cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-Scale Imaging and Informatics Pipeline for In Situ Pluripotent Stem Cell Analysis

Human pluripotent stem (hPS) cells are a potential source of cells for medical therapy and an ideal system to study fate decisions in early development. However, hPS cells cultured in vitro exhibit a high degree of heterogeneity, presenting an obstacle to clinical translation. hPS cells grow in spatially patterned colony structures, necessitating quantitative single-cell image analysis. We offer a tool for analyzing the spatial population context of hPS cells that integrates automated fluorescent microscopy with an analysis pipeline. It enables high-throughput detection of colonies at low resolution, with single-cellular and sub-cellular analysis at high resolutions, generating seamless in situ maps of single-cellular data organized by colony. We demonstrate the tool's utility by analyzing inter- and intra-colony heterogeneity of hPS cell cycle regulation and pluripotency marker expression. We measured the heterogeneity within individual colonies by analyzing cell cycle as a function of distance. Cells loosely associated with the outside of the colony are more likely to be in G1, reflecting a less pluripotent state, while cells within the first pluripotent layer are more likely to be in G2, possibly reflecting a G2/M block. Our multi-scale analysis tool groups colony regions into density classes, and cells belonging to those classes have distinct distributions of pluripotency markers and respond differently to DNA damage induction. Lastly, we demonstrate that our pipeline can robustly handle high-content, high-resolution single molecular mRNA FISH data by using novel image processing techniques. Overall, the imaging informatics pipeline presented offers a novel approach to the analysis of hPS cells that includes not only single cell features but also colony wide, and more generally, multi-scale spatial configuration.
Comparison of Imaging Modalities in the Assessment of Myocardial Viability

Since initial reports that regional myocardial dysfunction is not always irreversible, the assessment of whether dysfunctional myocardial tissue or regions contain predominantly viable myocytes has become an important research and clinical issue for noninvasive imaging. Imaging of myocardial perfusion, myocyte cell membrane integrity, regional myocardial metabolism, and contractile reserve has provided important insights into the pathophysiology of hibernating and stunned myocardium. From a clinical perspective, the wealth of data built by many clinical investigators over the years has made noninvasive imaging of myocardial viability an important factor in treatment decisions for patients with heart failure, chronic coronary artery disease (CAD), and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Some of the historical milestones in this field are listed in Table 21.1.
A model for surface recombination velocity and lifetime of semiconductor lasers

A simple and powerful relationship is presented for estimating the lifetime of continuous-wave (CW) diode lasers. Accelerated aging tests can directly be translated into the relationship. A model for the surface recombination velocity is developed based on the physical and chemical phenomenon governing the change of the surface recombination velocity. This model, together with a criterion for no thermal runaway developed earlier, is used to arrive at the simple relationship. The relationship provides a physical basis for estimating the lifetime. >
On the Pedagogy of Feedback Systems

The undergraduate student contacts feedback ideas from two distinct points of view, each with its own nomenclature and symbolism: electronics on one hand, and control systems on the other. In the typical electronics or communications book treating feedback at an undergraduate level, the analysis is constrained to the steady-state sinusoidal situation. Nyquist's criterion is merely presented without proof or justification. The student finds this theorem, when presented so briefly, a rather mysterious and vague concept. On the other hand, the author of the control systems or servo-mechanism text gives space in his book for a more thorough treatment of the feedback system but usually he uses terms and symbols that to the student seem to be unrelated to those terms and symbols used in the electronics "brand" of feedback. In recent years, the pole-zero concept has become a part of the undergraduate student's background in circuits. Pedagogically, the root-locus approach to the feedback system follows with ease. In contrast, Nyquist's criterion definitely becomes the more difficult concept. Furthermore, the root-locus approach is broader in scope. From three to fifteen lectures are needed to bridge the gap between the pole-zero concepts of circuits to a basic understanding of the feedback system.
A system level testbed for a mid-infrared beam combiner for Terrestrial Planet Finder

Direct optical detection of Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars is the goal of the Terrestrial Planet Finder project. One instrument which may have the capability to detect such small, faint objects in proximity to the parent star is the infra-red nulling interferometer. A four input beam combiner is being built to test the aspects of the beam combination and planet detection problem. This paper describes the design developed for a ground testbed. The testbed is capable of simulating the detection process for a faint planet orbiting a nearby star. The testbed includes a star and planet source with a contrast ratio of 10/sup -6/. In the beam combiner, two infrared nulling interferometers are linked to null the starlight and phase chop the light from the planet, allowing its detection in the presence of the thermal radiation background.
Identification of targets for rational pharmacological therapy in childhood craniopharyngioma.

Pediatric adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is a histologically benign but clinically aggressive brain tumor that arises from the sellar/suprasellar region. Despite a high survival rate with current surgical and radiation therapy (75–95 % at 10 years), ACP is associated with debilitating visual, endocrine, neurocognitive and psychological morbidity, resulting in excheptionally poor quality of life for survivors. Identification of an effective pharmacological therapy could drastically decrease morbidity and improve long term outcomes for children with ACP. Using mRNA microarray gene expression analysis of 15 ACP patient samples, we have found several pharmaceutical targets that are significantly and consistently overexpressed in our panel of ACP relative to other pediatric brain tumors, pituitary tumors, normal pituitary and normal brain tissue. Among the most highly expressed are several targets of the kinase inhibitor dasatinib – LCK, EPHA2 and SRC; EGFR pathway targets – AREG, EGFR and ERBB3; and other potentially actionable cancer targets – SHH, MMP9 and MMP12. We confirm by western blot that a subset of these targets is highly expressed in ACP primary tumor samples. We report here the first published transcriptome for ACP and the identification of targets for rational therapy. Experimental drugs targeting each of these gene products are currently being tested clinically and pre-clinically for the treatment of other tumor types. This study provides a rationale for further pre-clinical and clinical studies of novel pharmacological treatments for ACP. Development of mouse and cell culture models for ACP will further enable the translation of these targets from the lab to the clinic, potentially ushering in a new era in the treatment of ACP.
Spectral estimation for geophysical time-series with inconvenient gaps

SUMMARY The power of spectral estimation as a tool for studying geophysical processes is often limited by short records or breaks in available time-series. Direct spectral estimation using multitaper techniques designed to reduce variance and minimize leakage can help alleviate the first problem. For records with gaps, systematic interpolation or averaging of multitaper spectra derived from record fragments may prove adequate in some cases, but can be cumbersome to implement. Alternatively, multitapers can be modified for use in direct spectral estimation with intermittently sampled data. However, their performance has not been adequately studied. We investigate reliability and resolution of techniques that adapt prolate and minimum bias (MB) multitapers to accommodate the longest breaks in sampling, comparing the tapering functions (referred to as PRG or MBG tapers) with the standard prolate and MB tapers used for complete data series, and with the section-averaging approach. Using a synthetic data set, we test both jackknife and bootstrap methods to calculate confidence intervals for PRG and MBG multitaper spectral estimates and find the jackknife is both more accurate and faster to compute. To implement these techniques for a variety of data sets, we provide an algorithm that allows the user to balance judicious interpolation against the use of suitably adapted tapers, providing empirical measures of both bias and frequency resolution for candidate sets of tapers. These techniques are tested on diverse geophysical data sets: a record of change in the length of day, a model of the external dipole part of the geomagnetic field produced by the magnetospheric ring current, and a 12 Myr long irregularly sampled relative geomagnetic palaeointensity record with pernicious gaps. We conclude that both PRG and MBG tapers generally perform as well as, or better than, an optimized form of the commonly used section averaging approach. The greatest improvements seem to occur when the gap structure creates data segments of very unequal lengths. Ease of computation and more robust behaviour can make MBG tapers a better choice than PRG except when very fine-scale frequency resolution is required. These techniques could readily be applied for cross-spectral and transfer function estimation and are a useful addition to the geophysical toolbox.
A genetic screen for novel behavioral mutations in mice

A genetic screen using mice was performed to identify dominant loci affecting behavior. Mice were mutagenized with ENU, then bred to examine their G1 offspring for behavioral abnormalities. Potentially mutant G1 pups were screened through a variety of behavioral assays, including tests of learning and memory, sensorimotor gating, fear and anxiety, nociception (pain perception) and locomotor activity. Mice falling outside the normal performance distribution in these tests were considered potential behavioral mutants and were bred for further analysis. Outliers included both animals with very discrete defects and animals with abnormal performance across a range of tests. To date, we have identified two confirmed mutants affecting sensorimotor gating. These results provide further impetus for the use of random mutagenesis screens as a tool for dissecting the genetic basis of brain and behavior.
Effects of movement, tempo, and gender on steady beat performance of kindergarten children

The purposes of this research were to discover the effects of manual (hand) and pedal (foot) movements, tempo, and gender on steady beat accuracy. Participants (N = 119) consisted of male (n = 63) ...
Evaluation of Combined Bevacizumab Plus Irinotecan Therapy in Brain Tumors Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measures of Relative Cerebral Blood Volume

Frequently, bevacizumab is combined with chemotherapeutics such as irinotecan, motivated by studies showing improved clinical outcomes compared to historical controls. However, no systematic studies have been performed to determine if and how these drugs should be combined for optimal therapeutic response. The purpose of this study was to characterize the temporal combinations of bevacizumab and irinotecan by measuring the contrast-agent enhanced tumor volumes and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) using dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) imaging. The studies, performed in the U87 brain tumor model, show a vascular normalization window with bevacizumab monotherapy and are consistent with clinical indications of no additional benefit in the addition of irinotecan to bevacizumab therapy.
Isolation of Drosophila genes encoding G protein-coupled receptor kinases.

Abstract G protein-coupled receptors are regulated via phosphorylation by a variety of protein kinases. Recently, termination of the active state of two such receptors, the beta-adrenergic receptor and rhodopsin, has been shown to be mediated by agonist- or light-dependent phosphorylation of the receptor by members of a family of protein-serine/threonine kinases (here referred to as G protein-coupled receptor kinases). We now report the isolation of a family of genes encoding a set of Drosophila protein kinases that appear to code for G protein-coupled receptor kinases. These proteins share a high degree of sequence homology with the bovine beta-adrenergic receptor kinase. The presence of a conserved family of G protein-coupled receptor kinases in vertebrates and invertebrates points to the central role of these kinases in signal transduction cascades.
Mental Health Evaluations Used in Occupational Therapy

To each students occupational therapy evaluation techniques (or methods) in psychiatry, evaluations currently being used in the field were identified. Three consecutive surveys were sent to occupational therapy faculty, clinical supervisors, and clinicians to ascertain which evaluation techniques were being taught, those which the students were expected to know about in their fieldwork experiences, and those which were practiced in the field. On an average, occupational therapy schools were teaching four evaluation tools. Affiliating students were expected to know about 3 of 24 evaluation tools listed in the survey, and none of the evaluation techniques were being practiced significantly by occupational therapists. Since 75 percent of the therapists reported that they developed their own evaluation tools, it was suggested that instructors be familiar with the existing evaluation tools and teach students the methodology required for developing their own evaluation tools (or instruments).
Improving network robustness

We present a simple, fully decentralized approach to improving robustness of existing unstructured overlay networks against a selective deletion of nodes (e.g., attacks on network hubs). The approach is based on modifying the network by adding or rewiring links at random. We quantify the effectiveness of adding randomness to the network by computing the curve governing the tradeoff between the number of modifications and the increase in robustness. For certain networks, a relatively modest amount of randomization can significantly improve the average path length (quantifying performance degradation) and the size of the largest connected component (quantifying network availability) after an attack.
Numerical issues in power device simulation and modelling

The important physical and numerical aspects that make numerical simulation of power devices a difficult task are reviewed. The basic set of equations that describe the electric field distribution and the current transport in semiconductor devices in the classical form is presented. Material and process specific parameters that are included in these equations are discussed, with emphasis on the effects commonly found in power devices. Geometry and range of operation are the other factors that result in slow and unstable simulation processes. Methods to overcome these difficulties are presented. Results from simulations of switching cycles in GTOs (gate turn-off thyristors) and breakdown in DMOS devices are presented. Finally, an outlook on future developments in the area of power device simulation and analysis is given. >
The heat capacity of lead from 300 to 850 °K conversion ofCp toCv for solid lead

The heat capacity at constant pressure Cp of solid lead is converted to that at constant volume Cv by use of the dilation correction. Within the uncertainties in the quantities used in the correction, the up-turn in Cp as the melting point is approached may be absent from Cv. The dilation correction has been compared to that obtained by application of the Nernst-Lindemann relation and by using Grueneisen's constant. Die Warmekapazitat bei konstantem Druck Cp von festem Blei wurde unter Anwendung der Ausdehnungskorrektur in die bei konstantem Volumen Cv umgeformt. Innerhalb der Unsicherheiten der Korrektur kann der Anstieg von Cp beim Erreichen des Schmelzpunktes bei Cv fehlen. Die Ausdehnungskorrektur wird mit der durch die Nernst-Lindemann-Relation und unter Anwendung der Gruneisen-Konstante erhaltenen Korrektur verglichen.
Characterization of bone metastases in patients with renal cell cancer.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the clinical features of bone metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with interleukin-2 therapy. Bone lesions contribute to significant morbidity and mortality, and although present in up to half of patients with RCC, their behaviour and response to therapy have not been well characterized. PATIENTS AND METHODS We evaluated skeletal metastases in 19 patients with bone lesions who received either moderate- or high-dose interleukin-2 therapy. Data on bone disease, including location and number of bone lesions, need for bone-specific therapies and use of pain medications, were noted. The response of bone lesions to interleukin-2 was compared with the response of other systemic metastatic sites. RESULTS Skeletal metastases resulted in significant morbidity by causing pain (75%) and other complications requiring surgical and/or radiotherapeutic intervention (94%) before beginning interleukin-2 therapy. In most patients the response of bone lesions to interleukin-2 was similar to that in their other systemic sites. Treatment with interleukin-2 had no significant effect on the requirement for pain medication for bone pain. However, it may have prevented skeletal complications requiring surgery or radiotherapy. None of the patients had hypercalcaemia; there was no significant association between bone metastases and elevated alkaline phosphatase levels. CONCLUSIONS Skeletal metastases are a significant contributor to morbidity among patients with RCC. Bone lesions respond similarly to interleukin-2 therapy as other systemic sites. Bisphosphonates appear promising for these predominantly osteolytic lesions.
Inductive effects of 10 and 12-vertex closo-carborane anions: cluster size and charge make a difference

A phosphine containing a 10-vertex carborane anion substituent and its subsequent ligation to a Rh(I) carbonyl complex is reported. The complex is characterized by NMR spectroscopy and a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. In addition, the inductive effects of both 10 and 12 vertex C-functionalized closo-carborane anions are elucidated via I.R. analysis of the CO stretching frequencies of two Rh carbonyl complexes. Unlike C-functionalized neutral o-carborane the 10 and 12-vertex carborane anions are both strong electron donor substituents.
Dual modulation by adenosine of gastrin release from canine G-cells in primary culture.

The effects of adenosine on gastrin release were studied in enzymatically dispersed canine antral cells after 24-36 h in primary culture. We found two contrasting actions for adenosine: inhibition of forskolin-stimulated gastrin release and potentiation of bombesin-stimulated gastrin release. These actions appeared to be mediated by A1 and A2 receptors, respectively. Forskolin-stimulated gastrin release was reduced by adenosine and the A1-selective agonist N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (L-PIA) but not by the A2-selective agonist 2-phenylaminoadenosine (CV 1808). This inhibition by adenosine was reversed by the preferential A1-receptor antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX) as well as by the nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT). Incubation of the cells with pertussis toxin (200 ng, 8 h) reversed the inhibition by adenosine. In contrast, bombesin stimulation of gastrin release was potentiated by adenosine and CV 1808 but not altered by L-PIA. This effect was enhanced by DPCPX and was not altered by treatment of cells with pertussis toxin. In the absence of exogenous adenosine, 8-PT and DPCPX produced a small increase in basal and stimulated gastrin release. These data suggest dual modulation by adenosine of G-cell function. A1 receptors inhibit adenosine 3,59-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-mediated gastrin release via a pertussis toxin-sensitive mechanism, whereas A2 receptors potentiated the response to cAMP-independent stimuli of gastrin release. Enhancement of gastrin release by adenosine antagonists suggests functional restraint by endogenous adenosine.
Diffuse nonsecretory osteosclerotic myeloma with extensive erythrophagocytosis.

A 51-year-old, black man presented with severe anemia and weakness. X-ray studies showed diffuse osteosclerosis involving most of his skeleton. He was documented to have similar bone changes on x-ray 5 years previously. Peripheral blood findings were suggestive of a myelophthisic anemia. Open biopsy of the iliac bone showed osteosclerotic myeloma. Secretion of abnormal protein could not be demonstrated through many examinations of serum or urine. A unique finding at the autopsy was the presence of extensive erythrophagocytosis by the neoplastic plasma cells and macrophages.
Polycystic kidney disease: a 2011 update.

Purpose of reviewThe review will examine clinically relevant advances in the area of polycystic kidney disease (PKD), mainly focusing on autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Discussion will focus on predicting the course of ADPKD, clinical trials and new research endeavors.Recent fi
Expanding the range of interventions to reduce Hiv among adolescents

Objective: Structural interventions are identified to reduce adolescents' HIV risk. Method: The goals, strategies, approaches, and delivery sites of adolescent HIV prevention programs are reviewed. Results: In addition to reducing sexual activity and substance use, HIV prevention programs may also reduce adolescents' HIV risk by: decreasing poverty; ensuring access to HIV testing, healthcare, general social skills training, and employment opportunities; and requiring community service for students. Adolescent HIV prevention programs do not currently utilize diverse modalities (computers, videotapes, television, telephone groups, computerized telephones) or sites (parents' workplaces, religious organizations, self-help networks, primary healthcare clinics) for delivering interventions. Diversifying current approaches to HIV prevention include: economic development programs; mandating delivery of programs at key developmental milestones (e.g. childbirth, marriage) and settings (school-based clinics, condom availability programs); securing changes in legislative and funding policies through ballot initiatives or lawsuits; and privatizing prevention activities. Conclusions: To implement structural HIV interventions for adolescents requires researchers to shift their community norms regarding the value of innovation, adopt designs other than randomized controlled trials, expand their theoretical models, and adopt strategies used by lawyers, private enterprise, and lobbyists.
Race, power, and knowledge: tracing the roots of exclusion in the development of political science in the United States

ABSTRACTScholars of race, ethnicity, and politics have long questioned why the discipline of political science has taken so long to recognize the legitimacy of the study of the politics of America’s racial minority groups. The answer to this question, we believe, lies in the historical roots of the discipline. This article examines the complex relationship between racial ideologies and the development of the discipline of political science in the United States. Using a genealogical analysis, we analyze the racist origins of the discipline that arose from the work and attitudes of one of the founders of American political science, John W. Burgess. In an effort to legitimize political science as an empirical field rooted in the scientific method, Burgess and other prominent early political scientists turned to existing “scientific” notions of race. The racial ideologies that spurred the early development of political science continue to influence the ways in which issues of race and ethnicity are embraced a...
Surgical management of esophageal achalasia: Evolution of an institutional approach to minimally invasive repair

Abstract Background Surgical management of esophageal achalasia (EA) in children has transitioned over the past 2 decades to predominantly involve laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) or minimally invasive surgery (MIS). More recently, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has been utilized to treat achalasia in children. Since the overall experience with surgical management of EA is contingent upon disease incidence and surgeon experience, the aim of this study is to report a single institutional contemporary experience for outcomes of surgical treatment of EA by LHM and POEM, with regards to other comparable series in children. Methods An IRB approved retrospective review of all patients with EA who underwent treatment by a surgical approach at a tertiary US children's hospital from 2006 to 2015. Data including demographics, operative approach, Eckardt scores pre- and postoperatively, complications, outcomes, and follow-up were analyzed. Results A total of 33 patients underwent 35 operative procedures to treat achalasia. Of these operations; 25 patients underwent laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) with Dor fundoplication; 4 patients underwent LHM alone; 2 patients underwent LHM with Thal fundoplication; 2 patients underwent primary POEM; 2 patients who had had LHM with Dor fundoplication underwent redo LHM with takedown of Dor fundoplication. Intraoperative complications included 2 mucosal perforations (6%), 1 aspiration, 1 pneumothorax (1 POEM patient). Follow ranged from 8months to 7years (8–84months). There were no deaths and no conversions to open operations. Five patients required intervention after surgical treatment of achalasia for recurrent dysphagia including 3 who underwent between 1 and 3 pneumatic dilations; and 2 who had redo LHM with takedown of Dor fundoplication with all patients achieving complete resolution of symptoms. Conclusions Esophageal achalasia in children occurs at a much lower incidence than in adults as documented by published series describing the surgical treatment in children. We believe the MIS surgical approach remains the standard of care for this condition in children and describe the surgical outcomes and complications for LHM, as well as, the introduction of the POEM technique in our center for treating achalasia. Our institutional experience described herein represents the largest in the "MIS era" with excellent results. We will refer to alterations in our practice that have included the use of flexible endoscopy in 100% of LHM cases and use of the endoscopic functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) in both LHM and POEM cases which we believe enables adequate Heller myotomy.
Male and female aphallia associated with severe urinary tract dysplasia.

Summary Introduction Aphallia is exceedingly rare (1/30 million births). Previous reports have provided limited detail on associated urinary tract findings. Objective We reviewed urinary tract anomalies in two boys with aphallia (patients 1 and 2) and a girl with urinary tract dysplasia, a similar external appearance and lack of corporal tissue (patient 3), also consistent with aphallia. Case reports (Figure) Patients 1 and 2 both had a 46XY karyotype, bilateral descended testes in well-formed scrotums, and posterior skin tags containing rudimentary urethras. Patient 1 had a focal area of urethral narrowing; a posterior bladder diverticulum, which drained a ureter; bilateral grade 5 vesicoureteral reflux, with a right partial renal duplication; and hydronephrosis of all moieties. Patient 2 had posterior urethral valves and a bladder diverticulum. Right ureterovesical junction obstruction required a tapered reimplant and later conversion to right-to-left transureteroureterostomy. Patient 3 had a 46XX karyotype and fused, well-formed labia majora. A posterior skin tag was associated with a stenotic urogenital sinus, beyond which were a vagina posteriorly and a right refluxing ureter anteriorly. The left ureter was absent, and a miniscule pouch represented a maldeveloped or absent bladder. Laparoscopy revealed ovaries and normal Mullerian structures. Bilateral renal dysplasia necessitated renal transplant and the creation of an ileocecal neobladder and Mitrofanoff channel. Corporal tissue was diminutive or absent in all. Discussion We see from these three patients that corporal tissue absence can occur in both male and female patients. We propose that the term aphallia can apply to both sexes, as it is the absence of corporal tissue that defines this condition. This is the only report to include and characterize findings in both male and female aphallia patients. Labioscrotal folds develop with a smooth appearance, and, posteriorly, a urethral orifice or Urogenital (UG) sinus with skin tag may be seen. Obstruction at the level of the urethra was common. Severe urinary tract dysplasia was seen in all, a finding not consistently seen or characterized in previous reports. Conclusion In girls with severe urinary tract dysplasia and characteristic genital ambiguity, aphallia should be considered. Co-occurrence of aphallia and severe urinary tract dysplasia warrants further urinary tract imaging in all aphallia patients, including voiding cystourethrography, renal bladder ultrasound, and serum creatinine level. Urinary tract reconstruction may be performed without hampering future penile reconstruction, due to modern phallic reconstructive techniques. Download : Download high-res image (514KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure . Aphallia in two male patients (left, middle) and one female patient (right).
Real-time assessment of Streptococcus mutans biofilm metabolism on resin composite

Abstract Objective The release of unpolymerized monomers and by-products of resin composites influences biofilm growth and confounds the measurement of metabolic activity. Current assays to measure biofilm viability have critical limitations and are typically not performed on relevant substrates. The objective of the present study was to determine the utility of firefly luciferase assay for quantification of the viability of intact biofilms on a resin composite substrate, and correlate the results with a standard method (viable colony counts). Methods Disk-shaped specimens of a dental resin composite were fabricated, wet-polished, UV-sterilized, and stored in water. Biofilms of Streptococcus mutans (strain UA159 modified by insertion of constitutively expressed firefly luc gene) were grown (1:500 dilution; anaerobic conditions, 24 h, 37 °C) in two media concentrations (0.35x and 0.65x THY medium supplemented with 0.1% sucrose; n = 15/group). An additional group of specimens with biofilms grown in 0.65x + sucrose media was treated with chlorhexidine gluconate solution to serve as the control group. Bioluminescence measurements of non-disrupted biofilms were obtained after addition of d -Luciferin substrate. The adherent biofilms were removed by sonication, and bioluminescence of sonicated bacteria was then measured. Viable colony counts were performed after plating sonicated bacteria on THY agar plates supplemented with spectinomycin. Bioluminescence values and cell counts were correlated using Spearman correlation tests ( α = 0.05). Results Strong positive correlations between viable colony counts and bioluminescence values, both before- and after-sonication, validated the utility of this assay. Significance A novel non-disruptive, real-time bioluminescence assay is presented for quantification of intact S. mutans biofilms grown on a resin composite, and potentially on antibacterial materials and other types of dental biomaterials.
The Science of Polymer Molecules

This book is an introduction to polymers and focuses on the synthesis, structure and properties of the individual molecules that constitute polymeric materials. It approaches polymeric materials from a molecular basis on the belief that there is a common core of knowledge and principles concerning polymer molecules that can be set out in an introductory work. Subjects treated include an introductory overview of synthesis, an introduction of the concept and definition of molecular weight and its distribution, experimental methods for measuring molecular weight, a more detailed view of polymerization including kinetics and mechanism, and the three-dimensional architecture of polymers as determined by conformation and stereochemistry. The statistical description of the conformational disorder of the molecules is covered and then built upon in treating rubber elasticity and polymer solutions.
Mesoscale Exploration and Conservation of Tropical Canopies in a Changing Climate

Tropical forests harbor the majority of species found on land, yet we still know very little about the canopies that create habitat required for a vast array of flora and fauna. Tropical canopies remain a biological frontier, calling us to explore them in hopes of better understanding their composition, structure and function, and how they came to be. Yet we undertake this challenge at a time of very rapid change for tropical canopies, in terms of both their geographic extent and their condition. The global tropical forest landscape is changing at such a rate and with such complexity; the urgency of mapping and reporting on them has reached an all-time high.
Modular Chemical Process Intensification: A Review

Modular chemical process intensification can dramatically improve energy and process efficiencies of chemical processes through enhanced mass and heat transfer, application of external force fields, enhanced driving forces, and combinations of different unit operations, such as reaction and separation, in single-process equipment. These dramatic improvements lead to several benefits such as compactness or small footprint, energy and cost savings, enhanced safety, less waste production, and higher product quality. Because of these benefits, process intensification can play a major role in industrial and manufacturing sectors, including chemical, pulp and paper, energy, critical materials, and water treatment, among others. This article provides an overview of process intensification, including definitions, principles, tools, and possible applications, with the objective to contribute to the future development and potential applications of modular chemical process intensification in industrial and manufactu...
A STUDY ON BASIC NEEDS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN VISAKHAPATNAM

The UNO's Millennium Development Goals included the target to reduce by half the number of people without sanitation access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by the Year 2015. Water and Sanitation are among the priorities of the World. Diseases related to inadequate water sanitation and hygiene is a huge burden in developing countries. Sanitation is vital for human health and it is one of the important indicators that reflect the quality of life of the people. It is a basic need that affects every one's life and it is a yardstick of socio- cultural and economic development of a nation. School sanitation and hygiene refers to the combination of hardware and software components that are necessary to produce a healthy school environment and to develop or support safe hygiene behaviors. The hardware components include drinking water, hand washing and sanitary facilities in and around the school compound. The software components are the activities that promote conditions at school and practices of school staff and children that help to prevent water and sanitation- related diseases and worm infestations (UNICEF 1998). School sanitation and hygiene education is not new in India. In the late 1950's through 1960's it was, for example, one of the tasks assigned to the multipurpose works in the National Rural Development program. This paper is going to study the impact of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities on improving child health outcomes such as absenteeism, infections, knowledge, attitudes and practices. This paper is based on primary data collected from the teachers and students in primary and secondary schools located in Visakhapatnam. All these schools were randomly sample. Data were collected through interview schedule and questionnaires in an unbiased manner.
Nabokov's Shadow-Line

Little to no attention has been paid to the unique presence and meaning of shadows in Vladimir Nabokov's fiction. Nabokov's unconventional treatment of shadows stems from how he perceived them as a synesthete not subject to strict sensory divisions. Nabokov's shadows are material phenomena and also illustrate his relationship to memory, language, writing, and readers, who cannot perceive and therefore do not attend to shadow the same way as he does. Shadow stands in for synesthesia's operations across Nabokov's oeuvre. In The Gift , Nabokov's relation to shadow and problems of communicating his perception through the written line are most pronounced. The following reading of shadow in Nabokov for the first time explores this phenomenon in his writing, as well as how the author uses shadow to expand imagery's possibilities and range.
Case report of induced medical abortion following depot administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate.

Medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol is an effective and safe option for early pregnancy termination. Mifepristone is a progesterone-receptor modulator that binds competitively to progesterone receptors; therefore, mifepristone could be less effective when administered in the setting of progestin-based contraception use. The present study reports a successful medical abortion following recent use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) (Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection; Pfizer, New York, New York, USA), administered at a family planning clinic. The patient gave informed consent for the inclusion of their data in the present study and, as a case report, the present study did not require institutional review board approval. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Pulmonary Arteriography and IVC Filter Placement

Although still considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, pulmonary arteriography has largely been supplanted by pulmonary CT scan angiography (CTAP). Nevertheless, pulmonary arteriography may still be indicated in patients with a high clinical suspicion for pulmonary embolism and: 1. A low probability or indeterminate V/Q scan or CTAP 2. An indeterminate V/Q or CTAP and contraindication to anticoagulation 3. Prior to catheter-based pulmonary embolectomy
Decision Support Systems Discipline: Achievements and Needs

The Decision Support Systems (DSS) sub-field of Information Systems research is an emergent discipline. In response to recent challenges, this article examines the progress that has been made to create some consensus about this field of study. The article also examines research needs. The overriding theme is that Decision Support Systems is a viable field of academic study, but that more theory development is needed and that more effort needs to be made to inform practitioners about the findings of DSS empirical research.
The importance of body composition and physical function on overall survival (OS) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving platinum based chemotherapy (PBCT).

e21088Background: Body composition is an integral component of cachexia, which impacts function and treatment outcomes in patients with NSCLC. Our aim was to evaluate weight loss, lean body mass (L...
Coach Expectations and Athlete Lay Beliefs: Interactions When Predicting Adolescent Athletes’ Enjoyment and Intentions to Return

The purpose of this study was to explore how athlete lay beliefs and coach expectations for athletes’ capacity to change interact when predicting enjoyment and intentions to continue in sport. Athl...
Flap repair in congenital diaphragmatic hernia leads to lower rates of recurrence.

Abstract Background Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) repair is technically challenging with different approaches for repair. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes between patch and flap repair. Methods CDH repairs performed at a quaternary care children's hospital between 2008 and 2018 were reviewed. Seventy CDH repairs were analyzed after primary repairs were excluded (n = 52). Analysis included proportions or median with interquartile range and chi-square or Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results Comparing patch and flap repairs, demographic characteristics and hernia parameters were similar. Examining outcomes, length of stay, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality were all similar between groups, but total/symptomatic recurrence was higher in the patch group (10%/7% vs. 3%/0%), and the median time to recurrence was 3 months. A sub-analysis comparing those who recurred to those who did not demonstrated no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion Patients who undergo flap repair have a lower risk of recurrence compared to those who undergo patch repair, and this may be due to the ability of the flap to grow over time with the child. Type of Study Treatment Study. Level of Evidence III
Political connections and psychosocial wellbeing among Women's Development Army leaders in rural amhara, Ethiopia: Towards a holistic understanding of community health workers' socioeconomic status.

Abstract Little empirical research exists on the effects of health work on Community Health Workers' (CHWs') social relationships and status, yet these factors are important in understanding the broad social and behavioral drivers and impacts of CHW programs. This is particularly true for unpaid CHWs. Engaging with others as a CHW might help a worker to embody a valued role in society as a selfless, caring individual; or it might strengthen bonds with others and improve social networks and social capital. By combining qualitative, ethnographic, and survey data collected in rural Amhara, Ethiopia from 2013 to 2016, we evaluated the extent to which unpaid female workers in Ethiopia's Women's Development Army (WDA) were better able than their peers to achieve cultural consonance by building desired social connections or fulfilling locally salient models of virtuous womanhood. We conducted a cultural consensus survey (n = 74) and measured cultural consonance in a larger survey of adult women, including WDA leaders (n = 422). We also conducted participant observation and interviews with health officials, local health staff, and WDA leaders. In our study site, WDA leaders were more able than other women to fulfill the cultural ideal of having connections to various government officials. Yet these connections often did not lead to the benefits that WDA leaders hoped for. Also, in contrast to the findings of many other studies, achieving greater cultural consonance was not significantly associated with reduced psychological distress in this population. For women in this rural context, meanwhile, psychological distress is strongly associated with food and water insecurity, stressful life events, and social support. These findings point to the importance of social, economic and psychological support for rural women in Amhara, and specifically for unpaid CHWs.
All eyes on you: how researcher presence changes the way you walk.

Most human movement research takes place within controlled laboratories where researchers observe participant movement. Because a majority of daily activity is performed without observation, we hypothesized movement within a laboratory would vary when there was a small, large or absence of research group. We also hypothesized that personality type would influence movement during observation. Participants completed a personality questionnaire, then walked in a laboratory during three different conditions: no research group (no researchers), small research group (2 researchers), and large research group (6-10 researchers). Results revealed spatiotemporal parameters were altered between conditions, however personality type did not influence changes in movement. As the number of researchers increased, gait speed, cadence, and stride length increased, and step duration decreased. Gait speed increased by .03 m/s from the no research group to the small research group, by .06 m/s from the no research group to the large research group, and by .03 m/s from the small to large research group (all p values < .001). Understanding how researcher observation modifies movement is important and affects the replicability of results, as well as the interpretation of laboratory-based movement studies to activities of daily living in real world settings.
América y el espacio transmagallánico, siglo XVI

Se examinan varios momentos en la historia de la representacion del estrecho de Magallanes y el Mar del Sur a lo largo del siglo XVI, que sirven para ilustrar algunas de las maneras en que la imaginacion geopolitica de la temprana modernidad espanola respondio a la invencion de America como un continente separado de Asia. En esta serie de visiones imperiales de lo que se puede llamar el espacio transmagallanico, se lucha contra la tendencia prevalente de aislar al Nuevo Mundo, de considerarlo como un lugar aparte, construyendo una version de las Indias Occidentales como una geografia transpacifica.
18 F-FDG-Avid Axillary Lymph Nodes After COVID-19 Vaccination.

TO THE EDITOR: In a recent patient with a left-side parotid malignancy (biopsy-proven mammary analog secretory carcinoma), 18F-FDG PET/CT was obtained during the workup ([Fig. 1][1]). The findings showed 18F-FDG avidity in the left axillary lymph nodes with an overall SUVmax of 4.5 and an 18F-FDG–
Is there more to human social learning than enhanced facilitation? Prolonged learning and its impact on culture

Recent scholarship has sought to understand culture by studying attributes of social learning. While celebrating the role of pedagogy and other forms of facilitated learning in human cultural uniqueness, these studies have neglected instances of restricted and prolonged knowledge and skill acquisition. This article analyses illustrative cases of such learning in the ethnographic literature to assess their implications for cultural processes and products. Combined evidence from formal apprenticeship and the informal learning of hunter-gatherers indicates that though enhanced facilitation of learning is undeniable, an exclusive focus on it has resulted in a flawed concept of human culture and its social context. The cases cited suggest that mechanisms to extend learning constitute a vital source of cultural creativity and innovation that should be considered in social learning and culture discussions.
Arbitration Hurdles Facing Foreign Investors in Russia: Analysis of Present Issues and Implications

Russia has come a long way since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but there are still some structural reforms that need to take place in order to increase investor confidence. In 2007, one hundred billion dollars was invested in Russia from overseas, which represents a record for a developing market economy. However, direct foreign investment in Russia is still low compared to other European nations. Foreign investment is one of Russia’s main strategies for improving the long-term health of the economy. There is a lot of promise for future economic growth, but some recent actions by the Russian state and the legacy of the Soviet system continue to hamper the development of a truly healthy business climate. One of the biggest issues that foreign investors face in Russia is enforcement of contracts when deals fall apart or one side breaches the contract. Contract enforcement is a huge concern in the former Soviet region due to the fact that commercial courts, arbitration services, and bailiffs are not as effective, experienced, and autonomous as they are in the