cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of thermal depolymerization of trimethylsiloxy end‐blocked polydimethylsiloxane and polydimethylsiloxane‐N‐phenylsilazane copolymer

The thermal degradation of Me3SiO end-blocked polydimethylsiloxane (eb-PDMS) and polydimethylsiloxane-N-phenylsilazane (eb-PDMS–NPhSz) copolymer was studied. For both polymers relative degree of polymerization (DP/DP0) as a function of conversion (1 – W/W0) data were obtained. For eb-PDMS the results were consistent with a mechanism involving a rate determining random siloxane bond cleavage initiation step followed by a rapid and complete depropagation of the active fragments evolving volatile cyclic oligomers. Rate constants (k) for initiation were obtained at four temperatures from plots of DP−1 vs. time. An Arrhenius activation energy of approximately 80 kcal/mol was determined and is consistent with a SiOSi scission transition state. The degradation of eb-PDMS–NPhSz appears to follow the same depolymerization process evolving cyclic oligomers. Although DP/DP0 vs. C data suggest a random cleavage–complete depolymerization mechanism, an Arrhenius plot suggests a more complex degradation mechanism. The role of impurities as degradation catalysts is discussed.
The Geography Of Graduate Medical Education: Imbalances Signal Need For New Distribution Policies

Graduate medical education (GME) determines the overall number, specialization mix, and geographic distribution of the US physician workforce. Medicare GME payments—which represent the largest sing...
Combining altimeter and subsurface float data to estimate the time‐averaged circulation in the upper ocean

[1] A new technique is presented for estimating time-averaged, upper ocean geostrophic velocity from a combination of altimeter data and subsurface float data. The technique makes uses of the strong relationship between sea-surface height anomaly and anomalous velocity at depth to reduce mesoscale eddy variability in subsurface float displacements. The technique is demonstrated on a region in the North Atlantic that was well sampled by Argo floats. The 2004 through 2006 time-averaged density field was estimated from the surface to 2000 db by combining altimeter and hydrographic data from the floats. In addition, a reference velocity field was estimated at 1000 db based on a combination of altimeter data and subsurface float displacements. The reference velocity field was combined with geostrophic shear based on the density field to produce a three-dimensional estimate of geostrophic velocity from the surface to 2000 db. The Gulf Stream transport in the upper 2000 db is estimated to be 76 Sv at 73°W. In addition, an estimate of the 3-year average dynamic height at the surface was computed by combining the 1000-db reference dynamic height and the time-averaged density field.
Comparison of Abdominal and Thoracic Aortic Medial Structure in Mammals

Previous studies of adult mammalian thoracic aortas revealed that tension per medial lamellar unit was independent of species and that distribution of medial vasa vasorum, number of medial lamellar units and medial thickness were consistently related. Except for man, a similar pattern prevailed in abdominal aortic segments of all of the ten species studied. The human abdominal aortic media had relatively fewer lamellar units for its diameter than abdominal or thoracic aortas of other species, resulting in a relatively elevated estimated mean tension per lamellar unit. Vasa were normally absent from the human abdominal aortic media, even though its thickness significantly exceeded the thickness of avascular medias of other species and of avascular zones of medias with vasa vasorum. Elevated calculated tension per lamellar unit and excessive avascular thickness may be factors in the increased susceptibility of human abdominal aortas to atherosclerosis.
Building Institutions and Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America

ABSTRACT This exploratory study of inward foreign direct investment-FDI-in Latin America examines the extent to which institution building1 has occurred in seven Latin American countries and, concomitantly, the impact it has had on increasing inward FDI in the region. Elements of institution building examined in the present study include political risk, capital markets liberalization, and privatization. These variables are modeled by individual country, thus facilitating cross-country comparisons. In six of the seven countries, institutional reform, as measured by capital account liberalization and/or political risk reform, is a statistically significant determinant of FDI over time. Results for privatization vary more significantly by country. In several cases (e.g., Brazil, Chile, Columbia and Mexico), an anomalous result is found regarding the relationship between privatization and FDI over time. For Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela, privatization is positively related to FDI; in the case of Peru, privat...
Cross sections for the photoproduction of 28Al and 29Al from phosphorus

Bremsstrahlung activation curves were measured for the reactions 31P(γ, 2p)29Al and 31P(γ, 2pn)28Al in 0.5 MeV steps from 23.0 to 62.0 MeV. The cross sections obtained from these curves show peaks at 32.6 ± 0.7 MeV, 41.2 ± 0.8 MeV and 51.0 ± 1.5 MeV for both reactions. The cross section integrated to 62 MeV for the (γ, 2p) reaction is 5.6 ± 0.6 MeV · mb and for the (γ, 2pn) reaction is 7.6 ± 0.8 MeV · mb.
Entanglement entropy and mutual information in Bose-Einstein condensates

In this paper we study the entanglement properties of free nonrelativistic Bose gases. At zero temperature, we calculate the bipartite block entanglement entropy of the system and find that it diverges logarithmically with the particle number in the subsystem. For finite temperatures, we study the mutual information between the two blocks. We first analytically study an infinite-range hopping model, then numerically study a set of long-range hopping models in one dimension that exhibit Bose-Einstein condensation. In both cases we find that a Bose-Einstein condensate, if present, makes a divergent contribution to the mutual information which is proportional to the logarithm of the number of particles in the condensate in the subsystem. The prefactor of the logarithmic divergent term is model dependent.
Ghost-Writing in Professional Communications

Modern professionals commonly write documents to be signed by superiors, but are seldom taught how to do this. If students are successfully to fulfill everyday organizational writing tasks, they must learn to master skills of impersonating viewpoint, style and even personality. To teach such skills, we can adapt the ancient exercise of prosopopoeia or impersonation, either by varying the personas of standard textbook exercises, or by making use of the technical writing case study, or by having students impersonate professionals who were involved in famous (or infamous) current events.
The effects of probe boundary conditions and propagation on nano-Raman spectroscopy.

Summary Raman spectra obtained in the near-field, with collection of the Raman-shifted light in reflection, show selective enhancement of vibrational modes. We show that the boundary conditions for an electric field near a metal surface affect propagation of the reflected signal and lead to this selection. The enhancement of certain Raman forbidden vibrations is explained by the presence of an electric field gradient near the metalapertured fibre probe.
Theory of low-frequency generation noise in junction-gate field-effect transistors

The theory of the low-frequency generation noise from charge fluctuation of the Shockley-Read-Hall centers in the transition regon of the gate junction of a field-effect transistor is presented. The dominant importance of this mechanism in the transition region compared with other mechanisms in the channel (thermal noise and carrier concentration fluctuation) is shown using a simple one-dimensional model at low frequencies. The two-dimensional analysis of this noise mechanism is then worked out in the gradual channel approximation using both the electrostatic field and the lumped circuit model approaches. Nonideal effects such as surface noise and gate-junction transition region noise outside of the channel are discussed and are found to be negligible compared with this mechanism. It is shown explicitly that the previously published noise theory of the junction-gate field-effect transistors neglects the contribution from this noise source.
The Relationship between Long-range Chromatin Occupancy and Polymerization of the Drosophila ETS Family Transcriptional Repressor Yan

ETS family transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved downstream effectors of Ras/MAPK signaling with critical roles in development and cancer. In Drosophila, the ETS repressor Yan regulates cell proliferation and differentiation in a variety of tissues; however, the mechanisms of Yan-mediated repression are not well understood and only a few direct target genes have been identified. Yan, like its human ortholog TEL1, self-associates through an N-terminal sterile α-motif (SAM), leading to speculation that Yan/TEL1 polymers may spread along chromatin to form large repressive domains. To test this hypothesis, we created a monomeric form of Yan by recombineering a point mutation that blocks SAM-mediated self-association into the yan genomic locus and compared its genome-wide chromatin occupancy profile to that of endogenous wild-type Yan. Consistent with the spreading model predictions, wild-type Yan-bound regions span multiple kilobases. Extended occupancy patterns appear most prominent at genes encoding crucial developmental regulators and signaling molecules and are highly conserved between Drosophila melanogaster and D. virilis, suggesting functional relevance. Surprisingly, although occupancy is reduced, the Yan monomer still makes extensive multikilobase contacts with chromatin, with an overall pattern similar to that of wild-type Yan. Despite its near-normal chromatin recruitment, the repressive function of the Yan monomer is significantly impaired, as evidenced by elevated target gene expression and failure to rescue a yan null mutation. Together our data argue that SAM-mediated polymerization contributes to the functional output of the active Yan repressive complexes that assemble across extended stretches of chromatin, but does not directly mediate recruitment to DNA or chromatin spreading.
The Knowledge Bases for Special and General Education.

This study was designed to review generally the knowledge base relating to pedagogical procedures and then to determine whether special and general education teachers and educators in several other roles would agree on importance of the principles that emerged. The study began with a comprehensive synthesis of the research review literature related to learning. The literature covered 179 major publications in the fields of special and general education. The results were summarized in the form of a 228-item survey questionnaire on items potentially valuable for learning environments. The questionnaire was administered to a panel of advisors and eight other groups of educators, including general and special education teachers. In this article we report briefly on the literature synthesis, then summarize results of the surveys. Results showed a very high degree of consensus about variables considered important for creating learning environments. Consensus was especially strong among teachers, cutting across ...
A neural network model of the structure and dynamics of human personality.

We present a neural network model that aims to bridge the historical gap between dynamic and structural approaches to personality. The model integrates work on the structure of the trait lexicon, the neurobiology of personality, temperament, goal-based models of personality, and an evolutionary analysis of motives. It is organized in terms of two overarching motivational systems, an approach and an avoidance system, as well as a general disinhibition and constraint system. Each overarching motivational system influences more specific motives. Traits are modeled in terms of differences in the sensitivities of the motivational systems, the baseline activation of specific motives, and inhibitory strength. The result is a motive-based neural network model of personality based on research about the structure and neurobiology of human personality. The model provides an account of personality dynamics and person– situation interactions and suggests how dynamic processing approaches and dispositional, structural approaches can be integrated in a common framework.
Eicosanoid biosynthetic enzymes in placental and decidual tissues from preeclamptic pregnancies: increased expression of thromboxane-A2 synthase gene

Preeclampsia is a disease of late pregnancy characterized by hypertension, edema, and proteinuria, in which vasoconstriction, platelet aggregation, and reduced uteroplacental blood flow contribute to preterm delivery, perinatal morbidity, and mortality. Increased thromboxane-A2 (TXA2) and/or decreased prostacyclin (PGI2) have been implicated as causative factors of this disease. The present studies investigated the expression of TXA2 synthase gene along with those of TXA2 receptors, PGI2 synthase, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), and COX-2 in placental and decidual tissue from preeclamptic and normal pregnancies. In situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry showed that primarily trophoblast layer and decidual cells express TXA2 synthase, COX-1, and COX-2 enzymes. Immunocytochemistry for PGI2 synthase and in situ hybridization for TXA2 receptors showed similar results. Trophoblast layer and decidua from preeclamptic pregnancies contained a greater abundance of mRNA and protein of TXA2 synthase than the matched n...
An improved enrichment procedure to develop multiple repeat classes of cotton microsatellite markers

The availability of a large number of molecular markers is a prerequisite, especially in cotton, for identifying a sufficient number of informative markers for mapping and genetic analysis. Despite the global importance of the cotton crop, few informative microsatellite markers are available, primarily because of the cost associated with their development. This report describes an improved and cost-effective strategy for developing microsatellite markers. Genomic DNA was randomly sheared with nitrogen gas to obtain unbiased representation of the genome, and the fragments containing microsatellites were captured by using biotinylated oligos and streptavidin-based recovery. Six libraries enriched for 14 microsatellite motifs were constructed and screened. Nearly 4900 simple sequence repeat (SSR)-containing sequences were identified, leading to the development of more than 1200 markers in a small amount of time.
A2-Rhodopsin: a new fluorophore isolated from photoreceptor outer segments

A2E and iso-A2E are fluorescent amphiphilic pyridinium bisretinoids involved in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is now shown that the presence of high exogenous concentrations of all-trans-retinal in photoreceptor outer segments leads to the formation of A2-rhodopsin (A2-Rh), an unprecedented fluorescent rhodopsin adduct which consists of bisretinoids (A2) linked to each of three lysine residues in rhodopsin (Rh) and which exhibits an emission spectrum similar to A2E. The fluorophore to protein ratio was determined by MALDI-TOF-MS and UV-VIS spectroscopy. Enzymatic degradation with thermolysin and cathepsin D showed that two of the A2 moieties were located in the region of the third cytoplasmic loop and 8th helix of Rh. Examination of A2-Rh and A2-PE (the precursor of A2E) fluorescence in relation to all-trans-retinal concentration indicated that whereas A2-PE formation is favored over that of A2-Rh, for a single rhodopsin molecule only one phosphatidylethanolamine molecule is available to react with all-trans-retinal; this phosphatidylethanolamine is probably tightly associated with the protein.
Multi-Segmental Spondylosis: An Overview of Presentations at the Fifth International Conference on Lumbar Fusion and Stabilization

The papers presented to the Fifth International Conference on Lumbar Fusion and Stabilization in this session on multi-segmented spondylosis were essentially divided into two groups. These include the treatment of multi-segmental instability and the treatment of degenerative lumbar scoliosis and kyphosis.
A controlled trial of stimulant medication in children with the fragile X syndrome

Attentional deficits and hyperactivity frequently are major problems for fra (X) boys. This study evaluated the effectiveness of 2 stimulant medications, methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine compared to placebo in 15 children (13 males, 2 females) with the fra (X) syndrome. A double-blind crossover design was used with outcome measures which included parent and teacher behavior checklists, a controlled observation period, continuous performance tasks and an actometer measure of movement. When the children were treated with methylphenidate only, improvement was seen in socialization skills and attention span according to teacher checklists. Ten children were clinically considered responders and treatment was continued after the study was completed.
Modeling Co-construction Processes in a Socio-Technical Framework to Support Collaborative Engineering Design

In this paper, we have described a co-construction process model, in the context of a socio-technical framework, to support the collaborative engineering design. This paper has reviewed our previous work in building a co-construction model on the conceptual, logical, and analytical layers and then proposed an expanded Petri net representation that is developed toward a more comprehensive and operational co-construction model, which captures the key conceptual components of a collaborative engineering design process, describes the possible logic flow between these components, and analyzes their interaction in the design process. In this paper, we have also discussed a case study that was conducted in a real-life engineering design to validate our research. At the end of this paper, we emphasized the importance of this study and outlined the future directions of improving this study.
Power line frequency electromagnetic fields do not increase the rate of protein synthesis in human skin fibroblasts as previously reported.

Rodemann et al. [Rodemann et al. (1987): Biochem Biophys Res Commun 145:1-9] reported that human skin fibroblasts increase their rate of protein synthesis by as much as over ninefold in response to long term exposure to 20 Hz, 8.4 mT (84 G) magnetic fields. Here we report studies of protein synthesis using an identical cell type, exposure conditions, and the same means of measuring protein synthetic rates. Our initial goal was to determine if the earlier results could be replicated, but we found an inconsistency in the earlier protocol. It exposed cells to [(3)H]leucine for 6 h prior to measuring incorporation into protein. We found, however, that 24 h is required for [(3)H]leucine to reach a steady state distribution across the cells' plasma membranes. In addition, we typically measured 100-200 cpm/thousand cells. This is four- to eightfold higher than the 19-28 cpm/1000 cells previously reported. Using these conditions, we could find no significant difference in protein synthesis rates between control cells and cells exposed for up to three weeks in an identical electromagnetic field. In addition, we investigated the effects of a 60 Hz field since that is the frequency used for electric power distribution in the United States. Again, we could find no significant effect of this field on rates of protein synthesis, even after 21 days of exposure.
Design and performance analysis of a switched reluctance motor for low duty cycle operation

A design methodology is presented for a low duty cycle switched reluctance (SR) motor. A low duty cycle motor can withstand higher current density, since winding temperature cannot rise instantaneously to the steady-state value due to the gradual heating of the thermal masses. The relationship between the current density and stack length can be utilized to reduce the stack length for intermittently operating motors. A lumped-parameter (LP) thermal model is used to predict the transient thermal behavior, which is necessary for the resizing of the motor. Finite-element analysis (FEA) and laboratory experiments are done to validate the proposed method.
Nuclear export regulation of COP1 by 14-3-3σ in response to DNA damage

Mammalian constitutive photomorphogenic 1 (COP1) is a p53 E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in regulating p53 protein level. In plants, the dynamic cytoplasm/nucleus distribution of COP1 is important for its function in terms of catalyzing the degradation of target proteins. In mammalian cells, the biological consequence of cytoplasmic distribution of COP1 is not well characterized. Here, we show that DNA damage leads to the redistribution of COP1 to the cytoplasm and that 14-3-3σ, a p53 target gene product, controls COP1 subcellular localization. Investigation of the underlying mechanism suggests that COP1 S387 phosphorylation is required for COP1 to bind 14-3-3σ. Significantly, upon DNA damage, 14-3-3σ binds to phosphorylated COP1 at S387, resulting in COP1's accumulation in the cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic COP1 localization leads to its enhanced ubiquitination. We also show that N-terminal 14-3-3σ interacts with COP1 and promotes COP1 nuclear export through its NES sequence. Further, we show that COP1 is important in causing p53 nuclear exclusion. Finally, we demonstrate that 14-3-3σ targets COP1 for nuclear export, thereby preventing COP1-mediated p53 nuclear export. Together, these results define a novel, detailed mechanism for the subcellular localization and regulation of COP1 after DNA damage and provide a mechanistic explanation for the notion that 14-3-3σ's impact on the inhibition of p53 E3 ligases is an important step for p53 stabilization after DNA damage.
Techniques for reducing read latency of core bus wrappers

Today's system-on-a-chip designs consist of many cores, To enable cores to be easily integrated into different systems, many propose creating cores with their internal logic separated from their wrapper. This separation may introduce extra read latency. Pre-fetching register data into register copies in the bus wrapper can reduce or eliminate this extra latency. In this paper, we introduce a technique for automatically designing a pre-fetch unit that satisfies user-imposed register-access constraints. The technique benefits from mapping the pre-fetching problem to the well-known real-time process scheduling problem. We then extend the technique to allow user-specified register interdependencies, using a Petri net model, resulting in even more efficient pre-fetch schedules.
Drought Recurrence and Seasonal Rainfall Prediction in the Rio Yaqui Basin, Mexico

Abstract A statistical approach is used to explore the variability of precipitation and meteorological drought in Mexico’s Rio Yaqui basin on seasonal-to-decadal time scales. For this purpose, a number of custom datasets have been developed, including a monthly 1900–2004 precipitation index for the Yaqui basin created by merging two gridded land surface precipitation products, a 349-yr tree-ring-based proxy for Yaqui wintertime rainfall, and a variety of large-scale climate indices derived from gridded SST records. Although significantly more rain falls during the summer (June–September) than during the winter (November–April), wintertime rainfall is over 3 times as variable relative to the climatological mean. Summertime rainfall appears to be unrelated to any large-scale patterns of variability, but a strong relationship between ENSO and Yaqui rainfall during the winter months offers the possibility of meaningful statistical prediction for this season’s precipitation. Analysis of both historical and rec...
Optical Spectroscopic Studies of Metal-Insulator Transitions in Perovskite-Related Oxides

This article examines metal-insulator transitions observed in perovskite-like Ti-, V-, Mn-, Fe-, Co-, Ni-, Cu-, Bi-, and Ru-oxide systems using optical spectroscopies, particularly infrared reflectance and Raman scattering. The rich phenomena examined in these materials include bandfilling- and bandwidth-induced metal-insulator transitions, mass renormalization effects, metal-insulator transitions involving charge-, spin-, and orbital-ordering, colossal magnetoresistance, polaronic effects, double exchange ferromagnetism, and electronic phase separation. In addition to describing the optical spectroscopic signatures of these remarkable phenomena, this article will examine theoretical models of this diverse behavior, and will explore some of the outstanding questions confronting the physics of these materials.
206 Multiscale simulations to characterize the blood brain barrier tight junctions.

The blood brain barrier (BBB) is a selective permeability barrier formed by endothelial cell at the blood-brain interface that prevents toxins and pathogens from entering the brain. The endothelial...
Abstract 88: Blockade of ETS-1 Attenuates EGF-Induced Collagen Loss in Carotid Plaques of Patients With Carotid Stenosis

Introduction: Coronary thrombosis and rupture of plaques leading to stroke are major causes of morbidity and mortality. Here, we examined the role of v-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homologue-1 (ETS-1) on the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced destabilization of collagen type I (Col-Iα1) and collagen type III (Col-IIIα1) involving matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-9 in isolated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from the plaques of symptomatic (S) and asymptomatic (AS) patients with carotid stenosis. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying EGFR-regulated ETS-1, the signaling pathways directing ETS-1 production was investigated and examined if EGF-induced loss of fibrillar collagens in patients with carotid stenosis is regulated by ETS-1. Methods: VSMCs isolated from carotid plaques of both AS and S patients were treated with or without EGF. The mRNA transcripts and protein for ETS-1, MMP-9 and -1, EGFR, Col-I(α1) and Col-III(α1) were analyzed by qPCR and immunofluorescenc...
A Neuron Model Based Ultralow Current Sensor System for Bioapplications

An ultralow current sensor system based on the Izhikevich neuron model is presented in this paper. The Izhikevich neuron model has been used for its superior computational efficiency and greater biological plausibility over other well-known neuron spiking models. Of the many biological neuron spiking features, regular spiking, chattering, and neostriatal spiny projection spiking have been reproduced by adjusting the parameters associated with the model at hand. This paper also presents a modified interpretation of the regular spiking feature in which the firing pattern is similar to that of the regular spiking but with improved dynamic range offering. The sensor current ranges between 2 pA and 8 nA and exhibits linearity in the range of 0.9665 to 0.9989 for different spiking features. The efficacy of the sensor system in detecting low amount of current along with its high linearity attribute makes it very suitable for biomedical applications.
Perceptions and Cost-Analysis of a Multiple Mini-Interview in a Pharmacy School Admissions Process

Objective. To improve the quality of admissions interviews for a doctor of pharmacy program, using a multiple mini-interview (MMI) in place of the standard interview.Methods. Stakeholders completed an anonymous web-based survey. This study characterized perceptions of the MMI format across 3 major stakeholders (candidates, interviewers, admissions committee members) and included comparative cost estimates.Costs were estimated using human and facility resources from the 2012 cycle (standard format) and the 2013 cycle (MMI format).Results. Most candidates (65%), interviewers (86%), and admissions committee members (79%) perceived the MMI format as effective for evaluating applicants, and most (59% of candidates, 84% of interviewers, 77% of committee members) agreed that the MMI format should be continued. Cost per candidate interviewed was $136.34 (standard interview) vs $75.30 (MMI).Conclusion. Perceptions of the MMI process were favorable across stakeholder groups, and this format was less costly per cand...
Protective Effect of S,β-Aminoethylisothiuronium• Br• HBr and Related Compounds Against X-Radiation Death in Mice.

Conclusions(a) Replacement of the sulfhydryl group of β-mercaptoethylamine with the isothiuronium group yields a compound (AET) with increased protective activity and greater chemical stability, (b) A free amino group beta or gamma to the sulfhydryl or isothiuronium group is necessary for protective activity, (c) In the aminoisothiuronium series, the carbon chain can be lengthened by one carbon atom without the loss of protective activity, (d) S,β-aminoethylisothiuronium• Br• HBr provides effective protection against radiation injury at dose levels considerably less than the dose required to produce acute toxic effects.
Quantitating plant microRNA-mediated target repression using a dual-luciferase transient expression system

microRNA (miRNA) mediated repression of target genes plays essential roles in a variety of functions in plants. An easy-to-use method that can effectively validate functional miRNA-target interactions in plants thus is of particular interest. Here, we describe an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated in vivo assay utilizing a dual-luciferase reporter system. With this method, the strength of miRNA-mediated target repression can be quantified at both the mRNA (via qRT-PCR) and protein (via dual-luciferase assay) levels quickly and accurately.
Medical management of gastrinoma in a cat

Case summaryA 7-year-old male castrated domestic short-haired cat was evaluated for a 4 week history of intermittent vomiting, ptyalism, lethargy and weight loss. Serum biochemistry revealed mild m...
IMAGES IN CLINICAL MEDICINE. Hair-on-End Sign.

A 35-year-old man with a history of sickle cell disease presented with a sickle cell crisis and headaches. CT of the head revealed a thickened calvaria with perpendicular proliferation of the trabeculae, a finding termed the hair-on-end sign.
“Where … Art is Designed”: Concealing the Self

Lovelace displays a curious and contradictory attitude towards dress: On the one hand, he purports to say that clothing is an outward display of the inner person, an assertion of which Clarissa is living proof. Yet, on the other hand, he appears not to believe this entirely, thinking that everyone, even Clarissa, conceals something beneath his or her outer garments. As an astute observer of dress, he delights in his power to cloak the inner corruption of individuals, including himself, under the attire of respectability—and, in his case, exquisite taste.
A mobile platform for sociability-based continuous identification

By exploiting the ever-expanding amount of data on smart devices and transforming it to meaningful information, it may be possible to uniquely identify a person via user behavior while interacting with their own smart devices. In previous works, identification of users via biometric properties such as fingerprint, iris has been successfully employed to increase the security of access. However, with the popularity of social networks, identification based on behavior over social networks is emerging as a novel concept. In this paper, We use real traces of data collected over several months. The feature set used in the paper includes location of users, their data usage, number of sessions and session duration for Facebook, Linkedin, WhatsApp, Skype and Twitter applications. The collected feature set is aggregated over time and analyzed using machine learning techniques.
It's All in the Name: Evidence of Founder-Firm Endowment Effects

We use a subset of family firms (i.e., founder-named firms) to test for large-scale endowment effects in US capital markets. In contrast to previous studies that focus on laboratory experiments and surveys, we employ investor-based market valuations to examine the extent to which endowment effects influence real-world decision making. We find that founder-named firms are 7-8% less valuable than non-founder-named firms, and that founder-named-and-managed firms are 17-21% less valuable than their non-endowment susceptible counterparts. We posit that these valuation discounts are the result of founders operating their eponymous firms more from a “current personal use” perspective than from a “potential market exchange” perspective (Kahneman, 2011). Consistent with the presence of endowment effects, we find that founder-named-and-managed firms are less likely to engage in significant corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, strategic asset sales, spinoffs, and major reorganizations. We examine alternative explanations for our findings (e.g., the presence of dual class structures, differential voting/cash flow rights, corporate opacity, CEO overconfidence, weak governance, compensation incentives) and show that none of these alternatives can account for our empirical findings.
PHRASE-LEVEL PROSODY IN ASL: FINAL LENGTHENING AND PHRASAL CONTOURS

Publisher Summary Phrase-final lengthening, which is universally found in spoken languages, is also found in ASL. Also, there is evidence to suggest that, just as in spoken languages, the phonetic correlates of emphatic stress in ASL are predictable from the notion of greater articulatory effort. A number of researchers have suggested that ASL phonological segments are grouped into basic prosodic units analogous to the syllables of spoken languages. This chapter discusses two studies, the first is a controlled study of final lengthening and the second looks at whether ASL has phrasal contours that peak at the location of a stressed sign. The study has provided evidence that phrase-final lengthening, which is universally found in spoken languages, also occurs in ASL. Thus, intonational patterns characteristic of human language are not limited to the spoken modality and do not necessarily depend for their existence on the particular nature of either vocal production or aural perception.
Critical Pedagogy for a Polymodal World

Today was an appropriate day to write the last chapter of this book. As I reflect on critical pedagogy and polymodal education, I was reminded, in a very concrete way, of the shifting nature of learning and of the impact that digital technologies have had on our lives. A few hours ago, I went to a meeting on the other side of my university’s campus.
International Survey on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines for Common Toxicities of Radiation Therapy.

Abstract Purpose Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) are widely used by cancer patients. However, little is known about the extent to which these potential remedies are used internationally to treat the most common toxicities of radiation therapy. We report the results of an international survey assessing the use of CAM. Methods and Materials Surveys were distributed to 1,174 practicing radiation oncologists. Questions evaluated perceptions of CAM as well as specific practice patterns for the use of CAM remedies in the treatment of common radiation-induced toxicities (skin, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, mucositis/xerostomia). Responses were compared between groups using the Chi-squared test, and were stratified based on provider location, number of years in practice, and perception of CAM. Results 114 radiation oncologists from 29 different countries completed this survey, with a balanced distribution between North American (n=56) and non-North American providers (n=58). Among the responding clinicians, 63% recommended CAM in their practice. The proportion of clinicians recommending CAM for radiation toxicities did not significantly vary when stratified by provider's number of years in practice ( p = 0.23) or by location (US/Canada versus other; p = 0.74). Overall, providers reported that 29.4% of their patients use CAM and 87.7% reported that their practice encouraged or was neutral on CAM use, whereas 12.3% recommended stopping CAM. The most common sources of patient information on CAM were the internet (75.4%), friends (60.5%), and family (58.8%). Clinicians reported the highest use of CAM for radiation skin toxicity at 66.7% followed by 48.2% for fatigue, 40.4% for nausea, and 36.8% for mucositis/xerostomia. Conclusions Nearly 2/3 of surveyed radiation oncologists recommend CAM for radiation-related toxicities, however, they estimated that less than 1/3 patients utilize CAM for this purpose. This suggests a need for further investigation and perhaps greater patient education on the roles of CAM in treating radiation toxicities.
Business Girls & Two-Job Wives: Emerging Media Stereotypes of Employed Women by Jane Marcellus Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2011, 277 Pp.

(2011). Business Girls & Two-Job Wives: Emerging Media Stereotypes of Employed Women by Jane Marcellus Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2011, 277 Pp. American Journalism: Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 143-145.
Pulmonary function assessment post-left ventricular assist device implantation

AIM The lungs-and particularly the alveolar-capillary membrane-may be sensitive to continuous flow (CF) and pulmonary pressure alterations in heart failure (HF). We aimed to investigate long-term effects of CF pumps on respiratory function. METHODS AND RESULTS We conducted a retrospective study of patients with end-stage HF at our institution. We analysed pulmonary function tests [e.g. forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 )] and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO ) from before and after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and compared them with invasive haemodynamic studies. Of the 274 patients screened, final study analysis involved 44 patients with end-stage HF who had CF LVAD implantation between 1 February 2007 and 31 December 2015 at our institution. These patients [mean (standard deviation, SD) age, 50 (9) years; male sex, n = 33, 75%] received either the HeartMate II (Thoratec Corp.) pump (77%) or the HeartWare (HeartWare International Inc.) pump. The mean (SD) left ventricular ejection fraction was 21% (13%). At a median of 237 days post-LVAD implantation, we observed significant DLCO decrease (-23%) since pre-implantation (P < 0.001). ΔDLCO had an inverse relationship with changes in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and right atrial pressure (RAP) from pre-LVAD to post-LVAD implantation: ΔDLCO to ΔPCWP (r = 0.50, P < 0.01) and ΔDLCO to ΔRAP (r = 0.39, P < 0.05). We observed other reductions in FEV1 , FVC, and FEV1 /FVC between pre-LVAD and post-LVAD implantation. In mean (SD) values, FEV1 changed from 2.3 (0.7) to 2.1 (0.7) (P = 0.005); FVC decreased from 3.2 (0.8) to 2.9 (0.9) (P = 0.01); and FEV1 /FVC went from 0.72 (0.1) to 0.72 (0.1) (P = 0.50). Landmark survival analysis revealed that ΔDLCO from 6 months after LVAD implantation was predictive of death for HF patients [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 0.60 (0.28-0.98); P = 0.03]. CONCLUSIONS Pulmonary function did not improve after LVAD implantation. The degree of DLCO deterioration is related to haemodynamic status post-LVAD implantation. The ΔDLCO within 6 months post-operative was associated with survival.
Duodenal Epithelial Polyps: A Clinicopathologic Review.

Context.— Duodenal epithelial polyps are reported in 1.5% to 3% of individuals referred for upper endoscopy. Most duodenal epithelial polyps are asymptomatic and nonneoplastic; however, a small sub...
Geographic Distribution of the Hearing Aid Dispensing Workforce: A Teleaudiology Planning Assessment for Arizona

Purpose Teleaudiology helps connect patients in rural and underresourced areas to hearing health care providers, minimizing the barrier of geography (Swanepoel et al., 2010). In the United States, ...
Synthetic approaches to polyhydroxyagarofurans

Abstract In a synthetic approach to the polyhydroxyagarofurans found throughout the family Celastraceae, the Robinson annulation of hydroxycarvone with ethyl vinyl ketone has been repeated. In contrast to the reported results 10-epieudesma-4,11-diene-3,9-dione is the major product (43%) of the annulation and eudesma-4,11-diene-3,9-dione is a minor product (24 %). The structure and stereochemistry of these isomers was determined by conversion to eudesmane derivatives of known structure and stereochemistry. The requisite isomer from the annulation, 10-epieudesma-4,11-diene-3,9-dione, was converted to 9-keto-α-agarofuran by epoxidation with m-chloroperoxybenzoic followed by reduction to a Stereoisomeric mixture of 10-epieuclesm-4-en-3,9,11-triols. Oxidation of this mixture with Jones reagent afforded the ketoagarofuran. This annulation and agarofuran synthesis has also been carried out using hydroxy-carvone and methyl vinyl ketone to afford 14-nor-9-keto-α-agarofuran.
The Association Between Pelvic Floor Muscle Force and General Strength and Fitness in Postpartum Women.

Objective The aim of the study was to determine whether measures of muscular strength and fitness are associated with pelvic floor muscle (PFM) force 1-year postpartum in a population of primiparous women who delivered vaginally. Methods This cross-sectional analysis is an ancillary study to an ongoing prospective cohort study and includes 203 primiparous women. Procedures collected 1-year postpartum included maximal PFM force, grip strength, trunk flexor muscle endurance, percent body fat, intra-abdominal pressure during trunk flexor endurance testing, intra-abdominal pressure during strain, and self-reported physical activity. Results The mean (SD) age was 29.8 (5.0) years and the mean (SD) body mass index was 24.5 (5.2) kg/m. Nineteen percent were of Hispanic ethnicity. The median (interquartile range) PFM force was 5.05 (2.86-7.94) N. The median (interquartile range) trunk flexor endurance time was 146.0 (78.0-267.0), whereas the mean (SD) grip strength and percent fat were 32.4 (6.4) kg and 29.4% (10.0), respectively.There were no statistically significant associations between PFM force and any of the measures tested on analyses unadjusted or adjusted for self-report of doing PFM exercises. Of other factors evaluated, non-Hispanic ethnicity, increasing age, self-reported family history of pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence, and normal and obese body mass index (both compared with overweight) were associated with lower PFM force. Conclusions In primiparous women 1-year postpartum, we found no associations between PFM force and measures of strength and fitness. This study's results are consistent with existing literature that specific, targeted, and consistent pelvic floor exercises are the best way to improve PFM strength.
Safety and reliability of a handheld stimulator for neural monitoring during thyroid surgery.

OBJECTIVE The Checkpoint nerve stimulator (Checkpoint Surgical, Cleveland, OH) is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved device for neural localization and monitoring during surgery. Its safety, efficacy, and reliability for neural monitoring during thyroid and parathyroid surgery have not been compared to more standard formats of neural monitoring. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review. METHODS Vagal, recurrent, and superior laryngeal nerve monitoring were performed using both the Checkpoint stimulator and Medtronic NIM 3.0 laryngeal electromyography endotracheal tube (Medtronic, Jacksonville, FL) during thyroid and parathyroid surgery. A total of 21 operated sides in 15 patients were included for analysis. Latency and amplitude data for the Checkpoint stimulator were recorded using the NIM monitor and compared to normative endotracheal tube surface electrode data. RESULTS Mean amplitude using the Checkpoint stimulator was 574.6 microvolts (μV), 1060.6 μV, and 182.8 μV for the vagus, recurrent laryngeal, and superior laryngeal nerves, respectively. Mean amplitude using standard laryngeal electromyography was 709 μV, 1077.0 μV, and 183.7 μV for the same nerves. Mean latency was significantly shorter with stimulation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve compared to the vagus nerve with both stimulators (P < 0.001). No neural injuries occurred during the study. CONCLUSION The Checkpoint stimulator is a safe and reliable alternative to traditional laryngeal electromyography providing equivalent induced electromyography of the vocalis for neural monitoring during thyroid and parathyroid surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 130:561-565, 2020.
Anterior and Rotational Knee Laxity Does Not Affect Patient-Reported Knee Function 2 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction:

Background:While a primary goal of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is to reduce pathologically increased anterior and rotational knee laxity, the relationship between knee laxity af...
Factors Implicated with Firm-Level ICT Use in Developing Economies

ABSTRACTGiven the growing prominence of developing economies in the world, we investigate the factors associated with firm-level information and communication technology (ICT) use across three deve...
Niko Tinbergen and questions of instinct

Niko Tinbergen characterized ethology as ‘the biological study of behaviour’ involving four kinds of question: causation, ontogeny, adaptive function and phyletic evolution (Tinbergen, 1963; Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie, 20, 410–433). He said the science should give equal attention to each and to their integration. This division was prefigured in his book The study of instinct (Tinbergen, 1951; Oxford University Press). The book offered a conception of instinct as a built-in motivational system analogous to a hydraulic mechanism. The assumption of innateness and the lack of physiological credibility of the instinct model met with adverse criticism, which Tinbergen conceded to a large extent. His later work concentrated on functional issues, which anticipated the direction dominating subsequent ethological studies. Nevertheless Tinbergen's four questions, and his insistence that they be given equal attention continue to present an agenda for ethological aspiration.
Deep Induction: Induction Rules For (Truly) Nested Types

This paper introduces deep induction, and shows that it is the notion of induction most appropriate to nested types and other data types defined over, or mutually recursively with, (other) such types. Standard induction rules induct over only the top-level structure of data, leaving any data internal to the top-level structure untouched. By contrast, deep induction rules induct over all of the structured data present. We give a grammar generating a robust class of nested types (and thus ADTs), and develop a fundamental theory of deep induction for them using their recently defined semantics as fixed points of accessible functors on locally presentable categories. We then use our theory to derive deep induction rules for some common ADTs and nested types, and show how these rules specialize to give the standard structural induction rules for these types. We also show how deep induction specializes to solve the long-standing problem of deriving principled and practically useful structural induction rules for bushes and other truly nested types. Overall, deep induction opens the way to making induction principles appropriate to richly structured data types available in programming languages and proof assistants. Agda implementations of our development and examples, including two extended case studies, are available.