cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interferon alpha-2b in the treatment of refractory uveitic cystoid macular edema

Interferon alphas are a family of cytokines produced by white blood cells which have antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulatory properties. Systemic interferon alpha-2a has demonstrated efficacy in ocular inflammatory disease of non-infectious cause, most notably Behcet’s disease associated uveitis. Increasingly, the efficacy of systemically administered interferon alphas for uveitic CME, both in the setting of active and inactive uveitis, is being elucidated.
Auto-hermeneutics: A phenomenological approach to information experience

Abstract The need for methodologically rigorous approaches to the study of human experience in LIS has emerged in recent years. Auto-hermeneutics is a research approach that offers a systematic way to study one’s own experiences with information, allowing investigators to explore yet-undocumented contexts, setting precedents for further work in these areas and ultimately deepening our understanding of information experiences. This articulation of auto-hermeneutics is based on the phenomenological method of Heidegger and draws principles from systematic self-observation and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Similarities and differences among auto-hermeneutics and other automethodologies are discussed, along with guidelines for assessing auto-hermeneutic research. Finally, an example of an auto-hermeneutic study illustrates the unique contributions this approach affords.
Foucaults Beitrag zur Sozialen Arbeit gegen Rassismus

Rassismus ist fur Sozialarbeiterinnen und Sozialarbeiter ein bekanntes Phanomen. Sie begegnen ihm in ihrer taglichen Arbeit mit Migrantinnen und Migranten, Behinderten, Kranken, Obdachlosen: mit Menschen, die sich am Rand der Gesellschaft befinden und, zusatzlich zu ihren sonstigen Problemen etwa auf dem Arbeits- und Wohnungsmarkt, noch mit Hass und Verachtung, mit verbaler biologistischer Gewalt — „Abschaum!“ — oder gar mit korperlichen Attacken auf ihre Person konfrontiert sind. Sie lernen ihn jedoch auch von der anderen, von der Tater-Seite her kennen, etwa wenn sie sich mit rechten Jugendlichen beschaftigen oder mit anderen Gruppen, die ihre offenbar prekare „naturliche Uberlegenheit“ demonstrieren wollen, indem sie auf das ihnen Fremde einschlagen. Sozialarbeiterinnen und Sozialarbeiter sind, so konnte man sagen, qua Beruf Expertinnen und Experten des Rassismus.
Lessons from Katrina

Despite differences in flow velocity and inundation duration, the effects on the coastal infrastructure in the inundation zones of Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 were remarkably similar. Surveying the effects of Hurricane Katrina will no doubt assist in the ongoing study of tsunami loading on coastal construction.
RNA Cap Methyltransferase Activity Assay

Methyltransferases that methylate the guanine-N7 position of the mRNA 5' cap structure are ubiquitous among eukaryotes and commonly encoded by viruses. Here we provide a detailed protocol for the biochemical analysis of RNA cap methyltransferase activity of biological samples. This assay involves incubation of cap-methyltransferase-containing samples with a [32P]G-capped RNA substrate and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to produce RNAs with N7-methylated caps. The extent of cap methylation is then determined by P1 nuclease digestion, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and phosphorimaging. The protocol described here includes additional steps for generating the [32P]G-capped RNA substrate and for preparing nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts from mammalian cells. This assay is also applicable to analyzing the cap methyltransferase activity of other biological samples, including recombinant protein preparations and fractions from analytical separations and immunoprecipitation/pulldown experiments.
Value of Information Methods to Prioritize Research

Building on the principles of value of information (VOI), this article aims to provide an intermediate overview of the current applications of VOI methods in research prioritization, with particular focus on the USA. VOI is an outgrowth of advances in Bayesian decision theory and economic research on quantifying prospectively the benefits and costs of research and development (R&D) activities under uncertainty. VOI allows for the identification of the sources of current treatment uncertainty and a method for calculating the incremental value of pursuing more research to reduce variation in clinical practice outcomes. The article begins with a brief rationalization of the importance of the practical application of the method, given the number of public policies aiming to promote investment in medical R&D and challenges inherent to prioritizing these investments prospectively. The majority of the article has been devoted to summarizing and categorizing recent practical applications of the method to assist public policy decision-making at the local, national, and international levels, and to describing some of the challenges in using VOI methods to inform research prioritization decisions.
Reflex Control of Respiratory Activity (Short Overview)

All the several respiratory related activities can be modified by environmental stimuli, changes in energy requirements as well as by various behavioral functions like vocalization, emotional expressions, olfaction etc... These changes involve striated muscles acting on the respiratory bellows and the upper airway, tracheobron-chial smooth muscles and mucus glands, blood vessels supplying various districts of the respiratory apparatus, etc...
Airway Control, Mechanical Ventilation, and Respiratory Care

Mechanical ventilation is often required for infants and children with cardiovascular disorders. This chapter briefly reviews the physiology of lung inflation and deflation with tidal breathing, the principles involved with the practice of conventional ventilation, the design and functional characteristics of conventional ventilators, the theory and practice of respiratory care, and special forms of artificial respiration.
Association Between Antibiotic Prescribing for Respiratory Tract Infections and Patient Satisfaction in Direct-to-Consumer Telemedicine.

This study assesses the association between antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections and satisfaction ratings among patients using a direct-to-consumer telemedicine platform.
Apparent self-heating of individual upconverting nanoparticle thermometers.

Individual luminescent nanoparticles enable thermometry with sub-diffraction limited spatial resolution, but potential self-heating effects from high single-particle excitation intensities remain largely uninvestigated because thermal models predict negligible self-heating. Here, we report that the common "ratiometric" thermometry signal of individual NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles unexpectedly increases with excitation intensity, implying a temperature rise over 50 K if interpreted as thermal. Luminescence lifetime thermometry, which we demonstrate for the first time using individual NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles, indicates a similar temperature rise. To resolve this apparent contradiction between model and experiment, we systematically vary the nanoparticle's thermal environment: the substrate thermal conductivity, nanoparticle-substrate contact resistance, and nanoparticle size. The apparent self-heating remains unchanged, demonstrating that this effect is an artifact, not a real temperature rise. Using rate equation modeling, we show that this artifact results from increased radiative and non-radiative relaxation from higher-lying Er3+ energy levels. This study has important implications for single-particle thermometry.
The Long and Short of Hearing in the Mosquito Aedes aegypti

Summary Mating behavior in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes occurs mid-air and involves the exchange of auditory signals at close range (millimeters to centimeters) [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. It is widely assumed that this intimate signaling distance reflects short-range auditory sensitivity of their antennal hearing organs to faint flight tones [ 7 , 8 ]. To the contrary, we show here that male mosquitoes can hear the female’s flight tone at surprisingly long distances—from several meters to up to 10 m—and that unrestrained, resting Ae. aegypti males leap off their perches and take flight when they hear female flight tones. Moreover, auditory sensitivity tests of Ae. aegypti’s hearing organ, made from neurophysiological recordings of the auditory nerve in response to pure-tone stimuli played from a loudspeaker, support the behavioral experiments. This demonstration of long-range hearing in mosquitoes overturns the common assumption that the thread-like antennal hearing organs of tiny insects are strictly close-range ears. The effective range of a hearing organ depends ultimately on its sensitivity [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Here, a mosquito’s antennal ear is shown to be sensitive to sound levels down to 31 dB sound pressure level (SPL), translating to air particle velocity at nanometer dimensions. We note that the peak of energy of the first formant of the vowels of the human speech spectrum range from about 200–1,000 Hz and is typically spoken at 45–70 dB SPL; together, they lie in the sweet spot of mosquito hearing. Video Abstract Download : Download video (198MB)
Clinical decision making based on data from GDx: one-year observations.

PURPOSE: To determine whether information derived from the GDx scanning laser polarimeter aids in the clinical decision-making process for patients with various types of glaucoma. METHODS: Over a 4-month period, 342 consecutive patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, ocular hypertension, angle-closure glaucoma, or secondary glaucomas or in whom the diagnosis of glaucoma was uncertain were evaluated with the GDx scanning laser. After 1 year, 153 patients with glaucoma underwent GDx analysis again. Chart review revealed that 42 of the 153 patients had a change in therapy as a result of the GDx evaluation combined with analysis of visual fields, optic disc cupping, and intraocular pressure (IOP). Outcomes were then compared. RESULTS: The group who had a change in therapy had a higher average GDx number (51.5 +/- 26.1 vs 37.0 +/- 23.5 [P = .001]) at the initial visit and higher IOP (18.2 +/- 4.6 vs 16.0 +/- 3.2 mm Hg [P = .005]). In spite of a change in therapy, at an average of 344 days later, IOP was unchanged (18.3 +/- 5.3 vs 15.7 +/- 3.2 mm Hg [P = .001]) and GDx values in the altered therapy group were higher than at baseline (57.3 +/- 27.9 vs 36.7 +/- 23.4 [P = .001]), although the differences within each group did not achieve statistical significance. CONCLUSION: GDx analysis may be helpful in determining patients at risk for damage from glaucoma, even in eyes in which cup-disc ratio and field loss have not progressed. Changing medications without significantly reducing IOP may be insufficient to halt increases in GDx numbers and may indicate a need for more aggressive therapy.
Quantitative Assessment of Effectiveness of Ultrasonic Propulsion of Kidney Stones.

Abstract Purpose: Ultrasonic propulsion is an investigative modality to noninvasively image and reposition urinary stones. Our goals were to test safety and effectiveness of new acoustic exposure c...
Competitive ability of weedy rice: toward breeding weed-suppressive rice cultivars

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a vital crop for achieving global food security. Unfortunately, weeds are the major yield-constraining factor in rice production systems worldwide. Development of rice wit...
Cortical and Deep Gray Matter Perfusion Associations With Physical and Cognitive Performance in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Background: Reports suggest presence of cerebral hypoperfusion in multiple sclerosis (MS). Currently there are no studies that examine if the cerebral MS perfusion is affected by presence of cardiovascular comorbidities. Objective: To investigate associations between cerebral perfusion and disease outcomes in MS patients with and without comorbid cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Materials: One hundred three MS patients (75.7% female) with average age of 54.4 years and 21.1 years of disease duration underwent 3T MRI dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) imaging and were tested with Expanded Disability Status Scale, Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS), Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW), 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Structural and perfusion-based normalized measures of cerebral blood flow (nCBF), cerebral blood volume (nCBV) and mean transit time (MTT) of global, tissue-specific and deep gray matter (DGM) areas were derived. CBV and CBF were normalized by the normal-appearing white matter counterpart. Results: In linear step-wise regression analysis, age- and sex-adjusted, MSSS (R 2 = 0.186) was associated with whole brain volume (WBV) (β = -0.244, p = 0.046) and gray matter (GM) nCBF (β = -0.22, p = 0.035). T25FW (R 2 = 0.278) was associated with WBV (β = -0.289, p = 0.012) and hippocampus nCBV (β = -0.225, p = 0.03). 9HPT (R 2 = 0.401) was associated with WBV (β = 0.195, p = 0.049) and thalamus MTT (β = -0.198, p=0.032). After adjustment for years of education, SDMT (R 2 = 0.412) was explained by T2-lesion volume (β = -0.305, p = 0.001), and GM nCBV (β = 0.236, p = 0.013). No differences in MTT, nCBF nor nCBV measures between patients with (n = 42) and without CVD (n = 61) were found. Perfusion-measures were also not able to distinguish CVD status in a logistic regression model. Conclusion: Decreased GM and deep GM perfusion is associated with poorer MS outcomes, but not with presence of CVD.
Activation of Notch1 drives the development of radiation-induced thymic lymphoma in p53 wild-type mice

ABSTRACT Mouse models of radiation-induced thymic lymphoma are widely used to study the development of radiation-induced blood cancers and to gain insights into the biology of human T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. Here, we aimed to determine key oncogenic drivers for the development of radiation-induced thymic lymphoma by performing whole-exome sequencing using tumors and paired normal tissues from mice with and without irradiation. Thymic lymphomas from irradiated wild-type (WT), p53+/- and KrasLA1 mice were not observed to harbor significantly higher numbers of non-synonymous somatic mutations compared to thymic lymphomas from unirradiated p53-/- mice. However, we observed distinct patterns of recurrent mutations in genes that control the Notch1 signaling pathway based on the mutational status of p53. Preferential activation of Notch1 signaling in p53 WT lymphomas was also observed at the RNA and protein level. Using reporter mice for activation of the Notch1 signaling we observed that TBI enriched Notch1hi CD44+ thymocytes, which are capable of self-renewal in vivo. Mechanistically, genetic inhibition of Notch1 signaling in thymocytes prevented the formation of radiation-induced thymic lymphoma in p53 WT mice. Taken together, our results demonstrate a critical role of activated Notch1 signaling in driving multi-step carcinogenesis of thymic lymphoma following total-body irradiation in p53 WT mice.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Cesarean Delivery: A Survey of Anesthesiologists

Background The most common complication after cesarean delivery is surgical site infection. Antibiotic prophylaxis reduces infectious morbidity and current anesthetic quality metrics include preincision antibiotic prophylaxis. Recently, studies suggest reductions in infectious morbidity with the addition of azithromycin for unscheduled cesarean delivery. Larger doses of cefazolin are recommended for morbidly obese women, but evidence is conflicting. The aim of this study was to survey anesthesiologists to assess current practice for antibiotic prophylaxis for cesarean delivery. Methods We invited a random sample of 10,000 current members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists to complete an online survey about their current practice of antibiotic prophylaxis for cesarean delivery in November 2017. The survey included questions similar to a previous survey on this topic in 2012. Results The response rate was 12.2% (n = 1223). Most respondents had at least 15 years of experience (684, 55.9%), work at a nonteaching or community hospital (729, 59.6%), with >500 cesarean deliveries annually (619, 50.6%), and administer obstetric anesthesia several times a week (690, 56.4%). Routine preincision antibiotic prophylaxis was reported by 1162 (95.0%) of the 1223 respondents, a substantial improvement versus the 63.5% reported in the previous study in 2012. For intrapartum cesarean deliveries, 141 (11.5%) administer azithromycin for unscheduled cesarean deliveries. Those who use cefazolin, 509 (42.5%) administer 3 g for morbidly obese women. Conclusion Adherence to preincision antibiotic prophylaxis for cesarean delivery is very high, a significant improvement within 5 years. A minority of anesthesiologists utilize azithromycin for intrapartum cesarean deliveries. The dose of cefazolin for morbidly obese women varies widely.
Development and implementation of a patient assistance fund: a descriptive study

The purpose of this descriptive study is to outline the Roseman University of Health Sciences (RUHS) College of Dental Medicines’ Patient Assistance Fund development, organization and outcomes. The description and reported results provide insight to others considering similar health professions programs. The Patient Assistance Fund (PAF) affords dental students an opportunity to petition for and obtain financial assistance for their most disadvantaged patients. In this study, two sources of data were collected and used with a quantitative analysis for data collected as part of the PAFs operation and a qualitative analysis to evaluate the patient experiences. A total of 16 student advocates, consisting of 6 males and 10 females from the D3 and D4 classes made 26 presentations to the PAF board committee. The combined amount requested from the PAF was $47,428.00 (“Cost of Treatment Plan”) representing an average request per patient of $1824.15 (range $324.00 to $4070.00). The approved procedures and treatment plans totaled $21,278.36 (“Cost of Approved Procedures”) with an average of $818.40 (range $204.00 to $2434.00) per patient. Patients and students expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the program. This study provides an overview of the structure, funding sources, expenditures and patient services supported by a dental student managed patient assistance fund. The experiences at RUHS College of Dental Medicine (CODM) suggest that other healthcare professions schools can develop similar type programs that yield benefit both to students and to patients in need.
Hospitality and Disruption: The Church as Sanctuary

The interpretive lens of John Duns Scotus’ notion of haecceitas (“this-ness”) can aid in understanding the obligation to be in right relationship with migrants. A well-developed theology that includes a mutual recognition of persons can help bring about a transformative relationship with those who have been cast as “the other.” The increasing numbers, danger and appification of global migrants and migration pathways—especially when coupled with scapegoating and anti-immigrant rhetoric in the context of nationalistic movements in multiple countries—require a response that expresses our relationality and interconnectedness. The International Organization for Migration estimates that one in every thirty people are international migrants. Many migration patterns and processes have emerged out of intersecting factors that include economics, social and cultural dynamics, demographics, safety, ease of movement and geography. This chapter examines the strengths and weaknesses of several helping images, including hospitality, welcoming and sanctuary, all of which are insufficient when taken alone. Drawing on the Franciscan intellectual tradition, the author proposes an incarnational solidarity that goes beyond hospitality and welcoming.
WebRED: Effective Pretraining And Finetuning For Relation Extraction On The Web.

Relation extraction is used to populate knowledge bases that are important to many applications. Prior datasets used to train relation extraction models either suffer from noisy labels due to distant supervision, are limited to certain domains or are too small to train high-capacity models. This constrains downstream applications of relation extraction. We therefore introduce: WebRED (Web Relation Extraction Dataset), a strongly-supervised human annotated dataset for extracting relationships from a variety of text found on the World Wide Web, consisting of ~110K examples. We also describe the methods we used to collect ~200M examples as pre-training data for this task. We show that combining pre-training on a large weakly supervised dataset with fine-tuning on a small strongly-supervised dataset leads to better relation extraction performance. We provide baselines for this new dataset and present a case for the importance of human annotation in improving the performance of relation extraction from text found on the web.
Analysis and Classification of Postcatheterization Femoral Arteriovenous Fistulas Based on Color Doppler Examinations

Objective To analyze and classify arterial supply and venous drainage of postcatheterization femoral arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs). Methods A review of extremity Doppler reports identified 77 femoral AVFs in 75 patients. Doppler exams were reviewed retrospectively. Fistulas were classified as above or below the common femoral artery bifurcation and subclassified based on the location of arterial inflow and venous outflow. Results Arterial inflow originated above the femoral bifurcation in 32 cases. The communication was between the common femoral artery and the superficial circumflex iliac vein in 25 of 32 cases and between a branch of the common femoral or external iliac artery and the common femoral or external iliac vein in 4 of 32 cases. In 3 of 32 cases, AVFs arose from the common femoral artery, but the venous outflow was not determined. Arterial inflow originated from the superficial femoral artery in 23 cases. Venous outflow originated from the common femoral vein in 10 of 23 cases, the femoral vein in 7 of 23 cases, and the lateral circumflex femoral vein in 6 of 23 cases. Arterial inflow originated from the deep femoral artery in 12 cases. Venous outflow originated from the common femoral vein in 6 of 12 cases and from the lateral circumflex femoral vein 6 of 12 cases. In 8 cases, the AVF originated below the bifurcation, but the arterial inflow was not classified. In 2 cases, it was impossible to determine if the AVF originated above or below the bifurcation. Conclusions Iatrogenic femoral AVFs arise above the femoral bifurcation more often than previously recognized. Classification based on the arterial inflow and venous outflow provides a straightforward means of describing these fistulas.
Molecular characterization of inversion breakpoints in the Drosophila nasuta species group

Chromosomal inversions are fundamental drivers of genome evolution. In the Drosophila genus, inversions have been widely characterized cytologically, and play an important role in local adaptation. Here, we characterize chromosomal inversions in the Drosophila nasuta species group using chromosome-level, reference-quality assemblies of seven species and subspecies in this clade. Reconstruction of ancestral karyotypes allowed us to infer the order in which the 22 identified inversions occurred along the phylogeny. We found a higher rate of inversions on the X chromosome, and heterogeneity in the rate of accumulation across the phylogeny. We molecularly characterize the breakpoints of six autosomal inversions, and found that repeated sequences are associated with inversion breakpoints in four of these inversions, suggesting that ectopic recombination is an important mechanism in generating inversion. Characterization of inversions in this species group provides a foundation for future population genetic and functional studies in this recently diverged species group.
Impact of a College Course on the Sustainability of Student Diets in Terms of the Planetary Boundaries for Climate Change and Land, Water, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Use

While it is widely acknowledged that shifts in diet could play a large role in mitigating climate change with important health co-benefits, knowledge on how to accomplish these shifts is lacking. Our previous study showed a statistically significant reduction in the dietary carbon footprint of students who had completed a college course on the connections between food and the environment compared to a control group enrolled in an unrelated course. An extension of the previous study, this research evaluates the sustainability of female and male diets in both the intervention and control groups from baseline to follow up with respect to the following planetary boundaries: greenhouse gases, land use, water use, nitrogen loss, and phosphorus use. Student dietary footprints are compared to a per capita limit allowable for food according to the planetary boundaries concept. In addition, a 50-point Healthy Eating Index was calculated at baseline and follow up for all students. Female students enrolled in the intervention course reported diets with statistically significant reductions in their footprints from baseline to follow up for greenhouse gases (p=0.011), land use (p=0.012), and phosphorus (p=0.045), and the female diets were statistically different from the control groups for those three boundaries. For water use, female diets increased in footprint from baseline to follow up due to an increase in vegetable intake. Males enrolled in the intervention showed similar trends (reductions in footprints for greenhouse gases, land use, and phosphorus use and an increase in blue water use), but differences were not statistically significant, partially due to the smaller number of male respondents. For all of the planetary boundaries except blue water use, the student dietary footprints were well above the per capita boundary for food-related sources.
Trademarks & Brands in 3D Printing

The traditional model of delivering goods to customers has been centered around manufacturers making, distributing, and marketing goods. Traditional manufacturers have produced the goods on their own, filed trademarks to indicate the source of origin of those goods, and built globally linked manufacturing facilities with complex supply chains to deliver goods to retail channels and consumers. However, 3D printing changes and redefines this model. In a 3D printing world, the consumer can become both the producer and the end customer. This paper focuses on one form of IP — trademarks — and provides an analysis of the interplay between 3D printing and trademark doctrine and policy. It analyzes trademark law issues from the context of traditional manufacturers of goods, and suggests that trademarks are deemphasized in the era of 3D printing. This paper provides a distinction between trademarks as property rights and brands as strategic business assets. It suggests that traditional manufacturers deemphasize their trademark enforcement strategies and refocus on branding strategies in an era of 3D printing.
Modified Grey Wolf Optimizer with Parasitism Phase

Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) is a popular and effective nature-inspired, swarm intelligence based metaheuristic optimization algorithm which imitates the hunting process of a wolf pack in the nature. It has been widely used to solve both theoretical and real life engineering optimization problems. Even though metaheuristics have many advantages such like requiring no derivative information of the problem at hand, simplicity, and flexibility, they also have some drawbacks like trapping local optima, and premature convergence. They should have a proper balance between diversification (exploration) and intensification (exploitation). In this study, inclusion of a simple operator, namely "parasitism", is proposed to improve the performance of GWO by means of exploration. Parasitism is a phase within Symbiotic Organisms Search (SOS) algorithm. The performances of 2 modified versions are compared with the original GWO, using 13 test beds. Results indicate that inclusion of parasitism phase into the original version has produced better results on the parameters of the algorithm.
Challenge to Civil Engineering

This paper is a description of the scope and content of the Engineers Joint Council Engineering Research Committee Report, with particular reference to its implications for civil engineering. There has been a tremendous growth in federal support of science-based technological activities related to national security but no corresponding attention to the civilian problems brought about by urbanization and technological complexity of the economy. The engineer of the future must, at the same time, be more conscious of the interaction between technology and society and more alert to the opportunities and limitations arising from basic science. Areas of importance to the civil engineer will include: Incorporation of the quantitative techniques of economic and social analysis into engineering planning; development of a methodology for the design of data-collecting systems for control of the environment; development of a science of applying science through systematic cost-benefit evaluation of specific scientific knowledge; the automation of many design procedures; and the radical revision of classical design methods to take into account the possibilities of modern information technology.
Dick and Eddie: A Narralogue

when everything fallS apart it's invariably a sign that at another level everything is Coming together in A New way?as a collecTive Human sEnSibility, this is probably the only optimism available to us?phe nomena that seem disruptively random from one point of view may look like a different order from another?whiCh is why rAndomizaTion is a hopeful beginning, an opporTunity, in short, a chancE?in any case, the mind has a low toleRance for disorder?or to put it another way, healthy minds have a hearty appetite for disorder, which they consume at a rapid rate For example, in the above passage, the embedded capitalizations make no sense, unless you happen to SCAN them as a separate sequence. THE SCATTER method, a Sufi technique, provides a way of discerning non-linear and subliminal order which otherwise seems like disorder. "Scan the scatter," the subliminal message above.
The Practice and Procedure of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

A thoroughly revised second edition that incorporates the major changes made in the procedures and practice of the Inter-American Court. Jo M. Pasqualucci analyzes all aspects of the Court's advisory jurisdiction, contentious jurisdiction and provisional measures orders through 2011. She also compares the practice and procedure of the Inter-American Court with that of the European Court of Human Rights, the Permanent Court of Justice and the United Nations Human Rights Committee. She evaluates changes in the Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Court that entered into force on January 1, 2010, and which substantially change the role of the Inter-American Commission in contentious cases before the Court. She also evaluates the challenges and means of State compliance with the Court's innovative reparations orders. Featuring revisions to every chapter to address the major changes, this book will provide an important and updated resource for scholars, practitioners and students of international human rights law.
Strength of Reaction Bonded Silicon Nitride After High Temperature Air Exposures

The present study of the effects of high temperature exposure to air on the room temperature strength of reaction-bonded silicon nitride (RBSN) derived from laser-heated SiH4-derived high-purity Si powders notes that while SEM revealed no evidence of an oxide layer after a 1-hr exposure at 1000 C, and only a 0.5-micron layer after 50 hrs, and about 0.5-micron layer appeared in 1 hr at 1400 C, and a 1.5-micron layer after 50 hrs. Contrary to conventional RBSN, that derived from ultrapure Si did not undergo a strength or toughness change after oxidizing exposures. 9 refs.
An effective approach to diagnosis and surgical repair of refractory medial epicondylitis.

Background: Medial epicondylitis of the elbow, an overuse injury characterized by angiofibroblastic tendinosis of the common flexor-pronator origin, generally responds to nonoperative treatment. Refractory cases may require surgical debridement and repair. This study discusses physical examination and imaging findings and an updated surgical technique used in patients with recalcitrant medial epicondylitis. Methods: The surgical records of 60 patients with refractory medial epicondylitis were reviewed. All received a course of nonoperative care. After 3 to 6 months of failed therapy, imaging was obtained, and surgical intervention was offered when indicated. This open procedure consisted of thorough debridement with repair and restoration of the flexor-pronator origin, using a suture anchor. Accelerated rehabilitation, emphasizing early motion, was used. One-year follow-ups were obtained. The Mayo Elbow Performance Score was calculated preoperatively and postoperatively. Results: Pronation weakness at 90 � was a critical physical examination finding. Preoperative magnetic resonance images demonstrated pathologic partial tearing at the flexor-pronator origin. Ulnar neuritis was addressed in 20%. Postoperatively, the Mayo Elbow Performance Score significantly increased (preoperatively, 58 � 7.7; postoperatively, 88 � 7.8; P ¼ 5.6E-34), and pain significantly decreased (preoperatively, 2.2 � 0.3; postoperatively, 0.6 � 0.5; P ¼ 3.8E-33). There was one retear in a patient noncompliant with the postoperative protocol. He responded positively to reoperation. Conclusion: Identification of weakness on pronation is a reliable physical examination finding for determining clinically significant pathologic changes in patients with medial epicondylitis. Debridement with restoration of the flexor-pronator origin is an efficacious procedure. In this large series of patients, surgical repair with aggressive rehabilitation was shown to be reliable and safe in restoring function and relieving pain in recalcitrant cases of medial epicondylitis. Level of evidence: Level IV, Case Series, Treatment Study.
Functional expression in Xenopus oocytes reveals that human ferroportin is an iron exporter shared with zinc

Iron homeostasis is achieved by regulating the intestinal absorption of the metal and its recycling by macrophages. Export of iron from enterocytes or macrophages to the blood is thought to be medi...
Social work with immigrants and refugees : legal issues, clinical skills, and advocacy

Given the changing demographics and the growing number of diverse individuals in the US, the text serves as a useful reference and "how-to" manual for providers who work with immigrants. Key features include: * Legal classifications (how to get a green card, applying for asylum, reasons for deportation, becoming a citizen), * What you should know and how to help immigrants in areas of Physical Health, Mental Health, Crime, Employment, Access to Public benefits* Special section on working with immigrant families particularly: refugees, women & victims of trafficking, children and public education, unaccompanied minors, LBGT, and elderly immigrants* History of immigration and cultural diversity as a lens in providing social services* The latest aspects of the immigration debate and how social workers are affected by and can advocate for macro changes in laws and regulations with advocacy tools for the social service community, tools of empowerment for case managers acting as individuals or as volunteers, and relevant advocacy rules and opportunities for applying this knowledge in an academic, community or professional setting. And more!
Active Vibration Control on the OSU Flexible Beam

The idea of actively damping vibrations in flexible structure systems has received much attention in recent years. Such systems present a particular problem in that there is no fixed frame of reference for actuation; actuators must then be mounted on the structure itself. Currently at Ohio State a laboratory facility is being developed to study control of flexible structures; one specific configuration is a six foot free-free beam which is suspended from the ceiling. Such a beam can be controlled by applying torques about the bending axis or by applying transverse forces. Due to the size constraints of such a laboratory-scale experiment, a small structure with small actuators and sensing devices are utilized. Transverse actuators (developed in-house) were chosen for the experiment, and sensing is accomplished via several sets of strain gauges and accelerometers mounted on the structure. This paper discusses issues involved with the modeling of this structure, and presents a brief summary of the various control approaches, primarily from a decentralized viewpoint, which are currently being applied to the laboratory setup.
Crowd simulation incorporating agent psychological models, roles and communication

Abstract : We describe a new architecture to integrate a psychological model into a crowd simulation system in order to obtain believable emergent behaviors. Our existing crowd simulation system (MACES) performs high level wayfinding to explore unknown environments and obtain a cognitive map for navigation purposes, in addition to dealing with low level motion within each room based on social forces. Communication and roles are added to achieve individualistic behaviors and a realistic way to spread information about the environment. To expand the range of realistic human behaviors, we use a system (PMFserv) that implements human behavior models from a range of ability, stress, emotion, decision theoretic and motivation sources. An architecture is proposed that combines and integrates MACES and PMFserv to add validated agent behaviors to crowd simulations.
Dissecting the Potential Interplay of DEK Functions in Inflammation and Cancer

There is a long-standing correlation between inflammation, inflammatory cell signaling pathways, and tumor formation. Understanding the mechanisms behind inflammation-driven tumorigenesis is of great research and clinical importance. Although not entirely understood, these mechanisms include a complex interaction between the immune system and the damaged epithelium that is mediated by an array of molecular signals of inflammation-including reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytokines, and NFκB signaling-that are also oncogenic. Here, we discuss the association of the unique DEK protein with these processes. Specifically, we address the role of DEK in chronic inflammation via viral infections and autoimmune diseases, the overexpression and oncogenic activity of DEK in cancers, and DEK-mediated regulation of NFκB signaling. Combined, evidence suggests that DEK may play a complex, multidimensional role in chronic inflammation and subsequent tumorigenesis.
Basic fibroblast growth factor: a potential regulator of proliferation and intermediate filament expression in the retina.

Proliferation of astrocytes, and a concomitant increase of intermediate filaments in astrocytes are two fundamental responses of the CNS to injury. We have previously identified these two events in the retina's response to detachment of the neural retina from the adjoining monolayer of retinal pigmented epithelium. In order to analyze the potential role of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in these responses, we studied cellular proliferation and intermediate filament protein expression in the retinas of cats and rabbits 4 d and 4 weeks after a single intravitreal injection of 1 microgram of bFGF. Our results show that bFGF stimulates both of these processes in an otherwise normal eye. The eyes that received bFGF had significantly elevated numbers of 3H-thymidine-labeled Muller cells, astrocytes, vascular cells, retinal pigmented epithelial cells, microglia, and macrophages by comparison to control eyes. This proliferation was apparent at 4 d after the injection of bFGF but not after 4 weeks. In control eyes, antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin labeled intermediate filaments only in the inner (vitread) portion of the Muller cells, the specialized radial astrocytes that span the width of the retina. In eyes that had been injected with bFGF, almost the entire Muller cell cytoplasm was labeled at 4 d after injection; after 4 weeks, the cytoplasmic labeling intensity had increased significantly. Release or activation of endogenous stores of bFGF after injury or disease may be involved in the control of cellular proliferation and intermediate filament expression in the retina and elsewhere in the CNS.
A new diagnostic criterion for gastric syphilis.

The appearance of several patients at the Richmond Memorial Hospital during the past year with gastric disease appearing concomitantly with tertiary syphilis brought the question of lues as an etiological factor in the production of gastroenteric disease to our mind. This condition is frequently ignored in the differential diagnosis of gastric complaints. However, as early as 1834 Andral l reported instances of stomach symptoms which did not disappear until treated with the antiluetic drugs then available. It would seem that syphilis can affect the stomach only in the late latent or tertiary stage of the disease.214 It can manifest itself as a specific luetic intragastric lesion or central nervous system lues may produce gastric complaints, as in the crisis of tabes, or it is further possible that untreated syphilis may have some effect upon benign gastric lesions. Certain criteria are considered essential to a clinical diagnosis of gastric syphilis. These factors, even when all are present, are not necessarily diagnostic of the disease. In this paper we hope to add another diagnostic criterion, the response of the disease to penicillin. The diagnosis cannot be made unless one has an individual with untreated tertiary syphilis, a demonstrable roentgenologic defect, the presence of gastric symptoms, the inability to alleviate symptoms or effect improvement in anatomic X-ray defect by orthodox methods of management without anti-luetic therapy and the symptomatic relief and/or the disappearance of X-ray defect after intensive specific therapy. In the past this last criterion consisted of intensive treatment with the arsenicals and bismuth. Our patients have been treated by the rapid method with penicillin described first by Mahoney, Arnold16 and their collaborators. This form of treatment has not been used previously as a therapeutic test for gastric syphilis. Its advantage over the older, method with arsenicals and bismuth is that changes in the radiologic appearance are patent within a period of three weeks. Since this interval is not greater than that usually required for the preparation of gastric patients for operation, no time is wasted by the institution of penicillin therapy. This test does not add to the dangers of major gastric surgery. On the contrary, should the lesion prove to be malignant, the pre-operative antiluetic therapy may be of service in the more rapid healing of the wound with a better ultimate prognosis.
Technologies of Identity

Should we trust hardware any more than we trust code or software? Why? What are the differences? In order to trust a device or system to perform actions on our behalf, whether it is some form of local data processing (e.g., word processing) or an electronic commerce activity (e.g., ordering goods via the Internet), we have to have trust in the devices that perform these actions on our behalf. Certainly, we are confident that our Selectric typewriters will remain uninfected by viruses. By contrast, we cannot have the same level of trust in our word processors regarding viruses. On the other hand, a Selectric has far fewer features than a word processor.
Mutational analysis of the SNF3 glucose transporter of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract The SNF3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a high-affinity glucose transporter that is homologous to mammalian glucose transporters. Point mutations affecting the function of the transporter were recovered from the genomes of four snf3 mutants and characterized. Two of the mutations introduced a charged amino acid into the first and second predicted membrane-spanning regions, respectively. The analogs of a bifunctional SNF3-lacZ fusion containing these two mutations were constructed, and the mutant fusion proteins were not localized to the plasma membrane, as judged by immunofluorescence microscopy. The third mutation produced a valine-to-isoleucine substitution in hydrophobic region 8, and the corresponding mutant fusion protein was correctly localized. The finding that this conservative change causes a transport defect is consistent with the possibility that this transmembrane region, which could exist as an amphipathic alpha-helix, forms part of the glucose channel through the membrane. The fourth snf3 allele harbored an ochre mutation midway through the coding sequence. We have also constructed mutations in the cloned SNF3 gene. A major difference between the yeast SNF3 protein and mammalian glucose transporters is the presence in the SNF3 protein of an additional 303 amino acids at the C terminus. Analysis of a series of C-terminal deletions and fusions to lacZ showed that this C-terminal region is important, but not essential, for transport function. We also report the genetic mapping of the SNF3 locus on the left arm of chromosome IV.
Affirmative action programs and business ownership among minorities and women

Affirmative action programs are commonly used as a means to level the playing field for minority- and women-owned firms in public procurement markets, and therefore may be a positive factor in business entry and survival. To the extent that affirmative action programs also apply to traditional labor markets, however, they may alter the opportunity cost of starting a business. We utilize the elimination of affirmative action in California and Washington States through voter initiatives to identify the effect of affirmative action on minority and female self-employment rates. In our base specifications, we find evidence of modest increases in self-employment among minorities and women in both California and Washington after elimination of affirmative action, consistent with the hypothesis that the opportunity cost of starting a business fell due to restricting opportunities in the traditional labor markets. The sign of the estimated effect, however, is not uniformly positive when considering specific race/gender groups, and the statistical significance of the main results is somewhat sensitive to the choice of control states.