cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of Magic Strains to Predict New Ordered Phases: A Five-Fold Coordinated Crystal Structure for Silicon

The concept of magic strain is reviewed and illustrated using a simple two dimensional lattice. Practical use of the concept for making theoretical predictions of new ordered structures is demonstrated; first, using the two dimensional example, and second, using realistic calculations which predict that cubic silicon can be transformed to a stable body-centered tetragonal structure with five-fold coordination.
Descriptions of Sampling Practices Within Five Approaches to Qualitative Research in Education and the Health Sciences

Although recommendations exist for determining qualitative sample sizes, the literature appears to contain few instances of research on the topic. Practical guidance is needed for determining sample sizes to conduct rigorous qualitative research, to develop proposals, and to budget resources. The purpose of this article is to describe qualitative sample size and sampling practices within published studies in education and the health sciences by research design: case study, ethnography, grounded theory methodology, narrative inquiry, and phenomenology. I analyzed the 51 most highly cited studies using predetermined content categories and noteworthy sampling characteristics that emerged. In brief, the findings revealed a mean sample size of 87. Less than half of the studies identified a sampling strategy. I include a description of findings by approach and recommendations for sampling to assist methodologists, reviewers, program officers, graduate students, and other qualitative researchers in understanding qualitative sampling practices in recent studies. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1502256
E-commerce: a brand name's curse

The reach of the Internet and the low cost of selling products online have made it possible for anybody to participate in the online market. In this paper, we argue that e-commerce can be a brand name’s curse due to information asymmetries and the existence of indifferent consumers, which perpetuate counterfeiting of branded products and the infringement of brand names in e-markets. Counterfeiting and infringement devalue the information capital embodied in a brand name, and ultimately reduce sales and profits of the brand name holders. While legal measures have been enacted to deal with intellectual property problems, we argue that market mechanisms are more efficient and more effective in dealing with brand name problems in e-markets. This is because rules in themselves often provide neither the slightest hint of where to look for violations, nor the incentive to convict violators. Market mechanisms such as information syndication, pricing of e-markets services, and vendor malpractice could be effective in deterring counterfeiting and brand name infringement. We hope our positional contribution will stir interest to look into this serious problem and extend our suggestions by developing concrete innovative mechanisms to safeguard online transactions.
Long-term monitoring of biofilm growth and disinfection using a quartz crystal microbalance and reflectance measurements.

A biofilm reactor was constructed to monitor the long-term growth and removal of biofilms as monitored by the use of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and a novel optical method. The optical method measures the reflectance of white light off the surface of the quartz crystal microbalance electrode (gold) for determination of the biofilm thickness. Biofilm growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) on the surface was used as a model system. Bioreactors were monitored for over 6 days. Expressing the QCM data as the ratio of changes in resistance to changes in frequency (ΔR/Δf) facilitated the comparison of individual biofilm reactor runs. The various stages of biofilm growth and adaptation to low nutrients showed consistent characteristic changes in the ΔR/Δf ratio, a parameter that reflects changes in the viscoelastic properties of the biofilm. The utility of white light reflectance for thickness measurements was shown for those stages of biofilm growth when the solution was not turbid due to high numbers of unattached cells. The thickness of the biofilms after 6 days ranged from 48 μm to 68 μm. Removal of the biofilm by a disinfectant (chlorine) was also measured in real time. The combination of QCM and reflectance allowed us to monitor in real time changes in the viscoelastic properties and thickness of biofilms over long periods of time.
Nuclear spin dynamics in semiconductor nanostructures

I will discuss recent advances in understanding the nuclear spin dynamics in low dimensional systems. The focus will be on the hyperfine interaction between nuclear and electronic spins and the role this interaction plays on the dynamical nuclear polarization of semiconductor nanostructures. I will address topics such as nuclear spin relaxation time, nuclear spin polarization, and nuclear spin diffusion. As an example I will consider the case of semiconductor quantum wells and discuss theoretical results in connection with experimental data.
A user-guided cognitive agent for network service selection in pervasive computing environments

Connectivity is central to pervasive computing environments. We seek to catalyze a world of rich and diverse connectivity through technologies that drastically simplify the task of providing, choosing, and using wireless network services; creating a new and more competitive environment for these capabilities. A critical requirement is that users actually benefit from this rich environment, rather than simply being overloaded with choices. We address this with an intelligent software agent that transparently and continually chooses from among available network services based on its user's individual needs and preferences, while requiring only minimal guidance and user interaction. We present an overview and model of the network service selection problem. We then describe an adaptive user agent that learns its user's network service preferences from a very minimal, intuitive set of inputs, and autonomously and continually selects the service that best meets the user's needs. Results from preliminary user experiments are presented that demonstrate the effectiveness of our agent.
A multiple-resolution method for edge-centric data clustering

Recent works in spatial data clustering view the input data set in terms of inter-point edge lengths rather than the points themselves. Cluster detection in such a system is a matter of finding connected paths of edges whose weight is no greater than some user input threshold or cutoff value. The SMTIN algorithm[9] is one such system that uses Delaunay triangulation to compute the set of nearest neighbor edges quickly and efficiently. Experiments demonstrate a substantial performance and accuracy improvement using SMTIN in comparison to other clustering systems.The resolution of the clusters discovered in the SMTIN system is directly related to the choice of a cutoff threshold, which makes SMTIN perform poorly for input sets with clusters at multiple resolutions. In this work we introduce an edge-centric clustering method that detects clusters at multiple resolutions. Our algorithm detects differences in density among groups of points and uses multiple cutoff points in order to account for clusters at different resolutions. One of the main benefits of the multi-resolution approach of our system is the ability to accurately cluster points that other systems would consider to be noise. Experiments indicate a substantial improvement in the clustering quality of our system in comparison to SMTIN as well as the removal of the requirement of an input distance-threshold, achieved with comparable theoretical as well as actual runtime performance. We present promising directions for this new algorithm.
Energetic Aspects of Thermal Convective Magnetohydrodynamic Dynamos

We examine qualitatively the global energetics of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) dynamos maintained by thermal convection. A flow field for sustaining a magnetic field needs to be pressured globally to compensate Joule and viscous dissipations in the absence of net Poynting and mechanical energy influxes across boundaries; this pressure field is associated with thermal convective heat flux passing through the system; thus thermal MHD dynamos are prohibited for incompressible flows. A clear distinction is drawn between a fully consistent thermal MHD dynamo and a Boussinesq dynamo. Another possibility for sustaining both compressible and incompressible MHD dynamos is to extract mechanical energy from the core rotation via viscous stress.
Polycythemia and hydration: effects on thermoregulation and blood volume during exercise-heat stress

We studied the effects of autologous erythrocyte infusion on thermoregulation and blood volume during exercise in the heat. Specifically, we wanted to determine whether heat-acclimated subjects, as well as hypohydrated subjects, would have a thermoregulatory advantage from acute polycythemia during exercise in the heat. Five heat-acclimated males attempted four heat stress tests (HSTs): two pre- and two postinfusion. Autologous erythrocyte infusion was accomplished with 500 ml of a NaCl-glucose-phosphate solution containing approximately 60% hematocrit. One HST, both pre- and postinfusion, was done while subjects were euhydrated, and one HST was done while subjects were hypohydrated (-5% of body wt). After 30 min of rest in a 20 degrees C antechamber, the HST consisted of a 120-min exposure (2 repeats of 15 min rest and 45 min walking) in a hot (35 degrees C, 45% relative humidity) environment. The findings concerning acute polycythemia in heat-acclimated subjects are summarized: 1) polycythemia increased (P less than 0.05) sweating rate and reduced (P less than 0.01) core temperature during exercise-heat stress for both euhydrated and hypohydrated subjects; 2) the erythrocyte infusion caused an increased (P less than 0.05) plasma volume and increased (P less than 0.01) blood volume; 3) the increased plasma volume was associated with an increased (P less than 0.05) total circulating protein mass; 4) the increased total circulating protein mass tended to better maintain plasma volume when hypohydrated; and 5) heat acclimation may increase extravascular protein mass. Therefore, it is concluded that erythrocyte infusion provides a thermoregulatory advantage during exercise in the heat for heat acclimated subjects when both euhydrated and hypohydrated.
The Pharmacology of Extrasynaptic GABAA Receptors

The different subunits that make up the family of GABAA receptor subtypes have unique distributions within the brain and nervous system. Their localization at the neuronal level is in many cases not necessarily associated with synaptic densities, and this has led to the hypothesis that extrasynaptic receptors perform a unique function in controlling excitability. In most cases, the subunits that make up extrasynaptic receptors are different to those on synaptic membranes and hence have their own unique pharmacological profile, both in respect to agonists and allosteric modulators. Here I will review the different receptor subtypes that have been classified as extrasynaptic, as well as those that may serve both roles depending on their location, with a view to illustrating their pharmacological properties, and their impact on neuronal function. The identification of functional differences and allosteric sites for specific modulation of these receptors offers an opportunity to gain more knowledge of the role of receptor subtypes and the potential to develop novel therapeutic agents that should impact a number of psychiatric and neurological disorders where these receptors are implicated.
Transovarially acquired Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi) in field-collected larval Ixodes dammini (Acari: Ixodidae).

To determine whether larval Ixodes dammini are infected transovarially by Lyme disease spirochetes ( Borrelia burgdorferi ), we swept larval I. dammini from vegetation in 4 regions of Massachusetts, USA, where the spirochetes are endemic. Larvae were permitted to feed on noninfected hamsters. After molting to the nymphal stage, 274 were examined for spirochetes. Two nymphs were found to be infected. The rarity of transovarial infection (0.7%) suggests that transovarial passage is of limited importance in maintaining B. burgdorferi in nature, but that it may provide a mechanism for transporting spirochetes to new sites.
Volume instability of porous solids

Dimensional changes of porous 96% silica glass have been determined during exposure to aqueous NaOH solution. Depending on the thickness of the specimen (1, 3, 4, or 8 mm) and the concentration of the alkali (0.1, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2 and 6.4 M), either expansion or contraction or both were observed, the maximum being 0.7%. The features of the extension curves cannot yet be fully explained, but the results suggest that dissolution of glass leads to expansion and that surface reaction and chemisorption lead to contraction. The presence of CaCl2 in the solution in 1 M concentration significantly retards dissolution and expansion.
Pain Management in Metastatic Bone Disease

Pain is a very common symptom in metastatic bone disease, either from the disease process itself, local invasion of neural structures, or as a consequence of treatment. With appropriate management, pain and its associated suffering may ameliorated relatively easily.
Observations on Inclusion Bodies in Pig Kidney Tissue Culture Cells Infected with Porcine Adenoviruses

Three strains of porcine adenovirus were cultivated in pig kidney cells. The infected cells were examined by optical microscopy after staining with haematoxylin and eosin and by electron microscopy; observations at the optical level were linked with observations on the same nuclei at the electron microscopical level. The basophilic nuclear masses seen in haematoxylin and eosin stained preparations corresponded, at the electron microscopical level, with osmiophilic masses of material associated with virus particles. A relationship is suggested between eosinophilic inclusion bodies and rectilinear profiles and myelin-type figures.
Dose-dependent heterogenous actions of vasopressin in rabbit cortical collecting ducts

In cortical collecting ducts (CCD), arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been proposed to autoinhibit its own hydrosmotic effect through stimulation of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis or binding to a receptor coupled to phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis, the so-called V1-receptor, with resultant elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]i) and activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Using isolated perfused rabbit CCD, we examined whether blocking the negative feedback by a PKC inhibitor, staurosporine (SSP), or a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (IND), enhances AVP-induced increase in hydraulic conductivity (Lp). The Lp induced by a pharmacological concentration (23 nM) of AVP was lower than that induced by 230 pM AVP. This blunted Lp response to 23 nM AVP was significantly restored by SSP or IND pretreatment. In contrast, both SSP and IND did not affect the Lp induced by 23 pM or 230 pM AVP. Fluorescence microscopy of isolated perfused CCD using fura-2 showed a spike-like increase in [Ca2+]i only by 23 nM but not by 23 or 230 pM AVP. We conclude that 1) AVP can increase [Ca2+]i, activate PKC, and stimulate PG synthesis in CCD with resultant autoregulation of its own hydrosmotic effect and 2) importantly, however, this negative feedback occurs only with pharmacologically high concentrations of AVP. Therefore it is unlikely that circulating AVP, via binding to receptors on CCD, autoregulates water transport through activating PG synthesis and/or PI breakdown.
Accuracy of ultrasonography for renal stone detection and size determination: is it good enough for management decisions?

Objectives To determine the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography (US) for detecting renal calculi and to assess the accuracy of US for determining the size of calculi and how this can affect counselling decisions. Materials and Methods We retrospectively identified all patients at our institution with a diagnosis of nephrolithiasis who underwent US followed by non-contrast computed tomography (CT) within 60 days. Data on patient characteristics, stone size (maximum axial diameter) and stone location were collected. The sensitivity, specificity and size accuracy of US was determined using CT as the standard. Results A total of 552 US and CT examinations met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of US was 54 and 91%, respectively. There was a significant association between sensitivity of US and stone size (P < 0.001), but not with stone location (P = 0.58). US significantly overestimated the size of stones in the 0–10 mm range (P < 0.001). Assuming patients with stones 0–4 mm in size will be selected for observation and those with stones ≥5 mm could be counselled on the alternative of intervention, we found that in 14% (54/384) of cases where CT would suggest observation, US would lead to a recommendation for intervention. By contrast, when CT results would suggest intervention as management, US would suggest observation in 39% (65/168) of cases. An average of 22% (119/552) of patients could be inappropriately counselled. Stones classified as 5–10 mm according to US had the highest probability (43% [41/96]) of having their management recommendation changed when CT was performed. The use of plain abdominal film of kidney, ureter and bladder and US increases sensitivity (78%), but 37% (13/35) of patients may still be counselled inappropriately to undergo observation. Conclusions Using US to guide clinical decision-making for residual or asymptomatic calculi is limited by low sensitivity and inability to size the stone accurately. As a result, one in five patients may be inappropriately counselled when using US alone.
Problematizing statistical literacy: An intersection of critical and statistical literacies

In this paper, I problematize traditional notions of statistical literacy by juxtaposing it with critical literacy. At the school level statistical literacy is vitally important for students who are preparing to become citizens in modern societies that are increasingly shaped and driven by data based arguments. The teaching of statistics, which is the science of data, is firmly rooted in the mathematics curriculum at the K-12 school level, making statistical literacy a crucial goal in mathematics education. I discuss key ideas from critical literacy in formal school contexts, especially within the field of mathematics education and intersect those with key ideas from statistical literacy to create a critical statistical literacy framework. Potential contributions of and barriers to the implementation of a critical statistical literacy are discussed.
T2 mapping and T2* imaging in heart failure

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a versatile imaging modality that enables aetiological assessment and provides additional information to that of standard echocardiography in a significant proportion of patients with heart failure. In addition to highly accurate and reproducible assessment of ventricular volumes and replacement fibrosis, multiparametric mapping techniques have rapidly evolved to further expand the diagnostic and prognostic applications in various conditions ranging from acute inflammatory and ischaemic cardiomyopathy, to cardiac involvement in systemic diseases such as sarcoidosis and iron overload cardiomyopathy. In this review, we discuss the established role of T2* imaging and rapidly evolving clinical applications of myocardial T2 mapping as quantitative adjuncts to established qualitative imaging techniques.
An Exploratory Study of Career and Technical Education Teacher Empowerment: Implications for School Leaders

As Smylie (1996) noted, teachers are viewed as both the problem and solution to successful education reform. Since Smylie's observation, research has further solidified our understanding that teacher quality does indeed lead to improved student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000). High quality teachers are defined as those teachers who know their discipline, who can engage students in ways that facilitate knowledge transfer and understanding, who view themselves as continuous learners, and who have a commitment to school wide effectiveness and improvement (Darling-Hammond).
A slice of life: Ecologically valid methods for research on social relationships and health across the life span

This paper describes “slice of life” methods—detailed observations of moment-to-moment intraindividual processes that occur over short timescales in the natural environment—as an important research tool in exploring social relationships and health across the life span. Such methods, including ecological momentary assessment, experience sampling, daily diaries, measurement burst, and other slice of life designs, are important supplements to more traditional laboratory, epidemiological, and long-term longitudinal research methods. Specifically, we highlight how slice of life methods (with a focus on ecological momentary assessment) allow researchers to compare the relative importance of different social relationships (or features thereof) for health outcomes, understand temporal dynamics, identify potentially causal mechanistic pathways at different timescales through which social relationships influence health, and design, implement, and evaluate innovative interventions that target these pathways at different timescales. We conclude with recommendations and future directions for slice of life methods for research on social relationships and health across the life span.
An effective post-processing of the North American multi-model ensemble (NMME) precipitation forecasts over the continental US

The North American multi-model ensemble (NMME) forecast system provides valuable information for climate variables at different lead times over the globe. A Bayesian ensemble post-processing approach based on Copula functions (COP-EPP) is employed to bias-correct the NMME precipitation forecast from 11 models (totaling 128 ensemble members). The study is conducted over the Continental United States (CONUS) for the hindcast period of 1982–2010 at lead-0, and the forecast period of 2012–2015 at four different lead times of lead-0 to lead-3 and the results are verified using deterministic and probabilistic measures. COP-EPP is compared with a widely-used bias-correction technique, the Quantile Mapping (QM). Although the NMME forecasts show to be more accurate across the eastern United States, large bias is found over the great plains of the central US. However, QM and COP-EPP present significant improvements over the NMME forecasts, with COP-EPP proving to be more reliable and accurate across the CONUS. In addition, COP-EPP substantially improves the temporal and spatial variability of the intra-seasonal NMME forecasts, even at lead-3.
Treating Pediatric Anxiety: Initial Use of SSRIs and Other Antianxiety Prescription Medications.

Objective Multiple pharmacotherapies for treating anxiety disorders exist, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the recommended first-line pharmacotherapy for pediatric anxiety. We sought to describe initial antianxiety medication use in children and estimate how long antianxiety medications were continued. Methods In a large commercial claims database, we identified children (3-17 years) initiating prescription antianxiety medication from 2004 to 2014 with a recent anxiety diagnosis (ICD-9-CM = 293.84, 300.0x, 300.2x, 300.3x, 309.21, 309.81, 313.23). We estimated the proportion of children initiating each medication class across the study period and used multivariable regression to evaluate factors associated with initiation with an SSRI. We evaluated treatment length for each initial medication class. Results Of 84,500 children initiating antianxiety medication, 70% initiated with an SSRI (63% [95% CI, 62%-63%] SSRI alone, 7% [95% CI, 7%-7%] SSRI + another antianxiety medication). Non-SSRI medications initiated included benzodiazepines (8%), non-SSRI antidepressants (7%), hydroxyzine (4%), and atypical antipsychotics (3%). Anxiety disorder, age, provider type, and comorbid diagnoses were associated with initial medication class. The proportion of children refilling their initial medication ranged from 19% (95% CI, 18%-20%) of hydroxyzine initiators and 25% (95% CI, 24%-26%) of benzodiazepine initiators to 81% (95% CI, 80%-81%) of SSRI initiators. Over half (55%, 95% CI, 55%-56%) of SSRI initiators continued SSRI treatment for 6 months. Conclusions SSRIs are the most commonly used first-line medication for pediatric anxiety disorders, with about half of SSRI initiators continuing treatment for 6 months. Still, a third began therapy on a non-SSRI medication, for which there is limited evidence of effectiveness for pediatric anxiety, and a notable proportion of children initiated with 2 antianxiety medication classes.
“Dumb” Performance as a Marker of Authenticity

ABSTRACTMusical authenticity is impossible to demonstrate objectively but is instead agreed-upon in group contexts through markers that form the basis for defining musical genres (type authenticity...
Graphics Lies, Misleading Visuals

The past two decades have witnessed an increased awareness of the power of information visualization to bring attention to relevant issues and to inform audiences. However, the mirror image of that awareness, the study of how graphs, charts, maps, and diagrams can be used to deceive, has remained within the boundaries of academic circles in statistics, cartography, and computer science. Visual journalists and information graphics designers—who we will call evidence-driven visual communicators—have been mostly absent of this debate. This has led to disastrous results in many cases, as those professions are—even in an era of shrinking news media companies—the main intermediaries between the complexity of the world and citizens of democratic nations. This present essay explains the scope of the problem and proposes tweaks in educational programs to overcome it.
Attachment and Loss

For those of us who have grieved, the experience is unforgettable. After initial numbness and disbelief, comes an utter and profound sadness. The chest feels heavy and the appetite is lost, seemingly forever. Then there arises a restlessness, an urge to pace, an inability to concentrate. Insomnia drains the energy, and crying spells occur. One becomes irritable, and while seeking support from friends is sometimes comforting, it is only with a supreme effort that one can involve oneself in their lives. This acute stage gradually subsides, but grief does not disappear. Special words, memories, places can reactivate the agonized feelings and preoccupations weeks, months, or even years later. Nonetheless, over time, as the lost person is discussed, important memories are shared with others and mixed feelings are explored, the acute impact of the grief lessens and one is able to return to daily routines.
Green's Function

This chapter discusses the boundary value problem for nonhomogeneous linear equations. The function that depends on the parameter ξ is denoted by G ( x, ξ ) and is called Green's function. In the case where the equation has regular singularities at one or both endpoints of the interval, the boundary conditions have to be modified because of the behavior of the solution near the boundary points. In the case, one of the independent solutions is finite at each of the endpoints, while the second includes a logarithmic term. The notion of Green's function can be generalized in two directions. First, G ( x, ξ, λ ) can be defined for arbitrary linear equations of degree n and for more general boundary conditions. Second, a generalized function G ( x, ξ, λ ) can be defined for λ = λ n so as to possess similar properties to the ordinary Green's function and to reproduce the sulution of the nonhomogeneous equation by integration. The chapter discusses a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of solutions of nonhomogeneous systems.
STOCHASTIC KINETIC THEORY AND TURBULENT HEATING.

A stochastic-theory approach is used to formulate the problem of plasma heating by random fields. The method predicts the effect of arbitrary accelerating fields on the plasma, in contradistinction to previous works in which crucial assumptions render the works valid only for single-particle acceleration. Application of the theory to stochastic acceleration of a magnetized plasma yields a heating rate which asymptotically approaches that of Puri. Other applications to ionospheric phenomena and thermonuclear fusion are discussed. Finally, a new nonlinear method is presented for obtaining the single-particle distribution function.
Traducciones para y por los españoles americanos

As is well known, political independence in the Americas was gained through a long, violent process in which colonies broke away from their colonial centers. Different revolutionaries, patriots, and liberators acted within their immediate colonial context; nonetheless, a shared trove of ideas existed in all of the Americas which helped, above all, to justify their actions. These ideas (largely emanating from Europe’s Enlightenment and in the Americas originally practiced in England’s former North American colonies) spread throughout the region, in part, thanks to the efforts of several translators. These were men who traveled to different places for different reasons. In those places they took in the ideas and practices of an emerging democratic republicanism, along with its promises and imperfections. Eager to distribute these concepts and models, they joined in the revolutionary spirit by taking up the pen and translating letters, books, constitutions, etc. Thus, these translators’ played a rolein disseminating ideas as a way to set new cultural and political parameters in their home cultures. This paper seeks to explore the role that translation played collectively during Spanish America’s struggle for independence.
Exploring barriers for psychiatrists in discussing substance abuse with child and adolescent patients: a multiple goals approach

ABSTRACTPatients suffering from psychiatric illnesses, however, are often at increased risk for substance use disorders; therefore, it is important for practitioners to have effective conversations about substance use with these patients. Child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs), in particular, are in a unique position to identify early substance use and affect the trajectory of adolescents who are at increased risk for substance abuse. To better understand such communication between psychiatrists and their patients, we conducted 21 in-depth interviews with CAPs to explore what barriers exist to prevent or dissuade CAPs from discussing substance abuse with their patients. We found barriers to effective communication at the micro, meso, and macro levels within the ecology of the field of psychiatry. A multiple goals perspective allowed us to determine how these barriers affect communication choices. Findings from the study highlight the significant communication challenges faced by psychiatrists in this c...
Case 2: Fatigue and Shortness of Breath in an 18-year-old Girl.

1. Jessica Lee, MD* 2. Ryan S. Miller, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD An 18-year-old girl with a history of primary hypothyroidism presents for scheduled follow-up of her hypothyroidism. She has a history of significant mood disorder and psychiatric hospitalizations, and she has been living in a supervised group home for the past several years. She reports a 1-year history of neck swelling and states that she always feels tired at school. She states that she stopped taking her levothyroxine 6 months ago but without explanation and that she does not feel any different since stopping her medication. Her vital signs and examination findings are normal; her thyroid gland is not enlarged. Laboratory values are notable for a highly elevated thyrotropin level of 215.8 IU/L and a low free thyroxine level of 0.30 ng/dL (3.86 pmol/L). She is instructed to resume taking levothyroxine and is provided with an updated prescription. She returns for a follow-up visit 3 months later. She completed 1 month of treatment with levothyroxine but has not refilled her prescription since then. The group home staff member states that they offer medication reminders to residents but that medication compliance is not mandatory. The patient reports onset of constipation, increasing fatigue, cold intolerance, sad mood, and shortness of breath with exertion. On further questioning, she reports that she feels light-headed and for the past week has had substernal chest pain that is worse with exertion. Physical examination reveals an obese, alert, interactive adolescent. Her heart rate is 123 beats/min and her blood pressure is 114/56 mm Hg. She has bounding carotid pulses bilaterally. There is no thyromegaly or …
Introducing a mammalian nerve-muscle preparation ideal for physiology and microscopy, the transverse auricular muscle in the ear of the mouse

A new mammalian neuromuscular preparation is introduced for physiology and microscopy of all sorts: the intrinsic muscle of the mouse ear. The great utility of this preparation is demonstrated by illustrating how it has permitted us to develop a wholly new technique for staining muscle T-tubules, the critical conductive-elements in muscle. This involves sequential immersion in dilute solutions of osmium and ferrocyanide, then tannic acid, and then uranyl acetate, all of which totally blackens the T-tubules but leaves the muscle pale, thereby revealing that the T-tubules in mouse ear-muscles become severely distorted in several pathological conditions. These include certain mouse-models of muscular dystrophy (specifically, dysferlin-mutations), certain mutations of muscle cytoskeletal proteins (specifically, beta-tubulin mutations), and also in denervation-fibrillation, as observed in mouse ears maintained with in vitro tissue-culture conditions. These observations permit us to generate the hypothesis that T-tubules are the "Achilles' heel" in several adult-onset muscular dystrophies, due to their unique susceptibility to damage via muscle lattice-dislocations. These new observations strongly encourage further in-depth studies of ear-muscle architecture, in the many available mouse-models of various devastating human muscle-diseases. Finally, we demonstrate that the delicate and defined physical characteristics of this 'new' mammalian muscle are ideal for ultrastructural study, and thereby facilitate the imaging of synaptic vesicle membrane recycling in mammalian neuromuscular junctions, a topic that is critical to myasthenia gravis and related diseases, but which has, until now, completely eluded electron microscopic analysis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Honoring Ricardo Miledi - outstanding neuroscientist of XX-XXI centuries.
Critical Assessment of the Contemporary Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Application Process.

Background Matching into orthopaedic surgery residency in the United States has become an increasingly competitive process because of the large number of well-qualified applicants. Over the past several years, applicants have sought to maximize their chances of matching by submitting an increasing number of applications. The purpose of this study was to assess trends in application numbers, applicant qualifications, and application reviews, with the goal of obtaining data to help inform future improvements in the orthopaedic surgery residency application process. Methods Applicant data were obtained from the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS, www.aamc.org/services/eras/stats) and the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP, www.nrmp.org/report-archives). These included residency application data from 2000 to 2017. In addition, we analyzed available NRMP Applicant Survey Reports between 2008 and 2017, Program Director Survey Reports between 2008 and 2016, and NRMP's Charting Outcomes in the Match between 2006 and 2016. Results The number of U.S. senior medical student applicants per orthopaedic surgery residency position was stable from 2000 to 2017 (1.13 vs. 1.16 for 2000 and 2017, respectively). A significant increase in the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step-1 and Step-2 scores and self-reported research activity was present over the same time period. The number of applications submitted per applicant significantly increased, by 71.7%, from 48.4 in 2006 to 83.1 in 2017. Additionally, applications per program increased 46.4% from 457 in 2010 to 669 in 2016. In 2010, programs performed in-depth reviews for 54% of applications; however, in 2016, in-depth reviews had decreased to 45% of applications. Conclusions Orthopaedic residency applicant USMLE scores and research productivity have increased over time. Concurrently, the average number of applications submitted per applicant has increased, with the average applicant applying to nearly half of all orthopaedic residency programs. Consequently, programs have seen more than double the number of applications over this study period. The accompanying decline in the proportion of applications undergoing in-depth review, along with the applicant and program resources associated with these changes, warrants the development of strategies to enhance the efficiency of the application process for orthopaedic residency.
Beyond the Common Good: The Priority of Persons

This essay is about God. It is not a paper on religious matters. At least, this is so if one understands religious concerns to be about how properly to worship God and/or about the nature of revealed divine commands and truths. The notion of a God’s-eye perspective is addressed in this essay because of its cardinal moral significance as a final, unconditional perspective: a viewpoint unshaped by particular, socio-historical circumstances. Nevertheless, reflections on the importance of a God’s-eye perspective, indeed of the idea of God, are often mistakenly taken ipso facto to be religious reflections, given the significant impact of secularist and laicist ideological movements. This confusion prevails widely, despite the circumstance that appeals to God were made by philosophers ranging from Aristotle (384–322 B.C.), Rene Descartes (A.D. 1596–1650), Benedict Spinoza (A.D. 1632–1677), and Gottfried Leibnitz (A.D. 1646–1716), to Immanuel Kant (A.D. 1724–1804) independently of any religious concerns. These philosophers in different ways recognized the necessary place of a God’s-eye perspective in developing a coherent account of reality and/or morality. This essay speaks to the necessity of a God’s-eye perspective for a coherent attempt to speak of the common good.
Tenderness classification of beef: I. Evaluation of beef longissimus shear force at 1 or 2 days postmortem as a predictor of aged beef tenderness.

The present experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of longissimus shear force at 1 or 2 d postmortem as a predictor of beef longissimus shear force at 14 d postmortem. Experiments 1 (n = 400) and 2 (n = 554) included carcasses slaughtered and processed under laboratory and commercial conditions, respectively. A carcass was classified as "tender," "intermediate," or "tough" if its longissimus shear value at 1 or 2 d postmortem was 9 kg, respectively. For Exp. 1 and 2, large (P < .001) differences existed between each successive tenderness class in mean shear force at 14 d postmortem. Moreover, frequency analysis indicated that tenderness classification accurately (84.8 and 94.8% for Exp. 1 and 2, respectively) predicted whether the sample would have a "low" (< 6 kg) Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) value at 14 d postmortem. All (100%) of the carcasses in the "tender" class had "low" WBS values at 14 d postmortem, most (81 and 85% for Exp. 1 and 2, respectively) of the carcasses in the "intermediate" class had "low" WBS values at 14 d postmortem, and most (74 and 67% for Exp. 1 and 2, respectively) of the carcasses in the "tough" class did not have "low" WBS values at 14 d postmortem. Although shear force at 2 d postmortem was only moderately correlated (r = .68) with shear force at 14 d postmortem, 68% of the carcasses sampled in Exp. 2 could be guaranteed tender with 100% accuracy based on shear force at 2 d postmortem. Thus, cooked beef longissimus shear force can be measured at 1 or 2 d postmortem and used to predict longissimus tenderness after cooler aging (14 d postmortem) with a relatively high degree of accuracy.
Impact of the 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on Invasive Pneumococcal Disease After Introduction Into Routine Pediatric Use.

BACKGROUND In 2010, the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) replaced 7-valent PCV (PCV7) for protection against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). This study used laboratory surveillance data to examine the effect of PCV13 on IPD before and after PCV13 introduction among children aged 6 weeks to <6 years and those aged ≥6 weeks. METHODS Observational laboratory-based IPD surveillance data were compared for the periods May 2010-April 2018 and May 2008-April 2010 (the PCV7 period) using a database of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) members with laboratory-confirmed IPD. RESULTS Among children aged 6 weeks to 6 years, overall IPD incidence decreased from 11.57 per 100 000 during the PCV7 period to 4.09 per 100 000 after PCV13 introduction; PCV13-type IPD incidence decreased from 5.12 to 0.84 per 100 000. Non-PCV13-serotype IPD did not change significantly in this age group (PCV7 period, 1.71 per 100 000 and after PCV13, 2.52 per 100 000). Of cases occurring in this group, bacteremia was the most common clinical diagnosis. Across all ages, IPD decreased from 9.49 to 6.23 per 100 000 and PCV13-type IPD decreased from 4.67 to 1.89 per 100 000, changes being mostly due to decreases in serotypes 19A and 7F. IPD caused by non-PCV13 serotypes did not change (3.34 and 3.35 per 100 000). Overall, pneumococci isolated after PCV13 introduction had increased susceptibility to penicillin, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone.This prospective, laboratory-based surveillance study in Kaiser Permanente Northern California members examined annual IPD incidence before and after PCV13 introduction. In children aged 6 weeks to <6 years, IPD caused by PCV13 serotypes decreased significantly (84%) during the surveillance period. CONCLUSIONS IPD incidence decreased further in every age group after PCV13 introduction, suggesting both direct vaccination effects in the infant population and indirect effects in adults. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT01128439.
Subgoal Learning via Operator Command Quantification for Human-Machine Shared Control Task Modeling

Intelligent blending of human and automatic control inputs to collaboratively achieve shared control robotic tasks has received considerable attention in recent years. The benefits of such blending are many, including achieving better performance while maintaining robust situation awareness. Effective modeling of a given task using data obtained from human operator’s demonstration is an important building block for shared control because the model is used as a reference for predicting operator’s intent and generating automatic control input to facilitate task execution. Subgoal-based modeling, in which a complicated task is encoded as a finite number of subgoals, has yielded good results for practical tasks in shared control applications. In this paper, we present a new method for learning subgoals of a task based on human operator’s demonstration. The modeling process involves: (1) extracting distributions of potential subgoals by effectively quantifying human operator’s commands via a unified metric and (2) learning subgoals and their execution sequence from the extracted distributions via a Bayesian non-parametric clustering method with temporal ordering. We apply the proposed method and present the learned subgoals based on two demonstrations: a construction earth-moving task with a hydraulic excavator and an acrobatic flight task with a quadrotor.
A Broadly Neutralizing Macaque Monoclonal Antibody Against the HIV-1 V3-Glycan Patch

Abstract A small fraction of HIV-1 infected humans develop potent broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against HIV-1 that can protect macaques from infection with simian immunodeficiency HIV chimeric virus (SHIV). Similarly, a small number of macaques infected with SHIVs also develop broadly neutralizing serologic activity, but less is known about the nature of these simian antibodies. Here we report on a monoclonal antibody, Ab1485, isolated from a macaque infected with SHIVAD8 that developed broadly neutralizing serologic activity mapping to the V3-glycan region of HIV-1 Env. Ab1485 neutralizes 38.1 % of HIV-1 isolates in a panel of 42 pseudoviruses with a geometric mean IC50 of 0.055 μg/ml and SHIVAD8 with an IC50 of 0.028 μg/ml. Ab1485 binds to the V3-glycan epitope in a glycan-dependent manner as determined by ELISA and neutralization assays with JRCSF mutant viruses. A 3.5 A cryo-electron microscopy structure of Ab1485 in complex with a native-like SOSIP Env trimer showed conserved contacts with the N332gp120 glycan and gp120 GDIR peptide motif, but in a distinct Env-binding orientation relative to human V3/N332gp120 glycan-targeting bNAbs. Finally, intravenous infusion of Ab1485 protected macaques from a high dose intrarectal challenge with SHIVAD8. We conclude that macaques can develop bNAbs against the V3-glycan patch that resemble human V3-glycan bNAbs. Significance statement Rhesus macaques infected with SHIV are an important model for evaluating HIV-1 prevention and therapy strategies and can also be used to evaluate humoral immune responses to candidate HIV-1 vaccines, but whether macaques produce human-like bNAbs has not been evaluated. Like HIV-1 infected humans, 10-20% of the SHIVAD8 challenged macaques develop low levels of neutralizing antibodies, and only one macaque has developed broad and potent serologic neutralizing activity. We have examined the antibody response of this macaque (CE8J) and we report on the cloning and molecular characterization of a bNAb produced in this elite neutralizing non-human primate, its structure bound to an HIV-1 Env trimer, and the implications for development of vaccines targeting the V3-glycan patch of Env.
DFT Calculations Investigate Competing Pathways to Form Dimeric Neopentylpalladium(II) Amido Complexes: The Critical Importance of Dispersion.

Computational methods were utilized to study the formation of a dimeric neopentylpalladium(II) amido complex (D), which is an important side reaction that inhibits the desired C–N bond coupling. Th...