cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metopoplax ditomoides (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaeoidea: Oxycarenidae): First Canadian Record of a Palearctic Seed Bug

Metopoplax ditomoides (Costa) is a mainly w e s t E u r o p e a n a n d n o r t h A f r i c a n (Mediterranean) species (Pericart 1999) that has expanded its range in the last half century, as evidenced by comparing the distributions listed by Slater (1964) and Pericart (2001). First taken in England in 1952 (Woodroffe 1953a, b), this immigrant bug was not recorded again in Britain until breeding populations apparently became established in the 1990s; by the late 1990s, “prodigious numbers” were observed (Kirby et al. 2001). In continental Europe, M. ditomoides has spread north from the Mediterranean region (Rabitsch 2008) and probably also has been transported in shipments of plant material (Deckert 2004). This seed bug has been detected recently in several countries, including Belgium (Bruers and Viskens 1997), and has become more common in the Netherlands (Aukema 2003). The first North American records were from Oregon (Benton, Lane, Marion, and Polk counties), where adults were collected from hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) orchards and found swarming in houses (Lattin and Wetherill 2002). Metopoplax ditomoides soon was reported from California (Alameda, Marin, Solano, and Sonoma counties), with the first collections at Vernon (Sonomo Co.) in 2002 (Gaimari 2005), and from Washington State based on adults taken in a house at Lynden (Whatcom Co.) in 2006 (LaGasa and Murray 2007). Lynden is within about 6 km of the Canadian border south of Aldergrove, British Columbia. Metopoplax ditomoides (Figure 1) can readily be distinguished from other Nearctic oxycarenids. The antenniferous tubercles are prominent and rounded anteriorly; the clypeus is produced and spatulate; the head, pronotum, and scutellum are black, densely punctate, and have a vestiture of long, pale setae; and the forewings are pale to whitish, with veins of the membrane colorless to brown (Woodroffe 1953b, Pericart 1999). Here we report M. ditomoides from BC as the first Canadian record for this oxycarenid. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the United States National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (USNM) and University of Georgia Collection of Arthropods, Athens, GA (UGCA). Specimens examined: CANADA: BC, 100 Ave. nr 140 St., Guildford, Surrey, 70 J. ENTOMOL. SOC. BRIT. COLUMBIA 108, DECEMBER 2012
Eastbound sublithosphere mantle flow through the Caribbean gap and its relevance to the continental undertow hypothesis

Recent evidence indicates that beneath the Caribbean a tongue of sublithosphere mantle is flowing from the Pacific to the Atlantic, dragging the overlying lithosphere eastward: (i) Shear-wave splitting results from beneath the Andean subduction zone and Venezuela suggest mantle flow eastward through the Caribbean. (ii) Volcanic chemistry in Central America indicates a slab source beneath Nicaragua, but a different source in Costa Rica, above the proposed Pacific outflow. (iii) An extinct volcanic arc accreted to the margins of the Caribbean swept eastward through the Caribbean gap between North & South America. The 1982 ‘continental undertow’ model requires shallow-mantle flow through the Caribbean gap from the Pacific to the Atlantic, if continents have deep roots and if shallow-mantle flow beneath oceans is decoupled from convection at deeper levels. The new evidence from the Caribbean is thus compatible with the continental undertow model, and perhaps with other models involving decoupled shallow flow.
Robust Lasso with missing and grossly corrupted observations

This paper studies the problem of accurately recovering a sparse vector β* from highly corrupted linear measurements y = X β* + e* + w where e* is a sparse error vector whose nonzero entries may be unbounded and w is a bounded noise. We propose a so-called extended Lasso optimization which takes into consideration sparse prior information of both β* and e*. Our first result shows that the extended Lasso can faithfully recover both the regression and the corruption vectors. Our analysis is relied on a notion of extended restricted eigenvalue for the design matrix X. Our second set of results applies to a general class of Gaussian design matrix X with i.i.d rows N(0, ∑), for which we provide a surprising phenomenon: the extended Lasso can recover exact signed supports of both β* and e* from only Ω(k log p log n) observations, even the fraction of corruption is arbitrarily close to one. Our analysis also shows that this amount of observations required to achieve exact signed support is optimal.
The Role of Universities in the Commercialization of Medical Products A Survey of Industry Views

Survey methods were used to explore the expectations and recommendations of senior business development professionals with respect to the roles, activities, and interactions with US universities in the development of new medical products. This target group was chosen because it was judged to be most likely to interact with university faculty and technology transfer services and seek and acquire university assets. The survey instrument was first reviewed by a focus group of individuals with experience both in technology transfer and in academic or industry policy, then distributed to a selected subset of 80 business development professionals, of whom 72 responded. Serious concerns were expressed over the current mechanisms for technology transfer and university support of commercialization. When asked if they believed that there is a need for a change in the way that universities interact with industry in the US, 86% of the respondents replied that they either strongly agreed or agreed that there was, indeed, a need for change. Among several areas that might be improved, the availability of proof-of-concept facilities and funds for early-stage feasibility studies were most often identified as important.
Real-time zone-adaptive control of SCARA-type robot arm

A piecewise-linear control strategy is applied to a 2 d.o.f. manipulator performing under variable-load and variable-path conditions is presented. Each axis of the robot arm is modeled as a separate SISO (single-input, single-output) system with a single nonlinear parameter, inertia, which varies according to the load carried and position of the manipulator. The trajectory of the robot arm is divided into zones. Within each zone, an estimate of the inertial load for each axis is obtained. The inertial value for each axis is then assumed to be constant throughout the zone. A PID controller is designed within each zone for each axis which minimizes an integrated time and absolute error performance index for the estimated value of inertia. The result of this algorithm is a robust controller which tunes its parameters at specific times and can withstand a wide range of variations of the payload and path. The implemented controller was found to perform as theoretically predicted. It was also able to reduce manipulator vibration due to mechanical resonance. >
A journey to and through injury epidemiology

This brief commentary describes key events in the development of Dr. Jess Kraus’s professional career in injury epidemiology from the 1950s to the 2000s. It highlights the interactions with Dr. William Haddon Jr. and other researchers that were instrumental to his contributions to the field of injury epidemiology.
Light pen use and practice minimize age and hand performance differences in pointing tasks.

We contrasted performance with mouse and light pen input devices for younger, middle-aged, and older adults (N = 72) who were experienced mouse users. Participants used both preferred and nonpreferred hands to perform a menu target selection task. The light pen minimized age differences in performance relative to the mouse. Older adults were more lateralized on a handedness test than young adults and were less efficient using their nonpreferred hand. With practice, older adults improved their response time more than other age groups did. The mouse was rated as more acceptable and easier to use than the light pen across trials, despite the performance advantage of the light pen for all age groups. Usability ratings correlated moderately with performance. A benefit-cost analysis indicated that the more efficient light pen might cover its greater initial cost within 11 months for an older adult and within 23 months for a younger adult. Actual or potential applications of this research include advising older ...
Effects of cortisol on cultured rat heart cells: lipase activity, fatty acid oxidation, glycogen metabolism, and ATP levels as related to the beating phenomenon.

This paper reports the determination of the ability of rat heart cells in culture to release [14C]palmitate from its triglyceride and to oxidize this fatty acid and free [14C]palmitate to 14CO2 when the cells are actively beating and when they stop beating after aging in culture. In addition, the levels of glucose, glycogen, and ATP were determined to relate the concentration of these metabolites with beating and with cessation of beating. When young rat heart cells in culture are actively beating, they oxidize free fatty acids at a rate parallel with cellular ATP production. Both fatty acid oxidation and ATP production remain constant while the cells continue to beat. Furthermore, glucose is removed from the growth medium by the cells and stored as glycogen. When cultured cells stop beating, a decrease is seen in their ability to oxidize free fatty acids and to release them from their corresponding triglycerides. Concomitant with decreased fatty acid oxidation is a decrease in cellular levels of ATP until beating ceases. Midway between initiation of cultures and cessation of beating the cells begin to mobilize the stored glycogen. When the growth medium is supplemented with cortisol acetate and given to cultures which have ceased to beat, reinitiation of beating occurs. Furthermore, all decreases previously observed in ATP levels, fatty acid oxidation, and esterase activity are restored.
Social network characteristics associated with weight loss among black and hispanic adults.

Objective To examine social network member characteristics associated with weight loss. Methods A cross-sectional examination included egocentric network data from 245 Black and Hispanic adults with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 enrolled in a small change weight loss study. The relationships between weight loss at 12 months and characteristics of helpful and harmful network members (relationship, contact frequency, living proximity, and body size) were examined. Results There were 2,571 network members identified. Mean weight loss was −4.8 (±11.3) lbs. among participants with network help and no harm with eating goals vs. +3.4 (±7.8) lbs. among participants with network harm alone. In a multivariable regression model, greater weight loss was associated with help from a child with eating goals (P = 0.0002) and coworker help with physical activity (P = 0.01). Weight gain was associated with having network members with obesity living in the home (P = 0.048) and increased network size (P = 0.002). Conclusions There was greater weight loss among participants with support from children and coworkers. Weight gain was associated with harmful network behaviors and having network members with obesity in the home. Incorporating child and coworker support and evaluating network harm and the body size of network members should be considered in future weight loss interventions.
Spatial learning and memory processes: the search for their neurobiological mechanisms in the rat

Abstract There are a number of ways to approach the problem of how nervous systems are modified in response to an organism's interaction with its environment. One of these has been the study of learning and memory processes in the rat and their underlying physiological mechanisms, an endeavor that has contributed significantly to the overall understanding of the neural basis of behavior. As an example, the neurobiological properties of the rat hippocampal formation in relation to spatial information processing are reviewed, including a variety of behavioral analyses in conjunction with lesion and electrophysiological recording techniques. These approaches have furthered our understanding of cognitive operations that involve the integration of multiple sensory stimuli leading to the production of complex adaptive responses.
Contrast entropy based image enhancement and logarithmic transform coefficient histogram shifting

This paper presents an enhancement technique based upon a new application of histograms on transform domain coefficients called logarithmic transform coefficient histogram shifting (LTHS). A measure of enhancement based on contrast entropy is used as a tool for evaluating the performance of the proposed enhancement technique and for finding optimal values for variables contained in the enhancement. The algorithm's performance is compared quantitatively to classical histogram equalization using the aforementioned measure of enhancement. Experimental results are presented to show the performance of the proposed algorithm alongside classical histogram equalization.
Ovicidal Response of NYDA Formulations on the Human Head Louse (Anoplura: Pediculidae) using a Hair Tuft Bioassay

ABSTRACT Using the in vitro rearing system in conjunction with the hair tuft bioassay, NYDA and NYDA without fragrances formulations (92% wt:wt dimeticones) were 100% ovicidal (0% of treated eggs hatched) after an 8-h exposure of the eggs of the human head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer) following the manufacturer's instructions. Comparatively, 78 and 66% of eggs similarly exposed hatched after distilled deionized water or Nix (1% permethrin) treatments, respectively. NYDA and NYDA without fragrances formulations were also statistically and substantially more ovicidal than either distilled deionized water or Nix treatments after 10, 30 min, and 1 h exposures. Only the 10 min exposure of eggs to NYDA and NYDA without fragrances formulations resulted in hatched lice that survived to adulthood (5–8% survival). Of the lice that hatched from eggs exposed to NYDA formulations for 10 min, there were no significant differences in the time it took them to become adults, female fecundity or the viability ...
PHYSICAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-FAT ITALIAN SAUSAGE PREPARED WITH HYDRATED OAT

Low-fat Italian sausage was prepared with hydrated oat flakes at 10, 20 and 30% (w/w), and precook times of 0, 2 and 4 min. Cook loss and expressible moisture, cutting force and texture profile analysis, color and consumer sensory analysis were analyzed by response-surface methodology. Minimum cook loss occurred at 16.3% of the hydrated oat and 0.76 min precook time, while expressible moisture decreased with increasing oat levels and decreasing precook time. In general, both cutting force and hardness decreased with hydrated oat level. Measurements of L*, a* and b* showed a slightly lighter product and a shift to more red and yellow cooked product at intermediate oat levels and precook times. For sensory attributes, both oat level and precook time were significant. Greatest flavor and texture likeability were attained with hydrated oat levels of 3-12%, and precook times of 1.5-3 min. Greatest overall likeability occurred over a region of 0-14% hydrated oat, and 1.1-3.3 min precook time.
Statistical Physics and Economic Fluctuations

We present an overview of recent research—much of it caxried out in collaborations between economists and physicists—which is focussed on applying ideas of statistical physics to try to better understand puzzles regarding economic fluctuations. One of these puzzles is how to describe outliers, phenomena that lie outside of patterns of statistical regularity. We review evidence consistent with the possibility that such outliers may not exist. This possibility is supported by extensive numerical analysis of a huge database, containing every trade, which results in power law descriptions of a number of quantities whose fluctuations are of interest. It is also supported by recent analysis by Plerou et al. of a database containing the bid, ask, and sale price of each trade of every stock. Further, the Plerou et al. analysis is consistent with a possible theoretical framework for understanding economic fluctuations in which a financial market alternates between being in an “equilibrium phase” where market behavior is split roughly equally between buying and selling, and an “out-of-equilibrium phase” where the market is mainly either buying or selling.
Anxiety Correlates of Sex-Role Identity in College Students

The relationships between sex-role adoption, aggression anxiety (AA), and manifest anxiety (MA) were determined by using questionnaire data from 85 college males and 156 college females. Significant negative rs were obtained between masculinity and both anxiety variables which, in turn, were positively correlated. The MF-AA findings were similar to those reported for 12-yr.-old children.
Studying Behavioral Change: Growth Analysis via Multidimensional Scaling Model

In recent years, statistical methods for latent growth modeling have been commonly used in educational and psychological research. The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate growth modeling of change in pattern using multidimensional scaling (MDS) in the context of growth mixture modeling (GMM). We discuss how MDS growth pattern analysis may differ with respect to modeling changes in level, as commonly done with GMM, given that they have similarities in terms of model estimation, latent group identification, classification of individuals, and the interpretation of growth trajectory. We discuss the MDS growth pattern analysis in particular since it is less known. Using two simulated data sets as well as actual data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of the Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K) study, we demonstrate differences in growth pattern vs. level. It is our goal to provide researchers with a better idea of what MDS growth pattern analysis can accomplish, which may provide them with the knowledge to appropriately utilize this type of analysis in their own research.
Light Chain Amyloid Fibrils Cause Metabolic Dysfunction in Human Cardiomyocytes

Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is the most common form of systemic amyloid disease, and cardiomyopathy is a dire consequence, resulting in an extremely poor prognosis. AL is characterized by the production of monoclonal free light chains that deposit as amyloid fibrils principally in the heart, liver, and kidneys causing organ dysfunction. We have studied the effects of amyloid fibrils, produced from recombinant λ6 light chain variable domains, on metabolic activity of human cardiomyocytes. The data indicate that fibrils at 0.1 μM, but not monomer, significantly decrease the enzymatic activity of cellular NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductase, without causing significant cell death. The presence of amyloid fibrils did not affect ATP levels; however, oxygen consumption was increased and reactive oxygen species were detected. Confocal fluorescence microscopy showed that fibrils bound to and remained at the cell surface with little fibril internalization. These data indicate that AL amyloid fibrils severely impair cardiomyocyte metabolism in a dose dependent manner. These data suggest that effective therapeutic intervention for these patients should include methods for removing potentially toxic amyloid fibrils.
CHAPTER 5 – Influence of Different Parameters on Fractal Dimension Values During the Binding Phase

A fractal analysis of the binding of analyte (antigen or antibody) in solution to the receptor (antibody or antigen) immobilized on the biosensor surface provides a quantitative indication of the state of the disorder (fractal dimension) and the binding-rate coefficient on the surface. The fractal dimension provides a quantitative measure of the degree of heterogeneity that exists on the surface for the antibody–antigen (analyte–receptor) systems. In this chapter, some examples are discussed where either a single- or a dual-fractal analysis was required to adequately describe the binding kinetics. The dual-fractal analysis was used only when the single-fractal analysis did not provide an adequate fit. This was done by the regression analysis. The examples analyzed the role of analyte concentration, the effect of different surfaces, the influence of regeneration, and the effect of flow rate on binding-rate coefficients and fractal dimensions during analyte–receptor binding in different biosensor systems. In general, the binding-rate coefficient increases as the fractal dimension increases. An increase in the binding-rate coefficient value should lead to enhanced sensitivity and to a decrease in the response time of the biosensor.
Optimizing a Menu of Multi Format Subscription Plans for Advertising Supported Media Platforms: A Model and Application in the Daily Newspaper Industry

Distribution of content by media companies has greatly transformed in the past decade. Content, which was once distributed through e.g., television, radio and print formats, is now available through contemporary digital formats with many possible versions, such as smartphone and tablet apps with and without ads etc. Consequently, many media firms facing markets comprised of heterogeneous consumers with varying content consumption preferences are offering ‘menus’ of multi format-version subscription bundles for their consumers to choose from. So far, however, there is little systematic model-based guidance on configuring and pricing menu options available to such content marketers. Moreover, most media firms are ‘audience-building platforms’ that serve at least two distinct customer groups (content consumers and advertisers) with inter-related demands. Therefore, constructing a menu of content subscription bundles that maximizes total profit from both consumers and advertisers becomes an even more complex problem, not yet addressed in the marketing literature. Therefore, this article proposes a theory-driven implementable model-based approach that can aid media platforms in optimally designing their subscription menus. The proposed framework is demonstrated for a U.S. newspaper and profit maximizing menus for various strategies are determined.
Microbial Sampling: Is It Better to Sample Many Times or Use Large Samples?

Repeated sampling of a water (raw, Ssished, recreational) is often used to assess microbial quality. Microbial distributions have often been found to be negative binomial distributed in such repeated samples. Under these conditions, it is shown that it is better to use a large number of small volume samples than vice versa, providing that the negative binomial dispersion parameter remains unaffected by volume. Further research is needed to determine if the latter assumption, which influences the conclusion proposed, is valid for various classes of microorganisms in various types of waters.
Assessing bottom water anoxia within the Late Devonian Woodford Shale in the Arkoma Basin, southern Oklahoma

Abstract Comparing the concentration of molybdenum (Mo) (ppm) and total organic carbon (TOC) (wt%) within sediments allows interpretation of the relative degrees of bottom water restriction within the geologic record. The Woodford Shale is interpreted as transgressive systems tract (TST) grading into highstand systems tract (HST). The lowermost Woodford preserves a Mo-TOC signal that is consistent with a restricted basin that periodically received influxes of water consistent with rising sea levels flowing into restricted sub-basins that became isolated by localized conditions. The middle Woodford preserves a signal that indicates an increased ventilation at the sediment-water interface persisting until the maximum flooding surface. The presence of phosphate nodules in the uppermost Woodford suggests sufficient oxygen to retain the Mo in solution and indicates active upwelling and circulation with the Paleotethys. It is also possible to document changing ventilation patterns, non-destructively, within a basin by utilizing changing trends in redox-sensitive trace metals (Mo, Ni, and Cu) and an approximation of the degree of pyritization (aDOP) based on an idealized formula for pyrite (FeS2). This chemofacies approach produces a qualitatively similar interpretation to the changing Mo-TOC signal and can evaluate lateral trends in bottom water ventilation where destructive sampling is not permitted. Distal regions preserve the greatest degree of bottom water ventilation. Proximal regions preserve highly variable conditions with more restricted conditions being common in the lowermost Woodford Shale and ventilation improving upsection. Interpreting changing levels of bottom water anoxia enable greater degrees of precision in targeting potential hydrocarbon resources. Furthermore, this information improves our understanding of the changing environmental conditions of the Woodford Shale. The Framvaren Fjord is a reasonable modern analog for bottom water restriction in the lowermost portion of the Woodford Shale. The Cariaco Basin is a good modern analog for bottom water restriction in the middle and uppermost Woodford Shale.
Integrating natural language, query processing, and semantic data models

The design and implementation of a natural language query processing system is described. The system is based on the CANDIDE object-oriented data model, which consists of a collection of instances and classes. Classes are arranged in a generalization hierarchy. Each instance belongs to one or more classes. CANDIDE includes a terminological reasoning capability, known as the Classifier, which is used to process queries. Natural language queries are converted into CANDIDE objects and then processed by the Classifier. Issues in natural language processing are discussed, including the lexical acquisition problem. The approach is unique in terms of aiding natural language processing with a semantic data model. >
Design-Driven Modeling of Surface-Textured Full-Film Lubricated Sliding: Validation and Rationale of Nonstandard Thrust Observations

Our recent experimental work showed that asymmetry is needed for surface textures to decrease friction in full-film lubricated sliding (e.g., thrust bearings) with Newtonian fluids; textures reduce the shear load and produce a separating normal force (Schuh and Ewoldt in Tribol Int 97:490–498, 2016). However, standard slider bearing theory cannot explain the sign of the observed normal thrust, and any effort to optimize surface textures would be premature if modeling and simulations are not validated with experiments. Here we model the flow with the Reynolds equation in cylindrical coordinates, numerically implemented with a pseudo-spectral method. The model predictions match experiments, rationalize the sign of the normal force, and allow for design of surface texture geometry. To minimize sliding friction with angled cylindrical textures, an optimal angle of asymmetry β exists. The optimal angle depends on the film thickness but not the sliding velocity within the applicable range of the model. Outside the scope of this paper, the model is being used to optimize generalized surface texture topography (Lee et al. in J Mech Design, to appear).
Identification of Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis Using Serum Retinol-Binding Protein 4 and a Clinical Prediction Model

Importance Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR) is an underrecognized cause of heart failure (HF) in older individuals, owing in part to difficulty in diagnosis. ATTR can result from substitution of valine for isoleucine at codon 122 of the transthyretin ( TTR ) gene (V122I), present in 3.43% of African American individuals. Objective To examine whether serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), an endogenous TTR ligand, could be used as a diagnostic test for ATTR V122I amyloidosis. Design, Setting, and Participants In this combined prospective and retrospective cohort study performed at a tertiary care referral center, 50 African American patients 60 years or older with nonamyloid HF and cardiac wall thickening prospectively genotyped from September 1, 2014, through December 31, 2015, and a comparator cohort of 25 patients with biopsy-proven ATTR V122I amyloidosis recruited from September 1, 2009, through November 31, 2014, comprised the development cohort. Twenty-seven African American patients and 9 patients with ATTR V122I amyloidosis comprised the validation cohort. Main Outcomes and Measures Circulating RBP4, TTR, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and troponin I (TnI) concentrations and electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and clinical characteristics were assessed in all patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify optimal thresholds for ATTR V122I amyloidosis identification. A clinical prediction rule was developed using penalized logistic regression, evaluated using ROC analysis and validated in an independent cohort of cases and controls. Results Age, sex, and BNP and TnI concentrations were similar between the 25 patients with ATTR V122I amyloidosis (mean [SD] age, 72.2 [7.4] years; 18 male [72%]) and the 50 controls (mean [SD] age, 69.2 [5.7] years; 31 male [62%]). Serum RBP4 concentration was lower in patients with ATTR V122I amyloidosis compared with nonamyloid controls (31.5 vs 49.4 µg/mL, P P P Conclusions and Relevance A prediction model using circulating RBP4 concentration and readily available clinical parameters accurately discriminated ATTR V122I amyloidosis from nonamyloid HF in a case-matched cohort. This clinical algorithm may be useful for identification of ATTR V122I amyloidosis in elderly African American patients with HF.
The Sacredness of Individuality: Introspection for Refuting States of Total Conviction in Boys and Men

This article offers an introspective meditation on what William James described as the “fallible utility” of introspection, promoted here especially for countering experiences of shame, self-loathing, and melancholia—what Adam Phillips calls states of “total conviction”—in boys and men. The article draws on narratives from James’s and the author’s own youthful struggles and from James’s “On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings,” an essay he believed best captured “the perception on which [his] whole individualistic philosophy is based.” It urges boys and men to attempt, against considerable odds, to practice a more generous self-acceptance, particularly of forbidden homoerotic interests, as their path to greater tolerance of idiosyncratic others.
The impact of mental health literacy, stigma, and social support on attitudes toward mental health help-seeking

Guided by the theory of reasoned action, this study built a model to examine the ways in which mental health literacy (MHL), personal stigma, self-stigma, and social support collectively influence ...
A compliance assessment of midpoint formative assessments completed by APPE preceptors.

Abstract Introduction Experiential pharmacy preceptors should provide formative and summative feedback during a learning experience. Preceptors are required to provide colleges and schools of pharmacy with assessments or evaluations of students’ performance. Students and experiential programs value on-time completion of midpoint evaluations by preceptors. The objective of this study was to determine the number of on-time electronically documented formative midpoint evaluations completed by preceptors during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Methods Compliance rates of on-time electronically documented formative midpoint evaluations were reviewed by the Office of Experiential Education of a five-member consortium during the two-year study period prior to the adoption of Standards 2016. Pearson chi-square test and generalized linear models were used to determine if statistically significant differences were present. Results Average midpoint compliance rates for the two-year research period were 40.7% and 41% respectively. No statistical significance was noted comparing compliance rates for year one versus year two. However, statistical significance was present when comparing compliance rates between schools during year two. Feedback from students and preceptors pointed to the need for brief formal midpoint evaluations that require minimal time to complete, user friendly experiential management software, and methods for documenting verbal feedback through student self-reflection. Conclusions Additional education and training to both affiliate and faculty preceptors on the importance of written formative feedback at midpoint is critical to remaining in compliance with Standards 2016.
Prospective Longitudinal Substance Use Patterns in Patients Preparing for Hepatitis C Treatment.

Objectives: This study prospectively examined the independent courses of alcohol, drugs, and smoking over 18 months in 154 patients preparing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in relation to fu...
Clusterin and Survivin in normal islets and islet cell tumors of pancreas

2147 Introduction: Clusterin (Apo J) is a heat shock protein that modulates cellular proliferation. Increased expression of clusterin has been noted in breast cancers and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma but has not been investigated in islet cell tumors of pancreas (ICT). A structurally unique inhibitor of apoptosis protein, survivin, is differentially expressed in islet cells and is also prominently expressed in most common human carcinomas. The literature, however, is sparse regarding expression of clusterin and survivin in normal pancreas and ICT. Objective: This report describes the pattern of expression for survivin and clusterin in normal islet cells as well as in the ICT. Design: Five cases of normal pancreas, and 14 cases of ICT and adjacent uninvolved pancreas were immunostained with survivin (Clone: N18, Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc., Santa Cruz, CA) as well as α (clone: 7D1; Novocastra Inc., CA) and β (clone: b-5; Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc., Santa Cruz, CA) chains of clusterin. In addition, islet cells were also immunohistochemically stained for glucagon, insulin, gastrin, somatostatin, somatostatin receptor, pancreatic polypeptide, neuron specific enolase, S-100, and Grimelius stain. They were reviewed under bright field microscopy. Normal islet cells were also double labeled with fluorescent dyes - red (clusterin α and β chains separately) and green (glucagon and insulin separately). This allowed fluorescent microscopy to see the co-localization of clusterin with the type of hormone producing cells noted on the bright field microscopy. All stains were independently reviewed by three pathologists. Results: The strongest staining for both clusterin chains was noted at the periphery of normal as well as uninvolved islet cells. The pattern of immunostaining in normal and uninvolved endocrine pancreas was consistent with clusterin staining most strongly in a subset of cells also staining for glucagon and somatostatin. Survivin was noted in 82% (12/ 15) of normal and adjacent normal islets and unlike clusterin it stained all cells of the islets. Clusterin and survivin were expressed in 6/14 (43%) and 11/14 (79%) ICT , respectively. Interestingly, all ICT staining for glucagon (glucagonoma) also stained with both chains of clusterin (3/3, 100%). Clusterin expression also paralleled staining associated with glucagon and in ICT. Furthermore, based on fluorescent staining, both chains of clusterin co-localized with 90% cells expressing glucagon. Similarly, 60% glucagon expressing cells demonstrated co-localization with both chains of clusterin. Clusterin expression did not show co-localization with insulin expressing cells. Conclusion: Clusterin localizes in glucagon secreting cells in normal as well as uninvolved endocrine pancreas. While survivin may play a role in development of islet cell tumors, clusterin is differentially expressed in islet cells and may play a role in pathogenesis of glucagonoma.
Our Marathon: The Role of Graduate Student and Library Labor in Making the Boston Bombing Digital Archive

Abstract This chapter uses Our Marathon: The Boston Bombing Digital Archive to consider the ways that collaborative, public-facing digital humanities initiatives can conflict with institutional conventions and methods of evaluating academic labor. Collaborative work creates challenges as well as opportunities for its organizers and laborers. The particular institutional space of the English department is discussed in relation to digital projects, and it is brought into conversation with the role of collaborators from libraries and local communities.
Diverse pro-inflammatory endotoxin recognition systems of mammalian innate immunity.

In humans and other mammals, recognition of endotoxins—abundant surface lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria—provides a potent stimulus for induction of inflammation and mobilization of host defenses. The structurally unique lipid A region of LPS is the principal determinant of this pro-inflammatory activity. This region of LPS is normally buried within the bacterial outer membrane and aggregates of purified LPS, making even more remarkable its picomolar potency and the ability of discrete variations in lipid A structure to markedly alter the pro-inflammatory activity of LPS. Two recognition systems—MD-2/TLR4 and “LPS-sensing” cytosolic caspases—together confer LPS responsiveness at the host cell surface, within endosomes, and at sites physically accessible to the cytosol. Understanding how the lipid A of LPS is delivered and recognized at these diverse sites is crucial to understanding how the magnitude and character of the inflammatory responses are regulated.
Effective Interactions at Low and Medium Energies

The effective interactions in nuclei are strongly density dependent and, in fact, this feature is vital for understanding the theoretical basis of the nuclear shell model. Especially because of this density dependence, the effective interaction between nucleons on top of the Fermi sea in nuclear matter is quite weak, even though this same interaction leads to a large total nuclear binding energy. Thus, at low energies the effective interaction (other than that included in the average single-particle potential) occurs only between nucleons at the nuclear surface. It is further argued that this interaction has essentially zero range, i.e., it is a surface delta interaction. Thus we obtain nuclear deformations as well as the usual pairing effects. We conclude with a very simple model for estimating the effect of the nuclear medium at higher energies. We find that the effective interaction should rapidly approach the free particle scattering matrix with increasing energy.
GRP78 (BiP): A Multifunctional Cell Surface Receptor

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), also known as BiP, plays a central role in a variety of physiological processes in human cells, including protein biogenesis, signal transduction, and calcium homeostasis. When expressed in plasma cell membranes, GRP78 functions as a receptor which recognizes extracellular ligands that stimulate cell proliferation, and may also behave as an autoantigen. GRP78 is a signaling receptor for activated α2-macroglobulin, plasminogen kringle 5, and microplasminogen, and serves as a co-receptor, associated with MHC-I, in viral entry of cocksackie B. It is also a receptor for entry of dengue fever and Borna disease viruses. Furthermore, it regulates tissue factor procoagulant activity, it functions as a receptor for the angiogenic peptides RoY and ADAM15, and is also a partner of the teratocarcinoma-derived growth factor 1 (Cripto), T-cadherin, Par-4, and the DnaJ-like protein MTJ-1. These associations suggest a unique cell surface GRP78 topography which is compartmentalized to respond differently to agonists that bind to either its NH2- or COOH-terminal domains. In this chapter, we discuss the physiological characteristics of these interactions, and the possible mechanisms involved in transportation of GRP78 from the ER to the cell surface.
Functional differences between two structurally distinct types of steroidogenic cell in the avian adrenal gland The corticotropic responsiveness in vitro of tissue samples from the subcapsular and inner zones of the duck adrenal

There are two regions of steroidogenic cells in the duck adrenal gland. An outer, subcapsular zone (SCZ), consisting of cells with irregularly shaped nuclei, shows relatively little smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria with shelf-like cristae. This region surrounds the inner zone (IZ) of the gland which is comprised of smaller cells with rounded nuclei, a more abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria with tubular cristae. When samples of tissue from these distinct regions of the gland are superfused in vitro with media containing concentrations of 1–24 ACTH ranging from 100 to 1000 ng per ml (0.034 to 0.34 μM) the steroidogenic cells in both zones release corticosterone in a dose-dependent manner. The dose-responsiveness of both the SCZ and the IZ cells over this range is a complex quadratic function of the 1–24 ACTH concentration in the medium and the semilogarithmic linear portions of the dose-response curves are restricted to a narrow midrange of ACTH concentrations. Throughout the dose-response range, however, the steroidogenic cells of the IZ are more responsive to corticotropic stimulation than are the cells of the SCZ. The cells of the two zones are further distinguished by their responses to a challenge for a second time with medium containing 1–24 ACTH; the responses of the IZ cells to a second challenge were greater than those of the SCZ cells, and at a high concentration of ACTH the SCZ slices showed no significant second response.
Phenotypic ASCOD characterisations of ischaemic stroke in the young at an urban tertiary care centre.

Background and purpose Stroke in young individuals is a serious public health burden. This study aimed to characterise the various phenotypes of ischaemic stroke in a young urban population (≤50 years old) using the ASCOD classification system, which assigns a score to five stroke categories: atherosclerosis, small vessel disease (SVD), cardioembolism, other and dissection. Within each category, a numerical score represents the degree of causality attributed to the stroke. Methods This retrospective study cohort was composed of patients from an urban tertiary care academic centre. Cases were selected by searching Get With the Guidelines database for adults ≤50 years old with ischaemic stroke. The study sample included 175 ischaemic strokes in 157 patients, with 16 subjects re-infarcting. Using retrospective chart review, each stroke was scored according to the ASCOD classification system. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to explore each ASCOD category’s association with causal risk factors. Results Of possible causal mechanisms, defined as receiving a grade 1 or 2, a cardiovascular aetiology was most prevalent (25.7%), followed by SVD (22.3%), and closely by atherosclerosis (21.1%). Of general phenotypes, defined as receiving a grade 1 or 2 or 3, atherosclerosis was the most prevalent (51.4%), followed by SVD (47.4%), cardioembolism (42.3%) and other (35.4%). 31.6% of all strokes were of unclear aetiology. Subjects between 45 and 50 years old were more likely to develop a cardioembolic or SVD stroke when compared with subjects Conclusion This study took a novel approach to ASCOD phenotyping, allowing several observations: (1) In patients with advanced atherosclerosis receiving the score A1, the vast majority had systemic atherosclerosis in multiple vascular territories; (2) the cardiac score C2(6), defined as a radiographic pattern highly suggestive of a central embolic source, may overestimate the prevalence of true cardiac disease; (3) incidental laboratory findings may detect some underlying pathology, but causality to the stroke is unlikely.
Análisis Arquitectónico: una inmersión en el primer curso de proyectos

The Architectonic Analysis course was the starting point from where it was implanted, in its beginnings (course 1997-1998), the pedagogical line of the studies of the School of Architecture at La Salle-Ramon-Llull University, in Barcelona, and remains the first encounter of the Student with architecture, through the discipline of the design studio. The architects Josep Llinas and Jose Antonio Martinez Lapena, first responsibles for the subject, laid the foundations and raised the training from their personal experience as teachers and professionals. The student performs a practical immersion in architecture: a total experience in which he-she is exposed from the first day to the experience of architecture and its construction, through the analysis of existing buildings and interventions, its representation and modification.
Age constraints of Mercury's polar deposits suggest recent delivery of ice.

Abstract Surface ice at the poles of Mercury appears as several-m-thick deposits that are composed of nearly pure water. We provide new age estimates of the surfaces of Mercury's polar deposits from combined analyses of Poisson statistics and direct observations of crater densities within permanently shadowed, radar-bright regions imaged by the MESSENGER spacecraft. These age estimates conservatively suggest that ice was delivered to Mercury within the last ∼330 Myr. The geologically young ages suggest that the surfaces have been recently refreshed, and this may be accomplished by the delivery of ice in a young impactor or impactors. A single, recent impactor is more consistent with the relative purity of the ice, as suggested by the Earth-based radar observations. In contrast to ice on Mercury, observations of the lunar poles are suggestive of a highly patchy distribution of surface frost. The patchiness of lunar polar deposits is consistent with long exposure times to the space weathering environment. Given enough time, the polar deposits on Mercury may age into a more heterogeneous spatial distribution, similar to that on the Moon.
Synthesis of (±)-Idarubicinone via Global Functionalization of Tetracene.

Anthracyclines are archetypal representatives of the tetracyclic type II polyketide natural products that are widely used in cancer chemotherapy. Although the synthesis of this class of compounds has been a subject of several investigations, all known approaches are based on annulations, relying on the union of properly prefunctionalized building blocks. Herein, we describe a conceptually different approach using a polynuclear arene as a starting template, ideally requiring only functional decorations to reach the desired target molecule. Specifically, tetracene was converted to (±)-idarubicinone, the aglycone of the FDA approved anthracycline idarubicin, through the judicious orchestration of Co- and Ru-catalyzed arene oxidation and arenophile-mediated dearomative hydroboration. Such a global functionalization strategy, the combination of site-selective arene and dearomative functionalization, provided the key anthracycline framework in five operations and enabled rapid and controlled access to (±)-idaru...
Preliminary evaluation of the impact of TeamSTEPPS® training on hospital quality indicators

Abstract Previously, the authors have shown that ratings of teamwork behaviors on a hospital unit using the TeamSTEPPS® Performance Observation Tool (T-TPO) significantly improved after a TeamSTEPPS® training intervention for all unit faculty and care team members. The University Healthsystem Consortium (UHC) Clinical Database/Resource Manager was used to examine the impact of the TeamSTEPPS® training on quality/safety measures. Using the database, the authors compared quality indicator values each month for 10-months prior to and through 1-year after the intervention on the unit using a basic interrupted time-series (A-B) design. Permutation tests were used after testing and controlling for autocorrelation to determine whether significant changes occurred across a battery of UHC quality indicators pre-to post-TeamSTEPPS® training on the unit. Significant improvements were observed in mean hospital length-of-stay, number of length-of-stay outliers, mortality index, and the mean number of cases with complications following the TeamSTEPPS® training.