cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethnocomputational creativity in STEAM education: a cultural framework for generative justice

In the United States, the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (also widely known as STEM) attract very few African American, Latino, and Native (indigenous Alaskan, North American, and Pacific Islander) students. These underrepresented students might be more attracted to STEM disciplines if they knew STEM education’s extraordinary potential to circulate value back to their ethnic communities. For instance, underrepresented medical students, after graduation, are statistically more likely than white students to conduct research on health issues relevant to their ethnic communities. One of the most popular STEM reform movements that of STEAM (STEM + Arts) has done very little to help circulate the unalienated value of these ethnic communities. This paper describes “ethnocomputational creativity” as a generative framework for STEAM that circulates unalienated value in the arts back to underrepresented ethnic communities. We first will look at the dangers of extracting cultural capital without compensation, and how ethnocomputational creativity can, in contrast, help these communities to circulate value in its unalienated form, nurturing both traditional artistic practices as well as creating new paths for "heritage algorithms" and other forms of decolonized STEM education.
Multilevel Schwab grade II osteotomies for sagittal plane correction in the management of adult spinal deformity.

Abstract Background context Prior reports have compared posterior column osteotomies to pedicle subtraction osteotomies in terms of utility for correcting fixed sagittal imbalance in adolescent patients with deformity. No prior reports have described the use of multilevel Smith-Petersen Osteotomies (SPOs) alone for surgical correction in the adult spinal deformity (ASD) population. Purpose To determine the utility of multilevel Smith-Petersen Osteotomies (SPOs) in the management of global sagittal imbalance in adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients. Study Design/Setting Retrospective Observational Study at a single academic center. Patient Sample 85 Adult Spinal Deformity Patients Outcome Measures radiographic outcomes cohort study. Methods The radiographs of 85 ASD patients were retrospectively evaluated before and after long-segment (>5 spinal levels) fusion and multilevel SPO (≥3 levels) for sagittal imbalance correction. The number of osteotomies, correction in regional lumbar lordosis, and correction per osteotomy was evaluated. Independent predictors of correction per SPO were evaluated with a hierarchical linear regression analysis. Results 85 patients (mean age 67.5± 11 years) were identified with ASD (372 SPOs). The mean preoperative SVA and TPA was 8.16 ± 6.75 cm and 25° ± 13.23°, respectively. The mean postoperative CSVL and SVA was 0.67 ± 0.70 cm and 1.29 ± 5.41 cm, respectively. The mean improvement in SVA was 6.29 cm achieved with a correction of approximately 5.05° per SPO. The mean LL restoration was 20.3° ± 13.9° and 33(39%) patients achieved a final PI-LL ≤ 10°. 54(64%) achieved a postoperative PI-LL ≤ 15°, 75(88%) with a PI-LL ≤ 20°, and 85(100%) achieved a PI-LL ≤ 25°. Correction per SPO was similar regardless of prior fusion (4.87° versus 5.72° for revisions, p=0.192). In a subgroup analysis of SVA greater than 10 cm, there was no significant difference in the final LL, TK, PI-LL, SVA, CSVL, and TPA, as compared with SVA Conclusions Multilevel SPOs are feasible for restoration of lumbar lordosis as well as sagittal and coronal alignment in the adult spinal deformity population with or without prior instrumented fusion.
Hearing and Seeing Tone through Color: An Efficacy Study of Web-Based, Multimodal Chinese Tone Perception Training.

Multimodal approaches have been shown to be effective for many learning tasks. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of five multimodal methods for second language (L2) Mandarin tone perception training: three single-cue methods (number, pitch contour, color) and two dual-cue methods (color and number, color and pitch contour). A total of 303 true novice learners of L2 Mandarin (native speakers of English) completed a 3-week online training program. Results from pretests as well as immediate and delayed posttests indicated that multimodal training aided L2 learners’ tone perception, with a small, practical advantage for pitch contours and numbers over color coding. Dual-cue methods did not yield better learning than single-cue training. Thus, the additive benefits of multimodal input (i.e., auditory and visual) did not extend to instruction featuring doubled visual input (i.e., visual and visual). We argue for embedding color in visuals in a way that helps make abstract information concrete.
Fabrication of large area flexible nanoplasmonic templates with flow coating

We describe the development of a custom-built two-axis flow coater for the deposition of polymeric nanosphere monolayers that could be used in the fabrication of large area nanoplasmonic films. The technique described here has the capability of depositing large areas (up to 7 in. × 10 in.) of self-assembled monolayers of polymeric nanospheres onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. Here, three sets of films consisting of different diameters (ranging from 100 to 300 nm) of polymeric nanospheres were used to demonstrate the capabilities of this instrument. To improve the surface wettability of the PET substrates during wet-deposition, we enhanced the wettability by using a forced air blown-arc plasma treatment system. Both the local microstructure, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, describing monolayer and multilayer coverage, and the overall macroscopic uniformity of the resultant nanostructured film were optimized by controlling the relative stage to blade speed and nanosphere concentration. We also show using a smaller nanoparticle template that such monolayers can be used to form nanoplasmonic films. As this flow-coating approach is a scalable technique, large area films such as the ones described here have a variety of crucial emerging applications in areas such as energy, catalysis, and chemical sensing.
Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Low-Grade Feedstock Leachates Using Engineered Bacteria

The use of biomass for adsorption of rare earth elements (REEs) has been the subject of many recent investigations. However, REE adsorption by bioengineered systems has been scarcely documented, and rarely tested with complex natural feedstocks. Herein, we engineered E. coli cells for enhanced cell surface-mediated extraction of REEs by functionalizing the OmpA protein with 16 copies of a lanthanide binding tag (LBT). Through biosorption experiments conducted with leachates from metal-mine tailings and rare earth deposits, we show that functionalization of the cell surface with LBT yielded several notable advantages over the nonengineered control. First, the efficiency of REE adsorption from all leachates was enhanced as indicated by a 2-10-fold increase in distribution coefficients for individual REEs. Second, the relative affinity of the cell surface for REEs was increased over all non-REEs except Cu. Third, LBT-display systematically enhanced the affinity of the cell surface for REEs as a function of decreasing atomic radius, providing a means to separate high value heavy REEs from more common light REEs. Together, our results demonstrate that REE biosorption of high efficiency and selectivity from low-grade feedstocks can be achieved by engineering the native bacterial surface.
Validity of Wearable Electromyographical Compression Shorts to Predict Lactate Threshold During Incremental Exercise in Healthy Subjects.

Determination of lactate threshold (LT) is an important variable in improving cardiovascular endurance and performance. Unfortunately, monitoring LT during exercise uses a costly, invasive blood analysis. Recently, electromyography (EMG) has been deemed a potential method of monitoring exercise intensity and may provide a noninvasive technique to monitor lactate during exercise. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if wearable surface EMG technology, acquired from specialized compression shorts, could estimate the LT work rate during incremental cycling. Thirteen men (n = 9) and women (n = 4) completed a maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Blood lactate was measured every minute, whereas EMG was recorded throughout at the site of the vastus lateralis. Lactate and EMG thresholds were calculated using the Dmax method and compared using a Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test. Results demonstrated no significant differences between lactate and EMG thresholds in regards to work output (p = 0.83), percent maximal heart rate (p = 0.13; Cohen's d = 0.43), or percent peak oxygen consumption (p = 0.64; Cohen's d = 0.09). This confirms that both lactate and EMG exhibit similar properties (i.e., increasing exponential values) during incremental exercise. A possible mechanism includes the rise in blood lactate concentration, which increases motor unit recruitment in an attempt to maintain proper cadence and force output during incremental exercise. Thus, a coincidental, exponential increase in EMG amplitude may occur. Therefore, wearable EMG compression gear may provide a viable field tool for monitoring training intensity and predicting LT work rates.
The Exponential Function

By now we know Euler’s number \(\mathrm{e} =\mathrm{ e}^{1}\) quite well. In this chapter we define the exponential function \(\mathrm{e}^{x}\) for any x ∈ R, and its inverse the natural logarithmic function ln(x), for x > 0. (In the first section of the chapter we take a concise approach to the exponential function; in the second section we do things carefully.) These functions enable us to extend many of our previous results to allow for real exponents. For example, we obtain the Power Rule for real exponents, we extend Bernoulli’s Inequality, and we obtain a more strapping version of the AGM Inequality. We also meet the Logarithmic Mean, the Harmonic series and its close relatives the Alternating Harmonic series and p-series, and Euler’s constant \(\upgamma\).
Ocean acidification stress index for shellfish (OASIS): Linking Pacific oyster larval survival and exposure to variable carbonate chemistry regimes

Understanding larval bivalve responses to variable regimes of seawater carbonate chemistry requires realistic quantification of physiological stress. Based on a degree-day modeling approach, we developed a new metric, the ocean acidification stress index for shellfish (OASIS), for this purpose. OASIS integrates over the entire larval period the instantaneous stress associated with deviations from published sensitivity thresholds to aragonite saturation state (ΩAr) while experiencing variable carbonate chemistry. We measured survival to D-hinge and pre-settlement stage of four Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) cohorts with different histories of carbonate chemistry exposure at the Whiskey Creek Hatchery, Netarts Bay, OR, to test the utility of OASIS as a stress metric and document the effects of buffering seawater in mitigating acute and chronic exposure to ocean acidification. Each cohort was divided into four groups and reared under the following conditions: 1) stable, buffered seawater for the entire larval period; 2) stable, buffered seawater for the first 48 hours, then naturally variable, unbuffered seawater; 3) stable, unbuffered seawater for the first 48 hours, then buffered seawater; and 4) stable, unbuffered seawater for the first 48 hours, then naturally variable, unbuffered seawater. Patterns in Netarts Bay carbonate chemistry were dominated by seasonal upwelling at the time of the experimental work, resulting in naturally highly variable ΩAr for the larvae raised in the unbuffered treatments. Two of the four cohorts showed strongly positive responses to buffering in survival to 48 hours; three of the four, in survival to pre-settlement. OASIS accurately predicted survival for two of the three cohorts tested (the fourth excluded due to other environmental factors), suggesting that this new metric could be used to better understand larval bivalve survival in naturally variable environments. OASIS may also be useful to an array of diverse stakeholders with increasing access to highly resolved temporal measurements of carbonate chemistry.
Facilitation of an Exotic Grass Through Nitrogen Enrichment by an Exotic Legume

Abstract Invasive species control requires understanding the mechanisms behind their establishment and their interactions with other species. One potential ecosystem alteration influencing the establishment and spread of invasive species is anthropogenic nitrogen enrichment, from sources like introduced or invasive nitrogen (N)-fixing legumes, which can alter competition between native, non-native, and invasive plants. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and N-fixing yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) are exotic to the Great Plains and are currently invading and degrading native rangelands by altering ecosystem processes and displacing native plants. Therefore, we investigated how N enrichment from yellow sweet clover affects the aboveground biomass production of Kentucky bluegrass and western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), a native cool-season grass, the ranges of which overlap in the northern Great Plains. In a controlled greenhouse environment, we conditioned experimental pots by growing yellow sweet clover and terminating each plant after 8 wk. Conditioned soils contained ≈ 340% more plant-available N than untreated soils 2 wk after yellow sweet clover death. We then grew Kentucky bluegrass and western wheatgrass transplant seedlings in interspecific and intraspecific pairs in pots conditioned either with or without yellow sweet clover for 12 wk. Aboveground biomass production of both Kentucky bluegrass and western wheatgrass grown in interspecific and intraspecific pairs increased in conditioned soils. However, when grown together in conditioned pots, the increase in Kentucky bluegrass biomass relative to untreated pots (520%) was double that of the increase in western wheatgrass biomass (260%). Our results reveal that Kentucky bluegrass can use increased soil N to produce proportionally more aboveground biomass than western wheatgrass, a native grass competitor. Thus, our results suggest yellow sweet clover and other sources of N enrichment may facilitate the invasion of Kentucky bluegrass.
Cancer screening in the pediatric cancer patient: a focus on genitourinary malignancies, and why does a urologist need to know about this?

Summary Introduction The long-term survival of a patient with childhood cancer now exceeds 80%. Unfortunately, as survivorship improves, the long-term consequences of the treatments used have become manifest. Specifically, the finding that development of a subsequent malignant neoplasm (SMN) is the leading cause of late mortality is concerning. In cancer survivors who are at high risk for developing an SMN, cancer screening protocols have well-documented survivorship benefits. Regrettably, 50% of these high-risk patients are non-compliant with these protocols, with studies revealing that inadequate patient compliance is in part because of insufficient knowledge of the physician regarding its need. Discussion Urologists are in a unique position to correct this deficiency. Characteristically, survivors of childhood cancer present to urologists as an adult with complaints of infertility, erectile dysfunction, androgen deprivation, lower urinary tract symptoms or for follow-up of a urinary diversion. The urologist because of their specialty should be able to treat the patients presenting complaint, identify the high-risk patient, and re-establish them on their surveillance protocol. Screening recommendations for high-risk patients The risk for developing an SMN is unequally expressed and is temporally biphasic. A minimal 10-year follow-up time span is recommended for patients who received alkylating agents or topoisomerase inhibitors. These agents can induce hematologic malignancies classically within the first 3–5 years after chemotherapy completion, with minimal risk existing after 10 years. Lifelong follow-up for SMN development is recommended under five distinct circumstances; if a genetic predisposition to tumor formation exists, a persistent post-treatment non-malignant mass is present if chemotherapy was received before 2 years of age, if the initial type of tumor predisposes to SMN, or if the patient received radiation therapy. Conclusion The urologists ability to identify the patient at high risk for developing an SMN and return them to a surveillance protocol is crucial for appropriate patient management.
Sediment accumulation expectations for growing desert cities: a realistic desired outcome to be used in constructing appropriately sized sediment storage of flood control structures

Many rapidly urbanizing desert cities (RUDC) around the globe experience an acute risk of flooding. To reduce this risk, properly engineered Flood Control Structures (FCS) must account for sediment accumulation as well as flood waters. While the Phoenix area, USA, uses regional data from non-urban, non-desert watersheds to generate sediment yield rates (SYR), the proposed desired outcome for RUDCs is to base FCS on data related to urbanization. Wolman (1967) recognized that sediment yields spike during a relatively short period of bare-ground exposure associated with urban growth, followed by surface sealing resulting in a great reduction in sediment yield. This research presents a new analysis of empirical data where two regression models provide estimates of a more realistic sediment accumulation for arid regions and also urbanization of a desert cities: i) linear regression between drainage area and sediment yield based on a compilation of more than 150 global sediment yield data for warm desert (BWh Koppen‐Geiger) climate; and ii) linear regression relating percent urban growth with sediment yield using available data on urbanization-generated sediment associated with growth of a desert city. The new model can be used to predict the realistic sediment accumulation for helping provide data where few data exists in urbanizing parts of arid Africa, southwest Asia, and India.
Neuroplasticity in Brain Injury: Maximizing Recovery

The ability to promote greater neuroplasticity through external influencers is an emerging field of study with potentially significant consequences on the treatment of neurologic injury. Several of these methods are reviewed in this paper. Through advances in neuroscience, a clearer understanding of the complexity of the brain’s interconnectedness and its ability to adapt to the environment is leading to neurorehabilitation treatments that augment the brain’s capacity towards neuroplastic change. An increased appreciation and recognition of neuroplasticity has led to novel approaches to promote neurorecovery that increase stimulation and the release of neutrophic factors. Some of these interventions include the use of pharmacologic agents, noninvasive stimulation, mirror therapy, aerobic and task-specific exercise, and the maximization of sleep. Future research will continue to build upon this foundation by continuing to pair therapeutic interventions with rehabilitation to enhance the brain’s natural healing power and improve functional outcomes.
Unplanned Extubations in the NICU: A 3 Year Study in a Quaternary Unit

Background: Unplanned extubations in the neonatal intensive care unit cause significant adverse effects on the neonate. In previous studies, reduction of unplanned extubation occurred with the combination of a standardized method of securing the endotracheal tube and, importantly, investment of the staff in making changes. Changes in practice were made using multiple, successive PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles. Our goal was to reduce our rate of unplanned extubations in our NICU population to < 8 per 100 ventilatory by the beginning of …
Dual Modality Imaging of Melanoma Using Clinically-translated Ultrasmall Silica Nanoparticles Targeting Integrin and Melanocortin-1 Receptor Expressing Melanoma Models

196 Objectives: To demonstrate multimodality (PET/Optical) imaging capabilities of ultrasmall (sub-10 nm), renally-clearable C’ dot silica nanoparticle probes for targeting and visualizing markers (αvβ3 integrin, melanocortin-1 receptor) overexpressed on murine and human melanoma tumors with high specificity. Method: Ultrasmall C’ dots (<10 nm diameter), functionalized with multiple cRGDY- or aMSH-peptide ligands and PEG chains (i.e., cRGDY-/aMSH-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots) were synthesized in aqueous environments using previously established methods. Specific binding and cellular internalization were confirmed via in vitro cell-based assays using flow-activated cell sorting and fluorescence microscopy. Biological and scrambled peptide controls were utilized to confirm specificity of targeted particle probes. Optical (Cy5) and PET (89Zr, 124I) imaging were implemented to visualize C’ dot accumulations in syngeneic and human xenograft models of melanoma, as well as to determine the biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profiles of C’ dot nanoplatforms. Results: Highly stable cRGDY-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots with varying surface densities of cRGDY peptides (n= 6, 14, or 18) demonstrate a ligand-dependent increase in cellular binding and uptake when incubated with human melanoma cell lines. Cellular binding/uptake of cRGDY-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots was determined to be highly specific, demonstrated by significant attenuation of overall uptake observed using cRADY-peptide conjugated C’ dots (n= 15-20), anti-αvβ3 blocking antibody, or non-integrin expressing cell lines. The radiolabeling of cRGDY-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots (18 cRGDY-peptides) with iodine-124 (i.e.,124I) led to significant increases in M21 tumor uptake by comparison with M21 cells lacking surface integrin expression (M21-L). Addition of an aMSH-peptide to the C’ dot nanoplatform again led to efficient melanoma targeting in mouse models while overcoming previously reported high kidney retention of the free peptide. Conjugation of aMSH peptides to the C9 dot surface also revealed a 10-fold increase in binding affinity over the native peptide itself and showed substantial increases in tumor uptake over that of background (tumor-to-muscle ratio >5). Conclusion: To better understand the importance of targeting peptides and optimal surface-loading densities, we engineered the C’ dot nanoplatform to display ligands (cRGDY-, aMSH-peptides) targeting cell surface receptors known to be overexpressed on melanoma models. We found that, over a range of increasing ligand density (n= 6-18), dramatic improvements in tumor cell binding and uptake were realized for peptide-particle conjugates over that found for the free peptide alone - all while maintaining overall particle sizes below 10 nm to promote renal clearance.
Vernacular performance, memory construction, and emotions: warrior epics, Akhārās, and giant Jinas in Gwalior

Scholars of contemporary South Asia have highlighted the role of performance in the production of political violence.1 They have shown how this takes place against a discursive framework that invol...
Values of lifelong learners and their pursuits of happiness and whole-person wellness.

Objectives: In this study, we explored the lived experiences of older adults engaged in lifelong learning programs using the Orientations to Happiness (OTH) framework.Methods: Semi-structured inter...
Perceptions of Barriers Distinguish Young College Students Who Have Higher or Lower Physical Activity Levels

Limited research has simultaneously examined the perceived and actual circumstances and characteristics that influence young college students’ level of physical activity (PA). The current study investigated whether young college students with Health Enhancing (HE) or Minimally Active (MA) levels of PA had different levels of grit (a quality that helps one to succeed at a goal despite set-backs), self-control, and perceived barriers to engaging in PA. A sample of 46 freshmen and sophomores in college completed self-rated versions of a demographic questionnaire, the Short Grit Scale, Barriers to Being Active Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and Self-Control Scale. Results suggest that participants in the HE group engaged in more vigorous, moderate, and walking PA. The two groups significantly differed in their perception of barriers to engagement in PA, with the MA group reporting greater obstacles than the HE group. Specifically, the two groups differed in their perceived barriers related to time, injury, social influences, willpower, and resources. No differences were found between the groups’ level of grit and self-control. Based on these findings, intervention strategies may be modified according to students’ levels of PA and what they perceive as barriers to engaging in PA. Keywords: barriers, characteristics, college students, physical activity
Combined Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of n-Type BiFeO3 for Use as a Photoanode in a Photoelectrochemical Cell

Combined experimental and theoretical investigations were performed to evaluate the potential of n-type BiFeO3 as a photoanode. While previous experimental and theoretical studies on BiFeO3 mainly ...
A Data-Aware Deep Supervised Method for Retinal Vessel Segmentation

Accurate vessel segmentation in retinal images is vital for retinopathy diagnosis and analysis. However, existence of very thin vessels in low image contrast along with pathological conditions (e.g., capillary dilation or microaneurysms) render the segmentation task difficult. In this work, we present a novel approach for retinal vessel segmentation focusing on improving thin vessel segmentation. We develop a deep convolutional neural network (CNN), which exploits the specific characteristics of the input retinal data to use deep supervision, for improved segmentation accuracy. In particular, we use the average input retinal vessel width and match it with the layer-wise effective receptive fields (LERF) of the CNN to determine the location of the auxiliary supervision. This helps the network to pay more attention to thin vessels, that otherwise the network would ‘ignore’ during training. We verify our method on three public retinal vessel segmentation datasets (DRIVE, CHASE_DB1, and STARE), achieving better sensitivity (10.18% average increase) than state-of-the-art methods while maintaining comparable specificity, accuracy, and AUC.
Precarious Windows of Opportunity: Adverse Wait-List Dropout for Cholangiocarcinoma Versus Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Liver transplantation (LT) is unique amongst solid organ transplantation as it is successfully applied to primary malignancies. Despite this efficacious experience, organ allocation for primary liver malignancies remains complex . The confounding issues relate to controversies in indications, the role of neoadjuvant therapy with down-staging of the disease, assessment of tumor biology, and organ stewardship (1). The latter issue, organ stewardship, remains the crux of the debate; for if there were a surfeit of available organs and patients with malignancy were not competing with patients waitlisted for end-stage cirrhosis for a scarce resource, the current concerns would dissipate. Organ allocation priority for patients with cirrhosis in the United States is based on the objective Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score; however, for patients with malignancy the allocation priority is modeled on the likelihood the disease will progress beyond transplant criteria (the equivalent of death for the waitlisted, hopeful patient) by applying MELD exception points, a precarious window (peephole) of opportunity.
The Civic Culture(s): Groups, Norms, and the Health of Democracy

Democratic institutions need a healthy “civic culture” to function well. Many worry that civic cultures today are decaying in the United States and other established democracies. We note two problems with these assessments. First, there are several ways to measure civic culture, but scholars typically focus only on their preferred approach. Second, most scholars assume a single civic culture, despite racial, ethnic, class, and other differences. So talk of “the” civic culture erases non-dominant groups. Without a framework to integrate different approaches and account for group variation, we cannot assess decline, nor specify for whom. And without those, we are unable to intervene to make things better. We introduce a theory of civic culture as a system of norms that integrates the main approaches to measuring civic culture and does so in a way that leads to a principled framework for understanding racial, ethnic, and other group variation within countries.
Intra-articular Morphine and Ropivacaine Injection Provides Efficacious Analgesia As Compared With Femoral Nerve Block in the First 24 Hours After ACL Reconstruction: Results From a Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Graft in an Adolescent Population.

Background:Opioid consumption and patient satisfaction are influenced by a surgeon’s pain-management protocol as well as the use of adjunctive pain mediators. Two commonly utilized adjunctive pain ...
Treatment for Fecal Incontinence: Sphincteroplasty and Postanal Repair

Management of fecal incontinence requires a multimodal approach including medical and surgical strategies. This chapter details surgical management with overlapping sphincteroplasty and describes the now historic Parks postanal repair. Indications, patient selection, operative technique, revision procedures, outcomes, and patient counseling are explored.
Nonconvulsive status epilepticus in a patient with mental status changes

ABSTRACT.We report a case of nonconvulsive status epilepticus presenting as recurring episodes of altered mental status before and after bone marrow transplantation for multiple myeloma. Early recognition of nonconvulsive status epilepticus as a cause of altered mental status is important, because prompt treatment with antiepileptic medications may improve neurologic outcome. EEG is the essential diagnostic test in the evaluation of the disturbance of the level of consciousness in patients undergoing the transplantation procedure.
Analysis of ex-core neutron detector response during a loss-of-coolant accident

In this paper the experimental response of ex-core neutron detectors during both actual and simulated loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) at a pressurized water reactor are analyzed to determine their cause. Various analytical techniques are used to reproduce the ex-core detector response during large-break LOCAs. These techniques include both discrete ordinates transport and point kernel calculations. The experiments analyzed include large-break LOCA experiments at the Loss of Fluid Test Facility and from the Three Mile Island accident. The results show that an adiabatic method is sufficiently accurate to reproduce the detector response. This response can be explained in terms of the combined effects of changes in shielding and multiplication that occur in a core during a LOCA.
Death and Consumption

Death and consumption intersect at the practical need to dispose of a human corpse and the oft-accompanying ritual. In the modern capitalist West this universal and basic human responsibility has become a multibillion-dollar industry whose main actors and transactions are sanctioned and regulated by state governments and federal agencies. For many in the United States, the death ritual is located within the purview of the funeral home, a commercial establishment offering services and merchandise related to the legal, practical, religious, and cultural requirements of corpse disposal and bereavement. Guided by religious and cultural standards, many survivors use the presentation of the death ritual as a way to honor the dead, retain social status for the deceased and surviving family, assuage unpleasant emotions about the death, reconcile changing relationships and social roles, and provide comfort and solace to mourners. Keywords: business ethics; consumption; death; ritual
Three-cocycles and the operator product expansion

Anomalous contributions to the Jacobi identity of chromoelectric fields and non-Abelian vector currents are calculated using a nonperturbative approach that combines operator product expansion and a generalization of the Bjorken-Johnson-Low limit. The failure of the Jacobi identity and the associated three-cocycles are discussed. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Rapidly converging adaptive IIR algorithms

Several new adaptive infinite-impulse (IIR) filtering algorithms based upon the the algorithm developed by Fan and Jenkins (1986) are proposed. The Fan-Jenkins algorithm was shown to experimentally possess the ability to converge to the global minimum of the mean square error (MSE) even in cases where the MSE surface is ill-conditioned. By incorporating estimates of the Hessian matrix in the adaptive filter coefficient update expressions, the new versions of the algorithm appear to improve the convergence performance in comparison to the traditional least mean square (LMS) type algorithms and to preserve the ability of the algorithm to converge to the global minimum of the MSE. The last mean square (LMS), recursive least square (RLS), Gauss-Newton (GN), and the fast quasi-Newton forms of the algorithm are formulated and compared via simulation.
Lab-on-a-chip systems with three dimensional microelectrodes

This paper reports on the development and testing of a self-contained portable electrochemical (EC) detection platform capable of monitoring heavy metals (Pb, Cu etc.). Towards this end, a lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device was fabricated by etching a microchannel system into a soda lime glass substrate and incorporating photo-lithographically patterned radial gold microelectrodes at the end of the designated separation channel. The first pair of electrodes was modified into a single 3D microelectrode whose high surface area is ideal for effective pre-concentration of metals ions in a sample stream, while the other 2 pairs were unmodified and used as planar "sensing" electrodes. Proper control of plating and stripping voltages at the 3D microelectrode yielded initial pre-concentration and subsequent release of Cu/sup 2+/ ions, which were then detected downstream at the one of the planar electrodes.
CDA: a system for understanding the dynamic properties of data processing programs

During software maintenance, it is of critical importance for maintenance staff to understand how a system works and when they make a change to part of the system, what effects this change will have on other parts of the system. It is observed that much of the program understanding process revolves around dynamic properties such as the states, state sequences and state transition operations. Hence, it is necessary to support the understanding process when the staff is reasoning about what could take place when the program is in operation and what could happen if part of the code is modified. CDA is a system for understanding the dynamic properties of large data processing programs. It allows the user to incrementally document their understanding of a program as working hypotheses and abstract operations with CDA comments. It then verifies these hypotheses to determine if they are justified. The justified hypotheses and abstract operations form an incremental specification of the program. Over time, the documentation improves in quality and completeness as new comments are added to justify and check the assumptions underlying new changes made to the code. >
Immune Response to Cancer Therapy: Mounting an Effective Antitumor Response and Mechanisms of Resistance

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been extensively used to eradicate cancer based on their direct cytocidal effects on rapidly proliferating tumor cells. Accumulating evidence indicates that these therapies also dramatically affect resident and recruited immune cells that actively support tumor growth. We now appreciate that mobilization of effector CD8 + T cells enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy; remarkable clinical advances have been achieved by blocking regulatory programs limiting cytotoxic CD8 + T cell activity. This review discusses immune-mediated mechanisms underlying the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and provides a perspective on how understanding tissue-based immune mechanisms can be used to guide therapeutic approaches combining immune and cytotoxic therapies to improve outcomes for a larger subset of patients than is currently achievable.
Specific Learning Disability and Response to Intervention: State-Level Guidance

This study investigates how state departments of education are defining response to intervention (RTI) assessment processes as they relate to specific learning disability (SLD) eligibility 5 years after the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2006 regulations were published. A qualitative research design of directed content analysis was used to examine each state's regulatory criteria for SLD and state guidance documents on the use of RTI for SLD identification. Best practices were identified in three areas: (a) frequency of data collection, (b) criteria for responsiveness, and (c) multidimensional assessment. Results showed no national consensus for how multidisciplinary teams should use RTI data as part of SLD identification. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.
Growth and optical characterization of strained CdZnTe/CdTe quantum wells

We have grown strained Cd1-xZnxTe(x ≈ 0.2)/CdTe single and multiple quantum wells by molecular beam epitaxy. GaAs was used as a substrate. The well widths were systematically increased until the critical thickness was exceeded. Low-temperature (liquid helium) photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was used to characterize the films. Two prominent PL peaks were observed: one arising from the quantum well and the other from the barrier material. The energy of the quantum well luminescence is consistent with theory when strain is included. The critical layer thickness for the CdTe quantum wells was found to be between 150 and 175 a, in agreement with the model of Matthews and Blakeslee.
Prenatal exposure to methylmercury alters development of adrenergic receptor binding sites in peripheral sympathetic target tissues.

In order to assess the impact of prenatal exposure to methylmercury on sympathetic neurotransmission, effects on development of adrenergic receptor binding sites in peripheral tissues was evaluated. In the liver, methylmercury produced a dose-dependent increase in alpha/sub 1/, alpha/sub 2/, and beta-receptor binding of radioliganda throughout the first 5 weeks of postnatal life. Similarly, renal alpha-receptor subtypes showed increased binding capabilities, but binding to alpha-receptor sites was reduced. At least some of the changes in receptors appear to be of functional significance, as physiological reactivity to adrenergic stimulation is altered in the same directions in these two tissues. The actions of methylmercury displayed tissue specificity in that the same receptor populations were largely unaffected in other tissues (lung, heart). These results suggest that methylmercury exposure in utero alters adrenergic responses through targeted effects on postsynaptic receptor populations in specific tissues.
Commercial ethnicity: Language, class and race in the marketing of the hispanic audience

This essay examines the historical construction of the Hispanic audience and analyzes how contemporary Hispanic audience researchers/marketers have disrupted that unitary, essentialist construction by segmenting the Hispanic audience by class. The principal tool in this effort is language: the Spanish language is proxy for the “mass” of lower socioeconomic class Hispanic audience; English language usage by Hispanics is the sign of a higher class of Hispanic audience. The clearly defined panethnic conceptualization of the Hispanic audience, the nexus of which is the Spanish language, has been blurred. The study draws on interviews with Hispanic media marketers and audience researchers and on analysis of Hispanic market research reports.
Experimental pathogenesis of hydrops

1. The best method for inducing hydrops in guinea pigs is obliteration of the endolymphatic duct. 2. The location of hydrops produced in the guinea pig is comparable to that of Meniere's disease. 3. The major histopathological finding in the guinea pig is atrophy of sensorineural elements in the apical turns of the cochlea. 4. The vestibular sensory cell population is rarely decreased, though ultrastructural changes are noted. 5. Attempts to prevent or minimize development of hydrops by surgical fistulization of the vestibular endolymphatic walls or by administration of a diuretic drug, ethacrynic acid, failed in the guinea pig. Treatment of Meniere's disease by these means is questionable. 6. Electron microscopy of the organ of Corti in cochleas taken from a patient with bilateral Meniere's disease revealed that only a small percentage of te sensorineural elements was abnormal at the apical turns. Thus, it is questionable whether these small ultrastructural changes in the organ of Corti are a major cause of severe hearing loss. 7. In Meniere's disease biochemical changes in cochlear fluid and/or changes in motion mechanics of the cochlear duct are probably important factors producing the hearing loss. 8. The present ultrastructural study did not resolve the question of the etiology of Meniere's disease.
Asymptomatic esophageal perforation by a coin in a child

Ingestion of coins by children is a common event that rarely causes serious complications. We present a case of asymptomatic esophageal perforation by a penny in a child who presented with wheezing six months after the ingestion. When esophagography and triple endoscopy failed to show the perforation, thoracotomy resulted in successful removal of the foreign body, which was encased in granulation tissue between the trachea and esophagus. Complications of foreign body ingestion are discussed.
Hypohydration reduces vertical ground reaction impulse but not jump height

This study examined vertical jump performance using a force platform and weighted vest to determine why hypohydration (~4% body mass) does not improve jump height. Measures of functional performance from a force platform were determined for 15 healthy and active males when euhydrated (EUH), hypohydrated (HYP) and hypohydrated while wearing a weighted vest (HYPv) adjusted to precisely match water mass losses. HYP produced a significant loss of body mass [−3.2 ± 0.5 kg (−3.8 ± 0.6%); P < 0.05], but body mass in HYPv was not different from EUH. There were no differences in absolute or relative peak force or power among trials. Jump height was not different between EUH (0.380 ± 0.048 m) and HYP (0.384 ± 0.050 m), but was 4% lower (P < 0.05) in HYPv (0.365 ± 0.52 m) than EUH due to a lower jump velocity between HYPv and EUH only (P < 0.05). However, vertical ground reaction impulse (VGRI) was reduced in both HYP and HYPv (2–3%) compared with EUH (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrates the failure to improve jump height when HYP can be explained by offsetting reductions in both VGRI and body mass.
Nucleotide-induced conformations of myosin: A comparison of states formed with MgϵADP and MgADP

Abstract Previous work has shown that modification of the 1 and 6 positions of the adenosine ring of ADP by forming the 1,N6-etheno derivative does not alter the binding affinity of the nucleotide to myosin. The data presented in this communication indicate that despite the identity of binding parameters the interaction between the modified nucleotide and myosin is not the same as that occurring with MgADP. Alkylation studies indicate that the SH1 thiol is more accessible in the myosin-MgϵADP complex whereas the SH2 thiol is less accessible compared to their reactivities in the myosin-MgADP state. Studies with the bifunctional reagent p-phenylenedimaleimide indicate that these thiols are also further apart in the protein-modified nueleotide complex. These studies suggest that ring 1 of the adenosine nucleotide diphosphate is implicated in the interaction that exposes the SH2 site to alkylation.
A mesh refinement library based on generic design

The Flexible Subdivision Library, FSL, is a policy-based C++ template library for refining geometric meshes. The library is generic and only requires that the underlying mesh data structure provide Euler operations, iterators and circulators, and a point type. Any specific subdivision strategy is efficiently realized by a user-defined geometry policy.
The Clinical Nurse Specialist as Research Coordinator in Clinical Drug Trials

WITH ADVANCED CLINICAL EXPERTISE and knowledge of the research process, the Master's-prepared clinical nurse specialist can engage in research in a variety of settings, including serving as a research coordinator for clinical trials required for new drug development. Based on a review of the lit
Microtubule assembly competence analysis of freshly-biopsied human tau, dephosphorylated tau, and Alzheimer tau

Phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau regulates its binding to microtubules; highly phosphorylated tau is also a prime component of paired helical filaments (PHFs) of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau from freshly biopsied human, monkey, and rat brain share similar electrophoretic mobility patterns and overlapping phosphorylated epitopes when compared to AD tau isolated from AD brain. We compared the microtubule reassembly competence of fresh isolates of phosphorylated tau to that of maximally dephosphorylated tau and tau from AD brain. A rapid procedure was developed which permitted the enrichment of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated tau from human biopsies in the absence of protein kinase and phosphatase activity. Microtubule assembly assays, using a spectrophotometric measure and purified bovine brain tubulin, were used to correlate assembly competence with states of tau electrophoretic mobility. Maximally dephosphorylated human biopsy-derived tau and monkey tau were assembly competent; tau from AD brain was virtually unable to direct microtubule assembly. Unmodified, biopsy-derived tau from non-AD brain was intermediate in assembly competence relative to AD tau and dephosphorylated tau. Several lines of evidence were used to correlate phosphorylation states of tau with microtubule assembly. First, in vitro dephosphorylation of human biopsy-derived tau with either PP2A or PP2B alone or in combination led to increasing assembly competence as the electrophoretic mobility of tau increased. Second, addition of the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (10 microM) to brain-slice preparations slowed electrophoretic mobility of tau and decreased binding competence. We suggest that tau derived from freshly-biopsied brain exists in a range of phosphorylated states, and that dephosphorylation by PP2A and/or PP2B increases microtubule assembly competence.
Clinical evaluation of a composite resin system with a dentin bonding agent for restoration of permanent posterior teeth: a 3-year study.

Abstract This study evaluated the clinical performance of a visible light-cured small particle bimodally filled hybrid condensable composite resin system that included a dentin bonding agent compared with an amalgam alloy in class II restorations of permanent teeth. A total of 108 restorations were placed in 34 patients. Fifty-three composite resin and 55 amalgam restorations were inserted. Each restoration was evaluated immediately after placement and then on an annual basis for a 3-year period using the Public Health Service (PHS) criteria. In addition, the Moffa-Lugassy scale was used to measure the loss of material on the occlusal surface of these materials. One hundred percent of the resin and amalgam restorations were evaluated, measured, and reasons for replacement were recorded over the 3-year period. There was no significant difference ( p > 0.05) in the clinical performance of the composite resin and the amalgam when evaluated by the PHS criteria. Analyses of wear at each of the three annual recall periods did not reveal any significant difference ( p > 0.05) between the two restorative materials when measured by the Moffa-Lugassy scale.