cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cryosurgery for the treatment of cutaneous sporotrichosis in four pregnant women.

Background Pregnant women with sporotrichosis should not receive systemic antifungal therapy except in severe cases when amphotericin B is recommended. Thermotherapy is the most reported treatment described in this group of patients. It entails weeks of daily self-application of heat to the lesions, requires that the patient faithfully apply it, and it could cause skin burns. Cryosurgery is a useful therapeutic tool for many cutaneous infectious diseases, safe for pregnant women, but not well evaluated for sporotrichosis treatment in this group. Methodology The authors conducted a retrospective study describing epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic data related to four pregnant patients with sporotrichosis treated with cryosurgery. The authors reviewed the clinical records of four pregnant patients diagnosed with cutaneous sporotrichosis and treated with cryosurgery. The sessions were carried out monthly up to clinical cure. Molecular identification of the Sporothrix species was performed in two cases using T3B PCR fingerprinting assays. Principal findings All patients were in the second trimester of pregnancy and their age ranged from 18 to 34 years. With regard to clinical presentation, two patients had lymphocutaneous and two had the fixed form. S. brasiliensis was identified in two cases as the causative agent. Cryosurgery was well tolerated and the number of sessions ranged from 1 to 3. All the patients reached a complete clinical cure. Conclusions Cryosurgery was a safe, easy to perform and well tolerated method, and therefore it is suggested to be a suitable option for the treatment of cutaneous sporotrichosis in pregnant women.
Crack Sizing by the Time-of-Flight Diffraction Method, in the Light of Recent International Round-Robin Trials, (UKAEA, DDT and PISC II)

In 1980–81, Harwell developed a mini-computer controlled multi-probe defect detection and sizing system(l) based on the ultrasonic time-of-light/diffraction principle introduced by Silk(2). This system proved to be capable of fully automatic data collection from the PWR girth-weld simulation Plates 1 and 2 in the Defect Detection Trials of 1981–82. The speed of collection and subsequent analysis was such that a report on the defects found could be filed within 48 hours. The mode of operation adopted simulated minimum time of access to the defects, and was intended to define that dimension of a defect which has greatest significance, ie the through-thickness dimension.
EFFECTS OF MINE DRAINAGE ON BREAKDOWN OF ASPEN LITTER IN MOUNTAIN STREAMS

Rates of aspen litter breakdown were measured at 40 sites in streams of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, U.S.A. The sites encompassed a range of effects of mine drainage, from pristine (no effects) to highly stressed. The pH, concentrations of dissolved zinc, and deposition rates of metal oxides (the three main stresses from mine drainage) were measured in each stream. Rates of litter breakdown were estimated from changes in mass of aspen leaves in litterbags. The biological communities associated with litter breakdown also were evaluated by measuring the biomass of shredding invertebrates in litterbags and the rate of microbial respiration on litter. Of the stresses from mine drainage, concentration of zinc and deposition rate of metal oxides were most closely related (negatively) to rate of litter breakdown. Biomass of shredding invertebrates was also negatively related to concentration of dissolved zinc and deposition of metal oxides. Microbial respiration was negatively related to deposition rate of metal oxides and positively related to concentration of nutrients. Both shredder biomass and microbial respiration were positively related to litter breakdown rate and, together, accounted for 79% of its variation. Recovery of litter breakdown in streams affected by mine drainage requires remediation that limits both dissolved and deposited metals.
Chalcone isomerase cDNA cloning and mRNA induction by fungal elicitor, wounding and infection

The environmentally regulated synthesis of phenylpropanoid natural products was studied by examining the expression of the gene encoding chalcone isomerase (CHI). This enzyme catalyzes a step common to the synthesis of flavonoid pigments and isoflavonoid phytoalexins. A lambdagt11 library was constructed using mRNA from cell cultures of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) treated with fungal elicitor. Two positive clones were obtained by screening 10 recombinants with an antiserum to purified bean CHI. The identity of the cloned sequences was confirmed by hybrid-select translation and the production of antigenic polypeptides from transcripts synthesized in vitro. Addition of elicitor to cell cultures resulted in the rapid accumulation of CHI mRNA, with maximum levels achieved 3-4 h after elicitation. CHI mRNA also accumulated during the natural infection of hypocotyls with the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, and in mechanically wounded hypocotyls. The kinetics of accumulation of CHI mRNA in response to these environmental signals were strikingly similar to those of mRNAs encoding two other phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes, phenylalanine ammonialyase and chalcone synthase. In contrast to the multi-gene families encoding these two enzymes, chalcone isomerase is encoded by a single gene which is regulated by several environmental stimuli.
Firm Valuation Using the Edwards-Bell-Ohlson Framework

This paper examines the determinants of price-to-earnings (PE) and price-to-book (PB) multiples with the aim of improving the selection of comparable firms used to estimate firm value. I then demonstrate that systematically selecting a subset of firms from within an industry, based on these determinants, results in a more comparable set of firms than the four digit sic industry grouping often used in practice. In the empirical tests, two set of artificial prices are constructed using a PE/PB valuation method. A benchmark artificial price is based on an industry price median multiple (PE or PB), consistent with results reported in Alford [1992]. The median PE (PB) is capitalized using the target firm's earnings (book value) to obtain an 'industry median price'. A second artificial price (an 'EBO median price') is formed by applying the median PE (PB) obtained from a selected subset of the target firm's industry to the target firm's earnings (book value).The selected subset of firms is composed firms from within the target firm's industry that have PE (PB) determinants most like the target firm. I document a substantial decrease in pricing errors (the difference between the artificial price and the market price) when using the determinants to select the set of comparable firms instead of the entire industry. Over a fifteen year period, in greater than 91% (98%) of the cases the mean (median) EBO pricing error is less than the mean (median) industry pricing error. Over 72% (68%) of the time that difference is statistically significant at less than the .05 level. My results suggest that using a more carefully grounded theoretical approach, even when using unsophisticated methods, yields a substantial improvement in valuation estimates. Implications for accounting research are discussed.
The Incidence of Intracranial Aneurysm

Most reports calculating the incidence of intra-cranial aneurysm come from general autopsy series. Table 2.1 summarizes such reports from 1890 through 1973. An incidence of 0.2 to 7.9% is recorded. After analyzing the discrepancies of various reports, Stehbens (46) concluded a higher incidence is found when there is greater interest and expertise (especially in a prospective study such as McCormick’s 1973 report [28]) and when there is selection by virtue of the age group and hospital referral pattern. Certainly the incidence of intracranial aneurysms exceeds that of systemic aneurysms, which have more connective tissue and external buttressing (6,46).
Information of Complex Systems and Applications in Agent Based Modeling

Information about a system’s internal interactions is important to modeling the system’s dynamics. This study examines the finer categories of the information definition and explores the features of a type of local information that describes the internal interactions of a system. Based on the results, a dual-space agent and information modeling framework (AIM) is developed by explicitly distinguishing an information space from the material space. The two spaces can evolve both independently and interactively. The dual-space framework can provide new analytic methods for agent based models (ABMs). Three examples are presented including money distribution, individual’s economic evolution, and artificial stock market. The results are analyzed in the dual-space, which more clearly shows the interactions and evolutions within and between the information and material spaces. The outcomes demonstrate the wide-ranging applicability of using the dual-space AIMs to model and analyze a broad range of interactive and intelligent systems.
Nanoencapsulation of caffeic acid phenethyl ester in sucrose fatty acid esters to improve activities against cancer cells

Abstract Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a natural compound with anticancer activities but has low water solubility. In this work, sucrose fatty acid ester (SFAE) was used to nanoencapsulate CAPE in aqueous propylene glycol (PG) with a temperature-cycle method by heating at 90 °C for 20 min and cooling to 21 °C, followed by additional heating at 90 °C for 5 min and cooling to 21 °C. A higher amount of PG facilitated encapsulation with up to 0.1%w/w CAPE in 1.0% w/w SFAE. Additional 0.3%w/w thymol further improved the CAPE loading capability to 0.15%w/w to form nanoparticles smaller than 100 nm and stable in 30 days at 21 °C. Nanoencapsulation enhanced cytotoxicity of CAPE against colon cancer HCT-116 and breast cancer MCF-7 cells, and thymol additionally enhanced the cytotoxicity of CAPE dispersions. This work provides a new approach to nanoencapsulate CAPE in stable aqueous dispersions with improved cytotoxicity.
The Tlönian Cone

The objective of this study is to squeeze out ideas from Borges’s already highly harvested—but still rich—fiction by interpreting his work using the conceptual tools of physics. It aims to provide unique alternative views by using interpretative concepts from the physical sciences as well as to suggest possible scientific sources for Borges’s inspiration. Although in a reading of this type it is almost inevitable to avoid the mentioning of mathematics, the writer will attempt to suppress it as much as feasible, since Borges’s connection with mathematics has been treated extensively, while the same is not true of other sciences, particularly physics.
The Etruscans (Lost Civilizations). By Lucy Shipley. (London: Reaktion Books Ltd [distributed in the USA by the University of Chicago Press], 2017, Pp. 213. $25.00.)

One of several small volumes in the new and growing Lost Civilizations series, which includes Egypt, The Greeks, The Persians, The Indus, and The Goths, Lucy Shipley's The Etruscans is a thoroughly...
The Four Corners Sign: A Specific Imaging Feature in Differentiating Systemic Sclerosis-related Interstitial Lung Disease From Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Purpose:Differentiating between systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is important because of the differences in workup, prognosis, and treatment. However, there is much overlap in the appearance of these 2 entities on high-resolution
Efficient general synthesis of 1,2- and 1,3-diols in high enantiomeric excess via the intramolecular asymmetric reduction of the corresponding ketoalkyl diisopinocampheylborinate intermediates☆

Abstract The first successful asymmetric reduction of unhindered aliphatic ketones with B-chlorodiisopinocampheylborane is reported. In contrast to the reduction in high ee of aralkyl ketones, such as acetophenone, with the reagent, the reduction of unhindered dialkyl ketones, such as 3-methyl-2-butanone, provides only poor ee. However, treatment of α- and β-hydroxyketones with one equiv of diisopinocampheylborane or B-chlorodiisopinocampheylborane rapidly produces the corresponding ketoalkyl diisopinocampheylborinate intermediates, which then undergo facile intramolecular reduction. This reaction sequence, followed by oxidative workup, provides a general synthesis of 1,2- and 1,3-diols in 84-≥99% enantiomeric excess.
Molecular characterization of localized pleural mesothelioma

Localized pleural mesothelioma is a rare solitary circumscribed pleural tumor that is microscopically similar to diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma. However, the molecular characteristics and nosologic relationship with its diffuse counterpart remain unknown. In a consecutive cohort of 1110 patients with pleural mesotheliomas diagnosed in 2005–2018, we identified six (0.5%) patients diagnosed with localized pleural mesotheliomas. We gathered clinical history, evaluated the histopathology, and in select cases performed karyotypic analysis and targeted next-generation sequencing. The cohort included three women and three men (median age 63; range 28–76), often presenting incidentally during radiologic evaluation for unrelated conditions. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered in two patients. All tumors (median size 5.0 cm; range 2.7–13.5 cm) demonstrated gross circumscription (with microscopic invasion into lung, soft tissue, and/or rib in four cases), mesothelioma histology (four biphasic and two epithelioid types), and mesothelial immunophenotype. Of four patients with at least 6-month follow-up, three were alive (up to 8.9 years). Genomic characterization identified several subgroups: (1) BAP1 mutations with deletions of CDKN2A and NF2 in two tumors; (2) TRAF7 mutations in two tumors, including one harboring trisomies of chromosomes 3, 5, 7, and X; and (3) genomic near-haploidization, characterized by extensive loss of heterozygosity sparing chromosomes 5 and 7. Localized pleural mesotheliomas appear genetically heterogeneous and include BAP1-mutated, TRAF7-mutated, and near-haploid subgroups. While the BAP1-mutated subgroup is similar to diffuse malignant pleural mesotheliomas, the TRAF7-mutated subgroup overlaps genetically with adenomatoid tumors and well-differentiated papillary mesotheliomas, in which recurrent TRAF7 mutations have been described. Genomic near-haploidization, identified recently in a subset of diffuse malignant pleural mesotheliomas, suggests a novel mechanism in the pathogenesis of both localized pleural mesothelioma and diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma. Our findings describe distinctive genetic features of localized pleural mesothelioma, with both similarities to and differences from diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma.
The 2019 guidelines from the American Society for Apheresis: what's new?

Purpose of reviewFor over 30 years, the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) has published practice guidelines on the use of therapeutic apheresis in the Journal of Clinical Apheresis (JCA) Special Issue. These guidelines are periodically reviewed with the addition of new indications, retirement of
Vascular Access in Children With Blood Disorders or Cancer

* Abbreviations: CVAD — : central venous access device miniMAGIC — : Michigan Appropriateness Guide for Intravenous Catheters in Pediatrics PICC — : peripherally inserted central catheter Children with disorders of blood and cancer frequently require long-term central venous access devices (CVADs) for recurrent blood draws, blood transfusions, and infusion of caustic medications, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and biological agents. Their diagnosis puts them at increased risk for other comorbidities, such as systemic infection from neutropenia, along with thrombosis secondary to malignancy, immobility, chemotherapeutic agents (eg, steroids and asparaginase), or the underlying thrombogenic state of sickle cell disease.1–3 Therefore, careful consideration is needed when choosing a CVAD that is best for these patients. The guidelines/recommendations in this article are not American Academy of Pediatrics policy, and publication herein does not imply … Address correspondence to Julie Jaffray, MD, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Mailstop #54, Los Angeles, CA 90027. E-mail: jjaffray{at}chla.usc.edu
Epidemiology, Time‐trends and Outcomes of Serious Infections in Patients with Vasculitis: A 19‐year National Study

OBJECTIVE To examine the epidemiology, time trends, and outcomes and types of serious infections in people with vasculitis in the US. METHODS We identified people with vasculitis who were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia, sepsis/bacteremia, urinary tract infection (UTI), skin and soft tissue infections, or opportunistic infections in the 1998-2016 US National Inpatient Sample. We used adjusted logistic regression to examine the predictors of a hospital stay >3 days, total hospital charges greater than the median, discharge to a non-home setting, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS We noted 111,345 serious infections in patients with vasculitis (14% of all vasculitis hospitalizations). Among the patients, the mean age was 67.3 years, the Deyo-Charlson comorbidity index score was ≥2 in 54%, 37% were male, and 67% were White. The serious infection hospitalization rate per 100,000 US National Inpatient Sample claims in 1998-2000 versus 2015-2016 (and rates of increase) in patients with vasculitis was as follows: overall, 12.14 versus 25.15 (2.1-fold); opportunistic infections, 0.78 versus 0.83 (1.1-fold); skin and soft tissue infections, 1.38 versus 2.52 (1.8-fold); UTI, 0.35 versus 1.48 (4.2-fold); pneumonia, 7.10 versus 6.23 (0.9-fold); and sepsis, 2.53 versus 14.10 (5.6-fold). Pneumonia was the most common serious infection in 1998-2000 (58%) versus sepsis in 2015-2016 (56%). Sepsis, older age, Deyo-Charlson comorbidity index score of ≥2, urban hospital, or medium/large hospital (by number of beds) were associated with higher health care utilization and in-hospital mortality rates; Northeast region and Medicare and Medicaid payer type were associated with higher rates of health care utilization. CONCLUSION Serious infection hospitalization rates are increasing in patients with vasculitis except among those with pneumonia. Sepsis was the most common serious infection in 2015-2016. Several patient and hospital factors are associated with health care utilization and mortality in serious infection hospitalization in vasculitis.
Enzyme therapeutics for systemic detoxification.

Abstract Life relies on numerous biochemical processes working synergistically and correctly. Certain substances disrupt these processes, inducing living organism into an abnormal state termed intoxication. Managing intoxication usually requires interventions, which is referred as detoxification. Decades of development on detoxification reveals the potential of enzymes as ideal therapeutics and antidotes, because their high substrate specificity and catalytic efficiency are essential for clearing intoxicating substances without adverse effects. However, intrinsic shortcomings of enzymes including low stability and high immunogenicity are major hurdles, which could be overcome by delivering enzymes with specially designed nanocarriers. Extensive investigations on protein delivery indicate three types of enzyme-nanocarrier architectures that show more promise than others for systemic detoxification, including liposome-wrapped enzymes, polymer–enzyme conjugates, and polymer-encapsulated enzymes. This review highlights recent advances in these nano-architectures and discusses their applications in systemic detoxifications. Therapeutic potential of various enzymes as well as associated challenges in achieving effective delivery of therapeutic enzymes will also be discussed.
Tile Tensors: A versatile data structure with descriptive shapes for homomorphic encryption.

Moving from the theoretical promise of Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) to real-world applications with realistic and acceptable time and memory figures is an on-going challenge. After choosing an appropriate FHE scheme, and before implementing privacy-preserving analytics, one needs an efficient packing method that will optimize use of the ciphertext slots, trading-off size, latency, and throughput. We propose a solution to this challenge. We describe a method for efficiently working with tensors (multi-dimensional arrays) in a system that imposes tiles, i.e., fixed-size vectors. The tensors are packed into tiles and then manipulated via operations on those tiles. We further show a novel and concise notation for describing packing details. Our method reinterprets the tiles as multi-dimensional arrays, and combines them to cover enough space to hold the tensor. An efficient summation algorithm can then sum over any dimension of this construct. We propose a descriptive notation for the shape of this data structure that describes both the original tensor and how it is packed inside the tiles. Our solution can be used to optimize the performance of various algorithms such as consecutive matrix multiplications or neural network inference with varying batch sizes. It can also serve to enhance optimizations done by homomorphic encryption compilers. We describe different applications that take advantage of this data structure through the proposed notation, experiment to evaluate the advantages through different applications, and share our conclusions.
The Implementation of an Emergency Medicine Telehealth System During a Pandemic.

Abstract Background In March of 2020, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)—a disease caused by a novel coronavirus—a pandemic, and it continued to spread rapidly in the community. Our institution implemented an emergency medicine telehealth system that sought to expedite care of stable patients, decrease provider exposure to COVID-19, decrease overall usage rate of personal protective equipment, and provide a platform so that infected or quarantined physicians could continue to work. This effort was among the first to use telehealth to practice emergency medicine in the setting of a pandemic in the United States. Discussion Outside the main emergency departments at each of 2 sites of our academic institution, disaster tents were erected with patient care equipment and medications, as well as technology to allow for telehealth visits. The triage system was modified to appropriately select low-risk patients with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 who could be seen in these disaster tents. Despite some issues that needed to be addressed, such as provider discomfort, limited medication availability, and connectivity problems, the model was successful overall. Conclusions Other emergency departments might find this proof of concept article useful. Telehealth will likely be used more broadly in the future, including emergency care. It is imperative that the health care system continues to adapt to respond appropriately to challenges such as pandemics.
Use of craniometric data to facilitate migrant identifications at the United States/Mexico border

OBJECTIVES Thousands of migrants have died along the United States/Mexico border and many remain unidentified. The purpose of this research is to test whether estimations of population affinity, derived from craniometric data, can facilitate identification of migrant remains and provide a geographic region of origin rather than the broad label Hispanic. The appropriateness of current forensic reference data will also be assessed. METHODS A case study combined with craniometric data from positively identified and unidentified migrants from the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner (n = 489) in Arizona and operation identification (n = 201) in Texas were compared to skeletal data representing Guatemalan (n = 87) and Mexican (n = 65) Mayans. Biological distance and discriminant function analyses were used to assess overall population relationships and classificatory models for forensic anthropological application. RESULTS The majority of evidence indicates that estimations of population affinity can assist in the facilitation identification of migrant remains, even when a broad classification is used. Biological distances among the groups suggest that positively identified Guatemalan and Mexican migrants are similar to one another but differ from Guatemalan and Mexican Mayans. CONCLUSIONS Population affinity estimations can aid migrant identification, and current reference data used in forensic anthropological practice should be replaced with data from positive identifications. Estimates of geographic origin may be more useful than the broad generic term Hispanic for narrowing down the search for a missing person, but more data and research is needed to achieve this goal. Although, the utility of geographic origin estimates relies on transnational data centralization and sharing, which is not always the case.
Examining the Feasibility and Fit of Family Implemented TEACCH for Toddlers in Rural Settings

Many autism-focused early intervention (EI) models have not yet been adopted by community-based providers in rural settings due to fit and feasibility when working within the Part C model. Family I...
The Decline of Anglo-American Civil Jury Trial Practice

This article provides a brief historical explanation of the role that juries have played in Anglo-American civil trial practice. In doing so, the article documents the rise and fall of jury trial practice as a mechanism for resolving civil disputes in both England and America. The article explains how the modern rules of procedure and procedural statutes promote resolving disputes through pretrial litigation procedures at the expense of resolving disputes by jury trial. The article begins with a description of the use of juries in England at the end of the twelfth century and continues until the near disappearance of juries in civil cases in England in the second half of the twentieth century. The article continues with the adoption and interpretation of the Seventh Amendment in America by the First Congress and a description of developments in American states, and it ends with the transformation of civil trial practice into modern litigation. The Author makes a prediction that the American trial practice will continue to follow England’s lead, moving further away from resolving civil disputes by jury trials.
ACE2 interaction with cytoplasmic PDZ protein enhances SARS-CoV-2 invasion.

Summary SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the membrane-delimited receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Lung, intestine and kidney, major sites of viral infection, express ACE2 that harbours an intracellular, carboxy-terminal PDZ-recognition motif. These organs prominently express the PDZ protein Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1 (NHERF1). Here, we report NHERF1 tethers ACE2 and augments SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. ACE2 directly binds both NHERF1 PDZ domains. Disruption of either NHERF1 PDZ core-binding motif or the ACE2 PDZ-recognition sequence eliminates interaction. Proximity ligation assays establish that ACE2 and NHERF1 interact at constitutive expression levels in human lung and intestine cells. Ablating ACE2 interaction with NHERF1 accelerated SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. Conversely, elimination of the ACE2 C-terminal PDZ binding motif decreased ACE2 membrane residence and reduced pseudotyped virus entry. We conclude that the PDZ interaction of ACE2 with NHERF1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 internalization. β-arrestin is likely indispensable, as with G protein-coupled receptors.
Eye tests with inhalant allergens: Their feasibility, indications, and clinical value

Abstract 1.1. From an experience embracing more than 5,000 tests over a period of more than five years, we are convinced that eye tests with the same powdered inhalant allergens (including pollens and atmospheric molds) that are employed in scratch tests are safe, practical, and useful adjuncts to the skin testing procedure. 2.2. With proper precautions, tests with all the important inhalants can be completed in a relatively short time, either simultaneously with or independently of skin testing, and can act as a check on the latter. 3.3. Untoward reactions were infrequent. They can be prevented in all patients by the early removal of the instilled allergens in positive reactors and by the use of an appropriate ophthalmic decongestant. 4.4. Complete eye tests performed in more than thirty nonsensitive control patients were entirely negative to all inhalant allergens. This proved that the test materials per se were not irritating and would not induce nonspecific positive reactions. 5.5. Positive reactions were more frequent with those inhalant allergens having a correspondingly high incidence of positive skin test reactions. 6.6. The clinical usefulness of eye tests was evaluated in relation to skin tests with the same allergens and to the patient's history of clinical sensitiveness. The results of this evaluation indicated that the eye test was especially helpful in the following situations: 6.1.(a) To determine the presence or absence of clinical sensitivity in patients with positive skin tests but negative or doubtful clinical history. This information proved helpful in therapeutic management, especially in patients with positive skin tests to house dust, animal dander, or pollens with overlapping pollination periods (for example, trees and grasses). 6.2.(b) As a means of uncovering unsuspected etiological factors in patients with negative skin tests and indefinite clinical histories. The occurrence of positive eye tests in such patients suggests the possible additional utilization of complete eye tests with common inhalant allergens in those patients with vague clinical histories and undetermined etiology. 6.3.(c) To affirm the nonclinical nature of positive skin tests in patients with negative clinical histories in whom the eye tests also were negative.
Chapter 1 Pathogenesis of Renal Diseases: Autoimmunity

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pathogenesis of renal diseases, autoimmunity. The human immune system is an integrated group of highly specialized defenses that limits invasion of foreign organisms and eliminates foreign cells, and through tightly regulated series of networks is able to distinguish self and non-self. This ability to recognize self and limit auto-immune responses against self-antigens is defined as tolerance. Autoimmune responses resemble normal immune responses to pathogens in that they are specifically activated by antigens. In many cases, however, the targets are self or auto-antigens. In some instances, foreign antigens elicit an autoimmune response through molecular mimicry, whereas in others the autoimmune response arises from epitope spreading. The effectors of autoimmunity in the kidney are many, but most often disease is initiated either by antibody deposition or infiltration of immune cells. Once antibodies are deposited, their exposed fragment crystalline (Fc) regions activate and recruit inflammatory cells, and initiate complement activation. This process leads to further cellular infiltration, and secretion of inflammatory mediators by both infiltrating and endogenous cells.
A Comparison of Item Calibration Procedures in the Presence of Test Speededness.

In the presence of test speededness, the parameter estimates of item response theory models can be poorly estimated due to conditional dependencies among items, particularly for end-of-test items (i.e., speeded items). This article conducted a systematic comparison of five-item calibration procedures—a two-parameter logistic (2PL) model, a one-dimensional mixture model, a two-step strategy (a combination of the one-dimensional mixture and the 2PL), a two-dimensional mixture model, and a hybrid model-–by examining how sample size, percentage of speeded examinees, percentage of missing responses, and way of scoring missing responses (incorrect vs. omitted) affect the item parameter estimation in speeded tests. For nonspeeded items, all five procedures showed similar results in recovering item parameters. For speeded items, the one-dimensional mixture model, the two-step strategy, and the two-dimensional mixture model provided largely similar results and performed better than the 2PL model and the hybrid model in calibrating slope parameters. However, those three procedures performed similarly to the hybrid model in estimating intercept parameters. As expected, the 2PL model did not appear to be as accurate as the other models in recovering item parameters, especially when there were large numbers of examinees showing speededness and a high percentage of missing responses with incorrect scoring. Real data analysis further described the similarities and differences between the five procedures.
“The world is a forest of symbols”: Italian Freemasonry and the practice of discretion

Members of Italian Masonic lodges, esoteric organizations widely perceived as secret societies, prefer to explain their elaborate practices of concealment and disclosure in terms of discretion. Through the aesthetics and epistemology of discretion, Freemasons view the world as a “forest of symbols” hidden in plain sight and awaiting interpretation. Taking “discretion” as both an ethnographic and analytic category, I ask how an anthropological study of discretion may reveal not only forms of cultural practice deemed secret but also the interpretive art of decoding that underlies the process of knowledge formation at the heart of Masonic communities of practice. [discretion, secrecy, Freemasonry, Italy, secret societies, aesthetics, epistemology]
Transitions between SNF and home-based care in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Objectives To assess patient characteristics and risk factors associated with care transitions between skilled nursing facility (SNF) and home care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in an effort to improve outcomes and optimize patient care pathways. Background MS is a chronic neurologic illness of younger adults that is associated with physical disability, cognitive impairment and a high need for supportive services. Methods The study was based on the 2005 Nursing Home Minimum Data Set and the Outcome and Assessment Information Set data (n = 10,064). We performed multivariate evaluation of patient risk factors for skilled nursing facility (SNF) admission and disposition while controlling for potential patient self-selection and other characteristics that affect care utilization. Results MS patients with recent history of home care use were less likely to be admitted to an acute care hospital and had higher physical disability at SNF admission than SNF patients who did not use home care. Insurance type (Medicaid) and availability of informal caregivers were associated with the use of homecare services after a SNF stay, while patient demographic and clinical characteristics did not explain SNF disposition. Conclusions Future studies should explore the association between the local availability and affordability of home-based services and physician attitude about community-based care management of disabled patients.
Dynamics of learning algorithms for the on-demand secure byzantine routing protocol

We investigate the performance of of several protocol enhancements to the On-Demand Secure Byzantine Routing (ODSBR) [3] protocol in the presence of various Byzantine Attack models. These enhancements include a) modifications to the packet flow rates, b) a network layer retransmission capability and c) Nodal Weighting (in addition to Link Weighting) in the reputation database. These enhancements are meant to improve the learning rate of the protocol. The attack models investigated include previously investigated models [4] and a new and effective attack model, termed the MAC-Level Attack. We investigate the protocol enhancements through analytic models and simulation studies. We find that the protocol enhancements improve the learning times of the ODSBR protocol. The Nodal Weighting enhancement specifically helps in the presence of the various colluding Byzantine Attack models investigated.
Atmospheric Mass Transport by Along-Valley Wind Systems in a Deep Colorado Valley

Abstract Hourly tethered-balloon wind soundings from the 650-m deep, narrow, Brush Creek Valley of Colorado are analyzed to determine the nocturnal atmospheric mass (or volume) budget of the valley. Under the assumption that the volume flux on an entire valley cross section can be approximated from balloon soundings over the valley center, volume fluxes are calculated from tethered balloon profiles taken on 30–31 July 1982 at several points along the valley's longitudinal axis in a 7-km long segment of the valley. Down-valley volume fluxes increased in the 3 h following sunset to levels that were basically maintained through the night. Down-valley volume fluxes increased with distance down the valley axis from 0.9 million m3 s−1 at the upper end of the segment to 2.8 million m3 s−1 at the lower end, producing an average volume flux divergence of 271 m2 s−1. If we assume that the volume flux divergence is supported entirely by subsidence of air into the valley, a peak sinking rate of 0.10 m s−1 is obtained...
Phosphate Removal by Sands and Soils

Phosphate retention by soils is especially important for tile fields and rapid infiltration systems near lakes where eutrophication is a problem. The use and application of the phosphate adsorption isotherm test to estimate a soil's phosphate removal ability will be discussed. In New York State, the till soils had a greater phosphate retention ability than the outwash soils. Within the tills and within the outwashes, the more acid soils had a greater phosphate retention than the more basic or calcareous soils. The B horizon of many of the soils had a high phosphate capacity. However, this is often neglected in rapid infiltration systems because the waste water is discharged below the B horizon. The phosphate removal in column studies and field studies in rapid infiltration systems was found greater than predicted by the rapid isotherm test. Intermittent sand filters with two feet sand and underdrains were found to have a limited ability to remove phosphate. Methods to predict and design for phosphate retention by sands and soils are described.
The Integration Of Simplification And Smoothing Algorithms In Line Generalization

The cartographic generalization of vector data in digital format involves six distinct processes, including simplification, smoothing, enhancement, displacement, merging, and omission. Although the research agenda has addressed each of the six elements individually, little consideration has been given to the geometric interaction of the components. This paper proposes a conceptual model, based on a sequential set of five procedures – or transformations – for the processing of linear digital data. The geometric interaction of simplification and smoothing algorithms is especially emphasized. The first process involves cleaning the digital file, whereby digitizing errors and duplicate coordinate pairs are eliminated. This is followed by a simple smoothing–normally based on weighted-averaging–designed to eliminate the 'gridding' constraints of the digitizing tablet or other encoding device. A third manipulation involves what is called database simplification where a sequential approach (such as Lang toleranci...
Psychosocial Adaptation to Chronic Illness and Disability: A Primer for Counselors.

In this article, the authors discuss 3 broad domains of psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability. These include the dynamics (basic concepts, psychosocial responses, and coping strategies) typically associated with the process of adaptation to disabling conditions, assessment of adaptation as evidenced by 6 commonly used measures, and intervention strategies applied to facilitating coping with and adaptation to chronic illness and disability.
Concentrated Economic Power and Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is the computer and microelectronics capital of America. To analysts from different academic disciplines and ideological persuasions, the economy of Silicon Valley has many faces. In...
Preparation, resolution and dynamic stereochemistry of the 7H-7-methyl-7-silabenz[d,e]anthracene system

Abstract (±)-7H-7-Methyl-7-silabenz[ d,e ]anthracene was prepared by pyrolysis of α-naphthylphenylmethylsilane, and was subsequently resolved using the menthoxy diastereomer. With one exception, the dynamic stereochemistry of this system is similar to that of analogous acyclic α-naphthylphenylmethylsilyl compounds. These stereochemical results are discussed on the basis of steric and angle strain effects at silicon.
Immunity to and Frequency of Reinfection with Respiratory Syncytial Virus

To better understand the duration of immunity against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the role of serum antibodies to the surface glycoproteins, F and G, in susceptibility to reinfection, 15 adults with previous natural RSV infection were challenged with RSV of the same strain group (A) at 2, 4, 8, 14, 20, and 26 months after natural infection. By 2 months about one-half and by 8 months two-thirds of the subjects became reinfected. Each challenge resulted in infection in at least one-fourth of the subjects. Within 26 months 73% had two or more and 47% had three or more infections. The duration of immunity tended to increase after two closely spaced infections. Higher neutralizing, F and GA antibody levels before challenge correlated significantly with protection against infection. However, even in subjects with the highest antibody levels, the risk of reinfection was 25%. Specific nasal IgA antibody titers did not correlate significantly with protection. This suggests that humoral neutralizing, F, and G antibodies correlate with resistance to reinfection, but protection is far from complete and is of short duration.
Parallel-flow and counter-flow conjugate convection from a vertical insulated pipe

The coupling of forced convection inside a vertical pipe and natural convection outside the pipe is investigated for the case where the pipe is surrounded by permeable insulation. This analysis is pertinent to the design of insulation jackets for pipes, where the insulation can be modeled as an isotropic porous medium. Attention is given to the cases of both parallel flow and counterflow. The heat transfer through the pipe wall is a direct result of the interaction between the forced convection outside the pipe and the natural convection outside the pipe. 9 refs.
Mental Health Problems in Teens Investigated by U.S. Child Welfare Agencies

Abstract Purpose To examine prevalence and correlates of five mental health (MH) problems among 12–17.5 year olds investigated by child welfare. Methods Data from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II) were analyzed to examine depression, anxiety, substance use/abuse, suicidality, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as reported by teens and their caregivers. In a sample of 815 adolescents, prevalence for each MH problem and correlates (e.g., age, placement location) were identified using bivariate and multivariable logistic analyses. Results After investigation for maltreatment, 42.7% of teens reported at least one MH problem, regardless of placement. Nine percent reported depression, 13.9% reported suicidality, 23% had substance use/abuse, 13.5% reported anxiety, and 18.6% had ADHD. Of 332 teens with any MH problem, 52.1% reported only one problem, 28.3% had two problems, and 19.6% had ≥ three problems. Teens with prior out-of-home placement had odds 2.29 times higher of reporting a MH problem and odds 2.12 times higher of reporting substance use/abuse. Males were significantly less likely to report depression. Older teens were more likely to report substance use/abuse. Black teens were significantly less likely to report suicidality and ADHD and almost half as likely to report anxiety. Teens with a chronic health condition and teens whose caregiver reported depression had more than twice the odds of reporting anxiety. Conclusions This study highlights high rates of MH problems in teens of all ages and placement locations and suggests that all teens involved with child welfare should be screened for MH problems, regardless of initial placement status.
Sub-baud coding: James L. Massey and early research on sequences for spread spectrum

During his long and illustrious research career, James L. Massey (1934-2013) devoted his attention to spread-spectrum communications very infrequently and then only for brief periods of time. In a short summer study for NASA in 1969, he obtained several results on the analysis and design of sequences for direct-sequence spread-spectrum communications. These results were not published as journal articles though two conference presentations were made. In this paper, we present a survey of what was discovered, what was presented, what was published, and how all this influenced our own research on spread-spectrum communications.
Postpartum aggression in mice: The influence of suckling stimulation

Abstract The influence of suckling stimulation upon postpartum aggression was studied by removing the nipples (thelectomy) of female mice at various times during pregnancy and lactation. Prepartum thelectomy, regardless of whether it was performed prior to mating or shortly before parturition, in combination with the fostering of young, prevented the exhibition of aggression. The aggressive behavior of females thelectomized following either 2 or 5 days of suckling experience was similar to that of normal lactating females. However, only 25% of animals thelectomized following 24 hr of suckling experience exhibited aggressive behavior. The results demonstrate that suckling stimulation is important for the initiation of postpartum aggression but is not essential in animals that have had at least 48 hr of suckling experience.
Current perspectives on the genetics of unipolar depression.

Evidence regarding the heritability of unipolar depression is evaluated. The data reviewed here support the involvement of genetic factors in the etiology of unipolar depression and its suitability for independent genetic inquiry, despite our inability to identify the mode(s) of transmission or identify a candidate locus. Continued progress in testing etiologic hypotheses requires (a) clarification of the mode of transmission; (b) resolution of phenotypic and potential genotypic heterogeneity; (c) general agreement on a “gold standard” for assessment of the unipolar phenotype; (d) the continued application of available quantitative methods to take into account the effects of ascertainment bias, sex effects, cohort effects, and variable/late age at onset; and (e) incorporation of quantitative indicators correlated with liability in multivariate analysis to improve the stability/validity of phenotypic determinations in segregation and linkage analysis. We present several recommendations regarding the extension of current methodologies in human population and quantitative genetics to help resolve these issues.
Range maximization of a direct methanol fuel cell powered Mini Air Vehicle using Stochastic Drift Counteraction Optimal Control

This paper considers a range maximization problem for a direct methanol fuel cell powered and battery powered Mini Air Vehicle (MAV) operating in an uncertain environment. The control policy is developed to prescribe the power split between the fuel cell and the battery. This problem fits naturally into the Stochastic Drift Counteraction Optimal Control (SDCOC) framework. The approach accounts for the statistics of MAV velocity and climb angle transitions but does not require their exact a priori knowledge. The control policy is generated based on the hybrid powerplant model that accounts for the dependence of fuel cell efficiency on the orientation.