cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Outcomes of Trauma Patients With Ventilator-Associated Events by Diagnostic Criteria Set.

BACKGROUND The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention replaced the definition for ventilator-associated pneumonia with an algorithm comprised of three categories: ventilator-associated condition (VAC), infection-related ventilator associated complication (IVAC), and possible ventilator-associated pneumonia (PVAP). We sought to compare the outcome of trauma patients with VAEs to those with no VAEs. METHODS Patients admitted from 2013 to 2017 were identified from trauma registry. Logistic regression was performed for the association between VAEs and mortality. RESULTS Two thousand six hundred eighty patients were admitted to our trauma center, 2,290 had no VAE, 100 had VACs, 85 had IVACs, and 205 had PVAPs. Adjusted for race, sex, blunt injury mechanisms, and Injury Severity Score, all VAEs had a longer hospital length of stay, intensive care unit stay, and days of ventilator support when compared with those with no VAE (all P < 0.0001). Nosocomial complication rates were not different by VAE group. Compared with patients with no VAE, an over 2-fold increased mortality odds was observed for VAC (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.50-3.80) and IVAC patients (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.23-3.47), and a 50% mortality increased was observed for PVAP patients (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.00-2.12). These associations became similar with an approximate 2.5-fold increased mortality odds among patients with at least 1 week on ventilator support. CONCLUSION VAEs increase the odds of mortality, particularly for patients with VACs and IVACs. Among patients on ventilator support for at least a week, the associations are similar among VAE types, suggesting no single VAE type is more severe than others.
Adsorption geometry of Cu( 1 1 0 )-(12 × 2)-14Xe

Abstract Low-energy electron diffraction was used to study the adsorption geometry of Xe on Cu(1 1 0). At low temperatures, a higher-order commensurate (12 × 2) structure can be formed that consists of rows of Xe atoms aligned along the direction of the rows on Cu(1 1 0), and having a spacing between the rows equal to the Cu row spacing. A dynamical LEED study of this structure at 20 K indicates that the rows of Xe atoms are localized on top of the Cu substrate rows. The lateral registry of the Xe rows along the Cu rows includes 2 Xe atoms per (12 × 2) unit cell in atop positions above Cu atoms, with the others in lower-symmetry sites. The average Xe–Cu interlayer spacing is 3.3 ± 0.1 A and there is a small degree (0.1 A) of vertical rumple in both the overlayer and the top substrate layer. The substrate surface with adsorbed Xe has essentially the same relaxation as the clean surface. The analysis of the adatom vibrations in this structure indicates that the isotropically-averaged rms vibration amplitude is 0.2 A for Xe, while that of the top-layer Cu atoms is 0.04 A.
Hypoplastic Myenteric (Auerbach) Plexus of Small Intestine and Colon of Premature Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Who Had Nissen Fundoplication for Gastroesophageal Reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is well documented in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).1–3 When medical management is inadequate or no longer effective in improving reflux, Nissen fundoplication is the therapy most often used.4 However, it has been our experience that these patients often continue to have gastrointestinal (GI) motility problems after surgery, and a variety of sequelae of fundoplication possibly related to abnormal intestinal motility, including persistent retching5 and dumping syndrome,6,7 have been reported in such patients. Whether gastric overdistension severe enough to cause gastric or visceral infarction occurs in the absence of other causes of intestinal obstruction such as adhesions8 or volvulus9 in infants who have had fundoplication is not known. This study demonstrates by a microdissection flat-mount preparation technique the structural abnormalities of the MEP of the small intestine and colon of premature infants with BPD who had gastroesophageal reflux treated by Nissen fundoplication. The abnormalities may explain continuing gastrointestinal tract dysmotility in such patients.
Fibromyalgia as a Predictor of Increased Postoperative Complications, Readmission Rates, and Hospital Costs in Patients Undergoing Posterior Lumbar Spine Fusion.

Study Design.Retrospective review.Objective.The aim of this study was to identify whether a concomitant diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM) influences postoperative complications, readmission rates or cost following primary 1 to 2 level lumbar fusions in an elective setting.Summary of Background Data.Pat
Migrating Data Between Physical Server and Cloud: Improving Accuracy and Data Integrity

The Cloud (Cloud Computing) has been the center of attraction for both businesses and organizations. As the organizations make the ultimate decision of embracing the technology and moving their services and data to the Cloud, a greater danger of losing the data in the process of migrating from the traditionally physical computing to Cloud computing is something that cannot be overlooked. In this paper, we propose a system that detects and eliminates data loss, incomplete transfer or modification of data during the migration process from the traditionally physical computing to cloud computing. This system will ensure that the migrated data in the cloud server is an exact replica of the data in the physical server from which the data is being migrated from. This will be achieved by a combination of algorithms that will segment, encrypt and compare the migrated data with the original data beside 3-way handshake signaling protocol that has never been effectively implemented in the cloud computing migration environment.
Scout: Mixed-Initiative Exploration of Design Variations through High-Level Design Constraints

Although the exploration of variations is a key part of interface design, current processes for creating variations are mostly manual. We present Scout, a system that helps designers explore many variations rapidly through mixed-initiative interaction with high-level constraints and design feedback. Past constraint-based layout systems use low-level spatial constraints and mostly produce only a single design. Scout advances upon these systems by introducing high-level constraints based on design concepts (e.g. emphasis). With Scout, we have formalized several high-level constraints into their corresponding low-level spatial constraints to enable rapidly generating many designs through constraint solving and program synthesis.
Octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in nanoscale lithium niobate waveguides

We demonstrate an octave-spanning supercontinuum (SC) generation in nanoscale lithium niobate (LN) waveguides with anomalous dispersion by a turn-key pulsed laser at 1560nm, which enables a simple and integrable SC source in LN nanophotonic platform.
Analysis of Velocity Distributions Across a Model Helical Coil Steam Generator

A model helical coil steam generator test section was designed and constructed to visualize the flow between two adjacent tube bundles—inner and outer bundle—that coil in opposite directions to one...
Abstract 1784: High expression of PTK-7 regulates the growth and invasion of triple-negative breast cancer cells

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer with poor prognosis. Due to the frequent distant metastasis and lack of successful targeted therapies, the overall survival rate for the patients with TNBC is significantly lower than estrogen receptor positive and HER2 positive breast cancers. To identify potential druggable targets, previously, we performed a gene expression analysis and identified protein kinases that are highly expressed in ER-negative breast cancers. Through these studies, we discovered that the expression of pseudo kinase-7 (PTK-7) is highly elevated in TNBCs and correlated with p53 mutation status and disease progression. We hypothesize that high expression of PTK-7 is required for the growth and invasiveness of TNBC cells. Experimental design and methods: In this study, we analyzed the expression status of PTK-7 in TNBC and the association of PTK-7 expression with p53 status and disease prognosis using publicly available datasets. Protein levels of PTK-7 were determined through western blotting analysis. The association of p53 and PTK-7 expression was determined using Oncomine analysis. Using specific siRNAs against PTK-7, we determined whether PTK-7 is required for the growth of TNBC cells. The role of PTK-7 in migration and invasion of TNBC cells was determined using Boyden trans-well assays. Results: Analysis of publicly available datasets reveals that PTK-7 expression is elevated in TNBCs compared with normal breast and ER-positive breast cancers. High PTK-7 expression was found to be associated with p53 mutations. Knockdown of PTK-7 using siRNA significantly reduced the growth of TNBC cells in vitro. In vitrotrans-well migration and invasion studies also demonstrated that knockdown of PTK-7 significantly reduced the migration and invasion of TNBC cells. In contrast knockdown of PTK-7 did not affect the growth and invasiveness non-TNBC cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the expression of PTK-7, a critical regulator of growth and invasion of TNBCs. These results suggest that PTK-7 is a promising target for the treatment of women with TNBC. This work was supported by Susan G Komen Promise Grant (PB), SAB Komen grant (PB) and Young Foundation grant (PB). Citation Format: Lakshmi Reddy Bollu. High expression of PTK-7 regulates the growth and invasion of triple-negative breast cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1784.
Open Problem—Adaptive Constant-Step Stochastic Approximation

Suppose f:ℝd→ℝ is a smooth function that is bounded from below. The classic stochastic approximation (SA) recursion used to identify a stationary point of f is given byXk+1=Xk–ηkGk+1(Xk), k≥0, (1)...
Levels of job stress and influencing factors among medical and health professionals

Objective To evaluate levels of job stress and its influencing factors among medical staff in hospitals and health personnels in centers for disease control and prevention.Methods Job Content Questionnaire was self-administered to evaluate the job stress level among 1 859 doctors and medical technicians,1 444 nurses,and 684 public health workers selected with multistage cluster random sampling in Liaoning province.Logistic regression was applied to elucidate the influencing factors of the prevalence of high-strain and passive job.Results High prevalence of job stress existed among the medical and health professionals.Over 50％ of the professionals reported high-strain and passivity in their job,which were strongly associated with job burnout,with a higher prevalence rate 57.9％ (833/1 440) in the nurses,a moderate level 53.6％ (367/684) in the staffs of centers for disease control and prevention,and a lower prevalence rate 44.9％ (835/1 859) in the doctors.Doctors and nurses had no significant difference in job demand.The staffs of centers for disease control and prevention had the lowest job demand compared with doctors and nurses.There were significant differences in job freedom among these three groups,with nurses had the lowest,and doctors the highest.Multivariate logistic regression showed that the influencing factors for high-work-demand and low-work-freedom include dissatisfaction to salary,the non-patient,work overload,and working in urban areas.Conclusion Nurses had the greatest job stress.The staffs of centers for disease control and prevention and doctors were the second and third groups.Transparency and fairness of the payment system based on contribution may be effective to relieve job stress among medical and health professionals. Key words: Medical staff; Job stress; Job content questionnaire
Bring the Page to Life: Engaging Rural Students in Computer Science Using Alice

Exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at a young age is key to inspiring students to pursue careers in these fields. Thus, many institutions of higher education offer events to engage youth in STEM activities. These events are most effective when they are adapted to the specific audience. In Montana, a large percentage of the K-12 student population is from rural communities, where the ability to participate in such events is limited due to travel logistics and a shortage of relatable materials. We have developed a computer science outreach module that targets these populations through the use of storytelling and the Alice programming environment, thus drawing a parallel between storytelling and building algorithms. We describe the module's implementation, report and analyze feedback, and provide lessons learned from the module's implementation at outreach events.
Challenges and Opportunities in Statistics and Data Science: Ten Research Areas

As a discipline that deals with many aspects of data, statistics is a critical pillar in the rapidly evolving landscape of data science. The increasingly vital role of data, especially big data, in many applications, presents the field of statistics with unparalleled challenges and exciting opportunities. Statistics plays a pivotal role in data science by assisting with the use of data and decision making in the face of uncertainty. In this article, we present 10 research areas that could make statistics and data science more impactful on science and society. Focusing on these areas will help better transform data into knowledge, actionable insights and deliverables, and promote more collaboration with computer and other quantitative scientists and domain scientists.
Some Lp-Topics

Fix n ≥ 1, write B n for B, temporarily, let s be a nonnegative integer, and let P be the orthogonal projection of ℂ n+s onto ℂ n (regarding ℂ n as the subspace of ℂ n+s defined by z n+1 = ... = z n+s = 0).
The Origin of the Sun and the Early Evolution of the Solar System with Special Emphasis on Mars, Asteroids, and Meteorites

Many of the details of the origin and evolution of the Solar System are still debated. In this chapter I develop a model that utilizes a natural progression of events: (1) accumulation of dust and gas from previous stellar explosions, (2) X-Wind model for the formation of the first dateable crystals in the form of calcium-aluminum inclusions (CIAs) in meteorites; Vulcanoid planetoids then form by accretion of CAI material in orbits near the Sun, (3) Disc-Wind model for the formation of chondrules which are the major constituents in chondritic meteorites which then form the terrestrial planet and asteroids, (4) sequence of FU Orionis joule heating events to remelt an outer portion of the larger Vulcanoid planetoids (like Luna) and perhaps melt all or some of the smaller Vulcanoid planetoids located between the Sun and the orbit of Mercury. Various combinations of meteorites then accrete to form the terrestrial planets and asteroids. The outer planets then form from some combination of volatiles expelled from the inner solar system because of X-Wind action and material drifting in from the outer reaches of the solar nebular cloud.
Machine learning in ground motion prediction

Abstract This paper studies the advantages and disadvantages of different machine learning techniques in predicting ground-motion intensity measures given source characteristics, source-to-site distance, and local site conditions. Typically, linear regression-based models with predefined equations and coefficients are used in ground motion prediction. However, restrictions of the linear regression models may limit their capabilities in extracting complex nonlinear behaviors in the data. Therefore, the present paper comparatively investigates potential benefits from employing other machine learning techniques as statistical method in ground motion prediction such as Artificial Neural Network, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine. This study quantifies event-to-event and site-to-site variability of the ground motions by implementing them as random effect terms to reduce the aleatory uncertainty. All the algorithms are trained using a selected database of 4528 ground-motions, including 376 seismic events with magnitude 3 to 5.8, recorded over the hypocentral distance range of 4–500 km in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas since 2005. The results indicate the algorithms satisfy some physically sound characteristics such as magnitude scaling distance dependency without requiring predefined equations or coefficients. Moreover, it is found that, when sufficient data is available, all the alternative algorithms tend to provide more accurate estimates compared to the conventional linear regression-based method, and particularly, Random Forest outperforms the other algorithms. However, the conventional method is a better tool when limited data is available.
Family asthma management in urban children and its association with sleep outcomes.

Asthma symptoms impact children’s sleep quality. However, it is unclear how families’ daily management of their child’s asthma is associated with sleep quality. We examine associations between fami...
Acute Pancreatitis: A Possible Side Effect of COVID-19 Vaccine

For the first time, the mRNA technology was utilized to produce a vaccine against COVID-19 after the unprecedented pandemic equally affected every part of the world. Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2020. EUA has been widely discussed in the medical literature and the general public. The safety of the BNT162b2 vaccine has been investigated in short-term trials with data available for three months. We present a case of a 96-year-old female with a past surgical history of cholecystectomy who presented with acute onset severe abdominal pain a few days after getting the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. She was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis with a lipase level of 4036 U/L. Extensive history and investigations were unable to find any etiology. The patient was conservatively managed and discharged home without any complications. There has been some data available in medical literature showing an association between acute pancreatitis and COVID-19 infection. Trial data of Pfizer COVID-19 also shows one case of acute pancreatitis in the treatment group. There have also been individual cases of unexplained acute pancreatitis shared by medical professionals on online forums. Our main goal to write this case is to make medical literature aware of possible emerging side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, one of such side effects being self-resolving uncomplicated acute pancreatitis.
A 24-28 GHz Concurrent Harmonic and Subharmonic Tuning Class E/F 2,2/3 Subharmonic Switching Power Amplifier Achieving Peak/PBO Efficiency Enhancement

Sensing or communication using the millimeter (mm)-wave band, such as mm-wave 5G systems and radar applications, is drawing increasing research interest. These systems typically employ an array of power amplifiers (PAs), with each PA operating at moderate output power. In this case, the power efficiency of the PA is crucial for better power and thermal management. Due to the high peak-to- average power ratios of spectrum-efficient modulations, the power back-off (PBO) efficiency is becoming increasingly important. The Class E/F switching PA is a favorable candidate at the mm-wave frequency band, as it can incorporate zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) and zero-derivative-voltage switching (ZdVS). Moreover, it reduces the I/V overlap from finite on-resistance by terminating different harmonics, leading to better peak efficiency. However, its efficiency roll-off still follows a typical Class B curve, resulting in relatively poor PBO efficiency. Recently, a voltage-mode subharmonic switching (SHS) digital PA architecture [1] –[3] has been demonstrated to improve PBO efficiency by togging PA cells at the subharmonic frequency for the output PBO. To optimize both peak and PBO efficiency, we propose a concurrent harmonic and subharmonic tuning Class E/$F_{2,2/3}$ SHS PA for mm-wave operation that: 1) utilizes both harmonic and subharmonic tuning to reduce I/V overlap (i.e., conduction loss) for both peak and PBO operation and 2) allows the PA cells to toggle at a much lower frequency (i.e., subharmonic frequency) in PBO, which facilitates square switching waveform and reduces the loss of high-frequency clock routing. At the circuit level, we propose an on-chip concurrent harmonic and subharmonic tuning matching network that can simultaneously provide optimal load impedance of the fundamental (Fc), 2nd harmonic (2Fc), subharmonic (Fc/3), and 2nd harmonic of the subharmonic (2Fc/3) with a compact footprint without involving any tunable switches and elements. The proof-of-concept prototype achieves 40.5% PAE at Psat and 24% PAE at -9 dB PBO. It largely enhanced deep PBO efficiency enhancement at mm-wave frequency bands.
Auto Chamber Validation

This paper presents an automated solution to validate a chamber (compartment within tools where wafers are processed) to handle production wafers as they are restricted from processing them after a maintenance procedure (for quality reasons). This is important because an automated solution will minimize time invested by engineers in validating manually. Additionally, an automated solution will be error free and consume less time, thereby opening up the chamber for production wafers sooner. This in turn, will have a positive impact on tool throughput.
Pembrolizumab and lenvatinib versus carboplatin and paclitaxel as first-line therapy for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer: A Markov analysis.

Abstract Objective To determine the cost effectiveness of pembrolizumab/lenvatinib (P/L) versus standard-of-care carboplatin/paclitaxel (C/T) as first-line systemic therapy for patients with advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer. Methods We designed a Markov model to simulate treatment outcomes for advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer patients whose tumors are either microsatellite stable (MSS) or have high microsatellite instability (MSI-high). We adopted a healthcare sector perspective for the analysis. Model inputs for costs, health utility, and clinical estimates were obtained from the literature including data from GOG0209 and KEYNOTE-146. Primary outcomes included costs of care, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). The time-horizon was three years and the discount rate was 3% annually. Results In a MSS cohort, compared to C/T, first-line treatment with P/L increased treatment costs by $212,670 and decreased QALYs by 0.28 per patient. In a MSI-high cohort, compared to C/T, P/L increased costs by $313,487 and increased QALYs by 0.11 per patient, representing an ICER of $2,849,882 per QALY. Sensitivity analyses found that the price of the new drugs was the most important determinant of the ICER and that the price of the new drugs would need to decrease by 85% to $2817 per cycle to reach a $150,000/QALY threshold. Conclusion In the MSS model, we found that first-line therapy for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer with P/L increased costs and worsened outcomes compared to C/T. In the MSI-high model, P/L improved survival and QALYs compared to C/T but was not cost-effective at the current cost of the drugs.
The human RBM10 gene dually encodes a repressor of ribosome biogenesis that downregulates cell proliferation

Ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes is a highly regulated, essential cellular process. However, few repressors of ribosome biogenesis have been identified. Here, we identify and define the function of MINAS-60 (MIcroprotein that Negatively regulates ASsembly of the pre-60S ribosomal subunit), a 130-amino acid protein co-encoded with the human pre-mRNA splicing regulator and tumor suppressor protein RBM10. MINAS-60 localizes to the nucleolus, where it associates with multiple pre-60S assembly factors. Depletion of MINAS-60 increases the amount of mature 60S ribosomal subunit in the cytoplasm and, consequently, upregulates global protein synthesis and cell proliferation. Mechanistically, we show that MINAS-60 represses late-stage pre-60S assembly and export of the mature 60S ribosome subunit to the cytoplasm. Together, these results implicate MINAS-60 as a repressor of ribosome biogenesis that acts as a checkpoint for the maturation of the large subunit (LSU). More broadly, the RBM10 transcript encodes two sequence-independent proteins that inhibit cell proliferation via different molecular mechanisms, expanding existing models of multicistronic human gene functions.
The Hard Case and the Good Judge: A Tribute to Judge Michael Daly Hawkins

In this essay commemorating the career of Judge Michael Daly Hawkins, I explore his dissenting opinion in Redding v. Safford School District, a case involving the strip search of an eighth-grade student by school officials looking for prescription drugs. Although Judge Hawkins was criticized for taking the side of the school officials – and found his position rejected by the Supreme Court – I argue that his dissent displays all the attributes that have made him an exemplary judge: a thoughtful dispassionate tone, a careful attention to the facts, a genuine sensitivity to the interests of the parties, and a humility about his own wisdom.
Perceived similarity in emotional reaction profiles between the self and a close other as a predictor of emotional well-being

Individuals’ reaction tendencies in emotional situations may influence their social relationships. In two studies, we examined whether perceived similarity in emotional reaction tendencies between the self and a close other was associated with individuals’ emotional well-being. Participants rated how the self and a close other (mother in Study 1; a self-nominated close other in Study 2) would react in various situations. Individuals who perceived greater similarity between the self and the close other reported more positive affect, less negative affect, lower perceived stress, and higher life satisfaction than those who perceived less self–other similarity. Furthermore, stress exposure moderated the effects of self–other similarity on perceived stress. In summary, greater perceived similarity with one’s close others seems beneficial for social–emotional adaptation.
Small Ship Producibility

The focus of the research discussed in the paper has been producibility improvement in small shipyards. Producibility is taken to mean ease and economy of manufacture - the balancing of technical considerations with those affecting a product's manufacture. Drawing from the well-developed ideas of group technology shipbuilding as they are currently applied in the world's most productive large shipyards, product-oriented work breakdown structures (PWBS) for two small steel ships to be built in small shipyards have been developed. These work breakdown structures provide the basis for the small ship generic PWBS presented. As part of this work a 3D surface computer model and a hypertext document were created in order to illustrate certain group technology shipbuilding principles.
Programming for Pavlovsky’s Ground-Water Problem

The amount of seepage and the free surface profile in an unconfined flow between two water bodies above an inclined impervious layer are highly dependent on the normal depth of flow. Pavlovsky’s solution requires a rather time-consuming graphical method of calculating the value of the normal depth. The computer program presented herein not only reduces the time element but it also encompasses the rising surface and the falling surface types of flow for values of slope greater and less than zero and for a range of headwater and tailwater values. This is made possible by using Kuo’s method of false position, which is uniquely adapted to problems where the unknown function is expressed unavoidably in terms of the same unknown parameter. Variations in the length of the impervious medium are considered and one example is presented.
Acute traumatic and depressive symptoms in family members of hospitalized individuals with delirium

ObjectivesThis study characterized symptoms of acute stress and depression in caregivers present during the hospitalization of a loved one with delirium.MethodsThis is an observational, cross-secti...
Memory applications of integrated ferroelectric technology

There has been a recent upsurge of activity regarding the integration of ferroelectric capacitors with ICs. This renewed interest is driven, in part, by the potential use of ferroelectric (or paraelectric) thin films as the dielectric in the storage capacitors of 1 Gb density DRAMs. The high relative permittivity of these thin films permits smaller DRAM capacitors and simpler fabrication sequences than standard oxide/nitride dielectrics. In addition, recent advances in the reliability of ferroelectric thin films are causing renewed interest in the use of ferroelectric capacitors as storage elements in nonvolatile memories. Such memories have several potential advantages over current nonvolatile technologies. Ferroelectric memories have write times on the order of 100 ns in contrast to 10 /spl mu/s for FLASH. Ferroelectric memories should endure over 10/sup 12/ write cycles compared to 10/sup 6/ cycles for current FLASH, and ferroelectric capacitors can be programmed at 5 V rather than voltages of 10 V to 20 V required in floating-gate memories. >
Influence of acquisition parameters on MV-CBCT image quality

The production of high quality pretreatment images plays an increasing role in image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and adaptive radiation therapy (ART). Megavoltage cone-beam computed tomography (MV-CBCT) is the simplest solution of all the commercially available volumetric imaging systems for localization. It also suffers the most from relatively poor contrast due to the energy range of the imaging photons. Several avenues can be investigated to improve MV-CBCT image quality while maintaining an acceptable patient exposure: beam generation, detector technology, reconstruction parameters, and acquisition parameters. This article presents a study of the effects of the acquisition scan length and number of projections of a Siemens Artiste MV-CBCT system on image quality within the range provided by the manufacturer. It also discusses other aspects not related to image quality one should consider when selecting an acquisition protocol. Noise and uniformity were measured on the image of a cylindrical water phantom. Spatial resolution was measured using the same phantom half filled with water to provide a sharp water/air interface to derive the modulation transfer function (MTF). Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was measured on a pelvis-shaped phantom with four inserts of different electron densities relative to water (1.043, 1.117, 1.513, and 0.459). Uniformity was independent of acquisition protocol. Noise decreased from 1.96% to 1.64% when the total number of projections was increased from 100 to 600 for a total exposure of 13.5 MU. The CNR showed a ± 5% dependence on the number of projections and 10% dependence on the scan length. However, these variations were not statistically significant. The spatial resolution was unaffected by the arc length or the sampling rate. Acquisition parameters have little to no effect on the image quality of the MV-CBCT system within the range of parameters available on the system. Considerations other than image quality, such as memory storage, acquisition speed, and individual projection image quality, speak in favor of the use of a coarse sampling rate on the short scan.
What criteria do child protective services investigators use to substantiate exposure to domestic violence

See erratum note below: The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether child protective services investigators apply a recognizable set of criteria to substantiate batterers and victims of battering for exposing their children to domestic violence. Although domestic violence occurred in 35% of the 1,248 substantiated incidents of child maltreatment, only 31 (7.1%) couples were investigated for exposing a child to domestic violence or failing to protect a child from domestic violence. All of the batterers investigated and in the caregiver role when their children were exposed to domestic violence were substantiated. The unsubstantiated victims of battering tended to use more protective behaviors (M=3.82) than the substantiated victims (M=2.00); yet, at the case level, using more than one protective behavior did not seem to be a criterion used to substantiate the victims. Instead, it appears that investigators were discriminating between those protective behaviors by the victims that ended contact between the batterers and the children--for a substantial amount of time--and those that did not in both the substantiation and removal decision. Key issues related to applying criteria in incidents involving domestic violence are discussed along with recommendations to further refine and document them. An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 86(6) of Child Welfare Journal. Tables 2, 3, and 4 were printed incorrectly. The corrected tables are presented in the erratum. Language: en Language: en
Shielding Calculations: Perturbation Methods

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Symmetry Properties of the Shielding Tensor 3 Exact Perturbation Theory 4 Gauge Origin Dependence of the Chemical Shielding 5 Relativistic Effects and L·S Coupling 6 Perturbation Schemes 7 London Orbitals and Gauge-Independent Theories of Chemical Shielding 8 Origin-Independent Formulation of Chemical Shielding 9 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
Observations of ions with nuclear charge Z greater than or equal to 9 in the inner magnetosphere

The Explorer 45 heavy ion data analysis is extended to ions heavier than fluorine, that is, ions with nuclear charge Z greater than about 9 during and after a major magnetic storm on August 4, 1972. Although the heavy ion detector telescope does not permit a precise identification of these ions, it is pointed out that if they are, for example, magnesium ions, then an equatorially mirroring peak trapped flux of 0.02 ions/sq cm-s-sr-keV is derived on L shells just below L = 3 at energies 12.8-51.2 MeV per ion (533-2133 keV per nucleon). It is noted that other possible ion contributions include silicon and iron. The fluxes of these ions are found to decay on time scales typically several tens of days; this is substantially faster than that of helium ions and slightly faster than that of oxygen ions in the lower MeV range.
Lunar microcraters and interplanetary dust fluxes

Conflicting data for depth-to-diameter ratios for lunar microcrater pits do not permit firm conclusions for distribution of meteoroid densities. The majority of meteoroids have equidimensional shapes. Meteoritic metal spherules have been detected in a small fraction of impact pit glasses, but contribution of meteoroidal material to most pit glasses is small to negligible. Impact pits less than 0.1l microns in diameter (impacting particle mass 10−16 grams) have been observed. Size distributions for microcrater pits less than 50 microns in diameter (particle mass < 10−9 grams) measured on different samples differ significantly. An inflection in the cumulative size distribution curve at a diameter between 1 and 10 microns (particle masses between 10−14 and 10−11 grams) appears real, supporting the idea of a two-component model for the interplanetary dust. Data for the arrival direction of meteoroids at the moon are inconclusive.
Nonpalpable, circumscribed, noncalcified solid breast masses: likelihood of malignancy based on lesion size and age of patient.

PURPOSE: To determine whether lesion size and patient age should prompt immediate biopsy of selected nonpalpable, circumscribed, noncalcified solid (probably benign) breast masses, which otherwise would be managed with periodic mammographic surveillance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive cases of probably benign breast masses were studied, for which mammographic surveillance was recommended prospectively. Patient age and lesion size were recorded, but age and size thresholds were not used as eligibility criteria. Clinical outcome, determined for each patient after 3 or 3 1/2 years of surveillance, was evaluated as a function of patient age and lesion size. RESULTS: There were 1,403 study cases, among which 19 cancers were diagnosed (positive predictive value [PPV] = 1.4%). Only small differences were found in PPV for various patient-age and lesion-size subgroups. Even the subgroup with the highest PPV, which consisted of women aged 50 years and older, contained 60 benign masses for each cancer. CONCLUSIO...
Flowshop and Jobshop Schedules: Complexity and Approximation

We show that finding minimum finish time preemptive and non-preemptive schedules for flow shops and job shops is NP-complete. Bounds on the performance of various heuristics to generate reasonably good schedules are also obtained.
The resistance minimum in dilute alloys of tin in copper

Abstract Previous experimental work on the resistance minimum caused by tin in dilute solid solution in polycrystalline copper led to the expectation that there might be no minimum in similar alloys which were single crystals. We find that this is the case and that the minimum can be produced by making the monocrystalline alloys polycrystalline. It is suggested that the resistance minimum occurs as a result of segregation of the tin atom on the grain boundaries of the polycrystalline alloys. For dilute alloys of iron in copper there was, as expected, practically no difference in the resistance minimum observed in polycrystalline and in monocrystalline alloys.
Wakefield theory of a relativistic electron beam

Abstract A theoretical description of the wakefield effect is presented for a relativistic electron beam propagating through a tenuous background plasma. In terms of plasma density, beam current, beam current risetime and geometrical factor of the system, the theory determines several critically important wakefield quantities, including radial profile of the induced axial electric field and its strength. It is found from the theory and simulation that the strength of the wakefield effects increases with beam current and plasma density. However, the wakefield strength decreases significantly as the beam current risetime increases.
Steady state axisymmetric penetration of a kinematically hardening thermoviscoplastic target

We study axisymmetric thermomechanical deformations of a thick target being penetrated by a fast-moving rigid cylindrical rod with a hemispherical nose, and presume that target deformations appear steady to an observer situated at the penetrator nose tip. Both isotropic and kinematic hardening of the target material are considered. It is found that kinematic hardening increases the normal stress acting on the penetrator nose surface and the temperature rise of target particles abutting the penetrator. However, the value of the hydrostatic pressure at a point in the deforming target region is affected very little by the consideration of kinematic hardening. For suitable values of material parameters appearing in the evolution equation of the back-stress, the computed values of the back-stress at target particles abutting the penetrator nose surface equal three times the yield stress of the target material in a quasistatic simple compression test.
Rokhlin's inequalities for real algebraic curves and¶an extremal property

Rokhlin's inequalities for real algebraic curves and an extremal property for one of the inequalities are derived via a link cobordism approach.
Hyaline Globules in Neuroendocrine and Solid-Pseudopapillary Neoplasms of the Pancreas: A Clue to the Diagnosis

Distinguishing between solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) may pose a diagnostic dilemma. Both can demonstrate solid growth patterns, and both can be immunoreactive with neuroendocrine markers such as synaptophysin and CD56. One well-established feature of SPNs is the presence of hyaline globules, which in contrast has only rarely been reported in PanNETs. Clinicopathologic features of 361 cases originally classified as PanNETs were examined. Of these, 24 tumors (6.6%) had hyaline globules, raising the possibility of SPN. Immunohistochemistry for β-catenin was performed on these 24 neoplasms, and showed nuclear labeling in 6 cases. These 6 cases, which also demonstrated cytoplasmic CD10 staining, were reclassified as SPNs. The remaining 18 cases maintained their original diagnosis as PanNETs, and the hyaline globules in these cases were periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive, diastase resistant, and immunoreactive with α-1-antitrypsin. All 24 cases were histologically re-evaluated, and the pattern of invasion, presence of clear cells, and nuclear grooves were found to be helpful in distinguishing SPNs from PanNETs. We conclude that the presence of hyaline globules should raise SPNs in the differential diagnosis of a solid cellular neoplasm of the pancreas. However, this should not be used as the sole criterion in the diagnosis of SPNs, as hyaline globules may also be seen in 5% of PanNETs. Immunohistochemical and histologic features supporting the diagnosis of SPNs over PanNETs include CD10 and nuclear β-catenin labeling, an insidious pattern of invasion, clear cells, and nuclear grooves.
SmartParcel: A Collaborative Data Sharing Framework for Mobile Operating Systems

Internet based applications for Mobile Devices such as Smartphones, Tablets, PDAs, portable media players etc. work on simple one-to-one client-server data distribution model. Concomitant with growing popularity of such devices and applications, however, are increasing concerns about volume of global online digital content generated by these devices. Network traffic originating from these devices has marked a multi-fold increase over past few years and hence, the incumbent content availability and maintainability cost. In this paper we present a novel approach for mobile data offloading, "SmartParcel", by encouraging collaborative data sharing among spatio-temporally co-existing mobile devices, thus, minimizing the overall network usage and traffic. Smart- Parcel ensures high service availability to the users in events of unavailability of access points, unavailable or limited cellular data connections, unavailability of 3G or LTE hardware etc. We develop the technology for Android but the architecture can be extended to other available mobile software platforms. Our trace based simulation results advocate high data availability to user even with its limited participation and fewer data requests to the servers.
Modeling electricity trade policy for the twelve nations of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)

Abstract The benefits from a centralized and competitive dispatch, compared with existing bilateral electricity trade agreements are determined to be about $100 million per year in the 12-nation Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). Generation, transmission, and costing variables are uniquely incorporated into a short-term cost minimizing mixed integer linear programming model, to determine the optimal unit commitment and dispatch across this 12-nation pool of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region of Africa. Costs are minimized from increasing the use of existing hydropower facilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, and Mozambique and reducing fuel costs primarily in South Africa.
Culture and field studies of Acinetospora crinita (Carmichael) Sauvageau (Ectocarpaceae, Phaeophyceae) in North Carolina, USA

Acinetospora crinita is present year-round at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina (USA) but individual plants are small and rarely collected during warmer months. Light-temperature cross-gradient cu...
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: common molecular substrates of nicotine and alcohol dependence.

Alcohol and nicotine are often co-abused. As many as 80-95% of alcoholics are also smokers, suggesting that ethanol and nicotine, the primary addictive component of tobacco smoke, may functionally interact in the central nervous system and/or share a common mechanism of action. While nicotine initiates dependence by binding to and activating neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), ligand-gated cation channels normally activated by endogenous acetylcholine (ACh), ethanol is much less specific with the ability to modulate multiple gene products including those encoding voltage-gated ion channels, and excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors. However, emerging data indicate that ethanol interacts with nAChRs, both directly and indirectly, in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic (DAergic) reward circuitry to affect brain reward systems. Like nicotine, ethanol activates DAergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) which project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Blockade of VTA nAChRs reduces ethanol-mediated activation of DAergic neurons, NAc DA release, consumption, and operant responding for ethanol in rodents. Thus, ethanol may increase ACh release into the VTA driving activation of DAergic neurons through nAChRs. In addition, ethanol potentiates distinct nAChR subtype responses to ACh and nicotine in vitro and in DAergic neurons. The smoking cessation therapeutic and nAChR partial agonist, varenicline, reduces alcohol consumption in heavy drinking smokers and rodent models of alcohol consumption. Finally, single nucleotide polymorphisms in nAChR subunit genes are associated with alcohol dependence phenotypes and smoking behaviors in human populations. Together, results from preclinical, clinical, and genetic studies indicate that nAChRs may have an inherent role in the abusive properties of ethanol, as well as in nicotine and alcohol co-dependence.
Interphotoreceptor Retinoid-Binding Protein (IRBP) is Rapidly Cleared From theXenopusInterphotoreceptor Matrix

Abstract The interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) is a highly-organized extracellular matrix critical to retinal development and function. Although the concentrations of its components are carefully regulated, little is known about the mechanisms of this regulation. Interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) is the most abundant soluble protein component of the IPM. Although its rate of clearance is thought to be an important factor regulating the concentration of IRBP within the IPM, no study has measured the rate of its extracellular turnover. Here we determine the rate of turnover of matrix IRBP inXenopus.The rate of IRBP turnover was estimated by measuring the loss of radioactivity from protein labeled by a single injection of a radiolabeled protein precursor. To provide an estimate of the rate of IRBP turnover, we have examined the following issues: (1) Quantitative extraction of IRBP from the IPM for biochemical analysis. (2) Routes of delivery of radiolabeled precursor to achieve a pulse label in vivo. (3) Selection of labeled precursor in order to minimize reutilization of radiolabel. Using Western blot analysis, immunoprecipitation and immuno-electron microscopy, we found that IRBP can be quantitatively extracted from the IPM by a simple saline wash. IRBP was radiolabeled by systemic or intravitreal injection of either [35S]methionine or carboxyl-terminal labeled [1-14C]leucine. The specific activity of matrix IRBP was determined by either phosphorimaging or fluorography of Coomassie blue-stained SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Intravitreal injection of tracer was more effective than systemic delivery in achieving a pulse of radiolabel to the retina. This may be due to intravitreal injection allowing the body to act as a ‘sink’ for radiolabeled amino acid. When radiolabeled precursor was delivered by intravitreal injection, the calculated half-life of matrix IRBP using [35S]methionine was 25.6±0.82 hr; in contrast, it was 10.7±2.9 hr using [1-14C]leucine. The faster apparent IRBP turnover using [1-14C]leucine is interpreted in context of the early decarboxylation of leucine during its degradation. Our results demonstrate rapid turnover of IRBP in theXenopusIPM in vivo and suggest that the IPM is a dynamic structure undergoing continuous renewal.