cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecules Great and Small: The Complement System

The complement cascade, traditionally considered an effector arm of innate immunity required for host defense against pathogens, is now recognized as a crucial pathogenic mediator of various kidney diseases. Complement components produced by the liver and circulating in the plasma undergo activation through the classical and/or mannose-binding lectin pathways to mediate anti-HLA antibody-initiated kidney transplant rejection and autoantibody-initiated GN, the latter including membranous glomerulopathy, antiglomerular basement membrane disease, and lupus nephritis. Inherited and/or acquired abnormalities of complement regulators, which requisitely limit restraint on alternative pathway complement activation, contribute to the pathogenesis of the C3 nephropathies and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Increasing evidence links complement produced by endothelial cells and/or tubular cells to the pathogenesis of kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury and progressive kidney fibrosis. Data emerging since the mid-2000s additionally show that immune cells, including T cells and antigen-presenting cells, produce alternative pathway complement components during cognate interactions. The subsequent local complement activation yields production of the anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a, which bind to their respective receptors (C3aR and C5aR) on both partners to augment effector T-cell proliferation and survival, while simultaneously inhibiting regulatory T-cell induction and function. This immune cell–derived complement enhances pathogenic alloreactive T-cell immunity that results in transplant rejection and likely contributes to the pathogenesis of other T cell–mediated kidney diseases. C5a/C5aR ligations on neutrophils have additionally been shown to contribute to vascular inflammation in models of ANCA-mediated renal vasculitis. New translational immunology efforts along with the development of pharmacologic agents that block human complement components and receptors now permit testing of the intriguing concept that targeting complement in patients with an assortment of kidney diseases has the potential to abrogate disease progression and improve patient health.
Socioeconomic determinants of cervical cancer screening in Latin America

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of health care access and socioeconomic determinants on Pap smear screening in Latin America. METHODS: Individual-level data was collected from the Demographic and Health Surveys in Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago between 1987 and 2008. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify socioeconomic and health care determinants of two outcomes: knowledge of Pap smears and recent Pap smear screening. RESULTS: In all countries, the proportion of women with a recent Pap smear screening remained below 55%. Key determinants of knowledge of Pap smears were age, education, and recent doctor's visit. For recent Pap smear screening, key determinants were wealth and recent doctor's visit. Women were between 1.47 and 3.44 times more likely to have received a recent Pap smear if they had a recent doctor's visit. Even the poorest women with a recent doctor's visit were more likely to screen than the richest women without a recent visit. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that visiting a doctor is an important determinant of cervical cancer screening in Latin America. Because screening may coincide with other medical visits, physicians could effectively encourage screening.
English as an Accelerated Language: A Call to Action for Reading Teachers

This article challenges reading teachers to use their rich literacy repertoires to make English an accelerated language for English-language learners in their classrooms. The introduction argues that educators must discard a remedial approach for second-language learners and afford more integrated, forward-looking experiences in order to enable English-language learners to build on their first-language strengths and be successful in English-speaking classrooms. Effective reading teachers are able to offer comprehensible and comprehensive language instruction in rich reading and writing contexts. This article uses the example of one first grader to exemplify how inferior literacy instruction can be transformed to facilitate both language and literacy development. The author synthesizes several areas of research to provide a list of recommended practices that, when combined as instructional components, can expedite student progress. Reading teachers are encouraged to offer these best practices, enhanced by insights on second-language learning needs, to the English-language learners in regular classrooms.
A Hero and a Homeland for Armenians in America: Photography and the Construction of Cultural Memory

Both portrait and landscape, historical scene and contemporary monument, and, ultimately, both engraving and photograph, this image contains the keys to a significant story from modern Armenian cultural history. In the years following World War I hundreds of Armenians immigrated to the United States, where through the creation of objects such as this picture, they reconstituted their community, emphasizing the longevity of their history, their unity as a minority culture, and their identity as a diaspora.
Topical Coverage in Introductory Textbooks from the 1980s through the 2000s.

To determine how topical coverage in introductory textbooks may have changed from the 1980s to the present, the author examined topic coverage in full-length and brief introductory textbooks from t...
Reactive oxygen species on bone mineral density and mechanics in Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (Sod1) knockout mice

Research highlights: {yields} Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are considered to be a factor in the onset of a number of age-associated conditions, including loss of BMD. {yields} Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Sod1) deficient mice have increased ROS, reduced bone mineral density, decreased bending stiffness, and decreased strength compared to WT controls. {yields} Increased ROS caused by the deficiency of Sod1, may be responsible for the changes in BMD and bone mechanics and therefore represent an appropriate model for studying mechanisms of age-associated bone loss. -- Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in a number of degenerative conditions including osteoporosis. Mice deficient in Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Sod1) (Sod1{sup -/-} mice) have elevated oxidative stress and decreased muscle mass and strength compared to wild-type mice (WT) and appear to have an accelerated muscular aging phenotype. Thus, Sod1{sup -/-} mice may be a good model for evaluating the effects of free radical generation on diseases associated with aging. In this experiment, we tested the hypothesis that the structural integrity of bone as measured by bending stiffness (EI; N/mm{sup 2}) and strength (MPa) is diminished in Sod1{sup -/-} compared to WT mice. Femurs were obtained from male and female WT and Sod1{sup -/-} mice atmore » 8 months of age and three-point bending tests were used to determine bending stiffness and strength. Bones were also analyzed for bone mineral density (BMD; mg/cc) using micro-computed tomography. Femurs were approximately equal in length across all groups, and there were no significant differences in BMD or EI with respect to gender in either genotype. Although male and female mice demonstrated similar properties within each genotype, Sod1{sup -/-} mice exhibited lower BMD and EI of femurs from both males and females compared with gender matched WT mice. Strength of femurs was also lower in Sod1{sup -/-} mice compared to WT as well as between genders. These data indicate that increased oxidative stress, due to the deficiency of Sod1 is associated with decreased bone stiffness and strength and Sod1{sup -/-} mice may represent an appropriate model for studying disease processes in aging bone.« less
Structure of a passivated Ge surface prepared from aqueous solution

The structure of a passivating sulfide layer on Ge(001) was studied using X-ray standing waves and X-ray fluorescence. The sulfide layer was formed by reacting clean Ge substrates in (NH 4 ) 2 S solutions of various concentrations at 80°C. For each treatment, a sulfide layer containing approximately two to three monolayers (ML) of S was formed on the surface, and an ordered structure was found at the interface that contained approximately 0.4 ML of S. Our results suggest the rapid formation of a glassy GeS x layer containing 1.5‐2.5 ML S residing atop a partially ordered interfacial layer of bridge-bonded S. The passivating reaction appears to be self-limited to 2‐3 ML at this reaction temperature. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Origin-Destination (O-D) Trip Table Estimation using Traffic Movement Counts from Vehicle Tracking System at Intersection

A new video-based vehicle tracking system is proposed to provide accurate information on directional traffic counts at intersections. The extracted counts are fed to estimate an origin-destination trip table which is necessary information for traffic impact study and transportation planning. The system utilizes a fisheye lens to expand the area covered by a single camera and uses a particle filtering method to track an individual vehicle. The filter is designed to handle environmental changes and multiple motion dynamics. Experimental results show its strong ability on tracking in various conditions. The paper shows how to use the tracking outputs in obtaining accurate origin-destination (O-D) table.
Gastric Necrosis After Fundoplication: A Novel Approach for Esophageal Preservation

An 11-year-old boy presented moribund, with massive abdominal distension. A Nissen fundoplication and gastrostomy tube had been established at age 2 years. After attempts to pass a nasogastric tube were unsuccessful, the old gastrostomy site was used to gain percutaneous access to the stomach resulting in release of gastric contents and stabilization of blood pressure and perfusion. During operation, massive gastric distention with gastric necrosis was found. Subtotal gastrectomy was performed with stapled closure of the distal intraabdominal esophagus and prepyloric region. Sump suction was placed in the proximal esophagus and the abdomen was drained widely. A distal esophageal perforation was apparent on postoperative day 19 confirmed by imaging and endoscopy. A nasoesophageal tube was passed into the abdomen, tied to a Jackson-Pratt drain, and the composite tube repositioned in the midesophagus allowing controlled proximal and distal drainage. Six months later, a Hunt-Laurence esophagojejunal pouch was created. At age 13, the child is clinically well, and enjoys 50% of his nutritional needs orally, with the remainder delivered overnight via tube feedings. This case describes gastric necrosis after gas bloat syndrome as a late complication of Nissen fundoplication. A novel approach to the management of distal esophageal perforation allowed preservation of a functional, intact native esophagus.
Cinco pliegos poéticos no descritos del siglo XVI

Aprovechamos la ocasion, gentilmente ofrecida por el director del Anuario para dar noticias bibliograficas de cinco pliegos sueltos poeticos, todos del siglo XVI y encontrados recientementeen varias bibliotecas. Pueden anadirse a la creciente listade adiciones al basico Diccionario bibliografico de pliegos sueltos poeticos (siglo XVI) de Antonio Rodriguez-Monino, si bienaquella "lista" y asimismo las varias noticias de otras modificaciones salvables en esa obra se hallan a punto de desbordar el manejo facil. Solo de pliegos nuevos hoy contamos casi un centenary las modificaciones de peso sobrepasan aquella cifra.
Seasonal Abundance, Life History, and Parasitism of Caloptilia porphyretica (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), a Leafminer of Highbush Blueberry

ABSTRACT The leafminer Caloptilia porphyretica Braun (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), has become a frequent pest in commercial highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum L., in New Jersey, but little is known about its seasonal abundance, life history, and parasitism rates. Monitoring programs were conducted from 2003 to 2006 on seven blueberry farms to determine the relative abundance of this leafminer by using pheromone-baited traps and by sampling vegetative and flower/fruit clusters and new shoot growth. We found at least three distinct generations per year, with populations reaching their highest peak in the second generation. Laboratory studies characterized the life history of C. porphyretica and its parasitoid Pholetesor sp. prob. salalicus (Mason). The developmental period of C. porphyretica, from egg to adult, took 927, 838, and 912 degree-days (DD) at 20, 25, and 30°C, respectively, by using a developmental threshold of 4.8°C. This was equivalent to an average of 892 DD to complete development to...
Optimal Defense and Control for Cyber-Physical Systems

In this paper, we present a novel representation for cyber-physical systems wherein the states of the physical system are incorporated into the cyber system and vice versa. Next, by using this representation, optimal strategies are derived for the defender and the attacker by using zero-sum game formulation and iterative Q-learning is utilized to obtain the Nash equilibrium. In addition, a Q-learning-based optimal controller is revisited for the physical system in the presence of uncertain dynamics resulting from the cyber system under attacks. The benefit of the learning strategy is that the approach can handle a variety of attacks provided they affect packet losses and delays. Simulation results, on the yaw-channel control of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), show that on the cyber side, both the defender and the attacker gain their largest payoff and on the physical system side, the optimal controller maintains the system stable.
Pseudoautomorphisms with Invariant Curves

Inspired by constructions of automorphisms on rational surfaces and a recent paper of Perroni and Zhang (Mathematische Annalen 359(1–2):189–209, 2014), we give a concrete construction of pseudoautomorphisms of higher dimensional rational surfaces that have an invariant cuspidal curve and first dynamical degree larger than one. Taking advantage of the group structure on the smooth points of the curve and elementary projective geometry, we arrive at explicit formulas for these pseudoautomorphisms. Though it is not used in our construction, we further indicate a relationship between aspects of our construction with certain coxeter groups.
Simple locking of infrared and ultraviolet diode lasers to a visible laser using a LabVIEW proportional-integral-derivative controller on a Fabry-Perot signal.

Simultaneous laser locking of infrared (IR) and ultraviolet lasers to a visible stabilized reference laser is demonstrated via a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity. LabVIEW is used to analyze the input, and an internal proportional-integral-derivative algorithm converts the FP signal to an analog locking feedback signal. The locking program stabilized both lasers to a long term stability of better than 9 MHz, with a custom-built IR laser undergoing significant improvement in frequency stabilization. The results of this study demonstrate the viability of a simple, computer-controlled, non-temperature-stabilized FP locking scheme for our applications, laser cooling of Ca+ ions, and its use in other applications with similar modest frequency stabilization requirements.
Rotaxanes Derived from Dimetallic Polyynediyl Complexes: Extended Axles and Expanded Macrocycles

A new 35-membered macrocycle 3b derived from 1,10-phenanthroline and two 2,9-p-C6H4O(CH2)6O substituents that tether a 2,7-naphthdiyl moiety is synthesized. CuI complexes of 3b and a previously reported analog in which the naphthdiyl is replaced by a m-C6H4 group (3a) are reacted with the hexatriynyl complex trans-(C6F5)(p-tol3P)2Pt(C≡C)3H (1.0:2.5 mol ratios) in the presence of K2CO3 (4.0–5.0 equiv) and I2 (1.3–1.8 equiv) in THF at 55 °C. Workups afford the rotaxanes 5·3a and 5·3b (45–23%), in which the macrocycles are threaded by the sp carbon chain of the diplatinum dodecahexaynediyl complex trans,trans-(C6F5)(p-tol3P)2Pt(C≡C)6Pt(Pp-tol3)2(C6F5) (5), which is also obtained as a byproduct. The yields of 5·3a and 5·3b are much higher than in the case with octatetraynediyl (C8) analogs, and their spectroscopic properties and crystal structures are analyzed in detail, especially with reference to recent DFT studies.
Perinatal toluene use: Associated risks and considerations

The prevalence of toluene abuse in women of reproductive age is growing and little is known about toluenes effects on neonatal outcomes. The authors report the case of a 28-year-old woman with major depression, panic disorder, and multi-drug dependence (nicotine, cocaine, opiates, and toluene) and discuss approaches to the evaluation and treatment of these clinically complex patients. The authors also suggest preventive measures as well as areas for future research.
Nurses’ Attitudes Toward Pharmaceutical Services Before and After Decentralization

Nurses' attitudes toward the quality of pharmaceutical services were assessed before and after the implementation of decentralized pharmaceutical services at a tertiary-care teaching hospital complex. The same multiple-choice questionnaire was distributed to nurses at the University of Michigan Hospitals 18 months before decentralized services were implemented (November 1982) and again after two satellite pharmacies had been established and a clinical pharmacist had begun providing first-dose dispensing services using a movable medication cart (March 1985). The questionnaire measured nurses' satisfaction with aspects of pharmaceutical services most likely to be affected by decentralization of services (e.g., number of missing medications, accessibility of pharmacists). Nurses' overall satisfaction with pharmaceutical services increased only slightly after services were decentralized. Significant positive changes in nurses' satisfaction occurred in areas served by the satellite pharmacies and the clinical pharmacist; no significant change s in satisfaction occurred in the other areas. Nurses' perceptions of increased helpfulness of pharmacy personnel were a better predictor of increased satisfaction than were changes in the number of missing medications, waiting time for medication delivery, or number of incorrectly dispensed medications. Respondents remained anonymous; therefore, changes in personnel, rather than changed opinions of nurses, may account for the differences in responses between 1982 and 1985. Nurses' attitudes toward pharmaceutical services improved in areas of the hospital served by satellite pharmacies or by a clinical pharmacist using a movable medication cart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Chinese genetic prion disease:clinical,pathological manifestation and prion protein gene mutation analysis

Objective To report a large family with an autosomal dominant dementia associated with mutation in the prion protein gene(PRNP)and the detailed clinical,neuroimaging and pathological manifestations.Methods Two patients from a large family of dementia were admitted to our ward and the data of their medical history,physical examination,video electroenceplialogram,neuroimaging were colleted.A sterotactic biopsy of the right frontal lobe of the proband was done.After the informed consent from the family members obtained,the genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leucocytes of 5 persons followed by in,vitro amplification using polymerase chain reaction(PCR).The PCR products were directly sequenced by Sanger method.PRNP gene sequence was also examined in 150 normal Chinese to exclude single nueleotide polymorphism.Results A missense mutation of PRNP gene in 5 farnily members was detected,resulting in Gll4V mutation in the prion protein,with M/M genotype of eodon 129.This mutation was not detected in 150 normal Chinese.The proband was diagnosed as inherited prion disease by her clinical features,including neuropsychiatrie disturbances and progressive dementia,and manifestations of neuroimaging,EEG,neuropathology and PRNP gene mutation.Conclusion The first autosomal dominant pedigree of family prion disease is found in China with G114V mutation in PRNP gene which may lead to the prion disease directly.
Variability in urban soils influences the health and growth of native tree seedlings

Reforesting degraded urban landscapes is important due to the many benefits urban forests provide. Urban soils are highly variable, yet little is known about how this variability in urban soils influences tree seedling performance and survival. We conducted a greenhouse study to assess health, growth, and survival of four native tree species growing in native glacial till, coal ash, urban fill, and sandy clean fill soils collected from urban forest restoration sites in New York City. Using a multifactorial design, nine replicates of silver maple (Acer saccharinum), black birch (Betula lenta), red oak (Quercus rubra), and Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) were planted in four urban soil types and one greenhouse mix. We hypothesized that: 1) urban soil type would influence growth, health, and survivorship; 2) each tree species would respond differentially to each soil type; and 3) seedling stress and mortality would be higher for soils with more anthropogenic disturbance. After one growing season, we found that seedlings were less healthy and grew less in soils with a history of greater anthropogenic disturbance. Seedling mortality was low (< 3% overall) except for red oak seedlings in urban fill soil from one location. These results demonstrate that urban soil conditions can impact tree growth and health while supporting high survivorship. Species × soil type interaction for height growth and stress indicate that native tree species may not respond to urban soil conditions consistently. Consequently, matching tree species to soil type could help optimize establishment and growth of urban forest restoration projects.
Cloud Privacy: Normative Standards for Information Privacy Management Within Cloud Computing.

The growth of cloud computing has led to a corresponding growth of user data stored on third party servers, while, at the same time, U.S. privacy law has significant limitations in the protection of aggregated data—precisely the type of much of cloud computing data. This position paper provides an overview of cloud computing and current privacy law, policies and practices, presenting ideas for modernizing privacy protection for cloud computing users, with the goal of instilling trust in the use of cloud computing and fostering further development of innovations in cloud computing applications.
HPLC and Mass Spectrometry of Integral Membrane Proteins

HPLC separations of membrane proteins can be conveniently divided into two categories. Firstly, there are many methods available for isolation of functional membrane proteins. Typically the proteins are maintained in configurations as close to their native state as possible through the use of mild detergents that provide solubility without denaturation, allowing convenient ion-exchange or sizeexclusion chromatography, for example. Proteins or complexes isolated in this way are subsequently used for functional analysis or crystallization, and so on. These isolation techniques have been well reviewed and readers are referred to literature specific to the protein or membrane of interest. The second category of separations are those used to separate membrane proteins from detergents and salts for the purpose of protein chemistry; while tempting to call these methods “denaturing” there is substantial evidence that this is not always the case. The focus of this chapter is to review the latter category of HPLC techniques with specific reference to those methods that provide conditions compatible with mass spectrometric analysis, especially on-line electrospray ionization.
Safety of Phenobarbital in Neonates with HIE

Phenobarbital treatment (20 mg/kg iv) had no significant effect on cerebral blood flow or blood pressure and heart rate, measured 60 min after a loading dose, in 7 term newborn infants with mild to moderate hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy examined in the Dept of Paediatrics, Alborg Hospital, Denmark.
Extracting dielectric spectroscopic properties from microwave-induced thermoacoustic signals

Available data on the dielectric properties of biological tissue across a frequency range adds an extra degree of freedom of contrast besides the baseline structural information obtained by conventional imaging techniques. In this paper, we propose a new methodology to non-invasively extract the normalized effective conductivity of samples over a large frequency range using microwave-induced thermoacoustic (TA) signals. Additionally, a calibration approach has been adopted to remove the frequency dependency of the experimental setup errors as well as the RF power variation. The linear relationship between the TA signal amplitude on the absorbed microwave power is used to extract the properties of samples. Saline phantoms with various concentration are used to mimic different tissue materials in the proof-of-concept experiment. The extracted normalized effective conductivity by the proposed method matches the theoretical calculations as well as the direct contact measurements by a dielectric probe.
Hamlet: A metaphor for modeling and analyzing network conversational adjacency graphs

This paper presents a working model of conversational adjacency graphs (CAGs), both temporal and non-temporal, useful in analyzing interactive communication patterns amongst distributed network actors. The paper utilizes Shakespeare's Hamlet as a baseline reference model to outline the construction of representative weighted graph models of inter-actor conversations, both temporal and non-temporal. A sampling of related complex network analytic metrics both temporal and non-temporal variants is also presented on the respective graph models. We discuss a related experiment carried out in which network exchanges amongst distributed actor nodes are orchestrated within an emulated virtual wireless network scenario. A blind construction of the representative CAG is presented from received traffic logs without a-prior knowledge of the play ordering. In this case, source identification and reception ordering are the sole pieces of information used to estimate conversational adjacency relationships. We demonstrate that the example “blind” CAG construction from the empirically-measured model appears to reasonable match the baseline conversation graph model developed with a-priori information directly from play script. Issues and related ongoing work is discussed regarding the related analytics and potential applications of such models.
On the long period character of shear waves

Abstract S and multiple S phases at moderate to large epicentral distances are frequently followed by normally-dispersed, long-period, wave trains for which surface particle motion is elliptical and progressive and in the plane of propagation of the SV wave. The character of such phases can be explained as the result of coupling between the incident shear waves and dispersive PL waves in the near-surface wave guide. A detailed study of shocks in Mexico and in Montana recorded at Resolute, and less detailed studies of other data support this hypothesis.
Monofunctional Elements of Multi-functional Proteins

Arrestins can act as activators or molecular scaffolds for various effectors, including MAPK signaling cascades, clathrin and AP2, E3 ubiquitin ligases, and phosphatases. Current investigations have focused on isolating the regions of arrestin that interact with effectors in an attempt to understand the role of arrestin in mediating downstream signaling pathways. The interactions of arrestins with some of their binding partners has recently been tested using monofunctional elements, which only have a particular function of a protein, and range from peptide fragments to separated domains. These elements can be used to recapitulate protein-protein interactions, and have been applied successfully in elucidation of the structural basis of the interactions of arrestin with receptors, clathrin, AP2, kinases, and several other effector proteins.
Surgical Treatment of Combined PCL-ACL Medial and Lateral Side Injuries (Global Laxity): Acute and Chronic

The multiple ligament injured knee is a severe injury that may also involve neurovascular injuries, fractures, and other systemic injuries. Surgical treatment offers good functional results documented in the literature by physical examination, arthrometer testing, stress radiography, and knee ligament rating scales. Mechanical tensioning devices are helpful with cruciate ligament tensioning. Some low-grade medial collateral ligament complex injuries may be amenable to brace treatment, while high-grade medial side injuries require combined surgical repair-reconstruction. Lateral posterolateral injuries are most successfully treated with combined surgical repair-reconstruction. Surgical timing in acute multiple ligament injured knee cases depends upon the ligaments injured, injured extremity vascular status, skin condition of the extremity, degree of instability, and the patients overall health. Allograft tissue is preferred for these complex surgical procedures. Delayed reconstruction of 2–3 weeks may decrease the incidence of arthrofibrosis, and it is important to address all components of the instability. Currently, there is no conclusive evidence that double-bundle PCL reconstruction provides superior results to single-bundle PCL reconstruction in the multiple ligament injured knee.
Health Literacy: Exploring Nursing Challenges to Providing Support and Understanding

Background As patient advocates, oncology nurses must attend to varying levels of health literacy among patients and families. However, little is known about nurses' experiences and comfort with health literacy assessment and providing health literacy support. . Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore nurse communication and patient health literacy. . Methods A cross-sectional survey design (N = 74) was used to explore nurse communication challenges with low-literacy patients and to measure nurses' frequency of assisting with patient literacy needs, perceived degree of difficulty communicating with low-literacy populations, and perceived comfort with health literacy support. . Findings A majority of the nurses reported communication challenges with patients who spoke English as a second language. Oncology nurses did not identify patient communication behaviors that indicated low health literacy. Nurses were least comfortable identifying low-literacy patients and assessing a patient's health literacy level. More experienced nurses reported more difficulty with low-literacy populations than less experienced nurses. Providing health literacy support to patients should be a core nursing skill.
Sensitivity of a Reduced EEG Montage for Seizure Detection in the Neurocritical Care Setting

Introduction Neurocritical care units commonly implement the double-distance reduced EEG montage in postoperative neurosurgic patients who have structural barriers that hinder the placement of a standard 10-20 system array. Despite its widespread use, its sensitivity has not been adequately addressed. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of this montage for seizure detection. Methods One hundred fifty-five full-montage continuous EEGs (cEEGs) completed in the Johns Hopkins University neurocritical care unit containing unequivocal electrographic seizures, status epilepticus, or other abnormalities were selected, comprising 73 ictal and 82 nonictal EEGs. EEGs were reformatted to the reduced montage, and 2-hour clips were reviewed independently by 2 epileptologists who documented the presence of seizures, status, or background abnormalities. Results The sensitivity and specificity of the reduced montage for electrographic seizure detection was 81% and 92% with substantial interrater agreement (kappa 0.71). The sensitivity for status epilepticus was lower at 69%, but specificity remained high at 97% (kappa 0.67). Several EEGs miscategorized as nonictal were labeled as rather having rhythmic activity or periodic discharges. Evaluation of background patterns on the ictal-interictal continuum resulted in sensitivities ranging from 68% to 83%. Conclusions Although the specificity of the reduced array is good, epileptologists should remain vigilant when monitoring patients using this montage, given its reduced sensitivity for epileptic activity, especially status epilepticus.
Gonadotropin-like Immunoreactivity in the Rat Ovary

To devise efficient and safe methods of contraception, it is necessary to gain a firm grasp of the biological processes of reproduction. In the female, the gonadotropic hormones have a central role in regulating the reproductive cycles. Thus, it is of prime importance to understand the effect that these hormones have on their target cells. Labeled gonadotropins have been used in autoradiographic studies of the ovary. The majority of these reports have focused on the cells of the corpus luteum (Espeland et al., 1968; Midgley and Beals, 1971; Ryan and Lee, 1976; Abel et al., 1976; Chen et al., 1978; Conn et al., 1978). Fewer electron-microscopic autoradiographic studies have been reported on the cells of the stratum granulosum (Abel et al., 1976; Han, 1979), and none on the theca interna. Since immunocytochemistry (ICC) has been successfully used to demonstrate gonadotropin immunoreactivity in the male reproductive tract (Hutson et al., 1977; Childs et al., 1978), it was decided to employ this technique at the ultrastructural level to localize immunoreactive gonadotropins in the rat ovary. Three predominant cell types of the ovary, namely, the cells of the corpus luteum, the stratum granulosum, and the theca interna, were studied.
Assessment of human sperm acrosome reaction by flow cytometry: validation and evaluation of the method by fluorescence-activated cell sorting*

Objective To determine the applicability of flow cytometry to assess human sperm acrosome reaction. Design Prospective evaluation of semen samples incubated overnight for the development of spontaneous acrosome reaction or exposed to the calcium ionophore A23187 (5 μ M) for 3 hours for induction of the acrosome reaction. Setting University-affiliated tertiary care center. Patients Normal healthy volunteers. Interventions The spermatozoa were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled pea agglutinin. The labeled samples were assessed visually and also subjected to analytic flow cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Main Outcome Measures Acrosome reaction assessed visually and by flow cytometry. Results Flow cytometric analysis showed a single peak of FITC fluorescence in the washed semen samples. A second peak of lower FITC fluorescence intensity was noted after overnight incubation or exposure to A23187, suggesting loss of fluorescence, which indicated the occurrence of the acrosome reaction. There was a statistically significant correlation between the assessment by the two methods (n = 41). However, although the mean difference between the methods was small (2.49%), the difference between the two methods for each individual sample can vary between − 24% to + 29%. When the sperm cells were subjected to cell sorting based on green fluorescence intensity, reanalysis and visual scoring verified that the low intensity peak contained a majority of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa (77.52% ± 2.39%). Conclusion These results validated the flow cytometric method for assessment of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa. Although flow cytometry is more objective and less time consuming when many samples are assessed at the same time, the visual method remains a useful and practical procedure in the clinical andrology laboratory.
Do Infants Learn Words From Statistics? Evidence From English‐Learning Infants Hearing Italian

Infants are sensitive to statistical regularities (i.e., transitional probabilities, or TPs) relevant to segmenting words in fluent speech. However, there is debate about whether tracking TPs results in representations of possible words. Infants show preferential learning of sequences with high TPs (HTPs) as object labels relative to those with low TPs (LTPs). Such findings could mean that only the HTP sequences have a word-like status, and they are more readily mapped to a referent for that reason. But these findings could also suggest that HTP sequences are easier to encode, just like any other predictable sequence. Here we aimed to distinguish between these explanations. To do so, we built on findings that infants become resistant to learning labels that are not typical of their native language as they approach 2 years of age and add words to their lexicons. If tracking TPs in speech results in identifying candidate words, at this age TPs may have reduced power to confer lexical status when they yield a unit that is very dissimilar to word forms that are typical of infants’ native language. Indeed, we found that at 20 months, English-learning infants with relatively small vocabularies learned HTP Italian words (but not LTP words) as object labels, while infants with larger vocabularies resisted learning HTP Italian words. These findings suggest that the HTP sequences may be represented as candidate words, and more broadly, that TP statistics are relevant to word learning.
Abstract TMP4: Hemorrhage and Reocclusion Rates in Stroke Patients on Antiplatelets Treated With Mechanical Thrombectomy

Introduction: The aim of this study was to characterize the impact of both pre-stroke antiplatelet therapy and post-procedure administration on patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy alone or in combination with IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We hypothesized that antiplatelets may reduce the reocclusion rate for patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy and confer less hemorrhagic risk when tPA is not used. Methods: We identified patients from two comprehensive stroke centers who (1) were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion, (2) underwent mechanical thrombectomy, and (3) were at least 18 years old. Along with antiplatelet use, we recorded incidence of hemorrhagic transformation (HT), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), and reocclusion, using univariate analyses to determine predictors for each outcome. Additionally, we used logistic regression to compare the timing of post-stroke antiplatelet administration with HT and 90-day modified Rankin score...
Pharmacist utilization of prescription opioid misuse interventions: Acceptability among pharmacists and patients.

Abstract Pharmacists have played an increasingly critical role in combatting the epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and abuse, due in large part to their accessibility and their function as gatekeepers to prescription medication. Throughout the United States, pharmacists have crafted interventions designed to prevent, identify, and manage opioid misuse and abuse. In order to be effective, however, both patients and pharmacists must comply with interventions. To ensure compliance with proposed pharmacy-based interventions, both patients and pharmacists must recognize patient education, screening and counseling for substance misuse and abuse as acceptable components of pharmacy practice. Objectives: This study evaluates pharmacist and patient acceptance of pharmacy-based opioid interventions, and identifies interventions both groups find acceptable. Methods: Using two surveys simultaneously administered to Ohio Pharmacists and patients in treatment for substance use disorders, this study compares pharmacist and patient acceptance of five (5) pharmacy-based opioid misuse interventions through the use of Cohen's Kappa using the Altman Benchmark Scale. Results: Through this analysis, we found that both pharmacists and patients view the use of patient counseling and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program-based validation of prescriptions as acceptable prescription misuse interventions. While patients expressed interest in Naloxone-based interventions, many pharmacists were opposed to Naloxone-based interventions. Conclusions: Both pharmacists and patients appear to be far more comfortable with the use of counseling and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program-based validation of prescriptions compared to interventions that involve referral to treatment resources or distribution of Naloxone.
The 1995 Southern California Network Bulletin

The Pasadena Office of the U.S. Geological Survey, together with the California Institute of Technology Seismology Laboratory (Caltech Seismo Lab), operates a network of more than 300 remote seismometers in southern California called the Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN). Signals from these sites are telemetered to the central processing site at the Caltech Seismology Laboratory in Pasadena. These signals are continuously monitored by computers that detect and record thousands of earthquakes each year. Phase arrival times for these events are picked by analysts and archived along with digital seismograms. Data acquisition, processing, and archiving is achieved using the CUSP system (Dollar, 1989). These data are used to compile the SCSN Catalog of Earthquakes , a list beginning in 1932 that currently contains more than 282,000 events. This data set is critical to the evaluation of earthquake hazards in California and to the advancement of geoscience as a whole. This article contains...
Disaster Mental Health: Strategic Planning

The newly accepted truism is that in the wake of the disaster the people in psychological crisis (sometimes referred to psychological casualties) will outnumber the physical casualties associated with the same disaster. According to former Assistant Surgeon General Brian Flynn, “In situation after situation across the globe, the psychological footprint of large-scale disasters…has far exceeded the medical footprint” (Flynn in Textbook of disaster psychiatry. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 285, 2007). This surge in demand for acute mental health services must be addressed. In the previous chapter, we discussed psychological crisis intervention as a tactical means of providing psychological assistance to those experiencing acute stress reactions regardless of the cause of their distress. In this chapter, we expand that discussion to review the strategic response. More specifically, we shall review the process of strategic planning to best meet the greatest surge in demand for acute mental health services, disasters. While strategic planning is useful in emergency settings, it is essential in the wake of disasters.
Gender transition shapes perceived sexual orientation

We examined whether and why the amount of time a transgender person has spent transitioning influences perceived sexual orientation. We found that transgender individuals who had spent more time tr...
Using medication administration and double-check data to infer social network influence in intensive care units

Identifying individuals with positive patient safety influence can be challenging and often involve time-consuming surveys. However, as healthcare systems increase their integration of health information technologies with clinical workflow, more social and behavioral data can be obtained automatically. Physician referrals, surgical team schedules, and medication double-check logs are examples of behavioral data that reflect a degree of individual choice, preference, and influence. In this paper, we explored data from medication double-check interactions in the context of nursing influence. Survey responses and double-check data from 86 nurses in three intensive care units were collected. There was on average 21.8% overlap between influence and double-check networks. Medication in-degree scores tended to correlate more with influence, especially when it came to trust proxies for two units (0.79 and 0.47). While results varied by unit and medication class, this work provides a lens for exploring influence on units using unobtrusive measures.
Arthroscopy in Lateral Ankle Ligament Stabilization Surgery: Costs, Complications, Intra-Articular Defect Diagnosis, and Reoperations:

Objectives:Lateral ankle ligament stabilization may be performed with concomitant arthroscopy. Arthroscopy has been shown to aid in the diagnosis of intra-articular defects that often accompany lat...
Replication gaps are a cancer vulnerability counteracted by translesion synthesis

SUMMARY The replication stress response which serves as an anti-cancer barrier is activated not only by DNA damage and replication obstacles, but also oncogenes, mystifying how cancer evolves. Here, we identify that oncogene expression, similar to cancer therapies, induces single stranded DNA (ssDNA) gaps that reduce cell fitness, unless suppressed by translesion synthesis (TLS). DNA fiber analysis and electron microscopy reveal that TLS restricts replication fork slowing, reversal, and fork degradation without inducing replication fork gaps. Evidence that TLS gap suppression is fundamental to cancer, a small molecule inhibitor targeting the TLS factor, REV1, not only disrupts DNA replication and cancer cell fitness, but also synergizes with gap-inducing therapies. This work illuminates that gap suppression during replication is critical for cancer cell fitness and therefore a targetable vulnerability.
Quantitative amplitude measuring φ-OTDR using multiple uncorrelated Rayleigh backscattering realizations.

We propose and demonstrate a technique to perform quantitative strain sensing using the amplitude of the Rayleigh backscattered light in a modified φ-OTDR system. While standard amplitude measuring φ-OTDR sensors can identify the presence of strain, they cannot perform quantitative measurements because the amplitude of the Rayleigh backscattered light exhibits a non-linear and unpredictable strain response. Here, we demonstrate a technique to computationally recover a linear strain response from a set of uncorrelated Rayleigh backscattering measurements. Using a combination of frequency and polarization multiplexing, we constructed a φ-OTDR system capable of recording 18 uncorrelated Rayleigh backscattering measurements in parallel. By combining information from these 18 measurements, the sensor achieves a linear strain response with total harmonic distortion below −35 dB. The sensor is immune to signal fading, has a minimum detectable strain of 5 pɛ/√Hz and a bandwidth of 500 kHz.
Antibiotic Exposure and Risk for Hospital-Associated Clostridioides difficile Infection

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a health care-associated infection associated with significant morbidity and cost, with highly varied risk across populations. More effective, risk-based prevention strategies are needed. Here, we investigate risk factors for hospital-associated CDI in a large integrated health system. In a retrospective cohort of all adult admissions to 21 Intermountain Healthcare hospitals from 2006 to 2012, we identified all symptomatic (i) hospital-onset and (ii) health care-facility-associated, community-onset CDI. We then evaluated the risk associated with antibiotic exposure, including that of specific agents, using multivariable logistic regression. A total of 2,356 cases of CDI among 506,068 admissions were identified (incidence, 46.6 per 10,000). Prior antibiotic use was the dominant risk factor, where for every antibiotic day of therapy prior to the index admission, the odds of subsequent CDI increased by 12.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.2 to 13.4%; P < 0.0001). This was a much stronger association than was inpatient antibiotic exposure (odds ratio [OR], 1.007 [95% CI, 1.005 to 1.009]; P < 0.0001). The highest-risk antibiotics included second-generation and later cephalosporins (especially oral), carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and clindamycin, while doxycycline and daptomycin were associated with a lower CDI risk. We concluded that cumulative antibiotic exposure prior to admission is the greatest contributor to the risk of subsequent CDI. Most classes of antibiotics carry some risk, which varies by drug and route. This information may be useful for antimicrobial stewardship efforts.