cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical Conditions of Coastal Hypoxia in the Open Embayment of Long Bay, South Carolina: 2006–2014

Episodic cases of low dissolved oxygen have been documented in Long Bay, SC, since June 2004. Hypoxia is commonly attributed to eutrophication or coastal upwelling, though prior studies in this urbanized region are inconclusive as to whether the source of the low oxygen conditions in Long Bay may be attributed to either of those causes. Since 2006, water property and atmospheric data are collected from both nearshore and offshore sensors in Long Bay for periods between 1 and 8 years depending on the sensor. In this study, hypoxic conditions are categorized as distinct events based on coastal dissolved oxygen concentration thresholds and timing criteria. These events are then further categorized based on event duration. Corresponding physical conditions such as water temperature, salinity, and wind speed and direction for these events are used to examine relationships between physical environmental properties and low-oxygen conditions in the bay. These data are analyzed primarily using cross correlation functions between the physical parameters and the dissolved oxygen concentrations for low-oxygen events of various durations as well as irrespective of duration. We find variability in physical conditions present during hypoxic events as well as a few consistencies between all events. In particular, significant correlations between decreasing oxygen and decreasing wind speeds and increasing stable stratification occur regardless of event duration, but these relationships are often stronger for long-duration events (>24 h). These results suggest limited mixing co-occurs with low-oxygen events in the open embayment of Long Bay, SC.
Pretreatment 3T multiparametric MRI staging predicts for biochemical failure in high-risk prostate cancer treated with combination high-dose-rate brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy.

Abstract Purpose To determine whether pretreatment 3T multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) staging impacts biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS) or distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) for men with high-risk prostate cancer treated with combination high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Materials and Methods This institutional review board–approved retrospective study included a cohort of 37 men with high-risk prostate cancer treated with HDR brachytherapy and EBRT after 3T mpMRI. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to evaluate whether mpMRI evidence of extracapsular extension or seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) resulted in differences in BRFS or DMFS. Pretreatment and treatment-related variables were evaluated for association with biochemical failure (Phoenix definition) and distant metastatic failure using univariate Cox regression analysis. Results The median prostate-specific antigen at diagnosis was 9 ng/mL (range 2–100). Biopsy Gleason score (bGS) was ≤8 in 38% and nine in 62%. Clinical T-category was T1-T2 in 89%, T3a in 8%, and T3b in 3%. With a median followup of 30.6 months, actuarial 3-year BRFS and DMFS were 76% and 86%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that mpMRI evidence of extracapsular extension or SVI resulted in significantly higher rates of both biochemical recurrence and distant failure. Using Cox regression analysis, only mpMRI evidence of SVI vs. no SVI predicted for biochemical failure (hazard ratio 13.98, p = 0.0055). Conclusions For high-risk prostate cancer treated with combination HDR brachytherapy and EBRT, mpMRI evidence of SVI predicted for biochemical failure, whereas traditional pretreatment variables did not. Therefore, pretreatment 3T mpMRI appears useful for identifying men who may benefit from treatment intensification.
Evaluación resistográfica en elementos de maderas desfibradas de la torre de lixiviación de la oficina salitrera Santa Laura en Chile. Patrimonio de la Humanidad

The leaching tower is located in the Santa Laura saltpeter works office in Chile. In recent years studies have been carried out, using Non Destructive Techniques (TND), which have determined that the tower is in good condition. However, there are doubts regarding the actual dimensions of the construction elements affected by the desfibration. The present study had the objective of evaluate defibred wood elements, from the leaching tower of the Santa Laura saltpeter works office, using the resistography technique. Additional studies of ultrasound and xylohigrometry were also developed. The obtained results establish that the reduction of the dimensions of the evaluated elements does not present significant difference and that there are no deep damages in the woods. The study confirms that the building is not at risk.
Letter by Madias Regarding Article, "Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis After Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement".

I read with great interest the article by Glaser et al1 about prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) after surgical aortic valve replacement, reporting on 26 580 patients, 62% of whom had received a bioprosthesis and 38% a mechanical valve from the SWEDEHEART nationwide, population-based registry (Swedish Web-System for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies), with a mean follow-up of 6.2 years (maximum, 18.0 years). A total of 940 patients (3.5%) experienced a PVE, with patients who had a …
Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of current FDA-approved PARP inhibitors for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.

5516Background: Unlike approved IV administered therapies, Medicare is under no obligation to cover prescription medicines. We sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the two FDA-approved orally administered PARP inhibitors (PARPi), olaparib and rucaparib. Methods: A Markov model was created in TreeAge Pro 2015 with nodes in the chain allowing patients to transition through response, hematological complications, non-hematological complications, progression, and death. Separately, the PARP inhibitors were compared with IV administered drugs approved for recurrent ovarian cancers including platinum-based, non-platinum, and bevacizumab-based regimens. Toxicity and mean PFS rates for the different agents were obtained from registration trial data. Costs of IV chemotherapy, managing toxicities, infusions, and supportive care were estimated using 2015 Medicare data. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated and survival was reported in quality adjusted life months. Results: Platinum-base...
Neoliberalism and False Consciousness Before and After Brexit In Zadie Smith's NW

In her 2009 collection of essays, Changing My Mind, Zadie Smith asks, “Where is our fiction, or twenty-first century fiction? We glimpse it here and there … we continue to need novelists who seem t...
The Rice Stripe Virus Group

The rice stripe virus group viruses, or “tenuiviruses,” as they are to be named, were officially recognized as comprising a distinct plant virus group by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) in 1983 (R. I. Hamilton, private communication). With varying degrees of certainty, we can currently assign five viruses to this group. The diseases caused by some of these viruses have been known for a long time. The first to be described was rice stripe, discovered in Japan in the 1890s (Shinkai, 1962). This was followed by descriptions of maize stripe in Mauritius in 1929 (Shepherd, 1929) and possibly in Cuba in 1927 (Stahl, 1927), rice hoja blanca in Colombia in 1935 (Garces-Orejuela et al., 1958). European wheat striate mosaic in England in 1956 (Slykhuis and Watson, 1958), and rice grassy stunt in the Philippines in 1963 (Rivera et al., 1966). Several other disease agents (see Section I.F) have been described that have tenuiviruslike characteristics, but not enough is known to be certain of their classification, and they will not be discussed in detail here.
A Long-Term Analysis of the Relationship Between Fluency and the Training and Maintenance of Complex Math Skills

In 2 experiments, each involving different mathematical operations, we compared 2 training procedures for teaching component math skills in terms of their effects on the learning and long-term maintenance of composite skills. The dependent variables were learn units to composite task mastery and performance on the composite task 2 months later. The independent variables were instruction in math facts under (a) fluency and (b) mastery conditions. The experiments used a simultaneous treatment design in which the students were selected for participation according to prerequisite skills and instructional histories and randomly assigned to receive 1 of the 2 training procedures. Four adolescents with developmental disabilities participated in each experiment. Instructional presentations were controlled by yoked learn units during component skill instruction. Results showed that fluency instruction did not result in fewer learn units to criterion on the composite task. However, 2 months later, the fluent students performed between 83% and 100% correct on the composite task, while the mastery students performed between 17% and 83% correct. The data are discussed in terms of fluency theory and educational practice.
In Vivo Site-Specific Mutagenesis and Gene Collage Using the Delitto Perfetto System in Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Delitto perfetto is a site-specific in vivo mutagenesis system that has been developed to generate changes at will in the genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using this technique, it is possible to rapidly and efficiently engineer yeast strains without requiring several intermediate steps as it functions in only two steps, both of which rely on homologous recombination to drive the changes to the target DNA region. The first step involves the insertion of a cassette containing two markers at or near the locus to be altered. The second step involves complete removal of this cassette with oligonucleotides and/or other genetic material and transfer of the expected genetic modification(s) to the chosen DNA locus. Here we provide a detailed protocol of the delitto perfetto approach and present examples of the most common and useful applications for in vivo mutagenesis to generate base substitutions, deletions, insertions, as well as for precise in vivo assembly and integration of multiple genetic elements, or gene collage.
Objective and subjective sleep quality in premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study.

Study Objective: Assess objectively measured sleep quality in premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women. Design: Observational epidemiology study. Setting: Community-based. Participants: Probability sample of 589 premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women recruited from state employee records. Interventions: None. Measurements and Results: Menopausal status was determined by menstrual history, surgical history, and use of hormone replacement therapy. Sleep quality was objectively measured by full in-laboratory polysomnography and by self-reported sleep problems. Linear and logistic regression were used to estimate associations adjusted for potential confounding factors. Objective: Sleep quality was not worse in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women, compared with premenopausal women. To the contrary, postmenopausal woman had more deep sleep (16% vs 13% stages 3/4, P<0.001) and significantly longer total sleep time (388 minutes vs 374 minutes, P=0.05). Menopausal status was moderately related to self-reported dissatisfaction with sleep but was not consistently associated with symptoms of insomnia or sleepiness. Conclusions: Menopause is not associated with diminished sleep quality measured by polysomnography. Although perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, relative to premenopausal women, were less satisfied with their sleep, menopause was not a strong predictor of specific sleep-disorder symptoms. Symptoms and signs of sleep abnormalities in midlife women should not be attributed primarily to menopause before ruling out underlying sleep disorders. Citation: Young T; Rabago D; Zgierska A et al. Objective and subjective sleep quality in premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study.
The impacts of chlorothalonil and diflubenzuron on Apis mellifera L. larvae reared in vitro.

Abstract Chlorothalonil is a broad-spectrum fungicide and diflubenzuron is an insect growth regulator used to control many insect larvae feeding on agricultural, forest and ornamental plants. Honey bee larvae may be exposed to both via contaminated pollen, in the form of beebread, added to their diet by their adult nurse sisters. In this study, we determined how single (acute: 72 h mortality) and repeated (chronic: mortality until emergence as adults) exposure to chlorothalonil and diflubenzuron in their diet affected honey bee larvae reared in vitro. The tested doses of chlorothalonil (20, 100, or 200 mg/L) did not impact 72 h larval mortality acutely relative to that of the solvent control. The 72 h mortality of larvae exposed to 1.6 mg/L and higher doses of diflubenzuron acutely in their diet (47.2–63.9% mortality) was significantly higher than that of larvae fed the solvent control, with no predictable dose dependent pattern observed. In the chronic toxicity tests, consuming an artificial diet with 30 or 100 mg/L chlorothalonil and 0.8, 1.3 or 2 mg/L diflubenzuron significantly lowered the survival of honey bee larvae over that of larvae feeding on the solvent control diet. We calculated risk quotients (RQs) for both compounds using the data we generated in our experiments. Collectively, the RQs suggest that neither compound is likely to affect larval mortality directly at field relevant doses given that pollen composes only a fraction of the total larval diet. Nevertheless, our data do not preclude any sublethal effects that chronic exposure to either compound may cause.
New Daily Persistent Headache

New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is a unique form of chronic daily headache. The distinguishing feature of NDPH is a headache that starts abruptly, and patients can often recall the exact day of headache onset. Clinically, NPDH lacks characteristic features and may resemble migraine or tension-type headache. Diagnosis relies on first eliminating secondary mimics. Several different classes of medications have been used for treatment of NDPH with varying results. In clinical practice, treatment is often chosen based on the headache phenotype. However, most therapies are ineffective or minimally effective thereby making NDPH one of the most refractory types of headache to treat.
Parents Rights: The Case for Madera Unified School District

The purpose of this article is to identify power through voting-school boards; it must be explicitly identified and highlighted as a way to empower students and their families. Implications for teachers are discussed, as their role in public schools is crucial to improved parent participation. It examines how Latino parents have used the justice system to secure fair representation to improve the needs of minority children attending public schools. It highlights the activist's role and parental participation in the legal and educational system that lead to the improvement of equality of education and an end to segregationist practices in the early history of California public schools.
Lower-extremity growth patterns and skeletal maturation in children with unilateral fibular hemimelia

Fibular hemimelia is the most common congenital long-bone deficiency. It is usually unilateral and results in a limb-length discrepancy. The literature generally subscribes to the concept of constant inhibition, a process by which limb-length ratios between the shorter and longer extremity remain constant throughout growth, but scientific data supporting this concept are sparse. Additionally, recent literature suggests that these children have abnormal skeletal maturation. To elucidate the lower-extremity long-bone growth patterns and skeletal maturation of children with unilateral fibular hemimelia. We reviewed medical records of children with unilateral fibular hemimelia seen at a large pediatric hospital over a 17-year period. Inclusion criteria were: at least two scanograms prior to any shortening/lengthening procedure, and no other congenital or acquired disorders. We collected the study cohort’s femoral and tibial lengths (scanogram reports), plotted them against patient chronological ages and compared them to published growth standards. When these children’s bone ages (Greulich and Pyle) were available, we plotted them against the children’s chronological ages. Twenty-three children were included (total=115 scanograms). At least 1 bone-age assessment was performed in 19 children (total=84 bone ages). All bone growth curves were within normal growth standards for the femur and tibia. Length ratios between shorter and longer limbs remained constant. Skeletal maturation was within two standard deviations of normal in 90% of bone ages. Lower-extremity long bones of children with unilateral fibular hemimelia have relatively normal growth curves, supporting and confirming the concept of constant inhibition. Most children show normal skeletal maturation.
Development of a rapid and reliable analytical method for screening poloxamer 188 for use in cell culture process

Poloxamer P188 is a common nonionic surfactant additive used in cell culture media as a cellular protectant from the hydrodynamic forces and shear stress during bioprocessing. Presence of a hydrophobic high molecular weight impurity contaminant has been shown to compromise its protective properties and lead to batch failure. In this work we present, a reliable, sensitive, and rapid analytical method to detect and quantify the contaminant impurity in poloxamer 188. This method replaces a laborious and time-consuming functional test in the form of a shake flask assay. The method is based upon reversed-phase liquid chromatography with charged aerosol detection, simple mobile phase compositions, and a three-step gradient. The method was optimized to resolve the impurity from the main P188 fraction in less than 10 min. Analytical method qualification and functional test comparison demonstrate equivalent or better high throughput impurity screening performance. Attempts to identify the impurity and establish suitable method positive control standards are also discussed.
Reliability Evaluation of Silicon Interconnect Fabric Technology

In this paper, we examine the effect of electrostatic discharge (ESD)and thermal compression bonding on the integrity of dielet assembly on the silicon interconnect fabric (Si-IF)technology. Our preliminary results suggest that the Si-IF assembly process is robust to ESD events. This simplifies and possibly eliminates the ESD protection requirements on dielets. We demonstrate that a thin film dielet, with ~ 6 nm thick silicon dioxide, can sustain bonding pressure of up to 200 MPa at a bonding temperature of 250°C. To further investigate the effect of thermal compression bonding on dielets, bonding pressure simulations are studied for a typical dielet with 300 nm oxide at a bonding pressure of 100 MPa.
The Synthetic Phenotype of ΔbamB ΔbamE Double Mutants Results from a Lethal Jamming of the Bam Complex by the Lipoprotein RcsF.

ABSTRACT The selective permeability of the Gram-negative outer membrane (OM) is maintained by integral β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs). The heteropentomeric β-barrel assembly machine (Bam) folds and inserts OMPs into the OM. Coordination of the essential proteins BamA and BamD is critical for OMP assembly and therefore the viability of the cell. The role of the nonessential lipoproteins BamBCE has yet to be characterized; however, genetic evidence suggests that they have nonoverlapping roles in OMP assembly. In this work, we quantify changes of the proteome in the conditional lethal ΔbamB ΔbamE double mutant. We show that cells lacking BamB and BamE have a global OMP defect that is a result of a lethal obstruction of an assembly-competent Bam complex by the lipoprotein RcsF. RcsF is a stress-sensing lipoprotein that is threaded through the lumen of abundant β-barrel OMPs by the Bam complex to expose the amino terminus on the cell surface. We demonstrate that simply removing this lipoprotein corrects the severe OMP assembly defect of the double mutant nearly as efficiently as a previously isolated suppressor mutation in bamA. We propose that BamB and BamE play crucial, nonoverlapping roles to coordinate the activities of BamA and BamD during OMP biogenesis. IMPORTANCE Protein assembly into lipid bilayers is an essential process that ensures the viability of diverse organisms. In Gram-negative bacteria, the heteropentomeric β-barrel assembly machine (Bam) folds and inserts proteins into the outer membrane. Due to its essentiality, outer membrane protein (OMP) assembly by the Bam complex is an attractive target for antibiotic development. Here, we show that the conditional lethal phenotype of a mutant lacking two of the three nonessential lipoproteins, BamB and BamE, is caused by lethal jamming of the stripped-down Bam complex by a normally surface-exposed lipoprotein, RcsF. The heterotrimeric Bam complex (BamA, BamD, BamC) is nearly as efficient as the wild-type complex in OMP assembly if RcsF is removed. Our study highlights the importance of BamB and BamE in regulating the interaction between BamA and BamD and expands our understanding of the role of the Bam complex in outer membrane biogenesis.
Imaging of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Brain and cerebrovascular imaging play a critical role in acute ischemic stroke treatment. The choice of imaging modalities and techniques depends on several factors, such as severity of symptoms and time from symptom onset, as well as the interventions being considered, namely, intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy (ET). While computed tomography (CT) is the main imaging used for patient triage, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used in specific scenarios such as stroke mimics. It is very important to streamline a stroke imaging protocol in every hospital to expedite treatment decisions and standardize treatment algorithms. CT perfusion (CTP) may be used to triage patients for ET after 6 hours from symptom onset. In this chapter we discuss CT and CTP as the main imaging modalities for stroke triage, and we share our acute ischemic stroke imaging protocol.
Length of Stay, Discharge Disposition, and 90-Day Complications and Revisions Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Comparison of the Direct Anterior, Posterolateral, and Direct Superior Approaches.

Abstract Background The direct anterior (DA) approach is becoming increasingly popular for primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of this study is to evaluate early postoperative complication and revision rates based on surgical approach, comparing DA, posterolateral (PL), and direct superior (DS) approaches. Methods After institutional review board approval, a total joint arthroplasty database from a single institution was used to identify all patients who underwent elective primary THA between July 2013 and November 2017 with a DA, PL, or DS hip approach. Patients were followed for complications out to 90 days postsurgery. Patients were divided into groups based on surgical approach and compared on length of stay, discharge disposition, and 90-day complication and revision rates. Results There were 5341 THA procedures performed, with 3162 PL, 1846 DA, and 333 DS approaches. Length of stay was shorter for DS (1.7 ± 0.9 days) and DA (1.8 ± 0.9 days) than for PL approaches (2.3 ± 1.4 days, P Conclusion In the era of bundled payments, the DA, PL, and DS approaches can all be effectively used. Level of Evidence Level III; retrospective comparative study.
Two Cases of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Bacteremia With Development of Daptomycin-Resistant Phenotype and its Detection Using Oxford Nanopore Sequencing.

In this work, we report 2 cases of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium bacteremia with development of daptomycin resistance in 2 patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Mutations related to daptomycin-nonsusceptible phenotype in liaSR genes were found in all strains of the study, including those with a minimum inhibitory concentration <1 µg/mL collected before daptomycin therapy. Epidemiological investigation using core genome single nucleotide polymorphism and core genome multilocus sequence typing revealed clonality of all the isolates. In this study, we conclude that real-time genome sequencing of clinical isolates can provide rapid access to timely information on daptomycin-resistant genotypes that would help clinicians speed up and optimize the selection of the antibiotic for treatment.
Educational Accountability and State ESSA Plans

This paper examines different state approaches to educational accountability in response to the Every Student Succeeds Act. Cluster analysis reveals three groups of states with similar indicator we...
Health information seeking among people with multiple chronic conditions: Contextual factors and their associations mined from questions in social media

Abstract The health-information-seeking behaviors of people affected by multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) who use social media to obtain information was explored. The contextual factors and latent relationships that shape the unique information-seeking behaviors of this population, focusing on commonly co-occurring chronic conditions: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity were investigated. Using a similarity matrix and co-occurrence network techniques 9,980 Yahoo!Answers questions posted by individuals concerned about MCCs were analyzed. Findings demonstrate the interactive nature of health-information-seeking among people with MCCs. Various interwoven personal and environmental factors reflect efforts of people with MCCs to obtain more personalized information, conveying the specific queries and needs of this population. Findings may help facilitate interactions between people living with MCCs and health care providers, as well as aid providers and health-information resource designers in providing more tailored and accessible resources, expanding upon user-centered approaches to health information service.
Golgi Outposts Nucleate Microtubules in Cells with Specialized Shapes

Classically, animal cells nucleate or form new microtubules off the perinuclear centrosome. In recent years, the Golgi outpost has emerged as a satellite organelle that can function as an acentrosomal microtubule-organizing center (MTOC), nucleating new microtubules at distances far from the nucleus or cell body. Golgi outposts can nucleate new microtubules in specialized cells with unique cytoarchitectures, including Drosophila neurons, mouse muscle cells, and rodent oligodendrocytes. This review compares and contrasts topics of functional relevance, including Golgi outpost heterogeneity, formation and transport, as well as regulation of microtubule polarity and branching. Golgi outposts have also been implicated in the pathology of diseases including muscular dystrophy, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Since Golgi outposts are relatively understudied, many outstanding questions regarding their function and roles in disease remain.
Multiple Simultaneous Mature Teratomas of the Spinal Cord in an Adult.

Teratomas of the spinal cord are rare tumors, particularly in adults, but there is an increasing body of literature documenting both their diagnosis and successful treatment with surgical resection. However, to date, the literature has largely characterized spinal teratomas as single solitary lesions. Here, we report on an adult patient who presented with signs of progressive lower extremity weakness. Imaging demonstrated two simultaneous lesions of the spine, an extramedullary lesion in the upper thoracic region and an intramedullary lesion in the mid-thoracic region. Both lesions were resected and pathologically determined to be mature spinal teratomas. To our knowledge, this is only the second report of this tumor presenting simultaneously at more than one location in the spine and the first time it has presented both as an intra-axial and extra-axial lesion. Our results suggest that the presence of more than one simultaneous lesion does not necessarily increase the risk of a more aggressive immature pathology.
Lasing in the space charge limited current regime

We introduce an analytical model for ideal organic laser diodes based on the argument that their intrinsic active layers necessitate operation in the bipolar space charge-limited current regime. Expressions for the threshold current and voltage agree well with drift-diffusion modeling of complete p-i-n devices and an analytical bound is established for laser operation in the presence of annihilation and excited-state absorption losses. These results establish a foundation for the development of organic laser diode technology.
CMOS Image Sensors in Surveillance System Applications

Recent technology advances in CMOS image sensors (CIS) enable their utilization in the most demanding of surveillance fields, especially visual surveillance and intrusion detection in intelligent surveillance systems, aerial surveillance in war zones, Earth environmental surveillance by satellites in space monitoring, agricultural monitoring using wireless sensor networks and internet of things and driver assistance in automotive fields. This paper presents an overview of CMOS image sensor-based surveillance applications over the last decade by tabulating the design characteristics related to image quality such as resolution, frame rate, dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio, and also processing technology. Different models of CMOS image sensors used in all applications have been surveyed and tabulated for every year and application.
UTILIZING ELECTROPHYSICAL AGENTS IN FIBROMYALGIA – A REVIEW

BACKGROUNDFibromyalgia (FM) frequently termed as fibrositis is a discomforting rheumaticsyndrome which is associated with spasm, localize and palpable tenderness,chronic fatigue, headache, depression and bowel symptoms. The use ofelectro physical agents in order to treat FM is still a growing concern. Asystematic review was executed to appraise the use of different electrophysical agents in FM.METHODSSeventy three articles were reviewed including RCTS, Clinical trials and Experimentalstudies, highlighting the use of electro physical agents and comparingthem with each other.CONCLUSIONFibromyalgia is a syndrome is challenging to comprehend and treat effectively.Patients are looking for substitution therapies due to ineffectivenessand dissatisfaction to the conventional and therapies in trend. Althoughmany results have been found in favor of using different modalities related tophysical therapy treatment for FM still specific use of modalities like TENS,biofeedback, magneto and electromagnetic therapies is still a question.Treatment should be given according to the need of patient, targeted symptomsand functional impairments. KEY WORDSFibromyalgia, TENS, IFC, Heat, Cold, Laser, Ultrasound
The motivation and impact of pension fund activism

Abstract Pension funds have pursued an active role in corporate governance, although some question their effectiveness and motivations. We examine the impact and motivation of pension fund activism by studying the shareholder proposals of the largest, most active funds from 1987 through 1993. We find significant heterogeneity across funds in activism objectives, tactics, and impact on target firms, consistent with differing investment strategies. We find the funds are more successful at monitoring and promoting change in target firms than previously recognized. We also find no evidence to support motivations other than fund value maximization.
Effect of malaria surveillance and control of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in 2013

Objective To evaluate the effect of malaria surveillance and control of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in2013,and explore the suited surveillance and management of imported malaria cases,so as to provide the evidence for formulating the scientific control measures of imported malaria. Methods The endemic data and control measures of malaria in Guangxi in 2013 were collected and analyzed statistically. Results A total of 1 251 malaria cases were found in Guangxi in 2013,with88.25%(1 104 cases)of falciparum malaria,8.63%(108 cases)of vivax malaria,0.64%(8 cases)of quartan malaria,1.52%(19 cases)of ovale malaria,and 0.96%(12 cases)of mixed infection;93.21%(1 166 cases)were off-farm workers;96.56%(1 208 cases)were imported from Africa and mainly consisted of falciparum malaria cases;3.44%(43 cases)were imported from southeast Asia and mainly consisted of vivax malaria cases. The cases of imported malaria were increasing and the infection rate in 2013 was increased by 464% compared with that in 2012. Conclusion The imported malaria cases in Guangxi mainly come from Africa at present. Promoting the health education and professional skill of malaria control and treatment,as well as the diagnosis and treatment of the patients in early time are important measures to control the imported malaria.
Simplified method for determining dose to a non-water phantom through the use of ND,w and IAEA TRS 483 for the GammaPod.

Abstract Purpose GammaPod, a breast stereotactic radiosurgery device, utilizes 25 rotating Co-60 sources to deliver highly conformal dose distributions. The GammaPod system requires that reference dosimetry be performed in a specific vendor-supplied poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantom. The nonstandard nature of GammaPod dosimetry, in both the phantom material and machine-specific reference (msr), prohibits use of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 51 (TG-51) protocol. This study proposes a practical method using TRS 483 to make the reference dosimetry procedure simpler and to reduce overall uncertainties. Methods The dose to PMMA (DPMMA) is determined under msr conditions using TRS 483 with an Exradin A1SL chamber placed in a PMMA phantom. The conversion factor, which converts from the dose-to-water (Dw) in broad-beam Co-60 reference geometry to DPMMA in the msr small field Co-60 (Qmsr) geometry, is derived using the Monte Carlo simulations and procedure described in TRS 483. Results The new conversion factor value for an Exradin A1SL chamber is 0.974. When combined with ND,w, DPMMA differs by 0.5% from the TG-21/Nx method and 0.2% from the IROC values. Uncertainty decreased from 2.2% to 1.6%. Conclusion We successfully implemented TRS 483 reference dosimetry protocols utilizing ND,w for the GammaPod in the PMMA phantom. These results show not only agreement between measurements performed with the previously published method and independent thermoluminescent dosimetry measurements but also reductions in uncertainty. This also provides readers with a pathway to develop their own IAEA TRS 483 factor for any new small field machine that may be developed.
Educating Pharmacy Students About Underserved Populations Using Patient Speakers and Simulation Activities.

Objective. To assess the impact of the Patient Voices series on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. Methods. A series of patient speakers and integrated simulation activities focused on underserved populations, otherwise known as the Patient Voices series, was embedded into a pharmacy skills laboratory curriculum. First-year PharmD students’ self-ratings of confidence were compared on pre- and post-course surveys. Using evaluations from first-year introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs), student self-evaluation data were compared to preceptor evaluations of student performance. Open-ended responses to course evaluations from first- and second-year PharmD students and student reflections from third-year PharmD students were assessed using conventional content analysis to identify and characterize student perceptions. Results. Significant increases were observed in first-year students’ confidence to show empathy (mean, 4.2 to 4.7) and to interact with patients from underserved communities (mean, 2.2 to 4.2). Preceptor ratings of students’ empathy were consistent with the students’ self-rated abilities, while students’ self-ratings on cultural sensitivity were higher than the preceptors’ ratings. Qualitative analysis of course evaluation surveys and reflections revealed common themes identified by students, such as understanding different perspectives, increased empathy for patients, and the value of including this content in the curriculum. Conclusion. Student confidence to interact with patients from a variety of underserved populations increased following introduction of the Patient Voices series into the PharmD curriculum. Students perceived the series to be a valuable learning experience.
Early detection of cerebrovascular pathology and protective antiviral immunity by MRI

Central nervous system (CNS) infections are a major cause of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Even patients that survive CNS infections can have lasting neurological dysfunction resulting from immune and pathogen induced pathology. Developing approaches to noninvasively track pathology and immunity in the infected CNS is crucial for patient management and development of new therapeutics. Here, we develop novel MRI-based approaches to monitor virus-specific CD8+ T cells and their relationship to cerebrovascular pathology in the living brain. We studied a relevant murine model in which a neurotropic virus (vesicular stomatitis virus) was introduced intranasally and then entered the brain via olfactory sensory neurons - a route exploited by many pathogens in humans. Using T2*-weighted high-resolution MRI, we identified small cerebral microbleeds as the earliest form of pathology associated with viral entry into the brain. Mechanistically, these microbleeds occurred in the absence of peripheral immune cells and were associated with infection of vascular endothelial cells. We monitored the adaptive response to this infection by developing methods to iron label and track individual virus specific CD8+ T cells by MRI. Transferred antiviral T cells were detected in the brain within a day of infection and were able to reduce cerebral microbleeds. These data demonstrate the utility of MRI in detecting the earliest pathological events in the virally infected CNS as well as the therapeutic potential of antiviral T cells in mitigating this pathology.
Robustness of Constant Wacc Valuation Under Mean-Reverting Capital Structure

This paper examines the robustness of constant WACC valuation under a number of mean reverting departures from a constant debt ratio and finds that, but for extreme and persistent departures, the error committed is less than 1%, which seems relatively small when compared with likely estimation errors in expected free cash flows and discount rates.
Providing accurate and timely feedback by automatically grading student programming labs

Providing accurate, meaningful, and timely feedback to student programming assignments is a daunting task. A new program, herein called the autograder, compiles and executes a student's submitted Java code and runs a set of instructor-written tests to validate the correctness of this code. The student is given a grade for their assignment and immediate feedback in both summary and log form, and these results are sent automatically to the server designated by the instructor. Students are able to run the autograder at any time during the development of their assignment, and may submit the same assignment multiple times. When the student has finished submitting their code, they may request the instructor's solution to the assignment, which the autograder immediately delivers to them. After a student receives the instructor's solution for a particular assignment, the autograder prevents any further submissions of that assignment from that student. The autograder is delivered over the web using Java Web Start technology, making it easy to update and deploy, and it is licensed under the GNU General Public License.
Selective formation of organic compounds by photoelectrosynthesis at semiconductor particles

As the importance of electrosynthesis as a reliable synthetic tool is being increasing recognized, a parallel interest has developed in applying the techniques of photoelectrochemistry to problems of interest to the organic chemist. Although most photoelectrochemical investigations have been concerned with inducing redox reactivity in simple inorganic molecules (e.g., in water splitting or carbon dioxide or nitrogen reduction), the principles developed in these studies are equally applicable to organic transformations. This review will illustrate recent advances toward the objective of using the illuminated surfaces of semiconductors as sites for initiating and controlling organic reactivity. Because this area is inherently interdisciplinary, it is nearly impossible to provide a comprehensive compilation of all work relevant to the photoinduced reactions of concern. The illustrative examples cited here should serve, however, to introduce the interested reader to mechanistic features which must be dealt with in investigating photoelectrochemical transformations.
Labor productivity and employment gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa

Drawing on a new set of nationally representative, internationally comparable household surveys, this paper provides an overview of key features of structural transformation—labor allocation and labor productivity—in four African economies. New, micro-based measures of sector labor allocation and cross-sector productivity differentials describe the incentives households face when allocating their labor. These measures are similar to national accounts-based measures that are typically used to characterize structural changes in African economies. However, because agricultural workers supply far fewer hours of labor per year than do workers in other sectors, productivity gaps disappear almost entirely when expressed on a per-hour basis. What look like large productivity gaps in national accounts data could really be employment gaps, calling into question the prospective gains that laborers can achieve through structural transformation. These employment gaps, along with the strong linkages observed between rural non-farm activities and primary agricultural production, highlight agriculture's continued relevance to structural change in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Carbon dioxide activation: thermodynamics of CO2 binding and the involvement of two cobalt centers in the reduction of CO2 by a cobalt(I) macrocycle

The interaction of CO/sub 2/ with the cobalt (I) macrocycle, CoL/sup +/ L = (14)diene = 5,7,7,12,14,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-reversible binding of CO/sub 2/ to CoL/sup +/ in CH/sub 3/CN as characterized by uv-visible spectroscopy, a CO/sub 2/ reduction in the solid state, of a binuclear species containing the Co-C(OH)-O-Co moiety are described in this article. 22 references, 2 figures.
Certainty Equivalence and Inequivalence for Prices

A basis for the analysis of economic behaviour under uncertainty has existed ever since Daniel Bernoulli’s famous paper (1738). Indeed, Bernoulli applied his expected-utility theory to explaining the de mand for marine insurance—the problem, of course, being to explain positive demand for a risk with negative expected value. Bernoulli saw clearly that both the Gedanken evidence of the St Petersburg paradox and the real-world purchase of insurance were simply state ments that the certainty-equivalent of a risk was not its expected value; his clear analysis led him to the synthesis of an alternative theory of behaviour.
Spatial process gradients and their use in sensitivity analysis for environmental processes

Abstract This paper develops methodology for local sensitivity analysis based on directional derivatives associated with spatial processes. Formal gradient analysis for spatial processes was elaborated in previous papers, focusing on distribution theory for directional derivatives associated with a response variable assumed to follow a Gaussian process model. In the current work, these ideas are extended to additionally accommodate a continuous covariate whose directional derivatives are also of interest and to relate the behavior of the directional derivatives of the response surface to those of the covariate surface. It is of interest to assess whether, in some sense, the gradients of the response follow those of the explanatory variable. The joint Gaussian structure of all variables, including the directional derivatives, allows for explicit distribution theory and, hence, kriging across the spatial region using multivariate normal theory. Working within a Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework, posterior samples enable all gradient analysis to occur post model fitting. As a proof of concept, we show how our methodology can be applied to a standard geostatistical modeling setting using a simulation example. For a real data illustration, we work with point pattern data, deferring our gradient analysis to the intensity surface, adopting a log-Gaussian Cox process model. In particular, we relate elevation data to point patterns associated with several tree species in Duke Forest.
The Relationship between the Option-implied Volatility Smile, Stock Returns and Heterogeneous Beliefs

Abstract We study the relationship between stock returns and the implied volatility smile slope of call and put options. Stocks with a steeper put slope earn lower future returns, while stocks with a steeper call slope earn higher future returns. Using dispersion of opinion as a proxy for belief differences, we find that the slope–stock return relation is strongest for stocks with high belief differences. The idiosyncratic component of the put slope fully explains the negative risk-adjusted stock returns. For the call slope, the idiosyncratic component dominates the systematic one, and explains the positive risk-adjusted returns.
Effects of native language on compensation for coarticulation

We tested compensation for vowel coarticulation on a continuum from "s" to "sh".French listeners showed compensation for both round vowels /u/ and /y/.American English listeners showed compensation for only the native phoneme /u/.The American English pattern remained unchanged even with videos of the talker.Listeners' native language affects the degree of compensation for coarticulation. This paper investigates whether compensation for coarticulation in speech perception can be mediated by native language. Substantial work has studied compensation as a consequence of aspects of general auditory processing or as a consequence of a perceptual gestural recovery processes. The role of linguistic experience in compensation for coarticulation potentially cross-cuts this controversy and may shed light on the phonetic basis of compensation. In Experiment 1, French and English native listeners identified an initial sound from a set of fricative-vowel syllables on a continuum from s to ? with the vowels a,u,y. French speakers are familiar with the round vowel y, while it is unfamiliar to English speakers. Both groups showed compensation (a shifted 's'/'sh' boundary compared with a) for the vowel u, but only the French-speaking listeners reliably compensated for the vowel y. In Experiment 2, 39 American English listeners judged videos in which the audio stimuli of Experiment 1 were used as soundtracks of a face saying sV, ?V, or a visual-blend of the two fricatives. The study found that videos with ? visual information induced significantly more "?" responses than did those made from visual s tokens. However, as in Experiment 1, English-speaking listeners reliably compensated for u, but not for the unfamiliar vowel y. The listeners used visual consonant information for categorization, but did not use visual vowel information for compensation for coarticulation. The results indicate that perceptual compensation for coarticulation is a language specific effect tied to the listener's experience with the conditioning phonetic environment.