cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Richer, Brighter Vision for American High Schools: The Curriculum and Its Setting

In this chapter, we will consider more closely the ideas so far discussed and see what might reasonably be done to bring the curriculum and extra-curricular activities into line with these broad recommendations. This is to be done without insisting on a sweeping transformation that would eliminate, or even threaten, the traditional academic program. As pointed out throughout this book, such a transformation would be both utopian and hopeless. What follows, then, should be practical. We will look first at some modifications of the curriculum, then at the importance of extracurricular activities, and finally at the physical setting for high schools of the future. THE CURRICULUM It seems entirely feasible to expand existing courses with the theme and interdisciplinary team approach already described. The challenge, of course, is to apply the concepts of intellectual continuity and shared responsibility to the whole enterprise. Where possible, we want to connect the themes not only to central human questions but to each other and, certainly, to the subject matter of the standard classes. It is not suggested that the officially prescribed work of mathematics, science, or literature be suspended but, rather, that it should be enriched to include the chosen themes. The use of biography and literature can enrich the curriculum in every subject. For example, in discussing the centrality of law, power, and economy of expression in mathematics, Barry Mazur departs from formal mathematics briefly to describe the use of dactyls in poetry. He asks us to consider the power of W. S. Merwin's “Elegy,” a one-line poem (“Who would I show it to”) consisting of two dactyls. As we learn about imaginary numbers from Mazur, we also hear all sorts of things from Rilke, Ashbery, Wordsworth, Yeats, and Coleridge. Mazur also reminds us that – for some odd reason – the later letters in the alphabet are considered somehow harder than the earlier ones, and he gives an example of this thinking from Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse .
How to Reduce the Ischemic Brain Damage Secondary to Severe Head Injury

Head injury represents the cause of injury deaths in 50–70% of cases and is the main cause of death in the group under 20 years of age. Brain sequelae are often so severe as to hinder a satisfactory social reintegration. Prevention and control of the extension of the secondary cerebral lesions are important. Ischaemia has been recognized as the common final pathway in post-traumatic brain damage and seems to be mainly due to acute intracranial hypertension and decreased cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) [3].
Cultural Adaptation, Parenting and Child Mental Health Among English Speaking Asian American Immigrant Families

Contrary to the "model minority" myth, Asian American children, especially those from low-income immigrant families, are at risk for both behavioral and emotional problems early in life. Little is known, however, about the underlying developmental mechanisms placing Asian American children at risk, including the role of cultural adaptation and parenting. This study examined cultural adaptation, parenting practices and culture related parenting values and child mental health in a sample of 157 English speaking Asian American immigrant families of children enrolled in early childhood education programs in low-income, urban neighborhoods. Overall, cultural adaptation and parenting cultural values and behaviors were related to aspects of child mental health in meaningful ways. Parents' cultural value of independence appears to be especially salient (e.g., negatively related to behavior problems and positively related to adaptive behavior) and significantly mediates the link between cultural adaptation and adaptive behavior. Study findings have implications for supporting Asian American immigrant families to promote their young children's mental health.
Primary Splenic Angiosarcoma Presenting as Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Angiosarcoma of the spleen is a rare malignancy that arises from vascular endothelial origin. This neoplasm is highly malignant and diagnosis is often delayed due to the vague presentation of clinical symptoms. A case report and concise review of the current diagnostic criteria and surgical treatment are provided to aid in the detection and treatment of this malignancy. We present a case of a 56-year-old female who presented with massive splenomegaly secondary to angiosarcoma of the spleen. The patient suffered from longstanding symptomatic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Diagnosis of a splenic angiosarcoma can be difficult due to the vague presentation and lack of concrete risk factors. Early identification and splenectomy are paramount. However, it is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis. We reviewed the literature of the current diagnostic and surgical treatment of primary splenic angiosarcoma.
Another giant leap

In Rise of the Rocket Girls, Nathalia Holt foregrounds the contributions of a cohort of women working in the American space industry
The Hermeneutics of Heidegger's Speech: A Rhetorical Phenomenology

(1998). The Hermeneutics of Heidegger's Speech: A Rhetorical Phenomenology. Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 162-173.
A toddler with fever and a limp

A 17-month-old African-American girl is admitted for evaluation of fever and a limp. She is diagnosed positive for an unexpected pathogen, Kingella kingae .
Cost Effective Surface Functionalization of Gold Nanoparticles with a Mixed DNA and PEG Monolayer for Nanotechnology Applications

A cost effective and generally applicable co-functionalization of gold nanoparticles with a mixed DNA and PEG polymers is reported. Compared to the pure DNA functionalization method, this protocol uses a much smaller amount of thiol-DNA to achieve a similar binding efficacy of gold nanoparticles with DNA origami nanostructures. The lower consumption of DNA provides a scaling-up potential for the application of DNA–nanoparticle conjugates in nanotechnology.
The Curiosity Effect

This conference aims to improve how we learn through integrative project and discovery-based methods. My talk highlights areas in my experience as a scientist, and most recently working for our national space agency, NASA, where we work in teams with a "discovery-based" mindset. When you demonstrate broad curiosity, you become open to different viewpoints and ways to approach and manage situations. Sometimes working only from "what you have been trained to do" or "what you know" is not enough, especially when the rules may be changing. Increasing our openness in our learning, and sharing what we know, can lead to a more diverse and innovative community, solving problems in new ways, overcoming resistance to new ideas, and hopefully creating a dynamic and faring-forward society. Let us not kill curiosity, at any age, in any situation. Let us remind ourselves, at any time, in any circumstance, to continue to learn, to mentor, to stimulate, to engage and reconnect with that "open sense of possibility."
Photorefractive approaches to optical interconnects

Optical implementations of interconnects for digital processors are being inves- tigated for their high bandwidth, large interconnect density and high level of immu- nity from interference. Implementations can be categorized into several classes, in- cluding fiber optics, holographic approaches and integrated optics. Photorefractives appear to be attractive media for interconnects requiring dynamic reconfiguration capabilities. The attractiveness stems from the ability to record large multiple inter- connect patterns on a time scale of milliseconds using modest laser powers, typically of a few mW/cm2. Few of the interconnect architectures that have been explored so far take advantage of the dynamic holographic recording properties of photore- fractives, and key issues related to holographic recording of interconnect patterns in these media still need to be considered. For example, fixing approaches are re- quired to record and store multiple holograms with minimum crosstalk, and update strategies are necessary for modifying or removing interconnect patterns without affecting the others. In this paper we dwell on the pertinent physical characteristics of photorefractives, and discuss implications for optical interconnects. For example, we present a procedure for prolonged readout, an architecture for Bragg matched diffraction with light of a different wavelength than is used for recording, a novel approach to a large recording medium consisting of an SBN fiber bundle, and a very high density integrated optical interconnect of 100x100 switches per square centimeter.
Linked Data for Cultural Heritage . Eds. Ed Jones and Michele Seikel for the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services. Chicago: American Library Association, 2016. 134p. $75.00 (ISBN 978-0-8389-1439-7).

Linked data has been a hot topic in the library world, and this book provides a good overview of the topic. The contributors present theoretical and practical information to help readers understand linked data concepts and its purpose. The first chapter, by Thorson and Pattuelli, presents institutional projects experimenting with linked data, including Europeana, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), the Social Networks and Archival Context Project (SNAC), and more. They also present a detailed description of the Linked Jazz project. In the second chapter, Stahmer presents the migration process of the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) from MARC to linked data and potential benefits that migration presents. The author provides a great explanation of the triplestore data model, a discussion of tagging and controlled vocabularies, and social cataloging.
New high-extinction wire-grid polarizers for polarimetrie W-band radar

In planar substrate-based wire grid polarizers, it has been found that high extinction ratio (∼60 dB) and low insertion loss (a few dB) can be achieved if the fill-factor (FF, ratio of metal strip width to period) exceeds 90%. In this research, we utilize these high FF wire-grid polarizers for a first implementation of polarimetric W-band radar.
Temperature and strain rate dependent behavior of polymer separator for Li-ion batteries

Abstract Safe performance of advanced Li-ion batteries relies on integrity of the separator membrane which prevents contact between electrodes of opposite polarity. Current work provides detailed study of mechanical behavior of such membrane. Temperature and strain rate sensitivity of the triple-layer polypropylene (PP)/polyethylene (PE)/polypropylene (PP) porous separator for Li-ion batteries was studied experimentally under controlled temperatures of up to 120° (393 K), and strain rates (from 1 ⋅ 1 0 − 4 s − 1 to 0 . 1 s − 1 ). Digital image correlation was used to study strain localization in separator under load. The results show significant dependence of mechanical properties on temperature, with the yield stress decreasing by 30% and elastic modulus decreasing by a factor of two when the temperature is increased from 20 °C to 50 °C. The strain rate strengthening also decreased with higher temperatures while the temperature softening remained independent of the applied strain rate. Application of temperature creates long lasting changes in mechanical behavior of separator as was revealed by performing experiments after the annealing. Such delayed effect of temperature application appears to have directional dependence. The results demonstrate complex behavior of polymer separator which needs to be considered in proper safety assessments of Li-ion batteries.
Considerations for Preclinical Laboratory Animal Imaging Center Design, Setup, and Management Suitable for Biomedical Investigation for Drug Discovery

In vivo imaging techniques are rapidly becoming routine procedures for biomedical research and drug/biologics development. Imaging is an outstanding tool for noninvasively testing the response to therapy by examining animals as whole organisms. Many kinds of imaging platforms are now commercially available, and many are optimized for smaller species. Before beginning construction for a centralized in vivo imaging facility, one must first define the requirements and limitations of the facility. The planning should involve laboratory animal veterinarians, investigators, imaging specialists, occupational health specialists, and administrators. Considerations include the animal models of interest, the scientific questions to be addressed, inclusion of radiochemistry (PET/SPECT), select agent use (BSL requirements), logistics and laboratory flow, and personnel safety within the imaging environment. Architects must incorporate functional design into the technical requirements and building aesthetics. The limitless variables prevent the production of a step-by-step imaging center design manual; however, we suggest a foundation of advice learned from our experiences with the National Institutes of Health Mouse Imaging Facility. Magnetic resonance imaging is an infrastructure-dependent platform and is a recommended base to start facility design. The importance of preplanning and clear communications for success cannot be overemphasized.
Disclosure Regulation, Agency Information, and Interfirm Externalities

This Article develops an economic model of the federal regulation of disclosures by public companies that integrates several aspects of the legal and finacial economics scholarship on disclosure regulation, including: (1) the fact that some disclosure rules are adopted to reduce agency costs while other disclosure rules are adopted to enhance the accuracy of the firm's share price (Mahoney, 1995); (2) the likelihood that there is an information asymmetry component of a firm's cost of capital (Diamond and Verrecchia, 1991); and (3) the possibility that interfirm externalities justify the federal regulation of public company disclosures (Fox, 1999). This model shows that the presence of interfirm externalities may justify requiring public companies to disclose much of the information used internally to manage operations. This finding raises concerns about the exemption that currently allows public companies in the U.S. to withhold the disclosure of competitively disadvantaging information. This analysis also shows that the presence of interfirm externalities does not justify requiring public companies to disclose information about transactions between the firm and its agents. Since the disclosure of this type of information is an essential component of mandatory disclosure regulation in the U.S., the analysis here rebuts the argument that interfirm externalities justify current federally-imposed disclosure requirements.
The Dartmouth Data: Moving From Analysis To Action

ABSTRACT: The work of Jack Wennberg and colleagues on variations in medical practice and outcomes has clarified our understanding of the relationships between supply, costs, and quality of medical ...
Proceedings of the First Workshop on Social Media Analytics

The explosion of Online Social Media in the form of user-generated content on blogs, microblogs (Twitter), discussion forums, product reviews and multimedia sharing sites presents many new opportunities and challenges to both producers and consumers of information. For producers, this user-generated content provides a rich source of implicit consumer feedback. Tracking the pulse of the ever-expanding social media outlets, enables companies to discern what consumers are saying about their products, which provides useful insight on how to improve and market products better. For consumers, the plethora of information and opinions from diverse sources helps them tap into the wisdom of crowds, to aid in making more informed decisions. Though there is a vast quantity of information available, the consequent challenge is to be able to analyze the large volumes of user-generated content and the implicit (or explicit) links between users, in order to glean meaningful insights therein.
Predictors of victimization among youth who are overweight in a national sample

OBJECTIVES The current cross-sectional study examined whether children who are overweight experience greater levels of parent-reported bullying behaviors and victimization using a national sample. Additionally, the relations among child (mental health), family (parent-child sharing of information), and contextual factors (neighborhood safety, school engagement) and risk of victimization in children who are overweight were assessed. METHODS Caregivers provided data via the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health. A series of multinomial logistic regressions were conducted with the subsample of children aged 10 to 17 years (N = 26 094). RESULTS Youth who were overweight were more likely to be victimized, but not more likely to bully. Being engaged in school and neighborhood safety were protective factors among youth who were overweight, while living in families where information is shared and difficulty making friends were risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Children who were overweight were more likely to be victims, rather than perpetrators, of bullying. Health professionals should assess family and contextual factors in relation to victimization status when developing interventions.
Utricular function in vestibular neuritis: a pilot study of concordance/discordance between ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and ocular cycloposition.

Vestibular neuritis (VN) can affect utricular afferents. Utricular function can be assessed by ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) whose abnormalities include weak or absent responses, and ocular cycloposition whose abnormalities include ocular torsion (OT). When studied independently in vestibular neuritis, oVEMPs are abnormal in 61–82% of cases, and OT is present in 72–80% of cases. The similar range of abnormalities suggests the hypothesis that these tests should be concordantly abnormal. We tested this hypothesis by identifying consecutive adult cases of VN in whom both oVEMPs and OT were performed. OT and oVEMP overlapped (both were abnormal) in only 47% of cases. In 40% of cases oVEMPs alone were abnormal, and in 13% of cases, OT alone was present. These results suggest that oVEMPs and OT assess different aspects of utricular function believed to arise from discrete zones of the utricular macula; the former are thought to reflect the activity of extra-striolar afferents (which detect constant acceleration), and the latter reflects the activity of striolar afferents (which detect change in acceleration).
Leukemoid reaction in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia patients undergoing surgery: perioperative management recommendations.

Key Points CMML patients comprise an elderly and frail patient population with comorbidities that often require surgical intervention. Postsurgical leukemoid reaction, a life-threatening complication in CMML patients, may be driven by molecular mechanisms.
An analogue of the Erd\H{o}s-Gallai theorem for random graphs

Recently, variants of many classical extremal theorems have been proved in the random environment. We, complementing existing results, extend the Erd\H{o}s-Gallai Theorem in random graphs. In particular, we determine, up to a constant factor, the maximum number of edges in a $P_n$-free subgraph of $G(N,p)$, practically for all values of $N,n$ and $p$. Our work is also motivated by the recent progress on the size-Ramsey number of paths.
Approach to the management of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease

Psychosis is a common and often debilitating non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). It typically manifests in the form of well-formed visual hallucinations and minor hallucinations, and, at times, can present with delusions and nonvisual hallucinations. Psychosis is associated with many adverse outcomes in PD, and for that reason, it is essential to recognize and treat the symptoms early. The objective of this review article is to highlight the phenomenology, diagnosis, and pathophysiology of PD-associated psychosis (PD-P) and discuss a step-by-step approach to its management. One of the critical steps in managing PD-P is the identification of potential non-PD causes of psychosis, which often require conservative measures. If no secondary causes are identified, pharmacotherapy should be considered. Role of several drugs including pimavanserin (the only FDA-approved agent for the treatment of PD-P), atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine and clozapine, and cholinesterase inhibitors such as rivastigmine and donepezil are discussed in this review. In addition, we also highlight the potential role of noninvasive brain stimulation (electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation) for the treatment of medication-refractory psychosis.
Regression Prediction For Geolocation Aware Through Relative Density Ratio Estimation

Typically, a traditional regression model over a data set is trained on instances by assuming a stationary distribution (the training data and test data has the same distribution). The model learned from the training set is later used to predict value of response-variable in future test instances. In this paper, we study the regression problem in a novelty problem setting, referred as a transfer learning involves training set and test set with different data distribution. Here, the training set has a biased data distribution with respect to the test set. The regression problem with the transfer learning approach aims to predict the dependent variable of test data, through utilizing the training data with the biased distribution. Availability of sufficient training data is of prime importance. Unfortunately, such problem settings are sparingly available in many real-word applications, such as you only have the flight delay information of DFW (DallasWorth) airport and prefer to predict the flight delay information of JFK (John F. Kennedy) airport. In our solution, we utilize relative density ratio to evaluate the difference between the data from different locations. We revise the relative density ratio estimation based on different location types, and propose an effective approach for predicting arrival delay time for commercial flights by geolocation aware relative kernel density estimation. Extensive experimental results on commercial flight datasets with different locations show that our approach effectively boosts the performance of other state-of-the art.
Assessing the impact of a symptom-based mass screening and testing intervention during a novel infectious disease outbreak: The case of COVID-19

Abstract A symptom-based mass screening and testing intervention (MSTI) can identify a large fraction of infected individuals during an infectious disease outbreak. China is currently using this strategy for the COVID-19 outbreak. However, MSTI might lead to increased transmission if not properly implemented. We investigate under which conditions MSTI is beneficial.
Optimal Handover Policy for mmWave Cellular Networks: A Multi-Armed Bandit Approach

Millimeter wave (mmWave) is a promising technology in 5G communication due to its abundant bandwidth re- source. However, its severe path attenuation and vulnerability to line-of-sight (LOS) blockage result in much more unpredictable outages than traditional technologies. This special propagation property raises a significant challenge to the mobility management in mmWave cellular networks. In particular, conventional handover policies purely rely on the measurement of signal strength. If being applied directly in mmWave cellular networks, they would cause a large number of unnecessary handovers due to the frequent short-term LOS blockage by obstacles, imposing high signaling and energy overhead on the network. In this paper, we propose a novel handover mechanism to reduce unnecessary handovers in a mmWave cellular network by carefully deciding the next base station (BS) a user should handover to, so that the new user-BS connection after the handover can last as long as possible. Clearly, making such an optimal decision requires some knowledge on the usersâ€™ post-handover mobility trajectory and LOS blockage, whose realization cannot be assumed at the moment of handover. The proposed handover mechanism addresses this challenge by exploiting the empirical distribution of usersâ€™ post-handover trajectory and LOS blockage, learned online through a multi-armed bandit framework, with the intention to maximize the expectation of the user-BS connection time after each handover. The results of numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed handover policy outperforms existing counterparts on reducing handovers, especially in the scenarios where usersâ€™ mobility follows regular patterns.
Rethinking Counseling Recruitment for Transgender Clients: Using Content Analysis to Investigate Trends

Transgender clients are disproportionately underrepresented in counseling, despite clinical needs therein. To better understand this problem, we investigated client recruitment within professional ...
Assessment and management of agitation, sleep, and mental illness in the surgical ICU.

Purpose of review Increased focus on patient-centered outcomes, mental health, and delirium prevention makes this review timely and relevant for critical care. Recent findings This review focuses on patient-centered outcomes in the ICU, highlighting the latest research to promote brain health and psychological recovery during and after perioperative critical illness. Topics include sedation in the obese patient, delirium severity assessments, the role of the Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison in the ICU, Post-intensive care syndrome, and the importance of family engagement in the COVID era. Summary Highlighting new research, such as novel implementation strategies in addition to a lack of research in certain areas like sleep in the ICU may lead to innovation and establishment of evidence-based practices in critical care. Perioperative brain health is multifaceted, and an increase in multidisciplinary interventions may help improve outcomes and decrease morbidity in ICU survivors.
Protected Areas Established by Local Communities through Direct Democracy Encompass Habitat for Species as Effectively as Protected Areas Planned over Large Spatial Scales.

Local communities contribute to broader biodiversity protection goals when managing their immediate environment when they establish protected areas. However, their efforts are geographically constrained and often uncoordinated. We compare protected areas established by local communities through the direct democracy process in California, US, to protected areas created and managed by two conservation actors working over larger spatial scales, one private and one public. Despite being geographically constrained to smaller spatial scales, protected areas established by local communities were as effective as those established by larger scale conservation actors at representing different habitat types. However, local ballot protected areas tended to protect more common species. All three protected area networks often performed no better than random in terms of siting protected areas to support narrow range species and rare habitats. Improved accounting of local communities’ protection efforts would allow organizations with greater funding flexibility to focus their efforts to increase representation of rarer species and habitats in protected area systems.
Change monitoring and assessment of health capacity of Iraq due to COVID-19 by application of GIS techniques

Infectious disease distribution is fundamentally a spatial process; thus, geospatial data, technology and analysis methods play an essential role in analysing and controlling the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As a result of this virus, there is a rapid increase in the number of infected and deaths distributed in different regions of Iraq. Social functioning, human health, life, human production, and also international relations are extremely threatened by COVID-19. To fight this virus, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can play an important role in many aspects such as preventing the spread and the evaluating the required measures. GIS is an advanced technique which has a complete method for database, form construction, model construction, and map production geographical health gaps and social weaknesses review, and communicating illness state or return-to-normal operations in hospitals. The use of the GIS has the ability to improve the location and usability of personal security installations, ventilators, hospital beds and other objects. However, strengthen production of GIS to boost our ability to respond rapidly in the face of pandemics that are on the verge of spreading. This study summarizes the main uses of GIS technologies in the global health care sector, highlighting applications related to the modelling and analysis of parasitic diseases. It also allows investigators to connect health public and climate data so that relations of health-related variables and environmental risk factors at various geographical quantities can be analysed.
Notes on the Distribution and Natural History of the Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus) in West Virginia

Small fossorial snakes, such as the Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus), are often neglected in studies since they lead a fossorial life and are frequently hard to find. Since it was last studied nearly 40 years ago, we present an update on distribution, habitat preferences, and diet of the Eastern Wormsnake in West Virginia. We found that this species resides in only a fraction of its original range due to habitat destruction by industrial, residential, and commercial developments. Habitat data suggests this species can tolerate a range of soil temperatures (15–24 °C), air temperatures (23.1 degrees Celsius), and relative humidity (24.5-80%), and can be found on nearly all slope directions. Dietary analysis showed annelids make up the majority of their diet but other invertebrate prey are also taken.
LLC Resonant Converter with 99% Efficiency for Data Center Server

The new generation of processors for CPUs, GPUs and AI demand a significantly higher current level of 500A-1000 amperes. To accommodate this significant increase in power demand, the data center server rack must employ a 48V backplane power bus to deliver 25-30KW to its server processor. A state-of-the-art silicon-based power module is demonstrated to offer 96% efficiency and a power density of around 40-50W/in3. In this paper, a wide-bandgap (WBG)-based LLC converter is demonstrated to have greatly improved efficiency and power density. Operating at 500KHz switching frequency, the circuit topology and design practice is a significant departure from the current practice. For example, a complicated transformer structure is broken down into a structure of three simple transformers that can be easily implemented using a form of four-layer printed-circuit-board (PCB). Furthermore, these magnetic components are integrated into a compact structure that is easily manufacturable. By adding two additional shielding layers into the four-layer PCB, a 20db reduction in common-mode noises is realized over the entire frequency spectrum of interest, from 150 KHz up to 30 MHz. Two prototypes of 3kW, 48V DC/DC converters are demonstrated with a peak efficiency of 99% and a power density of 530 W/in3 (33 kW/L).
Changing Feeding Trends as a Cause of Electrolyte Depletion in Infants with Cystic Fibrosis

Between June 1979 and June 1980, 16 infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) were cared for at the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children. Five of these children (average age 5.8 months) had a total of eight episodes of electrolyte depletion, with six episodes unassociated with high environmental temperature, fever, or significant gastrointestinal symptoms. Their primary symptoms were poor weight gain and anorexia. According to their dietary records, these five infants, at the time of their initial presentation, had an average electrolyte intake of 8 mEq of sodium, 12 mEq of potassium, and 10 mEq of chloride per day. All infants had been fed either standard infant formula or breast milk. Infant feeding surveys indicate that the estimated average sodium intake of 6-month-old infants has decreased from 45 mEq/day in 1965 to 15 mEq/day since 1977 when manufacturers stopped adding salt to baby foods. In addition, since 1971 the percentage of infants 6 months of age receiving breast milk or standard infant formula rather than cow9s milk, which is high in sodium content, has increased from 33% to 72%. This decreased salt intake places the infant with CF at greater risk for electrolyte depletion than in the past. It is expected that a larger percentage of infants with CF will have electrolyte depletion as their initial symptom especially during periods of increased sweating or when electrolyte losses are experienced during gastrointestinal illnesses. CF should be suspected in any infant with electrolyte depletion, and infants known to have CF need daily salt supplementation. Serum electrolytes should be measured if the infant is experiencing weight loss or anorexia, particularly during periods of excessive salt losses.
Wojtyla's Personalism and Kantian Human Dignity: Parallel Avenues of Reason within the Tension Toward the Ground of Existence

This paper investigates the tensions inherent in Karol Wojtyla’s personalist philosophical project, as illuminated by Eric Voegelin’s account of the loss of the meaning of the originating experiences of philosophy and revelation and his search for a new elaboration of the sources of human order. Throughout the argument, which is organized as an analysis of the main categories of Wojtyla’s Thomistic personalism, the insights and observations by Wojtyla that correspond to Voegelin’s concept of ratio are contrasted with the traditional Thomistic themes in Wojtyla’s investigation of the principles of personal action—especially in action’s connection with morality. It is this paper’s aim to show that Wojtyla describes the reality of the person in a way that partly corresponds to the experience expressed by the concept of ratio as developed by Voegelin, although he is ultimately limited by his commitment to a more limited concept of the intellect, or the knowledge of an objective hierarchy of ends, as the foundation of personal fulfillment.
Automatic Telescope Search for Extrasolar Planets

We are using automatic photoelectric telescopes at the Tennessee State University Center for Automated Space Science to search for planets around nearby stars in our galaxy. Over the past several years, wc have developed the capability to make extremely precise measurements of brightness changes in Sun-like stars with automatic telescopes. Extensive quality control and calibration measurements result in a precision of 0.l% for a single nightly observation and 0.0270 for yearly means, far better than previously thought possible with ground-based observations. We are able, for the first time, to trace brightness changes in Sun-like stars that are of similar amplitude to brightness changes in the Sun, whose changes can be observed only with space-based radiometers. Recently exciting discoveries of the first extrasolar planets have been announced, based on the detection of very small radial-velocity variations that imply the existence of planets in orbit around several Sun-like stars. Our precise brightness measurements have been crucial for the confirmation of these discoveries by helping to eliminate alternative explanations for the radial-velocity variations. With our automatic telescopes, we are also searching for transits of these planets across the disks of their stars in order to conclusively verify their existence. The detection of transits would provide the first direct measurements of the sizes, masses, and densities of these planets and, hence, information on their compositions and origins.
Reply to Cauwels et al.: Of men, not mice, and inflammation

We appreciate the comments of Cauwels et al. (1) regarding our recent publication (2). Cauwels et al. cite the use of anti-TNF treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease and the failure of nitric oxide (NO) synthases in sepsis as examples of the successful use of mouse models. Ironically, these examples could in fact be used to illustrate the differences between mice and humans. Anti-TNF treatment was developed for the treatment of sepsis because it protected mice in models of sepsis (3). However, anti-TNF failed in human trials of sepsis (4). It was only later that anti-TNF was shown to be helpful for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. In the case of NO, it should be noted that although mouse macrophages readily produce NO in vitro, human macrophages do not (5). The many trials for sepsis in which drugs protected in mice but failed in humans suggest that ability of mouse efficacy models to predict human inflammatory diseases is close to random, and therefore it should not be surprising that occasionally there is a correlation. However, for such a model to be helpful, it needs to prospectively predict the human condition. In this case, mouse models appear to perform very poorly indeed.
Multimodal release of transforming growth factor-β1 and the BB isoform of platelet derived growth factor from PEGylated fibrin gels

We designed a growth factor release system to potentially stabilize neovascularization in the treatment of ischemic tissue. In this study, the release of PDGF-BB and TGF-β1 was controlled with distinct kinetics from injectable PEGylated fibrin gels. Growth factors can be loaded into PEGylated fibrin gels via 3 mechanisms: entrapment, conjugation through a homobifunctional amine reactive PEG linker, and physical affinity with the fibrin matrix. PDGF-BB was entrapped during thrombin-mediated crosslinking leading to a diffusion-controlled release over 2 days. TGF-β1 was both conjugated through the PEG linker and bound to the matrix via physical affinity, delaying the release rate of TGF-β1 up to 10 days. Further, the release rate was highly correlated to gel degradation rate indicating that TGF-β1 release is degradation-controlled. Therefore, by modulating the molar ratio of PEG to fibrinogen, we were able to control the release rate of TGF-β1 without altering the release kinetics of PDGF-BB. The bioactivity of loaded TGF-β1 was maintained upon release as evidenced by the inhibition of cell proliferation. This system could be expanded to incorporate growth factors loaded via 3 schemes with differing release rates from an injectable system allowing for a high degree of flexibility in other combinational drug delivery and tissue engineering systems.
National validation study of a swab protocol for the recovery of Bacillus anthracis spores from surfaces

Twelve Laboratory Response Network (LRN) affiliated laboratories participated in a validation study of a macrofoam swab protocol for the recovery, detection, and quantification of viable B. anthracis (BA) Sterne spores from steel surfaces. CDC personnel inoculated steel coupons (26cm(2)) with 1-4 log(10) BA spores and recovered them by sampling with pre-moistened macrofoam swabs. Phase 1 (P1) of the study evaluated swabs containing BA only, while dust and background organisms were added to swabs in Phase 2 (P2) to mimic environmental conditions. Laboratories processed swabs and enumerated spores by culturing eluted swab suspensions and counting colonies with morphology consistent with BA. Processed swabs were placed in enrichment broth, incubated 24h, and cultured by streaking for isolation. Real-time PCR was performed on selected colonies from P2 samples to confirm the identity of BA. Mean percent recovery (%R) of spores from the surface ranged from 15.8 to 31.0% (P1) and from 27.9 to 55.0% (P2). The highest mean percent recovery was 31.0% (sd 10.9%) for P1 (4 log(10) inoculum) and 55.0% (sd 27.6%) for P2 (1 log(10) inoculum). The overall %R was higher for P2 (44.6%) than P1 (24.1%), but the overall reproducibility (between-lab variability) was lower in P2 than in P1 (25.0 vs 16.5%CV, respectively). The overall precision (within-lab variability) was close to identical for P1 and P2 (44.0 and 44.1, respectively), but varied greatly between inoculum levels. The protocol demonstrated linearity in %R over the three inoculum levels and is able to detect between 26 and 5x10(6)spores/26cm(2). Sensitivity as determined by culture was >98.3% for both phases and all inocula, suggesting that the culture method maintains sensitivity in the presence of contaminants. The enrichment broth method alone was less sensitive for sampled swabs (66.4%) during P2, suggesting that the presence of background organisms inhibited growth or isolation of BA from the broth. The addition of real-time PCR testing to the assay increased specificity from >85.4% to >95.0% in P2. Although the precision was low at the 1 log(10) inoculum level in both phases (59.0 and 50.2%), this swab processing protocol, was sensitive, specific, precise, and reproducible at 2-4 log(10)/26cm(2) spore concentrations.
Free Energy Analysis of the Conformational Preferences of A and B Forms of DNA in Solution

Right-handed DNA duplexes assume a B form at high water activity and an A form at reduced levels, but the molecular origins of this behavior are in debate. Four large-scale molecular dynamics simul...
Spatiotemporal patterns of evapotranspiration in response to multiple environmental factors simulated by the Community Land Model

Spatiotemporal patterns of evapotranspiration (ET) over the period from 1982 to 2008 are investigated and attributed to multiple environmental factors using the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4). Our results show that CLM4 captures the spatial distribution and interannual variability of ET well when compared to observation-based estimates. We find that climate dominates the predicted variability in ET. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration also plays an important role in modulating the trend of predicted ET over most land areas, and replaces climate to function as the dominant factor controlling ET changes over the North America, South America and Asia regions. Compared to the effect of climate and CO2 concentration, the roles of other factors such as nitrogen deposition, land use change and aerosol deposition are less pronounced and regionally dependent. The aerosol deposition contribution is the third most important factor for trends of ET over Europe, while it has the smallest impact over other regions. As ET is a dominant component of the terrestrial water cycle, our results suggest that environmental factors like elevated CO2, nitrogen and aerosol depositions, and land use change, in addition to climate, could have significant impact on future projections of water resources and water cycle dynamics at global and regional scales.
Antibodies specifically target AML antigen NuSAP1 after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Identifying the targets of immune response after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) promises to provide relevant immune therapy candidate proteins. We used protein microarrays to serologically identify nucleolar and spindle-associated protein 1 (NuSAP1) and chromatin assembly factor 1, subunit B (p60; CHAF1b) as targets of new antibody responses that developed after allogeneic HCT. Western blots and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) validated their post-HCT recognition and enabled ELISA testing of 120 other patients with various malignancies who underwent allo-HCT. CHAF1b-specific antibodies were predominantly detected in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), whereas NuSAP1-specific antibodies were exclusively detected in patients with AML 1 year after transplantation (P < .001). Complete genomic exon sequencing failed to identify a nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for NuSAP1 and CHAF1b between the donor and recipient cells. Expression profiles and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed NuSAP1 was predominately expressed in the bone marrow CD34(+)CD90(+) hematopoietic stem cells, leukemic cell lines, and B lymphoblasts compared with other tissues or cells. Thus, NuSAP1 is recognized as an immunogenic antigen in 65% of patients with AML following allogeneic HCT and suggests a tumor antigen role.
Complications in Spondylolisthesis Surgery

Study design Selected references are cited to illustrate the current status of approaches to surgical complications in isthmic spondylolisthesis surgery. Objective To minimize untoward events and outcomes in the surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis, an awareness of complications and pitfalls specific to spondylolisthesis surgery is necessary. Summary of background data Pseudarthrosis is the most common complication, and factors that contribute are vertebral geometry, bone grafting options and technique, and immobilization with instrumentation constructs or an orthosis. There has been an increase in neurologic deficits associated with spondylolisthesis surgery during the period of 1996 to 2002. Neurologic sequelae can include cauda equina syndrome, root lesions, autonomic dysfunction, and chronic pain. These can result from reduction maneuvers, instrumentation, and after surgery, although neurologic deficit can occur without identifiable causes. Restoring or maintaining the physiologic sagittal contour of the lumbar spine is a necessary component of surgical planning. Methods Literature review. Results Problems and complications associated with the surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis are well documented in the medical literature. Conclusions The occurrence of pseudarthrosis, neurologic deficits, and transition syndromes such as spondylolisthesis acquisita, S1-S2 deformity, and adjacent segment syndrome can be minimized with proper planning and attention to surgical technique.
High-pressure Raman investigation on CdMoO 4 and pressure-induced phase transformations

Cadmium molybdate (${\mathrm{CdMoO}}_{4}$) has been investigated by high-pressure Raman spectroscopy to 40 GPa in the diamond cell. Changes in the Raman spectral features reveal two pressure-induced phase transitions in the pressure range investigated. Detailed analysis of the Raman data and comparison with the spectra of ${\mathrm{CdWO}}_{4}$ confirm that the first transition near 12 GPa is from the scheelite phase to the wolframite phase. The second phase change occurring near 25 GPa from the wolframite phase is marked by a large downward shift (120 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$) of the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\upsilon}}}_{1}$ mode frequency of Mo-O polyhedron. By comparison with the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\upsilon}}}_{1}$ mode frequency of the ${\mathrm{WO}}_{6}$, it is concluded that the Mo-O coordination becomes truly octahedral in the new high-pressure phase (phase III) of ${\mathrm{CdMoO}}_{4}$. The behavior is compared with that of ${\mathrm{CdWO}}_{4}$ which undergoes an analogous pressure-induced phase transition near 20 GPa. Our recent high-pressure x-ray diffraction study on ${\mathrm{CdMoO}}_{4}$ fully supports the above conclusions.
How to Reduce an Unwritten Language to Writing: III. Phonetic Similarity, Suspicious Pairs, and Minimal Pairs:

Phonetic analysis can be done with a short list of a few hundred words. First, carefully transcribe the list phonetically. Second, list the inventory of symbols. Third, tabulate the symbols by thei...