cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of Pediatric Back Pain

Back pain is common in children. The majority of pediatric back pain is of musculoskeletal etiology with brief and mild episodes. Some children, however, will experience frequent, chronic, or severe back pain resulting in decreased quality of life, reduction in physical activity, decreased sports participation, increased use of medications, and absence from school. The risk for developing back pain is multifactorial including physical, biological, lifestyle, and psychosocial causes. Psychological, behavioral, and cognitive factors can also play a role in the development of back pain. The multifactorial nature of back pain necessitates a detailed and thoughtful assessment, an accurate diagnosis, and appropriate treatment.
Protocol for the determination of intracellular phase separation thresholds.

Summary To date, phase separation studies have largely been limited to in vitro assays using non-native conditions and aggregation-prone recombinant proteins that are often difficult to purify. This protocol describes the determination of relative protein concentration thresholds for phase separation through fluorescent imaging of GFP-tagged proteins in cells. The commercial availability of various plasmids and antibodies, as well as advances in gene editing, allow this procedure to be modified for the study of various phase-separating proteins in their relevant contexts. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lee et al. (2020) .
Four dimensions characterize attributions from faces using a representative set of English trait words.

People readily (but often inaccurately) attribute traits to others based on faces. While the details of attributions depend on the language available to describe social traits, psychological theories argue that two or three dimensions (such as valence and dominance) summarize social trait attributions from faces. However, prior work has used only a small number of trait words (12 to 18), limiting conclusions to date. In two large-scale, preregistered studies we ask participants to rate 100 faces (obtained from existing face stimuli sets), using a list of 100 English trait words that we derived using deep neural network analysis of words that have been used by other participants in prior studies to describe faces. In study 1 we find that these attributions are best described by four psychological dimensions, which we interpret as “warmth”, “competence”, “femininity”, and “youth”. In study 2 we partially reproduce these four dimensions using the same stimuli among additional participant raters from multiple regions around the world, in both aggregated and individual-level data. These results provide a comprehensive characterization of trait attributions from faces, although we note our conclusions are limited by the scope of our study (in particular we note only white faces and English trait words were included). People form impressions about others from seeing their faces, and use many words to describe those impressions. Here, using ratings of 100 representatively sampled white adult faces on a large set of traits, the authors show that trait impressions from faces can be summarized by four psychological dimensions.
Manfaat Penggunaan Gadget terhadap Minat Belajar Siswa Pendidikan Kristen pada Era Postmodern

Postmodern dengan corak berpikir relativisme dan pluralismenya membawa perubahan mendasar dalam Pendidikan Agama Kristen yang berbanding lurus dengan kemajuan gadget dikalangan guru dan siswa-siswi. Dikhawatirkan dengan gadget yang dimiliki oleh siswa-siswa Kristen justru membuat mereka tidak mempercayai Alkitab dan Yesus sebagai sumber kebenaran. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana teknologi dapat digunakan untuk mengelaborasi minat belajar siswa-siswi Pendidikan Kristen dan strategi guru Pendidikan Kristen dalam mempertahankan minat belajar siswa-siswi. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif dengan subjek penelitian siswa/i Sekolah Menengah Teologi Kristen (SMTK) Bethel Jakarta. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara terstruktur melalui google form kepada 30 informan, dan wawancara mendalam kepada 12 informan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa siswa-siswi termotivasi belajar karena dalam proses belajar mengajar di kelas terdapat games online Quizizz. Games yang dihadirkan dalam kelas ini membuat mereka memahami materi pembelajaran dengan mudah dan pemaknaan yang benar akan games online. Games online juga mempermudah guru-guru SMTK Bethel Jakarta untuk internalisasi kebenaran Alkitab. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa penggunaan media belajar berbasis games dalam pembelajaran era postmodern dapat meningkatkan minat siswa-siswi dalam mempelajari Pendidikan Agama Kristen. Hal ini mesti dibarengi dengan pemahaman dan pengkontrolan dari guru-guru dalam penggunaan gadget siswa sehari-hari
Chi-Square Test

Previous chapters have presented information on sampling distributions, Central Limit Theorem, confidence intervals, TYPE I error, TYPE II error, and hypothesis testing. This information is useful in understanding how sample statistics are used to test differences between population parameters. The statistical tests presented in this and subsequent chapters depend upon the level of measurement and type of research design.
High quality, easy to use, on time ATE software...Can it be done?

ATE software is highly complex and historically has been created from scratch by ATE vendors. This technique has often led to software of poor quality which is difficult to learn and use, and to uncertain delivery schedules. This paper outlines an alternative technique of creating ATE software using commercially available software components as building blocks. This results in higher quality, reduced development time, reliable schedules, and an end product that is easier to lean and use.
Expression of Gsα in Escherichia coli: Purification and properties of two forms of the protein

Cloning of complementary DNAs that encode either of two forms of the α subunit of the guanine nucleotidebinding regulatory protein (Gs) that stimulates adenylyl cyclase into appropriate plasmid vectors has allowed these proteins to be synthesized in Escherichia coli (Graziano, M. P., Casey, P. J., and Gilman, A. G. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 11375–11381). A rapid procedure for purification of milligram quantities of these proteins is described. As expressed in E. coli, both forms of Gsα, (apparent molecular weights of 45,000 and 52,000) bind guanosine 5′-(3-O-thio)triphosphate stoichiometrically. The proteins also hydrolyze GTP, although at different rates (i.e. 0.13•min−1 and 0.34•min−1 at 20 °C for the 45- and the 52-kDa forms, respectively). These rates reflect differences in the rate of dissociation of GDP from the two proteins. Both forms of recombinant Gsα, have essentially the same kcat for GTP hydrolysis, ∼4. min−1. Recombinant Gsα, interacts functionally with G protein βγ subunits and with β-adrenergic receptors. The proteins can also be ADP-ribosylated stoichiometrically by cholera toxin. This reaction requires the addition of βγ subunits. Both forms of recombinant Gsα, can reconstitute GTP-, isoproterenol + GTP-, guanosine 5′-(3-O-thio)triphosphate-, and fluoride-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in S49 cyc− membranes to maximal levels, although their specific activities for this reaction are lower than that observed for Gs purified from rabbit liver. Experiments with purified bovine brain adenylyl cyclase indicate that the affinity of recombinant Gsα for adenylyl cyclase is 5–10 times lower than that of liver Gs under these assay conditions; however, the intrinsic capacity of the recombinant protein to activate adenylyl cyclase is normal. These findings suggest that Gsα, when synthesized in E. coli, may fail to undergo a posttranslational modification that is crucial for high affinity interaction of the G protein with adenylyl cyclase.
A framework for exploring high-dimensional geometry

To extract useful information from high-dimensional geometric or structural data, we must find low-dimensional projections that are informative and interesting to look at. The conventional, manual-interaction methods used for this purpose are ineffective when the dimensionality of the data is high, or when the geometric models are complex. Standard methods for determining useful low-dimensional views are either limited to discrete data, or to geometric information embedded in at most three dimensions. Since geometric data embedded in dimensions above three have distinct characteristics and visualization requirements, finding directly applicable techniques is a challenge. We present a comprehensive framework for exploring high-dimensional geometric data motivated by projection pursuit techniques. Our approach augments manual exploration by generating sets of salient views that optimize a customizable family of geometry-sensitive measures. These views serve to reveal novel facets of complex manifolds and equations.
From Low-Cost Depth Sensors to CAD: Cross-Domain 3D Shape Retrieval via Regression Tree Fields

The recent advances of low-cost and mobile depth sensors dramatically extend the potential of 3D shape retrieval and analysis. While the traditional research of 3D retrieval mainly focused on searching by a rough 2D sketch or with a high-quality CAD model, we tackle a novel and challenging problem of cross-domain 3D shape retrieval, in which users can use 3D scans from low-cost depth sensors like Kinect as queries to search CAD models in the database. To cope with the imperfection of user-captured models such as model noise and occlusion, we propose a cross-domain shape retrieval framework, which minimizes the potential function of a Conditional Random Field to efficiently generate the retrieval scores. In particular, the potential function consists of two critical components: one unary potential term provides robust cross-domain partial matching and the other pairwise potential term embeds spatial structures to alleviate the instability from model noise. Both potential components are efficiently estimated using random forests with 3D local features, forming a Regression Tree Field framework. We conduct extensive experiments on two recently released user-captured 3D shape datasets and compare with several state-of-the-art approaches on the cross-domain shape retrieval task. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms the competing methods with a significant performance gain.
Dissolved organic matter in Lake Superior: insights into the effects of extraction methods on chemical composition

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic systems plays many biogeochemical roles, acting as a sunscreen, a food source, a trace metal chelator, and a photosensitizer. The efficiency of DOM in these roles is, in part, a function of its composition, which is difficult to determine due to its heterogeneity and the difficulty in isolating representative portions for subsequent molecular level analyses. In this study, the performance of two major types of solid phase extraction (SPE) resins (C18 vs. polymeric SDVB) in disk format (C18 disk vs. SDB-XC disk) was studied using DOM from Lake Superior, the earth's largest lake by area. The performance of the two SPE disks and their influences on the molecular chemical composition of the extracted retentates were studied with UV-vis spectrometry and negative-ion electrospray Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS). We found that SDB-XC disks outperformed C18 disks in the isolation of DOM in terms of both higher recovery and less fractionation relative to the initial DOM composition. Extracts of the same samples obtained with the different resins shared 70% of molecular formulae. Compounds exclusive to the SDB-XC extractions exhibited similar compound distributions to those of the shared formulae but were enriched in N, P, and S and more aromatic. The C18 exclusive compounds had somewhat higher H/C ratios and contained a large proportion of compounds with oxygen and nitrogen (CHON). Cluster analysis and principle component analysis confirmed that sample location was the main driver of the composition of extracted samples but showed some fractionation of the samples based upon the type of resin.
Bioverfügbarkeit von Silymarin, 1. Mitt. Verteilungsvolumina von Silybin, Silydianin und Silychristin aus In‐vitro‐Daten

Verteilungsvolumen (ml/70 kg) und Verteilungsvolumenkoeffizient (l/kg) von Silybin, Silydianin und Silychristin wurden aus den In-vitro-Daten der Fraktion der an Albumin gebundenen Wirkstoffe und dem scheinbaren Lipid/Wasser-Verteilungskoeffizienten berechnet. Bioavailability of Silymarin, I: Volumes of Distribution of Silybin, Silydianin, and Silychristin from in-vitro Data The volume of distribution (ml/70 kg) and the volume of distribution coefficient (l/kg) of Silybin, Silydianin, and Silychristin were calculated from the fraction of the drug bound to albumin and from the apparent lipoid/water partition coefficient.
Student evaluations of teaching: combining the meta-analyses and demonstrating further evidence for effective use

There is a plethora of research on student evaluations of teaching (SETs) regarding their validity, susceptibility to bias, practical use and effective implementation. Given that there is not one study summarising all these domains of research, a comprehensive overview of SETs was conducted by combining all prior meta-analyses related to SETs. Eleven meta-analyses were identified, and nine meta-analyses covering 193 studies were included in the analysis, which yielded a small-to-medium overall weighted mean effect size (r = .26) between SETs and the variables studied. Findings suggest that SETs appear to be valid, have practical use that is largely free from gender bias and are most effective when implemented with consultation strategies. Research, teaching and policy implications are discussed.
Effects of an educational intervention on female biomedical scientists’ research self-efficacy

Women and people of color continue to be underrepresented among biomedical researchers to an alarming degree. Research interest and subsequent productivity have been shown to be affected by the research training environment through the mediating effects of research self-efficacy. This article presents the findings of a study to determine whether a short-term research training program coupled with an efficacy enhancing intervention for novice female biomedical scientists of diverse racial backgrounds would increase their research self-efficacy beliefs. Forty-three female biomedical scientists were randomized into a control or intervention group and 15 men participated as a control group. Research self-efficacy significantly increased for women who participated in the self-efficacy intervention workshop. Research self-efficacy within each group also significantly increased following the short-term research training program, but cross-group comparisons were not significant. These findings suggest that educational interventions that target sources of self-efficacy and provide domain-specific learning experiences are effective at increasing research self-efficacy for women and men. Further studies are needed to determine the longitudinal outcomes of this effort.
A vision for GPU-accelerated parallel computation on geo-spatial datasets

We summarize the need and present our vision for accelerating geo-spatial computations and analytics using a combination of shared and distributed memory parallel platforms, with general-purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) with 100s to 1000s of processing cores in a single chip forming a key architecture to parallelize over. A GPU can yield one-to-two orders of magnitude speedups and will become increasingly more affordable and energy efficient due to mass marketing for gaming. We also survey the current landscape of representative geo-spatial problems and their parallel, GPU-based solutions.
Virtually Forgotten: Special Education Students in Cyber Schools

The area of online K-12 education is experiencing rapid growth, yet practice has greatly surpassed the research. This article looks to add to the field by examining special education students enrolled in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There were over 2600 students in the state that were identified as special education students and enrolled in virtual schools in 2009 according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The population of special education students in cyber school mirrors the population of special education students in brick and mortar classrooms, thus it is important to understand the characteristics associated with special needs learners as current research and practices are not designed to serve this population. Understanding the characteristics of this group is fundamental for instructional design and educational practice to serve the needs of these diverse learners.
BDNF Mediates the Effects of Testosterone on the Survival of New Neurons in an Adult Brain

New neurons are incorporated into the high vocal center (HVC), a nucleus of the adult canary (Serinus canaria) brain that plays a critical role in the acquisition and production of learned song. Recruitment of new neurons in the HVC is seasonally regulated and depends upon testosterone levels. We show here that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is present in the HVC of adult males but is not detectable in that of females, though the HVC of both sexes has BDNF receptors (TrkB). Testosterone treatment increases the levels of BDNF protein in the female HVC, and BDNF infused into the HVC of adult females triples the number of new neurons. Infusion of a neutralizing antibody to BDNF blocks the testosterone-induced increase in new neurons. Our results demonstrate that BDNF is involved in the regulation of neuronal replacement in the adult canary brain and suggest that the effects of testosterone are mediated through BDNF.
Protective sustainability of ecosystems using Department of Energy buffer lands as a case study.

State and federal agencies are faced with protecting human health and the environment for a range of hazardous sites, including nuclear waste storage facilities. At some sites, nuclear materials must be stored for the foreseeable future because no technology currently exists for safe treatment and disposal. Using Department of Energy (DOE) lands as a case study, this article examines the meaning of protective sustainability for ecosystems and proposes a tiered approach to such protection with stakeholder participation during all phases. The approach includes: (1) governmental, institutional and public support to maintain the system, (2) agreement on the ecosystem to sustain, (3) agreement on the goods and services that the ecosystem should provide, (4) methods of monitoring the status of the ecosystem (usually involving bioindicators), (5) methods of evaluating the trends and changes within that system, and (6) methods of managing or restoring components of the ecosystem (response and corrective actions)....
Anxiety toward statistics and the use of computers: A study of graduate level education majors

RESEARCH has shown that introducing computing technology into a statistics class can have a gender-specific, negative effect on achievement. In order to better understand this phenomenon, the purpose of this study was to investigate one construct, learner anxiety, that has been shown to be highly correlated with achievement. During the study, a control group of graduate level education majors (n=44) used hand-held calculators for computation during the statistical portion of an educational research course, whereas an experimental group (n=43) used statistical software. Results from theState Trait Anxiety Inventory showed no statistically significant differences in anxiety by treatment group. However, a significant treatment group by gender interaction did exist. When compared to the control group, females using the software showed significantly higher levels of anxiety, whereas males using the software demonstrated significantly lower levels of anxiety. Given these findings, careful consideration should be given as to how and when it is appropriate to introduce technology. Interventions that are designed to address one problem may wind up creating other problems that negatively affect student achievement. Educators should be prepared to deal with the problems as well as the opportunities that educational technology presents.
Climatic impact of Amazon deforestation: a mechanistic model study

Abstract Recent general circulation model (GCM) experiments suggest a drastic change in the regional climate, especially the hydrological cycle, after hypothesized Amazon basinwide deforestation. To facilitate the theoretical understanding of such a change, we develop an intermediate-level model for tropical climatology, including atmosphere–land–ocean interaction. The model consists of linearized steady-state primitive equations with simplified thermodynamics. A simple hydrological cycle is also included. Special attention has been paid to land–surface processes. In comparison with previous simple modeling work on tropical climatology or anomalies, the present model is more sophisticated in predicting, with little input, most of the important meteorological variables; nevertheless, it is computationally simple. It generally better simulates tropical climatology and the ENSO anomaly than do many of the previous simple models. The climatic impact of Amazon deforestation is studied in the context of this mo...
The classical path approximation in time‐dependent quantum collision theory

Time‐dependent treatments of molecular collisions have frequently employed the combination of quantum equations for the internal degrees of freedom (i.e., vibration, rotation) with a classical description of the translational motion. In this paper, it is shown how energy‐conserving classical path equations may be derived from first principles, thereby obtaining quantum correction terms of arbitrary order. These expressions have interesting implications for the question of how the classical limit is approached. If the translational degree of freedom is assumed to be described by a very narrow wave packet, the correction term to first order in h/ is purely imaginary and therefore non‐Hermitian. These techniques can be generalized to a classical treatment of other degrees of freedom, and the case of rotation in an atom–vibrotor collision is explicitly considered. For both the translational and rotational examples, the full series of corrections takes on an interesting and suggestive exponential form. The failure of classical path methods to satisfy microscopic reversibility is ascribed to a difficulty with the boundary conditions for the translational motion.
The Geographic Concentration of Knowledge: Scale, Agglomeration, and Congestion in Innovation Across U.S. States:

Evidence of the importance of agglomeration economies in productivity is reported by a number of studies in regional economics. We extend the literature by looking into agglomeration and congestion in innovation and technological change using an endogenous innovation approach. It turns out that the geographic specificity of knowledge spillovers is also a central concern. Using data from U.S. states, evidence is found that knowledge spillovers are geographically concentrated but agglomeration economies far outweigh congestion effects. These results have important implications for new growth theory as well as regional economics because growth theorists have abandoned the scale implications of their models.
Active smart wires: An inverter-less static series compensator

Technologies such as dynamic line rating and FACTs have emerged to increase the utilization and the reliability of the existing T&D network without requiring new line construction. The development of the Distributed Series Reactance (DSR) technology, a distributed FACTs (D-FACTs) solution also known as Smart Wires, has been funded by the utility community, given the promise of DSR for reliable and inexpensive power flow control. The DSR is capable of increasing the line reactance, pushing power onto other lines, but it is unable to decrease line reactance and draw power flow onto the line. Utilities have noted the value of a technology capable of injecting inductance or capacitance into the line. A previous approach to push or pull power used an inverter based variable injection technique, but was expensive and was unable to meet utility expectations for MTBF and maintenance requirements. Active Smart Wires (ASW) is a new concept for a low-cost, high reliability method to increase or decrease power flow in a transmission line. Simulation results are provided.
Toward the rational design of non-precious transition metal oxides for oxygen electrocatalysis

In this Review, we discuss the state-of-the-art understanding of non-precious transition metal oxides that catalyze the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. Understanding and mastering the kinetics of oxygen electrocatalysis is instrumental to making use of photosynthesis, advancing solar fuels, fuel cells, electrolyzers, and metal–air batteries. We first present key insights, assumptions and limitations of well-known activity descriptors and reaction mechanisms in the past four decades. The turnover frequency of crystalline oxides as promising catalysts is also put into perspective with amorphous oxides and photosystem II. Particular attention is paid to electronic structure parameters that can potentially govern the adsorbate binding strength and thus provide simple rationales and design principles to predict new catalyst chemistries with enhanced activity. We share new perspective synthesizing mechanism and electronic descriptors developed from both molecular orbital and solid state band structure principles. We conclude with an outlook on the opportunities in future research within this rapidly developing field.
On exceptions, events and observer chains

Modular understanding of behaviors and flows of exceptions may help in their better use and handling. Such reasoning tasks about exceptions face unique challenges in event-based implicit invocation (II) languages that allow subjects to implicitly invoke observers, and run the observers in a chain. In this work, we illustrate these challenge in Ptolemy and propose Ptolemy-X that enables modular reasoning about behaviors and flows of exceptions for event announcement and handling. Ptolemy-X's exception-aware specification expressions and boundary exceptions limit the set of (un)checked exceptions of subjects and observers of an event. Exceptional postconditions specify the behaviors of these exceptions. Greybox specifications specify the flows of these exceptions among the observers in the chain. Ptolemy-X's type system and refinement rules enforce these specifications and thus enable its modular reasoning. We evaluate the utility of Ptolemy-X's exception flow reasoning by applying it to understand a set of aspect-oriented (AO) bug patterns. We also present Ptolemy-X's semantics including its sound static semantics.
Redox Behavior of Vanadium Oxide Nanotubes As Studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Ex situ soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (SXAS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the redox behavior of sodium-containing vanadium oxide (Na−VOx) nanotubes in a rechar...
Metabolism of dehydroepiandrosterone by rat hippocampal cells in culture: possible role of aromatization and 7-hydroxylation in neuroprotection.

Abstract The rate of metabolism of the multifunctional neurosteroid, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), by embryonic rat hippocampal cells maintained in culture was compared to that of 4-androstenedione (AD), the immediate precursor of estrone (E1). The experiments were carried out to assess the relative contribution of DHEA, its 7-hydroxylated metabolites and estrogen on their reported effects on memory and neuroprotection. The 3H-labeled steroids of high specific radioactivity were incubated for 1, 8, 24 and 48 h and the putative metabolites extracted from the culture medium with acetone–ethyl acetate before separation by TLC for radioassay. [3H]DHEA (2.0 ng/5×105 cells) yielded primarily the 7α- and 7β-hydroxylated steroids in an almost equal ratio under conditions that resembled those used by others to study the protection of neurons by hippocampal astrocytes against excitatory amino acid-induced toxicity. The rate of conversion of DHEA to AD, and particularly to E1, was much lower. With [3H]AD as substrate, significant aromatization to estrogen occurred only after 24 h when most of [3H]DHEA had already been converted to its 7-hydroxylated products and the hydroxylase and aromatase systems would no longer be competing for the same coenzyme (NADPH). The hippocampal cells were still viable after 48 h of incubation with the steroids and were able to oxidize estradiol (E2) to E1 and reduce E1 to E2 and AD to testosterone (T). It is suggested that 7α- and 7β-OHDHEA, the main metabolites formed in the rat hippocampus, might be responsible for some of the functions previously ascribed to estrogens in the brain and the reasons for this proposal are discussed.
Analysis of amino acids in brain and plasma samples by sensitive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected-ion monitoring provided a simple and sensitive method for analyzing amino acids in plasma and brain samples. Although the sensitivities of chemical ionization and electron-impact ionization were similar chemical ionization produced higher-mass ions, which might increase the selectivity of the assay. Both chemical and electron-impact ionization distinguished the natural amino acids from the 15N-labelled amino acids. The recovery of amino acids from plasma and brain samples was ca. 75%. The amino acid levels determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were comparable with the amino acid levels determined by high-performance liquid chromatography or amino acid analyzer.
Palmtree: An IP alias resolution algorithm with linear probing complexity

Internet topology mapping studies utilize large scale topology maps to analyze various characteristics of the Internet. IP alias resolution, the task of mapping IP addresses to their corresponding routers, is an important task in building such topology maps. In this paper, we present a new probe-based IP alias resolution tool called palmtree. Palmtree can be used to complement the existing schemes in improving the overall success of alias resolution process during topology map construction. In addition, palmtree incurs a linear probing overhead to identify IP aliases. The experimental results obtained over Internet2 and GEANT networks as well as four major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) present quite promising results on the utility of palmtree in obtaining more accurate network topology maps.
A dehydrated neonate.

The following Brief Report was written by residents. A discussion follows. We invite any resident to submit such articles, together with commentary by a faculty member.
Report examines potential impacts of glacial change in Himalayas

Glaciers appear to be retreating at accelerating rates in the eastern and central regions of the Himalayas, although in the western Himalayas they appear to be more stable and may be advancing, according to a 12 September report by a committee of the U.S. National Research Council that examines climate change, water resources, and water security issues in the region. The report highlights several themes in considering the link between people and the environment within the context of water security in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. Among the themes are that there is significant variability in climate, hydrology, and glacier behavior within HKH that makes it difficult to generalize observations and findings across the region and that there is also variability in demographics and water use patterns. Other themes in the report are that uncertainties exist in the region's physical and social systems, including the effect of increased urbanization and changes in standards of living; improved monitoring of physical and social systems is needed to reduce and respond to uncertainty; and improved water management and hazard mitigation systems are the most compelling needs. For more information, see http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13449.
Dissociation of aldosterone and prostaglandin biosynthesis in the rat adrenal glomerulosa.

Abstract The relationship between aldosterone production and prostaglandin E2 synthesis was evaluated using the responses of isolated rat adrenal glomerulosa cells to angiotensin II, ACTH and potassium. Simultaneous PGE2 and aldosterone measurements were made during timed incubations with these stimuli, and in incubations with arachidonic acid, meclofenamate, indomethacin, and aminoglutethamide. PGE2 and aldosterone production were assessed by radioimmunoassay. We were not able to demonstrate stimulation of PGE2 by angiotensin II, ACTH, or potassium despite significant increments in aldosterone production with these stimuli. Arachidonic acid enhanced PGE2 synthesis, but had no effect on aldosterone release. Indomethacin and meclofenamate inhibited aldosterone secretion. Aminoglutethimide depressed aldosterone production, but had little effect on PGE2 levels in the media. These studies demonstrate that dienoic prostaglandins play no direct role in aldosterone production stimulated by angiotensin II, ACTH, or potassium in rat adrenal glomerulosa cells. Since inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase decreased aldosterone synthesis, it is possible that fatty acids other than arachidonic acid may be cyclo-oxygenated to products which regulate aldosterone production.
Belatacept Post Kidney Transplantation

Objective:To review the use of belatacept as an alternative to calcineurin inhibitor-based regimens for maintenance immunosuppression in renal transplant recipients.Data Sources:To provide an exten...
Electromyography in hand surgery

Hand surgeons often are called on to interpret the electrodiagnostic report, which includes both nerve conduction studies and electromyography (EMG). The EMG examination can provide useful information as to the normal and abnormal electrophysiology of muscle and its nerve. The various potentials described, however, do not point to a specific diagnosis. Through an understanding of the methodology and principles of testing the clinician will be better suited to recognizing when the report conclusions do not match the electromyographic data, or when to request further testing in cases in which insufficient data compromises one’s ability to draw definitive conclusions. The indication for surgery still hinges on reproducible physical findings combined with the appropriate clinical symptoms rather than on a test abnormality.
Smartphone medication adherence apps: Potential benefits to patients and providers

Objectives To provide an overview of medication adherence, discuss the potential for smartphone medication adherence applications (adherence apps) to improve medication nonadherence, evaluate features of adherence apps across operating systems (OSs), and identify future opportunities and barriers facing adherence apps. Practice description Medication nonadherence is a common, complex, and costly problem that contributes to poor treatment outcomes and consumes health care resources. Nonadherence is difficult to measure precisely, and interventions to mitigate it have been largely unsuccessful. Practice innovation Using smartphone adherence apps represents a novel approach to improving adherence. This readily available technology offers many features that can be designed to help patients and health care providers improve medication-taking behavior. Main outcome measures Currently available apps were identified from the three main smartphone OSs (Apple, Android, and Blackberry). In addition, desirable features for adherence apps were identified and ranked by perceived importance to user desirability using a three-point rating system: 1, modest; 2, moderate; or 3, high. The 10 highest-rated apps were installed and subjected to user testing to assess app attributes using a standard medication regimen. RESULTS 160 adherence apps were identified and ranked. These apps were most prevalent for the Android OS. Adherence apps with advanced functionality were more prevalent on the Apple iPhone OS. Among all apps, MyMedSchedule, MyMeds, and RxmindMe rated the highest because of their basic medication reminder features coupled with their enhanced levels of functionality. Conclusion Despite being untested, medication apps represent a possible strategy that pharmacists can recommend to nonadherent patients and incorporate into their practice.
On Methods for Determining the Composition of Pyrolysis Products from Ablative Composites

Charring ablative composites pyrolysis products composition determination, comparing chemical analysis techniques
Temperature sensitivity characteristics of AWGs

The thermal instability of central wavelength of AWG is analyzed theoretically. The analysis reveals that waveguide dispersion caused by temperature fluctuation of AWG is the primary source of the thermal instability whereas the thermal instability due to photo-elastic effect and thermal expansion of waveguides is comparatively small.
The functional treatment of a third proximal phalanx fracture

Aggressive, cool soaks, and buddy taping with thoughtful frequent followups allowed this patient to return to competition safely with full function in a remarkably short period of time. Similar treatment to some soft tissue injuries of the hand and other stable fractures have been done with equal success.
Collagen-Agarose Co-Gels as a Model for Collagen-Matrix Interaction in Soft Tissue

Connective soft tissues have complex mechanical properties that are determined by their collagen fiber network and surrounding non-fibrillar material. The mechanical role of non-fibrillar material and the nature of its interaction with the collagen network remain poorly understood, in part because of the lack of a simple experimental model system to examine and quantify these properties. The development of a simple but representational experimental system will allow for greater insight into the interaction between fibers and the non-fibrillar matrix. Reconstituted Type I collagen gels are an attractive model tissue for exploring micro- and macroscale relationships between constituents (e.g., [1–2]), but standard collagen gels lack the non-fibrillar components (i.e., proteoglycan, minor collagens, etc.) present in native tissue. A recent study [3] added low quantities of agarose to collagen gels, which dramatically increased the shear storage modulus with minimal changes to the collagen fiber network. In this study, we suggest that collagen-agarose co-gels can serve as a model system to investigate the mechanical role of non-fibrillar ECM. Even though agarose is relatively compliant at low concentrations, and collagen fibers are very stiff in tension, we hypothesized that the presence of agarose in co-gels would have a pronounced effect on structural response and mechanical behavior in tensile loading. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the properties of collagen-agarose co-gels to understand better the nature of, and the relationships between, the collagen fiber network and non-fibrillar matrix of simplified tissue analogs.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Nano-BaSO4: A Novel Bacteriostatic Polymer Additive

Hospital acquired infections remain a major costly problem. This study sought to understand how incorporating nano-barium sulfate into pellethane composites affect the physical properties and antimicrobial nature of the resulting polymers. The results of this study showed that the incorporation of nano-barium sulfate into pellethane polymers yielded polymers which had enhanced antimicrobial properties, yet had similar hydrodynamic properties compared to pellethane polymers with standard barium sulfate.
Distribution of phototrophic microbes in the flat laminated microbial mat at Laguna Figueroa, Baja California, Mexico

The microbial mat community in the saltmarsh/evaporate flat interface at Laguna Figueroa involved in the deposition of laminated sediments was investigated. Pigment analysis, light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the relative abundance and distribution of phototrophic species. The community is vertically stratified into four distinct phototrophic populations. The layering could be distinguished by pigment and species composition. The two layers closest to the surface contained mostly oxygenic phototrophs and chlorophyll a as the primary photosynthetic pigment. Anoxic phototrophs predominated in the bottom two layers with bacteriochlorophylls a and c in the third layer and bacteriochlorophyll a and b in the bottom layer. The surface yellow layer was composed primarily of Navicula, Rhopalodia and other diatom species as well as the cyanobacteria Aphanothece sp. and Phormidium sp. Microcoleus chthonoplasces and Chroococcidiopsis sp. were the major cyanobacteria in the green colored second layer. In the third layer, pinkish-purple in color, purple photographs (Chromatium sp., Thiocapsa roseoparsicina) and filamentous green phototrophs (Chloroflexus sp., Oscillochloris sp.) were abundant. The fourth and deepest photosynthetic layer was salmon colored and composed primarily of Thiocapsa pfennigii, and other purple sulfur phototrophs. The pattern of alternating light (oxygenic community) and dark (anoxygenic community) layering preserved in older laminae is a consequence of this community structure. Study of the flat laminated mat over the 10-year period (1978-1988) including and after its destruction by catastrophic flooding events in 1978 and 1980, showed a succession of stratified communities culminating in the return of Microcoleus and the full compliment of layers by the fall of 1984.
A multidisciplinary approach to the development of a cervical spine clearance protocol: process, rationale, and initial results.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Assessment of potential spine injuries is inconsistent and controversial. Subsequent morbidity includes prolonged immobilization and missed injuries. To address these issues, a multidisciplinary team was organized to design a cervical spine management/clearance pathway. The process, algorithm, and initial results are described. Methods: Team members consisted of pediatric surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, emergency room physicians, and trauma nurse practitioners. Nationwide standards, guidelines, and experiences across disciplines were reviewed, and a consensus pathway evolved for cervical spine clearance in children 8 years and younger. A short-term retrospective review (5 months) was performed to assess initial performance. Time required for clearance, number and type of imaging studies, and number of missed injuries were compared between a group of patients before (n = 71) and after (n = 56) the implementation of the pathway. Results: Strict guidelines for cervical spine immobilization and clearance criteria were defined. After implementation of this pathway, time required for cervical clearance in nonintubated children decreased (before, 12.3 ± 1.5 v after, 7.5 ± 0.9 hours; P =.014). A clear trend toward earlier clearance in intubated patients existed (before [n = 6], 40.0 ± 16.8 v after [n = 6], 19.4 ± 8.1 hours; P =.10); there need to be larger numbers to determine statistical significance. The 2 study groups were similar in age; mechanism of injury; Glasgow coma scale score; and number of plain x-rays, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonance imaging studies obtained. Neither group had missed injuries. Conclusions: standards for cervical spine immobilization, assessment, and clearance. Implementation of such guidelines decreased time for cervical spine clearance, and ongoing analysis of sensitivity is encouraging. J Pediatr Surg 38:358-362. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
The exploitation of mutualisms

Mutualisms (interspecific cooperative interactions) are ubiquitously exploited by organisms that obtain the benefits mutualists offer, while delivering no benefits in return. The natural history of these exploiters is well-described, but relatively little effort has yet been devoted to analysing their ecological or evolutionary significance for mutualism. Exploitation is not a unitary phenomenon, but a set of loosely related phenomena: exploiters may follow mixed strategies or pure strategies at either the species or individual level, may or may not be derived from mutualists, and may or may not inflict significant costs on mutualisms. The evolutionary implications of these different forms of exploitation, especially the threats they pose to the stability of mutualism, have as yet been minimally explored. Studies of this issue are usually framed in terms of a “temptation to defect” that generates a destabilizing conflict of interest between partners. I argue that this idea is in fact rather inappropriate for interpreting most observed forms of exploitation in mutualisms. I suggest several alternative and testable ideas for how mutualism can persist in the face of exploitation.
Infinite Divisibility, Ontology, and Spatial Relations

Consider the paradox of Achilles and the tortoise. Both Zeno and the philosophic tradition after him have accorded it the status of a legitimate problem. It is my aim to show, that both Zeno and the tradition have been mistaken; that the basis of the alleged paradox is a none too clear analysis of the nature of spatial relations; and that the appearance of the paradox itself rests on a confusion of two types of analysis: an ontological analysis on the one hand, and a qualitative one on the other. I shall therefore suggest a solution to the paradox that in effect amounts to a denial of its legitimacy.
Labia Elongation under African Customary Law: A Violation of Women's Rights?

ABSTRACT This paper examines whether or not the practice of labia elongation violates the rights of women in African cultures that subscribe to such practices. The validity test of African customary law – that is, a custom is only valid if it does not offend public policy, or any laws of a concerned country, or natural justice, good conscience and equity – is seen as the determining factor as to whether labia elongation violates the rights of women. To that extent, the paper highlights the difference between labia elongation and other forms of cultural practices that negatively affect, or even violate, the rights of women. Unlike situations of female circumcision involving partial or complete removal of the external genitalia, or removal of the prepuce (hood) of the clitoris, or full excision of the clitoris, labia minora and labia majora, the case of labia elongation does not involve offensive physical violence against women. The paper argues, therefore, that the practice of labia elongation per se, as c...