cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Polydispersity on the Self-Assembly of Diblock Copolymers

The domain sizes and morphological boundaries in diblock copolymers have been predicted to be influenced by changes in the molecular weight distribution of one or both of the blocks. To systematically explore these effects, we prepared several sets of poly(ethylene-alt-propylene)-b-poly(dl-lactide) diblock copolymers with controlled molecular weights, compositions, and polydispersity indices. The polydispersity of the polylactide block was controlled by taking advantage of the equilibrium nature of the ring-opening polymerization of lactide. Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to evaluate the influence of block copolymer polydispersity on the equilibrium domain spacing and resultant ordered state morphology. We found that the domain spacing increased with increasing polydispersity and demonstrated that an increase in polydispersity at constant polylactide composition can result in a change in morphology for compositionally asymmetric diblock copolymers. More specifically, when the polylactide block is t...
Genome-wide mapping of the sixth base

Mapping of 5-hydroxylmethylcytosine in mammalian genomes has unveiled its unique role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression.
Elucidating the redox cycle of environmental phosphorus using ion chromatography.

Historically, it was assumed that reactive, inorganic phosphorus present in pristine environments was solely in the form of orthophosphate. However, this assumption contradicts theories of biogenesis and the observed metabolic behavior of select microorganisms. This paper discusses the role of ion chromatography (IC) in elucidating the oxidation-reduction cycle of environmental phosphorus. These methods employ suppressed-IC, coupled with tandem conductivity and electrospray mass spectrometry detectors to identify and quantify phosphorus oxyanions in natural water, synthetic cosmochemical, and biological samples. These techniques have been used to detect phosphite and orthophosphate in geothermal hot springs. Hypophosphite, phosphite, and orthophosphate have been detected in synthetic schreibersite corrosion samples, and termite extract supernatant. Synthetic schreibersite corrosion samples were also analyzed for two poly-phosphorus compounds, hypophosphate and pyrophosphate, and results show these samples did not contain concentrations above the 1.3 and 2.0 µM respective 3σlimit of detection. These methods are readil
Petroleum generation kinetics: Single versus multiple heating-ramp open-system pyrolysis

Some recent publications promote one-run, open-system pyrolysis experiments using a single heating rate (ramp) and fixed frequency factor to determine the petroleum generation kinetics of source-rock samples because, compared to multiple-ramp experiments, the method is faster, less expensive, and presumably yields similar results. Some one-ramp pyrolysis experiments yield kinetic results similar to those from multiple-ramp experiments. However, our data for 52 worldwide source rocks containing types I, II, IIS, II/III, and III kerogen illustrate that one-ramp kinetics introduce the potential for significant error that can be avoided by using high-quality kinetic measurements and multiple-ramp experiments in which the frequency factor is optimized by the kinetic software rather than fixed at some universal value. The data show that kinetic modeling based on a discrete activation energy distribution and three different pyrolysis temperature ramps closely approximates that determined from additional runs, provided the three ramps span an appropriate range of heating rates. For some source rocks containing well-preserved kerogen and having narrow activation energy distributions, both single- and multiple-ramp discrete models are insufficient, and nucleation-growth models are necessary. Instrument design, thermocouple size or orientation, and sample weight likely influence the acceptable upper limit of pyrolysis heating rate. Caution is needed for ramps of 30–50°C/min, which can cause temperature errors due to impaired heat transfer between the oven, sample, and thermocouple. Compound volatility may inhibit pyrolyzate yield at the lowest heating rates, depending on the effectiveness of the gas sweep. We recommend at least three pyrolysis ramps that span at least a 20-fold variation of comparatively lower rates, such as 1, 5, and 25°C/min. The product of heating rate and sample size should not exceed ∼100 mg °C/min. Our results do not address the more fundamental questions of whether kinetic models based on multiple-ramp open-system pyrolysis are mechanistically appropriate for use in basin simulators or whether petroleum migration through the kerogen network, rather than cracking of organic matter, represents the rate-limiting step in expulsion.
THE PRODUCTION OF EXTRACELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDE BY THE UNICELLULAR RED ALGA PORPHYRIDIUM AERUGINEUM1,2

SUMMARY The unicellular red alga Porphyridium aerugineum was shown to be encapsulated by an amorphous, water-soluble, polyanionic polysaccharide of high molecular weight. The encapsulating polysaccharide is qualitatively identical with polysaccharide found dissolved in large quantity in the culture medium. The kinetics of extracellular polysaccharide production as a function of cell age was studied. Rates of production (on a per cell basis) of both encapsulating and dissolved polysaccharides are greatest in stationary phase light-grown cultures. Dissolved polysaccharide was quantitatively isolated by precipitation with cetyl pyridinium chloride, conversion to the calcium salt, and reprecipitation with ethanol. The procedure yields a spectrally pure product, which is composed of glucose, galactose, xylose, and 2 undetermined, sugar components, and has a sulfate content of 7.6% by weight. Electron microscopy of Porphyridium revealed that Golgi vesicles transport, polymerized polysaccharides to and through the cell membrane. Similar vesicles were observed in the multicellular Pseudogloiophloea, indicating that the Golgi complex plays a crucial role in the production of extracellular polysaccharides by the red algae. H14CO3- pulse-label experiments resulted in labeled extracellular polysaccharide in which all the constituent components contained 14C. Rates of excretion of polysaccharide were found, to follow a cyclic pattern, correlated generally with the division cycle, of the cell.
Susceptibility Testing of Anaerobic Bacteria with 100-μg Carbenicillin Disks

Abstract A total of 245 strains of anaerobic bacteria were examined for their susceptibility to carbenicillin by the disk test method and by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determinations. Standard-curve studies with a strain of Bacteroides fragilis subsp. fragilis that was minimally susceptible to carbenicillin and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) demonstrated that a disk containing 100 μg of carbenicillin was suitable for testing susceptibility of anaerobes to carbenicillin. Thus, the diameter of zones around the 100-μg carbenicillin disks and MIC values were determined under the following test conditions: Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with sheep blood, vitamin K1, and hemin; an incubation temperature of 35 C; and an atmosphere of 80% N2, 10% H2, and 10% CO2. The strains were separated into two populations by correlating zone diameters and geometric mean MICs. The disk test more clearly separated the resistant and susceptible populations and was more reproducible than the MIC test. Thus, a statistical analysis based on the distribution of zone diameters of susceptible and resistant strains was used to derive an interpretive scheme for anaerobic bacteria tested with 100-μg carbenicillin disks. The following interpretive scheme is recommended for testing anaerobes with 100-μg disks of carbenicillin: resistant, 8 mm or less; indeterminate, 9 to 12 mm; and susceptible, 13 mm or greater.
Reproducibility of brain hemodynamics and metabolism measurements using PET

211 Objectives Positron emission tomography (PET) using O15 tracers is commonly used to measure brain hemodynamic parameters such as cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2). FDG PET is a widely accepted technique to measure the glucose metabolic rate. It is however unknown how reproducible these measurements are when measurements are made at different times during a day. Methods Nine healthy participants underwent two PET sessions (evening and morning) and one MR session for the study. Each PET session includes two repeated sets of O15 PET scans for brain hemodynamics and one FDG PET for glucose metabolism. MR session includes T1-weighted anatomic images and time-of-flight MR angiography. All modalities were co-registered and transformed into a common space for quantitative analysis. Whole brain CBF, CBV, oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), CMRO2, and glucose metabolic rate (CMRglu) as well as oxygen-glucose index (OGI) were calculated based on the PET images. Quantification was achieved using image-derived arterial input function. Results There is no evidence of significant changes in brain hemodynamic parameters and metabolic rate before and after a full night of sleep. Highly repeatable results were obtained between the repeated O15 scans, suggests reliability of the measurements. Conclusions Highly reproducible brain hemodynamic and metabolic parameters were obtained using PET imaging. The difference in measurement time didn’t cause significant changes in global hemodynamic parameters and metabolic rates of the brain. Further investigation of regional measurement is ongoing. Research Support P50AG005681, P20MH077967, P50NS00683
Surgical Treatment of Posterior Tibial Plateau Fractures

Posterior tibial plateau fractures are not uncommon injuries and often necessitate surgical treatment. They are frequently unstable with knee flexion even in the absence of an axial load. As with other tibial plateau fractures, knee instability and articular incongruity are indications for surgery. Optimal reduction and fixation usually requires a direct surgical approach, which is dictated by the fracture location and morphology. Common fracture morphologies include a posteromedial fragment that may or may not be associated with a bicondylar tibial plateau fracture, a posterior shearing pattern that involve the posteromedial and posterolateral plateaus, and a fracture that is with posterolateral articular impaction. This article provides an overview of current concepts in the surgical treatment of posterior tibial plateau fractures with discussion on relevant surgical approaches and fixation strategies. Although the overall incidence of these injuries is relatively low, it is important for surgeons to recognize these injury patterns and treat them appropriately to optimize patient outcome.
Pancreatolithiasis and pancreatic pseudobladder associated with pancreatitis in a cat

Pancreatolithiasis has been documented to occur naturally in humans and cattle. It has been associated with chronic pancreatitis in humans, and, when found, it may signify the presence of chronic pancreatic disease. This is the first report of a case involving a cat that had both an apparent obstruction with pancreatolithiasis as well as concurrent evidence of chronic pancreatic changes on histopathological evaluation. Additionally, this case documents the presence of a suspected congenital abnormality of a feline exocrine pancreas.
Posttraumatic cleidoscapular synostosis following a fracture of the clavicle. A case report.

Fractures of the clavicle are common in both children and adults; such fractures accounted for 43 percent of 1603 injuries of the shoulder girdle as reported by Rowe11 in 1958. Most fractures of this type heal uneventfully as noted by Hippocrates1 in 400 B.C. Several late complications have been identified, including nonunion, malunion, neurovascular compromise, and posttraumatic arthritis3. We report the case of a child in whom a cleidoscapular synostosis developed following a segmental fracture of the clavicle; this complication has not been reported previously, to our knowledge. An eight-year-old girl was seen in January 1995 for the evaluation of a deformity of the left shoulder, which was occasionally painful at night and during cold weather. Two years earlier, she had been injured while riding as a passenger in the backseat of an automobile that was broadsided by another vehicle; she was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. She sustained an injury of the left shoulder and a minor injury of the head; medical evaluation revealed a fracture of the left clavicle and a small extradural hematoma without a fracture of the skull. She was observed as an inpatient for three days and was discharged with the left arm in a sling. During the following year she was evaluated by two orthopaedic surgeons, who recommended physical therapy. Our examination revealed a fixed winging deformity of the left scapula, with a palpable mass along the anterosuperior aspect of that bone. The …
Disseminating development initiatives in British higher education: a case study

The Effective Teaching and Assessment Programme (ETAP) was commissioned and funded by the Higher Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland and Wales and ran during the academic year 1993–4. Its aim was to identify and disseminate best practice in specific subject areas, student support and resource based learning. ETAP supported five projects, each undertaken by a consortium of British higher education institutions. This paper reports an evaluation of the programme based on interviews with leaders of the individual projects, along with a questionnaire survey of potential users of the products of the programme. A framework is offered for interpreting the results of the evaluation. Six different meanings of the word ’dissemination‘ are identified, corresponding to the different degrees to which users actively engage with the materials produced. These distinctions are applied to the data collected and the findings are summarised in terms of the key notions of awareness of what is available, the attitude of teaching staff towards centrally-produced materials, and the accessibility of those materials. The implications of these three concepts are discussed in relation to the technical, organisational and presentational issues which promote or hinder the effectiveness of the dissemination. A number of policy recommendations for Funding Councils and institutions are outlined.
What Changing American Families Mean for Aging Policies

During the latter half of the twentieth century, the American family underwent radical changes that, in conjunction with dramatic increases in life expectancy, have greatly altered the reality of aging. In our post-traditional, multicultural society, one can no longer speak of “the” family, as if it exists in a singular form. Instead, families come in diverse forms that also change in composition over time. These shifts are the result of many factors—including divorce and remarriage, cohabitation, lower fertility, multipartner and nonmarital fertility, permanent singlehood and childlessness, same-sex relationships, and interracial/interethnic unions. A serious consequence of this diversity for aging is that public policies based on ideal, narrow, or outdated defi nitions of family often conflict with the reality of families as they really are. These new configurations affect the resources and options that families have for giving and receiving eldercare. Increasingly, the simultaneous presence of multiple generations over many decades at any single moment, many of which need assistance, further complicates caregiving and other responsibilities. The hard times associated with the recession have only increased the vital role that family support plays in ensuring the well-being of elders, and elders in ensuring the well-being of other family members, in the United States. Minority groups face additional challenges in providing care in light of their social and economic disadvantages. These social trends raise critical questions for public policy about growing social and economic inequalities among American families, which threaten core values of equity, efficiency, liberty, and security. In this essay, we con sider a few of these issues and their implications for aging families and aging policies.
Restoring connectivity in a resource constrained WSN

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in applications like battlefield surveillance or environmental monitoring are usually deployed in inhospitable environments, in which their constituent nodes are susceptible to an increased risk of failure due to hazardous operating conditions or adversary attacks. In these scenarios it is possible for multiple nodes to fail at the same time and partition the WSN into disjoint segments. Such loss of connectivity may cause service disruptions and render the WSN useless. Given the critical role a WSN plays and the fact that deployment of additional nodes may be infeasible, the WSN must have the ability to self-heal and restore connectivity by utilizing surviving resources. In this paper we present a distributed Resource Constrained Recovery (RCR) approach that reconnects a network partitioned into disjoint segments by strategically repositioning nodes to act as relays. In case the number of surviving relocatable nodes are insufficient to form a stable inter-segment topology, some of them are employed as mobile data collectors with optimized tours to reduce data latency. The performance of RCR is validated through mathematical analysis and simulation.
Integrating Professional Development Across the Curriculum: An Effectiveness Study

The current study empirically tested the effectiveness of a modular approach to integrating professional development across an undergraduate psychology curriculum. Researchers conducted a two-group, between-subjects experiment on 269 undergraduate psychology students assessing perceptions of professional preparedness and learning. Analysis revealed those participating in the modular approach had a higher understanding of and investment in the psychology major, a higher awareness of professional development opportunities, higher knowledge of career options with a background in psychology, and better knowledge of professional development activities. Quiz scores indicate that students learned about professional development from the modules. Overall, the results imply that a modular approach to professional development can be effective and beneficial to students. Psychology programs should consider utilizing similar approaches in their curricula.
Apis sets record red clover seed: a climatic aberration

Western Oregon, USA is one of the better red clover seed-producing areas in the world, having an average yield of 676 kg/ha; individual growers report yields of over 1000 kg/ha. Bloom normally lasts from late June through to the third week in August in well-managed fields. From late June through the third week of July, Apis mellifera is the predominant pollinator. By early August, Apis is usually displaced by very large populations of workers and males of several species of Bombus, especially B. vosnesenskii Radoszkowski. However, 2009 was unique in that the last 16 days in July the max–mean temperature was 35.4 °C, with a max of 41.0 °C. Apis responded by changing its pollen collection in red clover from ±1% in previous years, to 41.5% during the 16 days of extreme heat, resulting in a yield of 1045 kg/ha in the first 30 days of red clover bloom. It is postulated that the extreme heat in that year reduced the turgidity of the clover floret and that the accompanying low humidity increased the sugar conten...
Recognizing the Value of Threshold Concepts: Application of a Conceptual Tool to Professional Students Learning to Be Researchers

ABSTRACTThreshold concepts, as theorized by Meyer and Land, are key understandings, ways of thinking, and subjectivities that are necessary for newcomers to learn in order to participate successfully in a given field of study or practice. Every discipline and profession has threshold concepts, but often they are so integral to veterans’ participation in their field that they remain implicit until an effort is made to articulate tacit understandings into explicit learning outcomes for newcomers. Library and information science uses threshold concepts as a framework for educating all types of students in information literacy competencies expected of novice researchers. This report demonstrates how threshold concepts were articulated and implemented into a summer research scholars program for veterinary students. This article uses a typology of transformative learning outcomes as a guide to articulate threshold concepts specific for researchers in veterinary science. Through examining the context of a summer...
Dynamics of the human and viral m 6 A RNA methylomes during HIV-1 infection of T cells

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal modification of eukaryotic mRNA. Very little is known of the function of m6A in the immune system or its role in host–pathogen interactions. Here, we investigate the topology, dynamics and bidirectional influences of the viral–host RNA methylomes during HIV-1 infection of human CD4 T cells. We show that viral infection triggers a massive increase in m6A in both host and viral mRNAs. In HIV-1 mRNA, we identified 14 methylation peaks in coding and noncoding regions, splicing junctions and splicing regulatory sequences. We also identified a set of 56 human gene transcripts that were uniquely methylated in HIV-1-infected T cells and were enriched for functions in viral gene expression. The functional relevance of m6A for viral replication was demonstrated by silencing of the m6A writer or the eraser enzymes, which decreased or increased HIV-1 replication, respectively. Furthermore, methylation of two conserved adenosines in the stem loop II region of HIV-1 Rev response element (RRE) RNA enhanced binding of HIV-1 Rev protein to the RRE in vivo and influenced nuclear export of RNA. Our results identify a new mechanism for the control of HIV-1 replication and its interaction with the host immune system. Infection with HIV-1 triggers an increase in N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of both viral and host mRNAs, which impacts viral replication and nuclear export of viral RNA.
Pathogenesis of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease. I. Blood Coagulation during Viral Infection

Studies of coagulation were performed on 11 whitetail deer experimentally infected with the virus of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). Results indicated a decrease in fibrinogen and the activity of Factor VIII late in the infection, possibly the result of their utilization in clotting. Reductions of numbers and function of platelets were reflected by abnormal Russell's viper-venom time tests in the absence of significant change in the one-stage prothrombin time. It is suggested that a combination of damage to vascular walls and abnormalities of platelets is involved in the pathogenesis of EHD. Neither splenectomy nor the dosages of heparin and aspirin administered altered the course of EHD infection in deer.
Predicting Use: COUNTER Usage Data Found to be Predictive of ILL Use and ILL Use to be Predictive of COUNTER Use

More and more libraries are investigating the possibility of breaking apart or unbundling their “Big Deal” publisher packages. In doing so, libraries acknowledge and ready themselves for the possibility of a significant portion of journal use shifting to interlibrary loan (ILL), and attempt to estimate what this shift from subscription to the ILL mode means in terms of costs. This study investigates three years of ILL usage data for 1651 journals prior to undertaking subscriptions and then Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources (COUNTER) usage for these same journals over a three year subscription period. The results suggest a predictive ratio of ILL requests to COUNTER uses and COUNTER uses to ILL requests.
Cryogenic system operational experience at SNS

The helium cryogenic system at Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) provides cooling to 81 superconducting radio frequency cavities. During the first ten years of operation, much operational experience and lessons learned have been gained. The lessons learned include integrated system issues as well as component failures in the areas of mechanical, electrical and controls. Past issues that have been corrected as well as current issues in the system will be detailed in this paper. In 2009, a Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) was completed as a way to identify high risk items and prioritize efforts. Since 2009, the progress on mitigating the identified high risk items has been tracked. The results of the PFMEA and the progress made in reducing risk to the cryogenic system operation will be detailed in this paper.
Resistance of POSS Polyimide Blends to Hyperthermal Atomic Oxygen Attack.

Copolymers of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and polyimide (PI) have shown remarkable resistance to atomic oxygen (AO) attack and have been proposed as replacements for Kapton on the external surfaces of spacecraft in the harsh oxidizing environment of low Earth orbit (LEO). POSS PI blends would be an economical alternative to the copolymers if they also resisted AO attack. Thus, blends of trisilanolphenyl (TSP) POSS and PI with different weight percentages of the Si7O9 POSS cage were cast into films and exposed to a hyperthermal AO beam, and they were characterized in terms of their recession, mass loss, surface morphology, and surface chemistry. In order to compare the AO resistance of the blends with POSS PI copolymers, samples of previously studied copolymers were also investigated in parallel with the blends. For all POSS PI materials, the AO resistance increased with increasing AO fluence and with increasing POSS cage loading. At similar POSS cage loadings and exposure conditions, the T...
Characterization of leaf cuticular waxes and cutin monomers of Camelina sativa and closely-related Camelina species

Camelina sativa is an old world crop newly introduced to the semi-arid regions of the Southwestern US. Recently, Camelina gained attention as a biofuel feedstock crop due to its relatively high oil content, polyunsaturated fatty acids, very short growing season with fairly good adaption to marginal lands, and low input agricultural systems. To expand Camelina growing zones into more arid regions, it is important to develop new drought resistant cultivars that can grow under water-limited conditions. Plants having cuticles with low permeability to water can possess elevated dehydration avoidance and improved drought tolerance. To extend our understating of cuticle chemical composition among Camelina species, leaf wax and cutin monomers in seventeen accessions representing four Camelina species were analyzed. Camelina exhibited a wide range of wax and cutin contents. The primary alcohols and alkanes were the predominant classes of leaf wax, followed in abundance by wax esters, fatty acids, aldehydes, alkylguaiacols, methylalkylresorcinols, α-amyrin and s-sitosterol. Among primary alcohols, the dominant constituents were the C24, C26 and C28 homologues, while the C31 homologue was the most abundant alkane among all Camelina accessions. Cutin monomers included monohydroxy monobasic acids, phenolics, monobasic acids, monohydroxy epoxymonobasic acids, and dibasic acids. Among the cutin monomers examined, the C16:0 diOH acid showed extensive variation among Camelina species.
Loss of PTEN Is Associated with Resistance to Anti-PD-1 Checkpoint Blockade Therapy in Metastatic Uterine Leiomyosarcoma.

Response to immune checkpoint blockade in mesenchymal tumors is poorly characterized, but immunogenomic dissection of these cancers could inform immunotherapy mediators. We identified a treatment-naive patient who has metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma and has experienced complete tumor remission for >2 years on anti-PD-1 (pembrolizumab) monotherapy. We analyzed the primary tumor, the sole treatment-resistant metastasis, and germline tissue to explore mechanisms of immunotherapy sensitivity and resistance. Both tumors stained diffusely for PD-L2 and showed sparse PD-L1 staining. PD-1+ cell infiltration significantly decreased in the resistant tumor (p = 0.039). Genomically, the treatment-resistant tumor uniquely harbored biallelic PTEN loss and had reduced expression of two neoantigens that demonstrated strong immunoreactivity with patient T cells in vitro, suggesting long-lasting immunological memory. In this near-complete response to PD-1 blockade in a mesenchymal tumor, we identified PTEN mutations and reduced expression of genes encoding neoantigens as potential mediators of resistance to immune checkpoint therapy.
Learning DMEK From YouTube

Purpose To evaluate the outcomes of the first cases of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) performed by an anterior segment surgeon, learning the procedure, including graft preparation, primarily from watching YouTube videos. DMEK surgery was not learned during fellowship training; there was no attendance at DMEK courses, no witnessing of live surgery, and no supervision by an experienced DMEK surgeon. All graft tissue was prepared by the surgeon on the day of surgery. Methods This is a retrospective review of the 3-month postoperative results of the first 40 consecutive cases. The success rate of graft preparation, intraoperative and postoperative complications, spectacle-corrected visual acuity, endothelial cell density, and central corneal thickness were evaluated. Results Grafts were successfully prepared in all cases with no loss of donor tissue. DMEK surgery was successful in 39 of 40 eyes with the one failure occurring in a vitrectomized eye without an intact iris-lens diaphragm. Spectacle-corrected visual acuity was ≥6/6 in 23 of the 25 eyes without comorbidity. Mean endothelial cell density was 1515 (±474) cells/mm. Mean central corneal thickness decreased from 624 (±40) μm preoperatively to 513 (±34) μm postoperatively. Conclusions Although formal training is desirable, good results can be obtained by an anterior segment surgeon learning DMEK, including graft preparation, without it. DMEK should no longer be considered a procedure with a long learning curve in routine cases.
When he is "tied": power, vulnerability, and embodied masculinity in Egypt.

This paper looks at the notion of rabt [tying], the inability of the groom to engage in penetrative intercourse on the wedding night, to explore the relationship between masculinity, embodiment, an...
Carcinogenesis and Tamoxifen

The laboratory study to show that tamoxifen was likely to increase the risk of endometrial cancer in women was initially rapidly confirmed by examination of an adjuvant clinical trials database. However, there was a concern raised that tamoxifen was producing high-grade endometrial cancer, but this claim turned out to be unsubstantiated. In general, the NSABP (P-1) study showed low-grade good prognosis disease with no deaths from endometrial cancer. In contrast, the laboratory finding in the early 1990s that select strains of rats were vulnerable to hepatocarcinoma following lifetime exposure to high daily doses of tamoxifen was of concern and caused labeling changes for tamoxifen. The concerns that there would be significant increases in fatal hepatocellular carcinomas were unfounded on examination of clinical trials data and subsequently ongoing monitoring of epidemiology databases.
The intersection of intuitionism (Brouwer) and phenomenology (Husserl)

There are important and interesting conceptual links between Brouwer’s intuitionism and Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology. This is true independently of whether or not there had ever been a historical intersection of the two approaches to mathematics and logic. But of course there was a historical intersection. It occurred primarily in the nineteen twenties and early thirties, in the middle of the foundational debate between Brouwer’s intuitionism and Hilbert’s formalism. During this period there is a fascinating development and exchange of ideas on intuitionism, phenomenology, and formalism in the work of Hermann Weyl, Oskar Becker, Felix Kaufmann, and Arend Heyting, which is set against the background of the ideas of L.E.J. Brouwer, Edmund Husserl and David Hilbert1.
Architectures and Patterns for Leveraging High-Frequency, Low-Fidelity Data in the Healthcare Domain

The U.S. healthcare data has undergone significant transformations as computerized technologies over the last several decades. Data trends in healthcare have transitioned from less frequent, higher-fidelity provider-documented electronic health records (EHR) to higher-frequency, lower-fidelity (HFLF) patient-and device-generated data. It is important to integrate HFLF data into healthcare decisions since they capture continuous data reflecting various aspects of citizens' lifestyles and well-being. This paper summarizes three challenges related to moving towards the use of the HFLF data and our proposed solutions to address them.
Laparoscopic Management of a Rare Case of Mature Cystic Teratoma With Immature Neural Tissue and Literature Review

Ovarian torsion is one of the most common gynecological emergencies affecting women of reproductive age, in whom prompt diagnosis and timely intervention is vital to preserve ovarian function and mitigate any adverse effect on future fertility. The presence of an ovarian mass is a primary risk factor for ovarian torsion. We present a case of laparoscopic management of ovarian torsion likely secondary to a mature cystic teratoma with immature neural cells. Due to the paucity of such cases reported in the existing literature, we hope that our case will add to the current knowledge and help aid in the counseling and management of future cases. J Med Cases. 2018;9(12):390-393 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3196
Insights into microbiome research 4: The computational analysis

The computational analysis of microbiome samples is a highly specialized task, requiring powerful hardware and deep know-how not only in informatics and statistics but also in ecology and taxonomy. Different approaches must be followed based on the sequencing method (16S or shotgun) and while these can provide partially overlapping information, they are conceptually distinct. Understanding their differences and similarities can be useful in the interpretation of the results of microbiome studies.
Polychlorierte Dibenzo-p-dioxine und Dibenzofurane (PCDD/F)

Die Quellen fur die weitreichende Belastung der Umwelt mit PCDD/F sind nach wie vor unzureichend quantifiziert. Die bisher vorliegenden Bilanzierungen zeigen ubereinstimmend, das die Verbrennung von Abfall zu einer weitraumigen Grundbelastung mit diesen Verbindungen beigetragen hat. Lokal haben auch der Kraftfahrzeugverkehr und andere Quellen eine Bedeutung, doch kann die beobachtete regionale Kontamination in Stadten nicht ausreichend erklart werden. Als wichtigste weitere Quelle wurde in mehreren unabhangigen Studien die Emission durch Kleinfeuerungsanlagen (Hausbrand) postuliert.
Cerebral white matter free water: A sensitive biomarker of cognition and function.

Objective To determine whether free water (FW) content, initially developed to correct metrics derived from diffusion tensor imaging and recently found to be strongly associated with vascular risk factors, may constitute a sensitive biomarker of white matter (WM) microstructural differences associated with cognitive performance but remains unknown. Methods Five hundred thirty-six cognitively diverse individuals, aged 77 ± 8 years, received yearly comprehensive clinical evaluations and a baseline MRI examination of whom 224 underwent follow-up MRI. WM microstructural measures, including FW, fractional anisotropy, and mean diffusivity corrected for FW and WM hyperintensity burden were computed within WM voxels of each individual. Baseline and change in MRI metrics were then used as independent variables to explain baseline and change in episodic memory (EM), executive function (EF), and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores using linear, logistic, and Cox proportional-hazards regressions. Results Higher baseline FW and WM hyperintensity were associated with lower baseline EM and EF, higher baseline CDR, accelerated EF and EM decline, and higher probability to transition to a more severe CDR stage ( p values p values Conclusions This study finds cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between FW content and trajectory of cognitive and functional performance in a large sample of cognitively diverse individuals. It supports the need to investigate the pathophysiologic process that manifests increased FW, potentially leading to more severe WM territory injury and promoting cognitive and functional decline.
Circuit-Dependent Striatal PKA and ERK Signaling Underlying Action Selection

The striatum is a key neural substrate that controls selection of reward-seeking and aversive behaviors (Bromberg-Martin et al., Neuron, 2010; Graybiel, Annu Rev Neurosci, 2008). Striatal transmission is mediated by two distinct neuronal subpopulations consisting of D1 and D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (dMSNs, iMSNs) and is regulated by protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascades (Luo et al., J. Neurosci, 2011). However, the in vivo roles and signaling mechanisms of dMSNs and iMSNs remain largely elusive, because of the lack of techniques to monitor such kinase activities in behaving animals. Here we report that the activities of PKA and ERK are coordinately and reciprocally regulated in dMSNs and iMSNs of the dorsal striatum by rewarding and aversive stimuli. This finding was made by developing a novel in vivo method in which Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensors of PKA and ERK were specifically expressed in either dMSNs (D1-PKA and D1-ERK) or iMSNs (D2-PKA and D2-ERK) (Kamioka et al., Cell Struct Funct, 2012; Gong et al., J Neurosci, 2007; Valjent et al., Trends Neurosci, 2009), with fluorescence changes optically recorded by micro-endoscopy in freely moving mice. Cocaine administration rapidly and continuously activated both D1-PKA and D1-ERK but markedly suppressed both D2-PKA and D2-ERK. Conversely, prominent activation of D2-PKA and D2-ERK together with strong suppression of D1-PKA and D1-ERK was evoked in response to electric foot shocks. Importantly, D1-PKA and D1-ERK were activated during the mating reaction of male mice; but D1-PKA was promptly inactivated upon ejaculation. In contrast, D2-PKA and D2-ERK were elevated when male mice became indifferent to mating. Manipulation of cAMP levels by DREADDs successfully induced PKA response of either dMSNs or iMSNs and concomitantly affected mating behaviors, indicating its causality. Thus, a dynamic regulatory shift of PKA and ERK between dMSNs and iMSNs underlies the rapid selection of reward-directed and aversive behaviors.
Alpha Angle as a Predictor of Impending Contralateral Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis in an Asian Population.

Background Prophylactic pinning of the uninvolved side after unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is controversial. The alpha angle, a measurement of femoral head-neck aspherity, was proposed as a predictor of progression of contralateral SCFE with a treatment threshold of greater than 50.5°. The aim of this study was to evaluate its validity in our cohort of patients. Methods A retrospective review of a 10-year series of patients who presented with unilateral SCFE was conducted. Minimum follow-up duration to identify contralateral progression was 18 months. Age, sex, ethnicity, and endocrinopathies were noted. Alpha angle measurements of the unaffected hip were performed by two independent observers. The average values of measurements were used for analysis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of contralateral progression. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated. Results There were 43 patients with unilateral SCFE. Seven patients (16.3%) developed contralateral SCFE. There were 31 males (72.1%) and 12 females (27.9%). The mean duration from index surgery to contralateral fixation was 43.9 weeks (range, 16.2 to 77 weeks). The mean alpha angle was significantly higher in the patients with contralateral progression (mean, 50.7°; standard deviation [SD], 5.4°; range, 43.8° to 58.5°) than in the patients without progression (mean, 43.0°; SD, 4.2°; range, 33.0° to 52.5°; p < 0.001). The alpha angle was also identified as a statistically significant predictor of contralateral progression on multivariate analysis (p = 0.02). The intraclass correlation coefficient for interobserver reliability was moderately strong at 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 0.87). The area under the ROC curve was 0.88. The treatment threshold of 50.5° had a sensitivity of 0.43, specificity of 0.94, and number needed to treat (NNT) of 2.7. The ideal treatment threshold derived from the ROC curve was 49.0°, which had a sensitivity of 0.71, specificity of 0.89, and an NNT of 1.7. Conclusions Alpha angle is a potential predictor of contralateral hip involvement in children with SCFE who may benefit from prophylactic hip fixation. Results from our series suggest a treatment threshold be 49.0°. However, given the limited sample size and moderately strong interobserver reliability, larger studies are needed to validate our findings.
Kinetic-energy-based error quantification in Kohn-Sham density functional theory.

We present a basis-independent metric to assess the quality of the electron density obtained from Kohn–Sham (KS) density functional theory (DFT). Given an exact reference density, Levy's constrained search (CS) formalism yields the exact non-interacting kinetic energy. The difference between this value and the kinetic energy obtained from a KSDFT procedure employing an approximate density functional serves as a measure of the density-driven error in the KS solution, which complements other error analyses based solely on the density. The CS also has the nice feature that it provides an estimate of the exact kinetic correlation energy as a byproduct of the procedure.
Cost of chronic inflammatory disease: The impact of eosinophilic esophagitis in Nevada.

OBJECTIVES The cost of treating the rare eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) disease and its impact on patients' quality of life have not been well documented in the literature. This study seeks to fill this gap by comparing the cost of EoE with other well-known inflammatory diseases, including Crohn's disease (CD) and celiac disease (CeD). METHODS A Mann-Whitney U test and multiple logistic regression were used to examine the cost of EoE in the state of Nevada across all hospital settings and its impact on quality of life compared with CD and CeD. RESULTS Several factors were associated with the overall cost of EoE in Nevada, including patients' age, sex and region (P < 0.001). EoE was significantly more expensive to treat in the pediatric group ($4001 EoE; $985 CD; $856 CeD), among men ($2532 EoE; $1500 CD; $1724 CeD), among those residing in the southern region of Nevada ($4501 EoE; $2538 CD; $1888 CeD), and among patients seeking medical care from outpatient clinics ($3298 EoE; $741 CD; $1686 CeD) (P < 0.001). Age, sex, region and hospital setting were all associated with having a positive EoE record compared with CeD or CD (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Data from this study indicate that the EoE burden is significantly higher in cost for certain demographics and regions compared with CD and CeD in the state of Nevada, specifically among pediatric and male patients. These differences suggest that clinicians may encounter similar issues when treating EoE.
Efficacy of various endoscopic modalities in detecting dysplasia in ulcerative colitis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Efficacy of various endoscopic modalities in detecting dysplasia in ulcerative colitis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Willow Lignin Recovered from Hot-Water Extraction for the Production of Hydrogels and Thermoplastic Blends.

A blend of commercial willow cultivars (Salix spp.) was subjected to hydrothermal pretreatment: hot-water extraction in a pilot plant 65-ft3 digester. Lignin recovered from the autohydrolyzate (willow lignin, WL) was used to produce hydrogels and thermoplastic blends. Lignin-kaolin-acrylamide (WL 10.7 % w/w) and lignin-poly(ethylene)glycol diglycidyl ether (WL 66.7 % w/w) hydrogels exhibited favorable adsorption and absorption properties, respectively. Dye adsorption kinetics, swelling capacities, fragrance emanation, and compression moduli were measured for the hydrogels, along with SEM characterization. Additionally, WL was esterified by acetylation (C2 , WAc) and acylation with lauroyl chloride (C12 , WFAE and WFAEH ). The crude and esterified lignin samples were blended (1-12 % w/w) with polylactic acid (PLA) via lab-scale melt extrusion to produce thermoplastic blends. The physicochemical properties of the blends were evaluated. They exhibited an increase in degradation temperature and UV absorbance with potential to hinder photodegradation of PLA and may be leveraged in packaging applications.
Signal Processing Methods to Interpret Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Airborne Samples.

The main contribution of this interdisciplinary work is a robust computational framework to autonomously discover and quantify previously unknown associations between well-known (target) and potentially unknown (non-target) toxic industrial air pollutants. In this work, the variability of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) data is evaluated using a combination of statistical, signal processing, and graph-based informatics techniques to interpret the raw instrument signal from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) data sets. Specifically, minimum mean-squared techniques from the adaptive signal processing literature are extended to detect and separate coeluted (overlapped) peaks in the raw instrument signal. A graph-based visualization is provided which bridges two complementary approaches to quantitative pollution studies: (i) peak-cognizant target analysis (limits data analysis to few well-known compounds) and (ii) chemometric analysis (statistical large-scale data analysis) that is agnostic of specific compounds. Further, peak fitting techniques based on L2 error minimization are employed to autonomously calculate the amount of each PCB present with a normalized mean square error of -18.4851 dB. Graph-based visualization of associations between known and unknown compounds are developed through principal component analysis and both fuzzy c-means (FCM) and k-means clustering techniques are implemented and compared. The efficiency of these methods are compared using 150 air samples analyzed for individual PCBs with GC/MS/MS against traditional target-only techniques that perform analysis across only the known (target) PCBs. Parameter optimization techniques are employed to evaluate the relative contribution of PCB signals against ten potential source signals representing legacy signatures from historical manufacture of Aroclors and modern sources of PCBs produced as byproducts of pigment and polymer manufacturing. Aroclors 1232, 1254, 1016, and 1221 as well as non-Aroclor 3, 3', dichlorobiphenyl (PCB 11) were found in many of the samples as unique source signals that describe PCB mixtures in air samples collected from Chicago, IL.
Reorienting The Production of Space: Rhythmanalysis, desire, and “The Siege of the Third Precinct”:

Whenever scholars inquire into the relationship between space and power, you can almost invariably find a reference to Henri Lefebvre. However, his initial popularization by David Harvey involved a...