cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating Thyroid Doses From Modified Barium Swallow Studies

This study sought to obtain factors to convert entrance air kerma into thyroid doses for patients undergoing modified barium swallow studies. A commercial software package (PCXMC 2.0.1) was used to calculate patient thyroid doses from modified barium swallow studies, which were divided by the entrance air kerma to yield fthyroid ratios. Exposure in the lateral and posterior-anterior projections were considered where the thyroid was directly irradiated. Calculations were obtained for adult patients as well as children ranging from birth to 10 y old. The average value of fthyroid in a normal-sized adult was 0.63 ± 0.11 in the lateral projection and 0.18 ± 0.06 for an upper gastrointestinal posterior-anterior projection. Increasing the beam quality from the lowest (60 kV + 3 mm aluminum) to the highest (110 kV + 3 mm aluminum + 0.2 mm copper) values investigated nearly doubled the value of fthyroid from 0.42 to 0.79 in the lateral projection and quadrupled the value from 0.07 to 0.29 in the upper gastrointestinal posterior-anterior projection. Values of fthyroid decreased with increasing body mass index. Average values of fthyroid in 10 y olds were similar to those of adults but always increased as the age of the exposed child was reduced. The average fthyroid for newborns was 0.84, nearly one-third higher than the corresponding ratio for normal-sized adults.
A Critical Inquiry of Breastfeeding Attitudes, Barriers, and Experiences of African American Women living in Poverty

Low-income African American women have disproportionately low rates of breastfeeding, which is indicative of individual, social, and structural barriers to breastfeeding. The WIC Infant Feeding Pra...
A Phonetic Complexity-Based Approach for Intelligibility and Articulatory Precision Testing: A Preliminary Study on Talkers With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Purpose This study describes a phonetic complexity-based approach for speech intelligibility and articulatory precision testing using preliminary data from talkers with amyotrophic lateral sclerosi...
Self-assembled Bismuth Selenide (Bi2Se3) quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy.

We report the growth of self-assembled Bi2Se3 quantum dots (QDs) by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates using the droplet epitaxy technique. The QD formation occurs after anneal of Bismuth droplets under Selenium flux. Characterization by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray reflectance spectroscopy is presented. Raman spectra confirm the QD quality. The quantum dots are crystalline, with hexagonal shape, and have average dimensions of 12-nm height (12 quintuple layers) and 46-nm width, and a density of 8.5 × 109 cm−2. This droplet growth technique provides a means to produce topological insulator QDs in a reproducible and controllable way, providing convenient access to a promising quantum material with singular spin properties.
Using a smart textile system for classifying occupational manual material handling tasks: evidence from lab-based simulations.

Physical monitoring systems represent potentially powerful assessment devices to detect and describe occupational physical activities. A promising technology for such use is smart textile systems (...
Self-efficacy and Reach Performance in Individuals With Mild Motor Impairment Due to Stroke.

Background: Persistent deficits in arm function are common after stroke. An improved understanding of the factors that contribute to the performance of skilled arm movements is needed. One such fac...
Revealing the microstructural evolution in a high entropy alloy enabled with transformation, twinning and precipitation

Abstract Microstructural evolution during thermomechanical processing of a Fe-Mn-Co-Cr-Si-Cu high entropy alloy (HEA) was studied to compare the effect of friction stir processing (FSP) with cold rolling. The difference in microstructural evolution in the two routes was evaluated. A thorough annealing study of the FSP and rolled specimens illustrated the propensity of phase, grain and twin evolution, and quantified the same. Recrystallization behavior during annealing was determined to be dependent on prior processing as well as annealing route. Single-step annealing of FSP specimens and two-step annealing of FSP and rolled specimens yielded similar microstructural evolution with increasing annealing time. However, single-step annealing of rolled specimens led to entirely different microstructural evolution. A detailed study revealed that various interdependent and competing phenomena such as phase transformation, precipitation, recovery, recrystallization and grain growth and twinning are responsible for the overall microstructural evolution. Some unique mechanisms of annealing twin formation that were observed included formation of a twin at the interface of an epsilon (hexagonal close packed) martensite plate with the gamma (face centered cubic) parent grain and at a grain boundary triple junction containing a precipitate.
Prospective evaluation of oral cannabis extracts in children with epilepsy.

Abstract Purpose Interest in the use of artisanal cannabinoids in pediatric epilepsy has increased but safety and utility data are lacking. Our aim was to prospectively characterize the use of oral cannabis extracts (OCE) in a refractory pediatric epilepsy population. Methods Families considering the use of an OCE were enrolled in a prospective observational study. Baseline seizure frequency was assessed over a period of 4 weeks. Seizure frequency, CBD and THC-COOH levels were assessed every 4 weeks during a 12-week treatment period. Response was defined as at least a 50% reduction in seizure frequency over the final 8 weeks of the study relative to baseline. Results Consent was obtained in 32 children; 11 were excluded from analysis (3 failed to complete baseline data, 3 started OCE before completing baseline period and 5 did not start OCE) leaving 21 to be included in subsequent analyses. Median age was 10.3 years (IQR 6.8–12.6), 13 (62%) were male and median seizure frequency was 2.7 seizures/day during the baseline period. The median of the high dose of CBD that was administered during the observation period was of 0.9 (0.6–2.2) mg/kg/day. Of the 21 subjects who were included in the analysis, 5 (24%) were responders. OCE was stopped early in 3 subjects (14%) due to a perceived increase in seizures. THC-COOH and CBD blood levels did not have a significant association with response status (p = 0.95 CBD, p = 0.53 THC-COOH, N = 14). Conclusion The observed response rate in this study is similar to placebo rates in prospective randomized trials of pharmaceutical grade products and the withdrawal rate is greater than rates obtained with retrospective methods. Doses of OCE administered were lower than doses used in randomized trials.
Fault Detection on Big Data: A Novel Algorithm for Clustering Big Data to Detect and Diagnose Faults

Abstract With computer technology improving exponentially, data will grow incomprehensibly in size, complexity, and noise. However, latent within the data, valuable signals are hidden that, if discovered, can offer abundant information, such as fault detection. Traditionally, principal component analysis has been used to perform fault detection in large, multivariate systems. However, these methods often struggle to find the true origin, as they are susceptible to contribution smearing. In this work, a chemical plant system was analyzed and a novel cluster and detect method for fault detection utilizing machine-learning clustering algorithms was created in aim to improve fault detection time and diagnosis. Plant data containing complex variables were simulated, clustered into groups through a unique algorithm based upon correlations, and analyzed through principal component analysis as individual groups. This approach often resulted in quicker identification and more accurate diagnosis than the traditional principal component analysis method.
Building a Business Data Analytics Graduate Certificate

In this paper, we present the evolution of a graduate certificate in Business Data Analytics. We describe several iterations of the program and the corresponding changes in the curriculum along with resource limitations and underlying principles.
32 – Plastics in Buildings and Construction

Publisher Summary Modern building construction, for both residential and commercial purposes, is subject to diverse constraints and objectives. In this quest, polymer-based building materials have not only been used as replacements for traditional materials such as brick, cement, concrete, metal, wood, and glass, but they have also been shown to work in a complementary fashion with traditional materials to enhance their performance with unique and innovative applications satisfying the demands of the modern building construction industry. One of the key advantages of plastic materials is their lightweight and their ability to be formed into complex shapes. From polyurethane foam insulation, which is a thermoset, to transparent polycarbonate glazing, which is a thermoplastic, to wood-plastic composites (WPCs) for decking and railing, polymers are used in innumerable applications in the building industry for both structural and nonstructural applications. Insulating materials constitute a major application area for polymers in buildings. Plastics are inherently poor conductors of heat, and most of them are hydrophobic as well. This makes them very attractive starting materials for fabricating thermal and moisture barriers. One of the key advantages of plastic materials is their lightweight and their ability to be formed into complex shapes. Other features include durability, low maintenance, low cost, and availability in a range of shapes and forms, and possessing a wide spectrum of properties.
Progressive Politics and Humanistic Psychology in the Trump/Coronavirus Era

In this article, the author discusses the relationship of progressive politics to humanistic psychology in the Trump/Coronavirus era. The harsh realities of personal fears and severe challenges to ...
Searching For Silver Linings During COVID-19

This short essay responds to currently circulating suppositions about how COVID-19 will impact—specifically, will improve—working conditions in America once the pandemic has concluded. I argue that these predictions are cautiously optimistic, rationally deduced from ongoing events, and thoroughly unlikely to be realized. As world-transforming as COVID-19 has already proven to be, I show that both governmental and corporate responses to date do not support optimistic assessments as to the pandemic’s effects on labor and employment law in the United States. I also respond to various analogies that have been drawn to previous world-transforming events as a way of supporting the idea that the pandemic will change working conditions in America for the better, and I show why either those analogies rely on bad history or are simply faulty in the way they compare previous events to COVID-19. The lesson—because even in these difficult times, papers by academics must have lessons—is as grim as the news about the virus itself: America’s problematic labor system is far more resilient than the workers who suffer because of it.
Character strengths and their associations with well-being and mental distress among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals

This study examined the character strengths associated with higher well-being and lower mental distress among 404 LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer) individuals. Results indicated that out of...
Genetic Association between MMP9 and Choroidal Neovascularization in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose To evaluate the first association specific to exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) located near the matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) gene. Design Genetic association study. Participants One thousand seven hundred twelve patients with AMD (672 nonexudative, 1040 exudative) of predominantly northern European descent seeking treatment at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Methods We reanalyzed the International AMD Genetics Consortium (IAMDGC) data to validate the association of polymorphisms near MMP9 with exudative AMD and to identify additional associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), especially MMP9 coding sequence SNPs. We genotyped a cohort of 1712 AMD patients from Iowa with 3 SNPs identified with our analysis of the IAMDGC cohort using commercially available real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Firth regression was used to measure the association between MMP9 SNP genotypes and exudative AMD in our cohort of patients from Iowa. In addition, we developed a PCR-based assay to genotype the Iowa cohort at a short tandem repeat polymorphism (STRP) at the MMP9 locus. Main Outcome Measures Odds ratios and P values for exudative compared with nonexudative AMD patients in the Iowa cohort for MMP9 SNPs (rs4810482, rs17576, and rs17577) and STRP. Results We identified 3 SNPs in the MMP9 locus (rs4810482, rs17576, and rs17577) that are highly associated with exudative AMD in patient cohorts of the IAMDGC. These MMP9 SNPs also are associated with exudative AMD in the cohort of 1712 AMD patients from Iowa (rs4810482: odds ratio [OR], 0.82; P = 0.010; rs17576: OR, 0.86; P = 0.046; and rs17577: OR, 0.80; P = 0.041). We also genotyped the cohort of AMD patients from Iowa at rs142450006, another MMP9 polymorphism that previously was associated with exudative AMD. We detected a 4bp STRP, (TTTC)n, at the rs142450006 locus that is highly polymorphic and associated significantly with exudative AMD (OR, 0.78; P = 0.016). Conclusions This study independently confirms and expands an association between the MMP9 locus and exudative AMD, further implicating a role for extracellular matrix abnormalities in choroidal neovascularization.
Does Contract Enforcement Mitigate Hold Up

This paper provides novel evidence that stronger contract enforcement mitigates hold up in business investment decisions using stark, externally imposed variation in contract enforcement across Native American reservations. My tests focus on the golf course industry, which involves a high degree of sunk costs and long investment horizons, and is thus, naturally subject to the classical hold up problem. I find that state courts, which provide stronger contract enforcement than tribal courts, lead to at least 27% more golf courses, with greater effects in areas with greater natural amenities. These findings suggest that courts play an important role in facilitating the oft-discussed contractual solutions to the hold up problem.
Clinical Predictors and Outcomes of Oral Food Challenges Illustrate Differences Among Individual Tree Nuts.

Background Although allergy to tree nuts is often considered a single entity, there is heterogeneity in patient reactivity and immune response to different tree nuts. Objective We sought to characterize tree nut oral food challenges (OFCs) in a pediatric population performed at a single center over a 12-year period and determine differences in OFC outcome to different tree nuts. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted in patients (0-20 years) who completed an unblinded OFC to any tree nut from 2007 to 2019 at Lurie Chlildren's Hospital of Chicago. Differences among almond, cashew, hazelnut, and walnut challenges were compared, and probability curves were used to estimate positive predictive values (PPVs) of specific IgE at OFC. Results A total of 531 tree nut OFCs were included. The mean age at OFC was 7.77 years (standard deviation, 4.33). Overall, 74.0% of children passed clinically indicated OFCs. Of the 4 most commonly challenged tree nuts, almost all patients passed OFC to almond (97.3%) and hazelnut (87.9%). Pass rates were lower for cashew (65.3%) and walnut (57.0%), P Conclusions The majority of patients pass low-risk almond and hazelnut OFCs. PPVs at the 50th percentile for walnut (2.84 kU/L) and cashew (3.35 kU/L) were lower than those previous studies have suggested.
Neuroimaging, Urinary, and Plasma Biomarkers of Treatment Response in Huntington's Disease: Preclinical Evidence with the p75 NTR Ligand LM11A-31.

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expansion of the CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene leading to preferential neurodegeneration of the striatum. Disease-modifying treatments are not yet available to HD patients and their development would be facilitated by translatable pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and plasma cytokines have been suggested as disease onset/progression biomarkers, but their ability to detect treatment efficacy is understudied. This study used the R6/2 mouse model of HD to assess if structural neuroimaging and biofluid assays can detect treatment response using as a prototype the small molecule p75NTR ligand LM11A-31, shown previously to reduce HD phenotypes in these mice. LM11A-31 alleviated volume reductions in multiple brain regions, including striatum, of vehicle-treated R6/2 mice relative to wild-types (WTs), as assessed with in vivo MRI. LM11A-31 also normalized changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics and diminished increases in certain plasma cytokine levels, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6, in R6/2 mice. Finally, R6/2-vehicle mice had increased urinary levels of the p75NTR extracellular domain (ecd), a cleavage product released with pro-apoptotic ligand binding that detects the progression of other neurodegenerative diseases; LM11A-31 reduced this increase. These results are the first to show that urinary p75NTR-ecd levels are elevated in an HD mouse model and can be used to detect therapeutic effects. These data also indicate that multi-modal MRI and plasma cytokine levels may be effective pharmacodynamic biomarkers and that using combinations of these markers would be a viable and powerful option for clinical trials.
The Value of GARP Investing: Evidence from the Indonesian Stock Exchange

The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not the GARP in selecting the stock portfolios can provide a more stable growth rate of return when compared to the value stock and growth stock as well as to examine the stock return on value stock and growth stock based on the changes in its fundamentals. The population in this study was all companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (known as IDX) in the period of 2015-2019. The samples were selected using a comparative-quantitative approach and consisted of 20 companies: seven companies included in the value stock portfolio category and ten companies included in the portfolio category. Growth stock and three companies were included in the GARP's stock portfolio category. The formation of stock portfolios in the company's fundamentals was based on price to book value ratio, price-earnings ratio, and price-earnings growth ratio. This study used the ANOVA method equipped with SPSS by performing four tests: Homogeneity of Variance, Between-Subject, Post Hoc, and Homogenous Subset test. The results of this study show that there were differences in the portfolio return of value stocks, growth stocks, and GARP stocks on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the period of 2015-2019. Meanwhile, the GARP investment strategy was stable for the growth when compared to the value investment and growth investment in the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the period of 2015-2019. The implementation of GARP concept in managing the investment portfolios and criteria for choosing the stocks have the profitable growth, first in forming the GARP because investors in the stock market tend to expect obtaining high investment returns with a limited time horizon. The implementation of GARP concept has prevented the investors from the value trap because the GARP strategy is a hybrid solution for the growth stock and value stock, thus. The GARP investors will experience a combination of returns
Self-monitoring, self-selection, and prospective employment: individual differences in finding a workplace niche.

Self-selection of different employment opportunities was predicted to be a function of dispositional differences in self-monitoring. In two studies, participants read two job descriptions containin...
An examination of discourse analytic methods in the context of mathematical group work

In recent decades, mathematics education scholarship has promoted a shift from traditional teaching and learning approaches to novel approaches that privilege peer-to-peer collaboration. To mobiliz...
Disturbed flow's impact on cellular changes indicative of vascular aneurysm initiation, expansion, and rupture: A pathological and methodological review

Aneurysms are malformations within the arterial vasculature brought on by the structural breakdown of the microarchitecture of the vessel wall, with aneurysms posing serious health risks in the event of their rupture. Blood flow within vessels is generally laminar with high, unidirectional wall shear stressors that modulate vascular endothelial cell functionality and regulate vascular smooth muscle cells. However, altered vascular geometry induced by bifurcations, significant curvature, stenosis, or clinical interventions can alter the flow, generating low stressor disturbed flow patterns. Disturbed flow is associated with altered cellular morphology, upregulated expression of proteins modulating inflammation, decreased regulation of vascular permeability, degraded extracellular matrix, and heightened cellular apoptosis. The understanding of the effects disturbed flow has on the cellular cascades which initiate aneurysms and promote their subsequent growth can further elucidate the nature of this complex pathology. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the disturbed flow and its relation to aneurysm pathology, the methods used to investigate these relations, as well as how such knowledge has impacted clinical treatment methodologies. This information can contribute to the understanding of the development, growth, and rupture of aneurysms and help develop novel research and aneurysmal treatment techniques.
Mechanistic insights into the pathophysiology of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Myocardial dysfunction in end stage cirrhotic liver disease, termed cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, is a long known, but little understood comorbidity seen in ∼50% of adults and children who present for liver transplantation. Structural, functional, hemodynamic and electrocardiographic aberrations that occur in the heart as a direct consequence of a damaged liver, is associated with multi-organ failure and increased mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing surgical procedures such as porto-systemic shunt placement and liver transplantation. Despite its clinical significance and rapid advances in science and pharmacotherapy, there is yet no specific treatment for this disease. This may be due to a lack of understanding of the pathogenesis and mechanisms behind how a cirrhotic liver causes cardiac pathology. This review will focus specifically on insights into the molecular mechanisms that drive this liver-heart interaction. Deeper understanding of the etio-pathogenesis of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy will allow us to design and test treatments that can be targeted to prevent and/or reverse this co-morbid consequence of liver failure and improve health care delivery and outcomes in patients with cirrhosis.
Identifying the link between chemical exposures and breast cancer in African American women via integrated in vitro and exposure biomarker data

Among women, breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer worldwide and has the second highest mortality rate of any cancer in the United States. The breast cancer related death rate is 40 % higher in non-Hispanic Black women compared to non-Hispanic White women. The incidence of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive subtype of breast cancer for which there is no targeted therapy, is also approximately three times higher for Black, relative to, White women. The drivers of these differences are poorly understood. Here, we aimed to identify chemical exposures which play a role in breast cancer disparities. Using chemical biomonitoring data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and biological activity data from the EPA's ToxCast program, we assessed the toxicological profiles of chemicals to which US Black women are disproportionately exposed. We conducted a literature search to identify breast cancer targets in ToxCast to analyze the response of chemicals with exposure disparities in these assays. Forty-three chemical biomarkers are significantly higher in Black women. Investigation of these chemicals in ToxCast resulted in 32,683 assays for analysis, 5172 of which contained nonzero values for the concentration at which the dose-response fitted model reaches the cutoff considered "active". Of these chemicals BPA, PFOS, and thiram are most comprehensively assayed. 2,5-dichlorophenol, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and methyl and propyl parabens had higher biomarker concentrations in Black women and moderate testing and activity in ToxCast. The distribution of active concentrations for these chemicals in ToxCast assays are comparable to biomarker concentrations in Black women NHANES participants. Through this integrated analysis, we identify that multiple chemicals, including thiram, propylparaben, and p,p' DDE, have disproportionate exposures in Black women and have breast cancer associated biological activity at human exposure relevant doses.
Early outcomes of high-dose-rate brachytherapy combined with ultra-hypofractionated radiation in higher-risk prostate cancer

ABSTRACT PURPOSE This study evaluated outcomes associated with a high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost combined with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for patients with higher-risk localized prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS We identified 101 patients with National Comprehensive Cancer Network high-risk, unfavorable intermediate-risk, or favorable intermediate-risk with probable extra-prostatic extension treated with HDR brachytherapy (15 Gy x 1 fraction) followed by SBRT (5 Gy x 5 daily fractions to the prostate and/or seminal vesicles and/or pelvic lymph nodes). Androgen deprivation therapy was used in 55.4% of all patients (90% of high-risk, 33% of intermediate-risk). Toxicities according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v4.0 and International Prostate Symptom Scores were prospectively documented at each followup visit. Biochemical relapse was defined as PSA nadir +2ng/mL. RESULTS The median follow-up time after SBRT was 24.1 months. No grade ≥3 toxicities were observed. The incidence of acute and late grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities was both 0.99%. Acute and late grade 2 genitourinary (GU) toxicities were observed in 5.9% and 9.9%, respectively. Median time to a grade 2 GU toxicity was 6 months with a 14% 2-year actuarial rate of grade 2 GU toxicity. Median International Prostate Symptom Scores at 24 months was not significantly different than baseline (6 vs. 5; p = 0.24). Inclusion of pelvic lymph nodes and absence of a rectal spacer were significantly associated with more frequent grade ≥1 GU toxicity, but not grade ≥2 GU or gastrointestinal toxicity. The 2-year biochemical relapse free survival was 97%. CONCLUSIONS HDR brachytherapy combined with SBRT was associated with a favorable early toxicity profile and encouraging cancer control outcomes.
Friday afternoon, September 3, 2010—Lafayette, IN

Mona dropped Delta off at her remodeled church apartment on Friday afternoon following classes and a late faculty meeting. The graduate advisee promised to pick up her advisor the next morning, so the two could drive back to Chicago.
REVIEW OF METHODS FOR ESTIMATING PILE CAPACITY

The first phase of an investigation of methods for construction control of pile driving and determination of pile capacity has been completed for the Washington State Department of Transportation. A literature review covering the use of dynamic pile driving equations, wave equation methods, and pile analyzers has been conducted. In addition, a survey of current practices by state transportation departments has been completed. The literature review has shown that dynamic formulas provide the least reliable pile capacity predictions. Of the numerous formulas studied, no single dynamic pile driving formula was found to be superior to all others. However, the Hiley, Janbu, and Gates equations appear to be among the best in published comparisons of formula predictions versus pile load test results. The Engineering News formula and its modified versions were found, with one exception, to be among the worst predictors of pile capacity. When wave equation methods were included in comparisons of predicted-to-measured capacity, the wave equation prediction was consistently equal to or better than the best formula. Pile analyzer results can be excellent; however, the ability of the operator is a crucial factor in its successful use. Recommendations have been made for the improvement of current procedures used by the Washington State Department of Transportation for construction control and estimation of pile capacity. These recommendations also are applicable to many other state transportation departments, as well as private contractors and consultants who are involved in the construction control of pile driving.
The Clinical Manifestions of Cocaine Abuse

The clinician’s task of diagnosing cocaine abuse is significantly complicated by the common tenacity of drug users in denying their drug consumption. A drug user’s denial is fueled in part by the stigma society attaches to drug use and by the fact that admission of drug use threatens the continuation of the drug-using state. As a result, patient histories are a notoriously unreliable means of identifying drug use. Figure 4.1, derived from an antenatal and postpartum study of inner-city black mothers, illustrates the underreporting of contemporaneous drug use. In this study, drug use was assessed by interviews during pregnancy and 13 months after giving birth. The findings of this study that drug use during pregnancy was significantly underreported confirm other studies of different populations.1
Reliable social sensing with physical constraints: analytic bounds and performance evaluation

Correctness guarantees are at the core of cyber-physical computing research. While prior research addressed correctness of timing behavior and correctness of program logic, this paper tackles the emerging topic of assessing correctness of input data. This topic is motivated by the desire to crowd-source sensing tasks, an act we henceforth call social sensing, in applications with humans in the loop. A key challenge in social sensing is that the reliability of sources is generally unknown, which makes it difficult to assess the correctness of collected observations. To address this challenge, we adopt a cyber-physical approach, where assessment of correctness of individual observations is aided by knowledge of physical constraints on sources and observed variables to compensate for the lack of information on source reliability. We cast the problem as one of maximum likelihood estimation. The goal is to jointly estimate both (i) the latent physical state of the observed environment, and (ii) the inferred reliability of individual sources such that they are maximally consistent with both provenance information (who reported what) and physical constraints. We also derive new analytic bounds that allow the social sensing applications to accurately quantify the estimation error of source reliability for given confidence levels. We evaluate the framework through both a real-world social sensing application and extensive simulation studies. The results demonstrate significant performance gains in estimation accuracy of the new algorithms and verify the correctness of the analytic bounds we derived.
Protection of Human Subjects in Research Trials

Horrors of medical experiments done on prisoners in concentration camps during World War II led to the Nuremberg Code, the basis of the present day informed consent process. Informed consent requir...
Ignoring the Court's Order: The Automatic Stay in Immigration Detention Cases

Current immigration laws governing the detention of noncitizens are rife with statutes and regulations that raise due process concerns. The Automatic Stay provision found at 8 C.F.R. § 1003.19(i)(2) is one such regulation. This regulation allows the Department of Homeland Security to, in effect, ignore an Immigration Court’s order of release on bond in certain cases, simply by filing a notice with the Court stating their intention to invoke the Automatic Stay. This means that even where an Immigration Judge has determined that an individual should be released on bond, the Department of Homeland Security can choose to nullify that order by invoking the Automatic Stay. Once invoked, the Immigration Judge’s order of release is stayed pending final resolution from the Board of Immigration Appeals; a process that can take up to 177 days. This article first provides a historical context for the Automatic Stay provision and compares the October 2001 regulations with the November 2006 regulations currently in place. The article argues that the 2001 regulations failed to cure the constitutional concerns raised by the previous ones. The article then examines the operation of the Automatic Stay in detail, exploring the way in which DHS derives an unfair legal advantage from the stay that impacts the outcome of any deportation case. Contextualizing the discussion in an exploration of the significance of human incarceration, the article also compares bail procedures in the federal criminal context to bond procedures in the civil immigration context, arguing that there are fewer due process protections in the latter. Finally, the author argues that the Automatic Stay provision is unconstitutional and recommends that it be immediately repealed.
Fatigue of Materials: Cyclic deformation in polycrystalline ductile solids

Following the discussion of cyclic deformation in ductile single crystals, we now direct attention to polycrystalline metals and alloys. Firstly, experimental observations are discussed to show how the cyclic deformation of single crystals oriented for multiple slip can be correlated with that of polycrystalline aggregates. Continuum characterization of cyclic hardening and softening of polycrystals is addressed, along with the effects of slip characteristics, alloying and precipitation. The Bauschinger effect is then introduced, wherein both microscopic and continuum viewpoints are presented to rationalize the dissimilar yield responses seen in tension and compression during load reversals. Continuum models for uniaxial and multiaxial cyclic deformation, which are of interest for engineering structures, are the focus of subsequent sections. Lower bound and upper bound theorems for elastic shakedown under cyclic loading are presented, and the origins of cyclic creep and ratchetting are then examined. The chapter concludes with the derivation of critical temperatures which signify distinct transitions in the cyclic deformation characteristics of particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites and layered materials. While this chapter confines attention to ductile crystalline solids, the cyclic deformation characteristics of brittle solids as well as semi-crystalline and noncrystalline solids are taken up in Chapters 5 and 6. Effects of grain boundaries and multiple slip The mechanisms of cyclic damage observed in ductile single crystals are also known to be generally applicable to the deformation of near-surface grains in polycrystalline metals of high purity.
Tales of a Talented Bird

The Alex Studies Cognitive and Communicative Abilities of Grey Parrots. Irene Maxine Pepperberg. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. 446 pp. $39.95, £24.95. ISBN 0-674-00051-X. For more than two decades, Pepperberg has worked with an individual African Grey Parrot named Alex. In this book, she describes her admirably rigorous studies of his linguistic abilities and what they might mean for our understanding of an animal mind.
Grossing histotechnologist training

A grossing histotechnologist or histotech is a person who is assigned by management to perform grossing specimens in the surgical pathology laboratory. Sometimes this position is called a grossing ...
Piagetian Theory, Development of Conceptual Structure

Jean Piaget established an important approach to the study of mental development. He distinguished a series of stages of cognitive development and outlined a process of change through which children actively create a new type of intelligence at each stage. New tools, in contextual and cultural analysis, dynamical systems theory, and neuroscience, are helping to realize his goal of connecting developmental stages with processes of growth. Keywords: cognitive development; constructivism; dynamics; intelligence; logic; stages; variability
Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2: an approach to preventing cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract.

: Multiple lines of evidence suggest that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inducible form of COX, represents a potential pharmacologic target to prevent cancer. Key data suggesting a causal relationship between increased COX-2 activity and carcinogenesis and possible mechanisms of action of COX-2 in this context will be discussed. The possibility that COX-2 represents a pharmacological target for preventing upper aerodigestive cancers (head and neck, lung) will be emphasized. Importantly, clinical trials have been initiated to assess the chemopreventive properties of selective COX-2 inhibitors.
Theory of bi-molecular association dynamics in 2D for accurate model and experimental parameterization of binding rates

The dynamics of association between diffusing and reacting molecular species are routinely quantified using simple rate-equation kinetics that assume both well-mixed concentrations of species and a single rate constant for parameterizing the binding rate. In two-dimensions (2D), however, even when systems are well-mixed, the assumption of a single characteristic rate constant for describing association is not generally accurate, due to the properties of diffusional searching in dimensions d ≤ 2. Establishing rigorous bounds for discriminating between 2D reactive systems that will be accurately described by rate equations with a single rate constant, and those that will not, is critical for both modeling and experimentally parameterizing binding reactions restricted to surfaces such as cellular membranes. We show here that in regimes of intrinsic reaction rate (ka) and diffusion (D) parameters ka/D > 0.05, a single rate constant cannot be fit to the dynamics of concentrations of associating species independently of the initial conditions. Instead, a more sophisticated multi-parametric description than rate-equations is necessary to robustly characterize bimolecular reactions from experiment. Our quantitative bounds derive from our new analysis of 2D rate-behavior predicted from Smoluchowski theory. Using a recently developed single particle reaction-diffusion algorithm we extend here to 2D, we are able to test and validate the predictions of Smoluchowski theory and several other theories of reversible reaction dynamics in 2D for the first time. Finally, our results also mean that simulations of reactive systems in 2D using rate equations must be undertaken with caution when reactions have ka/D > 0.05, regardless of the simulation volume. We introduce here a simple formula for an adaptive concentration dependent rate constant for these chemical kinetics simulations which improves on existing formulas to better capture non-equilibrium reaction dynamics from dilute to dense systems.
New lower bounds for covering codes

Some new lower bounds on mod C mod for a binary linear (n, k)R code C with n+1=t(R+1)-r(0 2 odd) or with n+1=t(R+1)-1(t>2 even) are obtained. These bounds improve the sphere covering bound considerably and give several new values and lower bounds for the function t(n, k), the smallest covering radius of any (n, k) code. >
How the Statistical Revolution Changes (Computational) Linguistics

This paper discusses some of the ways that the "statistical revolution" has changed and continues to change the relationship between linguistics and computational linguistics. I claim that it is more useful in parsing to make an open world assumption about possible linguistic structures, rather than the closed world assumption usually made in grammar-based approaches to parsing, and I sketch two different ways in which grammar-based approaches might be modified to achieve this. I also describe some of the ways in which probabilistic models are starting to have a significant impact on psycholinguistics and language acquisition. In language acquisition Bayesian techniques may let us empirically evaluate the role of putative universals in universal grammar.
Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002

Objective—This report presents selected estimates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among U.S. adults, using data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Methods—Data for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population were collected using computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI). This report is based on 31,044 interviews of adults age 18 years and over. Statistics shown in this report were age adjusted to the year 2000 U.S. standard population. Results—Sixty-two percent of adults used some form of CAM therapy during the past 12 months when the definition of CAM therapy included prayer specifically for health reasons. When prayer specifically for health reasons was excluded from the definition, 36% of adults used some form of CAM therapy during the past 12 months. The 10 most commonly used CAM therapies during the past 12 months were use of prayer specifically for one’s own health (43.0%), prayer by others for one’s own health (24.4%), natural products (18.9%), deep breathing exercises (11.6%), participation in prayer group for one’s own health (9.6%), meditation (7.6%), chiropractic care (7.5%), yoga (5.1%), massage (5.0%), and diet-based therapies (3.5%). Use of CAM varies by sex, race, geographic region, health insurance status, use of cigarettes or alcohol, and hospitalization. CAM was most often used to treat back pain or back problems, head or chest colds, neck pain or neck problems, joint pain or stiffness, and anxiety or depression. Adults age 18 years or over who used CAM were more likely to do so because they believed that CAM combined with conventional medical treatments would help (54.9%) and/or they thought it would be interesting to try (50.1%). Most adults who have ever used CAM have used it within the past 12 months, although there is variation by CAM therapy.
An organized, comprehensive, and security-enabled strategic response to the Haiti earthquake: a description of pre-deployment readiness preparation and preliminary experience from an academic anesthesiology department with no preexisting international disaster response program.

BACKGROUND:On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 16:53 local time, a magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti. The global humanitarian attempt to respond was swift, but poor infrastructure and emergency preparedness limited many efforts. Rapid, successful deployment of emergency medical care teams was acc
BIACORE J: a new platform for routine biomolecular interaction analysis.

SPR biosensor technology continues to evolve. The recently released platform from Biacore AB (Uppsala, Sweden), BIACORE J, is designed for the routine analysis of biomolecular interactions. Using an antibody-protein A and a ligand-receptor system, we demonstrate the utility of BIACORE J in determining active concentration and binding affinities. The results from these studies illustrate the high sensitivity of the instrument and its ability to generate reproducible binding responses. The BIACORE J is easy to operate and useful in diverse applications, making SPR technology widely accessible as a research tool.
Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, problem behaviors, and mental health among minority urban youth

Objectives. We examined perceived frequency and intensity of racial/ethnic discrimination and associations with high-risk behaviors/conditions among adolescents. Design. With surveys from 2490 racial/ethnic minority adolescents primarily with low socioeconomic status, we used regression analysis to examine associations between racial/ethnic discrimination and behavioral health outcomes (alcohol use, marijuana use, physical aggression, delinquency, victimization, depression, suicidal ideation, and sexual behaviors). Results. Most adolescents (73%) experienced racial/ethnic discrimination and 42% of experiences were ‘somewhat-’ or ‘very disturbing.’ Adolescents reporting frequent and disturbing racial/ethnic discrimination were at increased risk of all measured behaviors, except alcohol and marijuana use. Adolescents who experienced any racial/ethnic discrimination were at increased risk for victimization and depression. Regardless of intensity, adolescents who experienced racial/ethnic discrimination at le...
Testing models of insulin binding in rat adipocytes using network thermodynamic computer simulations.

AbstractMany different models have been proposed to explain the complex binding behavior of insulin to its receptor, but a systematic comparison of models with experimental results is lacking. We have used network thermodynamic computer simulations to compare models of insulin binding against the results of several experimental tests designed to differentiate between the models. Six models of insulin binding were tested (simple, diffusion-reaction, conversion, dissociation, heterogeneous site, and two-step intramembrane) against results reported in the literature for isolated rat adipocytes. Although still a matter of experimental controversy, the criteria selected for modeling were curvilinear Scatchard plots, bi-or multi-exponential dissociation, insulin-accelerated dissociation, lack of dependence of the overall dissociation constant on receptor number, and receptor reserve. Using a given set of parameter values most appropriate for each model, none was able to account for all of the observed experimen...
Observation of lattice fringes in an approximant to the AI-Co-Cu decagonal phase

Lattice fringes for the C-orthorhombic crystalline approximant to the Al-Co-Cu decagonal phase were imaged. The relative orientations between various sets of equivalent lattice fringes reveal clearly the twinning in this approximant. Moreover, the fringe imaging provides detailed information concerning the sizes and the shapes of the twin variants in this structure