cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Semistructured data: the TSIMMIS experience

In this paper we discuss themanagement of semi-structured data, i.e., data that has irregular or dynamically changing structure. We describe components of the Stanford TSIMMIS Project that help extract semi-structured data from Web pages, that allow the storage and querying of semi-structured data, and that allow its browsing through the World Wide Web. A prototype implementation of the TSIMMIS system as described here is currently installed and running in the database group testbed.
Removing arsenic from aqueous solution and long-term product storage

The removal of arsenic from hydrometallurgical solutions, waste waters, and acid drainage mine waters has been and continues to be an important research topic. A guide to the literature is presented that is focused on the removal of arsenic from aqueous solutions using ferric and ferrous adsorption and co-precipitation processes; and, on the long-term outdoor storage of the arsenic bearing products.
A note on space-filling visualizations and space-filling curves

A recent line of treemap research has focused on layout algorithms that optimize properties such as stability, preservation of ordering information, and aspect ratio of rectangles. No ideal treemap layout algorithm has been found, and so it is natural to explore layouts that produce nonrectangular regions. This note describes a connection between space-filling visualizations and the mathematics of space-filling curves, and uses that connection to characterize a family of layout algorithms which produce nonrectangular regions but enjoy geometric continuity under changes to the data and legibility even for highly unbalanced trees.
Cardiac-specific deletion of the microtubule-binding protein CENP-F causes dilated cardiomyopathy

SUMMARY CENP-F is a large multifunctional protein with demonstrated regulatory roles in cell proliferation, vesicular transport and cell shape through its association with the microtubule (MT) network. Until now, analysis of CENP-F has been limited to in vitro analysis. Here, using a Cre-loxP system, we report the in vivo disruption of CENP-F gene function in murine cardiomyocytes, a cell type displaying high levels of CENP-F expression. Loss of CENP-F function in developing myocytes leads to decreased cell division, blunting of trabeculation and an initially smaller, thin-walled heart. Still, embryos are born at predicted mendelian ratios on an outbred background. After birth, hearts lacking CENP-F display disruption of their intercalated discs and loss of MT integrity particularly at the costamere; these two structures are essential for cell coupling/electrical conduction and force transduction in the heart. Inhibition of myocyte proliferation and cell coupling as well as loss of MT maintenance is consistent with previous reports of generalized CENP-F function in isolated cells. One hundred percent of these animals develop progressive dilated cardiomyopathy with heart block and scarring, and there is a 20% mortality rate. Importantly, although it has long been postulated that the MT cytoskeleton plays a role in the development of heart disease, this study is the first to reveal a direct genetic link between disruption of this network and cardiomyopathy. Finally, this study has broad implications for development and disease because CENP-F loss of function affects a diverse array of cell-type-specific activities in other organs.
Differences in in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome between white and black women in an inner-city, university-based IVF program

Abstract Objective: To compare IVF outcomes between white and black women in an inner-city, university-based IVF program. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: University-based IVF program. Patient(s): Ninety-five white women undergoing 121 cycles and 37 black women undergoing 47 cycles. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Implantation rate and pregnancy rate (PR). Result(s): Black women constituted 28.0% of the population and underwent 28.0% of the total cycles. There were no statistically significant differences in age, basal FSH, number of ampules, duration of stimulation, endometrial thickness, P on the day of hCG, cancellation rate, number of oocytes, or embryos transferred. However, the duration of infertility, body mass index (BMI), incidence of tubal-factor infertility, and peak E 2 levels were significantly higher in black women. In addition, a larger proportion of black women required aggressive stimulation than white women (70.2% and 43.0%). Both implantation rates and clinical PRs were significantly lower in black women than in white women (9.8% and 19.2% compared with 23.4% and 42.2%, respectively). Conclusion(s): Black women have poorer IVF outcomes than white women. These differences can be partly explained by higher BMI, longer duration of infertility, higher incidence of tubal-factor infertility, and higher peak E 2 .
On Being Responsible and Holding Responsible

A number of philosophers have recently argued that we should interpret the debate over moral responsibility as a debate over the conditions under which it would be “fair” to blame a person for her attitudes or conduct. What is distinctive about these accounts is that they begin with the stance of the moral judge, rather than that of the agent who is judged, and make attributions of responsibility dependent upon whether it would be fair or appropriate for a moral judge to react to the agent in various (negative) ways. This is problematic, I argue, because our intuitions about whether and when it would be fair to react negatively to another are sensitive to a host of considerations that appear to have little or nothing to do with an agent’s responsibility or culpability for her attitudes or behavior. If this is correct, then theories which make attributions of responsibility dependent upon the appropriateness of our reactions as moral judges will turn out to be fundamentally misguided.
Health Care and Social Service Use Among Chinese Immigrant Elders

We explored patterns and reasons for health and social service use among Chinese immigrant elders. Interviews were conducted with 27 Chinese immigrant elders, 11 adult care giving children, and 12 health and social service providers. Content analysis of these data indicated that participants across groups agreed that Chinese elders underutilize services because of problems related to language, transportation, cost, long waits for appointments, and because of cultural norms/values related to need for care, preference for self-over professional care, fear, and distrust of western biomedicine, and the obligation to refrain from using formal services. These problems are complicated by geographical dispersion and dialect differences in the local Chinese immigrant community.
Opportunities for Extension Professionals in International Education

SUMMARY There are numerous opportunities for international colleagues, bound by a common thread, to share in the exchange of information. Numerous organizations support agricultural based projects overseas with a major source of funding originating from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) via the US Farm Bill. These programs rely on the expertise of volunteers from US farms, land-grant universities, cooperatives, private agribusinesses, and nonprofit farm organizations to provide assistance to individual farm enterprises, cooperatives, farmer’s associations, agribusinesses, rural credit institutions, universities, and agricultural youth groups overseas. Commodity groups such as the American Soybean Association (ASA) and US Grains Council (USGC) also recruit experts that are involved with technical programs that teach livestock and poultry producers how to use feed grains effectively and manage operations efficiently. The Fulbright Scholar Program administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) offers opportunities for international educational exchange. The primary mission of extension is to “take the university to the people.” Whether the scope is local, regional, national, or international, the essence of extension supports key projects, which may include the building of partnerships, improvement of business practices, increasing productivity and profitability, and introducing new technologies. In addition, opportunities for scientific exchange contribute to an increased understanding of history, culture, politics, and social structure.
CPS1, a Homolog of the Streptococcus pneumoniae Type 3 Polysaccharide Synthase Gene, Is Important for the Pathobiology of Cryptococcus neoformans

The polysaccharide capsule is known to be the major factor required for the virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans. We have cloned and characterized a gene, designated CPS1, that encodes a protein containing a glycosyltransferase moiety and shares similarity with the type 3 polysaccharide synthase encoded by the cap3B gene of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Cps1p also shares similarity with hyaluronan synthase of higher eukaryotes. Deletion of the CPS1 gene from a serotype D strain of C. neoformans resulted in a slight reduction of the capsule size as observed by using an India ink preparation. The growth at 37°C was impaired, and the ability to associate with human brain endothelial cells in vitro was also significantly reduced by the deletion of CPS1. Using site-specific mutagenesis, we showed that the conserved glycosyltransferase domains are critical for the ability of the strain to grow at elevated temperatures. A hyaluronan enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method demonstrated that CPS1 is important for the synthesis of hyaluronan or its related polysaccharides in C. neoformans. Comparisons between the wild-type and the cps1Δ strains, using three different transmission electron microscopic methods, indicated that the CPS1 gene product is involved in the composition or maintenance of an electron-dense layer between the outer cell wall and the capsule. These and the virulence studies in a mouse model suggested that the CPS1 gene is important in the pathobiology of C. neoformans.
Pathways through Equilibrated States with Coexisting Phases for Gas Hydrate Formation

Under ambient conditions, water freezes to either hexagonal ice or a hexagonal/cubic composite ice. The presence of hydrophobic guest molecules introduces a competing pathway: gas hydrate formation, with the guests in clathrate cages. Here, the pathways of the phase transitions are sought as sequences of states with coexisting phases, using a generalized replica exchange algorithm designed to sample them in equilibrium, avoiding nonequilibrium processes. For a dilute solution of methane in water under 200 atm, initializing the simulation with the full set of replicas leads to methane trapped in hexagonal/cubic ice, while gradually adding replicas with decreasing enthalpy produces the initial steps of hydrate growth. Once a small amount of hydrate is formed, water rearranges to form empty cages, eventually transforming the remainder of the system to metastable β ice, a scaffolding for hydrates. It is suggested that configurations with empty cages are reaction intermediates in hydrate formation when more gu...
Language and meanings of human subjectivity in urban culture narratives: analyzing stickers used on cars

Based on conceptions about language, urban technologies and narratives consummated within everyday life interactions, we problematize the cultural practice of narration in the urban context. We present the analysis of the data gathered during a research developed in the city of Santa Maria, Brazil, involving the collection and analysis of images and conversations with car drivers, as well as readers of car stickers, popularly known as “happy family” stickers. Among other findings, we observed that “happy family” stickers, strategically applied on the bumpers of cars, instigate several enlightening meaning processes of individual and collective forms of self and hetero identitarian narrative in the urban context.
Nature, Culture, and Civilization

This chapter explores underlying differences between Euro-American and Chinese perspectives on preservation and heritage management. Assumptions about the relationship of “nature” to “culture” and the rationale for material preservation are, in the case of China, quite complex, combining Confucian and Daoist perspectives on the place of humans within nature, a traditional Buddhist lack of concern for material preservation, and a hypermodernizing, broadly utilitarian Maoist-derived emphasis on material growth at the expense of the past and a subsequent exploitation of natural resources. This emphasis on growth has only recently begun to be questioned, as seen for example in an emerging environmental movement in China and a state shift at the national level toward environmental stewardship and sustainable development initiatives.
Growth of GaAs / Ca0.5Sr0 5F2 / (100) GaAs by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Alternate layers of GaAs and Ca 0.5 Sr 0.5 F 2 are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The morphology, orientation, composition and crystallinity of the layers are analyzed as a function of growth temperature and sequence. The fluoride layers show a high degree of crystallinity and a smooth surface morphology. The structural and morphological quality of the GaAs overlayer is improved by electron irradiation of the fluoride surface prior to GaAs growth, and by a two-step growth procedure for the GaAs over-growth.
Diet, diabetes and relatedness in a central Australian Aboriginal settlement: some qualitative recommendations to facilitate the creation of culturally sensitive health promotion initiatives.

Issue addressed: At the request of chronically-ill Aboriginal patients in Central Australia with whom I have worked for the past 25 years, ethnographic research was conducted to provide a better understanding of how diabetes sufferers cope with their illness in everyday life for the creation of more culturally sensitive health promotion initiatives. Methods: Based on analyses of participant-observation data and semi-structured interviews over an eight month period with 84 Aboriginal diabetic sufferers and their kin, as well as conversations with medical staff working at the local clinic, this paper discusses contemporary Aboriginal contemporary dietary practices, postcolonial demand-sharing economy, deployment of various regimes of care and health promotion initiatives. Results: Diabetic patients lack access to what is determined key by health care providers to offset ill-health such as diabetic-friendly food. In order to cope and make sense of their chronic illness, diabetic patients oscillate between different regimes of care ? biomedical, demand-sharing economy, and traditional and Christian religious institutions. Conclusion: To ensure a certain measure of success, long-term health promotion initiatives need to be grounded in a Warlpiri caring praxis of ?looking after?, and rely on realistic collaborations among patients and their kin, local health care providers, and other community-based organisations. Key words: Aboriginal people, Central Australia, diabetes, relatedness, health promotion initiative.
A New Pristaulacus Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Aulacidae) from Mexico

Abstract. Pristaulacus laetus Smith, n. sp., is described from Sonora, Mexico. The female and male are described, illustrated, and separated from the similar P. mexiuni Smith and other Pristaulacus species.
Academic Pressure and Research Ethics at the Crossroads.

Healthcare professionals become research scientists to improve the health and well-being of humankind. Often stemming from clinical observations, the process of writing a proposal to investigate the problem, obtaining funding, conducting the study, and disseminating findings takes considerably longer than the expectations of productivity in grant funding and publishing manuscripts for faculty on a tenure track in academia. Application back into practice, which is the goal of research, and evaluation of improving patient care and outcomes take even longer. .
The Long Arc of Dispossession: Racial Capitalism and Contested Notions of Citizenship in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands in the Early Twentieth Century

This article examines the deportation proceedings of Nicolas Flores to interrogate larger issues of race, citizenship, and belonging in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. The case demonstrates how concepts of race based on culture and biology, and the fact that Flores lacked racial capital, helped cast doubt on his citizenship and even reinscribed him as an immigrant.
Overdose of Extended-Release Acetaminophen

To the Editor: A previously healthy 13-year-old girl arrived at the hospital 19 hours after ingesting two handfuls of Tylenol Extended Relief (McNeil Pharmaceuticals), a new extended-release formulation of acetaminophen containing 650 mg per caplet. Vomiting and abdominal pain began six hours after ingestion. Examination revealed tenderness of the epigastrium and right upper quadrant. The serum acetaminophen level was 89 μg per milliliter, with an alanine aminotransferase level of 180 IU per liter, a bilirubin level of 1.7 mg per deciliter, and an international normalized ratio of body weight of 1.5. The patient received an initial oral dose of 140 . . .
Term Newborn with Unilateral Craniofacial Defects

A newborn presents with congenital right-sided craniofacial asymmetry, absence of right eye and ear, and small facial structures on the right (Fig 1). Figure 1A and B: Front and profile views of craniofacial defects, including absence of right orbit, right microtia, depressed right fronto-parietal area and facial asymmetry. ### Prenatal and Birth Histories ### Presentation The infant was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit from an outside hospital with multiple craniofacial anomalies. His admission physical examination was notable for a depression on the right side of the skull and face with a depressed right frontoparietal bone, absence of right eye, right microtia, and a nevus flammeus noted over the glabella and nose. ### Vital Signs ### Physical Examination
Amoxiclav Causes Diarrhea in 1 of 8 Persons Who Take It.

The risk of diarrhea is significantly higher with amoxicillin/clavulanate (amoxiclav; Augmentin) than placebo, with a number needed to treat to harm (NNTH) of 8, which is not dissimilar from the number needed to treat for conditions such as otitis media. Contrary to popular belief, the risks of nausea, vomiting, and rash are not increased, but the risk of candidiasis is (NNTH = 23).
Corneal endothelial modulation: bFGF as direct mediator and corneal endothelium modulation factor as inducer.

PURPOSE: Previously reported from this laboratory are two distinct factors responsible for corneal endothelium modulation: basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and the corneal endothelium modulation factor (CEMF) that is released by inflammatory cells. The altered phenotypes mediated by these two distinct factors--marked increase in cell proliferation, cell shape changes, and synthesis of fibrillar collagens--are identical. The current study sought to determine if bFGF is the direct mediator for corneal endothelium modulation and if CEMF plays a role in inducing bFGF production. METHODS: bFGF synthesis mediated by CEMF was analyzed by immunoblot assay; cycloheximide was used to block protein synthesis. bFGF-Specific antisense oligonucleotide primer was used to inhibit CEMF-mediated bFGF synthesis and to block further the autocrine activity of bFGF. Cell proliferation was measured by cell counting. The steady-state levels of RNA were determined by Northern blot analysis. CEMF was further purified to homogeneity by sequential electrophoresis, elution, and renaturation of protein. RESULTS: The synergistic effect of CEMF and bFGF on corneal endothelial cells was measured by their growth-promoting activity on quiescent corneal endothelial cells. There was a dose-dependent cell proliferation mediated by bFGF at any given CEMF concentration. Thus, bFGF at 10 ng/ml with CEMF at 2.5 micrograms/ml demonstrated saturable synergistic activity on endothelial cell proliferation. When the steady-state levels of collagen RNA were measured under these conditions, the untreated cells showed the doublets of 5.6 and 5.0 kb of alpha 2(I) collagen RNA. The cells treated simultaneously with bFGF and CEMF contained mostly lower transcript, compared to the significant level of upper transcript in control cells. However, there was no significant change in the level of 6.9-kb type IV collagen RNA qualitatively or quantitatively; nonetheless, the level of alpha 2(IV) collagen RNA was lowest in cells treated with bFGF plus CEMF. Neither exogenous bFGF nor CEMF caused induction of bFGF messenger RNA in corneal endothelial cells, whereas simultaneous treatment with bFGF and CEMF selectively enhanced the 4.9-kb transcript. When protein synthesis was inhibited by cycloheximide, bFGF synthesis was blocked in the presence of CEMF, leading to inhibition of corneal endothelium modulation. The effect on endothelial cell growth of bFGF antisense primer was analyzed. Antisense primer blocked by 50% the enhanced growth potential mediated by bFGF induced with CEMF. Finally, CEMF was purified to homogeneity: the purified protein is approximately 17 kD and assumes the modulating activities. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that de novo synthesis of bFGF induced by CEMF is required for corneal endothelium modulation.
Physics According to Newton—A World with No Speed Limit

The principles of Newtonian mechanics are presented. A grid of meter sticks and clocks allow local measurements of the time and position of events. The theory allows unbounded velocities, and information can be transmitted instantaneously. This leads to a universal frame-independent time. Galilean transformations between inertial reference frames follow as does the law of “addition of velocities.” Newton's second law (“force equals mass times acceleration”) and the third law (“action equals reaction”) are introduced. Momentum conservation and the invariance of acceleration under Galilean transformations are deduced. Coulomb's law of electrostatics is introduced. It leads to the idea of action at a distance and when combined with Newton's third law leads to momentum conservation, a nonlocal conservation law. The incompatibility of Newtonian mechanics with the existence of magnetism is established. Special relativity will cure this flaw.
Performance analysis of attitude determination algorithms for low cost attitude heading reference systems

Development of micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) and micro-electro optical mechanical system (MEOMS) inertial sensors has been driven by the need for inexpensive sensing solutions in military and commercial applications. In addition to traditional attitude estimation and automobile applications, the reduced cost of MEMS/MEOMS inertial sensors has spurred new applications in personal navigation, pose estimation, audio visualization, cueing, etc. Electromechanical inertial sensors are also increasingly used in low cost attitude heading reference systems (AHRS) and backup attitude indicators, when the required accuracies are not too stringent. With the current performance levels of MEMS sensors, AHRS systems using electromechanical sensors rely on some form of external aiding to generate a better attitude solution. External aiding could come from an air data computer, global positioning system (GPS), etc., but the aiding comes at an increased cost. Aiding sources have their own set of errors and may not be available at all times. For example, air data sources suffer from problems such as icing, blocked pressure ports etc., and GPS integrity can be compromised due to interference. This dissertation addresses the problem of low cost attitude estimation using a triad of MEMS gyros and accelerometers for fixed wing and rotary wing aircrafts, under conditions when external aiding is unavailable or not useful. Using angular rate, acceleration and magnetic measures, a unit quaternion algorithm is formulated by combining a non linear attitude estimator with fuzzy logic concepts. Static and dynamic conditions of the aircraft are exploited to adaptively alter gains in correction loops used to correct input rate measures. Standard tests are simulated to assess the performance of the formulated algorithm. Real world flight data is used to compare the results of the proposed algorithm with an extended Kalman filter, and the error analysis is presented. It is shown that the fuzzy non linear estimator algorithm can be used to compute a reasonably accurate attitude solution using inexpensive MEMS sensors, even when external sources of aiding are unavailable.
Rituximab-Associated Inflammatory Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare disease of the immunosuppression that results from neurotropic invasion of the JC virus which leads to demyelination of oligodendrocytes. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), on the other hand, is a condition of inflammation that develops as the immune system reconstitutes. This case report describes a case of a 35-year-old HIV-negative male who presented with three weeks of right lower extremity paresthesias as well as right upper extremity apraxia. He was diagnosed with PML complicated by IRIS secondary to Rituximab, which he had completed four months prior to presentation. Despite the condition's poor prognosis, the patient recovered with only minor deficits.
Strong spatial‐genetic congruence between a wood‐feeding cockroach and its bacterial endosymbiont, across a topographically complex landscape

Aim We analysed data from an insect host (Cryptocercus punctulatus) and its maternally-inherited obligate bacterial endosymbiont (Blattabacterium cuenoti str. punctulatus) to address the following: (1) to what extent do these species exhibit cophylogenetic structure, (2) do the spatial-genetic structures of these species differ, and (3) what is the relative importance of codivergence versus other events in explaining congruence, or instances of incongruence, between their molecular phylogenies? Location The southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. Methods We conducted fine-scale population-level sampling and screening of DNA sequence variation in two mitochondrial genes from the host, and four genic or intergenic regions from the endosymbiont. Inferences were made using analyses that have the potential to identify isolated instances of cophylogenetic discord, uncover subtle differences in geographic locations of genetic discontinuities, and disentangle different evolutionary processes that contributed to observed patterns. Results The host and its endosymbiont showed similar phylogenetic and geographic patterns. Cophylogenetic analyses revealed that while topological discord is rare (and restricted within major clades), some instances are potentially non-negligible. Assessments of spatial-genetic structure showed that most abrupt breaks occur in the same locations, but they differ in strength, again underscoring some subtle discordance. The main process generating observed patterns was inferred to be codivergence due to host-tracking; however, incomplete lineage sorting seems likely to have also played a minor role. Main conclusions Our overarching finding of strong congruence is reflected by broader-scale cophylogenetic studies of related Cryptocercus and Blattabacterium taxa. Accordingly, we suggest that members of this symbiosis may provide an excellent opportunity for investigating geographic scaling of processes that affect biogeographic patterns. However, fine-scale sampling coupled with geospatial analyses detected rare and/or minor discordances that appeared to be localized within the most deeply dissected topographic regions of the southern Appalachian Mountains, and these warrant further exploration.
The Sui Generis System of Plant Variety Protection Under the TRIPS Agreement: An Empty Promise for Developing Countries

The TRIPS agreement offered members, the opportunity to exclude from patentability, inventions for which the commercial exploitation under a patent regime might cause serious prejudice to the public order or morality, including the protection of human, animal or plant life or health, and the protection of the environment. It allows members to provide for the protection of plant varieties, either by patent or by an effective sui generis system or by any combination thereof. The flexibility in the choice of the protection system seems to fit the need and expectation of Developing countries for whom patent should not, under any condition, be imposed on living organisms or natural resources. However, a close look to the agreement shows discrepancies and contradictions to what is actually allowed to be excluded from the reach of patent. In fact, the TRIPS agreement excluded plants and animals from patentability, and at the same occasion maintained “micro-organisms” and “microbiological” processes for the production of plants or animals under that same patent regime. This move emptied the sui generis system of its quintessence, and put at risk, small holder farmers, whose practice of saving, sharing, and/or replanting seeds is engraved in a long and generational tradition. More importantly the small holder farmers representing the primary workforce population in developing countries, are more than ever vulnerable, especially at a moment where extraterritorial patent protection is enforced and monitored under the TRIPS agreement.
Sediment Retention and Clogging of Geotextile with High Water Content Slurries

Over the past two decades, geotextile tube dewatering has been predominantly used for dewatering high-water content slurries, fly ash, and different types of sediments and sludges. The water content of these dredged sediments can be as high as 800% and their shear strength is very low before dewatering. The selected geotextile should be tight enough to allow for minimal, clog-free sediment piping and to maintain steady drainage through the geotextile tube. These steps ensure good sediment retention of high water content slurries and provide an adequate discharge capacity of geotextile tubes during dewatering. This study investigates the sediment retention and geotextile clogging of high water content slurries (232.56, 400 and 882.35%). A falling head test (FHT) was used to evaluate the dewatering performance of six pairs of woven and non-woven geotextiles with similar pore openings but different pore size distributions. FHT showed that the piping rate increases with decreasing water content in a slurry (232.56–882.35%) and the degree of clogging decreases with increasing pore sizes (both O50 and O98). In addition, a study was carried out to measure the pore size distribution of 51 geotextiles using capillary flow tests. The capillary flow test results are correlated to mass per unit area of geotextiles, a property of geotextiles which is easy to measure. It was found that O98, O50 and O10 of non-woven geotextiles decrease with the increasing mass per unit area. However, no such trend was found for woven geotextiles.
Abstract C92: A diagnostic review of barriers to and opportunities for improving HPV vaccination in Alabama

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is an important tool for cancer prevention. Vaccination rates in Alabama, a state with high rates of HPV-related cancers, remain below the national average. Our objective was to develop a comprehensive assessment of HPV vaccination in our state, with the goal to make recommendations for tailored multilevel interventions. Methods: With the PRECEDE-PROCEED model as a theoretical framework, a multimodal approach with quantitative and qualitative data was used to determine barriers and facilitators to HPV vaccination in Alabama. This included a survey of pediatricians and family medicine providers as well as structured qualitative interviews with pediatricians, parents, nurses, and community stakeholders. Two separate investigators evaluated the interview transcripts for major themes that occurred in 65% or more interviews. Results: Major barriers that overlapped between all groups in both qualitative and quantitative data included lack of parental knowledge, concerns about vaccine safety, and the link between the HPV vaccine and sexuality. Opportunities for increasing HPV vaccination identified include parental education, establishment of a reminder system, increasing access to HPV vaccine providers, and education for providers. Qualitative interviews further expanded on these themes and revealed barriers such as misinformation received from the Internet and parental vaccine hesitancy. Additional opportunities and facilitators revealed through interviews included the trust patients have in physicians, using the Internet or social media to propagate positive messaging about the HPV vaccine, provider education for both physicians and clinical staff, utilizing existing technology more effectively, highlighting nurses9 roles as partners in HPV prevention, and the potential of schools as a venue for patient education and promotion of the vaccine. Conclusion: Our data are consistent with prior research showing major barriers to HPV vaccination. There is an especially high resistance to vaccination due to the link between the vaccine and sexual activity, often attributed to religious beliefs. Several recommendations for optimizing HPV vaccination uptake in Alabama on the patient, provider, and system level are given. Citation Format: Sarah E. Dilley, Sylvia Peral, J. Michael Straughn, Jr., Isabel Scarinci. A diagnostic review of barriers to and opportunities for improving HPV vaccination in Alabama [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr C92.
The role of IL-10 in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell survival

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is characterized by the progressive accumulation of abnormal lymphocytes in the periphery. Typically the disease progression is slow, but as the number of leukemic cells increases, they interfere with the production of other important blood cells, causing the patients to be in an immunosuppressive state. To study B-CLL we use cells from the transgenic Eμ-Tcl1 mouse, which spontaneously develop B-CLL. Previously we showed that Eμ-Tcl1 CLL cells produce an anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, constitutively. Here we studied the role of IL-10 in CLL cell survival in vitro and the development of CLL in vivo. We found that neutralization of IL-I0 using anti-IL-10 antibodies or blocking the IL-10 receptor (IL-10R) using anti-IL-10R antibodies did not effect the survival of CLL cells in vitro . When we adoptively transferred Eμ-Tcl1 cells into IL-10R KO mice, we found that cells grew at a slower rate in IL-10R KO mice vs. wild type mice. We also found that there was a significant reduction in CLL cell engraftment in the spleen, bone marrow, peritoneal cavity and liver of the IL-10R KO mice. Further studies revealed that IL-10 could be playing a role in the tumor microenvironment possibly by affecting anti-tumor immunity. This was seen by a reduction in the activation of CD8 + T cells as well as a significantly lower production of IFN-γ by CD4 + T cells purified from CLL-injected WT mice in compare to the IL-10R KO injected mice. In current in vivo studies, CLL growth will be monitored in WT mice after IL-10 neutralization using anti-IL-10 monoclonal antibody to further elucidate the role of IL-10 in CLL development. These studies demonstrate that CLL cells suppress host anti-tumor immunity via IL-10 production.
Treatment, complications, and outcomes of metastatic disease of the spine: from Patchell to PROMIS

Spinal metastases are common in patients with cancer. As cancer treatments improve and these patients live longer, the number who present with metastatic spine disease will increase. Treatment strategies for these patients continues to evolve. In particular, since the prospective randomized controlled study in 2005 by Patchell et al. showed increased survival with decompressive surgical treatment of spinal metastases, there is a growing body of literature focusing on surgical management and complications of surgery for this disease. Surgery is often one component of a multimodal treatment approach with chemotherapy and radiation, which makes it difficult to parse the benefits of each individual treatment in outcome studies. Additionally, there has been more recent emphasis placed on patient-reported outcomes (PRO) after treatment for metastatic spine disease. In this review, we summarize treatments of metastatic spinal disease, possible perioperative complications, and validated tools used to assess outcomes for these patients.
Gypchek: Biological Insecticide for the Gypsy Moth

With administrative and financial support from its State and Private Forestry division, the USDA Forest Service has directed much effort toward developing viral pesticides that kill forest insect pests. Most environmentally benign viral pesticides are narrow host-range products (Groner 1986) that are most useful in situations where environmental concerns are paramount and application of either broad-spectrum chemical or other biological pesticides (biopesticides) are undesirable, if not illegal.
Anesthesia During Endovascular Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke

There are several challenges in the anesthetic management of patients receiving intra-arterial therapy for acute ischemic stroke. Stroke patients are generally elderly and suffer from multiple medical comorbidities. Both the anesthesiologist and neurointerventionalist must consider a number of important factors in deciding how to manage these patients, including choice of anesthetic method (general anesthesia [GA] versus monitored anesthesia care or non-GA), patient volume status, blood pressure management, and intraoperative management of medical comorbidities. Here, we present a case-based discussion of some of these controversial topics.
Tissue-Specific Metabolic Profiles After Prolonged Cardiac Arrest Reveal Brain Metabolome Dysfunction Predominantly After Resuscitation.

Background Cardiac arrest (CA) has been a leading cause of death for many decades. Despite years of research, we still do not understand how each organ responds to the reintroduction of blood flow ...
NMR Analysis of Apo Glutamine‐Binding Protein Exposes Challenges in the Study of Interdomain Dynamics

Glutamine-binding protein (GlnBP) displays an apo, "open" and a holo, "closed" crystal form, mutually related by a rigid-body reorientation of its domains. A fundamental question about such large-scale conformational transitions, whether the closed state exists in the absence of ligand, is controversial in the case of GlnBP. NMR observations have indicated no evidence of the closed form, whereas experimentally validated computations have suggested a remarkable ca. 40 % population. Herein, a paramagnetic NMR strategy designed to detect the putative apo-closed species shows that a major population of the latter is highly improbable. Further, NMR residual dipolar couplings collected under three anisotropic conditions do not reveal differential domain alignment and establish that the average solution conformation is satisfied by the apo-open crystal structure. Our results indicate that the computational prediction of large-scale interdomain motions is not trivial and may lead to erroneous conclusions without proper experimental validation.
Prevalence of Coronary Artery Calcium in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation With and Without Cardiovascular Risk Factors

The burden of coronary artery atherosclerosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is unknown. We aimed to assess the coronary artery calcium (CAC) in AF patients. We retrospectively analyzed 324 consecutive patients with AF who had CT angiogram before AF ablation and their cardiovascular risk were prospectively collected. Mean age of the cohort was 66 years and 71% were male. The previous history of coronary artery disease (CAD) was present in 19% (n = 63) and CAC was positive in all. In patients without known CAD (n = 261), CAC was present in 70% (n = 182) with a comparable prevalence between men and women, which raised the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis to 76% (n = 245) for the entire cohort. The median CAC score was 170 (range 1 to 6,157) and largely in multivessel distribution in patients without known CAD. Presence of CAC increased with an increasing number of cardiovascular risk factors. Nevertheless, CAC was present in 58% (n = 40) of patients without conventional cardiovascular risk factors. If CAC score >100 was considered as CAD equivalent as 10-year risk of incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases is >7.5% it would have resulted in higher CAD prevalence of 52% and significant reclassification of CHA2DS2-VASc score in 41% of patients without known CAD. In conclusion, coronary calcium is highly prevalent in AF patients, including those without cardiovascular risk factors. Advanced CAC can potentially shift CHA2DS2-VASc score in many AF patients. Our findings suggest that characterizing CAC in AF may be clinically valuable in thromboembolic risk stratification and management of preventive cardiac therapies.
Valid or not: A critique of Graver and Green.

Disagreements in science and medicine are not uncommon, and formal exchanges of disagreements serve a variety of valuable roles. As identified by a Nature Methods editorial entitled “The Power of D...
Ground Emergency Medical Services

This chapter outlines several areas for consideration prior to implementing a ground EMS ultrasound program. Programs should consider issues related to cost, impact to both volunteer and career providers, and medical direction and program oversight.
Developing mitochondrial DNA field-compatible tests

Nucleic acid-based molecular detection of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been used for the detection of eukaryotic pathogens, genetic markers, and biomedical studies in humans and animals, forensic ...
The Fundamental Structure of the Design Object Model

We have outlined the model structure provisionally in Sect. 0.8 and expounded our position on the more crucial issues in constructing the conceptual framework in which to describe models in Sects. 4.2.2 (2), 4.3.2, 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6.4. Further, we have made clear the philosophical presumptions behind the technical decisions in Sects. 5.3.1 and 5.3.2. Our first task in this chapter is to put together these preliminary and fragmentary results, and present them in a more formal and comprehensive arrangement.
A Role for Macro-ER-Phagy in ER Quality Control.

The endoplasmic-reticulum quality-control (ERQC) system shuttles misfolded proteins for degradation by the proteasome through the well-defined ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway. In contrast, very little is known about the role of autophagy in ERQC. Macro-autophagy, a collection of pathways that deliver proteins through autophagosomes (APs) for degradation in the lysosome (vacuole in yeast), is mediated by autophagy-specific proteins, Atgs, and regulated by Ypt/Rab GTPases. Until recently, the term ER-phagy was used to describe degradation of ER membrane and proteins in the lysosome under stress: either ER stress induced by drugs or whole-cell stress induced by starvation. These two types of stresses induce micro-ER-phagy, which does not use autophagic organelles and machinery, and non-selective autophagy. Here, we characterize the macro-ER-phagy pathway and uncover its role in ERQC. This pathway delivers 20–50% of certain ER-resident membrane proteins to the vacuole and is further induced to >90% by overexpression of a single integral-membrane protein. Even though such overexpression in cells defective in macro-ER-phagy induces the unfolded-protein response (UPR), UPR is not needed for macro-ER-phagy. We show that macro-ER-phagy is dependent on Atgs and Ypt GTPases and its cargo passes through APs. Moreover, for the first time the role of Atg9, the only integral-membrane core Atg, is uncoupled from that of other core Atgs. Finally, three sequential steps of this pathway are delineated: Atg9-dependent exit from the ER en route to autophagy, Ypt1- and core Atgs-mediated pre-autophagsomal-structure organization, and Ypt51-mediated delivery of APs to the vacuole.
Hans Reichenbach's vindication of induction

Hans Reichenbach believed that he had solved Hume’s problem of the justification of induction, but his arguments have not proved persuasive to most other philosophers. The majority of those who addressed the problem held, for one reason or another, that it is a pseudo-problem. In a number of articles during the 1950s and 1960s I tried to refute this position.1 I still believe it is incorrect — that the problem of justification of induction is a genuine and profoundly important problem — but I shall not rehearse that issue here. In this article I shall first discuss Reichenbach’s justification and the problems confronting it. I shall then consider other attempts at vindication that in one way or another pursue a similar goal. In the end, I shall maintain, Reichenbach’s program can succeed, given certain additional considerations, a crucial one of which is found in his own writings.
Gender-Sensitive Curricula in Social Work Education: A National Study

Abstract In March 1988, the author surveyed all accredited graduate and undergraduate social work programs to determine the extent to which gender-sensitive material has been incorporated into curricula. Results suggest that a number of women's issues, particularly domestic violence and sexism, received coverage in the social work curriculum. Several other issues, most notably lesbianism, reproductive rights, and sexism in social work, typically were not addressed in required social work course content. Virtually none of the schools required students to take a course focused exclusively on women's issues; few offered such a course. Finally, the data suggest that the presence of a strongly feminist faculty was associated with the degree to which an institution covered women's issues.
Control of the Bovine Estrous Cycle with Melengestrol Acetate (MGA): A Review

Expanded use of artificial insemination in the beef cattle industry depends on successful application of treatments designed to synchronize estrus. Regulation of estrous cycles is associated with control of the corpus luteum (CL), whose life span and secretory activity are subject to trophic and lytic mechanisms. The advantages of melengestrol acetate (MGA) in estrous synchronization incorporate ease of administration, lower cost relative to other estrous synchronization products, and potential for use to induce estrus in prepubertal heifers. Treatments first designed to synchronize estrous cycles of normally cycling heifers by feeding MGA were imposed daily for 14 to 18 d at levels of .5 to 1 mg. The minimal daily effective dose required to inhibit ovulation was .42 mg. Longer feeding periods of MGA were associated with low fertility at the first synchronized estrus, but at the second estrus, conception was normal. Low fertility at the synchronized estrus resulted in development of alternative treatment practices, which combined feeding of MGA with injections or implants of estradiol-17 beta, estradiol cypionate, luteinizing hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin, pregnant mare serum gonadotropin, or oxytocin. Estrus was synchronized after MGA and estradiol-17 beta or estradiol cypionate treatments, but fertility was low. Short-term feeding of MGA (5 to 7 d) combined with prostaglandin F2 alpha or its analogs (PGF) on the last day of MGA reduced fertility at the synchronized estrus. The reduced conception at first service occurred in animals that began treatment after d 12 of the estrous cycle. However, feeding MGA for 14 d and then injecting PGF 17 d later avoided problems with reduced conception. Fertility of animals after this treatment was similar to that of contemporaries synchronized with Syncro-Mate-B. However, the length of the treatment period creates a need for increased management and may extend management beyond practical limits. Further research is warranted to address problems associated with reduced fertility after short-term treatment with MGA.