cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Giving parents a voice: A qualitative study of the challenges experienced by parents of children with disabilities.

Background: This study sought to examine the specific sources of challenges as identified by parents of children with disabilities. Method: Focus groups were conducted with 40 parent caregivers. Data gathered were coded into themes which were then analyzed through an intentional process of data reduction that resulted in the cross site validation of four superordinate themes. Results: Four themes emerged as the most prominent barriers to positive parent wellbeing: (a) access to information and services, (b) financial barriers, (c) school and community inclusion, and (d) family support. These four themes are indicative of problems associated with a lack of match between caregiver needs and services, resources, or support available in the community to meet those needs. Conclusion: Caring for a child with a disability can be challenging, but many of these challenges are likely due to a lack of necessary environmental supports. Future research should expand on these findings and policy makers, scientists and providers should give particular attention to the environmental support needs of parents in order to create policies and interventions that are more family-centered.
Structure and messaging techniques for online peer learning systems that increase stickiness

When students work with peers, they learn more actively, build richer knowledge structures, and connect material to their lives. However, not every peer learning experience online sees successful adoption. This paper articulates and addresses three adoption challenges for global-scale peer learning. First, peer interactions struggle to bootstrap critical mass. However, class incentives can signal importance and spur initial usage. Second, online classes have limited peer visibility and awareness, so students often feel alone even when surrounded by peers. We find that highlighting interdependence and strengthening norms can mitigate this issue. Third, teachers can readily access "big" aggregate data but not "thick" contextual data that helps build intuitions, so software should guide teachers' scaffolding of peer interactions. We illustrate these challenges through studying 8,500 students' usage of two peer learning platforms, Talkabout and PeerStudio. This paper measures efficacy through sign-up and participation rates and the structure and duration of student interactions.
Microbiology of liver abscesses and the predictive value of abscess gram stain and associated blood cultures

Although rare, pyogenic liver abscesses are potentially fatal. We evaluated the predictive value of Gram stain of liver abscess aspirates and temporally associated blood cultures. Gram stains detected bacteria in 79% of the liver abscesses tested. The sensitivity and specificity of Gram stain of the liver abscesses were 90% and 100% for Gram-positive cocci (GPC) and 52% and 94% for Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). The sensitivities of the blood cultures for any GPC and GNB present in the liver abscess were 30% and 39%, respectively. Although, Gram stains and blood cultures offer incomplete detection of the microbial contents of pyogenic liver abscesses, both tests should always accompany liver abscess cultures.
The High Speed Sea Lift (HSSL) Ships Challenge Effort

This paper summarizes the efforts carried out over the last three years for the prediction of high-speed sealift (HSSL) ships. Semi-planing monohulls, catamarans, trimarans, and small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) concepts are some of the hull forms that were considered. Propulsor options for these configurations varied from traditional propellers mounted on shafts and struts to waterjet propulsion systems. Computational tools are needed to predict the hydrodynamics of these multihull configurations for their proper design and analysis in many areas including resistance and powering, maneuvering and seakeeping. The focus of the present effort is to use an Unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) solver, CFDShip-Iowa, to predict the flow fields. Many of these predictions are very computationally intensive and thus require high performance computing resources. This paper will discuss the progress made in the overall effort along with some of the validations performed.
A highlight of Saxon bryology

Abstract Muller, Frank. 2004. Verbreitungsatlas der Moose Sachsens. 309 pages, with 82 color photographs and 719 maps (717 in color). lutra Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft b.R., Tauer, Germany. [ISBN: 3–936412–02–2]. € 22 + postage, if ordered directly from the editor: Landesverein Sachsischer Heimatschutz, Wilsdruffer Strase 11/13, D-01067, Dresden, Germany. lv-saechsischer-heimatschutz@t-online.de.
Timing and duration of egg laying in duetting Buff-breasted Wrens

Using direct observations of Buff-breasted Wrens (Thryothorus leucotis), I examined timing and duration of egg laying, the behavior of females and males around the time of laying, and duetting and solo singing on laying and non-laying mornings. When laying, females roosted either alone in breeding nests or with their mates in dormitory nests, and left them on average 3.5 min before sunrise. Females returned to their nests at 18.6 min after sunrise and took 21.1 min to lay their eggs. Almost all females were accompanied by their mates to the nest before laying, most males foraged near the nest during laying, and nearly all pairs re-united shortly after laying. Pairs sang significantly fewer duets and females gave significantly fewer solo songs on laying versus non-laying mornings, while males did not change their solo singing behavior. Singing was not restricted to times when females were off their nests, as some pairs duetted and some males gave solo songs while females were laying. These results suggest that females lay their eggs at a time of day which is unfavorable in terms of duetting, and, in turn, for defence of mates and territories.
PTPRN2 and PLCβ1 promote metastatic breast cancer cell migration through PI(4,5)P2‐dependent actin remodeling

Altered abundance of phosphatidyl inositides (PIs) is a feature of cancer. Various PIs mark the identity of diverse membranes in normal and malignant cells. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) resides predominantly in the plasma membrane, where it regulates cellular processes by recruiting, activating, or inhibiting proteins at the plasma membrane. We find that PTPRN2 and PLCβ1 enzymatically reduce plasma membrane PI(4,5)P2 levels in metastatic breast cancer cells through two independent mechanisms. These genes are upregulated in highly metastatic breast cancer cells, and their increased expression associates with human metastatic relapse. Reduction in plasma membrane PI(4,5)P2 abundance by these enzymes releases the PI(4,5)P2-binding protein cofilin from its inactive membrane-associated state into the cytoplasm where it mediates actin turnover dynamics, thereby enhancing cellular migration and metastatic capacity. Our findings reveal an enzymatic network that regulates metastatic cell migration through lipid-dependent sequestration of an actin-remodeling factor.
Improving the probability of success in resource plays

The role of the geophysicist in resource plays has been hard to define. There is obvious benefit to seismic structural interpretation for hazard avoidance and model building for geosteering applications, but when it comes to predicting optimal well placement, much of the industry still is struggling. Common applications of seismic attributes search for deterministic predictions using attributes such as rock strength and anisotropy. However, even with many claims of success and a rich base of literature, the value and use of these approaches are lacking in practice. A simple case study shows the value added by using a single seismic attribute, curvature, in the Barnett Shale. The key to understanding this value is the use of Bayesian statistics. For this case, controlling for just one seismic attribute is seen to increase the probability of a successful well by 10% or more, also leading to substantial increases in rate of return of 10 percentage points or more.
Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the Ca2+-Induced Decline of Transmitter Release at K+-Depolarized Motor Neuron Terminals

The present study tested whether a Ca2+-induced disruption of mitochondrial function was responsible for the decline in miniature endplate current (MEPC) frequency that occurs with nerve-muscle preparations maintained in a 35 mM potassium propionate (35 mM KP) solution containing elevated calcium. When the 35 mM KP contained control Ca2+ (1 mM), the MEPC frequency increased and remained elevated for many hours, and the mitochondria within twitch motor neuron terminals were similar in appearance to those in unstimulated terminals. All nerve terminals accumulated FM1-43 when the dye was present for the final 6 min of a 300-min exposure to 35 mM KP with control Ca2+. In contrast, when Ca2+ was increased to 3.6 mM in the 35 mM KP solution, the MEPC frequency initially reached frequencies >350 s-1 but then gradually fell approaching frequencies <50 s-1. A progressive swelling and eventual distortion of mitochondria within the twitch motor neuron terminals occurred during prolonged exposure to 35 mM KP with elevated Ca2+. After approximately 300 min in 35 mM KP with elevated Ca2+, only 58% of the twitch terminals accumulated FM1-43. The decline in MEPC frequency in 35 mM KP with elevated Ca2+ was less when 15 mM glucose was present or when preparations were pretreated with 10 microM oligomycin and then bathed in the 35 mM KP with glucose. When glucose was present, with or without oligomycin pretreatment, a greater percentage of twitch terminals accumulated FM1-43. However, the mitochondria in these preparations were still greatly swollen and distorted. We propose that prolonged depolarization of twitch motor neuron terminals by 35 mM KP with elevated Ca2+ produced a Ca2+-induced decrease in mitochondrial ATP production. Under these conditions, the cytosolic ATP/ADP ratio was decreased thereby compromising both transmitter release and refilling of recycled synaptic vesicles. The addition of glucose stimulated glycolysis which contributed to the maintenance of required ATP levels.
Rumpole and the Bowl of Comfort Food

Rumpole of the Bailey was a delightful British television series based on the life and courtroom exploits of John Mortimer's fictional curmudgeonly barrister, Horace Rumpole. Rumpole was a zealous if eccentric criminal defense lawyer. He was equally skilled in the arts of cross examining police officers and plucking appropriate quotes from the Oxford Book of English Verse. The stories' gentle satires of British traditions and justice make viewers feel as comfortable as Rumpole usually was as he sat in Pommeroy's Pub after a hard day in the Old Bailey, drinking a glass of the cheap house wine that he affectionately called Chateau Thames Embankment or Chateau Fleet Street. Chambers Meetings were a regular feature of the Rumpole shows. This essay creates a transcript of a mock Chambers Meeting to explore Rumpole's character, his courtroom strategies, and the judges and other barristers whose idiosyncrasies were never-ending sources of conflict and amusement for Rumpole.
Non-Coding RNAs in Thyroid Cancer

Non-coding (nc)RNAs are divided into small ncRNAs and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small ncRNAS which are around 22 nucleotides in length that mediate post-transcriptional gene silencing. LncRNAs are greater than 200 bp in length. Each ncRNA can have multiple targets and can be regulated by multiple genetic factors. Because ncRNAs are not translated into proteins, they can only be detected at the nucleic acid level by in situ hybridization, by RT-PCR, or by sequencing which makes their detection more challenging in the routine pathology laboratory. A great deal of new information has accumulated about miRNAs in thyroid tissues during the past decade. Some of these studies have shown that deregulation of miRNAs may be useful in diagnostic pathology. Information about the role of lncRNA in the development of thyroid tumors is in the early stages of development, but new information is accumulating rapidly. In this review, we will discuss the recent progress in our understanding of the relationship between ncRNAs and the development of thyroid cancers and the potential uses of ncRNAs in the diagnosis and prognosis of thyroid tumors.
Effect of added citrate or malate on calcium absorption from calcium-fortified orange juice.

Calcium absorption was determined from calcium-fortified diluted orange juice, which contained additional citrate or malate, in 16 normal subjects.Each load of fortified orange juice with additional citrate (OJ+C) contained 300 mg Ca, 5.7 mEq malate, and 33.6 mEq citrate (10.4 mEq of which were added). Each load of orange juice with additional malate (OJ+M) had 300 mg Ca, 23.2 mEq citrate and 16.1 mEq malate (10.4 mEq of which were added). For each subject, fractional (intestinal) calcium absorption was measured by taking the ratio of fractional forearm radioactivity following an oral administration of OJ+C or OJ+M (labeled with 47Ca) and the fractional forearm radioactivity obtained after intravenous administration of trace 47Ca chloride on a separate occasion.There was no significant difference in fractional calcium absorption from the two calcium-fortified orange juice preparations (40.1 +/− 8.3% for OJ+C and 40.6 +/− 8.6% for OJ+M, p = 0.81).Calcium-fortified orange juice with additional citrate provi...
A Review of “Rumor, Repression, and Racial Politics: How the Harassment of Black Elected Officials Shaped Post–Civil Rights America”

During the late 1960s, at the urging of President Richard Nixon, the Internal Revenue Service created a special investigative unit called the Special Services Staff (SSS) to aggressively target and...
Benefits of Teaching Design Skills before Teaching Logo Computer Programming: Evidence for Syntax-Independent Learning:

We compared two groups of twenty computer-naive college students as they received instruction and practice in writing Logo programs. The design group received pretraining in general design principles such as modularity (breaking a procedure into parts) and reusability (using the same subprocedure more than once) presented in English whereas the no-design group did not. On programming assignments during Logo learning, the design group generated more revision cycles, more test runs, more syntax errors, and more input lines than the no-design group; and the design group wrote final programs that were shorter, more modular, more efficient, and more flexible than the no-design group. However, the groups generally did not differ on cognitive tests such spatial cognition, instruction comprehension, and planning. These results are consistent with Dyck and Mayer's syntax-independent access theory—planning skills for programming can be learned independently of the syntax of the programming language [1].
Repositioning Clofazimine as a Macrophage-Targeting Photoacoustic Contrast Agent

Photoacoustic Tomography (PAT) is a deep-tissue imaging modality, with potential clinical applications in the diagnosis of arthritis, cancer and other disease conditions. Here, we identified Clofazimine (CFZ), a red-pigmented dye and anti-inflammatory FDA-approved drug, as a macrophage-targeting photoacoustic (PA) imaging agent. Spectroscopic experiments revealed that CFZ and its various protonated forms yielded optimal PAT signals at wavelengths −450 to 540 nm. CFZ’s macrophage-targeting chemical and structural forms were detected with PA microscopy at a high contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR > 22 dB) as well as with macroscopic imaging using synthetic gelatin phantoms. In vivo, natural and synthetic CFZ formulations also demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity. Finally, the injection of CFZ was monitored via a real-time ultrasound-photoacoustic (US-PA) dual imaging system in a live animal and clinically relevant human hand model. These results demonstrate an anti-inflammatory drug repurposing strategy, while identifying a new PA contrast agent with potential applications in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis.
Locating protonated amines in clathrates.

The structures and inherent stabilities of hydrated, protonated ammonia, select protonated primary, secondary, and tertiary amines as well as tetramethylammonium with 19–21 water molecules were investigated using infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy and blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD) at 133 K. Magic number clusters (MNCs) with 20 water molecules were observed for all ions except tetramethylammonium, and the BIRD results indicate that these clusters have stable structures, which are relatively unaffected by addition of one water molecule but are disrupted in clusters with one less water molecule. IRPD spectra in the water free O–H stretch region are consistent with clathrate structures for the MNCs with 20 water molecules, whereas nonclathrate structures are indicated for tetramethylammonium as well as ions at the other cluster sizes. The locations of protonated ammonia and the protonated primary amines either in the interior or at the surface of a clathrate were determined by c...
The Traditional Systemic Culture and its Reformation of Tujia Nationality

In districts of Tujia nationality,many conserved place names are relative with native politic systems;some folklores,such as going to new year fairs and swaying hands,are relative with military activities;local rules and regulations valid for villagers have "prohibition law with straw marks",systems of marriages or funerals are very complex.During the cultural construction of socialism,the aptitudes with nativism against reformation do not accord with the stream of historical development.
Percent Time in Range with Warfarin as a Performance Measure: How Long a Sampling Frame Is Needed?

Article-at-a-Glance Background Warfarin is received by millions of patients in the United States and elsewhere and will remain the most commonly used anticoagulant for the foreseeable future. Percent time in therapeutic range (TTR) with warfarin is increasingly used as a performance measure. However, stakeholders have expressed concern that TTR lags behind changes in performance. Work in a larger study focused on the impact of shortening the conventional measurement period for TTR. Methods Some 124 sites within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) were examined during a seven-year period (fiscal years [FYs] 2008-2014 (April 1, 2007-September 30, 2014). The duration of time segments (2, 3, 4, 6 months) used to calculate TTR were varied, and these four durations were compared in terms of the number of patients retained per site, mean and median site TTR, and site performance rankings. Results Data were obtained on 295,237 unique patients who received anticoagulation. As the calculation window shortened, patients with better control (that is, higher TTR) were selectively excluded from the measurement because their laboratory values were more widely spaced. Site mean TTR was highest when the most patients were included (6 months: 950 patients; TTR 65.2%) and lowest when the fewest patients were included (2 months: 567 patients; TTR 60.0%). However, the 3-, 4-, and 6-month segments achieved similar results, each of which included more than 800 patients per site, with mean TTR across a narrow range (64.9%–65.2%). Site rankings were less highly correlated between the 2-month period and longer periods ( r = 0.7–0.8) but were otherwise 0.95 or higher, with a nearly perfect correlation (0.985) between the 4- and 6-month periods. Conclusions When TTR is used to measure site-level performance, comparable results can be achieved using a 4- or a 6-month measurement period. On the basis of these results, the use of a 4-month period for future measurement efforts is recommended.
Can Gerrymanders Be Measured? An Examination of Wisconsin's State Assembly

In July, 2015 a group of Wisconsin Democrats filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the state’s Assembly map adopted after the 2010 census discriminates against Democrats by systematically underweighting their votes relative to Republicans. This claim of a constitutional violation rooted in the 14th Amendment offers judges a rationale to constrain partisan gerrymandering – provided the plaintiffs can produce objective and compelling evidence that a gerrymander has been created. In this paper we evaluate the Wisconsin Assembly map using a pair of methods proposed to detect and measure gerrymanders, the “efficiency gap” measure employed by the plaintiffs in Wisconsin and the median-mean comparison proposed by the authors. Additionally, we use an innovative new procedure to produce a comparison set of 10,000 neutral maps drawn by computer. The results show that the Assembly map in Wisconsin is clearly a fairly egregious gerrymander using the median-mean comparison but not via the efficiency gap calculation. We examine the measurement qualities of the efficiency gap to explain its shortcomings, especially in Wisconsin, and review the remaining evidence to conclude that Wisconsin’s Assembly map is the substantial pro-Republican gerrymander that the plaintiffs claim it to be despite dubious results using the efficiency-gap calculation.
Semiconductor and photoconductive Ga N nanowires and nanotubes

It is difficult to control carbon nanotube chirality, which directly affects electronic performance.
MC027C: A Phase I trial of CCI-779 in combination with EKB-569, an EGFR inhibitor, in patients with solid tumors

A165 Introduction Combination of mTOR and EGFR inhibitors causes synergistic inhibition of tumor cell viability. A phase I study was initiated to determine the maximal tolerated (MTD) dose of the combination of CCI-779 (an mTOR inhibitor) and EKB-569 (an EGFR inhibitor). Methods The primary aims of this study were to determine the MTD of this combination. Other goals included evaluation of toxicity, efficacy and pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions and pharmacodynamic (PD) effects of the combination on mediators of drug effects of the combination. Adult patients with unresectable malignancies and adequate organ function were eligible. Pregnant or nursing women and patients using agents that induce cytochrome 3A4 were ineligible. Results The starting doses of each of the drugs used in this combination were: 35mg daily of EKB-569 (day 1-28) and 25mg of CCI-779 using a day 1-7 and 14-21 schedule (cohort A1). In cohort A1, dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) noted (stomatitis, rash, diarrhea) at each dose level resulted in a de-escalation to the lowest dose. Therefore the study was amended to utilize a dose escalation schema with significantly lower doses (cohort A2). Toxicities noted were similar in nature to those in cohort A1. A total of 35 patients (13 Cohort A1, 22 Cohort A2) were enrolled, of which 32 patients are evaluable for toxicities. Median age was 59 years, ECOG performance status 0, 1,2 in 10, 20 and 2 patients, resp. All had received prior therapy. The most common histology was sarcoma (10 patients). Overall, grade 3 toxicities were noted in 7 (22%) patients; no grade 4 or 5 toxicities occurred in this study. Objective partial responses were noted in 2 patients (6%; both in cohort A1), and stabilization of disease was noted in 12 (38%; 4 in cohort A1). Patients with the following histologies were noted to have a clinical benefit (stable disease or partial response): lung, kidney, leiomyosarcoma, mesothelioma, thymoma and neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas. MTD of the combination of this combination was determined to be: EKB-569, 35 mg daily and CCI-779, 30 mg on days 1-3 and 15-17 using a 28 day cycle. These doses were significantly lower than the recommended phase II doses of each individual agent from prior phase II studies (EKB-569 - 75 mg daily and CCI-779 - 75 mg on days 1-7 and 14-21; 28 day cycle). Conclusions Toxicities noted in this study were expected (rash, diarrhea, stomatitis), though these occurred at unexpectedly low doses of both agents. Suggestion of clinical benefit was observed in some patients. Accrual continues to an additional cohort of patients at MTD for PD and PK studies. Supported in part by CA 15083 and CA69912
Working memory plasticity and aging

The present research explores how the trajectory of learning on a working memory task changes throughout the life span, and whether gains in working memory performance are exclusively a question of initial working memory capacity (WMC) or whether age exerts an independent effect. In a large, cross-sectional study of younger, middle-aged, and older adults, we examined learning on a widely used working memory task-the dual n-back task-over 20 sessions of practice. We found that, while all age groups improved on the task, older adults demonstrated less improvement on the task, and also reached a lower asymptotic maximum performance than younger adults. After controlling for initial WMC, we found that age exerted independent effects on training gains and asymptotic performance; older adults tended to improve less and reached lower levels of performance than younger adults. The difference between younger and older adults' rates of learning depended in part on initial WMC. These results suggest that age-related effects on working memory include not only effects on capacity, but also plasticity and the ability to improve on a task. (PsycINFO Database Record
REVISITANDO GEORG SIMMEL

This article reviews five of the most common ways in which sociologists have apprehended and represented George Simmel's oeuvre and from which an argument about his fundamental lessons are derived and elaborated. These are they: the standpoint of Simmel as aesthete, as inconsequent, as an inconstant theorist, as metaphysician and phenomenologist, and as a latent theorist. Presented in the form of counterpoints, this debate culminates in the proposal of a sixth way to apprehend Georg Simmel which illuminates major shifts in his late years' outlook - Simmel as an evolutionary theorist. Such shifts, as well as a comprehensive reading of his oeuvre, can provide points of departure for new kinds of investigation.
Exploring the Relationship between Early Childhood and Elementary Grade-Level Overlap and Early Childhood Teacher Output.

ABSTRACTThis study explores the relationship between grade-level overlap between elementary education (ELED) and early childhood education (ECED) licenses and ECED teacher output. Analysis of Title 2 data indicates that ECED/ELED overlap is extensive, as evidenced by the number of states with grade-level overlaps of 5 (n = 2), 4 (n = 24), 3 (n = 10), and 2 years (n = 7). In the 47 states with both types of credentials, ELED licensees may teach preschool in two states, kindergarten in 30, first grade in 41, second grade in 42, and third grade in 43. The percentage of ECED (relative to ELED) teacher licensure program completers is low in states where elementary licenses begin in preschool (5%), kindergarten (14%), and Grade 1 (23%), but higher in states where elementary licenses begin in Grades 2 (45%), 3 (44%), and 4 (70%).
A bivariate extension of Bleimann-Butzer-Hahn operator

Let C(R+2) be a class of continuous functions f on R+2. A bivariate extension Ln (f,x,y) of Bleimann-Butzer-Hahn operator is defined and its standard convergence properties are given. Moreover, a local analogue of Voronovskaja theorem is also given for a subclass of C(R+2).
Digital Social Media and Aggression: Memetic Rhetoric in 4chan’s Collective Identity

Abstract This article examines online aggression in digital social media. Using threads from 4chan’s /b/ board (an anonymous imageboard known for trolling and other aggressive behaviors) as a case study, the author illustrates how some aggressive behaviors online are memetic; that is, they are uncritical recapitulations of previous behaviors or of the way users believe they are “supposed” to behave. First, the author examines /b/’s technical design, ethos, and collective identity to understand the nature of the offensive content posted to the board. Then, she analyzes two threads wherein transwomen (the most vehemently denigrated identity on /b/) self-identified and how the collective identity employed its memetic responses; the first transwoman incited /b/’s memetic wrath, while the second employed identity rhetoric that ruptured the collective identity, thus effectively deterring /b/’s memetic behaviors and opening constructive dialog. This case study emphasizes the pressing need for more teacher-scholars to perform research and develop pedagogy centered on anonymous and pseudonymous social media spaces. It is imperative to disrupt negative memetic behaviors so that we can find, create, and seize more opportunities to open the kinds of productive, democratic discourses that online aggression tends to silence.
ACL Reconstruction Basics: Quadruple (4-Strand) Hamstring Autograft Harvest

Hamstring tendon autograft remains a popular graft choice for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Although there are a variety of autograft and allograft options available for ACL reconstruction, advantages of hamstring tendon autografts include decreased postoperative knee pain and an overall easier surgical recovery compared with bone patellar tendon bone autograft. In addition, 4-stranded (quadruple) hamstring grafts are among the strongest grafts biomechanically (at time equals zero). Although the technique of hamstring autograft harvest is relatively straightforward, it is critical to pay attention to several technical steps to avoid iatrogenic neurovascular damage as well as to avoid premature amputation of the graft while using a tendon stripper. In this Technical Note, we describe a technique of hamstring autograft harvest for ACL reconstruction for a quadruple (4-strand) hamstring graft using the gracilis and semitendinosus tendons.
New functionalities of potassium tantalate niobate deflectors enabled by the coexistence of pre-injected space charge and composition gradient

In most beam steering applications such as 3D printing and in vivo imaging, one of the essential challenges has been high-resolution high-speed multi-dimensional optical beam scanning. Although the pre-injected space charge controlled potassium tantalate niobate (KTN) deflectors can achieve speeds in the nanosecond regime, they deflect in only one dimension. In order to develop a high-resolution high-speed multi-dimensional KTN deflector, we studied the deflection behavior of KTN deflectors in the case of coexisting pre-injected space charge and composition gradient. We find that such coexistence can enable new functionalities of KTN crystal based electro-optic deflectors. When the direction of the composition gradient is parallel to the direction of the external electric field, the zero-deflection position can be shifted, which can reduce the internal electric field induced beam distortion, and thus enhance the resolution. When the direction of the composition gradient is perpendicular to the direction o...
Avoiding Sibling Conflict: Lessons from Dendrite Self-Avoidance in C. elegans.

In this issue of Neuron, Liao and colleagues (2018) uncover a surprising way that the guidance molecule MIG14/Wntless operates in dendrite self-avoidance in sensorimotor neurons. Not only does MIG14/Wntless not require the soluble cue Wntless, but it can mediate direct cell-cell contact at the plasma membrane. During dendrite tip contact, MIG14/Wntless drives local bursts of WASP-dependent actin filament assembly that facilitate sister dendrite repulsion.
Second generation optical coherence tomography: Preliminary experience in pancreatic and biliary strictures.

Abstract Introduction Evaluation of indeterminate biliary strictures remains a diagnostic challenge. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides in-vivo, wide-field, cross-sectional imaging at the microstructure level. We present the first preliminary data using a second-generation OCT system using volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) in biliary and pancreatic duct strictures. Methods 10 consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and OCT for indeterminate biliary or pancreatic stricture evaluation were captured in a registry. Following ductal cannulation and guidewire placement, an imaging probe was advanced into the duct and images were interpreted in-vivo. Tissue sampling with cytology brushing was performed in all cases. Demographics, procedural information, imaging data, and histologic findings were collected. Results 8 had biliary strictures and 2 had pancreatic duct strictures. VLE was successfully performed in all patients (100%). Histology revealed malignancy in 3 patients (cholangiocarcinoma) and benign disease in the remaining 7 patients, including 1 with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). All 3 cholangiocarcinoma patients demonstrated epithelial thickening with projections, a hyper-reflective surface with shadowing, and layering effacement (loss of visualization and haziness of inner mucosal layers). A PSC patient showed onion skin layering and hyper-reflective sub-surface structures but with preserved wall layering. Benign biliary strictures showed clearly delineated epithelial layer and clear layering in the inner mucosal layers as well as the presence of dilated hypo-reflective structures. Conclusion There may be characteristic VLE findings for malignant, inflammatory, and benign biliary strictures.
Food Security, Utilization of Food Assistance Programs, and Caregiver Perceptions of Food-Induced Anaphylaxis Risk in Children with Food Allergies

This study provides a preliminary investigation of food insecurity (FIS), food assistance program utilization (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP], food banks), and history of food-ind...
Allowable Strength of Viscoelastic Materials Under Variable Thermal Loads

Solid propellant rocket motors stored outdoors without thermal protection are subjected to variable amplitude thermal stresses. It has been shown(1,2) that the storage life of such motors can be calculated from the probability of failure that in turn is determined from a stress-strength interference analysis. Such a techique compares the statistical distribution of induced thermal stresses with the distribution of material strength. For visco-elastic materials both the induced stress and the allowable strength are functions of temperature and rate of loading as well as aging and cumulative damage.
Improving Biomedical Document Retrieval by Mining Domain Knowledge

When research articles introduce new findings or concepts they typically relate them only to knowledge and domain concepts of immediate relevance. However, many domain concepts relevant for the article and its findings are omitted in the text. This may prevent us from retrieving articles of interest when executing a search query. Approaches such as probabilistic latent semantic indexing (PLSI) overcome this limitation by projecting terms in articles to a lower dimensional latent space and best possible matches in this space are identified. Nevertheless, this approach may not perform well enough if the number of explicit knowledge concepts in the articles is too small compared to the amount of knowledge in the domain. The objective of this paper is to address the problem by exploiting a domain knowledge layer: a rich network of associations among knowledge concepts in the domain of interest. We present a new document retrieval framework that i) extracts associations among knowledge concepts from many documents in the literature corpus; ii) and exploits them to improve the retrieval of relevant documents. We test our approach on the problem of retrieval of biomedical documents and show that it outperforms standard Lucene and BM25 information-retrieval methods.
Types of Low Frequency Instabilities in Rotating Detonation Combustors

Rotating detonation combustors (RDC) offer a significant prospective increase in stagnation pressure across it owing to the presence of one or more rotating detonation waves spinning inside the combustor at the kilohertz regime. Naturally, considerable research impetus has been directed towards this technology in recent years to understand the driving mechanics to harness the associated potential of pressure gain combustion (PGC). One such area of focus has been the off-design operating modes of these devices which cause a myriad of instabilities. The current paper is focused towards the discussion of one such instability regime—low frequency instabilities (LFI)—in RDCs. We review three types of LFIs in RDCs based on prior findings, and propose mechanisms for the same.
Late Neogene Sirius Group strata in Reedy valley, Antarctica : a multiple-resolution record of climate, ice-sheet and sea-level events

Late Neogene Sirius Group strata from Tillite Spur and Quartz Hills in the Reedy Glacier area, Antarctica, demonstrate the variability in Sirius Group facies and contrasts Sirius Group strata deposited at high and low paleo-elevation, respectively. The Tillite Spur and Quartz Hills Formations (Pliocene) are formally defined here. The Tillite Spur Formation type section crops out on the edge of the Wisconsin Plateau overlooking Tillite Spur. It comprises 32 m of alternating coarse gray conglomerate and muddy olive-brown diamictites. The Quartz Hills Formation type section crops out above the western margin of Reedy Glacier in a pre-existing cirque towards the southern end of the Quartz Hills. It comprises c. 100 m of alternating massive diamictites and rhythmically interbedded sandstone and laminated mudstones which were deposited close to sea level and subsequently rapidly uplifted ( >500 m Myr -1 ) to their present elevation at c. 1500 m. Three orders of paleoclimatic variability are recorded in the Sirius Group strata from Reedy Valley: (1) recycled marine microfloras in glacial diamictites indicate intervals of marine incursion into the Antarctic cratonic interior co-occurring with reductions in the East Antarctic ice sheet; (2) an advancing and retreating paleo-Reedy Glacier deposited a glacial/interglacial sequence alternating on a 10-100 kyr scale; (3) Centimeter and millimeter stratification in strata of the Quartz Hills Formation record annual kyr scale variability.
Standard Proteoforms and Their Complexes for Native Mass Spectrometry

Native mass spectrometry (nMS) is a technique growing at the interface of analytical chemistry, structural biology, and proteomics that enables the detection and partial characterization of non-covalent protein assemblies. Currently, the standardization and dissemination of nMS is hampered by technical challenges associated with instrument operation, benchmarking, and optimization over time. Here, we provide a standard operating procedure for acquiring high-quality native mass spectra of 30–300 kDa proteins using an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. By describing reproducible sample preparation, loading, ionization, and nMS analysis, we forward two proteoforms and three complexes as possible standards to advance training and longitudinal assessment of instrument performance. Spectral data for five standards can guide assessment of instrument parameters, data production, and data analysis. By introducing this set of standards and protocols, we aim to help normalize native mass spectrometry practices across labs and provide benchmarks for reproducibility and high-quality data production in the years ahead.
MULES on the sidelines: A vision-based assessment tool for sports-related concussion.

Abstract Objective The Mobile Universal Lexicon Evaluation System (MULES) is a test of rapid picture naming under investigation. Measures of rapid automatic naming (RAN) have been used for over 50 years to capture aspects of vision and cognition. MULES was designed as a series of 54 grouped color photographs (fruits, random objects, animals) that integrates saccades, color perception and contextual object identification. We examined MULES performance in youth, collegiate and professional athletes at pre-season baseline and at the sidelines following concussion. Methods Our study teams administered the MULES to youth, collegiate and professional athletes during pre-season baseline testing. Sideline post-concussion time scores were compared to pre-season baseline scores among athletes with concussion to determine degrees and directions of change. Results Among 681 athletes (age 17 ± 4 years, range 6–37, 38% female), average test times at baseline were 41.2 ± 11.2 s. The group included 280 youth, 357 collegiate and 44 professional athletes; the most common sports were ice hockey (23%), soccer (17%) and football (11%). Age was a predictor of MULES test times, with longer times noted for younger participants (P Conclusions Concussed athletes demonstrate worsening performance on the MULES test compared to their baseline time scores. This test samples a wide network of brain pathways and complements other vision-based measures for sideline concussion assessment. The MULES test demonstrates capacity to identify athletes with sports-related concussion.
Who Breathes the Smoke: Technologies for Community-Based Natural Resource Management

While technologists have investigated environmental sustainability and conservation problems from a variety of angles, rural communities who manage natural resources have underexplored opportunities to benefit from new technologies. Many rural, Indigenous, and non-industrialized communities around the world have developed mature environmental governance structures and practiced effective resource management for thousands of years, and western environmental studies are increasingly recognizing the importance of social, cultural, and institutional factors. To date, technologists' engagement with community-based environmental management has been sparse for reasons including cultural differences between rural resource managers and urban technologists, underdevelopment of participant-led research methods, and the up-front investment needed to deploy technologies in remote and low-income settings. We argue that the time is ripe for engagement between technologists and community-based resource management institutions, and use we Elinor Ostrom's design principals for common resource governance to suggest potential technology applications: such as defining and communicating about resource boundaries, mutual monitoring among resource users, and social capacity building. To achieve the best environmental outcomes, technologists need to adopt participant-led research methods that leverage local communities' expertise about their own environments, social institutions, and cultural norms.
Effects of Grade and School Services on Children's Responsibility for Hearing Aid Care

Purpose We investigated trends in hearing aid maintenance and assumption of responsibility for hearing aids in school-age children who are hard of hearing. Specifically, we examined the extent to w...
The Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Diabetes Severity.

Objective: The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a recently developed dietary inflammation assessment tool. The current study examined the association between DII and the presence and severity of diabetes in adults age ≥20 years. Research Design and Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 4434 adult participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2013 to 2014). The DII was calculated based on 24-hour dietary recall data. Linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate the relationship and control for possible confounding factors. Results: Among 4434 participants, mean age was 49.4 years, mean BMI (body mass index) was 29.3 kg/m2, and mean DII (higher is more inflammatory) was 0.65 (range, −3.41 to +9.05). The mean DII scores in participants with and without diabetes were 0.79 and 0.50, respectively (P = .0098). Participants with Hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) >9% had higher DII scores than those with 6.5% to 9% HgbA1c (1.37 vs 0.54, P = .0002) and those with Conclusions: The DII had a significant association with diabetes and a stronger association when HgbA1c >9%. Further research will help clarify the association between inflammation and diet and the utility of the DII as a tool in risk assessment and management of patients with diabetes.
Anal Fistula Plug

Anal fistula plug is a surgical option for treatment of complex fistula-in-ano. This chapter describes indications, essential steps, variations, and complications of this procedure. It provides a detailed template operative note for the procedure.
Modeling and Analysis of the Multiannual Cholera Outbreaks with Host-Pathogen Encounters

Re-emergence of cholera threatens people’s health globally. However, its periodic re-emerging outbreaks are still poorly understood. In this paper, we develop a simple ordinary differential equatio...
Distributed Consensus for Mobile Devices using Online Brokers

We present a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) distributed ledger protocol that is aimed at making mobile devices first-class citizens in the consensus process by having them communicate through online brokers. The protocol is provably safe and live. We show that it is capable of a throughput on the order of several thousand transactions per second per shard, and sub-second confirmation latency.
Learning a second language

We present a system, called IMMIGRANT, which learns rules about the grammar of a second language from instructions. We explore the implications of this task on the representation of linguistic knowledge in a natural language understanding system. We conclude that the internal representation of linguistic knowledge used in IMMIGRANT, which is unification-based, is more amenable to language learning from instructions than other representation schemes.
What is biodiversity conservation? : This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Biodiversity Conservation

Conservation science is a new and evolving discipline, so it seems prudent to explore different approaches. That said, we should examine what we know and, vitally, what works to conserve biodiversity and what does not. Ecosystem processes determine the fate of many species, but many attempts to theorise about ecosystems have led to ever more fanciful descriptions of nature. All conservation is local. It will only succeed if we find ways to accommodate people and nature. That does not mean indigenous knowledge acquired over millennia will be sufficient to our ever more overcrowded planet. Observational and experimental studies of small populations of wild species, however, do provide practical insights into how to manage biodiversity across much larger geographical extents.
The role of Zn2+-doping on the surface chemistry of poly(vinylidene difluoride) thin films

Abstract Thin films of poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) doped with zinc nitrate spin-cast onto silicon substrates were studied by optical profilometry, infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The spin-cast films were found to be significantly nonuniform having variations on the order of hundreds of nanometers across tens of microns for films with low zinc ion content and with pores that extend through the entire film thickness. As the Zn2+ content increases both the porosity and the amount of β-phase of the PVDF in the bulk of the films increase. The depth of some of the pores allowed investigation of both the polymer/air and polymer/substrate interface. The increased porosity of the doped films is tentatively attributed to Marangoni effects.
Architecture and Ritual in the Churches of Constantinople: Ninth to Fifteenth Centuries

1. Liturgical ritual: the shape and development of the Byzantine rite 2. The sanctuary and the templon 3. The naos 4. The narthex and the exonarthex 5. Subsidiary spaces: chapels, outer ambulatories, outer aisles, crypts, atria, and related spaces 6. Non-liturgical use of churches Appendix: catalogue of churches Glossary of terms.