cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Easy and Cost-Effective Method to Perform the "No-Touch" Technique in Saline Breast Augmentation.

The no-touch technique of breast implant insertion is a well-described method to minimize skin contamination, which is thought to be a significant cause of capsular contracture after implant-based breast augmentation. Studies have detected bacterial growth in 76% to 89% of contracted implants,1,2 and the presence of biofilms has also been shown to increase the risk of capsular contracture in a porcine model.3 The original no-touch technique was described by Mladick in 1993. In the original iteration, several assistants held retractors to keep the skin incision open and avoid skin contact while the implant was inserted.4 Here, we describe the simple modification of a disposable, sterile light-handle glove into a sleeve for insertion of a saline prosthesis. In our experience, a Devon Lite Glove surgical light handle glove (Covidien, Masfield, MA) can be easily converted into a sleeve by cutting off the closed, narrow end of the …
The induced thermoluminescence and thermal history of plagioclase feldspars

Feldspars are a common component in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Most feldspars exhibit luminescence, and this has proved useful in a number of mineralogical applications. In this paper, we concentrate on the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of feldspar, or the luminescence produced when a sample of feldspar is heated. We determined the induced TL properties of four feldspars of various compositions in their natural states, and after heating, and we compared the TL data with structural changes as determined by X-ray diffraction. The major TL peak at 120–240 °C in the TL glow curve, a plot of light intensity against temperature, varies significantly among feldspar-bearing samples. Meteorites and lunar samples with slow cooling histories of ~10 °C/My as determined by independent methods, have induced TL peak temperatures of ~120 °C, while samples with fast cooling histories (~100 °C/My) have induced TL peak temperatures of ~220 °C. This variation in TL peak temperature can be reproduced by heating the present feldspar samples, meteorites and lunar samples prior to the TL measurement. Most of the present samples in their natural state had TL peak temperatures of ~120 °C. Heating below 750 °C in the laboratory caused no change in TL peak temperatures or the structural disorder of the feldspar, while heating > 750 °C caused TL peak temperatures to move to ~220 °C and disordered the feldspar structure. We suggest that induced TL peak temperature in feldspar is influenced by the degree of Al-Si ordering in the feldspar. Thus, induced TL peak temperature can be used as an indicator of cooling rate for igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Nutritive cord connection and dye-coupling of the follicular epithelium to the growing oocytes in the telotrophic ovarioles in Oncopeltus fasciatus , the milkweed bug

Microinjected dyes were used to study transport routes between cells in the telotrophic ovarioles of the milkweed bug,Oncopeltus fasciatus. Dye movement revealed that transport through the nutritive cords is not dependent upon microtubules, and that the physiological continuity of the cords between the nurse cells and the oocyte is lost shortly after the onset of vitellogenesis. Dye-coupling of epithelial cells to the oocyte is shown to begin in a band of cells at the follicle equator. Coupling begins coincidentally with cord severance and the onset of vitellogenesis.
Pooling Disparate Observations

Theory: Classical statistical inference takes as given the population governed by a posited statistical model and associated set of parameters. But social theories seldom include clear specifications of the populations to which they are supposed to be applicable, so data analysts frequently face difficult choices about which observations to include in their analyses. Hypotheses: Conventional approaches to selecting relevant observations are likely either to underexploit the available data (by discarding problematic observations that could provide some information about the parameters of interest) or to overexploit the available data (by estimating alternative models and interpreting the "best" results as though they were produced in accordance with the standard assumptions of classical statistical inference). Methods: I propose a technique, dubbed "fractional pooling," which provides a simple and coherent way either to incorporate prior beliefs about the theoretical relevance of disparate observations or to explore the implications of prior uncertainty about their relevance. The technique is easy to implement and has a plausible rationale in Bayesian statistical theory. Results: I illustrate the potential utility of fractional pooling by applying the technique to political data originally analyzed by Ashenfelter (1994), Powell (1982), and Alesina, Londregan, and Rosenthal (1993). These examples demonstrate that conventional approaches to analyzing disparate observations can sometimes be seriously misleading, and that the approach proposed here can enrich our understanding of the inferential implications of unavoidably subjective judgments about the theoretical relevance of available data.
The Advantages of a Hardware Based Design Methodology

The Dream Chaser is a lifting body vehicle designed for crew transport to and from the ISS and low Earth orbit. The program’s design methodology emphasizes early hardware development and testing. This paper will describe the advantages of such a design approach with specific examples. By use of formal milestones, the Dream Chaser program has completed a number of development tests and incorporated the lessons learned into the design. Additionally, the program has benefited from an initial understanding of the manufacturing process and vehicle integration. Finally, because of the emphasis on hardware development and test, the DC program has minimized future cost and schedule growth while also increasing the fidelity of cost and schedule estimates.
Mozilla Firefox: A Secure Browser Alternative

The open source Mozilla Firefox browser is gaining market share in a field dominated by Microsoft'sInternet Explorer browser. The author describes the benefits of Firefox, including security, added features, and customization. The author also describes browser installation and the implications of Firefox use for both individual and enterprise applications in the library.
The Assessment of Aesthetic Judgment Ability

This article presents evidence for reliability and validity for the Aesthetic Judgment Ability (AJA) test. The test is a relatively easy to administer measure of aesthetic ability in judging paintings. Initial findings demonstrate strong evidence for test stability and acceptable internal consistency. It appears to be sensitive in discriminating between groups with clear evidence of criterion-group validity and discriminant validity. The cognitive-developmental perspective of the instrument provides a viable basis for explaining differences in aesthetic judgment. It is potentially useful as a pre-posttest assessment in courses of art education and, in conjunction with other measures, may also be useful in improving understanding of reactions to art.
Within-herd genetic analyses of stayability of beef females

Nonlinear mixed-model procedures for analysis of binary data were used to estimate heritability (h 2), predict individual genetic merit, and determine genetic and environmental trends for four measures of stayability of beef females. Traits consid- ered were probabilities of a female having 2 (S(2 I 111, 5 (S(5 I l)), 8 (S(8 I l)) and 11 (%l1 1111 calves, given that she calved once. Colorado State University Beef Improvement Center (BIC) and Beckton Stock Farm (BSF) provided data for the analyses. Heritability was estimated using animal model marginal maxi- mum likelihood (AM "L), sire model marginal maximum likelihood (SM "L), and animal model Method R (AM MR). Individual genetic merit was predicted using single-trait animal models with each h2 estimate. Birth year was treated as fixed in all analyses. Only AM MML yielded h2 estimates for all traits in both herds. The AM MML h2 estimates for S(2 I l), S(5 I l), S(8 I l), and S(11I1) were .09, .11, .07, and .20, respectively, for BSF data and .02, .14, .09, and .07, respectively, for BIC data. Differing h2 estimates did not substantially influence rank of individual predictions. Genetic trends in stayability were positive in both herds, although birth year solutions indicated variable or negative environmental trends. Genetic improvement of stayability may be accelerated by incorporating predictions of genetic merit for stayability in selection criteria. S(5 I 1) may be the most useful trait for consideration in national cattle evaluations.
Seasonal fluctuations in the density of flies in the urban area of Tai'an city from 2007 to 2010

Objective To get an insight into the density and seasonal fluctuation of flies in the urban area of Tai'an city,providing a scientific basis for the development of fly control programs.Methods Three farmers' markets six restaurant-surrounding areas,three city green belts and three residential areas were randomized as the fixed monitoring sites and the cage alluring was conducted to monitor the density of flies.Results A total of 7088 flies were captured from 2007 to 2010 with an average fly density of 14.8/cage,of which the dominant species were Musca domestica(19.6%),Muscina stabulans(19.6%) and Lucilia sericata(17.1%).The habitats that were listed in terms of the fly density in a descending order were farmers' markets,green belt,dining environment and residential community.The interannual and interhabitat fluctuations of fly density followed a single-peaked curve,which appeared in July and August.Conclusion The density of fly population in the urban area of Tai'an city peaks in July and August,and it is suggested that integrated measures be taken to concentrate on the control and prevention of flies in the period of time to reduce the density of flies and the prevalence of communicable diseases spread by flies.
Impact of post-chemoradiotherapy superselective/selective neck dissection on patient reported quality of life

Summary Objectives To describe patient-reported quality of life (QoL) for patients with HPV/p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing post-chemoradiation (CRT) superselective or selective neck dissection (ND) as part of a prospective de-intensification study. Materials and methods Patients received 60 Gy IMRT with concurrent weekly cisplatin (30 mg/m2), followed by preplanned neck dissection of only originally involved nodal levels. QoL measures were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 (general), EORTC H&N-35 (head and neck specific), EAT-10 (swallowing), and NDII (Neck Dissection Impairment Index) questionnaires. Early and late post-ND time points were compared to baseline and post-CRT/pre-ND time points. Results 37 patients underwent post-CRT superselective or selective ND. Median # of levels and nodes dissected were 2 and 12, respectively. EORTC QLQ-C30, H&N-35, and EAT-10 QoL scores worsened after CRT but continued to improve thereafter despite post-CRT ND. NDII score worsened initially after ND at the early post-ND time point (p = 0.023) but had recovered by the late post-ND time point (p = 0.672). Initial decrease in NDII was greater with ⩾12 nodes dissected (p = 0.007) and was correlated with the total number of nodes dissected (Spearman p = 0.027). Conclusion Use of post-CRT superselective and selective ND did not prevent recovery of most QoL metrics to near baseline. There was early but not late decrement in neck dissection specific QoL (NDII), more pronounced with more nodes dissected.
Ruthenium Promotion of Co/Al2O3Fischer–Tropsch Catalysts

The effect of Ru addition upon catalyst characteristics and performance in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis was investigated using a series of differently prepared, Ru-promoted Co/Al2O3catalysts. Ru promotion facilitated reduction of Co/Al2O3leading to catalysts with higher reducibilities. Parallel to this effect, the number of reduced metal atoms exposed on the surface increased for the Ru-promoted catalysts. Ru-promoted catalysts showed an increase in CO hydrogenation activity; however, constant turnover frequencies for promoted and unpromoted catalysts suggest that the increase in the number of metal surface atoms caused the activity enhancement. Isotopic transient kinetic analysis of CO hydrogenation under methanation conditions gave identical results. Catalysts prepared by a co impregnation technique, avoiding chloride salts, appear to be optimal for the production of high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons.
The Principle and Structure of the Conditioning air Adapter

This article introduces the principle and structure of the adapter for the import conditioning air filling machine that is used in SGMW.
Thermophysical properties validation for soy methyl ester biodiesel through experimental spray data

ABSTRACTThe scarcity of experimental data for soy biodiesel fuel properties covering the full temperature range from injection to critical temperature reduces the reliability and accuracy of fuel property estimation techniques, and hence engine simulations. This study reviews and validates soy biodiesel fuel property estimation techniques indirectly using experimental spray data utilizing a modified version of KIVA-3V computer code. The effect of each estimation technique on spray penetration was investigated through several runs, and one set of fuel property models capable of predicting accurate liquid length for soy biodiesel is presented. The results showed in some cases a significant difference in estimation techniques available in literature with the highest discrepancy found in enthalpy calculations. The results also showed that a higher average fuel particle temperature will result in smaller spray penetration and that estimation techniques can be compared using their effect on average particle tem...
A declarative approach to agent-centered context-aware computing in ad hoc wireless environments

Much of the current work on context-aware computing relies on information directly available to an application via context sensors on its local host, e.g., user profile, host location, time of day, resource availability, and quality of service measurements. We propose a new notion of context which includes in principle any information available in the ad hoc network infrastructure but is restricted in practice to specific views of the overall context. The context of each view is defined in terms of data, objects, or events exhibiting certain properties, associated with particular application agents, residing on particular hosts, and part of some restricted subnet. Location, distance, movement profiles, access rights, and much more can be used in view specifications. The underlying system infrastructure interprets the view specifications and continuously updates the contents of user-defined views despite dynamic changes in the specifications, state transitions at the application level, mobility of hosts in the physical space, and migration of code among hosts. In systems that are large-scale in terms of both space and numbers of agents, this local restriction will prove necessary for providing timely context information to application agents.
Influence of solids loading on the green microstructure and sintering behaviour of ceramic injection mouldings

The influence of solid loading of ceramic injection mouldings containing 45–60 vol % submicrometre zirconia powders on the green microstructure and sintering behaviour was investigated. The mouldings with lower solids content exhibit a coarser green microstructure, which, in turn, shows lower sintering activity. The sintering activity is largely improved by increasing the solids loading to 60% at which a sintered density of 99% theoretical can easily be attained at 1400°C, which is primarily because of the evolution of a finer green microstructure. The green microstructure of the mouldings, along with the sintering behaviour, was found to be well correlated with the average pore diameter, rather than the most-frequent pore diameter in the pore-size frequency distribution of the green compacts. The moulded compacts, although containing considerable amount of agglomerates, show isotropic shrinkage behaviour.
Beyond the Black–White Binary of U.S. Race Relations: A Next Step in Religious Education

AbstractMany if not most people in the academy as well as the public sphere tend to regard race and racism in the United States in terms of a default frame of reference (i.e., a paradigm): the black–white binary. Although this frame is constructive as well as compelling, it displays serious liabilities. This article outlines, for religious educators, nine expressions of the black–white paradigm—three variations of the binary, three approaches from black studies/theology, and three models that express efforts to transcend binary thinking. A concluding comparative exercise illustrates how participants may discern, address, and ideally revise the paradigm.
Interdisciplinary group projects in game design and mobile web and APP development

Our Computer and Information Technology (CIT) department at Elms College is a small department with two tracks: Graphic Design and IT. The Graphic Design track focuses more on digital art, and the IT track focuses more on programming and hardware. Students in both tracks take some introductory courses together, such as introduction to computers, graphic design, web design, etc. Recently, we also have students from both tracks in a couple advanced courses such as our game design and mobile web and app development courses. Combining students from both tracks with different strengths and weaknesses is challenging, and we are still working on some of these challenges, however, we feel that focusing on interdisciplinary teamwork in our classes is a worthwhile endeavor and reflects the real world. Although our department make up may be unique, our findings can be applied to any class containing interdisciplinary or non-major students or just students with varying degrees of programming proficiency. This poster describes the interdisciplinary group projects in our game design and mobile web and app development courses and reports on our ongoing work to address the challenges of interdisciplinary group work.
Gold Nanocluster Containing Polymeric Microcapsules for Intracellular Ratiometric Fluorescence Biosensing.

A new approach to sensing and imaging hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was developed using microcapsule-based dual-emission ratiometric luminescent biosensors. Bovine serum albumin-capped gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) sensitive to H2O2 were coencapsulated with insensitive FluoSpheres (FSs) within polymeric capsules fabricated via the layer-by-layer method. Under single-wavelength excitation, the microcapsule-based biosensors exhibited emission bands at ∼516 and ∼682 nm resulting from the FSs and BSA-AuNCs, respectively. The polyelectrolyte multilayers lining the microcapsules were effective in protecting BSA-AuNCs from the degradation catalyzed by proteases (chymotrypsin, trypsin, papain, and proteinase K) and subsequent luminescent quenching, overcoming a key limitation of prior BSA-AuNC-based sensing systems. The luminescent response of the sensors was also found to be independent of local changes in pH (5–9). Quenching of the AuNCs in the presence of H2O2 enabled the spectroscopic quantification and imaging of...
Radioembolization with yttrium-90 resin microspheres for liver metastases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A retrospective multicenter analysis.

e15745Background: Patients with chemotherapy-treated metastatic pancreatic cancer typically survive for 7 to 11 months. Liver metastases from the pancreas are common and can reduce survival. Radioe...
Utilization of MALDI-TOF to determine chemical-protein adduct formation in vitro.

Biological reactive intermediates can be created via metabolism of xenobiotics during the process of chemical elimination. They can also be formed as by-products of cellular metabolism, which produces reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. These reactive intermediates tend to be electrophilic in nature, which enables them to interact with tissue macromolecules, disrupting cellular signaling processes and often producing acute and chronic toxicities. Quinones are a well-known class of electrophilic species. Many natural products contain quinones as active constituents, and the quinone moiety exists in a number of chemotherapeutic agents. Quinones are also frequently formed as electrophilic metabolites from a variety of xeno- and endobiotics. Hydroquinone (HQ) is present in the environment from various sources, and it is also a known metabolite of benzene. HQ is converted in the body to 1,4-benzoqui-none, which subsequently gives rise to hematotoxic and nephrotoxic quinone–thioether metabolites. The toxicity of these metabolites is dependent upon their ability to arylate proteins and to produce oxidative stress. Protein tertiary structure and protein amino acid sequence combine to determine which proteins are targets of these electrophilic quinone–thioether metabolites. We have used cytochrome c and model peptides to view adduction profiles of quinone–thioether metabolites, and have determined by MALDI-TOF analysis that these electrophiles target specific residues within these model systems.
The neural architecture of prediction over a continuum of spatiotemporal scales

Theories of time and space in memory have traditionally focused on their role in dividing experience into discrete episodes, despite the arbitrary nature of these divisions. We offer an alternative characterization that focuses on the fundamentally predictive role of perception and memory. In this account, perceptual hierarchies in sensory cortex detect patterns of feature-change across a logarithmic continuum of scales in time and space, which allows them to efficiently converge on nuanced, yet short-range, predictions of the present situation. Time and space emerge from this continuum as representations of feature-distance that provide a measure of the relevance of non-simultaneous experiences, allowing for long-range associations, mental time-travel, and predictions that go far beyond the immediate moment. This reframing of the nature and role of time and space in memory has implications for both the interpretation of existing findings and the design of future experiments.
Deaf Queer world-making: A thick intersectional analysis of the mediated cultural body

Nyle DiMarco, a Deaf, sexually fluid celebrity, helps audiences reimagine ways of being through mediated representations of his cultural body. Within the framework of a critical intercultural commu...
Chronic platelet-derived growth factor receptor signaling exerts control over initiation of protein translation in glioma

Activation of the platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs) gives rise to some of the most important signaling pathways that regulate mammalian cellular growth, survival, proliferation, and differentiation and their misregulation is common in a variety of diseases. Herein, we present a comprehensive and detailed map of PDGFR signaling pathways assembled from literature and integrate this map in a bioinformatics protocol designed to extract meaningful information from large-scale quantitative proteomics mass spectrometry data. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach using a new genetically engineered mouse model of PDGFRα-driven glioma. We discovered that acute PDGFRα stimulation differs considerably from chronic receptor activation in the regulation of protein translation initiation. Transient stimulation activates several key components of the translation initiation machinery, whereas the clinically relevant chronic activity of PDGFRα is associated with a significant shutdown of translational members. Our work defines a step-by-step approach to extract biologically relevant insights from global unbiased phospho-protein datasets to uncover targets for therapeutic assessment.
Cryptococcus–Neutrophil Interaction

The involvement of neutrophils in the fight against the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans has predominantly focused on the molecules released during the oxidative burst and those formed in the granular subsets of neutrophils. Very little is known about which and how host signaling pathways regulate the battle. Recent discoveries highlight that the host sphingolipid pathway is important for controlling cryptococcal killing by neutrophils in vitro and, potentially, also in the lung environment. This chapter is timely in describing new developments and findings in this field.
Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a systemic disease caused by autosomal recessive inheritance of defective genes that encode the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. Cystic fibrosis is systemic, but its hallmark is poor pulmonary mucociliary clearance leading to mucous impaction and chronic lung inflammation and infection. Because of defective airway host defenses inherent in the disease, the lung microenvironment creates an inviting milieu for infection with non-tuberculous mycobacterium. Identification and treatment is difficult because of the multitude of bacterial pathogens cystic fibrosis patients may harbor. Diagnosis is centered around excluding other causes of infection, identifying symptoms of non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease, recognizing related imaging findings, and recovering non-tuberculous mycobacterium microbiologic specimens. Treatment is complex, prolonged, and hindered by side effects of treatment medications. In this chapter we discuss the facets on non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease unique to the cystic fibrosis patient.
Abstract P203: Cumulative Incidence of Orthostatic Intolerance After Bariatric Surgery

Several retrospective studies describe an orthostatic intolerance (OI) syndrome after bariatric surgery. However, its incidence remains unknown. Using a de-identified registry of 4547 bariatric sur...
Anterior cranio-cervical approach: Transnasal

Anterior and anterolateral cranio-cervical lesions present challenging operative cases given their proximity to vital neurovascular structures. Several pathologies can affect the cranio-cervical junction (CCJ) including neoplasms, rheumatologic disease, fibroconnective tissue disease, congenital disease, infections, and traumatic and degenerative disorders. Numerous approaches have been employed to gain access to this region, including the transcervical, transnasal, transoral, and variations of the far-lateral approach. The transnasal approach for the cranio-cervical region provides an alternative approach that allows for good visualization of the CCJ while limiting the number of complications. The use of endoscopy for the transnasal approach provides a panoramic view that can provide improved lighting and resolution compared to the operative microscope. It also provides direct access to the anterior and anterolateral CCJ without needing to mobilize the surrounding neurovasculature. This chapter describes the transnasal surgical approach to the anterior cranio-cervical junction.
Teaching NeuroImages: Acute stroke captured on EEG in the ICU: Visual and quantitative analysis

A 56-year-old man underwent a complicated left carotid endarterectomy, ultimately resulting in complete arterial ligation. Postoperative examination was nonfocal; CT perfusion noted vulnerability of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory (figure 1, A–C). EEG placed for ischemia monitoring was initially symmetric (figure 2A). Overnight, new left temporal attenuation was noted, a hallmark of cortical ischemia1 (figure 2B), which prompted clinical evaluation. Quantitative EEG (QEEG) showed simultaneous decreases in left hemispheric 30–64 Hz power and amplitude-integrated EEG, followed by delayed reduction in left alpha/delta ratio (figure 2C). Subsequent examination revealed new right hemiparesis, and MRI showed left MCA infarction (figure 2D). Thus, QEEG can detect cerebral ischemia and provide timely information in the intensive care unit.2
A cathode-ray switch tube with 11 channels of electron multiplication

An 11-channel switch tube with 5 stages of electron multiplication has been developed. In some applications the switch tube will replace the camera-oscilloscope system for recording the rise times of electrical signals. This tube will be used to convert wide-band information from a single channel into eleven channels of lower bandwidth information which can be transmitted over standard telephone cables for telemetering operations. Venetian-blind dynodes are used for the multiplier structure. Each channel is defined by a pair of louvers on the dynode disk. U-shaped shields, which just straddle the louver edge of the preceding dynode, are used to minimize crosstalk. The channel width is 0.120 inch or a total length of 1.32 in for the 11 channels. The collector system provides a method for equalizing the gain of all the channels. The switch tube is 3 in in diameter and 24 in in length. Operating at a 4-kv beam potential with 2-µa beam current, the tube provides 20 ma of output current, with less than 5 per cent crosstalk to adjacent channels. The electron optics and the performance of the tube are described.
Kicking the tires of the NIST microwave uncertainty framework, part 1

As with anything new, especially metrology tools, you want to know how good the new tool is. This is generally done through comparisons with existing systems. In this paper, such a comparison is described. The new NIST method of processing measurements and uncertainties, the Microwave Uncertainty Framework will be compared to the established NIST method for measuring one and two-port scattering-parameters. The setup of the comparison, results, and a discussion of the results will be covered. This paper, Part 1, will cover the comparison of the responses generated by the different methods. Part 2 will discuss the comparison of the uncertainties calculated with the different approaches.
Contemporary Opportunity for Prehabilitation as Part of an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Pathway in Colorectal Surgery.

The implementation of upfront, preoperative habilitation (“prehabilitation”), as opposed to postoperative habilitation (rehabilitation), provides a unique opportunity to optimize surgical outcomes, while ensuring that patients receive necessary conditioning that may otherwise be significantly delayed by postoperative complications. In this review, opportunities to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate a surgical prehabilitation program in colorectal surgery are discussed, and broken down to include emotional, physical, and nutritional aspects of care in the preoperative setting.
Abiotic synthesis of graphite in hydrothermal vents.

NSF OCE Marine Geology and Geophysics grant [1558712]; NSFNational Science Foundation (NSF) [ECCS 1542100]
Chapter 15 – Conservation and Behavior

Animal behavior plays a critical role in conservation efforts. Efforts to captively breed endangered species hinge on understanding the species’ habitat requirements, mating behavior, and parent–offspring interactions. Conservation of species in the wild by creating sanctuaries is most successful if aspects of behavior such as territoriality, dispersal, and migration are factored into sanctuary design. Animal behavior gives biologists tools for measuring the level of disturbance that humans create for wild populations. Encroachment of humans into wildlife habitats makes human–wildlife interactions more frequent and behavior gives us clues about how to minimize negative impacts of humans on wildlife as well as how to help humans avoid injury when they encounter wildlife. Some species of wildlife have become more adept at living in towns and cities, bringing with them damage to landscaping, risk of disease spread, and in some cases risk of injury to humans or their companion animals. Animal behavior helps us to understand how to minimize these impacts and how to improve human–animal co‐existence in urban and suburban settings. As human populations continue to expand and climate change impacts on wildlife intensify, knowledge of animal behavior will become increasingly important in conservation efforts.
Per-oral pancreatoscopy with intraductal lithotripsy for difficult pancreatic duct stones: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background and study aims Per-oral pancreatoscopy (POP) with intraductal lithotripsy via electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) or laser lithotripsy (LL) facilitates optically-guided stone fragmentation of difficult pancreatic stones refractory to conventional endoscopic therapy. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of POP with intraductal lithotripsy for difficult pancreatic duct stones. Methods Individualized search strategies were developed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. This was a cumulative meta-analysis performed by calculating pooled proportions with rates estimated using random effects models. Measured outcomes included pooled technical success, complete or partial stone fragmentation success, complete duct clearance after initial lithotripsy session, and adverse events (AEs). Results Ten studies (n = 302 patients; 67.72 % male; mean age 55.10 ± 3.22 years) were included with mean stone size of 10.66 ± 2.19 mm. The most common stone location was in the pancreatic head (66.17 %). Pooled technical success was 91.18 % with an overall fragmentation success of 85.77 %. Single lithotripsy session stone fragmentation and pancreatic duct clearance occurred in 62.05 % of cases. Overall, adverse events were reported in 14.09 % of patients with post-procedure pancreatitis developing in 8.73 %. Of these adverse events, 4.84 % were classified as serious. Comparing POP-EHL vs POP-LL, there was no significant difference in technical success, fragmentation success, single session duct clearance, or AEs (P > 0.0500). Conclusions Based on this systematic review and meta-analysis, POP with intraductal lithotripsy appears to be an effective and relatively safe procedure for patients with difficult to remove pancreatic duct stones.
Adjunctive Neuroprotective Therapies for Treatment of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)

To highlight emerging adjunctive neuroprotective agents for treatment of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). HIE is a common cause of neonatal neurologic morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic hypothermia is a standard therapy, but neuroprotection is incomplete. There are several potential adjunctive agents that can be used to augment neuroprotection when combined with hypothermia. Several recent studies have evaluated the use of adjunctive therapies that, when used in combination with therapeutic hypothermia, may improve short- and long-term outcomes.
Lamb wave-based nondestructive inspection using a mobile robotic platform

Guided wave-based methods are promising for efficient, large-scale testing. However, with many nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques, the accuracy and reliability is generally dependent on the operator's conduct. To bridge this gap, a preliminary design is implemented in this work that allows a mobile robot to perform NDT. The design implements an active guided wave-based method centered around air-coupled transducers used in a pitch-catch configuration. The on-board circuitry allows the robot to either output an amplified actuation signal, or capture low-amplitude wave signals. In combination with odometry-type sensors, a map of the (unknown) structure, onto which the robot is deployed, is automatically created. During post-processing, any "hidden" structural features or defects can be identified and localized from the recorded guided wave signals. The unique combination of sensory information is demonstrated in laboratory experiments on unstiffened and stiffened aluminum plates. The feasibility of the robotic NDT, including the detection of a stiffener, is discussed by comparing the results to reference values and existing data from the literature. The results indicate that it is generally feasible to employ a mobile robotic platform to conduct guided wave-based NDT to create a map of an unknown surface.
Predicting aneurysmal degeneration of type B aortic dissection with computational fluid dynamics

Stanford Type B aortic dissection (TBAD) is a deadly cardiovascular disease with mortality rates as high as 50% in complicated cases. Patients with TBAD are often medically managed, but in ~20--40% of cases, patients experience aneurysmal degeneration in the dissected aorta, and surgical intervention is required. In this work, we simulated blood flow using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to determine relationships between hemodynamics and aneurysmal degeneration, providing an important step towards predicting the need for intervention prior to significant aneurysm occurrence. Currently, surgeons intervene in TBAD cases based on the aneurysms growth rate and overall size, as well as a variety of other factors such as malperfusion, thrombosis, and pain, but predicting future risk of aneurysmal degeneration would allow earlier intervention leading to improved patient outcomes. Here, we hypothesized that hemodynamic metrics play an important role in the formation of aneurysms and that these metrics could be used to predict future aneurysmal degeneration in this patient population. Our retrospective dataset consisted of 16 patients with TBAD where eight required intervention due to aneurysmal degeneration and eight were medically managed. The patients with surgical intervention were examined in our study prior to the formation of an aneurysm. For each patient, we segmented and reconstructed the aortic geometry and simulated blood flow using the lattice Boltzmann method. We then compared hemodynamic metrics between to the two groups of patients, including time-averaged wall shear stress, oscillatory shear index, relative residence time, and flow fractions to the true and false lumen. We found significant differences in each metric between the true and false lumen. We also showed that flow fractions to the false lumen was higher in patients with aneurysmal degeneration (p = 0.02). These results are an important step towards developing more precise methods to predict future aneurysmal degeneration and the need for intervention in TBAD patients.
Radioactive Waste Disposal and Protection of the Future Public

Much of humanity's solid waste will outlast the human race, and the waste generated by one generation must be endured and managed by future societies. Radioactive wastes are unique in that their regulation explicitly considers the protection of future generations. But radioactive waste management faces a serious quandary: how to balance the substantial expense of waste isolation against the uncertain mitigation of risks to hypothetical future humans. Most of this uncertainty stems not from natural processes, or from the projected performance of engineered materials, but rather from social actions and human behaviors. Given that these uncertainties become overwhelming when consider the future only a few centuries from now, how far into the future is it useful for us to attempt to assess risks? Government regulators are currently grappling with this question as they rewrite regulations in order to accommodate radioactive wastes that have the potential for unacceptable and perpetual human health risks. This paper discusses the issues surrounding the period of performance expected from radioactive waste management practices, and outlines central conditions for soundly addressing controversial problems.
U.S./Mexican Borderlands Acquisition

Collecting materials from and about the U.S. Mexican Borderland presents special challenges: (1) Defining the area and its literature in historical and contemporary terms. (2) Identifying publishers and sources. (3) Developing a policy to acquire the materials thus categorized. (4) Continualiy assessing to look for gaps or to formulate changes in orientation. This article describes how the University of Arizona recently approached the question anew and what considerations ruled this approach. Its objective is to help other would-be collectors of borderlands materials, or, in a general sense, collectors of any hard-to-define materials.
Successful operation for imperforate anus and imperforate rectum; three year follow up report.

Abstract A newborn infant, born with complete absence of the anus, sphincter, anal canal and rectum, was successfully operated upon via proctoplasty eighteen hours after birth, bringing down the sigmoid colon to serve as the new anal canal and rectum. The boy is now three years old and normal in every other respect. The formation of scar in the new anal canal, together with more progressive use of the gluteus maximus muscles, has effectuated very good control of bowel movements. The author has proctoscoped the boy several times during the past year, never finding evidence of the rectal valves, or so-called folds of Houston. This, together with the appearance of the intestinal anatomy at the time of operation, is the basis for the author's conviction that it is not the rectum, but rather the sigmoid colon, which is now functioning as an anal canal and rectum.
Automatic detection of interaction vulnerabilities in an executable specification

This paper presents an approach to providing designers with the means to detect Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) vulnerabilities without requiring extensive HCI expertise. The goal of the approach is to provide timely, useful analysis results early in the design process, when modifications are less expensive. The twin challenges of providing timely and useful analysis results led to the development and evaluation of computational analyses, integrated into a software prototyping toolset. The toolset, referred to as the Automation Design and Evaluation Prototyping Toolset (ADEPT) was constructed to enable the rapid development of an executable specification for automation behavior and user interaction. The term executable specification refers to the concept of a testable prototype whose purpose is to support development of a more accurate and complete requirements specification.
Initial operation, modeling and optimization of a low-velocity augmented railgun

An electromagnetic launcher is being studied for ejection of 350-g projectiles at velocities of up to 140 m/s. The electromagnetic approach is desirable because of the variable ejection velocity, high payload fraction, and lack of pyrotechnics. The low velocity of the projectile allows the use of low-voltage, solid-state switching in the pulsed power, but makes obtaining high-efficiency more difficult. The launcher is a 4.5-cm square bore, 80-cm long fully augmented system, with copper inner rails and aluminum augmenting rails. The launcher is driven by 2, 5000 /spl mu/F, 5 kV capacitor banks, with a thyristor switch and diode crowbar for each bank. The banks are connected to the launcher with copper buswork. The diagnostics include the current in each bank; B-dot probes for the position of the projectile, a laser time-of-flight velocity measurement at the muzzle and the armature voltage, measured from the muzzle. The armature voltage measurement requires substantial corrections to remove the induced voltages from the augmenting and armature fields. The projectile is a Delrin body with A1100 wires as the armature. Six to ten, 0.32-cm diameter wires are used. The wires run through the projectile in separate holes, and then are bent into a staple shape in grooves along the sides of the projectile. The wires are then sanded to obtain a flat surface for contact to the rails. The JxB forces that propel the projectile forward also force the wire sides into the rails to maintain good electrical contact. The design goals of 350-g and 140 m/s are achieved, but at an overall electrical efficiency of only 7%. The electrical parameters of the various circuit elements are measured, and the early-time skin resistances of several elements lead to the low efficiency. Reconfiguring these elements to have lower early time resistance is predicted to improve the efficiency to the 15% range. Results of circuit measurements and models will be presented.
Computational Approaches for Tactile Information Processing and Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews various tactile data processing techniques adopted so far. Tactile information is quite valuable while performing tasks such as object recognition, grasping, or surface exploration. A systematic presentation of the robotic tactile perception capability should include discussion of two important issues. The first one is associated with the tactile sensor hardware; and the second one deals with the computational approaches for extracting useful information from tactile sensors. In this chapter, the emphasis is on the second aspect. The chapter discusses about the issues involved in endowing tactual or touch sensing capability to robots. The chapter reviews some of the issues affecting tactile sensing, the choice of techniques, and the extent of processing required. Static or passive tactile sensing approach is elaborated. The chapter discusses the active tactile sensing approach or dynamic sensing that is more common to humans. The chapter presents some experimental results showing the effectiveness of tactile sensing for object recognition.
Morality and the Law

This defines and examines personal and public morality, identifying assumptions and values and the law, looking at both conventional and natural law and the intertwining of morality and the law. We define morality as a system that, in addition to setting standards of virtuous conduct for people, also consists of mechanisms to self-regulate through enforcement of the moral code and self-judge through guilt, which is an internal discomfort resulting from disappointment in the self-mediated conscience. Based on this definition, we discuss moral theories, moral codes, moral standards, and norms and how they are used to make judgment of human actions to determine their goodness or badness. With the discussion of moral standards, we venture into concepts of guilt and conscience. We show how moral guilt is a result of self-judgment and punishment by an individual for not living up to the moral standards set for oneself or for the group. We end the chapter discussion with law noting that conventional laws of a society are anchored by the moral beliefs of that society. We look into the heated argument about this statement and observe that both morality and the legal system serve the purpose of keeping society stable and secure.
Acute Hormonal Changes Following Chemotherapy for Hodgkin's Disease in Man

Eleven men, aged 21 to 60 years, with Hodgkin's disease have been studied before, during, and after chemotherapy. Blood samples were obtained for hormone analyses. In all 11 patients FSH levels rose following chemotherapy, in ten LH and testosterone rose, and in seven estradiol rose above pretreatment values. For each hormone the mean peak post-treatment value was significantly higher than pretreatment values. While there are mechanisms to explain the rise in testosterone and estradiol, the rise in LH in the face of increasing testosterone and estradiol values is unexplained. We propose that feedback regulation of LH by the testis includes a mechanism that is independent of testosterone and estradiol and that this mechanism is damaged during chemotherapy.
The scattering support

We discuss inverse problems for the Helmholtz equation at fixed energy, specifically the inverse source problem and the inverse scattering problem from a medium or an obstacle. We introduce the convex scattering support of a far field, a set which will be a subset of the convex hull of the support of any source which can produce it. We give several theorems which explain how to compute the convex scattering support and how to relate it to the actual support of a source, medium, or obstacle. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.