cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elastic wave propagation in anisotropic crustal material possessing arbitrary internal tilt

SUMMARY Geological causes of crustal anisotropy include regional fractures and cracks, isotropic heterogeneity or layering and material composition and textural properties. In addition, shear or metamorphic foliations in fault zones or structural terranes can serve as proxies for intracrustal deformation in a manner analogous to the lattice-preferred orientation of olivine produced by mantle shear. The primary factor in the production of crustal anisotropy is the relative angle between a seismic wave and the (dipping) symmetry axes of crustal material as either change along the propagation ray path. Complex and heterogeneous, crustal material is not necessarily oriented with vertical/horizontal symmetry axes, but is more normally tilted in accordance with structure. Calculation of the anisotropic response to material tilt for elastic seismic wave propagation requires rotation of the stiffness tensors describing the crustal material. We examine the alteration of anisotropic stiffness tensors and provide rotation directional cosines based on geological measurements. Material tilt produces strong effects in examples of 2-D and 3-D finite-difference synthetic seismograms that might otherwise be attributed to velocities or structure in other regions of the crust or mantle.
End of life in the Burn/Trauma unit: A nursing perspective

The issues related to end of life decisions and mortality in the intensive care unit are common occurrences for the nursing staff. For the Critical Care/Burn nurse, issues such as who should be resuscitated, what are the end points of treatment, and what will be the quality of life for the patient if he/she survives are major factors in end of life decisions. Furthermore, the close relationships that can develop between the nurse and the patient and/or the patient's family make end of life decisions emotionally difficult. Unlike the other members of the multidisciplinary team, the nurses spend more time with the dying patient and his/her family, answering questions, explaining the care and course of the illness, and assisting the patient and family in understanding what the doctors have said. Repeated explanations are needed because the family and patient are under tremendous stress. Nurses experience emotional distress and need to develop resilience to continue to care for and work with patients approaching the end stages of life. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review the literature and use a case scenario to illustrate the challenges the Critical Care/Burn nurse faces when caring for the dying patient.
Moving particle finite element method

This paper presents the fundamental concepts behind the moving particle finite element method, which combines salient features of finite element and meshfree methods. The proposed method alleviates certain problems that plague meshfree techniques, such as essential boundary condition enforcement and the use of a separate background mesh to integrate the weak form. The method is illustrated via two-dimensional linear elastic problems. Numerical examples are provided to show the capability of the method in benchmark problems. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cost analysis of super-channel based colorless, directionless and contentionless (CDC) ROADM architectures

This paper compares the incremental cost of CDC features in super-channel based and wavelength based ROADM architectures. A real world network model analysis shows fewer network components and less incremental cost with super-channel CDC ROADM.
Engagement of CD45 during in vitro priming enhances antigen-specific Th cell frequencies

CD45 is a transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase expressed by all lymphoid cells including T cells. Substantial experimental data has shown that CD45 maintains a permissive state for TCR signaling. The highly glycosylated extracellular domain of CD45 may be the site of Interaction with regulatory lectin-like counter-receptors on antigen-presenting cells. The mAb NDA5, recognizing a unique but broadly distributed epltope of CD45, was used to study the possible immunoregulatory role of CD45 during antl-CD3 and antigen-specific CD4+ T cell activation. In vitro priming of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with peptlde antigens in the presence of mAb NDA5 results in a higher frequency of antigen-specific T cells. The responses of both naive and memory T cells to peptide antigens were sensitive to mAb NDA5-enhanced priming. Anti-CD3 activation of normal resting T cells, in the presence of mAb NDA5, resulted In enhancement of tyrosine phoaphorylation of specific intracellular proteins associated with TCR signal transduction. In cultures without antigen, mAb NDA5 down-regulated the cell surface expression of both CD3 and CD4, yet did not stimulate proliferation of resting T cells. Together these results suggest that engagement of CD45 during in vitro priming has a significant effect on the development of antigen-specific T cell populations.
Evaluation of the Annual Cycle of Precipitation over the United States in GCMs: AMIP Simulations

Abstract The monthly mean precipitation patterns of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project decadal simulations over the United States and adjoining oceans are intercompared. A simple harmonic analysis of the 12-month seasonal mean precipitation values and a principal component (PC) analysis of the 120 monthly values were carried out. Emphasis is placed on the basic seasonal variation for three subregions: the eastern and central United States and the U.S. west coast. It is vital for GCM simulations to accurately portray the seasonal cycle. The results indicate the following. 1) There are problems for almost all the models in capturing the seasonal variation of the precipitation over the eastern United States. The models typically overemphasize the summer–spring rainfall amounts. The PC analysis indicates that many of the models tend to extend the precipitation regime typical of the central United States too far to the east, resulting in a precipitation maxima occurring in the summer for the eastern...
HIV epidemic and human rights among men who have sex with men in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for HIV prevention, care, and surveillance

Recent research has presented evidence that men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of HIV and are at increased risk for HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, many countries in SSA have failed to address the needs of MSM in national HIV/AIDS programmes. Furthermore, many MSM face structural barriers to HIV prevention and care, the most significant of which include laws that criminalise male-to-male sexual contact and facilitate stigma and discrimination. This in turn increases the vulnerability of MSM to acquiring HIV and presents barriers to HIV prevention, care, and surveillance. This relationship illustrates the link between human rights, social justice, and health outcomes and presents considerable challenges to addressing the HIV epidemic among MSM in SSA. The response to the HIV epidemic in SSA requires a non-discriminatory human rights approach to all at-risk groups, including MSM. Existing international human rights treaties, to which many SSA countries are signatories, and a 'health in all policies' approach provides a strong basis to reduce structural barriers to HIV prevention, care, surveillance, and research, and to ensure that all populations in SSA, including MSM, have access to the full range of rights that help ensure equal opportunities for health and wellness.
Distinct values estimators for power law distributions

The number of distinct values in a relation is an important statistic for database query optimization. As databases have grown in size, scalability of distinct values estimators has become extremely important, since a naive linear scan through the data is no longer feasible. An approach that scales very well involves taking a sample of the data, and performing the estimate on the sample. Unfortunately, it has been shown that obtaining estimators with guaranteed small error bounds requires an extremely large sample size in the worst case. On the other hand, it is typically the case that the data is not worst-case, but follows some form of a Power Law or Zipfian distribution. We exploit data distribution assumptions to devise distinct-values estimators with analytic error guarantees for Zipfian distributions. Our estimators are the first to have the required number of samples depend only on the number of distinct values present, D, and not the database size, n. This allows the estimators to scale well with the size of the database, particularly if the growth is due to multiple copies of the data. In addition to theoretical analysis, we also provide experimental evidence of the effectiveness of our estimators by benchmarking their performance against previously best known heuristic and analytic estimators on both synthetic and real-world datasets.
Novel Copolymers of Styrene. 5. Methyl and Methoxy Ring-Disubstituted Butyl 2-Cyano-3-Phenyl-2-Propenoates

Novel trisubstituted ethylenes, methyl and methoxy ring-disubstituted butyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2C4H9 (where R is 2,4-dimethyl, 2,5-dimethyl, 2,6-dimethyl, 3,5-dimethyl, 2,3-dimethoxy, 2,4-dimethoxy, 2,5-dimethoxy, 2,6-dimethoxy, 3,4-dimethoxy, and 3,5-dimethoxy) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The monomers were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and butyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C-NMR. All the ethylenes were copolymerized with styrene in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis and the structures were analyzed by IR, 1H and 13C-NMR. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200–500oC range with residue (0.7-4.0% wt.), which then decomposed in the 500-800oC range.
Pulmonary vein ablation of atrial fibrillation: Beyond the traditional

The present review aims at giving a synthesis on the evolution in the last decade of the catheter-based ablative treatments for atrial fibrillation (AF). We report the rationale of current pulmonary vein (PV) ablation techniques: segmental PV isolation and circumferential PV ablation. The endpoint is the electrical isolation of the PVs from the left atrium, as they house foci triggering AF in 80% to 95% of cases and seem to play a key role in arrhythmia maintenance. Recurrence rates of AF after these PV ablation strategies are very encouraging. Two recent randomized trials, AFFIRM and RACE, showed no significant difference in outcomes between a strategy of pharmacological heart rate control and that of restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm with antiarrhythmic drugs. However, multicenter randomized trials comparing PV ablation with drug therapy are required. Future refinements in catheter technology and navigation systems should provide simpler and faster procedures and render PV ablation more widespread and accepted from the scientific and medical communities.
Dexamethasone enhances ras-recision gene expression in cultured murine fetal lungs: role in development.

We have shown that dexamethasone (Dex) accelerates maturation and differentiation of cultured fetal murine lungs (Cilley RE, Zgleszewski SE, Krummel TM, and Chinoy MR. Surg Forum 47: 692–695, 1996)...
Bactericidal Properties of the Acyl and Alkyl Derivatives of Resorcinol

In 1913 Johnson and Hodge2 reported the synthesis of ethyl resorcinol and n-propyl resorcinol. The biological examination of these substances by Rettger and Leonard3 showed that n-propyl resorcinol possessed distinctly more bactericidal activity than either resorcinol or ethyl resorcinol and that it might be administered to laboratory animals without toxic effect. Johnson and Lane in 19214 reported the synthesis of n-butyl resorcinol. This derivative was found to be more active as a bactericide than the propyl compound. In cooperation with Leonard in his investigations in urinary antisepsis, Dohme, Cox, and Miller" have prepared in pure crystalline form the alkyl resorcinols together with their intermediate ketones from n-propyl resorcinol to n-tridecyl resorcinol. They have also synthesized the iso-butyl, iso-amyl and iso-hexyl derivatives as well as their corresponding ketones. In 1924 Leonard6 reported the experimental properties of the alkyl resorcinols as urinary antiseptics. The results of this investigation are in accord with the orignial hypothesis that in these componds there is a marked rise in bactericidal efficiency accompanying the increased sum of the atomic weights in the alkyl chain. Leonard found, further, that no increase in toxicity accompanied these large increases in bactericidal power. According to this work, n-hexyl resorcinol was placed at the peak of the series, n-heptyl resorcinol showed a distinct drop in bactericidal efficiency, and the n-octyl derivative was found to be entirely devoid of germicidal properties. Leonard and Frobisher7 in 1926 observed that n-hexyl resorcinol is a powerful surface tension reducent. This observation was brought about in attempting to explain why this drug, although equally as bactericidal in alkaline and in acid urine in vitro, apparently lost its activity as an antiseptic in vivo when sodium bicarbonate was administered at the same time. It was definitely determined that the administration of sodium bicarbonate was contraindicated
Air–Water Fluxes of N2O and CH4 during Microalgae (Staurosira sp.) Cultivation in an Open Raceway Pond

The industrial-scale production of biofuels from cultivated microalgae has gained considerable interest in the last several decades. While the climate benefits of microalgae cultivation that result from the capture of atmospheric CO(2) are known, the counteracting effect from the potential emission of other greenhouse gases has not been well quantified. Here, we report the results of a study conducted at an industrial pilot facility in Hawaii to determine the air-water fluxes of N(2)O and CH(4) from open raceway ponds used to grow the marine diatom Staurosira sp. as a feedstock for biofuel. Dissolved O(2), CH(4), and N(2)O concentrations were measured over a 24 h cycle. During this time, four SF(6) tracer release experiments were conducted to quantify gas transfer velocities in the ponds, and these were then used to calculate air-water fluxes. Our results show that pond waters were consistently supersaturated with CH(4) (up to 725%) resulting in an average emission of 19.9 ± 5.6 μmol CH(4) m(-2) d(-1). Upon NO(3)(-) depletion, the pond shifted from being a source to being a sink of N(2)O, with an overall net uptake during the experimental period of 3.4 ± 3.5 μmol N(2)O m(-2) d(-1). The air-water fluxes of N(2)O and CH(4) expressed as CO(2) equivalents of global warming potential were 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the overall CO(2) uptake by the microalgae.
Eventration of the diaphragm on radionuclide ventriculography.

A 67-year-old man was referred for a radionuclide ventriculogram because of progressive dyspnea. Although the radionuclide ventriculogram demonstrated normal systolic left ventricular function, a large focus of extracardiac activity lateral and posterior to the heart was unexpected. A chest radiograph and subsequent CT scan revealed eventration of the left hemidiaphragm with clear lung fields and no evidence of a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation. The scintigraphic abnormality was caused by physiologic blood pool activity within the spleen, which was displaced upward due to the congenitally hypoplastic diaphragm.
Study on Numerical Simulation of Semi-solid Thixotropic Forming Process of SiC_P/AZ61 Composite

Deform software was performed to simulate semi-solid thixotropic forming SiCP/AZ61 composite.The stress distribution,strain distribution and working load during the forming were analyzed by comparing with normal forming SiCP/AZ61 composite.The results show that SiCP/AZ61 composite has some advantages of small forming resistance,well-distributed stress and strain,the flow of materials,and the performance of forming are better than normal forming SiCP/AZ61,the complicated shape parts can be formed in one time deforming.
Auditor's Characteristics,Audit Quality and the Auditor's Operational Efficiency

We first make an attempt to explore the operational efficiency of the auditors during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan by using the data envelopment analysis method.And then we carry out an empirical test of the characteristics of auditors which have an effect on the operational efficiency.The empirical results show that China's firm operational efficiency remains at a low level.And the efficiency of the "big four" accounting firms is much higher than that of the domestic firm's average level,but the latter is gradually narrowing the gap.Features of organization,economy,and technology,as well as features of auditors have a significant correlation with auditors' operational efficiency.Audit quality has a significant negative correlation with auditors' operational efficiency.These conclusions show that currently CPA industry is implementing a bigger and stronger strategy which is helpful to raise the level of firms' operational efficiency.Measures should be taken to raise the audit fees to a reasonable level.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Viral Hepatitis in Guangzhou in 2006

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of viral hepatitis in Guangzhou in 2006 and to formulate preventive and control measures.Method Data from the Annual Report of Infectious Disease in Guangzhou and the surveillance results of hepatitis B infection among women at reproductive age in Guangzhou were analyzed.Result In 2006 the incidence rate of viral hepatitis in Guangzhou was 119.5/105 and the mortality rate was 0.3/105.The majority was viral hepatitis B,accounting for 76.2% of the classified hepatitis.The incidence rate of hepatitis B was 83.2/105.Only 200 viral hepatitis B cases were reported from the age group of 15 years,accounting for 3.2%.Of the 3952 females at reproductive age who were under surveillance,576 were positive for HBsAg(14.6%),133 were positive for all the three markers of HBsAg,HBeAg and anti-HBc(3.4%),and 329 were positive for all the three markers of HBsAg,anti-HBe and anti-HBc(8.3%).Conclusion The incidence rate of viral hepatitis B has a direct impact on the total incidence rate of viral hepatitis.To promote hepatitis B vaccination in children is the major preventive and control measure.Meanwhile,efforts should be made to strengthen management of transient population and stop HBV transmission through blood and blood products.
Self-collected dried blood spots as a tool for measuring ovarian reserve in young female cancer survivors.

Author(s): Roberts, SC; Seav, SM; McDade, TW; Dominick, SA; Gorman, JR; Whitcomb, BW; Su, HI | Abstract: Study questionAre female young cancer survivors (YCS) able to self-collect high-quality dried blood spots (DBSs) at home to provide biospecimens for studying ovarian reserve?Summary answerYCS can self-collect high-quality DBS specimens in non-clinical settings, and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels can be assayed in such specimens.What is known alreadyLarge-scale biosample collection is a barrier to studying ovarian reserve in YCS. DBS collected by research personnel has high acceptability. AMH levels measured in DBS are highly correlated with those measured by serum-based methods.Study design, size, durationIn a prospective cohort study, YCS were recruited to self-collect DBS samples. AMH levels were assayed in 112 samples.Participants/materials, setting, methodsYCS participants, ages 18-44, were recruited from a nationwide longitudinal cohort and DBS collection materials were posted to them. AMH levels were assayed by the Ansh DBS AMH ELISA and compared according to participant characteristics.Main results and the role of chanceAmong 163 potential participants, 123 (75%) were enrolled. Of those enrolled, 112 (91%) were able to complete DBS self-collection and submit mailed samples adequate for measuring AMH. Participants (mean age 31.6 [SD 5.5]) were 85% white, 87% college graduates and 46% reported higher income. Common cancer types were lymphoma and leukemia (34%), breast cancer (30%) and thyroid or skin cancer (8%). The geometric mean (95% confidence interval) AMH level in DBS samples was 0.24 ng/ml (0.16-0.36). In adjusted analysis, AMH levels for survivors of breast cancer (0.02 ng/ml [0.01-0.07]) or leukemia/lymphoma (0.03 ng/ml [0.01-0.08]) were lower than the levels in thyroid or skin cancer survivors (0.12 ng/ml [0.03-0.44]). Pelvic radiation remained associated with lower AMH levels (0.20 ng/ml [0.10-0.40] in unexposed versus 0.02 ng/ml [0.01-0.06] in exposed). Amenorrheic survivors had AMH levels (0.02 ng/ml [0.01-0.06]) that were lower than those of YCS with 7-9 (0.09 ng/ml [0.03-0.32]) or ≥10 (0.17 ng/ml [0.08-0.37]) menstrual periods in the past year.Limitations, reasons for cautionThe results are generalizable to a population of highly educated, higher income YCS. It is unclear how generalizable the results are to other populations.Wider implications of the findingsSelf-collected DBS is a patient-friendly and minimally invasive tool for studying ovarian reserve in geographically diverse populations.Study funding/competing interestsResearch related to the development of this paper was supported by the National Institutes of Health, grants UL1 RR024926 pilot and HD080952-02, and by the American Cancer Society MRSG-08-110-01-CCE. The authors report no competing interests.
On the discriminant of twisted tensor products

Abstract We provide formulas for computing the discriminant of noncommutative algebras over central subalgebras in the case of Ore extensions and skew group extensions. The formulas follow from a more general result regarding the discriminants of certain twisted tensor products. We employ our formulas to compute automorphism groups for examples in each case.
Activation of Endothelial Cells by Cocaine.

Cocaine use is associated with cardiac ischemia, sudden death, and stroke in patients with few additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Despite the very short halflife of cocaine in circulation (less than 1 hr), the risk of these cardiovascular events remains elevated for up to one week after cocaine ingestion. Pathologic findings following cocaine-associated cardiac events include platelet-rich microthrombi and accelerated atherosclerosis. In addition, observational studies have identified increased levels of von Willebrand Factor (VWF) at steady state in plasma of chronic cocaine abusers, which increase following cocaine challenge. Plasma VWF is derived primarily from endothelial cells, with a smaller contribution from platelets. Thus, cocaine may activate platelets and/or endothelial cells contributing to tissue ischemia, in addition to its well-known effects of vasoconstriction and increased tissue metabolic demand. When first released, VWF is hyperadhesive and capable of spontaneously binding platelets. This form, termed ultralarge VWF (ULVWF) because some of the multimers are extremely large, is normally rapidly processed by the metalloprotease ADAMTS13 into the smaller, less reactive forms usually found in plasma. Failure of this process, due to congenital or acquired deficiency of ADAMTS13, leads to accumulation of ULVWF, and in its most severe form produces the devastating microthrombotic disease, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). We hypothesized that cocaine could activate the endothelium to secrete ULVWF, and thus promote thrombosis and/or vaso-occlusion. To test this possibility, we exposed cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) to various concentrations of cocaine. We found that 0.5 mg/ml cocaine, a concentration comparable to peak blood levels detectable in cocaine abusers, induced secretion of ULVWF almost as efficiently as did 25 μM histamine, a potent ULVWF secretogogue. If platelets were then perfused over the endothelium in a parallel plate flow chamber at 2.5 dyne/cm2, they spontaneously formed beads-on-a-string structures on the attached ULVWF strands. We also evaluated the ability of cocaine metabolites to induce ULVWF release. Neither norcocaine nor ecoginine methyl ester (both minor metabolites) stimulated ULVWF release. However, benzoylecgonine, the major cocaine metabolite (detectable in plasma up to 6–8 days after cocaine use) potently induced ULVWF release, as detected by the formation of ULVWF strings and accumulation of higher molecular weight VWF multimers in the HUVEC supernatant on non-reducing agarose gels. These effects of cocaine are likely to contribute to cardiovascular syndromes associated with cocaine use, including the triggering of vasoocclusive crises in sickle cell anemia, and may explain the observed association of cocaine use with TTP. Furthermore, these results suggest that clinical management of cocaineinduced ischemia or vaso-occlusion may benefit from therapies aimed at disrupting ULVWF.
LKB1 as a Tumor Suppressor in Uterine Cancer: Mouse Models and Translational Studies.

The LKB1 tumor suppressor was identified in 1998 as the gene mutated in the Peutz–Jeghers Syndrome (PJS), a hereditary cancer predisposition characterized by gastrointestinal polyposis and a high incidence of cancers, particularly carcinomas, at a variety of anatomic sites including the gastrointestinal tract, lung, and female reproductive tract. Women with PJS have a high incidence of carcinomas of the uterine corpus (endometrium) and cervix. The LKB1 gene is also somatically mutated in human cancers arising at these sites. Work in mouse models has highlighted the potency of LKB1 as an endometrial tumor suppressor and its distinctive roles in driving invasive and metastatic growth. These in vivo models represent tractable experimental systems for the discovery of underlying biological principles and molecular processes regulated by LKB1 in the context of tumorigenesis and also serve as useful preclinical model systems for experimental therapeutics. Here we review LKB1’s known roles in mTOR signaling, metabolism, and cell polarity, with an emphasis on human pathology and mouse models relevant to uterine carcinogenesis, including cancers of the uterine corpus and cervix.
Walking duration and slope steepness determine the effect of downslope walking on the soleus H-reflex pathway.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if the effect of downslope walking (DSW) on spinal excitability depends on walking duration and slope steepness, and if findings from the soleus (Sol) generalize to the tibialis anterior (TA). Sol and TA Hmax and Mmax were measured before and after four DSW doses (time/slope, min/%) on separate days (10/-15, 20/-15, 10/-25, 20/-25, n = 14), and one 20-min bout of level walking (LW, n = 12), always at 2.5 mph. Heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during walking. DSW for all doses except 10/-15 caused greater Sol Hmax/Mmax depression than LW (p ≤ 0.02), and 20/-25 caused greater Hmax/Mmax depression than 10/-15 (p ≤ 0.01). TA H-reflex curves were substantially smaller than Sol H-reflex curves, and this study was unable to detect an effect of LW or DSW on TA Hmax/Mmax. Although HR and RPE were significantly higher during DSW at −25% than at −15% slope, group HR and RPE nevertheless peaked at relatively low values of 101.4 ± 14.2 bpm and 12.6 ± 2.3, respectively. In conclusion, DSW duration and slope steepness interact to determine the magnitude of Sol H-reflex depression, but these effects do not generalize to the TA.
FDG dose reduction in pediatric oncology correlated with EANM procedure guidelines - A case series

1392 Objectives Based on EANM procedure guidelines for tumor PET imaging, version 1.0 (2009), the FDG dosage can be significantly reduced in most pediatric patients (pts). In this case series, we evaluate the image quality of PET/CT scans based on criteria set by the EANM guidelines. Methods For a 3D system with 50% overlap like ours (GeminiTF, Philips), the EANM recommends MBq/weight x min/bed > 6.9 (Product criteria 6.9). Eight pts underwent PET/CT with standard dose of 5.18 MBq/kg previously (group A), and were administered approximately 20% less activity (4.44 MBq/kg) for their subsequent PET/CT. Acquisition was 1-3 min/bed depending on body mass index, according to our institutional protocol. Two nuclear medicine physicians evaluated the image quality of each scan (1=poor; 2=borderline; 3=acceptable), blinded to information about the injected dose, and compared group A and B side-by-side. Wilcoxon test and inter-rater agreement were used. Results Median age of 5 males & 3 females was 12 yo, range 3-19. Injected dose was 20% less in group B than group A (median 4.44 MBq/kg, range 4.07-4.81 vs. 5.55 MBq/kg, range 5.18-7.77, p Conclusions The image quality at 20% FDG dose reduction appears comparable with those at standard dose for pediatric population. Further FDG dose reduction may be possible, and the product criteria of 6.9 may need further clinical validation
Against a duty to die.

As a society we must do more to ease the burdens families face in caring for their dependent young and elderly members.
Dynamic Materials Accounting in the Back End of the Light Water Reactor Fuel Cycle

The US Department of Energy Office of Safeguards and Security is sponsoring the development of advanced safeguards systems for future industrial-scale nuclear fuel cycle plants. As part of this program, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory is engaged in conceptual design studies of integrated safeguards systems incorporating near-real-time (dynamic) materials accounting. Preliminary designs of advanced accounting systems have been completed for chemical separations, nitrate-to-oxide conversion, and mixed-oxide fuel refabrication processes. The proposed accounting systems combine current materials balance accounting methods with modern on-line measurement, data base management, and data analysis technologies. The results of these studies indicate that special nuclear materials can be safeguarded effectively in large-scale fuel cycle facilities. The design methodology and the insights gained from these studies are essential for the design of specific fuel cycle facilities and provide general design criteria to those planning such facilities. 10 figures, 10 tables.
Reducing Uncertainty in Hydrodynamic Modeling of ATR Experiments Via Flow Testing, Validation, and Optimization

The development, characterization, and qualification testing of nuclear fuel at Idaho National Laboratory’s Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) requires extensive design and analysis activities prior to th...
Evidence-based guidelines in lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and variation in care.

Purpose of reviewGuidelines have been developed to assist physicians in the diagnosis and management of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms. These guidelines vary in the level of evidence used and the strength of their recommendations. With variations in guidelines, multiple variations in cli
Workers and technological change in the United States

In this paper, we put forward a theoretical framework for understanding a positive relationship between labor laws and innovation and rigorously test it against both historical and empirical data. ...
Design of Fiber-Laser Arrays with Genetic Algorithms

The optimization of the far-field pattern of fiber-laser arrays is investigated based on genetic algorithms. A derived objective function of the far-field pattern performs the task of evaluating each of the fiber-laser designs generated by the genetic algorithm. The constrained parameters of the design included are radius of the fiber a, the important V value, the fiber-to-fiber separation S, and the operational wavelength λ. As results, sidelobe level is optimized to be -38.83 dB for a circular arrays with the given constrained parameters.
Non-Normal Logics

In the literature, several very natural modal logics have been studied that are weaker than those we have considered thus far. In this chapter we want to take a look at some of them. (For our present purposes, we may think of a modal logic L simply as a certain set of modal formulas, called L-valid, or L-theorems. No particular structure need concern us here. Then weaker is strict subset of.)
The Response of the Bladder Smooth Muscle to Increased Bladder Neck Resistance

The following series of studies are the result of a long association with the Division of Pediatric Urology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. This division, since its inception, was headed by Dr. John W. Duckett. John’s innovative skills as a surgeon and his quest to improve the outcome of the children in his care led him to initiate a fellowship program to train the next generation of pediatric urologists. It has been a privilege to be a part of this program and to know and work with John Duckett. This chapter is respectfully dedicated to his memory and to his wonderful legacy to Pediatric Urology.
Pursuit of assisted dying: a pilot study of inquiries made to a national consumer-based organization

Abstract Legal developments in assisted dying have focused on assisted suicide for mentally competent, terminally ill adults. Requests for assisted dying are likely to represent broader concerns, but studies have been limited to surveys of specific patient groups or recollections of physicians. To describe the nature of inquiries by a broad range of persons seeking assisted dying, a retrospective review was performed of confidential client memoranda summarizing telephone inquiries regarding assisted dying to a counseling service of a national, not-for-profit, consumer-based organization. The review evaluated the underlying medical condition prompting the inquiry, evidence of patient's decisional capacity, and relationship of caller to the patient. Of 125 assisted suicide calls, 111 with medical illness were analyzed. Among 111 inquiries, 71 (64%) were made by someone other than the person suffering from the illness ("the patient"); 52 (47%) of these were family members, 14 (13%) were friends, and 5 (7%) were professionals. Cancer accounted for 25% of cases, HIV/AIDS and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for 10 and 9%, respectively, other neurological diseases for 23%, and chronic or other medical conditions for approximately 17%. In an additional 10 cases, there was no medical illness. Within the group of callers inquiring on behalf of others, 18 (25%) stated the patient lacked ability to communicate his or her wishes and 7 (10%) stated there was uncertainty. Inquiries about assisted dying represent a broader range of concerns than represented by legal initiatives. More study is needed to determine if enhanced knowledge about alternatives, such as palliative care, reduces requests for assisted dying.
Unidentified Narrative Objects: The Anti-Mafia and No-Global Films as Transmedia Adaptations

The molecular revolution brought by local free radios in the late 1970s is considered as an incubation for anti-Mafia and No-global movements of the early 2000s. An overview of broadcasting experiments against the state monopolistic system is followed by an analysis of One Hundred Steps and Working Slowly, and the adaptation by Garrone of Saviano’s book Gomorrah. The book unfolds firsthand information to depict Naples’ organized crime operations within the globalized economy, which Garrone interprets in a documentary style, focusing on Camorra foot soldiers. In Diaz. Don’t Clean Up This Blood, Vicari reconstructs events of the 2001 G8 protests, embracing the hyperlink aesthetic characterized by overlapping narrative paths, with several protagonists linked in retrospect through active spectatorship, and mirroring the multimedia environment and convergence culture.
Phishing During and After Disaster: Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey was a major disaster that struck Texas in August 2017. We wondered whether such disasters are being exploited by phishers, as phishing is one of the most popular attacks. In October 2017, we surveyed the University of Houston population to study their experiences and behavior during/after the storm. Over 300 responses were received. This paper discusses our study design and the results from that survey. Results show that the storm did cause about 6.3% of the participants to change their behavior, i.e., they clicked on links or downloaded attachments they normally would NOT have. An analysis using the symmetric Jensen-Shannon divergence shows that the increased email volume and the timing of arrival or non-arrival of hurricane-related spam had the biggest impacts.
The impact of financial incentives on health and health care: Evidence from a large wellness program.

Workplace wellness programs have become increasingly common in the United States, although there is not yet consensus regarding the ability of such programs to improve employees' health and reduce health care costs. In this paper, we study a program offered by a large U.S. employer that provides substantial financial incentives directly tied to employees' health. The program has a high participation rate among eligible employees, around 80%, and we analyze the data on the first 4 years of the program, linked to health care claims. We document robust improvements in employee health and a correlation between certain health improvements and reductions in health care cost. Despite the latter association, we cannot find direct evidence causally linking program participation to reduced health care costs, although it seems plausible that such a relationship will arise over longer horizons.
Novel frontiers in voltammetric trace metal analysis: Towards real time, on-site, in situ measurements

Abstract Metal speciation analysis has wide applicability and reveals how and when metals are available to engage in chemical processes. Real systems can be physically hard to reach, chemically dynamic, and sample collection and pretreatment fundamentally alter speciation. Therefore, there is great interest in in situ trace metal speciation sensors that can be integrated into on-site, portable analysis devices. Electrochemistry is an attractive method since the sensing component can be fashioned into a submersible probe. In this review, we define a set of criteria that an electrochemical approach must conform to for in situ metal analysis and review methods that closely follow these criteria. As an emerging technique, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry is introduced. Next, design and material of analysis probes is detailed, followed by a discussion of portable instrumentation. Finally, studies that show promise towards a portable, in situ metal analysis device are showcased and ongoing analytical challenges are outlined.
Response to Chamberlin and Borody.

We appreciate your interest in the American College of Gastroenterology 2018 Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Crohn's Disease in Adults (1). You have questioned whether the guidelines accurately reflected the current status of the literature and research focusing on the potential role o
An Editorial Review of Mobile Health: Implications for the US Military Health System.

Introduction The United States Military Health System provides healthcare to a diverse patient population throughout the world. There are three distinct challenges that the Military Health System faces. (1) Providers have varying degrees of clinical training expertise and may be called upon to practice outside their usual scope of care. (2) There is geographic isolation of patients and providers with limited resources while stationed overseas. (3) Patients are at higher risk of breaks in continuity of care because of permanent change of duty stations, deployments, and retirement. Materials and methods In this article we review the history of mobile health in both the civilian and military sectors, and how mobile health may be used to address the challenges unique to the United States Military Health System. Results There are many good initiatives in military mobile health, however they are decentralized and different across the services and military treatment facilities. We describe some military specific success stories with improving patient access to care and disease specific mobile health applications implemented. Conclusions Mobile health is a powerful platform which can help deliver standardized care in missions around the world and improve access to care for patients at military treatment facilities in the United States. The United States Military Health System would benefit greatly from creating universal mobile health applications to assist providers in patient access to care, military mission readiness, and disease specific modules. Future resources should be dedicated to the development of a mobile health application pool that is universally implemented across services to improve quality of care delivered at home and in theater by military providers.
PACRG and FAP20 form the inner junction of axonemal doublet microtubules and regulate ciliary motility

We previously demonstrated that PACRG plays a role in regulating dynein-driven microtubule sliding in motile cilia. To expand our understanding of the role of PACRG in ciliary assembly and motility, we used a combination of functional and structural studies, including newly identified Chlamydomonas pacrg mutants. Using cryo-electron tomography we show that PACRG and FAP20 form the inner junction between the A- and B-tubule along the length of all nine ciliary doublet microtubules. The lack of PACRG and FAP20 also results in reduced assembly of inner-arm dynein IDA b and the beak-MIP structures. In addition, our functional studies reveal that loss of PACRG and/or FAP20 causes severe cell motility defects and reduced in vitro microtubule sliding velocities. Interestingly, the addition of exogenous PACRG and/or FAP20 protein to isolated mutant axonemes restores microtubule sliding velocities, but not ciliary beating. Taken together, these studies show that PACRG and FAP20 comprise the inner junction bridge that serves as a hub for both directly modulating dynein-driven microtubule sliding, as well as for the assembly of additional ciliary components that play essential roles in generating coordinated ciliary beating.
UVR and Role of Pigmentation in Skin Aging and Cancer

This chapter is focused on understanding the role of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and skin pigmentation in aging and cancer. We all are exposed to solar radiation reaching the earth surface. Solar radiation reaching the earth surface is mainly comprised of visible and ultraviolet radiation. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays can be detrimental and lead to more severe diseases like cancer. Skin pigmentation plays a major role in controlling the effect of radiation exposure. People exposed to solar radiation are differentially affected based on the amount of pigmentation present in their skin. Melanin pigment present in the skin gives the color of skin; i.e., more melanin means darker skin and also absorbs the UVR preventing from its harmful effects.
Oswald Wiener on Dandyism

The article introduces readers to Oswald Wiener's writings on dandyism from the late 1970s and early 1980s and relates them to Wiener's previous work with the Vienna Group and his seminal text “the...
Behavioral recovery after a spinal deafferentation injury in monkeys does not correlate with corticospinal sprouting

A long held view in the spinal cord injury field is that corticospinal terminal sprouting is needed for new connections to form that then mediate behavioral recovery. The inference is that more extensive sprouting predicts greater recovery, though there is little evidence to support this. Here we compare behavioral data from two established deafferentation injury models in monkeys, to provide a clear example that sprouting does not track with behavioral recovery.
An Ethics for Public Health Surveillance.

Levinson et al. (2020) describe a lack of guidance for ethical action that might result from public health surveillance findings. Using a case study of a state-level, anonymous public health survei...
G513(P) Developing a framework of staff support across a paediatric hospital: the support (Supporting Paediatric Staff, Patients and Families to be One Resilient Team) programme

Aims Paediatrics is one of the most diverse and rewarding fields of medicine but also brings with it unique medical and ethical challenges. We also care for increasingly complex medical patients and are faced with ethical dilemmas that can lead to conflict with families and a challenging work environment: it can be emotionally exhausting. At our tertiary children’s hospital we became aware that this was having a negative impact on our staff’s wellbeing and ability to care for our patients. In particular we recognised that staff were being exposed to distressing events and then expected to continue with clinical work with no formal system to debrief or acknowledge the impact of these events. We aimed to do something to address this. Methods We established a working group of senior nurses, executive members, Paediatricians and Psychologists to identify issues and implement change through our SuPPORT programme. Within this, we created a staff support psychologist (PSS) role (0.3 WTE) to establish a psychological debrief pathway, coordinate and run debriefs and establish/scope other supports e.g. reflective practice. Results The group has created a staff support ‘pyramid’, developing new resources and bringing together activities which were already in place. This includes a robust debrief pathway following serious incidents, and Paediatric Schwartz rounds. The PSS role has been central in this process. Since the role began we have run regular reflective practice sessions in several areas, and held 71 psychology mediated debriefs. Feedback from staff has been hugely positive. Conclusion By establishing this programme we have acknowledged that staff may feel overwhelmed by the complex medical and ethical situations in paediatric care. We are still in the early stages, but staff report feeling a different ‘culture’ of support at work. Crucial to this has been the commitment by our senior leadership team. We recognise that these problems are not unique to our hospital and have had interest from other hospitals in spreading this model.
Generalizable Features of Interfacial Water Structure Predict the Hydrophobicity of Chemically Heterogeneous Surfaces

The hydrophobicity of an interface determines the magnitude of hydrophobic interactions that drive numerous biological and industrial processes. Chemically heterogeneous interfaces are abundant in these contexts; examples include the surfaces of proteins, functionalized nanomaterials, and polymeric materials. While the hydrophobicity of nonpolar solutes can be predicted and related to the structure of interfacial water molecules, predicting the hydrophobicity of chemically heterogeneous interfaces remains a challenge because of the complex, non-additive contributions to hydrophobicity that depend on the chemical identity and nanoscale spatial arrangements of polar and nonpolar groups. In this work, we utilize atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with enhanced sampling and data-centric analysis techniques to quantitatively relate changes in interfacial water structure to the hydration free energies (a thermodynamically well-defined descriptor of hydrophobicity) of chemically heterogeneous interfaces. We analyze a large data set of 58 self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) containing ligands with nonpolar and polar end groups of different chemical identity (amine, amide, and hydroxyl) in five mole fractions, two spatial patterns, and with scaled partial charges. We find that only five features of interfacial water structure are required to accurately predict hydration free energies. Examination of these features reveals mechanistic insights into the interfacial hydrogen bonding behaviors that distinguish different surface compositions and patterns. This analysis also identifies the probability of highly coordinated water structures as a unique signature of hydrophobicity. These insights provide a physical basis to understand the hydrophobicity of chemically heterogeneous interfaces and connect hydrophobicity to experimentally accessible perturbations of interfacial water structure.