cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Women’s perceptions of health, quality of life, and malaria management in Kakamega County, Western Province, Kenya

We assess women’s perceptions of health risks in relation to quality of life concerns, with attention to variables viewed as central to maintaining or improving health and well-being. In this paper, we specifically underscore how a life-threatening disease—malaria—is experienced and bio-cyclically understood and managed in relation to seasonal hunger, food insecurities, and livelihood vulnerabilities. The study, conducted June–July 2013, draws on field data and interviews with 60 women farmers of the Luhya community along the Yala River in Kakamega County, Western Province, Kenya. Major findings suggest the following: (1) women’s perceived desired quality of life is shaped by priorities for children’s education, nutrition, food security, and economic security in their rural communities; (2) malaria emerged as a challenging household health problem that curtails livelihood opportunities for most study participants; and (3) local understandings of malaria transmission, particularly how and when female mosquitoes become infected with malaria-causing protozoans, was low, but malaria symptoms were relatively well-understood. The interest and motivation to institute new malaria risk reduction practices at the community level are explored, including attention to building upon the Luhya tradition of oral storytelling in order to promote actions to eliminate malaria. This analysis of local narratives of health risks illustrates these points and demonstrates how women’s constructions of health risks and well-being provide a basis for developing interventions targeting income generation and microloan opportunities that could support Kenyan women in their intersecting approaches to malaria, securing nutritious diets, and enhancing the local health environment.
Coronary artery bypass grafting in elderly patients. Comparative results in a consecutive series of 469 patients older than 75 years.

A consecutive series of 7104 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting during an 18-year period (1971 to 1988) included 469 patients older than 75 years. Results were analyzed to determine comparative risk factors for morbidity, early and late survival, and functional outcome. Patients younger than 75 years (group I) and patients older than 75 years (group II) were identical for ejection fraction and standard hemodynamic indices. Mean number of grafts and crossclamp time were greater for group II patients (p
Acute Stroke in Young Women Taking Phentermine (P01.249)

OBJECTIVE: To describe two cases of acute stroke in patients taking diet pills containing phentermine. BACKGROUND: Qnexa (phentermine and topamax) was FDA-approved for weight loss in February, 2012. As the first weight-loss drug to be approved in 13 years, it has been regarded as a promising new treatment in the growing obesity epidemic, with subjects losing 10% of their body weight on average. As use of this medication becomes commonplace, it is imperative to recognize potential side effects, particularly for patients with underlying cerebrovascular risk factors. Phentermine was also a component of the diet drug Fen Phen, which was discovered to cause cardiac valvular fibrosis. DESIGN/METHODS: We present two women with acute stroke, who were taking diet pills containing phentermine. We reviewed clinical charts and radiographic imaging, including MRI and fluroscein angiography. RESULTS: Case 1 is a 31 year old female with hypertension who presented after acute onset of severe headache, nausea, vomiting and right upper extremity weakness shortly after taking phentermine. Imaging revealed a convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage in the bilateral frontoparietqal cortical sulci. Case 2 is a 41 year old woman with asthma and hyperlipidemia on phentermine who experienced acute onset of painless monocular vision loss and was found on fluroscein angiography to have a central retinal artery occlusion. No other etiology for stroke was found in either women except for their pre-existing, relatively well-controlled cerebrovascular risk factors and their intake of phentermine-containing diet pills. CONCLUSIONS: We present here two patients with mild underlying cerebrovascular risk factors who presented with acute stroke after taking diet pills containing phentermine. The public should be aware of the possible association between stroke and phentermine. More long-term outcomes research is necessary to understand the safety of phentermine-containing diet pills. Patients with cerebrovascular risk factors should be cautious about using Phentermine containing diet pills. Disclosure: Dr. Smit has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cutting has received personal compensation for activities with F1000. Dr. Conners has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Song has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for serving as Advocacy Editor for AAN.com.
The Communal Machinery of Evil: Reflections on Hannah Arendt

The fifty-year anniversary of the trial and execution of Adolph Eichmann saw the release of the Margarethe von Trotta film Hannah Arendt. This article considers the film’s achievements in the context of Arendt’s book Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, and especially her “lesson” that political evil consists not only in some demonic instinct or motive, but in a monstrous lack of imagination, a condition of radical philosophical thoughtlessness. The film is principally a character study of a political philosopher with strong convictions and an abiding concern for what Arendt saw as the unfortunate truth about Eichmann. Largely occluded are the enduring political themes with which Arendt’s many books in political theory dealt – themes including power, conformity, and community. Yet, the film anticipates important moral and political questions of lasting relevance. There remains much to be learned about thoughtlessness in nations where power is broadly shared by the people. Concerns over evil’s precise nature aside, the question of conformity in democracies remains important to consider as nationalist, ethnic, and sectarian sentiments arise anew in Russia, the Middle East, as well as the United States.
Hellfire and Damnation: An Approach to Religion and Literature

Teaching religion in a state university setting challenges one to find non-confessional ways to discuss theological problems. While “Theology” itself is not the proper concern of a “Religious Studies” department, one can raise some significant theological issues in courses like Religion and Literature. The purpose of this course was to examine the presuppositions about damnation brought to the course by the professor and the students. A “Damnation Game” and a variety of literary texts were used to test the range of ideas we had about damnation, and to draw us into an experiential approach to religion and literature.
The effect of crystallinity on the dielectric properties of polychlorotrifluoroethylene

Polychlorotrifluoroethylene is a linear straight-chain polymeric material with the chemical structure (Cl -C F — F C- F) n . It is well known that this material can be crystallized and that the melting point of the crystals is close to 215°C(1,2). Above this temperature, the polymer is in the liquid or “rubbery” state. On quenching the material very rapidly from the liquid state, crystallization can be largely prevented, and the system is then for the most part in the supercooled liquid, or at lower temperatures, in the glassy state.
The contribution of leg press and knee extension strength and power to physical function in people with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract The purposes of this study were to 1) determine the additional contributions of leg press and knee extensor power, over and above that of strength, to the performance of physical function tasks in people with knee osteoarthritis, and 2) compare the ability of bilateral leg press to unilateral knee extensor strength and power to predict functional task performance. Methods A cross-sectional, exploratory study of 40 individuals with tibiofemoral knee osteoarthritis resulting in moderate impairments in physical function was conducted. Physical function (Get-up and Go, timed stair climb and descent, and five time chair rise) and muscle performance (leg press and knee extension strength and power) were assessed. Results After controlling for covariates and strength, leg press, but not knee extensor, power explained additional variance in physical function (11% and 21%). Conversely, adding strength to regression models including covariates and power did not consistently improve the prediction of physical function. Additionally, leg press power consistently explained more variance in physical function (44 to 57%) than involved (24 to 34%) or uninvolved (28 to 48%) knee extension power. Conclusions Leg press power may be a more functionally relevant measure of muscle performance than knee extension strength in this population. Future studies should investigate the effectiveness of interventions specifically designed to improve leg press power in people with knee osteoarthritis.
Substituent, Charge, and Size Effects on the Fluorogenic Performance of Amyloid Ligands: A Small-Library Screening Study

Developing new molecular ligands for the direct detection and tracking of amyloid protein aggregates is key to understanding and defeating myriad neurodegenerative and other disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A crucial factor in the performance of an amyloid dye is its ability to detect the amyloid structural motif independent of the sequence of the amyloid-forming protomer. The current study investigates structure–function relationships of a class of novel phenyleneethynylene (PPE)-based dyes and fluorescent polymers using amyloid fibrils formed by two model proteins: lysozyme and insulin. A small library of 18 PPE compounds that vary in molecular weights, charge densities, water solubilities, and types and geometries of functional groups was tested. One compound, the small anionic oligo(p-phenylene ethynylene) electrolyte OPE1, was identified as a selective sensor for the amyloid conformation of both lysozyme and insulin. On the basis of protein binding and photophysical changes o...
Ion Exchange in Zeolites: Some Recent Developments in Theory and Practice

Zeolites find relatively few direct applications as ion exchangers and it is perhaps for this reason that the study of their ion exchange behaviour is somewhat neglected in comparison to their other properties. Nevertheless, ion exchange is an essential part of preparative procedures for the manufacture of zeolitic sorbents and catalysts, and there is now increasing recognition of the importance of using strictly controlled conditions during ion exchange in order to avoid hydrolysis and crystal damage. Some practical points concerning ion exchange are therefore considered, and in addition two aspects of the theory of ion exchange are reviewed. Firstly, some recent discussions regarding the propriety of using the Gaines and Thomas thermodynamic formulation to evaluate activity coefficients within the exchanger phase are considered. Secondly, recent progress in the prediction of multicomponent exchange equilibria is discussed. Finally, some suggestions are made regarding possible fruitful future areas of research.
Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum in the Treatment of Peyronie's Disease: Review of a Minimally Invasive Treatment Option

Peyronie's disease (PD) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by an abnormal collagen deposition in the tunica albuginea of the penis, leading to fibrous and non-compliant plaques that can impede normal erection. Although pharmacological treatments are available, only intralesional injection therapy and surgical reconstruction have demonstrated tangible clinical efficacy in the management of this condition. Intralesional injection of collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) has come to the forefront of minimally invasive treatment of PD. In this review, the authors provide an update on the safety, efficacy, and indications for CCH. The efficacy of CCH will be assessed on the basis of improvement in the severity of penile fibrosis, curvature, and pain. Numerous well-designed clinical trials and post-approval studies involving more than 1,500 patients have consistently demonstrated the efficacy and tolerability of CCH in the treatment of PD. CCH significantly decreases penile curvature and plaque consistency, as well as improves quality of life. Post-approval studies continue to demonstrate the efficacy of CCH despite broader inclusion criteria for treatment, such as the case with acute phase disease and atypical plaque deformities (i.e., ventral plaques, hourglass narrowing). CCH continues to be the gold standard for non-surgical management of stable phase PD, in the absence of strong evidence supporting oral therapy agents and ongoing evaluation of extracorporeal shockwave therapy. However, recent studies are beginning to provide precedent for the use of CCH in the management of acute phase and atypical PD.
Understanding ownership of patient care: A dual-site qualitative study of faculty and residents from medicine and psychiatry.

With changes in duty hours and supervision requirements, educators have raised concerns about erosion of patient care ownership by resident physicians. However, the definition of ownership is unclear. This qualitative study investigated definitions of ownership in medicine and psychiatry faculty and residents. The authors distributed an anonymous online survey regarding definitions of ownership to faculty and residents at the psychiatry and internal medicine residency programs at the University of Washington and the Harvard Longwood psychiatry residency and conducted a qualitative analysis of free-text responses to identify emergent themes. 225 faculty (48.6%) and 131 residents (43.8%) across the three programs responded. Responses yielded themes in five domains: Physician Actions, Physician Attitudes, Physician Identity, Physician Qualities, and Quality of Patient Care. All groups identified themes of advocacy, communication and care coordination, decision-making, follow through, knowledge, leadership, attitudes of going ‘above and beyond’ and ‘the buck stops here’, responsibility, serving as primary provider, demonstrating initiative, and providing the best care as central to ownership. Residents and faculty had differing perspectives on ‘shift work’ and transitions of care and on resident decision-making as elements of ownership. This study expanded and enriched the definition of patient care ownership. There were more similarities than differences across groups, a reassuring finding for those concerned about a decreasing understanding of ownership in trainees. Findings regarding shared values, shift work, and the decision-making role can inform educators in setting clear expectations and fostering ownership despite changing educational and care models.
A review of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae and associated vertebral numeration

To review the current literature on methods of accurate numeration of vertebral segments in patients with Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTVs). LSTVs are a common congenital anomaly of the L5–S1 junction. While their clinical significance has been debated, unquestionable is the need for their identification prior to spinal surgery. We hypothesize that there are no reliable landmarks by which we can accurately number transitional vertebrae, and thus a full spinal radiograph is required. A Pubmed and EMBASE search using various combinations of specific key words including “LSTV”, “lumbosacral transitional vertebrae”, “count”, “vertebral numbering”, and “number” was performed. The gold standard for spinal segment numeration in patients with LSTV remains whole spine imaging and counting caudally, starting from C2. If whole spine imaging is not available, the use of the iliac crest tangent sign on coronal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has fairly reliable sensitivity and specificity (81 and 64–88%, respectively) for accurate numeration of LSTV. The role of paraspinal anatomic markers such as the right renal artery, superior mesenteric artery, aortic bifurcation, and conus medullaris, for identification of vertebral levels is unreliable and should not be used. A sagittal whole spine view should be added as a scout view when patients obtain lumbar MRI to standardize the vertebral numbering technique. To date, there has been no other method for accurate numeration of a transitional vertebral segment, other than counting caudally from C2. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
Becoming Italian, becoming American: ethnic affinity as a strategy of boundary making

Based on the case study of Albanian immigrant incorporation in a Little Italy in the Bronx, this paper develops the concept of ethnic affinity. It argues that boundary-work between ethnic Italians ...
Ethnic Segregation: Measurement, Causes, and Consequences

The tendency of people to separate themselves into groups is well known and well studied. Social scientists of all persuasions analyze the manner by which groups are formed and the ramifications of these formations. Geographers examine these groups over the landscape, attempting to understand the spatial distribution of groups, the processes by which distributions occur, and why such group formation is significant.
Illicit Markets and the Internet Age

Communication has facilitated trade and transactions across states, helping to improve economic growth, development, and quality of life. The Internet, however, has taken this to a new level. While much is celebrated for this new era of information and learning, there is a dark side of the Internet that exists. This chapter will provide an overview of the Dark Web’s inner working as well as suggest prescriptions to neutralize, or at least clamp down, on these websites and practices.
Manufacturing of Wafer-Si Solar Cells and Modules

In this chapter the current manufacturing processes for wafer-Si solar cells and modules are explained including monocrystalline Si and multicrystalline Si, as they are the most popular cell technologies on the market with a 90 % combined market share. The discussion will start from quartz reduction through module fabrication.
Behavioral Processes of Infants and Young Children

When behavior analysts began to study children intensively in the mid-1950s, they drew their experimental problems and paradigms from studies of animals. The variables manipulated were those that were influential in the existing models of Skinner and Hull—magnitude of reinforcement, delay of reinforcement, deprivation, and so forth. Not surprisingly, children yielded data resembling those of animals. For ethical and other reasons, however, it was not possible to merely manipulate those conditions and variables successfully used with animals and apply them directly to children. Instead, similar operations were employed so that deprivation was instituted in terms of social deprivation, magnitude of reinforcement was studied in terms of the number of tokens, and punishment was enacted by withdrawing visual access to cartoons.
Construction of a recombinant rhinovirus accommodating fluorescent marker expression

Background Rhinovirus (RV) causes the common cold and asthma exacerbations. The RV genome is a 7.3 kb single-strand positive-sense RNA. Objective Using minor group RV1A as a backbone, we sought to design and generate a recombinant RV1A accommodating fluorescent marker expression, thereby allowing tracking of viral infection. Method Recombinant RV1A infectious cDNA clones harboring the coding sequence of green fluorescent protein (GFP), Renilla luciferase, or iLOV (for light, oxygen, or voltage sensing) were engineered and constructed. RV-infected cells were determined by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence microscopy. Results RV1A-GFP showed a cytopathic effect in HeLa cells but failed to express GFP or Renilla luciferase due to deletion. The smaller fluorescent protein construct, RV1A-iLOV, was stably expressed in infected cells. RV1A-iLOV expression was used to examine the antiviral effect of bafilomycin in HeLa cells. Compared to parental virus, RV1A-iLOV infection of BALB/c mice yielded a similar viral load and level of cytokine mRNA expression. However, imaging of fixed lung tissue failed to reveal a fluorescent signal, likely due to the oxidation and bleaching of iLOV-bound flavin mononucleotide. We therefore employed an anti-iLOV antibody for immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence imaging. The iLOV signal was identified in airway epithelial cells and CD45+ CD11b+ lung macrophages. Conclusions These results suggest that RV1A-iLOV is a useful molecular tool for studying RV pathogenesis. The construction strategy for RV1A-iLOV could be applied to other RV serotypes. However, the detection of iLOV-expressing RV in fixed tissue required the use of an anti-iLOV antibody, limiting the value of this construct.
Emergency Department Management of Out-of-Hospital Laryngeal Tubes.

Study objective Laryngeal tubes are commonly used by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel for out-of-hospital advanced airway management. The emergency department (ED) management of EMS-placed laryngeal tubes is unknown. We seek to describe ED airway management techniques, success, and complications of patients receiving EMS laryngeal tubes. Methods Using a keyword text search of ED notes, we identified patients who arrived at our ED with a laryngeal tube from 2010 through 2017. We performed structured chart and video reviews for all eligible patients. In our ED, emergency physicians perform all airway management, and there is no protocol dictating airway management for patients arriving with a laryngeal tube. Using descriptive methods, we report the techniques, success, and complications of ED airway management. Results We analyzed data on 647 patients receiving out-of-hospital laryngeal tubes, including 472 (73%) with cardiac arrest from medical causes, 75 (21%) with cardiac arrest from trauma, and 100 (15%) with other conditions. For 580 patients (89%), emergency physicians exchanged the laryngeal tube for a definitive airway in the ED. Of the 67 patients not intubated in the ED, 66 died in the ED without further airway management. Of the 580 patients intubated in the ED, orotracheal intubation was the first method attempted for 578 (>99%) and was successful on the first attempt for 515 of 578 (89%). Macintosh video laryngoscopy (88% of initial attempts) and a bougie (68% of initial attempts) were commonly used adjuncts. For 345 of 578 patients (60%), the laryngeal tube was removed before intubation attempts. For 112 of 578 patients (19%), the first intubation attempt occurred with the deflated laryngeal tube left in place. Three patients ( Conclusion In this cohort, emergency physicians successfully exchanged an out-of-hospital laryngeal tube for an endotracheal tube, using commonly available airway management techniques. ED clinicians should be familiar with techniques for exchanging out-of-hospital extraglottic airways for an endotracheal tube.
A conforming discontinuous Galerkin finite element method

A new finite element method with discontinuous approximation is introduced for solving second order elliptic problem. Since this method combines the features of both conforming finite element method and discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method, we call it conforming DG method. While using DG finite element space, this conforming DG method maintains the features of the conforming finite element method such as simple formulation and strong enforcement of boundary condition. Therefore, this finite element method has the flexibility of using discontinuous approximation and simplicity in formulation of the conforming finite element method. Error estimates of optimal order are established for the corresponding discontinuous finite element approximation in both a discrete $H^1$ norm and the $L^2$ norm. Numerical results are presented to confirm the theory.
“Avoiding” Judicial Activism: The Supreme Court’s Unconvincing Efforts to Restrict the Scope of the Avoidance Canon

The canon of constitutional avoidance is jurisprudentially important but poorly constructed. The Supreme Court frequently uses the canon in significant cases to justify second-best interpretations of statutes that avoid serious constitutional questions. Nevertheless, the trigger for the application of the avoidance canon, textual “ambiguity,” has not been coherently developed by the Court and differs in important ways from ambiguity as linguists typically view it. In addition, the Court, in focusing on “ambiguity” as a precondition for the application of the avoidance canon, fails to recognize the different ways in which a statute might be indeterminate. Recently, the Court reaffirmed its conception of the avoidance canon in a case, Jennings v. Rodriguez, involving prolonged immigration detention. In Rodriguez, the Court focused on ambiguity to the exclusion of other types of linguistic indeterminacy and continued to defend an unduly narrow conception of ambiguity that rejects implicit limitations on the scopes of statutes. This Article argues that the Rodriguez case highlights the need for the Court to reassess the avoidance canon. By doing so, the Court can give the avoidance canon a more defensible foundation that is consistent with the ways in which language operates.
Gastrointestinal dysfunction after spinal cord injury

Abstract The gastrointestinal tract of vertebrates is a heterogeneous organ system innervated to varying degrees by a local enteric neural network as well as extrinsic parasympathetic and sympathetic neural circuits located along the brainstem and spinal axis. This diverse organ system serves to regulate the secretory and propulsive reflexes integral to the digestion and absorption of nutrients. The quasi-segmental distribution of the neural circuits innervating the gastrointestinal (GI) tract produces varying degrees of dysfunction depending upon the level of spinal cord injury (SCI). At all levels of SCI, GI dysfunction frequently presents life-long challenges to individuals coping with injury. Growing attention to the profound changes that occur across the entire physiology of individuals with SCI reveals profound knowledge gaps in our understanding of the temporal dimensions and magnitude of organ-specific co-morbidities following SCI. It is essential to understand and identify these broad pathophysiological changes in order to develop appropriate evidence-based strategies for management by clinicians, caregivers and individuals living with SCI. This review summarizes the neurophysiology of the GI tract in the uninjured state and the pathophysiology associated with the systemic effects of SCI.
Limit-periodic Schrödinger operators in the regime of positive Lyapunov exponents☆

Abstract We investigate the spectral properties of discrete one-dimensional Schrodinger operators whose potentials are generated by continuous sampling along the orbits of a minimal translation of a Cantor group. We show that for given Cantor group and minimal translation, there is a dense set of continuous sampling functions such that the spectrum of the associated operators has zero Hausdorff dimension and all spectral measures are purely singular continuous. The associated Lyapunov exponent is a continuous strictly positive function of the energy. It is possible to include a coupling constant in the model and these results then hold for every non-zero value of the coupling constant.
The Corinthain Women Prophets. A Reconstruction through Paul's Rhetoric. / Antoinette Wire

Dr Antoinette Wire, Professor of the New Testament at San Francisco Theological Seminary and Graduate Theology Union, provides a unique exploration into the social setting and self-understanding of the Corinthian women prophets. In this important contribution to the reconstruction of the early Christian history and theology, Wire demonstrates the fresh, new insights which Perelman/ Olbrechts-Tyteca’s ‘New Rhetoric’ can bring to the growing field of rhetorical criticism.
Fungemia in COVID -19 ICU Patients, a Single Medical Center Experience.

A known proportion of patients who are admitted for the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requires Intensive Care Unit (ICU) level of care. Prolonged ICU stay is a risk factor for the development of nosocomial candidemia. The current study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with the development of nosocomial candidemia among patients admitted to the ICU for COVID-19. Patients who developed nosocomial candidemia were identified, and their clinical course was reported. A 1:3 case control matching was used to identify non-candidemia patients who served as controls. 89 patients were admitted to the ICU for COVID-19 during the study period. The incidence of nosocomial candidemia was 8.9% (n=8). Case-control matching identified 24 patients with similar disease severity at the time of ICU admission. Median time to first isolation of yeast was 26 days. Candidemia patients reported longer median ICU stay than controls. (40 vs. 10 days, p=0.004). In hospital death rates were comparable in both groups (38% vs. 54%, p=0.548). Prolonged mechanical ventilation support was associated with the development of nosocomial candidemia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
#warriors: sick children, social media and the right to an open future

The phenomenon of 'sharenting', whereby a parent shares news and images of their child on social media, is of growing popularity in contemporary society. There is emerging research into children's attitudes regarding sharenting and their associated concerns regarding privacy; however, this research most often involves young people who are approaching adulthood and are competent to participate. As a result, children who experience illness or disability are largely absent from current research, and as such, the moral permissibility of a parent sharing their child's illness journey on a public social media platform is largely unexplored. In this essay, I explore this issue by using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Joel Feinberg's principle of the child's right to an open future as the basis of my argument: that children with illness and disability have the same rights as healthy children to privacy, identity and an open future and that publication of their illness on a social media platform violates these rights. I conclude that parents, as surrogate decision makers for their children, have the same responsibilities in protecting their child's privacy as they do in making medical decisions on behalf of their children. As children of the social media generation approach adulthood, it is important to consider the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves and the ethical consequences of sharenting for children with illness and disability.
Age and Sex Effects on Advanced White Matter Microstructure Measures in 15,628 UK Biobank Participants

A comprehensive characterization of the brain9s white matter is critical for improving our understanding of healthy and diseased aging. Here we used diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) to estimate age and sex effects on white matter microstructure in a cross-sectional sample of 15,628 adults aged 45-80 years old (47.6% male, 52.4% female). Microstructure was assessed using the following four models: a conventional single-shell model, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); a more advanced single-shell model, the tensor distribution function (TDF); an advanced multi-shell model, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI); and another advanced multi-shell model, mean apparent propagator MRI (MAPMRI). Age was modeled using a data-driven statistical approach, and normative centile curves were created to provide sex-stratified white matter reference charts. Participant age and sex substantially impacted many aspects of white matter microstructure across the brain, with the advanced dMRI models TDF and NODDI detecting such effects the most sensitively. These findings and the normative reference curves provide an important foundation for the study of healthy and diseased brain aging.
Common Applications, Uncommon Messaging: How Branch and Flagship Institutions Communicate Admissions and Financial Aid Application Processes

In-state students often apply to multiple branch campuses within the same state system, evidenced by the rise of state-level post-secondary application systems (e.g., UC Application). However, no research has investigated whether prospective students can read and comprehend admissions and financial aid application instructions published on institutional websites. Moreover, no research has performed cross-system system analyses to explore whether branch campuses align their admissions and financial aid language to streamline and clarify the college exploration process for students considering multiple branch campuses within the same state system (e.g., UC-Davis and UC-Merced). This study analyzes admissions and financial aid application instructions across three of the largest state systems in the United States. Findings reveal branch campuses within the same system often vary their admissions and financial aid application instructions by thousands of words and between two and four grade-levels of readability, possibly rendering it difficult and/or confusing for prospective students to receive consistent messaging across multiple branch campuses within the same system. Implications for research and practice are addressed.
Navigation system for a semi-autonomous shuttle car in room and pillar coal mines based on 2D LiDAR scanners

Abstract Autonomous navigation in underground environments remains a hot topic for the autonomous vehicle engineering community. There is a wealth of information available in the literature for implementing hardware and software solutions for robust navigation in an underground environment. Well-established algorithms are widely used for real-time data processing for self-awareness, situational awareness, and autonomous navigation. However, the geometry of the underground environment is rarely considered for the development of these approaches, in favor of more generalized approaches. In the mining sector, where production vehicles are utilized inside highly structured underground environments, the integration of underground geometry into the development of the navigation system could be beneficial. The inherent simplicity of such environments can significantly mitigate the complexity of the navigation system, as well as the composition and number of the multisensory modalities required for automating mining equipment. This paper presents a GPS-denied navigation system developed for underground coal mines that use the room and pillar mining method. Leveraging this simple and repetitive pattern, the navigation system uses only a few 2D LiDAR scanners that provide the information needed for autonomous navigation in underground room and pillar systems. Under the proposed approach, the calculation of an absolute global position is unnecessary, and navigation can be performed using only the relative position of the vehicle with respect to the immediate environment. The performance of this system is evaluated based on a lab-scale shuttle car prototype that is set to navigate a mock mine setup for a number of different scenarios simulating common missions that a shuttle car may undertake in a typical room and pillar section. The results show a minimum success ratio of 84%.
Public attitudes in the United States toward insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization and the provision of infertility services to lower income patients

ABSTRACT: Objective To assess attitudes and factors that influence public opinion in the general U.S. population toward insurance coverage and provision of infertility care to lower income patients. Design Cross-sectional survey Setting Online Patient(s) A nationally representative sample of U.S. residents. Intervention(s) Questionnaire with multiple choice and open-response questions. Main outcome measure(s) Public attitudes towards IVF and infertility care coverage in lower income patients. Results A total of 1,027 (90.2%) participants completed the survey. 620 (60.4%) had private insurance, 275 (26.8%) had Medicare/Medicaid, and 56 (5.5%) were uninsured. The majority (916, 89.2%) did not consider infertility to be a disease. Over half (568, 55.3%) supported private insurance coverage of infertility services including IVF. 189 (18.4%) did not think it should be covered. 735 (71.6%) people thought the prevalence and psychosocial impact of infertility were equal among lower and higher income people. The majority of respondents with an opinion (512, 67.6%) believed that doctors should provide infertility treatments regardless of income level of patients. Of supporters, 40.1% believed in the right to have a family regardless of income, and 38.2% believed doctors had a social responsibility to provide infertility services. After adjusting for covariates, age Conclusions Public perception of infertility as a disease is one of the strongest predictors of support for insurance coverage for infertility services, underscoring the need for enhanced advocacy and education in the general public.
Management of organizational changes in the joint stock company

The aim of the article is analysis of effects of organizational changes of Jihoceska energetika, joint stock company. This company accomplished the necessary steps to transform into new organization - the E.ON Group in Czech Republic. Liberalization of electricity market in Czech Republic saw the possibility for end - customers. The large boom in the development of organization came with the change of the of the owners. This company uses traditional line and staff organization chart, direct, but also undirect and methodic management, the elements of flexible organizational structures, process and project management, matrix organizational chart. The team works is very important, it is not bureaucratic organization. The result of SPACE analysis shows – this company has strong competitive position in the electricity market in Czech Republic.
Energy policy and electricity market shares: The case of geothermal energy in the continental united states☆

Abstract This research examines the electricity market potential of high temperature hydrothermal geothermal energy in the Western United States. An engineering economic simulation model is presented which evaluates the commercial feasibility of electricity generation. This model is then applied to the entire endowment of electric grade resources, and supply forecasts are compiled for the western U.S. Regional electricity demand projections are thus prepared, and geothermal electricity market shares are calculated. Market shares of 6 percent are forecasted, and these are found to be sensitive to several public policy strategies.
Cavity backed four-arm slot like spiral antenna for dual mode operation

Two different types of cavity backed four-arm slot like spiral antennas, fed through a metal backed coplanar waveguide (CPW), are presented in this paper. The spiral antennas are designed to operate between 1 and 3 GHz for normal (broadside) beam and split mode operation. A finite element - boundary integral (FE-BI) code is used to numerically analyze various antenna parameters. The antennas are built on a dielectric substrate with permittivity 2.2 and thickness of 0.0787 cm to fit in an 8.16/spl times/8.16/spl times/1.5 cm/sup 3/ cavity. Measured and computed data are presented and generally good agreement was obtained.
Oncogenes and Cancer

Early studies designed to investigate the molecular basis of oncogenesis indicated the existence of discrete genes which could cause neoplastic transformation of normal cells in vitro. These genes (which became known as oncogenes) were originally thought to be derived from oncogenic retroviruses and neoplastic transformation was believed to be the result of infection of normal cells by an oncogenic retrovirus. However, recent studies have demonstrated that normal eukaryotic cells contain gene sequences which are highly homologous to oncogenes but which do not cause neoplastic transformation. These genes (termed proto-oncogenes) have been found to code for proteins which are intimately involved in the regulation of mitosis. These include growth factors, receptors for growth factors, proteins (such as protein kineses and GTP binding proteins) which transduce exogenous signals through the plasma membrane, and nuclear binding proteins. Thus, if the function or control of a proto-oncogene (or its product) is altered by mutation, gene rearrangement, or translocation, its effects on the cell will also change. This, in turn, can lead to the loss of normal mitotic control. The tumorigenic process is, of course, much more complicated that just unchecked cell growth. However, the insights into the molecular basis of cellular regulation have suggested new approaches to the early diagnosis of cancer and may ultimately lead to the development of more effective treatment protocols.
Opioids inhibit neuromuscular transmission in circular muscle of human and baboon jejunum

Intracellular recording techniques were used to study the effects of methionine enkephalin and dynorphin(1-13) on normal circular smooth muscle of human and baboon jejunum. Tetrodotoxin-sensitive inhibitory junction potentials had a mean (+/- SEM) amplitude of 21 +/- 3.3 mV in human jejunum and 24.1 +/- 1.3 mV in baboon jejunum. In both species, exogenously added methionine enkephalin and dynorphin (1-13) decreased inhibitory junction potentials amplitude in a dose-dependent manner with methionine enkephalin being more potent. Both opioid peptides acted on receptors located on axons of intrinsic inhibitory nerves. The effects of both methionine enkephalin and dynorphin(1-13) were blocked by ICI-174,864, a selective delta-receptor antagonist. The selective delta agonist, cyclic [D-penicillamine2, D-penicillamine5]enkephalin, and the selective mu agonist, Try-Pro-NMePhe-D-Pro-NH2, (each 10 mumol/L) decreased inhibitory junction potential amplitude by 79% +/- 6.9% and 61% +/- 4.8%, respectively. The selective kappa agonist, [trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-91-pyrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl]- benzeneacetamide methanesulfonate, (10 mumol/L) had no effect. Although direct postsynaptic opioid receptor blockade of the inhibitory neurotransmitter on the smooth muscle cell has not been ruled out, the authors believe these data suggest that delta and mu receptors were present on inhibitory motor nerves innervating the circular muscle and that methionine enkephalin and dynorphin(1-13) decreased release of inhibitory neurotransmitter(s) by acting on delta receptors.
Pseudomolecular Electrostatic Potentials From X-Ray Diffraction Data

In the past decade experimental determination of the electron distribution in crystals has become increasingly accepted as a technique which provides detailed information against which theoretical results may be calibrated. For small molecules such as oxalic acid and formamide almost quantitative agreement with extended basis set SCF calculations has been obtained, with small remaining discrepancies being attributed to intermolecular interaction effects on the electron density and also to the neglect of correlation in the calculation.1,3
Group I Ribozymes: Substrate Recognition, Catalytic Strategies, and Comparative Mechanistic Analysis

This 10th Anniversary Issue of Nucleic Acids & Molecular Biology provides an occasion to look back on progress in understanding group I intron splicing and catalysis over the past 10 years. By 1985 the sequential steps in RNA self-splicing had been described (Zaug and Cech 1982) and the secondary structure common to group I introns had been determined (Davies et al. 1982; Michel et al. 1982; Waring and Davies 1984). Furthermore, several fungal mitochondrial introns and one from bacteriophage T4 had joined the Tetrahymena rRNA intron on the list of self-splicers (Garriga and Lambowitz 1984; Chu et al. 1985; van der Horst and Tabak 1985). In 1985, two related questions provided major goals for the next decade: (1) What is the three-dimensional structure of the catalytic core of the group I intron? (2) How is transition state stabilization achieved? While these questions had been articulated (e.g., Cech and Bass 1986), it was not at all clear how they could be productively approached, let alone answered.
Analysis of the Cholesky Decomposition of a Semi-definite Matrix

Perturbation theory is developed for the Cholesky decomposition of an $n \times n$ symmetric positive semidefinite matrix $A$ of rank~$r$. The matrix $W=\All^{-1}\A{12}$ is found to play a key role in the perturbation bounds, where $\All$ and $\A{12}$ are $r \times r$ and $r \times (n-r)$ submatrices of $A$ respectively. A backward error analysis is given; it shows that the computed Cholesky factors are the exact ones of a matrix whose distance from $A$ is bounded by $4r(r+1)\bigl(\norm{W}+1\bigr)^2u\norm{A}+O(u^2)$, where $u$ is the unit roundoff. For the complete pivoting strategy it is shown that $\norm{W}^2 \le {1 \over 3}(n-r)(4^r- 1)$, and empirical evidence that $\norm{W}$ is usually small is presented. The overall conclusion is that the Cholesky algorithm with complete pivoting is stable for semi-definite matrices. Similar perturbation results are derived for the QR decomposition with column pivoting and for the LU decomposition with complete pivoting. The results give new insight into the reliability of these decompositions in rank estimation.
Undertreatment of Erectile Dysfunction: Claims Analysis of 6.2 Million Patients

Abstract Introduction Prior research conducted on treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) has been derived from surveys involving relatively small populations of men. There are needs for large population‐based studies in this area. Our study addresses that need. Aim The aim of this study was to characterize ED treatment among a large population of men. Methods Patients ≥30 years in commercial insurance dataset with diagnosis code for ED during 12‐month period ending June 2011 were identified. Men were considered “treated” if prescription was filled for phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i), injection or urethral prostaglandins, or androgen replacement (ART) during study period. “Untreated” patients received the diagnosis but did not fill prescription. Statistical analyses were used to compare prescription frequency with clinical characteristics, including age and comorbidities. Main Outcome Measures ED treatment rates among large population of insured men, treatment types employed, patient demographics, associated medical comorbidities of this population, and prescriber details were the main outcome measures. Results Only 25.4% of 6,228,509 men with ED were treated during study period. While PDE5is were the most commonly prescribed medical therapy (75.2%), ART was utilized as monotherapy or in combination therapy in 30.6% of men. ART was significantly ( P 65 years. Although ED frequency was associated with increased age and number of comorbidities, men >60 years were significantly ( P P Conclusions Despite high prevalence of ED with age and comorbidities, most men continue receiving no treatment. Although benefits of medical intervention for ED are well‐recognized, many barriers to treatment continually exist including physician, patient and partner preference and knowledge. Frederick LR, Cakir OO, Arora H, Helfand BT, and McVary KT. Undertreatment of erectile dysfunction: Claims analysis of 6.2 million patients. J Sex Med 2014;11:2546–2553.