cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In-the-Moment Teaching Decisions in Primary Grade Reading: The Role of Context and Teacher Knowledge

This study provides insight into the in-the-moment teaching decisions made during reading instruction in the primary grades. Eight exemplary teachers of reading drew upon pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to make these in-the-moment decisions. Findings indicate the focus of teachers’ in-the-moment decisions varied depending on the instructional context. Teaching decisions made during whole-group lessons tended to focus on motivation, engagement, and comprehension. In contrast, small-group lessons and individual conferences allowed for more individualized and student-specific teaching decisions by emphasizing problem-solving strategies, assessment, and word study. Small-group instruction emerged as a particularly significant context for in-the-moment teaching decisions as it allowed for more frequent in-the-moment teaching decisions than whole-group instruction or individual conferences.
In Vivo Studies with Ambruticin in Murine Histoplasmosis

Ambruticin (W7783) was evaluated in vivo in mice subacutely or nonlethally infected with Histoplasma capsulatum . Results were compared with those obtained with amphotericin B, the drug of choice in human histoplasmosis. In one experiment, ambruticin was shown to be capable of curing infected animals as evidenced by totally negative liver and spleen cultures obtained when mice were sacrificed after 4 weeks of oral treatment with 150 mg of drug per kg per day. The 50% cure dose for ambruticin was between 75 and 150 mg/kg per day; the 50% cure dose for oral amphotericin B in this experiment was between 1.56 and 6.25 mg/kg per day. In a second experiment, both oral ambruticin (150 mg/kg per day) and oral amphotericin B (25 mg/kg per day) were again curative, but to a lesser degree than in the first experiment. Biological cures were obtained with both drugs after 3 and 4 weeks of treatment but not after 2 weeks.
A time-based model for investigating parallel logic-level simulation

A model for studying the effects of timing models and synchronization strategies for event-driven parallel logic-level simulation is presented. Two timing models, variable-delay and unit-delay, and two synchronization strategies, synchronous and conservative asynchronous, are discussed. The average parallelism of circuits using the two timing models are compared, and the execution times of circuits using various timing models and synchronization strategies are considered. It is shown that the circuit parallelism using unit-delay timing provides an upper bound on that of any timebase used in variable-delay timing and that with either timing model, the execution time of the conservative asynchronous strategy is a lower bound over the synchronous strategy, assuming an unlimited number of processors. However, assuming that all events take the same amount of time, it is shown that with unit-delay timing, the execution time of the synchronous strategy equals that of the asynchronous strategy. >
Reactive symbol sequences for a model of hydrogen combustion

Transient, macroscopic states of chemical disequilibrium are born out of the microscopic dynamics of molecules. As a reaction mixture evolves, the temporal patterns of chemical species encodes some of this dynamical information, while their statistics are a manifestation of the bulk kinetics. Here, we define a chemically-informed symbolic dynamics as a coarse-grained representation of classical molecular dynamics, and analyze the sequences of chemical species for a model of hydrogen combustion. We use reactive molecular dynamics simulations to generate the sequences and derive probability distributions for sequence observables: the reaction time scales and the chain length - the total number of reactions between initiation of a reactant and termination at products. The time scales and likelihood of the sequences depend strongly on the chain length, temperature, and density. Temperature suppresses the uncertainty in chain length for hydrogen sequences, but enhances the uncertainty in oxygen sequence chain lengths. This method of analyzing a surrogate chemical symbolic dynamics reduces the complexity of the chemistry from the atomistic to the molecular level and has the potential for extension to more complicated reaction systems.
Arterial remodeling patterns before intervention predict diffuse in-stent restenosis: An intravascular ultrasound study

Abstract Objectives The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the predictors of diffuse in-stent restenosis (ISR) among the lesions causing the first ISR by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) studies. Background Although some predictors of diffuse ISR have been reported, parameters on IVUS relating to diffuse ISR are not well characterized. Methods We classified 52 ISR lesions that had undergone successful stent implantation and led to restenosis into two types—focal and diffuse ISR—using quantitative coronary angiography. Restenosis was defined as ≥50% diameter stenosis, and diffuse ISR as lesion length ≥10 mm at follow-up. The remodeling index (RI) was defined as the vessel area at the target lesion divided by that of averaged reference segments. Results There were no significant differences in patient, angiographic, and procedural characteristics between the focal (n = 25) and diffuse (n = 27) ISR groups. Baseline RI was significantly greater in the diffuse ISR group (1.03 ± 0.18 vs. 0.88 ± 0.24, p = 0.0159). Negative remodeling, defined as RI Conclusions Among the first ISR lesions, baseline positive remodeling was the most powerful predictor of diffuse ISR. Measuring pre-interventional arterial remodeling patterns by IVUS may be helpful to stratify lesions at higher risk.
Interictal epileptiform discharge effects on neuropsychological assessment and epilepsy surgical planning

Both animal research and human research suggest that interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) may affect cognition, although the significance of such findings remains controversial. We review a wide range of literature with bearing on this topic and present relevant epilepsy surgery cases, which suggest that the effects of IEDs may be substantial and informative for surgical planning. In the first case, we present a patient with epilepsy with left anterior temporal lobe (TL) seizure onset who experienced frequent IEDs during preoperative neuropsychological assessment. Cognitive results strongly lateralized to the left TL. Because the patient failed performance validity tests and appeared amnestic for verbal materials inconsistent with his work history, selected neuropsychological tests were repeated 6 weeks later. Scores improved one to two standard deviations over the initial evaluation and because of this improvement, were only mildly suggestive of left TL impairment. The second case involves another patient with documented left TL epilepsy who experienced epileptiform activity while undergoing neurocognitive testing and simultaneous ambulatory EEG recording. This patient's verbal memory performance was impaired during the period that IEDs were present but near normal when such activity was absent. Overall, although the presence of IEDs may be helpful in confirming laterality of seizure onset, frequent IEDs might disrupt focal cognitive functions and distort accurate measurement of neuropsychological ability, interfering with accurate characterization of surgical risks and benefits. Such transient effects on daily performance may also contribute to significant functional compromise. We include a discussion of the manner in which IED effects during presurgical assessment can hinder individual patient presurgical planning as well as distort outcome research (e.g., IEDs occurring during presurgical assessment may lead to an underestimation of postoperative neuropsychological decline).
Indigenous Peoples, Energy and Environmental Justice: The Pangue/Ralco Hydroelectric Project in Chile's Alto BíoBío

In recent months, the reservoir of the Ralco dam, one of a series of dams along the Alto BiOBio River in Southern Chile, has destroyed a pristine mountain ecosystem and permanently and irreversibly...
Long-Term Effects of In Utero Antiretroviral Exposure: Systolic and Diastolic Function in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Youth

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of in utero exposure to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with left ventricular (LV) function and structure in HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children. A prospective, multisite cohort study in HEU children was conducted by the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS). Echocardiographic measures of LV systolic and diastolic function and cardiac structure were obtained from HEU subjects aged ≥6 years enrolled in the PHACS Surveillance Monitoring of ART Toxicities study. Echocardiographic Z-scores were calculated using normative data from an established reference cohort. We used adjusted linear regression models to compare Z-scores for echocardiographic measures from HEU children exposed in utero to HAART with those exposed to non-HAART, adjusting for demographic and maternal health characteristics. One hundred seventy-four HEU subjects with echocardiograms and maternal ARV information were included (mean age 10.9 years; 48% male, 56% bla...
Contributions to the mathematical biophysics of the central nervous system

Various neural mechanisms are considered which deal with point to point correspondence between two sets of neural elements with a smaller number of conducting elements between them; the transmission of nerve impulses in a limited range of intensities; movement of the transmission of excitation along a contour; the reaction to the size of an object independent of its distance; and an interpretation of the effect of a warning stimulus and of stimulus intensity upon reaction time. For the latter cases a comparison of the theoretical equations is made with some of the available experimental data, and a general agrement is found.
Quantum-Coherently Assisted Deep-UV Localization of Light in Active Plasmonic Heterostructures

We introduce a new method to localize lightwaves. We show how the interaction of a gain medium with a planar deep-UV plasmonic heterostructure, at its zero-vg point, strongly localizes light. A quantum-coherent drive provides a means to control the localization and dramatically improve the dynamics.
Sensitivity Study for Regional Seismic Assessment of L-Shaped Concrete Moment Resisting Frame Structures

This paper describes a sensitivity study of the potentially significant parameters which influence seismic response of L-shape concrete moment resisting frame (LCMF) structures in Memphis, TN located in the Central United States. The sensitivity study is necessary to efficiently perform regional seismic assessments of LCMF structures using fragility curves which are conditional cumulative distribution functions that define the exceedance probability of a damage state for a given ground motion intensity level. For the sensitivity study, the main predictors for assessment of the seismic structural response of LCMF structures must be defined. Predictor variables of potential significance include both macroand micro-parameters. The macro-parameters consist of geometric parameters (e.g., number of stories, eccentricity) and building design provisions (based on building construction date), while the micro-parameters include structural parameters (e.g., damping) and material properties (e.g., concrete compressive strength). This will be accomplished using a combination of Design of Experiments (DOE) and statistical tools. The two different seismic intensities, peak ground acceleration (PGA) and peak ground velocity (PGV), are used in the sensitivity analyses.
The Background of the Grid Dimension: A Comment

The opportunity of commenting on James Spickard's article is welcome. Let me first say how much I appreciate the pains he has taken to identify shifts entailed in the development of grid/group analysis and the charity he has exercised in listing them. How right he is that I have not written running commentaries or kept proper track of changes as I should. And how kind to say that there are only three versions when, if I were to use the word "version" as he does, I would have to confess to many more, each one another expansion of the theoretical prospects. I am grateful for his emphatic insistence that this is not a determinist theory of culture and also for his perception that allowing weight to individual contributions to public concepts is a subtle problem taxing to any would-be theory of culture. Indeed, as he recognizes, the attempt to avoid inadvertently giving individuals the status of robots has been at the root of most of the reformulations that he has noted. In fact, the three versions represent two different moves in the history of this idea. The first move is covered by the first two editions of Natural Symbols in which I was concerned only to clarify an argument. The shift is not so much a changed way of depicting something, but a shift in the idea of what needs to be depicted. The argument was that much more regularity and predictability in cultural bias appears than is generally assumed: the demonstration needs a chart of possible social environments and a theory of the relation of individuals to the organizations they are in. By 1978, the program was not to make an argument but to design a method for testing a number of hypotheses about culture and society. So, 1978 has a new diagram of a newly defined subject. I may be wrong, but I get the impression that if one were to be introduced to grid/group analysis by Spickard's article one might have some trouble figuring out what it is used for and how it is understood. Let me remedy this by giving some background. Spickard is right in saying that Natural Symbols followed on the analysis of ideas of pollution and taboo in Purity and Danger (1966). In the latter text I seemed to have unintentionally conveyed the idea that all societies have the same reaction of revulsion to behavior that defies their local classification. To have given this impression I must have expressed myself very badly, for in that same book I had actually discussed the fact that matter out of place is not necessarily noticed, as well as the more obvious fact that being anomalous or classifiable is not a matter that arises in nature but in society and culture. This misunderstanding indicated the next task for inquiry, to locate particular ideas of contamination in different kinds of society.
Reduction of Seclusion and Restraint in an Inpatient Psychiatric Setting: A Pilot Study.

The authors describe a quality and safety initiative designed to decrease seclusion/restraint (S/R) and present the results of a pilot study that evaluated the effectiveness of this program. The study sample consisted of consecutive admissions to a 120-bed psychiatric service after the intervention was implemented (October 2010-September 2012, n = 8029). Analyses compared S/R incidence and duration in the study sample to baseline (consecutive admissions during the year prior to introduction of the intervention, October 2008-September 2009, n = 3884). The study intervention, which used evidence-based therapeutic practices for reducing violence/aggression, included routine use of the Broset Violence Checklist, mandated staff education in crisis intervention and trauma informed care, increased frequency of physician reassessment of need for S/R, formal administrative review of S/R events and environmental enhancements (e.g., comfort rooms to support sensory modulation). Statistically significant associations were found between the intervention and a decrease in both the number of seclusions (p < 0.01) and the duration of seclusion per admission (p < 0.001). These preliminary results support the conclusion that this intervention was effective in reducing use of seclusion. Further study is needed to determine if these prevention strategies are generalizable, the degree to which each component of the intervention contributes to improve outcome, and if continuation of the intervention will further reduce restraint use.
Epidemiological characteristics of measles in Wuxi city,2009-2010

[Objective] To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of measles in Wuxi,in recent two years.[Methods] Measles cases data in the National Information System for Disease Surveillance and the National Information System for measles from 2009 to 2010 were analyzed using Excel 2003.[Results] From 2009 to 2010,a total of 515 measles cases were reported in Wuxi.The peak of incidence was noted from March to May every year.Children younger than 5 years old and people older than 20 years old were the major group affected by measles.Those who had no immunization history and whose immunization history remained unknown accounted for 56.70% and 31.65%.[Conclusion] An important factor resulting in measles attack is the lacking of adequate immunization for appropriate age groups in the area.Peaks of incidence rates were found in both younger infants and adults,indicating the need for further improvement in the coverage and timeliness of routine immunization of measles vaccines.Measures should be taken to control the incidence among migrant population and adults.
Nutrition situation survey and relative factors analysis of defer-chronic diarrhea in children

Objective: To study the diet structure and nutrition situation of children with chronic diarrhea.The relative factors were analysed.Methods: 98 cases of children ≤3 old were measured.Results: The patients locked of protein energy and Vitamin A,D,B1,B2,C.Growth delay low body weight,malnutrition,anaemia,low albumin level were obvious.The occurrence rate were 17.3%,13.3%,58.2%,23.5%,19.4%.Conclusion: Malnutrition,anaemia,hypoproteinemia are importent factors of chronic diarrhea in children.
Mitochondrial and Cellular Metabolism in Experimental Hyperoxaluric Nephrolithiasis

We have speculated that calcium-oxalate nephrolithiasis results from a combination of two distinct processes - tubular cell dysfunction and calcium/oxalate hyper-excretion. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether oxalate overload by itself would give rise to cellular derangements by assessing cellular and mitochondrial function in an animal model of nephrolithiasis characterized by profound hyperoxaluria.
Improved predections of neutron detection efficiency for hydrocarbon scintillators from 1 MeV to about 300 MeV

Abstract Several improvements have been made to the Monte-Carlo neutron detector efficiency code of Stanton to provide improved agreement with several different detector efficiency measurements.The impovements include a re-adjustment of the inelastic cross sections for neutron-induced reactions on carbon, adoption of new light-response functions, use of relativistic kinematics, and exact determination of light deposited by escaping charged particles. The improved calculations agree with measured efficiences for both plastic and liquid hydrocarbon scintillators for neutron energies from 1 MeV to about 300 MeV and for detector thresholds from about 0.1 MeV to 22 MeV equivalent-electron energies; in most cases the agreement is good to within a few percent.
MEMS Extended Tuning Range Varactor-Based True Time Delay Line Technology

Novel RF-MEMS extended tuning range varactors are being developed for incorporation in arrays of RF MEMS based true time delay lines for use in millimeter-wave Phased Antenna Array (PAA) systems. A frequency of 28 GHz (Ka-Band) has been selected for the activity since it is a frequency region of considerable commercial, scientific, and military interest as well as being sufficiently high to result in small size units. The design of the 28 GHz proof-of-principle RF MEMS varactor based true time delay line is presented together with the fabrication process and the initial measurement results.
The study of women in the middle east: some thoughts.

The purpose of this essay is not to decry and not to proclaim the coming of the "womens movement" to Middle East studies. This inevitable change was long overdue. The premise of this essay is that much is already known about some aspects of womens lives in some parts of the Middle East and for some strata of Middle Eastern societies. There is a wealth of material which concentrates incidentally on women. These include family planning and population studies village community studies and studies of family patterns. There is also a growing body of research in which the focus on women is rather more explicit: women in economic roles friendship and patterns of interaction and the variety of non-formalized roles which women play in the community. Finally there have been studies of the values underlying the behavior patterns which have been observed in male-female relations in the Middle East. Although there is much to draw upon in studying the roles of women in Middle Eastern societies there are untouched areas. Another problem is the unevenness of the information. There are many reasons for the unevenness or non-cumulativity of the information including the belief on the part of private and government grant-giving agencies that studies of the roles of Middle Eastern women are not worth doing the dispersion and the heterogeneity of the field as a whole. Those interested in research on women in the Middle East face the challenge of evolving a rubric within which information can be cumulative the unevenness of the data now available assessed and gaps filled. The need exists for intra-regional comparisons comparisons among social strata and comparisons over time. The following are identified as candidates for topics deserving research attention: the public/private dichotomy male distrust of female sexuality self-image and patterns of socialization family interactions the economic roles of Middle Eastern women and womens political roles.
Determination of Volumetric Properties Using Refractive Index Measurements for Nonpolar Hydrocarbons and Crude Oils

A novel method to evaluate volumetric properties, namely the thermal expansivity (αP) and the isothermal compressibility (κT) for nonpolar hydrocarbon systems using refractive index measurements, is presented in this work. New expressions for αP and κT are derived from the Lorentz–Lorenz equation and the One-Third rule, respectively. A further simplified expression for αP is proposed requiring only refractive index data and molecular weight for calculation. Densities and refractive indices of 12 pure nonpolar hydrocarbons, 6 hydrocarbon mixtures, and 3 crude oils are measured at temperatures from 283.15 K up to 343.15 K and at 0.1 MPa. The measured refractive indices are used to calculate αP for a wide range of temperatures using the proposed method, and the measured densities are used to calculate αP for comparison. Reported densities and refractive indices of benzene at 298.15 K and at pressures up to 90 MPa are used for κT evaluations with the proposed method. Values of αP and κT calculated from refrac...
Deep learning for brain tumor classification

Recent research has shown that deep learning methods have performed well on supervised machine learning, image classification tasks. The purpose of this study is to apply deep learning methods to classify brain images with different tumor types: meningioma, glioma, and pituitary. A dataset was publicly released containing 3,064 T1-weighted contrast enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) brain images from 233 patients with either meningioma, glioma, or pituitary tumors split across axial, coronal, or sagittal planes. This research focuses on the 989 axial images from 191 patients in order to avoid confusing the neural networks with three different planes containing the same diagnosis. Two types of neural networks were used in classification: fully connected and convolutional neural networks. Within these two categories, further tests were computed via the augmentation of the original 512×512 axial images. Training neural networks over the axial data has proven to be accurate in its classifications with an average five-fold cross validation of 91.43% on the best trained neural network. This result demonstrates that a more general method (i.e. deep learning) can outperform specialized methods that require image dilation and ring-forming subregions on tumors.
Comparative metabolic profiling of vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) and maize (Zea mays) under lead stress

Lead (Pb) contamination of residential soils in United States is attributed to use of Pb based paints prior to 1978 and their deterioration and accumulation in surface soils. Exposure to Pb due to ingestion and inhalation of Pb laden soil and dust causes neurological disorders, renal disorders, developmental and behavioral problems, particularly in children under the age of six. Vetiver grass is one of the leading choices for Pb remediation due to its ability to hyperaccumulate Pb, in addition to high biomass. In order to understand the effect of Pb on vetiver metabolic pathways, we compared the global metabolic changes in vetiver with that of maize, a Pb susceptible plant under Pb stress. Vetiver showed massive increase in levels of key metabolites in response to Pb, including amino acids, organic acids and coenzymes. Maize showed very modest increase in some of the same metabolites, and no change in others. The results provide the first indication of the difference in metabolic response of the hyperaccumulator, vetiver to lead stress as compared to maize.
Cloud Native Standards and Call for Community Participation

This column has covered cloud native and related relevant standards since the inception of the magazine. Recent progress in this area has received additional impetus from participation by major organizations in the standards-based development process. A milestone in this proces s has been provided by Microsoft and AWS joining the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, along with other cloud standards successes.
Laboratory techniques used in the diagnosis of chancroid, granuloma inguinale, and lymphogranuloma venereum.

This article discusses the historical, modern, and evolving laboratory techniques for the diagnosis of chancroid, granuloma inguinale, and lymphogranuloma venereum. These sexually transmitted diseases are uncommon in the United States and Europe but endemic in Africa, Asia, and South America. A diagnosis of these diseases can be made if appropriate laboratory techniques are selected to confirm the presumptive clinical impression.
Research on Insulation Coordination of 500kV Unified Power Flow Controller

This paper studies the insulation coordination technology of UPFC system based on the 500 kV Suzhou UPFC. Firstly, the insulation coordination characteristics, methods and principles suitable for UPFC are proposed. Then the layout scheme of 500kV UPFC arresters is designed. Thirdly, to verify the insulation coordination design, the lightning overvoltage model and internal overvoltage model of UPFC are established. The transient overvoltage and lightning overvoltage is calculated, which proves the proposed insulation design. The insulation coordination method in this paper can provide an important reference for UPFC system.
Networks, Power and Dependency in the Agrifood Industry

We review research on power, dependency and the concentration of agrifood industries and report updated concentration figures for selected agrifood sectors. We then utilize network exchange theory to identify principles of dependency and network relations and describe network relationships within the broiler, beef and commodity crop sectors. We argue that this study demonstrates that network analysis can inform on the nature, source and extent of differential dependencies and asymmetric power relationships within the agrifood sector.
Technical Note: A feasibility study on deep learning-based radiotherapy dose calculation

PURPOSE Various dose calculation algorithms are available for radiation therapy for cancer patients. However, these algorithms are faced with the tradeoff between efficiency and accuracy. The fast algorithms are generally less accurate, while the accurate dose engines are often time consuming. In this work, we try to resolve this dilemma by exploring deep learning (DL) for dose calculation. METHODS We developed a new radiotherapy dose calculation engine based on a modified Hierarchically Densely Connected U-net (HD U-net) model and tested its feasibility with prostate intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) cases. Mapping from an IMRT fluence map domain to a three-dimensional (3D) dose domain requires a deep neural network of complicated architecture and a huge training dataset. To solve this problem, we first project the fluence maps to the dose domain using a broad beam ray-tracing (RT) algorithm, and then we use the HD U-net to map the RT dose distribution into an accurate dose distribution calculated using a collapsed cone convolution/superposition (CS) algorithm. The model is trained on 70 patients with fivefold cross validation, and tested on a separate 8 patients. RESULTS It takes about 1 s to compute a 3D dose distribution for a typical 7-field prostate IMRT plan, which can be further reduced to achieve real-time dose calculation by optimizing the network. The average Gamma passing rate between DL and CS dose distributions for the 8 test patients are 98.5% (±1.6%) at 1 mm/1% and 99.9% (±0.1%) at 2 mm/2%. For comparison of various clinical evaluation criteria (dose-volume points) for IMRT plans between two dose distributions, the average difference for dose criteria is less than 0.25 Gy while for volume criteria is <0.16%, showing that the DL dose distributions are clinically identical to the CS dose distributions. CONCLUSIONS We have shown the feasibility of using DL for calculating radiotherapy dose distribution with high accuracy and efficiency.
Impact of Read Disturb on Multilevel RRAM based Inference Engine: Experiments and Model Prediction

Different from the multilevel cell (MLC) memory where the crossover between tail bits matters, any drift of the conductance of the synaptic device induced by read disturb may aggregate, as the analog current is summed up along the column. In this work, we experimentally measured the conductance drift on 2-bit HfO 2 RRAM array based on 1-transsitor-1-resistor (1T1R) test vehicle. The drift behavior of different states is modeled by vertical and lateral filament growth and saturation. The device model is incorporated into a VGG-like convolutional neural network algorithm for CIFAR-10 dataset. Read voltage should be minimized to 0.3V or below to maintain the inference accuracy.
Surgical Options for Patients Seeking Gender-Affirming Surgery

To describe the surgical treatments available to transgender women and men desiring gender-affirming surgery (GAS). Transgender patients who undergo GAS have high satisfaction and improved quality of life. Masculinizing procedures include chest reconstruction, facial masculinization surgeries, hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, metoidioplasty, and phalloplasty. Feminizing procedures include facial feminization surgeries, chondroplasty and voice surgeries, breast augmentation, orchiectomy, and genital surgeries, such as vaginoplasty and vulvoplasty. Vaginoplasty can be performed with inversion of penile skin, sigmoid colon, or peritoneal flaps. The most common GAS surgery in the United States is chest masculinization surgery. Major complications after penile-inversion vaginoplasty are infrequent. A wide range of surgical options exist for the treatment of gender dysphoria. In recent years, systematic reviews and meta-analysis data have shown high satisfaction and more consistent complication rates for GAS. Limited, multicenter data exist regarding surgical techniques, outcomes, and complications.
CCL25 and CCR9 is a unique pathway that potentiates pannus formation by remodeling RA macrophages into mature osteoclasts.

This study elucidates the mechanism of CCL25 and CCR9 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA synovial fluid (SF) expresses elevated levels of CCL25 compared to OA SF and plasma from RA and normal. CCL25 was released into RA SF by fibroblasts (FLS) and macrophages (MΦs) stimulated with IL-1β and IL-6. CCR9 is also presented on IL-1β and IL-6 activated RA FLS and differentiated MΦs. Conversely, in RA PBMCs neither CCL25 nor CCR9 are impacted by 3-month longitudinal TNF inhibitor therapy. CCL25 amplifies RA FLS and monocyte infiltration via p38 and ERK phosphorylation. CCL25-stimulated RA FLS secrete potentiated levels of IL-8 which is disrupted by p38 and ERK inhibitors. CCL25 polarizes RA monocytes into nontraditional M1 MΦs that produce IL-8 and CCL2. Activation of p38 and ERK cascades are also responsible for the CCL25-induced M1 MΦ development. Unexpectedly, CCL25 was unable to polarize RA PBMCs into effector Th1/Th17 cells. Consistently, lymphokine like RANKL was uninvolved in CCL25-induced osteoclastogenesis; however, this manifestation was regulated by osteoclastic factors such as RANK, cathepsin K (CTSK), and TNF-α. In short, we reveal that CCL25/CCR9 manipulates RA FLS and MΦ migration and inflammatory phenotype in addition to osteoclast formation via p38 and ERK activation.
Surgical revascularization for Moyamoya disease in the United States: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Objective Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a vasculopathy of the internal carotid arteries with ischemic and hemorrhagic sequelae. Surgical revascularization confers upfront peri-procedural risk and costs in exchange for long-term protective benefit against hemorrhagic disease. The authors present a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of surgical versus non-surgical management of MMD. Methods A Markov Model was used to simulate a 41-year-old suffering a transient ischemic attack (TIA) secondary to MMD and now faced with operative versus nonoperative treatment options. Health utilities, costs, and outcome probabilities were obtained from the CEA registry and the published literature. The primary outcome was incremental cost-effectiveness ratio which compared the quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs of surgical and nonsurgical treatments. Base-case, one-way sensitivity, two-way sensitivity, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed with a willingness to pay threshold of $50,000. Results The base case model yielded 3.81 QALYs with a cost of $99,500 for surgery, and 3.76 QALYs with a cost of $106,500 for nonsurgical management. One-way sensitivity analysis demonstrated the greatest sensitivity in assumptions to cost of surgery and cost of admission for hemorrhagic stroke, and probabilities of stroke with no surgery, stroke after surgery, poor surgical outcome, and death after surgery. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses demonstrated that surgical revascularization was the cost-effective strategy in over 87.4% of simulations. Conclusions Considering both direct and indirect costs and the postoperative QALY, surgery is considerably more cost-effective than non-surgical management for adults with MMD.
The design of electronic medical records system using Skip-gram algorithm

To improve the management ability of patient information and establish a feasible electronic medical record (EMR) management system, combined with the characteristics of e-commerce, the EMR system is established. Moreover, based on Skip-gram algorithm, the word database of EMR is segmented and extracted. First, the data in the EMR are preprocessed to extract the specific information from the EMR. Then, the data preprocessed based on Skip-gram algorithm are analyzed and processed to realize the automatic naming, recognition and annotation of EMR. The experimental results show that the precision, recall and F1-measure of Skip-gram model are 87.83%, 87.25% and 87.54%, respectively, which are better than those of RNN model. Therefore, Skip-gram algorithm is feasible and effective in the construction of EMR system. This exploration provides a reference for data processing of EMR system.
Rigorous Data Validation for Accurate Dashboards: Experience From a Higher Education Institution

Data have become an indispensable aspect of our daily lives. The demand for data visualization tools such as dashboards is driven by the desire to make data—and more importantly, the power of using data to inform decision making—accessible to all. During the current pandemic, the availability of realtime data via various dashboards at the global, national, and local levels empowered many to accurately assess the situation and take appropriate actions, a testament to the value of data visualization. For the same reasons, data dashboards are increasingly popular in higher education to promote data consumption and data-driven decision making. California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) is no exception. CSUF has developed a suite of dashboards in the past few years to promote an operational culture that is rooted in evidence. Discussions about data visualization tools often gravitate towards dashboard design, accessibility, and usability, while neglecting a fundamental (and arguably more critical) issue—the importance of having appropriate and accurate underlying data. The accuracy and adaptability of a dashboard are determined by the accuracy and adaptability of the data behind it, and to ensure such requires a meticulous, streamlined development process. This article is intended to do a “deep dive” into this process.
Population dynamics and management of potato leafhopper and other insect pests in forage systems

A sampling study was conducted from 1994-1996 comparing four grower-oriented sampling techniques (sticky trap, suction, sweep, and water pan) with an absolute (drop trap) technique for estimating potato leafhopper, Empoascafabae (Harris), density in alfalfa. For each relative sampling technique, the number of adults or adults and nymphs combined (total) were regressed on the number of adults or adults nymphs combined from the absolute technique. The relative variation (RV) and relative net precision (RNP) of each sampling technique also were calculated as well as the optimimi number of sampling units required for each technique for a desired precision. Based on the regression analysis and comparison of RV and RNP, suction (adult), sweep (adult), and sticky trap (48 hr) are all adequate sampling techniques for estimating adult potato leafhopper population levels. Economic thresholds were calculated from economic injury levels for each of these techniques by using different alfalfa prices and management costs. Because of the low RV and high RNP, the sticky trap sampling technique seems the most promising technique for use in a management program in alfalfa. A program utilizing sticky traps for estimating potato leafhopper density is proposed.
Beta-cell-tropin is associated with short-term stimulation of food intake in chicks

Beta-cell-tropin, a peptide derived from adrenocorticotropic hormone, is an insulin secretagogue. When centrally injected, it increases food intake in rats, but its appetite-associated effects have not been reported in any other species. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of central beta-cell-tropin on appetite-associated parameters in an alternative vertebrate model, the chick. Central injection of 2 or 4 nmol beta-cell-tropin increased food intake for 60 min. Whole hypothalamus was collected at 60 min post-injection, and real-time PCR performed to measure mRNA abundance of agouti-related peptide, corticotropin releasing factor, galanin, melanin concentrating hormone, neuropeptide Y, orexin, prohormone convertase 2, pro-opiomelanocortin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, urotensin 2, and visfatin, not one of which were affected by beta-cell-tropin treatment. Results demonstrate that beta-cell-tropin is associated with short-term stimulation of food intake.
A Note on Independent Sets in Graphs with Large Minimum Degree and Small Cliques

Graphs with large minimum degree containing no copy of a clique on $r$ vertices ($K_r$) must contain relatively large independent sets. A classical result of Andrasfai, Erdős, and Sos implies that $K_r$-free graphs $G$ with degree larger than $((3r-7)/(3r-4))|V(G)|$ must be $(r-1)$-partite. An obvious consequence of this result is that the same degree threshold implies an independent set of order $(1/(r-1))|V(G)|$. The following paper provides improved bounds on the minimum degree which would imply the same conclusion. This problem was first considered by Brandt, and we provide improvements over these initial results for $r > 5$.
Sea glacier flow and dust transport on Snowball Earth

[1] Accumulation of dust on the surface of ice in the tropics has been proposed as a possible mechanism for the termination of Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth episodes. This Mudball hypothesis relies on the assumption that sea glacier flow transports dust to the tropical ablation zone, leading to the accumulation of a dust moraine there and consequent lowering of tropical albedo. Here, we use a 1-D sea-glacier flow model to simulate the ice thickness and flow on a globally glaciated Earth, and study the dust transport associated with the ice flow. Dust is entirely confined to a meteoric ice layer which does not exchange water with the ocean. Dust falling onto the surface of this layer is carried downward with the ice flow in extratropical regions, carried equatorward by the global ice flow, and re-emerges on the top of the ice in the tropical ablation zone. The ice flow acts as a dust conveyor belt which converges dust to tropics, resulting in an amplification of effective tropical dust flux by a factor of 2 to 20 over the global average. This lends support to the Mudball hypothesis.
A Marketing Resource-Based Model of International Market Entry and Expansion for Professional Services Firms

ABSTRACT This paper examines the entry of the Big Six international accounting firms, into emerging foreign markets and explores marketing resource considerations once established in those markets. The study is based on survey data (supplied by the Big Six) regarding their penetration of the People's Republic of China, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Central Europe. The paper presents a marketing resource-based model based upon relevant research. The model focuses on firm specific resource capabilities interacting with the foreign business environment and the foreign intrafirm structure as a determinant of foreign market entry choice and eventual market expansion. The research findings broaden our understanding of factors that influence professional services firms' development of marketing resource strategies when expanding globally. While all firms surveyed offered a full range of services, their marketing resource strategy differed from domestic approaches because of various local constraint...
Interferon system in mice infected with the scrapie agent.

Therapy with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid did not protect scrapie-infected mice; scrapie infection did not affect the interferon response to polyinosinic . polycytidyl acid or Newcastle disease virus.
Chronic Oxidative Stress Leads to Malignant Transformation Along With Acquisition of Stem Cell Characteristics, and Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Human Renal Epithelial Cells

Oxidative injury to cellular macromolecules has been suggested as a common pathway shared by multiple etiological factors for kidney cancer. Whether the chronic oxidative stress alone is sufficient to induce malignant transformation in human kidney cells is not clear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of H2O2-induced chronic oxidative stress on growth, and malignant transformation of HK-2 normal kidney epithelial cells. This study revealed that chronic oxidative stress causes increased growth and neoplastic transformation in normal kidney epithelial cells at non-cytotoxic dose and increased adaptation to cytotoxic level. This was confirmed by gene expression changes, cell cycle analysis, anchorage independent growth assay and in vivo tumorigenicity in nude mice. Stem cells characteristics as revealed by up-regulation of stem cell marker genes, and morphological changes indicative of EMT with up regulation of mesenchymal markers were also observed in cells exposed to chronic oxidative stress. Antioxidant NAC did not reverse the chronic oxidative stress-induced growth, and adaptation suggesting that perturbed biological function in these cells are permanent. Partial reversal of oxidative stress-induced growth, and adaptation by silencing of Oct 4 and Snail1, respectively, suggest that these changes are mediated by acquisition of stem cell and EMT characteristics. In summary, this study for the first time suggests that chronic exposure to elevated levels of oxidative stress is sufficient to induce malignant transformation in kidney epithelial cells through acquisition of stem cell characteristics. Additionally, the EMT plays an important role in increased adaptive response of renal cells to oxidative stress.
Nonlinear Methods for Current Limit Constraint Satisfaction in Tokamak Plasma Shape Control

The DIII-D tokamak is capable of supporting a wide variety of plasma equilibria because of its relatively large number of coils and their proximity to the plasma. To support its advanced tokamak mission, the DIII-D experimental program continues to push the envelope of this capability, frequently encountering limits imposed by allowable currents in poloidal shaping coils. Violation of current constraints is presently dealt with by operator adjustment of control targets and gains between plasma discharges. At the same time, demands for more precise and stable control have motivated efforts to develop and install advanced multivariable algorithms for control of plasma shape in DIII-D and other devices. There is currently no way to ensure respect of nonlinear current constraints in a multivariable linear controller design and no practical way to manually tune these fully coupled controllers between discharges after installation. Various linear minimization schemes can be implemented to encourage currents to remain within limits, but adherence to these limits cannot be guaranteed by linear methods alone. In this paper, we describe ongoing efforts to provide methods that guarantee currents will not exceed preset limits, and that simultaneously achieve the best obtainable quality of control subject to current limit constraints.
Rotational isomerism in symmetrical difluoroacetone

Liquid, vapor, and solid-state spectra were obtained in the region 300–4000cm −1 for symmetrical difluoroacetone. The spectra show that there are at least two rotational isomers present. The less polar form is the more stable form in the vapor state, but the more polar form is the more stable form in the liquid state, and is the only form present in the solid.