis.
Assessment of the effects of scatterer size distributions on effective scatterer diameter estimates

Scattering models used in most quantitative ultrasound studies assume distributions of identical scatterers. However, actual tissues may exhibit multiple levels of spatial scales. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to use both simulations and experiments to analyze the effects of scatterer size distributions when using a fluid-sphere model for estimating effective scatterer diameter (ESD). Simulations were conducted with populations of scatterers with uniformly distributed sizes within [25, 100], [25, 50], [50, 100], and [50, 75] μm. Simulated backscatter coefficients (BSCs) used as inputs for the ESD estimator were obtained using two methods: (1) using portions of the theoretical BSC with different center frequencies between 1 and 40 MHz and 100% fractional bandwidth, and (2) processing simulated radiofrequency data from computer phantoms using f/4 transducers with center frequencies of 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 MHz and 100% fractional bandwidth. Experiments were conducted using a gelatin phantom with Sephadex spheres ranging in diameter from 30 μm to 140 μm and 3.5, 7.5, 10, and 13 MHz focused transducers. ESD estimates obtained with both simulation methods were approximately inversely proportional to frequency and mostly independent of the underlying scatterer size distribution for sufficiently high analysis frequencies. For frequencies higher than 13 MHz the ESD estimates were below 50 μm for all considered size distributions even though two of them had no scatterers smaller than 50 μm. Further, the asymptotic behavior of ESD vs. frequency estimates was also observed experimentally. The results of this work highlight some of the effects of continuous scatterer size distributions when obtaining ESD estimates, and challenge the hypothesis that different frequency ranges are more sensitive to different spatial scales when using a single-size scattering model. Although the results presented here are not necessarily universal and most likely will be affected by the actual size distribution and frequency-dependent BSC of the individual scatterers, this work suggests that caution must be exerted when interpreting ESD estimates at different frequency ranges. This work was supported by a grant from the NIH R21CA139095.
Suicidal Patients with a Do-Not-Resuscitate Order.

Abstract Background A suicidal person with a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order presents an ethical dilemma to the emergency physician. Many believe that suicide is an irrational action, and therefore, all suicide attempts must be treated. Others believe a DNR order should be respected even in the setting of a suicide attempt. Case Report An elderly woman with a known terminal illness presented to the emergency department after a suspected suicide attempt. She had a DNR order during her previous hospitalization. The emergency physician felt obligated to intubate the woman despite his recognition that she was terminally ill. Discussion Reasons to both honor and not honor a DNR order after a suicide attempt are reviewed. Conclusion Not all patients who attempt suicide are necessarily incapable of making a rational decision about their health care. In some cases it may be appropriate to withhold resuscitation attempts in suicidal patients who have a preexisting DNR order. Institutional policies are needed to provide guidance in this situation.
The Politics of Information: Problem Definition and the Course of Public Policy in America.

In The Politics of Information, Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones develop a compelling argument that puts information at the center of political battles and struggles. The authors launch thei...
Myocardial Ischemia and Cancer Therapy

Ischemic chest pain may occur during cancer treatment (early) or be a late consequence of that treatment (late). Early symptoms may be due to a decreased coronary blood supply due to drug-induced coronary spasm or cancer-related thrombosis or manifested due to an increased demand (hypertension, hypersensitivity reactions) with or without underlying coronary artery disease. Late chest pain may be due to progression of underlying coronary artery disease with aging or be due to premature atherosclerosis—the latter has been well described in patients treated with therapeutic radiation for breast cancer and mediastinal lymphomas. Manifestations of late chest pain are linearly proportional to mean heart radiation dose exposure, begin to manifest as early as 5 years posttreatment completion and as late as decades after treatment completion and affect the left main, left anterior descending, and right coronary arteries. Clinicians should have an awareness of the incidence of these potential causes of chest pain and aggressively manage cardiac risk factors in at-risk populations.
Trace Element Nutrients

In addition to regulation by major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon), the productivity and species composition of marine phytoplankton communities are affected by a number of trace element nutrients (iron, zinc, cobalt, manganese, copper, cadmium, and selenium). Of these, iron has the dominant influence on carbon fixation rates and algal species diversity. It is also thought to play an important role in controlling dinitrogen fixation rates, and thus may exert an important influence on oceanic inventories of biologically fixed nitrogen. Because of these effects, iron is thought to play a key role in controlling carbon and nitrogen cycles in the ocean, including the biological transfer of carbon to the deep sea, the so-called biological CO2 pump. This pump regulates atmospheric CO2 concentrations and CO2-linked global warming. Other micronutrient metals (zinc, cobalt, copper, and manganese) have a lesser effect on productivity; but because of large differences in metal requirements among algal species, they may exert an important influence on the species composition of algal communities. The interactions between trace metals and ocean plankton are reciprocal: not only do the metals affect the plankton, but the plankton regulate the distributions, chemical speciation, and cycling of these metals through cellular uptake and regeneration processes, vertical flux of biogenic particles, cellular release of organic chelators, and mediation of redox reactions.
Steps of Robotic-Assisted Sacrocolpopexy

Robotic-assisted sacrocolpopexy (RASC) provides a minimally invasive alternative to the traditional open approach. By taking advantage of both the increased magnification of the laparoscope and precision of the surgical robot, RASC can be safely and efficiently performed. Furthermore, RASC provides the advantages of reduced morbidity with decreased incisional pain and faster return to normal activity.
Designing for Creativity in Interdisciplinary Learning Experiences

In theory, a quality education involves multiple facets, including but not limited to content knowledge and twenty-first century skill development such as creativity. Applications for creative projects in classrooms take many forms, from solar system dioramas in elementary science to poetry writing in secondary language arts. However, the emphasis on creativity and its development typically falls to art teachers and art education programs. The emergence of makerspaces and other approaches to project-based learning and problem-based learning, learning environments serve as examples of practical applications for creative, interdisciplinary learning experiences. Exploring ways in which educators design, develop, and implement creativity-based learning experiences and promote innovative design reveals recommended practices and suggestions for both classroom assessment and research to evaluate adoption and outcomes.
Is the quorum threshold for emergent group response in whirligigs absolute or proportional

Groups of animals sometimes coordinate their individual behaviours to produce an emergent group response. Examples of these quorum responses include stampedes in ungulates and orientation flights in honeybee swarms. In these groups, there may be some individuals who are knowledgeable about the threat or direction to go to, and others who are not. Few experimental studies have convincingly addressed whether the number of knowledgeable individuals to trigger an emergent group response is a fixed (absolute) number or a fixed proportion (percentage) of the group. We tested whether this threshold to produce an emergent group response was absolute or proportional in an experimental study of whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae: Dineutes). When whirligig beetles see an aerial predator, individuals make a startle response. If enough beetles startle, then the whole group makes a flash expansion. In our study, we manipulated the numbers of beetles in a group that were able to see the predator model by covering their eyes. We also manipulated group size (12, 24, 48). Our results reject the absolute hypothesis and support the proportional hypothesis for how many knowledgeable whirligigs it takes in a group to elicit an emergent flash expansion. At all three group sizes the threshold was approximately 10%. We also examined the interaction of the ratio of sighted/unsighted beetles and group size on swarm density, group area and longevity (duration of the flash expansion). Longevity was significantly leptokurtic, as would be expected for a stereotyped display. This is one of the first controlled empirical studies to differentiate between absolute and proportional thresholds in producing an emergent predator avoidance response.
Elucidating the mechanism of fast cycling NOx storage and reduction using C3H6 and H2 as reductants

Abstract A focused experimental study describes fast cycling NOx storage and reduction (NSR) with H2 and C3H6 as reductants on a Pt/BaO/CeO2/Al2O3 lean NOx trap (LNT) catalyst for emission control of lean burn vehicles. The results provide insight and deeper understanding of the impact of cycle frequency on the LNT performance and underlying NSR mechanism, with particular focus on whether a new NOx reduction pathway emerges when hydrocarbon reductant is used. Differentiation is made between two NOx conversion enhancement mechanisms—the conventional NSR mechanism with improved NOx storage utilization and a hydrocarbon-intermediate mechanism. A comparison of cycle-average NOx conversion using H2 and C3H6 as reductants at the same lean/rich stoichiometry level provides revealing information. Both aerobic + anhydrous and anaerobic + anhydrous propylene-containing feeds enable an estimate of the contribution of H2-generating water-gas shift and propylene steam reforming. The observed NOx conversion enhancement of up to 45% (absolute) with 10× faster cycling is nearly independent of reductant type and is attributed to improved NOx storage utilization. Exothermic heat effects with temperature rise as high as 275 °C and significant temperature spatial gradients are encountered with H2 during slow cycling, which makes H2 an unexpectedly less effective reductant than C3H6. The hydrocarbon-intermediate pathway is shown to be responsible for a smaller fraction of the NOx conversion enhancement encountered during fast cycling.
Sex, Sexual Pleasure, and Reproduction: Health Insurers Don't Want You To Do Those Nasty Things

The author discusses the reluctance of health insurers to cover sexual health issues, including fertility, erectile dysfunction, abortion, and sex reassignment.
A Nonlinear Acoustic Technique for Crack and Corrosion Detection in Reinforced Concrete

This investigation is a preliminary study on the possible implementation of a novel nonlinear vibro-acoustic nondestructive testing technique to low corrosion rate concrete-steel systems. The method is extremely sensitive to the presence of integrity reducing flaws such as steel-concrete debondings and cracks developed as a result of volume expansions associated with corrosion products. The acoustical method was compared with tradition electrochemical techniques such as Linear Polarization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy so as to observe acoustical behavior changes in active and passive systems. The nonlinear vibro-acoustic method showed a significant increase in nonlinear interaction for low corrosion rates. These results suggest that the proposed concept is indeed capable of detecting the early stage of degradation.
Cylindrically Symmetric Textures in Mesophases of Cholesteryl Esters

We have produced cylindrically symmetric single crystal textures of the cholesteric and smectic phases of cholesteryl esters by containing them in glass capillaries of smaller than 50 μ radius and inducing shear either by air-pressure changes from one end of the capillary or by volume changes on phase transformations of the sample itself. In the cholesteric phase, when the long axes of the molecules at the capillary interface are aligned parallel to the tube axis, the optic (twist) axes of the weakly negative uniaxial indicatrix are all radially oriented. In the smectic phase, when the molecules are aligned perpendicular to the substrate, the optic axes of the somewhat stronger positive uniaxial indicatrix are again radial. With the molecules aligned parallel to the tube axis, the optic axes of the smectic phase are everywhere parallel to the tube axis. These cylindrically symmetric orientations allow determination of the birefringence of the mesophase. The axial ratios of the refractive index ellipsoids are close to unity, for example, 1.014 and 1.028 respectively for the cholesteric and smectic phases of cholesteryl nonanoate. So far as we know these birefringences have been measured for the first time from cylindrical textures.
Molecular Heterogeneity of Circulating Growth Hormone in Acromegaly

Growth hormone (GH) is known to consist of several molecular species. In the case of human GH, two general types of heterogeneity can be distinguished, one relating to molecules of similar size but different charge (charge isomerism), the other to molecules of substantially different molecular size (size isomerism). In pituitary extracts, an entire family of GH-related proteins has been described (1,2). This kindred contains both size and charge isomers. The physiological role of the various GH forms is not clear; some of the forms in pituitary extracts could represent extraction and storage artifacts resulting from aggregation, proteolysis, oxidation, or deamidation. Thus, it becomes important to determine which forms are secreted and circulate in vivo. Table 1 lists some of the possible origins/mechanisms of GH heterogeneity. Some have been proven to exist while others are still speculative.
Duty Factor and Leg Stiffness Models for the Design of Running Bipeds

Supporting the design process for running biped robots, analytical models are presented for two aspects of running: the duty factor (DF) of the gait, and the stiffness value of the leg. For a given running speed, an optimal DF exists that minimizes the energy expenditure. We present a formula for the optimal DF based on a model of the energetics, and the results are compared to both human data and simulation results. In addition, a model is presented for the stiffness value of the leg as a function of the physical properties, speed, and DF. The Gait Resonance Point is proposed as a design target for compliant running. At this point, the gait matches the spring resonance and the stiffness value becomes independent of the DF.
"Getting everyone on the same page": child welfare workers' collaboration challenges on cases involving intimate partner violence

Child welfare professionals frequently serve families experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). As such, collaboration with other types of providers as part of a larger network of IPV responders is often necessary, though can be challenging for various reasons. The present study explores child welfare workers’ perspectives on collaboration challenges specific to child welfare cases that also involve IPV. Data were drawn from the fourth wave of the Florida Study of Professionals for Safe Families, a longitudinal study of child welfare workforce retention. Authors explored qualitative short responses of 493 child welfare workers with active caseloads who reported ever working on cases with IPV. Participants cited communication, complexity of IPV cases, participation in the collaborative process, and competence as the most challenging aspects of IPV case collaboration. Tensions between child welfare agencies and victim advocacy services were noted throughout. Findings suggest opportunities for sustained engagement to facilitate understanding of responder roles and responsibilities may alleviate some collaboration challenges corroborated by previous research. However, local needs assessments inclusive of all responder roles would better identify community-specific challenges, leading to more tailored intervention strategies to improve responder collaborations.
TCT-253 Placement of Axillary Intraaortic Balloon Pump Leads to Higher Adverse Event Rate When Compared to Placement of Femoral Intraaortic Balloon Pump

Patients with cardiogenic shock(CGS) that will require ventricular assist device (VAD) or a transplant as a durable solution for their end-stage heart failure often require mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for a prolonged period prior to surgery. While the axillary approach to intraaortic