cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Survey of the Incidence of Serological Variants of Salmonella Pullorum in Michigan

Abstract INTRODUCTION WHEN discussing pullorum disease eradication with hatcherymen, the diagnostician is often asked why repeated blood-testing of breeder flocks has failed to bring about reduction or elimination of the disease in chicks. Sometimes one can find management practices which are at fault. In other cases, however, one is at a loss to explain this failure to his own satisfaction; much less to the satisfaction of the hatcheryman. The reports of various Canadian workers concerning the presence of so-called “variant” strains of Salmonella pullorum have offered another possible explanation. It was felt that a survey to determine the incidence of “variant” strains of S. pullorum among cultures isolated from fowl presented for diagnosis at the Poultry Clinic of Michigan State College might aid in the evaluation of the importance of this aspect of the Michigan pullorum disease control plan. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Younie (1941) states that in 1939, a few outbreaks . . .
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): A review of graded severity algorithms and national adaptations

Babor, T., & Robaina, K. (2016). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): A review of graded severity algorithms and national adaptations. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 5 (2), 17-24. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v5i2.222 Aims: Since it was first released in 1989, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) has generated a large amount of research to evaluate its psychometric properties. The purpose of this review is to critically evaluate the literature relevant to applications of the AUDIT in screening, brief intervention, and treatment referral programs, and identify national adaptations of the AUDIT to country-specific health, education, and reimbursement needs. Methods: Methods comprised a search of the world literature published since 2004, combined with review articles published since 1997. Findings: We identified 431 studies of the AUDIT, including 386 articles, 26 review papers, and 11 book chapters since 2004, with a six-fold increase in the last decade. The factor structure of the AUDIT items remains unclear, but the weight of evidence supports a two-factor model. Despite the translation of the AUDIT into numerous languages, the alcohol consumption questions were rarely adapted to suit cultural or national conditions. Although numerous studies have supported the recommended cutoff thresholds for a possible alcohol use disorder, only three studies evaluated the classification accuracy of the AUDIT’s graded severity system. Conclusions: Further development of the AUDIT score’s severity zones is needed to guide intervention selection in clinical settings.
Case study sensitivity analysis of transmission spectra for water contaminant monitoring

Monitoring of contaminants associated with specific water resources using transmission spectra, with respect to types and relative concentrations, requires tracking statistical profiles of water contaminants in terms of spatial-temporal distributions of electromagnetic absorption spectra ranging from the ultraviolet to infrared. For this purpose, correlation between spectral signatures and types of contaminants within specific water resources must be made, as well as correlation of spectral signatures with results of processes for removal of contaminants, such as ozonation. Correlation between absorption spectra and changes in chemical and physical characteristics of contaminants, within a volume of sampled solution, requires sufficient sensitivity. The present study examines the sensitivity of transmission spectra with respect to general characteristics of water contaminants for spectral analysis of water samples.
Research and Implement of the Subsystem of Interconnection Joint's Feature Library to Airplane's Landing Gear

In the design of landing gear's joint on traditions, devisers usually did the same work repeatedly, that affects the design efficiency. The purpose is to explain how to use User Defined Features (UDF) and a secondary development method to establish a character library, which can help devisers design the interconnection joint not only quickly but also largely. Also it is more effective to modify the design afterward if possible.
Boar sperm plasma membrane Ca(2+)-selective channels in planar lipid bilayers

Entry of Ca2+ through Ca2+ channels is thought to trigger the acrosome reaction of spermatozoa during fertilization. Antagonists of the L-type Ca2+ channel are known to prevent the intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+) increase and inhibit acrosomal exocytosis in mammalian sperm. Planar bilayer recordings were used to study Ca2- channels incorporated from partially purified boar sperm plasma membranes. With symmetrical 50 mM NaCl and 100 mM BaCl2 on the cis side, single-channel events consistent with Ba2+ flux from cis to trans were observed. These channels were activated by the dihydropyridine agonist (+/-)BAY K 8644 and blocked by the antagonist nitrendipine. Sperm Ca2- channels did not require depolarization for activation and did not inactivate. The (+/-)BAY K 8644 and (S-)BAY K 8644 enantiomers increased apparent open time in a dose-dependent [half-maximal activity constant (K0.5) = 0.9 and 0.3 microM, respectively] manner. Dihydropyridine antagonists nitrendipine (K0.5 = 0.5 microM) and (R+)BAY K 8644 (K0.5 = 2.8 microM) decreased apparent open times. The channels described in this report share some properties with brain, cardiac, and skeletal muscle t tubule Ca2+ channels and may be involved in increasing Cai2+ before the acrosome reaction.
Pediatric Soft-Tissue Sarcomas

Pediatric soft-tissue sarcomas represent a relatively common problem in pediatric oncology. The evaluation of these lesions has contributed significantly to the understanding of the molecular basis of sarcomas, and the adjuvant treatment of these tumors has resulted in improved local control and significant improvements in long-term survival. The essence of successful treatment involves preoperative imaging, followed by needle biopsy, preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and well-documented surgical resection. Indications for radiation therapy and the adequacy of surgical margins remain areas of further investigation. The identification and treatment of well-defined histologic and molecular subtypes will allow further improvements in treatment decisions and clinical results.
Dealing with propositions, not with the characters: the ability of three-taxon statement analysis to recognise groups based solely on ‘reversals’, under the maximum-likelihood criteria

Three-taxon statement matrices can be analysed using the maximum-likelihood method. In the present paper, it is demonstrated that groups based solely on putative reversals are always recognisable after maximum-likelihood analysis of three-taxon statement matrices, even without a priori recoding of the putative reversals as new character states or fractional weighting of three-taxon statements. Parametric implementations of three-taxon statement analysis still require more investigation. However, it must be highlighted that a focus on the set of hypotheses, rather than on the ‘actual data’, is required.
On-chip near-infrared spectroscopy of CO2 using high resolution plasmonic filter array

We report an ultra-compact, cost-effective on-chip near-infrared spectroscopy system for CO2 sensing using narrow-band optical filter array based on plasmonic gratings with a waveguide layer. By varying the periodicity of the gratings, the transmission spectra of the filters can be continuously tuned to cover the 2.0 μm sensing window with high spectral resolution around 10 nm. Our experimental results show that the on-chip spectroscopy system can resolve the two symmetric vibrational bands of CO2 at 2.0 μm wavelength, which proves its potential to replace the expensive commercial IR spectroscopy system for on-site gas sensing.
A global map of genetic diversity in Babesia microti reveals strong population structure and identifies variants associated with clinical relapse

Human babesiosis caused by Babesia microti is an emerging tick-borne zoonosis of increasing importance due to its rising incidence and expanding geographic range(1). Infection with this organism, an intraerythrocytic parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, causes a febrile syndrome similar to malaria(2). Relapsing disease is common among immunocompromised and asplenic individuals(3,4) and drug resistance has recently been reported(5). To investigate the origin and genetic diversity of this parasite, we sequenced the complete genomes of 42 B. microti samples from around the world, including deep coverage of clinical infections at endemic sites in the continental USA. Samples from the continental USA segregate into a Northeast lineage and a Midwest lineage, with subsequent divergence of subpopulations along geographic lines. We identify parasite variants that associate with relapsing disease, including amino acid substitutions in the atovaquone-binding regions of cytochrome b (cytb) and the azithromycin-binding region of ribosomal protein subunit L4 (rpl4). Our results shed light on the origin, diversity and evolution of B. microti, suggest possible mechanisms for clinical relapse, and create the foundation for further research on this emerging pathogen.
Intercultural Communication Revisited: Conceptualization, Paradigm Building, and Methodological Approaches

Beginning with a review of the intellectual antecedents of intercultural communication, this essay goes on to document its successes, failings, and uncertainties. It then turns to the development of a “third culture” model in which cultural domination and subjugation are rejected but opportunities for mutual development are provided. Central to the model is the realization that it is the human capacity to synthesize that will provide success and not the simple export and import of technology.
It Isn’t Fair

Most public services are required to meet a weekly demand that varies over time in an uneven manner, often over all seven days of the week and 24 hours a day. In this chapter I discuss a mathematical framework for manpower scheduling in the context of an actual labor dispute between the sanitation workers ’ union and the City of New York using the mathematics of integer programming .
Ely’s “General Welfare” Theory of Property: Theoretical Problems

Ely proposes a foundation for the concept of property that he terms “the general welfare theory.”1 He claims that “[p]roperty exists because it promotes the general welfare and by the general welfare its development is directed.”2 Ely hopes that his theory of property will replace the view that men have a natural right to property. This chapter examines Ely’s “general welfare” theory of property from a theoretical perspective. (The next chapter examines the effects of his theory of property on American political institutions.) Ely’s writings display an obvious, strong, and repeated opposition to fixed notions of property based on the older, natural rights understanding.3 Ely makes it plain that he wants a much more flexible view of property that allows for adjustments to property distribution by the government in the service of the greater good. That greater good is the greatest possible development of each person. And so it is Ely’s progressive individualism that drives his view of property.
Effects of alkylphenols on the biotransformation of diuron and enzymes involved in the synthesis and clearance of sex steroids in juvenile male tilapia (Oreochromus mossambica)

Previous studies using in vivo bioassay guided fractionation indicated that the herbicide diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea) and alkylphenol (AP)-containing surfactants were detected in fractions of extracts that induced the estrogenic biomarker, vitellogenin in fish exposed to surface water extracts from the United States. However, when the compounds were evaluated individually using in vivo estrogenic assays or in vitro estrogen receptor assays, estrogenic activity was not observed. Since APs have been shown to alter activity and content of cytochrome P450s (CYP) which convert diuron to potential estrogenic metabolites, the hepatic biotransformation of diuron was measured with and without a 7day pretreatment of p-Octylphenol (OP) and p-Nonylphenol (NP) at low (OP 13ng/L+NP 91ng/L), and high concentrations (OP 65ng/L+NP 455ng/L) in juvenile male Nile tilapia (Oreochromus niloticus). Pre-treatment with the OP/NP (AP) mixture caused elevated levels of NADPH-catalyzed formation of 3,4-dichlorophenyl-N-methylurea (DCPMU) but not 3,4-dichlorophenylurea (DCPU). Fish were also treated with nominal concentrations of low (40ng/L) and high (200ng/L) diuron and each of its three degradates/metabolites: DCPMU, DCPU and 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA). Additional treatments were conducted with APs and Diuron as a mixture at the low concentrations which mimicked concentrations observed in surface waters. Hepatic vitellogenin (Vtg) mRNA was induced by exposure to the high concentrations of Diuron, as well as DCPMU and DCPU in both concentrations. Brain cytochrome P450 aromatase activity was generally diminished by diuron, its metabolites, and the AP/diuron mixtures. 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17βHSD) levels were also reduced by DCPMU and DCA in the lower concentrations, but not by higher concentrations. While the AP mixture reduced 17βHSD, the AP/diuron mixture induced testosterone (T) biosynthesis at the single concentration tested. Although CYP3A expression was induced by all diuron metabolites, it was unchanged by the AP mixture. These data indicate that mixtures of AP and diuron enhanced the formation of the metabolite (DCPMU) which induced vitellogenin, and reduced T biosynthetic enzymes (17βHSD inhibition). Overall, these data showed that APs may have induced the biotransformation of diuron to at least one metabolite, that may disrupt androgen biosynthesis and potentially alter steroid feedback pathways in the central nervous system.
Self-Motivation: Motivating the Whole Person

Motivation is what energizes, directs, and sustains behavior and includes will, instincts and drives. Holistic leaders pay close attention to motivation in themselves and others. They understand that we all have unused potentialities and that it is certainly possible for most of us to be greater than we are in actuality. Holistic leaders take it as their major goal the discovery and actualization of hidden potential in themselves and others.
Half-metallic ferromagnetism in Sr 3 Ru 2 O 7

The bilayered member of the Ruddesden-Popper family of ruthenates, ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$, has received increasing attention due to its interesting properties and phases. By using first principle calculations we find that the ground state is characterized by a ferromagnetic (FM) half-metallic state. This state strongly competes with an antiferromagnetic metallic phase, which indicates the possible presence of a particular state characterized by the existence of different magnetic domains. To drive the system towards a phase transition we studied the electronic and magnetic properties as a function of ${\mathrm{RuO}}_{6}$ octahedra rotations and found that the magnetic phase does not couple with the rotation angle. Our results provide accurate electronic, structure, and magnetic ground-state properties of ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ and stimulate the investigation of other types of octahedra rotations and distortions in the search of phase transitions.
How useful are symptoms in the diagnosis of Candida vaginitis

Two hundred four female subjects symptomatic and asymptomatic for genitourinary disease were evaluated for Candida vaginitis. All were questioned regarding the presence or absence of a variety of symptoms related to the genitourinary system, including vaginal discharge, its color, if present, pruritus, dysuria, and the like. Additionally, all subjects were cultured for Candida by use of Sabouraud agar. Thirty-six subjects demonstrated cultures positive for Candida. Of 36 totally asymptomatic subjects, 4 had positive cultures, yielding a prevalence (18 percent) and asymptomatic positive rate (11 percent) consistent with those reported in the literature. All genitourinary symptoms individually and in combinations proved to be very poor predictors of the presence of Candida on culture. The study concludes that the diagnosis of Candida vaginitis cannot be made based on symptoms alone. A suggestion describing the office workup of Candida vaginitis is presented.
Alcohol and Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use to Cope With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: An Analysis of Hurricane Sandy Survivors.

ABSTRACTBackground: Postdisaster increases in substance use have been attributed to use of substances to cope with emotional reactions. However, no study to our knowledge has explored disaster survivors' substance use to cope with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Objective: We investigated the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use and nonmedical prescription drug use (NMPDU) to cope with PTSD symptoms in two population-based samples of adult residents of New York City neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Sandy. Method: Participants completed structured interviews at either 13–16 or 25–28 months postdisaster (combined N = 914). Participants with PTSD symptoms, assessed via the Posttraumatic Stress Checklist for DSM-5, indicated whether they coped with their symptoms through alcohol use or NMPDU, via items adapted from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Logistic regression models explored correlates of substance use coping, including demographic characterist...
Management of Incidental Pancreatic Cysts: A White Paper of the ACR Incidental Findings Committee.

Abstract The ACR Incidental Findings Committee (IFC) presents recommendations for managing pancreatic cysts that are incidentally detected on CT or MRI. These recommendations represent an update from the pancreatic component of the JACR 2010 white paper on managing incidental findings in the adrenal glands, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. The Pancreas Subcommittee—which included abdominal radiologists, a gastroenterologist, and a pancreatic surgeon—developed this algorithm. The recommendations draw from published evidence and expert opinion, and were finalized by informal iterative consensus. Algorithm branches successively categorize pancreatic cysts based on patient characteristics and imaging features. They terminate with an ascertainment of benignity and/or indolence (sufficient to discontinue follow-up), or a management recommendation. The algorithm addresses most, but not all, pathologies and clinical scenarios. Our goal is to improve quality of care by providing guidance on how to manage incidentally detected pancreatic cysts.
Cytokines, Transcription Factors, and the Initiation of T-Cell Development

Multipotent blood progenitor cells migrate into the thymus and initiate the T-cell differentiation program. T-cell progenitor cells gradually acquire T-cell characteristics while shedding their multipotentiality for alternative fates. This process is supported by extracellular signaling molecules, including Notch ligands and cytokines, provided by the thymic microenvironment. T-cell development is associated with dynamic change of gene regulatory networks of transcription factors, which interact with these environmental signals. Together with Notch or pre-T-cell-receptor (TCR) signaling, cytokines always control proliferation, survival, and differentiation of early T cells, but little is known regarding their cross talk with transcription factors. However, recent results suggest ways that cytokines expressed in distinct intrathymic niches can specifically modulate key transcription factors. This review discusses how stage-specific roles of cytokines and transcription factors can jointly guide development of early T cells.
Association of obesity with hypertension

verweight is a body mass index between 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2 (1). Obesity is a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher (1). Obesity and obesity are risk factors for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus (2). The Framingham Study demonstrated that obesity was about twice as prevalent in obese men and in obese women as in men and in women with a normal Metropolitan relative weight (3). The Framingham Study also demonstrated that both men and women had an increase in blood pressure with increased overweight (4). Persons in the highest body mass index quartile had a 16 mmHg higher systolic blood pressure and a 9 mmHg higher diastolic blood pressure than persons in the lowest body mass index quartile (4). In this study, the systolic blood pressure increased 4 mmHg for each 4.5 kg of increased weight (4). Insurance industry data have also shown a positive relationship between overweight or obesity with hypertension (5).
National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System: Two Decades of Advancing Public Health Through Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose a serious and growing public health threat globally. In this review, we describe the role of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) in providing data that help address the resistance problem and show how such a program can have broad positive impacts on public health. NARMS was formed two decades ago to help assess the consequences to human health arising from the use of antimicrobial drugs in food animal production in the United States. A collaboration among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, and state and local health departments, NARMS uses an integrated “One Health” approach to monitor antimicrobial resistance in enteric bacteria from humans, retail meat, and food animals. NARMS has adapted to changing needs and threats by expanding surveillance catchment areas, examining new isolate sources, adding bacteria, adjusting sampling sche...
Further from the People? The Puzzle of State Administration

Civil society today vitally supplements the traditional legislative and judicial checks on the powerful federal executive branch. As many commentators have observed, individuals, interest groups, and media outlets actively monitor, expose, and impede federal executive misdeeds. But much of government administration now occurs in the states. State executive branches have burgeoned in size and responsibility in recent decades, and state and national leaders call for devolving even more power to the states -- often on the premise that state administration will be more engaged with or responsive to the needs of state citizens. Commentators, however, have devoted little attention to whether and how civil society constraints administration in the states. This Article identifies and theorizes the role of civil society oversight at the state level. It finds that state agencies frequently lack the civil society check that commentators celebrate at the federal level. State agencies are, on the whole, less transparent than their federal counterparts, less closely followed by watchdog groups, and less tracked by the shrinking state-level media. Thus, despite the common refrain that state government is "closer to the people," the realities of state administration suggest the opposite is often true. This insight complicates certain tenets of federalism theory -- those that assume a close connection between state governments and their citizens -- while strengthening theories concerned about state-level faction. As a practical matter, civil society oversight is one factor that can help explain serious regulatory failures in the states -- and more optimistically, success stories. Finally, attending to civil society oversight can highlight reforms available to those who seek a state government that is more visible to and constrained by its people.
Jihadist waves: Syria, the Islamic State, and the changing nature of foreign fighters:

This article offers the first systematic analysis of cross-generational and cross-organizational aspects of jihadist foreign fighter (JFF) mobilization. How are individuals fighting in Syria different from foreign fighters who fought in the previous jihadist wars? What factors distinguish the Islamic State (IS) fighters from individuals joining other jihadist groups in Syria? The article builds an original sample of 477 JFFs from Turkey spanning three decades and employs the Random Forest technique, a method with several distinct advantages over regression analysis in the study of small N conflict data. The results have substantial and practical implications and show that fighters in Syria and IS fighters have different demographic characteristics and life experiences than fighters in pre-Syria wars and non-IS fighters in Syria, respectively. They inform more empirically grounded theory building about the recruitment motives and methods of JFFs.
Disproving Claims for Small-Bodied Humans in the Palauan Archipelago

Recent excavation at Ucheliungs Cave in Palau has provided new evidence in the debate concerning the colonisation of the Palauan archipelago. An abundance of faunal material and the presence of transported artefacts contradict a previous interpretation that the site represents an early burial cave containing purported small-bodied humans. New radiocarbon dates suggest long-term use of the cave for both mortuary activity and small-scale marine foraging that may slightly precede the accepted date for the earliest human occupation of Palau. The results of this research here discount earlier claims for insular dwarfism among the earliest inhabitants of these islands.
Structure-Function Relationships for Recombinant Erythropoietins: A Case Study From a Proposed Manufacturing Change With Implications for Erythropoietin Biosimilar Study Designs

Comparability studies used to assess a proposed manufacturing change for a biological product include sensitive analytical studies to confirm there are no significant differences in structural or functional attributes that may contribute to clinically meaningful changes in efficacy or safety. When a proposed change is relatively complex or when clinically relevant differences between the product before and after the change cannot be ruled out based on analytical studies, nonclinical and clinical bridging studies are generally required to confirm overall comparability. In this study, we report findings from a comparability assessment of epoetin alfa before and after a proposed manufacturing process change. Although differences in glycosylation attributes were observed, these were initially believed to be irrelevant to the product's pharmacology. This assumption was initially supported via nonclinical and clinical pharmacology studies, but a clinically meaningful difference in potency was ultimately observed in a phase 3 clinical study conducted in a sensitive patient population using a sensitive study design. These results indicate that the nonclinical assessments of structure-function relationships were insufficiently sensitive to identify clinically relevant differences resulting from differences in the glycosylation profile. This case study highlights important findings that may be relevant in the development of biosimilar epoetin alfa products.
The Effects of Passivation Layers on the Response of Photoconductive Switches for Ultra-Wideband High-Power Microwave Applications

High resistivity semiconductor materials have been used as a closing switch in a configuration for generating ultra-wideband high-power microwave radiation (Fig. 1).1 Compared to a conventional switch such as a spark-gap, the semiconductor switch has low jitter and a faster risetime and is comparatively compact in size. It also has low inductance and in the non-linear mode of operation it requires lower laser energy for switching.2 Because of its superior electrical characteristics GaAs is preferred over Si in applications where fast, repetitive switching action is required. In most cases, the material of choice is the semi-insulating GaAs with resistivity exceeding 107 Ω-cm, usually grown through the compensation process.3 The compensated materials have been known to have characteristics similar to doped semiconductors where the drift-diffusion process is the dominant mode of carrier transport.4,5 The response of the device, however, is also affected by the compensation technique.6
Decreased in vivo protein and phospholipid methylation after in vivo elevation of brain S-adenosyl-homocysteine

The administration of adenosine together with homocysteine resulted in a dose-related elevation of cerebral S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine without concomitant perturbation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine levels. The adenosine + homocysteine treatment also decreased the incorporation of labile and stable methyl groups into brain proteins. Brain [3H]-phosphatidyl N,N-dimethylethanolamine and [3H]-phosphatidylcholine were also significantly decreased while [3H]-phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine remained unchanged. The data indicate that elevated brain S-adenosylhomocysteine can markedly and selectively inhibit the in vivo methylation of brain proteins and phospholipids.
Physician Wellness and Remediation

Medicine is an exceptionally demanding as well as rewarding profession. Physicians must maintain the ability to work hard, at optimal levels of excellence, under high levels of demand and accelerating change in the healthcare environment. This requires stamina and adaptability. Work-related distress is common in trainees and physicians and is associated with significant suffering, incompetence, lapses in professionalism, and attrition from the profession. At the worst end of the spectrum for the individual, this distress may result in depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and a sense of low personal accomplishment. These symptoms characterize a syndrome now called burnout. Physicians are also at high risk for other stress-related issues such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidality. Certain individual (e.g., resilience, relational competence, active health maintenance) and workplace (e.g.: safety orientation, mutual support, and flexibility) characteristics protect against burnout. In this chapter, Dr. Williams draws from her extensive experience first as an Associate Internal Medicine Residency Program Director and then as a psychiatrist who developed and ran a physician wellness program for a large healthcare system. She describes the common causes and consequences of stress, distress, and burnout in medical trainees and practicing physicians. She discusses strategies for identification, prevention, and treatment of physician distress and suggests a four-pronged approach toward physician wellness, which includes both programmatic and individual strategies.
Posttransplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorder

Lymphoproliferative disorders are known complications of congenital and acquired immunodeficiency and/or iatrogenic-induced immunosuppression. A lymphoplasmacytic proliferation or lymphoma developing as a consequence of continuous iatrogenic immunosuppression following solid organ transplantation and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is called posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders are a morphologically and clinically heterogenous group of disorders, many of which are associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Morphologically the spectrum ranges from polyclonal lymphoplasmacytic proliferations resembling infectious mononucleosis to frankly neoplastic lymphomas. These lymphomas are commonly EBV positive B cell and less commonly EBV negative (B or T cell) in origin. Clinically, some of these disorders regress after reduction of the immunosuppressive regimen, and others progress to serious and potentially fatal lymphomas requiring chemotherapy.
Concentrated forces on shells

In statics and dynamics the fundamental concept is that of a force. For a single force the basic law of motion is formulated, and groups of forces are reduced to a resultant. Distributed forces are defined by a limiting process.
Computing the Sparse Singular Value Decomposition via SVDPACK

SVDPACK comprises four numerical (iterative) methods for computing the singular value decomposition (SVD) of large sparse matrices using double precision ANSI Fortran-77. This software package implements Lanczos and subspace iteration-based methods for determining several of the largest singular triplets (singular values and corresponding left- and right-singular vectors) for large sparse matrices. The package has been ported to a variety of machines ranging from supercomputers to workstations: CRAY Y-MP, CRAY-2S, Alliant FX/80, IBM RS/6000-550, DEC 5000-100, and Sun SPARCstation 2. The performance of SVDPACK as measured by its use in computing large rank approximations to sparse term-document matrices from information retrieval applications, and on synthetically-generated matrices having clustered and multiple singular values is presented.
Experimentally Estimating Phase Response Curves of Neurons: Theoretical and Practical Issues

Phase response curves (PRCs) characterize response properties of oscillating neurons to pulsetile input and are useful for linking the dynamics of individual neurons to network dynamics. PRCs can be easily computed for model neurons. PRCs can be also measured for real neurons, but there are many issues that complicate this process. Most of these complications arise from the fact that neurons are noisy on several time-scales. There is considerable amount of variation (jitter) in the inter-spike intervals of “periodically” firing neurons. Furthermore, neuronal firing is not stationary on the time scales on which PRCs are usually measured. Other issues include determining the appropriate stimuli to use and how long to wait between stimuli.In this chapter, we consider many of the complicating factors that arise when generating PRCs for real neurons or “realistic” model neurons. We discuss issues concerning the stimulus waveforms used to generate the PRC and ways to deal with the effects of slow time-scale processes (e.g. spike frequency adaption). We also address issues that are present during PRC data acquisition and discuss fitting “noisy” PRC data to extract the underlying PRC and quantify the stochastic variation of the phase responses. Finally, we describe an alternative method to generate PRCs using small amplitude white noise stimuli.
Otitis and meningoencephalitis associated with infectious coryza (Avibacterium paragallinarum) in commercial broiler chickens

Infectious coryza, caused by Avibacterium paragallinarum, is an acute respiratory disease of poultry that can result in substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic losses. In March 2017, the Turlock branch of the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratory system encountered an unusual clinical and pathologic presentation of infectious coryza in 6 live, 29-d-old, commercial broiler chickens that were submitted for diagnostic investigation. Antemortem evaluation revealed severe neurologic signs, including disorientation, torticollis, and opisthotonos. Swollen head-like syndrome and sinusitis were also present. Histologically, severe sinusitis, cranial osteomyelitis, otitis media and interna, and meningoencephalitis were noted, explaining the clinical signs described. A. paragallinarum was readily isolated from the upper and lower respiratory tract, brain, and cranial bones. Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was also detected by PCR, and IBV was isolated in embryonated chicken eggs. Based on sequencing analysis, the IBV appeared 99% homologous to strain CA1737. A synergistic effect between A. paragallinarum and IBV, resulting in exacerbation of clinical signs and increased mortality, may have occurred in this case. A. paragallinarum should be considered among the possible causes of neurologic signs in chickens. Appropriate media should be used for bacterial isolation, and the role of additional contributing factors and/or complicating agents should be investigated in cases of infectious coryza.
The cost-effectiveness of epidural, patient-controlled intravenous opioid analgesia, or transversus abdominis plane infiltration with liposomal bupivacaine for postoperative pain management.

Abstract Study objective Intravenous patient-controlled opioid analgesia (IVPCA), epidural analgesia and transversus abdominis plane (TAP) infiltrations are frequently used postoperative pain management modalities. The aim of this study was to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing the use of epidural, IVPCA, and TAP infiltrations with liposomal bupivacaine for analgesia in the first 72 h postoperatively in patients undergoing major lower abdominal surgery. Design Retrospective cost effectiveness analysis. Setting Operating room. Patients We obtained data on major lower-abdominal surgeries performed under general anesthesia on adult patients between January 2012 and July 2014. Interventions A cost-effectiveness analysis was comparing the use of epidural, IVPCA, and TAP infiltrations with liposomal bupivacaine for analgesia in the first 72 h postoperatively. Measurements A decision analytic model was used to estimate the health outcomes for patients undergoing major lower abdominal surgery. The primary outcome was time-weighted pain from 0 to 72 h after surgery, as measured by numerical rating scale pain scores. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the hospital as the party responsible for most costs related to surgery. Main results From the base case analysis, IVPCA was the optimal strategy regarding cost and effect. TAP with LB, however, was only narrowly dominated, while epidural was clearly dominated. From the sensitivity analysis at willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $150, IV PCA and TAP infiltration were each the optimal strategy for approximately 50% of the iterations. At WTP of $10,000, epidural was only the optimal strategy in 10% of the iterations. Conclusions This is the first study in the literature to compare the cost-effectiveness of epidural, IVPCA, and TAP infiltrations with LB. Within reasonable WTP values, there is little differentiation in cost-effectiveness between IVPCA and TAP infiltration with LB. Epidural does not become a cost-effective strategy even at much higher WTP values.
Essential roles of Tbr1 in the formation and maintenance of the orientation-selective J-RGCs and a group of OFF-sustained RGCs in mouse

In the mouse retina, more than 30 retinal ganglion cell (RGC) subtypes have been classified based on a combined metric of morphological and functional characteristics. RGCs arise from a common pool of retinal progenitor cells during embryonic stages and differentiate into mature subtypes in adult retinas. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling formation and maturation of such remarkable cellular diversity remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that T-box transcription factor T-brain 1 (Tbr1) is expressed in two groups of morphologically and functionally distinct RGCs: the orientation-selective J-RGCs and a group of OFF-sustained RGCs with symmetrical dendritic arbors. When Tbr1 is genetically ablated during retinal development, these two RGC groups cannot develop. Ectopically expressing Tbr1 in M4 ipRGCs during development alters dendritic branching and density but not the inner plexiform layer stratification level. Our data indicate that Tbr1 plays critical roles in regulating the formation and dendritic morphogenesis of specific RGC types.
Said, Marxism, and Spatiality: Wars of Position in Oppositional Criticism

Although he maintained that he was not himself a Marxist, and he frequently criticized both actually existing communism and Marxist literary criticism, Edward W. Said’s thought and work are profoundly influenced by Marxist theory, critical practice, and general discourse. Said never embrace Marxism as an ideology, methodology, or epistemology, but his writings owe much to a Marxist tradition, drawing inspiration from the committed aesthetics and politics of Sartre, the narrative theory of Lukacs, and the postcolonial psychology of Fanon, as well as Gramsci’s notions of hegemony and the function of intellectuals, the Frankfurt School’s critique of everyday life, Raymond Williams’s cultural studies, and so on. In this essay, Robert T. Tally Jr. examines Said’s putative anti-Marxism in the context of his distinctively spatial approach to literature and culture. Tally argues that Said’s spatially oriented criticism helps to square the circle of his ambiguous relationship to Marxism, which in turn helps to make possible Said’s powerfully oppositional criticism of culture. Said’s engagement with Marxist theory thus informs his humanism and democratic critical practice, which prove to be all the more relevant and necessary in our present condition
MRI-based radiomics of sarcomas in the preclinical arm of a co-clinical trial

Radiomics provide an exciting approach to developing imaging biomarkers in the context of precision medicine. We focus on the preclinical arm of a co-clinical trial investigating synergy of immunotherapy combined with radiation therapy (RT) and surgical resection using a genetically engineered mouse model of sarcoma. Our protocol involves the acquisition of MRI data with T1, T2 and T1 with contrast agent. There are two MRI time points i.e. one day before RT (20Gy) and one week later. After the second MRI acquisition the primary tumor is surgically removed, and the mice are followed for up to 6 months to investigate for local recurrence or distant metastases. The tumor images are segmented using deep learning. We performed radiomics for the tumor, peritumoral rim and the combined tumor and peritumoral rim. Our first radiomics analysis was focused on determining features which are most indicative to the effects of RT. Our second analysis aimed to answer if radiomics features could predict primary tumor recurrence within this population. Top features were selected for training classifiers based on neural networks and support vector machines. Our results show that gray level radiomic features show that tumors often acquire more heterogeneous texture and that tumor volume increases one-week post RT. The results also suggest that radiomics features serve to indicate likelihood of primary tumor recurrence with the best predictive power in the combined tumor and peritumoral area in pre-RT data (AUC: 0.83). In conclusion, we have created a radiomics pipeline to serve in our current preclinical arm of the co-clinical trial.
In Kinematically Aligned Total Knee Arthroplasty, Failure to Recreate Native Tibial Alignment Is Associated With Early Revision.

Abstract Background The goal of kinematically aligned (KA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is to restore native knee anatomy. However, there are concerns about patellofemoral tracking problems with this technique that lead to early revision. We measured the differences between preoperative anatomic alignment and postoperative component alignment in a consecutive series of KA TKA and evaluated the association between alignment changes and the likelihood of early revision. Methods The charts of 219 patients who underwent 275 KA TKA procedures were reviewed. Preoperative anatomic alignment and postoperative tibial and femoral component alignment were measured radiographically. The difference in component alignment compared with preoperative anatomic alignment was compared between patients who underwent aseptic revision and those who did not at a minimum of 12 months of follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic curves were created for statistically significant variables, and the Youden index was used to determine optimal alignment thresholds with regard to likelihood of revision surgery. Results Change in tibial component alignment compared with native alignment was greater (P = .005) in the revision group (5.0° ± 3.7° of increased varus compared with preoperative anatomic tibial angle) than in the nonrevision group (1.3° ± 4.2° of increased varus). The Youden index indicated that increasing tibial varus by >2.2° or more is associated with increased likelihood of revision. Preoperative anatomic alignment and change in femoral alignment and overall joint alignment (ie, Q angle) were not associated with increased likelihood of revision. Conclusion Small increases in tibial component varus compared with native alignment are associated with early aseptic revision in patients undergoing KA TKA.
Stiffening of the Extracellular Matrix is a Sufficient Condition for Airway Hyperreactivity.

The current therapeutic approach to asthma focuses exclusively on targeting inflammation and reducing airway smooth muscle force in an effort to prevent the recurrence of symptoms. However, the treatment is not a cure and has little beneficial effect on the progression of asthma. This suggests that there are mechanisms at play that are likely triggered by inflammation and eventually become self-sustaining so that even when airway inflammation is brought back under control, these alternative mechanisms continue to drive airway hyperreactivity in asthmatics. In this study, we hypothesized that the stiffening of the airway extracellular matrix is a core pathological change sufficient to support excessive bronchoconstriction in asthmatics even when in the absence of inflammation. To test this hypothesis, we increased the stiffness of airway ECM by photo-crosslinking collagen fibers within the airway wall using riboflavin (vitamin B2) and Ultraviolet-A radiation. In our experiments, collagen crosslinking led to a three-fold increase in stiffness of the airway extracellular matrix. This change was sufficient to cause airways to constrict to a greater degree, at a faster rate when exposed to a low dose of contractile agonist. Our results highlight the need for therapeutic approaches that target matrix remodeling to develop a lasting cure for this disease.
School Buildings in Mediterranean Antiquity: Notes on the Provenance of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas:

The provenance of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (IGT) remains an open question to scholars of early Christianity. Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Asia Minor have been proffered as the most likely settin...
Shifting the Mindset: Incorporating Mindfulness Practice in the Graduate Online Nursing Classroom and Beyond.

ABSTRACT The concept of using mindfulness techniques in an online nursing education environment is an idea that has limited research. We have utilized some mindfulness exercises to facilitate course interaction and guide how faculty and students can foster an engaged, mutually beneficial environment in the classroom and beyond to leadership positions in the clinical setting. Faculty utilize these techniques to enhance teaching in the online environment. This article provides examples of how faculty can engage students in these behaviors.
Why Is Growth in Developing Countries So Hard to Measure

Occasional widely publicized controversies have led to the perception that growth statistics from developing countries are not to be trusted. Based on the comparison of several data sources and analysis of novel IMF audit data, we find no support for the view that growth is on average measured less accurately or manipulated more in developing than in developed countries. While developing countries face many challenges in measuring growth, so do higher-income countries, especially those with complex and sometimes rapidly changing economic structures. However, we find consistently higher dispersion of growth estimates from developing countries, lending support to the view that classical measurement error is more problematic in poorer countries and that a few outliers may have had a disproportionate effect on (mis)measurement perceptions. We identify several measurement challenges that are specific to poorer countries, namely limited statistical capacity, the use of outdated data and methods, the large share of the agricultural sector, the informal economy, and limited price data. We show that growth measurement based on the System of National Accounts (SNA) can be improved if supplemented with information from other data sources (for example, satellite-based data on vegetation yields) that address some of the limitations of SNA.