cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recalibration of the Lake Okeechobee Water Quality Model (LOWQM) to extreme hydro-meteorological events

Abstract The Lake Okeechobee Water Quality Model (LOWQM) was developed using an enhanced version of WASP5 to improve understanding of nutrient cycling – specifically total phosphorus – and to assess lake-wide averaged nutrient and algal responses to management alternatives. Previously, the LOWQM was calibrated/validated to hydro-meteorological and monitoring data from 1983 to 2000. Subsequently, a series of extreme hydro-meteorological events, including three hurricanes and two major droughts, occurred from 2005 to 2008 that were outside the range of observations in this original LOWQM model calibration (original simulation). These events affected the light environment, nutrients and phytoplankton communities in the lake. The LOWQM was recalibrated and revalidated (new simulation) to the time period 1983–2012. When compared to the original simulation using the same set of forcing functions (e.g. flow, rain, temperature, nutrient loads, and resuspension of sediments), there were some improvements in model predicted nitrogen and phytoplankton, based on goodness-of-fit measures to observed data. Major differences between the two simulations were found in nutrient cycles. The differences in these cycles and the similarity of goodness-of-fit measures between the new and original simulations indicate the importance of sediment-water interactions and the effect that model structure (e.g. equations) have on the ability to improve calibration results. Further evaluation of these two simulations suggest that model accuracy can be improved through changes of model segmentation, additional lake sampling of biological processes simulated by the LOWQM, and revising model equations to allow for variation in algal nutrient to carbon ratios and uptake rates of nitrogen.
The measurement of pain in infants, children, and adolescents: from policy to practice.

Although the capacity to perceive and respond to pain contributes to health by alerting people to injury and illness, unrelieved and persistent pain is known to impair health, limit functional capabilities, and compromise quality of life.1 Research and critical review of knowledge generated over the past 3 decades have dramatically increased understanding of pain mechanisms,2–4 consequences,5–7 and management8–10; however, the transfer of this knowledge into clinical practice has been slow and sporadic.1 This slow transfer has precipitated national and international efforts to develop and implement clinical practice guidelines to improve pain identification and management.11 Pain is a common experience during childhood. All children encounter “everyday” pain associated with minor bumps and bruises,12,13 and many endure pain resulting from serious injuries, diseases, and other health conditions requiring medical care.14,15 Despite its prevalence, pain in infants, children, and adolescents is often underestimated and undertreated.16–21 Barriers to good pain management are numerous and reflect biological, psychological, and social factors.1,22 These barriers include erroneous beliefs about the neurobiology of pain, fears about pharmacological management, and deficits in knowledge and skills by health care professionals who care for children.23–27 One area of professional expertise that is reported to be consistently lacking is the knowledge and systematic use of pediatric pain measures that yield valid and reliable data.1,23,25,28 The purposes of this update are: (1) to inform readers about recent policy initiatives to improve identification and management of pain in infants and children and (2) to provide a brief overview of pediatric pain measures currently used in clinical practice. Although pain is defined in many ways, 3 definitions are relevant to …
Quantifying The Food And Drug Administration's rulemaking delays highlights the need for transparency.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) frequently uses its rulemaking process to establish or modify the way it regulates drugs, medical devices, and other medical products. The federal agency’s rulemaking is controversial because of its perceived complexity, lack of transparency, and lengthy duration. To shed light on the FDA’s rulemaking process, we examined the evolution of significant rules that the agency published during 2000–12 for drugs, devices, and other medical products. We found that the rules’ median time to finalization was 7.3 years, with the pre-rule phase and postreview deliberation within the FDA accounting for the majority of that time. Rules that involved mandatory cost-benefit analyses were associated with an additional delay of approximately two years. We also found that longer review times were significantly associated with a reduction in the stringency of final rules, compared to the originally proposed versions. We recommend improving FDA’s rulemaking by allocating additional reso...
UTILITY OF INTRACARDIAC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN SETTING OF CARDIAC DEVICE-RELATED ENDOCARDITIS AND LEAD EXTRACTION

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is currently the gold standard for diagnosis of cardiac device- related endocarditis (CDE) with a sensitivity of 94-96%. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is routinely used during lead extraction procedures for early identification of procedural complications
Reversal Phenomenon of Discharge Polarity Effect in SF_6 Rod-plate Gap Under Impulse Voltages

Insulation failures of gas insulated switchgear(GIS) due to very fast transient overvoltages(VFTOs) is increasingly frequent. To optimize the design of GIS insulation structure, we developed a steep fronted impulse generator, and used it to study the discharges of SF6 rod-plate gap under VFTO and lightning impulses(LI). The results show that the discharges of SF6 gap in both quasi-uniform field and highly inhomogeneous electric field present obvious polarity features. In quasi-uniform field, the 50% breakdown voltages(U50%) of positive VFTO and positive LI are higher than those of negative overvoltages, respectively. However, in highly inhomogeneous electric field, the discharge in SF6 induced by LI shows reversion of the polarity effect with the increase of SF6 pressure: when the pressure is lower, the breakdown voltage under negative LI is higher than that under positive LI, but when the pressure exceeds a certain value, the breakdown voltage under positive LI turns out to be higher than that under negative LI. This critical pressure of polarity reversion is related to electric field inhomogeneity: it decreases with the increase of electric field inhomogeneity. Meanwhile, in highly inhomogeneous electric field, U50% of negative VFTO is higher than that of positive unless the SF6 is below a critical value. Further analysis indicates that the polarity effects are mainly due to difference in the migration and diffusion of space charges between gaps influenced by overvoltages of different polarities.
Targeting the Diabetic Chaperome to Improve Peripheral Neuropathy

The chaperome constitutes a broad family of molecular chaperones and co-chaperones that facilitate the folding, refolding, and degradation of the proteome. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) promotes the folding of numerous oncoproteins to aid survival of malignant phenotypes, and small molecule inhibitors of the Hsp90 chaperone complex offer a viable approach to treat certain cancers. One therapeutic attribute of this approach is the selectivity of these molecules to target high affinity oncogenic Hsp90 complexes present in tumor cells, which are absent in nontransformed cells. This selectivity has given rise to the idea that disease may contribute to forming a stress chaperome that is functionally distinct in its ability to interact with small molecule Hsp90 modulators. Consistent with this premise, modulating Hsp90 improves clinically relevant endpoints of diabetic peripheral neuropathy but has little impact in nondiabetic nerve. The concept of targeting the "diabetic chaperome" to treat diabetes and its complications is discussed.
The Free Press: Necessary Illusions

This article claims that the relevance of the ‘truth argument’ to free speech theory is based on an illusion. According to some critical perspectives this illusion consists in the false belief that...
WEB 2.0

This study examines how Web 2.0 applications were used during a catastrophic wildfire in the Western United States that claimed two human lives, more than 18,000 acres of land and nearly 350 homes. The study sheds light on how Web 2.0 applications were applied as a tool to transmit information while the disaster was unfolding. This research highlights unique nonprofit cases that inform the role and reliability of Web 2.0 applications during a crisis, and the roles that nonprofit organizations and the general public play while facing a dire emergency. In the cases presented, Web 2.0 applications served as a bridge between first responders, the population in immediate wildfire danger, and the citizens who were trying to help, resulting in saved lives, property, and natural resources. By combining existing literature and collected qualitative data, the researchers argue that Web 2.0 applications represent flexible communication tools for transmission of timely information during a crisis situation. Web 2.0 applications provide instant communication in a crisis situation.Web 2.0 applications enable NPOs to act as first responders in a crisis.Web 2.0 applications provide a virtual "meeting place" for the community.
Time-Dependent Changes in Dural Enhancement Associated With Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to determine whether the presence of individual imaging signs of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is correlated with increasing duration of headache symptoms. Of particular interest is the relationship of symptom duration to dural enhancement because it is the most commonly identified imaging sign in patients with SIH. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Eighty-nine patients with SIH who underwent pretreatment brain MRI and total-spine CT myelography and whose medical record included data on the duration of clinical symptoms were included in this cross-sectional retrospective study. Brain imaging was reviewed for the presence of dural enhancement, brain sagging, and the “venous distention” sign. CT myelograms were assessed for CSF leak. If present, a leak was subcategorized as a high-flow or low-flow leak. Differences in headache duration between subjects with and those without individual imaging signs were compared. RESULTS. Subjects without dural enhancement on bra...
Catholicism and Cosmopolitanism: the Confluence of Three Catholic Scholars and the Cosmopolitan Democrats on State Sovereignty and the Future of Global Governance

One of the central questions in international relations today is how we should conceive of state sovereignty. The notion of sovereignty—’supreme authority within a territory’, as Daniel Philpott defines it—emerged after the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 as a result of which the late medieval crisis of pluralism was settled. But recent changes in the international order, such as technological advances that have spurred globalization and the emerging norm of the Responsibility to Protect, have cast the notion of sovereignty into an unclear light. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the current debate regarding sovereignty by exploring two schools of thought on the matter: first, three Catholic scholars from the past century—Luigi Sturzo, Jacques Maritain, and John Courtney Murray, S.J.—taken as representative of Catholic tradition; second, a number of contemporary political theorists of cosmopolitan democracy. The paper argues that there is a confluence between the Catholic thinkers and the cosmopolitan democrats regarding their understanding of state sovereignty and that, taken together, the two schools have much to contribute not only to our current understanding of sovereignty, but also to the future of global governance.
PhyInformR: phylogenetic experimental design and phylogenomic data exploration in R

Analyses of phylogenetic informativeness represent an important step in screening potential or existing datasets for their proclivity toward convergent or parallel evolution of molecular sites. However, while new theory has been developed from which to predict the utility of sequence data, adoption of these advances have been stymied by a lack of software enabling application of advances in theory, especially for large next-generation sequence data sets. Moreover, there are no theoretical barriers to application of the phylogenetic informativeness or the calculation of quartet internode resolution probabilities in a Bayesian setting that more robustly accounts for uncertainty, yet there is no software with which a computationally intensive Bayesian approach to experimental design could be implemented. We introduce PhyInformR, an open source software package that performs rapid calculation of phylogenetic information content using the latest advances in phylogenetic informativeness based theory. These advances include modifications that incorporate uneven branch lengths and any model of nucleotide substitution to provide assessments of the phylogenetic utility of any given dataset or dataset partition. PhyInformR provides new tools for data visualization and routines optimized for rapid statistical calculations, including approaches making use of Bayesian posterior distributions and parallel processing. By implementing the computation on user hardware, PhyInformR increases the potential power users can apply toward screening datasets for phylogenetic/genomic information content by orders of magnitude. PhyInformR provides a means to implement diverse substitution models and specify uneven branch lengths for phylogenetic informativeness or calculations providing quartet based probabilities of resolution, produce novel visualizations, and facilitate analyses of next-generation sequence datasets while incorporating phylogenetic uncertainty through the use parallel processing. As an open source program, PhyInformR is fully customizable and expandable, thereby allowing for advanced methodologies to be readily integrated into local bioinformatics pipelines. Software is available through CRAN and a package containing the software, a detailed manual, and additional sample data is also provided freely through github: https://github.com/carolinafishes/PhyInformR .
Basic principles of endoscopic ear surgery

The wide-angle and high-resolution image afforded by endoscopes allows for improved visualization of ear anatomy compared to the operative microscope. Incorporating the endoscope into otologic practice, however, is challenging. A graduated and stepwise introduction of endoscopic ear surgery (EES) into an established otologic practice is recommended to ensure safe and successful implementation. In this article, we discuss (1) rationale for use of the endoscope in ear surgery, (2) indications, (3) surgical ergonomics, (4) relevant instrumentation for EES, and (5) pearls and pitfalls of transcanal EES approaches.
Congenital anomalies of the external ear

Congenital malformations of the auricle are the result of a series of insults during the embryologic development of fetal auricular cartilage. Various anomalies described in the literature include microtia, aural atresia, prominent auricles, preauricular pits, and accessory auricular appendages. These anomalies have varying degrees of functional impairment and severity, which may or may not require surgical intervention. In addition, these aberrations can be associated with other congenital syndromes, although they are most often found in isolation. Management involves recognizing the benefits and limitations of therapy, which should be thoroughly discussed with the parents and, when appropriate, the patient. Here, we present an overview of the anomalies of the external ear.
College-age adults' religiosity, family functioning and values, and willingness to provide care for a relative with a chronic health condition.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE The population of adults age 65 and older is increasing at a faster rate than the rest of the U.S. POPULATION As such, older adults, particularly those with chronic health conditions and disabilities, will require informal care from today's college-age adults. At present, there is no research examining factors predicting college-age individuals' willingness to provide care for a family member with a chronic condition. The purpose of this study was to examine the pattern of associations among college-age adults' religiosity, family functioning, family values, and willingness to provide care for a family member with a chronic health condition. Research Method/Design: A sample of 330 undergraduate students from a major public research university completed an online survey with measures assessing these constructs. Four different structural equation models were tested. RESULTS The fourth model revealed good fit indices and was therefore retained. This model found that religiosity and family values were positively and uniquely associated with willingness to provide care. Family functioning yielded a significant indirect effect through family values. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS The current study findings suggest religiosity, family functioning, and family values play a role in willingness to provide care, and thus, future researchers should target these constructs for intervention-based studies. (PsycINFO Database Record
From Islamic Radicalism to Islamic Capitalism: The Case of İGİAD

This chapter analyzes the case of IGIAD in detail, by which the previous debates were embodied and institutionalized. The chapter answers questions like: How the members of these Islamic institutions perceive developments and transformation of Islamic social, cultural, and economic capitals? How do they reconcile the Islamic values with those of modern capitalistic life? The main argument is that, to cope with requirements of neo-liberal capitalism, these “ex-radical” Muslims were transformed into “reluctant” Islamic capitalists and redefined capitalism and some pillars of Islam in order to cope with discursive tension between capitalism and Islam.
Comments on Durante's account of multiculturalism.

Chris Durante’s comments on my article about the compatibility of universal morality, particular moralities and multiculturalism indicate that we have very different approaches to and understandings of these three notions. Durante investigates multiculturalism from the perspective of political philosophy, whereas my approach is grounded in moral rather than political philosophy. Since he refers to his framework as an ‘ethico-political theory’, he may regard his account as a synthesis of moral and political philosophy, but this representation seems incorrect. He repeatedly refers to his discussions of multiculturalism using the language of ‘political ethics’, ‘political theory’, ‘political philosophy’, ‘political system’, ‘political ramifications’, ‘political order’, ‘political liberalism’, ‘political community’, ‘political society’, ‘political principles’ and related concepts. He bluntly states his view about the centrality of political theory: ‘Multiculturalism…is primarily concerned with establishing a political system with moral undertones rather than a moral system with political ramifications’. I take the reverse view. Durante assumes without argument that multiculturalism finds its origins and home in political philosophy; by contrast, I envision multiculturalism as primarily a moral theory about obligations to tolerate moral differences in the face of conflicts between cultural groups. I do not deny that political philosophy is relevant to the resolution of various problems of multicultural …
Population Health Management for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic and impose significant, multidimensional burdens on patients and health care systems. The increasing prevalence of IBD will only worsen this problem globally—population health management (PHM) strategies are needed to increase quality of care and population health outcomes while reducing health care costs. We discuss the key components of PHM in IBD. Effective implementation of PHM strategies requires accurate identification of at-risk patients and key areas of variability in care. Improving outcomes of the at-risk population requires implementation of a multicomponent chronic care model designed to shift delivery of ambulatory care from acute, episodic, and reactive encounters, to proactive, planned, long-term care. This is achieved through team care of an activated patient with the help of remote monitoring, clinical information systems, and integrated decision support, with accompanying changes in delivery systems. Performance measurement is integral to any PHM strategy. This involves developing and implementing meaningful metrics of different phases of quality of IBD care and measuring them efficiently using modern clinical information systems. Such an integrated framework of PHM in IBD will facilitate the delivery of high-value care to patients.
Stability of a pyrimethamine suspension compounded from bulk powder

Purpose Development of a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for pyrimethamine analysis, with subsequent application of that method to assess the 90-day stability of a pyrimethamine suspension compounded from bulk USP-grade pyrimethamine powder, is described. Methods A stability-indicating method of HPLC with ultraviolet detection specific to pyrimethamine was developed according to pharmacopeial recommendations and validated. The method was applied to investigate the stability of a 2-mg/mL pyrimethamine suspension in a vehicle consisting of Ora-Plus and Ora-Sweet (Perrigo) over a period of 90 days. Three replicate test preparations were stored at room temperature or refrigerated at 4.3–5.2 °C, and samples were analyzed in duplicate immediately after preparation and on study days 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, 30, 48, 60, 75, and 90. Results The 2-mg/mL suspension of pyrimethamine in Ora-Plus and Ora-Sweet retained 90–110% of the labeled potency to 90 days at both temperature ranges. However, color changes in the samples stored at room temperature observed at day 60 indicated that a beyond-use date less than 90 days from the preparation date should be specified when the suspension is to be stored at room temperature. Conclusion The study demonstrated that USP-grade pyrimethamine powder can be formulated as a 2-mg/mL suspension in a vehicle of Ora-Plus and Ora-Sweet and is stable when stored at room temperature and when refrigerated, in amber plastic bottles, for 48 and 90 days, respectively.
Treatment of an Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysm With Microsurgical Trapping and In Situ Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery to Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Bypass: Case Report.

Background Anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) aneurysms are rare lesions whose treatment can involve microsurgical and/or endovascular techniques. Such treatment can be challenging and may carry a significant risk of neurological morbidity. Objective To demonstrate a case involving a complex AICA aneurysm that was treated with a unique microsurgical approach involving trapping the aneurysm and performing in Situ bypass from the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) to the distal AICA. The nuances of AICA aneurysms and revascularization strategies are discussed. Methods The aneurysm and the distal segments of AICA and PICA were exposed with a retrosigmoid and far lateral approach. A side-to-side anastomosis was performed between the adjacent caudal loops of PICA and AICA. The AICA aneurysm was then treated by trapping the aneurysm-bearing segment of the parent vessel between 2 clips. Results A postoperative angiogram demonstrated a patent PICA-AICA bypass and complete occlusion of the AICA aneurysm. There were no complications, and the patient made an excellent recovery. Conclusion The combination of parent vessel sacrifice and bypass remains an excellent option for certain difficult-to-treat aneurysms. This case involving PICA-AICA bypass to treat an AICA aneurysm serves as an example of the neurosurgeon's ability to develop unique solutions that take advantage of individual anatomy.
Fetal Growth Restriction at High Altitude: Basic Cellular and Subcellular Physiologic Considerations

Based on considerable epidemiologic and laboratory based experimental evidence, it is clear that the optimal conditions for fetal growth and development require an environment of maternal homeostasis and well-being, and with the mother’s ability to respond appropriately to a particular stress. In view of its association with increased morbidity and mortality, fetal growth restriction (FGR) is to be avoided at all costs. Chapter 14 presents the clinical aspects of one not uncommon stress, that of high altitude or other [causes of] long-term hypoxia (LTH). Because fetal growth critically depends upon adequate maternal oxygenation, in addition to residence at high altitude (>2500 m), FGR may be associated with conditions such as that of mothers who are moderate to heavy smokers or with cyanotic heart disease, lung disease, severe anemia, and other conditions that cause prolonged hypoxia (Giussani et al. 2001; Hutter et al. 2010; Longo 1984, 1987; Longo and Goyal 2014; Neerhof and Thaete 2008). The importance of oxygen for fetal physiology was a foundation for my research interests and the development of surgical approaches to directly investigate the fetus during pregnancy (methodology described in Yellon and Apostolakis 1994). The chapter reviews the development of ideas in terms of the many physiologic, biochemical, cellular, and molecular aspects of LTH for the fetus and newborn.
Long-term outcomes for pediatric patients having transscleral fixation of the capsular bag with intraocular lens for ectopia lentis.

Purpose To report the long-term outcomes of transscleral fixation of capsular tension rings (CTR) with intraocular lens (IOL) placement in pediatric patients with ectopia lentis. Setting John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Pediatric patients requiring lens extraction with transscleral capsular bag fixation with a CTR and IOL for ectopia lentis between January 2006 and January 2016 were analyzed. Results Thirty-seven patients (67 eyes) who had transscleral fixation of the capsular bag using a CTR fixated with 9-0 or 10-0 polypropylene (Prolene), 8-0 polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex), or 9-0 nylon were identified. The mean age at time of surgery was 7.25 years (2 to 18 years) and the mean follow-up was 35.3 months (0.25 to 120 months). The proportion of eyes showing improvement in corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) postoperatively was 78.5%, which demonstrated significance with a 95% confidence interval. In the immediate postoperative period, 1 eye developed a hyphema and 1 eye required IOL repositioning. Long-term complications included posterior capsule opacification in 35 eyes (52%) and uveitis–glaucoma–hyphema syndrome in 1 eye (1.5%). Three eyes (4.4 %) required IOL repositioning for spontaneous delayed IOL dislocation, 2 sutured with 8-0 polytetrafluoroethylene at postoperative month 8 and postoperative year 3 and 1 sutured with 9-0 polypropylene at postoperative year 7. Conclusion Transscleral fixation of the capsular bag using a CTR improved CDVA and provided IOL stability in pediatric patients with ectopia lentis.
The positive side of effort: A review of the impact of motivation and engagement on neuropsychological performance.

Almost the entirety of research on effort in clinical neuropsychology has focused on negative aspects of effort in neuropsychological assessment, with most work over the last 20 years emphasizing f...
ENERGY CONSERVATION AND THERMAL COMFORT FACTORS INVOLVED IN WINDOW DESIGN IN A HOT HUMID CLIMATE

ABSTRACT It has long been recognized that windows in dwellings are areas of major heat loss during the winter season. More recently, it has also been documented that windows contribute significantly to “heat gain” from the outside environment during seasonal periods of mechanical cooling. In a sub-tropical environment such as Miami, Florida, greater average yearly temperature and relative humidity profiles create a living situation that is dominated by an increased demand for space cooling rather than heating. Since heat gain through windows has been estimated to be about half of the summer air-conditioning load, it is important to develop window design and placement strategies that specifically treat this climatic condition. These window strategies differ significantly from those outlined for more temperate regions where passive heating may be desirable. It is therefore vital that such a study take into account the purposes and functional aspects of windows that make conservation possible. This requires an understanding and treatment of both human thermal comfort and its relationship to the thermodynamic processes of window heat-gain through radiation, conduction and convection. Consideration is also necessary for window ventilation dynamics and how this can be used to maximize interior comfort. For maximum energy conservation through architectural design in a hot and humid climate, available window strategies need to be outlined and analyzed along with recommendations for future construction. The promise of such research is its potential for actual future energy in sub-tropical residences.
Hybrid Nano/Microcomposites for Enhanced Damage Tolerance

The objective of this investigation was to develop, process, and test hybrid nano/microcomposites with nano-reinforced matrix and demonstrate an enhancement in thermomechanical properties, with emphasis on damage tolerance measured in terms of fracture toughness, impact damage, residual strength, and fatigue life. The material investigated was carbon fabric/epoxy with the matrix reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A solvent-based method with a dispersion enhancing block copolymer was used to prepare composites with and without CNTs. It was first shown that CNT reinforced composites have higher matrix dominated properties, such as compressive modulus and strength, in-plane shear modulus and strength, interlaminar shear strength, and interlaminar fracture toughness. The composite with 0.5 wt% of CNTs showed noticeably improved resistance to indentation damage by about 16 % and increased damage tolerance in terms of residual compressive strength by about 35 % over the composite without nanotubes. A significant enhancement was also shown under interlaminar fatigue testing with fatigue lives an order of magnitude longer than those of the reference material. The high increase in fatigue life was related to an increase in static interlaminar shear strength, the logarithmic dependence of the fatigue-life (S-N) curves, and an increase in interlaminar fracture toughness.
EAR MALFORMATIONS: What a Pediatrician Can Do to Assist with Auricular Reconstruction

Auricular reconstruction of microtia is available and is extremely satisfying for the patient, family, and care givers. The patient can look forward to a realistic pinna. With current research activity, auricular reconstruction could evolve even further. The pediatrician is an extremely important member of this effort in providing valuable reassurance, direction, and surveillance for patients with these unusual auricular malformations.
Pheromones in Humans and Social Chemosignals

In humans, women and men produce primer pheromones that regulate the timing of ovulation and ovarian function. There is no evidence that humans produce releaser pheromones triggering specific stereotyped sexual or mating behaviors, as occurs in animals. Rather, androstadienone, a nonandrogenic 16-androstene steroid in human male and female sweat, axillary hair, and urine, modulates ongoing mood and attention generated by other stimuli from social interactions. Both primer and modulator pheromones are likely mediated by receptors of the main olfactory system or mucosal absorption. They affect not only the hypothalamus and limbic system but also widely distributed and context-specific cortical networks.
Essentials of Consumer Behavior

Essentials of Consumer Behavior offers an alternative to traditional textbooks for graduate students. Shorter than competing books, but no less rigorous, it includes unique material on vulnerable consumers and ethics. Balancing a strong academic foundation with a practical approach, Stephens emphasizes that consumer behavior does not simply equate to buyer behavior. She examines the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that shape consumers’ attitudes and motivations in relation to brands, products, and marketing messages. Providing a concise guide to the discipline, the author covers key themes such as vulnerable consumers, new technologies, and collaborative consumption. The book is supported by a rich companion website offering links to videos and podcasts, surveys, quizzes, further readings, and more. It will be a valuable text for any graduate student of consumer behavior or marketing, as well as any interested consumers.
A Report of Seronegative Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) in the Setting of Acute HIV Infection (P6.416)

Objective: Document the diagnosis and management of a patient with acute HIV and seronegative NMO Background: Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system characterized by optic neuritis and longitudinally-extensive spinal lesions. Seropositive NMO, with auto-antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG) water channel, have been reported in patients with acute infection, including HIV. Immunosuppressive treatments commonly used in treating NMO were once contraindicated in active HIV. However, some of these therapies have resurged with the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The current literature has several reports of seropositive NMO in HIV but has limited information on the diagnosis and management of seronegative NMO with HIV infection. Design/Methods: Case report Results: 25 year old male presented with acute progressive bilateral visual impairment, bilateral paraplegia, T4 sensory level and urinary and bowel retention. He was found to have acute HIV-1 infection with high viral load and low CD4+ counts. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed bilateral optic neuritis with longitudinal lesions involving the intraorbital, canalicular and intracranial segments of the optic nerves, sparing the chiasm. MRI of the cervical and thoracic spine showed a longitudinally-extensive hyperintense lesion from C7 to T10. Cerebrospinal fluid showed no oligoclonal IgG bands or AQP4-IgG. The initial differential diagnosis included HIV myelitis vs seronegative NMO and treatment of HIV infection was initiated along with intravenous corticosteroids and plasma exchange. However, it was only after trials of rituximab that the patient’s symptoms started to improve, with resolution of weakness and incontinence in 5 months and improvement of vision in 1.5 years. Conclusions: Seronegative NMO can present with HIV infection and can be challenging to diagnose. Patients having similar presentation without clinical improvement after initiating HAART might benefit from more common therapies used to treat NMO. Study Supported by: N/A Disclosure: Dr. Khayatkhoei has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lincoln has nothing to disclose.
An Extremely Low-Cost Multi-Panel PV Emulator for Research and Education

Photovoltaic (PV) emulators are necessary tools for teaching research and development when actual PV panels cannot be used. Emulation can be used when design parameters such as size and quantity of PV resources required exceed the capacity of laboratories. Emulation schemes available today use expensive hardware and/or require software licenses. This paper presents a new PV emulator using the extremely low-cost real-time digital controller platform “Workbench”. The proposed scheme uses low-cost hardware built around a single DSP and a DC bench power supply to emulate PV panels which can be used to test other equipment such as grid-tied inverters, and/or MPPT controllers. The proposed scheme is modular, in that multiple such emulators can be externally series/parallel connected. Each emulator can also be configured to emulate a combination of series/parallel connected PVs.
Re-Engaging Social Relationships and Collective Dimensions of Organizing to Revive Democratic Practice

The weakening of the everyday practice of democracy around the world presents profound challenges for social scientists working with an applied focus on issues of inequality and justice in social change. This paper examines community organizing (in the US) as an instrument for equitable and just social change, and argues that three interrelated trends are subtly undermining a core practice of organizing: developing social relationships. An expanding technocratic influence on politics, an inflated focus on individual-level metrics for evaluating organizing, and a growing belief that digital technologies and big data leverage greater power, combine to engender an atomized view of people, who are increasingly treated as consumers rather than producers of social change. In contrast, cultivating social relationships fuels the building of community and expanded networks that enables the exercise of social power necessary to effect change. Scholars promoting change for social justice should work to shape tools and measures to serve social dimensions of organizing and support people and collectivities as agents of democracy.
Mechanism of fabrication and nano-mechanical properties of α-lactalbumin/chitosan and BSA/κ-carrageenan nanotubes through layer-by-layer assembly for curcumin encapsulation and determination of in vitro cytotoxicity

Abstract An exciting technology which still has many unknowns is the fabrication of hollow cylindrical polyelectrolyte complexes that can function at different pHs. With two-open ends and hollow interior, bionanotubes can find application in nanodevices, pharmaceutics, and biology. This study focused on fabricating nanotubes using chitosan (CHI) with α-lactalbumin (LAC), and bovine serum albumine (BSA) with κ-carrageenan (CAR). The ζ-potential charge difference was largest and therefore optimum at pH 7.0 for CHI/LAC and pH 4.0 for BSA/CAR. Strong electrostatic interactions enable the formation of bilayers from oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. ITC was able to show differences in the strength and spontaneity of electrostatic bonding interactions between both pairs of polyelectrolytes at these pHs. Nanotubes with 400, 600 and 800 nm diameter were achieved with a total of 5 bilayers for the 600 and 800 nm diameter nanotubes and 4 bilayers with the 400 nm diameter nanotubes using polycarbonate membranes. SEM images showed the formation of well-defined nanotubular structures that were affected by the type of polyelectrolytes used. The mechanical strength of the walls of the nanotubes was dependent on the polyelectrolytes used and the diameter of each nanotube, as shown by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Young's moduli, in the range of 25–55 MPa were obtained for LAC/CHI, and were significantly different from BSA/CAR nanotubes with values around 30–80 MPa. Both nanotubes systems proved to be potential candidates for the encapsulation and delivery of curcumin. These nanotubes achieved entrapment efficiencies around 40–45% with subsequent releasing in physiological conditions up to 300 μg/ml, with no significant cytotoxicity.
Leveraging a Handbook for Principal Mentoring: Pathways in a District Context:

Mentoring is one important construct to support novice principals in this time of change. This study investigates the impact of a district-developed handbook to support co-constructed mentoring pra...
Observation of room-temperature superparamagnetic behavior of Fe 5 Si 3 nanocrystals synthesized via 50 keV Fe ion implantation in silicon

Nanocrystalline Fe5Si3 structures embedded within the top 50 nm of Si substrate have been synthesized via low-energy (50 keV) Fe− ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing in vacuum at 500 °C for 1 h. Prior to the ion irradiation, the distribution of the implanted ions and sputtering of the implanted and target atoms were modeled using both static and dynamic ion solid interaction simulation codes in order to determine the desired ion implantation experimental parameters. The simulation showed that for a 50 keV Fe ion beam, the concentration of the Fe reaches a saturation value of 48% at a fluence ~ 2 × 1017 ions/cm2, while distributed within the top 60 nm from the surface of the Si substrate. Depth profile utilizing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra along with Ar-ion etching shows the presence of Fe ions buried under the surface of Si. X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the presence of crystalline Fe5Si3 in Si. In the vibrating sample magnetometer analysis, the synthesized Fe5Si3 nanocrystal structures show superparamagnetic behavior with very low magnetization at room temperature.
On the Parameterization of Convective Downdrafts for Marine Stratocumulus Clouds

AbstractThe role of nonlocal transport on the development and maintenance of marine stratocumulus (Sc) clouds in coarse-resolution models is investigated, with a special emphasis on the downdraft c...
The International Benchmark Sites Network for Agrotechnology Transfer (IBSNAT)

How can a country that is poor in resources and has few trained agricultural scientists increase the usefulness of its research, quickly and economically? The International Benchmark Sites Network for Agrotechnology Transfer (IBSNAT), a new international project on technology transfer, is designed to increase research efficiency through networking, systems analysis, crop modelling and exploitation of the new wares of the information age.
Dynamic Nuclear Structure Emerges from Chromatin Cross-Links and Motors

The cell nucleus houses the chromosomes, which are linked to a soft shell of lamin protein filaments. Experiments indicate that correlated chromosome dynamics and nuclear shape fluctuations arise from motor activity. To identify the physical mechanisms, we develop a model of an active, cross-linked Rouse chain bound to a polymeric shell. System-sized correlated motions occur but require both motor activity and cross-links. Contractile motors, in particular, enhance chromosome dynamics by driving anomalous density fluctuations. Nuclear shape fluctuations depend on motor strength, cross-linking, and chromosome-lamina binding. Therefore, complex chromosome dynamics and nuclear shape emerge from a minimal, active chromosome-lamina system.
Cross-ecosystem linkages and trace metals at the land-water interface

At low concentrations, trace metals are critical for sustaining life on Earth. However, at high concentrations, they become a global contaminant with particularly strong effects on freshwater communities. These effects can propagate to terrestrial ecosystems in part by altering production and community structure of adult aquatic insect emergence and aquatic insect-mediated metal fluxes to terrestrial insectivores. Here we highlight mechanisms driving effects of trace metals on aquatic organisms in general, aquatic insects specifically, and insectivorous consumers at the land-water interface. Specifically, we focus on how trace metals impact and bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms and communities and how these changes propagate through aquatic food web interactions and insect metamorphosis to alter fluxes of aquatically derived prey and trace metals to terrestrial consumers. Ultimately, trace metals impact food webs at the land-water interface by altering aquatic insect prey composition and availability for aquatic insectivores and by reducing aquatic insect subsidies to terrestrial consumers, and not by increasing exposure to trace metals in prey. Exposure of terrestrial insectivores to trace metals in prey is decoupled from aqueous concentrations due to high rates of metal excretion during insect metamorphosis from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adult. These effects increase reliance of aquatic insectivores on terrestrial insect prey subsidies and/or lead to declines and behavioral changes in terrestrial insectivore populations.
Anatomy and Physiology of Retina and Posterior Segment of the Eye

The fact that the retina is readily accessible has a key role in constructing visual images and interacting with the environment and that most of the sensory input is of visual nature affirms the significance of investigative exploration of this part of the visual system. The goal of this work is to recognize the unique cellular characteristics and the neural circuitry of the retina in the posterior segment in primates. To that end an attempt has been made we have attempted to examine the retinal pigment epithelium and its role in the barrier system and the metabolic activity of the retina. We also discussed the characteristics of the photoreceptors and the foveal structure with associated reflexes. The blood flow and associated regulatory mechanisms as well as laminar organization of the optic disc have been explored.
Expanding the View of IKK: New Substrates and New Biology

The inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK) family consists of IKKα, IKKβ, and the IKK-related kinases TBK1 and IKKe. These kinases are considered master regulators of inflammation and innate immunity via their control of the transcription factors NF-κB, IRF3, and IRF7. Novel phosphorylated substrates have been attributed to these kinases, a subset of which is not directly related to either inflammation or innate immunity. These findings have greatly expanded the perspectives on the biological activities of these kinases. In this review we highlight some of the novel substrates for this kinase family and discuss the biological implications of these phosphorylation events.
Fixing Social Media: Toward a Digital Democratic Commons

In the past few years, Big Social Media networks like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have received intense scrutiny from intellectuals. This article critiques the dominant strain of criticism, the neo-Brandeisian School of antitrust, for its narrow focus on “regulated competition” as an appropriate means to “fix social media”. This essay calls for a socialist alternative: a democratic social media commons based on free and open source technology, decentralization, and democratic socialist legal solutions. It reviews how existing solutions like the Fediverse and LibreSocial work, and how they may provide answers for a better way forward.
Understanding Persons With Disabilities’ Reasons for Not Seeking Employment:

Unemployment is common for persons with disabilities but little is known about the different reasons why people with disabilities may not be seeking employment. This study identified the reasons th...
Environmental and drug-induced lupus

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by autoantibody formation and immune complex deposition. Lupus flares are triggered by sun exposure, infections, and other stressors that cause inflammation, as well as drugs like procainamide and hydralazine. Early work demonstrated that procainamide and hydralazine inhibit CD4+ T-cell DNA methylation, causing overexpression of genes that convert normal T cells into autoreactive T cells that cause lupus in animal models, that patients with active lupus have similar epigenetically altered T cells, and that the number of altered cells is directly proportional to disease activity. Inflammatory environmental stressors were found to inhibit DNA methylation through the generation of reactive oxygen species that inactivate T-cell signaling pathways. This prevents upregulation of the enzymes, which replicate DNA methylation patterns during mitosis. Together these studies indicate that drugs and environmental agents can trigger lupus flares by epigenetically modifying CD4+ T cells.