cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Software Package For The Analysis Of General Multilayer Performance Data

In an effort to make data on the reflectivity and transmission of multilayer optical elements more usable, we have developed a computer code for the manipulation and graphical display of a general data set consisting of x, y, and delta-y values. The code was developed for a DEC VAX computer running a version 4.2 or later VMS operating system. Facilities are available for algebraic manipulation, editing, smoothing, interpolating, and deconvolving data sets in a straightforward way. The code is entirely self-contained with the exception of the graphics output support, which is centralized to allow for simple interfacing to the graphics package resident on the target system. The capabilities of the code are described and sample output is shown.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum AnkA is tyrosine‐phosphorylated at EPIYA motifs and recruits SHP‐1 during early infection

Summary Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an intracellular pathogen that infects and survives in neutrophilic granulocytes. The A. phagocytophilum genome encodes a type four secretion system (T4SS) that may facilitate intracellular survival by translocation of virulence factors, but to date, no such factors have been identified. Because T4SS-translocated proteins of several intracellular organisms undergo tyrosine phosphorylation by host cell kinases, we investigated tyrosine phosphorylation of A. phagocytophilum proteins during infection. Within minutes after incubation of A. phagocytophilum with HL-60 cells or PMN, a 190 kDa bacterial protein, AnkA, was increasingly tyrosine-phosphorylated. A. phagocytophilum binding to host cells without entry was sufficient for AnkA tyrosine phosphorylation. An in vitro Src kinase assay demonstrated that purified AnkA expressed in Escherichia coli was phosphorylated at tyrosines located at the C-terminal portion of AnkA. Similarly, AnkA expressed in COS-7 cells underwent tyrosine phosphorylation by Src at the C-terminus. The phosphorylated tyrosines were located in EPIYA motifs that display the consensus sequence for binding to SH2 domains. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated AnkA binding to the host cell phosphatase SHP-1 during early infection. Phosphorylation of the EPIYA motifs and the presence of the SH2 domains were necessary for AnkA–SHP-1 interaction. We conclude that AnkA is a translocated virulence factor that is tyrosine-phosphorylated by host cell kinases upon translocation into the host cell early during infection. A. phagocytophilum may manipulate the host cell through SHP-1 recruitment.
Soliton excitations of a small-polaron band.

We present a generalization of small-polaron band theory based on methods used in the study of Davydov solitons. The eigenstates of the small-polaron band are found to be stationary solutions of our equations of motion; however, among the nonstationary solutions can be found a family of soliton states. The soliton solutions we obtain differ from Davydov solitons in fundamental ways, but are fully consistent with the theory of small polarons.
Influence of Turbulence Intensities onto Transmission Line Conductor Wind Loads

The rationality of transmission line responses, tower responses, etc., are determined by the computed wind loads, which are directly correlated with the free-stream turbulences that generated at different ground roughness conditions, different terrains, etc.. Accounting for this problem, the flow fields around transmission line conductor LGJ630/45 are computed by solving Navier-Stokes equations to study the influence of Tis (turbulence intensities) onto wind load characteristics. The results show that, the peak-values of power spectrum density (PSD) results of both lift and drag are obviously influenced by TIs, while their corresponding frequencies are kept the same at different TIs; with the increase of Tis, the time-averaged value of conductor drag decreases nonlinearly and monotonically. Thus, given the influence of TIs onto wind loads, field observed free-stream values should be used as inputs for numerical simulations, and then the obtained wind loads can be adopted to accurately simulate transmission line gallopings and windage yaws.
Expansion of regulatory T cells in aged mice following influenza infection.

While it has been established that Treg cells can down-modulate an immune response, no study has addressed if the observed increase in Treg cells in aged mice is related to the decreased and delayed specific CD8 T cell responses seen following primary influenza infection. In this study, phenotypic characteristics and function of Treg cells were analyzed in young (4–6 months) and aged (18–22 months) mice prior to and during the course of primary influenza infection. Upon infection, aged, but not young, mice have a significant expansion of Treg cells. In addition, Treg cells of aged mice demonstrate both a higher percentage and higher expression per cell of CD69 both at baseline and during infection compared to young mice. However, Treg cells isolated from young and aged mice comparably suppress CD8 T cells and suppression is dose dependent. These results suggest that the increase in the percentage of Treg cells in aged mice may contribute to the diminished CD8 T cell response to primary influenza infection.
Analyses of human milk samples collected in Hawaii for residues of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorobiphenyls.

This work has revealed that the chlorinated hydrocarbon residues found in human milk samples collected from residents in the State of Hawaii were statistically the same residues found in mainland human milk samples. Moreover, the levels at which these residues were detected in Hawaiian samples were comparable to those detected in mainland samples, and differences between the two groups of samples were not apparent. The close correlation between residue analyses was unexpected considering Hawaii's geographic isolation and the distinct ethnic diets of its populations. They do indicate, however, that the uptake of chlorinated hdyrocarbon contaminants by the population of this state is not specific and is most likely due to some physiological means of entry which is common to the populations of the mainland states.
Flat Plate Boundary-Layer Studies in a Partially Ionized Gas

A combined experimental and numerical investigation was conducted on the flat plate boundary-layer flow of a partially ionized gas. Free molecule cylindrical Langmuir probes were used to measure charged particle density, electron temperature and plasma potential distributions in the boundary layer. The ambipolar diffusion flux to the plate surface was determined by an array of flush-mounted surface electrodes. A probe size-study was carried out and an empirical formula was obtained to make correction for the sheath-fringing field effect on ion current collection to small flush probes. Numerical integrations were made of the charged species conservation and electron energy equations in the quasi-neutral region of the boundary layer for a thin plasma sheath. Mechanisms leading to the cooling of the electrons were investigated. Numerical profiles of charged particle density, electron temperature and plasma potential compared favorably with experimental results. Ambipolar diffusion fluxes predicted theoretically agreed very well with the measured flush probe ion saturation current. The validity of employing such a flush-mounted surface electrode in determination of the free stream charged particle density was then established.
Illocutions, implicata, and what a conversation requires

An approach is provided to the prediction and explanation of quantity implicata (implicata whose calculation depends on adversion to Grice's maxim of Quantity) that, unlike the majority of approaches available, does not construe Quantity as requiring speakers to make the strongest claim that their evidence permits. Central to this treatment is an elaboration of the notion of what a conversation requires as appealed to in the Cooperative Principle and the Quantity maxim. What a conversation requires is construed as depending, at any given point, upon (i) the aim(s) of the conversation taking place, (ii) the conversational record, which includes such features as common ground and salience relations among objects, and (iii) any proffered illocution calling for a reply. In accounting for this third dimension a partial characterization is provided of the speech acts of assertion and interrogation in terms of their role in constraining the progress of the conversation in which they occur.
Practical issues on resource optimization for relay networks

Optimum resource allocation is essential for wireless cooperative networks. Instead of limiting to energy optimization, we recently investigated the two-dimensional energy and location optimization with arbitrary number of relays, and in the presence of possible direct source-destination link. In this paper, we consider several practical issues in such a 2-D optimization. These issues include the relative benefits of energy and/or relay location optimization under various scenarios, and the selection of desirable relays in a two-dimensional plane for given system parameters and requirements. Extensive analysis and numerical plots reveal that the optimization gain varies considerably at different relay location and/or with different energy allocation. Interestingly, our study on relay selection shows that the the relays sitting on the source-destination line do not always outperform the ones sitting off the line.
Rapid colorimetric assays to qualitatively distinguish RNA and DNA in biomolecular samples.

Biochemical experimentation generally requires accurate knowledge, at an early stage, of the nucleic acid, protein, and other biomolecular components in potentially heterogeneous specimens. Nucleic acids can be detected via several established approaches, including analytical methods that are spectrophotometric (e.g., A(260)), fluorometric (e.g., binding of fluorescent dyes), or colorimetric (nucleoside-specific chromogenic chemical reactions).(1) Though it cannot readily distinguish RNA from DNA, the A(260)/A(280) ratio is commonly employed, as it offers a simple and rapid(2) assessment of the relative content of nucleic acid, which absorbs predominantly near 260 nm and protein, which absorbs primarily near 280 nm. Ratios 1.5(3). However, there are scenarios in which the protein/NA content cannot be as clearly or reliably inferred from simple uv-vis spectrophotometric measurements. For instance, (i) samples may contain one or more proteins which are relatively devoid of the aromatic amino acids responsible for absorption at ≈280 nm (Trp, Tyr, Phe), as is the case with some small RNA-binding proteins, and (ii) samples can exhibit intermediate A(260)/A(280) ratios (~0.8 < ~1.5), where the protein/NA content is far less clear and may even reflect some high-affinity association between the protein and NA components. For such scenarios, we describe herein a suite of colorimetric assays to rapidly distinguish RNA, DNA, and reducing sugars in a potentially mixed sample of biomolecules. The methods rely on the differential sensitivity of pentoses and other carbohydrates to Benedict's, Bial's (orcinol), and Dische's (diphenylamine) reagents; the streamlined protocols can be completed in a matter of minutes, without any additional steps of having to isolate the components. The assays can be performed in parallel to differentiate between RNA and DNA, as well as indicate the presence of free reducing sugars such as glucose, fructose, and ribose (Figure 1).
Exploring the Phenomenon of Customers' Desired Value Change in a Business-to-Business Context

Abstract Increasingly, organizations are pushed to adopt customer value strategies in order to grow profits and ensure long-term survival. Yet little is known about the dynamic nature of how customers perceive value from suppliers. The authors present findings from a grounded theory study conducted in a business-to-business context that sheds light on the nature of customers’ desired value change and related contextual conditions. The authors discover that the phenomenon of customers’ desired value change typically occurs in an emotional context, as managers try to cope with feelings of tension. The phenomenon extends well past the change itself into strategies customers use to motivate suppliers to meet their changed needs. Customers’ value change provides a reason for customers to seek, maintain, or move away from relationships with suppliers.
An improved Taylor algorithm in TDOA subscriber position location

Subscriber radio location techniques are very popular these years. Taylor series expansion method is widely used in solving nonlinear equations, but its performance is highly dependent on the initial estimation. The proposed algorithm uses least squares algorithm to give the initial estimation and then an iterative algorithm is used to obtain the subscribers location. The performance of the proposed algorithm and several other algorithms are evaluated and simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has some advantages over the others.
Phantasies, neurotic-beliefs, and beliefs-proper.

This paper presents a philosophical analysis of three cognitive states familiar and important to psychoanalysts—phantasy, neurotic-belief, and belief-proper. It explores the differences among these three propositional attitudes and finds that the development of secondary process capacities of reality testing and truth directness out of earlier primary process operations (themselves prior to considerations of truth or falsity) plays a crucial role. Difficulties in the proper typing of cognitive states are discussed, as are the consequences of such confounds. This use of a philosophical method serves to sharpen the familiar psychoanalytic clinical concepts of phantasy and neurotic-belief. In addition, these same clinical concepts, once properly specified, have much to offer the philosophy of mind, where current understanding of representational cognitive states is restricted to those that are largely conscious and rational. When psychoanalytic concepts such as phantasy and neurotic-belief can be better integrated within the discipline of philosophy of mind, both philosophers and psychoanalysts will have a more complete and adequate theory of mind.
The Promise of Random-Assignment Social Experiments for Understanding Well-Being and Behavior:

This article explains how large-scale random-assignment social experiments such as the Canadian Self-Sufficiency Project can address important sociological and developmental issues. The authors begin with an explanation of how random assignment solves the bias problem that plagues most research based on sample surveys. They then review methods and results from two recent sets of random-assignment experiments, one manipulating family economic conditions and the other manipulating neighborhood conditions. The authors conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the experimental approach.
A positive step toward education in electromagnetic compatibility

In response to the needs of the local electronics industry, an undergraduate electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) course was introduced at Florida Atlantic University, in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The course stsructure is outlined and some of the problems encountered in teaching such a course are discussed. Recommendations are included for others planning a similar course. >
An integral manifold approach to the feedback control of flexible joint robots

The control problem for robot manipulators with flexible joints is considered. The results are based on a recently developed singular perturbation formulation of the manipulator equations of motion where the singular perturbation parameter µ is the inverse of the joint stiffness. For this class of systems it is known that the reduced-order model corresponding to the mechanical system under the assumption of perfect rigidity is globally linearizable via nonlinear static-state feedback, but that the full-order flexible system is not, in general, linearizable in this manner. The concept of integral manifold is utilized to represent the dynamics of the slow subsystem. The slow subsystem reduces to the rigid model as the perturbation parameter µ tends to zero. It is shown that linearizability of the rigid model implies linearizability of the flexible system restricted to the integral manifold. Based on a power series expansion of the integral manifold around µ = 0, it is shown how to approximate the feedback linearizing control to any order in µ. The result is then an approximate feedback linearization which, assuming stability of the fast variables, linearizes the system for all practical purposes.
Barriers to Seeking Help and Treatment Suggestions for Prenatal Depressive Symptoms: Focus Groups with Rural Low-Income Women

Interviews were conducted with 21 pregnant or recently pregnant African American and Caucasian low-income women living in a rural southeastern community to elicit perceived barriers to seeking help for depressive symptoms in pregnancy and ways to overcome these barriers, as well as intervention suggestions. Participants identified themes regarding barriers to seeking help. These were: (1) lack of trust, (2) judgment/stigma, (3) dissatisfaction with the health care system, and (4) not wanting help. Themes identified regarding overcoming barriers were: (1) facilitating trust and (2) offering support and help. These and other findings point to the importance of integrating women's ideas into culturally sensitive interventions for women with depressive symptoms or depression in pregnancy that can be provided by a psychiatric nurse-practitioner or other mental health provider.
Protective effects of hypothalamic beta-endorphin neurons against alcohol-induced liver injuries and liver cancers in rat animal models.

Background Recently, retrograde tracing has provided evidence for an influence of hypothalamic β-endorphin (BEP) neurons on the liver, but functions of these neurons are not known. We evaluated the effect of BEP neuronal activation on alcohol-induced liver injury and hepatocellular cancer. Methods Male rats received either BEP neuron transplants or control transplants in the hypothalamus and were randomly assigned to feeding alcohol-containing liquid diet or control liquid diet for 8 weeks or to treatment of a carcinogen diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Liver tissues of these animals were analyzed histochemically and biochemically for tissue injuries or cancer. Results Alcohol feeding increased liver weight and induced several histopathological changes such as prominent microvesicular steatosis and hepatic fibrosis. Alcohol feeding also increased the levels of triglyceride, hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation factors, and catecholamines in the liver and endotoxin levels in the plasma. However, these effects of alcohol on the liver were reduced in animals with BEP neuron transplants. BEP neuron transplants also suppressed carcinogen-induced liver histopathologies such as extensive fibrosis, large focus of inflammatory infiltration, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), collagen deposition, numbers of preneoplastic foci, levels of HSC activation factors and catecholamines, as well as inflammatory milieu and increased the levels of natural killer cell cytotoxic factors in the liver. Conclusions These findings are the first evidence for a role of hypothalamic BEP neurons in influencing liver functions. Additionally, the data identify that BEP neuron transplantation prevents hepatocellular injury and HCC formation possibly via influencing the immune function.
Getting back together after a break-up: Relationship advice for anatomists and surgeons.

The “surgeon-anatomist” was originally a single individual who self-pursued knowledge and understanding of anatomy as the foundation for successful surgical outcomes. However, recent advances in medical education have ironically led to the separation of anatomy and surgery. This physical and emotional “divorce” of anatomists and surgeons into separate individuals has created several critical educational issues for medical and surgical educators including a general lack of anatomical knowledge in medical students and misalignment of graduate medical education procedural specialty training with the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education Core Competencies and now the Next Accreditation System. There are numerous opportunities for anatomists and surgeons to work together to improve educational instruction of established difficult anatomical regions, procedural training, or even develop new techniques and procedures. Similarly, anatomists with specialized training in medical education would be invaluable partners to ensure that procedural assessments align with instructional technologies for truly longitudinal curricula that starts at the medical student level, but stops at the patient outcomes of attending surgeons. This mutually beneficial relationship would be similar to multidisciplinary care teams and current surgeon and PhD/EdD partnerships. The restoration of the relationship between anatomists and surgeons would be invaluable to surgical education and remains an exciting research opportunity. Clin. Anat. 28:931–934, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Virtual Topologies for Scalable Resource Management and Contention Attenuation in a Global Address Space Model on the Cray XT5

Global Address Space (GAS) programming models enable a convenient, shared-memory style addressing model, and support completely asynchronous data movement. Their underlying runtime systems face critical challenges in (1) scalably managing resources (such as memory for communication buffers), and (2) gracefully handling unpredictable communication patterns and any associated contention. In this research, we investigate these challenges for a popular GAS runtime library, Aggregate Remote Memory Copy Interface (ARMCI) on, large-scale Cray XT5 systems. We represent the management of communication resources as directed graphs, and propose two new scalable virtual topologies, Meshed Fully Connected Graphs (MFCG) and Cubic Fully Connected Graphs (CFCG), for scalable resource management and contention attenuation. To ensure deadlock-free communication in these multi-dimensional topologies, we design and develop Lowest Dimension First (LDF) forwarding to support fully- or partially-populated MFCG and CFCG on any number of nodes. We have extensively evaluated the benefits of these virtual topologies on the petascale Jaguar Cray XT5 system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Our experimental results demonstrate MFCG as the most suitable virtual topology because of its benefits in resource management, contention mitigation, and the resulting benefit to scientific applications.
The phonon Bragg switch: a proposal to generate sub-picosecond X-ray pulses

Abstract We discuss a method to modulate an X-ray beam that relies on the scattering of hard X-ray photons by a superlattice of optical phonons generated by ultrafast laser pulses incident on a Bragg crystal. Using commercially available laser systems and well-developed techniques for pulse shaping, the crystal lattice motion can be controlled so that efficient Bragg diffraction is switched on and off in a time comparable to a phonon oscillation period (typically, 0.1–1 ps). A detailed proposal is given for the case of GaAs.
The taming of ketamine-40 years later.

The pharmacodynamic effects of ketamine on mood, emotion, and perception were a subject of great discussion and some alarm when this dissociative agent first became clinically available 40 years ago. During recovery, some patients experienced vivid hallucinations, with varied manifestations such as psychedelic colors, suspension in midair or outer space, floating down a kaleidoscope, out-of-body experiences, or seeing faceless persons walking around the bed. To some patients these experiences were frightening or nightmarish, whereas others described them as pleasant, joyful, fascinating, or simply bizarre. In a landmark 1973 study titled “The Taming of Ketamine,” Coppel et al observed that the coadministration of diazepam reduced the incidence of adult recovery delirium from 15% to 3% and unpleasant dreams from 10% to 0%. Thereafter, benzodiazepine prophylaxis has been widely regarded as essential in adults, and the characterization of ketamine as a “tiger” that “needs to be tamed” survives to this day. The fascinating exception to this observation is children, who only rarely exhibit unpleasant recovery agitation or nightmares. Children likely hallucinate just like adults but presumably perceive such events as less disturbing because of their developmental level. Two randomized, controlled emergency department (ED) trials have shown no measurable benefit from midazolam prophylaxis in children. In one of these trials, the treating physicians quantified recovery agitation and found it to be typically trivial (median score 5 of 100). Consequently, the predominant ED strategy has been to avoid midazolam prophylaxis but instead reserve this drug for treatment should unpleasant dreams or reactions occur during recovery. So if ketamine doesn’t require “taming” in ED children, does it in ED adults? Three case series with disparate definitions of recovery reactions fail to provide an answer. Chudnofsky et al administered ketamine with midazolam to 77 ED adults and observed 5 mild and no serious recovery reactions. Newton and Fitton sedated 92 adults with ketamine alone; 12 experienced recovery agitation, for which 7 were treated with midazolam.
Negotiating Third-Country National Rights in the European Union

During the last ten years, integration of third-co un try nationals (TCNs) has been introduced into the joint policy domain of the European Union (EU). Starting with the Amsterdam Treaty, gathering steam at the Tampere European Council, and receiving another mandate with the Hague Program, the integration dossier is not yet as developed as some of the other dossiers in the joint governance of immigration and asylum. Nonetheless, the Brussels debates over integration of TCNs continue to gain momentum, pushed by certain services of the Com- mission, (Brussels-based) nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and certain Presidencies of the EU. The modest policy output that has been frequently criticized for taking a minimalist approach can partially be attributed to divergent national practices, which member states are hesitant to harmonize; differing organization cultures within the different Directorates General of the Commission; and the relative constraints placed on successful NGO advocacy in the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) field. This chapter seeks to track the EU-wide policy initiatives pertaining to TCNs, singling out those initiatives that would appear to have the closest links to their integration.
Familiarity and priming are mediated by overlapping neural substrates

Explicit memory is widely assumed to reflect the conscious processes of recollection and familiarity. However, familiarity has been hypothesized to be supported by nonconscious processing. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, we assessed whether familiarity is mediated by some of the same regions that mediate repetition priming, a form of nonconscious memory. Participants completed an implicit (indirect) memory task and an explicit (direct) memory task during fMRI. During phase I of each task, participants viewed novel abstract shapes with internal colored oriented lines and judged whether each shape was relatively "pleasant" or "unpleasant". During phase II of the indirect memory task, repeated (old) and new shapes were presented and participants made the same judgments. During phase II of the direct memory task, a surprise recognition test was given in which old and new shapes were presented and participants made "remember", "know", or "new" responses. Activity associated with priming was isolated by comparing novel versus repeated shapes during phase II of the indirect memory task. Activity associated with familiarity was isolated by comparing accurate "know" responses versus misses during phase II of the direct memory task. Priming and familiarity were associated with common activity within the superior parietal lobule and motor cortex, which we attribute to shared attentional and motor processing, respectively. The present fMRI results support the hypothesis that familiarity is supported by some of the same processes that support implicit memory.
Mobile surgical services in primary care in a rural and remote setting : experience and evidence from Yala, Cross River State, Nigeria : scientific letter

Surgical conditions account for 11 to 15% of the global burden of disease. Yet, surgical services are very scarce in the rural areas of Nigeria where approximately 60 to 80% of the population resides. Among other basic contributing factors is the shortage of surgical workforce, since Nigeria's few surgeons practise in the urban centre of the major cities. One way to respond to this acute shortage of surgeons is the training of generalist medical doctors to undertake surgery in rural areas. The introduction of mobile surgical services in rural populations as part of the existing primary health care activities in the Local Government Areas (districts) can reduce surgical morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. This can be done by the generalist physician with training and experience in surgery using local health staff and simple surgical equipment. A number of recommendations are made.
Online Social Networks and Bottom-Up Politics

It is a common assumption that digital technologies have helped turn political engagement into a more decentralized process. Examples often cited include the 2011 global wave of political protests; the actions of the hacktivist group Anonymous; or the free culture movement born to promote the freedom to distribute content online. Examples more remote in the history of digital technologies include the anti-globalization movement (emerged in the late eighties) and the emancipatory struggles of minorities like the indigenous Zapatistas in Mexico - in both cases, the protests attained global visibility through the use of email distribution lists and alternative media sites like Indymedia. What all these examples have in common is that the actors involved used digital technologies to coordinate their actions, and targeted online networks with their messages to reach larger audiences and involve more participants. Internet technologies allowed protesters to organize in a decentralized way, that is, without a central authority processing local information or overseeing strategies from above. This form of organization creates more flexible forms of collective action and it has radically changed the way in which grassroots politics operate. This paper explains why by examining the network mechanisms that are involved in this new form of organization.
On anomaly freedom in spherically symmetric lattice loop quantization

Anomaly freedom has been one of the most important issues in canonical quantization of gravity. In a physically meaningful (anomaly free) theory, the constraint operators must be first class, and their commutator algebra is expected to resemble the corresponding classical Poisson-bracket algebra. In this paper, we review the "constructive" approach to obtaining a consistent set of constraints: start with a Hamiltonian constraint and generate the corresponding diffeomorphism constraint as a commutator of two Hamiltonians. Closure of the constraint operator algebra then requires that the diffeomorphism operator obtained in this way weakly commutes with another Hamiltonian constraint operator. The same procedure can be used to check the consistency of some proposed quantization schemes that present a candidate Hamiltonian constraint, which we do for a spherically symmetric model.
Optimizing modality selection for image-guided procedures: an analysis of the challenges to ultrasound guidance

Selection of the most appropriate modality for image guidance is essential for procedural success. We identified specific factors contributing to failure of ultrasound-guided procedures that were subsequently performed using CT guidance. This single-center, retrospective study included 164 patients who underwent a CT-guided biopsy, aspiration/drainage, or ablation after initially having the same procedure attempted unsuccessfully with ultrasound guidance. Review of the procedure images, reports, biopsy results, and clinical follow-up was performed and the reasons for inability to perform the procedure with ultrasound guidance were recorded. Patient cross-sectional area and depth to target were calculated. Differences in area and depth were compared using general linear modeling. Depth as a predictor of an unfavorable body habitus designation was modeled using logistic regression. US guidance was successful in the vast majority of cases (97%). Of the 164 procedures, there were 92 (56%) biopsies, 63 (38%) aspirations/drainages, and 9 (5%) ablations. The most common reason for procedure failure was poor acoustic window (83/164, 51%). Other reasons included target lesion being poorly discerned from adjacent tissue (61/164, 37%), adjacent bowel gas (34/164, 21%), body habitus (27/164, 16%), and gas-containing collection (22/164, 13%). Within the biopsy subgroup, patients for whom body habitus was a limiting factor were found to have on average a larger cross-sectional area and lesion depth relative to patients whose body habitus was not a complicating factor (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0009). Poor acoustic window was the most common reason for procedural failure with ultrasound guidance. In addition, as lesion depth increased, the odds that body habitus would limit the procedure also increased. If preliminary imaging suggests a limited sonographic window, particularly for deeper lesions, proceeding directly to CT guidance should be considered.
Maximal cooperation in repeated games on social networks

Standard results on and algorithms for repeated games assume that defections are instantly observable. In reality, it may take some time for the knowledge that a defection has occurred to propagate through the social network. How does this affect the structure of equilibria and algorithms for computing them? In this paper, we consider games with cooperation and defection. We prove that there exists a unique maximal set of forever-cooperating agents in equilibrium and give an efficient algorithm for computing it. We then evaluate this algorithm on random graphs and find experimentally that there appears to be a phase transition between cooperation everywhere and defection everywhere, based on the value of cooperation and the discount factor. Finally, we provide a condition for when the equilibrium found is credible, in the sense that agents are in fact motivated to punish deviating agents. We find that this condition always holds in our experiments, provided the graphs are sufficiently large.
Lattice Boltzmann Modeling of Ultra-fast Laser Heating

*In this work, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is developed to simulate pico- and femtosecond laser heating of silicon. The temperature fields calculated by the LBM are compared with those obtained from the parabolic heat conduction equation (PHCE) and the hyperbolic heat conduction equation (HHCE). Although the HHCE overcomes the dilemma of infinite thermal propagation speed of the PHCE, it can not be applied to length scales comparable to the mean free path of energy carriers because of the breakdown of continuum approaches under severe nonequilibrium conditions. The LBM, considering both effects, can be used in both short temporal and spatial scales. From the results of the LBM, it is found that the speed of thermal wave at the ballistic limit is equal to the speed of sound, instead of the value predicted by the HHCE, which is valid only in the diffuse limit. It is also demonstrated that the traditional way of calculating heat flux using the temperature gradient gives rise to physically unreasonable results at the thermal wave front, while the LBM has no such drawback.
Effect of estrogens on serum precipitable iodine.

SummaryThe serum precipitable iodine (SPI). an index of the level of the circulating thyroid hormone, rises in men or women during the administration of estrogen and falls to control values when the estrogen is discontinued.
A Paradigm Shift in Urban Water Management: An Imperative to Achieve Sustainability

With increasing global change pressures (such as urbanization and climate change) and existing unsustainable factors and risks inherent to conventional urban water management, cities in the future will experience difficulties in efficiently managing scarcer and less reliable water resources. In order to meet these challenges, there needs to be a paradigm shift to integrated urban water management (IUWM). This paradigm shift is based on several key concepts including resilience of urban water systems to global change pressures, interventions over the entire urban water cycle, reconsideration of the way water is used (and reused), and greater application of natural systems for treatment. This chapter will present an integrated framework supporting IUWM and its key principles.
Between two wars. Psychoanalysis in Europe, 1918-1938

In outline form, the major centers of European psychoanalysis have been described: from the first post-war meeting of the International Psychoanalytic Association in Budapest, 1918, when institutes for analytic training were proposed, to the Anschluss in March 1938, when Vienna was occupied by the Nazis and psychoanalysis on the Continent was extinguished for almost a decade. The emphasis has been on the organization and structure of institutes, chiefly Berlin, Vienna, and London, in that order. As an institutional history, both biographic details and theoretical issues have been kept to a minimum. The exceptions have been the controversies about lay analysis, Melanie Klein's developmental theories, and Ferenczi's innovations in technique. In these issues, some detail is necessary to understand how one institute differed from another within the analytic movement, although they were unified by the International Psychoanalytic Association (IPA). The history of the British analytic community, which survived World War II intact, is highly condensed, and Prague, Budapest, and Paris are briefly mentioned. A history of psychoanalysis in Russia has yet to be written, from its early flowering before and during the Bolshevik revolution (1918-1920) to its swift repression under Stalin in the later 1920s. Among the conclusions to be drawn from these data is the extent to which political events influenced the development of analysis, then in its most expansive phase. Even theory was affected by history, as in the evolution of Freud's repetition-compulsion from observations on the traumatic neuroses of war. Socioeconomic conditions influenced the propagation of analytic ideas, favorably in post-war Berlin, adversely in Vienna. Each country evolved the kind of analysis that suited it best, with a variety of institutions within the same international movement. The causes of these variations in psychoanalytic institutes are a matter for speculation. Some analytic historians have linked Freud's advocacy of lay analysis to his estrangement from the medical establishment of Vienna, or to his dread that analysis might become the "house-maid" of medicine and psychiatry, as in America. Others find the roots of Freud's attitudes toward medicine in his conflicts about becoming a doctor, his yearning for philosophic speculation, which he "sternly held in check." In contrast, psychoanalysis in the United States was always committed to medical education as a prerequisite for becoming an analyst, and, in 1926, there was a sharp break from Freud's defense of lay analysis. Hale, among others, has suggested that the American "medical fixation" was a reaction to the chaotic state of our nineteenth century medical education, with diploma mills and self-taught healers scattered over a vast continent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The adrenal medulla: a model for studying synthesis, co-storage and co-secretion of peptides and catecholamines

The possibility of simultaneous storage and release of multiple chemical mesengers from secretory cells has become the centre of increasing interest during recent years (Pearse, 1969; Burnstock,1976; Hokfelt et al., 1980; Larsson, 1980). A multimessenger system requires that a single secretory cell synthesise, store and release two or more molecules, each in quantities capable of generating a change in the biological activity of an effector cell through interaction with specific receptors. Storage of multiple messengers in the same secretory vesicle is central to studies of the cotransmission hypothesis since most, if not all, neurones and endocrine cells belong to the general class of merocrine cells where the secretory products are segregated in, and released from storage/secretory vesicles.
Bicycle helmets work when it matters the most

BACKGROUND: Helmets are known to reduce the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) after bicycle-related accidents. The aim of this study was to assess the association of helmets with severity of TBI and facial fractures after bicycle-related accidents. METHODS: We performed an analysis of the 2012 National Trauma Data Bank abstracted information of all patients with an intracranial hemorrhage after bicycle-related accidents. Regression analysis was also performed. RESULTS: A total of 6,267 patients were included. About 25.1% (n = 1,573) of bicycle riders were helmeted. Overall, 52.4% (n = 3,284) of the patients had severe TBI, and the mortality rate was 2.8% (n = 176). Helmeted bicycle riders had 51% reduced odds of severe TBI (odds ratio [OR].49, 95% confidence interval [CI].43 to.55, P CONCLUSION: Bicycle helmet use provides protection against severe TBI, reduces facial fractures, and saves lives even after sustaining an intracranial hemorrhage.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Language: en
The Role of Marketing in Achieving and Maintaining Financial Health of Nonprofit Arts Organizations: The Case of the Symphony Orchestra Sector

Nonprofit arts organizations historically have struggled to survive and thrive, since their business models, including their marketing and fund development efforts, often develop reactively rather than being strategically planned and tactically managed to successfully target key stakeholder groups and individuals. In addition, both program ticket sales and contributions from all sources are often affected by changes in economic environments at all levels, which are not directly controllable by arts organizations. The challenges for arts organizations of achieving and maintaining sustainable financial health are serious ones, particularly in many countries which are moving towards government support models which require organizations to become more self-sufficient by improving their fund development and marketing programs.
Absorption-Induced Image Resolution Enhancement in Scattering Media

Highly scattering media pose significant challenges for many optical imaging applications due to the loss of information inherent to the scattering process. Absorption can also result in significant degradation of image quality. However, absorption can actually improve the resolution of images transmitted through scattering media in certain cases. Here we study how the presence of absorption can enhance the quality of an image transmitted through a scattering medium, by investigating the dependence of this enhancement on the medium’s scattering properties. We find that absorption-induced image resolution enhancement is substantially larger for media consisting of isotropic scatterers (e.g., dielectric nanoparticles) than for strongly forward-scattering media (e.g., biological tissue). This work leads to a broader understanding, and ultimately control, of the optical properties of strongly absorbing, scattering media.
Evaluation of alkaline electrolyzed water to replace traditional phosphate enhancement solutions: Effects on water holding capacity, tenderness, and sensory characteristics.

Sixty-four pork loins were randomly assigned to one of four treatments to evaluate the use of alkaline electrolyzed reduced water as a replacement for traditional enhancement solutions. Treatments included: alkaline electrolyzed reduced water (EOH; pH≈11.5), EOH plus 2.5% potassium-lactate (EOK), industry standard (IS; 0.35% sodium tri-polyphosphate, 0.14% sodium chloride, 2.5% potassium-lactate), and no enhancement (CON). After enhancement (targeting 110%) and rest period, chops were cut (2.54-cm) to test treatment effects on water holding capacity, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and sensory attributes. Despite its alkaline nature EOH chops exuded more water (P 0.05) to EOK, however CON and EOK both lost more moisture (P<0.05) than IS. The use of alkaline electrolyzed reduced water did not improve WBSF or sensory characteristics compared to IS treated chops. As a stand-alone enhancement solution alkaline electrolyzed reduced water was not a suitable replacement for industry standard solutions.
Abstract IA23: Integrating chemical and functional genomics for leukemia discovery.

Characterization of the genomic landscapes of cancer with new technologies, such as massively parallel sequencing, has catapulted our understanding of human malignancies. However, many questions remain about the true genetic dependencies in human cancer, and for most malignancies, therapeutic impact has lagged behind the unraveling of the DNA code. In principle, the integration of functional and chemical genomics offers a powerful approach to decipher the mechanisms of cancer and inform therapeutics. We have applied such as integrative approach to the identification of new targeted strategies to induce the differentiation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Targeting PML-RARα, the fusion protein present in the majority of patients diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), demonstrated feasible the use of targeted differentiation therapy in this AML subtype. Emerging data support a role not only for transcription factor-directed therapy, but also for kinase-directed therapy, to induce AML differentiation. In a recent clinical trial the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) inhibitor quizartinib induced differentiation in patients with FLT3-ITD-positive AML, leading to responses in the majority of patients receiving the drug. Moreover, newer agents targeting chromatin regulators (e.g., DOT1L and BRD4) have been demonstrated to induce AML differentiation in vitro and in vivo, lending additional support to the potential of differentiation therapy for this disease. We have applied chemical and functional genomic screens for small-molecule and shRNA inducers of a complex gene expression signature of differentiation. Two high priority metabolic targets emerged at the intersection of these screens and have been validated in AML cells in vitro and in vivo with chemical and genetic perturbagens. Citation Format: Kimberly Stegmaier. Integrating chemical and functional genomics for leukemia discovery. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(17 Suppl):Abstract nr IA23.
Eating and weight disorders in the female athlete.

This paper presents an overview of eating disorders, including definitions, clinical criteria for appropriate diagnosis, and a discussion of the potential for increased risk for eating disorders in special populations of female athletes. This is followed by a discussion of the prevalence of eating disorders in normal and athletic populations. From this discussion, it seems clear that female athletes in endurance or appearance sports are at an increased risk for disordered eating. Finally, the paper focuses on related disorders—a triad associating eating disorders, menstrual dysfunction, and bone mineral disorders. It is clear that secondary amenorrhea is associated with malnutrition and disordered eating. Further, bone mineral disorders are related to menstrual dysfunction. Disordered eating may represent the initiating factor of this triad.