cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuroendocrinology of the skin.

The classical observations of the skin as a target for melanotropins have been complemented by the discovery of their actual production at the local level. In fact, all of the elements controlling the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis are expressed in the skin including CRH, urocortin, and POMC, with its products ACTH, α-MSH, and β-endorphin. Demonstration of the corresponding receptors in the same cells suggests para- or autocrine mechanisms of action. These findings, together with the demonstration of cutaneous production of numerous other hormones including vitamin D3, PTH-related protein (PTHrP), catecholamines, and acetylcholine that share regulation by environmental stressors such as UV light, underlie a role for these agents in the skin response to stress. The endocrine mediators with their receptors are organized into dermal and epidermal units that allow precise control of their activity in a field-restricted manner. The skin neuroendocrine system communicates with itself and wi...
Toward Critical Media Literacy: Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy

Media literacy education is not as advanced in the USA as in several other English speaking areas, such as Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. Despite decades of struggle since the 1970s by individuals and groups, media education is still only reaching a small percentage of K/12 schools in the US. While some major inroads have been made, such as getting elements of media literacy included in most of the 50 state’s educational standards and the launching of two national media education organizations, most teachers and students in the USA are not aware of issues involved in media literacy education. In this paper we set forth some models of media literacy, delineate key concepts of critical media literacy, and then examine some of the most active organizations in the USA and differences in their goals and pedagogy.
Modeling techniques to support system level simulation and a top-down development methodology

This paper describes several effective Verilog coding techniques which, by increasing simulation performance, enable a seamless migration of a large scale electronic system through a wide range of abstraction for both the system description and the simulated verification. These coding techniques support the maintenance of design integrity during either forward or backward abstraction migration. This is accomplished by supporting mixed levels of detail for different system functions, and for the same system function at different time periods, during simulation. >
Molecular Survey of Endosymbionts in Florida Populations of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and Its Parasitoids Tamarixia radiata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae)

Abstract A molecular survey of endosymbionts was conducted in Florida populations of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), and its parasitoids Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis (Shafee, Alam and Agarwal) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). Using a high-fidelity polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we detected 3 eubacterial species each in D. citri (the primary symbiont Candidatus Carsonella rudii, a secondary symbiont related to Oxalobacter and Herbaspirillum species, and Wolbachia), and T. radiata (Caulobacter sp., Methylobacterium sp. and a bacterium in the family Alcaligenaceae), whereas only 1 species was identified in D. aligarhensis (Wolbachia). Each eubacterial symbiont of D. citri was detected in the eggs, which is indicative of transovarial transmission. However, none of the eubacterial symbionts of T. radiata were detected in the eggs, suggesting that they are only transient associates. Stable horizontal transfer of ...
How to Review and Retrieve Information from the AJNR; or, How to Read the AJNR and Still Have Time to Ski

As time becomes more precious and the information explosion continues, keeping up with the current literature is more difficult. The average radiologist spends 2.8 hours per week on all teaching and research activities (1). How much of this time is spent on literature review is not known. Over the past 20 years, I have tried several methods to review and retrieve information in neuroradiology and related topics. As my recent career has included increasing administrative responsibilities, the time available to carry out these activities has progressively decreased.
Decrease in rat taste receptor cell intracellular pH is the proximate stimulus in sour taste transduction.

Taste receptor cells (TRCs) respond to acid stimulation, initiating perception of sour taste. Paradoxically, the pH of weak acidic stimuli correlates poorly with the perception of their sourness. A...
Clinical Features of Polycystic Ovarian Disease

The original description of the syndrome which bears the names of Stein and Leventhal (880) emphasized the association of amenorrhea, hirsuitism and sterility with enlarged polycystic ovaries. They established specific criteria for the diagnosis of their syndrome that included bilaterally enlarged ovaries, normal urinary 17-ketosteroid excretion and absence of virilization. These criteria were established as a basis for their selection of patients for bilateral ovarian wedge resection (521,876,878,879). Using the classic description of patients originally de-scribed in 1935, Stein (874), in 1964, reported only 108 patients who conformed to the original description. In this strictly defined group he was able to report a 95% return to ovulatory cycles and an 85% conception rate following bilateral ovarian wedge resection. Subsequent reports by numerous investigators have emphasized that enlarged ovaries are not necessarily present, nor is infertility or anovulation always present (347,349,852,905,909,945).
Annuity Tables Versus Factually-Based Estate Tax Valuation: Ithaca Trust Revisited

This Article discusses Ithaca Trust and that case's emphasis on the integrity of actuarial tables for estate tax valuation purposes. The author argues that application of actuarial table values for estate tax valuation is the best means to value estates where use of tables is mandated, despite recent decisions that have allowed admission of facts to alter the valuation of property where actuarial table values should have applied.
Oxygen Pressure Aging. Improved Equipment

Abstract Since the introduction of the oxygen pressure-aging test by Bierer and Davis, prevailing standard conditions for the test have been 70° C. (158° F.) and 300 pounds per square inch oxygen pressure. Various types of equipment have been used; usually the equipment has consisted of a pressure vessel immersed in a constant-temperature water bath to which is connected an oxygen supply. In the majority of instances the equipment has been difficult to operate and maintain for several reasons: Immersion of pressure vessels in a water bath made handling difficult. Corrosion was a continuous source of trouble, causing “freezing” of cover bolts and making it difficult to obtain a leakproof oxygen seal between cover and vessel. This caused loss of oxygen. Each time the pressure vessel was removed from the bath it was necessary to disconnect the oxygen supply and make the connection again when the test was started. This also caused loss of oxygen. If more than one pressure vessel was connected to the oxygen su...
Mother Jones in the Fairmont Field, 1902

T HE strike which occurred in the bituminous coal fields of West Virginia in 1902 has been almost totally eclipsed by the contemporaneous drama that focused national attention on the anthracite strike in eastern Pennsylvania. In contrast to the outcome in Pennsylvania, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) suffered an abject defeat in its effort to obtain a voice in the setting of wages, hours, and working conditions in the northern West Virginia coal mines. A detailed examination of the peculiar conditions that prevailed in the Fairmont Field serves to highlight some of the complexities of the conflict between management and union in the coal industry at the turn of the century. Ten years after its organization in 1891, UMWA enjoyed a remarkable position of power. By 1898 the union had enlisted enough members in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and western Pennsylvania to force the association of operators in those states to conclude an annual agreement on basic bargaining points. Yet the organizing effort that had produced the central competitive field agreement had failed in West Virginia, despite the backing of Samuel Gompers, Eugene V. Debs, and a host of other labor leaders.' The unorganized West Virginia fields endangered the union's power base: the northern mines were close enough to Great Lakes transportation to compete in the northern Midwest, and the southern fields had rail and river access to the southern markets of the region. In 1901, therefore, the national officers of the union undertook a strenuous campaign to bring West Virginia miners into the union, sending experienced organizers to the state from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. For nearly a year, without fanfare, the organizers ranged through the state on the hard and often dangerous task of converting miners into union members. The supervision of this work in the southern West Virginia fields lay in
Abstract A84: Association between physical activity and metachronous colorectal neoplasia

Epidemiological studies have established obesity as a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia, and this association is stronger for men than for women. In addition, physical activity has been shown to reduce the odds for colon but not rectal cancer. Because body size and physical activity are closely associated, it is difficult to elucidate which of these factors is more important in carcinogenesis or if the combined effect is most relevant. Evidence for the inverse association between physical activity and colorectal neoplasia is strong; however, the relationship between activity levels and preneoplasia is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether levels of physical activity affect metachronous colorectal neoplasia in the pooled study populations of two prospective, randomized clinical intervention trials of colorectal neoplasia: the Wheat Bran Fiber Trial and the Ursodeoxycholic Acid Trial. Logistic regression models were used in the analysis of 2,189 men and women to examine the association between quartiles of total energy expenditure per day and metachronous colorectal neoplasia. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained using the lowest quartile of total energy expenditure per day as the reference group. Compared to the first quartile of physical activity level, the adjusted odds ratios for metachronous colorectal neoplasia were 1.04 (95% CI: 0.80, 1.34), 1.00 (95% CI: 0.76, 1.34), and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.65, 1.20), for the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively. Stratification by sex yielded odds ratios of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.60, 1.30), 0.77 (95% CI: 0.53, 1.12), and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.48, 1.04) for males (P for trend = 0.048) and odds ratios of 1.15 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.66), 1.85 (95% CI: 1.08, 3.16), and 1.34 (95% CI: 0.53, 3.37) for females (P for trend = 0.061), respectively. Preliminary analyses indicate no statistically significant association between physical activity levels and metachronous colorectal neoplasia. However, among men there was a statistically significant inverse trend in the odds of metachronous colorectal neoplasia and quartile of total, daily energy expenditure. Additional analyses will assess the affects of different types of physical activity on metachronous colorectal neoplasia and whether these activity patterns vary across race and ethnicity. Further, the potential effect modification by sex must be explored in detail to ascertain whether body size, physical activity, or a combination of the two is the key exposure variable related to colorectal preneoplasia risk in this population.
Determination of ephedrine hydrochloride in Zhichuan oral solution by HPLC

Objective: To develop a method for the determination of ephedrine hydrochloride in Zhichuan oral solution.Methods: HPLC method was used.The column was Kromasil C18(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm).The mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid solution(10∶90,V/V).The detection wavelength was 207 nm.The flow rate was 0.7 mL/min and the injection volume was 20 μL.Results: The liner range of ephedrine hydrochloride was 4.5~27.0 mg/L(r=0.9998,n=6).This average recovery was 98.99% and RSD was 0.96%.Conclusions: This method is simple,rapid,sensitive and accurate,and can be used as a method of quality control for ephedrine hydrochloride in Zhichuan oral solution.
The Limits of Social Learning: Translating Analysis into Action

In what respects does public-policy making reflect social learning, drawing lessons from previous experiences and from the experiences of governments in other settings? Starting with an examination of the effect of policy legacies on current policy making, I present a process model of social learning embedded within the larger policy-making process resting at the intersection of the nation's constitutional context, technological change, and political influences exogenous to social learning. The model first distinguishes between the structural and the social learning effects of policy legacies. I then conceptually divide social learning into separate streams of substantive learning and situational learning. The effect that each of these has on policy making depends on the relative position of three categories of participants in the policy-making process (experts, organized interests, and politicians), as well as on the scope of the policy issue being considered (ranging from routine change to major reform). This analysis, with reference to recent health care policy making, reveals the full extent to which social learning is often a decidedly political struggle over ideas and information in which advocates promote lessons that severe their specific interests within a given institutional context and political setting. I consider the implications of social learning for understanding likely policy responses to the rise of market forces in health care.
Review: Colossal: Engineering the Suez Canal, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, and Panama Canal by Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby

Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby Colossal: Engineering the Suez Canal, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, and Panama Canal Pittsburgh: Periscope, 2012, 224 pp., 145 color and 82 b/w illus. $45.85, ISBN 9781934772768 Although known primarily as a sculptor, most famously of the Statue of Liberty, the Frenchman Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi was also a painter. Sometime in the 1860s he painted Nymphs and Fauns Frightened by a Train , depicting a placid wooden glade disrupted by a steam locomotive hurtling toward the painting’s foreground. Startled from their primordial playground by the sound of the oncoming train, a dozen or so nymphs and fauns flee desperately into the woods in fear. As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby notes in her splendid book Colossal , Bartholdi’s surreal juxtaposition conjures an image, at once allegorical and lacking in subtlety, in which “modern transport menaces an ideal of nature and the motifs constituting that ideal—picturesque landscapes, birch leaves shimmering in the sunset, mythological creatures from antiquity” (12). Bartholdi’s painting presents a leitmotif of the familiar themes of humankind’s early experiences of industrial culture—fear and sublimity, whiplash speed, piercing noise, pollution, environmental degradation. It omits one key thing, however: scale. Tucked into a corner and hidden by a thicket of trees, the oncoming train is more implied than evident in visual terms. What we know of its scale is connoted only in the reactions (those of the nymphs and fauns) and absences (the clearing produced by the railway bed) that the locomotive elicits. Grigsby’s main concern in Colossal is that missing entity of scale, and, more specifically, that scale as it is understood in visual terms. Colossal outlines a new understanding of the visual experience of the built environment in the long nineteenth century and how, above all, colossi were constructed and received optically and reckoned with as objects emblematic of a new cultural and industrial epoch. Colossal is ostensibly a book …
Influence of Charge on the Elastic Properties of Lipid Membranes

Lipid membrane elastic properties play an important role in the membrane deformations and dynamic morphological transitions necessary for cell function. A key elastic property underlying these dynamics is the bending rigidity, motivating significant research efforts to quantify the effects of lipid structure and additives on the membrane bending modulus. To date, the majority of experimental research has focused on the dynamics of model membrane systems composed of zwitterionic lipids; however, most biomembranes are negatively charged at physiological conditions due to the presence of charged lipid headgroups. Here we study the bending dynamics of negatively-charged phosphatidylglycerol (PG) bilayers using neutron spin echo spectroscopy. Our results show that the charged lipid bilayers are softer than analogous zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine (PC) bilayers in both the gel and fluid phases at low ionic strength conditions. Interestingly, theoretical predictions indicate that the opposite should be true and that the bending rigidity should increase with increasing surface charge. We propose that this discrepancy is due to charged-related differences in the area per headgroup and lipid hydration between PG and PC bilayers that are not considered by existing theoretical models. Our results provide new insights into the influence of charge on the membrane elastic properties and demonstrate how these dynamics are coupled to charge effects on the membrane structure.
Workers’ compensation claims not reported in the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Injury and claim characteristics

Background Underreporting in the nation's primary source of non-fatal occupational injury and illness data are well documented, but worker-level characteristics of unreported cases have not been fully explored. Methods Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) data were linked to Washington workers’ compensation claims to identify injury and claim characteristics associated with unreported cases. Workers’ compensation administrative date data were used to characterize timing of disability and SOII case eligibility. Results Based on claim date data, one in five lost time claims with an injury date in the survey year were likely ineligible for SOII case reporting during the survey year. Among SOII-eligible claims, those involving sprains or strains, employer protests, and those not eligible for work disability payments until months after the initial injury were least likely to be reported in SOII. Conclusions SOII case capture is limited both by its cross sectional survey design and employer underreporting. Am. J. Ind. Med. 9999:XX–XX, © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Self‐Concepts, Self‐Esteem, and Academic Achievement of Minority and Majority North American Elementary School Children

Minority and majority elementary school students from a Native American reservation (N = 188; K–fifth grade; 5- to 10-year-olds) completed tests of academic self-concepts and self-esteem. School grades, attendance, and classroom behavior were collected. Both minority and majority students exhibited positive self-esteem. Minority students demonstrated lower academic self-concepts and lower achievement than majority students. Two age-related patterns emerged. First, minority students had lower academic achievement than majority students, and this effect was stronger in older (Grades 3–5) than in younger (Grades K–2) students. Second, children's actual achievement was related to their academic self-concepts for older students but more strongly linked to self-esteem in younger students. The authors offer a developmental account connecting students’ developing self-representations to their school achievement.
Use of social adaptability index to explain self-care and diabetes outcomes

To examine whether the social adaptability index (SAI) alone or components of the index provide a better explanatory model for self-care and diabetes outcomes. Six hundred fifteen patients were recruited from two primary care settings. A series of multiple linear regression models were run to assess (1) associations between the SAI and diabetes self-care/outcomes, and (2) associations between individual SAI indicator variables and diabetes self-care/outcomes. Separate models were run for each self-care behavior and outcome. Two models were run for each dependent variable to compare associations with the SAI and components of the index. The SAI has a significant association with the mental component of quality of life (0.23, p < 0.01). In adjusted analyses, the SAI score did not have a significant association with any of the self-care behaviors. Individual components from the index had significant associations between self-care and multiple SAI indicator variables. Significant associations also exist between outcomes and the individual SAI indicators for education and employment. In this population, the SAI has low explanatory power and few significant associations with diabetes self-care/outcomes. While the use of a composite index to predict outcomes within a diabetes population would have high utility, particularly for clinical settings, this SAI lacks statistical and clinical significance in a representative diabetes population. Based on these results, the index does not provide a good model fit and masks the relationship of individual components to diabetes self-care and outcomes. These findings suggest that five items alone are not adequate to explain or predict outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes.
The "Bedbug" Case and State Farm v. Campbell

This essay explores some common issues arising in the Supreme Court's punitive damages decision, State Farm v. Campbell, and an opinion by Judge Posner six months later. I discuss the Court's assertion in Campbell that a punitive award may punish only conduct directed at the plaintiff and how Judge Posner reacted to that assertion. Further, I comment on how these cases gauged the disparity between the amount of punitive damages and the harm to the plaintiff, and how they addressed whether a low probability of detection or punishment of the defendant's unlawful conduct justifies a larger punitive award.
James Alison’s Theological Appropriation of Girard

James Alison offers a unique reading and application of Rene Girard’s work to theology. His application of mimetic theory to theology is primarily methodological and epistemological. He uses Girard’s insights to investigate what there is to be learned about the process of persons and communities coming to receive faith in Christ (which we might refer to as “conversion”) and about the subsequent process of gradually seeking to understand the content of what we come to know through faith (which we might refer to as “theological reflection”). That is, Alison’s theological ﻿appropriation of mimetic theory occurs primarily at the level of theological ﻿method and then only﻿ subsequently ﻿at the level of the content of Christian faith. Through an examination ﻿of three representative writings, this essay will show that Alison’s understanding of human knowing and theology cohere precisely in their relation to his intellectual and personal appropriation of mimetic theory.
Utilizing the Electronic Health Record to Improve Advance Care Planning: A Systematic Review.

Purpose:Advance care planning may ensure care that is concordant with patient wishes. However, advance care plans are frequently absent when needed due to failure to engage patients in planning, in...
Validation of the mathematics teachers’ sense of efficacy scale

Teachers’ self-efficacy has been measured a number of ways and linked to important outcomes including teacher satisfaction, goals for students, and student achievement. However, most of these exist...
Rapid Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulant with Thermally Activated Porous Polymer Foams

Highly porous poly(dicyclopentadiene) (pDCPD) foam was synthesized via ring opening metathesis polymerization and high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating. Alkane and alkene moieties within the pDCPD foam oxidized slowly in air to form carbonyl, peroxy, and hydroxyl groups. Heating pDCPD to 85 °C in air accelerated the oxidation of pDCPD, producing reactive peroxy species at reduced time scales, compared to oxidation at room temperature. The oxidized pDCPD foams rapidly sequestered and decontaminated the toxic chemical warfare agent simulant, demeton-S via oxidation to vinyl, sulfoxide, and sulfone oxidation products. In addition, the porosity and high surface area of the pDCPD HIPE foams likely assists in the sequestration of demeton-S via capillary interaction. Collectively, these data demonstrate a new and highly tunable class of polymer materials capable of simultaneous sequestration and decontamination of toxic chemicals.
Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Guidance of Right Heart Catheterization Decreases Radiation Exposure in Atrial Septal Defect Closures

Background Radiation reduction is desirable in children undergoing cardiac catheterization. Three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiographic (3D TEE) imaging obviates the need for mental reconstruction of 3D structures from two-dimensional images. Three-dimensional TEE imaging is used in atrial septal defect (ASD) closures. Three-dimensional TEE guidance of right heart catheterization (RHC) without fluoroscopy for ASD closures has not been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of 3D TEE guidance of RHC in ASD closures and radiation reduction compared with historical control subjects. Methods Twenty-two patients underwent 3D TEE guidance of RHC and ASD closures and were compared with 44 control subjects. RHC time, total fluoroscopy time, radiation dose, and procedural time were compared. Fluoroscopy time during RHC was recorded in patients undergoing 3D TEE guidance. Results There was a 54% reduction in total fluoroscopy time and a 78% radiation reduction demonstrated with 3D TEE guidance of patients with ASDs compared with control subjects. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the RHC time compared with control subjects, the fluoroscopy time (mean, 0.06 ± 0.23 min) for RHC guidance using 3D TEE imaging was almost zero. There was decreased RHC time as we progressed through the learning curve of performing 3D TEE guidance of RHC (r = −0.63, P Conclusions Three-dimensional TEE guidance in RHC is feasible without the use of fluoroscopy and reduces radiation exposure in percutaneous ASD closures. Three-dimensional TEE guidance may be used in other interventional procedures in the future to further reduce radiation exposure and facilitate catheter interventions.
Prostatomembranous urethral disruptions: Management by suprapubic cystostomy and delayed urethroplasty

AbstractManagement of prostatomembranous urethral disruptions associated with pelvic fractures remains a major controversy in urology. A group of 64 patients who suffered a prostatomembranous urethral disruption in association with a pelvic fracture and who were managed initially by suprapubic cystostomy with delayed urethroplasty was compared to 17 patients managed initially by primary realignment. No statistically significant difference in the incidence of impotence or urinary incontinence was found between the 2 groups (p >0.5) Secondary reconstructions for impassable strictures developed in 95% of the patients treated by a suprapubic tube alone compared to 53% of those treated by primary realignment. Indeed, only 1 patient in the latter group achieved urethral continuity that did not require further intervention. We conclude that while primary realignment is associated with no increase in the instance of impotence and urinary incontinence, it subjects the patient to a major operation at a critical tim...
Personal Construct Psychology

Major theories of psychology are written by persons who are deeply committed to positions on human nature which, in their minds, stand as alternatives to other positions being espoused at the time. In reading the works of a new theorist, one may feel that the position either is not really new or is merely incomprehensible. However one may view the theory, it can be assumed that the theorist feels he has produced something new and has diligently set about the task of communicating this newness. George A. Kelly, author of The Psychology of Personal Constructs (1955), certainly wanted to present his colleagues with new ideas and did so with varying degrees of success—a fate experienced by most theorists. That Kelly experienced some success in communicating this newness is supported by the steady flow of manuscripts written about the theory, many of which have been contributed by persons of British, Canadian, or European background.
Can Spatial Transformation-Based Privacy Preservation Compromise Location Privacy?

While mobile users would like to pose location-based queries such as “find me the nearest service of type S” or “find me k nearest services of type S,” they are increasingly aware of the underlying privacy concerns and threats. One of the two main approaches suggested by researchers for countering this threat involves spatial transformation via Hilbert curves. This scheme transforms a two-dimensional coordinate space into a one-dimensional space such that adjacency in the latter space implies contiguity in the former. A Trusted Server (TS) provides a Location-Based Server (LBS) with Points of Interest (POIs) indexed by the one-dimension Hilbert indices obtained by transforming their two-dimensional coordinates; mobile users query the LBS using the Hilbert index corresponding to their two-dimensional coordinates; the LBS finds the nearest Hilbert indices with appropriate POIs and returns them to the users. Owing to the large number of possible Hilbert transformations using different parameters, the attempt by an LBS to invert the transformation, i.e., compute a two-dimensional coordinate of the target user (or the POIs) is generally considered infeasible. In this paper, we ask to what extent and by which methods can a rogue LBS squeeze a privacy compromise from this scheme? We model the adversary and examine the possibilities of an attack based on semantic factors such as the distribution of POI categories and variations in POI density as well as collusion and exploitation of weaknesses in the mobile system software architecture. Finally, we point out limitations of such attacks and suggest strategies to strengthen defences against them.
Atopic dermatitis: the relationship to temperature and seasonality in the United States

BACKGROUND Climatologic factors may affect atopic dermatitis (AD), and there have been few explorations into this topic. Because of its size, the United States (US) has a broad range of climates. The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between ambulatory office visits physicians for AD with temperature and season. METHODS US region-specific satellite-derived data air temperature from the North America Land Data Assimilation System from 1993 to 2011 were studied in relation with ambulatory AD visits to all physicians from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. RESULTS Over the 19-year study period, in no regional location in the US is there clear evidence of a winter flare of AD. The greatest numbers of visits occur in May and June, and smaller peaks also occur in January and October. As the ambient air temperature increases, the likelihood of an AD visit rises (P < .0001). In the South, the hottest US climate, summer is responsible for substantially more AD visits. In every other region and the US overall, the largest number of AD visits occur in spring. AD visits appear to display regional variation in comparing the Northeast, South, Midwest, and West. CONCLUSIONS Increased temperatures predict increased likelihood of AD office visits.
Signatures of anti-Thomsen - Friedenreich antigen antibody diversity in colon cancer patients.

Aim To determine whether the structural and functional diversities of naturally occurring antibodies to the Thomsen - Friedenreich (TF) antigen may be of diagnostic and prognostic value in colon cancer. Materials and methods Serum samples were taken from patients with colon cancer (n = 94) and healthy controls (n = 64). The level of TF-specific antibody isotypes and their sialylation were determined using ELISA and lectin-ELISA with synthetic TF-polyacrylamide conjugate as an antigen and a sialic acid-specific Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA). The avidity was determined using ammonium thiocyanate as a chaotrope. The accuracy of diagnostics was evaluated using the receiver operator characteristic curve analysis and the survival analysis employing the Kaplan - Meier method. Results Compared to healthy controls, patients with colon cancer exhibited a lower level of anti-TF IgG antibodies, significantly lower ratios of TF-specific IgG/IgM and IgG/IgA, an increased SNA reactivity of anti-TF antibodies, mostly on account of IgG, and a lower avidity of TF-specific antibodies, especially their SNA-reactive subset. An increased SNA reactivity of anti-TF IgG was observed already at the early stages of cancer (p = 0.0004). The decrease of the ratio of IgG/IgM and IgG/IgA showed a good accuracy of diagnostics with about 60% sensitivity at 90% specificity. A similar potential was found for the SNA binding/IgG level index. The high level of TF-specific IgA antibodies was associated with a lower survival rate (hazard ratio = 0.34). Conclusion This is the first report ever on the colon cancer-related signatures of anti-TF antibody diversity which show diagnostic potential, including in early cancer, and prognostic value. The hypersialylation of TF-specific antibodies appeared to be a common phenomenon in cancer. The signatures may be used as non-invasive antibody-based markers for colon cancer.
Abstract WP32: Mechanical Thrombectomy for Mild Acute Ischemic Stroke with Large Vessel Occlusion: Results from the MISTWAVE Prospective Study

Introduction: Endovascular therapy (EVT) for emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) is standard of care for disabling strokes. There is no sufficient prospective data evaluating EVT for mild ischem...
Synthesis of Li2S-Carbon Cathode Materials via Carbothermic Reduction of Li2SO4

Pre-lithiated sulfur materials are promising cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries. The synthesis of lithium sulfide-carbon (Li2S-C) composite by carbothermic reduction of lithium sulfate (Li2SO4) is investigated in this study. The relationship between reaction temperature and the consumption of carbon in the carbothermic reduction of Li2SO4 is first investigated to precisely control the carbon content in the resultant Li2S-C composites. To understand the relationship between the material structure and the electrochemical properties, Li2S-C composites with the same carbon content are subsequently synthesized by controlling the mass ratio of Li2SO4/carbon and the reaction temperature. Systematic electrochemical analyses and microscopic characterizations demonstrate that the size of the Li2S particles dispersed in the carbon matrix is the key parameter determining the electrochemical performance. A reversible capacity of 600 mAh g-1 is achieved under lean electrolyte condition with high Li2S areal loading.
Job Stress and Where It Comes from

In a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association in early 2011, 36% of workers said they felt tense or “stressed out” during their workday (20% said their stress levels were very high) and almost one-half said that low pay affected their stress level at work. These workers cited the lack of opportunities for advancement, heavy workload, high expectations, and long hours as significant sources of stress. Less than two-thirds of workers were satisfied with the amount of control and involvement they had at work and with the work-life balance practices of their employer. Thirty-three percent of workers felt that job insecurity was a cause of their work stress (APA 2011). In a National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety study, 10% of workers reported their jobs were very or extremely stressful and 25% viewed their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives (NIOSH 1999). Job-related stress has been linked to poor health behaviors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, gastrointestinal disorder, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders (NIOSH 2009), cardiovascular disease-related mortality (Landsbergis et al. 1999; Kivimaki et al. 2002), and of course to psychological disorder, including depression and burnout (NIOSH 2004). The total health and productivity cost to American business of worker stress in terms of absenteeism, healthcare costs, worker’s compensation costs, and turnover is enormous (NIOSH 2009; Sauter et al. 1990).
Thermal management challenges and mitigation techniques for transistor-level 3-D integration

Abstract For beyond 2-D CMOS logic, transistor-level 3-D integrations such as monolithic 3-D [1], Skybridge [2], SN3D [3] hold the most promise. However, such 3-D architectures within small form factor increase hotspots and demand careful consideration of thermal management at all levels of integration [4] as additional thermal resistance imposed by vertical layer stacking escalate the temperature, especially for the layers that are far detached from the substrate. Traditional system-level approaches such as liquid cooling [5], heat spreader [6], etc. are inadequate for transistor-level 3-D integrations and have huge cost overhead [7]. Previously, we introduced the concept of heat management in 3-D ICs through architecting physical fabric features [8]. In this paper, we elaborate on the thermal management approach, show its application for emerging transistor-level 3-D ICs through Finite Ele ment Method (FEM) based modeling and simulations, quantify results and compare for various scenarios. The modeling approach accounts for details of the 3-D device structure, nanoscale material properties, and 3-D circuit operations. The simulations were performed for both static and transient scenarios. Our simulation results show that without any heat extraction feature, the temperature for monolithic 3-D, Skybridge and SN3D, can be increased by almost 100 K, 200 K & 20 K, respectively. However, the proposed heat extraction feature is very effective in heat management, reducing the temperature from the heated area by up to 175 K, 320 K, and 20 K for monolithic 3-D, Skybridge and SN3D, respectively.
Radiation tattoos mimicking melanoma: a clinical observation.

Radiation therapy (RT) is a common form of treatment for solid malignancies. It involves pretreatment marking with dark-ink permanent tattoos to ensure reproducibility of set-up and precise radiati...
Finite Sample Hypothesis Tests for Stacked Estimating Equations

Suppose there are two unknown parameters, each parameter is the solution to an estimating equation, and the estimating equation of one parameter depends on the other parameter. The parameters can be jointly estimated by "stacking" their estimating equations and solving for both parameters simultaneously. Asymptotic confidence intervals are readily available for stacked estimating equations. We introduce a bootstrap-based hypothesis test for stacked estimating equations which does not rely on asymptotic approximations. Test statistics are constructed by splitting the sample in two, estimating the first parameter on a portion of the sample then plugging the result into the second estimating equation to solve for the next parameter using the remaining sample. To reduce simulation variability from a single split, we repeatedly split the sample and take the sample mean of all the estimates. For parametric models, we derive the limiting distribution of sample splitting estimator and show they are equivalent to stacked estimating equations.
Re-creating Pre-Columbian Life in the Baures Region of the Bolivian Amazon

In an effort to "people the everyday past" using Virtual Reality, we chose the Baures region of modern-day Bolivia in the Amazon basin. The indigenous pre-Columbian inhabitants converted vast wetlands and savanna into a highly productive anthropogenic landscape. We created a digital reconstruction of typical Baures topography, vegetation, earthworks, seasonal changes, and authentic 3D objects to produce a real-time virtual experience for introducing the region, its inhabitants, their material culture, and daily activities. Our emphasis has been on interdisciplinary pedagogy, public engagement, user immersion, scientific accuracy, and cultural relevance.
Effects of Darbepoetin Alfa Administered Once Per Cycle for the Prevention of Anemia on the Incidence of Transfusions, Neurocognitive Functions, and Symptom Assessment.

Background: Chemo-naive sarcoma patients (pts) experience severe anemia during front-line chemotherapy (CT) with doxorubicin and ifosfamide (AI). In our prior study with AI, vast majority of pts (65 of 68, 93%) who received >1 cycle of CT, required PRBC transfusions. Anemia has significant negative impact on pts quality of life (QOL) and neurocognitive (NC) functions. Prior studies have shown that cancer pts receiving CT experience decline in NC functions and QOL. Preclinical studies suggest that treatment with erythropoietic stimulating agents (ESA) may protect NC functions. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects darbepoetin alfa (DA) administered once per cycle as prophylaxis on the prevention of anemia, need for transfusions, symptom burden and NC functions in sarcoma pts receiving AI. Methods: DA (initial dose 500 mcg SC) was administered once per cycle before CT (day 0) starting from cycle-1(n=26) or cycle 2 (n=23) and continued up to max 6 cycles. Pts underwent a complete battery of neuropsychological tests and assessment of symptoms via the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) and quality of life with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Anemia (FACT-An) Scale at baseline, during CT (after 3 cycles) and at the end of study. At baseline, the median hemoglobin (Hb) was 13.2 g/dL, and only 5 of 49 pts were anemic to a level 1 cycle of CT (median, 4; range, 2–6 cycles), 38% avoided PRBC transfusions. Patients who avoided transfusions had less distress (p=0.032) and less sadness (p=0.01) during treatment. Patients with higher Hb nadir during treatment had less numbness and tingling (p=0.006). Overall, there was a significant decline in verbal fluency, non-dominant hand dexterity (p
Generalized Pustular Psoriasis in an Adolescent Treated with Cyclosporine: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge

Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is rare in the pediatric population, accounting for only 0.5-0.6% of psoriasis cases in children. This presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, and often requires a biopsy to differentiate GPP from similar entities such as acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, though controversy exists regarding the histologic distinction between the two. We describe a case of GPP in a 15-year-old male presenting with widespread pustular and bullous lesions, fever, and vital instability. The patient was diagnosed with GPP and successfully treated with cyclosporine 3mg/kg/day. He remains in remission on 25 mg acitretin daily. We present this case to highlight available treatment options for GPP in the pediatric population, and to underscore key clinical and histologic findings to aid dermatologists in proper diagnosis and management of this rare childhood disease.
Using Capillary Condensation and Evaporation Isotherms to Investigate Confined Fluid Phase Behavior in Shales

The abundance of nanopores (pores with diameters between 2 and 100 nm) in shale and ultra-tight reservoirs precludes the use of common pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) analyses on reservoir fluids. The small sizes of the pores cause capillary condensation, which is a nanoconfinement-induced gas-to-liquid phase change, that can occur at pressures more than 50% below the corresponding bulk phase change of the fluid due to strong fluid-pore wall interactions. We quantify this phenomenon by measuring propane isotherms both in a synthetic nanoporous medium and a core from a shale gas reservoir. Comparison of our results in the two porous media indicates the occurrence of capillary condensation in shale rock. At the same time, we observe capillary condensation hysteresis for shale, in which the density of the fluid is significantly lighter during desorption than adsorption. This indicates structural changes to the rock matrix caused by the phase behavior of the confined fluid. We use scanning electron microscopy to corroborate our findings. These results have significant implications for determining the PVT properties, porosity, and permeability of shale and ultra-tight formations for use in reservoir modeling and production estimations.
Modeling patient preference in an operating room scheduling problem

Abstract When a patient needs plastic surgery and there are multiple available surgeons, the patient selects the surgeon based on different criteria. Accommodating patient preference while scheduling such surgeries is important as it is related to patient satisfaction. In this study, we propose a framework for integrating patient preference in an operating room (OR) scheduling problem. To model patient preference to a surgeon, we propose nine criteria: responsive and caring, reputation, professional experiences, communication skills, same ethnicity, same gender, age, same language, and online rating. Fuzzy TOPSIS (namely, Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) is then employed to quantify patient preference to surgeons. The outcomes of fuzzy TOPSIS are then fed into a multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to optimize daily surgery schedule. The proposed study is based on a real-life case study that was conducted in a plastic surgery department at a partner hospital. The computational results show that when patient preference to surgeon is considered, more than 70% of patients are assigned to their most preferred surgeons, and less than 5% are assigned to their least preferred surgeons. However, when patient preference is not considered, less than 20% of patients are assigned to most preferred surgeons, and the others are assigned to less preferred surgeons. When it comes to the total costs, the two scenarios results are similar. This concludes that the proposed framework is robust and able to increase patient satisfaction in OR scheduling without sacrificing the total OR operational costs.
Static and Dynamic Consistency of Preferences in Optimal Stopping Problems

Suppose an agent with a static risk preference faces prize processes given by regular diffusions and decides when to stop the process and consume the prize. We show that the agent satisfies dynamic consistency of preferences if and only if she is an Expected Utility agent. This extends a classical result from Hammond (1988) and Gul and Lantto (1990) to a continuous-time setup in which the classical proof techniques do not apply, because the ‘decision trees’ the agent faces are not the usual discrete-time, finite-horizon lottery trees.