cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Childhood Brain Tumors

Brain tumors are the most frequently occurring solid tumors in children and also the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Despite improvements, treatment outcomes remain inadequate and morbidity is frequent. Improved understanding of the biological pathways underlying tumor growth has led to the advent of directed therapy, which holds promise for future improvement in therapy. In this article, the challenges specific to diagnosis and treatment of children with brain tumors are discussed, and the management of the most common pediatric central nervous system tumors is briefly reviewed.
EMITTANCE GROWTH IN LASER-DRIVEN RF ELECTRON GUNS

We present a simple analysis for the evolution of the electron-beam phase space distribution in laser-driven rf guns. In particular, formulas are derived for the transverse and longitudinal emittances at the exit of the gun. The results are compared and found to agree well with those from simulation.
Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Using an Anterior Approach and a Fracture Table Short-term Results From a Community Hospital

There are no data regarding the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive hip arthroplasty technique performed by community practice orthopedists. The early clinical and radiographic results of primary total hip arthroplasty using a minimally invasive anterior approach to the hip performed on a fracture table were studied. Two hundred thirty-one consecutive patients (247 hips) of 5 community practice surgeons were studied. The average surgical time (164 minutes) and estimated blood loss (858 mL) were more than double, and the major complication rate (9%) was 6 times that reported by an innovator of the procedure. However, no postoperative dislocations occurred. Adequate training is critical to reduce the risk of complications during the learning experience of minimally invasive hip arthroplasty procedures by community practice surgeons.
A Survey of Graph Mining Techniques for Biological Datasets

Mining structured information has been the source of much research in the data mining community over the last decade. The field of bioinformatics has emerged as important application area in this context. Examples abound ranging from the analysis of protein interaction networks to the analysis of phylogenetic data. In this article we survey the principal results in the field examining them both from the algorithmic contributions and applicability in the domain in ques- tion. We conclude this article with a discussion of the key results and identify some interesting directions for future research.
Hearing in Rodents

Hearing in rodents has been measured using both behavioral and physiological methods. Features of hearing that have been measured in rodents include auditory acuity in quiet and in noise, frequency selectivity and sensitivity, intensity resolution, temporal resolution, and complex sound perception. Generally, and especially for simple tone detection, behavioral thresholds are lower than physiological thresholds. Within behavioral studies, operant experiments using awake, behaving rodents produce lower thresholds than simple reflexive measures. Rodents generally have broader frequency filters than other mammals. Frequency and intensity resolution are similar but slightly elevated relative to other mammals. The few measures of complex sound perception performed to date show that at least some rodents have the capacity to distinguish between spectrotemporal characteristics of acoustic signals for communication. Most studies have typically employed domesticated laboratory rodents rather than wild-caught species, so few attempts have been made to correlate lifestyle and evolutionary history with auditory processing. Nonetheless, a baseline knowledge of hearing abilities in rodents will facilitate experiments on the perception of more complex, natural acoustic stimuli in the future.
Association of increased T cell infiltrates in the invasive margin with relapse-free survival in patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

e15001Background: CCAs are often aggressive tumors of the bile duct system with a poor prognosis. Immune cells that infiltrate these tumors might have a prognostic value for patients who have had s...
Toy Gory, or the Ontology of Chucky: Childhood and Killer Dolls

This chapter considers the ways childhood is produced as monstrous through the embodiment of killer clowns, killer dolls, and ventriloquist dummies in speculative horror, and how that construction strips children’s agency and makes them unequal partners in a dystopian symbiosis. Here, children become the playthings of killer dolls, and by extension, society’s ills. Deploying speculative realism, which counters a perception of the world that does not and cannot exist without human reason, along with a consideration of the occult—that which is both hidden and reveals something about the world-in-itself—the chapter looks at examples of the demontology of childhood toys in the popular imaginary from the films Poltergeist and Child’s Play , as well as an episode from Tales from the Crypt . Killer dolls and their ilk reflect the social construction of childhood as naive, agentless, and simultaneously monstrous, murderous, and Other while compelling us to reimagine the ethical engagement with childhood as complex and ultimately unknowable.
Plant oil-derived copolymers with remarkable post-polymerization induced mechanical enhancement for high performance coating applications

Abstract Polymer coatings have been heavily utilized in many industrial and civil applications where a protective thermoset material with enhanced properties such as chemical and physical resistance, thermal stability, and tailorable mechanical properties is desired. Plant oils are a class of promising biomass toward sustainable polymers, but have yet to be fully harnessed in tailorable thermoset coatings due to the challenging functionalization and extensive crosslinking processes required to achieve desirable thermomechanical properties. In this work, we demonstrated that soybean methacrylate (SBMA) from high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) can be utilized to produce bio-based acrylic thermoset copolymers through an industrially viable semi-batch emulsion polymerization process with various commonly used co-monomers such as methyl methacrylate, styrene, and butyl acrylate. A wide range of monomer feed ratios with SBMA from 0 to 50 wt% was easily achieved with minimal modifications allowing for good tunability of thermal and mechanical properties in the prepared latexes. More importantly, a simple and effective auto-oxidative crosslinking of the latex films provided extreme mechanical enhancements making these thermosets good candidates in ultra-strong, ultra-tough, and high Tg coating applications.
Informed consent and ethical reporting of research in clinical trials involving participants with psychotic disorders.

Abstract Informed consent is critical for protecting vulnerable individuals interested in research participation, like those with psychotic disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, etc.). Individuals with psychotic disorders may have fluctuating capacity to consent and capacity assessment prior to research participation can help determine decisional status. However, there is little research on how, or if, these assessments are conducted in clinical research. A systematic review of randomized medication or device trials that specifically recruited individuals with psychotic disorders to understand the use and reporting of capacity assessment to consent was conducted. A total of 646 articles were reviewed using a developed questionnaire on ethical reporting of consent practices and capacity assessment. Less than 10% (n = 34; 5.3%) of the studies reported an assessment of capacity to provide informed consent and less than half of those used a standardized assessment. Sixty-four (9.9%) of the articles reported capacity to provide informed consent in the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. Additionally, 66 (10.2%) of the articles did not provide a statement about institutional review board (IRB) approval; and given the large number of medication and device trials, one out of five articles (n = 134; 20.7%) reported no statement about potential conflicts of interest. Future research should continue to examine these issues and to better understand the benefits and challenges of research participation with psychotic individuals and their decisional capacity in this context.
Reinvigorating the Traditions of Second-Wave Radical Feminism: Humor and Satire as Political Work

AbstractThis is a commentary on Gloria Steinem’s (1978) “If Men Could Menstruate,” which is reprinted in this issue. Here I situate Steinem’s essay in the context of other second-wave feminists (e....
Traditional Authority and State Legitimacy: Evidence From Namibia

Do African traditional leaders weaken state legitimacy at the local level? Past scholarship raises the possibility that unelected chiefs might undermine trust in national-level institutions. Relyin...
Jogendranath Mandal and the Politics of Dalit Recognition in Pakistan

This essay examines some turns in the Pakistani political career of the Dalit leader Jogendranath Mandal between 1947 and 1950 when he resigned as a government minister and left the country. The im...
Power-Efficient ELF Wireless Communications Using Electro-Mechanical Transmitters

Ultra-miniaturized and highly power-efficient ELF (0.3-3 kHz) transmitters are desirable for underground and undersea wireless communications. This paper proposes the use of rotating permanently polarized dipoles (magnets or electrets) for such applications. A power-efficient data modulation scheme based on continuous-frequency FSK (CF-FSK) is also proposed for such electro-mechanical transmitters. Theoretical analysis and simulations show that 7-ary CF-FSK is optimal in the sense that it minimizes average mechanical torque on the mechatronic antenna for a given bit rate. Preliminary experimental results from a prototype ELF magnetic-field based transmitter based on a high-strength rare-earth (NdFeB) magnet and small brushless DC (BLDC) motor are presented. The results highlight local environment challenges such as power line interference that affect the choice of data encoding and modulation schemes. Reliable non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication through concrete barriers at 100 Hz and ~0.25 bit/sec is demonstrated at distances up to ~5 m. The proposed mechatronic antenna and modulation scheme can be scaled up in both frequency and transmit power for more challenging applications in surface-to-undersea, surface-to-cave, and other conductive environments that require ELF channels.
Synthesis and characterization of high affinity fluorogenic α-synuclein probes

Fluorescent small molecules are powerful tools for imaging α-synuclein pathology in vitro and in vivo. In this work, we explore benzofuranone as a potential scaffold for the design of fluorescent α-synuclein probes. These compounds have high affinity for α-synuclein, show fluorescent turn-on upon binding to fibrils, and display different binding to Lewy bodies, Lewy neurites and glial cytoplasmic inclusion pathologies in post-mortem brain tissue. These studies not only reveal the potential of benzofuranone compounds as α-synuclein specific fluorescent probes, but also have implications for the ways in which α-synucleinopathies are conformationally different and display distinct small molecule binding sites.
Purposeful Interpersonal Interaction: What is it and How is it Measured?

Abstract Despite extensive studies surrounding the topic of interaction in online learning, faculty are often still relegated to an attempt at replicating their face-to-face course interactions in the online environment. Interpersonal interaction is a necessary yet nebulous concept in online learning. This paper attempts to build a quality lens to view interpersonal interaction in online learning through, called purposeful interpersonal interaction (PII) by exploring types of interpersonal interaction demonstrated in the literature to lead to better student outcomes. PII encompasses three main types of interaction: purposeful interpersonal instructional interaction, purposeful social interaction, and supportive interaction. These interaction types have been associated with important student outcomes like perceived learning, satisfaction, and academic achievement. Robyler and Wiencke’s (2003) rubric for assessing interactive qualities of distance courses (RAIQDC) includes many of the concepts identified as important to PII and has been established as a valid and reliable tool for assessing the amount of quality interpersonal interaction that occurs in an online course. Keywords: online learning, interaction, instructional design, online pedagogy
PERI-PROCEDURAL ANTIBIOTICS DURING LOOP RECORDER IMPLANTATION: A REAL-WORLD OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Systemic prophylactic antibiotics at the time of cardiac device implantation are effective and recommended as standard practice. However, there are no high-quality data or guidelines supporting antibiotic prophylaxis during implantable loop recorder (ILR) insertion resulting in wide variation in
Screening of Natural Products and Approved Oncology Drug Libraries for Activity against Clostridioides difficile.

Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea. Infection of the gastrointestinal tract with this Gram-positive, obligate anaerobe can lead to potentially life-threatening conditions in the antibiotic-treated populace. New therapeutics are urgently needed to treat this infection and prevent its recurrence. Here, we screened two libraries from the National Cancer Institute, namely, the natural product set III library (117 compounds) and the approved oncology drugs set V library (114 compounds), against C. difficile. In the two libraries screened, 17 compounds from the natural product set III library and 7 compounds from the approved oncology drugs set V library were found to exhibit anticlostridial activity. The most potent FDA-approved drugs (mitomycin C and mithramycin A) and a promising natural product (aureomycin) were further screened against 20 clinical isolates of C. difficile. The anticancer drugs, mitomycin C (MIC50 = 0.25 μg/ml) and mithramycin A (MIC50 = 0.015 μg/ml), and the naturally derived tetracycline derivative, aureomycin (MIC50 = 0.06 μg/ml), exhibited potent activity against C. difficile strains. Mithramycin A and aureomycin were further found to inhibit toxin production by this pathogen. Given their efficacy, these compounds can provide a quick supplement to current treatment to address the unmet needs in treating C. difficile infection and preventing its recurrence.
Psychosocial distress and its effects on the health-related quality of life of primary brain tumor patients.

9553 Background: Primary brain tumor patients experience a high level of psychosocial distress, not only due to their diminished functional and neurocognitive capacities, but also due to the psycho...
Clinical Outcomes of COVID-19 Positive Patients Who Underwent Surgery: The New York City Experience

Background: The COVID-19 global pandemic has led to a halt in elective surgeries throughout the United States and many other countries throughout the world. Early reports suggest that COVID-19 patients undergoing surgery have an increased risk of requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission and overall mortality. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all COVID-19, positive with PCR confirmation, patients who had surgery between February 17, 2020 and April 26, 2020 at a major New York City hospital. Clinical characteristics and outcomes including ICU admission, ventilator requirement, and mortality were analyzed. Findings: Thirty-nine COVID-19 surgical patients were identified. Mean age was 53.9 years and there were more males than females in the cohort (56.4% vs 43.6%). Twenty-two patients (56.4%) had a confirmed positive COVID-19 test pre-operatively and the remainder tested positive after their procedure. The majority (59%) of patients had an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class of 3 or higher. Post-operatively, 7 patients (17.9%) required ICU level care with a mean length of stay of 7.7 days. There were 4 deaths (10.3%) in this patient population, all of which occurred in patients who were ASA Class 3 or 4. Interpretation: This study represents the largest study to date, that objectively analyzes the outcomes of COVID-19 positive patients who underwent surgery. Overall, ICU admission rates and mortality are similar to reported rates in the literature for non-surgical COVID-19 patients. Notably, in COVID-19 patients with ASA 1 or 2, there was a 0% mortality rate in the post-operative period. Funding Statement: The authors have no funding sources to report. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this work. Ethics Approval Statement: Institutional review board approval (i20-00644).
Incorporating Measures of Structural Racism into Population Studies of Reproductive Health in the United States: A Narrative Review

Purpose: Black women in the United States face poor outcomes across reproductive health measures-from pregnancy outcomes to gynecologic cancers. Racial health inequities are attributable to systemic racism, but few population studies of reproductive health outcomes integrate upstream measures of systemic racism, and those who do are limited to maternal and infant health outcomes. Advances in understanding and intervening on the pathway from racism to reproductive health outcomes are limited by a paucity of methodological guidance toward this end. We aim to fill this gap by identifying quantitative measures of systemic racism that are salient across reproductive health outcomes. Methods: We conducted a review of literature from 2000 to 2019 to identify studies that use quantitative measures of exposure to systemic racism in population reproductive health studies. We analyzed the catalog of literature to identify cohesive domains and measures that integrate data across domains. For each domain, we contextualize its use within population health research, describe metrics currently in use, and present opportunities for their application to reproductive health research. Results: We identified four domains of systemic racism that may affect reproductive health outcomes: (1) civil rights laws and legal racial discrimination, (2) residential segregation and housing discrimination, (3) police violence, and (4) mass incarceration. Multiple quantitative measures are available for each domain. In addition, a multidimensional measure exists and additional domains of systemic racism are salient for future development into distinct measures. Conclusion: There are quantitative measures of systemic racism available for incorporation into population studies of reproductive health that investigate hypotheses, including and beyond those related to maternal and infant health. There are also promising areas for future measure development, such as the child welfare system and intersectionality. Incorporating such measures is critical for appropriate assessment of and intervention in racial inequities in reproductive health outcomes.
Evaluation of the use of chlorpromazine for agitation in pediatric patients.

Introduction Chlorpromazine is a first-generation antipsychotic used for behavioral problems in pediatric patients. However, other therapies may demonstrate both improved outcomes and fewer side effects. Within our institution, chlorpromazine has been the standard medication used for treatment of pediatric agitation. The study objective was to evaluate the appropriateness of chlorpromazine use (including efficacy, appropriate dosing, drug interactions, and tolerability) to optimize the treatment of pediatric agitation. Methods Data regarding drug interactions, patient behavior, dosing, and side effects was collected for each patient administered chlorpromazine from January 2019 through June 2019. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics assessing the incidence of drug-drug interactions (DDIs), incidences of inefficacy, inappropriate dosing, and side effects. Results A total of 70 patients and 130 administrations of oral or intramuscular chlorpromazine were evaluated. Of these administrations, 49 (38%) resulted in a DDI. Eighteen (14%) administrations were ineffective for managing symptoms of agitation. Eleven (8%) administrations were dosed inappropriately, and 46 (35%) administrations resulted in side effects possibly caused by chlorpromazine. Discussion Results from this study demonstrate opportunities for improvement in patient care due to instances of drug interactions, inefficacy, inappropriate dosing, and side effects with the use of chlorpromazine.
Morbidity Associated with Anterior vs. Posterior Cranial Vault Expansion for early treatment of syndromic craniosynostosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate and compare rates of unplanned reoperation and complications after undergoing either fronto-orbital advancement (anterior cranial vault expansion) or posterior cranial vault expansion as an early surgery in the management of syndromic craniosynostosis. Methods A literature search was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant articles were identified in 2 electronic databases (PubMed and EMBASE) from the time of electronic publication to November 2020. Quality assessment and risk of bias were appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. A meta-analysis was performed comparing rates of reoperation and complications between subjects who underwent anterior or posterior cranial vault expansion as an early surgery. Results Of 1,373 screened records, 7 met inclusion criteria. Six were included in the meta-analysis. The studies that met inclusion criteria reported on 103 patients treated with anterior techniques and 72 patients treated with a posterior approach. Anterior cranial vault expansion was associated with significantly higher rates of reoperation (Peto OR = 2.83; 95% CI = 1.19, 6.74, P = 0.02) and complications (Peto OR = 2.61; 95% CI = 1.12, 6.12, P = 0.03) when compared to posterior cranial vault expansion. Conclusions Both anterior and posterior approaches are suitable options in the treatment of syndromic craniosynostosis depending on patient specific factors. Anterior cranial vault expansion was associated with higher rates of unplanned reoperation and complications when compared to posterior techniques in this analysis. Due to the paucity of literature which met inclusion criteria, this study was not able to assess critical outcome variables such as distance distracted/volumetric expansion, estimated blood loss, and cost. Larger studies evaluating both techniques under multiple institutions with long-term follow-up are indicated.
Transcendence and Self-Transcendence: On God and the Soul

For Orientation Part 1. Onto-theology and the Need to Transcend Cosmological Transcendence 1. Heidegger: How Not to Speak About God 2. Spinoza: The Onto-theological Pantheism of Nature 3. Hegel: The Onto-theological Pantheism of Spirit Part 2. Epistemic Transcendence - The Divine Mystery 4. Augustine and Pseudo-Dionysius: Negative Theology as a Break with the Onto-Theological Project 5. Pseudo-Dionysius and Aquinas: How to Speak Nevertheless about God - the Analogy of Being 6. Barth: How to Speak Nevertheless about God - the Analogy of Faith Part 3. Ethical and Religious Transcendence - The Divine Imperative 7. Levinas: Beyond Onto-Theology to Love of Neighbor 8. Kierkegaard: Beyond Onto-Theology to Love of God Conclusion
Chapter 4 Electronic Defects in CW Transient Thermal Processed Silicon

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the ongoing study of the residual defects in recrystallize bulk silicon and introduces a subject of electronic defect evaluation in crystallized silicon thin films. The chapter examines the problem of residual defects that result from the use of CW transient thermal sources to recrystallize the amorphous layer created by high-dose ion implantation in silicon. This is of central importance in silicon integrated circuit processing because of the extensive use of ion implantation to introduce dopant impurities for spatially controlling the free-carrier concentration. The displacement damage created by ion implantation is conventionally removed by furnace annealing, which also electrically activates the implanted impurities through their placement on substitutional lattice sites. General experimental considerations of device fabrication and measurements of electronic defects are discussed in the chapter. In bulk single-crystal silicon, several forms of energy beams have been used to recrystallize the amorphous layer created by high-dose ion implantation. The features of CW beam processing include spatial selection of annealed regions, negligible dopant redistribution, and retention of majority-carrier transport properties.
Leverage and Liquidity: Evidence from the Closed-End Fund Industry

This paper uses the February 2008 auction rate security (ARS) market freeze to examine the spillover effects of an exogenous rollover financing shock on asset markets. Stocks held by ARS-levered closed-end funds (CEFs) experience larger declines in market liquidity and lower returns than other stocks after the ARS market freeze. These effects are more pronounced when (i) ARS-levered CEFs hold a larger fraction of shares outstanding, (ii) CEFs’ ARS leverage ratio is higher, and (iii) the stocks are ex ante less liquid. The spillover effects of the ARS market freeze are temporary and diminish during the next 12 months.
Metoclopramide decreases emesis but increases sedation in tramadol patient-controlled analgesia.

Purpose To evaluate the clinical benefits and disadvantages of adding metoclopramide to tramadol for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).,
Nesting Behavior, Ecology, Seasonal and Geographic Distribution of the Sand Wasp, Stictiella emarginata (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

The nesting behavior and ecology of Stictiella emarginata are documented for the first time based on field studies made mainly at Canadian Forces Base Borden, Simcoe County, Ontario. Type of soil, natural community, temporary closure, mound leveling, orientation flight, prey transport, nest structure and dimensions, and kind and number of prey per cell are defined. Museum and field collection records support a geographic bridge from northern Michigan to the Atlantic Coast and dispel the previously held notion of a disjunct distribution for this species. A late June-July-early August flight season is inferred from observations and collections made in Ontario, New York and Michigan. The nesting behavior and ecology of S. emarginata and several other Stictiella species from the western United States, Mexico and Florida are compared.
The dissociation of the first oxygen molecule from some mammalian oxyhemoglobins.

The velocity of dissociation of oxygen from the α and β chains of saturated tetrameric oxyhemoglobin has been measured by detailed analysis of the time course of the replacement of oxygen by carbon monoxide. The rates for α chains vary over a 6-fold range, the lowest rate, for guinea pig hemoglobin, being only 2.5 sec-1 at pH 9 and 20°. When compared with isolated chains, the rates for human α chains within the hemoglobin molecule are decreased 2-fold; the rates for β chains are little affected. The rates for the β chains from man, horse (two electrophoretic types), guinea pig, and sheep (two electrophoretic types) are all larger than the corresponding α chain rates, vary over a 3-fold range, and are slightly slower at pH 9 than at pH 7.
Long-term behavioral, electrophysiological, and neurochemical monitoring of the safety of an experimental antiepileptic implant, the muscimol-delivering Subdural Pharmacotherapy Device in monkeys

Object The authors evaluated the extent to which the Subdural Pharmacotherapy Device (SPD), chronically implanted over the frontal cortex to perform periodic, localized muscimol-delivery/CSF removal cycles, affects overall behavior, motor performance, electroencephalography (EEG) activity, and blood and CSF neurochemistry in macaque monkeys. Methods Two monkeys were used to adjust methodology and 4 monkeys were subjected to comprehensive testing. Prior to surgery, the animals' behavior in a large test chamber was monitored, and the motor skills required to remove food pellets from food ports located on the walls of the chamber were determined. The monkeys underwent implantation of the subdural and extracranial SPD units. The subdural unit, a silicone strip integrating EEG electrodes and fluid-exchange ports, was positioned over the right frontal cortex. The control unit included a battery-powered, microprocessor-regulated dual minipump and radiofrequency module secured to the cranium. After implantation, ...
Tracing global biogeochemical cycles and meridional overturning circulation using chromophoric dissolved organic matter

[1] Basin-scale distributions of light absorption by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) are positively correlated (R2 > 0.8) with apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) within the top kilometer of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. However, a much weaker correspondence is found for the Atlantic (R2 < 0.05). Strong correlation between CDOM and AOU indicates that CDOM is created as a byproduct of the oxidation of organic matter from sinking particles. The observed meridional-depth sections of CDOM result from a balance between biogeochemical processes (autochthonous production and solar bleaching) and the meridional overturning circulation. Rapid mixing in the Atlantic dilutes CDOM in the interior and implies that the time scale for CDOM accumulation is greater than ∼50 years. CDOM emerges as a unique tracer for diagnosing changes in biogeochemistry and the overturning circulation, similar to dissolved oxygen, with the additional feature that it can be quantified from satellite observation.
Circumventing The Linker: Using SciPy's BLAS and LAPACK Within Cython

BLAS, LAPACK, and other libraries like them have formed the underpinnings of much of the scientific stack in Python. Until now, the standard practice in many packages for using BLAS and LAPACK has been to link each Python extension directly against the libraries needed. Each module that calls these low-level libraries directly has had to link against them independently. The task of finding and linking properly against the correct libraries has, in the past, been a substantial obstacle in the development and distribution of Python
Debtors’ Assessments of Bankruptcy Financial Education

Bankruptcy law now requires individuals to complete a financial education class to receive a discharge of debts. Using data from the 2007 Consumer Bankruptcy Project, this chapter examines debtors’ attitudes about the value of financial education. The data show that debtors’ attitudes vary by race, educational attainment, age, and familiarity with household finances. While many debtors express optimism about the future benefits of financial education, only about one in three debtors believes financial education could have prevented their bankruptcy. These findings have implications for designing financial education curricula and for understanding the causal relationship between financial distress and financial knowledge.
Clinical and dermoscopic features of combined cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)/neuroendocrine [Merkel cell] carcinoma (MCC)

Background Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a neuroendocrine carcinoma, associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus. MCC admixed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is unassociated with polyomavirus, and is genetically distinct. Objective We sought to distinguish clinically and dermoscopically between MCC and SCC/MCC. Methods We compared patient data for SCC/MCC (n = 26) and MCC (n = 20), and reviewed clinical and dermoscopic images (n = 9) of SCC/MCC. Results Patients with SCC/MCC were older (median 76.5 vs 69 years) and more often male (77% vs 60%), and had more nonmelanoma skin cancer (85% vs 25%), malignant extracutaneous tumors (25% vs 5%), lymphoproliferative disorders (23% vs 10%), and immunodeficient/proinflammatory states (77% vs 35%). In all, 58% of SCC/MCC versus 10% of MCC were clinically diagnosed nonmelanoma skin cancer. Patients with SCC/MCC had more metastases (77% vs 40%), more treatment failures (53% vs 45%), shorter survival (41 vs 54 months), and more death from disease (50% vs 40%). SCC/MCC demonstrated marked scale (7/9), and telangiectasia (1/9). Dermoscopically, small dotted and short linear irregular peripheral vessels and central milky-red areas with large-diameter arborizing vessels were seen. Limitations The rarity of SCC/MCC limits available data. Conclusions SCC/MCC is aggressive, arising within elderly patients' chronically ultraviolet-exposed skin, often in the setting of immunosuppression or inflammation. Dermoscopically, polymorphous vessels in lesions suspicious for nonmelanoma skin cancer are suggestive.
Regulation of β-Catenin Signaling by the B56 Subunit of Protein Phosphatase 2A

Dysregulation of Wnt–β-catenin signaling disrupts axis formation in vertebrate embryos and underlies multiple human malignancies. The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein, axin, and glycogen synthase kinase 3β form a Wnt-regulated signaling complex that mediates the phosphorylation-dependent degradation of β-catenin. A protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulatory subunit, B56, interacted with APC in the yeast two-hybrid system. Expression of B56 reduced the abundance of β-catenin and inhibited transcription of β-catenin target genes in mammalian cells and Xenopus embryo explants. The B56-dependent decrease in β-catenin was blocked by oncogenic mutations in β-catenin or APC, and by proteasome inhibitors. B56 may direct PP2A to dephosphorylate specific components of the APC-dependent signaling complex and thereby inhibit Wnt signaling.
Fuzzy empiricism and fuzzy-set causality : What is all the fuzz about?

This paper examines a novel notion of causality, namely, fuzzy‐set‐theoretic causality. Over the last decade, a number of conceptual models of causality, in the language of fuzzy‐set theory, have appeared in the scientific literature and have been applied to empirical research. They have circulated widely from one scientific discipline to another, weaving a unifying thread through them. However, they have received no philosophical attention. In this paper, I will discuss the value and limitations of this type of model and will read into its application several dimensions of philosophical significance.
SIR 2003 Film Panel Case 8: Aortocaval Fistula Supplied by a Type II Endoleak

The patient is a 66-year-old man who presented to the emergency room with complaints of nausea, diaphoresis, syncope, and chest tightness. He also had a history of intermittent back pain for several days before admission. Physical examination in the emergency room revealed hypotension and a large palpable abdominal mass. Before being taken directly to the operating room, the patient ruled in for a myocardial infarction. In the operating room, an 8-cm aneurysm with an aortocaval fistula was discovered by angiography, and subsequently excluded with an AneuRx endovascular stent-graft placed with only local anesthesia (Fig 8.1). The patient did well postoperatively on -blockade. Cardiology consult recommended continued -blockade and aspirin. On postoperative day 3, the patient was ambulating and was transferred to the floor. A plain film series of the abdomen (Fig 8.2) and computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen were performed on postoperative day 4 (Fig 8.3).
On fuel economy bounds

This paper addresses the question of fuel efficiency bounds for Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powered vehicles. Such bounds are based on the optimally achievable brake specific fuel consumption (bsfc) of current state of the art engines and the ability to limit the engine operating conditions to the bsfc minimum. Three different vehicle classes are represented by one typical vehicle. Based on these bounds, an efficiency index is defined that measures how close a vehicle power train system comes to achieving this bound. This index is given as a ratio of theoretically achievable fuel consumption to the actually achieved fuel consumption of the vehicle for a speed range that is selected via a weighting function. Our results indicate that even the most efficient power train systems provide a fuel efficiency that can be improved by a factor of approximately 1.5 to 7, depending on the speed profile.
Event-specific analyses of poly-drug abuse and concomitant risk behavior in a college bar district in Florida.

Objective: The authors describe the epidemiology of risk behavior associated with poly-drug use in a college bar district of a large campus community. Participants: A total of 469 bar patrons participated in the study. Methods: The authors used self-report data and biological measures collected from patrons outside bars in July and August of 2007. Results: The mean breath alcohol concentration of the exiting patrons was 0.09. Illicit and prescription drug use on the nights of data collection and in the recent past were significant features of the profile of patron risk behavior. About one-quarter of the patrons using only alcohol reported an intention to drive a vehicle within 60 minutes of leaving an establishment, compared with almost one-half of those using both alcohol and marijuana. Conclusions: A substantial amount of high-risk behavior was generated from the bar district on 4 typical nights. College bar districts should be a priority focus for prevention efforts.
Technical Assistance and Administrative Reform in Colombia.

A public administrative system is the product of its environment-particularly of its political environment. It is not discrete, but is an aspect of this same environment, affecting and affected by the tendencies of the society of which it is a part. In the rapidly changing present, the complex of social pressures and tensions have created over large areas of the globe an unsettled environment for public service. At a time when effective public administration is more than ever needed to reduce areas of social conflict by achieving generally acceptable solutions to accumulating social problems, the public service in many countries lacks the unity of purpose and technical skill to meet the challenge. This is notably true where nations, undergoing rapid social transition and attempting uncertainly through democratic government to bring traditional values and practices into line with contemporary needs, must mediate amidst a variety of pressures and counter-pressures. Democratic administration is never easy, even in countries with long histories of democratic government and with well-developed techniques of organization and management. Where the spirit and practice of democratic self-government have not become a living part of the environment and where the political tendencies of the community are contradictory or obscure, the situation of the democratic public official is truly difficult. Finding ho clear direction in which to move, the public administrator sometimes seeks safety in inaction-maneuvering for the security of authority, but evading a responsibility fraught with unpredictable personal consequences. If, rather than risk responsible decision-making, the public administrator bogs down into a state of semi-paralysis or seeks protection through administration by legal rote, he cannot work effectively to reduce instabilities, and his ineffectiveness may further weaken the political order in a cycle of deterioration. In many parts of the world where there is no well-developed tradition of voluntary community self-help, or few organized means apart from government for the initiation of social or political reform, the public service holds the chief hope for checking the course of social disintegration. To the extent that the administrative system can be developed into a stable, competent and confidence-winning instrument for democratic public action, this achievement will itself influence the environment in a direction favorable to further constructive public effort. For better or for worse, the public service unavoidably will modify its own environment. For this reason public administrators, whatever they may prefer, cannot confine their influence merely to execution of the law. They may reinforce environmental factors resisting change, or their action may-even inadvertently-promote change. But if the public service
Plant Community Recovery Following Restoration in Semiarid Grasslands

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is an extensive land use in the United States, which restores cultivated land to perennial vegetation through seeding. Low precipitation and high potential evapotranspiration are major limitations to the establishment and growth of seeded species in semiarid regions. We tested the rate of development of plant functional types across a chronosequence of restored fields using a model of plant succession. We also determined how the seeding of non-native (introduced) relative to native perennial grasses influenced plant community recovery. In contrast to the native shortgrass steppe (SGS), recently seeded CRP fields had high cover of annuals, forbs, C3, and introduced species. The seed mix determined which perennial grasses dominated the plant community within 18 years, but slow establishment prolonged early seral stages, allowed for the spread of colonizing perennial grasses, and limited recovery to less than half the canopy cover of undisturbed shortrass steppe. Species density declined in restored fields as seeded perennial grass cover increased and was lower in CRP fields seeded with introduced compared to native perennial grasses. Plant community composition transitioned to C4 and native species, even if fields were not seeded with these species, and was modified by shifts in the amount and seasonality of precipitation. Thus, in semiarid CRP fields, we found that the potential for recovery depended on time since CRP enrollment, seed mix, and climatic variability. Full recovery, based on similarity to vegetation cover and composition of undisturbed SGS, requires greater than 20 years.
The “High Irradiance Responses” of plant photomorphogenesis

Plants growing in the natural environment are exposed daily to prolonged periods of high intensity irradiation. Many plant photomorphogenic responses are fully expressed only under prolonged exposures to high irradiances of light. The intensive study of these responses, the “High Irradiance Responses” (HIR) of plant photomorphogenesis, which started about 20 years ago, has been essentially directed—so far—toward the identification of the HIR photoreceptor, or photoreceptors, a problem that has not been satisfactorily and definitively solved, as yet. There is a great deal of evidence in support of the hypothesis that phytochrome, the pigment mediating the redfar red reversible plant photo-responses to low fluences of light, is involved in the photocontrol of the HIR. It seems likely that phytochrome may be the only photomorphogenic receptor responsible for the photocontrol of HIR responses brought about by irradiation at wavelengths longer than 600 nm. Phytochrome is probably also involved in the photocontrol of the HIR effects brought about by irradiation in the 350 to 500 nm region of the spectrum, but it cannot be excluded that other photochemical systems may also be involved. From a theoretical point of view, it does not seem unreasonable that the final expression of an HIR response may involve an interaction between phytochrome and other photochemical systems, with phytochrome probably playing the primary role and being responsible for the control of the activity of the other systems. Numerous “phytochrome only” interpretations (models) of the HIR have been proposed. Some of them have been developed to a fairly high degree of elaboration and have allowed the prediction of at least some of the features of the HIR. These “models,” although not rigorously and completely tested yet, seem to provide a reasonable interpretation for the HIR effects displayed under prolonged far red irradiation and for those HIR responses for which far red is the most effective spectral region. However, they do not provide a satisfactory explanation for the HIR responses for which blue is the most or the only effective spectral region, nor for the high effectiveness of white light. But, in spite of these problems, the “phytochrome only” interpretations of the HIR can be considered more satisfactory than those based on an interaction between phytochrome and other photochemical systems, especially in relation to the fact that the identity of these other photochemical systems has not been defined yet.
Altered auditory processing in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome

This study provides the first description of auditory cortical processing in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). FXS is a genetic cause of intellectual impairment and is an autism spectrum disorder. Human studies with auditory evoked potentials indicate that FXS is associated with abnormal auditory processing. The Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mouse is a useful model for studying FXS. The KO mice show acoustic hypersensitivity and propensity for audiogenic seizures, suggesting altered auditory responses. However, the nature of changes at the neuronal level is not known. Here we conducted in vivo single unit extracellular electrophysiology in the auditory cortex of urethane/xylazine-anesthetized Fmr1 KO mice in response to tones and frequency modulated (FM) sweeps. Using tones as stimuli, we report expanded frequency tuning, enhanced response magnitude, and more variable first spike latencies in Fmr1 KO mice compared to wild-type controls. FM sweep stimuli revealed altered sensitivity to the rate of frequency change indicating abnormal spectrotemporal processing. There was no difference in FM sweep direction selectivity. Consistent with studies of the somatosensory cortex, these data point to hyper-responsiveness of auditory neurons as a key processing abnormality in FXS. Auditory neural responses can serve as outcome measures in preclinical trials of therapeutics for FXS as well as serve as physiological probes to study their mechanisms of action.