cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronometers and units in early archaeology and paleontology.

Early in the nineteenth century, geologist Charles Lyell reasoned that successively older faunas would contain progressively more extinct species and younger faunas relatively more extant species. The present, with one-hundred percent extant species, was the chronological anchor. In archaeology a similar notion underpins the direct historical approach: Successively older cultures will contain progressively fewer of the cultural traits found in extant cultures and relatively more prehistoric traits. As in Lyell’s scheme, the chronological anchor is the present. When A. L. Kroeber invented frequency seriation in the second decade of the twentieth century, he retained the present as a chronological anchor but reasoned that the oldest cultural manifestation would contain the highest percentage of a variant, or what came to be known as a "style," of an ancient trait, and successively younger cultural manifestations would have progressively lower percentages of that variant. The principle of overlapping permitted building sequences of fossils and artifacts, but differences in the units that allowed the chronometers to be operationalized reveal significant epistemological variation in how historical research is undertaken. This variation should be of considerable interest to paleobiologists and archaeologists alike, especially given recent archaeological interest in creating and explaining historical lineages of artifacts.
Can an Economy Survive Without Corporations? Technology and Robust Organizational Alternatives

Shareholder-owned corporations were dominant for much of the 20th century in the United States, yet their numbers are substantially declining in the 21st. This article argues that we are observing a regime shift in the transaction costs of organizing that disfavors traditional corporations. Accompanying this shift is the emergence of low-cost, small-scale production technologies that will allow locally based universal fabrication facilities. In combination, these changes are compatible with new forms of non-corporate enterprise. While corporations are basic units of production in many theories about the economy, they should be regarded as only one hypothesis about how production is and can be organized. Traditional alternatives to the corporation include producer and consumer cooperatives (e.g., Land o’ Lakes, REI) and mutuals (e.g., State Farm, Vanguard). More recent possibilities include commons-based peer production (such as Linux and Wikipedia) and “platforms” that connect buyers and sellers (such as ...
The Effect of Positional Support on Tolerance of Wakeful Prone in Infants.

ABSTRACTSupervised wakeful prone promotes motor milestones. Indications are that many infants do not receive adequate prone, with poor tolerance as a contributing factor. A common suggestion is the use of positional support. Aims: This study has two main purposes: (1) To determine whether varied levels of positional support affect the duration of time spent in prone, and (2) to determine the effect of positional support with respect to infant size. Methods: A convenience sample of 32 healthy infants ranging in size, aged 3.3 ± 0.04 months, were placed in prone in three counterbalanced randomized levels of positional support: a flat blanket (Blanket condition), a rolled blanket (Roll condition), and a pillow (Boppy condition). Results: There were significant differences in time spent in prone with the Boppy condition affording infants up to three more min in prone across three repeated trials. There were no significant interaction effects between condition and infant size measurements. Conclusions: These r...
Beyond Integration: Measuring the Difference in Racial Harmony Between Public and Christian Schools

Since the common school movement, one of the stated goals of American education has been to bring together students from different backgrounds. The belief was that public schools rather than private schools would create greater harmony, including racial harmony, among various student groups. To date, the success in bringing diverse students together has been measured largely by metrics devoted to integration, but this is arguably an indirect and incomplete measure of racial harmony. Instead, this study uses multiple measures of interactions between racial groups that are positive and friendly and compares perceived racial harmony in public schools versus Christian schools using ELS: 2002. Results indicate greater and consistent racial harmony in Christian schools.
The SAMPL5 host-guest challenge: computing binding free energies and enthalpies from explicit solvent simulations by the attach-pull-release (APR) method

The absolute binding free energies and binding enthalpies of twelve host–guest systems in the SAMPL5 blind challenge were computed using our attach-pull-release (APR) approach. This method has previously shown good correlations between experimental and calculated binding data in retrospective studies of cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) and β-cyclodextrin (βCD) systems. In the present work, the computed binding free energies for host octa acid (OA or OAH) and tetra-endo-methyl octa-acid (TEMOA or OAMe) with guests are in good agreement with prospective experimental data, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.8 and root-mean-squared error of 1.7 kcal/mol using the TIP3P water model. The binding enthalpy calculations achieve moderate correlations, with R2 of 0.5 and RMSE of 2.5 kcal/mol, for TIP3P water. Calculations using the newly developed OPC water model also show good performance. Furthermore, the present calculations semi-quantitatively capture the experimental trend of enthalpy-entropy compensation observed, and successfully predict guests with the strongest and weakest binding affinity. The most populated binding poses of all twelve systems, based on clustering analysis of 750 ns molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories, were extracted and analyzed. Computational methods using MD simulations and explicit solvent models in a rigorous statistical thermodynamic framework, like APR, can generate reasonable predictions of binding thermodynamics. Especially with continuing improvement in simulation force fields, such methods hold the promise of making substantial contributions to hit identification and lead optimization in the drug discovery process.
Contract Law and Fundamental Legal Conceptions: An Application of Hohfeldian Terminology to Contract Doctrine

In 1913 a manuscript arrived at the Yale Law Journal. It was titled Some Fundamental Legal Conceptions as Applied in Judicial Reasoning, and its author was an obscure Stanford law professor named Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld. In it he argued that courts used the term right in four different senses, and that a court's failure to recognize this could lead to deductive reasoning errors when deciding cases. The journal's editors brought the piece to Arthur L. Corbin, the journal's faculty advisor, for his thoughts. He immediately advised them to publish it. The article's stated goal was modest-to aid law students "in the understanding and in the solution of practical, every-day problems of the law." It also had the air of nineteenth century formalism and conceptualism, ideas soon to be out of fashion. But underneath its modest pedagogical purpose and formalistic and conceptual aura, the piece had subversive power. Intentionally or not, this obscure professor's article was a devastating critique on formalist legal reasoning — the very type of reasoning it seemed to represent. By the Second World War his work had fallen from view. The legal academy's neglect of the article's stated purpose is unfortunate, for today this is where it has the most to offer. This Article maintains that Hohfeld's ideas should be given renewed attention for their stated purpose-as an aid to legal reasoning, and that Hohfeldian analysis should not simply serve as a footnote in the story of the fall of legal formalism. Hohfeld's role in overturning legal formalism ran its course long ago. His system's current practical use lies in its stated purpose-to avoid errors in deductive reasoning. By reemphasizing Hohfeldian analysis, law students, then lawyers, and then ultimately judges, will be better trained to think like lawyers, and to recognize and to avoid the errors in deductive reasoning that led Hohfeld to develop his system. In an effort to continue the move toward better deductive reasoning skills started by Professor Nyquist, this Article analyzes the most important contract-law doctrines through Hohfeldian terminology. This area of law has been chosen not because its subject matter is necessarily better suited for Hohfeldian analysis than any other, but because it is this author's area of expertise.
Effect of Wool Components in Pile Fabrics on Water Vapor Sorption, Heat Release, and Humidity Buffering

Experimental measurements of water vapor sorption and desorption in wool/polyester blend fabrics are used to assess associated changes in temperature and heat flux during varying relative humidity levels. The results aid further development and adoption for military applications of cold-weather wool blend fabrics that are more flame resistant and warmer than 100% polyester garments. Two types of bi-sided fabrics were tested: 1) thin knit fabrics designed to be worn next to the skin, usually as undergarments, and 2) thick fleece mid and outer layers with 100% wool on the outer face and 100 % polyester on the inner surface. The following issues were addressed: 1) the effect of wool content on the knit fabrics, 2) the effect of fabric orientation on both the knit and the fleece fabrics, and 3) the effect of durable water-repellent treatment on the fleece fabrics.
Editorial Procedures and Apparatus

The critical edition of Kitāb Uglīdis fi Ikhtilāf al-manazir in volume I has been prepared from all five available manuscript copies, denoted here as m 1—m5 [see Description, pp. xxvi—xvii, and List I, p. xxxiv]. The establishment of the text (M) is primarily based on ml [dated 625H], a copy likely to be closest to the original composition, as suggested by some identifiable features including the title [the variants of the other four manuscripts, m2—m5, dated 692H, 600H, 751H, and ca. 680H respectively, are presented in the critical apparatus]. The odd-numbered manuscripts, m 1, m3 and m5, would all qualify for such a selection. Not only do their titles as Kitdb Uglidis f Ikhtilaf al-manazir refer to the name of Euclid, as do those with the short form al-Mandzir, but the association with “an old translation” (al-nagl al-qadim) is more explicit in their case [see Summary and Commentary: Title, v. 2, p. 2, n. 43]. The curious description of the visual rays as “unequal in distances and magnitudes” (mukhtalifat al-ab ad wa al-magadir) in the set m2, m4 [see Description, pp. xxvi—xxvii] and especially the statement in one of them (m2) regarding the “poor” (saqim), “obscure” (mughlaq) and “cut off’ (batr) nature of its ”original“ (as1) [including the alternative readings in Description, p. xxvi] further point to members of the odd set (m1, m3, m5) as more authentic and complete texts.
Planning under abstraction within a supervisory control context

In this work we employ hierarchy in order to greatly reduce the computational complexity for generating the optimal control for a discrete event system. Specifically, we propose a formal notion of equivalence we term cost equivalence that we use to generate an abstraction of a weighted automaton representing a supervisory controller. We demonstrate that this abstraction can be employed for planning, even in the presence of events that cannot be controlled. Furthermore, we propose additional requirements that we show guarantee that the plan generated from the abstracted automaton achieves optimal behavior when applied to the original unabstracted automaton. The results we generate in this paper have application to a broad class of graph-search problems.
Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Stimulates Extra-Cellular Matrix Production in Cellular Spheroids

Nanotechnologies have been integrated into drug delivery, and non-invasive imaging applications, into nanostructured scaffolds for the manipulation of cells. The objective of this work was to determine how the physico-chemical properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and their spatial distribution into cellular spheroids stimulated cells to produce an extracellular matrix (ECM). The MNP concentration (0.03 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL and 0.3 mg/mL), type (magnetoferritin), shape (nanorod-85 nm × 425 nm) and incorporation method were studied to determine each of their effects on the specific stimulation of four ECM proteins (collagen I, collagen IV, elastin and fibronectin) in primary rat aortic smooth muscle cell. Results demonstrated that as MNP concentration increased there was up to a 6.32-fold increase in collagen production over no MNP samples. Semi-quantitative Immunohistochemistry (IHC) results demonstrated that MNP type had the greatest influence on elastin production with a 56.28% positive area stain compared to controls and MNP shape favored elastin stimulation with a 50.19% positive area stain. Finally, there are no adverse effects of MNPs on cellular contractile ability. This study provides insight on the stimulation of ECM production in cells and tissues, which is important because it plays a critical role in regulating cellular functions.
Vector Functions, Vector Differentiation, and Parametric Equations

This chapter discusses vector functions, vector differentiation, and parametric equations in ℝ. If two f 1 and f 2 are functions of the real variable t , then for all values of f for which f 1 ( t ) and f 2 ( t ) are defined, the vector-valued function f is defined by f ( t ) = ( f 1 ( t ), f 2 ( t )) = f 1 (t)i + f 2 ( t )j. The domain of f is the intersection of the domains of f 1 and f 2 . For simplicity, the vector-valued functions are referred as vector functions. If the interval [ a , b ] is in the domain of the function f and that both f 1 and f 2 are continuous in [ a , b ]. Then the set of points ( f 1 ( t ), f 2 ( t )) for a ≤ t ≤ b is called a plane curve C . The above equation is called the vector equation of C , while equations x = f 1 ( t ) and y = f 2 ( t ) are called the parametric equations or parametric representation of C . In this context, the variable t is called a parameter.
Radiographic Evidence of Occult Intracranial Hypertension in Patients with Ménière’s Disease:

Objectives(1) Describe the prevalence of radiographic signs of intracranial hypertension (ICH) in Meniere’s disease (MD) and (2) compare the prevalence of radiographic signs of ICH in MD patients m...
Insulin Resistance, Hyperinsulinemia, and Mitochondria Dysfunction in Nonobese Girls With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Objective Obese girls with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have decreased insulin sensitivity (IS), muscle mitochondrial dysfunction and increased liver fat, which may contribute to their increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Less is known regarding normal-weight girls with PCOS. Methods Normal-weight girls with PCOS [n =18, age 15.9 ± 1.8 years, body mass index (BMI) percentile 68 ± 18] and normal-weight controls (NWC; n = 20; age 15.0 ± 2.1 years, BMI percentile 60 ± 21) were studied. Tissue-specific IS was assessed with a four-phase hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with isotope tracers and a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Hepatic fat was determined using magnetic resonance imaging. Postexercise muscle mitochondrial function was assessed with 31P MR spectroscopy. Results Both groups had similar demographics, anthropomorphics, physical attributes, habitual physical activity levels and fasting laboratory values, except for increased total testosterone and DHEAS in PCOS. Clamp-assessed peripheral IS was lower in PCOS (10.4 ± 2.4 mg/kg/min vs 12.7 ± 2.1; P = 0.024). The 120-minute OGTT insulin and glucose concentrations were higher in PCOS (114 IU/mL ± 26 vs 41 ± 25, P = <0.001 and 119 ± 22 mg/dL vs 85 ± 23, P = 0.01, respectively). Muscle mitochondrial ADP and phosphocreatine time constants were slower in PCOS. Despite a higher percentage liver fat in PCOS, hepatic IS was similar between groups, as was adipose IS. Conclusions Normal-weight girls with PCOS have decreased peripheral IS and muscle mitochondrial dysfunction, abnormal glucose disposal, relative postprandial hyperinsulinemia, and increased hepatic fat compared to NWC. Despite a normal BMI, multiple aspects of metabolism appear altered in normal-weight girls with PCOS.
Solid pseudopapillary pancreatic tumor in pregnancy. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is a rare neoplasm, occurring predominantly in young African American women. Tumor growth, which is typically slow, may be accelerated during pregnancy secondary to the influence of progesterone. CASE: We report a rare case of an 8-cm SPT in the head of the pancreas presenting as hyperemesis gravidarurn during pregnancy. In contrast to previous case reports, surgical resection of the tumor at 16 weeks' gestation, although successful, did not ameliorate the patient's abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting. With intravenous nutritional support, she delivered a healthy infant near term. CONCLUSION: SPT pray present as hyperemesis gravidarum. Patients with refractory hyperemesis gravidarum should be evaluated for thyroid disease, gastro-esophageal reflux, cholestasis and pancreatitis. If these more common etiologies are excluded, then one may consider SPT in the differential diagnosis, particularly in African American patients. SPT pray grow during pregnancy due to progesterone responsiveness. Surgical resection during pregnancy is possible without harmful fetal effects but may not correct gastrointestinal dysfunction during pregnancy.
Transparent Government and Business Regulation

This paper presents new indicators for 185 economies measuring the accessibility of business regulatory information. The paper shows that the new data can serve as meaningful proxies for the overall transparency of governments and the new data have explanatory power for the quality of business regulation. The paper finds the regulatory environment to be most opaque in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, where businesses can often only access basic regulatory information by meeting a government official. By contrast, in countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, access is more direct via websites, public billboards, and brochures. Moreover, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development economies are more consistent in their transparency efforts across government agencies. The paper also finds that while resources as proxied by income levels play some role in explaining why some economies make more information easily accessible than others, those resources are not the only determining factor; regardless of income, more democratic governments tend to make greater transparency efforts. Finally, easier access to basic regulatory information is associated with greater regulatory quality and less corruption.
The Body in Rosario Tijeras: Between the Life and Death Drives (Eros and Thanatos)

Body and women identity is expressed in narco-narrative novels. The chapter scrutinizes the conceptualization of the female body in the urban drug-trafficker’s world. Employing the psychoanalytic concepts of Eros and Thanatos in Rosario Tijeras, we can observe pulsions that result in cultural illness. Rosario’s mouth is a double-edged sword: she kisses before she kills; her mouth seduces and destroys. The mouth in the novel evidences the way she punishes herself, eating with guilt and gaining weight (overeating, satiating the mouth), and how she tries, without success, to mask her social identity by keeping her mouth closed in certain circumstances.
Sensory and Flavor Characteristics of Tomato Juice from Garden Gem and Roma Tomatoes with Comparison to Commercial Tomato Juice.

Abstract The objective of this study was to characterize the flavor of a premium Florida tomato variety that has significant potential for producing a high quality processed juice product. A high-quality Florida plum tomato variety (Garden Gem), and a typical grocery-store plum tomato variety (Roma) were thermally processed into tomato juices without any additives. The 2 pilot products and a popular commercially available tomato juice (low sodium with sugar and flavor added) were compared using sensory evaluation and instrumental analysis. Flavor compounds in these products were identified using dynamic headspace purge and trap-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PT-GC-MS) by MS library match and retention index and were semi-quantitated using internal standards. Color, uniformity, overall liking, tomato flavor, sweetness and texture were rated using a hedonic scale. Analysis of variance, correlation and principal component analysis were used to analyze both sensory and flavor data. Among the 3 products, Garden Gem juice was rated significantly (P < 0.05) higher for overall liking, tomato flavor, and sweetness by the 119 consumer panelists in both seasons. Garden Gem juice was found to contain higher levels of 3 sweet/fruity related aroma compounds: 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, linalool, and β-ionone. The commercial tomato juice contained a high level of the Maillard reaction-related notes furfural, dimethyl sulfide, and the least amount of green-related notes (hexanal, E-2-hexenal and Z-2-heptenal). The flavor profile of the Roma tomato juice was similar to Garden Gem juice except it contained substantially lower amounts of hexanal and 2-isobutylthiazole. The compound β-ionone (fruity note) was not detected in either the commercial or Roma juice. Practical Application This proof of concept study demonstrates that high flavor quality tomatoes can be used to create better tasting processed tomato products. The study also demonstrates how sensory preference can confer a potential market advantage over existing commercial products. The Garden Gem variety has potential to add desirable flavor attributes to processed tomato products. This research may also provide insights for product developers to which flavor volatiles best reflect sensory observations for different aspects of tomato flavor.
Electronic Transport in Hydrogen-Terminated Si(001) Nanomembranes

In diverse applications employing very thin, single-crystalline semiconductor sheets, including flexible electronics and photonics, energy-storage devices, and solar cells, the impacts of surfaces and interfaces on charge transport need to be understood. The authors study the electrical conductance of very thin Si(001) sheets using a special, sensitive back-gating method, to quantify the influence of H termination on conductance for sheets of different thickness, and confirm that surface states play a dominant role in these conductance properties. Their approach is extensible to other important systems, $e.g.$ $I\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}I\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}I-V$ semiconductors and transition-metal dichalcogenides.
Predictors of super-response to cardiac resynchronization therapy and associated improvement in clinical outcome: the MADIT-CRT (multicenter automatic defibrillator implantation trial with cardiac resynchronization therapy) study.

Objectives: The authors investigated predictors of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) super-response to cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D) and whether super-respons...
Preclinical Pharmacodynamics of Anxiolytics: Effects of Chronic Benzodiazepine Administration

Benzodiazepine anxiolytics act at specific receptors located on the GABAA receptor complex on post-synaptic neurons. We developed a mouse model to assess pharmacodynamics and neuro-chemical effects during chronic benzodiazepine administration. During chronic lorazepam administration, animals developed behavioral tolerance and benzodiazepine receptor downregulation in several brain regions after 1 week of treatment. Similar results were observed for clonazepam. However, for alprazolam, these alterations occurred more rapidly, after 2–4 days, and neurochemical changes occurred primarily in cortex. In contrast to results with benzodiazepine agonists, chronic antagonist and “inverse agonist” treatment had opposite effects on behavior and were associated with receptor upregulation. After benzodiazepine agonist discontinuation, behavioral and neurochemical effects were also opposite to those observed during chronic administration, suggesting the presence of a “withdrawal” syndrome. Administration of carbamazepine after lorazepam discontinuation attenuated the behavioral and neurochemical withdrawal effects. Studies to determine the cellular mechanisms of these receptor alterations indicated that receptor increases after drug discontinuation were likely to be due to enhanced receptor production. During chronic administration, receptor mRNAs were decreased, but this change occurred after the development of tolerance and receptor downregulation.
An update on cardioprotection: a review of the latest adjunctive therapies to limit myocardial infarction size in clinical trials

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with subsequent left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Rapid advances in the treatment of AMI, mainly through timely reperfusion, have substantially improved outcomes in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome and particularly ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. A vast amount of research, both translational and clinical, has been published on various pharmacological and interventional techniques to prevent myocardial cell death during the time of ischemia and subsequent reperfusion. Several methods of cardioprotection have shown the ability to limit myocardial infarction size in clinical trials. Examples of interventional techniques that have proven beneficial are ischemic post-conditioning and remote ischemic per-conditioning, both of which can reduce infarction size. Lowering core body temperature with cold saline infusion and cooling catheters have also been shown to be effective in certain circumstances. The most promising pharmaceutical cardioprotective agents at this time appear to be adenosine, atrial natriuretic peptide, and cyclosporine, with other potentially effective medications in the pipeline. Additional pre-clinical and clinical research is needed to further investigate newer cardioprotective strategies to continue the current trend of improving outcomes following AMI.
New Technologies: Changing how we work with Students:

Today's students, technologically savvy from an early age, expect technical sophistication from their campuses and curricula. Higher education must keep pace with new technologies while addressing ...
Population Analysis of Male Urethral Stricture Management and Urethroplasty Success in the United States.

Abstract Objective To examine population-based practice patterns and outcomes related to urethroplasty for urethral stricture management. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of adult males with urethral stricture disease treated from January 2001 to June 2015 using the Clinformatics Data Mart Database. Treatment was defined as urethral dilation, direct visualized internal urethrotomy, and urethroplasty. We then examined anterior or posterior urethroplasty outcomes defining failure as any subsequent procedure specific to urethral stricture disease occurring >30 days after urethroplasty. We used multivariable and time-to-event analysis to examine factors associated with failure. Results We identified 75,666 patients treated for urethral stricture disease, with 420 and 367 undergoing anterior and posterior urethroplasty, respectively. Urethroplasty utilization doubled from 2005 to 2015. One- and 5-year failure rates for anterior and posterior urethroplasty were 25% and 18%, and 40% and 25%, respectively, with median times to failure of 5.1 and 4.1 months. Failures were salvaged primarily with direct visualized internal urethrotomy, with salvage urethroplasty in 19% and 12% of anterior and posterior repairs, respectively. Conclusion Despite increasing population-based urethroplasty utilization over the past decade in our insured cohort, we found higher rates of salvage treatments than reported by high-volume and expert surgeon reports. Further efforts appear warranted to balance workforce expertise and quality of urethroplasty care to meet increasing urethral stricture population needs.
The Sociolinguistically Trained Speech-Language Pathologist: Using Knowledge of African American English to Aid and Empower African American Clientele

Purpose This article furthers the conversation about how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can incorporate an understanding of language variation as they provide services to multicultural populat...
Mixed Mode Stress Intensity Factor Solutions for Offshore Structual Tubular Joints by Three Dimensional Finite Element Analysis

The stress intensity factor solutions for a surface crack at the weld toe of an X-joint under brace tension and in-plane bending were obtained through three-dimensional finite element analyses. The complex finite element mesh was generated using the advanced mesh generator PRETUPE. The stress intensity factors were obtained from the displacement solutions of the quarter-point crack tip elements in the finite element model. The results of these analyses suggest that, for an offshore tubular joint fracture mechanics problem, the crack tip behavior can be predominantly mixed mode. The results of these analyses demonstrate the validity of the solution scheme and contribute to the understanding of the fracture behavior of tubular joints.
Rate of Plagiarism in Personal Comments Essays of Applicants to a US Allopathic Medical School: an Observational Study.

Plagiarism is one type of a professionalism breach, and it has been reported to occur in the personal statements of residency applicants.1, 2 As there is no information in the literature about plagiarism in the personal comments essays of medical school applicants, the purpose of this study is to determine the rate of plagiarism in the personal comments essays of applications to an allopathic medical school in the United States (US).
BRAF V600E-induced, tumor intrinsic PD-L1 can regulate chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in human colon cancer cells and in tumor xenografts

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune checkpoint protein; however, emerging data suggest that tumor cell PD-L1 may regulate immune-independent and intrinsic cellular functions. We demonstrate regulation of PD-L1 by oncogenic BRAFV600E and investigated its ability to influence apoptotic susceptibility in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Endogenous or exogenous mutant vs. wild-type BRAF were shown to increase PD-L1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression that was attenuated by MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase) inhibition or c-JUN and YAP knockdown. Deletion of PD-L1 reduced tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Loss of PD-L1 was also shown to attenuate DNA damage and apoptosis induced by diverse anti-cancer drugs that could be reversed by restoration of wild-type PD-L1, but not mutants with deletion of its extra- or intracellular domain. The effect of PD-L1 on chemosensitivity was confirmed in MC38 murine tumor xenografts generated from PD-L1-knockout vs. parental cells. Deletion of PD-L1 suppressed BH3-only BIM and BIK proteins that could be restored by re-expression of PD-L1; re-introduction of BIM enhanced apoptosis. PD-L1 expression was significantly increased in BRAFV600E human colon cancers, and patients whose tumors had high vs. low PD-L1 had significantly better survival. In summary, BRAFV600E can transcriptionally upregulate PD-L1 expression that was shown to induce BIM and BIK to enhance chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. These data indicate an intrinsic, non-immune function of PD-L1, and suggest the potential for tumor cell PD-L1 as a predictive biomarker.
Pressure-Induced Interlamellar Stromal Keratitis After Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction Procedure: A Case Report.

PURPOSE To report a case of pressure-induced interlamellar stromal keratitis (PISK) after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) for the correction of myopic astigmatism in the United States. METHODS We report the case of a 27-year-old man who underwent uneventful SMILE surgery and presented with pressure-induced stromal keratitis. Anterior and posterior segment examination, uncorrected distance visual acuity, refraction, intraocular pressure, and pachymetry values are reported from this time period. RESULTS Three weeks postoperatively, examination revealed new-onset central corneal haze and edema in both eyes, more significant in the right eye. The patient was given a presumptive diagnosis of diffuse lamellar keratitis. Intensive corticosteroid treatment was administered, causing a significant decline in uncorrected distance visual acuity OD from 20/25 to 20/250 and OS from 20/20 to 20/60, with a significant myopic shift of -3.0 D and -1.0 D, respectively. In our case, pachymetry measurements revealed 78 μm OD and 43 μm OS of additional corneal thickness. Pressure readings were 25 mm Hg OD and 19 mm Hg OS, respectively. He was diagnosed with PISK, and after 4 days of steroid discontinuation and Brimonidine-Timolol administration, his symptoms had improved with resolution of corneal edema. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians should be aware that PISK is a potential complication of SMILE. Postoperative intraocular pressure measurements are an important aspect of the management of postcorneal refractive surgery patients because the differentiation of PISK from diffuse lamellar keratitis, as well as the early detection and treatment of PISK, can avoid severe complications.
Optical Quality and Tear Film Analysis Before and After Intranasal Stimulation in Patients with Dry Eye Syndrome.

Purpose To evaluate the optical quality and tear film quality in patients with dry eye syndrome (DES) before and after using an intranasal neurostimulation device to stimulate tear production. Methods Cross-sectional review of 33 eyes in 21 patients with DES who underwent optical quality and tear film analysis as part of their routine dry eye evaluation pre- and post-neurostimulation trial in office. Optical quality was assessed by measuring the objective scattering index (OSI) and modulation transfer function (MTF). The time to blink and mean tear film OSI were used to analyze the tear film. Results Optical quality after the use of the intranasal neurostimulator improved with an average decrease (improvement) in OSI of 0.30±0.68 (P=0.015) and an average increase (improvement) in MTF of 2.12±9.2 (P=0.15). Pre-intranasal neurostimulation OSI had a positive correlation with age (Spearman's rho 0.60, p < 0.001), while MTF had a negative correlation (Spearman's rho -0.38, p = 0.03). Pre-intranasal neurostimulation OSI had a negative correlation with MTF (Spearman's rho -0.85, p < 0.001) and a positive correlation with tear film mean OSI (Spearman's rho 0.85, p <0.001). Conclusion The optical quality of patients with DES is improved with the use of intranasal neurostimulation for tear production, and there was a trend towards improved MTF though not statistically significant. Future studies are needed to follow patients longitudinally.
The design of tasks that address applications to teaching secondary mathematics for use in undergraduate mathematics courses

Abstract This paper describes theoretical design principles emerging from the development of tasks for standard undergraduate mathematics courses that address applications to teaching secondary mathematics. While researchers recognize that mathematical knowledge for teaching is a form of applied mathematics, applications to teaching remain largely absent from curriculum resources for courses for mathematics majors. We developed various materials that contain applications to teaching that have been integrated into four standard undergraduate mathematics courses. Three primary principles influenced the design of the tasks that prepare future teachers to learn and apply mathematics in a manner central to their future work. Additionally, this paper provides guidance for instructors desiring to develop or implement similar applications. The process of developing these tasks underscores the importance of key features regarding the roles of human beings in the tasks, the intentional focus on advanced content connected to school mathematics, and the integration of active engagement strategies.
Understanding the Contextualization of Information in Complex Military Decision Spaces

One of the central challenges associated with developing situational understanding originates at the information level. The simple fact is while all information may be created equal, the value of that information is not. Confounding this challenge is the fact that the true value of information is dependent not only on its source and latency, but just as importantly on the context in which it is being exercised. Towards this end, this paper presents a multi-faceted experiment meant to discern how Soldiers weigh the value of information against seven contextual variables under varying military scenarios. Initial results reveal that contextual variables play a significant role in how information is valued and more importantly provide a foundation for developing tailorable information strategies, increasing situational awareness, and reducing information- and cognitive-overload.
Dialogue as Being With: An Antitoxin to Hate and Intolerance

As the social and political landscape becomes more fearful, intolerant, and self-centered, the concept of dialogue offers a different path, a constructive way of approaching alien ideas and beliefs. Understanding the principles of true dialogue is the most effective way to foster inner and outer harmony, broaden one’s horizons, and check aggressive, intolerant impulses. Dialogue’s roots are ancient, related to a method of argument called dialectic. It is a special partnership based on mutual respect and humility. Dialogue isn’t easy to engender. It requires four pre-conditions: 1) non-empirically verifiable topic; 2) two-way flow; 3) fairness; and 4) willingness to risk self-identity.
Implementation of photographic triage in a paediatric dental, orthodontic, and maxillofacial department during COVID-19.

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, limitations were placed on face-to-face encounters in dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) in order to promote physical distancing and reduce viral propagation. To facilitate continued assessment of dental, orthodontic, and maxillofacial emergencies, a photographic triage system was initiated at Alder Hey Children's Hospital (AHCH). We will discuss the benefits this system offers at a patient, clinician, departmental, and NHS service level. Aim To share our experience of photographic triage during the first 3 months of COVID-19 lockdown, lessons learned, and recommendations. Design Prospective data collection over 3 months. Results 220 photographic referrals were received, and swelling (30%) and dental trauma (27%) were the most common presenting complaints. 57% of referrals were not seen, 23% were seen semi-urgently, and 20% booked for outpatient review. Of those seen, 7 children were seen elsewhere and 44 were seen face-to-face at AHCH, with 8 being admitted. Conclusion Photographic triage reduced physical encounters and proved useful in training junior staff, assessment of new patient referrals, and first on-call from home. Implementation should be considered throughout dental, orthodontic, and OMFS departments nationwide. In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or emergence of a new pandemic, photographic triage could facilitate physical distancing and service provision.
Helicobacter pylori Infection Increases Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome in Residents Younger than 50 Years Old: A Community-Based Study

This study aimed to analyze the influence of H. pylori infection on insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MS) by multivariate analysis of a community-based cohort study. From January 2013 to February 2014,811 subjects were enrolled in a community-based cohort study from the northeastern region of Taiwan. All subjects received a demographic survey and blood tests, including an H. pylori antibody test, liver biochemistry tests, lipid profiles, sugar/insulin levels for Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR index), and measurements of adipokines and inflammatory cytokines. A total of 264 men and 547 women were included in this study. The mean age was 59.2 ± 12.7 years. Subjects seropositive for H. pylori antibodies exhibited higher rates of hypertension, an increased incidence of a HOMA-IR index > 2.5 and a higher level of tumor necrosis factor-α than those without H. pylori antibodies. We found a significant difference in the presence of H. pylori antibodies between subjects with MS and those without MS (76.7% vs. 53.7%, p = 0.007) among subjects 2.5, H. pylori antibody presence and leptin were predictors for MS in subjects 2.5 than those without H pylori antibodies. For subjects aged < 50 y/o, the H. pylori antibody was a predictor for MS.
Lifting Belts: A Review

This article reviews and evaluates the literature related to the effectiveness of protective restraints on abdominal strength, lower back injuries, and workers' discomfort. The studies indicate that back belts have potential disadvantages as well as advantages. Belts seem to reduce lifting stress. They may, however, lead to a false sense of security while being worn and may also weaken the body, so injury occurs when they are not being worn. There also seems to be comfort problems with some belts. More scientific research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn about positive, negative, or long-term effects of lifting belts.
An eHealth system supporting palliative care for patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the authors examined the effectiveness of an online support system (Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System [CHESS]) versus the Internet in relieving physical symptom distress in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: In total, 285 informal caregiver-patient dyads were assigned randomly to receive, for up to 25 months, standard care plus training on and access to either use of the Internet and a list of Internet sites about lung cancer (the Internet arm) or CHESS (the CHESS arm). Caregivers agreed to use CHESS or the Internet and to complete bimonthly surveys; for patients, these tasks were optional. The primary endpoint—patient symptom distress—was measured by caregiver reports using a modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. RESULTS: Caregivers in the CHESS arm consistently reported lower patient physical symptom distress than caregivers in the Internet arm. Significant differences were observed at 4 months (P = .031; Cohen d = .42) and at 6 months (P = .004; d = .61). Similar but marginally significant effects were observed at 2 months (P = .051; d = .39) and at 8 months (P = .061; d = .43). Exploratory analyses indicated that survival curves did not differ significantly between the arms (log-rank P = .172), although a survival difference in an exploratory subgroup analysis suggested an avenue for further study. CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated that an online support system may reduce patient symptom distress. The effect on survival bears further investigation. Cancer 2013. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Toward Quantifying the Prevalence, Severity, and Cost Associated With Patient Motion During Clinical MR Examinations.

Abstract Purpose To assess the prevalence, severity, and cost estimates associated with motion artifacts identified on clinical MR examinations, with a focus on the neuroaxis. Methods A retrospective review of 1 randomly selected full calendar week of MR examinations (April 2014) was conducted for the detection of significant motion artifacts in examinations performed at a single institution on 3 different MR scanners. A base-case cost estimate was computed from recently available institutional data, and correlated with sequence time and severity of motion artifacts. Results A total of 192 completed clinical examinations were reviewed. Significant motion artifacts were identified on sequences in 7.5% of outpatient and 29.4% of inpatient and/or emergency department MR examinations. The prevalence of repeat sequences was 19.8% of total MRI examinations. The base-case cost estimate yielded a potential cost to the hospital of $592 per hour in lost revenue due to motion artifacts. Potential institutional average costs borne (revenue forgone) of approximately $115,000 per scanner per year may affect hospitals, owing to motion artifacts (univariate sensitivity analysis suggested a lower bound of $92,600, and an upper bound of $139,000). Conclusions Motion artifacts represent a frequent cause of MR image degradation, particularly for inpatient and emergency department patients, resulting in substantial costs to the radiology department. Greater attention and resources should be directed toward providing practical solutions to this dilemma.
Bartlett, Frederic Charles

Frederic C. Bartlett (1886–1969) was a distinguished British psychologist who spent most of his career at Cambridge University. He is chiefly known today for his book Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology, which laid the foundation for schema theory. Keywords: schema theory; serial reproduction; repeated reproduction; distortions of memory
Percepción de la imagen social de enfermería entre los estudiantes del Programa de Enfermería Decanato de Medicina UCLA I lapso 2005

The following descriptive research aims to determine the self social image perception of students from the 1 semester (2005) and 6~ and 1O~ semeters (2004) respectively, enrolled in Nurse School at UCLA Venezuela. The instrument to collect data was an adaptation of Burguete (2004) and Hernandez' (2000) instrument in a similar research. Results show that a considerable percentage of students enrolled in the program because of vocation. The students' perception ofthe nurse profession is good. Nurses' job is seen with admiration and respecto.
Speech Output Technologies in Interventions for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Scoping Review

The purpose of this scoping review was to (a) map the research evidence on the effectiveness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions using speech output technologies (e.g., speech-generating devices, mobile technologies with AAC-specific applications, talking word processors) for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, (b) identify gaps in the existing literature, and (c) posit directions for future research. Outcomes related to speech, language, and communication were considered. A total of 48 studies (47 single case experimental designs and 1 randomized control trial) involving 187 individuals were included. Results were reviewed in terms of three study groupings: (a) studies that evaluated the effectiveness of treatment packages involving speech output, (b) studies comparing one treatment package with speech output to other AAC modalities, and (c) studies comparing the presence with the absence of speech output. The state of the evidence base is discussed and several directions for future research are posited.