cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Value-added trade and business cycle synchronization

Ever since Frankel and Rose's (1998) seminal paper, the literature on trade and business cycle synchronization has relied on gross trade data, with weak results in recent papers that carefully address omitted variable bias. This paper re-examines this relationship using new value-added trade data for 63 advanced and emerging economies during 1995–2013. In a panel framework, we identify a significantly positive impact of bilateral (value-added) trade intensity on business cycle synchronization—controlling for global common shocks, country-pair heterogeneity and other covariates—that is absent when gross trade data are used. There is also some evidence that the impact of value-added trade on synchronization increases with the degree of (value-added) intra-industry trade. We provide a theoretical rationale for the role of value-added trade for synchronization using a simple international business cycle model that features cross-country input linkages in production.
In Vivo Emergence of Tigecycline Resistance in Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli

Although resistance to tigecycline has been reported in surveillance studies, very few reports have described the emergence of resistance in vivo. We report two cases of patients with infections due to SHV-12-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-3 (KPC-3)-producing Escherichia coli, which developed tigecycline resistance in vivo after treatment. The reported limited experience underlines the risk of occurrence of a tigecycline MIC increase under treatment pressure.
Dental education in the US

Dental education in the United States has changed considerably over the last 30 years and it could be argued that not all the changes are positive. The number of dental schools has increased and the number of graduates has increased, but the level of dental care in the country as a whole has not increased. The majority of US dental schools are now private and profit making and even the state schools need to generate income. The curriculum has also changed at the expense of the basic sciences.
The biochemistry and pharmacology of mesoamygdaloid dopamine neurons.

Populations of DA neurons innervating the component nuclei of the amygdaloid complex differ in their inferred density of innervation, estimated rate of impulse activity, and adaptive response to the prolonged administration of antipsychotic drugs. Mesoamygdaloid DA neurons have in common the absence of tonically inhibitory, nerve terminal autoreceptors regulating DA synthesis, the nonassociation with a DA-stimulated adenylate cyclase, and the regulation of DA synthesis by receptor-mediated neuronal feedback mechanisms and end-product inhibition. The output of the amygdaloid complex appears to be organized into distinct functions subserved by component nuclei. The present findings suggest a differing role for DA afferents in modulating the functional output of discrete nuclei. The significance of this focal influence will be speculative pending a more complete understanding of the physiology of DA neurotransmission in the amygdaloid complex. Populations of DA neurons innervating discrete amygdaloid nuclei exhibit a composite of mechanisms of regulation and signal transduction and pharmacology that differ from that of other mesotelencephalic DA systems. These comparisons highlight the fact that the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle do not represent or reflect DA neurotransmission in the limbic system. The study of the physiology, pharmacology, and pathology of mesolimbic DA neurons can and should extend beyond the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle to the amygdala and other brain structures central to the organization of the limbic system. It is our opinion that the term "mesolimbic" DA system has purely anatomical connotations and that a more specific terminology (e.g., meso-central amygdaloid nuclear) would express the functional organization of this system more accurately.
Functional analysis of point mutations in the AAUAAA motif of the SV40 late polyadenylation signal

We have constructed 14 independent point mutations in the conserved AAUAAA element of the SV40 late polyadenylation signal in order to study the recognition and function of alternative polyadenylation signals. A variant RNA containing an AUUAAA was polyadenylated at 20% the level of wild-type substrate RNA, while all other derivatives tested were not functional in vitro. The AUUAAA variant RNA formed specific complexes in native polyacrylamide gels and crosslinked to the AAUAAA-specific 64kd polypeptide, but at a lower efficiency than wild-type substrate RNA.
Conditioning flavor preferences in rats: Dissecting the “medicine effect”

Abstract Four experiments examined conditioning parameters governing enhanced flavor preferences in rats (i.e., Green & Garcia's, 1971 , “medicine effect”). In Experiments 1–3 rats were concurrently conditioned to avoid flavor A and to prefer flavor B after multiple-trial pairings with a toxin. In Experiment 2, rats learned to avoid saccharin and to prefer vinegar when they tasted these flavors 30 and 75 min after being injected with lithium. Concurrent conditioning of two flavors (one aversive, the other preferred) was compared with preference-only conditioning in Experiment 3. Though no differences in acquisition were found, extinction of the conditioned aversion to flavor A accelerated extinction of preference to flavor B. In Experiment 4, conditioned preference was found to retard acquisition of conditioned aversion. Conditioned flavor preferences (1) are reliably and easily produced, (2) once expressed are resistant to extinction, and (3) are most likely described as conditioned inhibition.
Flexible and Scalable Public Key Security for SSH

A standard tool for secure remote access, the SSH protocol uses public-key cryptography to establish an encrypted and integrity-protected channel with a remote server. However, widely-deployed implementations of the protocol are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, where an adversary substitutes her public key for the server’s. This danger particularly threatens a traveling user Bob borrowing a client machine.
Print-from-video: computationally efficient outlier reduction pattern filtering

Print-from-video can be achieved via super-resolution techniques, which involve combining information from multiple low resolution images to generate a high resolution image. Due to inaccuracies of sub-pixel motion estimation and motion modeling, undesired artifacts or outliers are produced when using such techniques. This paper discusses the use of the direct approach for the print-from-video application and introduces an outlier reduction algorithm, named pattern filtering, as part of the super-resolution reconstruction process. The introduced algorithm is non-iterative, making it computationally efficient for deployment on digital camera platforms.
Coparenting Profiles in the Context of Mexican-Origin Teen Pregnancy: Links to Mother–Daughter Relationship Quality and Adjustment

The current study explored the multifaceted nature of the mother-adolescent coparental relationship with data from 167 Mexican-origin adolescent mothers and their own mothers at ten months post-childbirth. Profiles of mother-adolescent coparenting were created with latent profile analysis using adolescents’ reports of three dimensions of coparenting (communication, involvement and conflict). Four profiles were identified: (a) Harmonious Coparents (equal involvement, high communication, low conflict); (b) Harmonious-Adolescent Primary (adolescent is more involved than mother, high communication, low conflict); (c) Conflictual Coparents (equal involvement, high communication, high conflict); and (d) Conflictual-Adolescent Primary (adolescent is more involved than mother, moderate communication, high conflict). Families characterized by high mother-daughter conflict and psychological control prior to childbirth were more likely to belong in the Conflictual Coparents profile. In addition, adolescents’ and mothers’ depressive symptoms and parenting efficacy after childbirth were linked to profile membership, such that the Harmonious-Adolescent Primary profile reported the most positive adjustment patterns, whereas profiles with high coparental conflict (i.e., Conflictual Coparenting and Conflictual-Adolescent Primary profiles) showed the least positive adjustment patterns. Discussion considers the applied implications of identifying precursors to healthy and problematic mother-daughter coparenting for families of adolescent mothers in the early years of parenting.
Explaining Marginal Benefits to Patients, When “Marginal” Means Additional but Not Necessarily Small

Patients and their families want us to be realistic, honest, and caring about their prognosis and their options, even when the news is bad. Most oncologists will tell a patient if he is not curable, but not give specific survival information unless prompted. As an example, chemotherapy for pancreas cancer improves survival and does not worsen quality of life, but the impact on lifespan is small. Patients with advanced pancreas cancer have options that increase their average survival by about 16/100 at 1 year, and by about 9 weeks compared with best supportive care, but almost all patients are dead by 24 months. As an example of "marginal benefit" ("marginal" is defined here as more than that offered by the alternative care, not necessarily small or worthless), erlotinib added to gemcitabine compared with gemcitabine alone improves survival by six additional people at 1 year, and an average of 2 weeks, with no survival tail. In addition, the additional drug cost alone can be more than $12,000 a month. We use this clinical practice as a way to describe marginal benefit to patients. Telling patients that they have incurable disease and that treatment is ineffective is hard. Partly as a result, only about a third of cancer patients are told they are going to die, and those who are not told live no longer but have worse medical outcomes, such as dying on a ventilator and less time with hospice. These difficult conversations can be done if the oncologist has the right medical information, the right script, and some decision aids.
Ethics and Children's Information Systems

As information technologies become increasingly prevalent in children’s lives, designers must make difficult design decisions regarding both the developmental constraints of the user population (e.g., cognitive capacity, literacy, attention span, etc.) and implications for fundamental human values (e.g., information access, privacy, autonomy, informed consent, psychological welfare, etc.). Whether interacting with digital reference systems (Silverstein, 2005), robotic pets (Kahn, Friedman, Perez-Granados, & Freier, in press), or educational games to teach young girls programming (Flanagan, Howe, & Nissenbaum, 2005), children are continuously constructing knowledge about these information systems and utilizing that knowledge to reflect upon larger domains of life such as the personal-psychological, socialconventional, and moral.
Pediatric epidermoid cysts masquerading as ranulas: A case series

Pediatric neck masses represent a variety of differential diagnoses. A common pathology in pediatric cystic neck tumors include ranulas, mucus retention cysts due to salivary gland obstruction. Epidermoid cysts are lesions infrequently encountered in the pediatric population and may appear similarly to ranulas on computed tomography imaging. MRI more easily differentiates these masses, and should therefore be the preferred imaging modality. Due to their distinct intraoperative management, ranulas and epidermoid cysts should be distinguished preoperatively through proper workup.
Monoaminergic Control of the Neuroendocrine System

In summary, some of the possible interneuronal connections that participate in the regulation of prolactin release are diagrammed in Figure 3. This is only part of the total picture, however, because more factors than those listed here are known to influence prolactin release.
The First Organized Campaign for School Sex Education: A Source of Critical Questions About Current Efforts

AbstractThis paper describes the first organized attempt to include sex education in public school curricula, focusing on the objectives of its early proponents and the economic, social, and political context in which they conducted their campaign. Parallels are then drawn to present-day efforts, making explicit some of the assumptions underlying efforts of both these past and present school sex education advocates. These assumptions include a belief in traditional ideals of marriage and family; perceptions of a particular Situation as a “problem” and education as its “solution”; curriculum content based on dominant social norms; and skepticism about meaningful parent involvement. Related critical questions are posedfor presentday sex educators.
Multiplication of visna virus in bovine and porcine cell lines.

SummaryContinuous cell lines derived from embryo bovine trachea (EBTr), pig kidney (PK(15)) and calf kidney (MDBK) were tested for their ability to support the multiplication of visna virus. Visna virus multiplied to a significant degree in EBTr and PK(15) cells and produced distinctive cytopathic changes in EBTr cells, but not in PK(15) cells. Serial passage was successful in EBTr cells, and virus from a late passage was immunologically similar to visna virus propagated in cell cultures prepared from sheep choroid plexus cells. Inoculation of EBTr monolayers with concentrated visna virus at high virus/cell multiplicities resulted in widespread polykaryocyte formation within 6 hr. EBTr cells may furnish a more convenient in vitro system for the study of visna virus than the cell culture systems now in use.
Genetic transition between northern and southern populations of the estuarine isopod,Cyathura polita, and the discovery of a new species ofCyathura

Previous work on the genetics ofCyathura polita populations along the Atlantic coast indicated that northern and southern populations have diverged significantly. We used starch gel electrophoresis to study the transition between northern and southern populations for gene frequencies at four enzyme loci.Cyathura from three sites in the Carolinas were compared with those from representative populations in the north (Massachusetts) and south (Florida).Cyathura polita from the northern and southern populations were fixed for different alleles at three of the four loci assayed.C. polita from a population in North Carolina had the northern electromorph for two loci and were polymorphic at theEst locus for the northern and southern electromorphs, whileC. polita from a population in South Carolina had the southern electromorphs for two loci and were polymorphic at theMdh-1 locus for northern and southern electromorphs. Thus, there appears to be gene flow between the genetically differentiated populations in the north and south. One population ofCyathura from North Carolina had unique electromorphs at the four loci assayed and appears to be a new species.
Uncertainty and group identification: Moderation by warmth and competence as cues to inclusion and identity validation

AbstractDrawing upon uncertainty-identity theory, we argue that self-uncertainty creates a motivated mindset in which people desire to have their social identity validated thorough inclusion, and that this transforms the meaning of group warmth and competence to cue inclusion. US College students (N = 289) participated in an on-line experiment in which self-uncertainty and the perceived warmth and competence of their college were primed, and group identification was measured as the dependent variable. As predicted, the three-way interaction significantly affected group identification. Specifically, uncertainty weakened identification with cold-but-competent groups. We also found that uncertainty strengthened identification with cold-and-incompetent groups. This research highlights the preference for certain group attributes under uncertainty.
Comparison of application of SVC and STATCOM to large capacity transmission path of power system

Both SVC (Static Var Compensators) and STATCOM (Static synchronous Compensator) are important equipments of reactive compensation, which are comprehensively compared from the aspects of voltage supporting on fault, improving the transient stability limit, and damping low frequency oscillation. The simulation results show that when high capacity static reactive compensation device is placed on transmission path of electric power system and SVC and STATCOM are equipped on single nodes , firstly, SVC and STATCOM do not have excellent ability to support node voltage, but STATCOM does better than SVC; secondly, STATCOM is much better than SVC in improving the transient stability limit; thirdly, for controlling damping low frequency oscillation, STATCOM is superior to SVC as they have the same capacity, and performs similarly with SVC as the two have the same controllable scope. Lastly, dynamical response speed affects the control result little though STATCOM responses much faster than SVC.
Super-resolution imaging of photonic crystals using the dual-space microscopy technique

We present an experimental implementation of the recently proposed dual-space microscopy (DSM), an optical microscopy technique based on simultaneous observation of an object in the position and momentum spaces, using computer-controlled hemispherical digital condensers. We demonstrate that DSM is capable of resolving structures below the Rayleigh resolution limit.
The use of paraexstrophy flaps for urethral construction in neonatal girls with classical exstrophy.

AbstractPrimary closure of classical exstrophy was performed with paraexstrophy skin flaps for urethral lengthening in 4 female neonates. In all cases more than 2.0cm. of urethral length were achieved. Efficacy of bladder closure and subsequent bladder neck revision were enhanced by the use of these flaps. The technique of urethral construction is described and our results are discussed.
Role of Surface Termination on Hot Electron Relaxation in Silicon Quantum Dots: A First-Principles Dynamics Simulation Study.

The role of surface termination on phonon-mediated relaxation of an excited electron in quantum dots was investigated using first-principles simulations. The surface terminations of a silicon quantum dot with hydrogen and fluorine atoms lead to distinctively different relaxation behaviors, and the fluorine termination shows a nontrivial relaxation process. The quantum confined electronic states are significantly affected by the surface of the quantum dot, and we find that a particular electronic state dictates the relaxation behavior through its infrequent coupling to neighboring electronic states. Dynamical fluctuation of this electronic state results in a slow shuttling behavior within the manifold of unoccupied electronic states, controlling the overall dynamics of the excited electron with its characteristic frequency of this shuttling behavior. The present work revealed a unique role of surface termination, dictating the hot electron relaxation process in quantum-confined systems in the way that has ...
The association between social participation and lower extremity muscle strength, balance, and gait speed in US adults

Social participation is associated with healthy aging, and although associations have been reported between social participation and demographics, no published studies have examined a relationship between social participation and measures amenable to intervention. The purpose was to explore the association between self-reported social participation and lower extremity strength, balance, and gait speed. A cross-sectional analysis of US adults (n = 2291; n = 1,031 males; mean ± standard deviation age 63.5 ± 0.3 years) from the 2001-2 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was conducted. Two questions about self-reported difficulty with social participation were categorized into limited (yes/no). The independent variables included knee extension strength (n = 1537; classified as tertiles of weak, normal, and strong), balance (n = 1813; 3 tests scored as pass/fail), and gait speed (n = 2025; dichotomized as slow [less than 1.0 m/s] and fast [greater than or equal to 1.0 m/s]). Logistic regression, accounting for the complex survey design and adjusting for age, sex, physical activity, and medical conditions, was used to estimate the odds of limitation in social participation with each independent variable. Alpha was decreased to 0.01 due to multiple tests. Slower gait speed was significantly associated with social participation limitation (odds ratio = 3.1; 99% confidence interval: 1.5-6.2). No significant association was found with social participation and lower extremity strength or balance. The odds of having limitation in social participation were 3 times greater in those with slow gait speed. Prospective studies should examine the effect of improved gait speed on levels of social participation.
Recent Advances in Cardiac Surgery

Recent advances in our understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of congenital heart disease permit repair or palliation of virtually all children with congenital heart disease. These advances, combined with new surgical techniques, allow safe repair of many malformations early in life, with the hope of an improved longterm functional result.
Sensitivity of evapotranspiration retrievals from the METRIC processing algorithm to improved radiometric resolution of Landsat 8 thermal data and to calibration bias in Landsat 7 and 8 surface temperature

Abstract We made an assessment on the use of 12-bit resolution of Landsat 8 (L8) on evapotranspiration (ET) retrievals via the METRIC process as compared to using 8-bit resolution imagery of previous Landsat missions. METRIC (Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution using Internalized Calibration) is an ET retrieval system commonly used in water and water rights management where the surface energy balance process is coupled with an extreme-end point calibration process to remove most impacts of systematic bias in remotely sensed inputs. We degraded L8 thermal images by grouping sequential digital numbers to reduce the apparent numerical resolution and then recomputed ET using METRIC and compared to nondegraded ET products. The use of 8-bit thermal data did not substantially impair the accuracy of ET retrievals derived from METRIC, as compared to the use of 12-bit thermal data. The largest error introduced into ET was We evaluated the impact of bias in land surface temperature (LST) retrievals on ET determination using the CIMEC calibration approach (Calibration using Inverse Modeling using Extreme Member Calibration) employed in METRIC by introducing globally systematic biases into LST retrievals from L7 and L8 and comparing to ET from non-biased retrievals. The impacts of the introduction of both additive and multiplicative biases into surface temperature on ET were small for the three regions of the US studied, and for both L7 and L8 satellite systems. An independent study showed that METRIC-produced ET compared to within 3% of measured ET for the California site. The study assessed the impact of the February 2014 recalibration of L8 thermal data that caused a 3 K downward shift in LST estimation and changed reflectance values by about 0.7%. We found that the use of the recalibrated LST and shortwave data sets in METRIC did not change the accuracy of ET retrievals due to the automatic compensation for systematic biases employed by METRIC.
Long-wavelength Dilute Nitride-Antimonide Lasers

This chapter reviews the discovery of 1.3-1.6 μm active quantum well material that can be grown on GaAs to capitalize on the superior AIAs/GaAs materials and processing technology has been a real breakthrough and has fuelled a complete re-evaluation of long wavelength lasers. It is believed that GalnNAsSb on GaAs will be the fundamental technology for wide bandwidth Metro network area (MAN)/ Local network area (LAN)/ Storage network area (SAN) optical switches, routers and high power Raman and solid-state laser pumps. The major challenge of this materials system has been to understand the differences compared to other III-V alloys systems and to produce low threshold lasers at any desired wavelength between 1.3 and 1.6 μm. The most recent results incorporating Sb to form a GaInNAsSb appear to overcome many of the prior problems with phase segregation. Hence, the progress has been fast and furious and the future for this materials system and the potential for its inclusion as a major part of the optical networks are indeed bright.
Influence of Tasting Spots on Texture of Chicken Breast Fillets

Despite the fact that a chicken breast is a single part, the fillet possesses different texture characteristics in different â€œtasting spotsâ€ within the fillet. The objective of this study was to identify differences in tasting spots on chicken breast fillets of large birds (4.0 â€“ 5.5 kilogram) in their texture and sensory attributes. Researchers divided raw chicken fillets into two pieces, head and tail, and measured hardness using a texture analyzer. Non-trained participants rated sensory characteristics (appearance, initial taste, aroma, flavor, color, after taste, texture, overall quality, overall liking) of the cooked chicken breast fillets. Texture analyzer data showed that there was a significant difference in hardness between two different parts of the raw chicken breast fillet (head and tail). Also, analysis of the sensory attributes indicated a significant difference in liking of appearance and texture of the cooked fillet.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

The tick-borne disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) can have deadly outcomes unless treated appropriately, yet nonspecific flu-like symptoms complicate diagnosis. Occupational health nurses must have a high index of suspicion with symptomatic workers and recognize that recent recreational or occupational activities with potential tick exposure may suggest RMSF.
Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1 Signaling in Angiogenesis.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1) plays multifunctional roles in lipid homeostasis, signaling transduction and endocytosis. It has been recognized as an endocytic receptor for many ligands and is involved in the signaling pathways of many growth factor or cytokines. Dysregulation of LRP1-dependent signaling events contributes to the development of pathophysiologic processes such as Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, inflammation and coagulation. Interestingly, recent studies have linked LRP1 with endothelial function and angiogenesis, which has been under-appreciated for a long time. During zebrafish embryonic development, LRP1 is required for the formation of vascular network, especially for the venous development. LRP1 depletion in the mouse embryo proper leads to angiogenic defects and disruption of endothelial integrity. Moreover, in a mouse oxygen-induced retinopathy model, specific depletion of LRP1 in endothelial cells results in abnormal development of neovessels. These loss-of-function studies suggest that LRP1 plays a pivotal role in angiogenesis. The review addresses the recent advances in the roles of LRP1-dependent signaling during angiogenesis.
Emergency Department use of Apneic Oxygenation Versus Usual Care During Rapid Sequence Intubation: A Randomized Controlled Trial (The ENDAO Trial).

Objectives Desaturation leading to hypoxemia may occur during rapid sequence intubation (RSI). Apneic oxygenation (AO) was developed to prevent the occurrence of oxygen desaturation during the apnea period. The purpose of this study was to determine if the application of AO increases the average lowest oxygen saturation during RSI when compared to usual care (UC) in the emergency setting. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted at an academic, urban, level 1 trauma center. All patients requiring intubation were included. Exclusion criteria were patients in cardiac or traumatic arrest or if pre-oxygenation was not performed. An observer, blinded to study outcomes and who was not involved in the procedure recorded all times, while all saturations were recorded in real time by monitors on a secured server. Two hundred patients were allocated to receive apneic oxygenation (n=100) or usual care (n=100) by pre-determined randomization in a 1:1 ratio. Results Two-hundred and six patients were enrolled. There was no difference in lowest mean oxygen saturation between the two groups (92, 95% CI 91 to 93 in AO vs. 93, 95% CI 92 to 94 in UC, p=0.11). Conclusion There was no difference in lowest mean oxygen saturation between the two groups. The application of AO during RSI did not prevent desaturation of patients in this study population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Evaluating the Implementation of Home-Based Videoconferencing for Providing Mental Health Services.

Objective:The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has recently implemented video-to-home (V2H) telehealth as part of a strategy to improve access to mental health treatment. Implementation research of this modality is needed, given that V2H telehealth transforms the traditional face-to-face delivery of mental health services. To address this need, V2H implementation was evaluated by examining barriers and facilitators that were associated with level of staff V2H experience and factors that differentiated facilities with various levels of V2H performance.Methods:Semistructured interviews with VHA personnel (N=33) from three facilities were conducted. The facilities were selected by overall number of mental health V2H visits during fiscal year (FY) 2015 as well as by growth in number of visits from FY 2014 through FY 2015. Factors influencing implementation were identified through qualitative analyses that contrasted responses by groups of participants with three different levels of V2H experience (no expe...
Surveilling Gender through Architecture and Urbanism in Early Modern Spanish-Algerian Spaces

Influenced by feminist perspectives on urban and architectural studies, this essay examines the relationship between premodern Muslim urbanism and gendered relations, an issue that has received little attention in Hispanic cultural studies to date. This discussion will center on two particular features of domestic architecture and city planning typical of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Algiers: the location and nature of street-facing windows and the communicable rooftops. Focusing primarily on Christian writers such as Antonio de Sosa, Miguel de Cervantes, and Lope de Vega, Velasco explores how their accounts document the ways in which women in Algiers could find unexpected and illicit ways of turning the high windows and the communicable rooftops to their advantage. Despite the constraints presented by an urban design and domestic architecture intended to segregate the sexes and control behavior, women in early modern Algiers (many of whom were recent immigrants from Spain) found ways to utilize their built environment to observe and navigate the world around them, gain access to a public domain commonly reserved for men, and sustain networks with other women in ways that might bypass traditional spatial, social, and personal restrictions and limitations. Through female-only gatherings and other forms of camaraderie that made use of traditional Islamic urbanism, Muslim women in Algiers found ways to challenge long-standing dichotomies of male/female, public/private, interior/exterior, visible/hidden, and chaste/lustful.
Relationships among burn severity, forest canopy structure and bat activity from spring burns in oak–hickory forests

The extent to which prescribed fires affect forest structure and habitats of vertebrate species is an important question for land managers tasked with balancing potentially conflicting objectives of vegetation and wildlife management. Many insectivorous bats forage for insect prey in forested habitats, serving as the primary predators of nocturnal forest insects, and are potentially affected by structural changes in forests resulting from prescribed fires. We compared forest-stand characteristics of temperate oak–hickory forests, as measured with airborne laser scanning (light detection and ranging, LiDAR), with categorical estimates of burn severity from prescribed fires as derived from Landsat data and field-based Composite Burn Indices, and used acoustic monitoring to quantify activity of insectivorous bats in association with varying degrees of burn severity (unburned habitat, low severity and medium severity). Forest-stand characteristics showed greatest separation between low-severity and medium-severity classes, with gap index, i.e. open-air space, increasing with degree of burn severity. Greater mid-storey density, over-storey density and proportion of vegetation in the understorey occurred in unburned habitat. Activity of bats did not differ with burn severity for high-frequency (clutter-adapted or closed-space foragers) or low-frequency (edge or open-space foragers) bats. Results indicate that differing degrees of burn severity from prescribed fires produced spatial variation in canopy structure within stands; however, bats demonstrated no shifts in activity levels to this variation in canopy structure, suggesting prescribed fire during the dormant season, used as a management practice targeting desired changes in vegetation, is compatible with sustaining foraging habitat of insectivorous bats.
Rapid perceptual adaptation to high gravitoinertial force levels: evidence for context-specific adaptation.

Subjects exposed to periodic variations in gravitoinertial force (2-G peak) in parabolic flight maneuvers quickly come to perceive the peak force level as having decreased in intensity. By the end of a 40-parabola flight, the decrease in apparent force is approximately 40%. On successive flight days, the apparent intensity of the force loads seems to decrease as well, indicating a cumulative adaptive effect. None of the subjects reported feeling abnormally 'light' for more than a minute or two after return to 1-G background force levels. The pattern of findings suggests a context-specific adaptation to high-force levels.
Nivolumab (nivo) for patients (pts) with metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC): A single-institution experience.

4585Background: Nivo is approved for refractory metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the clinical activity of nivo in nccRCC is unknown as these patients were excluded from the trial pop...
PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry in salivary duct carcinoma.

Abstract Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors play an increasing role in oncologic care. PD-L1 expression is associated with survival and predicts response to PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors in a variety of tumors. Our aim is to evaluate the frequency and prognostic significance of PD-L1 expression in salivary duct carcinoma. Design We retrospectively evaluated the expression of PD-L1 by two different antibodies (PD-L1 28–8 and PD-L1 22C3) in salivary duct carcinomas. PD-L1 expression in at least 1% of tumor cells was considered immunoreactive. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to determine the impact of PD-L1 expression on survival; differences between survival curves were assessed by the chi-square test, and pairwise comparisons of factors were assessed with the log-rank test. Results A total of 113 patients' specimens were evaluated. Seventy-six (76%) of the patients were male. Mean age at time of presentation was 61.2 (SD = 12.4) years. PD-L1 expression was found in 26% of the samples. Median follow-up time was 36.6 months (range = 1.4–249 months). Overall survival at 3, 5 and 10 years were 52.6%, 37.9% and 25.6%, respectively. There was no statistical difference in survival between patients with PD-L1-immunoreactive tumors and those without, regardless of which antibody was used (chi2 result for all plots: p = 0.53; log rank test for pairwise comparison: p > 0.256). Conclusion In our analysis, PD-L1 expression occurred in a small proportion of salivary duct carcinomas, usually at low levels, and did not correlate with survival. Its predictive value and utility in selecting patients with salivary duct carcinoma who might benefit from PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors warrants further investigation.
Quotient structures, homomorphisms, and partial wreath products in reality-based algebras

Abstract Homomorphisms and quotient structures of reality-based algebras are presented and described; related central idempotents and quotient sets are characterized; and the extent to which a homomorphism preserves the given anti-automorphisms of the algebras is determined. The notion of a partial wreath product, an algebraic abstraction of the wedge product of association schemes, is developed. Prototypical results previously obtained for various special cases (including table algebras and commutative C-algebras) are thus uniformly generalized.
Enhanced electrical properties in BaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 0.5): A disordered defect-perovskite

Abstract The effect of defect-order and oxygen stoichiometry on electrical properties of oxygen-deficient perovskites has been demonstrated through the synthesis of BaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 0.5). Neutron diffraction experiments indicate that the defects, created due to oxygen deficiency, are distributed in a disordered fashion in this compound. This is in sharp contrast to the Ca-analog, CaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 1), which is synthesized under identical conditions, but forms a defect-ordered structure with a different degree of oxygen-deficiency. These structural changes result in significant variation of magnetic and electrical properties. Neutron diffraction shows the absence of long-range magnetic order in BaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 0.5), and magnetic susceptibility data point to a spin-glass transition. This is contrary to CaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 1), which is known to be antiferromagnetically ordered. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and iodometric titrations indicate that BaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 0.5) contains both trivalent and tetravalent Fe, whereas in CaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 1) the Fe ions are almost exclusively trivalent. In addition, there is a drastic enhancement of the electrical conductivity in BaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 0.5), by one order of magnitude, compared to CaSrFe2O6−δ (δ = 1), as demonstrated by variable temperature conductivity measurements in a wide temperature-range, 25–800 °C. Furthermore, a transition in the temperature-dependent semiconducting behavior is observed at 400 °C, where the upturn in conductivity reverses. These results indicate that the electrical properties of oxygen-deficient perovskites can be tailored by controlling the stoichiometry, distribution and ordering of defects.
An Examination of the Impact of Flexibility and Agility on Mitigating Supply Chain Disruptions

Abstract This paper examines the effect of flexibility and agility on improving supply chain responsiveness. We examine a supply chain with multiple sites, multiple transportation channels, and multiple product planning, over multiple periods, under supply risk and demand risk. Using a numerical example, we determine the relationship between three objective functions related to responsiveness, risk, and the cost of new and seasonal products, then discuss the impact of flexibility and agility on mitigating supply chain disruptions. To show a trade-off among objective functions in our numerical example, we solve the multi-objective mixed integer programming (MOMIP) model using three multi-objective optimization methods: the weighted goal programming (WGP) method, the augmented e-constraint (AUGMECON) method, and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-Ⅱ). Our findings help decision makers with these two tasks: anticipate how much improvement in flexibility and agility will lead to an improvement in responsiveness; and create an investment plan to minimize the negative impact of supply chain disruptions by an examination of the trade-offs among responsiveness, risk, and cost. The results show that the NSGA-Ⅱ method outperforms the AUGMECON method in several metric indexes: the spacing metric, the diversity metric, and simple additive weighting.
Sensitivities to Thermal and Mechanical Stimuli: Adults with Sickle Cell Disease Compared to Healthy, Pain-free African American Controls.

Abstract Evidence supports, but is inconclusive that sensitization contributes to chronic pain in some adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). We determined the prevalence of pain sensitization among adults with SCD pain compared with pain-free healthy adults. In a cross sectional, single session study of 186 African American outpatients with SCD pain (age 18–74 years, 59% female) and 124 healthy age, gender, and race matched control subjects (age 18–69 years, 49% female), we compared responses to standard thermal (Medoc TSA II) and mechanical stimuli (von Frey filaments). Although we observed no significant differences in thermal thresholds between controls and patients, patients with SCD had lower pain thresholds to mechanical stimuli and reported higher pain intensity scores to all thermal and mechanical stimuli at a non-painful body site. Compared with controls, about twice as many patients with SCD showed sensitization: 12% versus 23% at the anterior forearm site (P = .02), and 16% versus 32% across 3 tested sites (P = .004). Among patients with SCD, 18% exhibited some element of central sensitization. Findings indicate that persistent allodynia and hyperalgesia can be part of the SCD pain experience and should be considered when selecting therapies for SCD pain. Perspective Compared with matched healthy controls, quantitative sensory testing in adults with pain and sickle cell disease (SCD) demonstrates higher prevalence of sensitization, including central sensitization. The findings of allodynia and hyperalgesia may indicate neuropathic pain and could contribute to a paradigm shift in assessment and treatment of SCD pain.
Convergent Validity of a Novel Clinical Reasoning Tool in Clerkship Medical Students: Pilot Study

Medical student educators have limited tools for standardized clinical reasoning assessment. The clinical reasoning task (CRT) checklist has been shown to identify specific tasks in the diagnostic process among residents and faculty. Authors assessed a novel student think aloud protocol strategy, the CRT, compared with the validated clinical data interpretation (CDI) test in six third-year medical students. The CRT was scored by two independent reviewers (kappa = 0.88). CRT and CDI scores were strongly positively correlated (r = 0.768, p = 0.074, df = 4). CRT provides both a global assessment of clinical reasoning and specific clinical reasoning deficits.
Identification and Confirmation of Fentanyls on Paper using Portable Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Fentanyl and its analogues play a major role in the current opioid epidemic. In particular, these highly potent opioids have become a health hazard due to their use as additives in street drugs. Co...
Transcriptional mechanisms of drug addiction .

Drugs of abuse can modify gene expression in brain reward and motivation centers, which contribute to the structural and functional remodeling of these circuits that impacts the emergence of a state of addiction. Our understanding of how addictive drugs induce transcriptomic plasticity in addiction-relevant brain regions, particularly in the striatum, has increased dramatically in recent years. Intracellular signaling machineries, transcription factors, chromatin modifications, and regulatory noncoding RNAs have all been implicated in the mechanisms through which addictive drugs act in the brain. Here, we briefly summarize some of the molecular mechanisms through which drugs of abuse can exert their transcriptional effects in the brain region, with an emphasis on the role for microRNAs in this process. .
RESEARCH ARTICLE: Improving students’ perceptions of pre-lab assignments and corresponding group discussions within a pharmacy compounding lab

Objective: To enhance students’ perceptions of their learning within a pharmacy compounding lab. Methods: During a previous course evaluation, the participating students rated their ‘pre-lab assignments’ and ‘group discussions in lab’ as having relatively low levels of benefit upon their learning. As a result, several modifications were made to these items over the subsequent three-year period. First, the completion of the pre-lab assignments was changed from ‘prior to each lab’ to ‘at the beginning of each lab’ and the group discussions were eliminated (Year-1). Then, the pre-lab assignments were revised to fully integrate the application questions with the lab activities (Year-2). Finally, the group discussions were reincorporated into the labs (Year-3). Upon the conclusion of each year, the students (n=150-152) were asked to rate how beneficial each course item was to their learning using a four-point scale. Results: The useable response rates were 92-97%. After Year-1, the mean level of benefit (MLB) for the pre-lab assignments decreased from 2.3±0.8 to 2.0±1.1 (p 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of having students complete their pre-lab assignments ‘at the beginning of’ instead of ‘prior to’ each lab and ensuring any application questions are fully integrated with the lab activities appears to enhance their perceptions of not only the pre-lab assignments, but of the group discussions in lab as well.
P20. Surgical site infection as a risk factor for long-term instrumentation failure in patients with spinal deformity: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Surgical site infection (SSI) remains a serious complication of adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. Although fusion/instrumentation failure in the setting of SSI has been reported, few studies have investigated the relationship between these entities. PURPOSE To examine the relationship between early SSI and fusion/instrumentation failure after instrumented fusion in adult patients with thoracolumbar scoliosis. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained case series for patients undergoing spine surgery between January 1, 2006, and October 3, 2017 at a single institution by a single surgeon team. Inclusion criteria included age ≥18 years and surgery performed for correction of thoracolumbar scoliosis. Data collected included various demographic, clinical, and operative variables. PATIENT SAMPLE There were 532 patients >18 years old who underwent thoracolumbar instrumented fusion surgery for the correction of scoliosis. OUTCOME MEASURES The following outcome measures were used: rate of surgical site infection, hardware failure, need for revision surgery, time to revision surgery. METHODS A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained case series for patients undergoing spine surgery between January 1, 2006, and October 3, 2017 at a single institution by a single surgeon team. Inclusion criteria included age ≥18 years and surgery performed for correction of thoracolumbar scoliosis. Data collected included various demographic, clinical, and operative variables. RESULTS A total of 532 patients met inclusion criteria, with 20 (4%) experiencing SSI. Diabetes mellitus was the only demographic risk factor for increased SSI (P = 0.026). Number of fused levels, blood volume loss, and operative time were similar between groups. Fusion/instrumentation failure occurred in 68 (13%) patients, 10 of whom (15%) had SSI, whereas of the 464 patients with no fusion/instrumentation failure, only 10 (2%) had SSI (P CONCLUSIONS Early SSI significantly increases the risk of fusion/instrumentation failure in patients with thoracolumbar scoliotic deformity, and it significantly shortens the time to failure. Patients with early SSI have a significantly higher likelihood of requiring revision surgery and after a significantly shorter time interval. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.