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The article introduces a new method called the Unique Brain Network Identification Number (UBNIN) for storing binary neuroimaging connectivity data. It compares the UBNIN method with three other methods for storing brain-state data and discusses the pros and cons of each approach. The UBNIN method has three variations with different levels of compactness and information loss. The article concludes that while the UBNIN method has advantages, it requires more storage space compared to other methods and does not provide detailed information about connections between brain areas. The article also includes two tables comparing different properties of brain-state representations. The authors of the paper were involved in various aspects of the research and declare no conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The nonsurgical treatment of chest wall deformity by a vacuum bell or external brace is gradual, with correction taking place over months. Monitoring the progress of nonsurgical treatment of chest wall deformity has relied on the ancient methods of measuring the depth of the excavatum and the protrusion of the carinatum. Patients, who are often adolescent, may become discouraged and abandon treatment. Methods: Optical scanning was utilized before and after the intervention to assess the effectiveness of treatment. The device measured the change in chest shape at each visit. In this pilot study, patients were included if they were willing to undergo scanning before and after treatment. Both surgical and nonsurgical treatment results were assessed. Results: Scanning was successful in 7 patients. Optical scanning allowed a visually clear, precise assessment of treatment, whether by operation, vacuum bell (for pectus excavatum), or external compression brace (for pectus carinatum). Millimeter-scale differences were identified and presented graphically to patients and families. Conclusion: Optical scanning with the digital subtraction of images obtained months apart allows a comparison of chest shape before and after treatment. For nonsurgical, gradual methods, this allows the patient to more easily appreciate progress. We speculate that this will increase adherence to these methods in adolescent patients.

The article discusses the role of clinical intuition in medical judgment, particularly in the field of psychiatry. It argues that intuition, which is often seen as experience assimilated by senior colleagues, is an essential aspect of clinical reasoning that cannot be captured in algorithms or flowcharts. The article explores the definition of intuition as a rapid form of logical discursivity that incorporates familiarity and synthesizes diverse conceptions from medical knowledge. It emphasizes the importance of intuition in providing holistic data for generating humanistic hypotheses about a patient's condition and suggests that further research is needed to understand and validate the role of intuition in clinical judgment. [Extracted from the article]

The text is an abstract from the Journal of Clinical & Translational Science. It discusses the potential use of monensin and its derivatives as anti-breast cancer agents. The study found that these compounds showed activity against breast cancer cells and increased the presentation of tumor-specific antigens, which could enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. The findings have the potential to improve outcomes for patients with metastatic breast cancer. The abstract also mentions other studies on topics such as antibody production in plasma cells, self-control in pediatric psychopathology, and predicting prostate adenocarcinoma outcome. [Extracted from the article]

We welcome the submission of papers contributing further ideas for how to address the replication crisis, including replication studies or papers describing refinements of brain imaging methods to improve study power. In the early 2010s, the "replication crisis" and synonymous terms ("replicability crisis" and "reproducibility crisis") were coined to describe growing concerns regarding published research results too often not being replicable, potentially undermining scientific progress [[1]]. The purpose of the I Brain Sciences i Special Issue "The Brain Imaging Replication Crisis" is to provide a forum for discussions concerning this replication crisis in light of the special challenges posed by brain imaging. A detailed specification of methods in published articles allows other researchers to reproduce published studies and to double-check the authors' work if study data and software are also available. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To review standardized Nuss correction of pectus excavatum and vacuum bell treatment over the last 10 years. Summary of Background Data: In 2010, we reported 21 years of the Nuss procedure in 1215 patients. Methods: Over the last 10 years, 2008–2018, we evaluated 1885 pectus excavatum patients. Surgery was indicated for well-defined objective criteria. A consistent operation was performed by 8 surgeons in 1034 patients, median 15 years, (range 6–46); 996 were primary, and 38 redo operations. Surgical patients' mean computed tomography index was 5.46. Mitral valve prolapse was present in 5.4%, Marfan syndrome in 1.1% and scoliosis in 29%. Vacuum bell treatment was introduced for 218 patients who did not meet surgical criteria or were averse to surgery. Results: At primary operation, 1 bar was placed in 49.8%; 2 bars, 49.4%; and 3 bars, 0.7%. There were no deaths. Cardiac perforation occurred in 1 patient who had undergone previous cardiac surgery. Paraplegia after epidural catheter occurred once. Reoperation for bar displacement occurred in 1.8%, hemothorax in 0.3%, and wound infection in 2.9%; 1.4% required surgical drainage. Allergy to stainless steel was identified in 13.7%. A good anatomic outcome was always achieved at bar removal. Recurrence requiring reoperation occurred in 3 primary surgical patients. Two patients developed carinate overcorrection requiring reoperation. Vacuum bell treatment produced better results in younger and less severe cases. Conclusions: A standardized Nuss procedure was performed by multiple surgeons in 1034 patients with good overall safety and results in primary repairs. Vacuum bell treatment is useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past empirical research examining the relationship of self-efficacy perceptions and performance has had several limitations. Most studies were performed in the laboratory with tasks not directly related to individual work performance. As a consequence, many findings are not generalizable to individual work performance. This study tested the self-efficacy-performance model found in Bandura's social-cognitive theory in a work setting, with a sample of 776 American university employees, and with discriminant function analyses. Respondents indicated that performance with computers significantly predicted perceptions of high and low self-efficacy. Results provide additional support for social-cognitive theory as outlined by Bandura., In recent theory and research, the self-efficacy construct has served as a primary determinant of task-motivated behavior and performance (Lindsley, Brass, & Thomas, 1995; Mitchell, Hopper, Daniels, George-Falvy, & James, [...]

Objective. Detrusor overactivity (DO) is a urodynamic observation characterized by fluctuations in detrusor pressure (P det) of the bladder. Although detecting DO is important for the management of bladder symptoms, the invasive nature of urodynamic studies (UDS) makes it a source of discomfort and morbidity for patients. Ultrasound bladder vibrometry (UBV) could provide a direct and noninvasive means of detecting DO, due to its sensitivity to changes in elasticity and load in the bladder wall. In this study, we investigated the feasibility and applying UBV toward detecting DO. Approach. UBV and urodynamic study (UDS) measurements were collected in 76 neurogenic bladder patients (23 with DO). Timestamped group velocity squared ( c g 2 ) data series were collected from UBV measurements. Concurrent P det data series were identically analyzed for comparison and validation. A processing approach is developed to separate transient fluctuations in the data series from the larger trend of the data and a DO index is proposed for characterizing the transient peaks observed in the data. Main Results. Applying the DO index as a classifier for DO produced sensitivities and specificities of 0.70 and 0.75 for c g 2 data series and 0.70 and 0.83 for P det data series respectively. Significance. It was found that DO can be feasibly detected from data series of timestamped UBV measurements. Collectively, these initial results are promising, and further refinement to the UBV measurement process is likely to improve and clarify its capabilities for noninvasive detection of DO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MY professional career has involved trade policy and trade negotiations at the level of an international secretariat (GATT), the U.S. Government (USTR), and teaching and research at various universities. Nevertheless, [...], William B. Kelly, Jr., Former Deputy Director-General of the GATT pleads for environmentalists and traders to open nonhostile channels of communication and reconcile their objectives.