cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demons in the IT workplace [organizational psychology]

This paper explores the nature of "demons in the IT workplace" and the implications of those demons, including the social and ethical implications of the products that IT professional produce. How professional codes of ethics and professional practice can act to mitigate these demons is also discussed. This article also suggests that IT professionals and academics can use demons in the workplace as a point of departure for investigating the larger human reality.
A simple molecular model for thermophilic adaptation of functional nucleic acids.

RNA molecules have numerous functions including catalysis and small molecule recognition, which typically arise from a tertiary structure. There is increasing interest in mechanisms for the thermostability of functional RNA molecules. Sosnick, Pan, and co-workers introduced the notion of “functional stability” as the free energy of the tertiary (functional) state relative to the next most stable (nonfunctional) state. We investigated the extent to which secondary structure stability influences the functional stability of nucleic acids. Intramolecularly folding DNA triplexes containing alternating T•AT and C+•GC base triples were used as a three-state model for the folding of nucleic acids with functional tertiary structures. A four-base-pair tunable region was included adjacent to the triplex-forming portion of the helix to allow secondary structure strength to be modulated. The degree of folding cooperativity was controlled by pH, with high cooperativity maintained by lower pH (5.5), and no cooperativity...
The past, the future and the biology of memory storage

We here briefly review a century of accomplishments in studying memory storage and delineate the two major questions that have dominated thinking in this area: the systems question of memory, which concerns where in the brain storage occurs; and the molecular question of memory, which concerns the mechanisms whereby memories are stored and maintained. We go on to consider the themes that memory research may be able to address in the 21st century. Finally, we reflect on the clinical and societal import of our increasing understanding of the mechanisms of memory, discussing possible therapeutic approaches to diseases that manifest with disruptions of learning and possible ethical implication of the ability, which is on the horizon, to ameliorate or even enhance human memory.
RESISTANCE OF HYBRID PLANTS TO HERBIVORES: GENES, ENVIRONMENT, OR BOTH?

Analyses of resistance of hybrid plants to herbivores in natural populations have revealed a diversity of patterns, including hybrid susceptibility, hybrid dominance, and hybrid intermediacy. But because many of these studies are conducted on unknown genotypes of hybrid plants in natural habitats, the genetic and environmental causes of the patterns cannot be distinguished. Predicted patterns and models of underlying genetic and environmental causes of these patterns are presented for F1, F2, and BC hybrid genotypes. It is argued that progress in resolving the causal relationships in hybrid plant–herbivore interactions will require experimentation that compares known hybrid genotypes in a combination of common garden and reciprocal transplant experiments. Such experiments will also permit tests of genotype-by-environment interactions in hybrid resistance that parallel hypotheses of hybrid plant fitness in hybrid zones.
Group A Streptococcal Isolates Temporally Associated with Acute Rheumatic Fever in Hawaii: Differences from the Continental United States

Background The annual incidence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) in Hawaii has remained several times higher than that in the continental United States, particularly among ethnic Polynesians. The emm types of Streptococcus pyogenes that are associated with this nonsuppurative complication have, to our knowledge, not been previously reported in Hawaii. Methods Patients with ARF were identified through an active surveillance system at Kapiolani Medical Center (Honolulu, HI), the only pediatric tertiary care referral hospital in Hawaii. Specimens were obtained by throat culture from patients who met the Jones criteria for ARF at the time of presentation (63 patients), prior to penicillin treatment, and from consenting family contacts (10 individuals). Eight patients and 2 close family contacts with positive throat culture results were identified from February 2000 through December 2005. Group A streptococci isolates were characterized by emm sequence typing. Results Unusual emm types were temporally associated with the onset of ARF. Emm types 65/69 (from 2 patients), 71, 92, 93, 98, 103, and 122 were isolated from the 8 patients with ARF, and emm types 52 and 101 were isolated from the 2 household contacts. Conclusions So-called rheumatogenic emm types and/or serotypes, which were previously associated with ARF in the continental United States, were not found in this study. Instead, emm types that are not commonly included among group A streptococci isolates in the continental United States and that are seldom, if ever, temporally associated with ARF were identified. These findings suggest that unusual group A streptococci emm types play a significant role in the epidemiology of ARF in Hawaii.
The Shaping of Management Decision Science with Intelligent Technology

Technology has captured society’s imagination and in the process the promise for enhanced productivity to the benefit of all. To management falls the responsibility to deliver on the promise and to capitalize on the best methods technology has to offer, recognizing that there are no “miraculous” solutions. This paper examines management decision as an evolutionary object of science with particular attention to computer-based, “intelligent technology.” The shape of management decision science has emerged through the discipline of mathematics and the medium of information technology towards closer linkages between the fields of operations research and psychology/computer science-based problem solving paradigms in artificial intelligence. Despite cultural differences, the synergy is quite natural and the promise significant. We survey this evolution, caution the unwary on progress, and conjecture on the promise. The potential for impact and payoff is great, but de facto gains will take time and require substantial further work and understanding. Deja vu.
Thermally insensitive, single-crystal, biaxial electro-optic modulators

All optically biaxial crystals exhibit orientations in which they behave as thermally insensitive (TI) wave plates. Given sufficient electro-optic coupling at these orientations, biaxial, ferroelectric crystals may be advantageously employed as single-crystal, temperature-insensitive electro-optic modulators. I have experimentally confirmed the TI orientation in the principal dielectric plane of the biaxial crystal KTiOPO4 (KTP). KTP behaves as a TI wave plate at 33.7 deg from the Z axis in the X–Z principal plane. The effective electro-optic coupling, Reff, at this orientation is 19 pm/V. The electro-optic coupling and utility of these TI orientations in KTiOAsO4 and KNbO3 are also examined. The calculated Reff of KNbO3 at the TI orientation is expected to be >2000 pm/V.
Inhibition of Adaptive Vγ2Vδ2+ T-Cell Responses during Active Mycobacterial Coinfection of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmac-Infected Monkeys

Adaptive immune responses of gammadelta T cells during active mycobacterial coinfection of human immunodeficiency virus-infected humans have not been studied. Macaques infected with the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) SIVmac were employed to determine the extent to which a coincident AIDS virus infection might compromise immune responses of mycobacterium-specific Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells during active mycobacterial infection. Control SIVmac-negative macaques developed primary and recall expansions of phosphoantigen-specific Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells after Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection and BCG reinfection, respectively. In contrast, SIVmac-infected macaques did not exhibit sound primary and recall expansions of Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells in the blood and pulmonary alveoli following BCG infection and reinfection. The absence of adaptive Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T-cell responses was associated with profound CD4(+) T-cell deficiency and subsequent development of SIVmac-related tuberculosis-like disease in the coinfected monkeys. Consistently, Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells from coinfected monkeys displayed a reduced capacity to expand in vitro following stimulation with phosphoantigen. The reduced ability of Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to expand could be restored to some extent by coculture of these cells with CD4(+) T cells purified from PBL of SIV-negative monkeys. Furthermore, naive monkeys inoculated simultaneously with SIVmac and BCG were unable to sustain expansion of Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells at the time that the coinfected monkeys developed lymphoid depletion and a fatal tuberculosis-like disease. Nevertheless, no deletion in Vdelta2 T-cell receptor repertoire was identified in SIVmac-BCG-coinfected macaques, implicating an SIVmac-induced down-regulation rather than a clonal exhaustion of these cells. Thus, an SIVmac-induced compromise of the adaptive Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T-cell responses may contribute to the immunopathogenesis of the SIV-related tuberculosis-like disease in macaques.
Effect of hypoglycemia on changes of brain lactic acid and intracellular pH produced by ischemia

Previous investigators have attributed the fall of brain intracellular pH (pHi) produced by ischemia to accumulation of lactic acid. The goal of the present experiments was to examine the hypothesis that the acidosis produced by cerebral ischemia is due to accumulation of lactic acid. The present experiments inhibited lactic acid production by lowering glucose availability using insulin-induced hypoglycemia. The adverse effects of hypoglycemia were prevented by the prior elevation of beta-hydroxybutyric acid and acetoacetic acid induced by a high lipid diet. Brain pHi and lactic acid were measured by 31P and 1H NMR. The results showed that insulin-induced hypoglycemia markedly inhibits production of lactic acid, but has no effect on brain pHi during ischemia. These findings suggest that, at least under some conditions, the acidosis produced by cerebral ischemia is not due to accumulation of lactic acid.
Conciliation, Uniqueness and Rational Toxicity1

Conciliationism holds that disagreement of apparent epistemic peers often substantially undermines rational confidence in our opinions. Uniqueness principles say that there is at most one maximally rational doxastic response to any given batch of total evidence. The two views are often thought to be tightly connected. This paper distinguishes two ways of motivating conciliationism, and two ways that conciliationism may be undermined by permissive accounts of rationality (those that deny uniqueness). It shows how conciliationism can flourish under certain strongly permissive accounts of rationality. This occurs when the motivation for conciliationism does not come (as is sometimes supposed) from taking disagreement as evidence of one's own rational failings. However, divorcing the motive for conciliating from worries about rationality does not remove a feature of conciliationism that some find troubling: that conciliationism can lead to cases of “rational toxicity,” in which the most rational response to one's evidence involves violating some rational ideal.
Macrophages Pulsed with Streptococcus pneumoniae Elicit a T Cell-Dependent Antibody Response upon Transfer into Naive Mice

Macrophages are less effective than DC at priming naive CD4(+) T cells, suggesting that DC are unique in initiating T cell-dependent Ab responses. We compared the ability of DC and macrophages, pulsed in vitro with Streptococcus pneumoniae, to elicit protein- and polysaccharide-specific Ig isotype production upon adoptive transfer into naive mice. S. pneumoniae-activated DC secreted more proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, expressed higher levels of surface MHC class II and CD40, and presented S. pneumoniae or recombinant pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) to a PspA-specific T hybridoma more efficiently than macrophages. However, upon adoptive transfer into naive mice, S. pneumoniae-pulsed macrophages elicited an IgM or IgG anti-PspA and anti-polysaccharide response comparable in serum titers and IgG isotype distribution to that induced by DC. The IgG anti-PspA response, in contrast to the IgG anti-polysaccharide, to S. pneumoniae-pulsed macrophages was T cell-dependent. S. pneumoniae-pulsed macrophages that were paraformaldehyde-fixed before transfer or lacking expression of MHC class II or CD40 were highly defective in eliciting an anti-PspA response, although the anti-polysaccharide response was largely unaffected. To our knowledge, these data are the first to indicate that macrophages can play an active role in the induction of a T cell-dependent humoral immune response in a naive host.
Introductory circuits: a course in crisis

This paper presents an analysis of the problems the introductory circuits course is facing, including a critique of the students taking the course and the texts available, and offers some suggestions for solutions to these problems.
Spectral entropy and coefficient rate for speech coding

Variable rate speech coding is well-suited for network and wireless communications and is necessary to maintain good speech quality and intelligibility at ever-lower rates. In 1960 Campbell used a version of the asymptotic equipartition property (AEP) to derive a relationship between the entropy of the source power spectral density and the minimum coefficient rate required to encode the source. We analyze Campbell's coefficient rate expression and investigate its properties for autoregressive (AR) processes and for speech. We compare the coefficient rate to the familiar entropy rate power, and to the AIC model order criterion of Akaike (1971), and consider these quantities as rate indicators for dynamically varying the rate of speech coders. >
Clinical use of cyclosporine as an adjunctive therapy in the management of feline idiopathic pure red cell aplasia

The clinical use of cyclosporine is described in a group of client-owned cats diagnosed with idiopathic pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). All 10 cats were treated with combinations of glucocorticoids and cyclosporine. Of the 10 cats, the eight for which follow-up data was available achieved and maintained remission for a median of 31 and 406 days, respectively. Therapy was reduced or discontinued in 7/8 cats; 2/7 maintained remission off therapy and 5/7 cats relapsed. Remission was reinduced in four cats, with 3/4 cats maintained long-term on low dose therapy. Adverse effects associated with cyclosporine therapy were responsive to dose reduction or drug withdrawal. Feline idiopathic PRCA was responsive to combination immunosuppressive therapy with glucocorticoids and cyclosporine. Relapse was common, particularly after drug discontinuation; therefore, most cats required maintenance long-term low dose therapy.
The cycle of concealment model

This study tested a cycle of concealment model in families. Confirming the model, a family member’s past verbally aggressive reactions to revelations influenced the extent to which the family member was estimated to react negatively to revealing a secret. These factors also attenuated closeness toward family members. In addition, expectations of negative reactions to a revelation and the extent to which those expectations were violated after the secret was revealed influenced closeness with the family member and future willingness to reveal secrets. Counter to the model, however, secret disclosure did not affect closeness. Feelings of closeness toward the family member also did not predict revelation of the secret.
Dancers with patellar tendinopathy exhibit higher vertical and braking ground reaction forces during landing

Abstract Dancers are exposed to the effects of repetitive jumping and leaping as are other athletes that tend to develop patellar tendinopathy. Greater vertical ground reaction forces occur during landing from a dance leap than during takeoff and during other common athletic activities. The purposes of this study were: (1) to compare the landing ground reaction force profiles of participants with and without clinically diagnosed patellar tendinopathy, and (2) to determine the strength of the relationship between landing angle, and braking impulse. Eighteen elite pre-professional dancers (12 healthy, 6 with patellar tendinopathy; both groups 50% male) performed sauts de chat for kinetic and kinematic analysis. Dancers with patellar tendinopathy demonstrated greater peak vertical ground reaction force and impulse (36% and 15% greater, respectively). Dancers with patellar tendinopathy demonstrated greater peak braking ground reaction force and impulse (82% and 126% greater, respectively). Landing angle expla...
Expressing Emotion in Interpersonal Interactions

This note outlines a set of behavioral techniques for expressing emotion effectively in interpersonal interactions. The skillful expression of emotion holds a number of benefits in interpersonal interactions. The note begins with the premise that emotions are always present in every interaction, no matter the topic or the participants. Expressing those emotions, instead of merely suppressing them, by using the techniques described in the note leads to greater effectiveness in interpersonal interactions.
Dilution-induced slow magnetic relaxation and anomalous hysteresis in trigonal prismatic dysprosium(III) and uranium(III) complexes.

Magnetically dilute samples of complexes Dy(H2BPzMe22)3 (1) and U(H2BPz2)3 (3) were prepared through cocrystallization with diamagnetic Y(H2BPzMe22)3 (2) and Y(H2BPz2)3. Alternating current (ac) susceptibility measurements performed on these samples reveal magnetic relaxation behavior drastically different from their concentrated counterparts. For concentrated 1, slow magnetic relaxation is not observed under zero or applied dc fields of several hundred Oersteds. However, a 1:65 (Dy:Y) molar dilution results in a nonzero out-of-phase component to the magnetic susceptibility under zero applied dc field, characteristic of a single-molecule magnet. The highest dilution of 3 (1:90, U:Y) yields a relaxation barrier Ueff = 16 cm–1, double that of the concentrated sample. These combined results highlight the impact of intermolecular interactions in mononuclear single-molecule magnets possessing a highly anisotropic metal center. Finally, dilution elucidates the previously observed secondary relaxation process fo...
Note on Purification of Human Prothrombin.

SummaryMethods developed for the purification of bovine prothrombin can be applied to the purification of human prothrombin. By these procedures, human prothrombin has been obtained with a specific activity equal to the highest ever obtained with bovine material.
Histopathologic Effects of Chromate Chemicals. Report of Studies in Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Rats and Mice.

(1965). Histopathologic Effects of Chromate Chemicals. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 66-75.
Utility of screening questionnaire, obesity, neck circumference, and sleep polysomnography to predict sleep-disordered breathing in children and adolescents.

Summary Background Polysomnography (PSG) remains the gold standard for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep-disordered breathing in children. Yet, simple screening tools are needed as it is not feasible to perform PSG in all patients with possible OSA. Aim The study adapted questions from the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire-Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder (SRBD) Questionnaire to develop a predictive scale for OSA identified on PSG. We also tested whether adding anthropometric measurements (body mass index and neck circumference) improved prediction of OSA. Methods After IRB approval, OSA questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were collected on 948 consecutive patients scheduled for PSG, aged 4 months to 24.5 years (median = 8.5 years). The sample was reduced to 636 patients in the age range (6–18 years old) where normative values for neck circumference are defined. OSA was characterized using the obstructive apnea–hypopnea index (AHI). After identifying questions related to OSA in univariate logistic regression, multivariable models were fitted to select questions for a short scale, and points for exceeding body mass or neck circumference cutoffs were added to assess improvement in predictive value. Results A long scale of 16 questionnaire items was constructed using univariate models, while six items were selected for the short scale by multivariable regression. The short scale was associated with greater odds of moderate/severe OSA (OR = 1.964; 95% CI = 1.620, 2.381; P < 0.001) and attained good predictive value (area under receiver operating characteristics curve [AUC] = 0.74), which was not significantly improved by addition of BMI and neck circumference data (AUC = 0.75). Conclusions We developed a six-question scale with good predictive utility for OSA. These findings may contribute to developing a preoperative clinical tool to help clinicians identify children with OSA for determining risk stratification and postoperative disposition.
Adaptive voltage positioning (AVP) design of multi-phase constant on-time I2 control for voltage regulators with ramp compensations

This paper proposes a multi-phase constant on-time I2 control architecture with adaptive voltage positioning (AVP) for voltage regulators (VRs). By including both fast inner current loop and the slow outer current loop, fast load transient performance and accurate current control can be achieved. In addition, in order to overcome the current ripple cancellation effects over wide duty ratios for future microprocessors, external ramp compensation is added to the proposed control architecture. The small-signal model of the proposed architecture is derived to provide the AVP design guideline, and to understand the design constraints about ramp compensations designs for different operating phases. The Simplis simulation and experimental results are provided to show the good correlations of the derived small-signal model and the effectiveness of the proposed control architecture. The parasitic of the typical output capacitor bank for VRs has also been included in the Simplis simulation bench to predict the load transient performance precisely with different load frequencies.
Regulation of Na,K-ATPase in Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Cancer

Na,K-ATPase is an ion pump that creates an electrochemical gradient across the plasma membrane. In addition, Na,K-ATPase functions as a receptor and a signaling scaffold and its β-subunit has cell adhesion function. Many of the signaling pathways modulated by Na,K-ATPase have been linked to cell growth, apoptosis, cell adhesion, and motility. Changes in Na,K-ATPase function and expression have been reported in various cancers, even early during tumor development. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in which epithelial cells undergo a shift from a well-differentiated polarized epithelial phenotype to a fibroblastic, mesenchymal phenotype is one of the earliest steps in tumor progression. EMT can be induced by growth factors that activate signaling pathways to trigger an intricate network of transcriptional regulators. Interestingly, some of the transcription factors induced during EMT are known regulators of Na,K-ATPase expression. Here we summarize some of the best characterized EMT-inducing pathways, the transcription factors modulated by these signaling pathways and discuss how they may affect Na,K-ATPase subunit expression.
Climate Scientists and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Evolving Dynamics of a Belief in Political Neutrality

Climate scientists working through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations have been centrally involved in global efforts to deal with climate change. The impact of their work has been less than they expected. Multiple, complexly related factors have contributed to its limited impact, but this article will focus on how the IPCC’s ontology, epistemology, and practices have contributed to the inability of climate scientists thus far to generate the kinds of policies and actions their work suggests are needed. More specifically, this article looks at philosophical, theoretical, and procedural contributors to that failure, with a focus on dichotomies and the scientists’ belief in the political neutrality of their work. Fortunately, their recent work provides some evidence that they are beginning to change in ways that might eventually help their work become more impactful.
Teaching About Homosexuality: A Review of the Literature

AbstractThis paper assesses the current status of the literature available for teaching about homosexuality. Attention is given to specific teaching strategies as well as the studies indicating the efficacy of these strategies for the classroom. It is concluded that most reports in the literature are largely anecdotal and more scientific investigation is needed.
‘Latino spaces have always been the most violent’: Afro-Latino collegians’ perceptions of colorism and Latino intragroup marginalization

AbstractThis study centers on the racialized experiences of Afro-Latino undergraduates at historically White institutions. Of particular interest, I examine how six Afro-Latino collegains experience intragroup marginalization due to colorism. The research design is undergirded by critical race theory and a critical race methodology. Participants’ narratives reflect how colorism manifests in the lives of Afro-Latino collegians. In drawing attention to a population that has been rendered invisible in higher education, findings from this study guide implications for future research and practice for higher education and student affairs leaders.
Impact of PCV13 on Serotype 3 Invasive Pneumococcal Disease and Nasopharyngeal Carriage in Massachusetts’ Children

AbstractBackgroundAlthough a substantial decline in overall vaccine serotype invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence has been observed following immunization with PCV7 and subsequently PCV13, the reported effectiveness for individual vaccine serotypes has varied. Reported effectiveness of PCV13 for serotype 3 (ST3) disease has differed by study design and geography, with a wide range of estimates including zero. We assessed the impact of PCV13 on ST3 IPD cases and nasopharyngeal (NP) carriage in Massachusetts’ children.MethodsCases of ST3 IPD in children <18 years were identified via enhanced passive surveillance in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health from 2002 to 2016. NP Carriage of ST3 in children aged 3 months to <7 years was identified via an active surveillance network of pediatric practices in Massachusetts from 2007 to 2014. Annual incidence rates of ST3 IPD were calculated using US Census estimates as population denominators. Annual prevalence rates of carriage were calculated using the surveillance population. We compared age distribution, clinical syndromes, presence of comorbidities and vaccination status for IPD cases and age distribution of children with ST3 carriage before and after PCV13 implementation.ResultsOverall 47 cases of ST3 IPD were identified from 2002 to 2016; the incidence of ST3 IPD before and after PCV13 was 0.23 and 0.20 per 100,000 children respectively (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.13, 95% CI 0.62–2.05). There were no differences in age distribution, clinical syndrome or presence of comorbidities among ST3 IPD cases before and after PCV13. The majority (9/13) of post PCV13 ST3 IPD cases occurred among children who were fully vaccinated. No association was seen between date of last PCV13 dose and time of IPD to suggest waning immunity. Prevalence of ST3 carriage among children aged 3 months to <7 years before and after PCV13 implementation was 0.19 and 0.64 respectively (Prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.3, 95% CI 0.11–0.83).ConclusionSix years after PCV13 implementation, no significant changes in ST3 IPD incidence, age distribution, clinical syndrome or presence of comorbidity among cases in children <18 years of age were observed. An increase in NP carriage in children <7 years of age was observed.Disclosures K. M. Shea, Pfizer, Inc: Consultant and Grant Investigator, Consulting fee and Grant recipient; S. I. Pelton, Pfizer: Board Member and Grant Investigator, Consulting fee, Research grant and Speaker honorarium; Merck vaccines: Board Member, Consulting fee and Speaker honorarium; GSK: Board Member, Consulting fee and Speaker honorarium; Sequiris: Board Member, Consulting fee and Speaker honorarium
Shakespeare & Company – merging the Bard with the Russian via two female Brits

Shakespeare & Company was founded in Lenox, Massachusetts, in 1978 by English-born actor Tina Packer and Scots-born voice guru Kristin Linklater, in collaboration with Dennis Krausnick and Kevin Co...
The Hea/r/tist Part: Turning the Point of Mothering Toward 100.

ABSTRACTIn this Defining Moments essay, I story the a/r/tographical practice of coming to understand who I am as a mother, artist, researcher, and teacher in the face of my experiences with infertility, pregnancy loss, and the death of my son Milo. Through living inquiry and artistically capturing the turning points that have defined me over time, I make sense of what it means to do hea/r/t work as I engage compassionate love alongside those I mother.
Propionibacterium acnes infections in patients with idiopathic scoliosis: a case-control study and review of the literature.

Abstract Purpose Surgical site infection (SSI) caused by Propionibacterium acnes is an infrequent but devastating complication after spinal fusion. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for SSI with Propionibacterium acnes after spinal fusion for juvenile and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (JIS and AIS). Methods A case-control study was performed. Each case was matched 2:1 for age, gender and diagnosis. Retrospective chart review was performed to obtain relevant demographic, surgical and clinical data for all cases and controls. Statistical analysis included paired t-test and McNemar test, as well as exact logistic regression and robust regression models. Results This study included ten infection cases (eight AIS, two JIS) and 20 controls (16 AIS, four JIS). In total, six infected cases presented within two weeks of the index procedure (acute infection) and four infected cases presented more than one year from the index procedure (delayed infection). The most common presentation for acut...
The Antinomies of An Unsocial Socialist

While An Unsocial Socialist, like several of Shakespeare’s later plays, might be described as a “dark comedy”—that is, its narrative, while admitting a death, concludes with two marriages and is populated by character types conventional to social comedy—it is hardly the case that Sidney Trefusis’s psyche (or that of his first wife, Henrietta) is schematized for comic purposes. This is merely one of the novel’s many paradoxes or antinomies. On the contrary, such characters more closely resemble widely circulated stereotypes of hysterics, female exotics, and the men who abandon them. As in earlier chapters, this reading of what is arguably Shaw’s most important novel employs psychoanalysis (and its history), affect theory, and theories of value in addressing, first, the “unsocial” in An Unsocial Socialist and, second, the “socialist” connotations of Shaw’s title, particularly as these pertain to theories of value and Trefusis’s critique of capitalism. Not surprisingly, these two terms often intersect in this chapter’s delineation of the overdetermined nature of Trefusis’s unsocial “heartlessness” and in the broad dimensions of industrial capitalism’s fracturing of the human subject.
Tracking the Progress of Wort Sugar Production during Congress Mashing with North American Barley Cultivars and Comparisons to Wort Osmolyte Concentrations and Malt Extract

This study was conducted to test the following hypotheses: 1) increases in barley wort total sugar concentrations during mashing would be greater than those for malt extract (ME) and more closely r...
Analogy-based extraction of lexical knowledge from corpora: the SPARKLE experience

SPARKLE is a European project aimed at the development of robust and portable software tools for shallow parsing of unrestricted texts and for automatic induction of linguistic knowledge from corpora. In this paper we illustrate the work carried out for Italian which combines finite state parsing techniques (chunking) with analogy-based lexical acquisition. The system presented in the paper extracts predicate subcategorization frames from actual instantiations of their use in a comparatively small corpus (of about 1 million word tokens) in unsupervised mode. Results of acquisition experiments are illustrated and evaluated.
Integral inequalities for some convex functions via generalized fractional integrals.

In this paper, we obtain the Hermite–Hadamard type inequalities for s-convex functions and m-convex functions via a generalized fractional integral, known as Katugampola fractional integral, which is the generalization of Riemann–Liouville fractional integral and Hadamard fractional integral. We show that through the Katugampola fractional integral we can find a Hermite–Hadamard inequality via the Riemann–Liouville fractional integral.
Optical Characterization of Neurosurgical Operating Microscopes: Quantitative Fluorescence and Assessment of PpIX Photobleaching

Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) induced by 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is increasingly used as a fluorescent marker for fluorescence-guided resection of malignant gliomas. Understanding how the properties of the excitation light source and PpIX fluorescence interact with the surgical microscope is critical for effective use of the fluorescence-guided tumor resection technique. In this study, we performed a detailed assessment of the intensity of the emitted blue light and white light and the light beam profile of clinical grade operating microscopes used for PpIX visualization. These measurements revealed both recognized fluorescence photobleaching limitations and unrecognized limitations that may alter quantitative observations of PpIX fluorescence obtained with the operating microscope with potential impact on research and clinical uses. We also evaluated the optical properties of a photostable fluorescent standard with an excitation-emission profile similar to PpIX. In addition, we measured the time-dependent dynamics of 5-ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence in an animal glioma model. Finally, we developed a ratiometric method for quantification of the PpIX fluorescence that uses the photostable fluorescent standard to normalize PpIX fluorescence intensity. This method increases accuracy and allows reproducible and direct comparability of the measurements from multiple samples.
Radar Probing and Measurement of the Planetary Boundary Layer: Part I. Scattering from Refractive Index Irregularities

Radar probes the atmosphere by directing electromagnetic energy at the region of interest and receiving the relatively weak signal that is scattered back. This signal is processed to extract various signal parameters such as delay, amplitude, and frequency difference between transmitted and received signals; then these basic signal parameters are related to various meteorological phenomena. The two problems involved are: first, to estimate the basic signal parameters from the return signal and second, to relate these signal parameters to meteorological quantities of interest. Estimating the parameters of a noisy signal is a well-developed procedure, having a firm basis in statistical communication theory. For many mathematical models of signals and noise, optimal estimators for various signal parameters have been derived and their performance studied. These concepts are well covered in the radar literature and so they will only be mentioned briefly here. The meteorological variables alluded to above, on the other hand, are not well covered in conventional radar literature because returns from the atmosphere are generally termed “weather clutter” by radar designers and operators interested in hard targets.
Do bipolar disorder soft signs impact outcomes following Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy for depression

Abstract Background Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is not currently FDA approved for depressed patients with bipolar disorder (BD), but many unipolar depressed patients presenting for TMS have soft signs of bipolarity. It is not known whether or not these soft signs portend differential outcomes. Objective To investigate the relationship between BD soft signs and TMS treatment outcomes in a naturalistic treatment setting. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of MDD patients (n = 105) treated with TMS. BD diathesis was defined by responses to a modified version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire and family history. Results TMS response rates for the group with BD diathesis and the group without were equivalent using two self-report depression severity scales. Remission rate was significantly lower for the bipolar soft signs group (13.5% versus 30.2%; p = 0.04) on one scale. This result does not hold when corrected for multiple comparisons. We did not observe switch to mania. Limitations These data are limited to patients diagnosed with unipolar depression with “soft” bipolar features defined by subthreshold symptoms. The results cannot be extrapolated to patients with a full bipolar diagnosis. Conclusion Bipolar diathesis in MDD is not a safety concern but may lead to somewhat lower remission rates when considering TMS treatment.
Book Review: Moin Ahmad Nizami, Reform and Renewal in South Asian Islam: The Chishti-Sabris in 18th–19th Century North India

Moin Ahmad Nizami, Reform and Renewal in South Asian Islam: The Chishti-Sabris in 18th–19th Century North India, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2017, 305 pp.
Temperature Measurements during the Formation of Shear Bands in a Structural Steel

Abstract Under dynamic conditions, localized plastic flow in metals is accompanied by a local rise in the temperature. In a series of experiments with steel specimens deformed in shear, the surface temperature was measured in the shear band and to either side of it as the deformation proceeded. This measurement was effected by employing a high speed infra-red radiation detection system. The results are compared to predictions based on analyses of other investigators.
2681 Impact of Surgical Specialization on Size of Uterus and Subsequent Route of Hysterectomy

Study Objective To compare uterine weights (UW) and surgical outcomes for all routes of hysterectomies completed by generalist Ob-Gyns, minimally-invasive gynecologic surgeons (MIGS), and urogynecologists (Urogyn). Design Retrospective descriptive study. Setting A tertiary urban academic teaching hospital. Patients or Participants All patients receiving a hysterectomy from May 2015 to April 2019 as recorded in a single-institution REDCap database. Interventions N/A Measurements and Main Results Over a four-year period, 1177 hysterectomies, including total and supracervical hysterectomies, were performed and entered into a database. Routes of surgery: (1) laparotomy (n=222, 18.9%), (2) total laparoscopic (TLH) (n=274, 23.3%), (3) robotic-assisted (raTLH) (n=529, 44.9%), (4) vaginal (TVH) (n=148, 12.6%), and (5) laparoscopic-assisted vaginal (LAVH) (n=4, 0.3%). Majority of hysterectomies (n=905, 81.1%) were minimally invasive. Additional prolapse and/or incontinence procedures were performed by Urogyn. Average UW were: 1142.5g for laparotomy, 237.0g for TLH, 458.2g for raTLH, 127.9g for TVH, and 332.3g for LAVH. In all routes, MIGS had the highest average UW (562.5g), followed by generalists (397.8g), then Urogyn (87.5g). Average UW and BMI overall were 493.8g and 29.0. Complication rates (inclusive of 21 extensive variables both minor and major) and average EBL were: 15.3%, and 553.5mL for laparotomy, 4.4% and 141.3mL for TLH, 6.4% and 149.4mL for raTLH, 5.4% and 211.2mL for TVH, and 0% and 332.3mL for LAVH. Overall complication rate of 7.5% (n=1177). Length of surgery (LOS) is comparable in all routes (3:09 with laparotomy, 3:04 with TLH, 3:44 with raTLH, 3:29 for TVH, 3:22 for LAVH). Conclusion Within a single urban academic center, hysterectomies were performed by a wide-range of providers with various trends observed. MIGS performed all routes of hysterectomy more frequently and with greater UW. Urogyn performed more vaginal procedures. With a high average departmental UW (>450g), a laparoscopic or robotic-assisted approach is a safe and appropriate option. EBL and LOS are proportionally lower with MIGS when accounting for increased average UW.
Nanoscale thin film corrosion barriers enabled by multilayer polymer clay nanocomposites

Abstract We describe here the immersion corrosion resistance of multilayer polymer-clay nanocomposite (PCN) barrier thin films coated on low carbon steel. Deposited using a Layer-by-Layer (LbL) self-assembly process and only a few hundred nanometers thick, the thin film polymer clay nanocomposites (PCN) exhibited excellent corrosion barrier properties, comparable to coatings that are orders of magnitude thicker. PCN barrier thin films comprising up to 60 “bilayers” of polyethyleneimine and exfoliated montmorillonite were coated onto steel coupons and immersed in high salinity water for up to 7 days to evaluate barrier film corrosion resistance. PCN film performance is shown to be influenced by the number of coated bilayers and, critically, a post-coating crosslinking treatment. Covalently crosslinking the polyethyleneimine components of the films resulted in a significant improvement in corrosion resistance. PCN films that were not crosslinked showed nearly identical electrochemical impedance compared to bare steel, failing rapidly and leading to large areas of visible corrosion. Impedance behavior of the corroding samples was analyzed with a precise model, which allowed the determination of the PCN film properties separate from the substrate and solution. The resistivity through the PCN thin films was very high, even after 7 days of immersion. Though increasing PCN thickness led to increased charge transfer resistance, chemical crosslinking most significantly increased charge transfer resistance by several orders of magnitude. The combined influences of PCN film resistivity and very high charge transfer resistances led to the outstanding corrosion barrier properties. These PCN films show promise toward a new class of low-cost highly applicable anticorrosion coatings.
Linking Arctic system science research to decision maker needs: co-producing sea ice decision support tools in Utqiaġvik, Alaska

Improving situational awareness and crisis response are key priorities in reducing potential risks associated with sea ice and environmental-related hazards in the Arctic. This research explores th...
A Survey of Extraction Chromatographic f-Element Separations Developed by E. P. Horwitz

An extensive suite of f-element extraction chromatographic (EXC) resins was developed by E. Philip Horwitz and his groups at Argonne National Laboratory, PG Research Foundation, and Eichrom Technol...
Wireless monitoring in the ICU

Monitoring of critically ill children can be improved by a soft, flexible wireless device that generates accurate, comprehensive, and continuous data.
“Still you resist”: an autohistoria-teoria of a Vietnamese queer teacher to meditate, teach, and love in the Coatlicue state

This piece will be walking, writing, meditating in in-between spaces with me. I call this act queer walking meditation, which blended autohistoria, the Coatlicue State, and meditation to examine my...
Trends in characteristics of individuals who use methamphetamine in the United States, 2015-2018

Abstract Background Prevalence of self-reported methamphetamine use has remained relatively stable over the past decade; however, deaths and seizures involving methamphetamine have been increasing. Research is needed to determine if select subgroups in the US are at increased risk for use. Methods We examined data from individuals ages ≥12 from the 2015–2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (n = 226,632), an annual nationally representative cross-sectional survey of non-institutionalized individuals in the US. Log-linear trends in past-year methamphetamine use were examined, stratified by demographic and drug use characteristics. Results Methamphetamine use increased in the US from 2015 to 2018, including among those reporting past-year use of ecstasy/MDMA (6.1 % to 10.8 % [p = .018], a 78.2 % increase), cocaine (8.4 % to 11.8 % [p = .013], a 40.1 % increase), and among those reporting past-year prescription opioid misuse (5.4 % to 8.0 % [p = .019], a 49.2 % increase). Increases were particularly pronounced among those reporting past-year use of heroin (22.5 % to 37.4 % [p = .032], a 66.2 % increase) and LSD (5.1 %–= to 10.3 % [p = .002], a 100.4 % increase). Small increases were also detected among heterosexuals (0.6 % to 0.7 % [p = .044], a 16.2 % increase), those with a high school diploma or less (1.0 % to 1.2 % [p = .020], a 22.0 % increase), and among those receiving government assistance (1.4 % to 1.8 % [p = .046], a 26.2 % increase). Conclusions Methamphetamine use is increasing among people who use other drugs with sharp increases among people who use heroin or LSD in particular, and this could have serious public health consequences. Results may signal that methamphetamine use may continue to increase in the general population.
The descending central series of higher commutators for simple algebras

This paper characterizes the potential behaviors of higher commutators in a simple algebra.
Further developments on observations of the Taylor instability in a dusty plasma

We previously reported the observation of a hydrodynamic-type interchange instability occurring sporadically at the curved interface between two dust clouds of different densities, in a three-dimensional dusty plasma [Pacha et al., Phys. Plasmas 19, 014501 (2012)]. The mechanism for the instability was not conclusively identified. Further analysis of the video images has been performed, showing that the instability is associated with the appearance of large amplitude dust acoustic waves or shocks. Evidence of a dust acoustic shock at the boundary, which could drive a Richtmyer–Meshkov-type instability, will be presented. We also discuss the possibility, suggested by Avinash and Sen [Phys. Plasmas 22, 083707 (2015)], that the observed instability is due to a Rayleigh–Taylor instability driven by a component of the gravitational acceleration, which is perpendicular to the curved boundary.