cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intracytoplasmic basophilic bodies in leukocytes in an HIV patient with pleural and pericardial effusion led to unexpected diagnosis

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are declining worldwide; however, there are still >1.2 million HIV-infected people in the USA and ~6700 deaths/year can be directly attributed to HIV-related diseases. Opportunistic infections, Kaposi sarcoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphomas are always high in the differential diagnosis of HIV patients with systemic symptoms; however, causes of morbidity and mortality in HIV patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy are now approaching those of the general population. We present a case of an HIV patient who presented with B symptoms and body effusions. Diagnostic work-up geared towards infectious and neoplastic diseases led to the identification of intra- and extracellular rounded basophilic bodies in bone marrow and pleural effusion that were recognized as LE cells and allowed the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We discuss the historical aspects of LE cell discovery, recent advances about their nature, ramifications of concurrent HIV-infection, and SLE and provide reference images of a finding that was originally described in bone marrow biopsies, but that nowadays has been nearly forgotten due to the development of alternative diagnostic tests.
Trismus surgical release and free flap reconstruction after radiation therapy in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background and Objectives This study aims to review our experience in trismus release followed by free flap reconstruction after radiotherapy in oral and oropharyngeal cancer, describe the results obtained in long-term follow-up and identify possible predictors of outcome. Methods Patients’ demographics, tumor characteristics and treatment where retrieved. Surgical release and reconstructive procedures were detailed. Interincisor distances (IIDs) where measured preoperatively (PO-IID), intraoperatively after release (IO-IID) and in the last follow-up (FU-IID). Potential predictors of outcome in terms of interincisor long-term gain (LT-gain) and postoperative loss (PO-loss) were analyzed. Results Twenty-eight patients were included in our study. The mean LT-gain was 8.9 ± 7.0 mm, and the PO-loss was 22.14 ± 7.27 mm. Patients with a PO-IID of 10 mm or less had a significant higher LT-gain (P = 0.038). Predictors of worse outcome included having received a previous maxillectomy during tumor ablation (lower LT-gain, P = 0.035), and previous buccal mucosa resection (higher PO-loss, P = 0.044). Conclusions Trismus release and free flap reconstruction after radiotherapy in oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients seems to be associated with modest long term results and a high incidence of trismus recurrence, particularly in cases of prior buccal resections or maxillectomy. Patients should be adequately informed and carefully selected before indicating the procedure.
Associations between Inflammatory Markers and Cognitive Function in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Background Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is often related to chemotherapy. Increased chronic inflammation is believed to play a key role in the development of CRCI related to chemotherapy but studies assessing this hypothesis specifically in patients receiving chemotherapy are rare.
Sustainability of Energy Systems: Views from Technology Perspectives

Green, clean, sustainable—these three words are frequently used casually to connote some desirable attributes. When claimed for technical systems, however, the monikers of green, clean, and sustainable must be scientifically justified. Unfortunately, this objective of introducing scientific rigor into assessing the greenness or sustainability of technical systems has not been universally accepted or practiced. For energy systems, currently the debate is conspicuously driven by the phenomenon of global warming, which more recently is described as climate change. The nonfossil modes of energy production, delivery and use of solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, or biomass, are uncritically assumed to be green and sustainable in both scientific and popular literature. This should not be the case. This chapter will look at the issues that must be considered while designing energy systems that can be described as sustainable, clean, or green.
Nuclear Fusion Drives Cosmic Expansion

From a Twin Universe perspective, it is proposed that stellar nuclear fusion can account for the negative-energy pressure (Dark Energy) that drives our presentday accelerated cosmic expansion. In the mirror twinned universe all processes are duplicated but with reverse negative polarity. Both the Positive and Negative Universes exist on the opposing sides of a topological two-dimensional membrane and therefore shares the same experience of a stretching membrane.
Inflammatory Macrophage Expansion in Pulmonary Hypertension Depends upon Mobilization of Blood-Borne Monocytes.

Pulmonary inflammation, which is characterized by the presence of perivascular macrophages, has been proposed as a key pathogenic driver of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a vascular disease with increasing global significance. However, the mechanisms of expansion of lung macrophages and the role of blood-borne monocytes in PH are poorly understood. Using multicolor flow cytometric analysis of blood in mouse and rat models of PH and patients with PH, an increase in blood monocytes was observed. In parallel, lung tissue displayed increased chemokine transcript expression, including those responsible for monocyte recruitment, such as Ccl2 and Cx3cl1, accompanied by an expansion of interstitial lung macrophages. These data indicate that blood monocytes are recruited to lung perivascular spaces and differentiate into inflammatory macrophages. Correspondingly, parabiosis between congenically different hypoxic mice demonstrated that most interstitial macrophages originated from blood monocytes. To define the actions of these cells in PH in vivo, we reduced blood monocyte numbers via genetic deficiency of cx3cr1 or ccr2 in chronically hypoxic male mice and by pharmacologic inhibition of Cx3cl1 in monocrotaline-exposed rats. Both models exhibited decreased inflammatory blood monocytes, as well as interstitial macrophages, leading to a substantial decrease in arteriolar remodeling but with a less robust hemodynamic effect. This study defines a direct mechanism by which interstitial macrophages expand in PH. It also demonstrates a pathway for pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH that depends upon interstitial macrophage-dependent inflammation yet is dissociated, at least in part, from hemodynamic consequences, thus offering guidance on future anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies in this disease.
Esophageal IgG4 levels correlate with histopathologic and transcriptomic features in eosinophilic esophagitis

BACKGROUND Recent data associate eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) with IgG4 rather than IgE, but its significance and function have not been determined. Our aims were to measure esophageal IgG4 levels and to determine functional correlations as assessed by histologic and transcriptome analyses. METHODS This case-control study included pediatric subjects with EoE (≥15 eosinophils/HPF) and non-EoE controls. Protein lysates were analyzed for IgA, IgM, and IgG1-IgG4 using the Luminex 100 system; IgE was quantified by ELISA. Esophageal biopsies were scored using the EoE histology scoring system. Transcripts were probed by the EoE diagnostic panel, designed to examine the expression of 96 esophageal transcripts. RESULTS Esophageal IgG subclasses, IgA, and IgM, but not IgE, were increased in subjects with EoE relative to controls. The greatest change between groups was seen in IgG4 (4.2 mg/g protein [interquartile range: 1.0-13.1 mg/g protein] vs 0.2 mg/g protein [0.1-0.9]; P < .0001). Tissue IgG4 levels correlated with esophageal eosinophil counts (P = .0006); histologic grade (P = .0011) and stage (P = .0112) scores; and IL4, IL10, IL13, but not TGFB1, expression and had strong associations with a subset of the EoE transcriptome. Esophageal IgG4 transcript expression was increased and correlated with IgG4 protein levels and IL10 expression. CONCLUSION These findings extend prior studies on IgG4 in adult EoE to the pediatric population and provide deeper understanding of the potential significance and regulation of IgG4, demonstrating that IgG4 is a relevant feature of the disease; is closely related to esophageal eosinophil levels, type 2 immunity and T regulatory cytokines; and is likely produced locally.
Expansivity Characterization of a Graphite-Reinforced Advanced Composite

Graphite-reinforced advanced composites are used extensively in communication satellites because of their excellent strength-to-weight ratios and exceptional dimensional stability. These composites pose unique challenges, however, in both preconditioning and measurement techniques which must consider the behavior of complex structures and the stabilization of strain energy in very directional materials. This paper describes the experimental studies made to correlate the expansion characteristics of a graphite-fiber/epoxy-resin matrix material with thermal cycling effects. Nondestructive testing was employed to identify the type and extent of physical change indicating probable mechanisms of stress relief in the material during cyclic thermal loading. It is shown that the expansion characteristic of the composite is influenced by sample thermal history and by relaxation of stresses induced during manufacturing. Techniques stabilizing composite expansivity are discussed.
Kinematic Synthesis of a Watt I Six-Bar Linkage for Body Guidance

This chapter formulates the synthesis equations for a Watt I six-bar linkage that moves through \(N\) specified task positions. For the maximum number of positions, \(N=8\), the resulting polynomial system consists of 28 equations in 28 unknowns, which can be separated into a nine sets of variables yielding a nine-homogeneous Bezout degree of \(3.43\times 10^{10}\). We verify these synthesis equations by finding isolated solutions via Newton’s method, but a complete solution for \(N=8\) seems beyond the capability of current homotopy solvers. We present a complete solution for \(N=6\) positions with both ground pivots specified.
Computing in the Year 2020

It is difficult to be a prophet. The field is full of such crystal ball gazers who have guessed wrong. However, even with such a caution, I will attempt to do so based on my experiences in the field and based on the quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana
Queue length and occupancy in discrete-time cyclic networks with several types of nodes

For a discrete-time, closed, cyclic queueing network, where the nodes have independent, geometric service times, the equilibrium rate of local progress is determined. Faster nodes are shown to have a capacity depending only on the service probabilities. A family of such networks, each with the same number of types of nodes, is analyzed. If the number of nodes approaches infinity, and if the ratio of jobs to nodes has a positive limit and each node type has an asymptotic density, then for a given node type, the limits of the proportion of occupied nodes and the expected queue length are calculated. These values depend on the service parameter and on the asymptotic rate of local progress. The faster nodes can attain their capacity only when the limiting density of nodes of slowest type is zero.
miR-206 as a Biomarker for Response to Mesalamine Treatment in Ulcerative Colitis

Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important post-translational regulators. Elevated levels of miR-206 in ulcerative colitis (UC) were associated with suppression of anti-inflammatory A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) expression. However, the relationship of miR-206 to histologic remission in UC patients remains unknown. This study correlates expression levels of miR-206 with histologic remission in patients treated via long-term mesalamine treatment to identify a possible mode of action for this mainstay drug for UC. Methods Expression of miR-206 and its target A3AR were analyzed in HT29 cell line before and after mesalamine treatment (2 mM) at different time points (0, 4, 12, and 24 hours) by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. Expression of miR-206 and pathological scores of colonoscopic biopsy specimens were studied in 10 UC patients treated with mesalamine treatment for 2 to 6 years. Results miR-206 transcripts decreased 2.23-fold (P = 0.0001) 4 hours after 2 mM mesalamine treatment in HT29 colon cells compared with untreated controls. However, the mRNA/protein levels of A3AR increased by 4-fold (P = 0.04) and 2-fold, respectively, in same cells. miR-206 relative expression decreased significantly in patients treated with 4.8 g of mesalamine (P = 0.002) but not with 2.4 g (P = 0.35). Tissue assessment of sequential mesalamine-treated colonoscopic biopsies indicate a strong correlation between downregulation of miR-206 and histologic improvement (R = 0.9111). Conclusion Mesalamine treatment has an effect on epithelial miRNAs. Downregulation of miR-206 by long-term mesalamine treatment may confer a protective effect in inducing and maintaining histologic remission. Thus, miR-206 expression levels can be utilized as a possible biomarker for therapeutic response to mesalamine treatment.
Disrupted Identities and Frontier Forts: Enlisted Men and Officers at Fort Lane, Oregon Territory, 1853–1856

Frontiers are contingent and dynamic arenas for the negotiation, entrenchment, and innovation of identity, and the imposing materiality of frontier fortifications and their prominence in colonial topographies make them ideal laboratories in which to examine this dynamic. This article presents the results of large-scale excavations in 2011 and 2012 at the officers’ quarters and enlisted men's barracks at Fort Lane, a U.S. Army outpost used during the Rogue River Wars in southern Oregon between 1853 and 1856. We consider how, within this arena, the identities of social class, Confederate or Union, and East Coaster or frontiersman, were crafted in this pre–Civil War frontier setting at the dawn of the modern era.
Glutathione-mediated activation of a disulfide containing Fe3+ complex

Abstract Metal complexes containing ligands that can be cleaved using biological reductants are possible alternatives to traditional photocaged metal ions. This strategy has been demonstrated in this proof-of-concept study with a disulfide containing Fe3+ complex, FeL1Cl. The loss of tight Fe3+ complexation due to disulfide reduction is observed through a decrease in a ligand to metal charge transfer band in its UV–vis spectrum. The mechanism of this reaction was investigated using mass spectrometry and stopped flow kinetics. A coumarin fluorescence assay was used to determine the ability of this complex to catalyze Fenton chemistry and produce hydroxyl radical. Hydroxyl radical production by FeL1Cl was low but in the presence of the reductant glutathione, hydroxyl radical production is increased, suggesting that reduction of the disulfide bond by glutathione uncages the reactivity of the Fe center in this complex.
Common Upper Gastrointestinal Operations

The obesity epidemic is responsible for shifts in the relative frequency of elective and emergent upper gastrointestinal operations. The availability and safety of the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy have led to its rise in standing above the gastric bypass as the most common upper gastrointestinal operation. The recognition of Helicobacter pylori and its eradication have contributed to a steady decline of elective operations for refractory peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer, yet emergency operation for control of upper GI bleeding and perforation is still common. Increasing longevity of the population has contributed to a steady increase in paraesophageal hernia repair in both the elective and emergent settings. Additionally, pancreatic cancer and esophageal cancer are on the rise. This chapter will review common gastrointestinal operations.
Against the Received Wisdom: Why Should the Criminal Justice System Give Kids a Break?

Professor Gideon Yaffe’s recent, intricately argued book, The Age of Culpability: Children and the Nature of Criminal Responsibility, argues against the nearly uniform position in both law and scholarship that the criminal justice system should give juveniles a break not because on average they have different capacities relevant to responsibility than adults, but because juveniles have little say about the criminal law, primarily because they do not have a vote. For Professor Yaffe, age has political rather than behavioral significance. The book has many excellent general analyses about responsibility, but all are in aid of the central thesis about juveniles, which is the central focus of this essay review. After addressing a few preliminary issues, the essay discusses Professor Yaffe’s negative argument against the validity of the behavioral difference rationale for giving juveniles a break. If the negative case fails, which the essay argues it does, then the only issue is whether the book’s alternative is desirable. Again, the essay argues that it is not, and concludes by offering three positive arguments for the traditional rationale: 1) coherence and simplicity; 2) a benignly definitional argument that survives the negative argument and supports giving juveniles a break in the exceedingly unlikely event that the empirical assumptions of the traditional rationale are proven incorrect; and 3) a proposal for individualization of the culpability assessments of juveniles so that the criminal justice system blames and punishes them proportionately to their culpability.
Nitrogen Footprint: A Useful Indicator of Agricultural Sustainability

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer has been identified as a crucial input that has alleviated nitrogen limitation in crop production and substantially enhanced yield. Global N fertilizer consumption in the year 2013 was 107.6 million tons which is approximately ten times that of 1961. However, 60–70% of applied N is lost from the system in the form of reactive N species such as ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrate (NO3) due to poor N use efficiency of agricultural crop. Intensive agricultural practices therefore are major anthropogenic interference that disrupt natural N cycle, leading to severe environmental hazards in the form of acid rain, smog, eutrophication, ozone depletion, and global warming. Monitoring contribution of agriculture to global N pollution is essential to raise awareness and adopt mitigation measures to ensure environmental sustainability of the production system. Attempts have been made to prepare farm-, region-, and country-specific inventories of N leaching, N2O, and NH3 emission separately, though data on the contribution of agriculture is associated with its inherent uncertainties and biases. Recently, nitrogen footprint approach has been identified as a potential tool to estimate N flow from various sectors such as industry, transport, and agriculture. These tools also provide options of developing strategies for reducing N footprint over a time period. The objectives of this chapter are to comprehensively discuss the contribution of agricultural activity to reactive N flow and analyze the scope of using N footprint tools for comparative assessment of environmental sustainability of various crop management practices.
Reliability Analysis of a Hypersonic Vehicle Panel with Spatio-Temporal Variability

Coupled aerothermoelastic analysis is required to predict the response of a hypersonic vehicle panel. The required computational effort of the coupled multidisciplinary analysis, interactions betwe...
Using Impedance Planimetry (EndoFLIP) to Evaluate Myotomy and Predict Outcomes After Surgery for Achalasia.

The functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) is an innovative tool that uses impedance planimetry to assess esophageal geometry in real time. It has been used to diagnose achalasia and evaluate treatment failure after laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). We hypothesize that impedance planimetry can be utilized intra-operatively to assess adequacy of myotomy and assist in predicting patient outcomes. A prospectively maintained patient database at a single center was queried. Seventy-seven patients with achalasia underwent POEM or LHM by a single surgeon. The FLIP was used to measure cross-sectional area (CSA), minimum diameter (Dmin), balloon pressure, and distensibility index (DI) of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) before and after the procedure. Clinical outcomes were measured up to 2 years after treatment. Post-operative CSA, Dmin, balloon pressure, and DI values were significantly different from pre-operative values (p 96 mm2 or Dmin > 11.0 mm was predictive of worse reflux at 2 years (p = 0.01). Impedance planimetry using the FLIP can offer intra-operative feedback about the geometry of the LES. The most useful parameters in predicting patient outcomes have yet to be clearly defined, but our results demonstrate that final DI and CSA are predictive of post-operative treatment response.
Temporal Trends in Vaping Use: Demographic Diversity and Healthcare Utilization Outcomes

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased substantially in recent years. Marketed as a safer alternative to conventional tobacco cigarettes, the safety profile of e-cigarettes is now being questioned. Importantly, the clinical consequences of e-cigarette use remain poorly characterized. METHODS Using data from the electronic health record (EHR), we identified a cohort of e-cigarette users and never-smokers in the region of central Los Angeles. Using information extracted from the EHR, we assessed temporal trends in the demographic characteristics of e-cigarette users, including race/ethnicity and location of residence. We also used data on urgent medical visits (i.e. emergency department encounters and hospital admissions) occurring during the study period (January 2014 to January 2020) and employed a negative binomial regression model to compare healthcare utilization rates between e-cigarette users and never-smokers. RESULTS We identified a total of 698 e-cigarette users, in addition to 999 never-smokers, with demographic, clinical, and outcomes data available over the duration of the study period. From the beginning to the end of the study period, e-cigarette use increased across all race/ethnicity groups and across all geographic regions of residence. Notably, e-cigarette users experienced a 4.96 higher rate of urgent medical visits when compared to never-smokers evaluated over the same study period. CONCLUSION E-cigarettes use continues to expand, with evidence of racial/ethnic as well as geographic variation in uptake. Use of e-cigarette devices is associated with substantially higher rates of urgent healthcare utilization. These findings highlight the need for a more granular understanding of e-cigarette use and enhanced attention to the diversity as well as breadth of the population affected by this burgeoning health crisis.
Opioid prescribing practices after posterior spinal arthrodesis for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Retrospective review. To identify national trends in postoperative opioid prescribing practices after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Opioids are an important component of pain management after PSF for AIS. Given the national opioid crisis, it is important to understand opioid prescribing practices in these patients. Using a commercial prescription drug claims database, we identified AIS patients who underwent PSF from 2010 to 2016 and who were prescribed opioids postoperatively. An initial prescription at hospital discharge of ≥ 90 morphine milligram equivalents daily (MMED) was used to identify patients at risk of overdose according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Prescriptions for skeletal muscle relaxants were also identified. α = 0.05. We included 3762 patients (75% female) with a mean (± standard deviation) age of 15 ± 2.1 years. 56% of patients filled only 1 opioid prescription after discharge, and 44% had ≥ 1 refills. 91% of opioid prescriptions were for hydrocodone (median strength, 43 MMED; mean strength, 65 ± 270 MMED) or oxycodone formulations (median strength, 60 MMED; mean strength, 79 ± 174 MMED). 82% of prescriptions complied with CDC guidelines ( 1 prescription declined from 54% in 2010 to 31% in 2016 (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients receiving prescriptions for ≥ 90 MMED was highest in the West (29%) and lowest in the South (16%) (p < 0.001). Most opioid prescriptions after PSF in patients with AIS comply with CDC guidelines. Temporal and geographic variations show an opportunity for standardizing opioid prescribing practices in these patients. III.
STING differentially regulates experimental GVHD mediated by CD8 versus CD4 T cell subsets

The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway has been proposed as a key regulator of gastrointestinal homeostasis and inflammatory responses. Although STING reportedly protects against gut barrier damage and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT), its effect in clinically relevant MHC-matched aHSCT is unknown. Studies here demonstrate that STING signaling in nonhematopoietic cells promoted MHC-matched aHSCT-induced GVHD and that STING agonists increased type I interferon and MHC I expression in nonhematopoietic mouse intestinal organoid cultures. Moreover, mice expressing a human STING allele containing three single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with decreased STING activity also developed reduced MHC-matched GVHD, demonstrating STING's potential clinical importance. STING-/- recipients experienced reduced GVHD with transplant of purified donor CD8+ T cells in both MHC-matched and MHC-mismatched models, reconciling the seemingly disparate results. Further examination revealed that STING deficiency reduced the activation of donor CD8+ T cells early after transplant and promoted recipient MHC class II+ antigen-presenting cell (APC) survival. Therefore, APC persistence in STING pathway absence may account for the increased GVHD mediated by CD4+ T cells in completely mismatched recipients. In total, our findings have important implications for regulating clinical GVHD by targeting STING early after aHSCT and demonstrate that an innate immune pathway has opposing effects on the outcome of aHSCT, depending on the donor/recipient MHC disparity.
Steady-state visually evoked potentials and feature-based attention: Pre-registered null results and a focused review of methodological considerations.

Abstract Feature-based attention is the ability to selectively attend to a particular feature (e.g., attend to red but not green items while looking for the ketchup bottle in your refrigerator), and steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) measured from the human electroencephalogram (EEG) signal have been used to track the neural deployment of feature-based attention. Although many published studies suggest that we can use trial-by-trial cues to enhance relevant feature information (i.e., greater SSVEP response to the cued color), there is ongoing debate about whether participants may likewise use trial-by-trial cues to voluntarily ignore a particular feature. Here, we report the results of a pre-registered study in which participants either were cued to attend or to ignore a color. Counter to prior work, we found no attention-related modulation of the SSVEP response in either cue condition. However, positive control analyses revealed that participants paid some degree of attention to the cued color (i.e., we observed a greater P300 component to targets in the attended versus the unattended color). In light of these unexpected null results, we conducted a focused review of methodological considerations for studies of feature-based attention using SSVEPs. In the review, we quantify potentially important stimulus parameters that have been used in the past (e.g., stimulation frequency; trial counts) and we discuss the potential importance of these and other task factors (e.g., feature-based priming) for SSVEP studies.
Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ effortful control and their English vocabulary and letter-word skills

Abstract We examined the association between Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ (N = 137; M age = 53 months; SD = 4 months; 53% boys) effortful control (EC) and English vocabulary and letter-word skills. We also examined whether close teacher-child relationships and classroom engagement mediated the association between EC and English vocabulary and letter-word skills and whether that mediated association varied based on parents’ and preschoolers’ English use at home. Data were gathered using teacher and parent surveys and child standardized assessments. The results revealed a positive association between preschoolers’ EC in the fall of preschool and their English vocabulary and letter-word skills in the following spring. The association was mediated through close teacher-child relationships and classroom engagement, but only at certain levels of parents’ and preschoolers’ English use at home. The findings highlight the important role that EC may play in fostering Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ English skills and the classroom socioemotional processes by which that association operates as a function of their linguistic experiences in English at home.
Representing History, Trauma and Marginality in Chinese Magical Realist Films

This chapter examines how two contemporary Chinese films, The Sun Also Rises and Hello Mr. Tree! represent history, trauma and marginality. While adopting the Chinese magical realist tradition inspired by Latin American magical realist writings and pioneered by Mo Yan, these films innovate by translating the magical realist aesthetic into cinematic language. Informed by theories of magical realism, the essay focuses on the complicated representational issues embedded in magical realist cinematic code. It argues that, despite the limited number of Chinese films foregrounding magical realism, these efforts contribute to an understanding of China’s post-socialist/post-revolutionary conditions in the global modernity. In addition, these films provide a fresh global perspective on magical realism itself.
Tinea gladiatorum prevalence among wrestlers in the era of required skin inspection

: Transmittable skin infections in sport are a concern, especially for wrestlers. Current methods for limiting tinea gladiatorum transmission in United States high school wrestling include a required skin inspection protocol. Tinea prevalence before and after the skin inspection protocol was instituted is not widely known. We prospectively determined tinea prevalence among a Minnesota high school wrestler cohort over their 12-week season and compared this to point-in-time incidences reported in wrestlers not subject to a skin inspection protocol. Wrestlers having a suspicious rash at the skin inspection (raised, red, > 5 mm diameter, and with dry flaky scale) were recruited. Among suspicious rashes, tinea gladiatorum infection was determined using direct microscopy with chlorazol black staining. Thirty-eight of 510 wrestlers (7%) developed a rash suspicious for tinea. Thirty-four wrestlers that had rash(s) were enrolled and their rash was tested. Twenty-two of 510 wrestlers developed tinea gladiatorum throughout the season. Tinea gladiatorum prevalence was 4.3% (95% CI 2.5-6.1%). Four wrestlers with rash were not available for testing (unable to obtain timely consent (two) or obtain adequate sample(two)). Prevalence was less than suggested by the incidences previously reported in wrestling populations.
Star Basketball Player Questioned Over Competition Pay

USA Basketball has been implicated in an eligibility case involving one of its most talented young players. Maori Davenport, a native of Troy, Ala., has had her eligibility called into question in a back-and-forth dispute involving a small stipend for players to use when playing for USA Basketball.
Immunohistochemical expression of PAX8, PAX2, and cytokeratin in melanomas

Background Deviations from the classic melanocytic immunophenotype in melanoma can present a diagnostic challenge. PAX8 and PAX2 are common markers for renal or Mullerian differentiation. While most PAX8+ or PAX2+ carcinomas are seldom confused with melanoma, some cases may show a more ambiguous immunophenotype, especially when MiTF family altered renal cell carcinoma (MiTF-RCC) is in the differential diagnosis. Neither PAX8 nor PAX2 expression has been reported in melanoma to date. We aimed to better characterize PAX8, PAX2, and cytokeratin immunoreactivity in a large series of melanomas. Methods Tissue microarrays consisting of 263 melanomas were immunostained for PAX8, PAX2, and cytokeratin and graded by an h-score. Results PAX8 expression was seen in 7.9% of melanomas and was significantly associated with spindle cytomorphology. PAX2 was positive in one (0.4%) melanoma. Cytokeratin positivity was seen in three (1.2%) cases and was associated with metastases. Conclusions PAX8 is expressed in a subset of melanomas and may be strong/extensive. As PAX8 positivity does not exclude a diagnosis of melanoma, it should be used in conjunction with other immunohistochemical markers, such as cytokeratin and PAX2, when melanoma, MiTF-RCC, and other PAX8+ tumors are in the differential diagnosis.
Total hip arthroplasty using highly cross-linked polyethylene in patients aged 50 years and younger : minimum 15-year follow-up.

Aims Highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) has greatly improved the durability of total hip arthroplasty (THA) in young patients because of its improved wear characteristics. Few studies have fo...
Front End to Back End: Teacher Preparation, Workforce Entry, and Attrition:

We use a database of over 15,000 teacher candidates from 15 teacher education programs in Washington state to investigate the connections between specific teacher preparation experiences and the li...
Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension Using 4D Flow MRI.

BACKGROUND Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is becoming an alternative to right heart catheterization (RHC) for evaluating pulmonary hypertension (PH). A need exists to further evaluate cardiac MRI's ability to characterize PH. PURPOSE To evaluate the potential for four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI-derived pulmonary artery velocities to characterize PH. STUDY TYPE Prospective case-control. POPULATION Fifty-four PH patients (56% female); 25 controls (36% female). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 1.5 T; gradient recalled echo 4D flow and balanced steady-state free precession cardiac cine. ASSESSMENT RHC was used to derive patients' pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). 4D flow measured blood velocities at the main, left, and right pulmonary arteries (MPA, LPA, and RPA); cine measured ejection fraction, end diastolic, and end systolic volumes (EF, EDV, and ESV). EDV and ESV were normalized (indexed) to body surface area (ESVI and EDVI). Parameters were evaluated between, and within, PH subgroups: pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); PH due to left heart disease (PH-LHD)/chronic lung disease (PH-CLD)/or chronic thrombo-emboli (CTE-PH). STATISTICAL TESTS Analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests compared parameters between subgroups. Pearson's r assessed velocity, PVR, and volume correlations. Significance definition: P < 0.05. RESULTS PAH peak and mean velocities were significantly lower than in controls at the LPA (36 ± 12 cm/second and 20 ± 4 cm/second vs. 59 ± 15 cm/second and 32 ± 9 cm/second). At the RPA, mean velocities were significantly lower in PAH vs. controls (27 ± 6 cm/second vs. 40 ± 9 cm/second). Peak velocities significantly correlated with right ventricular EF at the MPA (r = 0.286), RPA (r = 0.400), and LPA (r = 0.401). Peak velocity significantly correlated with right ventricular ESVI at the RPA (r = -0.355) and LPA (r = -0.316). Significant correlations between peak velocities and PVR were moderate at the LPA in PAH (r = -0.641) and in PH-LHD (r = -0.606) patients, and at the MPA in PH-CLD (r = -0.728). CTE-PH showed non-significant correlations between peak velocity and PVR at all locations. DATA CONCLUSION Preliminary findings suggest 4D flow can identify PAH and track PVR changes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 5.
Principles of Developmental Sexology

Principles of Developmental Sexology is a summation of Money's life's work, much of it devoted to pediatric sexology, both normal and abnormal. This book marks the foundation of a new branch of scholarship and science, the developmental sexology of childhood and adolescence, from prenatal life onward. Uniquely thorough and comprehensive in its use of data, Principles of Developmental Sexology maintains its disinterestedness, and avoids both the currently popular theories of social constructionism and the so-called medical models of sexuality.
Extending critical dimension measurement for optical microlithography with robust SEM image contours

Dimensions of fine and complex structures printed by microlithography inside a photoresist are inspected with the help of Scanning Electron Microscope generating high resolution top down greyscale digital images. The edges of the photoresist can be extracted from the images to produce contours that best exploit the relevant image information. Unfortunately, such contours are usually of bad quality and subject to edge detection errors due to the noise of the SEM image and the roughness of the photoresist. In this work, we introduce a new method to deal with contours to easily complete complex operations like smoothing of contours or robust averaging of multiple contours without the help of any reference contour layer. Our approach is to use level set to represent any 2D contour as a 3D surface. We demonstrate that we can easily smooth complex 2D contours of critical structures of around 50nm width. We also managed to generate very reliable contours by averaging multiple contours of low quality. Finally, the level set method was used to locally derive confidence about the determination of the average contours.
The structure of bacteriophage T4-specific messenger RNAs. I. Tightly folded conformation revealed by sedimentation in denaturing solvents.

Measurements of the sedimentation velocity under completely denaturing conditions in dimethylsulfoxide were used to obtain the molecular weights of some T4-specific mRNAs including the biologically active lysozyme mRNA. The amount of folding was determined by comparing their sedimentation in sucrose gradients in the presence and absence of this reagent. T4-specific mRNAs sediment much more slowly in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide than in its absence. This difference is linearly dependent on molecular weight; the dependence was similar to that observed for Escherichia coli stable RNA controls and very different from that of random coils (E. coli stable RNA treated with formaldehyde so that no base-pairing is possible). We conclude that the T4-specific mRNAs are not random coils but resemble much more closely the highly base-paired E. coli stable RNAs.
Polymerization in Organized Media

The sections in this article are Introduction Topochemical Systems Thermotropic Systems Lyotropic Systems Vesicles and Bilayers Langmuir–Blodgett Films Intercalated Systems Thermodynamics/Kinetics Two-Dimensional Products from Ordered Media Two-Dimensional Confinement of Monomer Two-Dimensional Polymers from Self-Assembling Monomers Nanostructures Via the Polymerization of Supramolecular Units
The Rules of the Ring

Although it may be fashionable to acknowledge that everything is connected to everything else in principle, some things are more tightly connected to each other than to all the rest. Such a little knot of causal interactions goes by the name of a system. It is also fashionable to speak of one’s playthings as systems, and I shall adhere to this convention. It will make life easier in the long run to clarify some conventional jargon at this point, as follows.
A surgical consideration of appendicitis in pregnancy

Abstract 1. 1. Appendicitis is a possible complication of pregnancy, which is particularly likely to recur if there has been a history of previous attacks, and which is increasingly serious as pregnancy advances. 2. 2. The pathology is probably no more serious than in the nonpregnant state, but it is aggravated by delay, and, because of anatomic and physiologic considerations, it may quickly exhibit severe and fatal manifestations in the absence of prompt surgical treatment. 3. 3. Abortion increases the mother's risk, but it occurs because of the disease and not because of the surgery instituted to relieve it. 4. 4. The fetal mortality is inevitably high. The maternal mortality is entirely in proportion to the stage of gestation and the severity of the disease; in the mild variety it is little higher than in the nonpregnant state. 5. 5. Diagnosis late in pregnancy is complicated by the various factors which pregnancy introduces, and is almost entirely a clinical matter. Pyelitis offers the chief difficulty in differential diagnosis. 6. 6. Prompt operation is indicated as soon as the diagnosis is made, or reasonably suspected, and the procedure should be conducted throughout on the basis of sound surgical principles. 7. 7. Delivery should be according to obstetric indications. 8. 8. The proper precautions during the immediate postoperative period may serve to prevent abortion or premature labor.
Quality indicators for the care of depression in vulnerable elders

prevalence of depression in the older population is believed to be lower than in the general population, primary care providers recognize depression in only one-third to one-half of cases, and an even smaller proportion receive appropriate care. 1 Depression is a costly disease, with estimated costs to society of at least $65 billion annually in 1998 dollars in direct and indirect costs, 2,3 yet treatment for depression is effective, improves overall quality of life, and can be cost effective. 4
Choosing Teams over Star Players: Strategic Selection of Supplier Teams in Customized Projects

What criteria do contractors/buyers apply when hiring teams of suppliers? This paper examines this important strategic question to shed light on buyer-supplier relation-ships and organization of interfirm governance structures. Three research literatures inform the model. Transaction costs theory analyzes the benefits of authority in attenuating opportunism; firm capabilities literature emphasizes relative selection competencies; and the interfirm relations literature posits the positive effects of past relationships. The central proposition is that buyers strategically hire teams of suppliers who engage in discrete, yet interdependent, customized-project activities. We examine criteria that buyers apply when contracting with teams of suppliers for components of low decomposability. Empirical findings show that contractors obtain knowledge of suppliers' capability to absorb and re-utilize team-specific knowledge in subsequent projects. Project contractors use this know-ledge to organize future teams. Moreover, the selection of suppliers depends on the nature of a component and the level of technological uncertainty.
ECSTASY: a new environment for IC design optimization

Interfacing to SPICE3 with sensitivity computation capability, ECSTASY features a forms-based, menu-driven user interface for problem formulation and user interaction, superlinearly convergent gradient-based algorithms, and a robust controlled random search procedure for circuit optimization. The optimization algorithms, problem formulation, and user interaction are discussed, and experimental results are given. >
Decreased inflammatory dendritic cells in lupus prone ERαKO mice correlate with increased survival (BA4P.214)

Lupus is a disease that disproportionately affects females. We previously showed that a functional knockout of estrogen receptor alpha (ERαKO) resulted in significantly reduced renal disease and increased survival in murine lupus. Dendritic cell development, which requires both estrogen and ERα is impacted, as is activation status and cytokine production. Due to altered hormonal feedback loops, ERαKO mice have hypergonadism and partial endocrine sex reversal. Elevated estrogen (E2) and testosterone levels may have immunomodulating effects. Thus, we studied the phenotype of the lupus-prone ERαKO mouse following ovariectomy (OVX) +/- E2 replacement to preserve a physiologic hormonal state. We found that NZM2410 ERαKO mice were protected from lupus disease expression (no early deaths; no proteinuria at 32 weeks) if they were either unmanipulated or if they were both ovariectomized and E2-repleted. These mice also had fewer inflammatory and activated cDCs (CD11c+/CD11b+/MHCII+ cells from Flt3L-cultured bone marrow, or ex vivo spleen or kidney cells), which correlated with increased survival. Interestingly, protection was lost after ovariectomy if no E2 pellet was administered, suggesting that the protective effect requires E2 in the system (despite the lack of a functional ERα). A protective effect was not observed in lupus-prone Ex3a mice (ERα−/−) suggesting that the functional mutant in ERαKO mice, in the presence of estrogen, potentially modulates disease.
Design of minimally invasive optical imaging probes to track vascular gene expression: a Monte Carlo simulation analysis

A Monte Carlo simulation analysis of optical probe design for minimally invasive tracking of gene expression in the vasculature was performed. The simulations based on efficient light delivery for excitation of green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker revealed the possibility of using percutaneous probes and intravascular probes to detect gene expression in the vessel walls. A percutaneous probe of 5 mm diameter and an intravascular probe of 2 mm diameter produced identical fluence distribution in the media-intima interface of a diseased aorta for optimal excitation of GFP. But there was a seven-fold increase in the fluence rate in the normal aorta by the intravascular probe.
Microcontroller design for the Montana EaRth Orbiting Pico-Explorer (MEROPE) Cubesat-class satellite

Montana State University's Space Science and Engineering Laboratory (SSEL) under support from the Montana NASA Space Grant Consortium is engaged in an Earth orbiting satellite student project that will carry a reproduction, using current-day technology, of the scientific payload flown on Explorer-1 in 1958 into a 650 km sun-synchronous polar orbit. On-board operations will be commanded by a Motorola MC68HC812A4 (HC12) microcontroller, chosen for its ease of use, processing power, and intrinsic features. Accompanying this will be an Integrated Device Technology CMOS Supersync First-in, First-Out (FIFO) IDT72291 150 Kbyte RAM chip, used for storing scientific data and system telemetry before downlink to ground station. The RAM was selected for the simplicity of the FIFO data flow. The HC12 is responsible for controlling antenna deployment, communication handling, and other system parameters. System interrupts allow the HC12 to seamlessly collect payload data, attitude data, battery conditions (voltage, current, charge state, and temperature), bus voltage, bus current, processor temperature, and stability of the payload high voltage power supply. This paper describes MEROPE's computer subsystems in detail.