cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enzyme-free translation of DNA into sequence-defined synthetic polymers structurally unrelated to nucleic acids

The translation of DNA sequences into corresponding biopolymers enables the production, function and evolution of the macromolecules of life. In contrast, methods to generate sequence-defined synthetic polymers with similar levels of control have remained elusive. Here, we report the development of a DNA-templated translation system that enables the enzyme-free translation of DNA templates into sequence-defined synthetic polymers that have no necessary structural relationship with nucleic acids. We demonstrate the efficiency, sequence-specificity and generality of this translation system by oligomerizing building blocks including polyethylene glycol, α-(D)-peptides, and β-peptides in a DNA-programmed manner. Sequence-defined synthetic polymers with molecular weights of 26 kDa containing 16 consecutively coupled building blocks and 90 densely functionalized β-amino acid residues were translated from DNA templates using this strategy. We integrated the DNA-templated translation system developed here into a complete cycle of translation, coding sequence replication, template regeneration and re-translation suitable for the iterated in vitro selection of functional sequence-defined synthetic polymers unrelated in structure to nucleic acids.
Recent advancements in functional movement analysis.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the concept of Functional Movement Analysis (FMA) and review the recent advancements pertaining to the clinical application of FMA. After a brief introduction to the concept of FMA. the role computers have played in FMA development is presented. A generalized movement measurement technique is introduced along with the resulting benefits associated with the implementation of body segment based coordinate systems. Finally, the role of mechanical power estimates and movement synthesis techniques in the future maturation of FMA is considered.
Inclusion of material non-linearity and inelasticity into a continuum-level material model for soda–lime glass

Abstract Numerous experimental investigations clearly established that when soda–lime glass is subjected to sufficiently high axial-stress/pressure, it displays a nonlinear mechanical response and deformation irreversibility (inelasticity). This portion of the material behavior is often neglected in material models for glass which tend to focus on the damage and fracture phenomena of the material. However, material nonlinearity/inelasticity can, in principle, have a profound effect on wave/shock propagation phenomena and processes (e.g. spall fracture). Within the present work, the effect of material nonlinearity and inelastic behavior on the dynamic response (including spallation) of soda–lime glass is studied under symmetric flyer-plate loading conditions using computational methods and tools. Material nonlinearity and deformation irreversibility are modeled in two different ways: (a) as a non-linear elastic material response with no deformation irreversibility; and (b) as a linear-elastic, volumetrically-plastic deformation response. Incorporation of nonlinearity and inelasticity phenomena into a continuum-level material model for soda–lime glass recently developed by the authors revealed that while these phenomena do not measurably affect spall resistance (as measured by a minimum flyer-plate velocity resulting in spallation), they provide beneficial linear-momentum/kinetic energy reduction effects.
Lyme Borreliosis in Selected Strains and Ages of Laboratory Mice

The susceptibility of laboratory mice to Borrelia burgdorferi was evaluated for selected genotypes and ages. C3H/He, SWR, C57BL/6, SJL, and BALB/c mice inoculated at age 3 days developed uniformly severe polyarthritis at 30 days after intraperitoneal inoculation. Mice inoculated at age 3 weeks also developed polyarthritis, but severity was influenced by genotype, with C3H/He and SWR mice the most severely affected. Susceptible strains developed higher IgG ELISA antibody titers to B. burgdorferi than did resistant mice. Adult (12 weeks) C3H/He mice were also susceptible, but arthritis was not as severe as in those inoculated at age 3 weeks. SKH (hairless) mice developed polyarthritis but not skin disease when inoculated intradermally. Carditis occurred frequently among C3H/He, BALB/c, and hairless mice and in some SWR mice but not in C57BL/6 or SJL mice. This study demonstrates that severity of Lyme borreliosis is age- and genotype-dependent and that laboratory mice are a potentially valuable model.
Improved random walker algorithm for image segmentation

General purpose image segmentation is one of the important and challenging problems in image processing. Objective of image segmentation is to group regions with coherent cues such as intensity, texture, color and shape together. Most of the earlier studies on this issue are based on supervised and unsupervised learning methods. In this paper, we develop a semi-supervised image segmentation technique for images using filter bank responses as features. This study utilizes a graph based semi-supervised random walker algorithm to perform segmentation task. Filter bank response driven random walker algorithm has not been considered in the past. We present segmentation results using a variety of images to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Impact of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy from 1972 to 1998

The antibiotic era began with the discovery, in 1939 and 1940, of the first three significant antibiotics, namely, tyrothricin (of bacterial origin), penicillin (a rediscovery of an antibiotic of fungal origin), and actinomycin (a product of actinomycetes). Within the first 18 years of the antibiotic era, about 30 antimicrobial agents had come into use, as noted by Selman Waksman, the discoverer of streptomycin (20). Included among these, in addition to streptomycin, were chloramphenicol, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, bacitracin, erythromycin, novobiocin, oleandomycin, vancomycin, and antimycotic agents such as nystatin and griseofulvin.
INTERFEROMETRIC CHANGES IN ONION NUCLEI AND NUCLEOLI DURING DEVELOPMENT

SUMMARY The inner epidermis of the outermost (1) through to the innermost (7) bulb scales of mature white onions were studied by means of quantitative interferometry. Scale 7 represented the oldest unemerged leaf, whereas scales 1 to 6 represented mature leaf bases whose blades had grown, emerged, and withered. A developmental sequence was observed from scale 7 through to scale 1. Nuclei increased in area from 2.9 × 10−6 cm2 in scale 7 to 9.9 × 10−6 cm2 in scale 1, with the greatest increases among the younger scales. Nucleoli increased in area from 3.7 × 10−8 cm2 in scale 7 to 13.9 × 10−8 cm2 in scale 2. Dry mass per unit area of the nuclei increased from 7.8 × 10−5 g/cm2 in scale 7 to 12.4 × 10−5 g/cm2 in scale 1, with a maximum of 13.7 × 10−5 g/cm2 in scale 3. Nucleoli increased in dry mass per unit area from 6.2 × 10−5 g/cm2 in scale 7 to 9.2 × 10−5 g/cm2 in scale 1, with a maximum of 11.6 × 10−5 g/cm2 in scale 3. Nuclear dry mass increased from 2.1 × 10−10 g in scale 7 to 12.1 × 10−10 g in scale 1. Nucleolar dry mass increased from 2.3 × 10−12 g in scale 7 to 12.9 × 10−12 g in scale 1. The data suggest that nuclei and nucleoli increase in size and mass with cell size, thereby providing a greater biosynthetic (control) capacity to enlarging cells.
Total cavopulmonary connection to one lung

Abstract The status of pulmonary circulation is of utmost importance to the success of the modified Fontan operation. Pulmonary artery distortion, hypoplasia of the total pulmonary vascular bed, and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance are all risk factors for adverse outcome after modified Fontan operations. In cases of irreparable acquired atresia of one or the other branch pulmonary artery, clinicians are forced to contemplate the possibility of total cavopulmonary connection to one lung. The combined experience of the authors with 12 cases suggests that the likelihood of operative survival following Fontan's operation to one lung is predicted based on the usual hemodynamic parameters: pulmonary artery pressure and flow, ventricular end diastolic pressure, transpulmonary gradient, and pulmonary vascular resistance. In this series, there were no operative mortalities among patients undergoing Fontan's operation to one lung, all of whom meet the usual criteria for hemodynamic acceptability. There may, however, be a higher incidence of protein-losing enteropathy than in Fontan patients with normal pulmonary vascular beds. All possible means of resuscitating the lost elements of the pulmonary vascular bed and re-establishing pulmonary artery continuity should be attempted to minimize pulmonary vascular capacitance of patients undergoing Fontan's operation. It is clear, however, that the presence of only one pulmonary artery does not in and of itself preclude satisfactory outcome.
Imaging chromophores with undetectable fluorescence by stimulated emission microscopy

Fluorescence, that is, spontaneous emission, is generally more sensitive than absorption measurement, and is widely used in optical imaging. However, many chromophores, such as haemoglobin and cytochromes, absorb but have undetectable fluorescence because the spontaneous emission is dominated by their fast non-radiative decay. Yet the detection of their absorption is difficult under a microscope. Here we use stimulated emission, which competes effectively with the nonradiative decay, to make the chromophores detectable, and report a new contrast mechanism for optical microscopy. In a pump-probe experiment, on photoexcitation by a pump pulse, the sample is stimulated down to the ground state by a time-delayed probe pulse, the intensity of which is concurrently increased. We extract the miniscule intensity increase with shot-noise-limited sensitivity by using a lock-in amplifier and intensity modulation of the pump beam at a high megahertz frequency. The signal is generated only at the laser foci owing to the nonlinear dependence on the input intensities, providing intrinsic three-dimensional optical sectioning capability. In contrast, conventional one-beam absorption measurement exhibits low sensitivity, lack of three-dimensional sectioning capability, and complication by linear scattering of heterogeneous samples. We demonstrate a variety of applications of stimulated emission microscopy, such as visualizing chromoproteins, non-fluorescent variants of the green fluorescent protein, monitoring lacZ gene expression with a chromogenic reporter, mapping transdermal drug distributions without histological sectioning, and label-free microvascular imaging based on endogenous contrast of haemoglobin. For all these applications, sensitivity is orders of magnitude higher than for spontaneous emission or absorption contrast, permitting nonfluorescent reporters for molecular imaging.
Horizontally Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube on Quartz from a Large Variety of Metal Catalysts

Horizontally aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are highly desired for SWNT device applications. A large variety of metals including Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pt, Pd, Mn, Mo, Cr, Sn, Au, Mg, and Al successfully catalyzed the growth of such tubes on stable temperature (ST)-cut quartz by lattice guidance. In addition, Mg and Al were presented to produce random and aligned SWNTs for the first time. A hypothesis is proposed in which the precipitated carbon shell on the outer surface of the metal catalysts guides the alignment along the crystal lattice but not the catalysts themselves. By elucidating the role of the catalysts, an understanding of the aligned growth mechanism on quartz is further improved. Moreover, a simple "scratch" method by a razor blade such as the carbon steel and tungsten carbide (with 9% cobalt) is presented to pattern the "catalysts" without any complex processing steps such as lithography for the aligned SWNT growth.
Use of multiple I/sub DDQ/ test metrics for outlier identification

With increasing circuit complexity and reliability requirements, screening outlier chips is an increasingly important test challenge. This is especially true for I/sub DDQ/ test due to increased spread in the distribution. In this paper, the concept of current ratio is extended to exploit wafer-level spatial correlation. Two metrics - current ratio and neighbor current ratio - are combined to screen outliers at the wafer level. We demonstrate that a single metric alone cannot screen all outliers, however, their combination can be used for effectively screening outlier chips. Analyses based on industrial test data are presented.
An unusual, trinuclear, mixed-valence reaction product of dicyclopentadienylchromium with trifluoroacetic acid: bis(cyclopentadienyl)hexakis(trifluoroacetato)trichromium

Abstract The reaction of dicyclopentodienylchromium, (η5-C5H5)2Cr, with CF3COOH leads to various products. among which we have identified the compound [C5H5)2(CF3CO2)6Cr3 It consists of centrosymmetric molecules in which two (η-C5H5)Cr(III) moieties flank a central Cr(II) ion. The Cr(III) species are each united to the Cr(II) by three bridging CF3CO2 groups, two of which are bidentate while the third employs only one of its oxygen atoms as a bridging atom. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 with one molecule placed on a center of symmetry. The unit cell dimentions are: a = 9.581(2), b = 10.214(2), c = 9.332(2)A; α = 94. 75(2), β = 101. 74(2), γ = 112.31(2)°; V = 814.2 (7)A3, and dx = 1.97 g/cm3.
Stop, question, and frisk in New York City: a study of public opinions

New York City’s Stop-and-Frisk program has been a contentious police practice for more than 40 years. There is extensive research that examines attitudes toward the police; however, empirical research has yet to analyze citizens’ perceptions of stop-and-frisk. This study uses data from pedestrians to uncover their opinions of stop-and-frisk. Results demonstrate that several demographic characteristics predicted attitudes toward stop-and-frisk; minorities and younger citizens had less positive views, and unfavorable opinions were linked to living in New York City; having less education; being unemployed; having lower income; not married; no children; having been previously frisked by police; and vicarious experiences of others with stop-and-frisk. The results provide insights into demographic and experiential factors that influence attitudes toward stop-and-frisk. As perceived unfairness often undermines police authority, identifying factors that predict unfavorable attitudes toward police practices can ai...
The Development of Substitute Object Pretense: The Differential Importance of Form and Function

Substitute object pretense is one of the earliest-developing forms of pretense, and yet it changes considerably across the preschool years. By 3.5 years of age, children can pretend with substitutes that are highly dissimilar from their intended referents (Elder & Pederson, 1978), but even older children have difficulty understanding such pretense in others (Bigham & Bourchier-Sutton, 2007). The present studies had 3 aims: 1) to examine the relative influence of the form and function of substitute objects; 2) to replicate the age gap between pretense production and comprehension using a tightly controlled procedure; and 3) to investigate whether preschoolers’ comprehension of substitute object pretense is predicted by a) theory of mind (ToM), because it involves reading pretender intent, and (b) executive function (EF), because it involves inhibiting the substitute object’s identity. In Study 1, 3- to 5-year-old children performed at ceiling on a test of substitute object pretense production, whereas pret...
A Note on Determining Order Quantities with a Linear Trend in Demand

The economic order quantity concept has received much attention. However, the model is severely restricted by the assumption of constant demand. This paper presents a procedure for adjusting the economic order quantity model for the cases of increasing or decreasing linear trend demand patterns. The primary advantage of the proposed method is its simplicity in comparison with existing procedures and, as illustrated in two examples, its near-optimal performance
Determination of Antioxidant Capacities, α-Dicarbonyls, and Phenolic Phytochemicals in Florida Varietal Honeys Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn

Honeys contain phenolic compounds and α-dicarbonyls with antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities, respectively. The type and concentration of these compounds vary depending on the floral source and geographical location where the honey is produced. Seventeen varietal honeys, including 12 monofloral and 5 multifloral honeys, were sampled from different regions of Florida. The monofloral honeys included those from citrus, tupelo, palmetto, and gallberry. These honeys were evaluated for their antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, and free radical scavenging capacity and compared with three New Zealand Manuka honeys. Phenolic phytochemicals and α-dicarbonyls were identified and quantified using HPLC-DAD-MSn. Several honey varieties from gallberry, Manuka, and multifloral displayed a total phenolic content >1000 μg GAE/g. A citrus honey had the lowest total phenolic content of 286 μg GAE/g. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity of the honeys ranged from 1.48 to 18.2 μmol TE/g. All honeys contained 3-...
Synthesis of fluorinated silica nanoparticles containing latent reactive groups for post-synthetic modification and for tunable surface energy.

A new PFCP-based chlorosilane monomer containing a latent reactive fluorine atom was synthesized utilizing a hydrosilylation reaction. This monomer was used to functionalize Stober silica nanoparticles, or network silicas, and the ability to tailor the properties of the functionalized nanoparticles was investigated by reacting the latent reactive fluorinated alkene with various nucleophiles. In order to model the chemical transformations occuring with the PFCP-functionalized particles, a new PFCP-containing molecular silica was prepared using a hydrosilylation reaction. The molecular silica was designed such that it contained a latent reactive fluorine atom and could also undergo post-synthetic modifications with various nucleophiles. The ability to modify the latent reactive group and tune the properties of the molecular and network silicas was verified by multi-nuclear NMR (1H, 13C, 19F, and 29Si), thermal characterizations, and by investigating the hydrophobicity and surface morphology of spin-cast films prepared from the molecular and network silicas.
Interlanguage: forty years later, edited by Z. Han and E. Tarone

In 2012, the Teachers College, Columbia University Roundtable in Second Language Studies was dedicated to celebrating the 40th anniversary of Selinker's influential paper ‘Interlanguage’ (1972). Ha...
Introduction: Treating Behavior Problems from a Multi-Level Structural-Strategic Approach

Summary The assumptions of a Structural-Strategic approach are outlined. The reasoning and value of a multi-level approach to applying these tenets with behavior problems of children and adolescents are presented. Also, the centrality of the concept of accountability is introduced.
Stimuli‐responsive delivery of therapeutics for diabetes treatment

Diabetic therapeutics, including insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), are essential for diabetic patients to regulate blood glucose levels. However, conventional treatments that are based on subcutaneous injections are often associated with poor glucose control and a lack of patient compliance. In this review, we focus on the different stimuli-responsive systems to deliver therapeutics for diabetes treatment to improve patient comfort and prevent complications. Specifically, the pH-responsive systems for oral drug delivery are introduced first. Then, the closed-loop glucose-responsive systems are summarized based on different glucose-responsive moieties, including glucose oxidase (GOx), glucose binding protein (GBP), and phenylboronic acid (PBA). Finally, the on-demand delivery systems activated by external remote triggers are also discussed. We conclude by discussing advantages and limitations of current strategies, as well as future opportunities and challenges in this area.
Deactivation in the posterior mid-cingulate cortex reflects perceptual transitions during binocular rivalry: Evidence from simultaneous EEG-fMRI

Binocular rivalry is a phenomenon in which perception spontaneously shifts between two different images that are dichoptically presented to the viewer. By elucidating the cortical networks responsible for these stochastic fluctuations in perception, we can potentially learn much about the neural correlates of visual awareness. We obtained concurrent EEG-fMRI data for a group of 20 healthy human subjects during the continuous presentation of dichoptic visual stimuli. The two eyes' images were tagged with different temporal frequencies so that eye specific steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) signals could be extracted from the EEG data for direct comparison with changes in fMRI BOLD activity associated with binocular rivalry. We additionally included a smooth replay condition that emulated the perceptual transitions experienced during binocular rivalry as a control stimulus. We evaluated a novel SSVEP-informed fMRI analysis in this study in order to delineate the temporal dynamics of rivalry-related BOLD activity from both an electrophysiological and behavioral perspective. In this manner, we assessed BOLD activity during rivalry that was directly correlated with peaks and crosses of the two rivaling, frequency-tagged SSVEP signals, for comparison with BOLD activity associated with subject reported perceptual transitions. Our findings point to a critical role of a right lateralized fronto-parietal network in the processing of bistable stimuli, given that BOLD activity in the right superior/inferior parietal lobules was significantly elevated throughout binocular rivalry and in particular during perceptual transitions, compared with the replay condition. Based on the SSVEP-informed analysis, rivalry was further associated with significantly enhanced BOLD suppression in the posterior mid-cingulate cortex during perceptual transitions, compared with SSVEP crosses. Overall, this work points to a careful interplay between early visual areas, the right posterior parietal cortex and the mid-cingulate cortex in mediating the spontaneous perceptual changes associated with binocular rivalry and has significant implications for future multimodal imaging studies of perception and awareness.
Variation-immune resistive Non-Volatile Memory using self-organized sub-bank circuit designs

While technology scaling enables increased density for memory cells, the intrinsic high leakage power of CMOS technology and the demand for reduced energy consumption inspires the use of emerging technology alternatives as Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) including STT-MRAM, PCM, and RRAM. However, their narrow resistive sensing margins exacerbate the impact of Process Variations (PV) in high-density NVM arrays, including on-chip cache and primary memory. Large-latency and power-hungry Sense Amplifiers (SAs) have been adapted to combat PV in the past. Herein, we propose a novel approach to actually leverage the PV in NVM arrays using Self-Organized Sub-bank (SOS) design. SOS engages the preferred SA alternative based on the intrinsic as-built behavior of the resistive sensing timing margin to reduce the latency and power consumption while maintaining acceptable access time. Our experimental results indicate that the PV effect in our case study may perturb around 27.5% of the data sensing operations from which 21.5% are classified as extremely vulnerable. SOS alleviates the sensing vulnerability by 40% on average to reduce the risk of application's contamination by fault propagation. Additionally, new categories of resistive read sensing dependability are defined for broad adaption.
Tirofiban plus heparin was more effective than heparin alone for unstable angina and non-Q-wave MI

Source Citation The Platelet Receptor Inhibition in Ischemic Syndrome Management in Patients Limited by Unstable Signs and Symptoms (PRISM-PLUS) Study Investigators. Inhibition of the platelet glyc...
Left Atrial Appendage Closure: Is the Strategy Enough to Lower Long-Term Stroke Risk?

Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) emerged as a promising site-directed therapy to mitigate stroke risk in patients ineligible for long-term oral anticoagulation. We sought to summarize the current evidence regarding the role of LAAC on long-term risk of ischemic stroke and systemic thromboembolism. Data from EWOLUTION registry provides real world evidence on the 1-year outcomes of LAAC by WATCHMAN device. The annual ischemic stroke rate was 1.1 per 100 patient-years, as opposed to the CHADS2VASC score-predicted stroke rate of 7.2% (84% relative risk reduction). No differences in death, stroke, or bleeding rates were observed between patients with or without a contraindication for anticoagulation or based on type of anticoagulant used. Pooled registry data in patients who underwent Amplatzer Cardiac Plug (ACP) demonstrate an observed stroke rate of 2.0–2.7% as opposed to CHADS2VASC score-predicted stroke rate of 5.6–8.3% over a median follow-up ~ 5 years. Recent studies evaluating efficacy of LARIAT over a median follow of ~3 years demonstrate that the observed ischemic stroke rate was 1% as opposed to the expected stroke rate of 6.2%. A recent propensity score matched observational study by Melduni RM et al. demonstrated that patients with AF who underwent routine LAAC during elective cardiac surgery (CABG/valvular surgery) were found to have higher risk (OR = 2.83) of postoperative AF with no effect on long-term stroke risk (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.53–1.22) or mortality (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.80–1.22). LAAC device studies have shown promising results in patients ineligible for long-term oral anticoagulation (OAC). Patients who develop stroke while being on OAC should also be considered for LAAC. But, caution must be executed while interpreting the current evidence as these devices may only offer benefit in decreasing LAA-dependent cardio-embolic stroke and non-LAA-dependent thrombi contribute to a small but significant portion of stroke risk. Currently, WATCHMAN device and ACP are being used extensively, and other LAA closure devices are being studied in clinical trials (Amulet IDE, WaveCrest II, Amaze, LAAOS III) which will be available for clinical use in near future. Further studies with long-term follow-up data utilizing prospective registries (LAAO registry, ACP registry) are needed to determine their safety/efficacy profile in comparison with newer oral anticoagulants that are currently available for stroke prevention.
Cover Feature: Magnesium Reagents Featuring a 1,1′‐Bis(o‐carborane) Ligand Platform (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 38‐39/2017)

Author(s): Axtell, Jonathan C; Kirlikovali, Kent O; Dziedzic, Rafal M; Gembicky, Milan; Rheingold, Arnold L; Spokoyny, Alexander M
Understanding the Role of Marriage in Black Women’s Offending Over the Life Course

Black women remain a traditionally understudied population in life course criminology and in studies of criminal desistance specifically. This work contributes to the desistance literature by focusing on within-group heterogeneity among black women, and examining whether variation in the structural position (measured at both distal and proximate points in the life course) conditions the relationship between a well-recognized correlate of desistance—marriage—and offending. The sample of 636 black females is drawn from the Woodlawn project, a longitudinal, interdisciplinary study of social adaptation, psychological well-being, and crime in a Chicago community cohort of black Americans who were in first grade in 1966. To test for potential moderating effects of structural position on the marriage-offending link, we employ hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to simultaneously estimate variation in crime within-individuals while accounting for between-individual differences in offending. Findings suggest that both childhood and adult measures of structural position condition the marriage-offending link in important ways. Most notably, black women who are more socioeconomically disadvantaged reap greater benefits from marriage—in the form of a reduced probability of offending—than their more advantaged counterparts. To the degree that women’s pathways to offending are shaped by their socioeconomic marginalization, the practical benefits of marriage (e.g., economic improvement) might surpass other traditionally recognized mechanisms of desistance (e.g., social bonds) in their importance. Future life course research should highlight the complexity of lived experiences by explicitly considering one’s race, gender, and social-structural position.
The Effect of Magnetic Fields upon the Central Nervous System

The possible effects of magnetic fields on neural functioning and human behavior have been much discussed since the time of Mesmer. Only within recent years, however, has this problem been subjected to appropriate experimentation, and at this writing there would appear to be little doubt that some interaction exists between central nervous system (CNS) function and external magnetic fields. This concept has in the past been viewed with considerable skepticism in scientific quarters since civilized man is exposed to a multitude of electromagnetic fields, all apparently with no effect whatsoever. The writer believes, however, that an expanding technology may well be productive of magnetic environments in the future, that could have significant effects upon the human population, that may or may not be undesirable. It therefore appears desirable to briefly review the present state of knowledge in this area and to attempt to categorize it in some fashion. Hopefully, this will serve to indicate the direction in which we should proceed to determine the basis for the interaction between neural structures and magnetic fields, for it is only with this knowledge that we can intelligently predict the possible undesirable effects of human exposures to new and different types of such force fields.
Examining the effects of EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) funding on perceptions of civil society among CSOs in Turkey: a case study of Batman province

In an effort to meet standards established by the European Union (EU), Turkey has promoted efforts geared toward encouraging civil society. Among these efforts, are support for local civil society organizations (CSOs). This study assesses the impact of EU standards on Turkish civil society with a special focus on EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) funded associations in Batman Province. To this end, we analyze responses to the Civil Society Index from a sample of directors of boards for CSOs in Batman Province. Our findings indicate CSOs receiving EU IPA funding have a more positive outlook on civil society than their self-supported counterparts; however, when controlling for the mission of CSOs the results vary with associations engaged in promoting human rights, education and social assistance having less optimistic views of the advancement of civil society
Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of known and unknown primary origin treated with axillary or inguinal lymphadenectomy.

Abstract Background Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) to the axillary or inguinal lymph nodes from an unknown primary source is rarely encountered. We sought to evaluate a cohort of patients with metastatic SCC managed by lymphadenectomy to determine their survival and to determine which clinicopathologic factors were associated with outcome. Methods All patients undergoing axillary or inguinal lymphadenectomy for SCC at our institution were identified retrospectively. Patients were stratified by unknown primary (UP) vs known skin primary (KP) tumors. Pertinent data on patient, tumor, and treatment variables was collected. Results We identified 51 patients who met inclusion criteria. Of those, 20 patients (39%) had UP metastatic SCC and 31 patients (61%) had KP. The 5-year overall survival for UP was 65%, as compared to 49% for KP (p = 0.16). Cumulative incidence of recurrence was 46%. Cox regression failed to demonstrate a significant association between KP vs UP, HPV status, chemotherapy, or radiation with survival. Conclusions Nearly two-thirds of patients undergoing axillary or inguinal lymphadenectomy for metastatic SCC of unknown primary were alive five years following the procedure.
Structure and Species Composition of Upland Hardwood Communities After Regeneration Treatments Across Environmental Gradients

Early successional habitats can be created with a broad array of silvicultural techniques that remove all or most canopy trees in one to several cuttings and small to large patch sizes. Composition and early structural development of the resulting vegetation can be variable. Arborescent species composition is a function of regeneration sources already present and those that arrive during or after the cutting. The suite of species available for regeneration of a site, large or small, is a cumulative effect of disturbances and varies across multiple environmental gradients that include moisture, elevation (temperature), and soil chemistry.
Engineering Cell Function by RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a recently discovered technique for the directed inhibition of gene expression at the level of the mRNA. Its specificity and potency make it a promising method for manipulating cellular phenotypes in eukaryotic cell lines and primary cells. RNAi is already being explored for therapeutic and bioprocessing applications, and it is expected that this will only expand as understanding of the mechanism increases. In this chapter, the mechanism of RNAi is described, followed by a description of some of the technical challenges that remain to realize the full benefits of RNAi. The progress to date on RNAi-based applications will also be detailed.
Pheochromocytoma in Children and Adolescents With Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2B

Context Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B) is characterized by early-onset medullary thyroid cancer in virtually all cases and a 50% lifetime risk of pheochromocytoma (PHEO) development. The literature on PHEO in patients with MEN2B is limited with most data being reported from adult studies that primarily address MEN2A. Objective The aim of the current study is to describe PHEO development in a cohort of pediatric patients with MEN2B. Design Retrospective chart review of patients with MEN2B evaluated at the National Institutes of Health in the period between July 2007 and February 2018. Results A total of 38 patients were identified (21 males and 17 females). Mean age at MEN2B diagnosis was 10.6 ± 3.9 years. Eight patients (21%) developed PHEO in the course of follow-up to date, all of whom were sporadic cases with the classic M918T RET mutation. PHEO was diagnosed based on biochemical and/or imaging screening studies in five patients, whereas three patients presented with symptoms of excess catecholamines. PHEO was diagnosed at a mean age 15.2 ± 4.6 (range, 10 to 25) years and 4.0 ± 3.3 years after MEN2B diagnosis. Only one patient was diagnosed with PHEO as the initial manifestation of MEN2B after she presented with hypertension and secondary amenorrhea. Conclusion Undiagnosed PHEO can be associated with substantial morbidity. Current American Thyroid Association guidelines recommend PHEO screening starting at age 11 for the high-/highest risk group. The youngest patient diagnosed with PHEO in our cohort was an asymptomatic 10-year-old, suggesting that PHEO development may begin before the screening-recommended age of 11, though remains clinically undetectable and thus the current screening guidelines seem appropriate.
Factors related to post surgical neurologic improvement for cervical spine infection.

Abstract Background Cervical spine infections are uncommon but potentially dangerous, having the highest rate of neurological compromise and resulting disability. However, the factors related to surgical success is multiple yet unclear. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 27 patients (16 men and 11 women) with cervical spine infection who underwent surgical treatment at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou branch, between 2001 and 2014. The neurological status, by Frankel classification, was recorded preoperatively and at discharge. Group X had neurologic improvement of at least 1 grade, group Y had unchanged neurologic status, and group Z showed deterioration. We recorded the patient demographic data, presenting symptoms and signs, interval from admission to surgery, surgical procedure, laboratory data, perioperative antibiotic course, pathogens identified, coexisting medical disease, concomitant nonspinal infection, and clinical outcomes. We intended to evaluate the different characteristics of patients who improved neurologically after treatment. Results The mean age of our cohort was 56.6 years. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion was the most commonly performed surgical procedure (74.1%). The Frankel neurological status improved in 70.4% (group X, n = 19) and unchanged in 29.6% (group Y, n = 8). No patients worsened. Motor weakness was most common (96.3%) neurological deficit, followed by sensory abnormalities (37.0%), and bowel/urine incontinence (33.3%). The main difference in presentation between group X and group Y was neck pain (100% vs. 75.0%; p = .02), not fever. Group X had a shorter preoperative antibiotic course (p = .004), interval from admission to operation (p = .02), and hospital stay (p = .01). Conclusion Clinicians should be more suspicious in patients who present with neck pain and any neurological involvement even in those without fever while establishing early diagnosis. Earlier operative treatment in group X result in better neurologic recovery and shorter hospital stay due to disease improvement.
Robotic Mechanics and Animal Morphology

The wealth of information on animal structure and motion could well assist the engineer in robotic design. Books and journal articles going back to the early 1800’s document systematic observations by experimental scientists, mostly biologists and zoologists. Although this literature is steeped in the jargon of specialists and sometimes presents conflicting theories for the same observed phenomenon, the engineer with some patience may glean much from articles about the essential mechanisms by which animals move their appendages for locomotion and in gathering food.
Service-Learning and LIS Education

Service-learning, which engages students and universities in community building, has strong potential for advancing library and information science (LIS) education. Advantages include increased student learning, extended collaboration, decreased isolation, and promotion of the common good. Examples of service learning projects in LIS education offer models for imitation. Fieldwork offers opportunities for integrating service learning into the curriculum. LIS professors engaged in teaching which qualifies as service-learning should forge alliances with others involved in service-learning on their own and other campuses.
Discussion of a case report describing: total gastrectomy in an adult with intestinal malrotation

Herein, we will review a case report published by Tonouchi et al . which highlights the unique challenges of performing a total gastrectomy in a patient found to have intestinal malrotation (1). Intestinal malrotation in adults is a relatively rare pathology with a reported incidence of less than 1% (2). Intestinal malrotation occurs due to failure of the midgut to appropriately rotate 270 degrees counter-clockwise around the superior mesentery artery (SMA). This deficit in rotation results in a narrowed attachment of the midgut mesentery and places the midgut at risk for volvulus.
Factors Associated with Preventable Emergency Department Visits for Nontraumatic Dental Conditions in the U.S.

This study was designed to examine national trends and evaluate social determinants of health that were associated with the provision of dental services in emergency rooms in the United States between 2007 and 2014. A pooled cross-sectional database of emergency department (ED) visits combined the 2007–2014 waves of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. A total of 3,761,958 ED visits with dental conditions were extracted and the principal diagnosis was identified. A series of modified Poisson regression models were used to assess the relationship between patient sociodemographic factors and hospital characteristics, and the likelihood of visiting the ED for a nontraumatic dental reason. Unadjusted descriptive results indicated that there was no apparent increase in the percentage of patients who visited an ED with nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) between 2007 and 2014. The greatest users of EDs for NTDCs were among those who were uninsured and Medicaid beneficiaries relative to persons privately insured. ED visitors were more likely to reside in lower socioeconomic areas (when compared with visitors in the top quartile of the income distribution). Patients in all other age groups were more likely to seek care in an ED for NTDCs relative to those 65 years of age or older. Multiple strategies are required to reduce the use of EDs for routine dental care. This approach will require an interprofessional dialogue and solutions that reduce barriers to receiving dental care.
Convergence of Smoothed Empirical Measures With Applications to Entropy Estimation

This paper studies convergence of empirical measures smoothed by a Gaussian kernel. Specifically, consider approximating $P\ast \mathcal {N}_\sigma $ , for $\mathcal {N}_\sigma \triangleq \mathcal {N}(0,\sigma ^{2} \mathrm {I}_{d})$ , by $\hat {P}_{n}\ast \mathcal {N}_\sigma $ under different statistical distances, where $\hat {P}_{n}$ is the empirical measure. We examine the convergence in terms of the Wasserstein distance, total variation (TV), Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, and $\chi ^{2}$ -divergence. We show that the approximation error under the TV distance and 1-Wasserstein distance ( $\mathsf {W}_{1}$ ) converges at the rate $e^{O(d)} n^{-1/2}$ in remarkable contrast to a (typical) $n^{-\frac {1}{d}}$ rate for unsmoothed $\mathsf {W}_{1}$ (and $d\ge 3$ ). Similarly, for the KL divergence, squared 2-Wasserstein distance ( $\mathsf {W}_{2}^{2}$ ), and $\chi ^{2}$ -divergence, the convergence rate is $e^{O(d)} n^{-1}$ , but only if $P$ achieves finite input-output $\chi ^{2}$ mutual information across the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. If the latter condition is not met, the rate changes to $\omega \left ({n^{-1}}\right)$ for the KL divergence and $\mathsf {W}_{2}^{2}$ , while the $\chi ^{2}$ -divergence becomes infinite – a curious dichotomy. As an application we consider estimating the differential entropy $h(S+Z)$ , where $S\sim P$ and $Z\sim \mathcal {N}_\sigma $ are independent $d$ -dimensional random variables. The distribution $P$ is unknown and belongs to some nonparametric class, but n independently and identically distributed (i.i.d) samples from it are available. Despite the regularizing effect of noise, we first show that any good estimator (within an additive gap) for this problem must have a sample complexity that is exponential in d . We then leverage the above empirical approximation results to show that the absolute-error risk of the plug-in estimator converges as $e^{O(d)} n^{-1/2}$ , thus attaining the parametric rate in n . This establishes the plug-in estimator as minimax rate-optimal for the considered problem, with sharp dependence of the convergence rate both in n and d . We provide numerical results comparing the performance of the plug-in estimator to that of general-purpose (unstructured) differential entropy estimators (based on kernel density estimation (KDE) or k nearest neighbors (kNN) techniques) applied to samples of $S+Z$ . These results reveal a significant empirical superiority of the plug-in to state-of-the-art KDE and kNN methods. As a motivating utilization of the plug-in approach, we estimate information flows in deep neural networks and discuss Tishby’s Information Bottleneck and the compression conjecture, among others.
A Single-Center Review of Palatal Fractures: Etiology, Patterns, Concomitant Injuries, and Management

Introduction: Palatal fractures are frequently associated with facial trauma and Le Fort fractures. The complex anatomy of the midfacial skeleton makes diagnosing and treating these injuries a challenge. The goal of this study was to report our experience with the presentation, concomitant injuries, and management of palatal fractures at a level I trauma center in an urban environment. Methods: Data were collected for all palatal fractures diagnosed between January 2000 and December 2012 at the University Hospital in Newark, NJ. Data on patient demographics, Glasgow Coma Scale score on presentation, concomitant facial fractures, extrafacial injuries, and management strategies were collected from these records. Results: Of the 3147 facial fractures treated at our institution during this time period, 61 were associated with a palatal fracture following blunt trauma. There was a strong male predominance (87%) and a mean age of 35.6 years in this subset of patients. The most common causes of injury were assault and motor vehicle accident. The most common fracture patterns were alveolar, parasagittal, and para-alveolar, whereas sagittal and transverse fractures were rare. The most frequently encountered facial and extrafacial injuries were orbital fractures and intracranial hemorrhage, respectively. There was a significant association between type II sagittal fractures and traumatic brain injury (P < .05). Conclusions: Our study examines a single center's experience with palatal fractures in terms of presentation, concomitant injuries, and management strategies. Palatal fractures are most often associated with high-energy mechanisms, and the severity of injury appears to correlate with the type of palatal fracture.
Psychological Differences Between Greek Artists With and Without History of Major Psychopathology

Investigation of the relationship between creativity and psychopathology has yielded mixed results with few studies investigating the impact of psychopathology on creativity among professional arti...
I'm up here! Sexual objectification leads to feeling ostracized.

Theory and research demonstrate that women are frequently the targets of sexually objectifying behavior, viewed and treated by others as mere objects for pleasure and use. When sexually objectified, attention is principally focused on scrutinizing and valuing their physical features, whereas their internal attributes (e.g., thoughts, feelings, personhood) may be largely ignored (Bartky, 1990). Although the processes and negative effects associated with sexual objectification have been examined extensively, no work has examined the "ignoring" component of sexual objectification. We reasoned that sexually objectifying a woman by ignoring and devaluing some of her personal attributes or features is akin to partial ostracism. Although sexual objectification and partial ostracism may seem to comprise opposite characteristics (i.e., attention vs. ignoring), we posit that sexually objectifying a woman, much like partial ostracism, involves ignoring some of her internal attributes (e.g., thoughts, feelings, voice). Across 4 studies, we expected and found evidence that a sexual objectification experience (vs. control conditions) resulted in women feeling sexually objectified, which led to increased feelings of ostracism, which, in turn, threatened and lowered women's fundamental need satisfaction (i.e., belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence). Our findings suggest that not only do women suffer the adverse consequences of being sexually objectified, but when they are objectified, they can also experience the added negative effects associated with being partially ostracized, a novel finding that contributes to both the sexual objectification and ostracism literature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).