cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel approach in pediatric telegenetic services: geneticist, pediatrician and genetic counselor team

PurposeOur aim was to improve access to genetic services in an underserved region by developing a collaborative telegenetic service delivery model with a pediatrician, medical geneticist, and genetics counselor (GC).MethodsProtocols for the evaluation of common genetic indications were developed. Patients referred with indications suggestive of a syndromic etiology were scheduled to see the geneticist directly via telegenetics. Other patients were scheduled to see the pediatrician and GC in person before follow-up with the geneticist if indicated. Patients seen by the geneticist and/or pediatrician/GC were enumerated and the next available appointment was tracked. Patient satisfaction surveys were conducted.ResultsOf the 265 patients evaluated during the study period, 116 (44%) were evaluated by a pediatrician and GC in person first, after which 82 (71% of those evaluated) required further follow-up with the geneticist. The next available appointment with a pediatrician and GC never exceeded 6 weeks, while new appointments with a geneticist ranged from 3 to 9 months. All patients reported high satisfaction with this genetic service model.ConclusionThe pediatrician/GC clinic provides a model of collaborative care that is a medical home neighbor and exemplifies the integration of genetics into primary care. The telegenetics clinic offers a viable solution to providing competent and convenient access to a geneticist for patients in chronically underserved regions.
Epidemiology and survival trends of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) subtypes in SEER database: Time to focus on minor histologies.

1561Background: Management of EOC is largely based on the more common serous (SC) and endometroid (EnC) subtypes, but differences in clinical characteristics of less common histologies such as clear cell (CC), mucinous (MC) and malignant mixed mullerian tumor (MMMT) are increasingly clear. Yet, treatment strategies remain uniform. Methods: We obtained data on incident EOC cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER 13) database between 1993-2007, and compared their disease characteristics. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier and flexible parametric models. Results: Of 25358 incident EOC cases, 15405 (60.8%) had SC, 2748 (10.8%) EnC, 4264 (16.8%) MC, 1913 (7.5%) CC and 1028 (4.1%) MMMT. Age adjusted incidence rate per 100K (standard US 2000 population) was highest in SC (5.3), followed by EnC (1.5), MC (1.0), CC (0.7) and MMMT (0.4). The proportion of CC, MC and MMMT was more common in Asians (15.1%), American Indians (15.4%) and Blacks (5.4%) respectively (p<0.001). Mean...
Disposable Time and Disposable Income: Problem Casino Gambling Behavior in Older Adults

Increasing numbers of retirees spend their leisure time in the ever-growing number of gambling casinos in this country. For most older adults, casino gambling is a new form of excitement and entertainment. However, for some retirees, especially those vulnerable to depression from the changes and losses that can occur in aging, casino gambling can become disordered, problematic, and/or an addiction. Although prevalence studies have examined the incidence of problem gambling in other age groups, little attention has been directed to the impact of casino gambling on older adults. The authors discuss problem and pathological gambling in retired older adults, and provide clinical case examples of a growing number of older adults with problem gambling behaviors seen in an outpatient geriatric psychiatry clinic. Finally, they urge that an evaluation of gambling behaviors be a routine portion of geriatric clinical evaluations.
Well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs) and poorly differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (PanNECs): concepts, issues and a practical diagnostic approach to high-grade (G3) cases

With increasing accessibility and advancements in abdominal imaging modalities, the incidence of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms has increased steadily during the past few decades. By definition, neuroendocrine neoplasms of the pancreas show neuroendocrine differentiation, but they represent a broad and heterogeneous group of neoplasms with diverse clinical and pathological characteristics. The majority of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms can be classified as well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs) or poorly differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (PanNECs). While PanNETs and PanNECs are distinct entities with respect to clinical presentation, outcome and therapeutic approach, they may exhibit overlapping histopathological features. Moreover, the frequent modifications in nomenclature and prognostic grading systems over the years of not only pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, but neuroendocrine neoplasms from other organ sites, has created confusion for both pathologists and clinicians as to the appropriate use of terminology and grading when evaluating these neoplasms. This review examines the current concepts and issues of nomenclature and grading of PanNETs and PanNECs. In addition, considering the morphological overlap between high-grade (G3) PanNETs and PanNECs, we discuss an integrative and practical diagnostic approach to aid in discriminating challenging cases.
Building a “Lifetime Circle”: English Education in the Age of #BlackLivesMatter:

This article argues that, to prepare teachers in the era of #BlackLivesMatter, there must be a radical reframing of teacher education in which teachers learn to disentangle their teaching from the ...
U.S. Feminism, 1968 and Mediated Collective Intellectuality

In response to the editorial call to examine the legacy of 1968 and critical intellectual formations, this short paper maps some of the feminist intellectual practices in and out of the university ...
Steady Response Of Multi-Leg Moorings By Direct Integration

In the design and analysis of multi-leg mooring systems, it is significant, but difficult, to determine the tensions in the mooring legs. The analysis is complicated primarily because of the nonlinear behavior of the cables. The equilibrium equations of the moored body are indeterminate if the number of mooring legs is more than the number of unconstrained degrees of freedom being considered at the moored body. In the presence of spatially variable sub-surface currents, it is generally not appropriate to approximate the cable behavior by catenary equation, as the current-induced drag forces are both positionand orientation-dependent. A method based on direct spatial integration will be demonstrated for the nonlinear static analysis of three-dimensional multi-leg mooring system response to steady currents. This method is well-suited for use on microcomputers.
Programs for Homeless Children and Youth: A Critical Review of Evidence

To date, there are few studies that use rigorous research designs to evaluate interventions to address the needs of homeless children. Strengths and noteworthy findings as well as the challenges and limitations of this literature are summarized. The studies reviewed in this chapter represent laudable efforts on the part of researchers, practitioners, and community partners to engage in intervention studies with the challenging and understudied population of children in families experiencing homelessness. However, within the guidelines of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for evidence-based practices, none of the interventions represented in these studies have sufficient evidence to be rated as having Positive Effects. Most often, this is due to lack of quality evidence that evaluates the program outcomes. Policymakers, funding agencies, researchers, clinicians, and community practitioners can expand the evidence base for interventions with homeless children through understanding what constitutes quality evaluations and supporting high-quality research. This chapter concludes with recommendations for building a robust and rigorous evidence base of what works to allow stakeholders to improve the well-being of at-risk children, bettering their lives through increasingly effective and efficient programs.
Automatic text summarization within big data frameworks

Data increasing at unabated rates will prove to be challenging for individuals trying to effectively leverage it. This paper describes an approach to automatically summarize text documents by utilizing statistical and information retrieval methodologies within big data frameworks that support the distributed parallel processing of data. A pedagogical approach to the incorporation of automatic summarization and big data topics within data mining, machine learning, or natural language processing courses is detailed.
Separation Issues in Supervision of Beginning Students in Counseling

The supervisory relationship in counseling is one in which the student and supervisor are brought together to achieve certain professional purposes. It is a relationship that exists within the framework of a learning situation in which the supervisor's main function is that of teaching and enabling and the student's that of learning and becoming able. In other words, the emphasis and focus of supervision is on the tasks to be mastered, while the relationship is the vehicle or means by which the teaching and mastery of learning are to be achieved. The idea that a counselor who is knowledgeable and competent as a practitioner is, ipso facto, capable of teaching what he knows and practices is a fallacious one. The counseling supervisor must be able to give up the security of his skills as a practitioner and take on a new function, must learn to communicate knowledge and skills to others, adapt to differences in students' learning patterns and styles of helping, differentiate between situational anxieties and neurotically fixed anxiety, etc. Just as a situation of change calls forth in some measure for all of us earlier ways of adaptation, the learning and change necessitated by the assumption of a supervisory role may involve a repetition of old patterns of behavior. Needless to say, the repeating of the past pertains even more strongly to the counseling student, the beginner, who is the "major learner" in the supervisory situation. In this paper, I should like to focus not on the supervisor's role, but on the functioning of the beginning student and specifically on issues in his learning situation that may involve emotional separation from the past.
Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis.

Summary Malignant mesothelioma (MM) arising from the serosal membranes of the tunica vaginalis testis (TVT) is rare. Most examples in the published medical literature are individual case reports. This study presents the clinicopathological findings of mesothelioma of the TVT in one of the largest series to date. Individuals with mesothelioma of the TVT were identified from a database of more than 4000 mesothelioma cases, and their clinicopathological features were recorded. Eighteen men with MM and 2 with well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the TVT were identified, which represented 0.6% of males with mesothelioma in study population. The median age at diagnosis was 72 years (range, 32-85 years). A neoplasm was not suspected preoperatively in 12 of the 17 (71%) men whose clinical presentation was known, 7 of whom presented with hydrocele and 5 with inguinal hernia. The other 5 had a clinically recognized mass. Seven of the men underwent herniorrhaphy; 7, radical orchiectomy; 3, hydrocelectomy; and 3, paratesticular mass biopsy or excision as the initial diagnostic procedure. Twelve of the MM cases were epithelioid and 6 were biphasic. Among the 6 men with MM who had ≥6 months of follow-up, 1 was alive with no evidence of disease at 6 months, and 5 were known to have died of disease 8-74 months (median = 31.5 months) following diagnosis. Three men with MM had received either chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Of the 2 men initially diagnosed with well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma, 1 was alive without evidence of disease 5 years after diagnosis, while the other had findings more compatible with MM with peritoneal involvement 2 years following initial diagnosis. In 15 of the 18 cases of MM (83%), there was documented occupational or paraoccupational exposure to asbestos, the average duration of which was 33 years (range, 2-46 years). Information regarding the presence or absence of pleural plaques was available in 5 of the MM cases, and pleural plaques had been found in 4. Lung tissue was not available for fiber analysis in any of the cases. One additional case originally diagnosed at another institution as MM of the TVT was reclassified as adenocarcinoma following performance of additional immunohistochemical testing. TVT is a rare site of MM, the diagnosis of which is often unsuspected preoperatively. Like its counterparts at other serosal sites, MM of the TVT is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis that evidence would suggest is etiologically associated with asbestos in at least some cases.
How much do hospitalized adults move? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Aim To quantify the type and duration of physical activity performed by hospitalized adults. Background Inactivity is pervasive among hospitalized patients and is associated with increased mortality, functional decline, and cognitive impairment. Objective measurement of activity is necessary to examine associations with clinical outcomes and quantify optimal inpatient mobility interventions. Methods We used PRISMA guidelines to search three databases in December 2017 to retrieve original research evaluating activity type and duration among adult acute-care inpatients. We abstracted data on inpatient population, measurement method, monitoring time, activity duration, and study quality. Results Thirty-eight articles were included in the review and 7 articles were included in the meta-analysis. Study populations included geriatric (n = 5), surgical (n = 5), medical (n = 12), post-stroke (n = 10), psychiatric (n = 2), and critical care inpatients (n = 4). To measure activity, 29% of studies used human observation and 71% used activity monitors. Among inpatient populations, 87–100% of time was spent sitting or lying in-bed. Among medical inpatients monitored over a continuous 24-hour period (n = 7), 70 min per day was spent standing/walking (95% CI 57–83 min). Conclusions This review provides a baseline assessment and benchmark of inpatient activity, which can be used to compare inpatient mobility practices. While there is substantial heterogeneity in how researchers measure and define how much inpatients move, there is consistent evidence that patients are mostly inactive and in-bed during hospitalization. Future research is needed to establish standardized methods to accurately and consistently measure inpatient mobility over time.
HAYNES, Naomi. Moving by the Spirit: Pentecostal Social Life on the Zambian Copperbelt

HAYNES, Naomi. Moving by the Spirit: Pentecostal Social Life on the Zambian Copperbelt . The Anthropology of Christianity Series. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2017. 216pp. Pbk. ISBN: 9780520294257. £29.00.
Beyond traditional architecture for MDO applications: the Erlang VM and its potential

In order to scale for speed, technology often builds upon the earliest proven systems and architectures. As the context changes, from a civilian application domain to a military application domain, the priority of functional requirements can and often do change. The hardware, software, and language development environment set the foundation for the constraints and potential of a system. This along with the fact the information technology revolution, since early 2000, has primarily been driven by the commercial sector, requires engineers to consider whether nontraditional, less well-known architectures may have a role in the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) application space. This paper will highlight features inherent to traditional architectures, the challenges associated with these architectural features, and how the Erlang VM represents an opportunity to develop an architectural foundation suitable to the MDO application domain. Finally, this paper will highlight a future technology concept integrating demonstrated neural interface technology with an Erlang VM supported architecture. This foundation will help enable human-machine teaming by empowering a human agent to interact with sensors and AI-enabled autonomous systems with a dynamic user interface allowing the human agent to accomplish MDO applications. The great potential for the concept depends on a fault-tolerant, distributed system permitted by the Erlang VM to exibly integrate the capabilities required to address the diverse challenges of a complex operating environment.
Complications of Tibial Tubercle Osteotomies

Tibial tubercle osteotomy is a powerful surgical tool that can be used in multiple patellofemoral pathologic conditions [1]. It can be used to change the position/load between the patella and the trochlear sulcus by moving the tubercle in different directions including distal, medial, anterior, or a combination of these. It is important to understand, however, that there are many complications that can arise if the surgeon is not careful preoperatively, intraoperatively, or postoperatively. This chapter discusses the various complications that can occur and provides suggestions to minimize the risk of complications following tibial tubercle osteotomy.
The role of working memory in long-term learning: Implications for childhood development

Abstract In this chapter, we discuss the crucial role of working memory limitations in long-term learning. Convincing correlational evidence suggests that working memory ability is related to various measures of educational attainment. Here, we focus on how and why reduced working memory ability may restrict long-term learning. Specifically, we consider the working memory system as a bottleneck for long-term learning, constraining the ability to learn the meaning of new concepts and encode new information. We also discuss how working memory plays a direct role in a learner's ability to follow instructions and stay on task. Then, we discuss the essential role that long-term memory knowledge plays in ongoing working memory processing. For instance, prior knowledge allows us to categorize and chunk information. The interaction between working memory and long-term memory may form a positive feedback loop with development. For example, as children develop, better working memory might allow more knowledge accumulation, which could, in turn, help in the offloading of working memory to long-term memory, leaving more working memory free to facilitate subsequent learning activities. We suggest that adjusting learning materials according to the learners' working memory abilities—and long-term memory knowledge—may allow the most efficient learning.
Spondylodiscitis in Children: A Retrospective Study and Comparison With Non-vertebral Osteomyelitis

Objectives: The aim of this study is to provide new data on pediatrics spondylodiscitis for an optimal clinical management of this site-specific osteomyelitis. Methods: We reported 48 cases of pediatric spondylodiscitis and made three comparisons between: (1) tubercular and non-tubercular cases; (2) patients aged more or less than 5 years; (3) children with spondylodiscitis and 62 controls with non-vertebral osteomyelitis. Results: A higher rate of sequelae was reported in patients with tubercular spondylodiscitis, but no significant differences were noted at the cut-off of 5 years of age. Compared to non-vertebral osteomyelitis, pediatric spondylodiscitis affects younger children of both genders, usually presenting with afebrile back pain, and requiring longer time to admission, hospitalization, and antibiotic therapy. Conclusion: Pediatric spondylodiscitis is an insidious disease with a non-specific presentation in childhood and peculiarities of its own. However, when clinical remission is obtained by an early start of broad-spectrum antibiotics, prolonging the therapy does not improve, nor worsens, the outcome. Surgical management is mandatory in case of vertebral instability and neurological signs but can be avoided when the infection is promptly treated with antibiotic therapy.
Variability in site characteristics linked to bay scallop abundance but not tethered survival: Implications for restoration

Abstract While predation impacts the abundance and distribution of prey species, the overall impact of predation varies with predator identity, predator density, and habitat complexity, among other factors. Numerous commercially and recreationally important prey species, such as bivalves, face intense predation that may affect management and restoration efforts. Therefore, predicting sites with elevated predation risk can be critical for successful restoration, although making predictions based on lab feeding assays may provide challenges. This study used bay scallops Argopecten irradians as a model organism to examine scallop abundance and survival in relation to predator density, habitat complexity, and predicted consumption, across multiple sites within the same estuary . Published predator-specific relationships between scallop consumption and habitat complexity were combined with field survey data to predict consumption potential at six sites in Shinnecock Bay, NY, USA. Using a series of Pearson correlations, the relationships between scallop abundance and tethered survival and site characteristics (habitat complexity, predator density, estimated consumption, scallop recruitment) were explored. Seagrass cover and recruitment of new individuals both strongly influenced scallop abundance, although tethered survival was not strongly correlated to any site metric (predator density, seagrass complexity, or estimated consumption). This study demonstrates potential issues when trying to link mesocosm studies to the field environment, such as sites with no seagrass but potentially confounding habitat complexity (i.e., Crepidula fornicata ) and overestimates of consumption due to lack of realism in mesocosm studies. Overall, our study highlights the necessity of conducting field experiments to test mesocosm results, but also provides several valuable conclusions for shellfish restoration.
Development and Validation of a Functionally-Relevant Comorbid Health Index in Adults Admitted to Inpatient Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury

Several studies have characterized comorbidities among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, there are few validated TBI comorbidity indices. Widely used indices (e.g., Elixhauser Comorbidity Index [ECI]) were developed in other patient populations and anchor to mortality or healthcare utilization, not functioning, and notably exclude conditions known to co-occur with TBI. The objectives of this study were to develop and validate a functionally relevant TBI comorbidity index (Fx-TBI-CI) and to compare prognostication of the Fx-TBI-CI with the ECI. We used data from the eRehabData database to divide the sample randomly into a training sample (N = 21,292) and an internal validation sample (N = 9166). We used data from the TBI Model Systems National Database as an external validation sample (N = 1925). We used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to narrow the list of functionally relevant conditions from 39 to 12. In internal validation, the Fx-TBI-CI explained 14.1% incremental variance over an age and sex model predicting the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Motor subscale at inpatient rehabilitation discharge, compared with 2.4% explained by the ECI. In external validation, the Fx-TBI-CI explained 4.9% incremental variance over age and sex and 3.8% over age, sex, and Glasgow Coma Scale score,compared with 2.1% and 1.6% incremental variance, respectively, explained by the ECI. An unweighted Sum Condition Score including the same conditions as the Fx-TBI-CI conferred similar prognostication. Although the Fx-TBI-CI had only modest incremental variance over demographics and injury severity in predicting functioning in external validation, the Fx-TBI-CI outperformed the ECI in predicting post-TBI function.
Interconnect model at multi-GHz frequencies incorporating inductance effect

The interconnect delay is the dominant factor in determination of speed of synchronous systems. This delay has been modeled as RC component in available EDA tools. This has caused over design of clock trees by 20-30% to account for this inaccuracy. In this paper, we model the interconnect as RLC for systems running at multi-GHz which affect the system-level timing. A static extraction analysis method is detailed and various improvement criteria are discussed. Utilizing this analysis, more accurate interconnect delay models is obtained. These models, in turn, provide more accurate analysis for characterizing circuits.
A potential mechanism by which torque output is preserved in cerebral palsy during fatiguing contractions of the knee extensors.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare agonist and antagonist electromyography (EMG) during an isokinetic fatigue protocol in subjects with cerebral palsy (CP) and typical development (TD). Methods: Nine individuals with CP and 11 with TD completed 50 repetitions of maximum concentric knee extensions (KE) and flexions (KF) at 60°/second. Results: Rate of decline in peak torque for KE was significantly less in CP compared with TD. Rate of decline in agonist EMG was not significantly different between groups, but the rate of decline in antagonist EMG was significantly greater in CP. There were no differences between groups for KF. Conclusions: Declining agonist EMG occurred in parallel with declining antagonist hamstring activity in CP, decreasing the relative opposing force and resulting in a lesser decline in net torque. This finding illustrates a potential mechanism by which net torque is preserved in those with CP who are inherently weaker. Muscle Nerve, 2015
Learning to role-switch in multi-robot systems

We present an approach that uses Q-learning on individual robotic agents, for coordinating a mission-tasked team of robots in a complex scenario. To reduce the size of the state space, actions are grouped into sets of related behaviors called roles and represented as behavioral assemblages. A role is a finite state automata such as Forager, where the behaviors and their sequencing for finding objects, collecting them, and returning them are already encoded and do not have to be re-learned. Each robot starts out with the same set of possible roles to play, the same perceptual hardware for coordination, and no contact other than perception regarding other members of the team. Over the course of training, a team of Q-learning robots will converge to solutions that best the performance of a well-designed handcrafted homogeneous team.
Some phenotype association tools in Galaxy: looking for disease SNPs in a full genome.

This unit focuses on some of the tools available on the public Galaxy server that are useful for exploring possible associations between human genetic variants and phenotypes. We trace step-by-step through an example illustrating several methods for examining a single full-coverage genome to look for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are either known to be associated with disease, or suspected to have impact for other reasons. It makes use of public genomic data, tools designed specifically for working with variants, and also some general tools for text manipulation and operations on genomic coordinates.
American Abstract Art and the Interior Design of Ray and Charles Eames

During the postwar period, the husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames emerged as leaders in the development of modern design in America. Although the Eameses are now primarily remembered for their innovations in product design and visual communications, their contribution to interior design was also significant, particularly In the design of their own home, built in 1949. For architectural historians, the design of the Eames House, which combines an orthodox modernist structure with what has been labeled as “Victorian clutter” and an excess of objects in its interior design, has been difficult to reconcile. This character of the interior has been generally characterized as reflective of a feminized, decorative, non-modern impulse that is usually ascribed to Ray Eames. This analysis puts forward the argument that Ray Eames's training and practice as an artist played an important, if not essential, role in all the work done by the Eames Office, but particularly In the design of the Eames House. It posits that viewing the design of the Eames House through the lens of art provides a more integrated explanation of its interior and exterior and demonstrates that the house, in its entirety, is an interdisciplinary effort that integrates ideas about modernism from both art and design into an “everyday” environment.
Modulation of Schwann cell P0 glycoprotein and galactocerebroside by the surface organization of axolemma

The nature of the axon signal for the induction of proliferation and differentiation of peripheral glial cells is still unknown. Besides the existence of interactions among surface molecules the cellular responses can also be regulated by physicochemical parameters of the membrane. We have previously reported that planar axolemma monolayers coated on glass coverslips at different defined surface molecular packing affected the Schwann cell (SC) morphology and their proliferative response (Calderon et al.: J Neurosci Res 34:206–218, 1993). In this paper we report that relative to SC cultured on uncoated coverslips, the level of expression of both glycoprotein P0 and galactocerebroside (GC) (as revealed by immunofluorescence) was increased 2–4 times in SC cultured on axolemma monolayers with either high or low molecular packing. However, the cellular distribution of these antigens was profoundly influenced by the molecular packing density of the axolemma monolayer. SC cultured on an axolemma monolayer at high molecular packing showed preferential expression of P0 at the SC surface whereas GC was concentrated intracellularly. On the other hand, SC grown on an axolemma monolayer at low molecular density GC showed preferential expression at the cell surface whereas P0 was concentrated intracellularly. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Prisoner Reentry Resources: An Annotated Guide

ABSTRACT Prisoner reentry is an important and timely topic which can be challenging to research because it is so wide-reaching and includes so many subtopics. The aim of this guide is to outline the basic sources and necessary strategies to begin study in this area. The main part of this guide is a list of materials limited to those that have appeared since 2000. The second part of the guide gives direction to those who want to learn more, by recommending strategies including keywords and phrases which have been found to be of use. The issues related to prisoner reentry affect all of us. Public policy, legislative changes, and community survival require a knowledgeable citizenry. This guide can direct users to the information necessary to make meaningful decisions about these sometimes controversial issues.
Cancer pain: the US responds:

The increasing public and professional interest in the United States concerning effective cancer pain control, has led to the development of state cancer pain initiatives. However, the understandable pressure to reduce drug abuse has paradoxically made effective pain control more difficult. It is hoped that the combined impetus of state initiatives and various national groups will lead to improved pain management. Achieving better relief of cancer pain goes some way to meeting the current debate on euthanasia.
An analytical model for studies of soil modification effects on ground penetrating radar

Due to the similar dielectric constants of buried nonmetallic targets and dry soils, it is often difficult to detect and identify nonmetallic targets with ground penetrating radar. The addition of properly chosen chemical agents to modify soil properties can potentially provide improved detection. Previous studies using waveguide experiments have shown that the addition of water improves dielectric contrasts but also increases loss so that target detectability is not necessarily improved. The addition of liquid nitrogen to wet soils can reduce background medium loss and restore target visibility, and waveguide studies of target detection through controlled depth of nitrogen penetration have shown that scattering can be significantly enhanced if an optimal amount of nitrogen is added. A simple physical optics (PO) model for scattering from a three-dimensional target buried below a half space is presented, and it is shown that the radar cross section of the target depends on the dielectric contrast with and attenuation in the background medium. The model is validated through comparison with a method of moments code and found to yield accurate predictions for near normal incidence geometries. Analytical studies of target detection with two concepts of soil modification are then described: obtaining an "optimal" homogeneous soil water content and the addition of a large quantity of water along with an optimal amount of liquid nitrogen. Finally, initial tests of these soil modification techniques with a dielectric rod antenna ground penetrating radar are performed and demonstrate that the addition of liquid nitrogen to excessively wet soils can reduce loss and enhance target visibility.
Performance and operation of a rotating biological contactor in a tilapia recirculating aquaculture system

Abstract This paper describes the performance characteristics of an industrial-scale air-driven rotating biological contactor (RBC) installed in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) rearing tilapia at 28 °C. This three-staged RBC system was configured with stages 1 and 2 possessing approximately the same total surface area and stage 3 having approximately 25% smaller. The total surface area provided by the RBC equaled 13,380 m2. Ammonia removal efficiency averaged 31.5% per pass for all systems examined, which equated to an average (± standard deviation) total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) areal removal rate of 0.43 ± 0.16 g/m2/day. First-order ammonia removal rate (K1) constants for stages 1–3 were 2.4, 1.5, and 3.0 h−1, respectively. The nitrite first-order rate constants (K2) were higher, averaging 16.2 h−1 for stage 1, 7.7 h−1 for stage 2, and 9.0 h−1 stage 3. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels decreased an averaged 6.6% per pass across the RBC. Concurrently, increasing influent DOC concentrations decreased ammonia removal efficiency. With respect to dissolved gas conditioning, the RBC system reduced carbon dioxide concentrations approximately 39% as the water flowed through the vessel. The cumulative feed burden – describes the mass of food delivered to the system per unit volume of freshwater added to the system daily – ranged between 5.5 and 7.3 kg feed/m3 of freshwater; however, there was no detectable relationship between the feed loading rate and ammonia oxidation performance.
Photochemically bifunctional epoxy compound containing a chalcone moiety

Abstract A new bifunctional epoxy compound was synthesized by the reaction of 4,4 ′ -dihydroxychalcone and epichlorohydrin. Photosensitivity of the synthesized chalcone–epoxy compound was investigated by using UV–visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The result of spectroscopic analysis substantiated that the chalcone–epoxy compound has functions of both crosslinking and cationic polymerization by UV exposure ( λ =300–360 nm). Photodimerization of the chalcone–epoxy compound was confirmed by UV–visible and IR absorbance changes of the CC double bond of the chalcone unit. A small amount of onium salt as a photoinitiator could facilitate the cationic photopolymerization of the chalcone–epoxy compound by UV exposure. The UV-cured chalcone–epoxy compound showed an excellent thermal stability as compared to the conventional UV-cured bisphenol A type epoxy resin.
Ancestry inference in complex admixtures via variable-length markov chain linkage models

Inferring the ancestral origin of chromosomal segments in admixed individuals is key for genetic applications, ranging from analyzing population demographics and history, to mapping disease genes. Previous methods addressed ancestry inference by using either weak models of linkage disequilibrium, or large models that make explicit use of ancestral haplotypes. In this paper we introduce ALLOY, an efficient method that incorporates generalized, but highly expressive, linkage disequilibrium models. ALLOY applies a factorial hidden Markov model to capture the parallel process producing the maternal and paternal admixed haplotypes, and models the background linkage disequilibrium in the ancestral populations via an inhomogeneous variable-length Markov chain. We test ALLOY in a broad range of scenarios ranging from recent to ancient admixtures with up to four ancestral populations. We show that ALLOY outperforms the previous state of the art, and is robust to uncertainties in model parameters.
Role of temperature, light and date: seeds were exhumed from soil on germination of four wetland perennials

Seeds of the four wetland perennials Cyperus odoratus L., Gratiola viscidula Pennell, Penthorum sedoides L. and Scirpus lineatus Michx. were buried in soil and exposed to yearly seasonal temperature cycles. At monthly intervals for 30.5 or 31 months, seeds were exhumed and tested at daily alternating (12/12 h) temperature regimes of 15/6, 20/10, 25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C in light (14 h photoperiod) and darkness. Seeds of all species had an absolute light requirement for germination. Freshly matured seeds of C. odoratus and P. sedoides were conditionally dormant, while those of G. viscidula and S. lineatus were dormant. Seeds of all species became non-dormant during winter; however, those of C. odoratus and G. viscidula never gained the ability to germinate at 15/6°C. Buried seeds of C. odoratus and P. sedoides remained non-dormant during the remainder of the study, while those of G. viscidula and S. lineatus exhibited an annual conditional dormancy/non-dormancy cycle.
Upscaling of a Proxy Parameter For Pore Structure In Sedimentary Rocks

A pore structure parameter called frame flexibility factor previously derived from poroelasticity has been found to explain the effects of pore structure on elastic properties, to characterize quantitatively the carbonate pore types, and to help estimate permeability from wave velocity measurements. Incorporation of this pore-structure proxy (PSP) parameter in carbonate rock physics model also helps to interpret correctly time-lapse (4D) seismic difference in terms of saturation variation. In this report, a detailed upscaling theory of this PSP parameter is presented. The volumetric averaging is used for upscaling density, porosity, and compliance. Unlike other averaging algorithms, the poroelasticity model itself is further used to obtain the averaged PSP parameter, to be consistent with the underlying physical principles. Upscaling procedure is illustrated using the MOBIL AVO data set available in the public domain. This PSP upscaling theory should be valid for both core-to-log and log-to-seismic upscaling in both sandstone and carbonate rocks.
The human rhinovirus internal cis-acting replication element (cre) exhibits disparate properties among serotypes.

It has been reported previously that the Human rhinovirus 14 (HRV-14) RNA genome contains a cis-acting replication element (cre) that maps to the capsid coding (P1) sequence [19]. Further characterization of the HRV-14 cre in the present study established that by moving the cre stem-loop structure downstream, adjacent to the 3′NCR, that its position is not critical for function. When the P1 sequences of two closely related serotypes of HRV-14 were analyzed for the presence of a cre, both HRV-3 and HRV-72 were found to contain similar sequence at the same positions as HRV-14. Moreover, sequence at these positions produced structures from MFOLD analysis that closely resembled the HRV-14 cre. It was also discovered that neither HRV serotypes 1a or 16 harbor replication elements that map to the P1 segments of their genomes. Computer and mutational analyses suggest that the cre in these latter HRV serotypes map instead to the 2A gene, as has been reported for HRV-2. The putative HRV-3 cre was determined to be unable to support replication when placed in an HRV-14 replicon background. Similarly, the previously identified HRV-2 cre was unable to support replication of the HRV-14 genome. This finding is in contrast to the cardiovirus cre, which has been shown to be functionally active between two members of its family, and further suggests that there is a close link between the evolution of the human rhinoviruses and the mechanisms of RNA replication.
Attitudes toward psychiatric treatment among hospitalized patients: A review of quantitative research

Abstract Much of the data available in the literature dealing with psychiatric treatment from the point of view of hospitalized patients stem from qualitative research. Via observations, informal interviews, or masquerading as patients, social scientists have described hospital treatment and patients' attitudes toward it largely in unfavorable terms. Relatively few scientists have taken representative samples of patients, questioned them formally about treatment with objective tests or validated scales, and displayed the findings in statistical format. The present report is a review of this body of quantitative research, with special consideration given to ascertaining patients' degree of favorableness toward treatment. Results indicate that in 34 of the 44 different samples reviewed, or 77%, patients espoused favorable attitudes. Patients proved to be more favorable in their attitude toward treatment at psychiatric hospitals generally than the treatment they received at their own institution. Type of hospital and time of study had a negligible impact on patients' views. Limited data suggest that attitudes improve, or at least do not worsen, as a consequence of hospitalization. Studies that compared patient and staff attitudes reported inconsistent findings. A content analysis of the attitude measures for treatment in general revealed that patients are positive toward the hospital's therapeutic value, assistance with medical problems, restrictions, activities, and involvement of family members, negative toward its patient government and staff/patient relations, and ambivalent toward its patient freedoms and responsibilities. The content analysis of attitudes pertaining to specific therapies disclosed that indvidual, occupational, milieu, physical, recreational, and activity therapies are perceived positively by patients, group therapies negatively, and medication and ECT in an ambivalent manner. Social variables minimally affected the favorableness of patients' responses, and the impact of psychiatric variables was somewhat greater. Interpretations of these results, particularly in regard to the discrepancy between qualitative and quantitative data, are offered.
Taking the History

When treating fish, one needs to rely heavily on the history to collect the information needed to make a differential diagnosis, because physical examination will usually be quite limited.
Effects of Systemic and Local Administration of Recombinant Human IGF‐I (rhIGF‐I) on De Novo Bone Formation in an Aged Mouse Model

DO was used in an aged mouse model to determine if systemically and/or locally administered rhIGF- I improved osteoblastogenesis and new bone formation. Local and systemic rhIGF-I treatment increased new bone formation. However, only systemic delivery produced measurable concentrations of rhIGF-I in the circulation. Introduction—Human and rodent research supports a primary role for IGF-I in bone formation. Significant roles for both endocrine and paracrine/autocrine IGF-I have been suggested for normal osteoblastogenesis and bone formation. We have assessed, using a mouse model of distraction osteogenesis (DO), the impact of continuous administration of recombinant human (rh)IGF-I, delivered either locally to the distraction site or absorbed systemically, on bone formation in an aged mouse model. Materials and Methods—DO was performed in aged mice (18-month-old C57BL/6 male mice), which were distracted at 0.15 mm daily. At the time of osteotomy, miniosmotic pumps were inserted subcutaneously to (1) deliver vehicle or rhIGF-I subcutaneously for systemic delivery or (2) deliver vehicle or rhIGF-I directly to the newly forming bone through infusion tubing routed subcutaneously from the pump to the distraction site. Serum concentrations of mouse IGF-I, human IGF-I, and osteocalcin were determined at the end of the study. Results—New bone formation observed in DO gaps showed a significant increase in new bone formation in rhIGF-I-treated mice, irrespective of delivery route. However, detectable levels of human IGF-I were found only in the serum of animals receiving rhIGF-I systemically. Osteocalcin levels did not differ between controls and rhIGF-I-treated groups. Conclusions—Locally and systemically delivered rhIGF-I both produce significant increases in new bone formed in an aged mouse model in which new bone formation is normally markedly impaired, suggesting that rhIGF-I may improve senile osteoporosis. Because systemic administration of IGF-I can result in untoward side effects, including an increased risk for cancer, the findings that
Operating-system level tracing tools for the DEC AXP architecture

Trace-driven simulation is commonly used by the computer architecture community to answer a wide range of design questions. Traces taken from benchmark program execution (commonly from the SPEC95 suite) have been used extensively to study instruction scheduling, branch prediction, and cache design. Today's computer designs have been optimized based on the workload characteristics of these benchmarks.One important issue which has been ignored in these traces is the lack of operating system activity. It has been acknowledged by a number of researchers that operating system interaction can severely affect the validity of any trace-driven simulation study. The major reason why most studies have elected to ignore this fact is due to the difficulty of obtaining such traces.In this contribution we describe two tools which have been developed at Digital Equipment Corporation, in collaboration with Northeastern University's Computer Architecture Research Laboratory, which capture operating-system rich traces. These tools can be used for capturing trace information on an DEC Alpha-based system, running either the DEC Unix or Microsoft Windows NT operating system.
A Metaphilosophical Analysis of the Core Idea of Deflationism

In this paper, I give a metaphilosophical analysis of the core idea of deflationism by discussing some basic conceptual and methodological issues involved in the debate between deflationism and substantivism. In so doing, I argue for three positive points. First, the crux of the dispute between deflationism and substantivism is whether or not truth is substantive in its metaphysical nature and in its explanatory role in philosophical enterprises, rather than whether or not a minimal approach regarding conceptual resources is taken to explain truth; a minimal approach itself is philosophically innocent. Second, there is no intrinsic connection between the core idea of deflationism and the Tarski-style equivalence thesis, which is often identified as implying or supporting the former. Third, there are some unbridged fundamental gaps between the core idea of deflationism and various redundancy theses; these redundancy theses cannot be identified as the former, nor can they be used to justify the former on their own.