cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rehabilitation Therapy on the Efficacy of Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Objective To study the functional recovery of patients with spinal cord injury after rehabilitation treatment.Methods By using physical therapy,occupational therapy training,psychological treatment,rehabilitation care,vocational rehabilitation,56 patients were system rehabilitation,admission and discharge,respectively,with the modified Barthe Index(MBI),functional independence measurement scale(FIM)were assessed.Results After rehabilitation treatment,MBI and FIM score was significantly improved than before treatment,the difference was significant(P0.05).By using the foot orthoses,16 patients recovered walking ability,40 patients returned to the family,three patients return to work.Conclusion Comprehensive rehabilitation treatment can significantly improve and enhance the function of spinal cord injury patients.
Flow instabilities in refractory metal, porous media, helium-cooled plasma facing components

Past numerical investigations of the performance of porous media to enhance heat transfer in helium-cooled devices neglected the susceptibility of multi-channel heat sinks to parallel flow instabilities even though experimental evidence suggests it may be a problem for narrow channel devices. In previous work, our simulations have shown that helium micro-jets do not experience changes in flow distribution due to non-uniform heating. However, jets are difficult to fabricate for large area refractory metal components. The same is not true for narrow channel devices filled with porous media. Although these refractory devices are easier to fabricate, the effects of downstream hot gas expansion can influence the incoming flow distribution in multi-channel configurations.
Surgical rehabilitation of voice and swallowing after jugular foramen surgery.

Objectives: We sought to determine the patient population that will benefit from surgical rehabilitation of voice and swallowing after jugular foramen tumor (JFT) resection. Methods: We performed a retrospective case study of patients with a history of JFT resection. The patients' files were reviewed for data on preoperative and postoperative function of cranial nerves VII and IX through XII, voice and swallowing function, and surgical procedures for voice and swallowing rehabilitation and their timing. Results: Twenty-one patients underwent JFT resection. Thirty-eight percent presented with deficits of cranial nerves VII and IX through XII, and 61 % developed new postoperative deficits. Three patients recovered glossopharyngeal nerve function, 2 recovered vagus nerve function, and 1 recovered facial nerve function. Surgical rehabilitation procedures were undertaken in 8 patients. Patients who eventually underwent surgical rehabilitation procedures for voice and swallowing tended to have larger tumors, tumors within the nerve bundle in the jugular foramen, and multiple nerve deficits. Conclusions: Most patients with multiple deficits of cranial nerves VII and IX through XII after JFT resection are unlikely to regain spontaneous nerve function, will experience long-term dysphonia and dysphagia, and will elect to undergo corrective surgery to improve voice and swallowing. Preoperative evaluation and close postoperative follow-up can identify patients who would benefit from early surgical rehabilitation.
Design of pH Triggered, Macromolecular Pore Forming Peptides for Endosomal Escape

The plasma membrane insulates a cell from its outside environment, serving as an selectively impermeable barrier across which only small or hydrophobic molecules can pass. Although the membrane is protective and necessary for life, it is also problematic when useful macromolecules such as antibodies, peptides, polysaccharides, and imaging agents are blocked from entry. Most macromolecules can easily be uptaken by the cell through endocytosis, but remain trapped and eventually degraded within endosomes, which mature into lysosomes. To promote the escape of macromolecules from endosomes prior to their maturation into lysosomes, we have designed pH triggered, pore-forming peptides. The peptides were selected from a high-throughput screen of a 18,432 member combinatorial library based on the sequence of the pH insensitive pore-forming peptide, MelP5. We identified that 5 acidic residues along the polar face of an amphipatic helix mediates a structural change from a charged, soluble state at pH 7 to an uncharged, membrane bound, and pore-forming helix at pH 5. The peptides have been shown to deliver fluorescently labeled 10 kDa dextrans in CHO cells. The discovery of the pHD peptides illustrates the power of combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening for engineering membrane active peptides with specific capabilities despite the lack of structural information about the pore.
United States Biological Survey: A Compendium of its History, Personalities, Impacts, and Conflicts

Schmidly, D. J., W. E. Tydeman, and A. L. Gardner (eds.). 2016. United States Biological Survey: A Compendium of its History, Personalities, Impacts, and Conflicts. Special Publications, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Vol. 64, ix + 124 pp. ISBN 1-929330-28-6, price (hard cover), $24.95. In 2013, David Schmidly gave a talk at the ASM meeting on the life and career of Vernon Bailey, one of the most productive and well-known biologist with the United States Biological Survey (Survey—Schmidly 2013). This was sufficiently well received that Schmidly was invited to organize a symposium the following year that expanded the theme to address the role and influence of the Survey on natural history in North America (Schmidly and Gardner 2014). This also was well received and subsequently prepared as a series of chapters in the volume under review here. I asked to provide this unsolicited review … Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; e-mail: dakelt{at}ucdavis.edu
Gene Therapy for Diabetes

Beta cell failure occurs in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. During the last decade, substantial progress has been made toward the engineering of β cells in vitro using preexisting pancreatic islet cells or other progenitor cells and in vivo using a gene therapy approach. Although gene therapy-mediated transdetermination of hepatic oval cells to authentic-looking and functioning β cells has been shown to reverse diabetes in mice, vector toxicity has precluded application of the technology in clinical trials. Other treatment strategies include reprogramming of pancreatic mature non-β cells, including α cells, acinar cells, ductal cells, and dedifferentiated β cells toward β cells; in vitro differentiation of stem cells, including embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and mesenchymal stem cells toward β cells; and stimulation of replication of preexisting β cells. Among these strategies, differentiation of iPSCs has received much attention because of its high translational potential. Particularly, diabetic patient-specific iPSCs will offer potential personalized medicine for the patient, as well as a patient disease-specific model to study disease pathogenesis and treatment. In addition, identification of small molecules or microRNAs to induce reprogramming and promote β cell differentiation or replication is also an attractive approach. The following criteria can be used to determine whether β cells generated in vitro are functional and suitable for potential clinical application: expression of mature β cell markers, ability to secrete bioactive insulin and C-peptide in response to stimuli, formation of mature secretory granules and, ultimately, glucose control in transplanted recipients. Despite rapid progress, the field continues to face many challenges at this time, including the difficulty of attaining fully differentiated and functionally competent β cells, either in vitro or in vivo.
Effect of Crystallographic Orientation on the Corrosion of Magnesium: Comparison of Film Forming and Bare Crystal Facets using Electrochemical Impedance and Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract The corrosion rate of Mg indicates a strong crystallographic dependence in chloride-containing, alkaline environments that correlates inversely with oxide film thickness. In contrast, a different crystallographic orientation dependency is observed initially during open circuit corrosion in non-chloride containing, near neutral pH buffered, chelating environments such as Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA) which minimize air-formed MgO oxides. The origins of the differences in the rates of the coupled corrosion processes as a function of crystallographic orientation were investigated utilizing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Raman vibrational spectroscopy. High frequency constant phase elements (CPEs) were exploited to determine oxide thicknesses as a function of crystal orientation. In unbuffered NaCl, open circuit corrosion was faster on basal planes while lower corrosion rates were observed on low index, prismatic and pyramidal planes. This variation in rate with crystallographic orientation in 0.6 M NaCl was interpreted to depend on the MgO and Mg(OH)2 film thicknesses as a function of orientation. In particular, crystal planes with a lower MgO/Mg(OH)2 thickness corroded at higher rates as assessed in-situ by EIS and suggested by Raman spectroscopy. The crystallographic orientation dependence of corrosion seen initially upon exposure in the buffered neutral pH environments corresponded with crystal facet surface energy for bare Mg but this trend disappeared with exposure time and Mg(OH)2 films were then detected.
Design of optimal directional residuals for linear dynamic systems

Abstract Residuals in fault detection and diagnosis can be designed with directional properties to facilitate fault isolation. In this paper, we proved that isolation is optimal if the fault response matrix and noise covariance matrix are diagonal simultaneously. A two-step design technique is introduced which, subject to certain restrictions, achieves these optimum criteria for linear dynamic systems. It diagonalizes the Fisher information matrix of the residuals as well.
Lead-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses in the nervous system

Lead (Pb) poisoning continues to be a significant health risk because of its pervasiveness in the environment, its known neurotoxic effects in children, and potential endogenous exposure from Pb deposited in bone. New information about mechanisms by which Pb enters cells and its organelle targets within cells are briefly reviewed. Toxic effects of Pb on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are considered in detail, based on recent evidence that Pb induces the expression of the gene for 78-kD glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and other ER stress genes. GRP78 is a molecular chaperone that binds transiently to proteins traversing through the ER and facilitates their folding, assembly, and transport. Models are presented for the induction of ER stress by Pb in astrocytes, the major cell type of the central nervous system, in which Pb accumulates. A key feature of the models is disruption of GRP78 function by direct Pb binding. Possible pathways by which Pb-bound GRP78 stimulates the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the ER are discussed, specifically transduction by IRE1/ATF6 and/or IRE1/JNK. The effect of Pb binding to GRP78 in the ER is expected to be a key component for understanding mechanisms of Pb-induced ER stress gene expression.
Evaluation of Potential Safety Hazards Associated with the Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling of Aryl Bromides with Vinylboron Species

The potential safety hazards associated with the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of aryl bromides with vinylboron species were evaluated. In the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of 1-bromo-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzene with potassium vinyltrifluoroborate in the presence of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) in 9:1 dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/water at 80 °C, the thermal profile revealed a significant exotherm upon the addition of catalytic 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene palladium(II) dichloride [Pd(dppf)Cl2]. Further investigations indicated that the exotherm was consistently higher and the reactions were faster in the studied aqueous systems compared to anhydrous conditions. Although under anhydrous conditions the exotherms were comparable among the studied cases, the rate of the exotherm was highly dependent on the choice of aryl electrophile, solvent, base, catalyst, as well as vinylboron species. In many of the studied cases the maximum temperature of a synthesis reaction (MTSR) was considerably higher than the b...
Controlling rotation and migration of rings in a simple shear flow through geometric modifications

A ring with a cross-section that has a blunt inner and sharper outer edge can attain an equilibrium orientation in a Newtonian fluid subject to a low Reynolds number simple shear flow. This may be contrasted with the continuous rotation exhibited by most rigid bodies. Such rings align along an orientation when the rotation due to fluid vorticity balances the counter-rotation due to the extensional component of the simple shear flow. While the viscous stress on the particle tries to rotate it, the pressure can generate a counter-vorticity torque that aligns the particle. Using boundary integral computations, we demonstrate ways to effectively control this pressure by altering the geometry of the ring cross-section, thus leading to alignment at moderate particle aspect ratios. Aligning rings that lack fore–aft symmetry can migrate indefinitely along the gradient direction. This differs from the periodic spatial trajectories of fore–aft asymmetric axisymmetric particles that rotate in periodic orbits. The mechanism for migration of aligned rings along the gradient direction is elucidated in this work. The migration speed can be controlled by varying the cross-sectional shape and size of the ring. Our results provide new insights into controlling motion of individual particles and thereby open new pathways towards manipulating macroscopic properties of a suspension.
Hands-On Decoding: Guidelines for Using Manipulative Letters.

Manipulative objects have long been an essential tool in the development of mathematics knowledge and skills. A growing body of evidence suggests using manipulative letters for decoding practice is an also an effective method for teaching reading, particularly in improving the phonological and decoding skills of students at risk for reading failure. The manipulation of the letters serves as a way to make the abstract concepts of blending and segmentation of sounds more concrete. Additionally, paraprofessionals and parent volunteers could readily implement this method with minimal training. In short, teacher-directed decoding practice using manipulative letters offers a promising practice for teaching decoding skills. We provide a brief overview of the research and the specifics on how to implement reading practice using manipulative letters.
Introduction to tobacco harm reduction as a complementary strategy to smoking cessation

Reducing the prevalence of tobacco use through prevention and treatment efforts is universally supported by health professionals because of the enormous potential for reducing the devastating public health effects of tobacco use. In contrast, efforts to reduce the adverse effects of tobacco in those who continue to smoke have generally been viewed as ineffective and counterproductive. Recent data and projections suggest that this latter assumption needs re-evaluation. In the United States, the prevalence of cigarette smoking has been relatively stable at about 26-27% for nearly five years, and smoking by youth has been stable or possibly even increasing over the past decade.1”3 Thus, in the absence of a dramatic lowering of prevalence of tobacco use or of the consequences of its use, more than one million people will continue to die prematurely every two to three years for many years to come, and many millions more will suffer unnecessarily and be disabled by tobacco.4 The worldwide scenario is even bleaker. Annual morbidity is expected to increase from three million per year to 10 million per year over the next two decades, with half a billion of the world’s current population dying of tobacco related disease.4 Some of these deaths will be among non-smokers who cannot escape environmental smoke because of the high prevalence of smoking. These grim projections do not detract from the considerable success of public health efforts, nor do they suggest that we should diminish efforts that have proved effective at reducing the prevalence of smoking in the United States from its all time high levels in the 1960s. However, the evidence that progress has slowed in the USA and that tobacco addiction and its associated diseases continue to increase worldwide supports the need for a re-examination of strategies to reduce the death …
A Consumer's Eye View of Family-Involved Alcohol Treatment.

Family involvement leads to better outcomes of alcohol treatment, but empirically-supported family treatments have not been adopted widely. The current study obtained consumer perspectives to inform development of a family treatment designed to be adopted by community programs. Four focus groups (N=25; 6 patients, 4 family members, 15 clinicians) were analyzed based on a coding system developed using Grounded Theory. Patient alcohol use negatively impacted family interactions, relationships, and resources. Family involvement barriers included: pragmatic challenges, institutional barriers, and family/patient ambivalence. Strategies to increase family involvement included: enhancing positive interactions, maintaining optimism about family involvement, and clinicians recommending family involvement.
Modeling the impact of radiation-enhanced diffusion on implanted ion profiles

Abstract Ion irradiations are a valuable research tool for exploring radiation effects in materials. However, it is well recognized that the implanted ions can artificially modify the radiation damage evolution, e.g., enhancing amorphization processes at low irradiation temperatures and suppressing void swelling at elevated temperatures. Therefore, the implanted ion region should be avoided for most studies of ion irradiated materials. Due to increased interest in high damage, high temperature ion irradiations studying radiation effects in materials for proposed high dose Generation IV fission and fusion energy applications, it is crucial to quantify the extent of diffusional broadening of the implanted ion profile for a variety of temperatures, irradiation fluxes, and sink strengths. The present study summarizes computational analyses of thermal and depth-dependent radiation enhanced diffusion (RED) on diffusion broadening of the implanted ion profiles in Fe and Ni for a variety of irradiation conditions. For a low assumed RED coefficient (10−20-10−19 m2/s and 10−4 and 10−3 peak dpa/s, respectively) or high flux, broadening of the as-implanted ion profile is very small and a suitable artifact-free midrange region for analysis exists for ion energies above 5–6 MeV at 100 peak dpa. At high RED coefficients (10−19-10−18 m2/s and 10−4 and 10−3 peak dpa/s, respectively) broadening is much more significant, and no valid region for investigation exists below 6–8 MeV ion energies at any damage level >50 dpa. While increasing flux decreases irradiation time, it also increases the RED coefficient; these effects mostly offset except under recombination-dominant conditions. For typical high dose irradiation studies of void swelling that exceed ∼100 displacement per atom (dpa), ion energies >6–8 MeV must be employed in order to achieve suitable artifact-free midrange irradiation analysis regions, depending on the material system. Analysis of amorphization/precipitation require even higher energies (>10 MeV).
Statistical Models for Distributions of Ambient Fine Particulate Matter

This study evaluates the usefulness of structured non-linear regression models for the prediction of annual ambient fine particulate matter (FPM) concentration distributions. The method developed in this study provides a way to examine and display results for the yearly distribution of FPM when testing emissions control strategy performance. The models are developed using three daily gaseous pollutant concentrations (oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and total hydrocarbons (THC)) and four meteorological measures (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity and precipitation) as explanatory variables. The models are fitted using data from the North Long Beach, Rubidoux (Riverside) and Azusa stations in Los Angeles County and Riverside County, CA for a recent 7-year period (1988–1994). The statistical model is tested for the year 1995 based on precursor concentrations and meteorological conditions in that year, and found to provide reasonably good prediction, though the annual average FPM concentration is overestimated by an average of 26 percent across the three stations. The response surfaces of PM2.5 concentrations with respect to all input variables are plotted, and the predicted changes in daily, annual average and annual 98th percentile base-year (1995) PM2.5 concentrations are predicted for different precursor reductions. The predicted effects of precursor reductions are further explored by comparing predicted and observed FPM concentrations for 1999 (though the absence of THC data for this year restricts this comparison to plausible ranges). The method developed in this study provides a way to examine and display results for the predicted concentration distributions when evaluating emission control strategy performance. The potential usefulness and limitations of a statistical model of this type are discussed.
"Myeloma protein" in a patient with monocytic leukemia.

A 74 year old man with monocytic leukemia was found to have serum and urinary protein findings typical of myelomatosis. Lysozyme excretion in the urine was in the range characteristic of monocytic leukemia. There were no x-ray findings indicative of myeloma. Aspirated bone marrow specimens contained one to three per cent plasma cells, and less than 0.1 per cent atypical plasma cells. The leukemia responded temporarily but without remission to treatment with 6MP and steroid, with no effect on the myeloma protein profile or excretion of the urinary proteins. The leukemia was present without overt morphologic or x-ray findings of myeloma, and the case differs from a similar example of the association of myeloma protein with monocytic leukemia in which the leukemia occurred as a terminal event in a previously well-documented myelomatosis. The serum contained a fast-moving "myeloma gamma globulin" which was classified as γ-1, Kappa; Gm. (a + b - f -) Inv. (a). This protein was heterogeneous by starch gel electrophoresis. The urine contained large amounts of lysozyme, Fab, Fc and F9c fragments of the "myeloma gamma globulin," light chains of type Kappa, as well as whole gamma globulin. Small amounts of other serum proteins were also found. The possibility of two neoplastic proliferations involving both the monocytes and plasma cells has been considered. Possible role of monocytoid stem cells with giant nucleoli in the synthesis of "myeloma protein" has been discussed.
Linkng Investments in Telecoms and Total Factor Productivity in Transition Economies

For several years researchers & practitioners have been concerned about the impact of investments in Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) on productivity. The research framework of neoclassical growth accounting is widely used in this area of research on IT & Productivity. While several studies have explored the relationship between investments in ICT and metrics such as GDP, the links between investments in ICT and Total Factor Productivity (TFP) have received less attention, particularly for Transition Economies. In this study is we propose & illustrate a methodology for investigating the relationship between investments in ICT and TFP that is consistent with the framework of neoclassical growth accounting.
Photorepair of RNA.

This article attempts to describe briefly the current status of our knowledge of repair mechanisms that are operative on RNA. The photorepair mechanisms active on RNA have thus far been unequivocally demonstrated only in plants (Gordon et al., 1975). The phenomenon observed is as follows: When a number of UV-irradiated RNA plant viruses and/or free viral RNAs are assayed on local-lesion hosts, an increase in the specific infectivity is observed when the assay plant is illuminated immediately after the application of the infectious material. This increase in specific infectivity is not seen when heat-inactivated or native infectious material is assayed. Preillumination of the assay host has no effect. On all plants examined, the maximum activity is obtained with black-light, which is far removed from wavelengths which are maximally effective in photosynthesis (Hidalgo-Salvatierra and McLaren, 1969; Murphy and Gordon, 1971a). Photoreactivation (PR) of UV-irradiated tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) RNA has also been observed on white leaves of a variegated mutant host, which lack chlorophyll (McLaren et al., 1970). Photoreactivated sectors ranging from 0.2 to 0.7 have been observed. The extent of repair observed depends upon the virus or viral RNA used, the wavelength used for inactivation, the wavelength used for photoreactivation, and the host plant. The in vivo activity appears to be enzymatic. The ability of Xanthi plants to photoreactivate UV-killed TMV RNA is slowly lost on dark storage.
Strategies for Control of Viral Hepatitis in the Age of Molecular Biology

Five distinct human viruses are commonly associated with viral hepatitis in man. Two agents, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) cause only acute hepatitis and are predominantly transmitted by the fecaloral route. The others, hepatitis B virus (HBV) , hepatitis D virus (HDV) , and hepatitis C virus (HCV) , are transmitted by parenteral and sexual exposure, and in the case of HBV and HCV are also transmitted to infants born of infected mothers. All have a worldwide distribution, although the prevalence of each varies significantly among different populations. The viruses belong to very different virus families and have in common only a tropism for the liver. Each has a distinctive structure and replication strategy. Infection with three of these agents (HBV, HCV and HDV) often leads to chronic hepatitis and possibly cirrhosis, while two of these viruses (HBV and HCV) have been associated with development of liver cancer. Effective vaccines offer hope for control of HAV, HBV, and HDV (through immunization against HBV) , while recent advances in our understanding of HCV and HEV suggest that vaccines may soon be available for these agents as well.
Altering Alterity: Nicholas of Cusa, Otherness, and Xenophobic Violence:

Recent years have seen a rise in nationalistic and even xenophobic rhetoric as well as actions animated by fears of the other and the foreigner. In light of these recent displays of xenophobia, thi...
Fullerene(C60)-immunoconjugates: Interaction of customized water-soluble C60 derivatives with the murine anti-gp240 melanoma antibody

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 3085 We are striving to develop fullerene immunotherapy (FIT) using C60 and shortened carbon nanotube nanoparticles as scaffolds and containment vessels for chemotherapeutics and radionuclides.1,2 First experiments have focused on the preparation and characterization of C60-immunoconjugates derived from a murine anti-gp240 melanoma antibody(ZME-018) and the two water-soluble C60 derivatives shown below, where only the C60-SPDP derivative can form covalent bonds with the antibody. Studies have demonstrated that immunoconjugates composed of ZME-018 and various toxins are rapidly internalized into human melanoma cells in culture.3 Moreover, these conjugates effectively locate into melanoma xenographs after systemic administration and demonstrate impressive cytotoxic effects against established tumors in orthotopic models. A single-drug chemotherapeutic agent such as the recently reported C60-paclitaxel conjugate1 might be employed for FIT, but the real advantage of FIT over other immunotherapies is the potential for attachment of multiple (and possibly different) drugs to the C60 scaffold in order to create targeted, single-dosed “drug cocktails”. Results from the formation of the two C60 immunoconjugates mirrored one another, with the concentration of C60 in the C60-SPDP-(ZME-018) conjugate being 6 μM for a (C60:antibody) ratio of 35:1 compared with 15 μM in the C60-Ser-(ZME-018) conjugate for a (C60:antibody) ratio of 100:1. This result suggests that covalent bond formation between C60 derivatives and antibodies may not be a requirement for the development of FIT. 1Zakharian, T. Y.; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 12508-12509. 2Mackeyev, Y. A.; et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2005, 109, 5482-5484. 3Kirkwood, J. M.; et al. J. Clin. Oncol. 1987, 8, 1247-1255. ![Figure][1] [1]: pending:yes
Automating adaptive control with item-specific learning

Abstract Cognitive control, as a goal-directed, or top-down, process, overcomes the automatic tendency to produce an action primed by the environmental stimuli. Recent empirical evidence suggests that cognitive control can be instantiated automatically by stimuli in a bottom-up manner based on prior associations between the stimulus and a particular control state. Memory-guided control explains how control is adaptive without recourse to the idea of a homunculus. This chapter reviews a mixed collection of research lines, each focusing on a distinct component of cognitive control, to establish the universality of automating control via item-specific stimulus–control (S-C) learning. The reviewed evidence suggests that S-C learning is a unique form of learning and can be distinguished from classical stimulus–response learning. Proponents of S-C learning assume that it inherits the benefit of both automatic and controlled processing to be fast, effortless, flexible and generalizable. Yet, these assumptions await to be checked in future research.
Self-Regulation in Web-Based Courses: A Review and the Need for Research

The purpose of this article is to investigate the construct of academic self-regulation in Web-based learning environments. Self-regulation will be discussed in general using social cognitive theory as the framework of the discussion. The article concludes with a brief review of the limited amount of research on self-regulation in Web-based environments.
Type IV collagen and diabetic kidney disease

A new genome-wide association study of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus reveals novel loci that are associated with the development of diabetic kidney disease. The most significant of these loci encodes the α3 chain of type IV collagen, which is an important component of the glomerular basement membrane.
An algorithm for correcting systematic energy deficits in the atom probe mass spectra of insulating samples.

Abstract Improvements in the mass resolution of a mass spectrometer directly correlate to improvements in peak identification and quantification. Here, we describe a post-processing technique developed to increase the quality of mass spectra of strongly insulating samples in laser-pulsed atom probe microscopy. The technique leverages the self-similarity of atom probe mass spectra collected at different times during an experimental run to correct for electrostatic artifacts that present as systematic energy deficits. We demonstrate the method on fused silica (SiO2) and neodymium-doped ceria (CeO2) samples which highlight the improvements that can be made to the mass spectrum of strongly insulating samples.
Research advances on IL-33 and bronchial asthma

IL-33, a recently discovered member of the IL-1 family, is a multifunctional cytokine.It is able to activate variety of cells, including Th2 cells, eosnophils, basophils and mast cells, and then promoting the inflammatory response.Through its receptor ST2, IL-33 activates NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway, induces production of Th2 cytokines and plays an important role in the occurrence as well as the development of many diseases such as asthma.As such, it is hoped that IL-33 will be a novel therapeutic target for brochial asthma.However, the role of IL-33 in asthma pathogenesis remains unclear yet.Thus, the present review focuses on the molecular structure, expression, biological activity and contribution of IL-33 to the pathogenesis of asthma. Key words: IL-33; ST2; Asthma
Anticoagulation therapy in patients with traumatic brain injury: An Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma multicenter prospective study.

Abstract Background Trauma care providers often face a dilemma regarding anticoagulation therapy initiation in patients with traumatic brain injury owing to the associated risks of traumatic brain injury progression. The aims of this study were the following: (1) to describe the current practice of anticoagulation therapy in traumatic brain injury patients and their outcomes and (2) to identify factors associated with the progression of traumatic brain injury after anticoagulation therapy. Methods In this multicenter prospective observational study, we included computed tomography–proven traumatic brain injury patients who received anticoagulation therapy within 30 days of hospital admission. Our primary outcome was the incidence of clinically significant progression of traumatic brain injury after anticoagulation therapy initiation. Results A total of 168 patients were enrolled more than 22 months. Atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism were the most common pre-injury and postinjury anticoagulation therapy indications, respectively. Overall, 16 patients (9.6%) experienced clinically significant traumatic brain injury progression after anticoagulation therapy, out of which 9 (5.4%) patients subsequently required neurosurgical interventions. Between patients with clinical progression of traumatic brain injury and patients who showed no such progression, there were no significant differences in the baseline demographics and severity of traumatic brain injury. However, anticoagulation therapy was initiated significantly earlier in patients of the deterioration group than those of the no-deterioration group (4.5 days vs 11 days, P = .015). In a multiple logistic regression model, patients who received anticoagulation therapy later after injury had significantly lower risk of clinically significant traumatic brain injury progression (odds ratio: 0.915 for each day, 95% confidence interval: 0.841–0.995, P = .037). Conclusion Our results suggest that early anticoagulation therapy is associated with higher risk of traumatic brain injury progression, thus a balance between bleeding and thromboembolic risks should be carefully evaluated in each case before initiating anticoagulation therapy.
Ant nurse workers exhibit behavioral and transcriptomic specialization on larval stage but not caste

Division of labor within and between the worker and queen castes is thought to underlie the tremendous success of social insects. Colonies might benefit if subsets of nurse workers specialize in caring for larvae of a certain stage or caste, given that nutritional requirements depend on larval stage and caste. We used short- (<1 hr) and long-term (ten days) behavioral observations together with transcriptomic analysis to determine whether nurses of the pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis exhibit such behavioral and/or physiological specialization. We found that nurses were behaviorally specialized based on larval instar but not on larval caste. This specialization was widespread, with 56% of nurses in the short-term and between 22-27% in the long-term showing significant specialization. We also found transcriptomic signatures of nurse specialization on larval stage but not caste. Genes associated with nurse specialization included vitellogenin and mrjp2, which have previously been implicated in the transfer of nutrition from nurse to larvae and the regulation of larval development and caste, as well as other genes coding for secreted proteins, which may also be passed from nurses to larvae via trophallaxis. Altogether, our results provide the first evidence in any social insect for a division of labor among nurse workers based on larval stage.
Factors and HCV treatment outcomes associated with smoking among people who inject drugs on opioid agonist treatment: secondary analysis of the PREVAIL randomized clinical trial.

Cigarette smoking has emerged as a leading cause of mortality among people with hepatitis C virus (HCV). People who inject drugs (PWID) represent the largest group of adults infected with HCV in the US. However, cigarette smoking remains virtually unexplored among this population. This study aimed at (1) determining prevalence and correlates of cigarette smoking among HCV-infected PWID enrolled in opiate agonist treatment programs; (2) exploring the association of smoking with HCV treatment outcomes including adherence, treatment completion and sustained virologic response (SVR); and 3) exploring whether cigarette smoking decreased after HCV treatment. Participants were 150 HCV-infected PWID enrolled in a randomized clinical trial primarily designed to test three intensive models of HCV care. Assessments included sociodemographics, presence of chronic health and psychiatric comorbidities, prior and current drug use, quality of life, and HCV treatment outcomes. The majority of the patients (84%) were current cigarette smokers at baseline. There was a high prevalence of psychiatric and medical comorbidities in the overall sample of PWID. Alcohol and cocaine use were identified as correlates of cigarette smoking. Smoking status did not influence HCV treatment outcomes including adherence, treatment completion and SVR. HCV treatment was not associated with decreased cigarette smoking. The present study showed high prevalence of cigarette smoking among this population as well as identified correlates of smoking, namely alcohol and cocaine use. Cigarette smoking was not associated with HCV treatment outcomes. Given the detrimental effects that cigarette smoking and other co-occurring, substance use behaviors have on HCV-infected individuals’ health, it is imperative that clinicians treating HCV also target smoking, especially among PWID. The high prevalence of cigarette smoking among PWID will contribute to growing morbidity and mortality among this population even if cured of HCV. Tailored smoking cessation interventions for PWID along with HCV treatment may need to be put into clinical practice. NCT01857245 . Registered May 20, 2013.
The Association between Imagination and Anxiety in the Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Imagination is relevant in many aspects of our lives and has been associated with creativity and overall cognitive development, yet imagination may also have a dark side. In two studies we examined...
Signs of Reincarnation: Exploring Beliefs, Cases, and Theory by James Matlock

James Matlock’s book, Signs of Reincarnation, is a recent addition to a seemingly endless stream of confused or superficial works on the topic of survival. Admittedly (and as one would expect), the case material is often of genuine interest. But when Matlock tries to make sense of that material, he demonstrates little grasp of the current state of the debate. Even worse, he seems unaware of the intellectually responsible strategies for challenging and criticizing positions opposed to his own. Since Matlock criticizes what he says are my views throughout his book, and because this issue of the JSE features two comprehensive reviews of that book, I’ll focus only on the principal respects in which Matlock misdescribes my position and ignores the extended discussions I’ve provided, not only in Immortal Remains (Braude, 2003), but elsewhere (e.g., Braude, 2005a, 2005b, 2014a, 2014b, 2020), explaining the problems with the tired and flawed lines of reasoning he endorses.
Racial and ethnic enrollment disparities in acute myeloid leukemia clinical trials.

6523Background: Racial and ethnic disparities in clinical trial enrollment compound inequities in drug development and the delivery of patient-centered care. Despite significant survival disparitie...
Defer surgery in operable breast cancer: how long is too long?

Purpose The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate outcomes of surgery compared to primary endocrine therapy (PET) in patients with non-advanced, operable invasive breast cancer, and to determine if PET as initial therapy may safely postpone surgery. Methods The MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched from database inception to July 2020 to identify eligible studies. Inclusion criteria were experimental or observational studies with at least one arm treated with PET and a second arm treated with surgery with or without PET. Local recurrence or progression of disease was defined as either failure of non-operative management (tumor failing to decrease in size and/or continuous local or distant tumor growth) or relapse of breast tumor after tumor downsizing following PET. Effect estimates were expressed in hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals (HR (95% CI)). Results The analysis included six studies with 1499 unique patients. The median time to local progression of disease was 2.3 years. Patients treated with PET alone without surgery had a higher risk of local recurrence and or progression [HR (95% CI): 1.76 (1.33, 2.31); I2 = 84%; p Conclusion PET alone is inferior to surgery in the treatment of operable invasive breast cancer. However, it may be acceptable to postpone curative breast cancer surgery without risk of progression for 1.1 years or longer.
Empire and ceramics: The changing role of illicit trade in Spanish America

Commercial colonial states of the early modern era are noteworthy in their movement of both luxury and bulk goods between the core and the periphery of empires. Frequently, for archaeologists studying the role of trade in the Spanish New World empire, the recovery of imported ceramics of non-Hispanic origins has suggested the presence of foreign interlopers in these closed mercantilist marketplaces. In this study, the ceramic assemblage of colonial Florida is examined against data from the larger Spanish empire to discern more parsimoniously the extent of this perceived illicit trade. Information for this paper is derived from the sites of colonial Santa Elena and St. Augustine in Spanish Florida, as well as from other contemporary Spanish colonial habitation and merchant shipwreck sites in the New World.
Primary Xanthoma of the Mandible: Report of a Rare Case

Xanthoma is a lesion most commonly seen in soft tissues such as the skin, subcutis, or tendon sheaths. Xanthoma formation is often associated with primary or secondary hyperlipidemia. Primary bone xanthomas are extremely rare benign bone lesions not associated with hyperlipidemia, histopathologically characterized by histiocytes, abundant lipid containing macrophages (foam cells), and multinucleated giant cells. Cholesterol clefts can be found in the medullary bone. Less than ten cases of xanthoma in the mandible have been reported. We present a rare primary intrabony xanthoma in a normolipidemic patient.
Negative selection of self-reactive B lymphocytes involves complement.

B lymphocytes are regulated at multiple checkpoints during development of the pre- immune and immune repertoire (Goodnow 1996). Encounter of self-antigen within the bone marrow results in deletion, anergy or no effect depending on the strength of signal. In general, membrane self-antigens induce sufficient signal transduction or crosslinking of B cell receptor (BCR) to cause deletion (Nemazee et al. 1989; Hartley et al. 1991). In contrast, soluble antigens such as soluble hen lysozyme (sHEL) induce anergy (Goodnow et al. 1989). B cells expressing an immunoglobulin (Ig) transgene (tg) which bind dsDNA can lead to either deletion in the bone marrow (Chen et al. 1995) or peripheral tolerance (Erikson et al. 1991; Mandik-Nayak et al. 1997) depending on relative binding affinity. Mutations that alter BCR strength of signaling can affect negative selection and these findings support the model. For example, mice bearing targeted disruption of molecules involved in regulation of BCR signaling such as CD22, SHP-1 (Cyster et al. 1995), CD45 (Cyster et al. 1996) or Lyn (Cornall et al. 1998) have altered negative selection of self-reactive B cells in the sHEL/HEL-Ig double tg model. Alternatively, expression of an additional copy of CD 19 results in increased sensitivity to BCR signaling and reduction in the number of peripheral tg B cells (Inaoki et al. 1997). The complement system is an important factor in humoral immunity as binding of activated fragments of complement C3 to antigen not only enhances its localization to the lymphoid compartment but induces BCR signal transduction (Fearon et al. 1995; Carroll 1998a) (see review in this issue by M. Carroll).
Influence of Molecular Size and Ligninase Pretreatment on Degradation of Lignins by Xanthomonas sp. Strain 99.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the molecular size of lignin in several preparations and extent of degradation (mineralization) by Xanthomonas sp. strain 99. The influence of ligninase pretreatment was also examined. Five synthetic lignins and one 14C-methylated spruce lignin were used. The extent of mineralization to 14CO2 was greatest for the samples containing the most low-molecular-weight material, and the low-molecular-weight portions were preferentially (or perhaps solely) degraded. Pretreatment of the five synthetic lignins with crude ligninase increased their molecular size and decreased their degradability by the xanthomonad. Pretreatment of the methylated spruce lignin with crude ligninase caused both polymerization and depolymerization but resulted in a net decrease in bacterial degradability. Our results suggest that the xanthomonad can degrade lignins only up to a molecular weight of 600 to 1,000.
A Study in the Process of Planning, Designing and Executing a Survey Program

Abstract In this study, we describe the evolution of the American time-use survey (ATUS) from its inception as an issue of statistical policy interest in 1991 to its implementation in January 2003 as an ongoing monthly survey sponsored by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This 12-year process included four developmental phases. Each successive phase represented a deeper level of agency commitment and outside statistical support. The resulting reports referenced in the text reflect an evolution in our thinking on survey estimation objectives, units of measurement, universe frame and sampling plan, and data collection and coding protocols.