cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trigger events that indicate the need for proxy decision-making in cognitively impaired older persons

The purpose of this exploratory study was to ascertain the primary event or “trigger” that prompted caregivers to initiate planning for a change in monitoring or substitute decision-making needed for the older person receiving their care. Understanding the impetus to make this decision can help caregivers to anticipate needs and plan accordingly. Caregivers from the community who did not choose guardianship (N=39) and caregivers who were court-appointed guardians or conservators (N=22) were compared for their views about the trigger events, the views of their own health, number of hours in caregiving and the circumstances surrounding the decision-making experience. Three categories of trigger events were identified:• Physical;• Emotional/cognitive; and• Situational events with the vast majority of triggers falling into the first two categories.Guardians as a group were younger, provided fewer hours of caregiving and rated themselves healthier than the other caregivers. A variety of situational stressors w...
Topographic controls on the distribution of tree islands in the high Andes of south‐western Ecuador

Aim To evaluate the hypothesis that geomorphometric parameters of upper montane Andean environments have an important influence on the regional fire ecology and consequently play a role in the spatial distribution of ‘remnant’ tree islands dominated by Polylepis. Location A glacial landscape located between 3600 and 4400 m elevation in Cajas National Park, south-western Ecuador. Methods The eigenvalue ratio method was used to evaluate the regional geomorphometric parameters of a 30-m digital elevation model for Cajas National Park. The landscape character was evaluated by quantifying the topographic roughness, organization, and gradient. This information was used to determine the spatial correlations between terrain characteristics and the distribution of tree islands in the region. Results We demonstrate a strong spatial correlation between areas of high topographic roughness and gradient, and the locations of the major tree islands. We find that there is a distinctive relationship between the topographic roughness and organization in the vicinity of the tree islands (e.g. increased upslope roughness and decreased topographic grain strength) that substantiates the notion that the tree islands are located in relatively inaccessible topography. Main conclusions In the northern and central Andes, the location of Polylepisdominated ‘forest islands’ has been shown to be a function of climate, terrain characteristics, and anthropogenic disturbances. Although the relative importance of various ecological factors has been debated, it remains clear that fires have exerted a strong influence on these ecosystems. Other authors have noted that tree islands are more likely to occur at the base of cliffs, above moist areas, and in other areas where fires do not burn frequently. Our results corroborate these observations, and demonstrate that the occurrence of Polylepis patches is strongly correlated with specific combinations of terrain features. Although we do not discount the importance of other factors in determining the spatial position and areal extent of these forests, we demonstrate strong support for fire-related hypotheses.
Solving time domain EFIE using higher order basis functions and marching-on in degree method

In this paper, a marching-on in degree solution to the problem of time domain electric field integer equation is presented where the higher order basis functions are employed for the spatial expansion. The marching-on in degree method can obtain a solution that is late-time stable, which is marching-on in time method cannot. Numerical result is presented to show the accuracy of the MOD method with higher order basis functions.
Measuring health-related quality of life for child maltreatment: a systematic literature review

Background Child maltreatment causes substantial morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Morbidity associated with child maltreatment can reduce health-related quality of life. Accurately measuring the reduction in quality of life associated with child maltreatment is essential to the economic evaluation of educational programs and interventions to reduce the incidence of child maltreatment. The objective of this study was to review the literature for existing approaches and instruments for measuring quality-of-life for child maltreatment outcomes.
Web search from a bus

Opportunistic connections to the Internet from open wireless access points is now commonly possible in urban areas. Vehicular networks can opportunistically connect to the Internet for several seconds via open access points. In this paper, we adapt the interactive process of web search and retrieval to vehicular networks with intermittent Internet access. Our system, called Thedu, has mobile nodes use an Internet proxy to collect search engine results and prefetch result pages. The mobile nodes download the pre-fetched web pages from the proxy. Our contribution is a novel set of techniques to make aggressive but selective prefetching practical, resulting in a significantly greater number of relevant web results returned to mobile users. In particular, we prioritize responses in the order of the usefulness of the response to the query, that allows the mobile node to download the most useful response first. To evaluate our scheme, we deployed Thedu on DieselNet, our vehicular testbed operating in a micro-urban area around Amherst, MA. Using a simulated workload, we find that users can expect four times as many useful responses to web search queries compared to not using Thedu's mechanisms. Moreover, the mean latency in receiving the first relevant response for a query is 2.7 minutes for our deployment; we expect Thedu to have even better performance in larger cities that have densely populated open APs.
Single-spin production asymmetries from the hard scattering of pointlike constituents.

When one takes into account the transverse momenta of the constituents in a polarized proton, there exists a kinematic, "trigger-bias," effect in the formulation of the QCD-based hard-scattering model which can lead to single-spin production asymmetries. It seems convenient to represent the coherent spin-orbit forces in a polarized proton by defining an asymmetry in the transverse-momentum distribution of the fundamental constituents. It may then be possible to organize the hard-scattering model so that the kinematic constraints of hard 2 \ensuremath{\rightarrow} 2 scattering provide the leading contribution at large transverse momentum to asymmetries of the type ${A}_{N}d\ensuremath{\sigma}(h{p}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{jet}+x)$, ${A}_{N}d\ensuremath{\sigma}(h{p}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}``\ensuremath{\pi}''x)$, where ${p}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}$ denotes a transversely polarized proton and "$\ensuremath{\pi}$" represents any spinless meson composed of light quarks. This approach provides testable relationships between different asymmetries.
Schwann Cells Metabolize Extracellular 2’,3’-cAMP to 2’-AMP

The 3′,5′-cAMP–adenosine pathway (3′,5′-cAMP→5′-AMP→adenosine) and the 2′,3′-cAMP–adenosine pathway (2′,3′-cAMP→2′-AMP/3′-AMP→adenosine) are active in the brain. Oligodendrocytes participate in the brain 2′,3′-cAMP–adenosine pathway via their robust expression of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase (CNPase; converts 2′,3′-cAMP to 2′-AMP). Because Schwann cells also express CNPase, it is conceivable that the 2′,3′-cAMP–adenosine pathway exists in the peripheral nervous system. To test this and to compare the 2′,3′-cAMP–adenosine pathway to the 3′,5′-cAMP–adenosine pathway in Schwann cells, we examined the metabolism of 2′,3′-cAMP, 2′-AMP, 3′-AMP, 3′,5′-cAMP, and 5′-AMP in primary rat Schwann cells in culture. Addition of 2′,3′-cAMP (3, 10, and 30 µM) to Schwann cells increased levels of 2′-AMP in the medium from 0.006 ± 0.002 to 21 ± 2, 70 ± 3, and 187 ± 10 nM/µg protein, respectively; in contrast, Schwann cells had little ability to convert 2′,3′-cAMP to 3′-AMP or 3′,5′-cAMP to either 3′-AMP or 5′-AMP. Although Schwann cells slightly converted 2′,3′-cAMP and 2′-AMP to adenosine, they did so at very modest rates (e.g., 5- and 3-fold, respectively, more slowly compared with our previously reported studies in oligodendrocytes). Using transected myelinated rat sciatic nerves in culture medium, we observed a time-related increase in endogenous intracellular 2′,3′-cAMP and extracellular 2′-AMP. These findings indicate that Schwann cells do not have a robust 3′,5′-cAMP–adenosine pathway but do have a 2′,3′-cAMP–adenosine pathway; however, because the pathway mostly involves 2′-AMP formation rather than 3′-AMP, and because the conversion of 2′-AMP to adenosine is slow, metabolism of 2′,3′-cAMP mostly results in the accumulation of 2′-AMP. Accumulation of 2′-AMP in peripheral nerves postinjury could have pathophysiological consequences.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Resolution of [10](1,6)Pyrenophane: An Inherently Chiral [n]Cyclophane

A synthetic approach to a set of three inherently chiral [n]cyclophanes, [n](1,6)pyrenophanes (29a–c, n = 8–10) was investigated. Progress toward 29a was thwarted by the failure of the key dithiacyclophane-forming reaction. For the next higher homologue, the synthesis was completed, but the desired [9](1,6)pyrenophane (29b) could only be partially separated from an isomeric pyrenophane, [9](1,8)pyrenophane (28b), and an unidentified byproduct. Work aimed at the synthesis of the next higher homologue resulted in the isolation of a 7:4 mixture of [10](1,8)pyrenophane (28c) and [10](1,6)pyrenophane (29c), which could not be separated by column chromatography or crystallization. However, single-crystal X-ray structures of 28c and 29c were obtained after manual separation of two crystals with different morphologies from the same batch of crystals obtained from the 7:4 mixture of 28c and 29c. The pyrene system of 29c was found to have a gentle end-to-end bend as well as a significant longitudinal twist. Short i...
The Movie Jew as an Image of Assimilationism, 1903-1927

(1975). The Movie Jew as an Image of Assimilationism, 1903-1927. Journal of Popular Film: Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 190-207.
Positron Emission Tomography Image-Guided Drug Delivery: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important modality in the field of molecular imaging, which is gradually impacting patient care by providing safe, fast, and reliable techniques that help to alter the course of patient care by revealing invasive, de facto procedures to be unnecessary or rendering them obsolete. Also, PET provides a key connection between the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of disease and the according targeted therapies. Recently, PET imaging is also gaining ground in the field of drug delivery. Current drug delivery research is focused on developing novel drug delivery systems with emphasis on precise targeting, accurate dose delivery, and minimal toxicity in order to achieve maximum therapeutic efficacy. At the intersection between PET imaging and controlled drug delivery, interest has grown in combining both these paradigms into clinically effective formulations. PET image-guided drug delivery has great potential to revolutionize patient care by in vivo ass...
Adenovirus neutralizing Antibodies in Persons on Taiwan.

SummaryChildren and adult sera from Taiwan were tested for neutralizing antibodies against a number of adenovirus types. Almost all 6-7-year-old children had antibodies against types 1,2,5 and 6. Over half of the children had antibody to types 3,4,8 and 10. Only for types 7 and 14 were less than half the children positive. Only for type 7 did adults show a considerably greater frequency of antibody than the children. Comparison of the frequency of adenovirus antibody on Taiwan with published data from Japan and the United States suggests that adenovirus infections are more common and occur at an earlier age on Taiwan. A high percentage of Chinese children showed neutralizing antibody against 4 apparently new types of adenovirus isolated on Taiwan.
Long-term immunosuppressive therapy of ulcerative colitis. Continuation of a personal series.

Twenty-five patients with ulcerative colitis considered “failures of therapy with adrenal steroids and salicylazosulfapyridine” but without absolute indication for surgical intervention were treated with 6-mercaptopurine. The dose ranged from 50 to 200 mg daily and the period of treatment from 10 to 52 months. At followup 15 were completely well and 8 improved; 2 required definitive surgery. Twelve had not required steroid therapy for 1 to 4 years and 8 received some form of maintenance therapy intermittently or a small sustained dose. On barium enema examination the colon was improved in 13 of 18. Transient vomiting complicated therapy in 9, and leukopenia occurred 38 times in 24 patients. There were no serious complications. The results still suggest that responses to 6-mercaptopurine are not as dramatic as those observed with steroids, but the former drug has a sustaining or supplementary role. It serves to decrease the frequency and severity of recurrences and eliminates or remain the need for steroids. Objections to 6-mercaptopurine therapy remain theoretic, and the drug seems sufficiently safe to use for periods as long as 4 years. Sufficient controlled studies are still lacking and should be encouraged.
Mechanical Properties of CVD Grown Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWNTs)

We have measured the bending modulus of several different CVD (chemical vapor deposition) grown MWNTs using a vibrating reed technique. The MWNTs are produced from a thermal decomposition of three different precursors: (i) xylene/ferrocene, (ii) xylene/ferrocene/melamine (nitrogen-doped), and (iii) trimethylamine (TMA)/ferrocene. The first two precursors are used to compare the mechanical properties of typical CVD-grown to bamboo-type MWNTs. Nanotubes prepared using the third precursor shows relatively fewer walls (~ 4–20 compared to ~15–40)) and defects compared to those prepared from the xylene/ferrocene mixture. The resonant frequencies of these nanotubes were measured optically in air using a dark field light microscope. The diameters of these nanotubes range from 50–160 nm as determined from TEM and the average length is ~ 10 microns. For the xylene/ferrocene and trimethylamine/ferrocene tubes, the average bending modulus is estimated to be 0.1 and 0.3 TPa, respectively. However, the bending modulus for the nitrogen-doped tubes is ~9 GPa which is significantly lower compared to regular MWNTs implying that the bending modulus decreases with an increase in wall defects. These findings are in reasonable agreement with those reported previously by Wang et al.
Toward a Pentecostal Theology of Black Consciousness

This article offers a historical argument that a cultural program existed among the Sanctified churches in the first half of the twentieth century. This cultural program cultivated a distinct form of black consciousness around three elements: 1) a rehabilitation of slave religion; 2) an embrace of Ethiopianism as a global vision of pan-Africanism; and 3) an effort at Black uplift through education. One can detect features of this consciousness among important figures like Charles H. Mason, Charles Price Jones, Blind Willie Johnson, and Mother Rosa Horn. With it’s distinctive fusion of Pentecostal ecstasy and Wesleyan holiness with the concerns of Sanctified churches, this cultural consciousness must be placed alongside other visions offered by persons such as W.E.B. Dubois as seeking to advance a theology addressing the concerns of the Black Church.
Evaluation of application of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibody detection kit: Trustline TB IgM /IgG rapid test kit

Objective To evaluate the application of a newly approved serological diagnostic kit for tuberculosis( TB)diagnosis: Trustline TB IgG / IgM rapid test kit. Methods In this multiple center study,1009 serum specimens were collected from three hospitals and tested with Trustline TB IgG / IgM rapid test kit and a commercial TB Ab( IgG)colloid gold test kit( control test). Among the 1009 specimens,628 were from TB patients and 381 were from non TB individuals. By gold standard bacteriological tests,308 of the 628 specimens were positive and 320 were negative.Results The sensitivity,specificity,positive predict value,negative predict value and Youden index on the 1009 specimen detection by the Trustline TB IgG / IgM rapid test kit was 61. 3%,79. 8%,83. 3%,55. 6% and 0. 411respectively,and 53. 7%,89. 0%,88. 9%,53. 8% and 0. 426 by the control test kit. The differences in sensitivity and specificity between the two tests were statistically significant( P 0. 01). Further analysis showed that the detection rate of TrustlIne IgG / IgM test kit was 77. 6% for positive specimens and 44. 7% for negative specimens,while the related detection rates of the control test kit were 67. 9% and 40. 0% respectively; there was significant difference in positive specimen detection between the two kits. In addition,this study showed that 35 of the 1009 specimens were IgM positive by Trustline test kit,in which 30( 4. 8%) were from TB patients,and 5( 1. 3%) were from non TB individuals.Conclusion Trustline TB IgG /IgM rapid test kit is more sensitive in the detection of TB antibody in serum specimens compared with control test kit. The Trusline TB IgG / IgM test kit can detect both IgG and IgM in one test. It is recommended to be sued as TB screening test kit.
A study on the morphological verification percentage of cancer cases collected by cancer registry in Tongling

Objective To investigate the level of morphological verification percentage(MV%)of cancer cases in the city of Tongling and to provide basic data for Quality Control of cancer registry.Methods The cancer registry data from 2010to 2011in the city of Tongling was collected.The distribution of MV% by gender,district and type of tumor was analyzed and compared with the data published by the National Cancer Registry.Results The MV% was 64.16% for the 3 686new cases diagnosed from 2010to 2011in Tongling(62.82%for men and 66.54% for women).Among the commonly seen cancers in Tongling,MV% was 76.30%for esophagus cancer,79.48% for stomach cancer,82.42% for colon,rectum anus cancer,49.06%for lung cancer,8.05% for liver cancer,87.10% for leukemia,77.14% for lymphoma,85.88% for breast cancer in females,92.96%for cervix uteri cancer,88.33%for uterine cancer,84.85%for ovary cancer.Conclusions Compared to the data from the National Cancer Registry,the MV%in Tongling is lower than the national average level.The results suggested under-reporting in morphological verification in cancer registration process.Quality control should be strengthened in the process of cancer registry in the future.
The Joy of Sex Bureaucracy

This essay responds to The Sex Bureaucracy, in which Jacob Gersen and Jeannie Suk condemn regulations of sexual conduct they see metastasizing on college campuses, pursuant to Title IX’s mandate for equal educational opportunities in institutions receiving federal funds. We focus on the authors’ most trenchant critique, which slams efforts to teach sexual health principles and practices on the ground that, in doing so, universities are “regulating sex itself” and interfering with “ordinary sex.” By placing recent sexual health and violence prevention measures in historical and cultural context, we challenge the authors’ assumption that, absent such instruction, sex occurs naturally and unproblematically on college campuses. In addition, contrary to the authors’ negative assessment, we highlight the value and promise of some of the newer developments they contest. We understand such interventions as a form of sex education, which we call “higher sex education,” given both the campus loci and the advancements apparent when compared to many more familiar sex curricula. We show, in context, why such instruction belongs in higher educational institutions and how it has the potential to transform campus sexual cultures and enhance students’ sexual unfolding — preparing them for healthier and more pleasurable sexual futures. We conclude by noting ways in which higher sex education might improve as it continues to evolve.
A non-cleavable hexahistidine affinity tag at the carboxyl-terminus of the HIV-1 Pr55Gag polyprotein alters nucleic acid binding properties.

HIV Gag (Pr55Gag), a multidomain polyprotein that orchestrates the assembly and release of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is an active target of antiretroviral inhibitor development. However, highly pure, stable, recombinant Pr55Gag has been difficult to produce in quantities sufficient for biophysical studies due to its susceptibility to proteolysis by cellular proteases during purification. Stability has been improved by using a construct that omits the p6 domain (Δp6). In vivo, p6 is crucial to the budding process and interacts with protein complexes in the ESCRT (Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport) pathway, it has been difficult to study its role in the context of Gag using in vitro approaches. Here we report the generation of a full length Gag construct containing a tobacco etch virus (TEV)-cleavable C-terminal hexahistidine tag, allowing a detailed comparison of its nucleic acid binding properties with other constructs, including untagged, Δp6, and C-terminally tagged (TEV-cleavable and non-cleavable) Gags, respectively. We have developed a standard expression and purification protocol that minimizes nucleic acid contamination and produces milligram quantities of full length Gag for in vitro studies and compound screening purposes. We found that the presence of a carboxyl-terminal hexahistidine tag changes the nucleic binding properties compared to the proteins that did not contain the tag (full length protein that was either untagged or reulted from removal of the tag during purification). The HIV Gag expression and purification protocol described herein provides a facile method of obtaining large quantities of high quality protein for investigators who wish to study the full length protein or the effect of the p6 domain on the biophysical properties of Gag.
Thin SAPO-34 membranes synthesized in stainless steel autoclaves for N2/CH4 separation

Abstract SAPO-34 membranes were synthesized in stainless steel autoclaves and teflon autoclaves with water bath, ice/water bath and flowing water cooling towards N 2 /CH 4 separation. The best membrane displaying unprecedented N 2 permeance of ~2600 GPUs and N 2 /CH 4 separation selectivity of 7.4 was prepared in the stainless steel autoclave with a water bath cooling. A more selective membrane with a N 2 /CH 4 selectivity of 8.6 and N 2 permeance of ~2150 GPUs was also prepared in the stainless steel autoclave but with an ice/water bath cooling. The heat flux rate of the stainless steel autoclaves during membrane preparation was ~two orders of magnitude higher than that of the membranes prepared in conventional teflon autoclaves. The higher heat flux rate decreased the gel temperature faster, and slowed the kinetics of crystal growth. The slow crystal growth rate during the cooling translated into thinner and more permeable membranes. These SAPO-34 membranes may have great potential for economic N 2 rejection from natural gas.
Simple Medium for Assessing Quantitative Production of Histamine by Enterobacteriaceae.

A simple medium was developed for the quantitative assessment of the histamine-producing capability of Enterbacteriaceae . This medium was formulated from trypticase soy broth fortified with 2.0% histidine, pH 6.3 (TSBH). Histamine production by Klebsiella pneumoniae was optimal under those conditions and other histamine-producing bacteria, such as Proteus morganii and Enterobacter aerogenes , also produced large quantities of histamine in TSBH. TSBH is superior to tuna fish infusion broth for studies on bacterial histamine production because it is simple and inexpensive to prepare, has a consistent composition, and is not dependent on the availability of high quality raw tuna. TSBH should be useful for studying the effectiveness of proposed methods for controlling bacterial histamine production. Histamine production by K. pneumoniae was reduced as the NaCl concentration of the TSBH was increased, with marked inhibition occurring at 5.5% NaCl.
A meta-analysis on critical thinking and community college student achievement☆

Abstract The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the relationship between student levels of critical thinking (as established via critical thinking tests) and community college student success. We conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize the extant literature on critical thinking and community college student success. After systematically searching the relevant literature through electronic databases using an array of search terms, we screened studies and reviewed them for inclusion. Included studies were reliably coded using a protocol to extract correlational effect size data and study characteristics. These effect sizes were aggregated meta-analytically. From a total of 23 studies (27 samples, N = 8233), we found that critical thinking was moderately related to community college student success. The relationship between student achievement and levels of critical thinking (as skills or dispositions) was constant for both nursing and non-nursing students as well as for grades and individual test outcomes; however, students’ levels of critical thinking was more strongly associated with longer-term outcomes compared with those at the shorter term. Meta-regression results indicated some evidence that effects were weaker for male and minority community college students. Implications for this study include the importance of cultivating critical thinking for all community college students and the exploration of understudied areas for future research.
Stratospheric aerosol and gas experiment III

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III) is the fourth generation of solar occultation instruments designed to measure aerosols and trace gas species in the stratosphere and upper troposphere. It is scheduled to be launched aboard a Meteor-3M platform in the summer of 1998 and the International Space Station Alpha in 2001. SAGE III preserves the robust characteristics of the SAGE series, including self-calibration and high vertical resolution, and adds new capabilities including a lunar occultation mode. This paper describes the SAGE III instrument and outlines its potential contribution to global change research.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Efficacy of Electropalatography for Treating Misarticulation of /r/

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to document the efficacy of electropalatography (EPG) for the treatment of rhotic errors in school-age children. Despite a growing body of literature us...
Atheroembolic Kidney Disease

Atheroembolic renal disease is caused by occlusion of small arteries in the kidneys by cholesterol crystal emboli from ulcerated atherosclerotic plaques and is a part of systemic atheroembolism disease. The proximity of the kidneys to the abdominal aorta and high renal blood flow make them the most frequent target organ.
Comparative Foraging Behavior of Tropical and Boreal Sea Urchins

Sea urchins are important structuring forces in marine ecosystems. They control the abundance and distribution of algae (Jones and Kain 1967; Dayton 1975; Pearse and Hines 1979) and influence the life form and species diversity of benthic assemblages (Paine and Vadas 1969; Sammarco et al. 1974; Vance 1979). Sea urchins primarily occupy hard substrates, although several species regularly inhabit seagrass communities. Here, too, they can influence plant assemblages (Ogden et al. 1973b). They also control epifaunal invertebrate communities (Guida 1976;Sammarco 1980; Ayling 1981; Briscoe and Sebens 1988).
Design and Fabrication of CD-Like Microfluidic Platforms for Diagnostics: Polymer-Based Microfabrication

Several microfabrication methods for polymer-based CD microfluidic platforms are presented in this paper. For prototyping, both traditional CNC-machining and photolithography techniques were used. For mass production, mold inserts were made by CNC-machining of tool steel and LIGA-like processes such as UV photolithography, photolithography/electroplating, and photolithography/deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). Several molding methods were tried, including liquid resin casting, thin wall injection molding, and hot embossing. Advantages and disadvantages of each method are explained. Plastic bonding for microfluidic platforms is also briefly discussed.
Ultrastructural studies in epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria. IV. Recessive dystrophic types with junctional blistering. (Infantile or Herlitz-Pearson type and adult type).

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa with junctional blisters includes both the classical epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria letalis Herlitz (Herlitz-Pearson type) and a recently separated more benign adult type. Ultrastructural examination was performed of 13 skin specimens from 3 cases of the Herlitz-Pearson-type and one case of the adult type. Principal ultrastructural changes in involved, intact and experimentally frictioned skin regions, common to all patients, are as follows: In nonseparated areas hypoplasia of the hemidesmosomes and mild decrease of the tonofibrils are found. Hypoplasia of hemidesmosomes consists of a marked rudimentary structure of the sub-basal dense plaque and the attachment plaque. Focal widening of the lamina lucida suggesting early blistering occurs exclusively in the areas devoid of hemidesmosomes. In separated areas cleavage always occurs in the plane of lamina lucida, viz. the mode of blistering is junctional. Fragments of basal cells are often encountered still remaining attached to the blister floor (“epidermolytic torn-off phenomenon”). These torn-off portions of basal cells are characterized by relatively rich distribution of hemidesmosomes. Basal cells forming the blister roof frequently show small gaps of basal plasma membrane and rarefaction of the basal part of the cytoplasm, which are thought to be secondary changes. Among the observed alterations, structural defects of hemidesmosomes are considered to play the most important role in the pathogenesis of junctional blisters.
Reptilia: Humoral Immunity in Reptiles

Reptiles are a diverse group which include four orders: Crocodilia, Testudines, Tuatara, and Squamata. Though they differ greatly in a number of characteristics, they tend to use their humoral immune response in a similar manner. Compared to mammals, reptiles tend to have a slower and less robust humoral immune response. Reptiles may instead rely on a non-specific component of the humoral immune response: natural antibodies. Phagocytic B cells have also been identified in reptiles, and further studies are needed to explore this additional innate-like function of the humoral response in a variety of reptiles. Because reptiles are ectothermic, temperature can impact their immune responses both during development and as adults. Their immune system is also strongly affected by season. In addition, because reptiles typically have long life spans and can have indeterminate growth, they are an intriguing taxon in which to study aging. Life-history characteristics of reptiles provide many possibilities for understanding the context in which the immune strategy of reptiles evolved and how they may respond to climate change and disease introduction.
Recurrent incarceration of the severely retroverted uterus with successful second-trimester reduction.

Uterine incarceration occurs when the gravid uterus becomes lodged between the symphysis pubis and the sacral promontory. As the products of conception expand, the bladder and urethra become compre...
Probabilistic sentential decision diagrams

We propose the Probabilistic Sentential Decision Diagram (PSDD): A complete and canonical representation of probability distributions defined over the models of a given propositional theory. Each parameter of a PSDD can be viewed as the (conditional) probability of making a decision in a corresponding Sentential Decision Diagram (SDD). The SDD itself is a recently proposed complete and canonical representation of propositional theories. We explore a number of interesting properties of PSDDs, including the independencies that underlie them. We show that the PSDD is a tractable representation. We further show how the parameters of a PSDD can be efficiently estimated, in closed form, from complete data. We empirically evaluate the quality of PS-DDs learned from data, when we have knowledge, a priori, of the domain logical constraints.
Deciphering charge-storage mechanisms in 3D MnOx@carbon electrode nanoarchitectures for rechargeable zinc-ion cells

We previously demonstrated that electrode architectures comprising nanoscale birnessite-like MnOx affixed to three-dimensional carbon nanofoam (CNF) scaffolds offer performance advantages when used as cathodes in rechargeable zinc-ion cells. To discern chemical and physical changes at the Mn0x@CNF electrode upon deep charge/discharge in aqueous Zn2+-containing electrolytes, we deploy electroanalytical methods and ex situ characterization by microscopy, elemental analysis, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and x-ray pair distribution function analyses. Our findings verify that redox processes at the MnOx are accompanied by reversible precipitation/dissolution of crystalline zinc hydroxide sulfate (Zn4(0H)6(S04)·xH20), mediated by the more uniformly reactive electrode structure inherent to the CNF scaffold.
Ethics and assistive technology: Potential issues for AT service providers.

The purpose of this article is to report on the results of a survey intended to explore Assistive Technology Professionals’ (ATPs’) perceptions of what constitutes an ethical dilemma and their perc...
JEDI: Joint Estimation Diffusion Imaging of macroscopic and microscopic tissue properties

PURPOSE A new method for enhancing the sensitivity of diffusion MRI (dMRI) by combining the data from single (sPFG) and double (dPFG) pulsed field gradient experiments is presented. METHODS This method uses our JESTER framework to combine microscopic anisotropy information from dFPG experiments using a new method called diffusion tensor subspace imaging (DiTSI) to augment the macroscopic anisotropy information from sPFG data analyzed using our guided by entropy spectrum pathways method. This new method, called joint estimation diffusion imaging (JEDI), combines the sensitivity to macroscopic diffusion anisotropy of sPFG with the sensitivity to microscopic diffusion anisotropy of dPFG methods. RESULTS Its ability to produce significantly more detailed anisotropy maps and more complete fiber tracts than existing methods within both brain white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) is demonstrated on normal human subjects on data collected using a novel fast, robust, and clinically feasible sPFG/dPFG acquisition. CONCLUSIONS The potential utility of this method is suggested by an initial demonstration of its ability to mitigate the problem of gyral bias. The capability of more completely characterizing the tissue structure and connectivity throughout the entire brain has broad implications for the utility and scope of dMRI in a wide range of research and clinical applications.
My life as a writing professor and research librarian: The ideas that bridge the gap

When I got into libraries, I looked forward to more one-on-one time with students. I had been a teacher at the college level for some time, and when I got a job as reference coordinator at American University, I saw an opportunity to have both large-group and one-on-one time with students. I staff a public-facing research desk, am embedded in first-year writing courses as their librarian, and teach first-year writing as a professor in the literature department. It is a wonderful balance, but it has taken time to learn how these identities interact. Over time, they have merged. This essay looks at that, and at some of the language I have used to understand that bridge between these roles. I hope to lightly tie this language to aspects of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.
Financial hardship among Medicare beneficiaries prescribed oral targeted therapies for advanced prostate cancer.

68Background: Abiraterone and enzalutamide are increasingly being used to treat advanced prostate cancer. Understanding barriers to adhering to treatment is of paramount importance in ensuring cont...
Seeing the Forests as well as the (Trillion) Trees in Corporate Climate Strategies

Largely driven by the corporate sector, the recent surge of interest in trees as a solution to climate change has a distinct emphasis on planting trees. Realizing anticipated benefits will require managing the risks and trade-offs of land-use interventions and embracing the imperative of protecting existing forests.
Human Papillomavirus, Herpes Zoster, and Hepatitis B Vaccinations in Immunocompromised Patients: An Update for Pharmacists.

Purpose:Current evidence regarding efficacy and safety of human papillomavirus 9-valent (9vHPV), recombinant zoster (RZV), and CpG-adjuvanted recombinant hepatitis B (HepB-CpG) vaccines in adults w...
Reframing the Arts within the Liberal Arts Community

The dominance of New Venture Creation and Skills for Transitioning models has produced scholarship focusing on the impact of entrepreneurial pedagogy on graduates who pursue careers within the arts. This paper shares a liberal arts approach, positioning arts as a central component in the creation of an entrepreneurial mindset with benefits for students throughout campus. Shifting our department to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset through arts-based experiential education, we have created an alternate approach that can serve those who wish to become professional artists, but also provides value for the majority of our students who will not remain in the arts.
Endplate volumetric bone mineral density is a predictor for cage subsidence following lateral lumbar interbody fusion: a risk factor analysis.

Abstract Background Context It has been reported in previous studies that a decreased bone mineral density (BMD) as measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is associated with subsidence. However, there is limited research on the role of volumetric BMD (vBMD) as measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Further, metabolic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes have been associated with poor bone quality, but the impact of these metabolic conditions on on subsidence rates following lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) remains unclear. As such, risk factors for subsidence following LLIF is an area of ongoing research. Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for subsidence following LLIF with a focus on metabolic conditions and vBMD as measured by QCT. Study Design/Setting Retrospective cohort study at a single academic institution. Patient Sample Consecutive patients undergoing LLIF with or without posterior screws from 2014 to 2019 at a single academic institution who had a pre-operative CT and radiological imaging including radiographs or CT scans between 5 and 14 months post-operatively to assess for cage subsidence. Outcome Measure Subsidence prevalence following LLIF. Methods We reviewed patients undergoing LLIF with or without posterior screws from 2014 to 2019 with a follow-up ≥5 months. Cage subsidence was assessed using the grading system by Marchi et al. Endplate volumetric BMD (EP-vBMD), vertebral bone volumetric BMD (VB-vBMD), BMI, and diabetes status were measured. Univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression analyses with a generalized mixed model were conducted. Ad hoc analysis, including receiver operative characteristic curve analysis, was used for identifying the cut-off values in significant continuous variables for subsidence. Chi-Squared and ANOVA tests were used for categorical comparisons. Results Five hundred sixty-seven levels in 347 patients were included in the final analysis. Mean age (± SD) was 61.7 ± 11.1yrs, 50.3% were male, and 89.6% were Caucasian. Subsidence was observed in 160 levels (28.2%). Multivariable analysis demonstrated an absence of posterior screws [OR = 2.854 (1.483 – 5.215), p=.001] and decreased EP-vBMD [0.996 (0.991 – 1.000), p=.032] were associated with an increased risk of subsidence. Increased BMI and diabetes status were not associated with increased rates of subsidence. Patients without posterior screws and low EP-vBMD experienced subsidence at 44.9% of levels. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that decreased EP-vBMD and standalone status were significantly associated with increased rates of subsidence following LLIF independent of BMI or diabetes status. Further analysis demonstrated that patients with a decreased EP-vBMD and without posterior screws experienced subsidence nearly 2.5 times higher than patients with no risk factors. In patients with a low EP-vBMD undergoing LLIF, posterior screws should be considered.
Challenges and Opportunities for eLearning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The year in review

In 2020-2021, elearning became essential at all levels of education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This editorial provides a year in review for eLearn Magazine. A common theme was the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in online education and opportunities for overcoming these challenges.
Diagnosis and treatment of cryptococcal osteomyelitis in a pediatric lung transplant patient.

Background Asymptomatic pulmonary nodules may appear at any point after lung transplantation. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes serious life-threatening disease entities. Methods A retrospective case report of a single patient who developed a pulmonary nodule after lung transplantation. Results At 2 years post-transplant, an 11-year-old with cystic fibrosis was asymptomatic and had normal lung function. A single nodule was noted on surveillance chest CT scan. Initial evaluation was negative, but subsequently, he was diagnosed with cryptococcal osteomyelitis in a thoracic rib. He responded well to an extended course of antifungal therapy without loss of allograft function or infectious complications. Conclusion Pulmonary nodules after lung transplantation may be a harbinger of serious complications. A systematic approach to evaluation and follow-up is recommended.
Quasi-Spherical Cell Clusters Induced by a Polyelectrolyte Multilayer

Fibroblasts cultured on polyelectrolyte multilayers, PEMUs, made from poly(diallyldimethylammonium), PDADMA, and poly(styrene sulfonate), PSS, showed a variety of attachment modes, depending on the charge of the last layer and deposition conditions. PEMUs terminated with PDADMA (cationic) were cytotoxic when built in 1.0 M NaCl but cytophilic when built in 0.15 M NaCl. Cells adhered poorly to all PSS-capped (anionic) films. PEMUs built in 0.15 M NaCl but terminated with a layer of PSS in 1.0 M NaCl induced most cells to form spherical clusters after about 48 h of culture. These clusters still interrogated the surface, and when they were replated on control tissue culture plastic, cells emerged with close to 100% viability. Differences between the various surfaces were probed in an effort to identify the mechanism responsible for this unusual behavior, which did not follow accepted correlations between substrate stiffness and cell adhesion. No significant differences in roughness or wetting were observed b...
Slowest Server Emulation Syndrome: A Hidden Cost of Load Imbalance

We model a certain class of distributed "shared nothing" service in the presence of heavily loaded clients, and show, through mathematical models and simulation, that the system throughput can drop to the point that all servers process tasks at the rate of the slowest server. We also run experiments on an instrumented deployment of a commercially available database and find this same result. We present formulas for equilibrium values and for the time constants that characterize the approach to equilibrium.
Effect of the Interaction of Dietary Carbohydrate and Fat on the Responses of Rats to Starvation-Refeeding

The interacting effects of sucrose or starch with corn or coconut oil on the lipogenic responses of rats to starvation-refeeding was studied. Rats were either ad libitum-fed or starved for 48 h and refed for 48 h. Four different diets were used: 65% starch-5% corn oil, 65% starch-5% coconut oil, 65% sucrose-5% corn oil, 65% sucrose-5% coconut oil. Lipogenesis was assessed in two ways: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity, malic enzyme (ME) activity and percent liver lipid (expt 1) and tritium (3HOH) incorporation into fatty acids (expt 2). Starved-refed rats had more liver lipid, greater enzyme activity and greater 3H incorporation into fatty acids than ad libitum-fed rats. Sucrose-fed rats had more lipogenic activity than starch-fed rats. Rats fed coconut oil were more lipogenic than rats fed corn oil. There were highly significant correlation coefficients between the enzyme activities (G6PD and ME) and the percent liver lipid and between the enzyme activities and 3H incorporation into fatty acid. Analysis of variance of these data revealed significant dietary effects on these lipogenic responses to starvation-refeeding. We conclude that both dietary carbohydrate and lipid play a significant role in the determination of the magnitude of the lipogenic response to starvation-refeeding.
The Contribution of Breeding to Yield Advances in maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract Maize (Zea mays L.) yields have risen continually wherever hybrid maize has been adopted, starting in the U.S. corn belt in the early 1930s. Plant breeding and improved management practices have produced this gain jointly. On average, about 50% of the increase is due to management and 50% to breeding. The two tools interact so closely that neither of them could have produced such progress alone. However, genetic gains may have to bear a larger share of the load in future years. Hybrid traits have changed over the years. Trait changes that increase resistance to a wide variety of biotic and abiotic stresses (e.g., drought tolerance) are the most numerous, but morphological and physiological changes that promote efficiency in growth, development, and partitioning (e.g., smaller tassels) are also recorded. Some traits have not changed over the years because breeders have intended to hold them constant (e.g., grain maturity date in U.S. corn belt). In other instances, they have not changed, despite breeders' intention to change them (e.g., harvest index). Although breeders have always selected for high yield, the need to select simultaneously for overall dependability has been a driving force in the selection of hybrids with increasingly greater stress tolerance over the years. Newer hybrids yield more than their predecessors in unfavorable as well as favorable growing conditions. Improvement in the ability of the maize plant to overcome both large and small stress bottlenecks, rather than improvement in primary productivity, has been the primary driving force of higher yielding ability of newer hybrid.
La Letteratura di Consumo nel Mondo Greco-Latino. Atti del Convegno Internazionale: Cassino, 14-17 Settembre 1994

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Ekkehart Malotki Year: 1996 Pages: 545 Publisher: Universite degli Studi di Cassino