cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stereotactic core-needle breast biopsy by surgeons: minimum 2-year follow-up of benign lesions.

Objective To evaluate the reliability of stereotactic core-needle breast biopsy (SCNB) performed by surgeons to detect histologically benign tissue. Background Data Stereotactic core-needle breast biopsy is widely used to obtain tissue for definitive pathologic diagnosis of mammographically suspicious breast lesions. It has an incidence of malignancy detection similar to that of open biopsy. The potential for sampling error is a concern. Minimal data regarding follow-up and failure rate are available, especially from series performed exclusively by surgeons. Methods Pertinent medical records of all patients who underwent SCNB between April 1995 and October 1997 were reviewed. Breast lesions were classified by mammographic Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data Systems (BI-RADS) categories before SCNB. Benign biopsy specimens were classified as nonproliferative or proliferative. Malignant lesions and those with atypical histopathology by SCNB were excluded from this analysis. All lesions initially reported as benign were followed up mammographically for at least 2 years for any suspicious change requiring repeat biopsy. Results During the 31-month period, SCNB was performed on 694 lesions in 619 patients. Histologic evidence of malignancy was found in 112 lesions (16%). The initial histologic diagnosis for the remaining 582 lesions was benign. Four hundred lesions were available for follow-up; of these, 373 (93%) were mammographically categorized as BI-RADS 3 (probably benign) or 4 (suspicious). Three hundred forty-three lesions were categorized as nonproliferative and 151 as proliferative (94 had combined nonproliferative and proliferative histology). Follow-up ranged from 24 to 48 months (mean 33 months). During the follow-up period, 87 lesions (21.8%) underwent either image-guided or open biopsy. At the time of follow-up rebiopsy, ductal carcinoma in situ was found in four lesions and infiltrating ductal carcinoma was found in one, for an overall false-negative rate of 4.3% (5/117) and a negative predictive value of 98.8% (395/400). For the five false-negative cases, the interval from initial SCNB to definitive diagnosis ranged from 7 to 36 months. No correlation was found between the type of initial histopathology and development of malignancy. Conclusions These results support SCNB as an alternative to open biopsy and show the reliability of SCNB when benign pathology is obtained. However, given the possibility of sampling error and the nature of breast disease, close mammographic and clinical follow-up is necessary. The false-negative rate and negative predictive value in this series compare favorably with those in other reports, supporting the fact that surgeons can confidently use SCNB in the evaluation and treatment of breast disease.
Joseph L. Locicero September 18, 1947 - July 19, 2008

Recounts the life and career of Joseph L. LoCicero, who passed away on July 19, 2008. Also includes comments from colleagues and a eulogy written by a friend.
Extraction of frequency domain kurtosis from non-Gaussian and nonstationary signals using the wavelet transform

Conventional metrics used to quantify signals in noise/hearing research are primarily derived from time- averaged energy and spectral analyses. Such metrics, while appropriate for Gaussian signals, are of limited value in more complex sound environments. Many of the sounds encountered in industrial/military environments have non- Gaussian and nonstationary distributed waveforms. These signals may have the same energy and spectra as those of a continuous Gaussian signal, yet they can produce very different effects on the auditory system. This result has led to efforts to develop additional metrics, incorporating the temporal characteristics of a signal, that could be useful in evaluating hazardous acoustic environments. Previous research suggests that frequency domain kurtosis (FDK) may be useful in such an application. This paper shows that good estimates of FDK can be obtained from an application of the wavelet transform. The wavelet transform, which has features in common with the cochlear micromechanical analysis of a signal, will reflect the temporal variations of the frequency components in a signal. A signal is decomposed by the wavelet transform on a logarithmic scale, and then the fourth-order kurtosis estimates are computed across the different octave bands from the wavelet transform results. Complex signals whose effects on hearing are known, and which are similar to realistic industrial noises, are used as model signals from which the FDK metric is extracted using the wavelet transform. Animal model experiments have shown that FDK is highly correlated with both the frequency specificity of hearing loss and the severity of trauma. Use of the wavelet transform to obtain an FDK metric lends itself to incorporation into digital analysis systems that may be useful in the assessment of complex noises for hearing conservation purposes.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A duality theorem for continuous-time linear programming problems

In dealing with dynamic economic policy models one encounters optimization problems whose objective function is an integral of a linear function of a finite number of continuous variables and whose constraints are linear integral inequalities. A set of intertemporal efficiency conditions (equilibrium conditions) yielding the optimal policy are given. By approximating the continuous problem by a set of discrete problems and appealing to a well known convergence theorem in functional analysis a continuous analog of the duality theorem is proved.
A Galactosylceramide Binding Domain Is Involved in Trafficking of CLN3 from Golgi to Rafts via Recycling Endosomes

Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is due to mutations in the CLN3 gene. We previously determined that CLN3 protein harbors a highly conserved motif, VYFAE, necessary for its impact on cell growth and apoptosis. Using molecular modeling we demonstrated that this motif is embedded in a stretch of amino acids that is homologous to and structurally compatible with a galactosylceramide (GalCer) binding domain. This domain is present in the V3 loop of the HIV-1 gp120 envelope protein, β-amyloid protein, and the infectious form of prionic protein, and defines a binding site for lipid rafts. We determined the subcellular localization of CLN3 in different cell systems including human neurons, primary rat hippocampal neurons, normal human fibroblasts, and JNCL fibroblasts homozygous for the 1.02 kb deletion in genomic DNA. Wild-type CLN3 protein was present within Golgi, lipid rafts in the plasma membrane, and early recycling endosomes, but not late endosomes/lysosomes. Wild-type CLN3 internalized from the plasma membrane to the Golgi via Rab4- and Rab11-positive recycling endosomes. Wild-type CLN3 co-localized with GalCer in the Golgi and in lipid rafts at the plasma membrane in normal cells. Neither mutant CLN3 protein nor GalCer were found at the plasma membrane in JNCL fibroblasts. Mutant CLN3p was retained within the Golgi and partially mis-localized to lysosomes, failing to reach recycling endosomes, plasma membrane, or lipid rafts. These studies identify a novel CLN3 domain that may dictate localization and function of CLN3.
HUMAN BEHAVIOR FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: A DEVELOPMENTAL-ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK By Wendy L. Haight & Edward H. Taylor

This textbook highlights theories of human behavior and explores the numerous and intricate ways these apply to social work practice. In the first chapter, Wendy Haight and Edward Taylor present a ...
A unified approach for construction of rotationally invariant MTCM

Using the results of Forney's (1988) squaring construction, this paper integrates the rotationally invariant multidimensional trellis coded modulation (MTCM) construction schemes of Wei (1987) and Pietrobon (IEEE Trans. Info. Theory, vol.IT-39, no.3, p. 325-336, 1993), et al. into a highly efficient construction procedure. This procedure can be used to construct QAM or MPSK based MTCM schemes. This paper demonstrates that the squaring construction allows us to deduce the coset representatives of a multidimensional constellation directly from a 2-D partition. A method is given for generating and ordering the coset representatives for rotationally invariant MTCM schemes. >
Sociosexual attitudes and behaviors: Why two factors are better than one

Abstract Researchers have recently questioned the unidimensionality of the sociosexual orientation inventory [SOI; Simpson, J. A., & Gangestad, S. W. (1991). Individual differences in sociosexuality: evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 60 , 870–883], which measures willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relationships. Previous research, however, has not empirically examined this issue. Thus, 2787 undergraduates completed measures of the SOI, narcissism, and hostility. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a dual-factor model of the SOI, which accounted for both behavioral (Items 1–3) and attitudinal (Items 2, 4–7) components, fit the data significantly better than a single-factor model. Although gender did not moderate the factor loadings, the sociosexual attitude-behavior correlation was stronger for women than for men. Sociosexual attitudes and behaviors were differentially related to narcissism and hostility. Researchers should consider scoring the SOI as separate attitudinal and behavioral components.
Capacity bounds for the three-dimensional (0,1) run length limited channel

The capacity C/sub 0,1//sup (8)/ of a three-dimensional (0,1) run length constrained channel is shown to satisfy 0.522501741838/spl les/C/sub 0,1//sup (8)//spl les/0.526880847825.
Ayushman: a wireless sensor network based health monitoring infrastructure and testbed

With a rapidly aging population, automated health monitoring systems provide an effective means of reducing the resulting healthcare professional shortage. To this end, we at the IMPACT lab at Arizona State University are developing Ayushman, a sensor network based health monitoring infrastructure and testbed. Ayushman provides a medical monitoring system that is dependable, energy-e.cient, secure, and collects real-time health data in diverse scenarios, from home based monitoring to disaster relief. Further, Ayushman is designed to be a testbed which allows researchers to test their communication protocols and systems in a realistic environment.
Tyrosine kinase inhibition: a therapeutic target for the management of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematologic neoplasm with a progressive, ultimately terminal, disease course. In most cases, CML arises owing to the aberrant formation of a chimeric gene for a constitutively active tyrosine kinase. Inhibition of the signaling activity of this kinase has proved to be a highly successful treatment target, transforming the prognosis of patients with CML. New tyrosine kinase inhibitors continue to improve the management of CML, offering alternative options for those resistant to or intolerant of standard tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Here we review the pathobiology of CML and explore emerging strategies to optimize the management of chronic-phase CML, particularly first-line treatment.
Beam-based alignment and tuning procedures for e + e - collider final focus systems

For future linear colliders, with very small emittances and beam sizes and demanding tolerances on final focus system alignment and magnet errors, it becomes increasingly important to use the beam as a diagnostic tool. A report is presented on procedures that will be implemented in the Final Focus Test Beam at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) incorporating (i) quadrupole strength changes, (ii) central orbit modifications, (iii) spot size measurements, and (iv) beam stability monitoring. >
Remapping the Financial System in a Transition Economy - The Case of China

China's economic transition began at the end of 1978. The traditional planned economic system resulting artificial low interest rates, price, and overvalued exchange rates still heavily govern the financial system. The government now faces the challenge of ensuring their effective implementation in financial system where inherited structural constrain is the main problem. Ultimately, the financial sector need to be mobilized by which the resources could be allocated in a more effective and prudent manner, to support stable and sustainable growth, improved quality of life and better employment opportunity. This case study describes the nature of China financial market and offers a big picture of its current performance. It focuses on Chinese capital market and examines the appropriate role for an efficient capital market. The paper also analyzes the structure and behavior of the banking industry and critically discusses the central bank, the effectiveness of fiscal and monetary instruments, and it’s implication on exchange rate system. Finally, it illustrates the design of emerging banking regulation in transaction process and the future challenges and policy recommendations
Terrestrial analogs to Mars: The NRC community decadal report

Abstract In 2001, the US National Research Council, at the request of NASA, initiated a broad community survey of the current state of solar system exploration seeking recommendations for the coming decade. One of the studies was on Terrestrial Analogs to Mars. It is well recognized that interpretations of Mars must begin with the Earth as a reference. The most successful comparisons have focused on understanding geologic processes on the Earth well enough to extrapolate to Mars’ environment. Over the next decade, we will be entering a new phase of Mars study as the era of reconnaissance global mapping is ending and we begin to focus on detailed analysis at the regional to outcrop level. Recommendations from the Terrestrial Analogs to Mars community panel included: process studies at analog sites, field workshops, instrument and operations tests, and laboratory measurements. Coordinated deployment of airborne, spaceborne, field instrumentation, and personnel to several sites to test instruments and technology intended for Mars and to provide data for ongoing studies of terrestrial geologic processes relevant to Mars was the most important area recommended for support. Field workshops should be continued and expanded and could also include operation of field instruments, modeled after the Marsokhod field tests at Silver Lake and this workshop. Laboratory studies are needed to determine more fully the physical, spectral, and electromagnetic characteristics of Mars analog materials. Data archives were recommended to collect, document, and make available via the Web existing terrestrial data relevant to Mars studies. The establishment of Mars analog sites would also support human exploration objectives and could be used for effective outreach to better engage the public in the exploration of Mars.
Low incidence of perioperative chemotherapy for stage III bladder cancer 1998 to 2003: a report from the National Cancer Data Base.

Purpose: Studies of perioperative chemotherapy for muscle invasive bladder cancer have shown a survival benefit with combined modality therapy. We reviewed chemotherapy use in patients with stage III transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder from 1998 to 2003 to evaluate perioperative chemotherapy treatment patterns.Materials and Methods: The National Cancer Data Base collected data on approximately 60% of all newly diagnosed bladder cancer cases in the United States from 1998 to 2003. We queried the National Cancer Data Base for all treatment of male and female patients 18 years old or older with bladder transitional cell carcinoma diagnosed between 1998 and 2003. A total of 224,060 bladder transitional cell carcinoma records were reviewed. Perioperative chemotherapy was defined as chemotherapy given within 4 months before and 4 months after surgery. Of 11,339 cases of stage III bladder cancer treatment, analysis was possible for 7,161.Results: Treatment patterns were analyzed in 7,161 patients with sta...
Production of large quantities of isotopically labeled protein in Pichia pastoris by fermentation

Heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris has many of the advantages of eukaryotic expression, proper folding and disulfide bond formation, glycosylation, and secretion. Contrary to other eukaryotic systems, protein production from P.pastoris occurs in simple minimal defined media making this system attractive for production of labeled proteins for NMR analysis. P.pastoris is therefore the expression system of choice for NMR of proteins that cannot be refolded from inclusion bodies or that require post-translational modifications for proper folding or function. The yield of expressed proteins from P.pastoris depends critically on growth conditions, and attainment of high cell densities by fermentation has been shown to improve protein yields by 10–100-fold. Unfortunately, the cost of the isotopically enriched fermentation media components, particularly 15NH4OH, is prohibitively high. We report fermentation methods that allow for both 15N- labeling from (15NH4)2SO4 and 13C-labeling from 13C-glucose or 13C-glycerol of proteins produced in Pichia pastoris. Expression of an 83 amino acid fragment of thrombomodulin with two N-linked glycosylation sites shows that fermentation is more cost effective than shake flask growth for isotopic enrichment.
Intention to comply with crisis messages communicated via social media

Abstract The rapid growth of social media challenges crisis communicators to disseminate safety messages to affected audiences quickly and in a manner that promotes maximum compliance. A nationally representative consumer panel responded to food recall messages that varied in source (organizational or user-generated) and reliability (confirmed versus unconfirmed). Results indicated that intent to comply with a food recall message was stronger in response to organizational messages than to user-generated messages, but did not vary according to message reliability. Strong age cohort effects were seen in the responses to message source, with younger participants making less distinction than older cohorts between organizational and user-generated sources. Implications of the results for public relations and crisis communications theory and practice, limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research were discussed.
Learning Disabilities Teachers' Perceptions of Educational Programs for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Rapid expansion of secondary learning disability programs has left little time to document current practices. This study examined perceptions of 135 teachers of students with learning disabilities working in middle-junior high and high school programs regarding the following: (1) the presence of specific attributes often associated with successful programs, (2) their professional views on field-related issues, and (3) suggestions for program improvement. Data were examined to determine if teachers' perceptions differed based on program type (i.e., resource, self-contained), level (i.e., middle-junior high, high school), or setting (urban, suburban, rural). Perceptions regarding the presence of selected attributes and recommendations for program improvement provide an agenda for professional dialogue.
Etiologic diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss in adults

Objective To determine the etiology of adult-onset sensorineural hearing loss. Study design and setting This is a prospective cohort study of 60 adult subjects with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss of no obvious etiology by medical history and physical examination. These patients were evaluated at an academic medical center and underwent evaluation by high-resolution computed tomography of the temporal bone, autoimmune panel, and DNA testing for mutations of both the GJB2 gene and the mitochondrial DNA (1555A>G and 7445A>G). Results An etiologic diagnosis was achieved in 6 patients: cochlear otosclerosis, 1 case; dilated vestibular aqueduct, 1 case; a mitochondrial DNA 7445A>G mutation, 3 cases; and a mitochondrial DNA 1555A>G mutation, 1 case. Conclusion This result underscores the importance of a search for the etiology of a hearing deficit in adult patients. There are specific interventions now available for the management of hearing-impaired patients with cochlear otosclerosis and mitochondrial DNA mutations.
Factor analysis of a fear survey schedule.

Abstract The responses of a sample of Ss to the Fear Survey Schedule-II (Geer. 1965) were factor analyzed separately for men and women, and the emerging factors subjected to replication on two new samples. Three factors emerged which seemed to be reasonably consistent across groups: fear of water, death-and-illness, and interpersonal events. In the original female group, the interpersonal events factor was split into two components: social competence and social interaction. In addition, a fourth factor, fear of discrete stimuli, emerged significantly in three of the four groups, appearing in all but the original female group.
Genetic Evidence on the Historical Biogeography of Central American Howler Monkeys

The study described in this chapter aimed to elucidate the historical biogeography of howler monkeys in Central America. We expected to find evidence supporting an invasion from a common ancestor of the three species proceding northward from South America into Central America, with mantled howlers and black howlers being sister species that diverged after the northward invasion of a common source population. We examined patterns of variation at eight microsatellite loci across three populations of mantled howler monkeys ranging from Southern Mexico to Panama, and one population each of black howlers (Belize) and red howlers (Venezuela). The data reveal a broad pattern of declining genetic variation from south to north in mantled howlers, and a closest relationship between the two most northerly sampling sites, consistent with the hypothesis of an historical invasion from the south. These populations are also genetically distinctive, indicating limited gene flow among them. Another result that matched our a priori expectations was that the red howler population exhibited the greatest genetic diversity in our comparisons. We were surprised, however, to find that black howlers were the most genetically distinctive population in our data set, suggesting that they are not the sister species of mantled howlers. We suggest to hypotheses that could explain this result. First, black howlers may have decended from a different invasion of Central America that predated the one leading to mantled howlers. Second, black howlers may have arrived in Central America via a different route than that taken by the ancestors of matled howlers. Specifically, they may have used the islands of the Caribbean archipelago as stepping stones to reach their current location without moving up the Isthmus of Panama.
Renal arteriolar Na+/Ca2+exchange in salt-sensitive hypertension

The present studies were performed to assess Na+/Ca2+exchange activity in afferent and efferent arterioles from Dahl/Rapp salt-resistant (R) and salt-sensitive (S) rats. Renal arterioles were obtained by microdissection from S and R rats on either a low-salt (0.3% NaCl) or high-salt (8.0% NaCl) diet. On the high-salt diet, S rats become markedly hypertensive. Cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured in fura 2-loaded arterioles bathed in a Ringer solution in which extracellular Na (Nae) was varied from 150 to 2 mM (Na was replaced withN-methyl-d-glucamine). Baseline [Ca2+]iwas similar in afferent arterioles of R and S rats fed low- and high-salt diet. The change in [Ca2+]i(Δ[Ca2+]i) during reduction in Nae from 150 to 2 mM was 80 ± 10 and 61 ± 3 nM (not significant) in afferent arterioles from R rats fed the low- and high-salt diet, respectively. In afferent arterioles from S rats on a high-salt diet, Δ[Ca2+]iduring reductions in Nae from 150 to 2 mM was attenuated (39 ± 4 nM) relative to the...
Drivers of food waste and their implications for sustainable policy development

There has been growing interest in establishing food waste prevention and recovery programs throughout the world. The drive to target food waste stems from increasing concerns about resource conservation, food security, food waste's environmental and economic costs, and a general trend in the waste management industry to transition to more sustainable practices. Here the drivers of residential, institutional, and commercial food waste generation in developed countries, particularly in the U.S., are explored. The impacts of food system modernization on food waste generation are examined, including impacts related to food system industrialization, urbanization, globalization, and economic growth. Socio-demographic, cultural, political, and economic drivers of food waste are described with emphasis on how food waste perspectives may vary globally. Specific behaviors and attitudes which result from many of these waste drivers are then discussed. The examination of the range of food wastage drivers are used to provide insight into the best policy approaches to sustainably manage food waste. Food waste prevention policies are placed in context of the waste generating behaviors and attitudes that they address. A review of important background information on food waste is also provided, including definitions of key terms, food waste history, quantities of food waste generated, and the importance of food waste prevention for sustainability, as this information is all critical for effective policy development.
Comparing cerebral blood volume and vascular permeability measurements with tumor volume measurements following anti-angiogenesis therapy in recurrent gliomas

2030 Background: Dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MRI (DSC MRI) is emerging as an important adjunctive biomarker to assess the effectiveness of anti-angiogenic therapies in the treatment of...
Ultra-scale Visualization Climate Data Analysis Tools (UV-CDAT)

This report summarizes work carried out by the Ultra-scale Visualization Climate Data Analysis Tools (UV-CDAT) Team for the period of January 1, 2011 through June 30, 2011. It discusses highlights, overall progress, period goals, and collaborations and lists papers and presentations. To learn more about our project, please visit our UV-CDAT website (URL: http://uv-cdat.org). This report will be forwarded to the program manager for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), national and international collaborators and stakeholders, and to researchers working on a wide range of other climate model, reanalysis, and observation evaluation activities. The UV-CDAT executive committee consists of Dean N. Williams of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); Dave Bader and Galen Shipman of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Phil Jones and James Ahrens of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Claudio Silva of Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly); and Berk Geveci of Kitware, Inc. The UV-CDAT team consists of researchers and scientists with diverse domain knowledge whose home institutions also include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the University of Utah. All work is accomplished under DOE open-source guidelines and in close collaboration with the project's stakeholders, domain researchers, and scientists. Working directly with BER climate science analysis projects, this consortium will develop and deploy data and computational resources useful to a wide variety of stakeholders, including scientists, policymakers, and the general public. Members of this consortium already collaborate with other institutions and universities in researching data discovery, management, visualization, workflow analysis, and provenance. The UV-CDAT team will address the following high-level visualization requirements: (1) Alternative parallel streaming statistics and analysis pipelines - Data parallelism, Task parallelism, Visualization parallelism; (2) Optimized parallel input/output (I/O); (3) Remote interactive execution; (4) Advanced intercomparison visualization; (5) Data provenance processing and capture; and (6) Interfaces for scientists - Workflow data analysis and visualization construction tools, and Visualization interfaces.
SEXUAL SELECTION FOR SIZE DIFFERENCES IN TWO SPECIES OF SANDPIPERS

The usual pattern of sexual dimorphism in birds is for males to be larger and more brightly colored than females. In a few families the opposite is true, and often correlated with the "reversed dimorphism" is a reversal of the roles of the sexes with respect to much of the reproductive behavior. Usually the kind of dimorphism present in a group, normal or reversed, is characteristic of all its members. In the sandpipers (Scolopacidae), however, "all stages of incipient reversal may be observed, but without providing a clue as to the selective advantages. Indeed, the shore birds are perhaps the most interesting family of birds as regards sexual size dimorphism ranging, as they do, from species in which the female is dominant and larger to others . . . in which the male is much the larger" (Amadon, 1959: p. 533). Recent discussions (e.g., Selander, 1966) of sexual size dimorphism in birds have emphasized its potential ecological advantages. This study is an attempt to determine the selective advantage of sexual size differences in two species of sandpipers, the Stilt Sandpiper (Micropalama himantopus) and the Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla). In these species females average slightly larger than males both in body measurements (Table 1) and weight, but there are no consistent sexual plumage differences. Both species arrive unpaired on their breeding grounds at Churchill, Manitoba, but begin nesting within a few days of arrival (Jehl, in prep.). Thus, there is selection for rapid pair formation. Courtship patterns are similar in the two species. Briefly, a male attracts a female to his territory through persistent flight singing, which is followed by ground displays associated with the choice of a nest site. As in virtually all other species of birds (Verner, 1964), the proximate basis for mate selection is unknown. One may hypothesize, however, that over-all size, or the size of a particular body part, might act as a secondary sex character to influence mate selection. If so, sexual size differences in these species could be ascribed to sexual selection. Because females average larger than males, one would predict that small males and/or large females would be among the earliest to pair; one might also expect size differences to be greater among early-nesting pairs. The possibility of nonrandom mating with respect to size can be investigated by testing for correlations between size and time of pairing.
Total CO2 transport in rat cortical collecting duct in chloride-depletion alkalosis.

Previous studies in chloride-depletion metabolic alkalosis (CDA) generated by intraperitoneal dialysis have suggested major alterations in chloride and bicarbonate transport beyond the distal convo...
Availability of Reproductive Health Care Services at Schools and Subsequent Birth Outcomes Among Adolescent Mothers.

BACKGROUND Adverse birth outcomes are more common among adolescent versus adult mothers, but little is known about school-based services that may improve birth outcomes in this group. METHODS Data from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed. Girls and women who gave birth to singleton live infants after Wave I and before age 20, were still in secondary school while pregnant, and had complete data (N = 402) were included. Mothers reported infants' birthweight and gestational age. School administrators reported whether family planning counseling, diagnostic screening (including sexually transmitted diseases [STDs]), STD treatment, and prenatal/postpartum health care were provided on-site at school at Wave I. Multilevel models adjusted for individual and school characteristics were conducted. RESULTS Few schools offered reproductive health care services on-site. In multilevel analyses, availability of family planning counseling (Est. β = 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04-0.38 p < 0.05) and prenatal/postpartum health care (Est. β = 0.21, 95% CI 0.02-0.40 p < 0.05) were significantly associated with increased infant birthweight. No services examined were significantly associated with increased gestational age. CONCLUSIONS Some school-based reproductive health services may improve subsequent birth outcomes among adolescent mothers. Future analyses should examine the mechanisms by which services impact birth outcomes.
Accuracy and economics of Helicobacter pylori diagnosis.

Abstract Many diagnostic tests are available to establish Helicobacter pylori infection status. Most of the tests are accurate though none works perfectly, and no gold standard for diagnosis exists. Newly developed serum immunoassay kits can substitute for laboratory-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, but whole blood immunoassays do not yet demonstrate adequate performance characteristics. Serologic diagnosis of H. pylori remains the most cost-effective option and should be utilized to establish initial infection in the majority of cases. If rapid urease testing is performed at endoscopy, negative results can be confirmed with a subsequent serologic test in those patients with a high probability of infection. Obtaining additional gastric tissue at endoscopy to evaluate for bacterial infection is reasonable if specimens are being taken for a mucosal defect. Confirmation of bacterial eradication cannot be justified for all post-treatment patients at present due to the expense. It is important to test for cure in those patients with complicated ulcer disease and those with recurrent symptoms after therapy.
Epidemiological and Environmental Surveillance: Counting and Measuring Pathogenic Signs

The medicine of the environment seemed to many eighteenth-century physicians to provide a way to anticipate epidemic disease, and thus to block or elude its effects. In surveying some leading and representative selections from environmentalist literature from Sydenham to the end of the eighteenth century, we have seen that this idea was shared across Europe and regions of the globe inhabited by Europeans. Let us now probe more deeply into the methodology of observing the environment, and read both the lines and between the lines of our sources seeking insight into the mathematics and the statistical procedures of this inquiry.
Evolution of host acceptance and its reversibility in a seed beetle

1. Adapting to a low-quality plant may require modification of an insect's digestive physiology, oviposition behaviour, or other host-use traits. If colonising a marginal host entails a cost, a decay in adaptation would be expected after selection is relaxed, i.e. if populations on a novel host are reverted to their high-quality ancestral host. 2. Replicate lines of the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) rapidly adapted to lentil seeds; larval survival rose from approximately 1 to ≥ 90%, and oviposition on lentil increased more than two-fold. This study compared egg-laying behaviour in lines that either remained on lentil or were reverted to the ancestral host, mung bean, for 22–62 generations. 3. Consistent with the trade-off hypothesis, females from two reverted sublines showed decreased oviposition on lentil (estimated as lifetime fecundity), but host acceptance in a third subline was unchanged. In a short-term assay, acceptance of lentil by newly emerged females was lower in each reverted subline than in the corresponding non-reverted one. Because effective population sizes (determined from genome resequencing) were large throughout the experiment, this decline in host acceptance is unlikely to be explained solely by genetic drift. 4. Variation among replicates in the magnitude of the reversion effect was also observed in a previous study of larval survival. However, the pattern of variation for survival was not congruent with the pattern of variation for host acceptance in this study. Thus, genes mediating improved performance on lentil appear to be largely independent of those responsible for increased oviposition.
Eating and huddling with patients

“Hey Doc, thanks for fitting me in today. I’m going outside the wire next week. Can we have our next appointment in the dining hall?” Many providers would consider conducting a therapy session while eating dinner together a boundary crossing. I considered it being flexible in a war zone. I was a military psychiatrist and deployed …
Assessing the dynamic biofilm removal of sulfonated phenolics using CP-OCT

Examining the physical mechanisms related to biofilm removal of sulfonated phenolics (SP) is difficult using conventional microscopy techniques. A custom flow cell system integrated with a real time cross polarization optical coherence tomography system investigated the dynamic speed of biofilm removal when oral multi-species biofilms are exposed to SP under sheer stress. The Near infrared 1310-nm CP-OCT system non-destructively imaged fluid immersed oral biofilms at nearly 30 frames/s. This dynamic imaging was able to determine the cohesive and adhesion related disruption of SP on oral biofilms adhering to tooth like surfaces. For multi-species biofilms that are initially grown without the presence of sucrose, the disruption of biofilms on saliva coated hydroxyapatite (HA) is dominated as a adhesive failure at the HA-biofilm interface. For multi-species biofilms that are grown in the presence of sucrose, the disruption is dominated by cohesive disruption followed by adhesive failure. This novel CP-OCT flow cell assay has the potential to examine rapid interactions between anti-biofilm agents and tooth like surfaces.
Modeling and Simulation of Discrete Particles in Fluid Flow

A summary is given of some of the methods for modeling and simulating the motion of small rigid particles in fluid flow. For isolated particles, or at very low volume fractions, approximate dynamic equations for tracking the motion of the particles can be formulated where the background flow is not modified. Even here, interesting features of the particle motion and distribution of particles can develop in nonuniform flows. For more complex situations, we describe the force coupling method (FCM) as an effective representation for particles moving at low and finite Reynolds numbers that may be applied to various dispersed multiphase flows.
Effect of Midtreatment PET/CT-Adapted Radiation Therapy With Concurrent Chemotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase 2 Clinical Trial

Importance Our previous studies demonstrated that tumors significantly decrease in size and metabolic activity after delivery of 45 Gy of fractionated radiatiotherapy (RT), and that metabolic shrinkage is greater than anatomic shrinkage. This study aimed to determine whether 18 F-fludeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) acquired during the course of treatment provides an opportunity to deliver higher-dose radiation to the more aggressive areas of the tumor to improve local tumor control without increasing RT-induced lung toxicity (RILT), and possibly improve survival. Objective To determine whether adaptive RT can target high-dose radiation to the FDG-avid tumor on midtreatment FDG-PET to improve local tumor control of locally advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Design, Setting, and Participants A phase 2 clinical trial conducted at 2 academic medical centers with 42 patients who had inoperable or unresectable stage II to stage III NSCLC enrolled from November 2008, to May 2012. Patients with poor performance, more than 10% weight loss, poor lung function, and/or oxygen dependence were included, providing that the patients could tolerate the procedures of PET scanning and RT. Intervention Conformal RT was individualized to a fixed risk of RILT (grade >2) and adaptively escalated to the residual tumor defined on midtreatment FDG-PET up to a total dose of 86 Gy in 30 daily fractions. Medically fit patients received concurrent weekly carboplatin plus paclitaxel followed by 3 cycles of consolidation. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end point was local tumor control. The trial was designed to achieve a 20% improvement in 2-year control from 34% of our prior clinical trial experience with 63 to 69 Gy in a similar patient population. Results The trial reached its accrual goal of 42 patients: median age, 63 years (range, 45-83 years); male, 28 (67%); smoker or former smoker, 39 (93%); stage III, 38 (90%). Median tumor dose delivered was 83 Gy (range, 63-86 Gy) in 30 daily fractions. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 47 months. The 2-year rates of infield and overall local regional tumor controls (ie, including isolated nodal failure) were 82% (95% CI, 62%-92%) and 62% (95% CI, 43%-77%), respectively. Median overall survival was 25 months (95% CI, 12-32 months). The 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 52% (95% CI, 36%-66%) and 30% (95% CI, 16%-45%), respectively. Conclusions and Relevance Adapting RT-escalated radiation dose to the FDG-avid tumor detected by midtreatment PET provided a favorable local-regional tumor control. The RTOG 1106 trial is an ongoing clinical trial to validate this finding in a randomized fashion. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01190527
Utilization Patterns at a Specialized Children's Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program

Objective:Most youths experiencing a psychiatric crisis present to emergency departments (EDs) that lack the specialized staff to evaluate them, so youths are often discharged without appropriate mental health assessment or treatment. To better understand the needs of this population, this study described clinical details and disposition associated with visits for psychiatric emergencies to a specialized ED staffed 24/7 by child psychiatrists.Methods:Through retrospective chart review, 1,180 visits to the ED during its first year of operation were reviewed for clinical characteristics, prior service utilization, and demographic characteristics. Bivariate analyses (chi-square test and Wilcoxon rank sum test) compared differences in disposition (evaluate and release, brief stabilization, and inpatient psychiatric admission) associated with characteristics of the children’s first visit (N=885). Measures with bivariate association of p<.10 were further assessed by using multinomial logistic regression analyse...
Current Concepts Regarding Total Ankle Replacement as a Viable Treatment Option for Advanced Ankle Arthritis: What You Need to Know

Much of the current literature suggests that total ankle replacement (TAR) is no longer an inferior or fringe treatment for advanced ankle arthritis compared with ankle fusion, but rather a viable option for recalcitrant arthritic ankle pathology in the correct patient population. In this article, current concepts associated with successful outcomes for TAR are discussed with an emphasis on ankle joint anatomy and biomechanics, preoperative planning and patient selection, understanding pathomechanics and soft tissue balancing, as well as the surgeon's learning curve.
Financial Incentives and Physician Practice Participation in Medicare's Value-Based Reforms.

Objectives To evaluate whether greater experience and success with performance incentives among physician practices are related to increased participation in Medicare's voluntary value-based payment reforms. Data Sources/Study Setting Publicly available data from Medicare's Physician Compare (n = 1,278; January 2012 to November 2013) and nationally representative physician practice data from the National Survey of Physician Organizations 3 (NSPO3; n = 907,538; 2013). Study Design We used regression analysis to examine practice-level relationships between prior exposure to performance incentives and participation in key Medicare value-based payment reforms: accountable care organization (ACO) programs, the Physician Quality Reporting System (“Physician Compare”), and the Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology program (“Meaningful Use”). Prior experience and success with financial incentives were measured as (1) the percentage of practices’ revenue from financial incentives for quality or efficiency; and (2) practices’ exposure to public reporting of quality measures. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We linked physician participation data from Medicare's Physician Compare to the NSPO3 survey. Principal Findings There was wide variation in practices’ exposure to performance incentives, with 64 percent exposed to financial incentives, 45 percent exposed to public reporting, and 2.2 percent of practice revenue coming from financial incentives. For each percentage-point increase in financial incentives, there was a 0.9 percentage-point increase in the probability of participating in ACOs (standard error [SE], 0.1, p < .001) and a 0.8 percentage-point increase in the probability of participating in Meaningful Use (SE, 0.1, p < .001), controlling for practice characteristics. Financial incentives were not associated with participation in Physician Compare. Among ACO participants, a 1 percentage-point increase in incentives was associated with a 0.7 percentage-point increase in the probability of being “very well” prepared to utilize cost and quality data (SE, 0.1, p < .001). Conclusions Physicians organizations’ prior experience and success with performance incentives were related to participation in Medicare ACO arrangements and participation in the meaningful use criteria but not to participation in Physician Compare. We conclude that Medicare must complement financial incentives with additional efforts to address the needs of practices with less experience with such incentives to promote value-based payment on a broader scale.
LCHI: multiple, overlapping local communities

Local community finding algorithms are helpful for finding communities around a seed node especially when the network is large and a global method is too slow. Most local methods find only a single community or are required to be run several times over different seed nodes to create multiple communities. In this paper, we present a new algorithm, LCHI that finds multiple, overlapping communities around a single node. Examples and analyses are presented support the effectiveness of LCHI.
A low cost mobile phone dark-field microscope for nanoparticle-based quantitative studies

Dark-field microscope (DFM) analysis of nanoparticle binding signal is highly useful for a variety of research and biomedical applications, but current applications for nanoparticle quantification rely on expensive DFM systems. The cost, size, limited robustness of these DFMs limits their utility for non-laboratory settings. Most nanoparticle analyses use high-magnification DFM images, which are labor intensive to acquire and subject to operator bias. Low-magnification DFM image capture is faster, but is subject to background from surface artifacts and debris, although image processing can partially compensate for background signal. We thus mated an LED light source, a dark-field condenser and a 20× objective lens with a mobile phone camera to create an inexpensive, portable and robust DFM system suitable for use in non-laboratory conditions. This proof-of-concept mobile DFM device weighs less than 400g and costs less than $2000, but analysis of images captured with this device reveal similar nanoparticle quantitation results to those acquired with a much larger and more expensive desktop DFMM system. Our results suggest that similar devices may be useful for quantification of stable, nanoparticle-based activity and quantitation assays in resource-limited areas where conventional assay approaches are not practical.