cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visual Pigments and Colour Vision in Marsupials and Monotremes

The sequences and spectral characteristics of the cone visual pigments of several Australian and a few South American marsupials have been determined. Based on genomic and mRNA sequence analyses, it was found that all of these species have only two cone-specific photopigments: one belonging to the short-wave-sensitive 1 (SWS1 ultraviolet or violet), and the second belonging to either the middle-wave-sensitive (MWS) or long-wave-sensitive (LWS) visual pigments. This predicted that colour vision in these species is dichromatic. However, behavioural studies have indicated that at least some Australian marsupials have trichromatic colour vision. This is consistent with the observation by microspectrophotometry that three classes of cone photoreceptors exist in the retinae of some of the Australian marsupials. Retinal mRNA and genomic DNA sequence analysis approaches did not find a third cone photopigment. These approaches used PCR primers that are specific to cone photopigments. Based on spectral sensitivity, it was suggested that a rod photopigment could be expressed in some cones to establish trichromacy. Sequence analysis of the photopigment genes and corresponding mRNAs in the platypus and echidna indicated the presence of only two opsins: SWS2, typically found in reptiles, birds and fish, instead of the SWS1 pigment typically found in most mammals, and a LWS, suggesting that monotremes also have dichromatic colour vision. Unlike in other mammals, the monotreme SWS2 and LWS genes were tandemly arranged and separated by a locus control region, indicating retention of ancestral reptilian opsin genes. The gene structure and expression of monotreme cone opsin genes bridge the phylogenetic gap between reptiles and other mammals. A proposed evolutionary pathway of the opsin genes is described.
Pattern dynamics, pattern hierarchies, and forecasting in complex multi-scale earth systems

Abstract. Catastrophic disasters afflicting human society are often triggered by tsunamis, earthquakes, widespread flooding, and weather and climate events. As human populations increasingly move into geographic areas affected by these earth system hazards, forecasting the onset of these large and damaging events has become increasingly urgent. In this paper we consider the fundamental problem of forecasting in complex multi-scale earth systems when the basic dynamical variables are either unobservable or incompletely observed. In such cases, the forecaster must rely on incompletely determined, but "tunable" models to interpret observable space-time patterns of events. The sequence of observable patterns constitute an apparent pattern dynamics, which is related to the underlying but hidden dynamics by a complex dimensional reduction process. As an example, we examine the problem of earthquakes, which must utilize current and past observations of observables such as seismicity and surface strain to produce forecasts of future activity. We show that numerical simulations of earthquake fault systems are needed in order to relate the fundamentally unobservable nonlinear dynamics to the readily observable pattern dynamics. We also show that the space-time patterns produced by the simulations lead to a scale-invariant hierarchy of patterns, similar to other nonlinear systems. We point out that a similar program of simulations has been very successful in weather forecasting, in which current and past observations of weather patterns are routinely extrapolated forward in time via numerical simulations in order to forecast future weather patterns.
Health Measurement in the Third Era of Health

When writing about "the second epidemiologic revolution," Terris discussed 2 eras in health. The first era-the communicable disease era-began during ancient times and continues today; the second era-the chronic disease era-began during the 20th century, particularly among the industrialized nations. Although neither revolution against these types of diseases is complete, we have made such considerable progress that substantial and growing segments of the population no longer regard disease as the only, or even the primary, health problem. Increasingly, the goal is a long and fruitful life, not simply the absence of disease. That potential and the effort to achieve it compose the third era of health, and a proposed new measure of health is outlined in this article.
Media Review: Organization and Administration in Higher Education

(2014). Media Review: Organization and Administration in Higher Education. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice: Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 343-345.
Magnetic field induced quantum dot brightening in liquid crystal synergized magnetic and semiconducting nanoparticle composite assemblies

The design and development of multifunctional composite materials from artificial nano-constituents is one of the most compelling current research areas. This drive to improve over nature and produce ‘meta-materials’ has met with some success, but results have proven limited with regards to both the demonstration of synergistic functionalities and in the ability to manipulate the material properties post-fabrication and in situ. Here, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and semiconducting quantum dots (QDs) are co-assembled in a nematic liquid crystalline (LC) matrix, forming composite structures in which the emission intensity of the quantum dots is systematically and reversibly controlled with a small applied magnetic field (<100 mT). This magnetic field-driven brightening, ranging between a two- to three-fold peak intensity increase, is a truly cooperative effect: the LC phase transition creates the co-assemblies, the clustering of the MNPs produces LC re-orientation at atypical low external field, and this re-arrangement produces compaction of the clusters, resulting in the detection of increased QD emission. These results demonstrate a synergistic, reversible, and an all-optical process to detect magnetic fields and additionally, as the clusters are self-assembled in a fluid medium, they offer the possibility for these sensors to be used in broad ranging fluid-based applications.
UGT1A and Irinotecan Toxicity: Keeping It in the Family

Janelle M. Hoskins, Institute of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy; and Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Howard L. McLeod, Institute of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy; Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy; and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
MOUSETRAP: High-Speed Transition-Signaling Asynchronous Pipelines

An asynchronous pipeline style is introduced for high-speed applications, called MOUSETRAP. The pipeline uses standard transparent latches and static logic in its datapath, and small latch controllers consisting of only a single gate per pipeline stage. This simple structure is combined with an efficient and highly-concurrent event-driven protocol between adjacent stages. Post-layout SPICE simulations of a ten-stage pipeline with a 4-bit wide datapath indicate throughputs of 2.1-2.4 GHz in a 0.18-mum TSMC CMOS process. Similar results were obtained when the datapath width was extended to 16 bits. This performance is competitive even with that of wave pipelines, without the accompanying problems of complex timing and much design effort. Additionally, the new pipeline gracefully and robustly adapts to variable speed environments. The pipeline stages are extended to fork and join structures, to handle more complex system architectures.
Predictability of Tropical Pacific Decadal Variability in an Intermediate Model

Abstract The Zebiak–Cane (ZC) model for simulation of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation is shown to be capable of producing sequences of variability that exhibit shifts in the time-mean state of the eastern equatorial Pacific that resemble observations of tropical Pacific decadal variability. The model's performance in predicting these shifts is compared to two naive forecasting strategies. It is found that the ZC model consistently outperforms the two naive forecasts that serve as a null hypothesis in assessing the significance of results. Forecasts initialized during anomalously warm and anomalously cold decades are shown to have the highest predictability. These modeling results suggest that, to a moderate extent, the state of the tropical Pacific in one decade can predetermine its time-mean state in the following decade. However, even in this idealized context decadal forecasting skill is modest. Results are discussed in the context of their implications for the ongoing debate over the origin of decada...
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: From External to Internal Environments

Ambient airborne particulate matter has associated with it thousands of organic compounds (Graedel et al.,1986). These compounds are derived from primary emissions, secondary reactions from gas-phase components to yield particulate-bound species, and reactions on the particulates themselves. In attempting to assess the health impacts of particulate-bound organic matter, one might consider acute or chronic human illness as end points. Our studies have largely focused upon carcinogenic substances thought to be associated with the chronic disease cancer.
Truncal Vagotomy: Surgical Legacy Technique

Truncal vagotomy is rarely indicated as an adjunct to management of refractory duodenal ulcer disease or during performation of other procedures. This chapter details performance of open truncal vagotomy.
Anesthesia for Fish

In fish, the most common purpose of anesthesia is to facilitate handling for physical examination and diagnostic sampling. Fish may also be transported to new locations more safely having been sedated. The author describes techniques of anesthesia in fish as well as the biologic characteristics of fish.
Medical Marijuana Use in Oncology: A Review

Medicinal marijuana use is currently legal in 23 US states and the District of Columbia. As more states approve marijuana use for medical indications, physicians will be asked by their patients for more information regarding the risks and benefits of use. This article reviews the history, adverse effects, and proposed mechanisms of action of marijuana and summarizes the available literature regarding symptom relief and therapeutic value in patients with cancer. Observations: Marijuana in oncology may have potential for use as an antiemetic, for refractory cancer pain, and as an antitumor agent. However, much of the data are based on animal data, small trials, or are outdated. Conclusions and relevance: More research is needed in all areas related to the therapeutic use of marijuana in oncology.
Moving Beyond Disciplinary Differences in Group Research

This forum investigates two questions: How can scholars use comments outside their discipline to enhance their research? How can scholars from different disciplines integrate methodological differences to enhance group research?
High Temperature Dielectric Properties of Sol-Gel Derived Thick PZT thin Films with Different Zr/Ti Atom Ratios

PZT thin films of different thicknesses and Zr/Ti ratios of 60/40, 52/48 and 45/55 were coated onto platinized silicon substrates by using 2 methoxyethanol (2-MOE) based sol-gel spinon technique and crystallized with a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. XRD analysis revealed that thin PZT films exhibit random texture, while the thicker ones exhibit (100) texture, which was independent of composition. Dielectric constants and dissipation factors of PZT thin films were measured at elevated temperatures and as a function of frequency. For films with a thickness of ∼ 4 μm, the Curie points are at 350, 375 and 422°C for Zr/Ti ratios of 60/40, 52/48 and 45/55, respectively. All these films exhibit a high remnant polarization. A remnant polarization of 35 μC/cm2 had been achieved for the 60/40 films. No enhancement of the dielectric constant was observed in films with a composition close to MPB. The higher dielectric constant observed in films with the highest Zr content was explained by the concept of domain engineering.
Hanno Hardt: ‘Out of the Reach of Words’: A Tribute to Hanno Hardt (1935–2011)

An internationally renowned scholar, Professor Hanno Hardt played a pivotal role in the development of critical media studies. His research in critical theory, labor history, and cultural studies i...
Fishing for community and culture: the value of fisheries in rural Alaska

In Alaska, fishing provides important economic and socio-cultural benefits for rural communities. This paper presents some of the findings from a research project that investigated the role of commercial and subsistence fishing in the maintenance of economic and social viability, and the ways in which residents of rural communities in Alaska value fishing. Three rural fishing communities in Alaska served as case studies for this project: Chenega Bay in Prince William Sound, Kokhanok in Bristol Bay, and Tyonek in Cook Inlet. In all three communities, both old and young residents note that younger people are not participating in fishing as much as they did in the past, and there is concern that fishing traditions will not continue. However, research findings show how important fishing is as a social, cultural, and community activity for families. Residents noted fishing provided for a quality of life that included values associated with family, community, culture, and freedom.
Electrostatically controlled swelling and adsorption of polyelectrolyte brush-grafted nanoparticles to the solid/liquid interface.

Adsorption of 20 nm diameter silica nanoparticles grafted with a high density brush of the weak polymeric base poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (SiO2-g-PDMAEMA) to the silica/aqueous interface was investigated using ellipsometry and streaming potential measurements. We measured SiO2-g-PDMAEMA adsorption to negatively charged silica surfaces in 1–100 mM sodium chloride solutions in the pH range 5–10 to investigate the role of electrostatics in the adsorption mechanism. In this system pH and ionic strength determine not only the charge density of the silica adsorption substrate but also the degree of ionization and swelling of the PDMAEMA brushes on the nanoparticles, resulting in nonmonotonic dependences of the extent of adsorption on pH and ionic strength. SiO2-g-PDMAEMA displays significantly different adsorption behavior from the linear PDMAEMA analogue, most notably in terms of a strongly hysteretic adsorption response to altered pH and a greater tendency to adsorb under weak surface attractio...
Problem of New Socialist Countryside Vegetation Construction in Loess Hilly and Gully Regions of Northern Shaanxi

In order to promote new countryside vegetation construction healthy development in loess hilly and gully regions of northern Shaanxi,an investigation had been done and found 3 main problems in the process of new countryside vegetation construction.The first problem was evergreen trees usually been chosen at first,and most species were conifer,such as pine,cypress.These evergreen species had adverse effect on the local fruit,such as apple and pear industry development.The second problem was imitated the urban greening,keen to build squares and lawn,caused the pastoral,traditional culture and others of the village characters disappeared.The third problem was trees and grasses species relatively simple,and most were exotic species,not reflected the regional characteristics,and the trees and grasses species collocation were not reasonable,there were mutual restraint.The authors proposed that the native vegetations should be main vegetations in the process of new countryside vegetation construction,trees and grasses should be arranged reasonable,and characteristic of countryside and region should be stand out.
Simulation analysis of chain failures based on relay protection UD modeling

Electric power protection and control system model fail to accurately present the action logic of relay protection,chain failures,therefore,are difficult to simulate.This paper introduces the simulation analysis of chain failures based on relay protection and security automatic equipment UD modeling,establishes relay protection and security automatic equipment model and carries out simulation calculation of chain failures in PSASP.Simulation results show that the simulation analysis of chain failures based on relay protection UD modeling reflects the real action logic of relay protection and dynamic action of electric power system and realizes the simulation analysis of chain failures.
Left-to-right systolic and diastolic ventricular interactions are dependent on right ventricular volume

Three-compartment elastance modeling predicts that the magnitude of gain is solely dependent on the ratio of free wall and septal elastances. However, when nonlinearities in pressure-volume relationships are considered, the same model predicts that gain is load dependent. We therefore studied left-to-right ventricular interactions in the isolated cross-perfused canine heart preparation to determine whether, in fact, right ventricular volume modulates left-to-right ventricular interaction. We found that left-to-right systolic gain increased from 0.035 +/- 0.022 to 0.073 +/- 0.017 (P = 0.003) and left-to-right diastolic gain increased from 0.067 +/- 0.050 to 0.186 +/- 0.097 (P = 0.03) in response to increased right ventricular volume. This degree of volume dependency of gain is predicted by the three-compartment model when measured nonlinearities in time-varying elastance are taken into account. Future studies will need to account for changes in loading conditions when interpreting changes in systolic and diastolic interactions.
Religious Involvement and Depression: The Mediating Effect of Relational Spirituality

Multiple studies have examined the relationship between religious involvement and depression. Many of these investigations reveal a negative correlation between these constructs. Several others yield either no association or a positive correlation. In this article, we discuss possible explanations for these discrepant findings. We investigate the degree to which relational spirituality factors mediate the relationship between religious involvement and depression in a sample of graduate students. Results indicated that spiritual instability and disappointment in God were distinct predictors of depression over and above the predictive strength of religious involvement. Implications for training and conceptualization are discussed.
Abstract LB-031: Generation of inducible oncogenic chromosomal translocations using CRISPR-Cas9 genomic editing

Specific, reciprocal chromosomal translocations are found in numerous cancers, typically leading to the formation and expression of fusion genes with oncogenic properties. It has been demonstrated that by inducing double-stranded breaks (DSBs) in genomic DNA, using either zinc fingers nucleases (ZF), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), or the CRISPR-Cas9 system, it is possible to faithfully recapitulate such chromosomal translocations in human cell lines. A potential pitfall is that the induction of the chromosomal translocation generates a constitutively active oncogenic fusion product, which can be detrimental to cell growth or viability in certain heterologous cell types. To overcome these obstacles, we have combined homology directed repair (HDR) with CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to generate conditionally inducible chromosomal translocations. As proof of principle, we have used this approach to engineer human cell lines to carry the molecular hallmark present in Ewing Sarcoma, the t(11;22)(q24;q12) translocation. Our approach allows for the de novo generation and capture of the desired chromosomal translocation in the context of a conditional allele. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) confirmed the accuracy of our genomic editing approach, whilst analysis of mRNA and protein levels confirmed the selective inducibility and generation of biologically functional EWSR1-FLI1 fusion oncogene. Therefore, our approach establishes an innovative platform for constructing isogenic and conditionally inducible biologically relevant models for a variety of cancers driven by chromosomal translocations. Citation Format: Lee Spraggon, Luciano Martelotto, Julija Hmeljak, Emily Slotkin, Lu Wang, Jorge Reis-Filho, Marc Ladanyi. Generation of inducible oncogenic chromosomal translocations using CRISPR-Cas9 genomic editing. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-031.
Mapping growth windows in quaternary perovskite oxide systems by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy

Requisite to growing stoichiometric perovskite thin films of the solid-solution A′1-xAxBO3 by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy is understanding how the growth conditions interpolate between the end members A'BO3 and ABO3, which can be grown in a self-regulated fashion, but under different conditions. Using the example of La1-xSrxVO3, the two-dimensional growth parameter space that is spanned by the flux of the metal-organic precursor vanadium oxytriisopropoxide and composition, x, was mapped out. The evolution of the adsorption-controlled growth window was obtained using a combination of X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, reflection high-energy electron-diffraction (RHEED), and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. It is found that the stoichiometric growth conditions can be mapped out quickly with a single calibration sample using RHEED. Once stoichiometric conditions have been identified, the out-of-plane lattice parameter can be utilized to precisely determine the composition x. This strategy e...
Mathematics Performance Assessment: Discovering Why Some Items or Rubrics Don’t Measure Up

AbstractThis study examines the quality of mathematics performance assessment items and scoring rubrics at the middle school level. A total of 53 items on an assessment instrument aligned with key features of mathematics reform such as problem solving, reasoning, and communication were analyzed to identify features of the items and rubrics that tended to be related to how well an item functioned on the assessment instrument. A qualitative analysis of student responses to three items was undertaken to further explore the problematic features. Based on the results of both analyses, scoring rubrics were revised so as to produce a more valid assessment of students’ knowledge of mathematical concepts. The findings suggested five major issues important in the development and use of performance assessments in classrooms: the creation of well-defined criteria that accurately assess understanding of mathematical concepts, the consistency in applying rubric criteria across items, the range of points in the rubric, ...
Successful design of biometric tests in a constrained environment

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with participation of the biometrics community, conducts evaluations of biometrics-based verification and identification systems. Of these, one of the more challenging is that of automated matching of latent fingerprints. There are many special challenges involved. First, since participation in these tests is voluntary and at the expense of the participant, NIST needs to exercise moderation in what, and how much, software is requested. As a result, it may not be possible to design tests which cover and resolve all possible outcomes. Conclusions may have to be inferred from studies that have limited results.
Common and heritable components of white matter microstructure predict cognitive function at 1 and 2 y

Previous studies indicate that the microstructure of individual white matter (WM) tracts is related to cognitive function. More recent studies indicate that the microstructure of individual tracts is highly correlated and that a property common across WM is related to overall cognitive function in adults. However, little is known about whether these common WM properties exist in early childhood development or how they are related to cognitive development. In this study, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate common underlying factors in 12 fiber tracts, their relationship with cognitive function, and their heritability in a longitudinal sample of healthy children at birth (n = 535), 1 y (n = 322), and 2 y (n = 244) of age. Our data show that, in neonates, there is a highly significant correlation between major WM tracts that decreases from birth to 2 y of age. Over the same period, the factor structure increases in complexity, from one factor at birth to three factors at age 2 y, which explain 50% of variance. The identified common factors of DTI metrics in each age group are significantly correlated with general cognitive scores and predict cognitive ability in later childhood. These factors are moderately heritable. These findings illustrate the anatomical differentiation of WM fiber from birth to 2 y of age that correlate with cognitive development. Our results also suggest that the common factor approach is an informative way to study WM development and its relationship with cognition and is a useful approach for future imaging genetic studies.
Soil microbial community responses to long-term land use intensification in subtropical grazing lands

Abstract Land use intensification often results in modification in plant cover and nutrient inputs with subsequent potential effects on composition and structure of soil microbial community and fractions. The objective of this study was to understand the long-term (> 22 yr) impacts of land use intensification (introduction of productive vegetation type, greater N fertilizer input and stocking rate) on soil microbial community composition and activity in Florida grazing lands. Experimental sites consisted of a gradient of management intensities ranging from native rangeland (lowest), silvopasture (intermediate), to sown pasture (highest). Increasing management intensity from native rangeland to sown promoted microbial biomass and activity. At the 0–10 cm, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) concentration was greater in sown pasture (334 mg kg− 1) compared to silvopasture and native rangeland (193 and 232 mg kg− 1, respectively). Similarly, potentially mineralizable C (PMC) increased in response to grazing land intensification (1.2 mg CO2-C kg− 1 d− 1 for sown pastures vs. 0.5 and 0.6 mg CO2-C kg− 1 d− 1 for native rangeland and silvopasture, respectively). Sown pastures exhibited the greatest levels of β-glucosidase activity (203 nmol g− 1 soil h.− 1) and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomass (222 μmol kg− 1 soil) compared to native rangeland and silvopasture. Results also demonstrated greater relative abundance of bacteria and less fungi as land use intensification increased from native rangeland to silvopasture or sown pasture. Our study indicated that long-term land use intensification affected the size, activity, and composition of soil microbial community in subtropical grazing lands.
Re: Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in an Employed Population as Determined by Analysis of Three Data Sources.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare estimates of the prevalence and incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) using various data sources. METHODS We integrated health risk assessment (HRA), claims, and biometric screening data from Lockheed Martin Corporation. We measured the extent to which MetS risk factors measured using HRA and medical claims correlated with biometric screening data. RESULTS Using biometric data, 24.9% of employees were identified as having MetS. Prevalence estimates were much lower using HRA data (6.8%) and claims (3.7%). Between 2012 and 2014, 10.4% of the sample newly acquired MetS. The number of MetS risk factors per employee was predictive of diabetes, heart disease, health care costs, and utilization. CONCLUSION MetS is prevalent and associated with progression to disease. It is more easily tracked with biometric screening data than with HRA or claims data. Employers should consider efforts to manage and prevent this condition in their workforce.
A Thirty-Year Experience With Head and Neck Flap Reconstruction

BACKGROUND Head and neck (HN) defects after tumor extirpation can be challenging to repair. Historically, pedicled flaps were the mainstay for reconstruction, but recently, free tissue transfer has been preferred. This study compares patient characteristics and flap outcomes for HN defects over a 30-year period at the authors' institution. METHODS Head and neck cancer patients receiving flap reconstruction from 1983 to 2013 were included. Records were reviewed for demographic and perioperative data. Flap complications were compared and statistical tests were 2-tailed with a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS Eight hundred sixty-one patients fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pedicled reconstruction predominated during early time-points (96.3% pedicled), compared with later years (69.5% free-tissue). Free flaps were associated with significantly longer operative times (643.5 versus 429.7 minutes, P<0.0001) and postoperative stays (16.89 versus 14.01 nights, P = 0.0005) and had higher rates of emergent reoperation, total flap loss, hematoma, and donor site morbidity. Previous irradiation did not affect major complication rate for either flap type. CONCLUSIONS A shift from pedicled to free flaps for HN reconstruction occurred over the last 30 years. Free flaps had a higher complication profile in this cohort, which was largely accounted for by a higher return rate to the operating room compared with pedicled flaps (17.31% versus 5.46%, P<0.0001). Additionally, this complication profile may reflect the increasingly common use of free tissue flaps for more complex reconstructions. Several of these differences in complication rates between flap types were no longer significant in the last 5 years of this study.
How We Get Somewhere Religiously: Religious Education and Deconversion

AbstractEngaging the work of Robert Kegan, Mary C. Boys, and John Caputo, this article explores whether disaffiliation, or more accurately deconversion, might be one possible outcome of successful religious education forming a mature religious consciousness for postmodernity's changing religious landscape. Through a presentation of deconversion literature alongside a trialogue of these developmental, philosophical, and religious educational theories, the article critically and experimentally constructs a religious educational discourse for the changing space we find ourselves in, and suggests deconversion research offers significant theological and practical material for reflection on how we might be getting somewhere religiously.
Family Medicine in Ethiopia: Lessons from a Global Collaboration.

Background Building the capacity of local health systems to provide high-quality, self-sustaining medical education and health care is the central purpose for many global health partnerships (GHPs). Since 2001, our global partner consortium collaborated to establish Family Medicine in Ethiopia; the first Ethiopian family physicians graduated in February 2016. Methods The authors, representing the primary Ethiopian, Canadian, and American partners in the GHP, identified obstacles, accomplishments, opportunities, errors, and observations from the years preceding residency launch and the first 3 years of the residency. Results Common themes were identified through personal reflection and presented as lessons to guide future GHPs. LESSON 1: Promote Family Medicine as a distinct specialty. LESSON 2: Avoid gaps, conflict, and redundancy in partner priorities and activities. LESSON 3: Building relationships takes time and shared experiences. LESSON 4: Communicate frequently to create opportunities for success. LESSON 5: Engage local leaders to build sustainable, long-lasting programs from the beginning of the partnership. Conclusions GHPs can benefit individual participants, their organizations, and their communities served. Engaging with numerous partners may also result in challenges-conflicting expectations, misinterpretations, and duplication or gaps in efforts. The lessons discussed in this article may be used to inform GHP planning and interactions to maximize benefits and minimize mishaps.
Abstract 2220: Fast Versus Slow Recoverers Following Acute Ischemic Stroke

INTRODUCTION: Prior work has identified that the majority of acute hemiparetic patients recover a very predictable (adjusted R2=0.85) 70% of their maximum potential recovery on the Fugl-Meyer Upper...
Peer Support and the HIV Continuum of Care: Results from a Multi-Site Randomized Clinical Trial in Three Urban Clinics in the United States

Racial/ethnic minorities living with HIV and behavioral health co-morbidities are more likely to be disengaged from HIV primary care. Peer programs have been effective in HIV outreach and prevention but effectiveness of such programs for retention in care and viral suppression is understudied. Subjects (n = 348) were randomized in equal allocation to a peer navigation and education intervention versus standard clinical care at three urban clinics in the United States. The intervention group received seven structured interventions plus weekly contact to address medical and social needs. Primary outcomes included time-to-first 4-month gap in HIV care and viral suppression up to 12 months of follow-up. Intention-to-treat analysis showed no difference between groups on 4-month gap in HIV primary care, but subgroup analysis showed a suggestive effect of the peer intervention in reducing gaps in care among stably housed subjects. Fully compliant subjects in the peer intervention experienced significantly fewer 4-month gaps in HIV primary care (p < 0.0001). Those in the peer group who had more clinical face-to-face encounters in the first 3 months were also significantly more likely to have better retention in care (p = 0.04). There were no significant differences between any study subgroups in viral suppression at 12 months. Peer interventions may improve retention in primary care among subgroups of people living with HIV from racial/ethnic minority communities, although such improved retention may not increase viral load suppression. Attending and completing structured educational sessions along with early, intensive contact with peers could improve retention in HIV primary care for patients. Future peer programs should consider training on housing referral systems to help increase retention for patients who are not stably housed. clinicaltrials.gov registration number: NCT01616940.
Blast-resilience of honeycomb sandwich panels

Abstract Well-designed honeycomb sandwich panels are known to have superior blast performance compared to their corresponding solid panel of the same mass. However, the residual structural capacity of honeycomb sandwich panels and their blast resilience has not been systematically studied. Here, we investigate the structural behavior of all-metal honeycomb sandwich panels after shock loading using detailed numerical simulations. The initial shock is varied from relatively small intensities to moderate intensities sufficient to create material failure and significant plastic deformation in the panel. The structural response of the shock-loaded panels is investigated under quasi-static punch indentation and in-plane compression. The maximum load carrying and energy absorption capacities of shock-loaded panels are quantified for a wide range of initial shock intensities and different panel core densities. Failure maps for the honeycomb panels were constructed for each quasi-static loading condition by considering three failure modes: core failure, face sheet failure, and total panel detachment from its support. This study provides new insights into the behavior and structural resilience of the shock-loaded sandwich panels, while further highlighting their potential in the development of resilient structural systems.
Robust human-computer interaction system guiding a user by providing feedback

We introduce a human-computer interaction system which collaborates with a user by providing feed-back during user activities. The goal of the system is to help a user complete a high-level activity that has been represented hierarchically. While a user is performing the high-level activity, our system analyzes what sub-events a user has already completed and what sub-events are needed next in order for the user to finish the activity. The representations of human activities are constructed using a previously developed context-free grammar based representation scheme. We focus on a game named 'pentagram game' to illustrate our system. In the experiments, our system showsthe ability to guide the user to complete the 'pentagram game' by providing explicit feedback. The feedback not only contains atomic level instructions but also describes higher-level long-term goals of the composite activities.
Refined Single-Threading for Parallel Functional Programming

Fortran, C and C++ are three dominant languages used in scientific computation. As a result, derivatives of these languages prevail in parallel computation as well. However, imperative languages do not naturally support parallelism. Functional languages, such as EPL, SISAL, Haskell, etc. [11] isolate the programmer from the complexities of parallel programming. These languages expose implicit parallelism through data independence. Functional programs that run correctly on a single processor are guaranteed to run correctly on any multiprocessor regardless of architecture.
Morbid Curiosity and Monstrous (Re)Visions: Zombies, Sea Monsters, and Readers (Re)Writing Jane Austen

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the new genre of the literary mash-up by situating Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2009) and Ben H. Winter’s Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters...
The Outlaw David ben Jesse: Reading David as Geronimo in exile?

Descriptions of the years before David becomes King, particularly the narratives of 1 Samuel 19-30, have often emphasized David as a kind of “rebel” leader in relation to Saul’s attempts to capture him. However, when read in conjunction of Eric Hobsbawm’s famous concept of “Social Banditry”, these “rebel” or “outlaw” themes take on a more serious tone. Reading the Biblical narratives next to the events surrounding the famous Native-American leader Geronimo only serves to further highlight the potential significance of “outlaw” themes in the Samuel narratives. However, when the widely noted “superscriptions” on some of the “Davidic” Psalms are brought into the discussion, more serious evidence emerges for an actual historical-textual interest, perhaps during the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods, in David’s “outlaw” life as a period of particular interest to exiles. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2018/v31n3a20
Non-Abelian basis tensor gauge theory

Basis tensor gauge theory is a vierbein analog reformulation of ordinary gauge theories in which the difference of local field degrees of freedom has the interpretation of an object similar to a Wilson line. Here we present a non-Abelian basis tensor gauge theory formalism. Unlike in the Abelian case, the map between the ordinary gauge field and the basis tensor gauge field is nonlinear. To test the formalism, we compute the beta function and the two-point function at the one-loop level in non-Abelian basis tensor gauge theory and show that it reproduces the well-known results from the usual formulation of non-Abelian gauge theory.
Connectivity at the origins of domain specificity in the cortical face and place networks

It is well established that the adult brain contains a mosaic of domain-specific networks. But how do these domain-specific networks develop? Here we tested the hypothesis that the brain comes prewired with connections that precede the development of domain-specific function. Using resting-state fMRI in the youngest sample of newborn humans tested to date, we indeed found that cortical networks that will later develop strong face selectivity (including the "proto" occipital face area and fusiform face area) and scene selectivity (including the "proto" parahippocampal place area and retrosplenial complex) by adulthood, already show domain-specific patterns of functional connectivity as early as 27 d of age (beginning as early as 6 d of age). Furthermore, we asked how these networks are functionally connected to early visual cortex and found that the proto face network shows biased functional connectivity with foveal V1, while the proto scene network shows biased functional connectivity with peripheral V1. Given that faces are almost always experienced at the fovea, while scenes always extend across the entire periphery, these differential inputs may serve to facilitate domain-specific processing in each network after that function develops, or even guide the development of domain-specific function in each network in the first place. Taken together, these findings reveal domain-specific and eccentricity-biased connectivity in the earliest days of life, placing new constraints on our understanding of the origins of domain-specific cortical networks.
Application of lower lip mncosa for hypospadias repair

Objective To investigate the efficacy of using lower lip mucosa as graft in complex hypospadias repair.Methods Between Mar 2006 and Oct 2009,24 patients aged 2.2 to 14 years old (mean age:7.2 years)with complex hypospadias underwent urethra reconstruction using lower lip mucosa.Of the 24 patients,14 patients had a history of failed previous hypospadias repair and presented with bulk irregular scar around penile shaft,severe urethral stricture or diverticulum,and severe cordee remaining or long distance urethral defect with cystostomy.On these patients,glans,foreskin and correct penile cordee reconstruction was performed at the first stage;6 months later,neourethra was reconstructed with lower lip mucosa at the second stage.The 10 patients with perineal hypospadias underwent orthopedic operation for severe cordee.scrotal translocation and partial urethral reconstruction using urethral plate.Neourethra was reconstructed 6 months later with lower lip mucosa. Results The satisfactory cosmetic results such as normal penis appearance,no visible curvature of shaft,meatus opened at top of glans without irregular scar and voiding difficulty,were achieved in all patients.Fistula was noted in 9 cases,and 2 of them closed spontaneously,the Other 7 closed by operation 6 months later.Urethral stricture was resolved by urethral dilation in 6 patients.No lower lip bleeding was found after the operation.Conclusions It can achieve satisfactory outcome using lower lip mucosa to reconstruct neourethra for complex hyposioadias repair. Key words: Hypospadias; Mouth mucosa; Urologic surgical procedures
Anti-TNF agents and potential effects on male fertility: are men being counseled?

Adult men with autoimmune conditions are commonly prescribed anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents; however, there is a paucity of quality evidence as to their effect on male fertility (e.g. semen parameters and sperm quality). Our objective was to determine if men with autoimmune conditions are being counseled regarding the unknown reproductive effects of anti-TNF agents prior to initiation of therapy. A retrospective analysis of 1010 male patients age 18–45 who were prescribed an anti-TNF agent were assessed for (1) receipt of counseling regarding potential reproductive effects; (2) screening for anatomic or laboratory abnormalities associated with infertility; (3) election for sperm cryopreservation. Only 10.3% of men received counseling, and this was not associated with age (p = 0.77). Those who received counseling were significantly more likely to have a genitourinary exam performed, be assessed for presence of a varicocele, be asked about or endorse low libido or erectile dysfunction, have a testosterone, LH, FSH, or prolactin level checked, and have a semen analysis performed (all, p < 0.0001). Rates of sperm cryopreservation were low, but statistically higher in men who received counseling (5.77% (+) counseling, 1.10% (−) counseling) (p = 0.002). The limited current literature lacks a consensus regarding the short- and long-term male reproductive effects of anti-TNF therapy. Despite this lack of clarity, rates of pre-initiation counseling were low. Rates of sperm cryopreservation, while improved in the counseled group remained low, suggesting prescribing physicians may be unaware of this option for patients.
Anatomical Considerations for Endovascular Intervention for Extracranial Carotid Disease: A Review of the Literature and Recommended Guidelines

Patient selection for endovascular intervention in extracranial carotid disease is centered on vascular anatomy. We review anatomical considerations for non-traumatic disease and offer guidelines in patient selection and management. We conducted a systematic literature review without meta-analysis for studies involving anatomical considerations in extracranial carotid intervention for non-traumatic disease. Anatomical considerations discussed included aortic arch variants, degree of vessel stenosis, angulation, tortuosity, and anomalous origins, and atheromatous plaque morphology, composition, and location. Available literature suggests that anatomical risks of morbidity are largely secondary to increased procedural times and difficulties in intervention system delivery. We recommend the prioritization of endovascular techniques on an individual basis in cases where accessible systems and surgeon familiarity provide an acceptable likelihood of rapid access and device deployment.
The application of indocyanine green (ICG) and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging for assessment of the lymphatic system in reconstructive lymphaticovenular anastomosis surgery

Lymphedema has traditionally been managed through noninvasive means with complete decongestive therapy. However, complete decongestive therapy is an intensive program that requires lifelong adheren...