cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research Training Environments and Student Productivity An Exploratory Study

During the summer of 1984, APA-approved counseling psychology programs were surveyed about their research training practices. Although the programs view themselves as placing greater emphasis on the practitioner as opposed to the scientist aspects of training, many current students do publish research and/or present research findings at professional meetings. When the programs were categorized into high and low productive based on students publishing and presenting research during 1983-1984, several variables differentiated the categories. High productive programs tended to involve students in research early in training, required them to participate in research teams or to complete research apprenticeships, more strongly encouraged student research presentation and publication, and were more likely to provide typing for student manuscripts. They also placed greater emphasis on philosophy of science, gave more exposure to qualitative research, and were less likely to approve correlational/ex post facto res...
Mechanism of High Glucose–Induced Angiotensin II Production in Rat Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Angiotensin II (Ang II), a circulating hormone that can be synthesized locally in the vasculature, has been implicated in diabetes-associated vascular complications. This study was conducted to determine whether high glucose (HG) (≈23.1 mmol/L), a diabetic-like condition, stimulates Ang II generation and the underlying mechanism of its production in rat vascular smooth muscle cells. The contribution of various enzymes involved in Ang II generation was investigated by silencing their expression with small interfering RNA in cells exposed to normal glucose (≈4.1 mmol/L) and HG. Angiotensin I (Ang I) was generated from angiotensinogen by cathepsin D in the presence of normal glucose or HG. Although HG did not affect the rate of angiotensinogen conversion, it decreased expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), downregulated ACE-dependent Ang II generation, and upregulated rat vascular chymase–dependent Ang II generation. The ACE inhibitor captopril reduced Ang II levels in the media by 90% in the presence of normal glucose and 19% in HG, whereas rat vascular chymase silencing reduced Ang II production in cells exposed to HG but not normal glucose. The glucose transporter inhibitor cytochalasin B, the aldose reductase inhibitor alrestatin, and the advanced glycation end product formation inhibitor aminoguanidine attenuated HG-induced Ang II generation. HG caused a transient increase in extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 phosphorylation, and ERK1/2 inhibitors reduced Ang II accumulation by HG. These data suggest that polyol pathway metabolites and AGE can stimulate rat vascular chymase activity via ERK1/2 activation and increase Ang II production. In addition, decreased Ang II degradation, which, in part, could be attributable to a decrease in angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 expression observed in HG, contributes to increased accumulation of Ang II in vascular smooth muscle cells by HG.
Design of a grating-based thin-film filter for broadband spectropolarimetry

We propose a simple procedure for designing an integrated single-chip grating-based thin-film filter. A simulation from a rigorous coupled-wave analysis shows that structural adjustment based on the effective medium theory can achieve the desired integration without notable performance degradation. Our spectropolarimetric filter design maintains spectral filter characteristics, while its extinction ratio is significantly enhanced over the passband. The integrated spectropolarimetric filter can be a basis for building multispectral multipolarimetric filters for spectropolarimetry in remote-sensing applications.
Effects of fish oil on cytokines and immune functions of mice with murine AIDS

The effects of fish oil, which is rich in n-3 fatty acids, on cytokine levels in a murine model of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were studied. Thirty-two C57BL/6 female mice were divided into two dietary groups and fed either a corn oil diet or a fish oil diet. After 4 weeks, each diet group was further divided into two subgroups, and mice in one subgroup were injected i.p. with LP-BM5 murine retrovirus (MAIDS) stock. After 4 weeks, all mice were killed, blood samples were collected, and the spleens and the livers were excised. Splenocytes were isolated immediately and cultured in RPMI-1640 medium and stimulated by either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Concanavalin A (ConA) for 24 h. The supernatant was collected for cytokine assays. The results showed that MAIDS infection increased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1-beta (IL-1beta), while fish oil partially prevented this elevation. MAIDS infection depressed interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFNgamma), while fish oil partially prevented the depression of IL-2. In addition, MAIDS infection depressed LPS- and ConA-stimulated cell proliferation, while fish oil partially prevented the depression. The results suggest that fish oil may slow down the progression of murine AIDS by modulating levels of cytokines including TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-2.
Migration and Family Happiness in Bolivia: Does Social Disintegration Negate Economic Well-being?

Various authors have begun to address the social impacts of international migration on families left behind. Family disintegration results from two separate factors: family separation and the loss of traditional values. Findings from this research (based on a random survey of over 400 households in three municipios of the central part of the state of Cochabamba, Bolivia, in the autumn of 2007) indicate that economic well-being made possible by migration increases levels of professed family happiness. However, family disintegration resulting from migration decreases family happiness even more, with the net result that migrant households are considerably less happy than non-migrant households. It is suggested that this result can be traced to the dynamic conflict between the traditional, group-focused image of change prior to migration (engendering feelings of togetherness and security) and the modern, ego-focused image of change that is a major social remittance of migration (generating competition and role insecurity).
The MUC1 HMFG1 Glycoform Is a Precursor to the 214D4 Glycoform in the Human Uterine Epithelial Cell Line, HES

Abstract MUC1, a type I transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on most epithelia and many cancer cells, is involved in embryo implantation and tumor progression. A series of antibodies directed against the MUC1 ectodomain have been used to study MUC1 expression in the female reproductive tract, sometimes with apparently contradictory results. In the current study, we used two monoclonal MUC1 antibodies, 214D4 and HMFG1, to study the relationship between these MUC1 glycoforms in the human uterine epithelial cell line, HES, and human endometrial extracts. In response to tumor necrosis factor stimulation, accumulation of the HMFG1-reactive forms preceded that of the 214D4-reactive forms. Following inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide, HMFG1-reactive species were lost rapidly (metabolic half-life [T1/2] = 20 min), while there was no change in the level of the 214D4-reactive forms even after 80 min. HMFG1-reactive forms had smaller oligosaccharide chains than the 214D4-reactive forms, and could not b...
Resistance to change and the adoption of digital libraries: An integrative model

In this paper we extend earlier work on the role of the personality trait of resistance to change (RTC) in the adoption of digital libraries. We present an integrative study, drawing on a number of research streams, including IT adoption, social psychology, and digital-library acceptance. Using structural equation modeling, we confirm RTC as a direct antecedent of effort expectancy. In addition, we also find that by affecting computer anxiety and result demonstrability, RTC acts as an indirect antecedent to both effort expectancy and performance expectancy, which in turn determine user intention to adopt digital library technology. Implications for research and practice are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clinical characteristics of Scottie Cramp in 31 cases

OBJECTIVE To report the clinical features, with response to therapy and long-term outcome of Scottie Cramp as described by owners. METHODS Owners of affected dogs provided a description of clinical signs, age of onset and disease progression. Medical records, pedigrees and videotapes of cramp episodes were evaluated. RESULTS Thirty-one dogs were recruited; 19 showed generalised spasticity and 12 exhibited only hind limb spasticity and skipping. Episodes were noted in the first year of life in 76% of dogs and were triggered by excitement, stress and exercise. Episode frequency and severity decreased over time with behaviour modification and decreased exposure to triggers playing a role in their development. One dog was euthanased because of severe refractory signs. Fluoxetine reduced the frequency and duration of episodes in seven dogs, but not in one severely affected dog. Female dogs were over-represented with only eight affected males in the study cohort, and the presence of dogs with cerebellar degeneration in the same pedigrees may suggest a more complex mode of inheritance than previously reported. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The disorder recognised as Scottie Cramp by dog owners includes dogs with hind limb spasticity in addition to generalised cramping. Signs usually improve over time without specific treatment.
Grid-based numerical integration and visualization

A grid service, called integration service (PI), is used to solve numerical integration problems which are computationally intensive. Remote visualization helps monitor the progress of the computation, and gives a vivid view of the shape of a multidimensional function. The data are filtered by the server and transferred to the client, which is responsible for visualization mapping and rendering. Both numerical integration and its visualization are Web service-based to ensure interoperability.
Distress in Caregivers of a Family Member With Serious Mental Illness

It is well documented that mental illness influences not only the person diagnosed but also the family. The following study explored distress in 169 caregivers of a family member with serious mental illness (SMI). Factors such as time spent caregiving, type of familial relationship, mental health treatment, and income were explored as they associated to caregiver depression and family discord. Regression models suggested that caregiving for a son or daughter or devoting 20 hr a week or less to caregiving was associated with lower distress levels. Higher numbers of difficult behaviors exhibited by the person diagnosed were associated with higher family discord. The Mental Illness Distress Scale demonstrated some capacity to measure distress related to having a family member with SMI.
The Obesogen Hypothesis of Obesity: Overview and Human Evidence

Obesity, like all complex diseases, is believed to have both a genetic and an environmental component. Data supporting an important role for environment in obesity come from the recent rise in the incidence of obesity over the past few decades. This review will present a new hypothesis for the etiology of obesity: the obesogen hypothesis. This emerging hypothesis states that susceptibility to develop obesity is due to exposure to environmental chemicals during development in utero and the first few years of life. Proof of principle for this hypothesis comes from smoking during pregnancy, which results in increased weight gain in children. There are examples using animal models for developmental exposures to chemicals with estrogenic activity [diethylstilbestrol, genistein (soy phytoestrogen) and bisphenol A (polycarbonate), tributyltin (a component of PVC)] and several pesticides resulting in increased weight gain later in life. An important aspect of the obesogen hypothesis is that obesity due to environmental exposure can be prevented by reducing exposure. Thus, this new hypothesis changes the focus from treatment to prevention of obesity.
Abstract P069: Association Between Habitual Sleep Duration and Cardiometabolic Disease, and the Mediating Role of Foregoing Care: Data From the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Introduction: Sleep duration is associated with cardiometabolic disease risk, as well as lower socioeconomic position. Shorter sleepers may be at increased risk of adverse outcomes due to the myriad pathophysiologic consequences of decreased sleep, but also partially because social/financial pressures that may lead to less health care use, interact with physiologic risks, and result in under-treatment of conditions that may lead to chronic disease. METHODS: The 2013 BRFSS was used (N=483,495 adults). Sleep duration was assessed by a survey item of 24h habitual sleep. Responses were categorized as very short ( RESULTS: See Table. Very short, short, and long sleep were associated with all assessed health outcomes. Foregoing healthcare due to cost was more likely to occur among very short (OR=2.68, 95%CI=2.47-2.90, p CONCLUSIONS: Habitual sleep duration is associated with prevalent cardiometabolic disease. Very short and short sleep duration are associated with foregoing medical care, which partially explains the relationship with cardiometabolic disease. This suggests that a non-physiologic pathway (reduced medical care) may play a role in the relationship of sleep to chronic disease.
Keeping College Affordable: Government and the Educational Opportunity

(1994). Keeping College Affordable: Government and the Educational Opportunity. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 65, No. 2, pp. 226-228.
Studies of the Effects of Aldrin on Seed Rice Germination and Emergence

Germination and emergence studies were conducted on Bluebonnet 50 seed rice treated with 3 formulations of aldrin at 2 different rates. Fifty and seventy-five c/c wettable powder formulations at rates of 4 and 8 oz per 100 lb of seed caused little or no detrimental effect on germination and emergence of seedlings. A liquid formulation at both the 4-oz and 8-oz rates caused greater reductions in germination and emergence. Storage for a 3-year period did not cause a measurable increase in the initially recorded phytotoxicity.
Are perinatal outcomes affected by blastocyst vitrification and warming

Background Transfer of cryopreserved-warmed embryos into an appropriately prepared uterus unaffected by controlled ovarian hyperstimulation is common in the practice of in vitro fertilization. There is limited information on the effect of blastocyst vitrification and warming on perinatal outcomes. Objective We sought to determine if perinatal outcomes are affected after the transfer of vitrified-warmed blastocysts compared to the transfer of fresh blastocysts, by comparing preeclampsia rate, birthweight, percentage of low birthweight, and preterm delivery rate between embryo transfer types. Study Design We performed a retrospective database cohort study of 289 fresh and 109 vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer cycles at an academic medical center. Cycles were performed from July 2, 2009, through Dec. 8, 2014, and included infants born at ≥20 weeks gestational age, excluding donor egg cycles. We examined the association between transfer type (fresh or vitrified-warmed) and proportion of deliveries complicated by preeclampsia, preterm delivery (gestational age Results We observed more pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia following vitrified-warmed transfers (7.6%) compared to fresh embryo transfers (2.6%) ( P = .023) (adjusted odds ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–8.4). Newborns resulting from vitrified-warmed embryo transfer cycles were similar to those resulting from fresh embryo transfer cycles with regard to low birthweight (7.4% vs 5.3%, P = .421), mean birthweight (3443 vs 3431 g, P = .865), and preterm delivery rate (9.2% vs 8.7%, P = .869). Conclusion We conclude that embryo vitrification with warming may affect some perinatal outcomes since preeclampsia is increased compared to fresh blastocyst transfer. However, other perinatal outcomes such as low birthweight and preterm delivery rate are not affected. Fresh blastocyst transfers should be considered when possible as they may reduce the incidence of preeclampsia.
Bilingual education in Peru: Evidence on how Quechua-medium education affects indigenous children's academic achievement

Abstract This study uses the Peruvian Young Lives International Study of Childhood Poverty's School Level data to investigate the effect of Quechua-medium instruction on academic achievement. We find that Indigenous children who attend Quechua-medium schools achieve 0.429 standard deviations higher scores in mathematics compared to Indigenous children who attend Spanish-medium schools. There is no evidence that these effects are caused by quantitative or language achievement acquired prior to entering school. Our findings suggest that Quechua-medium education for children of Quechua speaking parents may play a role in ameliorating the Indigenous test score gap.
Instability of the Knee: A Long-term Experimental Study In Dogs

The anterior cruciate ligament was cut in ten dogs (unilaterally in nine, bilaterally in one). The dogs were killed in two groups, one at seven to nine months and the other at nineteen to twenty-three months. The dogs were clinically and roentgenographically examined at various intervals. At varying times before death they were given bone-seeking fluorochromes and necropsy was performed in all cases. Macroscopic, histological, and microroentgenographic examinations revealed proliferative and degenerative changes in the joints in which the anterior cruciate ligament was cut. These changes became increasingly severe for about a year. The osteophytes, which originated periarticularly, took part in remodeling of the condyles. The osteophytcs increased in size for about a year. There was persistent pain as long as marked instability remained. The knees became less unstable in time, apparently by means of an increase in the thickness of the joint capsule. Most of the clinical signs disappeared with decreasing instability. The conclusion was drawn that early stabilization is indicated in cases of rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament.
Cryosurgery of Plantar Lesions

Several lesions affecting the soles are amenable to be treated with cryosurgery. Following the suggested method results in high cure rates and minimal if any scarring.
The Role of Iron Sulfide Polymorphism in Localized H2S Corrosion of Mild Steel

ABSTRACT Localized corrosion in sour fields is a challenge persisting in the oil and gas industry, as it has frequently been seen as a cause for catastrophic failures of upstream pipelines. Hence, ...
Teichichnus pescaderoensis—New ichnospecies in the Neogene shelf and slope sediments, California

Teichichnus pescaderoensis is a new ichnospecies from the Neogene of central and northern California. It is approximately an order of magnitude larger than previously describedTeichichnus species. It occurs in Pliocene and Pleistocene siltstone and very fine sandstone that was probably desposited on the upper slope to outer shelf, but ranging into the middle shelf.
HISC/R: an efficient hypersparse-matrix storage format for scalable graph processing

The need to analyze increasingly larger graph datasets has driven the exploration of new methods and unique system architectures for graph processing. One such method moves away from the typical edge- and vertex-centric approaches and describes graph algorithms using linear-algebra operations, bringing the added benefits of predictable data-access patterns and ease of implementation. The performance of this approach is limited by the sparse nature of graph adjacency matrices, which leads to inefficient use of memory bandwidth, and reduced scalability in distributed systems. In order to maximize the scalability and performance of these linear-algebra systems, we require new sparse-matrix storage formats capable of maximizing memory throughput and minimizing latency, while maintaining low storage overhead. In this paper, we present an overview of a novel sparse-matrix storage format called Hashed-Index Sparse-Column/Row (HISC/R) which guarantees constant-time row or column access complexity at low storage overhead, while also supporting online non-zero element insertions and deletions. We evaluate the performance of HISC/R using randomly generated Kronecker graphs, demonstrating a 19% reduction in memory footprint, and 40% reduction in memory reads, for sparse matrix/matrix multiplication compared to competing formats.
Strong Photon Absorption in 2-D Material-Based Spiral Photovoltaic Cells

Atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMD) hold promise for making ultrathin-film photovoltaic devices with a combination of excellent photo-absorption and mechanical flexibility. However, reported absorption for photovoltaic cells based on TMD materials is still just a few percent of the incident light due to their sub-wavelength thickness leading to low cell efficiencies. Here we discuss that taking advantage of the mechanical flexibility of two dimensional (2D) materials by rolling their Van der Waal heterostructures such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)/graphene (Gr)/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to a spiral solar cell, leads to strong light matter interaction allowing for solar absorptions up to 90%. The optical absorption of a 1 μm-long hetero-material spiral cell consisting of the aforementioned hetero stacks is about 50% stronger compared to a planar MoS2 cell of the same thickness; although the volumetric absorbing material ratio is only 6%. We anticipate these results to provide guidance for photonic structures that take advantage of the unique properties of 2D materials in solar energy conversion applications.
Creating a radiation oncology oriented safety culture within a large oncology practice: Lessons learned.

85Background: Texas Oncology (TXO) is a dedicated oncology practice consisting of more than 400 physicians and 57 radiation oncologists at 52 sites of service. In order to enhance communications of the rad onc team, establish accountability by using metrics, and engage continuous improvement, we initiated a program to establish regional quality committees in each radiation oncology practice site. Methods: In 2015, the TXO leadership approved the formation of Regional Quality Committees (RQC) at each site. The key members of each RQC include a Physician Chair, a Physicist Co-Chair, Chief Therapist, Radiation Safety Officer, Dosimetrist, and Nurse. Meeting frequency was recommended monthly, but quarterly meetings were required. Meeting documentation reporting was required including a formal agenda, minutes for items discussed, and listing of attendees. Metrics with regard to RQC activities were reported and recorded beginning in 2016. The 2016 Action plan for the RQC at each site included documentation of t...
Executive Prerogative and Disobedient Disclosure of Government Secrets

In this chapter, I look at two distinct and conflicting modes of disobedient action. On the one hand, secretive resort by governments to discretionary extra-legal actions in order to preserve the people and, on the other hand, the disobedient disclosure of such actions by cosmopolitan citizens. Indeed, as cosmopolitan citizens, ‘disobedient disclosers’ have an equal claim to justification in resorting to discretionary extra-legality. They do so by virtue of the non-publicity of government prerogative. Consequently, governments and disclosers make competing and contradictory claims to be justified in going beyond the mandates of existing law. This, however, is not a dilemma can be resolved by appeal to an addition to the minimalist list of urgent human rights in Law of Peoples, such as an urgent human right to government transparency. That, after all, would validate one justifiable claim to decency while contradicting another. Instead, decency requires the protection of diverse and sometimes contradictory disobedient actions. Nevertheless, this does not entail immunity from the legal consequences for disobedience. It points not to a human right to transparency as to leniency for diverse disobedience each with a valid claim to the justifiability of their actions. Here, leniency for government officials and disobedient disclosers is a mandate of reasonableness among decent peoples, responding to the irreducible complexity of politics.
Acquisition of an oncogenic fusion protein is sufficient to globally alter the landscape of miRNA expression to inhibit myogenic differentiation

// Jacob M. Loupe 3, * , Patrick J. Miller 4, * , Judy S. Crabtree 1 , Jovanny Zabaleta 2 and Andrew D. Hollenbach 1 1 Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Department of Genetics, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA 2 Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Department of Pediatrics and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA 3 Current/Present address: Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Richard B. Simches Research Center, Boston, MA 02114, USA 4 Current/Present address: Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Andrew D. Hollenbach, email: aholle@lsuhsc.edu Keywords: Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, myogenesis, PAX3-FOXO1 Received: April 28, 2017 Accepted: July 03, 2017 Published: July 29, 2017 ABSTRACT The differentiation status of tumors is used as a prognostic indicator, with tumors comprised of less differentiated cells exhibiting higher levels of aggressiveness that correlate with a poor prognosis. Although oncogenes contribute to blocking differentiation, it is not clear how they globally alter miRNA expression during differentiation to achieve this result. The pediatric sarcoma Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is primarily characterized by the expression of the PAX3-FOXO1 oncogenic fusion protein, consists of undifferentiated muscle cells. However, it is unclear what role PAX3-FOXO1 plays in promoting the undifferentiated state. We demonstrate that expression of PAX3-FOXO1 globally alters the expression of over 80 individual miRNA during early myogenic differentiation, resulting in three primary effects: 1) inhibition of the expression of 51 miRNA essential for promoting myogenesis, 2) promoting the aberrant expression of 43 miRNA not normally expressed during myogenesis, and 3) altering the expression pattern of 39 additional miRNA. Combined, these changes are predicted to have an overall negative effect on myogenic differentiation. This is one of the first studies describing how an oncogene globally alters miRNA expression to block differentiation and has clinical implications for the development of much needed multi-faceted tumor-specific therapeutic regimens.
Contemporary Management of Vesicoureteral Reflux.

Abstract Context Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) remains the most interesting topic of pediatric urology due to the dynamic nature of recent controversial publications. Starting from the need for a diagnosis to the necessity and effectiveness of treatment in preventing scars, VUR remains in the mist. Although recent strong evidence helped as fog lights in this blurriness, more data are required for achieving crystal clearance. This article aims to summarize and discuss the current state of the evidence regarding VUR management. Objective To provide a comprehensive synthesis of the main evidence in the literature on the current and contemporary management of VUR in children; to discuss conservative management with continuous antibiotic prophylaxis (CAP), especially its effectiveness and safety; and to review the current evidence regarding contemporary surgical techniques. Evidence acquisition We conducted a nonsystematic review of the literature using the recent guidelines and PubMed database regarding surveillance, CAP, endoscopic, open, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted ureteral surgical treatment. Evidence synthesis Despite the striking results of previous studies revealing the ineffectiveness of CAP, more recent studies and their two fresh meta-analyses revealed a positive role for CAP in the contemporary management of VUR. One of the most interesting findings is the redundant rising of endoscopic correction and its final settlement to real indicated cases. Patient individualization in the contemporary management of VUR seems to be the keyword. The evidence in the literature showed a safe and effective use of laparoscopic and robot-assisted laparoscopic reimplantations. Conclusions The goal of VUR treatment is to prevent the occurrence of febrile urinary tract infections and formation of scars in the renal parenchyma. The approach should be risk adapted and individualized according to current knowledge. Individual risk is influenced by the presentation age, sex, history of pyelonephritis and renal damage, grade of reflux, bladder bowel dysfunction, and circumcision status. Patient summary Vesicoureteral reflux is a nonphysiological reflux of urine from the bladder through the ureters to the kidney. Treatment depends on the presentation of the vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Therapeutic options range from watchful waiting to open surgery. This article aims to summarize and discuss the current state of the evidence regarding VUR management.
Retinal and choroidal arterial occlusion in Wegener's granulomatosis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To describe a patient with Wegener’s granulomatosis presenting with bilateral retinal and choroidal arterial occlusion. METHODS: A 64-year-old male with Wegener’s granulomatosis was examined using ophthalmoscopy and indocyanine green angiography. RESULTS: The patient had central retinal arterial occlusion in the right eye and branch retinal arterial occlusion in the left eye associated with bilateral choroidal infarcts. Early phase wide-angle ICG angiography of left eye revealed widespread choroidal perfusion problems, presumably from the confluence of multiple segmental arterial occlusions. Indocyanine green angiography of the right eye showed similar widespread choroidal arterial occlusions. CONCLUSIONS: This patient developed loss of vision from multiple arterial occlusions of the retina and choroid. Retinal and choroidal ischemia of this patient may have been caused by vasculitis leading to occlusion of retinal arteries and multiple short posterior ciliary arteries.
An information theory based robustness analysis of energy mix in US States

Abstract In this study, we use Shannon entropy to study the evolution of the 50 United States (US) states electricity grid mix to identify regime shifts and steady transitions away from fossil fuels. In particular, a series of major events in the 1970s led most states in the US to look for partial alternatives to fossil fuels for electricity generation. We notably observe changes for 26 states between the years 1968 and 1980. Starting with the premise that a more diversified grid mix is preferable from a robustness viewpoint, and by using 2015 data, we then evaluate the response of all states under multiple energy source disruption scenarios and detect three different classes of states: vulnerable (10 states), moderately robust (17 states), and robust (23 states). Expectedly, some states are particularly vulnerable as they depend predominantly on a single energy source (e.g., West Virginia with 95% coal usage). In contrast, we find seven states (i.e., South Dakota, Illinois, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, New York, and New Jersey) that have particularly robust energy mix, while having fossil fuel shares below 50% in 2015.
The Alaskan Arctic Coast

Near-surface air temperatures in the Arctic are rising 2 to 3 times faster than are temperatures elsewhere on the earth’s surface. In the near future, the Arctic ocean is likely to become ice free in the summer. While this may be good from the perspective of navigation, it is bad from the perspectives of the unique Arctic ecosystem and Native Alaskan subsistence, health and culture, which are tightly bound to, and dependent on, a frozen ocean and frozen permafrost on land.
From Racing Horses to Seeing the Elephant

What if the field of psychology had a unified theory that virtually all agreed was the correct one? What if, as a group, we psychologists could clearly define the discipline, unite the various psychological paradigms into a coherent meta-paradigm, and clarify psychology’s relationship to the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities? It boggles the mind to ponder the implications of such a thing. And yet that is what this book is about. It offers a new unified theory of psychology that attempts to do all of this—and more.
Phospholipid Degradation, Second Messengers and Activation of Cell Signaling Genes

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is one of the most potent biologically active lipids known. It is a mediator of inflammatory and immunological events at concentrations down to the picomolar range in a wide variety of cells and tissues (for a review see Braquet et al., 1987). A role for PAF in the nervous system has been suggested by the ability of seizures (Kumar et al., 1988) and certain neurotransmitters (Bussolino et al., 1986; Sogos et al., 1990) to trigger the formation of PAF in the brain and in neuronal cells. Moreover, the finding that PAF antagonists confer neuroprotection during ischemia-reperfusion injury (Panetta et al., 1987) highlights a potential physiological effect of PAF in the nervous system. PAF is undetectable in resting cells. However, seizures or cerebral ischemia rapidly activate phospholipases A2 (Bazan, 1970) and C., resulting in the release of PAF and other short-lived second messengers. The study of the signal transduction events that control PAF synthesis is only now beginning to evolve. However, two new clues about the biological activity of PAF in the brain have been found. In presynaptic nerve terminals, PAF enhances excitatory neurotransmitter release in hippocampal neurons (Clark et al., 1991; Clark et al., 1992 a, b); and, through a pharmacologically distinct intracellular site, PAF activates transcription of immediate early genes in the brain (Marcheselli et al., 1990 a, b; Bazan et al., 1991). These novel effects could have both physiological and pathophysiological significance.
Discriminative learning of beam-search heuristics for planning

We consider the problem of learning heuristics for controlling forward state-space beam search in AI planning domains. We draw on a recent framework for "structured output classification" (e.g. syntactic parsing) known as learning as search optimization (LaSO). The LaSO approach uses discriminative learning to optimize heuristic functions for search-based computation of structured outputs and has shown promising results in a number of domains. However, the search problems that arise in AI planning tend to be qualitatively very different from those considered in structured classification, which raises a number of potential difficulties in directly applying LaSO to planning. In this paper, we discuss these issues and describe a LaSO-based approach for discriminative learning of beam-search heuristics in AI planning domains. We give convergence results for this approach and present experiments in several benchmark domains. The results show that the discriminatively trained heuristic can outperform the one used by the planner FF and another recent non-discriminative learning approach.
Enzymatic Mechanisms of Red Cell Adaptation to Anemia

It has long been known that many anemic patients adjust to their low hemoglobin levels and tend to have clinical symptoms less severe than might be expected. It is now generally accepted that the increased level of DPG in red blood cells of anemic patients plays a major role in this adjustment through its right- shifting effect on the erythrocyte-oxygen affinity curve. The biochemical mechanisms by which DPG levels are increased in anemia have yet to be satisfactorily demonstrated. It is known that DPG is produced by a two enzyme shunt in the glycolytic pathway (Rapoport and Luebering, 1950). The DPG shunt bypasses an ATP producing enzyme, phosphoglycerate kinase. There are three possible mechanisms by which DPG levels may be elevated: The first, a block in the lower part of the pathway, is trivial in our considerations here because it leads to decreased glycolysis and to hemolytic anemia if the block is severe enough. The second mechanism for elevating DPG levels would be an increase in the DPG shunt activity relative to the phosphoglycerate kinase step. It seems unlikely that this is the predominant mechanism because this implies that there should be a tendency for ATP levels to be low in anemia and this is not the case in most types of anemia.
Current Trends and Practices of Intensive Care Unit Visitations.

Background Few topics have existed for decades and created as much of a debate as when discussing appropriate visitation policies for patients. Studies have continued to document the conflicted opinions of nurses to commit to fully open visiting hours for various reasons. Family members are very definite in their desire to be at their loved one's bedside. Objective To review the visiting policies of acute care hospitals in California and compare them to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recommendations. Methods This descriptive study collected data from California acute care hospital websites about critical care visiting hours to assess visiting hours and the type, age, and number of visitors. Results Review of 363 hospital websites demonstrated a wide variation in policies when listed. Those that did post their visitation rules had no consistent policies regarding visiting hours or age, relationship, or number of visitors. Conclusions Hospital visitation policies in California are inconsistent and not evenly enforced. They do not reflect current evidence and practice guidelines. Implications for nursing Ethics require the nurses to advocate for their patient. In this role, nurses need to become proactive in implementing policy changes in their institution based on current evidence and practice guidelines.
Understanding and quantifying the immune microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Kim and colleagues reported recently on the molecular and functional phenotypes of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) derived from a cohort of patients with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (1). Briefly, cytometric methods were employed to isolate and to interrogate TILs and hepatic lymphocytes from 90 surgically-resected specimens from a single academic center.
Systematic Encoder of Generalized Three-Layer Integrated Interleaved Codes

To reduce the network traffic overhead and latency associated with failure recovery in distributed storage, it is essential to adopt locally recoverable (LRC) erasure codes. Among available LRC codes, the generalized integrated interleaved (GII) codes that nest individual interleaves to generate shared parities achieve good tradeoffs on locality, redundancy, and complexity. To further improve the locality, a construction of three-layer GII codes has been developed recently. This paper proposes an efficient systematic encoding scheme for three-layer GII codes. Due to the fundamentally different structure in the nesting matrix, the design of three-layer GII encoders face new issues that do not exist in prior two-layer encoders. The parities from both layers of nesting need to be accommodated in the interleaves. The parity allocation and the procedure of the interleave encoding are jointly considered to ensure the generation of target codewords. Additionally, a reduced-complexity implementation architecture of the proposed encoding scheme is presented in this paper.
On modeling subgrid-scale macro-structures in narrow twisted channels

Abstract Porosity-based subgrid topography models often fail to capture the effects of subgrid-scale topographic features in the interior of coarse grid cells. Existing approaches that modify bottom roughness or a drag coefficient are inadequate for macro-structures (large emergent or submerged obstacles) in subgrid-scale narrow twisted channels. Such structures partially block the cross-sectional area and provide enhanced topographic dissipation – effects that are not well represented by a drag coefficient that scales on a coarse-grid cell-averaged velocity and the cell volume. The relative alignment between mesh and flow further complicates this problem as it makes the subgrid model sensitive to mesh design. In the present study, three new approaches for simulating subgrid-scale macro-structures in narrow channels are proposed. The interior partial-blocking effect of structures is modeled as reduction of grid face-area. The sheltering of flow volumes around obstacles, which leads to topographic dissipation, is modeled by reducing the cell volume in the momentum equation (only). A mesh-shift procedure is designed to optimize mesh alignment for identifiable subgrid features. Combining the three subgrid methods improves the approximation of surface elevation and in-channel flow rate with a coarse-grid model. Tests are conducted for channelized flow using both synthetic domains and real marsh topography. The new methods reduce the overall mesh dependency of the subgrid model and provides stronger physical connection between effects of macro-structures and their geometry at coarse grid scales.
Understanding Interactions in a Classroom-As-Organization Using Dynamic Network Analysis:

Background: The Classroom-as-Organization (CAO) is an experiential learning course in which students create and manage an organization as part of class activities. Student interaction with peers is...
Information Autonomy: Self-Adaptive Information Management for Edge-Assisted Autonomous UAV Systems

Making Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) fully autonomous faces many challenges, some of which are connected to the inherent limitations of their on-board resources, such as energy supply, sensing capabilities, wireless characteristics, and computational power. The sensing, communication, and computation Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure surrounding the UAVs can mitigate such limitations. However, external traffic dynamics, signal propagation, and other poignant characteristics of the IoT infrastructure make it an extremely dynamic and incoherent environment, especially in urban scenarios, thus challenging the use of IoT resources for mission-critical UAV applications. Herein, the concept of information autonomy is introduced to extend autonomy to encompass how information-related tasks are handled in this challenging scenario. In this paper, we motivate the need for “Information Autonomy” based on our observations from real-world experiments and present a self-adaptive framework for edge-assisted UAV applications. Through our preliminary evaluation, we show that our “Information Autonomy” framework is capable of handling uncertainties autonomously during run-time.
Condomless Sex: Considerations for Psychotherapy with Individual Gay Men and Male Couples Having Unsafe Sex

SUMMARY This article explores a variety of interpersonal, intrapsychic, and communal dynamics that have an impact on gay men's safer sex practices. Therapists working with gay men who have condomless sex can have a greater influence in helping them to facilitate change and to understand the meaning of their behavior. This can be done through a non-judgmental and harm reduction approach which eschews holding preconceived ideas about how gay men should conduct their sexual lives. Depression, loneliness, intimacy, HIV status, substance abuse, and love may influence gay men's choices about sex. Using clinical case examples, therapeutic strategies for working with individual gay men and couples are discussed.
Effects of Weight Loss and Weight Regain on Circulating Biomarkers in Overweight/Obese Breast Cancer Survivors Enrolled in a Weight Loss Trial in the Rural Midwest.

Background: Obesity is associated with worse breast cancer prognosis, however little is known about the level of weight loss required to improve pathway biomarkers. The effects of weight regain on biomarkers are also largely unknown. Methods: Overweight/obese breast cancer survivors enrolled in an 18-month behavioral weight loss trial provided weight and serum biomarkers [leptin, adiponectin, insulin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), IL-6, TNFα, and hepatocyte growth factor HGF] at baseline, 6, and 18 months (n = 138). Change in biomarkers over time and by weight loss thresholds were examined. Results: Mean weight loss at 6 months was 13.3 ± 5.0 kg; from 6 to 18 months, mean regain was 4.0 ± 5.2 kg. Favorable biomarker modulations were observed at 6 months for leptin, adiponectin, insulin, PAI-1, IL-6, and HGF (P 10%. Women who lost >10% observed a significant increase in adiponectin (P Conclusions: These findings are consistent with a clinical target of 10% weight. Impact: Sustained increases in adiponectin likely confer benefits for breast cancer prognosis even with weight regain.
Reconstructive Techniques in Melanoma for the Surgical Oncologist

Wounds resulting from wide local excision of melanoma vary in size and complexity, and require individualized solutions to achieve satisfactory closure. Goals of reconstruction include restoration of form, function, and aesthetics while minimizing donor site morbidity without compromising the effectiveness and safety of oncologic melanoma treatment. Optimal reconstruction relies on an in-depth understanding of the defect, locoregional anatomy and vasculature, available donor tissues, and basic wound healing and surgical principles. This article provides a broad overview of preoperative patient, timing, and wound considerations; various surgical techniques for complex reconstruction throughout the body; and postoperative care and complication management.
Sex, subtext, ur-text: Freud, Dora and the suggestive text.

The intertextual analysis of Dora illuminates an aspect of the cultural matrix that informed Freud's theory-building. Specifically, the trope of the suggestive text, a literal and symbolic agent of...
Neonates With Complex Cardiac Malformation and Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Born to SARS-CoV-2 Positive Women-A Single Center Experience.

Background:Our understanding of the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on pregnancies and perinatal outcomes is limited. The clinical course of neonates born to ...
Endoscopic Evacuation of a Panhemispheric Subdural Empyema

Background Subdural empyema (SDE) is a well-known entity in pediatric populations and is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Large scale evacuation of empyema, although effective, places the bone flap at risk of failure when replaced. Case Description We report the case of a 19-year-old man with a history of a shunted left middle fossa cyst presenting with a panhemispheric SDE after removal of his cystoperitoneal shunt by an outside facility. Extensive evacuation was performed via the patients prior parietal shunt incision after expansion of the preexisting burr hole. Cultures grew methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes, and he was treated with long-term antibiotics. The patient had a complete recovery with persistent empyema resolution on 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Endoscopic-assisted burr hole evacuation of large panhemispheric and loculated SDE is feasible, effective, and safe. The primary advantage over conventional open evacuations is that it negates the need for a bone flap and its potential complications related to a secondary infection.