cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corneal and conjunctival toxicity from hydrogen peroxide: A patient with chronic self-induced injury

Abstract Purpose To report a patient with severe corneal and conjunctival toxicity from long-term, habitual use of hydrogen peroxide as an eye wash. Design Observational case report. Intervention and testing Serial examinations of the cornea, conjunctiva, and ocular adnexa were done. Penetrating keratoplasty with amniotic membrane transplantation was performed. Main outcome measures Ocular inflammation, pain, and visual acuity outcome. Results Bilateral corneal and conjunctival inflammation and scarring mimicking ocular-cicatricial pemphigoid were noted. Formation of a descemetocele after starting treatment with low-dose topical steroids required emergent penetrating keratoplasty with amniotic membrane transplantation. Conclusions This is the first reported case of ocular surface toxicity in a patient after deliberate chronic use of high-dose hydrogen peroxide. It highlights the value of obtaining a thorough medical and social history and the importance of direct questioning about the use of any medications or agents on the eyes before making a diagnosis or initiating therapy.
Quark-Gluon Plasma Formation in Ultra-Relativistic Heavy ION Collisions

The dynamics of partons in ultra-relativistic 197Au+197Au collisions in the future collider experiments at RHIC and LHC during the first 3 fm/c is simulated in full six-dimensional phase-space within a parton cascade model to compute the entropy production and the space-time dependent energy densities, temperatures, etc., in the central collsion region. The partons’ evolution from pre-equilibrium towards the formation of a thermalized quark-gluon plasma is quantitatively analyzed resulting in predictions for the energy densities e ≃ 15 – 31 GeV fm-3 and associated temperatures T ≃ 295 – 345 MeV at √s = 200 – 6300 A GeV. The multiplicity of final pions from the plasma is estimated from the amount of entropy produced, yielding a huge dN (π)/dy≃1900 – 3400. An equation of state is extracted together with initial conditions for the further hydrodynamical space-time evolution of the matter.
Agency in Humans and in Artifacts: A Contested Discourse

Philosophical discourse on agency and artifacts is part of a long effort to assess the complexities of human making and using. Appreciation of some historico-philosophical aspects of the discussion begins with a sketch of pre-philosophical appraisals; then, given common assumptions about the importance of intentionality in agency, ventures a brief review of the debate about intentions in recent analytic philosophy. Against this dual background, contemporary reflection more specifically on agency and artifacts is distinguished into three waves. A first wave is exemplified by the work of Alvin Weinberg and Langdon Winner, both of whom argue that artifacts can extend human political agency. A second wave is led by Bruno Latour, who contests the implicit primacy of the human and argues instead for the primacy of a network in which humans and artifacts behave as ontological equals. A third wave is initiated in critical works by Albert Borgmann and by Braden Allenby and Daniel Sarewitz, who argue for deploying first and second wave insights to reaffirm human ethical agency interacting with agent-like artifacts. A conclusion considers how these three waves of discourse might benefit from engagement with such historico-philosophical studies of human agency as found in the work of Hannah Arendt.
An Efficient Algorithm for Large Scale Compressive Feature Learning

This paper focuses on large–scale unsupervised feature selection from text. We expand upon the recently proposed Compressive Feature Learning (CFL) framework, a method that uses dictionarybased compression to select a K-gram representation for a document corpus. We show that CFL is NP–Complete and provide a novel and efficient approximation algorithm based on a homotopy that transforms a convex relaxation of CFL into the original problem. Our algorithm allows CFL to scale to corpuses comprised of millions of documents because each step is linear in the corpus length and highly parallelizable. We use it to extract features from the BeerAdvocate dataset, a corpus of over 1.5 million beer reviews spanning 10 years. CFL uses two orders of magnitude fewer features than the full trigram space. It beats a standard unigram model in a number of prediction tasks and achieves nearly twice the accuracy on an author identification task.
Influence of fundamental frequency pattern on the perception of duration

Abstract: Twenty-five listeners were presented with pairs of stimuli of equal duration, but differing in F0, and were asked to decide which of the two stimuli was longer. The stimuli consisted of the vowel /a/ synthesized on a Rockland synthesizer. There were three durations: 270, 300 and 330 ms. In one set, one of the members of the pair had a monotone F0 at 120 Hz; the other member had a rising–falling F0 whose peak ranged in 12 semitone steps from 127 to 240 Hz. In the other set, the monotone frequency was 240 Hz; the changing member of the pair had a falling–rising F0 curve whose lowest value ranged from 227 to 120 Hz. Level patterns at 120 Hz were also included at each duration. In the case of level patterns, 68∙7% of the listeners judged the first member of the pair to be longer. When the pitch inflection was on the first member of the pair, 71∙1% of the listeners judged it to be longer. When the second member of the pair had changing pitch, the listeners’ judgment that the second member was longer rose from 31∙3% for the level pattern to 60∙5%.
HYDRO-NUMERIC DESIGN OF WINGLET KEELS FOR STARS & STRIPES

A new computational method is presented for the design of optimal keels for racing yachts. The method was used in the design of the 1987 America's Cup winner STARS & STRIPES. Lift and induced drag are computed with an extended version of the VSAERO panel method program, employing a far-field wake integration technique. Parametric studies of lift and induced drag performance for variations of keel and winglet geometry are presented. The optimal configuration for the expected racing conditions was chosen through a sailing performance code which accepted as input the parameterised lift and induced drag relationships. See next Abstract.
Single-Event Upset Responses of Metal–Oxide–Metal Capacitors and Diodes Used in Bulk 65-nm CMOS Analog Circuits

The focus of this article is to characterize the behavior of metal–oxide–metal (MOM) capacitors when used in a switched-capacitor circuit in a standard 65-nm 1.2-V CMOS technology subject to ionizing radiation. The goal is twofold: first, to understand radiation-induced single-event effects on a fundamental building block of analog circuits unconstrained by a particular application and second, to explore the capacitor’s use as a particle detector analogous to the diode active-pixel sensor. The single-event signal response from the diode and MOM capacitor structures were consistent with ionization; the behavior of the diode was consistent with previously published results. The diode single-event signal response exhibited a step-like waveform, whereas the MOM capacitor exhibited an exponential-decay waveform, thus indicating different detection mechanisms where liberated charges were, respectively, either collected or not collected.
Historical Disease Prevalence, Cultural Values, and Global Innovation:

The historical prevalence of infectious diseases has had an enduring effect on innovation around the world. Building on the Parasite Stress Theory of Values, we propose a framework suggestive that ...
Comparison of motility of H. pylori in broth and mucin reveals the interplay of effect of acid on bacterium and the rheology of the medium it swims in.

To colonize on the gastric epithelium Helicobacter pylori bacteria have to swim across a gradient of pH from 2-7 in the mucus layer. Previous studies of H. pylori motility have shown that at pH below 4 do not swim in porcine gastric mucin (PGM) gels. To separately assess the influence of gelation of PGM and that of pH on motors and pH sensitive receptors of H. pylori, we used phase contrast microscopy to compare the translational and rotational motion of H. pylori in PGM versus Brucella broth (BB10) at different pHs. We observed that decreasing pH leads to decreased fraction of motile swimmers with a decrease in the contribution of fast swimmers to the distributions of swimming speeds and length of trajectories. At all pH9s the bacteria swam faster with longer net displacement over the trajectory in BB10 as compared to PGM. While bacteria are stuck in PGM gels at low pH, they swim at low pH in broth, albeit with reduced speed. The body rotation rate and estimated cell body torque are weakly dependent on pH in BB10, whereas in PGM the torque increases with increasing viscosity and bacteria stuck in the low pH gel rotate faster than the motile bacteria. Our results show that H. pylori has optimal swimming under slightly acidic conditions, and exhibits mechanosensing when stuck in low pH mucin gels.
A qualitative study of perceived barriers to hepatitis C care among people who did not attend appointments in the non-urban US South.

Most people diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) have not linked to care, despite the availability of safe and effective treatment. We aimed to understand why people diagnosed with HCV have not pursued care in the non-urban Southern United States. We conducted a survey and semi-structured interview with participants referred to an HCV clinic who did not attend an appointment between 2014 and 2018. Our clinic is located in a non-urban region of Virginia at a university hospital. Qualitative data collection was guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM). Data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify key factors influencing patient perceptions regarding HCV and pursuit of care. Over half of previously referred patients (N = 200) could not be reached by phone. Eleven participants enrolled, including 7 men and 4 women. Based on survey responses, unreliable transportation, unstable housing, substance use, and lack of insurance were common. Participants demonstrated good knowledge of HCV disease, complications, and treatment. On qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, final themes emerged from within and between HBM constructs. Emerging themes influencing patient perceptions included (1) structural barriers, (2) stigma, (3) prior experiences of HCV disease and treatment, (4) discordance between the recognized severity of HCV and expected impacts on one’s own health, and (5) patient-provider relationship. Substance use was not identified to be a barrier to care. Participants perceived individual and structural barriers to linking to care. A strong HCV knowledge base was not sufficient to motivate pursuit of care. Efforts to improve linkage to care must address barriers at multiple levels, and system-level changes are needed. As the majority of previously referred patients could not be contacted by phone, current approaches to patient engagement are not effective for reaching these populations. Expansion of HCV care to primary care settings with an established patient-provider relationship or co-located treatment within substance use treatment programs may serve to increase access to HCV treatment.
2020 Cool-Season Forage Variety Recommendations for Florida

Perennial warm-season pasture grasses used in Florida become dormant in late fall and winter because of short days, cooler temperatures, and frosts. Many livestock producers may choose to establish cool-season annual pasture species to supplement their forage production. These plants are usually higher in total digestible nutrients (TDN) and crude protein (CP) than summer perennial grasses, translating into greater animal performance (Dubeux et al., 2016). Planting and growing these forage crops can involve considerable expense and is somewhat risky because rainfall is often unpredictable during the fall establishment period. The species and varieties for potential use vary in the distribution of production during the cooler months and in the type of soils where they are best adapted. This publication provides the most up-to-date information on current adapted cool-season forage varieties. The recommendation of varieties is based on multi-location, multi-year cultivar evaluation experiments that may include trials in Georgia and other states. Previous version: Wallau, Marcelo, Ann Blount, Esteban Rios, Joao Vendramini, Jose Dubeux, Md Babar, and Kevin Kenworthy. 2019. “2019 Cool-Season Forage Variety Recommendations for Florida”. EDIS2019 (August). https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/115513.
Needlestick Injury in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Resident Programs.

Objectives/hypothesis Up to 800,000 percutaneous injuries involving healthcare workers occur each year. The morbidity of needlestick injuries (NSIs) ranges from nothing to death. The incidence of NSI in otolaryngology residency is deemed to be high based on prior studies. This study aimed at defining the trends in otolaryngology residents regarding sharps exposure. Study design Cross-sectional study using survey/questionnaire. Methods Otolaryngology accredited residency programs in North America were surveyed in 2013 and 2017 regarding their experience with NSI and perceived risk of acquiring a blood-borne infection. Results Surveys were received from 314 residents (31 programs). There was a total of 509 needlesticks, primarily occurring during junior years (post-graduate year 1-3, 81%). Sixty-eight percent of residents had experienced an NSI. Of the residents that had an injury, the mean number of sticks was 2.37 sticks/resident. Junior residents were less likely to report their injury compared to senior residents (50% vs. 30%). The primary reason for not reporting was the time commitment. Residents underestimated their risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (51% of residents) and overestimated their risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus (90% of residents). Conclusions Occupational exposure is high in healthcare and particularly high in surgical trainees. The majority of otolaryngology trainees undergo a needlestick injury in their junior years. There continues to be underreporting of these injuries by residents, who report that the process is too time-consuming. Most residents do not have an accurate understanding of their actual risk of acquiring a blood-borne disease. These findings emphasize the need for education regarding risks and development of strategies to encourage reporting of injuries. Level of evidence VI Laryngoscope, 131:E1076-E1080, 2021.
How a Hemicarcerand Incarcerates Guests at Room Temperature Decoded with Modular Simulations

Hemicarcerands are host molecules created to study constrictive binding with guest molecules for insights into the rules of molecular complexation. However, the molecular dynamics simulations that facilitate such studies have been limited because three-dimensional models of hemicarcerands are tedious to build and their atomic charges are complicated to derive. There have been no molecular dynamics simulations of the reported water-soluble hemicarcerand (Octacid4) that explain how it uniquely encapsulates its guests at 298 K and keeps them encapsulated at 298 K in NMR experiments. Herein we report a modular approach to hemicarcerand simulations that simplifies the model building and charge derivation in a manner reminiscent of the approach to protein simulations with truncated amino acids as building blocks. We also report that apo Octacid4 in water adopts two clusters of conformations, one of which has an equatorial portal open thus allowing guests to enter the cavity of Octacid4, in microsecond molecular dynamics simulations performed using the modular approach at 298 K. Under the same simulation conditions, the guest-bound Octacid4 adopts one cluster of conformations with all equatorial portals closed thus keeping the guests incarcerated. These results explain the unique constrictive binding of Octacid4 and suggest that the guest-induced host conformational change that impedes decomplexation is a previously unrecognized conformational characteristic that promotes strong molecular complexation.
Hyperglycemia in Acute COVID-19 is Characterized by Adipose Tissue Dysfunction and Insulin Resistance

COVID-19 has proven to be a metabolic disease resulting in adverse outcomes in individuals with diabetes or obesity. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and hyperglycemia suffer from longer hospital stays, higher risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and increased mortality compared to those who do not develop hyperglycemia. We find the prevalence of hyperglycemia in patients with COVID-19 ARDS to be equal to those with non-COVID-19 ARDS. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological mechanism(s) of hyperglycemia in COVID-19 remains poorly characterized. Here we show that insulin resistance rather than pancreatic beta cell failure is the prevalent cause of hyperglycemia in COVID-19 patients with ARDS, independent of glucocorticoid treatment. A screen of protein hormones that regulate glucose homeostasis reveals that the insulin sensitizing adipokine adiponectin is reduced in hyperglycemic COVID-19 patients. Hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2 also have diminished expression of adiponectin. Together these data suggest that adipose tissue dysfunction may be a driver of insulin resistance and adverse outcomes in acute COVID-19. Funding Information: This work was supported by the following grants: NIH R01 DK121140 (J.C.L.) and R01 DK121844 (J.C.L.), NCI R01 CA234614 (R.E.S), NIAID 2R01 AI107301 (R.E.S), and NIDDK R01 DK121072 (R.E.S). R.E.S. and J.C.L are supported as Irma Hirschl Trust Research Award Scholars. In addition, this study received support from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) and Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC), including the Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) (UL1 TR 0002384). Declaration of Interests: R.E.S. is on the scientific advisory board of Miromatrix Inc. R.E.S. is a speaker and consultant for Alnylam Inc. The other authors have no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The registry was approved by the institutional review board of WCMC (1405015116, 20-05022072, 20-03021681). All animal experiment procedures, breeding, and ethical use were performed in accordance with the guidelines set by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
806-P: Risk of Acute Liver Injury in Real-World Use of Dapagliflozin

A noninterventional postauthorization safety study of patients with type 2 diabetes compared the incidence of hospitalized acute liver injury (hALI) in new users of dapagliflozin and new users of comparator glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs), matched on year, age, sex, and region. Comparators included GLDs other than SGLT2 inhibitors or monotherapy with insulin, metformin, or sulfonylureas. Data sources were US Medicare (2014-2017), US HealthCore Integrated Research Database (HIRD) (2014-2019), and UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) (2012-2018). Incidence rates of hALI were calculated by exposure group and compared with adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) with covariate adjustment by propensity score stratification. A pooled aIRR was estimated by the Mantel-Haenszel method. The person-years of dapagliflozin and comparator exposure, respectively, was 10,315 and 91,740 in HIRD, 6,756 and 106,273 in Medicare. In CPRD, dapagliflozin person-years were unreportable due to low counts, comparator person-years were 28,950. Mean age (years) was 52 in HIRD, 70 in Medicare, and 58 in CPRD. Approximately 55% in HIRD, 53% in Medicare, and 60% in CPRD were men. In all cohorts, the observed number of hALI cases was low, and aIRRs and 95% confidence limits (CI) were wide (figure). The pooled, aIRR was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.59-1.24). This real-world study does not suggest an increased risk of hALI associated with dapagliflozin compared with other GLDs. Disclosure C. Johannes: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca. H. Chen: None. A. Gilsenan: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca. J. Layton: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca. D. C. Beachler: Employee; Self; Anthem Inc. (HealthCore). R. M. Ziemiecki: Research Support; Self; Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pfizer Inc. L. Li: Other Relationship; Self; Pfizer Inc. H. E. Danysh: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca. J. Dinh: None. P. R. Hunt: Employee; Self; AstraZeneca, Stock/Shareholder; Self; AstraZeneca. C. Karlsson: Employee; Self; AstraZeneca, Stock/Shareholder; Self; AstraZeneca.
Improvement in Detection of Wrong-Patient Errors When Radiologists Include Patient Photographs in Their Interpretation of Portable Chest Radiographs

This study was conducted to determine whether facial photographs obtained simultaneously with radiographs improve radiologists’ detection rate of wrong-patient errors, when they are explicitly asked to include the photographs in their evaluation. Radiograph-photograph combinations were obtained from 28 patients at the time of portable chest radiography imaging. From these, pairs of radiographs were generated. Each unique pair consisted of one new and one old (comparison) radiograph. Twelve pairs of mismatched radiographs (i.e., pairs containing radiographs of different patients) were also generated. In phase 1 of the study, 5 blinded radiologist observers were asked to interpret 20 pairs of radiographs without the photographs. In phase 2, each radiologist interpreted another 20 pairs of radiographs with the photographs. Radiologist observers were not instructed about the purpose of the photographs but were asked to include the photographs in their review. The detection rate of mismatched errors was recorded along with the interpretation time for each session for each observer. The two-tailed Fisher exact test was used to evaluate differences in mismatch detection rates between the two phases. A p value of <0.05 was considered significant. The error detection rates without (0/20 = 0 %) and with (17/18 = 94.4 %) photographs were different (p = 0.0001). The average interpretation times for the set of 20 radiographs were 26.45 (SD 8.69) and 20.55 (SD 3.40) min, for phase 1 and phase 2, respectively (two-tailed Student t test, p = 0.1911). When radiologists include simultaneously obtained photographs in their review of portable chest radiographs, there is a significant improvement in the detection of labeling errors. No statistically significant difference in interpretation time was observed. This may lead to improved patient safety without affecting radiologists’ throughput.
Synthesis of Organotin Polyamine Ethers Containing Thiamine (Vitamin B1) and Preliminary Ability to Inhibit Select Cancer Cell Lines

Organotin polyamine ethers containing thiamine (Vitamin B1) were synthesized employing the interfacial polymerization of thiamine and organotin dichlorides. Reaction is rapid occurring in less than 15 s in moderate to poor yield with chain length ranging from 86 to 860 units. Infrared spectroscopy shows new bands characteristic of the formation of the Sn–N and Sn–O linkages. Proton NMR shows the presence of both the organotin and thiamine moieties. MALDI MS results shows ion fragment clusters to three units with ion abundance results consistent with the presence of tin atoms within the ion fragment clusters. The polymers all exhibit inhibition of the cancer cell lines including two breast, two pancreatic, prostate, and colon cancer cell lines at levels better than those for the standard cisplatin, one of the most widely employed anticancer drugs.
Properties of the Specific Binding of 125I-Nerve Growth Factor to Responsive Peripheral Neurons

Abstract The interaction of nerve growth factor (NGF) with its receptor(s) on the surface membranes of responsive chick embryo sympathetic and sensory neurons has been examined using 125I-NGF prepared by a solid phase iodination technique. The specific binding of 125I-NGF to both types of neurons is a complex process. It is nonsaturable at concentrations of 125I-NGF as high as 10-8 m and displays apparent multiple affinities (Ka ≅ 1010 to 106 liters per mole). The specific binding is rapid (k1 = 7.5 x 106 m-1 s-1 at 24°) and reversible (k-1 = 3.8 x 10-4 s-1 at 24°). Native NGF at a concentration of 2 x 10-7 m accelerates the dissociation of bound 125I-NGF 30-fold at 24° (native NGF k-1 = 1.2 x 10-2 s-1), suggesting that the apparent multiple affinities for the binding of 125I-NGF are due to a negatively cooperative interaction of NGF receptors. Insulin, at a concentration of 2 x 10-7 m, inhibits the specific binding of 125I-NGF 15 to 20 %. Lower or higher concentrations of insulin were not as effective. The material specifically binding 125I-NGF comigrates with the surface membrane label 125I-α-bungarotoxin in two subcellular fractionation procedures. The total amount of specific binding material and the binding per microgram of tissue protein vary during embryonic development in a manner reflecting the temporal pattern of biological responsiveness of sympathetic and dorsal root ganglia.
A Generalization of Binary Search

Let f be a nondecreasing integer-valued function whose domain is the set of integers [0., n]. The (n, m) problem is the problem of determining f at all points of its domain, given that f(0)=0 and f(n)=m. The paper [HM] determines the worst-case number of function evaluations needed to solve the (n, m) problem and gives one particular algorithm achieving the worst-case bound. We obtain the following further results concerning this problem: A family of deterministic algorithms that minimizes the worst-case number of function evaluations needed to solve the (n, m)-problem; A deterministic algorithm that comes within one step of minimizing the worst-case number of parallel steps required to solve the (n,m)-problem, where a given number p of concurrent function evaluations may be performed in each parallel step. This result requires that p ≤ m; A deterministic algorithm that minimizes the expected number of function evaluations when the function f is drawn from a probability distribution satisfying a natural symmetry property; A randomized algorithm that minimizes the worst-case expected number of function evaluations required to solve the (n, 1)-problem; Lower and upper bounds on the worst-case expected number of function evaluations required by a randomized algorithm to solve the (n, m)-problem for m > 1;
'The Image of a Just Ruler': Cicero, Monarchy, and Xenophon’s Cyropaedia

Cicero, in a letter to his brother Quintus, praises the monarch Cyrus, the central character in Xenophon's Cyropaedia. This praise is puzzling, especially considering Cicero's explicit criticism of monarchy in De Re Publica. Yet, this paper argues that Cicero’s praise of Cyrus in the letter to his brother is not only intentional but also consistent with the criticism of the institution presented in De Re Publica. The paper outlines Cicero’s criticism of monarchy in De Re Publica, a criticism confirmed in De Legibus by the institutional make-up of Cicero’s mixed regime. In light of this critique, the paper then considers key elements of the monarchy established in the Cyropaedia, especially the reasons why the regime failed following the death of Cyrus. And finally, the paper concludes by proposing that Cicero’s praise of Cyrus should be considered in light of the context in which it was given — advice to a beloved though non-philosophical brother who finds himself in the position of ruling a far flung Roman province while holding absolute power.
Physical Stability of Proteins in Aqueous Solution: Mechanism and Driving Forces in Nonnative Protein Aggregation

Irreversible protein aggregation is problematic in the biotechnology industry, where aggregation is encountered throughout the lifetime of a therapeutic protein, including during refolding, purification, sterilization, shipping, and storage processes. The purpose of the current review is to provide a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms by which proteins aggregate and by which varying solution conditions, such as temperature, pH, salt type, salt concentration, cosolutes, preservatives, and surfactants, affect this process.
Keeping Score, Michael Tilson Thomas with the San Francisco Symphony

The San Franciso Symphony’s Keeping Score video series presents performances of a featured work (Beethoven’s Eroica , Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique , Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring ) under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas followed by the story of the music with Thomas’s own analysis and interpretation. The performances are powerful and offer revelatory perspectives on these standard works. As tools for teaching music history, however, the DVDs are limited because the singular dramatic narrative of Thomas’s analysis does not offer the complexity, tension, and more nuanced perspectives that provide students with the necessary skills for thinking critically about the musical past. The DVDs work best for viewers already interested in classical music who prefer a single narrative explanation of the works.
Chapter 16 – Wilms’ Tumor: A Case of Persistence of the Nephrogenic Mesenchyme

Wilms' tumor, or nephroblastoma, arises from the progenitor population that gives rise to normal nephrons in the developing kidney. As such, it is the prototypical case of a developmental process that has become dysregulated, leading to malignancy. Consideration of the pathogenesis of Wilms' tumor therefore instructs about the relationship between development and cancer and how oncogenic processes often co-opt regulatory pathways that drive growth and differentiation. The chapter will review current knowledge of the molecular basis for Wilms' tumor and discuss how these tumors may arise from aberrant regulation of the same processes that regulate normal kidney development.
Re-Imagining the University in the Global Era

This article charts the crisis of the modern university using Bill Readings' (1996) The University in Ruins. Readings distinguishes three principal ideas underpinning the concept of the modern university: the Kantian idea of reason, the Humboldtian idea of culture, and the technological idea of excellence. The article reviews these three motivating ideas to focus on the last one under the description of the 'post-historical university'. It investigates this idea giving two examples based on the United Kingdom's Dearing report, The Global Service University, and Australia's West report, The Hollowed-Out University. On the basis of this examination, the article re-imagines the idea of the university in the postmodern condition when metanarratives have lost their narrative unifying power by employing the concept of openness as developed by Wittgenstein.
Comparison of Methods for Quantifying Fiber Types in Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Measurements obtained using three bundle fiber sizes were compared with the template (4.7 cm2 in area) method and the actual fiber population present in the entire photomicrograph. Longissimus muscles from lamb, beef, and pork were evaluated. Muscle fiber populations measured by the template or by selecting a minimum number of fibers to be counted (e.g., based on bundle size) were statistically equivalent (p>0.01) to those measured using the entire micrograph and counting all the fibers present. Small bundles or a template designed to quantitate approximately 20% of the photomicrograph are recommended as the methods of choice for quantifying fiber populations because they would be less labor intense and would, therefore, result in a savings in time.
Vincent Mosco, To the Cloud: Big Data in a Turbulent World

In the 1980 science fiction film The Empire Strikes Back, commander Han Solo and a small band of rebels attempt to escape the clutches of the Empire by taking refuge in Bespin, a city that is literally suspended in the clouds. While they assume that this frontier, libertarian-minded community will conceal their efforts, they are stunned when the city’s leader (and their fellow co-conspirator) divulges their whereabouts to the evil Darth Vader in exchange for legal immunity for harboring fugitives from the state. This sequence from popular culture is a rather apt metaphor for the privacy pitfalls that surround today’s earthbound cloud computing industry.
In vitro expansion of CMV-specific CD4+ T-cells by artificial antigen presentation for adoptive immunotherapy in the post- transplant setting

3049 Background: CMV continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in marrow allograft recipients. The importance of CD4+ T-cells in maintaining immunity and therapeutic efficacy in adop...
A systematic approach to emergent breast free flap takeback: Clinical outcomes, algorithm, and review of the literature

Background Few evidence-based and detailed algorithms exist on the management of failing breast free flaps, including use of the numerous salvage tools that are available. The purpose of this study was to analyze our outcomes with an algorithmic approach to breast free flap salvage after vascular compromise. A review of the literature is also presented. Methods A retrospective review of all breast free flaps performed at our institution between 2007 and 2012 was performed. Flaps with intraoperative and postoperative vascular complications were analyzed. Results A total of 612 microsurgical breast reconstructions in 442 patients were reviewed. Of these, 72 (11.8%) flaps had intraoperative vascular complications, and 36 (5.9%) had postoperative vascular complications. The total flap loss rate was 2.8%. The most commonly used salvage modalities were anastomotic revision (72%), heparin irrigation (72%), systemic heparin (37%), Fogarty catheter thrombectomy (17.6%), thrombolytics (13%), and indocyanine green angiography (10.2%). In 53 (49.1%) cases, flap salvage involved use of 1 modality, whereas in 55 (50.9%) cases multiple modalities were used. Factors associated with failure of these flap salvage tools included intraoperative arterial rather than postoperative arterial compromise (P = 0.01), and situations requiring use of a greater number of salvage modalities (P < 0.001). Conclusions We found that intraoperative compromise had significantly better prognosis than postoperative compromise. By organizing the numerous salvage modalities available to microsurgeons into a well-defined algorithm that is supported by the literature, we have established a best practices protocol that has achieved flap salvage rates that compare favorably to the published literature. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 33:505–513, 2013.
Identification of a Nonpeptidic and Conformationally Restricted Bradykinin B1 Receptor Antagonist with Anti-Inflammatory Activity

We report the discovery of chroman 28, a potent and selective antagonist of human, nonhuman primate, rat, and rabbit bradykinin B1 receptors (0.4−17 nM). At 90 mg/kg s.c., 28 decreased plasma extravasation in two rodent models of inflammation. A novel method to calculate entropy is introduced and ascribed ∼30% of the gained affinity between “flexible” 4 (Ki = 132 nM) and “rigid” 28 (Ki = 0.77 nM) to decreased conformational entropy.
Chemical modification of morphology of Mg2Si phase in hypereutectic aluminium–silicon–magnesium alloys

AbstractHypereutectic Al–Si alloys that contain more than 3 wt-%Mg exhibit a microstructure that consists of eutectic Si and Mg2Si in α-Al matrix that is devoid of primary silicon particles. The Mg2Si phase is desirable in the Al–Si microstructure because of its high melting temperature, low density, high hardness, low coefficient of thermal expansion and high elastic modulus. However, at such relatively high concentrations of Mg, the Mg2Si phase tends to be in a morphology that detracts from the alloys' mechanical properties. Several chemical modifiers were added to the alloy in order to refine the morphology of the Mg2Si phase. A combination of strontium and misch metal was found to yield the best results in that the microstructure obtained after a standard T6 heat treatment exhibits almost spherical Mg2Si particles. Tensile test bars cast from the modified alloy in steel moulds have very good room temperature tensile properties and good hardness.
Ethanol Withdrawal and Hyperalgesia

Hyperalgesia has been observed during ethanol withdrawal, comparable to the hyperalgesia observed during withdrawal from opioids. To determine the extent of this phenomenon and its potential mechanisms, both behavioral and in vitro studies are examined, and the roles of GABA(A), glutamate and other receptors in mediating the acute and chronic antinociceptive effects of ethanol are reviewed. Hyperalgesia during ethanol withdrawal is a robust phenomenon that has been observed in various strains of mice and rats, with different methods of exposure to ethanol, and with a variety of nociceptive assays. GABA receptors play an important role in mediating the antinociceptive effects of ethanol, but too little research has examined the role of glutamate receptors to make any conclusion about their importance. Adenosine receptors, calcium channels, and protein kinase C appear to play central roles in mediating tolerance to antinociceptive effects of ethanol and mediating the hyperalgesia seen during withdrawal. Although some key pathways have been identified, further mechanistic work is necessary to fully characterize the mechanisms for the development of hyperalgesia following chronic exposure to ethanol. An understanding of how the hyperalgesia may fit in with other manifestations of ethanol withdrawal may be an important variable in determining treatment outcome. Clinical research is essential to determine the significance of the hyperalgesia to the severity of withdrawal and to relapse.
Plausible Role of Acute HIV Infection Mediated Immune Activation in Causing Renal Allograft Rejection: A Case Report

Current research states that AIDS pathogenesis has its roots in a chronic activation of immune system secondary to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced proliferation of T cells, B cells, NK cells, and macrophages. Immune activation due to acute HIV infection can be highly detrimental to allograft survival in a renal transplant recipient. In this report, we describe a 32-year-old African-American male patient who underwent a second live donor renal transplant, following which he developed acute allograft rejection coincident with newly acquired HIV seropositivity.
KINETICS OF BOND SHIFT AND CHARGE TRANSFER IN DIALKYNYLPHENYLENE-BRIDGED DICYCLOOCTATETRAENES AND THEIR DIANIONS

1,4-Dicyclooctatetraenyl-1,3-butadiyne and p-, m-, and o-di(cyclooctatetraenylethynyl)benzene (1−4, respectively) and their dipotassium salts (12-−42-) in THF-d8 have been synthesized and studied b...
Conductance oscillations and transport spectroscopy of a quantum dot

Results are reported for low temperature measurements of the conductance through small regions of a two-dimensional electron gas (2 DEG). An unconventional GaAs heterostructure is used to form a 2 DEG whose density can be tuned by the gate voltage applied to its conductive substrate. Electron beam lithography is used to pattern a narrow channel in the 2 DEG interrupted by two constrictions, defining a small 2 DEG island between them. The conductance is found to oscillate periodically with the gate voltage, namely with electron density. Calculations of the capacitance between the substrate and the island show that the period of oscillation corresponds to adding one electron to the island. The oscillatory behavior results primarily from the discreteness of charge and the Coulomb interaction between electrons. However, the observed temperature dependence of these oscillations requires a more sophisticated treatment which includes the quantized electron energy levels as well. The magnetic field dependence of the oscillations allows us to extract the discrete energy spectrum of the quantum dot in the quantum-Hall regime.
A framework for resolution of time in natural language

Automatic extraction and reasoning over temporal properties in natural language discourse has not had wide use in practical systems due to its demand for a rich and compositional, yet inference-friendly, representation of time. Motivated by our study of temporal expressions from the Penn Treebank corpora, we address the problem by proposing a two-level constraint-based framework for processing and reasoning over temporal information in natural language. Within this framework, temporal expressions are viewed as partial assignments to the variables of an underlying calendar constraint system, and multiple expressions together describe a temporal constraint-satisfaction problem (TCSP). To support this framework, we designed a typed formal language for encoding natural language expressions. The language can cope with phenomena such as under-specification and granularity change. The constraint problems can be solved using various constraint propagation and search methods, and the solutions can then be used to answer a wide range of time-related queries.
On the definitional method of standard PL/I

In order to define the semantics of PL/I in a form which is both precise and readable, a method of definition has been developed which employs an abstract machine operating on tree-structured data. The classes of trees involved are defined by formal grammars, while the algorithms governing the behaviour of the machine are expressed semi-formally in prose. This algorithmic metalanguage is itself intended to have largely intuitive semantics, but these are made more precise by an indication of how they could be supported at a lower level of detail within the abstract machine.
On the convergence and stability of data-driven link estimation and routing in sensor networks

The wireless network community has become increasingly aware of the benefits of data-driven link estimation and routing as compared with beacon-based approaches, but the issue of Biased Link Sampling (BLS) estimation has not been well studied even though it affects routing convergence in the presence of network and environment dynamics. Focusing on traffic-induced dynamics, we examine the open, unexplored question of how serious the BLS issue is and how to effectively address it when the routing metric ETX is used. For a wide range of traffic patterns and network topologies and using both node-oriented and network-wide analysis and experimentation, we discover that the optimal routing structure remains quite stable even though the properties of individual links and routes vary significantly as traffic pattern changes. In cases where the optimal routing structure does change, data-driven link estimation and routing is either guaranteed to converge to the optimal structure or empirically shown to converge to a close-to-optimal structure. These findings provide the foundation for addressing the BLS issue in the presence of traffic-induced dynamics and suggest approaches other than existing ones. These findings also demonstrate that it is possible to maintain an optimal, stable routing structure despite the fact that the properties of individual links and paths vary in response to network dynamics.
Validation of the insulin sensitivity index (ISI0,120): comparison with other measures ☆

The purpose of this study was to explore possible calculations using oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) values in order to develop a simple measure of insulin sensitivity. We devised a formula for an insulin sensitivity index, ISI(0,120), that uses the fasting (0 min) and 120 min post-oral glucose (OGTT) insulin and glucose concentrations. It appears to be generalizable across a spectrum of glucose tolerance and obesity. Most importantly, our data show that ISI(0,120) correlates well, when applied prospectively in comparative studies, with the insulin sensitivity index obtained from the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (r = 0.63, P < 0.001). This correlation was demonstrably superior to other indices of insulin sensitivity such as the HOMA formula presented by Matthews, and performed comparably to the computerized HOMA index. Measurement of insulin sensitivity has traditionally been possible only in research settings because of the invasiveness and expense of the methods used. Clinical investigators have therefore sought more practical methods to obtain an index of insulin sensitivity. Such an index should approximate insulin sensitivity as measured by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (M). We present ISI(0,120), a simple yet sensitive measure of insulin sensitivity which is adaptable for use in clinical settings as well as large epidemiologic studies.
Application of Constraint Corrected J-R Curves to Fracture Analysis of Pipelines

Fracture properties of API X80 pipeline steel have been developed using a set of single edge notched bend (SENB) and single edge notched tension (SENT) specimens with shallow and deep cracks to generate different crack-tip constraint levels. The test data show that the J-R curves for X80 pipeline steel are strongly constraint dependent. To facilitate transfer of the experimental J-R curves to those for actual cracked components, like flawed pipeline, constraint corrected J-R curves are developed. The two-parameter J-A2 formulation is adopted to quantify constraint effect on the crack-tip fields and the J-R curves. The constraint parameter A2 is extracted by matching the J-A2 solution with finite element results for a specific crack configuration. A constraint corrected J-R curve is then formulated as a function of the constraint parameter A2 and crack extension Δa. A general method and procedure to transfer the experimental J-R curves from laboratory to actual cracked components are proposed. Using the test data of J-R curves for the SENB specimens, a mathematical expression representing a family of the J-R curves is constructed for X80. It is shown that the predicted J-R curves developed in this paper match well with experimental data for both SENB and SENT specimens. To demonstrate its application in assessing flaw instability, a pipeline with an axial surface crack is considered. For a crack depth of 50% of the wall thickness, the predicted J-R curve is found to be higher than that for the SENB specimen with the same crack length to width ratio. From this predicted J-R curve and crack driving force obtained by finite element analysis, the failure pressures of the pipeline at the crack initiation and instability are determined and discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Immunizing children against the negative effects of reward: A further examination of intrinsic motivation training techniques

Abstract An investigation was conducted to extend previous research on the effect of intrinsic motivation focus sessions on children's subsequent motivational orientation and creativity in an expected‐reward situation. Numerous earlier studies have demonstrated the over justification effect: Initially interested in an activity, an individual who is led to engage in that activity in the presence of some salient extrinsic constraint will judge him‐ or herself to be motivated by the constraint and not by his own interest. This phenomenon has been demonstrated across the life span. Even very young children who work on an interesting task in order to obtain a reward evidence lower subsequent intrinsic motivation than do children not working for a reward. Other research has shown similar negative effects on creativity. However, two recent investigations indicated that the usual over justification effect need not always occur. These studies demonstrated that the undermining of school children's intrinsic motivat...