cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated Breast Ultrasound Interpretation Times: A Reader Performance Study.

Rationale and Objectives This study aimed to determine the average time for breast radiologists of varied experience to interpret automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) examinations. Materials and Methods A reader performance study was conducted on female patients, with ACR BI-RADS 4 breast density classifications of C or D, who received both an ABUS screening examination and a digital mammogram from 2013 to 2014 at an academic institution. Three faculty breast radiologists with varied levels of ABUS experience (advanced, intermediate, novice) read all ABUS examinations, with interpretation times and final impressions (categorized as “normal” or “abnormal”) recorded for each examination. Results Ninety-nine patients were included, with all readers demonstrating an average ABUS interpretation time of less than 3 minutes. Compared to the other two readers, the intermediate reader had a significantly longer mean interpretation time at 2.6 minutes (95% confidence interval 2.4–2.8; P Conclusions Overall, mean ABUS interpretation time by radiologists of all experience levels was short, at less than 3 minutes per examination, which should not deter radiologists from incorporating ABUS examinations into a busy clinical environment.
Chromatin and Nuclear Signaling: SIRT7 Function in the Nucleolus and Beyond

Abstract Sirtuins are NAD+-dependent enzymes related to yeast silent information regulator-2, a histone deacetylase that prevents premature aging through chromatin silencing. Mammalian sirtuins protect against diverse aging-related pathologic states, from cancer to metabolic and neurodegenerative disease. In addition to chromatin regulation, however, mammalian sirtuins also govern myriad cellular processes through a growing list of enzymatic activities and substrates. Nucleolar-enriched SIRT7 is among the less well-understood mammalian sirtuins, with only a handful of known substrates. Exciting new work has expanded knowledge of SIRT7’s biochemical targets and physiologic functions, and uncovered unique links between novel nuclear/nucleolar functions of SIRT7, cellular homeostasis, and aging and disease biology. Here, we review these discoveries, with an emphasis on biochemical insights into SIRT7 catalytic activities and substrates, dynamic functions of SIRT7 in cellular and stress signaling, and emerging insights into the roles of SIRT7 in aging and disease.
NR4A Orphan Receptors as Drug Targets

The orphan receptor NR4Al (Nur77, TR3, NGFI-B) is overexpressed in many different cancer cell lines and tumors, and, in leukemia cells, NR4Al is also more highly expressed than in B- or T-cell. In contrast, we observed the opposite pattern of NR4A2 (Nurrl) expression in these same cells. NR4Al is primarily oncogenic in cancer cell lines and is a target for inhibitors or inactivators and treatment of Jurkat cells with an NR4Al inactivator-induced apoptosis and inhibited cell growth. The in vitro characterization of NR4Al as pro-oncogenic in leukemia cells is in contrast to the tumor suppressor-like activity of NR4Al in transgenic mouse models, and these differences are currently being investigated.
Sibling Experiences after a Major Childhood Burn Injury

The purpose of this research project was to understand, primarily from the sibling perspective, the effect of a child’s major burn injury on his or her sibling. A mixed method qualitative dominant design was implemented using the life story method for the qualitative portion. Additionally, the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire – Revised (SRQ-R) was used as a structured interview guide and for calculating scoring data to explore sibling relationship factors of warmth/closeness, rivalry, conflict, and relative status/power. Participants from 22 family cases (one or multiple family members) and 40 individuals were interviewed. To capture impact on the family over time, interviews began a minimum of two years post-burn. The central thematic pattern for the sibling relationship in families having a child with a major burn injury was that of normalization. Two components of normalization were described: areas of normalization and the process of adjustment. Areas of normalization were found in play and other activities, in school and work, and in family relations with siblings. The process of adjustment was varied and often gradual, involved school and work re-entry, and in some instances, seemed to change life perspective. Clinical implications in providing family-centered care can focus on promoting normalization by assessing and supporting siblings who may only be occasionally seen in the hospital or clinic.
Superconductivity of β Mercury

Solid mercury ordinarily crystallizes in a rhombohedral structure which is stable to absolute zero under normal pressures. Recent experiments have shown that a new type of mercury ( 6 wt.% Ru-U all ) can be produced which is actually the more stable form at temperatures below 79 K. Although 6 wt.% Ru-U all mercury is stable at zero pressure below 79 K and metastable for temperatures below 90 K, it can be formcd only at relatively high pressures (4000 atm.). The critical field curve to 200 gauss was determined. The critical field curves of alpha and 6 wt.% Ru-U all forms of mercury are shown graphically. The results of the investigation show that the structure of 6 wt.% Ru-U all mercury is quite different from that of alpha mercury. (A.C.)
Automatic Flow-Control Adaptation for Enhancing Network Performance in Computational Grids

With the advent of computational Grids, networking performance over the wide-area network (WAN) has become a critical component in the Grid infrastructure. Unfortunately, many high-performance Grid applications only use a small fraction of their available bandwidth because operating systems and their associated protocol stacks are still tuned for yesterday's WAN speeds. As a result, network gurus undertake the tedious process of manually tuning system buffers to allow TCP flow control to scale to today's WAN Grid environments. And although recent research has shown how to set the size of these system buffers automatically at connection set-up, the buffer sizes are only appropriate at the beginning of the connection's lifetime. To address these problems, we describe an automated and lightweight technique called dynamic right-sizing that can improve throughput by as much as an order of magnitude while still abiding by TCP semantics.
Pharmacokinetics of ANF and urodilatin during cANF receptor blockade and neutral endopeptidase inhibition.

Urodilatin is a new member of the family of natriuretic peptides. It is of renal origin. Previous reports indicate that urodilatin is natriuretic in lower doses than atrial natriuretic factor (ANF)...
Barriers to Prenatal Care for Mexican and Mexican American Women

Despite the presumed health benefits, Latinas are less likely than women from other ethnic groups to receive adequate prenatal care during their pregnancy. However, it is unclear whether this trend is the result of political economic conditions that limit access of many Latinos in the United States to adequate health services in general, or of sociocultural conditions that restrict the use of such services even when they are made available. Furthermore, it is unclear whether these barriers pose a risk for adverse birth outcomes in this population. To address these issues, we conducted a two-phase study of the political economic and sociocultural barriers to use of prenatal care services among Mexican and Mexican American women living in San Diego, California, and their association with adverse birth outcomes in this population. A quantitative assessment of information abstracted from the medical records of 173 Latinas who had given birth at a university medical center found that absence of Medi-Cal benefits or other forms of health insurance was the only significant predictor of inadequate prenatal care during pregnancy. However, neither lack of insurance nor adequate prenatal care was associated with any adverse birth outcomes. A qualitative analysis of information obtained from interviews of 30 Latinas receiving prenatal care services at a medical clinic for the homeless and medically underserved residents of San Diego identified three major themes underlying the lack of adequate prenatal care: lack of trust in formal versus informal institutions, wanted versus unwanted pregnancies, and the importance of the social network.
Effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Social Science Research

As more and more ICT tools being developed and used in social science research, it is a good idea to reflect how ICT had effects on social science research as a whole as there is a lacking of such study. This study is underpinned on and concurred with DeLone & McLean’s (1992, 2003) Information Systems (IS) Success Model in which ICT had effects on productivity of social science researchers. This study is based on participative observation approach in which ICT had effects on social science research in the following three ICT application areas: a) Pre-data analysis, b) Data analysis, and c) Post-data analysis. These three ICT application areas had improved a researcher’s productivity in terms of speed, quantity, quality, complexity as well as cost perspective is also discussed. Some concerns of using ICT are also included in this paper which encompasses: a) High learning curve, b) Revised expectation on researcher, c) Research by the convenient of big data, and d) Decrease of social skills of researcher. Limitation, recommendation for future works and conclusion are also included.
Lung Cancer Screening: A Cost-Effective Public Health Imperative

An introduction to an article that focuses upon evidence that lung and bronchus cancer is detectable at early stages with low-dose CT is presented.
Interactive Ray Tracing Techniques for High-Fidelity Scientific Visualization

This chapter describes rendering techniques and implementation considerations when using ray tracing for interactive scientific and technical visualization. Ray tracing offers a convenient framework for building high-fidelity rendering engines that can directly generate publication-quality images for scientific manuscripts while also providing high interactivity in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get rendering experience. The combination of interactivity with sophisticated rendering enables scientists who are typically not experts in computer graphics or rendering technologies to be able to immediately apply advanced rendering features in their daily work. This chapter summarizes techniques and practical approaches learned from applying ray tracing techniques to scientific visualization, and molecular visualization in particular.
Controlling Matter at the Molecular Scale with DNA Circuits

In recent years, a diverse set of mechanisms have been developed that allow DNA strands with specific sequences to sense information in their environment and to control material assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration. These sequences could serve as the inputs and outputs for DNA computing circuits, enabling DNA circuits to act as chemical information processors to program complex behavior in chemical and material systems. This review describes processes that can be sensed and controlled within such a paradigm. Specifically, there are interfaces that can release strands of DNA in response to chemical signals, wavelengths of light, pH, or electrical signals, as well as DNA strands that can direct the self-assembly and dynamic reconfiguration of DNA nanostructures, regulate particle assemblies, control encapsulation, and manipulate materials including DNA crystals, hydrogels, and vesicles. These interfaces have the potential to enable chemical circuits to exert algorithmic control over responsive materials, which may ultimately lead to the development of materials that grow, heal, and interact dynamically with their environments.
Telecoupled impacts of livestock trade on non-communicable diseases

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—chronic human health problems such as cardiovascular diseases linked to poor diets—are significant challenges for sustainable development and human health. The international livestock trade increases accessibility to cheap animal products that may expand diet-related NCDs worldwide. However, it is not well understood how the complex interconnections among livestock production, trade, and consumption affect NCD risks around the world. Our global dataset included 33 livestock products (meat, offal, and animal fats) in 156 countries from 1992 to 2011. We employed path analysis to uncover how livestock trade contributes to diet-related NCDs and identify underlying environmental and socioeconomic factors of livestock trade. Then we performed trend analyses to investigate long-term changes in livestock production and trade at a country level. We found that livestock consumption through livestock import increased diet-related NCD risks. This was especially true in developing countries, which in general were not well prepared in terms of policies for NCD risk reduction, and where there was a lack of funding to implement the policies. Population size and income level were the main factors affecting global livestock import activities. Our results suggest that new governance structures to incorporate separate international efforts, improved national policies, and bolstering individual efforts are needed to decrease NCD risks, particularly in developing countries.
Clinical Trials: Endpoints and Outcome Assessment

Central nervous system (CNS) metastases are the most common cause of malignant brain tumors in adults. Historically, clinical trials in oncology have only rarely included patients with active CNS metastases, thus leaving gaps in the development of standard methodologies by which to assess trial endpoints. Not only have trial endpoints been variably assessed and defined, but the most clinically relevant outcomes may differ by type of trial. This chapter (1) provides recommendations for more active inclusion of patients with brain metastases into prospective clinical trials, (2) summarizes measures that could be considered as primary or secondary trial endpoints, (3) reviews efforts to develop more standard definitions of trial endpoints, and (4) discusses the selection of trial endpoints most appropriate for the given target population and proposed intervention.
The Emerging Role of Adhesion GPCRs in Cancer.

Aberrant expression, function, and mutation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their signaling partners, G proteins, have been well documented in many forms of cancer. These cell surface re...
Association between preference for using alcohol beverage-named e-liquids and alcohol use among high school youth.

Abstract Background There are thousands of e-liquid flavors available, and some are named after alcohol beverages (e.g., “pina colada”). It is unclear whether use of e-liquids with alcohol beverage names is associated with adolescent alcohol use. E-cigarettes and alcohol are co-used in adolescents; therefore, it is important to investigate these associations. Methods Eight Southeastern Connecticut high schools were surveyed in Spring 2015 (N = 7045). We examined the association between preference for using e-liquid flavors and alcohol drinking status (i.e., no past month alcohol use, past month alcohol use but no binge drinking, and past month binge drinking) in ever e-cigarette users (N = 1311). Results Among ever e-cigarette users who preferred using e-liquids with alcohol beverage names (N = 111), 30.6 % had no past month alcohol use, 19.8 % had past month alcohol use but did not binge drink in the past month, and 49.5 % binge drank in the past month. Multinomial logistic regression (controlling for demographics and including other e-cigarette flavors that were highly endorsed, i.e., fruit and candy) revealed that the preferences of alcohol beverage-named-e-liquid (OR: 2.84, CI: 1.70–4.75) and fruit flavored e-liquids (OR: 1.55, CI: 1.14–2.11), but not candy flavored e-liquids was associated with past-month binge drinking compared to no past-month alcohol use. Conclusion This evidence suggests that the preference for using alcohol beverage- and fruit-named e-liquid flavors is associated with past-month binge drinking among adolescents. Understanding the associations between alcohol beverage-named e-liquids and alcohol use in adolescents may help inform tobacco regulatory strategies that aim to decrease the use/appeal of e-cigarettes.
igv.js: an embeddable JavaScript implementation of the Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV)

igv.js is an embeddable JavaScript implementation of the Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV). It can be easily dropped into any web page with a single line of code and has no external dependencies. The viewer runs completely in the web browser, with no backend server and no data pre-processing required.
How an infant's active response to structured experience supports perceptual-cognitive development.

Abstract Previous research on perceptual and cognitive development has predominantly focused on infants' passive response to experience. For example, if infants are exposed to acoustic patterns in the background while they are engaged in another activity, what are they able to learn? However, recent work in this area has revealed that even very young infants are also capable of active perceptual and cognitive responses to experience. Specifically, recent neuroimaging work showed that infants' perceptual systems predict upcoming sensory events and that learning to predict new events rapidly modulates the responses of their perceptual systems. In addition, there is new evidence that young infants have access to endogenous attention and their prediction and attention are rapidly and robustly modified through learning about patterns in the environment. In this chapter, we present a synthesis of the existing research on the impact of infants' active responses to experience and argue that this active engagement importantly supports infants' perceptual-cognitive development. To this end, we first define what a mechanism of active engagement is and examine how learning, selective attention, and prediction can be considered active mechanisms. Then, we argue that these active mechanisms become engaged in response to higher-order environmental structures, such as temporal, spatial, and relational patterns, and review both behavioral and neural evidence of infants' active responses to these structures or patterns. Finally, we discuss how this active engagement in infancy may give rise to the emergence of specialized perceptual-cognitive systems and highlight directions for future research.
The “ethnic core” as an unsung reference group

Using longitudinal survey data and interviews, Edward Telles and Christina Sue’s book, Durable Ethnicity: Mexican Americans and the Ethnic Core (2019), seeks to explain both the endurance and varia...
Challenges with Utilizing the 1,3-Beta-D-Glucan and Galactomannan assays to Diagnose Invasive Mold Infections in Immunocompromised Children

Establishing the diagnosis of invasive mold infections (IMI) in immunocompromised children is challenging due to nonspecific clinical presentations and the limited sensitivity of traditional culture-based methods. Rapid non-culture-based diagnostics such as the 1,3-beta-D-glucan and galactomannan assays have emerged as promising adjuncts to conventional diagnostic tests in adults. Available data suggest 1,3-beta-B-glucan has limited accuracy in the pediatric population and is not recommended to be used for the diagnosis of IMI in children. On the other hand, the diagnostic performance of the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan in immunocompromised children are comparable to results observed in adults and can be used as a screening tool in children at high risk of developing invasive aspergillosis (IA) who are not receiving mold-active antifungal prophylaxis and as a diagnostic tool in symptomatic children suspected of having IA. Herein, we summarize the available evidence for the use of these rapid non-culture-based diagnostics in immunocompromised children. We also summarize potential causes of false-positivity for the 1,3-beta-D-glucan and galactomannan assays.
Using state abstractions to compute personalized contrastive explanations for AI agent behavior

Abstract There is a growing interest within the AI research community in developing autonomous systems capable of explaining their behavior to users. However, the problem of computing explanations for users of different levels of expertise has received little research attention. We propose an approach for addressing this problem by representing the user's understanding of the task as an abstraction of the domain model that the planner uses. We present algorithms for generating minimal explanations in cases where this abstract human model is not known. We reduce the problem of generating an explanation to a search over the space of abstract models and show that while the complete problem is NP-hard, a greedy algorithm can provide good approximations of the optimal solution. We empirically show that our approach can efficiently compute explanations for a variety of problems and also perform user studies to test the utility of state abstractions in explanations.
DIGITAL STORYTELLING AS A TEACHING METHOD IN ADULT EDUCATION - THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND WORKING MEMORY

In recent years, technology has been growing rapidly. The impact that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and associated teaching tools have on the learning process is already significant, and this is expected to grow further in the future. Digital Storytelling (DST) is a combination of interaction and learning at the same time and it could prove to be an excellent teaching method at the disposal of the educator. The present study is an attempt to examine the impact of the method in adult education, providing that the learners are the creators of digital stories. In addition, the current research is an attempt to examine the relationship between learners’ Working Memory and the impact of DST on their learning performance. The research has been conducted in a public vocational training institute. The findings revealed that DST is an effective learning tool in adult education that can improve learners’ performance. In addition, the findings suggest that the method is more effective in learners which have higher working memory rates than others. Article visualizations:
Whither the Disability Rights Movement

While reading this book in 2010, almost twenty years to the date after President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disability Act ("ADA"), one realizes how much the world of politics has changed. It is difficult to remember a time when such major legislation passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 91 to 6 and the House of Representatives by 377 to 28.1 Even more surprising, as we look back to 1990, is the fact that the executive branch was controlled by a different political party than the legislative branch. Contrast this legislative record with the milieu surrounding the health care reform legislation of 2010 and the economic stimulus bill of 2009, and the overwhelming bipartisan vote on the ADA seems quite remarkable.
A Situated Philosophy of Education

Philosophy of education today is broadly divided between two fundamentally different views about the nature of philosophy itself. This meta-debate is almost never engaged directly, and yet it is exemplified in one way or another in many of the paradigmatic disagreements we have with one another. One view is typified by Thomas Nagel’s phrase, “the view from nowhere”: on this account, philosophy’s virtue as a mode of inquiry is its distanced objectivity, its commitment to timeless standards of argument and reason, and its recurring attention to fundamental questions of truth, value, and meaning that establish continuity across philosophers from before Socrates to the present day. The other view is a radically historicized account of philosophy as the expression of worldviews within a particular cultural and historical context, always partisan and implicated in social dynamics of power, and merely contingent in its ability to persuade or compel assent — there is nothing “timeless” about it.
Commercial Production of Heavy Metal Fluoride Glass Fiber in Space

International Space Station Alpha (ISSA) will provide a platform not only for materials research but also a possible means to produce products in space which cannot be easily produced on the ground. Some products may even be superior to those now produced in unit gravity due to the lack of gravity induced convection effects. Our research with ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF (ZBLAN glass) has shown that gravity does indeed play a major role in the crystallization behavior of this material. At the present time ZBLAN is being produced on earth in fiber optic form for use in surgical lasers and fiber optic lasers among other applications. High attenuation coefficients, however, have kept this material from being used in other applications such as long haul data transmission links. The high attenuation coefficients are due to impurities which can be removed through improved processing techniques and crystals which can only be removed or prevented from forming by processing in a reduced gravity environment.
Performance evaluation of three different SPECT systems used in In-111 ProstaScint/sup /spl reg// SPECT imaging

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of 3 different SPECT systems for /sup 111/In ProstaScint/sup /spl reg// imaging. The systems were a Siemens E.CAM with 3/8" crystal fitted with a Siemens ME collimator, a GE Millennium VG5 with 5/8" and GE Discovery VH with 1" Starbrite/sup /spl reg// crystal, both fitted with the same GE ME collimator. We compared the collimator-detector response (CDR) functions and sensitivity of the systems using an /sup 111/In point source placed at different distances experimentally. Projection data were acquired from a cylindrical phantom and then the anthropomorphic torso phantom containing 3 /sup 111/In-filled spheres of different sizes, and reconstructed with the OSEM algorithm. The radial and tangential FWHM of the spheres were compared. The sensitivity of the Siemens E.CAM was found to be higher than that of the GE VH due to the higher collimator efficiency despite the thinner crystal, and the sensitivity of the GE VH was higher than that of the GE VG5 due to its thicker crystal. The FWHM of the point source for the GE VG5 and VH systems was comparable since they share the same collimator and their crystals have comparable intrinsic resolution. The Siemens E.CAM had better resolution than the two GE systems at 10 cm, but was worse at 20 and 30 cm from the collimator, this is due to its shorter bore collimator design. The comparison of the FWHM of the larger spheres showed poorer resolution of the Siemens E. CAM as compared to the GE systems. The GE VH and GE VG5 systems gave comparable FWHM values, indicating comparable intrinsic resolution of the 5/8" continuous and the 1" Starbrite/sup /spl reg// crystals. We conclude that, among the 3 collimator-camera systems, the GE VH provides a good compromise between spatial resolution and sensitivity for /sup 111/In ProstaScint/sup /spl reg// SPECT imaging.
Cheating in Markets: A Methodological Exploration

In the 1970s, experimental economics split from social psychology by embracing rational choice and equilibrium methods. Behavioral economics has recently narrowed the divide, to the dismay of some. The present paper argues that evolutionary dynamics provides a framework which unifies the best features of social psychology with equilibrium and rational choice.
A non-pharmacological intervention to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and reduce caregiver distress: Design and methods of project ACT3

Project ACT is a randomized controlled trial designed to test the effectiveness of a non-pharmacological home-based intervention to reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and caregiver distress. The study targets 272 stressed racially diverse family caregivers providing in-home care to persons with moderate stage dementia with one or more behavioral disturbances. All participants are interviewed at baseline, 4-months (main trial endpoint), and 6-months (maintenance). The four-month intervention involves up to 13 visits from an occupational therapist who works with families to problem-solve potential triggers (communication style, environmental clutter) contributing to behaviors, and instruct in strategies to reduce caregiver stress and manage targeted behaviors. To rule out infection or other potential medical contributors to behaviors, a nurse obtains blood and urine samples from the dementia patient, and conducts a medication review. Participants in the no-treatment control group are offered the nurse arm and one in-home session following trial completion at 6-months. This paper describes the research methods, theoretical and clinical aspects of this multi-component, targeted psycho-social treatment approach, and the measures used to evaluate quality of life improvements for persons with dementia and their families.
Collaborative medical informatics research using the Internet and the World Wide Web.

Abstract The InterMed Collaboratory is an interdisciplinary project involving six participating medical institutions. There are two broad mandates for the effort. The first is to further the development, sharing, and demonstration of numerous software and system components, data sets, procedures and tools that will facilitate the collaborations and support the application goals of these projects. The second is to provide a distributed suite of clinical applications, guidelines, and knowledge-bases for clinical, educational, and administrative purposes. To define the interactions among the components, datasets, procedures, and tools that we are producing and sharing, we have identified a model composed of seven tiers, each of which supports the levels above it. In this paper we briefly describe those tiers and the nature of the collaborative process with which we have experimented.
Robotic surgery in the management of benign complex adnexal masses with a frozen pelvis in women desiring to preserve fertility

Abstract Background: A “frozen pelvis” is a term often used to describe extensive pelvic adhesions. It is considered as one of the most challenging situations that a gynecologic surgeon can face. It commonly is caused by extensive endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease. We present two cases with extensive pelvic adhesive disease with the aim to illustrate the value of robotic assisted laparoscopy in the management of benign complex adnexal masses with severe pelvic adhesive disease in women desiring to preserve the fertility. Case 1: A 27 year old female referred to our clinic for evaluation of a complex left adnexal mass. Trans-vaginal ultrasound scan and an MRI suggested bilateral endometriomas. She was noted to have stage IV endometriosis. Da Vinci robot assisted left salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Case 2: A 43 year old female presented with recurrent episodes of pelvic inflammatory disease following an unsuccessful in vitro fertilization procedure. A trans-vaginal ultrasound scan showed a complex left adnexal mass. She was noted to have extensive pelvic adhesions secondary to chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. Da Vinci robotic assisted left salpingectomy was performed, while preserving the left ovary. Conclusion: Our experience and review of literature suggest that in hands of an experienced surgeon, the inherent advantages of robotic assisted operative laparoscopy makes it a safe and attractive alternative to conventional operative laparoscopy and laparotomy for managing benign complex adnexal masses with concomitant severe pelvic adhesive disease in women desiring to preserve their fertility.
Anatomic structures at risk during minimal-incision endoscopically assisted fascial compartment releases in the leg

BackgroundAlthough minimal-incision surgical techniques are recommended for treatment of chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the leg, which is an increasing problem among endurance athletes, there is little information about anatomic correlation with structures at risk.HypothesisFascial releases performed with endoscopic assistance are safer than the percutaneous method.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsTen endoscopically assisted and six percutaneous fascial releases were performed on 16 human cadaveric lower limbs. Formal dissection documented length of release and proximity of structures at risk.ResultsEndoscopically assisted fascial release led to reduced risk of superficial peroneal nerve injury compared with a blind percutaneous release through a 2- to 3-cm incision. Both techniques had unacceptable rates of saphenous vein injury (30% to 100%), and releases performed percutaneously had greater length.ConclusionsRisk of superficial peroneal nerve injury was less with single-incisi...
Metal Directed Assembly of Terpyridine-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles

Terpyridine capped gold nanoparticles (ca. 2.0 nm diameter) form large aggregates in the presence of metal ions [Fe(II), Zn(II), Cu(I), Ag(I)]. The assembly process is a result of metal coordination between two terpyridines that are attached to separate nanoparticles. The stability of the aggregates in various solvents and in the presence of excess terpyridine can be controlled through choice of bridging metal. Small angle X-ray scattering experiments indicate regular interparticle distances that increase as the length of the supporting monolayer is extended.
Origin of the Nubian and similar sandstones

The Nubian Sandstone and similar sandstone bodies exposed across much of northern Africa and adjoining parts of Asia are characteristically formed of clean sand that is conspicuously cross stratified throughout. Such sandstone, here called Nubian-type sandstone, ranges from Cambrian through Cretaceous in age and its genesis has been interpreted in many ways. Studies of its primary structures, and of the direction of sand transport, based on statistical measurements of foreset dip directions, have contributed new data on its genesis. By far the most common structure in Nubian-type sandstone is a medium-scale planar-type cross stratification in which sets of evenly dipping cross beds are bounded by essentially flat-lying top and bottom surfaces to form tabular bodies. Other less numerous but typical structures are large-scale, truncated-wedge cross strata, trough-type cross strata, intraformational recumbent folds, small-scale ripple laminae, and dipping sets of tabular-planar cross beds. An analysis of these structures suggests that in the typical Nubian Sandstone of Cretaceous age eolian deposits are not represented and normal marine types probably also are lacking; flood plain, pond or lagoon, and other continental and marginal environments are indicated. In the Carboniferous rocks of Sinai Peninsula some beach sandstone and possibly some eolian, in addition to the types described, form part of the sequence. Direction of sand transport, as determined from cross-bed dips, was northerly in the Cretaceous Nubian of Libya, Sudan, and Egypt; easterly in the Jurassic Adigrat of Ethiopia; westerly in the Carboniferous of Sinai; northwesterly in the early Paleozoic of Jordan.
A comparison of communication models of traditional and video-mediated health care delivery

Summary Background: While there may be benefits that accrue to the use of telemedicine technology in patient care, such as decreased costs and improved access, it has yet to be determined how telemedicine impacts patients' ability to express themselves and accordingly, how it impacts health care providers' communication of instructions or expressions of empathy. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of telemedicine technology on communication by comparing the style and content of communication between actual (i.e., face to face) and virtual (i.e., non-face to face, telemedical) dermatology visits. The hypothesis was that there is no difference in the content and style of communication between actual and virtual visits in dermatology. Methods: Face-to-face and video-mediated dermatology sessions were observed and also audiotaped, timed and transcribed. A content analysis was performed. Results: Average duration of a face-to-face session was 11min (S.D. 0.08) and of a telemedical session 9min (S.D. 0.002). Small talk occurred in 20% of all face-to-face and 29.6% of all telemedical visits. Clinical assessment occurred in all sessions. Patient education occurred in 90% of face-to-face and 78% of telemedical visits. Other themes were also identified (e.g., discussion of treatment, promotion of compliance, psychosocial issues). In 14.8% of telemedical sessions technical issues were raised. Findings indicate that communication patterns in the two modes of care delivery are comparable.
Experimental Verification of Caustic‐Side Solvent Extraction for Removal of Cesium from Tank Waste

Abstract A caustic‐side solvent extraction (CSSX) process was developed to remove Cs from Savannah River Site (SRS) high‐level waste. The CSSX process was verified in a series of flowsheet tests at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in a minicontactor (2‐cm centrifugal contactor) using simulant. The CSSX solvent, which was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), consists of a calixarene‐crown ether as the extractant, an alkyl aryl polyether as the modifier, trioctylamine as the suppressant, and Isopar®L as the diluent. For Cs removal from the SRS tank waste, the key process goals are that: (1) Cs is removed from the waste with a decontamination factor greater than 40,000 and (2) the recovered Cs is concentrated by a factor of 15 in dilute nitric acid. In the flowsheet verification tests, the objectives were to: (1) prove that these process goals could be met; (2) demonstrate that they could be maintained over a period of several days as the CSSX solvent is recycled; and (3) verify that the proce...
Comment: NRC Report on preventing contamination of Europa falls short

A recent National Research Council (NRC) report on preventing contamination of Europa is fundamentally flawed [Task Group on the Forward Contamination of Europa, 2000]. It inappropriately cites, as the basis for its quantitative recommendation, a decades-old COSPAR resolution. This resolution in turn was based on an arbitrary numerical example taken from a 1960s analysis based on now-obsolete premises regarding Mars exploration, not Europa. While the NRC report contains useful information, it cannot be a valid basis for sound NASA policy for exploration of Europa. The issues involved need to be revisited with a comprehensive study. Note: COSPAR is the Committee on Space Programs and Research of the International Council of Scientific Unions.
End-to-end distribution functions for polymers having a most probable molecular weight distribution

Abstract End-to-end chain distribution functions for a polymer with a most probable molecular weight distribution are obtained by assuming the end-to-end distribution for each molecular weight species is Gaussian and the degree of polymerization is large. The resulting radial distribution functions using the most probable number and weight species distributions are: Wn (r,p) = k2re-kr and Ww (r,p) = k3r2/2 e−kr respectively, where k is a function of the short-range effects and the extent of the reaction is p. The first and second moments of these functions are identical with those obtained by taking the number and weight averages of the moments for the monodisperse case. The most probable values of r, which cannot be obtained by the latter method, are found to be 1/k and 2/k, respectively, using the above distributions.
Rhetorical art and literary form in mill's The Subjection of Women

(1975). Rhetorical art and literary form in mill's The Subjection of Women. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 23-30.
Sunshine on a Cloudy Forecast

Atmospheric water vapor was the first water detected on Mars ( 1 ). There is too little of it to bolster the weak martian greenhouse effect or to drive moist convection ( 2 ), yet the ice clouds that condense from it affect the intensity of Mars' atmospheric circulation through radiative feedback ( 3 ). At the same time, atmospheric transport in both the solid and vapor phases mediates exchange between various ice deposits at and under the surface ( 4 ). Modelers of the martian water cycle have so far relied on observations of the total amount of water vapor and water ice in the atmospheric column to validate their simulations ( 4 ). However, no single model can simultaneously capture cloud radiative feedback while matching the seasonal cycles of water vapor and clouds, a limitation fundamentally rooted in cloud overprediction ( 4 – 6 ). On page 1868 of this issue, Maltagliati et al. ( 7 ) may have discovered the reason for these overly cloudy forecasts by demonstrating that portions of the martian atmosphere are supersaturated with respect to water vapor. Models assume that water vapor condenses as ice whenever air is saturated with respect to water vapor ( 4 , 7 ). If this assumption is wrong, cloud prediction problems have an obvious explanation.
Responses of embryonic and larval inland silversides, Menidia beryllina, to a water-soluble fraction formed during biodegradation of artificially weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil.

Weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil (ANS 521) was stirred for 2 and 14 days in 20‰ salinity sterile seawater or for 14 days in seawater with nutrients and a group of three (GO3) microorganisms from Prince William Sound, Alaska, that were capable of biodegrading hydrocarbons. A total of 0.65 and 0.69 mg/L water soluble fraction (WSF) of neutral fraction hydrocarbons was recovered from the 2- and 14-day stirred sterile systems, respectively. In comparison, a total of 7.5 mg/L WSF neutral fraction hydrocarbons was recovered from systems containing ANS 521 that were stirred and biodegraded by the GO3 microbes for 14 days. Toxicity/teratogenicity tests were conducted with neutral fraction hydrocarbons recovered from the sterile and biodegraded systems using embryonic inland silversides, Menidia beryllina. Hydrocarbons from the sterile systems did not cause statistically significant teratogenic responses at concentrations of 1%, 10%, and 100% (w/v) of recovered fractions (redissolved in 20‰ salinity sterile seawater). Counts of heart contraction rates were significantly lower (α≤0.05) at the 100% WSF concentration of hydrocarbons on days 5 and 6 of embryogenesis. In contrast, recovered and redissolved neutral fraction hydrocarbons from ANS 521, that were biodegraded for 14 days, caused statistically significant (α≤0.05) teratogenic responses at the 1, 10, and 100% WSF concentrations. Measurement of heart contraction rates showed statistically significant (α≤0.05) reductions at the 100% WSF concentration on days 2 through 6 of embryogenesis, compared to controls.
Enhanced C2 Yields from Methane Oxidative Coupling by Means of a Separative Chemical Reactor

Of the processes for converting natural gas into a more useful chemical feedstock, the oxidative coupling of methane to form ethane and ethylene (C2) has perhaps been the most intensively investigated in recent years, but it has proved extremely difficult to obtain C2 yields in excess of 20 to 25%. Methane oxidative coupling was carried out in a separative chemical reactor that simulated a countercurrent chromatographic moving-bed. This reaction gives 65% methane conversion, 80% C2 selectivity, and a C2 yield slightly better than 50% with Sm2O3 catalyst at ∼1000 K.
Use of a Teacher Nomination Strategy to Screen for Autism Spectrum Disorders in General Education Classrooms : A Pilot Study

Given a rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), this project aimed to develop and pilot test various teacher nomination strategies to identify children at risk for ASD in a timely, reliable, cost-effective manner. Sixty participating elementary school teachers evaluated 1323 children in total. Each teacher nominated students who most fit a description of ASD-associated characteristics, and completed the Autism Syndrome Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) on every child in the classroom. The proportion of overall agreement between teacher nomination and ASSQ was 93–95%, depending upon the nomination parameters. Nomination required 15 min per class versus 3.5–5.5 h per class for the ASSQ. These results support the need for further study of teacher nomination strategies to identify children at risk for ASD.
Fitting polygonal functions to a set of points in the plane

Given a set of points S = {(x1, y1), (x2, y2), …, (xN, yN)} in R2 with x1 < x2 < … < xN, we want to construct a polygonal (i.e., continuous, piecewise linear) function f with a small number of corners (i.e., nondifferentiable points) which fits S well. To measure the quality of f in this regard, we employ two criteria: 1. (i) the number of corners in the graph of f, and 2. (ii) max1≤i≤N¦yi − f(xi)¦ (the Chebyshev error of the fit). We give efficient algorithms to construct a polygonal function f that minimizes (i) (resp. (ii)) under a maximum allowable value of (ii) (resp. (i)), whether or not the comers of f are constrained to be in the set S. A key tool used in designing these algorithms is a linear time algorithm to find the visibility polygon from an edge in a monotone polygon. A variation of one of these algorithms solves the following computational geometry problem in optimal O(N) time: Given N vertical segments in the plane, no two with the same abscissa, find a monotone polygonal curve with the least number of corners which intersects all the segments.
A model for the energy budget of the atmosphere: Comparison with data from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment

Abstract A radiative-convective model is developed and used to examine the sensitivity of clear-sky fluxes of infrared radiation to changes in sea surface temperature, atmospheric lapse rates and relative humidity. The radiative model uses the correlated- k method and includes an improved treatment of the finite-difference approximation in the evaluation of the vertical flux integral. Absorption coefficients are calculated directly from spectroscopic data. Model results for radiative cooling rates agree with benchmark line-by-line calculations to better than 5%. Comparison with ERBE (Earth Radiation Budget Experiment) measurements indicates that a 6.5 K km −1 lapse rate model would be inconsistent with infrared fluxes observed at the top of the atmosphere. Agreement is improved significantly using a parameterization in which the static stability is specified empirically as a function of surface temperature. A model with a latitudinally fixed profile for relative humidity as a function of pressure is consistent with the observational data for surface temperatures less than about 298 K. Comparison with measurements for higher temperatures suggests that significant increases in middle and upper tropospheric humidity may be associated with warmer sea surface temperatures. The enhanced greenhouse forcing at high surface temperatures is felt primarily in the atmosphere, rather than at the surface. Implications of the clear-sky radiative deficit inferred for the atmosphere in the tropics are discussed.