cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge-based support for the development of database-centered applications

Using the Application Development Toolkit (ADT) as an example, it is shown that by borrowing some techniques from the artificial-intelligence field, database-centered application-development productivity tools can be made more acceptable to end users and more useful to expert developers. Experience with ADT has indicated that a more end-user-oriented approach, and, in particular, more accommodating and application-oriented interface, is needed. A characteristic set of problems that are found in the class of productivity tools similar to ADT is presented. A series of possible improvements that shed some light on deficiencies in current state-of-the-art application-generation systems and productivity tools is suggested. >
Wide-Area Media Sharing with UPnP/DLNA

DLNA has defined schemes for interoperable content sharing between devices in a home network. In this paper we describe our architecture for extending UPnP and sharing content between devices using DLNA specified schemes across broadband wireless networks. The architecture relies only on end-points and does not require any service specific intelligence in network servers. We also describe how that same approach can also enable sharing between remote mobile devices and in-home off-the-shelf DLNA compatible devices.
Treatment of Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Regardless of age, patients with relapsed or refractory ALL have extremely poor outcomes. The success of re-induction chemotherapy remains dismal, as CR rates are low and seldom durable. Clearly, new strategies are needed in order to improve the outcome for patients with relapsed or refractory ALL. Patients with early relapse, especially those still receiving chemotherapy, tend to have a much poorer outcome and are often chemotherapy resistant. Although high-dose approaches may overcome chemotherapy resistance, long-term disease-free survival as well as overall survival (OS) remains limited. However, there is an increasing number of novel agents that are now available for patients with relapsed ALL. Hopefully, this will result in a significant improvement in the outcome of patients with relapsed ALL.
AN ISOTOPE CATALOGUE FOR INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVATION ANALYSIS. I.

This section of the catalogue is a continuation of the previous parts which have appeared in previous issues of this Journal.** This part lists the energies of ~-transitions of the isotopes listed in the previous parts of the catalogue, in the order of increasing energy. A brief explanation of the concept of the catalogue, its structure and applications, was published with the first part, and can be referred to if required.
cDNA Microarrays and Cutaneous Oncology

We have used cDNA arrays to investigate gene expression patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with leukemic forms of cutaneous T cell lymphoma, primarily Sezary syndrome (SS). When expression data for patients with high blood tumor burden (Sezary cells 60% of the lymphocytes) and healthy controls are compared by Student’s t test, at P .01, we find 385 genes to be differentially expressed. Highly overexpressed genes include Th2 cells-specific transcription factors Gata-3 and Jun B, as well as integrin beta1, proteoglycan 2, the RhoB oncogene, and dual specificity phosphatase 1. Highly underexpressed genes include CD26, Stat-4, and the IL-1 receptors. Message for plastin-T, not normally expressed in lymphoid tissue, is detected only in patient samples and may provide a new marker for diagnosis. Using penalized discriminant analysis, we have identified a panel of eight genes that can distinguish SS in patients with as few as 5% circulating tumor cells. This suggests that, even in early disease, Sezary cells produce chemokines and cytokines that induce an expression profile in the peripheral blood distinctive to SS. Finally, we show that using 10 genes, we can identify a class of patients who will succumb within six months of sampling regardless of their tumor burden.
Differentiation and evolution of the IVA meteorite parent body: Clues from pyroxene geochemistry in the Steinbach stony-iron meteorite

We analyzed the Steinbach IVA stony-iron meteorite using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), laser ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS), and modeling techniques. Different and sometimes adjacent low-Ca pyroxene grains have distinct compositions and evidently crystallized at different stages in a chemically evolving system prior to the solidification of metal and troilite. Early crystallizing pyroxene shows evidence for disequilibrium and formation under conditions of rapid cooling, producing clinobronzite and type 1 pyroxene rich in troilite and other inclusions. Subsequently, type 2 pyroxene crystallized over an extensive fractionation interval. Steinbach probably formed as a cumulate produced by extensive crystal fractionation (~6070% fractional crystallization) from a high-temperature (~1450-1490 °C) silicate-metallic magma. The inferred composition of the precursor magma is best modeled as having formed by ≥30-50% silicate partial melting of a chondritic protolith. If this protolith was similar to an LL chondrite (as implied by O-isotopic data), then olivine must have separated from the partial melt, and a substantial amount (~53-56%) of FeO must have been reduced in the silicate magma. A model of simultaneous endogenic heating and collisional disruption appears best able to explain the data for Steinbach and other IVA meteorites. Impact disruption occurred while the parent body was substantially molten, causing liquids to separate from solids and oxygen-bearing gas to vent to space, leading to a molten metal-rich body that was smaller than the original parent body and that solidified from the outside in. This model can simultaneously explain the characteristics of both stony-iron and iron IVA meteorites, including the apparent correlation between metal composition and metallographic cooling rate observed for metal.
Mechanisms of Inhibition of Aldosterone Secretion by Adrenocorticotropin

The mechanisms by which prolonged administration of ACTH causes a decrease in aldosterone secretion were studied in the rat. After 6 days of treatment with ACTH (2 U/day), blood corticosterone was elevated and plasma aldosterone was decreased in rats maintained on either a normal or low sodium diet. PRA was also decreased, probably secondary to increased sodium and/or fluid retention. In collagenase-dispersed glomerulosa cells from adrenals of ACTH-treated rats, angiotensin II receptors were markedly decreased, as were the in vitro aldosterone responses to angiotensin II, ACTH, 8- bromo-cAMP, and potassium. However, the production of deoxycorticosterone and precursor steroids was increased, indicating the presence of a block in the late aldosterone biosynthetic pathway. Measurement of the activity of biosynthetic enzymes of the steroidogenic pathway in isolated mitochondria revealed an 80% increase in side-chain cleavage enzyme in both glomerulosa and fasciculata mitochondria from ACTH treated rats. Altho...
Virions of Pariacoto virus contain a minor protein translated from the second AUG codon of the capsid protein open reading frame.

Virions of the alphanodavirus Pariacoto virus (PaV) have T=3 icosahedral symmetry and are assembled from multiple copies of a precursor protein that is cleaved into two mature capsid proteins after assembly. The crystal structure of PaV shows that the N-terminal similar to30 amino acid residues of the subunits surrounding the 5-fold axes interact extensively with icosahedrally ordered regions of the encapsidated positive-sense genomic RNAs. We found that wild-type PaV particles also contain a minor capsid protein that is truncated by 24 residues at its N terminus. Reverse genetic experiments showed that translation of this protein initiated at the second AUG of the capsid protein open reading frame. When either the longer or shorter version of the capsid protein was expressed independently of the other, it assembled into virus particles and underwent maturational cleavage. Virions that lacked the shorter capsid protein retained infectivity for cultured insect cells and Galleria mellonella larvae.
A Normative Model for Negotiations

Negotiations between a multinational corporation and a host government are considered for an international joint venture. Various negotiating behavior concepts that the two parties may use are discussed. The process of concession-making is formulated as a sequential decision problem, where each party has an opportunity for concession-making in alternating negotiation sessions, the magnitude of the concession depending on the current state of negotiations and the behavior concept being employed. A dynamic programming model is developed to yield normative recommendations as to concession-making. Numerical examples illustrating the model are presented.
Risk factors for a farm vehicle public road crash.

Driver, vehicle, public road, and farm enterprise characteristics were examined for their combined association with farm vehicle public road crash group membership. North Carolina farms experiencing a public road crash from 1992 to 2003 (n = 200) were compared with a non-crash control group (n = 185) for a 1:1 case:control ratio. Five characteristics were associated with increased odds of crash group membership in the combined model (likelihood ratio = 175.95; d.f. = 15; p < .001): use of non-English speaking drivers (OR = 3.71); use of non-family hired help drivers (OR = 4.25); types of non-farm vehicle public road use (OR = 1.39); farm injury history (OR = 1.33); and, use of younger farm vehicle drivers (OR = 1.02). Farms reporting older farm vehicle drivers (OR = 0.97), and low farm income (OR = 0.29) were less likely crash group members. Recommendations are discussed for incorporating findings into farm vehicle crash prevention research and interventions.
On the Analysis of Multi-Channel Neural Spike Data

Nonparametric Bayesian methods are developed for analysis of multi-channel spike-train data, with the feature learning and spike sorting performed jointly. The feature learning and sorting are performed simultaneously across all channels. Dictionary learning is implemented via the beta-Bernoulli process, with spike sorting performed via the dynamic hierarchical Dirichlet process (dHDP), with these two models coupled. The dHDP is augmented to eliminate refractory-period violations, it allows the "appearance" and "disappearance" of neurons over time, and it models smooth variation in the spike statistics.
Genetic and Antigenic Characterization of a Poxvirus Isolate from Ostriches

Avian poxvirus was isolated from nodules on the heads and conjunctiva of two 3-to-4-wk-old ostrich chicks. The ostriches from which poxvirus was isolated had been placed on premises where turkeys that had shown evidence of poxvirus infection had been raised earlier. Microscopically, the nodules from the ostriches were composed of proliferating and hypertrophic epithelial cells that formed large fronds. Most of the hypertrophic epithelial cells contained large eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies characteristic of poxvirus. Characterization of the avian poxvirus isolated from the cutaneous lesions in ostriches was based on western blotting of virus antigen, restriction fragment length polymorphism of genomic DNA, pathogenesis, and cross-protection studies in chickens. Antigenic and genetic studies did not reveal any significant difference between the poxvirus isolated from ostriches (PVO) and fowl poxvirus (FPV). Further, susceptible chickens immunized with the PVO were protected when challenged with a virulent strain of FPV. Thus, the poxvirus isolated from ostriches had similar antigenic, genetic, and biological properties to FPV.
Business Archives: A Corporate Asset

THERE WAS A TIME when business archives were a lovely bunch of cocoanuts* —nice things to have around, but nobody quite sure what to do with them. Now, they seem to have as many potential uses as the remarkably practical and profitable fruit of the coco palm —though both sometimes still look like the scourge of the earth. Business archives are coming of age as more and more companies reap the benefits of one of their most useful and inexpensive corporate assets. Time-worn documents, leather-bound ledgers, longforgotten cartons of administrative files and faded photographs are being dusted off and integrated with computer printouts, magnetic tapes, microforms and laser discs, to create information data bases potentially as powerful as any a corporation has at its disposal. In legal affairs, marketing, advertising, operations research, strategic planning, real property management, personnel matters, public relations, management education, as well as other areas of corporate activity, the impact of organized historical information systems, i.e., business archives with an information retrieval capacity, is being felt. And in the business world, the base line does not have to be very long. Anything older than about three months is history. In a way, it is ironic that the emergence of American business archives, which takes a long-term commitment from a corporation, albeit with a view of long-term gain, occurs at a time when many observers are bemoaning the myopic emphasis of modern American business organizations on short-term objectives. In their introduction to the massive, yet entertaining, Everybody's Business: An Almanac (billed by Harper & Row as "the irreverent guide to Corporate America"), editors Milton Moskowitz, Michael Katz and Robert
The Non-Obvious Problem: How the Indeterminate Nonobviousness Standard Produces Excessive Patent Grants

The dominant current perception in patent law is that the core requirement of nonobviousness is applied too leniently, resulting in a proliferation of patents on trivial inventions that actually retard technological innovation in the long run. This Article reveals that the common wisdom is only half correct. The nonobviousness standard is not too low, but both too high and too low. It is indeterminate. Three principal factors produce nonobviousness indeterminacy: a failure to identify the quantum of innovation necessary to satisfy the standard, a failure to define the baseline level of ordinary skill against which to measure an innovation, and the epistemic infeasibility of requiring a technologically lay decision maker to judge from the perspective of a more highly trained and educated person of ordinary skill in the art.This Article introduces a mathematical model of innovation and patenting to analyze the effects of nonobviousness indeterminacy. Based on the model, indeterminacy in nonobviousness decisions has several unexpected consequences. First, indeterminacy results in an excessive total number of patent grants, and in many patent grants on obvious inventions. Second, indeterminacy leads to too many patent applications on obvious inventions and too few applications on non-obvious inventions. Third, uncertainty causes more patent litigation than is optimal and leads to incorrect litigation outcomes. Fourth, indeterminacy leads to inefficiently low incentives to research and develop great advances, and excessively high incentives to invest in mundane innovation. All of these effects occur even assuming that decision makers apply the nonobviousness standard correctly on average.That many of the current patent system ills may result from indeterminacy rather than from too low a nonobviousness standard has significant consequences for the patent system and for current recommendations for reform. Perhaps most critically, arguments for raising (or lowering) the nonobviousness threshold, a mainstay of recent legal and economic analysis, may be somewhat inapposite, unless and until we can establish greater specificity in the standard. This Article concludes with several recommendations for improving determinacy in nonobviousness decisions, including differentiating nonobviousness analysis and developing a substantive nonobviousness standard.
Ignoring the Evidence Will Not Stop the Alzheimer's Disease/Diabetes Pandemic

The preceding commentary [1] makes important and valid points about the potential pitfalls of analyzing summary databases, particularly those representing changes in mortality rates over time. All databases are flawed because of imperfect and not entirely consistent means of data collection and time-dependent shifts in disease recognition. True, mortality rates are not the same as incidence or prevalence rates, but it is noteworthy that the prevalence rate of Alzheimer’s disease has increased over time, and, as there are no effective treatments or cures, survival has not significantly changed. Ergo, changes in mortality rates in this case reflect changes in prevalence. Another matter is that correlative data analyses can be flawed because of the simple fact that events and conditions may be correlated but this does not prove causality. For example, the finding that trends in mortality rates from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases increased along with consumption of certain foods and use of nitrate-containing fertilizers, although interesting, is open to debate regarding the relationships [2]. One could simply argue that those trends in mortality might have been due to increased exposure to computer games or cell phones. It is true that life expectancy in the US has increased over time, but for that very reason we analyzed the database by comparing mortality rates within specific age groups,
Etiology of Cancer

Cancer is a pathologic accumulation of clonally expanded cells derived from a common precursor. The fundamental cause of all cancers is genetic damage that is usually acquired but is sometimes congenital. In general, the genetic dysregulation that gives rise to uncontrolled cell proliferation results from either activation of growth-promoting oncogenes and/or deletion/inactivation of growth-inhibiting tumor suppressor genes. Additional contributions to carcinogenesis come from genes that regulate programmed cell death (apoptosis) and genes involved in DNA repair. The most widely accepted theory of cancer development is the Knudson “2-hit” hypothesis, which posits that a mutation in one predisposing gene is necessary but not sufficient for malignancy and that only after development of a second mutation will invasive cancer develop. In this chapter, we discuss the major categories of carcinogens and their role in the etiology of cancers with emphasis on common ophthalmic cancers.
THYROTOXICOSIS DUE TO ACUTE SUPPURATIVE THYROIDITIS IN A POSTPARTUM WOMAN

ABSTRACT Objective: Postpartum thyroiditis is usually painless, is typically accompanied by thyrotoxicosis, and has an autoimmune pathogenesis. Here we present a case of acute suppurative thyroiditis with thyrotoxicosis in a postpartum woman. Methods: The following is a case report with a review of the literature. Results: A 24-year-old female, 5 months postpartum, presented with neck pain, palpitations, and fevers for 2 weeks. One month prior to presentation, she was treated with amoxicillin and prednisone for strep throat, with persistent symptoms. Blood pressure was 141/86 mm Hg and heart rate was 135 beats per minute. Examination revealed thyromegaly with a palpable, tender left thyroid nodule. Labs revealed low thyroid stimulating hormone (0.13 μIU/mL), elevated free thyroxine (2.04 ng/dL), and leukocytosis. Thyroid antibodies were normal. Thyroid ultrasound revealed a 3.4-cm complex nodule found to be hypofunctioning on a technetium pertechnetate scan. Computerized tomography of her neck showed an e...
Non-DLVO silica interaction forces in NMP-water mixtures. I. A symmetric system.

Despite the success of DLVO theory, there exist numerous examples of interactions that do not follow its predictions. One prominent example is the interaction between hydrophilic surfaces in mixtures of water with another polar, associating solvent. Interactions of such surfaces are still poorly understood yet play a key role in a wide variety of processes in nature, biology, and industry. The interaction forces between a silica sphere and a glass plate in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)–water binary mixtures were measured using the AFM technique. The interactions in pure NMP and pure water agreed qualitatively with DLVO theory. In contrast, the addition of NMP to water drastically altered the interactions, which no longer followed DLVO predictions. An unusually strong, long-range (50–80 nm), multistepped attractive force was observed on the approach of hydrophilic surfaces in the NMP concentration range of 30–50 vol %, where the adhesive pull-off force was also maximized. The maximum attractive force was ob...
Wild and Cultivated Host Plants of Some Economically Important Aphids of Northern Iran

Until recently, little has been published about the biology of aphids affecting pulse crops in Iran, Kaiser and Danesh (1971a, b) showed that aphids are vectors of viruses that are injurious to these crops in Iran. However, before we can fully understand the insect vector and plant relationships, a study of the hosts of the aphids is needed. The purpose of the present study was to obtain information about the hosts of 3 economically important aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Aphis craccivora Koch, and Therioaphis trifolii (Monell), which may damage pulse crops by feeding or transmitting viruses.
Testicular Cancer: Risk Factors and the Role of Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

Advances in therapeutic results due to chemotherapy in metastatic non-seminomatous germinal cell tumors of the testes are stimulating investigations that assess the role of chemotherapy as an adjuvant to surgery and/or radiotherapy in early stages of disease. In current series, complete responses are obtained in 70-80% of patients with metastatic disease; the relapse rate is 15-20%. Toxicity is significant but acceptable. The current literature reveals that surgery and/or radiation to the periaortic lymph nodes for clinical Stage I disease results in a 2+ year disease-free survival rate of about 90%. For clinical Stage II disease, the rate is about 50%. Patients with non-seminomatous testicular carcinoma Stage II are at significant risk to develop distant metastases and are candidates for an intergroup protocol that randomizes patients to receive either adjuvant combination chemotherapy or combination chemotherapy at first recurrence. All patients with testicular cancer should be considered curable. This requires careful assessment and monitoring, and can best be approached in controlled clinical trials.
Nucleation and mechanical enhancements in polyethylene-graphene nanoplate composites

Abstract Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) dispersed in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were found to significantly enhance nucleation of PE crystallization, and thermal/mechanical properties of HDPE-GNP nanocomposites. Excellent dispersion of GNPs was achieved by combining solution blending and twin-screw extrusion homogenization. The dispersion state was confirmed by bimodal AFM and also by the resulting improvements in thermal, mechanical, and transport properties. The crystallization rates were shown to markedly increase at low GNP content (0.1 wt%) and continued to increase with GNP loading up to 15 wt%. The size of secondary structures, or spherulites, decreased with GNP loading. Smaller spherulite sizes and faster kinetics suggested enhanced nucleation with GNP addition. 30–40% reductions in permeability and up to 60% higher Young’s moduli were found in these HDPE-GNP nanocomposites. Restricted polyethylene mobility and enhanced thermal stability with increasing GNP loading were also indicated in these HDPE-GNP nanocomposites.
Associations between meal patterns, binge eating, and weight for Latinas.

Establishing a regular pattern of eating is a core element of treatment for binge eating, yet no research to date has examined meal patterns of Latina women. Objective Compare eating patterns of Latinas who binge eat and those who do not, and examine associations between meal patterns and binge episodes, associated distress and concerns, and body mass index (BMI). Method One-hundred fifty-five Latinas [65 Binge Eating Disorder (BED), 22 Bulimia Nervosa (BN), 68 with no eating disorder] were assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination. Results There were no significant differences in eating patterns between groups. Breakfast was the least and dinner the most consumed meal. For the BED group: greater frequency of lunch consumption was associated with higher BMI while more frequent evening snacking was associated with lower BMI and with less weight importance; more frequent breakfast consumption, mid-morning snack consumption and total meals were associated with greater distress regarding binge eating. For the BN group, evening snack frequency was associated with less dietary restriction and more weight and shape concern; total snack frequency was associated with more weight concern. Regular meal eaters reported more episodes of binge eating than those who did not eat meals regularly. Discussion Associations with meal patterns differed by eating disorder diagnosis. Study findings mostly are not consistent with results from prior research on primarily White women. CBT treatments may need to be tailored to address the association between binge eating and regular meal consumption for Latinas. Culturally, appropriate modifications that address traditional eating patterns should be considered. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016)
B-spline surfaces

The natural extension of the Bezier surface is the Cartesian product B-spline surface. This chapter analyzes nonrational B-spline surfaces. Nonrational B-spline surfaces are useful for describing sculptured surfaces, such as automobile bodies, aircraft, ships, or any surface where the fairness or smoothness of the surface is a design requirement. Nonrational B-spline surfaces are not quite as flexible as nonuniform rational B-spline surfaces (NURBS), which have additional degrees of freedom. Nonrational B-spline surfaces can only approximate the conic surfaces, whereas NURBS can reproduce them exactly. A nonrational Bezier surface is a special case of the nonrational B-spline surface. The shape and character of a B-spline surface is significantly influenced by knot vectors. Periodic B-spline surfaces are easily generated using periodic knot vectors to obtain periodic basis functions. The development of appropriate techniques for determining and visualizing the fairness or smoothness of surfaces is a fundamental concern in computer-aided design.
Isolation and Culture of Human Endometrial Epithelial Cells and Stromal Fibroblasts

Purification and culture of endometrial epithelial cells (eEC) and stromal fibroblasts (eSF) from endometrial biopsies allows for downstream cell-specific in vitro studies. The utility of this protocol is the ease with which cells are purified without contamination from unwanted cell types, and the ability to use patient-paired eEC and eSF in experiments. These methods have been previously published, but here the protocol has been updated for maximum efficiency.
The Role of AMPK in Drosophila melanogaster

In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, mono-allelic expression of AMPK-α, -β, and -γ yields a single heterotrimeric energy sensor that regulates cellular and whole-body energetic homeostasis. The genetic simplicity of Drosophila, with only a single gene for each subunit, makes the fruit fly an appealing organism for elucidating the effects of AMPK mutations on signaling pathways and phenotypes. In addition, Drosophila presents researchers with an opportunity to use straightforward genetic approaches to elucidate metabolic signaling pathways that contain a level of complexity similar to that observed in mammalian pathways. Just as in mammals, however, the regulatory realm of AMPK function extends beyond metabolic rates and lipid metabolism. Indeed, experiments using Drosophila have shown that AMPK may exert protective effects with regard to life span and neurodegeneration. This chapter addresses a few of the research areas in which Drosophila has been used to elucidate the physiological functions of AMPK. In doing so, this chapter provides a primer for basic Drosophila nomenclature, thereby eliminating a communication barrier that persists for AMPK researchers trained in mammalian genetics.
Detoxication, Excretion, and Physiologic Homeostasis

Animals develop both specific and nonspecific defenses following exposure to toxic materials, including metals and their compounds as well as natural toxins and organic toxicants. Psychic instinct and past painful reactions to these toxicants guide the animals to avoid reexposure to some toxic materials. Following oral ingestion, animals may expel toxicants by expectoration, vomiting, or purgation, which are primary physiologic responses to toxicants. If toxicants gain entry into their tissues and cells, animals attempt to detoxify these life-endangering substances by gene-controlled, special metabolic processes. Detoxication is the biochemical process of transforming a harmful substance into a less harmful substance. Such special metabolic processes are dormant in all species of animals and are activated immediately on exposure. When animals are exposed to a toxicant for the first time, the metabolic processes of detoxication are induced. If the chemical and biologic properties of the toxicants are similar to those of an essential metal, homeostatic mechanisms for essential nutrients are utilized in detoxication.
Comparison of silk fibroin electrospun scaffolds with poloxamer and honey additives for burn wound applications

A primary aim in wound-healing research is to construct an inexpensive, biodegradable dermal regeneration template with heightened moisture retention and permeability properties. The presence of moisture is important for optimal burn wound healing as it creates an environment for re-epithelialization and minimizes the risk of infections. Permeability can be achieved through a process known as electrospinning. This scaffold fabrication technique creates a mat of randomly oriented nanofibers that can readily mimic native extracellular matrix. Novel electrospun silk fibroin scaffolds were fabricated with poloxamer 407 (P407) and Manuka honey additives for a burn wound dermal regeneration template application. Enhanced human dermal fibroblast adhesion and cell infiltration were observed with the inclusion of P407, and scaffolds incorporated with Manuka honey demonstrated increased water uptake and a higher cell density within the scaffolds at the end of a 28-day period. Overall, this study established that bo...
Use of Integrative Medicine in the United States Military Health System

Integrative medicine (IM) is a model of care which uses both conventional and nonconventional therapies in a “whole person” approach to achieve optimum mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and environmental health, and is increasingly popular among patients and providers seeking to relieve chronic or multifactorial conditions. The US Department of Defense (DoD) shows particular interest in and usage of IM for managing chronic conditions including the signature “polytrauma triad” of chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among its beneficiaries in the Military Health System (MHS). These modalities range from conventional nondrug, nonsurgical options such as cognitive-behavioral therapy to nonconventional options such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and mind-body techniques. These are of particular interest for their potential to relieve symptoms without relying on opiates, which impair performance and show high potential for abuse while often failing to provide full relief. This review describes the use of IM in the MHS, including definitions of the model, common therapies and potential for use, and controversy surrounding the practice. More research is needed to build a comprehensive usage analysis, which in turn will inform sound clinical and financial practice for the MHS and its beneficiaries.
In Vivo and in Vitro Studies on the Interaction Between Cytochrome f and Plastocyanin in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The interaction between cytochrome f (cyt f) and plastocyanin (Pc) has been proposed to involve the recognition of their structurally highly conserved positively (Lys cluster) and negatively charged patches (Glu/Asp clusters), respectively [1-3]. Biochemical, biophysical, and molecular dynamics studies with the isolated proteins support the conclusion of a binding with electrostatic characteristics, perhaps complemented with hydrophobic ones, for refs. see [5,10]. In order to test the hypothesis in vivolin situ mutants of C. reinhardtii were prepared with altered electrical charge for Lys 58, 65, 66 (large domain) and 188, 189 (small domain) and the single-flash-induced photooxidation of cyt f was studied in intact cells and in permeabilized-by-nebulization cells.The ionic strength (I) dependence of the reaction was also measured. In order to explore the electrostatic nature of the binding (first step in the reaction), to distinguish the effect of I on the overall reaction, we used an affinity chromatography approach. We find that the in vitro binding studies point to an electrostatic effect, probably involving the electrical determinants of a specific patch in cyt f. In nebulized cells, neutralization/inversion of charges in the Lys cluster generate a clear but moderate (10 fold) inhibition of cyt f photooxidation and the reaction depends on I in a complex way. In intact cells the maximal inhibition is not higher than 2-3 fold. It is concluded that in vivo, the Lys cluster has no mandatory role in the reaction with Pc, in agreement with [10].
Atmospheric response to anomalous autumn surface forcing in the Arctic Basin

Data from four reanalyses are analyzed to evaluate the downstream atmospheric response both spatially and temporally to anomalous autumn surface forcing in the Arctic Basin. Running weekly mean skin temperature anomalies were classified using the self-organizing map algorithm. The resulting classes were used to both composite the initial atmospheric state and determine how the atmosphere evolves from this state. The strongest response was to anomalous forcing—positive skin temperature and total surface energy flux anomalies and reduced sea ice concentration—in the Barents and Kara Seas. Analysis of the evolution of the atmospheric state for 12 weeks after the initial forcing showed a persistence in the anomalies in this area which led to a buildup of heat in the atmosphere. This resulted in positive 1000–500 hPa thickness and high-pressure circulation anomalies in this area which were associated with cold air advection and temperatures over much of central and northern Asia. Evaluation of days with the opposite forcing (i.e., negative skin temperature anomalies and increased sea ice concentration in the Barents and Kara Seas) showed a mirrored, opposite downstream atmospheric response. Other patterns with positive skin temperature anomalies in the Arctic Basin did not show the same response most likely because the anomalies were not as strong nor did they persist for as many weeks following the initial forcing.
Predictors of Moral Distress in a US Sample of Critical Care Nurses.

Background Moral distress in registered nurses causes decreased job satisfaction, turnover in staffing, burnout, and heightened states of psychological distress. To date, investigation of modifiable factors, such as perceptions of the practice environment and patient safety, among a diverse sample of critical care nurses has been limited. Objective To explore the relationships among the severity of moral distress, the practice environment, and patient safety in a national sample of critical care nurses. Methods Critical care nurses experienced in working with adults (> 1 year of intensive care unit experience) and who were subscribers to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses' e-mail listserv and social media sites anonymously participated in this descriptive study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Moral Distress Scale-Revised, and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation coefficients, and a hierarchical regression analysis were used to describe the sample characteristics and to assess relationships among the study variables. Results Of a national sample of 328 critical care nurses, 56% had less than 20 years of experience as a registered nurse. Moral distress was modestly associated with negative perceptions of the practice environment and patient safety. Job satisfaction, practice environment, and the participant's age were statistically significant predictors of moral distress in this sample. Conclusions Modifications of organizational factors such as the development of healthy work environments that promote collegial relationships could reduce moral distress among critical care nurses.
Relational citizenship: Examining Taiwanese membership development through immigrant framing in public discourses

ABSTRACTThis essay unpacks how new immigrants and citizenship are framed in public discourse in Taiwan. Since the 1980s, Taiwan has experienced significant demographic changes. As a postcolonial, neoliberal capitalist democracy, imbued with Confucianism and collective interests, Taiwan provides an intriguing case for study. Through analyzing discourses of new immigrants, relational citizenship emerged as a strategy to anchor and authenticate membership in Taiwan. This challenges discussions on belongingness beyond the language of law, economics, and humanitarianism, to address interactions that occur between citizens and im/migrants as interdependent and relational partners. Although the concept of relational citizenship is culturally specific, it may also be applied to other societies and contexts.
It’s About Time: Advancing Theories and Methods of Dynamic Research

Theory is developed to explain complex and dynamic phenomena, but many widely used methodological approaches measure static relationships and struggle to truly capture the dynamic nature of these p...
Ultimate Hope and Fundamental Hope: Preliminary Characterization

Our first brush with ultimate hope comes when we notice that some hopes are deeper, more important, more comprehensive, more heartfelt, than others. The comparative degree is what we notice, but the superlative degree is what is decisive for the core element in describing ultimate hope. Ultimate hope is one’s highest, one’s deepest hope. I hope for something with all my heart; my hope is for this more than anything else in the world — such is its language. Yet language may be lacking: my deepest hope may be too deep for words. Indeed it may be too deep for me even to recognize it.
A convolutional neural network-based screening tool for X-ray serial crystallography

A new tool is introduced for screening macromolecular X-ray crystallography diffraction images produced at an X-ray free-electron laser light source. Based on a data-driven deep learning approach, the proposed tool executes a convolutional neural network to detect Bragg spots. Automatic image processing algorithms described can enable the classification of large data sets, acquired under realistic conditions consisting of noisy data with experimental artifacts. Outcomes are compared for different data regimes, including samples from multiple instruments and differing amounts of training data for neural network optimization.
The influence of land cover on the sensitivity of streams to metal pollution.

Abstract Identifying freshwater systems that are at risk from anthropogenic stressors is a pressing management problem. In particular, the detection of metal pollution is often constrained by data availability and resources. To address this challenge and develop a tool to identify susceptible systems, we tested whether land cover could be predictive of stream sensitivity to metal pollution, as determined by the biotic ligand model (BLM). We used water chemistry data from the conterminous United States to estimate metal sensitivity in streams using two BLMs (i.e., HydoQual, Bio-Met). Subsequently, we combined the sensitivity estimates with land cover and physiochemical data from the GAGES-II database to build predictive models of sensitivity to metals in streams. When combined, our predictor variables (e.g., land cover, mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation) generally explained about half of the variation in our dataset. In each model, the percent of wetlands in a watershed was strongly correlated with reduced sensitivity to metals, likely due to increased concentrations of dissolved organic carbon associated with wetlands. To validate the utility of the models, we used them to predict metal sensitivity in sites where metal concentrations had been collected, but where the full suite of BLM parameters were unknown. We were able to classify several hundred sites which are likely at risk to metal pollution. Our work highlights the value in considering metal toxicity at the landscape-scale and describes a new approach to estimate metal sensitivity when site-specific chemical parameters are unknown.
Expression of Multiple Proteins within Single Primary Cortical Neurons Using a Replication Deficient HSV Vector

The study of protein-protein interactions in the nervous system has become dependent on the ability to express foreign proteins (or to overexpress endogenous proteins) within neurons. Often, multiple genes need to be overexpressed in the same cell. To investigate the simultaneous co-expression of more than one virally introduced gene in primary cortical neurons, we infected cultures with two different herpes simplex virus (HSV) vectors and analyzed the proportion of singly and doubly infected cells. The vast majority of neurons expressed both gene products, with a smaller number expressing one or the other protein alone. Increasing the quantity of virus caused an increase in the proportion of doubly labeled cells at the expense of singly labeled cells, which is consistent with a model in which infection with one viral vector is independent of infection with the other. We conclude that co-infection with HSV vectors is an efficient way to obtain expression of multiple gene products within individual primary...
The Relationship Between Lumbar Lateral Listhesis and Radiculopathy in Adult Scoliosis.

Study Design.Retrospective review and prospective validation study.Objective.To develop a classification system of lumbar lateral listhesis that suggests different likelihoods of having radiculopathy in adult scoliosis.Summary of Background Data.The association of lumbar lateral listhesis with radic
A Functional Analysis of Criminal Law

The criminal law has three primary functions. First, it must define and announce the conduct that is prohibited (or required) by the criminal law. Such rules of conduct, as they have been called, provide ex ante direction to members of the community as to the conduct that must be avoided (or that must be performed) upon pain of criminal sanction. This may be termed the rule articulation function of the doctrine. When a violation of the rules of conduct occurs, the criminal law takes on a different role. It must decide whether the violation merits criminal liability. This second function, setting the minimum conditions for liability, marks the shift from prohibition to adjudication. It typically assesses ex post whether the violation is sufficiently blameworthy to warrant the condemnation of conviction. Finally, where liability is to be imposed, criminal law doctrine must assess the relative seriousness of the offense, usually a function of the relative blameworthiness of the offender. This sets, in a general sense, the amount of punishment that is to be imposed. While the first step in the adjudication process, the liability function, requires a simple yes or no decision as to whether the minimum conditions for liability are satisfied, this second step, the grading function, requires judgments of degree. It must consider such factors as the relative harmfulness of the violation and the level of culpability of the actor. This Article argues that these three primary functions of criminal law - rule articulation, liability assignment, and grading - are a useful way in which to analyze and organize criminal law doctrine. Modern criminal codes commonly acknowledge that criminal law serves each of these three functions. However, these same codes fail to see that a given code provision may serve one function but not another; the entire undifferentiated code is seen as serving these functions together.
Atomic-scale modeling toward enabling models of surface nanostructure formation in plasma-facing materials

Designing plasma-facing components (PFCs) that can tolerate the extreme heat and particle flux exposure conditions inside a fusion reactor core is one of the major obstacles toward the practical realization of nuclear fusion. In this article, atomic-scale simulation findings are reviewed that provide a fundamental understanding of the dynamical response of tungsten, an important PFC material, to reactor-relevant plasma exposure conditions leading to helium implantation. This hierarchy of simulations include molecular-statics computations to establish helium-surface interaction energetics and the origin of helium segregation on tungsten surfaces, targeted molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of near-surface helium cluster reactions, and large-scale MD simulations of implanted helium evolution in plasma-exposed tungsten conducted in leadership-scale computing facilities. The simulations reveal that cluster-surface elastic interactions induce drift fluxes of small mobile helium clusters in the tungsten toward the plasma-exposed tungsten surface, which facilitate helium segregation on the surface and activate cluster reactions, most importantly trap mutation, which generates a flux of self-interstitial tungsten atoms to the surface. Such near-surface cluster dynamics has significant effects on PFC surface morphological evolution, near-surface defect structure formation, especially the nucleation and growth of helium nanobubbles, and the amount of helium retained in the PFC material upon plasma exposure. The above mechanistic understanding enables the development of atomistically-informed coarse-grained models of surface nanostructure formation in PFC materials, a crucial step toward predicting PFC surface degradation and improving PFC operating lifetime and reactor performance.
NOx Minimization in Staged Combustion Using Rich Premixed Flame in Porous Media

Two-stage combustion of methane/air is studied experimentally and numerically with a focus on achieving ultralow NOx emissions. The primary flame is a rich premixed flame in the porous medium. The ...