cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Editorial: Moving the QALY Forward or Just Stuck in Traffic?

1RTI Health Solutions, ResearchTriangle Institute, RTP, NC, USAThis Special Issue summarizes an ISPOR Consensus Develop-ment Workshop held in November 2007 on methods for estimat-ing and applying quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) [1–7].Participants were charged with the agenda of “Moving theQALY Forward,” with the primary objective of seeking consen-sus on how to deﬁne and reﬁne the QALY. The authors analyzethe underlying assumptions, offer critiques of QALY methods,and propose alternative approaches. Although the contributionsprovide a reasonable overview of the current state of QALYs,they conﬁrm several rather unfortunate truths. First, the scientiﬁcfoundations of conventional QALYs remain unsatisfactory—being essentially unchanged since their inception. Second, manypractitioners and policymakers remain content to apply QALYsuncritically and unapologetically for the purposes of health-technology assessment (HTA). As a consequence, one must con-clude that the prospects for moving the science and practice ofQALYs forward are discouraging.It is remarkable that three decades of QALY research haveyielded so little substantive methods development. This lack ofprogress is particularly discouraging in light of the rapid inter-national growth of HTA and increased attention to comparativeeffectiveness issues in the United States. Rather than movingHTA science and practice forward, QALY research appears to bestuck in a methodological trafﬁc jam.
The Trouble with Tracing

269 In this paper I argue that the widely relied upon idea of “tracing” in the theory of moral responsibility is considerably more problematic than has been previously acknowledged. The difficulty I raise stems from requirements imposed by the knowledge condition on moral responsibility. Suppose you believed that being a responsible agent (at least paradigmatically) involves being suitably sensitive to situation-relevant moral concerns. On this view, agents that are not suitably sensitive to the relevant moral concerns (these may include non-human animals, young children, and presumably some adults with particular conditions) are not appropriate candidates for ascriptions of moral responsibility. Though this sort of theory may have the sheen of plausibility to it, it is not difficult to generate problem cases for the theory as stated. For instance, suppose that while he is intoxicated Luis decides to drive home while his intoxication has rendered him insensitive to the relevant moral concerns. When he runs his Buick over a young mother and two kids on the way home from the bar, we do not thereby conclude that because he was in a state of intoxication sufficient to render him insensitive to the relevant moral concerns he was not morally responsible. The standard response to problem cases of this sort is to introduce a notion of tracing. Tracing is the idea that responsibility for some outcome need not be anchored in the agent or agent’s action at the moment immediately prior to outcome, but rather at some suitable time prior to the moment of deliberation or action. So one thing that we might say is that Luis’ responsibility for running over
VLSI implementation of routing tables: tries and CAMs

Routing tables for communication networks can be designed using many different approaches, including table lookup, content-addressable memory (CAM), hashing, and tries. The authors compare these approaches in the context of custom VLSI implementation. For tables with a small number of entries and a large address space, CAMs can be very cost effective. If only RAM is available, it is shown that tries, of which simple table lookup is a special case, provide a useful architecture. Also considered is a new variation, table partitioning, which constitutes a useful compromise between the conventional CAM and a trie. >
The Cure and Feeding of Windigos: A Critique

This paper suggests that, contrary to a view recently expressed, the usual treatment of windigo psychosis is not nutritional in nature. When ingestion is involved (which is rare), its sequel (vomiting to expell the windigo heart of ice) is given more curative importance, challenging the view that the northern Algonquians somehow “grasped” the idea of a nutritive cure for windigos. Nor is evidence, at this point, clear on nutritional causes of windigo.
Case‐control study of non‐carious cervical lesions

An exploratory case-control study of non-carious cervical lesions was undertaken to examine the effects of a variety of risk factors. Candidate exposure variables were related to erosion, abrasion, and tooth flexure, the three principal putative causal mechanisms for cervical lesions. Because previous studies have tended to focus on specific causal mechanisms, evidence for a multifactorial etiology is inconclusive. Data describing exposure factors were obtained through clinical examination, dietary and behavioral questionnaires, and analysis of study casts from 264 subjects (137 cases, 127 control). Salivary data were also obtained for a subset of these subjects. Patient and tooth-level logistic regression models were constructed for the full subject group, and the subset with salivary data. For the two patient-level models, only exposures related to brushing entered. For tooth-level models, multiple exposures representing all three causal mechanisms were included in both models. The results suggest that non-carious cervical lesions do have a multifactorial etiology, and that multiple causal mechanisms may operate in the initiation and progression of individual lesions.
Recreating the female reproductive tract in vitro using iPSC technology in a linked microfluidics environment

The female reproductive tract produces hormones for reproductive function and cardiovascular, bone and sexual health; the tract supplies a finite number of gametes, and it supports fetal development. Diseases that affect each of the female reproductive tract organs, along with treatments that have direct, deleterious effects on the reproductive tract (for example, chemotherapeutics), are understudied due to the lack of model systems that phenocopy in vivo function. This review describes a path toward developing female reproductive tract mimics. The models use isolated primary support cells cultured onto a biological scaffold and within a microfluidic system to create a niche and support the desired differentiation of epithelia, germ and somatic cells from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. Improving our fund of knowledge about reproductive tract biology and creating reproductive organs for patients who have lost gonadal, uterine or vaginal/ cervical function is a major step forward in women's health and an important advancement in personalized medicine.
New Methods For Electronic Structure Calculations on Large Molecules

The equations of ab initio quantum chemistry--the clamped-nuclei Schroedinger or Dirac-Fock equations--have been known for nearly 60 years. Initially, accurate solutions could only be obtained for the simplest systems, e.g. the hydrogen atom, helium atom, and hydrogen molecule. The mathematical complexity of these ab initio equations for many-electron atoms and molecules led chemists to focus on construction of approximate, semiempirical molecular orbitals [e.g. Huckel theory (1)], approach ~;hat has contributed (and continues to contribute) enormously to our understanding of chemical phenomena. Forty ye, ars ago, the development of digital computers revived the hope that one might obtain molecular wavefunctions from first principles calculations. On the theoretical side, the work of Hartree (2, 3), Fock (4), and others led to a systematic hierarchy of approximation schemes based on a self-consistent field (SCF) or Hartree-Fock (HF) methodology starting point; the SCF solutions were then corrected for electron correlation by various techniques. Somewhat later, the development of density functional (DF) theory by Kohn, Hohenberg, and Sham (5, 6) provided different approach to reducing the electronic Schroedinger equation to
Use of dielectric functions in the theory of dispersion forces

The modern theory of dispersion forces uses macroscopic dielectric functions $ϵ(\ensuremath{\omega})$ as a central ingredient. We reexamined the formalism and found that at separation distance $l2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ the full dielectric function $ϵ(\ensuremath{\omega},\mathbf{k})$ is needed. The use of $ϵ(\ensuremath{\omega},\mathbf{k})$ results in as much as 30% reduction of the calculated Hamaker constants reported in the current literature. At larger distances, the theory reduces to the traditional method, which uses dielectric functions in the long-wavelength limit. We illustrate the formalism using the example of interaction between two graphite slabs. This example is of importance for intercalation and exfoliation of graphite and for the use of exfoliated graphite in composite materials. The formalism can also be extended to study anisotropic van der Waals interactions.
The Token Female: Women’s Experiences as Division I Collegiate Head Coaches of Men’s Teams

Fifteen women who coach NCAA Division I men’s teams were interviewed about their experiences coaching men. Six themes emerged after a comprehensive analysis of the interview transcripts: 1) Gender barriers experienced by women coaching men, 2) Obtainment of their position coaching men in unique ways, 3) Women coach only men’s minor sports, 4) Characteristics contributing to their success coaching men, 5) Reasons for a lack of women coaching men, and 6) Strategies for change. Findings confirm previous research on women coaching men (i.e., Kane & Stangl, 1991) and point to the tokenism and marginalization that women coaching men experience. Unique findings of this study included that women have to be decorated athletes or coaches to coach men, many of the women in this study were unaware of the opportunity to coach men, and athletic director support is key in the success of women who coach men.
Measurement of High-Performance Thermal Interfaces Using a Reduced Scale Steady-State Tester and Infrared Microscopy

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) have reached values approaching the measurement uncertainty of standard ASTM D5470 based testers of approximately ±1 × 10−6 m2 K/W. This paper presents a miniature ASTM-type steady-state tester that was developed to address the resolution limits of standard testers by reducing the heat meter bar thickness and using infrared (IR) thermography to measure the temperature gradient along the heat meter bar. Thermal interfacial resistance measurements on the order of 1 × 10−6 m2 K/W with an order of magnitude improvement in the uncertainty of ±1 × 10−7 m2 K/W are demonstrated. These measurements were made on several TIMs with a thermal resistance as low as 1.14 × 10−6 m2 K/W.
Pump-probe imaging of pigmented cutaneous melanoma primary lesions gives insight into metastatic potential

Metastatic melanoma is associated with a poor prognosis, but no method reliably predicts which melanomas of a given stage will ultimately metastasize and which will not. While sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has emerged as the most powerful predictor of metastatic disease, the majority of people dying from metastatic melanoma still have a negative SLNB. Here we analyze pump-probe microscopy images of thin biopsy slides of primary melanomas to assess their metastatic potential. Pump-probe microscopy reveals detailed chemical information of melanin with subcellular spatial resolution. Quantification of the molecular signatures without reference standards is achieved using a geometrical representation of principal component analysis. Melanin structure is analyzed in unison with the chemical information by applying principles of mathematical morphology. Results show that melanin in metastatic primary lesions has lower chemical diversity than non-metastatic primary lesions, and contains two distinct phenotypes that are indicative of aggressive disease. Further, the mathematical morphology analysis reveals melanin in metastatic primary lesions has a distinct “dusty” quality. Finally, a statistical analysis shows that the combination of the chemical information with spatial structures predicts metastatic potential with much better sensitivity than SLNB and high specificity, suggesting pump-probe microscopy can be an important tool to help predict the metastatic potential of melanomas.
Denial in Patient–Physician Communication among Patients with Cancer

In this chapter, we discuss the significance of the psychological mechanism of denial in cancer care. We review relevant research literature on the topic, supplemented by clinical literature and personal vignettes. We then discuss key themes in regard to denial in oncology care—the impact of denial on the patient–doctor relationship; denial as a mechanism that “hides” the reasons individuals employ it; denial as an entity with clinical, personal, social, and cultural complexity; physician denial; and physician and family member collusion in the patient’s denial—and offer communication strategies to help address the challenge of denial in cancer care.
The Murky Future of the Clean Water Act After SWANCC

In 2001, the Supreme Court decided Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. United States Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC). In this five-to-four decision, the Court held that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) lacked the authority under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) to regulate isolated intrastate wetlands and waters that serve as habitat for migratory birds. The Court found the FWPCA's jurisdiction is limited to navigable waters and non-navigable waters that have a significant nexus to navigable waters, such as wetlands adjacent to navigable waters. However, the Court did not clearly define which adjacent wetlands and tributaries are within the scope of the FWPCA, generating considerable uncertainty about the FWPCA's jurisdiction. Some courts and commentators read SWANCC broadly to limit the FWPCA's application to only navigable waters and non-navigable wetlands and tributaries that immediately abut navigable waters. Other courts read SWANCC narrowly to mean that the FWPCA does not reach isolated, non-navigable waters that have no connection to navigable waters, but that its jurisdiction does reach inland waters or wetlands that have any hydrological or ecological connection to navigable waters. This Article proposes an intermediate position that requires that non-navigable waters contribute more than a mere hydrological connection or drop of water to navigable water to come within the FWPCA's jurisdiction, but also rejects the view that adjacent wetlands and tributaries must directly abut navigable waters to constitute waters of the United States. The Article concludes that courts should interpret the Act to include any non-navigable waters, wetlands, or tributaries that possess a significant hydrological nexus with navigable waters.
39. Adolescent Bariatric Surgery

Current data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrating a threefold rise in the prevalence of childhood obesity over the past several decades has led to the medical community’s recent call to arms to directly address an evolving healthcare crisis. With increasing evidence demonstrating the overall spectrum and severity of obesity-related comorbid diseases in the severely obese pediatric and adolescent population, interest in the application of surgical weight loss procedures continues to gain attention and be the focus of much academic debate. It is well recognized that adolescent bariatric surgery is an emerging field and as such will continue to be the focus of debate as additional longitudinal studies are offered for consideration. This chapter serves as a brief overview of several important areas with regards to the consideration of adolescent bariatric surgery. For technical details of specific procedures, see individual chapters which deal with these.
Landscape Construction by Forest Plants in Taibai National Forest Park

Sceneries created by forest plant in Taibai National Forest Park are unique and diverse.Characteristics and problems in constructing the landscape through forest plants were discussed and suggestions for improvement were put forward.
Test of transformer loss and line loss based on the 10 kV high-voltage power meter

Aim the error in the traditional 10 kV high-voltage measurement caused by the improper selection of the energy meter and current transformer,summarizes the existing 10kv metering devices and technology,analysizes the impacts of the power meter and transformer on the overall error,proposes a method of testing the loss of TA and line based on 10 kV high-voltage power meter.The method uses the measuring features of the high-voltage meter,accurately tests the loss of TA and line in 10 kV high-voltage lines,supplies technical support to select TA and power meter accuracy,and ensures the accuracy of the measurement.
Cronkite-Canada syndrome: gastrointestinal pathophysiology and morphology.

A 70-year-old male with the Cronkhite-Canada syndrome died from unrelated causes, 18 months after the onset of symptoms. Although generalized malabsorption and exudative enteropathy were present, the predominant clinical feature was high fecal water and electrolyte loss. The latter was primarily caused by a combination of acquired disaccharidase deficiency and intestinal bacterial overgrowth leading to excessive ileal and colonic carbohydrate fermentation. Low levels of circulating IgM and impairment of delayed hypersensitivity were observed. The basic alimentary tract lesion was a diffuse, potentially reversible, gastroenterocolitis associated with formation of inflamma- tory pseudopolyps.
“You Just Don’t Have the Evidence”: An Analysis of Claims and Evidence in Deborah Tannen’s: You Just Don’t Understand

This chapter separates fact from fiction in Tannen’s You Just Don’t Understand (1990b), a book widely cited by scholars as an authoritative source for claims about the communicative differences between men and women. The authors determined that Tannen’s claims are treated as factual generalizations based on their outline of claims and evidence in the text, their analysis of citations to the book, and other information within the text. When they tested the evidence for these factual generalizations, they discovered problems with the adequacy, sufficiency, relevance, and consistency of Tannen’s evidence and with her use of empirical studies. Consequently, scholars and policy makers should be cautious about relying on Tannen’s book as a source of empirical generalizations about men’s and women’s communicative behavior.
Modeling the Evolution and Life Cycle of Stable Cold Pools

AbstractStable cold pools in California’s Central Valley (CV) are conducive to freezing temperatures, high relative humidity, and, in some cases, fog. In this study it will be shown that the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model as commonly configured cannot reproduce such conditions because of a persistent warm and dry bias near the surface. It was found that removing horizontal diffusion, which by default operates on model levels and thus up and down the valley’s sides, can reduce but not entirely fix the problem. Other improvements include enhancing the near-surface vertical resolution and the surface–air coupling, as both directly control the surface fluxes, especially evaporation. However, these alterations actually have the largest impact in the forested region surrounding the Central Valley, and influence the nighttime relative humidity in the CV only indirectly via nocturnal drainage flows. While it is not clear how realistic are the increased evaporation in the forest or the drainage flows...
Alternative Psychosis in an Adolescent Girl

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the case of an adolescent girl diagnosed with probable frontal lobe onset seizures. Prolonged video-EEG monitoring studies with scalp and intracranial electrodes failed to identify the exact location of the ictal onset. No abnormalities were identified with high-resolution brain magnetic resonance imaging scans. The patient's seizures had failed to respond to multiple trials of antiepileptic drugs and to vagus nerve stimulation. At the age of 15, after being started on clonazepam (in combination with carbamazepine) and reaching a dose of 1.5 mg/day, her seizures stopped completely. But she developed side-effects, which affected her behavior. During a recent attempt to taper off valproate, the patient developed insomnia, pressured speech, and increased energy. Sertraline was discontinued but these symptoms disappeared only after she was placed back on higher doses of valproate. The psychotic episode that followed a complete cessation of seizure activity could be an example of the phenomenon of “alternative psychosis,” but subsequent prolonged seizure-free periods have not resulted in a recurrence of psychotic symptoms or bizarre behavior. Forced normalization has been reported in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and generalized epilepsy. The psychotic manifestations were identified after a relatively long duration of the seizure disorder.
Seeking Virtue in the Wilderness: Expeditions as Traveling Monasteries.

Although the assumption of character development through outdoor adventure education (OAE) programs is long held, increasing scholarship questions the tenability of the supposition. Addressing this impasse, this article draws upon doctoral research I conducted into character development through OAE programs (Stonehouse, 2011) and a presentation I made on the moral worth of wilderness education (Stonehouse, 2012). I focus here on a theme that frequently surfaced throughout the investigation: the strong similarities between the structure of monastic communities, who order their time and space to nurture moral formation, and analogous structures experienced on wilderness expeditions. In likening expeditions to “traveling monasteries,” I identify wilderness education as a positive locus for cultivating virtue and thus character. Although the context of this study is OAE, its aim, to identify educational environments conducive to character development, is broadly generalizable beyond the outdoors.
New insights into mononuclear phagocyte biology from the visual system

Major advances in mononuclear phagocyte biology have been made but key questions pertinent to their roles in health and disease remain, including in the visual system. One problem concerns how dendritic cells can trigger immune responses from certain tightly regulated immune- privileged sites of the eye. Another, albeit separate, problem involves whether there are functional specializations for microglia versus monocytes in retinal neurodegeneration. In this Review, we examine novel insights in eye immune privilege and, separately, we discuss recent inroads concerning retinal degeneration. Both themes have been extensively studied in the visual system and show parallels with recent findings concerning mononuclear phagocytes in the central nervous system and in the periphery.
NTApps: A Network Traffic Analyzer of Android Applications

Application-level network-traffic classification is important for many security-related tasks in network management. With the knowledge of which application certain network traffic belongs to, the network managers are able to allow/block certain applications in the network (whitelisting/blacklisting), or to locate known malicious applications in the network. To support application level network-traffic classification, the network managers require a network-signature for each possible applications in the network, so that they can match these signatures with the network traffic at runtime to identify the ownership of the traffic. The traditional approaches to generating network-signatures for applications require either manual inspection of the application or accumulated annotated network traffic of the application. These approaches are not efficient enough nowadays, given the recent emergence of mobile application markets, where hundreds to thousands of mobile apps are added everyday. In this paper, we present a fully automatic tool called NTApps to generate network signatures for the mobile apps in android market. NTApps is based on string analysis, and generates network signatures by statically estimating the possible values of network API arguments.
Healthcare students interprofessional critical event/disaster response course

Objective: Numerous disasters confirm the need for critical event training in healthcare professions. However, no single discipline works in isolation and interprofessional learning is recognized as a necessary component. An interprofessional faculty group designed a learning curriculum crossing professional schools. Design: Faculty members from four healthcare schools within the university (nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and medicine) developed an interdisciplinary course merging both published cross-cutting competencies for critical event response and interprofessional education competencies. Setting: Students completed a discipline-specific online didactic course. Interdisciplinary groups then participated in a 4-hour synchronous experience. This live course featured high-fidelity medical simulations focused on resuscitation, as well as hands-on modules on decontamination and a mass casualty triage incorporating moulaged standardized patients in an active shooter scenario. Participants: Participants were senior students from allied health, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy. Main Outcome Measures: Precourse and postcourse assessments were conducted online to assess course impact on learning performance, leadership and team development, and course satisfaction. Results: Students participated were 402. Precourse and postcourse evaluations showed improvement in team participation values, critical event knowledge, and 94 percent of participants reported learning useful skills. Qualitative responses evidenced positive response; most frequent recurring comments concerned value of interprofessional experiences in team communication and desire to incorporate this kind of education earlier in their curriculum. Students demonstrated improvement in both knowledge and attitudes in a critical event response course that includes interprofessional instruction and collaboration. Further study is required to demonstrate sustained improvement as well as benefit to clinical outcomes.
Application to Transistor Modeling and Circuits

The typical introduction to spectral techniques covers linear passive RLC circuits and potentially leaves the impression that active devices, such as MOSFET transistors, work with a different logic. While it is true that active devices are nonlinear, that alone does not preclude them from riding on the spectral techniques wagon! We all have seen the small signal model of transistors, which is an RC network with some controlled sources. Since this simplification, around a DC operating point, results in a passive linear network, the transistor small signal model should abide by the rules and techniques under spectral and convolution umbrella! As such this chapter shows how to extend our analysis of transfer functions to transistors. We start by reviewing the basis behind the large signal operation of the MOSFET to get the IV characteristics and then introduce the small signal model. In the low-frequency version, the small signal model includes only resistors and current sources; in the high-frequency version it also includes parasitic caps. Add to that the load cap and we end up with a multi-branch RC circuit just like we’ve been dealing with all along. We experiment with a few simple MOSFET circuits, derive the operating point, then the small signal model comprised of output impedance and input/output transconductance both of which depend on the MOSFET terminal voltages. Then we derive the system transfer function, such as output voltage versus input one. Knowing the solution in the frequency domain we are assured a time version thereof via inverse transforms.
Sylvia Plath's Narrative Strategies

THE NARRATIVE QU ALI T Y of Sylvia Plath's poetry has been identified with the family romance, the confessional mode, the myth of the white goddess, in short with structures that isolate the role of the individual. Such a view forces us to read in a peculiar way the number of poems, many written late in her life, which concern social situations, village life, bonds of kinship or friendship. Here the speaker must be seen as paranoid, sick, weakened, if she is to fit the lyric presence of Plath as abandoned daughter or wife, mad queen, or mythic spirit. But the fact that this poet devoted a major portion of her creative energies to writing realistic fiction opens up the possibility that the acknowledged narrative bent in her poetry may derive from her experi ence as a fiction writer, and, if so, that her poetry should be read in that context as social commentary rather than as the rantings of an isolated victim.
Effects of CuO additive on the dielectric property and energy-storage performance of BaTiO3-SiO2 ceramic-glass composite

Abstract CuO was used as an additive in BaTiO 3 -SiO 2 ceramic-glass composites sintered from SiO 2 -coated BaTiO 3 nanoparticles. The effects of the CuO content on the microstructure, phase composition, dielectric property, and energy-storage performance were investigated. The porosity of the composites was obviously reduced by the addition of CuO. All the composites suggested a perovskite phase. The maximal polarization, remnant polarization, and dielectric breakdown strength were strongly dependent on the CuO content. A maximal discharged energy density of 1.43 J/cm 3 with a charge-discharge efficiency of 53% was achieved in the composite with 2.0 mol% CuO, which was enhanced by about 4 times as compared with that of the pure BaTiO 3 -SiO 2 composite.
Does the structure of working memory in EL children vary across age and two language systems

This study examined the cross-sectional structure of working memory (WM) among elementary school English learners (ELs). A battery of WM tasks was administered in Spanish (L1) and English (L2) within five age groups (ages 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10). Confirmatory factor analysis showed a three-factor structure of WM emerged in both L1 and L2 administrations for each age group. The important findings, however, were: (1) the separation between the executive component and storage component (phonological loop) structure of WM increased as a function of age within both language systems, (2) the structure of WM supported a domain general phonological storage component and a domain general executive system across both language systems, and (3) the visual-spatial WM system shared minimal variance with the executive system. Taken together, the findings support Baddeley's multicomponent model (e.g., Baddeley & Logie, 1999. The multiple-component model. In A. Miyake & P. Shah (Eds.), Models of working memory: Mechanisms of active maintenance and executive control (pp. 28-61). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) as a good fit to the structure of WM in EL children's English and Spanish language system.
Pitfalls in PET/CT oncologic imaging: A series of interesting cases

1059 Learning Objectives Understanding common pitfalls is important for the radiologist evaluating cancer patients. We present 7 cases that demonstrate interesting examples of pitfalls in PET/CT imaging of patients undergoing oncologic evaluation. Knowledge of these interesting cases of pitfalls in PET/CT imaging will aid in avoiding mistakes when interpreting these often complex images. PET/CT has become an integral part of oncologic imaging for screening certain populations of patients, staging cancers and evaluating response to treatment or recurrence. Many pitfalls and artifacts in PET/CT imaging have been described. Pitfalls in PET/CT imaging can be due to iatrogenic causes, inflammatory processes, benign tumors, other variants and secondary malignancies. Knowledge of common pitfalls is important for the radiologists evaluating cancer patients. We present 7 interesting cases that demonstrate these categories. These cases show abnormal 18F-FDG uptake in cancer patients undergoing evaluation for response to treatment and screening for recurrent disease. Cases presented include: Patient with treated colorectal metastases to the liver found to have, not recurrent disease, but a new high grade endocrine tumor causing increased activity in the liver. Patients with thrombus and central venous catheters causing abnormal increased activity on PET/CT. Patients with diskitis/osteomyelitis and abscess, adrenal adenoma, grey matter heterotopia, and elastofibromas, all of which show increased activity on PET/CT. Knowledge of these interesting cases of pitfalls in PET/CT imaging will aid in avoiding mistakes when interpreting these often complex images
Adhesion Molecules in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Cell adhesion molecules (CAM) are cell surface molecules which define the temporal, spatial, and cellular selectivity patterns of cell-cell interactions. During ontogenesis, cell adhesion molecules provide tissue- and organ specific information and serve as contact molecules in the arrangement of complex tissues. In mature tissue CAM are important for the antigen-specific and non-specific immune response, mediating the extravasation of lymphocytes into perivascular tissue and the interaction between lymphocytes and other cells such as antigen presenting cells. (1)
Impact of Backwards Faded Scaffolding in an Astronomy Course for Pre-service Elementary Teachers based on Inquiry

In response to national reform movements calling for future teachers to be prepared to design and deliver science instruction using the principles of inquiry, we created and evaluated a specially designed course for pre-service elementary education undergraduates based upon an inquiry-oriented teaching approach framed by the notions of backwards faded-scaffolding as an overarching theme for instruction. Students completed both structured- and open-inquiry projects and presented the results of their investigations several times throughout the semester. Using a single-group, multiple-measures, quasi-experimental design, students demonstrated enhanced content knowledge of astronomy and inquiry as well as attitudes and self-efficacy toward teaching.
Irradiation damage investigation of helium implanted polycrystalline copper

Abstract This work features the synthesis of nanoscale cavities using a He ion beam implantation method. A multitechnique (AFM, TEM, nanoindentation) post synthesis approach allows for the characterization of a 200 nm thin implantation region containing nanocavities. It was found that at lower doses, the cavities arrange themselves in a superlattice and are close to equilibrium pressure while at higher doses the self-organization of the nanoscale cavities is lost, forming cavities that change in nature resulting in a degradation of the mechanical properties. Close correlation between theory and experimental observation is achieved considering for the observed phenomena.
Safety margin characterization for high power fueled experiments

Abstract The updated safety basis of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) has specific criteria for experiments that are cooled by the primary coolant. It requires that during a Condition 2 transient (where flow coastdown is typically the most limiting), the Critical Heat Flux ratio (CHFR) is greater than 2.0 after consideration of several power multipliers. This safety criteria is often overly conservative for fueled experiments and restricts the acceptance of experiments. In the updated safety basis, a provision for a stochastic approach is included. In this study, coupled Dakota-RELAP5 and RAVEN-RELAP5 are used to propagate uncertainties. The objective of this study is to provide a quantitative basis for utilizing the provisions in the ATR experiment safety criteria. Three different fueled experiments, MP-1, FSP-1, and AFIP-6 are considered. RELAP5 models for each experiment are used to simulate the flow coastdown transient. Several thermal-hydraulic correlations are assessed to determine the Onset of Significant Voiding (OSV), Onset of Flow Instability (OFI), and Critical Heat Flux (CHF). The OSV and OFI correlations considered indicate that there is a large safety margin. The CHF correlations also indicate that there is a moderate to large safety margin. The high mass flux of the experiments exceed the Look-up Table (LUT) correlation range. This results in an artificially restricted prediction of CHF value. A high mass flux modifier was implemented to improve LUT applicability. Due to the specifications of the experiments considered, the correlations must be applicable to higher mass flux ranges. It was also found that, often, the conventional CHFR >2.0 criterion is not met. However, the statistical CHFR margin ( μ − 3 σ > 1.2 ) is met. This result suggests that new criteria, while maintaining adequate safety margins, can be used to expand the operating envelope of high power fueled experiments at ATR. The Pearson ranking indicates that the power level and mass flux have the largest impact on the CHFR and OFI predictions. If a reduction of uncertainty in predictions is sought, the factors affecting fuel experiment fission power should be prioritized for scrutiny, followed by the mass flow rate.
Giant colloid cyst of the brain masquerading as vasovagal syncope.

Vasovagal syncope is very common in the general population.1 Studies estimate that by 60 years of age, 42% of women and 32% of men will have had at least 1 vasovagal episode.2 A careful review of the patient’s history and witness account are essential in the diagnosis, as is eliciting the predisposing factors. Vasovagal syncope generally is considered benign, resulting from an exaggerated neurocardiogenic reflex, but rarely it may be associated with pathologic conditions. Colloid cysts are rare congenital neoplasms commonly located in the third ventricle.3 Syncope associated with colloid cysts is extremely rare, although sudden death has been reported.3 We report a case, confirmed with tilt table testing, of vasovagal syncope in the setting of a large colloid cyst in the third ventricle. After successful resection of the colloid cyst, the patient’s symptoms resolved completely and tilt table testing became negative.
Analysis of covariance in randomized trials: More precision and valid confidence intervals, without model assumptions

"Covariate adjustment" in the randomized trial context refers to an estimator of the average treatment effect that adjusts for chance imbalances between study arms in baseline variables (called "covariates"). The baseline variables could include, for example, age, sex, disease severity, and biomarkers. According to two surveys of clinical trial reports, there is confusion about the statistical properties of covariate adjustment. We focus on the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) estimator, which involves fitting a linear model for the outcome given the treatment arm and baseline variables, and trials that use simple randomization with equal probability of assignment to treatment and control. We prove the following new (to the best of our knowledge) robustness property of ANCOVA to arbitrary model misspecification: Not only is the ANCOVA point estimate consistent (as proved by Yang and Tsiatis, 2001) but so is its standard error. This implies that confidence intervals and hypothesis tests conducted as if the linear model were correct are still asymptotically valid even when the linear model is arbitrarily misspecified, for example, when the baseline variables are nonlinearly related to the outcome or there is treatment effect heterogeneity. We also give a simple, robust formula for the variance reduction (equivalently, sample size reduction) from using ANCOVA. By reanalyzing completed randomized trials for mild cognitive impairment, schizophrenia, and depression, we demonstrate how ANCOVA can achieve variance reductions of 4 to 32%.
Langerhans' cell histiocytosis of the temporal bone in an adult with central diabetes insipidus.

Abstract We present a case of Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis in a 40-year-old woman presenting with central diabetes insipidus and right ear pain. As this disease process is often clinically challenging, the presence of certain imaging findings should raise the possibility of this diagnosis. We review the pertinent imaging and correlate with histology and immunohistochemistry leading to the diagnosis.
Antibody–drug conjugates for cancer

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are immunoconjugates comprised of a monoclonal antibody tethered to a cytotoxic drug (known as the payload) via a chemical linker. The ADC is designed to selectively deliver the ultratoxic payload directly to the target cancer cells. To date, five ADCs have received market approval and over 100 are being investigated in various stages of clinical development. In this Therapeutics paper, we review recent clinical experience with the approved ADCs and other promising late-stage candidates on the horizon, following an overview of the biology and chemistry of ADCs and how the individual components of an ADC (antibody [or target], linker and conjugation chemistry, and cytotoxic payload) influence its activity. We briefly discuss opportunities for enhancing ADC efficacy, drug resistance, and future perspectives for this novel antibody-based molecular platform, which has great potential to make a paradigm shift in cancer chemotherapy.
Adaptive genetic management: assessing the benefits of translocations

Declines in abundance and genetic diversity in plant and animal populations are increasingly of conservation concern. Genetic rescue, or the supplementation of declining populations with individuals from genetically different sources, may aid in demographic and genetic recovery efforts, assuming introduced individuals successfully reproduce following translocation. However, the relative reproductive contributions of resident and translocated individuals are not frequently evaluated. In the northern lower peninsula of Michigan, USA, fourteen brown trout (Salmo trutta) from each of three different tributaries were introduced into a research stream (Hunt Creek) to supplement a small, isolated resident brown trout population. Mean expected heterozygosity and mean allelic richness differed between the three translocated populations compared to residents. Additionally, inter-population variance in allele frequency (FST) between resident and translocated populations ranged from 0.024 to 0.098. Using genetic parentage assignments, we documented that translocated and resident brown trout did interbreed; however, intra-population mating events were more common. Simulations indicated that increases in genetic diversity among age-1 offspring were the result of reproduction by translocated adults, as genetic variation was significantly above levels expected by reproduction among residents alone (p < 0.001). To achieve management goals for genetic rescue programs, managers would be advised to conduct simulations and hypothesis testing in addition to collection of empirical genetic data to evaluate introduction outcomes.
Modeling Migratory Patterns of the Eastern Monarch Butterfly

The purpose of this research was to relate the influence of specific site suitability variables to eastern monarch butterfly migratory patterns and behavior. Elevation, temperature, precipitation, ...
A POSSIBLE GATEWAY TO ηb: χb0(2P)→ηηb

It is argued that the branching ratio for the decay χb0(2P)→ηηb can reach few permil as a result of the enhancement of the η emission by the axial anomaly in QCD. This might make the discussed process practical for an experimental search for the ηb.
Humanized C3 Mouse: A Novel Accelerated Model of C3 Glomerulopathy.

Background C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is characterized by the alternative-pathway (AP) hyperactivation induced by nephritic factors or complement gene mutations. Mice deficient in complement factor H (CFH) are a classic C3G model, with kidney disease that requires several months to progress to renal failure. Novel C3G models can further contribute to understanding the mechanism behind this disease and developing therapeutic approaches. Methods A novel, rapidly progressing, severe, murine model of C3G was developed by replacing the mouse C3 gene with the human C3 homolog using VelociGene technology. Functional, histologic, molecular, and pharmacologic assays characterize the presentation of renal disease and enable useful pharmacologic interventions in the humanized C3 (C3hu/hu) mice. Results The C3hu/hu mice exhibit increased morbidity early in life and die by about 5-6 months of age. The C3hu/hu mice display elevated biomarkers of kidney dysfunction, glomerulosclerosis, C3/C5b-9 deposition, and reduced circulating C3 compared with wild-type mice. Administration of a C5-blocking mAb improved survival rate and offered functional and histopathologic benefits. Blockade of AP activation by anti-C3b or CFB mAbs also extended survival and preserved kidney function. Conclusions The C3hu/hu mice are a useful model for C3G because they share many pathologic features consistent with the human disease. The C3G phenotype in C3hu/hu mice may originate from a dysregulated interaction of human C3 protein with multiple mouse complement proteins, leading to unregulated C3 activation via AP. The accelerated disease course in C3hu/hu mice may further enable preclinical studies to assess and validate new therapeutics for C3G.
Stargardt misdiagnosis: How ocular genetics helps.

Ocular Genetics at Wills Eye Hospital sees a wide range of rare disorders for accurate diagnosis. To demonstrate how focused consultation and genetic testing results in precise diagnoses, we investigated false diagnosis rates for patients referred with a diagnosis of Stargardt disease. This is a retrospective review of patients over a 3 year period referred to our Ocular Genetics clinic for possible Stargardt disease, or already holding a diagnosis of Stargardt disease. Results of diagnostic and genetic testing were compared to standard definition of Stargardt. Of 40 patients, 14 (35%) had been misdiagnosed. Four had non-Stargardt phenotype of which three had ABCA4 pathogenic variants with phenotypes inconsistent with Stargardt disease. Two of those with pathogenic ABCA4 variants were related. Nine had pathogenic variants in other different genes with overlapping features of Stargardt disease. One had Thioridazine maculopathy. Our study highlights the essential role of the subspecialty field of ocular genetics in obtaining accurate diagnoses for the delivery of correct counseling and interventional trial eligibility assessment.
An ethic of care? Academic administration and pandemic policy

This reflexive essay examines the adoption of an intentional ‘ethic of care’ by social work administrators in a large social work school located in the Pacific Northwest. An ethic of care foregroun...
Catalytic dehydrogenation of isobutane over supported MoOx/K-Al2O3

Abstract Potassium-promoted, alumina-supported molybdenum oxide is investigated for non-oxidative isobutane dehydrogenation, with an emphasis on sub-monolayer coverages. After pre-reduction in H2, initial isobutene turnover frequencies are largely independent of Mo loading, but deactivation rate constants increase by >100-fold as loadings increase to monolayer, leading to a >13-fold difference in reaction rates at extended time on stream. Mo oxidation state by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy is stable with time on stream, arguing against continued catalyst restructuring as the origin of deactivation. Across the set of loadings, isobutane dehydrogenation and coke formation are correlated with partially reduced Mo4+ and deeply reduced Moδ+ sites, respectively. Given the stable dehydrogenation activity of low-loaded Mo, in contrast to the rapid deactivation of high-loaded Mo, sub-monolayer metal oxides may warrant further investigation as light alkane dehydrogenation even when their bulk counterparts may not.