cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MALE CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR NESTLING SURVIVAL: A REMOVAL STUDY

Abstract We examined the value of paternal care in the socially monogamous Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus). We removed parental males from their territories after eggs hatched, and compared fledging success of these nests with that of nests at which both parents attended young. We demonstrate that males were essential for nestling survival: no young fledged from female-only nests. Thus, constraints of the breeding environment apparently impose a need for biparental care in this species. We relate this study to previous research, and suggest that ecological variables constraining males to care for young may also dictate patterns of male behavior in response to the steroid hormone testosterone. Los Machos de Calcarius ornatus son Indispensables para la Supervivencia de los Pichones: Un Estudio de Remocion Resumen. Examinamos el valor del cuidado paterno en Calcarius ornatus, una especie socialmente monogama. Removimos machos parentales de sus territorios despues de la eclosion de los huevos, ...
Reconstructing Language Hierarchies

Within an assumed language class optimal models can be estimated using Gibb-sian statistical mechanics. But how are model classes themselves related? We consider the problem of moving from less to more computationally capable classes in the search for finite descriptions of unpredictable data series.
A Note on Q-algebras and Quantization

In this note, we study Schwarz’s conjecture on application of Q-algebras to strict quantization. We prove that in the case of a torus with a constant Poisson structure, Schwarz’s formalism gives the same star product as Rieffel [10]. We construct twisted Fock modules as examples of quantization dg-modules in the case of a compact Kahler manifold. In particular, we relate this construction on \(\mathbb{CP}^1\) to representations of a fuzzy sphere
John Hopkinson of Grub Street: An Elizabethan Orientalist

Scholars have puzzled over the identity of a certain Hopkinson, a London-based teacher of the oriental languages during Elizabeth’s reign. James Whitelocke, future judge of the King’s Bench, appears to have been the only one to mention him. Prior to entering Oxford in June 1588, Whitelocke recalled in 1609, he had improved his knowledge of Hebrew—which he had begun studying at Merchant Taylors’ School under Richard Mulcaster—with a reader of the Hebrew tong at London that was reputed the famosest in that language about the towne. His name was Hopkinson, he dwelt in Grub Street, an obscure and simple man for worldly affayres, but expert in all the lefthand tongs, as Hebrew, Chaldean, Syrian, Arabian, and writ them verye fair: he had at that time great lerned men that consulted him in those languages, and especially dr. Andrews that is now bishop of Chichester.
A note on the effect of scrotal wool cover on morphological changes in ram spermatozoa due to heat stress

Variation in scrotal wool cover influenced the percentage of abnormal cells in the semen of rams exposed in the hot room. The percentage of abnormal cells was highest in the rams with maximum wool cover on their scrota, intermediate in those with scrota completely devoid of wool cover and minimum in those with intermediate (2 to 3 cm) scrotal wool cover.
Analysis of Epidemiological Characteristics of Hand-foot-mouth Disease in Usu City of Xinjiang from 2008 to 2009

Objective To discuss epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) in Usu,to provide scientific basis for its control and prevention.Methods Descriptive epidemiology was taken to analyze surveillance data of hand-foot-mouth disease in Usu City from 2008 to 2009.Result From 2008 to 2009,incidence rate of the disease was 50.08/100 000 and 205.18/100 000,respectively,with morbidity number accounting for 10.10% and 40.68% of the total number of category C infectious disease in the two years.Case number in 2009 was 3.17 times of that in 2008,occupying the top of 39 notifiable diseases.No severe and death cases occurred.Onset peak time of the disease in 2009 was from 28 to 29 in June,and estimation onset peak(epidemic period) was from April 7 to September 22,with obviously seasonal increase.Distribution of the disease was wider in 2009 than in 2008.It mainly occurred in scattered and nursery children,accounted for 67.14% and 22.56% of the total number,while school children held 9.59%.Sex ratio was 1.55∶1 between the male and female.The 10th and 90th percentile of onset age was 1.25-year-old and 6.68-year-old with median age of 3.06-year-old.There were 78 cases with identified close contact history,occupying 64.46% of the total investigated number.Conclusions In Usu in 2009,HFMD is highly epidemic.Its annual incidence rate is much higher than that in Yichang City of Hubei Province(58.95/100 000) and national level in 2009(87.01/100 000).HFMD prevention and control has become a focus in future prevention and control of infectious diseases in Usu City.
Breast reduction in patients with prior breast irradiation: outcomes using a central mound technique.

BACKGROUND Breast reduction in patients with a history of lumpectomy and irradiation is controversial because of a heightened risk of infection and wound healing complications. Persistent macromastia or asymmetry remains a problem in this patient population that is commonly not addressed. The authors studied the safety and efficacy of a central mound technique with minimal dissection for breast reduction or mastopexy in patients with a history of breast irradiation. METHODS A case-control study of all patients undergoing bilateral breast reduction mammaplasty between 2008 and 2013 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was conducted. Patients who had unilateral breast irradiation and bilateral reduction using the central mound technique were included. Each patient had a control breast and an irradiated breast. Complications and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS Thirteen patients were included for analysis. Their average age was 50.23 ± 9.9 years, and average time from irradiation to breast reduction mammaplasty was 41.3 ± 48.5 months (range, 9 to 132 months). The average specimen weight of irradiated breasts was less than that of control breasts; however, this failed to reach statistical significance (254.2 ± 173.5 g versus 386.9 ± 218.5 g; p = 0.099). One patient developed fat necrosis in the previously irradiated breast and underwent biopsy. There was no incidence of nipple necrosis or breast cancer in either irradiated or nonirradiated breasts. CONCLUSIONS Breast reduction mammaplasty in patients who have had irradiation is feasible and can be performed safely in select cases. The central mound technique provides reliable and reproducible results and should be considered in patients with macromastia/asymmetry and a history of irradiation. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, III.
Epiphyte load and seagrass performance are decoupled in an estuary with low eutrophication risk

Abstract Seagrass can decline due to blooms of algae following either loss of top-down control or increase in bottom-up nutrient delivery. Macroalgae negatively affect seagrass especially at high ratios of algal biomass to seagrass size. In contrast, for microalgae, epiphyte loads that affect seagrass performance are not well synthesized. Competition has been demonstrated primarily following nutrient or food web manipulations, which increase epiphyte load from background levels, rather than through experimental removal of epiphytes. Although the Willapa Bay (Washington, USA) is an estuary with low eutrophication risk, microalgae reach large biomass in summer, up to 60% of the mass of their intertidal seagrass host (eelgrass, Zostera marina). Based on a novel field technique, experimental reduction of epiphytes did not accelerate growth (g g− 1 d− 1) of Z. marina. Neither did two other manipulations that were expected to improve resource access: removing nearby shoots or older, epiphytized leaves. Instead, removing older leaves slowed growth from 2.3% d− 1 to 1.8% d− 1, and removing lightly-epiphytized younger leaves slowed growth to 1.7% d− 1. To evaluate top-down and bottom-up causes of epiphyte load, two widespread methods were used. Observationally over time, epiphyte load was positively correlated with eelgrass leaf emergence rate and unrelated to mesograzer density; however, a crossed experiment reducing crustacean mesograzers and adding nutrients indicated top-down control, since chlorophyll-a in epiphytes increased with grazer reduction and no added nutrients (deterrent × nutrient interaction). At current epiphyte loads in the Willapa Bay, intertidal Z. marina tolerates seasonally-abundant epiphytes coinciding with rapid leaf emergence, thus producing fresh leaves where microalgal competition cannot be detected.
Gegard® a new process for treating motor windings

Gegard is a new trade-marked process of the General Electric Service Shops Department. It has now developed, from a laboratory technique, into a high production process for resin treating motor windings.
Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastatic to a Pheochromocytoma

AbstractA case of renal cell carcinoma coincident with and metastatic to a pheochromocytoma is reported. The coincidence is rare and the metastasis is unique.
Immunotherapy: A promising approach to reverse sepsis-induced immunosuppression

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by dysregulated host responses to infection (Third International Consensus definition for Sepsis and septic shock). Despite decades of research, sepsis remains the leading cause of death in intensive care units. More than 40 clinical trials, most of which have targeted the sepsis-associated pro-inflammatory response, have failed. Thus, antibiotics and fluid resuscitation remain the mainstays of supportive care and there is intense need to discover and develop novel, targeted therapies to treat sepsis. Both pre-clinical and clinical studies over the past decade demonstrate unequivocally that sepsis not only causes hyper-inflammation, but also leads to simultaneous adaptive immune system dysfunction and impaired antimicrobial immunity. Evidences for immunosuppression include immune cell depletion (T cells most affected), compromised T cell effector functions, T cell exhaustion, impaired antigen presentation, increased susceptibility to opportunistic nosocomial infections, dysregulated cytokine secretion, and reactivation of latent viruses. Therefore, targeting immunosuppression provides a logical approach to treat protracted sepsis. Numerous pre-clinical studies using immunomodulatory agents such as interleukin-7, anti-programmed cell death 1 antibody (anti-PD-1), anti-programmed cell death 1 ligand antibody (anti-PD-L1), and others have demonstrated reversal of T cell dysfunction and improved survival. Therefore, identifying immunosuppressed patients with the help of specific biomarkers and administering specific immunomodulators holds significant potential for sepsis therapy in the future. This review focusses on T cell dysfunction during sepsis and discusses the potential immunotherapeutic agents to boost T cell function during sepsis and improve host resistance to infection.
Black Male Frames: African Americans in a Century of Hollywood Cinema, 1903‐2003 Roland Leander Williams Jr. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2015.

Black Male Frames: African Americans in a Century of Hollywood Cinema, 1903-2003 Roland Leander Williams, Jr. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2015.In Roland Leander Williams, Jr.'s second monograph, Black Male Frames, the author argues that today's commercial film industry carries on a centuries-old practice of dividing African American male roles into two slavery-era stereotypes: a "contented slave" or a "wretched freeman" (xv). An associate professor of English at Temple University, Williams illustrates how film professionals package and sell variations of these two characters to American moviegoers, depending on what the social and political climate behind the scenes will allow and without compromising ticket sales. Using five case studies that move forward through time, the author contextualizes the careers of iconic African-American actors-Sam Lucas, Paul Robeson, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman-and demonstrates that Hollywood's history of marginalizing black actors to certain roles is one that continues to repeat itself and, unfortunately, shows no sign of stopping.Black Male Frames opens with a summary of the historical events responsible for breathing life into the stereotype that "Blacks could go along with the system, or they could go against it" (14). Starting in the early seventeenth century, Williams describes a time when laws "reduced blacks to chattle" and "barred them from marriage, property, and family" and Shakespeare created an "obstinate" Caliban to contrast with his "obliging" Othello (8, 14). Two hundred years later, Harriet Beecher Stowe's loyal Tom and defiant George characters reinforced this same dichotomy while minstrelsy's popular white performers Thomas Rice, who played the loyal servant Jim Crow, and George Washington Dixon, who played the scoundrel Zip Coon, donned blackface makeup for audiences across the country, inspiring copycat performances along the way (19). Williams's historical analysis leaves no question about how fully this limited perception of black men had saturated American culture by the nineteenth century.Following analyses of the life and times of Lucas and Robeson, Williams puts the spotlight on actors with whom readers will be more familiar. The son of Bahamian parents, Sidney Poitier grew up extremely poor in the 1930s, and, after a brief prison stay, young Poitier's parents sent him off to live with his brother in Miami where Jim Crow custom taught him to "stoop and smile in the company of whites" (89). A shift occurred throughout World War Two, however, and speaking of blacks "as primitives was going out of vogue"; whites increasingly recognized the need for black inclusion (93). Williams argues that the desegregation of the military, Jackie Robinson's taking the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Brown v. …
Evaluation of Porosity in Graphite-Epoxy Composite by Frequency Dependence of Ultrasonic Attenuation

The ultrasonic attenuation of a solid containing a distribution of voids depends on the number of voids per unit volume and the ultrasonic scattering cross-section of the voids. This physical picture has been shown to provide an accurate description of the attenuation behavior of ultrasound in metals containing low level porosity. For example, methods developed from this model for evaluating the average size and the volume fraction of porosity in cast aluminum have yielded good results [1].
Recurrent Donath-Landsteiner hemolytic anemia: a pediatric case report

BACKGROUND Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH) is a form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia caused by the Donath-Landsteiner antibody (D-L antibody). In children, this is typically a transient immune-mediated hemolysis that follows a viral illness and does not recur. Recurrent acute or chronic PCH due to D-L antibody is very rare.
Calculating the adenoma detection rate in screening colonoscopies only: Is it necessary? Can it be gamed?

Background Current recommendations are to calculate the adenoma detection rate (ADR) in screening colonoscopies only. The need to confine the measure to screening has not been established. Methods We retrospectively assessed our quality database for whether calculating ADR from screening, surveillance, and diagnostic colonoscopies (overall ADR) would alter conclusions about the performance of colonoscopists, compared to using an ADR based only on screening colonoscopies. We also prospectively tested the extent to which one physician could corrupt the screening-only ADR by changing the procedure indication after reviewing the examination findings. Results For 15 physicians, screening ADRs differed from the overall ADR by a mean of 2.6 percentage points (range 0 – 6.9 percentage points). Using the overall ADR rather than screening ADR changed the ADR from just below to just above the recommended screening threshold for one physician. In the prospective assessment, a single expert colonoscopist utilized indication gaming in patients with both screening and diagnostic indications and was able to increase his apparent screening-only ADR from 48.4 % to 55.1 %. Conclusions Use of an overall ADR rather than screening-only ADR could simplify ADR measurement, increase the number of examinations available to measure ADR, seldom affect whether a doctor meets recommended ADR thresholds, and eliminate the potential for gaming the ADR by changing the colonoscopy indication.
E-015 Trans radial stroke interventions: when, why and how

Background Transradial access has been establish as a viable alternative to transfemoral access in cardiology procedures but has yet to gain popularity among neurointerventionalists. Objective Our study aims to assess the viability and efficacy of transradial access as an alternative to transfemoral access in acute stroke interventions. Materials and Methods Our group performed a retrospective analysis of acute stroke interventional procedures done from 2013–2016 using transradial access. Results 28 cases were selected for review. Transradial access was used as primary access in 14 cases. 75% of cases resulted in TICI scores of 2b or greater, 1 case was unsuccessful, and 1 case had a local access complication. 19 patients were female, age range was 40–99, 14 patients had Type III aortic arches, 10 patients had Type II aortic arches, and 8 patients has bovine arches (5 Type II, 3 Type III). Conclusion Transradial access can serve as a viable alternative to transfemoral access in acute stroke interventions. This approach is safe and effective and offers certain advantages over transfemoral access. Transradial access may be especially helpful in certain patients, namely those with complex or unfavorable anatomy of the aortic arch or the femoral vasculature. Our operators feel that transradial access makes a worthwhile addition to the neurointerventionalist’s toolkit to be used as a primary approach or as a rescue for those circumstances in which transfemoral access proves complex or impossible. Disclosures J. Farkas: 2; C; Penumbra Inc.
Iterative Convex Overbounding Algorithms for BMI Optimization Problems

Abstract This paper considers Iterative Convex Overbounding (ICO) techniques for Bilinear Matrix Inequality (BMI) problems. It is very common for BMIs to be present in multi-objective control, as well as many other optimization problems. Theoretically, ICO techniques guarantee monotonic convergence to a local optimum, and do not require the introduction of conservatism or relaxations. In this work, we propose an update to ICO which allows for improved results and a new convergence path. We also illustrate that ICO techniques are extensible to problems in which initial feasible design points are not known. Finally, we illustrate that ICO can be extended to matrix polynomial inequalities of arbitrary finite order. These ideas are demonstrated on a simple example.
Chemotherapy-Induced Pica in Rats Reduced by Electroacupuncture.

OBJECTIVES Acupuncture or electroacupuncture (EA) has been applied for treating chemotherapy-induced emesis with limited success. The aims of this study were to investigate the anti-emetic effect of EA and to explore underlying anti-emetic mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rats were chronically implanted with a pair of stainless steel leads at acupoint pericardium 6 (PC6). Effects of EA with different parameters on cisplatin-induced nausea were assessed by pica (intake of kaolin, a surrogate of nausea in species without vomiting reflex). C-fos expressions in the area postrema (AP) and nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) were analyzed. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy was used to study involvement of the vagal pathway. RESULTS 1) EA at 20 Hz/0.6 msec reduced kaolin intake in the first and second days after cisplatin injection compared with the sham-EA group (first day: 1.0 ± 0.2 vs. 1.9 ± 0.3 g, p = 0.017; second day: 0.4 ± 0.2 vs.1.1 ± 0.3 g, p = 0.010). However, EA at 10 Hz/1.2 msec was ineffective on both days. 2) Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy significantly reduced cisplatin-induced kaolin intake (1.1 ± 0.3 vs. 2.2 ± 0.3 g, p = 0.014) and also blocked the inhibitory effect of EA on kaolin intake in the first day. 3) Cisplatin significantly increased the expression of c-fos in the NTS and AP. Vagotomy greatly reduced c-fos expression in both NTS and AP. EA reduced the cisplatin-induced c-fos expression in the AP but not the NTS. CONCLUSIONS EA at PC6 with appropriate parameters has an inhibitory effect on cisplatin-induced nausea. The anti-emetic effect of the EA is centrally medicated involving the AP via the vagal pathway as well as the potential effect on AP by reducing the release of hormones.
Undergraduate Social Work Students’ Perceptions of a Team-Based Learning Approach to Exploring Adult Development

ABSTRACTSocial work educators are challenged to adopt innovative instructional methods and pedagogies to prepare students to meet the contemporary needs of diverse client populations. A team-based ...
Semiotic Functions of Outsider Art in Counteracting Stigma

The article introduces a semiotic theory approach to explore the notion of aesthetic norm as applied to the field of outsider art. It establishes the connection between the semiotic mechanisms of art production and perception that underpin the potential of art to counteract stigma. All creative activity is a communicative process relying on a dynamic mediation between autonomy and connectedness. The dialogic potential of art may be seized upon to break the stigmatization cycle by preventing a market to be loaded with negative content as well as by improving the artist’s self-esteem. The use of outsider art thus may be instrumental in changing the context in which mental illness is experienced and promoting reintegration.
The αBB Approach in Parameter Estimation

In this chapter, we present a global optimization framework for the parameter estimation of nonlinear algrebraic models through the error-in-variables approach. Section 19.1 provides the motivation and reviews the previous research contributions. Section 19.2 introduces the basics of the maximum likelihood parameter estimation. Section 19.3 presents the global optimization approach which is based on the general principles of the αBB with a number of modifications. Section 19.4 describes the detailed algorithmic steps of the global optimization approach as it is applied to the parameter estimation problem. Section 19.5 presents representative computational studies and comparisons with interval analysis based approaches. The presented material in this chapter is based on the work of Esposito and Floudas (1998).
Temporal Structures in Discourse

In conversation, narrative, and other discourse, temporal reference often extends over several sentences. I will be interested in this paper in how extended temporal reference is established and maintained. Most of the discussion focuses on English, but I develop a general account.
Extraordinary survivorship after colorectal liver metastasis resection to identify a distinct molecular profile associated with survival in an independent cohort of 965 patients.

3581Background: Half of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) develop metastases and most are CRC liver metastasis (CRLM). A mere 20% of these patients undergo complete resection of their...
Techno-Economic Optimization and Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Microgrids Located in the US using Genetic Algorithm

Abstract A methodology was developed that assessed the techno-economic and environmental performance of a small scale microgrid located in US cities of Tucson, Lubbock and Dickinson. Providing uninterrupted power the microgrid was composed of seven components - solar photovoltaics, wind-turbines, lead acid batteries, biodiesel generators, fuel cells, electrolyzers and H2 tanks. Firstly, detailed mathematical models that predicted the hourly energy generation for each of the components were developed and validated. Secondly, based on an electricity dispatch strategy, configurations having lowest LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) were determined using an evolutionary optimization technique - Genetic Algorithm (GA). Results for a single home microgrid were verified using an exhaustive search technique that scanned the entire design space to find the lowest LCOE configuration. The microgrid size was subsequently increased to satisfy power requirements for 10 and 50 homes and new lowest LCOE configurations were determined using GA to examine the economies of scale effect on sustainability. The LCOEs obtained were in the range of $0.32–0.42/kWh and were also compared with similar economic analyses available in the literature. The carbon footprint (LCA GHG emissions – CO2 eq.) was extremely low and was approximately 1/10th as that of an equivalent conventional electric grid.
IMPACT OF ANEMIA ON IN-HOSPITAL MORTALITY OF HEART FAILURE PATIENTS: A NATIONAL DATABASE ANALYSIS

Anemia is a frequent comorbidity seen in heart failure (HF). Multiple studies have shown that anemia is associated with increased mortality in HF. However, limited data exists on the impact of anemia on the in-hospital outcomes of HF patients. National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to
Measuring outcomes in ankylosing spondylitis: pearls and pitfalls

Purpose of reviewPatients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) warrant a comprehensive clinical assessment because of the lack of biomarkers of disease activity, prognosis and response to biologic therapy. Multiple AS-related questionnaires have been developed to assess the disease status accurately, bu
Implications of insular cortex laterality for treatment of nicotine addiction.

Abstract Background Damage to the insula disrupts nicotine-induced cravings and is associated with greater odds of cessation. The role of laterality in regulating these changes is unclear. Neuroimaging studies in cigarette smokers show left hemispheric activation during a period of forced withdrawal and right hemispheric activation after having just smoked. Among current smokers hospitalized for stroke involving their insula, we compared left versus right insular damage and its effect on smoking outcomes. Methods A total of 37 smokers hospitalized with unilateral insular strokes (14 right, 23 left) were administered questionnaires to assess urge (Questionnaire on Smoking Urges) before (retrospectively) and during hospitalization and 3 months post-stroke, withdrawal during hospitalization (Wisconsin Smoking Withdrawal Scale), and prolonged abstinence at 3 months post-stroke. Crude and adjusted linear regression models were performed controlling for baseline covariates. Results Right and left insular-damaged smokers experienced a significant decrease in urge from baseline to hospitalization and three-month follow-up (p Conclusions Left insular adaptations are suggestive to have an impact on acute changes in urge and withdrawal more so than the right insula, however lateral asymmetries did not exist for long-term changes.
Supplementing rigorous electromagnetic modeling with atomistic simulations for optics-based metrology

The successful combination of electromagnetic scattering simulations and optical measurements allows for the quantification of deep-subwavelength features, including thicknesses via ellipsometry and parameterized geometries via scatterometry. Although feature size reduction has slowed in recent years, nanoelectronics still yields ever-smaller structures, thus optical measurement capabilities are ever-challenged. The critical problem is that the optical properties of materials often become thickness dependent at sub-5 nm, greatly complicating accurate fitting. These optical properties can be characterized empirically using ellipsometry and used with other prior information to reduce uncertainties via hybrid metrology, but atomistic modeling offers a unique perspective on the macroscopic optical response from features with dimensions only a few atoms in width. To illustrate the potential of such modeling, we have performed a series of density-functional theory (DFT) calculations for an ultrathin film, Si with hydrogen-terminated Si(111) surfaces. Kohn-Sham wavefunctions determined in DFT are instrumental in solving for the dielectric tensor of these configurations, as the in-plane and out-of-plane components can differ greatly with respect to incident wavelength and Si thickness. Techniques for DFT and dielectric tensor determination are reviewed, highlighting both their limitations and potential for improving optics-based metrology. The thickness- and wavelength-dependence of the resulting tensor components are parameterized using Tauc-Lorentz and Lorentz oscillators. Using an illustration from goniometric reflectometry, the quantitative effects upon dimensional metrology of employing the full thickness-dependent dielectric tensor are compared against simpler approximations of these optical properties. Reductions in parametric uncertainty in the thickness and optical constants are evaluated with a prior knowledge of the ultrathin film’s thickness with uncertainties.
Floodplain inundation spectrum across the United States.

Floodplain inundation poses both risks and benefits to society. In this study, we characterize floodplain inundation across the United States using 5800 stream gages. We find that between 4% and 12.6% of a river’s annual flow moves through its floodplains. Flood duration and magnitude is greater in large rivers, whereas the frequency of events is greater in small streams. However, the relative exchange of floodwater between the channel and floodplain is similar across small streams and large rivers, with the exception of the water-limited arid river basins. When summed up across the entire river network, 90% of that exchange occurs in small streams on an annual basis. Our detailed characterization of inundation hydrology provides a unique perspective that the regulatory, management, and research communities can use to help balance both the risks and benefits associated with flooding. The variations in overbank flow from rivers onto floodplains from regional to continental scales are understudied. Here, the authors investigate this variation as a function of hydroclimatic parameters and channel size in the conterminous U.S. and find that the timing of floodplain inundation is largely controlled by regional factors, while the frequency, duration and magnitude of these inundations vary consistently with channel size.
ScribeMD: Mixed-methods analysis of a pen pal program in undergraduate medical education.

Introduction: A growing emphasis on humanistic medical care has led to the development of programs to imbue more humanistic values into training physicians. The ScribeMD intra-class pen pal program...
7-Chloro-3-(4-methyl­benzene­sulfon­yl)pyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidine

In the title compound, C14H11ClN2O2S, the dihedral angle between the pyrrolo­[1,2-c]pyrimidine ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.008 A) and the benzene ring is 80.2 (9)°. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of C—H⋯O inter­actions generate R22(16) loops. Several aromatic π–π stacking inter­actions between the pyrrolo­[1,2-c]pyrimidine rings, as well as separately between the pyrrolo and pyrimidine groups [shortest centroid–centroid separation = 3.5758 (14) A], help to consolidate the packing.
SPECT/CT scatter estimation using a deep convolutional neural network: implementation in Y-90 imaging

Monte Carlo (MC) based scatter modeling in Y-90 bremsstrahlung SPECT has demonstrated improved image quality and quantitative accuracy, but at the expense of computational complexity. We present a deep learning approach for SPECT/CT scatter estimation that substantially reduces the computation time. Once trained, our deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) takes the projections from the SPECT camera and CT-based attenuation map as input and outputs the scatter projections. MC simulated digital phantom data, where true scatter is known, is used during the training process and the network is trained to match the MC scatter estimation. For our network, Adam is used as optimizer, the learning rate is 1e-4, the mean square error is used as loss, the batch size is 32, and we train this CNN with 100 epochs. In testing with a hot sphere phantom simulation and a liver phantom measurement, visual image quality and contrast recovery was similar with the CNN and MC scatter estimation methods, but the CNN scatter estimate was generated in a fraction of the time needed for the MC scatter estimation ( about 1 min for CNN vs 1-2 hours for MC). The short processing time with CNN while maintaining accuracy has high clinical significance for quantitative Y-90 SPECT imaging.
Near Infrared Fluorescent Nanoplatform for Targeted Intraoperative Resection and Chemotherapeutic Treatment of Glioblastoma

Despite significant efforts to improve glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treatment, GBM remains one of the most lethal cancers. Effective GBM treatments require sensitive intraoperative tumor visualization and effective postoperative chemotherapeutic delivery. Unfortunately, the diffusive and infiltrating nature of GBM limits the detection of GBM tumors, and current intraoperative visualization methods limit complete tumor resection. In addition, although chemotherapy is often used to eliminate any cancerous tissue remaining after surgery, most chemotherapeutic drugs do not effectively cross the brain-blood barrier (BBB) or enter GBM tumors. As a result, GBM has limited treatment options with high recurrence rates, and methods that improve its complete visualization during surgery and treatment are needed. Herein, we report a fluorescent nanoparticle platform for the near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF)-based tumor boundary visualization and image-guided drug delivery into GBM tumors. Our nanoplatform is based on ferumoxytol (FMX), an FDA-approved magnetic resonance imaging-sensitive superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle, which is conjugated with hepthamethine cyanine (HMC), a NIRF ligand that specifically targets the organic anion transporter polypeptides that are overexpressed in GBM. We have shown that HMC-FMX nanoparticles cross the BBB and selectively accumulate in the tumor using orthotopic GBM mouse models, enabling NIRF-based visualization of infiltrating tumor tissue. In addition, HMC-FMX can encapsulate chemotherapeutic drugs, such as paclitaxel or cisplatin, and deliver these agents into GBM tumors, reducing tumor size and increasing survival. Taken together, these observations indicate that HMC-FMX is a promising nanoprobe for GBM surgical visualization and drug delivery.
Optimizing Coded Aperture Imaging techniques to allow for online tracking of fiducial markers with high-energy scattered radiation from treatment beam.

Purpose Real-time visualization of target motion using fiducial markers during radiation therapy treatment will allow for more accurate dose delivery. The purpose of this study was to optimize techniques for online fiducial marker tracking by detecting the scattered treatment beam through coded aperture imaging (CAI). Coded aperture imaging is a novel imaging technique that can allow target tracking in real time during treatment, and do so without adding any additional radiation dose, by making use of the scattered treatment beam radiation. Methods Radiotherapy beams of various energies, incident on phantoms containing gold fiducial markers were modeled using MCNP6.2 Monte Carlo transport code. Orthogonal scatter radiographs were collected through a CAI geometry. After decoding the simulated radiograph data, the centroid location and FWHM/SNR of the fiducial signals were analyzed. The effects of properties related to the CA (rank, pattern, and physical dimensions), detector (dimensions and pixel count), position (CA and phantom), and the incident beam (spectrum and direction) were investigated. These variables were evaluated by quantifying the positional accuracy, resolution, and SNR of the fiducials' signal. The effects of phantom scatter and decoding artifacts were reduced via Fourier filtering to avoid treatment interruption and physical interaction with the coded mask. Results The method was able to accurately localize the markers to within 1 pixel of a simulated radiograph. A 10 × 10 × 2 cm tungsten mask was chosen to attenuate >99 % of incident scatter through opaque elements, while minimizing collimation artifacts which arise from vignetting of the coded radiograph. Clear separation of centroids from fiducial signals with 2.5 mm separation was maintained, and initial optimization of parameters has produced an aperture which decodes the location of multiple fiducial markers inside a human phantom properly with a high SNR in the final radiograph image. Conclusion Current results show a proof of concept for a novel real-time imaging method. Coded aperture imaging is a promising technique for extracting the fiducial scatter signal from a broader Compton-scatter background. These results can be used to further optimize the CAI parameter space and guide fabrication and testing of a clinical device.
Can organizations help adjust?: The effect of perceived organizational climate on immigrants' acculturation and consequent effect on perceived fit

Abstract Acculturation, or the process of adjustment in a host culture, is a determinant of immigrants' overall success and well-being. Surprisingly, less is known about the role organizations may play in influencing immigrants' acculturation and how this process, in turn, may influence organizations. Thus, we examine how an organizational climate in the form of a diversity climate and an intercultural group climate may influence immigrants' acculturation strategies, as shown by the degree they adopt the host culture and retain their original culture. Furthermore, we explore how immigrants' adopted acculturation strategies may, in turn, influence their attitudes toward the organization in the form of person-organization fit and person-workgroup fit. Using a latent profile analysis, MANOVA, and multinomial logistic regression in a sample of 244 Mexican immigrants working in the Southwest U.S., we found that higher levels of intercultural group climate, but not diversity climate, are more likely to increase the likelihood of immigrants' embracing of acculturation strategies where the host culture is highly adopted. We also find embracing such acculturation strategies increases perceptions of fit. Our results offer two important highlights: first, to show the influence of organizational factors on an immigrant's acculturation and acculturation's workplace effects, and second, to contribute to the fit literature by showing that even when individuals may have contrasting cultural orientations, they are still able to perceive high levels of fit within their workplace.
Personal health information management among healthy older adults: Varying needs and approaches.

Objective With age, older adults experience a greater number of chronic diseases and medical visits, and an increased need to manage their health information. Technological advances in consumer health information technologies (HITs) help patients gather, track, and organize their health information within and outside of clinical settings. However, HITs have not focused on the needs of older adults and their caregivers. The goal of the SOARING (Studying Older Adults and Researching their Information Needs and Goals) Project was to understand older adult personal health information management (PHIM) needs and practices to inform the design of HITs that support older adults. Materials and methods Drawing on the Work System Model, we took an ecological approach to investigate PHIM needs and practices of older adults in different residential settings. We conducted in-depth interviews and surveys with adults 60 years of age and older. Results We performed on-site in-person interview sessions with 88 generally healthy older adults in various settings including independent housing, retirement communities, assisted living, and homelessness. Our analysis revealed 5 key PHIM activities that older adults engage in: seeking, tracking, organizing, sharing health information, and emergency planning. We identified 3 major themes influencing older adults' practice of PHIM: (1) older adults are most concerned with maintaining health and preventing illness, (2) older adults frequently involve others in PHIM activities, and (3) older adults' approach to PHIM is situational and context-dependent. Discussion Older adults' approaches to PHIM are dynamic and sensitive to changes in health, social networks, personal habits, motivations, and goals. Conclusions PHIM tools that meet the needs of older adults should accommodate the dynamic nature of aging and variations in individual, organizational, and social contexts.
Relapse following Stuttering Therapy

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses relapse following stuttering therapy. Intervention programs for stuttering appear to be more successful in producing short-term benefits for clients than long-term ones. The positive impact of stuttering therapies on at least some persons (both children and adults) tends to reduce in magnitude during the first 5 years after they have ceased communicating with their clinicians on a regular basis. The existence of this relapse phenomenon can be documented both by reports in the stuttering literature and the personal experiences of stutterers who have undergone therapy and clinicians who have been treating stutterers for at least 5 years. While an understanding of the factors influencing the probability of relapse following stuttering therapy is of obvious importance to anyone working clinically with stutterers, there has been very little research devoted to it. First, the designs used in almost all published studies reporting stuttering therapy outcomes have not included 5-year follow-ups. A second possible reason for this paucity of information is the desire of clinicians and clinical researchers to be able to report that their therapies are successful. A third possible reason for the paucity of 5-year follow-up data on stuttering intervention programs is lack of awareness of the need to follow clients for this length of time
Relative light sensitivities of four retinal hemi-fields for suppressing the synthesis of melatonin at night

Abstract The magnitude of the stimulus to the biological clock will depend upon the distribution of circadian phototransduction circuits across the retinae and the spatial distribution of luminous stimuli in the environment. The present study compared nocturnal melatonin suppression for light exposures to the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal retina in one eye independent of shading from the brow and the nose. The stimulus was a 40° diameter luminous disc, half of which was blue light (LED, λpeak = 470 nm) and the other amber light (LED, λpeak = 590 nm). Experimentally, the orientation of the bipartite disc was rotated to each of the four cardinal points of the visual field. A full, 40° blue disc was also employed by replacing the amber half-disc with another blue half-disc. The blue full- and half-discs always produced 100 photopic lx at the cornea. As hypothesized, nocturnal melatonin suppression was statistically greatest when the blue half-disc was delivered to the nasal hemi-field (35%); the other three hemi-fields were equally affected by the blue half-disc (≈20%). Melatonin suppression for the full-disc was 24%, which was not statistically different than the average suppression for the four hemi-fields of 27%.
Ruinous Competition in News, the Postal Internet, and the Three Laws of Techno-Legal Change

Policymakers’ current approach to the problem of online misinformation, which revolves around defining the circumstances under which content platforms like Twitter and Facebook may be held liable for the speech of their users, fails to get at the root cause of the problem: the low cost of communication. The theory of monopolistic competition teaches that businesses respond to low-cost entry into their markets, and the cutthroat competition it creates, by differentiating their products, sometimes in legitimate ways, but sometimes through deceit. Misinformation on the Internet has the same source: speakers using deceit to compete for attention in a highly competitive speech market. The solution, as in all cases of ruinous competition, is to replace the falling technological barriers to market entry that have given rise to the excessive competition with new legal barriers to entry. The way to create legal barriers to online speech is not to license speech, an approach that would violate the First Amendment, but rather to treat the Internet like a brick-and-mortar postal system. In the United States, the Postal Service enjoys a “letter-box monopoly:” the exclusive right to place mail in mailboxes. This exclusivity gives the Postal Service the power to charge a price—postage—for each communication delivered to an American mailbox. The U.S. Congress—or the Postal Service itself through reinterpretation of existing law—should give the Postal Service a letter-box monopoly on social media posting: the exclusive right to charge a fee for every Tweet, Facebook post, or other social media missive delivered in America. That would greatly increase the cost of being heard on the Internet, for as the number of a poster’s followers increases, the total cost of social media “postage” would increase as well, reducing competition and the incentive to misinform. Because the letter-box monopoly has survived constitutional scrutiny for two centuries, this approach would necessarily survive First Amendment scrutiny as well.
IEEE Signal Processing Society PROGRESS: Support for Underrepresented Talent in the Field of Signal Processing [Conference Highlights]

Promoting Diversity in Signal Processing (PROGRESS) is a new initiative of the IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS), aiming to motivate and support women and underrepresented minorities to pursue academic careers. Reports on the goals and mission of SPS PROGRESS.
A PFA methodology to investigate UD composites in fatigue comprising a KTF-based model for matrix damage and stochastic fiber failure prediction

Abstract A physics-based, multiscale, progressive fatigue damage analysis methodology for continuous fiber-reinforced polymer composites was further developed and applied to the problem of fatigue damage prediction in open hole tension (OHT) coupons comprised of multidirectional laminates undergoing tension–tension loading. Based off lamina level calibration data, cumulative damage analysis of matrix and fiber constituents under cyclic loading condition was implemented with the objectives to: (i) predict the onset and the progression of subcritical matrix failures as well as the ultimate failure due to fiber fracture, and (ii) observe the effects of damage mode interactions on the progressive failure process. A kinetic theory of fracture (KTF) based durability prediction methodology was utilized to keep track of the matrix damage transpiring in the intra- and inter-laminar layers of the laminate. Tensile strengths were randomly assigned to the fibers using two-parameter Weibull statistics, while the maximum stress theory in tandem with the linear damage accumulation rule was applied to capture the tensile rupture of the reinforcements. Progressive fatigue damage prediction of OHT coupons consisting of the unidirectional composite IM7/977-3 and layup schedules of [0/45/90/−45]2S and [60/0/−60]3S were carried out and benchmarked against available experimental data. It was observed that the KTF-based fatigue model captured the damage state at individual layers, overall loss of mechanical performance, and stochastic nature of the ultimate failure well. The effects of interactions among the damage modes, namely matrix cracking, delamination, and fiber rupture were also investigated and it was recognized that such interactions are a critical feature of the progressive failure process in composite structures.