cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Paradoxical Approach to Teaching Group Dynamics: First Thoughts, First Findings

This article reports on an attempt to create an experiential group learning structure based on the paradoxical principles described in Smith and Berg's 1987 work, Paradoxes of Group Life. This learning structure departs from the group-on-group design described by Gillette and McCollom in their 1990 work, Groups in Context, in the role prescribed for the facilitator. In this structure, the facilitator is active in providing directions for each of the first five experiential sessions, directions that are intended to prompt members to explore together the influence on group life of (a) contradiction, (b) group membership, (c) opposition, and (d) negotiation with authority. The article includes case material from a single course in which this method was used and includes the authors' reflections on the opportunities and risks they observed in their initial attempt to put this approach into practice.
Modeling electrical activities of a growing breast cancerous cell based on a semiconductor approach

A two dimensional diffusion-drift model is developed to simulate the electrical activities of a breast cancerous cell during the hyperpolarization which occurs at the G1/S transition. The model focuses on calculating the temporal and the spatial patterns of the electric current densities and biopotentials generated at the cell boundary and its surroundings. Different durations for the hyperpolarization phase were studied. The results show that the electric signals generated in the tumor cell’s surroundings increase as the duration of the hyperpolarization phase decreases or when the transition becomes faster.
Modification of soil structural and hydraulic properties after 50 years of imposed chaparral and pine vegetation

Although biotic communities have long been recognized as important factors in soil development, especially of A horizons, few studies have addressed their influence on soil physical properties in nonagricultural settings. A biosequence of 50-year-old soils supporting near monocultures of Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri), scrub oak (Quercus dumosa), and chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum) was used to determine the relative influence of vegetation type and associated soil organisms on the development of soil structural characteristics and water flow. Total porosity ranged from a high of 51% in the heavily worm-worked A horizon under oak to a low of 39% within the 35- to 50-cm depth under pine, where earthworms were absent. Macroporosity (pores with diameters >300 Am) was highest in the A horizon under oak (15.6%) and lowest under pine (9.5%). Saturated hydraulic conductivity of surface soils ranged from 10.8 cm h � 1 under oak to 3.2 cm h � 1 under pine. Soil under chamise, which had fewer earthworms than that under oak, had Ksat and bulk density values intermediate between oak and pine. Root and macrofauna distributions suggest that roots are the dominant factor in the development of macroporosity under pine, while earthworms have had the greatest effect under oak. Porosity has increased at an average rate of 0.22% per year in the 0- to 7-cm depth under oak (from 41% to 56%), but has not been significantly altered within the same depth under pine. Below the 7-cm depth, porosity values are similar for each vegetation type and the original parent material. Available water capacity (AWC) within the first 0to 7-cm depth has increased from the original values (about 0.11 m 3 m � 3 ) to 0.17 m 3 m � 3 under oak, 0.16 m 3 m � 3 under chamise, and 0.13 m 3 m � 3 under pine. The data show that the presence of
RAG1 and RAG2 Expression by B Cell Subsets from Human Tonsil and Peripheral Blood

It has been suggested that B cells acquire the capacity for secondary V(D)J recombination during germinal center (GC) reactions. The nature of these B cells remains controversial. Subsets of tonsil and blood B cells and also individual B cells were examined for the expression of recombination-activating gene (RAG) mRNA. Semiquantitative analysis indicated that RAG1 mRNA was present in all tonsil B cell subsets, with the largest amount found in naive B cells. RAG2 mRNA was only found in tonsil naive B cells, centrocytes, and to a lesser extent in centroblasts. Neither RAG1 nor RAG2 mRNA was routinely found in normal peripheral blood B cells. In individual tonsil B cells, RAG1 and RAG2 mRNAs were found in 18% of naive B cells, 22% of GC founder cells, 0% of centroblasts, 13% of centrocytes, and 9% of memory B cells. Individual naive tonsil B cells containing both RAG1 and RAG2 mRNA were activated (CD69(+)). In normal peripheral blood approximately 5% of B cells expressed both RAG1 and RAG2. These cells were uniformly postswitch memory B cells as documented by the coexpression of IgG mRNA. These results indicate that coordinate RAG expression is not found in normal peripheral naive B cells but is up-regulated in naive B cells which are activated in the tonsil. With the exception of centroblasts, RAG1 and RAG2 expression can be found in all components of the GC, including postswitch memory B cells, some of which may circulate in the blood of normal subjects.
Management of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes by Pharmacists in Primary Care Clinics

OBJECTIVE:To determine the impact of clinical pharmacists involved in direct patient care on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.DESIGN:Eligible patients included those with type 2 diabetes who received insulin or were initiated on insulin therapy by the pharmacists and were willing to perform self-monitoring of blood glucose. The pharmacists provided diabetes education, medication counseling, monitoring, and insulin initiation and/or adjustments. All initial patient interactions with the pharmacists were face-to-face. Thereafter, patient–pharmacist interactions were either face-to-face or telephone contacts.SETTING:Two primary care clinics in a university-affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Center.PARTICIPANTS:Study subjects were patients with type 2 diabetes who were referred to the pharmacists by their primary care providers for better glycemic control.OUTCOME MEASURES:Primary outcome variables were changes from baseline in glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, and ...
Pseudomonas aeruginosa AlgR Phosphorylation Modulates Rhamnolipid Production and Motility

AlgR is a key Pseudomonas aeruginosa transcriptional response regulator required for virulence. AlgR activates alginate production and twitching motility but represses the Rhl quorum-sensing (QS) system, including rhamnolipid production. The role of AlgR phosphorylation is enigmatic, since phosphorylated AlgR (AlgR-P) is required for twitching motility through the fimU promoter but is not required for the activation of alginate production. In order to examine the role of AlgR phosphorylation in vivo, a PAO1 algRD54E strain (with algR encoding a D-to-E change at position 54), which constitutively activates fimU transcription and exhibits twitching motility, was created. A corresponding PAO1 algRD54N strain (with algR encoding a D-to-N change at position 54) that does not activate fimU or twitching motility was compared to PAO1, PAO1 algRD54E, PAO1 ΔalgZ (deletion of the algZ [fimS] gene, encoding a putative histidine kinase), and PAO1 ΔalgR for swarming motility, rhamnolipid production, and rhlA transcription. PAO1 and PAO1 algRD54E produced approximately 2-fold-higher levels of rhamnolipids than PAO1 algRD54N and PAO1 ΔalgZ, thereby indicating that phosphorylated AlgR is required for normal rhamnolipid production. Examination of purified AlgR, AlgR-P, AlgR D54N, and AlgR D54E showed that AlgR-P and AlgR D54E bound preferentially to the fimU and rhlA promoters. Additionally, AlgR-P bound specifically to two sites within the rhlA promoter that were not bound by unphosphorylated AlgR. Taken together, these results indicate that phosphorylated AlgR-P has increased affinity for the rhlA promoter and is required for the coordinate activation of twitching motility, rhamnolipid production, and swarming motility in P. aeruginosa.
Stilbene vinyl sulfonamides as fluorogenic sensors of and traceless covalent kinetic stabilizers of transthyretin that prevent amyloidogenesis.

Small molecules that react selectively with a specific non-enzyme drug-target protein in a complex biological environment without displacement of a leaving group (tracelessly) are rare and highly desirable. Herein we describe the development of a family of fluorogenic stilbene-based vinyl amides and vinyl sulfonamides that covalently modify transthyretin (TTR) tracelessly. These small molecules bind selectively to TTR in complex biological environments and then undergo a rapid and chemoselective 1,4-Michael addition with the pKa-perturbed Lys-15 e-amino group of TTR. Replacing the vinyl amide in 2 with the more reactive vinyl sulfonamide in 4 hastens the conjugation kinetics. X-ray cocrystallography verified the formation of the secondary amine bond mediating the conjugation in the case of 2 and 4 and confirmed the expected orientation of the stilbene within the TTR binding sites. Vinyl amide 2 and vinyl sulfonamide 4 potently inhibit TTR dissociation and amyloid fibril formation in vitro. The TTR binding selectivity, modification yield, and reaction chemoselectivity of vinyl sulfonamide 4 are good enough in human plasma to serve as a starting point for medicinal chemistry efforts. Moreover, vinyl sulfonamide 4 is fluorogenic: it exhibits minimal background fluorescence in complex biological environments, remains dark upon binding to TTR, and becomes fluorescent only upon reaction with TTR. The fluorogenicity of 4 was utilized to accurately quantify the native TTR concentration in Escherichia coli lysate using a fluorescence plate reader.
Lucretia: A Matlab-Based Toolbox for the Modelling and Simulation of Single-Pass Electron Beam Transport Systems

We report on Lucretia, a new simulation tool for the study of single-pass electron beam transport systems. Lucretia supports a combination of analytic and tracking techniques to model the tuning and operation of bunch compressors, linear accelerators, and beam delivery systems of linear colliders and linac-driven Free Electron Laser (FEL) facilities. Extensive use of Matlab scripting, graphics, and numerical capabilities maximize the flexibility of the system, and emphasis has been placed on representing and preserving the fixed relationships between elements (common girders, power supplies, etc.) which must be respected in the design of tuning algorithms. An overview of the code organization, some simple examples, and plans for future development are discussed.
Low-mobility channel tracking for MIMO–OFDM communication systems

It is now well understood that by exploiting the available additional spatial dimensions, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems provide capacity gains, compared to a single-input single-output systems without increasing the overall transmit power or requiring additional bandwidth. However, these large capacity gains are feasible only when the perfect knowledge of the channel is available to the receiver. Consequently, when the channel knowledge is imperfect, as is common in practical settings, the impact of the achievable capacity needs to be evaluated. In this study, we begin with a general MIMO framework at the outset and specialize it to the case of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems by decoupling channel estimation from data detection. Cyclic-prefixed OFDM systems have attracted widespread interest due to several appealing characteristics not least of which is the fact that a single-tap frequency-domain equalizer per subcarrier is sufficient due to the circulant structure of the resulting channel matrix. We consider a low-mobility wireless channel which exhibits inter-block channel variations and apply Kalman tracking when MIMO–OFDM communication is performed. Furthermore, we consider the signal transmission to contain a stream of training and information symbols followed by information symbols alone. By relying on predicted channel states when training symbols are absent, we aim to understand how the improvements in channel capacity are affected by imperfect channel knowledge. We show that the Kalman recursion procedure can be simplified by the optimal minimum mean square error training design. Using the simplified recursion, we derive capacity upper and lower bounds to evaluate the performance of the system.
Are electrostatic potentials between regions of different chemical composition measurable? The Gibbs-Guggenheim Principle reconsidered, extended and its consequences revisited.

As indicated by Gibbs and made explicit by Guggenheim, the electrical potential difference between two regions of different chemical composition cannot be measured. The Gibbs–Guggenheim Principle restricts the use of classical electrostatics in electrochemical theories as thermodynamically unsound with some few approximate exceptions, notably for dilute electrolyte solutions and concomitant low potentials where the linear limit for the exponential of the relevant Boltzmann distribution applies. The Principle invalidates the widespread use of forms of the Poisson–Boltzmann equation which do not include the non-electrostatic components of the chemical potentials of the ions. From a thermodynamic analysis of the parallel plate electrical condenser, employing only measurable electrical quantities and taking into account the chemical potentials of the components of the dielectric and their adsorption at the surfaces of the condenser plates, an experimental procedure to provide exceptions to the Principle has been proposed. This procedure is now reconsidered and rejected. No other related experimental procedures circumvent the Principle. Widely-used theoretical descriptions of electrolyte solutions, charged surfaces and colloid dispersions which neglect the Principle are briefly discussed. MD methods avoid the limitations of the Poisson–Bolzmann equation. Theoretical models which include the non-electrostatic components of the inter-ion and ion-surface interactions in solutions and colloid systems assume the additivity of dispersion and electrostatic forces. An experimental procedure to test this assumption is identified from the thermodynamics of condensers at microscopic plate separations. The available experimental data from Kelvin probe studies are preliminary, but tend against additivity. A corollary to the Gibbs–Guggenheim Principle is enunciated, and the Principle is restated that for any charged species, neither the difference in electrostatic potential nor the sum of the differences in the non-electrostatic components of the thermodynamic potential difference between regions of different chemical compositions can be measured.
(Commentary) Extending Inquiries Initiated in the Article “Taking Responsibility: An Insider View of Teen Motherhood”

In the recent article by Prue Rains, Linda Davies, and Margaret McKinnon in Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services published in May-June 1998 titled “Taking Responsibility: An Insider View of Teen Motherhood,” the authors contrasted the outsider views vs. the insider views about what taking responsibility for the baby entails. From the outsider perspective, taking responsibility for the baby means advocating various measures to hold fathers financially accountable for their children, to make teen mothers live with a parent, and to require teen mothers to work rather than live on welfare (p. 308). From the insider perspective, taking responsibility for the child carries quite a different meaning. Teen mothers wanted to be financially independent from their unreliable baby-fathers. They saw their motherhood as a path to maturing and redefinition of their role as mothers. They also considered welfare over work as the more responsible course of action (p. 316).
Populist radical right parties in Europe: Globalization: the multifaced enemy

The only true opponents of the globalization are the nationalists, who already for years denounce the ongoing process that has led to globalization being a fact today. (Comite Nationalisten tegen Globalisering n.d.) Introduction “Globalization” is undoubtedly one of the most overused words of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. According to its proponents, all things good are the direct consequence of globalization, while its opponents link all things evil to that same phenomenon. Consequently, globalization seems so omnipresent that one struggles to comprehend its meaning. This is not helped by the fact that the term is more easily used than defined. Many academic and nonacademic observations obscure both the meaning and the significance of the phenomenon. Conceptual precision notwithstanding, political actors clearly perceive globalization as one of the most significant phenomena in European politics of the twenty-first century. It is not surprising that globalization is also linked to the populist radical right, one of the other most debated developments in contemporary European politics. Summarizing very crudely, the two are connected in two fundamental ways. On the one hand, globalization is seen as one of the main causes of the recent electoral success of populist radical right parties in Europe (see chapter 9). On the other hand, populist radical right parties are among the most vocal opponents of globalization. The latter aspect, which so far has received scant attention in the literature (Dechezelles 2004; Leggewie 2003; Simmons 2003), will be addressed in this chapter.
Poster: inference attacks against searchable encryption protocols

The advent of cloud computing has ushered in an era of mass data storage in remote servers. Remote data storage offers reduced data management overhead for data owners in a cost effective manner. Sensitive documents, however, need to be stored in encrypted format due to security concerns. But, encrypted storage makes it difficult to search on the stored documents. Therefore, this poses a major barrier towards selective retrieval of encrypted documents from the remote servers. Various protocols have been proposed for keyword search over encrypted data (commonly referred to as searchable encryption) to address this issue. Oblivious RAM type protocols offer secure search over encrypted data, but are too expensive to be used in practical applications. Unfortunately, all of the symmetric key based encryption protocols leak data access patterns due to efficiency reasons. In this poster, we are the first to analyze the effects of access pattern disclosure. To that end, we introduce a novel attack model that exploits access pattern leakage to disclose significant amount of sensitive information using a modicum of prior knowledge. We also present a preliminary set of empirical results on a real dataset to justify our claim.
Simplified orthodontic tooth movement with dental implants and orthodontic elastics: A clinical report

Lack of adequate mesiodistal space and/or incorrect implant placement may not provide adequate space for the fabrication, insertion, and maintenance of implant crowns. This report describes the clinical presentation of a patient requiring restoration of a dental implant without adequate interproximal space due to mesial drift of the adjacent tooth. Orthodontic tooth movement was achieved with an osseointegrated dental implant and orthodontic elastics.
Altered tetrahydrobiopterin metabolism in atherosclerosis: implications for use of oxidized tetrahydrobiopterin analogues and thiol antioxidants.

Objective— Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is of fundamental importance for the normal function of endothelial NO synthase. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hyperlipidemia on v...
An interdisciplinary capstone experience integrates science, technology, business, and law for joint MS students in environment and resources at Stanford University

Professional school students who are simultaneously pursuing MBA, JD, or MD degrees with an MS in environment and resources appreciate the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real environmental problems. These capstone projects allow students to combine their graduate work into one integrated project that is both an excellent educational component of their joint MS curriculum and a practical, real-world experience that they can highlight and discuss with potential employers. Here, we discuss the development and implementation of a new capstone project requirement and its associated seminar course that is part of the joint MS curriculum at Stanford University’s Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). The course thus far has produced a range of exciting projects and results, and has allowed E-IPER’s joint MS students to showcase the knowledge and analytical skills they have acquired to the wider environmental community at Stanford through the quarterly capstone symposium. In general, the students have appreciated the opportunity to integrate their educational work and go deeper on a project that is of personal interest and relevance.
A study on cross-talk in nanometric-gap quantum dot photodetectors

We propose a scheme to experimentally investigate cross-talk in closely positioned QD photodetectors. A cross-talk of ∼25.8% at separation of 212 nm is demonstrated in pre-optimized devices.
Mice lacking integrin β3 expression exhibit altered response to chronic stress.

Recent studies indicate multiple roles for integrin αvβ3 in adult neurons, including response to pharmacological agents such as cocaine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In this study, we examined the role of the integrin β3 gene (Itgb3) in the response to environmental stimuli by subjecting Itgb3+/+ and Itgb3−/− mice to unpredictable chronic mild stressors. We found that genetic abrogation of integrin β3 expression elicits an exaggerated vulnerability to chronic unpredictable stress in the open field test. In this test, chronic stress elicited significant decreases in stereotypic behavior and horizontal locomotor activity, including increases in anxiety behaviors. Mild chronic stress led to reductions in dopamine turnover in midbrains of Itgb3+/+, but not Itgb3−/− mice, suggesting a disruption of stress-dependent regulation of DA homeostasis. Chronic stress elicited altered synaptic expression of syntaxin and synaptophysin in midbrains of Itgb3−/− mice, when compared to Itgb3+/+. Semi-quantitative Western blot studies revealed that the synaptic expression, but not total tissue expression, of multiple signaling proteins is correlated with integrin αv levels in the midbrain. Moreover, loss of integrin β3 expression modifies this correlation network. Together, these findings demonstrate that Itgb3−/− mice display a pattern of changes indicating disrupted regulation of midbrain synaptic systems involved in conferring resilience to mild stressors.
Fruit and Berry Wines

One of the attractive aspects of making fruit and berry wines is that many species ripen during the spring and summer months, well before the vintage season commences for grapes, allowing for more efficiency and variety in the winery facility. The opportunity to add different types of wine to the product portfolio is also an appealing prospect for many vintners.
Feature Learning HyperNEAT: Evolving Neural Networks to Extract Features for Classification of Maritime Satellite Imagery

Imagery analysis represents a significant aspect of maritime domain awareness; however, the amount of imagery is exceeding human capability to process. Unfortunately, the maritime domain presents unique challenges for machine learning to automate such analysis. Indeed, when object recognition algorithms observe real-world data, they face hurdles not present in experimental situations. Imagery from such domains suffers from degradation, have limited examples, and vary greatly in format. These limitations are present satellite imagery because of the associated constraints in expense and capability. To this end, the Hypercube-based NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies approach is investigated in addressing some such challenges for classifying maritime vessels from satellite imagery. Results show that HyperNEAT learns features from such imagery that allows better classification than Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Furthermore, HyperNEAT enables a unique capability to scale image sizes through the indirect encoding.
Simulation of Probability Models

In this chapter, simulation methods for stochastic models are discussed. The Monte Carlo method is introduced, and Markov property is applied to create efficient simulation algorithms. Analytic simulation methods are also explored, and compared to the Monte Carlo method. A section covers particle tracking methods, for solving partial differential equations via Monte Carlo simulation of the underlying stochastic process. The final section of the book introduces fractional calculus in the context of anomalous diffusion. The fractional diffusion equation is solved by particle tracking, and applied to a problem in ground water pollution. This section ties together the concepts of fractals, fractional derivatives, and probability distributions with heavy tails.
Direction Tuning of Inhibitory Inputs to the Turtle Accessory Optic System

Neurons in turtle accessory optic system (basal optic nucleus, BON) were studied to compare excitatory and inhibitory visual inputs. Using a reduced in vitro brain stem preparation with the eyes at...
Superconductivity in Metallic Hydrogen

The occurrence of superconductivity in the metallic phase of hydrogen is re-examined. While the band structure is quite free electron-like, the wavefunctions look like atomic wavefunctions near the protons. A consideration of the electron-phonon interaction reveals that the motion of the bound part of the electron wave-functions considerably decreases the effective electron-phonon coupling constant over previous estimates. The alternative derivation of the electron-phonon coupling constant in terms of phase shifts is also discussed and the effects of screening are considered. Again the estimate of Tc are found to be considerably reduced by screening effects.
The Solidification of Multicomponent Alloys

Various topics taken from the author's research portfolio that involve multicomponent alloy solidification are reviewed. Topics include: ternary eutectic solidification and Scheil-Gulliver paths in ternary systems. A case study of the solidification of commercial 2219 aluminum alloy is described. Also described are modifications of the Scheil-Gulliver analysis to treat dendrite tip kinetics and solid diffusion for multicomponent alloys.
a database of ciliate genome rearrangements

Ciliated protists exhibit nuclear dimorphism through the presence of somatic macronuclei (MAC) and germline micronuclei (MIC). In some ciliates, DNA from precursor segments in the MIC genome rearranges to form transcriptionally active genes in the mature MAC genome, making these ciliates model organisms to study the process of somatic genome rearrangement. Similar broad scale, somatic rearrangement events occur in many eukaryotic cells and tumors. The (http://oxytricha.princeton.edu/mds_ies_db) is a database of genome recombination and rearrangement annotations, and it provides tools for visualization and comparative analysis of precursor and product genomes. The database currently contains annotations for two completely sequenced ciliate genomes: Oxytricha trifallax and Tetrahymena thermophila.
Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of Adult Male Mediterranean Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Kula, Maui, Hawaii

Seasonal occurrence of the Mediterranean fruit fly ( Ceratitis capitata [Wiedemann]) was determined with 250 plastic (Nadel) traps baited with trimedlure to catch adult males in the Kula area of Maui, Hawaii, from 1978 to 1981. Adult C. capitata activity peaked during the week ending 27 June 1978 and 1979, during 15 May 1980 and 4 September 1981. Trap catches were significantly correlated with fruit infestations from weeks 10 to 12 following fruit collections for 1979 through 1981. In all 4 years, significantly more flies were caught in the 130 traps placed in host trees than in the 120 traps of nonhost trees. Few significant differences were evident among traps placed at different elevations (575 to 1,125 m) for all 4 years. However, high trap catches were correlated with high numbers of host trees surrounding each trap site. Results indicated that the host tree was the primary attractant and the baited trap was the secondary attractant.
Clinical Relevance of Viridans and Nonhemolytic Streptococci Isolated from Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid in a Pediatric Population

Laboratory records were reviewed to assess the clinical relevance of isolating viridans (VS) and nonhemolytic (NHS) streptococci from blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens in a pediatric setting. During a nine-month period, 722 of 6,569 blood cultures and 113 of 2,023 CSF cultures were positive for one or more organisms. There were 26 VS and 10 NHS blood isolates from 30 patients and five NHS isolates from the CSF of five additional patients. The patients ranged in age from five weeks to 16 years. The charts of 34 patients were reviewed for evidence of sepsis or meningitis and the physician's response to the positive cultures. Three patients had subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) with multiple positive blood cultures. All other patients, including six oncology patients, failed to show a positive correlation between the isolation of VS or NHS and the disease process. Speciation and MIC testing were performed on 13 isolates, including those from all SBE and four oncology patients. Because of the lack of significance of VS and NHS from blood and CSF specimens in patients other than those with SBE, the authors conclude that extensive microbiologic workup of VS and NHS is not necessary without appropriate clinical indications such as SBE or immunosuppression.
Characteristics of Office-based Visits for Skin Cancer

BACKGROUND.Actinic keratoses and skin cancer constitute a major public health problem for predisposed individuals. objective. The purpose of this paper is to determine the characteristics of office-based visits for actinic keratoses and skin cancer in the United States.METHODS.The National Ambulator
Impact of hospital-acquired conditions on financial liabilities for Medicare patients

Background Hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) can increase the financial liabilities faced by patients when the HACs require additional treatment both in the hospital and in subsequent health care encounters. This article estimates incremental effects of 6 HACs on Medicare beneficiary financial liabilities. Methods Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to examine the differences in beneficiary liability between care episodes with and without HACs. Episodes included the index hospitalization in which the HAC occurred and all inpatient, outpatient, and physician claims within 90 days of index hospital discharge. Medicare fee-for-service patients discharged from a hospital in fiscal year (FY) 2009 or FY 2010 with severe pressure ulcer, fracture, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, vascular catheter-associated infection, surgical site infection, or deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism after certain orthopedic procedures were matched by diagnosis, sex, race, and age to with patients without HACs. Results Medicare patients were liable for an additional $20.5 million per year across the HAC episodes compared with what they would have owed without the HACs. Beneficiaries with HACs were also more likely to exhaust their Part A days in the index hospitalization. Conclusions HACs create significant financial burden for Medicare beneficiaries. The incremental financial liabilities are concentrated in the episode of care after the index hospitalization with the HAC. Policies and programs that reduce HAC incidence will improve Medicare beneficiaries' physical and financial health.
Sacral Dysgenesis Associated with Occult Spinal Dysraphism Causing Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction

A case of a neurogenic bladder in a 20-year-old man is described. The patient had difficulty in voiding and incontinence, with a history of several urinary infections. Misdiagnoses included stricture and posterior urethral valves. Early treatment included urethral dilation, a transurethral resection and a left ureteral implantation. Throughout this time the neurological examinations were essentially normal. Final diagnosis was sacral dysgenesis with associated occult spinal dysraphism, after the discovery of a small pock mark over the sacrum and an abnormal pelvic x-ray. Urinary diversion was done.
Oxygen Isotope Effect in the High Temperature Superconductors YBa2Cu3O7−δ and La1.85Sr0.15CuO4, with 18O Substituted by Diffusion

One of the most suggestive tests for electron-phonon coupling in conventional superconductors is the isotope effect, where Tc is sensitive to ionic mass: Tc ∝ M−α. The presence of an isotope shift would demonstrate an important role played by the phonons in the superconductivity mechanism. The high-Tc superconducting oxide La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 and YBa2Cu3O7−δ have many structural1 and electronic2 features in common. An important feature common to both the layered perovskite K2NiF4 structure of La2−xMxCuO4 (M = Ba, Sr, or Ca) and the distorted oxygen-defect pervoskite structure of RBa2Cu3O7−δ (R = Y or some lanthanide rare-earth elements) is the existence of two-dimensional copper-oxygen planes which are most responsible for the metallic conduction.
Comparison of prescriptive and performance-based regulatory regimes in the U.S.A and the U.K.

Abstract Every major industrial accident such as Piper Alpha disaster, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, BP Texas City Refinery led to the development of new regulations. After the BP Deepwater Horizon accident, several investigation committees recommended to reexamine the United States' existing regulatory approaches by integrating more sophisticated risk assessment and risk management practices. It has been observed that this type of reactive changes in regulation sometimes give more focus on the causes of a particular accident rather than considering possible future hazards unrelated to that particular accident. There are primarily two approaches of the offshore oil/gas industry's regulatory regime; while the United States' regulatory system is the more prescriptive-based, the United Kingdom's approach is performance-based. The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling Accident recommended changing U.S. regulatory regime to a proactive, risk-based approach which could be similar to the “Safety Case” approach of the North Sea. The “Safety Case” approach of the U.K. is considered successful in minimizing accidents in the North Sea region. The objective of this study is to perform an evaluation and comparison between the United States' prescriptive-based regulatory approaches and the United Kingdom's performance-based regulatory approaches to understand their advantages and disadvantages. Then, this study presents an analysis of major accident histories under both regulatory regimes and discusses their effectiveness in reducing accidents. The study has found that there are both advantages and disadvantages in both the regulatory regimes and with available data, it is difficult to conclude with certainty that one regulatory regime is better than the other.
How Does Access to Primary Care Vary by Type of Insurance and by Rural and Urban Counties in Mississippi

A common assumption is that access to primary care is less prevalent in rural areas. To measure actual access to primary health care in Mississippi we telephoned primary care physician practices (general practitioner, family practice, internal medicine, OB/GYN and pediatric) in Mississippi posing as a potential new patient. To measure access, we asked for a new patient appointment with a physician varying our insurance type such as Blue Cross & Blue Shield (BC&BS), Medicare, or Medicaid health insurance. Similar to other findings, only 50 % of practices were accepting new Medicaid patients. Likewise only 64 % were accepting new Medicare patients and 78 % were accepting new BC&BS health insurance patients. However, there were significant differences across the rural-urban continuum. Those practices in urban counties were significantly less likely to accept new Medicaid patients (<50 %) versus those in the most rural counties (up to 85 %). This trend was not evident for BC&BS or Medicare insurance patients. We speculate that lower operating costs in rural areas, plus smaller patient populations, may provide the financial incentives for physicians to accept Medicaid patients. As a result, access to health care for Medicaid-insured individuals is greater in rural counties than it is in urban counties in Mississippi.
Non-Canonical Cell Death Induced by p53

Programmed cell death is a vital biological process for multicellular organisms to maintain cellular homeostasis, which is regulated in a complex manner. Over the past several years, apart from apoptosis, which is the principal mechanism of caspase-dependent cell death, research on non-apoptotic forms of programmed cell death has gained momentum. p53 is a well characterized tumor suppressor that controls cell proliferation and apoptosis and has also been linked to non-apoptotic, non-canonical cell death mechanisms. p53 impacts these non-canonical forms of cell death through transcriptional regulation of its downstream targets, as well as direct interactions with key players involved in these mechanisms, in a cell type- or tissue context-dependent manner. In this review article, we summarize and discuss the involvement of p53 in several non-canonical modes of cell death, including caspase-independent apoptosis (CIA), ferroptosis, necroptosis, autophagic cell death, mitotic catastrophe, paraptosis, and pyroptosis, as well as its role in efferocytosis which is the process of clearing dead or dying cells.
Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Uptake of New Hepatitis C Drugs in Medicare

Chronic hepatitis C is an important public health concern. Recently launched drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are effective but costly. Uptake of innovative and expensive prescription drugs may not be even across patient groups. We examined racial-ethnic disparities in uptake of new HCV drugs in the first year of their use (year 2014) in Medicare. The study population was Medicare beneficiaries who had chronic hepatitis C in 2013 or 2014 and who were continuously enrolled in Part D stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans in 2014. We examined trends in monthly uptake of new HCV drugs and adjusted annual uptake rates by race. We used logistic regressions to obtain adjusted odds ratios and adjusted differences in annual uptake rates. Monthly uptake of new HCV drugs was lower among Black Medicare patients than Whites or Hispanics in 2014. The racial gap in monthly uptake became narrower toward the end of the year. Adjusted odds of using new HCV drugs were 11% lower for Blacks with cirrhosis than Whites (odds ratio (OR) = 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84–0.95), and 16% lower for Blacks with HCV/HIV coinfection than Whites (OR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.72–0.92). Annual uptake rates were not significantly different for Whites and Hispanics. Black Medicare patients with cirrhosis or HCV/HIV coinfection had lower uptake rates than Whites in 2014. As utilization of new HCV drugs increases, continuing efforts will be necessary to ensure equal delivery of the drugs.
What Inhibits Gratitude

To this point we have considered factors that encourage gratitude, but it is also important to examine potential inhibitors of gratitude. In this chapter I discuss four traits that are likely inhibitors of gratitude: suspiciousness, indebtedness, envy and materialism, and narcissism. In each case I discuss research that supports this idea, and also explain how each factor might inhibit the development and experience of gratitude. I conclude by arguing that narcissism may be the master inhibitor, in that this trait may be foundational to the other inhibitors of gratitude.
Use of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Bladder Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Objectives To compare the outcomes of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) versus observation in patients with non-organ confined disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy (RC). Materials and methods Using the National Cancer Database, we identified patients who received NAC prior to RC and had advanced stage (pT3/4) or pathologically involved nodes (pN+) at the time of surgery from 2004-2013. We determined whether patients then received AC or were managed with observation only and used multivariable proportional hazards regression to estimate the impact of AC on overall survival. Results Overall 34% (N = 705) of patients who received NAC and underwent RC were pT3/4 and/or pN+. Of these patients, 24% (N = 168) received subsequent chemotherapy and the rest were observed. Median survival for the entire cohort was 21 months (IQR 12-45). There was not a statistically significant difference in median survival between the AC and observation groups (23 months [IQR 14-46] versus 20 months [IQR 12-46], log-rank p = 0.52). On multivariate analysis there was no survival advantage for the AC cohort. Subgroup analysis of pN+ patients who received AC also did not show a survival advantage. Conclusions Patients who are pT3/4 and/or pN+ after NAC and RC have a poor prognosis. The addition of AC does not seem to be beneficial. Further research should focus identifying patients who may benefit from additional chemotherapy.
Field Evaluation of Elongated Pavement Marking Signs

Research has shown that elongated pavement marking letters and arrows significantly improve recognition distance; however, the effect of elongated pavement marking signs, which are symbolized pavement markings that are elongated versions of signs, has not been evaluated. The goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of elongated pavement marking signs in conjunction with the post-mounted signs they complement. Results from a driving simulator evaluation indicate that recognition distance increases quadratically as elongation ratio (i.e., the ratio of height to width) increases. Considering the trade-off between cost and recognition distance, an elongation ratio of 5:1 was chosen for field evaluation of speed limit regulatory signs and curve warning signs. A before-and-after study was conducted at sites in Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Operating speeds of free-flow vehicles were used as the measure of effectiveness; speed data were collected upstream of, at, and downstream of the corresponding post-mounted...
A Real-World Community Health Worker Care Coordination Model for High-Risk Children.

Health care systems across the United States are considering community health worker (CHW) services for high-risk patients, despite limited data on how to build and sustain effective CHW programs. We describe the process of providing CHW services to 5,289 at-risk patients within a state-run health system. The program includes 30 CHWs, six care coordinators, the Director of Care Coordination, the Medical Director, a registered nurse, mental health specialists, and legal specialists. CHWs are organized into geographic and specialized teams. All CHWs receive basic training that includes oral and mental health; some receive additional disease-specific training. CHWs develop individualized care coordination plans with patients. The implementation of these plans involves delivery of a wide range of social service and coordination support. The number of CHW contacts is determined by patient risk. CHWs spend about 60% of their time in an office setting. To deliver the program optimally, we had to develop multiple...
CALBINDIN-D28K DISTRIBUTION IN CHICK ULTIMOBRANCHIAL AND RAT THYROID GLANDS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the calbindin-D 28k distribution in chick ultimobrancial and rat thyroid glands. Calbindin-D 28k [CaBP], the vitamin D-dependent calcium binding protein, appears as an end-organ marker of the vitamin D endocrine system in several tissues. The protein was first discovered in chick intestine and subsequently in other chick tissues. CaBP is also present in other species and a lower molecular weight form, calbindin-D9K, predominates in mammalian intestine. White Leghorn cockerels were raised on a normal diet and sacrificed from 4 days to 5 weeks of age. Mature Sprague-Dawley rats, raised on a normal diet, were also utilized. The UB glands from chicks and thyroids from rats were rapidly dissected, quick-frozen and fixed by freeze substitution. After fixation, embedding in paraffin, sectioning and deceration, the sections were reacted immunohistochemically with anti-CaBP. The connective tissue elements of the UB gland and the isolated islands of parathyroid tissue did not contain CaBP. It is found that when UB gland sections adjacent to those stained for CaBP were reacted with anti-CT, the co-localization of CaBP and CT was observed.
On the Coalescence Characteristics of Low Tension Oil-Water-Surfactant Systems

The coalescence behavior of isolated oil drops in microemulsion systems and of microemulsion drops in brine systems is studied. A new 3xperimental method is presented for conducting such controlled coalescence tests in an inclined spinning drop apparatus. Observations on five oil-water-surfactant systems are presented, three involving iso-octane as the oil phase and two involving crude oils. Coalescence times were measured in terms of the applied coalescence force and the droplet-droplet contact radius. The results show a wide range of behavior with coalescence rate per unit coalescence force varying over three orders of magnitude, with the specific magnitude for any given system being quite sensitive to the nature of the system and the associated phase changes with varying NaC1 concentration. In nearly all cases, the most rapid coalescence occurred with the lowest tension systems. This apparently reflects the increased tendency of low tension systems to exhibit film rupture at relatively large values of the critical film thickness. The specific role of such effects and interfacial viscous effects are discussed.
The Comparative Sensitivity of Immunohistochemical Markers of Megakaryocytic Differentiation in Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia

Objectives Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of core biopsy sections often plays an essential role in the diagnosis of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). The goal of this study was to define the relative sensitivities of commonly used stains for markers of megakaryocytic differentiation. Methods The sensitivities of IHC stains for CD42b, CD61, and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were compared in 32 cases of pediatric AMKL. Results The sensitivities of CD42b, CD61, and vWF were 90.6%, 78.1% and 62.5%, respectively. When CD42b and CD61 were used together, the combined sensitivity increased to 93.6%. There were no cases in which vWF was positive when both CD42b and CD61 were negative. Conclusions CD42b can reliably be used as a solitary first-line marker for blasts of megakaryocytic lineage, whereas CD61 may be reserved for infrequent cases that are CD42b negative. There is no role for the routine use of vWF when CD42b and CD61 are available.
Future global soil respiration rates will swell despite regional decreases in temperature sensitivity caused by rising temperature.

This study was supported by Hatch Grant (funding: 160060) and VT Open Access Subvention Fund (OASF, funding: 124166). All data used for this study can be found at https://data.lib.vt. edu/collections/ns0646000.