cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic-ultrasound-guided tissue sampling facilitates the detection of local recurrence and extra pelvic metastasis in pelvic urologic malignancy.

Pelvic lymph node dissection is the gold standard for assessing nodal disease in prostate or bladder cancer and is superior to CT, MRI and PET staging. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) provides an alternative, less invasive method of cytohistologic material acquisition, but its performance in pelvic urologic malignancy is unknown. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of EUS guided tissue sampling for these malignancies when compared to a composite cytohistologic and surgical gold standard. A median of 3 FNA passes were performed (n = 19 patients) revealing a sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 94.4% (72–99), 100% (2–100), 100% (80–100) and 50% (1–98) respectively. The perirectal space was the most frequently sampled location irrespective of the primary urological cancer origin. Final diagnosis established by EUS tissue sampling included bladder cancer (n = 1), bladder cancer local recurrence (n = 8), bladder cancer extra pelvic metastases (n = 1), prostate cancer (n = 2), prostate cancer local recurrence (n = 4), prostate cancer extra pelvic metastases (n = 1), testicular cancer extra pelvic metastases (n = 1) and a benign seminal vesicle (n = 1). EUS guided sampling of the gut wall, lymph nodes, or perirectal space yields suitable diagnostic material to establish the presence of primary, local recurrence or extra pelvic metastases of pelvic urologic malignancy.
Wire array Z-pinch length variations for K-shell x-ray generation on Z

Large diameter (50-70 mm) wire array z pinches are fielded on the refurbished Z machine to generate 1-10 keV K-shell x-ray radiation. Imploding with velocities approaching 100 cm/(µs, these loads create large dL/dt which generates a high voltage, stresses the convolute, and leads to current loss. High velocities are required to reach the few-keV electron temperatures required to strip moderate-atomic-number plasmas to the K shell, thus there is an inherent trade-off between achieving high velocity and stressing the pulsed power driver via the large dL/dt.
Quality transition fault tests suitable for small delay defects

Compact high quality test sets to detect small delay defects can be generated using the transition fault model by insisting that events are activated and propagated only along the critical paths for each transition fault, implicitly kept in a zero-suppressed binary decision diagram. This paper shows how to implicitly generate test functions for the described high quality transition fault model. The novelty of the method relies on a multivalued algebra that is used to generate the test functions with a single circuit traversal.
Contextual Problem Solving Model Origination.

Problem solving has become a central focus of instructional activity in technology education classrooms at all levels (Boser, 1993). Impact assessment considerations incorporating society, culture, and economics are factors that require high-level deliberation involving critical thinking and the implementation of problem solving strategy. The purpose of this study was to analyze components, sequencing, and challenges associated with technology education student identification and development of problem solving models that factor societal, cultural, and economic considerations. Additionally, this study investigated individual problem solving strategies concerning methods, solutions, and abilities. This study identified that there is no apparent effect on initial component selection of problem solving modeling whether challenged with environmental or manufacturing issues. Students highlighted problem identification as the initial phase of the developed models. Perception of technology education student problem solving ability is high, but students tend not to vary from prescribed categorical stage models that are commonly demonstrated and used in the teacher preparation program.
Intraoperative measurement of activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time by a portable laser photometer in patients following cardiopulmonary bypass

Intraoperative capabilities to rapidly assess coagulation status following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may be of benefit in providing optimal hemostasis and transfusion management, because CPB causes abnormalities in coagulation that may increase morbidity and mortality. The Ciba Corning 512 coagulation monitor (Ciba Corning, Medfield, MA) is a compact and portable device that rapidly determines the prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) in whole blood samples. One hundred patients requiring CPB had APTT and PT determined in whole blood specimens by the 512 coagulation monitor and in plasma specimens by the hospital laboratory from the same arterial blood sample obtained after protamine administration. Correlation coefficients of 0.95 and 0.77 were obtained for the paired APTT and PT tests, respectively (P < 0.01). A bias of 12.6 seconds and 0.77 seconds was determined for the APTT and PT, respectively. The 95% confidence intervals of the bias of the APTT and PT were 9.7 seconds to 15.5 seconds and 0.3 seconds to 1.16 seconds, respectively. The 512 coagulation monitor provided APTT and PT results in less than 3 minutes compared to approximately 45 minutes for the hospital laboratory. A reduction in accuracy was associated with the 512 coagulation monitor PT and APTT when different sampling sites were used. The 512 coagulation monitor accuracy was not affected by a variation of hemoglobin concentration or platelet count between 6 and 12 gm/dL and 15 to 300 x 10(9)/L, respectively. In conclusion, the 512 coagulation monitor provided a rapid APTT and PT result, but the APTT was less accurate. Speeding access to hospital laboratory results would be even more efficacious and accurate.
Determination of Basinwide Paleocurrent Patterns in a Shale Succession from Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (Ams): A Case Study of the Mid-Proterozoic Newland Formation, Montana

ABSTRACT In shales of the Mid-Proterozoic Newland Formation, magnetic fabrics can be used as indicators of paleoflow direction. The long axis of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) ellipsoid parallels paleoflow and is inclined in the upcurrent direction (Schieber and Ellwood 1988). To apply the AMS paleocurrent method to shales on a basinwide scale, oriented samples from the two members of the Newland Formation and its lateral equivalents were collected over the entire southeastern Belt basin. For the lower member of the Newland Formation the data show a parallel-bipolar and north-south-oriented paleoflow pattern. The pattern for the upper member of the Newland Formation is more complex: it indicates the presence of a northern and southern shoreline from where sediment is transferr d deeper into the basin (parallel-unimodal pattern), as well as a central zone of overlap with a parallel bipolar pattern. The results of the study show that AMS-based paleocurrent patterns support paleogeographic reconstructions based on stratigraphic and sedimentologic studies, and that tectonic deformation did not significantly alter primary fabrics. In the upper member of the Newland Formation, shore-normal vs. shore-oblique sediment transport for sandy and muddy storm deposits, respectively, is in agreement with a recently proposed depositional model for storm deposits (Duke et al. 1991).
Glycoengineering and Modeling of Protein N-Glycosylation

Abstract Glycoproteins for treating human diseases have revolutionized the health care industry. However, controlling glycosylation has been a challenge as small variations in glycan structure can be responsible for significant changes in key therapeutic properties. Manipulation of glycan biosynthesis can be particularly complex since the process is not directly encoded on the genome but depends on multiple variables such as enzymes’ activity, selectivity, localization, expression host, and process parameters and conditions. Furthermore, a particular glycoprotein may include many different glycan structures due to differences in processing that occur for each individual molecule. The present chapter focuses on experimental and computational approaches to direct N-glycosylation in expression systems for generation of biotherapeutics of superior value. Glycoengineering-based manipulations of glycan structures using glycosyltransferases, modification of precursor biosynthetic pathways, and predictions of glycosylation patterns using mathematical models are described including examples from the literature as a means of optimizing glycoform distributions in cells.
Synopsis of the use of frozen human semen since 1964: state of the art of human semen banking

PIP: The history of frozen human semen is reviewed and the clinical devel opments which began in 1964 are given in greater detail. Artificial insemination has become widely accepted and thousands have been performed successfully. 40-45% survival of spermatozoa have been recorded after 10 years of storage. No evidence suggests that storage produces genetic changes. Conservative data show 564 children have been born from frozen semen using approved insemination procedures, 7 abnormal children were born, 50 spontaneous abortions were recorded, and 65 pregnancies had not yet resolved themselves. Periods of preservation ranged from 13 months (Japanese series) to 10 1/4 years (U.S.). Names and addresses of researchers maintaining semen banks are given. Application of the technology to infertility, as "insurance" for men undergoing vasectomy, and as a method for improving genetic characteristics are discussed. Commercial banks with regulated standards and a clarified policy of no guarantee of fertility were endorsed as essential to large-scale application of this technology.
Elevated D-dimer levels in African Americans with sickle cell trait.

To the editor: Microvascular and macrovascular thrombosis is thought to contribute significantly to the pathophysiology of complications in sickle cell disease (SCD).[1][1],[2][2] The mechanism of hypercoagulability in SCD is multifactorial, including activation of coagulation at the surface of
Genomic evolution and phenotypic distinctions of Chikungunya viruses causing the Indian Ocean outbreak.

In our current global community with the rapid movement of products and people across and between continents, the emergence of a human pathogen can have devastating consequences. One dramatic example of this has been the emergence of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), which causes a severe, prolonged, and debilitating arthralgic disease. This virus emerged in a large outbreak on the east coast of Africa in 2004; over the subsequent seven years, CHIKV has spread across the Indian Ocean, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and even reached Europe, leaving more than two million people affected. Because CHIKV has a small genome, currently available tools to analyze complete viral genomes have provided scientists with unique opportunities to understand the epidemiology, pathogenesis and transmission of the virus. The most commonly used application of these cutting edge tools has been to track the movement of the virus over time and space. While this is an important concept for identifying areas that remain at risk...
Stability and visual compatibility of bretylium tosylate with selected large-volume parenterals and additives

The stability of bretylium tosylate when mixed with large-volume parenteral (LVP) solutions was assessed over a four-week period, and the compatibility of bretylium tosylate when mixed with eight frequently used drugs was evaluated. Bretylium tosylate admixtures of approximately 1 mg/ml were prepared in both polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags and glass bottles of 5% dextrose injection, 0.9% sodium chloride injection, and lactated Ringer's injection. The admixtures were examined visually and stored for four weeks at 25 +/- 0.5 degree C under fluorescent light. The concentrations of bretylium tosylate were determined spectrophotometrically at times 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 8, 24, and 48 hours and twice weekly thereafter for four weeks. Spectrophotometric assays were confirmed with high-pressure liquid chromatography. Admixtures of bretylium tosylate were prepared with aminophylline, calcium gluconate, digoxin, regular insulin, lidocaine hydrochloride, phenytoin sodium, procainamide hydrochloride, and quinidine gluconate in 5% dextrose injection and 0.9% sodium chloride injection. The admixtures were examined visually for 48 hours. The concentration of bretylium tosylate did not change appreciably during the four-week study period. There were no signs of haze, precipitation, color change, or evolution of gas. There were no apparent differences in stability when comparing the glass with the PVC containers. Bretylium tosylate was also found to be compatible with all the additives tested except phenytoin sodium; a precipitate formed immediately when the latter drug was added to the bretylium tosylate solution. Bretylium tosylate was stable for four weeks in the LVP solutions studied in both glass and PVC containers. The admixtures of bretylium sodium with the other drugs were all visually compatible except those containing phenytoin sodium.
Quadrotor 6-DOF HIL Simulation and Verification Using a 6-axis Load Cell

Over the past decade, multirotor unmanned aircraft systems have seen tremendous growth in research and commercial applications. Much research has been done on developing complex control systems; however, due to current Federal Aviation Administration limitations, many systems can not be flown legally outdoors in the National Airspace. As an alternative approach to vehicle testing, this paper discusses the use of a six-axis load cell coupled with a physical quadrotor aircraft. The load cell measures the quadrotor-generated forces and moments, which are then integrated with the use of a forward dynamic model to provide real-time estimates of the system states. State information is telemetered from the simulation program back to the vehicle, overwriting onboard attitude/location estimates. To validate the use of a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation, load cell experiments were performed and compared with free-flight responses within an indoor motion capture facility. Step responses were performed in both configurations. Results show good agreement between the free-flight system and the rotational HIL simulation. Rotational response tests exhibited good agreement between simulated and experimental trials. Translational simulation step response data also demonstrated strong correlation with experimentally collected responses (both X and Z translations). In each of the tests, the added drag coefficient was relatively insensitive to the simulated response, providing additional confidence in HIL simulation as a path-planning testing tool with no/minimal experimental data collection.
Deposition and Characterization of Carbon Films Produced by Nitrogen/Argon Mixture RF Sputtering

Thin carbon films were prepared by RF diode sputtering of a graphite target in a mixed nitrogen/argon plasma. A series of carbon films were deposited as a function of nitrogen partial pressure. We have observed a systematic variation of the properties of the carbon films with an increase of the nitrogen partial pressure. AES, XPS and energy gap studies showed that nitrogen will enhance the diamond sp 3 bonding. Consistent with this the optical energy gap of our C:N films shows an increase from 1.1 eV to 1.4 eV using, respectively, 25 to 100 % nitrogen plasma. The mechanical properties also are shown to be enhanced for certain applications.
The Organization of the Selling Function in a Department Store

Editors Note: The findings in this article are based on too small a sample for generalization purposes. Therefore the piece is presented not as a measurement of the extent of a trend but as an inte...
Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Schools and Communities: One Urban University Re-Envisions Teacher Preparation for the Next Generation

This article outlines how Loyola University Chicago’s School of Education has re-conceptualized the preparation of teachers to meet the sophisticated and changing needs and realities of urban schools and communities by focusing on student achievement. In contrast to often criticized university-based models of teacher preparation, the Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Schools and Communities program represents a shared responsibility between university, school, and community partners to impact and support student learning, achievement, and success. The four tenets around which this comprehensive teacher education program is organized are described: (a) partnerships with schools and communities, (b) teacher preparation for diverse classrooms, (c) a developmental trajectory of field-based experiences, and (d) stakeholders engaged in communities of practice.
Social Origins of Civil Society: Explaining the Nonprofit Sector Cross-Nationally

Recent research has usefully documented the contribution that nonprofit organizations make to “social capital” and to the economic and political development it seems to foster. Because of a gross lack of basic comparative data, however, the question of what it is that allows such organizations to develop remains far from settled. This article seeks to remedy this by testing five existing theories of the nonprofit sector against data assembled on eight countries as part of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project. The five theories are: (a) government failure/market failure theory; (b) supply-side theory; (c) trust theories; (d) welfare state theory; and (e) interdependence theory. The article finds none of these theories adequate to explain the variations among countries in either the size, the composition, or the financing of the nonprofit sector. On this basis it suggests a new theoretical approach to explaining patterns of nonprofit development among countries—the “social origins” approach—which focuses on broader social, political, and economic relationships. Using this theory, the article identifies four “routes” of third-sector development (the liberal, the social democratic, the corporatist, and the statist), each associated with a particular constellation of class relationships and pattern of state-society relations. The article then tests this theory against the eight-country data and finds that it helps make sense of anomalies left unexplained by the prevailing theories.
Effect of Arterial Chemoreceptor Stimulation: Role of Norepinephrine in Hypoxic Chemotransmission

Mammalian carotid bodies contain substantial amounts of norepinephrine (NE) (1,2). Despite its abundance in the chemoreceptor tissue, the role of norepinephrine in carotid body function remain uncertain. Several investigators have examined the effects of norepinephrine on carotid body activity (3–6). The reported chemoreceptor responses to NE include inhibition as well as excitation, often inhibition preceeds the excitation.
Superheated droplets detector for thermal neutron detection

Superheated droplet detectors (SDDs) are composed of superheated droplets suspended within a host gel and have been widely used for fast neutron dosimetry measurements. While these detectors have good sensitive to fast neutrons, they lack efficiency for the detection of thermal neutrons. For improving the sensitivity to thermal neutrons of SDDs, boron or lithium could be doped into the detector. To evaluate the potential intrinsic efficiency of such devices, simulations were performed on four different types of detectors (boron or lithium doped in either the droplets or the gel). The results show that the detector with 10B doped in the droplets has the highest intrinsic detection efficiency for thermal neutrons. These results, verified with experiment, shall be presented in this paper.
Nano Day: Celebrating the Next Decade of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are poised to contribute to a wide range of fields, from health and medicine to electronics, energy, security, and more. These contributions come both directly in the form of new materials, interfaces, tools, and even properties as well as indirectly by connecting fields together. We celebrate how far we have come, and here, we look at what is to come over the next decade that will leverage the strong and growing base that we have built in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Effect of Obesity and Renal Insufficiency On Toxicity of High-Dose Melphalan for Multiple Myeloma.

Abstract 1177 Poster Board I-199 BACKGROUND: High dose melphalan followed by an autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (ASCT) is standard initial therapy for multiple myeloma (MM). However, toxicity and efficacy of this treatment are variable, with the sources of variability being poorly understood. We hypothesized that obesity and renal insufficiency modulate the pharmacokinetics of melphalan and therefore impact treatment toxicity. METHODS: We evaluated 39 patients with MM undergoing high-dose melphalan followed by ASCT. Patients received melphalan on day -2 at a dose of 200 mg/m2 (one patient with poor renal function received 180 mg/m2) and ASCT on day 0. We assessed body composition using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and renal function using 24 hour urine creatinine clearance. We assessed toxicity on day +7 using the Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale (OMAS), a physician evaluated measurement of erythema and ulceration (on a scale of 0-5, with higher scores indicating worse mucositis). We also assessed patient reported symptom scores for mouth and throat soreness using the Mucositis Daily Questionnaire (MDQ) periodically during the first month (on a scale of 0-10, with higher scores indicating worse soreness). RESULTS: The median age was 55 years (range 37-70). 59% were male. The median weight was 83 kg (48-128), with median percentage body fat as measured by DEXA of 31% (range 15–53), and the median glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was 105 ml/min (range 28-194). Results from univariate and multivariate analyses are shown in the table below. In univariate analyses, we observed a weak and statistically insignificant direct correlation between percent body fat and toxicity (as measured by OMAS score or peak soreness), and a weak and statistically significant indirect correlation between GFR and OMAS score. In a multi-variable linear regression model including percent body fat, weight, GFR, and actual melphalan dose, we observed a correlation between OMAS score and percent body fat, with an increase in body fat percentage of 0.10 associated with a 0.65 unit increase in OMAS score (p=0.01). In a similar multi-variable model, we observed a correlation between MDQ soreness score and percent body fat, with an increase in body fat percentage of 0.10 associated with a 2.07 increase in MDQ soreness score (p=0.05). CONCLUSION: More obese patients, as measured by percent body fat, have more severe oral mucositis after high dose melphalan, independent of melphalan dose, weight, and renal function. We are measuring melphalan pharmacokinetics in this group of patients, and further research should help guide rational chemotherapy dosing for this highly effective treatment. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Jonny Black: A Mediating Approach to Multilateral Negotiations

We describe the strategy of our negotiating agent, “Jonny Black”, which received the 3rd place in ANAC 2015 competition in the “Nash Product” category. The agent tries to act as a mediator to find the best outcome for all the agents, including itself, in the negotiation scenario. The agent models other agents in the negotiation, and attempts to find the set of outcomes which are likely to be accepted by the other agents, and then picks the best offer from its own viewpoint. We give an overview of how to implement such a strategy and discuss its merits in the context of closed multilateral negotiation.
A Bayesian Examines the Lady Tasting Tea (Abridged)

This technical note accompanies the case/class on “The Lady Tasting Tea” (LTT). It describes how a Bayesian would update his or her prior probability for the probability the LTT can correctly distinguish cups of tea based on whether the milk was added first or last. The long-form note (UVA-QA-0769) describes both a discrete model (LTT has p of 0.5 or 0.8) and a more complicated continuous model (p is beta distributed). This abridged note describes only the discrete model. The case/class itself provides a very useful analogy with which students can explore the elements of statistical inference. Excerpt UVA-QA-0768 Jun. 13, 2011 A Bayesian Examines the Lady Tasting Tea (Abridged) Before I describe what Bayesian statistics can add to the discussion of the lady tasting tea (LTT), let me remind you where the classical statisticians left us. They used the binomial distribution to calculate the probability distribution of the number the LTT gets correct (in 10 trials) under two scenarios. The first scenario, called the null hypothesis, is that she is guessing. Guessing would mean P, the probability that she correctly identifies which of two cups has had milk poured into it first and which had tea in it first, is 0.5. The second scenario, called the alternative hypothesis, is that she is skilled. To keep things from getting too complicated, we assume that skilled means P = 0.8 for each trial. The resulting probability distributions are given in Table 1. With these probabilities, the classical statistician can make probability statements about what will happen undereither scenario. Table 1. Probability distributions for number correct in 10 trials. . . .
Predicting 3-year mortality and admission to acute-care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and long-term care facilities in Medicare beneficiaries.

Abstract Purpose The ability to predict mortality and admission to acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and long-term care (LTC) facilities in the elderly and how it varies by activity of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) status could be useful in measuring the success or failure of economic, social, or health policies aimed at disability prevention and management. We sought to derive and assess the predictive performance of rules to predict 3-year mortality and admission to acute care hospitals, SNFs, and LTC facilities among Medicare beneficiaries with differing ADL and IADL functioning levels. Methods Prospective cohort using Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data from the 2001 to 2007 entry panels. In all, 23,407 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries were included. Multivariable logistic models created predicted probabilities for all-cause mortality and admission to acute care hospitals, SNFs, and LTC facilities, adjusting for sociodemographics, health conditions, impairments, behavior, and function. Results Sixteen, 22, 14, and 14 predictors remained in the final parsimonious model predicting 3-year all-cause mortality, inpatient admission, SNF admission, and LTC facility admission, respectively. The C-statistic for predicting 3-year all-cause mortality, inpatient admission, SNF admission, and LTC facility admission was 0.779, 0.672, 0.753, and 0.826 in the ADL activity limitation stage development cohorts, respectively, and 0.788, 0.669, 0.748, and 0.799 in the ADL activity limitation stage validation cohorts, respectively. Conclusions Parsimonious models can identify elderly Medicare beneficiaries at risk of poor outcomes and can aid policymakers, clinicians, and family members in improving care for older adults and supporting successful aging in the community.
A rapid and precise method for the analysis of underivatized amino acids in natural samples using volatile-ion-pairing reverse-phase liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract Amino acids are effective tracers of organic carbon and nitrogen cycling in natural substrates. However, total analytical time can be long due to extraction, derivatization, and chromatography. Here, we present a liquid chromatographic separation of 19 naturally occurring amino acids requiring no derivatization using triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry. This method builds on recent advances in volatile ion pairing and was applied to natural soil samples collected from two distinct systems with highly variable organic C contents. Separation and quantification of amino acids were achieved with an 18 min sample-to-sample run time employing a one-point standard addition to account for variable matrix effects during ionization. Detection limits ranged from 5.9 to 187.5 fmol (mean 30.0 fmol) while instrumental precision averaged 5.8% and 12.0% for intra- and inter-day error, respectively. The highest yields (mean > 100 µmol/g C) in our natural substrates were observed for glycine, aspartic acid, alanine, and glutamic acid while low yields (mean
Public Policy and Legal Issues for Clinical Child Neuropsychology

Clinical child neuropsychology has a myriad of forces that create countervalences for its definition, identity, and placement in human services. While clinical neuropsychology, broadly defined, is still striving to establish itself as capable of fulfilling a function on behalf of human welfare, as would be distinct from neurology, it must also justify being a specialization within clinical, counseling, and school psychology. In turn, clinical child neuropsychology must deal with the same issues, but must also carve out its uniqueness from clinical adult neuropsychology.
Stem Cells and Genetics in the Study of Development, Aging, and Longevity

Development and aging, indispensable in the case of the former and regrettably unavoidable in that of the latter, are inextricably linked. Most fundamental to this relationship is that both are strictly defined by the same temporal dimension. Development in mammals is generally regarded as beginning at the union of egg and sperm producing a zygote, and ending at or near the time of birth; thus, this process occurs largely in the intrauterine environment of the mother. Some may argue that this definition is too restrictive and that development continues until full body size is attained or, perhaps more importantly, until reproductive function commences. Aging is less precisely defined both conceptually and temporally. It is important to be precise conceptually about the meaning of aging. It is not the same as organismal longevity nor the determination of longevity. The latter, for example, has a strong genetic component that is usually considered to be lacking in aging, a process largely defined by the effects of environmental factors. There are congenital diseases, the progerias, in which aging is greatly accelerated, but the defect is typically in a mechanism repairing damage from environmental stresses (Martin et al. 1996). Some regard aging as the immediate events that lead up to an organism’s death, including the diseases of later life that usually claim an organism; in humans these are often cardiovascular disease, cancer, complications from diabetes, and complications arising from neurodegenerative diseases and dementia. For the purposes of discussion here, however, a broader interpretation will be applied and it will be assumed that aging begins at conception, since the deleterious side effects of forging an existence probably begin to accumulate immediately. Thus, according to these admittedly arbitrary definitions, development and aging occur simultaneously during the first part of a mammal’s life; aging not only persists but probably accelerates.
A new double-sampling method for mediastinal lymph nodes detection by deep conventional neural network

In the field of automatic clinical image detection, there are still many problems to be solved, especially in detecting and amplifying lymph nodes (LNs) from low-dose Computed Tomography (CT) images. Accurate and efficient identification and segmentation contribute to timely diagnosing various related serious diseases and choosing proper therapy. In this paper, we detect and amplify LNs by using deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), which significantly improve the efficiency of amplifying method of training sets and extracting features from three- dimensional (3D) images. In addition, we combine the method of decomposing the 3D images into three orthogonal two - dimensional (2D) images with a new method of three continuous parallel images. And we also establish a vote algorithm to integrate different values of various possibilities. Firstly, 90 % candidate slices of each patient are used for training, and the other samples are used for detection. The sensitivity even reaches 99 %. However, we consider that there are some identical samples. So then we use the candidate slices of 80 % patients for training and the slices of 20 % patients for detection, which sensitivity is 98 %. Therefore, the results show that the method of this paper can efficiently detect the true-positive samples in the LN candidates.
Management of ectodermal dysplasia with tooth-supported computer-engineered complete overdentures: A clinical report

Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) is a genetic disorder affecting organs derived from the embryonic ectoderm. Symptoms manifest early in life, and dental anomalies, including partial or complete edentulism, affect most of these patients. Overdentures have been a popular and conservative treatment option for patients with ED with a few natural teeth. Advancements in digital technology have improved and positively influenced dentistry, including removable prosthodontics. This clinical report describes a positive treatment outcome using computer-engineered complete overdentures to rehabilitate a patient with dental manifestations of ectodermal dysplasia.
Patient Location and Mobility Factors Associated with Falls on an Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Unit

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe the location and patient activity factors associated with falls on one inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit. Methods: This was a descriptive retro...
Modeling simple structures and geometry for better stochastic optimization algorithms

We develop model-based methods for stochastic optimization problems, introducing the approximate-proximal point, or aProx, family, which includes stochastic subgradient, proximal point, and bundle methods. For appropriately accurate models, the methods enjoy stronger convergence and robustness guarantees than classical approaches and typically add little to no computational overhead over stochastic subgradient methods. For example, we show that methods using the improved models converge with probability 1; these methods are also adaptive to a natural class of what we term easy optimization problems, achieving linear convergence under appropriate strong growth conditions on the objective. Our experimental investigation shows the advantages of more accurate modeling over standard subgradient methods across many smooth and non-smooth, convex and non-convex optimization problems.
Drinking water quality in the glacial aquifer system, northern USA.

Abstract Groundwater supplies 50% of drinking water worldwide, but compromised water quality from anthropogenic and geogenic contaminants can limit usage of groundwater as a drinking water source. Groundwater quality in the glacial aquifer system, USA (GLAC), is presented in the context of a hydrogeologic framework that divides the study area into 17 hydrogeologic terranes. Results are reported at aquifer-system scale and regional (terrane) scale. This paper presents a quantitative assessment of groundwater quality in the GLAC using data from numerous sources for samples collected 2005–2013, compared to health-based and aesthetic (non-health) benchmarks, and evaluated with areal and population metrics. Concentrations above a benchmark are considered high. Trace elements are widespread across the study area, with an estimated 5.7 million people relying on groundwater with high concentrations of one or more trace elements; manganese and arsenic are most often at high concentration. Nitrate is found at high concentration in 4.0% of the study area, serving about 740 thousand people. Organic compounds including pesticides and volatile organic compounds are high in 2.0% of the assessed study area, with about 870 thousand people relying on groundwater with high concentrations of an organic compound. High arsenic and manganese concentrations occur primarily in the terranes with thick, stratigraphically complex, fine-grained glacial sediment, coincident with groundwater under reducing conditions (indicated by iron concentrations >100 μg/L); high nitrate is uncommon in those same terranes. When nitrate is high in thick, fine-grained, complex terranes, though, it is much more commonly associated with groundwater under more oxidizing conditions. Common geogenic trace elements occur at high concentration due to characteristic geologic and geochemical conditions. Conversely, anthropogenic nitrate and organic compounds are introduced at or near the land surface. High concentrations of nitrate or organic compounds are generally limited to areas in proximity where people live and use the chemicals.
Screening, Counseling, and Health Care Utilization Among a National Sample of Adolescent Smokers:

Our objective was to assess the association between cigarette smoking and tobacco use screening and advising to quit use by a clinician among adolescents nationwide. We also examined the relationsh...
State, Security, and People along Urban Frontiers: Juxtapositions of Identity and Authority in Quetta

Quetta is a postcolonial city in Pakistan on the frontiers of global warfare where terrorism—as an extreme or extraordinary condition—is juxtaposed alongside “ordinary” urban social and political dynamics. This combination shapes the nature of and relationships between space, state, and citizens. Unprecedented violence, targeted at the city’s Hazara population, coexists and combines with inefficiencies and informalities in urban governance to create the ultimate juxtacity: one where state institutions engage in power struggles among themselves as security and administration fail, where individually motivated state agents try to work within the constraints of an inefficient political system, where policing involves both public distrust and a constant threat to life, and where life as a Hazara includes both elaborate security arrangements for trips outside Hazara areas and insecurity even inside people’s homes. Identity—religious and ethnic—assumes center-stage in contentious local politics even as activists devise creative and unifying yet disruptive strategies to exert pressure and achieve political goals. The paper studies how these strategies transform and/or reinforce complex juxtapositions of state authority, public space, and grassroots organization.
Separating noise and function in systems of animal communication: a comparative study of aggressive signaling in crayfish

ABSTRACT A primary issue in the study of dishonest signaling is the researcher’s ability to detect and describe a signal as being dishonest. However, by understanding the relative honesty of a signal as a statistical property of an individual or population, researchers have recently quantitively describe dishonest communication. Thus, dishonesty signals can be understood as when there is a breakdown in the correlation between a signal and its underlying meaning; creating variation within a signaling system. However, such variation in signaling systems may not be attributed to dishonesty, because of inherent noise within biological systems driven by evolutionary or physiological noise. Here, we try to separate out functional variation within honest or dishonesty signaling systems from inherent biological noise by leveraging homologous structures that have evolved for separate functions – the enlarged claws of freshwater crayfish. Because burrowing species of freshwater crayfish claws have not evolved as signals, the variability in the size and strength of their claws should be minimal when compared to claws of non-burrowing species that evolved as signals during aggression. We found that despite the claws of burrowing and nonburrowing crayfish claws having evolved to serve difference functions, the claws of all species in our study were inherently noisy. Furthermore, although claws that unreliably correlate to the strengthen the wielder may function as dishonest signals in other crustaceans, we did not find support for this hypothesis; because crayfish escalated aggression based on relative body size.
Supervised Topological Maps

Controlling the internal representation space of a neural network is a desirable feature because it allows to generate new data in a supervised manner. In this paper we will show how this can be achieved while building a low-dimensional mapping of the input stream, by deriving a generalized algorithm starting from Self Organizing Maps (SOMs). SOMs are a kind of neural network which can be trained with unsupervised learning to produce a low-dimensional discretized mapping of the input space. They can be used for the generation of new data through backward propagation of interpolations made from the mapping grid. Unfortunately the final topology of the mapping space of a SOM is not known before learning, so interpolating new data in a supervised way is not an easy task. Here we will show a variation from the SOM algorithm consisting in constraining the update of prototypes so that it is also a function of the distance of its prototypes from extrinsically given targets in the mapping space. We will demonstrate how such variants, that we will call Supervised Topological Maps (STMs), allow for a supervised mapping where the position of internal representations in the mapping space is determined by the experimenter. Controlling the internal representation space in STMs reveals to be an easier task than what is currently done using other algorithms such as variational or adversarial autoencoders.
Generalized model-based solutions to false-positive error in species detection/nondetection data

Detection/non-detection data are widely collected by ecologists interested in estimating species distributions, abundances, and phenology, and are often subject to imperfect detection. Recent model development has focused on accounting for both false positive and false negative errors given evidence that misclassification is common across many sampling protocols. To date, however, model-based solutions to false positive error have largely addressed occupancy estimation. We describe a generalized model structure that allows investigators to account for false positive error in detection/non-detection data across a broad range of ecological parameters and model classes, and demonstrate that previously developed model-based solutions are special cases of the generalized model. Simulation results demonstrate that estimators for abundance and migratory arrival time ignoring false positive error exhibit severe (20-70%) relative bias even when only 5-10% of detections are false positives. Bias increased when false positive detections were more likely to occur at sites or within occasions in which true positive detections were unlikely to occur. Models accounting for false positive error following the site confirmation or observation confirmation designs generally reduced bias substantially, even when few detections were confirmed as true or false positives or when the process model for false positive error was misspecified. Results from an empirical example focusing on gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in Wisconsin, USA reinforce concerns that biases induced by false positive error can also distort spatial predictions often used to guide decision-making. Model sensitivity to false positive error extends well beyond occupancy estimation, but encouragingly, model-based solutions developed for occupancy estimators are generalizable and effective across a range of models widely used in ecological research.
Europe, or the “Original West,” Muslims, and Migration: The Peculiar History of France and West Africans with Broader Implications

This article examines the effects of colonialism and decolonization on Muslim migration to Europe. With French imperialism and West Africa as reference points, this study demonstrates that a peculi...
Attendance of an Initial Follow-up Visit after Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Insertion and Method Continuation Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Retrospective Study

Abstract Study Objective To assess attendance of an initial follow-up visit after long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) insertion and whether follow-up was associated with a higher likelihood of method continuation in adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Design Retrospective chart review including patients receiving LARC (etonogestrel 68 mg implant, levonorgestrel 52 mg intrauterine device, or copper intrauterine device) between January 1, 2014, and August 1, 2017. Setting An urban adolescent center providing primary care and reproductive health services. Participants: A total of 331 patients 13-28 years of age. Interventions Attendance of a follow-up visit 4-8 weeks after LARC insertion. Main Outcome Measures Follow-up was defined as visits addressing LARC method or routine physical examinations in the adolescent center or affiliated school-based health clinics. Continuation and discontinuation were defined as documented presence or removal, respectively, of device at various time points. Descriptive analyses, χ2 test, Fisher exact test, t test, and survival analysis were used. Results Approximately one-third (29.3%) of the patients attended a follow-up visit. Follow-up was associated with a higher likelihood of LARC removal in the first year (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33-3.32). At 500 days post-insertion and beyond, there was no difference in LARC continuation between AYAs who followed-up and those who did not (HR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.67-1.71). Conclusion Few AYAs attended an initial follow-up visit after LARC placement. These visits were associated with an increased likelihood of LARC removal in the first year; however, this association was not observed long term. More information is needed to determine how to approach follow-up this population.