cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bidirectional Segmentation of Three-Dimensional Cardiac MR Images Using a Subject-Specific Dynamical Model

Statistical model-based segmentation of the left ventricles has received considerable attention these years. While many statistical models have been shown to improve segmentation results, most of them either belong to (1) static models (SM) that neglect the temporal coherence of a cardiac sequence, or (2) generic dynamical models (GDM) that neglect the individual differences of cardiac motion. In this paper, we propose a subject-specific dynamical model (SSDM) that can simultaneously handle inter-subject variability and temporal cardiac dynamics (intra-subject variability). We also design a dynamic prediction algorithm that can progressively predict the shape of a new cardiac sequence at a given frame based on the shapes observed in earlier frames. Furthermore, to reduce the accumulation of the segmentation errors throughout the entire sequence, we take into account the periodic nature of cardiac motion and perform bidirectional segmentation from a certain frame in a cardiac sequence. "Leave-one-out" validation on 32 sequences show that our algorithm can capture local shape variations and suppress the propagation of segmentation errors.
Agile CS1 Labs: eXtreme Programming Practices in an Introductory Programming Course

Many students begin to form their software development habits in introductory programming courses. Although problem-solving strategies and other good practices are taught at the introductory level, early experiences in programming tend to involve small assignments and so students do not always see the benefits and value of good software engineering practices. Consequently, they develop habits which are hard to break later when faced with significant problems where good practices are essential for success. Furthermore, students report that typical CS1 lab experiences tend to be unsatisfactory and even irrelevant. In order to give the students early meaningful experiences in developing good habits using a software engineering methodology which fits the limited time-constraints of the academic environment, eXtreme Programming (XP) was employed for the lab portion of a second semester CS1 course. This paper describes how XP practices were incorporated into a semester-long project where classes met once a week in a closed lab. Specific affective objectives were also introduced which were measured quantitatively and qualitatively. This paper describes our methodology, assessment, results, and plans for improvement.
How Ignoring Fluctuations in Lifetime Earnings Affects Social Security

IT COMES TO RETIREMENT INCOME POLICY, there IS a general perception that workers have full forty-year working careers before retiring. It is even assumed that workers with low lifetime earnings have low earnings in each and every year during a normal working career. For example, the Social Security Administration's Office of the Actuary uses three or four stylized workers for their distributional analysis (see, for example, appendix II in Social Security Advisory Council 1997) with the lifetime low-wage earner earning 45 percent of the economy-wide annual wage every year for forty years. Likewise the averagewage and highwage earners are assumed to have forty-year working careers. Minimumwage workers are assumed to have at least thirty-year working careers earning the minimum wage (see, for example, the January
PHOTODEGRADATION OF PESTICIDES IN FLOAT SYSTEM EFFLUENT FROM TOBACCO PLANTATION

−− Several crops can generate liquid effluent containing pesticide residues. In the region of the Vale do Rio Pardo, RS, Brazil, one type of effluent results from the float system used in the tobacco seedling plantation. This system is an alternative that substitutes for the conventional seedbeds of tobacco production. The tobacco is germinated on polystyrene tray beds on a water blade that may contain pesticides residues following the transplant of seedlings to the farm. In this paper, we have simulated in the laboratory, the photodegradation of the pesticides present in the effluent of the float system, including the pesticides metalaxyl, iprodione and imidacloprid. Photolysis and photoperoxidation were the methods used. The experiments were performed with a mercury vapor light bulb of 80, 125 and 250 W. The obtained results show that the photodegradation of the metalaxyl, iprodione and imidacloprid in an optimized system presents considerable reproducibility and high degradation, requiring less time. Keywords−− degradation; pesticide; photolysis; photoperoxidation; float.
Bilateral conjunctival pediatric follicular lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common type of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Western counties. FL is usually seen in adults and is very uncommon in pediatric population. Pediatric follicular lymphoma (PFL) is a rare indolent lymphoma characteristically seen in pediatric population, usually involving cervical lymph nodes, Waldeyer ring, and testis. They pose significant diagnostic challenges due to morphologic overlap with much more common florid follicular hyperplasia and lack of typical t(14;18)IgH/BCL2 fusion and BCL-2 protein expression. We present the case of a 10-year-old male with bilateral conjunctival nodules, showing characteristic morphologic and immunophenotypic features of PFL with demonstrated clonal B cell immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement. Of note, the neoplastic cells expressed MUM1, MYC, and IgM, suggestive of a different disease pathogenesis from adult FL.
The Yersinia pestis V antigen is a regulatory protein necessary for Ca2(+)-dependent growth and maximal expression of low-Ca2+ response virulence genes.

The low-Ca2+ response is a multicomponent virulence regulon of the human-pathogenic yersiniae in which 12 known virulence genes are coordinately regulated in response to environmental cues of temperature, Ca2+, and nucleotides such as ATP. Yersinial growth also is regulated, with full growth yield being permitted at 37 degrees C only if Ca2+ or a nucleotide is present. In this study, we constructed and characterized a mutant Yersinia pestis specifically defective in the gene encoding the V antigen, one of the virulence genes of the low-Ca2+ response. An in-frame internal deletion-insertion mutation was made by removing bases 51 through 645 of lcrV and inserting 61 new bases. The altered lcrV was introduced into the low-Ca2+ response plasmid in Y. pestis by allelic exchange, and the resulting mutant was characterized for its two-dimensional protein profiles, growth, expression of an operon fusion to another low-Ca2+ response virulence operon, and virulence in mice. The mutant had lost its Ca2+ and nucleotide requirement for growth, showed diminished expression of Ca2(+)-and nucleotide-regulated virulence genes, and was avirulent in mice. The mutation could be complemented with respect to the growth property by supplying native V antigen operon sequences in trans in high copy number (on pBR322). Partial complementation of the growth defect and almost complete complementation of the virulence defect were seen with a lower-copy-number complementing replicon (a pACYC184 derivative). The data are consistent with the interpretation that V antigen is bifunctional, with a role in regulating growth and expression of low-Ca2+ response virulence genes in addition to its putative role as a secreted virulence protein. Images
Negotiation-based task scheduling and storage control algorithm to minimize user's electric bills under dynamic prices

Dynamic energy pricing is a promising technique in the Smart Grid to alleviate the mismatch between electricity generation and consumption. Energy consumers are incentivized to shape their power demands, or more specifically, schedule their electricity-consuming applications (tasks) more prudently to minimize their electric bills. This has become a particularly interesting problem with the availability of residential photovoltaic (PV) power generation facilities and controllable energy storage systems. This paper addresses the problem of joint task scheduling and energy storage control for energy consumers with PV and energy storage facilities, in order to minimize the electricity bill. A general type of dynamic pricing scenario is assumed where the energy price is both time-of-use and power-dependent, and various energy loss components are considered including power dissipation in the power conversion circuitries as well as the rate capacity effect in the storage system. A negotiation-based iterative approach has been proposed for joint residential task scheduling and energy storage control that is inspired by the state-of-the-art Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) routing algorithms. In each iteration, it rips-up and re-schedules all tasks under a fixed storage control scheme, and then derives a new charging/discharging scheme for the energy storage based on the latest task scheduling. The concept of congestion is introduced to dynamically adjust the schedule of each task based on the historical results as well as the current scheduling status, and a near-optimal storage control algorithm is effectively implemented by solving convex optimization problem(s) with polynomial time complexity. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed algorithm achieves up to 64.22% in the total energy cost reduction compared with the baseline methods.
Image enhancement for low resolution display panels

This paper presents a real time automatic image correction technique operating under real-time constraints (25ms) to address red dot artifacts in low resolution display panels. The algorithm is designed as a two stage process, starting with the identification of pixels which could cause such artifacts followed by a color correction scheme to compensate for any perceived visual errors. Artifact inducing pixels are identified by thresholding the vector color gradient of the image. The color levels of the adjacent subpixels around the artifacts are estimated based on partitive spatial color mixing. Red dot artifacts occur as singlet, couplets or triplets and consequently three different correction schemes are explored. The algorithm also ensures that artifacts occurring at junctions, corners and cross sections are corrected without affecting the underlying shape or contextual sharpness. The performance of our algorithm was benchmarked using a series of 30 corrected and uncorrected images by human observers. This algorithm is designed as a general purpose color correction technique for display panels with an offset in their subpixel patterns and can be easily implemented as an isolated real time post processing technique for the output display buffer without any higher order processing or image content information. All the above mentioned benefits are realized through software and don’t require any upgrade or replacement of existing hardware.
Water-soluble, recombinant CuA-domain of the cytochrome ba3 subunit II from Thermus thermophilus.

Recently, the genes of cytochrome ba_3 from Thermus thermophilus [Keightley, J. A., et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 20345−20358], a homolog of the heme-copper oxidase family, have been cloned. We report here expression of a truncated gene, encoding the copper A (Cu_A) domain of cytochrome ba_3, that is regulated by a T7 RNA polymerase promoter in Escherichia coli. The Cu_A-containing domain is purified in high yields as a water-soluble, thermostable, purple-colored protein. Copper analysis by chemical assay, mass spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence, and EPR spin quantification show that this protein contains two copper ions bound in a mixed-valence state, indicating that the Cu_A site in cytochrome ba_3 is a binuclear center. The absorption spectrum of the Cu_A site, free of the heme interference in cytochrome ba_3, is similar to the spectra of other soluble fragments from the aa_3-type oxidase of Paracoccus denitrificans [Lappalainen, P., et al. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 26416−26421] and the caa_3-type oxidase of Bacillus subtilis [von Wachenfeldt, C., et al. (1994) FEBS Lett. 340, 109−113]. There are intense bands at 480 nm (3100 M^(-1) cm^(-1)) and 530 nm (3200 M^(-1) cm^(-1)), a band in the near-IR centered at 790 nm (1900 M^(-1) cm^(-1)), and a weaker band at 363 nm (1300 M^(-1) cm^(-1)). The visible CD spectrum shows a positive-going band at 460 nm and a negative-going band at 527 nm, the opposite signs of which may result from the binuclear nature of the site. The secondary structure prediction from the far-UV CD spectrum indicates that this domain is predominantly β-sheet, in agreement with the recent X-ray structure reported for the complete P. denitrificans cytochrome aa_3 molecule [Iwata, S., et al. (1995) Nature 376, 660−669] and the engineered, purple CyoA protein [Wilmanns, M., et al. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 11955−11959]. However, the thermostability of the fragment described here (T_m ≈ 80 °C) and the stable binding of copper over a broad pH range (pH 3−9) suggest this protein may be uniquely suitable for detailed physical-chemical study.
Embedded documentation for semi-automatic program construction and software reuse

The purpose of this paper is to present a mechanism to classify software components for software reuse and semi-automatic program construction. The paper goes on to describe how is the classification information incorporated into software components through Flagged Sentences in Embedded Software Documentation.
Beyond alcohol and drug addiction. Does the negative trait of low distress tolerance have an association with overeating

Low distress tolerance is an inability to withstand negative emotions. The connection between low distress tolerance and addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal drugs has been established. The purpose of the current study was to extend this work to overeating, which is an important symptom of food addiction. We investigated whether low distress tolerance was related to overeating as measured by the emotional and external eating scales of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire and the disinhibition scale of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Participants were 225 college students with a median age of 19; 32% were overweight or obese. Linear regression models adjusting for sex and BMI demonstrated significant inverse associations among distress tolerance and emotional eating (P = 0.001), external eating (P = 0.002), and disinhibition (P < 0.001). These initial results suggest the importance of additional research in the area of low distress tolerance, overeating, and food addiction.
MOLECULAR CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A PUTATIVE MOUSE HYALURONAN SYNTHASE

We report the isolation of a novel mouse gene which encodes a putative hyaluronan synthase. The cDNA was identified using degenerate reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Degenerate primers were designed based upon an alignment of the amino acid sequences of Streptococcus pyogenes HasA, Xenopus laevis DG42, and Rhizobium meliloti NodC. A mouse embryo cDNA library was screened with the resultant polymerase chain reaction product, and multiple cDNA clones spanning 3 kilobase pairs (kb) were isolated. The open reading frame predicted a 63-kDa protein with several transmembrane sequences, multiple consensus phosphorylation sites, and four putative hyaluronan binding motifs. The amino acid sequence displayed 55% identity to mouse HAS, 56% identity to Xenopus DG42, and 21% identity to Streptococcus HasA. Northern analysis identified transcripts of 4.8 kb and 3.2 kb, which were expressed highly in the developing mouse embryo and at lower levels in adult mouse heart, brain, spleen, lung, and skeletal muscle. Transfection experiments demonstrated that mouse Has2 could direct hyaluronan coat biosynthesis in transfected COS cells, as evidenced by a classical particle exclusion assay. These results suggest that mammalian HA synthase activity is regulated by at least two related genes. Accordingly, we propose the name Has2 for this gene.
On averaging and representation properties of the BFGS and related secant updates

In this paper we present several representation theorems and averaging theorems for members of the difference class of secant updates introduced by Brodlie et al. (J Inst Math Appl 11:73---82, 1973). Major contributions are that the integral form of the mean-value theorem leads to a proof that the BFGS update is pointwise the infinite average of all the updates on the one-dimension manifold in the Dennis class that connects the DFP secant update to the Greenstadt update, and that it can be expressed as the pointwise average of these latter two updates. Analogous results hold for all secant updates that belong to the difference class. These results contribute new understanding of the structural properties of the highly popular BFGS secant update and other updates from the difference class.
The effects of adiponectin and leptin on changes in bone mineral density

We tested the hypothesis that low leptin and high adiponectin levels are associated with higher rates of bone mineral density (BMD) loss among 3,075 men and women, aged 70–79, from the Health Aging and Body Composition Study. Results suggest that adiponectin, but not leptin, is a risk factor for bone loss in women. Adiponectin and leptin are hormones secreted by adipose cells that may impact BMD. Few studies have evaluated the longitudinal association of leptin and adiponectin levels with rates of BMD change. Hip and whole-body areal BMD (aBMD) were measured five times using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry over 10 years (average follow-up time, 7.95 ± 1.92 years). Trabecular lumbar spine volumetric BMD (vBMD) was measured using quantitative computed topography at baseline and year 6 in the Pittsburgh cohort only. Random slope and intercept models were used to account for within person correlation as a result of repeated measures of hip and whole-body aBMD. Linear regression was used to model changes in spine trabecular vBMD. Among women, the annualized rate of hip aBMD loss in the highest tertile of adiponectin was −0.67% (95% CI −0.77, −0.58) compared to [−0.43% (95% CI −0.51, −0.35)] in the lowest tertile (p trend = 0.019) after adjusting for age, race, BMI, diabetes, baseline hip aBMD, and weight change. In men, hip aBMD loss was greatest in the high adiponectin group (tertile 3), however this association was not significant (p trend = 0.148). After adjusting for weight change in women, the association between higher leptin and lower hip aBMD loss was attenuated and no longer significant (p trend = 0.134). Leptin and adiponectin levels were not associated with whole-body aBMD or trabecular lumbar spine vBMD loss. Adiponectin was associated with increased hip aBMD loss in women only, supporting evidence that adiponectin may have an important role in bone health.
Magneto-optical studies of metastable 3d-transition metal films☆

Abstract The surface magneto-optical Kerr effect is used in conjunction with structural and growth-mode characterizations to survey the surface magnetic anisotropy behavior of three metastable Fe-film systems: Fe on Cu(1 0 0), Ru(0 0 0 1) and Pd(1 0 0). Each system grows epitaxially in the ultrathin regime and exhibits the universal behavior of perpendicular ferromagnetic spin orientations below a critical thickness of 6 monolayers or less. The systems differ, however, in their monolayer-dosage magnetic properties due to interdiffusion and hybridization at the interface. Fe/Pd(1 0 0) exhibits submonolayer magnetism, while
Preference for lateral directional properties: a reply to Gordon.

Gordon's (1981) methodological criticisms of our study on the influence of directional properties of lateral organization on evaluation of paintings are addressed. We conclude that our study - which reconceptualized the problem by focusing on directional properties and differences in process dependent on exposure time - used adequate controls and methodology that produced findings (evaluations were influenced by left-right sequential organization with a 5 s exposure and by more inclusive formal features with a 20 s exposure) which advanced our understanding of the relation between lateral organization and evaluation.
Construction of a maxillary orthopedic prosthesis for simultaneous maxillary expansion and obturation

An effective means of obtaining maxillary expansion and obturation was presented. By use of split palatal orthopedic prosthesis incorporating a posterior fanscrew with an obturator, two patients showed improved speech, cosmetic appearance, and oral physiology while gaining the desired alignment of the maxillary segments before further surgery.
A systems approach to identifying knowledge voids in problem solving disciplines and professions: A focus on the management sciences

As problem solving disciplines or professions mature their dependence on experience based knowledge lessens in favor of the science which has evolved. Knowledge for problem solving disciplines or professions, such as engineering or management, can be subdivided into three sectors, data, methodology/theory and applications. This paper discusses the significance of the availability of knowledge in each of these sectors and in each overlap between these sectors. Next the paper discusses and illustrates a systematic approach to meta analyses of past research in a field toward the ends of synthesizing what is known and presenting the results in a manner that is both efficient and effective, and finding and specifying literature voids in each of the above sectors. Such specifications may be viewed as topics with a potential for research.
Performance of Eastern- and Western-Oriented College Students on the Value Survey and Ways of Life Scale

Swmmary.-The Value Survey, Ways of Life Scale, and East-West Questionnaire were administered to 210 students in introductory psychology to determine the value and life style preferences of Eastern- and Western-oriented individuals. The findings were, in general, consonant with the assumptions underlying the design of the East-West Questionnaire. Sex differences, however, indicate that Eastern and Western male and female subjecrs have somewhat different value and life style preferences. The purpose of this study was to decermine the relationships between performance on the East-West Questionnaire, an instrument designed to measure Eastern and Western orientations in belief systems (Gilgen & Cho, 1979), the Value Survey (Rokeach, 1973), and the Ways of Life Scale (Morris, 1956). The design of the questionnaire is based on the assumption that Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Hinduism share a monistic (non-dualistic) view of reality while the Judeo-Christian and Greek foundations of Western thought reflect a dualistic perspective. The instrument was developed specifically to determine the degree to which individuals' belief systems are based on monistic and dualistic assumptions concerning god, soul, history, nature, society, and man. Previous research indicates that the questionnaire has a test-retest validity of .76 (for college students) and good predictive validity for American Buddhists, transpersonal psychologists, business executives, and college students majoring in business, art, or philosophy/religion (Gilgen & cho, 1979). The Value Survey and the Ways of Life Scale were selected as comparison tests because they are well-established instruments, and while neither is designed specifically to measure the Eastern and Western dimensions of belief systems, the former does include concepts, and the latter ways of life, which are Eastern or Western in orientation. METHOD
Sources of value in takeovers: Synergy or restructuring–implications for target and bidder firms

Advocates of the market for corporate control argue that takeover bids should be accepted because unsuccessful targets tend to lose market value. Other researchers argue that takeover bids should be rejected because the combined firms often perform poorly. However, missing in this debate is the influence of the source of takeover gains on the decision to reject or accept takeover bids. This study posits that value from takeovers can be created by synergy or restructuring. The study suggests that only if the synergy component is dominant should the target firm agree to be taken over. The study then tests the dominance of the source of value in takeovers by examining takeovers that were unsuccessful. The study concludes that, first, restructuring, not synergy, motivated the sample studied and target firms can create the same value independently. Second the need for restructuring was industry-wide. However, even if restructuring is the motive behind a takeover, the target firm has to carry out the restructuring, failing which it does not create any value. The study also suggests reasons for the ambiguous findings in the strategic management merger literature.
Combined symbolic and numerical approach to constrained nonlinear lumping—With application to an {if{frsol|{rmH{in2}/O{in2}} oxidation model

Abstract An approach to constrained nonlinear lumping for dimension reduction of chemical kinetic models is presented. The approach combines general symbolic methods of nonlinear lumping and numerical techniques to arrive at an analytically reduced model in practical applications of homogeneous kinetic systems. This method can be applied to any first- and second-order reaction system with arbitrary complexity. An H 2 O 2 oxidation model is used as an example for illustrating this method. The resultant lumped models given by modified first- and second-order approximations of nonlinear lumping have very good accuracy for the temperature and all the species. The modified second-order approximation can be applied to arbitrary initial conditions, but the formula is quite complicated. The modified first-order approximation has a simple form, but two empirical parameters need to be determined for a given initial condition.
Effect of proton spin diffusion on the 13C-{1H} NOE in hydrated macromolecules

Abstract The effects of proton spin diffusion can lead to a serious underestimate (∼50%) of the 13 C−{ 1 H} NOE in hydrated macromolecules which have proton T , values which are long compared to the 13 C T 1 . The magnitude of the effect that proton spin diffusion has on the NOE measurement for a biological system is illustrated here with collagen. [2- 13 C]Glycine-labeled collagen was studied as native material in 0.1 M acetic acid solution and as fibrils in equilibrium with 0.02 M Na 2 HPO 4 . Overhauser-enhanced and Overhauser-suppressed spectra were recorded as a function of the delay time, T , between accumulations in a normal (90°- T ) pulse sequence. In aqueous systems, Overhauser-suppressed 13 C signals attained their steady-state intensities in a time governed by the average proton T 1 values, not the 13 C T 1 values. Accurate NOE values were measured only when the delay time in the Overhauser-suppressed experiments was at least 30 times the 13 C T 1 value for collagen in solution and at least 15 times the 13 C T 1 value for collagen as fibrils. We therefore advance the caveat that, for macromolecules in aqueous systems where proton spin diffusion is efficient, the repetition rate for the Overhauser-suppressed 13 C intensity measurement is dictated by the proton T 1 .
Distribution of actin in migrating leukocytes in vivo.

Blood cells proliferate extravascularly in the bone marrow and enter the circulation by migrating through endothelial cells of venous blood sinuses. This migration, or diapedesis, was suspected to involve actin. To test for the presence and distribution of actin, sections of rat bone marrow were examined by indirect immunocytochemistry. Affinity purified rabbit antichicken gizzard actin antibody, and goat-antirabbit IgG-FITC, or goat antirabbit IgG colloidal gold probes were used. The migrating cell contacts the endothelial cell and forms a podosome (a cortical bleb). Immunocytochemistry shows this region to contain actin. As diapedesis proceeds the podosome deforms, then breaches the endothelial cell. At this time the anterior portion of the leukocyte shows heavy labeling for actin. When the migratory cell traverses approximately half of its length through the endothelial cell, actin appears prominent in the caudal region of the cell. The immunocytochemical data suggest that actin is nonrandomly distributed in leukocytes undergoing diapedesis and may be a component of the force-generating mechanism responsible for this transcellular migratory event.
Police-citizen encounters: Turk on norm resistance

Turk's theory of norm resistance is discussed and applied to the problem of police-citizen encounters. This theory is examined critically in an effort to generate hypotheses about over conflict between police and citizens in field encounters. Specific hypotheses about deference reversals, culture conflict, congruence between behavior and official norms, and organization and sophistication factors are discussed. The research literature is reviewed. Prior research supports Turk's formulation and provides guidance for measuring his constructs.
Quantum Dynamics Scattering Study of AB+CDE Reactions: A Seven Dimensional Treatment for the H2+C2H Reaction

A time-dependent wave-packet approach is presented for the quantum dynamics study of the AB+CDE reaction system for zero total angular momentum. A seven-degree-of-freedom calculation is employed to study the chemical reaction of H2+C2H yields H + C2H2 by treating C2H as a linear molecule. Initial state selected reaction probabilities are presented for various initial ro-vibrational states. This study shows that vibrational excitation of H2 enhances the reaction probability, whereas the excitation of C2H has only a small effect on the reactivity. An integral cross section is also reported for the initial ground states of H2 and C2H. The theoretical and experimental results agree with each other very well when the calculated seven dimensional results are adjusted to account for the lower transition state barrier heights found in recent ab initio calculations.
Teaching family therapy theory: Do something different

Abstract A literature review revealed few papers discussing the process of teaching family therapy. Described are some alternative teaching methods for a beginning level course. A film about a troubled family stimulated discussion and construction of a series of hypothetical therapy sessions. Course evaluations improved and students were encouraged about applying specific theories to practice. Innovative teaching provides protection against instructor burnout.
Evolving technologies drive the new roles of Biomedical Engineering

Rapidly changing technology coupled with the financial impact of organized health care, has required hospital Biomedical Engineering organizations to augment their traditional operational and business models to increase their role in developing enhanced clinical applications utilizing new and evolving technologies. The deployment of these technology based applications has required Biomedical Engineering organizations to re-organize to optimize the manner in which they provide and manage services. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has implemented a strategy to explore evolving technologies integrating them into enhanced clinical applications while optimally utilizing the expertise of the traditional Biomedical Engineering component (Clinical Engineering) to provide expanded support in technology / equipment management, device repair, preventive maintenance and integration with legacy clinical systems. Specifically, Biomedical Engineering is an integral component of the Medical Physics Department which provides comprehensive and integrated support to the Center in advanced physical, technical and engineering technology. This organizational structure emphasizes the integration and collaboration between a spectrum of technical expertise for clinical support and equipment management roles. The high cost of clinical equipment purchases coupled with the increasing cost of service has driven equipment management responsibilities to include significant business and financial aspects to provide a cost effective service model. This case study details the dynamics of these expanded roles, future initiatives and benefits for Biomedical Engineering and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Emergency Department Crowding in California: A Silent Killer?

In this issue of Annals, Sun et al report on the association between emergency department (ED) crowding and 3 important outcomes—mortality, hospital length of stay, and costs—in a broad cohort of admissions in 187 California hospitals in 2007. Patients admitted on days with high crowding, measured as the top quartile of ambulance diversion, had a 5% higher chance of death, an almost 1% longer hospital stay, and 1% higher costs per admission, after adjusting for other factors. The estimate of the human and financial costs attributable to ED crowding was 300 additional inpatient deaths, 6,200 excess hospital days, and $17 million extra. Circa 2013, walk into the average large, inner-city, US hospital ED on a Monday afternoon, California or not, and the typical scene is a packed waiting room with hallways lined with sick and injured patients. Admitted patients are boarding for hours, many left untended or certainly not carefully watched, while harried staff scurry furiously to treat new, potentially ill patients. To the average emergency care provider, the harmful effect of this daily dysfunction found in the authors’ article probably comes as no big surprise. But the first reports of crowding in US EDs emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Now, more than 20 years later, the first published claims-based, US-based, health services research report links what may seem to an everyday person to be an obviously unsafe environment to negative patient outcomes. It is also notable that in the last 2 decades, the term “ED crowding” has become somewhat outdated with the realization that one of the main causes of ED crowding is “hospital crowding” and its result: prolonged boarding of admitted patients in the ED. This raises the question, why has it taken so long to link ED and hospital crowding with poor outcomes in the United States and put stark evidence-based estimates on its human and economic tolls? Well, there are several reasons. First, in any health service research study, one of the goals is to link an “X,” an exposure, to a “Y,” the outcome. The relationship between ED crowding and outcomes has been elusive because there are both X problems and Y problems. f
Effects of plasticizers on the mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride) membranes for electrodes and biosensors

Abstract In electrodes and biosensors poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membranes were plasticized to 200 parts per hundred resin, independent of plasticizer specie. Puncture tests quantified five mechanical properties for at least eight levels of seven plasticizers. Using Citroflex B-6 at a phr ratio of 0.31, the strength and secant stiffness peaked at 9.63 N and 1250 N m −1 , respectively. At a phr ratio of 0.6 the toughness peaked at 48 N mm. These three properties decreased at higher phr ratios for all plasticizers. Tangent stiffnesses were generally 1.7 times secant stiffnesses. For all plasticizers, ductility increased to a constant value of 15 mm at a phr ratio of two. The molecular structures of the plasticizers influenced the mechanical properties. For a given phr ratio, plasticizers having lower hydrodynamic volumes increased the strengths, stiffnesses, and toughnesses of the membranes. Compared to prior dielectric testing, the strength, toughness, and stiffness increased as the ionic resistivity increased. In electrodes and biosensors phr ratios should be reduced to a minimum of one.
The projection field of the stria terminalis in the rat brain. An experimental study

The problem of the stria terminalis projection field has been examined by use of two versions of the cupric-silver technique as well as variations of the Fink-Heimer and Nauta-Gygax techniques applied to material fixed under different conditions using brains from very young rats surviving 30 hours to four days after production of lesions at different levels of the course of the stria terminalis and related structures. The findings are as follows: (1) A dorsal subventricular portion of the stria terminalis divides into retrocommissural and supracommissural contingents which together account for degenerating terminals seen in the ipsilateral bed nuclei of the stria terminalis and of the anterior commissure, and in the medial preoptic-hypothalamic junction area. The supracommissural bundle also disseminates into the laterobasal septum, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, the posterior and medial divisions of the anterior olfactory nucleus, and the granular layer of the accessory olfactory bulb. Additional fibers end in the paucicellular capsule of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, also in a small lateral parvocellular tuberal nuclear area, and throughout the premammillary nuclei. A small truly commissural division of the dorsal component was traced to the contralateral cortical amygdaloid nucleus and to small clusters of medial amygdaloid cells. (2) A ventral juxtacapsular portion of the stria terminalis was traced to the ipsilateral strial bed nucleus, medial preoptic-hypothalamic junction area, the entire ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, the lateral tuberal area and the premammillary nuclei. The lateralmost fibers of the dorsal strial component as well as those of the ventral component which lie lateral to the “commissural bundle” appear to terminate exclusively in the lateral portions of the bed nucleus of the stria. (3) A “commissural bundle” or component, after crossing the midline in the anterior commissure, ends in the bed nucleus of the posterior limb of the latter, in the olfactory tubercle, prepiriform cortex, lateral amygdaloid nucleus and the strial bed nucleus. It is thus a decussation rather than a commissure. No contribution from stria terminalis to stria medullaris could be identified.
A device for simulating the visual displays of PPI scopes.

A circular transparency which duplicates the decay characteristic of a P-7 phosphor is carried by a rotating annulus. The density gradient of the transparency is such that the luminance of a given point on an illuminated screen in front of which it is rotated decreases with respect to time in the same manner as the luminance of a phosphor after excitation. The annulus is rotated at different speeds by a synchronous motor through a system of change gears and a friction drive. The spectral characteristic of the phosphor is duplicated as closely as possible by the use of an appropriate Wratten color filter. Variations in over-all brightness of the presentation are obtained with polaroids and neutral density filters. A wide range of contrasts between the “target” and background is achieved by using a small piece of Cellophane cut in the desired shape to represent the target. This is located between the polarizer and the analyzer. Variations of luminance of the target and background are obtainable independently by appropriate changes in the relative orientations of the optical axis of the Cellophane and the axes of polarization of polarizer and analyzer.
Alumni from one external degree program: Profile, perceptions, and preference

This study attempted to determine why a nontraditional program was important to alumni, and the negotiability of this degree to alumni, employers, peers and graduate schools. Data indicated that the main reasons for selecting a nontraditional program were a flexible schedule and the need to maintain a regular working day. In terms of negotiability, the degree provided recipients with higher job security, pay and responsibility. Generally the alumni initially had a low perception of what the degree would provide and were subsequently pleased with the credential, viewing it as a positive vehicle for job mobility and further study.
Ability and science learning: A quantitative synthesis

The quantitative relationship of measured ability to measured science learning was synthesized from the reported correlations in 34 studies on grade 6-12 students over a 16-year period. The findings indicate a stable central tendency and deviation of correlations across ability and cognitive learning outcome categories and across several study variables such as sample size. Reliability of measures had the greatest and only statistically significant influence on ability-cognitive outcome correlations. Ability was found to account for an average of 23% of the variance in science learning.
Estradiol, in the CNS, targets several physiologically relevant membrane-associated proteins.

We will describe the identity and function of two unexpected estrogen binding proteins from rat brain cell membranes in search for the putative membrane estrogen receptor (mER). An E-6-BSA column retained a distinctive 37-kDa protein that showed 100% homology with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). A P-3-BSA column also retained the same protein but with less affinity. E-6-BSA bound to GAPDH with an IC50 of 50 nM, whereas the IC50 for P-3-BSA was about 500 nM. A dose of 10 nM 17beta-estradiol stimulated the catalysis of GAPDH, whereas progesterone at 100 nM inhibited it. Other steroids were ineffective. We examined if GAPDH activity would change during the rat estrous cycle, and what would be the effect of ovariectomy and estrogen treatment. The hippocampus and cerebellum were collected and GAPDH catalysis in both cytosolic and plasmalemmal-microsomal fractions was tested. The highest activity was found in Proestrus morning and the lowest in Estrus in both fractions. After ovariectomy (3 weeks) the hippocampus membrane fraction showed significantly reduced activity compared to that of Diestrus. An injection of estradiol in ovariectomized rats (10 microg/rat, s.c.) increased GAPDH activity in the hippocampus membrane fractions close to 60% from that of ovariectomized oil-treated controls 24 h after treatment maintaining similar levels by 48 h. No changes were detected in the preparations from the cerebellum of the same rats. The other protein retained by E-BSA columns was a 55-kDa protein identified as beta-tubulin. Two other proteins were also co-purified from the rat hippocampus: a 37-kDa (GAPDH) and a 45-kDa (actin). A purified brain tubulin (Cytoskeleton) was also retained with high affinity by the E-6-BSA, but with less affinity by an E-17-BSA column and not retained by either BSA, P-3-BSA or C-21-BSA columns. E-6-[125I]BSA bound with high affinity to tubulin (1 microg) and 17beta-estradiol completely displaced the binding at 10(-7) M. 17alpha-estradiol was ineffective and neither progesterone, corticosterone, DES nor 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) was able to displace the ligand. The T-3-[125I]BSA also bound to tubulin. But it seems to interact with another binding site, because colchicine at 10(-5) M completely eliminated the binding of T-3-[125 I]BSA to tubulin but did not displace the E-6-BSA site. Taxol competed off both ligands but only by 50%. None of the two ligands bound actin. These novel findings add new information to be considered in the intracellular actions of estradiol, particularly in the remodeling and functions of the cytoskeleton.
Copper mining and the Utah copper mine

The history of copper mining is of especial interest inasmuch as copper has become one of our most strategic weapons in the winning of the war. One of the principal methods in use today is open-pit mining. The mine of the Utah Copper Company described in this article is typical of modern open-pit mines.
Equally Devout, but Do They Speak the Same Language? Comparing the Religious Beliefs and Practices of Social Workers and the General Public:

While the profession is witnessing growing interest in addressing consumers' spiritual and religious strengths, no studies have explicitly sought to compare the religious values of social workers with those of the general public. This study uses a nationally representative data set, the General Social Survey, to compare the beliefs and practices of graduate-level (n = 53) and bachelor-level (n = 92) social workers with those of the lower, working, and middle classes. The results suggest that the contents of belief systems differ, particularly between graduate workers and the lower and working classes, with social workers being more likely to endorse liberal religious beliefs. Yet, while the belief systems differed, there was little variation in expression, as social workers were roughly as likely to attend services and consider themselves strong adherents of their faith as members of the lower, working, and middle classes. The paper concludes by discussing some of the implications of the difference in bel...
Marsshine on Phobos

The Viking Orbiters have obtained several images of Phobos at large phase angles in which the portion of the satellite not directly illuminated by the sun is faintly visible. A photometric analysis of one such image is presented to prove that the phenomenon is real and can be explained by Marsshine (i.e., the illumination of Phobos by sunlight reflected from Mars). Such images provide cross sections of Phobos and are useful in determining the true shape and size of the satellite. The cross section observed in Picture 111A03 agrees closely with that predicted by triaxial ellipsoid model of Phobos developed by Duxbury (1974).
Distal nerve blocks at the wrist for outpatient carpal tunnel surgery offer intraoperative cardiovascular stability and reduce discharge time.

Carpal tunnel release is often performed as an outpatient procedure. We designed this retrospective study to assess the effect of different anesthesia techniques on intraoperative cardiovascular stability and discharge time. According to the anesthesia technique received, 62 consecutive patients wer
Modeling the buckling of rectilinearly orthotropic truncated conical shells

A mathematical model is constructed to study the buckling of rectilinearly orthotropic, truncated conical shells. The model consists of three coupled variable coefficient partial differential equations for the shell displacements; the formulation presented takes into account the action of locally supported applied forces normal to the lateral surface of the shell and contains two fundamental novelties: the introduction of special combinations of constitutive parameters to gauge the deviation from isotropy and a transformation of both coordinates and displacements on the developed cone surface to render the problem tractable.
Comparative analysis of outcome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma exceeding the milan criteria treated with liver transplantation versus partial hepatectomy.

IntroductionProponents of orthotopic liver transplantation (TXP) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) advocate expanding the Milan criteria. We performed a matched analysis comparing patients treated with TXP to patients treated with partial hepatectomy (PHX) for HCC exceeding the Mil
The Cosmic Ray Tau Neutrino Telescope (CRTNT) project -tau neutrino detection using fluorescence/Cerenkov light detectors

We have investigated the possibility of v(tau) detection using the Cosmic Ray Tau Neutrino Telescopes (CRTNT) based on air shower fluorescence/Cerenkov light detector techniques. This approach requires an interaction of a v(tau) with material such as a mountain. The tau lepton produced in the interaction must escape from the earth then decay and initiate a shower in the air. Trigger efficiency has been estimated for the CRTNT detector. A rate of 8 triggered events per year is expected for the AGN neutrino source model.