cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microorganisms in Soils: Roles in Genesis and Function

Microorganisms and soil processes are intimately connected but not well understood. This lack of knowledge is in part due to a reliance of traditional soil microbiologists and scientists on outdated scientific methods that are merely descriptive; able to elucidate or predict neither their complex and dynamic interactions nor the interior architecture of soils. In addition, the traditional boundaries of soil physics, soil chemistry, and soil microbiology have to be overcome for an integrated, meaningful approach (I. M. Young and J. W. Crawford, Science 304:1634–1637, 2004). Recently, interest in these topics has increased as the importance of these processes for many global cycles has become apparent, and this area has become a scientific frontier in microbiology and biogeochemistry (A. Sugden, R. Stone, and C. Ash, Science 304:1613, 2004). It is in this context that a well-edited guide to this field comes in handy. This is the third and so far best volume of the Soil Biology series, edited by Francois Buscot and Ajit Varma. The 18 chapters are thematically well organized, most having a concluding paragraph. The figures and photographs are of good quality, with most chapters being informative and a pleasure to read.
Gene expression studies of murine pregnancy associated granulated metrial gland and decidual cells

Granulated metrial gland (GMG) cells are NK cells that proliferate and differentiate within the murine uterus during pregnancy. They have been predicted to play important roles in nurturing the embryo, normal placentation, and uterine tissue remodeling. GMG cell differentiation is manifested by the accimiulation of the cytolytic mediators, perforin, granzyme A, and granzyme B, within cytoplasmic granules. The signaling mechanisms required for GMG cell differentiation are largely unknown, although recent in vitro assays have implicated IL-15 in these events. In this report, we demonstrate that granzymes D, E, F and G (granzymes D-G) are also expressed in GMG cells but at a later stage in pregnancy when compared with granzyme A expression. Whereas granzyme A is expressed in early to mid-gestation, the expression of granzymes D-G peak in mid to late gestation. In addition, we show that the IL-2RP and the IL-2RY mRNA, as well as the EL15Ra protein, are expressed concomitantly with granzymes D-G in the pregnant uterus. Finally, we demonstrate that granzymes D-G are upregulated by IL-2 and IL-15 in primary
Confocal fluorescence mapping of pH profile inside hydrogel beads (microgels) with controllable internal pH values

Hydrogel beads are particularly promising vehicles for the encapsulation, protection, and release of bioactive agents in foods, supplements, and pharmaceuticals. However, most hydrogel beads are highly porous so that their internal pH is typically fairly similar to that of the surrounding solution, which can lead to degradation of encapsulated pH-sensitive bioactives. In this study, hydrogel beads were fabricated with self-regulating internal pH microclimates by encapsulating Mg(OH)2 inside them. This buffer is insoluble at neutral pH, but dissolves under acidic conditions thereby releasing OH− ions that neutralize H+ ions. A quantitative fluorescence confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) method was developed to map the local pH inside the hydrogel beads, which was based on trapping a pH-sensitive dye (fluorescein tetramethylrhodamine dextran, FRD) inside the beads. Hydrogel beads were prepared by injecting a solution containing alginate (gelling agent), Mg(OH)2 (buffer) and FRD (pH probe) into another solution containing calcium chloride (cross-linking agent) using a commercial encapsulation unit. The fluorescence CLSM method was then used to detect the pH profile inside the beads after they were exposed to highly acidic simulated gastric fluids (SGF). Before exposure to SGF, the pH profile inside buffer-free beads was fairly uniform (pH 6.8–7.0), whereas the pH at the center of the hydrogel beads was slightly higher than that at the edge for Mg(OH)2-loaded beads (pH 7.6–7.2). After exposure to SGF, the pH inside buffer-free beads rapidly became highly acidic (around pH 3), whereas the pH inside Mg(OH)2-loaded beads remained fairly similar to the initial value (around pH 7.5). The CLSM method developed in this work may be useful for quantifying the local pH in other systems, while the buffer-loaded hydrogel beads may be useful for encapsulation of acid-labile bioactives.
Measurement of cochlear length using the 'A' value for cochlea basal diameter: A feasibility study.

Objectives: To determine whether the cochlea basal diameter (A value) measurement can be consistently and precisely obtained from high-resolution temporal bone imaging for use in cochlear length estimation.Methods: A feasibility study at a tertiary referral center was performed using the temporal bone CTs of 40 consecutive patients. The distance from the round window to the lateral wall was measured for each cochlea by two independent reviewers, a neuroradiologist and an otolaryngologist. The interrater reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Bland–Altman plot.Results: Forty patients (19 males, 21 females) for a total of 80 cochleae were included. Interrater reliability on the same ear had a high level of agreement by both the ICC and the Bland–Altman plot. ICCs were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.82, 0.94) for the left ear and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92, 0.98) for the right ear. Bland–Altman plot confirmed interrater reliability with all 96% of measurements falling within the 95% l...
Chronobiology (Circadian Rhythms)

Our earth is spinning, making a complete turn in 24 h. If the axis of this rotation were in the plane of the sun’s rays, half the earth would always be in darkness, half in light. Fortunately for us, the earth does not spin in this manner. Instead, its axis of rotation is roughly perpendicular to the sun’s rays, so that most of the surface of the earth is alternately illuminated and in shadow. All organisms have evolved in this changing illumination, which we know as day and night. It is not surprising, then, that they have adapted to this situation. For example, some animals are active only during the day, while others are nocturnal. Perhaps only the bacteria disregard the periodic quality of natural illumination.
Accelerated out-of-band arbitration of a microring-based silicon photonic system

We present an architecture towards accelerating compute element operations on a fully arbitrated silicon photonic (SiP) system. An 8×8 SiP network is controlled in a distributed fashion, with connectivity consisting of two 10Gbps wavelength division multiplexed data links that are arbitrated out-of-band.
Predicting Lesser Cornstalk Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Larval Density From Estimates of Adult Abundance in Peanut Fields

The abundance of larvae and adults of the lesser cornstalk borer was monitored in conventionally tilled and planted Florunner peanuts at the Wiregrass Experiment Substation in Headland, Ala. from 1984 to 1986. Larval abundance was monitored by soil sieving ca. weekly throughout the growing season. The abundance of adults was monitored weekly by flushing male and female moths from rows by beating plants with a stick. Regression was used to determine if adults in week ‘i’ can explain the variation in larval abundance in week ‘i + 1,’ over the three years of observation. The mean number of larvae from week ‘i + 1’ increased linearly with an increase in adult flush counts from week ‘i’ (P < 0.0001, r2 = 0.91), indicating that larval density could be predicted by adult abundance. The resulting equation had an intercept that was not significantly different from zero (P = 0.29) and a slope of 12.66 ± 0.88 (P < 0.0001), indicating that about 13 larvae/meter can be expected to be found one week later for each adul...
Measures of Blood Hemoglobin and Hematocrit During Cardiac Surgery: Comparison of Three Point-of-Care Devices.

Objective The primary objective was to compare I-Stat, HemoCue, and RapidLab in measurements of the hemoglobin concentration during cardiac surgeries using cardiopulmonary bypass. Design Prospective analysis. Setting Single-center, academic, tertiary care cardiovascular center. Participants Thirty-four consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass. Interventions Blood samples have been collected intraoperatively, and the hemoglobin concentration in each sample was measured, or calculated, simultaneously by the 3 point-of-care devices, HemoCue, RapidLab, and I-Stat. Measurements and Main Results Correlation coefficients from the regression analysis for HemoCue versus I-Stat, RapidLab versus HemoCue, and RapidLab versus I-Stat were 0.89, 0.96, and 0.88, respectively. Results of the Bland–Altman analysis of the hemoglobin concentration measurements for each device against one another ( Fig 1 ) were as follows: RapidLab versus I-Stat (bias 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], –1.05 to 1.89), I-Stat versus HemoCue (bias 0.23; 95% CI, –1.14 to 1.59), and RapidLab versus HemoCue (bias 0.65; 95% CI, –0.17 to 1.47). It appears that I-Stat slightly underestimated the concentration of hemoglobin when compared with both RapidLab and HemoCue. The results of Bland–Altman analysis of each device to a mean Z value ( Fig 2 ) were as follows: RapidLab versus Z (bias 0.36; 95% CI, –0.29 to 1.01), I-Stat versus Z (bias –0.07; CI –0.97 to 0.84), and HemoCue versus Z (bias –0.29; 95% CI, –0.86 to 0.28). Based on the 174 paired samples used for the Pearson moment analysis, the R2 values for I-Stat versus HemoCue, I-Stat versus RapidLab, and RapidLab versus HemoCue were 0.79, 0.80, and 0.87, respectively Conclusions These data support the interchangeability of these 3 devices for the intermittent intraoperative point-of-care assessment of hemoglobin concentrations in cardiac surgery patients. It is important, however, to consider the possible pitfalls associated with each device when making a clinical decision to transfuse
Locating Crop Plant Centers from UAV-Based RGB Imagery

In this paper we propose a method to find the location of crop plants in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery. Finding the location of plants is a crucial step to derive and track phenotypic traits for each plant. We describe some initial work in estimating field crop plant locations. We approach the problem by classifying pixels as a plant center or a non plant center. We use Multiple Instance Learning (MIL) to handle the ambiguity of plant center labeling in training data. The classification results are then post-processed to estimate the exact location of the crop plant. Experimental evaluation is conducted to evaluate the method and the result achieved an overall precision and recall of 66% and 64%, respectively.
Preoperative Risk Assessment: Anesthesia

Preanesthetic evaluation facilitates the safe and efficient perioperative management of a patient’s airway, cardiopulmonary physiology, and comorbid conditions. Preanesthesia assessment and further diagnostic testing should be tailored to the unique medical history of the patient and the planned operative procedure.
Solubilization of Retinoids by Bile Salt/ Phospholipid Aggregates

Purpose. The capacity and specificity of bile salt (BS)/phosphatidylcholine (PC) mixed lipid aggregated systems in solubilizing four structurally related retinoids, etretinate, motretinid, fenretinide and N-ethyl retinamide, were determined. Methods. Excess solid drug was dispersed into sodium taurocholate (NaTC)/egg PC systems at lipid ratios of 10:0, 10:2 and 10 mM:10 mM in isotonic HEPES buffer, pH 6.5. A sensitive HPLC method was used to quantify the amount solubilized. The melting point and associated enthalpy change as well as the aqueous solubilities were also measured. Results. The retinoids had aqueous solubilities of less than 25 nM. The predicted aqueous solubility was less than 0.01 nM. The amount of retinoid in 10 mM NaTC was increased from three to four orders of magnitude relative to the aqueous solubility. Further increases in the amount solubilized were observed in the 10:10 mixed micelle dispersion. Fenretinide and N-ethyl retinamide were particularly well solubilized by BS and BS/PC aggregated systems which may be related to the presence of a cyclohexenyl ring. Conclusions. The discrepancy between the observed and predicted aqueous solubility may be due to self-association of the retinoids. Micellar/aqueous distribution ratios appear to be dominated by the hydrophobic effect, although specific interactions also are important. In considering intestinal absorption, the large increase in solubilization with BS/PC micelles would be capable of dramatically increasing the bioavailability in spite of the smaller effective diffusivity of the solubilized retinoid.
Chapter 1 – A New Discipline: Climate Change Biology

The sun warms the Earth. Gases in the atmosphere capture heat and reradiate it back to the surface. This “greenhouse effect” transforms the Earth from a cold, rocky ball into a living planet. But how does this system operate, and how are human actions affecting this natural process?
Ecosystem multifunctionality increases with beta diversity in restored prairies

The loss of biodiversity at local and larger scales has potentially dramatic effects on ecosystem functioning. Many studies have shown that ecosystem functioning depends on biodiversity, but the role of beta diversity, spatial variation in community composition, is less clear than that of local-scale (alpha) diversity. To test the hypothesis that beta diversity would increase ecosystem multifunctionality through variation in species functional traits, we gathered data on plant community composition, plant functional traits, and seven ecosystem functions across 29 restored prairies. We found that averaged multifunctionality (mean of seven ecosystem functions) increased with both taxonomic beta diversity and functional beta diversity. The abundance of the dominant species, big bluestem, played a more minor role, suggesting a limited role for the selection effect. Neither taxonomic nor functional alpha richness was associated with multifunctionality, though this finding may be sensitive to the identity of the functions included because alpha diversity was associated with some individual functions in opposing directions. These findings suggest that in systems structured largely by natural processes, beta diversity (a patchwork of functionally different plant communities) and dominant species abundance may be more important than alpha diversity in fostering ecosystem multifunctionality. These findings suggest the need for an increased focus on community heterogeneity to reestablish functional ecosystems during restoration.
PRESEASON LOWER EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL TEST SCORES ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER QUADRANT INJURY - A VALIDATION STUDY WITH NORMATIVE DATA ON 395 DIVISION III ATHLETES.

Background Preseason performance on the lower extremity functional test (LEFT), a timed series of agility drills, has been previously reported to be associated with future risk of lower quadrant (LQ = low back and lower extremities) injury in Division III (D III) athletes. Validation studies are warranted to confirm or refute initial findings. Hypothesis/Purpose The primary purpose of this study was to examine the ability of the LEFT to discriminate injury occurrence in D III athletes, in order to validate or refute prior findings. It was hypothesized that female and male D III athletes slower at completion of the LEFT would be at a greater risk for a non-contact time-loss injury during sport. Secondary purposes of this study are to report other potential risk factors based on athlete demographics and to present normative LEFT data based on sport participation. Methods Two hundred and six (females = 104; males = 102) D III collegiate athletes formed a validation sample. Athletes in the validation sample completed a demographic questionnaire and performed the LEFT at the start of their sports preseason. Athletic trainers tracked non-contact time-loss LQ injuries during the season. A secondary analysis of risk based on preseason LEFT performance was conducted for a sample (n = 395) that consisted of subjects in the validation sample (n = 206) as well as athletes from a prior LEFT related study (n = 189). Study Design Prospective cohort. Results Male athletes in the validation sample completed the LEFT [98.6 ( ± 8.1) seconds] significantly faster than female athletes [113.1 ( ± 10.4) seconds]. Male athletes, by sport, also completed the LEFT significantly faster than their female counterparts who participated in the same sport. There was no association between preseason LEFT performance and subsequent injury, by sex, in either the validation sample or the combined sample. Females who reported starting primary sport participation by age 10 were two times (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.9; p = 0.01) more likely to experience a non-contact time-loss LQ injury than female athletes who started their primary sport at age 11 or older. Males who reported greater than three hours per week of plyometric training during the six-week period prior to the start of the preseason were four times more likely (OR = 4.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 14.0; p = 0.03) to experience a foot or ankle injury than male athletes who performed three or less hours per week. Conclusions The LEFT could not be validated as a preseason performance measure to predict future sports injury risk. The data presented in this study may aid rehabilitation professionals when evaluating an injured athlete's ability to return to sport by comparing their LEFT score to population norms. Level of Evidence 2.
The Art and Craft of Phonomicrosurgery in Grammy Award-Winning Elite Performers.

Background:Since the renowned opera maestro Manuel Garcia presented “Observations on the Human Voice” using mirror laryngoscopy in 1855, there has been an inextricable link between performing vocal...
First-Year Counselors-in-Training and Perceptions of the Group Environment

This exploratory study examined the impact of three process groups for first-year, first-semester master’s degree students (N = 20, total). The Group Environment Scale (GES; Moos 1994, 2002), Forms I (Ideal) and R (Real), were utilized to measure the participants’ ideal perceptions and real perceptions of the small group environment. The overall results show that cohesion, leader support, task orientation, order/organization, and leader control were critical aspects of the experience. A group facilitator impact was found when comparing the results from the three different groups. Implications for group work training and future research are presented.
Using medicare "incident-to" rules.

Nonphysician practitioners can expand practice capacity, but it's vital to follow the billing rules.
Intravascular Papillary Endothelial Hyperplasia of the Maxillary Sinus in Patient with Tricuspid Atresia

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH) is a benign, highly vascularized, endothelial growth that can be mischaracterized as a malignancy. While hundreds of IPEH cases are reported, only four occurred in the maxillary sinus. We present the case of a 28-year-old male who underwent surgical resection of IPEH of the right maxillary sinus. An additional consideration was the patient's condition of univentricular tricuspid atresia which contributed to chronic hypoxemia and polycythemia. After complete resection from the maxillary sinus, post-operational workup determined the lesion to be IPEH. Given the potential for misdiagnosis of IPEH, careful histopathologic evaluation is required in order to avoid improper treatment.
Development of Advanced Clinical Research Application: PAINRelieveIt using Patient Feedback

Clinical research, when performed on a large scale, requires tools that can adapt to the needs of capturing a large amount of data while being usable by the specific intended audience. Developing tools for clinical studies not only requires profound programming skills but also demands experience in clinical research settings such as hospice to understand the user. Our aim was to develop a tool, using feedback from actual users. We sought a tool that is platform independent, usable, multi-lingual and secure. We used the patient feedback from our previous use of clinical research tools to develop an advanced version called PAINRelieveIt. We used feedback from 2 assessment tools that we created and used over a decade, a client computer-based tool and a windows-based internet version; and developed PAINRelieveIt: a self-report, pain-assessment tool for patients. PAINRelieveIt is built mindful of the users who are different from a normal web application user because of their frailty. PAINRelieveIt as of now is facilitating research for 3 different studies and has the capacity to support multiple research studies with its modular design. It is multi-lingual and is used to conduct research in both English and Turkish languages. Such capabilities on top of the user friendliness and the ease of access on any platform makes it an ultimate tool for conducting clinical research. We constantly evaluate the feedback received from PAINRelieveIt users to make it a selfevolving tool.
Constructions of point-line arrangements in the plane with large girth

A classical result by Erdős, and later on by Bondy and Simonivits, states that every $n$-vertex graph with no cycle of length $2k$ has at most $O(n^{1+1 /k})$ edges. This bound is known to be tight when $k \in \{2,3,5\},$ but it is a major open problem in extremal graph theory to decide if this bound is tight for all $k$. In this paper, we study the effect of forbidding short even cycles in incidence graphs of point-line arrangements in the plane. It is not known if the Erdős upper bound stated above can be improved to $o(n^{1+1/k})$ in this geometric setting, and in this note, we establish non-trivial lower bounds for this problem by modifying known constructions arising in finite geometries. In particular, by modifying a construction due to Labeznik and Ustimenko, we construct an arrangement of $n$ points and $n$ lines in the plane, such that their incidence graph has girth at least $k + 5$, and determines at least $\Omega({n^{1+\frac{4}{k^2+6k-3}}})$ incidences. We also apply the same technique to Wenger graphs, which gives a better lower bound for $k=5.$
Pore-Scale Sweep Efficiency Enhancement by Silica-Based Nanofluids in Oil-Wet Sandstone

It has been shown that nanofluids can significantly impact the forces at both fluid–fluid and fluid–solid interfaces. Nanofluids have also been reported in laboratory studies to enhance oil recover...
Pasciolla, Francesca. Walt Whitman in Fernando Pessoa. Critical, Cultural and Communications Press, 2016

Walt Whitman in Fernando Pessoa focuses principally on Pessoa as a reader of Whitman and investigates the echoes of Whitman’s work and philosophies in those of Pessoa and his heteronyms.
Relations of Executive Function and Physical Performance in Middle Adulthood: A Prospective Investigation in African American and White Adults.

OBJECTIVES Previous studies in older adults found robust associations between executive functions (EF) and physical performance, as well as sociodemographic variation in physical performance decline. To examine these associations earlier in the adult lifespan, we investigated relations of EF, race, and sex with age-related physical performance decline during middle adulthood. METHOD Participants were 2,084 urban-dwelling adults (57.2% female; 57.8% African American; 37.3% living in poverty; mean baseline age = 48.1) from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study. Mixed-effects regression was used to examine interactive relations among EF, race, sex, and age (indexing time) with change in dominant and nondominant handgrip strength and lower extremity strength over approximately 5 years. All analyses adjusted for poverty status, and subsequently adjusted for education, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes. RESULTS There were no significant prospective associations between EF and decline in physical performance measures. Significant cross-sectional associations revealed that lower EF was associated with worse performance on all physical performance measures averaged across both time points (p < .05). A significant two-way interaction of Sex × Age (p = .019) revealed that men experienced greater age-related decline in lower extremity strength than women. DISCUSSION Findings did not reveal prospective associations between EF and physical performance decline in middle adulthood. However, they identified robust cross-sectional associations between EF and physical performance, and unexpectedly greater decline in lower extremity strength in men than women. Ultimately, these findings may inform prevention and intervention strategies targeting groups at risk for poorer physical function status and decline.
Chapter 11 – Culture and Methodology in Personality Assessment

Evidence-based bias reduction in low-inference and high-inference personality assessment instruments is now consensually recognized. Bias in standard psychological tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2), Rorschach (RCS), and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) has been dramatically reduced. MMPI-2 deficiencies in items, norms, flawed psychometric properties, and construct meanings have been minimized in a restructured MMPI-2-RF. The Rorschach Comprehensive System (RCS) recently incorporated revised diagnostic constructs and a theoretical model of affect contributing to therapeutic feedback. In addition, the new Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) is an evidence-based internationally focused and culturally relevant system using externally accessed behavioral criteria. The TAT now has a reference compendium of objective scores representing a number of systems for both high-inference and low-inference interpretation of this test. The Tell-Me-A-Story test (TEMAS) provides scores and interpretations for cross-cultural and multicultural groups.
Vitamin D insufficiency is prevalent in severe COVID-19

Background: COVID-19 is a major pandemic that has killed more than 196,000 people. The COVID-19 disease course is strikingly divergent. Approximately 80-85% of patients experience mild or no symptoms, while the remainder develop severe disease. The mechanisms underlying these divergent outcomes are unclear. Emerging health disparities data regarding African American and homeless populations suggest that vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) may be an underlying driver of COVID-19 severity. To better define the VDI-COVID-19 link, we determined the prevalence of VDI among our COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: In an Institutional Review Board approved study performed at a single, tertiary care academic medical center, the medical records of COVID-19 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects were included for whom serum 25-hydroxycholecalcifoerol (25OHD) levels were determined. COVID-19-relevant data were compiled and analyzed. We determined the frequency of VDI among COVID-19 patients to evaluate the likelihood of a VDI-COVID-19 relationship. Results: Twenty COVID-19 patients with serum 25OHD levels were identified; 65.0% required ICU admission.The VDI prevalence in ICU patients was 84.6%, vs. 57.1% in floor patients. Strikingly, 100% of ICU patients less than 75 years old had VDI. Coagulopathy was present in 62.5% of ICU COVID-19 patients, and 92.3% were lymphocytopenic. Conclusions: VDI is highly prevalent in severe COVID-19 patients. VDI and severe COVID-19 share numerous associations including hypertension, obesity, male sex, advanced age, concentration in northern climates, coagulopathy, and immune dysfunction. Thus, we suggest that prospective, randomized controlled studies of VDI in COVID-19 patients are warranted.
Teaching Law in the Time of COVID-19

Deciding whether, how, and when to re-open universities, colleges, and law schools is a complex problem. There are multiple considerations: public health in our communities and the communities our students may return to after their time here; the health of our students, faculty, and staff; the social, emotional, and mental toll of continuing to rely on remote teaching; and, the social, emotional, and mental benefits of engaging with each other. This article discusses the personal health risks for law school faculty of teaching in person and how cultural processes and institutional incentives may affect perceptions of and analysis of risks when deciding to teach in person.
Performance of Composite Filters Assembled from Multiple Layers of Basic Filtration Media

ABSTRACT There is a severe shortage of face masks and N95 respirators due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in countries that were not well prepared in advance. In order to help ease the supply demands of these resources, a strategy of using multiple layers of basic filtration media to construct a composite filter that can match the particle collection efficiency offered by a N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) is proposed. In this study, the filtration performances of four face masks and one N95 respirator using the same test protocol (as a reference) were first compared. Composite filter samples composed of multiple layers of basic face mask and MERV13 furnace media were then constructed and the filter performance of the composite filters was investigated. As expected, the minimum particle collection efficiency of the N95 respirator media sample was higher than 95% and the efficiency of the samples from the four tested face masks varied from 71.8% to 83.6%. The Figure of Merit (FOM) values of the face mask samples were generally half that of the N95 media sample. It was found that a N95-comparable collection efficiency can be achieved by combining two/three layers of face mask media but at the expense of a higher media pressure drop. Additionally, the composite filter samples made up of three/five layers of MERV13 furnace media could approach the FOM offered by the N95 media without the increased pressure drop. It was also found that the measured collection efficiency of multiple-layered filter media was not equal to the calculated in the test particle size range. Further studies are required to identify the reason(s).
Purely sequential FWCI and MRPE problems for the mean of a normal population by sampling in groups with illustrations using breast cancer data

Two fundamental problems on purely sequential estimation are revisited—(i) the fixed-width confidence interval (FWCI) estimation problem and (ii) the minimum risk point estimation (MRPE) problem—in...
Development of an innovative adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder clinic

Pharmacist-psychiatrist collaborative clinic models in specialty mental health clinics are limited, and there has been only 1 report of a clinic focused on adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this article, we describe the successful implementation of a pharmacist-psychiatrist collaborative practice agreement in an adult ADHD clinic at an academic medical center. Adult patients diagnosed with ADHD after a comprehensive assessment, including a full neuropsychological evaluation, were enrolled in the collaborative treatment clinic. The collaboration was a partnership between a psychiatry department and a school of pharmacy at a public university. We report the details of 58 patients and 774 patient encounters at the collaborative pharmacist-psychiatrist practice from March 2015 through June 2018. The visits were billed using traditional medical billing codes for follow-up visits. Pharmacist practice opportunities included psychiatric evaluation, medication management, counseling, and referral to auxiliary services. Challenges to the clinic's success included limited pharmacist time, prescriptive authority, and reimbursement for services from payors. A collaborative practice model targeted at adult ADHD patients may be a unique clinic setting for psychiatric pharmacists.
Longitudinal evaluation of azithromycin and cytokine concentrations in amniotic fluid following one-time oral dosing in pregnancy.

To utilize noninvasive collection of amniotic fluid in the setting of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROMs) to report the time concentration profile of azithromycin in amniotic fluid over 7 days from a single dose, and evaluate the correlation between azithromycin concentration and inflammatory markers in amniotic fluid. Prospective cohort study of five pregnant patients admitted with PPROMs and treated with a single 1 g oral azithromycin dose. Amniotic fluid was collected from pads and used to quantify azithromycin concentration as well as TNFa, IL-1a, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 concentrations. Primary outcome was time/concentration profile of azithromycin in amniotic fluid. Secondary outcome included correlation between azithromycin concentration and cytokine concentrations. Five patients were enrolled. Mean gestational age on admission with PPROM was 27.5 ± 2.3 weeks with a median latency of 7 days (interquartile range [IQR] = 4-13). A median of two samples/day (IQR = 1-3) were collected per participant. Azithromycin was quantified in duplicate; intra-assay coefficient of variation was 17%. Azithromycin concentration was less than 60 ng/ml after day 3. Azithromycin concentration was positively correlated with IL-8 (r = 0.38, p = 0.03), IL1a (r = 0.39, p = 0.03), and IL-1b (r = 0.36, p = 0.04) in amniotic fluid. Azithromycin is detectable in amniotic fluid over 7 days from a single 1 g maternal dose, however, it is not sustained over the range of minimum inhibitory concentration for common genitourinary flora. Based on correlation with specific cytokines, azithromycin penetration in amniotic fluid may relate to maternal monocyte concentration in amniotic fluid in the setting of PPROM.
Pyrolysis of aromatic acetals overγ-alumina

When aromatic acetals in vapour phase were passed over alumina (γ-Al2O3), the product mixture was found to contain ester, ether and aldehyde of aromatic nature. Activatedγ-Al2O3 exhibits Lewis acid-base properties at elevated temperatures. Possible mechanisms for the formation of the above products, consistent with experimental observation have been suggested.
Human skin basement membrane in health and in autoimmune diseases

Skin basement membrane zone (BMZ) is an ultrastructurally defined area situated between the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, and the inner layer of skin, the dermis. The major function of skin BMZ is to serve as an adherent connection between the epidermis and the dermis. Heritable skin diseases characterized by genetic mutations that result in defective BMZ protein production, such as junctional and dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, manifest clinically as skin fragility and subepidermal blister formation inducible by minor trauma. Many distinct, yet interconnected BMZ components, have been identified and studied extensively. Some of these essential components, interestingly, were discovered because they were targeted by an autoimmune reaction. As a result of studying the autoimmune diseases, these BMZ components involved in autoimmune reaction, or autoantigens, were isolated by molecular biology techniques. The isolation of these autoantigens, in turn, facilitates our studies of the normal structures and functions of skin BMZ. The skin BMZ can be divided into four ultrastructurally distinct areas: the hemidesmosome/upper lamina lucida, the lower lamina lucida, the lamina densa, and the sub-lamina densa. Well-characterized BMZ components include the hemidesmosome/upper lamina lucida-located bullous pemphigoid antigens (BP230 and BP180), a 6b4 integrin, and plectin; the lower lamina lucida-located laminin-1, laminin-5 (previously named kalinin, epiligrin, nicein, BM600), laminin-6 (previously named k-laminin), p105, and entactin/nidogen; the lamina densa-located type IV collagen and perlecan; and the sub-lamina densa-located type VII collagen (epidermolysis bullosa acquisita antigen). Mucosal BMZ also contain identical components as skin BMZ. Autoantibodies targeting skin and/or mucosal BMZ components, like that of genetic mutation of BMZ components, result in a histopathologically defined subepidermal blistering disease, that is, a blister which occurs just below the epidermis/epithelium. Well-characterized autoimmune subepidermal blistering diseases include bullous pemphigoid (BP), linear IgA bullous dermatosis, cicatricial pemphigoid (with subsets of patients characterized by autoantibodies targeting either BP antigens or laminins), anti-p105 pemphigoid, and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Using a simple method of direct or indirect immunofluorescence testing on a skin section chemically separated at the middle portion of lamina lucida, in combination with immunoelectron microscopy and target antigen determination, accurate diagnoses for various autoimmune subepidermal blistering diseases can be obtained.
The Eradication of Smallpox: Edward Jenner and The First and Only Eradication of a Human Infectious Disease

The Eradication of Smallpox: Edward Jenner and The First and Only Eradication of a Human Infectious Disease
The Politics and Administration of Privatization

Privatization grows out of the theoretic constructs of public choice theory. Through the nurturing efforts of those such as E. S. Savas, privatization has been transplanted from the academic greenhouse to the fields of practical government Against the field of fads–empowerment, total quality management, reengineering, strategic planning, and benchmarking–privatization stands out. Privatization has endured and spread. To many, privatization restores the dynamic balance of government and individual freedom. To others, privatization, like kudzu (initially a solution to soil erosion in the South), threatens to crowd out all other forms of “public” service delivery.
Abstract P108: Habitual Short Sleep Duration Associated with Self-Reported and Objectively-Determined Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Risk Factors: Data from NHANES

Background: Self-reported short and long sleep duration have been associated with adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes in laboratory and epidemiologic studies, but interpretation of such data has been limited by methodological issues. Methods: We analyzed adult 2007-2008 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (N=5,649). Average self-reported nightly sleep duration was reported and categorized as either very short ( Results: See table. In adjusted analyses, very short sleep was associated with self-reported hypertension, self-reported hyperlipidemia, objective hyperlipidemia, self-reported diabetes, and objective obesity. Regarding short sleep (5-6hrs), in adjusted analyses, elevated risk was seen for self-reported hypertension self-reported obesity and objective obesity. Regarding long sleep (≥9hrs), no elevated risk was found for any outcomes. Conclusions: Very short and short sleep duration are associated with self-reported and objectively-determined adverse cardiometabolic outcomes, even after adjustment for covariates. Table 1. Unadjusted and Adjusted Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) of Associations between Sleep Duration and Cardiometabolic Disease Outcomes *Adjusted analyses include age, sex, race/ethnicity, acculturation, education, insurance, home ownership, food security, smoking, and caffeine
Criterion validation of the rate of recovery, a single alphanumeric measure, in patients with shoulder pain.

Background and purpose The aim of this study was to identify the minimal clinically important threshold score for rate of recovery (RoR) using the Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) as an anchor measure, and to measure the association of the RoR with the raw and percentage change scores of the QuickDASH and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Methods Threshold measures for RoR and the PASS were examined using a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve. Participants were dichotomized to those who stated "yes" and those who stated "no" on the PASS. Pearson correlation coefficients were performed to determine the relationship between the NPRS and QuickDASH raw and percentage change scores and the RoR at discharge. Results ROC curve statistics suggest that a cut-point of greater than 87% on the self-report RoR (SN=0.62, SP=0.73; +LR=2.26: -LR=0.56) corresponded to the patient considering their state acceptable. No significant associations existed between either the raw NPRS or the raw QuickDASH, and the RoR scores although percentage change scores were associated with the RoR (QuickDASH r=0.29; p=0.02; NPRS = r=0.30; p=0.02). Discussion Patients reporting greater than or equal to 87% on RoR are likely to have met the Patient Acceptable Symptom State. Although statistically significant, the lack of strong association between RoR and change scores for the NPRS and QuickDASH suggests that the measures capture different constructs. Level of evidence Level 2C.
Dynamic versus Cognitive Unconscious

The psychodynamic concept of the unconscious is contrasted with the view of unconscious mental life taken by modern cognitive and social psychology. For Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), the dynamic unconscious contained thoughts, feelings, and desires that were denied to conscious awareness because of a psychological force, i.e., repression, arrayed against them. It was part of a larger unconscious structure whose contents were descriptively unconscious, simply because they were not in awareness at any particular time. Evidence for the cognitive unconscious, in the form of automatic processes, implicit memory, subliminal perception, and the like, does not warrant acceptance of the dynamic unconscious of psychoanalytic theory. The entry briefly describes three examples of research programs that have attempted to document the dynamic unconscious. Keywords: anxiety disorders; Freud, Sigmund; psychophysiology; dissociative disorders; psychoanalysis; recoverd memories; represed memories; repression
African Grievances and the International Criminal Court: Issues of African Equity under International Criminal Law

As a chapter in the valuable collection Africa and the Future of International Criminal Justice (Vincent O. Nmehielle ed., Eleven Publ. 2012), this discussion argues that the debate about the relationship between the ICC and Africa should not be confined to interpreting the treaty obligations between the ICC and African states. It must also and equally address issues of African equity in the global criminal law process. In understanding these imperatives of equity, three policy Dilemmas regarding international criminal law must be identified and explored as inherent in the general debate. One centers on the ‘principle of necessary self-help for subordinated peoples', including exploring the issue of complementarity in Africa under international criminal law. A second Dilemma revolves around the global authority of the Nuremberg Principles and African regional authority, including Africa’s ability under the African Union to collectively make decisions on how best to deal with issues of international criminal accountability of its subjects, and including a critical discussion of the Yerodia case. And a final Dilemma goes to the normative assumptions and grounding for the authority to decide among strategies and issues, where “peace” approaches to international criminality, resting on negotiations with accused wrongdoers and diplomacy, appear to collide with and undermine “justice” approaches, incorporating the priority of invoking and preparing international criminal legal accountability strategies against the same wrongdoers, including issues of immunity and amnesty, and including discussion of the Bashir and Gaddaffi arrest warrants. These three Dilemmas demand informed decision making to enable African peoples to establish the most equitable non-subordinated relationship to ICC authority, and to determine the correct balances of legitimacy, in the context of Africa’s role in the global international criminal law process.
Treatment of hepatitis C in liver transplant patients: interferon out, direct antiviral combos in

Although chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States, graft and patient survival rates are reduced because of HCV recurrence after transplant. Interferon-based antiviral treatment administered either before or after transplant to prevent or treat HCV recurrence, respectively, is limited because of poor tolerability and low efficacy. However, the treatment of HCV in the transplant setting is changing considerably with the availability of newer direct-acting antivirals and interferon-free regimens. This article will review the experience to date with treating HCV in the setting of cirrhosis and liver transplantation and will discuss the unique challenges encountered when this population is being treated.
Understanding and inductive inference

This talk will be about different kinds of understanding, including especially that provided by deductive and inductive inference. Examples will be drawn from Galileo, Kepler, and Fermat. Applications will be given to the physicists problem of inferring the laws of nature, and to the restricted case of inferring sequences in Sloanes Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. While there is much theory and understanding of deductive inference, there is relatively little understanding of the process of inductive inference. Inductive inference is about hypothesizing, hopefully inferring, the laws of physics from observation of the data. It is what Kepler did in coming up with his three laws of planetary motion. Once laws are in place, deductive inference can be used to derive their consequences, which then uncovers much of the understanding in physics. This talk will define inductive inference, state some of its open problems, and give applications to a relatively simpler but still largely unexplored task, namely, inferring a large natural class of algorithmically generated integer sequences that includes (as of this writing) 20in Sloanes Encyclopedia of integer sequences.
Rearrangement of novolak resins

During the course of investigations into the synthesis of novolak resins for use in the microelectronics industry we have observed the rearrangement of the resin. Deeper investigation of this phenomenon has shown it to be a chain scission which leads to a rearrangement of the novolak structure. A possible mechanism is discussed.
A search for mutagens in human aortal lipid extracts

In view of hypotheses suggesting mutagenesis is implicated in atherosclerosis, a total of 18 lipid extracts of human aortal tissues was examined by the standard Ames mutagenicity bioassay using Salmonella typhimurium or by a liquid modification thereof. One lipid extract of intimal-medial tissue contained detectable mutagenic activity against test strain TA98 in the liquid medium bioassay and against TA1538 in the standard plate assay following metabolic activation. Six other samples appeared to have weak activity against strains TA98, TA1538, or TA100. The other aortal samples were nonmutagenic.