cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myopia control in children through refractive therapy gas permeable contact lenses: is it for real?

� PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficacy of orthokeratology as a nonsurgical treatment for myopia in children with alternate methods, such as soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, and spectacles, throughout multiple studies. � DESIGN: Perspective with literature review. � METHODS: Analysis of recent studies to determine the safety and effectiveness of orthokeratology versus soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, and spectacles in children. � RESULTS: In all of the studies reviewed, the use of orthokeratology lenses proved to reduce myopia, to improve visual acuity, and, with the exception of the SMART study, to reduce the rate of axial elongation. Orthokeratology has been shown to be as effective as other methods in treating myopia and to be more effective at treating axial elongation. There were no major adverse events in any of the studies comparing orthokeratology with other methods of myopia treatment. � CONCLUSIONS: Studies show that the use of orthokeratology is a safe and efficacious nonsurgical treatment for myopia and that it is capable of slowing axial elongation, making it an effective myopic treatment for children. (Am J Ophthalmol 2013;156:1076‐1081.
Nutrient Disposition and Response

Many factors are involved in the development of drug-nutrient interactions (DNIs). In order to better understand the potential for DNIs, an appreciation for control over food intake, as well as the digestion, absorption, and elimination of nutrients and their sites of storage and effect is necessary.
Sepsis Due to Rhodotorula Related to Use of Indwelling Central Venous Catheters

With increased use of surgically implanted silastic central venous catheters, there has been an increase in the recovery from blood cultures at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York) of environmental and skin organisms including the red yeast Rhodotorula. From 1985 through 1989, 23 patients had catheter-related Rhodotorula sepsis. All 23 patients had indwelling central venous catheters that had been in place from 1 to 22 months (average, 9.3 months) prior to the detection of fungemia. All patients had blood drawn both through the catheter and from a peripheral source, and only one patient had a peripheral blood culture positive for Rhodotorula. Colony counts of yeast from the catheter cultures often exceeded 100 (15 patients) and even 1,000 (seven patients) cfu/mL of blood. Thirteen of the patients were treated with antifungal therapy and had the catheter removed, and five patients received antifungal therapy without catheter removal (suggesting that compulsory removal of the catheter may not always be required). Five patients had the catheter removed without antifungal therapy. All patients survived the fungemic episode and experienced no recurrence of the infection.
The benefits of contemplating tragic drama on self-regulation and health

SUMMARY Although drama exposure has been examined in the context of health promotion programs, the underlying mechanisms of reflecting on drama have not been established. The degree to which drama contemplation leads to cognitive changes (increased processing, self-compassion and emotional self-efficacy) and improved well-being was examined in the present research. An experiment was conducted in which young adults (n ¼ 148) were randomly assigned to experience and write reflectively on (i) drama via Hollywood movie clips, (ii) drama via scripts or (iii) to perform a control task. Writing content was analyzed for word use. At baseline and 4-week follow-up measures, participants self-reported self-compassion, emotional self-efficacy, physical symptoms, general health, depressed mood and anxiety. Using structural equation modeling, indirect effects of drama contemplation were found. Tragic drama exposure was associated with word use indicative of increased cognitive processing. The use of greater insight words was related to increased emotional self-efficacy, which in turn was associated with improved psychological and general health, whereas discrepancy word use was associated with increased self-compassion, which was in turn linked to better psychological well-being. Conversely, greater use of causation and certainty words was associated with a marginal decrease in self-compassion and psychological well-being. The persistence of drama has long been related to its capacity to enhance individuals’ understanding of the human condition. This study helps explain the connection between reflecting on drama and benefits to self-regulation and health. Implications of drama processing as an inexpensive and accessible adjunct to health promotion interventions are discussed.
Identification and cloning of caprine uterine serpin.

The uterine serpins have been described in sheep, cattle, and pigs as a highly diverged group of the large superfamily of serpin proteins that typically function as serine proteinase inhibitors. Here, the range of species that possess and express a uterine serpin gene is extended to the goat. Sequencing of cDNA amplified from total RNA from a pregnant goat at day 25 of pregnancy resulted in a 1,292 bp full-length consensus cDNA sequence for caprine uterine serpin (CaUS). The predicted amino acid sequence of the caprine precursor showed 96%, 82%, 55%, and 56% identity to OvUS, BoUS, PoUS1, and PoUS2, respectively. The signal peptide extends from amino acids 1 to 25, resulting in a secreted protein of 404 amino acids and 46,227 Mr (excluding carbohydrate). Both the goat and sheep uterine serpins have a nine amino acid insert in the Helix I region that is not found in bovine or porcine uterine serpins. A total of 13 amino acids in CaUS are different than those for the nearest homologue, ovine uterine serpin. One of these is in the site of cleavage of the signal sequence, where a single nucleotide substitution (G C) changed the cysteine for the sheep, bovine, and porcine genes to a serine. In addition, the amino acid at the putative P1–P1′ site (the scissile bond for antiproteinase activity) is a valine for CaUS, BoUS, PoUS1, and PoUS2 versus an alanine for OvUS. The hinge region of all five of the uterine serpins (P17–P9) is distinct from the consensus pattern for inhibitory sequences and it is unlikely, therefore, that the uterine serpins possess prototypical proteinase inhibitory activity. The goat uterine serpin was immunolocalized to the glandular epithelium of the endometrium from a pregnant nanny at day 25 of pregnancy. There was also immunoreactive product in scattered luminal epithelial cells. No immunoreaction product was detected in endometrium from a nanny at day 5 of the estrous cycle. Western blotting of uterine fluid collected from the pregnant uterine horn of a unilaterally-pregnant goat revealed the presence of a protein band at Mr ∼56,000 that reacted with monoclonal antibody to OvUS. In conclusion, the range of species in which uterine serpins are present and expressed in the uterus includes the goat in addition to the previously described sheep, cow, and pig. In all of these species, the uterine serpin is derived primarily from glandular epithelium, is secreted into the uterine lumen, and contains sequence characteristics suggesting it is not an inhibitory serpin. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 70: 262–270, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Flexible Linkages and Offshore Assembly Facilities in Developing Countries

The adoption of advanced manufacturing technology and new forms of organization at parent plants has created expectations of spatial reintegration of production toward developed countries. Contrary to these expectations, there has been a flexible spatial decentralization process toward developing countries that is different from the one associated with mass production. While Vernon's product cycle theory hypothesizes that "obsolete" independent units are decentralized, in a flexible production system tightly integrated and increasingly technologically sophisticated units are transferred to developing countries. This trend is the result of changes not only in the production relations within the plant, but also across plants.
ANWENDUNG VON MUCIN‐INFEKTIONEN BEI CHEMOTHERAPEUTISCHEN UNTERSUCHUNGEN. (VERSUCHE MIT MENINGOKOKKEN, B. COLI, B. TYPHI UND B. PARADYSENTERIAE).

Zusammenfassung. Mit Hilfe von Schweinemagenmucin a. m. Miller wurden experimentelle Infektionen mit Bakterien erzeugt, welche sonst apathogen oder sehr wenig pathogen fur Mause sind. Diese Infektionen wurden mit Chemotherapeutika behandelt, und es wurde eine gute therapeutische Wirkung von Sulfapyridin, Sulfathiazol und Sulfamethylthiazol gegenuber Meningokokken, B. coli, B. paradysenteriae Flexner sowie B. typhi beobachtet.
Run-to-run adaptive optimization of a tungsten silicide LPCVD process

We introduce a novel modeling technique, in an effort to develop a physically-motivated empirical model of the deposition rate and spatial deposition nonuniformity for a single-wafer tungsten silicide low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) processing step. In general, such a description is difficult to obtain due to the complexity of the mapping between the spatial nonuniformity and manipulated variables. Combining the so-called multiple response surface method with a "feedback-like" model structure, relating reactant partial pressures with manipulated variables, we develop a reasonably accurate description of the deposition rate and spatial deposition nonuniformity across wafer surface. This model offers good fitting accuracy with fewer adjustable parameters compared with the more traditional polynomial-structure models. Further, based on this modeling methodology, we derive a run-to-run adaptive control/optimisation strategy aiming to achieve prescribed values of the average deposition rate and silicon to tungsten ratio at the wafer surface, while minimizing the variation of the deposition rate across the wafer surface.
Systolic blood pressure changes in indigenous Bolivian women associated with an improved cookstove intervention

The use of biomass fuels as a primary fuel source is widespread and is linked to significant health effects. High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular effects including myocardial infarction and stroke. Few studies evaluating the health effects of household air pollution (HAP) have included blood pressure measurements. This study evaluated the effects of changes in cookstove-related particulate matter on blood pressure in 28 women head-of-households pre-intervention and 1 year post-intervention of an improved cookstove in a small, indigenous community in rural Bolivia. Blood pressure and kitchen particulate matter (PM) measurements were taken in August and September 2009 (pre-intervention) and in a 1-year follow-up in September and October of 2010 (post-intervention). Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased from 114.5 ± 13.0 mm Hg to 109.0 ± 10.4 mm Hg, (p = 0.01) after the improved cookstove intervention. Small decreases in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were also seen, but these changes were not significant (p = 0.50). Decreases in SBP were correlated with reductions in 24-h mean kitchen PM levels (r = 0.59, p = 0.04). Somewhat stronger correlations were found between reductions in cooking PM concentrations and reductions in both SBP (r = 0.66, p = 0.01) and DBP (r = 0.66, p = 0.01). This study finds associations between decreases in both 24-h mean and mean cooking PM levels and decreases in SBP following an improved cookstove intervention.
Diagnosis of multiple infarcts from complex electrocardiograms during normal rhythm, left bundle-branch block, and ventricular pacing

Abstract Introduction Because of better treatment of chronic coronary artery disease, patients with multiple ischemic insults are living longer and requiring long-term management. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) in patients with multiple myocardial infarctions (MMIs) are a challenge to the clinician or cardiologist. This is because second myocardial infarctions (MIs) often modify or obscure the ECG effects of the first MI and vice versa. This can result in complex tracings, which are difficult to interpret and predict the locations of damaged regions. It is important to identify MMI because, additively, they can result in poor ventricular function. Methods New criteria for the diagnosis of MMI were derived from studies in which ECGs and body surface potential distribution maps were correlated with epicardial and intramural depolarization in animal studies of MI and in patients at the time of coronary artery bypass graft and with the pathologic anatomy in a few patients. The initial criteria were fine tuned by correlations between ECGs and independent data obtained from catheterization and other imaging modalities (ultrasound and radionuclide single photon emission computed tomography). Results Often 2 or more MIs are concealed according to classical Q- and R-wave criteria. Myocardial infarctions located in opposing walls (180°), that is, inferior-superior, anterior-posterior, are the most difficult to identify. Two MIs that are not opposing (90°) are usually readily detectable. The pathologic Q waves produced by each separate MI, when opposing, are replaced by multiple QRS deflections or baseline crossings, which are referred to as M and W complexes. These waveforms replace Q waves and are equally weighted in a scoring system to improve diagnostic accuracy of ECG interpretation. These new criteria can also be used to predict MIs in left bundle-branch block, intraventricular conduction delay, and ventricular pacing. Conclusion Multiple myocardial infarctions modify the ECG because they eliminate Q waves and result in confusing, splintered QRS waveforms, referred to as M and W complexes. New criteria are presented to diagnose the presence and locations of these MMIs, which predict reduced left ventricular function, in normal sinus rhythm, left bundle-branch block, and ventricular pacing.
Expression of e-cadherin in high-risk breast cancer

E-cadherin expression is diverse, and differences in patient characteristics may produce variability in expression. Whereas some studies have indicated that downregulation of e-cadherin, associated with loss of cellular adhesiveness, was correlative with poor prognosis and metastasis, other studies have failed to confirm this. The present study uses a highly homogenous population of patients at high-risk for breast cancer, on the basis of ethnic and socio-economic status, to examine the relationship between e-cadherin and other prognostic markers in breast cancer. Immunohistochemical staining was undertaken for estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors, epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2), p53, vascular endothelial factor (VEGF), and hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and the levels of these markers was compared to e-cadherin expression in a high-risk African-American patient population. E-cadherin expression persisted into the later stagers of the disease, and was strongly associated with Her-2 and HIF-1α expression, but not p53, ER/PR or VEGF. In contrast to other studies on heterogeneous populations, e-cadherin is preserved in aggressive tumors in this high-risk population. The ethnic and socio-economic risk stratification needs to be accounted for in studies correlating markers and prognosis.
Diagnostic Strategies for Common Medical Problems

At last, the second edition of Diagnostic Strategies for Common Medical Problems has arrived to replace the well-used first edition, published in 1991. Evidence about the precision and accuracy of diagnostic tests is not always readily available, and this resource attempts to overcome the problem. Its aim is to help clinicians with both critical appraisal of diagnostic tests and quantitative decision making about diagnostic strategies. It provides information about the operating characteristics of diagnostic tests and procedures that are commonly used in clinical practice, particularly in internal medicine. Black ER, Bordley DR, Tape TG, et al. Diagnostic Strategies for Common Medical Problems. Second edition. Philadelphia: American College of Physicians, 1999. Diagnostic Strategies for Common Medical Problems can be purchased online at http://www.acponline.org/catalog/books/diagnostic_strategies.htm for US$45; the contents of the book can also be viewed on this site. …
Inflammatory Pseudotumor of the Spleen: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

The authors report the case of an inflammatory pseudotumor found incidentally in the spleen of a 53-year-old woman who had undergone splenectomy for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura. An ultrasound performed 2 months prior to the operation showed a spleen of normal size with no appreciable masses; however, gross examination of morselized splenic tissue removed by laparoscopic splenectomy revealed two small, well-circumscribed, white–tan nodules measuring 0.8 and 1.5 cm admixed with otherwise normal-appearing splenic parenchyma. Microscopically, these mass lesions were inflammatory pseudotumors composed of a variable mixture of polyclonal populations of mature lymphocytes and plasma cells with eosinophils, neutrophils, histiocytes, and fibrous tissue. This case represents a rare splenic lesion in our review of the world literature. Inflammatory pseudotumors of the spleen are usually solitary, often asymptomatic, rarely diagnosed prior to surgical removal, and characterized by a varied but un...
Coverage path planning for multiple robotic agent-based inspection of an unknown 2D environment

This paper describes a coverage-based path planning algorithm for multiple robotic agents with the application on the automated inspection of an unknown 2D environment. The proposed path planning algorithm determines a motion path that a robotic agent will follow to sweep and survey all areas of the unknown environment, which is enclosed by the known boundary. The 2D unknown environment is decomposed into a union of simplices using the principle of Delaunay triangulation. The area coverage is equivalent to design a path for a robotic agent to follow and visit all simplices subject to certain mission constraints. A hierarchical mission planner is designed to allocate mission tasks among multiple agents in each level and pass information down to the next level along the hierarchy. The proposed path planning algorithm has been tested and evaluated on the problem of planning path for two types of robotic agents - flying agents and crawling agents in a two-tier hierarchical mission planner to cover various unknown 2D environments.
Experiments on ripple instabilities. Part 1. Resonant triads

Water waves for which both gravitation and surface tension are important (ripples) exhibit a variety of instabilities. Here, experimental results are presented for ripple wavetrains on deep water with frequencies greater than 19.6 Hz where a continuum of resonant triad interactions are dynamically admissible. The experimental wavetrains are indeed unstable, and the instability becomes more pronounced as nonlinearity is increased. The unstable wavefield is characterized by significant spatial disorder while temporal measurements at fixed spatial locations remain quite ordered. In fact, for most experiments temporal measurements suggest that a selection process exists in which a single triad dominates evolution. The dominant triad typically does not involve a subharmonic frequency of the generated wave and persists over a wide range of amplitudes for the initial wave. Viscosity does not appear to be important in the selection process; however, it may be responsible for the lack of subsequent triad production by the excited waves of the initial triad. The presence of a selection process contradicts previous conjecture, based on the form of the interaction coefficients, that a broad-banded spectrum of waves should occur. The general absence of subharmonic growth also contradicts previously reported experiments. Results are also presented for wavetrains at the parametric boundary of 19.6 Hz and a degenerate case of resonant triads at 9.8 Hz (Wilton’s ripples). In addition to resonant triads, the experiments show evidence of (generally) weaker narrow-band interactions.
LDPC decoding using multiple representations

For a particular block code, a multitude of different parity check matrices could be chosen to represent the code constraints. We demonstrate that belief propagation decoders based on different parity check matrices often respond in different ways, and that for a given complexity, it may be preferable to use several decoders for fewer iterations, than to run a single decoder for many iterations. We also propose some additional decoder architectures that use multiple representations of the parity constraints.
Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide purification by polymerization of failure sequences

Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide is purified by capping failure sequences with an acrylated phosphoramidite followed by polymerization and product extraction. The method is suitable for large scale oligonucleotide drug purification.
EFFECT OF TEACHER'S GAZE ON CHILDREN'S STORY RECALL

Two studies utilize a repeated-measures design to compare the story-recall performances of 46 primary-school children who were administered stories in the presence and absence of teacher's gaze. Analysis indicates a significant positive relationship between gaze and recall, especially among boys. These findings are discussed in terms of the literature on the effects of eye contact and teacher's expectancies.
Modelling the neutral gas environment of comets with special application to P/Halley

Abstract A technique has been developed which allows relatively accurate modelling of cometary gas production from nothing more than a visible light curve. Application to P/Halley suggests the production rate of parent molecules will be about 2.6 × 1029 per second on March 10, 1986, for example. The uncertainties and intrinsic limitations in this approach are outlined. The theory is then extended to predictions of abundance of other gaseous species, and a photometric model of these gases provided. Combined with the dust model of N. Divine, preliminary predictions of the luminance of P/Halley as seen in any direction from inside the coma or outside can be provided for λλ3000–7000.
The Medium-Energy Particle Analyzer (MEPA) on the AMPTE CCE Spacecraft

The medium-energy particle analyzer (MEPA) was designed to measure the spectra and composition of magnetospheric particle populations from 10 keV per nucleon (for oxygen) to more than 6 MeV The instrument provides for high background rejection and a geometry tactor large enougn (10-2 cm2 * sr) to be sensitive to rare natural species and tracer ions beyond geosynchronous orbit, while having the ability to operate without saturation in the very high flux regions of the inner magnetosphere. The MEPA telescope measures time of flight and thus velocity of energetic ions from a thin front foil to a rear solid-state total-energy detector, determining the incident ion mass. The telescope is capable of isotopic resolution of hydrogen and helium, of elemental resolution up through oxygen, and can resolve major species and groups to beyond iron with 32-sector angular resolution and temporal resolution of 0.2-24 s. MEPA represents a new and extremely promising technology for space-particle instrumentation in that it has the capability of measuring low-energy heavy ions with high efficiency while discriminating against high natural fluxes of protons.
Tibial shaft fractures treated with the AO unreamed tibial nail.

Background The AO unreamed tibial nail (UTN) has been used for both open and closed tibial fractures. The reported results have been mixed. We evaluated its outcome in our unit. Aim To assess the outcome of tibial shaft fractures treated with the AO UTN. Methods Forty-eight patients underwent intramedullary nailing between 1995 and 2000 using the AO UTN. Follow-up details were available for 45 patients. Results Forty-four fractures united (97%). Complications included one non-union (2.2%), 15 delayed unions (33%), nine had either broken or bent interlocking screws (20%), six malunions (13%) and three patients underwent fasciotomy for compartment syndrome (7%). Twenty-one patients underwent at least one additional operation to obtain union (47%). Of these, five underwent exchange nailing (11%). Conclusions The AO UTN does have a high complication rate and, should it be used, we feel that early dynamisation or exchange nailing be considered to hasten union and prevent screw breakage.
Normalized tornado damage in the United States: 1950–2011

In 2011, thunderstorms in the United States resulted in 550 deaths from tornadoes and more than $28 billion in property damage, according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the vast majority of economic losses resulting from tornadoes. This article normalizes U.S. tornado damage from 1950 to 2011, using several methods. A normalization provides an estimate of the damage that would occur if past events occurred under a common base year's societal conditions. We normalize for changes in inflation and wealth at the national level and changes in population, income and housing units at the county level. Under several methods, there has been a sharp decline in tornado damage. This decline corresponds with a decline in the reported frequency of the most intense (and thus most damaging) tornadoes since 1950. However, quantification of trends in tornado incidence is made difficult due to discontinuities in the reporting of events over time. The normalized damage results are s...
Surface-micromachined micro-XYZ stages for free-space microoptical bench

Micro-XYZ stages have been monolithically integrated with microactuators and out-of-plane microoptical elements, all fabricated by the same surface-micromachined process, on Si free-space microoptical bench. Optical beam adjustment with three degrees of freedom has been realized without angular squinting. A positioning accuracy of 11 nm has been achieved by the integrated scratch drive actuators, with the travel distance larger than 30 /spl mu/m in each direction.
Effect of quinapril or metoprolol on heart rate variability in post-myocardial infarction patients

The effect of quinapril or metoprolol on heart rate variability (HRV) indexes was studied in patients who had recovered from acute myocardial infarction. Patients with stable coronary artery disease and normal volunteers were used as controls. Sixty patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction (aged 32 to 74 years [mean 56.7]) were randomized to quinapril (n = 25), metoprolol (n = 25), and placebo (n = 10). HRV was assessed 5 days (baseline) and 35 days after the onset of acute myocardial infarction. After the baseline studies, the post-myocardial infarction patients were treated with metoprolol (50 to 100 mg/day), quinapril (5 to 10 mg/day), or placebo. Twenty patients with stable coronary artery disease and 20 healthy volunteers, age- and sex-matched to myocardial infarction patients, were used as controls. Compared with placebo, quinapril and metoprolol increased HRV indexes significantly 35 days after the onset of myocardial infarction. HRV indexes were not statistically different between the 2 treatment groups. At baseline and after therapy, HRV was similar in patients with anterior or inferior wall myocardial infarction. HRV 35 days after the onset of myocardial infarction was not different from HRV in patients with stable coronary artery disease, but was decreased when compared with that in normal volunteers. Data suggest that quinapril has the same beneficial effect on HRV indexes as metoprolol in patients who have recovered from uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction.
Sidgwick's Feminism

Henry Sidgwick shared many of the feminist concerns of John Stuart Mill and was an active reformer in the cause of higher education for women, but his feminism has never received the attention it deserves and he has in recent times been criticized for promulgating a masculinist epistemology. This essay is a prolegomenon to a comprehensive account of Sidgwick's feminism, briefly setting out various elements of his views on epistemology, equality, gender, and sexuality in order to provide some initial sense of how he carried on and developed the Millian project.
Seasonal Home Range Use and Defendability in White-Handed Gibbons ( Hylobates lar ) in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Gibbons are unique among hominoids in that they form small, socially monogamous groups that defend stable home ranges against encroachment by neighboring conspecifics. The evolution of this combination of traits, and the role of foraging ecology in its emergence, has long been the subject of speculation and research (Leighton 1987; Chivers 2001; Bartlett 2007). Early models focused on the highly frugivorous diets of gibbons and the consequent inability of adult females to share feeding resources. Social and reproductivemonogamy, it was argued, resulted from the inability of males to defend areas large enough to support more than one adult female and her offspring. While males of monogamous species might willingly associate with multiple females (and experience increased reproductive success as a result), the distribution of females into separate territories was thought to limit a male’s ability to defend access to more than one female, leaving males no other option but to travel with a single female at a time (Ellefson 1974; Emlen and Oring 1977; Wrangham 1979; Raemaekers and Chivers 1980; Leighton 1987). According to van Schaik and Dunbar (1990), one weakness of this model as applied to gibbons is that long daily path lengths (DPL) relative to home range size in most populations indicate that gibbon males could readily defend the territories of multiple females simultaneously. Based largely on these finding, van Schaik and Dunbar reject what they refer to as the female dispersion model, paving the way for alternative explanations for social monogamy in gibbons that highlight the role of sexual competition [e.g., infanticide prevention (van Schaik and Dunbar 1990) and mate guarding (Palombit 1999)] rather than ecological selection pressures (but see Brockelman 2005, this volume). However, in my view, the rejection of the female dispersion model is premature.
A Delphi Study on Staff Bereavement Training in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Field

The Delphi technique was used to obtain expert panel consensus to prioritize content areas and delivery methods for developing staff grief and bereavement curriculum training in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) field. The Delphi technique was conducted with a panel of 18 experts from formal and informal disability caregiving, nursing, and hospice and bereavement service provision. Results showed that training should help staff identify and support service users experiencing grief. Importantly, staff also needs help in managing their own grief. Organizational policies and resources should be instituted to support the grief processes of both service users and staff. Practice-based applications are discussed, and research implications are presented for training evaluation.
Identification of human megakaryocyte coagulation factor V.

Specific monoclonal and polyclonal antibody reagents and a double antigen indirect immunofluorescence microscopy technique were used to visualize coagulation factor V in human bone marrow. Marrow aspirates were smeared directly on glass slides, or washed and cytospun onto glass slides, or processed and plated into a plasma/methylcellulose cell culture system. Morphologically identifiable colonies of megakaryocytes, erythrocytes, granulocytes, or monocytes/macrophages were removed from 14- to 18-day marrow culture dishes by micropipette and streaked onto glass slides. Smears of marrow cell preparations were air-dried, fixed, washed, and incubated sequentially with primary IgG antibody reagents and with secondary anti-IgG antibody reagents conjugated with either fluorescein or rhodamine. Preparations were examined and photographed through a microscope suitably equipped for two-color fluorescence and phase contrast analysis. Cells of megakaryocytic lineage were identified by their immunofluorescent reactivity with murine monoclonal antibody HP1–1D, specific for human platelet plasma membrane glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa), or by their immunofluorescent reactivity with monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies specific for von Willebrand factor (vWF) or for platelet factor 4 (PF4). Coagulation factor V in bone marrow was detected by simultaneous immunofluorescent staining with polyclonal burro anti- human factor V antibody or with a panel of murine monoclonal anti-human factor V antibodies. The double antigen immunofluorescence staining technique, incorporating appropriate controls, revealed that coagulation factor V was principally located in marrow cells simultaneously identified as megakaryocytes by antibodies to GP IIb/IIIa, vWF, or PF4. The specific immunofluorescence of factor V in megakaryocytes and platelets was eliminated when excess purified factor V antigen was preincubated with anti-factor V antibody. Our observations establish the presence of human megakaryocyte coagulation factor V, confirm the presence of human platelet factor V, and indicate that human megakaryocyte/platelet coagulation factor V is a lineage- associated protein.
Emergency room visits and hospitalizations among participants with spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND Literature examining emergency room visits (ERV) and emergency room related hospitalizations (ERH) after spinal cord injury (SCI) is limited. OBJECTIVE Identify (1) the annual frequency of ERV and ERH and (2) their likelihood as a function of demographic, injury, and socioeconomic characteristics. METHODS Participants (n = 1,579) with SCI completed mailed self-report questionnaires. RESULTS 37% reported at least one ERV, with an average of 85 ERV per 100 participants. 19% reported at least one ERH and an average of 33 ERH annually per 100 participants. A greater likelihood of ERV was observed among non-whites, those with more severe SCI, less education, and lower income. Among those with at least one ERV, greater risk of ERH was observed among non-Hispanic whites, those with more severe SCI, lower education, and higher age. CONCLUSIONS ERV are common after SCI and should be accounted for when predicting SCI related expenses. Those with the most severe SCI and those in the oldest age group were most likely to be hospitalized after an ERV.
KickSoul: A Wearable System for Feet Interactions with Digital Devices

In this paper we present a wearable device that maps natural feet movements into inputs for digital devices. KickSoul consists of an insole with sensors embedded that tracks movements and triggers actions in devices that surround us. We present a novel approach to use our feet as input devices in mobile situations when our hands are busy. We analyze natural feet?s movements and their meaning before activating an action. This paper discusses different applications for this technology as well as the implementation of our prototype.
Where Politicians Gave Power to the People Adoption of the Citizen Initiative in the U.S. States

What led elites in some U.S. states to surrender policy-making power to voters between 1898 and 1918, while leaders elsewhere retained only representative democracy? The authors argue that progressives behaved as strategic politicians by supporting direct democracy when they were stymied at achieving their goals in the legislature and were confident that the voters who would be empowered by initiatives that agreed with progressive policies. They made their delegation of power conditional on who would receive it. The presence of these underlying conditions made adoption of the citizen initiative likely, the authors posit, while the timing of reforms came when insurgent reformers had a strong presence in state government, when the results of a galvanizing election sent a clear signal, or when the adoption of the initiative in one state diffused to its neighbors. Exploring these hypotheses by analyzing a new data set, the authors find strong support for their expectations about the conditions that created fertile ground for direct democracy.
Primary Care Imaging using Optical Coherence Tomography for Advanced Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Primary care is the front-line of healthcare, which historically has relied on primitive optical instruments for illumination and magnification of tissue surfaces. A point-of-care OCT system is developed for screening and early detection of disease.
Application Value of Pediatric Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion Using a Central Venous Catheter

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of the treatment of pediatric parapneumonic pleural effusion by closed pleural drainage using a central venous catheter,compared with using a conventional thoracentesis.Methods 68 cases with Medium or large parapneumonic pleural effusion diagnosed by chest ultrasound were randomly divided into two groups: the patients in treatment group(n = 34) were undergone by persistently closed pleural drainage using a central venous catheter.The patients in control group(n = 34) were drainaged by conventional thoracentesis,the drainage fever clearance time,shortness of breath improve pleural fluid absorption time,hospitalization time of two groups were compared.Results The drainage,shortness of breath improve time and the time of pleural effusion absorption of the treatment group were better than those of the control group,there were significant differences between the two groups,but there was no significant difference in fever clearance time.Conclusion Central venous catheter closed thoracic drainage was an effective and injury treatment worthy of promotion in pediatrics.
Immune Recovery After Bone Marrow Transplantation

The donor-derived immune system that forms after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) takes as long as 2 years to develop in healthy BMT recipients. Soon after BMT, GVHD and its treatment increase the susceptibility of the recipient to overwhelming infections, and they retard the development of the immune system. The new system develops from a primitive state characterized by cytotoxic and suppressive functions and progresses to a mature state characterized by the development of specialized lymphocyte functions such as lymphokine production, proliferation, and expression of growth factor receptors. These specialized functions develop in healthy long-term recipients, whereas the same functions may be absent or impaired in those who develop chronic GVHD.
Minimally Invasive Hernia Repair in Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy

Inguinal hernia is a recognized complication of radical prostatectomy. Previous hernia repair, wound infection, midline incision, low BMI, and preexisting or subclinical hernia contribute to the risk of inguinal hernia following radical prostatectomy. Concomitant hernia repair at the time of pelvic surgery has risks and benefits. Repair during surgery prevents future hernia-related complications and saves the need for an additional procedure. However, hernia repair at the time of radical prostatectomy includes the risk of mesh infection, post-operative pain, adhesions, lack of experience, and overall minimal risk with watchful waiting. The robotic transperitoneal approach is the most commonly used technique for concomitant inguinal hernia repair with a modest addition to operative time and minimal postoperative complications. Recurrence rates following concomitant hernia repair during pelvic surgery are low.
The importance of situation-specific encodings: analysis of a simple connectionist model of letter transposition effects

This paper analyses a three-layer connectionist network that solves a translation-invariance problem, offering a novel explanation for transposed letter effects in word reading. Analysis of the hidden unit encodings provides insight into two central issues in cognitive science: (1) What is the novelty of claims of “modality-specific” encodings? and (2) How can a learning system establish a complex internal structure needed to solve a problem? Although these topics (embodied cognition and learnability) are often treated separately, we find a close relationship between them: modality-specific features help the network discover an abstract encoding by causing it to break the initial symmetries of the hidden units in an effective way. While this neural model is extremely simple compared to the human brain, our results suggest that neural networks need not be black boxes and that carefully examining their encoding behaviours may reveal how they differ from classical ideas about the mind-world relationship.
Species as Stressors: Heterospecific Interactions and the Cellular Stress Response under Global Change

SYNOPSIS Anthropogenic global change is predicted to increase the physiological stress of organisms through changes in abiotic conditions such as temperature, pH, and pollution. However, organisms can also experience physiological stress through interactions with other species, especially parasites, predators, and competitors. The stress of species interactions could be an important driver of species' responses to global change as the composition of biological communities change through factors such as distributional and phenological shifts. Interactions between biotic and abiotic stressors could also induce non-linear physiological stress responses under global change. One of the primary means by which organisms deal with physiological stress is through the cellular stress response (CSR), which is broadly the upregulation of a conserved set of genes that facilitate the removal and repair of damaged macromolecules. Here, we present data on behavioral interactions and CSR gene expression for two competing species of intertidal zone porcelain crab (Petrolisthes cinctipes and Petrolisthes manimaculis). We found that P. cinctipes and P. manimaculis engage in more agonistic behaviors when interacting with heterospecifics than conspecifics; however, we found no evidence that heterospecific interactions induced a CSR in these species. In addition to our new data, we review the literature with respect to CSR induction via species interactions, focusing on predator-prey systems and heterospecific competition. We find extensive evidence for predators to induce cellular stress and aspects of the CSR in prey, even in the absence of direct physical contact between species. Effects of heterospecific competition on the CSR have been studied far less, but we do find evidence that agonistic interactions with heterospecifics can induce components of the CSR. Across all published studies, there is clear evidence that species interactions can lead to cellular stress and induction of the CSR. Nonetheless, our understanding of species-induced cellular stress lags far behind our understanding of abiotic cellular stress.
The structure of the kinetochore in meiosis and mitosis in Urechis eggs

Abstract The kinetochores of Urechis eggs in the meiotic and early cleavage divisions are localized regions of osmiophilic or electron-dense material, about 200 mμ in diameter, at the surface of the chromosomes. The electron-dense kinetochore seen in Urechis egg chromosomes corresponds to the “spindle spherule” or “leitkorperchen” seen in other materials by light microscopy. The kinetochore frequently appears to consist of three layers: two electron-dense layers each about twice as thick as an intermediate electron-transparent layer. The electron-dense material may not be a permanent part of the chromosome, since it appears to increase in amount from prometaphase to anaphase, and is relatively insensitive to deoxyribonuclease. In the first meiotic division, each member of a chromosome-pair has two kinetochores, at least by metaphase. This is demonstrated by the bimodal distribution of kinetochore lengths at metaphase and anaphase of the first meiotic division, and by the separation of sister kinetochores which may be produced by strong hypotonic treatment of the eggs after short fixation in osmium tetroxide.
Beyond ICOM8: perspectives on advances in mycorrhizal research from 2015 to 2017

This report reviews important advances in mycorrhizal research that occurred during the past 2 years. We highlight major advancements both within and across levels of biological organization and describe areas where greater integration has led to unique insights. Particularly active areas of research include exploration of the mechanisms underpinning the development of the mycorrhizal symbiosis, the mycorrhizal microbiome, comparisons among types of mycorrhizas from molecular to ecosystem scales, the extent and function of mycorrhizal networks and enhanced understanding of the role of mycorrhizas in carbon dynamics from local to global scales. The top-tier scientific journals have acknowledged mycorrhizas to be complex adaptive systems that play key roles in the development of communities and ecosystem processes. Understanding the mechanisms driving these large-scale effects requires integration of knowledge across scales of biological organization.
Regulation, free-riding incentives, and investment in R&D with spillovers

Abstract In this paper, we analyze a duopoly market with investment in abatement technology under environmental regulation. We use a three-stage game where firms invest in a green technology with spillover effects in the first stage, the regulator sets the emission fee in the second stage, and production of the polluting good occurs in the third stage. We analyze two different regulatory regimes: (1) each firm faces the same emission fee (uniform fee), and (2) each firm faces an emission fee dependent on the investment in green technology (type-dependent fee). Firms can differ through their costs of investing in the abatement technology (asymmetric efficiency). We obtain that social welfare is unambiguously higher under the type-dependent regime than otherwise. In addition, we find that the asymmetry in efficiency of investment affects firms’ profits, identifying that efficient (inefficient) firms favor type-dependent (uniform) policy regimes.
Effects of intrathoracic pressure, inhalation time, and breath hold time on lung diffusing capacity

Abstract The single breath hold maneuver for measuring lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and nitric oxide (DLNO) incorporates multiple sources of variability. This study examined how changes in intrathoracic pressure, inhalation time, and breath hold time affect DLCO, DLNO, alveolar-capillary membrane conductance (DmCO) and pulmonary capillary blood volume (Vc) at rest and during submaximal exercise. Thirteen healthy subjects (mean ± SD; age = 26 ± 3y) performed duplicate tests at rest and during submaximal exercise. DLCO and Vc were lower with a positive versus negative intrathoracic pressure during the breath hold at rest (DLCO: 22.2 ± 5.5 vs. 22.7 ± 5.5 ml/min/mmHg, p = 0.028; Vc: 46.5 ± 11.6 vs. 48.2 ± 11.7 ml, p = 0.018). However, during exercise, DLCO and Vc were higher with positive versus negative pressure (DLCO: 26.7 ± 5.5 vs. 25.7 ± 5.7 ml/min/mmHg, p = 0.014; Vc: 56.2 ± 12.6 vs. 53.9 ± 13.1 ml, p = 0.039). The inhalation time did not significantly affect DLCO, DLNO, DmCO or Vc. Short breath hold times (