cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus OrfA Is Distinct from Other Lentivirus Transactivators

The feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) accessory factor, OrfA, facilitates transactivation of transcription directed by elements of the viral long terminal repeat (LTR). In order to map OrfA domains required for this transactivation, we used N- and C-terminal deletion constructs of the protein, expressed in a Gal4-based transactivation system. The results demonstrated that FIV OrfA, unlike other lentiviral transactivators such as visna virus Tat, is unable to transactivate from minimal promoter-based reporters and requires additional elements of the viral LTR. Stable CrFK-based cell lines were prepared that expressed OrfA to readily detectable levels and in which we were able to demonstrate 32-fold transactivation of an LTR-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct. Transactivation was heavily dependent on the presence of an ATF site within the viral LTR. Changing the translation initiation codon context substantially increased the level of production of OrfA from a bicistronic message that also encodes Rev. In the presence of a more favorable context sequence, the upstream expression of OrfA increased 21-fold, with only a 0.5-fold drop in downstream Rev expression. This suggests that Rev translation may occur via an internal ribosomal entry site rather than by leaky scanning.
Circannual inter-relationships among reproductive hormones, gross morphometry, behaviour, ejaculate characteristics and testicular histology in Eld's deer stags (Cervus eldi thamin).

Blood samples, morphometric measurements and behavioural data were collected weekly for 52 weeks from six adult Eld's deer stags exposed to natural fluctuations in photoperiod (38 degrees N latitude). Mean (+/- SEM) serum LH concentrations reached peak values in the autumn (October), three months before FSH and testosterone concentrations reached peak values in early winter (January). Prolactin concentrations were inversely related (r = -0.733, P 80%) was detected in the autumn. Histological assessments of the regressed testis (July) revealed fewer germ cells undergoing spermatogenesis and an increased incidence of degenerating and abnormal cell types. In summary, Eld's deer exhibit a circannual hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal cycle with onset of pituitary activation occurring during the autumn and winter, whereas gonadal activity peaks during the winter and spring as daylengths are increasing. Marked circannual variations in circulating prolactin suggest that Eld's deer may use photoperiodic cues to modulate seasonal fertility; however, the existence of an endogenous seasonal rhythm operating independently of photoperiod cannot be excluded.
Representativeness-based sampling network design for the State of Alaska

Resource and logistical constraints limit the frequency and extent of environmental observations, particularly in the Arctic, necessitating the development of a systematic sampling strategy to maximize coverage and objectively represent environmental variability at desired scales. A quantitative methodology for stratifying sampling domains, informing site selection, and determining the representativeness of measurement sites and networks is described here. Multivariate spatiotemporal clustering was applied to down-scaled general circulation model results and data for the State of Alaska at 4 km2 resolution to define multiple sets of ecoregions across two decadal time periods. Maps of ecoregions for the present (2000–2009) and future (2090–2099) were produced, showing how combinations of 37 characteristics are distributed and how they may shift in the future. Representative sampling locations are identified on present and future ecoregion maps. A representativeness metric was developed, and representativeness maps for eight candidate sampling locations were produced. This metric was used to characterize the environmental similarity of each site. This analysis provides model-inspired insights into optimal sampling strategies, offers a framework for up-scaling measurements, and provides a down-scaling approach for integration of models and measurements. These techniques can be applied at different spatial and temporal scales to meet the needs of individual measurement campaigns.
Predictors of ambulatory function after decompressive surgery for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression.

OBJECTIVE: Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) is a relatively com- mon and debilitating complication of metastatic disease that often results in neurolog- ical deficits. This study was designed to explore associations with maintaining and regaining ambulatory function after decompressive surgery for MESCC. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients undergoing decompressive surgery for MESCC at an academic tertiary care institution between 1995 and 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. Fisher's exact analysis was used to compare preoperative ambulatory and nonambulatory patients. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify associations with either maintaining or regaining the ability to walk. RESULTS: Patients were followed for 7.1 � 1.6 (meanstandard deviation) months after surgery. Preoperative nonambulatory patients required more extensive surgery (increased operative spinal levels and number of laminectomies) and had more surgi- cal site complications (wound dehiscences and cerebrospinal fluid leaks) compared with preoperative ambulatory patients. From the multivariate analysis, preoperative ability to walk (relative risk (RR), 2.320; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.301-4.416; P � 0.01) independently increased the likelihood of ambulation at the last follow-up evaluation 2.3-fold. Pathological vertebral compression fracture at presentation (RR, 0.471; 95% CI, 0.235-0.864; P � 0.01) independently decreased the likelihood of ambulation at the time of the last follow-up evaluation 2.1-fold. For patients unable to walk at the time of surgery, preoperative radiation therapy (RR, 0.406; 95% CI, 0.124-0.927; P � 0.03) decreased the likelihood of regaining the ability to walk 2.5- fold. Symptoms present for less than 48 hours (RR, 2.925; 95% CI, 1.133-2.925; P � 0.02) and postoperative radiotherapy (RR, 2.595; 95% CI, 1.039-8.796; P � 0.04) inde- pendently increased the likelihood of regaining ambulatory ability 2.9- and 2.6-fold, respec- tively, by the time of last follow-up evaluation. CONCLUSION: The identification of these associations with neurological outcome may help guide in the preservation or return of ambulation after surgery for patients with MESCC.
Agreement between the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score and NHSN criteria for surveillance of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia

This study evaluated the utility of the original and modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) compared with the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance definition of VAP. The kappa statistic was 0.81 when comparing original CPIS and NHSN and 0.39 when comparing modified CPIS and NHSN. The CPIS score has good correlation with NHSN criteria but does not offer a major advantage over NHSN criteria for VAP surveillance. Further research is essential to identify an optimal reference standard for VAP surveillance.
Prospective therapeutics for age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects predominantly individuals during the sixth decade of life and is the commonest cause of visual impairment and irreversible blindness in the Western world. There is no medical treatment for AMD and only a very small number of subjects with late stage disease are amenable to a palliative and minimally effective laser photocoagulation therapy. The molecular mechanism underling AMD is not fully understood and is the major obstacle in the development of aetiologic and prophylactic treatments. However, the genes responsible for certain rare retinal degenerative diseases (with pathological features similar to those of AMD) have been discovered. This helps in the understanding of the pathogenetic mechanism of AMD and provides a source of potential therapeutic targets. Furthermore, the new ocular drug delivery systems that provide a means to overcome the systemic adverse effects of potentially effective drugs and allow the use of those drugs with narrow therapeutic in...
Molecular Basis of Calcium Signaling in Lymphocytes: STIM and ORAI

Ca2+ entry into cells of the peripheral immune system occurs through highly Ca2+-selective channels known as CRAC (calcium release-activated calcium) channels. CRAC channels are a very well-characterized example of store-operated Ca2+ channels, so designated because they open when the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ store becomes depleted. Physiologically, Ca2+ is released from the ER lumen into the cytoplasm when activated receptors couple to phospholipase C and trigger production of the second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). IP3 binds to IP3 receptors in the ER membrane and activates Ca2+ release. The proteins STIM and ORAI were discovered through limited and genome-wide RNAi screens, respectively, performed in Drosophila cells and focused on identifying modulators of store-operated Ca2+ entry. STIM1 and STIM2 sense the depletion of ER Ca2+ stores, whereas ORAI1 is a pore subunit of the CRAC channel. In this review, we discuss selected aspects of Ca2+ signaling in cells of the immune syste...
Patients with Retinal Vasculitis Rarely Suffer from Systemic Vasculitis

Objectives Systemic vasculitis is often mistakenly assumed to be a common cause of retinal vasculitis. We sought to determine the relationship between retinal vasculitis and systemic vasculitis. Methods A selected review was performed on 1390 charts of patients attending the uveitis clinic at the Oregon Health and Science University between 1985 and 2010. Included in the review were all patients with diagnoses commonly associated with retinal vasculitis and all patients who were diagnosed with a systemic vasculitis. Retinal vasculitis was identified by perivascular exudates, intraretinal hemorrhage, or cotton wool spots as seen on clinical examination or by vascular occlusion or leakage as identified by fluorescein angiogram. Results Two hundred seven or 14.9% of patients with uveitis had retinal vasculitis as a component of the intraocular inflammation. Thirty-five patients had retinal vasculitis that was primary, ie, not associated with a systemic disease, and the dominant manifestation of the uveitis. Fourteen of the patients with retinal vasculitis had Behcet's disease. Only 11 of the 1390 patients with uveitis had a systemic vasculitis. Of these 11, four had retinal vasculitis including 1 secondary to a cytomegalovirus retinitis. Thus, systemic vasculitis was directly responsible for 1.4% or 3 of 207 cases of retinal vasculitis. Nonvasculitic systemic diseases such as sarcoidosis ( n = 13), syndromes confined to the eye such as pars planitis ( n = 36), and intraocular infections ( n = 29) were far more common causes of retinal vasculitis. Conclusions Retinal vasculitis is a relatively common feature of uveitis. Patients with retinal vasculitis, however, rarely suffer from 1 of the classical systemic vasculitides.
Anatomy of the southern Cordilleran hingeline, Utah and Nevada, from deep electrical resistivity profiling

To address outstanding questions in Mesozoic‐Cenozoic structure and present‐day deep physicochemical state in the region of the southern Cordilleran hingeline, a detailed, east‐west profile of magnetotelluric (MT) soundings 155 km in length was acquired. From these soundings, a resistivity interpretation was produced using an inversion algorithm based on a structural parameterization. In the upper ten kilometers of the transect, the interpretation shows two segments of low resistivity lying beneath allochthonous rocks of the Late Mesozoic, Sevier thrust sheet. Subsequent industry drilling motivated in part by our surveying confirms the existence and position of the eastern subthrust conductor and, more spectacularly, identifies the presence of yet deeper, autochthonous Mesozoic rocks. The conductors cannot be specified uniquely with present public data, because their electrical characteristics appear consistent with Paleozoic, pyrolized graphitic strata of either Late Devonian‐Mississippian or Middle Ordo...
Structural and Functional Dissection of Mif2p, a Conserved DNA-binding Kinetochore Protein

Mif2p is the budding-yeast orthologue of the mammalian centromere-binding protein CENP-C. We have mapped domains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mif2p and studied the phenotyptic consequences of their deletion. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we have further shown that Mif2p binds in the CDEIII region of the budding-yeast centromere, probably in close spatial association with Ndc10p. Moreover, ChIP experiments show that Mif2p recruits to yeast kinetochores a substantial subset of inner and outer kinetochore proteins, but not the Ndc80 or Spc105 complexes. We have determined the crystal structure of the C-terminal, dimerization domain of Mif2p. It has a “cupin” fold, extremely similar both in polypeptide chain conformation and in dimer geometry to the dimerization domain of a bacterial transcription factor. The Mif2p dimer seems to be part of an enhanceosome-like structure that nucleates kinetochore assembly in budding yeast.
A System Dynamics Model for Automation

A system dynamics model is presented in this paper along with the results of simulation of some policies and their consequences automation. The automation seems to be the answer for faster growth and development throughout the world whether or not there is excessive labor or its shortage in a nation. Higher productivity, lower costs, better quality of products and services, remaining competitive and new innovations are benefits of automation and they are very important factors in industrialization and as well as in sustaining the jobs in the long run. Very often, particularly in the developing countries, the politicians either exploit or in most cases misunderstand the total effects of automation and computerization. In India, for example, computerization of even very important services like airlines and trail reservations, insurance and banking have suffered due to political decisions for two decades. Only recently they have realized their mistakes and are trying to catch up. This simple system dynamics model can be easily used for systems analysis to study the effects of automation and thus can help in making strategic decisions in automation and policy guidelines formulations.
Cache-efficient dynamic programming algorithms for multicores

We present cache-efficient chip multiprocessor (CMP) algorithms with good speed-up for some widely used dynamic programming algorithms. We consider three types of caching systems for CMPs: D-CMP with a private cache for each core, S-CMP with a single cache shared by all cores, and Multicore, which has private L1 caches and a shared L2 cache. We derive results for three classes of problems: local dependency dynamic programming (LDDP), Gaussian Elimination Paradigm (GEP), and parenthesis problem.For each class of problems, we develop a generic CMP algorithm with an associated tiling sequence. We then tailor this tiling sequence to each caching model and provide a parallel schedule that results in a cache-efficient parallel execution up to the critical path length of the underlying dynamic programming algorithm.We present experimental results on an 8-core Opteron for two sequence alignment problems that are important examples of LDDP. Our experimental results show good speed-ups for simple versions of our algorithms.
Experiences Building a Standards-Based Service Description Repository

Approaches to Web service composition are dependent upon some form of repository to hold service descriptions. Most service composition software relies upon highly-optimized and proprietary formats for representing service descriptions and storing them into a repository. Unlike these approaches, this paper reports on the development and evolution of a standards-based service description repository. The evolutionary aspect of the described service description repository is of interest as it provides insight into the rapidly changing landscape of semantic technologies and tools; from topic maps to triple-spaces. The work described in this paper is contextualized against the backdrop of the Web services challenge an annual software competition which fosters research in the realm of Web service discovery and composition.
Monitoring sag and tension of a tilted transmission line using geometric transformation

The electrical transmission infrastructure, in the US has witnessed severe environmental hazards, accidents and in countries like Columbia, Pakistan, and India malicious attacks leading to the sabotage of transmission towers. The physical security of the national electric grid has largely been evaluated through examination of the effect of the physical disruption on the associated electrical quantities. To ensure safe and reliable operation of the power system, detection of tower tilt and its effect on the sag and tension at the initial stage of the disruption is indispensable. The use of the concept of geometric transformation for each phase of a tilted tension section of a high voltage transmission line to evaluate line sag-tension is proposed. The accuracy of the method is compared with the more complex, nonlinear finite element method used in PLS-CADD software. Different combinations of tangent towers tilt in a tension section are studied for sag-tension calculation including conductor temperature effect. Appropriate warning alarms are generated in case of considerable changes in the sag-tension values or violations of limits, enabling operators to take designated actions in initial stages of the physical disruption.
A Biochemical and Ultrastructural Study of Skeletal Muscle from Rats Fed a Magnesium-Deficient Diet

In order to study changes in skeletal muscle during a magnesium deficiency, serum and muscle tissues were collected from male Sprague-Dawley rats fed either a control or magnesium-deficient diet. The rats were killed on days 7, 10, 14, 17, 19, 21 and 26 of the experiment. Ion concentrations in serum and muscle were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, taurine concentrations of serum and muscle were determined by the Pentz method, and ultrastructural changes in skeletal muscle were detected with the use of the transmission electron microscope. The results indicated an increase in serum taurine which preceded an increase in muscle taurine concentration in rats fed a magnesium-deficient diet. The electron micrographs showed a swelling of mitochondria on day 14 of the deficiency and a total disorganization of the sarcoplasmic reticulum by day 26. In conclusion, in skeletal muscle from rats fed a magnesium-deficient diet, major ultrastructural changes apparently occur after the serum magnesium concentration is reduced and about the same time as muscle taurine concentration becomes elevated. The changes may be initiated by alterations in membrane permeability which may be influenced by taurine, since taurine has been shown to influence ion movement across membranes or membrane stability.
Fastow and Arthur Andersen: Some Reflections on Corporate Criminality, Victim Status, and Retribution

This essay, part of a symposium entitled "The Criminal Law and Policing Corporate Conduct," uses some of the prosecutions arising from the recent business scandals to explore the criminal law's approach to cases in which the law can describe the same person as both the perpetrator and the victim of a single course of conduct. The essay suggests that the criminal prosecution of a corporation will be less appropriate when the corporation is also the victim of the conduct and that the importance of this "victim" status derives more from retributive than utilitarian concerns. Mixing the philosophical with the doctrinal, the essay surveys the treatment of victim-perpetrators in other areas of the criminal law and offers some potential explanations for why such prosecutions generally are barred. The essay concludes by discussing what appropriate treatment of victim-perpetrators might suggest about the relevance of retributive justifications for punishment in the corporate context.
What (If Anything) Does Approval of the Stelly Plan Portend for Tax Reform in Louisiana

The author suggests that, although voters approved a tax reform plan in November 2002, Lousiana needs more tax reform. Louisiana's tax structure still is regressive and the state still is too dependent on the sales tax, the author says.
A Case Control Study of Diabetes During Pregnancy and Low Milk Supply

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether a history of diabetes during pregnancy, as a marker of perinatal glucose intolerance, increases the odds of a diagnosis of low milk supply at a Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic (BMC). Materials and Methods: A case-control analysis was conducted of electronic medical records for BMC visits <90 days postpartum. Diabetes was defined as documentation of gestational, type 1, or type 2 diabetes. Cases were defined as those with a low milk supply diagnosis but without latch or nipple problems, and controls as those with latch or nipple problems but without low milk supply. A sensitivity analysis was then conducted by expanding cases to include all low milk supply diagnoses, and controls to include any diagnoses except low milk supply. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for diabetes were calculated in cases versus controls, including adjustment for cesarean delivery, preterm birth, polycystic ovary syndrome, hypothyroidism, and ...
Regulatory actions of human stretch reflex

1. The stretch reflex in the elbow flexor musculature was studied in 23 human subjects. The subjects were required to establish an initial force equivalent to 10% maximum at a prescribed initial length; mechanical disturbances delivered at random times increased load force to 15% or reduced it to 5%. We measured arm force, displacement, and EMG (usually biceps); acceleration was calculated from displacement, and average responses from sets of 10 like trials. 2. Modification of the stretch reflex was studied by comparing average responses obtained with different instructions, but with the same disturbance. The usual introductions were "compensate for arm deflection" and "do not intervene voluntarily". The initial response did not depend on instruction; changes in response that depended on instruction began abruptly after a latent period which ranged from 70 to 320 ms (measured from force and acceleration), depending on conditions and subject. The latency became longer (10-50 ms) and more variable when the subject did not know the direction of disturbance in advance. This and other observations indicate that modifications of the stretch reflex are not produced by servo actions. They are produced by triggered reactions, which occur at both short and long latencies and which have properties resembling the movements produced in a reaction-time task. 3. We confirmed that most subjects can suppress triggered reactions when the instruction calls for no intervention, leaving an unmodified reflex response. This response consists of a compliant deflection of the arm in the direction of the disturbance. 4. The compensatory actions associated with unmodified stretch (and unloading) reflexes were assessed from EMG responses of biceps. During a 300-ms transient phase, EMG changes were notably asymmetric when responses to symmetric disturbances were compared. Increased force stretched biceps and produced a prominent increase in EMG, whereas decreased force allowed biceps to shorten and produced either an EMG decrease of smaller magnitude or an actual increase. These asymmetric reflex actions produced quite symmetric mechanical responses (arm displacements and forces), which implies the existence of and compensation for nonlinear muscle mechanical properties. This result is discussed in relation to the hypothesis that the function of the stretch reflex is to compensate for variations in muscle properties, thus maintaining stiffness. 5. Effective control of muscle length or joint position does not result from servo action by the stretch reflex. Errors in position are corrected only when triggered reactions are superimposed on the reflex response.
Interaction between V1 and V2 effects in hemodynamic response to vasopressin in dogs.

We investigated in conscious, chronically instrumented dogs whether actions mediated by V1 receptors affect cardiovascular effects elicited by V2-like receptors in response to vasopressin or vasopressin analogues. Infused arginine vasopressin (AVP) (220 pg.kg-1.min-1) did not have any significant effect on arterial pressure, cardiac output (CO), and heart rate (HR) when it was preceded by administration of a V1 receptor antagonist. However, when the same antagonist was administered 1 h after the start of the same infusion of AVP, CO, and HR increased significantly above control pre-AVP values, and total peripheral resistance (TPR) fell significantly below control. When a combined V1+V2 receptor antagonist was administered after 1 h of AVP infusion at the same rate, CO, HR, and TPR returned to, but not beyond, control values. When a selective V1 agonist was infused for 1 h, the administration of a V1 antagonist also returned hemodynamic values to, but not beyond, control. These results suggest that 1-h administration of AVP sensitized V2-like receptors to moderate levels of circulating AVP. In another set of experiments, the administration of a selective V1 agonist blunted significantly the CO and HR increase as well as the decrease in TPR normally associated with injection of a selective V2 agonist. However, administration of phenylephrine did not reduce these V2-mediated effects. We conclude that there are significant interactions between V1 and V2-like receptors in the cardiovascular system of conscious dogs, whereby V1 effects appear to 1) immediately antagonize the action of V2 agonists and 2) sensitize the organism to cardiovascular effects mediated by V2-like receptors after a prolonged exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Disseminated tuberculosis with prostatic abscesses in an immunocompromised patient—A case report and review of literature

We describe a case of disseminated Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mTB) with prostatic abscess in a newly diagnosed HIV patient in the United States. The patient is a 34 year-old male who presented with respiratory symptoms and was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS complicated by disseminated mTB infection of the lungs, liver, and prostate. His prostate showed abscess formation on imaging that required drainage however he did not present with any genitourinary complaints. Our literature review revealed that prostatic involvement in mTB in the form of granulomatous prostatitis is uncommon; however, abscess formation is extremely rare and only few such cases have been published. Nearly 50% of the patients with prostatic abscess formation present without symptoms and therefore a high level of suspicion should be maintained; imaging should be performed early and prophylactic antibiotics for non-specific urinary symptoms should be avoided as this may lead to drug resistance of mTB to flouroquinolones.
Regulation of Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes and Drug Metabolism by Inflammatory Responses

Abstract Inflammation caused by activation of innate immune responses can have a significant impact on drug metabolism via regulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes, particularly the cytochrome P450s. Clinical evidence exists for significant impact of viral, bacterial, and parasitic as well as sterile inflammatory diseases in humans. Proinflammatory cytokines known to regulate hepatic acute phase proteins are also the major players in regulating drug-metabolizing enzymes, although their relative roles may vary according to the specific disease state. Downregulation can result in increased incidence of adverse effects, or reduced bioactivation of drugs or toxicants, and is the basis for disease-dependent interactions of antiinflammatory therapeutic proteins with small-molecule drugs. Mechanisms behind these effects include direct and indirect transcriptional suppression as well as posttranscriptional mechanisms, including microRNA and nitric oxide‒mediated effects.
Writ large: Genomic dissection of the effect of cellular environment on immune response

Cells of the immune system routinely respond to cues from their local environment and feed back to their surroundings through transient responses, choice of differentiation trajectories, plastic changes in cell state, and malleable adaptation to their tissue of residence. Genomic approaches have opened the way for comprehensive interrogation of such orchestrated responses. Focusing on genomic profiling of transcriptional and epigenetic cell states, we discuss how they are applied to investigate immune cells faced with various environmental cues. We highlight some of the emerging principles on the role of dense regulatory circuitry, epigenetic memory, cell type fluidity, and reuse of regulatory modules in achieving and maintaining appropriate responses to a changing environment. These provide a first step toward a systematic understanding of molecular circuits in complex tissues.
Fractional-N phase locked loop design and applications

This paper presents fractional-N sigma-delta phase locked loop (PLL) applications and design. Applications focus primarily on wireless communication and clock synthesizers. Fractional-N PLL architectures are described in detail. The performance of multi-stage noise shaping (MASH) and single-loop sigma-delta modulators is compared. Constraints on PLL loop bandwidth while using sigma-delta modulators is discussed. The causes of fractional spurs and spur reduction techniques are demonstrated.
Analytical and experimental optimization of external gate resistance for safe rapid turn on of normally off GaN HFETs

This paper presents an analytical framework, supplemented with experimental validation, for optimizing the value of the external gate resistance employed in power conversion circuits using EPC enhancement-mode GaN transistors. A second order analytical model of the GaN device is utilized to determine a function that relates the external gate resistance to the peak gate voltage during turn-on. The results obtained from the analytical model were experimentally validated in a double pulse-test. The derived model allows for optimal selection of gate resistances such that GaN HFETs can be switched as rapidly as possible while keeping them in their safe operating region.
Acceptability of peer clinical observation by faculty members.

SummaryBackground Most doctors are not observed in the actual practice of medicine after they complete training. Direct observation and feedback are seen as invaluable in learning in most other professions, at formative stages of medical training and in other aspects of academic medicine, yet are not performed at the level of the independently practicing clinician. Creating an opportunity for faculty member development based on observation of clinical practice is needed for continued growth and competence as a clinician. Methods Independently practicing clinicians within our practice volunteered to both observe and be observed by a colleague in clinical practice, and then both give and receive feedback. Pairs of clinicians with similar experience levels were created. The person being observed set the ground rules for feedback to promote a safe environment. Results Most respondents found both observing and being observed useful, comfortable experiences, which were better than most other continuing professional development (CPD) initiatives. Both observing and being observed seemed to lead to reflection on practice and a change in practice by most participants. Most respondents would like to participate again. Both observing and being observed seemed to lead to reflection on practice Discussion Next steps include expanding the programme within our group and to other departments within our institution. There is potential to use this programme as a model for CPD credit. An intradepartmental programme in which participants receive CPD credit for the observation of their practice of medicine could meet the primary goal of CPD, ensuring doctors are competent and continue to develop in an efficient, meaningful and cost-effective way.
Social work and hospitality: An oral history of Edith Stolzenberg

Edith Richman Stolzenberg (1913–2004) was the first woman to be hired as a social worker in Hartford Public High School in Hartford, Connecticut. In a career that spanned 60 years and much of 20th-...
Lou Sullivan Diaries: 1974–1975

Sullivan and Tom continue their long-distance relationship, with Sullivan in Milwaukee and Tom in San Francisco. Sullivan still experiments with his male identity as Lou, while informally advising others who identify in some way as trans. Eventually Tom moves back to Milwaukee, where he is depressed, unemployed, and drinking heavily. Sullivan and Tom struggle with Tom’s depression, Sullivan’s identity as Lou, and Sullivan’s close relationship with Lawrence. Later, Sullivan and Tom develop a friendship with Mitchel, with whom Sullivan also has intimate relations. Finally, Sullivan and Tom decide to move to San Francisco together. There, Sullivan tries to find a job while dressing in men’s clothes, which are now his normal couture. The chapter concludes as he secures employment, an event that he communicates in diary-letters to friends and family in Milwaukee.
Value-Added Models for Teacher Evaluation and Accountability: Commonsense Assumptions:

Despite the concerns regarding value-added models (VAMs), advocates hold strong to VAMs’ theoretical strengths and potentials, while adopting a set of agreed-upon albeit “heroic” set of assumptions, without research in support. These assumptions transcend promotional, policy, media, and research-based pieces, but they have never been made explicit as analyzed as a set or whole. The purpose of this study was to make unambiguous the assumptions that have been made within the VAM narrative that have often been accepted without challenge, and situate these assumptions within the research. Sources for analyses included 470 pieces, published within traditional and nontraditional outlets, from which we derived 27 prevailing assumptions.
Measuring and Improving the Core Resilience of Networks

The concept of k-cores is important for understanding the global structure of networks, as well as for identifying central or important nodes within a network. It is often valuable to understand the resilience of the k-cores of a network to attacks and dropped edges (i.e., damaged communications links). We provide a formal definition of a network»s core resilience, and examine the problem of characterizing core resilience in terms of the network»s structural features: in particular, which structural properties cause a network to have high or low core resilience? To measure this, we introduce two novel node properties,Core Strength andCore Influence, which measure the resilience of individual nodes» core numbers and their influence on other nodes» core numbers. Using these properties, we propose theMaximize Resilience of k-Core algorithm to add edges to improve the core resilience of a network. We consider two attack scenarios - randomly deleted edges and randomly deleted nodes. Through experiments on a variety of technological and infrastructure network datasets, we verify the efficacy of our node-based resilience measures at predicting the resilience of a network, and evaluate MRKC at the task of improving a network»s core resilience. We find that on average, for edge deletion attacks, MRKC improves the resilience of a network by 11.1% over the original network, as compared to the best baseline method, which improves the resilience of a network by only 2%. For node deletion attacks, MRKC improves the core resilience of the original network by 19.7% on average, while the best baseline improves it by only 3%.
Abstract P158: Lipid Management Challenges in Different Clinical Settings

Background: Availability of lipid profile during a patient’s clinic encounter can improve decision-making in regards to therapy, and help achieve therapeutic goals. Methods: Encounters from 2 clinics run by one cardiologist; a University-based clinic and a Veterans Administration (VA) clinic were compared for availability of cholesterol profiles and level of cholesterol control in patients with coronary disease. Results: There were 93 out of 300 encounters (31%) with documented coronary disease (CAD) in the University clinic and 77 out of 134 encounters (57%) in the VA clinic. University patients with CAD had 61% (57/93) lipid documentation during their encounters, while VA patients had 99% (76/77) documentation. The average total cholesterol and LDL for University patients was 179 ± 42 mg/dL and 111 ± 35 mg/dL respectively, compared with 154 ± 38 mg/dL and 93 ± 35 mg/dL for the VA patients respectively (P Conclusion: Better control of cholesterol levels is seen in the VA-based clinic compared with the University-based clinic. This may partially be explained by the availability of laboratory results through a unified computer system, allowing more prompt decision-making with regards to medication changes and intensified dietary counseling during the clinic encounter. This may not be always available in other settings where laboratory tests are performed by a different provider utilizing a different reporting system which may not be readily shared or available to the treating cardiologist. Other factors could include variable compliance with laboratory appointments and access to medications. Our findings support establishing means for cardiologists to have access to patients’ laboratory results during their encounter to help more efficient decision making.
Human activity classification from wearable devices with cameras

There have been many approaches for human activity classification relying on accelerometer sensors, or cameras installed in the environment. There is relatively less work using egocentric videos. Accelerometer-only systems, although computationally efficient, are limited in the variety and complexity of the activities that they can detect. For instance, we can detect a sitting event by using accelerometer data, but cannot determine whether the user has sat on a chair or sofa, or what type of environment the user is in. In order to detect activities with more details and context, we present a robust and autonomous method using both accelerometer and ego-vision data obtained from a smart phone. A multi-class Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used to classify activities by using accelerometer data and optical flow vectors. Objects in the scene are detected from camera data by using an Aggregate Channel Features based detector. Another multi-class SVM is used to detect approaching different objects. Then, a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is employed to detect more complex activities. Experiments have been conducted with subjects performing activities of sitting on chairs, sitting on sofas, and walking through doorways. The proposed method achieves overall precision and recall rates of 95% and 89%, respectively.
T-Bet + IgM Memory Cells Generate Multi-lineage Effector B Cells

Immunoglobulin M (IgM) memory cells undergo differentiation in germinal centers following antigen challenge, but the full effector cell potential of these cells is unknown. We monitored the differentiation of enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP)-labeled CD11c+ and CD11cneg T-bet+ IgM memory cells after their transfer into naive recipient mice. Following challenge infection, many memory cells differentiated into IgM-producing plasmablasts. Other donor B cells entered germinal centers, downregulated CD11c, underwent class switch recombination, and became switched memory cells. Yet other donor cells were maintained as IgM memory cells, and these IgM memory cells retained their multi-lineage potential following serial transfer. These findings were corroborated at the molecular level using immune repertoire analyses. Thus, IgM memory cells can differentiate into all effector B cell lineages and undergo self-renewal, properties that are characteristic of stem cells. We propose that these memory cells exist to provide long-term multi-functional immunity and act primarily to maintain the production of protective antibodies.
Components of Clinical Trials

A clinical trial is an experiment applied to living participants in order to test some means of treatment, diagnosis or prevention. A clinical trial applies an experimental intervention to one or more groups of participants and compares it to a control group (a standard intervention, placebo or nothing). Randomization of assignment, blinding of investigators and participants are critical techniques to reduce bias. Clinical trials are the clearest means of establishing causality in disease and patient care, including both desired outcomes and adverse effects.
‘Who Tells Your Story?’: Narrative Theory, Public Memory, and the Hamilton Phenomenon

The popularity of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit musical Hamilton has been unprecedented. Hamilton tells the story of the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, a founding father who, until recently, was often forgotten in American public memory. Miranda's unique musical, which fuses an eighteenth- and nineteenth-century story with contemporary music and text, features actors of various races and genders in order to tell the story of ‘America then’ by and for ‘America now’. Through a close textual analysis of the musical's script, cast recording, and sheet music, Valerie Lynn Schrader uses narrative theory to explore how Hamilton creates public memory of one of the lesserknown US founding fathers. She argues that, through the narrative paradigm, Hamilton creates what narrative theorist Walter Fisher refers to as ‘public moral argument’,1 through which audience members can discern life lessons, or ‘equipment for living’,2 for their own lives. Finally, the article suggests that the rhetorical theory of Burkean identification may play a role in how public memory of Hamilton's story is formed and how audience members learn life lessons from the musical. Valerie Lynn Schrader is Associate Professor of Communications Arts and Sciences at the Schuylkill Campus of the Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on rhetorical messages in theatre works, especially musical theatre productions. She is herself a classically trained lyric soprano/soubrette.
Lender Reliance in Liar Loan Situations

Commentary on a recent 9th Circuit BAP decision dealing with a lender’s nonreliance on misstatements in a loan application.
A comparison of aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera (Hemiptera) inhabiting natural habitats and experimental mesocosms at the University of Mississippi Field Station

Aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera (Hemiptera) in the infraorders Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha were collected from the University of Mississippi Field Station (UMFS) in north-central Mississippi fro...
Cost benefit of coblation versus electrocautery adenotonsillectomy for pediatric patients.

Abstract Introduction Coblation and electrocautery are two common techniques used for adenotonsillectomy (T&A). Numerous studies have assessed surgical outcomes of coblation versus electrocautery and overall, postoperative complications are similar with the exception of a decrease in patient reported postoperative pain for coblation. Instrumentation required for coblation is significantly more expensive than that required for electrocautery. With minimal outcome differences, justification for the additional instrumentation costs is difficult. We performed this study to assess if there is a difference between operative & postoperative costs of electrocautery and coblation. Methods 300 patient medical records were reviewed from 2015 to 2017 with equal numbers of electrocautery and coblation surgeries. Outcome measures included finance information, duration and cost of OR and Phase I and Phase II post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), in-hospital pharmacy costs, and postoperative complications. Logistic regression was used for analysis. Results The median patient age for each surgical technique was 6 years old. Electrocautery resulted in more time in the OR compared to coblation, (OR:1.11,95%CI:1.07–1.15, p .05. Conclusion T&A electrocautery technique was found to have increased overall indirect costs. Costs of instrumentation in addition to increased operative time, use of analgesics and post-operative care contribute to costs associated with electrocautery and coblation should be used when assessing surgical costs.
Marangoni flow alters wetting: Coffee ring and superspreading

Abstract Colloidal nano altered wetting is an everyday phenomenon with various applications. It occurs when an aqueous colloidal droplet is placed on a wet solid and evaporates with a pinned contact line (to form a shape similar to a coffee ring) and when a ‘superspreader’ is placed on a partially wet solid surface with an unpinned contact line. This article reviews recent advances on the mechanisms behind these two phenomena. For the coffee ring phenomenon, besides the evaporation flow, the thermal and solutal Marangoni flow are critical to the radial flow as they carry solutes from the droplet's interior to the contact line. The particle self-assembly into a layered structure at the droplet edge involves particle structuring under confinement and the stagnation flow. While superspreading is not fully understood, it is proposed that the Marangoni flow plays an essential role in superspreading.
Increasing Progenitor Cell Proliferation in the Sub-Ventricular Zone: A Therapeutic Treatment for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis?

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to determine if pharmacological treatment could increase progenitor cell proliferation in the Sub-ventricular Zone of aged rats. Previous work had shown that increasing progenitor cell proliferation in this region correlated well (R2=0.78; p= 0.0007) with functional recovery in a damaged corpus callosum (white matter tract), suggesting that progenitor cell proliferation results in oligodendrocytes in this region. METHODS 10 month old male and female Sprague Dawley rats were fed the drugs for 30 days in cookie dough, then immunocytochemistry was performed on coronal brain sections, using Ki67 labeling to determine progenitor cell proliferation. RESULTS Female rats showed low endogenous (control) progenitor cell proliferation, significantly different from male rats (P<0.0001), at this age. Ascorbic Acid (20 mg/kg, daily for 30 days) increased progenitor cell proliferation overall, but maintained the innate gender difference in stem cell proliferation (P=0.001). Prozac (5 mg/kg, daily for 30 days) increased progenitor cell proliferation for females but decreased stem cell proliferation for males, again showing a gender difference (P<0.0001). Simvastatin (1 mg/kg for 30 days) also increased progenitor cell proliferation in females and decreased progenitor cell proliferation in males, leading to a significant gender difference. DISCUSSION The three drug combinations (fluoxetine, simvastatin, and ascorbic acid, patent # 9,254,281) led to ~ 4 fold increase in progenitor cell proliferation in females, while male progenitor cell proliferation was highest with 50 mg/kg ascorbic acid. However, the ascorbic acid increase in proliferation appears to be only on the sides of the ventricles, which is not the region that normally gives rise to oligodendrocytes. CONCLUSION There are innate gender differences in progenitor cell proliferation at the Sub-Ventricular Zone at middle age in rats, possibly due to the loss of estrogen in females. We also see notable gender differences in progenitor cell proliferation in the Sub ventricular Zone in response to common drugs, such as fluoxetine, simvastatin and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).