cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inflammatory reaction in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: harmful or beneficial?

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) occurs in patients with profound immunosuppression. Although lesions are usually devoid of lymphoplasmocytic infiltrates, inflammatory forms of PML have been described, in both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive (HIV+) and-seronegative (HIV−) patients. In addition, PML has been shown to develop in HIV+ patients shortly after introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), despite a recovery of the immune system. Therefore, one could postulate that PML might arise in the context of an immune reconstitution syndrome. To examine the clinical and neuroradiological characteristics of inflammatory forms of PML, the authors performed a retrospective analysis of the patients seen at their institution since 1996 as well as a review of the literature. Of 39 HIV+ and HIV−PML patients, 5 (13%) presented with an inflammatory form of this disease. Two HIV+ patients developed PML soon after the onset of HAART, concomitant to immune recovery, as demonstrated by a decrease of HIV viral load (VL) and an increase of CD4+ T-cell count. Three patients (2 HIV+ and 1 HIV−) had signs of inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by contrast-enhancing lesions on neuroimaging studies, and/or inflammatory infiltrates on brain biopsy. The presence of JC virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes was demonstrated in 4/4 patients tested and the outcome was favorable in 3 of them. In agreement with previously published case reports, the data indicate that inflammatory reactions in PML are not infrequent, and that they are generally associated with a favorable prognosis. Therefore clinicians should not disregard the diagnosis of PML in presence of contrast-enhancing brain lesions, and should use caution before treating these immunosuppressed individuals with steroids.
Morphology of epitaxially crystallized poly‐γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate

Epitaxial crystallization of poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate (PBLG) on 001 alkali halide single crystal surfaces results in block and row structures that are qualitatively similar for various solvents and crystals used. There is a definite tendency in the first stages of epitaxial crystallization to align the α-helical molecules along the 〈110〉 substrate direction. We propose that the epitaxial structures are built up of straight, non-folded α-helical molecules associated side-by-side and, in the case of low Mw fractions, also end-to-end. The epitaxial crystallization of PBLG was observed only in the vicinity of the precipitation point. The orienting and attracting forces coming from the crystal substrate have a long range character and are of at least two kinds. The decoration effect of PBLG epitaxial structures could be used for substrate surface structure characterization. Die Epitaxie von Poly-α-benzyl-L-glutamat (PBLG) auf der (001)-Spaltflache von Alkalihalogenideinkristallen fuhrt zum Aufwachsen von Block- und Linienstrukturen, welche fur verschiedene Losungsmittel und Tragermaterialien qualitativ ahnlich sind. Im Anfangsstadium der epitaktischen Kristallisation wurde eine eindeutige Tendenz zur Orientierung der α-Helices von PBLG entlang der 〈110〉-Richtung des Tragers beobachtet. Es wird angenommen, das die epitaktischen Strukturen aus gestreckten, nicht gefalteten Molekulen (α-Helices) gebildet sind, die normalerweise nebeneinander, im Fall von niedermolekularen Fraktionen aber auch linear assoziiert sind. Epitaxie von PBLG wurde nur in der Nahe des Fallungspunktes beobachtet. Die vom Kristall ausgehenden Anziehungs-und Orientierungskrafte sind ziemlich weitreichend, und es gibt mindestens zwei Arten davon. Man kann den Dekorationseffekt der PBLG-Epitaxie zur Charakterisierung der Trageroberflache ausnutzen.
Brain-Specific Deletion of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 2 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Leads to Aberrant Cortical Collagen Deposition

The mitogen-activated protein kinases extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1 and 2 are essential intracellular mediators of numerous transmembrane signals. To investigate neural-specific functions of ERK2 in the brain, we used a Cre/lox strategy using Nestin:Cre to drive recombination in neural precursor cells. Nestin:Cre;ERK2fl/fl conditional knockout (cKO) mice have architecturally normal brains and no gross behavioral deficits. However, all cKO mice developed early-onset (postnatal day 35 to 40) frontal cortical astrogliosis, without evidence of neuronal degeneration. Frontoparietal cortical gray matter, but not underlying white matter, was found to contain abundant pericapillary and parenchymal reticulin fibrils, which were shown by immunohistochemistry to contain fibrillar collagens, including type I collagen. ERK1 general KO mice showed neither fibrils nor astrogliosis, indicating a specific role for ERK2 in the regulation of brain collagen. Collagen fibrils were also observed to a lesser extent in GFAP:Cre;ERK2fl/fl mice but not in CamKII-Cre;ERK2fl/fl mice (pyramidal neuron specific), consistent with a possible astroglial origin. Primary astroglial cultures from cKO mice expressed elevated fibrillar collagen levels, providing further evidence that the phenotype may be cell autonomous for astroglia. Unlike most other tissues, brain and spinal cord parenchyma do not normally contain fibrillar collagens, except in disease states. Determining mechanisms of ERK2-mediated collagen regulation may enable targeted suppression of glial scar formation in diverse neurological disorders.
The relationships among language ability, emotion regulation and social competence in second-grade students

Relationships exist between language ability, emotion regulation, and social competence in preschool children. This study examines how these relationships function in elementary school children, an...
Nicotinic receptors on hippocampal cultures can increase synaptic glutamate currents while decreasing the NMDA-receptor component.

Abstract Activation of presynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) can enhance the release of glutamate from synapses in hippocampal slices and cultures. In hippocampal cultures making autaptic connections, rapid application of a high concentration of nicotine activated presynaptic, postsynaptic, and somatic nAChRs, which consequently enhanced the amplitude of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) mediated by glutamate receptors. The increased eEPSC amplitudes arose from enhanced glutamate release caused by presynaptic nAChRs ( Radcliffe and Dani, 1998 , Journal of Neuroscience 18, 7075). The same whole-cell nicotine applications that enhanced non-NMDA eEPSCs often decreased the NMDA-receptor component of the eEPSCs. Furthermore, whole-cell activation of nAChRs by nicotine selectively reduced the amplitude of the whole-cell NMDA-receptor currents without affecting the non-NMDA receptor currents. The inhibition by nicotine was prevented by the α7-specific antagonist, methyllycaconitine, and required the presence of extracellular Ca 2+ . The calmodulin antagonist fluphenazine prevented inhibition of the NMDA-receptor current by nAChR activity, suggesting that a Ca 2+ -calmodulin-dependent process mediated the effect of nicotine. Our results indicate that activation of nAChRs can modulate glutamatergic synapses in several ways. Presynaptic nAChR activity enhances synaptic transmission by increasing transmitter release. Additionally, somatic or postsynaptic nAChRs can initiate a Ca 2+ signal that can act via calmodulin to reduce the responsiveness of NMDA receptors.
Gene regulation of aldose reductase under osmotic stress.

Aldose reductase (AR) catalyzes the reduction of various sugars to their respective sugar alcohols, including glucose to sorbitol. The accumulation of sorbitol from excess glucose in diabetic patients is believed to be responsible for initiating diabetic complications, such as retinopathy and cataract (van Heyningen, 1959; Kinoshita, 1974). Inhibition of AR by AR inhibitors in diabetic animal models has been shown to reduce the accumulation of sorbitol and prevent or retard these diabetic complications.
Letter to the editor response

[4] Sofuoglu M, Brown S, Babb DA, Pentel PR, Hatsukami DK. Effects of labetalol treatment on the physiological and subjective response to smoked cocaine. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2000;65:255–9. [5] Hoskins MH, Leleiko RM, Ramos JJ, Sola S, Caneer PM, Khan BV. Effects of labetalol on hemodynamic parameters and soluble biomarkers of inflammation in acute coronary syndrome in patients with active cocaine use. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther 2010;15:47–52. [6] Sofuoglu M, Brown S, Babb DA, Pentel PR, Hatsukami DK. Carvedilol affects the physiological and behavioral response to smoked cocaine in humans. Drug Alcohol Depend 2000; 60:69–76. [7] Self T, Rogers ML, Mancell J, Soberman JE. Carvedilol therapy after cocaine-induced myocardial infarction in patients with asthma. Am J Med Sci 2011;342:56–61.
Oxidation in CSPV experiments involving H2O-bearing mafic magmas: Quantification and mitigation

A difficulty in performing high-temperature (>900 °C) experiments on near-liquidus hydrous mafic melts in gas-medium cold-seal pressure vessels (CSPV) is the tendency for H 2 O in the fluid phase to dissociate and H 2 to diffuse through capsule material, leading to progressive oxidation of sample material. Negative consequences include premature stabilization of Fe-Ti oxide phases and commensurate deviation of the liquid line of descent toward silica enrichment. Moreover, time-variance of an intensive variable equal in importance to temperature or total pressure is an unwanted feature of any experimental study. Methodologies commonly employed to mitigate the oxidation problem, not without their own drawbacks, include incorporating CH 4 into the pressurizing gas, limiting run duration to 24 h, enclosing samples in Au-alloy capsules, and incorporating solid buffering assemblages to serve as indicators of f O 2 excursion. Using the Co-Pd-O system as a f O 2 sensor, we investigated progressive oxidation of basaltic andesite at 1010 °C and P H 2 O = 150 MPa. Our time-series of 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 h run durations reveals that oxidation occurs at a very high rate (~3–4 log unit change in f O 2 in 48 h). Both the variability of f O 2 and magnitude of dehydration-oxidation are considered unacceptable for phase equilibria work. Incorporation of additional CH 4 serves only to offset the progressive oxidation trend toward a lower absolute range in f O 2 . Ultimately, rapid oxidation in CSPV hinders the chemical equilibration of experimental charges. To mitigate the issue, we propose the following solution: Incorporation of a substantial mass of Ni metal powder as an O 2 getter to the outer capsule successfully: (1) slows down oxidation; (2) stabilizes f O 2 at the nickel-nickel oxide (NNO) buffer after ~20 h; and (3) allows compositions to approach equilibrium. Runs much longer than 48 h may require one or more steps involving quenching and re-filling the pressure system with CH 4 .
Evaluations of Three Types of Light Traps for Collection of Anopheles AlblManus Wiedeman (Diptera: Culicidae)

Field trials in El Salvador at 2 lakeshore and 3 village sites comparing mosquito catches in an experimental ultraviolet light trap with those in New Jersey and CDC miniature light traps showed that (1) the CDC trap was the least effective, (2) the NJ trap was superior for Psorophora and Culex species, and (3) the mean capture rate for female A. albimanus in the UV trap was 10.6/hr compared to 6.1 and 0.4, respectively, for the NJ and CDC traps. At 2 village locations the UV and NJ traps yielded higher A. albimanus catches outside than inside houses. In preliminary tests the UV trap caught 2.4 × as many female A. albimanus when operated in an updraft position as when operated in the conventional downdraft manner.
Regulation of SP-B and SP-C secretion in rat type II cells in primary culture

Secretion of lung surfactant phospholipids is a highly regulated process. A variety of physiological and pharmacological agents stimulate surfactant phospholipid secretion in isolated type II cells...
Epidemiological investigation of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Fujian province,China in 2011

Objective To investigate the epidemic situation of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS) in Fujian province,China and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of this disease.Methods The data on the epidemic situation of HFRS in Fujian province were subjected to statistical analysis.Rodents were captured using cages at night.The density of captured rodents was calculated,and their species were identified.Hantavirus antigen was detected and identified from rodent lungs by indirect immunofluorescence assay.Results A total of 259 cases of HFRS were reported in Fujian in 2011,with an incidence of 0.70/10 5.The cases were distributed in 64 counties,county level cities,or districts,particularly in Nanping,Ningde,Fuzhou,and Quanzhou.The incidence of HFRS was the highest in Songxi county and Zhouning county.The surveillance of rodents showed that the mean density of rodents was 8.22% indoors,and Rattus norvegicus,which carried Soul virus(typeⅡ),was the dominant species.In the mixed epidemic area,the mean density of rodents was 6.53% in the field,and R.fulvescens was the dominant species,followed by Apodemus agrarius,which carried Hantaan virus(type Ⅰ).HFRS virus antigen was first detected from R.norvegicus in Dehua county.Conclusion R.norvegicus is still the main host animal of HFRS in Fujian,and A.agrarius is the main host of HFRS in the field of mixed epidemic area in the northeastern area of Fujian.In 2011,the incidence of HFRS in Fujian increased significantly,especially in Songxi county and Zhouning county.Rodent control should be well performed,and HFRS bivalent vaccine should be widely used among the high-risk population,so as to reduce the incidence and prevent the outbreak of HFRS.
Analyses and evaluation on wipe out work inpoliomyelitis,2009,in Huhehaot city

Objective Purpose of the spinal cord in Huhehaot city,2009,poliomyelitis job evaluation and analysis to explore the future.Methods The focus of our work to finish the work Way to report to the relevant information using the software for statistical analysis.Results The report by 2009 afp cases and six cases for the six cases,in august,the main concentration in three to five years old,the incidence of 100,000,afp 1.43 all the countries of the ministry of health and who immunization for children;regular flow of the 90%or more.Conclusion The six hospitals in the afp-strengthening supervision of cases of the report of the work of the paper;a successful completion of itinerant children topv regular vaccination and immunization.Improved.
Barrier effect of litter on natural regeneration in northeast secondary forest

In order to study the effect of the litter on forest regeneration,according to the investigation of forestland sampling plots in different seasons of the natural regeneration,litter and soil seed bank of natural secondary forest formed by broad-leaves trees(Fraxinus rhynchophulla Hance,Quercus mongolica and Juglans mandshurica),the barrier effect of the litter of the main forest type on natural regeneration is analyzed in this paper.The statistical significance test analyses show that the litter has a barrier effect on the natural regeneration of northeast secondary forest.The thicker of the litter has,the fewer of the regeneration seedlings and vice versa.There is a negative relationship between the forest litter and the natural regeneration seedlings.
Analysis and evaluation on the surveillance data of adverse events following immunization in 2008 in Jiangsu Province

To evaluate the operation status of the adverse events following immunization(AEFI) surveillance system in Jiangsu Province in 2008.The description epidemiological methods were used in this study.6197 AEFI cases reported in 2008 were collected.The cases reaction were classified into vaccine reaction,its incidente is 98.97%,and coincidental,unknown and pending cases account for 0.95%,0.02% and 0.06%,respectively.Fever,absces in injection site and Dant's scleroma are dominant clinical reaction of AEFI cases.The incidence rates of allergia rash and sterile abscess is rather higher than orthers.The operation status of AEFI Surveillance System is normal and the indicators are matched the requirements of MOH.Benefiting from the introduction of the standardized AEFI classification,case definition and direct network report,the data quality is being improved step by step.The safety of NIP vaccines and the quality of immunization services is satisfactory.
Explicit Matrix Calculation Model of Feedwater Flowrate During Performance Test of Steam Turbine

The feedwater flowrate is one of the important parameters in the thermaldynamic performance test of steam turbines.On the basis of the conventional heat balance,the matrix calculation model is constructed with the mapping relations between the feedwater flowrate and condensated water flowrate at the deaerator entrance.The model is strongly versatile and easy to be programmed.Furthermore,it effectively avoids the tedious iterative process in the recommendation methods by ASME PTC6 standard and is conveniently applied to the performance test calculation of steam turbines.
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES, SPIRITUAL FORMATION, AND THE RESTORATION OF THE SOUL

After clarifying background assumptions, I proceed to a description of the soul as the source and coordinating principle of the individual life, referring to classical and biblical sources. The sou...
Politics After Finitude: Žižek’s Redoubling of the Real and its Implications for The Left

Slavoj Žižek, alongside Quinton Meillassoux, takes up the position that correlationism – the idea that one can only know the world as it appears for one’s subjective perception of it – fails to account for its own articulation, and thus depoliticizes the formal space from which it can arise. Through his reading of Hegel and locating of the Kantian thing-in-itself within reality, Žižek claims that he can subvert Kantian correlationism and its consequent political ‘celebration of failure’. [i] This paper, however, argues that Žižek’s Hegelian move, with its corresponding notion of the Act, fails to politicize the formal space that he criticizes Kantianism and the contemporary left for failing to consider. That is, Žižek’s alternative, his use of Marxism to delineate and politicize the formal Real space of capital, falls short. His Marxist construction and analysis of capital, since it relies upon the labor theory of value, which Žižek himself criticizes, results in an unwarranted speculation. Without a plausible construction, his claim to avoid Kantian impotence has little ground to stand on. The left is forced back to the drawing board; without Žižek’s alternative it is forced to revise Žižek’s concept of the Act, Marxist construction, or re-confront the political limits of Kantian finitude and correlationism. [i] Žižek, Enjoyment as a political Factor , xii, xvii.
Indirect Methods of Blood Pressure Measurement

The auscultatory method of measurement is still the one most commonly used. In infants other methods often must be used, including the flush method, palpation, ultrasound, and oscillometry. Precautions for avoiding errors in measurements are discussed, and techniques of the various methods are detailed.
Serial Echocardiographic Characteristics, Novel Biomarkers and Cachexia Development in Patients with Stable Chronic Heart Failure.

Little is known regarding objective predictors of cachexia affecting patients with heart failure (HF). We studied 108 stable chronic systolic HF patients with serial echocardiography and biomarker measurements over 10 months. Cachexia was defined as weight loss ≥5 % from baseline or final BMI <20 kg/m2; 18.5 % developed cachexia. While there were no significant differences in baseline or serial echocardiographic measures in those developing cachexia, we found significant differences in baseline amino-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), highly sensitive troponin I, sST2, and endothelin-1. Baseline log NT-proBNP (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.57, p = 0.004) and edema (HR = 3.36, p = 0.04) were predictive of cachexia in an adjusted analysis. When serial measurement of biomarkers was considered, only percent time with NT-proBNP ≥1000 pg/mL was predictive of cachexia. Thus, a close association exists between baseline and serial measurement of NT-proBNP and HF cachexia.
Compliant constant-force linear-motion mechanism

Abstract A fully compliant constant-force mechanism that uses an initially angled parallel-guiding mechanism is proposed. A pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM) of the mechanism is developed and validated using both finite element models and experimental prototype testing. The PRBM is used as a preliminary design tool to identify parameters that result in a constant-force mechanism. An adjustable version of the mechanism is also proposed and is used to assess the range of validity of the PRBM and highlights how the system response can be varied by changing the flexible beams inclination. A finite element based optimization is used to create a modified version of the mechanism that incorporates beam-end rotation effects and offers greater performance. Potential applications for the mechanism are discussed and it is demonstrated as a component of a statically balanced system.
On the Optimality of a Consumption Tax

Feldstein (1978) employed a simple life-cycle model to argue that a consumption tax would substantially reduce the excess burden of the current system of labor and capital income taxation. This note provides a general characterization of the optimal tax structure for this model. Maintaining Feldstein's other assumptions about parameter values, it is optimal to tax or subsidize capital income according to whether labor supply is an increasing or decreasing function of the wage rate.
Graphene transistors for RF applications: Opportunities and challenges

Graphene offers new opportunities for the optimization of high frequency FETs by virtue of high carrier velocity, excellent scaling properties, configurability as electron or hole channel devices, and limited scattering. The saturation velocity (v sat ) of graphene has not been determined clearly yet, but it is estimated to be ∼5 times greater than that for Si MOSFETs [1]. With large on-state current density and transconductance per gate capacitance compared to Si, [2] graphene has the potential to offer excellent switching characteristics and short-circuit current gain cut-off frequency. With observed constant device transconductance over the gate voltages [3], graphene FETs could potentially offer low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) with higher dynamic range per given DC power (OIP3/Pdc) beyond the antimony-based low-bandgap devices. With graphene FETs biased near the ambipolar point, graphene FETs behave close to ideal “square-law” devices near the ambipolar point i.e., I(V g ) ∝ V g 2, it would greatly suppress odd-order harmonics and/or third-order intermodulation products and improve dynamic range in communications [4]. Graphene-on-Si FETs [5] could potentially be further developed and processed in a manner compatible with Si CMOS with desirable integration density for system-on-chip applications. It also presents unique problems, such as limitations in voltage and poor pinchoff characteristics. The future success of the RF circuit applications depends on high-quality material growth on large-wafer scale, vertical and lateral scaling of graphene MOSFETs to minimize parasitics and improve gate modulation efficiency in the channel, a bandgap engineering of graphene channels in the MOSFETs, and innovative circuit concepts. [6]
Khovanskii’s Theorem

Let f 1,...,f s : R n → R be C 1. We say that (f 1,...,f s ) is a Pfaffian chain if and only if $$ \frac{{\partial f_i }} {{\partial x_j }} \in R\left[ {x_1 , \ldots ,x_n ,f_1 , \ldots ,f_i } \right] $$ for i = 1,...,s and j = 1,...,n. For example the following are Pfaffian chains: i) e x ii) \( {e^{{x^2}}},\int_0^x {{e^{{t^2}}}dt;} \) iii) \( {e^x},{e^{{e^x}}};\) iv) \( \frac{1} {{x^2 + 1}},\arctan x. \).
Multidimensional Highway Construction Cost Indexes Using Dynamic Item Basket

AbstractA highway construction cost index (HCCI) is an indicator of the purchasing power of a highway agency. Thus, it must reflect the actual construction market conditions. However, current metho...
The rise and rise of ID as a Service

The concept of Identification as a Service (IDaaS) is radically changing the way biometric matching and identity services are provided. So why is this transformation important? Mainly because it is a market disruption that will propel new growth in the industry. It's also likely to change the way we interact with applications requiring strong authentication or identification services, moving from captive, closely held applications into efficient and indispensable, widely available utilities.
Biolistic and other non- Agrobacterium technologies of plant transformation

Publisher Summary This chapter covers some of the methods that have been successfully used to create transgenic plants. The methods include electrophoretic transfection, electroporation of intact plant cells and tissues, bioactive-bead-mediated gene transfer, microinjection, pollen-tube pathway, and silica carbide-mediated transformation. These methods are successful in the laboratory, but there are very few examples where these techniques have been applied on a commercial basis. Biolistics has served as an excellent approach for transforming monocots and recalcitrant agronomic crops such as soybeans. Indeed, a number of the high acreage transgenic crops grown in the world has been transformed by biolistics. It is the most dominant non-Agrobacterium alternative approach. The history of biolistic transformation and different biolistic approaches are discussed.
Frozen Section Evaluation of Anal Disease

Paget’s disease and squamous cell neoplasms are the most common anal disorders to be evaluated by frozen section analysis. Pathologists may be asked to evaluate margin status since their microscopic extent is often greater than is grossly appreciated. Paget’s disease may be mimicked by other entities, including reactive squamous cells, koilocytes, and melanocytic proliferations. In situ squamous neoplasms also display features that simulate invasion in frozen sections.
David Enoch, Taking Morality Seriously: A Defense of Robust Realism

Turn over a copy of David Enoch’s Taking Morality Seriously: A Defense of Robust Realism, and you will find the usual array of quotations extolling the book’s virtues. The first is from Russ Shafer-Landau—arguably the philosopher most responsible for the current resurgence of Moorean-style non-naturalism—who writes that this “is the best book that has ever been written in defense of ethical realism.” The last is from Hartry Field, who claims that “on the scale of texts arguing for an obviously false conclusion, this actually ranks pretty high!”
Association of Exfoliation Syndrome With Risk of Indirect Inguinal Hernia: The Utah Project on Exfoliation Syndrome.

Importance Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is a systemic connective tissue disease, and abnormal connective tissue metabolism is implicated in inguinal hernias (IH). Associating XFS with comorbid conditions may illuminate their underlying pathophysiology and affect clinical screening and treatment. Exfoliation syndrome involves altered systemic extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis involving elastin metabolism. Hernias occur owing to abnormal ECM synthesis, metabolism, or repair. Inguinal hernias involve weakening or rupture of the abdominal/groin wall. Objective To determine an association between patients with XFS and patients with IH in Utah, possibly differing between direct or indirect hernia. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional study in a large health care system of Utah hospitals and clinics. Conditional logistic regression odds ratios were used to estimate risk of XFS in patients with IH overall and by subtype (direct or indirect) compared with control individuals. Codes specific to direct and indirect IH with additional medical records review of 186 procedures were used to classify IH subtypes that were not prespecified. Bootstrap resampling with jackknife estimation used to calculate 95% confidence intervals. The model accounted for matching on sex and age and adjusted for body mass index and tobacco use. Population-based sample using medical records from 1996 to 2015 that identified 2594 patients 40 years or older on January 1, 1996, with surgical IH repair and 12 966 random control patients with no IH history matched 5:1 on sex and birth year. Data were analyzed between September 10, 2017, and October 23, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Exfoliation syndrome outcome defined by diagnosis codes for XFS or exfoliation glaucoma from 1996 to 2015. Results Participants were primarily white (2532 of 2594 patients, [96.1%]; 12 454 of 12 966 control individuals [97.6%]) and non-Hispanic (2396 of 2594 patients [92.4%]); 250 participants were women (9.6%). Of study participants, 22 patients with IH and 43 control individuals were diagnosed as having XFS, respectively. Patients with IH had a 2.3-fold risk for an XFS diagnosis compared with control individuals (95% CI, 1.4-3.5;P = .03), and XFS risk with indirect IH appeared especially pronounced. Conclusions and Relevance Inguinal hernia was associated with an increased risk of XFS in this Utah population. Further work is needed to understand the pathophysiology, genetics, and environmental factors contributing to both diseases.
Which Factors Predict Consumer Willingness to Ride in Driverless Vehicles

Driverless vehicles are already in development and predicted to enter the market in a matter of years. Previous research centered on driverless vehicles has aimed to gauge whether or not consumers ...
Perceived social status and unhealthy habits in Korea.

Abstract Background: The association between socioeconomic status and unhealthy behaviors is well-documented in the literature. Less is known, however, about the role of subjective social status, but recent evidence shows that perceived standing in the social hierarchy has important roles in health. Methods: This paper studies the association between perceived social status and the consumption of alcohol and tobacco among the South Korean elderly. Using data from a large longitudinal survey in Korea, we empirically estimate these correlations while controlling for a large set of confounders that include measures of objective social status. Results: Respondents who view themselves as lower in the social hierarchy are more likely to be active smokers but equally likely to be drinkers as respondents who view themselves better off socially. We also find that among smokers and drinkers, the actual amounts of tobacco and alcohol consumed correlate well with perceived social status. In terms of drinking, the higher the subjective social status, the lower the amount of alcohol consumed. In terms of smoking, people at the two extremes of the social hierarchy smoke more than people in the middle. Conclusions: South Korea is facing unique problems regarding aging, economic and social inequality, and high rates of tobacco and alcohol consumption. Understanding the role of perceived social status on these unhealthy habits is therefore extremely important for designing policies that address these health issues from multiple perspectives.
Deep Learning and Machine Learning in Imaging: Basic Principles

Artificial intelligence has recently received much attention largely because of substantial improvements in image recognition performance, based largely on a class of algorithms known as deep learning. Prior machine learning methods are still useful and can provide a good understanding of machine learning fundamentals. Deep learning methods are still seeing rapid advances, but there are several basic components that are likely to be durable. This chapter describes the concepts common to all machine learning and then provides a more detailed description of deep learning methods and components.
The association between frequency of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder among youth and adults in the United States.

Abstract Background Studies have shown the frequency of drug misuse is important in the development of a substance use disorder, but little is known about this relationship in the context of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder and withdrawal symptoms. Methods Our study included 2694 civilian respondents from the United States 12 years and older who had misused prescription opioids in the past year from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Logistic regression was used to model the association between frequency of prescription opioid misuse and opioid use disorder and withdrawal symptoms, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and income level. Results Misusing prescription opioids more frequently was significantly associated with opioid use disorder in a dose-dependent manner (daily misuse: OR = 14.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.29, 23.95; 1–2 days/week: OR = 4.46 95% CI: 2.52, 7.89}; 1–4 times/month: OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.37, 4.18) compared to use less than 1 time a month. OR = 2.89, 95% CI 1.90, 4.40, respectively) after controlling for sex, age, race/ethnicity, and income. A dose-dependent relationship was found between frequency of opioid misuse and withdrawal symptoms (daily misuse: OR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.90, 4.40; 1–2 times/week: OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.45; and 1–4 times/month: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.90, 4.40) after controlling for all covariates mentioned above. Conclusions Our results provide evidence that higher frequency of opioid misuse is associated with both opioid use disorder and withdrawal symptoms. Frequency of use should be considered in the development of more effective opioid use disorder prevention strategies.
The Inclusive, Social Economic Point of View: Foreword to ‘The Doleful Dynamics of Competition: Inequality and Fakery in Modernity’

The purpose of this ‘Foreword’ to my article on the ‘Doleful Dynamics of Competition: Inequality and Faker in Modernity’ is to emphasize to readers the centrality of historical time in the analysis...
Acute Optic Neuritis Diagnosed by Bedside Ultrasound in an Emergency Department

Abstract Background Transorbital ultrasound was used to diagnose acute optic neuritis (AON) at bedside in an emergency department (ED). Case Report A 59-year-old female patient presented to an ED after 7 days of progressive unilateral visual loss while she was receiving outpatient treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Transorbital ultrasound revealed a disparity between the optic nerve sheath diameters of the affected and nonaffected eyes and striking optic nerve edema in the affected eye. These findings led to a diagnosis of AON and early definitive treatment. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Given an absence of reliable diagnostic criteria for AON, comorbidity with multiple sclerosis, and limitations inherent to magnetic resonance imaging, transorbital sonography may facilitate diagnosis of this condition in emergent presentations.
How College Students Communicatively Manage Uncertainty about University Health Services

Despite university health services’ critical role in addressing students’ health, students frequently underutilize on-campus healthcare, in part due to uncertainty. This study used Uncertainty Mana...
Disseminating aggregate research findings to participants.

It is becoming increasingly common to return individual-level research results to participants, especially in genetic studies (1). Yet, when the study ends, it is rare for participants to learn the study’s aggregate results (2). The contributors to this include limited time and funding, limited expertise in effective communication with non-medical audiences, and journal embargo policies. The ethical reasons for returning aggregate trial results include respect for participants’ time, promoting trust, and sharing information with those who made the results possible. However, there is a paucity of evidence to inform effective approaches to provide aggregate study results to participants (3–5).
Making Instant Adjustments in Online Journalism Education: Responding to Continuous Needs Assessments in Asynchronous Courses.

The creation of an ideal learning environment is always a challenge, but when the environment is online and the learners are a diverse group of adults in a specialized content area, the challenges become even more complex. This best practices study used the intersection of the importance of the learner, Knowles’ andragogy concepts, and the Dick and Carey instructional design model to make continuous needs assessment the cornerstone of three, graduate-level online courses during a single summer session. By active engagement in recursive learner analysis, the instructor was able to provide a personal and practical level of engagement in the asynchronous courses that ultimately benefited the students.
Magneto-Dependent Plasmon Drag in Permalloy Structures

Plasmon-enhanced photovoltages in 1D profile-modulated permalloy films strongly depend on magnetic field, with a characteristic hysteresis. The effect is discussed in terms of the anomalous Nernst effect.
Cardiac surgeons' practices and attitudes toward addiction care for patients with substance use disorders.

Rates of injection-drug use associated infective endocarditis (IDU-IE) are rising, and most patients with IDU-IE do not receive addiction care during hospitalization. We sought to characterize card...
Field-Emission Enhanced Contacts for Disordered Semiconductor based Thin-Film Transistors

Our presentation will report on substantial improvements to the performance characteristics of small channel length thin-film transistors (TFTs) made with disordered semiconductors such as amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) and pentacene with channel lengths in the range 10-200 nm. These improvements include reduced contact resistances that are deduced from the total channel resistance, increased effective carrier velocities, and improved sub-threshold response. The primary reason for these improvements is the improved carrier injection from source and drain contact metals to nominally undoped semiconductors resulting from using tapered geometries (nanospikes). Field emission, analogous to that seen in vacuum devices with sharp electrode tips, increases the local electric field at the contact tips and results in improved injection of charge from the metal contact to the band states or conducting states of the semiconductor. Conventional flat electrode devices have been fabricated alongside the nanospike TFTs for comparison. For all TFTs, a side guard electrode, held at the drain potential, was included that blocked spreading current from the source to the drain from regions away from the actual channel. This was necessary since the gate and the semiconductor were not patterned.
The demon in the diagram: towards a theory of evolving diagrammatic embodiment

This essay proposes that the intricate but sprawling evolution of diagrams might be looked at through a single graphic system. It is further proposed that this system might reconcile diverse defini...
Molybdenum in the environment

Molybdenum (Mo) was first recognized as an element, distinct from graphite, in 1778 by SCHEELE (1778). Although Hjelm isolated the metal in impure form in 1782, it was not until 1893 that Moissan produced the metal in an essentially pure form (92 to 96% Mo) (WEAST 1967). Initially it was thought to be quite rare, and it was not utilized for many years after its discovery. Large deposits of Mo ore were later discovered in Colorado, U.S.A. and at other locations around the world. Mining of these deposits has made Mo one of the more common elements. It has a wide variety of applications, especially in metallurgy.
The L^2-harmonic forms on rotationally symmetric Riemannian manifolds revisited

We use separation of variables for generalized Dirac operators on rotationally symmetric Riemannian manifolds to recover a theorem of Dodziuk regarding the spaces of L 2 -harmonic forms on such manifolds.
Enhanced LQ controllers and adaptive control

The author describes an enhanced LQ (linear quadratic) controller and its use in an adaptive self-tuning control algorithm. In cases where rapid swings in control might otherwise occur, weighting factors in the enhanced controller can be adjusted to obtain smoother control. The benefits of using the enhanced LQ controller are demonstrated by results from a multimachine power system simulation. >
Racechange Is the New Black: Racial Accessorizing and Racial Tourism in High Fashion as Constraints on Rhetorical Agency

This essay argues that racial performance in high fashion functions as a disciplinary visual rhetoric which severely constrains objections to the myth of postraciality and enables claims that race is no longer a meaningful category of analysis. Racial performances limit the rhetorical agency of marginalized groups in two ways: They reduce racial identity to a mere accessory and they frame racial interaction as a short-lived tourist encounter. Treating race as an accessory equates Black and White bodies, creating an illusion of equality, while fashion tourism reduces race to spectacle at the expense of the voices of marginalized groups. Racechange in high fashion thus functions as part of a postracial ‘‘common sense’’ that limits the rhetorical agency of persons of color. doi:10.1111/cccr.12037 Beginning in late 2009, the fashion industry turned, en masse, to the use of makeup and costuming in an attempt to visually transcend the boundaries of race—a photograph in V Magazine depicted two White models, one in blackface and one in her ‘‘whiteface,’’ wrestling naked; Karl Lagerfeld opened a fashion show in Shanghai with a film featuring models in yellowface; the 90th anniversary issue of Vogue Paris featured a White model in black body paint and elaborate ‘‘African-inspired’’ costuming; and models on an episode of America’s Next Top Model (‘‘ANTM’’) performed biracial transformations. Not to be outdone by the race-inspired fashion that followed his PreFall 2010 Collection, Paris-Shanghai, Lagerfeld recently introduced his Pre-Fall 2012 Collection, Bombay-Paris, with a lavish recreation of a maharaja’s palace populated by White and Indian models in thick black eye makeup and ornate jewelry. The New York Times dubbed the show ‘‘Exotic India Wrapped in Chanel,’’ and Lagerfeld described his styles as ‘‘saris worn like a scarf and a touch of what hippies would like’’ (Menkes, 2011). While ANTM has been putting models in racial and ethnic costuming since Cycle 2, the practice of racial performance increased dramatically, and I would contend not coincidentally, throughout the fashion industry after the
A security kernel based on the lambda-calculus

Cooperation between independent agents depends upon establishing a degree of security. Each of the cooperating agents needs assurance that the cooperation will not endanger resources of value to that agent. In a computer system, a computational mechanism can assure safe cooperation among the system's users by mediating resource access according to desired security policy. Such a mechanism, which is called a security kernel, lies at the heart of many operating systems and programming environments. The dissertation describes Scheme 48, a programming environment whose design is guided by established principles of operating system security. Scheme 48's security kernel is small, consisting of the call-by-value $\lambda$-calculus with a few simple extensions to support abstract data types, object mutation, and access to hardware resources. Each agent (user or subsystem) has a separate evaluation environment that holds objects representing privileges granted to that agent. Because environments ultimately determine availability of object references, protection and sharing can be controlled largely by the way in which environments are constructed. I will describe experience with Scheme 48 that shows how it serves as a robust and flexible experimental platform. Two successful applications of Scheme 48 are the programming environment for the Cornell mobile robots, where Scheme 48 runs with no (other) operating system support; and a secure multi-user environment that runs on workstations. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
An Infrared Look Behind Stars

Most of the light in the universe was produced in the Big Bang, appearing today as background radiation coming almost perfectly evenly from all directions on the sky, at wavelengths of 0.8 to 3 millimeters. Light emitted since the Big Bang has come from various sources, such as stars, quasars, and clouds of hot gas. The sum of all of these sources blends to form an extra, nonprimordial background. In this Perspective, Hogan discusses recent advances in estimating the total cosmic light emission at infrared wavelengths, which carries valuable information about the epoch of greatest conversion of cosmic gas to stars.
The Preference of Tryptophan for Membrane Interfaces: INSIGHTS FROM N-METHYLATION OF TRYPTOPHANS IN GRAMICIDIN CHANNELS*

To better understand the structural and functional roles of tryptophan at the membrane/water interface in membrane proteins, we examined the structural and functional consequences of Trp → 1-methyl-tryptophan substitutions in membrane-spanning gramicidin A channels. Gramicidin A channels are miniproteins that are anchored to the interface by four Trps near the C terminus of each subunit in a membrane-spanning dimer. We masked the hydrogen bonding ability of individual or multiple Trps by 1-methylation of the indole ring and examined the structural and functional changes using circular dichroism spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, solid state 2H NMR spectroscopy, and single channel analysis. N-Methylation causes distinct changes in the subunit conformational preference, channel-forming propensity, single channel conductance and lifetime, and average indole ring orientations within the membrane-spanning channels. The extent of the local ring dynamic wobble does not increase, and may decrease slightly, when the indole NH is replaced by the non-hydrogen-bonding and more bulky and hydrophobic N-CH3 group. The changes in conformational preference, which are associated with a shift in the distribution of the aromatic residues across the bilayer, are similar to those observed previously with Trp → Phe substitutions. We conclude that indole N-H hydrogen bonding is of major importance for the folding of gramicidin channels. The changes in ion permeability, however, are quite different for Trp → Phe and Trp → 1-methyl-tryptophan substitutions, indicating that the indole dipole moment and perhaps also ring size and are important for ion permeation through these channels.
Building Society Up and Tearing it Down: Paired Reviews of Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies” and “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”

There is a growing interest in the scientific community in cross-disciplinary research to address the complex world in which we live. Cross-disciplinary research generates novel insights by bringing together information and analytical approaches from different fields, enriching our understanding of the interactions and factors involved in events. Jared Diamond’s career demonstrates the value of a crossdisciplinary approach. Diamond earned his Ph.D. in physiology, but his research interests have taken him into the fields of evolution and geography. He is currently a professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles. Not only has he mastered various fields himself, he is also able to distill and communicate cross-disciplinary information to nonexperts. His most recent and potentially most important contributions to the popular scientific literature are the books “Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies,” which explores the development and distribution of civilization, and “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,” which addresses the dynamics of maintaining a society over the long term.