cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Not-for-profit hospitals' provision of community benefit: is there a trade-off between charity care and other benefits provided to the community?

Background For decades, not-for-profit hospitals have been required to provide community benefit in exchange for tax exemption. To fulfill this requirement, hospitals engage in a variety of activities ranging from free and reduced cost care provided to individual patients to services aimed at improving the health of the community at large. Limited financial resources may restrict hospitals' ability to provide the full range of community benefits and force them to engage in trade-offs. Objectives We analyzed the composition of not-for-profit hospitals' community benefit expenditures and explored whether hospitals traded off between charity care and spending on other community benefit activities. Methods Data for this study came from Maryland hospitals' state-level community benefit reports for 2006-2010. Bivariate Spearman's rho correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships among various components of hospitals' community benefit activities. Results We found no evidence of trade-offs between charity care and activities targeted at the health and well-being of the community at large. Consistently, hospitals that provided more charity care did not offset these expenditures by reducing their spending on other community benefit activities, including mission-driven health services, community health services, and health professions education. Conclusions Hospitals' decisions about how to allocate community benefit dollars are made in the context of broader community health needs and resources. Concerns that hospitals serving a disproportionate number of charity patients might provide fewer benefits to the community at large appear to be unfounded.
Higgs (general) at ATLAS

The ATLAS Higgs results are reviewed using Run-2 data taken at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with up to an integrated luminosity of 80 fb$^{-1}$. So far, the data are consistent with the standard model expectations. ATLAS now has observed the Higgs Yukawa coupling to the third generation fermions with $H\rightarrow \tau\tau$, ttH, and $H\rightarrow b b$ in the VH process. The Higgs boson will continue to provide an important probe for new physics and beyond.
Inhibition of Aspergillus flavus Growth and Aflatoxin Production in Transgenic Maize Expressing the α-amylase Inhibitor from Lablab purpureus L.

Aflatoxin contamination in food and feed crops is a major challenge worldwide. Aflatoxins, produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) are potent carcinogens that substantially reduce crop value in maize and other oil rich crops like peanut besides posing serious threat to human and animal health. Different approaches, including traditional breeding, transgenic expression of resistance associated proteins, and RNA interference (RNAi)-based host-induced gene silencing of critical A. flavus gene targets, are being evaluated to increase aflatoxin resistance in susceptible crops. Past studies have shown an important role of α-amylase in A. flavus pathogenesis and aflatoxin production, suggesting this gene/enzyme is a potential target to reduce both A. flavus growth and aflatoxin production. In this regard, the current study was undertaken to evaluate heterologous expression (under control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter) of a Lablab purpureus L. α-amylase inhibitor-like protein (AILP) in maize against A. flavus. AILP is a 36-kDa protein, which is a competitive inhibitor of A. flavus α-amylase enzyme and belongs to the lectin–arcelin–α-amylase inhibitor protein family in common bean. In vitro studies prior to the current work had demonstrated the role of AILP in inhibition of A. flavus α-amylase activity and fungal growth. Fungal growth and aflatoxin production in mature kernels were monitored in real time using a GFP-expressing A. flavus strain. This kernel screening assay (KSA) is very simple to set up and provides reliable and reproducible data on infection and the extent of spread that could be quantified for evaluation of germplasm and transgenic lines. The fluorescence from the GFP strain is closely correlated to fungal growth and, by extension, it is well-correlated to aflatoxin values. The goal of the current work was to implement this previous knowledge in a commercially important crop like maize to increase aflatoxin resistance. Our results show a 35%–72% reduction in A. flavus growth in AILP-expressing transgenic maize kernels which, in turn, translated into a 62%–88% reduction in aflatoxin levels.
Electrolytes in human gastric secretion. Observations and a theory.

1. The values of volume, acid, sodium, potassium, chloride, and pepsin in gastric juice in the basal state and following stimulation with histamine given subcutaneously or infused intravenously are reported. Nearly 160 studies were done in five groups consisting of control subjects and patients with duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, gastritis, and cancer. 2. The interrelations between a number of the constitutents of human gastric juice are described. With all other conditions the same, changes in one of the major solutes of gastric secretion are accompanied by predictable changes in the others. 3. It is concluded that the process of gastric secretion is a fully integrated mechanism, with the gastric tubule comprising the basic unit of the mucosa. This unit has been named the gastron. Its main actions are tentatively divided into a primary mechanism, the function of which is to secrete [Na+K] Cl and water (and, incidentally, pepsinogen, since the chief cells are thought to perform this function), and in the parietal cells, a secondary mechanism, which exchanges H for Na and so produces HCl.
Management of hepatic hydrothorax and effect on length of stay, mortality, cost, and 30-day hospital readmission.

Background and aim Cirrhosis-related complications are associated with high inpatient mortality, cost, and length of stay. There is a lack of multi-centered studies on interventions for hepatic hydrothorax and its impact on patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of performing thoracentesis for hepatic hydrothorax on hospital length of stay, mortality, cost, and 30-day readmission. Methods A retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2002 and 2013 and Nationwide Readmission Database during 2013 was performed including patients with a primary diagnosis of hydrothorax or pleural effusion and a secondary diagnosis of cirrhosis based on International Classification of Disease 9 codes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the effect of thoracentesis on patient outcomes during their hospital stay. Results Of the 37 443 patients included from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 26 889 (72%) patients underwent thoracentesis. Thoracentesis was associated with a longer length of stay (4.56 days, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.40-6.72) and higher total cost ($9449, 95% CI: 3706-15 191). There was no significant difference in inpatient mortality between patients who underwent thoracentesis compared with those who did not. Of the 2371 patients included from the Nationwide Readmission Database, 870 (33%) were readmitted within 30 days. Thoracentesis was not a predictor of readmission; however, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (odds ratio: 4.89, 95% CI: 1.17-20.39) and length of stay (odds ratio: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.001-1.05) on index admission were predictors of readmission. Conclusion When considering treatment for hepatic hydrothorax, many factors should contribute to determining the best intervention. While performing thoracentesis may provide immediate relief to symptomatic patients, it should not be considered a long-term intervention given that it increases hospital cost, was associated with longer length of stays, and did not improve mortality.
Creating and Teaching a Specialized Legal Research Course: The Benefits and Considerations

This article outlines the author's experience creating and teaching a specialized legal research course. It includes the reasons for offering such a course, tips for selecting a topic and developing a syllabus, getting the course approved, creating student interest, developing a teaching plan, and evaluating the course.
On Broadband Active Cloaking

Although great progress has been made in the theory and realization of invisibility devices, the issue of narrow-bandwidth operation remains unsolved. In particular, physical bounds have been recently derived, based on Bode-Fano theory, that quantify the inherent difficulty in broadening the bandwidth of any linear, causal, and passive cloak. If we remove the passivity restriction, introducing active media into the system, it is then relevant to ask the following questions: 1. Can we overcome the Bode-Fano limit, at least theoretically, and to what extent? 2. Can we guarantee the unconditional stability of the active cloak? In this paper, we discuss some steps toward answering these general questions. We first offer an intuitive discussion of why a passive cloak cannot be broadband, while an active cloak might. Then, we use a 1-D example to show, for the first time, that active cloaks have indeed the potential to operate beyond the Bode-Fano bandwidth limit. Finally, we design a simple 3-D active cloak that exhibits a much broader bandwidth than any traditional passive plasmonic cloak. All our design examples of active cloaks are stable, and we discuss some useful conditions to ensure unconditional stability.
Kant on Cognizing Oneself as a Spontaneous Cognizer

I examine a range of issues concerning Kant's conception of cognitive spontaneity. I consider whether we can cognize or know ourselves as spontaneous cognizers, and why Kant seems to regard the notion of cognitive spontaneity as less problematic than the idea of moral spontaneity. As an organizing theme of my discussion, I use an apparent tension between the A-edition and the B-edition of the first Critique. Against common interpretations, I argue that in the B-edition Kant does not revoke his claim that we can cognize, and (perhaps) even know, that our noumenal selves are absolutely spontaneous cognitive agents.
Optimal feedback control of batch self-assembly processes using dynamic programming

Abstract This paper reviews a previously-reported methodology for establishing feedback control of self-assembly. The methodology combines dimension reduction, supervised learning, and dynamic programming to obtain an optimal feedback control policy for reaching a desired assembled state. Sampled data are used in calculating the optimal feedback policy; this data can be generated using a predictive model (i.e. “simulated data”) or using experimental data. The control strategy is demonstrated, with both simulation and experimental results, for two applications: control of colloidal assembly (to produce perfect colloidal crystals) and control of crystallization from solution (to produce crystals of desired average size).
Cohesin Is Out for Stalled Replication Fork Restart

Replication stress underlies many genomic alterations in cancer cells. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Benedict et al. show that WAPL-dependent cohesin removal is needed to restart DNA synthesis at stalled forks and promote survival following replication stress, uncovering an unexpected link between stress and sister chromatid cohesion loss.
Fully Textile Insole Seam-Line for Multimodal Sensor Mapping

Here we demonstrate a fully-textile insole sensor capable of providing simultaneous pressure and wetness sensing. By utilizing a three-layer textile structure consisting of knit/non-woven materials and conductive yarns, we produced a pressure sensitive sensing array. An additional layer of embedded conductive yarns enabled mapping of wetness in the insole environment. The pressure sensing array was capable of detecting pressures up to 600 kPa, with enhanced sensitivity in the lower pressure regime (0-150 kPa) and was found to be stable to static/dynamic loading conditions following calibration. The system was demonstrated as an insole sensor for mapping plantar pressures during normal gait walking. As a wetness sensor, the system was capable of characterizing location and extent of wetness as well as distinguishing between ionic/non-ionic wetting fluids. We demonstrated detection of as little as $50~\mu \text{L}$ of saline solution at a single wetness sensing point. This fully-textile design provides conformal, breathable sensing for mapping pressures and wetness across curvilinear surfaces. This design enables spatial/temporal resolution of these parameters and could provide a method for long-term monitoring of dynamic skin interface environments to provide improved customized orthotic/orthopedic solutions.
Dueling Pacemaker Misbehavior

A 20-year-old male with complex congenital heart disease and a dual chamber transvenous pacing system for complete heart block presented with pulsating chest pain due to abrupt onset of extracardiac stimulation. Evaluation revealed competitive epicardial ventricular pacing due to automatic mode switch in a functionally abandoned abdominal generator that had reached elective replacement indicator. Explantation of redundant pacemaker generator resulted in complete resolution of symptoms.
The Use of Imagery and GIS Techniques to Evaluate and Compare Seagrass Dynamics across Multiple Spatial and Temporal Scales

Using aerial imagery and GIS techniques, a retrospective study conducted fine-scale (1.0 m2 resolution) seagrass mapping to document the spatial heterogeneity within seagrass habitats previously mapped at a broad scale (0.202 ha resolution). Thirty randomly selected estuarine habitats in Tampa Bay, Florida, were manually interpreted and digitized using 0.3 m resolution imagery from 2004, 2006, and 2008. Seagrass patches and patterns of seagrass change were quantified at multiple levels of spatial organization and multiple temporal scales. Habitats classified as patchy seagrass were found to contain, on average, 52.7% less seagrass when mapped using the patch-based, fine-scale approach compared to broad-scale map data. In higher-resolution mapping, seagrass was increasingly differentiated from bare sediment and the amount of seagrass quantified within the study’s extent was reduced compared to broad-scale mapping, which included some bare area in estimates of seagrass cover. Additionally, fine-scale mapping detected the presence of seagrass on tidal flat habitat that was previously considered “unvegetated” in broad-scale mapping. These findings can be used to improve the definitions of broad-scale mapping classes and suggest the selection of smaller ratio digitizing scales when mapping complex or sparsely covered seagrass habitats. Overall, fine-scale mapping at a large spatial extent provided insights into the patterning and rate of seagrass gap formation and fragmentation, appears to be a reasonable method for local studies or resource disturbance assessments, and has potential applications as a training tool for further advancement of semi-automated classification techniques.
Treatment Principles of Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Treatment of myofascial trigger points is also known as trigger point therapy. They include manual therapies accomplished with the provider’s hands and a mostly passive patient. More invasive therapies are available. These include trigger point injections and other devices aimed to relieve the trigger point. Identification and relief of perpetuating factors are also important to long term resolution of trigger points and the chronic pain they cause. Perpetuating factors can be metabolic and/or endocrine factors such as diabetes and hypothyroid. Perpetuating factors can also be mechanical in nature, including poor ergonomics or skeletal asymmetries.
Spectroscopic investigation on the affinity of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to gold nano-particles

Abstract The affinity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S protein) to gold nano-particles was examined through spectral shifts of SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance) band. Gold nano-colloidal particles are sensitive to the conformational change of the protein adsorbed over the particles' surface. As the pH value was gradually lowered from approximately neutral pH to an acidic pH (ca. pH 2), all mixtures of S protein with the gold colloids ≥30 nm in diameter exhibited a drastic red-shift of the average SPR band peak at one pH value more than that observed for bare gold colloids. The surface coverage fraction (Θ) of S protein over the nano-particle's surface was extracted and all showed relatively small coverage values (i.e., Θ ~ 0.30). The SPR band peak shift was also examined as the pH values were hopped between pH ~ 3 and pH ~ 10 (pH hopping). As the pH values hopped, an alternation of the average SPR band peaks were observed. A significant amplitude of an alternation was especially observed for the mixture of S protein with gold ≥30 nm of gold size implying the reproduction of pH induced reversible protein folding. We hypothesize that the pH hopping scheme captured a reversible transition between folded or Down conformation (pH ≥ ~7) and unfolded or Up (pH ~ 3) conformation of RBD (receptor binding domain). The acidic condition may also dimerize the S protein through RBD. The Up conformation or dimerization of S protein are considered to be connected to the other gold nano particles forming gold nano-particle aggregates.
Effect of Aromatic/Aliphatic Structure and Cross-Linking Density on the Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Resins

High thermal conductivity polymers are in great demand as thermal management materials. However, the thermal conductivity of polymers is typically low, ∼0.2 W/(m K), and a predictive understanding ...
Анализ процессов трансформации российской банковской системы и исследование возможностей по повышению ее эффективности (Analysis of the Processes of Transformation of the Russian Banking System and the Study of Opportunities to Improve Its Efficiency)

Russian Abstract: В работе приведена оценка динамики доли государства в российском банковском секторе; осуществлен анализ последствий финансового оздоровления крупных частных банков и сравнение эффективности различных механизмов санации, проводимых органами финансовой власти в последние годы; исследованы особенности функционирования российской банковской системы в условиях структурного профицита ликвидности. English Abstract: The paper provides an assessment of the dynamics of the state's share in the Russian banking sector; the analysis of the consequences of financial rehabilitation of large private banks and a comparison of the effectiveness of various rehabilitation mechanisms carried out by the financial authorities in recent years has been carried out; the features of the functioning of the Russian banking system in the conditions of a structural liquidity surplus are investigated.
Melanocytic hyperplasia associated with surgical scars in basal cell carcinoma re-excision specimens: a single-center retrospective study

BACKGROUND Melanocytic hyperplasia (MH) overlying surgical scars has been reported but MH adjacent to the scar has not been previously addressed. METHODS We evaluated scar-associated MH in 489 re-excision specimens of basal cell carcinoma. Melanocytic density, confluence, atypia, suprabasal scatter, follicular extension, distance from the scar, correlation with clinicopathologic parameters, and PRAME expression were recorded. RESULTS One hundred seventy-seven of 489 (36%) cases exhibited MH beyond the scar extending to 6.65 mm median distance, with a median density of 13 melanocytes/0.5 mm (6-24 mm), confluence in 74 (42%) cases, atypia in 14 (8%), suprabasal melanocytes in 25 (14%), and follicular extension in 21 (12%). Mean age of MH group was significantly lower than non-MH group (P < 0.0001). MH overlying the scar was significantly higher in specimens with elastosis than those without elastosis (P < 0.0001). PRAME expression was absent in 14 of 20 cases and present in rare melanocytes in 6 cases. CONCLUSIONS Increased melanocytic density with confluence, mild atypia, suprabasal scatter, and superficial follicular extension may be observed in re-excision specimens adjacent to surgical scars in the absence of a melanocytic neoplasm. These observations are helpful for appropriate interpretation of melanoma re-excision specimens, to avoid potential pitfalls in diagnosis and unnecessary therapeutic measures.
Student Initiative Empowers Engagement for Learning Online

Assessing the degree to which students engage and learn from their online courses will be important as online courses are becoming more ubiquitous. This study sought to capture student perceptions of their independence as learners, their level of engagement, their effort exerted, and the amount of information they learned in online courses. The study was conducted over three years with 455 students who completed a self-assessment at the end of an intensive summer online course. Results showed an equal number of students agreeing and disagreeing that online courses help students learn the same amount of information encountered in a face-to-face course. The majority of students reported they were more independent (84.4%), were more engaged (54.5%) and exerted more effort (57.4%), in their online course than a typical face-to-face class. Recommendations are made for faculty creating online courses who have the opportunity to coach students on how to succeed in the online learning environment.
How Abstract Things Survive

In the last chapter we saw that all words are names, and that what they name are material things. There are four kinds of things named. These are: material things, properties of material things, classes of material things and classes of classes of material things. The first we are entitled to call concrete things; the second may be concrete or abstract things, while the third and fourth are clearly abstract. I propose to call material things “concrete” and the various sorts of classes “abstract.” By “abstract things,” it should be noted, I do not mean to suggest the psychological process of abstraction but the things themselves. “Abstract things” are not mental constructs but genuine things. As such they are available for knowledge though not confined to knowledge, more like what Plato called the Forms. Accordingly, I shall use the terms “abstract things” and “Forms” interchangeably. Concrete things of course do not survive but are known to perish, some quickly, some with notable slowness, but all eventually. Abstract things, on the other hand, do survive; but the nature of their survival has always been something of a mystery. My problem is, how do abstract things survive?
Phagocytosis by blood cells in healthy and diseased caterpillars: I. Phagocytosis of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner in Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth)

Abstract The effects on the total and differential hemocyte count after injection of heavy and light doses of live and killed Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner were studied in sixth-instar larvae of Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth). Live and killed B. thuringiensis were phagocytosed by microplasmatocytes and macroplasmatocytes, but live bacilli caused the phagocytes to break down. Up to about 50 percent of total circulating cells acted as phagocytes. Acute septicemia was accompanied by a drastic reduction of the total hemocyte count and a reduction of the proportion of macroplasmatocytes. Other signs of advanced pathology were increased percentages of spherule cells and prohemocytes. After injection of heavy doses of killed B. thuringiensis , the counts were affected to a lesser extent and there was some increase in the proportion of microplasmatocytes. A similar reaction occurred after injection of light doses of live B. thuringiensis during the period prior to the occurrence of acute septicemia. The proportion of responding phagocytes was higher in the circulating microplasmatocytes than in the circulating macroplasmatocytes.
Forests in the Time of Violence: Conservation Implications of the Colombian War

Summary Forest remnants in the Colombian Amazon, Andes, and Choco are the last repositories of a highly diverse and endemic biota. Historical changes in the Colombian landscape have been dramatic, but the magnitude and rate of change has increased over the last half century, while conflict has consumed the capacity of Colombian society to respond to environmental threats. Academic experts in the study of the Colombian conflict have explored the social, political, and economic implications of the war. However, the environmental consequences of conflict are documented only when groups in conflict target salient economic resources. This paper presents the first analysis of the geographic distribution of forest remnants in relation to armed conflict in Colombia. Results show that guerrillas and/or paramilitaries range throughout areas of human encroachment into remnant forests. The policies promoted by Colombia's irregular armed forces range from “gunpoint conservation” rarely applied by guerrillas, to the ra...
An overview of the sustainability of solid waste management at military installations

An Overview of the Sustainability of Solid Waste Management at Military Installations Sharon Borglin 1 , Jennifer Shore, Heather Worden and Ravi Jain Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA Environmental Engineering Research Program, School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California Abstract Sustainable municipal solid waste management at military solutions necessitates a combined approach that includes waste reduction, alternative disposal techniques, and increased recycling. Military installations are unique because they often represent large employers in the region in which they are located, thereby making any practices they employ impact overall waste management strategies of the region. Solutions for waste sustainability will be dependent on operational directives and base location, availability of resources such as water and energy, and size of population. Presented in this paper are descriptions of available waste strategies that can be used to support sustainable waste management. Results presented indicate source reduction and recycling to be the most sustainable solutions. However, new waste-to-energy plants and composting have potential to improve on these well proven techniques and allow military installations to achieve sustainable waste management. Introduction Sustainability of MSW management is important due to several factors. Reducing waste preserves natural resources, can minimize health and environmental impacts, and can support the economy. As world’s resources are become more strained, sustainable solutions are becoming more necessary. However, in order to be successful, these solutions have to be socially acceptable, and be done while achieving a high standard of living and without compromising future generations. Solid waste management at military institutions represents a significant portion of the operating costs for the Department of Defense. Overall costs are rising, regulations are becoming more stringent, and landfill space is limited and decreasing. The installations operated by the Department of Defense (DOD) are required to follow Federal and applicable state laws when handling MSW. These regulations include RCRA, Title 40 parts 240-272, Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. There are also regulations that apply directly to military installations including Federal Facilities Compliance Act, Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, US Code 2577 with the regards to thee disposal of recyclable materials, Military Construction Codification Act of 1982. DOD requires each installation to develop an integrated solid waste management plan (ISWMP). In addition, several Executive orders (EO) direct the policies at installations, Page | 1
Uniform Solvability with a Finite Number of MWMR Registers

This paper introduces a new interesting research question concerning tasks. The weak-test-and-set task has a uniform solution that requires only two Multi-Writer Multi-Reader (MWMR) registers. Recently it was shown that if we take the long-lived version and require a step complexity that is adaptive to interval contention then, like mutual exclusion, no solution with finitely many MWMR registers is possible. Here we show that there are simple tasks which provably cannot be solved uniformly with finitely many MWMR registers. This opens up the research question of when a task is uniformly solvable using only finitely many MWMR registers.
On the Use of Expectations Data in Micro Surveys: The Case of Retirement.

The object of this paper is to ascertain whether data on retirement expectations is consistent with data on actual labor supply in the sense that both are derived the same optimizing model.
Side effect profile of 5-HT treatments for Parkinson's disease and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in rats

Background and Purpose Treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) with L-DOPA eventually causes abnormal involuntary movements known as dyskinesias in most patients. Dyskinesia can be reduced using compounds that act as direct or indirect agonists of the 5-HT1A receptor, but these drugs have been reported to worsen PD features and are known to produce ‘5-HT syndrome’, symptoms of which include tremor, myoclonus, rigidity and hyper-reflexia. Experimental Approach Sprague-Dawley rats were given unilateral nigrostriatal dopamine lesions with 6-hydroxydopamine. Each of the following three purportedly anti-dyskinetic 5-HT compounds were administered 15 min before L-DOPA: the full 5-HT1A agonist ±-8-hydroxy-2-dipropylaminotetralin (±8-OH-DPAT), the partial 5-HT1A agonist buspirone or the 5-HT transporter inhibitor citalopram. After these injections, animals were monitored for dyskinesia, 5-HT syndrome, motor activity and PD akinesia. Key Results Each 5-HT drug dose-dependently reduced dyskinesia by relatively equal amounts (±8-OH-DPAT ≥ citalopram ≥ buspirone), but 5-HT syndrome was higher with ±8-OH-DPAT, lower with buspirone and not present with citalopram. Importantly, with or without L-DOPA, all three compounds provided an additional improvement of PD akinesia. All drugs tempered the locomotor response to L-DOPA suggesting dyskinesia reduction, but vertical rearing was reduced with 5-HT drugs, potentially reflecting features of 5-HT syndrome. Conclusions and Implications The results suggest that compounds that indirectly facilitate 5-HT1A receptor activation, such as citalopram, may be more effective therapeutics than direct 5-HT1A receptor agonists because they exhibit similar anti-dyskinesia efficacy, while possessing a reduced side effect profile.
Living with Stories: Telling, Retelling, and Remembering

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 2008 Pages: 184 Publisher: Utah State University Press ISBN: 978-0-87421-689-9 (hard cover). Prices: $27.95 USD(hard cover).
Fostering Creativity in Undergraduate Chemistry Courses with In-class Research Projects

Chemical educators have viewed creativity in different ways, ranging from spontaneous “eureka–moments,” to informed hunches, to a skill that may be practiced and improved upon. Intertwined with these descriptions is consideration of what chemists do, how they seek and solve puzzles, and how creativity plays a role. When it comes to educating students in chemistry, traditional laboratory instruction has presented limited opportunities for promoting creativity and decision making. This has begun to change, however. A promising pedagogical approach for fostering creativity in chemistry is the inclusion of in-class research experiences in introductory courses. The Research Experiences to Enhance Learning (REEL) program is an exemplar of a program that has introduced more than 10,000 students to in-class research in Ohio. REEL courses diverge from traditional instruction in many ways, and in this chapter, aspects of the program that foster creativity are discussed. Student perspectives on REEL laboratories are quite positive, with their opportunity to creatively propose and explore research their own questions an important consideration.
Tracheostomy versus mandibular distraction osteogenesis in infants with Robin sequence: a comparative cost analysis.

Abstract Many treatments have been described for infants with Robin sequence and severe respiratory distress, but there have not been many comparative studies of outcome and cost-effectiveness. The aim of this study was to compare the cost and complications of two common interventions – mandibular distraction osteogenesis and tracheostomy. Nine patients with isolated Robin sequence (mandibular distraction osteogenesis, n = 5, and tracheostomy, n = 4) were included in the analyses. Predetermined costs and complications were obtained retrospectively from medical records and by questionnaires to the parents over a 12-month period. Overall direct costs (admission to hospital, diagnostics, surgery, and homecare) were 3 times higher for tracheostomy (€105.523 compared with €33.482, p = 0.02). Overall indirect costs (absence from work) were almost 5 times higher (€2.543 compared with €543, p = 0.02). There was a threefold increase in overall total cost/patient (both direct and indirect) for tracheostomy (€108.057 compared with 34.016, p = 0.02) and 4 times more complications were encountered. This study shows that mandibular distraction osteogenesis in infants diagnosed with Robin sequence costs significantly less and results in fewer complications than tracheostomy, and this contributes to our current knowledge about the ideal approach for infants with Robin sequence and might provide a basis for institutional protocols in the future.
Enigmatic Eastern Laurentide Ice Sheet deglaciation

The retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet at the end of the last ice age represents a dramatic sequence of environmental change that is evident in geological records across North America. The details of when, where, how, and why the Laurentide Ice Sheet collapsed are critical to understanding ocean-atmosphere-ice dynamics during this period of significant global climate change. The retreat sequence along the eastern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet is especially relevant for understanding climate variability. Enormous amounts of freshwater were released into the North Atlantic following deglaciation, and an influx of freshwater into the North Atlantic Deep Water formation zone can potentially trigger abrupt climate changes. Determining the mechanisms and feedbacks involved in climate change at the end of the last ice age therefore requires an understanding of the relationship between the southern margin ice retreat and connected meltwater events to atmospheric and sea surface temperatures, ice-rafting Heinrich events, sea level rise, and atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.
URINARY STEROIDS IN THE HYPERTENSIVE FORM OF CONGENITAL ADRENAL HYPERPLASIA

ABSTRACT Four patients with the hypertensive form of virilizing adrenal hyperplasia wore studied and compared with 6 patients with the simple virilizing type, and 7 others with the salt-losing type of this syndrome. The urinary patterns of excretion of total 17-ketosteroids, pregnanetriol, tetrahydrocortisol, tetrahydrocortisone, tetrahydro-S and tetrahydrodesoxycorticosterone were compared in each type of manifestation of this syndrome. The results show a significant variation in the degree of enzymatic defects present, with the majority of patients demonstrating an ability to perform the sequential enzymatic processes of hydroxylation necessary for the synthesis of cortisol. Prolonged stimulation with ACTH did not significantly increase this ability. In 2 siblings with the hypertensive form of the syndrome, clinical manifestation appeared only after puberty, indicating that this disorder may be a cause of acquired hypertension in the adult. The rarity of this abnormality is indicated by the negative res...
Highly selective acylations using a biomimetic strategy

Abstract Rapid, high yield acylation of thiol-bearing amines by one equivalent of thioacid may be carried out at 1 mM in the presence of large excesses of other primary amines. Silver ion, known to activate thoacids toward nucleophilic attack, simultaneously also serves as a binding site to deliver a thiol-tethered amine. An interesting dependence of yields and selectivity on [Ag+] was found, as well as a significant effect of chloride.
Preparation of 99mTc labeled substance P (SP).

Abstract Substance P (SP) is an ll-amino acid neuropeptide of the tachykinin family. This study investigated the preparation of an SP analog labeled with 99mTc for imaging SP receptor positive tissue (inflammatory diseases and neoplasms with increased expression of SP receptors). High specific activity 99mTc-SP was prepared using the 1-imino-4-mercaptobutyl (IMB) group as a bifunctional chelator. Biological distribution in mice showed increased 99mTc-SP uptake in the salivary glands (which have a high concentration of SP receptors), but this activity was displaced in animals pre-treated with excess non-radioactive SP. These data show that the uptake of 99mTc-SP is receptor specific. IMB derivatization at the N-terminal location is suitable for labeling of SP analogues with 99mTc. Synthetic analogues of SP labeled with 99mTc may be an attractive alternative to 111In labeled molecules and merit further investigation.
Anisocoria and Aerosolized Anticholinergics

The use of aerosolized anticholinergics has not previously been emphasized as a cause of pharmacologic pupillary dilation. The diagnosis can be confirmed by instillation of 1 percent pilocarpine hydrochloride in the affected eye, thereby preventing needless neurologic studies and evaluation. We report one patient who had transient asymmetric pupillary dilation secondary to aerosolized anticholinergic treatment Also, we looked at the incidence of the above complication in 40 outpatients who were treated for acute asthmatic exacerbation.
Parameter estimation in a two-compartment population pharmacokinetic model with destructive sampling

Abstract In many pharmacokinetics experiments, the kinetic parameters of individual systems must be regarded as realizations of random variables. Estimating the means and variances of these random variables is complicated when destructive sampling prevents repeated observation of an individual system. This study describes several parameter estimation methods for such experiments and compares them using three sets of simulated experimental data from a two-compartment model. All the methods gave reasonable estimates of means of the parameters, but only methods that take the covariance structure of the stochastic model into account gave good estimates of the variances. The results also suggest that the difference between the mean of the data under the stochastic model and the value of the deterministic model evaluated at the means of the rate constants is not as important in the parameter estimation problem as has previously been suggested.
How hard is it to be a Jew on college campuses

Despite the academic successes of Jewish students on college campuses in the United States, challenges remain, particularly in terms of social involvement and ability to practice religion, much like the challenges that face students who are members of other ethnic and religious minorities. In this paper we examine data from 1,087 Jewish students at eight elite colleges and universities in the United States. The greater the percentage of Jewish students on campus and, individually, the more Jewish students feel connected to other students, including Jewish friends, the more at ease they feel. Those more engaged in Jewish religious practices experience greater difficulty, especially if there are no kosher dining facilities on campus. Both the “invisible hand” of social structure and the practical matters of Jewish observance affect Jewish students’ personal sense of ease.
Neuroendocrine regulation of canine gastric secretion, emptying and blood flow.

Abstract Several peptides have been implicated as central nervous system transmitters regulating various peripheral organ systems. This study examined the central nervous system effects of rat corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), salmon calcitonin (CT), beta-endorphin (beta-End), neurotensin (NT), rat calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and bombesin (BOM) on gastric acid secretion, gastric emptying and left gastric artery flow in conscious dogs. All of these peptides, injected into the third cerebral ventricle, significantly inhibited gastric acid secretion but not plasma gastrin concentrations stimulated by a liquid protein meal. Ganglionic blockade with chlorisondamine abolished the gastric inhibitory action of CRF, CT, beta-End and NT but not of CGRP and BOM. Truncal, subdiaphragmatic vagotomy prevented the gastric inhibitory actions of beta-End and NT only, while bilateral adrenalectomy did not affect gastric acid inhibition induced by any of the six peptides. Cerebroventricular administration of CRF, NT and BOM significantly delayed gastric emptying of the protein meal while beta-End, CT and CGRP were not effective. Only BOM significantly increased left gastric artery flow. These results indicate that various neuropeptides alter gastric functions in a differentiated fashion and via distinct pathways. CRF and CT inhibit meal-stimulated gastric acid secretion by activation of sympathetic efferents. beta-End and NT inhibit meal-stimulated acid secretion by inhibition of vagal efferents while the pathways that mediate CT- and CGRP-induced gastric acid inhibition in the dog are unknown. Gastrin, the adrenal glands and changes in gastric emptying or blood flow do not play a role in mediating gastric acid inhibition produced by Cerebroventricular administration of CRF, CT, beta-End, NT, CGRP and BOM.
Ethanol preexposure attenuates the interaction of ethanol and cocaine in taste aversion learning.

Abstract Although the potentiating effects of ethanol and cocaine have been well documented, little has been reported regarding the effects of ethanol or cocaine history on this interaction. In the present study, female Long–Evans rats received five exposures to ethanol (3.5 g/kg ip) or vehicle prior to taste aversion conditioning in which a novel saccharin solution was paired with either ethanol (0.56 g/kg ip), cocaine (25 mg/kg sc) or the combination (or the drugs' vehicle) for a total of five conditioning trials. Nonpreexposed subjects conditioned with the ethanol/cocaine combination displayed aversions, drinking levels significantly less than nonpreexposed subjects conditioned with either drug alone. Further, the aversions produced by the combination were greater than the sum of the aversions produced by ethanol and cocaine, alone. Ethanol-preexposed animals conditioned with the combination displayed an attenuated aversion, drinking significantly greater amounts of saccharin than nonpreexposed conditioned subjects and not differing from controls. Although the basis for the attenuation by ethanol of the aversions induced by the drug combination is not known, the present findings may have implications for the use and abuse of the combination in that alcohol history may reduce the subsequent toxicity of the combination that in turn may affect its acceptability.
Gerontocracy in the social wasp, Polistes exclamans

Abstract We observed three naturally occurring Polistes exclamans nests in Austin, Texas for 139 h through a succession of 13 queens. Nine of the 13 replacement queens were the oldest individuals on the nest, forming a system of queen replacement that may be described as a gerontocracy. Before becoming queen, replacement queens foraged more and were more aggressive than females who never became queen. This system of old forager supersedure was similar to that found in other temperate species but contrasted with that reported for tropical species of wasps in which younger females who are not workers occupy the higher ranks just beneath the queen.
Abductor hallucis muscle flap with circular external fixation for Charcot foot osteomyelitis: a case report

Complicated soft tissue defects of the diabetic foot often call for alternative methods to traditional primary closure. Despite the popularity of microvascular free flaps, local muscle flaps can offer reliable reconstruction for these challenging wounds with shorter surgical times and reduced complication rates. In this article, the authors describe the successful use of the abductor hallucis muscle flap and external fixation for soft tissue reconstruction of a chronic Charcot foot wound and osteomyelitis in a diabetic patient. Keywords: muscle flaps; diabetic foot; osteomyelitis; Charcot neuroarthropathy; external fixation (Published: 11 May 2011) Citation: Diabetic Foot & Ankle 2011, 2 : 6336 - DOI: 10.3402/dfa.v2i0.6336
A Method to Ensure Preference Consistency in Multi-Attribute Selection Decisions

A number of approaches for multi-attribute selection decisions exist, each with certain advantages and disadvantages. One method that has recently been developed, called the hypothetical equivalents and inequivalents method (HEIM) supports a decision maker (DM) by implicitly determining the importances a DM places on attributes using a series of simple preference statements. In this and other multi-attribute selection methods, establishing consistent preferences is critical in order for a DM to be confident in his/her decision and its validity. In this paper, a general preference consistency method is developed, which is used to ensure that a consistent preference structure exists for a given DM. The method is demonstrated as part of HEIM, but is generalizable to any cardinal or ordinal preference structure, where the preferences can be over alternatives or attributes. These structures play an important role in making selection decisions in engineering design including selecting design concepts, materials, manufacturing processes, and configurations, among others. The theoretical foundations of the method are developed and the need for consistent preferences is illustrated in the application to a drill selection case study where the decision maker expresses inconsistent preferences.
Radiative-transfer-based retrieval of reflectance from calibrated radiance imagery measured by an imaging spectrometer for lithological mapping of the Clark Mountains, California

Spectral radiance imagery measured by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) are reduced to reflectance through compensation for atmospheric scattering, water vapor absorption, absorption of the well mixed gases, solar irradiance and the solar zenith angle. The LOWTRAN 7 (Kneizys et al., 1989) radiative transfer code form the basis for this retrieal. LOWTRAN 7 is constrained with water vapor determinations from the AVIRIS radiance data through an algorithm operating on the 940 nm atmospheric water band for every spatial element. In situ measurements of atmospheric optical depths are used to constrain the LOWTRAN 7 aerosol models. Accuracy of the retrieved reflectance spectra is evaluated with respect to surface spectra measured at the time of the overflight. The mineral bastnaesite is identified in the analysis of the retrieved reflectance imagery. These reflectance data provide a means to map the subtle mineral gradients in the PreCambrian block of the Clark Mountain range in southeastern California for geological analysis.
Disciplining the feminine

This essay, positioned at the nexus of several intellectual projects, including the rhetoric of inquiry, the ideological turn, critical rhetoric, and feminist theory, provides a case study of some of the practices in the communication discipline that support a masculinist ideology. The authors examine the ideological issues and practices implicated in a 1992 report on “Active Prolific Female Scholars in Communication” and in their effort to publish a critique of this report. The essay departs from normal conventions of academic writing, which privilege a unitary authorial voice, instead presenting the multivocality of several text fragments.