cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lurking Behavior in Online Psychosocial Discussion Forums: Theoretical Perspectives and Implications for Practice

ABSTRACTImproving outcomes of telebehavioral psychoeducation requires rethinking program design when delivered wholly or partially for self-directed participation. Discussion forum participation often follows the “90-9-1 Rule” where 90% of participants lurk, rather than contribute content. A theoretical perspective on the behavior can help explain its adaptive functions, as well as the threats that this behavior poses to the lurker. Implications for practice require program redesign that actively links individual skills training and group-based discussion. The proposed linking design can synergize individual and group participation to support the development of mutual aid, as well as greater interaction with psychoeducation content and materials.
The Reverse Course, 1947–52

By 1947, American policy toward the Soviet Union had shifted from serving a World War II ally to fighting a Cold War enemy. Henceforth the United States would “contain” rather than accommodate Soviet ambitions. The founder of America’s containment policy was George Kennan who “came as close to authoring the diplomatic doctrine of his era as any diplomat in our history.”1 Kennan, and to a lesser extent Defense Undersecretary William Draper, was also largely responsible for making Japan the subject of a “shift of occupation policies from democratization of a former enemy to reconstruction of a future cold-war ally.”2
Addressing Accountability and Impunity in the Traditional Security Sector; A Critical Link in the Security-Development Nexus

Although the causal connections between them remain an area of continuing research and analysis, development and security are increasingly seen as inextricably intertwined. Implicit in the concept of a “security-development nexus” is a broad notion of what constitutes a threat to security together with the actors understood as necessary to address those threats. Consistent with this expansive “human security” paradigm, a diverse array of actors and institutions are now bringing their expertise to bear on Sub-Saharan Africa’s many security challenges, including key actors within the United States government, both military and civilian. Despite this increasing sophistication, those working on security and development issues are often confronted with a paradox of sorts, which is that the traditional security sector itself — those actors and institutions with the central charge of providing defense and security — have too often instead become a persistent source of insecurity through acts of corruption, extortion, criminality, and various human rights abuses. Without accountability for corruption and human rights abuses in the traditional security sector, the rule or law is undermined, and the prospects for advancing both development and security in the long-term are diminished. In this sense, the problem of the accountability gap within the traditional security sector contributes to a negative feedback loop that makes other issues of governance and insecurity, ranging from fraudulent elections and lack of access to justice, to the ability of the state to address inter-communal violence and competition over access to natural resources, all the more daunting. Addressing the security-development nexus must therefore include greater efforts to close this accountability gap in the traditional security sector. Far from being peripheral to the security-development nexus, issues of accountability and impunity for human rights abuses must be brought to the center of thinking and programming in areas of peace operations, development, and security and justice sector reform. In these efforts, giving greater prominence to the human security lens will also be important. Together, efforts to promote accountability and justice for human rights abuses constitute a critical link in the security-development nexus.
The Neoconservative Revolution: The Liberal Meltdown

Few decades in American history have been as tense, tumultuous, and troubling as the 1960s. In this brief span, the nation's social fabric was torn apart by three assassinations of major national leaders, widespread racial disorder, numerous student rebellions, a disastrous ground war in Asia, and government duplicity on such a scale that Americans began to distrust their leaders. It appeared for a time that the center might not hold. Although a civil insurrection was avoided, the 1960s left their mark on the country's psyche and took their toll on the dominant political party. Except for Eisenhower's two terms as president, liberal Democrats had ruled the land from the depths of the Great Depression in 1932 through 1968. In addition to enacting such progressive legislation as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and successfully prosecuting World War II, liberals gained crucially important civil rights for Southern blacks, who had been denied them since Reconstruction. It was a stunning achievement. Yet the shattering events of the 1960s began the meltdown from which liberalism and the Democratic Party have never fully recovered. The formulas for change embodied in the New Deal, the Fair Deal, and the Great Society had not reached down deeply enough into the smoldering ghettoes. Malcolm X, perhaps the most prominent of a new class of black militants, warned in January 1964 that the “streets are going to run with blood.”
Has Catheter Ablation Reached Its Peak for Left Ventricle Summit Arrhythmias

Yamada et al1 from University of Alabama have extended their contributions to the study of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias by reporting on their experience with idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) arising from the left ventricle summit (LVS).1 Specifically, the article describes features and outcomes of these VAs by dividing them into 2 groups based on location within the epicardial LVS, ie, basal versus apical. The sites of successful ablation described in this series are the following: (1) apical LVS group—main trunk of the great cardiac vein (GCV) in 16 cases, epicardial aspect in 6 (epicardial access performed in 20) and (2) basal LVS group—within a branch of the GCV in 7 and at LV endocardial locations in 4. The success rate was 100% (22/22 patients) for VAs arising from the apical LVS location,and this is consistent with previous reports, keeping in mind the …
Reduction in the burden of waiting for public transit due to real-time schedule information: a conjoint analysis study

This paper reports a conjoint analysis study that tested the hypothesis that the burden of waiting for transit will decrease as traveler certainty with respect to wait duration increases, i.e., with provision of real-time transit schedule information. Conjoint analysis has been used extensively as a means to evaluate individual preference or utility. The target audience for the conjoint study, which was carried out through the US mail in the Spring of 1994, consisted of 1000 randomly sampled employees on the University of Michigan Medical Campus. The conjoint data and the model developed through the study show that real-time transit schedule information is of potentially significant value to transit customers in that the burden of a given wait decreases as the degree of certainty about the duration of the wait increases. This result should further motivate transit system designers to redouble efforts to provide real-time transit schedule information. This is especially true since such information could also reduce the duration of the wait. Moreover, the conjoint model developed acts as an inferential tool for further investigating the relationship between information, reliability, and travel time and should be of significant value in transit system design.
Radiologic Procedures Used in Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation

Radiologic procedures form one of the cornerstones of diagnosis in hematological malignancies. Various radiological procedures are essential for the diagnosis, assessment of the therapeutic response, to identify disease relapse, and to evaluate for complications pre- and post-transplantation. The significance of radiology and radiological procedures in stem cell transplantation is expected to grow. In this chapter, we discuss the radiologic procedures and review the key imaging modalities and implications related to pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). We will also discuss the role of radionuclide Imaging for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with a brief review of use of radio-labeled MIBG imaging in children with Neuroblastoma.
Abstract 488: Arteriolar Smooth Muscle Calcium Waves Depend on Calcium Influx through Voltage-gated Calcium Channels

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in arterioles from striated muscle display IP 3 receptor-dependent Ca 2+ waves that contribute to global myoplasmic Ca 2+ concentration and myogenic tone. However, the contribution of voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels (VGCC) to these arteriolar Ca 2+ signals is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that Ca 2+ waves depend on Ca 2+ influx through VGCC in cremaster muscle arterioles loaded with Fluo-4 and imaged by confocal microscopy. At rest, with vessels pressurized to 80 cm H 2 O in 2 mM Ca 2+ , arteriolar diameter was 28 ± 2 μm (n = 5), and SMCs displayed Ca 2+ waves with frequency (FREQ) = 0.21 ± 0.06 Hz, occurrence (OCC) = 3.5 ± 1.0 waves/SMC and amplitude (AMP) = 1.7 ± 0.1 F/Fo. Removal of extracellular Ca 2+ dilated the arterioles to 39 ± 1 μm, and inhibited Ca 2+ waves (FREQ = 0.1 ± 0.03, OCC = 1.7 ± 0.5 waves/SMC and AMP = 1.4 ± 0.06 F/Fo; p 2+ waves depended, in part, on influx of extracellular Ca 2+ . Similarly, the VGCC antagonist, nifedipine (1 μM), dilated the arterioles to 34 ± 1.3 μm and also inhibited Ca 2+ waves (FREQ = 0.07 ± 0.02 Hz, OCC = 1.1 ± 0.5 waves/SMC, AMP = 1.4 ± 0.05 F/Fo; p + channel agonist, cromakalim (10 μM), dilated arterioles from 49 ± 3 to 59 ± 4 μm (n = 4, p 2+ wave FREQ (0.1 ± 0.04 to 0.03 ± 0.003 Hz), OCC (1.7 ± 0.04 to 0.5 ± 0.05 waves/SMC) and AMP (1.5 ± 0.04 to 1.2 ± 0.004 F/Fo) (p Ca channel blocker, TEA (1 mM), constricted arterioles from 28 ± 2 to 16 ± 1 μm (n = 5, p 2 O to eliminate myogenic tone and reduce basal VGCC activity, application of the VGCC agonist, BayK 8644 (5 nM) constricted the arterioles from 14 ± 1 to 8 ± 1 μm and increased wave FREQ (0.2 ± 0.1 to 0.6 ± 0.1 Hz) and OCC (3 ± 1 to 10 ± 1 waves/SMC) (n = 6; p 2+ waves were unaffected by ryanodine (50 μM) in the absence or presence of BayK 8644 (n = 6; p > 0.05). These data support the hypothesis that Ca 2+ waves in arteriolar SMCs depend, in part, on Ca 2+ influx through VGCC.
Pitfalls in Diagnosis and Management of Testicular Choriocarcinoma Metastatic to the Brain: Report of 2 Cases and Review of Literature

Introduction Pure choriocarcinoma of the testes is a rare, aggressive germ cell tumor that can metastasize to the brain. Although its prognosis has improved with the development of cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens, cerebral metastases are prone to hemorrhage and associated with high morbidity. Here, we present 2 cases of testicular choriocarcinoma with cerebral metastasis and discuss potential pitfalls in their diagnosis and management. We also review cases in the literature that feature these rare lesions. Methods Medline was searched for all publications including the terms “testicular choriocarcinoma” and “cerebral metastasis” or “brain metastasis.” Articles that included patients with tumors classified as a mix of choriocarcinoma and other germ cell tumor subtypes were excluded. Results A total of 15 cases from the literature and our own 2 cases were included in the analysis. The mean age at presentation was 25.5 years. Neurologic symptoms accounted for the initial presentation of 9 patients (60%). Outcomes were predominantly poor, with 10 patients (67%) expiring shortly after their initial diagnosis. Three of these deaths were related to mass effect from metastasis-related hemorrhages. Two patients underwent emergent decompressive craniectomies, and both died from cerebral herniation. Conclusion The potentially catastrophic nature of choriocarcinoma-related cerebral hemorrhages underscores the need for prompt, accurate diagnosis and aggressive surgical management of these lesions. Their highly vascular nature and lack of findings on cerebral angiography may cause them to be confused with occult vascular malformations.
Sleep disruption in caregivers of pediatric stem cell recipients.

Parents/caregivers of hospitalized patients are at risk of sleep disruption. We performed a cross-sectional quantitative and qualitative evaluation of sleep in parents/caregivers of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT; n = 17). Additionally, we explored the frequency of room entries for hospitalized patients undergoing HSCT (n = 189 nights). Twelve caregivers (71%) demonstrated significant sleep disturbance, 12 (71%) described sleep quality as poor, 15 (88%) averaged < 6 hours of sleep per night, 14 (82%) awakened at least four times per night. Patient rooms were entered a median of 12 times per night (interquartile range 10-15). Intervention studies to improve caregiver sleep during hospitalization are needed.
A Two-test Protocol for the Precise Determination of the Maximal Lactate Steady State.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a two-test method for precisely identifying the Maximal Lactate Steady State (MLSS). Eight male competitive cyclists performed two bouts on a cycle ergometer. Following a maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) test (66.91 ± 5.29 mL·kg-1·min-1) we identified the lactate deflection point using the visual deflection (TVis), Log-Log (TLog), Dmax (TDmax), RER = 1.00 (TRER), ventilatory threshold (TVent), and the 1.0 mmol·L-1 increase above baseline (T+1) methods. The second incremental test (SIT) consisted of 6-7 stages (5 min each) starting 20-30 W below to 20-30 W above the predetermined deflection point, in 10 W increments. Comparison of the two tests yielded different threshold estimates (range 11-46W) for all methods (P = 0.001-0.019) except the TLog (P = 0.194) and TRER (P = 0.100). The SIT resulted in significantly (P = 0.007) more narrow range of thresholds (27.5 ± 11.01W) compared to the VO2max test (70 ± 42.51W). The TVis from the SIT was identified as the MLSS and was verified using three 45-minute steady-state exercise bouts at 95%, 100%, and 105% of MLSS intensity (average increment 12.8 W). Blood lactate and VO2 were recorded every 5 minutes and differed between the three intensities at every time point (P < 0.001). VO2 increased from the 5th to the 45th minute by 7.02 mL·kg-1·min-1 (100% MLSS), 3.63 mL·kg-1·min-1 (95% MLSS) and 7.5 mL·kg-1·min-1 (105% MLSS, to the 30th minute). These results indicate that the MLSS was identified correctly by the SIT, the single incremental test overestimated the MLSS intensity, and the TVis provides a very accurate determination of the lactate breakpoint. The use of a second submaximal test is required for a precise identification of MLSS.
Hydrologic modeling: progress and future directions

Briefly tracing the history of hydrologic modeling, this paper discusses the progress that has been achieved in hydrologic modeling since the advent of computer and what the future may have in store for hydrologic modeling. Hydrologic progress can be described through the developments in data collection and processing, concepts and theories, integration with allied sciences, computational and analysis tools, and models and model results. It is argued that with the aid of new information gathering and computational tools, hydrology will witness greater integration with both technical and non-technical areas and increasing applications of information technology tools. Furthermore, hydrology will play an increasingly important role in meeting grand challenges of the twenty-first century, such as food security, water security, energy security, health security, ecosystem security, and sustainable development.
Plasma performance of Tokamak Fusion Core Experiment and joint European torus with sawtoothing

The plasma performance with sawtoothing is assessed for two tokamak reactor experiments, the proposed Tokamak Fusion Core Experiment (TFCX) and the joint European Torus (JET). TFCX is ignitable with sawtoothing and impurities assuming neo-Alcator plus Gorbunov-Mirnov-Strelkov scalings for plasma confinement. JET is also ignitable at optimistically high currents (greater than or equal to7 MA).
Striking Regulatory Irons While Hot

We are in the midst of what might end up as the most significant change to financial regulations since the Great Depression. This is because the financial and economic crisis that continues to engulf us is the most severe crisis since the Great Depression. The markets for houses, mortgages, and derivatives linked to them have played critical roles in the crisis, and debates about the shape of future financial regulation have led to intense focus on these markets. In this paper we place the current debate about regulatory changes within a larger frame. We present a framework based on capture theory and fairness where regulatory irons are heated by changes in financial markets such as a plunge from exuberant booms to frightening crashes, changes in the economy such as a fall from heady job creation to dispiriting unemployment, changes in technology such as an innovation in information technology which enables banks to substitute the Internet for tellers, changes in politics, such as one party displacing another, or new rulings by the Supreme Court, such as the one that opened the door to interstate banking. We discuss the fires that heat regulatory irons, the craftsmen standing ready to strike them, and the process by which they are struck, in credit card and bank regulations, insider trading regulations, Regulation FD, trading halts, the Global Settlement, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We conclude with our prescriptions.
Distributed Hierarchical Control of Quadrotor UAVs: Design and Experimental Validation

In this brief, we provide an overview on the design of distributed hierarchical control algorithms for Quadrotor UAVs together with some baseline experiment results. The control design and experimental implementation in this paper are based on the use of the Crazyflie 2.0 quadrotor UAV produced by Bitcraze. The main objective is to design practically implementable distributed hierarchical control algorithms for coordinated formation flying of UAVs and to implement them using a number of nano Crazyflie quadrotors. The proposed distributed hierarchical strategy and its experimental validation provide a useful design guideline for applications of multiple UAVs in real situations.
Family Caregiving and the Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty

The United States relies on uncompensated family caregivers to provide most of the long-term care required by older adults as they age. But such care comes at a significant financial cost to these caregivers in the form of lower lifetime earnings and diminished (or even no) Social Security retirement benefits, ineligibility for Medicare coverage of their healthcare costs, and minimal retirement savings. To reduce the impact of uncompensated caregiving on the intergenerational transmission of poverty, this paper discusses three possible mechanisms of compensating family caregivers: public payments, deemed wage credits under Social Security, and income tax incentives.
Activity forecasting

We address the task of inferring the future actions of people from noisy visual input. We denote this task activity forecasting. To achieve accurate activity forecasting, our approach models the effect of the physical environment on the choice of human actions. This is accomplished by the use of state-of-the-art semantic scene understanding combined with ideas from optimal control theory. Our unified model also integrates several other key elements of activity analysis, namely, destination forecasting, sequence smoothing and transfer learning. As proof-of-concept, we focus on the domain of trajectory-based activity analysis from visual input. Experimental results demonstrate that our model accurately predicts distributions over future actions of individuals. We show how the same techniques can improve the results of tracking algorithms by leveraging information about likely goals and trajectories.
Adding Insult to Injury: Asymptomatic Fat Embolism Identified on Computed Tomography

Fat embolism (FE) is a classically taught complication of long bone fractures, with the potential to cause high morbidity and mortality; however, it is rarely apparent on emergency department (ED) presentation or imaging. If recognized by the ED clinician, development of symptoms of FE may be avoided by early surgical fixation and potentially by corticosteroid administration.
The Impact of Race and Socioeconomic Status on Treatment and Outcomes of Blunt Splenic Injury.

BACKGROUND Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities have been shown to exist in trauma patients. Management of blunt splenic injuries (BSIs) can include splenectomy, embolization, or nonoperative management. This study assesses the effect of race and insurance status on outcomes in patients after blunt splenic trauma. METHODS The National Trauma Data Bank was used to study patients aged 15-89 y with BSIs from 2013 to 2015. Patients with abbreviated injury scores greater than two in nonabdominal areas, excluding extremities, were eliminated, as were patients with other concomitant abdominal injuries requiring repair. Variables of interest were compared across groups using chi-square tests, and those with significant associations were used in multivariate regression models for each outcome. RESULTS We analyzed 13,537 BSI patients. Uninsured patients had increased odds of mortality, more splenic operations, and were less likely to have nonoperative management (P < 0.001). Uninsured patients were also twice as likely to be discharged home and three times as likely to leave against medical advice (P < 0.001). African Americans and Hispanics had higher mortality (odds ratio [OR] 2.03, CI 1.34-3.08; OR 1.58, CI 1.03-2.44, respectively). African Americans had more splenic operations (OR 1.33, CI 1.08-1.64) and were 60% less likely to receive angioembolization (CI 0.41-0.84). Hispanics had fewer splenic operations (OR 0.79, CI 0.63-0.98). CONCLUSIONS Noteworthy differences exist in the management of splenic trauma patients based on race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, despite controlling for demographics and injury characteristics. Insurance status and race likely affect surgical treatment plans and mortality, particularly for uninsured, black, and Hispanic patients, but further research is needed to identify the root cause of these disparities.
DESCENT AND C0-RIGIDITY OF SPECTRAL INVARIANTS ON MONOTONE SYMPLECTIC MANIFOLDS

We obtain estimates showing that on monotone symplectic manifolds (asymptotic) spectral invariants of Hamiltonians which vanish on a non-empty open set, U, descend from to Hamc(M\U). Furthermore, we show that these invariants are continuous with respect to the C0-topology on Hamc(M\U). We apply the above results to Hofer geometry and establish unboundedness of the Hofer diameter of Hamc(M\U) for stably displaceable U. We also answer a question of F. Le Roux about C0-continuity properties of the Hofer metric.
Investigating the role of interleukin 10 on Eimeria intestinal pathogenesis in broiler chickens.

Abstract Eimeria species are intestinal protozoan parasites that cause lack of production, malabsorption and mortality in floor raised chickens. Administering an oral antibody to interleukin 10 (aIL-10) reduces the symptoms of coccidiosis in broilers, indicating interleukin 10 (IL-10) is key to Eimeria pathology. IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine and acts as a stand down signal to reduce inflammation and host pathology during disease. Related protozoan parasites exploit IL-10 to reduce pathogen-damaging host inflammatory responses. We hypothesize that IL-10 is increased during Eimeria infection through an unknown host-pathogen interaction, and by feeding aIL-10 to neutralize excess IL-10 the bird is allowed to mount an effective immune response to Eimeria. To determine the effects of aIL-10 during the intestinal immune response, intestinal pathology and the relationship between IL-10, interferon gamma (IFNγ) and Eimeria infection were evaluated in this study. In both experiments, broilers were administered either a 10x dose of Advent® Eimeria vaccine or saline. Duodenum, jejunum and cecum samples were collected, processed, stained and examined under a microscope. Evaluation of intestinal histomorphology during aIL-10 administration showed minimal differences in birds fed aIL-10 during infection compared to animals fed a control antibody during Eimeria infection. To further evaluate aIL-10’s positive effect during infection, immunofluorescent histochemistry was performed on chicken intestines days 3-7 post Eimeria infection for IL-10 and IFNγ presence in intestinal mucosa in control and infected birds, in regions with and without visible Eimeria burden. IL-10 and IFNγ had significant changes between days 4.5-7 post-infection in birds fed aIL-10 compared to animals fed a control antibody. Overall we found that the duodenum had increased IL-10 presence and increased IFNγ presence, and the jejunum and cecum had decreased IL-10 presence and decreased IFNγ presence. These differences in spatial regulation of IL-10 and IFNγ may indicate Eimeria species induce slightly different cytokine responses.
Recurrent cutaneous and sinopulmonary infections

STAT3 loss-of-function mutations results in autosomal dominant hyper IgE syndrome, autosomal dominant (AD) hyper IgE syndrome (HIES)
2083. A Targeted Remote Audit and Feedback Intervention Utilizing a Local Non-ID Trained Pharmacist

Background Tele Stewardship (tASP) is a developing model for hospitals without local ID expertise. We report results of a tASP initiative using a hospital’s local non-ID trained pharmacist to conduct ertapenem (erta) audit and feedback (A&F).
Neither a populist nor a vanguardist be! Respecting the wisdom and will of the people:

In this essay, I consider three different conceptions of ‘the people’ and what it means to ‘respect’ their collective will and wisdom: (a) the democratic conception of the people as a sprawling dem...
Asymmetric opening of HIV-1 Env bound to CD4 and a coreceptor-mimicking antibody

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) envelope (Env) glycoprotein, a (gp120–gp41)3 trimer, mediates fusion of viral and host cell membranes after gp120 binding to host receptor CD4. Receptor binding triggers conformational changes allowing coreceptor (CCR5) recognition through CCR5’s tyrosine-sulfated amino (N) terminus, release of the gp41 fusion peptide and fusion. We present 3.3 A and 3.5 A cryo-EM structures of E51, a tyrosine-sulfated coreceptor-mimicking antibody, complexed with a CD4-bound open HIV-1 native-like Env trimer. Two classes of asymmetric Env interact with E51, revealing tyrosine-sulfated interactions with gp120 mimicking CCR5 interactions, and two conformations of gp120–gp41 protomers (A and B protomers in AAB and ABB trimers) that differ in their degree of CD4-induced trimer opening and induction of changes to the fusion peptide. By integrating the new structural information with previous closed and open envelope trimer structures, we modeled the order of conformational changes on the path to coreceptor binding site exposure and subsequent viral–host cell membrane fusion. Cryo-EM resolution of HIV-1 Env trimer bound to CD4 and a tyrosine-sulfated, coreceptor-mimicking antibody reveals two configurations of gp120–gp41 protomers that create asymmetric Env trimer conformations on the path to membrane fusion.
Russia’s economic diversiﬁcation potential: the untold story?

Russia's economic model is under a major sustainability test. Posting solid real growth in the early 2000's it earned its "BRICs" designation. Later, surviving the worst of the crisis relatively unscathed, the economy unveiled its perennial structural flaw of energy exports dependence. Interpreting Russia's macroeconomic troubles as the "bottle half-empty" analogy is tempting, while the "bottle half-full" dimension is challenging. Without diminishing significance of the real concerns, and refreshed with most recent data, this article attempts to analytically lay out Russia's nascent economic diversification potential via evolving institutional business structure and new firm and sector developments.
Say "Ah!" The Right Amounts of Brassinosteroids and Hydrogen Peroxide Open the "Mouths" of Plant Leaves.

Stomata, from the Greek word for “mouths,” are tiny pores in the epidermis of many plant aerial tissues that are "fed" carbon dioxide for making sugar. But plants also lose water through these same pores via transpiration. Stomatal aperture regulation in response to environmental cues is
Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) for Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) (PGT-HLA)

Preimplantation HLA typing (PGT-HLA) provides patients with important option not only to avoid an inherited risk but also to establish pregnancy with an exact HLA match to benefit the affected family member. So HLA typing is now an established PGT indication, to achieve stem cell transplantation treatment of affected siblings in need for compatible transplant. It is also applied as primary indication for cases not requiring PGT-M when no HLA-compatible donor is available. The most frequent applications of PGT-HLA were for families with hemoglobinopathy and congenital immunodeficiency siblings, both resulting in total cure when compatible donor was obtained through PGT-HLA.
Perceptions and Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Among Floridian Middle and High School Students: Secondary Analysis of Cross-sectional Survey Results:

Introduction:Rapid increase in youth use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) led the state and the federal governments to implement minimum-age policies to restrict minors’ access to vap...
Enhancing environmental enforcement with near real-time monitoring: Likelihood-based detection of structural expansion of intensive livestock farms

Abstract Much environmental enforcement in the United States has historically relied on either self-reported data or physical, resource-intensive, infrequent inspections. Advances in remote sensing and computer vision, however, have the potential to augment compliance monitoring by detecting early warning signs of noncompliance. We demonstrate a process for rapid identification of significant structural expansion using Planet’s 3 m/pixel satellite imagery products and focusing on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in the US as a test case. Unpermitted building expansion has been a particular challenge with CAFOs, which pose significant health and environmental risks. Using new hand-labeled dataset of 145,053 images of 1,513 CAFOs, we combine state-of-the-art building segmentation with a likelihood-based change-point detection model to provide a robust signal of building expansion (AUC = 0.86). A major advantage of this approach is that it can work with higher cadence (daily to weekly), but lower resolution (3 m/pixel), satellite imagery than previously used in similar environmental settings. It is also highly generalizable and thus provides a near real-time monitoring tool to prioritize enforcement resources in other settings where unpermitted construction poses environmental risk, e.g. zoning, habitat modification, or wetland protection.
Analgesic Potential of Terpenes Derived from Cannabis sativa

Pain prevalence among adults in the United States has increased 25% over the past two decades, resulting in high health-care costs and impacts to patient quality of life. In the last 30 years, our understanding of pain circuits and (intra)cellular mechanisms has grown exponentially, but this understanding has not yet resulted in improved therapies. Options for pain management are limited. Many analgesics have poor efficacy and are accompanied by severe side effects such as addiction, resulting in a devastating opioid abuse and overdose epidemic. These problems have encouraged scientists to identify novel molecular targets and develop alternative pain therapeutics. Increasing preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that cannabis has several beneficial pharmacological activities, including pain relief. Cannabis sativa contains more than 500 chemical compounds, with two principle phytocannabinoids, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Beyond phytocannabinoids, more than 150 terpenes have been identified in different cannabis chemovars. Although the predominant cannabinoids, Δ9-THC and CBD, are thought to be the primary medicinal compounds, terpenes including the monoterpenes β-myrcene, α-pinene, limonene, and linalool, as well as the sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene and α-humulene may contribute to many pharmacological properties of cannabis, including anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects. The aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge about terpene compounds in cannabis and to analyze the available scientific evidence for a role of cannabis-derived terpenes in modern pain management. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Decades of research have improved our knowledge of cannabis polypharmacy and contributing phytochemicals, including terpenes. Reform of the legal status for cannabis possession and increased availability (medicinal and recreational) have resulted in cannabis use to combat the increasing prevalence of pain and may help to address the opioid crisis. Better understanding of the pharmacological effects of cannabis and its active components, including terpenes, may assist in identifying new therapeutic approaches and optimizing the use of cannabis and/or terpenes as analgesic agents.
Sustained delivery of retinoic acid from microspheres of biodegradable polymer in PVR.

PURPOSE The aims were to obtain a controlled intravitreous release of retinoic acid (RA) by injecting drug loaded microspheres of biodegradable polymers and to study the potential use of this RA delivery system in a rabbit model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). METHODS The release of RA in vitro from 15 mg of 50-50 poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) in 1 ml of water at room temperature was measured with a spectrophotometer. In a rabbit model of PVR, 11 eyes were injected with 5 mg of microspheres containing 22 micrograms of RA/mg of PLGA, and seven control eyes were injected with microspheres of the same polymer that did not contain RA. In a third group, six rabbits were injected with 5 mg (n = 3) and 10 mg (n = 3) of microspheres containing RA. RESULTS The initial concentration of RA was 20.8 micrograms/mg of PLGA. The release curve showed a fairly constant daily release of 7 micrograms/d for about 30 days. At 40 days, the release rate decreased to about 6 micrograms/d. After 40 days, 82.8% of the RA was released. Four of 11 treated rabbits (36%) and 7/7 (100%) controls showed tractional retinal detachment (TRD) (P < 0.01) after 2 months. Histopathologically, a mild, localized, foreign body reaction was observed. CONCLUSIONS The authors obtained a sustained release of RA from PLGA microspheres in vitro for 40 days. A single injection of RA-loaded microspheres in suspension in BSS was effective in reducing the incidence of TRD after 2 months in a rabbit model of PVR.
Random medium model approach to scattering from a random collection of discrete scatterers

The random medium model has been used quite successfully in the interpretation of active and passive microwave remote sensing data from earth terrain. In the random medium model, a correlation function with associated mean and variance is used to describe the random permittivity fluctuations. Most of the correlation functions used, thus far, in the random medium model have been of exponential form, or of other simple expressions derived from physical arguments. In this paper, we calculate the correlation function for a specific physical model of the random medium which is a random collection of discrete scatterers imbedded in a background medium of constant permittivity. Correlation functions are calculated for impenetrable and penetrable spherical scatterers. Once the correlation function is obtained, the strong fluctuation theory is used to calculate the effective permittivity. Then, the distorted Born approximation is used to calculate backscattering coefficients for a halfspace configuration. Theoreti...
Physical Conditions in Radio Galaxies and Quasars

It is well known from the pioneering work of Baade and Minkowski that radio galaxies very often have strong emission lines in the spectra of their nuclei, indicating the presence of relatively large amounts of ionized gas. For instance, in the early survey of radio galaxies by Schmidt (1965), of the 35 galaxies observed, 32 had at least [0 II] λ3727 in their spectra and well over half had relatively strong [0 II] and other observable emission lines as well. In the recent review of optical identifications and spectroscopy of the revised 3C catalogue of radio sources by Smith et al. (1976), 137 radio galaxies are listed. Of these descriptive spectral information is given for 98, of which 49 show strong-emission line spectra, 19 intermediate-strength emission, 12 weak emission, and 18 a pure absorption-line spectrum without detectable emission lines. The fraction of objects with emission line-spectra is much higher than for normal galaxies. It is thus apparent that though the presence of emission lines is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition that a galaxy be an observable radio source, nevertheless a large fraction of radio galaxies do contain ionized gas in their nuclei.
The International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes guidelines for management of diabetic ketoacidosis: Do the guidelines need to be modified?

The current version of the International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) guidelines for management of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is largely based on the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society/European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (LWPES/ESPE) consensus statement on DKA in children and adolescents published in 2004. This article critically reviews and presents the most pertinent new data published in the past decade, which have implications for diagnosis and management. Four elements of the guidelines warrant modification: (i) The definition of DKA; (ii) insulin therapy; (iii) water and salt replacement; and (iv) blood s-hydroxybutyrate measurements for the management of DKA.
Substitution and Addition Reactions of Thiocyanogen

The direct replacement of a hydrogen atom by a thiocyano group through the use of thiocyanogen is termed thiocyanation. This replacement reaction is limited practically to aromatic amines and phenols. Thiocyanogen reacts with olefinic and acetylenic linkage, the reagent adding to the unsaturated linkage. Thicyanogen reacts with compounds of other types. Thiocyanogen reacts with aromatic compounds that are highly susceptible to substitution with the introduction of a thiocyano groups. Thiocyanation of aromatic amines, phenols is discussed. Addition of thiocyanogen to olefins and acetylenes, and miscellaneous syntheses are also discussed. Keywords: thiocyanogen; addition; substitution; phenols; aromatic amines; polynuclear hydrocarbons; olefins; acetylenes; thiocyano compounds; experimental procedures
Metaalvrije zuggurtung-osteosynthese voor olecranonfracturen bij de low-demand patiënt

Bij gedislokeerde olecranonfracturen zijn open repositie en interne fixatie noodzakelijk voor behoud van een functioneel strekapparaat. De gangbare behandeling is een zuggurtung-osteosynthese door middel van kirschner (k)-draden en staaldraadcerclage. Bij de geriatrische patient kan zonder metaalimplantaat een zuggurtungosteosynthese van enkel hechtdraden gebruikt worden. Dit reduceert het aantal complicaties en is een betrouwbaar mechanisch alternatief voor de conventionele behandeling met een staaldraadcerclage. De ingreep is patientvriendelijk en kosteneffectief.
Streptomycin lethality and cyclic AMP

Abstract The action of low and moderate concentrations of streptomycin has been studied with Escherichia coli B growing in synthetic media with glucose or glycerol as the carbon source. The inception of lethality depended on the carbon source and the presence of cyclic AMP or ATP in the growth medium. At low concentration of streptomycin (2.5 μg/ml), cells in salts-glycerol media lost their viability following two and a half hour lag period. Glucose repressed the bactericidal effect of streptomycin allowing the cells to grow normally although at a slightly reduced rate. The addition of cyclic AMP to the growth medium reversed glucose repression and rendered the cells sensitive to the action of the drug. At higher concentrations of streptomycin (up to 20 μg/ml) glucose and ATP prolonged and glycerol and cyclic AMP shortened the lag before the cells began to lose their viability. At streptomycin concentration of 5 μg/ml, ATP protected the cells against the bactericidal effect of the drug allowing them to grow normally. This effect of ATP could be abolished by the addition of cyclic AMP. At streptomycin concentrations above 20 μg/ml, the effect of glucose, cyclic AMP and ATP was no longer measurable.
Cloacal Exstrophy: The Neurological Implications

AbstractCongenital anomalies commonly accompany the abdominal wall defects of cloacal exstrophy with an incidence as high as 100 percent in some series. The urological literature cites an incidence of vertebral and/or spinal cord anomalies in 75 percent of cases. We reviewed the records of the 17 patients with cloacal exstrophy treated at our institution since 1978. Abnormalities of the vertebral column or spinal cord were identified in 16 patients, including 11 of 12 (92 percent) fully evaluated by myelography, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbosacral spinal cord. Nine patients had a lipomeningocele and 4 had a lipomyelocystocele. Spinal exploration, repair and cord untethering were done in 11 patients of whom 2 subsequently underwent reoperation for re-tethering the cord. A total of 15 patients is ambulatory although 5 require lower extremity braces.The incidence of spinal cord or vertebral anomalies in our patients with cloacal exstrophy approaches 100 percent, which is ...
Hypervelocity acceleration and impact experiments with the LLNL electric guns

Abstract In the electric gun, the explosion of an electrically heated metal foil and the accompanying magnetic forces are used to accelerate a thin flyer plate to velocities as high as 18 km/s. Here we report preliminary results of a study to extend this capability to the acceleration of projectiles or particles ranging in size from micrometeorites to chunky projectiles with a mass as high as 0.5 g. We also have started code calculations of projectile impacts on thick aluminum witness plates for comparison with observations of experimentally produced cratering.
Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the colon : Report of a case with histologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular studies for Epstein-Barr virus

We report a case of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the colon in a 62-year-old Hispanic male with multiple other tumors, including thyroid, breast, pharyngeal, and prostate carcinomas; a neurofibrosarcoma; and a meningioma. The association with Epstein-Barr virus infection and colonic lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma was studied using immunohistochemical and polymerase chain reaction techniques.
Fulminant hepatitis after flutamide treatment

Two cases of severe acute hepatitis in patients taking flutamide for metastatic prostatic carcinoma are reported. Jaundice and marked increase in aminotransferases occurred after 6–8 weeks of treatment. Continuation of flutamide administration was associated with the development of hepatic encephalopathy and a marked prolongation of prothrombin time. One of the patients died of acute liver failure and the other survived after prolonged hospitalization. Rechallenge was not performed because of the severity of the clinical picture. Liver histology showed extensive hepatic necrosis. These two cases strongly suggest that flutamide, in addition to its cholestatic side effects, can induce acute hepatitis potentially with a fulminant and lethal course.
Expression and characterization of a novel teratocyte protein of the braconid, Microplitis croceipes (cresson)

Abstract Microplitis croceipes wasps overcome host immunity by inducing changes in host physiology using factors derived from the embryo and/or larva. Teratocytes of some parasitic wasps circulate in the host hemolymph after egg hatch and synthesize proteins (TSPs), some of which are secreted to alter host physiology in support of endoparasitoid development. TSPs appear to alter host physiology, at least in part, by inhibiting synthesis of certain proteins. M. croceipes teratocytes synthesize a 13.9 kDa protein (TSP14), which inhibits synthesis of host proteins that are linked to larval growth and development. A cDNA encoding TSP14 was generated by RT-PCR from teratocyte RNA, and cloned into yeast expression vectors to produce sufficient recombinant protein for functional analyses. Rec TSP14 was produced using the yeast expression system at a concentration of more than 300 μg/L. The rec TSP14 inhibited in vitro translation of larval Heliothis virescens RNA, with the activity sensitive to boiling, protein concentration, incubation time, and storage temperatures. Although rec TSP14 inhibited translation of some cellular RNAs in vitro, the in vivo incorporation of [ 35 S]-methionine into proteins of selected insect and mammalian cell lines was not inhibited. These findings suggest that rec TSP14 entry is cell type-specific and required to inhibit synthesis of target protein(s).
Mobile traversal schemes based on triangulation coverage

In harsh outdoor terrains like disaster areas and urban toxic regions, optimal placements of static sensor nodes might not be possible, leading to possible incomplete coverage of the region. In such situations, mobile sensor nodes (MSNs) might be a better option and a significantly fewer number of nodes are required than their static counterparts. A triangulation-based coverage where, groups of three MSNs position themselves to form equilateral triangles, has several applications in localization, 3D imaging and coordinated search operation. In this paper, we present several mobile traversal algorithms (MTA) based on triangulation coverage that employs N ≥ 3 MSNs such that, up to N - 3 node failures can be tolerated. MTA achieves three objectives: (a) as N increases, the total time to cover the field decreases in the absence of a failure; (b) each MSN travels a minimum distance; (c) upon a failure, the remaining MSNs efficiently complete the coverage of the field. The bounds on the total traveling distance and time are derived and the tightness of the bounds are proven through simulations. Furthermore, we also derive the bounds on the distance traveled by an MSN to complete the coverage process. The bounds on the individual traveling distances are useful in minimizing and bounding the energy consumption of the MSNs.
An efficiency characterization of plurality social choice on simple preference domains

We consider a model of social choice dealing with the problem of choosing a subset from a set of objects (e.g. candidate selection, membership, and qualification problems). Agents have trichotomous preferences for which objects are partitioned into three indifference classes, goods, bads, and nulls, or dichotomous preferences for which each object is either a good or a bad. We characterize plurality-like social choice rules on the basis of the three main axioms, known as Pareto efficiency, anonymity, and independence.