cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Getting Over Our Inpatient Oral Antibiotic Aversion

* Abbreviation: CAP — : community-acquired pneumonia One way to characterize antibiotic stewardship is providing the right antibiotic to the right patient, in the right dose, at the right time, for the right duration, and by the right route. For children requiring hospitalization for uncomplicated infections, what, then, is the right route? Is it intravenous or oral? We pediatricians have grown accustomed to using intravenous antibiotics for children who are hospitalized with common but uncomplicated infections, such as community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), skin and soft tissue infection, or urinary tract infection. There certainly are circumstances in which the intravenous route for antibiotics may be preferable to the oral route, such as in the treatment of central nervous system infections, the use of antibiotics with limited oral bioavailability, and when faced with the inherent difficulty of getting children to take medications orally while sick. Lastly, some care team members report concerns that insurance carriers will not cover the cost of a hospitalization for infection if oral antibiotics are administered because that therapy could be given equally well at home. However, we should reevaluate our oral antibiotic aversion for common, uncomplicated infections. Preferentially using oral instead of intravenous therapy has a number of benefits for children who are hospitalized with common infections. If the use of peripheral and central intravenous catheters can be minimized or even completely eliminated, children can … Address correspondence to Matthew P. Kronman, MD, MSCE, Seattle Children’s Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Mailstop MA.7.226, Seattle, WA 98105. E-mail: matthew.kronman{at}seattlechildrens.org
Cobalt Phthalocyanine-Sensitized Graphene-ZnO Composite: An Efficient Near-Infrared-Active Photothermal Agent

Herein, a promising near-infrared-responsive photothermal agent was designed by anchoring of rice grain-shaped ZnO particles over graphene (GR) nanosheets and subsequent sensitization with cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc). Thus, produced GR-ZnO-CoPc was able to attain the temperature of 68 °C by irradiating to 980 nm laser for 7 min, which is extremely higher than the endurance temperature of cancer cells. The linear fashioned progression in the photothermal effect of GR nanosheets was conquered by immobilization of ZnO particles and successive sensitization with CoPc. The excellence found in the photothermal effect of GR-ZnO-CoPc was verified by estimation of its photothermal conversion efficiency. The photothermal conversion efficiency assessed for GR-ZnO-CoPc was higher than those for the popular gold- and CuS-based photothermal agents. In addition, it possessed significant stability against photobleaching and structural rupture. It was found that the photothermal effect of GR-ZnO-CoPc is proportional to its concentration. However, by replacement of a 980 nm laser system with 808 nm, the photothermal effect of GR-ZnO-CoPc was reduced, which could be due to lower absorption of GR-ZnO-CoPc at 808 nm compared to 980 nm. On account of its significance and important properties, GR-ZnO-CoPc could be an interesting photothermal agent to employ in future photothermal therapy for cancer.
Developing high performance PA 11/cellulose nanocomposites for industrial-scale melt processing

Abstract This study presents methods of developing thermally stable polyamide 11 (PA 11), cellulose nanocrystal (CNCs) composites able to withstand high temperature processing for high performance applications. Thus far, it has been difficult to use cellulose-based composites in industrial applications due to the high temperatures at which the materials would need to be processed. Sulfated CNCs (S–CNCs), the most commercially available CNCs, perform the poorest with respect to being thermally stable at high temperatures. Direct mixing techniques typically used to make these nanocomposites at a lab-scale, even at low concentrations of CNCs, have resulted in poor dispersion and thermal stability of CNCs. However, this paper offers industrially viable methods of fabricating composites that shield these S–CNCs from excessive thermal degradation during processing. We set out to determine the effect of pre-mixing CNCs and the polymer to obtain homogeneous and thermally stable nanocomposites for high temperature processing methods such as compression molding and injection molding. For the PA 11/CNC composites, fabrication through both milling and compounding resulted in reinforcement of the polymer with increased storage modulus in the rubbery plateau, and increased Young's modulus while preserving the toughness of PA 11. Furthermore, the milled samples showed higher stiffness than the compounded samples and surface charge density of the CNCs played a great role in the mechanical properties of the composites as it directly correlates with how well dispersed the composites were. Overall, this work shows the potential of pre-mixing methods to obtain high performance nanocellulose based composites through industrial manufacturing processes.
Curcumin: Biological, Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, and Analytical Aspects

Turmeric is a curry spice that originated from India, which has attracted great interest in recent decades because it contains bioactive curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin). Curcumin (1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione), a lipophilic polyphenol may work as an anticancer, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging agent as suggested by several in vitro, in vivo studies and clinical trials. However, poor aqueous solubility, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetic profiles limit curcumin’s therapeutic usage. To address these issues, several curcumin formulations have been developed. However, suboptimal sample preparation and analysis methodologies often hamper the accurate evaluation of bioactivities and their clinical efficacy. This review summarizes recent research on biological, pharmaceutical, and analytical aspects of the curcumin. Various formulation techniques and corresponding clinical trials and in vivo outcomes are discussed. A detailed comparison of different sample preparation (ultrasonic, pressurized liquid extraction, microwave, reflux) and analytical (FT-IR, FT-NIR, FT-Raman, UV, NMR, HPTLC, HPLC, and LC-MS/MS) methodologies used for the extraction and quantification of curcuminoids in different matrices, is presented. Application of optimal sample preparation, chromatographic separation, and detection methodologies will significantly improve the assessment of different formulations and biological activities of curcuminoids.
The Mentoring Networks of Outdoor Educators.

The dynamic and transitory nature of outdoor education (OE) employment may make the cultivation of traditional dyadic mentoring relationships challenging. This study used the developmental network perspective, which positions mentoring as a multirelationship phenomenon, to better understand how OE instructors working for NOLS access mentoring support, help ascertain the types of mentoring support instructors find meaningful, and delineate the attributes of effective mentoring relationships. Twenty-one instructors with differing levels of experience were interviewed for this study. Data indicated that interviewees found meaningful mentoring support from a variety of sources, namely, senior instructors and near peers. The provision of career-related support, specifically support that helped mentees navigate organizational culture and gain more work opportunities, was highly regarded by participants and positively impacted career outcomes. Challenges facing instructors seeking mentoring support and the implications of these results for instructors and OE providers are discussed. Subscribe to JOREL
Two-stage storage assignment to minimize travel time and congestion for warehouse order picking operations

Abstract This research presents a systematic and integrated approach that extends the correlated storage assignment strategy to improve the efficiency of warehouse order picking operations. The correlated storage assignment can reduce a significant amount of travel costs, but could lead to traffic congestion due to the imbalanced traffic flow. Hence, this research proposes the correlated and traffic balanced storage assignment (C&TBSA) to minimize the travel time and picking delays, which is modeled in two stages: clustering and assignment. In the clustering stage, a bi-objective optimization model is formulated to group items with the consideration of both travel efficiency and traffic flow balance, which is solved using multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs). In the assignment stage, items in each cluster are distributed to the available storage locations. C&TBSA is evaluated with an actual warehouse case study and the results show that C&TBSA outperforms random, class-based, and correlated storage assignment methods by 48.74%, 23.82%, and 7.58% respectively, regarding the total time consisting of travel time and picking delays.
Distribution of Phosphatidylethanol in Maternal and Fetal Compartments After Chronic Gestational Binge Alcohol Exposure.

BACKGROUND Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a promising biomarker for gestational alcohol exposure. Studies show PEth accumulation in maternal and fetal blood following alcohol exposure; however, distribution of specific PEth homologues (16:0/18:1, 16:0/18:2, 16:0/20:4) in maternal and fetal blood is unknown. Additionally, PEth levels in highly vulnerable FASD targets in maternal and fetal compartments remain unexplored. We hypothesized that all 3 major PEth homologues will be detectable in the maternal and fetal blood, the maternal uterine artery (a reproductive tissue that delivers oxygen and nutrients to fetoplacental unit), and fetal brain regions following gestational binge alcohol exposure and that homologue distribution profiles will be tissue-specific. METHODS Pregnant rats received once-daily orogastric gavage of alcohol (Alcohol; BAC 216 mg/dl@4.5g/kg/d; BAC 289 mg/dl@6g/kg/d) or iso-caloric maltose dextrin (Pair-fed control) from gestation days (GD) 5 to 20 or 21. Following chronic exposure, maternal and fetal tissues were analyzed for PEth homologue concentrations utilizing LC-MS/MS technology. RESULTS All 3 PEth homologues were detected in alcohol-exposed maternal blood, fetal blood, maternal uterine artery, and fetal brain regions (hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum). In both maternal and fetal blood, respectively, PEth 16:0/18:2 was more abundant compared to 16:0/18:1 (p < 0.0001,~66%,↑; p = 0.0159, 20.4%↑) and 16:0/20:4 (p = 0.0072,~25%↑; p = 0.0187, 19.4%↑). Maternal PEth 16:0/20:4 was ~ 42% higher than 16:0/18:1 (p = 0.0015). Maternal PEth 16:0/18:2 and 16:0/20:4 were ~ 25%↑ and ~ 20%↑ higher than in fetal blood (p < 0.05). No homologue differences were detected in the maternal uterine artery. In all fetal brain regions, PEth 16:0/18:1 was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than 16:0/18:2 (~48 to 78%↑) and 16:0/20:4 (~31 to 62%↑) concentrations. PEth 16:0/20:4 was ~ 18% higher than 16:0/18:1 (p < 0.05) in the fetal hippocampus and cortex. CONCLUSION All major PEth homologues were detected in maternal and fetal blood following chronic gestational binge alcohol exposure; homologue distribution profiles were tissue-specific. This study also provides insights into PEth accumulation in critical FASD targets, specifically the maternal uterine artery and fetal brain.
Master-Equation Study of Quantum Transport in Realistic Semiconductor Devices Including Electron-Phonon and Surface-Roughness Scattering

In conventional theoretical methods for studying dissipative quantum transport, numerical complexity forces us to ignore important nonlocal effects, or to restrict attention to very small or one-dimensional systems. The authors present an efficient method, based on the Pauli master equation, that treats dissipative quantum transport while explicitly taking into account the nonlocal and inelastic nature of the scattering processes. Applying the method to a realistic semiconductor device reveals that, even at the nanoscale, electronic transport is predominantly dissipative, and demonstrates quantitatively that scattering due to interface roughness has a drastic impact on device performance.
Data-informed curriculum sequences for a curriculum-integrated game

In this paper, we perform a predictive analysis of a curriculum-integrated math game, ST Math, to suggest a partial ordering for the game's curriculum sequence. We analyzed the sequence of ST Math objectives played by elementary school students in 5 U.S. districts and grouped each objective into difficult and easy categories according to how many retries were needed for students to master an objective. We observed that retries on some objectives were high in one district and low in another district where the objectives are played in a different order. Motivated by this observation, we investigated what makes an effective curriculum sequence. To infer a new partially-ordered sequence, we performed an expanded replication study of a novel predictive analysis by a prior study to find predictive relationships between 15 objectives played in different sequences by 3,328 students from 5 districts. Based on the predictive abilities of objectives in these districts, we found 17 suggested objective orderings. After deriving these orderings, we confirmed the validity of the order by evaluating the impact of the suggested sequence on changes in rates of retries and corresponding performance. We observed that when the objectives were played in the suggested sequence, we record a drastic reduction in retries, implying that these objectives are easier for students. This indicates that objectives that come earlier can provide prerequisite knowledge for later objectives. We believe that data-informed sequences, such as the ones we suggest, may improve efficiency of instruction and increase content learning and performance.
Textured window design for continuous projection stereolithography process

Abstract We investigate a novel textured window design for the continuous stereolithography process. The proposed textured window allows the formation of a liquid interface, enabling a reliable continuous projection stereolithography process. Both solid and hollow structures have been studied as test cases and were continuously printed using textured window-based projection stereolithography systems. The surface roughness of printed parts is characterized, and the effect of the continuous printing speed on the surface quality is investigated. Experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed textured window for enabling continuous printing, preventing the overlarge separation force, and achieving a high surface finish.
Advancement of Actinide Metal-Organic Framework Chemistry via Synthesis of Pu-UiO-66

We report the synthesis and characterization of the first plutonium metal–organic framework (MOF). Pu-UiO-66 expands the established UiO-66 series, which includes transition metal, lanthanide, and ...
Recollections of the Low Temperature Lab in Physics Corner: 1958–1961

In fall 1958 Bill Little joined the Physics Department as an assistant professor and initiated research in low temperature physics at Stanford. He installed a helium liquifier in the basement of the High Energy Physics Laboratory, where the Mark III electron linear accelerator was located. At that time the Physics Department was located in Physics Corner, the northwest front corner of the main quadrangle. There Bill created the first lab for low temperature research in the basement in a large, mostly underground room. It had small windows up near the ceiling that looked out just above ground level on the two sides of the corner of the quad. There was a small enclosed space in the corner of the room in which Bill installed a large, high capacity vacuum pump used to lower the temperature in the liquid helium cryostats. Along the north side of the large open room Bill situated benches and equipment that he and his graduate students used for their initial experiments. Some space along the west side and three small partitioned rooms along the south wall he reserved to be used by William Fairbank, who would be joining the faculty in fall 1959. The people and their activities in that lab during the following few years constitute some of my fondest memories. My recollections of some of them are offered here as a tribute to Bill Little, who contributed so much to the excitement we all experienced there.
A natural single-guide RNA repurposes Cas9 to autoregulate CRISPR-Cas expression

SUMMARY CRISPR-Cas systems provide their prokaryotic hosts with acquired immunity against viruses and other foreign genetic elements, but how these systems are regulated to prevent auto-immunity is poorly understood. In type II CRISPR-Cas systems, a transactivating CRISPR RNA (tracrRNA) scaffold functions together with a CRISPR RNA (crRNA) guide to program Cas9 for the recognition and cleavage of foreign DNA targets. Here, we show that a long-form tracrRNA performs an unexpected second function by folding into a natural single guide that directs Cas9 to transcriptionally repress its own promoter. Further, we demonstrate that Pcas9 serves as a critical regulatory node; de-repression causes a dramatic induction of Cas genes, crRNAs and tracrRNAs resulting in a 3,000-fold increase in immunization rates against unrecognized viruses. Heightened immunity comes at the cost of increased auto-immune toxicity, demonstrating the critical importance of the controller. Using a bioinformatic analysis, we provide evidence that tracrRNA-mediated autoregulation is widespread in type II CRISPR-Cas systems. Collectively, we unveil a new paradigm for the intrinsic regulation of CRISPR-Cas systems by natural single guides, which may facilitate the frequent horizontal transfer of these systems into new hosts that have not yet evolved their own regulatory strategies.
The TechnoPhysics Year: Transformation of Diagnostic Radiology's Clinical Year as a Matter of Necessity.

Given that artificial intelligence and machine learning is now a reality of modern existence, rapidly being applied to medicine, and especially radiology, we submit a new educational perspective. By codifying technology education during the diagnostic radiology internship, we believe it is not only possible but necessary, to reframe the identity of diagnostic radiology. This paper describes the restructuring of the radiology clinical internship, limiting clinical rotations to high-yield essentials, thereby allowing for the introduction of data and technology science, and comprehensive medical physics training. By linking modality-immersion based training with the physics of each technology, we postulate a more thorough understanding and, ultimately, the mastery of current and future technological innovations. Concurrently we advocate for the study of artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to understand how radiologists can apply this technology to help patients on the precision and population health levels. This training would allow interns to spend the majority of their time under the umbrella of a radiology department, in lieu of multiple rotations on an assortment of clinical services. An in-depth technology and physics exam at the end of the internship would be a natural transition to the start of the R1 year, allowing for the application of this newly attained knowledge throughout their residency. Diagnostic radiologists have led medicine into the digital era, and now we should lead the medical community into this transformational era as the “Data-Driven Physician” of the 21st century.
Solo: A Daughter’s Journey with Grief

In this paper, I employ reflexive autoethnography to explore my journey with grief following the unexpected illness and death of my mother. Specifically, I explore my grief as an only child and the...
Investigating sensory properties of seven watermelon varieties and factors impacting refreshing perception using quantitative descriptive analysis.

Abstract Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is known for its refreshing quality, though its sensory attributes have never been related to its perceived refreshment. Modified quantitative descriptive analysis by a trained panel was used to examine the sensory profile of seven watermelon varieties. Eleven attributes including perceived refreshing intensity were measured on a 0–10 line scale using chemical references. Watermelon samples were evaluated with and without nose clips to control orthonasal and retronasal aroma and temperature was included as a variable to observe their effects on perceived refreshment. The dominant watermelon attributes were wateriness, refreshing, crispness, sweet, mealiness, fresh, ripe, and melon. The varieties were best differentiated by refreshing (p
Forced-Air Convection Versus Underbody Conduction Warming Strategies to Maintain Perioperative Normothermia in Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background Forced-air warming is an established strategy for maintaining perioperative normothermia. However, this warming strategy can potentially contaminate the surgical field by circulating nonsterile air. This study aimed to determine whether changing practice away from this method resulted in non-inferior rates of perioperative hypothermia. Methods We performed a chart review of primary total hip and knee arthroplasty patients from 2014 to 2017, when the strategy of intraoperative forced-air warming (FAW) was changed to preoperative FAW along with intraoperative underbody conduction warming (CW) with an underbody warming mattress. Data included patient temperatures throughout all phases of care, blood loss and transfusion requirements, length of postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and hospital stays, and 30-day infection and mortality. Results A total of 769 charts were reviewed; 349 patients underwent surgery before the practice change and 420 after. Mean (SD; 95% CI) body temperatures at the time of incision were lower for group 1 than for group 2 (34.55 vs 35.52 °C [0.97 °C; 95% CI, 0.72-1.23 °C]). The average nadir of intraoperative body temperature was lower for group 1 than for group 2 (difference of means, 0.44 °C; 95% CI, 0.18-0.71 °C). Group 2 had a higher percentage of patients who presented hypothermic (temperature <36.0 °C) on arrival in the PACU (12.9% vs 7.7%). Conclusion Preoperative convective warming combined with intraoperative underbody conductive warming maintains normothermia during primary total joint arthroplasty and is non-inferior to forced-air intraoperative warming alone.
What does it take for a roving bandit settle down? Theory and an illustrative history of the Visigoths

A roving bandit provides exclusive (rivalrous) collective goods to members of its in-group. A stationary bandit further provides inclusive (non-rivalrous; public) collective goods to the out-group. The inclusive goods are an input to the production of the exclusive goods enjoyed by the in-group. As such, the transition from roving to stationary bandit is likely to involve the redefinition of the in-group, its collective interest, and the type of goods that it provides. To illustrate these points, I employ a case study of the roving Visigothic confederacy as it evolved during the fourth and fifth centuries towards the stationary Visigothic Kingdom. The illustration provides insights into why competition amongst roving bandits does not always (or often) lead to the emergence of a non-predatory state.
Pediatric primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma treated with brachytherapy.

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL) is a CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder that rarely occurs in children. Although there are currently no consensus guidelines for the treatment of cutaneous lymphoma in the pediatric population, the isolated form of PC-ALCL is typically managed by surgical excision or external beam radiation therapy. We report the case of a 6-year-old girl with primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma that was treated with brachytherapy with no recurrence after 21 months of follow-up, suggesting that brachytherapy may be considered as a treatment for pediatric cutaneous large cell anaplastic lymphoma.
What AI can learn from the biological brain

Despite their overlapping interests, it is rare for developmental neurobiologists to consult artificial intelligence (AI) experts in the course of their research and vice versa. But in his new book, The Self-Assembling Brain, neurobiologist Peter Robin Hiesinger argues that doing so would likely be of great benefit to both parties.
The Role of Discrimination on Latinxs’ Use of Mental Health Services: A LatCrit and Life-Course Perspective

Epidemiological studies have found that 30–40% of Latinxs will have a diagnosable mental health disorder during their lifetime—a percentage that is comparable to or higher than other racialized groups with some segments of the Latinx population having disproportionally higher rates of poor mental health than other Latinxs. For instance, compared to overall rates for Latinxs, there is an increased rate of psychiatric disorders among Latinxs who are U.S.-born, those who are third generation, and those who are proficient in English (Alegria et al., 2007). One study found that as time in the United States increased, the risk of having a psychiatric disorder also increased among Latinx immigrants (Cook, Alegria, Lin, & Guo, 2009), and another found increases in discrimination to be associated with increases in the risk of alcohol and substance abuse disorders among U.S.-born Latinxs and Mexicans (Verissimo et al., 2014).
Anxiety and Art Therapy: Treatment in the Public Eye

(2008). Anxiety and Art Therapy: Treatment in the Public Eye. Art Therapy: Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 187-189.
Software quality and reliability prediction using dempster-shafer theory

As software systems are increasingly deployed in mission critical applications, accurate quality and reliability predictions are becoming a necessity. Most accurate prediction models require extensive testing effort, implying increased cost and slowing down the development life cycle. We developed two novel statistical models based on Dempster-Shafer theory, which provide accurate predictions from relatively small data sets of direct and indirect software reliability and quality predictors. The models are flexible enough to incorporate information generated throughout the development life-cycle to improve the prediction accuracy. Our first contribution is an original algorithm for building Dempster-Shafer Belief Networks using prediction logic. This model has been applied to software quality prediction. We demonstrated that the prediction accuracy of Dempster-Shafer Belief Networks is higher than that achieved by logistic regression, discriminant analysis, random forests, as well as the algorithms in two machine learning software packages, See5 and WEKA. The difference in the performance of the Dempster-Shafer Belief Networks over the other methods is statistically significant. Our second contribution is also based on a practical extension of Dempster-Shafer theory. The major limitation of the Dempsters rule and other known rules of evidence combination is the inability to handle information coming from correlated sources. Motivated by inherently high correlations between early life-cycle predictors of software reliability, we extended Murphy's rule of combination to account for these correlations. When used as a part of the methodology that fuses various software reliability prediction systems, this rule provided more accurate predictions than previously reported methods. In addition, we proposed an algorithm, which defines the upper and lower bounds of the belief function of the combination results. To demonstrate its generality, we successfully applied it in the design of the Online Safety Monitor, which fuses multiple correlated time varying estimations of convergence of neural network learning in an intelligent flight control system.
Drift Measurement Technique Applied to Poor Conductors

Many applications require knowledge of thermal properties, over a wide range of temperature, to within 5 percent. The speedy and economical acquisition of the data is often a prime concern. We are investigating the potential of the very simplest system (an unguarded plate system), used in a drift mode rather than in a steady-state mode, to fulfill this need. When heat flows across a specimen whose mean temperature is drifting slowly and linearly with time, a term of the form C F (dT/dt) must be added to the steady-state equation. Data are taken over a given temperature range with the temperature both increasing and decreasing; the value of C F is then adjusted until the two sets of data produce the same value of conductivity. Since C F is a function of the density of the specimen and its specific heat at constant pressure, an approximate value of the thermal diffusivity is obtained as a by-product in this drift mode of operation. The successful application of the technique is illustrated by both drift technique and steady-state measurements on microconcrete over the temperature range -20 to +60°C. Corrections for heat losses and nonlinear heat flow have been appraised by finite-element analysis and by comparisons with data from adiabatic linear heat flow systems. Our objective is to develop the apparatus for use up to 500°C.
Patterns of natural and anthropogenic disturbance of the mangroves on the Pacific Island of Kosrae.

Mangroves in many parts of the world are subjected to frequent, large-scaledisturbances. A possible exception is Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia(FSM), a small volcanic island in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Relativesea level has been stable for most of the last 1000 years and the last tropical cyclone to affect the island was in 1905. Many trees on Kosrae,especially individuals of the species Sonneratia alba, thereforeappear to die only after reaching advanced ages and exceptional sizes. Themost widespread anthropogenic disturbance is harvesting of trees for fuelwoodand poles, which is done selectively and generally creates small, dispersedgaps. Other forms of anthropogenic disturbance, such as modifications ofcoastal landforms, alterations of freshwater inflows road construction andconversion to residential or agricultural uses, are still relatively minorbut have led to some irreversible losses. The economy of Kosrae is basedto a large degree on income derived from a Compact of Free Association betweenthe FSM and the United States, an agreement that has an uncertain future.Many of the funding provisions of the Compact expire in 2001 and, if notrenewed, may have dramatic impacts on resource use. This in turn may leadto a much greater level of anthropogenic disturbance of what are now someof the world's most intact mangrove swamps.
Oral Error Feedback for English Learners in the Cotaught Content Classroom.

The number of English learners (ELs) in U.S. schools continues to increase rapidly. Schools often struggle with the issue of providing English language instruction that does not interfere with ELs' content instruction. Many instructors are turning to coteaching: a content teacher and an EL teacher working together to meet the English and content needs of ELs. Researchers and educators have reported benefits for ELs and teachers in a cotaught classroom; however, difficulties also exist, including the well-documented problems related to lack of mutual planning time and tension as coteachers negotiate their roles. There is another potential challenge that is rarely addressed in the research: the provision of error feedback (EF) to ELs in front of non-English-speaking (NES) peers. Coteachers who are untrained to deliver EF or have different approaches may confuse students, and feedback delivered in front of NES peers is potentially stigmatizing and embarrassing. This article provides a background in coteaching as it is relevant to EF and examines the options for EF in the cotaught content classroom, ultimately offering guidance in unobtrusive, yet effective, EF delivery. Implications for teachers and researchers are discussed.
Effect of gamma-radiation on ability of isolated chloroplasts to reduce ferricyanide in presence of light.

Samples of lyophilized chloroplasts isolated from kidney bean seedlings were irradiated wlth Co/sup 60/ gamma rays to total doses of 4 x 10/sup 5/ to 6.5 x 10/sup 6/ rep. The chloroplasts were then assayed for ability to reduce ferricyanide in the presence of light by measurements of the change in the redox potential of the ferricyanide solution. The results are interpreted ln terms of radiobiologlcal target theory. (D.L.C.)
THREE NEW BENTHIC SPECIES OF PROROCENTRUM (DINOPHYCEAE) FROM BELIZE : P. NORRISIANUM SP. NOV., P. TROPICALIS SP. NOV., AND P. RETICULATUM SP. NOV.

Three new benthic, photosynthetic dinoflagellate species, Prorocentrum norrisianum, Prorocentrum tropicalis, and Prorocentrum reticulatum, from floating detritus and coral rubble of Central America are described from scanning electron micrographs. Species were identified based on shape, size, surface micromorphology, thecal plate ornamentation, and architecture of the periflagellar area and intercalary band. Cells of P. norrisianum are ovate with a cell size of 20–25 μm long and 13–16 μm wide. The theca is delicate, its surface smooth, pores species specific with 95 to 105 pores per valve. Pores are round with a diameter of about 0.1 μm. The periflagellar area is V-shaped, located on the right valve in a shallow depression. It has no ornamentation. The flagellar and auxiliary pores are unequal in size. The intercalary band is smooth. Prorocentrum tropicalis cells are ovoid, 50–55 μm long and 40–45 μm wide in valve view with maximum width behind the middle region, narrow at the anterior end. The periflagellar area, situated in the right valve, is a V-shaped wide triangle with a deeply indented depression; the left valve exhibits a flat ridge. The periflagellar area is unornamented, and the flagellar and auxiliary pores are unequal in size. The valve surface is rugose with evenly distributed valve poroids. Each poroid appears to have a small dome in the center. The intercalary band is rimlike around the cell margin, granulated, and horizontally striated. Prorocentrum reticulatum cells are oblong in valve view; cells are 55–60 μm long and 40–45 μm wide. Thecal surface is reticulated; it is composed of a labyrinth of ridges with alternating depressions that vary in size and shape. Each depression has a narrow, oblong-kidney-shaped opening about 0.6 μm long. The periflagellar area is a deep, V-shaped triangle. The right valve of P. reticulatum is excavated, and contains a large flagellar pore and a smaller auxiliary pore surrounded by a narrow apical collar. The left valve margin exhibits a curved flat ridge. The intercalary band is smooth.
Tectonic development of the western branch of the East African rift system

The Western rift, the western branch of the East African rift system, is bordered by high-angle normal fault systems bounding one side of spoon-shaped basins. Depth-to-detachment estimates of 20-30 km, the rollover geometry of asymmetric basins, and seismicity throughout the depth range 0-30 km suggest that planar border faults along one side of rift basins penetrate the crust. Along the length of the rift, ∼100-km-long en echelon border-fault segments are linked by obliqueslip transfer faults, ramps, and monoclines within comparatively high-strain accommodation zones. These transfer faults accommodate significant along-axis variations in the elevation of basins and uplifted rift flanks but do not appear to extend outside the 40- to 70-km-wide rift basins across the uplifted flanks. Kinematic constraints from several basins indicate a regional east-west extension direction that is consistent with existing seismicity data. Estimates of crustal extension based on fault geometries interpreted from seismic reflection data and field observations within 13 basins are less than 15% (<10 km). Volcanism began at ∼12 Ma in the north and at ∼7 Ma in the south prior to or concurrent with the initial development of Western rift sedimentary basins. During Pleistocene time, asymmetric basins have narrowed through progressive hanging-wall collapse and with uplift of the rift flanks. These geometric and temporal patterns of development are similar to those of the more magmatically active Kenya rift, where volcanic activity began ∼11 m.y. prior to initial volcanism in the Western rift. Both the poor correlation between Miocene-Recent border and transfer faults and pre-Miocene shear zones, and the repetitive basin geometries indicate that the along-axis segmentation generally is not inherited. Western rift border-fault segments propagated to the north and south to link originally isolated basins, and this along-axis propagation contributes to the segmentation of the Western rift valley.
Bioactive phospholipid oxidation products.

Abstract Oxidation of phospholipids results in chain-shortened fragments and oxygenated derivatives of polyunsaturated sn-2 fatty acyl residues, generating a myriad of phospholipid products. Certain oxidation products of phosphatidylcholine bind to and activate the human receptor for PAF, and these PAF-like lipids are potent, selective inflammatory mediators. Formation of PAF-like lipids is nonenzymatic and so their accumulation is unregulated. PAF-like lipids are produced in vivo in response to oxidative stresses and are responsible for attendant acute inflammatory responses. PAF-like lipids almost exclusively contain an ether-linked alkyl residue at the sn-1 position of the phosphatidylcholine backbone and molecular identification of these is facilitated by phospholipase A1 treatment to remove the bulk of the inactive phospholipids. The identity of biologically active species generated by oxidative fragmentation and oxidation can be elucidated by understanding relevant reactions leading to the formation of PAF-like lipids, and then their structure can be established by tandem mass spectrometry and chemical synthesis.
National Character and Personality

People in all cultures have shared perceptions about the personality characteristics of the typical member of their own culture and of typical members of other cultures. Recent collaborative work has provided validated assessments of the personality profiles of over 50 cultures, and judged by these criteria, perceptions of national character are unfounded stereotypes. An appreciation of that fact by the public might improve international relations, so research is needed to understand the origins and persistence of national-character stereotypes. Psychologists have begun to explore the utility of aggregate personality profiles, which reflect subtle but real differences between cultures in mean levels of personality traits.
Does Deleting Dendritic Cells Delete Autoimmunity

A role for dendritic cells (DCs) in autoimmunity remains to be fully delineated. In this issue of Immunity, Teichmann et al. (2010) reveal critical functions for DCs in augmenting, but surprisingly not in initiating, spontaneous autoimmune disease.
Quantifying the variable effects of systems with demand response resources

The growing environmental concerns and increasing electricity prices have led to wider implementation of demand-side activities and created a new class of consumers, called demand response resources (DRRs). The DRRs actively participate in the electricity markets as buyers of electricity and sellers of load curtailment services. The demand profile modifications resulting from the DRR curtailments affect the market outcomes and impact the generation and transmission resource utilization. In this paper, we propose a computationally efficient simulation approach to quantify the impacts of DRRs on market performance, generation dispatch, transmission usage, environment and other system variable effects. We focus on the variable effects that are of interest in planning and policy analysis studies. We construct the proposed simulation approach by marrying the concepts of probabilistic simulation with snapshot-based analysis techniques. In this way, we effectively integrate the representation of the supply- and demand-side resources, electricity markets, transmission grid operations and constraints, and various sources of uncertainty in the simulation. We discuss the implementation aspects of the proposed approach to ensure computational tractability so as to allow its application to the simulation of large-scale systems over longer-term periods. We discuss representative simulation results to illustrate the application of the proposed approach to quantification of the variable effects of a large-scale test system. The reported results demonstrate the economic, environmental and reliability benefits the integration of DRRs can provide to the test system.
Saccade size in reading depends upon character spaces and not visual angle

Recently there has been a considerable amount of research involving the use of eye movements to study the reading process (Rayner, 1978). This trend is similar to another large-scale research effort undertaken a number of years ago that also dealt with eye movements and reading (Huey, 1908; Tinker, 1958, 1963; Woodworth, 1938). One difference between the earlier research and the more current work is that more sophisticated equipment is now used and display changes contingent upon the position of the eye can be made (McConkie & Rayner, 1975; O'Regan, 1980; Rayner, 1975). Much of the research using dynamic display changes has focused on perceptual aspects of the reading process. Despite this widespread activity, it is still the case that a rather elementary aspect concerning visual factors has not been adequately resolved. That is, it remains unclear as to whether saccades are executed to traverse a certain amount of visual angle or a certain number of letters. For example, eye movements in reading might average around 2 deg of visual angle (Rayner, 1978) because they serve the purpose of bringing text into foveal vision for detailed analysis. If saccades are determined by a critical visual angle, then when viewing distance is decreased (or if the letters are larger) and fewer characters fall within the fovea, the number of characters per saccade will decrease. On the other hand, larger letters or closer viewing distances might allow the letters to be perceived farther out in extrafoveal vision. Is so, readers might execute saccades of a greater visual angle in order to cover a desired number of characters. If either of these alternatives is correct, measures of saccade length in one metric (either visual angle or character spaces) will remain constant as letter size or viewing distance is altered (both change the size of the retinal image, hence the number of letters falling within the fovea), while measures in the other metric will change drastically as retinal image size changes. Huey (1908) and O'Regan (1980) have addressed
Thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy in patients with high body mass index are safe overall: analysis of 26,864 patients.

Background Obesity is a national epidemic. Prior studies of the impact of body mass index (BMI) on surgical outcomes from cervical endocrine procedures have come from high-volume, single institutions. Our study characterizes the 30-day clinical and economic outcomes in patients with high BMI from a multi-institutional database. Methods Patients undergoing thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy in the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program, 2005–2008 were categorized into 4 groups BMI based on: normal, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese. Overweight, obese, and morbidly obese patients were compared with patients with normal BMI using a χ2 test and an analysis of variance. Multivariable linear/logistic regression models were used to adjust for preoperative risk factors. Results In all, 18,825 patients underwent thyroidectomy. Overweight, obese, and morbidly obese patients were more likely to have total thyroidectomy, substernal thyroids, general anesthesia, operations of greater duration, and an overall or wound complication (all P Conclusion Patients with high BMI seem to require operations of greater duration and sustain more morbidity after cervical endocrine procedures than patients with normal BMI, but these differences may not be clinically significant. Thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy can be performed safely, with appropriate surgical decision making.
Thermal degradation characteristics of vinylidene chloride/2-[3,4-(1,1-dioxycyclopentyl)phenyl]ethyl acrylate copolymers

Abstract Vinylidene chloride copolymers form the base for a significant segment of the barrier plastic packaging industry. While these materials have many superior properties they tend to undergo degradative dehydrochlorination at process temperatures. In an attempt to identify polymers which might display increased thermal stability, a series of vinylidene chloride/2-[3,4-(1,1-dioxycyclopentyl)phenyl]ethyl acrylate copolymers has been examined by thermogravimetry. These polymers contain a 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl pendant masked as the cyclopentanone ketal. In principle, this moiety could consume evolved hydrogen chloride (to prevent its interaction with the walls of process equipment) to expose phenolic groups which might scavenge chlorine atoms. Both processes should enhance the stability of the polymeric system. In practice, copolymers containing 1.2, 2.6, 4.2 and 4.9 mol% 2-[3,4-(1,1-dioxycyclopentyl)phenyl]ethyl acrylate all undergo thermal degradation at approximately the same rate. The rate of decomposition of these copolymers, as reflected in both the rate constants ( k i ) for initiation and propagation ( k p ) of the degradation reaction, is not significantly different from that of the vinylidene chloride homopolymer.
Assessing the relative efficiency of agricultural production units in the Blackland Prairie, Texas

The way in which data envelopment analysis (DEA) can be used to assess the relative technical efficiency of agricultural production units is illustrated. Two variants of the existing DEA additive model introduced, each eliminating earlier difficults encountered inapplication and theory. These new models are demonstrated through application to agricultural data obtained from the Blackland Prairie, Texas.
A need for otolaryngology education among primary care providers

Objective: Otolaryngic disorders are very common in primary care, comprising 20–50% of presenting complaints to a primary care provider. There is limited otolaryngology training in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education for primary care. Continuing medical education may be the next opportunity to train our primary care providers (PCPs). The objective of this study was to assess the otolaryngology knowledge of a group of PCPs attending an otolaryngology update course. Methods: PCPs enrolled in an otolaryngology update course completed a web-based anonymous survey on demographics and a pre-course knowledge test. This test was composed of 12 multiple choice questions with five options each. At the end of the course, they were asked to evaluate the usefulness of the course for their clinical practice. Results: Thirty seven (74%) PCPs completed the survey. Mean knowledge test score out of a maximum score of 12 was 4.0±1.7 (33.3±14.0%). Sorted by area of specialty, the mean scores out of a maximum score of 12 were: family medicine 4.6±2.1 (38.3±17.3%), pediatric medicine 4.2±0.8 (35.0±7.0%), other (e.g., dentistry, emergency medicine) 4.2±2.0 (34.6±17.0%), and adult medicine 3.9±2.1 (32.3±17.5%). Ninety one percent of respondents would attend the course again. Conclusion: There is a low level of otolaryngology knowledge among PCPs attending an otolaryngology update course. There is a need for otolaryngology education among PCPs. Keywords: primary care providers; continuing medical education (Published: 27 June 2012) Citation: Med Educ Online 2012, 17 : 17350 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v17i0.17350