cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adult Onset Nocturnal Enuresis: Identifying Causes, Cofactors and Impact on Quality of Life

Objectives The objectives of the present study were: (i) Evaluate common co-pathologies associated with, and potentially contributing to adult onset Nocturnal enuresis (NE) in a tertiary referral population; and (ii) quantify its impact on QoL with validated questionnaires. Methods Following Institutional Review Board approval, patients with adult onset NE were reviewed with history, physical examination, urodynamic studies, questionnaires: Overactive bladder questionnaire short-form (OAB-qSF), Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), AUA symptom score (AUA-SS) and Patient Global Impression scale (PGIS). Results Between 2004 and 2016, 45 NE patients (19 male, 26 female) were identified. Twenty-five patients (56%) had an associated diagnosis of neurogenic bladder (NGB). Five (11%) reported no other LUTS or associated conditions. Forty (89%) had at least one of the following contributing factors: sedative use, OAB (bothersome symptoms based on UDI-6), voiding dysfunction (also based on UDI-6 or AUA-SS), abnormal UDS finding, and/or confirmed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Overall, 20% had two contributing factors, and 31% each had three and four factors. Among all patients, 76% reported sedative use and of 36 patients with UDS, 75% had abnormal findings. Of the 41 questionnaire respondents, mean AUA-SS among men was 22.5 (range 8–35) and mean UDI-6 score among women was 9.3 (range 2–16). Mean PGI-S score was 3.1 (range 1–4) and mean Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) subscale, as part of the OAB-q SF was 44 (range 22–78). Conclusions Nocturnal enuresis is associated with multiple possible co-factors in all populations with majority reporting use of sedating medications. NE is associated with significant symptom bother and impacts greatly on QoL.
Assessing the implementation of a bedside service handoff on an academic hospitalist service

Abstract Background Inpatient service handoffs are a vulnerable transition during a patients’ hospitalization. We hypothesized that performing the service handoff at the patients’ bedside may be one mechanism to more efficiently transfer patient information between physicians, while further integrating the patient into their hospital care. Methods We performed a 6-month prospective study of performing a bedside handoff (BHO) at the service transition on a non-teaching hospitalist service. On a weekly basis, transitioning hospitalists co-rounded at patient's bedsides. Post-handoff surveys assessed for completeness of handoff, communication, missed information, and adverse events. A control group who performed the handoff via email, phone or face-to-face was also surveyed. Chi-square and item-response theory (IRT) analysis assessed for differences between BHO and control groups. Narrative responses were elicited to qualitatively describe the BHO. Results In total, 21/31 (67%) scheduled BHOs were performed. On average, 4 out of 6 eligible patients experienced a BHO, with a total of 90 patients experiencing a BHO. Of those asked to perform the BHO, 52% stated the service transition took 31–60 min compared to 24% in the control group. Controlling for the nesting of observations within physicians, IRT analysis found that BHO respondents had statistically significant greater odds of: reporting increased patient awareness of the service handoff, more certainty in the plan for each patient, less discovery of missed information, and less time needed to learn about the patient on the first day compared to control methods. Narrative responses described a more patient-centered handoff with improved communication that was time-consuming and often logistically difficult to implement. Conclusions Despite its time-intensive nature, performing the service handoff at the patient's bedside may lead to a more complete and efficient service transition.
Electrical Hazards in the Home: What Do People Know?:

Consumers' knowledge about electrical facts and hazards in the home was examined to determine whether their understanding of certain aspects of electricity are complete and accurate. Eighty-two col...
The Utility of Outpatient Commitment: I. A Need for Treatment and a Least Restrictive Alternative to Psychiatric Hospitalization.

Objectives:This study examined whether psychiatric patients assigned to community treatment orders (CTOs), outpatient commitment in Victoria, Australia, have a greater need for treatment to protect their health and safety than patients not assigned to CTOs. It also considered whether such treatment is provided in a least restrictive manner—that is, in a way that contributes to reduced use of psychiatric hospitalization.Methods:The sample included 11,424 patients first placed on a CTO between 2000 and 2010, and 16,161 patients not placed on a CTO. Need for treatment was independently assessed with the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) at hospital admission and at discharge. Ordinary least-squares and Poisson regressions were used to assess savings in hospital days attributable to CTO placement.Results:HoNOS ratings indicated that at admission and discharge, the CTO cohort’s need for treatment exceeded that of the non-CTO cohort, particularly in areas indicating potential dangerous behavior. When ...
Zinc as a Neuromodulator in the Central Nervous System with a Focus on the Olfactory Bulb

The olfactory bulb (OB) is central to the sense of smell, as it is the site of the first synaptic relay involved in the processing of odor information. Odor sensations are first transduced by olfactory sensory neurons before being transmitted, by way of the OB, to higher olfactory centers that mediate olfactory discrimination and perception. Zinc is a common trace element, and it is highly concentrated in the synaptic vesicles of subsets of glutamatergic neurons in some brain regions including the hippocampus and OB. In addition, zinc is contained in the synaptic vesicles of some glycinergic and GABAergic neurons. Thus, zinc released from synaptic vesicles is available to modulate synaptic transmission mediated by excitatory (e.g., NMDA, AMPA) and inhibitory (e.g., GABA, glycine) amino acid receptors. Furthermore, extracellular zinc can alter the excitability of neurons through effects on a variety of voltage-gated ion channels. Consistent with the notion that zinc acts as a regulator of neuronal activity, we and others have shown zinc modulation (inhibition and/or potentiation) of amino acid receptors and voltage-gated ion channels expressed by OB neurons. This review summarizes the locations and release of vesicular zinc in the central nervous system, including in the OB. It also summarizes the effects of zinc on various amino acid receptors and ion channels involved in regulating synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability, with a special emphasis on the actions of zinc as a neuromodulator in the OB. An understanding of how neuroactive substances such as zinc modulate receptors and ion channels expressed by OB neurons will increase our understanding of the roles that synaptic circuits in the OB play in odor information processing and transmission.
Carinal reconstruction: techniques and problems

Techniques are available to allow resection of varying amounts of the carina and pulmonary parenchyma with appropriate primary reconstruction. Each patient required thorough evaluation beforehand. Because of the complexities of airway management involved, there must be close coordination between surgeon and anesthesiologist. Technical problems are predominantly related to excessive anastomotic tension and devascularization. Surgeons must have extensive knowledge of the extent of resection possible and the various release maneuvers possible to reduce anastomotic tension. Care must be taken to avoid devascularization of the divided ends of the bronchus. Postoperative care is demanding. The most feared complication is postoperative adult respiratory distress syndrome. Anastomotic complications are often life-threatening. Management needs to be individualized.
Random processes and random systems: An introduction

We introduce and review a number of topics drawn from the theories of random processes and random systems. In particular we address the following subjects: random walks in continuous spaces and on lattices; continuum limits of random walks and stable distributions; master equations, generalized master equations and continuous-time random walks; self-avoiding walks on lattices; percolation theory; steady-state and transient transport in random lattices; and diffusion and conduction in heterogeneous continua.
What’s So Different about Biodiesel Fuel?

Abstract Biodiesel is a liquid fuel created by the chemical processing and alteration of vegetable oil to make it perform similar to petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel fuel has recently received much interest as an alternative fuel source; however, many people remain uncertain about whether biodiesel is a reliable, safe fuel to use for diesel engines. This chapter outlines the major differences between biodiesel and petroleum diesel, including information about biodiesel additives and blends.
Gender in Adolescence: Applying a Person-in-Context Approach to Gender Identity and Roles

When we speak of adolescent gender development, we are referring to the numerous biological, psychological, and social processes that occur during adolescence and that contribute to a person’s understanding of being male or female within a larger social world; that is, the focus in this developmental period is on the construction of gender identity and gender roles (O’Sullivan, Graber, & Brooks-Gunn, 2001). Gender identity refers to the endorsement of a particular gender as a part of one’s sense of self (i.e., who a person is as a unique individual). In particular, the self develops based on the interaction of the individual with the larger social world, including culture and historical period, which defines the attitudes, behaviors, and experiences appropriate for girls or boys. Hence, gender roles reflect an individual’s understanding of these larger sociocultural concepts. Individuals choose to adopt certain behaviors based on their endorsement or integration of those roles into their own gender identities. Although substantial prior research has focused on the ability to define one’s own gender in early childhood, as well as the development of gender-stereotyped behavior and gender identity in childhood, much less attention has been paid to development of different aspects of gender identity and gender roles during adolescence (Maccoby, 1998; Ruble, Martin, & Berenbaum, 2006). At the same time, because adolescence is a time of substantive changes in cognition and self, as well as changes in social experiences, it is a particularly important period for studying the development of internal attitudes and outward behavior that reflect gender (Feiring, 1999). As higher level cognitive skills develop, these skills are often applied to thinking about oneself, thinking about what others think, and thinking about how the self differs across situations. Thus, emerging cognitive skills are an integral part of the development of how adolescents see themselves and evaluate who they are in comparison to others and to broader societal roles. Moreover, gender is a focal feature of the self within the social environment as individuals experience changes in physical form brought about by puberty, changes in peer relationships, and changes in interactions with other-gender peers that occur over the course of adolescence (Maccoby, 1998). At the same time that adolescents are constructing a new understanding of gender identity and gender roles, they are also developing a more complex view of their own sexuality. We, like others, have defined sexuality broadly as the sense of oneself as a sexual being, which includes the integration of one’s sexual desires, attitudes, and behaviors (Graber, Brooks-Gunn, & Galen, 1998). Sexuality during adolescence also is shaped by puberty, by same-gender, and by other-gender peers. Moreover, roles that define sexual behaviors are often intertwined with the sociocultural construction
Development of Creativity

This article distinguishes between creative potential and creative performance. It then surveys the developmental influences which may take individuals from the former to the latter, where they have fulfilled their potentials and actually apply their talents. These influences are both genetic, which sets a range of possibilities, and experiential, including the family, education, and models. Opportunities, rewards, and the communication of values are also emphasized. Creative behavior is defined in terms of originality and effectiveness. Developmental experiences may target a balance such that the individual learns how to express him- or herself in an original fashion, but only when it is appropriate and adaptive to do so.
Genetics of tassel branch number in maize and its implications for a selection program for small tassel size

Tassel branch numbers of six crosses of maize (Zea mays L.) were analyzed to determine inheritance of this trait. Generation mean analyses were used to estimate genetic effects, and additive and nonadditive components of variance were calculated and evaluated for bias due to linkage. Both narrow-sense and broad-sense heritabilities were estimated. Additive genetic variance estimates were significant in five of the six crosses, whereas estimates of variance due to nonadditive components were significant in only three crosses. Additionally, estimates of additive variance components usually were larger than corresponding nonadditive components. There was no evidence for linkage bias in these estimates. Estimates of additive genetic effects were significant in four of six crosses, but significant dominance, additive × additive and additive × dominance effects also were detected. Additive, dominance, and epistatic gene action, therefore, all influenced the inheritance of tassel branch number, but additive gene action was most important. Both narrow-sense and broadsense heritability estimates were larger than those reported for other physiological traits of maize and corroborated conclusions concerning the importance of additive gene action inferred from analyses of genetic effects and variances. We concluded that selection for smalltasseled inbreds could be accomplished most easily through a mass-selection and/or pedigree-selection system. Production of a small-tasseled hybrid would require crossing of two small-tasseled inbreds. We proposed two genetic models to explain unexpected results obtained for two crosses. One model involved five interacting loci and the other employed two loci displaying only additive and additive × additive gene action.
BEREAVEMENT, BIOLOGICAL HEALTH RISKS, AND PHYSICAL HEALTH: THE MODERATING EFFECT OF COPING

This study uses data from the National Survey of Midlife in the U.S. (MIDUS) to examine the longitudinal effect of bereavement on physical health via biological health risks, focusing on the moderating effect of coping. Conditional process models were estimated using data from 701 respondents who participated in the MIDUS II (M2: 2004–2006), MIDUS II biomarker data collection (2004–2009) and in MIDUS III (M3: 2013–2014). We analyzed data from two groups, respondents who experienced the death of an individual close to them (163 women, 120 men) and respondents who did not experience any deaths of close individuals during the same period (226 women, 192 men), controlling for age, education, marital status, prior family bereavement, number of life events since M2, and health status. Biological health risks were assessed by allostatic load score, summing 7 subscales of physiological dysregulation (e.g., sympathetic, parasympathetic, inflammation, cardiovascular dysregulation). The results show that women who experienced bereavement reported poorer self-rated health longitudinally and had a higher level of allostatic load at biomarker data collection, which was significantly associated with poorer self-rated health approximately 10 years later. For men, however, bereavement was not associated with poorer self-rated health. In addition, the results indicate that coping moderated this relationship; bereaved women who reported higher levels of coping were less vulnerable to the detrimental longitudinal impacts of bereavement on health. Overall, the findings suggest that bereavement has longitudinal adverse health impacts via allostatic load for women, contingent on their coping strategies.
A Fully Convolutional Neural Network for Beamforming Ultrasound Images

Plane wave ultrasound imaging is one of the fastest ultrasound methods available to reduce latency for ultrasound-based robotic tracking tasks. However, the presence of acoustic clutter and speckle in the images can confuse robotic tracking algorithms. In addition, multiple plane wave insonification angles are often necessary to generate good-quality images, which further reduces the speed of the tracking process. To overcome these challenges, we are exploring deep learning as a method to extract pertinent information directly from raw radiofrequency channel data to locate targets of interest from a single plane wave insonification. Particularly, in this work, we trained a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) with 50,000 Field-II simulations corresponding to a single cyst in tissue insonified by one plane wave transmitted at 0 degrees. The simulated cyst radius, axial and lateral positions were varied, along with the simulated tissue sound speed. The output of the training process is an interpretable segmentation mask that is free of clutter and speckle, which we call a CNN-Based image. An additional dataset of 100 simulations was created and two cyst targets in an experimental phantom were imaged to test our approach. The Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), representing the overlap between the true cyst location and the cyst location in the CNN-Based image, was 0.91 for simulated data and 0.74 for experimental data. The network was generally sensitive to cyst radius, with mean DSCs increasing from 0.91 to 0.97 when the cyst radius was $\geq$ 5 mm. A robot controlled ultrasound probe enabled volumetric reconstruction of CNN-Based images, revealing the three-dimensional structure of the two cysts in the phantom. These results demonstrate that a deep neural network trained exclusively with simulated data can generalize to experimental data, which is promising for the development of deep learning methods as an alternative to traditional ultrasound beamforming for robotic tracking tasks.
Automated greenhouse system

In this paper, an experimental setup for automated greenhouse system is presented, with an aim to improve the crop productivity under a controlled environment. For this purpose temperature, light, humidity and soil moisture sensors are used to collect critical data. Arduino mega 2560 is used to take necessary decisions based on threshold values of these environmental parameters. The control system then generates control signals to actuate exhaust fan and sprinklers, depending upon the environmental parameters. User can keep track of the environmental parameters and crop health through an android application. Moreover, actuators can also be actuated through the android application, if required. For improving the crop growth and maintaining the health of the crops a special combination of red and blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) is used. The greenhouse system is powered by solar panel to make it a self-sufficient unit.
Gastric outlet obstruction due to gastric duplication cysts with heterotopic pancreatic tissue treated by marsupialization

Abstract Gastric duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies often treated with complete surgical excision, but this is not always possible. In such cases, resection and reconstruction have been advocated, but this may lead to significant morbidity. We present a unique case of a 3-year old girl who presented with complete gastric outlet obstruction due to multiple gastric duplication cysts with heterotopic pancreatic tissue treated with marsupialization and endoscopic surveillance as an alternative to gastric resection and reconstruction. This approach avoids morbidities from a more extensive procedure and in this case, alleviated the obstruction, averted sequelae secondary to heterotopic pancreatic tissue, and provides surveillance in the rare case of malignant degeneration. The child tolerated the procedure well and has been symptom free for the past year.
Abstract P1-19-25: Wee1 inhibition enhances the anti-tumor effects of capecitabine in preclinical models of triple negative breast cancer

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype defined by lack of hormone receptor expression and non-amplified HER2. TNBC accounts for approximately 15% of breast cancer cases, however, is associated with an increased risk of cancer recurrence, brain metastasis, and death due to metastatic breast cancer. Mutations in p53 are common in TNBC, occurring in approximately 85% of tumors. While a number of promising targeted therapies are on the horizon in TNBC including immunotherapy, there remains an unmet need for active targeted therapies where chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for metastatic disease and results in a median survival of 12-18 months. Adavosertib (AZD1775) is a potent, small molecule, ATP-competitive inhibitor of the Wee1 kinase that potentiates the activity of many DNA-damaging chemotherapeutics and is currently in clinical development for multiple indications. AZD1775 potentiates the activity of DNA-damaging and antimetabolite chemotherapeutics in preclinical models without TP53-deficiency, possibly due to baseline replicative stress or compromised DNA repair proficiency. A previous unbiased screen of CTEP compounds in TNBC PDX models demonstrated that the combination of adavosertib and capecitabine/5FU had greater anti-proliferative effects than either of the single agents. The purpose of this study was to further investigate the combination of adavosertib and capecitabine/5FU in preclinical TNBC models. Methods: HCC1937, CAL51, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells were plated in 96-well plates and exposed to increasing concentrations of adavosertib, 5FU, or the combination. Cellular proliferation was assessed in real-time using IncuCyte® Live Cell Analysis. Apoptosis was assessed via the Caspase-Glo 3/7 assay system. Western blotting was used to assess changes in expression of CDC2, phospho-CDC2, H2AX, and Bcl-xL. TNBC PDX models CU_TNBC_012 and CU_TNBC_013 were treated with vehicle, adavosertib, capecitabine, or the combination and assessed for tumor growth inhibition. Results: From the initial PDX screen, two of the four TNBC PDX models demonstrated a better response in the combination treatment than either of the single agents. As confirmation, two PDX models were expanded for statistical comparison. Both PDX models demonstrated a significant growth inhibition in the combination versus either of the single agents. (TNBC012, p Citation Format: Todd M Pitts, Dennis M Simmons, Kyrie Dailey, Stacey M Bagby, Sarah J Hartman, Betelehem W Yacob, Brian Gittleman, John J Tentler, Diana Cittely, D. Ryan Ormond, Wells A Messersmith, S Gail Eckhardt, Jennifer R Diamond. Wee1 inhibition enhances the anti-tumor effects of capecitabine in preclinical models of triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-19-25.
Tutorial on forming through-silicon vias

Through-silicon vias (TSVs) are a critical technology for three-dimensional integrated circuit technology. These through-substrate interconnects allow electronic devices to be stacked vertically for a broad range of applications and performance improvements such as increased bandwidth, reduced signal delay, improved power management, and smaller form-factors. There are many interdependent processing steps involved in the successful integration of TSVs. This article provides a tutorial style review of the following semiconductor fabrication process steps that are commonly used in forming TSVs: deep etching of silicon to form the via, thin film deposition to provide insulation, barrier, and seed layers, electroplating of copper for the conductive metal, and wafer thinning to reveal the TSVs. Recent work in copper electrochemical deposition is highlighted, analyzing the effect of accelerator and suppressor additives in the electrolyte to enable void-free bottom-up filling from a conformally lined seed metal.
In Memoriam—ROGER H. MARBLE (1906–1982)

(1983). In Memoriam—ROGER H. MARBLE (1906–1982) Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 58, No. 2, pp. 83-83.
Beneficial Perturbations Network for Defending Adversarial Examples.

Deep neural networks can be fooled by adversarial attacks: adding carefully computed small adversarial perturbations to clean inputs can cause misclassification on state-of-the-art machine learning models. The reason is that neural networks fail to accommodate the distribution drift of the input data caused by adversarial perturbations. Here, we present a new solution - Beneficial Perturbation Network (BPN) - to defend against adversarial attacks by fixing the distribution drift. During training, BPN generates and leverages beneficial perturbations (somewhat opposite to well-known adversarial perturbations) by adding new, out-of-network biasing units. Biasing units influence the parameter space of the network, to preempt and neutralize future adversarial perturbations on input data samples. To achieve this, BPN creates reverse adversarial attacks during training, with very little cost, by recycling the training gradients already computed. Reverse attacks are captured by the biasing units, and the biases can in turn effectively defend against future adversarial examples. Reverse attacks are a shortcut, i.e., they affect the network's parameters without requiring instantiation of adversarial examples that could assist training. We provide comprehensive empirical evidence showing that 1) BPN is robust to adversarial examples and is much more running memory and computationally efficient compared to classical adversarial training. 2) BPN can defend against adversarial examples with negligible additional computation and parameter costs compared to training only on clean examples; 3) BPN hurts the accuracy on clean examples much less than classic adversarial training; 4) BPN can improve the generalization of the network 5) BPN trained only with Fast Gradient Sign Attack can generalize to defend PGD attacks.
Persistent, Historic Factors Correlated with Airport Bond Returns:

The factors that are associated with returns on airport bonds are explored, using a proxy for an airport bond portfolio with the S&P Municipal Bond Airport Index. Six spread-based factors represent...
Defining the role of individuals prepared as a doctor of nurse practice in symptoms science research.

Abstract Purpose The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs have grown exponentially for the last 10 years across the United States. However, the intra-professional collaboration among DNP and PhD scholars is not clearly demonstrated in the literature as it relates to frequency, training models, and the outcomes of these collaborations on translation. The purposes of this paper are to: (1) examine the role for DNP nurses in symptom science research and (2) describe training models to cultivate the PhD-DNP collaboration to strengthen the translation of discoveries from nursing research, to facilitate implementation of discoveries, and to improve clinical practice of nurses. Methods A targeted review of the literature was conducted to identify, (1) the role of the DNP, (2) examples of PhD-DNP collaborations, (3) training models that support collaborations, and (4) the outcomes of these intra-professional collaborations. Results Two articles reported on PhD-DNP collaboration within a university setting; however, they did not address how the partnership was modeled. One additional article described an academic-hospital partnership model aimed at MSN-prepared advanced practice nurses (APRN) by which outcomes were measured. No examples were found outside of academic settings. The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) has established the Symptom Science Center (SSC) with an interest in training the next generation of symptom scientists. By developing a training curriculum through the NINR SSC, DNP-prepared students and practitioners can be exposed to the research enterprise and potentially develop early partnerships with PhD-prepared students and scholars that lead to research translation. Conclusion The NINR Department of Intramural Research (DIR) and National Institutes of Health Clinical Center are dedicated to building stronger ties between PhD- and DNP-prepared scientists. The SSC can serve as an optimal platform to promote the collaboration of PhD and DNP nurses to advance symptom science translation. Clinical Relevance Nurses have a remarkable role in early detection of disease progression. Training opportunities to cultivate the PhD-DNP collaboration have significant relevance for expediting the translation of nursing science to nursing practice.
Moving Hands-On Mechanical Engineering Experiences Online: Course Redesigns and Student Perspectives.

Hands-on lab experiences are essential for enabling students to be successful engineers, especially those who identify as kinesthetic learners. This case study describes how a Mechanical Engineering Practice course sequence was redesigned during the COVID-19 emergency transition to remote learning and examines how students responded to these changes. The remote course included videos of Graduate Teaching Assistants conducting data acquisition phases of the practice session to replace hands-on experiments. To understand student perspectives and performance, researchers reviewed approximately 400 reflective essays from Spring 2020, and compared assignment submissions between Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. Results suggest that some students perceived the loss of hands-on activities as detrimental to their learning and it was not comparable to face-to-face counterparts. Furthermore, students felt forced to develop self-directed learning skills. However, in contrast to student comments in reflective essays, comparisons of assignment submissions suggested that students in Spring 2020 did not receive lower grades or have a reduced demonstration of conceptual knowledge obtained in the course.
3 – Gender-Specific Pulmonary Disease

This chapter discusses pulmonary diseases that are specific to the two genders. Sex-specific differences in the prevalence and severity of many lung disorders occur throughout childhood. While some of the pathophysiologic mechanisms are not well delineated, gender differences in respiratory disease are related to biologic, physiologic, and sociocultural factors. Sexual dimorphisms in many pediatric respiratory diseases receive relatively little attention in the clinical arena with the exception of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in a premature infant. However, the sex of a child may be a key determinant of the clinical manifestations of many lung diseases as well as have important implications regarding airway function. This chapter reviews what is known about sex differences in lung growth and development, and to assess how these differences are clinically manifested. This chapter addresses the anatomic, functional, and hormonal differences between the respiratory system of females and males as well as delineates how changes occur from the prenatal through the adolescent years. There is also a review of some common respiratory diseases with gender-specific differences.
Alpha-particle stripping to /sup 21/Ne

From a study of the /sup 17/O(/sup 6/Li,d) reaction at 32 MeV, angular distributions and ..cap alpha..-particle spectroscopic strengths have been extracted for states below 4.6-MeV excitation in /sup 21/Ne. The 5/2/sup +/ state at 0.35 MeV is populated largely via L = 0, and fice states with J/sup ..pi../ from 1/2/sup +/ to 9/2/sup +/ largely via L = 2. These results are in reasonable agreement with predictions of SU(3) shell-model calculations and at the same time are suggestive of a simple weak-coupling picture. Observation of L = 0 for the transition to the 4.52-MeV level, previously assigned 3/2/sup +/ or 5/2/sup +/, allows a definite assignment of J/sup ..pi../ = 5/2/sup +/.
Fluorine-Containing Polymers, Perfluorinated Ethylene-Propylene Copolymers

Perfluorinated ethylenepropylene (FEP) is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP). It retains most of the desirable characteristics of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) but with a melt viscosity low enough for conventional melt processing. The introduction of hexafluoropropylene lowers the melting point of PTFE from 327C to about 260C. The lower melt viscosity allows melt extrusion of wire insulation of longer continuous lengths than the batchwise paste extrusion of PTFE and the injection molding of intricate shaped parts. This polymer has a combination of properties that make it useful in applications that require chemical inertness, excellent dielectric properties, good weatherability, antistick properties, low coefficient of friction, and performance in temperature extremes. As a thermoplastic, it can be processed by extrusion and compression, injection, and blow molding. Films can be heat bonded and sealed, vacuum formed, and laminated to various substrates. Aqueous and nonaqueous dispersion polymerizations are the most convenient routes to producing these copolymers. The polymerization conditions are similar to those of TFE homopolymer dispersion polymerization. The optimal composition of the copolymer requires that the mechanical properties are retained in the usable range and that the melt viscosity is low enough for easy melt processing. Keywords: Perfluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer; Tetrafluoroethylene; Hexafluoroethylene; Injection molding; Extrusion; Dispersion processing; Electrical wires; Solar collector windows
Comparison of simultaneous and sequential two-view registration for 3D/2D registration of vascular images

Accurate 3D/2D vessel registration is complicated by issues of image quality, occlusion, and other problems. This study performs a quantitative comparison of 3D/2D vessel registration in which vessels segmented from preoperative CT or MR are registered with biplane x-ray angiograms by either a) simultaneous two-view registration with advance calculation of the relative pose of the two views, or b) sequential registration with each view. We conclude on the basis of phantom studies that, even in the absence of image errors, simultaneous two-view registration is more accurate than sequential registration. In more complex settings, including clinical conditions, the relative accuracy of simultaneous two-view registration is even greater.
Partial-order planning: evaluating possible efficiency gains

Abstract Although most people believe that planners that delay step-ordering decisions as long as possible are more efficient than those that manipulate totally ordered sequences of actions, this intuition has received little formal justification or empirical validation. In this paper we do both, characterizing the types of domains that offer performance differentiation and the features that distinguish the relative overhead of three planning algorithms. As expected, the partial-order (nonlinear) planner often has an advantage when confronted with problems in which the specific order of the plan steps is critical. We argue that the observed performance differences are best understood with an extension of Korf's taxonomy of subgoal collections. Each planner quickly solved problems whose subgoals were independent or trivially serializable, but problems with laboriously serializable or nonserializable subgoals were intractable for all planners. Since different plan representations induce distinct search spaces, the subgoals for a given problem may be trivially serializable for one planner, laboriously serializable for another, and nonserializable for a third. We contend that the partial-order representation yields superior performance because it more frequently results in trivial serializability.
Epinephrine Activation of the β2-Adrenoceptor Is Required for IL-13-Induced Mucin Production in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Mucus hypersecretion by airway epithelium is a hallmark of inflammation in allergic asthma and results in airway narrowing and obstruction. Others have shown that administration a TH2 cytokine, IL-13 is sufficient to cause mucus hypersecretion in vivo and in vitro. Asthma therapy often utilizes β2-adrenoceptor (β2AR) agonists, which are effective acutely as bronchodilators, however chronic use may lead to a worsening of asthma symptoms. In this study, we asked whether β2AR signaling in normal human airway epithelial (NHBE) cells affected mucin production in response to IL-13. This cytokine markedly increased mucin production, but only in the presence of epinephrine. Mucin production was blocked by ICI-118,551, a preferential β2AR antagonist, but not by CGP-20712A, a preferential β1AR antagonist. Constitutive β2AR activity was not sufficient for IL-13 induced mucin production and β-agonist-induced signaling is required. A clinically important long-acting β-agonist, formoterol, was as effective as epinephrine in potentiating IL-13 induced MUC5AC transcription. IL-13 induced mucin production in the presence of epinephrine was significantly reduced by treatment with selective inhibitors of ERK1/2 (FR180204), p38 (SB203580) and JNK (SP600125). Replacement of epinephrine with forskolin + IBMX resulted in a marked increase in mucin production in NHBE cells in response to IL-13, and treatment with the inhibitory cAMP analogue Rp-cAMPS decreased mucin levels induced by epinephrine + IL-13. Our findings suggest that β2AR signaling is required for mucin production in response to IL-13, and that mitogen activated protein kinases and cAMP are necessary for this effect. These data lend support to the notion that β2AR-agonists may contribute to asthma exacerbations by increasing mucin production via activation of β2ARs on epithelial cells.
Photocurrent measurements of pentacene-based devices

Photocurrent spectroscopy (PCS) and photocurrent microscopy (PCM) are powerful tools that can probe the underlying mechanisms of charge generation and transport in organic semiconductor devices. There has been significant progress in the use of these techniques, which has yielded a number of insights into the underlying materials and operation of the devices. Despite the potential for PCS and PCM to become standard tools, however, a consensus has not been reached on (1) its uses and (2) the underlying mechanisms which produce the photoresponse. This is particularly true for measurements of pentacene devices, as the energy dynamics of pentacene are complex. Accordingly, here we report the current body of PCS and PCM of pentacene devices, offer interpretations of the data, and discuss which questions remain unanswered. We have divided the reviewed work into four categories based on the goals of the study and the technique used: photocurrent spectroscopy, scanning photocurrent microscopy, mobility, and trap density-of-states.
A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing

Although reconstruction of the phylogeny of living birds has progressed tremendously in the last decade, the evolutionary history of Neoaves--a clade that encompasses nearly all living bird species--remains the greatest unresolved challenge in dinosaur systematics. Here we investigate avian phylogeny with an unprecedented scale of data: >390,000 bases of genomic sequence data from each of 198 species of living birds, representing all major avian lineages, and two crocodilian outgroups. Sequence data were collected using anchored hybrid enrichment, yielding 259 nuclear loci with an average length of 1,523 bases for a total data set of over 7.8 × 10(7) bases. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses yielded highly supported and nearly identical phylogenetic trees for all major avian lineages. Five major clades form successive sister groups to the rest of Neoaves: (1) a clade including nightjars, other caprimulgiforms, swifts, and hummingbirds; (2) a clade uniting cuckoos, bustards, and turacos with pigeons, mesites, and sandgrouse; (3) cranes and their relatives; (4) a comprehensive waterbird clade, including all diving, wading, and shorebirds; and (5) a comprehensive landbird clade with the enigmatic hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) as the sister group to the rest. Neither of the two main, recently proposed Neoavian clades--Columbea and Passerea--were supported as monophyletic. The results of our divergence time analyses are congruent with the palaeontological record, supporting a major radiation of crown birds in the wake of the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) mass extinction.
Gaussian Mixture Models with Component Means Constrained in Pre-selected Subspaces

We investigate a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) with component means constrained in a pre-selected subspace. Applications to classication and clustering are explored. An EM-type estimation algorithm is derived. We prove that the subspace containing the component means of a GMM with a common covariance matrix also contains the modes of the density and the class means. This motivates us to nd a subspace by applying weighted principal component analysis to the modes of a kernel density and the class means. To circumvent the diculty of deciding the kernel bandwidth, we acquire multiple subspaces from the kernel densities based on a sequence of bandwidths. The GMM constrained by each subspace is estimated; and the model yielding the maximum likelihood is chosen. A dimension reduction property is proved in the sense of being informative for classication or clustering. Experiments on real and simulated data sets are conducted to examine several ways of determining the subspace and to compare with the reduced rank mixture discriminant analysis (MDA). Our new method with the simple technique of spanning the subspace only by class means often outperforms the reduced rank MDA when the subspace dimension is very low, making it particularly appealing for visualization.
Occupational hazards associated with endoscope high-level disinfection: case vignettes, review of literature and recommendations for mitigation.

Background High-level disinfection is crucial in preventing instrument-related infections. However, inadequate process and practice may expose technicians to chemicals and other hazards. Objective The aim of this article is to describe the health effects related to high-level disinfection, the process of identifying hazards and safer practice recommendations. Participants Two endoscope technicians with different clinical presentations were evaluated for workplace exposures. Methods In addition to acute clinical care, corroborative information was obtained through walkthrough and observing patients performing their daily tasks, interview of co-workers, environmental assessment and review of published literature. Recommendations for improvement and clinical follow up were made. Results Clinical evaluation and workplace assessment identified potential exposures to: denatonium benzoate, ortho-phthalaldehyde, proteinase subtilisin, and isopropyl alcohol. Environmental monitoring showed adequate ventilation but with potential for acute high-level exposure to high-level disinfectants. Ergonomic stressors and noise were addressed. Following work restrictions and work practice changes, both patients were able to return to work without recurrence of symptoms. Conclusion The occupational hazards of working in an endoscopy disinfection unit include chemicals that are irritants and/or allergenic. In addition to bioengineering controls, administrative controls and proper respiratory and dermal protections may mitigate exposure and allow workers to continue working safely.
Masculinity, Disability, and Access-Ability: Ethnography as Alternative Practice in the Study of Disabled Sexualities

Much disability scholarship glosses over sexuality, a necessary concern in understanding disability. Considerations of disability and sexuality are critical in considering therapeutic benefits of disabled sport, as traditional notions of sexuality have strong links to sport participation. Examining such interplays, however, requires multiple ethnographic approaches, especially when the researcher is able-bodied. Drawing on over 100 hours of fieldwork, interviews with disabled athletes, and personal narrative, this piece consists of two narrative streams regarding how performances of wheelchair rugby athletes construct disabled sexualities within the context of sport participation. In one stream, I present my discovery of sexualities in my childhood, coming of age with a father who was disabled, which is blended with the second, my analysis of players' social talk. Together, these streams address issues that permeate the cultural narratives of heteronormative (dis)abled sexualities, gender, and disability.
Viewing angle uncertainty in volumetric visualization

Many direct volume rendering algorithms are routinely used to render volumetric data in scientific applications. Different algorithms, however, produce different results and may lead to different interpretations of the scientific data. There are many factors that contribute to different results including the rendering algorithm such as the ray tracing or projection method. Within the algorithm itself such as ray tracing, there are many factors such as the number of samples, desired opacity, sample location etc., that lead to different images. In some of these cases, the differences between the images are significant enough to demand further investigation. In this work we investigate the sensitivity of differences between images to the viewing angle. In other words, we employ different visualization methods and obtain different images for the same viewing angle. The dependence of these differences on the viewing angle is then investigated. These difference images are visualized by pasting them on six sides of a cube corresponding to six different viewing angles. These differences are also visualized by using glyphs on a sphere, where each point on a sphere corresponds to a viewing angle. For most viewing angles, these differences are not significant and therefore, in such cases, inexpensive visualization algorithms can be employed. In some cases, where the differences are large, our technique compels the user to incorporate uncertainty while drawing conclusions from those images. We also discuss extensions of this work to incorporate uncertainty in volumetric visualization corresponding to different choices of color mapping or opacity.
Persistent supercurrents in composite rings of high-Tc and conventional superconductors

Abstract We have measured substantial supercurrents in rings formed by segments of epitaxial Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 and lead thin films. The supercurrent density across the planar interface of the conventional and high- T c superconductor has been found to be larger than 600 A/cm 2 at 4.2 K. Our experimental observations can place powerful constraints on the up to now unknown nature of the superconducting order parameter in high-temperature superconductors.
Children and Computers: Do Sex-Related Differences Persist?

A three-year study of middle-school and high-school students shows that girls are less interested in computers and less confident in their computer skills even when they have as much experience with the technology as boys.