cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical-Flicker-Fusion Thresholds as a Function of Very Small Pulse-to-Cycle Fractions

As a follow-up to an earlier study, critical-flicker-fusion thresholds were determined as a function of two additional pulse-to-cycle fractious (.025,.05). The Ss were the same four white Carneaux pigeons used in the earlier study. The Estes-Skinner conditioned-suppression paradigm was used to assess the thresholds. Threshold determinations were made at three levels of illumination (30,300, 30.30 and .0303 miliamberts). All Ss showed a uniform and approximately linear drop in thresholds from the peak that had been achieved with a pulse-to-cycle fraction of .10. While the break was most pronounced at the high and medium level of illumination, some drop-off also occurred at the low stimulus intensity. The relationship of these findings to Bartley’s model is discussed.
Optimization of StepLock® Orthotic Knee Joint Design☆

Abstract Concurrent and early application of DFM, DFMA, FEA, and DFE methodologies in biomedical products can yield significant benefits to companies involved in the design and development of products such as orthotics. In these cases, nearly 70-80% of the orthotic cost is already committed during the design phase leaving much less than 20% of product cost for optimization during the manufacturing phase. Thus, attempts to reduce orthotic cost, and increase robustness of product performance become an uphill task due to limited scope for optimization during the manufacturing phase. Currently, most of the design and manufacturing work in the orthotic industry does not incorporate all available robust design tools during the concept stage of product development. Consequently, many times the manufacturing process results in line stoppers; parts not assembling correctly; endless engineering change orders; pruning, grooming, tuning to get the part out of the door. This paper presents the integration of DFM, DFMA, FEA, and DFE principles early in the design phase of orthotics, coupled with the use of CREO ® for generation of CAD models, DFM-Pro ® for improving manufacturability, CustomPart. Net for cost reduction, and Sustainable Minds ® for reducing carbon footprint. In this study StepLock ® orthotic knee joint design optimization resulted in a 50% reduction in number of features, 37% reduction in number of parts, 2% reduction in weight, 50% reduction in Von-Mises stresses, 44% reduction in maximum shear stresses, 47% reduction in cycle time, 49% reduction in manufacturing cost, and 95% reduction in carbon footprint. This study demonstrates successful implementation of robust design tools in the production of environmentally benign biomedical products and reducing carbon footprint, while simultaneously increasing robustness and reducing cost.
Politics as a vacation

This paper analyzes the electoral campaign and election of Donald Trump as an ongoing event – a rupture of known trajectories and narratives. The “eventness” of the election was both orchestrated by the Trump campaign, and desired by parts of the electorate precisely as a rupture in the predictable trajectories of political life. We locate this form of rupture in the tension Weber described between charisma and rational-legal authority, as a tear in the mutual implication of these forms of authority in the ordinary business of politics. We then show how such an analysis of rupture problematizes the usual ways sociologists attempt to understand actors, using Weber’s notion of “verstehen” that focuses on understanding individuals’ alternative motivations, meanings, and alternative trajectories of means and ends. We argue that we must position rupture – the suspension and even rejection of such narratives – as an important aspect of our understanding of action in this case.
Parental explanatory models of ADHD: gender and cultural variations

This study describes parents’ explanatory models of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and examines model variation by child characteristics. Children with ADHD (N = 182) were identified from a school district population of elementary school students. A reliable coding system was developed for parental responses obtained in ethnographic interviews in order to convert qualitative into numerical data for quantitative analysis. African-American parents were less likely to connect the school system to ADHD problem identification, expressed fewer worries about ADHD-related school problems, and voiced fewer preferences for school interventions than Caucasian parents, pointing to a potential disconnect with the school system. More African-American than Caucasian parents were unsure about potential causes of and treatments for ADHD, indicating a need for culturally appropriate parent education approaches.
Visits to Primary Care and Emergency Department Reliance for Foster Youth: Impact of Medicaid Managed Care

Abstract Objective To examine the rate of access to primary and preventive care and emergency department (ED) reliance for foster youth as well as the impact of a transition from fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid to managed care (MC) on this access. Methods Secondary administrative data were obtained from Medicaid programs in one state that transitioned foster youth from an FFS to an MC (Texas) and another state, comparable in population size and racial/ethnic diversity, which continuously enrolled foster youth in an FFS system (Florida). Eligible participants were foster youth (aged 0–18 years) enrolled in these states between 2006 and 2010 (n = 126,714). A Puhani approach to difference-in-difference was used to identify the effect of transition after adjusting for race/ethnicity, gender, and health status. Data were used to calculate access to primary and preventive care as well as ED reliance. ED reliance was operationalized as the number of ED visits relative to the number of total ambulatory visits; high ED reliance was defined as ≥33%. Results The transition to MC was associated with a 6% to 13% increase in access to primary care. Preventive care visits were 10% to 13% higher among foster youth in MC compared to those in FFS. ED reliance declined for the intervention group but to a lesser extent than did the control group, yielding a positive mean percentage change. Conclusions Foster youth access to care may benefit from a Medicaid MC delivery system, particularly as the plans used are designed with the unique needs of this vulnerable population.
Optimization of collagen-elastin-like polypeptide composite tissue engineering scaffolds using response surface methodology.

Abstract The ability of a tissue-engineered scaffold to regenerate functional tissues depends on its mechanical and biochemical properties. Though the commonly used collagen scaffolds have good biochemical properties, they fail due to their poor mechanical and physical properties. We have reinforced the collagen matrix with elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) to improve the mechanical and physical properties and optimized the composite composition using a novel statistical method of response surface methodology (RSM). RSM used a central composite design to correlate the 2 input factor variables (collagen and ELP concentrations) and 3 output objectives (tensile strength, elastic modulus, and toughness) using a second order polynomial equation. Upon uniaxial tensile testing and subsequent RSM optimization, a composite prepared using 6 mg/mL collagen and 18 mg/mL ELP was identified as having an optimal combination of all the three tensile properties. Physical properties of the 6:18 mg/mL composite versus the 6:0 mg/mL collagen-only hydrogel characterized by swelling ratio, differential scanning calorimetry, and FTIR spectroscopy revealed that the addition of ELP reduced the residual water content in the composites and provided evidence of the presence of collagen-ELP interactions. Scanning electron microscopy images of the collagen-only hydrogel showed porous fibrillar and dense afibrillar collagenous microstructure, but the collagen-ELP composite showed a dense collagenous microstructure with characteristic ELP aggregates. We surmise that because of the low water content and dense microstructure, the 6:18 mg/mL collagen-ELP composite had improved mechanical properties. Taken together, the composites prepared in this research can form good quality, rigid porous structures required for tissue engineering applications.
Splenic Cysts in the Differential Diagnosis of Suprarenal Masses

AbstractSplenic cysts are uncommon and their preoperative diagnosis is suspected rarely from the clinical presentation. The urologist should be aware that on an excretory urogram these cysts appear as suprarenal masses, suggesting adrenal enlargement. Two recent cases are presented, with a discussion of their classification, incidence, diagnostic evaluation and therapy.
DELINEATION OF THE PATHOGENESIS OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS BY USING MURINE MODELS

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by the production of autoantibodies to a spectrum of nuclear antigens, and the development of inflammatory Processes potentially affecting multiple organ systems with varied clinical manifestations. Although the etiology of SLE is still unclear, it has been established that genetic factors play an important role in determining disease susceptibility.
Cytochrome P-450cam and Other Bacterial P-450 Enzymes

The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, we will attempt to summarize the existing knowledge on the wide variety of bacterial cytochrome P-450 hemeproteins that have been discovered. As such, this represents the first comprehensive review of the bacterial cytochromes P-450. It should become evident to the reader that these cytochromes comprise a class just as diverse, if not more so, than their eukaryotic counterparts. Perhaps the best known and most extensively characterized of these bacterial enzymes is P-450cam isolated from Pseudomonas putida. From the initial isolation in Gunsalus’s laboratory in 1967 and subsequent investigations in many laboratories, the numerous studies employing this cytochrome have shed much light on the mechanisms associated with the family of P-450-dependent monooxygenases as a whole. A second goal of this chapter is to review the detailed biophysical, biochemical, and molecular biological studies conducted with this system. It should be noted that “P-450cam” and “bacterial P-450” are not synonymous. The various P-450 molecules described herein are in all probability only a very small fraction of those present in the myriad of bacterial cells in the biosphere. In view of the variety of substrate transformations that this enzyme family is able to catalyze, some of which are energetically very difficult, their distribution in nature is no doubt ubiquitous. One need only look through the American Type Culture Collection Catalogue1 under such diverse genera as Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Bacillus, and Nocardia among others to see the potential roles of yet undiscovered P-450 monooxygenases in the degradation and transformation of a plethora of compounds. Even if only a small portion of the enzymes involved in these various biotransformations are P-450 isozymes, there would correspond many hundreds of P-450 hemeproteins with definable specificities.
Root-knot Control and Yield Response of Corn with Seed Treatment and Granular Nematicides

ABSTRACT In Coastal Plain soils of the southeastern United States, the root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita race 3 causes significant yield loss in corn. Impact of abamectin + thiamethoxa...
The Spectrum of Neurobehavioral Outcomes in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with a prevalence of around 8% in school-aged children. The majority of affected children experience impairing symptoms into adulthood and are at increased risk for ongoing educational, occupational, and socioeconomic deficits. Comorbidity with other neurodevelopmental conditions occurs in most cases. Although the biological mechanisms underlying ADHD have yet to be explicated, multiple associated factors in genetic, environmental, and neurocognitive domains have been identified. ADHD is likely the result of heritable genetic variants differentially expressed during gene-environment interplay, beginning in utero. Elucidating common risk variants requires exceptionally large sample sizes, and genome-wide significant risk loci have only recently been detected. Deficits in executive function likely contribute to the ADHD phenotype, as does dysfunction of large-scale “resting-state” networks. Meta-analyses of task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging report ADHD-associated hypoactivation of regions involved in executive function and perceptual timing. Among treatment approaches, stimulants consistently display the greatest efficacy in acutely reducing core symptoms. Combining pharmacological and behavioral interventions provides additional benefit over either intervention alone.
Ada design language for the structured design methodology

It is shown how Ada can be used to good advantage as a design language in conjunction with the structured analysis and design methodology.
Limits of detection and decision. Part 1

Extensive Monte Carlo studies of instrumental limits of detection were performed on a simple univariate chemical measurement system having homoscedastic, Gaussian measurement noise and using ordinary least squares (OLS) processing of tens of millions of independent calibration curve data sets. It was found that prediction interval-based experimental detection limits were significantly negatively biased, in both the net response domain and the chemical content domain, resulting in substantially higher rates of false negatives than specified via customary critical t values. The diagnostic fix for the bias problem provided clear proof that hypothesis-based detection limits need not be unique, even as distributions of random variates, if the alternate hypothesis is non-unique. It was also demonstrated that hypothesis-based decision and detection limits have finite support that does not include the region near zero analyte content, so that both have finite moments and finite confidence intervals.
Understanding Trust, Transportation, and Accessibility through Ridesharing

Relatively few studies of accessibility and transportation for people with vision impairments have investigated forms of transportation besides public transportation and walking. To develop a more nuanced understanding of this context, we turn to ridesharing, an increasingly used mode of transportation. We interviewed 16 visually-impaired individuals about their active use of ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft. Our findings show that, while people with vision impairments value independence, ridesharing involves building trust across a complex network of stakeholders and technologies. This data is used to start a discussion on how other systems can facilitate trust for people with vision impairments by considering the role of conversation, affordances of system incentives, and increased agency.
Homegrown Analytics: Developing a Training Plan for Using Analytics

Old Dominion University Libraries Electronic Resources Management Staff have been creating approximately 130 usage reports for the past seven years. At one time, the reports were published for the ...
Electrospinning and post-drawn processing effects on the molecular organization and mechanical properties of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers

This paper reports the molecular organization and mechanical properties of electrospun, post-drawn polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers. Without post-drawing, the polymer chain was kinked and oriented in hexagonal crystalline structures. Immediate post-drawing in the semi-solid state disrupted the crystal structures and chain kink at maximum draw ratio. Structural re-orientation at maximum draw resulted in a 500% increase in Young’s modulus and a 100% increase in ultimate tensile strength. By applying post-drawing to electrospinning it may be possible to obtain PAN fibers and PAN-derived carbon fibers with enhanced mechanical properties compared to available fabrication technologies.
Assessing colitis ex vivo using optical coherence elastography in a murine model

Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes regions of ulceration within the interior of the colon. UC is estimated to afflict hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone. In addition to traditional colonoscopy, ultrasonic techniques can detect colitis, but have limited spatial resolution, which frequently results in underdiagnoses. Nevertheless, clinical diagnosis of colitis is still generally performed via colonoscopy. Optical techniques such as confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have been proposed to detect UC with higher resolution. However, UC can potentially alter tissue biomechanical properties, providing additional contrast for earlier and potentially more accurate detection. Although clinically available elastography techniques have been immensely useful, they do not have the resolution for imaging small tissues, such as in small mammalian disease models. However, OCT-based elastography, optical coherence elastography (OCE), is well-suited for imaging the biomechanical properties of small mammal colon tissue. Methods In this work, we induced elastic waves in ex vivo mouse colon tissue using a focused air-pulse. The elastic waves were detected using a phase-stabilized swept source OCE system, and the wave velocity was translated into stiffness. Measurements were taken at six positions for each sample to assess regional sample elasticity. Additional contrast between the control and diseased tissue was detected by analyzing the dispersion of the elastic wave and tissue optical properties obtained from the OCT structural image. Results The results show distinct differences (P<0.05) in the stiffness between control and colitis disease samples, with a Young's modulus of 11.8±8.0 and 5.1±1.5 kPa, respectively. The OCT signal standard deviations for control and diseased samples were 5.8±0.3 and 5.5±0.2 dB, respectively. The slope of the OCT signal spatial frequency decay in the control samples was 92.7±10.0 and 87.3±4.7 dB∙µm in the colitis samples. The slope of the linearly fitted dispersion curve in the control samples was 1.5 mm, and 0.8 mm in the colitis samples. Conclusions Our results show that OCE can be utilized to distinguish tissue based on stiffness and optical properties. Our estimates of tissue stiffness suggest that the healthy colon tissue was stiffer than diseased tissue. Furthermore, structural analysis of the tissue indicates a distinct difference in tissue optical properties between the healthy and UC-like diseased tissue.
“The Righteous and Reasonable Ambition to Become a Landholder”: Land and Racial Inequality in the Postbellum South

Abstract This paper identifies an exogenous variation in post–Civil War policy to examine the effect of land reform on racial inequality. The Cherokee Nation, located in what is now Oklahoma, permi...
Esophageal Perforation due to Anterior Cervical Spine Hardware Placement: Case Series

Context. This case series discusses surgical management of esophageal perforations that occurred following cervical spine hardware placement. Purpose. (1) Determine presenting symptoms of esophageal perforation after anterior cervical spine hardware placement. (2) Discuss surgical management of these resulting esophageal perforation complications. Design/Setting. Case series of six patients at a tertiary-care, academic medical center. Patient Sample. Six patients with pharyngoesophageal perforations following anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS). Outcome Measures. Date of ACSS, indication for ACSS, level of hardware, location of esophageal or pharyngeal injury, symptoms at presentation, surgical intervention, type of reconstruction flap, wound culture flora, and antibiotic choice. Methods. A retrospective review of patients with an esophageal or hypopharyngeal injury in the setting of prior ACSS managed by the otolaryngology service at a tertiary, academic center between January 2015 and January 2019. Results. Six patients who experienced pharyngoesophageal perforation following ACSS are included in this study. Range of presentation was two weeks to eight years following initial hardware placement. Five patients presented with an abscess and all had evidence of perforation on initial CT or esophagram. All patients underwent repair with a sternocleidomastoid flap with two patients eventually requiring an additional pectoralis myofascial flap for a persistent esophageal leak. Five patients eventually attained ability to tolerate oral nutrition. An algorithm detailing surgical reconstructive management is proposed. Conclusions. Esophageal perforations in the setting of prior ACSS are challenging clinical problems faced by otolaryngologists. Consideration should be given to early drainage of abscesses and spine surgery evaluation. Spinal hardware removal is recommended whenever possible. Utilization of a pedicled muscle flap reinforces primary closure and allows coverage of the vertebral bony defect. Nutrition, thyroid repletion, and culture-directed IV antibiotics are necessary to optimize esophageal perforation repair.
A study on monitoring and assessment of leakage and scattering radiation in a helical tomotherapy room

Objective To study the radiation dose level and dose distribution of leakage and scattering radiation in a helical tomotherapy (TOMO) room,and to identify the dose distribution characteristic which is different from the conventional radiotherapy so as to provide scientific data for the radiation protection of TOMO.Methods A helical tomotherapy facility typed Tomotherapy Hi-Art was employed as the radiotherapy device.The air kerma from leakage radiation and scattering radiation distributed on the couch plane and in TOMO room were detected mainly by GR-200A TLDs of LiF(Mg,Cu,P),while 100 Gy were being accumulated under the condition of simulation radiation treatment.Then,the leakage radiation ratio and scattering-leakage radiation ratio (the ratio of site radiation dose to isocenter standard output dose) were calculated.Results The radiation level and dose distribution of leakage radiation and scattering radiation in the TOMO treatment room were in bilateral symmetry to the rotation isocenter and the treatment couch longitudinal axis,and the radiation level in front of the radiotherapy device was significantly higher than that of the rear of the TOMO equipment.In the plane of treatment couch,the maximum leakage radiation ratio at the position 100 cm away from the isocenter was only 1.3 × 10-4,and the mean value of the leakage radiation ratio at the position 300 cm away from the isocenter was lower than 2.0 × 10-5.The scattering radiation at 200-300 cm away from the isocenter was accounted for 25％-30％ of the leakage radiation from the responding sites,and the indoor scattering radiation decreased faster than leakage radiation with the distance from the isocenter.Conclusions The radiation level of leakage and scattering in a TOMO room is significantly lower than that in a conventional radiotherapy room. Key words: Helical tomotherapy ; Leakage radiation ; Scattering radiation ; Radiation protection
Devices and techniques for endoscopic treatment of residual and fibrotic colorectal polyps (with videos).

Background and Aims Residual neoplasia after macroscopically complete EMR of large colon polyps has been reported in 10% to 32% of resections. Often, residual polyps at the site of prior polypectomy are fibrotic and nonlifting, making additional resection challenging. Methods This document reviews devices and methods for the endoscopic treatment of fibrotic and/or residual polyps. In addition, techniques reported to reduce the incidence of residual neoplasia after endoscopic resection are discussed. Results Descriptions of technologies and available outcomes data are summarized for argon plasma coagulation ablation, snare-tip coagulation, avulsion techniques, grasp-and-snare technique, EndoRotor endoscopic resection system, endoscopic full-thickness resection device, and salvage endoscopic submucosal dissection. Conclusions Several technologies and techniques discussed in this document may aid in the prevention and/or resection of fibrotic and nonlifting polyps.
Editorial: The 13th Rothkopf Rankings: All-Time Interfaces/INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics 50-Year Anniversary Special Edition

In 1996, Michael Rothkopf created an index of institutional contributions to the practice of operations research (OR) and management science (MS). Since then, Ron Fricker and I have continued to ca...
Footbinding, Hypergamy, and Handicraft Labor: Evaluating the Labor Market Explanation of Footbinding

Footbinding was a millennium-long practice in which ethnically, Han Chinese families would alter the feet of young girls. The leading explanation of footbinding in interdisciplinary circles is the labor market hypothesis. It posits that parents were motivated to footbind daughters to keep them spinning and weaving, thus making money for the family. Lacking direct means of testing their hypothesis, advocates of the labor market hypothesis present allegedly disconfirming evidence against the major competing explanation of footbinding, an evolutionary social sciences hypothesis according to which footbinding is positively related to hypergamous marriage. This paper presents a methodological critique of this case against a hypergamy hypothesis for footbinding. This critique uncovers erroneous assumptions, methodological problems, ad hoc data modification, inaccurate operationalization, and confounded testing of the hypergamy hypothesis and concludes that this hypothesis ought not to be rejected at this time.
Feyerabend’s rule and dark matter

Paul Feyerabend argued that theories can be faced with experimental anomalies whose refuting character can only be recognized by developing alternatives to the theory. The alternate theory must explain the experimental results without contrivance and it must also be supported by independent evidence. I show that the situation described by Feyerabend arises again and again in experiments or observations that test the postulates in the standard cosmological model relating to dark matter. The alternate theory is Milgrom’s modified dynamics (MOND). I discuss three examples: the failure to detect dark-matter particles in laboratory experiments; the lack of evidence for dark-matter sub-haloes and the dwarf galaxies that are postulated to inhabit them; and the failure to confirm the predicted orbital decay of Milky Way satellite galaxies and other systems due to dynamical friction against the dark matter. In each case, Feyerabend’s criterion directs us to interpret the experimental or observational results as an indirect refutation of the standard cosmological model in favor of Milgrom’s theory.
The Relationship of School Start Times, Sleep Duration and Mental Health among a Representative Sample of High School Students in Colorado, 2019

This cross-sectional study utilized responses from 46,537 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in 166 high schools across the state of Colorado via the 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey to: (1) quantify the association between high school start times and student sleep duration and (2) investigate the associations between school start times and student mental health. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were used to investigate associations between school start times and self-reported demographic, sleep, and mental health factors. Survey-weighted multivariate regression modeling was used to investigate associations between school start times, sleep duration, and mental health. Schools with late start times (≥8:30 a.m.) saw 32.2% (95% Confidence Interval: 29.5-35.0) of students sleeping 8 h or more relative to 23.2% (22.0-24.4) in schools with very early start times (<8:00 a.m.). For every 15 min later school start time, students' sleep duration was 4.6 (3.4-5.9) min longer. Students attending schools with very early start times had 1.10 (0.95-1.27) times the odds of attempting suicide compared to those attending schools with later start times, while students at schools with early starts (8:00-8:29 a.m.) were associated with 1.11 (0.98-1.27) times the odds. Schools with later school start times had a statistically significantly higher proportion of students sleeping 8+ hours. Schools with start times before 8:30 a.m. had 10-11% higher odds of students attempting suicide compared to schools with late start times, though these differences were not statistically significant. Student mental health should continue to be investigated when assessing the potential impacts of delayed school start times.
Down, but Not Out: A Role for SMARCB1 in Synovial Sarcoma

Reduced protein expression of the BAF complex (also known as SWI/SNF) tumor suppressor SMARCB1 is frequently observed in human synovial sarcoma, a soft-tissue malignancy driven by the oncogenic SS18-SSX fusion, which competes with wild-type SS18 for BAF complex incorporation. In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Li and Mulvihill reveal that low-expressed SMARCB1 has a functional role in synovial sarcomagenesis in mouse models expressing the SS18-SSX2 fusion and present evidence that SMARCB1 reduction in synovial sarcoma is due to wholesale degradation of canonical BAF complexes.See related article by Li et al., p. 2620.
Much ADO about failures: a fault-aware model for compositional verification of strongly consistent distributed systems

Despite recent advances, guaranteeing the correctness of large-scale distributed applications without compromising performance remains a challenging problem. Network and node failures are inevitable and, for some applications, careful control over how they are handled is essential. Unfortunately, existing approaches either completely hide these failures behind an atomic state machine replication (SMR) interface, or expose all of the network-level details, sacrificing atomicity. We propose a novel, compositional, atomic distributed object (ADO) model for strongly consistent distributed systems that combines the best of both options. The object-oriented API abstracts over protocol-specific details and decouples high-level correctness reasoning from implementation choices. At the same time, it intentionally exposes an abstract view of certain key distributed failure cases, thus allowing for more fine-grained control over them than SMR-like models. We demonstrate that proving properties even of composite distributed systems can be straightforward with our Coq verification framework, Advert, thanks to the ADO model. We also show that a variety of common protocols including multi-Paxos and Chain Replication refine the ADO semantics, which allows one to freely choose among them for an application's implementation without modifying ADO-level correctness proofs.
Discoid lupus erythematosus skin lesion distribution and characteristics in Black patients: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE Epidemiological studies have shown that discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) has a higher incidence and prevalence in racial/ethnic minority groups, particularly Black individuals. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to identify the differences in DLE lesion distribution and characteristics in Black individuals compared with non-Black individuals. METHODS 183 patients with DLE (112 Black patients and 71 non-Black patients) with a reported race/ethnicity and Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI) scores were included in this retrospective cohort study. Univariate analysis was performed to determine significant differences in demographic data, clinical characteristics, DLE lesion distribution and DLE lesion characteristics in Black and non-Black patients with DLE. Multivariable logistic regression was preformed to determine significant predictors of DLE lesion location and characteristics. RESULTS Black patients with DLE had worse baseline CLASI damage scores compared with non-Black patients with DLE (median (IQR): 10.0 (6.0-14.5) vs 6.0 (3.0-10.0), p<0.001) and had 48.9 greater odds of dyspigmentation in any anatomical location (p<0.001). Black patients had 2.54 greater odds of having scalp involvement (p=0.015) and 1.97 greater odds of having ear involvement (p=0.032) compared with non-Black patients. Black patients also had greater odds of scalp dyspigmentation (OR=5.85, p<0.001), ear dyspigmentation (OR=2.89, p=0.001) and scarring alopecia (OR=3.00, p=0.001) compared with non-Black patients. CONCLUSIONS Signs of disease damage, particularly ear dyspigmentation, scalp dyspigmentation and scarring alopecia, can more frequently affect Black patients with DLE. Recognising differences in clinical presentation of DLE among Black patients can assist future efforts with understanding biological, cultural, psychosocial and systemic factors that influence DLE presentation and outcomes in Black patients and may guide clinicians when counselling Black patients.
In vitro and in vivo neuroprotective activity of the cardiac glycoside oleandrin from Nerium oleander in brain slice-based stroke models

The principal active constituent of the botanical drug candidate PBI-05204, a supercritical CO(2) extract of Nerium oleander, is the cardiac glycoside oleandrin. PBI-05204 shows potent anticancer activity and is currently in phase I clinical trial as a treatment for patients with solid tumors. We have previously shown that neriifolin, which is structurally related to oleandrin, provides robust neuroprotection in brain slice and whole animal models of ischemic injury. However, neriifolin itself is not a suitable drug development candidate and the FDA-approved cardiac glycoside digoxin does not cross the blood-brain barrier. We report here that both oleandrin as well as the full PBI-05204 extract can also provide significant neuroprotection to neural tissues damaged by oxygen and glucose deprivation as occurs in ischemic stroke. Critically, we show that the neuroprotective activity of PBI-05204 is maintained for several hours of delay of administration after oxygen and glucose deprivation treatment. We provide evidence that the neuroprotective activity of PBI-05204 is mediated through oleandrin and/or other cardiac glycoside constituents, but that additional, non-cardiac glycoside components of PBI-05204 may also contribute to the observed neuroprotective activity. Finally, we show directly that both oleandrin and the protective activity of PBI-05204 are blood brain barrier penetrant in a novel model for in vivo neuroprotection. Together, these findings suggest clinical potential for PBI-05204 in the treatment of ischemic stroke and prevention of associated neuronal death.
The effect of vaginal lubricants on sperm motility and viability in vitro

Abstract Two surgical lubricants were demonstrated to have a spermicidal effect in vitro on human spermatozoa obtained from the male partners of infertile couples. After incubation with either KY or Surgilube for 15 minutes, no motile or viable sperm were present in 80 per cent of the semen specimens, and less than 5 per cent of the spermatozoa were either motile or viable in the remaining 20 per cent of the semen specimens. After 30 minutes of incubation with either lubricant, no motile or viable spermatozoa could be demonstrated. Veterinary studies have shown that Lubafax has a spermicidal effect in cattle. The findings suggest that these products should not be used for vaginal lubrication by the infertile couple.
Organometalloidal derivatives of the transition metals: XXXIII. Reactions of ferrocenylcarboxaldehyde with base and trimethylsilylcyanide. A new high yield reaction for the formation of cyano-amines or silylethers☆

Abstract Treatment of ferrocenecarboxaldehyde with base at 0°C, lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) or n-butyllithium, followed by the addition of trimethylsilylcyanide, produced 1-(diisopropylamino)cyanomethylferrocene, FcCH(N{iPr}2(CN) (II) or 1-trimethyl-siloxy-n-pentylferrocene, FcCH(nBu)OSiMe3 (IIIa). The reaction of naphthaldehyde, NpCHO, with LDA/Me3SiCN led to formation of 1-(diisopropylamino)cyanomethylnaphthalene, NpCH{N(iPr)2}(CN) suggesting a general new synthesis for cyanoamines. The reaction of ferrocenecarboxaldehyde with Me3SiCN led to the expected silylether FcCH(CN)OSiMe3 (I). An alternative synthesis of ferrocenylmethylsilylethers, FcCH2OSiR3 (IV), involved the reaction of 1-ferrocenylmethanol with R3SiCl in the presence of pyridine. The basicity of the new silylethers III and IV is reported.
Breeding Strategies in Females of the Parasitoid Wasp Spalangia endius : Effects of Mating Status and Size

Does the mating status or body size of a female parasitoid wasp affect her host size choice or propensity to burrow? In Spalangia endius, using smaller hosts appears to reduce a female's cost of parasitization but not her son's fitness. However, virgin females, which produce only sons, did not preferentially parasitize smaller hosts. Mated females also showed no host size preference. Mated females burrowed more than virgins in the presence of hosts, although not in their absence. Burrowing may reduce a mated female's harassment from males, and not burrowing may increase a virgin female's chance of mating because males avoid burrowing. Mating did not increase female longevity. Greater female size increased the offspring production of mated females burrowing for hosts but not in the absence of burrowing and not in virgin females. A female's size had no significant effect on whether her first drill attempt was on a large or a small host or on the duration of her successful drills.
Enantioseparation using apoenzymes immobilized in a porous polymeric membrane

Chemical separations represent a large portion of the cost of bringing any new pharmaceutical product to the market. Membrane-based separation technologies1,2, in which the target molecule is selectively extracted and transported across a membrane, are potentially more economical and easier to implement than competing separations methods; but membranes with higher transport selectivities are required. Here we describe an approach for preparing highly selective membranes which involves immobilizing apoenzymes within a microporous composite. The apoenzyme selectively recognizes its substrate molecule and transports it across the composite membrane, without effecting the unwanted chemical conversion of the substrate molecule to product. We demonstrate this approach using three different apoenzymes. Most importantly, it can be used to make enantioselective membranes for chiral separations, one of the most challenging and important problems in bioseparations technology. We are able to achieve a fivefold difference between the transport rates of D- and L-amino acids.
Effect of the ”Brown Tide“ on Feeding, Size and Egg Laying Rate of Adult Female Acartia Tonsa

During the summer of 1985 a bloom of picoplankton occurred in Narragansett Bay, beginning in late May–June and continuing in parts of the Bay until the middle of August. This bloom was dominated by a previously undescribed 2.0 µm chrysophycean alga. Ultrastructure and morphology of this new Chrysophyte, Aureococcus anophagefferens, have been described by Sieburth et al. (in press). This bloom had a major effect on benthic filter feeders, causing a cessation of feeding and a massive mortality of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis (Tracey et al., 1988).
Toward a tunable synthetic [FeFe] hydrogenase mimic: single-chain nanoparticles functionalized with a single diiron cluster

We report two novel “clickable” [(μ-S2C2H4NR)Fe2(CO)6] complexes and their incorporation into single-chain nanoparticles. Variations in the characteristic iron–carbonyl stretching bands caused by the polymer scaffolds confirmed changes in the symmetry and electronics of the complexes. This represents the first SCNP-based model of a metalloenzyme bearing a single, bioinspired active site.
Pedal manifestations of meningococcal septicemia

While there have been several reports of upper and lower extremity amputations secondary to meningitis and purpura fulminans in the literature, the incidence is probably rare. Delmas et al studied five pediatric subjects with gangrene caused by meningococcemia, with four requiring amputation. Weiner reported that all 12 patients in his review received a lower extremity amputation, with several requiring upper extremity amputation. Joint contracture, while not as commonly discussed as amputation, is nonetheless an important and perhaps more common finding. Urbaniak et al indicated that of six patients reviewed, three developed significant joint contractures. With the exception of the gangrenous changes discussed, it was joint contracture that was the most limiting factor in progression to full activity and weightbearing in the authors' subject. Prompt, aggressive physical therapy is tantamount to effecting an acceptable long-term outcome.
Large-scale gene function analysis with the PANTHER classification system

The PANTHER (protein annotation through evolutionary relationship) classification system (http://www.pantherdb.org/) is a comprehensive system that combines gene function, ontology, pathways and statistical analysis tools that enable biologists to analyze large-scale, genome-wide data from sequencing, proteomics or gene expression experiments. The system is built with 82 complete genomes organized into gene families and subfamilies, and their evolutionary relationships are captured in phylogenetic trees, multiple sequence alignments and statistical models (hidden Markov models or HMMs). Genes are classified according to their function in several different ways: families and subfamilies are annotated with ontology terms (Gene Ontology (GO) and PANTHER protein class), and sequences are assigned to PANTHER pathways. The PANTHER website includes a suite of tools that enable users to browse and query gene functions, and to analyze large-scale experimental data with a number of statistical tests. It is widely used by bench scientists, bioinformaticians, computer scientists and systems biologists. In the 2013 release of PANTHER (v.8.0), in addition to an update of the data content, we redesigned the website interface to improve both user experience and the system's analytical capability. This protocol provides a detailed description of how to analyze genome-wide experimental data with the PANTHER classification system.
Psychological symptoms: The importance of assessing health status

Abstract The present paper is a review of physical illnesses and conditions which are often accompanied by psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. The importance of appropriate assessment which covers health status is stressed. Special consideration is given to several psychological conditions, including endocrine and nutritional disorders, allergic reactions, and reactions to drugs, toxins, and pollutants.
Strain Accommodation during Phase Transformations in Olivine-Based Cathodes as a Materials Selection Criterion for High-Power Rechargeable Batteries**

High energy lithium-ion batteries have improved performance in a wide variety of mobile electronic devices. A new goal in portable power is the achievement of safe and durable high-power batteries for applications such as power tools and electric vehicles. Towards this end, olivine-based positive electrodes are amongst the most important and technologically enabling materials. While certain lithium metal phosphate olivines have been shown to be promising, not all olivines demonstrate beneficial properties. The mechanisms allowing high power in these compounds have been extensively debated. Here we show that certain high rate capability olivines are distinguished by having extended lithium nonstoichiometry (up to ca. 20 %), with which is correlated a reduced lattice misfit as the material undergoes an electrochemically driven, reversible, first-order phase transformation. The rate capability in several other intercalation oxides can also be correlated with lattice strain, and suggests that nanomechanics plays an important and previously unrecognized role in determining battery performance.
Looking for Linearity: Integrating Graphing for First-Year Chemistry Students

Based on our observation that the general literature does not provide an organizing principle for the graphs that science students encounter, an approach called “Looking for Linearity” has been described. This approach is based on the hypothesis that when scientists look at their data and begin to represent it, they initially look for linearity. This is to say that scientists use Occam’s Razor; variables are used and transformed in such ways that when plotted against each other, the simplest representation—the straight line—is produced. A brief review of the topics typically covered in the first year of chemistry reveal a substantial number of relationships either expressed in the form of a straight line (gas laws, free energy, rate laws) or in terms of ratios that when graphed produce straight lines (density, specific heat capacity, stoichiometry). “Looking for Linearity” is an approach to graphing that serves four purposes for teaching first year chemistry students: 1) it weaves a common theme or thread through the entire year of General Chemistry, 2) it allows students to work like scientists, 3) it connects an important mathematical construct with chemical concepts, and 4) it provides a method to process data in other scientific fields like physics. The linearity heuristic is represented in what is called a Graphing Decision Tree. This tree shows, in simplified terms, how linearity can be used to organize different types of graphs found in the first year of chemistry. The Decision Tree is hierarchically structured from simple to increasing graphing complexity. Straight lines were listed as being the simplest to interpret, followed by exponential curves and then non-exponential curves; exponential curves were second because they could be converted to straight lines by using logarithms. Each pathway ends with examples of some of the different types of graphs our students will encounter in the first year of chemistry.
Coprecipitation of chromate with calcite: Batch experiments and X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Abstract Batch experiments, combined with in situ spectroscopic methods, are used to examine the coprecipitation of Cr(VI) with calcite, including partitioning behavior, site-specific distribution of Cr on the surface of calcite single crystals, and local coordination of Cr(VI) in the calcite structure. It is found that the concentration of Cr incorporated in calcite increases with increasing Cr concentration in solution. The calculated apparent partition coefficient, K d ∗ , is highest at low Cr solution concentration, and decreases to a constant value with increasing Cr solution concentration. DIC images of the ( 1 0 1 ¯ 4 ) surface of calcite single crystals grown in the presence of CrO 4 2 - exhibit well-defined growth hillocks composed of two pairs of symmetrically nonequivalent vicinal faces, denoted as + and −, which reflect the orientation of structurally nonequivalent growth steps. Micro-XRF mapping of the Cr distribution over a growth hillock shows preferential incorporation of Cr into the—steps, which is considered to result from differences in surface structure geometry. XANES spectra confirm that incorporated Cr is hexavalent, and no reduction of Cr(VI) in the X-ray beam was observed up to 2 days at room temperature. EXAFS fit results show the incorporated Cr(VI) has the expected first shell of 4 O at ∼1.64 ± 0.01 A, consistent with CrO 4 2 - . Best fit results show that the second shell is split with ∼2.5 Ca at ∼3.33 ± 0.05 and ∼2.2 Ca at ∼3.55 ± 0.05 A, which confirms the incorporation of chromate into calcite. Consideration of possible local coordination indicates that significant distortion or disruption is required to accommodate CrO 4 2 - in the calcite structure.
Coherent Infrared Pulse Sequences for Probing Molecular Chirality

Novel Polarization configurations in infrared four wave mixing are proposed and simulated using the nonlinear exciton equations (NEE). Application to helical peptides demonstrates higher sensitivity than CD to molecular chirality.