cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Probabilistic Analysis of Pollinator Behavior and Seed Production in Lobelia Deckenii

Pollination of Lobelia deckenii, an African giant rosette lobelia, results from foraging by the Mountain Chat (Cercomela sordida) and the Scarlet—tufted Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia johnstoni). I measured three components of bird behavior leading to fertilization and seed set: (1) the arrival rate of birds at focal inflorescences, (2) the number of probes for nectar made during a visit, and (3) the number of seeds set per probe. Predicted frequency distributions of seed set per flower, derived by compounding distributions for the three components, match some qualitative and quantitative features of actual seed set patterns. Stochastic variation in all three components, along with the modular packaging of ovules in individual flowers, results in high variance among flowers in their contribution to whole—plant female reproductive success, with most flowers receiving inadequate fertilizations for full seed set. The analysis points to the importance of viewing female reproductive success in plants as a composite entity. Although most flowers of Lobelia deckenii would set more seeds if additional pollen were acquired, sufficient control of pollinator behavior to achieve full fertilization in all fruits may not be possible. The inherent stochastic variation in fitness contributions among individual flowers may have a large influence on the evolution of reproductive traits, including packaging strategies and inflorescence morphologies.
Distributed Data-Theft Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks

Data theft in wireless sensor networks could prove disastrous and most of the time gets undetected due to no apparent abnormal behavior of malicious nodes. To counter such attacks, we propose an anomaly based distributed data-theft detection protocol. Our approach works at the MAC layer by effectively measuring the MAC control packets. In this paper, we present a novel detection metric, a centralized and a gossip-based distributed protocol whereby a network can self-heal itself of such malicious nodes. Our performance evaluation defines how we measure the rate of detection and false positives rate and shows that our approach to detect malicious nodes is reliable, inexpensive and accurate.
The Logical Impossibility of Collision

Absolutely no one still believes that every physical interactionconsists of material bodies bumping into each other. Those who have tried to work out a completely mechanistic physics have been unable to explain common phenomena like liquidity, gravitation and magnetism. In fact, there is great reason to doubt that such a physics could ever account for attractive forces in general.
A new general procedure in the low-temperature wet oxidation of organic compositions: Perchloric and periodic acids as oxidants “the periodic acid liquid fire reaction”

Abstract The substitution of periodic acid for nitric acid in the much employed “liquid fire reaction” for destructive oxidation of organic compositions is described. The advantages attained are extended general applicability, low temperature requirements, and the noteworthy reactivity of periodic acid in downgrading heavy, complex organic molecules to fragments more readily soluble in perchloric acid used as companion reagent. These fragments are more easily oxidised by 66 to 69 or 70% strengths of this acid. The reactions described cover organic compositions which are essentially cellulose, sugars and proteins. Coal, leather, polymerised products and other commercklly important products may be readily oxidised. The reactions involved are hazard free.
Collaborative wideband sensing for cognitive radios

Cognitive radio (CR) has recently emerged as a promising technology to revolutionize spectrum utilization in wireless communications. In a CR network, secondary users continuously sense the spectral environment and adapt transmission parameters to opportunistically use the available spectrum. A fundamental problem for CRs is spectrum sensing; secondary users need to reliably detect weak primary signals of possibly different types over a targeted wide frequency band in order to identify spectral holes for opportunistic communications. Conceptually and practically, there is growing awareness that collaboration among several CRs can achieve considerable performance gains. This article provides an overview of the challenges and possible solutions for the design of collaborative wideband sensing in CR networks. It is argued that collaborative spectrum sensing can make use of signal processing gains at the physical layer to mitigate strict requirements on the radio frequency front-end and to exploit spatial diversity through network cooperation to significantly improve sensing reliability.
Spectrum of thyroid hormone resistance

Thyroid hormone resistance (THR) is a rare disorder with a prevalence of 1:40,000 and is commonly due to mutation in thyroid receptor β-isoform. Goiter is the most common presenting feature in patients of THR (66-95%) followed by behavioral abnormalities (60%). Severe mental retardation and short stature are uncommon. We present three patients of THR, all of whom presented with short stature and goiter. Patient-1 had attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder with severe mental retardation (IQ-52). Patient-2 presented with bleeding and non-palpable purpura and was diagnosed to have immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). This is the first report of ITP in a patient of THR. Patient-3 in contrast had normal intelligence and presented with only short stature and goiter. Patients-1 and 2 had tachycardia which improved with propranolol. Propranolol can be a useful agent in the management of thyrotoxic symptoms in THR patients when thyroid hormone analogues are not available. Unlike previously reported case series of THR, short stature and goiter were the universal presenting features in our patients, probably reflecting the fact that such patients are more likely to seek medical care.
The overlap of witnessing partner violence with child maltreatment and other victimizations in a nationally representative survey of youth.

Objective: To examine the co-occurrence of witnessing partner violence with child maltreatment and other forms of victimization. Method: Data are from the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), a nationally representative telephone survey of the victimization experiences of 4,549 youth aged 0–17. Results: Witnessing partner violence (WPV) is very closely associated with several forms of maltreatment and exposure to other forms of family violence in this sample, with adjusted OR ranging from 3.88 to 9.15. WPV is also significantly associated with a wide variety of other forms of victimization, with OR ranging from 1.43 to 7.32. More than 1/3 (33.9%) of youth who witnessed partner violence had also been maltreated in the past year, compared with 8.6% of non-witnesses. For lifetime data, more than half (56.8%) of WPV youth had also been maltreated. Neglect and custodial interference were most closely associated with WPV. Conclusions: These data support the poly-victimization model, indicating that many youth experience multiple forms of victimization. They also indicate that the various forms of family violence are especially closely linked. Practice implications: These results provide new urgency to calls to better integrate services to adult and child victims of family violence. For example, screening to identify the needs of child witnesses could be done in domestic violence shelters, and screening to identify the needs of adult victims could be done in child protective service settings.
Moiré interferometry analysis of fiber debonding

Progressive fiber debonding in steel fiber/cementitious matrix composites has been studied using a single fiber pullout test that permits simultaneous measurements of the load versus crack opening displacement relationship and Moire interferometry fringe patterns. Analysis of Moire interferometry patterns allows the fiber axial and interfacial shear stresses to be calculated along the entire fiber length. The interfacial shear stress distribution along the debonded length of the fiber indicates a steep decrease in shear stress with interfacial slip, from 6 to 1 MPa for 7 μm of fiber slip and a crack opening displacement of 22 μm. These results suggest that improvements in the toughness of cement-based composites could be achieved by developing materials in which the decrease in shear stress is less severe.
Environmental application of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has the capability to perform rapid, online and real time analysis of materials in difficult and harsh environmental conditions. The application of LIBS, as a multi metal continuous emission monitor for off gases, in the analysis of soil and nuclear waste, is presented.
Inner lip feature extraction for MPEG-4 facial animation

It is very important to accurately track the mouth of a talking person for many applications, such as face recognition, audiovisual speech recognition and human computer interaction. This is in general a difficult problem due to the complexity of shapes, colors, textures, and changing lighting conditions. In this paper we develop techniques for inner lip feature extraction using a matching function based on a color module and a gradient module. Our numerical results show that the extraction using both modules outperforms that with color module only. From the extracted continuous lip contours, facial animation parameters (FAP) are extracted which are used to drive an MPEG-4 decoder. FAP are also applied in our audio-visual automatic speech recognition (AV-ASR) system to improve the recognition rate.
Disaster Responses to Flash Flood

On the night of July 31, 1976, extremely heavy rainfall came to the Big Thompson River Canyon of Colorado. The severe flash flood, which developed in a few hours, claimed 145 lives and caused nearly –40,000,000 in property damage. Several features of the Colorado-Big Thompson water diversion Project, located on the river system, played an important role in preventing even greater damage and loss of life. The project operational alert to the disaster came from the personal observation of heavy rainfall and measurement of flood flow in the Estes Park area. Based upon the observed conditions and best judgment, immediate action was taken to place the Project system into an emergency mode of operation. A broad-scale program of restoration of water and power facilities was initiated on August 1. A critique of the operation provides first hand experience that may be of value to other water resource managers.
Simulation of periphyton phosphorus dynamics in Everglades National Park

Mathematical modelling is a useful tool to investigate potential ecological responses to variations in hydrodynamic and nutrient inputs in managed aquatic landscapes. The objective of this study was to develop a periphyton growth model and use it to identify critical factors in ecosystem phosphorus dynamics in pristine freshwater wetlands of Everglades National Park (ENP). We simulated changes in periphyton biomass under increased total phosphorus (TP) input for comparison to an ongoing manipulative field experiment. The field experiment analyzes the responses of periphyton, macrophytes, soils, and fauna to increased TP concentrations in replicated flow-through flume channels built within ENP. Both field and model experiments introduce TP enrichments of 5, 15, and 30 m gl 1 above ambient concentrations (typically 5‐10 m gl 1 ). The model domain was an individual flume channel (3 m wide 85 m long) with incident light, water temperature, and volume flux at the head as forcing functions. Base case model periphyton biomass increased with incoming TP during the wet season (June‐November) and reached a maximum of 70 gCm 2 in late August. There was strong evidence of P-limited primary production as water column TP accounted for 95.5% of the variability in average daily carbon biomass. In addition to positive responses in biomass, water column TP and net production also increased under increased TP input. TP enrichment led to lower recycling within and increased export from the model flume channel. Although our simplified model was not structured to simulate shifts in periphyton composition frequently observed as a consequence of P enrichment, the processes and ramifications of community structure are complicated and are not well understood. We suggest a two or more component formulation that can account for a continuum of oligotrophic to eutrophic conditions in order to model periphyton biogeochemical relationships in the Everglades. Refined versions of this model will be used to better simulate observed changes during the course of the field experiment in order to generate new hypotheses for further investigations. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Impact of Passive In-Home Health Status Monitoring Technology in Home Health: Outcome Pilot

This paper describes a study designed to assess the impacts of passive health status monitoring technology in home health. Monitoring systems were installed in the homes of 13 home health clients to track physiological parameters (heart rate, breathing rate, and gait), the activities of daily living (ADLs) and key alert conditions of residents, such as falls. Activity reports and alert notifications were sent to professional caregivers in order to refine and target the care administered to clients participating in the study. Informal caregivers of participants were provided with access to the ongoing wellness status of their loved ones. The potential diagnostic utility of the monitoring data, the subjects' quality of life and health related quality of life, as well as the quality of life, strain and burden levels of the informal caregivers were assessed. Pre- and post-installation scores were compared. The results suggest that monitoring technologies could provide care coordination tools that have a positive impact on the perceived quality of life of monitored individuals, as well as a reduction in the strain levels of their informal caregivers, and may have a positive impact on the participants' health related quality of life
Acquisition of Children's Addition Strategies: A Model of Impasse-Free, Knowledge-Level Learning

When children learn to add, they count on their fingers, beginning with the simple SUM strategy and gradually developing the more sophisticated and efficient MIN strategy. The shift from SUM to MIN provides an ideal domain for the study of naturally occurring discovery processes in cognitive skill acquisition. The SUM-to-MIN transition poses a number of challenges for machine-learning systems that would model the phenomenon. First, in addition to the SUM and MIN strategies, Siegler and Jenkins (1989) found that children exhibit two transitional strategies, but not a strategy proposed by an earlier model. Second, they found that children do not invent the MIN strategy in response to impasses, or gaps in their knowledge. Rather, MIN develops spontaneously and gradually replaces earlier strategies. Third, intricate structural differences between the SUM and MIN strategies make it difficult, if not impossible, for standard, symbol-level machine-learning algorithms to model the transition. We present a computer model, called GIPS, that meets these challenges. GIPS combines a relatively simple algorithm for problem solving with a probabilistic learning algorithm that performs symbol-level and knowledge-level learning, both in the presence and absence of impasses. In addition, GIPS makes psychologically plausible demands on local processing and memory. Most importantly, the system successfully models the shift from SUM to MIN, as well as the two transitional strategies found by Siegler and Jenkins.
Effect of combining styles of composition on recall and image of radio scripts

The following is one of the few recent studies to investigate possible effects of varying the style of written scripts, and should be of interest to all concerned with the problem of adequately studying broadcast writing. Mr. Lynch is a lecturer in the Department of Journalism at Indiana University, and has had experience as an analyst for an advertising agency. Mr. Lo is a graduate student in the Department of Radio and Television at Indiana.
Interactions between soil animals and ectomycorrhizal fungal mats

Estimates of microbial biomass were made for ectomycorrhizal fungal mats colonizing mineral soil in a 50–75-year-old Douglas-fir stand in western Oregon. The ectomycorrhizal fungal mats are from the basidiomycete, Hysterangium setchellii. Numbers and biomass of soil animals including microarthropods and nematodes were estimated for both fungal mat and non-mat areas. The mats generally showed a significantly greater microbial biomass and also greater numbers of soil microarthropods. Protozoans were also sampled and exhibited greater abundance in fungal mats for amoebae and ciliates, but not flagellates. We hypothesize that these mats represent a larger and more active microbial biomass, available as a soil-animal food resource. Fungal mats had greater concentrations of soil C and soil N, and soil respiration and enzyme activity rates were significantly greater in mat than non-mat soil.
Significant pulmonary toxicity associated with interferon and ribavirin therapy for hepatitis C.

Significant pulmonary toxicity associated with interferon and ribavirin therapy for hepatitis C
Net trophic transfer efficiencies of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners to lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from its prey

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) were fed bloater (Coregonus hoyi) in eight laboratory tanks over a 135-d experiment. At the start of the experiment, four to nine fish in each tank were sacrificed, and the concentrations of 75 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners within these fish were determined. Polychlorinated biphenyl congener concentrations were also determined in the 10 lake trout remaining in each of the eight tanks at the end of the experiment as well as in the bloater fed to the lake trout. Each lake trout was weighed at the start and the end of the experiment, and the amount of food eaten by the lake trout was recorded. Using these measurements, net trophic transfer efficiency (γ) from the bloater to the lake trout in each of the eight tanks was calculated for each of the 75 congeners. Results showed that γ did not vary significantly with the degree of chlorination of the PCB congeners, and γ averaged 0.66 across all congeners. However, γ did show a slight, but significant, decrease as log K(OW) increased from 6.0 to 8.2. Activity level of the lake trout did not have a significant effect on γ.
Utilizing Co-Occurrence of Answers in Question Answering

In this paper, we discuss how to utilize the co-occurrence of answers in building and automatic question answering system that answers a series of questions on a specific topic in a batch mode. Experiments show that the answers to the many of the questions in the series usually have a high degree of co-occurrence in relevant document passages. This feature sometimes can't be easily utilized in an automatic QA system which processes questions independently. However it can be utilized in a QA system that processes questions in a batch mode. We have used our pervious TREC QA system as baseline and augmented it with new answer clustering and co-occurrence maximization components to build the batch QA system. The experiment results show that the QA system running under the batch mode get significant performance improvement over our baseline TREC QA system.
Read, Sing, Play, and Create a Musical Storm

Dayle Ann Dodds and Rosanne Litzinger’s children’s book, Sing, Sophie! provides the elementary general music teacher with an opportunity to read a captivating children’s story, sing the main character’s song and play her guitar, and create a song as well as instrumental music. Lessons outlined in this article may culminate in a veritable musical storm in the classroom.
Stains for A, B, and D Cells in Fetal Rat Islets

Ten techniques often used for identification of A, B, and D cells in adult islets of Langerhans were applied to fetal rat pancreas. Modifications were tried with many of these techniques. Two indole methods (xanthydrol and ptcoupled benxylidene reactions) and a crymtat technique using o-phthalaldehyde failed to stain fetal islets. Phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin and lead hematoxylin lightly stained fetal A cell granules in Hally's fixed tissue. The Grimelius silver nitrate technique stains adult rat A Celts but failed to stain fetal cells. A modification of this technique stained fetal A cells and a pomible 4th cell type. The specificity of this method was confirmed by re staining stained cells with a fluorescent antihody technique and with pseudoisocyanin. B cells, as previously reported, were readily stained by the aldehyde fuchsin technique. Fetal D cells were not stained by the Hellerstrom-Hellman alcoholic silver nitrate method, nor did they display pseudoisocyanin metachromasia after acid hydrolysi...
Farmers and Rural Kansas Communities: Planning for the Future

Rural communities everywhere face ongoing questions about their resilience and plans for their futures. This study analyzes the perceptions Kansas farmers have of their communities as a basis for considering how rural planners might address such questions. Drawing primarily on interviews with 149 farmers across the state, as well as on a survey and Census data, the study finds that farmers perceive a variety of recent demographic, social and economic changes in their communities. The majority of these perceived changes are negative. Farmers in smaller, shrinking communities in the western part of Kansas were least optimistic about what is to come. Despite these perceptions, more than one in four farmers could not articulate ideas for desirable change. Planners in rural communities may need to engage residents in visioning exercises, and are likely to find that strategies for rural self-development and regional centers are most compelling to these residents. Keywords: rural communities; rural planning; Kansas; farmer perceptions; community change
A Pluralistic Analysis of the Therapist/Physician Duties to Warn Third Parties

Following Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California and a majority of jurisdictions, section 41 of the Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liability for Physical Harm imposes a duty on mental-health professionals (“therapists”) to warn foreseeable victims of a risk posed by one of their patients. The Restatement (Third) “takes no position,” however, as to whether a non-mental-health physician owes a similar duty to warn foreseeable third parties of a risk, for example, of communicating disease, posed by one of the physician's patients. This brief Article explores both the accuracy and the viability of this distinction and its theoretical underpinnings. Specifically, the Article takes three positions: (1) as a purely descriptive matter, the Restatement (Third) ought to recognize a physician's duty to warn foreseeable third parties, (2) as a normative matter, the question is more nuanced perhaps even than the courts and the Restatement (Third) recognize, and (3) the courts' and the Restatement (Third)'s analysis of the issue is best captured by a pluralistic understanding of tort law.
Antimicrobial stewardship in a long-term acute care hospital using offsite electronic medical record audit

OBJECTIVE To offer antimicrobial stewardship to a long-term acute care hospital using telemedicine. METHODS We conducted an uninterrupted time-series analysis to measure the impact of antimicrobial stewardship on hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rates and antimicrobial use. Simple linear regression was used to analyze changes in antimicrobial use; Poisson regression was used to estimate the incidence rate ratio in CDI rates. The preimplementation period was April 1, 2010-March 31, 2011; the postimplementation period was April 1, 2011-March 31, 2014. RESULTS During the preimplementation period, total antimicrobial usage was 266 defined daily doses (DDD)/1,000 patient-days (PD); it rose 4.54 (95% CI, -0.19 to 9.28) per month then significantly decreased from preimplementation to postimplementation (-6.58 DDD/1,000 PD [95% CI, -11.48 to -1.67]; P=.01). The same trend was observed for antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (-2.97 DDD/1,000 PD per month [95% CI, -5.65 to -0.30]; P=.03). There was a decrease in usage of anti-CDI antibiotics by 50.4 DDD/1,000 PD per month (95% CI, -71.4 to -29.2; P<.001) at program implementation that was maintained afterwards. Anti-Pseudomonas antibiotics increased after implementation (30.6 DDD/1,000 PD per month [95% CI, 4.9-56.3]; P=.02) but with ongoing education this trend reversed. Intervention was associated with a decrease in hospital-acquired CDI (incidence rate ratio, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.35-0.92]; P=.02). CONCLUSION Antimicrobial stewardship using an electronic medical record via remote access led to a significant decrease in antibacterial usage and a decrease in CDI rates.
Double Dip Looming for Housing Prices and its Impact on Economic Growth

An assessment of the current state of housing viewed from the perspective of the slowly-recovering economy, coupled with valuations of the housing market, suggests there is a high likelihood of a double dip in housing prices. With current prices nearly 30 percent below their April 2006 peak, an additional decline of 5-10 percent is expected. With housing uncharacteristically not driving the recession’s recovery, further price declines are not seen as driving expected lower economic growth for the second half of this year. Continued weak demand and subdued consumer expenditures and possible slowing of exports and manufacturing – two drivers of economic growth in the first half of 2010 – seem likely to steer the country into a state of “jobless recovery” or a “growth recession.” The economy will likely grow but not enough to reduce the high unemployment rates. The possibility of a double-dip recession is also explored.
Biaxially oriented CdTe films on glass substrate through nanostructured Ge/CaF2 buffer layers

Heteroepitaxial CdTe films were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on glass substrates through nanostructured Ge/CaF2 buffer layers which were biaxially oriented. It allows us to explore the structural properties of multilayer biaxial semiconductor films which possess small angle grain boundaries and to test the principle of a solar cell made of such low-cost, low-growth-temperature semiconductor films. Through the x-ray diffraction and x-ray pole figure analysis, the heteroepitaxial relationships of the mutilayered films are determined as [111] in the out-of-plane direction and 〈10〉CdTe//〈10〉Ge// in the in-plane direction. The I–V curves measured from an ITO/CdS/CdTe/Ge/CaF2/glass solar cell test structure shows a power conversion efficiency of ~η = 1.26%, illustrating the initial success of such an approach. The observed non-ideal efficiency is believed to be due to a low shunt resistance and high series resistance as well as some residual large-angle grain boundary effects, leaving room for significant further improvement.
Low prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus but high prevalence of multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus in pigs in the USA

It has been suggested that the emergence of livestock associated MRSA in swine may be a consequence of feeding antibiotics and/or zinc to control swine diseases or promote growth. However, the dynamics and health implications of interspecies transmission of MRSA from pigs to humans is still incompletely understood. To address these questions, better understanding is required of the broader ecology of S. aureus in pigs, including MRSA. To obtain more representative data on the prevalence and characterization of S. aureus, including MRSA, we collected nasal samples from growing pigs on 36 swine farms across 11 states in the USA. All isolates were spa typed, and MLST typing was conducted on selected isolates of each spa type. Antimicrobial and zinc susceptibility testing was performed on a subset of 130 isolates selected purposively to maximize the diversity of isolates by farm and spa type. S. aureus was detected on 35 of the 36 farms, and from 76% of pigs sampled, but no MRSA were found apart from one farm of known status that was included as a MRSA positive control. A total of 33 spa types were detected, with the most prevalent being t337 (ST9), t034 (ST398) and t002 (ST5). Antimicrobial resistance testing for 18 antibiotics showed that resistance was most common to spectinomycin (100%), tetracycline (94%), clindamycin (75%) and penicillin (72%), and a majority of isolates were resistant to 5 or more antibiotics (multidrug resistant S. aureus, MDRSA). Only ST398 MRSA isolates from the positive control farm were positive for the czrC gene, although phenotypic resistance to zinc was observed in some MSSA isolates. These results support earlier studies indicating a relatively low prevalence of MRSA in pigs in the USA, but a high prevalence of MDRSA. The data also concur with the hypothesis that zinc resistance may be more strongly associated with MRSA in swine reservoirs than is resistance of antibiotics such as tetracyclines.
Regional assessment of persistent organic pollutants in resident mussels from New Jersey and New York estuaries following Hurricane Sandy

Resident mussels are effective indicators of ecosystem health and have been utilized in national assessment and monitoring studies for over two decades. Mussels were chosen because contaminant concentrations in their tissues respond to changes in ambient environmental levels, accumulation occurs with little metabolic transformation and a substantial amount of historic data were available. Mussels were collected from 10 previously studied locations approximately a year after Hurricane Sandy. Regionally, concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) decreased significantly, while concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) remained unchanged, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) increased compared to historic concentrations. Although concentrations of PCBs, OCPs and PAHs were at or near record low concentrations, long-term trends did not change after Hurricane Sandy. To effectively measure storm-induced impacts it is necessary to understand the factors influencing changes in mussel body burdens and have a long-term monitoring network and an ability to mobilize post event.
Virtually instantaneous, room-temperature [(11)C]-cyanation using biaryl phosphine Pd(0) complexes.

A new radiosynthetic protocol for the preparation of [11C]aryl nitriles has been developed. This process is based on the direct reaction of in situ prepared L·Pd(Ar)X complexes (L = biaryl phosphine) with [11C]HCN. The strategy is operationally simple, exhibits a remarkably wide substrate scope with short reaction times, and demonstrates superior reactivity compared to previously reported systems. With this procedure, a variety of [11C]nitrile-containing pharmaceuticals were prepared with high radiochemical efficiency.
Challenges in the modern treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Still missing in our treatment of bladder cancer are the tools to accurately predict response to a specific therapy, whether it be chemotherapy, radiation, or transurethral resection alone. Once we have these tools, we will be well on our way to applying a more intelligent, true personalized medicine approach to the treatment of this disease.
Imitation and the Intricacies of Knowledge

Social learning, the ability to learn from the social environment, is extremely important for humans. Social learning ranges from having one’s attention called to some aspect of the environment (stimulus enhancement) to high fidelity imitation of a model’s behavior. High fidelity imitation, which includes the detailed reproduction of both necessary and unnecessary behaviors, is a pervasive and very distinctive adaptation in humans. In contrast, replicating outcomes with limited attention to specific behaviors is more common in other primates (emulation). As we will see, human sociality is deeply dependent on high fidelity imitation. In recent years, imitation has become recognized as central to defining features of humans such as intelligence, language, and cumulative culture.
Industry-academic partnerships: an approach to accelerate innovation

Abstract Background Biotechnology companies are process-driven organizations and often struggle with their ability to innovate. Universities, on the other hand, thrive on discovery and variation as a source of innovation. As such, properly structured academic-industry partnerships in medical technology development may enhance and accelerate innovation. Through joint industry-academic efforts, our objective was to develop a technology aimed at global cervical cancer prevention. Methods Our Center for Medical Innovation assembled a multidisciplinary team of students, surgical residents, and clinical faculty to enter in the University of Utah's annual Bench-to-Bedside competition. Bench-to-Bedside is a university program centered on medical innovation. Teams are given access to university resources and are provided $500.00 for prototype development. Participation by team members are on a volunteer basis. Our industry partner presented the validated need and business mentorship. The team studied the therapeutic landscape, environmental constraints, and used simulation to understand human factors design and usage requirements. A physical device was manufactured by first creating a digital image (SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD). Then, using a 3-dimensional printer (Stratasys Objet30 Prime 3D printer), the image was translated into a physical object. Tissue burn depth analysis was performed on raw chicken breasts warmed to room temperature. Varying combinations of time and temperature were tested, and burn depth and diameter were measured 30 min after each trial. An arithmetic mean was calculated for each corresponding time and temperature combination. User comprehension of operation and sterilization was tested via a participant validation study. Clinical obstetricians and gynecologists were given explicit instructions on usage details and then asked to operate the device. Participant behaviors and questions were recorded. Results Our efforts resulted in a functional battery-powered hand-held thermocoagulation prototype in just 72 d. Total cost of development was Conclusions Our experience with using industry-academic partnerships as a means to create medical technologies resulted in the rapid production of a low-cost device that could potentially serve as an integral piece of the “screen-and-treat” approach to premalignant cervical lesions as outlined by World Health Organization. This case study highlights the impact of accelerating medical advances through industry-academic partnership that leverages their combined resources.
Complications Following Expander/Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction Utilizing Acellular Dermal Matrix

Background: The recent increase in popularity of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) assistance in immediate expander/implant breast reconstruction has led to variety of viewpoints. Many studies are published indicating an increase in complications with the use of ADM, while others indicate there is no increase in complications.
Probability by Time.

In this issue of Neuron, Orban et al. (2016) test whether the brain represents probabilities by sampling: do neurons interpret the world by generating causal explanations of sense data and quickly sample different interpretations over time? Orban et al. (2016) find agreement between this model's predictions and neural data.
Ultrasonic self-normalized wavelet-based detection and estimation of unknown transient vibrations in colored Gaussian noise and strong, low frequency clutter

The detection and quantitation of transitory audio frequency sounds originating from within the body are useful diagnostic tools. Such sounds arising from arterial stenoses, aneurysms and arterio-venous shunts, which are often superimposed on ultrasound Doppler data, may have short durations and varying frequencies. Automated detection and estimation (characterization) of these vibrations may enhance diagnosis of these disorders. The noise may be both non-stationary and colored, but can be assumed Gaussian; the clutter due to arterial wall movement may be extremely large. This paper addresses this detection challenge by using a binary hypothesis test for noise only, based on the continuous Morlet wavelet power spectrum normalized by adaptive noise variance estimates. The algorithm yields rough estimates of the amplitude, frequency range, time location and duration of detected vibrations. Simulated receiver operating curves are presented for short duration transient vibrations in colored and slowly time varying Gaussian noise and in 60 dB clutter. These curves indicate that this method achieves expected detection rates in excess of 99.8% at false alarm rates of 0.1% for (signal-on) signal to noise ratios as small as 1. A comparison is included to a slight modification of Wang and Willett's recently published self-normalizing extension of Nutall's power law detector. Although the two detectors yield similar results in the absence of clutter, the new detector achieves the same high detection rates when clutter is present while also providing estimates of the detected vibrations' parameters.
Tracking Evaluation Capacity with Youth Professionals

A pilot program mentoring youth professionals through “learning-by-doing” projects yielded consistent increases in evaluation knowledge and skills over three years. Self-assessed skill improvements were greatest for preparatory processes (planning, focusing, design, selecting methods) and reporting competencies that are more often emphasized in organizational evaluation requirements. Smaller increases in data collection and analysis skills were also perceived by participating youth professionals. Focus groups with each of six evaluation “learning circle” groups revealed benefits of participation in the evaluation “learning circle,” as well as needs for evaluation training and tools, and challenges faced within the organizational culture.
Actin-based growth cone motility and guidance

Nerve growth cones, the dilated tip of developing axons, are equipped with exquisite abilities to sense environmental cues and to move rapidly through complex terrains of developing brain, leading the axons to their specific targets for precise neuronal wiring. The actin cytoskeleton is the major component of the growth cone that powers its directional motility. Past research has provided significant insights into the mechanisms by which growth cones translate extracellular signals into directional migration. In this review, we summarize the actin-based mechanisms underlying directional growth cone motility, examine novel findings, and discuss the outstanding questions concerning the actin-based growth cone behaviors.
Socioeconomic factors as predictors of organ donation.

Abstract Background Despite numerous initiatives to increase solid organs for transplant, the gap between donors and recipients widens. There is little in the literature identifying socioeconomic predictors for donation. We evaluate the correlation between socioeconomic factors and familial authorization for donation. Methods A retrospective analysis of adult potential donor referrals between 2007 and 2012 to our organ procurement organization (OPO) was performed. Potential donor information was obtained from the OPO database, death certificates, and the US Census Report. Data on demographics, education, residence, income, registry status, cause and manner of death, as well as OPO assessments and approach for donation were collected. End point was familial authorization for donation. Results A total of 1059 potential donors were included, with an overall authorization rate of 47%. The majority was not on the donor registry (73%). Younger donors (18-39 y: odds ratio [OR] = 4.9, P P P = 0.005; graduate studies: OR = 3.9, P = 0.002), prior listing on the donor registry (OR = 10.3, P P = 0.02) were independently associated with higher authorization rates. Decoupling (OR = 3.1, P P = 0.01) were also independently associated with higher authorization rates. Conclusions Donor registration correlated most strongly with the highest authorization rates. These results indicate that public educational efforts in populations with unfavorable socioeconomic considerations may be beneficial in improving donor registration. Collaborations with local providers as well as OPO in-hospital assessments and approach techniques can help with improving authorization rates.
A Construction of and Physical Model for Finite Euclidean and Projective Geometries.

IN RECENT years, finite mathemati cal structures have been receiving increas ing emphasis in elementary, secondary, and college mathematics programs. The major reason for this is probably that stu dents often find it easier to recognize and understand the properties of many mathe matical structures if the finite as well as the infinite cases are investigated. In addi tion, the writer has observed that finite structures usually stimulate interest and develop creativity in the student, regard less of whether he is in elementary school or graduate school. Recently, writers of materials for high school students and future teachers have expressed an interest in finite geometries. Brumfiel developed the nine-point, twelve line finite Euclidean geometry in the Twenty-Eighth Yearbook of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.1 Van Engen et al. include the same geo metric structure in their text for ninth grade students.2 The Committee on Un dergraduate Programs in Mathematics
The Poetics of Place: Travel in Premodern Japan

The study of Asian cultures from the Western academy has been characterized as Orientalism, the ‘goods’ in knowledge a cultural parallel to the territorial gains won in the heyday of Western colonialism. For some key Euro-Americans, knowing the foreign Other was an antidote to a perceived dead end of Western science and rationalism. Simply put, Asia resonated as social and philosophic plenitude. In this regard, premodern Japanese poetry, with its 1300 year-old, lyrical tradition, was seen as a tradition of immanence and, therefore, as a welcomed alternative to Western philosophic abstraction. Countering this, I suggest that utamakura (canonized, poetic place names) as a regulative, interpretive category from the earliest 7th century anthology of the Manyoshu on through the medieval period ending in the 17th century suggests a formidable idealist tradition, which regulated expectations and experience of travel in the premodern period.
Sex differences in nutrition, growth, and metabolism in preterm infants

Biological differences between the sexes are apparent even from the early part of the pregnancy. The crown-rump length is larger in male fetuses compared to females in the first trimester. Placentae of male and female fetuses have different protein and gene expressions, especially in adverse conditions. Even within the intrauterine milieu, the same extracellular micro RNA may show upregulation in females and downregulation in male fetuses. There appears to be a natural survival advantage for females. Maternal glucocorticoids (GC) play an important role in fetal growth and organ maturation. However, excess glucocorticoids can not only affect growth but the response may be sex-specific and probably mediated through glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the placenta. Mild pre-eclampsia and asthma are associated with normal growth pattern in males, but in female fetuses, they are associated with a slowing of growth rate without causing IUGR probably as an adaptive response for future adverse events. Thus, female fetuses survive while male fetuses exhibit IUGR, preterm delivery and even death in the face of another adverse event. It is thought that the maternal diet may not influence growth but may influence the programming for adult disease. There is growing evidence that maternal pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity status is directly associated with a higher risk of obesity in a male child, but not in a female child, at 1 year of age. It is observed that exposure to gestational diabetes is a risk factor for childhood overweight in boys but not in girls. It is fascinating that male and female fetuses respond differently to the same intrauterine environment, and this suggests a fundamental biological variation most likely at the cellular and molecular level.
Structural Characterization of Ternary Salt Melts for Low Activity Waste Applications

Reactions of alkali salts (nitrates, sulfates, carbonates, halides, borates) play a key role in the low temperature feed conversion occurring at the cold cap during processing of Hanford Low Activity Waste (LAW) glass melters. An alkali salt phase can sometimes form, and preferentially incorporate radionuclides of Cs, Cl, I, and Tc. During melting of the slurry feed, some of the feed components sequentially break down with increasing temperature to form gases (i.e., nitrates ➔ NOx, carbonates ➔ CO2, and boric acid ➔ H2O) or partially volatilize (halides). Sulfate, however, tends not to volatilize but has limited solubility in the final borosilicate glass waste form. To improve understanding of these low temperature processes and their composition dependencies, a scoping study was undertaken to synthesize salt systems that remain amorphous at room temperature, thus facilitating structural study. Melts of equimolar ratios of K2SO4-ZnSO4 (a known ionic glass-forming system) with added nitrates, halides, or carbonates, were melted and quenched. Some of the materials formed single phase glasses and some underwent crystallization upon quenching. Characterization of these quenched materials by thermal analysis, infrared absorption, and diffraction was performed. Addition of other anions to the sulfate base glass resulted in a distortion of the sulfate tetrahedron, as evidenced by infrared absorption. Carbonates strongly promoted crystallization, mostly of carbonate phases. Nitrates promoted crystallization of ZnO, and the nitrate volatilized with some incorporating into the glass. Halides tended to incorporate into the glass, but the small (F) and large (I) halogens promoted crystallization of sulfate-containing crystals, while moderate sized (Cl) halogens produced single-phase ionic glasses.
Haemosporidian Parasite Infections in the Dickcissel (Spiza americana): Prevalence and Costs

ABSTRACT Haemosporidian parasites are widespread in birds and are commonly used to evaluate ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral consequences of pathogen infection. While haemosporidian parasit...