cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Presystemic Bradykinin Metabolism in Sheep and Rat Nasal Homogenates

Bradykinin (BK) and its fragments BK(1–8), BK(1–7), and BK(1–5) were incubated with sheep nasal homogenates to investigate the extent of peptide metabolism within the nasal mucosa. The products for both bradykinin and BK(1–8) degradation were found to be BK(1–7) and BK(1–5). BK(1–7) was metabolized to BK(1–5) alone. The patterns of degradation suggest that the Pro7-Phe8 bond of bradykinin was hydrolyzed first, then BK(1–7) was further hydrolyzed to form BK(1–5). The metabolism of bradykinin in rat nasal homogenates and plasma was also investigated. BK(1–5) was the only metabolite measurable in the rat nasal homogenates, likely due to the activity of an endopeptidase. The reduction in the bradykinin degradation rate resulting from the inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) or carboxypeptidase N indicates that these enzymes participate in mucosal bradykinin metabolism to some degree. In comparison, the products of bradykinin hydrolysis in rat plasma were found to be BK(1–8), BK(1–7), and BK(1–5). These results indicate that the enzyme populations or/and activities vary significantly between different species and between different tissues within the same species. Although significant aminopeptidase activities were detected in the sheep nasal homogenates, bradykinin was not affected by their presence, since the N-terminal sequence of bradykinin is not susceptible to hydrolysis by most aminopeptidases.1,2
Does a Procurement Service Provider Generate Value for the Buyer Through Information About Supply Risks

We consider a supply chain with one buyer and two suppliers who are subject to disruptions and whose likelihoods of disruption are their private information. In such a setting, does the buyer benefit from engaging the services of a better-informed procurement service provider (PSP) compared to procuring directly from the suppliers? Intuition might suggest that hiring a PSP is always the right choice because the PSP’s knowledge of the supply base improves supplier selection and management. On the other hand, earlier studies prove that using a PSP purely for its superior knowledge about supply costs is always worse for a buyer than contracting with the suppliers directly. Our answer to this research question is more nuanced. Contrary to the findings of earlier studies, we find that the buyer may benefit from using a PSP. We identify, quantify, and explain all of the benefits and the costs of using a PSP, and describe conditions under which the benefits exceed the costs. The benefits of using a PSP are deriv...
Body Mass Index in Children with Newly Diagnosed Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Observations from Two Multicenter North American Inception Cohorts

Objective To conduct a systematic review of children with newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from 2 prospective inception cohorts to examine body mass index (BMI) status at presentation. Study design Clinical, demographic, and BMI data were obtained from 783 patients with newly diagnosed IBD. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for 2748 healthy children were used as a control. Results Most children with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis had a BMI in the normative range (5%-84%). Low BMI ( Conclusion Children with IBD are affected by current population trends toward overweight. A significant subgroup of children with newly diagnosed IBD has a BMI categorized as overweight or at risk for overweight. Clinicians should be aware of possible IBD diagnosis in the presence increased BMI.
Approximation Algorithms for Predicting RNA Secondary Structures with Arbitrary Pseudoknots

We study three closely related problems motivated by the prediction of RNA secondary structures with arbitrary pseudoknots: the problem 2-Interval Pattern proposed by Vialette [CHECK END OF SENTENCE], the problem Maximum Base Pair Stackings proposed by Leong et al. [CHECK END OF SENTENCE], and the problem Maximum Stacking Base Pairs proposed by Lyngso [CHECK END OF SENTENCE]. For the 2-Interval Pattern, we present polynomial-time approximation algorithms for the problem over the preceding-and-crossing model and on input with the unitary restriction. For Maximum Base Pair Stackings and Maximum Stacking Base Pairs, we present polynomial-time approximation algorithms for the two problems on explicit input of candidate base pairs. We also propose a new problem called Length-Weighted Balanced 2-Interval Pattern, which is natural in the context of RNA secondary structure prediction.
On the representation of Rossby waves on the β-plane by a piecewise uniform potential vorticity distribution

To bridge quasi-geostrophic dynamics and its discrete representation by a series of piecewise constant potential vorticity (PV), the dispersion relation for the Rossby wave in the single-layer β-plane is compared with that for the normal mode of edge waves straddling an infinite series of PV discontinuities (‘PV staircase’). It is shown that the edge waves over evenly spaced, uniform-height PV steps converge to the Rossby wave on the β-plane as Δ → 0, L → 0, Δ/L = βeff (Δ, L and βeff are the step size, step separation and the effective β, respectively), whereas they reduce to the single-step edge wave in the short-wave limit. For sufficiently small step separations, the difference in the phase velocities of the edge wave and the Rossby wave scales as O(L2). Two effects of increasing L on the zonal propagation are identified: (i) increased phase and group velocities in the short-wave limit due to an increased zonal wind at the PV steps and (ii) decreased phase and group velocities in the long-wave limit due to a decreased effective meridional tilt of the mode. The reduced tilt also severely limits the meridional group propagation. The relationship between the edge wave mode and the finite-difference approximation to the Rossby wave is also discussed.
The Humanbecoming Family Model

The purpose of this paper is to set forth the humanbecoming family model as an alternative view of family. The essences, paradoxes, and processes offer a unique way of envisioning family.
The design and characterization of a digital optical breast cancer imaging system

Optical imaging has the potential to play a major role in breast cancer screening and diagnosis due to its ability to image cancer characteristics such as angiogenesis and hypoxia. A promising approach to evaluate and quantify these characteristics is to perform dynamic imaging studies in which one monitors the hemodynamic response to an external stimulus, such as a valsalva maneuver. It has been shown that the response to such stimuli shows MARKED differences between cancerous and healthy tissues. The fast imaging rates and large dynamic range of digital devices makes them ideal for this type of imaging studies. Here we present a digital optical tomography system designed specifically for dynamic breast imaging. The instrument uses laser diodes at 4 different near-infrared wavelengths with 32 sources and 128 silicon photodiode detectors.
Estradiol regulation of progesterone synthesis in the brain

Abstract Steroidogenesis is now recognized as a global phenomenon in the brain, but how it is regulated and its relationship to circulating steroids of peripheral origin have remained more elusive issues. Neurosteroids, steroids synthesized de novo in nervous tissue, have a large range of actions in the brain, but it is only recently that the role of neuroprogesterone in the regulation of arguably the quintessential steroid-dependent neural activity, regulation of the reproduction has been appreciated. Circuits involved in controlling the LH surge and sexual behaviors were thought to be influenced by estradiol and progesterone synthesized in the ovary and perhaps the adrenal. It is now apparent that estradiol of ovarian origin regulates the synthesis of neuroprogesterone, and it is the locally produced neuroprogesterone that is involved in the initiation of the LH surge and subsequent ovulation. In this model, estradiol induces the transcription of progesterone receptors while stimulating synthesis of neuroprogesterone. Although the complete signaling cascade has not been elucidated, many of the features have been characterized. The synthesis of neuroprogesterone occurs primarily in astrocytes and requires the interaction of membrane-associated estrogen receptor-α with metabotropic glutamate receptor-1a. This G protein-coupled receptor activates a phospholipase C that in turn increases inositol trisphosphate (IP3) levels mediating the release of intracellular stores of Ca2+ via an IP3 receptor gated Ca2+ channel. The large increase in free cytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) stimulates the synthesis of progesterone, which can then diffuse out of the astrocyte and activate estradiol-induced progesterone receptors in local neurons to trigger the neural cascade to produce the LH surge. Thus, it is a cooperative action of astrocytes and neurons that is needed for estrogen positive feedback and stimulation of the LH surge.
Size-based adaptive bandwidth allocation: optimizing the average QoS for elastic flows

With a view on improving user perceived performance on networks supporting elastic flows, e.g., multimedia/data file transfers, we identify the key properties that an online dynamic bandwidth allocation policy should have. We then propose a family of bandwidth allocation criteria which depends on the residual work of on-going transfers. Analysis and simulations show that allocating bandwidth in this fashion can improve the user perceived average bit transmission delay (BTD), i.e., delay/flow size, by up to 70% at 80% traffic load over traditional approaches. A simple implementation based upon TCP Reno, exemplifies how one might approach practically realizing such gains. Further studies on simple network topologies show that as the penetration of the proposed transport mechanism increases, users will have the proper incentives to upgrade from TCP Reno, and that the overall performance is better for all users once the penetration exceeds 20%.
Pre-circumcision Assessment and Exam

Newborn circumcision is an elective procedure and should only be done where the risks of complication are negligible. The risks are best determined by a pre-circumcision exam. Where such an exam reveals a significant anatomical anomaly, a pediatric urology assessment should preempt the circumcision. If the health of the neonate is not excellent, the circumcision should be deferred. The key point here is that it is elective. So any pressure to circumcise where conditions are not ideal is foolhardy. Finally, the physical exam is an art that develops with experience. For those learning to do circumcision, it is helpful to examine as many newborn boys as you can, even where circumcision is not desired.
Mayo Clinic: An Institutional History of General Thoracic Surgery

The Mayo Clinic was started in Rochester, MN after a 1883 tornado disaster. The Mayo brothers, William and Charles began thoracic surgical procedures early in their career. Dr. Samuel Robinson is recognized as the first thoracic surgeon at Mayo. He was followed by Drs. Harrington and Claret who became famous surgeons. Many other notable surgeons have help to build the thoracic surgical practice into what is today a world renown center of excellence in thoracic surgery.
Late Chalcolithic Mesopotamia

Greater Mesopotamia is defined as a region by the interactions of people in different subregions over a long period starting certainly by the 8th millennium b.p. In the greater region, however, there is tremendous variability in societal forms, environmental and topographic conditions, resources, and so on. Where possible, sub-regions will be dealt with separately. Region-wide generalizations can be difficult to make.
Pharmacist Involvement in a Tuberculosis Outpatient Clinic

The role of a pharmacist in a rural tuberculosis outpatient clinic is described. The clinic functions primarily in a follow-up capacity, necessitating complete records of each patient's medical progress, including a summary of prior drug therapy and observed response. The pharmacist is responsible for maintenance of patient records, patient consultation, onsite drug preparation and dispensing, and teaching responsibilities. The pharmacist-physician interaction in this setting is discussed. This program was devised to help improve patient compliance with antituberculosis drug therapy.
Knowledge, knowledge, who's got the knowledge? The male contraceptive career.

A pilot study was conducted to explore some initial family planning concerns of men who sought to obtain reproductive health services. In-depth contraceptive histories were obtained by interviewing 30 men attending the Mens Reproductive Health Clinic in San Francisco over the 1977-1978 period. The men ranged in age between 19-37. The average respondent was white 27 and single with some college. Respondents included married and divorced men and black Latin and European men. The research methodology was that of comparative analysis. Preliminary study findings indicate that men perceive they are left out of family planning services and are finding out what they can do despite these circumstances. 4 areas of special concern to the men interviewed in their search for information and services were the following: 1) the changing social milieu which includes specifically the effect of the ecological and womens movements; 2) the degree of visibility or the extent to which men view themselves as invisible in family planning clinics; 3) the nature of the terrain or the characteristics of family planning clinics that make men feel unwelcome; and 4) accessibility or the difficulty they experienced gaining contraceptive information and services. Despite the fact that men feel that they are excluded from family planning services they strategize to handle their concerns. 3 emerging patterns men use to interact with their partners in the practice of family planning are described. These patterns are directing encountering and assuming. The patterns reflect how men see themselves in relation to family planning. The directing pattern is based on the mans perception of himself as an outsider who is directing or managing the process alone. Men are usually willing to direct the process but they are aware of the many advantages women have over men such as ready access to services and they strategize to overcome this barrier to them. The pattern of encountering was the most common pattern among men in this study. In this instance the man becomes increasingly involved in the family planning process. This man has access to knowledge through his partner and enters a process of determining what he needs to know and in turn finding out how he can use what he has gained to insure a more satisfactory outcome. These men put much effort into increasing their understanding of their partners family planning experience. The assuming pattern is based on the mans perception of himself as an outsider who makes the assumption that his partner is managing family planning alone. He is less involved than men in the other 2 patterns.
CSRS: Cyber Survive and Recover Simulator

It has been argued that systems that are comprised of similar components (i.e., a monoculture) are more prone to attacks than a system that exhibits diversity. But it is not currently clear how much diversity is needed and how to leverage the underlying diversity in the design space. In this paper, we present a game theoretic model to analyze strategic attack-defense scenarios as well as present our research and development effort to develop a software tool that facilitates analysis of strategic use of redundancy and diversity techniques for cyber survivability and recoverability by leveraging the developed game theoretic model. The simulator shows the potential of using game theoretic approaches for exploiting diversity for cyber survivability. The game theoretic model illustrates how the concept of the Nash Equilibrium provides a theoretical framework for designing strategic security solutions and how the mixed strategy solution space provides a conceptual basis for defining optimal randomization techniques that can exploit the underlying diversity. The simulator provides capabilities to simulate various attack-defense scenarios, analyze defense tactics, and provide feasible security solutions to help adopt appropriate defense strategies.
Online frame-based clustering with unknown number of clusters

This paper presents an online frame-based clustering algorithm (OFC) for unsupervised classification applications in which data are received in a streaming manner as time passes by with the number of clusters being unknown. This algorithm consists of a number of steps including density-based outlier removal, new cluster generation, and cluster update. It is designed for applications when data samples are received in an online manner in frames. Such frames are first passed through an outlier removal step to generate denoised frames with consistent data samples during transitions times between clusters. A classification step is then applied to find whether frames belong to any of existing clusters. When frames do not get matched to any of existing clusters and certain criteria are met, a new cluster is created in real time and in an on-the-fly manner by using support vector domain descriptors. Experiments involving four synthetic and two real datasets are conducted to show the performance of the introduced clustering algorithm in terms of cluster purity and normalized mutual information. Comparison results with similar clustering algorithms designed for streaming data are also reported exhibiting the effectiveness of the introduced online frame-based clustering algorithm. Online frame-based clustering algorithm without having any knowledge of number of clusters.For applications when samples of a class appear in streaming frames.Superior to existing algorithms applicable to online frame-based clustering.
Decay Scheme of Rb 83

We have re-examined the decay of ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{83}$, which is reported to decay by electron capture, with emission of a single $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray of 525 keV, to the 1.86-h isomer of ${\mathrm{Kr}}^{83}$. With the aid of a lithium-drifted germanium detector and with a high-resolution beta spectrometer we find that the 525-keV photopeak observed with NaI crystals is really a superposition of three $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays at 521 keV (46%), 530 keV (31%), and 553 keV (16%). An additional $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray was found at 790 keV with intensity of 0.9%. Various coincidence experiments showed that only the 521- and 530-keV transitions lead to the 1.86-h ${\mathrm{Kr}}^{83m}$. The 553- and 790-keV transitions lead to the 9.3-keV level of ${\mathrm{Kr}}^{83}$. Direct electron capture to this level has also been obsered with an intensity of 6%. The fraction of ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{83}$ disintegrations bypassing the isomeric state of ${\mathrm{Kr}}^{83}$ is 23%. The following new levels were assigned to ${\mathrm{Kr}}^{83}$: 562, 571, and 799 keV. The total disintegration energy of ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{83}$ was shown to be \ensuremath{\ge}825 keV.
DISTRIBUTION OF NAPHTHALENES WITHIN EXPOSED FUNDULUS SIMILUS AND CORRELATIONS WITH STRESS BEHAVIOR

ABSTRACT Fundulus similus was exposed to naphthalene via oral administration, and naphthalene plus alkylnaphthalenes in water. The distribution of these compounds within the organs and tissues of the fish was monitored with time. Turn-over times for these compounds were relatively rapid, particularly in the case of naphthalene administered orally. Accumulation within detoxification (liver) and storage (gall bladder) was expected, but accumulation and retention in the brain were higher than anticipated. Stress-produced behavioral abnormalities may correspond to the content of naphthalenes in the brain and other tissues of the nervous system.
Large Eddy Simulations of Persistent Aircraft Contrails

A three-dimensional large eddy simulation (LES) model has been used to study the development of persistent aircraft condensation trails (contrails) under a variety of atmospheric and initial conditions. The LES solves the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with a Boussinesq approximation for buoyancy forces. Contrail ice particles are modeled using a Lagrangian tracking approach, with water mass and heat exchange coupled between the vapor and solid phases. Three sets of simulations vary the atmospheric turbulence environment, initial aircraft wake flow field, and ambient humidity to investigate the sensitivity of contrail properties to these parameters. Higher levels of turbulence and vertical shear, larger aircraft, and higher ambient humidity are all found to increase the ice mass present in the contrail to some extent. Each of these parameters also affects the optical properties and area coverage of the resulting contrail. These simulations provide sensitivity data that are used to improve a model of aircraft exhaust plume dynamics implemented in a global scale climate model.
FURTHER PERSPECTIVES ON THE HAIDA GWAII GLACIAL REFUGIUM.

Byun et al. (1997) reported molecular evidence supporting a purported, long-term Pleistocene glacial refugium for black bears (Ursus americanus) located on or near the Haida Gwaii Archipelago (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia. They examined sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and uncovered two lineages, which differed by an average of 3.6%. The lineages were characterized as "coastal" (Washington to Haida Gwaii) and "continental" (Pennsylvania to central Alaska). The geographically restricted coastal lineage led them to conclude that "black bear persisted in the Hecate refugium and during early stages of deglaciation recolonized Haida Gwaii, the coastal mainland, Vancouver Island, and eventually the Olympic Peninsula" (Byun et al. 1997, p. 1651). In support of this hypothesis, they cited several lines of evidence for a coastal refugium (summarized in Scudder and Gessler 1989) and other recent molecular studies (Soltis et al. 1991; O'Reilly et al. 1993; Talbot and Shields 1996). Our commentary does not reject the possibility of a Haida Gwaii or Hecate refugium for U. arnericanus, but we argue that the conclusions reached by Byun et al. (1997) may be premature and an artifact of limited sampling of the coastal lineage. Wooding and Ward (1997) also reported two lineages (clade A = continental, lade B = coastal) of U. arnericanus based on sequence and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the mitochondrial control region. When results from both studies are combined with earlier studies (Cronin et al. 1991; Paetkau and Strobeck 1996), widespread north-south distributions for the continental and coastal lineages of U. americanus are observed, including areas of potential secondary contact. We present sequence variation from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for the American pine marten (Martes americana) and dusky shrew (Sorex monticolus) that may support an alternative biogeographic hypothesis. These mammals, like U. arnericanus, have extensive distributions (Fig. 1) associated with forested habitats in North America. Our analysis uncovered two distinctive lineages in both species that overlap the coastal and continental lineages of U. arnericanus. In light of phylogeographic work on other codistributed mammals (e.g., Cronin 1992; Hogan et al. 1993; Carr and Hicks 1997; Arbogast 1999), amphibians (Good 1989; Green et al. 1996), birds (Zink 1996), and plants (Soltis et al. 1997),
Criteria for Evaluating Ophthalmology Departments Based on the U.S. News & World Report Ranking System

Purpose To propose a methodology for ranking U.S. clinical ophthalmology programs which utilizes an existing framework of both objective structural (or resource) information and outcome data as well as subjective reputational scores currently used by U.S. News & World Report for most clinical specialties. Design Evidence-based manuscript. Topic The U.S. News & World Report annual “Best Hospital Rankings by Specialty” provides the public with information regarding the relative strengths of U.S. medical and surgical departments in providing care and treatments for patients with complex diseases. For most medical and surgical specialties, these rankings are determined by considering a combination of objective structural (or resource) information and outcome data along with subjective reputational scores. Clinical Relevance In ophthalmology, U.S. News & World Report annual rankings are currently generated only from subjective reputational scores submitted by a small number of voting ophthalmologists. No objective clinical or outcome data are considered. Literature Reviewed Methodology for determining “Best Hospital Rankings by Specialty” utilized by RTI International on behalf of U.S. News & World Report. Results The ranking system of U.S. departments of ophthalmology presently employed by U.S. News & World Report presents an incomplete picture of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the departments listed. Conclusion With the changes in health insurance that increasingly shift decision-making responsibility and cost to consumers, providing mechanisms to allow the public to make informed decisions is an emerging imperative for ophthalmology and other specialties. Revision of the current “reputation-only” ranking system used for ophthalmology to also include objective clinical and outcome data would benefit patients by providing more accurate and impartial information on which to base their eye care decisions.
Theme Poster Session: Medical Treatment

The Workshop participants reviewed and discussed the selected poster presentations on the theme of the medical treatment of urolithiasis. The submitted full manuscripts are included in this volume.
Constructing a Tourism CGE Model

Based on the review of previous studies and the background information of the economy as well as the tourism industry, it is clear that tourism demand and its inter-industry linkage are very important to a tourism CGE model. This chapter demonstrates how to incorporate tourism demand into a CGE model and how tourism demand is linked to various industries. CGE modelling was already introduced in Chap. 1. This chapter will discuss CGE models in more details, including functions and solutions, the TABLO codes, and the structure of nested functions.
BWR Control Rod Drift Analysis Capability in the U.S. NRC Core Simulator PATHS/PARCS

On November 3, 2008, an unexpected drift of the last three of 177 control rods occurred at the Dresden Unit 3 boiling water reactor. The root cause of the control rod drift was the manner in which ...
Facile Synthesis of Azetidine Nitrones and Diastereoselective Conversion into Densely Substituted Azetidines.

Discovery of an electrocyclization route to azetidine nitrones from N-alkenylnitrones has been shown to provide facile access to these unsaturated strained heterocycles. Reactivity studies have shown that these compounds undergo a variety of reduction, cycloaddition, and nucleophilic addition reactions to form highly-substituted azetidines with excellent diastereoselectivity. Taken together, these transformations provide a fundamentally different approach to azetidine synthesis than traditional cyclization by nucleophilic displacement and provide novel access to a variety of underexplored, strained heterocyclic compounds.
The BErkeley Atmospheric CO 2 Observation Network: field calibration and evaluation of low-cost air quality sensors

Abstract. The newest generation of air quality sensors is small, low cost, and easy to deploy. These sensors are an attractive option for developing dense observation networks in support of regulatory activities and scientific research. They are also of interest for use by individuals to characterize their home environment and for citizen science. However, these sensors are difficult to interpret. Although some have an approximately linear response to the target analyte, that response may vary with time, temperature, and/or humidity, and the cross-sensitivity to non-target analytes can be large enough to be confounding. Standard approaches to calibration that are sufficient to account for these variations require a quantity of equipment and labor that negates the attractiveness of the sensors' low cost. Here we describe a novel calibration strategy for a set of sensors, including CO, NO, NO 2 , and O 3 , that makes use of (1) multiple co-located sensors, (2) a priori knowledge about the chemistry of NO, NO 2 , and O 3 , (3) an estimate of mean emission factors for CO, and (4) the global background of CO. The strategy requires one or more well calibrated anchor points within the network domain, but it does not require direct calibration of any of the individual low-cost sensors. The procedure nonetheless accounts for temperature and drift, in both the sensitivity and zero offset. We demonstrate this calibration on a subset of the sensors comprising BEACO 2 N, a distributed network of approximately 50 sensor “nodes”, each measuring CO 2 , CO, NO, NO 2 , O 3 and particulate matter at 10 s time resolution and approximately 2 km spacing within the San Francisco Bay Area.
Optimal actuator design for minimizing the worst-case control energy

Abstract We consider the actuator design problem for linear systems. Specifically, we aim to identify an actuator which requires the least amount of control energy to drive the system from an arbitrary initial condition to the origin in the worst case. Said otherwise, we investigate the minimax problem of minimizing the control energy over the worst possible initial conditions. Recall that the least amount of control energy needed to drive a linear controllable system from any initial condition on the unit sphere to the origin is upper-bounded by the inverse of the smallest eigenvalue of the associated controllability Gramian, and moreover, the upper-bound is sharp. The minimax problem can be thus viewed as the optimization problem of minimizing the upper-bound via an actuator design. In spite of its simple and natural formulation, this problem is difficult to solve. In fact, properties such as the stability of the system matrix, which are not related to controllability, now play important roles. We focus in this paper on the special case where the system matrix is positive definite (and hence the system is completely unstable). Under this assumption, we are able to provide a complete solution to the optimal actuator design problem and highlight the difficulty in solving the general problem.
Quantitative analysis of the level of readability of online emergency radiology-based patient education resources

The vast amount of information found on the internet, combined with its accessibility, makes it a widely utilized resource for Americans to find information pertaining to medical information. The field of radiology is no exception. In this paper, we assess the readability level of websites pertaining specifically to emergency radiology. Using Google, 23 terms were searched, and the top 10 results were recorded. Each link was evaluated for its readability level using a set of ten reputable readability scales. The search terms included the following: abdominal ultrasound, abdominal aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, appendicitis, cord compression, CT abdomen, cholecystitis, CT chest, diverticulitis, ectopic pregnancy, epidural hematoma, dural venous thrombosis, head CT, MRI brain, MR angiography, MRI spine, ovarian torsion, pancreatitis, pelvic ultrasound, pneumoperitoneum, pulmonary embolism, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and subdural hematoma. Any content that was not written for patients was excluded. The 230 articles that were assessed were written, on average, at a 12.1 grade level. Only 2 of the 230 articles (1%) were written at the third to seventh grade recommended reading level set forth by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American Medical Association (AMA). Fifty-two percent of the 230 articles were written so as to require a minimum of a high school education (at least a 12th grade level). Additionally, 17 of the 230 articles (7.3%) were written at a level that exceeded an undergraduate education (at least a 16th grade level). The majority of websites with emergency radiology-related patient education materials are not adhering to the NIH and AMA’s recommended reading levels, and it is likely that the average reader is not benefiting fully from these information outlets. With the link between health literacy and poor health outcomes, it is important to address the online content in this area of radiology, allowing for patient to more fully benefit from their online searches.
Meta-Morisita Index: Anomaly Behaviour Detection for Large Scale Tracking Data with Spatio-Temporal Marks

In this paper, we propose a work flow for processing and analysing large-scale tracking data with spatio-temporal marks that uses an infrastructure for machine learning methods based on a meta-data representation of point patterns. The tracking log (IP address) of cyber security devices usually maps to geolocation and timestamp, such data is called spatiotemporal data. Existing spatio-temporal analysis methods do not include a specific mechanism for analysing meta-data (point pattern information) generated from large-scale tracking data with spatio-temporal marks. In this work, we extend a spatial point pattern analysis method (the Morisita Index) with metadata analysis, which includes anomaly behaviour detection and unsupervised learning to support spatio-temporal data analysis (on both physical and cyber data) and demonstrate its practical use. The resulting work flow has a robust capability to detect anomalies among large-scale tracking data with spatio-temporal marks using meta-data based on point pattern analysis and returns visualized reports to end users.
Outcomes of Laparoscopic Colectomy in Younger and Older Patients: An Analysis of Nationwide Readmission Database.

Abstract Background: Prior studies report safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic colectomy in older patients. The study aimed to examine the impact of laparoscopic colectomy on 30-day readmissions, discharge destination, hospital length of stay, and cost in younger (19–65 years) and older adults (>65 years). Materials and Methods: We used the nationwide readmission database from 2013 to study adults undergoing elective colectomy. The outcomes were 30-day readmissions, discharge destination for the index hospitalization (routine, skilled nursing facility [SNF]/intermediate care facility [ICF], home healthcare), length of stay, and cost. Multivariable analyses were conducted to determine the association of laparoscopic colectomy on outcome; logistic regression for 30-day readmission, multinomial logistic regression for discharge destination, and linear regression for length of stay and cost. An interaction between age and colectomy approach was included, and all models controlled gender, income, insurance...
Price Clustering and Investor Sentiment

Among the anomalous findings in the finance literature, perhaps the most persistent is the finding that security prices tend to cluster on round pricing increments. The author examines how investor...
Field of view of mapping catheters quantified by electrogram associations with radius of myocardial attenuation on contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography

Background Contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography (CE-CT) provides useful substrate characterization in patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT). Objective The purpose of this study was to describe the association between endocardial electrogram measurements and myocardial characteristics on CE-CT, in particular the field of view of electrogram features. Methods Fifteen patients with postinfarct VT who underwent catheter ablation with preprocedural CE-CT were included. Electroanatomic maps were registered to CE-CT, and myocardial attenuation surrounding each endocardial point was measured at a radius of 5, 10, and 15 mm. The association between endocardial voltage and attenuation was assessed using a multilevel random effects linear regression model, clustered by patient, with best model fit defined by highest log likelihood. Results A total of 4698 points were included. There was a significant association of bipolar and unipolar voltage with myocardial attenuation at all radii. For unipolar voltage, the best model fit was at an analysis radius of 15 mm regardless of the mapping catheter used. For bipolar voltage, the best model fit was at an analysis radius of 15 mm for points acquired with a conventional ablation catheter. In contrast, the best model fit for points acquired with a multipolar mapping catheter was at an analysis radius of 5 mm. Conclusion Myocardial attenuation on CE-CT indicates a smaller myocardial field of view of bipolar electrograms using multipolar catheters with smaller electrodes in comparison to standard ablation catheters despite similar interelectrode spacing. Smaller electrodes may provide improved spatial resolution for the definition of myocardial substrate for VT ablation.
Some internal friction studies in columbium

Carbon has been found to diffuse in columbium at a slightly more rapid rate than nitrogen. At 1 cps, that internal friction peak which arises from the stress-induced ordering of carbon in columbium is found at 268°C while the nitrogen peak occurs at 285°C. The diffusion coefficients are: D=0.0046 exp (—33,300/RT) for carbon in columbium and D=0.0072 exp (—34,800/RT) for nitrogen in columbium. The carbon peak in columbium is very unstable, the height declining rapidly with time in contrast to the nitrogen peak. The ratio of the height of the nitrogen peak to the concentration of nitrogen in solid solution (expressed in wt pct) was found to be 0.33, in good agreement with previous work. The internal friction in high purity columbium was found to be a sensitive function of the strain amplitude at which the damping was measured.
The Japanese Model of Professional Development: Teaching as Craft.

Abstract This paper focuses on Japanese teacher professional development strategies. They are driven by a peer-based model that encourages professional development through peer collaboration, planning, and management. I explore how the Japanese perspective of teaching as craft contributes to professional development primarily at the elementary level. Extensively developed inservice education in Japan offers a structure by which craft knowledge undergoes the process of creation, reformulation, and transmission promoted by peer teachers. But its disadvantage is that teacher development is enhanced within the framework of the culture of teaching. Further, universities’ contribution to teacher development is quite limited.
Research: Anxiety-Related Behavior

In presenting our theoretical model of approach and withdrawal in Chapter 10, we suggested that attempts to reduce perceived discrepancies can be interrupted by conditions that appear to impede behavior. Subsequent action then is determined by the result of an outcome assessment process. Sometimes this interruption occurs because of a disjunction between the behavioral attempt and the environment—a frustration caused by characteristics of the task, of oneself, or one’s setting. This was the case in the research discussed in Chapter 11. But another stimulus that can act to interrupt behavior is fear (cf. Simon, 1967). Rising fear commands attention. It can make people stop what they are doing and consider—even if only for a brief instant—whether they are capable of doing what they are attempting to do.
Linkage of IL-6 with neutrophil chemoattractant expression in virus-induced ocular inflammation.

Purpose Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 infection of the murine cornea is known to stimulate a vigorous interleukin (IL)-6 response, but whether this pleiotropic cytokine is an essential participant in corneal inflammation is unclear. This study was designed to compare the early inflammatory response in IL-6 gene-deficient mice to that in wild-type hosts. Methods Gene knockout and wild-type mice (C57BL/6 background) were infected intracorneally with HSV-1 (strain RE) and observed through clinical examination and immunohistochemistry for the development of corneal opacity. Virus corneal titers were determined by standard plaque assay on Vero cells. Cytokine and chemokine levels in corneal lysates were measured with commercial ELISA kits. Results Corneal opacity in IL-6(-/-) mice was substantially diminished in comparison with IL-6(+/+) hosts 24 to 48 hours after intracorneal viral infection, and corneal levels of (MIP)-2 and MIP-1alpha were significantly reduced. Local administration of IL-6 at the time of infection restored corneal opacity and chemokine levels to that of wild-type hosts. Antibody neutralization of endogenous IL-6 in IL-6(+/+) animals reduced corneal opacity scores and MIP-2 levels to that of IL-6(-/-) mice. Ex vivo studies with excised corneal buttons revealed that uninfected IL-6(-/-) corneas injected with IL-6 produced MIP-2 and MIP-1alpha at levels comparable to that seen in IL-6(+/+) hosts. Conclusions Collectively, these results suggest that IL-6 promotes corneal inflammation by acting in an autocrine-paracrine fashion to induce resident corneal cells to make MIP-2 and MIP-1alpha, which in turn recruit neutrophils to the virus infection site.
Abortion history and its association with current use of modern contraceptive methods in Luanda, Angola.

Author(s): Morris, Natalie; Prata, Ndola | Abstract: BackgroundWomen in sub-Saharan Africa often use abortion as a method of limiting their fertility and spacing births. However, it is not well understood whether having an abortion influences contraceptive behavior. The goal of this study was to examine associations between abortion history and use of a modern contraceptive method among women in Luanda, Angola.Materials and methodsWe analyzed data on 1,176 women aged 15-49 years from a 2012 cross-sectional study conducted in Luanda, Angola, which aimed to obtain general information on sexual and reproductive health indicators. The outcome and exposure were based on participant reports of past induced abortions and current use of a modern method. We used a modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors to estimate the relative risks of using a modern contraceptive method, given history of induced abortion.ResultsAmong all respondents, 736 (62.6%) reported using a modern contraceptive method. The clear majority of the respondents (73.21%), regardless of abortion history, were using either no method, a traditional method, or condoms. Long-acting reversible contraceptive use was very low across all respondents (2.73%). The most common family planning method reported by women with a history of abortion was condoms (32.76%). Regression analysis demonstrated that women who had a history of abortion were 1.23 times more likely to use a modern contraceptive method as compared to those who never had an abortion (relative risk: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.10-1.36), after adjusting for potential confounders. Postregression estimations of predicted probabilities demonstrated that women with a history of abortion had an 80% probability of using a modern method (95% CI: 0.76-0.84), while those who never had an abortion had a 60% probability of using a modern method (95% CI: 0.59-0.61).ConclusionHistory of induced abortion was associated with use of a modern contraceptive method in our study population. The most common contraceptive used by women with a history of induced abortion was condoms, indicating that despite adoption of a modern method, many women are still at risk for an unintended pregnancy. Further research is needed to understand the causal factors underlying women's postabortion contraceptive choices.
Correction to: Triadic Interactions in MIECHV: Relations to Home Visit Quality

The article “Triadic interactions in MIECHV: Relations to home visit quality”, written by Carla A. Peterson, Kere Hughes-Belding, Neil Rowe, Liuran Fan, Melissa Walter, Leslie Dooley, Wen Wang and Chloe Steffensmeier, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 12 June 2018 without open access. With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed on 9 July 2018 to © The Author(s) 2018 and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits use, duplication, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.
Youth Participatory Action Research, Trauma, and the Arts: Designing Youthspaces for Equity and Healing.

AbstractComing of age in an urban setting presents both opportunities and challenges for development and learning. In this paper, I illustrate the importance of understanding the ways in which marg...
A geophysical study of the Castle Mountain Fault, southcentral Alaska

Abstract The Castle Mountain Fault (CMF) lies less than 50 km from Alaska's most populous city of Anchorage and represents an important seismic hazard to the Anchorage-Matanuska-Susitna Valley region in southcentral Alaska. The character of seismicity varies along the CMF. Although the western CMF (between 149.5° and 151° W) shows evidence for Late Pleistocene or Holocene reverse and dextral movement, it has been seismically quiet over the past ~50 years of local seismic network operation. In contrast, the CMF east of 149.5° W is associated with considerable background seismicity, including the Mw 5.81984 strike-slip Sutton earthquake. We have used gravity and magnetic data, constrained with results of previous seismic reflection and seismic tomography studies, to model subsurface structure of the CMF in an effort to determine what may control the variation in its seismic behavior. Our models are consistent with a component of high angle reverse faulting (northwest side up, dip~85°to 87°) that appears to have vertically offset Late Mesozoic rocks 2000 to 2500 m. Lack of data coverage precludes an estimate of its total strike-slip motion. Holocene movement on the CMF appears to be associated with a region where both sides of the fault consist of sedimentary rocks as defined by a gravity and magnetic low. If most of the vertical offset has occurred since the Miocene in response to collision of the Yakutat microplate with North America, then our results are comparable to recent thermochronological and paleoseismic estimates of vertical slip rates. Subduction of the edge of the Yakutat microplate appears to spatially influence seismic behavior along the CMF while the occurrence of the 1964 Great Alaska earthquake has also temporally affected local seismicity.
Recalibration of capital controls: Evidence from the IMF taxonomy

Abstract In this paper we provide empirical evidence on the factors that motivate policymakers to recalibrate capital flow management measures (CFMs). We document that the likelihood of recalibration varies significantly over time, which suggests a duration model framework to empirically characterize the probability of recalibration. We draw on a new high-frequency dataset on CFMs from the IMF’s Taxonomy of Capital Flow Management Measures to analyze how CFMs were adjusted to address capital flow and related economic and financial developments at business cycle frequency. Analyzing 44 advanced and emerging economies that recalibrated CFMs between 2008 and 2019, we find that domestic overheating and capital flow management were key rationales for tightening controls on net inflows, while financial stability and exchange rate objectives were important for tightening measures on net outflows. Countries with non-IT monetary frameworks and non-flexible exchange rate regimes had a higher hazard rate of recalibrating CFMs, consistent with the lack of independent stabilization policies and the limited ability of the exchange rate to act as an effective shock absorber.