cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of single-event effects in combinational logic-simulation of the AM2901 bitslice processor

Using SEUTool (a synthesized VHDL based simulator of single-event fault propagation in combinational circuitry), we have performed a single-event study on a custom-designed CMOS AM2901, a 4-bit bit-slice processor. Analysis shows interesting general trends for single-event upset effects in complex combinational/sequential circuits.
The Psychological Dimensions of Context

Psychologists acknowledge the powerful influence of context on behavior, and have attempted to identify the dimensions underlying context. Previous work, however, has focused mainly on either relationships or specific situations. In this study we explore the psychological dimensions underlying a wide range of contexts varying in physical locations and the presence or absence of others. Four dimensions emerged, and they were used as a basis to differentiate contexts from each other. One – being in the public eye with the potential to be judged – was the most important dimension that differentiated among contexts. This finding is commensurate with recent empirical work demonstrating unique human abilities in cognition (Tomasello, 1999) and previous theoretical works concerning impression management and the presentation of self in social contexts (Goffman, 1959). We suggest that this dimension is the elemental meaning unit ascribed to contexts by human cultures.
Knowledge-based web-enabled agents and intelligent tutoring systems

Intelligent tutoring systems have been in existence for decades, and their characteristics can be beneficially applied in environments utilizing information and communication technology (ICT). The "intelligence" in these systems is seen through the way these systems adapt themselves to the characteristics of the students, such as speed of learning, specific areas in which the student excels as well as falls behind, and rate of learning as more knowledge is learned. In such intelligent learning environments, the agent or set of agents can be modeled to perform pedagogical tasks. This paper considers the necessary characteristics that constitute a good intelligent tutoring system. This paper introduces a framework incorporating an incremental machine-learning approach to capture 1) the dynamics of knowledge creation in the domain of interest and 2) the learned-knowledge content of the student over time. Some of the components of the proposed system are illustrated using examples from an introductory course on database design.
Health Promotion for People With Disabilities: Implications for Empowering the Person and Promoting Disability-Friendly Environments

Developing innovative strategies that promote health among people with disabilities has emerged as an important public health priority. People with disabilities report fewer healthy days than the general population and lower rates of health- promoting behaviors (eg, physical inac- tivity and poor nutritional intake). One of the major priorities in health promo- tion for people with disabilities is to pre- vent secondary conditions. Secondary conditions are health concerns that are not a direct result of the primary dis- ability but rather are acquired at a later time due to lifestyle changes asso- ciated with the disability (eg, weight gain, pressure sores, pain, fatigue, depression). It is important for health professionals to recognize that the sub- stantial health disparities that exist between people with and without dis- abilities requires greater attention to establishing disability-friendly environ- ments that reduce architectural, pro- grammatic, and attitudinal barriers that make it difficult for them to engage in self-initiated health promotion prac- tices. Empowering people with disabili- ties to self-manage their health requires the full support of community service providers in promoting greater access to all health promotion venues, programs, and services.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in a patient with morphea

l a b h e r H o m Morphea, also known as localized scleroderma, is a rare fibrosing disorder of the skin and underlying tissues [1]. It is differentiated from systemic sclerosis by the absence of sclerodactyly, Raynaud’s phenomenon, nailfold capillary changes, or internal organ involvement [1–3]. Although patients with morphea often develop systemic symptoms such as malaise and arthralgias, the involvement is limited to those tissues derived from the mesoderm [1]. This is in contrast to systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma, in which patients can develop digestive tract complications in the absence of skin thickening [4]. We present a rare case of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in a patient with localized scleroderma.
BON-BONs: cyclic molecules with a boron-oxygen-nitrogen backbone. Computational studies of their thermodynamic properties.

Although they were first reported in 1963, molecules with a boron-oxygen-nitrogen dimeric backbone do not seem to have been investigated seriously in terms of thermodynamic properties. Here we report on the calculated structures and properties, including thermodynamics, of several so-called “BON-BON” molecules. With the popularity of nitrogen-containing substituents on new high-energy materials, nitro-substituted BON-BONs were a focus of our investigation. A total of 42 BON-BON molecules were evaluated, and thermochemical analysis shows a decrease in the specific enthalpy of combustion or decomposition with increasing NO2 content, consistent with other systems.
Code N: The Intervention Process:

This is the final article in a six-part series on diversion of controlled substances in an acute health care setting. This series is meant to accompany the recommendations in the Hospital Pharmacy article “Controlled Substance Diversion Detection: Go the Extra Mile” for a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of controlled substance handling.1 This series focuses on preventing diversion from automated dispensing cabinets, the operating room, and at all handling points within a pharmacy. The objective of the series is to provide practical recommendations to aid pharmacy managers as they seek to prevent or detect diversion. Experience is the key to diversion detection; however, a pharmacy should not have to experience its own diversion in order to learn from it. The collective experience of pharmacy leaders at the Ohio State University Medical Center and the University of Kansas Hospital are gathered to assist other pharmacy leaders in the hopes that they do not have to gain this experience firsthand. The f...
Legal and ethical issues confronting oncology nursing

Objectives: To identify and summarize the legal and ethical issues found in the multiple settings in which oncology nurses practice. Data Sources: Lexis, Medline, Westlaw, federal and state laws, government documents, and nursing and medical textbooks. Conclusions: Oncology nurses face many legal and ethical dilemmas when delivering care. The best defense against litigation is to be knowledgeable about the specific issues found in each setting, the impact these issues have on practice, and requisite risk reduction practices. Implications for Nursing Practice: With the advent of new technology, changing state and federal laws, and new court decisions, the ethical and legal issues nurses will encounter when taking care of cancer patients will not remain the same. Continuing education will be essential if nurses are to remain current, lower their legal liability, and deliver quality care.
An Ultrastructural Analysis of Spruce Budworm-Promoted Defoliation in Abies Balsamea

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea), a transcontinental gymnosperm, is of economic importance for lumber and wood pulp. Forest managers are continually faced with demands to increase wood yield. The problem is exacerbated in the case of balsam fir since spruce budworm periodically severely depletes the available wood inventory.
Lupus anticoagulant, disease activity and low complement in the first trimester are predictive of pregnancy loss

Introduction Multiple factors, including proteinuria, antiphospholipid syndrome, thrombocytopenia and hypertension, are predictive of pregnancy loss in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In the PROMISSE study of predictors of pregnancy loss, only a battery of lupus anticoagulant tests was predictive of a composite of adverse pregnancy outcomes. We examined the predictive value of one baseline lupus anticoagulant test (dilute Russell viper venom time) with pregnancy loss in women with SLE. Methods From the Hopkins Lupus Cohort, there were 202 pregnancies from 175 different women after excluding twin pregnancies and pregnancies for which we did not have a first trimester assessment of lupus anticoagulant. We determined the percentage of women who had a pregnancy loss in groups defined by potential risk factors. The lupus anticoagulant was determined by dilute Russell viper venom time with appropriate mixing and confirmatory testing. Generalised estimating equations were used to calculate p values, accounting for repeated pregnancies in the same woman. Results The age at pregnancy was 40 (3%). 55% were Caucasian and 34% African-American. Among those with lupus anticoagulant during the first trimester, 6/16 (38%) experienced a pregnancy loss compared with only 16/186 (9%) of other pregnancies (p=0.003). In addition, those with low complement or higher disease activity had a higher rate of pregnancy loss than those without (p=0.049 and 0.005, respectively). In contrast, there was no association between elevated anticardiolipin in the first trimester and pregnancy loss. Conclusions The strongest predictor of pregnancy loss in SLE in the first trimester is the lupus anticoagulant. In addition, moderate disease activity by the physician global assessment and low complement measured in the first trimester were predictive of pregnancy loss. These data suggest that treatment of the lupus anticoagulant could be considered, even in the absence of history of pregnancy loss.
Characterization of cholecystokinin receptors on bovine gallbladder membranes.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) binding to its receptors on a muscularis membrane fraction of bovine gallbladder was characterized using a biologically active CCK-33-[125I]Bolton-Hunter conjugate. Receptor binding was localized to the muscularis layer of the gallbladder; no binding was seen on either mucosal or serosal membranes. At 24 degrees C and pH 6.5, binding was maximal after 60–90 min of incubation, remained at a plateau for at least 240 min, and was reversed by the addition of unlabeled CCK-8. Optimal binding was seen at pH of 5.5 and required the presence of magnesium. Gallbladder binding data, best fit by a two-parameter model using a nonlinear least-squares computer program, was consistent with a single order of binding sites with a Kd of 618 +/- 168 pM and a binding capacity of 100.5 +/- 15.7 fmol/mg prot (mean +/- SE, n = 5). CCK-8 and CCK-33 inhibited 125I-CCK binding to gallbladder membranes with similar potencies, whereas desulfated CCK-8, gastrin I and II, and CCK-4 were at least 500 times less potent than CCK-33. The CCK antagonists dibutyryl cGMP and proglumide inhibited 125I-CCK binding with an IC50 of 31 and 600 microM, respectively. The present studies therefore demonstrate the existence of a specific CCK receptor on bovine gallbladder muscularis membranes with a high degree of selectivity for CCK analogues.
WAVE-INDUCED FLOW AND NEARSHORE SUSPENDED SEDIMENT

It has been realized for nearly one hundred years that the transport of sediment is related to the characteristics of a wave, in particular its shape. Cornish (1898) noticed that the shoreward velocity associated with a wave crest was more effective at moving coarse sediment than was the seaward velocity associated with the wave trough. Cornish's observation was consistent with the theory of Stokes (1847), which predicts the onshore velocity associated with the wave crest is stronger and of shorter duration than the offshore velocity associated with the wave trough. This horizontal asymmetry of the cross-shore flow, which is a reflection of the wave shape, is known as velocity skewness. It has been suggested that "the existence of the beach depends on small departures from symmetry in the velocity field balancing the tendency for gravity to move material offshore"(Bowen, 1980). Although the concept of velocity skewness has been incorporated into detailed predictors of sediment transport (Bowen, 1980; Bailard and Inman, 1981) it is only one of many facets that needs to be understood in order to make the accurate prediction of sediment transport realizable. A comprehension of sediment transport is hampered by both an incomplete knowledge of the hydrodynamics and a lack of instrumentation to directly measure instantaneous sediment concentration and the accurate prediction of sediment transport is probably the most enigmatic problem in coastal engineering. Occasionally, suspended sediment concentration has been inferred from in situ pumps and hand-held tubes, but these methods lack the temporal and spatial resolution necessary to elucidate the details of the interaction between the waveinduced flow and the sediment. Recently, a miniature optical backscatter sensor (MOBS), which provides a time series of suspended sediment concentration at a "point", was developed by Downing et al. (1981). During a recent field experiment a vertical array of 5 of these optical backscatter sensors and a colocated flow meter was deployed close to the sea bed. These colocated measurements provide a unique opportunity to investigate the response of near-bed suspended sediment concentration to the wave-induced flow.
Doping-dependent critical Cooper-pair momentum in thin underdoped cuprate films

We apply a low-field ($l100$ G) technique to measure the critical pair momentum ${p}_{c}$ in thin underdoped films of ${\mathrm{Y}}_{0.7}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.3}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\ensuremath{\delta}}$ reflecting a wide range of hole doping. We observe that ${p}_{c}\ensuremath{\propto}\ensuremath{\hbar}/\ensuremath{\xi}$ scales with ${T}_{c}$ and therefore superfluid density ${n}_{s}(T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0)$ in our two-dimensional cuprate films. This relationship was famously predicted by a universal model of the cuprates with a doping-independent superconducting gap, but has not been observed by high field $(g{10}^{4}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{G})$ measurements of the coherence length $\ensuremath{\xi}$ because high-field cuprate phenomena obscure the simple scaling we observe at much lower fields.
Factors Affecting the Appearance of Holly Oaks in Southern California

On mature holly oaks, Quercus ilex L., during the 1966 season in San Marino, California, 6 hydraulic sprays of oxydemetonmethyl gave the best control of a leafhopper, Empoasca elongata DeLong, as compared to mist sprays of oxydemetonmethyl or hydraulic sprays of DDT. No treatment yielded control of a necrotic tip dieback that has been attributed to the leafhopper. The most important interacting factors contributing to the decline of the oaks, and their death in some cases, was found to he, in probable order of importance, root rot infection (caused by Armillaria mellea (Vahl.) Sacc.); inadequate irrigation; hot, dry, and smoggy weather; and the necrotic tip dieback.
Risk Factors for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Prospects for Screening

Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst survival rates of any cancer and is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality. Early detection and surgery are the patient's best chance for cure. However, symptoms are typically vague and occur when the cancer is unresectable. Population-based mass screening is not practical for this rare disease, though screening and early detection in asymptomatic high-risk patient populations may be indicated.
Macroscopic econometrics model of traffic accident

From the points of macroscopic factors such as economic development level,population number,vehicle ownership and road condition,the regularities of traffic accidents at home and abroad were analyzed.The relations among per capita GDP and vehicle ownership per 1 000 population,mortality per 10 000 vehicles,mortality per 100 000 population were studied.Based on macroscopic econometrics and Cobb-Douglas function,the panel data model of traffic accident was set up by using the historical data in seven countries.Fixed effect model and random effect model were used to estimate parameters respectively,Hausman test was carried out,and the macroscopic econometrics models of traffic accidents for the seven countries were set up.Calculation result shows that among the parameters of traffic accidents,mortality per 100 000 population is negative correlation with per capita GDP and per capita road length,mortality per 100 000 population is positive correlation with vehicle ownership per 1 000 population.Through Hausman test,chi-square distribution value is 3.91 when freedom is 3,the probability is 0.02 and less than the confidence level which is 0.05.Compared with the random effect model,all the confidence levels of variables for fixed effect model are less than 0.05,and the goodness of fit is better.So the fixed effect model is effective.3 tabs,6 figs,18 refs.
Temporal fine structure frequency bands criticality in perception of the speech in the presence of noise

Context: In the competing background, noise speech cues are compromised. In quiet and noisy conditions, the distribution and weighting of temporal cues for the speech perception vary across different frequency spectrum. Temporal fine structure (TFS) cues help in perceiving speech in noise. Knowledge about the perceptual weighing of fine structure cues is essential for the design of assistive listening devices Aims: In the present study, the perceptual weighing of the fine structure cues across frequency bands in different listening conditions is measured. Settings and Design: Data were collected in a double room set up and adapted Plomp (1986) sentence speech recognition threshold (sSRT) method was used. Subjects and Methods: Forty normal hearing individuals presented without and with (very low frequency [VLF], low frequency, mid frequency [MF], and high frequency) filtered fine structure bands of hearing in noise test sentences. sSRTs were measured for uninterrupted and interrupted stimulus in different signal to noise conditions (quiet, 0 dB, +10 dB, and −10 dB). ANOVA, post hoc , and bivariate Karl Pearson correlation statistical analysis were used. Results: The sentence recognition for filtered stimulus in quiet and in noise resulted in significantly higher relative perceptual weight placed upon the TFS in the VLF band and MF at 0 dB signal to noise ratio (SNR) ( P < 0.001). The relative weighting of fine structure cues demonstrated the importance VLF band in quiet and noisy conditions and of the MF band that contains dynamic formant movement at 0 dB SNR condition.
Periprosthetic infection in shoulder and elbow joints

Periprosthetic infections of the shoulder and elbow joints continue to be challenging problems for the treating surgeon. In this chapter, we detail the clinical presentation and evaluation, diagnostic testing, and treatment. Though many of the principles from the hip and knee apply, the shoulder and elbow present some unique differences. In particular, the indolent nature of the causative organisms pose diagnostic challenges, as the typical workup may be normal, even in the setting of infection. In addition to one- and two-stage revision, the shoulder and elbow can also be treated with resection arthroplasty or arthrodesis in appropriate scenarios.
Damped coalescence cascade of liquid drops

During coalescence of a drop with a liquid bath, the damped coalescence cascade (DCC) occurs due to local Marangoni flow generated on the bath surface. The local Marangoni flow accelerates air film drainage between the drop and the bath, leading to suppression of the rebound of daughter drops.
Abstract 058: Early Effect of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations on Acute Myocardial Infarction Episode Payments

Objective: Spending for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) episodes varies widely across hospitals, driven primarily by payments made more than 30 days after discharge. Through collective incentives...
Vaccine-induced immune responses against both Gag and Env improve control of simian immunodeficiency virus replication in rectally challenged rhesus macaques

The ability to control lentivirus replication may be determined, in part, by the extent to which individual viral proteins are targeted by the immune system. Consequently, defining the antigens that elicit the most protective immune responses may facilitate the design of effective HIV-1 vaccines. Here we vaccinated four groups of rhesus macaques with a heterologous vector prime/boost/boost/boost (PBBB) regimen expressing the following simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) genes: env, gag, vif, rev, tat, and nef (Group 1); env, vif, rev, tat, and nef (Group 2); gag, vif, rev, tat, and nef (Group 3); or vif, rev, tat, and nef (Group 4). Following repeated intrarectal challenges with a marginal dose of the neutralization-resistant SIVmac239 clone, vaccinees in Groups 1–3 became infected at similar rates compared to control animals. Unexpectedly, vaccinees in Group 4 became infected at a slower pace than the other animals, although this difference was not statistically significant. Group 1 exhibited the best post-acquisition virologic control of SIV infection, with significant reductions in both peak and chronic phase viremia. Indeed, 5/8 Group 1 vaccinees had viral loads of less than 2,000 vRNA copies/mL of plasma in the chronic phase. Vaccine regimens that did not contain gag (Group 2), env (Group 3), or both of these inserts (Group 4) were largely ineffective at decreasing viremia. Thus, vaccine-induced immune responses against both Gag and Env appeared to maximize control of immunodeficiency virus replication. Collectively, these findings are relevant for HIV-1 vaccine design as they provide additional insights into which of the lentiviral proteins might serve as the best vaccine immunogens.
Vector Bundles and Connections in Physics and Mathematics: Some Historical Remarks

The concept of smooth vector bundles on manifolds and the theory of connections on them has played a fundamental role in physics going back to the discovery of Hermann Weyl around 1918 that electromagnet ism can be viewed as a connection on a real line bundle on spacetime. Under the influence of quantum mechanics this idea was modified and the real line bundle was replaced by a hermitian complex line bundle, allowing the discovery, by Dirac, of magnetic monopoles. In mathematics the idea of holomorphic vector bundles goes back to the work of Riemann on multivalued solutions of regular singular differential equations like the hyper geometric equation. This paper examines briefly these historical origins, discusses the evolution of these two streams of thoughts, leading to the surprising climax in which they merge in the theory of moduli spaces.
Disruption of fibronectin matrix affects type IV collagen, fibrillin and laminin deposition into extracellular matrix of human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells.

Abstract Fibronectin fibrils are a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the trabecular meshwork (TM). They are a key mediator of the formation of the ECM which controls aqueous humor outflow and contributes to the pathogenesis of glaucoma. The purpose of this work was to determine if a fibronectin-binding peptide called FUD, derived from the Streptococcus pyogenes Functional Upstream Domain of the F1 adhesin protein, could be used to control fibronectin fibrillogenesis and hence ECM formation under conditions where its expression was induced by treatment with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone. FUD was very effective at preventing fibronectin fibrillogenesis in the presence or absence of steroid treatment as well as the removal of existing fibronectin fibrils. Disruption of fibronectin fibrillogenesis by FUD also disrupted the incorporation of type IV collagen, laminin and fibrillin into the ECM. The effect of FUD on these other protein matrices, however, was found to be dependent upon the maturity of the ECM when FUD was added. FUD effectively disrupted the incorporation of these other proteins into matrices when added to newly confluent cells that were forming a nascent ECM. In contrast, FUD had no effect on these other protein matrices if the cell cultures already possessed a pre-formed, mature ECM. Our studies indicate that FUD can be used to control fibronectin fibrillogenesis and that these fibrils play a role in regulating the assembly of other ECM protein into matrices involving type IV collagen, laminin, and fibrillin within the TM. This suggests that under in vivo conditions, FUD would selectively disrupt fibronectin fibrils and de novo assembly of other proteins into the ECM. Finally, our studies suggest that targeting fibronectin fibril assembly may be a viable treatment for POAG as well as other glaucomas involving excessive or abnormal matrix deposition of the ECM.
A longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging study of task control circuits and bulimic symptoms over adolescence.

Background Previous cross-sectional findings from adolescents and adults with Bulimia Nervosa (BN) suggest disturbances in fronto-striatal and cingulo-opercular task control circuits that support self-regulatory processes, including the resolution of cognitive conflict. Herein, we used longitudinal data to examine the developmental trajectories of such disturbances and how the functioning of these circuits relates to changes in BN symptoms over adolescence. Methods Thirty-two adolescent females with BN symptoms and 28 healthy control (HC) adolescents participated in the study. Functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) during performance of a Simon task were acquired at three time points within 2-year intervals over adolescence. From the initial sample, 70% and 30% of the participants completed the second and third time points, respectively. Participants who completed all study time points did not differ from those lost to attrition on baseline demographic characteristics or any outcome measures. Using a region-of-interest approach, growth curve models tested group differences in the trajectory of conflict-related activation in task control circuits over time. Cross-lagged panel models examined transactional relationships between conflict-related activation in the same regions and BN symptoms over time. Results Growth curve models revealed different trajectories of conflict-related activation in right task control regions across BN and HC adolescents, such that HC but not BN adolescents showed activation decreases over time. These group differences were greatest when including only the BN adolescents whose symptoms remitted over time. Cross-lagged panel models revealed that less frequent bulimic episodes at first follow-up predicted later increases in conflict-related activation in bilateral task control regions. Conclusions These longitudinal findings suggest overengagement of task control circuits in BN adolescents, especially those most resilient to persistent illness. Such overengagement may compensate for regulatory disturbances, allowing them to regulate eating behaviors over development. Thus, task control circuits may constitute targets for early interventions that enhance self-regulatory control.
Delegating Terror: Principal–Agent Based Decision Making in State Sponsorship of Terrorism

State sponsorship of terrorism, where a government deliberately provides resources and material support to a terrorist organization, is common in the international system. Sponsorship can provide s...
Correction to: Risk management of emergency service vehicle crashes in the United States fire service: process, outputs, and recommendations.

After publication of the article [1], it has been brought to our attention that the second author’s name was published incorrectly. Previously included as “Keshia P. Porter”, the full and correct name should be “Keshia Pollack Porter”. This has now been corrected in the original version of the article.
Time-varying linear-quadratic control

This paper discusses the performance of controlled linear dynamic systems that use time-varying feedforward signals and time-varying linear-quadratic (LQ) feedback gains. Such a time-varying LQ controller can bring a dynamic system to a desired final state in roughly half the time required by a time-invariant LQ controller, since it pushes at both ends, i.e., it uses significant control effort near the end of the maneuver, as well as at the beginning, to meet the specified end conditions; there is no overshoot and no settling time. This requires a more complex controller and some care with the high gains near the final time. A MATLAB3 code is listed that synthesizes and simulates zero-order-hold time-varying LQ controllers. The precision landing of a helicopter using four controls is treated as an example.
Direct reporting of results to patients: the future of radiology?

Rationale and Objectives Radiologists have traditionally left relaying exam results to patients in the hands of clinicians. Recent editorials have reexamined radiologists' traditional position and questioned whether radiologists should continue to remain within the confines of the reading room or increase their contact with patients. The present study addressed this issue by surveying patients directly regarding their preferences. Materials and Methods A survey was given to all patients aged ≥ 21 years undergoing outpatient magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomographic examinations at an academic medical center and at an associated outpatient center. Responses were anonymous. Surveys were provided over a 4-week period in February and March 2011; 237 were returned. Results The majority of patients (73%–77%) continue to prefer the practice model already established, regardless of whether the results are normal or abnormal. However, the same percentage of patients preferred to hear the results of their exams from the experts interpreting the exams. The discrepancy in these results is likely reflected in the fact that there is persistent confusion as to the role of radiologists. Although most patients correctly defined a radiologist as a physician, 40% believed that a radiologist is a technician or a nurse. A large percentage of patients (64%) responded positively to wanting to meet the radiologists interpreting their exams. Conclusions As radiologists, we need to reevaluate the established model of communication for reporting radiology results and consider the positive impact on patient care, and on the vitality of the radiology profession, of directly communicating with patients.
Enhancement of radiation effects by chemotherapy

This review covers the basic rationale for and the clinical experience with the use of chemicals for enhancement of ionizing radiation effects on ma1ignant tissues. Chemical sensitization of cells to ionizing radiation was demonstrated in cell cultures and in experimental animal systems. It remains to be determined how best to utilize this sensitization for the benefit of patients with malignant tumors. (SW)
550-W Ultraviolet exciplex source for pulsed power applications

The investigation of a high output power, arc lamp exciplex ultraviolet (UV) source for pulsed power applications is presented. The arc lamp generates up to 550 W from XeF * exciplex radiation at 351 nm, totaling to nearly 0.15-mJ total radiated UV energy over the duration of the UV pulse. With an ellipsoidal reflector, the arc lamp produces 400 W/cm 2 and up to 0.1 mJ of UV light onto a 1-cm 2 area. A complete experimental investigation of the arc lamp for both XeCl * (308 nm) and XeF * (351 nm) exciplex sources operated under varying excitation and pressure conditions is reported. As an application, the arc lamp is successfully utilized as an illumination source for an intrinsically triggered, wide bandgap SiC photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS), where a PCSS ON-state resistance of 500 Ω is achieved.
Usefulness, assessment and normative data of the Functional Reach Test in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To identify the evidence about the usefulness of the Functional Reach Test to evaluate balance and falls risk; to verify the Functional Reach Test assessment method and other variables that could interfere in its results; and to establish normative data for older adults. Data sources Manual and electronic searches (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, LILACS, CINAHL, AgeLine and PsycINFO) were conducted with no language restrictions and published since 1990. Study selection Observational studies about the Functional Reach Test in older adults with no specific health condition were selected. Data extraction Two independent reviewers extracted data from studies and a third reviewer provided consensus. The studies methodological quality was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Studies were submitted to critical analysis and meta-analysis. Results 40 studies were selected (8 prospective and 32 cross-sectional). 33 studies used the Functional Reach to assess balance and 21 studies the falls risk. The meta-analysis of Functional Reach normative data was 26.6 cm [95%CI: 25.14; 28.06] for community-dwelling older adults (n = 21 studies) and was 15.4 cm [95%CI: 13.47; 17.42] for non-community older adults (n = 5 studies), with statistics differences between settings. Functional Reach Test performance was found to decrease with age. Sex and prospective history of falls did not influence the test results. Methodological quality analysis determined high to low risk of bias of the studies. Conclusion This review revealed that the method of assessment and data of the Functional Reach Test varied greatly. Different values should be used for community- and non-community-dwelling older adults.
Racial differences within subsets of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) with an emphasis on asphyxia.

Abstract Objective Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) is defined as a combination of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Unknown Cause of Death (UCD) and Accidental Suffocation and Strangulation in Bed (ASSB). Overall rates from 2000 to 2015 have been trending down. Racial differences in occurrence are seen. Study design and setting Using the CDC Wonder Database, the total rates of SUID and its subsets were examined. Results Non-Caucasian infant death rates for the total SUID group, and the SIDS component, are trending downward significantly faster than for Caucasians. UCD trends in rates show an apparent small, non-significant, decline for non-Caucasians, and are unchanged for Caucasians. ASSB rates are trending upward slightly more rapidly (not significantly) for non-Caucasians than Caucasians. Conclusion The trend showing ASSB trending upward more in non-Caucasians than Caucasians may suggest: 1) A racial difference that certifiers are more willing to certify SIDS than ASSB in Caucasians, and/or 2) Certifiers are biased towards certifying more ASSB than SIDS in non-Caucasians, and/or 3) Asphyxia risks may be increasing more in non-Caucasian SUIDs. Option #1 would require educational efforts to recognize the asphyxia risks in Caucasians. Option #2 would require documentation of racial bias in infant death certification followed by efforts to reduce the bias. Option #3 would require focused targeting of non-Caucasian populations to reduce asphyxia risks. Potentially all three scenarios could co-exist.
Essential gene deletions producing gigantic bacteria.

To characterize the consequences of eliminating essential functions needed for peptidoglycan synthesis, we generated deletion mutations of Acinetobacter baylyi by natural transformation and visualized the resulting microcolonies of dead cells. We found that loss of genes required for peptidoglycan precursor synthesis or polymerization led to the formation of polymorphic giant cells with diameters that could exceed ten times normal. Treatment with antibiotics targeting early or late steps of peptidoglycan synthesis also produced giant cells. The giant cells eventually lysed, although they were partially stabilized by osmotic protection. Genome-scale transposon mutant screening (Tn-seq) identified mutations that blocked or accelerated giant cell formation. Among the mutations that blocked the process were those inactivating a function predicted to cleave murein glycan chains (the MltD murein lytic transglycosylase), suggesting that giant cell formation requires MltD hydrolysis of existing peptidoglycan. Among the mutations that accelerated giant cell formation after s-lactam treatment were those inactivating an enzyme that produces unusual 3->3 peptide cross-links in peptidoglycan (the LdtG L,D-transpeptidase). The mutations may weaken the sacculus and make it more vulnerable to further disruption. Although the study focused on A. baylyi, we found that a pathogenic relative (A. baumannii) also produced giant cells with genetic dependencies overlapping those of A. baylyi. Overall, the analysis defines a genetic pathway for giant cell formation conserved in Acinetobacter species in which independent initiating branches converge to create the unusual cells.
DNA mutation frequencies in metastatic small bowel adenocarcinoma (mSBA) in comparison to gastric (mGC), colon (mCC), and rectal cancer (mRC): Continuum or cutpoint?

e14636 Background: The small intestine is in continuity with the stomach and colon/rectum. However mGC and mCC/mRC differ in oncogene profiles. No study has evaluated the oncogene profile of mSBA o...
Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep: effects of oral iron plus active, passive, and adoptive immunizations of the hematopoietic systems of lambs

The severity of anemia of lambs with haemonchosis is alleviated by oral iron supplement given ad libitum. This oral iron therapy acted in several ways: (1) to replenish the loss of body iron stores, (2) to restore the red cell mass decreased by hemorrhaging, and (3) to make available sufficient quantities of iron for hemoglobin synthesis. The use of oral iron supplement enabled lambs to survive a primary infection of 50000 infective stage Haemonchus contortus larvae. This survival factor enabled their innate resistance to develop fully and successfully to sustain a reinfection of 70000 infective stage H. contortus larvae.
Effects of Topical Antimicrobial Formulations on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm in an In vivo Porcine Burn Wound Model

Abstract Silver has been incorporated into a variety of wound dressings and topical agents to prevent and combat wound infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of burn wound infections and well-known biofilm producer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a panel of wound dressings containing different silver formulations on P. aeruginosa biofilms using an in vivo porcine burn wound model. Second-degree burns were created on the skin of specific pathogen-free pigs (n = 3) and inoculated with 2.14 × 105 cfu P. aeruginosa per wound. Biofilms were allowed to develop for 24 h, and then each wound was treated with one of 6 treatments: silver oxynitrate dressing (OXY), silver oxynitrate powder (POWD), nanocrystalline silver dressing (NANO), silver chloride dressing (AGCL), silver sulfadiazine (SSD), or a negative control polyurethane film with no silver-based formulation (NEG). Wounds were cultured at D3 post-infection (n = 3 per pig per treatment) and at D6 post-infection (n = 3 per pig per treatment) for quantification of bacteria. On D6, biopsies (n = 3 per treatment) were taken from POWD, SSD, and NEG wounds and wound healing progress was evaluated histologically. At the time of treatment initiation, 24 h post-infection, 8.71 log cfu P. aeruginosa were present in burn wounds. On D3 and D6, all treatments significantly reduced bacterial counts in wounds as compared to NEG, but POWD caused an approximately 7-log reduction in bacterial counts on both days and was the only treatment to reduce the bacterial counts to below the threshold for detecting bacteria. The OXY, NANO, and SSD treatments had similar reductions in bacterial recovery on D3 and D6 of approximately 2.5-4 log. The histological healing metrics of reepithelialization percentage, epithelial thickness, white cell infiltration, angiogenesis, and granulation tissue formation were similar among wounds from POWD, SSD, and NEG groups at 6 days post-infection. Silver oxynitrate powder reduced P. aeruginosa growth in burn wounds more effectively than other silver-based dressings but did not impact wound healing.
Jean Vanier on Beauty and Disability

Jean Vanier offers a unique concept of beauty in which beauty is described as inherent in all human beings and revealed in right relationships. According to Vanier, revealing the beauty of every in...
VIP: A COVID-19 Therapeutic that Blocks Coronavirus Replication

Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide has demonstrated an immediate clinical response in some patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure. A response of this magnitude has previously not been seen with an antiviral agent and is akin to the first reports of penicillin in treating pneumococcal pneumonia. Similar results have been demonstrated in acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by sepsis. Aviptadil, a synthetic form of human Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) has been granted FDA Fast Track Designation and emergency IND authorization for the treatment of Critical COVID-19 with respiratory failure and is now in phase 2/3 clinical trials, with initial determinations of safety and non-futility. VIP binds uniquely to VPAC1 receptors on Alveolar Type II cells in the lung, the same cells that bind the SARS-CoV-2 virus via their ACE2 receptors. VIP protects those cells and the surrounding pulmonary epithelium by inhibiting replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, blocking cytokine synthesis, preventing apoptosis, and upregulating the production of surfactant, which is critical to pulmonary oxygenation. Because of its lack of toxicity and low cost of manufacture compared to proprietary biologics, VIP may be uniquely attractive to those focused on global countermeasures against COVID-19 and future threats.
Small non-coding RNA CjNC110 influences motility, autoagglutination, AI-2 localization, hydrogen peroxide sensitivity and chicken colonization in Campylobacter jejuni

Small non-coding RNAs are involved in many important physiological functions in pathogenic microorganisms. Previous studies have identified the presence of non-coding RNAs in the major zoonotic pathogen Campylobacter jejuni, however, few have been functionally characterized to date. CjNC110 is a conserved ncRNA in C. jejuni, located downstream of the luxS gene which is responsible for the production of the quorum-sensing molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2). In this study, we utilized strand specific high-throughput RNAseq to identify potential targets or interactive partners of CjNC110 in a sheep abortion clone of C. jejuni. This data was then utilized to focus further phenotypic evaluation of the role of CjNC110 in motility, autoagglutination, quorum sensing, hydrogen peroxide sensitivity and chicken colonization in C. jejuni. Inactivation of the CjNC110 ncRNA led to a statistically significant decrease in autoagglutination ability as well as increased motility and hydrogen peroxide sensitivity when compared to wild-type. Extracellular AI-2 detection was decreased in ∆CjNC110, however, intracellular AI-2 accumulation was significantly increased, suggesting a key role of CjNC110 in modulating the transport of AI-2. Notably, ∆CjNC110 also showed a decreased ability to colonize chickens. Complementation of CjNC110 restored all phenotypic changes back to wild-type levels. The collective results of the phenotypic and transcriptomic changes observed in our data provide valuable insights into the pathobiology of C. jejuni sheep abortion clone and strongly suggest that CjNC110 plays an important role in regulation of energy taxis, flagellar glycosylation, cellular communication via quorum sensing, oxidative stress tolerance and chicken colonization in this important zoonotic pathogen.
What processes must we understand to forecast regional-scale population dynamics?

An urgent challenge facing biologists is predicting the regional-scale population dynamics of species facing environmental change. Biologists suggest that we must move beyond predictions based on p...
Adaptive DTN Routing: A Neuromorphic Networking Perspective

Routing is one of the main drivers of the end-to-end performance of bundle transmissions over a disruption tolerant network given the potentially large impact of the temporary but long-term partitioning that can occur at different sections of the network. A neuromorphic networking approach that defines an adaptive bundle routing for disruption-tolerant networks (DTN) is proposed where spiking neuronal networks (SNN) are used to determine the routing decisions of autonomous agents. The event-driven information encoding of spiking neurons involves very low energy consumption, which makes this approach attractive for challenging DTN applications with limited access to energy sources. The SNNs are continually updated within an autonomic loop, which produces synapse strength updates that are proportional to the expected communication costs of the routing decisions. A reward shaping procedure and a delay-tolerant mechanism for finding the local link-state is proposed, which allows determining instantaneous learning rewards for the agents. The method was tested on an emulated space communications network with scheduled disruptions. The results show that the proposed cognitive routing approach offers improved bundle delivery performance under network congestion compared to the standard Contact Graph Routing.
Think Tanks in the New Century

John Hamre, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, explores the Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the United States.
Nonparametric Fusion Learning for Multiparameters: Synthesize Inferences From Diverse Sources Using Data Depth and Confidence Distribution

Fusion learning refers to synthesizing inferences from multiple sources or studies to make a more effective inference and prediction than from any individual source or study alone. Most existing me...
Not seeing eye to eye: challenges to building ethnically and economically diverse environmental coalitions

Environmental issues are collective action problems that can only be solved with coordinated efforts among diverse groups of people. Whether people are willing to collaborate to solve these problems, however, depends on their perceptions of, and trust in, each other. If people misperceive each other—for instance, due to inaccurate beliefs about who truly cares about environmental issues—then it becomes difficult to build diverse coalitions to address these collective problems. In this paper we review recent research on factors that lead diverse groups of people to misperceive each other’s environmental concerns, and the consequences of these misperceptions for collective action. We then conclude by discussing a more inclusive approach for building diverse coalitions in environmental movements.
Associations of Health-Related Conversations and Mealtime Media Device Use Among Parent-Adolescent Dyads

Objectives To determine how health-related conversations between parents and their adolescent children is associated with mealtime media device use by adolescents.