cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic simulation of locally inextensible vesicles suspended in an arbitrary two-dimensional domain, a boundary integral method

We consider numerical algorithms for the simulation of hydrodynamics of two-dimensional vesicles suspended in a viscous Stokesian fluid. The motion of vesicles is governed by the interplay between hydrodynamic and elastic forces. Continuum models of vesicles use a two-phase fluid system with interfacial forces that include tension (to maintain local ''surface'' inextensibility) and bending. Vesicle flows are challenging to simulate. On the one hand, explicit time-stepping schemes suffer from a severe stability constraint due to the stiffness related to high-order spatial derivatives in the bending term. On the other hand, implicit time-stepping schemes can be expensive because they require the solution of a set of nonlinear equations at each time step. Our method is an extension of the work of Veerapaneni et al. [S.K. Veerapaneni, D. Gueyffier, D. Zorin, G. Biros, A boundary integral method for simulating the dynamics of inextensible vesicles suspended in a viscous fluid in 2D, Journal of Computational Physics 228(7) (2009) 2334-2353], in which a semi-implicit time-marching scheme based on a boundary integral formulation of the Stokes problem for vesicles in an unbounded medium was proposed. In this paper, we consider two important generalizations: (i) confined flows within arbitrary-shaped stationary/moving geometries; and (ii) flows in which the interior (to the vesicle) and exterior fluids have different viscosity. In the rest of the paper, we will refer to this as the ''viscosity contrast''. These two problems require solving additional integral equations and cause nontrivial modifications to the previous numerical scheme. Our method does not have severe time-step stability constraints and its computational cost-per-time-step is comparable to that of an explicit scheme. The discretization is pseudo-spectral in space, and multistep BDF in time. We conduct numerical experiments to investigate the stability, accuracy and the computational cost of the algorithm. Overall, our method achieves several orders of magnitude speed-up compared to standard explicit schemes. As a preliminary validation of our scheme, we study the dependence of the inclination angle of a single vesicle in shear flow on the viscosity contrast and the reduced area of the vesicle, the lateral migration of vesicles in shear flow, the dispersion of two vesicles, and the effective viscosity of a dilute suspension of vesicles.
Topical Prophylaxis for Lyme Disease after Tick Bite in a Rodent Model

To determine whether infection with the Lyme disease spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi) can be aborted by topical application of antibiotic to the site of tick attachment, individual infected nymphal deer ticks (Ixodes dammini) were permitted to feed on the ears of mice, and various antibiotics were applied to the feeding site at intervals after the replete infecting tick had detached. Infection in each mouse was determined by serology and by xenodiagnosis at 4 weeks after the bite of the infected tick. None of these mice became infected when antibiotic was topically applied to the site of tick attachment within 2 days after the spirochete-infected ticks had detached. In contrast, all nontreated and virtually all solvent-treated mice became persistently infected. Thus, persistent infection by the agent of Lyme disease can be aborted by appropriate topical application of antibiotic.
Secure-CITI Critical Information-Technology Infrastructure

The Secure and robust Critical Information-Technology Infrastructure (S-CITI for short) project aims at providing support to Emergency Managers (EMs) that are faced with management of resources and with decisions before, during, and after emergencies or disasters. Our approach consists of using new and existing sensors to gather data from the field, processing this data to detect and predict emergency/disaster situations, and disseminating this data among the appropriate organizational units. The data flow will be done in a reliable and secure manner and EMs will coordinate actions in a Virtual Coordination Center (VCC), which need not be in a fixed (and thus vulnerable) physical location. The EMs are responsible for indicating what type of data is more valuable, so that S-CITI can display that information appropriately.
On-Road Evaluation of an In-Vehicle Curve Warning Device:

Roadway horizontal curves are the site of numerous crashes and motorist deaths each year. The objective of this study was to determine the most effective curve warning device using on-road performance and subjective evaluation. A baseline no warning condition and two multi-modal warnings were tested by 48 participants at the Virginia Smart Road closed test highway. Both warnings exhibited the same auditory (speech) and visual (Heads-Down Display) stimuli, but one also included a throttle push-back haptic stimulus. Throttle reaction times and brake reaction times were significantly quicker and curve entry speed significantly closer to an advisory speed for participants receiving a warning presentation versus those without a warning presentation. Older drivers reached more appropriate curve entry speeds than younger drivers. Driver risk-taking style was significantly related to age and curve entry speed.
Understanding the mechanisms underlying voluntary responses to pitch-shifted auditory feedback

Previous research has shown that vocal errors can be simulated using a pitch perturbation technique. Two types of responses are observed when subjects are asked to ignore changes in pitch during a steady vowel production, a compensatory response countering the direction of the perceived change in pitch and a following response in the same direction as the pitch perturbation. The present study investigated the nature of these responses by asking subjects to volitionally change their voice fundamental frequency either in the opposite direction (“opposing” group) or the same direction (“following” group) as the pitch shifts (±100 cents, 1000 ms) presented during the speaker's production of an /a/ vowel. Results showed that voluntary responses that followed the stimulus directions had significantly shorter latencies (150 ms) than opposing responses (360 ms). In addition, prior to the slower voluntary opposing responses, there were short latency involuntary responses that followed the stimulus direction. These following responses may involve mechanisms of imitation or vocal shadowing of acoustical stimuli when subjects are predisposed to respond to a change in frequency of a sound. The slower opposing responses may represent a control strategy that requires monitoring and correcting for errors between the feedback signal and the intended vocal goal.
The Effect of Touching Different Body Areas on Prosocial Behavior

Summary The influence of touching different locations of the body on helping behavior was examined. One hundred females and 100 males walking in shopping males were interviewed by either a female or male confederate (C). At the end of the interview, the C touched the S on either the shoulder, the upper arm, the lower arm, the hand, or did not touch the S, and immediately after dropped several survey forms. The greatest helping behavior was received when the female C touched male and female Ss on the upper arm, with almost all males helping when touched on this area. However, the male C received about the same level of help regardless of where he touched the Ss, or if he did not touch them. The female C received greater help than the male C, and more help from male Ss than female Ss.
Study of Increased Radiation When an X-ray Tube is Placed in a Strong Magnetic Field

When a fixed anode x-ray tube is placed in a magnetic field (B) that is parallel to the anode-cathode axis, the x-ray exposure increases with increasing B. It was hypothesized that the increase was caused by backscattered electrons which were constrained by B and reaccelerated by the electric field onto the x-ray tube target. We performed computer simulations and physical experiments to study the behavior of the backscattered electrons in a magnetic field, and their effects on the radiation output, x-ray spectrum, and off-focal radiation. A Monte Carlo program (EGS4) was used to generate the combined energy and angular distribution of the backscattered electrons. The electron trajectories were traced and their landing locations back on the anode were calculated. Radiation emission from each point was modeled with published data (IPEM Report 78), and thus the exposure rate and x-ray spectrum with the contribution of backscattered electrons could be predicted. The point spread function for a pencil beam of electrons was generated and then convolved with the density map of primary electrons incident on the anode as simulated with a finite element program (Opera-3d, Vector Fields, UK). The total spatial distribution of x-ray emission could then be calculated. Simulations showed that for an x-ray tube working at 65 kV, about 54% of the electrons incident on the target were backscattered. In a magnetic field of 0.5 T, although the exposure would be increased by 33%, only a small fraction of the backscattered electrons landed within the focal spot area. The x-ray spectrum was slightly shifted to lower energies and the half value layer (HVL) was reduced by about 6%. Measurements of the exposure rate, half value layer and focal spot distribution were acquired as functions of B. Good agreement was observed between experimental data and simulation results. The wide spatial distribution of secondary x-ray emission can degrade the MTF of the x-ray system at low spatial frequencies for B < 0.5 T.
The Advantages of Using Standardized Scores in Causal Analysis.

This article compares the usefulness of standard score results (such as correlations and standardized regression coefficients) to that of raw scores results (such as covariances and raw score regression coefficients). The 2 main advantages of presenting standardized results is then examined. First, reporting standardized coefficients allows recognition of causal relationships that replicate across studies, facilitating meta-analysis. Second, an analysis with standardized coefficients allows the researcher to determine which of the predictor variables has the largest relative impact on the criterion variable. The implications of these 2 standardized score advantages are demonstrated with examples.
A Molecular Dynamics Study of Band Tails in a-Si:H

Band tail states are routinely invoked in models of a-Si:H including defect pool models and models of light induced defects. These models describe the band tail states as being localized on a single stretched bond. However, to the authors knowledge, there is no theoretical or experimental work to justify these assumptions. In this work they use ab initio calculations to support earlier tight-binding calculations that show that the band tail states are very delocalized--involving large numbers of atoms as the energy is varied from midgap into the tails. The work also shows that the valence band tail states are statistically associated with short bonds (not long bonds) and the conduction-band states with long bonds. They have slightly modified a 512 atom model of a-Si due to Djordjevic et al. to produce a large, defect free model of a-Si:H with realistic band tails.
Inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury: Making the Diagnosis in the Emergency Department

Inflicted traumatic brain injury (iTBI) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in young children. Inflicted traumatic brain injury can present with a wide spectrum of symptoms and clinical findings. Children who have milder forms of iTBI and less ominous symptoms, such as vomiting and irritability, may not be recognized until they present later with more serious injury. Although retinal hemorrhages, rib fractures, and subdural hemorrhage are the triad typically associated with iTBI, a minority of patients will have all 3 findings. The importance of recognizing iTBI in a timely manner in the emergency department is vital to protect the child from future and possibly more severe brain injury.
Soft Dry Electrodes for Electrocardiogram with Conductive Silver Nanowires

With increasing attention towards long-term health monitoring, there is a pressing need to create noninvasive sensors that monitor vital bioelectronic signals. Particular importance is placed on measuring electrocardiogram (ECG) signals as heart issues are widespread and can be prevented with the proper warning and care of potential problems. Currently, ECGs are taken in a hospital setting using disposable silver-silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) pre-gelled electrodes. Unfortunately, this cannot translate to a long-term monitoring setting due to the electrolytic gel of the electrodes drying and causing skin irritation. This paper presents a soft, skin-mountable dry electrode based on silver nanowires (AgNWs) for measuring ECG signals that can be used in long-term, wearable health monitoring due to the elimination of the electrolytic gel. The AgNWs are embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which creates a robust design that will not suffer from delamination or cracking problems that can eventually lead to loss of conductivity. The electrode is characterized by electrode-skin impedance as a function of frequency and by the surface resistance as the electrode is stretched. The performance of the dry electrode is evaluated and comparable to that of conventional Ag/AgCl electrodes. The ability of the dry electrode to conform to skin is believed to compensate for the lack of an electrolytic gel.
Diabetes-focused rotation's impact on student confidence and knowledge

Abstract Objective To assess the impact of a diabetes-focused advanced pharmacy practice experience on students' diabetes-related confidence and knowledge. Methods A survey tool was created, including 22 confidence and 30 knowledge questions centered on diabetes care. Students entering into a diabetes-focused advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) during rotation 7 served as the intervention group, whereas students without this experience were the control group. Both groups completed the survey before and after rotation 7. Results Twenty-two students (13 intervention, 9 control) completed the baseline survey and 14 students (9 intervention, 5 control) completed the follow-up. The intervention group showed a significant improvement in total confidence compared with control (3.92–5.52, p = 0.002). Within-group analyses showed a significant improvement in knowledge in the intervention group (18.6–22.4, p = 0.04) compared with no difference in the control group (17.8–18.3, p = 0.85). Conclusions This pilot study suggests that a diabetes-focused APPE improves students' diabetes-related confidence and knowledge.
Clinical application of the Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter

Abstract Instantaneous and continuous measurement of phasic blood flow velocity was obtained with the Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter system in over 700 patients. Using transcutaneous and implanted probes, flow velocity was recorded from arteries in normal subjects and patients with aortic valvular and subvalvular disease, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. Catheter probe recordings were obtained from the superior vena cava, right atrium, right ventricle, aorta, carotid arteries and coronary arteries in patients with a variety of clinical disorders. Ventricular diastolic and atrial systolic flow in atrial septal defect, compensatory diastolic flow acceleration in tricuspid insufficiency, peak flow velocity variations dependent on previous cycle length in arrhythmias, small atrial contribution to ventricular systolic flow, diagnostic recognition of aortic valvular disease, and other flow velocity relations are stressed.
On the Renormalization of Quantum Gravitation Without Matter

Abstract The S -matrix of pure gravitation is finite at the one-loop level, but in a trivial way due to invariance considerations which only hold in four dimensions. These considerations are not sufficient to conclude that the S -matrix is also finite at the two-loop level. In order to determine whether there is any likelihood that extra cancellations will also make the higher loop purely gravitational S -matrix finite, we consider a case which has several of the properties of a two-loop correction in four dimensions, a one-loop correction in six dimensions. There are no extra cancellations and it is argued that pure gravitation in four dimensions has probably no finite S -matrix beyond the one-loop level when it is treated as a standard particle theory.
Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of the mechanism of gas-phase chlorine production from NaCl aerosols in the MAGIC model

Abstract This paper presents a global sensitivity and uncertainty analyses of the chlorine chemistry included in the Model of Aqueous, Gaseous and Interfacial Chemistry (MAGIC). Uncertainty ranges are established for input parameters (e.g. chemical rate constants, Henry's law constants, etc.) and are used in conjunction with Latin hypercube sampling and multiple linear regression to conduct a sensitivity analysis which determines the correlation between each input parameter and the model output. The contribution of each input parameter to the uncertainty in the model output is calculated by combining the results of the sensitivity analysis with the input parameters' uncertainty ranges. The peak concentration of molecular chlorine, [Cl2(g)]peak, is used to compare model runs since MAGIC has demonstrated previously the importance of an interfacial reaction between OH(g) and Cl−(aq,surface) in the production of Cl2(g). Results indicate that the interface reaction rate is most strongly correlated with [Cl2(g)]peak and is most responsible for the uncertainty in MAGIC's ability to calculate precisely [Cl2(g)]peak. In addition, the mass accommodation coefficient for OH and the aqueous-phase reaction rate for Cl2 + OH− → HOCl + Cl− and 2CO3− + O2 + 2H2O → 2CO2·H2O + 2O2− also contribute significantly to the uncertainty in [Cl2(g)]peak.
Meiosis-specific Failure of Cell Cycle Progression in Fission Yeast by Mutation of a Conserved β-Tubulin Residue

The microtubule cytoskeleton is involved in regulation of cell morphology, differentiation, and cell cycle progression. Precisely controlled dynamic properties are required for these microtubule functions. To better understand how tubulin's dynamics are embedded in its primary sequence, we investigated in vivo the consequences of altering a single, highly conserved residue in β-tubulin that lies at the interface between two structural domains. The residue differs between the cold-adapted Antarctic fish and temperate animals in a manner that suggests a role in microtubule stability. Fungi, like the Antarctic fish, have a phenylalanine in this position, whereas essentially all other animals have tyrosine. We mutated the corresponding residue in fission yeast to tyrosine. Temperature effects were subtle, but time-lapse microscopy of microtubule dynamics revealed reduced depolymerization rates and increased stability. Mitotic exit signaled by breakdown of the mitotic spindle was delayed. In meiosis, microtubules displayed prolonged contact to the cell cortex during horsetail movement, followed by completion of meiosis I but frequent asymmetric failure of meiosis II spindle formation. Our results indicate that depolymerization dynamics modulated through interdomain motion may be important for regulating a subset of plus-end microtubule complexes in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Cerebral Arteriolar Structure in Mice Overexpressing Human Renin and Angiotensinogen

We examined the hypothesis that the renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in vascular remodeling (defined as reduced external diameter) during chronic hypertension. We measured pressure, diameter, and cross-sectional area of the vessel wall in maximally dilated cerebral arterioles in transgenic mice that overexpress both human renin and human angiotensinogen and in spontaneously hypertensive mice, a model of chronic hypertension that is thought to develop independently of the renin-angiotensin system. Systemic arterial pressure under conscious conditions was increased by similar amounts in transgenically hypertensive mice (153±6 versus 117±4 mm Hg in controls; mean±SE, P P P P >0.05). The cross-sectional area of the vessel wall was increased in both transgenically hypertensive mice (504±53 versus 379±37 μm 2 ; P 2 ; P
An Agent-Oriented Source-Level Debugger on Top of a Monitoring Framework

Standard debuggers are usually limited in the amount of analysis that they perform in order to assist with debugging. This paper presents UDB, an agent-oriented source-level debugger for the Unicon programming language with a novel architecture and capabilities. UDB combines classical debugging techniques such as those found in GDB with a growing set of extension agents. The paper tests three hypotheses: 1) a source-level debugger built on top of a monitoring framework can surpass ordinary debuggers with more debugging capabilities, 2) a debugger based on a high-level monitoring framework allows easier and more efficient agent-based extension, and 3) an agent-oriented debugger is easier to extend on the fly with new agents that utilize automatic debugging and dynamic analysis techniques
Poly-Vi-Flor® Chewable (Mead Johnson)

Poly-Vi-Flor chewable tablets contain 10 vitamins plus fluoride for diet supplementation and dental caries prophylaxis.
Gβγ Binds to the Extreme C Terminus of SNAP25 to Mediate the Action of Gi/o-Coupled G Protein-Coupled Receptors.

Gi/o-coupled G protein–coupled receptors can exert an inhibitory effect on vesicle release through several G protein–driven mechanisms, more than one of which may be concurrently present in individual presynaptic terminals. The synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP25) is a key downstream effector of Gβγ subunits. It has previously been shown that proteolytic cleavage of SNAP25 by botulinum toxin A reduces the ability of Gβγ to compete with the calcium sensor synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) for binding to SNAP25 in a calcium-dependent manner. These truncated SNAP25 proteins sustain a low level of exocytosis but are unable to support serotonin-mediated inhibition of exocytosis in lamprey spinal neurons. Here, we generate a SNAP25 extreme C-terminal mutant that is deficient in its ability to bind Gβγ while retaining normal calcium-dependent Syt1 binding to soluble N-ethylmaleimide attachment protein receptor (SNARE) and vesicle release. The SNAP25Δ3 mutant, in which residue G204 is replaced by a stop codon, features a partial reduction in Gβ1γ2 binding in vitro as well as a partial reduction in the ability of the lamprey 5-hydroxytryptamine1b–type serotonin receptor to reduce excitatory postsynaptic current amplitudes, an effect previously shown to be mediated through the interaction of Gβγ with SNAP25. Syt1 calcium-dependent binding to SNAP25Δ3 was reduced by a small extent compared with the wild type. We conclude that the extreme C terminus of SNAP25 is a critical region for the Gβγ-SNARE interaction.
Invasive Candidiasis in Various Patient Populations: Incorporating Non-Culture Diagnostic Tests into Rational Management Strategies.

Mortality rates due to invasive candidiasis remain unacceptably high, in part because the poor sensitivity and slow turn-around time of cultures delay the initiation of antifungal treatment. β-d-glucan (Fungitell) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based (T2Candida) assays are FDA-approved adjuncts to cultures for diagnosing invasive candidiasis, but their clinical roles are unclear. We propose a Bayesian framework for interpreting non-culture test results and developing rational patient management strategies, which considers test performance and types of invasive candidiasis that are most common in various patient populations. β-d-glucan sensitivity/specificity for candidemia and intra-abdominal candidiasis is ~80%/80% and ~60%/75%, respectively. In settings with 1%–10% likelihood of candidemia, anticipated β-d-glucan positive and negative predictive values are ~4%–31% and ≥97%, respectively. Corresponding values in settings with 3%–30% likelihood of intra-abdominal candidiasis are ~7%–51% and ~78%–98%. β-d-glucan is predicted to be useful in guiding antifungal treatment for wide ranges of populations at-risk for candidemia (incidence ~5%–40%) or intra-abdominal candidiasis (~7%–20%). Validated PCR-based assays should broaden windows to include populations at lower-risk for candidemia (incidence ≥~2%) and higher-risk for intra-abdominal candidiasis (up to ~40%). In the management of individual patients, non-culture tests may also have value outside of these windows. The proposals we put forth are not definitive treatment guidelines, but rather represent starting points for clinical trial design and debate by the infectious diseases community. The principles presented here will be applicable to other assays as they enter the clinic, and to existing assays as more data become available from different populations.
Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with HIV Among Black and Latino Adults Who Use Drugs and Unaware of Their HIV-Positive Status, New York City, 2000–2004

With mounting evidence of how neighborhood socioeconomic context influences individual behavior, investigation of neighborhood social context and sex/drug use risk behavior could help explain and provide insight into solutions to solve persistent racial disparities in HIV. Interviewer-administered surveys and HIV testing among street-recruited individuals who reported illicit drug use in New York City were conducted from 2000 to 2004. Individuals were geocoded to census tracts, and generalized estimating equations were used to determine correlates of being newly diagnosed with HIV at study enrollment. Analyses were completed in 2014. Of the 920 participants, 10.5 % were HIV-positive, and among those, 45 % were diagnosed at study enrollment. After restricting the sample to those who self-reported negative HIV status (n = 867), 72 % were male, 65 % Latino, and 5.1 % tested HIV-positive. After adjustment, those testing HIV-positive were more likely to report male same-sex partnership (p < 0.01) and less likely to be homeless compared with those confirmed HIV-negative (p < 0.01). Neighborhood-adjusted models indicated those from neighborhoods with less deprivation (p < 0.05), and a higher proportion of owner-occupied homes (p < 0.01) were more likely to test HIV-positive. Additionally, Black individuals who used drugs and were from neighborhoods with a higher proportion of Black residents were more likely to be newly diagnosed compared to Latino individuals who used drugs and were from neighborhoods with lower proportions of Black residents (p < 0.05). These data suggest that HIV prevention and treatment efforts should continue widening its reach to those unaware of their HIV infection, namely men who have sex with men, heavy, drug-involved Black communities, and both Black and Latino communities from relatively less disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Electron-impact excitation of neon at intermediate energies

Large-scale $R$ matrix with pseudostates calculations for electron collisions with neon atoms, using a recently developed parallel version of our $B$-spline $R$-matrix code, are reported. The calculations were carried out in the $jK$-coupling scheme. They are intended to provide converged (with respect to the number of coupled states) results for electron impact excitation of individual target states with dominant configurations $2{p}^{5}3s$, $2{p}^{5}3p$, and $2{p}^{5}3d$ for incident electron energies from threshold to 300 eV. The close-coupling expansion includes 457 target states, with the lowest 87 states representing the bound spectrum and the remaining 370 the ionization continuum. The results reveal dramatic reductions of the predicted excitation cross sections at intermediate energies due to a strong influence of coupling to the target continuum and the higher-lying Rydberg states. Comparison with available experimental data for the excitation of the $2{p}^{5}3s$ and $2{p}^{5}3p$ states raises questions about the absolute normalization in the measurements. Considerable improvement over previous work is obtained in the agreement between experiment and theory for the angle-differential cross sections. In particular, a long-standing discrepancy regarding the angular dependence for excitation of the metastable $2{p}^{5}3s$ levels is resolved.
BMET-12SURVIVAL IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS WITH BRAIN METASTASES AFTER GAMMA KNIFE STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested a difference in outcome for breast cancer patients with brain metastases based on breast cancer subtype. These subtypes are defined as ER/PR+ and HER2- (luminal A), ER/PR+ and HER2+ (luminal B), ER/PR- and HER2- (triple-negative), and ER/PR- and HER2+ (HER2). The recently published modified Graded Prognostic Analysis (GPA) score for predicting overall survival (OS) in these patients includes subtype, number of CNS metastases, age, and performance status. We investigated whether this model was predictive of outcomes in these patients treated with Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GKRS) at our institution and if any additional factors were predictive. METHODS: We reviewed all patients treated by GKRS for brain metastases from breast cancer at our institution from 2000 to 2014. Characteristics included subtype, age at breast cancer diagnosis, clinical stage, chemotherapy, age at diagnosis of brain metastases, Karnofsky Performance Status, years between breast cancer diagnosis and brain metastases, number of brain metastases, extracranial metastases, controlled primary tumor, type of treatment, and GPA score. OS was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis was performed to identify predictors. RESULTS: 61 patients were included. The majority of patients had luminal type. These patients were more likely to present with multiple metastases (p = 0.024). The median survival after treatment for the entire cohort was 16 months. We found no significant difference in survival based on subtype. According to GPA score, patients with the highest score had the best OS (p = 0.112). Multivariate analysis showed that stage II or III breast cancer at diagnosis, more than three brain metastases, and treatment with surgery and whole brain radiation for brain metastases were predictors for worse OS. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, breast cancer subtype is not a significant predictor for survival in these patients. The breast-cancer specific GPA was a good predictor of OS.
Problems and Their Solutions in Sustainable Tourism Development in Xi'an

As a special industry, tourism plays an important role in the economy development of Xi'an, besides its leading role and radiating effects in the development of tourism in West China. From the possibility of sustainable development of tourism, the preponderance of tourism development in Xi'an was analyzed and solutions to the existing problems were given.
Compliance of neonatal nurse practitioners with gentamicin pharmacokinetic recommendations

The compliance of nurse practitioners in a neonatal intensive-care center with gentamicin dosage recommendations from a pharmacokinetic consultation service was determined. Medical and pharmacokinetic dosage data were collected retrospectively from the medical records and pharmacokinetic consultation records of eligible neonates as soon as they had completed gentamicin therapy. Neonates for whom pharmacokinetic dosage recommendations had been followed by each of four neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) were compared with neonates for whom recommendations had not been followed to identify patient characteristics that might have influenced NNP compliance with the recommendations. Each NNP also completed a questionnaire designed to elicit information about professional and behavioral characteristics that might be associated with compliance. Data were collected for a total of 98 neonates. Discriminant analysis revealed no significant differences between the two groups of neonates. Although the NNPs perceived themselves to be in high compliance with the pharmacokinetic recommendations, the actual group compliance rate was 43%. Neonatal nurse practitioners may require special education in the proper use of pharmacokinetic dosage recommendations even if they perceive themselves to be compliant with those recommendations.
Recently initiated studies: neoadjuvant treatments in the next century.

The adjuvant therapy of early breast cancer currently succeeds in eradicating micrometastatic disease in a proportion of women at risk of relapse. However, much remains to be done to improve its efficacy. Trials that are presently being conducted will determine whether increasing the dose density or dose intensity of existing agents, or altering their sequencing, will bring greater benefit. A further pressing need is for new agents with proven activity in stage IV disease, such as docetaxel (Taxotere; Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Antony, France), to be assessed in the adjuvant setting. A phase II study with docetaxel was conducted in the neoadjuvant setting in stage III breast cancer patients. Preliminary results on 33 patients showed an overall response rate of 85% with neoadjuvant docetaxel and a manageable safety profile. Based on this encouraging experience and the phase II and III docetaxel single-agent and combination studies, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project is investigating regimens involving docetaxel before or after surgery, and ongoing European trials are assessing the sequencing of dose-dense doxorubicin and docetaxel before surgery.
Arthropod-borne Virus Infections of the Central Nervous System

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are an important cause of meningoencephalitis in North America. This article considers the common features of the four major CNS arbovirus infections in this country and gives detailed descriptions of the individual virus infections.
Leeside Extratropical Cyclone Development and the Relation of Topography to Acceleration of Circulation

In an effort to gain insight into the evolution of extratropical cyclones from the incipient to the decaying stage, several diagnostic studies at the University of Wisconsin have utilized quasi-Lagrangian transport relations to study the mass circulation and angular momentum transport within cyclones (Johnson and Downey, 1975a and b). These studies have isolated two distinct types of development for extratropical cyclones over the continental United States, one of which is related intimately to the effects of mountainous terrain (Johnson, Wash and Petersen, 1976).
Legal Protection and Female Employment

Population policymakers have argued for many years that the elimination of sex discrimination in employment is a desirable, if not essential, prerequisite to the attainment of a sustained low level of fertility. With the abolition of sex descrimination, they contend, commitment to careers will increase among women and family size will fall. In 1972 the U.S. Commission on Population Growth and the American Future concluded: [W]e believe that attractive work may effectively compete with childbearing and have the effect of lowering fertility, especially higher-order births. Virtually all American couples want at least one child, but there is some evidence that rewarding employment may compete successfully with child-bearing beyond the first child.1
Incompressible Turbulent Flow Separation

This chapter reviews the incompressible turbulent flow separation. In practice, turbulent flow separation is a much more important problem compared with laminar flow because, due to the increase of Reynolds number, by taking a feasible size of body or by immersing it into high-speed flow, flow will be turbulent. In general, the prediction of turbulent flow is less exact and more cumbersome compared with laminar flow. The chapter explains the criteria of incompressible two-dimensional turbulent separation are divided into two sections: (1) external flow and (2) internal flow. The chapter discusses Ross' criterion, Maskell's criterion, Von Doenhoff and Tetervin's criterion, and Garner's criterion.
NATURE AND RATE OF BASAL TILL DEPOSITION IN A STAGNATING ICE MASS, BURROUGHS GLACIER, ALASKA*

Rates of basal till deposition ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 cm year-' have been obtained from the Burroughs Glacier in southeast Alaska. Unlike minimum rates of till deposition which are derived by dividing the thickness of till deposited by the length of time the area was ice covered, these values are believed to more closely represent an actual rate of deposition.
An orthogonal projection related to the Riemann zeta-function

Abstract In this paper, a global orthogonal projection is found for which an explicit formula is given. Under the assumption of a density result, this projection denies the existence of zeros of the Riemann zeta-function on the right side of the critical line, but not zeros on the left side.
Anesthesia for Multivisceral Transplantation

Advances in surgical techniques, an increased understanding of immunologic reactions, and improvements in immunosuppressive regimens, anesthetic and perioperative critical care, and postoperative surveillance have allowed multivisceral transplantation to emerge as an effective, lifesaving option for patients in whom other therapeutic modalities have failed. The perioperative care of these severely ill patients requires intense multidisciplinary collaboration, particularly within the triangle of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and intensivists. Despite all the progress made, much research remains to be done, especially in the area of patient outcomes, before the procedure can be offered outside a few select, highly specialized tertiary referral centers.
Non-homogeneous hidden Markov chain models for wavelet-based hyperspectral image processing

We consider the use of non-homogeneous Markov chain (NHMC) models for wavelet transformations of hyperspectral signatures to generate features for signal processing purposes. Inspired by the use of hidden Markov trees for natural images, the NHMC model enables the characterization of absorption bands and other structural features of mineral spectra that are used by experts in tasks like classification and unmixing, primarily in an ad-hoc fashion. We show that NHMC models can successfully identify and capture the information in a spectral signature dataset that can be exploited by standard classification algorithms to identify and differentiate spectral families. We also identify several metrics that can help determine whether each spectral band is informative to classification in a multiscale fashion.
THE USE OF CONTRACEPTIVES BY YOUNG AND UN-MARRIED GIRLS IN NJIKOKA ANAMBRA STATE

This paper to xray ways of increasing proper use of contraceptives by teenagers, especially among young and unmarried girls in Njikoka. Questionnaire was used and administered to 120 respondence, using the simple random sampling technique. Chi-square distribution and percentage was used to analyse data collected. The analysis of the data showed that those with urban background tend to use modern contraceptive than those with rural background. The analysis also showed that those with higher level of education are more aware of contraceptive than those with lower level of education. The findings underlie the growing importance of sexual activity among adolescent females. The problems associated with contraceptive use, obstacles, and the importance of sexuality education for adolescent females is of essences now.
Surgeon variation in operating times and charges for emergency general surgery.

Abstract Background Patients and hospitals face significant financial burdens from emergency general surgeries (EGSs), which have been termed a public health crisis in the United States. We evaluated hospitalization charges, operating charges, and variations in operating time by surgeon volume for three common EGS procedures. Methods Using Maryland's Health Services Cost Review Commission database, we performed a retrospective study of laparoscopic appendectomies, laparoscopic cholecystectomies, and open bowel resections performed by general surgeons among adult patients from July 2012 to September 2014. We compared operating charges to total hospitalization charges and quantified variations in operating time for each procedure. We then divided patients into quartiles based on their surgeon's procedure-specific case volume and used hierarchical linear regressions to calculate differences in both operating time and charges between quartiles. Results We identified 3194 appendectomies, 4143 cholecystectomies, and 1478 bowel resections. Operating charges accounted for one-quarter (26.9%) of total hospitalization charges and widespread variation existed in operating time (appendectomies: median 79 min [interquartile range 66-100 min], cholecystectomies: 96 min [76-125 min], bowel resections: 155 min [117-209 min]). After adjustment, low-volume surgeons relative to high-volume surgeons did not operate statistically longer for appendectomies (+1%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −2% to 5%) but operated +16% (95% CI: 12%-20%) longer for cholecystectomies (+14 min) and +40% (95% CI: 30%-50%) longer for bowel resections (+59 min). Adjusted median operating charges from low-volume surgeons relative to high-volume surgeons were $554 (26.7%), $621 (22.0%), and $1801 (47.0%) greater for appendectomies, cholecystectomies, and bowel resections, respectively. Conclusions Operating charges contributed substantially to total EGS hospitalization charges, where low-volume surgeons operated longer and had higher operative charges relative to high-volume surgeons. Reducing variations in operating times and charges represents an opportunity to alleviate the financial burden from EGS procedures.
Hepatocellular carcinoma: Liver biopsy in the balance.

The use of liver biopsy to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma is governed by the balance of the risks of the procedure (morbidity, mortality, inadequate sampling), the relative utility of non-invasive techniques and the benefits of precise diagnosis, prognostic and theragnostic information and access to tissue for molecular analysis. In this issue of Hepatology, identification of the macrotrabecular subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma on liver biopsy is shown to add clinically useful prognostic information as well as molecular correlations.
Deep residual neural networks for automated Basal Cell Carcinoma detection

Despite being the most common cancer around the world, five year survival rates of skin cancer are above 95%, as long as they are detected and treated before they have spread. The key to prolonged survival is early detection, making an automated analysis tool indispensable. Current machine learning analyses of Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) dermoscopy images have failed to create a model viable for use in clinical applications. In this paper, we demonstrate a sensitivity and specificity that could make neural networks a realistic tool for dermatologists. Our algorithm follows a three step process: first, the original image is preprocessed and fed into the segmentation model; second, a black and white lesion map is produced to extract the minimum area of the image; third, the classification model is introduced for classifying whether an input image is BCC or not. By building upon melanoma research performed by He, et al., we reached an overall weighted sensitivity and specificity of 96% and 89%, respectively. We demonstrated that deep residual neural networks (> 100 layers), carefully optimized, can surpass the limitations of depth one sees with more common convolutional neural networks.
The Beingness of Animality in Wallace Stevens' THE LATEST FREED MAN

Wallace Stevens' poetic search for truth often demands a reconceptualization of nature, divided by the human mind into word and image and portrayed in his poems as high abstractions, using language...
Exploring traffic safety culture and drunk driving: An examination of the community and DUI related fatal crashes in the U.S. (1993–2015)

Abstract This project explores the relationship between structural level factors associated with community traffic safety culture toward alcohol and alcohol related fatal crashes in the United States from 1993 to 2015. Multilevel growth curve models were estimated to explore these relationships within longitudinal data. As hypothesized, increases in factors associated with anti-alcohol community norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs were related to decreases in alcohol related crashes at the county level. Conversely, measures associated with pro-alcohol factors were related to increased alcohol related crashes. These findings are consistent with traffic safety culture, social norms theory, and the Positive Community Framework (PCF).
A machine learning methodology for inferring network S-parameters in the presence of variability

This paper proposes the use of Variational Autoencoders, a generative modeling technique, for the problem of inferring S-parameters of linear multiport networks in the presence of manufacturing variability. The Variational Autoencoder learns the underlying data generation process and yields a generative network that can approximately mimic the probability distribution of the training data. The generated samples can be used for subsequent statistical simulations. A post-processing step, applying Vector Fitting to the predicted S-parameters, constrains the model to a finite-order rational function form and enforces appropriate physical constraints. The method is validated through its application to a coupled micro strip transmission line.
Comparison of Y-90 and Tc-99m MAA images in treatment of liver cancer

147 Objectives: Yttrium-90 microspheres (Y-90) have been used for the treatment of liver cancer. The distribution of Y-90, as a pure beta emitter, can be imaged by Bremsstrahlung, i.e., by the gamma camera peaked around 70 keV. Prior to the Y-90 therapy, the percentage of shunting to the lungs and the distribution in the liver is determined from a scan using technetium-99m labeled macroaggregated albumin (Tc-99m MAA). For Y-90 therapy, it is assumed that the Y-90 microspheres will follow the Tc-99m MAA distribution, which is not always the case. The purpose of our study was to find an objective measure of the correlation between Y-90 and Tc-99m MAA images. Methods: A GE Infinia SPECT/CT scanner was used in this study. Six patients have been investigated in a continuing study. We used 5 mCi for MAA studies and 21-66 mCi of Y-90. For both Tc-99m MAA and Y-90 SPECT acquisitions, there were 60 views, 30 s/view; the reconstruction algorithm was OSEM. Attenuation correction was performed using the CT scan. The reconstruction matrix size was 128 × 128 and the pixel size was 4.4 mm. First, the Y-90 and MAA corresponding CT studies were coregistrated using a transformation based on normalized mutual information (1). The transformation was saved and used for SPECT Y-90 and MAA data. The Y-90 and Tc-99m MAA point spread functions (psf) were also acquired and used for testing. For SPECT Y-90 and reoriented MAA data, the Spearman’s rank correlation was calculated as well as image distance (L2-norm). Results: The Spearman’s rank correlation values ranged from 0.651 to 0.710 and the L2 distance between Y-90 and MAA images ranged from 0.962-1.245. Visual inspection of the Y-90 and MAA distributions showed reasonable match between Y-90 and reoriented MAA SPECT images. The rank correlation values closely followed observed distribution and 2D scatter plots, while L2 distance in three cases was slightly lower for worse distribution correlation. Conclusions: Spearman’s rank correlation is a better parameter than image distance for correlating the Y-90 and Tc-99m MAA distributions and can be used as an objective parameter.