cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Anemia in Subjects Randomized into Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass or Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Although bariatric surgery fosters heightened excess weight loss values, nutritional deficiencies are prominent; one of the most common being iron deficiency anemia. The purpose is to elucidate the frequency of anemia in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy subjects. A retrospective analysis was conducted, in subjects (N = 100) diagnosed with type II diabetes who were randomized into sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and intensive medical therapy. Anemia was more common in female subjects who underwent sleeve gastrectomy—roughly half developed microcytosis at 24 months and thereafter. The etiology of anemia appears to be iron-related and precipitated by the female sex. Scant iron supplementation is likely causative. However, anemia of chronic inflammation cannot be discounted as being somewhat causal. Subsequently, the aggregate may have had a synergistic influence.
An Experimental Survey on the Effect of Using the CTS-6 Tool on the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by Hand Surgeons.

Background: This controlled randomized experiment tested the research hypothesis that providing the CTS-6 quantitative diagnostic information to hand surgeons affects the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. Methods: Surgeon members of American Association for Hand Surgery participated in an online survey. Demographic and practice pattern information was collected. Few surgeons routinely use diagnostic questionnaires or algorithms. Each member was given four clinical scenarios. The respondents were randomized, The experimental group was given the same scenarios as the control group plus the quantitative results of the CTS-6 diagnostic tool. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the groups in the diagnostic decisions. Using the CTS-6 quantitative diagnostic tool affected the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, especially for patients with the lowest number of findings associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Conclusions: While accurate diagnostic decisions are dependent on the incorporation of all of the pertinent information gathered during the history and physical exams, the results of the CTS-6 may help the clinician focus their thinking and revise their diagnostic probabilities.
Rapid Acting Antidepressants in Chronic Stress Models: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms:

Stress-associated disorders, including depression and anxiety, impact nearly 20% of individuals in the United States. The social, health, and economic burden imposed by stress-associated disorders requires in depth research efforts to identify suitable treatment strategies. Traditional medications (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors) have significant limitations, notably a time lag for therapeutic response that is compounded by low rates of efficacy. Excitement over ketamine, a rapid acting antidepressant effective in treatment resistant patients, is tempered by transient dissociative and psychotomimetic effects, as well as abuse potential. Rodent stress models are commonly used to produce behavioral abnormalities that resemble those observed in stress-associated disorders. Stress models also produce molecular and cellular morphological changes in stress sensitive brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus that resemble alterations observed in depression. Rapid acting antidepressants such as ketamine can rescue stress-associated morphological and behavioral changes in rodent models. Here, we review the literature supporting a role for rapid acting antidepressants in opposing the effects of stress, and summarize research efforts seeking to elucidate the molecular, cellular, and circuit level targets of these agents.
Training of Support Personnel

A successful endoscopy practice depends on the sound and well organized training and supervision of support personnel. The various categories of personnel are discussed. The comprehensive training and monitoring for gastrointestinal assistants used at the Mayo Clinic is reviewed in detail.
Hepatic β-arrestin 2 is essential for maintaining euglycemia

An increase in hepatic glucose production (HGP) represents a key feature of type 2 diabetes. This deficiency in metabolic control of glucose production critically depends on enhanced signaling through hepatic glucagon receptors (GCGRs). Here, we have demonstrated that selective inactivation of the GPCR-associated protein β-arrestin 2 in hepatocytes of adult mice results in greatly increased hepatic GCGR signaling, leading to striking deficits in glucose homeostasis. However, hepatocyte-specific β-arrestin 2 deficiency did not affect hepatic insulin sensitivity or β-adrenergic signaling. Adult mice lacking β-arrestin 1 selectively in hepatocytes did not show any changes in glucose homeostasis. Importantly, hepatocyte-specific overexpression of β-arrestin 2 greatly reduced hepatic GCGR signaling and protected mice against the metabolic deficits caused by the consumption of a high-fat diet. Our data support the concept that strategies aimed at enhancing hepatic β-arrestin 2 activity could prove useful for suppressing HGP for therapeutic purposes.
Continuous-time algorithms for solving the electromagnetic wave equation in analog ICs

A method that replaces the temporal partial differential operators ∂n/∂tn of a partial differential equation (PDE) with Laplace domain impedances sn is proposed for realizing analog circuits that solve the wave equation. A systolic array of analog circuit modules is employed to simulate electromagnetic wave propagation. Mathematical models and corresponding analog circuits are described for internal and boundary modules in the systolic array. Dirichlet, Neumann, and radiation boundary conditions are considered. The system is simulated using ideal circuits in Cadence Spectre. Signal flow graphs and transfer functions for 1-D wave equation solvers are obtained. Errors associated with the analog wave equation solver is quantified by comparing the results with a MATLAB based finite difference time domain simulation. Finally, the case where multiple medium boundaries is present is analyzed.
Hybrid Cartilage-Modifying Otoplasty Technique and Outcomes

ImportanceOtoplasty is performed to correct prominauris, one of the most common head and neck congenital deformities. Advances in combination hybrid approaches enable surgeons to achieve greater pr...
Renal perivascular adipose tissue: Form and function.

Renal sympathetic activity affects blood pressure in part by increasing renovascular resistance via release of norepinephrine (NE) from sympathetic nerves onto renal arteries. Here we test the idea that adipose tissue adjacent to renal blood vessels, i.e. renal perivascular adipose tissue (RPVAT), contains a pool of NE which can be released to alter renal vascular function. RPVAT was obtained from around the main renal artery/vein of the male Sprague Dawley rats. Thoracic aortic PVAT and mesenteric PVAT also were studied as brown-like and white fat comparators respectively. RPVAT was identified as a mix of white and brown adipocytes, because of expression of both brown-like (e.g. uncoupling protein 1) and white adipogenic genes. All PVATs contained NE (ng/g tissue, RPVAT:524 ± 68, TAPVAT:740 ± 16, MPVAT:96 ± 24). NE was visualized specifically in RPVAT adipocytes by immunohistochemistry. The presence of RPVAT (+RPVAT) did not alter the response of isolated renal arteries to NE compared to responses of arteries without RPVAT (-RPVAT). By contrast, the maximum contraction to the sympathomimetic tyramine was ~2× greater in the renal artery +PVAT versus -PVAT. Tyramine-induced contraction in +RPVAT renal arteries was reduced by the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin and the NE transporter inhibitor nisoxetine. These results suggest that tyramine caused release of NE from RPVAT. Renal denervation significantly (>50%) reduced NE content of RPVAT but did not modify tyramine-induced contraction of +RPVAT renal arteries. Collectively, these data support the existence of a releasable pool of NE in RPVAT that is independent of renal sympathetic innervation and has the potential to change renal arterial function.
Molecular dynamics simulations of HMX crystal polymorphs using a flexible molecule force field

Molecular dynamics simulations using a recently developed quantum chemistry-based atomistic force field [J. Phys. Chem. B, 103 (1999) 3570 ] were performed in order to obtain unit cell parameters, coefficients of thermal expansion, and heats of sublimation for the three pure crystal polymorphs of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX). The predictions for β-, α-, and δ-HMX showed good agreement with the available experimental data. For the case of β-HMX, anisotropic sound speeds were calculated from the molecular dynamics simulation-predicted elastic coefficients and compared with recent Impulsive Stimulated Light Scattering (ISLS) sound speed measurements. The level of agreement is encouraging.
Is Tax Increment Financing a Fiscal Bane or Boon

Among urban planners, tax increment financing (TIF) is a popular economic development financing tool. Critics, however, claim that TIF is a fiscal bane, reducing property value for affected jurisdi...
Taking minority women’s activism seriously as epistemic justice

ABSTRACTIn Minority Women and Austerity, Bassel and Emejulu offer new insights into minority women’s experiences of and resistance to austerity in England, Scotland and France, exploring both the material and discursive obstacles that minority women face in their respective contexts. Importantly, the book provides frameworks through which to make sense of these experiences. This review focuses on specific insights put forward by Bassel and Emejulu’s work as a means to shed light on recent events, namely (1) the framework of “political racelessness” borrowed from David Theo Goldberg, (2) the recognition of minority women as experts and (3) the critique of the novelty frame forced upon minority women’s experiences and resistance. Finally, some critical thoughts are offered pointing to potential gaps, in light of recent developments, most notably the relation between the financial crisis and what we know as the “migration crisis”.
Effects of Lithium Chloride on Human and Murine Marrow Myeloid Colony Formation and Colony Stimulating Activity

Prior studies have indicated that oral administration of lithium salts causes neutrophilia due to increased granulopoiesis in normal individuals and in some patients with hematologic disorders (Gupta et al., 1976; Malloy et al., 1978; Rothstein et al., 1978). Controversy exists regarding the mechanism whereby lithium exerts this granulopoietic effect. Studies in mice have demonstrated that production of colony stimulating activity (CSA) by extramedullary cell sources (e.g. lung) is enhanced following in vitro exposure to lithium (Harker et al., 1977). Studies with human cells have reported both increased CSA production by peripheral blood leukocytes (Joyce and Chervenick, 1975) and an adjuvant effect on granulopoietic precursor cells (in vitro colony forming cells, CFU-C) (Morley and Galbraith, 1978). Increased urinary and serum CSA levels occur following in vivo administration of lithium (Gupta et al., 1976); however, these sources of CSA are stimulatory for murine but not human marrow CFU-C in vitro.
Loss of oak dominance in dry-mesic deciduous forests predicted by gap capture methods

Gap capture methods predict future forest canopy species composition from the tallest trees growing in canopy gaps rather than from random samples of shaded understory trees. We used gap capture methods and a simulation approach to forecast canopy composition in three old oak forests (Quercus spp.) on dry-mesic sites in southern Wisconsin, USA. In the simulation, a gap sapling is considered successful if it exceeds a threshold height of 13–17 m (height of maximum crown width of canopy trees) before its crown center can be overtopped by lateral crown growth of mature trees. The composition of both the tallest gap trees and simulated gap captures suggests that 68–90% of the next generation of canopy trees in the stands will consist of non-Quercus species, particularly Ulmus rubra, Carya ovata and Prunus serotina. Quercus species will probably remain as a lesser stand component, with Quercus alba and Quercus rubra predicted to comprise about 19% of successful gap trees across the three stands. Several methods of predicting future canopy composition gave similar results, probably because no gap opportunist species were present in these stands and there was an even distribution of species among height strata in gaps. Gap trees of competing species already average 11–13 m tall, and mean expected time for these trees to reach full canopy height is only 19 years. For these reasons, we suggest that dominance will shift from oaks to other species, even though late successional species (e.g., Acer and Tilia) are not presently common in the understories of these stands.
Cancer of the Female Urethra

Carcinoma of the female urethra is uncommon, with approximately 1500 cases reported in the literature (Grigsby 1992). It represents 0.02% of all cancers found in women and less than 0.1% of all gynecologic malignancies (Johnson and O’Connell 1983; Weghaupt et al. 1984). The peak incidence occurs in the fifth and sixth decades, although cases have been reported in children as young as 4 years and women in their ninth decade (Hopkins and Grabstald 1986). This cancer appears to be more common in white women (85%) than black women (12%) (Hopkins and Grabstald 1986).
A new method for speech denoising and robust speech recognition using probabilistic models for clean speech and for noise.

We present a new method for speech denoising and robust speech recognition. Using the framework of probabilistic models allows us to integrate detailed speech models and models of realistic non-stationary noise signals in a principled manner. The framework transforms the denoising problem into a problem of Bayes-optimal signal estimation, producing minimum mean square error estimators of desired features of clean speech from noisy data. We describe a fast and efficient implementation of an algorithm that computes these estimators. The effectiveness of this algorithm is demonstrated in robust speech recognition experiments, using the Wall Street Journal speech corpus and Microsoft Whisper large-vocabulary continuous speech recognizer. Results show significantly lower word error rates than those under noisy-matched condition. In particular, when the denoising algorithm is applied to the noisy training data and subsequently the recognizer is retrained, very low error rates are obtained.
Respiratory Viral Infections in Transplant Recipients

Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) are common among the general population; however, these often mild viral illnesses can lead to serious morbidity and mortality among recipients of hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplantation. The disease spectrum ranges from asymptomatic or mild infections to life-threatening lower respiratory tract infection or long-term airflow obstruction syndromes. Progression to lower respiratory tract infection or to respiratory failure is determined by the intrinsic virulence of the specific viral pathogen as well as various host factors, including the type of transplantation, status of the host’s immune dysfunction, the underlying disease, and other comorbidities. This chapter focuses on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of RVIs in this susceptible population and includes respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, human metapneumovirus, influenza virus, human coronavirus, and human rhinovirus. The optimal management of these infections is limited by the overall paucity of available treatment, highlighting the need for new antiviral drug or immunotherapies.
Thermally induced deformation of coarse-grained soils under nearly zero vertical stress

In the last few decades, the deformation of soils induced by temperature variations has received increasing attention due to the limited understanding of its governing mechanisms and variables, and...
Early-Life Body Adiposity and the Breast Tumor Transcriptome.

BACKGROUND Cumulative epidemiologic evidence has shown that early-life adiposity is strongly inversely associated with breast cancer risk throughout life, independent of adult obesity. However, the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS We assessed the association of early-life adiposity, defined as self-reported body size during ages 10-20 years from a validated 9-level pictogram, with the transcriptome of breast tumor (N = 835) and tumor-adjacent histologically normal tissue (N = 663) in the Nurses' Health Study. We conducted multivariable linear regression analysis to identify differentially expressed genes in tumor and tumor-adjacent tissue, respectively. Molecular pathway analysis using Hallmark gene sets (N = 50) was further performed to gain biological insights. Analysis was stratified by tumor estrogen receptor (ER) protein expression status (n = 673 for ER+ and 162 for ER- tumors). RESULTS No gene was statistically significantly differentially expressed by early-life body size after multiple comparison adjustment. However, pathway analysis revealed several statistically significantly (false discovery rate < 0.05) upregulated or downregulated gene sets. In stratified analyses by tumor ER status, larger body size during ages 10-20 years was associated with decreased cellular proliferation pathways, including MYC target genes, in both ER+ and ER- tumors. In ER+ tumors, larger body size was also associated with upregulation in genes involved in TNFα/NFkB signaling. In ER- tumors, larger body size was additionally associated with downregulation in genes involved in interferon α and interferon γ immune response and Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling; the INFγ response pathway was also downregulated in ER- tumor-adjacent tissue, though at borderline statistical significance (false discovery rate = 0.1). CONCLUSIONS These findings provide new insights into the biological and pathological underpinnings of the early-life adiposity and breast cancer association.
Label-free optical biomarkers detect early calcific aortic valve disease in a wild-type mouse model

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) pathophysiology is a complex, multistage process, usually diagnosed at advanced stages after significant anatomical and hemodynamic changes in the valve. Early detection of disease progression is thus pivotal in the development of prevention and mitigation strategies. In this study, we developed a diet-based, non-genetically modified mouse model for early CAVD progression, and explored the utility of two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy for early detection of CAVD progression. TPEF imaging provides label-free, non-invasive, quantitative metrics with the potential to correlate with multiple stages of CAVD pathophysiology including calcium deposition, collagen remodeling and osteogenic differentiation. Twenty-week old C57BL/6J mice were fed either a control or pro-calcific diet for 16 weeks and monitored via echocardiography, histology, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative polarized light imaging. Additionally, TPEF imaging was used to quantify tissue autofluorescence (A) at 755 nm, 810 nm and 860 nm excitation, to calculate TPEF 755–860 ratio (A860/525/(A755/460 + A860/525)) and TPEF Collagen-Calcium ratio (A810/525/(A810/460 + A810/525)) in the murine valves. In a separate experiment, animals were fed the above diets till 28 weeks to assess for later-stage calcification. Pro-calcific mice showed evidence of lipid deposition at 4 weeks and calcification at 16 weeks at the valve commissures. The valves of pro-calcific mice also showed positive expression for markers of osteogenic differentiation, myofibroblast activation, proliferation, inflammatory cytokines and collagen remodeling. Pro-calcific mice exhibited lower TPEF autofluorescence ratios, at locations coincident with calcification, that correlated with increased collagen disorganization and positive expression of osteogenic markers. Additionally, locations with lower TPEF autofluorescence ratios at 4 and 16 weeks exhibited increased calcification at later 28-week timepoints. This study suggests the potential of TPEF autofluorescence metrics to serve as a label-free tool for early detection and monitoring of CAVD pathophysiology.
Influence of non-immersive avatar-based gamification on the Hawthorne Effect in pediatric gait.

Abstract Background The Hawthorne Effect occurs when participants alter their behavior when they are aware that they are being examined. The effect has been reported in many experiments, including gait analysis, and is considered an important source of bias that might impact both clinical and research results. Cognitive distraction is one potential solution to reducing the Hawthorne effect during gait analysis, but it is challenging in children, and can, in itself, alter gait. This study investigated the carryover effect of an alternative low-immersion avatar-based intervention on gait and subjective feelings in typically developing children. Research Question Will a low-immersion avatar-based intervention change feelings and indicators of temporospatial and kinematic outcomes in children in a laboratory setting, potentially reducing the Hawthorne Effect? Methods Typically developing children aged 5–13 participated in a standard laboratory gait analysis before experiencing a game in which they viewed their motion on monitors around the lab as that of a cartoon avatar in a 3D virtual environment. Following this intervention, standard walking trials were repeated. In addition, participants completed a survey of their feelings about the study both before onset and after completion. Results Thirty-one children participated in the study, 16 females and 15 males, mean aged 9.1 years. Arm swing, proposed as a measure of how relaxed and natural gait was, increased significantly following the intervention, while temporospatial parameters did not. The effect was more pronounced in females and younger children. Participants felt significantly happier, more excited, less scared, and less sad after the intervention. Changes in feelings were not closely associated with changes in gait. Significance This study suggests that gamification may reduce the Hawthorne effect and potentially produce more natural gait in children. The game intervention had a carryover effect, producing changes in gait even after the intervention was removed.
Attributes of drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene associated with microbiological water quality of stored drinking water in rural schools in Mozambique and Uganda

Contaminated drinking water causes morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Drinking water quality has been studied extensively in household settings, but little research is available on drinking water quality in schools. School settings are of particular importance, because children are more susceptible than adults to a variety of diseases from contaminated drinking water. Many school water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) interventions have been studied for their efficacy to reduce diarrheal disease incidence, but few have evaluated drinking water quality, which reflects an important exposure pathway between WaSH services and health outcomes. Using school surveys developed from internationally established WaSH indicators and field microbiological water quality tests, we studied 374 rural schools in Mozambique and Uganda to understand the association between specific WaSH services and drinking water microbiological contamination, specifically testing most probable number (MPN) of Escherichia coli, an indicator of fecal contamination, per 100 mL. In Mozambique and Uganda, 71% and 83% respectively of rural schools had low risk drinking water quality (<1 E. coli/100 mL); thirteen percent and seven percent had very high-risk water quality (≥100 E. coli/100 mL). When accounting for all WaSH services studied, schools that used an improved-type water source had 0.22 times less E. coli in stored drinking water in Mozambique (95% CI: 0.07, 0.65) and 0.12 times less E. coli in Uganda (95% CI: 0.02, 0.80). In Mozambique, use of a water source within 30 minutes for travel and collection and the presence of water and soap/ash for handwashing were also significantly associated with less E. coli in drinking water. The findings of this study provide public health practitioners with implementable WaSH services to improve school drinking water quality, which has implications for the health, learning environment, and cognitive development of school children in rural Mozambique and Uganda.
The deubiquitinase USP15 modulates cellular redox and is a therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 15 (USP15) is a deubiquitinating enzyme implicated in critical cellular and oncogenic processes. We report that USP15 mRNA and protein are overexpressed in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as compared to normal hematopoietic progenitor cells. This high expression of USP15 in AML correlates with KEAP1 protein and suppression of NRF2. Knockdown or deletion of USP15 in human and mouse AML models significantly impairs leukemic progenitor function and viability and de-represses an antioxidant response through the KEAP1-NRF2 axis. Inhibition of USP15 and subsequent activation of NRF2 leads to redox perturbations in AML cells, coincident with impaired leukemic cell function. In contrast, USP15 is dispensable for human and mouse normal hematopoietic cells in vitro and in vivo. A preclinical small-molecule inhibitor of USP15 induced the KEAP1-NRF2 axis and impaired AML cell function, suggesting that targeting USP15 catalytic function can suppress AML. Based on these findings, we report that USP15 drives AML cell function, in part, by suppressing a critical oxidative stress sensor mechanism and permitting an aberrant redox state. Furthermore, we postulate that inhibition of USP15 activity with small molecule inhibitors will selectively impair leukemic progenitor cells by re-engaging homeostatic redox responses while sparing normal hematopoiesis.
Structures of the HER2-HER3-NRG1β complex reveal a dynamic dimer interface

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and HER3 form a potent pro-oncogenic heterocomplex1–3 upon binding of growth factor neuregulin-1β (NRG1β). The mechanism by which HER2 and HER3 interact remains unknown in the absence of any structures of the complex. Here we isolated the NRG1β-bound near full-length HER2–HER3 dimer and, using cryo-electron microscopy, reconstructed the extracellulardomain module, revealing unexpected dynamics at the HER2–HER3 dimerization interface. We show that the dimerization arm of NRG1β-bound HER3 is unresolved because the apo HER2 monomer does not undergo a ligand-induced conformational change needed to establish a HER3 dimerization arm-binding pocket. In a structure of the oncogenic extracellular domain mutant HER2(S310F), we observe a compensatory interaction with the HER3 dimerization arm that stabilizes the dimerization interface. Both HER2–HER3 and HER2(S310F)–HER3 retain the capacity to bind to the HER2-directed therapeutic antibody trastuzumab, but the mutant complex does not bind to pertuzumab. Our structure of the HER2(S310F)–HER3–NRG1β–trastuzumab Fab complex reveals that the receptor dimer undergoes a conformational change to accommodate trastuzumab. Thus, similar to oncogenic mutations, therapeutic agents exploit the intrinsic dynamics of the HER2–HER3 heterodimer. The unique features of a singly liganded HER2–HER3 heterodimer underscore the allosteric sensing of ligand occupancy by the dimerization interface and explain why extracellular domains of HER2 do not homo-associate via a canonical active dimer interface. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of the HER2–HER3–NRG1β complex reveal a dynamic HER2–HER3 interface and explain the mechanism for the activating HER2 cancer mutations.
Pre-Service Teacher Experiences during COVID 19: Exploring the Uncertainties between Clinical Practice and Distance Learning

Teacher preparation programs assist candidates with the pedagogical, theoretical, and practical application of teaching and learning. This article explored the dialog between a state education agency and teacher preparation programs’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The author presents a research study of current teacher performance expectations (TPEs), online readiness, and the design of distance learning in pre-service teacher clinical practice. The participants are 10 current pre-service teachers. The researcher collected data from fieldwork supervisors, observations, and survey results from participants. Kolb’s experiential theory was used in the analysis of co-requisite policy and observations of field experiences of students in a teacher education program. The article analyzed data that suggested that in-person observations and opportunities to practice classroom instruction contribute to teacher readiness and relationship building in comparison to online learning. Furthermore, states will have to re-assess their teacher certification requirements, quality control efforts, and mandatory exams since COVID-19, which may lead to the reauthorization of the pre-service guidelines. Program learning outcomes and critical assignments that allow candidates to demonstrate content knowledge and instructional delivery are being compromised. The finding were that pre-service candidates did not have the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of specific teacher performance expectations within the distance learning format. This article aims to encourage further research teacher education and distance learning to discuss potential alternatives to certification and creative ways to embed flexibility into teacher preparation. Substantial changes can lower the quality of a program and significantly decrease effectiveness while increasing data misrepresentation. Distance learning can potentially limit quality supervision and teacher mentoring. In addition, pre-service teachers will enter classrooms with substantially fewer clinical practice hours.
Digital data acquisition and processing in an Auger electron spectrometer

The historical development of data systems for Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) is reviewed with the purpose of putting the role of potential modulation differentiation in perspective. Typical current AES systems employ completely analog controls, signal trains, and data output devices. They use potential modulation differentiation with a lock-in amplifier measuring the first harmonic signal component as an approximation to the derivative of the secondary electron energy distribution. This approach to the generation of Auger spectra makes a considerable sacrifice in the signal-to-noise ratio and the quantitative accuracy in an attempt to improve signal "contrast" in the data. This sacrifice is not necessary when the E-N(E) output, which is available from the cylindrical mirror analyzer (CMA), is used. An AES system is described which uses a mini-computer, a microprocessor, a disk drive, and a graphics terminal to provide digital control functions, a digital signal train, digital data storage and processing, and reconversion to analog only in the final data display devices. This permits the acquisition of the E.N(E) signal as measured by the CMA with no arbitrarily imposed modulation or system time-constant effects. This approach provides a high dynamic range in the data storage so that all data may be immediately stored in unprocessed form, which precludes the type of information loss that commonly results from incorrect sensitivity settings in analog systems. After the data are stored, a copy of the data may be digitally processed to provide the smoothing or averaging effect of a time constant, to differentiate the data, to integrate over specific peaks, etc. By converting the signal to digital form immediately after it leaves the CMA, the sensitivity to the pickup of stray noise is drastically reduced. The benefits of the digital approach are illustrated through examples from actual applications and through comparison with data from typical analog systems.
IMPACT OF SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING OF BUILDINGS ON ELECTRIC UTILITIES

ABSTRACT The widespread utilization of solar heating and cooling of buildings has positive and negative impacts on the planning and cost of production of electric power systems. The positive impact is that of favorable improvements in annual and seasonal load factors. The negative impact is that of unfavorable effects on daily load factors. By means of adequate system design and control strategies the daily effect can be turned around into an advantage. The result is an overall positive impact on the planning and operation of power systems. The paper discusses methodologies and techniques for peak shaving of electrical demand by adequately designed solar systems. It also formulates the generation planning problem in the presence of solar heating and cooling systems.
ShadowNet: an active defense infrastructure for insider cyber attack prevention

The ShadowNet infrastructure for insider cyber attack prevention is comprised of a tiered server system that is able to dynamically redirect dangerous/suspicious network traffic away from production servers that provide web, ftp, database and other vital services to cloned virtual machines in a quarantined environment. This is done transparently from the point of view of both the attacker and normal users. Existing connections, such as SSH sessions, are not interrupted. Any malicious activity performed by the attacker on a quarantined server is not reflected on the production server. The attacker is provided services from the quarantined server, which creates the impression that the attacks performed are successful. The activities of the attacker on the quarantined system are able to be recorded much like a honeypot system for forensic analysis.
Contact dermatitis and related dermatoses associated with petroleum recovery and use.

The author reviews the skin's structural and functional protections, and causal factors and clinical patterns of occupational skin disease. He then examines the literature concerning petroleum industry operations and petroleum-derived product use as they relate to skin disease. The chapter concludes with commentary on prevention and treatment of related skin disease. 22 references.
The Use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Music Therapy: A Sequential Explanatory Study.

Background There are published examples of how dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and music therapy are effectively being used as separate therapies in the treatment of individuals with a variety of mental health disorders. However, research examining DBT-informed music therapy is limited. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether music therapists working in mental health settings are implementing components of DBT in their work, and if so, how and why; and if not, why not and what is their level of interest in such work. Methods We used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design implemented in two phases. Phase 1 was a quantitative survey of board-certified music therapists (n=260). Due to a low survey response rate (18%), and to enhance the validity of the findings, Phase 2, an embedded qualitative procedure in the form of interviews with clinicians experienced in the DBT approach, was added to the study. Both survey and interviews inquired about DBT training, use of DBT-informed music therapy, music therapy experiences used to address DBT skills, and experiences of implementing DBT-informed music therapy. Results Respondents indicating they implement DBT-informed music therapy (38.3%) are using components and adaptations of the standard DBT protocol. Advantages of implementing DBT-informed music therapy were identified, and more than half of the respondents who do not implement DBT in their music therapy practice also perceived this work as at least somewhat important. Disadvantages were also identified and support the need for further research. Conclusions Components of DBT are used in music therapy and are valued, but there is a lack of empirical evidence to inform, refine, and guide practice.
Generating Nanoscale Arrays Using Self-Organized Porous-Alumina Ion Implantation Masks

Starting from two-step anodizing recipes available in the literature, we fabricated selfsupporting ordered ion-implantation masks that are several mm 2 in area and 1-4 νm thick. SEM micrographs reveal self-organized structures with straight open pores, 25-150 nm in diameter, extending completely through the mask. As reported previously, the pore diameter and spacing depend critically upon the anodization parameters, e.g., type of acid and its molality, the applied voltage and the solution temperature. Ion-milling procedures were developed for opening the bottoms of the anodized pores. These masks appear quite robust during exposure to ion beams of 1-MeV He, Ne, and Kr. The steps necessary to fabricate the implantation masks, including opening the pores, are briefly described. Here we present new results obtained with a mask fabricated with pore dimensions as small as 25 nm in diameter, i.e., at the limit of what is technically feasible. Measurements are reported of the angular dependence of the transmitted ion current; these results are consistent with the physical dimensions of the opened pores. TEM images of a partial array obtained by implantation through the 25-nm pores are also shown.
Relative value units poorly correlate with measures of surgical effort and complexity

Abstract Background The relationship between procedural relative value units (RVUs) for surgical procedures and other measures of surgeon effort are poorly characterized. We hypothesized that RVUs would poorly correlate with quantifiable metrics of surgeon effort. Methods Using the 2010 American College of Surgeons - National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, we selected 11 primary current procedural terminology codes associated with high volume surgical procedures. We then identified all patients with a single reported procedural RVU who underwent nonemergent, inpatient general surgical operations. We used linear regression to correlate length of stay (LOS), operative time, overall morbidity, frequency of serious adverse events (SAEs), and mortality with RVUs. We used multivariable logistic regression using all preoperative NSQIP variables to determine other significant predictors of our outcome measures. Results Among 14,481 patients, RVUs poorly correlated with individual LOS (R2 = 0.05), operative time (R2 = 0.10), and mortality (R2 = 0.35). There was a moderate correlation between RVUs and SAEs (R2 = 0.79) and RVUs and overall morbidity (R2 = 0.75). However, among low- to mid-level RVU procedures (11–35) there was a poor correlation between SAEs (R2 = 0.15), overall morbidity (R2 = 0.05), and RVUs. On multivariable analysis, RVUs were significant predictors of operative time, LOS, and SAEs (odds ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.05–1.07), but RVUs were not a significant predictor of mortality (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval: 0.99–1.05). Conclusions For common, index general surgery procedures, the current RVU assignments poorly correlate with certain metrics of surgeon work, while moderately correlating with others. Given the increasing emphasis on measuring and tracking surgeon productivity, more objective measures of surgeon work and productivity should be developed.
The adhesive bonding of steel with polysulfone

Abstract The bonding of cold rolled steel with polysulfone, a thermoplastic adhesive has been studied. The single lap shear strength of bonded samples where the substrate was gritblasted was 40% lower than for the case where the substrate was hydrothermally oxidized. Both surface preparations resulted in diminished lap shear strength on exposure to high humidity conditions. However, the hydrothermally oxidized substrates resulted in more durable bonds.
Analyzing the orientation dependence of stresses in polycrystals using vertices of the single crystal yield surface and crystallographic fibers of orientation space

The influence of the polygonal geometry of the restricted slip-associated yield surface on the distribution of stresses over a polycrystalline aggregate is examined. The vertices of the yield surface (stress states corresponding to polyslip) are grouped according to symmetries imposed by crystal structure. A measure of coaxiality between crystal stresses and yield surface vertex stresses is used to quantify the proximity of the stress in each crystal to a yield surface vertex. It is shown that for prescribed stress states, crystal stresses align more closely with certain families of vertices than with others and this relation between crystal and vertex stresses is found to depend on crystallographic fibers. Using this information, the stress distributions from finite element simulations of face centered cubic polycrystals are analyzed for different stress states ranging from uniaxial to balanced biaxial. Over the fundamental region of orientations, the propensity for the stress to align with a vertex is demonstrated. Further, the stresses in elements contributing to certain crystallographic fibers are shown to favor the vertex families aligned with those fibers. The implications of these results on mechanical behaviors, especially with respect to those observed in diffraction experiments, are discussed.
Sol-gel fabrication of nanocomposites: Alternate thin layers of PbTiO3 and PbZrO3

Abstract Ferroelectric lead titanate and lead zirconium titanate, antiferroelectric lead zirconate, and alternatively deposited lead titanate-lead zirconate films have been fabricated by the sol-gel method. All the films were crystallized into perovskite structure by annealing at 650 °C or 700 °C for 30 min. Properties of the films coated onto platinized silicon substrate were examined by XRD and SEM. Variation of dielectric constant and loss, hysteresis behavior, and I-V characteristics were measured for pure and alternatively deposited nanocomposite films in order to investigate the role of the alternatively deposited nanocomposite films on structural and electrical properties. The decrease in leakage current density of PT-PZ nanocomposite film with PT as the first and PZ as the second layer was 10 to 100 times lower than that of PT, PZ, Or PZT film.
Transcatheter Patent Ductus Arteriosus Closure in an Infant Using the Gianturco-Grifka Vascular Occlusion Device

A 2-month-old child with Down syndrome and a large patent ductus arteriosus underwent transcatheter closure using a new Food and Drug Administration-approved occlusion device. This device is described, along with its usefulness for other vascular defects.
Ex ante loss control by insurers: Public interest for higher profit

This article examines the incentives of an insurer to modify loss distributions prior to the sale of insurance. While actions such as lobbying Congress for mandatory airbags in automobiles are undertaken by insurers for the stated purpose of reducing the aggregate loss in society, they also change the nature of the risk being insured and, hence, affect the profitability of insurance sales. For the case of loss prevention (reducing the probabilty of a loss), insurers do not always have an incentive to invest in loss control. For loss reduction (reducing the severity of any loss that does occur), the incentive is to reduce the size of small losses while simultaneously increasing the size of large losses.
The Dynamic Characteristics of the Circumvaginal Muscles

Circumvaginal muscle (CVM) maximum pressure was studied as related to the postpartal period, parity, type of birth, episiotomy, age, breastfeeding, physical activity, body mass, stress urinary incontinence, and orgasm in a sample of 98 healthy postpartal and nonpostpartal women. Circumvaginal muscle pressure tracings were obtained from these women using a pressure‐sensitive, intravaginal balloon device. Correlations between circumvaginal muscle maximum pressures and episiotomy, age, breastfeeding, physical activity, body mass, stress urinary incontinence, and orgasm were either not significant or only weakly significant. However, Duncan's multiple range test showed differences in the maximum pressures between groups (nulliparous, parity > 0, cesarean delivery, and vaginal delivery) and indicated that vaginal birth has a marked weakening effect on the circumvaginal muscles.
Cancer: drivers and passengers.

Studies that have provided the first unbiased, large-scale analyses of DNA mutations across an array of cancers also have lessons for the proposal to annotate the entire cancer genome.
Generalizing response suppression of self-injurious behavior through an overcorrection punishment procedure: A case study

An overcorrection punishment procedure was used to reduce the high frequency of self-injurious, eye-poking behavior in a 3-year-old visually handicapped child. Brief daily overcorrection periods were followed by assessment of generalized response suppression to a nonpunished setting different than the treatment setting. Overcorrection not only reduced the rate of eye-poking in treatment sessions, but response suppression was also found in the generalization setting.
Early Events in the Evolution of Spider Silk Genes

Silk spinning is essential to spider ecology and has had a key role in the expansive diversification of spiders. Silk is composed primarily of proteins called spidroins, which are encoded by a multi-gene family. Spidroins have been studied extensively in the derived clade, Orbiculariae (orb-weavers), from the suborder Araneomorphae (‘true spiders’). Orbicularians produce a suite of different silks, and underlying this repertoire is a history of duplication and spidroin gene divergence. A second class of silk proteins, Egg Case Proteins (ECPs), is known only from the orbicularian species, Lactrodectus hesperus (Western black widow). In L. hesperus, ECPs bond with tubuliform spidroins to form egg case silk fibers. Because most of the phylogenetic diversity of spiders has not been sampled for their silk genes, there is limited understanding of spidroin gene family history and the prevalence of ECPs. Silk genes have not been reported from the suborder Mesothelae (segmented spiders), which diverged from all other spiders >380 million years ago, and sampling from Mygalomorphae (tarantulas, trapdoor spiders) and basal araneomorph lineages is sparse. In comparison to orbicularians, mesotheles and mygalomorphs have a simpler silk biology and thus are hypothesized to have less diversity of silk genes. Here, we present cDNAs synthesized from the silk glands of six mygalomorph species, a mesothele, and a non-orbicularian araneomorph, and uncover a surprisingly rich silk gene diversity. In particular, we find ECP homologs in the mesothele, suggesting that ECPs were present in the common ancestor of extant spiders, and originally were not specialized to complex with tubuliform spidroins. Furthermore, gene-tree/species-tree reconciliation analysis reveals that numerous spidroin gene duplications occurred after the split between Mesothelae and Opisthothelae (Mygalomorphae plus Araneomorphae). We use the spidroin gene tree to reconstruct the evolution of amino acid compositions of spidroins that perform different ecological functions.
Special Values of Automorphic Cohomology Classes

Introduction Geometry of the Mumford Tate domains Homogeneous line bundles over the Mumford Tate domains Correspondence and cycle spaces Penrose transforms The Penrose transform in the automorphic case and the main result Bibliography