cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A unilateral functioning uterine anlage with Müllerian duct agenesis.

The case reports of two female adolescents with congenital absence of the Mullerian ducts and a unilaterally enlarged uterine anlage containing functioning endometrial tissue are presented. The clinical manifestations may vary depending upon the delay in diagnosis after the onset of endometrial shedding within the anlage. A high index of suspicion and proper diagnostic evaluation may prevent unnecessary hospitalization. In our experience, prompt removal of the functioning uterine anlage affords complete relief of the symptoms.
Infections in long-term-care residents

Assessment of possible infection in elderly patients in long-term-care facilities is facilitated by considering functional status, temperature, and signs of dehydration. A complete blood cell count may be useful; a white blood cell count above 14,000/μL, the presence of 90% neutrophils or more, or an elevated band count is strongly indicative of infection. New or worsening signs and symptoms referable to the urinary tract are the only reliable indicators of urinary tract infection in these patients. Only about 40% to 60% of elderly residents with lower respiratory tract infections will have typical symptoms of cough, dyspnea, fever, or rales. Clostridium difficile infection should be considered a strong possibility in patients with diarrhea who have received antibiotics within the previous 4 to 6 weeks.
A scenario-directed computational framework to aid decision-making and systems development

Scenarios are narratives that illustrate future possibilities or existing systems, and help policy makers and system designers choose among alternative courses of action. Scenario-based decision-making crosses many domains and multiple perspectives. Domain-specific techniques for encoding, simulating, and manipulating scenarios exist, however there is no scenario representation capable of supporting the wide spectrum of formality from executable simulation to free-form text to streaming media descriptions. The claim of this research is that there is a computer readable scenario framework that can capture the semantics of a problem domain and make scenarios an active part of decision making. This dissertation describes a scenario ontology derived by examining alternate forms of narrative: thought experiments, mental models, case-based reasoning, use cases, design patterns, screenwriting, film editing, intelligent agents, and other narrative domains. The scenario conceptual model was based on an analysis of forms of narrative and the activities of storytelling. This method separates what a narrative is from how it is used. The research contribution is the development of the Hyperscenario Framework. A hyperscenario is a scenario representation containing link structures for navigation between scenario elements. The Hyperscenario Framework consists of the scenario ontology, scenario grammar, and a scenario specification called Scenario Markup Language (SCML). The results of the web-enabled simulation experiment validate the improvement on decision-making due to the Hyperscenario Framework.
Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of Pseudomembranous colitis

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of pseudomembranous colitis (PMC). Data Sources: A MEDLINE search (January 1966-April 2000, updated July 2001) of English-languagemedical literature was conducted. Key search terms included Saccharomyces boulardii, pseudomembranous colitis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and Clostridium difficile. Additional information was obtained from pathophysiology and medical textbooks. Data Synthesis: S. boulardii is a nonpathogenic yeast used to treat and prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea, including PMC, a serious, sometimes refractory complication of antibacterial drug therapy. A literature search was conducted to determine its efficacy in preventing PMC. Conclusions: When administered in combination with standard treatments, S. boulardii does not appear to prevent the first relapse but does appear to reduce subsequent recurrences of probable PMC in patients experiencing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. It has also shown promise as monotherapy in preventing the development of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in patients not experiencing diarrhea. Further well-designed, controlled studies are needed.
Linguistic Communication: Theory and Definition

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of theory and definition in context to the linguistic communication. The sum of language as a communicatory system can be concluded into three indispensable characteristics. (1) There must be a set, or lexicon, of artificial signs. (2) These signs can be and are used as symbols; in other words, they are used on the conceptual level and without reference to a particular perceptual or behavioral instance of the item they signify. (3) There must be a grammar, that is, a set of conventional rules that govern the formation of sign combinations that have semantic content in addition to the meanings of the individual signs. The artificiality of signs and, thus, their communicatory status may be established only after prolonged observation in the wild. In the laboratory, it is a foregone conclusion that the signs are artificial as they are manmade and, as such, not a part of the subject's original behavioral repertoire. The use of signs as symbols by free-living organisms could be established only after a minute examination of their sign repertoire and the activities preceding and following the occurrence of specific signs. In the experimental situation, on the other hand, how the signs are being used can be discovered by certain questions, that is, by means of the very system of communication to which the subject is being introduced. The question of conformity to grammatical rules of sign combination is a good deal easier to decide.
Untangling the essence of bulk heterostructure organic solar cells: Why complex need not be complicated

The A new class of Macroelectronic devices appropriate for large area flexible electronics, supercapacitors, batteries, and solar cells rely on the biological dictum that ‘form defines function’ and use structural geometry to compensate for the poor intrinsic transport in materials processed at low temperature [1]. Bulk heterostructure solar cells with two intermixed polymers acting as the acceptor/donor layers provide a striking example of such biomimetic design. The optimization of this class of devices has long been stymied by a lack of theoretical tools and transport models that can treat the geometry of structure at par with transport characteristics and that does not resort to classical transport theories originally developed for spatially homogenous media. In this presentation, I will use theories of spinodal decomposition, geometric transform, and percolation models to demonstrate how simple ideas can untangle the complex (transport) geometry of BH solar cells [2–5]. Indeed, the essence of the most important aspects of organic solar cells like short circuit current [2–4], open circuit voltage [2], fill-factor, reliability [5], etc. can be described by no more than a few lines of algebra. Our approach allows an intuitive understanding of the essential features of performance and reliability of BH solar cells and establish the fundamental principle of optimization and trade-off that must dictate the design of such devices.
Direct observation of fluorescent complex formation of acridinium-anilide-thiophene triad with poly-l-glutamic acid

Abstract Conformational changes and self-assembly process of polypeptides and proteins are important for biological processes. In order to investigate such changes, we prepared a fluorescent probe, thiophene-phenylanilide-acridinium triad, and investigated its photophysical properties in aqueous solutions of poly- l -glutamic acid (PGA) at various pH levels. The triad displayed extremely weak emission in aqueous solution due to fast intramolecular electron transfer. In the acidic solution of PGA, the charge shift state (CSH) emission near 560 nm is significantly enhanced. The intensity of the CSH emission depends on the concentration, size, and conformation of PGA. Fluorescent microscope images reveal the size and shape of the super molecular structures and crystals formed by PGA-triad complexes in acidic conditions.
Deferred CEO Compensation and Firm Investment Decisions

For more than a decade, to reduce the agency problem, various ways have been examined on how to align the interest of manager with shareholders. However, evidence and empirical findings are conflicting on the agency problem. Recently, deferred compensation as one of incentive compensations draws the attention as a means to incentivize CEOs to make them work for the firm. However, it is still not evident if deferred compensation has effect on aligning CEOs with the firm’s goal possibly due to the issue on data. Therefore, the first essay investigates if deferred compensation has the effect on the agency problem and on the improvement of the firm performance after dealing with the data issue. This paper mainly aims to investigate if there is a non-linear relationship between the investment choice problem and the deferred compensation as Jensen and Meckling (1976) claim. This paper concludes that deferred compensation from NQDC table has positive and significant effect on the firm performance and the investment choice problem. Following McConnell and Servaes (1990), this paper finds the curvilinear relationship between Tobin’s Q and the deferred compensation and can confirm Jensen and Meckling (1976) theoretical application.
The fourth C.U. Ariëns Kappers lecture. The organization of the human circadian timing system.

The mammalian circadian timing system has three principal components; (1) photoreceptors and visual pathways mediating entrainment; (2) a pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus; and (3) efferent pathways coupling the suprachiasmatic nucleus to effector systems exhibiting circadian function. In most mammals there are two visual entraining pathways, a direct retinohypothalamic pathway terminating in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, for which the transmitter is unknown, and a secondary visual pathway, the geniculohypothalamic tract, from the intergeniculate leaflet of the lateral geniculate to the suprachiasmatic nucleus that is neuropeptide Y-producing. These pathways end in a distinct subdivision of the suprachiasmatic nucleus characterized by the presence of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide neurons. A second suprachiasmatic nucleus division does not receive visual afferents and is characterized by vasopressin neurons. The efferent projections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus are very restricted, predominantly to the hypothalamus. Although we have much less information on the human circadian timing system than on that of other animals, it seems clear that the human conforms to the general animal pattern in most features. There are, however, two significant differences. First, the largest neural component of the human suprachiasmatic nucleus is a population of neurotensin neurons found throughout the nucleus. Few, if any, neurotensin neurons are found in monkey or other mammals. Second, the human suprachiasmatic nucleus contains a large number of neuropeptide Y neurons located where the plexus arising from geniculate neuropeptide Y neurons is found in other mammals. This is unique and suggests that the geniculohypothalamic projection may be bypassed in the human. It also may imply that the functional organization of the human SCN is fundamentally different from that of other mammals. The function of the circadian timing system is to coordinate the activities of a series of homeostatic regulatory mechanisms with the control of behavioral state in a temporal pattern that facilitates adaptive behavior, including reproduction (Fig. 9). The function of this system, then, is to provide the appropriate physiological and behavioral background to facilitate adaptation and survival.
Evaluating Information Systems Offshore Project Success: Can Success and Failure Coexist?

ABSTRACTThis article addresses how the evaluation of information systems offshore projects can result in situations where success and failure may coexist. Based on multiple dyadic case studies across eight information systems offshore projects and taking into account both client and vendor stakeholder perspectives, we argue that both relational and outcome criteria should be considered in the evaluation of information systems offshore projects. We suggest that information systems offshore projects can be evaluated as a successful failure (relational success + outcome failure), or as a failed success (relational failure + outcome success), in addition to pure successes and failures. We discuss implications and also point to future research directions.
Distributed Fault Tolerant Linear System Solvers Based on Erasure Coding

We present efficient coding schemes and distributed implementations of erasure coded linear system solvers. Erasure coded computations belong to the class of algorithmic fault tolerance schemes. They are based on augmenting an input dataset, executing the algorithm on the augmented dataset, and in the event of a fault, recovering the solution from the corresponding augmented solution. This process can be viewed as the computational analog of erasure coded storage schemes. The proposed technique has a number of important benefits: (i) as the hardware platform scales in size and number of faults, our scheme yields increasing improvement in resource utilization, compared to traditional schemes; (ii) the proposed scheme is easy to code – the core algorithms remain the same; and (iii) the general scheme is flexible – accommodating a range of computation and communication tradeoffs. We present new coding schemes for augmenting the input matrix that satisfy the recovery equations of erasure coding with high probability in the event of random failures. These coding schemes also minimize fill (non-zero elements introduced by the coding block), while being amenable to efficient partitioning across processing nodes. We demonstrate experimentally that our scheme adds minimal overhead for fault tolerance, yields excellent parallel efficiency and scalability, and is robust to different fault arrival models.
An optimized co-formulation minimized quaternary ammonium compounds adsorption onto raw cotton disposable disinfecting wipes and maintained efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa:

The transmission of infectious agents can occur through secondary routes by contact with contaminated inanimate objects in clinical and food service settings. Effective disinfection of exposed surf...
Implementing SB 1953: 1998 into 2005

California’s hospitals are incredibly diverse. The list of owners includes not-for-profit organizations, investor-owned companies, general purpose local governments, special hospital districts, and agencies of the State, including universities. Some have a single, free-standing facility, but many consist of one or more campuses, each with multiple buildings. Some hospital owners own many facilities in different locations. Some have single buildings to which additions have been made over decades. Others consist of a single building without major renovations or additions.
Events for the application of measurement science to evaluate ground, aerial, and aquatic robots

This paper reports on three measurement science field exercises for evaluating ground, aerial, and aquatic robots. These events, conducted from February to June 2017, were conducted in close co-ordination with the responder community, standards organizations, manufacturers, and academia. Test data from a wide variety of robot platforms were gathered in a wide variety of standard and prototypical test methods ranging from mobility and manipulation to sensors and endurance.
Demanding Kin Relations, Adjustment Problems and Academic Achievement and Engagement among Low-Income, African American Adolescents

The investigation was an exploratory study that examined the association of externalizing and internalizing problems with school achievement and school engagement in a sample of African American mothers and adolescents (N = 200). The study also assessed whether demanding kin relations moderated the relations between these variables. Hypotheses were examined with structured interviews administered to mothers and adolescents. Results revealed that externalizing problems were negatively associated with adolescents’ school achievement. Also, the negative relations of externalizing problems with school achievement and school engagement were especially apparent in families with demanding kin relations. Additional research is needed on potential antecedents of demanding kin relations as well as the processes mediating the effects of negative relations with kin.
Abrogation of fluid suppression in intracranial postcontrast fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging: A clinical and phantom study

Postcontrast, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences are reported to be of variable value in veterinary and human neuroimaging. The source of hyperintensity in postcontrast-T2 FLAIR images is inconsistently reported and has implications for the significance of imaging findings. We hypothesized that the main source of increased signal intensity in postcontrast-T2 FLAIR images would be due to gadolinium leakage into adjacent fluid, and that the resulting gadolinium-induced T1 shortening causes reappearance of fluid hyperintensity, previously nulled on precontrast FLAIR images. A retrospective, descriptive study was carried out comparing T2 weighted, pre- and postcontrast T1 weighted and pre- and postcontrast weighted T2 FLAIR images in a variety of intracranial diseases in dogs and cats. A prospective, experimental, phantom, in vitro study was also done to compare the relative effects of gadolinium concentration on T2 weighted, T1 weighted, and FLAIR images. A majority of hyperintensities on postcontrast-T2 FLAIR images that were not present on precontrast FLAIR images were also present on precontrast T2 weighted images, and were consistent with normal or pathological fluid filled structures. Phantom imaging demonstrated increased sensitivity of FLAIR sequences to low concentrations of gadolinium compared to T1 weighted sequences. Apparent contrast enhancement on postcontrast-T2 FLAIR images often reflects leakage of gadolinium across normal or pathology specific barriers into fluid-filled structures, and hyperintensity may therefore represent normal fluid structures as well as pathological tissues. Findings indicated that postcontrast-T2 FLAIR images may provide insight into integrity of biological structures such as the ependymal and subarachnoid barriers that may be relevant to progression of disease.
Dense-Wavelength-Division Laser Micro-Particles: Fabrication and Imaging in Tissues

Small laser cavities embedded in biological systems are a novel contrast agent for biomedical research. Here we demonstrate the fabrication of highly multiplexed laser particles that can be imaged in tissue.
Crystal Nucleation in Flowing Polymer Melts

The crystallization of polymers either undergoing, or having recently undergone, flow is a means of affecting polymer morphology, and, as such, it is of special interest to the field of polymer processing. This is because virtually all of today’s processing methods involve flow of a polymer melt either prior to or during solidification. Since flow is such an integral part of commercial processing, it is important to understand the effect which it can have on crystal texture. With this knowledge, it will not only be possible to control final properties of the material but also it will be possible to avoid inadvertant occurrence of flow-induced crystallization.
The Accountability of Government Networks

Administrative agencies are networking with their counterparts worldwide.1 These "government networks," or, more generally, "transgovernmental regulatory networks," are attracting increasing attention and concern.2 For some, they herald a new and attractive form of global governance, enhancing the ability of States to work together to address common problems without the centralized bureaucracy of formal international institutions.3 They are fast, flexible, and decentralized?attributes that allow them to function particularly well in a rapidly changing information environment. For others, however, these networks portend a vast technocratic conspiracy?a shadowy world of regulators bent on "de-politicizing" global
Denaturing interaction between sickle hemoglobin and phosphatidylserine liposomes

It is hypothesized that abnormal interaction between sickle hemoglobin (HbS) and erythrocyte membrane lipid might promote deposition of denatured hemoglobin (hemichrome) on the membrane. We compared the interaction of HbS and normal HbA with large unilamellar phosphatidylserine (PS) liposomes under low salt/pH conditions. Admixture of oxyHb and dioleoyl-PS resulted in loss of absorbance at 412 nm, the apparent first order rate constant for which was .25 +/- 0.02 hour-1 for HbA and .85 +/- 0.18 hour-1 for HbS. This was ascribable largely to formation of metHb and hemichromes and was accompanied by some actual transfer of heme from hemoglobin to lipid phase. By comparison, admixture of oxyHb with liposomes made from bovine brain PS having unsaturated acyl chains promoted even faster absorbance loss if the starting liposomal material contained detectable peroxidation by-product. In such cases, actual heme destruction developed with accompanying liberation of free iron and promotion of lipidperoxidation. Fluorescence quenching experiments indicate that hemoglobin/lipid interaction is characterized by very rapid initial electrostatic interaction, followed by development of irreversible changes. Similar changes still occur under conditions of physiologic salt/pH, but they develop much more slowly. The 3.4-fold faster oxidation of HbS versus HbA on lipid observed here represents an additional augmentation of the disparity in oxidation rates for hemoglobins in solution (1.7-fold faster for HbS than for HbA) observed previously. The accelerated promotion of Hb denaturation resulting from lipid contact may help explain deposits of hemichrome on sickle red blood cell membranes, particularly because these cells are in double jeopardy by virtue of having both the mutant HbS and abnormal amounts of peroxidized membrane lipid.
Targeted Muscle Reinnervation in the Lower Leg: An Anatomical Study.

Background Targeted muscle reinnervation reroutes the ends of cut nerves to reinnervate small motor nerves of nearby muscles, with the goal of reducing neuroma pain and/or improving prosthesis function. Anatomical roadmaps for targeted muscle reinnervation have been established in the upper extremity and thigh, but not for the lower leg. Methods The major branch points of motor nerves and the motor entry points to muscles of the leg were dissected in five cadaver specimens. Leg length was defined as distance from the lateral femoral condyle to the lateral malleolus. The distances from the lateral femoral condyle to major branch points and motor entry points were recorded as percentages of leg length to identify targets for targeted muscle reinnervation. Results The tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus were both acceptable targets in the anterior compartment, with an average 4.4 motor entry points within 10 to 80 percent and 3.0 motor entry points within 20 to 80 percent leg length, respectively. The peroneus longus was the best target in the lateral compartment, with an average 5.8 motor entry points within 20 to 70 percent leg length. The gastrocnemius and soleus were both acceptable targets in the superficial posterior compartment, with an average 4.4 motor entry points within 0 to 40 percent and 6.2 motor entry points within 20 to 80 percent leg length, respectively for each muscle. The flexor digitorum longus was the best target in the deep posterior compartment, with an average 6.0 motor entry points within 30 to 90 percent leg length. Conclusions Targeted muscle reinnervation is technically feasible in the lower leg. This cadaveric study provides a roadmap for incision placement and identification of motor nerve targets.
Extracting Figures and Captions from Scientific Publications

Figures and captions convey essential information in scientific publications. As such, there is a growing interest in mining published figures and in utilizing their respective captions as a source of knowledge. There is also much interest in image captioning systems that can automatically generate captions for images, whose training requires large datasets of image-caption pairs. Notably, the first fundamental step of obtaining figures and captions from publications is neither well-studied nor yet well-addressed. In this paper, we introduce a new and effective system for figure and caption extraction, PDFigCapX. Unlike current methods that extract figures by handling raw encoded contents of PDF documents, we separate text from graphical contents and utilize layout information to detect and disambiguate figures and captions. Files containing the figures and their associated captions are then produced as output to the end-user. We test PDFigCapX on both a previously used generic dataset and on two new sets of publications within the biomedical domain. Our experiments and results show a significant improvement in performance compared to the state-of-the-art, and demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. Our system will be available for use at: https://www.eecis.udel.edu/~compbio/PDFigCapX.
Moving through the matrix: Promoting permeability for large carnivores in a human-dominated landscape

Abstract Landscape connectivity for wildlife populations is declining globally due to increasing development and habitat fragmentation. However, outside of full protection of undeveloped wildlife corridors, conservation planners have limited tools to identify the appropriate level of densification such that landscape permeability for wildlife is maintained. Here we sought to determine the development characteristics that contribute to movement potential in an exurban landscape for a large carnivore, the puma. We first fit a piecewise step-selection function from movement paths from 28 male pumas to identify threshold levels of development that produce barriers to movement. We then applied this threshold to projected housing densities of existing parcels under a full General Plan buildout scenario in Santa Cruz County to illustrate how parcels at risk of increasing above the puma movement threshold can be identified. Finally, we tested the relative importance of characteristics associated with parcels and the surrounding area on relative puma movement. We found that pumas exhibit avoidance of housing density that saturates at a threshold, and that puma utilization of parcels at risk of densification above this threshold is predicted by parcel area and the housing density and area of surrounding parcels. Our work suggests that maintaining permeability in developing landscapes is likely contingent on preventing densification and parcel subdivision in exurban areas. We discuss how our findings and approach can be used by conservation planners to promote landscape permeability in already partially developed landscapes.
The Civic Dimension of School Voucher Programs

America’s public schools have not been exempt from the movement to privatization and contracting out that has characterized government innovations over at least the past quarter century. A number o...
Current practices in the delivery of pharmacogenomics: Impact of the recommendations of the Pharmacy Practice Model Summit

PURPOSE This report examines and evaluates pharmacogenomics as an emerging science as it relates to the Practice Advancement Initiative and its predecessor the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative's consensus statements for optimal pharmacy practice models. SUMMARY Pharmacogenomics is one of many emerging sciences to impact medication management and delivery of patient care. Increasingly, biomarkers are included in drug labeling and can assist pharmacists with personalizing medicine to optimize patient therapies and avoid adverse effects. The 2011 ASHP Pharmacy Practice Model Summit generated a list of 147 consensus statements for optimal pharmacy practice. Of these, 1 statement explicitly describes adjustment of drug regimens based on genetic factors as an essential activity of pharmacist-provided drug regimens, and 9 other statements provide additional support for incorporation of this emerging science into all aspects of patient care provided by pharmacists. We describe 4 institutions that have made significant inroads to implementing pharmacogenomics, to provide a framework and serve as resources for other institutions initiating their own pharmacogenomics implementation journeys. CONCLUSION Through prioritized efforts of the pharmacy profession and health care institutions, pharmacogenomics will be disseminated and implemented, and the goal of the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative's consensus statements of improving health care using patients' genetic characteristics will be realized.
Flowering Performance of 21 Hydrangea macrophylla Cultivars

Abstract The flowering performance of 21 Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars was evaluated for three years at two locations. Ten plants of each cultivar were planted during 1997 in field plots at McMin...
Against etiological function accounts of interests

The etiological account of function defines a part’s/trait’s function as whatever that part/trait does and was selected for doing. Some philosophers have tried to employ this as an account of biological interests, claiming that to benefit an organism is to promote its etiological functioning and to harm it is to inhibit such functioning. I argue that etiological functioning is not a good account of biological interests. I first describe the history of theories of biological interests, explaining the special role that etiological accounts of function have played within such theories. Second, I explain the problems with allowing etiological accounts of function to play this role and consider objections to my line of argument. Finally, I consider the theoretical alternatives to etiological function accounts of interests and assess their advantages and disadvantages.
Electrophysiological dynamics of false belief understanding and complementation syntax in school-aged children: Oscillatory brain activity and event-related potentials

Abstract A large body of research in developmental psychology has been devoted to the ongoing debate over which aspects of language are fundamental to false belief understanding (FBU). A key proposal from de Villiers and colleagues proposes the essential role of complementation syntax in FBU development. The current study, using scalp electroencephalography (EEG), addressed one opposing hypothesis purporting that complementation is redundant to FBU by characterizing the electrophysiological correlates of FBU and complementation syntax in school-age children. Time–frequency decomposition showed robust parieto-occipital low beta (12–16 Hz) power reduction in the belief versus complementation conditions. This divergence was also supported by event-related potentials (ERPs), with parieto-occipital late slow waves around 600 to 900 ms distinguishing belief and complementation conditions. The false belief condition generated the lowest behavioral response accuracy, suggesting that it is the most challenging condition. Together, the current findings provide evidence showing that complementation is not redundant to FBU.
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Interface Enhancement Gradient Measured on Dual-Energy CT Images Improves Prognostic Evaluation.

Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors that demonstrate high tumor-host enhancement gradient (delta) have poorer clinical outcomes, measured by overall survival and distant metastasi...
Cystic parathyroid adenoma: Two cases of a rare phenomenon

Abstract Background Parathyroid cysts are a rare etiology that represent less than 1% of parathyroid pathology. They are often classified as functional or non-functional and can present as asymptomatic incidental findings or in some cases causing airway compression or severe hypercalcemia. Methods We present two cases of new onset primary hyperparathyroidism with concurrent cystic lesions of the anterior neck. In both cases, preoperative SPECT-CT scans were equivocal for the presence of parathyroid adenomas. Surgical resection of the lesions resulted in intraoperative decrease of PTH to normal levels. Results Both patients experienced resolution of any symptoms and normalization of calcium levels. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of cystic parathyroid adenoma, not suspicious for malignancy. Conclusion While extremely rare, functional parathyroid cyst should be considered in the evaluation of a patients with hypercalcemia and a cystic central neck mass.
Authoritarian Responses to Social Change: Psychological Mechanisms Underlying the Election of Donald Trump

The election of Donald Trump sent shock waves across America and the world. How could an openly sexist, racist, semi-literate, multiply bankrupt businessman and shallow television personality with no political experience, become the president of the most powerful country in the world?
Hybrid physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model for remdesivir: Application to SARS-CoV-2.

A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 or covid-19, has caused a pandemic that continues to cause catastrophic health and economic carnage and has escalated the identification and development of antiviral agents. Remdesivir (RDV), a prodrug and requires intracellular conversions to the active triphosphate nucleoside (TN) has surfaced as an active anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug. To properly design therapeutic treatment regimens, it is imperative to determine if adequate intracellular TN concentrations are achieved in target tissues, such as the lung. Since measurement of such concentrations is unrealistic in patients, a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK) model was developed to characterize RDV and TN disposition. Specifically, a hybrid PBPK model was developed based on previously reported data in humans The model represented each tissue as a 2-compartment model - both extracellular and intracellular compartment wherein each intracellular compartment contained a comprehensive metabolic model to the ultimate active metabolite TN. Global sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to assess which parameters and how highly sensitive ones impacted peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMNCs) and intracellular lung TN profiles. Finally, clinical multiple-dose regimens indicated that minimum lung intracellular TN concentrations ranged from approximately 9 uM to 4 uM, which suggest current regimens are effective based on in vitro EC50 values. The model can be used to explore tissue drug disposition under various conditions and regimens, and expanded to pharmacodynamic models.
Evaluating the responses of three closely related small mammal lineages to climate change across the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum

Interpreting the impact of climate change on vertebrates in the fossil record can be complicated by the effects of potential biotic drivers on morphological patterns observed in taxa. One promising area where this impact can be assessed is a high-resolution terrestrial record from the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, that corresponds to the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum (PETM), a geologically rapid (∼170 kyr) interval of sustained temperature and aridity shifts about 56 Ma. The PETM has been extensively studied, but different lines of research have not yet been brought together to compare the timing of shifts in abiotic drivers that include temperature and aridity proxies and those of biotic drivers, measured through changes in floral and faunal assemblages, to the timing of morphological change within mammalian species lineages. We used a suite of morphometric tools to document morphological changes in molar crown morphology of three lineages of stem erinaceid eulipotyphlans. We then compared the timing of morphological change to that of both abiotic and other biotic records through the PETM. In all three species lineages, we failed to recover any significant changes in tooth crown shape or size within the PETM. These results contrast with those documented previously for lineages of medium-sized mammals, which show significant dwarfing within the PETM. Our results suggest that biotic drivers such as shifts in community composition may have also played an important role in shaping species-level patterns during this dynamic interval in Earth history.
Communist pigs: an animal history of East Germany’s rise and fall

Pigs are intelligent and versatile creatures. They are also important. Millions are fed, slaughtered, traded and eaten every year. Like cows, chickens and other meat-producing animals farmed on an ...
Electrophysiological Analysis in an Animal Model of Dystonia

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS IN AN ANIMAL MODEL OF DYSTONIA By Kunal Dilip Chaniary, Ph.D. A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Director: Paul A. Wetzel, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by patterned, repetitive, and sustained muscle contractions that cause ineffective and often painful movements. The overall goal of this project was to understand the physiological mechanisms of dystonia in a rodent model as a basis for developing innovative treatments for secondary dystonias. The first half of the project was focused at developing essential techniques for systematically investigating the movement disorder in these animals. For achieving this, an innovative, multi-faceted approach was pursued starting with electromyographic (EMG) analysis for animal model validation, gait analysis for dystonia quantification, and development of a novel stereotaxic apparatus for recording brain activity during awake conditions. The later half of the project was focused on understanding how brain circuitry produces abnormal
Line Bundles over Loop Spaces

The theme of this chapter is that a Dixmier-Douady sheaf of groupoids with connective structure over a manifold M leads naturally to a line bundle over the free loop space LM. This is in complete analogy to the well-known fact that a line bundle with connection over M leads to a function over LM, its holonomy.
The executive order in the United States: a policy tool used that has shaped environmental policy and decisions from Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama

What role does the executive order play in policy regarding environmental issues? This has become an important question during President Obama’s Administration. There has been concern about the overuse of executive orders to implement public policy. In policy areas such as immigration and gun control, President Obama has considered the use of the executive order as a mean to move policy forward on his agenda that has been stalled in Congress. A public discussion ensued on the use of executive orders that is not new in the policy literature. To address this research question, executive orders on environmental issues from Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama are examined to determine both use of the order as a policy tool, and the significance and tone of the order. Results show that presidents are using environmental executive orders routinely over the decades but not in a manner that targets a specific environmental issue, location, term of office, or focuses on a particularly environmentally-oriented agency. Results show that certain presidents do display a pro-environmental tone in their orders which is unrelated to the ideology or political party affiliation of the president or environmental issue involved. In conclusion, orders classified as having major significance in terms of policy content tend to have a pro-environmental tone. Most likely, presidents will continue to the use the executive order to protect the environment. The conclusion is that environmental policies are impacted by the unilateral action of executive orders.
Endogenously-processed influenza epitopes intersect with the classical MHCII presentation pathway via the GILT endosomal reductase (APP2P.104)

CD4+ T cell activation is driven by recognition of pathogen-derived peptides (epitopes) displayed by MHC-II on the surface of antigen presenting cells. By convention, peptides derived from extracellular antigen are internalized and loaded onto MHC-II in the late endosome. However, our recent findings suggest that this is a minor contributor to influenza-derived peptide display. In order to elucidate alternative pathways, T cell hybridomas were developed to six different specificities derived from A/PR/8/34 influenza virus proteins. Fully half of the epitopes were found to be proteasome dependent, reflecting a major role for endogenous, cytosolic antigen processing. Intriguingly, endogenous processing of two epitopes, which are constrained within the neuraminidase protein (NA) by disulphide bonds, was strongly dependent on γ-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT), an enzyme that can be critical for exogenous processing. Presentation of these epitopes was also inhibited by primaquine (a compound that prevents trafficking from endosome to the plasma membrane) suggesting that the relevant GILT activity resides in the endosomal network. This interpretation was further supported by the observations that presentation of disulphide constrained synthetic peptides were also GILT dependent but responses to MHC-I restricted epitopes within NA are not. These results point to a novel alternative MHC-II pathway that includes both cytosolic and endosomal processing steps.
Single-laboratory validation of a method for the determination of furan in foods by using static headspace sampling and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

A headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method was developed and validated in-house for the determination of furan in foods. The method of standard additions with d4-furan as the internal standard was used to quantitate furan. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values ranged from 0.2 and 0.6 nglg, respectively, in apple juice to 0.9 and 2.9 ng/g, respectively, in peanut butter. Recoveries were obtained at 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 times the LOQ. At 1, 2, and 3 times the LOQ, the recoveries ranged from 89.4 to 108%, and the relative standard deviations ranged from 3.3 to 17.3% for all the matrixes. For apple juice, chicken broth, and infant formula, the averaged coefficients of determination from the linear regression analyses were >0.99 with each food fortified at 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 times the LOQ. The coefficients of determination were >0.99 for green beans and 0.96 for peanut butter with the foods fortified at 1, 2, and 3 times the LOQ. Within-laboratory precision was determined by comparing the amounts of furan found in 18 samples by 2 analysts on different days with different instruments. For most of the foods, the difference between the amounts found by each analyst was 300 foods. The furan levels found ranged from none detected to 174 ng/g.
Horns and Halos, produced and directed by Suki Hawley and Michael Galinsky

This is a documentary with a past, both literally and figuratively. It focuses on the saga of Fortunate Son, a biography of George W. Bush authored by J. H. Hatfield and published by St. Martin's P...
Women's Political Representation: The Importance of Ideology

Women's low rate of participation at the highest levels of politics is an enduring problem in gender stratification. Previous cross-national research on women in national legislatures has stressed three explanations for differences in women's political representation: social structure, politics, and ideology. Despite strong theory suggesting the importance of ideology, it has not found support in previous cross- national statistical studies. But ideology has not been as well measured as structural and political factors. In this article, we demonstrate that gender ideology strongly affects the number of women in national legislatures. We do so by introducing a newly available measure of national gender ideology into a cross-national model of women in legislatures. We demonstrate that ideology, when measured more precisely, strongly predicts differences in women's political representation. Despite advances in women's levels of education and participation in the paid economy over the last 20 years (Clark, Ramsbey & Adler 1991; Jacobs 1996), women have made little significant progress with respect to their representation in national politics. In the U.S., women compose 46% of the paid labor force and 55% of tertiary students (United Nations 2000). However, their representation in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate remains 13% and 14%, respectively. The situation is similar in other nations. Currently 182 countries allow women to run for office. Yet women constitute less than 20% of elected representatives in the great majority of these countries. Women's
Aviation Frontiers: On-Demand Aircraft

Throughout the 20th Century, NASA has defined the forefront of aeronautical technology, and the aviation industry owes much of its prosperity to this knowledge and technology. In recent decades, centralized aeronautics has become a mature discipline, which raises questions concerning the future aviation innovation frontiers. Three transformational aviation capabilities, bounded together by the development of a Free Flight airspace management system, have the potential to transform 21st Century society as profoundly as civil aviation transformed the 20th Century. These mobility breakthroughs will re-establish environmental sustainable centralized aviation, while opening up latent markets for civil distributed sensing and on-demand rural and regional transportation. Of these three transformations, on-demand aviation has the potential to have the largest market and productivity improvement to society. The information system revolution over the past 20 years shows that vehicles lead, and the interconnecting infrastructure to make them more effective follows; that is, unless on-demand aircraft are pioneered, a distributed Air Traffic Control system will likely never be established. There is no single technology long-pole that will enable on-demand vehicle solutions. However, fully digital aircraft that include electric propulsion has the potential to be a multi-disciplinary initiator of solid state technologies that can provide order of magnitude improvements in the ease of use, safety/reliability, community and environmental friendliness, and affordability.