cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Urinoma of the Fallopian Tube in Virilizing Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia typically are born with a common urogenital sinus, labial fusion, and clitoromegaly. ~ The common urogenital sinus allows for the reflux or pooling of urine into the vagina, and has been reported to predispose to urinary tract infection.: We describe an infant with congenital adrenal hyperplasia who developed urinary reflux into the vagina and the miillerian ducts, leading to massive dilation of one of the fallopian tubes. CASE REPORT
Body temperature distributions of active diurnal lizards in three deserts: Skewed up or skewed down?

Summary 1.The performance of ectotherms integrated over time depends in part on the position and shape of the distribution of body temperatures (Tb) experienced during activity. For several complementary reasons, physiological ecologists have long expected that Tb distributions during activity should have a long left tail (left-skewed); but only infrequently have they quantified the magnitude and direction of Tb skewness in nature. 2.To evaluate whether left-skewed Tb distributions are general for diurnal desert lizards, we compiled and analyzed Tb (∑ = 9,023 temperatures) from our own prior studies of active desert lizards on three continents (25 species in Western Australia, 10 in the Kalahari Desert of Africa, and 10 species in western North America). We gathered these data over several decades, using standardized techniques. 3.Many species showed significantly left-skewed Tb distributions, even when records were restricted to summer months. However, magnitudes of skewness were always small, such that mean Tb were never more than 1°C lower than median Tb. The significance of Tb skewness was sensitive to sample size, and power tests reinforced this sensitivity. 4.The magnitude of skewness was not obviously related to phylogeny, desert, body size, or median body temperature. Moreover, formal phylogenetic analysis is inappropriate because geography and phylogeny are confounded (that is, are highly collinear). 5.Skewness might be limited if lizards pre-warm inside retreats before emerging in the morning, emerge only when operative temperatures are high enough to speed warming to activity Tb, or if cold lizards are especially wary and difficult to spot or catch. Telemetry studies may help evaluate these possibilities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
When Guidelines Conflict: A Case Study of Mammography Screening Initiation in the 1990s.

Abstract Background Cancer screening guidelines communicate important information to patients and physicians regarding the costs and benefits of screening. Currently, guideline recommendations from major organizations conflict regarding the age of mammography screening initiation. To understand current and future U.S. mammography screening patterns we study age–mammography patterns from the 1990s, another period of conflicting guideline recommendations. Methods We examine mammography use rates by single year of age to understand compliance with guideline-recommended initiation ages in the 1990s. Mammography test use data was taken primarily from the 1991 to 2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The analytic sample included all women 35 to 54 years of age. Results We found a discrete 8.7-percentage point increase in mammography use precisely at age 40 and a much smaller 1.6-percentage point increase in mammography use at age 50. These findings varied by insurance status, with the insured experiencing a large, discrete increase primarily at age 40 and the uninsured experiencing notable discrete increases at ages 40 and 50. Conclusion Physicians and patients converged primarily on the age 40 mammography screening threshold during the 1990s. Prices, along with guidelines, were key determinants of the age of screening initiation, with the insured responding to age 40 coverage and cost-sharing reductions and the uninsured affected by guidelines and public funding tied to the age 50 threshold. The policy factors underlying these results, recent ACA coverage increases, and ACA cost-sharing requirements imply that a substantial number of women will continue to receive mammography screening in their 40s.
Local Tumor Bed Recurrence Following Partial Nephrectomy in Patients with Small Renal Masses

Purpose: We examined the incidence, characteristics and treatment of patients with tumor bed recurrence after partial nephrectomy.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 2,256 patients with sporadic small renal masses treated with partial nephrectomy between 2000 and 2014. Local tumor bed recurrence was strictly defined as detection of a new enhancing lesion 1) specifically in the surgical defect or 2) in the same region (eg lower pole) as the partial nephrectomy site. To determine differences in multiple characteristics 44 patients (1.9%) with local recurrence were compared to 163 randomly selected patients who underwent partial nephrectomy with no recurrence.Results: Patients with local tumor bed recurrence were more likely to have a solitary kidney (27% vs 4%, p <0.01) and bilateral disease at presentation (23% vs 10.4%, p = 0.02) compared to the group with no recurrence. Positive margins were found in 15.9% of local tumor bed recurrences compared to 3% of the control group (p ...
Toward Multimodal Inquiry: Opportunities, Challenges and Implications of Multimodality for Research and Scholarship.

In this article, we suggest that we are witnessing a challenge to the hegemony of text-based knowledge in academic scholarship, brought about by newly available modes of expression, and a cultural ...
The role of hierarchical design and morphology in the mechanical response of diatom-inspired structures via simulation.

Diatoms are microscopic algae with intricate shell morphologies and features ranging from the nanometer to the micrometer scale, which have been proposed as templates for drug delivery carriers, optical devices, and metamaterials design. Several studies have found that diatom shells show unique mechanical properties such as high specific strength and resilience. One hypothesis is that these properties stem from the structural arrangement of the material at the nanometer and micrometer length scales, challenging the concept between what constitutes a “material” versus a “structure”. In this work, we have conducted a systematic simulation-prototyping study to shed light on the mechanics of diatom-inspired hierarchical microstructures. The Finite Element Method (FEM) was used to replicate three-dimensional diatom shells under compressive forces. The intricate hierarchical shell structure of the Coscinodiscus sp. diatom frustule observed in nature was reproduced in detail. Simulation parameters were selected to reproduce compression experiments, with a force distributed on the surface of the diatom shell. A frustule diameter of 50 μm was used with pore diameters ranging from 0.25 to 1.2 μm across different layers. A “unit cell” FEM model was also created to focus on the basic structural element of a diatom frustule. Both of these models were used to elucidate the relation between morphology and mechanical response. Additionally, select designs were prototyped using 3D Direct Laser Writing (DLW) lithography to evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing diatom-inspired devices at the micro-scale. Distinct correlations between pore size in each frustule layer, or pore shape in the basal layers, and the mechanical response of the diatom shell were established in this study. The 3D-DLW prototypes exhibit a similar level of intricate morphological traits observed in real diatoms, opening the possibility of a simulation-based process for the design and fabrication of diatom-inspired microdevices. This research helps explain how morphology features are central to the mechanical performance of hierarchically arranged structures and biomaterials in general, and it represents a step toward the manufacture of emerging metamaterials and microarchitectures.
Sustainability of a nurse-driven early progressive mobility protocol and patient clinical and psychological health outcomes in a neurological intensive care unit

Abstract Objectives To determine sustainable impact of an early progressive mobility protocol on mobility level and clinical outcomes. Design/Methods Prospective, longitudinal, comparative study using three time points (pre-, immediate post-intervention and 12-month post-intervention sustainability). Analyses included comparative statistics and multivariable modelling. Data were collected by clinical nurses, from administrative databases. Psychological health data were collected using a valid, reliable tool. Setting Patients treated in a 22-bed Neurological Intensive Care Unit of a quaternary-care medical centre. Outcome measures Highest mobility level, length of stay, mortality, discharge disposition, quality metrics and psychological profile including depression, anxiety, and hostility. Results Amongst 260 pre-intervention, 377 post-implementation, and 480 twelve-month post-implementation patients (N = 1117) walking increased post-implementation and was sustained at the eight-month assessment, p Conclusion Ongoing implementation of an early mobility programme in a neurological intensive care environment led to sustained improvement in patients’ level of mobility, length of unit and hospital stay, depression, anxiety and hostility levels.
Discussion: Progress in Philosophy

Is there such a thing as progress in philosophy? Nowadays, some even question if there is progress in science, and strong doubts have been expressed by Feyerabend and others. However, most of us have thought that, at least in some sense, the continual accumulation of facts and the continual reevaluation of theories in the natural and social sciences constitutes progress.
MSCT of the Stomach

Multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) is frequently employed for imaging the stomach and perigastric vasculature. The benefits of this modality include short acquisition times, enhanced temporal and spatial resolution, longer anatomic coverage, and reduced image artifacts. Thin-slice collimation protocols are implemented to acquire isotropic volume data allowing superior multiplanar reformation (MPR) and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of gastric images. Additionally, protocol optimization enables accurate detection of complex gastric and extragastric pathology on multi-phase imaging. This chapter will discuss CT technique and review clinicopathological and radiological characterization of benign and malignant gastric masses, as well as inflammatory gastric conditions. MSCT is a valuable tool for detection, staging, surveillance, and post-treatment evaluation of gastric disease.
Practical Physical Chemistry and Empirical Predictions of Methane Hydrate Stability

Accurate and precise prediction of the temperature and pressure (P-T) conditions at the boundary of the methane hydrate stability field is an essential component of a variety of endeavors in the field of geochemistry. Kvenvolden (1988), Gornitz and Fung (1994) and others have used knowledge of the P-T stability conditions to define the geophysical limits of gas hydrates and thereby estimate the size of the global reservoir. As the thermal signature of global warming penetrates into the ocean (Levitus et al., 2000), precise knowledge of the stability of gas hydrates will be required to assess the risks of decomposition in this reservoir. Recently, Ruppel (1997) has suggested that a discrepancy exists between in situ temperature measurements on the Blake Ridge and the predicted base of the hydrate stability zone. This claim is based in part upon P-T predictions of gas hydrate stability. In our own research, we have conducted a series of in situ deep-sea gas hydrate synthesis experiments (Brewer, et al., 1998) and have begun using an ROV to prospect for gas hydrate out-crops and undersea gas vents, which potentially result from decomposing gas hydrate deposits. One of the goals of this field work is to explore for gas hydrates close to the limit of the stability zone and this creates the need for accurate and precise predictions. Given the small temperature gradients with depth in the deep-sea, an error of 0.5°C, could mean a depth error of more than 100 meters. With a shallow sloping bottom (1% grade), one could easily be ten kilometers or more off target if the wrong temperature is used.
Combination of flow injection with capillary electrophoresis: Part 4. Automated multicomponent monitoring of drug dissolution

Abstract The combined flow injection–capillary electrophoresis (FI–CE) system, described previously in this series, was used in connection with a drug dissolution testing system to automatically monitor the dissolution process of multicomponents. Samples from the dissolution medium were withdrawn at fixed intervals through an on-line membrane filter to load the sample loop of an injection valve, from which 25 μl samples were injected into a carrier buffer and transported into a split–flow interface coupling the FI and CE systems. Trimethoprim (TMP) and sulphamethoxazole (SMZ), the two active components in a sulphatrim tablet formulation dissolved in 0.1 mol l−1 HCl, were introduced into a short silica separation capillary of 14.5 cm effective length by electrokinetic means, separated at a constant voltage of 1.0 kV by capillary zone electrophoresis, using a phosphate running buffer (pH 6.5), and the separated constituents recorded continuously, using an UV detector at 224 nm. The signals were recorded within a testing period of 65 min. By partially overlapping the separation zones of neighboring samples, a high sample throughput of 60 h−1 was achieved with single-vessel dissolution and 48 (24 duplicates) h−1 with dual-vessel dissolution. The reproducibility of the FI–CE system, obtained using TMP and SMZ standards within the testing period was 1.6 and 0.8% relative standard deviation (RSD) with peak height evaluation, and 2.0 and 1.1% RSD (n=72), respectively, for peak area. Good agreement of results was obtained between those using the reported method and a standard liquid chromatography method.
Mother–Child Agreement on Reports of Internalizing Symptoms Among Children Referred for Evaluation of ADHD

The effects of maternal (bias), child (age, severity of behavior problems), and measurement characteristics (similarity of parent and child measures; types of internalizing symptoms) on mother–child agreement on reports of children's internalizing symptoms were examined for 65 children referred for evaluation of ADHD. Agreement was low and did not improve when parents and children completed parallel measures. Mothers and children were more likely to agree on severity of internalizing symptoms rated as behavioral than those rated as ideational. The majority of discordant reports were of the type that mothers, but not children, reported clinically elevated symptoms. This type of discordance appeared to be a function of maternal negative bias rather than underreporting of symptoms by children.
Self-preservation should be humankind’s first ethical priority and therefore rapid space settlement is necessary

Abstract Human survival is currently threatened by many existential risks. Because humankind is the only known species capable of complex morality, if humankind went extinct, morality would die with us. Given that the existence of humankind is a precondition for morality, therefore the first principle of morality should be, as Hans Jonas noted, that humankind must exist. Compared to ensuring human survival, all other moral values and actions are secondary. While protecting human life on Earth is the obvious choice for human survival, as long as humanity is in only one place, it will never be completely safe. Because space settlement gives humankind the opportunity to significantly raise the chances of survival for our species, it is therefore a moral imperative to settle space as quickly as possible.
Avoiding "day-zero": a testbed for evaluating integrated food-energy-water management in Cape Town, South Africa

Deep connections between water resources and food and energy production---the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus---complicate the challenge of sustainably managing an uncertain water supply. We present an agent-based model as a testbed for studying different approaches to managing the FEW nexus and apply the model to the 2017--2018 water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa. We treat the FEW nexus connecting municipal water use by urban residents, agricultural water use by vineyards, and hydroelectric generation from reservoirs. We compare two scenarios for responding to drought: business-as-usual (BAU), and holistic-adaptive management (HAM), where BAU takes no action until the monthly supply is insufficient to meet demand, whereas HAM takes action by raising water tariffs when the reservoir storage level drops below its pre-drought monthly average. Simulation results suggest that holistic-adaptive management can alleviate the impact of drought on agricultural production, hydropower generation, and the availability of water for residential consumption.
Should Bilateral Varicocele Repair Be Recommended in Cases of a Clinical Varicocele and Contralateral Subclinical Varicocele

Varicocele is a common clinical entity encountered by many physicians, especially those who see infertile patients regularly. Many times, during an infertility evaluation, a practitioner discovers a subclinical varicocele, that is, a varicocele that appears on imaging, but is not clinically noticeable. Such a varicocele presents a therapeutic dilemma; while the criteria for operating on patients with a clinical varicocele is well established, the role of subclinical varicocele is less well defined. It is not currently recommended to operate on patients with subclinical varicocele in isolation, but many practitioners wonder about surgical repair when patients present with both clinical and subclinical varicoceles, as they are already undergoing an anesthetic and may desire an operation on both varicoceles.
Sensitive quantitation of low level free polysaccharide in conjugate vaccines by size exclusion chromatography-reverse phase liquid chromatography with UV detection

The level of free polysaccharide is a critical quality attribute of polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines. The work presented describes a simple and sensitive method for the determination of low level free polysaccharides in multiple polysaccharide-protein conjugates. The method utilizes a reverse phase (RP) column to perform a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) separation of free polysaccharide and a reverse phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) separation of free protein and protein-polysaccharide conjugate. The use of phosphate buffer in the mobile phase enables the universal and sensitive detection of low level free polysaccharides at UV 200 nm. The method has been validated to monitor low level free polysaccharide (<1 %) in multiple polysaccharide-protein conjugates. The limit of quantitation is 2 μg/ml or 0.3 % free polysaccharide in 0.6 mg/ml polysaccharide-protein conjugate. The accuracy is in the range of 94.1.0-108.5 %.
Oral Lichen Planus-Associated Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Associated With Improved Survival and Increased Risk of Recurrence.

Purpose We investigated the overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival among patients with oral lichen planus-associated oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OLP-OCSCC). The secondary objective was to assess the annual risk of tumor recurrence or second primary tumor (SPT). Materials and Methods A comparative retrospective study was performed of patients with OLP-OCSCC presenting between June 2007 and December 2018 to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Michigan Medicine (Ann Arbor, MI) and patients with OCSCC in the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1973 to 2015). Results A total of 87 patients with OLP-OCSCC met the inclusion criteria, and 55,165 patients with OCSCC from the SEER database were included. The proportion of women was greater in the OLP group than in the SEER group (56.3 vs 38.0%; P Conclusions OLP-OCSCC frequently affects women, nonsmokers, and nondrinkers and presents with localized disease at a high frequency. Patients with OLP-OCSCC have increased OS and DSS and a greater risk of tumor recurrence or SPT compared with OCSCC in the general population. Lifelong, frequent surveillance is recommended for patients with OLP-OCSCC owing to the risk of late recurrence. Future studies are needed to understand the pathophysiology of OLP-OCSCC.
Pulse Oximetry for Monitoring Patients with COVID-19 at Home: Potential Pitfalls and Practical Guidance.

During the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, reports in social media and the lay press indicate that a subset of patients are presenting with severe hypoxemia in the absence of dyspnea, a problem unofficially referred to as "silent hypoxemia." To decrease the risk of complications in such patients, one proposed solution has been to have those diagnosed with COVID-19 but not sick enough to warrant admission monitor their arterial oxygenation by pulse oximetry at home and present for care when they show evidence of hypoxemia. Though the ease of use and low cost of pulse oximetry makes this an attractive option for identifying problems at an early stage, there are important considerations with pulse oximetry about which patients and providers may not be aware that can interfere with successful implementation of such monitoring programs. Only a few independent studies have examined the performance of pocket oximeters and smart phone-based systems, but the limited available data raise questions about their accuracy, particularly as saturation falls below 90%. There are also multiple sources of error in pulse oximetry that must be accounted for, including rapid fluctuations in measurements when the arterial oxygen pressure/tension falls on the steep portion of the dissociation curve, data acquisition problems when pulsatile blood flow is diminished, accuracy in the setting of severe hypoxemia, dyshemoglobinemias, and other problems. Recognition of these issues and careful counseling of patients about the proper means for measuring their oxygen saturation and when to seek assistance can help ensure successful implementation of needed monitoring programs.
Mapping fatal police violence across U.S. metropolitan areas: Overall rates and racial/ethnic inequities, 2013-2017

Background & methods Recent social movements have highlighted fatal police violence as an enduring public health problem in the United States. To solve it, the public requires basic information, such as understanding where rates of fatal police violence are particularly high, and for which groups. Existing mapping efforts, though critically important, often use inappropriate statistical methods and can produce misleading, unstable rates when denominators are small. To fill this gap, we use inverse-variance-weighted multilevel models to estimate overall and race-stratified rates of fatal police violence for all Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the U.S. (2013–2017), as well as racial inequities in these rates. We analyzed the most recent, reliable data from Fatal Encounters, a citizen science initiative that aggregates and verifies media reports. Results Rates of police-related fatalities varied dramatically, with the deadliest MSAs exhibiting rates nine times those of the least deadly. Overall rates in Southwestern MSAs were highest, with lower rates in the northern Midwest and Northeast. Yet this pattern was reversed for Black-White inequities, with Northeast and Midwest MSAs exhibiting the highest inequities nationwide. Our main results excluded deaths that could be considered accidents (e.g., vehicular collisions), but sensitivity analyses demonstrated that doing so may underestimate the rate of fatal police violence in some MSAs by 60%. Black-White and Latinx-White inequities were slightly underestimated nationally by excluding reportedly ‘accidental’ deaths, but MSA-specific inequities were sometimes severely under- or over-estimated. Conclusions Preventing fatal police violence in different areas of the country will likely require unique solutions. Estimates of the severity of these problems (overall rates, racial inequities, specific causes of death) in any given MSA are quite sensitive to which types of deaths are analyzed, and whether race and cause of death are attributed correctly. Monitoring and mapping these rates using appropriate methods is critical for government accountability and successful prevention.
Black Education in the US: Telling/Understanding Chavone’s Story with Integrity and Strength

“Reality is known when based in the historical roots of Black feminist thought, embodying a distinguishable difference in cultural standpoint, located in the intersection/overlap of the culturally constructed socializations of race, gender, and other identities and the historical and contemporary contexts of oppressions and resistance for African-American women” Cynthia Dillard (2000) definition of endarkend feminist epistemology.
Driver stopping behavior at stop-controlled intersections with sightline limitations:

Though drivers approaching a stop-sign-controlled intersection are legally required to stop at the limit line if one is present, it is well established that many drivers fail to do so. At many inte...
Influence of Ammonia and Relative Humidity on the Formation and Composition of Secondary Brown Carbon from Oxidation of 1-Methylnaphthalene and Longifolene

Improved understanding of the optical properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles is needed to better predict their climate impacts. Here, SOA was produced by reacting 1-methylnaphthale...
Amygdalar Activation as a Neurobiological Marker of Differential Sensitivity in the Effects of Family Rearing Experiences on Socioemotional Adjustment in Youths

Abstract Background Substantial heterogeneity exists in how rearing environments influence youths’ socioemotional outcomes. This heterogeneity, as suggested by the biological sensitivity to context theory and the differential susceptibility theory, is associated with emotional reactivity patterns and underlying neural functions. The present study investigated amygdalar reactivity to emotional stimuli as a neural signature that amplified the influence of rearing environments on youths’ socioemotional outcomes. Methods To increase replicability and generalizability, this investigation included two independent studies that methodologically complemented each other. Study 1 employed a large, national, longitudinal dataset (the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study; N = 11,875). Study 2 used a community sample of youths (N = 123) with multimethod and multireporter assessments. Results In study 1, high left amygdalar reactivity to positive stimuli significantly amplified the impact of parental warmth on youths’ prosocial behaviors. In study 2, left and right amygdalar reactivity to positive stimuli significantly intensified the associations between family functioning and youths’ internalizing problems. These findings were consistent with the biological sensitivity to context theory/differential susceptibility theory hypothesis because significant socioemotional differences were observed at both negative and positive extremes of rearing environments. Additionally, study 2 partially supported the diathesis–stress hypothesis by showing significant differences in youths’ vulnerability to negative family environments. Specifically, left amygdalar response to negative stimuli exacerbated the associations between unbalanced family functioning and heightened internalizing/externalizing symptoms. Left amygdalar reactivity to positive stimuli intensified the link between unbalanced family functioning and elevated externalizing problems. Conclusions Among youths and adolescents, amygdalar emotional reactivity may serve as a biomarker of differential sensitivity to rearing environments.
Summer warmth of the past six interglacials on Greenland

The relative warmth of mid-to-late Pleistocene interglacials on Greenland has remained unknown, leading to debates about the regional climate forcing that caused past retreat of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). We analyze the hydrogen isotopic composition of terrestrial biomarkers in Labrador Sea sediments through interglacials of the past 600,000 y to infer millennial-scale summer warmth on southern Greenland. Here, we reconstruct exceptionally warm summers in Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e, concurrent with strong Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. In contrast, "superinterglacial" MIS11 demonstrated only moderate warmth, sustained throughout a prolonged interval of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. Strong inferred GrIS retreat during MIS11 relative to MIS5e suggests an indirect relationship between maximum summer temperature and cumulative interglacial mass loss, indicating strong GrIS sensitivity to duration of regional warmth and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.
What motivates your environmentally sustainable stay? Exploration of the underlying mechanism of consumers’ intentions to use green peer-to-peer accommodations

To understand the mechanism underlying consumers’ intentions for engagement in environmentally equipped peer-to-peer accommodations (green P2P accommodations), this study develops a rigorous framew...
Age and growth of early-life-stage Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) from the northcentral Gulf of Mexico.

Age and growth of early-life-stage Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus collected from Mississippi coastal waters in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are described using otolith microstructure analysis. Tarpon leptocephali (n = 95, 16.0-27.8 mm standard length, LS ) collected from June throughOctober 2013-2018, ranged in age from 22 to 43 days (mean = 30.9 ± 0.5 days). Leptocephalus somatic growth rates ranged 0.46-1.24 mm day-1 (mean = 0.76 ± 0.02 mm day-1 ), and leptocephalus otolith growth rates ranged 1.78-3.97 μm day-1 (mean = 2.58 ± 0.04 μm day-1 ). Growth rates were inversely correlated to leptocephalus age, indicating the shrinkage phase associated with leptocephalus metamorphosis. Juvenile tarpon (n = 358, 50-359 mm fork length, LF ) were collected from August through December 2007-2018. Juveniles exhibited a positive allometric relationship (adjusted R2 = 0.99, P < 0.001) between length and mass. The age of 100 juveniles (71-277 mm LF ) ranged from 76 to 174 days. Juvenile growth rate was estimated as 1.56 ± 0.11 mm day-1 . Significant (P < 0.001) linear relationships were found between juvenile age and otolith metrics, including otolith mass (R2 = 0.81) and radius (R2 = 0.68). Evaluation of the backcalculated hatch dates suggests that specimens in the collection hatched from late May through mid-September with slight peaks during July and August. A Rao's Spacing Test of Uniformity indicates the presence of significant lunar periodicity in leptocephalus hatch dates (n = 95, U = 250.1, P < 0.05), with 50% of the leptocephali hatched within 5 days (before or after) of the full moon. This study fills critical gaps in the scientific knowledge of tarpon and provides estimates of early-life-history metrics for an iconic game fish at the northernmost extent of its GOM range.
Tuning the performance of magnetoelectric layered cylindrical composites

This paper aims to report an enhanced mechanistic analytical model to account for the geometry of a concentric cylinder structure, the effect of an elastic bonding layer, and mechanical boundary co...
In weed we trust: Embodied everyday resistance

Abstract Grounded in multimodality, this study explores how t-shirt inscriptions prevalent among students are used to challenge institutional rules prohibiting the consumption of cannabis on college campuses. Findings from a qualitative study involving the purposive sampling of college students’ t-shirt inscriptions indicate that these serve as a space where text and images related to different genres are repurposed to produce new meanings. This is achieved using two tropes—1) the truth-value of scientific evidence as irrefutable and 2) American national symbols of freedom and patriotism—to discursively construct the illegality of cannabis-smoking as part of the broader social relations of inequality.
Robust Routing Using Electrical Flows

Generating alternative routes in road networks is an application of significant interest for online navigation systems. A high quality set of diverse alternate routes offers two functionalities - a) support multiple (unknown) preferences that the user may have; and b) robust to changes in network conditions. We address the latter in this paper. The main techniques that produce alternative routes in road networks are the penalty and the plateau methods, with the former providing high quality results but being too slow for practical use and the latter being fast but suffering in terms of quality. In this work we propose a novel method to produce alternative routes that is fundamentally different from the aforementioned approaches. Our algorithm borrows concepts from electrical flows and their decompositions. We evaluate our method against the penalty and plateau methods, showing that it is as fast as the plateau method while also recovering much of the headroom towards the quality of the penalty method. The metrics we use to evaluate performance include the stretch (the average cost of the routes), the diversity, and the robustness (the connectivity between the origin and destination) of the induced set of routes.
Optimal Medical Therapy Following Deep Venous Interventions: Proceedings from the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation Research Consensus Panel.

Abstract The optimal medical management of patients following endovascular deep venous interventions remains ill-defined. As such, the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation (SIRF) convened a multidisciplinary group of experts in a virtual Research Consensus Panel (RCP) to develop a prioritized research agenda regarding antithrombotic therapy following deep venous interventions. The panelists presented the gaps in knowledge followed by discussion and ranking of research priorities based on clinical relevance, overall impact, and technical feasibility. The following research topics were identified as high priority: 1) characterization of biological processes leading to in-stent stenosis/rethrombosis; 2) identification and validation of methods to assess venous flow dynamics and their effect on stent failure; 3) elucidation of the role of inflammation and anti-inflammatory therapies; and 4) clinical studies to compare antithrombotic strategies and improve venous outcome assessment. Collaborative, multicenter research is necessary to answer these questions and thereby enhance the care of patients with venous disease.
The Impact of Provider Gender and Experience on the Quality Of Care Provided For Women With Urinary Incontinence.

BACKGROUND Although specialists are skilled in the management of urinary incontinence, primary care clinicians are integral in early diagnosis and initiation of management in order to decrease overuse of specialty care and improve the quality of specialist visits. We measured the quality of incontinence care provided by primary care clinicians before referral to a specialist and evaluated the impact of provider variables on quality of care. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of 200 women referred for urinary incontinence to a Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery specialist between March 2017-July 2018. We measured primary care adherence to twelve quality indicators in the twelve-months prior to specialist consultation. We stratified adherence to quality indicators by clinician gender and years of experience. RESULTS Half of women with incontinence underwent a pelvic exam or had a urinalysis ordered. Few patients with urge urinary incontinence were recommended behavioral therapy (14%) or prescribed medication (8%). When total aggregate scores were compared, female clinicians performed the recommended care 47 +/- 25% of the time compared to 35 +/- 23% for male clinicians (p=0.003). Increasing years of experience was associated with worse overall UI care (r -0.157, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS We found low rates of adherence to a set of quality indicators for women with urinary incontinence, with male clinicians performing significantly worse than female clinicians. Improvement of incontinence care in primary care could significantly reduce costs of care and preserve outcomes.
Value of HbA1c in Obese Women with Gestational Diabetes.

Objective We sought to assess the association of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with adverse perinatal outcomes in obese women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Study design This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial assessing early (14-20 weeks) versus routine (24-28 weeks) screening for GDM in obese women. Women were included if they were diagnosed with GDM at either time during pregnancy and had a HbA1c result available. The primary exposure was HbA1c at 24 to 28 weeks. The primary outcome was a composite of macrosomia, primary cesarean, pregnancy-induced hypertension, shoulder dystocia, neonatal hypoglycemia, or hyperbilirubinemia. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were used to assess the association of HbA1c with the composite outcome. The Liu method was used to select an optimal HbA1c cutoff, and the incidence of the outcome compared. Results Of 125 women with GDM, 93 (74%) had a HbA1c at 24 to 28 weeks and 103 (82.4%) had a HbA1c at 14 to 20 weeks. Baseline characteristics were balanced between groups above and below the cutoff. The area under the ROC curve for HbA1c and its association with the adverse perinatal composite outcome was 0.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5-0.7). The frequency of the primary outcome was similar among women with low and high HbA1c at 24 to 28 weeks (adjusted relative risk, 1.12, 95% CI: 0.97-1.29). Compared with women with a decreasing HbA1c during pregnancy, women with a stable or increasing HbA1c did not have a significant increase in the primary adverse perinatal composite outcome. However, the frequency of preterm delivery was higher among women with stable or increasing HbA1c compared with those with a decreasing HbA1c (26.1 vs. 6.7%, p = 0.03). Conclusion A single HbA1c in women with GDM is not associated with a composite perinatal adverse outcome, but a HbA1c that increases or remains stable between 14 to 20 and 24 to 28 weeks is associated with an increase in preterm delivery. Key points · A single HbA1c in GDM is not associated with a composite perinatal adverse outcome.. · HbA1c that increases or remains stable may be associated with an increase in preterm delivery.. · HbA1c at 24 to 28 weeks was not significantly associated with the adverse perinatal composite outcome..
BLURBs. A coding scheme for toxicologic data.

A simple scheme is presented to enable coding of toxicologic data by medical examiners or coroners who can design or direct the structure of their computer databases. Based on the English language, BLURBs are created, which consist of a prefix describing the specimen, a root word indicating the substance analyzed, and a suffix indicating the test results. BLURBs are easily interpretable and can reduce computer disk space usage, facilitate useful queries, and promote uniformity of data. Language: en
Human Behavior, Evolution, and the Law: The Case of the Biology of Possession

Possession is a foundational idea in property law. Recent scholarship has suggested that respect for possession may be an innate aspect of human behavior. Jeffrey Evans Stake argued in 2004 that there is an evolutionary basis for an instinct to respect possession. More recently, Ori Friedman and Karen Neary have published the results of psychological studies suggesting that both adults and children tend to associate prior possession with ownership. These studies suggest that the respect for possession that is at the center of our property law may be consistent with – and, indeed, may have its basis in – basic human behavioral tendencies.In this Essay, I consider the relevance of this behavioral research to normative issues in property law. Along the way, I discuss the broader issue of the potential relevance of biological facts about human behavior to the law. I argue that facts about actual human behavior, like those discussed in Friedman & Neary’s research, are potentially relevant to property and other legal issues. In contrast, I argue that evolutionary arguments like those made by Stake are not relevant to property or other legal issues. I criticize Stake’s evolutionary argument on two levels. First, I argue Stake’s evolutionary claims lack evidentiary support and fail to connect in subtle but important ways with substantive property law. Second, drawing in part on arguments recently developed by Brian Leiter and Michael Weisberg, I argue that evolutionary facts, even if scientifically well founded, have little or no relevance to normative legal issues, in property or otherwise.
A Dual-Mode Collaborative Teaching and Learning Classroom Environment

As “hand-written notes” and “personal narrations” are the most natural tools to record, review, integrate and develop our own learning process, this article describes a collaborative learning and teaching environment integrating the use of Pen Tablets and multimedia technologies at the student/teacher level with the goal of achieving active learning for students in the classroom. An innovative hardware and software integration of the PCI NetSupport Manager Suite, TechSmith Camtasia Studio and Wacom Pen Tablets was implemented to provide both “teacher-centric” and “student-student collaborative” modes in this classroom. As this project was just implemented in mid-August 2007, only preliminary assessment results are presented in this article.
Coping and Adaptation in Families of Children with Cerebral Palsy

This study explored the relationship between family coping with cerebral palsy (CP) and family adaptation. Participants were 274 families of persons with CP recruited through 12 United Cerebral Palsy associations in the north central area of the United States. Factor analysis suggested that 64.7% of the variance in family coping was accounted for by the following factor variables: positive family appraisal, support from concerned others, spiritual support, personal growth and advocacy, and positive social interaction. Stepwise multiple regression of these variables yielded that positive family appraisal (p < .000) and spiritual support (p = .013) were predictive of family adaptation. Multivariate analysis of variance with Pillai's criterion revealed that family coping with CP differed in family life cycle stages (p = .002). Analysis of variance also indicated that family adaptation differed in terms of family life cycle stages (p = .004).
Arrival Time Estimation by Adaptive Thresholding

Arrival time estimation by adaptive thresholding is described. The probability density of arrival time is derived for differentiable Markov processes. The special case of additive, stationary noise is given particular attention. A direct derivation of the probability density of arrival time for pulses with sharply rising edges is given for arbitrary noise. The results are applied to the Gaussian and Rice distributions. Comparison with the Cramer-Rao bound of estimation theory indicates the asymptotic optimality of adaptive thresholding in the latter two cases.
A scintillation chamber—image intensifier beam profile detector

Abstract An instrument for use in surveying beams of charged particles is described. It consists of a scintillation chamber mounted on an RCA single stage image intensifier (C74035) lens-coupled to an intensifier orthicon (C74036) in a television camera. Charged particles enter the ends and travel down the length of the c filaments causing flashes of light which are amplified and displayed on the monitor kinescope. This system has been used as a detector of weak secondary beams from an accelerator with considerable success. It facilitates the setting up, alignment, and focusing of such beams and is quicker and more efficient than other methods.
Neighbor Learning Control: Learning Control for Multiple Subsystems

With the rise of smart material actuators, it has become possible to design and build systems with a large number of small actuators. Many of these actuators exhibit a host of nonlinearities including hysteresis. Learning control algorithms can be used to guarantee good convergence of these systems even in the presence of the nonlinearities. However, they have a difficult time dealing with certain classes of noise or disturbances. We present a neighbor learning algorithm to control systems of this type with multiple identical actuators. In addition, we present a neighbor learning algorithm to control these systems for a certain class of non-identical actuators. We prove that in certain situations these algorithms provide improved convergence when compared to traditional iterative learning control techniques. Simulations results are presented that corroborate our expectations from the proofs.© 2007 ASME
Robust color image superresolution: an adaptive M-estimation framework

This paper introduces a new color image superresolution algorithm in an adaptive, robust M-estimation framework. Using a robust error norm in the objective function, and adapting the estimation process to each of the low-resolution frames, the proposed method effectively suppresses the outliers due to violations of the assumed observation model, and results in color superresolution estimates with crisp details and no color artifacts, without the use of regularization. Experiments on both synthetic and real sequences demonstrate the superior performance over using the L2 and L1 error norms in the objective function.
On a Class of Analytic Functions from the Quantum Theory of Collisions

The present investigation has its origin in the quantum theory of collisions. It appears appropriate, therefore, to give here a very short review of the subject even though some of the material to be covered in this section may be found in standard publications, such as the Theory of Atomic Collisions by N. F. Mott and H. S. W. Massey (Oxford University Press 1933).
Cooperative and non-cooperative models for slotted-aloha type MAC protocols

Aloha [1] and its slotted variation [3] have been widely deployed as a medium access control (MAC) protocol for different communication networks. Slotted-Aloha type MAC protocols don't perform carrier sensing and synchronize the transmissions into time-slots. These protocols are suitable for controlling, multiple accesses when nodes cannot sense each other. Recent development of wireless and sensor networks urges us to re-investigate slotted-Aloha type MAC, and to design its variations for these new trends.
Active Shielding for a Novel Sensor

Active shield reduces the effects of both external noise/interference and parasitic capacitances of a coaxial cable. Therefore it is commonly used during the measurement of remote grounded capacitive sensors. Capacitively Coupled Resistive Sensing (CCRS) is a novel displacement measurement technology. The transduction principle of CCRS is the resistance change related to the position of the mobile member. The CCRS sensor utilizes the small capacitance between the signal pickup head and the resistive member to sense the voltage of a certain point on the resistive member. The signal is sent to the signal conditioner through a coaxial cable. Due to the parasite capacitance of the coaxial cable, the signal will be attenuated significantly. This paper introduces a method to reduce the attenuation using active shield scheme.Copyright © 2007 by ASME