cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Off-resonance image artifacts in interleaved-EPI and GRASE pulse sequences

Echo-time shifting (ETS) is used in GRASE and interleaved-EPI sequences to improve the phase evolutions for off-resonance signal sources. However, even with ETS the phase evolutions still exhibit discontinuities. In this work, we extend previous studies of ETS by quantitatively evaluating the magnitude and form of the image artifacts that result from these phase discontinuities. The functional form of the phase evolution is used to derive the general conditions under which artifacts are expected. The artifacts for two sequence structures are then evaluated as a function of off-resonance frequency and data sampling period by calculating point spread functions and simulated images. It was found that even when ETS is used to improve the phase evolutions, periodic phase discontinuities may degrade image quality by producing ghosting artifacts of edges. These artifacts are similar to those that commonly occur with periodic motion. From our results recommendations are derived for limiting the ghosting artifacts.
ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORKING: INDUSTRIAL ESTATES IN GHANA

This article looks at networking activities among entrepreneurs of small-scale enterprises in an industrial district in Ghana. The purpose of the study is to identify the type of inter-firm interaction that takes place, and to determine the effect it has on die productive capabilities of die firms and die industrialization process. The study is set in the context of research on industrial districts and inter-firm networks which have been associated with technological change and competitive success for firms in advanced economies. While some believe that were may be little about industrial districts in places such as Third Italy or Silicon Valley which can be transferred to developing countries, die fact remains that small firms everywhere are more similar than different. Therefore, an understanding of die process of networking in Ghana may provide insights on die nature of these activities and their effectiveness in contributing to enterprise growth and die thickening of die industrial base in developing economies.
Valproic Acid for the Treatment of Hemorrhagic Shock: A Dose Optimization Study

Abstract Background Valproic acid (VPA) has been shown to improve survival in animal models of hemorrhagic shock at a dose of 300 mg/kg. Our aim was to identify the ideal dose through dose-escalation, split-dosing, and dose de-escalation regimens. Materials and methods Rats were subjected to sublethal 40% hemorrhage and treated with vehicle or VPA (dose of 300, 400, or 450 mg/kg) after 30 min of shock. Acetylated histones and activated proteins from the PI3K–Akt–GSK-3β survival pathway at different time points were quantified by Western blot analysis. In a similar model, a VPA dose of 200 mg/kg followed 2 h later by another dose of 100 mg/kg was administered. Finally, animals were subjected to a lethal 50% hemorrhage and VPA was administered in a dose de-escalation manner (starting at dose of 300 mg/kg) until a significant drop in percent survival was observed. Results Larger doses of VPA resulted in greater acetylation of histone 3 and increased activation of PI3K pathway proteins. Dose-dependent differences were significant in histone acetylation but not in the activation of the survival pathway proteins. Split-dose administration of VPA resulted in similar results to a single full dose. Survival was as follows: 87.5% with 300 and 250 mg/kg of VPA, 50% with 200 mg/kg of VPA, and 14% with vehicle-treated animals. Conclusions Although higher doses of VPA result in greater histone acetylation and activation of prosurvival protein signaling, doses as low as 250 mg/kg of VPA confer the same survival advantage in lethal hemorrhagic shock. Also, VPA can be given in a split-dose fashion without a reduction in its cytoprotective effectiveness.
Word sense disambiguation with pattern learning and automatic feature selection

This paper presents a novel approach for word sense disambiguation. The underlying algorithm has two main components: (1) pattern learning from available sense-tagged corpora (SemCor), from dictionary definitions (WordNet) and from a generated corpus (GenCor); and (2) instance based learning with automatic feature selection, when training data is available for a particular word. The ideas described in this paper were implemented in a system that achieves excellent performance on the data provided during the SENSEVAL-2 evaluation exercise, for both English all words and English lexical sample tasks.
Life History of Neoplasta parahebes (Diptera: Empididae: Hemerodromiinae)

Abstract The life history of Neoplasta parahebes MacDonald and Turner in a mountain stream in Southern California is reported. Female N. parahebes were separated from sympatric female Neoplasta hebes Melander by ovipositor morphology. Adults readily fed on adult midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) smaller than themselves. Ovarioles of gravid females contained an average of 74.8 eggs. Mating occurred in a unidirectional position. Females oviposited under the bark of submerged decaying wood. Eggs averaged 459 µm × 115 µm in size; most were laid within a 24 h period and, at room temperature, hatched in 10–11 days. There are three larval instars. Densities of larval N. parahebes were as high as 9.2 per 100 cm of wood surface in submerged dead tree branches. Branches also contained larvae of Orthocladius lignicola Kieffer, a wood-boring chironomid; larval N. parahebes readily fed on the midge larvae in their tunnels. Pupation occurred in the decaying wood.
Diversity initiatives in academic psychiatry: applying cultural competence.

This article describes the process of change in an academic department of psychiatry that has led to the development of a diversity initiative in teaching, research, recruitment, and services. The authors performed a literature review of diversity initiatives using PubMed. The authors then wrote a case study of the development of a diversity initiative at UC Davis. Some articles on diversity initiatives were found, but none that detailed the administrative process, funding, or sustainability of such initiatives. In 1999, the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences recognized the importance of issues of diversity and established the Diversity Advisory Committee, a group of department faculty and residents that explores and addresses the diversity needs of the department. In our observations, there are at least three requirements for a successful diversity initiative: a diverse patient population, a “critical mass” of interested faculty, and support of the administration. With these three factors in place, the Diversity Advisory Committee produced four Continuing Medical Education symposia focused on diversity topics, developed a 4-year cultural psychiatry curriculum and a 4-year religion and spirituality curriculum within the residency, and supported nine residents who received awards from the APA’ s Minority Fellowships in 8 years. Future plans include department-wide and medical school faculty-wide diversity training, educational research, and a postgraduate fellowship in cultural psychiatry. This article shows that a diversity initiative can be undertaken with interested minority and nonminority faculty, administrative support, and a diverse patient population. The authors hope this article will provide assistance to other academic departments in developing diversity initiatives.
Information Issues in Model Specification

This paper explores the tradeoffs and information issues in model specification, i.e., choosing the appropriate level of detail and precision of decision support models. For many real-time and distributed decision problems, decision-makers face a wide spectrum of information gathering choices that vary in the amount and quality of information as well as their associated costs and delays. Modeling these problems raises several operational and strategic questions including: â¢ how much and what type of information to acquire before making a decision. â¢ what protocol to use for exchanging information among multiple decision-makers. â¢ what organization and information structure e.g., centralized, coordinated, distributed to use for effective information sharing and decision-making. We highlight the modeling issues and tradeoffs using examples from production planning, distributed processing, and network routing, and draw upon research in diverse fields, including information economics and game theory, knowledge logic in computer science, and distributed computation, to obtain model specification insights. Our discussions emphasize and illustrate two main model specification themes. First, acquiring additional information often has diminishing returns in terms of the quality of decisions suggested by the model; therefore, an imprecise model based on partial information might be more appropriate than using a detailed and accurate model that identifies 'optimal' decisions. Concepts from information economics and team theory provide a framework for analyzing this tradeoff. We also briefly discuss some heuristic methods to identify effective information gathering strategies. Our second theme applies to systems consisting of several decision-makers who make interdependent decisions. In this context, the decision model for each agent must be based on an understanding of what information to exchange, how frequently, and what protocol to use for exchanging information. We illustrate how complete information sharing among distributed decision-makers might even be impossible because of a possible dead-lock in decision-making. This game-theoretic phenomenon has implications for designing the organization structure, information systems, and communication protocols to support multi-agent decision-making.
When coming of age means coming undone: Links between puberty and psychosocial adjustment among European American and African American girls.

What does “coming undone” look like among European American and African American girls? Societal concerns for boys and girls during their teenage years tend to be compartmentalized into a stereotyped dichotomy, where our concerns for boys typically center around problems such as delinquency, gang involvement, school disengagement, and substance abuse, and our concerns for girls are typically more inclined toward the internalizing spectrum, such as depression, eating disorders, or low self-esteem. To use recent examples in the psychological literature, adolescent boys may become lost in rage and disconnection and end up imprisoned, literally (Garbarino, 1999), while girls are at risk of being figuratively imprisoned by the social surrounds that leave them with low self-esteem, diminished sense of agency, depressed, and despondent (Pipher, 1994). Similarly, the pitfalls most frequently encountered by adolescent girls have been described and investigated within a dichotomy of race/ethnicity and class. In the world of European American middle- and upper-class girls, concerns continue to center around the development of internalizing spectrum mental health difficulties: eating disorders, depression, low self-esteem, and disturbed body image. In contrast, African American (or ethnic minority or impoverished) adolescent girls are viewed to be most at risk for the development of more externalizing manifestations of adolescent problems, such as delinquency, school disengagement, early or risky sexual behavior, or teen pregnancy. As is the case for most stereotypes, there is some foundation for this dichotomy when current estimates of mental disorder and social behavior are considered.
NETWORK INTRUSION DETECTION COGNITIVE TASK ANALYSIS: TEXTUAL AND VISUAL TOOL USAGE AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A task analysis is conducted for the complex task of network security engineers, intrusion detection (ID) of computer networks. ID helps engineers protect network from harmful attacks and can be broken down into the following phases: pre-processing information, monitoring the network, analyzing attacks, and responding to attacks. Different cognitive loads are placed on the engineer at each phase. Engineers also need to integrate information from a variety of tools and resources, which adds additional cognitive workload. Visualization tools have been developed to alleviate these workloads but they have had limited success. To address this problem, we make two recommendations: (1) these tools should be designed for use across the phases of ID; this reduces the number of resources used therefore reducing the workload of integrating information across sources, and (2) visualization tools should allow concurrent use of textual tools and resources that provide detailed information and a powerful interface.
Renewal of Comparator Stimuli

Prior research has found a) recovery from overshadowing as a result of posttraining extinction of comparator stimuli (i.e., the overshadowing stimulus), and b) context modulation of conditioned responding to Pavlovian stimuli (i.e., renewal). The present research brought together these two findings by investigating whether comparator stimuli are subject to contextual control. In a Pavlovian conditioned suppression situation, rats were exposed to an overshadowing procedure (i.e., AX1) in one context and then received extinction of the overshadowing cue (i.e., A2) in the same or a different context. If AX1 training and subsequent extinction of A occurred in the same context, animals exhibited recovery of responding to the target cue (i.e., X) regardless of the test context. However, if AX1 training and extinction of A occurred in different contexts, behavior depended on the test context. If X was tested in the overshadowing context, overshadowing was observed. But if X was tested in the context where A had been extinguished or in a third (neutral) context, overshadowing was not observed. Thus, context modulates comparator effects in a manner somewhat similar to how it modulates simple Pavlovian responding. The notable exception was that robust responding to both A and X was observed in the neutral context, which is problematic for most contemporary theories of learning.
Transcription Factor Sp3 Represses Expression of p21CIP1 via Inhibition of Productive Elongation by RNA Polymerase II

Like that of many protein-coding genes, expression of the p21(CIP1) cell cycle inhibitor is regulated at the level of transcription elongation. While many transcriptional activators have been shown to stimulate elongation, the mechanisms by which promoter-specific repressors regulate pausing and elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNA PolII) are not well described. Here we report that the transcription factor Sp3 inhibits basal p21(CIP1) gene expression by promoter-bound RNA PolII. Knockdown of Sp3 led to increased p21(CIP1) mRNA levels and reduced occupancy of the negative elongation factor (NELF) at the p21(CIP1) promoter, although the level of binding of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) kinase was not increased. Sp3 depletion correlated with increased H3K36me3 and H2Bub1, two histone modifications associated with transcription elongation. Further, Sp3 was shown to promote the binding of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) to the p21(CIP1) promoter, leading to reduced H3S10 phosphorylation, a finding consistent with Sp3-dependent regulation of the local balance between kinase and phosphatase activities. Analysis of other targets of Sp3-mediated repression suggests that, in addition to previously described SUMO modification-dependent chromatin-silencing mechanisms, inhibition of the transition of paused RNA PolII to productive elongation, described here for p21(CIP1), is a general mechanism by which transcription factor Sp3 fine-tunes gene expression.
RNAs Extracted from Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Virions: Apparent Selectivity of Viral but Not Cellular RNAs Packaged in Virions

Following the lead of recent studies on the presence of RNA in virions of human cytomegalovirus, we investigated the presence and identity of RNAs from purified virions of herpes simple virus 1. To facilitate these studies, we designed primers for all known open reading frames (ORFs) and also constructed cDNA arrays containing probes designed to detect all known transcripts. In the first series of experiments, labeled DNA made by reverse transcription of poly(A)(+) RNA extracted from infected HEp-2 or rabbit skin cells hybridized to all but two of the probes in the cDNA array. A similar analysis of the RNA extracted from purified extracellular virions derived from infected HEp-2 cells hybridized to probes representing 24 of the ORFs. In the second series of analyses, we reverse transcribed and amplified by PCR RNAs from purified intracellular or extracellular virions derived from infected HEp-2 or Vero cell lines. The positive RNAs were retested by PCR with and without prior reverse transcription to ensure that the samples tested were free of contaminating DNA. The results were as follows. (i) Only a fraction of viral ORF transcripts were represented in virion RNA, and only nine RNAs (U(L)10, U(L)34/U(L)35, U(L)36, U(L)42, U(L)48, U(L)51, U(S)1/U(S)1.5, U(S)8.5, and U(S)10/U(S)11) were positive in all RT PCR assays. Of these, seven were positive by hybridization to cDNA arrays. (ii) RNA extracted from cells infected with a mutant virus lacking the U(S)8 to U(S)12 genes yielded results similar to those described above, indicating that U(S)11, a known RNA binding protein, does not play a role in packaging RNA in virions. (iii) Cellular RNAs detected in virions were representative of the abundant cellular RNAs. Last, RNA extracted from virions was translated in vitro and the translation products were reacted with antibody to alphaTIF (VIP16). The immune precipitate contained a labeled protein with the apparent molecular weight of alphaTIF, indicating that at least one mRNA packaged in virions was intact and capable of being translated. The basis for the apparent selectivity in the packaging of the viral RNAs packaged in virions is unknown.
THE INFLUENCE OF VALLEY PLUGS IN CHANNELIZED STREAMS ON FLOODPLAIN SEDIMENTATION DYNAMICS OVER THE LAST CENTURY

Channelization of alluvial systems alters the functions and processes of floodplain ecosystems. In the loess belt region of western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, channelization, the geology of the region, and past land-use practices have resulted in geomorphic readjustments of streams and the formation of valley plugs. Valley plugs completely block stream channels with sediment and debris, and can result in greater deposition rates on floodplain surfaces. We used dendrogeomorphic techniques to quantify floodplain sediment deposition rates from the last 100+ years. The data were used to determine the spatial and temporal patterns of sedimentation in floodplains affected by channelization and the subsequent formation of valley plugs and in floodplains along unchannelized streams. We measured sediment accumulation by coring trees for age determination and measuring depth to the root collar of 63 trees at unchannelized sites and 214 trees at channelized valley plug sites. Mean floodplain deposition rates were greater at valley plug sites (-x = 1.71 ± 0.08 cm/yr) compared to rates at unchannelized sites (-x = 0.31 ± 0.02 cm/yr). The formation of valley plugs in channelized streams also affected the spatial and temporal patterns of sedimentation. Increases in deposition rates at the valley plug sites occurred approximately 30 years ago and corresponds to the timing of regional activities including: channelization projects, increases in agricultural activity, and the termination of stream dredging projects.
Rapidly Growing Lateral Neck Mass.

Aman in his 50s presented with a 2-month history of a rapidly enlargingmass on the left side of the neck. He reported a recent 5-kg weight loss and had no history of tobacco or alcohol use. Clinical examination revealed a fixed lower neckmass extending through levels 3, 4, 5b, and6,measuring 7 × 8 cm (Figure, A). Flexible laryngoscopy revealed reduced movementof the leftvocalcordandasymmetrywithsurrounding edema. Computed tomographic imaging revealed a well-vascularizedmass of the paratracheal region invading surrounding the surrounding structures (Figure,B).Twofine-needleaspirationsampleswereobtained, but results from pathological analysis were inconclusive. The tumor was removed in a piecemeal fashion because it surrounded the trachea and esophagus and invaded into the strap muscles, internal jugular vein, the first tracheal ring, and the recurrent laryngeal nerve. At the end of the procedure all margins were clear. On pathologic examination, the tumorwas semifirmwith a necrotic central portion. The hematoxylin-eosin–stained specimen revealed many mitotic figures along with large, multinucleated giant cells. Lymphovascular andperineural invasionwas present (Figure, C). Immunohistochemical staining of themainspecimenwascytokeratinAE1/AE3negativeandthyroid transcription factor (TTF-1) negative (Figure, D). Of 12 lymph nodes, none contained carcinoma. Quiz at jamaotolaryngology.com Photograph of neck mass A Computed tomographic scan of neck B
In vivo imaging identifies temporal signature of D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons in cocaine reward

The reinforcing and rewarding properties of cocaine are attributed to its ability to increase dopaminergic transmission in nucleus accumbens (NAc). This action reinforces drug taking and seeking and leads to potent and long-lasting associations between the rewarding effects of the drug and the cues associated with its availability. The inability to extinguish these associations is a key factor contributing to relapse. Dopamine produces these effects by controlling the activity of two subpopulations of NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that are defined by their predominant expression of either dopamine D1 or D2 receptors. Previous work has demonstrated that optogenetically stimulating D1 MSNs promotes reward, whereas stimulating D2 MSNs produces aversion. However, we still lack a clear understanding of how the endogenous activity of these cell types is affected by cocaine and encodes information that drives drug-associated behaviors. Using fiber photometry calcium imaging we define D1 MSNs as the specific population of cells in NAc that encodes information about drug associations and elucidate the temporal profile with which D1 activity is increased to drive drug seeking in response to contextual cues. Chronic cocaine exposure dysregulates these D1 signals to both prevent extinction and facilitate reinstatement of drug seeking to drive relapse. Directly manipulating these D1 signals using designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs prevents contextual associations. Together, these data elucidate the responses of D1- and D2-type MSNs in NAc to acute cocaine and during the formation of context–reward associations and define how prior cocaine exposure selectively dysregulates D1 signaling to drive relapse.
Transport of penetrants in the macromolecular structure of coals

Abstract Mathematical models are presented which can be used to describe Fickian (Case-I) diffusion and Case-II transport in thin coal slabs, spheres and cylinders. Useful short-time approximations for each of these models are also presented. From heuristic arguments, based on these short-time solutions, a semi-empirical equation is developed, which is useful in defining anomalous transport behaviour in the macromolecular network structure of coal. The utility of this empirical equation is considered.
The Organizational Dimension of United States Economic Foreign Policy, 1900-1920

During the first two decades of the twentieth century, businessmen and government officials increasingly worked together to strengthen the position of the United States in world markets. Much of the intellectual underpinnings of this organizational drive lay in progressive America's attraction to the gospel of efficiency and in a desire to emulate the nation which seemed to embody that gospel best — Germany.
Arthrodesis of the Subtalar Joint in a High School Football Player With a Talocalcaneal Coalition: Case Report With Functional Analysis.

Tarsal coalition is a bony or fibrous bridge between 2 tarsal bones. The condition is typically congenital and presents in early to mid-adolescence. Common symptoms include ankle pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion. Conservative treatment of tarsal coalition consists of immobilization, short leg walking cast, steroid injections, physical therapy, ankle braces, and orthotics. When conservative care fails, surgical intervention for tarsal coalition includes excision of the coalition or joint arthrodesis. We present a case of a high school football player with a 5-year history of left ankle pain secondary to a talocalcaneal coalition. The athlete did not respond favorably to conservative treatment and underwent a subtalar joint arthrodesis. Prior to surgery, the athlete consented to self-reported functional outcome measures, range of motion measures, and 3D video gait analysis to evaluate the effects of surgery. Measurements were taken prior to surgery and 1½ years after surgery. Clinically signific...
Epidemiolagical investigation of a bacillary dysentery outbreak

Objective: This epidemiological investigation was conducted to identify the cause and the trait of the bacillary dysentery outbreak and to provide scientific basis for adopting effective control measures.Methods: Descriptive epidemiological approaches were employed.Results: A total of 133 cases were identified in two schools with the attack rate of 9.49%.It was not statistically significant between different genders.33 stool samples from the cases were comfirmed to be positive for Shigella sonnei(4a) by culture.Conclusion: This bacillary dysentery outbreak was caused by well water polluted by Shigella sonnei(4a).
Wavenumber-frequency deconvolution of aeroacoustic microphone phased array data of arbitrary coherence

Abstract Deconvolution of aeroacoustic data acquired with microphone phased arrays is a computationally challenging task for distributed sources with arbitrary coherence. A new technique for performing such deconvolution is proposed. This technique relies on analysis of the array data in the wavenumber–frequency domain, allowing for fast convolution and reduced storage requirements when compared to traditional coherent deconvolution. A positive semidefinite constraint for the iterative deconvolution procedure is implemented and shows improved behavior in terms of quantifiable convergence metrics when compared to a standalone covariance inequality constraint. A series of simulations validates the method׳s ability to resolve coherence and phase angle relationships between partially coherent sources, as well as determines convergence criteria for deconvolution analysis. Simulations for point sources near the microphone phased array show potential for handling such data in the wavenumber–frequency domain. In particular, a physics-based integration boundary calculation is described, and can successfully isolate sources and track the appropriate integration bounds with and without the presence of flow. Magnitude and phase relationships between multiple sources are successfully extracted. Limitations of the deconvolution technique are determined from the simulations, particularly in the context of a simulated acoustic field in a closed test section wind tunnel with strong boundary layer contamination. A final application to a trailing edge noise experiment conducted in an open-jet wind tunnel matches best estimates of acoustic levels from traditional calculation methods and qualitatively assesses the coherence characteristics of the trailing edge noise source.
A robust dual-mode MPC approach to ensuring critical quality attributes in Quality-by-Design

In the Quality-by-Design (QbD) paradigm for pharmaceutical processes, critical quality attributes (CQAs) must meet specifications for all possible realizations of critical process parameters (CPPs) within a design space. During the startup of such a process, it is desired to begin meeting CQA specifications as quickly as possible and then robustly guarantee that specifications will continue to be met. This paper proposes a robust dual-mode model predictive controller (RDMPC) for meeting these objectives, for discrete-time linear systems with a linear fractional transformation (LFT) uncertainty description. The receding-horizon controller steers the system into a controlled invariant set in finite time, after which the terminal controller is applied to robustly guarantee specifications on CQAs for all time. The proposed control algorithm is demonstrated for a continuous stirred-tank reactor.
Procedures for the Nurse Practitioner in Urology

Objectives 1. Describe indications for specific office-based procedure appropriate to the urology patient. 2. Review both provider and patient preparation. 3. Discuss necessary post-procedure monitoring and follow-up.
Evaluation of a human bio-engineered skin equivalent for drug permeation studies

Purpose. To test the barrier function of a bio-engineered human skin (BHS) using three model drugs (caffeine, hydrocortisone, and tamoxifen) in vitro. To investigate the lipid composition and microscopic structure of the BHS. Methods. The human skin substitute was composed of both epidermal and dermal layers, the latter having a bovine collagen matrix. The permeability of the BHS to three model drugs was compared to that obtained in other percutaneous testing models (human cadaver skin, hairless mouse skin, and EpiDerm™). Lipid analysis of the BHS was performed by high performance thin layered chromatrography. Histological evalulation of the BHS was performed using routine H&E staining. Results. The BHS mimicked human skin in terms of lipid composition, gross ultrastructure, and the formation of a stratum corneum. However, the permeability of the BHS to caffeine, hydrocortisone, and tamoxifen was 3-4 fold higher than that of human cadaver skin. Conclusions. In summary, the results indicate that the BHS may be an acceptable in vitro model for drug permeability testing.
An Introduction to Ray Tracing

This paper is a practical guide to ray tracing for those familiar with graphics. It consists of a conceptual model of ray tracing, C code for a basic system, and an explanation of how and why the code works.
A Nonresponse Bias Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)

We conducted a nonresponse bias analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4, Cycles 1 and 3, collected in 2011 and 2013, respectively, using three analysis methods: comparison of response rates for subgroups, comparison of estimates with weighting adjustments and external benchmarks, and level-of-effort analysis. Areas with higher concentrations of low socioeconomic status, higher concentrations of young households, and higher concentrations of minority and Hispanic populations had lower response rates. Estimates of health information seeking behavior were higher in HINTS compared to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The HINTS estimate of doctors always explaining things in a way that the patient understands was not significantly different from the same estimate from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS); however, the HINTS estimate of health professionals always spending enough time with the patient was significantly lower than the same estimate from MEPS. A level...
Alcohol Use in Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Although fewer individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) drink alcohol, the potential and severity of harm associated with its consumption is higher in persons with diabetes. Alcohol use affects glucose metabolism and results in various potential adverse effects both from acute ingestion and chronic ingestion in persons with T1DM. The purpose of this article is to describe the effects of alcohol on glucose metabolism and diabetes control in persons with T1DM and propose counseling pearls for providers working with patients in this population.
Public–private partnership wetland restoration programs benefit Species of Greatest Conservation Need and other wetland-associated wildlife

US federal conservation programs, including the National Resource Conservation Service’s Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP), partner with private landowners to conserve and restore wetland habitats. Despite the success of these programs in terms of wetland area enrolled, uncertainties exist as to whether they are meeting their stated goals, including the restoration of wildlife habitat. In the St. Lawrence Valley of New York State, we investigated two questions related to WRP and PFWP wetland restorations. First, was whether restorations provide habitat for wetland-associated wildlife, including Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) prioritized by the New York State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). Second, was whether restorations support wildlife assemblages that are comparable to natural reference wetlands. Bird, anuran, turtle, snake, and fish species assemblages were surveyed at 47 WRP and PFWP restorations, and 18 natural reference wetlands. We detected 31 SGCN at restorations, including SGCN from each assemblage surveyed. Assemblage metrics, including species richness and relative abundance, did not differ between restored and reference wetlands for any of the assemblages surveyed. These results indicate that restorations provide habitat for SGCN and other wetland-associated wildlife, and that assemblages at restorations are similar to those at natural reference wetlands. We conclude that WRP and PFWP wetland restorations in this region are meeting federal program-level goals related to the restoration of wildlife habitat, and are contributing to the recovery of SGCN.
Production of the Parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Unicellular Rearing Trays Using the Host Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Factors that might affect parasitism rate and progeny production of Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson), a solitary endoparasitoid of lepidopteran larvae, were considered in this study. Hosts were Spo...
Pineal Gland, Evolution of

Accurate reconstruction of the evolution of soft-tissue morphologic features and the processes mediated by them is always fraught with both practical and theoretical problems and the description of the evolution of the pineal gland, pineal organ, or epiphysis cerebri, as it has variously been called, is certainly no exception. First, and most obviously, is the fact that most if not all soft tissues and processes leave no fossil record. As a consequence, comparative and evolutionary biologists must infer phylogenetic relationships from the degree of similarity and difference among extant species. One reasonable approach has been to describe the form and function of the tissue or process in a wide array of species and to infer the phylogenetic histories of the tissue or process based on the known relationships among the organisms studied. This usually works, but there are instances when specific ecological conditions result in losses or gains of function, inducing convergent evolution or homoplasy. In these cases, simple comparative study usually fails, although further analysis of more related species typically clarifies these conundra.
Have Only Men Evolved

Science is made by people who live at a specific time in a specific place and whose thought patterns reflect the truths that are accepted by the wider society. Because scientific explanations have repeatedly run counter to the beliefs held dear by some powerful segments of the society (organized religion, for example, has its own explanations of how nature works), scientists are sometimes portrayed as lone heroes swimming against the social stream. Charles Darwin (1809–82) and his theories of evolution and human descent are frequently used to illustrate this point. But Darwinism, on the contrary, has wide areas of congruence with the social and political ideology of nineteenth-century Britain and with Victorian precepts of morality, particularly as regards the relationships between the sexes. And the same Victorian notions still dominate contemporary biological thinking about sex differences and sex roles.
Immunohistochemical Characterization of Atypical Fibroxanthoma and Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans

Atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) have generated undue interest regarding their histogenesis, biological behavior, and differentiation from other forms of spindle cell tumors of the skin, including spindle cell squamous carcinomas and desmoplastic melanomas. To identify characteristic immunophenotypes, 12 AFXs and 15 DFSPs were examined with a panel of antibodies against cytokeratin; vimentin; desmin; proteolytic enzymes (alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-1- antichymotrypsin); melanoma-associated antigens defined by HMB-45, HMB-50, and NKI/C3; muscle-specific actin (HHF- 35); and S-100 protein. The staining patterns of these two tumors were nearly identical. All cases tested negative for cytokeratin, desmin, and S-100 protein and strongly positive for vimentin. Six (50%) AFXs and 12 (80%) DFSPs tested focally positive for muscle-specific actin. None of the cases were reactive with melanoma antibodies HMB-45 and HMB-50; NKI/C3 strongly stained 26 of 27 tumors. Compared to HMB-45 and HMB-50, NKI/C3 cross-reacted with nonmelanocytic neoplasms. Two AFXs stained for alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin. This study confirms (1) the immunophenotypic similarity of AFX and DFSP, (2) the presence of myofibroblastic differentiation in both tumors, as reflected by HHF-35 staining, and (3) that AFX and DFSP are easily distinguished from spindle cell squamous carcinoma and desmoplastic melanoma by the absence of cytokeratin, HMB-45, and HMB-50 staining.
Allopolyploidy alters gene expression in the highly stable hexaploid wheat

Hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) contains triplicated genomes derived from three distinct species. To better understand how different genomes are coordinated in the same nucleus of the hexaploid wheat, we globally compared gene expression of a synthetic hexaploid wheat with its diploid (Aegilops tauschii) and tetraploid (T. turgidum) parents by cDNA-AFLP display. The results suggested that the expression of a significant fraction of genes was altered in the synthetic hexaploid; most appeared to be diminished and some were activated. We characterized nine cDNA clones in details. Cytogenetic as well as genomic sequence analyses indicated that the gene silencing was not due to chromosome/DNA loss but was caused by gene regulation. Northern and RT-PCR divided these genes into three groups: (I) four genes were down-regulated nonspecifically, likely involving both parental orthologues; (II) four genes were down-regulated in an orthologue-dependent manner; (III) one gene was activated specifically in the synthetic hexaploid wheat. These genes were often altered non-randomly in different synthetic hexaploids as well as natural hexaploid wheat, suggesting that many of the gene expression changes were intrinsically associated with polyploidy.
Topological phases in pseudospin-1 Fermi gases with two-dimensional spin-orbit coupling

The recent experimental realization of spin-orbit (SO) coupling for ultracold bosons and fermions opens an exciting avenue for engineering quantum matter that may be challenging to realize in solid-state materials such as SO-coupled pseudospin-1 fermions. While one-dimensional SO coupling for spin-1 bosons has been experimentally realized, the generation of two-dimensional (2D) SO coupling and its topological properties are largely unexplored. Here we propose an experimental scheme for realizing a 2D Rashba-type SO coupling in a square lattice for pseudospin-1 Fermi gases. Because of the extended spin degree of freedom, many interesting topological phases could exist without relying on lattice point group symmetries that are crucial in solid-state materials. These exotic phases include triply degenerate points, quadratic band touching, a large Chern number ($C=5$) superfluid with five Majorana modes, triple-Weyl fermions, and so on. Our scheme can be generalized to larger spins and provides a distinctive route for engineering topological quantum matter by utilizing large spin degrees of freedom, instead of specific lattice symmetries.
ECTOPIA CORDIS: SURVIVAL AND OUTCOMES OF A NEONATAL MULTICENTER COHORT

Ectopia cordis is a rare congenital anomaly with poor prognosis. There is a spectrum of severity, including partial to complete exteriorization of the heart, as well as variable associated findings. Previous reports offer little data on very low birth weight (VLBW) and preterm infants. This study
Mechanistic model for stresses in the oxide layer formed on zirconium alloys

AbstractZirconium alloys are widely used as the cladding material in pressurized-water-reactors. The oxide formed is subjected to compressive stresses, which relax over time. This may affect the pr...
Assessing the comparability of different DNA extraction and amplification methods in gut microbial community profiling

Automated, high-throughput technologies are becoming increasingly common in microbiome studies to decrease costs and increase efficiency. However, in microbiome studies, small differences in methodology - including storage conditions, wet lab methods, sequencing platforms and data analysis - can influence the reproducibility and comparability of data across studies. There has been limited testing of the effects of high-throughput methods, including microfluidic PCR technologies. In this paper, we compare two extraction methods (the QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit and the MoBio PowerSoil DNA Isolation kit), two taq polymerase enzymes (MyTaq HS Red Mix and Accustart II PCR ToughMix), two primer sets (V3-V4 and V4-V5) and two amplification methods (a common two-step PCR protocol and amplicon library preparation on the Fluidigm Access Array system that allows automated multiplexing of primers). Gut microbial community profiles were significantly affected by all variables. While there were no significant differences in alpha diversity measured between the two extraction methods, there was an effect of extraction method on community composition measured by unweighted UniFrac distances. Both amplification method and primers had a significant effect on both alpha diversity and community composition. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria was significantly lower when using the MoBio kit or Fluidigm amplification method, and the relative abundance of Firmicutes was lower when using the Qiagen kit. Microbial community profiles based on Fluidigm-generated amplicon libraries were not comparable to those generated with more commonly used methods. Researchers should carefully consider the limitations and biases that different extraction and amplification methods can introduce into their results. Additionally, more thorough benchmarking of automated and multiplexing methods is necessary to determine the magnitude of the potential trade-off between the quality and the quantity of data.
Interleukin-34: Regulator of T Lymphocytes in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a common inflammatory autoimmune disease with complex etiologies, which primarily affects joints. RA is primarily caused by self-reactive immune responses and involves a variety of immune cells, including (1) innate immune cells
Double-Sided Graphene Oxide Encapsulated Silver Nanowire Transparent Electrode with Improved Chemical and Electrical Stability

Owing to their high conductivity, transparency, flexibility, and compatibility with solution processes, silver nanowire (AgNW) networks have been widely explored as a promising alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO). However, their susceptibility to corrosion and thermal instability still remain limiting factors for widespread adoption in a range of devices including solar cells, transparent heaters, and light-emitting diodes. In this study, we report a scalable and economically viable process involving electrophoretic deposition (EPD) to fabricate a highly stable hybrid transparent electrode with a sandwich-like structure, where a AgNW network is covered by graphene oxide (GO) films on both sides. The newly developed all solution process allows the conductive transparent film to be transferred to an arbitrary surface after deposition and demonstrates excellent sheet resistance (15 Ω/sq) and tunable transmittance (70-87% at 550 nm). Unlike bare AgNW networks, the hybrid electrode retains its original conductivity under long-term storage at up to 80% relative humidity. This chemical resilience is explained by the absence of silver corrosion products for the AgNW encapsulated by GO as indicated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In situ voltage ramping and resistance measurements up to 20 V indicate a novel stabilization mechanism enabled by the presence of GO which delays the failure onset and prevents abrupt divergence of the resistance to the megaohm range experienced by bare AgNW networks. The double-sided nature of the GO coating offers combined stability and performance to the AgNW network, which adds unique versatility of our electrodes to be used toward applications that require a wide range of thermal and chemical stabilities.
Same-Day Repeat Hepatopulmonary Shunt Measurement during Planning Angiography for Hepatic Radioembolization.

Abstract This report describes a technique for measuring lung shunt fraction (LSF) twice in a single session during planning arteriography for radioembolization using low and standard dose technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA). A patient with a 16.0 cm hepatocellular carcinoma and LSF of 70% was treated with lenvatinib for 4 weeks. Planning arteriography with administration of 0.5 millicuries of 99mTc-MAA was then performed. Arterial access was maintained while the LSF was calculated, which was persistently elevated at 54%. Embolization of arteriovenous shunts was performed during the same session and 5.0 millicuries of 99mTc-MAA were administered. The repeat LSF was 29%. Successful radioembolization was subsequently performed.