cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors that Predict Participation in Out-of-Class Activities for STEM Students

Undergraduate student participation in out-of-class activities yields a range of documented benefits and represents an area of study that can inform efforts to increase persistence in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) majors, particularly for underrepresented groups. This study was designed to explore the impact of selected engagement and demographic factors on participation in out-of-class activities by undergraduate students pursuing STEM degrees. We surveyed undergraduate 1,318 undergraduate STEM students from multiple institutions across the United States, with a focus on institutions that awarded STEM degrees to a relatively high number of underrepresented students. Logistic regression was used to build a prediction model of out-of-class activity participation using achievement striving, peer interaction, high school participation profile, and generation in college. There were significant interaction effects involving the level of high school participation, generation in college, and major valuing with race/ethnicity and gender. The model suggests an actionable plan to improve undergraduate STEM student participation in out-of-class activities.
Biliary Complications Following Adult Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation: Risk Factors and Implications at a High-volume US Center.

Biliary leaks and anastomotic strictures comprise the majority of biliary complications (BCs) following liver transplantation (LT). Currently, there are few large contemporary case series of BCs in adult deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) recipients in the literature. The purpose of this study was to examine the pretransplant and intraoperative risk factors associated with BCs at a high-volume tertiary care center and determine the impact of these BCs on their posttransplant course and long-term transplant outcomes. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all adult patients undergoing a DDLT from a donor after brain death (DBD) at Emory University between January 2015 and December 2019. Results A total of 647 adult patients underwent DDLT from a DBD during the study period and were included in analyses. The median length of follow-up posttransplant was 2.5 y. There were a total of 27 bile leaks (4.2%) and 69 biliary strictures (10.7%). Recipient age and cold ischemic time were identified as risk factors for biliary leak, whereas alcoholic cirrhosis as transplant indication was a risk factor for biliary stricture. Placement of a biliary stent was associated with the development of both biliary leaks and anastomotic strictures. Posttransplant, biliary leaks were a significant risk factor for future episodes of acute rejection but did not impact overall survival. In contrast, biliary strictures were associated with a significantly reduced overall survival at 1- and 4-y post DDLT. Conclusions BCs are a major source of morbidity and mortality following DDLT, with strictures and leaks associated with distinct posttransplant complications.
Consumer handling of fresh produce.

Consumers believe that eating fresh produce is healthy, and many say that they are increasing their consumption. Consumers report an increased use of pretrimmed, -washed, and -bagged fresh produce. When allowed to use food stamps for fresh produce at the farmer's market, 56% of consumers report trying items for the first time. In 2005, 11% of consumers said that they stopped buying specific food products because of food safety concerns. The Hartman Group found that consumers select organic products for health and nutrition reasons, followed by taste, belief in food safety, and environmental concerns. When consumers hear about the integrated pest management (IPM) approach, their attitudes toward farming practices and food safety are positive. Outbreaks of foodborne illness have occurred in which fresh produce was identified as the source of the pathogen. After incidences of contamination, as many as 60% of consumers indicated that they were more concerned about bacterial contamination of fresh produce than in the previous year. Consumer food safety guidelines emphasize the need to separate raw meat and poultry from foods to be eaten raw; however, many consumers do not realize that the potential for juices to cross-contaminate can occur in the shopping cart or grocery bag. Less than 30% of consumers polled in a nationwide mailing indicated that they ask for meat, poultry, and fish to be bagged separately from fresh produce. Slightly more than half of consumers report washing the sink before handling fresh produce and about half wash the sink after handling produce.
Substantial postoperative pain is common among children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy.

Summary Background: Laparoscopic appendectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in children. However, to our knowledge, the postoperative pain experience of children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy has never been described. In this study, we assessed the postoperative pain experience of children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy. Methods: A retrospective chart review of children aged 9–17 years undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy at a large academic medical center from 2004 to 2010 was performed. Demographic and clinical characteristics and self-reported pain scores (0–10 numeric rating scale) during hospitalization were abstracted from the medical record. Pain scores ≥4 were classified as moderate or severe. If ≥60% of pain ratings were moderate or severe during a specified time period (e.g., particular postoperative day), then the child was defined as experiencing substantial pain during that time. Pain outcomes were summarized using descriptive statistics. Secondary analyses assessed the predictors of substantial postoperative pain. Results: Hundred and eighty-six children underwent laparoscopic appendectomy during the study period. One in three children experienced substantial postoperative pain on the day of surgery, and one in five children continued to have substantial pain the next day. Commonly available clinical and demographic characteristics were poor predictors of substantial postoperative pain. Conclusion: These preliminary data suggest that substantial postoperative pain is common in children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy. More studies of postoperative pain outcomes among children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy and other common pediatric surgical procedures are needed.
Tetracycline resistance: Efflux, Mutations and, Other Mechanisms

Four mechanisms have evolved to counteract tetracycline. They are active efflux (keeping tetracycline out of the cytoplasm), inactivation of the tetracycline molecule, rRNA mutations (preventing tetracycline from binding to the ribosome), and ribosomal protection (preventing tetracycline from binding to the ribosome). Most of the genes that exclusively encode tetracycline efflux are positioned on transferable plasmids and/or transposons. Minicells are formed by abberant cell division in certain Escherichia coli mutants, contain only plasmid DNA, and synthesize only (radiolabelled) plasmid-encoded proteins. Two-dimensional (2D) crystallization was done with the Tet-6H fusion protein, which was over expressed in E. coli and purified as described, with a subsequent strong anion exchange chromatography step. Tet-6H was then reconstituted into a lipid bilayer to form protein arrays in two dimensions, which were negatively stained and examined by electron microscopy. Protection by tetracycline of (mutant) Cys residues from attack by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) is another way of identifying the substrate binding site. Mutations of His257 in TM8 of TetA(B) permit downhill tetracycline transport in vesicles but no proton antiport, suggesting a role for this residue in proton exchange. Tetracycline resistance is inducible upon addition of a subinhibitory amount of tetracycline. The tet(K) and tet(L) genes are each inducible by tetracycline and are probably regulated by translation attenuation and translation reinitiation, respectively.
C**: A Large-Grain, Object-Oriented, Data-Parallel Programming Language

C** is a new data-parallel programming language based on a new computation model called largegrain data parallelism. C** overcomes many disadvantages of existing data-parallel languages, yet retains their distinctive and advantageous programming style and deterministic behavior. This style makes data parallelism well-suited for massively-parallel computation. Large-grain data parallelism enhances data parallelism by permitting a wider range of algorithms to be expressed naturally.
Human Variation Databases

Individual variations in genomic sequence are useful reagents in physical mapping, linkage analysis and the functional study of individual genes. Several public databases exist as comprehensive or specialized resources to organize these data for sequence annotation and research. Keywords: single nucleotide polymorphism; microsatellite; genetic variation; haplotype, genome diversity
Multi-task Feature Selection Using the Multiple Inclusion Criterion (MIC)

We address the problem of joint feature selection in multiple related classification or regression tasks. When doing feature selection with multiple tasks, usually one can "borrow strength" across these tasks to get a more sensitive criterion for deciding which features to select. We propose a novel method, the Multiple Inclusion Criterion (MIC), which modifies stepwise feature selection to more easily select features that are helpful across multiple tasks. Our approach allows each feature to be added to none, some, or all of the tasks. MIC is most beneficial for selecting a small set of predictive features from a large pool of potential features, as is common in genomic and biological datasets. Experimental results on such datasets show that MIC usually outperforms other competing multi-task learning methods not only in terms of accuracy but also by building simpler and more interpretable models.
Sociological Theory of Religion

This article provides an overview of the sociological theory of religion- that is, the sociological theory that is used to guide the empirical research in the sociology of religion. Mainstream sociological theory of religion went through four distinct phases: 1) classical (Emile Durkheim and Max Weber) 2) the old paradigm 3) the new paradigm 4) the neo-secularization paradigm. The article concludes by calling for a critical perspective, which while prevalent in religious studies and the other subfields of sociology is absent from the sociological study of religion.
TEL Induces Aggregation in Transformed Cells and Induces Tube Formation in NIH3T3-UCLA Cells.

Abstract TEL/ETV6 is the frequent target of translocations associated with lymphoid and myeloid leukemias and solid tumors. We show that TEL induces aggregation of immortalized and transformed fibroblasts, endothelial cells and astrocytes. These aggregates form cellular cords in NIH3T3-UCLA by a cell autonomous process, which occurs when the monolayer is made up of over 75% of cells expressing exogenous TEL. Cords with a diameter of 15–25 μm contain a lumen and occur as tube structures. The possible relevance for vasculogenic mimicry is discussed. By contrast TEL did not induce aggregation of regular NIH3T3 cells, an effect that could only be induced by co-expression of oncogenic RAS/Lys12. Also transduction of TEL and RAS retroviral vectors into the endothelial MS1 cell line and TEL alone in the highly transformed glioblastoma cell lines EH-A and EH-B resulted in extensive aggregation. Thus, the induction of cellular aggregation by TEL correlates with transformation.
Atomic layer deposition in porous structures: 3D photonic crystals

This paper reports recent results from studies of atomic layer deposition for the infiltration of three-dimensional photonic crystals. Infiltration of ZnS:Mn and TiO2 are reported for SiO2-based opal templates. It has been demonstrated that high filling fractions can be achieved and that the infiltrated material can be of high crystalline quality as assessed by photoluminescence measurements. The highly conformal and uniform coatings obtained in these studies are shown to contribute significantly to the photonic band gap properties. These investigations show the advantages of atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a flexible and practical pathway for attaining high performance photonic crystal structures and optical microcavities.
Receiver operating characteristic analysis of photoreceptor sensitivity

To understand the workings of neural systems and to place neural modelmaking on a firm foundation, it is useful to frame both experiments and models in the context of receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC analysis). The presence of noise and of nonlinear signaling are compelling reasons for the use of ROC analysis. The application of ROC analysis to the study of the dark-adapted responses of the locust (Schistocerca Americanus) photoreceptor is shown. ROC curves are derived directly from intracellularly recorded membrane potentials. Their use is illustrated in the task of determining the absolute sensitivity of this sensory transducer. ROC analysis of photoreceptor responses provides clues as to the means by which incident light is coded into a photoreceptor response.
Comparative characterization of the infarcted and reperfused ventricular wall muscles by finite element analysis and a myocardial muscle-blood composite model

Abstract Two methods of characterizing the myocardial fiber bundles' property in the left ventricular wall are reviewed: (1) a myocardial muscle–blood composite model which assumes the myocardial muscle bundles to be incompressible but allows the intramural blood volume fraction to be taken into account, and (2) a two-dimensional finite element method for inverse determination of the myocardial Young's modulus during diastole by matching the computed and tomographically imaged cross-sectional areas near the mid-ventricular, short axis of the left ventricle at the end of diastole. The first method requires the measurements of ventricular wall thickness and the intramural blood volume fraction while the second method requires the image cross-sectional shapes and the corresponding left ventricular chamber pressures. This paper gives greater details of these two methods than in the previously presented progress reports and also presents a scheme forcomparativecharacterization of the myocardial properties for an initial coronary artery occlusion and subsequent reperfusion study of the recently infarcted, left-ventricular wall regions. Furthermore, an attempt is made to correlate the data computed by the two methods. This may eventually lead to a reduction in the number of the required measurements needed for the two methods.
Inverse modeling of discrete interaction approximations for nonlinear interactions in wind waves

Abstract In the last two decades, the Discrete Interaction Approximation (DIA) has been the only economically feasible parameterization for nonlinear wave–wave interactions in operational wind wave models. Its major drawback is its limited accuracy. Several improvements to the DIA have been suggested recently. The present study summarizes these improvements and suggests some new modifications to the DIA. Using inverse modeling techniques, where the potential of various DIAs is assessed by optimal fitting to exact solutions, a comprehensive comparison of the potential of several such improvements is made. An in depth analysis of the behavior of DIAs in full wave models will be the subject of a second study, to be reported elsewhere. The major findings of this study are that: (i) An expanded definition of the representative quadruplet with additional degrees of freedom is necessary for an accurate representation of the exact interactions; (ii) Slowly varying the free parameters in such a DIA as a function of the spectral frequency f results in a (mostly qualitative) improvement; (iii) A DIA with expanded quadruplet definition and with four representative quadruplets is found to reproduce the exact source term accurately; (iv) Adding additional tunable constants to the equation for the strength of the interactions has little impact on the quality of the DIA.
Adjusting for patient demographics has minimal effects on rates of adenoma detection in a large, community-based setting.

Background & Aims Reliable estimates of adenoma detection rates (ADRs) are needed to inform colonoscopy quality standards, yet little is known about the contributions of patient demographics to variation in ADRs. We evaluated the effects of adjusting for patient age, race/ethnicity, and family history of colorectal cancer on variations in ADRs and the relative rank order of physicians. Methods In a retrospective cohort study, we collected data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who were ≥50 years old who received colonoscopies from 2006 through 2008. We evaluated ADRs (before and after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and family history of colorectal cancer) for 102 endoscopists who performed 108,662 total colonoscopies and 20,792 screening colonoscopies. Adenomas were identified from the pathology database, and cancers were detected by using the Kaiser Permanente Northern California cancer registry. Results About two-thirds of examiners had unadjusted ADRs for screening exams that met gastroenterology society guidelines (>25% for men and >15% for women), although rates of detection varied widely (7.7%−61.5% for male patients and 1.7%−45.6% for female patients). Adjusting for case mix reduced the variation in detection rates (from 8-fold to 3-fold for male patients and from 27-fold to 5-fold for female patients), but the median change in physician order by detection rate was just 2 ranks, and few physicians changed quartiles of detection. For example, only 3 of 102 endoscopists moved into and 3 out of the lowest quartile of ADR. Conclusions In a community-based setting, most endoscopists met the ADR standards, although there was wide variation in ADRs, which was similar to that reported from academic and referral settings. Case-mix adjustment reduced variability but had only small effects on differences in ADRs between physicians, and only a small percentage of physicians changed quartiles of detection. Adjustments to ADRs are therefore likely only needed in settings in which physicians have very different patient demographics, such as in sex or age. Moderate differences in patient demographics between physicians are unlikely to substantially change rates of adenoma detection.
Hearing Conservation Program for Marching Band Members: A Risk for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?

Purpose To examine the risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in university marching band members and to provide an overview of a hearing conservation program for a marching band. Method Sound ...
Association between skin testing in the pediatric emergency department and adherence to follow-up in children with asthma.

Background Efforts to enroll inner-city asthmatic children into continuity care after a pediatric emergency department (PED) visit are frequently unsuccessful. Providing parents with documentation of their child's allergic status and how this can be used to tailor an asthma management plan may improve adherence to scheduled continuity appointments. Objective To determine whether skin testing children during PED visits for wheezing and providing parents with skin test results improves adherence to follow-up visits. Methods A convenience sample of children aged 2 to 12 years with asthma who presented to the PED with wheezing were eligible. Enrolled children were randomized to group 1 (no skin test) or group 2 (skin test). At discharge, both groups scheduled asthma clinic appointments for within 1 week. Children in group 2 underwent skin testing with standard allergens, and parents were given documentation of skin test results. Adherence was assessed by computer confirmation of the patient's asthma clinic visit. Results Seventy-seven children were enrolled: 39 in group 1 and 38 in group 2. The mean age was 7 years; 69% had mild intermittent asthma. Twenty-four percent of children (9 of 38) in group 1 vs 46% (17 of 37) in group 2 were followed up in the asthma clinic ( P Conclusions Parents who receive evidence in the PED of their child's allergic status and probable relationship to the child's asthma are more likely to adhere to scheduled continuity visits.
Custom Dairy Heifer Grower Industry Characteristics and Contract Terms

This study examines a national survey of professional custom heifer growers. Sixty-five respondents from 23 states provided information on operation size and characteristics, management practices, and contract terms. Responding operation current heifer inventories ranged from 30 to 20,000 heifers and the average operation had more than 1200 heifers on-farm. The regional pattern of operation size was similar to the regional pattern of dairy farm size with heifer grower operations in the West and South regions being larger, on average, than those in the Midwest and Northeast regions. On average, 71% of total income was derived from the heifer-growing enterprise. Operations in the Northeast region derived the highest percentage of income from heifer growing while operations in the South region derived the least income from heifer growing activities. Many operations entered business to utilize excess facilities, labor, or feed. A majority of the operations had two to five dairy farm clients. Sixty-nine percent of respondents used some form of written contract. Just over 50% of the respondents indicated that a set daily charge per heifer per day was the primary type of contract payment. Although the most common charge was dollars 1.50 per heifer per day, average daily charge was dollars 1.52/heifer. Operations that took heifers from prior to weaning through to prefresh charged a weighted average daily charge of dollars 1.60 per heifer. Explaining price charges as a function of characteristics and contract terms revealed that size and number of clients were negatively related to price while specialization in heifer growing was positively related to price charged.
The evolution of ecologically important characters in Heliconius butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): a cladistic review

Abstract The biology of Heliconius butterflies has provided a rich source of data to test theories of ecological genetics, coevolution and community ecology. Many putatively adaptive characters have been discussed with reference to a phylogenetic hypothesis based on a variety of morphological and life-history traits interpreted from an evolutionary taxonomic perspective. Here, alternate interpretations of characters on the traditional tree and a more recent mitochondrial DNA cladogram with a substantially different topology are compared and contrasted. It is shown that many characters ostensibly providing support for the traditional phylogenetic hypothesis are almost equally parsimoniously distributed and in some cases more parsimoniously distributed on the mtDNA tree than on the tree inferred from those characters. Discussion of alternate evolutionary scenarios based on the mDNA-based topology is presented for pupal mating, pollen feeding, foodplant coevolution, and other ecologically significant features.
An electrochemical investigation of the redox properties of lumiflavin in acidic media

Abstract The electrochemistry of lumiflavin in acidic media (1% to 40% sulfuric acid) has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry and bulk electrolysis in conjunction with UV—Vis absorption spectroscopy. The observed stabilization of flavin radicals in strongly acidic media has been explained on the basis of differences in medium effects on fully reduced flavin cations (FH + 4 ) as compared with protonated oxidized (FH + 2 ) and radical (FH ∓+ 3 ) species. The equilibrium constant for the comproportionation reaction between protonated lumiflavin species (FH + 2 + FH + 4 → 2 FH ∓+ 3 ) has been determined. Acid dissociation constants for FH + 2 and FH + 4 have also been evaluated. These data are used in conjunction with the p K a reported for FH ∓+ 3 to estimate the value of the comproportionation constant for the neutral lumiflavin species.
Pathophysiology of cardiogenic shock. Quantification of myocardial necrosis, clinical, pathologic and electrocardiographic correlations

Clinical and pathologic data were correlated in 22 patients with cardiogenic shock and 10 "control" patients who died suddenly after infarction without shock. A pathologic technique of ventricular mapping allowed quantification of recent as well as old infarction. Total left ventricular (LV) damage averaged 51% (range 35-68%) in the shock patients and 23% (range 14-31%) in the control group. Shock was associated with recent infarction (all 22 patients), old infarction (21 patients) and extension of infarction (18 patients). Extension, often in a subepicardial manner, averaged 6% of LV mass (range 3-10%) in 18 patients with shock; it preceded shock in four, coincided with the onset of shock in six, and followed shock in seven patients with shock. In contrast, small extensions averaging 2% of LV mass were found in three, and multiple recent infarctions in two control patients. Although progressive myocardial damage was a common pathologic finding, it was infrequently recognized clinically. The electrocardio...
Re-Defining Defamation: Psychological Sense of Community in the Age of the Internet

In the era of traditional media, courts typically relied upon geographic constraints, including where a plaintiff lived or worked, to determine the appropriate community in defamation cases. The rise of the Internet has dramatically changed society – easily and immediately linking users across geography while allowing the rapid spread of information through a variety of channels that pose a challenge to the traditional media model centered around editorial judgment and professional ethics. Thanks in part to its global reach, the Internet has allowed users to engage in both business and social relationships around the world. Because of this, a person's need for a good reputation can no longer be confined solely to location. As a result, this article argues that courts must begin to evaluate other factors when determining relevant community in online defamation cases, positing that courts should utilize factors associated with psychological sense of community theory.
The characteristics of the intermediates in collagen-fold formation.

Abstract The kinetics of collagen-fold formation has been analyzed in terms of a series of consecutive reactions, rather than the usual set of parallel reactions. Data on the regain of optical rotation and viscosity for denatured ichthyocol, formaldehyde cross-linked ichthyocol, isolated α1-chains, α2-chains and the β 12 -component of rat skin collagen have been utilized. The Guggenheim point averaging procedure was used for data analysis for those reaction steps where final equilibrium measurements cannot be made. By considering the data over appropriate time ranges, optical rotation constants characteristic of each sequential intermediate have been determined. Comparisons of the constants for the first nucleated intermediate in the cases of varying degrees of cross-linking and differing pyrrolidine ring contents, show that both hydrogen-bonding interactions and pyrrolidine ring content contribute to the stabilization of the multistranded nucleated fold intermediate. The presence of single chain nucleated intermediate seems highly unlikely.
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Judgments of Group Members: The Mediating Role of Public Policy Decisions

In this paper, we argue that one's public policy stance reliably influences how one judges individual cases of policy application. And to the extent that stereotypes and prejudice have reliable effects on public policy judgments, they have important effects on individual judgments. To test these hypotheses, we assessed subjects' perceptions and judgments of two target groups: gays and welfare recipients. For each target group, we measured: (1) subjects' perceived stereotypicality and prejudice; (2) subjects' public policy stance on three social policy issues, and (3) subjects' judgments of how fair or appropriate the application of each social policy was for specific individuals. Through a series of regression analyses and confirmatory structural equation models we found that stereotypes and prejudice reliably predicted public policy judgments. The relationship of stereotypes and prejudice to judgments of individual cases, however, was mediated by one's public policy stance. That is, the extremity of one's stereotype had important implications for one's public policy stance and the public policy stance then had important implications for how one judged the appropriateness of individual instances of policy application.
Recoil tritium labelling of deuterated compounds

Abstract An attempt is made to evaluate H/D isotope effects in the recoil tritiation process by comparing the distribution of tritium found in isopropyl benzoate with that found in deuterated species. The observed H/D isotope effects are small, 1·41 for tritiation at a methyl group, and 1·16 for tritiation in the ring. As in other cases tritiation at ring positions occurs with higher efficiency, in terms of survival of intact molecules, than for tritiation in the alkyl group.
A Comparison of Pathogen Isolation in Culture and Injection–infiltration Bioassay of Citrus Leaves for Detecting Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri

Citrus canker [caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc)] can cause yield loss of susceptible citrus and result in trade restrictions of fresh fruit. For both regulatory purposes and epidemiological studies, accurate detection and quantification of viable inoculum are critical. Two accepted methods used to detect and quantify Xcc are injection–infiltration bioassay and culture, but these two methods have not been directly compared using field-obtained samples. The two methods were compared using washates of lesions taken from fruit, leaves and shoots in a commercial orchard in Florida in 2009–2010 and 2010–2011, with bioassay being the assumed standard. Despite some misclassifications, true positives (sensitivity) and true negatives (specificity) were the dominant classes using culture. False positives for lesions from shoots ranged from 13.1 to 21.4% in 2009–2010 and 2010–2011, respectively, and false positives for lesions from fruit and leaves ranged from 4.3 to 15.7%, in the two seasons, respectively. The false positive rate for culture compared with injection–infiltration bioassay was highest (0.16–0.55), due to more frequent recovery of Xcc by culture at ≤103 colony-forming units (CFU) Xcc per ml. The false negative rate was consistently lower (0.02–0.21), confirming that in only a few cases did culture fail to detect Xcc when it was present. The area under the curve for receiver operator characteristic analysis ranged from 0.80 to 0.97, confirming that culture provided an accurate diagnosis in most cases. There was a higher frequency of lesions from shoots with a CFU ≤103 Xcc compared with lesions from fruit or leaves, making culture more effective at detecting these. The data demonstrate that culture is a reliable way to detect and quantify Xcc compared with injection–infiltration bioassay, particularly when the CFU is ≤103 Xcc per ml.
Histoplasmosis infection presenting as an isolated subcutaneous periarticular upper limb swelling in the immunosuppressed patient

Atypical mycobacterial and fungal infections may occur in immunosuppressed patients. The impaired host response can make the clinical presentation atypical. Blood and tissue cultures may be negative in the acute phase of the illness, which can lead to a delay in diagnosis. In those patients with AIDS or other underlying immunosuppressive conditions, histoplasmosis cannot always be eradicated, but treatment that achieves chronic suppression may be adequate to maintain functional capacity. This report describes two immunosuppressed patients who presented with isolated subcutaneous histoplasmosis infection around the wrist.
Solid particle erosion of heat-treated Ni80P20

Abstract Solid particle erosion of a heat-treated crystalline Ni 80 P 20 alloy is compared to erosion of an amorphous Ni 80 P 20 alloy. Experiments were performed at room temperature with angular alumina erodents whose size varied from 42 to 390 μm, whose incidence angle was between 20 and 90°, and whose velocity was 50 to 100 m s −1 . There was no difference in the erosion resistance between the two materials because the impact process causes the heat-treated Ni 80 P 20 alloy to become amorphous.
Immunologic tolerance to DNA in B cell lines from both normal and autoimmune mice

We examine whether B cell lines enriched for DNA specificity from either autoimmune (BWF1) or normal mice (Balb/c) can be rendered unresponsive to autoantigen in terms of the specific suppression of direct antibody-forming cells to DNA. These B cell lines were both Lyt-1 positive and negative. Preincubation with oligonucleotide, covalently linked to mouse γ-globulin, specifically suppressed the antigendriven response elicited by DNA horse red blood cells in B cell lines from both strains of mice. There is a 5-fold difference in susceptibility to DNA-specific tolerance induction between B cell lines of BWF1 and Balb/c mice. Thus, B cells from autoimmune mice do not appear to have an inherent absolute defect in being rendered tolerant to autoantigen, but are relatively less susceptible to DNA-specific tolerance than nonautoimmune cell lines.
Synthesis and properties of vinyl monomer/enzyme conjugates. Conjugation of L-asparaginase with N-succinimidyl acrylate.

Monomer conjugation of an enzyme followed by copolymerization with free monomer is a useful method of enzyme immobilization. L-asparaginase was conjugated with N-succinimidyl acrylate. Analysis of the conjugated enzyme via isoelectric focusing showed that a molar ratio of 9.5 free monomers per enzyme was needed during the conjunction for each vinyl group bound. Only 3% of the enzyme activity was lost per vinyl group added, and conjugation of an average of four monomers per enzyme thermally destabilized the enzyme only at temperatures above 50‡C. Activity of the enzyme at physiological temperatures was relatively unaffected.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in DSM‐5: New Criteria and Controversies

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) featured extensive changes to the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. PTSD was moved out of the anxiety disorders into a new class of “trauma- and stressor-related disorders,” and the definition of what constitutes a traumatic experience was revised. Three new symptoms were added, existing ones were modified, and a new four-cluster organization and diagnostic algorithm were introduced. Finally, a new dissociative subtype was added to the diagnosis. We review these changes, discuss some of the controversies surrounding them, and then introduce a new debate involving a radically different conceptualization of PTSD proposed for International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition.
Damping without Influence on Frequency

IN a recent communication1, R. Parks and L. Maunder have directed attention to the fact that the period of oscillation of a gyrostat is not affected by damping if this were applied to both axes in a certain ratio (equal to the ratio of the moments of inertia of the uncoupled axes).
The Committee on Economic Education: Its Effect on the Introductory Course and Women in Economics

The percentage of women economics majors has stagnated for decades. This is creating a bottleneck in the pipeline of female economists. The Committee on Economic Education (CEE) of the American Economic Association (AEA) is charged with fostering economic understanding and effective teaching. An examination of its structure, membership and activities over the past 35 years, however, suggests that it has narrowed the scope of economic ideas presented in introductory economics and has not convinced instructors of the benefits of a more active learning environment. The task of engaging students in the search for greater knowledge has largely been left to heterodox “visionaries,” members of the profession who have tried to find ways to make economics courses more interesting and inviting to all students, and especially to under-represented groups. We conclude that the CEE’s membership and structure contribute to the small percentage of the increasingly female undergraduate population who major in economics.
Suppression of the shear viscosity near the critical temperature in hot QCD

We consider QCD near but above critical temperature Tc. The pressure, susceptibilities and the renormalized Polyakov loop — which is an order parameter for the deconfining phase transition — dramatically change up to temperatures a few times Tc. We refer to this region as a “semi”-QGP, where partial confinement plays important role. We show that the shear viscosity η is suppressed by two powers of the Polyakov loop. This suggests that η/T3 decreases markedly as QCD cools down to temperatures near Tc. We also show a ratio of the viscosity to the entropy becomes small near Tc [Y. Hidaka and R.D. Pisarski, Phase," arXiv:0803.0453 [Phys. Rev. D (to be published)]].
Approximating Shortest Paths in Spatial Social Networks

We evaluate an algorithm that efficiently computes short paths in social networks by exploiting their spatial component. The main idea is very simple and builds upon Milgram's seminal social experiment, where target individuals were found by having participants forward, or route, messages towards the target. Motivated by the somewhat surprising success of this experiment, Klein berg introduced a model for spatial social networks, wherein a procedure called 'greedy routing' can be used to find short, but not necessarily shortest paths between any two individuals. We extend Klein berg's greedy routing procedure to explore k>=1 links at each routing step. Experimental evaluations on social networks obtained from real-world mobile and landline phone communication data demonstrate that such adaptations can efficiently compute accurate estimates for shortest-path distances.
EXPRESSION AND ANALYSIS OF GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEINS IN HUMAN EMBRYONIC KIDNEY CELLS BY CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

Abstract The green fluorescent protein (GFP) has attracted much interest as a reporter for gene expression. In this paper, application of capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescent (CE-LIF) for quantitation of green fluorescence protein in cellular extracts and single cells is investigated. The S65T mutant form of GFP protein was successfully expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells, and its production was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and CE-LIF. The mass limit of detection for the mutant S65T was 5.3 × 10−20mol, which was better than that for the wild-type GFP by a factor of six. Detection of a small amount of GFP is difficult by conventional techniques such as fluorescent microscopy due to interference from cell autofluorescence at low GFP concentrations. The HEK293 cells were transfected with the GFP plasmid that produced S65T-GFP. Transient production of S65T protein was detected 2 h after the transfection and reached a maximum after 48 h. The protein concentration began to decrease significantly after 96 h. Single cell analysis of HEK293 cells after transfection with GFP plasmid indicate a nonuniform production of S65T-GFP protein among cells.
The high-resolution powder diffractometer at the high flux isotope reactor

Neutron powder diffraction is increasingly recognized as one of the most powerful techniques for studying the structural and magnetic properties of advanced materials. Despite the growing demand to study an ever-increasing array of interesting materials, there is only a handful of neutron diffractometers available to serve the US neutron scattering community. This article describes the new high-resolution powder diffractometer that has recently been installed at the High Flux Isotope Reactor in Oak Ridge. The instrument is designed to provide an optimum balance between high neutron flux and high resolution. Due to its versatility the diffractometer can be employed for a large variety of experiments, but it is particularly adapted for refinements of structures with large interplanar spacings as well as of complex magnetic structures. In addition to traditional crystal and magnetic structural refinements, studies of phase transitions, thermal expansion, texture analysis, and ab initio structure solution from powder data can be undertaken.
Hafnium halide compounds of methyl substituted allyl ligands. Synthesis, crystal structure and dynamics of (η5-C5Me5)(η3-1,2,3-Me3allyl)HfBr2 and (η5-C5Me5)(η3-1,1,2-Me3allyl)HfBr2

Abstract The reaction of Cp*HfCl3 with (1,2,3-Me3allyl)MgBr or (1,1,2-Me3allyl)MgBr and excess MgBr2 yields Cp*(1,2,3-Me3allyl)HfBr2 and Cp*(1,1,2-Me3allyl)HfBr2. X-ray crystallography of these compounds shows a bent-metallocene-type geometry, with steric congestion in the asymmetrically methylated compound causing the greatest distortion yet observed of an η3-allyl ligand towards an η1binding mode for an early-transition metal complex. For Cp*(1,2,3-Me3allyl)HfBr2: cell constants a=14.581(7), b=14.725(8), c=8.291(3) A; space group Pcmn; R=0.0425, Rw=0.0397. For Cp*(1,1,2-Me3allyl)HfBr2: cell constants a=9.158(2), b=13.141(4), c=14.575(3) A, β=101.06(2)°; space group P21/n; R=0.0383, Rw=0.0401. A variable temperature 1H NMR study indicates that the allyl ligand in (1,1,2-Me3allyl)HfBr2 undergoes η3-η1 isomerization (ΔG‡(−53 °C)=40.9± 1 kJ/mol).
A case of signet ring carcinoma of the appendix: dilemmas in differential diagnosis and management.

Purpose Signet ring carcinoma (SRC) of the appendix consists one of the most biologically virulent cancers. We present the case of a patient with primary SRC complicated by the development of acute inflammation of the appendix.
Changes in the pattern of twisted gastrulation gene expression among Drosophila species.

A long-standing hypothesis posits that morphological changes may be more likely to result from changes in regulation of gene expression than from changes in the protein coding sequences of genes. We have compared the expression pattern of the twisted gastrulation (tsg) gene among five Drosophila species: D. melanogaster, D. simulans, D. subobscura, D. mojavensis, and D. virilis. The tsg gene encodes a secreted protein that is required for the specification of dorsal midline fates in the Drosophila early embryo. TSG is unlike other secreted growth and differentiation factors in Drosophila in that its expression pattern can be experimentally varied and still result in normal development. Because of this, its regulatory region may be freer to diverge than that of other developmental genes whose misexpression may lead to lethal defects. Thus, the tsg gene may be a good indicator of the frequency and nature of evolutionary changes affecting patterns of gene expression. Over ∼60 million years (Myr), the tsg gene has retained a dorsal-on/ventral-off pattern and a middorsal region of expression; but there have been marked changes in the middorsal domain of expression as well as the appearance/loss of other domains of expression along the anterior/posterior axis. Changes between closely related species (∼2–5 Myr since divergence) that are not reflected among more distantly related species suggest frequent changes in gene expression over evolutionary time. These changes in gene expression may serve as the raw material for eventual evolutionary changes in morphology.
Cathodoluminescence study of irradiated p + n GaAs solar cells

In this paper, cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra were measured on p+n GaAs solar cells after irradiation by protons at different fluences and energies. A damage constant (τ0Kτ) is determined at each proton energy by monitoring changes in the emitted CL intensity. The energy dependence of the CL damage constant is compared with the calculations of nonionizing energy loss (NIEL). It was found that the energy dependence of the CL damage constant closely tracks that for the open circuit voltage.
Dietary Monounsaturated Fatty Acids Promote Aortic Atherosclerosis in LDL Receptor–Null, Human ApoB100–Overexpressing Transgenic Mice

Abstract —In mice with genetically engineered high levels of plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL), we tested the hypothesis that an increase in the dietary content of monounsaturated fatty acids but not of polyunsaturated fatty acids would promote atherosclerosis. The mouse model used was an LDL receptor–null, human apoB100–overexpressing strain. Six experimental groups of 19 to 38 mice of both sexes were established when the animals had reached 8 weeks of age. For the next 16 weeks, individual groups were fed either a commercial diet or prepared diets including fat as 10% of energy, with 5 different fatty acid enrichment patterns including the following: saturated (sat), cis and trans monounsaturated (mono), and n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated (poly). Highly significant differences (ANOVA, P sat (922) = cis mono (869)=n-6 poly (868)>n-3 poly (652)>commercial diet (526). Significant elevations in very low density lipoprotein cholesterol were also found in the trans and cis mono and sat groups, and triacylglycerol concentrations were also elevated in all groups. High density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were consistently low (20 to 50 mg/dL) in all groups. Highly significant differences (ANOVA, P sat (35.6)= cis mono (34.6)>n-6 poly (18.3)=n-3 poly (9.7)=commercial diet (7.8). Therefore, in this mouse model of hypercholesterolemia, dietary cis or trans monounsaturated fat did not protect against atherosclerosis development, whereas aortic atherosclerosis in either of the polyunsaturated fat groups was significantly less than in the saturated fat group.
Quality control in the screening of erectile dysfunction--results of a survey.

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate the screening patterns of primary care physicians with regard to erectile dysfunction (ED). Methods. A prospective study was performed using an institutional review board-approved Sexual Health Inventory for Men questionnaire of male patients presenting to a university-based urology clinic. The data were compiled and analyzed with descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 10.0, software. Results. Of 140 patients, 102 completed and returned the survey. Of these patients, 93% were white. Twenty-five percent were between the ages of 40 and 50 years, 20% were between the ages of 51 and 60 years, and 24% were between the ages of 60 and 70 years. The average number of risk factors for ED identified in the patient population was 2.1. Fifty-six percent of patients had a Sexual Health Inventory for Men score of 21 or less, indicative of an element of ED. Eighty-three percent had primary care physicians; 23% of patients with a primary care physician were screened for ED. Of those screened, 58% of patients initiated the discussion with their physician. Conclusions. Screening for ED, using the Sexual Health Inventory for Men instrument, should be performed on patients with any identifiable risk factor. Screening is appropriate because effective treatment of ED is available and because ED can be associated with occult cardiac disease.