cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rate of regional nodal metastases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in the immunosuppressed patient.

Abstract Purpose Immunosuppressed solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) have an increased risk of developing cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) with metastatic potential. This study sought to determine the rate of regional lymph node involvement in a large cohort of solid organ transplant patients with cutaneous head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and methods A retrospective chart review was performed on solid organ transplant patients with head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma treated at a tertiary academic medical center from 2005 to 2015. Results 130 solid organ transplant patients underwent resection of 383 head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. The average age of the patient was 63. Seven patients (5%) developed regional lymph node metastases (3 parotid, 4 cervical lymph nodes). The mean time from primary tumor resection to diagnosis of regional lymphatic disease was 6.7 months. Six of these patients underwent definitive surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiation; one patient underwent definitive chemoradiation. 6 of the 7 patients died of disease progression with a mean survival of 15 months. The average follow up time was 3 years (minimum 6 months). Conclusions Solid organ transplant recipients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck develop regional lymph node metastasis at a rate of 5%. Regional lymph node metastasis in this population has a poor prognosis and requires aggressive management and surveillance.
Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome: a Current Review

The diagnosis of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), a refractory epileptic encephalopathy, is often made late into disease progression based on the absence of classic EEG abnormalities or typical seizure types at disease onset. The goal of this article is to serve as a general review of LGS for the non-neurologist. As such, we hope to elucidate how a diagnosis is made, highlight novel treatment options, and encourage collaborative treatment decisions between care givers, primary care physicians, neurologists, and psychiatrists. Although a relatively limited number of randomized clinical trials have been performed to date, in recent years, two novel antiepileptics, rufinamide and clobazam, have shown promising efficacy in the treatment of this refractory epileptic encephalopathy. Ideally, after reading this review, the non-neurologist will feel equipped to recognize suspicion for an epileptic encephalopathy in a pediatric patient and subsequently refer that child to an epileptologist.
Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds

As the search for Earth-like exoplanets gathers pace, in order to understand them, we need comprehensive theories for how planetary atmospheres form and evolve. Written by two well-known planetary scientists, this text explains the physical and chemical principles of atmospheric evolution and planetary atmospheres, in the context of how atmospheric composition and climate determine a planet's habitability. The authors survey our current understanding of the atmospheric evolution and climate on Earth, on other rocky planets within our Solar System, and on planets far beyond. Incorporating a rigorous mathematical treatment, they cover the concepts and equations governing a range of topics, including atmospheric chemistry, thermodynamics, radiative transfer, and atmospheric dynamics, and provide an integrated view of planetary atmospheres and their evolution. This interdisciplinary text is an invaluable one-stop resource for graduate-level students and researchers working across the fields of atmospheric science, geochemistry, planetary science, astrobiology, and astronomy.
Payment by results: An example of assessment in elementary education from nineteenth century Britain

Today the public is demanding that it exercise more control over how tax dollars are spent in the educational sphere, with multitudes also canvassing that education become closely aligned to the marketplace's economic forces. In this paper I examine an historical precedent for such demands, i.e. the comprehensive 19th century system of accountability, "Payment by Results," which endured in English and Welsh elementary schools from 1862 until 1897. Particular emphasis is focused on the economic market-driven aspect of the system whereby every pupil was examined annually by an Inspector, the amount of the governmental grant being largely dependent on the answering. I argue that this was a narrow, restrictive system of educational accountability though one totally in keeping with the age's pervasive utilitarian belief in laissez-faire. I conclude by observing that this Victorian system might be suggestive to us today when calls for analogous schemes of educational accountability are shrill. "Payment by results," a rigid method of accountability associated with English and Welsh elementary education during the second half of the nineteenth century, was a system whereby a school's governmental grant depended for the most part on how well pupils answered in the annual examination conducted by Her Majesty's Inspectors. In turn reviled and lauded by commentators from its inception in 1862, the scheme endured for three and a half decades. This, of course, is a subject well known to British students of educational history. However, on this side of the Atlantic comparatively little attention has been paid to what was one of the most notorious policies affecting elementary schools in England and Wales during the last century. This North American neglect is without doubt a pity and particularly so when one considers, as Linda Darling-Hammond has aptly observed of the U.S. context in an 1989 issue of Teachers
Western diet induces colonic nitrergic myenteric neuropathy and dysmotility in mice via saturated fatty acid- and lipopolysaccharide-induced TLR4 signalling

Key points A high-fat diet (60% kcal from fat) is associated with motility disorders inducing constipation and loss of nitrergic myenteric neurons in the proximal colon. Gut microbiota dysbiosis, which occurs in response to HFD, contributes to endotoxaemia. High levels of lipopolysaccharide lead to apoptosis in cultured myenteric neurons that express Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Consumption of a Western diet (WD) (35% kcal from fat) for 6 weeks leads to gut microbiota dysbiosis associated with altered bacterial metabolites and increased levels of plasma free fatty acids. These disorders precede the nitrergic myenteric cell loss observed in the proximal colon. Mice lacking TLR4 did not exhibit WD-induced myenteric cell loss and dysmotility. Lipopolysaccharide-induced in vitro enteric neurodegeneration requires the presence of palmitate and may be a result of enhanced NO production. The present study highlights the critical role of plasma saturated free fatty acids that are abundant in the WD with respect to driving enteric neuropathy and colonic dysmotility. Abstract The consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) is associated with myenteric neurodegeneration, which in turn is associated with delayed colonic transit and constipation. We examined the hypothesis that an inherent increase in plasma free fatty acids (FFA) in the HFD together with an HFD-induced alteration in gut microbiota contributes to the pathophysiology of these disorders. C57BL/6 mice were fed a Western diet (WD) (35% kcal from fat enriched in palmitate) or a purified regular diet (16.9% kcal from fat) for 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks. Gut microbiota dysbiosis was investigated by fecal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) measurement and metabolomics (linear trap quadrupole-Fourier transform mass spectrometer) analysis. Plasma FFA and LPS levels were assessed, in addition to colonic and ileal nitrergic myenteric neuron quantifications and motility. Compared to regular diet-fed control mice, WD-fed mice gained significantly more weight without blood glucose alteration. Dysbiosis was exhibited after 6 weeks of feeding, as reflected by increased fecal LPS and bacterial metabolites and concomitant higher plasma FFA. The numbers of nitrergic myenteric neurons were reduced in the proximal colon after 9 and 12 weeks of WD and this was also associated with delayed colonic transit. WD-fed Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)−/− mice did not exhibit myenteric cell loss or dysmotility. Finally, LPS (0.5–2 ng·ml–1) and palmitate (20 and 30 μm) acted synergistically to induce neuronal cell death in vitro, which was prevented by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester. In conclusion, WD-feeding results in increased levels of FFA and microbiota that, even in absence of hyperglycaemia or overt endotoxaemia, synergistically induce TLR4-mediated neurodegeneration and dysmotility.
Superhard coatings in C-B-N systems: Growth and characterization

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the basic properties, growth, and characterization of intrinsic superhard materials: diamond, cBN, and carbon nitride films. The chapter deals with the basic principles of growth techniques and characterization tools to understand the specific purposes. The hardest known material—diamond—is made out of the same thing as graphite, which is carbon. The difference between the two is in the way the carbon atoms are arranged. Diamond consists of tightly interlinked carbon atoms with covalent bonding. Graphite, by contrast, has good linkages within the horizontal layers but poor binding between vertical layers, and hence it is soft and lubricating. The linkage arrangement of cBN is similar to that of diamond. The boron atom is close to carbon on the periodic table. However, there is nitrogen involved in cBN, which makes the material somewhat trickier to work with in terms of developing the process of taking a vapor of boron and nitride atoms, bombarding it with energetic ions, and ending up with a useful thin film of cBN.
Evaluation of landfill gas emissions from municipal solid waste landfills for the life-cycle analysis of waste-to-energy pathways

Abstract Various waste-to-energy (WTE) conversion technologies can generate energy products from municipal solid waste (MSW). Accurately evaluating landfill gas (LFG, mainly methane) emissions from base case landfills is critical to conducting a WTE life-cycle analysis (LCA) of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To reduce uncertainties in estimating LFG, this study investigated key parameters for its generation, based on updated experimental results. These results showed that the updated parameters changed the calculated GHG emissions from landfills significantly depending on waste stream; they resulted in a 65% reduction for wood (from 2412 to 848 t CO2e/dry t) to a 4% increase for food waste (from 2603 to 2708 t CO2e/dry t). Landfill GHG emissions also vary significantly based on LFG management practices and climate. In LCAs of WTE conversion, generating electricity from LFG helps reduce GHG emissions indirectly by displacing regional electricity. When both active LFG collection and power generation are considered, GHG emissions are 44% less for food waste (from 2708 to 1524 t CO2e/dry t), relative to conventional MSW landfilling. The method developed and data collected in this study can help improve the assessment of GHG impacts from landfills, which supports transparent decision-making regarding the sustainable treatment, management, and utilization of MSW.
An Efficient Message-Passing Algorithm for Optimizing Decentralized Detection Networks

A promising feature of emerging wireless sensor networks is the opportunity for each spatially-distributed node to measure its local state and transmit only information relevant to effective global decision-making. An equally important design objective, as a result of each node's finite power, is for measurement processing to satisfy explicit constraints on, or perhaps make selective use of, the distributed algorithmic resources. We formulate this dual-objective design problem within the Bayesian decentralized detection paradigm, modeling resource constraints by a directed acyclic network with low-rate, unreliable communication links. Existing team theory establishes when necessary optimality conditions reduce to a convergent iterative algorithm to be executed offline (i.e., before measurements are processed). Even so, this offline algorithm has exponential complexity in the number of nodes and its distributed implementation assumes a fully-connected communication network. We state conditions by which the offline algorithm admits an efficient message-passing interpretation, featuring linear complexity in the number of nodes and a natural distributed implementation. We experiment with a simulated network of binary detectors, applying the message-passing algorithm to optimize the achievable trade-off between global detection performance and network-wide online communication. The empirical analysis also exposes a design tradeoff between constraining in-network processing to preserve resources (per online measurement) and then having to consume resources (per offline reorganization) to maintain effective detection performance.
An opinion supporting the role of high-dose methotrexate in the treatment of osteosarcoma.

To properly assess the role of any drug for a specific disease, it would be prudent to examine the benefit to risk ratio of each drug. In this chapter these factors will be examined for not only high-dose methotrexate with leucovorin rescue, but also for the other currently useful drugs in the treatment of osteogenic sarcoma, namely, high-dose ifosfamide with mesna and cisplatinum combined with doxorubicin. Comments will be made about other proposed treatments that, at the current time, have no proven place in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed primary osteosarcoma.
Epenthesis and Markedness

This paper develops an analysis of epenthesis as a universal syllable-based process in which syllable boundaries arise through the application of markedness constraints on consonant sequences at the level of lexical representation. The purpose of the analysis is to show that, universally, epenthesis occurs in order to create nuclear material for “stranded” consonants, that is, for consonants which are separated from any vocalic material because of constraints on the placement of syllable boundaries. The analysis also explains where epenthesis occurs: either to the left or the right of a syllabically isolated consonant, where direction is dependent on the existence or nonexistence of a language specific constraint on resyllabification.
A Demographic Theory on the Evolution of Mating Systems As Exemplified by Birds

Although polygamous mating systems are often associated with unbalanced adult sex ratios (Mayr, 1939; Selander, 1960, 1965, 1972; Lack, 1968), since the 1960s the mating relationships occurring within a population have been considered consequences of selection acting on males and females independently of the sex ratio. Mating relationships are generally thought to be the result of either variations in the quality of the habitat or variations in the quality of the males and females, which allow some individuals to acquire additional mates (Orians, 1961, 1969; Verner, 1964; Verner and Willson, 1966; Lack, 1968; Selander, 1972; Jenni, 1974; Pitelka et al., 1974; Wittenberger, 1976, 1979; Altmann et al., 1977; Bradbury and Vehrencamp, 1977; Clutton-Brock and Harvey, 1977, 1978; Emlen and Oring, 1977; Graul et al., 1977; Halliday, 1978; Borgia, 1979; Weatherhead and Robertson, 1979; Oring, 1982).
Change Over Time: Burials in an Historic Cemetery

The first of the six Digital Humanities assignments, Change Over Time, is presented in this chapter, beginning with an introduction to the data source (Prospect Hill Cemetery, in Omaha, Nebraska). The assignment description (written in a form and with a point-of-view suitable to be copied and pasted into materials given directly to students), required support files and resources, skills utilized in the assignment (creating new files in the IDE, and simple input, output, and expression statements), assignment management techniques and issues (mostly involved with keeping students from jumping ahead on the assignment), atomic code for the assignment (a GPA calculator exercise), expected output from student submitted work in this assignment, and variations for a number of student skill levels are provided.
Valley Selective Optical Emission of 2D Excitons using Chiral Metasurface

Optical control on specific valley polarization in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers is highly desirable for applications in Valleytronics. We demonstrate specific valley polarization aided through the integration of TMD 2D materials with chiral metasurface at room temperature.
Changes in the structure of electrodeposited manganese oxide water oxidation catalysts revealed by in-operando Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Manganese oxides are promising water oxidation catalysts that have attracted great interest in the fuel cell industry. Previous studies have investigated differences in electrode activity based on the phases of MnO2 involved determining structures and composition ex-situ. Here we compare two preparations of MnO2 films, with differing catalytic activities as prepared, and observe morphological changes as a function of increasingly oxidizing potentials using in-operando Raman spectroscopy. We find that the Raman spectra of the films, both as-deposited and in solution, can be modelled as a binary mixture of amorphous manganese oxide and pure-phase cryptomelane that develop greater cryptomelane (α-MnO2) character as the oxidizing potential increases in 1M KOH. Analyzing the Raman spectra using classical least squares fitting, we determine that both films converge on a cryptomelane score of approximately 0.25; concurrently their catalytic activities improve. These results suggest that significant variations in electrocatalytic activity arise from short range ordering in the catalyst that is not easily determined using ex-situ structure determination.
Effect of Basket Geometry on the Sensory Quality and Consumer Acceptance of Drip Brewed Coffee

In this work, discrimination tests, descriptive analysis, consumer tests, and total dissolved solids (TDS) were used to evaluate the effects of brew basket geometry on the sensory quality and consumer acceptance of drip brewed coffee. Two basic geometries, semi-conical and flat-bottom, were evaluated in conjunction with coffee roast and particle size. Initial discrimination tests showed that small differences in median particle size were not discernable, but that coffees brewed using either semi-conical or flat-bottom filter baskets were significantly different (P < 0.05, N = 45). Additionally, coffee brewed in the semi-conical basket had significantly higher %TDS, and we estimated a sensory difference threshold of 0.24 %TDS. A subsequent descriptive analysis (DA) showed significant differences by roast for 11 attributes and by grind for six attributes. Although brewing geometry, as a single factor, was only significantly different for three independent attributes (smoke aroma, sweetness, and tobacco flavor), roast × geometry interactions were significant for six attributes (berry flavor, bitterness, burnt wood/ash, citrus flavor, earthy flavor, and sourness) and the grind × geometry interaction was significant for two attributes (bitterness and floral aroma). Attributes showing significant interactions with brewing geometry were also key drivers of consumer liking/disliking. Overall consumer liking (9-point hedonic scale) was analyzed by cluster analysis (N = 85), which revealed four distinct preference clusters. For each cluster, a particular basket geometry and/or roast level showed lesser acceptance. Overall, the results strongly corroborate the hypothesis that basket geometry affects the sensory quality of drip brewed coffee. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Most Americans consume drip brewed coffee. Improving our understanding of the effects of basket geometry, roast level, and grind size on the total dissolved solids, sensory properties, and acceptability of drip brewed coffee gives producers and consumers alike an opportunity to optimize the sensory quality of their coffee.
Viewing the 2016 Presidential Campaign Through the Lens of Iowa Political Elites

In this chapter, I present a qualitative analysis of an original dataset collected through interviews of Iowa political elites and a survey of county party officials. After providing the reader with a description of the methods used to collect the data, I identify five major themes from the 2016 presidential campaign as viewed by Iowa’s state and local political elites, including: (1) the enthusiasm gap; (2) antipathy toward Hillary Clinton; (3) differences in campaign organization and elite support; (4) the significance of the rural–urban divide; and (5) 2016 being a “change” election.
Association between Hospital Market Concentration and Costs of Laryngectomy

Importance High-volume hospital care for laryngectomy has been shown to be associated with reduced morbidity, mortality, and costs; however, most hospitals in the United States do not perform high volumes of laryngectomies. The influence of market competition on charges and costs for such patients has not been defined. Objective To examine the association between regional hospital market concentration, hospital charges, and costs for laryngectomy. Design, Setting, and Participants The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify 34 193 patients who underwent laryngectomy for a malignant laryngeal or hypopharyngeal neoplasm from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2011. Hospital laryngectomy volume was modeled as a categorical variable. Hospital market concentration was evaluated using a variable-radius Herfindahl-Hirschman Index from the 2003, 2006, and 2009 Hospital Market Structure Files. Statistical analysis was performed from May 19 to August 15, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Multivariable generalized linear regression was used to evaluate associations between market concentration and total charges and costs for laryngectomy. Results Among the 34 193 patients (19.3% female and 80.7% male; mean age, 62.7 years [range, 20.0-96.0 years]), 69.2% of procedures were performed at hospitals in highly concentrated (noncompetitive) markets and 26.2% were performed at hospitals in unconcentrated (highly competitive) markets. Most high-volume hospitals (68.0%) were located in highly concentrated markets, followed by unconcentrated markets (32.0%). Market share and volume were not associated with significant differences in total charges. Unconcentrated markets were associated with 28% higher costs (95% CI, 8%-53%) relative to moderately concentrated and highly concentrated markets. High-volume hospitals were associated with 22% lower costs (95% CI, −36% to −5%). Conclusions and Relevance Competition among hospitals is associated with increased costs of care for laryngectomy. High-volume hospital care is associated with lower costs of care. These data suggest that hospital market consolidation of laryngectomy at centers able to meet minimum volume thresholds may improve health care value.
Blue Gripper: A Robust, Low-Cost, and Force-Controlled Robot Hand

Recent trends in robotic manipulation have highlighted the need for force-controlled grippers that are not only robust to repeated contacts with the environment, but also low in cost. This paper presents the Blue Gripper, a simple parallel-jaw gripper focused on cost and reliability. The proposed hand weighs 660 grams, has a throw of 120 mm, and can apply up to 150 N of force. It is designed to be passively backdrivable, enabling accurate feedforward force control, reducing cost and complexity. In addition to detailing the gripper’s design and comparing it to other available options, this paper also quantifies the gripper’s backdrivability, robustness, and force-control characteristics. All design files have been open-sourced and can be found at https://berkeleyopengrippers.github.io.
Textual comparison of role model and mentor profiles developed to increase participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM

This research work-in-progress paper is part of a larger project that aims to develop personal values-based matching of role models, mentors, and coaches with the populations they serve. In previous work, we developed a process for generating profiles of role models that reflected the values of the population the role models were serving (underrepresented minority students in STEM). In short, we performed qualitative emergent thematic analysis on focus group data from underrepresented minorities in STEM to identify the qualities this population valued in role models. These qualities were used to develop a survey for potential role models (STEM alumni of the same institution) and the survey was subsequently used to develop profiles for the role model candidates. These profiles were well received by our original focus group participants. We have since run an analogous study at another institution using nearly the same survey to develop profiles of potential mentors. Here the mentors are upperclassmen, and the population they are serving includes all students in introductory STEM courses, though we remain particularly interested in underrepresented minorities. In this paper we present a simple textual comparison of the two sets of profiles as a first step in a comparative analysis of these profiles. The results will inform future work as we seek to further differentiate between role models, mentors, and coaches, and develop a robust method for increasing access to/successful matching of these important support structures and the students who need them.
Freeing the Captives: How Captive-Audience Meetings under the NLRB Can Be Controlled

This Article addresses the anti-democratic phenomenon of “captive-audience” meetings and speeches that employers typically require their employees to attend and listen to prior to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) union-representation elections. Elections are universally recognized as a key element in the democratic process, but for an election to be truly democratic it must be fair and not one-sided. Sad to say, however, present day NLRB elections are highly unfair and heavily tilted toward the employer’s opposition to unions, especially with the use of captive-audiences where employees, on paid-company time, are required to listen to anti-union messages while the employer denies the union similar access to those employees. A prominent management consultant aptly referred to these meetings as “management’s most important weapon.” That weapon had its beginning in the 1953 Livingston Shirt case, where a revisionist NLRB held — erroneously — that the free-speech requirement of Section 8(c) meant that captive-audience conduct was not a Section 8(a)(1) unfair labor practice, notwithstanding that the vice was not in the employer’s speech but in the act of denying the union the right to respond. A cure for this long-standing undemocratic condition already exists. It exists in the form of a pending but not yet decided Interested Persons’ Petition to the NLRB that was filed in 2016 by 106 university professors of labor law or employee relations, which had been composed by the author of this Article. That Petition, which this article naturally endorses, came with the axiom “better late than never,” for circumstances favorable to the filing of that Petition have been ripe ever since the NLRB’s decision in the 1966 General Electric case. It was in that case that he Board first intended to resolve the Livingston Shirt captive-audience issue, but at the last minute, based on a factor that has long-since passed, instead invited later reconsideration. Accordingly, in a belated response to that invitation, the Petition and this Article recommend a tried and successful solution: to wit, an election rule which the National Mediation Board (NMB), consistently applies to airline and railroad union-elections under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which is that captive-audiences are “inherently coercive” and thus violate the “laboratory conditions” required for a fair election — a concept borrowed from the NLRB’s iconic General Shoe decision. Whereupon, when a union under the RLA loses an election following a carrier’s captive-audience conduct, the NMB’s standard remedy is to order a new election. And that is what this Article and the Petition recommend for adoption by the NLRB. Let the reconsideration begin.
Review of “Lange Clinical Neurology, 10th Edition,” by Roger P. Simon, Michael J. Aminoff, and David A. Greenberg

A career in Neurodiagnostics, especially within a bustling clinical setting, is not and should not be limited to the specific modality with which you began your career. To achieve a greater underst...
Coevolution of cognitive abilities and identity signals in individual recognition systems.

Social interactions are mediated by recognition systems, meaning that the cognitive abilities or phenotypic diversity that facilitate recognition may be common targets of social selection. Recognit...
Increased Risk of Pancreatitis after Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Following a Positive Intraoperative Cholangiogram: A Single-Center Experience

Background/Aims: To determine if patients with a positive intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) who undergo a subsequent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) have an increased risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) compared to those who undergo ERCP directly for suspected common bile duct stones. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was performed from 2010 to 2016. Cases included inpatients with a positive IOC at cholecystectomy who underwent subsequent ERCP. The control group included age-sex matched cohorts who underwent ERCP for choledocholithiasis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between PEP and positive IOC, adjusting for matching variables and additional potential confounders. Results: Of the 116 patients that met the inclusion criteria, there were 91 women (78%) in each group. Nine patients (7.8%) developed PEP in the IOC group, compared to 3 patients in the control group (2.6%). The use of pancreatic duct stents and rectal indomethacin was similar in both groups. After adjusting for age, sex, total bilirubin levels, and any stent placement, patients with a positive IOC had a significantly increased risk of PEP (odds ratio, 4.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-21.89; p<0.05). Conclusions: In this single-center case-control study, there was a five-fold increased risk of PEP following a positive IOC compared to an age-sex matched cohort. Clin Endosc 2021;54:107-112
Burmese Refugee Women in the Midwest: Narratives of Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth:

The goal of this qualitative study was to examine the strengths and posttraumatic growth experiences of a community of female refugees from Burma resettled in a Midwestern city of the United States...
78696 A Qualitative Cross-Sectional Study of Leadership in a Pandemic: What do Students Value?

ABSTRACT IMPACT: This real-world study of what students value in crisis leadership fills an important gap in the literature and may inform future leadership development programs in undergraduate medical education. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Leadership training is of growing importance and prevalence in medical education. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique insight into the qualities students value in leaders. Our qualitative study examined these leadership themes and provides a grounding for future development of leadership programs. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A conventional qualitative approach was used in order to allow open expression of ideas related to leadership in a pandemic. The authors developed a 5 free-text question survey instrument aimed to uncover student perceptions of leadership both during the current pandemic and in crises in general. A participant pilot was performed in order to ensure readability and ease of understanding. We used thematic analysis to examine the content of the survey responses, and inductive coding of the responses allowed identification of emerging themes. Medical students at the University of Michigan were surveyed. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In total, 162 students completed the survey. The demographic characteristics of participants are shown in Table 1. Median age was 25 years old (range, 22-39). There was good representation from the 4 classes in the medical school with 20-30% from each medical school class and 5% of dual degree students. Thematic analysis demonstrated that students value personal characteristics of excellence in their leaders with an orientation towards helping other people. Students believe that leaders must know how to interpret and use information and then that these leaders must be able to communicate expertly to guide organizations. The final theme that emerged is that effective leaders must commit to decisive action. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: This study took place at a time of unprecedented crises and response examples were grounded in this real-world practice of leadership. These results and themes that emerged fill a critical gap and may facilitate future curriculum development for medical students and trainees.
A descriptive study of factors that facilitate nurses' participation in shared governance and attendance at unit meetings.

AIM To identify factors that facilitate participation in shared governance and attendance at unit meetings. BACKGROUND Shared governance and unit meetings are crucial for education and communication. Current literature explores barriers to participation and attendance; however, removal of barriers may be insufficient to bring about behaviour change in nurses. METHOD Secondary analysis of data from 511 clinical nurses, who worked at one of nine facilities within one large health care system in the Midwest United States, was used to address our aim. RESULTS Shared governance participants and unit meeting attendees were most satisfied with nursing as a career and more likely to be optimistic that nurses could change things, than non-participants and non-attendees, and this difference was statistically significant (p < .05). The organizational variable most associated with participation and attendance dealt with paid time-off to attend meetings. Personal reasons for participation and attendance were the opportunity to express opinions and to hear opinions of others. CONCLUSION Organizations should encourage nurses to express their opinions and ensure that nurses are paid for the time spent participating in meetings. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT While some variables cannot be controlled by organizations, nursing leadership can provide opportunities for nurses to become more active and participate in decision-making.
Estimating the community prevalence, child traits, and maternal risk factors of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) from a random sample of school children.

Abstract Objective Utilize a random sample to estimate the prevalence, child traits, and maternal risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in a Southeastern United States county. Methods From all first-grade students (n = 1073) a simple random sample was drawn, and 32 % (n = 231) were consented. All 231 children were examined for dysmorphology and growth, 84 were tested and rated on neurobehavior, and 72 mothers were interviewed for maternal risk. Results Significant differences (α = .05) between the physical traits of children diagnosed with FASD and the entire sample were height, weight, head circumference, body mass index, and total dysmorphology scores, and all three cardinal features of fetal alcohol syndrome: palpebral fissure length, smooth philtrum, and narrow vermilion. Intellectual function and inhibition were not significantly different between FASD and typically-functioning children, but two executive function measures and one visual/spatial measure approached significance (α = .10). Three behavioral measures were significantly worse for the FASD group: parent-rated problems of communication, daily living, and socialization. Significant maternal risk factors reported were postpartum depression, frequency of drinking, and recovery from problem drinking. The prevalence of FASD was 71.4 per 1,000 or 7.1 %. This rate falls clearly within the prevalence range identified in eight larger samples of other communities in the Collaboration on FASD Prevalence (CoFASP) study in four regions of the United States. Conclusion Careful and detailed clinical evaluation of children from small random samples can be useful for estimating the prevalence and traits of FASD in a community.
How the Heritage of Postcolonial Studies Thinks Colonialism Today

I have been asked to write on the heritage of postcolonial studies. I separated myself from postcolonial studies in A Critique of Postcolonial Reason, published in 1999. I am still separated from it. But “separation” is, of course, a rela tionship; and there are different kinds of separation. Perhaps this relationship constitutes itself by way of the fact that, in the country of my citizenship, the heritage of the postcolonial is dubious.
The Association of Social Factors and Health Insurance Coverage with COVID-19 Vaccinations and Hesitancy, July 2021

BACKGROUND: There are racial differences in COVID-19 vaccination rates, but social factors, such as lack of health insurance or food insecurity, may explain some of the racial disparities. OBJECTIVE: To assess social factors, including insurance coverage, that may affect COVID-19 vaccination as of June-July 2021 and vaccine hesitancy among those not yet vaccinated, and how these may affect racial equity in vaccinations. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative survey data. PARTICIPANTS: Adults 18 to 64 participating in the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey for June 23 to July 5, 2021. MAIN MEASURES: Vaccination: receipt of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy: among those not yet vaccinated, intent to definitely or probably not get vaccinated. KEY RESULTS: In unadjusted analyses, black adults were less likely to be vaccinated than other respondents, but, after social factors were included, including health insurance status, food sufficiency, income and education, and state-level political preferences, differences between black and white adults were no longer significant and Hispanics were more likely to be vaccinated (OR = 1.87, p < .001). Among those not yet vaccinated, black and Hispanic adults were vaccine hesitant than white adults (ORs = .37 and .45, respectively, both p < .001) and insurance status and food insufficiency were not significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy. The percent of state voters for former President Trump in 2020 was significantly associated with lower vaccination rates and with increased vaccine hesitancy. DISCUSSION: The results indicate that much of the gap in COVID vaccination rates for minority adults are due to social barriers, rather than differences in racial attitudes. Unvaccinated minority adults expressed less vaccine hesitancy than white adults. Social barriers like food insecurity and insurance coverage could have deterred prompt COVID-19 vaccinations. Reducing these problems might help increase vaccination rates.
Integrative problem-centered therapy : a synthesis of family, individual, and biological therapies

The problem-centred approach, the patient system, and the problem-maintenance structure the integration of specific psychotherapies - contexts, orientations, and concepts the therapeutic alliance assessment and intervention - premises and roles defining the direct system - the interpersonal context of therapy identifying the problem cycle modifying the problem cycle I - implementing an adaptive solution modifying the problem cycle II - exploring constraints and resolving blocks.
An array of simple, fast, and safe approaches to visualizing fine cellular structures in free-hand sections of stem, leaf, and fruit using optical microscopy

A wide array of free-hand-sectioning-based optical microscopy techniques that are simple, safe, and inexpensive, yet allows quick and easy identification of specific cell types and cellular components with unprecedented resolution are presented using leaf (Saintpaulia ionantha and Schefflera actinophylla), stem (Vitis vinifera and V. labruscana), and fruit (Vitis vinifera) tissues. The objective of this study was to generate contrast and capture high quality cellular images of various plant organs either via infusing basic fuchsin, a xylemic dye into organs or using naturally pigmented organs by employing the classic technique of free-hand sectioning. Also, images were obtained via post-staining free-hand sections of organs without any dye infusion. Leaves injected with dye revealed its strikingly regular and hierarchical reticulate venation structure. The free-hand sections of healthy and water-stressed leaf petioles, and stems and pedicels prepared from organs either infused with basic fuchsin or post-stained with safranin displayed exceptional cellular details. These included the xylic and phloic transport systems positioned around the central parenchymatous pith, their tissue pattern in each system, and occlusion of xylem vessels by the parenchymatous tissues (tylosis). The free-hand sections of fruit revealed fine details of its translucent mesocarp embedded with vasculature of varied architecture, and seed morphology. Free-hand sections of naturally chromated petioles illustrated its internal structure pertaining to anthocyanin accumulating cells and crystals in superb details, and particularly, the most visually spectacular images of trichomes. Since observations of internal structures of plants constitute the foundations of plant biology, the microscopy techniques illustrated in this study can be of great interest and benefit to both addressing fundamental questions in plant biology and curiosity-driven research.
A remark on $C^*$-algebras

It is shown that any complex Banach algebra with hermitean involution and the weakC*-property |x|2=|x2| for allx=x* is aC*-algebra.
F/sub max/-enhancement in CBE-grown InAlAs/InGaAs HEMT's using novel self-aligned offset-gate technology

Maximum frequency of oscillation (f/sub max/) to cutoff frequency (f/sub T/) ratios up to 2.7 and good microwave characteristics have been achieved by applying an offset self-aligned gate technology to InAlAs/InGaAs HEMTs (high electron mobility transistors) grown by CBE (chemical beam epitaxy). The microwave G/sub m//G/sub ds/ (output conductance) ratio for the devices was 23.5 using L/sub gd/ (gate to drain length)=0.4 mu m while the corresponding f/sub max/ was 251 GHz. The approach described combines the advantages of self-aligned and offset gate technologies. >
Finite element transport using Wachspress rational basis functions on quadrilaterals in diffusive regions

In 1975, Wachspress developed basis functions that can be constructed upon very general zone shapes, including convex polygons and polyhedra, as well as certain zone shapes with curved sides and faces. Additionally, Adams has recently shown that weight functions with certain properties will produce solutions with full resolution, meaning that they are capable of producing physically meaningful solutions in the diffusive limit. Wachspress rational functions (WRFs) possess these necessary properties. Here, we present methods to construct and integrate WRFs on quadrilaterals. We also present an asymptotic analysis of a discontinuous finite element discretization on quadrilaterals, and we present numerical results.
Efficient belief propagation for utility maximization and repeated inference

Many problems require repeated inference on probabilistic graphical models, with different values for evidence variables or other changes. Examples of such problems include utility maximization, MAP inference, online and interactive inference, parameter and structure learning, and dynamic inference. Since small changes to the evidence typically only affect a small region of the network, repeatedly performing inference from scratch can be massively redundant. In this paper, we propose expanding frontier belief propagation (EFBP), an efficient approximate algorithm for probabilistic inference with incremental changes to the evidence (or model). EFBP is an extension of loopy belief propagation (BP) where each run of inference reuses results from the previous ones, instead of starting from scratch with the new evidence; messages are only propagated in regions of the network affected by the changes. We provide theoretical guarantees bounding the difference in beliefs generated by EFBP and standard BP, and apply EFBP to the problem of expected utility maximization in influence diagrams. Experiments on viral marketing and combinatorial auction problems show that EFBP can converge much faster than BP without significantly affecting the quality of the solutions.
Fate of Young Sires Used for Artificial Insemination

Abstract Vital records of 3,774 dairy sires which entered artificial insemination (AI) service at less than 3 yr of age were analyzed to determine the proportion entering which survived until proof for milk production became available. Data were grouped by breed, age of entry, and time period. All main effects and most interactions were statistically significant. For 1,068 sires entering service at less than 2 yr of age during the period of 1939–50, survival (55%) was lower (P
Fibrinolysis associated with oncogenic transformation. Partial purification and characterization of the cell factor, a plasminogen activator.

Abstract The cell factor that is involved in tumor-associated fibrinolysis has been partially purified from the supernatant fluid of transformed chicken embryo fibroblast cultures. It is an arginine-specific protease that acts as a plasminogen activator. The molecular weight is approximately 39,000, and the irreversible inhibitory effect of diisopropyl fluorophosphate suggests it is a serine enzyme. The cell factor that is detected in the supernatant culture fluid also occurs in a cell-associated form in transformed but not in normal cells. This form is tightly bound in a postnuclear cellular particulate fraction and can be solubilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate or Triton X-100. The cell factor activates plasminogen by proteolytic cleavage, and it acts preferentially on one of two electrophoretic classes of plasminogen molecules found in chicken plasma.
High‐resolution mass spectrometry method for the detection, characterization and quantitation of pharmaceuticals in water

The presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water is an emerging environmental concern. In most environmental testing laboratories, LC-MS/MS assays based on selected reaction monitoring are used as part of a battery of tests used to assure water quality. Although LC-MS/MS continues to be the best tool for detecting pharmaceuticals in water, the combined use of hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) is starting to become a practical tool to study emerging environmental contaminants. The hybrid LTQ–orbitrap mass spectrometer is suitable for integrated quantitative and qualitative bioanalysis because of the following reasons: (1) the ability to collect full-scan HRMS spectra with scan speeds suitable for UHPLC separations, (2) routine measurement of mass with less than 5 ppm mass accuracy, (3) high mass resolving power, and (4) ability to perform on-the-fly polarity switching in the linear ion trap (LTQ). In the present work, we provide data demonstrating the application of UHPLC–LTQ–orbitrap for the detection, characterization and quantification of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in drinking water. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
iPACE-V1: A Portable Adaptive Computing Engine for Real Time Applications

The iPACE-V1 (Image Processing Adaptive Computing Engine) is a portable, reconfigurable hardware platform, designed for real time, in-field image processing applications. IPACE-V1 has ample memory and the capability of full or partial reconfiguration without the need of a host computer. This paper describes the architecture of the hardware board along with the software design environment. We shall also discuss a real-time background elimination application for video images implemented on iPACE-V1.