cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of imported pangasius fish in local restaurants

Pangasius fish, primarily Pangasius hypophthalmus (tra/swai) and Pangasius bocourti (basa) belonging to the Pangasiidae family of catfish, are an imported farm-raised freshwater fish. The labels “tra/swai” and “basa” seldom appear on restaurant menus, so it is unclear how and to what extent pangasius is used in restaurants. In this study, we investigated 47 different fish products served at 37 restaurants in a city in the southeastern United States. A commercial rapid lateral flow (LF) assay (EZ Pangasius™ kit) was used to identify pangasius fish and the results were verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a pangasius-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) T7E10. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) was then employed to examine the protein patterns in the ready-to-eat fish samples. The results showed that 26.7% of the domestic catfish (Ictaluridae family) and 22.2% of the grouper dishes served were actually pangasius. A high percentage (66.7%) of dishes displayed under the general name of “fish” on the menu were also identified as pangasius, revealing the widespread but economically favorable and/or fraudulent use of this fish in the restaurant industry. The IEF results revealed that the pangasius positive samples were exclusively tra/swai. There was no significant difference in the prices charged to restaurant customers between pangasius negative and positive samples, indicating that price is not a good indicator of fish authenticity. These findings highlight the need for stringent enforcement of the existing regulations to discourage the fraudulent use of pangasius fish, either tra/swai or basa.
Cardiometabolic Risk Factors among Severely Obese Children and Adolescents in the United States, 1999-2012

Abstract Background: Severely obese children and adolescents are at high risk of suffering obesity-related comorbidities. This article is to examine the dose-response relationship between weight status and cardiometabolic risk factors among US adolescents. Methods: Youths aged 6–19 years participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1999–2012 were included (N = 20,905). Severe obesity was defined as BMI ≥120% of 95th percentile of gender-specific BMI-for-age or BMI ≥35 kg/m2. Obesity-related cardiometabolic risk factors included blood pressure (BP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, and fasting glucose (FG). Weighted multiple logistic regression was used to assess whether severe obesity significantly changed the odds of having cardiometabolic risk factors. Results: The prevalence of high BP, high TC, low HDL, high triglycerides, high LDL, and high FG among severely obese adolescent...
Density functional theory and X-ray analysis of the structural variability in η5,η5,η1-tris(ring) rare earth/actinide tetramethylpyrrolyl complexes, (C5Me5)2M(NC4Me4).

(C5Me5)2M(NC4Me4) complexes (M = Y, Sm, Ce, U) were synthesized to act as structural models for the (η5-C5Me5)2M(η1-C5Me5) intermediate postulated to give pseudoalkyl reactivity to sterically crowd...
Effect of Feed Restriction on Growth, Body Composition, and Egg Production of Broiler Females Through 68 Weeks of Age

Effects of ad libitum and restricted (50% of ad libitum) feeding on performance of female broilers were assessed in a 68-week experiment. The treatments imposed were AA, fed ad libitum throughout; RR, fed restricted amounts of feed throughout; RA restricted through 24 weeks of age and ad libitum thereafter; and AR, fed ad libitum through 24 weeks and restricted thereafter. Average age at first egg was delayed by 17 days in RA hens compared with AA hens. Average body weight at first egg was 3.9 kg for RA birds and 4.5 kg for AA birds. Peak production was higher for RA birds (71 vs. 59%), but age at peak production was similar for both AA and RA hens. Through 68 weeks, AR birds produced 50% more eggs than AA birds (159 vs. 106). Cumulative number of eggs produced for RR and AR birds were 37 and 47, respectively. Mortality was similar for RR, RA, and AR birds but was approximately fourfold greater in AA birds. At 68 weeks of age, live body, carcass, abdominal fat pad, and estimated fat-free carcass weights were similar for AA and RA birds. Although abdominal fat as a percent of carcass weight was similar for AR and RR birds, average live weight, carcass weight, and fat-free carcass weight were higher for AR than RR birds at 68 weeks.
Reading The Great Transformation

Reading the Great Transformation The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time, by Karl Polanyi. Boston: Beacon Press, 2001 (orig. 1944). The Power of Market Fundamentalism: Karl Polanyi’s Critique, by Fred Block and Margaret R. Somers. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2014. 296 pp. Isaac William Martin University of California – San Diego iwmartin@ucsd.edu Theory Economic Sociology Political Sociology Karl Polanyi’s book The Great Transformation is a classic. First published in 1944, it has come to be recognized as a founding charter for economic sociology. It anticipated major accomplishments of late-twentieth century social science (including, among others, Ben Bernanke’s studies of the Great Depression and Amartya Sen’s work on famine). Its core problems—how do societies respond to globalization? how do they address the risks of market failure?—are central to contemporary macrosociology. It is
Postoperative analgesia effects comparison of combined spinal-epidural anesthesia and epidural anesthesia for caesarean section

Objective:To compare postoperative analgesia effects of combined spinal-epidural anesthesia and epidural anesthesia for caesarean section.Methods:Select 100 women scheduled for caesarean section and randomly divided into epidural anesthesia group and combined spinal-epidural anesthesia group,with 50 cases in each group.Analgesia effects of the two groups were compared.Results:Epidural anesthesia group experienced longer duration of sensory block,showed lower Bromage score than the combined spinal-epidural anesthesia group,and the combined spinal-epidural anesthesia group showed better anesthesia effects,consumed less pain killer drugs(P all 0.05).There's no significant difference in childbirth time or operation time,but VAS of the epidural anesthesia group was significant higher than that of the combined spinal-epidural anesthesia group 6 and 12 hours after the operation(P0.05).Both groups showed the highest VAS 12 hours after the operation.Incidence of the vertigo of the epidural anesthesia group was 16.00%,significant lower than the 4.00% of the control group.Conclusion:Combined spinal-epidural anesthesia epidural anesthesia shows better postoperative analgesia effects than epidural anesthesia for caesarean operation,but attention should be paid to prevent anesthesia complications.
Infrastructures of Epistemic Moments: Buildings, Black Boxes, Improvement and Neighbourhood Chang

When urban sociologists pay attention to built environments, they often assume that buildings and infrastructure can be understood as reflections of social changes in neighbourhoods. In this chapter, I disrupt this assumption and present a more complicated picture of the relationship between a neighbourhood’s social change and physical form. In doing so, I propose introducing two concepts to urban sociology that stem from science and technology studies (STS). I suggest that Latour’s (1987) notion of a black box may be useful to think about how built form might work to stabilize knowledges at certain times and open them to controversy at other times. In addition, I propose the concept of epistemic moments — based on Knorr Cetina’s (1999) epistemic cultures as a tool for researching neighbourhoods and their inhabitants and how such inhabitants come to know what they know about the place where they live. Like Knorr Cetina’s (1999) epistemic cultures, epistemic moments bring attention to the material and social conditions through which people come to know what they know, thereby allowing urban scholars to conceive of what people in Edgewater knew as something to do with the character of the neighbourhood, shaped by the built environment as well as legal and organizational discourses. Incorporating these concepts into urban studies that attend to built environments may give better purchase on processes of neighbourhood change, and, using the concept of epistemic moments, I ask what architectures and infrastructures might characterize epistemic moments of change.
Use of serum-free, compositionally defined medium for analysis of macrophage differentiation in vitro.

Macrophage differentiation is mediated by the action of a variety of environmental signals, such as cytokines and endotoxin. For in vitro analysis of macrophage differentiation, most studies utilize a basal tissue culture medium supplemented with fetal calf serum (FCS). As the composition of specific components within FCS varies enormously from lot to lot, one can never be certain that the differentiative effects observed in vitro are attributable solely to the exogenous signals provided to the cultures. In this study, primary macrophages were cultured in a basal medium supplemented either with FCS or a compositionally defined supplement, HL-1, and a spectrum of differentiative functions (i.e., induction of antiviral activity, Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis, Ia antigen expression, and tumoricidal activity) were measured following stimulation with exogenous signals. The results indicate that the use of serum-free, defined media may provide an important approach to dissect and characterize the differentiative signals which are operative in macrophage activation.
Triacylglycerol Accumulation in Photosynthetic Cells in Plants and Algae

Plant and algal oils are some of the most energy-dense renewable compounds provided by nature. Triacylglycerols (TAGs) are the major constituent of plant oils, which can be converted into fatty acid methyl esters commonly known as biodiesel. As one of the most efficient producers of TAGs, photosynthetic microalgae have attracted substantial interest for renewable fuel production. Currently, the big challenge of microalgae based TAGs for biofuels is their high cost compared to fossil fuels. A conundrum is that microalgae accumulate large amounts of TAGs only during stress conditions such as nutrient deprivation and temperature stress, which inevitably will inhibit growth. Thus, a better understanding of why and how microalgae induce TAG biosynthesis under stress conditions would allow the development of engineered microalgae with increased TAG production during conditions optimal for growth. Land plants also synthesize TAGs during stresses and we will compare new findings on environmental stress-induced TAG accumulation in plants and microalgae especially in the well-characterized model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and a biotechnologically relevant genus Nannochloropsis.
The Generalizability of the Communication to Attraction Relationship to Intercultural Communication: Repulsion or Attraction?

(1991). The Generalizability of the Communication to Attraction Relationship to Intercultural Communication: Repulsion or Attraction? Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 14, Communication Yearbook 14, pp. 492-497.
Presidential Speeches Amid a More Centralized and Unified Congress

In his seminal work, Going Public, Samuel Kernell (1987) argued that changes in the congressional bargaining environment incentivized an increase in presidential speeches. Although subsequent research rejected that these changes increased speeches, Congress continues to evolve, having become more centralized and unified (by political party) since the 1970s. The purpose of this article is to revisit the changing congressional environment to assess what impact it has had on presidential speechmaking. We argue that if greater centralization and party unity are to affect speechmaking, they should decrease it, but only under unified government. We find that although congressional centralization, which should promote more bargaining between presidents and legislators, decreases speeches, the impact is not conditional on unified government. To this end, we conclude that the president's electoral not policy goals are the primary motivation for presidential speechmaking. These results have major implications for o...
Endocrinological Roles for Testosterone in Resistance Exercise Responses and Adaptations

Chronic increases in testosterone levels can significantly increase hypertrophy and strength, as has been demonstrated by pharmacological intervention. However, decreases in basal testosterone levels can have the opposite result, as has been seen in hypogonadal populations. Because of these profound effects on hypertrophy and strength, testosterone has often been studied in conjunction with resistance exercise to examine whether the endocrine system plays a role in adaptations to the stimulus. Whereas some studies have demonstrated a chronic increase in basal testosterone, others have failed to find an adaptation to regular resistance exercise. However, improvements in strength and hypertrophy appear to be possible regardless of the presence of this adaptation. Testosterone has also been shown to acutely rise immediately following an acute resistance exercise bout. While this substantial mobilization of testosterone is brief, its effects are seen for several hours through the upregulation of the androgen receptor. The role of this acute response at present is unknown, but further study of the non-genomic action and possible intracrinological processes is warranted. This response does not seem to be necessary for resistance training adaptations to occur either, but whether this response optimizes such adaptations has not yet been determined.
Oblique propagation of monsoon gravity waves during the northern hemisphere 2007 summer

We present a combination of satellite observation and high-resolution model output to understand monsoon convection as a source of high-latitude mesospheric gravity waves (GWs). The GWs generated over the Northern Hemisphere (NH) monsoon region during the 2007 summer and the role of the winds in focusing these GWs toward the high-latitude middle atmosphere are analyzed using the SABER/TIMED satellite temperature data and the high-resolution NOGAPS-ALPHA model results. In the NH, above the stratosphere, the monsoon GW momentum flux (GWMF) exhibits a poleward tilt that follows the slanted structure of the easterly jet. The correlation coefficients (>0.5) between the time series of NH tropical stratospheric GWMF and the global winds also have a slanted structure that coincide with the easterly jet, confirming the modeling theory that stratospheric monsoon GWs are refracted into the summer easterly jet and can reach the high-latitude mesosphere. Since Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) are sensitive indicators of changes in the polar summer mesosphere, we compared the time series of tropical stratospheric GWMF to the PMC occurrence frequency (OF) obtained from the CIPS/AIM satellite data, to assess the influence of this wave focusing in the mesosphere. There is a significant positive correlation between the high latitude PMC OF and the tropical stratospheric GWMF suggesting a definite influence of monsoon GWs on the high-latitude mesosphere. The disagreement in correlation at the end of the PMC season is attributed to the enhancement of the quasi 5-day planetary wave dominating over the influence of monsoon GWs on PMCs.
Differentiation of Unfossiliferous Clastic Sediments: Solutions from the Southern Portion of the Alabama-Mississippi Costal Plain

The scarcity of fossils in most non-marine Coastal Plain sediments of Tertiary age has surrounded these strata with a multitude of controversies. Not only is it difficult to correlate units believed on the basis of stratigraphic position to be of the same age, but it often poses a similar challenge to differentiate deeply weathered sands and gravels of markedly different ages when they are present in the same general area. As a consequence of this, some units simply have been "lumped" together and terms such as "upper Tertiary coarse elastics" and "undifferentiated Miocene" appear too often on state geologic maps. Further, this same lack of fossils also has led to major disagreements with respect to deposits laid down in more recent times: specifically, the age and number of identifiable terraces that developed by still-stands of the Pleistocene seas and the origin of these terraces (marine vs. non-marine'?, erosional, depositional, or tectonic?). Multivariate statistical analysis has proved useful in dealing with the identity of deeply weathered "red sands" in the Alabama Coastal Plain and strongly indicates that some units previously assigned to the Eocene Lisbon Formation are more likely recent terrace deposits. Similarly, detailed examination of sedimentary structures mineral suites, and gravels has shown that the Miocene sediments in Alabama can be assigned to two mappable units (the Mobile Clay and the Ecor Rouge Sand). Criteria also exist that allow the differentiation of these units from the overlying Citronelle Formation. Recent work on a major vertebrate site, disconformably underlying the Citronelle Formation in Mobile County, Alabama, has also provided new information on the Citronelle age problem but, for several reasons, mis-use of the term "Citronelle" will undoubtedly continue. Similarly, though the controversy involving the number of Pleistocene terraces (and their origin) is far from solved, evidence is present in southern Mobile County, Alabama that clearly shows the deposition of marine features did take place during the Pleistocene and that this deposition took place at elevations in excess of 10 meters above present mean sea level.
Evolution of inverse cascades and formation of precondensate in Gross-Pitaevskii turbulence in two dimensions.

Here we study how coherence appears in a system driven by noise at small scales. In the wave turbulence modeled by the Gross-Pitaevskii or the nonlinear Schrodinger equation, we observe states with correlation scales smaller than the system size but much larger than the excitation scale. We call a such state precondensate to distinguish it from condensate defined as a systemwide coherent state. Both condensate and precondensate are characterized by large-scale phase coherence and a narrow distribution of amplitudes. When one excites small scales, precondensate is achieved relatively quickly by an inverse cascade heating quasiequilibrium distribution of large-scale modes. The transition from the precondensate to the systemwide condensate requires a much longer time. The spectra of precondensate differ from quasiequilibrium and are characterized by two bending points, one on the scale of the average distance between vortex pairs and the other on the scale of the distance between vortices in a pair. We suggest temporal evolution laws for both lengths and use them to predict the probability of the transition to condensate.
Measuring Temperature Induced Phase Change Kinetics in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissues Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy, MR Imaging and Spectroscopy and OCT

Monitoring phase transition in adipose tissue and formation of lipid crystals is important in Cryo-procedures such as Selective Cryolipolysis (SC). We exploited a Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) method to monitor the onset of fat phase transition (freezing/melting) in human abdominal adipose tissue. The changes in optical scattering were compared to Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements as the gold standard method for measuring phase transition. For some samples, concurrent in vitro measurements of optical scattering using NIRS and the MR signal parameters (T2*) as well as spectral parameters using MR Spectroscopy were performed in a 3 T MR scanner during a cooling/heating cycle. To further investigate phase-transition in adipose tissue in microscopic level, an identical cooling/heating procedure was replicated on a small piece of fat harvested from the same tissue while being imaged under Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). For all methods, their relationship with temperature shows inflexions in a narrow range, characteristic of lipid phase transition. In particular, the good agreement between DSC and Optical measurements suggests that such NIRS methods can be used to improve dosimetry and to minimize variations of clinical outcome for cryo-procedures.
An improved model to assess temperature-dependent DC characteristics of submicron GaN HEMTs

A modified analytical model for the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) is presented, considering the temperature-dependent: (a) Schottky barrier height, (b) energy bandgap discontinuity, (c) carrier mobility, and (d) saturation velocity. It is demonstrated that the Schottky barrier height and energy bandgap discontinuity decrease with increase of the temperature. The effective mobility of the two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG) also decreases with increasing temperature, causing a reduction in the output current of the device. The model was tested over a wide range of temperatures (300–500 K) and bias, and it was observed that the developed model can successfully predict the I–V characteristic of the device with reasonable accuracy, especially at high temperatures ( $$\sim 500$$ K). It is shown that the developed model offers, on average, a 39 % improvement for the temperature variation, from 300–500 K, relative to the best model reported in literature.
Cooperative Performance—Its Goals and Measurement

It would be interesting and perhaps worthwhile for us to stop at this point and give some thought to how, if possible, cooperatives can assure success of their operations. Perhaps we might prepare a paper on the topic, “The Profile of a Successful Cooperative.” We’ve set forth in detail the steps in forming a cooperative after it was determined that there was a need for a cooperative and that it was economically feasible. We then covered areas relating to management, financing, and other aspects in the how section of the book.
Identification of wild and cultivated Hordeum species using two-primer RAPD fragments

Random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPD) analysis has been adapted to assess the degree of RAPD polymorphism within the genus Hordeum to determine if this approach can distinguish wild and cultivated species. Nineteen wild and seven cultivated accessions were evaluated using 4 random 10-mer primers. The potential of the RAPD assay was further increased by combining two primers in a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RAPD fragments generated by two pairs of arbitrary 10-mer primers discriminated six wild species and one cultivated species by banding profiles. The size of the amplified DNA fragments ranged from 150 to 2300 base pairs. 33 %percent of the fragments were common to both wild and cultivated species; 67% were specific to either wild or cultivated species. The average difference in fragments was less within the species than among the species. By comparing RAPD fingerprints of wild and cultivated barley, markers were identified among the set of amplified DNA fragments which could be used to distinguish wild and cultivated Hordeum species.
A Pareto-optimality based routing and wavelength assignment algorithm for WDM networks

A routing and wavelength assignment algorithm is presented for optical communication systems. The algorithm, which is robust, flexible, and computationally feasible, is a hybrid fixed-alternate and adaptive routing algorithm based on Pareto optimality.
MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM DEGENERACY SET OF LINEAR TIME-INVARIANT DELAY-DIFFERENTIAL SYSTEMS OF THE NEUTRAL TYPE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the maximum and minimum degeneracy set of linear time-invariant delay-differential systems of the neutral type. Since the paper of Popov, much attention has been paid to the study of pointwise degeneracy of delay and neutral type differential equations from the view point of control theory. The main point in this connection is related to the fact that a pointwise degenerate system may be considered as a result of using a so-called linear delay feedback. While analyzing the problem, a question that naturally arises is the one of the characterization of the point td, where degeneracy starts, because this point may be viewed as being the one where the output of the system is driven to zero by delayed state feedback. First results in this direction belong to Popov, 1972, and important extensions have been made by Kappel and Lang.
Immunomodulation and Chlamydia: immunosuppression and the protective immune response to C. psittaci in mice.

The main point of this presentation will be to describe the immunosuppressive events that accompany acquired protective immunity to Chlamydia psittaci in the mouse. As a prelude to the presentation and discussion of the experimental data, it is important to understand some aspects of the biology of chlamydiae, the diseases that these organisms cause and what is already known concerning immune responses to chlamydiae.
New and Emerging Therapies for Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritus, inflammatory erythematous skin lesions, and skin-barrier defect. Current mainstay treatments of emollients, steroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and immunosuppressants have limited efficacy and potentially serious side effects. Recent advances and understanding of the pathogenesis of AD have resulted in new therapies that target specific pathways with increased efficacy and the potential for less systemic side effects. New FDA-approved therapies for AD are crisaborole and dupilumab. The JAK-STAT inhibitors (baricitinib, upadacitinib, PF-04965842, ASN002, tofacitinib, ruxolitinib, and delgocitinib) have the most promising results of the emerging therapies. Other drugs with potential include the aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulating agent tapinarof, the IL-4/IL-13 antagonists lebrikizumab and tralokinumab, and the IL-31Rα antagonist nemolizumab. In this review, new and emerging AD therapies will be discussed along with their mechanisms of action and their potential based on clinical study data.
Virginia Gordon: Pioneering the Concept of Scholar-Practitioner in Academic Advising through Her Own Scholarship and Practice.

Virginia Gordon has had a significant influence on academic advising. Her scholarly work, along with that of other scholars in the field, shows how much she was respected and valued. In this articl...
Prenatal management of ureteroceles

Abstract Some ureteroceles are small and of little clinical significance. Other ureteroceles are large, presenting as balloon-like lesions that can cause bladder outlet obstruction or protrude to the contralateral side, causing bilateral ureterovesical obstruction. As long as the amniotic fluid level remains normal and fetal lung development is not compromised, the prenatal management of ureteroceles is generally conservative and the ureterocele is monitored and/or treated postnatally. Shankar and colleagues demonstrated that, when managed expectantly, 27% of children with an antenatal diagnosis of ureterocele do not seem to have any issues after birth.
Subcutaneous emphysema following dental care of a patient with ventriculoperitoneal shunt: Case report.

Introduction Pediatric dental treatment utilizing an air-driven handpiece and triplex syringe in the operating room has been common practice for many decades. Adverse effects with compressed air are rarely reported in the dental community but can cause serious complications for pediatric patients in the unlikely event they occur. Case report We present a case of subcutaneous emphysema of a 4-year-old presenting for dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia, which was further complicated by the presence of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt and the patient's neuroatypical status. The subcutaneous emphysema was apparent at case completion with right unilateral swelling in the cervicofacial area extending from the infratemporal space to the periorbital buccal region. The most probable etiology was compressed air from a high-speed handpiece dissecting through infected tissue during a crown preparation. Subcutaneous emphysema was managed by diagnostic radiographs, antibiotics coverage, and hospital observation due to patient's multiple health factors. Conclusion Subcutaneous emphysema appears to be a rare event in pediatric dental care; however, there is increased risk for complications in the unintentional occurrence. Subcutaneous emphysema is an important differential for facial swellings. Medically complex patients, such as this case, should involve a multidisciplinary team approach due to the proximity of the VP shunt.
Spatial transcriptomics reveals unique molecular fingerprints of human nociceptors

Abstract Single-cell transcriptomics on mouse nociceptors has transformed our understanding of pain mechanisms. Equivalent information from human nociceptors is lacking. We used spatial transcriptomics to molecularly characterize transcriptomes of single dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from 8 organ donors. We identified 10 clusters of human sensory neurons, 6 of which are C nociceptors, 1 Aβ nociceptor, 1 Aδ, and 2 Aβ subtypes. These neuron subtypes have distinct expression profiles from rodents and non-human primates and we identify new markers for each of these subtypes that can be applied broadly in human studies. We also identify sex differences, including a marked increase in CALCA expression in female putative itch nociceptors. Our data open the door to new pain targets and unparalleled molecular characterization of clinical sensory disorders. One Sentence Summary Three A-fiber mechanoreceptor and seven nociceptor subtypes are identified, revealing sex differences and unique aspects of human DRG neurons.
Use of Clustering to Investigate Changes in Intracranial Pressure Waveform Morphology in Patients with Ventriculitis.

Objective: This study aimed to examine whether changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) waveform morphologies can be used as a biomarker for early detection of ventriculitis.
Assessing the Impact of Military Service on Patient Health Literacy in an Otolaryngology Clinic.

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of military service on health literacy. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The validated Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) with military supplement was administered to sequential adult patients (military and civilian) treated at two outpatient academic military otolaryngology clinics between November and December 2019. Inadequate health literacy, defined by a BHLS score ≤9, was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures included comparisons of inadequate BHLS scores with patient demographics and history of military service. RESULTS Three hundred and eighty-two patients were evaluated during the study period. The median age was 48-57 years, with a majority being male (230, 60.2%), White (264, 69.1%), married (268, 70.2%), and active duty military (303, 79.3%). A minority reported history of PTSD (39, 13%) or traumatic brain injury (29, 9.6%). Overall, very few subjects (10, 2.6%) demonstrated inadequate health literacy. Patients with prior (1.6% vs 6.3%, P < .05) or current (0% vs 5.0%, P < .05) military service had lower rates of inadequate health literary as compared to civilians. Gender, race, marital status, history of PTSD, and history of traumatic brain injury did not significantly impact health literacy. In a multivariate regression model exploring history of military service, age was not predictive of inadequate health literacy. CONCLUSIONS Both history of and current military service predict higher health literacy rates for patients treated at military otolaryngology clinics. Widely accessible health care and mandatory health evaluations for service members to maintain deployment readiness may contribute to this finding but warrant additional study.
Eugenics and compulsory sterilization laws: providing redress for victims of a shameful era in United States history.

This Note argues that the application of involuntary sterilization laws violated the privacy rights under the Fourteenth Amendment of over 60000 Americans. A combination of the Courts reluctance to speak to sterilization laws in recent years procedural obstacles within the legal system and practical concerns have allowed the victims to go unrecognized and uncompensated. Consequently Congress should apologize to the sterilization victims and provide incentives for the states to identify and compensate them and the states with sterilization laws still on the books should repeal them. This Note consists of five parts. Part I discusses the historical background of the American eugenics movement the rationale behind the Buck decision and its implications vis-a-vis state sterilization statutes. Part II explains the paradox that has gripped this area of law since the 1940s. Although many states repealed their sterilization laws and several courts criticized Buck the Supreme Court has not overruled Buck and the lower courts refuse to declare the practice of involuntary sterilization unconstitutional. Part III outlines why those whom the states sterilized under eugenics-based laws suffered constitutional violations. Part IV outlines the victims efforts at obtaining judicial and legislative redress. Part V argues that Congress and the states should act legislatively to recognize and compensate the victims because of the legal systems inability to address their grievances. (excerpt)
Beyond Homemade Artificial Data Sets

One of the most important challenges in supervised learning is how to evaluate the quality of the models evolved by different machine learning techniques. Up to now, we have relied on measures obtained by running the methods on a wide test bed composed of real-world problems. Nevertheless, the unknown inherent characteristics of these problems and the bias of learners may lead to inconclusive results. This paper discusses the need to work under a controlled scenario and bets on artificial data set generation. A list of ingredients and some ideas about how to guide such generation are provided, and promising results of an evolutionary multi-objective approach which incorporates the use of data complexity estimates are presented.
Of Otters and Humans: An Approach to the Politics of Nature in Terms of Rhetoric

Local protest against the establishment of conservation zones is a worldwide phenomenon. Environmental protests focus not only on pollution and protection, but tend with almost magnetic force to centre around more abstract concepts such as identity, power, and development issues. Using as a case study a nature park in the South of Portugal, I trace the complex process of nature conservation as a rhetorical construction, as I focus on the relation between people and animals. This nature park was legitimised not at least by reference to an endangered species of otters, which also play an important role in the ongoing controversial debate about tourism, construction and in­dustrialised international agriculture. The article highlights encounters be­tween people and these otters from different perspectives: their representation in the media, in nature conservation discourse, and in local discourse and practises. Significantly, the otter becomes a powerful metaphor in both con­servationist and (opposing) local discourses. The discussion suggests that, given the complexity and multitude of issues involved in such cases, the im­plementation of nature conservation strategies is changing the relation not only between man and nature, but between people themselves. While the con­troversy surrounding this particular nature park found a resolution (at least a temporary one), surrounding issues of development, identity and power rela­tions remain unresolved.
Radiative Transfer Models of Far-IR from W3 IRS 4 and IRS 5

Spherically symmetric, centrally heated radiative transfer cloud models were created to match KAO observations at 47 and 95μm of dust continuum emission from the cores of W3 1RS 4 and 1RS 5. After removal of an extended emission component from the source profiles, it was possible to fit the sources at both wavelengths. Depending on the dust grain properties assumed for the clouds, the models have either a uniform density or a power law radial density function with an exponent of 1. The models have inner dust-free cavities with radii of 0.06–0.08 pc, although these radii are not well determined. The clouds outer radii are 0.3–0.5 pc. Models for 1RS 5 have central stellar luminosities of 2.5 – 3.5 × 105L⊙ depending on the dust type and cavity size, and models for 1RS 4 have 9.3 × 104L⊙ for both dust types considered.
Neuropeptide Y in Cortex and Striatum.

NPY-neurons in the striatum and cortex have many morphological and chemical features in common. They are intrinsic, medium sized, aspiny and exhibit ultrastructural characteristics typical of neurons undergoing active synthesis and release of peptides. Most of the NPY-neurons in the two regions coexist with somatostatin, exhibit high levels of NADPH-diaphorase and are resistant to degeneration associated with Huntington's disease. Ultrastructural analysis suggests that the ensheathment by glia and sparsity of asymmetric (putatively excitatory) inputs may render NPY neurons resistant to excitotoxicity. Although NPY-neurons receive few inputs, they make numerous contacts with dendrites within a small region of the neuropil. Among their targets are GABAergic neurons. These NPY-receptive GABA neurons differ from other GABAergic neurons in the vicinity in that they receive few other inputs along their somata and proximal dendrites. This suggests that NPY may exert more influence on a specific class of GABAergic neurons. Many more of the NPY-terminals are found at sites that would be strategic for the simultaneous modulation of the release of transmitters and postsynaptic responses. The differences among NPY-neurons in the striatum versus cerebral cortex are mainly chemical. Most notably, the NPY-neurons are GABAergic in the cortex and not GABAergic in the striatum. In addition, some of the NPY-axons in the ventral portions of striatum and cerebral cortex may be catecholaminergic, and thus originate in brainstem areas recognized to contain NPY and epinephrine or norepinephrine. NPY- and catecholaminergic fibers converge onto same dendrites. Thus, the two transmitters may interact through intercellular biochemical pathways postsynaptically. Finally, the sites where the two fibers directly contact each other may be where NPY stimulates the turnover of dopamine.
Educating School Psychologists for the Real World.

A tension often exists between what university trainers teach and what practitioners do in work settings. Two issues are salient: One is to educate school psychologists to provide state-of-the-art ...
Treatment patterns and annual biologic costs in US veterans with rheumatic conditions or psoriasis.

AbstractObjective:To determine annual biologic drug and administration costs to the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) per treated patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), or ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who received abatacept, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, golimumab, infliximab, rituximab, tocilizumab, or ustekinumab.Methods:Adults with at least one biologic claim between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011 were included. Evidence of enrollment in the VHA was required from 365 days before (pre-index) to 360 days after (post-index) the date of the first biologic claim (index date). Included patients had pre-index diagnoses of RA, PsO, PsA, and/or AS. Drug costs were from Federal Supply Schedule or ‘Big Four’ in November 2014. Administration costs were VHA fixed costs for infused ($169) and subcutaneous ($25) biologics.Results:Of the 20,465 patients in the analysis, 10,711 received etanercept, 7838 received adalimumab, and 1196 received inflixi...
Potassium-induced secretion of melanocytestimulating hormone from isolated pars intermedia cells signals participation of voltage-dependent calcium channels in stimulus-secretion coupling

Abstract The recent discovery of action potentials with a Ca component in pars intermedia cells raised the question whether voltage-dependent Ca 2+ influx participates in stimulus-secretion coupling in these cells. To test this, a study was made of the effects of a depolarizing concentration of K + on melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) output from isolated pars intermedia cells of rats and mice obtained by tissue disaggregation and maintained in culture for periods ranging from 2 h to 10 days. The cells were placed in a column which was perfused thereby permitting continuous monitoring of MSH output. The cells secreted MSH promptly upon exposure to 50 m M K + and this effect was abolished when Ca 2+ was omitted or when Co 2+ was added to block Ca channels. It is concluded that activation of voltage-dependent Ca channels in pars intermedia cells allows influx of Ca ions that provides an adequate stimulus for MSH secretion. Furthermore, inhibitory effects of Ca 2+ lack and of Co 2+ addition on basal MSH output suggest the operation of such a Ca-dependent mechanism during spontaneous secretory activity. Secretory responses to high [K + ], although intense, were brief and waned rapidly during continuous exposure to K + . Experiments showing that Ca 2+ fails to elicit secretion when introduced with a delay of several minutes after exposure to high [K + ] indicate that the transience of the response is due to inactivation of voltage-dependent Ca channels. The brevity of the response of the isolated pars intermedia cells to high [K + ] may explain, at least in part, why stimulant effects of excess K + have not been seen previously, or in the present experiments in intact neurointermediate lobes of rats. When the much smaller, and seemingly more favorable, neurointermediate lobes of mice were used, K + elicited a Ca-dependent secretion of MSH comparable with that seen in the isolated cells. The demonstration that pars intermedia cells respond directly to a depolarizing stimulus by secreting MSH encourages the view that electrical activity in these cells is involved in the regulation of secretion.
Problems with current methods of data analysis and reporting, and suggestions for moving beyond incorrect ritual

INTRODUCTIONThis paper outlines why hypothesis testing statistics that have been the predominant analytic technique for the past 50 years should be abandoned, and replaced with graphs that provide detailed accounts of the data and estimates of effect that account for potential biases in the data. I
Cerebral blood flow requirement for brain viability in newborn infants is lower than in adults.

Measurements of regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) with positron emission tomography in adult humans with cerebrovascular disease have demonstrated consistently that values below 10 ml/(100 gm · min) occur only in infarcted brain. Although experimental data suggest that the newborn brain may be more resistant to ischemic injury than the adult brain, the minimum CBF necessary to sustain neuronal viability in newborn infants is unknown. We have measured CBF with positron emission tomography in 16 preterm and 14 term newborn infants and have determined the relationship between CBF and subsequent brain function as assessed by neurological examination and developmental assessment. The range of mean CBF in the preterm infants was 4.9 to 23 ml/(100 gm · min) and the range of mean CBF in the term infants was 9.0 to 73 ml/(100 gm · min). Five preterm infants and one term infant with mean CBF less than 10 ml/(100 gm · min) survived. Three of these 5 preterm infants, with mean CBF of 4.9, 5.2, and 9.3 ml/ (100 gm · min, respectively, have normal neurological examinations and Bayley Scales of 80 or greater at 6, 6, and 24 months of age, respectively. One (mean CBF 6.9) has normal cognitive development (Bayley 103) and a mild spastic diplegia at age 19 months, and one infant (mean CBF 6.2) has a left hemiparesis and a Binet IQ score of 70 at age 33 months. The term infant, with a mean CBF of 9.0 ml/(100 gm · min), was developing normally when he died of Septembersis at age 5 months. These data indicate that mean CBF as low as 5 ml/(100 gm · min) in newborn infants can be associated with normal subsequent neurological development and therefore with preservation of a substantial number of cortical/ neurons. Since the minimal CBF below this value necessary to maintain neuronal viability in newborn infants remains to be determined, measurements of CBF in the newborn period should not be used in determination of brain death.
Thermal imaging study comparing phacoemulsification with the Sovereign with WhiteStar system to the Legacy with AdvanTec and NeoSoniX system.

Purpose To assess intraoperative thermal levels at the wound site during divide-and-conquer phacoemulsification with the Sovereign with WhiteStar (SWS) system or the Legacy with AdvanTec and NeoSoniX (LAD) system. Design Prospective, randomized, parallel-group, comparative study. Methods Twenty-six subjects from a private clinical practice underwent divide-and-conquer phacoemulsification with either the SWS system or the LAD system. CB/CF settings (60%/33% duty cycles) were utilized with SWS and 12 pulses per second with the LAD system. Key criteria assessed were peak wound-site temperature, mean temperature change at the wound site, effective phaco time, average phaco power, procedure time, amount of BSS used, and surgical complications. Results Mean temperature change at the wound site was greater for the LAD than the SWS group. There was a statistically significant difference ( P = .0002) in mean peak wound temperatures, with the LAD group having higher mean peak temperatures (42.47 ± 5.33°C) than the SWS group (36.59 ± 1.33°C). Highest wound-site temperature was 51°C for the LAD group and 39.3°C for the SWS group. A statistically significant difference ( P = .0031) in mean peak temperature was found between the LAD and SWS systems for subjects with a cataract density of 4: higher mean peak temperatures were observed for LAD patients with a cataract density of 4. Conclusions Our findings show that phacoemulsification using the SWS system results in lower peak temperatures and less temperature change at the phaco wound site compared with the LAD system.
An empirical examination of the sustainability of social bookmarking websites

Given the continuous growth of social bookmarking sites, we investigated the reasons behind their sustainability as online social structures. Bookmarking sites offer users the option to post and tag web resources privately or to make them publicly available to other users of the sites. A prevalence of private tagging would threaten the sustainability of the social aspects at these sites. Using activity data from a sample of 1,000 users of Simpy, a popular social bookmarking site, we found that the majority of users contribute most of their tagged resources to the public repository, despite the option to keep them private. We also found that in social bookmarking sites there is a minority of extremely prolific contributors who are responsible for a large portion of public tagged resources. Finally, we found that new users make larger proportions of their contributions public than existing users and that there is a larger number of regular contributors to the site than irregular ones. All of these findings are consistent with the mechanisms predicted by a theoretical model of sustainable online social structures.