cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systematic Withdrawal Strategies for Retirees

The high-profile debate on spending in retirement often misses a crucial point: No single spending rate suits all retirees. This article develops guidance on spending rates for retirees. Taking into account uncertain asset returns, inflation, and longevity, the authors identify spending rates and asset allocations that minimize the expected lifetime shortfall for a systematic withdrawal plan. The analysis shows that sustainable spending rates depend critically on a client’s age, gender, and risk tolerance. It also demonstrates that retirees can reduce the risk of outliving their wealth and increase their expected future bequest by allocating at least some of their portfolios to equities. Moreover, the younger the retiree and the greater her spending needs, the more she should allocate to equities. Finally, because their wealth must last longer, couples should allocate more to equities and spend at a more moderate rate than those who are single.
Field Diagnosis and Measurement of Formation Damage

Methods for inferring the presence and magnitude of formation damage in petroleum reservoirs and for expressing formation damage and loss of well performance by various indicators are discussed. Skin factor, permeability variation, viscosity variation, damage ratio, flow efficiency, and depth of damage concepts are explained. Model-assisted analysis of the near-wellbore permeability alteration is demonstrated using pressure transient data. Monitoring formation damage effects by means of continuous real time series analysis and formation damage expert systems are reviewed.
The European Revolutions, 1848–1851: Society and social conflict in Europe during the 1840s

The countryside Towards the middle of the nineteenth century, Europe was a continent of peasants. Even in areas that were, by the standards of the day, heavily urbanized and industrialized, such as the Dusseldorf District of the Prussian Rhine Province, or the Austrian province of Bohemia, farmers made up 40 and 55 percent of the regions' respective labor forces. The French census of 1851 counted some 64 percent of the gainfully employed as active in agriculture. Moving east and south, towards the poorer, economically less developed parts of the continent, the presence of the peasantry increased: 85 percent of the labor force in the Austrian province of Galicia, on the Habsburg monarchy's border with Russia; 89 percent of the inhabitants of the province of Basilicata in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies at the far southern end of the Italian peninsula. “The people” of 1840s Europe were the peasants – a point that would surprise not a few contemporaries in 1848, when “the people” went from being the objects of political rhetoric to the subjects of political action. Peasant life varied enormously across Europe, and it would take several books to describe the differences in peasants' standards of living, agricultural tenures, farm products, customs, religion or folklore. For our purposes, we can note two broad groups of differences: in the kind of agriculture practiced and in the relations of production.
The Effects of Products’ Aesthetic Design on Demand and Marketing-Mix Effectiveness: The Role of Segment Prototypicality and Brand Consistency

AbstractA product’s physical appearance is difficult to quantify, and the impact of product appearance on demand has rarely been studied using market data. The authors adopt a recently developed morphing technique to measure a product’s aesthetic design and investigate its effect on consumer preference. Drawing upon categorization theory, the authors consider the effects of three dimensions of aesthetic design—segment prototypicality (SP), brand consistency (BC), and cross-segment mimicry (CSM)—and their moderating effects on marketing mix effectiveness in a unified framework. The empirical analysis uses a unique, large data set consisting of 202 car models from 33 brands sold in the United States from 2003 to 2010. The authors find that consumer preference peaks at moderate levels of SP and BC and that economy-segment products benefit from CSM of luxury products. Moreover, SP intensifies price sensitivity, and BC muffles price sensitivity while increasing advertising effectiveness. Two what-if studies il...
In Patients with Extra-cranial Carotid Artery Aneurysms, Does an Endovascular Approach Improve Clinical Outcomes Compared to Open Repair?

Extracranial carotid artery aneurysms (ECAAs) are rare but potentially devastating clinical entities, with notable risk of rupture and thromboembolism. ECAA management strategies include open surgery (ligation, clipping, bypass, and resection) as well as endovascular techniques. There are no formal clinical guidelines regarding optimal management of carotid artery aneurysms. However, a review of recent literature suggests that endovascular intervention may be preferable to open surgery, particularly in patients with high-lying aneurysms or a history of ipsilateral surgery or radiation of the neck. More research is needed regarding this important topic.
Reducing the rate of cesarean birth.

This column examines recent research that illustrates the varying perspectives of cesarean birth and vaginal birth.
Inventive steps: the CRISPR patent dispute and scientific progress: The recent patent decisions about CRISPR tell us a lot about how advances in biology are actually made—and how they are not

Recent decisions by patent offices in the USA and Europe concerning the revolutionary gene‐editing technology, CRISPR/Cas9, have shed light on the importance—and puzzles—of one particular area of patent law: “nonobviousness”, as it known in the USA, or, in Europe, the “inventive step”. In February 2017, the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) found that the work of Feng Zhang, a researcher at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, MA, USA, constituted a “nonobvious” advance over the celebrated work of Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley (USA) and Emmanuelle Charpentier, then at Umea University, Sweden [1]. As a consequence, the Broad Institute will be able to keep its US patents covering the technology irrespective of how Doudna and Charpentier's patent application proceeds. By contrast, the European Patent Office (EPO) announced that it had granted Doudna and Charpentier's European patent application covering broad uses of CRISPR/Cas9 in essentially any cell type, despite the US Patent Office's decision to the contrary [2]. Other parties—including the Broad Institute—will be able to challenge Doudna and Charpentier's European patent. But for now, the EPO's decision is an implicit recognition that Doudna and Charpentier's work was, itself, a major “inventive step” over the work that came before it. Patent law does not always neatly align itself with the realities of biological research. But these competing decisions have put those differences on parade. The US decision in particular—and even the nature of the controversy between the two US research institutions—has been widely criticized by scientists. One prominent researcher, Michael Eisen from the University of California, Berkeley, has taken particular issue with the PTAB's articulation of the typical manner in which molecular biologists adapt discoveries to different cell systems. “[O]ne can believe that it was obvious that CRISPR would work in eukaryotic cells, …
Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, BCR/ABL1 Negative

Atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML) is a rare neoplasm of hematopoietic stem cells characterized by overlapping myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative features, whose diagnostic hallmark is an overabundance of dysplastic mature granulocytic cells and their immature precursors in the peripheral blood and bone marrow. For a long time, aCML had no known molecular markers, and was characterized only by the genetic features it lacked, including the defining BCR-ABL1 fusion transcript seen in the superficially morphologically similar chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Furthermore, some classical non-CML myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including post-polycythemic/post-essential thrombocythemic myelofibrosis, accelerated-phase MPNs, and chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL), may mimic the clinical and laboratory features of aCML. An explosion of genetic research has identified recurrent mutations in SETBP1 and/or ETNK1 in up to one third of patients with aCML. Mutations in these genes not only shed light on possible mechanisms of aCML oncogenesis, but are also relatively specific for aCML, making them potentially useful confirmatory markers. As such, the 2016 revision to the WHO classification of hematopoietic neoplasms indicates that a diagnosis of aCML is supported by the presence of SETBP1 and/or ETNK1 mutations. CSF3R mutations, once thought to be frequent in aCML, are now considered uncommon, occurring in fewer than 10% of cases. If detected, a CSF3R mutation should prompt consideration of alternative diagnoses, particularly CNL. Patients with aCML have also been found to harbor mutations in numerous other genes that are not unique to aCML, but rather, are commonly mutated across the broad spectrum of myeloid neoplasms. Although these mutations have little specific diagnostic utility, they may shed light on the pathogenesis of aCML and could carry increasing significance with the development of novel, targeted therapies. At present, therapeutic options for patients with aCML are limited, and the disease carries a poor prognosis. Although our limited understanding of aCML has improved drastically in recent years, much more research is needed to understand its molecular underpinnings and to improve patient outcomes.
Performance of silicon drift detectors at LCLS

Silicon drift detectors (SDDs) are a well-established technology that has revolutionized spectroscopy in fields as diverse as geology and dentistry. At a first glance it would seem that detectors with such a slow response would not be suitable for the new ultra-fast x-ray free-electron lasers (FEL) coming online. However, for a subset of experiments at FELs, SDDs can make substantial contributions. Many measurements involve only several distinct photon energies known a priori, allowing pile-up deconvolution and accurate spectroscopic photon counting. Often the unknown spectrum is interesting, carrying science data, or the background measurement is useful to identify unexpected signals. We investigated the performance of SDDs at x-ray FELs, in particular the ability to deconvolve the spectrum that results from various combinations of a few wavelengths and the possibility of separately recording photons that are absorbed at different radii (thus having varying drift times). The analytic approach presented here permits isolating individual photon energies and interaction radii from pile-up events of 0 to 5 photons sampled from 6 monochromatic lines in a single SDD with accurate pile-up deconvolution, timing extraction and clipping correction. The usefulness of SDDs will continue into the x-ray FEL era of science. Their successors, the ePixS hybrid pixel detectors, already offer hundreds of pixels with similar performance in a compact, robust and affordable package.
In utero heat stress causes reduced testicular area at puberty, reduced total sperm production, and increased sperm abnormalities in boars.

Abstract In utero stress has been shown to negatively affect intact male rats and mice, though very little research has been conducted in boars. The objectives of the present studies were to determine the effects of in utero heat stress (IUHS) on postnatal development and the response to postnatal heat stress of boars. Ten boars were selected at weaning from litters subjected to IUHS or in utero thermoneutral (IUTN) during 30–60 days of gestation. The boars were evaluated for reproductive performance from birth through 57 weeks of age (WOA). Testicular area tended to be smaller for IUHS boars compared to IUTN boars at 24 WOA (P = 0.080). Libido did not differ for IUHS or IUTN (P = 0.818). Total sperm production was reduced in IUHS boars compared to IUTN boars (P ≤ 0.038). Semen volume and semen concentration did not differ (P ≥ 0.469 and P ≥ 0.664, respectively). Total motility and progressive motility did not differ for IUHS and IUTN boars (P ≥ 0.430 and P ≥ 0.652, respectively). In utero heat stressed boars had a greater incidence of sperm with tail abnormalities than IUTN (P ≤ 0.042). In utero heat stressed boars had a lower incidence of sperm with proximal droplets following mild, postnatal heat stress compared with IUTN (P = 0.005). In utero heat stress resulted in significant reductions in sperm production and increased sperm abnormalities in boars. The IUHS boars may be slightly more tolerant to postnatal heat stress, though more research is needed.
Efforts at Codification

Shortly after the Hague Codification Conference of 1930, the late Professor Brierly observed that the ideal of codification is that law should be embodied in a systematic written form. He observed further: It is an ideal never completely realizable, because law that is living contains an element of growth and cannot be finally or exhaustively imprisoned in a series of propositions however detailed and numerous.1
Does the Leapfrog program help identify high-quality hospitals?

Article-at-a-Glance Background Founded in 2000, the Leapfrog Group includes more than 65 employers and agencies that together purchase care for more than 34 million people. It has focused on measuring and reporting hospitals' adoption of evidence-based practices to improve patient safety. Whether this program helps identify high-quality hospitals is unknown. A study was conducted to determine whether hospitals that report patient safety practice activities have better quality of care or clinical outcomes. Methods Hospitals targeted by Leapfrog for implementation of three sets of patient safety practices—computerized physician order entry (CPOE), intensive care unit physician staffing, and evidence-based referrals (EBRs) for high-mortality surgeries—were examined. Data from the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) were used to determine quality of care and outcomes for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia. Results Among the 1,860 hospitals targeted by Leapfrog, those with substantive efforts implementing three sets of patient safety practices had better quality of care for all three conditions, although the differences were small for pneumonia. For example, hospitals with CPOE had better AMI quality scores than those that either did not have CPOE or those that chose not to report (95.2% versus 92.0% versus 90.1%, respectively; p Discussion Consumers who choose hospitals identified by Leapfrog as having begun to implement patient safety practices will likely find hospitals with better process quality and lower mortality rates.
STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS FOR CRACKED HOLES AND RINGS LOADED WITH POLYNOMIAL CRACK FACE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTIONS

The purpose of this report is to present some recent stress intensity factor solutions for cracked rings and holes which may be of general interest to other investigators. The present results are based on mode I solutions reported previously for radially cracked holes in large plates [I] and for radially cracked rings [2] loaded with an arbitrary crack face pressure. These through-thickness flaw geometries, showing the crack face pressure p(x), are presented in Fig. i. In addition to the single crack configurations shown, symmetric double flaws are also considered. Note that the ring geometry is limited to an aspect ratio Ri/R o = 0.5. As described in [I] and [2], stress intensity factor solutions for these two problems were obtained by weight function techniques and are given by K I = (H/K*) p(x) ~n/~a dx (1) o Here H is a constant which is defined by the modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio, K* is the known stress intensity factor for a given loading applied to the flaw geometry of interest, a is the crack length, x is the distance from the edge of the hole or bore of the ring, and is the crack opening profile corresponding to the known stress intensity factor solution K*. The solution for uniaxial tension described by Bowie [3] and reported in [4] was used for K* for the cracked hole problems, while the result obtained by Jones [5] for a point compressive load along the crack plane served as K* for the ring geometry. A convenient numerical technique for approximating the crack surface profile n and for computing the partial derivative ~n/~a is described in [I]. If the crack face pressure p(x) is defined as the unflawed hoop stress distribution next to the hole or ring when subjected to the loading of interest, (I) yields K I for the corresponding crack problem. This procedure was shown in [i] and [2] to give stress intensity factors which agree well with independent solutions for a variety of problems, as was recently used to obtain stress intensity factors for coldworked holes in aluminum plates and for autofrettaged cylinders [6]. The coldworking and autofrettaging processes involve introduction of residual stresses into the component by a radial expansion into the plastic range. The coldworked hole results agree well with corresponding experimental measurements and enabled accurate prediction of specimen fatigue lives, while the autofrettaged cylinder calculations agree favorably with previous solutions in the literature [7]. Thus, it is felt that these crack face pressure solutions are of practical use for analyzing fastener holes and thickwalled cylinders.
On the Modulus of Continuity for Noisy Positive Super-Resolution

This paper considers the problem of super-resolution with positive constraints. By utilizing the concept of Modulus of Continuity (MC), we propose a unified framework for analyzing the robustness of super-resolution reconstruction in presence of noise, which is algorithm-independent and emphasizes the role of signal structures. In contrast to earlier works, we show that incorporation of positive constraints improves the scaling factor of MC and provides tighter upper bound on the estimation error of any algorithm that exploits such structure. The unified framework is further applied to analyze convex algorithms for positive super-resolution, and the theoretical results are validated by numerical experiments. 11Work supported in parts by NSF CPS Synergy 1544798, and the University of California, San Diego.
Representaciones comparativas de Acne Vulgaris en películas y en dibujos animados de televisión

El acne vulgar es una enfermedad cronica de la piel muy comun. La prevalencia mas alta se da en la adolescencia. La representacion del acne en los dibujos animados de la television tiende a seguir un patron comun con un personaje principal al que le aparece un unico y enorme grano. El comedon angustia al personaje y sus conocidos le menosprecian, pero la lesion se resuelve y el personaje aprende una valiosa leccion de la vida. La descripcion del acne en la peliculas es mucho mas variada que en la television. Los filmes utilizan, normalmente, el recurso del acne para senalar un aspecto negativo de los personajes. Las cinco series de dibujos y las cinco peliculas abordadas en este trabajo contienen una gran variedad de respuestas sociales y psicologicas frente al acne que demuestran como un trastorno de la piel tan comun puede conllevar estigmas sociales considerables. Los dibujos animados y las peliculas pueden, de hecho, causar mas dano que beneficio al reforzar estereotipos culturales negativos sobre este problema.
Repeatability of adaptive optics automated cone measurements in subjects with retinitis pigmentosa and novel metrics for assessment of image quality

Purpose We determine the intersession repeatability of cone measurements via flood-illuminated adaptive optics (AO) imaging in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), to better differentiate variation due to imaging inaccuracies versus pathology-driven change. Methods A total of 25 4° × 4° AO images were acquired three times on the same day in 10 subjects with RP, registered in i2K Retina, and cones were identified using a custom-built MATLAB algorithm. Nine equally spaced regions of interest were selected for each imaging set. A subset of subjectively "poor" and "good" quality images was selected by three independent graders, analyzed using cone density, cone location similarity (CLS) and cone spacing, and compared to age-matched normals. Results The coefficient of variation (CoV), repeatability, and percent repeatability of automated cone density were slightly higher in patients with RP compared to age-matched normals, but showed no statistically significant difference. The standard deviation of CLS and cone spacing of nearest-neighbor distance demonstrated a statistically significant difference between good- and poor-quality images. Conclusions Repeatability of automated cone density measurements in patients with RP is comparable to normals. Misidentification of cones due to image quality variability is a major limitation of automated cone counting algorithms in patients with RP. Our study suggests that CLS and cone spacing metrics could be used to help define image quality and, thus, increase confidence in automated cone counts in patients with RP. Translational Relevance The novel AO image quality assessment metrics described in our study could help to improve patient image interpretation, prognosis, and longitudinal care.
Endogenous Institutional Selection, Building Trust, and EconomicGrowth

Private-order market institutions founded on trust-based relational contracts suffer adverse selection and moral hazard problems, while public-order market institutions have a limited capacity to enforce contracts. I model agent selection between contract enforcement institutions and demonstrate that the state's contract enforcement capacity is complementary to private-order contract enforcement institutions for low to moderate levels of public-order enforcement capacity. This suggests that initial improvements to public-order institutions cause the accumulation of trust and result in economic growth in both institutions. However, I show that the private-order institution must eventually collapse once the level of public-order contract enforcement capacity gets too large.
Continual Learning Using World Models for Pseudo-Rehearsal

The utility of learning a dynamics/world model of the environment in reinforcement learning has been shown in a many ways. When using neural networks, however, these models suffer catastrophic forgetting when learned in a lifelong or continual fashion. Current solutions to the continual learning problem require experience to be segmented and labeled as discrete tasks, however, in continuous experience it is generally unclear what a sufficient segmentation of tasks would be. Here we propose a method to continually learn these internal world models through the interleaving of internally generated episodes of past experiences (i.e., pseudo-rehearsal). We show this method can sequentially learn unsupervised temporal prediction, without task labels, in a disparate set of Atari games. Empirically, this interleaving of the internally generated rollouts with the external environment's observations leads to a consistent reduction in temporal prediction loss compared to non-interleaved learning and is preserved over repeated random exposures to various tasks. Similarly, using a network distillation approach, we show that modern policy gradient based reinforcement learning algorithms can use this internal model to continually learn to optimize reward based on the world model's representation of the environment.
Pre-Operative Quantitative MRI-Based Rotator Cuff Muscle Fat Fractions Are Associated with Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Rotator Cuff Repair

Objectives:Advanced fatty infiltration is correlated with poor outcomes after rotator cuff repair, and high-grade fatty infiltration is considered a contraindication for repair. The influence of lo...
Comparative Effectiveness of Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Resectable Lung Cancer in Older Patients.

Background Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is a novel surgical approach increasingly used for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, data comparing the effectiveness and costs of RAS vs open thoracotomy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for NSCLC are limited. Methods Patients > 65 years old with stage I to IIIA NSCLC treated with RAS, VATS, or open thoracotomy were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database and matched according to age, sex, stage, and extent of resection. Propensity score methods were used to compare adjusted rates of postoperative complications, adequate lymph node staging, survival, and treatment-related costs. Results In this matched study cohort of 2,766 patients with resected NSCLC, RAS was associated with lower complication rates (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.42-0.79) compared with open thoracotomy, and similar complication rates (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.76-1.37) compared with VATS. Patients undergoing RAS were as likely to have adequate lymph node sampling as those undergoing open thoracotomy (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.94-1.74) or VATS (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.66-1.18). There was no significant difference in overall survival after RAS vs open thoracotomy (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.63-1.04) or VATS (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.70-1.18). Costs were similar for RAS ($54,702) vs open thoracotomy ($57,104; P = .08), and higher compared with VATS ($48,729; P = .02). Conclusions RAS led to improved operative outcomes compared with open thoracotomy but may not offer an advantage over VATS. The comparative effectiveness of RAS should be further evaluated prior to widespread adoption.
Analysis of the On-Demand Spectrum Access Architecture for CBRS Cognitive Radio Networks

An on-demand spectrum access cognitive radio network offers spectrum services to users, so that users can dynamically set up application-oriented virtual topologies to support user applications. In this paper, we develop a mathematical model for the on-demand spectrum access architecture for cognitive radio networks based on the citizens broadband radio service (CBRS). The model can be used to estimate the blocking probability of spectrum demands from priority access license users, the network capacity, and the number of free spectrum bands available for lower priority general authorized access users. The performance evaluation indicates that the results from the mathematical model match simulation results well, which validates the accuracy of our model.
3D U-Net for segmentation of pulmonary nodules in volumetric CT scans from multi-annotator truth estimation

Low dose CT screening has been shown to significantly reduce mortality rates due to lung cancer. To assist radiologists, CAD systems continue to be developed for automatically detecting, segmenting, and categorizing potentially malignant lung nodules. Deep learning with the U-Net architecture has shown to be effective for automatic segmentation of 2-D images. The network consists of a down-sampling and up-sampling path, similar to an auto-encoder. However, the concept driving its success is skip-connections between down-sampling and up-sampling, allowing the network to preserve details and for easier backpropagation of error to deep layers. This concept has previously been brought into 3-D and successfully applied to image volumes such as MRI and CT scans. This paper applies concepts from these works (skip connections, batch normalization, Dice similarity coefficient loss, and stride convolution for down sampling) to a 3-D Convolutional Neural Network for segmenting nodule image patches in thoracic CT scans from the LIDC-IDRI database. This database contains scans from 1018 cases with annotations from up to 4 human experts. Within each scan, nodules are delineated by each of these experts. It is well known that manual delineation can be subjective between annotators. This paper proposes a model trained on a ground truth estimation from the four expert annotations using the STAPLE algorithm. Experiments in this paper show that when trained on STAPLE, automatic segmentation with a 3-D U-Net can result in improved similarity scores to human annotators than similarity scores between human annotators.
SIGNALING LEGITIMACY: AN ANALYSIS OF MEDIA FOR SUCCESSFUL AND FAILING NEW VENTURES

New ventures strive for institutional legitimacy. Signaling milestones helps these ventures achieve legitimacy as well as reduce information asymmetry with potential partners, such as investors. The current study creates a matched sample of successful and failed venture capital backed companies. The research examines media citations, both company directed (such as press releases) and independent, to see whether successful ventures differ from failed ones in the pattern of media. The results find that successful ventures have more media citations, more headlines mentioning the company, more unique publications providing them coverage, and higher growth rates in media attention than do failed ventures. Moreover, successful companies put out more company directed media than do failed ventures. Finally, while the tone of the media is predominantly positive for both successful and failed companies, successful ventures actually have a higher percentage of negative tone publications than do failed ventures. The implication of this study for entrepreneurs is that they need to actively signal their successes to create awareness and improve their institutional legitimacy. For investors, studying media citations can be another useful, low-cost tool in assessing a company’s potential.
Fidelity of motivational interviewing training for dental hygiene students.

Use of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a patient centered counseling strategy in the health professions, has demonstrated efficacy. Given the varied training associated with the delivery of health interventions, it is essential adherence and competence are equivocally assured. Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) coding evaluated our recorded standardized patient oral assessment and planning sessions to identify the skills in which MI-trained students (n = 26) performed compared to student counterparts (n = 24) not trained in the MI curriculum. The full integration of MI in those receiving the MI curriculum resulted in the dental hygiene students with higher ratings for all global ratings, behavioral counts, and summary scores. MI-trained mean scores for evocation, collaboration, autonomy support, empathy, and direction ranged from 4.16(±0.43) to 3.85 (±0.67). All students receiving MI training reached competence in all 5 of the referenced MITI global variables: evocation, collaboration, autonomy support, empathy, and direction. The most substantial improvements for MITI behavioral and summary variables were in Giving Information, MI Adherence, and proportion of Open-Ended Questions. Complex Reflections, and subsequently Ratios of Complex Reflections to Open-Ended Questions were notably below proficiency in the MI group. Knowing which elements were adhered to well and which were lacking helps inform student MI learning outcomes. Results inform the design of MI training curricula to address areas of weakness and maximize performance across all MI fidelity domains.
The first case report of Kyphoscoliotic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome of chinese origin with a novel PLOD1 gene mutation

Kyphoscoliotic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (kEDS) is a rare autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder characterized by progressive kyphoscoliosis, congenital muscular hypotonia, marked joint hypermobility, and severe skin hyperextensibility and fragility. Deficiency of lysyl hydroxylase 1 (LH1) due to mutations of PLOD1 (procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 1) gene has been identified as the pathogenic cause of kEDS (kEDS-PLOD1). Up to now, kEDS-PLOD1 has not been reported among Chinese population. A 17-year-old Chinese male patient presenting with hypotonia, joint hypermobility and scoliosis was referred to our hospital. After birth, he was found to have severe hypotonia leading to delayed motor development. Subsequently, joint hypermobility, kyphoscoliosis and amblyopia were found. Inguinal hernia was found at age 5 years and closed by surgery. At the same time, he presented with hyperextensible and bruisable velvety skin with widened atrophic scarring after minor trauma. Dislocation of elbow joint was noted at age of 6 years. Orthopedic surgery for correction of kyphoscoliosis was performed at age 10 years. His family history was unremarkable. Physical examination revealed elevated blood pressure. Slight facial dysmorphologies including high palate, epicanthal folds, and down-slanting palpebral fissures were found. He also had blue sclerae with normal hearing. X-rays revealed severe degree of scoliosis and osteopenia. The Echocardiography findings were normal. Laboratory examination revealed a slightly elevated bone turnover. Based on the clinical manifestations presented by our patient, kEDS was suspected. Genetic analysis revealed a novel homozygous missense mutation of PLOD1 (c.1697 G > A, p.C566Y), confirming the diagnosis of kEDS-PLOD1. The patient was treated with alfacalcidol and nifedipine. Improved physical strength and normal blood pressure were reported after 12-month follow-up. This is the first case of kEDS-PLOD1 of Chinese origin. We identified one novel mutation of PLOD1, extending the mutation spectrum of PLOD1. Diagnosis of kEDS-PLOD1 should be considered in patients with congenital hypotonia, progressive kyphoscoliosis, joint hypermobility, and skin hyperextensibility and confirmed by mutation analysis of PLOD1.
The Influence of Multiscale Habitat Variables and Population Density on Artificial Shelter Use by Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)

Recently, artificial shelters have been proposed as a novel tool to monitor Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) and other cryptobranchid salamanders. Factors that influence artificial shelter use by Hellbenders have not been identified, but are important for maximizing the utility of these shelters as monitoring tools. To identify these factors, in 2013–2018 we deployed 438 artificial shelters across 10 stream reaches inhabited by Hellbenders, within three rivers in the upper Tennessee River Basin. We hypothesized that occupancy and nesting would depend on shelter placement, and would be greatest in reaches with relatively high densities of adult/subadult Hellbenders (i.e., >1.5 individuals per 100 m2). We placed shelters in locations representing a range of instream conditions, but avoided microhabitats that were not suitable for Hellbenders. We monitored shelter occupancy by Hellbenders every 2–8 wk, and surveyed shelters for nests every 2–5 d during their breeding season. We quantified densities of adult/subadult Hellbenders and 10 habitat variables across multiple spatial scales. Hellbenders occupied 46% of artificial shelters, and nested in 17% of artificial shelters that were in place for at least one breeding season. Hellbenders were most likely to occupy and nest in shelters placed in portions of those reaches that were ≥50 cm deep with high densities of adult/subadult individuals. Among the variables we considered, population density was the most important factor influencing shelter occupancy by Hellbenders. Shelter nesting was most influenced by water depth, but also by population density and time since shelter installation. Both occupancy and nesting in shelters increased for 2–3 yr following shelter deployment. Our results provide evidence that artificial shelters constitute efficient tools in some streams for monitoring the occurrence and reproduction of Hellbenders.
Cavitary Coccidioidomycosis: Impact of azole antifungal therapy.

Approximately 5 to 15% of patients with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis subsequently develop pulmonary cavities. These cavities may resolve spontaneously over a number of years; however, some cavities never close, and a small proportion causes complications such as hemorrhage, pneumothorax or empyema. The impact of azole antifungal treatment on coccidioidal cavities has not been studied. Because azoles are a common treatment for symptomatic pulmonary coccidioidomycosis, we aimed to assess the impact of azole therapy on cavity closure. From January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2014, we retrospectively identified 313 patients with cavitary coccidioidomycosis and excluded 42 who had the cavity removed surgically, leaving 271 data sets available for study. Of the 271 patients, 221 (81.5%) received azole therapy during 5-year follow-up; 50 patients did not receive antifungal treatment. Among the 271 patients, cavities closed in 38 (14.0%). Statistical modeling showed that cavities were more likely to close in patients in the treated group than in the nontreated group (hazard ratio, 2.14 [95% CI: 1.45-5.66]). Cavities were less likely to close in active smokers than nonsmokers (11/41 [26.8%] vs 97/182 [53.3%]; P = 0.002) or in persons with than without diabetes (27/74 [36.5%] vs 81/149 [54.4%]; P = 0.01).We did not find an association between cavity size and closure. Our findings provide rationale for further study of treatment protocols in this subset of patients with coccidioidomycosis. LAY SUMMARY Coccidioidomycosis, known as valley fever, is a fungal infection that infrequently causes cavities to form in the lungs, which potentially results in long-term lung symptoms. We learned that cavities closed more often in persons who received antifungal drugs, but most cavities never closed completely.
The Taliban and Hezbollah: Political Parties or Terror Organizations

The emergence and continuing prominence of religiously based insurgency organizations has left unresolved one important aspect of this discussion: are these “political” parties or terrorist organizations? Though the designation of terrorist organization is commonly applied to the Taliban and Hezbollah, is such a designation actually legitimate? Are these organizations accurately depicted as terror organizations or are they better understood as religious insurgencies involved in domestic conflict and undeclared regional wars? This question would be much easier to answer if it were not for the fact that each of these groups is connected to regional patrons who not only provide various forms of material and financial assistance, which allows these clients to pursue their specific domestic interests, but, as a result of this relationship can be relied upon to provide additional military capabilities related to the regional interests of the patron. Add to this fact that each of these organizations enjoys solid support from various sectors in their respective societies.
A rare case of bilateral testicular torsion in a 57-year-old man.

Context Testicular torsion, the twisting of the testis or spermatic cord, places the testis at risk of vascular compromise and is a surgical emergency. Testicular torsion is predominantly unilateral (98% of torsion cases) and primarily affects neonates and adolescents in a bimodal distribution. Bilateral testicular torsion is exceedingly rare (2% of cases) and is associated with neonates. To the authors' best knowledge, there have been no reports of bilateral torsion in adult males over the age of 24. Case details A 57-year-old man presented to the emergency department 9 days after developing testicular pain while lifting his lawnmower. Ultrasonography performed at an outside facility was unremarkable. He was encouraged to followup with urology as an outpatient. Despite outpatient analgesia, he continued to experience pain and returned to the ED, where repeat ultrasonography demonstrated bilateral torsion with hypoperfusion. Discussion Although testicular torsion is uncommon, the clinician must recognize torsion; if left untreated, torsion leads to infertility. Previous publications suggest that ultrasonographic findings of bilateral testicular torsion should be attributed to "technical failure" rather than a plausible diagnosis. However, this case demonstrates the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion, especially with an atypical age range and pathological presentation, particularly among men during their reproductive years.
Escherichia coli ClpB is a non-processive polypeptide translocase

Escherichia coli caseinolytic protease (Clp)B is a hexameric AAA+ [expanded superfamily of AAA (ATPase associated with various cellular activities)] enzyme that has the unique ability to catalyse protein disaggregation. Such enzymes are essential for proteome maintenance. Based on structural comparisons to homologous enzymes involved in ATP-dependent proteolysis and clever protein engineering strategies, it has been reported that ClpB translocates polypeptide through its axial channel. Using single-turnover fluorescence and anisotropy experiments we show that ClpB is a non-processive polypeptide translocase that catalyses disaggregation by taking one or two translocation steps followed by rapid dissociation. Using single-turnover FRET experiments we show that ClpB containing the IGL loop from ClpA does not translocate substrate through its axial channel and into ClpP for proteolytic degradation. Rather, ClpB containing the IGL loop dysregulates ClpP leading to non-specific proteolysis reminiscent of ADEP (acyldepsipeptide) dysregulation. Our results support a molecular mechanism where ClpB catalyses protein disaggregation by tugging and releasing exposed tails or loops.
The Myriad Virtues of Subword Trees

Several nontrivial applications of subword trees have been developed since their first appearance. Some such applications depart considerably from the original motivations. A brief account of them is attempted here.
Dentritic [Ca2+] Dynamics in the Presence of Immobile Buffers and of Dyes

We present a reaction-diffusion model of [Ca2+] regulation in neuronal dendrites, in the presence of high-affinity indicator and endogenous buffers. We investigate the applicability of equilibration assumptions for a slow, NMDAR-like source, present an analytical solution to the system in linear approximation, and discuss a possible scheme for extending this approximation’s applicability. We obtain data on spatial Ca2+ spread that suggest that dendritic Ca2+ signals of NMDAR origin can be localized to 2–3 μm with no need for differential buffering or spines. Finally, we show that the difficulties presented by dye saturation may be circumvented by using fluorescence tails as a probe of [Ca2+] peaks.
Acetylcholine Receptors, Between Closed and Open

Muscle acetylcholine receptors switch between conformations that either allow ('open') or prohibit ('closed') ion permeation. We probed the dynamics of this structural transition using linear free-energy relationships. Specific regions of the protein were perturbed (mutations, voltage or agonists) and the opening and closing rate constants were estimated from single-channel currents. Usually, a log-log plot of rate constant versus equilibrium constant was linear, with the slope indicating the sensitivity of the transition state to the perturbation as being between that of the open and closed conformation. The spatial gradient in this slope, from open-like at the transmitter binding sites to closed-like at the middle of the membrane, suggests that gating is a wave that propagates between the binding sites and the membrane domain.
Social Work Field Education as Social Development : A Lithuanian Case Study

SUMMARY This article will discuss social development models and their application to the establishment of social work field education in Lithuania. A model of field education as social development is presented and discussed, with reference to promoting core social work knowledge, values and skills, establishing relationships between educational and social welfare institutions, and identifying the impact of field education programs on community well-being. Examples from the authors' experience in educational program development and implementation are presented, along with implications for international social work education.
The therapeutic value of low-dosage irradiation of the pituitary gland and ovaries in functional menstrual disorders☆

Abstract Twenty-three of forty-seven women suffering from severe amenorrhea have been menstruating regularly without the stimulus of incidental pregnancies for periods averaging 2.3 years following low-dosage irradiation of the ovaries and pituitary gland. Eight of fifteen women suffering from a milder form of amenorrhea (oligomenorrhea) likewise were restored to normaley without the aid of incidental pregnancies. Ten additional patients of the twelve who conceived soon after x-ray treatment have been menstruating regularly for periods averaging 2.5 years. Ten of thirteen patients of childbearing age suffering from dysfunctional metrorrhagia of long duration were cured by one course of treatment. Associated sterility was relieved in twenty of the thirty-eight women who had no ascertainable cause to account for the condition other than menstrual disturbances. Primary dysmenorrhea was an associated symptom in fourteen of 102 patients treated. Five of the fourteen were completely and permanently relieved without the aid of incidental pregnancies. The menstrual rhythm of seventeen regularly menstruating women was not disturbed by the x-ray treatment. Seven of cleven amenorrheic women responded after a second or third course of treatment given at intervals of three months; the condition of the remaining four was not aggravated by repeated exposures. It is assumed, therefore, that the x-ray treatment was not responsible for the aggravation of the amenorrhea of the two patients who had received only single courses of treatment. Twenty-six healthy children were born to women who had received the treatment. These data indicate that the procedure is harmless.
Hydrophobic Interaction of Human Interferon with Concanavalin A-Agarose

Abstract Human interferon binds to concanavalin A-agarose at high ionic strength (1.0 m NaCl) and cannot be readily displaced from the column with 0.1 m α-methyl-d-mannopyranoside. A partial recovery of interferon activity, with a protracted elution profile, was obtained with ethylene glycol, a polarity reducing agent. Complete recovery of activity, with a sharp elution profile, was obtained by the combined action of sugar and ethylene glycol. Apparently, the binding of human interferon to concanavalin A-agarose is due to both carbohydrate recognition and hydrophobic interaction.
Applications of signal and image processing to medicine

A tutorial is presented on the applications of signal and image processing to medicine that covers both one- and multidimensional signals, such as EEG, ECG, IR, ultrasound signals, etc., and two- and three-dimensional images, such as CAT scanners, MRI magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound images, holographic images, etc. The analysis problems covered range from the inverse scattering problem through signal/image enhancement in noise and filtering, parameter identification, pattern discrimination and recognition, coding, and data reduction to visualization and 3-D manipulation. >
Blood, Power, and Privilege: Why the man who ordered the slaughter of a race was not racist

This article argues that Trujillo's ordered massacre of the people in Haiti did not stem from his own racism. Rather, it argues that it was motivated by a desire to please the Dominican elite and a desire for personal power. This article is available in Constructing the Past: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol7/iss1/15 Constructing the Past Blood, Power, and Privilege Why the man who ordered the slaughter of a race was not racist
Cell-penetrating peptides: strategies for anticancer treatment

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) provide an efficient strategy for the intracellular delivery of bioactive molecules in various biomedical applications. This review focuses on recent advances in the use of CPPs to deliver anticancer therapeutics and imaging reagents to cancer cells, along with CPP contributions to novel tumor-targeting techniques. CPPs are now used extensively to deliver a variety of therapeutics, despite lacking cell specificity and having a short duration of action. Resolution of these shortcomings to enable increased cancer cell and/or tumor specificity could improve CPP-based drug delivery strategies, expand combined drug delivery possibilities, and strengthen future clinical applications of these peptides.