cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The association of distal femur and proximal tibia shape with sex: The Osteoarthritis Initiative

Abstract Objectives Risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) is much higher in women than in men. Previous studies have shown that bone shape is a risk factor for knee OA. However, few studies have examined whether knee bone shape differs between men and women. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether there are differences between men and women in knee bone shape. Methods We used information from the NIH-funded Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), a cohort of persons aged 45–79 at baseline who either had symptomatic knee OA or were at high risk of it. Among participants aged between 45 and 60 years, we randomly sampled 340 knees without radiographic OA (i.e., Kellgren/Lawrence grade of 0 in central readings on baseline radiograph). We characterized distal femur and proximal tibia shape of these selected radiographs using statistical shape modeling (SSM). We performed linear regression analysis to examine the association between sex and each knee shape mode (proximal tibia and distal femur), adjusting for age, race, body mass index (BMI), and clinic site. Results The mean age was 52.7 years (±4.3 SD) for both men and women. There were 192 female and 147 male knees for the distal femur analysis. Thirteen modes were derived for femoral shape, accounting for 95.5% of the total variance. Distal femur mode 1 had the greatest difference in standardized score of knee shape between females and males (1.04, p p = 0.01); modes 3 and 4 were also significantly associated. Conclusion The shapes of the distal femur and proximal tibia that form the knee joint differ by sex. Additional analyses are warranted to assess whether the difference in risk of OA between the sexes arises from bone shape differences.
GENETIC VARIATION AND SPECIATION IN NEW WORLD CICHLIDS

In both the New and Old World, endemism in freshwater fishes of the family Cichlidae presents novel problems in differentiation and speciation (Fryer and Iles, 1972; Trewavas et al., 1972; Greenwood, 1974). In the New World, at least three undescribed forms are endemic to the Cuatro Cienegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico (Taylor and Minckley, 1966; Minckley, 1969; La Bounty, 1974). The most abundant and widely distributed of the endemic forms possesses very fine pharyngeal teeth and light supporting musculature, and feeds primarily upon algae and detritus. Occurring with less abundance and more limited distribution, is a form characterized by thick heavy pharyngeal teeth used primarily for feeding upon snails. Upon external examination, the two forms are indistinguishable. The distribution and abundance of a third endemic is very restricted. It is presumably predatory in habit, and differs markedly in shape and dentition from the other two types (Taylor and Minckley, 1966; La Bounty, 1974). The occurrence of these endemic fishes within a limited geographic area is reminiscent of certain African lake cichlids (Fryer and Iles, 1972). Although the ancestoral form is not known, a widely distributed species, Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum (Baird and Girard) has invaded portions of the Cuatro Cienegas Basin in recent years, and occurs sympatrically with the endemic species in several places. Hybrids between C. cyanoguttatum and the two endemics are rare (La Bounty, 1974).
Development, Oviposition, and Feeding of the Cabbage Webworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Cabbage webworm, Hellula rogatalis (Hulst), development on broccoli was determined at five constant temperatures ranging from 15 to 35°e. At 15°e, egg to mature larva was 119.4 d, but larvae failed to pupate. Development from egg to death of the adults was 89.9, 42.8, 34.0, and 22.8 d at 20, 26, 30, and 35°e, respectively. Fecundity increased with temperature between 20 and 30°e, with a maximum of 161.5 eggs per female at 30°e, but decreased to 8.2 at 35°C. Most eggs were laid on the upper surface of the broccoli leaf. No eggs hatched at 10°C, but at 15°C, egg hatch was 19.1%, and increased to 89.3% at 26°C. There were five instars; head-capsule width for the first through fifth instars was 0.19, 0.29, 0.49,0.78, and 1.20 mm, respectively. The first two instars mined the leaf; later instars fed on the under surface of rolled leaves, within spun webs, and the last two instars fed on the leaf as well as the midrib, breaking it in two. The constant temperature data obtained were used to construct developmental time function curves using the population model design system software program.
Improved Feeding Bioassay for the Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

An improved feeding bioassay was developed to assess effects of semiochemicals on feeding by adult boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman. The bioassay eliminates reliance on cotton squares or preparation of paper-wrapped feeding plugs common to previous methods. Any solvent may be used to deliver semiochemicals without observable adverse effects on the insect’s feeding. A series of experiments was conducted to select a preferred media and its surface shape, number of feeding sites (wells) and insects per bioassay dish, and light conditions. The reliability of the method was determined by comparing results generated from it with those from a dipped cotton square assay. Methanolic solutions of quercitrin, rutin, and crude cotton tannin were coated onto cotton squares and also applied to the lens papers in the plate bioassay. Quercitrin was a feeding deterrent in both bioassays while rutin was a feeding stimulant in the plate bioassay. Tannin was neither stimulatory nor deterrent compared with controls in either bioassay.
A COMPARISON OF TWO MODELS FOR ESTIMATING PHYLOGENETIC EFFECT ON TRAIT VARIATION.

One of the keys to comparative analyses in evolutionary biology is the ability to control for the phylogenetic influence on trait variation among related taxa. We show that two of the current methods for "controlling" or "subtracting out" the effects due to phylogeny are substantively different in their results in that the quantities remaining after subtraction do not contain the same information about the trait. Hence any conclusions as to the remaining trait variation among the taxa will differ in the two methods. The two methods of interest are Lynch's (1991) mixed model and the spatial autocorrelation model proposed by Cheverud and Dow (1985) and Cheverud et al. (1985). Both models are considered to be variance apportioning methods in that they are purported to determine the proportion of the variation of a trait that is attributable to phylogeny and the proportion due to taxon specific effects, for example, natural selection or genetic drift (Harvey and Pagel 1991; Miles and Dunham 1993; Losos and Miles 1994). This partitioning of trait variation into phylogenetic and site-specific (nonphylogenetic) components is often recommended as a method for controlling or removing phylogenetic influences; the remaining information can then be analyzed using standard regression or correlation procedures to study patterns among the taxa. An important question is what information do the residuals, that is, the trait values after phylogeny is "subtracted out," from the different methods actually contain?
Coupled Mercury–Cell Sorption, Reduction, and Oxidation on Methylmercury Production by Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA

G. sulfurreducens PCA cells have been shown to reduce, sorb, and methylate Hg(II) species, but it is unclear whether this organism can oxidize and methylate dissolved elemental Hg(0) as shown for Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132. Using Hg(II) and Hg(0) separately as Hg sources in washed cell assays in phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.4), we report how cell-mediated Hg reduction and oxidation compete or synergize with sorption, thus affecting the production of toxic methylmercury by PCA cells. Methylation is found to be positively correlated to Hg sorption (r = 0.73) but negatively correlated to Hg reduction (r = −0.62). These reactions depend on the Hg and cell concentrations or the ratio of Hg to cellular thiols (−SH). Oxidation and methylation of Hg(0) are favored at relatively low Hg to cell–SH molar ratios (e.g., <1). Increasing Hg to cell ratios from 0.25 × 10–19 to 25 × 10–19 moles-Hg/cell (equivalent to Hg/cell–SH of 0.71 to 71) shifts the major reaction from oxidation to reduction. In the absence ...
Developments in accounting regulation: A synthesis and annotated bibliography of evidence and commentary in the 2007 academic literature

Abstract In this article, we synthesize in annotated bibliography form, recent regulation-related findings and commentaries in the academic literature. This annotated bibliography is one in a series of bibliographies that summarizes regulation-related academic research. We reviewed academic outlets such as The Accounting Review, The Journal of Accounting Research, The Journal of Accounting and Economics, Accounting Horizons, The Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, The Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, The Journal of Business, Finance & Accounting, Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, and Research in Accounting Regulation. We annotate results of regulation-related research studies and key points from regulation-related commentaries.
Effect of liver extract, injected parenterally into pregnant mother, on erythrocytes of newborn rats.

SummaryData concerning the erythrocyte picture of newborn rats whose mothers had been treated antenatally with liver extracts known to contain the anti-pernicious anemia factor has been presented and shown to be not statistically different from that of untreated controls; or the antenatal injection of liver extract into a pregnant rat has no significant effect on the mean red cell diameter of the newborn rats.
Investigating the incremental validity of employee engagement in the prediction of employee effectiveness: A meta-analytic path analysis

Abstract The current study used meta-analytic estimates and path analysis to examine whether the construct of employee engagement (EE) shows incremental validity in the prediction of employee effectiveness (a broad measure of performance-related behaviors) over other job attitudes such as job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment. Meta-analytic estimates between EE and various employee effectiveness indicators were computed from 49 published correlations representing a total of 22,090 individuals. We combined these estimates with published meta-analytic estimates between employee effectiveness and job attitudes to produce a meta-matrix representing 1,161 unique correlations. Using this meta-matrix, a series of path model comparisons produced two results: (1) EE bears low to moderate incremental validity over individual job attitudes ( R 2 change of 0.02 to 0.06), and (2) EE bears low incremental validity over a higher-order job attitude construct representing the combination of other job attitudes in the prediction of a higher-order employee effectiveness construct ( R 2 change of 0.01). Given the brevity of popular EE measures, the results suggest EE is better conceptualized as a higher-order measure of job attitudes that is an effective and concise predictor of employee effectiveness.
Veritas Fax Ardens - Truth is a Flaming Torch

Based on the vast amount of truth theories that have been suggested by a myriad of thinkers from various disciplines, it can be inferred that the question of truth has occupied humankind since the beginning of its existence. Even though some of these theories appear more promising than others, it also seems that every suggested answer poses yet further questions about what truth really is. This seemingly endless stream of debates and contradictory theories further indicates that the nature of truth remains an enigma and subject to interpretation. Reflecting on Dominican University’s Latin motto “Veritas Fax Ardens” (Truth Is a Flaming Torch), this thesis explores the nature and subjectivity of truth in the form of narrative nonfiction. In particular, this creative work asks what truth is, and how different thinkers from disciplines such as philosophy, religion, science, and literature approach the question of truth. Lastly, it is also a reflection of my academic journey, which led me to believe that truth might be as variable as the flickering light of a flaming torch.
Ventricular arrhythmias. When should they be suppressed

Patients with asymptomatic ventricular premature complexes who do not have evidence of heart disease should not be treated with either class I or class III (Vaughan Williams) antiarrhythmic drugs. Patients who are symptomatic may be given beta blockers. In patients who have heart disease, a number of risk factors may play a part, and the decision regarding therapy is more difficult. However, symptomatic patients with either sustained or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia must be treated with antiarrhythmic agents. In some patients, implantation of an automatic defibrillator may be necessary.
African Migration in the Context of Continental Growth: The New Meaning of 'Brain Drain'

For many years, we have heard about 'brain drain'. Unfortunately, it has been explained as the process, whereby Africans, for example, travel to overseas countries to pursue the proverbia golden fleece (or education), but they fail to return to their home countries. Often, these Africans are attracted to stay on in the host nations because of marriage, economic stability and opportunities that do not exist in their own countries. In a discussion with Sweden's professor Gunna r Myrdal, over lunch, some years ago, he said that since these Africans still contribute funds to fed families and hlp educate relatives back home, they are not part of the 'brain drain' debate. Instead, he mentioned how well-eduacted and even seasoned African scholars go home and, due to ethnic chauvinism or tribalism, officials in power (being from different ethnic groups) do not allow these professionals and scholars to serve in meaningful positions. That, he said, is brain drain.
Commentary: Value Judgments in Health Inequality Measurement.

Value judgments lurk beneath the surface in any study of health inequalities; analystsought to understand them, make them explicit, and present results transparently to policymakersso that they, rather than analysts, decide which set of value judgments should beinvoked. The authors emphasize that the value judgment between attainment and shortfall gets intertwined in practice with the value judgment of whether it is absolute or relative inequality that matters.The fact is that the two types of inequality are not just related to one another, but are related in such a way that we can say which type of inequality is harder to reduce: reducingabsolute inequality is a good deal harder than reducing relative inequality.
20. Commission Pour l’Observation des Positions et le Calcul des Éphémérides des Petites Planètes, des Comètes, et des Satellites

In accordance with suggestions made by members of the Commission further consideration of the following topics is proposed: (1) Improvement of the present plan for distribution of observations and computations relating to minor planets and comets, with special reference to those which depart considerably from their ephemerides. (2) Designation of a central bureau to supervise any accepted plan for coordination of observations and computations. It is suggested that separate bureaus be established for Minor Planets and for Comets. (3) Systematic investigations of the orbits of the recently discovered objects designated as minor planets: Reinmuth 1932 HA, and Delporte 1932 EA 1( and other objects of similar interest. (4) Financing of proposals (2) and (3). (5) Standard equinoxes as proposed by Comrie (1950.0) and by Bower (1900.0). (6) Designation of published residuals as observed residuals rather than referring to the epoch of the comparison star. (7) Greater adherence to the convention “That the dates used in giving the osculation epochs of elements for comets and minor planets shall be the midnight following an integral Julian date which is exactly divisible by 40, and for ephemerides, divisible by 8 (or 4, etc.),” to facilitate intercomparison of ephemerides and elements. (8) Inauguration of complete residuals of comets, similar to those of minor planets with provision for their continuation. (9) Inclusion in astronomical telegrams of some information of a descriptive nature to indicate the accuracy of the measured position, in confirmation of previous action. (10) Greater emphasis on accurate rather than on approximate positions, particularly in (9), or preliminary orbits.
clCaffe: OpenCL Accelerated Caffe for Convolutional Neural Networks

Recent advances in deep convolutional neural networks enable researchers and developers to apply machine learning to a much broader number of applications. With the proliferation of deep learning applications, widely used deep learning frameworks, such as Caffe, Theano and Torch, have been significantly improved with the support of powerful GPUs and GPU-accelerated libraries. However, lack of frameworks and libraries built on OpenCL could hinder exploration of more diverse compute devices (CPUs, GPUs, DSPs and FPGAs) in future deep learning domains. In this work, we present OpenCL acceleration of a well-known deep learning framework, Caffe, while focusing on the convolution layer which has been optimized with three different approaches, GEMM, spatial domain, and frequency domain. Our work, clCaffe, greatly enhances the ability to leverage deep learning use cases on all types of OpenCL devices, particularly on small form factor devices in which discrete GPUs are rare and integrated GPUs are much more common. Our benchmark shows 2.5x speedup on the Intel integrated-GPU, compared to CPU-only AlexNet on ImageNet dataset. As such, our work provides the deep learning community with the opportunity to embrace a broad range of devices through OpenCL.
Viewing Minority Protest from the Hill

The anger that you see expressed out there in Los Angeles, in my district this evening, is a righteous anger, and it’s difficult for me to say to the people, “Don’t be angry.” – Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) The signals from minority protest have become weaker and more dispersed throughout the nation. As the context of minority protest has changed over time, so too have national political institutions transformed since the 1960s. Congress in particular has experienced a significant change in the demographic makeup of elected representatives. The early 1970s ushered in a wave of black and Latino legislators, many of whom emerged from the protest activities of the 1960s. The two major political parties also grew in importance and began exercising more influence over their representatives in Congress, pushing members to make stronger appeals to racial and ethnic minority voters. These changes created an environment in which minority protest appeals, though declining in salience, nonetheless retained strong potential to resonate. As the “people’s institution” of government, Congress is the branch perhaps most apt to be responsive to the political actions of engaged citizens. However, it can be difficult to assess congressional responsiveness. The LA riots of 1992 and the subsequent governmental response by Representative Maxine Waters demonstrate that protest conveys information to representatives at both district and national levels. As this case study will suggest, it is the protests that originate within a given representative’s district that are the true catalysts for changing the behavior of congressional leaders, as opposed to those occurring elsewhere.
The Acculturation of Community Psychology: Is There a Best Way?

In this paper I describe a community psychology perspective on acculturation and adjustment of immigrants and refugees and suggest that this field of acculturation research has in turn something to offer heuristically as we consider our identity and training for future generations of community psychologists over the next 50 years. I suggest that honoring our heritage, maintaining our disciplinary identity as community psychologists, and sustaining doctoral programs that offer training specific to community psychology are crucial for our survival as a field and is not antithetical to, and is indeed necessary for, interdisciplinary collaborations.
La prochaine génération d’employés : une étude des facteurs influant la décision des étudiants de sexe masculin de 18 à 30 ans de devenir bibliothécaires professionnels aux États-Unis

Une etude de cas fondee sur les donnees se penche sur les questions suivantes : 1) quels sont les facteurs sociaux, culturels, economiques et politiques qui motivent les hommes (18-30 ans) a devenir bibliothecaires professionnels aux Etats-Unis ; 2) dans quelle mesure la technologie a-t-elle motive les hommes (18-30 ans) a devenir bibliothecaires professionnels et ; 3) quels sont les stereotypes professionnels auxquels ils sont confrontes.
Time domain simulation of porous surfaces for comparison with the ANSI impedance measurement

This study is to investigate sound propagation with different porous ground conditions. Sound propagations are simulated using finite difference time domain methods (FDTD). The ground materials are modeled as porous media. Two types of models are used in simulating the porous ground: (1) the original Zwikker-Kosten (ZK) model coupled with the immersed boundary method and (2) a modified ZK impedance model, as proposed by Wilson et al. (2006, 2007), as a time-domain boundary condition (TDBC) derived from the frequency-domain impedance boundary condition. The first method directly calculates the wave propagation inside porous media, while the second method only specifies the ground surface as a porous boundary condition. Both methods are based on the ZK-type models but have different responses in the frequency domain. Sound pressure levels in different frequency ranges are studied and discussed. Simulation results from both of the models are compared with the measurement data in ANSI S1.18 standard.
Proteomic Analysis of Exosomes and Its Application in HIV-1 Infection

Exosomes are 30-100 nm extracellular vesicles secreted from late endosomes by various types of cells. Numerous studies have suggested that exosomes play significant roles in human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) biogenesis. Proteomics coupled with exosome fractionation has been successfully used to identify various exosomal proteins and helped to uncover the interactions between exosomes and HIV-1. To inform the current progress in the intersection of exosome, proteomics, and HIV-1, this review is focused on: i) analyzing different exosome isolation, purification methods, and their implications in HIV-1 studies; ii) evaluating the roles of various proteomic techniques in defining exosomal contents; iii) discussing the research and clinical applications of proteomics and exosome in HIV-1 biology.
Prospective Assessment of Normal Pancreatic Secretory Function Measured by MRI in a Cohort of Healthy Children.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with secretin stimulation promises to allow non-invasive testing for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency but normal data do not exist for children. The purpose of this study was to define, in healthy children, normal pancreatic secreted fluid volume and secretion rate, measured by MRI, in response to secretin. In this Institutional Review Board-approved, prospective, cross-sectional study, 50 healthy children ages 6 to <16 years underwent MRI with secretin stimulation. Images were obtained before and at 1, 5, 10 and 15 min after secretin administration to calculate total secreted fluid volume and secretion rate based on image segmentation. Regression was used to define the relationship between secretory function and participant size measures, and linear quantile regression was used to define normal secretory values based on size measures. Median total secreted fluid volume post secretin was 79 mL (range: 32–162 mL; 5th and 95th percentiles: 43 and 123 mL) and median secretion rate was 5.1 mL/min (range: 2–9.4 mL/min; 5th and 95th percentiles: 2.3 and 7.7 mL/min). Secreted volume and secretion rate had the strongest correlation with body surface area (BSA) (r = 0.54 and 0.59, respectively) and multiple regression defined BSA as the only significant predictor of secretory function. Each 1 m2 increase in BSA was associated with a 38 mL increase in secreted fluid volume. In children, pancreatic secretory response to secretin, measured by MRI, depends on participant size, particularly BSA. Secreted volume <43 mL or a secretion rate <2.3 mL/min (5th percentile values) can be considered abnormal for children.
Kinetics of platelet adhesion and thrombus growth

Epifluorescent microscopy was used to monitor the adhesion of platelets and the growth of platelet aggregates on collagen-coated glass tubes perfused with whole blood. The maximum basal length and width of the aggregate size increased linearly with time, growing symmetrically transverse to the direction of flow and asymmetrically in the plane longitudinal to the direction of flow. Aggregates had elliptical bases, with the major axis parallel to the direction of blood flow. These studies provide an experimental approach to studies of the kinetics of platelet interaction with artificial surfaces and give further support to the concept that blood flow has a major effect on the development of platelet thrombi.
Ventricular Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction

Acute transmural myocardial infarction initiates a series of changes in left ventricular (LV) volume, regional function and geometry. This process, known as postinfarction LV remodeling, may continue for months or years following the initial ischemic event. To characterize the components of late ventricular remodeling, biplane left ventriculography was performed in 52 patients at 3 weeks and repeated at 1 year after first anterior myocardial infarction. Biplane circumference and contractile and noncontractile segment lengths were measured. Global geometry was evaluated by calculating a sphericity index and regional geometry was assessed by measurement of endocardial curvature. End-diastolic (ED) volume was increased at 3 weeks and enlarged further at one year. This late enlargement was accompanied by an increase in the length of the contractile segment and an increase in sphericity, whereas the length of the noncontractile segment decreased. Curvature analysis revealed that this late increase in sphericity resulted from flattening of regions of presumably high tension negative curvature at the infarct border zone and from less bulging of the infarcted anterior wall. Even in patients selected for late ventricular enlargement (change in ED volume > 20 ml, n = 19), this increase in volume resulted from both lengthening of the contractile segment and an increase in sphericity without a change in the noncontractile segment length. Thus, late ventricular enlargement after anterior myocardial infarction results from an increase in contractile segment length and a change in ventricular geometry and is not a result of progressive infarct expansion.
Approach to Personalized Care of the Lung Cancer Patient

Identification of predictive biomarkers for targets of molecular therapy is the most reliable basis for selecting lung cancer patients for targeted therapies, a major component of personalized health care. Currently “established” predictive biomarker tests for lung cancer are EGFR mutation analysis and FISH for ALK fusion gene and are the primary focus of Lung Cancer Biomarker Guidelines under development by a joint committee of the College of American Pathologists, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Exclusion based on clinical criteria, such as gender, ethnicity, and smoking status are likely to omit patients who might benefit from targeted therapy and current evidence indicates that tumor morphology is the most reliable criteria for selecting patients for biomarker testing. The pathologist has a crucial role in the selection of which lung cancers receive testing for a particular predictive biomarker, a paradigm shift after decades in which the primary role of the pathologist in patient therapy was to diagnose small cell carcinoma versus non-small cell carcinoma. In the pre-analytic phase of testing, a pathologist must review a representative tissue section to determine the cellularity and purity of the tumor sample being submitted for biomarker testing. Typically, a pathologist administers the molecular diagnostics laboratory, validating tests, interpreting results, and producing reports of results.
Comparing Measures of Gamut Area

This article examines how the color sample set, color space, and other calculation elements influence the quantification of gamut area. The IES TM-30-18 Gamut Index (Rg) serves as a baseline, with ...
Risk of Mortality in Immunocompromised Children With Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock.

Objectives To assess the prevalence of immunocompromised diagnoses among children with severe sepsis and septic shock, and to determine the association between immunocompromised diagnoses and clinical outcomes after adjustment for demographics and illness severity. Design Retrospective multicenter cohort study. Setting Eighty-three centers in the Virtual Pediatric Systems database. Patients Children with severe sepsis or septic shock admitted to a participating PICU between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2016. Interventions None. Measurements and main results Across 83 centers, we identified 10,768 PICU admissions with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification code for severe sepsis or septic shock; 3,021 of these patients (28%) had an immunocompromised diagnosis. To evaluate variation across centers and determine factors associated with PICU mortality, we used mixed-effect logistic regression models. Among patients without hematopoietic cell transplant, congenital immunodeficiency (adjusted odds ratio, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.24-2.92), multiple prior malignancies (adjusted odds ratio, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.15-2.99), and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (adjusted odds ratio, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.91-4.98) were associated with an increased odds of PICU mortality. Among patients with prior hematopoietic cell transplant, liquid malignancy (adjusted odds ratio, 3.15; 95% CI, 2.09-4.74), congenital immunodeficiency (adjusted odds ratio, 6.94; 95% CI, 3.84-12.53), multiple prior malignancies (adjusted odds ratio, 3.54; 95% CI, 1.80-6.95), and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (adjusted odds ratio, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.36-5.71) were associated with an increased odds of PICU mortality. PICU mortality varied significantly by center, and a higher mean number of sepsis patients per month in a center was associated with lower PICU mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.90-0.98). PICU resource utilization varied by immunocompromised diagnosis and history of hematopoietic cell transplant, and among survivors immunocompromised patients have shorter median PICU length of stay compared with patients without immunocompromised diagnoses (p Conclusions Immunocompromised diagnoses are present in 28% of children with severe sepsis or septic shock. Multiple prior malignancies, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, congenital immunodeficiency, and hematopoietic cell transplant are independently associated with an increased odds of PICU mortality in children with severe sepsis or septic shock. Significant variation exists in PICU mortality among centers despite adjustment for immunocompromised diagnoses, known risk factors for sepsis-related mortality, and center-level sepsis volume.
Importance of albumin level on outcomes of high-dose cytarabine and mitoxantrone induction therapy for AML.

e18009 Background: Thousands of Americans are affected by acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with various factors affecting outcome. This study examines a patient's outcome as compared to nutritional sta...
Direct imaging of moisture effects during slow dynamic nonlinearity

Transient hysteretic dynamic behaviors, commonly known as slow dynamics, have been observed to exist in many materials, but a physical cause for the phenomena remains elusive. These dynamic behaviors obfuscate an array of physical measurements associated with oil exploration, structural health assessment, and seismic analysis. In this work, a modified resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) measurement configuration is coupled with an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) to study the behavior of a porous solid material at the micro-scale before and after mechanical resonance excitation. The experiment was carried out in two steps: a validation of the modified RUS configuration was performed, and then ESEM images were collected before and after mechanical vibration excitation was applied to the sample. The validation results demonstrate that RUS vibration responses displayed nonlinear transient hysteretic behavior consistent with slow dynamics within the region of vibration energy studied. The ESEM images of the material in different water-based moisture conditions reveal that dynamically enabled moisture transport occurs within a pore with a size of tens of microns. The results show that pore moisture migrates out of, and back in to, the pores in response to mechanical vibration, which is coincident with observed transient hysteretic softening and recovery behaviors associated with slow dynamics.
A Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Safety Events Among Adolescents Hospitalized After a Suicide Attempt

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Self-harm among adolescents is a common problem, resulting in large numbers of patients admitted for medical stabilization after a suicide attempt. Because of limited mental health resources, these high-risk patients remain in inpatient settings once medically stabilized until psychiatric placement can be arranged. During this time, patients are at risk for safety events, including self-harm and elopement. Using quality improvement (QI) methodology, we aimed to reduce the frequency of significant safety events (SSEs) in this population by targeting modifiable risk factors and standardizing care. METHODS: This was a QI study conducted at a medium-sized academic center. Key interventions included the development of the Pediatric Behavioral Health Safety Protocol, standardization of the patient safety search, and implementation of a daily Safety Huddle. Process measures were selected as metrics of use and adherence to the newly developed protocol. The rate of SSEs per 100 patient days was the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: There were 224 patients included in our study: 53 in the preimplementation and 171 in the postimplementation groups. Use of the Pediatric Behavioral Health Safety Protocol increased to 91.8% after implementation. The rate of SSEs per 100 patient days decreased from an average of 2.7 events per 100 patient days in the preimplementation period to 0.17 events per 100 patient days in the postimplementation period. CONCLUSIONS: The use of QI methodology to improve safety for adolescents admitted after a suicide attempt led to a substantial and sustainable reduction in the rate of SSEs at our institution.
MR-linac is the best modality for lung SBRT

The introduction of MR‐linac hybrid modality started a new era in image guidance for radiotherapy. It provides superior soft tissue contrast compared to conventional x‐ray imaging, and offers the ability to track and gate treatment delivery, yet challenges and limitations remain in various aspects.1 Our previous Parallel Opposed issues discussed the additional physicist qualification and residency requirements for the use of MRI in radiotherapy settings.2, 3 Herein, we continued our discussion on the clinical use of MR‐linac and its potential improvement in treatment efficacy for lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Dr. Andrew Godley believes that “MR‐linac is the best modality for lung SBRT,” while Dr. Dandan Zheng explained her doubts and concerns. Dr. Andrew Godley received his Ph.D. in High Energy Physics from the University of Sydney in 2001. Dr Godley continued in particle physics at the University of South Carolina and Fermilab, until 2007 when he trained in medical physics at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Godley spent 7 years as a staff physicist at the Cleveland Clinic before joining the Miami Cancer Institute in 2018 to help develop their MR‐linac and SBRT programs. Dr. Dandan Zheng received her Ph.D. in Applied Science from the University of California Davis in 2007. After conducting a postdoctoral training in Radiation Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University, she joined the department as an assistant professor in 2009. In 2012 Dr. Zheng moved to University of Nebraska Medical Center where she is currently an associate professor and the medical physics residency program director. Dr. Zheng is an avid peer reviewer/associate editor for many journals, and her research interests include image guidance, radiomics and machine learning, stereotactic RT, dose algorithms, and motion management.
Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) is characterized by the clinical triad of gait disturbance, cognitive dysfunction, and urinary symptoms, observed in the context of enlargement of the cerebral ventricular system. Mean age of onset is approximately 60 years, which complicates the diagnosis since there is the potential for multiple age-related comorbidities in this population. Typically, gait disturbance is the presenting symptom that brings an individual to medical attention, but cognitive decline can be the initial symptom in some cases. NPH is an important diagnostic entity for the neuropsychologist working with older adults to be familiar with, since it is one of the few progressive cognitive disturbances that can be effectively treated. The current standard of care treatment is placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which can lead to reversal of symptoms, but shunt surgery is not without complications and careful patient selection is prudent. The neuropsychologist can be a key contributor in clinical settings for diagnostic considerations and in the evaluation of treatment response. In this chapter, we present a discussion of the clinical presentation and characteristic features of INPH, explore recent evidence-based diagnostic criteria, and provide guidelines for neuropsychological evaluation of INPH. A case example documenting post-shunt recovery of function is presented.
Astro2020 APC White Paper: Enabling Terminal Master's Degrees as a Step Towards a Ph.D

Earning any advanced degree in physics or astronomy is an arduous process and major accomplishment. However, not every journey to the Ph.D. is paved equally. Every year, there are hundreds of students who earn terminal master's degrees in physics and astronomy in the United States. A master's degree on its own is sufficient qualification for many good careers, but for a portion of these students, the master's degree is not the final step in graduate education. When students with master's degrees decide to continue their education and are accepted to Ph.D. programs, they often find that their credits do not transfer and that they will be required to re-do large portions of their master's degree at their new Ph.D.-granting institution. Here we discuss the need for gathering more data to understand both the different pathways to a Ph.D. and the students that choose each route. We also discuss some of the challenges faced by students that earn a master's degree before beginning a Ph.D. program. As students in the physical sciences that complete a master's and a Ph.D. at different schools take over 2 years longer to reach a Ph.D. than students that get both degrees from the same school, we suggest steps that can be taken to help these students succeed in a timely manner.
Toward understanding highly electron-withdrawing terminal Fe(IV) imides

Terminal iron imido complexes with highly electron-withdrawing N-substituents have remained elusive despite their proposed implication in N-group-transfer chemistry. In a recent issue of Cell Reports Physical Science, Deng and co-workers report the isolation and characterization of an N-trifluoromethyl-substituted Fe(IV) bis-imido species that displays a triplet ground state and undergoes intramolecular C‒H activation.
Guilt Appeals in Persuasive Communication: A Meta-Analytic Review

Research examining the effects of guilt appeals on attitudes and behavioral intentions has been inconsistent. Some scholars have found that guilt appeal intensity has a curvilinear relationship wit...
On the variability of motor-evoked potentials: experimental results and mathematical model

The purpose of this study was to determine the form of the relation between the mean amplitude and variance of motor-evoked potentials (MEP). To this end, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over the motor cortex of seventeen neurologically normal adult human subjects. The coil was positioned at a locus on the scalp that elicited an MEP in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) at the lowest stimulus intensity. The subjects were instructed to maintain tonic activity in the FDI of 5 or 10% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). The relation between MEP variance and amplitude was found to have an inverted parabolic shape, with maximal variance occurring near the half-maximal MEP amplitude. The coefficient of variation $$\text{CV}$$ of MEPs decreased approximately as a rectangular hyperbolic function of MEP amplitude (i.e. ~ 1/MEP). A probabilistic model is proposed to explain the inverted parabolic relation between MEP variance and MEP amplitude, as well as the sigmoid shape of the MEP input–output relation (i.e. stimulus–response curve). The model is based on a description of α-motoneurons as binary threshold units, with unit thresholds distributed according to a positively skewed probability density function. The units are driven by noisy synaptic input currents having a Gaussian distribution. The model predicts an inverse parabolic relation between MEP variance and amplitude and a sigmoid input–output relation, as experimentally observed. Furthermore, increasing model motoneuron excitability by increasing the background synaptic drive increases MEP variability independently of MEP size, a surprising prediction. The model also explains the approximately rectangular hyperbolic relation between $$\text{CV}$$ and MEP amplitude. The implications of these results for the interpretation of neurophysiological experiments and the statistical analysis of MEPs are discussed.
Chapter 9 – Intellectual Property

Commercial institutions often rely on innovation as a means to achieve success and will vigorously protect their inventions through legal and strategic means as a way to ensure that competitive advantage is maintained and exploited for the benefit of shareholders. Research universities produce scientific discoveries that not only inform our understanding of the world, but in some cases generate revenue that support the activities of the institution. As a result, such institutions find it essential to maintain an intellectual property (IP) policy to regulate the process for disclosure and protection of IP. Such a policy typically outlines the governance of IP ownership, its use, and the allocation of compensation resulting from commercialization. Employees typically agree to the terms of the policy when signing their employment agreement.
Locomotion through three-dimensional type I rat tail collagen. A modified mini-assay.

Abstract There is an increased application of three-dimensional type I rat tail collagen as an in vitro model for the peritumoral matrix in analysis of lymphocyte migration. The increased demand prompted us to modify the previous methods. We here describe our ‘mini’-setup of the collagen model assay, which uses only 1 20 the amount of collagen medium and the number of cells used in the conventional assay. The modified assay was tested for optimal collagen concentration in gel for upward and downward migration, for locomotion from a collagen-gel bead into a collagen overlayer for demonstration of the effect of inhibitors and for differentiation between locomotory properties of lymphocyte subpopulations. The results verify that the mini-assay is an applicable in vitro model, easily read and amenable to limited blood samples such as those obtained from cancer patients, and reflects well known in vivo events.
Cognitive Integration and the Ownership of Belief: Response to Bernecker

remaining psychologically plausible. His more specific charge is that invoking the notion of cognitive integration does not help. This paper responds to Bernecker's charges. In section 1 we clarify a version of agent reliabilism and Bernecker's objections against it. In section 2 we say more about how the notion of cognitive integration helps to adjudicate clairvoyance cases and other proposed counterexamples to reliabilism. The central idea is that cognitive integration underwrites a kind of belief ownership, which in turn underwrites the sort of responsibility for belief required for subjective justification. In section 3 we say more about what cognitive integration amounts to, drawing on some recent accounts of desire ownership from the literature on autonomy and moral responsibility.
Pyruvate Carboxylase from Chicken Liver STEADY STATE KINETIC STUDIES INDICATE A "TWO-SITE" PING-PONG MECHANISM

Abstract On the basis of initial velocity and product inhibition studies a nonclassical Ping Pong Bi Bi Uni Uni mechanism has been proposed for pyruvate carboxylase from chicken liver. The nonclassical feature of this mechanism is the proposal that each active site on the enzyme is composed of two separate and functionally distinct catalytic sites, i.e., a separate catalytic site exists for the reactants of each partial reaction. The two catalytic sites are presumably linked by the biotinyl residue which functions as the carboxyl carrier. The Bi Bi partial reaction, in which MgATP2-, MgADP-, HCO3-, and phosphate are the substrates, is proposed to utilize a rapid equilibrium random Bi Bi mechanism which includes the formation of two abortive complexes, E-HCO3--Pi and E-HCO3--MgADP-. A rate equation has been developed for the proposed mechanism by employing a combination of rapid equilibrium and steady state methodology. The proposed mechanism is directly analogous to the modified Ping-Pong Bi Bi mechanism previously described for the biotin-enzyme methylmalonyl-CoA transcarboxylase (D. B. Northrop (1969) J. Biol. Chem., 244, 5808).
INFLUENCE OF PARATHYROID EXTRACT ON GASTRIC MUCOSAL CONTENT OF MUCUS.

Summary The effects of parathyroid extract (PTE, Lilly) on gastric mucus were studied in rats given PTE alone or with cortisone. Gastric mucosal content of mucus was measured by histochemical techniques with PAS stain and by direct biochemical analysis of the concentration of hexosamines and sialic acid in freeze dried mucosal scrapings. By comparison with untreated controls, PTE caused a substantial increase in gastric mucosal content of mucus, an effect which was partially blocked by cortisone. Separate experiments in which rats were given cortisone and PTE under conditions favorable to formation of "steroid ulcers" showed that PTE exerted a protective action against such ulcers.
Chiral tubules of hexagonal BC 2 N

We propose a family of nanotubules originating from a hexagonal ${\mathrm{BC}}_{2}$N sheet. Because of the anisotropic structure of the ${\mathrm{BC}}_{2}$N sheet, there are a variety of ways to obtain chiral structures by rolling the ${\mathrm{BC}}_{2}$N sheets into tubules. We performed first-principles and tight-binding band-structure calculations and predict that the chiral ${\mathrm{BC}}_{2}$N tubules will behave as semiconductors that can be doped with either acceptors or donors. Since the ${\mathrm{BC}}_{2}$N sheets have anisotropic conductivity in the in-plane directions, helical currents are expected for the chiral tubules. The tubules will resemble nanoscale coils.