cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The hypohydrostatic rescaling and its impacts on modeling of atmospheric convection

The atmospheric circulation spans a wide range of spatial scales, including the planetary scale (∼10,000 km), synoptic scale (∼2,000 km), mesoscale (∼200 km), and convective scales (<20 km). The wide scale separation between convective motions, responsible for the vertical energy transport, and the planetary circulation, responsible for the meridional energy transport, has prevented explicit representation of convective motions in global atmospheric models. Kuang et al. (Geophys. Res. Lett. 32: L02809, 2005) have suggested a way to circumvent this limitation through a rescaling that they refer to as Diabatic Acceleration and REscaling (DARE). We focus here on a modified version of the procedure that we refer to as hypohydrostatic rescaling. These two strategies are equivalent for inviscid and adiabatic flow in the traditional meteorological setting in which the vertical component of the Coriolis acceleration is ignored, but they differ when atmospheric physics is taken into account. It is argued here that, while the hypohydrostatic rescaling preserves the dynamics of the planetary scale circulation, it increases the horizontal scale of convective motions. This drastically reduces the computational cost for explicit simulation of hypohydrostatic convection in a global atmospheric model. A key question is whether explicit simulations of hypohydrostatic convection could offer a valid alternative to convective parameterization in global models. To do so, radiative-convective equilibrium is simulated with a high-resolution non-hydrostatic model using different model resolutions and values of the rescaling param- eter. When the behavior of hypohydrostatic convection is compared with coarse-resolution simulations of convection, the latter set of simulations reproduce more accurately the result from a reference high-resolution simulation. This is particularly true for the convective velocity and cloud ice distributions. Scaling arguments show that hypohydrostatic rescaling increases the convective overturning time. In particular, this convective slowdown associated with the hypohydrostatic rescaling is more significant than the slowdown resulting from
Subgroups with the character restriction property

Suppose HE G are finite groups and every ordinary irreducible character 0~ Irr(H) is the restriction xH of some x E Irr(G). Following [2], we will say that H has property CR (Character Restriction) in G when this occurs. An obvious sufficient condition for CR to hold is that H has a normal complement in G but this is of course not necessary as, for instance, a cyclic group G of order 4 shows. A number of authors have shown, however, that property CR together with suitable additional hypotheses on H and G does imply the existence of a normal complement for H. For instance, Sah [6] shows this if H is a Hall rc-subgroup of G and either H is solvable or G is n-separable. Also, Hawkes and Humphreys [2] prove that CR yields a normal complement if G is solvable and H is an F-projector for G, where 9 is any saturated formation. Among the results in the present paper are a few more situations where CR yields a normal complement. The first of these generalizes Sah’s result.
Partitioned linear estimation algorithms: Discrete case

Using the "partitioning" approach to estimation, fundamentally new, robust, computationally effective and fast filtering and smoothing algorithms have been obtained. The new algorithms are given in explicit expressions of a partitioned nature in terms of decoupled forward filters. The "patitioned" algorithms are especially advantageous both from a computational as well as an analysis standpoint. They are the natural framework for studying observability, controllability, unbiasedness, and especially in deriving robust, fast, and effective numerical algorithms for Riccati equations.
Vasopressin Increases Intracellular NO Concentration via Ca2+ Signaling in Inner Medullary Collecting Duct

The present study was designed to determine whether arginine vasopressin (AVP) stimulates NO production in the epithelial collecting duct cells of the inner medulla (IMCDs) and if this is mediated through Ca 2+ signaling. Thin tissue layers containing IMCDs were dissected from Sprague-Dawley rats. Intracellular Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ) and NO production were measured in IMCDs by a fluorescence imaging system with the use of fura 2-AM and the cell-permeable form of the NO-sensitive dye 4,5-diaminofluorescein (DAF-2), respectively. AVP (100 nmol/L) produced a rapid peak increase in [Ca 2+ ] i of 320±70 nmol/L within a few seconds and a sustained increase of 120±62 nmol/L. The peak increase in [Ca 2+ ] i was followed by a significant increase of NO production (34±7 U). This was similar to that produced by 20 μmol/L of the NO donor DETA-NONOate (42±11 U). The NO scavenger carboxy-PTIO (100 μmol/L) or depletion of [Ca 2+ ] i by preincubation with 5 μmol/L of the Ca 2+ -ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin in Ca 2+ -free buffer abolished the NO response to AVP. We conclude that AVP mobilizes Ca 2+ to produce NO in IMCDs.
Treatment Considerations for Diabetes: A Pharmacist’s Guide to Improving Care in the Elderly:

The management of diabetes in elderly patients has many nuances that are important to the pharmacist, regardless of his or her practice setting. General guidelines and treatment modalities applied to the younger population cannot necessarily be applied to the elderly population and in most cases, should be tailored to meet their needs. The purpose of this article is to gain a better understanding of the complex nature of diabetes and management in the elderly by (1) reviewing the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of diabetes in the patients, (2) understanding complications and geriatric syndromes that may affect management of diabetes, (3) becoming familiar with nationally accepted diabetes care guidelines in the elderly, (4) reviewing recent literature pertaining to management of diabetes, and (5) reviewing medications (including newer agents) to treat diabetes in the elderly.
Toxic effects of selected bleached kraft mill effluent constituents on the sea urchin sperm cell

The toxicities of chemicals found in bleached kraft pulp mill effluent were assessed using a sea urchin sperm toxicity test. Sperm of the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, were preincubated with 12 individual compounds, including resin acids, unsaturated fatty acids, their chlorinated derivatives and chlorinated guaiacols. Sperm were then coincubated with eggs and inhibition of fertilization and the effects on sperm motility were assessed. Resin acids, which are highly toxic to juvenile salmonids in freshwater, were less toxic in seawater (EC50s ranging from 2 to more than 20 mg/L). Unsaturated linoleic and linolenic fatty acids inhibited fertilization at lower concentrations (EC50s of 0.28 to 1.07 mg/L) than resin acids, although they are less toxic than resin acids to freshwater fishes. Oleic acid was not significantly toxic up to 75 mg/L. Chlorinated derivatives showed increasing toxicity with increasing chlorination, and chlorinated resin acids were more toxic than their unchlorinated parent compound. Dichlorostearic acid was the most toxic compound tested, with an EC50 of 0.057 mg/L. All compounds except fatty acids inhibited sperm motility. These results indicate that some of the major constituents of pulp mill effluent exhibit very different levels of toxicity in seawater using a sea urchin sperm cell toxicity test as compared to freshwater bioassays using juvenile salmonids. In addition, mechanisms of action on the sperm appear to differ among the compounds. Accurate quantification of the compounds in effluent as well as the potential effect of the effluent on other marine organisms remains to be determined.
Report on the Production Magnet Measurement System for the Fermilab Energy Saver Superconducting Dipoles and Quadrupoles

The measurement system and procedures used to test more than 900 superconducting dipole magnets and more than 275 superconducting quadrupole magnets for the Fermilab Energy Saver are described. The system is designed to measure nearly all parameters relevant to the use of the magnets in the accelerator including maximum field capability and precision field measurements. The performance of the instrumentation with regard to precision, reliability, and operational needs for high volume testing will be described. Previous reports have described the measurement system used during development of the Saver magnets from which this system has evolved.
Three-dimensional object recognition using cross-sections

Describes a method for recognizing 3D objects from their serial cross-sections. Object regions of interest in cross-sectional binary images of successive slices are aligned with those of the models. Cross-sectional differences between the object and the models are measured in the direction of the gradient of the cross-section boundary. This is repeated in all the cross-sectional images. The model with minimum average cross-sectional difference is selected as the best match to the given object. The method is tested using computer-generated surfaces, and results are presented. >
DryadOpt: Branch-and-Bound on Distributed Data-Parallel Execution Engines

We introduce Dryad Opt, a library that enables massively parallel and distributed execution of optimization algorithms for solving hard problems. Dryad Opt performs an exhaustive search of the solution space using branch-and-bound, by recursively splitting the original problem into many simpler sub problems. It uses both parallelism (at the core level) and distributed execution (at the machine level). Dryad Opt provides a simple yet powerful interface to its users, who only need to implement sequential code to process individual sub problems (either by solving them in full or generating new sub problems). The parallelism and distribution are handled automatically by Dryad Opt, and are invisible to the user. The distinctive feature of our system is that it is implemented on top of Dryad LINQ, a distributed data-parallel execution engine similar to Hadoop and Map-Reduce. Despite the fact that these engines offer a constrained application model, with restricted communication patterns, our experiments show that careful design choices allow Dryad Opt to scale linearly with the number of machines, with very little overhead.
Covariance shaping least-squares estimation

A new linear estimator is proposed, which we refer to as the covariance shaping least-squares (CSLS) estimator, for estimating a set of unknown deterministic parameters, x, observed through a known linear transformation H and corrupted by additive noise. The CSLS estimator is a biased estimator directed at improving the performance of the traditional least-squares (LS) estimator by choosing the estimate of x to minimize the (weighted) total error variance in the observations subject to a constraint on the covariance of the estimation error so that we control the dynamic range and spectral shape of the covariance of the estimation error. The presented CSLS estimator is shown to achieve the Cramer-Rao lower bound for biased estimators. Furthermore, analysis of the mean-squared error (MSE) of both the CSLS estimator and the LS estimator demonstrates that the covariance of the estimation error can be chosen such that there is a threshold SNR below which the CSLS estimator yields a lower MSE than the LS estimator for all values of x. As we show, some of the well-known modifications of the LS estimator can be formulated as CSLS estimators. This allows us to interpret these estimators as the estimators that minimize the total error variance in the observations, among all linear estimators with the same covariance.
Utility of ICD-9-CM Codes for Identification of Allergic Drug Reactions

Background The epidemiology of allergic drug reactions is poorly understood due, in large part, to difficulty in identifying true cases in population data sets. Use of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification ( ICD-9-CM ) codes is a potentially valuable approach that requires formal evaluation. Objective To better understand the utility of ICD-9-CM codes for identification of allergic drug reactions, including the validation of specific codes by chart review. Methods We reviewed randomly sampled medical records of patients treated in the emergency department (ED) between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2006, with ICD-9-CM codes for drug allergy and E codes (E930-949) for adverse drug reactions. Results During the 6-year period, 11,130 charts were identified by ICD-9-CM and E codes and 1,634 were reviewed. Allergic drug reactions were found in 444 (27%) of the reviewed ED visits. The codes that identified the highest percentage of true allergic drug reactions were dermatitis due to drug (693.0; 87%), adverse reaction to drug (995.2; 52%), and anaphylaxis (995.0; 38%). Patients with both an ICD-9-CM code and an E code had a high likelihood of having an allergic drug reaction (76%). Most allergic drug reactions were attributed to antibiotics (42%), intravenous contrast (7%), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (6%). The estimated frequency of allergic drug reactions increased from 0.49% of ED visits in 2001 to 0.94% in 2012. Conclusions Specific ICD-9-CM and E codes can be used in combination to identify allergic drug reactions. Further study of these codes in the inpatient and outpatient settings is necessary to better understand the utility of diagnosis codes for improving epidemiologic research on drug allergy.
Re: Reliability and benefits of medical student peers in rating complex clinical skills: response to common mistake.

Dear SirWe want to take this opportunity to respond to the concerns raised about the reliability analysis conducted in the study. Dr Sabour has pointed out the appropriate use of intraclass correla...
Effects of virus dose and extrinsic incubation temperature on vector competence of Culex nigripalpus (Diptera: Culicidae) for St. Louis encephalitis virus.

Culex nigripalpus Theobald is a primary vector of St. Louis encephalitis virus in the southeastern United States. Cx. nigripalpus females were fed blood containing a low (4.0 ± 0.01 log10 plaque-forming unit equivalents (PFUeq)/ml) or high (4.7 ± 0.1 log10 PFUeq/ml) St. Louis encephalitis virus dose and maintained at extrinsic incubation temperatures (EIT) of 25 or 28°C for 12 d. Vector competence was measured via quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to estimate PFUeq using rates of infection, dissemination, and transmission. There were no differences in infection rates between the two EITs at either dose. The low dose had higher infection rates at both EITs. Dissemination rates were significantly higher at 28°C compared with 25°C at both doses. Virus transmission was observed (<7%) only at 28°C for both doses. The virus titer in body tissues was greater at 28°C compared with 25°C at both doses. The difference between the EITs was greater at the low dose, resulting in a higher titer for the low dose than the high dose at 28°C. Virus titers in leg tissues were greater in mosquitoes fed the high versus low dose, but were not influenced by EIT. Further investigations using a variety of environmental and biological factors would be useful in exploring the complexity of vector competence.
A dietary phytochemical alters caste-associated gene expression in honey bees

In the eusocial honey bee Apis mellifera, with reproductive queens and sterile workers, a female larva’s developmental fate depends on its diet; nurse bees feed queen-destined larvae exclusively royal jelly, a glandular secretion, but worker-destined larvae receive royal jelly for 3 days and subsequently jelly to which honey and beebread are added. RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that p-coumaric acid, which is ubiquitous in honey and beebread, differentially regulates genes involved in caste determination. Rearing larvae in vitro on a royal jelly diet to which p-coumaric acid has been added produces adults with reduced ovary development. Thus, consuming royal jelly exclusively not only enriches the diet of queen-destined larvae but also may protect them from inhibitory effects of phytochemicals present in the honey and beebread fed to worker-destined larvae.
Room-temperature long-wavelength (λ = 13.3 µm) unipolar quantum dot intersubband laser

Long-wavelength (λ = 13.3 µm) unipolar lasing at 283 K from self-organised In0.4Ga0.6As/GaAs quantum dots, due to intersubband transitions in the conduction band, is demonstrated for the first time. The threshold current density under continuous wave operation is 1.1 kA/cm2 for a 60 µm × 1.2 mm broad-area plasmon-enhanced waveguide device and the maximum power output is ≃ 1 µW. The long intersubband relaxation time in quantum dots, together with the short lifetime in the ground state, due to interband stimulated emission, help to achieve the necessary population inversion and gain.
Ecological momentary assessment of the relationship between headache pain intensity and pain interference in women with migraine and obesity.

Background While pain intensity during migraine headache attacks is known to be a determinant of interference with daily activities, no study has evaluated: (a) the pain intensity-interference association in real-time on a per-headache basis, (b) multiple interference domains, and (c) factors that modify the association. Methods Participants were 116 women with overweight/obesity and migraine seeking behavioral treatment to lose weight and decrease headaches in the Women's Health and Migraine trial. Ecological momentary assessment, via smartphone-based 28-day headache diary, and linear mixed-effects models were used to study associations between pain intensity and total- and domain-specific interference scores using the Brief Pain Inventory. Multiple factors (e.g. pain catastrophizing (PC) and headache management self-efficacy (HMSE)) were evaluated either as independent predictors or moderators of the pain intensity-interference relationship. Results Pain intensity predicted degree of pain interference across all domains either as a main effect (coeff = 0.61-0.78, p < 0.001) or interaction with PC, allodynia, and HMSE ( p < 0.05). Older age and greater allodynia consistently predicted higher interference, regardless of pain intensity (coeff = 0.04-0.19, p < 0.05). Conclusions Pain intensity is a consistent predictor of pain interference on migraine headache days. Allodynia, PC, and HMSE moderated the pain intensity-interference relationship, and may be promising targets for interventions to reduce pain interference.
Risk-Stratified Initial Salvage Therapy for Relapsed or Refractory Metastatic Germ Cell Tumors.

Abstract Background Salvage treatment with either conventional-dose chemotherapy (CDCT) or high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (HDCT) offers curative potential for patients with relapsed or refractory germ cell tumor (GCT). However, the optimal initial salvage strategy remains controversial, and the criteria for appropriate patient selection are not clear. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical outcomes for GCT patients receiving initial salvage therapy using a risk-stratified treatment approach. In general, patients with favorable-risk disease received CDCT with 4 cycles of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin, while patients with unfavorable-risk disease received HDCT per institutional protocol. The prognostic validity of the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) and the International Prognostic Factors Study Group (IPFSG) risk groups were evaluated in this context. Results Thirty-seven patients received initial salvage therapy. Twenty-four patients (65%) achieved a favorable response (including complete response to chemotherapy alone, complete response after post-chemotherapy surgical resection, or partial response with negative tumor markers). The favorable response rates for the CDCT and HDCT treatment groups were 69% and 62%, respectively. After a median follow-up of 31 months, the median survival for CDCT-treated patients has not been reached, and the median survival for the HDCT-treated group was 24 months. Both the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group and the International Prognostic Factors Study Group risk groups were significantly associated with progression-free survival (log-rank P = .009 and P = .039, respectively). Conclusions Patients with favorable prognostic features may achieve durable remissions without requiring high-dose salvage chemotherapy. However, the criteria for optimal patient selection remain unclear, and these findings further support the need for a definitive randomized trial.
Counting by Correspondence

How should mathematical objects be counted? Several quite distinct methods are popular including summation of finite series, use .of one-to-one correspondences, manipulation of generating functions, and application of the inclusion-exclusion principle, to name only the most common. Perhaps summation of finite series is the method used most widely, even though it tends to be a brute force approach relying on well-developed techniques of manipulation rather than on features which are inherent in the context of the particular problem. Its use reflects the viewpoint that the answer is of primary importance, while the way it is obtained is incidental: in other words, the end justifies the means. We are sure many besides ourselves have had the experience of solving a counting problem by summation of finite series and upon finding that the answer was relatively simple, have thought: "There must be a more natural way to derive this solution!" Our intention here is to show that the use of correspondences may provide more natural and more enlightening solutions to counting problems, by making use of inherent structural features. As a paradigm, we take the problem of counting all nondecreasing sequences of k natural numbers, none of which exceeds n: that is, the problem of determining the cardinality of the set
Recall and recognition processes in motor memory: effects of feedback and knowledge of results delay.

In linear movement tasks of 200 msec (Experiment 1 — ballistic movement) and 500 msec (Experiment 2 — nonballistic movement), motor recall strength was assessed by absolute, constant, and variable error; recognition strength was assessed by Z’-transformed actual-estimate correlations and absolute actual-estimate difference scores. Contrary to predictions, neither increased KR delay (45 vs. 5 sec) nor limited visual-auditory-tactile feedback caused decrements in recognition processes over KR-training or KR-withdrawal trial blocks for the 200-msec task. In the 500-msec task, the independent variables impaired recognition through training and transfer trials but impaired recall only in the training trials. Results generally did not support the hypothesized independence between recall and recognition processes. Several methodological issues related to recall and recognition research were discussed.
The Use of Digital Filters in Pattern-Reversal Visual Evoked Potentials

ABSTRACT.In an effort to obtain a satisfactory pattern-reversal visual evoked potential (PVEP) with only a few repetitions, the standard analog bandpass of 5–100 Hz of the PVEP was reduced to 1–25 Hz using digital filters. Latencies of the response were unchanged compared with those with a bandpass of 5–100 Hz. This filtering eliminates the high frequency noise together with high frequencies, if any, contained in the response, thus improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Digital filtering makes it possible to obtain a satisfactory average with fewer responses without changing the latencies. The power spectrum of the average VEP with bandpass of 5–100 Hz of a selection of patients and of normal subjects showed only negligible percentage of activity above 20 Hz. Examples of averages with bandpass of 5–100 Hz and 1–25 Hz as well as of their power spectrum are given. Digital filtering produces satisfactory PVEP averages with lower number of responses than that usually recommended. This is an advantage when deali...
Spatiotemporally synchronized cancer combination therapy using photo-activated nanoparticle drug delivery systems(Conference Presentation)

This talk will introduce a new nanotechnology platform for cancer combination therapy that utilizes near infrared light activation not only for photodynamic damage but also as an extrinsic mechanism to initiate release of complimentary drugs to suppress dynamic bursts in molecular signaling networks that promote tumor cell survival and treatment escape. The goal is to achieve co-delivery with concomitant activity of photodynamic, molecular inhibitor and chemotherapeutic agents, selectively within the tumor. This approach overcomes challenges in achieving synergistic interactions using sequential drug delivery. Conventional drug delivery is compromised by the differential pharmacokinetics of individual agents and potentially antagonistic effects—such as vascular shutdown by one agent that limits delivery of the second. Here, photodynamic damage—which efficiently kills drug-resistant cells via damage of common proteins involved in drug-resistance (such as anti-apoptosis factors and drug-efflux transporters)—is synchronized spatially and temporally with the photo-initiated release of complimentary agents—to enable full interaction amongst the individual therapies. This spatiotemporal synchronization offers new prospects for exploiting time-sensitive synergistic interactions. Specific implementations of these concepts will be presented in preclinical models of cancer. Strategies to enable molecular-targeting of cancer cells via site-specific attachment of targeting moieties to the outer lipid shell of these nanovehicles will also be discussed. If successful in humans, this new paradigm for synchronized, tumor-focused combination therapy will ultimately supersede the present use of chronic drug injection by increasing efficacy per cycle whilst reducing systemic exposure to toxic drugs.
Challenges and Opportunities Medical Science of Law Faced in New Era

First of all,this paper analyzes the complexity of the discipline characteristics of medical science of law in discipline construction,the insufficient team construction strength,the compound talent cultivation,the challenges and opportunities the discipline construction faced,and the present situation of discipline construction. In addition,it elaborates that the study on medical science of law should be strengthened,the research level of its discipline construction should be improved,and the solution for discipline orientation and compound talent cultivation should be explored.
Study on Transient of Reverse Recovery of Series Thyristors

With more and more applications of devices of Flexible Alternative Current Transmission System (FACTS) and High Voltage Direct Current transmission (HVDC), more and more attentions are paid to the power electronics switches mainly composed of thyristors. Although in published literatures the research on thyristor model and the design of its peripheral circuits are presented, up to now the research on reverse recovery transient of series thyristors has not been reported. Based on exponential recovery current model of thyristor, the transient analysis, mathematical derivation and simulation for the transient of reverse recovery of two thyristors connected in series are performed. Comparison of the results from calculation and simulation shows that the transient analysis by the authors is correct and the assumption for calculation formulae is reasonable to some extend of precision.
Modulation of superoxide production of alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood mononuclear cells by β-agonists and theophylline

Reactive oxygen species, including superoxide anion, have attracted increasing attention for their possible role in promoting inflammation in a variety of pulmonary diseases including asthma. However, reactive oxygen species metabolism of phagocytic cells may be substantially modified by therapeutic agents used for asthma. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and alveolar macrophages from 15 normal subjects, and blood mononuclear cells from an additional 17 normal subjects, were studied to assess the effects of beta-receptor agonists and theophylline on phagocytic cell superoxide release. Isoproterenol produced a biphasic effect on spontaneous and phorbol ester stimulated alveolar macrophage and mononuclear cell superoxide production, augmenting release at 10(-5)M, and inhibiting release at 10(-4)M. These effects on spontaneous function in mononuclear cells were inhibited by 10(-5)M propranolol. Under conditions of phorbol ester-stimulation the enhancing effect of 10(-5)M isoproterenol on blood mononuclear cells was blocked by propranolol, but the inhibitory effect of 10(-4)M isoproterenol was not. Albuterol at equimolar concentrations with isoproterenol was not associated with altered spontaneous or stimulated superoxide release by alveolar macrophages or mononuclear cells. Further, spontaneous superoxide release by alveolar macrophages and mononuclear cells was significantly reduced by therapeutically achievable concentrations of theophylline (greater than 5 micrograms/ml). We conclude that the medication history must be controlled in studies of cell function in asthma, and that albuterol may be preferable to isoproterenol as a premedication for bronchoscopy when superoxide production of airspace cells is studied.
SU-F-T-518: Development and Characterization of a Gated Treatment System Implemented with An In-House Optical Tracking System and the Elekta Response Interface

Purpose: To report the development and characterization of the first in-house gating system implemented with an optical tracking system (OTS) and the Elekta Response™ interface. Methods: The Response™ connects a patient tracking system with a linac, enabling the tracking system to control radiation delivery. The developed system uses an in-house OTS to monitor patient breathing. The OTS consists of two infrared-based cameras, tracking markers affixed on patient. It achieves gated or breath-held (BH) treatment by calling beam ON/OFF functions in the Response™ dynamic-link library (DLL). A 4D motion phantom was used to evaluate its dosimetric and time delay characteristics. Two FF- and two FFF-IMRT beams were delivered in non-gated, BH and gated mode. The sinusoidal gating signal had a 6 sec period and 15 mm amplitude. The duty cycle included 10%, 20%, 30% and 50%. The BH signal was adapted from the sinusoidal wave by inserting 15 sec BHs. Each delivery was measured with a 2D diode array (MapCHECK™) and compared with the non-gated delivery using gamma analysis (3%). The beam ON/OFF time was captured using the service graphing utility of the linac. Results: The gated treatments were successfully delivered except the 10% duty cycle. The BH delivery had perfect agreement (100%) with non-gated delivery; the agreement of gated delivery decreased from 99% to 88% as duty cycle reduced from 50% to 20%. The beam on/off delay was on average 0.25/0.06 sec. The delivery time for the 50%, 30% and 20% duty cycle increased by 29%, 71% and 139%, respectively. No dosimetric or time delay difference was noticed between FF- and FFF-IMRT beams. Conclusion: The in-house gating system was successfully developed with dosimetric and time delay characteristics in line with published results for commercial systems. It will be an important platform for further research and clinical development of gated treatment.
CASE 9-2016: Management of a Former Cardiac Anesthesiologist With Increasing Aortic Stenosis Requiring Aortic Valve Replacement.

RANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY (TTE) is an important tool for evaluating and managing patients with worsening aortic stenosis. In almost every case, imaging is performed by a sonographer and interpreted by a cardiologist. It is rare for a patient’s cardiac pathology to be followed by an anesthesiology echocardiography team that performs and interprets the patient’s frequent TTE imaging and works as a team with the patient’s cardiologist. The authors describe a case of mild aortic stenosis discovered in a 70-year-old former cardiac anesthesiologist (T.S.) during a routine physical examination by his primary care physician (an internist/cardiologist). The aortic stenosis then was followed for 5 years by the anesthesia echocardiography team with frequent TTEs (ie, every 3-6 months) until the severity of the stenosis indicated valve replacement was required even though the patient’s symptoms were subtle and mild. Intraoperative echocardiography is an increasingly important tool, and it is now an accepted practice for anesthesiologists to perform transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during surgery. While most anesthesia echocardiography is transesophageal, for those with sufficient skill and training, TTE can be put to good use in managing patients throughout the perioperative period, from the preoperative clinic through hospital discharge. 1 Although cardiologists usually follow patients with cardiac pathology that may require surgical correction, because of their skill and experience with TTE, some anesthesia echocardiography teams may be asked to assist in the followup imaging, management, and decisions these patients need to make about their subsequent surgical care.
Satisfaction and self-confidence with nursing clinical simulation: Novice learners, medium-fidelity, and community settings ☆

Abstract Background Simulation is fast becoming a normative pedagogy for a portion of clinical time in undergraduate nursing programs in the U.S. Studies have shown positive outcomes in increasing self-confidence and satisfaction with simulation. The questions remain as to which fidelity of simulation best matches which learners, how early can simulation begin with novice students, and in which contexts can simulation be best used for these early learners. This study was undertaken to find out if novice students were able to demonstrate increased satisfaction and self-confidence with medium fidelity simulation in community based roles, as these students have no knowledge of acute care skills at this point in their learning. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of medium fidelity simulation by measuring self-confidence and satisfaction among novice learners and to demonstrate the feasibility of using community based scenarios in simulation. Method A quasi-experimental design using 61 undergraduate nursing students at a Midwestern college. Data was collected using three NLN simulation instruments known as the Educational Practices Questionnaire, Self-Confidence in Learning Questionnaire, and Simulation Design Scale (Jeffries and Rizzolo, 2006) following a five-week pediatric community-based simulation course. Students were concurrently enrolled in pediatric theory courses and their first acute care clinical course and skills lab while completing this community-based simulation course. Results The results revealed that students were satisfied and self-confident following their simulation experience. They also reported high levels of satisfaction with the fidelity of the simulation experience. Conclusion Medium fidelity community based pediatric simulation can be used effectively among novice nursing students. This pedagogy is an effective way to bridge theory instruction with clinical instruction while providing students with necessary community experiences.
Effects of Surgical Factors on Cartilage Can Be Detected Using Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background:Quantitative magnetic resonance (qMR) can be used to measure macromolecules in tissues and is a potential method of observing early cartilage changes in the development of posttraumatic ...
Accounting for Label Uncertainty in Machine Learning for Detection of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

When training a machine learning algorithm for a supervised-learning task in some clinical applications, uncertainty in the correct labels of some patients may adversely affect the performance of the algorithm. For example, even clinical experts may have less confidence when assigning a medical diagnosis to some patients because of ambiguity in the patient's case or imperfect reliability of the diagnostic criteria. As a result, some cases used in algorithm training may be mislabeled, adversely affecting the algorithm's performance. However, experts may also be able to quantify their diagnostic uncertainty in these cases. We present a robust method implemented with support vector machines (SVM) to account for such clinical diagnostic uncertainty when training an algorithm to detect patients who develop the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a syndrome of the critically ill that is diagnosed using clinical criteria known to be imperfect. We represent uncertainty in the diagnosis of ARDS as a graded weight of confidence associated with each training label. We also performed a novel time-series sampling method to address the problem of intercorrelation among the longitudinal clinical data from each patient used in model training to limit overfitting. Preliminary results show that we can achieve meaningful improvement in the performance of algorithm to detect patients with ARDS on a hold-out sample, when we compare our method that accounts for the uncertainty of training labels with a conventional SVM algorithm.
Visible light optical coherence microscopy imaging of the mouse cortex with femtoliter volume resolution

Most flying-spot Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optical Coherence Microscopy (OCM) systems use a symmetric confocal geometry, where the detection path retraces the illumination path starting from and ending with the spatial mode of a single mode optical fiber. Here, we describe a visible light OCM instrument that breaks this symmetry to improve transverse resolution without sacrificing collection efficiency in scattering tissue. This was achieved by overfilling a 0.3 numerical aperture (NA) water immersion objective on the illumination path, while maintaining a conventional Gaussian mode detection path (1/e2 intensity diameter ~0.82 Airy disks), enabling ~1.1 μm full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) transverse resolution. At the same time, a ~0.9 μm FWHM axial resolution in tissue, achieved by a broadband visible light source, enabled femtoliter volume resolution. We characterized this instrument according to paraxial coherent microscopy theory, and then used it to image the meningeal layers, intravascular red blood cell-free layer, and myelinated axons in the mouse neocortex in vivo through the thinned skull. Finally, by introducing a 0.8 NA water immersion objective, we improved the lateral resolution to 0.44 μm FWHM, which provided a volumetric resolution of ~0.2 fL, revealing cell bodies in cortical layer I of the mouse brain with OCM for the first time.
Effect of interferon on a primary conjunctival epithelial cell model of trachoma.

An in vitro human primary conjunctival epithelial system was adapted to determine if the effects of interferon-7 (IFN-7), as described in cultured cell lines, were applicable to human ocular infection with Chlamydia irachomatis, Primary human epithelial cell cultures were exposed to varying concentrations of IFN-7. The treatment resulted in the induction of the tryptophan decyclizing enzyme indolamine 2,3-deoxygenase (IDO) in a dose-dependent manner as determined by assaying the conversion of tryptophan to its metabolites using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Little IDO induction occurred in the presence of IFN-a or IFN-/?. Catabolism of up to 38% of available tryptophan occurred in IFN-7-treated cells in contrast to controls that showed only baseline activity. Cells cultured with IFN-7 and then infected with an ocular isolate of C. trachomatis (TW-5), had a reduction in the percentage of inclusion-containing cells by over 80% in a dose-dependent manner. Reversal by the addition of exogenous tryptophan substantiated that IFN-7-mediated induction of IDO and catabolism of tryptophan were responsible for inhibition of intracellular growth of C. trachomatis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 32:2919-2923,1991
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING IN THE UNITED STATES

Let us begin with a philosophical overview of the scope of imaging and image processing. Figure 1 is a panorama showing the progression of events since 1940 when the first commercial installations of electronic image scanning and transmission (“television”) occurred. Each television transmitter outputs about 1014 picture elements (“pixels”) per year. Human vision is capable of perceiving about 106 pixels per eye. Conservatively estimating the eye’s frequency cut-off at 10 Hz, the average human, using the eyes 16 hrs/ day, perceives about 4·1014 pixels/year. The perception rate of human vision is shown in Figure 1 to give us an upper bound which is now at 1.3·1024 pixels/year globally if we use the von Foerster (1960) equation for world population: $$N = 1.79{\mkern 1mu} {10^{11}}/{\left( {2026.87 - t} \right)^{0.99}}.$$
Chapter 5 – Preservation Processes

Heating plays an important role in food preservation processes. Commercial thermal processing involves the use of retorts for canned foods. Heating influences the inactivation of enzymes, destruction of microorganisms, and degradation of nutrients and other quality attributes in foods. Rate kinetics of such reactions can be described using mathematical expressions. Thermal death time calculations are useful in determining required thermal processes for pasteurization and food sterilization.
Thin Oxide Film Characterization Methods

Various techniques of materials characterization are also crucial in order to “see” what is happening during and after the growth, as well as to be able to analyze the properties of the resulting structure. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of the more commonly used thin film characterization methods based on incident electrons, photons, ions, and scanning probe techniques. These techniques can be used to determine the crystalline structure, and electronic and chemical characteristics of epitaxial oxide systems. In most cases, a combination of one or more of these techniques is performed in order to gain a more complete picture of the sample being measured. The chapter is primarily designed to introduce thin film growth practitioners to the most common characterization methods available and what types of information can be obtained from them.
Networking Techniques for Project Planning, Scheduling, and Control

The networking techniques have been available since the late 1950’s. They appear to offer a tremendous potential for improving the planning and control of project-type work. They have been presented in countless management seminars and technical articles as well as many textbooks. They have been widely used in the construction industry and are frequently required by contract specifications. In spite of all this, it seems accurate to state that results have not lived up to expectations. Further improvements and more education are required for a truly effective level of application.
Creative Styles in the Workplace: New vs Different

Abstract In this chapter, we explore the area of creative styles and their application to the workplace. We synthesize existing theory and research (including the concepts of divergent and convergent thinking, radical versus incremental contributions, and opportunities versus constraints) to propose a model of New and Different creativity styles. We then discuss a New creativity test, the Creative Response Evaluation at Work (CRE-W), which operationalizes the New and Different model. We discuss how the model and test can be used for a variety of organizational purposes, from team composition to training, coaching, and development.
Non-Violent Action

Non-violent action entails exerting power to bring about change through means which avoid the use of physical force. Examples include protests, boycotts, civil disobedience, and non-cooperation, among others. Although it is possible for a single individual to engage in non-violence, larger-scale efforts, which involve numerous people working together to achieve some shared goal, are associated with broader societal change. Historically, these goals have included: undermining authoritarian governments, contesting injustices, preserving human rights, freedoms, and civil liberties, preventing coups d’etats, defending against external threats, and expelling foreign invaders, among others. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the key thinkers, practitioners, and writings on non-violent action. Our purpose is twofold. First, we aim to introduce readers to the key figures in the long tradition of non-violent action. Second, we seek to emphasize non-violent action as an important means for responding to crises. This approach is bottom-up in that it requires people figuring out ways to work together collectively to generate change to the status quo without a single, overarching entity directing the effort.
Graph 2-rankings

A 2-ranking of a graph G is an ordered partition of the vertices of G into independent sets $$V_1, \ldots , V_t$$ such that for $$i<j$$ , the subgraph of G induced by $$V_i \cup V_j$$ is a star forest in which each vertex in $$V_i$$ has degree at most 1. A 2-ranking is intermediate in strength between a star coloring and a distance-2 coloring. The 2-ranking number ofG, denoted $$\chi _{2}(G)$$ , is the minimum number of parts needed for a 2-ranking. For the d-dimensional cube $$Q_d$$ , we prove that $$\chi _{2}(Q_d) = d+1$$ . As a corollary, we improve the upper bound on the star chromatic number of products of cycles when each cycle has length divisible by 4. Let $$\chi _{2}'(G)=\chi _{2}(L(G))$$ , where L(G) is the line graph of G; equivalently, $$\chi _{2}'(G)$$ is the minimum t such that there is an ordered partition of E(G) into t matchings $$M_1, \ldots , M_t$$ such that for each j, the matching $$M_j$$ is induced in the subgraph of G with edge set $$M_1 \cup \cdots \cup M_j$$ . We show that $$\chi _{2}'(K_{m,n})=nH_m$$ when m! divides n, where $$K_{m,n}$$ is the complete bipartite graph with parts of sizes m and n, and $$H_m$$ is the harmonic sum $$1 + \cdots + \frac{1}{m}$$ . We also prove that $$\chi _{2}(G) \le 7$$ when G is subcubic and show the existence of a graph G with maximum degree k and $$\chi _{2}(G) \ge \varOmega (k^2/\log (k))$$ .
ERCP-associated infected intrahepatic pancreatic pseudocyst.

Abstract Introduction Pancreatic pseudocysts are abnormal mature collections of pancreatic fluid that can develop in association with acute or chronic pancreatitis. Here, we share the discovery of an infected hepatic subcapsular pseudocyst of the pancreas causing septic shock following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Presentation of Case A 55-year-old woman with ethanol-related chronic pancreatitis and biliary stricture was transferred to the ICU for hypotension 8 hours following ERCP. Examination revealed mild right upper quadrant tenderness without sign of peritonitis. Laboratory studies were notable for leukocytosis (14.6 k/L) and slightly elevated serum lipase (489 U/L). Abdominal CT scan revealed a previously undescribed subcapsular fluid collection. She underwent CT-guided percutaneous subcapsular drainage with return of opaque yellowish fluid. Fluid analysis showed elevated lipase of 62,901 U/L with cultures positive for ESBL Escherichia coli, Streptococcus constellatus, and Enterococcus faecium. Discussion A majority of pancreatic pseudocysts develop in peripancreatic regions, while, in a recent study, over a quarter of cases were found in usual sites. The management of subcapsular pseudocysts has not been standardized and often involves endoscopic or percutaneous drainage. Operative intervention is reserved for severe infection or rupture in patients with intrahepatic pseudocysts. Rarely do subcapsular pseudocysts become infected. In this case, we postulate the pseudocyst became seeded by bacteria during ERCP resulting in infection and then sepsis. Conclusion This case report highlights an atypical presentation of pancreatic pseudocyst as well as a rare septic complication of ERCP.