cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated lung segmentation of low resolution CT scans of rats

Dual modality micro-CT and SPECT imaging can play an important role in preclinical studies designed to investigate mechanisms, progression, and therapies for acute lung injury in rats. SPECT imaging involves examining the uptake of radiopharmaceuticals within the lung, with the hypothesis that uptake is sensitive to the health or disease status of the lung tissue. Methods of quantifying lung uptake and comparison of right and left lung uptake generally begin with identifying and segmenting the lung region within the 3D reconstructed SPECT volume. However, identification of the lung boundaries and the fissure between the left and right lung is not always possible from the SPECT images directly since the radiopharmaceutical may be taken up by other surrounding tissues. Thus, our SPECT protocol begins with a fast CT scan, the lung boundaries are identified from the CT volume, and the CT region is coregistered with the SPECT volume to obtain the SPECT lung region. Segmenting rat lungs within the CT volume is particularly challenging due to the relatively low resolution of the images and the rat’s unique anatomy. Thus, we have developed an automated segmentation algorithm for low resolution micro-CT scans that utilizes depth maps to detect fissures on the surface of the lung volume. The fissure’s surface location is in turn used to interpolate the fissure throughout the lung volume. Results indicate that the segmentation method results in left and right lung regions consistent with rat lung anatomy.
Current-induced field enhancement of lateral transistors

A new field-aided lateral p-n-p transistor structure has been developed for integrated circuits that has performance characteristics (h fe and f T ) that significantly exceed those of the conventional lateral p-n-p. Two basic mechanisms improve performance: drift-aided base transport and localized emitter injection. Both result from a lateral electric field that is set up within the n-type epitaxial base region by applying a biasing voltage between two n+contacts in this high-resistivity epi layer. These contacts straddle the single stripe p-emitter and p-collector regions so as to establish a lateral voltage drop under the emitter. The polarity and magnitude of this voltage gradient will debias the bottom and remote emitter edges causing emission to occur only as the emitter edge closest to the adjacent collector stripe. The effective base width is thereby reduced and, in addition, the p-type minority carriers are accelerated through the base width by drift action of this field. These field-aiding effects theoretically increase both h fe and f T by an order of magnitude, and this has been verified experimentally.
Object tracking in real environments

Modern tracking methods typically rely on features to track objects. These methods function best with objects containing distinguishable features. Previously we proposed a graph cuts approach that utilizes intensity changes and the likelihood that the RGB intensities associated with a pixel belong to the object. We propose a new method that models the RGB tuple as a single random variable. This allows for more robust segmentation, but requires more data to construct the color model.The results show the ability of the method to tracking in a varity environments and with a large variety of objects.
Electrophoretic studies on solubilized proteins of goldfish brain

Abstract Soluble proteins from homogenates of various regions of goldfish brain have been separated by gel electrophoresis techniques. Distribution of radioactive proteins formed following injection of a labeled amino acid was studied by direct autoradiography of gel slabs. While dye staining and labeling patterns of electrophoretically separated proteins did not vary among brain regions examined, there were marked differences in the positionh of stained bands and those detected autradiographically, suggesting diverse rates of metabolism of these soluble proteins. Unlike the protein staining and labeling patterns, the distribution of multiple electrophoretic bands of solubilized acetylcholinesterase varied among the 5 brain regions examined. Protein bands detected either by dye staining, autoradiography or by acetylcholinesterase activity did not vary measurably as a result of shock-avoidance training of the goldfish. In further studies with DFP, apparent turnover rates for the multiple forms of acetylcholinesterase in a detergent extract of whole brain were determined.
Collective states of Gd isotopes from (p, t) reactions

Abstract The reactions 160,158,156,154,152Gd(p, t) have been studied with 18 MeV protons. The angular distributions of the emergent tritons allow an unambiguous identification of l = 0 transitions and, in some cases, a classification of l = 2 transitions in terms of excitations of β- or γ-vibrations. Excited collective 0+ states are populated with approximately 15 % of the ground state strength. In the 154Gd(p, t)152Gd reaction which connects a deformed with a spherical nucleus, a third 0+ state is observed at 1053 keV. The present results and previous data from (p, t) and (t, p) reactions on Sm isotopes support the interpretation of the 1053 keV state being a deformed 0+ excited state in the spherical 152Gd nucleus.
Whole body vibration exposures in bus drivers: A comparison between a high-floor coach and a low-floor city bus

Abstract Low back pain (LBP) is common in occupational bus drivers and studies have shown a dose–response relationship between whole body vibration (WBV) exposure and LBP. Bus design may be an important factor in determining the WBV exposure a bus driver receives. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences exist in WBV exposures between two buses commonly used in long urban commuter routes: a high-floor coach and a low-floor city bus. Each bus was driven over a standardized test route which included four road types: a newer smooth freeway, a rougher old freeway, a city street segment, and a road segment containing several speed humps. WBV exposures were calculated per ISO 2631-1 (1997) and ISO 2631-5 (2004) standards. WBV exposures were significantly higher in the high-floor coach bus on the road segment containing speed humps. There were primarily small differences between buses in WBV exposures encountered on the city street and freeway segments. With respect to the ISO 2631-1 and European Union's A (8) and VDV(8) action limit values, both buses could be operated on the smooth freeway without exceeding the 8-hour action limits but would have to be operated less than 8 h when operating on the other road types. On average, the seats only attenuated 10% of the floor transmitted vibration and amplified the vibration exposures on the speed humps. Due to the low vibration attenuation performance of the bus driver's seat, evaluating different types of seats and seat suspensions may be merited. Relevance to industry Low back Pain (LBP) is one of the leading causes for workplace disability; therefore, it would be beneficial for employers and workers to minimize WBV exposures resulting in LBP. To reduce WBV exposures, buses should be assigned to appropriate routes and drivers should rotate across routes to vary continuous and impulsive exposures.
A New Global Effort to Control Malaria

The time has come to resurrect a worldwide effort to control malaria, following decades of neglect during which the disease has resurged in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa and other endemic regions.
First example of a molecularly imprinted polymer incorporating a difunctionalized alloxazine flavin isomer

High-quality alloxazine (a flavin isomer) imprinted polymers have been made for the first time. A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the N1,N3-di-functionalized alloxazine template 2 was made. The MIP prepared for 2 exhibited excellent, highly selective molecular recognition for template 2, as determined by HPLC analysis using columns prepared with the MIP. This has also demonstrated that the core flavin structure can survive the imprinting process.
Load and go versus stay and play: Analysis of prehospital IV fluid therapy by computer simulation

A computer-simulation model of prehospital hemorrhage and fluid resuscitation was used to determine under what circumstances it is advantageous to begin fluid resuscitation in the field instead of immediately transporting to the hospital. Four hypothetical bleeding rates (15, 25, 50, and 100 mL/min) were examined for short and long prehospital times. No significant difference in survival was noted for bleeding rates of 15 mL/min for either short or long time; a small but statistically significant increase in survival was noted for bleeding rates of 25 mL/min and long transport times. For both short and long times, all higher bleeding rates showed greater survival with prehospital fluid resuscitation and higher blood pressure at the onset of definitive care.
New tricks for old dogmas: Optogenetic and designer receptor insights for Parkinson's disease

Optogenetics and novel designer receptors have revolutionized the way neuroscientists can interrogate neural circuits. These new tools are being rapidly applied to many facets of neuroscience including the study of Parkinson's disease circuitry and therapies. This review highlights how optogenetics and designer receptors can be applied in the study of Parkinsonian dysfunction to understand the mechanisms behind motor and non-motor symptoms. We discuss how these tools have recently advanced our understanding of basal ganglia function and outline how they can be applied in future to refine existing treatments and generate novel therapeutic strategies for Parkinson's disease. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Optogenetics (7th BRES).
Plumage coloration is a sexually selected indicator of male quality

FEMALE choice of mates based on the expression of characters that correlate with male quality remains a controversial and largely untested idea1. By choosing quality males, females stand to gain resources2, genetic benefits for their offspring3–5, or both. In the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), male plumage coloration is a function of dietary intake of carotenoids6,7. Here I present results of field studies that indicate that females prefer to mate with colourful males and that plumage brightness correlates with a male's capactity for parental care and perhaps its genotypic quality. Artificially brightened males paired more quickly and frequently than sham control or lightened males. Among unmanipulated males, plumage coloration was correlated with nest attentiveness and overwinter survival. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the coloration of fathers and sons.
Differences in Subjective Response to Alcohol by Gender, Family History, Heavy Episodic Drinking, and Cigarette Use: Refining and Broadening the Scope of Measurement

Objective:Subjective response to alcohol (SR) has been shown to differ by gender, family history of alcoholism, drinking status, and cigarette smoking status. However, the requisite statistical basis for making mean-level comparisons (scalar measurement invariance; MI) has not been established for any SR measure, making it impossible to determine whether observed differences reflect true differences or measurement bias. Secondary data analyses were conducted to evaluate (a) MI of the Subjective Effects of Alcohol Scale (SEAS) by gender, family history, heavy drinking status, and cigarette smoking status using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis; and (b) the impact of these group-level variables on SR using multivariate general linear modeling. A central strength, the SEAS assesses novel high arousal negative (HIGH−; e.g., aggressive) and low arousal positive effects (LOW+; e.g., relaxed) in addition to commonly assessed high arousal positive [HIGH+; e.g., sociable] and low arousal negative effects [LO...
Death Certificates Underestimate Infections as Proximal Causes of Death in the U.S

Background: Death certificates are a primary data source for assessing the population burden of diseases; however, there are concerns regarding their accuracy. Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) coding of a terminal hospitalization may provide an alternative view. We analyzed the rate and patterns of disagreement between death certificate data and hospital claims for patients who died during an inpatient hospitalization. Methods: We studied respondents from the Health and Retirement Study (a nationally representative sample of older Americans who had an inpatient death documented in the linked Medicare claims from 1993-2007). Causes of death abstracted from death certificates were aggregated to the standard National Center for Health Statistics List of 50 Rankable Causes of Death. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-DRGs were manually aggregated into a parallel classification. We then compared the two systems via 262, focusing on concordance. Our primary analysis was agreement between the two data sources, assessed with percentages and Cohen's kappa statistic. Results: 2074 inpatient deaths were included in our analysis. 36.6% of death certificate cause-of-death codes agreed with the reason for the terminal hospitalization in the Medicare claims at the broad category level; when re-classifying DRGs without clear alignment as agreements, the concordance only increased to 61%. Overall Kappa was 0.21, or ''fair.'' Death certificates in this cohort redemonstrated the conventional top 3 causes of death as diseases of the heart, malignancy, and cerebrovascular disease. However, hospitalization claims data showed infections, diseases of the heart, and cerebrovascular disease as the most common diagnoses for the same terminal hospitalizations. Conclusion: There are significant differences between Medicare claims and death certificate data in assigning cause of death for inpatients. The importance of infections as proximal causes of death is underestimated by current death certificate-based strategies.
Towards efficient backward-in-time adjoint computations using data compression techniques

Abstract In the context of a posteriori error estimation for nonlinear time-dependent partial differential equations, the state-of-the-practice is to use adjoint approaches which require the solution of a backward-in-time problem defined by a linearization of the forward problem. One of the major obstacles in the practical application of these approaches is the need to store, or recompute, the forward solution to define the adjoint problem and to evaluate the error representation. This study considers the use of data compression techniques to approximate forward solutions employed in the backward-in-time integration. The development derives an error representation that accounts for the difference between the standard-approach and the compressed approximation of the forward solution. This representation is algorithmically similar to the standard representation and only requires the computation of the quantity of interest for the forward solution and the data-compressed reconstructed solution (i.e. scalar quantities that can be evaluated as the forward problem is integrated). This approach is then compared with existing techniques, such as checkpointing and time-averaged adjoints. Finally, we provide numerical results indicating the potential efficiency of our approach on a transient diffusion–reaction equation and on the Navier–Stokes equations. These results demonstrate memory compression ratios up to 450 × while maintaining reasonable accuracy in the error-estimates.
Comparative Efficacy of the New Postharvest Fungicides Azoxystrobin, Fludioxonil, and Pyrimethanil for Managing Citrus Green Mold

Three new fungicides (i.e., azoxystrobin, fludioxonil, and pyrimethanil) are currently being introduced for postharvest management of citrus green mold in the United States. The effectiveness of each fungicide was evaluated when applied alone (at 1,000 to 1,200 mg/liter) or in mixtures (at 500 mg/liter each component) to lemon fruit that were wound-inoculated with imazalil/thiabendazole (TBZ)-sensitive or -resistant isolates of Penicillium digitatum. In laboratory studies when aqueous fungicide solutions were applied 9 to 21 h after inoculation, pyrimethanil showed the highest level of green mold control. The efficacy of fludioxonil and azoxystrobin was very high at the early timings, but decreased as time after inoculation increased. Differences in fungicide performance were not due to multiple fungicide resistance, but more likely due to differences in fungicide mobility in fruit tissue. Azoxystrobin-fludioxonil mixtures were significantly more effective when compared to single-fungicide treatments. Mixtures of imazalil with pyrimethanil were the most effective in controlling decay. The efficacy of all fungicides was significantly lower when mixed into a packing fruit coating as compared to aqueous or storage fruit coating applications. In laboratory and packingline studies, the lowest incidence of green mold decay was obtained when azoxystrobin-fludioxonil and imazalil-pyrimethanil were applied as aqueous solutions that were followed by a fruit coating. Among the new fungicides, azoxystrobin and fludioxonil applied in water or storage fruit coating, respectively, provided the best anti-sporulation activity. Storage fruit coating improved the activity of both fungicides. Pyrimethanil was the least effective fungicide in suppressing sporulation of the pathogen on decaying fruit. Overall, among the mixtures, azoxystrobin-fludioxonil and TBZ-fludioxonil had high anti-sporulation activity in aqueous and storage fruit coating applications. New integrated management programs should be based on monitoring of fungicide sensitivities in pathogen populations, rotating mixtures of products with different modes of action, and using appropriate fungicide application strategies.
The Influence of Urban Form on Travel: An Interpretive Review

Can neighborhood design improve traffic? Although a fair question in its own right, several influential planning strategies, including “the new urbanism,”“smart growth,” and the “livability agenda” take the answer more or less for granted. But what do we really know, and how can we improve our knowledge on this key issue? The article first proposes a scheme for categorizing research addressing these and related questions. It then presents a detailed discussion of key studies of urban form and travel behavior. The research strategies employed and the data, methods, and results of these studies are evaluated in detail. The article concludes that although this body of research is improving in several respects and should be encouraged by policy makers and scholars alike, our current understanding of this complex group of relationships remains tentative. The basis for using land use and urban design to selectively change travel behavior thus appears limited in the near term, whereas research opportunities abound.
Distribution and Abundance of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in Southwestern Louisiana

Abstract The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a brackish-water turtle ranging from Texas to Massachusetts, as well as an isolated population on the island of Bermuda. Louisiana likely holds the most available habitat of any other state for the species (over 650,000 ha of brackish and salt marshes), yet little is known about terrapin distribution and abundance throughout coastal Louisiana. Knowledge is particularly scant in southwestern Louisiana, where only 12 specimen records exist, the most recent record being from 1972. We wanted to determine whether 1) terrapin populations persist in historical collection localities, 2) terrapin populations are present in additional coastal marsh localities, and 3) terrapin abundance differs among sites in southwestern Louisiana. We sampled for diamondback terrapins during 2011–2013 at 16 sites across southwestern Louisiana; all sites were near historical localities or other apparently suitable brackish or salt marsh habitats. We used unbaited fyke nets w...
Positioning codes of ethics on international corporations' websites: A six-year longitudinal study

Abstract This research examines the level of international website disclosures of corporate codes of ethics during the period of July 2002 and July 2003, which surrounds the enactment of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) in United States. We also gathered similar data from these corporations' websites in April of 2006 through April of 2008 (i.e., three through five years after the effective date of SOX). In April of 2006 (2007 and 2008), 30 (34 and 36) of the 43 corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) had readily available codes. While not required to have their codes on their corporate websites, 14 (18 and 23) of the 49 corporations that were not listed on the NYSE also had readily available codes. Our research also indicates that corporations headquartered in Europe were more likely to have readily available codes of ethics than corporations headquartered in the Pacific region in 2006 and 2007 but not in 2008.
Heat shock protein 90 inhibition abrogates hepatocellular cancer growth through cdc2-mediated G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis

Purpose 17-(demethoxy), 17-allylamino geldanamycin (17-AAG) suppresses growth in some cancers by inhibiting Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). We examined the effects of 17-AAG-mediated Hsp90 inhibition on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth in vitro and in vivo.
Mexican-Americans of South Texas Football: The Athletic and Coaching Careers of E.C. Lerma and Bobby Cavazos, 1932–1965

Over the past four decades, the breadth of Mexican-American history has expanded dramatically. One area that has been very much overlooked, however, is the role of athletics in the lives of the Spanish-surnamed men and women living in locales such as the southern region of Texas known as the Rio Grande Valley. This essay provides a glimpse into the role of sports, and particularly the most important of all Texas sports, high-school football, as a vehicle for challenging the stereotypical assumptions held by many Lone Star State whites during the early decades of the twentieth century. An examination of the athletic and coaching careers of individuals such as Everardo Carlos Lerma and Bobby Cavazos provides a glimpse into how success on the gridiron helped destabilize the widely-held perception of Mexican Americans as lazy, lackadaisical and unintelligent.
Induction of genetic duplications and frameshift mutations in Salmonella typhimurium by acridines and acridine mustards: Dependence on covalent binding of the mutagen to DNA

The aroC321 allele permits positive selection for the detection of a large genetic duplication that arises in the Salmonella typhimurium chromosome by homologous recombination. Strains that contain both aroC321 and the hisC3076 allele were constructed so that the induction of genetic duplications and frameshift mutations in a run of GC base pairs could be studied simultaneously by selecting for tryptophan and histidine prototrophy, respectively. Using these strains, we examined the ability of 9-aminoacridine, quinacrine, four acridine mustards (ICR-170, ICR-191, ICR-372, and quinacrine mustard) and the nitroacridine Entozon to induce genetic duplications and frameshift mutations. Although all these compounds induce reversion of hisC3076, only the four mustards and Entozon are effective as inducers of genetic duplications under identical treatment conditions. The induction of genetic duplications by acridine mustards, like the toxic and mutagenic effects of these compounds, is enhanced by a deficiency for excision repair caused by a deletion through the uvr B gene. The ineffectiveness of 9-aminoacridine and quinacrine in the test for genetic duplications indicates that simple intercalation is sufficient for the mutagenic effect measured with the hisC3076 allele but that the induction of duplications by the acridine mustards and Entozon requires covalent binding of the chemical to DNA.
Autologous peripheral nerve grafting into murine brain as a model for studies of regeneration in the central nervous system

Autologous sciatic nerve was grafted into rat brain by (i) passing an 8-mm segment of nerve tied to a straight surgical needle through two craniotomy holes ("through-and-through" model); (ii) inserting a small tube of polyethylene containing the 8-mm nerve piece ("nerve-within-tube" model). Longitudinally oriented neurofilament-positive fibers were consistently observed within the graft. Compared with the through-and-through model, axonal sprouting in the nerve-within-tube model followed a slow-motion pattern so that a growing front of regenerating axons could be easily identified and more easily related to the cellular events occurring in Wallerian degeneration. In the through-and-through model, regenerated axons at the brain-nerve interface followed a disorganized, tortuous course so that direct continuity between brain and graft was difficult to demonstrate. The reverse was true in the nerve-within-tube model, i.e., axons penetrated directly into the graft. The difference in orientation of axonal growth at the brain-graft interface appeared to be related to the glial reaction. In the through-and-through model, reactive astrocytes formed a mesh of randomly oriented fibers in the damaged brain tissue facing the graft (anisomorphic gliosis). Conversely, longitudinally oriented fibers extended directly from the brain to the graft in the nerve-within-tube model, where brain damage was substantially reduced (isomorphic gliosis). A different type of glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein-positive fibrous structures was identified in the graft. Compared with reactive astrocytes, these structures were more elongated, more uniform in diameter, and less brightly immunofluorescent. Moreover, they were present throughout the graft, whereas astrocytes were confined to the distal end of the transplant, i.e., the part of nerve close to the brain-graft interface. Based on previous reports in the literature we interpret these GFA protein-positive structures as reacting Schwann cells.
Hypothesis: Is congestive cardiomyopathy caused by a hyperreactive myocardial microcirculation (Microvascular spasm)?☆

In most congested, dilated cardiomyopathies, pathologic analysis reveals focal myocardial necrosis, microscopic scarring, interstitial fibrosis, and myocellular hypertrophy. The focal nature of these processes indicates that the cardiomyopathies may not be due to diffuse abnormalities of cardiac muscle cells, at least in the early stages, but that the changes may represent focal events affecting discrete, small volumes of tissue. Experimental evidence of microvascular hyperreactivity (spasm), both in the hereditary cardiomyopathy of the Syrian hamster and in the acquired cardiomyopathy of the hypertensive-diabetic rat, suggests that transient spasm of the myocardial microcirculation may lead to focal myocellular necrosis and scarring, which then causes the unaffected myocardial cells to undergo compensatory hypertrophy in order to normalize the increased load per unit of myocardium. When enough myocardium is lost and the compensatory hypertrophy results in decreased contractility, congestive heart failure ensues as a systemic response to altered ventricular function. The efficacy of verapamil therapy in the Syrian hamster in preventing microvascular spasm, cell necrosis, and the subsequent development of a cardiomyopathy has provided hope that similar preventive treatment can be applied to patients with early stages of cardiomyopathy.
Detection Of Milk-specific IgE And IgA In Stool Samples From Children With Food Allergy

Resumen del poster presentado al Annual Meeting of American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology celebrado en San Francisco (US) del 18 al 22 de marzo de 2011.
Risk Factors for Glaucoma Suspicion in Healthy Young Asian and Caucasian Americans

Purpose. To determine the prevalence of certain risk factors for glaucoma in a healthy, young population and to compare these risk factors between Asian Americans and Caucasians. Methods. 120 healthy graduate students (mean age years) underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination. Regression analyses controlling for age, sex, and refraction, comparing glaucoma risk factors in Asians () and Caucasians (), were performed. Outcome variables included family history, intraocular pressure (IOP), spherical equivalent, central corneal thickness (CCT), mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD), and disc and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) parameters. Results. 61% of subjects were female; the mean spherical equivalent was D; and the mean axial length (AL) was mm. Regression analysis showed race affected spherical equivalent (), AL (), IOP (), and cup to disc area ratio (CDAR) (). Family history, CCT, MD, and PSD did not vary between Asians and Caucasians (). In this study, we found Asian Americans, compared to Caucasians, had D greater myopia; greater IOP by mmHg; and larger CDAR by . Conclusions. In our study population, young, healthy Asian Americans had greater myopia, IOP, and CDAR as compared to Caucasians, suggesting that racial variations can be important when diagnosing glaucoma.
The role of avionics in modern aircraft

Avionics as a term was introduced in the USA in the early 1950s to describe the systems which depend on and exploit electronic technology in the aviation field. Its role has become more and more important in modern aircraft, and the cost of the avionic system now fitted can equal as much as one-third or more of the total aircraft cost. The world market for avionics equipment over the next 10 years is estimated to be in the region of £30 billion, and so its importance for the future can be appreciated
An ambitious experiment

Key Experiments in Practical Developmental Biology details influential experiments in the field for undergraduate or postgraduate students to replicate in the laboratory class. The editors have set themselves an ambitious goal. Many of the experiments in this book are, as suggested by the editors,
The Dangers of an Over-sanitized Media Landscape

Guins, R. (2009). Edited clean version: Technology and the culture of control. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. 242 pp., $22.50 (Pbk). The meaning of the word “no”—apparently unknown to ...
Placental Evaluation with Magnetic Resonance

Because of the high maternal morbidity and mortality of undiagnosed placental abnormalities, there is a need for accurate antenatal diagnosis. Important placental features amenable to investigation with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging include variant placental location and morphology, and abnormal implantation or invasion of placenta into the myometrium. MR imaging features permit the diagnosis of abnormal placentation include placental lobulation with uterine contour deformity, interruption of the inner low signal-intensity myometrial layer, and placental heterogeneity resulting from dark intraplacental bands and abnormal vascularity.
Intraoperative retrograde balloon-catheter dilatation to augment myocardial revascularization

Abstract When bypass graft surgery is planned, it is appreciated that sequential coronary artery stenoses often entrap the origins of arterial branches that have a significant, but subgraftable, diameter. These branches are routinely not perfused by saphenous vein grafts implanted beyond the second lesion. Data are presented on improving perfusion of such branches in 26 patients by the technique of retrograde intraoperative balloon-catheter dilatation. During coronary artery surgery, specially designed angioplasty catheters, 2 to 3 mm in diameter, were introduced through the coronary arteriotomy and passed retrogradely across the distal lesion. Balloon inflation was performed two to four times at 4 to 7 atm. Lesion size was assessed before and after angioplasty with the use of graduated coronary probes. Probe-determined lesion diameter increased from 1.1 ± 0.4 to 2.0 ± 0.4 mm (percent increase, 109 ± 8). In selected patients, intraoperative balloon-catheter dilatation is a promising technique adjunctive to coronary surgery. Clinical significance and long-term effectiveness of this procedure require further evaluation.
THE CASE OF THE VANISHING WORKFORCE

The global energy industry finds itself halfway through the first decade of the twenty-first century facing a problem for which it was unprepared: the exodus of skilled and professional workers and a dearth of potential replacement candidates. In the United States, Europe, and Japan, very large numbers of workers are approaching retirement age. The low birth rates that followed the large Baby Boom generation mean that fewer replacement workers are available. More and more, utility operators have come to see the loss of skilled knowledge as a human capital problem that has been described as reaching crisis proportions. City Power, like a growing number of large municipally owned public utilities, finds itself forced to design and implement an entirely new approach to human resource planning. This case identifies some of the aging workforce and population diversity issues shaping utility strategic planning.
Fatty acid composition of cultured aortic cells from white carneau and show racer pigeons

Summary Cell cultures have been established from aortic intimal tissue of White Carneau and Show Racer pigeons. Analyses of the higher fatty acid (> laurate) compositioni of the cultures revealed the absence of arachidonate in aortic cells from atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carneaux. A metabolic defect in the formation of arachidonate by these cells is suggested since aortic cells cultured from atherosclerosis-resistant Show Racers have the normal amount of arachidonate.
Solving multicommodity transportation problems using a primal partitioning simplex technique

This paper presents the details for applying and specializing the work of Saigal [28] and Hartman and Lasdon [16] to develop a primal partitioning code for the multicommodity transportation problem. The emphasis of the paper is in presenting efficient data structure techniques for exploiting the underlying network structure of this class of problems. Computational experience with test problems whose corresponding linear programming formulation has over 400 rows and 2,000 columns is presented.
Foreign body reaction involving a Mantoux test site

A 41-year-old woman presented with a history of a solitary pustular erythematous lesion occurring at the site of a Mantoux test performed 10 months previously. The histopathology examination revealed a suppurative and foreign body giant cell reaction to numerous keratin flakes. Culture of the tissue was negative for both aerobic and anaerobic organisms including mycobacteria. We postulate that the reaction in our patient may have been secondary to the implantation of epidermal keratin or the entrapment of hair into the dermis during the intradermal injection of tuberculin purified protein derivative.
A physical map of the human Y-chromosome short arm.

Abstract A physical map of the Y-chromosome short arm was constructed using DNA probes p19B, Y-286 la5 , pZFY, Y-280, and Y-227. These probes hybridize with four Not I fragments of 400 kb (p19B and Y-286 la5 ), 350 kb, 1.9 Mb, and 3.0 Mb, respectively. The restriction fragments were shown to be adjacent to each other by analysis of Not I partial digests, overlapping restriction fragments, and/or the detection of rearranged restriction fragments in a 46,XX male. The present map covers approximately 5.6 Mb of contiguous DNA of Yp. Previously, the size of the pseudoautosomal region was estimated to be 2.3 Mb, and a 5.3-Mb Not I fragment containing Y-specific repeated DNA was assigned to proximal Yp. These and the present data account for approximately 13 Mb and thus for most of the DNA content of the Y short arm.
Toward a Watershed- and System of Systems–Oriented Perspective of Stormwater Management Enterprise Performance:

Public works decision and policy makers daily face myriad management problems. The problem of stormwater runoff management, for one, has for several decades received a great deal of attention, with much of that focused on reconciling the needs of natural watershed systems with those of the man-made physical and non-physicalsocietal systems that watersheds overlap. In other words, stormwater management has effectively been cast as a system of systems problem requiring a delicate balance among multiple natural and man-made systems. The authors propose a methodology with which stakeholders can first set and then realize expectations for stormwater management problems by using watershed- and system of systems–oriented perspectives. The methodology, Enterprise AID (assessment, improvement, and design) is particularly well suited to such a pairing of perspectives, and this article, therefore, shows how stakeholders in multiple and commonly disparate interests might best balance the stormwater management needs o...
Volatile male-specific natural products of a coreid bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera).

The large coreid bug,Pachylis laticornis (Hemiptera: Coreidae), feeds on several mimosaceous trees in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. In addition to the presumably defensive metathoracic exocrine glands that occur in both sexes of this species, the adult males also possess a ventral abdominal gland, opening midventrally in the 7–8th abdominal intersegmental membrane, that releases volatile compounds. Two esters, (E)-2-hexenyl tiglate and (E)-2-hexenyl (E)-2-hexenoate, account for over 90% of the total volatiles in the ventral abdominal gland secretion of males. (E)-2-Octenyl tiglate and (E)-2-hexenyl benzoate are present at low concentrations, as are at least three other unidentified compounds. The biological role for this fragrant male-specific exudate is unknown.
Mutant Enzymatic and Cytological Phenotypes in Cultured Human Fibroblasts

Fibroblasts were cultured from the cells of two children who shared some characteristics of Hurler syndrome, but they did not show corneal clouding and excessive excretion of mucopolysaccharides. The fibroblasts differ from those of controls and of patients with typical Hurler syndrome or other mucopolysaccharidoses in that they have abundant cytoplasmic inclusions, striking diminutions in beta-glucuronidase, and elevations in acid phosphatase.
X-ray determination of the elastic deformation of a perfect crystal neutron interferometer: implications for gravitational phase shift experiments

Abstract The quantum mechanical phase shift for a massive particle due to gravity has been observed in a series of neutron interferometry experiments using perfect crystal silicon interferometers. While the results of these measurements are in qualitative agreement with the predictions of non-relativistic quantum mechanics and Newtonian gravity, there remains a very significant discrepancy between theory and experiment. It has been suggested that this discrepancy is due to a systematic effect related to the elastic deformation of the monolithic interferometer. In this work we describe X-ray measurements which indicate that such a systematic effect was overlooked in previous measurements. We conclude that the magnitude of these effects is sufficiently large to account for the current discrepancy between theory and experiment.
On morphisms of association schemes

Abstract In this paper we present a necessary and sufficient condition under which a (combinatorial) morphism between association schemes induces an algebra homomorphism between their scheme rings. We will also discuss scheme ring homomorphisms of naturally valenced association schemes.
Use of CT-based intraoperative spinal navigation: management of radiation exposure to operator, staff, and patients.

Objective Radiation exposure represents significant risk to both operating room health care workers and their patients. The commonplace surgical implantation of spinal instrumentation often relies on fluoroscopy for guidance and verification. Advances in computerized tomography (CT)-based intraoperative navigation have improved accuracy of screw placement. The objective of this article is to quantify the radiation exposure from fluoroscopic and CT-based intraoperative navigation and to provide guidance in mitigating the exposure to patient and operating room (OR) staff. Methods With radiation measurement devices in place, a female cadaver underwent pedicle screws from T7 to S1. The left side was guided by fluoroscopy, the right side by CT-based navigation. In addition, a CT-based navigation system was placed in an empty OR. Measurements of radiation while scanning phantom were undertaken at various positions around the OR. Results The use of intraoperative CT-based navigation virtually eliminated radiation exposure to the surgeon. However, the radiation dose to the patient was increased compared with fluoroscopy. In addition, the radiation profile of the CT-based navigation system was not uniform with significantly lower radiation perpendicular to the axis of the patient on the side of the control panel. Conclusions Use of intraoperative CT-based navigation systems results in lower radiation dose to the surgeon compared with fluoroscopic-based methods. There is an increase in the radiation to the patient. In addition, it is necessary to consider and eliminate other perioperative sources of radiation, such as a postoperative CT scan, which are made redundant by this technology.
Shape-based nonrigid correspondence with application to heart motion analysis

A common problem in many biomedical imaging studies is that of finding a correspondence between two plane curves which aligns their shapes. A mathematical formulation and solutions to this problem is proposed in this paper. The formulation exhibits desirable properties. It allows for one-to-one as well as non-one-to-one correspondences, it consistently compares shape, even in nonrigid situations, and it is completely symmetric with respect to the two curves. A numerical implementation of the algorithm for finding the optimal correspondence is also reported. The algorithm is used to estimate nonrigid motion of the endocardium in MRI image sequences of normal and post-infarct dog hearts. The return error (the difference between the starting and ending positions of a point) is used as a performance measure to evaluate the technique. Since heart motion is periodic, the return error is a measure of consistency of the algorithm. Preliminary applications to other data sets are reported as well.
Workflow-based Human-in-the-Loop Data Analytics

Exploration in data analytics system requires proficient skills in data science and a deep understanding of the domain, both of which are scarce and hard to find. Experienced analysts leverage knowledge from past experience and solve a problem within minutes, yet the same problem could cost novice analysts days. In this paper we advocate a human-in-the-loop data analytics system which logs the workflow of users within the data analytics system and learns common workflow patterns using graph analysis, information scent, and instance-based learning techniques. Based on the learned common patterns, the system automates laborious processing steps to improve analyst productivity and provides recommendations based on the workflow of expert users. This will narrow the productivity gap and lead to improved usability.
Self-Reported versus Proxy-Reported Voter Turnout in the Current Population Survey

The Current Population Survey (CPS) Voter Supplement is a premier source of data on turnout in the United States. A little- known aspect of the survey is that for a sizable proportion of people, turnout is measured by proxy—one member of a household reports for another member—rather than self-reports of having voted. The pur- pose of this research note is to investigate how the use of proxy- reported turnout affects conclusions about the determinants of turnout in America. The results suggest a generally optimistic assessment. Although proxy-reported turnout is about 4 percentage points lower than self-reported turnout, the individual-level correlates of turnout and interstate turnout differences are mostly similar for the two measures.
Ovarian cancer spheroids use myosin-generated force to clear the mesothelium

Dissemination of ovarian tumors involves the implantation of cancer spheroids into the mesothelial monolayer on the walls of peritoneal and pleural cavity organs. Biopsies of tumors attached to peritoneal organs show that mesothelial cells are not present under tumor masses. We have developed a live, image-based in vitro model in which interactions between tumor spheroids and mesothelial cells can be monitored in real time to provide spatial and temporal understanding of mesothelial clearance. Here we provide evidence that ovarian cancer spheroids utilize integrin – and talin - dependent activation of myosin and traction force to promote mesothelial cells displacement from underneath a tumor cell spheroid. These results suggest that ovarian tumor cell clusters gain access to the sub-mesothelial environment by exerting force on the mesothelial cells lining target organs, driving migration and clearance of the mesothelial cells.
Optimum design of horn feeds for reflector antennas

A method of determining the optimum dimensions of a horn feed for a parabolic reflector using the power transferred to the feed as a criterion is described. To reduce the computation time, the focal plane and feed-horn aperture field distributions were expanded into finite power series whose coefficients were determined using collocation techniques. The paper extends previous work to include horns with flare angles greater than 10\deg and contains useful design curves.
2010 American Heart Association recommended compression depths during pediatric in-hospital resuscitations are associated with survival

Abstract Aim Gaps exist in pediatric resuscitation knowledge due to limited data collected during cardiac arrest in real children. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the 2010 American Heart Association (AHA) recommended chest compression (CC) depth (≥51 mm) and survival following pediatric resuscitation attempts. Methods Single-center prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed observational study of children (>1 year) who received CCs between October 2006 and September 2013 in the intensive care unit (ICU) or emergency department (ED) at a tertiary care children's hospital. Multivariate logistic regression models controlling for calendar year and known potential confounders were used to estimate the association between 2010 AHA depth compliance and survival outcomes. The primary outcome was 24-h survival. The primary predictor variable was event AHA depth compliance, prospectively defined as an event with ≥60% of 30-s epochs achieving an average CC depth ≥51 mm during the first 5 min of the resuscitation. Results There were 89 CC events, 87 with quantitative CPR data collected (23 AHA depth compliant). AHA depth compliant events were associated with improved 24-h survival on both univariate analysis (70% vs. 16%, p 95 : 2.75–38.8; p Conclusions 2010 AHA compliant chest compression depths (≥51 mm) are associated with higher 24-h survival compared to shallower chest compression depths, even after accounting for potentially confounding patient and event factors.
New Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Branch Campuses, and Additional Locations—What Is the Difference?

The American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA COCA) is recognized by the US Secretary of Education as the only accrediting agency for predoctoral osteopathic medical education. To maintain its recognition with the US Secretary of Education, the AOA COCA is required to adhere to all federal laws and regulations associated with recognition of accrediting agencies. In this article, the authors discuss the development of new colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs). They also discuss the development of additional locations and branch campuses of existing COMs and compare the 2 processes. Also included is a review of the AOA COCA- approved class sizes of the accredited COMs.