cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Academic and Career Development of Undocumented College Students: The American Dream?

Little is known about the academic and career decision-making process for college students with undocumented status. This study used a multiple case study approach to explore how academic and work-related decisions were made for 2 college students with undocumented citizenship status. Participants responded to a series of questions about their academic and career development. Data collected from these interviews were analyzed by a research team. After cross-case analysis, 6 themes emerged: (a) barriers; (b) emotional impact; (c) resiliency, supports, and coping; (d) discrimination; (e) familial and cultural influences; and (f) academic, work, and career factors. Findings suggest that counseling professionals should attend to systemic, academic, and work-related barriers that directly affect the educational and career decisions of students with undocumented citizenship status. Future research could expand on the present study by further exploring systemic and contextual factors that influence how undocumented students make academic and career choices using varied qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
The effect of amenities on local wage distributions

This paper predicts that local wage distributions will contract with an improvement in amenities by imposing structure on the standard model of amenity capitalization with multiple worker types (Roback in Econ Inq 26(1):23–41, 1988). The added structure is Ellickson’s (Am Econ Rev 61(2):334–339, 1971) single-crossing condition, which assumes that the willingness to accept higher housing prices for better amenities increases with income. The model predicts that under empirically plausible conditions, workers at the upper end of the wage distribution will earn less in locations with better amenities while those at the lower end will actually earn more.
Telling Stories to Robots: The Effect of Backchanneling on a Child's Storytelling

While there has been a growing body of work in child-robot interaction, we still have very little knowledge regarding young children's speaking and listening dynamics and how a robot companion should decode these behaviors and encode its own in a way children can understand. In developing a backchannel prediction model based on observed nonverbal behaviors of 4-6 year-old children, we investigate the effects of an attentive listening robot on a child's storytelling. We provide an extensive analysis of young children's nonverbal behavior with respect to how they encode and decode listener responses and speaker cues. Through a collected video corpus of peer-to-peer storytelling interactions, we identify attention-related listener behaviors as well as speaker cues that prompt opportunities for listener backchannels. Based on our findings, we developed a backchannel opportunity prediction (BOP) model that detects four main speaker cue events based on prosodic features in a child's speech. This rule-based model is capable of accurately predicting backchanneling opportunities in our corpora. We further evaluate this model in a human-subjects experiment where children told stories to an audience of two robots, each with a different backchanneling strategy. We find that our BOP model produces contingent backchannel responses that conveys an increased perception of an attentive listener, and children prefer telling stories to the BOP model robot.
Extremal Trajectories, Small-time Reachable Sets and Local Feedback Synthesis: a Synopsis of the Three-dimensional Case

In any optimization problem three basic questions have to be answered. Does an optimal solution exist? How can one restrict the candidates for optimality by way of necessary conditions? Is a candidate found in this way indeed optimal (in a local and/or global sense)? For problems on function spaces by now fairly general existence results are known see, for instance, Cesari [6]) which cover a wide range of realistic problem situations. The theories of necessary and sufficient conditions for optimality, on the other hand, lack a similar completeness of results. For optimal control problems, the Pontryagin Maximum Principle [11] gives first order necessary conditions for optimality. Several higher order conditions for optimality are known as well (cf. Krener [8], Knobloch [7] and the many references therein), but they mainly deal with special situations, like the generalized Legendre-Clebsch condition for singular arcs. Typically the necessary conditions will not suffice to single out the optimal control. In fact, in many cases there exists a significant gap between the structure of extremals (i.e. trajectories which satisfy the necessary conditions for optimality) and the structure of optimal trajectories in a regular synthesis. Roughly speaking, a regular synthesis consists of a family of extremals with the property that a unique extremal trajectory starts from every point of the state-space and which satisfies certain technical conditions which allow to prove that the corresponding feedback control is indeed optimal.
Solanum tuberosum (Potatoes)

Potato is the fourth most important food crop worldwide, with high value as a balanced and nutritious food. It is one of the world’s most productive crops. Wild potatoes are native from the southwestern United States to south-central Chile, with centers of species diversity in central Mexico and in the central Andes of Peru and Bolivia, whereas primitive cultivars (landraces) are native to South America. Potato landraces grow in two areas, one in a broad swath of the upland Andes from western Venezuela south to northern Argentina and a second group in the lowlands of south-central Chile. There is a tremendous variation in chromosome numbers in wild species ranging from diploid (2 n = 24) to hexaploid (2 n = 72) and in cultivated species from diploid to pentaploid (2 n = 60). Wild potatoes are intercrossable with many of the cultivated species. Potato cultivation is challenged by a variety of diseases and insect pests and environmental constraints, and the wild species and landraces are useful as breeding stock to combat these problems. Recent collecting and taxonomic studies have halved the number of recognized wild and cultivated species to a current estimate of four cultivated species and about 100 wild species. Potato first appeared outside of South America in Europe in 1567 and rapidly diffused worldwide. Our modern cultivars are today grown worldwide come from the Chilean landraces.
Pareto-optimal reinsurance policies in the presence of individual risk constraints

The notion of Pareto optimality is commonly employed to formulate decisions that reconcile the conflicting interests of multiple agents with possibly different risk preferences. In the context of a one-period reinsurance market comprising an insurer and a reinsurer, both of which perceive risk via distortion risk measures, also known as dual utilities, this article characterizes the set of Pareto-optimal reinsurance policies analytically and visualizes the insurer–reinsurer trade-off structure geometrically. The search of these policies is tackled by translating it mathematically into a functional minimization problem involving a weighted average of the insurer’s risk and the reinsurer’s risk. The resulting solutions not only cast light on the structure of the Pareto-optimal contracts, but also allow us to portray the resulting insurer–reinsurer Pareto frontier graphically. In addition to providing a pictorial manifestation of the compromise reached between the insurer and reinsurer, an enormous merit of developing the Pareto frontier is the considerable ease with which Pareto-optimal reinsurance policies can be constructed even in the presence of the insurer’s and reinsurer’s individual risk constraints. A strikingly simple graphical search of these constrained policies is performed in the special cases of Value-at-Risk and Tail Value-at-Risk.
Microbial Fuel Cells as a Platform Technology for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

Abstract Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology offers numerous opportunities for wastewater treatment in terms of environmental protection, energy and water recovery, biochemical production, and valuable metal recovery. Various types of wastewater can be used as feedstock for the microbial fuel cells in which the exoelectrogenic bacteria produce electrons under anaerobic conditions. Compared with conventional aeration technologies for wastewater treatment, MFCs produce less sludge with net energy production. This chapter discusses the current practices in wastewater treatment with regard to energy consumption and recovery followed by a detailed discussion of microbial fuel cell technology as a future technology for wastewater treatment. Existing challenges in implementation of MFCs in wastewater treatment, especially for large scale applications and future research directions for a sustainable wastewater treatment alternatives based on MFCs has been discussed in detail.
Intra-seasonal sea level variability along the west coast of India

The importance of local versus distant forcing is studied for the wind-driven intra-seasonal (30-120 day) sea level anomaly (SLA) variations along the west coast of India. Significant correlations of altimeter-derived SLA on the west coast are found with the mid-basin SLA east of Sri Lanka and SLA as far as Sumatra and the equator, with increased lags, connecting with the remote forcing from the equator in the form of reflected Rossby waves. The highest correlations between SLA on the west coast and winds are found with the winds at the southern tip of India. Coherence calculations help to identify the importance of a narrow band (40-60 day) for the interactions of winds with the intra-seasonal SLA variations. A multivariate regression model, along with the coherences within this narrower band, suggest the lags of SLA on the west coast with winds to range from 0 to 2 days with the local forcing to 11-13 days with the forcing along south east coast of India. Hovmoller diagrams illustrate the propagation of signals by estimating phase speed for Rossby waves (57 cm/s) across the Indian Ocean from Sumatra and Coastal Trapped Waves (CTWs) along the west coast of India (178 cm/s). Propagation from the south-east coast of India is not as robust as Rossby waves from Sumatra.
Sample Search Sessions in Beilstein Online

This chapter is designed to provide the user with examples of searches in Beilstein Online. While numerous examples of search procedures, including login and logoff, have been shown elsewhere in this manual, this is the only location in the manual where examples are presented as complete sessions.
Soil Remineralization for Sustainable Crop Production

Soil remineralization is the utilization of mineral fines to restore soil fertility through replenishment of plant nutrients removed by agricultural activities or by forces of nature. Basalt dust from a rock quarry or glacial moraine dust from a gravel quarry were evaluated for their effects on nutrient availability in soils and on yields and composition of lettuce (Lactuca sativa longifolia Lam.), apple (Malus sylvestris L.), or sweet corn (Zea mays rugosa Bonaf.). Extractable soil K and Ca were increased for all plots, and some increases in extractable P, Fe, Mn, and Mg were detected in soils treated with basalt rock dusts at rates of 9 to 27 Mg/ha. Soil acidity was decreased by about 0.5 pH unit by the additions of basalt dusts. Availabilities of most micronutrients and nonessential trace elements were not affected by additions of basalt dust. Glacial moraine fines had a lesser effect on available plant nutrients than basalt dusts. Plant tissue composition or yield of produce were not affected by any of the mineral treatments. The principal benefit of soil remineralization noted in this year of research was in the enhancement of soil fertility by elevating levels of certain nutrients in soil.
Laser-assisted Lentiviral Gene Delivery to Mouse Fertilized Eggs

Lentiviruses are efficient vectors for gene delivery to mammalian cells. Following transduction, the lentiviral genome is stably incorporated into the host chromosome and is passed on to progeny. Thus, they are ideal vectors for creation of stable cell lines, in vivo delivery of indicators, and transduction of single cell fertilized eggs to create transgenic animals. However, mouse fertilized eggs and early stage embryos are protected by the zona pellucida, a glycoprotein matrix that forms a barrier against lentiviral gene delivery. Lentiviruses are too large to penetrate the zona and are typically delivered by microinjection of viral particles into the perivitelline cavity, the space between the zona and the embryonic cells. The requirement for highly skilled technologists and specialized equipment has minimized the use of lentiviruses for gene delivery to mouse embryos. This article describes a protocol for permeabilizing the mouse fertilized eggs by perforating the zona with a laser. Laser-perforation does not result in any damage to embryos and allows lentiviruses to gain access to embryonic cells for gene delivery. Transduced embryos can develop into blastocyst in vitro, and if implanted in pseudopregnant mice, develop into transgenic pups. The laser used in this protocol is effective and easy to use. Genes delivered by lentiviruses stably incorporate into mouse embryonic cells and are germline transmittable. This is an alternative method for creation of transgenic mice that requires no micromanipulation and microinjection of fertilized eggs.
Differences in flowering time maintain species boundaries in a continental radiation of Viburnum

Premise We take an integrative approach in assessing how introgression and Pleistocene climate fluctuations have shaped the diversification of the core Lentago clade of Viburnum, a group of five interfertile species with broad areas of sympatry. We specifically tested whether flowering time plays a role in maintaining species isolation. Methods RAD-seq data for 103 individuals were used to infer the species relationships and the genetic structure within each species. Flowering times were compared among species on the basis of historical flowering dates documented by herbarium specimens. Results Within each species, we found a strong relationship between flowering date and latitude, such that southern populations flower earlier than northern ones. In areas of sympatry, the species flower in sequence rather than simultaneously, with flowering dates offset by ≥9 d for all species pairs. In two cases it appears that the offset in flowering times is an incidental consequence of adaptation to differing climates, but in the recently diverged sister species V. prunifolium and V. rufidulum, we find evidence that reinforcement led to reproductive character displacement. Long-term trends suggest that the two northern-most species are flowering earlier in response to recent climate change. Conclusions We argue that speciation in the Lentago clade has primarily occurred through ecological divergence of allopatric populations, but differences in flowering time were essential to maintain separation of incipient species when they came into secondary contact. This combination of factors may underlie diversification in many other plant clades.
Survival differences based on tumor size among stage 1B cervical cancer patients in Louisiana using revised FIGO staging system.

e17017Background: In the recently revised 2018 FIGO cervical cancer staging, stage IB is sub-classified into 3 classes based on tumor size. We aim to determine if larger tumor size confers worse su...
The Role of Malnutrition in Ninety-Day Outcomes After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Research has linked malnutrition to more complications in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients. The role of preoperative albumin in predicting length of stay (LOS) and 90-day outcomes remains understudied. Often, an albumin cut-off ≤3.5 g/dL is used as proxy for malnutrition, although this value remains understudied. This preoperative level may be missing some patients at risk for adverse events post TJA. Methods TJA patients at a single institution from 2013 to 2018 were reviewed for preoperative albumin level. In total, 4047 cases (total knee arthroplasty: 2058; total hip arthroplasty: 1989) had available data, including 90-day readmissions, 90-day emergency department (ED) visits, and postoperative LOS. Results About 5.6% experienced a readmission and 9.6% had at least one ED visit within 90 days. Overall prevalence of malnutrition was 3.6%, and this cohort experienced a longer average LOS (3.5 vs 2.2 days, P Conclusion Screening for malnutrition may serve a role in preoperative evaluation. An albumin cutoff value of 3.5 g/dL may miss some at-risk patients.
Phormidolides B (I) and C (II), Cytotoxic Agents from the Sea: Enantioselective Synthesis of the Macrocyclic Core.

The macrocyclic cores of compounds (I) and (II) are prepared enantioselectively from 2-deoxy-ribose via Julia-Kocienski olefination as key step.
Anti-van der Waerden Numbers of 3-Term Arithmetic Progression

The anti-van der Waerden number , denoted by $aw([n],k)$, is the smallest $r$ such that every exact $r$-coloring of $[n]$ contains a rainbow $k$-term arithmetic progression. Butler et. al. showed that $\lceil \log_3 n \rceil + 2 \le aw([n],3) \le \lceil \log_2 n \rceil + 1$, and conjectured that there exists a constant $C$ such that $aw([n],3) \le \lceil \log_3 n \rceil + C$. In this paper, we show this conjecture is true by determining $aw([n],3)$ for all $n$. We prove that for $7\cdot 3^{m-2}+1 \leq n \leq 21 \cdot 3^{m-2}$, \begin{equation*} aw([n],3)=\left\{\begin{array}{ll} m+2, & \mbox{if $n=3^m$} \\ m+3, & \mbox{otherwise}. \end{array}\right. \end{equation*}
First-Year College Students' Experiences of a Brief Sexual Health Seminar.

College provides young adults with ongoing opportunities for relationship and sexual decision-making, but to date only limited attention has been given to college-level sexual health education expe...
The consequence of evil: An essay concerning natural theodicy

Some philosophers of religion contend that the mere existence of natural evils gives strong reason to reject the existence of an omnibenevolent God. This brief essay takes the form of a reductio ad...
Atomic Clock Research for the Space Environment

Atomic clock research at The Aerospace Corporation focuses on basic atomic physics in support of critical space technologies such as timekeeping for GNSS and communications. GNSS play pivotal roles throughout modern society's infrastructure, and clock stability in space can significantly impact the signals necessary for safe and reliable navigation and positioning. For secure communications, technology such as spread spectrum telecom is dependent on accurate and relatively unchanging timekeeping signals and frequency references. Many of our fundamental research investigations directly impact these technologies as they evolve in commercial space systems. Here, we offer an introduction to The Aerospace Corporation with an overview of our laboratory's basic physics research capabilities and their impact. Several clock physics investigations are addressed and described in context with satellite-based timekeeping, which supports present and future space missions.
Turkey and Its Inferiority Complex

How and why did the modern Republic of Turkey emerge so secular, and thereby different from other countries in the Middle East and Muslim countries in general? This paper aims to answer this question and more by taking a psychological approach.
Evidence-Based, Empirically Supported, or Scientifically Unsupported? An Overview of the Research to Practice Gap in Early Childhood Special Education

Valid research is crucial for evaluating the effects of utilized practices, strategies, and interventions on learners with exceptionalities. In the United States, for the past several decades, considerable research and policies have focused on developing evidence-based practices (EBPs), evidence-informed programs, and other research-supported initiatives that intend to produce better outcomes for children with disabilities. However, past and current efforts to translate, transport, and close the research to practice gap have not successfully disseminated the growing list of evidence-based interventions, strategies, and programs routinely into practice. The gap between research and practice is particularly problematic in special education and early childhood special education (ECSE). Children and students with disabilities require highly effective instruction to reach their potential. This conceptual review paper provides an overview of EBPs in ECSE and elaborates on the research to practice gap and the related issues. The paper discusses the identification, implementation, and dissemination of EBPs that have been regarded as the challenges the field of ECSE faces in closing the research to practice gap. Finally, implications and recommendations for future research, practice, and policy are discussed.
Analyzing Surgical Volumes, Rates, and Need in Rural India

Background: Globally, 5 billion people lack timely access to safe and affordable surgical care, with over a fifth of them living in India. Solving India9s surgical access issues can have high returns on investment. While healthcare access and unaffordability problems are well-known in India particularly among its rural people, research on surgical volumes and need is scant. This study attempts to fill the research gap through high-resolution nationwide estimates that have direct implications for India9s national surgical plan. Methods: Secondary data analysis with a diverse geospatial and statistical toolbox was used to create the national, state, and district-level estimates for surgical rates and c-section proportions and their corresponding met need w.r.t. to the globally prescribed thresholds: 5000 major surgeries (those requiring anesthesia) per 100,000 (Lancet Commission on Global Surgery) and 10-15% of all institutional deliveries (World Health Organization). Results: Nationally, only 6.81% of need for major surgical operations was met for rural India. 13.6% of the institutional deliveries were c-sections falling within the WHO-prescribed range of 10-15%. There were marked variations at state and district-levels and significant rural-urban differences for surgical rates and c-section proportions. We validate our estimates based on data from Health Management and Information System against existing sources that are commonly used in academic and policy research. Conclusions: Our methodological workflow has high translational value for global surgery research in low-and-middle-income countries. For India, these are the first such nationwide findings that can direct the development of a National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan (NSOAP).
In silico investigation of FOXM1 binding and novel inhibitors in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objective Using TCGA database, we had demonstrated that aberrantly activated Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) correlates to worse overall survival in a subgroup of platinum resistant patients. Application of thiostrepton, a natural thiazole antibiotics that inhibits FOXM1 transcription activity in the clinic is hampered by difficulties in synthesis, degradation potential, and solubility. In this study, we aim to identify potential FOXM1 small molecule inhibitors to develop a new class of therapeutic agents to address the challenges in treating chemotherapy resistant EOC. Methods We used in silico screening of compounds against a solved structure of FOXM1 and subsequently to derive a list of possible compounds that could inhibit FOXM1. Three compounds were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity and FOXM1 expression level was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot in EOC cell lines. Results The FOXM1 structure obtained from 3G73 represented the DNA binding region of FOXM1 and possessed the winged helix fold representative of the Forkhead family of enzymes with two wings in direct contact with DNA. For ease of representation, we described both wings as a dimer and a single wing as a monomer. From this structure, we hypothesized two main models of how thiostrepton binding to FOXM1 could possibly curtail its transcriptional activity. In the first model thiostrepton could bind either of the wings or both wings and prevent association to DNA. In the second model thiostrepton bind the FOXM1/DNA complex and weaken association of FOXM1 to DNA. Subsequently, small molecular inhibitors could also use either of the models to inhibit transcription. To account for both models, the NCI diversity set was screened against the FOXM1 dimer:DNA complex (39 hits), dimer (11 hits) and monomer (14 hits). Those hits were further classified by chemical structure, biological function and chemical similarities to known molecules that target FOXM1. In cellular cytotoxicity assays, N-phenylphenanthren-9-amine (related to hit #225) successfully showed cytotoxicity to all three cell lines with IC50 around 1 μM, and downregulate FOXM1 and transcription of its downstream molecules such as CCNB1. Conclusion By a combination of in silico screening coupled to cellular cytotoxicity studies, we have taken the first step towards identifying potential inhibitors of FOXM1 that can replace thiostrepton.
Shakespeare's Female Victims

Abstract This study explores female victimization in literary works and introduces contemporary research to make parallels. More specifically, the study analyzes how William Shakespeare employed theatrical scenarios relevant to both historical and contemporary theories relating to female victimization. Three characters purposely selected form the basis of the study. They are: Desdemona in Othello, Lavina in Titus Andronicus, and Lucrece in The Rape of Lucrece. To guide the research, three main questions are posed. First, what crimes were perpetrated on the victims? Second, what were the motivations for the crimes? Third, how were the crimes redressed? Responses to these questions reveal theories of victimization that persist over time. Although much has been written on Shakespeare's works, this study explains female victimization in Shakespearean plays in light of contemporary sociological and criminological theories of crime.
Automatic air target to airlane association

Surveillance of the sea-air-gap to the north of Australia is a key element of Australia's defence strategy. This surveillance is primarily afforded by a suite of ground-based microwave and over-the-horizon radars (OTHR). The fusion of the data and tracks from these sensors is an area of active research which supports air picture compilation and provides the foundation for performing situation assessment. To ensure the best results from the fusion process, it is critical that the estimates of the target state from each constituent sensor be as accurate as possible. The theoretical aspects of the problem of automatically associating air targets with airlanes are investigated primarily with the aim of providing a means of removing possible biases in OTHR target state estimates caused by ionospheric effects. However, since the association of air targets with airlanes can also be treated as a component of situation assessment, the same techniques developed herein contribute to the automation of the overall situation assessment process.
Earth's Earliest Landscapes

It has long been suspected that during the earliest phases of Earth’s geological history its surface environment was very different to that which we enjoy now. Surprisingly, Precambrian paleosols now known are similar in many ways to deeply weathered soils at the land surface today. Nothing in the Precambrian rock record has yet been found that is comparable to the soils rich in glass and agglutinates on the Moon or the glazed and metamorphosed soils thought to be forming on Venus. Known Precambrian paleosols are neither as oxidized and sulfate-rich as the soils of Mars, nor as carbonaceous and sulfate-rich as carbonaceous chondrites. By this standard, Precambrian paleosols are not as different from modern soils as they could be.
Earliest Radiocarbon Dates for Domesticated Animals: Europe is added to the Near East as another early center of domestication

Our dates show that cattle and pigs were first domesticated in Europe. Sheep, which were thought to have become extinct in Europe during the terminal Pleistocene, also appear first in Europe. However, there remains little doubt that sheep were first domesticated in the Near East or Turkey, since no wild sheep appear to have existed in Europe at the beginning of the Holocene. Dogs were domesticated in both the Near East and Europe at virtually the same time. In the Near East, Asiab, at around 8000 B.C., qualifies as the first center of goat domestication. It is also the earliest center of domestication for all animals we have dated here. Horses were first domesticated in the steppes of the Ukraine, perhaps even earlier than our dates indicate, since all of the samples found at Polling are virtually contemporaneous (Fig. 1). Undoubtedly, future research will alter the details of our overall impressions, especially after bones at earlier sites such as Nea Nikomedeia have been dated directly. But, on balance, there can be no doubt that southeastern Europe was as much an early center of domestication as the Near East was.
CONCEPTS OF FUZZY INFORMATION MEASURES ON CONTINUOUS DOMAINS

Measures of information based on fuzzy sets (possibility distributions) had been defined only for finite domains of discourse. This paper presents a method of defining such information functions on a continuous universe of discourse—a domain which is a measurable space of measure 1. The method is based on the concept of “rearangement” of a function, used in lieu of sorting discrete possibility values. For technical reasons, it is preferred to express information value as information distance to the most “uninformed” (constant possibility 1) distribution. The final form of the information for possibility distribution f is The paper then discusses related information distances and approximations using discrete information functions.
Dysplastic nevi can be diagnosed and graded reproducibly: a longitudinal study.

Background: Poor interobserver reproducibility in diagnosing and grading dysplastic melanocytic nevi is often cited as evidence against the ability of pathologists to recognize such an entity. Objective: We attempted to examine the diagnostic profiles of melanocytic lesions of two dermatopathologists in a stable population base. Methods: All 2600 melanocytic neoplasms were diagnosed at Stanford University Medical Center during the past 4 years by one dermatopathologist from 1987 to 1989 and a different dermatopathologist in 1990 and 1991. The two independently evaluated these lesions unaware of the other's criteria. Results: The diagnostic profile of the two pathologists shows a striking degree of similarity: 76.7% versus 75.3% of all nevi were diagnosed as acquired melanocytic nevi, 8.8% versus 12.0% were diagnosed as mildly dysplastic, 7.0% versus 6.8% as moderately dysplastic, and 2.7% versus 1.6% as severely dysplastic. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the two pathologists are using reproducible criteria for diagnosing and grading dysplastic nevi.
Impacting student anxiety for the USMLE Step 1 through process-oriented preparation.

Background: Standardized examinations are the key components of medical education. The USMLE Step 1 is the first of these important milestones. Success on this examination requires both content competency and efficient strategies for study and review. Students employ a wide variety of techniques in studying for this examination, with heavy reliance on personal study habits and advice from other students. Nevertheless, few medical curricula formally address these strategies. Methods: In response to student-generated critique at our institution, a five-part seminar series on processoriented preparation was developed and implemented to address such concerns. The series focused on early guidance and preparation strategies for Step 1 and the many other important challenges in medical school. Emphasis was placed on facilitating conversation and mentorship opportunities between students. Results & Conclusions: A profoundly positive experience was reported by our medical students that included a decreased anxiety level for the Step 1 examination. Keywords: medical education; USMLE Step 1; medical examination; student preparation (Published: 24 February 2010) Citation: Medical Education Online 2010, 15: 4880 - DOI: 10.3402/meo.v15i0.4880
Methanol poisoning in a 6-week-old infant.

Methano l poisoning in chi ldren (~-5) is accompanied by a severe metabol ic acidosis and is usually t rea ted with intravenously adminis tered ethanol and, in some cases, dialysis. However, there have been cases in adults in which no acidosis developed, even in the absence of e thanol therapy. 6m No pe rmanen t sequelae, when explicitly considered, have been reported in patients in whom acidosis did not develop. W e describe a 6-week-old male infant with methanol poisoning in whom nei ther severe acidosis nor sequelae developed. W e had the unusual opportuni ty to observe the kinetics of methanol metabol ism in the absence of ethanol in this infant.
Charting New Directions for Marketing

Four fundamental issues serve to establish the identity of the field of marketing, distinguish it from other fields and disciplines, and compel further research inquiry. These issues ask (1) How do...
Activity of Ca2+-Activated Cl− Channels Contributes to Regulating Receptor- and Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry in Human Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells:

AbstractIntracellular Ca2+ plays a fundamental role in regulating cell functions in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). A rise in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) triggers pulmonary vasoconstriction and stimulates PASMC proliferation. [Ca2+]cyt is increased mainly by Ca2+ release from intracellular stores and Ca2+ influx through plasmalemmal Ca2+-permeable channels. Given the high concentration of intracellular Cl- in PASMCs, Ca2+-activated Cl- (ClCa) channels play an important role in regulating membrane potential and cell excitability of PASMCs. In this study, we examined whether activity of ClCa channels was involved in regulating [Ca2+]cyt in human PASMCs via regulating receptor- (ROCE) and store- (SOCE) operated Ca2+ entry. The data demonstrated that an angiotensin II (100 nM)-mediated increase in [Ca2+]cyt via ROCE was markedly attenuated by the ClCa channel inhibitors, niflumic acid (100 µM), flufenamic acid (100 µM), and 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (100 ...
ACE inhibition in diabetic patients. Economic implications.

Diabetic nephropathy is the inevitable long term complication of prolonged hyperglycaemia for up to 40% of patients with diabetes mellitus. Most patients with renal involvement have a number of comorbid conditions including hypertension, coronary artery disease. peripheral vascular disease and retinopathy. These complications utilise considerable healthcare expenditures. In addition, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) therapies are extremely expensive (>$US40 000 per patient per year in the US»)II However, ESRD is associated with an accelerated course to death (5-year survival <209C). thereby limiting the length that these expenditures are required. Diabetes mellitus is the number one cause of ESRD in the developed world where dialysis is usually available. and in many of the Third World countries where dialysis is often unavailable. It is estimated that there are over 100 million patients with diabetes mellitus worldwide (American Diabetes Association). In the US. diabetes mellitus is responsible for one-third of all newly diagnosed cases of ESRD. and as a cause of ESRD it is increasing at a rate that exceeds all other causes of ESRD. Total US expenditures for ESRD exceed $US7 billion yearly and the ESRD programme has been increasing by 10% per year. I II Thus, it is easily appreciated that any treatment that affects the natural history of diabetic nephropathy has the potential to markedly affect the economics of this disease. ACE inhibitors have been demonstrated to slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy to ESRDI21 and therefore may greatly influence healthcare expenditures. The purpose of this article is to explore this topic and to project the economic impact that this class of antihypertensive agents may have on this dreaded complication of diabetes mellitus.
Allergen immunotherapy: Much more than a shot in the dark.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a prevalent disease that can significantly affect the well-being, productivity, and quality of life of children and adults. Allergen immunotherapy has been used to effectively treat AR for more than 100 years and is unique among available therapeutic interventions in its ability to modify AR’s course. In addition, there is evidence that it prevents new sensitizations. Thus, it is important to establish whether subcutaneously administered allergy immunotherapy (AIT) is associated with lower health care costs. In this issue, Hankin et al examine its cost benefits in adults and children. Hankin et al have previously addressed this question in Florida Medicaid-enrolled children younger than 18 years, newly diagnosedwithARandnot previously exposed toAIT. In the earlier study, only 3% of the children with a new AR diagnosis received AIT, more than half for less than a year, and 84% for less than 3 years. The study compared health care costs and use in the 6months before and after initiatingAITand found pharmacy, outpatient, and inpatient use and costs reduced in children receiving AIT. For the current case-control study, the authors again used Florida Medicaid claims data of health care use and costs. The data set included all ages and compared 18-month health care costs of those newly diagnosed with AR who received de novo AITwith those who did not. The investigators compared children (younger than 18 years) and adults (at least 18 years) separately and all together. They found that AIT-treated subjects had significantly lower average total health care costs than matched controls, with cost reductions observed within 3 months of starting AIT. The cost reductions (30% in adults, 42% in children) remained significant when each group was analyzed separately. The average 18-month health care cost savings conferred by AIT did not significantly differ between age groups. Although adults were less likely to be diagnosed with AR, they were 1.3 times more likely to initiate AIT. To be included in the AIT group, patients had to have received at least 2 AIT injections. They were matched with up to 5 controls with newly diagnosed AR who had not received AIT and according to the following variables: age within 6 months of first
Abstract IA16: Chemical inhibition of bromodomains

In cancer, epigenetic proteins are among the most promising and intently pursued targets in drug discovery. This relates to the growing appreciation that cancer growth pathways are centrally influenced by proteins which modify chromatin. Already, inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases and histone deacetylases have demonstrated substantial clinical efficacy leading to regulatory approval for use in hematologic malignancies. These events have triggered intense competition to develop inhibitors of chromatin modifying enzymes, or so-called epigenetic “writers” and “erasers.” Perhaps owing to perceptions regarding the feasibility of targeting protein:protein interactions, small-molecule inhibitors of chromatin-binding modules or epigenetic “readers” have not been described. Recently, we reported the first potent, small-molecule inhibitor of human bromodomains, JQ1, which exhibits selectivity for the BET family of bromodomain-containing transcriptional co-activators. Of broad relevance to cancer, we will present research demonstrating that c-Myc expression is critically dependent on BRD4 function and localization to discrete upstream regulatory regions. Exposure of cancer cells to JQ1 prompts immediate downregulation of c-Myc expression leading to suppression of a transcriptional program associated with proliferation, survival and metabolic adaptation. In translational models of Myc-dependent hematologic malignancies, the efficacy of JQ1 treatment establishes a mechanistic rationale for the leveraged clinical development of drug-like JQ1 derivatives. Toward this objective, we have completed chemical optimization of novel, drug-like inhibitors of BET bromodomains as reagents capable of supporting human clinical investigation. This research has established the feasibility of inhibiting epigenetic reader proteins with efficient, cell-permeable, small molecules. In support of an open-innovation model of chemical biology, we have created a chemical probe allowing the broad study of chromatin biology, which has already been provided to more than 250 academic, governmental and industrial laboratories worldwide. Together, we have rapidly identified mechanism-based opportunities for clinical translation in cancer, inflammation, and metabolic diseases. Citation Format: James E. Bradner. Chemical inhibition of bromodomains [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chemical Systems Biology: Assembling and Interrogating Computational Models of the Cancer Cell by Chemical Perturbations; 2012 Jun 27-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(13 Suppl):Abstract nr IA16.
On the use of path identification to block attack packets

Many techniques have been proposed by the research community to mitigate the effect of flooding Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. The effects of DoS attacks are aggravated by the ability of attackers to hide the source of the attack packets. A widely used class of solutions. (e.g. trace-back) is based on marking packets, from source to destination, by intermediate routers and selectively blocking packets based on the path they traveled. In this paper we show that router level path identification offers more details then needed. We also show that packets originating from a group of devices will follow almost identical paths to the destination. Thus a single attacker can spoof its address in such a way that will lead to a whole group in the source domain to be labeled as attack source. We argue that a more coarse grained path identification, such as the Autonomous System path identification, be used instead.
Field tests with repellent-treated netting against black salt-marsh mosquitoes.

In 1965 and 1966, 25 single compounds and 6 mixtures were tested as repellents on 4-mesh-per-inch cotton netting against the black salt-marsh mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus Wiedemann. Twenty single compounds gave 90% protection for periods ranging from 16 to 92 days. Four of the 6 mixtures gave protection for 19 days. The 3 most effective chemicals were dipentyl tartrate, 92 days; hexyl p-isopropylmandelate, 78 days; and N, N -dibutyl-o-ethoxy-benzamide, 56 days.
Thiazolidinediones as therapy for endometriosis: a case series.

Background: Current medical therapies for endometriosis result in delayed conception and have not been shown to provide any fertile benefit subsequent to treatment. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) do not impede conception and have been shown to reduce endometriotic lesions in animal models; however, no studies have been performed in humans. The aim of this study was to provide preliminary data about the effectiveness of a TZD in treating endometriosis-related pain. Methods: Case series of women with endometriosis recruited from the University of Michigan as part of an open-label prospective phase 2a clinical trial. Participants were given rosiglitazone, 4 mg daily, for 6 months. Subjective endometriosis symptoms were assessed using a modified Biberoglu and Behrman symptom severity scale and the McGill pain questionnaire. Results: Two of the 3 patients exhibited improvement in severity of symptoms and pain levels with a concurrent decrease in pain medication, while 1 experienced no change. Rosiglitazone was well tolerated by all patients. Conclusions: Combined with data gathered from studies in rats and nonhuman primates, the results from this study offer positive justification for using TZDs as a well-tolerated treatment for endometriosis that can address pain without impeding ovulation and without the need for add-back therapy.
Turbine Separation Control Using Pulsed Vortex Generator Jets

The application of pulsed vortex generator jets to control separation on the suction surface of a low-pressure turbine blade is reported. Blade Reynolds numbers in the experimental, linear turbine cascade match those for high-altitude aircraft engines and aft stages of industrial turbine engines with elevated turbine inlet temperatures. The vortex generator jets have a 30 deg pitch and a 90 deg skew to the free-stream direction. Jet flow oscillations up to 100 Hz are produced using a high-frequency solenoid feed valve. Results are compared to steady blowing at jet blowing ratios less than 4 and at two chordwise positions upstream of the nominal separation zone. Results show that pulsed vortex generator jets produce a bulk flow effect comparable to that of steady jets with an order of magnitude less massflow. Boundary layer traverses and blade static pressure distributions show that separation is almost completely eliminated with the application of unsteady blowing. Reductions of over 50 percent in the wake loss profile of the controlled blade were measured. Experimental evidence suggests that the mechanism for unsteady control lies in the starting and ending transitions of the pulsing cycle rather than the injected jet stream itself. Boundary layer spectra support this conclusion and highlight significant differences between the steady and unsteady control techniques. The pulsed vortex generator jets are effective at both chordwise injection locations tested (45 and 63 percent axial chord) covering a substantial portion of the blade suction surface. This insensitivity to injection location bodes well for practical application of pulsed VGJ control where the separation location may not be accurately known a priori.
Production of Hygromycin A Analogs in Streptomyces hygroscopicus NRRL 2388 through Identification and Manipulation of the Biosynthetic Gene Cluster

Summary Hygromycin A, an antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus NRRL 2388, offers a distinct carbon skeleton structure for development of antibacterial agents targeting the bacterial ribosomal peptidyl transferase. A 31.5 kb genomic DNA region covering the hygromycin A biosynthetic gene cluster has been identified, cloned, and sequenced. The hygromycin gene cluster has 29 ORFs which can be assigned to hygromycin A resistance as well as regulation and biosynthesis of the three key moieties of hygromycin A (5-dehydro-α-L-fucofuranose, ( E )-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-methylacrylic acid, and 2L-2-amino-2-deoxy-4,5- O -methylene- neo -inositol. The predicted Hyg26 protein has sequence homology to short-chain alcohol dehydrogenases and is assigned to the final step in production of the 5-dehydro-α-L-fucofuranose, catalyzing the reduction of α-L-fucofuranose. A hyg26 mutant strain was generated and shown to produce no hygromycin A but 5″-dihydrohygromycin A, 5″-dihydromethoxyhygromycin A, and a 5″-dihydrohygromycin A product lacking the aminocyclitol moiety. To the best of our knowledge, these shunt metabolites of biosynthetic pathway intermediates have not previously been identified. They provide insight into the ordering of the multiple unusual steps which compromise the convergent hygromycin A biosynthetic pathway.
Overview Of Radiation Effects In Fiber Optics

The optical properties of fiber waveguides can be degraded by exposure to nuclear radiation, primarily through the generation of color centers in the fiber core. This paper will review recent studies of the radiation-induced absorption in state-of-the-art fiber optics. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of more radiation resistant pure and doped silica core waveguides and on the understanding of the damage processes in these materials. The results of studies of radiation damage in high birefringent, polarization-maintaining fibers and in heavy metal fluoride glasses and fibers will also be reviewed.