cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Necrostatin-1: Its Discovery and Application in Cell Death Research

Necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) is a small molecule inhibitor of receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1) Ser/Thr kinase activity. Initially discovered as an inhibitor of necroptosis, a pathway of programmed necrotic, caspase-independent cell death, Nec-1 has been a valuable tool to investigate the molecular mechanisms of necroptosis. Necroptotic cell death requires the kinase activity of RIP1. RIP1 has well-established roles in mediating NF-κB activation and apoptosis in a kinase-independent manner, but the function of RIP1 kinase has been a focus of recent studies. As a specific inhibitor of RIP1 kinase, Nec-1 has become a critical and widely used tool for defining the function of RIP1 kinase in mediating necroptosis, apoptosis induced in the absence of cIAP1/2, and in the transcription of TNFα. The physiological and pathological roles of necroptosis and RIP1 kinase have also been studied using Nec-1. Inhibition of cellular injury in animal models by Nec-1 has indicated a role for RIP1 kinase after ischemic injury, bacterial and viral infections, as well as other acute injuries such as traumatic brain injury.
Holding Teachers Accountable: Principals’ Perceptions of the Alignment of Value-Added Metrics with Evaluations of Teacher Quality

Through interviews of administrators in a large urban school district, this study qualitatively examines how school principals think about teacher quality and how these perceptions align with two assessment mechanisms in place in their district – their own formal evaluations of teachers and value-added metrics. This study presents the views of administrators on the uses and usefulness of the two methods of assessment and their perceptions of alignment and the extent to which either method should be used in tandem or independently to make decisions about accountability. Administrators indicate that the two methods assess different components of teacher quality but that both methods commonly identify the same high and low quality teachers with each assessment method complimenting and justifying the other.
Ventricular fibrillation after elective surgery in an adolescent with long QT syndrome

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a potentially lethal but highly treatable channelopathy. Along with multiple risk reduction measures, a recommendation for left sympathetic cardiac denervation therapy and/or implantable cardioverter defibrillator is made for higher risk patients. Despite its relatively common incidence in paediatric patients, there are no formal recommendations regarding perioperative management and discharge criteria for LQTS patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. This report describes a 17-year-old girl, diagnosed with congenital LQTS at 9 years of age, who had an episode of ventricular fibrillation the day after elective ear, nose and throat surgery. Despite several risk factors, she had a same-day dismissal, was not adequately monitored postoperatively and her cardiologists were not notified of her procedure. For the high-risk LQTS patient, we recommend monitoring of perioperative electrolytes and rhythm, postoperative ECG, adequate β-blockade therapy, avoidance of particular pharmacological agents, consideration of overnight observation and communication with the patient's cardiologist prior to procedure, and at discharge.
Leaving Room for Research: The Historical Treatment of the Common Law Research Exemption in Congress and the Courts, and its Relationship to Biotech Law and Policy

The recent suit over the validity of gene patents between the American Civil Liberties Union and Myriad Genetics has highlighted the troubling ways in which patents may be interfering with the willingness of scientists and companies to engage in basic biotechnology research on matters of vital importance to human health and disease. Many scholars have argued for a legislative research exemption to protect this sort of research. Theoretically, the common law already contains an exemption to protect certain uses of a patented product from being deemed patent infringement. This Article evaluates the history of the common law research exemption alongside the history of biotechnology policymaking since the 1970s, identifying how confusion over the scope of the judicial research exemption may have led to legislative stagnation on the issue of protecting research. Even during the infancy of biotechnology, members of Congress believed in the existence of a robust research exemption when making policy decisions about whether to create a legislative exemption. Now that the scope of the research exemption has been narrowed significantly by recent Federal Circuit decisions, at a time when the intellectual property regime permits patents on human building blocks as basic as genes, this Article highlights the need for a clear exemption. It also overviews and comments on existing policy solutions scholars have offered to counteract the chilling effect that the lack of a clear exemption might be having on basic research, including research in the biotechnology sector.
Innovation Accounting with Incomplete Identification of a Structural VAR – An Application to Exchange Rates

Two main objectives of Structural Vector AutoRegression (SVAR) modeling are recovering structural shocks from reduced form shocks and Impulse-Response Analysis and Forecast error variance decomposition. As is well known, the first of these is possible only if the number of structural shocks is less than or equal to the number of endogenous VAR variables. The main goal of this paper is to highlight that the second objective can be accomplished even if the number of structural shocks is greater than the number of VAR variables. As an illustration, a bivariate SVAR is developed to relate the joint dynamics of real and nominal exchange rates to three structural shocks, namely, demand, supply and nominal shocks. Variance decomposition results suggest that demand shocks are the dominant source of movements in both the real and nominal exchange rates. However, nominal shocks also appear to play a smaller but still important role. Interestingly, the persistence of exchange rates appears to be related mainly to nominal and supply shocks.
Reliability of tristimulus colourimetry in the assessment of cutaneous bruise colour.

Abstract Background Bruising is one of the most common types of injury clinicians observe among victims of violence and other trauma patients. However, research has shown commonly used qualitative description of cutaneous bruise colour via the naked eye is subjective and unreliable. No published work has formally evaluated the reliability of tristimulus colourimetry as an alternative for assessing bruise colour, despite its clinical and research applications in accurately assessing skin colour. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the test–retest and inter-observer reliability of tristimulus colourimetry in the assessment of cutaneous bruise colour. Methods Two researchers obtained repeated tristimulus colourimetry measures of cutaneous bruises with participants of diverse skin colour. Measures were obtained using the Minolta CR-400 Chomameter. Commission Internationale d'Eclairage (CIE) L * a * b * colour space was used. Data was analysed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Cronbach's alpha, and minimal detectable change (MDC) on all three L * a * b * values. Results The colorimeter demonstrated excellent test–retest or intra-rater reliability ( L * ICC=0.999; a * ICC=0.973; b * ICC=0.892) and inter-rater reliability ( L * ICC=0.997; a * ICC=0.976; b * ICC=0.982). Conclusions With consistent placement, the tristimulus colourimetry is reliable for the objective assessment and documentation of cutaneous bruise colour for purposes of clinical practice and research. Recommendations for use in practice/research are provided.
Economics as a Minor for Undergraduate Mathematics Majors

(1973). Economics as a Minor for Undergraduate Mathematics Majors. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 80, No. 6, pp. 688-689.
Nanoelectromechanical resonant narrow-band amplifiers.

This study demonstrates amplification of electrical signals using a very simple nanomechanical device. It is shown that vibration amplitude amplification using a combination of mechanical resonance and thermal-piezoresistive energy pumping, which was previously demonstrated to drive self-sustained mechanical oscillation, can turn the relatively weak piezoresistivity of silicon into a viable electronic amplification mechanism with power gains of >20 dB. Various functionalities ranging from frequency selection and timing to sensing and actuation have been successfully demonstrated for microscale and nanoscale electromechanical systems. Although such capabilities complement solid-state electronics, enabling state-of-the-art compact and high-performance electronics, the amplification of electronic signals is an area where micro-/nanomechanics has not experienced much progress. In contrast to semiconductor devices, the performance of the proposed nanoelectromechanical amplifier improves significantly as the dimensions are reduced to the nanoscale presenting a potential pathway toward deep-nanoscale electronics. The nanoelectromechanical amplifier can also address the need for ultranarrow-band filtering along with the amplification of low-power signals in wireless communications and certain sensing applications, which is another need that is not efficiently addressable using semiconductor technology. A nanoscale vibrating beam can produce 100-fold gains of power in weak electronic signals by ‘self-amplifying’ its mechanical resonance. Selectively amplifying a narrow band of frequencies is important for wireless communication. However, it is difficult to achieve sufficient levels of control over bandwidths as chip dimensions are scaled down. Alireza Ramezany and co-workers at the University of Texas at Dallas, United States, constructed a nanomechanical device that overcomes these problems through resonant vibrations and the piezoresistivity of silicon, which causes changes in current under mechanical stress. The team designed an ‘energy-pumping’ setup that captures the heat generated by an expanding and contracting 70-nanometer-wide beam. This was then used to enhance the device’s vibrational resonance – a self-sustained oscillation that offers improved amplification as the resonator's dimensions are shrunk into the deep nanoscale range.
The Hollywood Robot Syndrome: Media Effects on Older Adults' Attitudes toward Robots and Adoption Intentions

Do portrayals of robots in popular films influence older adults' robot anxiety and adoption intentions? Informed by cultivation theory, disposition theory and the technology acceptance model, the current survey (N = 379) examined how past exposure to robots in the media affect older adults' (Mage = 66) anxiety towards robots and their subsequent perceptions of robot usefulness, ease of use, and adoption intentions. The results of a structural equation model (SEM) analysis indicate that the higher the number of media portrayals recalled, the lower the anxiety towards robots. Furthermore, recalling robots with a human-like appearance or robots that elicit greater feelings of sympathy was related to more positive attitudes towards robots. Theoretical and practical implications of these results for the design of socially assistive robots for older adults are discussed.
Update on the cost-effectiveness of screening for colorectal neoplasia

Colorectal cancer is an ideal target for population screening because it is a prevalent disease with an identifiable precursor lesion that, when treated, favorably alters the natural history of the disease. Several strategies for screening have illustrated efficacy, including fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy. Cost-effectiveness analyses have been performed to determine whether the resources required to implement screening are justified by potential gains. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently commissioned a study on the cost-effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening, which revealed that screening was cost-effective compared to no screening. However, it could not be confirmed which strategy would save the most life-years, nor which was most cost-effective. Since publication of this review, several additional cost-effectiveness analyses have been performed. These studies confirm that screening average risk patients at age 50 by a variety of available strategies is likely to be reasonable by current standards for resource utilization, and that either colonoscopy every 10 years (or once at age 65) or the combination of annual fecal occult blood testing with sigmoidoscopy every 5 years are viable alternatives. Additional economic analyses have examined the use of aspirin chemoprophylaxis to prevent colorectal cancer either alone or as an adjunct to screening strategies. These studies reaffirm the cost-effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening, but illustrate that aspirin chemoprophylaxis is unlikely to be associated with gains for which society would be willing to pay. At present, the decision to choose one colorectal screening strategy over another is based on availability of screening modalities, patient and provider preferences, and associated adherence to screening recommendations. Assessment of preference and development of interventions to increase adherence to screening should be a focus of research in the future.
Surveillance of avian influenza in alive poultry markets in urban and rural areas in Shiyan,Hubei,2011-2012

Objective To understand the circulation of avian influenza virus( AIV) in Shiyan,Hubei province,and provide evidence for the prevention and control of human infection with AIV. Methods Two surveillance sites were set up in urban area of Shiyan and in Yunxian county,and 210 out-environment samples( washing water,filthy water, feces,cover of cage,etc.) were collected from these surveillance sites from 2011 to 2012 to detect nucleic acid of AIV, the positive samples were further detected for H5,H7,H9 and N1 nucleic acid with real-time PCR. Results The viral nucleic acid detection rates of AIV,H5,H7,H9 and N1 were 47. 62%,19. 52%,0,34. 76% and 17. 62% respectively. The AIV detection rate was highest in washing water and lowest in feces. Most positive samples were from chickens,only small number of them were from pigeons and ducks. The detection rates of AIV,subtype H5 and H9 were low in spring and autumn but high in summer and winter. The detection rate of subtype H5 was lower than subtype H9. The detection rates of AIV,subtype H5,H9 and N1 were higher in the urban area of Shiyan than in Yunxian. Conclusion AIV,including subtype H5 and H9,circulated in poultry in alive poultry markets in Shiyan,so it is necessary to take active prevention and control measures to prevent and control human infection with AIV.
The Mineral Nutrient Component and Characteristics of Color and White Brown Rice

Eighteen elements of 252 unpolished rice samples which harvested from CNRRI experiment farm with the same ecological condition were analysed by ICP-AES method, and elements content and 12 elements nutrient supply demend rate (NSD) of color rice (33 red and 9 purple or black) were compared with 210 white rice. Results showed that either absolute element content of unpolished rice or NSD% polished rice can not reflect the real nutritive characteristics between color rice and white rice. Because people eat unpolished color rice and polished white rice. NSD comparison of unpolished color rice with polished white rice showed that Ba and V in color rice were lower than these in polished white rice, no difference in Sr, but other elements NSD were significantly higher. Within color rices, Mg, Ca, Ba, V and Fe of red rice were higher than purple rice. Thus, we must put more attention on the edible part of rice element and its bioavailability.
Accurate linearity testing with impure sinusoidal stimulus robust against flicker noise

Accurately characterizing linearity performance of high resolution Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) has been a challenging task for many years, as providing input signals whose purity is beyond ADC under test becomes harder and harder as the ADC performance becomes better. This paper proposes a novel method that uses impure test signals to accurately test linearity performance of ADC. Two nonlinear sinusoidal signals with a constant offset in between are applied to the ADC under test to obtain two output data. By identifying nonlinearities from the input and removing these stimulus errors, accurate linearity performance can be obtained. Compared with previous SEIR methods, which is vulnerable to flicker noise inherited in the input signals, the new method uses impure sinusoidal signals instead of ramp signals. Using only −40 to −70dB purity sinusoidal signals, without any Center Symmetric Interleaving (CSI) or Interleaving pattern, the proposed method is much easier to implement, and it can tolerate the influence of flicker noise, while achieving ± 0.8 least significant bit (LSB) estimation error, which is in the similar level when a pure sinusoidal is used for the same ADC linearity test. The proposed method is analyzed in detail and comparisons are made between previous SEIR methods. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method against flicker noise is verified through various simulations. The proposed method helps reduce the production test cost, and simplify the test setup for high resolution ADC linearity test, which is suitable for cost-effective on-chip implementation.
A New Catheter System for Permanent Percutaneous Nephrostomy

AbstractA new catheter system is described for permanent percutaneous nephrostomy. The system allows the rapid, single stage placement of a large diameter drainage catheter. The technique avoids several problems associated with previous methods of percutaneous nephrostomy.
Three-Versus Two-Dimensional Sonographic Biometry for Predicting Birth Weight and Macrosomia in Diabetic Pregnancies.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a formula incorporating 3-dimensional (3D) fractional thigh volume would be superior to the conventional 2-dimensional (2D) formula of Hadlock et al (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1985; 151:333–337) for predicting birth weight and macrosomia. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of pregnancies complicated by pregestational or gestational diabetes and delivered after 38 weeks. Two-dimensional and 3D sonographic examinations were performed for fetal biometry and factional thigh volumes at 34 to 37 weeks. Fetal weight was estimated by Hadlock's 2D formula IV, which uses only 2D biometry, and formula 6 from Lee et al (Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2009; 34:556–565), which incorporates 3D fractional thigh volume and 2D biometry. The gestation-adjusted projection method was used to estimate predicted birth weights from 2D and 3D estimates. The primary outcome was fetal macrosomia, which was defined as birth weight of 4000 g or higher. Results A total of 115 women with diabetes met inclusion criteria, and 17 (14.8%) delivered macrosomic neonates. The mean percentage error was significantly lower for the 2D than the 3D projected estimate (1.0% versus 12.0%; P < .01). The standard deviation of the mean percentage error was also significantly lower for the 2D projected estimate (10.2% versus 17.2%; P< .01). Two-dimensional biometry was overall superior to 3D biometry for predicting macrosomia (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.88 versus 0.75; P = .03). Specificity was significantly higher for 2D biometry (85% versus 66%; P < .01), whereas the difference in sensitivity was not statistically significant (59% versus 71%; P = .22). Conclusions In this study, the Hadlock 2D formula was superior to the 3D method for predicting birth weight and macrosomia in diabetic women when used approximately 2 weeks before delivery, based on the gestation-adjusted projection method.
Flexibility in the Periplasmic Domain of BamA Is Important for Function

Summary The β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) mediates the biogenesis of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in Gram-negative bacteria. BamA, the central BAM subunit composed of a transmembrane β-barrel domain linked to five polypeptide transport-associated (POTRA) periplasmic domains, is thought to bind nascent OMPs and undergo conformational cycling to catalyze OMP folding and insertion. One model is that conformational flexibility between POTRA domains is part of this conformational cycling. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used here to study the flexibility of the POTRA domains 1–5 in solution. NMR relaxation studies defined effective rotational correlational times and together with residual dipolar coupling data showed that POTRA1–2 is flexibly linked to POTRA3–5. Mutants of BamA that restrict flexibility between POTRA2 and POTRA3 by disulfide crosslinking displayed impaired function in vivo. Together these data strongly support a model in which conformational cycling of hinge motions between POTRA2 and POTRA3 in BamA is required for biological function.
Reconciling Memories Reconsidered: Reflections on a 1988 Irish Reconciliation Classic in Light of Three Decades of Scholarship and Political Experience

Joseph Liechty, who has personal experience of working for and teaching about reconciliation in Northern Ireland, examines the origins and development of what has become since the late 1980s a flood of published material on the subject, beginning with the proceedings of a conference (Reconciling memories) published in 1988, edited by Alan Falconer. Noting that there are few generally agreed definitions of what ‘reconciliation’ involves, Liechty suggests that a solid sense of identity in the conflicting parties is essential if there is to be any progress in creating better mutual understanding, and there has to be some sense within conflicting communities that they ‘belong together’, whether as an expression of a political ideal or out of simple political necessity. The key chapters of Reconciling memories are examined, and Liechty concludes that as far as the past is concerned, historians can contribute to reconciliation without compromising their integrity. However, he stresses that any good reconciliation history has to be good history, and not some bland version of the past, and the darker sides of the past have to be acknowledged and scrutinised.
Racial disparities in the impact of chronic pruritus: A cross-sectional study on quality of life and resource utilization in United States veterans.

Background Chronic pruritus has a lifetime prevalence of up to 26% in the worldwide population. Research has shown that the incidence and quality of life (QoL) impact of chronic pruritus varies by race. Objective We sought to explore the effects of race on specific pruritus-related QoL factors and resource utilization. Methods We performed a cross-sectional, national telephone survey of 6000 US veterans randomly sampled from the Veterans Hospital Patient Database. We administered surveys to assess QoL impact and resource utilization of chronic pruritus. Results Nonwhites overall reported higher levels of burning and scarring with their pruritus. African Americans had a significantly greater emotional impact and use of special soaps, lotions, and clothes. African Americans were also more likely to visit their primary care provider for pruritus (P = .03), yet had similar numbers of specialty care visits. Limitations Because our sample was drawn from a veteran population, generalizability may be limited. Conclusion The data indicate a racial disparity in specific QoL impact and resource utilization from pruritus. These findings merit further exploration into explanations, such as access, communication, trust of the medical system, and biologic differences.
High‐impact hydrologic events and atmospheric rivers in California: An investigation using the NCEI Storm Events Database

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are long, narrow corridors of enhanced integrated water vapor and integrated vapor transport that can result in high-impact hydrologic events (HIHEs) including floods, flash floods, and debris flows. This study examined the relationship between HIHEs and ARs in California for 10 water years by using the National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Events Database and a catalog of landfalling ARs provided by Rutz et al. (2013). Results illustrated that HIHEs related to floods and debris flows are commonly associated with ARs during the cold season across Northern California, whereas HIHEs related to flash floods are commonly not associated with ARs during the warm season across Southern California. Composite analyses illustrated that HIHEs associated with landfalling ARs are associated with synoptic-scale flow patterns that support southwesterly water vapor flux that aligns favorably with California coastal topography to maximize upslope flow and orographic precipitation.
Management of cercospora leaf spot in conventional and organic table beet production

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS; Cercospora beticola) is the most important foliar disease affecting table beet. Epidemics occur annually and fungicides extend the survival of foliage to enable mechanized harvest. However, a high frequency of strobilurin-resistant C. beticola isolates necessitates the identification of fungicides with different modes of action for tactical rotation. There is also substantial demand for organically produced table beet, for which synthetic fungicides are prohibited. Five small-plot, replicated field trials were conducted over two years to evaluate conventional and Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)-listed products for CLS control in table beet cv. Ruby Queen at Geneva and Ithaca, New York. Benzovindiflupyr + difenoconazole significantly reduced temporal disease progress (measured by the area under the disease progress stairs; AUDPS) by 86.7 to 97.3% compared with nontreated plots, and mean survival time of leaves was significantly extended. The demethylation inhibitor, propiconazole, also provided significant disease control in two trials in 2016. Disease severity in plots treated with succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (boscalid, fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin, and penthiopyrad) was significantly decreased compared with nontreated plots but less than other fungicides. Efficacious fungicides significantly increased the dry weight of foliage but did not significantly affect the dry weight of roots, and root shoulder diameter. The enhanced longevity of leaves and increased dry weight of foliage may extend opportunities for mechanized harvesting without deleteriously affecting root yield parameters which are strictly regulated for the processing markets. In two trials, copper octanoate + Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747 (as Cueva + Double Nickel LC) resulted in significantly improved disease control in comparison with application of either product alone and provided comparable and reproducible disease control equivalent to conventional fungicides at both locations. The implications of these findings for CLS control in conventional and organic table beet production systems are discussed.
WNT antagonists exhibit unique combinatorial antitumor activity with taxanes by potentiating mitotic cell death

The WNT pathway mediates intercellular signaling that regulates cell fate in both normal development and cancer. It is widely appreciated that the WNT pathway is frequently dysregulated in human cancers through a variety of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Targets in the WNT pathway are being extensively pursued for the development of new anticancer therapies, and we have advanced two WNT antagonists for clinical development: vantictumab (anti-FZD) and ipafricept (FZD8-Fc). We examined the antitumor efficacy of these WNT antagonists in combination with various chemotherapies in a large set of patient-derived xenograft models. In responsive models, WNT blockade led to profound synergy with taxanes such as paclitaxel, and the combination activity with taxanes was consistently more effective than with other classes of chemotherapy. Taxane monotherapy increased the frequency of cells with active WNT signaling. This selection of WNT-active chemotherapy-resistant tumorigenic cells was prevented by WNT-antagonizing biologics and required sequential dosing of the WNT antagonist followed by the taxane. The WNT antagonists potentiated paclitaxel-mediated mitotic blockade and promoted widespread mitotic cell death. By blocking WNT/β-catenin signaling before mitotic blockade by paclitaxel, we found that this treatment effectively sensitizes cancer stem cells to taxanes. This combination strategy and treatment regimen has been incorporated into ongoing clinical testing for vantictumab and ipafricept.
Haiti’s Language-in-Education Policy: Conflicting Discourses at the Local Level

The history of Haiti has had a lasting effect on its education system and planning efforts, resulting in Haiti’s current sociolinguistic situation. While there are two official languages recognized in Haiti, French is used for government, education, literature, and business, and Creole is generally used for informal exchanges among close friends, family, or laborers. Despite the fact that the majority of Haitians are monolingual Haitian Creole speakers, the French/Creole elite minority actually governs and economically dominates the majority of the population, creating multiple cultural, and intercultural assumptions involving the idealized native speaker/nonnative speaker and native language teacher/nonnative language teacher realities that drive language learning in Haiti’s classrooms. This chapter focuses on issues related to Haiti’s language instruction around those realities, and critically examines relevant literature on, as well as the actual text of the country’s language policy for educational purposes.
A back side configured pointed dipole plasmonic optical antenna array enhanced quantum dot infrared photodetector

In this paper, we report a back side configured pointed dipole optical antenna array enhanced quantum dot infrared photodetector (QDIP). In this configuration, the light illumination is from the substrate side (i.e. back side illumination), goes through the QDIP and then reaches the optical antenna array. The near-field electric fields (E-fields) are simulated for both top and back side illuminations. The back side configured pointed dipole antenna array gives stronger E-fields than the top side configuration. The physical mechanism for the difference is analyzed. A longwave infrared QDIP with the back side configured pointed dipole optical antenna array was fabricated and tested. The measurements agree well with the simulation. Compared with the top side configured optical antenna array, the back side configured optical antenna array allows easier fabrication of large format (e.g. 640 × 512 or 1024 × 1024) focal plane arrays and provides higher plasmonic enhancement.
Managing an Academic Department in the Private Sector

Academic medicine and Departments of Radiology in America are in the midst of unprecedented changes in the underlying financing of the delivery of clinical care. The economic challenge has arisen because of the high costs of providing care coupled with high demand for health care services. The problem is exacerbated in America as well as in many other countries by the demographics of an aging population. I will review general trends, implications, and challenges from the vantage point of a private sector, research-intensive Department of Radiology.
Computer Analysis of Breathing Patterns

Breath-by-breath patterns of ventilation have been analysed using a micro-computer, and a program package developed specifically for this purpose. Previous studies by others have categorised the duration of inspiration (TI) and of expiration (TE), and the “duty cycle,” (the proportion of the respiratory period which is occupied by inspiration (TI/TTOT) ratio). Cyclical variation has been noted. Findings have varied, depending on the method used to record ventilation and on the circumstances at the time of measurement (awake or asleep, rest or exercise, metabolic load). Breathing patterns during sleep have been the subject of considerable attention recently.1 Observations in animals suggest that changes in breathing with each sleep stage result from changing central programs.2 The clinical importance of breathing patterns during sleep has been demonstrated or suspended in the sudden infant death syndrome, in the sleep apnea syndromes, in chronic mountain sickness, in unexpected nocturnal asthma deaths, and in patients with chronic ventilatory failure.3 Our objective was to develop programs which would allow the analysis of breathing patterns over long periods, for example eight hours, in the sleep laboratory eight to ten thousand breaths.
Care of veterans in a non-veteran health administration hospital: What is the status of nursing practice after continuing education?

Aims and objectives To identify how civilian nurses are caring for military veterans following mandatory continuing education on veterans' mental health needs and to describe challenges nurses are facing in provision of that care. Background Veterans and military personnel experience mental health conditions at a high rate and are increasingly receiving care in civilian healthcare facilities. Nonmilitary providers may not be prepared to address this population's challenging needs. Military culture may influence the presentation of mental health conditions; thus, critical assessment points by nonmilitary medical personnel may be missed. Education is touted internationally as a means to address deficits, but research is lacking to support that statement. Methods Adhering to research reporting guidelines, 115 of a proposed 322 civilian nurses in a tertiary hospital volunteered to complete a one-time online survey that contained quantitative and demographic questions. Forty of 115 nurses went on to complete the qualitative query. Descriptive statistics summarised quantitative results, and constant comparative analysis was applied to qualitative responses for theme identification. Results The study was stopped early due to reports of violence from veterans upon nurses. Results showed continuing education did not change documentation of military status. Following mandatory continuing education, civilian nurses continued to describe uncertainty in how to adapt care, on how to interact with veterans and in how to deal with violence. Conclusion The status of care to veterans remains insufficient, but nurses are asking critical questions on how to update practice. Additional support and research in the clinical setting is needed to promote a safe caring environment. Relevance to clinical practice Continuing education alone may not advance care of the veteran. A multipronged approach to include mandatory documentation of military status and coaching of providers by those experienced with the military way of life may be used to augment staff preparedness.
Who Should Pass the Endoscope During a Fiberoptic Evaluation of Swallowing Procedure

Susan Langmore, PhD, developed fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) in 1988 while working with adult patients at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The pediatric application of FEES began in 1993 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, with Claire Miller, PhD, and J. Paul Willging, MD. Today, the safety of FEES is well established in both adults and children, as is its ability to accurately assess the patient’s ability to protect the airway during swallowing.
Defecatory dysfunction and other clinical variables are predictors of pessary discontinuation

Pessaries provide first-line therapy for women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The primary hypothesis was that defecatory dysfunction was associated with pessary discontinuation. This was a retrospective cohort study of all women undergoing first pessary placement at one academic center from April 2014 to January 2017. Defecatory dysfunction was defined as the presence of constipation, rectal straining, rectal splinting, and/or incomplete defecation. Pessary discontinuation was defined as <1 year of pessary use and not using one at the most recent visit. Descriptive statistics; Person’s chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and Student’s t test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used where appropriate. Charts of 1092 women were reviewed and 1071 were included. Mean age was 62 ± 15 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 28 ± 6 kg/m2, and mean parity 2 ± 1; 68% were Caucasian, 73% were menopausal, and 41% were sexually active. Reason for pessary use included POP (46%), SUI (24%), or both (30%). Overall pessary discontinuation rate was 77%; overall rate of defecatory dysfunction was 45%. In a logistic regression model, defecatory dysfunction in the form of incomplete defecation remained significantly associated with pessary discontinuation [odds ratio (OR) 3.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43–7.52]. Absence of bulge symptoms (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.22–3.90), and younger age (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.02–1.05) also remained significantly associated with pessary discontinuation. Pessary discontinuation was common, and defecatory dysfunction in the form of incomplete defecation had the strongest association with discontinuation. Understanding predictive factors of pessary discontinuation may help guide clinicians and patients when choosing treatment options for pelvic floor dysfunction.
Systematic review of sociodemographic representation and cultural responsiveness in psychosocial and behavioral interventions with adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Background The increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in youth aged less than 20 years in the USA is a mounting public health concern. Specific sociodemographic characteristics-racial/ethnic minority, low socioeconomic status (SES), single-parent home and underinsured-have been associated with increased risk for poor glycemic control and poor self-management in adolescents with T1D. Methods Sample demographic and cultural responsiveness methods in psychosocial and behavioral interventions focused on improving self-management and glycemic control in adolescents with T1D were systematically evaluated, to identify if studies were targeting these high-risk groups. Keyword searches of PsychInfo, PubMed and CINAHL identified 259 studies published between 2006 and 2016, of adolescents (13-18 years old) with T1D; 28 studies met inclusion criteria. Results Samples focused predominantly on White adolescents with fair glycemic control, from middle-high income, two-parent households with private insurance. The majority of studies scored poorly in cultural responsiveness and moderately in culturally responsive reporting. Studies lacked descriptions of culturally inclusive recruitment and sampling methods, and use of culturally responsive assessments for diverse groups. The majority of studies recruited and enrolled homogeneous adolescent samples from the lowest risk groups. Conclusion T1D intervention researchers must increase targeted recruitment and sampling methods to include more high-risk pediatric T1D groups, expand sociodemographic reporting, and increase the use of culturally responsive recruitment and sampling methods, such as those used in community-based participatory research. Such efforts have the potential to reduce T1D disparities by making interventions more relevant to the unique needs, goals and priorities of highest risk groups.
Common Factors Versus Components: Principals and Principles, Errors and Misconceptions

During the past century, common factor analysis (CFA) has enabled researchers to investigate the structure of behavioral domains in ways unsurpassed by other methods. Historically, factor analysis was first applied in the ability domain. The current received view of the structure of this domain, based on thousands of contributions published over the past 100 years, is that the ability domain is characterized by at least 25 to 30 primary mental ability dimensions at the lowest, first-stratum level and by about 9 broad, second-stratum factors (Carroll, 1993; Horn & Noll, 1997). Similar agreement has arisen in the personality domain based on research over the past 40 years or so with the identification of the Big 5 structure, which has become the standard taxonomy for broad personality dimensions (e.g., Digman, 1997; Goldberg, 1990; John & Srivastava, 1999). In neither the ability nor personality domains has final consensus yet been reached, as arguments continue on multiple issues, including whether any additional dimensions should be included in the taxonomies and whether higher order structures are warranted. However, attesting to its continuing importance, factor analysis is central to the framing of opposing positions on these current issues and is also the analytic method of choice for providing answers to the theoretical questions posed.
A Tilted Axis: Maladaptive Inflammation and HPA Axis Dysfunction Contribute to Consequences of TBI

Each year approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the US alone. Associated with these head injuries is a high prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms including irritability, depression, and anxiety. Neuroinflammation, due in part to microglia, can worsen or even cause neuropsychiatric disorders after TBI. For example, mounting evidence demonstrates that microglia become “primed” or hyper-reactive with an exaggerated pro-inflammatory phenotype following multiple immune challenges. Microglial priming occurs after experimental TBI and correlates with the emergence of depressive-like behavior as well as cognitive dysfunction. Critically, immune challenges are various and include illness, aging, and stress. The collective influence of any combination of these immune challenges shapes the neuroimmune environment and the response to TBI. For example, stress reliably induces inflammation and could therefore be a gateway to altered neuropathology and behavioral decline following TBI. Given the increasing incidence of stress-related psychiatric disorders after TBI, the degree in which stress affects outcome is of particular interest. This review aims to highlight the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as a key mediator of stress-immune pathway communication following TBI. We will first describe maladaptive neuroinflammation after TBI and how stress contributes to inflammation through both anti- and pro-inflammatory mechanisms. Clinical and experimental data describing HPA-axis dysfunction and consequences of altered stress responses after TBI will be discussed. Lastly, we will review common stress models used after TBI that could better elucidate the relationship between HPA axis dysfunction and maladaptive inflammation following TBI. Together, the studies described in this review suggest that HPA axis dysfunction after brain injury is prevalent and contributes to the dynamic nature of the neuroinflammatory response to brain injury. Experimental stressors that directly engage the HPA axis represent important areas for future research to better define the role of stress-immune pathways in mediating outcome following TBI.
Introduction to Trauma and Human Rights: Context and Content

This chapter provides an introduction to the context and content of the book. After introducing the concepts of the trauma and human rights frameworks, the chapter traces the origins of trauma-informed care and its movement into behavioral health, child welfare, and educational settings. Following this, the chapter describes the genesis of the book in the graduate-level course on trauma, trauma-informed care, and human rights that was developed and implemented as a foundational course in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work’s trauma-informed and human rights-based curriculum. Lastly, the chapter outlines the book’s content and goals.
Welcome to the Fascinating World of Optimization

Overview Welcome to the fascinating world of optimization. Indeed, you will find optimization to be a powerful addition to your education or to your toolkit in the workplace. This brief initial chapter provides you with a clear perspective as to how the book will play a key role in your understanding of optimization. As discussed in the Preface, this book takes a squarely practical perspective. As such, your learning will involve practicing optimization using many problems. By the end of your study of this book, you should expect to be able to work with others to optimize practically any design or system and improve its performance. If the design you would like to optimize is in your technical area of expertise, you might be able to do all of the work yourself. If the design or system you would like to optimize involves modeling issues with which you are not familiar, you will simply need to collaborate with someone (or a team) who is able to provide you with the computational performance models. In this latter case, as it often is in practice, you will provide your knowledge of optimization, and someone else may model the system. In other words, one person might do the structural analysis, another might do the financial analysis, and you might use your knowledge of this book to optimize the combined system to make it competitive in the market place. What Is Optimization? What Is Its Relation to Analysis and Design? What is optimization? Optimization can be defined in different ways. Some define it as “the art of making things the best .” Interestingly, many people do not like that definition as it may not be reasonable, or even possible, to do something in the very best possible way. In practice, doing something as well as possible within practical constraints is very desirable. Designing a product and doing all we can to increase profit as much as is practically possible is also very desirable.
DEVELOPMENT OF A TAILORED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO ASSESS FALL RISK AND PREVENT FALLS FOR DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS.

Background: There is limited data on personal use fall prevention programs, and the relationship of race and ethnicity on fall risk awareness, personal beliefs, behavior change, and response to intervention. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop an educational program to prevent falls for ethnically diverse older adults. This program will be a culturally attuned program that values diversity and seeks to eliminate words and behaviors that might be discriminatory based on racial/ethnic or cultural identity. Methods: Three steps were used to develop the program: 1) constructing content domains; 2) generating the program draft; and 3) judging the program domain and content. The content domains were constructed based on data from a conventional content analysis of four focus groups from older participants (n=28) and their family caregivers (n=4), and individual in-depth interviews from health care providers (n=8). We generated the program outline with three response choices. Eight older participants and two health care providers rated it. Results: The program consisted of risk assessment, outreaching and raising awareness and knowledge. Risk assessment: all participants suggested that risk assessment should consists of objective and subjective measures. Outreaching: participants agreed that group-teaching and individual learning by peer coaching based on their culture, new blasts, brochures, and family-based approaches were the best outreaching methods that they preferred. They identified that raising awareness and knowledge should include the following topics: performing physical activity with fall risk awareness, medication management, visual care, behavioral adaptation with appropriate accessories /equipment, and environmental safety.