cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ignoring Polonius: A Review of 'Debtor Nation: The History of America in Red Ink', by Louis Hyman

This article reviews Louis Hyman’s book, "Debtor Nation: The History of America in Red Ink." Debtor Nation is a welcome addition to a hitherto open niche in the relatively modest canon of books on the history of debt in the United States, and no previous book has examined as closely the infrastructure and debt in the second half of the 20th century. This essay examines Debtor Nation and a series of other works to draw more fully the history of debt and debt practices in the United States.
The Bladder Is Not Sterile: History and Current Discoveries on the Urinary Microbiome

In the human body, there are 10 bacterial cells for every one human cell. This fact highlights the importance of the National institutes of Health's initiative to map the human microbiome. The Human Microbiome Project was the first large-scale mapping of the human microbiome of 5 body sites: GI tract, mouth, vagina, skin and nasal cavity using culture-independent methods. The bladder was not originally tested because it was considered to be sterile and there were complexities regarding sample collection. Over the last couple years our team along with other investigators have shown that a urinary microbiome exists and for most individuals it plays a protective role.
Hate Crimes Legislation and the Thirteenth Amendment

This year the House of Representatives and Senate passed two closely related but differently formulated hate crimes bills. The critical distinction between the two is that the Senate version relies on both the Thirteenth Amendment and Commerce Clause as the sources of Congress’s authority to pass hate crimes legislation (S. 909), while the House version only relies on the Commerce Clause (H. R. 1913).The difficulty with relying on the Thirteenth Amendment is that it would require extending its reach to groups that the Court has never recognized as falling under it: namely women, gays and lesbians, transsexuals, and transvestites, and the disabled. I think the stakes of crimes committed against these groups that don’t fall under the commerce provisions of S.A. 1511 make it imperative to try to extend the amendment’s applicability. Of course, the risk of this proposal is that the Court could find the law unconstitutional. So, I make two proposals: the first more risky than the second more pragmatic.
Bendamustine and stem-cell mobilization: not so bad!

Recent studies have shown the alkylating agent bendamustine to be effective salvage chemotherapy for relapsed and refractory Hodgkin (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).[1–4] Furthermore, autologou...
In Vitro Adherence of Kanagawa-Positive Vibrio parahaemolyticus to Epithelial Cells

Kanagawa-positive Vibrio parahaemolyticus adhered rapidly to suspension-grown HeLa cells and to human fetal intestinal (HFI) cells in monolayer. Kanagawa-negative V. parahaemolyticus did not adhere to HeLa cells and adhered to HFI cells at a much slower rate than Kanagawa-positive bacteria. In the HFI cell system, adherence was dependent on the presence of calcium in the incubation mixture. It was unaffected by pretreatment of the HFI cell monolayer with neuraminidase or potassium periodate. Adherence was unaffected by neuraminidase or ultraviolet irradiation of bacteria but was decreased by heat, ethanol, or periodate pretreatment. These results suggest that adherence of Kanagawa-positive V. parahaemolyticus to epithelial cells in vitro depends on interaction between the cell surface of the bacteria and the epithelial cell and that a carbohydrate on the outer membrane of the bacterial cell wall is necessary for this interaction.
A methodology for the creation of geographically realistic synthetic power flow models

To enable greater innovation in power systems, our research seeks to create entirely fictitious synthetic power system networks that capture the functionality, topology, and defining characteristics of the actual U.S. transmission system, and thus provide realistic test cases for research, without revealing any sensitive information. Creation of these models relies only on publicly available data and statistics derived from the actual grid. This paper outlines two fundamental steps for the creation of synthetic power system models: geographic load and generator substation placement and assignment of transmission line electrical parameters.
Frizzled to finance: one PhD's path from a Drosophila lab to Wall Street.

An equity research analyst’s job is to determine whether the price of a stock is likely to go up or down. For science-based businesses, particularly biotechnology companies, a PhD in the life scien...
Direct and reversible inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide synthase by nitric oxide.

The objective of this study was to investigate the regulation of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase by NO. Partially purified endothelial NO synthase was exposed to authentic NO (10-200 microM) and to the nitrovasodilators sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 10-1,000 microM) and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP; 100-1,000 microM), and enzyme activity was assayed by measuring the conversion of L-[3H]arginine to L-[3H]citrulline in the presence of added cofactors. NO, SNP, and SNAP inhibited NO synthase activity in a dose-dependent manner, NO being the most potent inhibitor. The Michaelis constant for L-arginine was not altered (4.87 microM) by NO (50 microM), whereas the maximal velocity of the enzyme decreased from 784 to 633 pmol.mg-1.min-1. Oxyhemoglobin (10 microM) partially prevented the inhibition of NO synthase by NO (50 microM). The data also suggest that NO inhibits endothelial NO synthase activity by directly interacting with the NO synthase and not by an indirect mechanism such as limitation of cofactor or oxygen availability. Dialysis of NO synthase treated with NO (50 microM) partially restored the enzyme activity. This study demonstrates a direct and reversible inhibition of NO synthase by NO, suggesting a feedback mechanism in vivo.
Radiology of wrist and hand injuries in athletes.

Trauma is a major cause of hand and wrist pain in athletes. Wrist and hand injuries include fractures, dislocations, instability patterns, sprains, and tendon injuries. This article presents the radiographic appearance of the more common of these problems.
SU‐F‐P‐11: Long Term Dosimetric Stability of 6 TomoTherapy Systems

Purpose: The dosimetric stability of six TomoTherapy units was analyzed to investigate changes in performance over time and with system upgrades. Methods: Energy and output were tracked using monitor chamber signal, onboard MVCT detector signal and external ion chamber measurements. The systems (and monitoring periods) include 3 Hi-Art (67, 61 and 65 mos.), 2 HDA (29 and 25 mos.) and one research unit (7 mo.). Dose Control Stability system (DCS) was installed on 4 systems. Output stability is reported as deviation from reference monitor chamber signal for all systems, and from an external chamber for 4 systems. Energy stability was monitored using the relative (center versus off-axis) MVCT detector signal and/or the ratio of chamber measurements at 2 depths. The results from the clinical systems were used to benchmark the stability of the research unit, which has the same linear accelerator but runs at a higher dose rate. Results: The output based on monitor chamber data of all six systems is very stable. Non- DCS had a standard deviation of 1.7% and 1.8%. As expected, DCS systems had improved standard deviation: 0.003–0.05%. The energy was also very stable for all units. The standard deviation in exit detector flatness was 0.02–0.3%. Ion chamber output and 20/10 cm ratios supported these results. The stability for the research system, as monitored with a variety of metrics, is on par with the existing systems. Conclusion: The output and energy of six TomoTherapy units over a total of almost 10 years is quite stable. For each system, the results are consistent between the different measurement tools and techniques, proving not only the dosimetric stability, but that these quality parameters can be confirmed with various metrics. A research unit operating at a higher dose rate performed as well as the clinical treatment units. University of Wisconsin and Accuray Inc. (vendor of TomoTherapy systems) have a research agreement which supplies funds for research to the University. This project was partially supporting with these funds.
Ambitions Interrupted: Conditionalizing Human Resources Development

As the reach of the ‘European project’ extends south and east, conditionality takes on a number of ambitions that were unthinkable in the earliest rounds of enlargement. Far from being concerned only with the bargaining of high politics, institutional rules, regulatory standards, and legal harmonization, conditionality has opened up fields of interventions in Southeastern Europe through prioritization, programming, and evaluation that now encompass projects to transform the ‘human resources’ of candidate states prior to enlargement; the overriding logic of conditionality in ‘human resources development’ has been the vision of state, society, and person articulated in neoliberal accounts of political-economic life.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGENCY THOUGHT: A CITATION ANALYSIS OF THE LITERATURE

With the advent of new bibliographic data sources and new analytical techniques, accounting historians may now trace the development of accounting thought with the aid of bibliometric analysis. The objective of this paper is to discuss a social science view of history, discuss essential bibliometric concepts, and provide an example of citation analysis applied to the literature of agency theory — to demonstrate its use in historical research.
Interpreting Productivity: Symbolic Negotiation of Gendered Faculty Career Trajectories in the United States

Growing awareness of gender disparities in rank, retention, and pay of faculty has resulted in a growing body of research seeking to assess the relative impact of factors ranging from publishing rates and funding levels to organizational climate and family responsibilities. However, few studies have focused on the microlevel symbolic processes through which faculty expectations are constructed, communicated to individuals, and applied during evaluations. We analyze in-depth interview transcripts with mid-career faculty to explore how faculty interactions result in differing symbolic meanings and interpretations of productivity articulated by male and female faculty members. We find that men articulate more conventional understandings of work and productivity aligned with Acker's (1990) gendered organizational logics, while women describe a more contested symbolic field. Divergent understandings of productivity and the processes by which they are negotiated may play a significant role in the reproduction of gendered faculty career trajectories. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding how social processes contribute to larger patterns of inequality within social institutions.
Long-Term Risk of Stroke, Seizures and Cognitive Impairment After Transient Global Amnesia: A Case-Control, Population-Based Study with Long Term Follow Up (P1.114)

Objective: To study long term risk of stroke, seizures and cognitive impairment after Transient Global Amnesia (TGA). Background: TGA is generally considered to be a benign condition. However, there are limited data available regarding the long-term incidence of stroke, seizures and cognitive impairment after an episode of TGA. Methods: All patients diagnosed with TGA in Olmsted County, Minnesota between 1985 and 2010 were ascertained from the Rochester Epidemiology Project database. TGA was defined clinically. Medical records were reviewed to assess premorbid conditions and events during follow up. Age- and sex-matched controls without TGA at baseline and with similar length of follow up were randomly selected from the same population. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher’s exact test and continuous variables using Wilcoxon rank sum test. Events of interest were studied using Kaplan Meier survival plots and log rank test. Results: 221 cases of TGA and 221 age- and sex-matched controls were included in the analysis. Mean duration of follow up was 12 years in both groups. Baseline prevalence of vascular risk factors was similar between both groups. There was no difference in history of seizures. Prior migraine was significantly more common in the TGA group (14.0[percnt] vs 5.4[percnt]; p<0.0001). No significant differences between cases and controls were found in the incidence of stroke, seizure and cognitive impairment during follow up. There was also no difference in modified Rankin scale at last follow up, nor was there any difference in mortality. When stroke, seizure or cognitive impairment occurred during follow up, there was no significant difference between cases and controls on their time of occurrence. Conclusions: The long-term risk of stroke, seizure and cognitive impairment is not increased after TGA. Migraine appears to be a risk factor for presenting TGA. Disclosure: Dr. Arena has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mandrekar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Singh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brown has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rabinstein has received royalty payments from Elsevier and Oxford University Press. Dr. Rabinstein has received research support from DJO Global.
Galileo and the Causality of Nature

The previous studies in Part III of this volume have related Galileo’s early thought to that of the Thomists, the Scotists, and the nominalists, but little thus far has been said about the Averroists, or Galileo’s relation to Arab thought generally. Yet, as was indicated in the opening essay of this volume, the Arabs had distinctive teachings on motion that strongly influenced the development of Aristotelian natural philosophy in both the medieval and the Renaissance periods. One such teaching was the concept of nature advanced by Avicenna and Averroes, and particularly their understanding of how nature itself is a cause of certain motions. As the author’s translation of Galileo’s early notebooks also makes clear, Galileo was quite aware of the positions of Averroes and other Arabs on the composition and animation of the heavenly bodies, and treated them with more than usual respect (Wallace, 1977a, pp. 103–158). Moody, in his essay on ‘Galileo and Avempace’ (1975, pp. 203–286), further speculated that Galileo’s treatment of motion was strongly influenced by Avempace, whose analysis of falling motion was known to the Latin West only through the commentary of Averroes. Thus there are good reasons for examining Galileo’s views on the causality of nature, particularly as this might reveal a preference on his part for the teachings of Averroes, Avicenna, or other Arabs on this matter, as opposed, for example, to those of Thomas Aquinas.
The focal facial dermal dysplasias: phenotypic spectrum and molecular genetic heterogeneity

Focal facial dermal dysplasias (FFDDs) are rare genetic/developmental disorders characterised by bilateral 'scar-like' facial lesions. Four subtypes are classified by the bitemporal (FFDD1-3) or preauricular (FFDD4) lesion location. FFDD1-3 are differentiated by additional facial abnormalities and inheritance patterns. Although the genetic defects causing FFDD1 and FFDD2 remain unknown, recent studies identified defects causing FFDD3 and FFDD4. Here, the clinical phenotypes, genetic defects and inheritance of the four FFDD subtypes are described. In addition, the overlapping facial abnormalities in FFDD3 and two other genetic disorders, Ablepharon macrostomia syndrome and Barber-Say syndrome, are noted. Familiarity with the FFDDs by clinicians will further delineate the phenotypes and genetic/developmental defects of these dermal facial disorders.
Workflow and Quality Assurance in Altered Fractionation

There are significant differences between courses of “altered fractionation” and those using conventional fractionation, and some of these differences can affect the type of quality assurance (QA) performed and the schedule on which it is performed. Altered fractionation has been defined elsewhere in this book and won’t be redefined here; suffice it to say that from a quality assurance perspective, changes in fractionation scheme should have no effect on the importance of quality assurance, or on the timeliness.
Do Tumor Shrinkage Patterns at Breast MR Imaging Predict Survival

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not routinely integrated into the management of luminal tumors because pathologic complete response is rarely seen at MR imaging after treatment.
Building an Open Health Data Analytics Platform: a Case Study Examining Relationships and Trends in Seniority and Performance in Healthcare Providers

With a movement toward an open data-driven approach, governments worldwide are releasing public data in an effort to increase transparency. Despite the availability of this data, many factors make it difficult for anyone to extract knowledge from it. The relationship between seniority and performance is a controversial issue in many fields; using an open and reproducible framework, we investigate the relationship in open healthcare data. Using data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services covering 895,000 practitioners and 3000 hospitals, weak but statistically significant correlations between graduation year, a proxy for seniority, and the hospital value-based performance score were found in 29 of 74 specialties (Spearman rank correlation values < 0.164, p value < 0.05). This result represents 7% of US healthcare practitioners and over 75% of medical practitioners in several specialties. With 5 years of data (2009–2014) from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), we found weak but statistically significant correlations between graduation year and cardiac surgery outcome measures (Spearman rank correlation value − 0.096, p value < 0.0005). An unsupervised clustering K-means-based algorithm for finding outliers was also applied to these datasets. It captured a unique trend in the number of nurse practitioners which was increasing rapidly since 2010. It also revealed consistencies in practitioner placement throughout hospitals. Our findings suggest that the training of healthcare professionals appears to be robust and positions them for long-lasting and consistent careers across the majority of specialties.
Tone detection of Thai phonemes for home robot based on fundamental frequency analysis with dynamic time warping

In the near future, Thailand will become an aging society. Elderly person will live at home alone because the descendant must go to work at their office. So, their need an assistant from home robot for their daily life activity. Home robot needs command from user, so that speech recognition is needed. In order to process all time event without Internet, therefore embedded system is required. However, Thai language is tonal language which one word can be proposed as five tones. To understand Thai commands, home robot need to recognize Thai tones. In this research we focus on the development of home robot in service and recreation. The robot can manage the house, care for human beings, as well as friends and playmates. The home robot can interact with humans in many ways, such as a screen or a conversation. Humans have been communicating with robots for a long time in other languages such as English, Japanese and Chinese. In Thai language, the robot can communicate with humans as well, but it must be online and require high processing power. In this paper, we focus on offline processing and the use of low processing. This paper is one part of the speech recognition of Thai phonemes for home robot based on formants analysis with a neural network. The fundamental frequency is a major factor in the tone detection of Thai language. It will be presented by analyzing the equations called tone rules that represent the five tons, after that will compare it with test phonemes speech by using dynamic time warping. The experimental results showed that the tonal detection correct in Thai language as 88 percent.
Dense Cellular Network Analysis With LoS/NLoS Propagation and Bounded Path Loss Model

In this letter, we analyze the coverage probability in the dense wireless networks. This letter is based on channel models that incorporate line-of-sight (LoS)/non-line-of-sight (NLoS) propagation and use the bounded path loss model (BPM). Further by using the dominant base station (BS)-based approach, the conditional distributions of inter-cell interference in the dense network is derived. Compared with the existing works where the interference is normally characterized by its Laplace transform, the dominant BS-based approximation together with the BPM and LoS/NLoS channel models is more convenient and also more accurate to evaluate new 5G wireless technologies, such as radio frequency energy harvesting and simultaneous information and energy transfer. The numerical results show that the developed analytical model achieves a high accuracy for studying the performance of dense cellular networks.
Nutrition, Growth, and Respiration

While the exact nutritional requirements for Paramecium have been discovered, as described in Chapter 4, in nature the nutritional needs must be met by food obtained from the environment. Bacteria of different kinds are the chief food source, but not all species of bacteria support growth of Paramecium. Paramecia also ingest other living microorganisms, including yeast cells, unicellular algae, and flagellates, and many kinds of nonliving organic and inorganic digestible and indigestible substances such as milk powder, starch grains, carmine, talc, Chinese ink, and powdered charcoal. The early reports in the literature bearing on the materials ingested by paramecia are extensive (see Wichterman, 1953b).
What have we Learned from Longitudinal Studies of Work and Crime

This review paper considers the connection between employment and criminal behavior. We first examine theories that suggest a link between work and crime at different life course stages. Next, longitudinal studies and statistical approaches to specifying the relationship are discussed. Results of existing studies are organized into discussions of work intensity and adolescent delinquency, job characteristics and crime, and unemployment and crime rates.We then offer a more focused discussion of ex-offenders and reentry. The paper concludes with a brief summary of what has been learned, suggesting that investments in longitudinal investigations have yielded important new knowledge about when and how work matters for crime and delinquency.
THE APPLICATION OF SPLINE FUNCTIONS TO THE PHARMACOKINETIC ANALYSIS OF METHOTREXATE INFUSED INTO MALIGNANT EFFUSIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the application of spline functions to the pharmacokinetic analysis of methotrexate infused into malignant effusions. It discusses how spline functions can be used in smoothing intrinsically variable data arising from pharmacokinetic experiments. This technique can be especially useful in the initial or exploratory stages of the analyses of such data and can be helpful in ascertaining the suitability of tentatively held models. By providing continuous values of the concentrations and their derivatives through time, the plausibility of a first order linear kinetic model can be examined. A particularly convenient representation for spline functions with a given breakpoint sequence is made by the B-spline basis.
Analysis of Failed Ankle Arthroplasty Components

Background: Although advances in joint-replacement technology have made total ankle arthroplasty a viable treatment for end-stage arthritis, revision rates for ankle replacements are higher than in hip or knee replacements. The questions asked in this study were what can retrieved ankle devices demonstrate about ankle arthroplasty failures and how can understanding the causes of these failures inform clinical decisions for current and future ankle arthroplasty patients? Methods: An IRB-approved retrieval laboratory received retrieved components and surgeon-supplied reason for revision from 70 total-ankles (7 designs, including 5 currently marketed designs) from 2002 to 2018. These retrievals were rated for clinical wear and damage. Metal components were rated by method and effectiveness of fixation. Polyethylene inserts received by the laboratory 6 months or less after retrieval (n = 45) were analyzed for oxidation using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS, version 22. Results: The ankle implants were retrieved most commonly for loosening and polyethylene fracture. Loosening occurred more frequently in fixed-bearing designs (n = 18) than in the mobile-bearing designs (n = 4) and after shorter in vivo time (mean in vivo time to retrieval for loosening: fixed bearing 3.2 ± 2.1 years, mobile bearing 9.7 ± 4.5 years). Gamma-sterilized ankle inserts oxidized at a higher rate than non-gamma (EtO or gas-plasma) sterilized ankle inserts (gamma 0.29 ± 0.22/y, non-gamma 0.07 ± 0.05/y, mean difference=0.215, 95% CI 0.128-0.303, P Conclusions: This study suggests that loosening could be more of a problem in fixed-bearing devices than in mobile bearing devices. Gamma-sterilized polyethylene inserts were found to suffer fatigue damage or fracture in vivo, resulting in the need for revision. Retrieval analysis can provide insight into implant-related reasons for revision, with the goal of understanding the implant-related causes of these failures, informing future ankle design and clinical decisions for current and future ankle arthroplasty patients. Level of evidence: Level III, comparative series.
Impact of a Massage Therapy Intervention for Pediatric Palliative Care Patients and Their Family Caregivers.

Context:All inpatient children receiving pediatric palliative care consults at a free-standing children’s hospital.Objectives:To explore the impact of massage therapy on pediatric palliative care p...
Alarming and/or Alerting Device Effectiveness in Reducing Falls in Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities? A Systematic Review

Perceptions against the use of alarming devices persist in long-term care environments as they are seen as annoying, costly, and a waste of time to the staff involved. Ascertaining whether these perceptions are true or false via the literature was a focus of this study. Proper information to educate staff and to work past these perceptions can be a positive effector for resident safety. Many facilitators for the use of alarming devices were found, as well as many barriers to their use as well. New technology is changing the perceptions regarding these types of devices as time passes. Education is a key component for staff, residents, and families. There are “traditional” issues with the use of alarms such as alarm fatigue by caregivers, high costs of implementation, and issues with proper implementation of alarms. Alarms are perceived as intrusive and the noise from them can be a potential cause of falls. However, alarming devices can be a key intervention in the safety of those residents who are prone to falls. This requires proper implementation and education for all parties involved, and proper oversight surrounding use of the devices.
Effects of peer-mentoring on stress and anxiety levels of undergraduate nursing students: An integrative review.

Abstract Background Nursing students, whether undergraduate or graduate, are at a higher risk for stress and anxiety due to competitiveness and complexities of nursing school. There is evidence in the literature on the effects of peer mentoring among nursing students. Peer mentoring has been associated with increased retention, student engagement, and skills competence among nursing students. There is, however, paucity in the literature about peer mentoring's effect on stress and anxiety levels of undergraduate nursing students. Purpose To examine the literature on the effect of peer mentoring on stress and anxiety levels among undergraduate nursing students. Theoretical framework Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory was used to guide this review. Method An integrative review of the literature was conducted. Electronic databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and ERIC using keywords: nurse*, student*, undergrad*, stress and nursing students, anxiety and nursing students, and mentor*. Review was limited to peer reviewed articles published in the English language from January 2000 to August 2018. Articles were independently reviewed by three authors, and the quality of data was evaluated using established criteria. Results Eight articles were included in the review. Review suggested that peer mentoring decreases stress, and situation or short-term anxiety levels of undergraduate nursing students. However, results should be interpreted with caution based on limited studies identified.
Clinical Relevance and Practical Approach for Challenging Rectal Cancer MRI Findings

MRI is the standard of care for clinical staging of rectal cancer, but has limitations. The purpose of this review is to describe and simplify the clinical relevance of common challenging findings on rectal cancer MRI, and to outline a practical approach to these findings for radiologists. Recent literature regarding T2 versus T3 stages, extramural depth of invasion, circumferential resection margin/mesorectal fascia involvement, anal sphincter involvement, anterior peritoneal reflection involvement, extramural vascular invasion, and lymph node involvement are reviewed. These findings are structured by the surgical implications, oncological implications, and prognostic implications, with a practical approach summary for each finding. The clinical implications of common challenging rectal cancer MRI findings are summarized with up-to-date supporting evidence and useful suggestions for practicing radiologists.
Highly Efficient, Octave-Spanning Mid-Infrared OPA in ZnGeP 2 Pumped by a Femtosecond Cr:ZnSe Laser

We present octave-spanning femtosecond mid-infrared optical parametric amplification in ZnGeP 2 , pumped by a 2.4 μm Cr:ZnSe chirped-pulse amplifier. The full spectral coverage of 3-10 μm and a conversion efficiency of up to 23% have been obtained.
Probing cardiomyocyte mobility with multi-phase cardiac diffusion tensor MRI.

PURPOSE Cardiomyocyte organization and performance underlie cardiac function, but the in vivo mobility of these cells during contraction and filling remains difficult to probe. Herein, a novel trigger delay (TD) scout sequence was used to acquire high in-plane resolution (1.6 mm) Spin-Echo (SE) cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) at three distinct cardiac phases. The objective was to characterize cardiomyocyte organization and mobility throughout the cardiac cycle in healthy volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nine healthy volunteers were imaged with cDTI at three distinct cardiac phases (early systole, late systole, and diastasis). The sequence used a free-breathing Spin-Echo (SE) cDTI protocol (b-values = 350s/mm2, twelve diffusion encoding directions, eight repetitions) to acquire high-resolution images (1.6x1.6x8mm3) at 3T in ~7 minutes/cardiac phase. Helix Angle (HA), Helix Angle Range (HAR), E2 angle (E2A), Transverse Angle (TA), Mean Diffusivity (MD), diffusion tensor eigenvalues (λ1-2-3), and Fractional Anisotropy (FA) in the left ventricle (LV) were characterized. RESULTS Images from the patient-specific TD scout sequence demonstrated that SE cDTI acquisition was possible at early systole, late systole, and diastasis in 78%, 100% and 67% of the cases, respectively. At the mid-ventricular level, mobility (reported as median [IQR]) was observed in HAR between early systole and late systole (76.9 [72.6, 80.5]° vs 96.6 [85.9, 100.3]°, p<0.001). E2A also changed significantly between early systole, late systole, and diastasis (27.7 [20.8, 35.1]° vs 45.2 [42.1, 49]° vs 20.7 [16.6, 26.4]°, p<0.001). CONCLUSION We demonstrate that it is possible to probe cardiomyocyte mobility using multi-phase and high resolution cDTI. In healthy volunteers, aggregate cardiomyocytes re-orient themselves more longitudinally during contraction, while cardiomyocyte sheetlets tilt radially during wall thickening. These observations provide new insights into the three-dimensional mobility of myocardial microstructure during systolic contraction.
A differential participation of voltage gated sodium channels is related to the selective efficacy of carbamazepine in trigeminal neuralgia

This study is based on the clinical observations that a subpopulation of patients suffering from classical trigeminal neuralgia are responsive to the anti-seizure, voltage-gated Na+ channel (VGSC)-blocking drugs carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbamazepine while these drugs have failed to demonstrate efficacy in clinical trials with other neuropathic pain conditions, even those associated with nerve compression injuries. Furthermore, with preclinical evidence of afferent subpopulation specific responses to injury, we hypothesized that the therapeutic selectivity of carbamazepine for TN reflects the unique combination of injury-induced changes in VGSCs in the trigeminal nerve. We found that potency and efficacy of CBZ-induced inhibition of the compound action potential (CAP) was increased following chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the infraorbital nerve (ION), but not of the sciatic nerve (SN).. The potency of CBZ-induced block of the CAP evoked in human spinal nerves was comparable to the SN from rats, but was more potent in the block of the CAP evoked in human trigeminal nerves. Among different VGSCs blockers evaluated, the efficacy of ICA121431 (Nav 1.1 and 1.3 blocker) was significantly greater in the inhibition of the Ab and C components of the ION CAP compared to the SN CAP from the sham group, and CCI of the ION but not SN was associated with an increase in efficacy and potency of ICA121431 on the inhibition of the Ab and C components of the CAP. A CCI-induced increase in Nav 1.1-like immunoreactivity was detected with western blot of protein extracted from the ION, while a CCI-induced increase in Nav 1.3-like immunoreactivity was detected in the SN. Finally, local administration of ICA121431 on the ION alleviated mechanical hypersensitivity in rats with ION-CCI. Our results are consistent with our initial hypothesis and suggest that the therapeutic selectivity of CBZ is related to a differential regulation of the VGSC. This work was supported by generous donations from TN patients and family members as well as NIH grant R01NS064988.
Modeling Neural Variability in Deep Networks with Dropout

ABSTRACT Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been used to model the biological visual system. Compared to other models, CNNs can better capture neural responses to natural stimuli. However, previous successes are limited to modeling mean responses; while another fundamental aspect of cortical activity, namely response variability, is ignored. How the CNN models capture neural variability properties remains unknown. Previous computational neuroscience studies showed that the response variability can have a functional role, and found that the correlation structure (especially noise correlation) influences the amount of information in the population code. However, CNN models are typically deterministic, so noise (and correlations) in CNN models have not been studied. In this study, we developed a CNN model of visual cortex that includes neural variability. The model includes Monte Carlo dropout, namely a random subset of units is silenced at each presentation of the input image, inducing variability in the model. We found that our model captured a wide-range of neural variability findings in electrophysiology experiments, including that response mean and variance scale together, noise correlations are small but positive on average, both evoked and spontaneous noise correlation are larger for neurons with similar tuning, and the noise covariance is low-dimensional. Further, we found that removing the correlation can boost trial-by-trial decoding performance in the CNN model.
Machine intelligence in non-invasive endocrine cancer diagnostics

Artificial intelligence (AI) has illuminated a clear path towards an evolving health-care system replete with enhanced precision and computing capabilities. Medical imaging analysis can be strengthened by machine learning as the multidimensional data generated by imaging naturally lends itself to hierarchical classification. In this Review, we describe the role of machine intelligence in image-based endocrine cancer diagnostics. We first provide a brief overview of AI and consider its intuitive incorporation into the clinical workflow. We then discuss how AI can be applied for the characterization of adrenal, pancreatic, pituitary and thyroid masses in order to support clinicians in their diagnostic interpretations. This Review also puts forth a number of key evaluation criteria for machine learning in medicine that physicians can use in their appraisals of these algorithms. We identify mitigation strategies to address ongoing challenges around data availability and model interpretability in the context of endocrine cancer diagnosis. Finally, we delve into frontiers in systems integration for AI, discussing automated pipelines and evolving computing platforms that leverage distributed, decentralized and quantum techniques.
New Vistas in Anesthetics, IV Induction Agents

Since the advent of thiopental in the 1930s, there has been a proliferation of intravenous induction agents used in anesthesia practices. While all of these induction agents share the common features of rapid sedation and hypnosis, they all have side effects that are both common to all and unique to the specific class of pharmacologic drug. This chapter will focus on the most popular anesthetic classes currently and will introduce several new and, perhaps, improved induction agents that may provide more reliable sedation with more predictable recovery and more limited side effects.
Gangrene of the buttock: a complication of umbilical artery catheterization.

A case is described of necrosis of a portion of the buttock following on misdirection of an umbilical artery catheter into a distal division of the internal iliac artery. The need for radiologic localization of the position of the catheter is reaffirmed.
Radiative rho meson decay

The radiative decays of the charged and neutral ρ meson are discussed assuming that the decay vertices are dominated by the low-mass ππ and ωπ intermediate states. The transitions ρ→π+γ, ρ0→π++π−+γ, ρ0→π0+π0+γ, ρ+,−→π+,−+π0+γ and ρ0→η+γ are considered in detail. The probability for the emission of a photon with energy exceeding 15 MeV in the process ρ0→π++π−+γ relative to the 2π decay is found to be 1.7×10−2, indicating that the (2π+γ) decay width is comparable or greater than the (π+γ) one. The internal bremsstrahlung and direct emission processes are included in the calculation of the various partial widths.
Virtual reality vr and psychotherapy: Opportunities and challenges

Virtual reality technology is now being used to provide exposure and desensitization for a number of phobic conditions. In this paper, we first review these current applications and discuss the work needed to refine and expand these applications to phobias. We then comment briefly on some preliminary applications of VR technology to mental-health problems outside the domain of phobias. Finally, we consider ways in which VR might be used to further enhance psychotherapy and assist in the treatment of a wide variety of disorders. Various possible interventions are discussed, along with the technological developments needed to make them possible.
Comparison of human and sheep chorion laeve permeability to glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate, and glycerol

Abstract Significant permeability of in vitro human chorion laeve to glucose, glycerol, and β-hydroxybutyrate (βOH butyrate) and in vitro sheep chorion laeve to glycerol and βOH butyrate was measured. Diffusion across these tissues of glycerol and βOH butyrate corresponded to the relative molecular size, charge, and lipid solubility of these compounds. The simple diffusion of glucose across human chorion laeve was somewhat reduced by metabolic conversion of this compound during the transfer process. Demonstration of in vitro human placental tissue permeability to ketoacids and glycerol suggests that these compounds cross to the fetus when elevated in the maternal diabetic state.
THE HOME ENVIRONMENT IN THE ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING DISABILITIES

The purpose of the present article is to advocate that in view of the difficulty involved in predicting learning disability by looking at the early behavior of the child, serious consideration must...
A wireless sensory feedback system for real-time gait modification

Current rehabilitation technology and techniques have proven effective at modifying and correcting gait abnormalities. They are however limited to laboratory and clinical settings, under the supervision of a specialist. Conventional techniques for quantifying gait asymmetries can be combined with sensory feedback methods to provide an intuitive and inexpensive feedback system for extra-clinical rehabilitation. A wireless feedback system has been designed to collect gait information, process it in real-time, and provide corrective feedback to the user. The corrective feedback can be presented through visual, audible, or vibrotactile methods, or a combination thereof. Initial results have led to improvement in the sensory interface of the device to maximize the corrective influence on inexperienced subjects. These preliminary findings suggest that the wireless feedback device can influence the gait of the user, and effectively adapt to their personal feedback preferences.
Business Intelligence: Attribute and Feature Demand

Data mining and business intelligence tools have been adding features and gaining uses, and statistical tools developed for data mining tasks often require advanced knowledge and training to apply. Development of these selected tools requires tradeoffs in ease of use and power. This study asks users to evaluate the various tools and attributes to identify the relative value of the various components and provide direction for improvements and new tools. Evaluating multi-attribute software is a challenging task, and this study provides a method of evaluating the data and analyzing tradeoffs. A structured equation model (SEM) is applied to the process. Each of the existing tools evaluated have different relative strengths, so it is important to match the organizationâ€™s primary tasks to the relative strengths of the tool.
Tagging genes and trapping promoters in Toxoplasma gondii by insertional mutagenesis

Plasmid vectors that incorporate sequence elements from the dehydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) locus of Toxoplasma gondii integrate into the parasite genome with remarkably high frequency (>1% of transfected parasites). These vectors may-but need not-include mutant DHFR-TS alleles that confer pyrimethamine resistance to transgenic parasites. Large genomic constructs integrate at the endogenous locus by homologous recombination, but cDNA-derived sequences lacking long stretches of contiguous genomic DNA (due to intron excision) typically integrate into chromosomal DNA by nonhomologous recombination. Nonhomologous integration occurs effectively at random; and coupled with the high frequency of transformation, this allows a large fraction of the parasite genome to be tagged in a single electroporation cuvette. Genomic tagging permits insertional mutagenesis studies conceptually analogous to transposon mutagenesis in bacteria, yeast, Drosophila, etc. In theory (and, thus far, in practice), this allows identification of any gene whose inactivation is not lethal to the haploid tachyzoite form of T. gondii and for which a suitable selection or screen is available. Transformation vectors can be engineered to facilitate rescue of the tagged locus and to include a variety of reporters or selectable markers. Genetic strategies are also possible, using reporters whose function can be assayed by metabolic, visual, or immunological screens to "trap" genes that are activated (or inactivated) under various conditions of interest.
Software agents: an overview

Agent software is a rapidly developing area of research. However, the overuse of the word ‘agent’ has tended to mask the fact that, in reality, there is a truly heterogeneous body of research being carried out under this banner. This overview paper presents a typology of agents. Next, it places agents in context, defines them and then goes on, inter alia, to overview critically the rationales, hypotheses, goals, challenges and state-of-the-art demonstrators of the various agent types in our typology. Hence, it attempts to make explicit much of what is usually implicit in the agents literature. It also proceeds to overview some other general issues which pertain to all the types of agents in the typology. This paper largely reviews software agents, and it also contains some strong opinions that are not necessarily widely accepted by the agent community.
A Temperature-Dependent Two-Dimensional Condensation Transition during Langmuir−Blodgett Deposition

Langmuir−Blodgett monolayers, deposited from a Langmuir monolayer (on the water surface) in a two-dimensional liquid (LE) state, were examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission infr...
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist-induced pituitary apoplexy in treatment of prostate cancer: case report and review of literature.

Objective: To describe a case and review the literature on the rare complication of pituitary apoplexy after administration of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) for treatment of pati...
Titration of sodium channel sites for hydrogen ion block and sensitized photochemical modification of lobster axons.

Abstract The pH dependence for sensitized photochemical block of sodium channels in lobster giant axons was determined and compared with direct channel block by protons. Isolated axons were studied in a double sucrose gap voltage clamp arrangement and the pH of the external bath was varied over the range 4.1–11.0. Irreversible photochemical block was achieved by illumination with visible light in the presence of eosin Y or acridine orange. The rate constant for photochemical block of sodium channels was depressed at both high and low pH relative to that at neutral pH, revealing the existence of two receptors involved in the process with p K values of 4.8 and 10.4. A direct reversible channel-blocking receptor titrates with a p K of 4.8, the same as one of the receptors involved in the photochemical block, and senses about 9% of the electric field as determined by a Woodhull analysis. Lowering the pH from 8.2 to 4.6 shifted the sodium conductance versus voltage relation in the depolarizing direction. It is proposed as a hypothesis that the low and high p K receptors are histidine imidazole and primary amino groups, photooxidation of which leads to channel block via cross-linking of channel proteins.
Anesthetic considerations for bilateral lung transplantation in Mounier-Kuhn syndrome.

OUNIER-KUHN SYNDROME (MKS), or tracheobronchomegaly, is a rare disorder of unknown etiology that is characterized by marked dilation of the trachea and major bronchi, due to severe atrophy and thinning, as well as absence of elastic fibers and smooth muscular fibers of the large airways. 1 This syndrome commonly presents in men in the third or fourth decade of life. It is marked by weakness of the membranous and cartilaginous parts of the trachea and main bronchi leading to an insufficient cough, mucous retention, and tracheobronchial wall collapse during respiration. Symptoms can range from well-preserved lung function to refractory respiratory failure. There are fewer than 100 case reports in the literature with only 2 reports of successful lung transplantation for patients with this syndrome. 1–3 Herein, the authors present a case of a patient diagnosed with MKS presenting for bilateral lung transplantation and describe the one-lung ventilation (OLV) strategies that were attempted and utilized.