cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Educating Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Is Teacher Certification Area Associated with Academic Outcomes?.

Although typically taught by special educators, few studies have examined if certification area is associated with academic outcomes for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The purpose of this study was to determine whether students with ASD scored better on language arts and mathematics state assessments depending on teacher certification, and whether these associations varied by assessment type. We analyzed 3 years of state administrative data from students with ASD in grades 4–8 receiving special education services. Results showed students taking the regular or alternate assessment had similar academic outcomes regardless of teacher certification. Students who were taught by special education certified teachers and took the modified assessment had lower academic outcomes. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.
1. PROMOTING RESIDENT WELLNESS: A NOVEL CLINIC SCHEDULING MODEL DURING PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ROTATIONS

Background Pediatric residents at our program self-reported feeling “moral distress” when leaving the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for multiple half-day continuity clinics. Few studies have outlined alternative clinic scheduling during PICU months beyond X+Y scheduling or clinic cancellation. Objective To implement and evaluate a novel continuity clinic schedule and measure changes in moral distress and continuity of care. Methods Each pediatric resident was scheduled for one half-day continuity clinic session and one full-day continuity clinic session during their PICU rotation. Residents were not scheduled for clinic on a call day. Residents who had completed at least one PICU rotation were invited to fill out a baseline survey on their perceptions of continuity clinic attendance during the PICU rotation. Following implementation of the new schedule, a post-intervention survey was distributed. Survey questions used Likert scales (range 1-5; 1=never, 5=almost always). Baseline and post-intervention survey data was analyzed using a two-sided Wilcoxon two-sample rank-sum test. Results The pre-intervention survey found over 50% of residents felt moral distress and perceived PICU care was compromised when leaving for clinic. Post-intervention surveys showed a decrease in residents reporting moral distress and compromised PICU care (p Conclusions This novel continuity clinic scheduling model is associated with a decrease in moral distress and improvement in perceived continuity clinic value. Additionally, this model decreased the number of PICU handoffs, which potentially decreased opportunities for medical errors.
Abstract IA-20: Team science: Lessons from a few decades on the pancreatic cancer research team

With the exception of a few examples of solitary genius embodied by Alfred Russell Wallace and Gregor Mendel, biomedical research has arguably always been a team sport. However, the genomic era has been associated with the increasing realization that large, multi-disciplinary scientific teams are required to push forward ambitious research programs combining computational and experimental work. At the same time, institutional promotions and tenure committees are increasingly recognizing participation and success in “team science” as worthy criteria for academic advancement. Opportunities for multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary collaboration are especially abundant in pancreatic cancer research, as our field is known for its particularly strong sense of community and for its collegial and collaborative spirit. Motivations for pursuing collaborative team science vary widely, and include the need to assemble the necessary workforce required to complete an ambitious body of work, transcend individual research disciplines, provide optimal educational opportunities for trainees, defuse unproductive competition, avoid being “scooped”, and simply to build fulfilling lifelong relationships with scientific colleagues. There are also many strategies by which investigators can effectively pursue team science, not all of which involve multiple authorship. In this short talk, I will review these motivations and strategies, drawing on lessons learned during several decades on the pancreatic cancer research team. Citation Format: Steven D. Leach. Team science: Lessons from a few decades on the pancreatic cancer research team [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer; 2020 Sep 29-30. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(22 Suppl):Abstract nr IA-20.
What’s New in Drugs That Affect the Gastrointestinal Tract?

Summary Administration of both soluble antacids and H2 histamine receptor antagonists effectively increases gastric fluid pH in the perioperative period. In the emergent situation, soluble antacids effectively buffer gastric acid more rapidly than do H2 histamine receptor antagonists. Metoclopramide and newer gastrokinetic drugs decrease gastric volume if given pre induction in adequate doses. Such drugs may be particularly useful in emergent situations. These drugs are, however, no substitute for good judgment and proper anesthetic technique.
Alternative Media on the Front Lines: Unicorn Riot and Activist Journalism’s New Urgency

Alternative media has typically defied the status quo both in journalistic practice and in ways that challenge commonly held tenets of press ethics. Unicorn Riot’s alternative coverage of the 2020 ...
Segank: A Distributed Mobile Storage System

This paper presents a distributed mobile storage system designed for storage elements connected by a network of non-uniform quality. Flexible data placement is crucial, and it leads to challenges for locating data and keeping it consistent. Our system employs a location- and topology-sensitive multicast-like solution for locating data, lazy peer-to-peer propagation of invalidation information for ensuring consistency, and a distributed snapshot mechanism for supporting sharing. The combination of these mechanisms allows a user to make the most of what a non-uniform network has to offer in terms of gaining fast access to fresh data, without incurring the foreground penalty of keeping distributed elements on a weak network consistent.
On the regulation of cyclic 3′,5′ adenosine monophosphate levels in bacteria. Stimulation of adenyl cyclase activity invitro by glucose in a mutant of E.coliBr

Abstract A mutant of E. coli B r insensitive to glucose catabolite repression was found to be stimulated by glucose in its synthesis of inducible β-galactosidase and tryptophanase and also in its ability to synthesize cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) (1). Determination of the effect of glucose on the activity of the adenyl cyclase enzyme in the membrane fractions of the mutant (ABDR01), showed a 2.4 fold stimulation of the adenyl cyclase activity. Solubilization of the adenyl cyclase by ammonium sulfate precipitation resulted in a preparation insensitive to glucose stimulation. It is proposed that glucose may interact directly or indirectly with a membrane-bound adenyl cyclase system thereby regulating the level of cAMP in bacteria, in a manner analogous to hormonal activation of adenyl cyclase in mammalian systems.
RahasNym: Protecting against Linkability in the Digital Identity Ecosystem

Unlink ability and accountability are conflicting yet critical requirements for on-line transactions that need to be addressed in order to preserve users' privacy as well as to protect service providers in today identity ecosystems. In this poster paper we introduce a pseudonymous identity management system in which users can carry out unlink able on-line transactions without having to disclose their actual identity to the service providers. At the same time, the service providers have strong assurance about the authenticity of the identity and credentials. In our approach, users' identity is cryptographically encoded in pseudonymous identity tokens issued by trusted identity providers. Our system includes a lightweight policy language which enables users and service providers to express their requirements pertaining to pseudonymous identity verification and a suite of protocols based on zero-knowledge-proofs which enables the fulfillment of these requirements.
Comparison of Automatic Clustering and Manual Categorization of Documents

The fundamental goal of this research is to learn whether unsupervised learning can be used to cluster documents in the collection in a similar way that manual categories are. We report on our experiments with K-mean clustering algorithm to provide a partial answer to the above mentioned goal.
Review: Pathogen-induced inflammation at sites distant from oral infection: bacterial persistence and induction of cell-specific innate immune inflammatory pathways.

A hallmark of infection with the gram-negative pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis is the induction of a chronic inflammatory response. P. gingivalis induces a local chronic inflammatory response that results in oral inflammatory bone destruction, which manifests as periodontal disease. In addition to chronic inflammation at the initial site of infection, mounting evidence has accumulated supporting a role for P. gingivalis-mediated periodontal disease as a risk factor for several systemic diseases including, diabetes, preterm birth, stroke, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. A growing number of in vitro studies have demonstrated that P. gingivalis infection stimulates cell activation commensurate with expected responses paralleling inflammatory atherosclerotic-type responses. Furthermore, various mouse models have been used to examine the ability of P. gingivalis to stimulate chronic inflammatory plaque accumulation and recent studies have pointed to a pivotal role for innate immune signaling via the Toll-like receptors in the chronic inflammation associated with P. gingivalis infection. In this review we discuss the pathogen and host cell specificity of these responses and discuss possible mechanisms by which this oral pathogen can induce and maintain a chronic state of inflammation at sites distant from oral infection.
From Stakeholders to Stockholders: A View from Organizational Theory

The public lands exhibit many of the characteristics of a commons--overuse and charges set well below market rates. This mismanagement has been noted and criticized within government for many years, without significant actions to cure the problem. This failure is attributed to both interest group pressures and agency costs, with government officials not accountable to any owner. Privatization through disposition of these lands to stock corporations created for the purpose is explored. Corporations solve interest group problems by holding managers accountable to a single group of owners, shareholders, while dealing with other constituencies through markets and contracting at prices calculated to maximize profits. Similarly, corporations deal with agency costs through a variety of incentives and the market for corporate control. It is shown how privatizing ownership of public lands in this manner serves conservation and recreation goals by providing incentives to unbundle claims on the public lands to allow bidding by all user groups (including conservationists) who value particular aspects of these resources.
Privacy By Design

New technologies are being developed to protect the privacy of individuals in today's information society.
The Urinary Tract: Renal Collecting Systems, Ureters, and Urinary Bladder

Various pathologies can involve the urinary tract. In this chapter, we start by illustrating the gross anatomy of the urinary tract. Then, through practical algorithmic approach, we will discuss various patterns that can help in the differential diagnosis and guide radiologists to make a practical differential diagnosis and often reach a specific diagnosis.
A comparison of 3-D model predictions of Mars' oxygen corona with early MAVEN IUVS observations

We have compared our 3-D hot O corona model predictions with the OI 130.4 nm emission detected by Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph/Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (IUVS/MAVEN) based completely on our best pre-MAVEN understanding of the 3-D structure of the thermosphere and ionosphere. The model was simulated appropriately for the observational conditions. In addition to dissociative recombination (DR) of O2+, DR of CO2+ is also considered as an important hot O source. The model predictions showed excellent agreement with the transition altitude, the observed altitude variation of density, and the spatial variation of the corona with respect to the Mars-Sun geometry. While previous models predicted escape rates covering a range of nearly 100, the brightness of the modeled hot O densities is a factor of ~1.5 lower than the observations. We discuss possible changes to the model that could come from further analysis of MAVEN measurements and that might close the gap between the modeled and observed brightness.
Topographic maps and molecular gradients

Topographically organized patterns of connectivity occur throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. It is commonly supposed that gradients of recognition molecules underlie this form of synaptic specificity. Recent studies have led to new ideas about how such gradients might arise in the retinotectal system, and initiated molecular analyses of position-dependent gene expression in the peripheral motor system.
Tree Ring, Varve and Carbon-14 Chronologies

CARBON-14 dating has become of great importance and it is therefore necessary to determine the possible deviations between radiocarbon and actual ages. A radiocarbon age, given in radiocarbon years elapsed since the origin of the sample, is based on 14C decay and is calculated from the ratio of the present 14C activity of the sample to the 14C activity of the standard (95 per cent of the 14C activity of NBS oxalic acid). The standard 14C activity is assumed to be identical to the atmospheric 14C activity over the whole time interval over which 14C dating is used. Thus the conventional radiocarbon age does not allow for deviations in atmospheric 14C content during the past. As a result, radiocarbon years need not always be equal to solar years.
TMB-8 prevents the hydroosmotic response to ADH in rabbit cortical collecting tubules.

TMB-8 prevents the hydroosmotic response to ADH in rabbit cortical collecting tubules. Both AVP and dDAVP effect a transient increase in cytosolic free calcium (iCa 2+ ) in cortical collecting tubule (CCT) cells. To investigate the physiological role of this increase in iCa 2+ , we examined the effect of TMB-8, a putative inhibitor of iCa 2+ release, on the initial and sustained phase of AVP- and dDAVP-stimulated water permeability (Pf) in isolated, perfused CCTs. Pretreatment of tubules with TMB-8, 50 µM, suppressed the increase in osmotic water permeability (Pf) induced by 10 µU/ml AVP and dDAVP, but had no effect on the sustained phase of the response. When increased to 100 µM, TMB-8 inhibited the sustained phase of AVP action. A similar pattern was observed on AVP-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in rabbit renal membranes. Pretreatment of tubules with 50 µM; TMB-8 attenuated the initial increase in Pf in response to cholera toxin but not to 8-Br-cAMP or forskolin. There was no effect of this concentration of TMB-8 on the sustained phase of these agonists. These studies suggest that, in lower concentrations, TMB-8 inhibits the mobilization of iCa 2+ , which is important for the interaction of Gs with the catalytic unit of adenylyl cyclase and the initial increase in AVP-stimulated Pf. In higher concentrations, TMB-8 inhibits adenylyl cyclase activity directly.
Doing the best I can: Fatherhood in the inner city

Since the 1960s, many politicians, scholars, and other prominent figures – aided by the media – have expressed deep concern regarding the ‘decline’ of the two-parent black family and the supposedly...
Uranium diagenesis in sediments underlying bottom waters with high oxygen content

We measured U in sediments (both pore waters and solid phase) from three locations on the middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) from the eastern margin of the United States: a northern location on the continental shelf off Massachusetts (OC426, 75 m water depth), and two southern locations off North Carolina (EN433-1, 647 m water depth and EN433-2, 2648 m water depth). These sediments underlie high oxygen bottom waters (250–270 μM), but become reducing below the sediment–water interface due to the relatively high organic carbon oxidation rates in sediments (EN433-1: 212 μmol C/cm2/y; OC426: 120 ± 10 μmol C/cm2/y; EN433-2: 33 μmol C/cm2/y). Pore water oxygen goes to zero by 1.4–1.5 cm at EN433-1 and OC426 and slightly deeper oxygen penetration depths were measured at EN433-2 (∼4 cm). All of the pore water profiles show removal of U from pore waters. Calculated pore water fluxes are greatest at EN433-1 (0.66 ± 0.08 nmol/cm2/y) and less at EN433-2 and OC426 (0.24 ± 0.05 and 0.13 ± 0.05 nmol/cm2/y, respectively). Solid phase profiles show authigenic U enrichment in sediments from all three locations. The average authigenic U concentrations are greater at EN433-1 and OC426 (5.8 ± 0.7 nmol/g and 5.4 ± 0.2 nmol/g, respectively) relative to EN433-2 (4.1 ± 0.8 nmol/g). This progression is consistent with their relative ordering of ‘reduction intensity’, with greatest reducing conditions in sediments from EN433-1, less at OC426 and least at EN433-2. The authigenic U accumulation rate is largest at EN433-1 (0.47 ± 0.05 nmol/cm2/y), but the average among the three sites on the MAB is ∼0.2 nmol/cm2/y. Pore water profiles suggest diffusive fluxes across the sediment–water interface that are 1.4–1.7 times greater than authigenic accumulation rates at EN433-1 and EN433-2. These differences are consistent with oxidation and loss of U from the solid phase via irrigation and/or bioturbation, which may compromise the sequestration of U in continental margin sediments that underlie bottom waters with high oxygen concentrations. Previous literature compilations that include data exclusively from locations where [O2]bw < 150 μM suggest compelling correlations between authigenic U accumulation and organic carbon flux to sediments or organic carbon burial rate. Sediments that underlie waters with high [O2]bw have lower authigenic U accumulation rates than would be predicted from relationships developed from results that include locations where [O2]bw < 150 μM.
Gendered Practices and Landscapes in the Andes: The Shape of Asymmetrical Exchanges

this article describes practices and relations of farming, herding, and cooking that produce and reproduce people and places in culture-specific ways in one region of the central Andes. It also explores how these practices have been changing in relation to regional and global processes surrounding agricultural modernization. the study begins with a look at the degradation of steep slopes and the reduced productivity and social value of women who manage these slopes for small livestock grazing and fuel wood collection. Starting with an ethnographic exploration of local practices and relations of difference, the scope widens to encompass asymmetrical relations of exchange at play in markets, migrations, and development projects, and to consider political decisions and policies that contribute to the uneven terrain on which these exchanges take place. implications for environmental management and conservation include methodological options for approaching environmental problems as integrally social and ecolo...
The maternal-age-associated risk of congenital heart disease is modifiable

Maternal age is a risk factor for congenital heart disease even in the absence of any chromosomal abnormality in the newborn. Whether the basis of this risk resides with the mother or oocyte is unknown. The impact of maternal age on congenital heart disease can be modelled in mouse pups that harbour a mutation of the cardiac transcription factor gene Nkx2-5 (ref. 8). Here, reciprocal ovarian transplants between young and old mothers establish a maternal basis for the age-associated risk in mice. A high-fat diet does not accelerate the effect of maternal ageing, so hyperglycaemia and obesity do not simply explain the mechanism. The age-associated risk varies with the mother's strain background, making it a quantitative genetic trait. Most remarkably, voluntary exercise, whether begun by mothers at a young age or later in life, can mitigate the risk when they are older. Thus, even when the offspring carry a causal mutation, an intervention aimed at the mother can meaningfully reduce their risk of congenital heart disease.
Executive summary: aligning stakeholder incentives in orthopaedics.

Productive discussion and analysis of how to align stakeholder incentives in orthopaedics requires identifying the key stakeholders, understanding their perspectives, delineating the issues necessitating alignment, and being willing to delve into contentious areas. The participants of the 2008 ABJS Carl T. Brighton Workshop in Tampa, Florida did just this and pushed themselves to never lose sight of Dr. Carl T. Brighton’s questions: “Where are we now?”; “Where do we need to go?”; and “How do we get there?” We summarize the discussion, thoughts, and work presented by the workshop participants surrounding the very important topic of aligning stakeholder incentives in orthopaedics and key areas in need of focus. These key areas include insurance reform, specialty hospitals, physician-hospital alignment, physician-industry relationships, regulatory changes, movement beyond physician-centric issues, and the overall need to create value for the healthcare system. We have addressed the pertinent questions surrounding stakeholder alignment in orthopaedics and laid out the groundwork needed to answer Dr. Brighton’s last question, “How do we get there?” Concluding remarks address the necessity of leadership by orthopaedic surgeons to drive change in these key areas.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of a Tubular Aerosol Reactor for Solar Thermal ZnO Decomposition

Computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed to model solar ZnO dissociation in a tubular aerosol reactor at ultra-high temperatures (1900 K–2300 K). Reactor aspect ratios ranged between 0.15 and 0.45, with the smallest ratio base case corresponding to a reactor diameter of .02286 m. Gas flowrates were set such that the Ar:ZnO ratio was greater than 3:1 and the system residence time was below 2 s. The system was found to exhibit highly laminar flow in all cases (Re ∼ 10), but gas velocity profiles did not seriously affect temperature profiles. Particle heating was nearly instantaneous, a result of the high radiation heat flux from the wall. There was essentially no difference between gas and particle temperatures due to the high surface area for conductive heat exchange between the phases. Calculation of ZnO conversion showed that significant conversions (>90%) could be attained for residence times typical of rapid aerosol processing. Particle sizes larger than 1 μm negatively affected conversion, but sizes of 10 μm still gave acceptable conversion levels. Simulation of reaction of product oxygen with the reactor wall showed that a reactor constructed of an oxidation-sensitive material would not be a viable choice for a high temperature solar reactor.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Non-standard difference schemes for singular perturbation problems revisited

Non-standard finite difference techniques for solving various linear two-point singularly perturbed boundary value problems are considered. They consist of replacing the original differential equation by a related differential equation with a small deviating argument. This related problem is then discretized using finite differences. This discretized problem is solved using standard matrix methods. The accuracy and robustness of these numerical schemes are then carefully investigated, and compared to standard centered finite differences. In particular, earlier claims for the superiority of such schemes over standard finite differences are shown to be invalid.
Linkage studies of D2 and D4 receptor genes and alcoholism

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate two polymorphisms near the D2 receptor gene (TaqI A RFLP and C microsatellite) and a VNTR for D4. A nonparametric linkage (NPL) technique, SIBPAL, was used to test for the presence or absence of linkage in 54 multiplex alcoholic families. These families had been ascertained through two alcoholic proband siblings in order to increase the density of alcoholic cases within these pedigrees. Phenotypic definitions of alcoholism were manipulated in an effort to determine the impact of severity (signs of physical dependence, early age of onset, presence of antisocial personality disorder) on the likelihood of finding positive evidence for linkage. A regression analysis that simultaneously evaluated the allele sharing identical by descent for Feighner criteria alcoholism in affected, unaffected, and discordant sib pairs (SIBPAL) for two D2 polymorphisms and the D4 polymorphism gave no evidence for linkage. Phenotypes associated with greater alcoholism severity (presence of physical dependence symptoms, earlier onset, or comorbid antisocial personality disorder) revealed some evidence for linkage. The presence of one or more physical dependence symptoms in combination with Feighner criteria alcoholism provided some evidence favoring linkage (TaqI A and D4). Alcoholics with an earlier onset of alcoholism showed some evidence for linkage especially when the presence of physical dependence was required (e. g., morning drinking, wanted to stop drinking but could not, binges or benders, and evidence of withdrawal symptoms). Finally, alcoholics with antisocial personality disorder differed significantly in their allele sharing from nonalcoholics for both D2 polymorphisms. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 88:676-685, 1999. Language: en
High Temperature X-Ray Diffraction in Transmission Under Controlled Environment

A compact tube furnace has been developed for high temperature X-ray diffraction studies using high energy synchrotron radiation. The furnace design has a low absorption path in transmission yet allows for a high degree of control of the sample atmosphere and a minimal temperature gradient across the sample. The design allows for a maximum temperature of 1,500 C with a variety of atmospheres including inert, reducing, and oxidizing. Preliminary results obtained at the SRI-CAT 1-ID undulator line (60 keV) at the APS facility and the A2 24 pole wiggler line (45 keV) at CHESS on the Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3}Z{sub .5} (Z = C, N, O) system will be presented to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach.
Management of Drug and Food Interactions with Azole Antifungal Agents in Transplant Recipients

Azole antifungal agents are frequently used in hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplant recipients for prevention or treatment of invasive fungal infections. However, because of metabolism by or substrate activity for various isoenzymes of the cytochrome P450 system and/or P-glycoprotein, azole antifungals have the potential to interact with many of the drugs commonly used in these patient populations. Thus, to identify drug interactions that may result between azole antifungals and other drugs, we conducted a literature search of the MEDLINE database (1966-December 2009) for English-language articles on drug interaction studies involving the azole antifungal agents fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole. Another literature search between each of the azoles and the immunosuppressants cyclosporine, tacrolimus, and sirolimus, as well as the corticosteroids methylprednisolone, dexamethasone, prednisolone, and prednisone, was also conducted. Concomitant administration of azoles and immunosuppressive agents may cause clinically significant drug interactions resulting in extreme immunosuppression or toxicity. The magnitude and duration of an interaction between azoles and immunosuppressants are not class effects of the azoles, but differ between drug combinations and are subject to interpatient variability. Drug interactions in the transplant recipient receiving azole therapy may also occur with antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, and acid-suppressive therapies, among other drugs. Initiation of an azole antifungal in transplant recipients nearly ensures a drug-drug interaction, but often these drugs are required. Management of these interactions first involves knowledge of the potential drug interaction, appropriate dosage adjustments when necessary, and therapeutic or clinical monitoring at an appropriate point in therapy to assess the drug-drug interaction (e.g., immunosuppressive drug concentrations, signs and symptoms of toxicity). These aspects of drug interaction management are essential not only at the initiation of azole antifungal therapy, but also when these agents are removed from the regimen.
Management of restenosis after urethral stent placement

Purpose: We describe our experience with the management of restricture after urethral stent placement, including endoscopic and open surgical treatment.Materials and Methods: We surveyed our prospectively collected database for patients with restenosis after urethral stent insertion. We reviewed patient age, comorbidities, indications for stent placement, restricture length, management of restricture, postoperative complications and the further restenosis rate.Results: Overall we have treated 22 patients with failed urethral stents with a median followup of 30 months (range 1 to 96). All stents were initially placed for urethral stricture management. Stricture etiology included prostate cancer therapy in 9 cases, idiopathic causes in 6, urethral instrumentation in 2, trauma in 2, simple prostatectomy in 2 and gender reassignment/phalloplasty in 1. Ten patients had anterior urethral stricture, 11 had posterior stricture and 1 patient had each type. Of the 22 patients with stenosis after stent placement 13 ...
Intramembrane proton binding site linked to activation of bacterial pentameric ion channel.

Prokaryotic orthologs of eukaryotic Cys-loop receptor channels recently emerged as structural and mechanistic surrogates to investigate this superfamily of intercellular signaling proteins. Here, we examine proton activation of the prokaryotic ortholog GLIC using patch clamp electrophysiology, mutagenesis, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Whole-cell current recordings from human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells expressing GLIC show half-maximal activation at pH 6, close to the pKa of histidine, implicating the three native His residues in proton sensing linked to activation. The mutation H235F abolishes proton activation, H277Y is without effect, and all nine mutations of His-127 prevent expression on the cell surface. In the GLIC crystal structure, His-235 on transmembrane (TM) α-helix 2, hydrogen bonds to the main chain carbonyl oxygen of Ile-259 on TM α-helix 3. MD simulations show that when His-235 is protonated, the hydrogen bond persists, and the channel remains in the open conformation, whereas when His-235 is deprotonated, the hydrogen bond dissociates, and the channel closes. Mutations of the proximal Tyr-263, which also links TM α-helices 2 and 3 via a hydrogen bond, alter proton sensitivity over a 1.5 pH unit range. MD simulations show that mutations of Tyr-263 alter the hydrogen bonding capacity of His-235. The overall findings show that His-235 in the TM region of GLIC is a novel proton binding site linked to channel activation.
Persistent Low-Level “Real” Human Chorionic Gonadotropin: A Clinical Challenge and a Therapeutic Dilemma

Abstract Objective. The finding of persistent low-level human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) with or without a preceding pregnancy event presents a rare but clinically important challenge and a therapeutic dilemma. These are patients with "real" hCG shown by the positive test in both serum and urine or by specialized testing. The problems associated with "phantom" hCG have been recognized and should now be clinically resolvable. Four cases of low-level "real" hCG are described to illustrate the problems encountered, the management, and the resolution achieved. Methods. Two patients presented with persistent low-level hCG after hydatidiform mole pregnancy, one after an early pregnancy loss and one as amenorrhea and irregular bleeding. A detailed clinical description is provided to illustrate the difficulties encountered. Results. All patients have real hCG. The hCG level of Patient 1 was responsive to hormonal contraception and disappeared with such medication. Over a period of 3 years hCG reappeared whenever estrogen was stopped. Patient 2 achieved two pregnancies and the hCG subsequently disappeared. The hCG in Patient 3 persisted over a period of 6 years although she is now menopausal. Patient 4 developed metastatic placental site trophoblastic tumor after 2 1/2 years of observation of low-level hCG. Conclusions. The finding of unexplainable low-level hCG in a patient without evidence of a uterine lesion or of trophoblastic metastases provides a therapeutic challenge. The administration of single-agent chemotherapy had no effect on the level of hCG in the three patients to whom it was administered. The administration of multiple-agent chemotherapy appears unjustified in the absence of a demonstrable trophoblastic tumor. A small number of trophoblastic cells must be providing this hCG and these cells may be quiescent for years. Nevertheless these cells may proliferate and manifest themselves as trophoblastic tumor. Continuing long-term surveillance of these patients is necessary.
Diagnostic techniques for confirming onychomycosis

Other nail diseases may mimic a fungal infection. Therefore the diagnosis of onychomycosis requires an assessment of both clinical and laboratory features. Onychomycosis is comprised of four distinct types, each of which requires a different technique to obtain a nail specimen. A potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation may be used to confirm the presence of fungi. However, a fungal culture is required to identify the specific genus and species of the pathogen. It may be necessary to perform histopathologic analysis of the nail unit in cases in which the clinical appearance suggests the presence of a fungal nail infection, but the KOH preparation and culture are negative.
Total body water measurement in normal and diabetic pregnancy: evidence for maternal and amniotic fluid equilibrium.

The H2[18O] tracer dilution method was applied to quantify total body water in 6 normal nonpregnant women, 8 normal pregnant women (gestation 29.3 ± 6.0 weeks, range 21–37 weeks)
Surface Molecules of Hematopoietic Stem Cells: Requirement for Sialic Acid in Spleen Colony Formation

Enzymatic treatment was used to test the function of some surface peptides and carbohydrates in hematopoietic spleen colony formation. Proteases and most glycosidases had no effect on spleen colony formation, whereas treatment with Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase reduced colonies by one-half. Intact sialic acid (residues appear to play an important role in colony formation.
Wetlands loss in Louisiana

One third of coastal Louisiana could sink beneath the Gulf of Mexico by 2050, if no new restoration efforts take place, the U.S. Geological Survey announced on 20 May. The state could lose about 1800 square km of coastal land on top of its earlier losses. Louisiana already has lost about 4920 square km of coastal land, mostly marshland, during the 20th century. The state has the distinction of being the location of about 90% of total coastal marshland that has been lost to date in the continental U.S.
Drought stress of apple trees alters leaf emissions of volatile compounds

Actively growing potted apple trees (Malus domestica [L.] Borkh. cv. Delicious) unacclimated to drought stress were subjected to drought to determine changes in emissions of leaf volatile compounds. Drought stress was imposed over a 2-week period by weighing pots every 2 or 3 days and adding water back to an arbitrary and decreasing fraction of the original pot weight. Stem water potential was − 2.7, − 2.0 and − 0.8 MPa for the severely stressed, moderately stressed and control trees, respectively, 13 days after watering treatments were begun. Water use the last 4 days of the experiment was about one-half for the moderately and severely stressed trees compared to that of the controls. Twenty-nine volatile compounds were identified by using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Emission rates of hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, hexyl acetate and (E)-2-hexenyl acetate were 5 to 310 times higher for severely stressed trees compared to those of the controls with the moderately stressed trees intermediate. The large increases in hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal and 1-hexanol may be related to enhanced lipoxygenase activity. Volatile compounds are products of metabolism and measurement of their changes after biotic or abiotic stresses will increase understanding of the relationship of changes in plant metabolism by those stresses
CMOS monolithic chemiresistor array with microfluidic channel for micro gas chromatograph

A monolithic chemiresistor (CR) array micro-system with microfluidic channel for micro gas chromatograph (μGC) is presented in this paper. A CMOS readout chip was designed for amplifying and conditioning the signal of a 4×2 MPN-coated CR array fabricated on the surface of the CMOS chip. A micro glass lid with input and output capillary tubes was developed as a gas flow channel and mounted on the CMOS array, providing an interface to a micro flow column in a μGC platform. After all of the CMOS-compatible processing, the monolithic CR array was tested within a GC platform, and both the CR array and circuit were demonstrated to function as designed.
Hemiplegic Migraine in Pregnancy

SYNOPSIS Hemiplegic migraine during pregnancy is a ram occurrence, and recovery is usually spontaneous and complete. The presence of motor and sensory deficits with migraine should prompt the obstetrician to investigate for more serious neurological conditions. The literature contains few case reports of hemiplegic migraine during pregnancy. This paper discusses two case histories.
Forging a Pedagogy of Teacher Education: The challenges of moving from classroom teacher to teacher educator

This paper reports an investigation of the challenges a former classroom teacher encountered when compelled by experiences as a supervisor of student teachers to forge a distinct pedagogy of teacher education. A qualitative self-study methodology was used to identify and examine the competing tensions that surfaced as the author made the transition from classroom teacher to teacher educator. Unanticipated challenges included establishing his professional identity as a teacher educator, navigating the ambiguous role of teacher educator as both advocate and evaluator, and dealing with external sources of resistance manifest in the belief systems of student teachers and the norms of the public school system.
A compact wireless gas sensor using a carbon nanotube/PMMA thin film chemiresistor

The design and development of a compact wireless gas sensor with a surface modified multiwalled carbon nanotube (f-CNT) chemiresistor as the sensing element is presented in this paper. f-CNT/polymer composite sensing film is patterned on a printed circuit board and is integrated to the wireless system. The change in resistance of the CNT/polymer composite film due to exposure of different gases is utilized as the principle of this gas sensor. The response for different organic vapors are evaluated and it is observed that the f-CNT/PMMA composite film shows fast response and change in resistance of the order of 102–103 due to its surface modification.
Simulation of Stagnation Region Heating in Hypersonic Flow on Tetrahedral Grids

Hypersonic flow simulations using the node based, unstructured grid code FUN3D are presented. Applications include simple (cylinder) and complex (towed ballute) configurations. Emphasis throughout is on computation of stagnation region heating in hypersonic flow on tetrahedral grids. Hypersonic flow over a cylinder provides a simple test problem for exposing any flaws in a simulation algorithm with regard to its ability to compute accurate heating on such grids. Such flaws predominantly derive from the quality of the captured shock. The importance of pure tetrahedral formulations are discussed. Algorithm adjustments for the baseline Roe / Symmetric, Total-Variation-Diminishing (STVD) formulation to deal with simulation accuracy are presented. Formulations of surface normal gradients to compute heating and diffusion to the surface as needed for a radiative equilibrium wall boundary condition and finite catalytic wall boundary in the node-based unstructured environment are developed. A satisfactory resolution of the heating problem on tetrahedral grids is not realized here; however, a definition of a test problem, and discussion of observed algorithm behaviors to date are presented in order to promote further research on this important problem.
Historical Dictionary of the Great Depression, 1929–1940 . By James S. Olson. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. Pp. viii, 355. $90.00.

In recent years James S. Olson has become the historical profession's leading producer of historical dictionaries. Beginning with his volume on the New Deal in1985, he has gone on to produce similar reference works for the 1920s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, for the ethno-history of China, Africa, and the Indians of Central and South America, and for such diverse topics as U.S. economic history, European imperialism, and the British and Spanish empires. The work under review is the latest addition to this reference shelf and like its companion volumes should be a useful tool in all types of academic libraries, from high school up. Like the others, it is geared to provide quick, concise, sound, and clearly written references to the details of a particular body of historical experience. In it one can consult some 479 short, alphabetically arranged, Olson-authored essays, ranging in length from four lines (“Black Tuesday”) to three pages (“Roosevelt, Franklin Delano”), and take from them the essential facts about and historical significance of the people, events, laws, agencies, products, and other topics deemed worthy of inclusion. In addition, cross-references are marked by asterisks within the essays; each essay is followed by at least one “suggested reading”; and appended at the end are a list of acronyms, a useful chronology, a brief but good general bibliography, and a well-constructed index.
Use of electronic data to assist with long-term follow-up in an urban HIV clinic

Abstract Background The University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) HIV clinic follows up 565 patients, with case management by one social worker. This large cohort makes active case follow-up difficult. Our clinic is located in a neighbourhood on the south side of Chicago. This area includes four of the six communities with the highest annual HIV diagnosis rates in the city and contains neighbourhoods with an HIV prevalence of 1% or more. We describe a programme that used medical informatics to re-link patients lost to follow-up into care and to assist in the long-term management of this group. Methods Patients at the UCM HIV clinic were eligible for the study if they had attended at least one appointment but had not been seen in clinic for 6 months or more, our criterion for lost to follow-up. We used an electronic clinic database and electronic medical records to identify these patients. Those patients classified as lost to follow-up were re-linked to care by clinic social workers by phone or, if that failed, by follow-up letters. Patients were contacted from February to June, 2013, by the social worker and a social work intern. In an open programme, patients will become eligible for re-linkage on a rolling basis. Findings Among 565 patients, 56 (10%) had not been seen for 6 months to 1 year, 40 (7%) had not been seen for 1–2 years, and 27 (5%) had not been seen for more than 2 years. Overall, 442 (78%) of our patients were retained in care and 123 (22%) patients were determined to be lost to follow-up. Age, sex, race, ethnicity, and insurance coverage did not predict lost to follow-up status. Ten patients (8%) were dead. Among 113 living patients, 64 (57%) were contacted by phone. 32 had moved or were in care elsewhere. 30 of the remaining 32 (94%) scheduled a clinic visit. Ten patients scheduled a visit in response to a letter or voicemail, but 49 (9% of the clinic cohort) remain lost to follow-up. Interpretation Our retention rate is much higher than the US national retention rate of about 40%. Nonetheless, with a large cohort, it is important to implement measures to track retention. With this aim, we found electronic data to be useful for identification of patients lost to follow-up and to aid in efforts towards retention in care. We were very successful at collecting data from or re-linking patients who we could contact by phone, but less so when we had to send a letter. In addition to re-engaging patients into care, it is important for us to know if patients have died or transferred care to adequately assess our local cascade of engagement in care. With this study we hope to show the feasibility and sustainability of clinic-wide re-linkage initiatives. Funding None.
Anasarca-mediated attenuation of the amplitude of electrocardiogram complexes: a description of a heretofore unrecognized phenomenon

Objectives The relationship between the changes of weight (WT) and electrocardiogram (ECG) QRS amplitude in patients with anasarca (AN) was evaluated. Background Attenuation of the ECG voltage occurs as the electrical current spreads from the epicardium to the body surface. The voltage registered is a function of the cardiac potentials, the electrical resistivities of the intervening tissues and the orientation of the ECG leads with respect to the direction of propagation of excitation. Lung congestion and pericardial and pleural effusions can cause attenuation in the ECG potentials; additionally, a similar change was recently observed in patients with AN. Methods A prospective study of this phenomenon in 28 patients with a critical illness was carried out. Electrocardiograms and patients' WTs were recorded daily. Pericardial effusions were excluded by serial echocardiograms. The sums of the amplitude of QRS complexes from the 12 ECG leads (Sigma QRS) were correlated with the corresponding WTs. Intracardiac ECGs, done in three patients, were correlated with surface ECGs. Results Admission WT was 148.9 +/- 37.8 lbs, and it peaked to 197.8 +/- 52.3 lbs (p = 0.0005). Admission Sigma QRS was 120.2 +/- 41.6 mm and dropped to 54.8 +/- 26.9 mm at time of peak WT (p = 0.0005). Regression of Sigma QRS on WT revealed an r = 0.61 and a p = 0.0005. Subsequent WT loss in 13 patients (from 219.0 +/- 40.7 lbs to 179.5 +/- 41.7 lbs, p = 0.001) led to an increase of Sigma QRS from 53.5 +/- 24.5 mm to 86.8 +/- 38.2 mm (p = 0.001). Intracardiac ECGs remained stable, while surface ECGs changed with perturbations of WT. Conclusions Attenuation of ECG voltage in patients with AN correlates with WT gain, and it can be attributed to a shunting of the cardiac potentials due to the low resistance of the AN fluid.