cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scientific basis of extensor mechanism disorders.

The authors discuss the pathomechanics of abnormal patellar tracking and excessive patellofemoral contact force that results in patellofemoral pain, chondromalacia, and patellofemoral arthrosis. An understanding of the patho-mechanics implies a rational approach to treatment that includes methods to correct the tracking problem and reduce the load on the patellofemoral joint.
Application of the full spectrum inversion algorithm to simulated airborne GPS radio occultation signals

Abstract. With a GPS receiver on board an airplane, the airborne radio occultation (ARO) technique provides dense lower-tropospheric soundings over target regions. Large variations in water vapor in the troposphere cause strong signal multipath, which could lead to systematic errors in RO retrievals with the geometric optics (GO) method. The spaceborne GPS RO community has successfully developed the full-spectrum inversion (FSI) technique to solve the multipath problem. This paper is the first to adapt the FSI technique to retrieve atmospheric properties (bending and refractivity) from ARO signals, where it is necessary to compensate for the receiver traveling on a non-circular trajectory inside the atmosphere, and its use is demonstrated using an end-to-end simulation system. The forward-simulated GPS L1 (1575.42 MHz) signal amplitude and phase are used to test the modified FSI algorithm. The ARO FSI method is capable of reconstructing the fine vertical structure of the moist lower troposphere in the presence of severe multipath, which otherwise leads to large retrieval errors in the GO retrieval. The sensitivity of the modified FSI-retrieved bending angle and refractivity to errors in signal amplitude and errors in the measured refractivity at the receiver is presented. Accurate bending angle retrievals can be obtained from the surface up to ∼ 250 m below the receiver at typical flight altitudes above the tropopause, above which the retrieved bending angle becomes highly sensitive to the phase measurement noise. Abrupt changes in the signal amplitude that are a challenge for receiver tracking and geometric optics bending angle retrieval techniques do not produce any systematic bias in the FSI retrievals when the SNR is high. For very low SNR, the FSI performs as expected from theoretical considerations. The 1 % in situ refractivity measurement errors at the receiver height can introduce a maximum refractivity retrieval error of 0.5 % (1 K) near the receiver, but the error decreases gradually to ∼ 0.05 % (0.1 K) near the surface. In summary, the ARO FSI successfully retrieves the fine vertical structure of the atmosphere in the presence of multipath in the lower troposphere.
Nonlinear Raman Spectroscopy, Instruments*

When exposed to intense sources of light, materials exhibit a nonlinear response; by employing lasers these effects can be spectroscopically explored. Conventional Raman spectroscopy involves the collection and spectral analysis of light that is incoherently scattered in many directions. However, nonlinear Raman spectroscopy requires careful alignment and overlap of multiple laser beams in order to produce a coherent output beam, and in some cases, phase matching is also required. The various forms of nonlinear Raman spectroscopy and their instrumentation are discussed.
A Role Playing Situation for Sex Education Issues

(1975). A Role Playing Situation for Sex Education Issues. Health Education: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 20-22.
Understanding agency and organization in early career teachers’ professional tie formation

This paper examines the social tie formation of 18 novice teachers in the United States. The authors use a novel interview technique to understand the relationships among organizational structure, individual agency, and experience in how early career teachers (ECTs) construct and maintain their social networks. This analysis yielded several interesting findings. First, ECTs formed moderately larger and more diverse groups of close colleagues over time. While organizational structure remained an important influence on ECT social network ties, ECTs exerted greater agency with experience as they began to seek resources outside their grade-level peer group. Second, ECTs used an increasingly diverse set of weak ties to secure resources for challenges they faced that extended beyond instructional matters (e.g., behavior, meeting diverse student needs). Third, while social networks became larger and more diverse, expansion and diversity had limits. ECTs learned early in their careers to establish bonds with some colleagues while simultaneously buffering from others.
Characteristics and evaluation outcomes of genomics curricula for health professional students: a systematic literature review.

With the increased advances in genomics, leading health authorities have advocated the importance of incorporating genomics content into health professional school education to ensure those students achieve adequate genomic competencies. Yet, information regarding the genomics education status for this particular group is lacking. We conducted a systematic literature review to summarize the characteristics and evaluation outcomes of genomics curricula for health professional students. Medline (OVID), EMBASE, CAB (EBSCO), Global Health, MedEdPORTAL, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles. Forty-one articles met our inclusion criteria. The majority were conducted in the United States and offered to pharmacy and medical students (the number of students ranged from 10 to 2674). The effects of genomics curricula on students’ knowledge (n = 36), attitudes (n = 16), self-efficacy (n = 14), comfort level (n = 4), intention (n = 3), motivation (n = 3), and behavior (n = 2) were assessed. Although those results were generally positive, 68.3% of the genomics curricula were not theory-based, and most studies did not report follow-up data (85.4%). Our findings provided information on the existing genomics curricula available for health professional students.
Recombinant Insulin-like Growth Factor I in Growth Therapy

Growth hormone (GH) exercises its growth effects by stimulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) synthesis in the liver (endocrine IGF-I) and by inducing chondrocyte differentiation/replication and local production of IGF-I (paracrine/autocrine IGF-I). Injectable recombinant human (rh) IGF-I (mecasermin) has been available for over 20 years as an orphan drug for treatment of the rare instances of GH insensitivity caused by GH receptor defects or GH-inhibiting antibodies developing in children with GH gene deletion following treatment with rhGH. Approximately 150 individuals have been treated. Full restoration of normal growth, as occurs with rhGH replacement of GH deficiency, is not seen, presumably because only the endocrine deficiency is addressed. The most frequent side effect is hypoglycemia, which is readily controlled by administration with meals. Other common adverse effects involve hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue which may require tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, benign intracranial hypertension with papilledema, accumulation of body fat, and coarsening of facial features; anaphylaxis has also been reported. Promotion of rhIGF-I for treatment of idiopathic short stature (ISS) has been intensive, based on the hypothesis that a substantial number of such children have partial GH insensitivity and “primary insulin-like growth factor deficiency (IGFD).” The absence of convincing evidence for this hypothesis, the limited ability of endocrine IGF-I to restore normal growth in those with unequivocal GH unresponsiveness, the suppression of local GH effects on growth with IGF-I administration, the risk profile, and the absence of data on efficacy in other than proven severe GH insensitivity led the Drug and Therapeutics Committee of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society to conclude that the use of rhIGF-I is only justified in conditions approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that use for growth promotion in other children should only be investigational. Nonetheless, substantial numbers of children are being treated with rhIGF-I off-label, exuberant estimates of potentially eligible patients are projected, and several clinical trials have been undertaken. Data presented by the manufacturer supporting the null hypothesis for the existence of primary IGFD in recruited subjects include normal baseline growth velocities; above normal IGF-I and IGFBP3 responses to exogenous GH; the need for supraphysiologic doses of IGF-I to obtain increased growth velocities; and better growth response to single daily injection of rhIGF-I than twice daily, despite pharmacokinetics of injected rhIGF-I indicating a maximum duration of effect of 12 h, explainable only by normal endogenous GH action the rest of the day.
Choice Overload in Systemic Psoriasis Therapy.

Over the past ten years, the number of highly effective systemic medications available to our patients has dramatically increased. Patients overwhelmingly benefit from the increased number of medic...
Spain! Why? Jawaharlal Nehru, Non-Intervention, and the Spanish Civil War:

This article analyzes British non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War through the lens of Indian anti-fascism. To date, non-intervention, Aid Spain campaigns, and appeasement have dominated the h...
Permutation Orbifolds of Rank Three Fermionic Vertex Superalgebras

We describe the structure of the permutation orbifold of the rank three free fermion vertex superalgebra (of central charge \(\frac{3}{2}\)) and of the rank three symplectic fermion vertex superalgebra (of central charge \(-6\)).
A Delay-Correlating Direct-Sequence Spread-Spectrum (DS/SS) Radar System-on-Chip Operating at 183–205 GHz in 28 nm CMOS

This article presents delay-correlating direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DS/SS) radars at mm-wave frequencies, which transmit a bit sequence waveform instead of frequency chirps or pulses to estimate time of flight between the radar and scatterers within a scene. The simple modulation and demodulation architecture of the proposed DS/SS radar enables wideband and high-resolution radar measurements without the need for broadband A/D and D/A conversion, making the delay-correlating approach attractive for low-power radar applications. The demonstrated radar system operates at 205 GHz and offers a 3.0 cm range resolution while consuming 614 mW of dc power.
A proposed method for estimating interception from near-surface soil moisture response

Abstract. Interception is the storage and subsequent evaporation of rainfall by above-ground structures, including canopy and groundcover vegetation and surface litter. Accurately quantifying interception is critical for understanding how ecosystems partition incoming precipitation, but it is difficult and costly to measure, leading most studies to rely on modeled interception estimates. Moreover, forest interception estimates typically focus only on canopy storage, despite the potential for substantial interception by groundcover vegetation and surface litter. In this study, we developed an approach to quantify “total” interception (i.e., including forest canopy, understory, and surface litter layers) using measurements of shallow soil moisture dynamics during rainfall events. Across 34 pine and mixed forest stands in Florida (USA), we used soil moisture and precipitation ( P ) data to estimate interception storage capacity ( βs ), a parameter required to estimate total annual interception ( Ia ) relative to P . Estimated values for βs (mean βs=0.30 cm; 0.01 ≤ β s ≤ 0.62 cm) and Ia∕P (mean I a / P = 0.14 ; 0.06 ≤ I a / P ≤ 0.21 ) were broadly consistent with reported literature values for these ecosystems and were significantly predicted by forest structural attributes (leaf area index and percent ground cover) as well as other site variables (e.g., water table depth). The best-fit model was dominated by LAI and explained nearly 80 % of observed βs variation. These results suggest that whole-forest interception can be estimated using near-surface soil moisture time series, though additional direct comparisons would further support this assertion. Additionally, variability in interception across a single forest type underscores the need for expanded empirical measurement. Potential cost savings and logistical advantages of this proposed method relative to conventional, labor-intensive interception measurements may improve empirical estimation of this critical water budget element.
Static Position Sensor Bias Fault Diagnosis in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines via Current Estimation

Rotor position sensor signal is a critical signal in a permanent magnet synchronous machine drive system. The alignment between the position sensor zero and the rotor quadrature axis must be accurately quantified for optimal torque generation under field-oriented control. However, the mechanical interfaces used for mounting the sensors are susceptible to failure due to environmental, manufacturing, and operational conditions resulting the position alignment to change from the previously calibrated value. In this article, a theoretical framework is presented that demonstrates the influence of the faulty static offset error in a position sensor of a permanent magnet synchronous machine and accordingly a diagnostic strategy is proposed to detect such failure mode. Both simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the theory and the diagnostic strategy. Theoretical analysis and simulations closely correlate with the experimental results. Furthermore, false positive prevention strategies for the fault diagnostic strategy are also discussed.
Mechanism and Approach to Fractured Filters

The unintended consequence of implanted medical devices, like inferior vena cava filters, is metallic component fatigue and fracture. Filter fragments pose potentially dire health risks to patients, both immediately and potentially long term as well. Interventional radiologists play a key role in the management of fractured IVC filter fragments. Strategies include avoiding inadvertent fracture during retrieval, using advanced endovascular techniques for retrieval, and careful surveillance of retained fragments.
Let Us Be Vigilant: COVID-19 Is Poised to Obliterate Gains in Healthy Child Development Globally.

In this issue of Pediatrics , McCormick et al1 report on a multicountry observational cohort study in which children and parents were assessed multiple times from children’s age 6 months to 6 years, collecting information on measures of socioeconomic status, infection, illness, maternal depression, positive parenting, and the home environment, with the outcome being child development as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at early ages and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence at 60 months. Five trajectories of cognitive development were determined by statistical analysis. Not surprisingly, variables that represented a supportive and nurturing environment, such as emotional-verbal responsiveness of the parents, behaviors and/or environment to support learning, and environmental safety, were most strongly able to differentiate the most and least positive trajectories. Of course, other important variables were adequate nutrition and less respiratory and diarrheal illness. There is a large literature on the relationship of interventions to support and enhance nurturing parenting as well as to improve the learning environment with better early childhood outcomes in both high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries.2–5 We also know that children living in … Address correspondence to Benard P. Dreyer, MD, FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, 550 First Ave, New York, NY 10016. E-mail: benard.dreyer{at}nyulangone.org
Facilitators and barriers to allyship in academic surgery: A qualitative study.

Abstract Background Academic health centers have promoted initiatives to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in medicine. Despite this emphasis, there has been limited discussion on practical strategies for navigating bias within academic surgery. This study analyzes experiences of confronting bias within the department of surgery at the University of Michigan. Materials and methods We conducted telephone interviews (n = 15) from January 2019 to January 2020 with surgeon volunteers at one academic institution. Two investigators conducted interviews following a semi-structured guide based on personal experiences with bias between healthcare workers with diverse identities. Interviews were conducted concurrently with thematic coding, coded independently by two investigators, and discussed until consensus was reached. Analysis proceeded following the inductive and comparative approach of interpretive description. Results The most common incidents of bias were based on gender and race. They occurred along numerous relationship axes, including physician-patient and resident-faculty. A critical factor in bias response was unambiguously recognizing bias. Responding to bias consists of timing and nature of the response, defined as when the subject responded relative to the incident and the actions done in response to the incident respectively. Barriers to bias response were fear of retribution and extensive energy required to respond. Institutional culture was important, specifically in representation and support from peers and administration. Conclusions This study probes deeper into equity and inclusivity in the academic field of surgery, offering insight into common barriers to confronting bias. Overall, these findings offer a basic framework for allies to identify bias and to partner with colleagues to address biases in a supportive manner.
Post-Contrast 3D Inversion Recovery Magnetic Resonance Neurography for Evaluation of Branch Nerves of the Brachial Plexus.

Abstract Purpose To compare 3.0 Tesla brachial plexus three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery fast spin echo (STIR-FSE) MRI sequences before (pre-contrast STIR) and after (post-contrast STIR) administration of gadolinium intravenous contrast. Method Eighteen patients were included. Each patient was imaged before and after intravenous contrast administration during the same session. 3D STIR-FSE sequences were obtained at 3.0 Tesla using two 16-channel flexible coils positioned over the lower neck and chest wall region. Three musculoskeletal radiologists qualitatively assessed degree of vascular signal suppression, visualization of the axillary, musculocutaneous, and suprascapular nerves, diagnostic confidence in nerve evaluation, and lesion conspicuity. Marginal ordinal logistic regression models were used to compare subjective ratings between sequences. Pre- and post-STIR lesion conspicuity was compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Inter- and intra-observer agreements were assessed using Gwet’s agreement coefficient. Results Vascular signal suppression significantly improved following contrast administration (odds ratio, OR = 209.9, 95% confidence interval, CI: 21.0-2094.6, p Conclusions Post-contrast STIR improved nerve-to-muscle contrast ratio, allowing for enhanced visualization and diagnostic confidence in evaluation of branch nerves of the brachial plexus.
Lower Rates of Colorectal Cancer in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Using Anti-TNF Therapy.

BACKGROUND Chronic inflammation is a key factor for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite the increased use of biologic agents in patients with IBD, their impact on colorectal carcinogenesis remains unclear. With the use of a large database, we sought to describe the effect of biologics on CRC among patients with IBD. METHODS We evaluated a multicenter database (Explorys) consisting of electronic medical records from several U.S. hospitals between 1999 and 2020. A cohort of patients with a diagnosis of IBD was identified. We performed a multivariate analysis to adjust for multiple factors including medical and surgical therapies. RESULTS There were a total of 62,007,510 patients in the database between 1999 and 2020. Amongst those, 225,090 (0.36%) individuals had Crohn's disease and 188,420 (0.30%) had ulcerative colitis. After adjusting for confounding factors using multivariate analysis, patients with IBD were more likely to develop CRC. Among the IBD cohort, patients treated with anti-TNF agents were less likely to develop CRC; patients with Crohn's disease: odds ratio, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-0.73; P < 0.0001 vs patients with ulcerative colitis: odds ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-0.83; P < 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS Patients with IBD who were treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor agents were less likely to develop CRC. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate whether anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs provide a chemoprotective effect in patients with IBD by inflammation control and mucosal healing.
Stars—They’re Sick Like Us! The Effects of a Celebrity Exemplar on COVID-19-Related Risk Cognitions, Emotions, and Preventative Behavioral Intentions

Research on exemplification suggests that celebrity health exemplars can exert a greater influence on public risk perceptions than exemplars featuring noncelebrities. In the aftermath of actor Tom ...
CHAPTER 5 – Uniform Convergence and Approximations

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of uniform convergence and approximations. Operations on series whose terms depend on a variable, such as passage to a limit, integration, or differentiation, with respect to a variable, arise naturally. Because polynomials or the ratios of polynomials are the quantities that one can compute, the question arises as to whether one can approximate the functions of polynomials. The problem of best approximation to continuous functions was first studied by Chebyshev in 1853, but there have been rapid developments, both theoretical and practical, since 1950. Most practical work has been concerned with the approximation of functions f(x) continuous in [a, b] by polynomials or by rational functions. For practical purposes, it is sufficient to choose a polynomial of very good approximation.
Tailoring Thermal Properties of Ebcs in High Entropy Rare Earth Monosilicates

This work explores the possibility of tailoring the thermal conductivity and thermal expansion of rare earth monosilicates through the introduction of multiple rare earth cations in solid solution. Six rare earth monosilicates are studied: Sc2SiO5, Y2SiO5, Nd2SiO5, Dy2SiO5, Er2SiO5, and Yb2SiO5. Four equimolar binary cation mixtures and a high entropy five-cation equimolar mixture were characterized. Thermal expansion was measured up to 1200 ˚C with X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and bulk thermal conductivity was measured by Hot Disk technique. The linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of mixed-cation systems followed a rule of mixtures, with average linear CTE between 6 - 9x10-6 /˚C. Scandium monosilicate showed a lower linear CTE value as well as a notably lower degree of CTE anisotropy than other rare earth monosilicates. Thermal conductivity was found to decrease below rule of mixtures values through increasing heterogeneity in rare earth cation mass and ionic radii, as expected for the thermal conductivity of solid-solutions. The high entropy mixture RE2SiO5 (RE=Sc, Y, Dy, Er, and Yb) shows a thermal conductivity of 1.06 W/mK at room temperature, demonstrating that high entropy rare earth silicates are strong candidates for novel dual-purpose thermal and environmental barrier coatings.
A survey of federated learning for edge computing: Research problems and solutions

Abstract Federated Learning is a machine learning scheme in which a shared prediction model can be collaboratively learned by a number of distributed nodes using their locally stored data. It can provide better data privacy because training data are not transmitted to a central server. Federated learning is well suited for edge computing applications and can leverage the the computation power of edge servers and the data collected on widely dispersed edge devices. To build such an edge federated learning system, we need to tackle a number of technical challenges. In this survey, we provide a new perspective on the applications, development tools, communication efficiency, security & privacy, migration and scheduling in edge federated learning.
Single Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Cell Type Specific Diversification in Human Heart Failure

Abstract Heart failure represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Single cell transcriptomics have revolutionized our understanding of cell composition and associated gene expression across human tissues. Through integrated analysis of single cell and single nucleus RNA sequencing data generated from 45 individuals, we define the cell composition of the healthy and failing human heart. We identify cell specific transcriptional signatures of heart failure and reveal the emergence of disease associated cell states. Intriguingly, cardiomyocytes converge towards a common disease associated cell state, while fibroblasts and myeloid cells undergo dramatic diversification. Endothelial cells and pericytes display global transcriptional shifts without changes in cell complexity. Collectively, our findings provide a comprehensive analysis of the cellular and transcriptomic landscape of human heart failure, identify cell type specific transcriptional programs and states associated with disease, and establish a valuable resource for the investigation of human heart failure.
Intelligent Learning and Verification of Biological Networks

Machine learning and model checking are two types of intelligent computing techniques that have been widely used to study different complicated systems nowadays. It is well-known that the cellular functions and biological processes are strictly regulated by different biological networks, for example, signaling pathways and gene regulatory networks. The pathogenesis of cancers is associated with the dysfunctions of some regulatory networks or signaling pathways. A comprehensive understanding of the biological networks could identify cellular signatures and uncover hidden pathological mechanisms, and help develop targeted therapies for cancers and other diseases. In order to correctly reconstruct biological networks, statisticians and computer scientists have been motivated to develop many intelligent methods, but it is still a challenging task due to the complexity of the biological system and the curse of dimensionality of the high-dimensional biological data. In this work, we will review different machine learning algorithms and formal verification (model checking) techniques that have been proposed and applied in our previous work and discuss how to integrate these computational methods together to intelligently infer and verify complex biological networks from biological data. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are also discussed in this work.
First Principles Dynamics Study of Excited Hole Relaxation in DNA

A recent theoretical work showed that ion irradiation generates excited holes deep within the valence band of DNA. In this work, we investigate the excited hole relaxation toward HOMO using a first-principles computational method following such ionization events. The excited hole relaxation is found to depend significantly on the energetic position of the excited hole generated. The relaxation process is found to be an order of magnitude slower for holes that are generated deeper than 20 eV than those generated within 10 eV, where the probability for the initial ionization events is the highest. However, the excited holes that are generated in different spatial moieties such as DNA nucleotide bases and phosphate backbones do not show noticeable differences in terms of the relaxation time. Our work also shows that decoherence due to nuclei dynamics slows down the relaxation by a factor of two or more. At the same time, the relaxation time is found to be less than a couple of picoseconds, much shorter than typical timescales associated with chemical bond dissociation.
Has declining opioid dispensing to cancer patients been tailored to risk of opioid harms

ABSTRACT Context: Opioid prescribing to cancer patients is declining, but it is unknown whether reductions have been tailored to those at highest risk of opioid-related harms. Objectives: Examine whether declines in opioid dispensing to patients receiving active cancer treatment are sharper in patients with substance use disorder (SUD) or mental health diagnoses. Methods: We used 2008-2018 national, commercial healthcare claims data to examine adjusted and unadjusted trends in opioid dispensing (receipt of ≥1 fill; average daily dosage; receipt of high-dose opioids; receipt of concurrent opioids and benzodiazepines) to patients ages ≥18 receiving treatment for one of four cancer types (breast; colorectal; head and neck; sarcoma; N=324,789 patients). To compare declines across subgroups with varying risk of opioid-related harms, we stratified by SUD and mental health diagnosis. To address potential confounding, we estimated subgroup-specific trends using generalized estimating equations, adjusting for covariates. Results: Across groups, rate of ≥1 opioid fill per quarter fell 32.5% (95% CI: 31.8%-33.2%) from 2008 to 2018; daily dose among those receiving opioids fell 37.6% (95% CI: 36.7%-38.6%). In most cases, these declines were not sharper in subgroups at greater risk of opioid-related harms. For example, patients with opioid use disorder experienced the smallest declines in dispensing frequency, and there was no evidence that declines were sharper in patients with mental health diagnoses. Conclusion: Sharp declines in opioid prescribing during the drug overdose crisis have affected a wide range of patients undergoing cancer treatment and may not have been sufficiently tailored to patient characteristics. Research on implications for opioid-related harms and pain management is needed.
Electrical characterization of multi-ion beam reactive sputter deposited PZT thin films

The electrical properties of multi-ion-beam reactive sputter (MIBERS) deposited PZT (lead zirconate titanate) (50/50) thin films were characterized in terms of low-field dielectric response, high-field polarization hysteresis, switching characteristics, fatigue and retention behaviors, I-V response, time-dependent dielectric breakdown, and C-V behavior. Many of the properties are found to be quite processing-sensitive, which opens up the possibility of modifying the film properties. The techniques of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and low-energy oxygen ion bombardment seem to be very useful for this purpose. >
"Habits of Vice:" The House of the Good Shepherd and Competing Narratives of Female Delinquency in Early Twentieth Century Hartford

Though sisters have been traditionally marginalized in the history of American women’s reform, an examination of the Hartford House of the Good Shepherd demonstrates how, under the mantle of Catholicism, women religious, with their unquestionable chastity, claimed a role in mediating over urban female delinquency in cities like Hartford by creating a new narrative of redemption for their charges, a narrative challenged by both the inmates and an eager press. The sisters sought to redeem both the "wayward" and the "fallen," terms which referred to a wide range of young women in industrial America, from thieves, to, more commonly, teenagers with sexual experiences, unfit parents, or those who simply deviated from norms and expectations. These "wayward" women, however, sought control over their own lives, control that was withheld by the sisters. The newspaper, on the other hand, sought to exploit the inmates (and occasionally the sisters), even as they lauded the institution. Taken together, the three perspectives reveal a multifaceted struggle over the discourse of female delinquency in the industrializing east.
Fecundidad fuera de la unión en el Paraguay

Desde 1998 hasta 2008, la tasa global de fecundidad (TGF) en el Paraguay cayo de 4,3 a 2,5 nacimientos por mujer . A su vez, una significativa parte de la TGF corresponde a hijos nacidos fuera de la union o el matrimonio. En este trabajo se consideran los datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Demografia y Salud Sexual y Reproductiva 2008 (ENDSSR 2008) para estimar la TGF usando el modelo de Bongaarts, y se analiza la capacidad del modelo para predecir sobre la base de la revision de Stover, que incluye la actividad sexual fuera de la union o el matrimonio. Finalmente, se utiliza una regresion logistica para explorar factores que promueven los nacimientos previos a la primera union en el Paraguay. Los resultados muestran que la edad, la region de residencia, la religion y el poder adquisitivo se asocian a la probabilidad de que se produzcan nacimientos previos a la union. Asimismo, se necesitan analisis mas detallados para determinar exactamente que supuestos y que ecuaciones del modelo de Bongaarts no se ajustan al caso del Paraguay, y tambien para entender cuales son los mecanismos subyacentes al comportamiento individual
Reply by authors to letter from Ashton.

We appreciate Dr Ashton's kind words about our review (Atwood and Mackie, 2010). We hoped this review would stimulate a careful reappraisal of the basis for the claims of widespread neuronal expression of CB2 receptors and encourage a discussion of appropriate controls for these experiments. In our review, we considered CB2 receptor knockouts to be the ‘gold standard’ when evaluating antibody specificity. In his letter, Dr Ashton brings up the crucial point that, in a knockout, as the antigen (protein) is absent, not only should the staining in tissue sections be reduced, but also a qualitative difference in staining patterns should be apparent. The basis for this is that the intensity of non-specific staining in the knockout should typically be unchanged, while specific staining should be eliminated. This is particularly true for precipitation-based immunoassays, such as the peroxidase/3,3′-diaminobenzidine techniques. Ideally, sections from wild-type and knockout mice should be incubated together with the same antibody and staining solutions, and analysed by an individual unaware of the genotype. We hope that investigators studying CB2 receptor expression in brain will apply the guidelines outlined by Dr Ashton when analysing knockout controls.
MODES OF CORPORATE ORGANIZATION AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF DEVELOPMENT

This article examines some of the provocative statements in Lasuen's (1973) pioneering study on corporate organization and urban system development in light of recent changes in the United States from a traditional American "Fordist" mode of production to more flexible systems. At issue is the linkage of several dimensions: modes of corporate organization, local and national development, and policy. The development implications of specific modes of corporate organization and resultant indications for the potential of policy to effect positive change hinge on the organizational geographies of modes of production.
Enhancing versus suppressive effects of stress hormones on skin immune function

Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions are antigen-specific cell-mediated immune responses that, depending on the antigen, mediate beneficial (e.g., resistance to viruses, bacteria, and fungi) or harmful (e.g., allergic dermatitis and autoimmunity) aspects of immune function. Contrary to the idea that stress suppresses immunity, we have reported that short-duration stressors significantly enhance skin DTH and that a stress-induced trafficking of leukocytes to the skin may mediate this immunoenhancement. Here, we identify the hormonal mediators of a stress-induced enhancement of skin immunity. Adrenalectomy, which eliminates the glucocorticoid and epinephrine stress response, eliminated the stress-induced enhancement of skin DTH. Low-dose corticosterone or epinephrine administration significantly enhanced skin DTH and produced a significant increase in the number of T cells in lymph nodes draining the site of the DTH reaction. In contrast, high-dose corticosterone, chronic corticosterone, or low-dose dexamethasone administration significantly suppressed skin DTH. These results suggest a role for adrenal stress hormones as endogenous immunoenhancing agents. These results also show that hormones released during an acute stress response may help prepare the immune system for potential challenges (e.g., wounding or infection) for which stress perception by the brain may serve as an early warning signal.
Characterization of pharmacological and behavioral differences to nicotine in C57Bl/6 and DBA/2 mice.

Abstract Approximately 50–70% of the risk for developing nicotine dependence is attributed to genetics; therefore, it is of great significance to characterize the genetic mechanisms involved in nicotine reinforcement and dependence in hopes of generating better smoking cessation therapies. The overall goal of these studies was to characterize behavioral and pharmacological responses to nicotine in C57Bl/6 (B6) and DBA/2 (D2) mice, two inbred strains commonly used for genetic studies on behavioral traits. B6 and D2 mice where subjected to a battery of behavioral tests to measure nicotine's acute effects, calcium-mediated antinociceptive responses, tolerance to chronic treatment with osmotic mini pumps, and following three days of nicotine withdrawal. In general, D2 mice were less sensitive than B6 mice to the acute effects of nicotine, but were more sensitive to blockade of nicotine-induced antinociceptive responses by a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitor. B6, but not D2 mice, developed tolerance to nicotine and nicotine conditioned place preference (CPP). While B6 and D2 mice both expressed some physical withdrawal signs, affective withdrawal signs were not evident in D2 mice. These results provide a thorough, simultaneous evaluation of the pharmacological and behavioral differences to experimenter-administered nicotine as measured in several behavioral tests of aspects that contribute to smoking behavior. The B6 and D2 strains show wide phenotypic differences in their responses to acute or chronic nicotine. These results suggest that these strains may be useful progenitors for future genetic studies on nicotine behaviors across batteries of mouse lines such as the BXD recombinant inbred panel.
Psychological androgyny and college students' judgments of mental health

College students' perceptions of the mental health of men and women were examined in comparison to an adult health standard. Two hundred forty male and female undergraduates were asked to describe a socially competent healthy adult man, healthy adult woman, or a healthy adult (sex unspecified) using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, which provides a measurement of androgyny as well as masculinity and femininity. In accordance with the Broverman, Broverman, Clarkson, Rosenkrantz, and Vogel (1970) study of clinicians' perceptions, the healthy man was described as similar to the adult standard, while the healthy woman was not. Unlike the Broverman et al. (1970) study, the male but not the female subjects perceived the healthy woman as different, suggesting that college women may be less likely to endorse sex-linked conceptions of mental health than their male counterparts.
The expression of mouse T-cell receptor TCRDV genes in BALB/c spleen.

The rearrangement and expression of six different mouse T-cell receptor TCRDV (Vδ) gene subfamilies have been studied in BALB/c mouse spleen. The results show that all the TCRDV gene segments studied can be rearranged and expressed with both the TCRA (α) and the TCRD (δ) chain. The apparently restricted and separated V gene repertoire for the TCRD and TCRAT-cell receptor may result from thymus and peripheral selection rather than from selective rearrangement in the DNA level. Several J gene segment show how much higher concentration in spleen with TCRDV gene segments, however, these J gen segments do not tend to be located at either end of the J gene cluster.
Effects of a management by objectives system in a public health care facility

Academicians and medical administrators alike have addressed themselves to the question of the applicability of management concepts and practices in health care facilities. Authors sucil as O'Donovan [14], Benne;t [1], and Cle~and [5] have described and proposed for adoption management techniques and programs to assist health care administrators. Moreover, researchers have demonstrated that nianagement styles and mfthods of decision-making actually influence the therapeutic treatment of patients [16, 4]. Understandably, however, administratoTcs and supervisors often are skeptical about in. corporating major changes without considerable evidence of their potential success [18]. Of increasing interest to administrators today is the concept of M~nagement by Objectives (M~O). MBO is a systera which may assist any organization to reduce the stress created by shrh~king re. sources and eve l: increasing demands on th,} use or expenditure of those resour,:~'es. Gor lnsetting, integration of objectives through participation and planning, and performance review are all important le~ents of the total program. i~ari~y writings concerning MBO generally were descriptive and concerned more with the techniques of implementation than with the measurable results obtained as a consequence of its use [6, 13]. Re.~earch on the effects of M BO is increasing as the system is adopted by more organizations. However, few empirical studies of MBO have been publisl~ed to date. Ivancevich [8] conch,.ded that " . . . only four groups of re;searchers have e}:amined MBO empirically." These groups include Meyer, et al. [12], Raija [15], Carroll and Tosi [3], and Ivancevich., Donelly, and Lyon [9]. None of the studies (including that of Ivancevich) address lhemselves to health care or public sector enterprises. Two genera] dewriptions of the impact of MBO in the
Antibiotic prophylaxis during chemotherapy-induced neutropenia for patients with acute leukemia

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia places patients with acute leukemia at high risk for bacterial infections. A number of studies performed over the past 20 years have investigated the utility of prophylactic antimicrobials, including trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and fluoroquinolones, to prevent infection in the setting of mucositis and neutropenia. Many of these studies have found a benefit of prophylaxis in terms of the incidence of fever and bacterial infection. Clinical guidelines do not recommend antibacterial prophylaxis, however, in part because of increasing reports of infections due to resistant organisms, including fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli, fluoroquinolone-insensitive viridans streptococci, and Clostridium difficile. To effectively use prophylaxis and simultaneously limit emerging antibiotic resistance, only patients at high risk for bacterial infections should receive prophylaxis.
Molecular Determinants of CRAC Channel Gating

Store-operated Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels regulate numerous cellular functions including transcription, motility, and proliferation in many cell types. The discoveries of Orai1, the CRAC channel pore subunit, and STIM1, the ER Ca2+ sensor, have produced rapid progress in our understanding of the molecular features of the CRAC channel pore and the cellular events involved in channel activation. It is now known that following depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, STIM1 activates CRAC channels by interacting with the cytoplasmic N- and C-terminal domains of Orai1. Orai1 and Orai3 CRAC channels can additionally be activated in a store-independent fashion by the compound 2-APB. However, the molecular and structural mechanisms of STIM1- and 2-APB-mediated gating remain poorly understood. Using a combination of site-directed mutagenesis and cysteine accessibility analysis, we are probing the structural alterations in the pore that occur during STIM1- or 2-APB-mediated activation of Orai1 and Orai3 channels. Our data indicate that the pore of the CRAC channel changes significantly as it transitions from the closed to the open state. Specifically, STIM1 binding causes large modification of the pore architecture, giving rise to features classically associated with CRAC channels such as its narrow pore and high Ca2+ selectivity. Thus, in addition to serving as the ER Ca2+ sensor and activator of the CRAC channel, STIM1 appears to function as a channel subunit, modifying the structural features of the pore to confer its unique permeation profile in the active state.
Employers' roles in effectively and efficiently handling workers' compensation issues.

(2004). Employers' Roles in Effectively and Efficiently Handling Workers' Compensation Issues. Hospital Topics: Vol. 82, No. 2, pp. 33-37.
Evaluation of ISLSCP Initiative II FASIR and GIMMS NDVI products and implications for carbon cycle science

[1] Integration of NDVI data into ecological and biogeochemical modeling has placed more stringent requirements on the accuracy and stability of the measurement. We compare two recent AVHRR NDVI data sets included as part of ISLSCP Initiative II: (1) the Fourier-Adjusted, Sensor and Solar zenith angle corrected, Interpolated, Reconstructed (FASIR) monthly time series and (2) the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) monthly time series. Although both started with nearly identical composited AVHRR GAC data sets, each data set has been processed differently to reduce sensor, atmospheric, and illumination effects that vary over time. We find that the resulting absolute NDVI data records differ substantially and consistently for large parts of the globe. These differences also propagate into the NDVI anomaly record (e.g., deviations from monthly or annual means) particularly in the 1984–1985, 1994 periods. To assess the effect of these differences on predictions of land surface CO2 fluxes, the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) was calculated from each record, and used to drive a biogeochemical model (CASA). On a global basis, calculated net ecosystem exchange shows large variability inherited from the NDVI records. However, these variations do not match global CO2 fluxes derived from atmospheric inversion of CO2 concentration measurements. We conclude that other processes (burning, physiologic response to stress) are likely responsible for major anomalies in the observed global land net carbon fluxes to the atmosphere during the period 1982–1998.
Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen in irradiated patients requiring dental extractions: outcomes and complications.

Abstract Purpose: This study assessed complications of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy, potential predictors of poor outcome, and treatment outcomes in irradiated patients undergoing dental extractions. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study of 40 consecutive patients treated with HBO before and after dental extractions in an irradiated field. All patients had radiation caries; none had osteoradionecrosis (ORN). All were prescribed a protocol of 20 pre-extraction and 10 postextraction HBO treatments at 2.4 ATA for 90 minutes. Potential risk factors for poor healing and risk factors for complications were identified. All complications were recorded. Extraction site healing was evaluated at the conclusion of HBO therapy, at 1 month, and 1 year later. Results: There were no serious complications. There was no correlation between preidentified risk factors and poor healing. At 1 year, 98.5% of all extraction sites were healed. Patients who did not heal were an average of 8 years since radiation, compared with 3.3 years for those who healed ( P Conclusion: Use of HBO is associated with a very low incidence of ORN at 1-year follow-up. However, the time since radiation has a positive correlation with risk for ORN. © 2001 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons