cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progressive Wallerian Degeneration of the Corpus Callosal Splenium in a Patient with Alexia without Agraphia: Advanced MR Findings:

The corpus callosal splenium is an uncommon location for Wallerian degeneration (WD), which may be mistaken for new pathology on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We describe the case of a 69-year-old woman with a left posterior cerebral artery infarct in whom progressive WD of the splenium of the corpus callosum seen on MRI was misinterpreted as new infarction or neoplasm. We address how magnetic resonance spectroscopy, perfusion MRI, diffusion tensor MRI, and serial imaging were utilized in establishing the correct diagnosis. Interestingly, the patient also presented with alexia without agraphia, which has never been reported in association with splenial WD. It is conceivable that WD affected critical splenial association fibers resulting in this uncommon dissociation syndrome.
Electrochemistry and Spectroelectrochemistry of Luminescent Europium Complexes

Fast, cost effective, and robust means of detecting and quantifying lanthanides are needed to support more efficient tracking within the nuclear, medicinal, and industrial fields. Furthermore, methods for isolating lanthanide signal from spectroscopic interferents are also needed. Applying spectroelectrochemistry to the detection of these species can meet those needs. However, application of this technique is limited by the low molar absorptivities and quantum yields of the lanthanides. These limitations can be circumvented by complexing the lanthanides with sensitizing ligands that enhance fluorescence, thereby dropping the limits of detection. Complexation will also cause changes in the electrochemical behavior of the lanthanides. To demonstrate this concept, studies were completed using europium as a model lanthanide in complexes with four different sensitizing ligands, which included 2,2′-bipyridine and related derivatives. Results indicate that all four studied complexes demonstrate quasi-reversible redox couples and improvements in limits of detection where electrochemical and spectroscopic characteristics showed some dependence on attached ligand. All four complexes studied display the necessary characteristics for spectroelectrochemical analysis, which was successfully and reproducibly applied to all Eu complexes.
Extra-adrenal perirenal myelolipoma

Extra-adrenal perirenal myelolipomas are rare benign tumors that consist of adipose and hematopoietic tissue. We report a case of perirenal myelolipoma in an otherwise healthy man and review the literature.
Advances in kinetic analysis of insulin-stimulated GLUT-4 translocation in adipose cells

GLUT-4 is the major insulin-sensitive glucose transporter in muscle and adipose tissue. Regulation of GLUT-4 is an important component of whole body glucose homeostasis. Abnormalities in the regula...
TU‐A‐BRB‐01: Panel Member

Brain stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are commonly treated by a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists. However the treatment objectives, constraints, and technical considerations involved can be quite different between the two techniques. In this interactive session an expert panel of speakers will present clinical brain SRS and spine SBRT cases in order to demonstrate real-world considerations for ensuring safe and accurate treatment delivery and to highlight the significant differences in approach for each treatment site. The session will include discussion of topic such as clinical indications, immobilization, target definition, normal tissue tolerance limits, and beam arrangements. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the differences in indications and dose/fractionation strategies for intracranial SRS and spine SBRT. 2. Describe the different treatment modalities which can be used to deliver intracranial SRS and spine SBRT. 3. Cite the major differences in treatment setup and delivery principles between intracranial and spine treatments. 4. Identify key critical structures and clinical dosimetric tolerance levels for spine SBRT and intracranial SRS. 5. Understand areas of ongoing work to standardize intracranial SRS and spine SBRT procedures. Schlesinger: Research support: Elekta Instruments, AB; D. Schlesinger, Elekta Instruments, AB - research support; B. Winey, No relevant external funding for this subject.
A Conserved Ectodomain-Transmembrane Domain Linker Motif Tunes the Allosteric Regulation of Cell Surface Receptors

In many families of cell surface receptors, a single transmembrane (TM) α-helix separates ecto- and cytosolic domains. A defined coupling of ecto- and TM domains must be essential to allosteric receptor regulation but remains little understood. Here, we characterize the linker structure, dynamics, and resulting ecto-TM domain coupling of integrin αIIb in model constructs and relate it to other integrin α subunits by mutagenesis. Cellular integrin activation assays subsequently validate the findings in intact receptors. Our results indicate a flexible yet carefully tuned ecto-TM coupling that modulates the signaling threshold of integrin receptors. Interestingly, a proline at the N-terminal TM helix border, termed NBP, is critical to linker flexibility in integrins. NBP is further predicted in 21% of human single-pass TM proteins and validated in cytokine receptors by the TM domain structure of the cytokine receptor common subunit β and its P441A-substituted variant. Thus, NBP is a conserved uncoupling motif of the ecto-TM domain transition and the degree of ecto-TM domain coupling represents an important parameter in the allosteric regulation of diverse cell surface receptors.
Usual Modes of Marijuana Consumption Among High School Students in Colorado.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of modes of marijuana consumption among Colorado youth and explore variation by demographics, access, substance use, and risk perceptions.Method:Data are from a 2013 survey of Colorado high school students (N = 25,197; 50.5% female). The outcome variable was usual mode of marijuana consumption (i.e., smoking, vaporizing, ingesting edibles, or other) among those reporting past 30-day marijuana use. Classification variables included sex, grade level, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, current alcohol and cigarette use, frequent marijuana use, early marijuana use (<13 years), perceived harmfulness, and perceived wrongfulness. We calculated prevalence estimates overall and by the variables listed above, and also conducted multinomial logistic regression models.Results:Findings indicate that 15% of Colorado high school students who use marijuana report that they usually use a mode of consumption other than smoking. Among students reporting past ...
Treatment of Septal Hematoma

Septal hematomas occur after force applied to the nasal cartilage results in leakage of blood from the perichondrium (Figs. 54.1 and 54.2). They may be unilateral or bilateral.
Imaginal Coping: Resilience Through a Play of Tropes

Under the duress of illness, children and others act to reframe meaning through imaginal coping, the use of spontaneous expressive forms such as play, humor, pretense, narrative, ritual, and metaphor. Such non-literal forms of discourse utilize the human capacity for as-if thinking or subjunctivity, in a manner not dissimilar to formal play therapy that gives children an agentic role, affective release, and flexibility of meaning. Dense figurative forms such as narrative, metaphor, and character-avatars help children to revisit and reframe the troubles they encounter in illness and treatment, thereby contributing to resilience as evidenced in ethnographic studies. The structures of imaginal coping are typified by a multiplicity of meanings, that is, juxtaposing frames of reference that Arthur Koestler called bisociation. The openness towards alternative interpretive realms in imaginal coping raises notable points of contrast with the reductionist singularity of biomedicine. When adults are open to the flexible imaginings and playfulness as an ongoing means of coping, this can work to scaffold the self-starting resilience of hospitalized or chronically ill children.
The Self-Ideal Correlation as a Measure of Generalized Self Satisfaction

Each member of four groups, neurotics, inpatient psychotics, outpatient psychotics, and general population controls, Q sorted 100 items to describe himself and his ideal self. The general population control group showed a significantly higher average self-ideal correlation than did the diagnostic groups. This superiority was maintained even after specific items accounting for the intergroup differences were removed. It was shown that most of the between groups variance for the self-ideal correlation could be attributed to a generalized set transcending specific traits.
Systems and their Generation

In this and the next two sections we adopt the viewpoint of Bates [63] with modifications suggested independently by Peremans [98] and Evans [81].
Being Othered and Finding My Voice: Using Self-Study to Better Understand My Experiences as an Early Childhood Teacher Educator

As an African-American female nontenure track assistant professor, I am finding it more and more challenging to connect/relate to my students who enter into the early childhood program from backgrounds that have limited exposure to diversity. I find that in many instances, I am the first African-American teacher they have experienced and certainly the first one as an administrator. I am the other. This chapter discusses those experiences and how they contributed to my participation within the self-study group. The chapter then details how a similar sense of being othered (albeit this time in terms of scholarly identity) surfaced in the self-study group itself, and how I found my voice through writing about the experience.
Do repeated wildfires promote restoration of oak woodlands in mixed-conifer landscapes?

Abstract Oak woodlands are dependent on frequent fire to maintain the low stem density and diverse understories that typify these ecosystems. Without this recurrent disturbance, fire-sensitive conifer competitors encroach on oaks, reducing their vigor, and diminishing habitat quality. In fire-excluded oak woodlands, stand-replacing wildfire can trigger shifts in canopy dominance from seed-generated conifers to oaks, which are capable of vigorous sprouting following topkill. We examined the occurrence and sprouting dynamics of California black oak (Quercus kelloggii Newb.) following repeated wildfires in the Lassen National Forest, California. We found that following reburn, changes in oak relative stand dominance, as well as oak sprout basal area and height, were each positively related to fire severity (P
The association between valence of social media experiences and depressive symptoms

Background Social media (SM) may confer emotional benefits via connection with others. However, epidemiologic studies suggest that overall SM is paradoxically associated with increased depressive symptoms. To better understand these findings, we examined the association between positive and negative experiences on SM and depressive symptoms. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,179 full-time students at the University of West Virginia, aged 18 to 30, in August 2016. Independent variables were self-reported positive and negative experiences on SM. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms as measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between SM experiences and depressive symptoms controlling for sociodemographic factors including age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, relationship status, and living situation. Results Of the 1,179 participants, 62% were female, 28% were non-White, and 51% were single. After controlling for covariates, each 10% increase in positive experiences on SM was associated with a 4% decrease in odds of depressive symptoms, but this was not statistically significant (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.91-1.002). However, each 10% increase in negative experiences was associated with a 20% increase in odds of depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.11-1.31). When both independent variables were included in the same model, the association between negative experiences and depressive symptoms remained significant (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.10-1.30). Conclusions Negative experiences online may have higher potency than positive ones because of negativity bias. Future research should examine temporality to determine if it is also possible that individuals with depressive symptomatology are inclined toward negative interactions.
Density functional theoretical studies of [2+2] cycloaddition of simple transient silenes and germenes to ethylene, formaldehyde, and thioformaldehyde, and vibrational analysis of spectra of reactants and cyclic products

The cycloadditions of small unsaturated organic molecules, such as ethylene, formaldehyde, and thioformaldehyde, to simple silenes and their germanium analogues were studied by the density functional theory B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) method. The optimized geometry parameters, vibrational frequencies, and energies of the ground states of the reactants and products and those of reaction transition states found were discussed. A lower reactivity of germenes than silenes in the reactions studied was predicted and a non-concerted two-step mechanism of [2+2] cycloadditions suggested.
On When the Will is Free

Defenders of libertarian free will are generally of the view that the sort of freedom they uphold attends most, if not all, of our decisions and actions. Exceptions, if any, are apt to be claimed only for cases of duress or compulsion, in which it might be thought that the will is somehow bowled over by the strength of a particular motive. Recently, however, Peter van Inwagen has suggested that libertarian freedom is a rare condition at best, one that can obtain only in unusual circumstances (van Inwagen 1989).1 The reason is simply that in the great majority of situations of decision and action, what to do is absolutely clear to us; and, van Inwagen argues, when this is so we cannot do otherwise. This result is disheartening, the more so since it is also a common sense belief that most operations of the will are free. If, on an incom-patibilist account of freedom, this cannot be, prospects for a convincing defense of libertarianism are considerably diminished. Accordingly, it is worth considering whether the challenge presented by van Inwagen’s argument can be met. I shall try to argue that it can.
Learning to Self-Perfect: Chinese Beliefs about Learning

Learning is said to be the most remarkable human capacity (Segall, Dasen, Berry, & Poortinga, 1999). Humans have the capacity to learn necessary survival skills, achieve social and emotional understanding, obtain knowledge of the universe, and, perhaps most important of all, acquire culture. Humans are thus products of their own learning and are the carriers of the entire human cultural heritage. There is little wonder why human learning has been, since Greek antiquity, the focus of serious thinkers and scholarly endeavor in fields ranging from philosophy, modern psychology, and neuroscience to the ever-expanding realm of education.
Power System Damping Control via Power Injections from Distributed Energy Storage

Inter-area oscillations are present in all power systems dispersed over large areas and can have detrimental effects limiting transmission capacity or even causing blackouts. The availability of wide-area measurements in power systems has enabled damping of inter-area oscillations using distributed control methods and system components, such as energy storage devices. We investigate the performance of damping control enabled by energy storage devices distributed throughout an example two-area power system assuming the availability of wide-area measurements of generator machine speeds. The energy storage devices are capable of injecting active power into the system in order to damp inter-area oscillations that occur after a fault in the system. An analysis of the linearized system and several simulations of the nonlinear system with multiple combinations of controlled power injections from energy storage devices are performed. From the results, we quantify and discuss how damping performance depends on the sizes and locations of injections.
Dis/ability labels and emergent bilingual children: current research and new possibilities to grow as bilingual and biliterate learners

Children who learn at the crossroads of multiple identities are at risk of experiencing inequality at multiple levels. Intersectionality frameworks have illuminated the relationship between cultura...
“Chemocentric” chemoimmunotherapy: presensitization of tumor cells with activated CD4+ T cells synergistically enhances the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy

956 Background: Most patients with metastatic cancer will eventually succumb to their disease despite an initial response to chemotherapy. To enhance treatment efficacy, chemotherapy has been combined with cytokines, often with disappointing results. Another example is “Immunocentric Chemoimmunotherapy,” with primary focus placed on immunotherapy, with chemotherapy as an immunomodulator. We have developed a novel strategy termed “Chemocentric Chemoimmunotherapy,” where chemotherapy plays the central role, with immunotherapy as a chemosensitizer. The rationale is the ability of activated T cells to secret multiple cytokines, which may regulate gene expression in tumor cells. Methods: Human CD4+ T cells were isolated and activated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 mAb. Tumor cells were presensitized with activated CD4+ T cells (aCD4), followed by treatment with various chemotherapy. Cell viability and apoptosis were determined. Transwell system was used to assess contribution of cell-cell contact vs. soluble factor(s). Results: Presensitization of A375 melanoma cells with aCD4 synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy. Cell viability (CV) was 75% (+SD: 0.11) and 90% (+SD: 0.26) after treatment with temozolomide (TMZ) alone or with aCD4 alone, respectively. However, CV in the experimental group was 7% (+SD: 0.02). This synergistic effect was also observed with other melanoma cell lines, nonmelanoma tumor cell lines, and other chemotherapy. Two breast, one prostate, and one colon cancer cell lines were presensitized with aCD4, followed by treatment with paclitaxel, carboplatin, or 5-FU. Consistent synergistic effect was seen in each case. For example, CV in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells treated with paclitaxel alone or aCD4 alone was 93% (+SD: 0.16) and 52% (+SD: 0.10), respectively. However, CV in the experimental group was 8% (+SD: 0.18). The same synergism was observed in DU145 prostate cancer cell line treated with carboplatin. CV in the carboplatin-treated group and aCD4-treated group was 100% (+ SD: 0.13) and 75% (+SD: 0.14), respectively; while CV of the experimental group was 5% (+SD: 0.19). The rate of apoptosis in cells treated with both TMZ and aCD4 was 20 times higher than in cells treated with only TMZ or aCD4. This effect was due entirely to soluble factors. The aCD4 was found to secret large amounts of multiple cytokines. Preliminary data showed that IFN-γ might not be the major cytokine mediating the observed effect. Conclusion: Presensitization of tumor cells with aCD4 synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy. This effect was completely dependent on soluble factors, most likely cytokines. We are in the process of elucidating the mechanisms underlying this dramatic synergy.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Cannulation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a system where an external circuit carries venous blood from the patient to a gas-exchange device (oxygenator), which enriches the blood with oxygen and removes carbon dioxide and returns it to the patient circulation. ECMO is a well-established adjunct therapy in the pediatric and adult population with life-threatening cardiac or pulmonary failure, not responding to standard therapy. There are two modes of ECMO: venovenous (VV) and venoarterial (VA). The mode of ECMO is named for the vascular site of the access and return cannula. The access cannula drains blood from the venous system into the ECMO circuit. The return cannula returns the oxygenated blood back to the patient. There are different types of access and return cannulas. VV ECMO is used for support in refractory respiratory failure and VA ECMO for refractory cardiac failure.
LSTM Based Adaptive Filtering for Reduced Prediction Errors of Hyperspectral Images

While adaptive filtering has been widely used in predictive lossless compression of hyperspectral images, the prediction performance depends heavily on the filtering weights estimated in a step-by-step manner. Traditional filtering methods do not take into account the longer-term dependencies of the data to be predicted. Motivated by the effectiveness of recurrent neural networks in capturing data memory for time series prediction, we design LSTM (long short-term memory) networks that can learn the data dependencies indirectly from filter weight variations. We then use the trained networks to regulate the weights generated by conventional filtering schemes through a close-loop configuration. We compare the proposed method with two other memory-less algorithms, including the popular Least Mean Square (LMS) filtering method, as well as its variant based on the maximum correntropy criterion (MCC). Simulation results on two publicly available datasets show that the proposed LSTM based filtering method can achieve smaller prediction errors.
Effects of Guidance on the Results of Standardized Achievement Testing.

This study, was designed to investigate the effects of motivational guidance activities on the results of standardized achievement testing. The achievement test administered was the ITED. The sampl...
Readability of influenza information online: Implications for consumer health.

Background Influenza (flu) is pervasive and burdensome. The purpose of this study was to determine the readability levels of online articles related to flu. Methods Using the search term “influenza,” the URL's of the first 100 English language Web sites were vetted for content to ascertain that the article met inclusion criteria. Five recommended readability tests were conducted using an online service to calculate readability. Overall, the analysis indicates that flu material found on the web is not being written at a level that is widely readable. Results None of the 100 sites included in the analysis received an acceptable score on all 5 assessments. One-sample independent t tests (α = 0.05, df = 99) indicated that it is highly unlikely that flu Web sites are being written at the desirable level. Of the 100 sampled sites, 33 had a .com, 29 had a .org, and 22 had a .gov extension. Extension type did not play a role in readability level of these sites. Conclusions When creating content for the masses, health professionals should maximize their efforts by testing the readability as well as other factors that influence the likelihood that it will be understood.
Cash Conversion Cycle and Firms’ Performance: An Empirical Study for the Greek Listed Firms in the Athens Stock Exchange

It is commonly accepted that economic crisis has a negative effect on firms’ liquidity. Therefore, liquidity management has become critical for firms, in order to be able to pay their short-term debts. Cash conversion cycle is used in order to measure the average collection period and days of sales in inventories less days of payables outstanding (Keown et al., Foundations of finance: The logic and practice of Financial management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003). The main purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between cash conversion cycle and firms’ financial performance in the era of financial crisis. For this purpose, we selected a sample of listed firms in the Athens Stock Exchange for the years 2012–2014, and using OLS regression, we investigated the impact of CCC on firms’ size. Our findings differ from those of relevant studies which explored firms in the periods before the financial crisis or firms of countries which have not been significantly affected by the financial crisis.
Considerations in Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer Screening: A Review

Importance The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)–positive oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is anticipated to rise over the next few decades until the effects of prophylactic vaccination are realized, which highlights the potential importance of secondary prevention. The objective of this review is to evaluate the evidence associated with screening for HPV-positive OPC. Observations Evaluation of a potential clinical preventive screening service requires characterization of the disease burden, the at-risk target screening population, screening tests, treatment, and screening benefits and harms. The lifetime risk of OPC is 0.7% for men and 0.2% for women and is expected to increase. The disease burden of HPV-positive OPC is substantial; most patients undergo morbid multimodality treatment and incur high costs in the process. Middle-aged and older adult men with elevated number of lifetime vaginal or oral sex partners are at highest risk. Patients may benefit from early detection of the disease—the 4-year overall survival of patients with stage I HPV-positive OPC is 87%, a considerable portion of whom are eligible for less morbid single-modality therapy. However, available screening tests are insufficiently sensitive and specific considering the current HPV-positive OPC incidence rates in the most at-risk patients. Further, the benefits and harms of screening for HPV-positive OPC are unknown. Conclusions and Relevance The current and projected future population-level burden of HPV-positive OPC supports further exploration of secondary preventive interventions. However, screening for HPV-positive OPC is not currently justified. Advances in biomarker discovery and improved characterization of (1) a highly at-risk, target screening population and (2) the benefits and harms of screening will be necessary. Large-scale clinical trials and rigorous evaluation of how to best implement this service into clinical practice will also be needed.
The Ethics and Politics of Psychoanalysis as a Dynamic System

This article examines the political and ethical consequences of a specifically dynamic systems view of psychoanalysis and selfhood, arguing that a dynamic systems view entails an ethos, or a way of...
Assessing the Food and Drug Administration's Risk-Based Framework for Software Precertification With Top Health Apps in the United States: Quality Improvement Study.

Background: As the development of mobile health apps continues to accelerate, the need to implement a framework that can standardize the categorization of these apps to allow for efficient yet robust regulation is growing. However, regulators and researchers are faced with numerous challenges, as apps have a wide variety of features, constant updates, and fluid use cases for consumers. As past regulatory efforts have failed to match the rapid innovation of these apps, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed that the Software Precertification (Pre-Cert) Program and a new risk-based framework could be the solution. Objective: This study aims to determine whether the risk-based framework proposed by the FDA’s Pre-Cert Program could standardize categorization of top health apps in the United States. Methods: In this quality improvement study during summer 2019, the top 10 apps for 6 disease conditions (addiction, anxiety, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and schizophrenia) in Apple iTunes and Android Google Play Store in the United States were classified using the FDA’s risk-based framework. Data on the presence of well-defined app features, user engagement methods, popularity metrics, medical claims, and scientific backing were collected. Results: The FDA’s risk-based framework classifies an app’s risk by the disease condition it targets and what information that app provides. Of the 120 apps tested, 95 apps were categorized as targeting a nonserious health condition, whereas only 7 were categorized as targeting a serious condition and 18 were categorized as targeting a critical condition. As the majority of apps targeted a nonserious condition, their risk categorization was largely determined by the information they provided. The apps that were assessed as not requiring FDA review were more likely to be associated with the integration of external devices than those assessed as requiring FDA review (15/58, 26% vs 5/62, 8%; P=.03) and health information collection (24/58, 41% vs 9/62, 15%; P=.008). Apps exempt from the review were less likely to offer health information (25/58, 43% vs 45/62, 72%; P<.001), to connect users with professional care (7/58, 12% vs 14/62, 23%; P=.04), and to include an intervention (8/58, 14% vs 35/62, 55%; P<.001). Conclusions: The FDA’s risk-based framework has the potential to improve the efficiency of the regulatory review process for health apps. However, we were unable to identify a standard measure that differentiated apps requiring regulatory review from those that would not. Apps exempt from the review also carried concerns regarding privacy and data security. Before the framework is used to assess the need for a formal review of digital health tools, further research and regulatory guidance are needed to ensure that the Pre-Cert Program operates in the greatest interest of public health. Trial Registration:
Postpartum Depression: A Metaphorical Analysis.

BACKGROUND:The reported incidence of postpartum depression in healthy women without a history of depression was 12%, and the prevalence was 17%. A silent health crisis in America is the undiagnosed...
Crafting a pedagogical third space in a transnational teacher education project

Abstract This study documented a month-long study abroad project in Oaxaca, Mexico during the summer of 2018 for twelve, K-12 pre-service and in-service educators from New Jersey, where they studied Spanish, literacy, and culturally responsive pedagogical practices. Using notions of third spaces as theory and pedagogy, the findings challenge and expand notions of US transnational teacher education and suggest that transnational teacher education may be particularly useful for facilitating third spaces for pre-service and in-service educators to confront inequitable practices and question their language and literacy ideologies and pedagogical practices.
Analysis of bimaterial singular regions for orthotropic and isotropic materials under thermal loading

Abstract A method to formulate an asymptotic elasticity solution for bimaterial singular regions in orthotropic materials is presented for the thermal case. In the vicinity of material and geometric singularities, approximate methods such as finite elements fail to converge and procedures to improve these solutions become necessary. The results presented herein can be used in conjunction with approximate numerical techniques for the determination of stresses and stress intensity factors in composite bonded joints, cracked bimaterial interfaces, or a junction of dissimilar materials under thermal loading. The thermal displacement and stress fields at the tip of a bimaterial wedge are developed by means of eigenfunction expansions including both singular and nonsingular terms. The thermal elasticity solution for isotropic materials as the limiting case of the orthotropic solution is also obtained. The formulations obtained are applicable to bonded joints with interfacial or interlaminar cracks, geometric and material discontinuities, and uniform thermal loading. The detailed formulation presented provides an essential component in the application of finite elements for the determination of generalized intensity factors and stresses in composites, bonded joints, or other dissimilar materials under thermal loading. Formulation results for orthotropic materials, including the limiting case of isotropic materials, are compared with published and closed form results that use different formulations, and excellent agreement is observed. Furthermore, the existence of logarithmic stress singularities of the form (k⋅ΔT⋅lnr) is investigated and discussed.
Hemoglobin A1c and Cardiovascular Outcomes Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From a Large Single-Center Registry.

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate post–percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) outcomes in relation to pre-procedural glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels from a large, contemporary cohort. Background There are limited data evaluating associations between HbA1c, a marker of glycemic control, and ischemic risk following PCI. Methods All patients with known HbA1c levels undergoing PCI at a single institution between 2009 and 2017 were included. Patients were divided into 5 groups on the basis of HbA1c level: ≤5.5%, 5.6% to 6.0%, 6.1% to 7.0%, 7.1% to 8.0%, and >8.0%. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of all-cause death or myocardial infarction (MI), at 1-year follow-up. Results A total of 13,543 patients were included (HbA1c ≤5.5%, n = 1,214; HbA1c 5.6% to 6.0%, n = 2,202; HbA1c 6.1% to 7.0%, n = 4,130; HbA1c 7.1% to 8.0%, n = 2,609; HbA1c >8.0%, n = 3,388). Patients with both low (HbA1c ≤5.5%) and high (HbA1c >8.0%) levels displayed an increased risk for MACE compared with those with values between 6.1% and 7.0%. Excess risk was driven primarily by higher rates of all-cause death among those with low HbA1c levels, while higher values were strongly associated with greater MI risk. Patterns of risk were unchanged among patients with serial HbA1c levels and persisted after multivariate adjustment. Conclusions Among patients undergoing PCI, pre-procedural HbA1c levels display a U-shaped association with 1-year MACE risk, a pattern that reflects greater risk for death in the presence of low HbA1c (≤5.5%) and higher risk for MI with higher values (>8.0%).
in vitro Activity of Hydrogen Peroxide and Hypochlorous Acid Generated by Electrochemical Scaffolds Against Planktonic and Biofilm Bacteria.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hypochlorous acid (HOCl) are biocides used for cleaning and debriding chronic wound infections, which often harbor drug-resistant bacteria. Here, we evaluated the in vitro activity of H2O2 and HOCl against 27 isolates of eight bacterial species involved in wound infections. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum biofilm bactericidal concentrations (MBBCs) were measured. Compared to their respective MICs, MBBCs of isolates exposed to H2O2 were 16- to 1,024-fold higher, and those exposed to HOCl were 2- to 4-fold higher. We evaluated the selection of resistance after exposure of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms to 10 iterations of electrochemically generated HOCl or H2O2 delivered using electrochemical scaffolds (e-scaffolds), observing no decrease in antibiofilm effects with serial exposure to e-scaffold-generated H2O2 or HOCl. Twenty-four-hour exposure to H2O2-generating e-scaffolds consistently decreased the number of CFU of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms by ∼5.0 log10 and ∼4.78 log10 through 10 iterations of exposure, respectively. Four-hour exposure to HOCl-generating e-scaffolds consistently decreased the number of CFU of S. aureus biofilms by ∼4.9 log10, and 1-h exposure to HOCl-generating e-scaffolds consistently decreased the number of CFU of P. aeruginosa biofilms by ∼1.57 log10. These results suggest that HOCl has similar activity against planktonic and biofilm bacteria whereas the activity of H2O2 is less against biofilm than planktonic bacteria, and that repeat exposure to either biocide, generated electrochemically under the experimental conditions studied, does not lessen antibiofilm effects.
Interaction Rituals and Sexual Commerce in Thailand’s Erotic Bars:

This article explores bar prostitution as a distinct sexual arena. Drawing on fieldwork in six red-light districts in Thailand, the article identifies key structural and interactional features of t...
Tests of Bile-acid and Vitamin B12 Metabolism in Ileal Crohn’s Disease

The bile-acid breath test, fecal analysis of labeled bile acids, and Schilling test were used to study bile-acid and vitamin B12 metabolism in 31 patients with ileal Crohn's disease. Results of the bile-acid breath test were positive for 42% of the patients; Schilling test, 42%; fecal analysis of bile-acid labels, 19%. Combination of the tests increased the percentage of positive cases to 65. About 50% of the patients who had positive breath tests had evidence of normal bile-acid absorption, indicating increased bile-acid deconjugation by small-intestinal bacteria. The other 50% had evidence of various degrees of bile-acid malabsorption. Disease activity did not correlate with results of any test. Extent of ileal involvement correlated with results of the bile-acid tests, but not with those of the Schilling test. The study demonstrates that there is a wide spectrum of disturbances of bile-acid and vitamin B12 metabolism in ileitis, and that the tests should be useful in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with proven or questionable Crohn's disease who have diarrhea and malabsorptive abnormalities that could be related to disturbances of bile-acid and vitamin B12 metabolism.
Dynamics and thermal structure of planetary atmospheres

A fruitful approach to studying the planetary atmospheres is the comparison of the similarities and differences between them. The terrestrial atmosphere has been the most extensively studied of these. Its comparison with those of other planets provides a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of planetary atmospheres in general. This paper considers the processes occurring in the earth's atmosphere and compares them with like processes in other atmospheres to suggest what similarities and differences are to be expected. We attempt to answer several questions: i.e. 1) What features have already been discovered by planetary probes or earth-based observations? 2) What further discoveries are anticipated considering our likely observational capabilities? 3) What further understanding of our atmosphere is likely to result from future studies of planetary atmospheres?
Design guidelines to implement Six Sigma in assembly process yield of area array solder interconnect packages

Area array solder joints are difficult to visually inspect because solder joints are very tiny and covered by the chip. It may result in the increase of the interconnect defects passing the inspection step. Those defects become evident in later process steps or in the testing of the finished product. Since reworking of area array interconnects is very difficult and costly, interconnect yield is the crucial issue that determines the final product cost. The significance of interconnect yield becomes obvious as the demand on area array packages is growing. Therefore, it is essential to reduce the yield defects as close to zero as possible. The objective of this paper is to suggest design guidelines to implement Six Sigma, i.e., less than 3.5 defects per million in the assembly process of area array solder interconnect packages. For that purpose, the parameters impacting on interconnect yield are identified, the cause and effect relationships of design and process parameters to interconnect yield are analyzed, and the process design rules to statistically achieve Six Sigma are developed in general and explicit forms.
Successful Pathways To The Teaching Profession For Puerto Ricans

Resumen en: This article makes program and policy recommendations for the design of effective pathways to teaching careers for Puerto Ricans that combine college rea...
Industry Self-Governance and National Security: On the Private Control of Dual Use Technologies

High technology rms often produce goods that pose a signicant risk of injury. This means that upstream suppliers face legal liability if the products are misused or cause accidents. Alternatively, downstream buyers may lose a technology that could have been used to invent protable new products. Industry self-regulation is a natural and increasingly important way to reduce these risks. Our paper explores how upstream and downstream rms form preferences for private regulation. We nd that rms characteristically choose too little regulation where liability is imperfect and/or downstream rms fail to extract social surplus from consumers. Furthermore, regulatory backlash does not compensate for imperfect liability and often makes the situation worse. We also examine the conditions under which large downstream rms can impose a single industry-wide standard on suppliers.
Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithio-phene-4,8-dione.

The title mol­ecule, C10H4O2S2, is situated on a crystallographic center of inversion. In the crystal, weak hydrogen bonding contributes to the packing of the mol­ecules.
In Vitro Stabilization of Blood Glucose with Water

The loss in glucose that shed blood undergoes on standing may be effectively inhibited for 2 hr., prior to protein precipitation, by a dilution with water of 1:80 (v/v). The inhibitory effect of water is independent of glucose concentration and temperature (up to and including room temperature). Incorporation of the dilution into the glucose oxidase method of Washko and Rice (4) makes the method particularly appropriate for the newborn.
Effect of imidacloprid foliar treatment and banana leaf age on Pentalonia nigronervosa (Hemiptera, Aphididae) survival

Abstract Pentalonia nigronervosa, the banana aphid, is the vector of Banana bunchy top virus to banana. This virus is the etiological agent of banana bunchy top disease, a limiting factor in many banana growing regions, including Hawaii, United States. Laboratory bioassays on banana plants were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of imidacloprid (Provado®), to control P. nigronervosa by comparing insect mortality at four different insecticide concentrations (120,60,24, and 12 ppm) over 1 month, and compared effects on the aphids on new emerging, and old leaf material. We found significant differences between treatments and time after treatment. Aphids survived poorly on newer plant growth, regardless of presence or absence of imidacloprid, or time after treatment. Examining the insecticidal effect on old leaves only, we found that the three highest concentration treatments resulted in high mortality over the 4‐week‐long period of testing. Our results confirm that imidacloprid foliar application on bananas ...
Factors influencing the electrocatalytic activity of Pd100―xCox (0 < x ≤ 50) nanoalloys for oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells

The factors that control the electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells have been investigated systematically with the low cost carbon-supported Pd100−xCox (0 ≤ x ≤ 50) nanoalloys. The Pd100−xCox/C samples have been prepared by a solution-based reduction procedure and annealed at 350 and 500 °C. While the catalytic activity of the as-prepared samples decreases monotonously with nominal Co content due to poor alloying and instability, a volcano type dependence of the activity on Co content with the maximum at around a nominal Co content of 25 at% Co or an actual Co content of about 10 at% in the Pd lattice (degree of alloying) is found for the samples annealed at 350 and 500 °C due to the influence of both the degree of alloying and variations in crystallite size. Below 30 at% nominal Co content, the catalytic activity of the annealed samples increases with increasing nominal Co content due to both a decreasing crystallite size and increasing degree of alloying. For 30–50 at% nominal Co content, the catalytic activity decreases with Co content due to increasing degree of alloying as the crystallite size remains constant. The durability of the catalyst increases with annealing due to both an increase in the degree of alloying and crystallite size.
Polymerase chain reaction approaches to Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) identification

Molecular genetic approaches such as polymerase chain amplification (PCR) of target genomic sequences are finding wide application in systematic and taxonomic studies of arthropods. PCR-based techniques that preclude the need for target DNA sequence information of the species of interest facilitate molecular taxonomic studies. Two such techniques, tDNA-PCR (DNA encoding tRNAs is the analyte) and RAPD-PCR (randomly amplified polymorphic DNA) were investigated for their ability to differentiate certain North American Culicoides spp. larvae and adults.
Medical students' first-person narratives of a patient's story of AIDS

Fourth year U.S. medical students' first-person narratives of a patient's experience of AIDS are analyzed using a conceptual framework that builds on the interactive model of narrative critique. Relational and affective convergence and, conversely, relational and affective dissonance, reveal imaginative reconstructions of emotional and interactional themes depicted in the patient's original story. Attention is focused on representations of isolation, contamination, shame and fear. Elements of indeterminacy and openness in the patient's description of his experience with AIDS provided students with opportunities to create an imagined response to HIV infection in their own narratives. The narratives describe social interaction that is tainted and constrained by the presence of infection and its associated stigma. The emotional content of the student narratives portrays an affective landscape that resonates. elaborates and, in some cases, distorts the feelings expressed in the patient's story. The narratives call attention to the way in which individual meanings are externalized, objectified and projected onto a socially and morally salient 'other'. Using the first-person narrative approach in the seminar on AIDS proved to be an effective method of sensitizing students to the experience of living with HIV infection. The challenge for medical educators lies in creating opportunities for students to develop increased empathy toward individuals with AIDS.
Shining the light on private self-consciousness: a response to Silvia (1999)

A response to Silvia's (1999) critique of Creed and Funder's (1998) formulation of two types of private self-consciousness is presented. The current paper attempts to address some of the relevant concerns: (i) the multidimensional nature of the private self-consciousness scale is recognized as a problem which needs to be addressed (and which in part motivated our own research); (ii) the paradoxical effects of self-attention are more than a psychometric phenomenon and have been foreshadowed in laymen's, philosophers' and research psychologists' views of the construct; (iii) the trivialization of self-report scales as only able to describe themselves would render relatively meaningless most of the empirical data about personality gathered to date; and (iv) the criticism of the Aristotelian mode of research as merely accounting for variance fails to acknowledge that a certain amount of descriptive light must be shed on a phenomenon lest future theoretical questions remain not only unanswered, but unraised. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.