cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Immunostimulating Role of Lichen Polysaccharides: A Review

The immune system has capacity to suppress the development or progression of various malignancies including cancer. Research on the immunomodulating properties of polysaccharides obtained from plants, microorganisms, marine organisms, and fungi is growing rapidly. Among the various potential sources, lichens, symbiotic systems involving a fungus and an alga and/or a cyanobacterium, show promise as a potential source of immunomodulating compounds. It is well known that lichens produce an abundance of structurally diverse polysaccharides. However, only a limited number of studies have explored the immunostimulating properties of lichen polysaccharides. Published studies have shown that some lichen polysaccharides enhance production of nitrous oxide (NO) by macrophages and also alter the production levels of various proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IL-12, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-α/β) by macrophages and dendritic cells. Although there are only a limited number of studies examining the role of lichen polysaccharides, all results suggest that lichen polysaccharides can induce immunomodulatory responses in macrophages and dendritic cells. Thus, a detailed evaluation of immunomodulatory capacity of lichen polysaccharides could provide a unique opportunity for the discovery of novel therapeutic agents. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toward a universal integrity model

The paper establishes a framework to address the problem 'What is an acceptable definition of Clark-Wilson integral (having Clark-Wilson integrity) in terms of external-interface requirements for a trusted system?'. One needs a characterization of the Clark-Wilson policy, used as a paradigm for its class of integrity policy, that is useful for demonstrating that a system incorporating Clark-Wilson integrity in accordance with a model of this trust policy satisfies accepted 'external' notions of Clark-Wilson integral and, thus, meets the corresponding integrity control objectives. >
Votive and portrait sculpture from the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone at Wadi Bel Gadir, Cyrene (Shahat)

Excavation and study work was continued by the University of Pennsylvania expedition under the direction of Professor Donald White from late June to early September 1976 in the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone at Wadi Bel Gadir, Cyrene (Shahat). With the help of a grant from the Society for Libyan Studies, I was able to begin my study of the votive and portrait sculpture excavated in the sanctuary and to travel to sites and museums in the Cyrenaica and Tripolitania for comparanda research. The 1976 season proved to be a fruitful one, not only for examination of sculpture from previous seasons, but also for acquisition of several fine pieces from new excavation. One life size marble female of Grosse Herkulanerin type (known from 1974) was unearthed and brought to the Casa Parisi sculpture yard, a new overlife size marble female (perhaps representing a priestess) and two underlife size marble peplophoroi of good workmanship were among the major pieces excavated. The two portrait finds were a fine marble female head in a Faustina the Elder hairstyle and a small limestone male head with Alexander the Great overtones. There were several statuettes found, including one of Demeter with her daughter Persephone seated in her lap which has parallels in both Eleusis and the Athenian Agora.
MCSCF Energy Derivatives Using Fock Operator Methods

Analytic multiconfiguration self-consistent-field (MCSCF) second derivative (force constant) methods have recently been formulated and implemented in the theoretical chemistry group at Berkeley. These methods and a preliminary application to the formaldehyde molecule are discussed.
Neural representation of the taste of NaCl and KCl in gustatory neurons of the hamster solitary nucleus.

Neural representation of the taste of NaCl and KCl in gustatory neurons of the hamster solitary nucleus. NaCl and KCl are monovalent salts that can be discriminated behaviorally by hamsters on the ...
Inside Corporate Venture Teams: An Empirical Study of Venture Managers and Their Experiences

A major approach for organizational diversification is internal new venture management. This approach relies on a venture team to create major new opportunities for a firm. The focus of venture teams is to create new products, new services, and new businesses which are distinct from the current businesses of the company. Most often new venture teams are used by large, mature organizations. However, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) also employ venture teams in their strategies. Of all the challenges organizations face, one of the most difficult is diversifying into new markets and new technologies. This study focuses on the experiences of venture team leaders who have successfully led a new venture team.
Seated Tai Chi to alleviate pain and improve quality of life in individuals with spinal cord disorder

Context: Previous research studies have confirmed therapeutic physical and psychological benefits of Tai Chi for both the able-bodied and disabled populations. However, given the limited availability of seated Tai Chi, there have not been any studies to date that have examined the effectiveness of seated Tai Chi in individuals with spinal cord disorder (SCD). We designed a customized seated Tai Chi program to meet the need for improved exercise options for individuals with SCD.Findings: Twenty-six participants were enrolled in a 12-week seated Tai Chi course consisting of weekly sessions. After each Tai Chi session, patients reported improved visual analog scale (VAS) monitoring pain (P) (3.18 v 2.93; P 1.63E-03), emotional sense of well-being (EWB) (2.61 vs 2.04; P 2.86E-07), mental distraction (MD) (3.13 v 2.29; P 9.36E-08), physical sense of well-being (PWB) (2.84 v 2.25; p 7.38E-08), and sense of spiritual connection (SC) (3.28 v 2.50; P 6.46E-08). In our limited follow-up of 9 participants who comple...
High performance heterogeneous computing for collaborative visual analysis

Visual analysis of large and complex data often requires multiple analysts with diverse expertise and different perspectives to collaborate in order to reveal hidden structures and gain insight in the data. While collaborative visualization allows multiple users to collectively work on the same analytic task, the user side computing devices can be used to share the computation workload for demanding data transformations and visualization calculations. In this paper, we present a heterogeneous computing framework for effective utilization of all the connected client devices to enhance the usability of online visualization applications.
Diabetes management: More than just cardiovascular risk?

Inadequate glycemic control remains the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and nontraumatic lower-limb amputation.
Weak interactions as diagnostic tools for inductive effects.

No broadly applicable and well-defined measure for the inductive effects of substituents (outside of the context of substituted benzenes) exists. We assess the viability of two different forms of weak interactions as tools for this purpose. The responses of interatomic (I···N and Ge···N) separations in the halogen-bonded and dative covalent complexes F3CI···Y and FH3Ge···Y, where Y = NH2R, afford a direct ordering of a diverse set of substituents, R, according to their influence on the availability of the N lone pair in the base (NH2R) for bonding. Despite their structural and electronic differences, the two bonding modes that we consider show good qualitative agreement on the electron-withdrawing inductive tendencies of substituents because of their sensitivity to the electronic environment at the donor site (the N center, in this case) on the base. The choice of the monosubstituted (NH2R) base minimizes steric interactions, resonance, and other electronic effects that could interfere with the bonding be...
THE EFFECTS OF THE MATING SYSTEM ON PROGENY PERFORMANCE IN HYLA CRUCIFER (ANURA: HYLIDAE).

We performed a controlled mating experiment to determine whether genetic variation in larval traits in Hyla crucifer was predictable on the basis of mating status or body size of male parent. Larval growth rate was predictably related to body size of the sire. Males from the upper half of the body-size distribution sired offspring with 6% higher growth rates than those of offspring sired by males from the lower half of the body-size distribution. Offspring sired by males that obtained mates in nature had 3% higher growth rates than their half-siblings sired by males that did not mate in nature. Genetic variation for larval-period duration and size at metamorphosis was detected; however, neither mating status nor body size of sire could be used to predict values of these traits in the progeny. Although all three larval traits can affect fitness, there was no evidence that the offspring of some sires would always outperform the offspring of others in all three traits. The predictable association between adult male size and larval growth rate means that the H. crucifer mating system would have a directional effect on larval growth rate if male body size influences the outcome of male-male competition or female choice.
Does intra-individual variability in narration matter and for what?

Abstract Building on calls to examine intra-individual variability in personality, we examined such variability in narrative. In Study 1, participants ( n = 553) provided three narratives ( either self-defining, turning point, transgression, low point, or trauma memories; n = 1659 narratives). Narratives were coded for coherence, autobiographical reasoning, resolution, and emotional expression. Variability was highest for resolution, lowest for coherence, and was related to well-being, depending on narrative feature and event type. In Study 2, participants ( n = 103) engaged in a ‘narrative recognition’ task to see if they could identify which narratives came from the same individual. Recognizability was substantial, but not related to variability or well-being. Results showcase the importance of addressing intra-individual variability by narrative feature and event type.
Van der Waals forces and confinement in carbon nanopores: Interaction between CH4, COOH, NH3, OH, SH and single-walled carbon nanotubes

Interactions between CH4, COOH, NH3, OH, SH and armchair (n,n)(n=4,7,14) and zigzag (n,0)(n=7,12,25) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been systematically investigated within the framework of dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D2). Endohedral and exohedral molecular adsorption on SWCNT walls is energetically unfavorable or weak, despite the use of C6/r6 pairwise London-dispersion corrections. The effects of pore size and chirality on the molecule/SWCNTs interaction were also assessed. Furthermore, chemisorption of COOH, NH3, OH and SH at SWCNT edge sites was examined using a H-capped (7,0) SWCNT fragment and its impact on electrophilic, nucleophilic and radical attacks was predicted by means of Fukui functions.
Comparison of the gross motor function measure and Gesell’s gross motor developmental schedule in the assessment of rehabilitation effect on children with cerebral palsy

AIM: To compare the effect of the gross motor function measure (GMFM) and Gesell’s developmental schedule (GDS) in assessment of rehabilitation effectiveness in children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: Twenty-five children with cerebral palsy, who were firstly treated in the Rehabilitation Center of Qilu Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from May to December 2005 were selected, and all patients met the diagnostic criteria designed by the State Seminar On Children With Cerebral Palsy in 2004, and the guardians of patients knew and agreed with the items. All enrolled subjects received combined rehabilitation therapy: ① Vojet method. ② Bobath method. ③ Tuina. ④ Acupuncture and moxibustion. The needle was remained for one hour each time, and the treatment was performed for 6 successive days with an interval of one day for totally 3 months. All patients were evaluated by GMFM and GDS on gross motor developmental age and developmental quotient (DQ). ① The percentage of the total score equaled to the total percentage of the primary scores of each region by divided into 5. ② GDS: The developmental age = ∑(M ×n)÷∑n (M stands for the detected month, and n stands for the detected item, while ∑ stands for the sum of data). The DQ was the percentage of developmental age and real age. Children with the DQ ranged 55-75 was slight disturbance, 40-54 as middle disturbance, 25-39 as severe disturbance, and those below 25 were considered as severer disturbance. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients were involved in the analysis, and no one withdrew from the study. ① Comparison in score before the treatment and that at one course after the treatment: The total percentage of the total scores in GMFM and GDS after one course after the treatment were significantly higher than those before the treatment (22.64±4.18)%,(11.92±3.42) months;(16.96±4.50)%,(10.18±3.48) months, (t =28.74, 16.44,P 0.01), while the DQ was remarkably lower than that before the treatment (50.05±8.04,51.12±8.20,t =11.85, P 0.01). ② Comparison in the sensitivity of two scales: The percentage of GMFM after the treatment increased by (6.46±5.65)% than that before the treatment, and it was (1.28±1.29)% for GDS, and there were significant differences between the two scales (P 0.01). CONCLUSION: GDS has some limitations in assessing the rehabilitation effects on children with cerebral palsy. GMFM can be used in the assessment of rehabilitation effects on children with cerebral palsy, which facilitates to instruct the rehabilitation training.
The Didactic Makeover: Keep it Short, Active, Relevant

> The test of a good teacher is not how many questions he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions he inspires them to ask him which he finds it hard to answer. 1 > > Alice Wellington Rollins Medical student education is rapidly evolving. Because students have immediate access to instant information online via high quality textbooks, research articles, lectures, and tutorials, the effectiveness of traditional lectures has come into question.2⇓⇓–5 This presents an opportunity for pediatricians to develop new ways to deliver content to students. Teaching physicians in many institutions are developing interactive forms of learning, with some using entirely problem-based learning formats and others adapting traditional lectures into team-based learning or case-based presentations.6,7 Stanford University has been a leader in this field for years and, in partnership with Khan Academy, has developed a program called Stanford Medicine Interactive Learning Initiatives, where medical school faculty can access specialized support to re-design courses and integrate interactive learning.8 These large-scale initiatives are transforming the way students learn and how faculty members teach. We continue the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics series about great clinical teachers providing tools to keep educational sessions short, active, and relevant to engage students when refreshing or designing learning sessions . Retention of material varies with … Address correspondence to Molly Rideout, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Medical Center, MCHV Campus 265 SM5; 111 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 05401. E-mail: molly.rideout{at}uvmhealth.org
Cobalamin Coenzymes in Enzymology

The cobalamin coenzymes adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin are derivatives of vitamin B12. Adenosylcobalamin and coenzyme B12 are synonyms for 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin, the coenzyme required by a number of enzymes that catalyze chemically challenging isomerization, isomerization/elimination, and alcohol reduction reactions. These enzymes include the carbon skeleton isomerases glutamate mutase, methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, and 2-methyleneglutarate mutase; the isomerase lysine 5,6-aminomutase; the isomerase/eliminases propane-1,2-diol hydro-lyase (dioldehydrase), glycerol hydro-lyase (glycerol dehydrase), and ethanolamine ammonia-lyase; and the class II ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase. The chemical function of adenosylcobalamin in each case is to serve as a reversible source of the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical, which abstracts hydrogen atoms to initiate diverse radical mechanisms. Methylcobalamin mediates chemically complex enzymatic methyl transfer reactions. The example of cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase is discussed in detail.
A New Method of Studying the Anatomy of the Posterior Tympanum

The anatomic position of the posterior tympanum compromises direct visualization and investigation of its structures. Therefore, assessment of its anatomy is limited, and surgical removal of disease in this area remains a challenge. In this article, the author describes a new method that can be used to fully expose, visualize, and measure the structures in the posterior tympanum, thereby allowing for further definition of the anatomy and, in turn, refinement of surgical techniques for the removal of disease in this portion of the middle ear. The new technique involves removal of the anterior canal bone and its overlying tissues to eliminate the mechanical barriers to the posterior tympanum, which allows for direct visualization and measurement of the posterior tympanic structures. This method has three primary advantages over other methods used to study the posterior tympanum. First, observations of the anatomy can be made under direct visualization. Second, this method permits investigators to study the anatomy and the relationships between structures of the posterior tympanum as they occur in their normal unaltered state. Third, this method allows for wide anterior access to the posterior tympanum, thereby making scientific research into its anatomy possible. Information obtained from future studies of this method can help further refine surgical techniques for removal of disease from the posterior tympanum.
Quality, Decontamination, and Energy Use Considerations During Radiant-Heat and Tempering Treatments of Shelled Corn

Infrared (IR) heating of corn followed by tempering treatments has potential to decontaminate corn of microbes without adverse effects on the overall corn quality. However, it is vital to determine the optimal processing parameters that maximize throughput and microbial load reduction and minimize drying energy without affecting overall corn quality. This study investigated effects of IR heating and tempering treatments on mold load reduction, corn color change, and drying energy requirements. Freshly harvested corn samples with initial moisture contents (IMCs) of 20, 24, and 28% wet basis were dried with a laboratory-scale IR batch dryer in one and two drying passes. The dried samples were then tempered for 2, 4, and 6 h at 50, 70, and 90°C. Results showed that mold load reduction ranged from 1 to 3.8 log colony forming units per gram of corn (log CFU/g) for one-pass treatments and from 0.8 to 4.4 log CFU/g for two-pass treatments as tempering temperature and tempering duration increased. Compared with t...
Slack Resource Deployment in Exploration and Exploitation: How Much Do CEOs Matter?

Unabsorbed slack resources can be critical for organizational innovativeness and success, but cumulative research regarding the relationship between unabsorbed slack and organizational outcomes has...
Family Discord and Child Health: An Emotional Security Formulation

Although the impact of family discord on children’s coping and ­adjustment difficulties is well established, continued progress in understanding how and why family processes affect children’s mental and physical health will require efforts to formulate theoretically guided hypotheses with greater novelty and pinpoint accuracy. The goal of this chapter is to illustrate how an evolutionary framework of children’s emotional security in family relationships may increase depth and precision in interpreting the existing findings and serve as a broad heuristic for future research. After elaborating on how children’s sense of security in the interparental relationship is distinct in its nature and function from parent–child attachment security, the chapter addresses how each type of security is proposed to be a product of a distinct set of experiences in the family. In turn, each type of security sets in motion developmental cascades that help to account for why insecurity in family relationships is associated with child problems. We next describe the moderating conditions that may serve as sources of heterogeneity in children’s pathways to health and illness. In concluding, we outline future directions that may increase precision and novelty in advancing models of family process and child health within an evolutionary framework.
Choosing with the Worst in Mind: A Reference-Dependent Model

We develop an axiomatic model of reference-dependent preferences in which reference points are menu-dependent. In particular, we focus on choices from menus of two-attribute alternatives, and the reference point for the given menu is a vector that consists of the minimums of each dimension of the menu. We characterize this model by two weakenings of the Weak Axiom of Revealed Preference (WARP) in addition to standard axioms. Our model is consistent with the attraction effect and the compromise effect, well-known deviations from rational choice theory, and it provides a connection between the two effects and diminishing sensitivity, a widely used behavioral property in economics. We apply the model to two different contexts, intertemporal choice and risky choice, and diminishing sensitivity has interesting implications. In intertemporal choice, the main implication of the model is that borrowing constraints produce a psychological pressure to move away from the constraints even if they are not binding. This implication provides a rationale for two empirical puzzles of life-cycle consumption profiles. In risky choice, the model allows different degrees of risk-aversion.
Cracking the Creativity Code: Using Cognitive Load Theory to Discern Order in Creativity Findings

Creativity research has defied orderly frameworks. Discrepant results in many streams of creativity research have had no discernible underlying order. Cognitive Load Theory from the education disci...
Creativity and Pre-Service Teacher Education: What You See is What You Get

This essay discusses creativity in the classroom, constraints and the lack of creativity modeling in undergraduate teacher education programs, and some simple changes that can be made. This lack of models and modeling of creativity in the teacher education classrooms leads to a lack of creativity in teaching, activity design, tasks, and assessments. Issues related to lack of creativity in the education system are discussed from the student, faculty, state, and government levels.
Increasing Access: Outreach Methods in Social Work Practice:

An important aspect of social work practice is increasing access through effective outreach efforts. This six-step model defines the purpose of the intervention, identifies the barriers and resista...
Application of clinical neurophysiology to clinical trials involving motor neuron diseases

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the clinical neurophysiological assessment of lower motor neuron loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are defined by different patterns of upper and lower motor neuron loss. The major forms of MNDs include ALS, which involves degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons; SMA, which involves degeneration of lower motor neurons; and primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), which involves degeneration of upper motor neurons. The chapter discusses the pathophysiology consequent to neuronal loss and the advantages and limitations of clinical neurophysiological tests that have been used. The application of clinical neurophysiology to clinical trials for MND include determining natural rates of progression, making predictions about rates of progression, and serving as endpoint measures. The collective clinical trial experience with summed maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and functional scales in clinical trials is greater than for clinical neurophysiological tests, and the utility of neurophysiological testing has not been fully explored. The challenges of clinical neurophysiological tests as endpoint measures in clinical trials are discussed.
Developing a Partnership Model to Enhance Literacy: Focusing on a Community’s Future

Completion of one’s education is dependent upon a number of factors including parents’ education, employment opportunities, future career aspirations, and current level of academic success (Mullis, Mullis, & Gerwels, 1998). It is clear that academic success is not possible without a child achieving some level of literacy; and, without literacy, children are not able to make the most of their academic experiences. One Florida rural county became concerned about issues of literacy because of low test scores on the California Achievement Tests. In this county, 67% of second graders, 61% of third graders, and 66% of fourth graders fell below the norms on the reading test.
Economics of Music Copyright: Income, Media, and Performances

In this volume, we begin our economic analysis of the non-dramatic performance copyright in the performing arts from the perspectives of performing rights organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. We continue with the further expansion of the discipline of cultural economics. A basic economic model of supply and demand is used to illustrate the dynamic economic interplay of the music creators who supply the music and the demand by music users who market culture in various media industries and other venues. A general overview of the economics of music production is discussed. We end the chapter with a brief overview of performing rights organizations and music licensing.
The Sytems Approach and Its Enemies Helps Us Find the Morality of a Revised Democracy

If democracy constitutes the institution of morality in a society, it can only be introduced when peace, agreement and consent prevail.
Workload-driven modulation of mixed-reality robot-human communication

In this work we explore how Augmented Reality annotations can be used as a form of Mixed Reality gesture, how neurophysiological measurements can inform the decision as to whether or not to use such gestures, and whether and how to adapt language when using such gestures. In this paper, we propose a preliminary investigation of how decisions regarding robot-to-human communication modality in mixed reality environments might be made on the basis of humans' perceptual and cognitive states. Specifically, we propose to use brain data acquired with high-density functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure the neural correlates of cognitive and emotional states with particular relevance to adaptive human-robot interaction (HRI). In this paper we describe several states of interest that fNIRS is well suited to measure and that have direct implications to HRI adaptations and we leverage a framework developed in our prior work to explore how different neurophysiological measures could inform the selection of different communication strategies. We then describe results from a feasibility experiment where multilabel Convolutional Long Short Term Memory Networks were trained to classify the target mental states of 10 participants and we discuss a research agenda for adaptive human-robot teams based on our findings.
Topological degree for quasibounded multivalued (S̃)+-perturbations of maximal monotone operators

ABSTRACTLet X be an infinite dimensional real reflexive Banach space with dual space X∗ and G⊂X open and bounded. Let T:X⊃D(T)→2X∗ be a maximal monotone operator with 0∈D(T) and 0∈T(0), and let C:X⊃D(C)→2X∗ be densely defined strongly quasibounded and of type (S~+). A new topological degree theory is introduced for the sum T+C with a degree mapping d(T+C,G,0) defined eventually in terms of the Ma degree for multivalued compact operators. Unlike single-valued operators considered by Kartsatos and Skrypnik, the operator C here is multivalued so that the multivalued generalized pseudomonotone operators considered by Browder and Hess include such C and even T+C. Consequently, the main existence results of Browder and Hess are obtained via the new degree theory and some of their existence results are extended. An application of the theory to elliptic partial differential inclusions in divergence form is included.
“They give you back that dignity”: understanding the intangible resources that make a transitional house a home for homeless families

Approximately 33% of the homeless population in 2017 were families with children. Researchers have argued for interventions and services to employ an ecological perspective to mitigate some of the ...
Neural reprogramming via microRNAs: the new kid on the p53-deficient block

We recently reported a novel role for nerve-cancer crosstalk, demonstrating that tumor protein p53 (TP53) deficiency in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma leads to a decrease in miR-34a in tumor-shed vesicles. This directed sensory nerve reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment which enhanced tumor growth.
Nonnormality of Data in Structural Equation Models

With the use of census block group data on sociodemographics, land use, and travel behavior, the cutoffs suggested in the literature for trustworthy estimates and hypothesis-testing statistics were tested, and the efficacy of deleting observations as an approach to improving multivariate normality in structural equation modeling was evaluated. It was found that the deletion of enough cases to achieve multivariate normality yielded results that were substantively different from those for the full sample and required that 17% of the sample be discarded. Alternatively, after only a few true outliers were deleted (0.8% of the sample), the measures of univariate and multivariate nonnormalities fell into the acceptable range for maximum likelihood estimation to be appropriate. The pursuit of a multivariate normal distribution by the deletion of observations should be consciously weighed against the loss of model power and generalizability in the interpretation of the results. That is, the analyst should proactively find the balance between the two extremes of (a) a model on the full sample that is unreliable because of extreme nonnormality and (b) a model on a sample that has discarded so many cases to achieve multivariate normality that it is no longer fully representative of the desired population. It is further argued that the process of finding that balance should be exposed to the audience rather than ignored or suppressed.
The well-being of children: Philosophical and social scientific approaches: edited by Gottfried Schweiger and Gunter Graf, Berlin, Germany, De Gruyter Open Ltd, 2015, 160pp., $0.00 (Open Access electronic version), ISBN: 9783110450514

The Well-Being of Children: Philosophical and Social Scientific Approaches provides a collection of essays exploring the metaphysical constructs of children in society, the physical and social envi...
Healthy and unhealthy food environments are linked with neighbourhood socio-economic disadvantage: an innovative geospatial approach to understanding food access inequities.

Objective: This study examined the separate relationships between socio-economic disadvantage and the density of multiple types of food outlets, and relationships between socio-economic disadvantage and composite food environment indices. Design: Cross-sectional data were analysed using geospatial kernel density techniques. Food outlet data included convenience stores, discount stores, fast-food and fast casual restaurants, and grocery stores. Controlling for urbanicity and race/ethnicity, multivariate linear regression was used to examine the relationships between socio-economic disadvantage and density of food outlets. Setting: This study occurred in a large Southeastern US county containing 255 census block groups with a total population of 474 266, of which 77·1 % was Non-Hispanic White, the median household income was $48 886 and 15·0 % of residents lived below 125 % of the federal poverty line. Participants: The unit of analysis was block groups; all data about neighbourhood socio-economic disadvantage and food outlets were publicly available. Results: As block group socio-economic disadvantage increased, so too did access to all types of food outlets. The total food environment index, calculated as the ratio of unhealthy food outlets to all food outlets, decreased as block group disadvantage increased. Conclusions: Those who reside in more disadvantaged block groups have greater access to both healthy and unhealthy food outlets. The density of unhealthy establishments was greater in more disadvantaged areas; however, because of having greater access to grocery stores, disadvantaged populations have less obesogenic total food environments. Structural changes are needed to reduce access to unhealthy food outlets to ensure environmental injustice and reduce obesity risk.
Machine Learning Predicts the 3D Outcomes of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery Using Patient-Surgeon Specific Parameters.

Study design Retrospective descriptive, multicenter study. Objective The aim of this study was to predict the three-dimensional (3D) radiographic outcomes of the spinal surgery in a cohort of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) as a function preoperative spinal parameters and surgeon modifiable factors. Summary of background data Current guidelines for posterior spinal fusion surgery (PSF) in AIS patients are based on two-dimensional classification of the spinal curves. Despite the high success rate, the prediction of the 3D spinal alignment at the follow-ups remains inconclusive. A data-driven surgical decision-making method that determines the combination of the surgical procedures and preoperative patient specific parameters that leads to a specific 3D global spinal alignment outcomes at the follow-ups can lessen the burden of surgical planning and improve patient satisfaction by setting expectations prior to surgery. Methods A dataset of 371 AIS patients who underwent a PSF with two-year follow-up were included. Demographics, 2D radiographic spinal and pelvic measurements, clinical measurements of the trunk shape, and the surgical procedures were collected prospectively. A previously developed classification of the preoperative global 3D spinal alignment was used as an additional predictor. The 3D spinal alignment (vertebral positions and rotations) at two-year follow-up was used as the predicted outcome. An ensemble learner was used to predict the 3D spinal alignment at two-year follow-up as a function of the preoperative parameters with and without considering the surgeon modifiable factors. Results The preoperative and surgical factors predicted three clusters of 3D surgical outcomes with an accuracy of 75%. The prediction accuracy decreased to 64% when only preoperative factors, without the surgical factors, were used in the model. Predictor importance analysis determined that preoperative distal junctional kyphosis, pelvic sagittal parameters, end-instrumented vertebra (EIV) angulation and translation, and the preoperative 3D clusters are the most important patient-specific predictors of the outcomes. Three surgical factors, upper and lower instrumented vertebrae, and the operating surgeon, were important surgical predictors. The role of surgeon in achieving a certain outcome clusters for specific ranges of preoperative T10-L2 kyphosis, EIV angulation and translation, thoracic and lumbar flexibilities, and patient's height was significant. Conclusion Both preoperative patient-specific and surgeon modifiable parameters predicted the 3D global spinal alignment at two-year post PSF. Surgeon was determined as a predictor of the outcomes despite including 20 factors in the analysis that described the surgical moves. Methods to quantify the differences between the implemented surgeon modifiable factors are essential to improve outcome prediction in AIS spinal surgery.Level of Evidence: 3.
Verständigung unmöglich – was Dialog dennoch vermag

Was kann noch gesagt werden, wenn Argumente nicht mehr weiterfuhren? In einer solchen Sackgasse befindet sich Martin Buber in einem Religionsgesprach, das er im Jahr 1933 mit einem evangelischen Theologen fuhrt. Er versucht, zumindest ein gegenseitiges Verstehen zu erreichen und wechselt schlieslich von der Argumentation zur Meditation. Daraus lasst sich fur das mediative Vorgehen in festgefahrenen Konfliktsituationen lernen – und fur den Dialog der Religionen.
Protein blocking inhibits ambient degradation of self-assembled monolayers for affinity biosensing

Abstract The use of a simple protein blocking procedure prior to receptor functionalization is shown to inhibit the oxidation of carboxylic-acid-terminated thiolate self-assembled monolayers (COOH-SAMs) in ambient conditions. This finding has direct implications for the engineering and design of point-of-care and field affinity biosensors. While an abundance of label-free sensor systems utilizing COOH-SAM functional surfaces have been demonstrated, these layers degrade quickly in ambient conditions, severely limiting their shelf life. With gelatin blocking, no surface degradation is observed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy nor reductive desorption for 21 days, compared to observable degradation in only one day for an unblocked COOH-SAM. Additionally, unlike a traditional postblocking method that requires the sensor to first be functionalized with active receptor, this blocking procedure occurs directly after COOH-SAM formation and does not prevent the subsequent functionalization of the biosensor. These blocked sensors are shown to maintain surface-plasmon-resonance-based sensing performance for at least one week. Additionally, the blocking technique for degradation prevention is shown to even outperform COOH-SAM storage in N2.
Milwaukee and Parental Choice

In 1990, Annette “Polly” Williams, a single black mother and state legislator who represented what was then the 17th Assembly district in Milwaukee, led a successful effort in the to introduce and pass the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, a first of its kind initiative that legitimized parental choice and vouchers for low-income minority parents and others frustrated with the poor quality of the public schools. A broad and diverse group of stakeholders including middle-class liberals, low-income minorities, leadership within the black community, and other grassroots groups organized a coalition in support of drastic school reform that overhauled the existing structure and offered the poorest children in Milwaukee a chance at a different education through competition and choice. This effort, including resistance from the education establishment, is discussed.
Center Variability in Acute Rejection and Biliary Complications After Pediatric Liver Transplantation.

Transplant center performance and practice variation for pediatric post-liver transplantation (LT) outcomes other than survival are understudied. This was a retrospective cohort study of pediatric LT recipients who received transplants between January 1, 2006, and May 31, 2017, using United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data that were merged with the Pediatric Health Information System database. Center effects for the acute rejection rate at 1 year after LT (AR1) using UNOS coding and the biliary complication rate at 1 year after LT (BC1) using inpatient billing claims data were estimated by center-specific rescaled odds ratios that accounted for potential differences in recipient and donor characteristics. There were 2216 pediatric LT recipients at 24 freestanding children's hospitals in the United States during the study period. The median unadjusted center rate of AR1 was 36.92% (interquartile range [IQR], 22.36%-44.52%), whereas that of BC1 was 32.29% (IQR, 26.14%-40.44%). Accounting for recipient case mix and donor factors, 5/24 centers performed better than expected with regard to AR1, whereas 3/24 centers performed worse than expected. There was less heterogeneity across the center effects for BC1 than for AR1. There was no relationship observed between the center effects for AR1 or BC1 and center volume. Beyond recipient and allograft factors, differences in transplant center management are an important driver of center AR1 performance, and less so of BC1 performance. Further research is needed to identify the sources of variability so as to implement the most effective solutions to broadly enhance outcomes for pediatric LT recipients.
Motivations to buy organic food in emerging markets: An exploratory study of urban Indian millennials

Abstract A broad literature indicates two primary motives for consumers using organic food, a concern for health and a concern for the environment. Surprisingly, there is far less research examining the relationship between motivation and its principle antecedent, consumer perceptions of organic food. The purpose of this research is to explore the relative perceptual profiles of organic food consumers who buy out of concern for their health and for the environment, respectively. Organic food consumption in emerging markets is currently growing faster than it is in Western markets. We survey a set of urban Indian millennial organic food users as representative of organic food users in emerging markets generally, and as drivers of a burgeoning organic food market in India, which has a huge millennial population, to determine their relative perceptions of organic food in a multi-attributed manner, according to their primary reasons for buying and consuming it. These results confirm the primacy of health and environmental motives among urban Indian millennial organic food users, and show that those who buy organic food primarily for their health are pragmatic types mostly concerned about performance and utility, whereas, those who buy primarily to help the environment are social individuals mostly concerned about their appearance to others. Interestingly, results also indicate an inverse relationship between consumers’ attitude toward organic food and their intention to buy it, suggesting that those consumers who use organic food for health reasons have a greater affinity for organic food, but those consumers who use it for environmental reasons are less price sensitive and more prone to actually buying it. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
A mechanism for real-time decision making and system maintenance for resource constrained robotic systems through ReFrESH

Robot operating environments and the status of robots are complex and varying, so it is practically impossible for a robotics designer to anticipate all system configurations to successfully complete a task prior to deployment. Therefore, a mechanism for dynamic decision making and configuration synthesis that copes with system fault and uncertainty is necessary. This paper implements such a mechanism within a self-adaptive framework (ReFrESH). The goal of this presented mechanism is to provide diagnosability and maintainability to manage the system performance during task execution in the presence of unexpected uncertainties. Specifically, the functionality of the proposed mechanism include: (1) detection of system performance degradation; (2) diagnosis and locate of the fault module; (3) synthesis of feasible task configurations; (4) selection of the optimal one. We illustrate the feasibility of the proposed mechanism through a visual servoing task.
Using rapid freeze and freeze-substitution for the preparation of yeast cells for electron microscopy and three-dimensional analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the techniques used in rapid freeze and freeze-substitution for the preparation of yeast cells for electron microscopy and three-dimensional analysis. Rapid freezing and freeze-substitution of yeast cells for electron microscopy have been found to result in morphological preservation that is generally superior to that seen after chemical fixation. The accurate preservation of cellular structures depends in part on the speed with which cellular processes are stopped. Rapid freezing results in the almost instantaneous fixation of the cell, which in order of magnitude is faster than the time needed for chemical fixatives to diffuse into a cell and cross-link its components. A potential problem with cryofixation is the formation of ice crystals that distort the structure of the sample. This has been solved largely by employing rapid rates of cooling such that crystalline ice is not formed but rather intracellular water is vitrified. This has been achieved by plunging thin layers of cells into liquid ethane or propane, or by propane jet freezing. After freezing, the cells must be further fixed by freeze-substitution and then embedded in resin in preparation for viewing in the electron microscope. Freeze-substitution involves replacing the frozen water of the cell with an organic solvent at low temperature, thus avoiding the damaging effects of dehydration that occur at ambient temperature.
Caught in (or on) the Web: A Review of Course Management Systems for Legal Education

Like other teaching innovations, course management software has been somewhat slow to take hold in legal education. Yet, as law teachers, we cannot deny that our current students are children of a technological age that centers on electronic communication. Although there is a lack of empirical evidence strongly supporting the pedagogic case for the use of technology in law teaching, some of us in the law academy have ventured forth with the use of teaching technologies on the theory that the current demographics of the law student population demand our interaction with students on this basis. Course management systems are an easy way to bridge the technological gap between law teachers and law students without forcing law teachers to irrevocably alter the material they teach and the way in which they teach it. In that spirit, this article describes the way in which I have implemented Web-based course management in my law school course offerings and sets forth my perspectives on that experience. The article adds to existing literature by offering primary experiential observations that should be useful to others in law teaching - especially those who may not be familiar with course management systems.
Development of an algorithm to identify serious opioid toxicity in children

The use of opioids is increasing in children; therefore, opioid toxicity could be a public health problem in this vulnerable population. However, we are not aware of a published algorithm to identify cases of opioid toxicity in children using administrative databases. We sought to develop an algorithm to identify them. After review of literature and de-identified computer profiles, a broad set of ICD-9 CM codes consistent with serious opioid toxicity was selected. Based on these codes, we identified 195 potential cases of opioid toxicity in children enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid. Medical records were independently reviewed by two physicians; episodes considered equivocal were reviewed by an adjudication committee. Cases were adjudicated as Group 1 (definite/probable), Group 2 (possible), or Group 3 (excluded). Of the 195 potential cases, 168 (86.2%) had complete records for review and 85 were confirmed cases. The overall positive predictive value (PPV) for all codes was 50.6%. The PPV for codes indicating: unintentional opioid overdose (25/31) was 80.7%; intentional opioid overdose (15/30) was 50.0%, adverse events (33/58) was 56.9%, the presence of signs or symptoms compatible with opioid toxicity (12/47) was 25.5%, and no cases were confirmed in records from the two deaths. Of the confirmed cases, 65.8% were related to therapeutic opioid use. For studies utilizing administrative claims to quantify incidence of opioid toxicity in children, our findings suggest that use of a broad set of screening codes coupled with medical record review is important to increase the completeness of case ascertainment.