cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a finger felon.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is an increasingly prevalent nosocomial pathogen that presents therapeutic challenges. We report an incidence of methicillin-resistant S aureus in a felon. The biochemical and clinical characteristics of methicillin-resistant S aureus are reviewed. The alarming increase of this organism in various types of infections demands the attention of all surgeons and emphasizes the importance of early surgical drainage and culture of pus in all cases of infection. (J Hand Surg 2000; 25A:173-175.
Rock Art Dating and the Peopling of the Americas

The peopling of the Americas is both the oldest and most frequently researched question in American archaeology. Although rarely considered, early art has the potential to provide insight into questions that may be obscured by other kinds of evidence, particularly stone tools. What part did art play in the peopling of the Americas? This question is addressed starting with a reconsideration of rock varnish chronometrics as applied to Great Basin, eastern California, petroglyphs. This demonstrates, conservatively, that the petroglyph tradition began before 11,100 YBP, probably before 12,600 YBP, and potentially in the 14,000 years range. Comparison of these ages with evidence from other regions in the hemisphere demonstrates substantial artistic and stylistic variation in rock art by the Paleoindian period (circa 10,000–11,000 YBP). This suggests that, while art may have been part of the baggage of the first immigrants, regional cultural traditions had already been developed by the Terminal Pleistocene, if not earlier. The result is evidence for the development of regional cultural diversity in the Americas by Paleoindian times.
Below‐Replacement Fertility

When a human population has underlying birth rates too low to sustain its current population size, it has below-replacement fertility. If mortality rates are low, then replacement-level fertility is slightly above two births per woman. Currently, over 50% of the global population lives in a country with below-replacement fertility; below-replacement fertility is especially widespread in developed countries and is emerging in many developing ones. But there is substantial variation in degree—some countries having very low fertility (below 1.5 births) and other countries (such as the United States) have levels at or near the replacement level. Because the level of fertility intended (or desired) approximates two births per woman in most countries, explanations for fertility levels below replacement levels focus on why people fail to have the number of children they intend. An important factor is fertility timing. Postponement of fertility to older ages reduces birth rates in current periods (lowering period fertility rates), but it also exposes persons to events and experiences that may lead them to forego childbearing or additional births. Below-replacement fertility produces important macro-level effects (e.g., a population with older persons and a declining population size). Average fertility below two births also impacts families and individuals' life courses and activities. Keywords: fertility; fertility rates; fertility timing; below-replacement fertility; zero population growth; population aging; fertility intentions; unwanted fertility
Diskography: science and the ad hoc hypothesis.

Foreword Two editorials were sought on the subject of diskography based on the paper by Schellhas et al in this issue of the AJNR . The suspicion was that there would be divergent opinions concerning the value of diskography in general and on its value at the C2–C3 level in particular. The
NMR of Solutions of Alkali Metal Ions and Other Nuclei with Spin Greater Than 1/2

To exhibit nuclear magnetic resonance, an element needs to have at least one isotope with non-zero spin. Out of 81 stable elements, only argon does not have a suitable isotope. If one eliminates resonances over 100 times weaker than hydrogen, 32 elements remain. Of these, 24 have a spin greater than 1/2, and their spectra exhibit quadrupole broadening in varying degrees. Fortunately, the nuclei with broad lines also exhibit very wide chemical shifts. Shifts as large as 1% are observed for cobalt. Good resonances are found especially in the following rows of the periodic system: 1, 3A, 3B, 5A, 5B, 7.
Traumatic pseudoaneurysm of ascending cervical artery in neurofibromatosis: complication of chiropractic manipulation.

A B several hours. Ph ysical examination revealed a continuous bruit over a large left neck mass, numerous cafe au lait spots, and cu taneous neurofibromas. Radiographs of the cervical spine demonstrated marked bone dysplasia and kyphosis consistent with neurofibromatosis (fig . 1 A) . A fracture of the left transverse process of T1 was also present. Angiography disclosed branches of the left external caro tid artery supplying the superior part of the mass, a cervical neurof ibroma (fig. 18). Left subclavian artery injection demonstrated an enlarg ed and irregular thyrocervical trunk with con trast material filling a 5 x 6 cm fa lse aneurysm within a large cervical neurofibroma (fig . 1 C). Surgery confirmed th e angiographic diagnosis of false aneurysm formation within the inferior part of th e neurofibroma.
Some Physical Properties of Foods

The food industry has long utilized air and water to transport products from one location to another, especially raw products. Likewise, a gas or fluid can be utilized to separate a desirable product or products from undesirable materials. When designing systems to work with a specific food material, one must know about the aero and hydrodynamic characteristics of the material. The characteristics, or primary properties, that govern the product behavior in air or water are the drag coefficient and the terminal velocity.
Neottialges neopelagicus new species (Acari:Hypoderatidae) from the pelagic cormorant (Aves:Phalacrocoracidae:Pelecaniformes).

A new species of hypoderatid deutonymph is described from the subcutaneous adipose tissues of the pelagic cormorant, Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pallas, from Alaska. Neottialges neopelagicus n. sp. is similar to the 3 other Neottialges spp. from cormorants. N. neopelagicus closely resembles N. tasmaniensis Fain & Domrow except the genital apodeme is incomplete in the latter, but the sclerotized T-shaped extremities are connected by a thin line of sclerotization to form a complete central apodeme in N. neopelagicus. There also are minor differences in leg chaetotaxy of these 2 species. The genital apodeme is heavily sclerotized throughout its length in N. evansi Fain and N. pelagicus OConnor. In both these species, seta d4 is long and resembles other middorsal idiosomal setae, whereas it is short and hairlike in N. tasmaniensis and N. neopelagicus. In N. pelagicus terminal seta as on tarsus IV is smooth; it is serrated in the other three species. The single pelagic cormorant we found infected with N. neopelagicus shared this host with N. pelagicus, emphasizing the possibility of coexistence of 2 very similar species of hypoderatids in the same host individual.
Group Size and Absenteeism Rates: A Longitudinal Analysis

The article presents a study which examined whether absenteeism rates are related to the relative size of work groups as they change over time. The study has utilized data from the organizational r...
Deep Level Structure of Semi-Insulating Movpe Gaas Grown by Controlled Oxygen Incorporation

Semi-insulating oxygen-doped GaAs layers have been grown by low pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) using aluminum-oxygen bonding based precursor diethyl aluminum ethoxide (DEALO). Resistivities of more than 2×109 Ω-cm at 294 K have been achieved. Deep level structure responsible for the high resistivity was investigated by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) using DEALO and disilane co-doped GaAs p+-n homojunction. Multiple deep level peaks were observed, and the relative peak heights were found to vary with the dopant concentrations. Major deep levels were electron traps with ionization energy between 0.75 and 0.95 eV below conduction band edge minimum. An activation energy of 0.81 eV was deduced from temperature-dependent resistivity measurement, and should be closely related to the major 0.75 eV peak in DLTS spectra.
Estimation of Oviposition by the Fir Engraver, Scolytus ventralis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)1

In studying insect populations it is often advantageous to have a rapid method for estimating population densities. In the present paper, methods are presented for estimating the density of eggs of the fir engraver, Scolytus ventralis LeConte, from the number of attacks or the gallery length.
The genetic program for cartilage development has deep homology within Bilateria

The evolution of novel cell types led to the emergence of new tissues and organs during the diversification of animals. The origin of the chondrocyte, the cell type that synthesizes cartilage matrix, was central to the evolution of the vertebrate endoskeleton. Cartilage-like tissues also exist outside the vertebrates, although their relationship to vertebrate cartilage is enigmatic. Here we show that protostome and deuterostome cartilage share structural and chemical properties, and that the mechanisms of cartilage development are extensively conserved--from induction of chondroprogenitor cells by Hedgehog and β-catenin signalling, to chondrocyte differentiation and matrix synthesis by SoxE and SoxD regulation of clade A fibrillar collagen (ColA) genes--suggesting that the chondrogenic gene regulatory network evolved in the common ancestor of Bilateria. These results reveal deep homology of the genetic program for cartilage development in Bilateria and suggest that activation of this ancient core chondrogenic network underlies the parallel evolution of cartilage tissues in Ecdysozoa, Lophotrochozoa and Deuterostomia.
Growth of primary human renal cell carcinoma on embryonic chick skin in organ culture.

Abstract Embryonic chick skin was used as a biologic support medium for the growth of 2 human genital tract tumor cell lines and 3 primary human renal cell carcinomas. Three of 4 primary renal cell carcinomas invaded the dermal layer of the chick skin in organ culture. Additional studies are needed to determine if growth and invasion of the primary tumor correlates with the malignant potential of that tumor. The model may also be useful for studying the effect of various chemotherapeutic agents against individual human neoplasms.
The lumpy jaw. Cervicofacial actinomycosis

Cervicofacial actinomycosis is a unique polymicrobic infection of endogenous origin, displaying a highly variable clinical course, ranging from an acute, suppurative lesion to a chronic fibrotic process more suggestive of a malignancy. Lesions advance with total disregard for tissue planes, producing burrowing sinus tracts to the skin or mucosal surfaces, which often discharge sulfur granules, colonies of Actinomyces species cemented together by host phosphatase activity. The diagnosis is quite elusive when proper studies (anaerobic culture, careful tissue examination and fluorescent antibody stains) are not undertaken in a timely fashion. Most cases respond well to a prolonged course of antimicrobial therapy. Some patients require excision of fibrotic lesions or persistent sinus tracts. Penicillin G is considered the agent of choice on the basis of extensive clinical experience; tetracycline, erythromycin, and clindamycin are effective as alternative agents.
Inter-device reliability of the NPi-100 pupillometer

The purpose of this study was to explore the inter-device reliability of NPi-100 pupillometers (NeuroOptics, Inc.). The pupillary examination is a fundamental element of the neurological exam. Current evidence suggests that the traditional examination of the pupil with a hand held flashlight has limited inter-rater reliability. Automated pupillometers were developed to provide an objective scoring of pupil size and reactivity. However, there are no data examining inter-device reliability of automated pupil assessments. This study included 210 paired pupillometer measurements were obtained by 33 practitioners from 20 patients at risk for cerebral edema. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean maximum pupil size at rest, the minimum pupil size during light stimulation, and the mean pupil reactivity, for both the right and left eye, when assessed by two investigators, each with a different pupillometer. In addition, Cohen’s Kappa assessments of pupil size and reactivity revealed an almost perfect agreement between the two pupillometers for the maximum pupil size, the minimum pupil size, and for pupil reactivity for both eyes. There is a high inter-device reliability of automated pupillary assessments by two practitioners examining the same patient using different NPi-100 pupillometers.
Neural mechanisms of mismatch negativity dysfunction in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits that reflect impaired cortical information processing. Mismatch negativity (MMN) indexes pre-attentive information processing dysfunction at the level of primary auditory cortex. This study investigates mechanisms underlying MMN impairments in schizophrenia using event-related potential, event-related spectral decomposition (ERSP) and resting state functional connectivity (rsfcMRI) approaches. For this study, MMN data to frequency, intensity and duration-deviants were analyzed from 69 schizophrenia patients and 38 healthy controls. rsfcMRI was obtained from a subsample of 38 patients and 23 controls. As expected, schizophrenia patients showed highly significant, large effect size (P=0.0004, d=1.0) deficits in MMN generation across deviant types. In ERSP analyses, responses to deviants occurred primarily the theta (4–7 Hz) frequency range consistent with distributed corticocortical processing, whereas responses to standards occurred primarily in alpha (8–12 Hz) range consistent with known frequencies of thalamocortical activation. Independent deficits in schizophrenia were observed in both the theta response to deviants (P=0.021) and the alpha-response to standards (P=0.003). At the single-trial level, differential patterns of response were observed for frequency vs duration/intensity deviants, along with At the network level, MMN deficits engaged canonical somatomotor, ventral attention and default networks, with a differential pattern of engagement across deviant types (P<0.0001). Findings indicate that deficits in thalamocortical, as well as corticocortical, connectivity contribute to auditory dysfunction in schizophrenia. In addition, differences in ERSP and rsfcMRI profiles across deviant types suggest potential differential engagement of underlying generator mechanisms.
The role of novel cardiorenal biomarkers in the cardiac catheterization laboratory for the detection of acute kidney injury

Contrast-induced nephropathy related to cardiac and peripheral vascular procedures is a major problem in the United States and abroad. Measures to prevent and treat this complication have been hampered by the lack of clinical tools to detect acute kidney injury following contrast administration. Emerging novel serum and urinary biomarkers may provide sensitive detection of early kidney injury prior to creatinine elevation and allow for more precise risk stratification and management of patients. This article discusses the biologic and clinical data supporting the development and utility of several promising biomarkers in the management of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention.
Selection Factors for Reoperative Surgery for Local Recurrent Rectal Cancer

In the modern era of total mesorectal excision combined with neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy, local recurrence following curative resection for rectal cancer has decreased from approximately 30 to around 10 % or less [1–4]. Recurrence treated with chemoradiation alone affords a median survival of 12–15 months compared to the alternative of no therapy (3–8 months) [2, 3]. However, up to 40–50 % of patients with local recurrence are candidates for re-resection. With multimodal therapy, 5-year overall survival can be as high as 55 % after a microscopically negative resection (R0) [2, 4–9]. With preoperative chemoradiation, radical/extended radical R0 resection, and intraoperative radiotherapy when appropriate, patients are offered the best chance for cure.
What Floor Is Mrs. Jones on, and What Does Her CBC Look Like Today? Patient Records on Handheld Computers

early-morning rounds and spending considerable time trying to find where a patient is located and what their latest lab work shows. Of course, if it’s the weekend, this may be compounded by the fact that your partner’s checkout list is completely illegible or, worse, lost somewhere in your trunk or laundry basket. Now imagine doing all this without the assistance of caffeine, as of course, the coffee cart is closed on Saturday mornings. As a patient care provider, nothing seems more desirable than a handheld computer that manages all the data collection, note writing, and paperwork hassles. Now, imagine being able to do all this while walking into the hospital from the parking lot (this might allow time to stop somewhere for a cup of coffee). Indeed, current handheld technology begins to chip away at the current inefficiencies of medical record keeping, and lays the groundwork for what is rapidly becoming a reliable, secure, timesaving development. Certainly, as institutional capabilities advance, using these record-keeping devices will be natural extensions of the electronic medical record. There are programs for nearly every specialty, and all the basic programs can be tailored to individual practice preferences.The range of capacity goes from a simple census and “To Do” list to widely configurable platforms with multiple preset pull-down menus.The specialty-specific software often includes a combination of coding and tracking as well. Palm OS and Pocket PC units have many similar offerings. For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll look at one premade program for the Palm OS that is currently one of the most widely used. It is freeware, which is not an indication of its value; in fact, it seems to be among the most versatile programs available at this time. We also show you a roundup of all the various programs available for Palm and Pocket PC handhelds so that you can get rid of your index cards and start tracking patients using your handheld computer. 5
Work efficiency improvement of >90% after implementation of an annual inpatient blood products administration consent form

Paediatric haematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients frequently require transfusion of blood products. Our institution required a new transfusion consent be obtained every admission. The objectives of this project were to: revise inpatient blood products consent form to be valid for 1 year, decrease provider time spent consenting from 15 to 33 hours were spent over 6 months obtaining consent on 40 patients, with >19 hours spent obtaining consent when no transfusions were administered during admission. Twelve months after annual consent implementation, 97.5% (39/40) of analysed patients had a completed annual blood products transfusion consent and provider work efficiency had improved by 94.6% (>30 hours). Although several surveyed variables improved following annual consent implementation, provider frustration with consent process remained 6 out of a max score of 10, the same level as prior to the intervention. Development of an annual inpatient blood products consent form decreased provider time from 15 to 90%.
Reducing dietary protein in pond production of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis): Effects on fish performance and water quality dynamics

Abstract In previous work, we demonstrated that diets containing 40% digestible protein (DP) (45% crude protein) and 18% lipid supplemented with Met and Lys resulted in superior performance and nutrient retentions in hybrid striped bass (HSB) compared to less energy-dense diets when rearing HSB at temperatures similar to the summer growing period of the Southern U.S. The current work was aimed at vetting previous results in pond production of market-size HSB at commercial stocking densities to assess impacts on fish production indices and water quality parameters. Diets were formulated to contain digestible protein levels ranging from 41% to 35% DP and 15% crude lipid. The trial was conducted during the hottest portion of the growing season when impacts of feeding have the greatest influence on pond water quality. The 6-month pond (0.1 ha; 0.25 ac) study began with advanced juveniles (121.4 ± 3.21 g/fish; mean ± SD) in May 2013 and concluded with market sized fish in October 2013. Final fish size ranged from 448 ± 24 g to 1122 ± 46 g with food conversions ranging from 1.34–1.37. Results suggest that DP can be lowered from 41% DP to 35% DP by careful diet formulation while supplementing the first three limiting amino acids (Met, Lys Thr) without detrimental changes to body composition or nutrient retentions. Market size distributions, nutrient retention, and pond water quality dynamics in relation to test diets are also discussed.
Detection and Characterization of Uncultivated Microorganisms Using Microarrays

Microarrays have unprecedented potential for the high-throughput detection and characterization of uncultivated microorganisms. Several different types of arrays have been developed or adapted for the interrogation of microbial genomes and monitoring microbial population dynamics and/or activity in relation to various microbial processes such as bioremediation and biogeochemical cycling. Even though the number of such microarray studies has increased dramatically over the last few years, microarray analysis of uncultivated microorganisms still poses several challenges including a lack of sequence information for many organisms and related issues regarding the sensitivity and specificity of detection. As research continues to address these difficulties, and with further technological advances, microarrays will undoubtedly find even broader application to the investigation of uncultivated microorganisms, thus greatly increasing our understanding of the genetics, physiology, and distribution of these heretofore largely uncharacterized microorganisms.
Preventing Injury in Children

What was once called an “accident” is now labeled by researchers as an “unintentional injury” (Robertson, 1983). What was once thought of as a simple twist of fate is now acknowledged as the leading cause of preventable death in children in industrialized nations (Division of Injury Control, 1990). Even further, hundreds of nonfatal injuries occur each year that leave children disfigured, physically and mentally handicapped, emotionally disturbed, and permanently brain damaged (Roberts & Brooks, 1987). Given the serious threat of unintentional injuries to every child in our country, prevention of childhood injuries is a topic of paramount importance for the child behavior therapist.
Joint Replacement in Patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Hip and knee replacements are challenging in patients with OI. Brittle bone leads to higher rates of intraoperative fractures. Bone deformity and hardware lead to difficulty in placement of the implant. Osteotomy may be required for deformity correction and implant placement. Such procedures should be performed by a surgeon with extensive experience in revision techniques and fracture repair.
NEMS Magnetoelectric Antennas for Biomedical Application

Antenna miniaturization is one of the fundamental challenges for decades [1]. Conventional small antennas use electric current for radiation which relies on electromagnetic wave resonance that leads to antenna sizes comparable to the electromagnetic wavelength λ0. In 2017, we demonstrated a new antenna miniaturization mechanism [2] that acoustically actuated nanome-chanical magnetoelectric (ME) antennas with a released ferromagnetic / piezoelectric thin film resonator could successfully miniaturize the magnitude of 1–2 orders. Here we discuss the ME antenna theory and further design to enhance the antenna gain and bandwidth with series and parallel antenna arrays. These nano-antennas with ultra-high sensitivity, selectivity of the magnetic field and ground plane immunity have great potential applications for bio-implantable, wearable antennas, internet of things, etc.
Torsional Structures to Enable Large Angle Deflections

MEMS micromirrors for large angle beamsteering are needed for numerous broadband steering and imaging applications. However, current scanning micromirrors generally exhibit scanning angles (<20°) and typically in only one direction. In addition, the optical fill-factor is generally <50% which leads to significant signal loss and possible heating of the underlying mechanical structures. In this research, we design, model, fabricate, and test high; out-of-plane MEMS actuators utilizing torsional spring assemblies to enable the large angle (∼45°) tip-tilt of the actuation platform assembly. The micromirror exhibit tip, tilt, and piston motion due to the segmented actuation design approach used; thus, the torsional spring structural elements must be integrated into the design to enable the large tilt angles. The torsional structures must enable large angle bending while also being robust enough to support a micromirror structure during switching events. Through precise material selection, and design control (i.e., structure length, material thickness, Young’s Modulus, and deposition temperature), these spring-based torsional structures can be used to enable the twisting and bending of the micromirror platform to enable the large angle scanning. Several different structural designs are assessed to determine the bending and torsional capabilities necessary for reliable and repeatable switching of the micromirrors.
Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs: Keys to Understanding and Treating the Common Diseases

By Jules J. Berman, Ph.D., M.D. Published by Elsevier, 1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1800, Philadelphia, PA 19103, 2014. 380 p. Price $79.95 (hard cover) Description: This book provides a logical explanation of the relationship between common diseases and rare diseases and how more
Continuity and change in internet law

The fundamentals of the field of Internet law have remained consistent, but details have evolved in response to technological innovation.
Integrin signaling: linking mechanical stimulation to skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

The α7β1-integrin is a transmembrane adhesion protein that connects laminin in the extracellular matrix (ECM) with actin in skeletal muscle fibers. The α7β1-integrin is highly expressed in skeletal...
Activation of GSK3β induced by recall of cocaine reward memories is dependent on GluN2A/B NMDA receptor signaling.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) is a critical regulator of the balance between long-term depression and long-term potentiation which is essential for learning and memory. Our previous study demonstrated that GSK3β activity is highly induced during cocaine memory reactivation, and that reconsolidation of cocaine reward memory is attenuated by inhibition of GSK3β. NMDA receptors and protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) are activators of GSK3β. Thus, this study investigated the roles of NMDA receptor subtypes and PP1in the reconsolidation of cocaine contextual reward memory. Cocaine contextual memories were established and evaluated using cocaine conditioned place preference methods. The regulation of GSK3β activity in specific brain areas was assessed by measuring its phosphorylation state using immunoblot assays. Mice underwent cocaine place conditioning for 8 days and were tested for place preference on day 9. Twenty-four hours later, mice were briefly confined to the compartment previous paired with cocaine to reactivate cocaine-associated memories. Administration of the GluN2A- and GluN2B-NMDA receptor antagonists, NVP-AAM077 and ifenprodil, respectively, immediately following recall abrogated an established cocaine place preference, while preventing the activation of GSK3β in the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus during cocaine memory reactivation. PP1 inhibition with okadaic acid also blocked the activation of GSK3β and attenuated a previously established cocaine place preference. These findings suggest that the dephosphorylation of GSK3β that occurred upon activation of cocaine-associated reward memories may be initiated by the activation of PP1 during the induction of NMDA receptor-dependent reconsolidation of cocaine mnemonic traces. Moreover, the importance of NMDA receptors and PP1 in reconsolidation of cocaine memory makes them potential therapeutic targets in treatment of cocaine use disorder and prevention of relapse.
Photocatalytic primary alcohol oxidation on WO3 nanoplatelets

With the aid of direct heating through microwave irradiation in non-aqueous media, nanocrystalline tungsten(VI) oxide is achievable in 30 minutes at 200 °C, faster and at a lower temperature than conventional synthesis methods. Forming in a platelet morphology, these particles are as small as 20 nm with a BET surface area of 37 m2 g−1 WO3. These nanoplatelets are active for the photocatalytic oxidation of the 1° alcohols benzyl alcohol (rate constant, k of 2.6 × 10−3 h−1) and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural (k of 0.01 h−1) using 10 mg of WO3 with 2 mL of 0.250 M substrate in acetonitrile and a 150 mW cm−2 460 nm blue LED source. As expected, these rate constants are larger than those observed for commercially prepared, micron-sized WO3. XPS analysis shows that during catalysis, the concentration of W5+ on the surface increases, but the nanoplatelets are stable under these reaction conditions. The overall morphology and size of the particles are retained through the reactions. Moreover, the nanoplatelets are recyclable—showing no loss in activity for four reaction cycles.
Plea Bargaining, Conviction Without Trial, and the Global Administratization of Criminal Convictions

This article documents the diffusion of plea bargaining and other mechanisms to reach criminal convictions without a trial and argues that their spread implies what this article terms an administra...
Chapter 4 – GRAPHS

Publisher Summary This method discusses various methods to enumerate graphs, rooted graphs, connected graphs, bicolored graphs, locally restricted graphs, symmetric graphs, boolean functions, and eulerian graphs. Polya's efficient method for counting graphs requires the construction of a permutation group whose orbits correspond precisely to isomorphism classes of labeled graphs with p points and q lines. On deriving an explicit formula for the appropriate cycle index, an application of PET with figure counting series 1 + x determines the counting polynomial that has as the coefficient of xq the number of (p, q) graphs. In a multigraph, more than one line can join two points.
29 Shining a light on health inequities and racial disparities – closing the gap with real-world data & SPC methodology

Background Health disparities in racial minorities are well documented but few hospitals use real-world data to understand equity. The U.S. has invested over $48 billion in electronic medical records (EMRs), that data can be used to surface and improve these disparities. Objectives Identify disparities in outcomes for different racial groups across a range of acute care domains - emergency medicine through to peri-operative care. Methods Using EMR data, a range of clinical metrics for acute care (surgical and emergencies) were surfaced in statistical process control (SPC) charts and then sub-grouped by race to identify disparities in care and opportunities to improve. Results For stroke patients presenting to the emergency department, looking at time to receive tPA treatment - we detected special cause variation for black patients, 50 min door to treatment time compared to 28 minutes for white patients. Surgical pain following surgery measured in the recovery room (PACU) and the first 24 hours after surgery - we learned American indian patients experience more pain (4.3) than white patients (3.5). Post-operative hospital length of stay - we detected special cause variation for American indian patients who have a longer stay (7.7 days) compared to white patients (3.9 days). 30-day re-operation rate following elective surgeries - we detected special cause variation for American indian patients who have a higher re-operation rate than white patients (17.3% vs 11.4%). 30-day re-admission rates for elective surgeries - we detected special cause variation for American Indian patients and those identifying as multiple races who have a higher rate (11.5% and 10.5%) than white patients (8.1%). Conclusions SPC methodology allows clinicians to use EMR data to understand how patients’ race effects their outcomes across a range of acute care domains. Enabling them to track the effect of system changes to understand if equity improves.
Next-Generation Androgen Receptor-Signaling Inhibitors for Prostate Cancer: Considerations for Older Patients

Prostate cancer is common, particularly in older patients, as the risk of getting prostate cancer increases with age. Cancer therapy brings unique challenges in older patients, as this population is vulnerable to many side effects and drug interactions, and they have varying degrees of frailty, which may limit the use of these therapies. The US FDA has recently approved several novel next-generation hormonal therapies for patients with various stages of prostate cancer, giving patients more treatment options. These therapies (e.g., apalutamide, enzalutamide, darolutamide, and abiraterone) have unique side effects that the practitioner must consider when evaluating therapeutic treatments in any patient, and these side effects also affect older patients differently. Here, we review the mechanism of action and metabolism of the next-generation hormonal therapies; report efficacy and safety data from trials of these agents in non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer; and discuss the intricacies of treating older men with prostate cancer. Key takeaways include the fact that enzalutamide and apalutamide may increase the risk of falls and fractures in older patients. Abiraterone requires the concurrent use of low-dose glucocorticoids, which can lead to side effects in older patients. Lastly, drug-drug interactions should be considered in older patients using multiple medications.
Lifetimes of local excitations in disordered dipolar quantum systems

When a strongly disordered system of interacting quantum dipoles is locally excited, the excitation relaxes on some (potentially very long) timescale. We analyze this relaxation process, both for electron glasses with strong Coulomb interactions---in which particle-hole dipoles are emergent excitations---and for systems (e.g., quantum magnets or ultracold dipolar molecules) made up of microscopic dipoles. We consider both energy relaxation rates (${T}_{1}$ times) and dephasing rates (${T}_{2}$ times), and their dependence on frequency, temperature, and polarization. Systems in both two and three dimensions are considered, along with the dimensional crossover in quasi-two-dimensional geometries. A rich set of scaling laws is found.
Ethical implications of next-generation sequencing and the future of newborn screening.

ABSTRACT Over the last 50 years, routine newborn blood screening for congenital disorders has been hailed as a miracle of modern science, saving countless lives by providing a means to detect and treat life-threatening disorders before symptoms present. Despite progress made with more than 5,000 babies effectively identified with rare conditions each year, congenital anomalies collectively remain at the top of the list as the cause of death for babies under 1 year of age, accounting for more than 20% of all infant mortalities. Rapid technological advances have seen the original singular newborn screen for phenylketonuria expand to a core set of 34 conditions and an additional 26 secondary conditions on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel, with wide state-to-state variation for implementation. As genomic analysis evolves to enable next-generation sequencing, debates continue over the ethical, legal, and social implications of identifying conditions for which there is no effective treatment. Nurse practitioners should be engaged and informed in providing evidence-based support to families engaging in ethical complex decision making surrounding newborn screening while effectively balancing risk-benefit analysis with individual beliefs and values.
Chiroptical anisotropy of crystals and molecules

Optical activity, a foundational part of chemistry, is not restricted to chiral molecules although generations have been instructed otherwise. A more inclusive view of optical activity is valuable because it clarifies structure–property relationships however, this view only comes into focus in measurements of oriented molecules, commonly found in crystals. Unfortunately, measurements of optical rotatory dispersion or circular dichroism in anisotropic single crystals have challenged scientists for more than two centuries. New polarimetric methods for unpacking the optical activity of crystals in general directions are still needed. Such methods are reviewed as well as some of the ‘nourishment’ they provide, thereby inviting to new researchers. Methods for fitting intensity measurements in terms of the constitutive tensor that manifests as the differential refraction and absorption of circularly polarized light, are described, and examples are illustrated. Single oriented molecules, as opposed to single oriented crystals, can be treated computationally. Structure–property correlations for such achiral molecules with comparatively simple electronic structures are considered as a heuristic foundation for the response of crystals that may be subject to measurement.
The strategic advantage of mature-stage firms: Digitalization and the diversification of professional sport into esports

Abstract Digital innovations provide mature organizations with opportunities to grow beyond their core industry and thereby compete with formerly tangentially related firms. In this research, we examine how mature organizations generate a competitive advantage when diversifying beyond their native industry. We address this question, withing the context of mature professional sport organizations that are affiliating with esports – organized video game competitions. Esports exemplify the growing number of digital innovations influencing the way organizations operate. Our study adds to existing knowledge by demonstrating how resources initially developed to compete with intra-industry organizations may transform into sources of competitive advantage when entering inter-industry competition. Drawing on strategic management perspectives based on the resource-based view (RBV) and knowledge-based view (KBV), we found that the experience-based tacit knowledge embedded in a firm (and its human capital) generates competitive advantage in these new industries. However, this knowledge is only as valuable as the versatility of the resources guiding its use. Our findings indicate that a firm’s versatile resources, when coupled with its knowledge, are the basis for generating a competitive advantage. Thus, as mature organizations diversify, they stand to benefit from identifying the versatile resources developed in their native competitive environment that represent strategic resources when challenging new competitors and using said resources in tandem with their knowledge-based competencies.
Protection of Random Assignment

Existence of an alternative explanation for the benefit of a treatment is a confounder. It is a nuisance “passenger” variable that rides along with treatment and undermines the ability to make causal inferences. This chapter focuses on why random assignment is so powerful and should be protected. It presents a history of attempts to answer the question of whether or not a treatment works, and the arrival at random assignment as the best way to make causal inferences about the benefits of a treatment. It defines confounding as an error of interpretation and the essential role of avoiding it by protecting the random assignment. It then goes on to illustrate ways to protect random assignment in the design, conduct, and analyses of a trial, with particular attention to the central role of identifying a patient-centered target population, recruiting it, retaining it, and insuring that all randomized participants are included in the evaluation of trial results.
Sex Robots and Views from Nowhere: A Commentary on Jecker, Howard and Sparrow, and Wang

This article explores the implications of what it means to moralize about future technological innovations. Specifically, I comment on three papers that explore what seems to be an impending social reality: the availability of life-like sex robots. In response, I critically assess what it means to moralize about future technological innovations from a fully secular perspective; i.e., a perspective grounded in an immanent, socio-historically contingent view. I review the arguments of Nancy Jecker (Sociable robots for later life: Carebots, friendbots, and sexbots. In: Fan R., Cherry M.J. (eds) Sex robots: Their social impact and the future of human relations. Springer, Lisse, 2022), Mark Howard and Robert Sparrow (Nudge, nudge, wink wink: Sex robots as social influencers. In: Fan R, Cherry MJ (eds) Sex robots: Their social impact and the future of human relations. Springer, Lisse, 2022), and Wang Jue (Should we develop empathy for social robots? In: Fan R., Cherry M.J. (eds) Sex robots: Their social impact and the future of human relations. Springer, Lisse, 2022) concerning the permissible limits of human-robot sexual interaction. I argue that we are in a poor epistemic position regarding what the actual future human response will be towards sex robots and how such developments will affect society. Given such a poor epistemic position, I argue that moralizing about future trends, like human-robot sex, is difficult because we do not have the relevant facts with which to work. Furthermore, I remain sceptical as to policy recommendations based on socio-historically contingent moral viewpoints because they do not carry any in principle moral authority to direct what future others may or may not do with their own private property. Moreover, such recommendations may not even possess moral appeal to future persons or societies as secular morality is plural and consistently develops anew.
Source Control in Intra-Abdominal Infections

Intra-abdominal infections are a common cause of an acute abdomen worldwide, which are frequently associated with significant morbidity and high mortality. Patients with peritonitis secondary to an intra-abdominal infection require prompt diagnosis followed by aggressive and timely intervention. Source control, in combination with antibiotic therapy, are the two pillars of care for patients with intra-abdominal infections. In such cases, the surgeon must employ resuscitative measures in preparation for the source control procedure. Techniques for obtaining source control vary widely depending on the site of infection, acuity of infection, and physiologic state of the host. Targeted antibiotic therapy is an important adjunct after source control has been achieved in complicated infections. In this chapter, we discuss the underlying physiology related to intra-abdominal infections and the essential management concepts necessary to obtain source control.
Progress Toward N+1 Noise Goal

A review of the progress made towards achieving the Subsonic Fixed Wing project's noise goal for the next generation single aisle aircraft is presented. The review includes the technology path selected for achieving the goal as well as highlights from several in-house and partnership test programs that have contributed to this effort. In addition, a detailed, self-consistent, analysis of the aircraft system noise for a conceptual next generation single aisle aircraft is also presented. The results indicate that with the current suite of noise reduction technologies incorporated into the conceptual aircraft a cumulative noise reduction margin of 26 EPNdB could be expected. This falls 6 dB short of the N+1 goal, which is 32 EPNdB below Stage 4 noise standard. Potential additional noise reduction technologies to help achieve the goal are briefly discussed.
Clouds, contrails and climate

Cirrus clouds warm the Earth. Their formation is incompletely understood, but recent studies hint that they can evolve from jet contrails. This is an unsuspected, but possibly important, effect of human activity on climate — offering a new way to study the processes involved.
EBV Persistence Involves Strict Selection of Latently Infected B Cells

EBV is found preferentially in IgD− B cells in the peripheral blood. This has led to the proposal that the recirculating memory B cell pool is the site of long-lived persistent infection. In this paper we have used CD27, a newly identified specific marker for memory B cells, to test this hypothesis. We show that EBV is tightly restricted in its expression. Less than 1 in 1000 of the infected cells in the peripheral blood are naive (IgD+, CD27−) and <1 in 250 are IgD+ memory cells. Furthermore, EBV was undetectable in the self-renewing peripheral CD5+ or B1 cells, a subset that has not been through a germinal center. No such restriction was observed in tonsillar B cells. Therefore, the virus has access to a range of B cell subsets in the lymph nodes but is tightly restricted to a specific long-lived compartment of B cells, the IgD−, CD27+, and CD5− memory B cells, in the periphery. We suggest that access to this compartment is essential to allow the growth-promoting latent genes to be switched off to create a site of persistent infection that is neither pathogenic nor a target for immunosurveillance.
Receptor‐mediated Endocytosis of Alpha2‐macroglobulin by Principal Cells in the Proximal Caput Epididymidis In Vivo

Micropuncture techniques were used to study receptor-mediated endocytosis of alpha 2-macroglobulin bound to colloidal gold (alpha 2M-gold) by principal cells in the proximal caput epididymidis of control and efferent duct-ligated rats. The pathway of receptor-mediated endocytosis of alpha 2-macroglobulin-gold in vivo was similar to that which occurs in vitro. Alpha 2-macroglobulin-gold was taken up and internalized in coated pits and coated vesicles and was localized sequentially in uncoated vesicles (endosomes), tubular-vesicular structures, multivesicular bodies, and lysosomes. However, a 100-fold excess of alpha 2-macroglobulin did not displace the uptake of alpha 2-macroglobulin-gold in principal cells from control rats. In contrast, uptake of alpha 2-macroglobulin-gold by principal cells from efferent duct-ligated rats was six-fold greater than in control rats, and could be displaced to control levels by a 100-fold excess of alpha 2-macroglobulin. It is suggested that the inability of a 100-fold excess of alpha 2-macroglobulin to displace uptake of alpha 2-macroglobulin-gold in control rats was due to the normal saturation of apparent alpha 2-macroglobulin receptors on principal cells. The effect of efferent duct ligation was to remove the high levels of endogenous alpha 2-macroglobulin, which depleted the receptors of alpha 2-macroglobulin, thereby allowing a higher uptake of alpha 2-macroglobulin-gold in the efferent duct-ligated rats.