cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validity of Boston marathon qualifying times.

Purpose: To assess the validity of Boston Marathon qualifying (BMQ) standards for men and women. Methods: Percent differences between BMQ and current world records (WR) by sex and age group were computed. WR was chosen as the criterion comparison because it is not confounded by intensity, body composition, lifestyle, or environmental factors. A consistent difference across age groups would indicate an appropriate slope of the age-vs-BMQ curve. Inconsistent differences were corrected by adjusting BMQ standards to achieve a uniform percentage difference from WR. Results: BMQ standards for men were consistently ~50% slower than WR (mean 51.5% ± 1.4%, range 49.6–54.4%), thus demonstrating acceptable validity. However, BMQ standards for women indicated convergence with WR as age increased (mean 45.8% ± 13.7%, range 17.5–58.9%). The women’s BMQ standards were revised to yield a consistent 50% deviation from WR across age groups (50.9% ± 0.8%, range 49.2–52.2%). Applied to all 16,773 women in the 2012 Chicago Ma...
What Couples Say about Their Recovery of Sexual Intimacy after Prostatectomy: Toward the Development of a Conceptual Model of Couples' Sexual Recovery after Surgery for Prostate Cancer

Introduction Interventions designed to help couples recover sexual intimacy after prostatectomy have not been guided by a comprehensive conceptual model.
Covariance adjustments for the analysis of randomized field experiments.

Background:It has become common practice to analyze randomized experiments using linear regression with covariates. Improved precision of treatment effect estimates is the usual motivation. In a se...
A high pressure gas scintillation drift chamber to search for evidence of a massive neutrino in the beta decay spectrum of /sup 14/C

A laboratory beta decay experiment to search for evidence of a massive neutrino in the beta spectrum of /sup 14/C is discussed. There is controversial evidence for a 17-keV neutrino; this demands experimental initiatives using new detector technologies to decide the issue. An existing high pressure gas scintillation drift chamber (GSDC) is modified to perform an innovative experiment. This technique has many merits that define a unique experimental niche. The imaging capabilities of the chamber permit fiducial cuts to eliminate events near chamber boundaries. The gaseous radioisotope source is spread uniformly throughout the active detector volume. The data rate is high, and the background is low and systematically measurable. High pressure operation limits beta particle ranges and allows good energy resolution. >
Energy-aware object retrieval from parallel broadcast channels

Many applications have been aimed at the retrieval of public data through wireless media. This requires quick, efficient, and low-power access methods. Broadcasting of the information on air channels is an effective way to provide access to public data for a large number of users. Within the scope of broadcasting, the response time and energy consumption of retrieval methods could be reduced through proper allocation of data objects on single or parallel channels while using proper retrieval protocol that reduces the active time of the mobile units. The retrieval methods attempt to determine the optimal access pattern for data objects on parallel broadcast channels. The employment of heuristics and artificial intelligence techniques provide methodologies for such ideal path planning solutions. Our previous protocols will be revised and supplemented to implement an artificial intelligence search method for the scheduling of user requests for data on indexed parallel air channels. The proposed algorithm has been simulated and analyzed with a goal to reduce response time and energy consumption.
A CORDIC-based unified systolic architecture for sliding window applications of discrete transforms

A CORDIC-based, unified systolic architecture for sliding window applications of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT), the discrete Hartley transform (DHT), the discrete cosine transform (DCT), and the discrete sine transform (DST) is proposed. Compared to earlier works, the proposed scheme offers significant reduction in hardware, particularly for DHT. For an N-point DHT, it requires only [N/2]+1 processing elements, each consisting of one CORDIC processor and two adders.
Antibody class switching differs among SJL, C57BL/6 and 129 mice

Inbred mouse strains used for gene manipulation studies vary in many respects, including immune system function. These differences can interfere with data interpretation unless the mice are well backcrossed. Here, we show that antibody class switching to IgG3 in cultured splenic B cells from Swiss James Lambert (SJL) and 129/Sv mice is 2- to 6-fold less efficient compared with C57BL/6 (B6). Under optimal stimulation conditions, IgA switching is also 2- to 19-fold lower in SJL and 129/Sv B cells. Splenic B cells from SJL mice express higher levels of CD19 and CD21 compared with B6, and their CD21(high)CD23(low) B cells have little CD9 expression, suggesting atypical marginal zone (MZ) B cells. However, sort purification of splenic B cell subsets did not equalize in vitro class switching to IgG3 or IgA between SJL and B6. 129/Sv spleens have a 3-fold greater number of MZ B cells compared with B6, with similar CD9 expression. Poor IgG3 switching by 129/Sv B cells is specific to CD23(high) follicular B cells, whereas similar changes in IgA switching are seen in both CD21(high) and CD23(high) B cell subsets from 129/Sv. Therefore, the functions and phenotypes of mature B cells differ among three common strains of mice.
Comparative Statics for Multidimensional Optimal Stopping Problems

The problem of choosing a stopping time t to maximize E[X(t)e-rt] where X(t) is a real valued stochastic process is analyzed in [1]. Motivation for this problem comes from economics. Briefly, X(t) is the intrinsic value of an asset.
Flow Graph of Moment Distribution

Moment distribution operations are transformed into flowgraph representation. All initial joint residuals are independent sources feeding into the graph; the moments at the member ends are dependent variables. The solution of moment-flow graph is an exact algebraic form developed from single-flow graph of feedback theory. Each unknown can be solved individually by the inspection of graph paths and independent of the remainder. Three general equations are developed to determine the moment influence coefficients without recourse to the original derivatives and the graph. These equations provide the exact solutions without solving sets of simultaneous equations, or involving iterative computations, enabling use of a small digital computer or desk calculator independent of the redundancy of the system.
Properties of Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cell Lines Characterized by In Vivo Transplantation and In Vitro Immunocytochemical Methods

Immunocytochemical and in vivo transplantation methods were used to study the characteristics of a series of newly developed mammary epithelial cell lines. These mouse mammary cell lines were derived from mid-pregnant primiparous BALB/c female mice and were routinely grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium supplemented with 1% fetal bovine serum, insulin, transferrin, epidermal growth factor, and selenite. Of the 6 cell lines, 1 cell line, COMMA-D, produced normal and preneoplastic mammary outgrowths when it was transplanted into mammary fat pads of syngeneic mice. One cell line, MOD, produced only mammary adenocarcinomas. The other 4 cell lines, COMMA-F, COMMA-T, MOMA-1, and MOMA-2, produced neither normal nor neoplastic outgrowths. Immunocytochemical staining with polyclonal antibodies to keratin and vimentin intermediate filament proteins revealed that 5 of the 6 cell lines were epithelial. The sixth cell line, MOMA-2, was apparently of fibroblastic origin. The COMMA-D cell line was unique compared to the other cell lines with respect to several characteristics. The cell line was morphologically heterogeneous as determined by phase-contrast microscopy, cytologically heterogeneous as determined by immunocytochemical staining, and heterogeneous with respect to DNA content. Finally, the full morphogenic potential of COMMA-D included not only normal mammary ductal and preneoplastic mammary alveolar outgrowths but also adenocarcinomas and fibrosarcomas. The expression of this morphogenic potential upon transplantation in vivo was drastically diminished after passage 14. The significance of the cellular heterogeneity with respect to expression of mammary-specific morphogenesis is not understood at this time; however, conceivably, the observed heterogeneity reflects an essential requirement for morphogenesis in vivo. The transplantation and immunocytochemical characteristics provide the descriptive basis for further studies on these cell lines to determine the cell lineages involved in morphogenesis and preneoplastic transformation in vivo.
Method for Estimating the Internal Permittivity of Proteins Using Dielectric Spectroscopy

Protein charge organization is dependent on the low-permittivity region in the hydrophobic core of the molecule. We suggest a novel approach to estimate the dielectric constant of this region by co...
Immunochemical studies of infectious mononucleosis. IV. Effect of proteases on the glycoprotein of horse erythrocytes.

SummaryThe effects of three proteases, trypsin, papain, and pronase, upon the major glycoprotein of horse erythrocyte membranes were examined. By three independent criteria, papain was the most effective. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacryla-mide gel electrophoresis of stroma derived from papain-treated erythrocytes revealed the loss of the major glycoprotein band characteristic of this membrane. Concomitant with the loss of the major glycoprotein band, fragments were released from the erythrocyte which had a carbohydrate composition similar to that of the intact glycoprotein. Also, reactivity of the treated erythrocytes with infectious mononucleosis antibody, a property associated with the major glycoprotein, was reduced. Only a portion of the membrane glycoprotein was susceptible to pronase action and none was cleaved by trypsin.
Synthesis of Hierarchical Sn-MFI as Lewis Acid Catalysts for Isomerization of Cellulosic Sugars

Hierarchical stannosilicate molecular sieves with ordered mesoporosity and MFI topology (three dimensionally ordered mesoporous imprinted (3DOm-i) Sn-MFI) were successfully synthesized within the confined space of three dimensionally ordered mesoporous (3DOm) carbon by a seeded growth method. The obtained 3DOm-i Sn-MFI consisting of 30 nm spherical elements forming an opaline structure contains highly ordered mesopores ranging from 4 to 11 nm. Compared with conventional Sn-MFI, 3DOm-i Sn-MFI exhibits superior catalytic performance for the isomerization of cellulosic sugars. No diffusion limitation was observed for the isomerization of a triose sugar, dihydroxyacetone (DHA), into methyl lactate (ML). The presence of weak Bronsted acid in the 3DOm-i Sn-MFI catalyst facilitates the reaction by catalyzing the formation of an intermediate, pyruvaldehyde (PA). 3DOm-i Sn-MFI offers significant improvements for the isomerizations of C5 and C6 sugars, such as xylose and glucose, by greatly enhancing molecular tran...
Assay of methylcholanthrene-induced mammary tumors of mice for the mammary tumor milk agent.

SummaryThe mammary tumor milk agent was not demonstrable in the aqueous extracts of 4 mammary carcinomata induced by methylcholanthrene in female mice which were susceptible to the development of spontaneous mammary carcinoma but did not possess the milk agent before treatment because of foster-nursing. The action of the carcinogen was thus not dependent upon the presence of a milk agent.
Sex Hormone Signaling in the Lung in Health and Disease: Airways, Parenchyma, and Pulmonary Vasculature

Gender and sex differences have been implicated in many major lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and lung cancer. Sex differences and sex hormone-mediated effects emerge in the lung as early as during prenatal development and persist well into adulthood. In addition, significant sex hormone-mediated differences may occur even within the same individual, resulting from fluctuations in sex hormone levels as a function of age and/or menstrual cycle. While the exact role of sex hormones in many lung diseases has not been fully characterized, it is now evident that all major cell types in the lung appear to be targets of sex hormones. Many of these effects, however, are heterogenous and often not fully understood. This chapter will review the effects of the most relevant sex hormones on lung parenchyma, airways, and vasculature in health, thus providing a segue for the individual disease states reviewed in later chapters of this textbook. The biogenesis, signaling mechanisms, and regulation of the three main classes of sex hormones (estrogens, progestogens, and androgens) will be reviewed, followed by an examination of the role of sex hormones in healthy lung development and homeostasis. Finally, the current understanding of the role of steroid signaling in the healthy lung will be reviewed via a compartment-based approach, highlighting current knowledge gaps and identifying research opportunities. Where appropriate, the impact of sex hormones on pulmonary disease and their clinical implications will be discussed.
A Data-Driven Approach for Inferring Student Proficiency from Game Activity Logs

Student assessments are important because they allow collecting evidence about learning. However, time spent on evaluating students may be otherwise used for instructional activities. Computer-based learning platforms provide the opportunity for unobtrusively gathering students' digital learning footprints. This data can be used to track learning progress and make inference about student competencies. We present a novel data analysis pipeline, Student Proficiency Inferrer from Game data (SPRING), that allows modeling game playing behavior in educational games. Unlike prior work, SPRING is a fully data-driven method that does not require costly domain knowledge engineering. Moreover, it produces a simple interpretable model that not only fits the data but also predicts learning outcomes. We validate our framework using data collected from students playing 11 educational mini-games. Our results suggest that SPRING can predict math assessments accurately on withheld test data (Correlation=0.55, Spearman rho=0.51).
Transport defects of rabbit inner medullary collecting duct cells in obstructive nephropathy.

Urinary obstruction markedly reduces collecting duct Na+ reabsorption. To define the cellular mechanisms of this derangement in Na+ reabsorption in inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) of obstructed kidneys, suspensions of intact IMCD cells and inner medulla plasma membranes (IMPM) were prepared from 24 h obstructed and untreated control kidneys. Oxygen consumption (QO2) studies revealed marked reductions in both amiloride-sensitive and ouabain-sensitive QO2 but not ouabain-insensitive QO2 in intact IMCD cells from obstructed, compared with control animals, indicating a reduction in oxygen-dependent transport activities of both the Na+ channel and the Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase). Amiloride-sensitive conductive 22Na+ uptake in intact IMCD cells from obstructed kidneys was significantly decreased by 45% at 10 s, 30 s, and 1-5 min (10 s: 2.42 +/- 0.63 vs. 4.49 +/- 0.64 nmol Na+ flux/mg protein, n = 7, P < 0.05; 1 min: 4.65 +/- 0.7 vs. 8.27 +/- 0.98 nmol Na+ flux/mg protein, n = 7, P < 0.05), indicating decreased activity of amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels in these cells. However, immunoblots of IMPM with antibodies to Na+ channel proteins did not show significant differences in content of Na+ channel proteins between membranes from obstructed and control groups. Ouabain-sensitive Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in IMPM of obstructed kidneys was also reduced (61.1 +/- 18.1 vs. 152.6 +/- 25.8 nmol ATP degradation.min-1.mg protein-1, n = 6, P < 0.02), and immunoblots with monoclonal antibodies against the alpha 1- and beta-subunits of rabbit Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase showed a 51 +/- 7% reduction of both subunits in IMPM from obstructed kidneys (n = 4).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Translation readthrough mitigation

A fraction of ribosomes engaged in translation will fail to terminate when reaching a stop codon, yielding nascent proteins inappropriately extended on their C termini. Although such extended proteins can interfere with normal cellular processes, known mechanisms of translational surveillance are insufficient to protect cells from potential dominant consequences. Here, through a combination of transgenics and CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing in Caenorhabditis elegans, we demonstrate a consistent ability of cells to block accumulation of C-terminal-extended proteins that result from failure to terminate at stop codons. Sequences encoded by the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) were sufficient to lower protein levels. Measurements of mRNA levels and translation suggested a co- or post-translational mechanism of action for these sequences in C. elegans. Similar mechanisms evidently operate in human cells, in which we observed a comparable tendency for translated human 3′ UTR sequences to reduce mature protein expression in tissue culture assays, including 3′ UTR sequences from the hypomorphic ‘Constant Spring’ haemoglobin stop codon variant. We suggest that 3′ UTRs may encode peptide sequences that destabilize the attached protein, providing mitigation of unwelcome and varied translation errors.
Nuclear effects in protonium formation low-energy three-body reaction: p̄ + (pμ)1s → (p̄p)α + μ−: Strong p̄–p interaction in p̄ + (pμ)1s

A three-charge-particle system (p, μ − , p + ) with an additional matter-antimatter, i.e. p–p + , nuclear interaction is the subject of this work. Specifically, we carry out a few-body computation of the following protonium formation reaction: p + (p + μ − ) 1 s → (pp + ) 1s + μ − , where p + is a proton, p is an antiproton, μ − is a muon, and a bound state of p + and its counterpart p is a protonium atom: Pn = (pp + ). The low-energy cross sections and rates of the Pn formation reaction are computed in the framework of a Faddeev-like equation formalism. The strong p–p + interaction is approximately included in this calculation.
Bioscaffolds: Fabrication and Performance

The fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) scaffold architectures that closely approximate or effectively mimic native tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential for regenerative success. In tissue engineering, native differentiable cells are incorporated into 3D scaffolds along with growth factors and other proteins. Materials used for the 3D scaffold construction must be biocompatible and bioresorbable to minimize adverse reactions during tissue regeneration. A 3D architecture is created by utilizing materials with specific surface properties, porosity, mechanical strength, etc., to improve desired cell activity and enhance tissue growth. Ideal 3D scaffolds should also not only have hierarchical macroporous structures comparable to those of living tissue, but they should also have surface features on the nanometer scale to improve cell adhesion and accelerate cell in growth.
Genetic analysis of net form net blotch resistance in barley lines CIho 5791 and Tifang against a global collection of P. teres f. teres isolates

A CIho 5791 × Tifang recombinant inbred mapping population was developed and used to identify major dominant resistance genes on barley chromosomes 6H and 3H in CI5791 and on 3H in Tifang. The barley line CIho 5791 confers high levels of resistance to Pyrenophora teres f. teres, causal agent of net form net blotch (NFNB), with few documented isolates overcoming this resistance. Tifang barley also harbors resistance to P. teres f. teres which was previously shown to localize to barley chromosome 3H. A CIho 5791 × Tifang F6 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was developed using single seed descent. The Illumina iSelect SNP platform was used to identify 2562 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers across the barley genome, resulting in seven linkage maps, one for each barley chromosome. The CIho 5791 × Tifang RIL population was evaluated for NFNB resistance using nine P. teres f. teres isolates collected globally. Tifang was resistant to four of the isolates tested whereas CIho 5791 was highly resistant to all nine isolates. QTL analysis indicated that the CIho 5791 resistance mapped to chromosome 6H whereas the Tifang resistance mapped to chromosome 3H. Additionally, CIho 5791 also harbored resistance to two Japanese isolates that mapped to a 3H region similar to that of Tifang. SNP markers and RILs harboring both 3H and 6H resistance will be useful in resistance breeding against NFNB.
A Dual-Mode Wide-Band CMOS Oscillator

A technique is proposed for the design of dualmode CMOS oscillators, that is potentially useful in broadband applications. The oscillator can be configured to operate in one of two modes, by an electrical reconfiguration of the negative resistance core around the resonant tank, without switching passive elements within the tank itself. The configuration helps to minimize the difference in phase noise performance between the two modes.
Viscoplasticity Enables Mechanical Remodeling of Matrix by Cells.

Living tissues consist largely of cells and extracellular matrices (ECMs). The mechanical properties of ECM have been found to play a key role in regulating cell behaviors such as migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Although most studies to date have focused on elucidating the impact of matrix elasticity on cell behaviors, recent studies have revealed an impact of matrix viscoelasticity on cell behaviors and reported plastic remodeling of ECM by cells. In this study, we rigorously characterized the plasticity in materials commonly used for cell culture. This characterization of plasticity revealed time-dependent plasticity, or viscoplasticity, in collagen gels, reconstituted basement membrane matrix, agarose gels, alginate gels, and fibrin gels, but not in polyacrylamide gels. Viscoplasticity was associated with gels that contained weak bonds, and covalent cross-linking diminished viscoplasticity in collagen and alginate gels. Interestingly, the degree of plasticity was found to be nonlinear, or dependent on the magnitude of stress or strain, in collagen gels, but not in the other viscoplastic materials. Viscoplastic models were employed to describe plasticity in the viscoplastic materials. Relevance of matrix viscoplasticity to cell-matrix interactions was established through a quantitative assessment of plastic remodeling of collagen gels by cells. Plastic remodeling of collagen gels was found to be dependent on cellular force, mediated through integrin-based adhesions, and occurred even with inhibition of proteolytic degradation of the matrix. Together, these results reveal that matrix viscoplasticity facilitates plastic remodeling of matrix by cellular forces.
Biochar—Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Interaction in Temperate Soils

There are potentially large benefits to using biochar in temperate, agricultural soils; it may stably sequester carbon and improve crop access to water. However, biochar addition will change the chemical and physical properties of soil and thus influence roots and mycorrhizal fungi. There are now many studies documenting effects of biochar on various aspects of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. However, because each study is idiosyncratic, it seems a rather fruitless exercise to document the many context-specific cases in which biochar affects various aspects of the mycorrhizal symbiosis. Instead, I first review some of the effects biochar has on soil properties and how those soil properties influence mycorrhizal fungi and mycorrhizal colonization. Second, because biochar alleviates some of the same stresses experienced by plants that mycorrhizal colonization alleviates, I document ways in which the effects of biochar on plant stress are likely to influence plant response to mycorrhizal colonization.
Adapting K-nearest neighbor for tag recommendation in Folksonomies

Folksonomies, otherwise known as Collaborative Tagging Systems, enable Internet users to share, annotate and search for online resources with user selected labels called tags. Tag recommendation, the suggestion of an ordered set of tags during the annotation process, reduces the user effort from a keyboard entry to a mouse click. By simplifying the annotation process tagging is promoted, noise in the data is reduced through the elimination of discrepancies that result in redundant tags, and ambiguous tags may be avoided. Tag recommenders can suggest tags that maximize utility, offer tags the user may not have previously considered or steer users toward adopting a core vocabulary. In sum, tag recommendation promotes a denser dataset that is useful in its own right or can be exploited by a myriad of data mining techniques for additional functionality. While there exists a long history of recommendation algorithms, the data structure of a Folksonomy is distinct from those found in traditional recommendation problems. We first explore two data reduction techniques, p-core processing and Hebbian deflation, then demonstrate how to adapt K-Nearest Neighbor for use with Folksonomies by incorporating user, resource and tag information into the algorithm. We further investigate multiple techniques for user modeling required to compute the similarity among users. Additionally we demonstrate that tag boosting, the promoting of tags previously applied by a user to a resource, improves the coverage and accuracy of K-Nearest Neighbor. These techniques are evaluated through extensive experimentation using data collected from two real Collaborative Tagging Web sites. Finally the modified K-Nearest Neighbor algorithm is compared with alternative techniques based on popularity and link analysis. We find that K-Nearest Neighbor modified for use with Folksonomies generates excellent recommendations, scales well with large datasets, and is applicable to both narrow and broadly focused Folksonomies.
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, Processing Speed, and Internalizing Symptoms: the Moderating Effect of Age.

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) has been defined by a constellation of caregiver-reported symptoms that includes daydreaming, difficulty initiating and sustaining effort, lethargy, and physical underactivity. These symptoms have been observed in both typically developing children and in some children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—especially those with the predominantly inattentive presentation. Symptoms of SCT (typically identified via rating scales) appear separable from DSM inattentive ADHD symptoms, but have also been associated with internalizing symptoms. To date, however, few studies have examined associations among ratings of SCT and speeded performance-based measures. The present study examined associations among SCT, processing speed, and internalizing symptoms in a sample of 566 clinically referred children (65% male), while also considering how these associations change with age. Findings revealed small but significant age-related differences in the strength of associations between the “Daydreamy” element of SCT and processing speed (as measured by the WISC-IV Processing Speed Index—PSI), with stronger associations observed in younger children. Importantly, this difference in strength of association was not accounted for by the change in WISC-IV test forms for PSI subtests between 6–7 year-olds and 8–16 year-olds. Conversely, the association between SCT and internalizing symptoms remained generally consistent across the age range. Findings contribute to further characterization of the “slowness” of responding seen in SCT and may have implications for behavioral intervention.
Optimization of Pediatric PET/CT

PET/CT, the most common form of hybrid imaging, has transformed oncologic imaging and is increasingly being used for nononcologic applications as well. Performing PET/CT in children poses unique challenges. Not only are children more sensitive to the effects of radiation than adults but, following radiation exposure, children have a longer postexposure life expectancy in which to exhibit adverse radiation effects. Both the PET and CT components of the study contribute to the total patient radiation dose, which is one of the most important risks of the study in this population. Another risk in children, not typically encountered in adults, is potential neurotoxicity related to the frequent need for general anesthesia in this patient population. Optimizing pediatric PET/CT requires making improvements to both the PET and the CT components of the procedure while decreasing the potential for risk. This can be accomplished through judicious performance of imaging, the use of recommended pediatric 18fluorine-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG) administered activities, thoughtful selection of pediatric-specific CT imaging parameters, careful patient preparation, and use of appropriate patient immobilization. In this article, we will review a variety of strategies for radiation dose optimization in pediatric 18F-FDG-PET/CT focusing on these processes. Awareness of and careful selection of pediatric-specific CT imaging parameters designed for appropriate diagnostic, localization, or attenuation correction only CT, in conjunction with the use of recommended radiotracer administered activities, will help to ensure image quality while limiting patient radiation exposure. Patient preparation, an important determinant of image quality, is another focus of this review. Appropriate preparative measures are even more crucial in children in whom there is a higher incidence of brown fat, which can interfere with study interpretation. Finally, we will discuss measures to improve the patient experience, the resource use, the departmental workflow, and the diagnostic performance of the study through the use of appropriate technology, all in the context of minimizing procedure-related risks.
Incentivized reviews: Promising the moon for a few stars

Abstract This paper studies the motivations behind incentivized consumer reviews generated via influencer marketing campaigns. Exchange theory is applied as a theoretical framework to analyze, in a qualitative and a quantitative study, the relationship between incentivized reviews and the satisfaction ratings assigned by consumers to a product. The main contributions of the study find that incentivized campaigns can contribute to a sustained increase in the number of reviews and have the potential to lead to higher purchase potential. Moreover, this study also uncovers that incentivized electronic word-of-mouth, in the form of consumer reviews, leads to increased consumer interest and desire to find out more about the product through search engines. Our findings also show that the scope of exchange theory can be broader, from an exchange between two parties to more complex relationships, between brands, influencers, and consumers, through an emerging, specialized word-of-mouth technique.
Self-Organization of Layered Inorganic Membranes in Microfluidic Devices

Inorganic precipitate membranes play an important role in chemobrionics and origin of life research. They can involve a range of catalytic materials, affect crystal habits, and show complex permeabilities. We produce such membranes in a microfluidic device at the reactive interface between laminar streams of hydroxide and Co(II) solutions. The resulting linear membranes show striking color bands that, over time, expand in the direction of the Co(II) solution. The cumulative layer thicknesses (here up to 600 μm) obey square root laws, indicating diffusion control. The effective diffusion coefficients are proportional to the hydroxide concentration, but the membrane growth slows down with increasing concentrations of Co(II). On the basis of spatially resolved Raman spectra and other techniques, we present chemical assignments of the involved materials. Electron microscopy reveals that the important constituent β-Co(OH)2 crystallizes as thin hexagonal microplatelets. Under drying, the membrane curls into spi...
Nostalgia en clave positiva y perspectiva feminista: la Segunda República como hoja de ruta en "Tres tiempos y la esperanza"

This article analyzes two essential components of Maria Victoria Valenzuela’s autobiographical novel entitled Tres tiempos y la esperanza (1962), which narrates the author’s experiences during the Spanish Second Republic, the Civil War, and the Franco dictatorship. I focus on the role played by nostalgia which, in the first part of the narrative, colors the descriptions of individual memories, as well as the narrator’s comments on the milestones of the Republican period. Nostalgia is usually associated with essentialism and the irrational, but in this novel it can inspire in the reader empathy toward those who defended democracy. I then examine the narrative’s feminist perspective that, on the one hand, highlights fascist violence against women. On the other, it rejects any form of essentialism that endorses the existence of innate differences between men and women. Any distinctions between the sexes are portrayed as consequences of socialization. I uphold this novel, almost completely forgotten by the critics, because of its testimonial value and its ethical and political content. Contrary to many novels that trivialize the past and use the Spanish Civil War as a backdrop, this text’s commemorative task recreates a history free of the fascist fallacies, which continue to underpin the hegemonic version of the events.
Domain specific inpainting with concurrently pretrained generative adversarial networks

This paper works on recovering noised or cropped images by training a neural network based on DCGAN's and WGAN's structures. Various approaches have been used including the generative model using deep neural network, modified inputs for the generator, application of pre-trained classification model, etc. In this paper, the advantages of different GANs are combined to tackle the image inpainting problem. Besides, this paper proposed a special data feeding approach which concurrently trains generator and discriminator of a GAN to further improve the performance of domain specific inpainting tasks. This architecture is evaluated and tested on LSUN[1] dataset with two different domains. The results reflect the feasibility of the approach, and comparing to the existing semantic inpainting methods, this architecture further improves both numerical loss and classification accuracy.
The Uncommonly Bright Child

Most of the attention of professionals who deal with children has been directed toward those with problems, ranging from mild to severe. When we speak of children who deviate significantly from the average and are thus uncommon in some way or another, we almost always refer to those whose behaviors we want to “normalize,” to change for the better. Having been involved in programs of remediation, I have some familiarity with the values and rewards as well as the discouraging aspects of such efforts.
Integrating design and manufacturing for the high speed civil transport

Presented at the 19th ICAS Congress / AIAA Aircraft Systems Conference, Anaheim, CA, September 18-23, 1994.
Workplace Environmental Psychology

Workplace environmental psychology focuses on the role of physical environments in workers' experience, performance, and interaction in buildings that serve as workplaces, especially offices and factories. This subfield deals with the relationships of ambient conditions—temperature, sound, illumination, and air—and features of workstations with individual satisfaction, performance, and health. It addresses the role of physical environments in workers' interactions, including room layouts for meetings; communication of status via features of workspaces; and relationships of workspace proximity and enclosure with frequency of communication, group formation, and group cohesion. Also addressed are relationships of building characteristics and features of organizations.
DAEs in Model Reduction of Chemical Processes: An Overview

Differential algebraic equation (DAE) systems of semi-explicit type arise naturally in the modeling of chemical engineering processes. The differential equations typically arise from dynamic conservation equations, while the algebraic constraints from constitutive equations, rate expressions, equilibrium relations, stoichiometric constraints, etc. Of particular interest are DAE systems of high index , i.e., those for which the algebraic constraints are singular and cannot be eliminated through appropriate substitutions. In this paper we provide an overview of generic classes of fast-rate chemical process models, which in the limit of infinitely fast rates, generate equilibrium-based models that are high-index DAE systems. These slow approximations of multi-time-scale systems can be obtained rigorously via singular perturbations. Two classes of nonstandard singularly perturbed systems leading to high-index DAEs are identified and analyzed. The first class arises in processes with fast rates of reaction or transport. We focus in particular on chemical reaction systems which often exhibit dynamics in multiple time-scales due to reaction rate constants that vary over widely different orders of magnitude. For such systems, we describe the sequential application of singular perturbations arguments for deriving nonlinear DAE models of the dynamics in the different time-scales. The second class arises in the modeling of tightly integrated process networks , i.e., those with large rates of recovery and recycle of material or energy. For such systems we describe a similar model reduction method for deriving DAE models of the slow network dynamics and discuss control-relevant considerations.
DEC-NoC: An Approximate Framework Based on Dynamic Error Control with Applications to Energy-Efficient NoCs

Network-on-Chips (NoCs) have emerged as the standard on-chip communication fabrics for multi/many core systems and system on chips. However, as the number of cores on chip increases, so does power consumption. Recent studies have shown that NoC power consumption can reach up to 40% of the overall chip power [1]-[3]. Considerable research efforts have been deployed to significantly reduce NoC power consumption. In this paper, we build on approximate computing techniques and propose an approximate communication methodology called DEC-NoC for reducing NoC power consumption. The proposed DEC-NoC leverages applications' error tolerance and dynamically reduces the amount of error checking and correction in packet transmission, which results in a significant reduction in the number of retransmitted packets. The reduction in packet retransmission results in reduced power consumption. Our cycle accurate simulation using PARSEC benchmark suites shows that DEC-NoC achieves up to 56% latency reduction and up to 58% dynamic power reduction compared to NoC architectures with conventional error control techniques
Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumor Presenting as Endolymphatic Sac Tumor.

Author(s): Choy, Joseph; Abouzari, Mehdi; Mahboubi, Hossein; Linskey, Mark E; Djalilian, Hamid R
MicroRNA-21 is Required for Hematopoietic Cell Viability After Radiation Exposure.

Purpose Radiation therapy is an essential intervention used in the treatment of more than half of cancer patients. With the increasing use of hypofractionated radiation regimens, concurrent use of radiation and chemotherapy, targeted agents and immunotherapy, the risk of radiation-induced toxicities is increased. However, much remains unknown about the molecular underpinnings responsible for radiation-induced toxicity. MicroRNA (miRNA) are small, non-coding RNA involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miR-21 is an oncomiR that is dysregulated in a significant fraction of human malignancies, and its overexpression is linked to poor overall survival, chemoresistance, and radioresistance in several human cancers. However, the contribution of miR-21 in governing radiation sensitivity in normal, untransformed cells, and the impact of silencing this miRNA in normal tissues remains largely unexplored. Materials and Methods miR-21 levels were evaluated in tissues by qRT-PCR without and after total body irradiation (TBI). Mice lacking miR-21 were genetically engineered, subjected to TBI, and monitored for survival. Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) numbers and function were assessed using flow cytometry, histology, complete blood cell counts, and bone marrow transplantation. Results miR-21 expression was increased in radiosensitive tissues, but not in radioinsensitive tissues following TBI in wild-type mice, suggesting it may have a critical function in the normal tissue response to irradiation. Compared to wild-type mice, mice lacking one or both alleles of miR-21 showed reduced numbers of HSPCs and increased sensitivity to an LD50/30 dose of TBI with evidence of bone marrow failure. Transplantation of wild-type bone marrow into irradiated miR-21-deficient mice rescued the mice from death. Conclusions Our data identify miR-21 as a critical component of HSPC viability and essential for bone marrow recovery following irradiation. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether miR-21 can be used to stratify patients at risk for hematopoietic toxicity following irradiation.
OS EFEITOS DO MÉTODO PILATES NA FUNCIONALIDADE DO ASSOALHO PÉLVICO FEMININO E NA INCONTINÊNCIA URINÁRIA: UMA REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA

Introducao: E a musculatura do assoalho pelvico (MAP) que sustenta a uretra e a bexiga, que se contrai durante o esforco de forma a prevenir a perda urinaria. O enfraquecimento ou lesoes nesta estrutura de suporte podem levar a sua disfuncionalidade. Segundo a Associacao Internacional de Uroginecologia, a Incontinencia Urinaria (IU) e toda perda involuntaria de urina. A IU pode ser classificada em 3 principais tipos: a Incontinencia Urinaria de Esforco (IUE) onde a perda involuntaria de urina que ocorre durante a realizacao de como tossir, espirrar, levantar pesos, rir ou exercitar-se, Incontinencia Urinaria de Urgencia (IUU), caracteriza-se por um desejo subito e abrupto de urinar, dificil de ser inibido e a Incontinencia Mista (IUM) que e a IUE somada a IUU. Embora a MAP nao tenha sido enfatizada no trabalho original do Metodo Pilates (MP), algumas escolas tem integrado o foco na MAP em sua abordagem. O objetivo deste estudo foi revisar achados anteriores quanto aos efeitos do MP na funcionalidade do assoalho pelvico feminino e na IU. Metodo: Foram selecionados e analisados artigos de periodicos arbitrados e estudos presentes em bancos de dados academicos. Resultados: dez estudos foram selecionados para analise dos resultados. Os estudos abordaram o efeito do MP na funcionalidade do assoalho pelvico feminino e na IU. Conclusao: Observou-se que o MP trouxe resultados positivos na maioria das variaveis analisadas em 9 dos 10 estudos selecionados, porem mais estudos sao necessarios.
The Atlanta BEST program: A partnership to enhance professional development and career planning across two dissimilar institutions

Abstract Current Ph.D. training is largely based on an apprentice model that prepares trainees to become tenure-track investigators. However, most trainees entering Ph.D. programs in biomedical fields actually wind up pursuing non-academic positions. Unfortunately, most Ph.D. programs and individual mentors are ill-prepared to help Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows learn about and seek careers outside of academia. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the BEST initiative to help institutions test ideas for modifying training programs in order to fill this gap. Emory University (Emory), in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), received a BEST award in 2013 and established the Atlanta BEST Program. Here, we describe lessons learned from implementing this program. Key among them is the understanding that a new model of training must be considered – one that includes shared roles of the PI and the institution in helping trainees to reach their career goals.
Educating physician‐assistant students as agents of lifestyle medicine

BACKGROUND The burden of chronic disease in the USA necessitates a shift in medicine and medical education from disease treatment to health and wellness promotion. At the forefront of this shift is the field of lifestyle medicine - the evidence-based use of lifestyle modification to prevent, treat and reverse disease. Health care providers, including physician assistants (PAs), can be the vehicle of behaviour change for patients, families and communities, and must receive adequate training to practice lifestyle medicine. METHODS We describe a pilot lifestyle medicine curriculum implemented through a PA training programme run in the USA in the academic year 2016/2017. The curriculum included four taught modules on lifestyle medicine, two assessment activities and a survey of self-perceived competency, measured before and after the programme. RESULTS Forty students participated in the curriculum. Results showed a significant increase in self-perceived competencies in seven of nine lifestyle medicine areas (p < 0.001). After the curriculum, all students were successfully able to provide a written lifestyle medicine prescription for a mock patient, with the most common prescription topics including nutrition-related prescriptions (41%), followed by physical activity (26%), addressing substance use (10%), mental health or stresses (10%) and sleep (7%). Furthermore, on average students were able to correctly identify 70% of the desired recommendations for a mock patient. CONCLUSION Lifestyle medicine curricula can be successfully integrated into existing PA curricula, with demonstrated increases in self-assessments of competency and practical skills.
Identifying landscape predictors of ocelot road mortality

For depleted wildlife populations, understanding and effectively mitigating the direct and indirect impacts of roads can be a key component of recovery efforts. The ocelot is a federally endangered wild felid at risk of local extinction in south Texas, where vehicle collisions are their largest known source of mortality. To support road mortality mitigation, we evaluated mortality risk across the south Texas road network. We also assessed whether a sympatric carnivore, the bobcat, could serve as a surrogate to inform mortality risk. We used several presence-only species distribution models to evaluate a suite of candidate landscape and road attributes and identify those associated with elevated road mortality risk using a 35-year wild felid road mortality dataset. Consensus predictions among models identified high-risk road segments for ocelots and bobcats. We compared predictions between species to determine overlap of high-risk areas. Areas where core ocelot habitat intersected roadways represented the greatest mortality risk, reflecting ocelot reliance on intact habitat and avoidance of degraded and fragmented landscapes. Bobcat road mortality risk had similar relationships to landscape features, with nearly all areas classified as high-risk for ocelots also identified as high-risk for bobcats. Ocelots are vulnerable to road mortality in areas where roads intersect their intact scrub habitat. Bobcats, with appropriate data filters in place, are an acceptable surrogate for informing ocelot road mortality, particularly when ocelot mortality data are limited and for time-sensitive conservation decision-making. For ocelots and other fragmentation-intolerant carnivore species, wildlife underpasses and fencing in focused areas where roads and intact habitat intersect may be feasible options to reduce road mortality.