cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The State and Practice of American Political History at the Millennium: The Nineteenth Century as a Test Case

These are very hard times for students of American political history. Not so long ago they were a peppy and optimistic bunch and believed that they had every reason to be. For those scholars who focused their attention on nineteenth-century politics in particular, the avalanche of revisionist work from the quantitatively and behaviorally oriented “new” political historians, beginning in the late 1950s, as well as the constant outpouring of more traditional work in the genre, had expanded the reach, and deepened the understanding, of American political life after 1800. Much the same was true for politics in other chronological eras as well. The energy and example displayed by the generation of political historians active into the 1980s underscored their major, even dominant role in the study of American history. And there were few signs that anything would check the impressive growth and increasing sophistication of their contributions to historical knowledge.
MEN'S CAREGIVING: Gender and the Contingent Character of Care

This article extends recent scholarship on masculinity by analyzing the effects of social structure, social relations, and gendered caregiving ideology on the care men give to kin and friends. To be sure, men spend significantly less time giving care than do women. However, much variation is contingent on the women in men's lives: It is primarily the characteristics of men's families (including wives' caregiving; the presence of young children, especially daughters; and the availability of siblings, especially sisters) more than employment or gendered caregiving ideology that shape the amount and kind of caregiving men provide. Our findings suggest that although men's caregiving is variable and socially patterned, it is contingent on women: Wives and daughters pull men into caregiving, while adult sisters substitute for them.
Pd tetrabenzoporphyrin-dendrimers: near-infrared phosphors for oxygen measurements by phosphorescence quenching

Phosphorescence quenching is an optical method for measuring tissue oxygenation. The technique is based on the quenching of phosphorescence originated from the injected dye by molecule oxygen dissolved in the medium. The phosphor is the only 'invasive' component of the measurement procedure, and thus it is important to have precise control over the bio- distribution of the phosphor, i.e. to confine it to a single compartment within the sample. For tissue applications the phosphor must also be an effective light absorber in the near IR and to exhibit oxygen quenching constant of 200-400 Torr-1 sec-1, to permit reliable quantification of oxygen in arterioles as well as in veins. Overall, it is desirable to have synthetic, inert, hydrophilic, phosphors with quenching characteristics that are not affected by molecules other than oxygen. We discuss a new generation of phosphors based on dendrimer- tetrabenzoporphyrins, designed to satisfy the above criteria. In these phosphors, the core metallotetrabenzoporphyrins prove the required physical characteristics, while their immediate surrounding environments consist of covalently attached dendritic branches. The dendritic cages around porphyrins control their quenching properties and protect porphyrins from interactions with other substances in the blood.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On Optimal Insurance in the Presence of Moral Hazard

This paper expounds on the importance of identifiabilty of subjective probabilities in agency theory with moral hazard. An application to insurance is examined.
Trade-offs in visual processing for stimuli near the hands.

It is known that stimuli near the hands receive preferential processing. In the present study, we explored changes in early vision near the hands. Participants were more sensitive to low-spatial-frequency information and less sensitive to high-spatial-frequency information for stimuli presented close to the hands. This pattern suggests enhanced processing in the magnocellular visual pathway for such stimuli, and impaired processing in the parvocellular pathway. Consistent with that possibility, we found that the effects of hand proximity in several tasks were eliminated by illumination with red diffuse light—a manipulation known to impair magnocellular processing. These results help clarify how the hands affect vision.
Logistics systems modeling and simulation

Modern logistics systems are much more than simply networks of material flow. They involve collaboration between firms that are also competitors. The supply chain can be a key consideration in product design, with its design and operations influenced by concerns about uncertain energy costs, sustainability, economic security, and other complex issues. Because of these and other considerations, the contemporary practice in which an analysis model is the first "formal" model of the logistics system is no longer feasible. Rather, what is required for a sustainable practice of simulation in logistics is a model-based approach which begins with a formal language for capturing a defining description of the logistics system itself. This formal language must be sufficiently accessible to the logistics systems stakeholders so that they can validate the resulting system description. The resulting descriptive model will be the basis for subsequent analyses, including simulation. In this context, we address the requirements for such a formal language, describe our initial progress in developing such a language for logistics systems, and place it in the context of prior work on "reference models."
Experimental analysis of reduced-sized coplanar waveguide transmission lines

An experimental investigation of the use of capacitive loading of coplanar waveguides to reduce their line length, and thus, the size of monolithic microwave integrated circuits, is presented. The reduced sized coplanar waveguides are compared to unloaded transmission lines and to lumped element transmission line segments. The phase bandwidth, defined by 2 percent error in S/sub 21/, and the return loss bandwidth, defined by a return loss greater than 15 dB, of coplanar waveguides reduced from 0 to 90 percent are compared, and the insertion loss as a function of the size reduction is presented.
Structural determinants of aromatase cytochrome p450 inhibition in substrate recognition site-1.

The porcine gonadal form of aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) exhibits higher sensitivity to inhibition by the imidazole, etomidate, than the placental isozyme. The residue(s) responsible for this functional difference was mapped using chimeragenesis and point mutation analysis of the placental isozyme, and the kinetic analysis was conducted on native and mutant enzymes after overexpression in insect cells. The etomidate sensitivity of the placental isozyme was markedly increased by substitution of the predicted substrate recognition site-1 (SRS-1) and essentially reproduced that of the gonadal isozyme by substitution of SRS-1 and the predicted B helix. A single isoleucine (I) to methionine (M) substitution at position 133 of the placental isozyme (I133M) was proven to be the critical residue within SRS-1. Residue 133 is located in the B′-C loop and has been shown to be equally important in other steroid-metabolizing P450s. Single point mutations (including residues 110, 114, 120, 128, 137, and combina...
Repeated Evolution of Dioecy from Monoecy in Siparunaceae (Laurales)

Siparunaceae comprise Glossocalyx with one species in West Africa and Siparuna with 65 species in the neotropics; all have unisexual flowers, and 15 species are monoecious, 50 dioecious. Parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of combined nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast trnL-trnF intergenic spacer sequences yielded almost identical topologies, which were used to trace the evolution of the two sexual systems. The African species, which is dioecious, was sister to all neotropical species, and the monoecious species formed a grade basal to a large dioecious Andean clade. Dioecy evolved a second time within the monoecious grade. Geographical mapping of 6,496 herbarium collections from all species sorted by sexual system showed that monoecy is confined to low-lying areas (altitude < 700 m) in the Amazon basin and southern Central America. The only morphological trait with a strong phylogenetic signal is leaf margin shape (entire or toothed), although this character also correlates with altitude, probably reflecting selection on leaf shapes by temperature and rainfall regimes. The data do not reject the molecular clock, and branch lengths suggest that the shift to dioecy in the lowlands occurred many million years after the shift to dioecy in the ancestor of the Andean clade.
Linking Substance Abuse Services with General Medical Care: Integrated, Brief Interventions with Hospitalized Patients

This paper presents the results of implementing on-site alcohol or drug (AOD) brief intervention services across several medical, surgical, and psychiatric services in a county hospital. These integrated brief interventions (IBI) included patient substance abuse assessment, feedback to patient, and referral/recommendations. Three hundred sixty-three patients were referred by hospital staff to these services and 95% of these patients were subsequently confirmed by chemical dependency specialists as having diagnoses of psychoactive substance abuse or dependence. Seventy-nine percent of chemically dependent patients were without current substance abuse treatment, even though 54% were partially motivated and 20% were fully motivated for getting treatment. Of patients contacted at follow-up, 35% reported involvement in some kind of substance abuse treatment or 12-step meetings. Implications for implementing integrated brief intervention services are discussed in light of recent trends in publicly funded treatment availability and brief intervention outcome studies.
Reductions in Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Associated with Chronic Consumption of Alcohol

Neurotoxic effects of habitual alcohol consumption were investigated by correlating the subjects' estimates of abstinence or frequency and amount of alcohol consumed with measurements of gray matter blood flow utilizing the 133Xe inhalation method. Two hundred and twenty-two subjects were studied, including 136 healthy subjects, 82 subjects with well-established risk factors for stroke (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart disease, and diabetes mellitus), and four subjects with chronic alcoholic dementia of the Wernicke-Korsakoff type. Subjects were classified according to average quantitative amounts of alcohol consumed per day, week, or month for the past five years. Comparisons of mean values for hemispheric gray matter blood flow indicated significant inverse relationships with the average amounts of alcohol consumed. This linear relationship occurred regardless of whether or not other risk factors were present and indicated that alcohol itself was a risk factor reducing gray matter blood flow and had additive effects of reducing cerebral blood flow further when combined with other risk factors. Patients who had chronic Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome had the most severely reduced blood flow levels, as might be predicted from extrapolation of the regression line comparing cerebral blood flow values with the degree of chronic alcohol consumption.
An Explicit Description of the Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces of Gaussian RBF Kernels

Although Gaussian radial basis function (RBF) kernels are one of the most often used kernels in modern machine learning methods such as support vector machines (SVMs), little is known about the structure of their reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs). In this work, two distinct explicit descriptions of the RKHSs corresponding to Gaussian RBF kernels are given and some consequences are discussed. Furthermore, an orthonormal basis for these spaces is presented. Finally, it is discussed how the results can be used for analyzing the learning performance of SVMs
Estimation of the position and orientation of a planar surface using multiple beams

A sensory system consisting of a camera and several laser beams is described. It is designed for estimating the parameters of a planar surface with respect to the camera. Estimation is possible when the beam positions and directions are known, as well as the image of the beam spots on a planar surface. The system is readily applicable in an industrial environment for automation, if it is attached to a robot arm and is connected to a computer. >
Location-aware type ahead search on spatial databases: semantics and efficiency

Users often search spatial databases like yellow page data using keywords to find businesses near their current location. Typing the entire query is cumbersome and prone to errors, especially from mobile phones. We address this problem by introducing type-ahead search functionality on spatial databases. Like keyword search on spatial data, type-ahead search needs to be location-aware, i.e., with every letter being typed, it needs to return spatial objects whose names (or descriptions) are valid completions of the query string typed so far, and which rank highest in terms of proximity to the user's location and other static scores. Existing solutions for type-ahead search cannot be used directly as they are not location-aware. We show that a straight-forward combination of existing techniques for performing type-ahead search with those for performing proximity search perform poorly. We propose a formal model for query processing cost and develop novel techniques that optimize that cost. Our empirical evaluations on real and synthetic datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work on location-aware type-ahead search.
Convergence acceleration for a three-dimensional Euler/Navier-Stokes zonal approach

A fast diagonal algorithm is coupled with a zonal approach to solve the three-dimensional Euler/Navier-Stokes equations. Transonic viscous solutions are obtained on a 150,000 point mesh for a NACA 0012 wing. The new computational approach yields a speedup by as much as a factor of 40 over the standard Beam-Warming algorithm/zonal method originally coded. A three-order-of-magnitude drop in the L2-norm of the residual requires approximately 500 iterations, which takes about 45 min of CPU time on a Cray-XMP. The numerically computed solutions are in good agreement with experimental results. Effects on convergence rate owing to increasing the zonal boundary overlap regions, different stretching distributions in the viscous regions, and different CFL values are also explored.
The O.M.E.N.S. Classification of Hemifacial Microsomia

The wide spectrum of anomalies associated with hemifacial microsomia (HFM) has made systematic and inclusive classification difficult. We propose a nosologic system in which each letter of the acronym O.M.E.N.S. indicates one of the five major manifestations of HFM. O for orbital distortion; M for mandibular hypoplasia; E for ear anomaly; N for nerve involvement; and S for soft tissue deficiency. The O.M.E.N.S. system is easily adapted for data storage, retrieval, and statistical analysis. A retrospective study of 154 patients with HFM classified according to the O.M.E.N.S. system confirmed the concept that the mandibular deformity is the cornerstone of the anomaly. Statistical analysis demonstrated a positive association between mandibular hypoplasia and the severity of orbital, auricular, neural, and soft tissue involvement. This study did not confirm a previously reported predominance of gender or sidedness. Analysis of statistical correlations failed to substantiate a Goldenhar variant as a syndromic entity. Our analysis showed that palatal deviation is probably caused by muscular hypoplasia and not by weakness of a particular cranial nerve.
Multilevel splitting for reachability analysis of stochastic hybrid systems

Biochemical research is increasingly using formal modeling, simulation, and analysis methods to improve the understanding of complex systems. Probabilistic analysis techniques such as Monte Carlo methods can be used to determine reachability or safety probabilities for large Stochastic Hybrid System (SHS) models, but systems containing influential rare events may require prohibitively large numbers of realizations to generate accurate estimates. In this work we present a multilevel splitting variance reduction method for SHS that improves the accuracy and efficiency of Monte Carlo methods for rare events. We apply the approach for reachability analysis of a SHS model of glycolysis, which is a biochemical energy conversion process found in virtually every living cell. We also present a method for selecting the variance reduction parameters as well as accuracy and efficiency analysis of our techniques.
Molecular Imaging Approaches for Supplemental Screening in Women at Increased Breast Cancer Risk.

Mammography is an effective screening method that reduces breast cancer mortality ([1][1]). However, mammography is not a perfect test and its sensitivity is diminished in women with dense breast tissue ([2][2]). For women at increased breast cancer risk, the use of imaging modalities in addition to
Age Differences in Eicosanoid Production of Mouse Splenocytes: Effects on Mitogen-induced T-cell Proliferation

In order to determine the contribution of suppressive factors secreted from macrophages to the age-associated decline in T-cell mediated mitogenic responses, experiments were conducted to characterize eicosanoid and H2O2 production, total cellular fatty acid, and vitamin E composition of splenocytes isolated from young (4 mo) and old (24 mo) C57BL/6NIA mice. An age-related increase was observed in Ca++ ionophore A23187-stimulated ex-vivo production of prostaglandin (PG) E2, leukotriene (LT) B4, and LTC4 (p < .01), and in concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated PGE2 production (p < .01). No age-related difference was observed in ex-vivo production of 12- and 15-hydroxyeicosatetranoic acid (HETE). The age-related increase in PGE2 production was also observed in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peritoneal macrophages of C57BL/6NIA mice and ConA and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated splenocytes isolated from DBA mice. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase with indomethacin resulted in increased ConA-stimulated proliferation of splenocytes from old mice (p < .01), while 5-lipoxygenase inhibition did not have an effect on mitogen induced proliferation. Furthermore, PGE2 addition to purified splenic T-cells decreased their proliferation. No age-related differences were observed in total cellular fatty acid composition, vitamin E level, or ex-vivo production of H2O2 from splenocytes stimulated with 10 or 100 ng phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). These data indicate that aging is associated with increased production of PG and LT from activated splenocytes. Inhibition of PGE2 but not LT production enhances mitogenic responses of old mice, suggesting a contributory role for PGE2 in the age-associated decline of T-cell responsiveness to polyclonal mitogens.
Toxicity of Pine Resin Vapors to Three Species of Dendroctonus Bark Beetles

The vapor toxicity or saturated resin vapors of both host and non-host pines was determined for three species of Dendroctonus: D. brevicomis Le Conte, D. monticolae Hopkins, and D. jeffreyi Hopkins. Results with hard pines substantiate the hypothesis that bark beetles of this genus can tolerate saturated vapors of host resin but not of non-host resin, suggesting that resin is a determining factor in host specificity. Results with sort pines do not substantiate the hypothesis, suggesting that other properties of resin or non-resinous characteristics of these pines determine host specificity. A delayed effect in many tests with hard pine host resin suggests that even host resins can be deleterious under certain conditions. Variable results were obtained with hybrid pines. Resin vapors of non-host✕non-host hybrids were toxic. D. brevicornis and D. jeffreyi were usually significantly affected by non-hosthost✕host hybrid resin vapors while D. monticolae was not. The overall results suggest that resin in some capacity may be an important factor in host resistance.
Structure-Based Inhibitor Design for Evaluation of a Cyp3A4 Pharmacophore Model.

Human cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is a key xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme that oxidizes and clears the majority of drugs. CYP3A4 inhibition may lead to drug-drug interactions, toxicity, and other adverse effects but, in some cases, could be beneficial and enhance therapeutic efficiency of coadministered pharmaceuticals that are metabolized by CYP3A4. On the basis of our investigations of analogs of ritonavir, a potent CYP3A4 inactivator and pharmacoenhancer, we have built a pharmacophore model for a CYP3A4-specific inhibitor. This study is the first attempt to test this model using a set of rationally designed compounds. The functional and structural data presented here agree well with the proposed pharmacophore. In particular, we confirmed the importance of a flexible backbone, the H-bond donor/acceptor moiety, and aromaticity of the side group analogous to Phe-2 of ritonavir and demonstrated the leading role of hydrophobic interactions at the sites adjacent to the heme and phenylalanine cluster in the ligand binding process. The X-ray structures of CYP3A4 bound to the rationally designed inhibitors provide deeper insights into the mechanism of the CYP3A4-ligand interaction. Most importantly, two of our compounds (15a and 15b) that are less complex than ritonavir have comparable submicromolar affinity and inhibitory potency for CYP3A4 and, thus, could serve as templates for synthesis of second generation inhibitors for further evaluation and optimization of the pharmacophore model.
Using Infinitesimals to Differentiate Secant and Tangent

(2015). Using Infinitesimals to Differentiate Secant and Tangent. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 122, No. 5, pp. 494-494.
A Case-Based System to Aid Cognition and Meta-Cognition is a Design-Based Learning Environment.

Design-based learning (DBL) has many affordances for promoting deep and lasting learning of both content and complex skills. However, careful orchestration and scaffolding are usually needed to achieve its full potential. In this paper, we describe our efforts at implementing a software suite to meet the cognitive and meta-cognitive needs of learners engaged in DBL. In Study 1, our software suite gave learners the opportunity to design in simulation, to run experiments to learn the effects of variables, and it scaffolded science explanation construction. Through our analysis of study 1 we identified both cognitive and metacognitive needs that the software did not provide for. To meet these additional requirements, we added an interactive science resource and a case library to the software to provide multi-representational content material, to facilitate exploration, and to invite metacognitive reflection needed to do well at learning through design. Learners recognized what they did not understand, took initiative to explore those science concepts, and applied them in novel ways. We present here our analysis of the kinds of metacognitive help learners need to productively learn from design activities and some ways of providing that help. Our conclusion is that cognitive aid without related metacognitive aid is insufficient in a DBL environment.
Hemorrhagic shock and acid gastric injury in the rat: Comparison of gross and histologic findings

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the gross and histologic changes in the corpus and antrum in the rat hemorrhagic shock plus acid model of gastric injury, and to determine the effect of transfusion of shed blood or albumin on gastric lesion formation. The data indicate that (a) despite the gross appearance of more severe damage in the corpus, histologic damage was more severe in the antrum; (b) covering mucus and cell debris partly explain the difficulty in recognizing antral lesions grossly; (c) the severity of histologic injury was similar in transfused and nontransfused rats; and (d) transfusion of shed blood rendered corpus lesions more recognizable grossly but did not affect the severity of histologic injury. The latter findings raise questions about the pathogenetic importance of reperfusion in gastric ischemic injury and the validity of using gross lesions as an index of gastric injury.
Abstract 1760: Corin Variant Associated with Hypertension and Cardiac Hypertrophy Exhibits Impaired Zymogen Activation and Natriuretic Peptide Processing Activity

Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease. Its prevalence in African-Americans is disproportionably high but the underlying cause is unclear. Corin is a cardiac protease that converts pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to active ANP. Recently, two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (T555I and Q568P) in the corin gene were identified in population genetic studies including the Dallas Heart, MESA, and Chicago Genetics of Hypertension Studies. The minor I555/P568 allele, which is more common in African-Americans, is associated with hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. Here we examined if T555I and Q568P changes alter corin function. Plasmids encoding human corin variants were made by mutagenesis and expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells. The corin expressing cells were incubated with human pro-ANP and pro-brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) at 37°C. The natriuretic peptide processing activity was assessed by analyzing pro-ANP/pro-BNP and their derivatives using immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. We found that mutant corin lacking frizzled-like domain 2, where T555I/Q568P changes occur, had 30 ± 5% ( p p p
Capsule Commentary on Nixon et al., Describing Failure in a Clinical Clerkship: Implications for Identifying, Assessing and Remediating Struggling Learners.

F or some time, medical educators have sought the most robust method of identifying and successfully remediating struggling learners. In the study by Nixon et al., the authors conducted an in depth assessment of the reasons for failure within an internal medicine clerkship. They examined various critical deficiencies and the frequency of those deficiencies across multiple domains: knowledge for practice, interpersonal and communication skills, overall knowledge and skill, patient care, personal and professional development, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, interprofessional collaboration, systems-based practice and overall conduct. All students who failed had deficiencies in at least two competency domains, with the most frequently noted critical deficiencies being interpersonal and communication skills, insufficient knowledge and patient care. Findings were similar in a study of remediating learners and practicing physicians by Guerrasio et al., where subjects were found to have more than one deficit. Medical educators may then ask the very practical question, Bhow do educators identify such students?^ The authors submit that direct observation and a thorough assessment of medical students in the aforementioned competency domains are key in identifying such deficiencies. Thus, a model of direct observation to identify and remediate failing students could be essential, especially given the underutilization of direct observation that occurs on clerkships. The authors propose that once a student is identified as failing to meet expectations in one area, this should prompt an examination of competencies in other areas. Effective identification of the struggling learner will allow educators to design a remediation program of a proactive nature. A proposed model of remediation was suggested in a thematic review by Hauer et al., which includes development of a learning plan that integrates deliberate practice, feedback, reflection and reassessment. Although many questions remain in the search to determine the best approach to struggling learners, this study sets the stage for future research, which should examine methods to improve identification and remediation of medical students.
On Alternative Approaches

Having completed our discussion about the nature and origin of irreversibility, it is time to step back and assess the result. The mechanism we offer has the virtue of simplicity, but on the other side, it may seem to be too simple to account for the pervasiveness of irreversible phenomena. For example, we have noticed that many theorists have sought the source of irreversibility in the domain of the very large or of the very small. They have tried to find macroscopic or microscopic mechanisms which provide a basis for irreversibility. Translated into the context of contemporary physical theory, this means that cosmology or quantum mechanics is expected to yield a mechanism for the prevalent irreversibility of everyday life.
Ultrashort echo time magnetization transfer (UTE-MT) imaging and modeling: magic angle independent biomarkers of tissue properties

MRI biomarkers such as T2 , T2 * and T1rho have been widely used, but are confounded by the magic angle effect. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of the two-dimensional ultrashort echo time magnetization transfer (UTE-MT) sequence for potential magic angle independent MR biomarkers. Magnetization transfer was investigated in cadaveric Achilles tendon samples using the UTE-MT sequence at five MT powers and five frequency offsets ranging from 2 to 50 kHz. The protocol was applied at five sample orientations ranging from 0 to 90° relative to the B0 field. The results were analyzed with a two-pool quantitative MT model. Multiple TE data were also acquired and mono-exponential T2 * was calculated for each orientation. Macromolecular proton fractions and exchange rates derived from UTE-MT modeling did not appreciably change between the various orientations, whereas the T2 * relaxation time demonstrated up to a sixfold increase from 0° to 55°. The UTE-MT technique with two-pool modeling shows promise as a clinically compatible technique that is resistant to the magic angle effect. This method provides information on the macromolecular proton pool that cannot be directly obtained by other methods, including regular UTE techniques.
Hip dysplasia in the young adult caused by residual childhood and adolescent-onset dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a treatable developmental disorder that presents early in life but if neglected can lead to chronic disability due to pain, decreased function, and early osteoarthritis. The main causes of hip dysplasia in the young adult are residual childhood developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and adolescent-onset acetabular dysplasia. These two distinct disease processes affect the growing hip during different times of development but result in a similar deformity and pathomechanism of hip degeneration. Routine screening for DDH and counseling regarding risks for acetabular dysplasia in families with a history of early hip osteoarthritis may allow early identification and intervention in these hips with anatomical risk factors for joint degeneration.
Evaluating the relationship between tumor growth and SUV with FDG PET

1570 Objectives To investigate the predictive value of FDG-PET for progression of disease in hepatoceullular carcinoma. Definitive HCC treatment is currently liver transplantation. Accurate prediction of tumor behavior aids in allocation of the limited supply of donor livers. Additionally, therapies such as Y-90 radioembolization performed as a bridge to transplant have their own cost and morbidities. Assessing which lesions will exceed Milan criteria without therapy is essential to transplant planning. Methods A retrospective review of 54 patients who had both a FDG PET and at least 2 studies involving multiple phases of intravenous contrast. SUV of the HCC was compared with rate of growth. Maximum SUV of the HCC as well as Tumor to Nontumor liver ratio were calculated from FDG uptake. Tumor growth rate was calculated from 2 multiphase exams separated by at least 2 months using the volume of all lesions greater than 1 cm Results Mean SUV of lesions was 3.2. Mean TNR was 1.28. Change in volume was related to TNR in the study group, but not in a statistically significant way (p Conclusions Our results show that FDG PET can predict tumor growth rate, but only in patients with viral hepatitis. Absence of correlation in patients with liver disease related to ethanol or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease suggests different biology of tumors in patients with alcoholic liver disease. The results in patients with viral hepatitis are consistent with prior studies showing correlation between doubling time and tumor to normal ratio by Shiomi et. al. Patients in that study were more likely to have viral hepatitis than cirrhosis related to NAFLD or alcohol.
pycalphad: CALPHAD-based Computational Thermodynamics in Python

The pycalphad software package is a free and open-source Python library for designing thermodynamic models, calculating phase diagrams and investigating phase equilibria using the CALPHAD method. It provides routines for reading thermodynamic databases and solving the multi-component, multi-phase Gibbs energy minimization problem. The pycalphad software project advances the state of thermodynamic modeling by providing a flexible yet powerful interface for manipulating CALPHAD data and models. The key feature of the software is that the thermodynamic models of individual phases and their associated databases can be programmatically manipulated and overridden at run-time without modifying any internal solver or calculation code. Because the models are internally decoupled from the equilibrium solver and the models themselves are represented symbolically, pycalphad is an ideal tool for CALPHAD database development and model prototyping.
Hell bay trials: A multinational collaborative marine autonomy field experimentation program

As part of The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP), a series of trials has been held over the past three years to focus on collaboration in the unmanned maritime systems environment between the following nations: Australia (AS), Canada (CA), New Zealand (NZ), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). The trials have taken place in San Diego, CA US, Patuxent River, MA US, and Portsmouth, UK. This paper will review the objectives and results of the trials which include: Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) evaluations, collaborative search-classify-map missions (SCM) between two vehicles, and squad based collaboration between underwater and surface vehicles. The upcoming fourth trial (Hell Bay IV) being held in Lochalsh, Scotland, UK in October of this year will also be discussed.
MOISTURE STRESS, MID-TROPOSPHERIC PRESSURE PATTERNS, AND THE FOREST/GRASSLAND TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL STATES

The climatic causes of the major forest/grassland ecotone in the south central United States (Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas) are still poorly understood. Grassland and forest vegetation types differ markedly in their ability to withstand water stress induced by vapor pressure deficit (VPD), the difference between saturation vapor pressure and actual vapor pressure in the atmosphere. VPD is an airmass characteristic induced by ambient temperatures higher than dewpoint temperature. Mean summer airmass movement is from the Gulf of Mexico onto the continent in the central states area, but mean VPD displays a strong gradient approximately parallel to the ecotone. A subset of days having the strongest VPD gradients across the ecotone also had a 500 mb pressure height pattern identical to the long-term mean (modal) pattern. This 500 mb pattern, with a ridge over the Rocky Mountains and a trough over the Great Lakes, induces subsidence, stability, warming, and high VPD in Great Plains airmasses. Farther east,...
Economic sustainability: Less pesticide rarely causes loss.

A large-scale study covering a wide range of arable farming systems reveals that, besides the obvious environmental benefits, low pesticide use rarely decreases productivity and profitability.
MEMS based impedance biosensor for rapid detection of low concentrations of foodborne pathogens

An impedance based MEMS biosensor for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in food products was designed, fabricated and tested. The device was especially designed with regions for focusing the E.coli cells into the centerline of the microchannel, trapping that surrounds the detection electrode to confine and facilitate the contact and binding of E.coli antigens with E.coli antibody immobilized on the detection electrodes. The devices were tested with and without applying AC signal on the focusing electrodes. The results demonstrate the addition of the focusing capability has increased the strength of the measured signal by a factor of 9, and high sensitivity of 13 cell/ml and detection time of 30 minutes which is significantly quicker than traditional bacterial culture, PCR and ELISA based detection.
Lung Consolidation Locations for Optimal Lung Ultrasound Scanning in Diagnosing Pediatric Pneumonia.

Objectives Lung ultrasound (US) has been shown to be accurate in diagnosing pneumonia in children. Evidence to inform an optimal scanning protocol is limited. Our objective is to describe an optimized lung US scanning protocol for pediatric pneumonia based on the anatomic location and transducer orientation. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of data and images from 2 prospective lung US studies for the emergency department diagnosis of pneumonia in children (0–21 years). The anatomic location of each lung consolidation was mapped to 1 or more of 6 anatomic zones on the chest, noting the transducer orientation (sagittal or transverse) in which it was identified. Results Seventy-eight patients were included; 51% were female, and the median age was 3 years (interquartile range, 1–7 years). Overall, 46.5% (95% CI confidence interval [CI], 37.9%–55.1%) of lung zones with a visible consolidation were posterior; 31.0% (95% CI, 23.0%–39.0%) were anterior; and 22.5% (95% CI, 15.3%–29.1%) were axillary. A total of 54.3% (95% CI, 45.7%–62.9%) of affected lung zones were in the lower lung compared to the upper lung (8.5%; 95% CI, 3.7%–13.3%) and middle lung (37.2%; 95% CI, 28.9%–45.5%). Most lung consolidations were seen in both transducer orientations: 96.2% (95% CI, 92.0%–100%) of patients had a visible consolidation on the transverse view, whereas 85.9% (95% CI, 78.2%–93.6% had a consolidation on the sagittal view. Conclusions Efficient lung US scanning may start with the posterior, anterior, and then lateral chest zones if no pneumonia is identified. A transverse transducer orientation detects more pneumonia than a sagittal orientation. Omission of either orientation or any lung zone may miss pneumonia.
Financing va hospitals: the case of medicare-eligible veterans

We present a legislative background and assessment of approaches to financing the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare services, and focus on issues related to beneficiaries eligible for both VA and Medicare benefits. We refer to a large, VA Medical Center (VAMC) hospital and healthcare complex as a case for comparison of financing approaches. Several legislative proposals had been made to grant the VA funding transfers from Medicare. To date, none has passed in the Congress. Our analysis shows that payments from Medicare would need to be adjusted for the specialized characteristics of VAMC patients, as well as for higher capital costs related to the federal VAMC mandate to maintain reserve capacity for national health emergencies, in order to appropriately apply Medicare payments.
Expert systems for efficient handling of medical information. I. Lung cancer.

Rule-based expert systems offer the ability to quickly retrieve considerable amounts of information relevant to specific situations; the technology can be potentially very useful to physicians in an era characterized by an explosion of medical data. A simple rule-based expert system that allows a microcomputer user to obtain staging, prognostic and therapeutic information relevant to patients with lung cancer is presented. The program was constructed by utilizing an inexpensive expert system development package (EXSYS). Using information from the literature, 194 rules were formulated; these rules can be expanded or updated at any time. The computer user interacting with the system is asked sequential questions regarding the characteristics of the tumor (T) of a particular patient, the nodal status (N), the presence or absence of metastasis (M), how the staging information was derived (clinically or at surgery), the tumor cell type and the therapeutic options being considered (different surgical procedures, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and others). The system selects the appropriate answers and displays the stage of the tumor and relevant prognostic information. The microcomputer user can also examine the rules that were selected by the system. These rules have relevant comments that apply to the specific condition, as well as appropriate references. The microcomputer user can change all or some of the conditions (i.e., therapeutic options) and compare the results of the various "WHAT-IF" simulations.
Performance Assessment of Pharmacotherapy: Results from a Content Validity Survey of the Psychopharmacotherapy-Structured Clinical Observation (P-SCO) Tool

The Psychopharmacotherapy-Structured Clinical Observation (P-SCO) tool is designed to assess performance of a medication management visit and to enhance feedback. Prior research indicated that the P-SCO was feasible to implement in a resident clinic and generated behaviorally specific, high-quality feedback. This research also highlighted problems with some of the instrument’s items. This study seeks to improve the items. The authors initially revised the P-SCO items based on the problems identified by a prior study. Next, these items were iteratively modified by experts in clinical pharmacotherapy and educational assessment. Forty-five items emerged. Finally, faculty attending an annual department education retreat rated each item on its relevance (4-point scale) and provided comments on how the item might be revised. For final inclusion, an item must have met a quantitative threshold (i.e., content validity index equal to or greater than 0.8 and the lower end of the asymmetric confidence interval equal to or greater than 3.0) and received comments that were supportive. Forty-one of the 45 items had strong quantitative support. However, the comments endorsed lumping a number of items in order to decrease overlap between items and to shorten the instrument. This process resulted in the further elimination of 15 items. The revised 26-item P-SCO builds upon prior evidence of feasibility and utility and now possesses additional evidence of content validity. The use of the tool should enhance feedback and improve the capacity of educational programs to assess performance.
Understanding and Changing Organizational Culture in Surgery

Culture is about using a “similarity of approach, outlook, and priorities” to reach a common goal. That universal goal in healthcare and surgery is clear—provide quality, safe, efficient, patient-centered care. How best to achieve this goal, however, remains unclear. This chapter will outline the differences between organizational climate and culture, the current methods for measuring safety climate and culture, and finally ways to expand our current understanding of this vital facet of surgical care in order to ultimately enact change.
VUMC Clinical Information System

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) began to create an integrated advanced information management system (IAIMS) in 1991, when Dr. William Stead arrived to become the associate vice chancellor and director of the new Informatics Center at Vanderbilt, and brought with him more than a decade of relevant informatics and IAIMS experiences [Stead 1991a,b]. Prior to 1991, Vanderbilt’s strategy had been to select and deploy individual “best of class” information systems for admission/discharge/transfer and billing, dietary, materials management, pharmacy, laboratory, and radiology. These systems were used primarily to automate tasks. Admitting and discharge data were exchanged through an interface engine to minimize redundant data entry. A limited database of billing data supported management decisions.
Use of drug-resistance mutants to identify functional regions in picornavirus capsid proteins

The WIN drugs and similar hydrophobic compounds that insert into the capsid of picornaviruses have been shown to block viral uncoating. In some of the human rhinoviruses they also block attachment of virus to cells. Spontaneously occurring drug-resistant mutants of human rhinovirus 14 and poliovirus type 3 were selected for their ability to make plaques in the presence of the selecting drug. The HRV-14 mutants either prevented drug binding or allowed the virus to attach to cells in the presence of drug. About two thirds of the poliovirus mutants were dependent on the presence of drug for plaque formation. In single cycle growth curves, drug was not required for the formation of drug-dependent progeny virus. However, progeny virus grown without drug never accumulated outside of cells, thus making the formation of plaques impossible. This behavior was apparently caused by the extreme thermolability of these mutants. In the absence of drug, heating to 37°C rapidly converted them to non-infectious particles with a sedimentation coefficient of 135S.
Situation-Aware Interface Design: An Interaction Constraints Model for Finding the Right Interaction for Mobile and Wearable Computer Systems

The design of mobile and wearable computing devices involves decisions about how the user interacts with the hardware and software composing the device. Since applications of, and usage environments for, mobile and wearable computers has varied greatly, it has been difficult to build on previously collected design knowledge. The Interaction Constraints Model described in this paper offers an application-neutral and domain-independent approach for comparing different applications and usage scenarios. The Interaction Constraints Model provides a means to map information about user interface implementations to specific work situations. In this way, a system designer can use a set of generic interaction constraints to identify and retrieve information about user interface components from previous projects. In a proof-ofconcept implementation of the Interaction Constraints Model, we were able to validate the approach of the model and we demonstrate the usefulness for the design of wearable computer user interactions.
Pediatric Injury Prevention, the EMSC, and the CDC

Abstract Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in children 1-18 years old in the United States, and many of these injuries are preventable. The Haddon matrix is a foundational concept of injury prevention, examining different phases and factors of the injury process to develop interventions. Primary prevention, including injury prevention, is the first phase of the Emergency Medical Services for Children continuum of care. As part of this continuum, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are integral components of the national prevention efforts to decrease unintentional injuries due to motor vehicle crashes and home and recreational injuries as well as intentional injuries. This article describes a brief history of the Emergency Medical Services for Children, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as injury prevention initiatives for some of the leading causes of pediatric injuries and child maltreatment.