cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation and characterization of a new virus from owl monkeys: herpesvirus aotus type 3.

Owl monkey kidney cell cultures yielded a viral agent 32 days after initiation of the culture. The virus was identified as a herpesvirus by physico-chemical, cultural, and morphological features. Serologically this herpesvirus was found to be unrelated to other members of this family, as well as to Herpesvirus aotus type 1 and 2. Based on these findings the name Herpesvirus aotus type 3 is suggested for this herpesvirus.
A Mutation in the Arabidopsis KT2/KUP2 Potassium Transporter Gene Affects Shoot Cell Expansion

Potassium ions (K+) are the most abundant cations in plants and are necessary for cell growth. Arabidopsis shy3-1 mutant plants have a short hypocotyl, small leaves, and a short flowering stem, and these defects result from decreased cell expansion. The semidominant shy3-1 mutation changes an amino acid in KT2/KUP2, a K+ transporter related to the Escherichia coli Kup protein. Second mutations in the KT2/KUP2/SHY3 gene, including presumed null mutations, suppress the shy3-1 phenotypes. Plants with these intragenic suppressor mutations appear similar to wild-type plants, suggesting that KT2/KUP2/SHY3 acts redundantly with other genes. Expression of the shy3-1 mutant version of KT2/KUP2/SHY3 in wild-type plants confers shy3-1–like phenotypes, indicating that shy3-1 probably either causes a gain of function or creates an interfering protein. The shy3-1 mutation does not eliminate the ability of the KT2/KUP2 cDNA to rescue the growth of a potassium transport-deficient E. coli mutant. A PSHY3::GUS fusion is expressed in growing portions of the plant. These results suggest that KT2/KUP2/SHY3 mediates K+-dependent cell expansion in growing tissues.
Serotonin Receptor Activation Inhibits Sodium Current and Dendritic Excitability in Prefrontal Cortex via a Protein Kinase C-Dependent Mechanism

The serotonin (5-HT) innervation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) exerts a powerful modulatory influence on neuronal activity in this cortical region, although the mechanisms through which 5-HT modulates cellular activity are unclear. Voltage-dependent Na+ channels are one potential target of 5-HT receptor signaling that have wide-ranging effects on activity. Molecular and electrophysiological studies were used to test this potential linkage. Single cell RT-PCR profiling revealed that the vast majority of pyramidal neurons expressed detectable levels of 5-HT2a and/or 5-HT2c receptor mRNA with half of the cells expressing both mRNAs. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings of dissociated pyramidal neurons showed that 5-HT2a/c receptor activation reduced rapidly inactivating Na+ currents by reducing maximal current amplitude and shifting fast inactivation voltage dependence. These effects were mediated by G(q) activation of phospholipase C, leading to activation of protein kinase C (PKC). 5-HT2a/c receptor stimulation also reduced the amplitude of persistent Na+ current without altering its activation voltage dependence. This modulation was also mediated by PKC. Although 5-HT(2a,c) receptor activation did not affect somatic action potentials of layer V pyramidal neurons in PFC slices, it did reduce the amplitude of action potentials backpropagating into the apical dendrite. These findings show that 5-HT2a,c receptor activation reduces dendritic excitability and may negatively modulate activity-dependent dendritic synaptic plasticity.
Encapsulated microsphere arrays for applications in photonic circuits

This paper describes the fabrication, characterization and spectroscopic properties of novel structures made from prearranged circuits of optically coupled polystyrene microspheres in a robust elastomeric polymer.
Algorithm-based error detection for signal processing applications on a hypercube multiprocessor

In many cases, it may be possible to redesign parallel algorithms so as to provide a low-cost online scheme for hardware error detection without any hardware modifications. This approach is called algorithm-based error detection. Two useful computations in signal processing are analyzed: QR factorization and singular-value decomposition. For each of these applications, numerous ways of applying algorithm-based error detection using different system-level encoding strategies are investigated. Different schemes have been observed to result in varying error coverages and time overheads. The results of studies performed on a 16-processor Intel iPSC-2/D4/MX hypercube multiprocessor are reported. >
A Pound of Cure Requires An Ounce (or More) of Prevention: Survivorship and Complications of Therapy for Hematologic Malignancies

Patients treated for a hematologic malignancy are at risk for treatment-related complications. As the goal of therapy is frequently curative, treatments are especially intensive and long-term toxicity is common. Chemotherapy and radiation are associated with increased risk for cardiac and pulmonary disease, endocrine disorders, infertility, sexual dysfunction, second cancers, and psychosocial distress. The risk for each complication is dictated by patient characteristics including age, co-morbidities, and genetic predispositions, as well as the specifics of therapy. Survivors of pediatric cancers and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have unique risks due to vulnerable age at time of toxic exposure and ongoing immune dysfunction, respectively.
Visual space perception: phenomenology and function

This article presents a brief overview of visual space perception. It begins by noting the significance of visual space perception to broader issues in philosophy and science and observes that the appreciation of visual space perception as a scientific topic is impeded by naive realism. The second section notes the longstanding interest in the phenomenology of visual space and focuses on one issue, the dissocation between perceived location and perceived shape in visual space. The last section discusses three conceptions of how vision controls action, with special attention to the role of visual space.
Mutant Fibrillin-1 Monomers Lacking EGF-Like Domains Disrupt Microfibril Assembly and Cause Severe Marfan Syndrome

Marfan syndrome (MFS), a heritable connective tissue disorder, is caused by mutations in the gene coding for fibrillin-1 (FBN1), an extracellular matrix protein. One of the three major categories of FBN1 mutations involves exon-skipping. To rapidly detect such mutations, we developed a long RT-PCR method. Either three segments covering the entire FBN1 coding sequence or a single 8.9 kb FBN1 coding segment were amplified from reverse-transcribed total fibroblast RNA. Restriction fragment patterns of these RT-PCR products were compared and abnormal fragments were directly sequenced. Six exon-skipping mutations were identified in a panel of 60 MFS probands. All skipped exons encode calcium binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains and maintain the reading frame. In five probands, exon-skipping was due to point mutations in splice site sequences, and one had a 6 bp deletion in a donor splice site. Pulse-chase analysis of labelled fibrillin protein revealed normal levels of synthesis but significantly reduced matrix deposition. This dominant-negative effect of the mutant monomers is considered in the light of current models of fibrillin assembly. Probands with this type of FBN1 mutation include the most severe forms of MFS, such as neonatally lethal presentations.
Effect of visual deprivation on auditory vigilance.

Signal detection in an auditory vigilance task is compared under conditions of normal visual stimulation and of visual deprivation produced by a blindfold. The task consists of detecting sequences of three different digits in the order odd-even-odd, appearing in a continuous series of digits. Sighted males detect significantly fewer signals than blindfolded males. The visual deprivation variable has no significant effect on female performance. There is some evidence from retrospective reports that sighted males are more emotional and perhaps aroused to a point which impairs efficient vigilance performance.
Des Remarques philosophiques aux Recherches philosophiques

La discussion sur le langage prive que l’on trouve dans les Recherchesphilosophiques a ete ecrite entre 1937 et 1945, apres que les 190 premieres remarques de la partie I du livre eurent presque atteint leur forme finale. Les textes post-1936 sur le langage prive constituent un nouveau depart, dans sa lettre et son esprit, par rapport au materiau d’avant 1936. Neanmoins, entre 1929 et 1936, Wittgenstein s’est penche a plusieurs reprises sur l’idee d’un langage « que moi seul peux comprendre ». Un volet de cette question qui, lui, est aborde directement dans les Recherches, c’est l’idee que « si j’appliquais le mot “douleur” uniquement a ce que j’ai nomme jusqu’ici “ma douleur”, et les autres “la douleur de L.W.”, je ne ferais ainsi aucun tort aux autres, si toutefois l’on avait prevu une notation qui d’une facon ou d’une autre, permettrait de pallier l’absence du mot “douleur” dans d’autres combinaisons ». Cependant, la discussion de cette question dans les Recherches est beaucoup plus breve que dans les textes d’avant 1936. J’examine le rapport entre ce § 403 des Recherches d’un cote, et de l’autre cote les textes des cahiers de 1929 et les Remarques philosophiques (assemblees au printemps de 1930), en retracant le developpement initial de cette argumentation et en explorant les principales lignes de continuite et de discontinuite dans le traitement que Wittgenstein reserve a la question du langage prive.
Attribution of Causality by Children with Alcoholic Parents

Thirty children (ages 7–12), 15 from homes with parent(s) having a severe drinking problem and 15 from homes where no drinking problem existed, were given the children's Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Control Scale. Comparison of the groups indicated that children from severe problem-drinking homes had higher externality scores than children from homes where no drinking problem existed. These differences may be due to different socialization experiences of the children.
Parent and Provider Perspectives on Pediatric Readmissions: What Can We Learn About Readiness for Discharge?

BACKGROUND: Readmissions are an increasingly recognized quality metric that will likely affect payments to children’s hospitals. Our aim was to inform future efforts to reduce readmissions by eliciting parent and provider perceptions of pediatric readmissions. METHODS: We interviewed English- and Spanish-speaking parents and inpatient providers of children with medical diagnoses who had unplanned readmissions (≤7 days). Parents were interviewed one-on-one during the readmission. Providers were interviewed in person or by phone within 1 week of the patient’s second discharge. Interviewees were queried about their perceptions of the reason for readmission and whether the readmission was preventable. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content methods. Code categories were developed and emergent themes independently identified by 2 analysts. RESULTS: The study included 30 readmitted children (median age 17 months, 70% male, 80% White or Hispanic, and 66% publically insured). We interviewed 30 parents (23% Spanish speaking) and 27 discharging or readmitting providers. Parents and providers identified several major factors as causing readmissions, including child related (health and symptoms), parent/family related (adherence to recommended care), provider/team related (medical management), communication difficulties, home supports, and quality of discharge teaching. Parents and providers had differing interpretations of the role or magnitude of these factors. Lack of shared understanding between parents and providers emerged as a potentially important cause of readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: We identified lack of shared understanding and communication difficulties between parents and providers as potential causes of readmission. Further research is needed to determine if improvements in identifying and addressing such problems can reduce pediatric readmissions.
Bilateral pleural effusions in a 23-year-old man: a clinical puzzle.

A 23-year-old man presented with progressive swelling in the left supraclavicular area and worsening dyspnea of 7 days duration. Histories of fever, chills, night sweats, cough or weight loss was denied. Medical and family histories were unremarkable. Physical examination revealed usage of accessory muscles of respiration, facial plethora, acne, multiple dilated veins on chest wall, firm non-tender bilateral supraclavicular lymph nodes and decreased air entry and dullness in both lung bases. Chest X-ray revealed bilateral pleural effusions (Figure 1A). Computed tomography (CT) scan of the neck and chest demonstrated thrombotic occlusion of the superior vena cava, right subclavian, innominate and internal jugular veins, mediastinal fibrosis, subcentimeter mediastinal adenopathy and a mass on the left cardiac atrioventricular wall (Figure 1B and C). Pleural fluid revealed a triglyceride concentration of 799 mg/dl and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of 947 U/l with negative cultures and cytology. Lymph node and pleural biopsies were benign. Cardiac magnetic …
CORNMEAl/PEANUT FLOUR BLENDS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

The effect of fortifying degermed cornmeal with defatted peanut flour (DPF) was evaluated by studying the nutritional quality, color proper­ ties. flavor. storage stability and product applications. Protein efficien­ cy ratio (PER) increased from 0.3-1.4 with 15% DPF. A PER of 2.0 resulted with the addition of 0.18% L-lysine HCI to the blend. Color changes are minimized by levels of 15% or less DPF. Taste panel results indicated no significant change in preference. acceptability and similar­ ity to cornmeal when as much as 20% peanut flour was contained in the blend. Storage stability was satisfactory as indicated by changes in fla­ vor. peroxides. free fatty acids and available and added lysine after storage for 2. 6 and 12 months at 49.37 and 25°C. respectively. Leav­ ened and unleavened breads were acceptable when prepared with blends containing up to 20% DPF.
The importance of attitude in the delivery of health services.

Dr. Goldberg and his associates have put together their experience at the Rochester Neighborhood Health Center and the experience reported by other investigators to suggest the approach for gaining cooperative dental patients.
Hole-to-hole resistivity signatures of cylindrical cavities; dipole-dipole electrode array

A numerical procedure for predicting cavity signatures for a dipole-dipole array configuration in hole-to-hole resistivity measurements has been developed. This electrode geometry is implemented from the general solution for a point source of current near an air-filled cylindrical cavity or an air-filled cylinder surrounded by a concentric conductive or resistive halo region embedded in a homogeneous conducting host medium to simulate hole-to-hole resistivity measurements. Cavity signatures obtained for several vertical offset distances between the source and detector dipoles as well as multiply spaced dipole-dipole responses suggest that a processing technique may be devised to identify directly the position of the cavity inhomogeneity with respect to the boreholes. The results also show that the presence of a concentric halo region more conductive than the host medium influences the overall signature by either reducing or enhancing the effect of the air-filled cavity depending upon the halo size and conductivity contrast. In comparison, a halo region more resistive than the host medium always influences the composite signature by enhancing the effect of the air-filled cavity.
A pre-tensioned finite element model of ocular accommodation and presbyopia

Accommodation is the ability of the eye to dynamically alter its optical power. Presbyopia is the progressive loss of this ability with age. We have developed the first pre-tensioned finite element model of accommodation and used it to address the question of whether increasing lens stiffness alone is sufficient to cause presbyopia. Intrinsic resting forces and accommodative displacement were calibrated for a 20 year-old lens’ stiffness over a 7 D optical power change. Accommodation was simulated by displacing the distal zonule attachments towards the optical axis, mimicking the movement of the ciliary body when the ciliary muscle contracts. The optical power, capsule strain, and radial zonule forces were extracted for one full cycle of accommodation. These responses were compared for lenses having elastic moduli corresponding to 14, 20, 39.5, and 62.7-year-old human lenses. Accommodative power decreased from 20 to 62.5 years of age from 7 to 2 D. This change was less than in experiments where changes in lens power go to zero around age 50. Thus, lens elasticity contributes significantly to presbyopia but is not the sole cause. Lens diameter and thickness changes were within 20 % of reported values, indicating that the present model yields a good approximation of the changes in lens shape during accommodation.
Using Hydrogen To Expand the Inherent Substrate Selectivity Window During Tungsten Atomic Layer Deposition

Area-selective thin film deposition is expected to be important in achieving sub-10 nm semiconductor devices, enabling feature patterning, alignment to underlying structures, and edge definition. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) offers advantages over common chemical vapor deposition methods, such as precise thickness control and excellent conformality. Furthermore, several ALD processes show inherent propensity for substrate-dependent nucleation. For example, tungsten ALD using SiH4 (or Si2H6) and WF6 is more energetically favorable on Si than on SiO2, but selectivity is often lost after several ALD cycles. We show that modifying the W ALD process chemistry can decrease the W nucleation rate on SiO2, thereby expanding the ALD “selectivity window”. Specifically, we find that adding H2 during the WF6 dose step helps passivate SiO2 against W nucleation without modifying W growth on silicon. Surface characterization confirms that H2 promotes fluorine passivation of SiO2, likely through surface reactions with HF...
A Review of Pediatric Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Intravenous Access

Point-of-care ultrasound is at an early developmental stage in the field of pediatric emergency medicine. Ultrasound-guided vascular access has been identified as a key procedural application by several published educational guidelines and surveys of pediatric emergency medicine directors, fellowship directors, and fellows, and ultrasound-guided peripheral vascular access is well suited for the pediatric population. This article reviews the current literature on pediatric ultrasound-guided peripheral vascular access methods and demonstrates the suitability of point-of-care ultrasound as a safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable means of establishing peripheral vascular access in pediatric patients.
Septic Arthritis of the Hip Caused by Group B Streptococcus in a Postpartum Patient: A Case Report.

Group B streptococcus is the leading cause of neonatal meningitis and sepsis, affecting approximately 9600 newborns in the United States annually1. Classically associated with newborn infection, it is also associated with 50,000 cases of pregnancy-connected morbidity, including urinary tract infection, chorioamnionitis, postpartum endometritis, and bacteremia1,2. Deutscher et al. stated that postpartum women have a “marked predisposition” for group B streptococcal infection3. While rare, cases of septic arthritis of the hip involving group B streptococcus have been reported, including one by Howell and Sheddon4. We present a postpartum woman with group B streptococcal septic arthritis of the right hip. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis and awareness of septic arthritis in postpartum patients. The patient was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and she provided consent. A thirty-eight-year-old woman, seventeen weeks postpartum, presented to the Emergency Department with right-sided hip pain, a progressive limp, and refusal to bear weight on the right lower extremity. Before visiting our Emergency Department, she had been diagnosed with radicular pain and had been prescribed analgesics, which proved ineffective. The pain initially had presented two weeks postpartum and had increased over the next four months. She denied fever, chills, and trauma. She had had an uneventful pregnancy and a vaginal delivery at full term. She was neither tested nor treated for group B streptococcus prior to delivery. She denied current tobacco, alcohol, and drug use but did have a history of cigarette smoking. Medical history and family history were unremarkable. On physical examination, the patient walked a maximum of two paces with an antalgic gait. She had decreased range of motion of the right hip, which worsened with internal rotation and extension. She was afebrile. White blood-cell (WBC) count …
Variations in inpatient mortality for AIDS in a national sample of hospitals

In this project, we examined the spectrum of AIDS-related conditions and variations in associated inpatient mortality for AIDS patients treated in a national sample of hospitals. We identified 10,538 adult discharges with a diagnosis indicating AIDS from 258 hospitals from a national sample of 438 acute-care hospitals with 6 million discharges in 1986-1987. Opportunistic and other infections occurred in 55.9 and 37.9%, respectively, of AIDS discharges, and inpatient fatality rates varied considerably depending on complication type(s) and comorbidities. Clinical conditions were more important predictors of inpatient death than demographic or treatment site characteristics. Among opportunistic infections, odds of inpatient death were significantly increased for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8), Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (OR = 2.4), cryptococcosis (OR = 1.6), atypical mycobacterial infections (OR = 1.6), and toxoplasmosis (OR = 1.3). Odds of inpatient death were also significantly increased by non-AIDS-defining infections causing septicemia (OR = 3.1) or CNS involvement (OR = 1.6) or pulmonary involvement (OR = 1.5). After controlling for clinical conditions, significant differences in odds of death persisted across regions, age, and ethnic groups. Increases in hospitals' AIDS treatment experience were associated with a significant decrease in odds of inpatient death. These analyses provide a national perspective on the diversity of AIDS-related clinical conditions and their relative effects on inpatient mortality.
Italian Historians Interpret American History

The two volumes under review, although different in character, illustrate the high quality of the scholarship regarding United States history produced by Italian historians in recent decades. In Laformazione degli Stati Uniti, Maria Susanna Garroni, who has an M.A. in American history from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate in American Studies from the University of Rome, has written a work of synthesis that, in less than 200 pages, provides a panoramic view of the first century of the Republic. Garroni keeps clearly before her readers the major forces shaping the emerging nation and its distinctive American character. In delineating the contours of social as well as institutional developments, she avoids simplistic interpretations and conveys the complex, often contradictory, nature of historic processes. Throughout the work, Garroni displays a comfortable familiarity with writings by both American and Italian scholars on this period of history. On particular issues, she cites and on occasion differs from leading interpretations. Far from engaging in name-dropping, Garroni deftly weaves such points of view into a coherent thesis. While growth and expansion demographic, economic, territorial are central features of this history, Garroni does not subscribe to a progressive historiography. She takes pains to include those segments of society that did not benefit equally, if at all, from increasing wealth, opportunity, and political freedom. Nor is her America characterized by consensus; themes of conflict class, racial, and sectional -run through the volume. In this respect, Garroni has gone to school to the new social history. She describes the hardening of slavery as an institution and ideology, the loss of autonomy by skilled workers to technology and capitalism, growing divisions between rich and poor, urban riots and tumults, the killing and forced removal of Indians, and the largely failed struggles of women for equality. Still this is by no means a "multicultural" America-bashing exercise. Garroni is even-handed and sensitive in her analysis of the negative qualities of the new nation. In the instability resulting from migrations, business cycles, and diversity and the consequent psychological anxieties and social insecurities, she discovers the sources of religious bigotry, sectional animosities, racism, and nativism. Garroni also finds in a burgeoning democracy fonts of renewal and reform that challenged such contradictions of the Enlightenment ideals of the Declaration of Independence. Recurring religious revivals unleashed powerful emotional dynamics for personal and societal salvation, spawning movements for temperance, education, abolition, women's rights, and other reforms. Garroni emphasizes how religiously inspired involvement in reform created public spaces for middle-class women that freed them from the constraints of domesticity and "separate spheres."
Abnormal Ventral and Dorsal Attention Network Activity during Single and Dual Target Detection in Schizophrenia

Early visual perception and attention are impaired in schizophrenia, and these deficits can be observed on target detection tasks. These tasks activate distinct ventral and dorsal brain networks which support stimulus-driven and goal-directed attention, respectively. We used single and dual target rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) tasks during fMRI with an ROI approach to examine regions within these networks associated with target detection and the attentional blink (AB) in 21 schizophrenia outpatients and 25 healthy controls. In both tasks, letters were targets and numbers were distractors. For the dual target task, the second target (T2) was presented at three different lags after the first target (T1) (lag1 = 100 ms, lag3 = 300 ms, lag7 = 700ms). For both single and dual target tasks, patients identified fewer targets than controls. For the dual target task, both groups showed the expected AB effect with poorer performance at lag 3 than at lags 1 or 7, and there was no group by lag interaction. During the single target task, patients showed abnormally increased deactivation of the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), a key region of the ventral network. When attention demands were increased during the dual target task, patients showed overactivation of the posterior intraparietal cortex, a key dorsal network region, along with failure to deactivate TPJ. Results suggest inefficient and faulty suppression of salience-oriented processing regions, resulting in increased sensitivity to stimuli in general, and difficulty distinguishing targets from non-targets.
3-D Reconstruction of Endometrial Carcinoma In Situ

Reconstructions in 3-D of 4 of 18 endometrial carcinoma in situ specimens demonstrated a simple branching tubular pattern, distinctively different from atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and invasive endometrial adenocarcinoma. A clonal origin of carcinoma in situ was suggested.
Method of Multi-mode Radar Signal Sorting

The improvement of the detection probability and the reduction of the false alarm probaility have become a crucial technology of the signal sorting in the face of more and more complicated radars.A method of multi-mode radar signal sorting which combines BFSN clustering algorithm and data fusion algorithm is put forward.The simulated results indicate that the method can overcome the problems of the selected object addition caused by the traditional signal-sorting method for the selection of multi-mode radar signals and sort the signals accurately in real-time.A method to calculate the reliability is presented.
Contrasting dissolved organic matter quality in groundwater in Holocene and Pleistocene aquifers and implications for influencing arsenic mobility

Abstract The discontinuous nature of elevated arsenic (As) in drinking water wells of West Bengal and other regions in the Bengal Basin has led to increased interest in the role that sediment-derived organic matter may play in enhancing reductive dissolution and As mobilization. Higher As concentrations have been observed in groundwater in reduced Holocene (grey) aquifers when compared to oxidized Pleistocene (orange) aquifers. In order to evaluate if the differences in the chemical character of dissolved organic matter (DOM) are present in groundwater in the Holocene and the Pleistocene aquifers that may influence dissolved As concentrations, shallow groundwater and surface water samples were collected from four study sites in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India, and analyzed for water chemistry parameters and characteristics of DOM. For wells known to typically contain high As concentrations (in Holocene sediments) in Beldanga (10–4622 μg/L, at 35–45 m depth) and Hariharpara (5–695 μg/L, at 6–37, depth) sites, as well as wells characterized by low As concentrations (Pleistocene sediiments) in Nabagram (0–16 μg/L, at 20–45 m depth) and Kandi (5–50 μg/L, at 20–55 m depth), detailed DOM characterization was carried out using fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Results from statistical analysis of a variety of optical (absorbance and fluorescence) DOM properties revealed that the DOM in groundwater in the Holocene aquifer had high humification index (HIX) and low freshness index (β:α) values, whereas groundwater in the Pleistocene aquifer comprised more labile and microbial DOM sources. Consistent with the more labile nature of DOM in groundwater in the Pleistocene aquifer, two ratios 1) humic-like to protein-like components (humic:protein) and 2) terrestrially-derived to microbially-derived components (terr:microb) obtained from a four-component PARAFAC model were 1.9 and 2.9 times greater, respectively, in groundwater in the Holocene aquifer than in that of the Pleistocene aquifer, which suggests that the absence of humic-like DOM may be an important limitation to As mobility.
Total Skin Electron Beam Therapy in the Treatment of Mycosis Fungoides: A Review of Conventional and Low-Dose Regimens.

Abstract Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most prevalent subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which is characterized by the proliferation of CD4 + T cells. While often an indolent disease, most patients eventually develop progression from isolated patches to tumors and finally nodal or visceral involvement. Treatment choice is largely based on disease burden, though prognostic factors such as disease stage, patient age, and extracutaneous involvement must be taken into consideration. Radiotherapy represents one of the most effective therapeutic modalities in the treatment of MF. Lymphocytes are exquisitely radiosensitive, and excellent responses are observed even with low doses of radiation. Total skin electron beam therapy (TSEBT) is a special technique that allows for the homogenous irradiation of the entire skin. There are well-documented radiation dose–response relationships for achieving a complete response. As such, TSEBT doses ≥ 30 Gy comprise the current standard of care. Although highly effective, most patients experience recurrent disease even after conventional-dose (≥ 30 Gy) TSEBT. In addition, toxicity is cumulatively dose dependent, and there is reluctance to administer multiple courses of conventional-dose TSEBT. Consequently, there has been renewed interest in determining the utility of TSEBT at lower total (≤ 30 Gy) doses. Advantages of low-total-dose (with standard dose per fraction) TSEBT include a shortened treatment course, the potential to minimize the risk of adverse events, and the opportunity to allow for retreatment in cases of disease recurrence. This comprehensive review compares the impact of different TSEBT dosing schemes on clinical outcomes of MF.
Trends in Walking and Cycling Safety: Recent Evidence From High-Income Countries, With a Focus on the United States and Germany.

Objectives. To examine changes in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities per capita (1990–2014) and per kilometer (2000–2010) in selected high-income countries, and in fatalities and serious injuries per kilometer by age in the United States and Germany (2001–2009).Methods. We used Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development data to estimate 5-year annual averages of per-capita fatalities relative to the 1990–1994 average. To control for exposure, we divided fatalities and serious injuries by kilometers of walking or cycling per year for countries with comparable data from national household travel surveys.Results. Most countries have reduced pedestrian and cyclist fatality rates per capita and per kilometer. The serious injuries data show smaller declines or even increases in rates per kilometer. There are large differences by age group in fatality and serious injury rates per kilometer, with seniors having the highest rates. The United States has much higher fatality and serious injury rates per ki...
The Spectacle of Legitimacy: The Dome-Closing Ceremony of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Despite its status as one of Istanbul’s most iconic monuments, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (1609–17) met with considerable opposition when embarked upon by its founder, the Ottoman sultan Ahmed I, who had won no holy wars to fund or justify the project. Ahmed sought to legitimate his mosque through a series of festive events held during and after its construction and designed to propel it into the public consciousness. This article examines the most lavish of these events—a ceremony held for the closing of the mosque’s dome—in light of a hitherto unnoted manuscript describing the occasion. Staged shortly before the official opening of the mosque, the ceremony was unconstrained by the protocol of an inauguration proper and brought together a unique set of symbolic features to proclaim the monument’s legitimacy. Besides the charged act of capping the dome, the ceremony included a royal encampment in the mosque’s courtyard—a military allusion that cast Ahmed as a victor—and was attended by foreign ambassadors, who stood for the sultan’s vanquished enemies. This extravaganza boosted Ahmed’s successful campaign to vindicate his mosque and, though unparalleled in its particulars, provides a revealing case study of how the Ottomans used ceremonial to reinforce the semantic purport of their architecture.
Concurrent molecular alterations in KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinomas and effects on overall survival.

8033 Background: KRAS mutations define the largest subset of oncogene-driven lung adenocarcinomas (25-30%). Among patients with KRAS mutations, their clinical course during treatment is heterogeneo...
How does the carbon hybridization impact the rate of metal-carbon bond cleavage by an alkyne? A case study with POCOP-pincer ligated palladium hydrocarbyl complexes

Abstract POCOP-pincer ligated palladium hydrocarbyl complexes [2,6-(R2PO)2C6H3]PdR′ have been prepared from the reaction between [2,6-(R2PO)2C6H3]PdCl and R'Li. X-ray crystallographic studies of these complexes show that the Pd–R′ bond becomes shorter when the metal-bound carbon has more s character. Comparing the relative reactivity of these palladium hydrocarbyl (including hydride) complexes toward phenylacetylene suggests that the rate of the C–H exchange process follows a decreasing order of Pd–H > Pd–Csp3 > Pd–Csp2 > Pd–Csp. The palladium phenyl complex [2,6-(R2PO)2C6H3]PdPh is exceptionally slow for the reaction with phenylacetylene, possibly due to a high-energy conformer required for the palladium-carbon bond cleavage.
Does Aeroallergen Sensitization Cause or Contribute to Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis is an atopic disease defined clinically by esophageal symptoms in combination with a dense esophageal eosinophilia. EoE is triggered and maintained by exposure to certain foods and it is known that dietary modification controls symptoms and achieves disease remission. Recently, aeroallergens have been implicated in the pathogenesis of EoE. To examine the role of aeroallergens in EoE, we reviewed the published literature. Sensitization and production of IgE antibodies to foods and aeroallergens in subjects with EoE has been demonstrated. However, the evidence suggests only a minor role for IgE-mediated immune reactions in EoE. There is some evidence to support an association of EoE diagnosis and flares with environmental allergen exposure, and animal studies support the notion that EoE may be induced by exposure to inhalant allergens. Some studies show that newly diagnosed cases of EoE follow a seasonal pollen distribution (summer and spring), but the weight of evidence does not support the seasonal occurrence of diagnosis or worsening of symptoms. Overall, we conclude that the current evidence does not support causality in inhalant allergen exposure and the genesis nor exacerbations of EoE in humans, although there is a possibility that inhalant allergen sensitization could play a modifying role in EoE in the context of cross-reacting food allergens.
Reduced Unplanned Care and Disease Activity and Increased Quality of Life After Patient Enrollment in an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Medical Home.

Background & Aims Specialty medical homes (SMHs) are a new health care model in which a multidisciplinary team and specialists manage patients with chronic diseases. As part of a large integrated payer–provider network, we formed an inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) SMH and investigated its effects on health care use, disease activity, and quality of life (QoL). Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 322 patients (58% female; mean age, 34.6 y; 62% with Crohn's disease; 32% with prior IBD surgery) enrolled in an IBD SMH, in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health Plan, from June 2015 through July 2016. Patients had at least 1 year of follow up. We evaluated changes in numbers of emergency department visits and hospitalizations from the year before vs after SMH enrollment. Secondary measures included IBD activity assessments and QoL. Results Compared to the year before IBD SMH enrollment, patients had a 47.3% reduction in emergency department visits ( P P = .008). In the year following IBD SMH enrollment, patients had significant reductions in the median Harvey–Bradshaw Index score (reduced from 4 to 3.5; P = .002), and median ulcerative colitis activity index score (from 4 to 3; P = .0003), and increases in QoL (median short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire score increased from 50 to 51.8; P P = .007) or opioids (OR, 3.20; 95% CI, 1.32–7.78; P = .01), and low QoL (OR, 4.44; 95% CI, 1.08–18.250; P = .04) at enrollment were significantly associated with persistent emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Conclusions We found development of an IBD SMH to be feasible and significantly reduce unplanned care and disease activity and increase patient QoL 1 year after enrollment.
Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy: How I Do it

Minimally invasive techniques for pancreaticoduodenectomy are slowly becoming part of the hepatobiliary surgeon’s armamentarium. Increasing data is being gathered about its safety, feasibility, oncologic outcomes, and cost. Various surgical techniques—ranging from hybrid procedures to total laparoscopic or robotic approaches—have been described.
Pediatric Percutaneous Nephrostomy: Experience With 50 Patients

AbstractPercutaneous nephrostomy tube placement was performed on 50 children with obstructed urinary tracts. The youngest patient was 3 days old and the smallest weighed 1,400 gm. The most common indication was obstruction after ureteral reimplantation (17 cases) followed by preoperative placement for pelvioureteral junction obstruction (15 cases). Infection was the most common presenting feature (14 cases), followed by a mass (11 cases) and renal failure (11 cases). Catheter placement was performed with basal sedation and general anesthesia was not used. There were no failures. In 26 patients no further surgery was required, including 16 of the 17 patients who had obstruction secondary to ureteral reimplantation. The only 2 significant complications were sepsis after catheter exchange in 1 patient and brisk hematuria upon placement of the catheter in another patient. Percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement is the method of choice for temporary relief of obstruction of the upper urinary tracts in children...
Some Recent Advances in Muonium

Muonium (M) is the bound atomic state of a positive muon (μ+) and of an electron (e−) and hence it is a hydrogenic atom. Muonium was discovered1 in 1960 through observation of its characteristic Larmor precession in a magnetic field. Since then research on the fundamental properties of M has been actively pursued2,3, as has also the study of muonium collisions in gases, muonium chemistry and muonium in solids.4
A Central Role for Epistemic Virtues in Evidentialism

Evidentialism and virtue epistemology might be taken to present two competing theories of epistemic justification. However, Jason Baehr has recently argued that evidentialism gives its best account of justification when it is grounded in the epistemic virtues. Baehr is thus arguing that epistemic virtues are an important adjunct to evidentialism. I push this connection further by arguing that epistemic virtues play an essential role in a plausible account of the evidential relation. Thus, epistemic virtues are essential to the very heart of evidentialism.
Teixobactin: a novel anti-infective agent.

In 2015, a screen of bacterial strains produced a novel antibiotic with broad antimicrobial activity known as teixobactin [1]. The compound was identified using a new method to grow uncultured orga...
Widespread Cumulative Influence of Small Effect Size Mutations on Yeast Quantitative Traits.

Summary Quantitative traits are influenced by pathways that have traditionally been defined through genes that have a large loss- or gain-of-function effect. However, in theory, a large number of small effect size genes could cumulatively play a substantial role in pathway function. Here, we determine the number, strength, and identity of all non-essential test genes that affect two quantitative galactose-responsive traits in addition to re-analyzing two previously screened quantitative traits. We find that over a quarter of assayed genes have a detectable, quantitative effect on phenotype. Despite their ubiquity, these genes are enriched in core cellular processes in a trait-specific manner. In a simulated population with 50% frequency of all-or-none alleles, we show that small effect size alleles are capable of contributing more to trait variation than alleles in a canonical, large effect size pathway. In total, by demonstrating that the genes effecting quantitative traits can be highly distributed and interconnected, this work challenges the concept of pathways as modular and independent.
For diversity in library leadership, administrations should look at access services

I have deliberated a long time about how to express my thoughts on this particular topic. Before going further, I want to express that I understand there are a multitude of factors that encompass d...
Amílcar Cabral’s modernist philosophy of culture and cultural liberation

This article argues that Amilcar Cabral adhered to some of the essential elements of the philosophical discourse of modernity. This commitment led Cabral to endorse an anti-essentialist, historiciz...
Leaving Afghanistan: Enduring Lessons from the Soviet Politburo

A systematic analysis of formerly classified Soviet Politburo documents challenges popular misconceptions about the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. The archival evidence indicates that, far fro...
Proton Pump Inhibitors: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) continue to be the medication of choice for treatment of acid-related disease, with few if any overt side effects seen with daily use. They are often prescribed empirically, often in high doses and with many patients being treated with multiple PPIs without an objective diagnosis. Therefore, they are believed to be overprescribed and used without indication. In this article we discuss the appropriate clinical indications for PPIs, review in detail the major associated adverse events, and put in perspective key issues in balancing benefits and risk of this exceptional (and safe) class of drug.
Albumin and bleed risk in rivaroxaban treated patients

Drugs exhibiting high protein binding have potential increased action in patients with hypoalbuminemia. Rivaroxaban is 92–95% protein bound, but the clinical effects of rivaroxaban in patients with low albumin are largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between albumin and bleeding in rivaroxaban treated patients. This was a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized adults who received rivaroxaban and had an albumin level measured during admission between January and October 2017. Patients who experienced bleeding events while receiving rivaroxaban therapy where compared to those who did not. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between albumin levels and bleeding events. A total of 368 patients were included; 30 experienced a bleeding event and 338 did not. The mean ± standard deviation albumin level nearest to the time of rivaroxaban initiation was significantly lower in patients who experienced a bleeding event (3.0 ± 0.75 g/dL vs 3.66 ± 0.54 g/dL, p < 0.0001). The multivariable logistic regression model yielded an almost 4.5 fold higher risk of bleeding (adjusted odds ratio 4.405; 95% confidence interval 2.21–9) with any 1 g/dL reduction in albumin. Admission hemoglobin was also associated with bleed risk in the model. Albumin levels were significantly associated with bleed risk in patients receiving rivaroxaban. Albumin levels should be considered when evaluating candidates for rivaroxaban therapy.
Early Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Using Electronic Health Records

Alzheimer9s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD) are a class of neurodegenerative diseases affecting about 5.7 million Americans. There is no cure for AD/ADRD. Current interventions have modest effects and focus on attenuating cognitive impairment. Detection of patients at high risk of AD/ADRD is crucial for timely interventions to modify risk factors and primarily prevent cognitive decline and dementia, and thus to enhance the quality of life and reduce health care costs. This study seeks to investigate both knowledge-driven (where domain experts identify useful features) and data-driven (where machine learning models select useful features among all available data elements) approaches for AD/ADRD early prediction using real-world electronic health records (EHR) data from the University of Florida (UF) Health system. We identified a cohort of 59,799 patients and examined four widely used machine learning algorithms following a standard case-control study. We also examined the early prediction of AD/ADRD using patient information 0-years, 1-year, 3-years, and 5-years before the disease onset date. The experimental results showed that models based on the Gradient Boosting Trees (GBT) achieved the best performance for the data-driven approach and the Random Forests (RF) achieved the best performance for the knowledge-driven approach. Among all models, GBT using a data-driven approach achieved the best area under the curve (AUC) score of 0.7976, 0.7192, 0.6985, and 0.6798 for 0, 1, 3, 5-years prediction, respectively. We also examined the top features identified by the machine learning models and compared them with the knowledge-driven features identified by domain experts. Our study demonstrated the feasibility of using electronic health records for the early prediction of AD/ADRD and discovered potential challenges for future investigations.