cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of indicated non-cosmetic panniculectomy at time of gynecologic surgery.

Objective To report postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing indicated non-cosmetic panniculectomy at the time of gynecologic surgery. Methods Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed for patients who underwent panniculectomy coupled with gynecologic surgery at a university-affiliated hospital in the USA in 1990–2014. The data reviewed included age, body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters), surgical procedure, estimated blood loss, pathology, wound complication, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and readmission rate. One-way analysis of variance and logistic regression were used to evaluate the data. Results In total, 300 patients underwent panniculectomy; the mean age was 51 years and the mean BMI was 46. Overall, there were 94 (31.3%) complications, including 85 (28.3%) cases of superficial cellulitis and 9 (3.0%) cases of surgical-site infection. In logistic regression, diabetes, hypertension, and smoking were significant predictors of wound complications, identifying 78% of women who subsequently developed wound complications. Conclusion Panniculectomy combined with gynecologic surgery was found to be safe and effective for obese patients, with an acceptable incidence of wound infection. History of diabetes, hypertension, and smoking increased the risk of postoperative wound complications. These factors will help to predict patients at risk of wound complication. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Self-Polymerization of Dopamine in Acidic Environments without Oxygen

An alkaline environment and the presence of oxygen are essential requirements for dopamine polymerization. In this study, we are the first to demonstrate the self-polymerization of dopamine through plasma-activated water (PAW) under acidic environments (pH < 5.5). Resulting poly(dopamine) (PDA) was characterized using Nanosizer, SEM, FTIR, UV–vis, 1H NMR, and fluorescence spectrophotometers and proved to have similar physical and chemical properties to those polymerized under a basic condition, except that the PDA particles formed in PAW were more stable and hardly aggregated at varied pHs. The PAW polymerization method avoids alkaline solutions and the presence of oxygen and thus extends the applications of dopamine polymerization, particularly in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences.
Monitoring social anxiety from mobility and communication patterns

Mental health problems are a leading cause of disease burden and disability worldwide. The use of mobile and wireless technologies to support the achievement of health objectives (mHealth) has the potential to transform the face of health service delivery. In this paper, we demonstrate how non-invasive mobile sensing technology can be used to passively assess and predict social anxiety among college students. The collected data enhances understanding of how students' social anxiety levels are associated with their mobility and communication patterns. Our analysis based on GPS location, text messages, and call data collected from 54 college students over a two-week period indicates that social anxiety level can be predicted with an accuracy of up to 85%.
Towards predictions of large dynamic systems' behavior using reduced-order modeling and interval computations

The ability to conduct fast and reliable simulations of dynamic systems is of special interest to many fields of operations. Such simulations can be very complex and, to be thorough, involve millions of variables, making it prohibitive in CPU time to run repeatedly for many different configurations. Reduced-Order Modeling (ROM) provides a concrete way to handle such complex simulations using a realistic amount of resources. However, uncertainty is hardly taken into account. Changes in the definition of a model, for instance, could have dramatic effects on the outcome of simulations. Therefore, neither reduced models nor initial conclusions could be 100% relied upon. In this research, Interval Constraint Solving Techniques (ICST) are employed to handle and quantify uncertainty. The goal is to identify key features of a given dynamical phenomenon in order to be able to propagate the characteristics of the model forward and predict its future behavior to obtain 100% guaranteed results. This is specifically important in applications, as a reliable understanding of a developing situation could allow for preventative or palliative measures before a situation aggravates.
Carl Whitaker's Therapy of the Absurd:

Carl Whitaker, MD, zany master of family therapy, has developed a therapy of the absurd, a tongue-in-cheek put on that inverts common therapeutic methods and produces dramatic results. Although sharing the same objectives as other experiential therapists, he uses sharply different approaches. He contends with his clients, confronts and cajoles them into change. Rather than eradicate the pathology in a family, he attempts to augment it until it “self-destructs.” He makes little attempt to be supportive, to adhere to a counseling theory, or to exhibit sympathy. Nevertheless, some of his work is exemplary for the pastoral counselor. His pattern challenges us to take a strong stand in our faith, to place direct responsibility upon the counselees themselves, and to avoid being overly active in helpfulness. Whitaker's zany methods could inspire our own in being aware and effective.
From Dreamweaver to Drupal: A University Library Website Case Study

In 2016, Colgate University Libraries began converting their static HTML website to the Drupal platform. This article outlines the process librarians used to complete this project using only in-house resources and minimal funding. For libraries and similar institutions considering the move to a content management system, this case study can provide a starting point and highlight important issues.
A study of academic collaboration in computational linguistics with latent mixtures of authors

Academic collaboration has often been at the forefront of scientific progress, whether amongst prominent established researchers, or between students and advisors. We suggest a theory of the different types of academic collaboration, and use topic models to computationally identify these in Computational Linguistics literature. A set of author-specific topics are learnt over the ACL corpus, which ranges from 1965 to 2009. The models are trained on a per year basis, whereby only papers published up until a given year are used to learn that year's author topics. To determine the collaborative properties of papers, we use, as a metric, a function of the cosine similarity score between a paper's term vector and each author's topic signature in the year preceding the paper's publication. We apply this metric to examine questions on the nature of collaborations in Computational Linguistics research, finding that significant variations exist in the way people collaborate within different sub-fields.
Partnering with the State Legislature: Connecticut’s Family Impact Seminar

In December, 1996 the School of Family Studies at the University of Connecticut, in cooperation with the Connecticut General Assembly, organized and presented a Family Impact Seminar, “Youth Violence: The Role of Families, Schools, and Communities.” The purpose of the seminar was to bring together key Connecticut legislators, representatives of the Executive and Judicial branches, human service providers, community activists, young people, policy experts, and academic researchers for a one-day discussion designed to inform policy makers about youth violence prior to the start of the legislative session in January.
Endogenous secretory RAGE increases with improvements in body composition and is associated with markers of adipocyte health.

Abstract Background and aims The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is implicated in obesogenesis. Conversely, soluble RAGE (sRAGE) competitively inhibits RAGE. Our aim was to determine the effects of weight-loss via alternate day fasting (ADF) on sRAGE isoforms and evaluate potential relationships with body composition. Methods and results 42 obese participants were randomized to control (CON) or ADF. For 24 weeks, the ADF group consumed 25% or 125% of their caloric requirements on alternating days while the CON group did not change their diet. Body fat was measured via DXA, visceral fat (VAT) via MRI and subcutaneous fat (SAT) was derived by subtracting VAT from total fat. sRAGE isoforms were measured via ELISAs. After 24 weeks, ADF −6.8 (−9.5, −3.5)kg (Median, IQR) lost more weight than CON −0.3 (−1.9, 1.0)kg (p Conclusion Improvements in body composition are related to increased sRAGE isoforms, implicating sRAGE as a potential target for the treatment of obesity. Clinical Trial Registration NCT00960505 .
α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency

The classical form of α1-antitrypsin (AT) deficiency, homozygous for the Z allele, is the most common genetic cause of liver disease in children and the most frequent genetic disease for which people undergo liver transplantation. As a cause of chronic hepatitis, cryptogenic cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma with new onset in the adult, this diagnosis has been under-appreciated. Among the liver diseases it has a unique and fascinating pathobiology, related to the hepatotoxic consequences of an aggregation-prone mutant protein.
New Methods for Noninvasive Oxygen Administration

Oxygen therapy is an essential part of neonatal care. Targeting oxygen saturations and preventing hypoxemia and hyperoxemia is difficult, particularly in preterm infants. The mode of oxygen delivery directly affects the stability of oxygen saturations, hypoxemia, and hyperoxemia. This stability has important clinical implications. New methods of noninvasive oxygen administration, including closed-loop automated control and servo-controlled oxygen environments, have been developed to improve oxygen saturation targeting and decrease episodes of hyperoxemia and hypoxemia.
La "Primera parte de la vida de Marco Bruto" de Francisco de Quevedo como manual político de prudencia, cautela y duplicidad

In this work the author identifies, analyses, and frames, within the larger Baroque concepts of political prudence and caution, some of the most representative direct and indirect references in Francisco de Quevedo’s Primera parte de la vida de Marco Bruto to the notion of duplicity in all of its variations (simulation / dissimulation). Additionally, and using as a starting point the ideas of Alessandro Martinengo and other researchers, the author tries to prove that the references to duplicity in the final section of the book, the «Suasorias», are critical to understand the connection between this part and the other two main ones, the «Discursos» and the «Cuestion politica», where this topic is absolutely key. In fact, it is believed that it would not be an exaggeration to describe Primera parte de la vida de Marco Bruto primarily as a political manual on prudence, caution, and, very much in particular, duplicity.
PDE Methods in Random Matrix Theory

This article begins with a brief review of random matrix theory, followed by a discussion of how the large-N limit of random matrix models can be realized using operator algebras. I then explain the notion of “Brown measure,” which play the role of the eigenvalue distribution for operators in an operator algebra.
Low temperature heating and oxidation to prevent spontaneous combustion using Powder River Basin coal

Abstract Powder River Basin coal, a subbituminous coal, was studied for its low temperature oxidation tendency after a simple surface oxidation treatment. The influence of the heating temperature on the coal properties was studied. The tendency of this dried coal to oxidize at low temperatures was successfully eliminated by lightly oxidizing the coal in the air at 100 to 200 oC. The surface reactions during the process were also studied. We found that the passivation treatment appears to consume the functional groups that are prone to low temperature oxidation, such as aliphatics. The passivation effect was weakened when the oxidation temperature went above 200 °C, as decomposition happens. The oxidation reactions are monitored through two different methods: analyzing the CO2 and water produced using quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) and analyzing the heat release at oxidation using the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze the coal tar material produced from low temperature heating. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Surface area measurements, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) are used for surface characterization of the solids.
Crystal structure of the Wheat dwarf virus Rep domain.

The Rep domain of Wheat dwarf virus (WDV Rep) is an HUH endonuclease involved in rolling-circle replication. HUH endonucleases coordinate a metal ion to enable the nicking of a specific ssDNA sequence and the subsequent formation of an intermediate phosphotyrosine bond. This covalent protein–ssDNA adduct makes HUH endonucleases attractive fusion tags (HUH-tags) in a diverse number of biotechnological applications. Solving the structure of an HUH endonuclease in complex with ssDNA will provide critical information about ssDNA recognition and sequence specificity, thus enabling rationally engineered protein–DNA interactions that are programmable. The structure of the WDV Rep domain reported here was solved in the apo state from a crystal diffracting to 1.24 A resolution and represents an initial step in the direction of solving the structure of a protein–ssDNA complex.
Comments on “Volumetric, ultrasonic, viscometric and refractive index studies of molecular interactions in binary mixtures of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate with methyl acrylate at temperatures from 293.15 to 318.15 K”

Abstract A polemic is given regarding the volumetric properties reported in the published paper by Chaudhary and Nain. The molar volume of neat 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [BMIm][BF4], was found not to be equal to the ratio of the compound's molar mass divided by density. The excess molar volumes of the binary mixtures were also found to be inconsistent with the experimental densities, mole fraction compositions and molar masses of the individual mixture components.
Band gap of reduced graphene oxide tuned by controlling functional groups

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is a material with a unique set of electrical and physical properties. The potential of rGO for numerous semiconductor applications, however, has not been fully realized because the dependence of its band gap on the chemical structure and, specifically, on the presence of terminal functional groups has not been systematically studied and, as a result, there are no efficient methods for tuning the band gap. Here we report that the band gap of rGO can be increased and, importantly, tuned from 0.264 to 0.786 eV by controlling the surface concentration of epoxide groups using a developed mild oxidation treatment with nitric acid, HNO3. Increasing the concentration of an HNO3 treatment solution gradually increases the surface concentration of epoxides without introducing microscopic defects or d-spacing changes and, thus, produces functionalized rGO materials with desirable properties for semiconductor applications. A combination of experimental measurements using infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations demonstrates that epoxides are unique among oxygen-containing functional groups for allowing to tune the band gap. Unlike epoxides, other oxygen-containing functional groups are not effective: hydroxyls do not change the band gap, while carbonyls and carboxyls break the hexagonal carbon-ring structure of rGO.
An Automated Tool for Design Space Exploration of Matrix Vector Multiplication (MVM) Kernels Using OpenCL Based Implementation on FPGAs

OpenCL is a High-Level Synthesis (HLS) based framework that relaxes the programmers considering design time and design complexity. A single OpenCL kernel can be designed in numerous ways by tuning the design knobs. For a given setting of design knobs, logic synthesis of each OpenCL- based design can take several hours. Therefore, the Design Space Exploration (DSE) to search for an optimized design is prohibitive. This paper presents an automated CODE tool to implement an OpenCL-based Matrix-Vector Multiplication (MVM) kernel optimized for throughput and area.
NPC1 deficiency impairs cerebellar postnatal development of microglia and climbing fiber refinement in a mouse model of Niemann-Pick disease type C.

Little is known about the effects of NPC1 deficiency in brain development and if they contribute to neurodegeneration in Niemann-Pick Type C disease. Since cerebellar Purkinje cells die early and to a higher extent in NPC, here we analyzed the effect of NPC1 deficiency in microglia and climbing fiber synaptic refinement during cerebellar postnatal development using the Npc1nmf164 mouse. Our analysis revealed that NPC1 deficiency leads to early phenotypic changes in microglia that are not associated with an innate immune response. However, the lack of NPC1 in Npc1nmf164 mice significantly affected the early development of microglia by delaying the radial migration, increasing the proliferation and impairing the differentiation of microglia precursor cells during postnatal development. Additionally, increased phagocytic activity of differentiating microglia was found at the end of the second postnatal week in Npc1nmf164 mice. Moreover, significant Climbing-fiber (CF) synaptic refinement deficits along with an increased engulfment of CF synaptic elements by microglia were found in Npc1nmf164 mice, suggesting that profound developmental defects in microglia and synaptic connectivity precede and predispose Purkinje cells to early neurodegeneration in NPC.
Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of P-Stereogenic Phosphines: Beyond Precious Metals

Metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of P-stereogenic phosphines is a potentially useful approach to a class of chiral ligands with valuable applications in asymmetric catalysis. We introduced this idea with chiral platinum and palladium catalysts, exploiting rapid pyramidal inversion in diastereomeric metal–phosphido complexes (ML*(PRR′)) to control phosphorus stereochemistry. This Account summarizes our attempts to develop related synthetic methods using earth-abundant metals, especially copper, in which weaker metal–ligand bonds and faster substitution processes were expected to result in more active catalysts. Indeed, precious metals were not required. Without any transition metals at all, we exploited related P-epimerization processes to prepare enantiomerically pure phosphiranes and secondary phosphine oxides (SPOs) from commercially available chiral epoxides. 1 Introduction 2 Copper-Catalyzed Phosphine Alkylation 3 Copper-Catalyzed Tandem Phosphine Alkylation/Arylation 4 Nickel-Catalyzed Phosphine Alkylation 5 Proton-Mediated P-Epimerization in Synthesis of Chiral Phosphiranes 6 Diastereoselective Synthesis of P-Stereogenic Secondary Phosphine Oxides (SPOs) from (+)-Limonene Oxide 7 Conclusions
Abstract 14662: Relationships Between Physical Activity, Coronary Artery Calcium, and Cardiovascular Outcomes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis: MESA

Introduction: Physical activity is associated with decreased rates of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and mortality. However, high levels of physical activity (PA) have paradoxically...
Insulin-like growth factor 2 is produced by antral follicles and promotes preantral follicle development in macaques†

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are known for their involvement in endocrine and paracrine regulation of ovarian function. Although IGF2 is the predominant circulating and intraovarian form of IGFs in primate species, the stage-specific follicular expression, action, and regulation of IGF2 are not well defined. Therefore, experiments were conducted to investigate the follicular IGF production in response to steroid hormone regulation and the direct IGF actions on follicular development and function in vitro. Preantral follicles were isolated from rhesus macaque ovaries and cultured to the antral stage in media supplemented with follicle-stimulating hormone and insulin. Follicles were randomly assigned to treatment groups: (a) control, (b) trilostane (a steroid synthesis inhibitor), (c) trilostane + estradiol, (d) trilostane + progesterone, and (e) trilostane + dihydrotestosterone. Media was analyzed for IGF concentrations, which were correlated to follicle growth. Follicles produced IGF2, but not IGF1, at the antral stage. Steroid depletion decreased, whereas steroid replacement increased, IGF2 production by antral follicles. Media IGF2 levels correlated positively with antral follicle diameters. Macaque preantral follicles and granulosa cells were subsequently cultured without (control) and with recombinant human IGF2 supplementation. Follicle survival, growth, and paracrine factor production, as well as granulosa cell proliferation and gonadotropin receptor gene expression, were assessed. IGF2 addition increased follicle survival rates, diameters and inhibin B production, as well as granulosa cell proliferation. These data demonstrate that IGF2 produced by antral follicles, in response to steroid hormone regulation, could act as a paracrine factor that positively impacts preantral follicle development and function in primates.Summary sentenceInsulin-like growth factor 2, but not insulin-like growth factor 1, is produced by antral follicles in response to steroid hormone regulation in nonhuman primates, and promotes preantral follicle growth with increased paracrine factor production.
Plug-in tubes allow tunable oil removal, droplet packing, and reaction incubation for time-controlled droplet-based assays

Here, we report a unique microfluidic technique that utilizes a membrane filter and plug-in tubes to remove oil and pack water-in-oil droplets for controlled incubation of droplet-based assays. This technique could be modularly incorporated into most droplet-generation devices without a need to alter the original designs. Our results show that removing excess oil to form tightly packed droplets allows for extended and controllable incubation for droplets traveling in microchannels. The efficiency of this technique was evaluated and confirmed using a time-dependent enzyme assay with a fluorometric readout. The system is also readily generalizable to control inter-droplet distance, crucial for studying droplet communication and pattern formation.
Trends in performance of ERCP among patients with surgically unresectable pancreatic cancer: a Survival, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database study.

Background and Aims Patients with biliary obstruction caused by adenocarcinoma of the pancreas head may require bile duct decompression to treat symptomatic cholestasis and/or permit systemic chemotherapy. ERCP with biliary stent placement is the preferred intervention in such cases. The primary aim of this study was to determine what proportion of patients with surgically unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma undergo ERCP and whether this proportion has changed over time. Methods We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare–linked data to identify a cohort of individuals diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas head between December 31, 2000 and December 31, 2015 and who did not receive pancreas surgery. ERCP use was measured in the 30 days before and after cancer diagnosis. Additional covariates of interest were extracted for multiple variable analysis. Results A total of 14,810 patients met study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of them, 53% (7034/14,810) underwent ERCP within 30 days of cancer diagnosis. The proportion of patients who underwent ERCP declined from 57% in 2001 to 46% in 2015 (P for trend Conclusions In a SEER-Medicare population between 2001 and 2015, both the proportion of patients with unresectable pancreas cancer who underwent ERCP and the mean number of ERCPs per patient decreased over time. Survival improved over time despite decreased use of ERCP.
Peracetic Acid Sanitation on Arugula Microgreens Contaminated with Surface-Attached and Internalized Tulane Virus and Rotavirus.

Hydroponic production of vegetables is becoming more common, especially in regions with unfavorable climate for year-round crop production. However, if viruses are present in the hydroponics feed water, then there is a chance that infectious viruses will be internalized into the tissues of hydroponically grown vegetables. When this happens, surface sanitization of postharvest vegetables may not be effective because the sanitizer cannot disinfect the internalized viruses. In this study, we determined if the effectiveness of peracetic acid (PAA), a sanitizer used in the vegetable industry, is affected by the location of viruses (produce surface or interior tissue) in microgreen arugula. Either internally or externally contaminated hydroponically grown microgreen arugula was then treated with PAA at either 30 or 80 ppm for up to 3 min. The PAA disinfection efficacy was higher when the RV was on the arugula surface (approximately 5-log10 in PFU after 3 min of exposure), instead of the arugula interior (1.5-log10 in PFU after 3 min of exposure). However, PAA disinfection efficacy of TV was not dependent on the virus location in arugula. For both internalized TV and RV, the disinfection efficacy was less than 2-log10 in PFU using all the tested PAA concentrations and exposure times examined here. Thus, both the type and location of virus in fresh vegetables may influence the virus disinfection of postharvest vegetables. Therefore, the optimization of sanitation for postharvest fresh vegetables is needed to reduce foodborne viral infection risks.
Evaluating the role of market-based instruments in protecting marine ecosystem services in wild-caught fisheries

Abstract Over the last few decades there has been increasing concern about the sustainability of wild-caught fisheries. Ecosystem-based fisheries management and the use of market-based instruments represent promising approaches to promote sustainable fisheries. However, little is known about the extent to which market-based instruments align with the principles of ecosystem-based management. In this paper, we evaluate seven market-based instruments applied to wild-caught fisheries against an adapted version of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment typology to measure how well they address marine ecosystem services. Our results indicate that market-based instruments used in wild-caught fisheries do not explicitly address all marine ecosystem services in the text of their standards. While almost all address provisioning services, they generally do not address regulating, cultural, or supporting services. The explicit incorporation of ecosystem services into market-based instruments may offer an opportunity to better support the goals of ecosystem-based fisheries management and improve the sustainability of wild-caught fisheries. The historical focus on stock management, the breadth in the missions of implementing organizations, and the barriers to evaluating ecosystem services are likely contributors to the slow uptake of ecosystem service-oriented requirements.
Optimization of Thin Film Ferroelectrics for Communication Applications

The application of thin film ferroelectrics for the development of tunable microwave components have been a very active field of investigation thraughout the last decade. This presentation will provide an overview of some of the activities in the aforementioned area by other research groups and the current status of the field. In particular, we will discuss the efforts currently underway at the NASA Glenn Research Center in the area of phase shifter development using Ba2Sr(1-x)TiO3 ferroelectric thin films. Emphasis will be given to the approaches that have been investigated in order to improve the performance (i.e., figure of merit) of these devices. Some of these approaches deal with the details of circuit design parameters, while others are related to Experimental results and discussions on the aforementioned topics will be presented the optimization of material properties through different deposition techniques.
Temperature dependence of the reaction O/3P/ + OH/2 Pi/ yields O2 + H

Measurements of the absolute rate and temperature dependence of the rate constant for the reaction of ground state atomic oxygen with hydroxyl radicals to yield molecular oxygen and hydrogen atoms over the temperature range 211-499 K are presented. The reaction was monitored in a low-pressure discharge flow resonance fluorescence apparatus under pseudo-first-order conditions in which the oxygen concentration was greater than the hydroxyl concentration. An expression for the temperature dependence of the rate constant is derived from a least-squares fit to the observed bimolecular rate constants, which were found to range from 3.21 to 2.77 x 10 to the -11th cu cm/molecule per sec for temperatures from 211 to 499 K, indicative of a slight negative temperature dependence. Results are compared with those of previous workers, and the significance of the lower value of the rate constant obtained in the present study to models of HO(x) in the upper stratosphere is indicated.
Physical Principles: Waves

Why study wave motion? We already know that the description of our natural state space has qualities of both particle mechanics and wave mechanics. When we require quantum mechanical descriptors, we will need to be familiar with both of these mechanical descriptions. This knowledge is necessary for work at a fairly complex level. At a very practical level, however, the wave description per se is a very useful abstraction. We know about the biological systems that interest us because we interact with them. All of our interactions are through electromagnetic phenomena. Even though all of the phenomena that interest us can be completely described in terms of quantum electrodynamics, this is practically (though not conceptually) complicated. Electromagnetic radiation is composed of rapidly alternating electric and magnetic fields (i.e., waves). It is the rapid to-and-fro motion of electrons that gives rise to the electromagnetic radiation that influences the electrons in our eyes and instruments, allows us to see, and enables our instruments to sense. Without the connection of the wave, we would literally be blind to the world around us.
Inverse obstacle problems with backscattering or generalized backscattering data in one or two directions

This paper is concerned with scattering by a smooth compact obstacle in R. The main results are that for certain classes of obstacles knowledge of the the scattering amplitude in only one or two pairs of incident and reflected directions suffices to recover the Taylor series of a boundary defining function for the obstacle at a point. Thus certain obstacles with real analytic boundaries can be determined.
Perchlorate behavior in a municipal lake following fireworks displays.

Perchlorate salts of potassium and ammonium are the primary oxidants in pyrotechnic mixtures, yet insufficient information is available regarding the relationship between fireworks displays and the environmental occurrence of perchlorate. Here we document changes in perchlorate concentrations in surface water adjacent to a site of fireworks displays from 2004 to 2006. Preceding fireworks displays, perchlorate concentrations in surface water ranged from 0.005 to 0.081 μg/L, with a mean value of 0.043 μg/L. Within 14 h after the fireworks, perchlorate concentrations spiked to values ranging from 24 to 1028× the mean baseline value. A maximum perchlorate concentration of 44.2 μg/L was determined following the July 4th event in 2006. After the fireworks displays, perchlorate concentrations decreased toward the background level within 20 to 80 days, with the rate of attenuation correlating to surface water temperature. Adsorption tests indicate that sediments underlying the water column have limited (<100 nmol...
Impact of state-specific Medicaid reimbursement and eligibility policies on receipt of cancer screening

BACKGROUND Although state Medicaid programs cover cancer screening, Medicaid beneficiaries are less likely to be screened for cancer and are more likely to present with tumors of an advanced stage than are those with other insurance. The current study was performed to determine whether state Medicaid eligibility and reimbursement policies affect the receipt of breast, cervical, and colon cancer screening among Medicaid beneficiaries. METHODS Cross-sectional regression analyses of 2007 Medicaid data from 46 states and the District of Columbia were performed to examine associations between state-specific Medicaid reimbursement/eligibility policies and receipt of cancer screening. The study sample included individuals aged 21 years to 64 years who were enrolled in fee-for-service Medicaid for at least 4 months. Subsamples eligible for each screening test were: Papanicolaou test among 2,136,511 patients, mammography among 792,470 patients, colonoscopy among 769,729 patients, and fecal occult blood test among 753,868 patients. State-specific Medicaid variables included median screening test reimbursement, income/financial asset eligibility requirements, physician copayments, and frequency of eligibility renewal. RESULTS Increases in screening test reimbursement demonstrated mixed associations (positive and negative) with the likelihood of receiving screening tests among Medicaid beneficiaries. In contrast, increased reimbursements for office visits were found to be positively associated with the odds of receiving all screening tests examined, including colonoscopy (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.06-1.08), fecal occult blood test (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.08-1.10), Papanicolaou test (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.02-1.03), and mammography (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.02-1.03). Effects of other state-specific Medicaid policies varied across the screening tests examined. CONCLUSIONS Increased reimbursement for office visits was consistently associated with an increased likelihood of being screened for cancer, and may be an important policy tool for increasing screening among this vulnerable population. Cancer 2014;120:3016–3024. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Ultra-wideband antenna miniaturization using distributed lumped element loading

This paper proposes a novel idea of using distributed lumped elements within the antenna geometry to modify the antenna's impedance and to miniaturize it over a broad frequency range. The duality between material properties and circuit elements is fully utilized for this purpose. It is important to note that the goal is the miniaturization of a broadband antenna that is already small in size. In this case, the challenge for further miniaturization are much greater than that of reducing the size of a wavelength size antenna
Different Samples from the Same Population

The discussion in Chapter 7 dealt with the fact that sometimes random samples represent the populations from which they are drawn very accurately and sometimes they don’t. Random selection is no guarantee of representativeness. Random sample selection does, however, make it possible to apply some very powerful tools for assessing how likely it is that a sample is unrepresentative to a particular degree. This is because, with the unbiased samples that random selection produces, we can say something about how often particular degrees of unrepresentativeness occur, on average.
The Intriguing Intricacies of European Identities

A Community of Europeans? Transnational Identities and Public Spheres. By Risse Thomas. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2010. 287 pp., $24.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-801-47648-8). Among the increasing number of books that have emerged in the last few years in the field of European transnational identity research, A Community of Europeans? could become a classic. Thomas Risse, a distinguished International Relations professor at the Free University in Berlin who has headed a number of research programs on questions of identity and transnational governance over the past decade, delivers a sophisticated empirical analysis that not only provides evidence of the extent of transnational identification in Europe as measured by a variety of quantitative and qualitative indicators, but also specifically previews the consequences of these subtle transformations for the political arenas. In contrast to most other works dealing with the subject matter in a predominantly quantitative (McLaren 2006; Green 2007) or qualitative-conceptual manner (Demossier 2007; Katzenstein and Checkel 2009), his work blends both approaches in a way that fruitfully increases our understanding of the matter. In the introduction, the author contextualizes the fuzzy subjects of Europeanization, European Identity, and Public Spheres, and links these three concepts together: “Europeanized identities and European Public Spheres are closely linked, since European public discourses constitute spaces where collective identities are constructed as well as contested” (p. 5). Accordingly, the first chapter sets out …
Effect of Titanium Doping of Al(111) Surfaces on Alane Formation Mobility, and Desorption

Alanes are critical intermediates in hydrogen storage reactions for mass transport during the formation of complex metal hydrides. Titanium has been shown to promote hydrogen desorption and hydrogenation, but its role as a catalyst is not clear. Combining surface infrared (IR) spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT), the role of Ti is explored during the interaction of atomic hydrogen with Ti-doped Al(111) surfaces. Titanium is found to reduce the formation of large alanes, due to a decrease of hydrogen mobility and to trapping of small alanes on Ti sites, thus hindering oligomerization. For high doping levels ({approx}0.27 ML Ti) on Al(111), only chemisorbed AlH{sub 3} is observed on Ti sites, with no evidence for large alanes. Titanium also dramatically lowers the desorption temperature of large alanes from 290 to 190 K, due to a more restricted translational motion of these alanes.
RELIGIOSITY, MORAL BELIEFS, AND DELINQUENCY: DOES THE EFFECT OF RELIGIOSITY ON DELINQUENCY DEPEND ON MORAL BELIEFS?

Does the effect of religiosity on delinquent behavior depend on moral beliefs? For example, will religious adolescents refrain from using marijuana, even if they do not believe using marijuana is wrong? We addressed this question using data from the third and fourth waves of the National Youth Survey. The results indicated a significant interaction between religiosity and moral beliefs for marijuana use and getting drunk, but not for hitting or property offenses. Religiosity has a stronger effect on marijuana and alcohol use when adolescents also believe these behaviors are wrong. Conversely, when it is not accompanied by strong moral beliefs, religiosity has less of an effect on marijuana use and drinking.
Personal networks and private forestry in Minnesota

Personal networks affect the flow information and behavior through social groups. We investigated the role of personal relationships in the flow of information and adoption of sustainable forest management behavior by private forest landowners. Among the 1767 owners of 20 or more acres of Minnesota forest land surveyed, 90% have received forestry information from at least one source including 65% from a peer and 53% from a professional forester. Forestry information personal network size ranged from 0 to 14 with a mean of 2.92. Network diversity, expressed as the number of different types of information sources within the network, was relatively high relative to network size, suggesting that most landowners value diverse perspectives, despite reporting fairly small networks. Larger acreage owners, management plan holders, and frequent visitors to their forest land had significantly larger and more diverse networks. Network size and diversity were statistically unrelated to ownership tenure, landowner age, and resident/absentee status. Significantly more respondents named a peer or a professional as their most helpful source than other source categories. Satisfaction with forestry information networks was positively associated with network size and diversity, further suggesting that landowners prefer information from a variety of different sources. The results suggest that landowner education designed to foster peer learning and relationship building between landowners, foresters, loggers, and other groups may promote adoption of sustainable forest management practices.
The effects of cyclic stretch on gene transfer in alveolar epithelial cells

Cyclic stretch has been shown to alter cell physiology, cytoskeletal structure, signal transduction, and gene expression in a variety of cell types. To determine the effects of stretch on the gene transfer process, we compared the transfection efficiencies of human A549 cells grown either statically or exposed to 10% cyclic stretch (Δ surface area) at 60 cycles/min (1 Hz) for 24 hours prior to, and/or after transfection with pEGFP-N1 and pCMV-lux-DTS using lipoplex or electroporation. Stretching the cells prior to transfection had no effect on gene transfer. By contrast, cyclic, but not continuous, stretch applied immediately after transfection for as little as 30 minutes resulted in a 10-fold increase in gene transfer and expression by either transfection technique. These stretch conditions did not result in rupture of the plasma membrane based on the fact that DNA was unable to enter stretched cells unless either an electric field was applied or the DNA was complexed with liposomes. Taken together with the timing of the stretch response and the known effects of stretch on transcription, these findings suggest that cyclic stretch may be altering the intracellular transport of plasmids to increase gene expression.
Maternal periconceptional exposure to cigarette smoking and alcohol and esophageal atresia +/- tracheo-esophageal fistula.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal atresia (EA) is a moderately frequent birth defect that often occurs with tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF). Etiologic studies for EA±TEF have produced inconsistent results. METHODS: This study used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) to examine the association between maternal periconceptional exposure to cigarette smoking and alcohol and EA±TEF. Cases of EA±TEF and unaffected controls with an estimated date of delivery from October 1997 through December 2003 were identified, and telephone interview reports for smoking and alcohol exposure were obtained from birth mothers of 334 cases and 4,967 controls. Odds ratios (OR)s and 95% confidence intervals (CI)s, adjusted for several covariates, were calculated to assess associations. RESULTS: ORs were near unity for all EA±TEF cases combined and any periconceptional exposure to cigarette smoking (OR = 1.1; CI = 0.8,1.6) or alcohol (OR = 1.2; CI = 0.8,1.8). For cigarette smoking, some elevated ORs were found but varied by type of smoking exposure. No consistent patterns were identified for number of cigarettes smoked per day. For alcohol, ORs were weak to moderately elevated with increasing number of drinks consumed and for binge drinkers compared to non-binge drinkers. ORs were further elevated among mothers who reported active+passive exposure to cigarette smoking and alcohol (OR = 2.5; CI = 1.1,5.6). For both exposures, ORs were higher for cases with additional major defects compared to isolated cases. CONCLUSIONS: These results, based on one of the largest published samples of EA±TEF cases, suggest a role for these exposures in the etiology of EA±TEF, although further study is needed to replicate the observed associations. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A review of clinical practice guidelines for reflux disease: toward creating a clinical protocol for the otolaryngologist.

Objectives Reflux disease, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), is an extremely common condition that is diagnosed and treated routinely in an otolaryngology practice. There is great variability in the methods of both diagnosis and treatment amongst otolaryngologists. Our aim is to review current clinical practice guidelines on reflux disease, to identify areas of agreement and controversy, and to begin to work toward a clinical protocol for reflux disease for the otolaryngologist. Study Design Literature review with discussion. Methods A PubMed search was performed looking for clinical practice guidelines on either GERD or LPR. Five hundred seventy articles were identified and the most clinically relevant practice guidelines were selected. Results Thirteen key articles were identified. Eleven of these come from the gastroenterology literature, and none of them come from the otolaryngology literature. There appears to be a consensus on empiric medication trial as first-line therapy for presumed uncomplicated GERD and on prioritizing early identification of patients with severe disease complications. Areas of controversy include the definition of GERD and LPR, which diagnostic algorithm to use in which patient, and the long-term management of medical therapy. Conclusions Although there are many clinical aspects of reflux disease that still remain a mystery, there is enough literature to support a rudimentary clinical protocol at this time. As further data become available from outcomes measurements, such a protocol may result in improved quality and standardization. Laryngoscope, 2011
Incorporation of radioactive sulphate into sulphatide during myelination in cultures of rat cerebellum.

— Explants of rat cerebellum obtained 12-24 h after birth were maintained in culture in Maximow assemblies. About 90 per cent of the cultures myelinated after 10–12 days in vitro. Cultures maintained for varying periods of time were exposed to [35S]Na2SO4; labelled sulphatide was recovered from the total homogenate. Preparation of a subcellular fraction with density properties corresponding to those of myelin indicated that labelled sulphatide appeared in this fraction. Cultures which were poorly-myelinated always exhibited a lower rate of inccrpomtion than well-myelmated cultures from littermate animals, but the distribution of labelled sulphatide into the ‘myelin’ fraction was similar in the two groups. The rate of incorporation of [35S]Na2SO4 into total sulphatide increased with the duration of the culture, with a low level of incorporation until the seventh day in vitro, followed by a sharp increase in rate up to the 21st day. This pattern resembles that observed for rat cerebellum in vivo.
Hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and acanthosis nigricans (HAIR-AN) syndrome: Spontaneous remission in a 15-year-old girl

Acanthosis nigricans is associated with many diseases, including internal malignancies, genetic disorders, and endocrine abnormalities. Insulin resistance frequently accompanies endocrine-associated acanthosis nigricans. We describe a patient with acanthosis nigricans associated with hyperandrogenism and extreme insulin resistance that spontaneously resolved after a marked decrease in insulin receptor antibodies.