cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Volume-selective fluorescence X-ray Counting - Towards 3-D mapping of naturally occurring trace metals without image reconstruction

Synchrotron-based X—ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) is a relatively new medical imaging platform that can be used for effectively mapping indicative pathologies of metals such as copper or magnesium in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders [1]. At the present, the sensitivity from these potential in vivo systems is limited due to (a) the intrinsically low interaction probability of the incident X-rays, (b) the limited fluorescence signal from the sample as limited by radiation dose considerations, (c) the relatively inefficient data collection methods currently in use for most of XFCT studies, and (d) the need for high flux such as those from synchrotron X-ray sources. The authors of this work demonstrate a novel method of X-ray fluorescence-based elemental mapping, called volume selective counting, that relies on apertures designed to target a single specifically dimensioned linear segment at a time and X-ray detectors constructed in certain imaging geometries capable of deriving the elemental concentration of these trace metals inside a selected volume without the need for full 3-D image reconstruction. Cross-sectional images and spectra of both a zebra fish and triple glass phantom consisting of copper, bromide, and iron exemplify the viability and practicality of the volume-selective counting method.
Annotated List of West Virginia Sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta)

Records for 281 species of sawflies in 11 families are listed for West Virginia. Results are based on extensiveMalaise trap collections at several sites in Hardy, Tucker, and Pocohantas counties and data from museum specimens. County records and recorded host plants are given for each species.
Effect of CO2-N2 Atmospheres on the Microbial Flora of Pork.

Pork loins were vacuum-packaged; one group remained vacuum-packaged, other vacuum packages were injected with gas atmospheres of either 20% CO2 + 80% N2 or 40% CO2 + 60% N2. Loins were stored for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days at 1-3 C. After each storage interval, chops were prepared from loins and subjected to 5 days of retail display. Psychrotrophic bacterial counts of lean and fat surfaces of loins stored in 40% CO2 + 60% N2 were frequently significantly lower than counts of comparable sites of vacuum-packaged loins. Lactobacillus counts of the subcutaneous fat cover of loins stored in CO2 + N2 were in most instances (7 of 8 comparisons) significantly higher than those of vacuum-packaged loins; this was true in only 2 of 8 comparisons for the lean surface. Psychrotrophic bacterial counts of chops prepared from loins subjected to the various storage treatments were seldom significantly different. During storage of pork loins, lactobacilli became a predominant part of the microflora and comprised more than 90% of the microflora after 21 days for loins stored in CO2 + N2 and after 28 days for vacuum-packaged loins. Pseudomonas spp. continued to persist to a greater degree in the vacuum-packaged loins than in the loins stored in CO2 + N2.
Spherical Soft Contact Lens Designs and Peripheral Defocus in Myopic Eyes.

PURPOSE Peripheral retinal defocus has been implicated in myopia progression. The effect of commercially available spherical soft contact lenses (SCLs) on peripheral defocus of adult myopic eyes was investigated. METHODS Twenty-five young adults with spherical equivalent (SE) refractions between -0.50D and -6.00D were enrolled. Cycloplegic autorefraction (right eye) was measured centrally and ±20°, ±30°, and ±40° from the line of sight along the horizontal meridian using an autorefractor. Four commercially available spherical SCLs (Biofinity, Acuvue2, PureVision2, and Air Optix Night & Day Aqua) were evaluated. SE defocus (M) was used to calculate relative peripheral defocus (RPD) while wearing each SCL and relative peripheral refraction of the uncorrected eye. Spherical aberration (SA) changes caused by each SCL were measured along the line of sight by aberrometry. Peripheral defocus was analyzed using repeated-measures analyses of variance (RM-ANOVA). The association between changes in axial SA and the change in peripheral defocus was evaluated using linear mixed models. RESULTS The mean age (±SD) and central SE refractive error were 24.0 ± 1.3 years and -3.45 ± 1.42D, respectively. PureVision2 did not change RPD (P = .33). Significant myopic shifts on the temporal retina were found with three lenses: Acuvue 2 (-0.29D at 30°; -0.80D at 40°; both P ≤ .01), Biofinity (-1.21 D at 40°; P = .02), and Air Optix Night & Day Aqua (-0.23D at 20°, -0.48D at 30°, and -1.50D at 40°; all P < .004). All SCLs caused a negative change in SA. SCLs inducing less negative (more positive) SA changes were associated with a less hyperopic change in RPD. CONCLUSIONS Spherical SCL design can influence the peripheral defocus profile experienced by a myopic eye. Several, but not all, SCLs reduced peripheral hyperopia. Differences in how SCL types influence peripheral defocus may have implications for myopia progression.
Clinical characteristics of colorectal cancer as a second primary malignancy.

e14691 Background: Advances in cancer screening and treatment in the past 20 years have improved cancer specific survival rates, raising questions regarding second primary malignancies and the path...
Learning Compositional Sparse Bimodal Models

Various perceptual domains have underlying compositional semantics that are rarely captured in current models. We suspect this is because directly learning the compositional structure has evaded these models. Yet, the compositional structure of a given domain can be grounded in a separate domain thereby simplifying its learning. To that end, we propose a new approach to modeling bimodal perceptual domains that explicitly relates distinct projections across each modality and then jointly learns a bimodal sparse representation. The resulting model enables compositionality across these distinct projections and hence can generalize to unobserved percepts spanned by this compositional basis. For example, our model can be trained on red triangles and blue squares ; yet, implicitly will also have learned red squares and blue triangles . The structure of the projections and hence the compositional basis is learned automatically; no assumption is made on the ordering of the compositional elements in either modality. Although our modeling paradigm is general, we explicitly focus on a tabletop building-blocks setting. To test our model, we have acquired a new bimodal dataset comprising images and spoken utterances of colored shapes (blocks) in the tabletop setting. Our experiments demonstrate the benefits of explicitly leveraging compositionality in both quantitative and human evaluation studies.
Towards the use of brain–computer interface and gestural technologies as a potential alternative to PIN authentication

ABSTRACTThis article describes an exploratory study which examined the use of Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) and gestural technologies generated from a BCI headset as a novel potential alternative to a 4-digit PIN code for authentication. Unlike other input modalities, many of these tokens (i.e., “push,” “lift,” “excitement”), can overcome some of the security vulnerabilities associated with PIN authentication (e.g., observations from third parties). Participants engaged in a controlled study where they performed five, 4-token authentication tasks on a simulated authentication screen. The percentage of completed BCI and gestural input tasks, as well as input time and accuracy, was compared to the 4-digit PIN task. The results showed that while authentication using a BCI headset is currently not as complete, fast, or accurate as that of a 4-digit PIN code, users felt that such a system would represent greater security over PIN-based authentication. In addition, mental commands, which might be perceived as ...
INFLUENCE OF TIRE DEBRIS ON TIRE PERFORMANCE

ABSTRACT A large number of wear debris particles can be found on the tread surface at any time during normal tire operation. In highly accelerated lab tests, it has been shown that wet friction is ...
A Day in the Life of a Parking Space

The peak period utilization metric is the basis for most parking studies. This long-held practice frames the problem as being a limited number of peak occupancy periods. This practice became established when few parking management tools were available and the cost of parking was ignored. Although the effectiveness of parking management varies across context, many more tools are now available. For most land uses, basing supply decisions on peak period utilization leads to grossly oversupplying parking on a parking hour basis. “Parking hour utilization” is the percentage of total hours that a parking space is occupied per year. This paper demonstrates the parking hour utilization metric by using three suburban land uses in Southern California. The methodology employs field counts, air photo interpretation, and Urban Land Institute data to compare peak period and parking hour utilization. The results show low parking hour utilization in these freestanding suburban land uses that ranges from 20.3% for an offi...
Pore-scale modelling of complex conductivity of saturated granular materials

The complex conductivity method has been frequently used in solving hydrogeological, engineering, and environmental problems in practice. Macroscopic geophysical responses are governed by pore-scale rock properties; therefore, a clear petrophysical understanding of how the pore-scale structure controls electric conduction and polarization in geomaterials is necessary to fully interpret laboratory-/field-scale geophysical observations. In this study, we have developed a pore-scale numerical approach to calculate the complex conductivity of water-saturated granular materials. This physics-based model has advantage over phenomenological or empirical models such that the intrinsic relations between pore structure and geoelectrical signals could be revealed. In the modelling, the influence of electrical double layer, which is quantified by complex surface conductance, can be converted to an apparent volumetric complex conductivity of either solid particles or pore fluid. The effective complex conductivity of the sample is determined by directly solving the finitedifference representation of the Laplace equation in the domain of a representative elementary volume. The numerical approach is tested on one synthetic sample and one glass beads sample. For the synthetic sample, the consistency between the numerical and the analytical solution confirms the accuracy of the approach. Comparison with experimental measurements of the glass beads sample reported previously indicates that the developed numerical approach can well reproduce the key characteristics of the complex conductivity of water-saturated granular materials in the frequency range between 10-1 and 104 Hz. Furthermore, the numerical examples also show that the proposed approach can capture the salinity-dependent electric conduction and polarization in saturated granular materials.
Photochemistry of Solid Films of the Neonicotinoid Nitenpyram.

The environmental fates of nitenpyram (NPM), a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide, are not well-known. A thin solid film of NPM deposited on a germanium attenuated total reflectance (ATR) crystal was exposed to radiation from a low-pressure mercury lamp at 254 nm, or from broadband low pressure mercury photolysis lamps centered at 350 or 313 nm. The loss during photolysis was followed in time using FTIR. The photolysis quantum yields (ϕ), defined as the number of NPM molecules lost per photon absorbed, were determined to be (9.4 ± 1.5) × 10–4 at 350 nm, (1.0 ± 0.3) × 10–3 at 313 nm, and (1.2 ± 0.4) × 10–2 at 254 nm (±2σ). Imines, one with a carbonyl group, were detected as surface-bound products and gaseous N2O was generated in low (11%) yield. The UV–vis absorption spectra of NPM in water was different from that in acetonitrile, dichloromethane, and methanol, or in a thin solid film. The photolytic lifetime of solid NPM at a solar zenith angle at 35° is calculated to be 36 min, while that for NPM in w...
Lactobacillus acidophilus disrupts collaborative multispecies bile acid metabolism

Bile acids are metabolic links between hosts and their gut microbiomes, yet little is known about the roles they play in microbe-to-microbe interactions. Here we present a study designed to investigate the effect that a common probiotic, Lactobacillus acidophilus, has on microbial interactions that lead to formation of secondary bile acids. A model microbial consortium was built from three human gut isolates, Clostridium scindens, Collinsella aerofaciens, and Blautia obeum, and cultured under different bile acid and probiotic treatments. A multi-omics platform that included mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and activity-based proteomic probes was used to produce two major results. The first, was that an uncommon secondary bile acid, ursocholate, was produced by a multi-species chemical synthesis pathway. This result highlights a new microbe-to-microbe interaction mediated by bile acids. The second finding was that the probiotic strain, L. acidophilus, quenched the observed interactions and effectively halted consortial synthesis of ursocholate. Little is known about the role that ursocholate plays in human health and development. However, we did discover that a decrease in ursocholate abundance corresponded with successful weight loss in patients after gastric bypass surgery versus those who did not lose weight after surgery. Hence, this study uncovered basic knowledge that may aid future designs of custom probiotic therapies to combat obesity.
Adherence to Polyethylene Glycol Treatment in Children with Functional Constipation Is Associated with Parental Illness Perceptions, Satisfaction with Treatment, and Perceived Treatment Convenience.

Objectives To assess treatment adherence in children with functional constipation and to evaluate the association with parental beliefs about medication, illness perceptions, treatment satisfaction, and satisfaction with information about medication. Study design A cross-sectional survey was administered among parents of children with functional constipation treated with polyethylene glycol. Adherence was measured via the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5, score 5-25), with greater scores indicating better adherence (scores ≥23 were defined as adherent). Beliefs about medication, illness perceptions, satisfaction with treatment, and satisfaction with information about treatment were measured with the Beliefs about Medication Questionnaire, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM), and the Satisfaction with Information about Medication Questionnaire. Associations between the questionnaire scores and adherence (MARS-5 score as a continuous variable) were analyzed with regression analyses. Results In total, 43 of 115 included children (37%) were adherent (MARS-5 ≥23). Spearman rank correlation test revealed a statistically significant correlation between TSQM-convenience, TSQM-satisfaction, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire question 8 (emotions), and the MARS-5 score (rs 0.342, P = .000; rs 0.258, P = .006; rs –0.192, P = .044), which suggests that parental perceived treatment convenience, satisfaction with treatment, and illness perceptions may affect adherence in children with functional constipation. In the hierarchical multivariate regression model, 22% of the variability of the MARS-5 score could be explained by the selected predictors. The TSQM-convenience score contributed the most to the model (β: 0.384, P = .000). Conclusions Parents reported low adherence rates in their children with functional constipation. Treatment inconvenience, dissatisfaction with treatment, and the emotional impact of functional constipation may negatively influence treatment adherence.
[35-OR]: A role for TH17 cells and IL-17 in mediating the pathophysiology associated with preeclampsia

Objectives Preeclampsia (PE), a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is associated with chronic inflammation, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), an imbalance among CD4+ T helper cell subsets and agonistic auto-antibodies to the angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1-AA). THelper 17 cells (TH17s) are a subset of CD4+ T helper cells that are higher in preeclamptic women compared to women with normal pregnancy. In addition, TH17s and IL-17 are increased in the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat model of PE . We have performed studies to determine a role for TH17s and IL-17 in mediating hypertension and pathophysiology associated with PE. Methods On day 14 of gestation, mini-osmotic pumps infusing inhibitors of IL-17 (IL-17RC) were implanted into pregnant rats undergoing RUPP. In a separate study on day 12 of gestation, 1 × 106 TH17 cells from RUPP rats were adoptively transferred into NP rats. Catheters were inserted (GD18) blood pressure (MAP) was recorded (GD19), and blood and tissues were collected for analysis. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. Results Blockade of IL-17 significantly reduced blood pressure (120 ± 1-RUPP vs. 110 ± 2-RUPP + IL17RC) , oxidative stress (652 RLU/min/mg-RUPP vs. 337 RLU/min/mg-RUPP + IL-17RC) , AT1-AA (17.27 ± 0.7 bpm-RUPP vs. 5 ± 0.5 bpm-RUPP + IL-17RC) and IUGR (1.96 g-RUPP vs. 2.01 g RUPP + IL-17RC) in the RUPP rat. Moreover, adoptive transfer of RUPP TH17s into NP rats, significantly increased blood pressure (99 ± 2 mmHg-NP vs. 111 ± 3 mmHg-NP + RUPP TH17), AT1-AA (0.1 ± 0.2 bpm-NP vs. 15.6 ± 0.7 bpm-NP + RUPP TH17), oxidative stress (Placental and renal ROS: 238 ± 27.5 and 411 ± 129.9 RLUs/min/mg-NP; vs. 339 ± 104.6 and 833 ± 331.1 RLUs/min/mg-NP + RUPP TH17), and IUGR (2.2 ± 0.05 g-NP vs. 1.9 ± 0.09 g-NP + RUPP TH17). Conclusions Collectively, these studies demonstrate an important role of IL-17 and TH17s to mediate much of the pathophysiology associated with PE. Disclosures D.C. Cornelius: None. K. Wallace: None. J.D. Scott: None. N. Campbell: None. A. Thomas: None. J.P. Hogg: None. J. Moseley: None. B. LaMarca: None.
FLAW CHARACTERIZATION BY ULTRASONIC SCATTERING METHODS

Some aspects of flaw characterization by ultrasonic scattering methods are briefly reviewed. Recent results on the effects of crack face interactions and anisotropy are indicated. A frequency-domain inverse method which yields the crack-opening volume is discussed. The last section comments on the computation of relevant stress intensity factors directly from processed ultrasonic measurements.
Transcriptional Regulation of Hypothalamic Energy Balance Genes

Within the postnatal human brain, there are at least 4627 expressed transcription factors (Hawrylycz et al. 2012). These transcription factors are differentially expressed within the various lobes and structures of our brain, including the hypothalamus and its distinct set of nuclei. Data from my own laboratory indicates that there are as many as 2089 mRNAs coding for transcription factors within the hypothalamus alone (Jiang and Good, unpublished, referring to dataset within (Jiang et al. 2015)). When one begins to contemplate the enormity of having over 2000 different transcription factors to specify the thousands of proteins that make up the hypothalamus, it is clear that we are still a long way from completely figuring out how each of these are coordinated in response to energy balance signals. In addition to the transcription factors, thousands of noncoding RNAs mediate posttranscriptional regulatory signals, and both proteins and noncoding RNAs direct differential translation of mRNAs which specifies the hypothalamic proteome. This chapter provides an overview of what we know about transcriptional regulation of genes expressed within the hypothalamus, and discusses the questions that remain in order for us to fully understand the hypothalamic transcriptome and resulting proteome.
Impact of Migrant Populations on National Wellbeing: A Mixed Methods Approach

The topic of human happiness is important to economic policy because life satisfaction (wellbeing) should be one of the main goals of national and international policymakers (Becchetti, Trovato, and Londono Bedoya (2011). The Human Development Index (HDI) is a tool the United Nations (UN) uses to measure and rank the social and economic development levels of countries (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2016). It targets four main areas: average number of years of education, expected years of education, life expectancy at birth, and gross national income per capita. However, it does not provide statistics related to migrant and refugee levels of wellbeing. Furthermore, there is limited scholarly research on current refugee and migrant populations in relation to measures of socioeconomic progress. The aim of this research is to determine the effect, if any, these populations have on the HDI of countries around the world. This study is based on a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design, first using quantitative research to analyze already published HDI results and then utilizing qualitative research methods, interviews, and surveys to explain the results in more detail (Creswell, 2014). The findings of this research will address a gap in the literature that relates to an important topic, how refugee and migrant populations affect the human development and level of wellbeing of the world’s countries.
Lobule-specific dosage considerations for cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation during healthy aging – a computational modeling study using age-specific MRI templates

Abstract The world population aged 60 years and older is expected to double between 2015 and 2050. Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive and motor performances which are a part of geriatric syndromes. Aging is also associated with the loss of cerebellar volume where the cerebellum has a considerable contribution in cognitive and motor functions. Therefore, cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) has been proposed to study and facilitate cerebellar function during aging. However, the one-size-fits-all approach used for ctDCS can lead to variability in the cerebellar lobule-specific dosing due to age-related changes in the cerebellar structure. Therefore, we investigated lobular electric field (EF) distribution during healthy aging for age groups of 18 to 89 years where computational modeling was based on age-appropriate human brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) templates (http://jerlab.psych.sc.edu/NeurodevelopmentalMRIDatabase/). A fully automated open-source pipeline (Realistic vOlumetric-Approach to Simulate Transcranial Electric Stimulation – ROAST) was used for the age-group specific EF modeling. Then, we extracted the EF distribution at the 28 cerebellar lobules based on a spatially unbiased atlas (SUIT) for the cerebellum. Our computational results showed that the EF strength increased significantly at certain important cerebellar lobules (e.g., Crus I and Crus II relevant for cognitive function) contralateral (contra) to the targeted (ipsi) cerebellar hemisphere at an older age that reduced the ctDCS specificity. Specifically, two-way ANOVA showed that the lobules as well as the age-group (and their interaction term) had a significant effect (p 0.11V/m). Since there is a dichotomy between the sensorimotor cerebellum and the cognitive cerebellum, therefore, subject-specific MRI based head modeling for lobule-specific dosage considerations will be necessary for clinical translation of ctDCS to address geriatric cerebellar syndromes.
Segmental duration as a cue to sentence structure

In order to parse speech in real time, listeners should use any informative cues available. Here, we investigate the role of segmental duration. Previous work has found statistically significant differences in the mean durations of analogous segments across different lexical/syntactic structures. However, a difference in means does not necessarily mean that the distributions of these durations make individual token durations sufficiently informative to be a useful cue. The goal of this work is to use production data to quantify how informative segmental duration is about syntactic/lexical structure. Our model is based on an ideal listener model, where we assume listeners have implicit knowledge of segmental duration distributions for active and passive sentences. Given these distributions, the model can infer the posterior probability that a particular token belongs to one distribution or the other. After implementing our model in a Bayesian classifier, our results indicate there is indeed sufficient information contained in individual token durations so as to be useful in real-time sentence processing. Furthermore, we modeled listener behavior in a gating task with syntactically ambiguous sentences truncated before disambiguating morphosyntax and achieved 74% accuracy in predicting syntactic outcome, similar to accuracy reported in behavioral studies (62%–84%).
Pilot evaluation of Collection API with PID Kernel Information.

As digital data become increasingly available for research, there is a growing awareness of the value of domain agnostic Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) for data. A PID is a globally unique reference to a digital object, which in our case is data. In an ecosystem of connected digital objects, a PID will reference a digital object, and the digital object will be a simple entity, a collection of homogeneous objects, or a set of heterogeneous objects. In this paper, we study two recent recommendations from the Research Data Alliance (RDA) that both address pieces of an ecosystem of connected digital objects. The recommendations address Persistent ID records and representations of collections of data. We evaluate different approaches in where to locate key information about a data collection between these two component solutions.
Moduli spaces for families of rational maps on P1

Abstract Let ϕ : P 1 → P 1 be a rational map defined over a field K. We construct the moduli space M d ( N ) parameterizing conjugacy classes of degree-d maps with a point of formal period N and present an algebraic proof that M 2 ( N ) is geometrically irreducible for N > 1 . Restricting ourselves to maps ϕ of arbitrary degree d ⩾ 2 such that h − 1 ○ ϕ ○ h = ϕ for some nontrivial h ∈ PGL 2 ( K ¯ ) , we show that the moduli space parameterizing these maps with a point of formal period N is geometrically reducible for infinitely many N.
Activated cholangiocytes release macrophage-polarizing extracellular vesicles bearing the DAMP S100A11

In mouse models of biliary tract diseases, macrophages are recruited to the periductal milieu and promote injury and cholestasis. Although cell necrosis with release of biomolecules termed damage-a...
Besides Christianity and Commentary: Techniques of the Self, Self-writing, and Genealogy of the Modern Subject

In this piece, I read Foucault’s text “Self Writing” through the lens of technologies of the self. A late addition to the conceptual framework of Foucault’s project, technologies of the self highlight the way in which the subject can transform him/herself, which adds a new component to the analytic of the formation of subjectivity and the genealogy of the modern subject. In Foucault’s discussion of self-writing, techniques of the self illustrate the nature of the distinction between Greco-Roman and Christian practices, the stakes of the distinction in the work of a genealogy of the modern subject, and the way in which writing as a practice functioned across its historical shifts. I highlight two movements to read Foucault’s comparison of Greco-Roman and Christian writing practices: the development of the techniques, and the development of their ethical values. In particular, I suggest the Christian invention of self-renunciation and self-hermeneutics is a crucial distinction in these techniques. In the end, I move to return to literature in the modern context, even despite its inheritance of these techniques, to consider a case in which the text can illustrate other modes of relation to oneself and, as a critical-political movement, expand the conceptual possibilities of modes of being.
Perioperative Management and Outcomes of Hyperthyroid Patients Unable to Tolerate Antithyroid Drugs.

Prior to thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism, it is recommended that patients are managed with antithyroid drugs (ATDs) and rendered euthyroid to decrease the risk of thyroid storm. However, not all patients tolerate ATD and the risk of thyroid storm during thyroidectomy in these patients is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the management and outcomes of hyperthyroid patients that were on ATDs prior to surgery to those who were not. A prospectively maintained, single-institution database was queried for all hyperthyroid patients who were initially treated with ATDs and underwent thyroidectomy from January 1, 2012, to June 18, 2018. Patients were divided into two groups: (1) those on ATDs at surgery (ATD group) and (2) those who could not tolerate and stopped ATDs prior to surgery (no-ATD group). Demographic and clinical data were collected. Primary outcomes were readmissions/emergency department visits and postoperative complications within 30 days of thyroidectomy. Of the 248 patients, 231 were in the ATD group and 17 (7%) were in the no-ATD group. There were no mortalities or thyroid storm events in either group. There was no difference in Clavien–Dindo Grade 2 or 3 complications between the two groups. There were no ED visits or 30-day readmissions in the no-ATD group compared to 17 (7%) events in the ATD group (p = 1.0). While it is preferable to render patients euthyroid prior to thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism, results of this study suggest that when patients cannot tolerate ATDs, it is possible to perform thyroidectomy without increased risk of thyroid storm or intra- and postoperative complications.
Sorting out important elements for successful college transition and completion for students with learning differences

Students with learning disabilities seek postsecondary education at rates comparable to their peers yet lag behind on retention and graduation rates. This research used InQuiry methodology to analy...
The Flood of U.S. Lawyers: Natural Fluctuation or Professional Climate Change

This paper considers how US courts, which regulate the US legal profession, should respond to the perceived excess of lawyers (i.e. to the lack of adequate employment opportunities for lawyers). It begins by summarizing the courts’ regulatory role. It then situates the contemporary flood-of-lawyers problem in the unavailability of well-paid legal work, not in the absence of a need for lawyers’ services: many people need lawyers, but they cannot afford them. Next, the paper explores whether the problem is simply a product of natural economic fluctuation which will be solved naturally, particularly if potential law school applicants become better informed, and suggests that the problem is at least in part an artificial product of professional regulation. Finally, the paper explores possible regulatory solutions, concluding with the possibility of eliminating lawyers who perform adequate but lowest-quality work. It concludes that using regulatory means of lowering the tide of lawyers is not viable.
Optimization of selenium in CdZnTeSe quaternary compound for radiation detector applications

X- and gamma-ray detectors are increasingly becoming an essential tool for science and technology in various fields, including homeland security, nonproliferation, nuclear security, medical imaging, astrophysics, and high energy physics. Cd1−xZnxTe1−ySey (CZTS) is emerging as a next-generation compound semiconductor for such applications. CZTS was found to possess a very low concentration of Te inclusions and free from sub-grain boundary networks. Being a quaternary compound with varying alloy compositions, optimization of the composition was performed to determine the minimum amount of selenium required to produce CZTS with reduced defects. The optimized composition was found to be x = 0.10 and y = 0.02, i.e., Cd0.9Zn0.1Te0.98Se0.02, for excellent material properties as a radiation detector. The resulting material was free from sub-grain boundary networks and with a highly reduced concentration of Te inclusions. The bulk dark resistivity obtained was in the range of 1–3 × 1010 Ω cm with the highest achieved mobility-lifetime product of ∼6.6 × 10−3 cm2/V for the optimized CZTS composition. Impurity analyses were performed by the glow discharge mass spectroscopy technique, and the results showed relatively high impurity concentrations compared to commercial detector-grade CdZnTe. Thus, CZTS has room for further improvement with additional purification of the starting materials.
CROSS LINKING OF COLLAGEN BY HYDROPHOBE BONDS

Previous work on modification of the collagen lattice, presented at these meetings, has served to confirm the Ramachandran proposal for the structure of this important protein, together with information on the lengths and tensile strengths of these bonds, including hydrogen bonds, hydrophobe bonds, and Vander Waals attractions. Rat tail tendons were suspended in 2 M aqueous solutions of dimethylsulfoxide, acetone, trimethylamineoxide and 1,4-cyclohexanedione, all of which showed evidence of ligation by expa’nsion of the collagen lattice and refinement of the 100 spot in the x-ray diffraction pattern run by rotation on the collagen fiber axis. In the case of trimethylamineoxide and cyclohexanedione, oriented crystallization also occurred, with the long direction of the molecule in the plane perpendicular to the fiber axis of collagen. With the monofunctional ligands, the -C=O group forms a hydrogen bond to the N-H group in the Ramachandran standard revised model, leaving the methyl groups to form the hydrophobe bond.
Installation of Adhesively Bonded Composites to Repair Carbon Steel Structure

In the past decade, an advanced composite repair technology has made great strides in commercial aviation use. Extensive testing and analysis, through joint programs between the Sandia Labs FAA Airworthiness Assurance Center and the aviation industry, have proven that composite materials can be used to repair damaged aluminum structure. Successful pilot programs have produced flight performance history to establish the viability and durability of bonded composite patches as a permanent repair on commercial aircraft structures. With this foundation in place, efforts are underway to adapt bonded composite repair technology to civil structures. This paper presents a study in the application of composite patches on large trucks and hydraulic shovels typically used in mining operations. Extreme fatigue, temperature, erosive, and corrosive environments induce an array of equipment damage. The current weld repair techniques for these structures provide a fatigue life that is inferior to that of the original plate. Subsequent cracking must be revisited on a regular basis. It is believed that the use of composite doublers, which do not have brittle fracture problems such as those inherent in welds, will help extend the structure's fatigue life and reduce the equipment downtime. Two of the main issues for adapting aircraft compositemore » repairs to civil applications are developing an installation technique for carbon steel structure and accommodating large repairs on extremely thick structures. This paper will focus on the first phase of this study which evaluated the performance of different mechanical and chemical surface preparation techniques. The factors influencing the durability of composite patches in severe field environments will be discussed along with related laminate design and installation issues.« less
WATER VAPOR MEASUREMENTS IN THE 0. 94 MICRON ABSORPTION BAND: CALIBRATION, MEASUREMENTS AND DATA APPLICATIONS.

This paper describes methods and presents results for sensing the columnar content of atmospheric water vapor via differential solar transmission measurements in and adjacent to the 0.94-micron water-vapor absorption band. Calibration and measurement techniques are presented for obtaining the water vapor transmission from the radiometer measurements. Models are also presented for retrieving the columnar water vapor amount from the estimated transmission. Example retrievals are presented for radiometer measurements made during the 1986 Arizona Monsoon Season to track temporal variations in columnar water vapor amount.
Random Discrete Matrices

In this survey, we discuss some basic problems concerning random matrices with discrete distributions. Several new results, tools and conjectures will be presented.
Certolizumab Pegol in Crohn’s Disease

generally mild or moderate, and occurred with similar frequency There has been a biologic revolution occurring in the treatment in the certolizumab pegol and placebo groups. Induction of antiof Crohn’s disease, spearheaded by the development of the anticertolizumab pegol antibodies occurred in ≈10% of patients. Altumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) antibody infliximab. Although though certolizumab pegol plasma concentrations were lower in infliximab and adalimumab are the only US FDA-approved antiantibody positive patients, there did not appear to be any effect on TNFα agents for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, there are at efficacy.[3] Autoantibodies (anti-nuclear and anti-double-stranded least 12 other biologics which have or are currently undergoing DNA) also occurred at a low rate. A single case of tuberculosis phase II or III clinical trials. Another anti-TNFα drug, was reported in the PRECiSE program, with no cases of lupus or certolizumab pegol, has demonstrated efficacy and acceptable lymphoma. safety in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and is presently being Certolizumab pegol is produced by microbial fermentation with reviewed by the FDA for approval. Escherichia coli, as opposed to the mammalian cell culture with How these new agents will position themselves in the market the other agents. This has the advantage of more rapid production, remains to be seen. Infliximab has been a valuable agent. Its use, a higher yield, and potentially lower cost. The subcutaneous mode however, has been largely confined to the treatment of refractory of administration and monthly scheduling is convenient. Although patients, and has been limited by the occurrence of adverse events, infectious complications and possibly induction of malignancy are including infusion reactions that are often precipitated by the likely to be class effects of the anti-TNFα drugs, the low induction development of human anti-chimeric antibodies, infectious comof autoantibodies by certolizumab pegol is noteworthy. plications (including tuberculosis), heart failure, demyelinating Biologic therapy has revolutionized the treatment of Crohn’s multiple sclerosis-type conditions, and possibly lymphoma. disease. Whether the new anti-TNFα drugs, such as certolizumab Both adalimumab and certolizumab pegol have demonstrated pegol, will offer any advantage over infliximab, with particular efficacy in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. The PRECiSE2 regard to safety, remains to be seen. ▲ (Pegylated antibody fRagment Evaluation in Crohn’s disease
Development of the Self

Conceptualized as having salience for well-being, the social, economic and cultural realities and complexities evident in 21st-century North America are seen as central foundational themes for understanding “the self.” This chapter offers and extends traditional considerations of self-processes to include the implications of social inequalities experienced in the early decades of life. It does so by focusing on racial and socioeconomic inequities, along with social and cultural complexities that compound these inequalities. While researchers have conceptualized these inequities as having salience for well-being, this chapter extends theorizing about the self to incorporate these themes. It integrates racial and socioeconomic inequity with traditional theories of self-processes. Given the growing racial and ethnic diversity occurring across the world, there is a need for developmental psychologists—and social scientists more generally—to place racial and economic inequality at the forefront, even when studying self-appraisals as an individual psychological phenomenon. This chapter draws from a life-span developmental perspective, but it especially focuses on adolescence, when self-consciousness is heightened and self-processes are most salient. The breadth of normative developmental influences on self-processes makes the exploration of cross-domain manifestations, such as health, education, and juvenile justice, exceedingly important. Patterned disparities and assumptions about self-processes are highlighted, particularly as relevant for diverse groups who share the same physical space. Self-processes are discussed as they are linked to evaluative judgments about body image, color awareness, social status, nativity, faith group, and gender bias. All of these attributes impact the self as a function of the individual's developmental status. In light of these themes, this chapter examines historical perspectives regarding self-development and presents contemporary conceptualizations of self-processes with specific attention to race and gender as visible characteristics. It presents these issues are particularly salient particularly for youth, because they reinforce societal expectations that shape conditions for privilege or marginalization. Keywords: identity; inequality; privilege; self-processes; vulnerability
Life on the Thermodynamic Edge

Metabolic cooperation enables some microbial partners to thrive on low-energy carbon sources that neither partner could utilize on its own.
Voltage gradient modifications near equipotential planes

The equipotential plane is a widely used means for reducing the level of neutral-to-earth voltage in dairy cow contact areas. The authors examine the voltage gradient in the earth adjacent to equipotential planes and show the gradient alterations caused by different modifications. Step potentials for a dairy cow are defined, and a 1.0 V step potential is recommended for design purposes. The most effective means of controlling voltage gradients near an equipotential plane uses bare copper conductors in the earth extending radially out from the plane, with the conductor depth increasing with distance from the plane. >
Excretion of the egl gene product of Pseudomonas solanacearum.

Abstract Pseudomonas solanacearum is an important phytopathogen which excretes a variety of extracellular enzymes. Pulse-chase experiments showed that one of these enzymes, a beta-1,4-endoglucanase (EGL) encoded by the egl gene, is synthesized as a higher-molecular-weight precursor polypeptide (pEGL) which is subsequently excreted into the extracellular medium as a 43-kilodalton mature protein. S1 nuclease transcript mapping and DNA sequence analysis were used to identify the transcription start site and the possible translation start site of egl. Pulse-chase experiments and comparison of the putative NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of pEGL with the actual NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of mature excreted EGL suggested that pEGL has a 45-residue leader sequence preceding the N terminus of EGL which is proteolytically cleaved during export to the extracellular environment. The first 20 residues of the leader sequence resembled a typical lipoprotein signal peptide. The excretion of EGL by P. solanacearum apparently requires a membrane potential since it was blocked by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone.
Cooperation of pre-mRNA sequence elements in splice site selection

We have recently demonstrated that short internal exons in pre-mRNA transcripts with three exons and two introns are ignored by splicing machinery in vitro and in vivo, resulting in exon skipping. Exon skipping is reversed when the pyrimidine content of the polypyrimidine tract in the upstream intron is increased (Z. Dominski and R. Kole, Mol. Cell. Biol. 11:6075-6083, 1991). Here we show that skipping of the short internal exon can be partially reversed by mutations which modify the upstream branch point sequence of the 5' splice site at the end of the exon to their respective consensus sequences. When the modified elements are combined with one another in the same pre-mRNA, exon skipping is fully reversed. Full reversion of exon skipping is also observed when these elements are combined individually with the upstream polypyrimidine tract strengthened by three purine-to-pyrimidine mutations. The observed patterns of splice site selection are similar in vitro (in nuclear extracts from HeLa cells) and in vivo (in transfected HeLa cells). We also show that the length of the downstream intron plays a role in splice site selection. Our data indicate that the interplay between the sequence elements in pre-mRNA controls the outcome of each splicing event, providing the means for very subtle regulation of alternative splicing.
Impact of Dictionary Use Skills Instruction on Second Language Writing

The dictionary is one of the common learning tools for second and foreign language learners. Various types of dictionaries are used to help learners work on their language development. A bilingual dictionary is often the first dictionary that a foreign language learner encounters. A study conducted on dictionary usage in seven European countries, including over 1,100 learners of English (Atkins & Knowles, 1990), showed that the majority of the language learners (75%) who identified themselves as dictionary users utilized bilingual dictionaries. Another choice for second/foreign language learners is a monolingual dictionary. Several studies (e.g., Atkins & Varantola, 1997; Baxter, 1980) reported that a monolingual dictionary was found to be effective in helping learners find relevant information. Recently gaining popularity among language learners and teachers is the bilingualized dictionary which has features of the learners’ monolingual dictionary and a translation of each entry. A study which investigated the effectiveness of bilingualized dictionaries showed that they were the most effective of the three types (Laufer & Hadar, 1997).
Additional insights from very-high-resolution 13C NMR spectra of long-chain n-alkanes.

New information has been obtained from very-high-resolution 13C NMR studies of a series of long-chain n-alkanes. These compounds are fundamentally important in the petroleum industry and are essential to the life of some plants, flowers, and insects. At least partial resolution of the ten different 13C NMR signals of n-C20H42 is observed at 11.7 T for solutions in C6D6 or C6D5CD3. A 13C T1 inversion-recovery experiment provides much more detailed information than in previous studies of long-chain n-alkanes, demonstrates a steady increase in the relaxation times of the ten different carbons proceeding from the middle to the end of the chain because of segmental motion, and thus confirms the assignments for the interior carbons. In contrast, there is significant overlap for the signals for C-7 and the more interior carbons in a solution of n-C16 or longer chain alkanes in CDCl3. Not only are the chemical shifts sensitive to the solvent used, but also the relative chemical shifts change. Signals for the interior carbons of the odd-number alkanes in CDCl3 are better resolved than in the spectra of their even-number counterparts. Some mixed aromatic solvent systems give increased dispersion of the cluster of C-6 through C-10 signals of n-C20H42, n-C21H44, and n-C22H46. However, none of the solvents used could even partially resolve the C-10 and C-11 signals of n-C21H44 or n-C22H46 at 11.7 T, which may result from a different distribution of conformers for n-C21H44 or n-C22H46 than for n-C20H42 and shorter n-alkanes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.