cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retinal antigen-specific regulatory T cells protect against spontaneous and induced autoimmunity and require local dendritic cells

Background We previously reported that the peripheral regulatory T cells (pTregs) generated ‘on-demand’ in the retina were crucial to retinal immune privilege, and in vitro analysis of retinal dendritic cells (DC) showed they possessed antigen presenting cell (APC) activity that promoted development of the Tregs and effector T cells (Teffs). Here, we expanded these findings by examining whether locally generated, locally acting pTregs were protective against spontaneous autoimmunity and autoimmunity mediated by interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP). We also examined the APC capacity of retinal DC in vivo.
Rectifier design for minimum line current harmonics and maximum power factor

Rectifier line current harmonics interfere with proper power system operation, reduce rectifier power factor, and limit the power available from a given service. The rectifier's output filter inductance determines the rectifier line current waveform, the line current harmonics, and the power factor. Classical rectifier analysis usually assumes a near-infinite output filter inductance, which introduces significant error in the estimation of line current harmonics and power factor. A quantitative analysis of single and three-phase rectifier line current harmonics and power factor as a function of the output filter inductance is presented. For the single phase rectifier, one value of finite output filter inductance produces maximum power factor and a different value of finite output filter inductance produces minimum line current harmonics. For the three phase rectifier, a near-infinite output filter inductance produces minimum line current harmonics and maximum power factor, and the smallest inductance that approximates a near-infinite inductance is determined. >
Acromioclavicular Joint Injuries in the National Football League Epidemiology and Management

Background:Previous studies investigating acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries in professional American football players have only been reported on quarterbacks during the 1980s and 1990s. These injuries have not been evaluated across all position players in the National Football League (NFL).Purpose:The purpose of this study was 4-fold: (1) to determine the incidence of AC joint injuries among all NFL position players; (2) to investigate whether player position, competition setting, type of play, and playing surface put an athlete at an increased risk for this type of injury; (3) to determine the incidence of operative and nonoperative management of these injuries; and (4) to compare the time missed for injuries treated nonoperatively to the time missed for injuries requiring surgical intervention.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiological study.Methods:All documented injuries of the AC joint were retrospectively analyzed using the NFL Injury Surveillance System (NFLISS) over a 12-season period from 2000 ...
Radioprotective effect of amifostine in radiation pneumonitis

Amifostine (Ethyol, WR-2721; MedImmune, Inc, Gaithersburg, MD) is a member of a sulfhydryl-containing class of compounds that protects normal tissue and organs against ionizing radiation damage by scavenging radiation-induced radicals. The goal of this study was to assess the preclinical and clinical data on the protective effect of amifostine in normal organs and tissue. The current literature was reviewed and assessed for progress in the pathogenesis of radiation-induced pulmonary injury. Preclinical and clinical data on the protective effect of amifostine in radiation-induced lung and esophageal injuries were also critically assessed. Significant progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis of radiation pneumonitis. Preclinical studies have shown strong evidence of the protective effect of amifostine in radiation-induced toxicities in rodents and monkeys. However, available clinical data are not conclusive in showing the protective effect of amifostine in radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis. Amifostine has been well tolerated with a low incidence of toxicities, which included nausea and vomiting (3% to 5%) and transient hypotension during intravenous infusion (7%). Preclinical data are promising for amifostine in protecting thoracic organs from radiation-induced toxicities. Studies measuring the magnitude of gain in tumor control and survival as a result of the enhanced protective effect of amifostine on normal tissue over that of tumor tissue are lacking. Such data would help in designing new approaches to maximize outcome. Additional well-designed phase III studies are necessary to confirm the clinical benefit of amifostine in minimizing radiation- and chemoradiation-related toxicities in patients with lung cancer.
Current approaches to inguinal hernia repair

The repair of a simple inguinal hernia or a complicated incisional hernia no longer involves just the sewing together of a defect in the musculature. Present-day hernia operations require that the surgeon more fully understand the functional anatomy and pathophysiology of the abdominal wall and groin. Hernia surgeons must be familiar with a myriad of surgical techniques, ranging from the traditional tissue repairs with suture to the mesh-based "tension-free" open and laparoscopic techniques. Furthermore, the surgeon must comprehend outcome analysis in evaluating differing therapies. Several approaches have been used for repair of groin hernias and have included tissue repairs (later termed "tension" repairs), as well as mesh or tension-free repairs and laparoscopy. Although each of these repairs boasts its successes, there are advantages and disadvantages to each approach. This article highlights each of these repairs through review of the literature.
Plasma-enhanced synthesis of maltodextrin–polydimethylsiloxane graft copolymers

Ether-extracted maltodextrin (MD) powder was surface functionalized under 13.56-MHz RF–SiCl4-plasma conditions, and consecutively in situ aminated and grafted using dichlorodimethylsilane. Survey and high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FTIR evaluations, fluorescence-labeling technique, SEM, and DTA/TG analyses prove the presence of a graft-copolymer layer on the modified starch-granule surfaces and the existence of a significantly changed surface morphology of the starch granules, as a result of the grafting reactions. The hydrophobic nature of the polydimethylsiloxane-grafted starch and its significantly changed thermal behaviors were also evaluated. Potential applications of modified maltodextrins are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 1120–1129, 2001
An Exploration of the Relationship between Racial Identity Attitudes and the Perception of Racial Bias

This study explored the relationship between specific theories of racial identity attitudes and the asymmetry hypothesis—which states that discriminatory acts perpetrated by the strong against the weak will be seen as more biased than similar acts perpetrated by the weak against the strong. Participants consisted of 92 African American undergraduate students who completed the Racial Identity Attitude Scale (RIAS), the African Self-Consciousness Scale (ASC), and the Discriminatory Scenarios Questionnaire. Pro-Black attitudes were positively correlated with the attribution of more racial bias to White as compared to African American characters who were described as discriminating against individuals not of their racial group. No significant relationship was found between anti-Black attitudes and the attribution of racial bias. This study also investigated the relationship between the RIAS and the ASC.
Germline p53 Gene Mutations in Subsets of Glioma Patients

Background Heritable germline mutations of the p53 gene have been described in patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, occasionally in nonfamilial malignancies such as multifocal osteosarcoma, in a small subgroup of young patients with two or more primary malignancies, and in patients with sporadic breast carcinoma. We recently reported that multifocal gliomas are frequently associated with other primary malignancies, and we hypothesized that genetic alterations may account for this phenomenon. Purpose We examined the frequency of germline p53 gene mutations in patients with glioma and either multifocality of lesions, history of an additional primary (different) malignancy, or a family history of cancer. Methods Lymphocytes from 51 glioma patients were analyzed for germline p53 gene mutations using RNA-polymerase chain reaction analysis, single-strand conformation polymorphism, and gene sequencing techniques. Results Germline p53 gene mutations were detected in six of 19 patients with multifocal glioma, including two with family history of cancer, one with another primary malignancy, and two with all three risk factors; one of four patients with unifocal glioma, another primary malignancy, and a family history of cancer; and two of 15 patients with unifocal glioma and a family history of cancer but no second malignancies. No mutations were detected in the patient with unifocal glioma and another malignancy or in the 12 control patients with unifocal glioma and no second malignancies or family history of cancer. Patients having mutations were younger than other patients in the same group. Conclusions Germline p53 mutations are frequent in patients with multifocal glioma, glioma and another primary malignancy, and glioma associated with a family history of cancer, particularly if these factors are combined. Implications Relatives at high risk can be identified for genetic counseling, early cancer detection, and possible enrollment in chemoprevention trials.
CD68 acts as a major gateway for malaria sporozoite liver infection

After being delivered by the bite from an infected mosquito, Plasmodium sporozoites enter the blood circulation and infect the liver. Previous evidence suggests that Kupffer cells, a macrophage-like component of the liver blood vessel lining, are traversed by sporozoites to initiate liver invasion. However, the molecular determinants of sporozoite–Kupffer cell interactions are unknown. Understanding the molecular basis for this specific recognition may lead to novel therapeutic strategies to control malaria. Using a phage display library screen, we identified a peptide, P39, that strongly binds to the Kupffer cell surface and, importantly, inhibits sporozoite Kupffer cell entry. Furthermore, we determined that P39 binds to CD68, a putative receptor for sporozoite invasion of Kupffer cells that acts as a gateway for malaria infection of the liver.
University research-Strategic initiatives for the 90s

The author explores possible strategies for adapting university research to cope better with several trends he identifies in reviewing a range of activities from basic research applied research through commercialization and technology transfer. He points out that there is evidence that the classic pursuit of research of research at a university, stressing long-term basic research formulated primarily by faculty-based initiatives, will face difficulty in meeting demands for initiatives, based on industrial partnerships, shorter-term benefits, and technology transfer. His analysis of this changing model is the basis for the strategies offered. >
Oxygen Spectroscopy Laser Sounding Instrument for Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Pressure

We report on the progress of an oxygen spectroscopy laser sounding instrument designed as a calibration channel for a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser sounding instrument. We have developed a pulsed, frequency-doubled, fiber laser transmitter for use in an oxygen instrument. The instrument concept uses the pressure broadening of spectroscopic lines of the diatomic oxygen A-band to deduce atmospheric pressure. There are many uses for this measurement but we are developing it primarily to make a measurement of the dry mixing ratio of CO2. The CO2 measurement can be affected by changes in atmospheric properties such as humidity, temperature and pressure. To remove these variances requires measuring a stable, well-mixed gas like oxygen. We will report on the basic theory behind the instrument, measurements made at a test site at Goddard, review the current state of the instrument technologies and the necessary steps to bring them to space readiness, and review the current state of the instrument development.
Public Libraries and PBS Partnering to Enhance Civic Engagement: A Study of a Nationwide Initiative

This project asks the question: Can libraries act as places for promoting civic engagement through the use of socially and culturally significant documentaries? In this initiative, documentaries are screened at public libraries throughout the United States and are followed by post-screening discussions. Coordinating librarians and audience attendees are surveyed to uncover the outcomes of each event's civic engagement. Results indicate that the screening of socially and cultural significant documentaries at public libraries, combined with post-screening discussions, can positively impact library patrons’ interest in becoming more civically engaged and foster a greater understanding of the issues raised by the films.
The Use of Direct Observations over the Aerosol Particle Size Distribution for Inverting Lidar Data

The work is concerned with the inversion of horizontal lidar data into the aerosol particle size distribution (APSD). The aerosol is assumed to consist of spherical particles of continental and oceanic origin. The particular refraction index is supposed to be known. It is shown that whereas the inversion method of mean ordinates works satisfactorily for aerosols of smooth particle size distributions, the retrieval of nonsmooth distributions yields only their general slope. This is particularly true for distributions whose components are represented by markedly isolated peaks. Numerical experiments were performed by imposing a constraint on the sought-for solution for a further improvement of the inversion efficiency. For constraint, an APSD was used on a limited particle size interval. The results showed that the above constraint can significantly improve the inversion accuracy not only on the size interval chosen for constraint, but also on the entire particle size range. The inversion accuracy increased with the increase of the constraint precision. The imposition of an APSD constraint proved to be particularly promising when applied to distributions with separate component peaks. The observation data of the Shoreline Environment Aerosol Study (SEAS) were used to test the results of the numerical experiments. The test substantiated the theoretical conclusions about the efficiency of the method of mean ordinates for inverting lidar data into APSD. The recourse to the constraint of the experimental APSD improved the inversion results somewhat further. However, with the data available, it is so far impossible to make the constraint strict enough to maximize the effect.
Destabilizing limit cycles in delta-sigma modulators with chaos

Limit cycles in delta-sigma modulators cause unwanted tones to appear in the quantization noise. Such limit cycles can be avoided by making a simple modification to the noise transfer function (NTF). Moving a zero of the NTF outside the unit circle destabilizes limit cycles and consequently reduces the tonality of the quantization noise. However, the in-band noise is increased by this modification. The SNR-tonality tradeoff is explored with simulations of first and second-order lowpass modulators. >
Using mPINC Data to Measure Breastfeeding Support for Hospital Employees

Background:Employer support is important for mothers, as returning to work is a common reason for discontinuing breastfeeding. This article explores support available to breastfeeding employees of ...
Proteomics computational analyses suggest that baculovirus GP64 superfamily proteins are class III penetrenes

Background: Members of the Baculoviridae encode two types of proteins that mediate virus:cell membrane fusion and penetration into the host cell. Alignments of primary amino acid sequences indicate that baculovirus fusion proteins of group I nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPV) form the GP64 superfamily. The structure of these viral penetrenes has not been determined. The GP64 superfamily includes the glycoprotein (GP) encoded by members of the Thogotovirus genus of the Orthomyxoviridae. The entry proteins of other baculoviruses, group II NPV and granuloviruses, are class I penetrenes. Results: Class III penetrenes encoded by members of the Rhabdoviridae and Herpesviridae have an internal fusion domain comprised of beta sheets, other beta sheet domains, an extended alpha helical domain, a membrane proximal stem domain and a carboxyl terminal anchor. Similar sequences and structural/functional motifs that characterize class III penetrenes are located collinearly in GP64 of group I baculoviruses and related glycoproteins encoded by thogotoviruses. Structural models based on a prototypic class III penetrene, vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV G), were established for Thogoto virus (THOV) GP and Autographa california multiple NPV (AcMNPV) GP64 demonstrating feasible cysteine linkages. Glycosylation sites in THOV GP and AcMNPV GP64 appear in similar model locations to the two glycosylation sites of VSV G. Conclusion: These results suggest that proteins in the GP64 superfamily are class III penetrenes.
A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE LIFE OF A SAGGER1

A method for determining the average life of a sagger over the period of a year is given as an aid in determining costs. Inventories are taken at the beginning and at the end of the year, and a record is kept of the saggers made. The average number or saggers fired in a kiln is determined and from these figures the percentage loss of life of each sagger per fire is determined, as well as the number of fires per sagger.
On deciding display dynamics requirements for flying qualities

An approach for deciding display dynamics is presented that is based on multivariable control analysis and synthesis techniques, specifically the structured singular value, and uses the optimal control model to represent nominal pilot behavior. Given an uncertainty structure for the nominal model that reflects likely pilot variabilities, structured singular value techniques are used to examine and determine display dynamics that strike a balance between the goal of optimal system performance and the goal of tolerance to pilot variability. The approach is illustrated by an example, the results of which support its potential utility. >
Accommodation with higher-order monochromatic aberrations corrected with adaptive optics

Higher-order monochromatic aberrations in the human eye cause a difference in the appearance of stimuli at distances nearer and farther from best focus that could serve as a signed error signal for accommodation. We explored whether higher-order monochromatic aberrations affect the accommodative response to 0.5 D step changes in vergence in experiments in which these aberrations were either present as they normally are or removed with adaptive optics. Of six subjects, one could not accommodate at all for steps in either condition. One subject clearly required higher-order aberrations to accommodate at all. The remaining four subjects could accommodate in the correct direction even when higher-order aberrations were removed. No subjects improved their accommodation when higher-order aberrations were corrected, indicating that the corresponding decrease in the depth of field of the eye did not improve the accommodative response. These results are consistent with previous findings of large individual differences in the ability to accommodate in impoverished conditions. These results suggest that at least some subjects can use monochromatic higher-order aberrations to guide accommodation. They also show that some subjects can accommodate correctly when higher-order monochromatic aberrations as well as established cues to accommodation are greatly reduced.
Zinc Status in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

There is substantial evidence to support an important role for zinc in immune processes. Adequate zinc status is essential for T-cell division, maturation and differentiation; lymphocyte response to mitogens; programmed cell death of lymphoid and myeloid origins; gene transcription; and biomembrane function. Lymphocytes are one of the types of cells activated by zinc. Zinc is the structural component of a wide variety of proteins, neuropeptides, hormone receptors and polynucleotides. Among the best known zinc-dependent hormones/enzymes are Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase, an enzyme component of the antioxidant defense system, and thymulin, which is essential for the formation of T-lymphocytes. In animals and humans, zinc deficiency results in rapid and marked atrophy of the thymus, impaired cell-mediated cutaneous sensitivity and lymphopenia. Primary and secondary antibody responses are reduced in zinc deficiency, particularly for those antigens that require T-cell help, such as those in heterologous red blood cells. In addition, antibody response and the generation of splenic cytotoxic T cells after immunization are reduced. Zinc also inhibits the production of tumor necrosis factor, which is implicated in the pathophysiology of cachexia and wasting in acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
A computable evolution equation for the joint response-excitation probability density function of stochastic dynamical systems

By using functional integral methods, we determine a computable evolution equation for the joint response-excitation probability density function of a stochastic dynamical system driven by coloured noise. This equation can be represented in terms of a superimposition of differential constraints, i.e. partial differential equations involving unusual limit partial derivatives, the first one of which was originally proposed by Sapsis & Athanassoulis. A connection with the classical response approach is established in the general case of random noise with arbitrary correlation time, yielding a fully consistent new theory for non-Markovian systems. We also address the question of computability of the joint response-excitation probability density function as a solution to a boundary value problem involving only one differential constraint. By means of a simple analytical example, it is shown that, in general, such a problem is undetermined, in the sense that it admits an infinite number of solutions. This issue can be overcome by completing the system with additional relations yielding a closure problem, which is similar to the one arising in the standard response theory. Numerical verification of the equations for the joint response-excitation density is obtained for a tumour cell growth model under immune response.
Online emotional appeals and political participation: The effect of candidate affect on mass behavior

The role that emotions play in shaping mass political behavior is increasingly well researched. This study refocuses the debate to explore the effect that the emotions expressed by candidates (target affect) through new media have on participation, rather than the effect of emotions felt by voters (observer affect). A unique experiment embedded in a nationally representative online survey demonstrates that appeals invoking target affect can strongly increase citizens’ political participation both online and offline. Contrary to fears that the use of emotions by political elites will agitate the least knowledgeable citizens, however, the results demonstrate that it is the most politically-engaged citizens who are mobilized by such appeals. These findings have significant implications for our understanding of the participatory consequences of emotional political messages on the Internet.
Polymer-solvent demixing under tension. Isotope and pressure effects on liquid-liquid transitions, VII. Propionitrile–polystyrene solutions at negative pressure

Liquid-liquid demixing in propionitrile-polystyrene solutions has been observed (-2< P/MPa< 4) using a Berthelot tube technique. The experimental isopleths join smoothly to ones gathered at positive pressure by another technique. The equation of state used to describe the transitions thus appears to be valid across the entire liquid range
Modulation of fluidic resistance and capacitance for long-term, high-speed feedback control of a microfluidic interface

Existing microfluidic systems can control local chemical environments by directing the interface between laminar flowing streams for applications ranging from subcellular stimulation to fuel cells. However, conventional flow modulation methods have not yet provided a robust and reliable way to dynamically control laminar flow interfaces for very long time periods. Such control is important in biological investigations, since response times for living cells and tissues can be as long as several days. Here, we describe a novel long-term, high-speed approach that employs modulation of fluidic resistance and fluidic capacitance between a fluid reservoir and a microfluidic network with feedback control to enable long-term dynamic control of a microfluidic interface in time and space. Our method involves constricting a narrow tube through a pinching approach to modulate fluidic resistance while also controlling a small variable reservoir in the fluidic network through a squeezing approach to modulate fluidic capacitance. We designed a well-tuned proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for the closed-loop control system that resulted in control of pressure for short-term (2 s) and long-term (15 h) experiments. Further, we integrated a pressure-based feedback control approach into this method, which enables both long-term spatiotemporal control of our microfluidic interface at frequencies greater than 1 Hz and a reservoir capacity to enable experiments for longer than 60 days. This long-term and high-speed control is not possible with standard microfluidic laboratory practices. Our system has a diversity of potential applications including long-term cellular studies in cancer metastasis or embryonic development.
Peer tutoring and social dynamics in higher education

Peer tutoring in Higher Education is being used with increasing frequency to aid in student learning, motivation, and empowerment. Although an extensive body of research documents the efficacy of such programs, it exhibits a surprising lack of awareness of the social dynamics involved. This study focuses on peer tutors and students as they interact in higher education classrooms. Results indicate that this interaction does not always occur smoothly and that tutors often spend an inordinate amount of time engaged in impression management. Additionally, findings suggest that the tutor/student relationship can be rife with misunderstanding and power struggle.
Thoracoscopy in the pediatric patient.

Reports of success in the adult population, combined with the ongoing refinement in the technique and equipment for thoracoscopy, have led to the introduction of this technique in infants and children. 16,25,26 Although initially used to biopsy intrathoracic neoplasms, thoracoscopy has now been applied to more involved surgical procedures, including the treatment of empyema, ligation of patent ductus arteriosus, and anterior spinal fusion. 11,35 With the advances in the equipment, including the availability of smaller scopes and improvements in the fiberoptics, these techniques are being applied to younger and younger children, and in many instances, even in neonates and infants. Specific modifications of the anesthetic technique are required to ensure patient safety and enhance surgical visualization, thereby expediting the procedure. When applying these techniques to the pediatric population, one must consider the usual implications of anesthetizing children, including the patient's underlying status combined with the unique challenges and physiologic alterations imposed by thoracoscopy. This article reviews the specific anesthetic implications of thoracoscopic procedures in neonates, infants, and children, including the preoperative evaluation, perioperative anesthetic care and monitoring (with special emphasis on the physiologic alterations induced by the endoscopic procedures), and postoperative care, including the provision of postoperative analgesia.
NEXT: a system for real-world development, evaluation, and application of active learning

Active learning methods automatically adapt data collection by selecting the most informative samples in order to accelerate machine learning. Because of this, real-world testing and comparing active learning algorithms requires collecting new datasets (adaptively), rather than simply applying algorithms to benchmark datasets, as is the norm in (passive) machine learning research. To facilitate the development, testing and deployment of active learning for real applications, we have built an open-source software system for large-scale active learning research and experimentation. The system, called NEXT, provides a unique platform for real-world, reproducible active learning research. This paper details the challenges of building the system and demonstrates its capabilities with several experiments. The results show how experimentation can help expose strengths and weaknesses of active learning algorithms, in sometimes unexpected and enlightening ways.
Minimization of pathologic changes in Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale infection in turkeys by temperature-sensitive mutant strain.

SUMMARY. The protection elicited by a temperature-sensitive (Ts) mutant of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) vaccine against challenge with pathogenic strain was investigated. In Experiment 1, specific serologic response to ORT was detected in 12%–19% of Ts-vaccinated birds at 3 wk postvaccination by either drinking water or oculo-nasal instillation. At 7 days postchallenge, 100% of Ts-vaccinated turkeys of all groups were able to respond with an ORT-specific antibody response, but the control group was not, suggesting the potential of Ts strain to evoke immune protection. The study also revealed a statistically significant ability of the Ts strain to protect vaccinated turkeys against gross lesions caused by the pathogenic strain of ORT in treated groups vs. control. In Experiment 2, seroconversion was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in birds after they were given the Ts strain in drinking water in field conditions. The results of the field study showed mean scores of gross lesions of n...
The Importance of Functional Status in the Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease

An estimated 8 to 12 million Americans carry the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) ([1,2][1]). Their prognosis is extremely poor and is similar to that associated with many malignancies. Within 10 years of diagnosis, more than 50% of afflicted patients will have succumbed to this
The Association of Clinician Characteristics with their Attitudes Toward Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: Secondary Analyses of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background A high level of evidence exists to suggest that negative attitudes held by clinicians toward persons with sickle cell disease serve as important barriers to the delivery of high quality care to this patient population. Little is known, though, about the characteristics of clinicians that may be predictive of these negative attitudes. Methods During spring and summer 2009, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to test an intervention to improve clinician attitudes toward persons with sickle cell disease. Participating clinicians completed questionnaires regarding their demographic characteristics and their attitudes toward sickle cell patients. Principal clinician characteristics of interest included their race, professional discipline (nurse/physician), and the amount of their recent exposure to sickle cell patients in pain. Secondary analyses from this trial are presented here. Main Findings Asian clinicians reported more negative attitudes towards these patients than did Black or White clinicians, nurses reported more negative attitudes than physicians, and clinicians with the greatest levels of recent exposure to sickle cell patients in pain reported more negative attitudes than did clinicians with lower levels of recent exposure. Conclusions Our findings could facilitate the development of tailored educational resources needed to improve the quality of care delivered to persons with sickle cell disease, a national priority for sickle cell efforts.
Bone Sarcomas in Children and Adolescents

Osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma are the most common bone malignancies that affect children and adolescents, with an incidence of six new cases/1,000,000 inhabitants/year, accounting for approximately 7% of cancer diagnoses. They may be defined as neoplastic diseases that involve the bone tissues, the former arising from the mesenchymal bone forming cells and the latter from the neural crest cells.
Study on the examination and treatment effect of filariasis in Haojiang district of Shantou city

Objective To know about the epidemic situation of filariasis in Haojiang district of Shantou city,summarize the strategies and experiences on the eradication of filariasis,and consolidate the control achievements against filariasis.Methods The results of pathogenic surveillance and comprehensive measures for filariasis in the past 50 years were analyzed.Results 174 403 people were treated with diethylcarbamazine(DEC)(including treatment of filarial patients and administration to general population).By repeated examinations and treatments,the crowd microfilaremia rate decreased from 7.2% before control measures in 1960 to 0.5% in 1984,reaching the criterion of Fundamental Filariasis Eradication,and the rate was decreased continuously to 0 in 1998,reaching the Criterion of Filariasis Eradication.Conclusion The control measures against filariasis was effective in Haojiang district for the past 50 years and the filariasis eradication was further consolidated.
Microstructural evolution and rheology of quartz in a mid-crustal shear zone

Abstract We present microstructural and crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) data on quartz deformed in the middle crust to explore the interaction and feedback between dynamic recrystallization, deformation processes, and CPO evolution. The sample investigated here is a moderately deformed quartz-rich mylonite from the Blue Ridge in Virginia. We have created high-resolution crystallographic orientation maps using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) of 51 isolated quartz porphyroclasts with recrystallized grain fractions ranging from 10 to 100%. Recrystallized grains are internally undeformed and display crystallographic orientations dispersed around the orientation of the associated parent porphyroclast. We document a systematic decrease in fabric intensity with recrystallization, suggesting that progressive deformation of the recrystallized domains involves processes that can weaken a pre-existing CPO. Relationships between recrystallization fraction and shear strain suggest that complete microstructural re-equilibration requires strains in excess of γ = 5. Variation in the degree of recrystallization implies that strain was accumulated heterogeneously, and that a steady-state microstructure and rheology were not achieved.
Dyskinetic Encephalitis Lethargica

Twenty children (12 female; age range, 1.3-15 years) with encephalitis lethargica were studied over 9 years by researchers at University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia; and John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
Imagining Transnational Chicano/a Activism against Gender-Based Violence at the U.S.-Mexican Border

Since 1993, hundreds of women have been killed or have disappeared from Mexico’s largest northern border city, Ciudad Juarez.1 When bodies are found, they often show signs of prolonged and savage torture, (gang) rape, and mutilation. Many of the victims are young, recent arrivals from other parts of Mexico, and poor. About 20 percent worked in Ciudad Juarez’s maquiladoras or assembly factories, where young women from low-income families are most likely to find employment.2 Others are students, dancers, homemakers, store employees, and prostitutes. The few, seemingly haphazard convictions that have been handed down since 1999 have not stopped the violence. Instead, the murders have spread to Chihuahua City, the capital of the state. Bodies are also now found in more dispersed sites, and greater efforts are made to conceal them.
One of the Boys?: Women, Military Force, and Foreign Policy Decision Making

As women increasingly populate the inner sanctum of military and foreign policy decision making, will their presence change the use of military force and the conduct of international affairs, or will they behave as one of the boys? These two books raise this question in quite different but intriguing ways. In Women and the Use of Military Force, Howes and Stevenson have compiled a set of readings which explore the effect of sex and gender on attitudes, behaviors, and policies related to the use of military force. The McGlen and Sarkees book, Women in Foreign Policy: The Insiders, reports on a study of women "insiders" in the U.S. State Department and Department of Defense. Their research focuses on factors that influenced these women and on the ways in which they were able to influence the foreign policy process. In both cases the authors draw on the ongoing debate concerning whether women are inherently more peaceful than men, and they attempt to understand and predict what will come of women's increased participation in politics. These works have much to contribute to several literatures, including foreign policy studies, feminist international relations theory, peace studies, political organizations, women and politics, and political psychology. They have particular relevance to the burgeoning literature on feminism and international relations, providing important data which supplements recent feminist critiques of international relations theory and practice (Elshtain, 1987; Enloe 1983, 1989; Peterson, 1992; Tickner, 1993; Sylvester, 1994) and feminist political theory (Brown, 1988; Mansbridge, 1990; Young, 1990; Ferguson, 1991; Coole, 1993; Elshtain, 1993). The starting point for Women and the Use of Military Force is the stereotype that women are inherently more peaceful than men. If this is so, Howes and Stevenson contend, one would predict that the inclusion of greater numbers of women in the military or in foreign policy decision making should alter the nature of those domains in a more peaceful direction. In order to probe this question, the editors have assembled a fascinating collection of articles from a wide range of disciplines, such as sociology, psychology, physics, and political science. The first section of the book deals with what the editors refer to as
Congestion-aware video streaming over peer-to-peer networks

Peer-to-peer video streaming will enable large scale television distribution, in real time, over the Internet. In this type of system, viewers contribute their resources to the network to act as relays for the media streams and no dedicated infrastructure is required. As packets are exchanged between unreliable peers, it is particularly challenging to achieve high video quality and low end-to-end delay. The contribution of this work is to present adaptive video coding and streaming techniques which improve the performance of conventional client-server systems and extend them to enhance peer-to-peer multicast. In throughput-limited environments, network congestion precludes low-latency applications, such as interactive video streaming. We analyze this effect through a rate-distortion model which captures the impact of self-generated congestion on the decoded video quality of a stream. In addition, we introduce the concept of congestion-distortion optimized (CoDiO) packet scheduling, which determines which packets should be sent, and at which time, to achieve the highest decoded video quality while avoiding the creation of unnecessary congestion. We analyze the error-resilience properties of H.264 SP and SI frames, which provide the ability of creating flexible pre-encoded representations where the robustness can be adapted to varying network conditions. We derive the coding efficiency of these pictures and compare it to that of I and P pictures. We present an adaptive SI insertion algorithm and identify scenarios where it is beneficial compared to streaming with periodic I frames. Distortion-optimized packet scheduling is extended to the case of peer-to-peer multicast, where viewers are used as real-time relays for a media stream. We present a prioritization scheme which transmits in priority the most important video packets to the receivers which will serve, in turn, the largest set of peers. This algorithm is combined with a distortion-optimized retransmission scheduler which operates at the receivers and adapts to the video content to request the most important missing packets first. Experiments carried out over simulated networks with hundreds of peers show the advantage of adaptive scheduling for low-latency streaming.
Characterization of Latexes by Ion Exchange and Conductometric Titration

Current emulsion polymerization technology uses a variety of comonomeric emulsifiers (e.g., acrylic acid or 2-sulfoethyl methacrylate) in the production of latexes. These conomomeric emulsifiers can polymerize in the aqueous phase, on the particle surface, or inside the particles; their mode of combination determines the performance of the latex in a given application. The loci of functional groups of these comonomeric emulsifiers can be determined by ion exchange and conductometric titration in combination with other analytical methods. The analytical procedure is reviewed and typical results on its practical application are presented.
Calculation of Derivatives

The statement g(x) = 1 has been discussed in two cases. In the first, the definition of the derivative, g is the quotient $$ g\left( x \right) = \frac{{f\left( x \right) - f\left( a \right)}}{{x - a}} $$ where f is a function defined on some interval and a is an interior point of the interval (i.e., not an end point). In this case g is defined at every point suffi¬ciently close to a, except for a itself.
A Simple Method for Evaluating the Performance of Louvered Fixtures Designed for Upper-Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation

ABSTRACTThe primary objective of the present work was to develop and validate a simple method for measuring the ultraviolet (UV) emission rate of louvered UV fixtures designed for upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI). A secondary objective was to compare the emission rates and energy usage of a few commercially available fixtures and explain the reasons for the differences observed. The ultraviolet emission rate of fixtures designed for upper-room UVGI is clearly an important metric for specifying the UV dosing requirements for a particular application—that is, determining how many UV fixtures should be installed in a given room. UV emission rate is also important for evaluating how efficiently the fixture utilizes the required electrical power input. The ratio of the UV emission rate to the electrical input is a useful parameter for ranking or improving fixtures. In this article, we describe “UV sensor traverse” and its validation. UV sensor traverse is a simple method for measuring UV em...
Learning Outcomes From a Student-generated

To inform the design of collaborative learning systems and assignments, our research asks: What aspects of student-generated content truly enhance learning outcomes? Herein we detail the methodologies we have developed to answer this question, including comparing performance on exam questions, some of which are based on specific metaphors found in a student-created "flipped" wiki textbook, and automating wiki content analysis for correlation of performance with creative language forms.
Analysis of Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Receiving AMG 531 Using the Disease-Specific Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura Patient Assessment Questionnaire.

AMG 531 is a novel thrombopoeisis-stimulating peptibody that increases platelet production by targeting the thrombopoietin receptor. The trial described here is an ongoing, open-label, extension study of patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) assessing the safety and efficacy of long-term AMG 531 treatment of ITP, as well as patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Eligible patients have completed a previous AMG 531 study in ITP. Patients previously treated with AMG 531 receive a starting dose that is the same as the final dose given in the previous study; placebo-treated patients begin the extension study with an AMG 531 dose of 1 μg/kg. The dose is skipped, decreased, maintained, or increased based on platelet count. Analysis was performed on the 36 patients (25 female, 11 male; 29 white, 6 Hispanic, 1 black) for whom complete data are currently available. The mean age is 50.0 ± 13.0 (SD) years. Most patients (83%) had a splenectomy prior to this study. HRQOL is being assessed with an ITP disease-specific measure, the ITP Patient Assessment Questionnaire (ITP-PAQ). This report describes the first use of the ITP-PAQ to measure treatment effect. The ITP-PAQ has 10 scales: 4 Physical Health (PH)—Symptoms, Fatigue, Bother, and Activity; 2 Emotional Health (EH)—Psychological and Fear; 3 Quality of Life (QOL)—Overall, Social, and Work; and 1 Women’s Reproductive Health (WRH). Each scale is scored 0 (worst)—100 (best). A planned interim analysis was conducted to evaluate changes in HRQOL from week 1 (pretreatment) to week 24. Results indicated improvement in the areas of PH-Symptoms, with a 7.9-unit increase (p=0.007), PH-Fatigue, with a 7.8-unit increase (p=0.006), PH-Bother, with a 9.4-unit increase (p=0.025), PH-Activity, with a 7.4-unit increase (p=0.032), and QOL-Work, with a 7.9-unit increase (p=0.014). An analysis of minimal clinically important difference will be conducted when the sample size is large enough to determine if statistically significant values are clinically meaningful. A comparison of HRQOL in patients with a durable platelet response (doubling of the baseline count and ≥50×10 9 /L at 6 or more weeks during weeks 17–24 in the absence of rescue medication) versus those without a durable response showed a trend for greater improvement among the responders in all 10 scales, with significant differences for PH-Symptoms (p=0.02), PH-Bother (p=0.02), PH-Activity (p=0.01), EH-Psychological (p=0.01), and QOL-Overall (p=0.03). Individualized dosing of AMG 531 provides a unique therapeutic option for managing platelet count in ITP while improving HRQOL.
Hospital-wide chlorhexidine gluconate bed bathing protocol: A cross-sectional study in a single hospital

The objective of this study was to determine understanding of bed bathing practices over time after the implementation of a standardized bed bathing protocol. An online survey addressing bathing practices was administered preintervention and 6 and 18 months postintervention to all nurses and technicians caring for adult patients. Survey responses suggested that the intervention resulted in sustained understanding of the standardized bed bathing protocol.
Diaphyseal Tibial Soft-Tissue Mass After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

Case: A 64-year-old woman had undergone bilateral total knee arthroplasty in 1998. In 2010, she presented with a large, painless, diaphyseal soft-tissue mass of the lower leg. She indicated that she had no history of knee pain, trauma, or infection. Ultimately, the mass was found to be a synovial fluid-filled cyst that communicated with the knee joint, which was a result of severe osteolysis. Conclusion: Large diaphyseal tibial masses in the presence of total knee arthroplasty should raise a high index of suspicion not only for tumors and infections, but also for severe osteolysis. Knowledge of the various ways that osteolysis can present as well as an appropriate workup will help to guide diagnosis and management.