cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Codes of ethics in physiotherapy: a retrospective view and look ahead

The concept of codes of ethics is examined, and their usefulness in the practice of physiotherapy is evaluated: with reference to the notion of professionalism and to the more practical need for guidance in everyday clinical practice. Two recently-revised physiotherapy codes, those of the British and American professional associations, are considered, and their strengths and weaknesses evaluated. A contrast is made between a code of ethics and a code of morality. In conclusion, the future role of ethical codes in the practice of physiotherapy is explored.
The Treg/Th17 Axis: A Dynamic Balance Regulated by the Gut Microbiome

T-helper 17 (Th17) and T-regulatory (Treg) cells are frequently found at barrier surfaces, particularly within the intestinal mucosa, where they function to protect the host from pathogenic microorganisms and to restrain excessive effector T-cell responses, respectively. Despite their differing functional properties, Th17 cells and Tregs share similar developmental requirements. In fact, the fate of antigen-naive T-cells to either Th17 or Treg lineages is finely regulated by key mediators, including TGFβ, IL-6 and all-trans retinoic acid (RA). Importantly, the intestinal microbiome also provides immunostimulatory signals, which can activate innate, and downstream adaptive, immune responses. Specific components of the gut microbiome have been implicated in the production of proinflammatory cytokines by innate immune cells, such as IL-6, IL-23, IL-1β, and the subsequent generation and expansion of Th17 cells. Similarly, commensal bacteria and their metabolites can also promote the generation of intestinal Tregs that can actively induce mucosal tolerance. As such, dysbiosis of the gut microbiome may not solely represent a consequence of gut inflammation, but rather shape the Treg/Th17 commitment and influence susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this review, we discuss Treg and Th17 cell plasticity, its dynamic regulation by the microbiome, and highlight its impact on intestinal homeostasis and disease.
Extended Velocity Potential Wave Kinematics

A double Fourier series expansion of the velocity potential for water waves was used to treat nonlinear single harmonic waves and irregular waves measured in the ocean test structure experiment. The (extended) velocity potential (EXVP) satisfies the governing hydrodynamic equations in the body of the water and matches the boundary conditions at the waves surface in the least-squares sense. The waves that are treatable with this velocity procedure can have a range of crest values for a specified wave height, period and water depth. In contrast, the common Stokes velocity procedures can treat only waves of fixed crest, for a given wave height, period and water depth. The water velocities measured for irregular waves in the ocean test structure experiment are in good agreement with the velocities predicted by this procedure; these correlations are significantly better than velocity correlations with the Stokes wave representation.
Brief History of Endovascular Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment.

The natural history of large-vessel extracranial and intracranial arterial occlusion has played a major role in the evolution of endovascular stroke therapy. Basilar artery occlusion was felt to have the worst prognosis, and this drove Zeumer et al1 to first perform basilar thrombolysis via catheter and report excellent outcomes based on historical controls. However, early stroke thrombolysis clinical trials focused on intravenous (IV) and not intraarterial (IA) delivery. Gregory del Zoppo—a hematologist by training—led international angiography-based, dose escalation trials of double-stranded tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) given IV. This Burroughs Wellcome–sponsored research trial showed that distal M3 middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions often recanalized with IV tPA, but recanalization rates were low with more proximal large-vessel occlusions. Furthermore, the site of arterial occlusion could not be reliably predicted by clinical phenotype or National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Concurrent with this angiography-based effort, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) investigators downplayed the need for angiography and instead focused on time to treatment with IV tPA. The NINDS Genentech IV tPA stroke trial established the critical importance of time to treatment and led to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of IV tPA to treat acute ischemic stroke in 1996 but within a small window of 3 hours. The major drivers for the development of endovascular stroke therapy were the desire to expand the 3-hour treatment window and the relatively low recanalization rates for large-vessel occlusions with IV tPA (which often caused the most severe strokes). Toward this end, Gregory Del Zoppo, Anthony Furlan, Randall Higashida, and Michael Pessin convinced Abbott Laboratories that the quickest way to FDA approval of their new thrombolytic agent recombinant prourokinase (r-proUK) was an IA trial focused only on MCA occlusion. Accordingly, Del Zoppo, Furlan, Higashida, and Pessin designed the Prolyse in …
Clinical relevance of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in patients with sex cord-stromal ovarian tumors

5575 Background: Distant metastasis is common in patients with sex cord-stromal ovarian tumors (SCSTs), but lymph node involvement is extremely rare. Given the lack of lymphatics in the normal granulosa layer, we examined the clinical relevance of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in patients with SCSTs. Methods: After Institutional Review Board approval, 80 tumor samples (46 primary, 34 recurrent) were obtained from 65 patients and stained for CD31 (microvessel density; MVD), D2–40 (lymphvascular density; LVD), and VEGF. Clinical data were extracted by chart review and correlated with the angiogenesis and lymphatic markers. Results: The median age of the patients was 42.1 years (range, 8.6–78.6 years). At presentation, 53% of patients had stage I disease, 8% had stage II, 16% had stage III, and 23% were unstaged. Although VEGF expression was noted at some level in 99% of samples, VEGF overexpression (upper tertile of overall score) was noted in 35% of samples. On the basis of ROC analysis, vessel densit...
Human Exposure to Pentachlorophenol

Several reports have suggested that people living in industrialized societies will generally be contaminated with pentachlorophenol (PCP) at concentrations of 1 ppb and higher. The most likely source for this contamination appears to be food chain exposure to PCP treated wood products. Another possible source of exposure is metabolism of hexachlorobenzene to pentachlorophenol. Pentachlorophenol has been shown to be a mutagen and commercial preparations of the compound are often contaminated with dioxins. Both of these observations may be significant to the toxicological evaluation of the present hazard from pentachlorophenol exposure.
How to Understand the EU-U.S. Digital Divide

As the EU begins the long and painful process of reversing two decades of interventionist policies that failed to promote either broadband investment, competition or adoption, the experience of the largely deregulated U.S. market provides a natural comparison. This article looks at the widely different outcomes in the two economies on five key dimensions: investment, availability, competition, adoption, and price. On all five, even the most generous reading of government data sources makes clear the source of the EU's growing innovation deficit is well-intended but ultimately failed public policies.
Microwave-assisted photochemical reactor for the online oxidative decomposition and determination of p-hydroxymercurybenzoate and its thiolic complexes by cold vapor generation atomic fluorescence detection.

We developed a photochemical method for the online oxidation of p-hydroxymercurybenzoate (PHMB), an organic mercury species widely used for mercaptan and thiolic compound labeling. The method is based on a fully integrated online UV/microwave (MW) photochemical reactor for the digestion of PHMB, followed by cold vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVG-AFS) detection. The MW/UV process led to the quantitative conversion of PHMB and thiol−PHMB complexes to Hg(II), with a yield between 91% and 98%, without using chemical oxidizing reagents and avoiding the use of toxic carcinogenic compounds. This reaction was followed by the reduction of Hg(II) to Hg0, performed in a knitted reaction coil with NaBH4 solution, and AFS detection in an Ar/H2 miniaturized flame. The low MW power applied (18 W) allowed us to keep constant the temperature of the photochemical reactor (21 ± 1 °C), using a flowing water bath. This avoided peak widening due to diffusion processes generally occurring at high temperatur...
Kahaani, Gulaab Gang and Queen: Remaking the queens of Bollywood

Bollywood’s depiction of its female characters tends to be regressive. Recently, however, movies like Kahaani (2012), Queen (2014) and Gulaab Gang (2014) depict a limited presence of male characters or no male protagonist, thus focusing all attention on the female character and its development. Examining the construction/depiction of the Indian woman free from a validating male presence, this paper discusses the new trend in Bollywood post-2010 and views it as an indirect response to both the increasing role women are playing in the Indian economy and the rising violence directed towards Indian women in the twenty-first century. Introducing six tropes common to Kahaani, Queen and Gulaab Gang to analyze the new trend, the paper argues that these movies offer a nuanced understanding of the Indian woman by implicating the audience and its perception of female characters, and by simultaneously highlighting the inherent multiplicities within the seemingly homogenous category of Indian femininity. Depicted as i...
Investigation of an outbreak of mumps among primary students

Objective To provide the experience of dealing with the outbreak of mumps among pupils. Methods The outbreak was investigated by field epidemiological investigation method and clinical observation. Results There were 23 pupils were suspected to have mumps, with an attack rate of 5.96% (23 / 386). But 21 out of the 23 pupils with mumps were vaccinated with mumps vaccine 45 days ago, with coverage of 91.30% ; 1 pupil without vaccinating was diagnosed with mumps, others had no clinic positive symptoms. Conclusion The ordinary vaccination and psychological health education should be enhanced in the primary school.
New World direct-developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana): Molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography, and conservation

New World frogs recently placed in a single, enormous family (Brachycephalidae) have direct development and reproduce on land, often far away from water. DNA sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear genes of 344 species were analyzed to estimate their relationships. The molecular phylogeny in turn was used as the basis for a revised classification of the group. The 882 described species are placed in a new taxon, Terrarana, and allocated to four families, four subfamilies, 24 genera, 11 subgenera, 33 species series, 56 species groups, and 11 species subgroups. Systematic accounts are provided for all taxa above the species level. Two families (Craugastoridae and Strabomantidae), three subfamilies (Holoadeninae, Phyzelaphryninae, and Strabomantinae), six genera (Bryophryne, Diasporus, Haddadus, Isodactylus, Lynchius, and Psychrophrynella), and two subgenera (Campbellius and Schwartzius) are proposed and named as new taxa, 13 subspecies are considered to be distinct species, and 613 new combinations are formed. Most of the 100 informal groups (species series, species groups, and species subgroups) are new or newly defined. Brachycephalus and Ischnocnema are placed in Brachycephalidae, a relatively small clade restricted primarily to southeastern Brazil. Eleutherodactylidae includes two subfamilies, four genera, and five subgenera and is centered in the Caribbean region. Craugastoridae contains two genera and three subgenera and is distributed mainly in Middle America. Strabomantidae is distributed primarily in the Andes of northwestern South America and includes two subfamilies, 16 genera, and three subgenera. Images and distribution maps are presented for taxa above the species level and a complete list of species is provided. Aspects of the evolution, biogeography, and conservation of Terrarana are discussed.
Giving readmission numbers a BOOST.

BACKGROUND In February 2010, a medium-sized teaching hospital in the upper Midwest implemented project BOOST. Better Outcomes for Older adults through Safe Transitions (BOOST) is a program through the Society of Hospital Medicine to improve care around discharge of elderly adults. METHODS We analyzed the 30-day readmission rate for nearly all unplanned readmissions to our hospital retrospectively for the 12 months before and after the implementation of BOOST. RESULTS The results of our investigation included a reduction in 30-day readmission rates from 4 percent to 3.7 percent. This was statistically significant (95 percent confidence) and prevented an estimated 119 repeat admissions. Interestingly, the most significant of these decreases was noted in the patient population not directly cared for by the hospitalist service (who planned and implemented project BOOST), but whom the same case managers discharged. CONCLUSIONS Project BOOST, implemented by case managers, resulted in a statistically significant decrease in readmissions in 30 days for all patients regardless of treating specialty or reason for admission.
Rehabilitation of the Burn Patient

A successful outcome to the management of the significantly burned patient requires a team approach. Although at one time survival alone was considered a sufficient indicator of success, the quality of that survival now must be closely assessed prior to self-congratulations. The burn team, in addition to the usual medical personnel, requires occupational and physical therapy, as well as rehabilitation medical specialists, whose goals are to preserve function and restore independence. Burn care that does not emphasize these goals from the first day of injury, and extended well beyond initial discharge from the hospital, does not match contemporary standards of excellent care.
Modeling visual cortical contrast adaptation effects

We demonstrate model visual cortical circuits which exhibit robust contrast adaptation properties, consistent with physiological observations in V1. The adaptation mechanism we employ is activity-dependent synaptic depression at thalamocortical and local intra-cortical synapses. Model contrast response functions (CRF) shift so that cells remain maximally responsive to changes around the recent average stimulus contrast level. Hysteresis effects for both stimulus contrast and orientation are achieved; orientation hysteresis is weaker, and depends exclusively on intracortical adaptation. Following stimulation of the receptive field (RF) surround, RFs dynamically expand to “fill in” for the missing stimulation in the RF center; in our model this expansion results from adaptation of local inhibitory synapses, triggered by excitation from long range horizontal projections. All adaptation effects are achieved using the same synaptic depression mechanisms.
Levelized cost of energy for a Backward Bent Duct Buoy

The Reference Model Project, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, was developed to provide publically available technical and economic benchmarks for a variety of marine energy converters. The methodology to achieve these benchmarks is to develop public domain designs that incorporate power performance estimates, structural models, anchor and mooring designs, power conversion chain designs, and estimates of the operations and maintenance, installation, and environmental permitting required. The reference model designs are intended to be conservative, robust, and experimentally verified. The Backward Bent Duct Buoy (BBDB) presented in this paper is one of three wave energy conversion devices studied within the Reference Model Project. Comprehensive modeling of the BBDB in a Northern California climate has enabled a full levelized cost of energy (LCOE) analysis to be completed on this device.
What Went Wrong With Russia’s Economic Reforms?

After more than eight years of political and economic reforms, Russia is still in serious trouble. The cumulative decline of GDP has exceeded 45 per cent, while poverty among the population is widespread, and unemployment is substantial and constantly growing. The Russian state can not fulfil its functions and crime and corruption have developed international dimensions. The spectacular collapse of the Russian economy on 17 August 1998 revealed the crisis to be deep and comprehensive. Since that date, the government of Russia, supported by international organizations, has tried to work out a new programme which could correct the mistakes which led to the disaster. It is obvious that the future of Russia’s economic transition is of utmost importance for the country’s accession to the WTO. A country without functioning trade-related institutions is in no position to assume its obligations in the organization. Here an attempt is made to identify the major mistakes committed at the beginning of the reform process and to identify the root causes of Russia’s economic decline. Without such an analysis no remedies can be offered for the resolution of the problems. The conclusion of the chapter is that the major mistakes made by reformers include the total misunderstanding of the importance of historical traditions in Russia’s economic reforms; the preference given to shock therapy methods; violation of democratic principles; and neglecting institutional aspects of reforms.
Systemic inflammatory responses in patients with type 2 diabetes with chronic periodontitis.

Objective The objective of this case–control study was to quantify the immune responsiveness in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) as compared with patients without diabetes (NT2D) diagnosed with periodontitis. Research Design and Methods Peripheral blood was collected from 20 patients with moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis (10 T2D, 10 NT2D). Blood samples were stimulated with ultrapure Porphyromonas gingivalis and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 hours. 14 cytokines/chemokines were quantified in culture supernatants using multiplex technology. Results T2D individuals demonstrated higher unstimulated levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, IL-10, IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP1α), and 1β (MIP1β), and higher stimulated levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, MIP1α and MIP1β, along with lower unstimulated and stimulated levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) when compared with NT2D (p<0.05). Importantly, the LPS-induced levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and MIP1α strongly correlated with severity of disease, measured by pocket depths (PD), within the T2D group (r2≥0.7, p<0.05), but not within NT2D. Conclusions Among patients with chronic periodontitis, patients with T2D seem to have an enhanced LPS-induced immune responsiveness than individuals without diabetes, which correlates with periodontal disease severity, concomitant with a less robust GM-CSF response. This data may in part explain the higher predisposition to periodontitis in this population.
Greenhouse trace gases in deadwood

Deadwood, long recognized as playing an important role in storing carbon and releasing it as CO2 in forest ecosystems, is more recently drawing attention for its potential role in the cycling of other greenhouse trace gases. Across three Northeastern and Central US forests, mean methane (CH4) concentrations in deadwood were 23 times atmospheric levels (43.0 μL L−1 ± 12.3; mean ± SE), indicating a lower bound, mean radial wood surface area flux of ~6 × 10−4 μmol CH4 m−2 s−1. Site, decay class, log diameter, and species were all highly significant predictors of CH4 abundance in deadwood, and diameter and decay class interacted as important controls limiting CH4 concentrations in the smallest and most decayed logs. Nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations were negatively correlated with CH4 (r2 = −0.20, p < 0.001) and on average ~25 % lower than ambient (276.9 nL L−1 ± 2.9; mean ± SE), indicating net consumption of nitrous oxide. Oxygen (O2) concentrations were uniformly near anaerobic (355.8 μL L−1 ±1.2; mean ± SE), and CO2 was elevated from atmospheric (9336.9 μL L−1 ± 600.6; mean ± SE). Most notably, our observations that CH4 concentrations were highest in the least decayed wood, may suggest that methanogenesis is not fuelled by structural wood decomposition but rather by consumption of more labile nonstructural carbohydrates.
Clinical and regulatory considerations in pharmacogenetic testing

Purpose Both regulatory science and clinical practice rely on best available scientific data to guide decision-making. However, changes in clinical practice may be driven by numerous other factors such as cost. In this review, we reexamine noteworthy examples where pharmacogenetic testing information was added to drug labeling to explore how the available evidence, potential public health impact, and predictive utility of each pharmacogenetic biomarker impacts clinical uptake. Summary Advances in the field of pharmacogenetics have led to new discoveries about the genetic basis for variability in drug response. The Food and Drug Administration recognizes the value of pharmacogenetic testing strategies and has been proactive about incorporating pharmacogenetic information into the labeling of both new drugs and drugs already on the market. Although some examples have readily translated to routine clinical practice, clinical uptake of genetic testing for many drugs has been limited. Conclusion Both regulatory science and clinical practice rely on data-driven approaches to guide decision making; however, additional factors are also important in clinical practice that do not impact regulatory decision making, and these considerations may result in heterogeneity in clinical uptake of pharmacogenetic testing.
Towards a Eudaimonistic Virtue Epistemology

This chapter is about the science of vision and memory in relation to virtue epistemology. My argument will turn on the point that the mechanisms underlying vision and knowledge that, according to current neuroscience, remain non-conscious can’t be considered virtuous mechanisms even if they are highly reliable. Hence, I argue, virtue epistemology cannot count these obvious forms of knowledge as true forms of knowledge. Virtue epistemology thus is at best a partial theory of knowledge.
Spinal anesthesia after intraoperative cardiac arrest during general anesthesia in an infant

Although generally safe and effective, severe perioperative complications, including cardiac arrest, may occur during general anesthesia in infants. With the emergence of evidence that specific anesthetic agents may affect future neurocognitive outcomes, there has been an increased focus on alternatives to general anesthesia, including spinal anesthesia. We present a case of cardiac arrest during general anesthesia in an infant who required urologic surgery. During the subsequent anesthetic care, spinal anesthesia was offered as an alternative to general anesthesia. The risks of severe perioperative complications during general anesthesia are reviewed, etiologic factors for such events are presented, and the use of spinal anesthesia as an alternative to general anesthesia is discussed.
Novel SUMO-Protease SENP7S Regulates β-catenin Signaling and Mammary Epithelial Cell Transformation

SUMO post-translational modification of proteins or SUMOylation ensures normal cell function. Disruption of SUMO dynamics prompts various pathophysiological conditions, including cancer. The burden of deSUMOylating the large SUMO-proteome rests on 6 full-length mammalian SUMO-proteases or SENP. While multiple SENP isoforms exist, the function of these isoforms remains undefined. We now delineate the biological role of a novel SENP7 isoform SENP7S in mammary epithelial cells. SENP7S is the predominant SENP transcript in human mammary epithelia but is significantly reduced in precancerous ductal carcinoma in situ and all breast cancer subtypes. Like other SENP family members, SENP7S has SUMO isopeptidase activity but unlike full-length SENP7L, SENP7S is localized in the cytosol. In vivo, SUMOylated β-catenin and Axin1 are both SENP7S-substrates. With knockdown of SENP7S in mammary epithelial cells, Axin1-β-catenin interaction is lost and β-catenin escapes ubiquitylation-dependent proteasomal degradation. SUMOylated β-catenin accumulates at the chromatin and activates multiple oncogenes. Hence, non-tumorigenic MCF10-2A cells with reduced SENP7S exhibit greater cell proliferation and anchorage-dependent growth. SENP7S depletion directly potentiates tumorigenic properties of MCF10-2A cells with induction of anchorage-independent growth and self-renewal in 3D-spheroid conditions. Collectively, the results identify SENP7S as a novel mediator of β-catenin signaling and normal mammary epithelial cell physiology.
Factional conflict in groups: How majorities and minorities relate to one another:

Disagreement between numerically larger (majority) and smaller (minority) factions in groups is both common and consequential. For these reasons, there is a long tradition of social psychological i...
Concept mapping in computer science education

Concept Map (CM) is a graphical tool for organizing and structuring knowledge by depicting concepts as nodes, and relationships between concepts as edges. It can be used as an effective tool for teaching, learning, and assessment in many flexible ways. Although widely researched and utilized in many other disciplines, the uses of CMs in Computer Science (CS) education have been relatively scarce. This paper describes how CMs are used in our computing courses. It discusses our experience using CMs in various experiments and provides suggestions on how CS educators may explore and experiment on incorporating this versatile and effective tool in their own classes.
A two-stage stochastic programming model for phlebotomist scheduling in hospital laboratories

This paper introduces a two-stage stochastic integer linear programming model to improve phlebotomist scheduling in laboratory facilities of healthcare delivery systems. The model developed enables laboratory management to determine optimal scheduling policies that minimize work overload. The stochastic programming model considers the uncertainty associated with the blood collection demand in laboratory environments when optimizing phlebotomist scheduling. The paper presents an application of the model to a hospital laboratory in urban North Carolina as a case study discussing the implications for hospital laboratory management.
Revision Multiligament Knee Reconstruction: Clinical Outcomes and Proposed Treatment Algorithm

Purpose To (1) assess clinical outcomes of revision multiligament knee injury (MLKI) reconstruction at a minimum of 2 years' follow-up and (2) present a standardized treatment algorithm used in treating revision MLKI patients. Methods A retrospective review of our institution's MLKI database was performed to identify all patients who underwent revision MLKI reconstructions (≥2 ligaments reconstructed) after implementation of a standardized treatment algorithm in 2000 and had a minimum of 2 years' follow-up. Patient demographic information, injury description (mechanism of injury, neurovascular status, knee dislocation grade, associated chondral or meniscal injury), surgical technique (repair vs reconstruction, staged vs nonstaged, concomitant procedures), mechanism of failure, knee stability, and range of motion, as well as International Knee Documentation Committee and Lysholm scores, were obtained. Results We assessed 23 patients (8 female and 15 male patients), with an average age of 26.7 ± 11.5 years at primary surgery and 30.8 ± 11.0 years at revision surgery. The mean follow-up period was 7.5 ± 5.3 years. Of the 23 patients, 10 (43.4%) underwent staged revision procedures: isolated bone grafting in 3, osteotomy in 4, hardware removal with osteochondral allograft in 1, hardware removal with bone grafting in 1, and meniscus repair for a locked knee in 1. The average International Knee Documentation Committee and Lysholm scores were 74.5 ± 22.3 and 79.4 ± 20.2, respectively. High-energy injury and increasing age at revision surgery were the only risk factors found to be associated with significantly worse outcomes ( P Conclusions Patients with recurrent instability after MLKI reconstruction present with many concomitant pathologies, including limb malalignment, bone tunnel widening, retained hardware, meniscal incompetence, and cartilage defects. Revision MLKI reconstruction can provide these patients with modest functional outcomes when a standardized treatment algorithm is used focusing on identification and treatment of the concomitant pathology, often in a staged manner. Level of Evidence Level IV, case series.
Contact Hypersensitivity to Environmental Chemicals

Allergic contact dermatitis has been defined in many ways: the classical statement in toxicology texts states that it occurs after multiple (rather than first) exposures, is immunologic (cell mediated), and that it can be reproduced by patch testing at low levels of antigen. In recent years this definition has proven inadequate and it has led to incorrect classification of several dermatitis producing chemicals. For this reason, an operational, rather than a purely mechanistic definition, has proven more useful. This operational definition includes not only patch test results, but verification (retesting) and provocative use tests, to rule out the Excited Skin Syndrome (see below).
Gathering STE(A)M: Policy, curricular, and programmatic developments in arts-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education Introduction to the special issue of Arts Education Policy Review: STEAM Focus

Despite the rise of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) as an educational framework, there is a notable gap in the documentation of STEAM teaching practice and research. ...
Positioning Patients for Neurosurgical Procedures: A Historical Perspective

Innovation in positioning for neurosurgical procedures follows a history of problems encountered and their intuitive and spur of the moment remedies applied in real time. Eventually, hurdles encountered are chronicled and their proven solutions can be reproduced in various operating rooms through standardization of both equipment and practices. In an ideal setting, the potential negative outcomes associated with neurosurgical positioning are identified preoperatively, and the effective remedies considered and implemented as the standard of care. This chapter will highlight some of neurosurgery’s milestones in this ongoing process of problem solving in positioning.
Transgenic Cereals: Hordeum vulgare L. (barley)

The development of barley as a crop dates to the earliest agricultural activities of humans, and it remains one of the major cereals grown for feed and food, and for the production of beer. In this century, an understanding and application of quantitative genetic theory has created a genetically elite crop that is divergent from its ancestors. Further improvements in barley cultivare will depend on continued access to useful allelic variability. Sexual hybridization will continue to play an important role in such improvement, but its utility is limited because potentially useful alleles are either linked to undesirable alleles or unavailable because of sexual incompatibilty. The advent of molecular genetics and nonsexual gene transfer offers exciting opportunities to bypass these limitations and to provide access to more diverse sources of genes. Recent developments have added barley to the list of major crops that are amenable to this type of genetic manipulation either through direct DNA transfer (bombardment) or mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. However, significant problems remain, and include: 1) the lack of reproducible, efficient transformation systems for commercial germplasm; 2) the induction of stable genetic and epigenetic changes during the in vitro process; and 3) transgene and transgene expression instability. In this chapter, we will discuss and describe the first systems used for the genetic transformation of barley, introduce and describe the development of new systems for barley transformation, and comment on past and future uses of barley transformation as a tool for basic science and commercial application.
Does My Patient With Shoulder Pain Have a Rotator Cuff Tear? A Predictive Model From the ROW Cohort:

Background:Rotator cuff tears are the leading cause of shoulder pain and disability. However, the diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear based on patient characteristics, symptoms, and physical examinati...
Exposing Anopheles mosquitoes to antimalarials blocks Plasmodium parasite transmission

Bites of Anopheles mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium falciparum parasites that cause malaria, which kills hundreds of thousands of people every year. Since the turn of this century, efforts to prevent the transmission of these parasites via the mass distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets have been extremely successful, and have led to an unprecedented reduction in deaths from malaria1. However, resistance to insecticides has become widespread in Anopheles populations2–4, which has led to the threat of a global resurgence of malaria and makes the generation of effective tools for controlling this disease an urgent public health priority. Here we show that the development of P. falciparum can be rapidly and completely blocked when female Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes take up low concentrations of specific antimalarials from treated surfaces—conditions that simulate contact with a bed net. Mosquito exposure to atovaquone before, or shortly after, P. falciparum infection causes full parasite arrest in the midgut, and prevents transmission of infection. Similar transmission-blocking effects are achieved using other cytochrome b inhibitors, which demonstrates that parasite mitochondrial function is a suitable target for killing parasites. Incorporating these effects into a model of malaria transmission dynamics predicts that impregnating mosquito nets with Plasmodium inhibitors would substantially mitigate the global health effects of insecticide resistance. This study identifies a powerful strategy for blocking Plasmodium transmission by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which has promising implications for efforts to eradicate malaria. Treatment of female Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes with atovaquone causes arrest of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite in the midgut, and this holds promise for malaria eradication in areas with insecticide-resistant mosquito populations.
Nurturing People-Plant Relationships in Order to Foster Environmental and Community Stewardship: The Rutgers Environmental and Community Stewardship (R.E.A.C.S.) Program

Environmental programs have traditionally focused on alleviating environmental problems with an isolated or fragmented approach, rather than addressing the interrelated issues that constitute such problems. Success of environmental stewardship depends on research, establishing techniques for integrating the diverse elements that constitute environmental problems. The Rutgers Environmental and Community Stewardship (R.E.A.C.S.) Program is a proposed application of interdisciplinary research. In addition, it offers the opportunity to collect quantified data to evaluate the efficacy of such programs. The methods used to evaluate the program could serve as a useful model for similar programs. Currently the program is in the initial stages of implementation. Scientific investigation into the value of people-plant relationships can be applied to environmental problem solving. The R.E.A.C.S. program will integrate people-plant relationships into all aspects of program delivery.
What determines the basal rate of metabolism

The basal rate of metabolism (BMR) is the most reported estimate of energy expenditure in endotherms. Its principal determinant is body mass, but BMR also correlates with a variety of behavioral and ecological factors that do not determine basal rate: they are byproducts of the mechanisms that are its determinate. In mammals, mass-independent BMR increases when muscle mass is >40% of total body mass and BMR is then ≥100% of the value expected from body mass. Mammals with muscle masses <30% of body mass have lower BMRs, a diminished capacity to regulate body temperature and often have reduced activity levels. At muscle masses <42% of body mass, birds have body temperatures and basal rates higher than mammals with the same muscle mass. Their high basal rates derive from fast blood flow and increased mitochondrial density in their pectoral muscles. These enhancements also occur in the flight muscles of bats. Oxygen transport to the pectoral muscles of birds is facilitated by an increase in heart mass and hematocrit. This arrangement avoids transporting a large muscle mass to fuel flight, thereby reducing the cost of flight. Pectoral muscle masses <9% of body mass correlate with a flightless condition in kiwis, rails and ducks but some fruit pigeons have BMRs as low as those measured in kiwis, while remaining volant. The mass-independent BMRs of endotherms principally reflect changes of muscle activity and mass. An increase in muscle mass may have contributed to the evolution of endothermy.
Use of PrEP, sexual behaviors and mental health correlates in a sample of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men

We sought to document the correlates of mental health and sexual behaviors of PrEP using and non-using gay, bisexual, and other MSM. Depression, anxiety and internalized homophobia scores were all ...
Bumetanide Suppression of Angiogenesis in a Rat Model of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are involved in hypoxia-induced angiogenesis and retinal damage. Bumetanide is a diuretic agent, Na+/K+/Cl− cotransporter (NKCC1), and AQP 1–4 inhibitor. We tested the hypothesis that early postnatal treatment with bumetanide suppresses biomarkers of angiogenesis and decreases severe retinopathy oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Neonatal rats were exposed at birth (P0) to either (1) room air (RA); (2) hyperoxia (50% O2); or (3) intermittent hypoxia (IH) consisting of 50% O2 with brief, clustered episodes of 12% O2 from P0 to postnatal day 14 (P14), during which they were treated intraperitoneally (IP) with bumetanide (0.1 mg/kg/day) or an equivalent volume of saline, on P0–P2. Pups were examined at P14 or allowed to recover in RA from P14–P21. Retinal angiogenesis, morphometry, pathology, AQPs, and angiogenesis biomarkers were determined at P14 and P21. Bumetanide reduced vascular abnormalities associated with severe OIR. This was associated with reductions in AQP-4 and VEGF. Bumetanide suppressed sVEGFR-1 in the serum and vitreous fluid, but levels were increased in the ocular tissues during recovery. Similar responses were noted for IGF-I. In this model, early systemic bumetanide administration reduces severe OIR, the benefits of which appear to be mediated via suppression of AQP-4 and VEGF. Further studies are needed to determine whether bumetanide at the right doses may be considered a potential pharmacologic agent to treat retinal neovascularization.
CONCORD: Improving Communication using Consumer-Count Detection

As the HPC industry moves to exascale-class systems and applications, on-chip and off-chip parallel communication has continued to pose scalability challenges. In particular, applications with shared data experience long data transfer latencies between cores, which negatively impacts execution time. Prior research has proposed communication protocols that proactively fetch data by building complex data sharing predictors that attempt to track, identify, and predict exact producer-consumer relationships. Due to the complexity of such predictors, these methods have not been adopted; consequently modern processors are not optimized for data sharing. In our research we show that an efficient communication protocol does not need exact identities of producers and consumers, but only information on whether shared data involves two participants, also known as single producer-single consumer data or involves many participants known as widely-shared data. This limited sharing information can be easily tracked and stored in processors with negligible area impact. Based on this insight, we propose CONCORD, an adaptive communication architecture that uses consumer count detection to build an adaptive data transfer. We show that CONCORD can improve performance on a diverse set of HPC applications by up to 9% with negligible impact on area.
Peer Mediators’ Use of Prompting to Increase Social Communication in Students with Disabilities:

Social communication is a key component in building and maintaining friendships. However, students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability often exhibit deficits in communication ...
Investigation of the Errors in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Proper-motion Measurements Using Samples of Quasars

We investigate in detail the probability distribution function (pdf) of the proper-motion measurement errors in the SDSS+USNO-B proper-motion catalog of Munn et al. using clean quasar samples. The pdf of the errors is well represented by a Gaussian core with extended wings, plus a very small fraction (<0.1%) of "outliers." We find that while formally the pdf could be well fit by a five-parameter fitting function, for many purposes it is also adequate to represent the pdf with a one-parameter approximation to this function. We apply this pdf to the calculation of the confidence intervals on the true proper motion for an SDSS+USNO-B proper-motion measurement, and discuss several scientific applications of the SDSS proper-motion catalog. Our results have various applications in studies of the galactic structure and stellar kinematics. Specifically, they are crucial for searching hyper-velocity stars in the Galaxy.
A Ray-Tracing Intracluster Model With Diffuse Scattering for mmWave Communications

Since statistical channel models fail to reproduce the intracluster parameters due to the site-specific nature of the millimeter-wave (mmWave) channel, in this letter, we propose a ray-tracing intracluster model for mmWave channels. The model considers only the first-order reflection; thereby reducing the computation load while capturing most of the energy in a typical stationary mmWave system. The model accounts for diffuse scattering as it contributes significantly to the received power. In the simulation result, we validate the model comparing with the measurement-based IEEE 802.11ad intracluster model for a conference room environment. The proposed model gives insight into the mmWave beamformer design and can be used for both indoor and outdoor mmWave systems in static environments, such as living, conference, and office rooms, rural areas, etc.
Control Strategy for Jam and Wedge-Free 3D Precision Insertion of Heavy Objects Suspended With a Multi-Cable Crane

Overhead cranes have been used extensively in heavy industry for transporting heavy objects across a factory floor. This work aims to make such cranes more dexterous and capable of performing precision assembly tasks by suspending an object with tension-controlled cables. New control strategies are presented for coordinating multiple winches affixed to a crane, so that a) a suspended shaft (peg) can be smoothly inserted into a hole without jamming despite a small clearance, and b) even in the case a shaft gets wedged inside a hole, the shaft can be recovered from wedging. It is shown through analysis, and validated with experiments, that simply equalizing the three cable tensions allows the shaft to be inserted smoothly into a hole. If the difference between the cable tensions is large, the shaft may experience large contact frictional forces, which may cause the shaft to jam. If wedging occurs, two particular proportions of cable tensions are obtained to break wedging. A process monitor is designed to detect wedging, estimate the location and orientation of the shaft wedged within the hole, and confirm whether the shaft has recovered from wedging. The tilt of the shaft can then be adjusted and re-insertion can occur. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategies are validated on a 3D multi-cable crane prototype that is able to demonstrate the successful insertion of a 15 kg shaft into a hole with 120 $\mu$ m of clearance.
GENETIC VARIATIONS OF CYP2B6 ENZYME AND THE RESPONSE TO MEPERIDINE IN ORAL SEDATION

GENETIC VARIATIONS OF CYP2B6 ENZYME AND THE RESPONSE TO MEPERIDINE IN ORAL SEDATION by Heath Austin Whitfield D.D.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Director: Tegwyn H. Brickhouse D.D.S., Ph.D Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of the CYP2B6 genotype to the clinical response to meperidine in pediatric dental patients. Methods: Forty-nine patients, ASA I/ II, 41–101 months old, received an oral sedative regimen containing meperidine for dental treatment. The North Carolina Behavior Rating Scale (NCBRS) and Overall Effectiveness of Sedation Scale (OESS) were used to assess their behavior and sedation outcome. Saliva DNA samples were genotyped by PCR-
Publication rates of presentations given at annual conferences of The Wildlife Society, 1994–2006

Annual conferences of The Wildlife Society (TWS) are important venues to advance wildlife science research through the presentation of papers and posters. However, no longitudinal analysis has been conducted of publication rates of TWS conference presentations. We classified all conference presentations from 1994 to 2006 by publication status, publication outlet, lead author affiliation, and elapsed time between presentation and publication to analyze presentation and publication trends. Of the 6,279 presentations reviewed, 1,771 were published (28.2%), primarily in the Journal of Wildlife Management (22.9%) or the Wildlife Society Bulletin (15.2%). The average time between presentation and publication was 30.1 ± 0.6 months. Academics provided most of the presentations (52.6%), as well as publications (62.4%). We believe consideration of TWS annual conference presentation and publication metrics by TWS membership and conference organizers is warranted to ensure maximum stakeholder benefit. We discuss these implications of publication analysis and offer suggestions for increasing publication rates, if that becomes a goal of TWS. We encourage periodic investigation to quantify conference benefits and to better assess the efficacy of TWS conferences. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
Effect of aging on 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in the mouse hippocampus

Purpose Aging is believed to affect epigenetic marking of brain DNA with 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and possibly via the 5mC to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) conversion by TET (ten-eleven translocation) enzymes. We investigated the impact of aging on hippocampal DNA 5-hydroxymethylation including in the sequence of aging-susceptible 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) gene.
Real Estate Programs: A Note on Publication Performance

This study reports the publication performance of academic programs in real estate and authors using a database drawn from ten major real estate journals (868 articles by 577 authors from 206 universities) published during the period 1978 through 1982. Universities and authors are classified into ranked clusters using hierarchical cluster analysis of standardized pages published in the set of journals examined. Omitting publications whose author(s) are affiliated with the university that edits the journal in which the publication appears (the editorship effect) significantly drops the ranking of all but one of these universities, suggesting that editorship of a journal greatly enhances the publication performance of most universities.