cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ringworm of the hands and feet.

Fundamentals of fungous infections of the hands and feet are discussed and illustrative photographs reproduced. The importance of establishing a correct diagnosis is emphasized, as well as the need for utilizing microscopic preparations and cultures before any treatment is undertaken.
Response to Robert John Russell's Review of Entangled God

I want to begin by thanking the editors of Theology and Science for inviting me to respond to Russell's review of my book, The Entangled God. His assessment is careful and comprehensive, and I am g...
Discovery of New Infectious Diseases — Bartonella Species

The spectrum of clinical illness varies with the bartonella species causing the infection, but even among patients infected with the same species, the clinical features can be surprisingly variable...
Design and Analysis of a Coarse Sun Sensor for Pico-Satellites

A testbed for quantifying the accuracy of a coarse Sun sensing system composed of analog sensors was constructed. The system is intended for pico-satellites requiring coarse attitude determination. Approach and results of the rst iteration of the testbed are discussed. The testbed exposed some of the complications which arise from using analog sensors, specically sensor prole, calibration, and saturation issues.
Cyclic AMP efflux inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for leukemia

// Dominique R. Perez 1,2,3 , Yelena Smagley 1,2 , Matthew Garcia 1,2 , Mark B. Carter 1,2 , Annette Evangelisti 1,2,3 , Ksenia Matlawska-Wasowska 1,4 , Stuart S. Winter 1,4 , Larry A. Sklar 1,2,3 and Alexandre Chigaev 1,2,3 1 University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA 2 University of New Mexico Center for Molecular Discovery, Albuquerque, NM, USA 3 Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA 4 Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA Correspondence to: Alexandre Chigaev, email: // Keywords : cyclic AMP, drug repurposing, efflux, evasion of apoptosis, leukemia Received : April 14, 2016 Accepted : April 16, 2016 Published : April 25, 2016 Abstract Apoptotic evasion is a hallmark of cancer. We propose that some cancers may evade cell death by regulating 3’-5’-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which is associated with pro-apoptotic signaling. We hypothesize that leukemic cells possess mechanisms that efflux cAMP from the cytoplasm, thus protecting them from apoptosis. Accordingly, cAMP efflux inhibition should result in: cAMP accumulation, activation of cAMP-dependent downstream signaling, viability loss, and apoptosis. We developed a novel assay to assess cAMP efflux and performed screens to identify inhibitors. In an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) model, several identified compounds reduced cAMP efflux, appropriately modulated pathways that are responsive to cAMP elevation (cAMP-responsive element-binding protein phosphorylation, and deactivation of Very Late Antigen-4 integrin), and induced mitochondrial depolarization and caspase activation. Blocking adenylyl cyclase activity was sufficient to reduce effects of the most potent compounds. These compounds also decreased cAMP efflux and viability of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) cell lines and primary patient samples, but not of normal primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our data suggest that cAMP efflux is a functional feature that could be therapeutically targeted in leukemia. Furthermore, because some of the identified drugs are currently used for treating other illnesses, this work creates an opportunity for repurposing.
Perceived and geographic food access and food security status among households with children.

Objective To examine the association of both perceived and geographic neighbourhood food access with food security status among households with children. Design This was a cross-sectional study in which participants' perceptions of neighbourhood food access were assessed by a standard survey instrument, and geographic food access was evaluated by distance to the nearest supermarket. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine the associations. Subjects The Midlands Family Study included 544 households with children in eight counties in South Carolina, USA. Food security status among participants was classified into three categories: food secure (FS), food insecure (FI) and very low food security among children (VLFS-C). Results Compared with FS households, VLFS-C households had lower odds of reporting easy access to adequate food shopping. VLFS-C households also had lower odds of reporting neighbourhood access to affordable fruits and vegetables compared with FS households and reported worse selection of fruits and vegetables, quality of fruits and vegetables, and selection of low-fat products. FI households had lower odds of reporting fewer opportunities to purchase fast food. None of the geographic access measures was significantly associated with food security status. Conclusions Caregivers with children who experienced hunger perceived that they had less access to healthy affordable food in their community, even though grocery stores were present. Approaches to improve perceived access to healthy affordable food should be considered as part of the overall approach to improving food security and eliminating child hunger.
Ancient Femal Spreading: From the Most Respeted to the Most Despised

Female spreading is one of the binary factors of human spreading. Female spreading in China's history has ever experienced ups and downs, from the most respected in matrilineal society to the most despised in fudal cociety. Anyway, all has become the guide of upcoming female liberation movement.
Hedgehog Pathway in Pediatric Cancers: They're Not Just for Brain Tumors Anymore.

Overview:The Hedgehog (HH) pathway regulates fundamental processes in embryonic development, including stem cell maintenance, cell differentiation, tissue polarity, and cell proliferation. In the v...
Uncovering freedom: a story of empowerment

This article tells the story of a woman suffering from food anxiety and unintentional weight loss and how shifting to an empowerment-based model of care led her onto a path of health and healing.
Gastrointestinal manifestations of HIV infection.

SUMMARY Gastrointestinal symptoms are pervasive in patients with AIDS. Organspecific symptoms, particularly dysphagia, postprandial emesis, hemateme- sis, biliary colic, increasing abdominal girth, and small volume diarrhea, are usually easy to diagnose definitively and may respond to specific therapy. Thorough invasive and noninvasive investigation is warranted.
Rubidium MOT and Experimental Procedures

In order to realise the Raman system described in the previous chapter, we require an ultracold sample of rubidium atoms isolated from their environment, and a means to prepare and measure their internal state before and after the Raman pulses are applied. As in most cold atom labs, the starting point is the magneto-optical trap (MOT) [1]. The MOT, a three-dimensional arrangement of counter-propagating laser beams converging on the zero-point of a quadrupole magnetic field, achieves confinement and cooling of atoms via position- and velocity-dependent absorption of photons. With the MOT in place, atomic state preparation and detection is performed by optical pumping.
The 1990s in Context: A History of Black Women in American Politics

The emergence of the women’s movement was untimely for Black women in general, but for a select group it was relevant. Black women, who had largely been left out of Civil Rights politics and, especially, leadership, hoped, if only briefly, that they would be able to stake a place within the women’s movement where they could promote their concerns as people who were both female and Black. As this chapter will demonstrate, that hope was both heady and intense, though short-lived. The second section of this book compares the ideological positions and political agendas of the Black women who were appointed to the Fourth Consultation of President John F. Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) to those of the National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) and the Combahee River Collective (CRC). By examining the ideological and political perspectives of these three Black women’s groups, the evolution of Black feminism from 1961 to 1980 can be documented.
Synthesis of stable and metastable phases in the NiSi system by mechanical alloying

Abstract Mechanical alloying (MA) of Ni Si elemental powder blends was undertaken to synthesize the NiSi and NiSi 2 compounds having a very narrow homogeneity range, a difficult situation to achieve by conventional melting and solidification methods. Elemental powder blends corresponding to Ni 75 at.% Si and Ni 80 at.% Si compositions, were subjected to MA in a high-energy SPEX shaker mill to study phase evolution as a function of milling time. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques were used to characterize the phases present in the as-milled powders. It was noted that a supersaturated solid solution had formed in the early stages of milling containing up to 18.2 at.% Si and 20.5 at.% Si in the Ni 75 at.% Si and Ni 80 at.% Si blends, respectively. After 2 h of milling, the equilibrium intermetallic NiSi phase started to form, and its amount increased with increasing milling time. On continued milling for about 4 h, the NiSi phase that had formed earlier and the remaining free Si powder reacted to form the equilibrium intermetallic NiSi 2 phase. Although, under equilibrium conditions, a mixture of both NiSi 2 and Si phases is expected to be present in both the Ni 75 at.% Si and Ni 80 at.% Si compositions investigated, only the NiSi 2 phase was present in both the powder blends after 15 h of milling. This constitution in the milled powder has been associated with a partial loss of Si content during milling of the powder blends, confirmed by EDS analyses. Reasons for the observed formation of supersaturated solid solutions and the increased homogeneity range for the NiSi 2 intermetallic have been explained.
Underserved Patients Seeking Care for Ventral Hernias at a Safety Net Hospital: Impact on Quality of Life and Expectations of Treatment

Background The purpose of this study was to identify issues important to patients in their decision-making, expectations, and satisfaction when seeking treatment for a ventral hernia. Study Design An exploratory qualitative study was conducted of adult patients with ventral hernias seeking care at a safety-net hospital. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with each patient: before and 6 months after surgical consultation. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded using latent content analysis until data saturation was achieved. Results Of patients completing an initial interview (n = 30), 27 (90%) completed follow-up interviews. Half of the patients were Spanish-speaking, one-third had a previous ventral hernia repair, and two-thirds underwent initial nonoperative management after surgical consultation. Patient-described factors guiding management decisions included impact on quality of life, primarily pain and limited function; overwhelming challenges to meeting surgical criteria, primarily obesity; and assuming responsibility to avoid recurrence. Patients were uninformed regarding potential poor outcomes and contributing factors, even among patients with a previous ventral hernia repair, with most attributing recurrence to inadequate self-management. Conclusions Understanding patients' perspective is crucial to engaging them as stakeholders in their care, addressing their concerns, and improving clinical and patient-centered outcomes. Patient reports suggest how care can be improved through developing more effective strategies for addressing patients' concerns during nonoperative management, preoperative risk reduction strategies that are sensitive to their sociodemographic characteristics, treatment plans that harness patients' willingness for self-management, and patient education and decision-making tools.
Tobacco industry use of flavourings to promote smokeless tobacco products.

Background While fruit, candy and alcohol characterising flavours are not allowed in cigarettes in the USA, other flavoured tobacco products such as smokeless tobacco (ST) continue to be sold. We investigated tobacco manufacturers9 use of flavoured additives in ST products, the target audience(s) for flavoured products, and marketing strategies promoting products by emphasising their flavour. Methods Qualitative analysis of internal tobacco industry documents triangulated with data from national newspaper articles, trade press and internet. Results Internally, flavoured products have been consistently associated with young and inexperienced tobacco users. Internal studies confirmed that candy-like sweeter milder flavours (eg, mint, fruit) could increase appeal to starters by evoking a perception of mildness, blinding the strong tobacco taste and unpleasant mouth feel; or by modifying nicotine delivery by affecting product pH. Discussion Similar to cigarettes, flavoured ST is likely to encourage novices to start using tobacco, and regulations limiting or eliminating flavours in cigarettes should be extended to include flavoured ST products.
Variable Cold-Induced Brown Adipose Tissue Response to Thyroid Hormone Status

Background: In addition to its role in adaptive thermogenesis, brown adipose tissue (BAT) may protect from weight gain, insulin resistance/diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Prior studies have shown contradictory results regarding the influence of thyroid hormone (TH) levels on BAT volume and activity. The aim of this pilot study was to gain further insights regarding the effect of TH treatment on BAT function in adult humans by evaluating the BAT mass and activity prospectively in six patients, first in the hypothyroid and then in the thyrotoxic phase. Methods: The study subjects underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning after cold exposure to measure BAT mass and activity while undergoing treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer, first while hypothyroid following TH withdrawal at the time of the radioactive iodine treatment and then three to six months after starting TH suppressive treatment when they were iatrogenically thyrotoxic. Thermogenic...
Water Deficiency Versus Water Excess: Global Management Potential

The availability of water, in liquid form, is one of the essential metabolic requirements for almost all forms of life, from the simplest unicelled organism up to the human race. Unlike other creatures, however, human being have the intellectual capacity to utilize far more water than is required for mere survival, and dedicates this excess to various purposes relating to such things as personal comforts (e.g. air conditioning), hygiene (e.g. washing, bathing), industrial processes (e.g. paper manufacture, food preparation, mining operations, petrochemicals), agriculture (e.g. irrigation and livestock watering), and hydropower (e.g. electricity production).
Toward Addressing the African Condition: The Lessons

This chapter concludes the volume with the mapping of some of the ways in which the African condition could be addressed. Using the democratic reconstitution of the state as the pivot, the chapter argues that since the state in Africa is the arena of struggle, its portrait has a serious impact on the various activities that occur within an African country. Hence, a human centered state that is anchored on real democracy that entails such things as popular empowerment, the restructuring of power relations within the government and the broader society and its various forces—class, gender, ethnic, region and religion—would provide a firm foundation for tackling the various challenges that are confronting the continent.
Giving the question away

Comment on Jones, Graham M. 2017. Magic’s reason: An anthropology of analogy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
CLEO Results From Υ Decays

Decays of the narrow Υ resonances have been studied with the CLEO‐III detector. Among other things, inclusive photon spectra in Υ(2S) and Υ(3S) decays using a large statistics data sample have been obtained. The most precise measurements of electric dipole (E1) photon transition rates and photon energies for Υ(2S) → γχbJ(1P) and Υ(3S) → γχbJ(2P) (J = 0, 1, 2) are presented. The rare E1 transition Υ(3S) → γχb0(1P) has been measured for the first time.
Intermetallic Compounds in R.E.(Al,Ga)2 and R.E.(Cu,Ga)2 Alloys

A series of alloys were made ranging from R.E.Al2 to R.E.Ga2, in which R.E. includes all trivalent rare earths and Ce. The only ternary compound has the CeCd2-type structure instead of the AlB2-type reported earlier. The unit cell constants and composition ranges of the ternary compounds were measured.
Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials in Thermal Management Applications: Further Efforts Are Needed to Achieve Full Potential and Wider Realization

Recently, two-dimensional (2-D) nanomaterials, especially graphene and boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS ), have received extensive attention in the area of thermal management due to their ultrahigh thermal conductivity. This article reviews chemical and electronic structure, thermal properties, and preparation and functionalization methods of graphene and BNNS as well as their potential applications as thermal interface materials (TIM s) and phase-change materials (PCM s). The advantages and disadvantages of incorporating graphene and BNNS into conventional polymeric and metallic materials in the context of thermal management are also discussed. Finally, the grand challenges in wider implementation of these 2-D nanomaterials in current electronic devices and systems is put into perspective
Application of a Graphical Model to Investigate the Utility of Cross-Channel Information for Mitigating Reverberation in Cochlear Implants

Individuals with cochlear implants (CIs) experience more difficulty understanding speech in reverberant environments than normal hearing listeners. As a result, recent research has targeted mitigating the effects of late reverberant signal reflections in CIs by using a machine learning approach to detect and delete affected segments in the CI stimulus pattern. Previous work has trained electrode-specific classification models to mitigate late reverberant signal reflections based on features extracted from only the acoustic activity within the electrode of interest. Since adjacent CI electrodes tend to be activated concurrently during speech, we hypothesized that incorporating additional information from the other electrode channels, termed cross-channel information, as features could improve classification performance. Cross-channel information extracted in real-world conditions will likely contain errors that will impact classification performance. To simulate extracting cross-channel information in realistic conditions, we developed a graphical model based on the Ising model to systematically introduce errors to specific types of cross-channel information. The Ising-like model allows us to add errors while maintaining the important geometric information contained in cross-channel information, which is due to the spectro-temporal structure of speech. Results suggest the potential utility of leveraging cross-channel information to improve the performance of the reverberation mitigation algorithm from the baseline channel-based features, even when the cross-channel information contains errors.
Lateral and vertical heterostructures in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides [Invited]

Heterostructures (HSs) of two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer a plethora of opportunities in materials science, condensed-matter physics, and device engineering. The out-of-plane van der Waals interaction of 2D TMDs with surrounding environments enables the synthesis of HSs on virtually any substrate. This unmatched quality gives TMD HSs a superior edge in applications such as flexible optoelectronics in which III-V HSs are still struggling with lattice-mismatch issues. 2D TMDs can be vertically stacked or lateral stitched to form vertical (i.e., out-of-plane) or lateral (i.e., in-plane) heterojunctions, respectively. Motivated by the critical impact of synthesis methods on the progress of this field, in this article, we have reviewed the state-of-the-art synthesis techniques employed for the creation of lateral and vertical junctions between heterogenous TMD films. At the end of this article, we have also briefly reviewed the spectroscopic characterization of TMD heterojunctions.
Apc -related models of intestinal neoplasia: a brief review for pathologists

Rodent models of intestinal cancer are widely used as preclinical models for human colorectal carcinoma and have proven useful in many experimental contexts, including elucidation of basic pathways of carcinogenesis and in chemoprevention studies. One of the earliest genetically engineered mouse models of intestinal cancer is the ApcMin/+ mouse, which has been used for over 25 years. This model carriers a mutation in the Apc gene, which is responsible for the inherited colon cancer syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis coli, in humans. In this review, we discuss the pathologic features of ApcMin/+-type intestinal adenomas and carcinomas, and compare them to the analogous human lesions. Pitfalls of assessment of histopathology of the mouse such as non-invasive mucosal herniation in prolapse are also described.
Purine and Pyrimidine Nucleotide Concentrations in Cells with Decreased Hypoxanthine-Guanine-Phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) Activity

Severe and partial deficiency of the enzyme Hypoxanthineguanine-phosphoribosyl-transferase (HGPRT) (EC.2.4.2.8.) is associated with accelerated rates of purine biosynthesis de novo, both in vivo (1,2,3) and in cultured skin fibroblasts (4,5) and lymphoblasts (6) from patients with these diseases. Although the biochemical basis for this accelerated de novo purine biosynthesis has been attributed to elevated intracellular levels of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PP-ribose-P) both in fibroblasts (4) and lymphoblasts (6,7) recent in vitro experiments with the enzyme amidophosphoribosyltransferase (EC.2.4.2.14) have re-emphasised the potential regulatory role of purine ribonucleotides as feedback inhibitors at this first, and presumed rate limiting step in the de novo pathway ; the activity and physical properties of the enzyme being controlled by a critical interaction of PP-ribose-P and purine ribonucleotides (8). In an effort to investigate the role of purine ribonucleotides in the regulation of de novo purine biosynthesis in living human cells deficient in HGPRT, intracellular ribonucleotide concentrations have been measured in HGPRT− human lymphoblasts, fibroblasts and erythrocytes and in appropriate HGPRT+ controls.
Acute anterior open bite: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract Acute malocclusion outside the setting of macrotrauma is rare and therefore difficult to manage. Although some cases of acute malocclusion have been reported in the literature, to the authors' knowledge, there has been only one report of an acute anterior open bite. The authors review the current literature on acute malocclusion, with a focus on anterior open bite. A case of an acute-onset anterior open bite is reported, where a systematic workup with an emphasis on patient function is performed to narrow the differential diagnosis to one of an intra-articular etiology. Arthroscopic lysis and lavage with maxillomandibular fixation was performed to achieve restoration of the permorbid occlusion, which was maintained for at least 1 year.
Multifractal Characterization of Seismic Activity in the Provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabí, Ecuador

Due to the enormous impact of the seismic activity and the need to deepen more in the detailed knowledge of its behaviour, this research work describe an analysis of the multifractal nature of the magnitude, inter-distance and interevent time series of the earthquakes that occurred at the provinces of Manabi and Esmeraldas in Ecuador, during the years 2011-2017, which is an area with a high seismic activity. For this study the Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis or (MF-DFA) has been used, which allows the detection of multifractality in non-stationary series as well as a series of parameters of non-linear characterization. The obtained results revealed that the interevent time series presents the higher degree of multifractality than the two previously mentioned. In addition, the Hurst exponent values were in a non-proportional function to (q), which is a weight value indicating the multifractal behaviour of the dynamics of the earthquakes analysed in this work. Finally, several multifractal parameters were calculated resulting that all the series were skewed to the right which reflects that small variations in the series are more dominant than large fluctuations.
Platelet regulation of myeloid suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 accelerates atherosclerosis

Platelets are best known as mediators of hemostasis and thrombosis; however, their inflammatory effector properties are increasingly recognized. Atherosclerosis, a chronic vascular inflammatory disease, represents the interplay between lipid deposition in the artery wall and unresolved inflammation. Here, we reveal that platelets induce monocyte migration and recruitment into atherosclerotic plaques, resulting in plaque platelet-macrophage aggregates. In Ldlr−/− mice fed a Western diet, platelet depletion decreased plaque size and necrotic area and attenuated macrophage accumulation. Platelets drive atherogenesis by skewing plaque macrophages to an inflammatory phenotype, increasing myeloid suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) expression and reducing the Socs1:Socs3 ratio. Platelet-induced Socs3 expression regulates plaque macrophage reprogramming by promoting inflammatory cytokine production (Il6, Il1b, and Tnfa) and impairing phagocytic capacity, dysfunctions that contribute to unresolved inflammation and sustained plaque growth. Translating our data to humans with cardiovascular disease, we found that women with, versus without, myocardial infarction have up-regulation of SOCS3, lower SOCS1:SOCS3, and increased monocyte-platelet aggregate. A second cohort of patients with lower extremity atherosclerosis demonstrated that SOCS3 and the SOCS1:SOCS3 ratio correlated with platelet activity and inflammation. Collectively, these data provide a causative link between platelet-mediated myeloid inflammation and dysfunction, SOCS3, and cardiovascular disease. Our findings define an atherogenic role of platelets and highlight how, in the absence of thrombosis, platelets contribute to inflammation.
Lysine malonylation and propionylation are prevalent in human lens proteins.

Abstract Acylated lysine residues represent major chemical modifications in proteins. We investigated the malonylation and propionylation of lysine residues (MalK, PropK) in the proteins of aging human lenses. Western blot results showed that the two modifications are present in human lens proteins. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) results showed 4–18 and 4–32 pmol/mg protein of MalK and PropK, respectively, in human lens proteins with no apparent changes related to aging. Mass spectrometry results revealed that MalK- and PropK-modified lysine residues are present in all major crystallins, other cytosolic proteins, and membrane and cytoskeletal proteins of the lens. Several mitochondrial and cytosolic proteins in cultured human lens epithelial cells showed MalK and PropK modifications. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) and sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) were present in human lens epithelial and fiber cells. Moreover, lens epithelial cell lysate deacylated propionylated and malonylated lysozyme. The absence of SIRT3 and SIRT5 led to higher PropK and MalK levels in mouse lenses. Together, these data suggest that MalK and PropK are widespread modifications in lens and SIRT3 and SIRT5 could regulate their levels in lens epithelial cells.
Changing Theoretical Perspectives on Transnational Mobility: A Review of the Literature

This chapter creates a mapping of theories found in the literature on international students published from 2009–2019 to show what has existed in the field. The purpose of this research is to chart theoretical constructs used to interpret international students and to categorize current research with the intent to analyze trends on those who are studying international students. Findings show that the study of international students is an emerging field because there is a lack of commonality in how the field is researched. It also shows that a range of theories are used to study the fields that are aligned with specific academic associations. Finally, there is a varied focus on author’s affiliations, which has the opportunity to represent international perspectives and on the hosting institutions which are not all located in the Global North.
Extraction of isotropic electron-nuclear hyperfine coupling constants of paramagnetic point defects from near-zero field magnetoresistance spectra via least squares fitting to models developed from the stochastic quantum Liouville equation

We report on a method by which we can systematically extract spectroscopic information such as isotropic electron–nuclear hyperfine coupling constants from near-zero field magnetoresistance (NZFMR) spectra. The method utilizes a least squares fitting of models developed from the stochastic quantum Liouville equation. We applied our fitting algorithm to two distinct material systems: Si/SiO2 metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors and a-Si:H metal insulator semiconductor capacitors. Our fitted results and hyperfine parameters are in reasonable agreement with existing knowledge of the defects present in the systems. Our work indicates that the NZFMR response and fitting of the NZFMR spectrum via models developed from the stochastic quantum Liouville equation could be a relatively simple yet powerful addition to the family of spin-based techniques used to explore the chemical and structural nature of point defects in semiconductor devices and insulators.
Competition and Control during Working Memory

1. Introduction 2. Competition reveals mechanisms of WM storage and processing 3. Network interactions support attentional control of WM 4. Conclusions.
Determinants of Pluripotency in Mouse and Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem cells, derived from the inner cell mass of blastocyst stage embryos prior to implantation, remain pluripotent and self-renewing due to both their inherent properties and the culture conditions in which they are propagated. Recent study of the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that underlie pluripotency in embryonic stem cells has revealed that mouse and human embryonic stem cells have a number of key features in common; however, our knowledge of this area is incomplete. Detailed analyses of mouse and human embryonic stem cells have revealed a number of differences whose significance is not yet understood. An improved knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of embryonic stem cell properties will be required if these cells are to be utilized as part of cell-based therapies. This chapter offers a review of the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of pluripotency in human and mouse embryonic stem cells. We also describe insights produced by the use of alternate strategies for production of pluripotent cells, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer and direct reprogramming of terminally differentiated somatic cells.
Three-Dimensional Analysis and Surgical Planning for Open Correction of Trigonocephaly.

SUMMARY Metopic craniosynostosis results in trigonocephaly, characterized by a triangular forehead with metopic ridge, bitemporal pinching, and narrow-set eyes with recessed lateral orbital rims. Surgical management is controversial but may include open expansion and vault remodeling, to enhance neurocognitive and aesthetic outcomes. This article and video vignette depict the diagnosis and treatment of metopic craniosynostosis, demonstrating the senior author's open approach, three-dimensional virtual surgical planning, and technical steps.
Recurrent Stroke and Fatal Ruptured Mycotic Aneurysm Caused by Invasive Aspergillus fumigatus Infection.

Introduction Aspergillus species are ubiquitous fungi that may cause invasive infection, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Invasive aspergillosis most commonly affects the lungs but can also disseminate to the central nervous system (CNS). Manifestations of CNS aspergillosis include abscesses and, rarely, mycotic aneurysm leading to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Case presentation A 48-year-old man undergoing treatment for squamous cell cancer of the larynx with chemotherapy and steroids presented with dysarthria and weakness. He was found to have both lung and CNS infection secondary to Aspergillus species. While receiving intravenous antifungal treatment after biopsy-proven Aspergillus infection, he developed a fatal SAH caused by a mycotic aneurysm. Discussion Intracranial mycotic aneurysms are uncommon. However, mycotic aneurysm leading to a fatal SAH is a well-documented sequela of CNS aspergillosis. Mortality rates for CNS aspergillosis are extremely high. Conclusion In immunosuppressed patients with neutropenia or using chronic steroids who have concurrent pulmonary and CNS infection, there should be a low threshold to treat empirically for fungal infections prior to confirmation of diagnosis.
Evaluation of Bowel Function Following Radical Cystectomy and Urinary Diversion Using Two Validated Questionnaires: What Are the Effects on Quality of Life?

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To assess both short- and long-term constipation symptoms and their impact on quality of life in patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) with three different types of urinary diversion: orthotopic neobladder (ONB), continent cutaneous diversion (CCD), and ileal conduit (IC). MATERIALS AND METHODS The validated Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC−SYM) and Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) questionnaires were administered to all patients at follow-up greater than 30 days from surgery. Clinical and pathological characteristics were prospectively recorded in an institutional review board approved bladder cancer database. Using multivariable linear regression analyses, we determined significant predictors of improved constipation symptoms and quality of life scores. RESULTS A total of 198 patients completed 255 PAC−SYM and PAC-QOL questionnaires with a median follow-up time of 1.7 years (IQR: 0.7 – 3.0 years). ONB, CCD, and IC were performed in 78%, 5.5%, and 16.5% of patients, respectively. Higher bowel function scores (i.e. worse symptoms) were noted at 3 months post-operatively, while these scores significantly improved over time for PAC-SYM total score (P = .004), abdominal subscore (P = .001), and rectal subscore (P = .018). On multivariable analysis, we found that patients 1 year (B -4.8, P = .001), and who received an IC (B -2.4, P = .02) had significantly lower PAC-SYM scores. CONCLUSION Patients have few constipation symptoms and are overall satisfied with their bowel function at long-term follow-up after RC. While patients with IC have significantly fewer constipation symptoms compared to those with ONB or CCD, all patients had significant improvement one year after the surgery.
A hierarchical deep reinforcement learning framework for intelligent automatic treatment planning of prostate cancer intensity modulated radiation therapy

Purpose.We have previously proposed an intelligent automatic treatment planning (IATP) framework that builds a virtual treatment planner network (VTPN) to operate a treatment planning system (TPS) to generate high-quality radiation therapy (RT) treatment plans. While the potential of IATP in automating RT treatment planning has been demonstrated, its poor scalability caused by an almost linear growth of network size with the number of treatment planning parameters (TPPs) is a bottleneck, preventing its application in complicate, but clinically relevant treatment planning problems. The decision-making behavior of the trained network is hard to understand. Motivated by the decision-making process of a human planner, this study proposes a hierarchical IATP framework.Methods and materials.The hierarchical VTPN (HieVTPN) consists of three networks, i.e. Structure-Net, Parameter-Net, and Action-Net. When interacting with a TPS, the networks are employed in a sequential order in each step to decide the structure to adjust, the TPP to adjust for the selected structure, and the specific adjustment manner for the parameter, respectively. We developed an end-to-end hierarchical deep reinforcement learning scheme to simultaneously train the three networks. We then evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed framework in the treatment planning problems for prostate cancer intensity modulated RT (IMRT) and stereotactic body RT (SBRT). We benchmarked the performance of our approach by comparing plans made by VTPN of a parallel architecture, and the human plans submitted for competition in the 2016 American Association of Medical Dosimetrist (AAMD)/Radiosurgery Society (RSS) Plan Study. We analyzed scalability of the network size with respect to the number of TPPs. Numerical experiments were also performed to understand the rationale of the decision-making behaviors of the trained HieVTPN.Results.Both HieVTPNs for prostate IMRT and SBRT were trained successfully using 10 training patient cases and 5 validation cases. For IMRT, HieVTPN was able to generate high-quality plans for 59 testing patient cases that were not included in training process, achieving an average plan score of 8.62 (±0.83), with 9 being the maximal score. The score was comparable to that of the VTPN, 8.45 (±0.48). For SBRT planning, HieVTPN achieved an average plan score of 139.07 on five testing patient cases compared to the score of 132.21 averaged over the human plans summited for competition in AAMD/RSS plan study. Different from VTPN with network size linearly scaling with the number of TPPs, the network size of HieVTPN is almost independent of the number of TPPs. It was also observed that the decision-making behaviors of HieVTPN were understandable and generally agreed with the human experience.Conclusions.With the scalability and explainability, the hierarchical IATP framework is more favorable than the previous framework in terms of handling treatment planning problems involving a large number of TPPs.
Appearance and reality in deposit insurance: The case for reform

Abstract This paper argues that the staffs and explicit insurance reserves of U.S. deposit insurers have been overwhelmed by de facto financial disaster. The full costs of financing federal deposit insurance have become enormous and increasingly inequitable in distribution. To reduce voluntary risk-taking, authorities must reprice and redesign the system of de facto deposit-insurance coverage. Six complementary reforms are discussed: (1) accounting for institutional assets, liabilities, and net worth at market value, (2) enhancing opportunities for deposit insurers to manage their risk exposure, (3) recalibrating insurance coverages, (4) imposing risk-rated premiums, (5) mixed private and governmental competition in deposit insurance, and (6) constraining insurance-agency and Federal Reserve authority to bail out insolvent institutions.
Uric Acid as a Marker of Kidney Disease: Review of the Current Literature

Uric acid has been implicated in the pathophysiology of renal disease; however renal clearance makes a causal relationship difficult to prove. We examine the current literature to support a potential role of uric acid in the development of kidney disease and to determine the potential to use uric acid as a marker for future renal decline. After review, we conclude that uric acid is definitively linked to the development of chronic kidney disease and can be a poor prognostic factor for the development of acute renal failure, as well. However, further human research is needed before predictive models utilizing uric acid can be developed and used in the clinical setting.
A Practical Approach to Balancing Data Confidentiality and Research Needs: The NHIS Linked Mortality Files

Demand is increasing for statistical agencies to integrate information from different sources and to make such data files publicly available. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) conducts record linkage activities for its surveys, with a major focus being the linkage to the National Death Index. In 2004, NCHS updated the mortality follow-up for the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) which, because of confidentiality protections, was made available only through the NCHS Research Data Center. In 2007, NCHS released a public-use version of the NHIS Linked Mortality Files. The release of a public-use file was based upon an approach to maximize the amount of mortality information included and minimize the amount of perturbed data, while maintaining the confidentiality protections of survey participants. Comparative analyses between the public-use and restricted-use linked mortality files show that the two data files yield very similar results for both all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
Movement of Noun Phrases in Japanese

This paper is devoted to a study of the movement of noun phrases in Japanese in general and an analysis of so-called ‘tough’ sentences in particular. * Contrary to the widely held view that Japanese lacks movement in syntax, I wish to claim that ‘tough’ sentences involve movement of noun phrases. The study of ‘tough’ sentences will then lead us to the problem of multiple ga sentences and to that of ‘topic’. Again, contrary to the prevailing view that topics are generated in situ, I will contend that topics, or topics that in a certain sense deserve to be so named, are derived by movement.
Thermal and mechanical behavior of the first wall in fusion reactor

Two and three dimensional finite element models have been developed to understand the thermal and mechanical behavior of the first wall in ITER. This work attempts to assist with the first wall design by evaluating how important factors affect the first wall behavior. These factors include the effects of the different joint modes at the interface of different materials and constraint conditions such as free to expand or highly constrained. The two dimensional model, containing only half of the water channel due to the symmetry of the geometry, simulates a slice of the small segment of the outboard of the first wall. The simulation domain contains four regions which are made of three different materials, i.e., beryllium, copper and stainless steel. Compared with the 3D model, it greatly reduced the mesh size and therefore required less efforts and computational expenses. It was found that in most of the region of the first wall, the 2D approximation is a good assumption, thus a large number of the simulations can be carried out with the 2D model to understand various heat transfer and mechanical phenomena in the first wall design.
Metastatic breast cancer confined to the skeletal system: An indolent disease☆

Abstract The records of 86 patients with metastatic breast cancer confined to the skeletal system were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the clinical impression that this subset of patients with metastatic breast cancer has a favorable prognosis. The median survival for this group of patients was 48 months, compared with a median survival of 17 months in patients with breast cancer metastatic to other sites (p
The Bacterial Photosynthetic Apparatus

Publisher Summary The unique physiological characteristic of the photosynthetic bacteria is their ability to grow anaerobically in the light, a property conferred on them by their photosynthetic pigment system. Bacterial processes generally require an exogenous reductant. The different genera of photosynthetic bacteria characteristically use reduced inorganic sulfur compounds, hydrogen, or organic substrates as reductant and also vary with respect to their ability to use carbon dioxide as sole carbon source. This chapter describes the organized structure of photosynthetic apparatus of bacterial system. It describes the structure and location of chromatophore material, isolation and composition of purified chromatophores, and formation of the photosynthetic apparatus. Bacteria like other photosynthetic forms of life have both carotenoids and chlorophylls. Carotenoids essentially harvest light at wavelengths, which are not absorbed by chlorophyll and also protect cells from photodynamic oxidation reactions. Bacteriochlorophyll a is the most widely distributed type of chlorophyll recognized in photosynthetic bacteria. Chromatophores represent a specialized structure that essentially houses the photosynthetic pigments and catalyzes photophosphorylation and photoreduction reactions.
Sexual communication intervention for African American mothers & daughters

Abstract Background African American girls ages 13–19 comprised nearly 3 out of 4 new cases of HIV in 2009. The goal of this study was to deliver a theoretically-driven intervention to test the feasibility for recruitment and retention of mother–daughter dyads. Methods Twenty mother–daughter dyads were recruited from a community health center between February–April 2014. Comparisons were made between pre- and post-intervention scores using percent change. Results Twelve dyads (60%) completed the intervention. There were no demographic differences between completers and noncompleters. Notable post-intervention percent increases in scores were observed in the domains: Sexual knowledge (15%), confidence to talk (23.2%); and openness of sexual communication (26.4%). Conclusion Our small-sized study showed promise in the intervention. Increasing sexual communication between African American mothers and daughters is likely to be sustainable over time and across relationships, and thus have a greater impact on HIV-prevention behaviors later in life.
Working for the Segregationist Establishment

While teaching race relations at Florida State University, the author was asked by Florida Attorney General Richard Ervin to direct a sociological study for a brief to be submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in response to its ruling on Brown versus the Board of Education. The author confronted political realities influencing the research design and use of the findings. He also heard criticism of the brief and his role in it from liberals and segregationists alike. The author was further disillusioned by the response to the court's decision that desegregation should occur “with all deliberate speed,” especially when Ervin compromised his position to win re-election, and when a follow-up study was conducted in the same way as the initial one. In reflecting on his experience, the author expresses concern that, despite his principles and intentions, his efforts may have actually delayed desegregation.