cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restoration of noisy images blurred by a random point spread function

An estimation method based on the constrained least-squares principle is presented for the restoration of images distorted by a random point spread function and additive measurement noise. The proposed filter modifies the conventional constrained least-squares filter by incorporating additional statistical characteristics about the randomness of the point spread function. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the conventional constrained least-squares method, which neglects the randomness of the point spread function. For space-invariant systems, the modified constrained least-squares filter can be constructed in the discrete frequency domain and its overall computation can be carried out using the fast Fourier transform. >
Home Management Research: State of the Art 1909–1984

Research has had an important role in the growth of home management as a body of knowledge over the past 75 years. Gross, Crandall, and Knoll's concep tualization of home management's six stages of development was used as a framework for reviewing this research. Research on some topics has continued in importance over time even as later stages brought changing emphases in re search and other efforts. Currently a major thrust of home management research is the testing of parts of or entire conceptual frameworks, a thrust compatible with designation of this stage as the holistic approach. Comparison of research papers in two journals over different time periods indicated an increasing so phistication in home management research design and methodology.
Direct Observation of Protein Folding, Aggregation, and a Prion-like Conformational Conversion

Protein conformational transition from α-helices to β-sheets precedes aggregation of proteins implicated in many diseases, including Alzheimer and prion diseases. Direct characterization of such transitions is often hindered by the complicated nature of the interaction network among amino acids. A recently engineered small protein-like peptide with a simple amino acid composition features a temperature-driven α-helix to β-sheet conformational change. Here we studied the conformational transition of this peptide by molecular dynamics simulations. We observed a critical temperature, below which the peptide folds into an α-helical coiled-coil state and above which the peptide misfolds into β-rich structures with a high propensity to aggregate. The structures adopted by this peptide during low temperature simulations have a backbone root mean square deviation less than 2 A from the crystal structure. At high temperatures, this peptide adopts an amyloid-like structure, which is mainly composed of coiled anti-parallel β-sheets with the cross-β-signature of amyloid fibrils. Most strikingly, we observed conformational conversions in which an α-helix is converted into a β-strand by proximate stable β-sheets with exposed hydrophobic surfaces and unsaturated hydrogen bonds. Our study suggested a possible generic molecular mechanism of the template-mediated aggregation process, originally proposed by Prusiner (Prusiner, S. B. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 95, 13363-13383) to account for prion infectivity.
Is physical therapy more beneficial than unsupervised home exercise in treatment of post surgical knee disorders? A systematic review

Physical therapy is common following a knee surgery. With rising healthcare costs there is debate as to the appropriateness of outpatient physical therapy following such interventions. Many of the existing controlled trials have concluded that there is no benefit to subjects that receive supervised physical therapy when compared to subjects that perform their exercises at home. The purpose of this systematic review was to consider the existing evidence regarding benefit following knee surgery and evaluate the quality, internal and external validity of such evidence. Ten studies, all randomized control trials, were found to be applicable to our review. Using the PEDro scale all studies were considered at least moderate in quality. Many of the studies had designs that biased the home exercise group, providing supervision similar to that provided by outpatient physical therapy. In select young and healthy population with few co morbidities supervised physical therapy is no more beneficial than a home exercise program following relatively simple knee surgical procedures (arthroscopic meniscetomy). However there is a lack of evidence regarding older populations with co morbidities or for more complicated knee surgical procedures (ACL reconstruction, Total Knee Arthroplasty) prohibiting a conclusion at this time for these populations and/or these procedures.
Avian Diseases: The Creation and Evolution of P. Philip Levine's Enduring Gift

SUMMARY This account has two aims. The first is to provide a tribute to Dr. Pincus Philip Levine, the founder of Avian Diseases. It addresses several facets of the life and times of this remarkable and interesting personality, giving some insight into the why and how he came to establish the journal. It touches on his background; his character; his astute and searching mind; his ability to interact with others; his influence on veterinary, and especially avian, medicine; and his teaching genius and reveals the positive force he was in his interactions with others. Then, it turns to a celebration of the first half-century of the journal that he created, essentially single-handedly, and reviews some of the history regarding the stimulus, birthing pains, and gradual evolution of the journal through a succession of editors, business managers, and supporting casts to the publication that we see today, nearly 50 yr later.
Swimming due to transverse shape deformations

Balance laws are derived for the swimming of a deformable body due to prescribed shape changes and the effect of the wake vorticity. The underlying balances of momenta, though classical in nature, provide a unifying framework for the swimming of three-dimensional and planar bodies and they hold even in the presence of viscosity. The derived equations are consistent with Lighthill's reactive force theory for the swimming of slender bodies and, when neglecting vorticity, reduce to the model developed in Kanso et al. (J. Nonlinear Sci., vol. 15, 2005, p. 255) for swimming in potential flow. The locomotion of a deformable body is examined through two sets of examples: the first set studies the effect of cyclic shape deformations, both flapping and undulatory, on the locomotion in potential flow while the second examines the effect of the wake vorticity on the net locomotion. In the latter, the vortex wake is modelled using pairs of point vortices shed periodically from the tail of the deformable body.
Compression wood has little impact on the water relations of Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings despite a large effect on shoot hydraulic properties

Summary • Compression wood has been shown to reduce stem permeability, but it is not known to what extent it affects leaf-level processes. Here, we report whole-plant hydraulic properties of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings induced to form varying amounts of compression wood. • Seedlings were grown under three bending treatments to assess the impact of compression wood on hydraulic properties, including stomatal conductance (g s ), above-ground shoot conductance (K l(abg) ), and both specific and leaf area-specific conductivity (k s and k l , respectively). • K l(abg) was significantly lower (50% reduction) in severely bent seedlings than in controls. Similarly, both k s and k l of the main axis were significantly reduced (by 52% and 46%, respectively) in severely bent seedlings relative to controls. Seedlings in the moderate bending treatments had k s and k l that were intermediate between controls and severe bending. • Despite clear differences in above-ground shoot hydraulic properties, severely bent seedlings maintained the same water potentials as controls and had similar diurnal patterns of g s . This suggests that when the entire soil‐plant‐atmosphere continuum is considered, even a severe reduction in stem k s caused by compression wood has little impact on leaf-level processes.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor upregulates reduced 5-lipoxygenase metabolism in peripheral blood monocytes and neutrophils in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Leukotrienes (LT) are mediators derived from the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathway, which play a role in host defense, and are synthesized by both monocytes (peripheral blood monocyte [PBM]) and neutrophils (PMN). Because 5-LO metabolism is reduced in alveolar macrophages and PMN from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) subjects, we investigated the synthesis of LT by PBM and PMN from these subjects. There was a reduction (74.2% ± 8.8% of control) in LT synthesis in PBM from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected compared with normal subjects. Expression of 5-LO (51.2% ± 8.8% of control), and 5-LO activating protein (FLAP) (48.5% ± 8.0% of control) was reduced in parallel. We hypothesized that this reduction in LT synthetic capacity in PBM and PMN was due to reduced cytokine production by CD4 T cells, such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). We treated 10 AIDS subjects with GM-CSF for 5 days. PBM 5-LO metabolism ex vivo was selectively increased after GM-CSF therapy and was associated with increased 5-LO and FLAP expression. PMN leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4 ) synthesis was also augmented and associated with increased 5-LO, FLAP, and cytosolic phospholipase A 2 expression. In conclusion, as previously demonstrated for PMN, PBM from AIDS subjects also demonstrate reduced 5-LO metabolism. GM-CSF therapy reversed this defect in both PBM and PMN. In view of the role of LT in antimicrobial function, cytokine administration in AIDS may play a role as adjunct therapy for infections.
Pattern-based k-level cutset reconstruction

We propose a pattern-based approach for reconstructing k-level images from cutsets. We construct a database of k-level cutset block patterns and use it for reconstruction based on fuzzy pattern retrieval and Markov random field (MRF) energy minimization. The proposed approach outperforms previously proposed cutset-MRF approaches as well as inpainting approaches. When integrated into a lossy bilevel image coding scheme that utilizes cutsets, the proposed approach outperforms the state of the art with comparable constraints.
Attenuation of a beta-adrenergic response in rats treated chronically with ethynyl estradiol.

SummaryChronic treatment of ovariec-tomized female rats with ethynyl estradiol (30 and 72 μg/kg/day) attenuated the increase in tail skin temperature characteristically accompanying sc administration of l-isoproterenol (50, 100, or 200 μg/kg). The mechanism by which the attenuation occurs awaits additional studies.
Provision of school-based physical therapy services: a survey of current practice patterns.

Purpose To compare current patterns of school system practice with "best practice" recommendations in the literature. Additional variables examined were the effects of perceived barriers to inclusion, years of practice, and rural location. Method/subjects A survey was developed, and a link was e-mailed to members of the APTA's Section on Pediatrics members of the School-Based Special Interest Group, and to personal contacts of the researchers. Results A total of 226 clinicians responded to more than 50% of survey questions. Respondents reported they practiced inclusively and integrated/inclusive practice patterns were beneficial, yet a high incidence of "private therapy room" use was reported. Wide variability was noted in use of standardized assessments as well as inconsistencies in clinician definition of inclusive/integrated services. Conclusion Further research is needed to examine aide/teacher training; clinicians' understanding of "inclusion"; as well as practice patterns versus years of experience, rural versus urban/suburban districts; and private therapy room use.
Pd2+/Pd0 Redox Cycling in Hexagonal YMn0.5Fe0.5O3: Implications for Catalysis by PGM-Substituted Complex Oxides

Complex oxides—containing at least two different cations on crystallographically distinct sites—have recently been shown to display redox cycling of platinum group metals (PGMs), such as Pd; for example, Pd-substituted complex oxides can reversibly extrude metallic Pd under reducing conditions and then reincorporate Pd2+ ions into the lattice under oxidizing conditions. The title compounds, YMn0.5Fe0.5–xPdxO3−δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.07) crystallizing in the noncentrosymmetric YMnO3 structure, were prepared using a sol–gel process at 800 °C, and the structures were refined from high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. Their redox cycling behavior was monitored using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and EXAFS studies. In contrast to the previously studied complex oxide host compounds, YMn0.5Fe0.5–xPdxO3−δ is only modestly tolerant to cycling: repeated redox cycling leads to the formation of PdO, which, on the time-scale of the oxidation cycles, does not reincorporate in the complex oxide lattice. Both o...
Concentration and defect dependent ferromagnetism above room temperature in Co doped ZnO films prepared by metalorganic decomposition.

Zn1−xCoxO (x = 0.0 – 0.047) thin films (thickness ∼0.5 – 1 μm) have been prepared on sapphire substrates using metalorganic decomposition (MOD) method. The X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering studies indicate films to be polycrystalline ZnO with wurtzite structure. The optical absorption spectra show an expected bandgap of ∼3.2 eV. The magnetization studies show that the as prepared films lack the room temperature ferromagnetic order, whereas the films when vacuum annealed at a temperature 500 – 600 °C acquire ferromagnetic ordering at room temperature. Further, the observed ferromagnetism (FM) appears only for a limited range of Co concentration, 0.03 < x < 0.10 (after heat treating in vacuum at 550 °C), and it reversibly disappears upon re-annealing in air. The data presented here seem to suggest that the appearance of ferromagnetic order is dictated by both the oxygen defects and the critical concentration of Co, and thus may lend support to a recent model proposed by Coey et al. [Nature Materials 4, 173 (2005)].
198 OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY DEVELOPMENT AND USE TO IDENTIFY ARTICULAR CARTILAGE TISSUE AND CELL STRATIFICATION.

Osteoarthritis (OA), or degenerative joint disease, burdens approximately 40 million people in the US and is one of the most disabling conditions in developed nations. Recent studies have shown that surgical interventions such as autologous chondrocyte implantation and osteochondral cylinder transplantation (mosaicplasty) have been successful in reducing the pain caused by OA; however, with autologus chondrocyte implantation the defect ultimately is filled with fibrocartilage rather than the native hyaline articulating cartilage. Furthermore, with mosaicplasty, a number of patients often complain of painful disturbances at the graft site due to the donor site morbidity associated with larger defects (Horas et al 2003, Hangody et al 2003). The potential use of an engineered articular cartilage grown in cell culture to resurface the defect caused by OA is the ideal treatment when compared with filling the defect with a mechanically unfit form of cartilage or causing damage to an otherwise healthy donor site. As better techniques to stratify and orient engineered cartilaginous tissue layers become available it will be valuable to use a high resolution, nondestructive imaging technique to monitor growth and therapeutic effectiveness of the engineered construct. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has shown potential as a method of high resolution (4-15 μm), non-invasive intraarticular cartilage imaging (Drexler et al 2001, Herrmann et al 1999). OCT is analogous to ultrasound in that it measures the intensity of back-reflected light rather than sound waves. We used OCT to characterize the femoral articulating cartilage of canines obtained post-limb amputation. After OCT imaging, the articulating surfaces were sectioned and stained for a histological evaluation. The OCT images were then compared to their corresponding histology, using non-polarized and polarized light microscopy, in order to evaluate the usefulness and structural clarity of the images. In the OCT images we were able to identify the superficial layer of the articular cartilage, the cartilage-bone interface, and the cartilage thickness. We conclude that OCT does in fact provide enough structural information to monitor growth and therapeutic effectiveness of an engineered cartilage model. In the future we hope to use polarization sensitive OCT to further characterize articular cartilage and identify the middle and deep layers. Once characterization of native cartilage is complete this technique will be implemented on engineered cartilaginous cells and tissue grown in culture to determine whether layer formation occurs.
The association between vitamin D and urinary incontinence

We appreciate the insightful comments regarding our recent manuscript and the opportunity to provide a response. We agree that more information regarding the type of urinary incontinence (UI), which was not queried in the UAB Study of Aging, could provide additional information regarding the potential mechanism through which low vitamin D status impacts urinary symptom onset. Stress UI typically occurs in the setting of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction or damage. Urgency UI typically occurs because of bladder smooth muscle overactivity and, among men, is frequently associated with prostate enlargement.
Shar'Ia Law and the Accommodation of Difference: Explaining the Emergence and Continued Importance of the British Shar'Ia Councils

A surprising occurrence in the recent legal history of the United Kingdom involves the development of legally binding, Shar’ia-based fora for resolving disputes related to divorce, inheritance, and custody. These Shar’ia councils grew out of the unofficial system of neighborhood councils that emerged in British South Asian religio-ethnic enclaves over the course of decades, and became legally binding in 2008 with a new application of the 1996 Arbitration Act. In this paper, I provide a necessarily brief history of the development of Shar’ia law in Britain before discussing the ways in which literature across various disciplines explains the growth and calcification of the Shar’ia councils. I then move towards an exploration of British policies towards multiculturalism, and argue that the ongoing persistence of Shar’ia law in Britain is a response to British political, cultural, and institutional configurations rather than evidence of Muslims’ resistance to acculturation or assimilation.
Environmental Conflicts in a Rapidly Growing Coastal Economy: The Case of South Florida

The coastal areas of South Florida contain hundreds of kilometers of beaches, barrier islands, estuaries and coastal wetlands; they also hold most of the state9s major centers of population. As South Florida continues to grow rapidly, numerous environmental problems associated with coastal engineering projects must be addressed. The paper discusses selected states legislation and several notable examples of conflicts between development and the coastal environment: construction on coastal wetlands; water supply requirements of rapid growth; nuclear power plant siting; and protection of beaches and barrier islands. It also considers the need to resolve such conflicts and to balance the requirements of coastal engineering projects with environmental protection.
Best-Case and Strong Nash Equilibria

This lecture has two purposes. The first is to introduce a simple model of network formation that resembles atomic selfish routing games but has positive externalities, meaning that an agent prefers to share the edges of her path with as many other agents as possible. Such games generally have multiple PNE with wildly varying costs. The second purpose of the lecture is to explain two approaches for confining attention to a subset of “reasonable” PNE. Ideally, better worst-case approximation bounds should hold for such a subset than for all PNE, and there should also be a plausible narrative as to why PNE in the subset are more worthy of study than the others. Section 15.1 defines network cost-sharing games and considers two important examples. Section 15.2 proves an approximation bound for the best-case PNE of a network cost-sharing game. Sections 15.3 and 15.4 prove a bound on the POA of strong Nash equilibria, the subset of PNE for which no coalition of agents has a beneficial deviation. Network Cost-Sharing Games Externalities The network formation model introduced next is a concrete example of a game with positive externalities. The externality caused by an agent in a game is the difference between her individual objective function value and her contribution to the social objective function value. The models studied in previous lectures have negative externalities, meaning that agents do not fully account for the harm that they cause. In a routing game, for example, an agent does not take into account the additional cost her presence creates for the other agents using the edges in her path. There are also important applications that exhibit positive externalities. You usually join a campus organization or a social network to derive personal benefit from it, but your presence also enriches the experience of other people in the same group. As an agent, you're generally bummed to see new agents show up in a game with negative externalities, and excited for the windfalls of new agents in a game with positive externalities.
Feel the heat: activation, orientation and feeding responses of bed bugs to targets at different temperatures

Host location in bed bugs is poorly understood. Of the primary host-associated cues known to attract bed bugs – CO2, odors, heat – heat has received little attention as an independent stimulus. We evaluated the effects of target temperatures ranging from 23-48°C on bed bug activation, orientation, and feeding. Activation and orientation responses were assessed using a heated target in a circular arena. All targets heated above ambient temperature activated bed bugs (initiated movement) and elicited oriented movement toward the target, with higher temperatures generally resulting in faster activation and orientation. The distance over which bed bugs could orient toward a heat source was measured using a 2-choice T-maze assay. Positive thermotaxis was limited to distances<3 cm. Bed bug feeding responses on an artificial feeding system increased with feeder temperature up to 38°C and 43°C, and declined precipitously at 48°C. In addition, bed bugs responded to the relative difference between ambient and feeder temperatures. These results highlight the wide range of temperatures which elicit activation, orientation, and feeding responses in bed bugs. In contrast, the ability of bed bugs to correctly orient towards a heated target, independently of other cues, is limited to very short distances (< 3 cm). Finally, bed bug feeding is shown to be relative to ambient temperature, not an absolute response to feeder-blood temperature.
DTEM In Situ Mechanical Testing: Defects Motion at High Strain Rates

Defect nucleation and motion during high strain rate experiments has not been observed in situ at the nanoscale in metals. However, imaging dislocation and twin nucleation and propagation will enhance our understanding and ability to predict dynamic behavior and spall strength. In the experiments described here we use the Dynamic TEM at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory which is capable of recording pictures with a 20-ns time resolution in movie mode (a short multi-frames experiment), and we developed a new TEM holder capable of deforming samples at strain rates ranging from quasistatic to 104 s−1. The holder uses two piezoelectric actuators that bend rapidly to load samples and TEM specimens with small gauge sections to obtain high strain rates. The TEM specimens and their narrow gauge sections are machined from bulk specimens using a femtosecond laser. The 50-μm wide gauge sections are ion milled to create electron transparent areas. We present high strain rate in situ mechanical test results for copper specimens.
Probabilistic Forecasting of Surface Ozone with a Novel Statistical Approach

AbstractThe recent change in the Environmental Protection Agency’s surface ozone regulation, lowering the surface ozone daily maximum 8-h average (MDA8) exceedance threshold from 75 to 70 ppbv, poses significant challenges to U.S. air quality (AQ) forecasters responsible for ozone MDA8 forecasts. The forecasters, supplied by only a few AQ model products, end up relying heavily on self-developed tools. To help U.S. AQ forecasters, this study explores a surface ozone MDA8 forecasting tool that is based solely on statistical methods and standard meteorological variables from the numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. The model combines the self-organizing map (SOM), which is a clustering technique, with a stepwise weighted quadratic regression using meteorological variables as predictors for ozone MDA8. The SOM method identifies different weather regimes, to distinguish between various modes of ozone variability, and groups them according to similarity. In this way, when a regression is developed for a s...
Weighing the Evidence: Positive Predictive Values

The article in this issue on “Brain Overgrowth as an Early Marker for Autism” brings up the frequent challenge of interpreting the results of diagnostic and screening tests. Tables 1⇓ and 2⇓ below show the data as presented in the original article:1 View this table: Table 1. Autism with > 1.5 Standard Deviation Head Circumference Increase View this table: Table 2. Autism with > 2.0 Standard Deviation Head Circumference Increase From the data in Table 1⇑, using a cut-off of greater than 1.5 SD head circumference increase, the probability of a positive test among …
Degradation of Cell Walls by Plant Pathogens

The cell wall functions as a skeleton and a skin in higher plants. As the skeleton, it provides physical coherence, strength, and morphology to plant cells. As the skin, it serves as a molecular sieve regulating the molecular exchange between the protoplast and its surrounding environment and as a physical barrier protecting the cells from invasion by plant pathogens. Emerging evidence indicates that cell wall components also serve as signal molecules that regulate plant growth, development, and defense responses (Darvill et al., 1992; Fry et al., 1993). The structure, function, chemical composition, and biosynthesis of plant cell walls will be treated briefly in this chapter. Readers are referred to Aspinall (1980), Darvill et al. (1980), Ericson and Elbein (1980), McNeil et al. (1984), Bacic et al. (1988), Delmer and Stone (1988), Varner and Lin (1989), Iiyama et al. (1993), Walton (1994), and Carpita and McCann (2000) for additional information.
Uncommon combinations of ICD10-PCS or ICD-9-CM operative procedure codes account for most inpatient surgery at half of Texas hospitals

Abstract Study objective Recently, there has been interest in activity-based cost accounting for inpatient surgical procedures to facilitate "value based" analyses. Research 10–20years ago, performed using data from 3 large teaching hospitals, found that activity-based cost accounting was practical and useful for modeling surgeons and subspecialties, but inaccurate for individual procedures. We hypothesized that these older results would apply to hundreds of hospitals, currently evaluable using administrative databases. Design Observational study. Setting State of Texas hospital discharge abstract data for 1st quarter of 2016, 4th quarter of 2015, 1st quarter of 2015, and 4th quarter of 2014. Patients Discharged from an acute care hospital in Texas with at least 1 major therapeutic ("operative") procedure. Measurements Counts of discharges for each procedure or combination of procedures, classified by ICD-10-PCS or ICD-9-CM. Main results At the average hospital, most surgical discharges were for procedures performed at most once a month at the hospital (54%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 51% to 55%). At the average hospital, approximately 90% of procedures were performed at most once a month at the hospital (93%, CI 93% to 94%). The percentages were insensitive to the quarter of the year. The percentages were 3% to 6% greater with ICD-10-PCS than for the superseded ICD 9 CM. Conclusions There are many different procedure codes, and many different combinations of codes, relative to the number of different hospital discharges. Since most procedures at most hospitals are performed no more than once a month, activity-based cost accounting with a sample size sufficient to be useful is impractical for the vast majority of procedures, in contrast to analysis by surgeon and/or subspecialty.
Matching Score Fusion Methods

Abstract The matching system can be defined as a type of classifier which calculates the confidence score for each class separately from other classes. Biometric systems are one example of the matching systems. In this chapter we discuss the score fusion methods which are suitable for such systems. In particular, we describe the complexity types of combination methods and characterize some of the existing fusion methods using these types. The higher complexity combination methods account for particular score dependencies typically present in matching systems. We analyze such dependencies and provide suggestions on how more powerful higher complexity combinations can be constructed. The known properties of combination methods are summarized in the five claims, and the theoretical proofs of two claims are provided.
Improving PTSD Symptoms and Preventing Progression of Subclinical PTSD to an Overt Disorder by Treating Comorbid OSA With CPAP.

Study Objectives:Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common in United States veterans. These conditions often coexist and symptoms overlap. Previous studies r...
Bioremediation of synthetic intensive aquaculture wastewater by a novel feed-grade composite biofilm

Abstract The current challenge in intensive aquaculture is to control the level of nutrient pollutants in the wastewater and provide sustainable sources of proteins for feed. A synthetic lichen type biofilm was developed to have the fungus Mucor indicus and the microalga Chlorella vulgaris grow together on a polymer matrix referred to as a “mycoalgae” biofilm. When the biofilm grows, it takes up phosphorus and nitrogen compounds and converts them to proteins and other cellular products. It cleans the water from nutrient pollutants as the algae are attached to the biofilm leaving purified water at the end of the process. Under 25 mg L−1 total ammonia-N (TAN) conditions, the biofilm reduced TAN to undetectable limits within 48 h with over 69% of the TAN reduction taking place by 24 h. The biofilm reduced levels of phosphate-P from 15 mg to undetectable limits within 24 h. Under the same conditions, 860 mg of dry mycoalgae biomass was generated at the end of the process on 16 cm2 of mesh and 100 ml of culture media. This process allows for easy harvesting of the algae with no energy intensive process of separating the algae from the supernatant. The generated biofilm is composed of two organisms that have been shown to positively aid fish health when included as a feed supplement.
The diabetes management education program in South Texas: An economic and clinical impact analysis

Introduction: Diabetes is a major chronic disease that can lead to serious health problems and high healthcare costs without appropriate disease management and treatment. In the United States, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes and the cost for diabetes treatment has dramatically increased over time. To improve patients’ self-management skills and clinical outcomes, diabetes management education (DME) programs have been developed and operated in various regions. Objective: This community case study explores and calculates the economic and clinical impacts of expanding a model DME program into 26 counties located in South Texas. Methods: The study sample includes 355 patients with type 2 diabetes and a follow-up hemoglobin A1c level measurement among 1,275 individuals who participated in the DME program between September 2012 and August 2013. We used the Gilmer’s cost differentials model and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Risk Engine methodology to predict three-year healthcare cost savings and ten-year clinical benefits of implementing a DME program in the selected 26 Texas counties. Results: Changes in estimated three-year cost and the estimated treatment effect were based on baseline hemoglobin A1c level. An average three-year reduction in medical treatment costs per program participant was $2,033 (in 2016 dollars). The total healthcare cost savings for the 26 targeted counties increases as the program participation rate increases. The total projected cost saving range from $12 million with 5% participation rate to $185 million with 75% participation rate. A 10-year outlook on additional clinical benefits associated with the implementation and expansion of the DME program at 60% participation is estimated to result in approximately 4,838 avoided coronary heart disease cases and another 392 cases of avoided strokes. Conclusions: The implementation of this model DME program in the selected 26 counties would contribute to substantial healthcare cost savings and clinical benefits. Organizations that provide DME services may benefit from reduction in medical treatment costs and improvement in clinical outcomes for populations with diabetes.
Assessment of a Large Subsurface Controlled Drainage and Irrigation System: III. Water chemistry of the tile effluent and its potential impact on surface water resources

Abstract Controlled subsurface drainage irrigation systems promote crop productivity; however, these land management systems also allow an efficient pathway for the transport of elements from soils to surface water resources. The nitrate and macro-element effluent concentrations from tile-drainage involving a 40 ha controlled subsurface drainage irrigation system are described and compared to soil nitrate availability. Soil nitrate concentrations generally show an increase immediately after soil nitrogen fertilization practices and are sufficiently abundant to promote their transport from the soil resource to the tile-drain effluent waters. The data indicates that: (1) the transport of nitrate-N in tile-drain effluent waters is appreciable; (2) denitrification pathways effectively reduce a portion of the soil nitrate-N when the controlled drainage system establishes winter-early spring anoxic soil conditions, and (3) the best strategy for reducing nitrate-N concentrations in tile-drain effluent waters is ...
A systematic review of medical mistrust measures

Abstract Objective Medical mistrust is seen as a barrier to health promotion and addressing health disparities among marginalized populations. This study seeks to examine how medical mistrust has been measured as a step towards informing related health promotion efforts. Methods A systematic review of medical mistrust scales was conducted using four major databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Communication & Mass Media Complete. Databases were searched using the terms “medical mistrust scale” “medical mistrust” and “medical distrust.” Results The search returned 1595 non-duplicate citations; after inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, 185 articles were retained and coded. Almost a quarter of studies used a single-item or a few items. Among validated scales, the Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale, Medical Mistrust Index, and Health Care System Distrust Scale were most frequently used. There were important differences among these scales such as the object of mistrust (e.g., system, individual physician) and referent specificity (e.g., group). The measurement of medical mistrust varied by health topic and sample population. Conclusion These differences in scales and measurement should be considered in the context of intervention goals. Practice Implications Researchers should be aware of differences in measures and choose appropriate measures for a given research question or intervention.
Diseño a nivel laboratorio de un proceso de ósmosis inversa para disminuir bario de las aguas de producción y captación del campo Cantagallo

En este trabajo se diseno un prototipo de osmosis inversa a escala laboratorio, con el fin de disminuir la concentracion de bario presente en el agua de produccion y captacion del Campo Cantagallo. Se realizo una matriz de decision que permitio elegir el medio filtrante que presentara algunas caracteristicas similares a las de una osmosis inversa. El prototipo se boceto en el programa Sketch Up, se modelo en el software SolidWorks y se simulo el proceso con la herramienta Flow simulation. La pre-experimentacion se realizo con un montaje sencillo usando agua de dos y tres puntos diferentes de la planta de tratamiento, este proceso se desarrollo en dos etapas, la primera para identificar la eficiencia de la membrana y variables de proceso, y la segunda para aplicar las variables seleccionadas e identificar el porcentaje de remocion. En la construccion del prototipo se utilizan tres membranas configuradas en serie con valvulas de compuerta para cerrar el proceso y valvulas de muestreo despues de cada una de ellas; asimismo se utilizan reducciones y ampliaciones de diametro que conectan con la entrada y salida de los filtros. Se realizo un diseno de experimentos factorial 2k que genero combinaciones de variables para la experimentacion. En la puesta en marcha del prototipo se realizan 4 pruebas con replica para 3 puntos de la planta de tratamiento de agua, usando configuraciones de dos y tres membranas y dos caudales diferentes. El prototipo de osmosis inversa como tratamiento de agua de produccion y captacion presento un porcentaje de remocion de bario de 76% con una configuracion de tres membranas y el mayor caudal.
Ultrasound-Guided Superficial Trigeminal Nerve Blocks

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a debilitating facial pain disorder characterized by severe paroxysmal facial pain that is usually unilateral and abrupt in onset and termination [1]. The pain is characterized as sharp and electric in quality. Patients often experience periods of remission and relapse [2, 3]. A trigger zone or area along part of the face may be triggered or stimulated by everyday activities such as brushing the teeth, applying cosmetics, or even speaking, eating, or feeling a breeze [2, 4]. These patients present with normal neurologic examinations.
The Population Movement Flourishes

As recounted in Chapter 1, the Ford Foundation joined the postwar population movement with two substantial grants to the Population Council, made through the Behavioral Sciences Program, in 1954 and 1957. In the minds of the officers responsible for behavioral sciences at the foundation, population was apparently not a memorable activity. After the Behavioral Sciences Program was terminated in 1957, William McPeak, a foundation vice president who inherited oversight of the program from Rowan Gaither, and Bernard Berelson, the program’s director, each wrote postmortem evaluations of the work in the Behavioral Sciences Program that omitted any reference to its population work.1
Barred from the Bar: Women and Legal Education in the United States 1870-1890

One of the paramount concerns of any skilled profession is the regulation of access to the profession. As Chroust has pointed out, in colonial America any person desiring to be admitted to the legal profession had four major avenues of entry. "He might, by his own efforts and through self -directed reading and study, acquire whatever scraps of legal information were available in books, statutes, or reports; he could work in the clerk's office of some court of record; he could serve as an apprentice or clerk in the law library of a reputable lawyer, preferably one with a law library; or he could enter one of the four Inns of Court in London and receive there the 'call to the bar.' " 1
Impact of storage temperature and product pH on the survival of Listeria monocytogenes in vacuum-packaged souse.

Souse is a fully cooked, ready-to-eat gelled pork product. There is a zero-tolerance policy for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat products. The survival and/or growth of L. monocytogenes in souse is unknown. The effectiveness of three different souse formulations (pH 4.3, 4.7, and 5.1) for controlling the growth of L. monocytogenes at two refrigerated storage temperatures (5 and 10 degrees C) was evaluated. All products were vacuum packaged. Uninoculated product was prepared as the control, and other products were artificially surface contaminated with a three-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes (10(6) CFU/ cm2). Microbial counts were obtained on selective and nonselective media twice weekly through 8 weeks of storage. Souse did not support the growth of L. monocytogenes regardless of product formulation or storage temperature. At 5 degrees C, D-values for products with pH values of 4.7 and 5.1 were not different, but survival of L. monocytogenes in product with a lower pH (4.3) was decreased compared with survival in products with higher pH values (P 0.05). Consumer acceptability (n = 75 souse consumers) of pH 4.3 products was not different from that for (typical) pH 4.7 products (P > 0.05). These results indicate that conventionally produced souse does not support the growth of L. monocytogenes and that inactivation of the organism is more likely in products formulated at a lower pH (< or = 4.3) without affecting consumer acceptance.
The role of personal experience and media exposure on personal and impersonal risk perceptions and policy support: the case of global warming

The impersonal impact hypothesis states that media exposure and personal experience influence one's impersonal and personal risk perceptions, respectively. This investigation examined the relationships among US consumers' (N = 572) media exposure, personal experience, risk perceptions, and policy support in the context of global warming. This investigation provided mixed support for the impersonal impact hypothesis such that news and climate/science media exposure did not predict impersonal impact. Personal experience predicted both impersonal and personal risk perceptions. We further examined how knowledge of global warming and trust in scientists mediated the relationships between media exposure, personal experience, and risk perceptions. It revealed that impersonal impact, but not personal impact, supported policy to alleviate global warming. Both theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
Examining Job Attribute Preferences Across Three Generational Cohorts

This study examines whether job attribute preferences differ across three generational cohorts (i.e., cohorts of undergraduate students from 1995, 2004, and 2013). In 2013, we surveyed undergraduat...
HSV-Encephalitis Reactivation after Cervical Spine Surgery.

Background. Herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE) is a viral neurological disorder that occurs when the herpes simplex virus (HSV) enters the brain. The disorder is characterized by the inflammation of the brain and a significant decline in mental status. HSVE reactivation after neurosurgery, although rare, can cause severe neurological deterioration. The high morbidity rate among untreated patients necessitates prompt diagnosis and management. Case Description. We report a case of a 78-year-old woman with no known prior history of HSVE and declining mental status eleven days after a posterior C3-T1 decompression and instrumented fusion following resection of an intradural extramedullary tumor, confirmed to be meningioma on final pathology. Reactivation of HSV-1 encephalitis was suspected to be the underlying cause of her symptoms, though MRI scans of the brain for HSVE were negative. The patient reacted positively to a 21-day treatment of acyclovir and was discharged with a neurological status comparable to her preoperative baseline. This case contributes to the literature in that it is the first reported instance of HSVE reactivation after intradural cervical spinal surgery with negative MRI findings. Conclusion. We recommend utilizing multiple tests, including PCR, EEG, and MRI, for postoperative neurosurgery patients that have decreased mental status in order to quickly and correctly diagnose/treat patients who are HSVE positive. Clinicians should consider the possibility of receiving false-negative results from PCR, CSF, EEG, or MRI tests before terminating treatment for HSVE reactivation.
Apples to apples? Neural correlates of emotion regulation differences between high- and low-risk adolescents

Adolescence has been noted as a period of increased risk taking. The literature on normative neurodevelopment implicates aberrant activation of affective and regulatory regions as key to inhibitory failures. However, many of these studies have not included adolescents engaging in high rates of risky behavior, making generalizations to the most at-risk populations potentially problematic. We conducted a comparative study of nondelinquent community (n = 24, mean age = 15.8 years, 12 female) and delinquent adolescents (n = 24, mean age = 16.2 years, 12 female) who completed a cognitive control task during functional magnetic resonance imaging, where behavioral inhibition was assessed in the presence of appetitive and aversive socioaffective cues. Community adolescents showed poorer behavioral regulation to appetitive relative to aversive cues, whereas the delinquent sample showed the opposite pattern. Recruitment of the inferior frontal gyrus, medial prefrontal cortex, and tempoparietal junction differentiated community and high-risk adolescents, as delinquent adolescents showed significantly greater recruitment when inhibiting their responses in the presence of aversive cues, while the community sample showed greater recruitment when inhibiting their responses in the presence of appetitive cues. Accounting for behavioral history may be key in understanding when adolescents will have regulatory difficulties, highlighting a need for comparative research into normative and nonnormative risk-taking trajectories.
Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy: Anterior, Medial, and Distal Correction

Abstract For patients with patellofemoral pain who fail exhaustive nonoperative treatment, surgical intervention may be a viable option for selected patients who have pain on the bases of pathomechanics and/or cartilage lesions. Treatments may be directed at proximal soft tissues and distally at the tibial tubercle such as in a tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO). Tibial tubercle osteotomies can include medialization, anteriorization and/or distalization of the tibial tubercle. Proximaltaization can also be performed in the setting of patella baja, however, it is rarely performed and is outside the scope of this article. Medialization may be used to improve force vectors and contact area, anteriorization can decrease contact pressures, and distalization can normalize patellar height. Factors influencing which techniques are used include concomitant chondral pathology and specific measurements on imaging such as the tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance (TT-TG), tibial tubercle-posterior cruciate ligament distance (TT-PCL) and Caton-Deschamps Index (CDI). The following article reviews the indications for and techniques of anteriorization, medialization, distalization, and combinations of the three, for tibial tubercle osteotomies.