cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Discomfort and Pain in Patients Undergoing Fusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging-guided vs TRUS-guided Prostate Biopsy.

Objective To investigate patient pain perception from receiving magnetic resonance imaging fusion-guided prostate biopsy (FBx) in addition to transrectal ultrasound-guided template biopsy (TBx) vs pain from standard TBx alone. Materials and Methods Patients undergoing FBx + TBx or TBx alone from April 2016 to February 2017 completed a validated pain survey after biopsy. Responses were graded from 0 to 10 (0: no pain or willing to return for repeat procedure; 10: excruciating pain or not willing to return for repeat procedure if necessary). Procedures were performed by a single urologist with a 1% lidocaine periprostatic nerve block. Pain scores between groups were compared via Mann-Whitney U test. Results A total of 170 patients were included, with 96 FBx + TBx and 74 TBx. For FBX + TBx and TBx, mean age was 68.6 (±9.7) and 66.1 (±8.3) (P = .08), and median number of cores was 14.5 (8-22) and 12 (6-14) (P Conclusion Patients reported no difference in pain or discomfort with FBx + TBx relative to TBx alone. Both procedures were mildly painful with patients very willing to return for repeat biopsy if necessary. Patients' pain experience should not influence whether additional FBx is performed.
Distributed Differentially Private Algorithms for Matrix and Tensor Factorization

In many signal processing and machine learning applications, datasets containing private information are held at different locations, requiring the development of distributed privacy-preserving algorithms. Tensor and matrix factorizations are key components of many processing pipelines. In the distributed setting, differentially private algorithms suffer because they introduce noise to guarantee privacy. This paper designs new and improved distributed and differentially private algorithms for two popular matrix and tensor factorization methods: principal component analysis and orthogonal tensor decomposition. The new algorithms employ a correlated noise design scheme to alleviate the effects of noise and can achieve the same noise level as the centralized scenario. Experiments on synthetic and real data illustrate the regimes in which the correlated noise allows performance matching with the centralized setting, outperforming previous methods and demonstrating that meaningful utility is possible while guaranteeing differential privacy.
Death and Life in a Great American City

In the 1990s two alarming statistics grabbed headlines: A study conducted by a prisoners' study group found that 75 percent of the people in upstate New York prisons came from seven New York City neighborhoods. An examination of mortality data revealed that men in one of those seven neighborhoods Harlem had less chance of living to age 65 than did men in Bangladesh, arguably one of the poorest countries in the world. In fact, the seven neighborhoods identified in the study reported the highest rates of a long list of health problems, including AIDS, violence, infant mortality, drug addiction, tuberculosis, and asthma. The concentration of disease in specific places called for new kinds of analysis. The researchers who began to tackle these issues borrowed heavily from ecologists, who have a long tradition of examining the setting within which given problems arise. I offer a single example. In 1993 it became clear to a group of ecologists in Alaska that the numbers of sea otters had dropped precipitously [1]. They began to examine this problem by closely observing not just otters but the entire ecosystem of the Alaskan coast. They found that a shortage of sea lions had left killer whales without enough to eat, and the whales had begun to eat the otters. As the otter population fell, other populations were altered as well: the numbers of sea urchins, a favorite otter meal, went up; but the kelp forests, which fed sea urchins, went down. As the kelp became scarce, the other creatures that depended on it began to disappear. Because of the central role of the sea otters in all these changes, the sea otters were recognized as a "keystone" population of the Alaska coast. In examining the problem of excess mortality in a small number of New York City neighborhoods, human ecologists began to look for the keystone populations and processes that were driving this emerging pattern of disease.
Pharmacokinetics I: Permeation and Metabolism

This chapter discusses how the body is a balanced in vivo system of inflow (absorption) and outflow (clearance) of drug and how prospective drug molecules require a minimal set of physico-chemical properties (referred to as “drug-like” defined by LogP, H 2 O solubility, pK a and molecular weight) to be able to cross biological membranes to gain entry into the body. Passive diffusion and transport processes control absorption while metabolism and excretion govern removal of drugs from the body; many of these can be estimated in in vitro assays. In addition, assays to assess the stability of molecule to destruction by hepatic enzymes, the ability of a molecule to inhibit hepatic enzyme function (this can be predictive of drug–drug interactions) and the propensity of a molecule to produce induction of live enzymes can also be assayed to optimize pharmacokinetic profiles. Finally, a discussion of oral bioavailability as a dual process of absorption followed by metabolism (first pass effect) is considered.
Effects of stress and characteristic adaptability on semen quality in healthy men

Semen from 28 healthy volunteers was assessed for basic semen measure and percent of abnormal morphologic forms every 2 weeks for 6 months. Concurrent self-reports were obtained on abstinence, frequency of ejaculation, health behavior and status, experienced stress, social support, and life events. A single assessment of characteristic adaptability (ego resiliency) also was obtained. Significant between-subject positive correlations were reported among selected semen measures, abstinence, and ego-resiliency. Stress was correlated negatively with semen measures of volume and percent normal morphologic forms.
Energy Spectrum of an Electron Cloud with Short Bunch

The transverse instability in a beam and the blow-up in its size caused by an electron cloud become increasingly important in high-intensity accelerators. The electron cloud builds up through beam-induced multipacting. We investigated the energy spectrum of an electron cloud with short bunch using particle simulation. A ''stop-band'' structure is found and a model is suggested to explain and to describe this phenomenon. The number of stop-bands depends only upon the beam (bunch spacing and intensity) and the radius of the vacuum pipe. The electron-energy spectrum provides useful information for understanding multipacting and measuring the electron's energy.
Synthesis of 6-SF5-indazoles and an SF5-analog of gamendazole.

This work describes an efficient synthetic approach for a new type of SF5-substituted heterocyclic system, namely 6-SF5-indazoles. During this study, various derivatives of 6-SF5-indazoles such as bromo, iodo, nitro, N-acetyl and N-benzyl substituted compounds were synthesized and characterized. In addition, the utility of the synthetic methodology was demonstrated via the synthesis of 6-SF5-gamendazole – a fully matched analog of the experimental male contraceptive gamendazole, which has a 6-CF3-substituted indazole core.
The Roman Catholic Church: A Centuries Old History of Awareness of Clerical Child Sexual Abuse (from the First to the 19th Century)

Debates in international forums and in mainstream media on the role, responsibility, liability, and response of ecclesiastical authorities of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) toward clerical child sexual abuse (cCSA) fail to take into account the historical roots and awareness of the problem. Reports also fail to mention the historic organizational laws RCC developed over centuries. In contrast, RCC documents evidence that the Catholic Church not only carried century's old history of cCSA, but also repeatedly condemned cCSA by successive papal authorities, organizational laws, and institutional management mechanisms. During the first millennium, however, church laws remained confined to the bookshelves and were not converted into appropriate management policies and infrastructural models. This was largely due to the absence of a central administrative organizational structure, which developed later in the 12th century, following the Second Council of Lateran (1139) when the Papacy asserted its authority to establish administrative control over the organizational church. It was only then that management policies started to be framed and institutional structures enacted to deal more appropriately with cCSA from the 14th to 20th centuries. Despite this, RCC developed a culture of secrecy using clandestine organizational management models and institutional laws prescribed in 1568, 1622, 1741, 1866, 1922, and 1962 which aimed to manage cCSA. The current study traces reported cCSA as far back as the first century and critically examines the organizational laws, and institutional policies developed by RCC to address clerical sexual misconduct up to the end of the 19th century.
Tunable Three-Dimensional Magnetic Coordination Polymers

Four chlorinated phenyltricyanoethylenes were synthesized and reacted with vanadium hexacarbonyl to form ferrimagnetic coordination polymers.Species chlorinated at the 2, 3, or 4 position of the ring as well as a dichlorinated analogue with substitution at both the 2 and 6 positions were examined.The magnetic ordering temperatures of the polymers were reproducible and ranged from 140 to 288 K. All compounds displayed soft ferrimagnetic behavior, and their structure-property relationships are discussed.
Gastric teratomas in infants: report of two cases.

Gastric teratoma is a rare benign tumor with a striking male predominance in patients under one year of age. The common presenting features are a palpable mass producing gastrointestinal hemorrhage or respiratory distress. Approximately 50% of gastric teratomas may show calcification on plain abdominal roentgenograms. Two cases in newborns are reported, and the clinical and radiologic features of gastric teratomas reviewed.
A Lightweight and Affordable Sleep Quality Monitoring and Visualization System with a GSR Sensor for Users in Rural Areas to Facilitate Tele-Health

Having quality sleeping is very critical for individuals to maintain a healthy life. Over the years, thanks to the big advances in wearable and sensing technologies, a wide variety of wearable devices had been pushed to the market. However, for rural users including those in China, these devices are still largely inaccessible. In this paper, we describe the development of a lightweight and affordable real-time sleep monitoring system to serve such purpose. To significantly reduce its cost, a galvanic skin response sensor (GSR) was adopted. GSR sensor can be used to measure the conductivity of the skin and has been widely adopted in physiological assessment. In order to study the feasibility of our system, we performed two small pilot tests and obtained promising results.
Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effects of Morning versus Evening Primary Vaccination on Episodes of Hypoxemia and Bradycardia in Very Preterm Infants.

Background Hypoxemia and bradycardia occur frequently in preterm infants, but are incompletely understood. They are more prevalent during infections and following immunization. Data on adults suggested an increased immune response if subjects slept following vaccination, suggesting an interaction between circadian rhythm and the immune system. Whether this holds true for preterm infants with their less well-established circadian rhythm is unclear. Objective Do infants born at 26-30 weeks' gestation and having received their first routine hexavalent vaccination in the morning have a lower cardiorespiratory event rate (CER) after vaccination than those receiving it in the evening? Methods Twenty-six infants were randomized to an evening versus morning vaccination group in a pilot and main study with 10 and 16 participants, respectively. Pulse oximeter saturation, actigraphy, and rectal temperature were obtained for 24 h before and after vaccination. Blood samples for vaccination titers were taken before vaccination and during a follow-up examination in our outpatient clinic; another blood sample was taken 24 h after vaccination to determine inflammatory markers. Results Vaccination led to an increase in CER in both groups, but there was no difference in CER between the morning and evening groups. Vaccination titers for Bordetella pertussis were increased in both groups, with no difference in inflammatory markers 24 h after vaccination. Body temperature increased in both groups after vaccination. Participants in the evening group slept longer after vaccination. Conclusions We did not identify a difference in CER between morning and evening vaccination but could confirm increased body temperatures and vaccination titers following vaccination.
Delays in Administration of the Second Antibiotic Dose in Patients With Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of significant delays in administration of the second antibiotic dose in patients treated for severe sepsis and septic shock at a singl...
Population structure of the scleractinian coral Montastraea cavernosa in southeast Florida

The persistence of scleractinian coral populations on the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) is controlled in part by metapopulation dynamics and larval dispersal. Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were analyzed to characterize contemporary population structure and gene flow as well as historical migration rates of Montastraea cavernosa at five sites off Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward counties in southeast Florida. The sampled populations demonstrated evidence of genetic isolation by distance over a geographic range of 85 km. Population genetic structure was divided into two genetic clusters, northern and southern, with admixture along a latitudinal gradient. Historical migration models indicated likely panmixia throughout all sites sampled, identifying a potential reduction in connectivity among the sampled populations through time. Though M. cavernosa populations demonstrated evidence of historical connectivity, contemporary patterns of isolation by distance suggest that effective management will require localized actions to maximize the likelihood of sustaining individual populations in the northern FRT. Given the results of this study, coupled with recent coral mortality events in the region, we recommend regional conservation efforts and management initiatives throughout southeast Florida within a more comprehensive FRT-wide management network.
Developing Successful Learning Strategies in Structural Geology.

Geologic fieldwork requires much more than knowledge of the basic skills learned in the standard undergraduate curriculum. Synthesis of the skills into a mental construct called a schema must be done before one can address the kinds of problems that arise when doing field investigations. Schema-development cannot be taught explicitly, but a teaching strategy that includes gradational sets of exercises contributes to the kind of synthesis that is needed to develop a functional understanding of a subject. Appropriate use of descriptive geometry and trigonometry in Structural Geology courses does two fruitful things: it provides students with sets of tools they need to analyze three-dimensional structural patterns, and it stimulates the ability to visualize in three-dimensions. Both of these results are needed to develop a functional understanding of a complex project such a mapping exercise in a moderately complex area.
Books worth (re)reading

My last column described children’s and adults’ play that took place last summer, when we were enjoying a brief downturn in the global COVID19 pandemic. Since then the numbers of cases and deaths h...
A Agrégation de Philosophie e a emergência do nietzschianismo filosófico francês

Resumo Embora se acredite amplamente que a atencao francesa a Nietzsche nos anos 1960 era uma resposta a publicacao das licoes de Heidegger sobre Nietzsche em 1961, defendo que o aparecimento de Nietzsche na lista de leitura do exame de agregation de philosophie fornece a melhor explicacao para a emergencia do chamado “New Nietzsche” em sua associacao com o pos-estruturalismo frances. Apos uma breve explicacao de como a agregation funciona na cultura academica francesa e sua influencia nas atividades docentes e publicacoes dos professores, analiso o aumento do interesse na obra de Nietzsche entre filosofos, desde o fim dos anos 1950, como consequencia desse exame.
Association Between Alzheimer Disease and Cancer With Evaluation of Study Biases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance Observational studies consistently report inverse associations between cancer and Alzheimer disease (AD). Shared inverse etiological mechanisms might explain this phenomenon, but a systematic evaluation of methodological biases in existing studies is needed. Objectives To systematically review and meta-analyze evidence on the association between cancer and subsequent AD, systematically identify potential methodological biases in studies, and estimate the influence of these biases on the estimated pooled association between cancer and AD. Data sources All-language publications were identified from PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases through September 2, 2020. Study selection Longitudinal cohort studies and case-control studies on the risk of AD in older adults with a history of any cancer type, prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or nonmelanoma skin cancer, relative to those with no cancer history. Data extraction and synthesis Two reviewers independently abstracted the data and evaluated study biases related to confounding, diagnostic bias, competing risks, or survival bias. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to provide pooled estimates of the association between cancer and AD. Metaregressions were used to evaluate whether the observed pooled estimate could be attributable to each bias. The study was designed and conducted according to the Preferring Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. Main outcomes and measures Incidence, hazard, or odds ratios for AD comparing older adults with vs without a previous cancer diagnosis. Results In total, 19 cohort studies and 3 case-control studies of the associations between any cancer type (n = 13), prostate cancer (n = 5), breast cancer (n = 1), and nonmelanoma skin cancer (n = 3) with AD were identified, representing 9 630 435 individuals. In all studies combined, cancer was associated with decreased AD incidence (cohort studies: random-effects hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.79-1.00; case-control studies: random-effects odds ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93). Studies with insufficient or inappropriate confounder control or greater likelihood of AD diagnostic bias had mean hazard ratios closer to the null value, indicating that these biases could not explain the observed inverse association. Competing risks bias was rare. Studies with greater likelihood of survival bias had mean hazard ratios farther from the null value. Conclusions and relevance The weak inverse association between cancer and AD may reflect shared inverse etiological mechanisms or survival bias but is not likely attributable to diagnostic bias, competing risks bias, or insufficient or inappropriate control for potential confounding factors.
Acute Care of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental illnesses that are often associated with potentially life-threatening psychiatric comorbidities and medical complications. Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rate of any mental illness [1]. About one-half to two-thirds of all deaths seen in individuals with EDs are due to suicide or cardiac causes, both of which are likely to initially present to an emergency department or other acute-care settings. Given that the majority of individuals with EDs do not readily self-disclose their illness to health-care providers, it is imperative that all providers be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of EDs and maintain a high index of suspicion for associated complications. The purpose of this chapter is to (1) give a brief overview of the EDs, (2) discuss recognition of EDs and commonly associated complications, (3) describe the management of EDs and their complications in the acute setting, and (4) provide suggestions for appropriate disposition and referral decisions.
M Dwarfs in SDSS Stripe 82: Photometric Light Curves and Flare Rate Analysis

We present a flare rate analysis of 50,130 M dwarf light curves in SDSS Stripe 82. We identified 271 flares using a customized variability index to search ~2.5 million photometric observations for flux increases in the u- and g-bands. Every image of a flaring observation was examined by eye and with a PSF-matching and image subtraction tool to guard against false positives. Flaring is found to be strongly correlated with the appearance of H-alpha in emission in the quiet spectrum. Of the 99 flare stars that have spectra, we classify 8 as relatively inactive. The flaring fraction is found to increase strongly in stars with redder colors during quiescence, which can be attributed to the increasing flare visibility and increasing active fraction for redder stars. The flaring fraction is strongly correlated with |Z| distance such that most stars that flare are within 300 pc of the Galactic plane. We derive flare u-band luminosities and find that the most luminous flares occur on the earlier-type M dwarfs. Our best estimate of the lower limit on the flaring rate (averaged over Stripe 82) for flares with \Delta u \ge 0.7 magnitudes on stars with u < 22 is 1.3 flares hour^-1 square degree^-1 but can vary significantly with the line-of-sight.
Gender differences in children’s social skills growth trajectories

At school entry, girls are rated by teachers as more competent on measures of social skills than boys. It is less clear if this higher rating is stable or grows over time. To address this question,...
Design and Implementation of a Real-time Monitoring Platform for Optimal Sepsis Care in an Emergency Department: Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Sepsis is the leading cause of death in US hospitals. Compliance with bundled care, specifically serial lactates, blood cultures, and antibiotics, improves outcomes but is often delayed or missed altogether in a busy practice environment. Objective: This study aims to design, implement, and validate a novel monitoring and alerting platform that provides real-time feedback to frontline emergency department (ED) providers regarding adherence to bundled care. Methods: This single-center, prospective, observational study was conducted in three phases: the design and technical development phase to build an initial version of the platform; the pilot phase to test and refine the platform in the clinical setting; and the postpilot rollout phase to fully implement the study intervention. Results: During the design and technical development, study team members and stakeholders identified the criteria for patient inclusion, selected bundle measures from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Sepsis Core Measure for alerting, and defined alert thresholds, message content, delivery mechanisms, and recipients. Additional refinements were made based on 70 provider survey results during the pilot phase, including removing alerts for vasopressor initiation and modifying text in the pages to facilitate patient identification. During the 48 days of the postpilot rollout phase, 15,770 ED encounters were tracked and 711 patient encounters were included in the active monitoring cohort. In total, 634 pages were sent at a rate of 0.98 per attending physician shift. Overall, 38.3% (272/711) patients had at least one page. The missing bundle elements that triggered alerts included: antibiotics 41.6% (136/327), repeat lactate 32.4% (106/327), blood cultures 20.8% (68/327), and initial lactate 5.2% (17/327). Of the missing Sepsis Core Measures elements for which a page was sent, 38.2% (125/327) were successfully completed on time. Conclusions: A real-time sepsis care monitoring and alerting platform was created for the ED environment. The high proportion of patients with at least one alert suggested the significant potential for such a platform to improve care, whereas the overall number of alerts per clinician suggested a low risk of alarm fatigue. The study intervention warrants a more rigorous evaluation to ensure that the added alerts lead to better outcomes for patients with sepsis.
Utilizing Health Literacy Measures to Assess the Content of a Food Quality Screener for Understandability and Actionability

Nutrition education materials are frequently used by health educators to inform consumers about quality food choices. However, evaluation of content-based factors that impact the consumer’s ability...
Nutritional Characteristics of Black Lentil from Soleto: A Single-Flower Vetch Landrace of Apulia Region (Southern Italy).

Archaeological remains and historical documents demonstrate that a single-flower vetch has been cultivated in Italy from the early stages of agriculture. Some Italian communities have perpetuated the custom to eat its seeds still to the present. This is the case of people living in some villages of the southern Apulia region. In consequence of the high resemblance of the single-flower vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.) seeds with those of lentils, the Apulian landrace is locally named “lenticchia nera di Soleto” (black lentil from Soleto). The evaluation of seed nutritional traits of this landrace revealed good macronutrient contents (proteins and starch, 28.4 and 42.4 g/100 g respectively), low trypsin inhibitor levels (4.08 TIU/mg), short cooking times after soaking (24–25 min) and a lack of broken seeds at the end of cooking. The coat content of total phenolic compounds (TPC) of the Apulian black lentil was comparable with that of the lentil cv. Beluga (68.23 vs. 66.14 mg GAE/g, respectively).
Are Newspaper Deserts an Oasis for Leniency? The Effect of Information Dissemination on Regulator Activity

The effectiveness of regulator activity, such as inspections and audits, increases with the deterrence effects triggered by such activity. Deterrence can be increased through information dissemination (e.g., newspaper coverage) about regulator activity. I combine detailed inspection data from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) with local newspaper closures to estimate the effect of a decrease in deterrence on regulator activity. I show that newspaper closures lead to a 6% decrease in the inspection rate, meaning regulators consider deterrence effects when making enforcement decisions. This effect is stronger when newspapers have stronger deterrence effects and the change in deterrence is more salient to the regulator. My results show that information dissemination can be an integral part of regulatory enforcement due to its inherent deterrence effects.
COMMENT ON OCCUPANT AND LICENSING INTERVENTIONS

The author discusses occupant and licensing interventions which are intended to reduce motor vehicle injuries. He notes that there is a paucity of evaluations of these interventions, and a clear need for additional evaluations of intervention attempts. Some interventions discussed, along with their available evaluations, include : 1. community and clinical programs to increase restraint use by children under age 5; 2. interventions promoting the use of rear seats by children; 3. primary vs secondary seat belt laws; 4. high school driver education; and 5. graduated licensing.
Potential Benefits of a Concurrent Verbal Task when Feeling Fatigued Due to Monotonous Driving Conditions

Work by Atchley and Chan (2011) reported that engaging in a concurrent verbal task might serve to alleviate performance decrements in drivers when vigilance was low. Building on previous findings, the current study investigated the potential benefits of a concurrent verbal task when drivers were likely to be fatigued due to the extended duration and monotony of a driving task. Driver performance was studied under distracted and non-distracted conditions. Results indicated that strategically engaging in a concurrent verbal task led to improved driving performance when fatigue was at its highest.
Applicability of Commercial CFD Tools for Assessment of Heavy Vehicle Aerodynamic Characteristics

In preliminary validation studies, computational predictions from the commercial CFD codes Star-CD were compared with detailed velocity, pressure and force balance data from experiments completed in the 7 ft. by 10 ft. wind tunnel at NASA Ames using a Generic Conventional Model (GCM) that is representative of typical current-generation tractor-trailer geometries. Lessons learned from this validation study were then applied to the prediction of aerodynamic drag impacts associated with various changes to the GCM geometry, including the addition of trailer based drag reduction devices and modifications to the radiator and hood configuration. Add-on device studies have focused on ogive boat tails, with initial results indicating that a seven percent reduction in drag coefficient is easily achievable. Radiator and hood reconfiguration studies have focused on changing only the size of the radiator and angle of the hood components without changes to radii of curvature between the radiator grill and hood components. Initial results indicate that such changes lead to only modest changes in drag coefficient.
Magnetic properties of single-crystal DyAl2

We measured the magnetic properties and heat capacity of three $\mathrm{Dy}{\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$ single crystals with the magnetic field oriented along the three principal crystallographic directions: [100], [110], and [111]. The isothermal entropy change versus temperature curves were obtained from heat capacity and magnetization data for these directions. The experimental results were successfully explained by a mean field model that includes spin reorientation, exchange interactions, and crystalline electric field effects. The anomalous magnetocaloric effect along the [111] direction predicted by theory was confirmed experimentally.
A cloned chicken lymphokine homologous to both mammalian IL-2 and IL-15.

IL-2, cloned in several mammalian species, plays a critical role in immune system function. Indirect evidence suggests that IL-2-like molecules also exist in lower vertebrates, although none has been cloned. In view of the commercial importance of poultry and the lack of any IL-2 sequence data in lower vertebrates, we undertook to clone a chicken IL-2-like molecule. To this end, a cDNA library was constructed from activated chicken spleen cells and screened for T cell proliferative activity. Three clones of a single gene were isolated that produced a protein stimulatory for activated T cell blasts. This protein had 24 to 25% amino acid identity and 44 to 46% similarity to both bovine IL-2 and IL-15. The homology with IL-15 was unexpected, since primate IL-15 was reported to have no homology with IL-2. However, genetic distance analysis indicated that the chicken interleukin homology is closer to the mammalian IL-2 than to the mammalian IL-15 homology. Furthermore, the chicken gene has several characteristics of mammalian IL-2s: e.g., expression only by activated T cells, mRNA with a short 5' region preceding the open reading frame, and a short leader sequence. It has one characteristic that is unique to IL-15: four conserved cysteines allowing for two intrachain disulfide bonds.
Pharmaceuticals and Society

Pharmaceuticals (medicines, vaccines, and biologicals) are compounds manufactured for the purpose of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of diseases. Pharmaceuticals consume a large share (15.2 percent) of global health spending, amounting to $440 billion a year. They are critical to the effective functioning of the health system and to global development. Access to pharmaceuticals is a key barrier to medical treatment. About a third of the world population – and 50 percent of the poorest parts of Africa and Asia – lack regular access to existing medicines. Rational medicine use presents another challenge, at both social and individual levels; the overprescribing of antibiotics is an example of irrational medicine use. The pharmaceutical industry (“Big Pharma”) is the most profitable industry in the United States and a major source of health care costs. There is an ongoing debate in the United States about pharmaceutical research and development, regulation, and marketing. For example, there have been claims that pharmaceutical companies overstate the benefits and understate the dangers of new medicines, and sometimes manipulate data to mislead outside researchers, regulators, and consumers. The industry has also been charged with influencing independent research through funding and other methods. Keywords: medicalization; medicine; pharmaceuticals; therapy
A Novel High-Throughput Approach to Measure Hydroxyl Radicals Induced by Airborne Particulate Matter

Oxidative stress is one of the key mechanisms linking ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure with various adverse health effects. The oxidative potential of PM has been used to characterize the ability of PM induced oxidative stress. Hydroxyl radical (•OH) is the most destructive radical produced by PM. However, there is currently no high-throughput approach which can rapidly measure PM-induced •OH for a large number of samples with an automated system. This study evaluated four existing molecular probes (disodium terephthalate, 3′-p-(aminophenyl)fluorescein, coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, and sodium benzoate) for their applicability to measure •OH induced by PM in a high-throughput cell-free system using fluorescence techniques, based on both our experiments and on an assessment of the physicochemical properties of the probes reported in the literature. Disodium terephthalate (TPT) was the most applicable molecular probe to measure •OH induced by PM, due to its high solubility, high stability of the corresponding fluorescent product (i.e., 2-hydroxyterephthalic acid), high yield compared with the other molecular probes, and stable fluorescence intensity in a wide range of pH environments. TPT was applied in a high-throughput format to measure PM (NIST 1648a)-induced •OH, in phosphate buffered saline. The formed fluorescent product was measured at designated time points up to 2 h. The fluorescent product of TPT had a detection limit of 17.59 nM. The soluble fraction of PM contributed approximately 76.9% of the •OH induced by total PM, and the soluble metal ions of PM contributed 57.4% of the overall •OH formation. This study provides a promising cost-effective high-throughput method to measure •OH induced by PM on a routine basis.
Realization of a Multimedia Traffic Generator Based on (μ,σ) Buffer Occupancy Analysis

Carefully selected traffic generators enable accurate simulation of integrated broad-band networks. Simulation tools are crucial in analysis of traditional as well as new protocols and algorithms designed for optimum network management in the era of high-speed integrated ATM-based networks. In this paper, we survey proposed ATM traffic models and traffic generators derived from them for the purposes of representing voice, data, and video traffic. We then compare (μ, σ) buffer occupancy levels at a statistical multiplexer due to traffic generated from various traffic generators and show that the generator based on K-superposition of identical On/Off sources (K-ON-OFF model) possesses desirable characteristics as a general multimedia traffic model. The K-ON-OFF generator has been implemented and used to represent voice, data, or video sources as well as aggregated traffic behavior.
Don’t Pay for Validation: Detecting Drifts from Unlabeled data Using Margin Density☆

Abstract Validating online stream classifiers has traditionally assumed the availability of labeled samples, which can be monitored over time, to detect concept drift. However, labeling in streaming domains is expensive, time consuming and in certain applications, such as land mine detection, not a possibility at all. In this paper, the Margin Density Drift Detection (MD3) approach is proposed, which can signal change using unlabeled samples and requires labeling only for retraining, in the event of a drift. The MD3 approach when evaluated on 5 synthetic and 5 real world drifting data streams, produced statistically equivalent classification accuracy to that of a fully labeled accuracy tracking drift detector, and required only a third of the samples to be labeled, on average.
A study of wall effects on Hall thruster operation

Summary form only given. An electron emission from the wall facing the plasma can reduce the sheath potential drop increasing the electron energy flux to the wall. As the flux of cold emitted electrons becomes comparable to the flux of incident plasma electrons the sheath saturates due to the space charge of slow emitted electrons. These effects were studied both theoretically and experimentally in laboratory plasmas and in applications to divertors effusion devices. Recent theoretical studies have suggested that a space-charge saturated sheath regime can be also realized in Hall thrusters. Typical electron temperatures in these crossed-field discharge devices are on the order of cross-over energy of the secondary electron emission yield (SEE) from ceramic channel walls. Therefore, the walls can act as an effective energy sink limiting the electron temperature. We report here first direct experimental validation of these theoretical predictions by measuring plasma potential, electron temperature and density with emissive and biased probes. A 2 kW Hall thruster with a boron nitride ceramic channel was operated in the discharge voltage range of 200-800 V. A discharge voltage threshold (/spl sim/400 V) was found to separate two different plasma regimes of the thruster. Below this threshold, electron temperature and potential distributions yield a linear fit T/sub e/(z)/spl ap/0.1/spl middot//spl phi/(z) along the acceleration region. The maximum electron temperature, T/sub emax/, increases linearly with the voltage, but always exceeds (almost twice at 400 V) the cross-over energy of SEE (/spl sim/18 eV) expected for Maxwellian electron energy distribution (EDF). This result appears consistent with predictions of that the EDF is depleted at high energy due to electron wall losses. Above 400 V, T/sub emax/ saturates (/spl sim/50 eV), the acceleration region expands, but the linear fit is still valid outside the thruster. At the discharge voltages of larger than 500 V, T/sub emax/ tends to increase again, but its placement appears outside the thruster. This result indicates that the wall sheaths are space-charge saturated.
Intratympanic membrane cholesteatoma: a rare incidental finding

Intratympanic membrane cholesteatoma, occurring in the absence of trauma or surgery to the ear, is rare with less than 20 cases reported in the literature. We report a rare incidental finding of intratympanic membrane cholesteatoma in a 12-month-old girl and review the literature.
Evaluation of a point-of-care coagulation analyzer on patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.

Abstract Study objective To evaluate a point-of-care (POC) coagulation monitoring analyzer (CoaguChek™ Pro DM) in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Design Prospective, blinded study. Setting University hospital. Participants 32 patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery with CPB. Intervention Arterial blood samples were drawn four times: preoperatively, postinduction, and 10 minutes and 60 minutes after reversal of heparin with protamine. Measurements and main results Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) were measured with a point-of-care system—CoaguChek™ Pro DM as well as with the Core Laboratory facility using a MD180 analyzer. A total of 128 consecutive paired analyses were conducted. There was very good agreement of the point-of-care-based monitoring of aPTT and PT with the Core Laboratory-based monitoring of aPTT and PT (positive correlations by linear regression analysis: r 2 = 0.83 and 0.92, respectively). The turn-around time (time from blood sampling until availability of data for the anesthesiologists) was significantly shorter for the point-of-care system (averaging 30 min). Conclusion CoaguChek™ Pro DM is a reliable and time-efficient point-of-care system for monitoring coagulation of patients undergoing CPB. The use of this system may improve patient care in this group through timely and accurate clinical decisions.
Peace profile: Victor Jara

During the 1970s, Chile went through enormous political change. On September 11, 1973, a coup was launched against Salvador Allende, then Chile's president. The coup was successful, and many people died: among them was singer/songwriter Victor Jara. Jara had become an integral part of Allende's political campaign. Through Victor and his songs, the Allende movement gained momentum. Victor was not a militant man. Instead, he believed in the power of music and its ability to bring people together. Through the efforts of Jara and others like him, the New Chilean Song Movement was born. This movement gave wind to discovery and exploration. It helped Chileans critically confront the issues affecting their lives at the time. It got people thinking, and it helped unite them. More and more people wanted to get involved in a revolutionary process to pursue a new culture and a just society. Jara believed in giving people the means by which they could express themselves. He listened to others with the respect they de...
The Effect of Physical Disturbance, Sound and Light on the Incidence of Blood Spots and Other Egg Quality Factors

Abstract RESEARCH workers have been trying for many years to associate the incidence of blood spots with various environmental factors that would influence a laying hen's emotions or in any other way result in abnormal egg production. Significant seasonal effects on blood spot incidence have been noted by Lerner and Smith (1942), Jeffrey (1945), Lerner and Taylor (1947), Sauter et al. (1952), Dawson (1955), and Strain and Johnson (1957). Jeffrey and Pino (1943) frightened birds with dogs and did not get an increase in blood spot incidence. Jeffrey (1945) reported that eggs from birds kept in cages had a lower blood spot incidence than did eggs from similar birds on the floor. In contrast to this McDowell (1958) reported that eggs from caged birds had more blood spots than eggs from floor birds. Mueller et al. (1951) reported that the effects of light on egg quality and blood spot incidence were …
A toxicokinetic comparison of two species of low larkspur (Delphinium spp.) in cattle

Abstract Low larkspurs have different toxic potentials to livestock due to variation in the individual alkaloids present in the plants. Two species, Delphinium nuttallianum and Delphinium andersonii were dosed to 10 Holstein steers at 10 mg and 12 mg toxic alkaloids/kg, respectively. Blood samples were collected periodically for 96 h, analyzed for serum alkaloid concentrations and toxicokinetic parameters calculated for 16-deacetylgeyerline, 14-deacetylnudicauline, methyllycaconitine and geyerline/nudicauline which co-eluted in the serum analysis. The maximum serum alkaloid concentrations and area under the curve values for 16-deacetylgeyerline and geyerline/nudicauline were significantly different between the two groups due to the concentrations of the alkaloids in each larkspur species. The alkaloid elimination half-lives were similar for the two larkspur species. These results suggest the elimination rates of norditerpene alkaloids from different larkspur species in cattle are similar regardless of plant alkaloid composition. The determining factor for larkspur toxicity is the individual alkaloid composition of the plant.
Third‐order many‐body perturbation theory for the ground state of the carbon monoxide molecule

Many-body perturbation calculations have been performed for the ground state of the carbon monoxide molecule at its equilibrium internuclear separation. The calculations are complete through third order within the algebraic approximation; i.e., the state functions are parameterized by expansion in a finite basis set. All two-, three-, and four-body terms are rigorously determined, and many-body effects are found to be very important. A detailed comparison is made with a previously reported configuration interaction study. Pade approximants to the energy expansion are constructed. The many-body perturbative wave function is used in the Rayleigh quotient to produce upper bounds to the electronic energy.
From neo-corporatism to delegative corporatism? Empowerment of NGOs during early democratization

Great attention has been paid to the role of various nongovernmental organizations in the process of reaching democratic breakthrough. In this manuscript I move beyond the question of how organizations empower a new generation of political elites, instead exploring the fate of these organizations in the early period of democratic consolidation. I argue that certain leading organizations from the pro-democracy struggle are confronted during this period with not only challenges, but also new political opportunities. Among these is a fundamentally new relationship with the state that refer to here delegative corporatism, whereby select organizations purportedly representative of societal interests are given enhanced influence over the state in return for moderation of demands.
Eleven Tips to Lighten the Load: Optimizing the Blessing of Family Caregiving

This informal piece offers tips to family caregivers, based on my personal experience as a social work educator who temporarily moved in with my mother, who lives with dementia. Lessons learned are distilled into 11 tips that are respectfully offered to other social work educators who have the blessing and the challenge of caring for their older loved ones.
The changing market for electrical engineers

It is becoming increasingly important for government and industry, as well as for many engineers and scientists, to examine the implications of present and future changes in defense requirements At a time when the electronics and aerospace industries are undergoing an “agonizing reappraisal” of the future requirements of their chief customer, many companies and many engineers and scientists are beginning to think more intently about the prospects before them.
Frictional Behavior and Surface Failure of Human Enamel

The frictional behavior and surface failure of human enamel under sliding in water was examined. A large plowing component of friction was observed. For normal loads of up to 1kg, ductile behavior of the wear scar was apparent. Intermittent cracks were obrerved that appeared to propagate around the enamel rods.
An analytical model for the prediction of the dynamic response of premixed flames stabilized on a heat-conducting perforated plate

Abstract The dynamic response of a premixed flame stabilized on a heat-conducting perforated plate depends critically on their coupled thermal interaction. The objective of this paper is to develop an analytical model to capture this coupling. The model predicts the mean flame base standoff distance; the flame base area, curvature and speed; and the burner plate temperature given the operating conditions; the mean velocity, temperature and equivalence ratio of the reactants; thermal conductivity and the perforation ratio of the burner. This coupled model is combined with our flame transfer function (FTF) model to predict the dynamic response of the flame to velocity perturbations. We show that modeling the thermal coupling between the flame and the burner, while accounting for the two-dimensionality of the former, is critical to predicting the dynamic response characteristics such as the overshoot in the gain curve (resonant condition) and the phase delay. Good agreement with the numerical and experimental results is demonstrated over a range of conditions.