cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric contact dermatitis: what's new.

Purpose of review Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) was once thought to be rare in children but recent studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of ACD is common and appears to be increasing in children. Current trends including toys, hobbies, and personal care products may play a role in potentially new allergen exposure or resurgence of certain allergens, making ACD a moving target in children. Recent findings ACD and atopic dermatitis can coexist and certain clinical features can help differentiate ACD from endogenous atopic dermatitis in children. It is important to consider ACD in children with recalcitrant atopic dermatitis or dermatitis with atypical distribution. Patch testing has become a more common practice in children. In 2018, the first expert consensus-derived pediatric baseline series consisting of 38 allergens was proposed to aid in the diagnosis of ACD in children. Comparing recent patch testing data in the pediatric population, the top allergens ubiquitously identified were nickel, cobalt, neomycin, Myroxylon pereirae (balsam of Peru), fragrance mix I, fragrance mix II, methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone/ methylisothiazolinone, formaldehyde, and lanolin. Summary ACD is a common problem in children. Detection through patch testing, avoidance of offending allergens, and prevention of common allergens are the main focus of management of ACD in children.
Combining Deep Learning With Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging to Determine Scalp Hair and Follicle Counts

Background and objectives One of the challenges in developing effective hair loss therapies is the lack of reliable methods to monitor treatment response or alopecia progression. In this study, we propose the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and automated deep learning to non-invasively evaluate hair and follicle counts that may be used to monitor the success of hair growth therapy more accurately and efficiently. Study design/materials and methods We collected 70 OCT scans from 14 patients with alopecia and trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) to automatically count all follicles present in the scans. The model is based on a dual approach of both detecting hair follicles and estimating the local hair density in order to give accurate counts even for cases where two or more adjacent hairs are in close proximity to each other. Results We evaluate our system on 70 OCT manually labeled scans taken at different scalp locations from 14 patients, with 20 of those redundantly labeled by two human expert OCT operators. When comparing the individual human predictions and considering the exact locations of hair and follicle predictions, we find that the two human raters disagree with each other on approximately 22% of hairs and follicles. Overall, the deep learning (DL) system predicts the number of follicles with an error rate of 11.8% and the number of hairs with an error rate of 18.7% on average on the 70 scans. The OCT system can capture one scalp location in three seconds, and the DL model can make all predictions in less than a second after processing the scan, which takes half a minute using an unoptimized implementation. Conclusion This approach is well-positioned to become the standard for non-invasive evaluation of hair growth treatment progress in patients, saving significant amounts of time and effort compared with manual evaluation. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
THU0208 Effective and safe long-term prednisone therapy with starting doses of 4 mg or less in 96 of 102 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background Traditional approaches to corticosteroids in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been to avoid and/or discontinue their use if at all possible. However, corticosteroids are associated with improved patient well being, and are recognised to be disease modifying in RA. Objectives To analyse results in use of long-term low-dose prednisone in 102 consecutive patients with RA seen in a weekly academic rheumatology clinic from 1982 to 1999, with a mean starting dose of 4.3 mg/day, according to scores for functional capacity and pain on a multidimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ), and possible toxicities of corticosteroids. Methods Each patient completed a multidimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ) at each visit to assess functional disability, pain and drugs taken. Drugs taken, changes in scores for functional disability pain, and possible corticosteroid toxicities were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Among the 102 consecutive patients, 96 (94%) were taking low dose prednisone over a median of 6.1 consecutive years. All but 6 patients were also taking disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, including 86% taking methotrexate. The mean starting dose of prednisone in 74 patients whose prednisone was begun at this rheumatology clinic was 4.3 mg (median dose 5 mg/day), compared to 13.1 mg/day (median dose 10 mg/day) in 22 patients whose prednisone was begun at other clinical sites. At the most recent visit, 53 patients (52% of all patients and 55% of corticosteroid users) were taking 10 mg/day, all of whom had prednisone begun at another site. Median functional disability scores were 0.5 (range 0‑3), and 3.4 for pain (range 0‑10); scores for functional disability and pain tended to be higher in patients who took higher doses of prednisone, and the highest scores were seen in the 4 patients who took >10 mg/day. Compared to baseline 0.1‑18 years earlier, 40% of patients had MDHAQ functional disability scores indicating improvement by >0.25 units, 39% were unchanged by Conclusion Long-term low-dose prednisone with a starting and maintenance dose of References Kirwan JR. The effect of glucocorticoids on joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. The Arthritis and Rheumatism Council Low-Dose Glucocorticoid Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:142–6 Pincus T, Callahan LF, Sale WG, Brooks AL, Payne LE, Vaughn WK. Severe functional declines, work disability, and increased mortality in seventy-five rheumatoid arthritis patients studied over nine years. Arthritis Rheum. 1984;27:864–72
Dimensionality reduction of cross-spectral density matrices using diffusion map projections

Cross-spectral density matrices (CSDMs) constructed for matched-field source localization in an ocean waveguide are both Hermitian and positive semi-definite, allowing them to be interpreted in a non-Euclidean geometric framework as “points” in a Riemannian manifold. This abstract matrix representation can be used to construct distance metrics on the manifold, and distances between pairs of such matrices provide a measure of similarity between the true source CSDM and various replica CSDMs. With this geometric interpretation, the shortest “distance” between pairs of source/replica CSDMs represents an estimate of the source location obtained from acoustic field amplitude and phase acquired on a vertical array [Finette and Mignerey, JASA 143 (2018)]. In this presentation, visualizations of CSDM manifolds obtained from simulated acoustic fields propagating in an ocean waveguide with internal wave-induced variability are illustrated to gain insight into this approach to passive source localization. Since the original manifold resides in a high-dimensional space determined by the number of sensors, manifold learning using diffusion maps is employed to reduce the dimensionality but constrained to retain the relative distance relationships among the CSDMs. The original manifold is projected down to three dimensions for visualization. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]
Epidemiology of stillbirths based on different gestational thresholds at a tertiary hospital.

INTRODUCTION The stillbirth rate is an important public health indicator. We studied the distribution of maternal and fetal characteristics and time trends of the stillbirth rate (SBR) at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) in Singapore from 2004 to 2016 based on various definitions of stillbirth. METHODS Data was obtained from the Data Warehouse and Stillbirth Reporting System of KKH from 2004 to 2016. SBRs were calculated based on three definitions (fetal deaths at ≥ 20 weeks, 24 weeks or 28 weeks of gestation per 1,000 total births) and were described with maternal and fetal characteristics, and by year. RESULTS From 2004 to 2016, the SBR declined by 44.7%, 25.5% and 18.9% based on Definitions I, II and III, respectively. The SBR at KKH in 2016 was 5.2 (Definition I), 4.1 (Definition II) and 3.0 (Definition III) per 1,000 total births. The SBR was significantly higher in women aged ≥ 35 years, nulliparas and female fetuses. The number of live births at 24-27+6 weeks of gestation was more than four times higher than that of stillbirths (822 vs. 176). There were 104 (12.7%) neonatal deaths during this gestation period, giving a high survival rate of 87.3%. CONCLUSION The SBR in KKH is relatively low compared to other developed countries. There is a need to consider revising our hospital and national definitions of the stillbirth lower boundary from 28 weeks to 24 weeks of gestation. This would allow us to make better comparisons with other developed countries, in line with improvements in healthcare.
Feeding style profiles are associated with maternal and infant characteristics and infant feeding practices and weight outcomes in African American mothers and infants.

Abstract Much literature links individual feeding styles to infant feeding practices and growth; however, parents’ feeding styles are not discrete and may vary by context. We use latent profile analysis (LPA) as a person-centered approach to categorize infant feeding style patterns, test factors predicting profile membership, and examine if profiles are associated with infant feeding and weight. Additionally, we test the impact of a responsive feeding intervention on profile membership and stability. Data come from 270 African-American women and infants participating in the Mothers and Others Study, an early life obesity prevention intervention. LPA was used to categorize mothers across five constructs (laissez-faire, pressuring, restrictive, responsive and indulgent) measured at 28-weeks gestation and 3- and 15-months postpartum. Adjusted multinomial regression and regression models test the characteristics associated with profile membership and the associations between profile membership and breastfeeding and infant weight-for-age z-score (WAZ). We identified two groups (Positive and Less Responsive) prenatally, an additional group (High Controlling) at 3 months and a fourth group (High Indulgent) at 15 months. Several characteristics differed between the groups, including maternal age, income and depressive symptoms, infant sex and temperament, and treatment group. Mothers in the Positive group were more likely to breastfeed at 3 months. Infants with mothers in the High Controlling group had higher WAZ at 15 months. The intervention was associated with more Positive feeding practices at 15 months and a greater likelihood of remaining in the Positive group across the study. LPA identified profiles that are associated with maternal and infant characteristics and treatment group and with better feeding practices and growth outcomes, providing preliminary evidence that early intervention promoting more responsive feeding profiles may improve infant outcomes.
What the COVID-19 Pandemic Teaches About the essential Practices of Community Corrections and Supervision

The COVID-19 pandemic occurred in the midst of a reform movement in probation and parole supervision in the United States. Because social distancing orders created significant disruptions in probat...
Assessment of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline adherence for lung cancer in a community teaching hospital during COVID-19 pandemic

e20589Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) evolved into a worldwide pandemic leading to devastating complications. In healthcare, significant changes were made to reallocate resources to...
What is normal body weight? Perceptions around "average" and "healthy" body weight among adolescents in Indiana.

Objectives Biological normalcy is a framework that investigates relationship(s) between statistical norms and normative views/beliefs around particular traits. This study assessed the relationships between perceptions of average body weight, healthy body weight, and weight status among adolescents. Methods Adolescents recruited in southcentral Indiana, United States (n = 123) completed online questionnaires for demographics and body weight perceptions. Silhouettes from the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale measured perceived weight status, perceived average body weight, and perceived healthy body weight. Height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index-for-age percentiles. A subsample (n = 11) provided descriptions of "average," "healthy," and "normal" bodies during semi-structured interviews. Results As perceived average body weight increased, selections of "healthy" silhouettes shifted downward, with smaller female silhouettes being marked healthy more often and larger male silhouettes being marked healthy less often. Additionally, perceived weight status was positively associated with perceptions around average body weight and lowest body weight perceived to be healthy for female and male silhouettes. Qualitative data demonstrated significant overlap in adolescents' descriptions of "average," "healthy," and "normal" bodies as well as dual meanings for the term "normal" in adolescents' views of body weight. Conclusions Perceived weight status appears to play a role in adolescents' conceptualizations of average and healthy body weight. Additionally, Qualitative and quantitative data indicated that perceived body weight norms were associated with normative perceptions around what healthy bodies look like. This study demonstrates relationships between statistical norms and normative views around body weight, underscoring the duality in how body weight is understood to be "normal" among adolescents.
Market challenges for local specialty crop producers during the early phase of COVID-19 in North Carolina

In March of 2020, as the number of COVID-19 cases increased in North Carolina (NC), the state encouraged people to stay at home; this included closing restaurants and canceling large events, as well as reducing the number of people gathering. The economic and health crises created by COVID-19 forced specialty crop producers who sell to local markets, such as restaurants and institutions, to pivot their marketing plans as the growing season began to ramp up. This article reports the responses to the first in a series of producer surveys assessing the impact of the economic and health crises on crop production, market channels, and producer concerns during one of the most insecure times in modern history. Results show that producers who could pivot their marketing plans mostly increased sales through online channels and farm stands. However, almost 50% of the usual market channels were reported to be closed due to COVID-19. Additionally, most producers voiced concerns about economic and health safety in the immediate future. To address these concerns as the pandemic unfolded, there was a need for trusted information. Respondents reported that they rely on Extension and other government agencies for this information and updates regarding the pandemic. This survey captured the early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the specialty crop-producing industry in NC. Additional surveys will provide information on how the pandemic evolved during 2020.
Changing Computer-Usage Behaviors: What Users Want, Use, and Experience

Computer-related behavior change is helpful for well-being. We conducted a survey to investigate three research questions and further inform the design of computer-related behavior change applications. RQ1: What do people want to change and why/how? RQ2: What applications do people use or have used, why do they work or not, and what additional support is desired? RQ3: What are helpful/unhelpful computer breaks and why? Our survey had 68 participants and three key findings. First, time management is a primary concern, but emotional and physical side-effects are also important. Second, site blockers, self-trackers, and timers are commonly used, but they are ineffective as they are easy-to-ignore and not personalized. Third, away-from-computer breaks, especially involving physical activity, are helpful, whereas on-screen breaks are unhelpful, especially when they are long, because they are not refreshing. We recommend personalized and closed-loop computer-usage behavior change support and especially encouraging off-the-computer computer breaks.
"Food Doesn't Have Power Over Me Anymore!" Self-Efficacy as a Driver for Dietary Adherence Among African American Adults Participating in Plant-Based and Meat-Reduced Dietary Interventions: A Qualitative Study.

Abstract Background African American (AA) adults are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Many nutrition interventions aim to promote healthier eating to reduce CVD incidences among participants. However, little is known about what influences individuals’ nutrition self-efficacy while participating in these interventions. Objective The objective of this study is to explore the drivers and barriers of nutrition self-efficacy among Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) participants. The NEW Soul study was funded from the NHBLI. Design A purposive-current study sampling was used to conduct four audio-recorded focus groups for this qualitative study. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory of behavior change guided the framework. This theory asserts that individual self-efficacy is influenced by four factors (1) mastery experiences, (2) vicarious experiences, (3) social persuasion, and (4) somatic and emotional states. Participants/Setting Inclusion criteria for the NEW Soul program included being an AA, being between 18 and 65 years old, and having a BMI between 25 to 49.9 kg/m2. Participants in Cohort 2 (n=84) of the NEW Soul program were asked to participate in focus groups. In total, 28 individuals (16 vegan, 12 omni participants) took part in four in-person focus groups: ranging from three to 13 participants. Focus groups took place in the Southeastern United States. Main Outcome Measure Perception of drivers and barriers of following the diet. Statistical analysis Responses were analyzed qualitatively using principles of content analysis. Results Nine themes influenced participants’ confidence in their ability to follow their diet: food preference, planning and preparation, identity and tradition, mindfulness, representation, social support, social influence, accountability, and state of mind. Conclusion In this study, self-efficacy played a prominent role in participants’ motivations toward following the diet. Mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and positive psychological arousal were all common themes in participant-reported sources of motivation. Nutrition interventions are likely to elicit positive behavioral outcomes if these four factors that enhance self-efficacy are incorporated into program development.
Autoimmune liver disease

BACKGROUND Autoimmune liver disease encompasses several disorders. Included in this category are primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). There are also several “overlap syndromes” which encompass two of these diseases in combination. In this chapter, we will describe these liver conditions, including the typical clinical presentation, the diagnostic criteria, management, and potential complications. We will also discuss briefly the role of orthotopic liver transplantation. PRIMARY SCLEROSING CHOLANGITIS Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, cholestatic liver disease of unknown etiology. Several potential causes have been described. These include disordered immunoregulation; which may involve altered T-cell subsets, abnormal T-cell suppressor function, circulating immune complexes, and/or abnormal complement levels; infections and bacterial products; or portal bacteremia. The disease leads to diffuse inflammation and fibrosis of the biliary tree which ultimately causes biliary cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Clinical Presentation Clinically, patients with PSC will often present with an incidental finding of elevated liver tests in a cholestatic profile (elevated alkaline phosphatase). The majority (70%) of patients will also have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), typically chronic ulcerative colitis. Fifteen to 44% of patients may be entirely asymptomatic. Others may present with symptoms of cholestasis such as fatigue, jaundice, hyperpigmentation, or pruritus (Table 10.1). A subset may even have evidence of cholangiocarcinoma at the time of initial presentation. Diagnosis The diagnosis of PSC is typically made in the setting of liver tests elevated in a cholestatic profile and an abnormal cholangiogram. Autoantibodies may also be present (Table 10.2).
Actin filaments, stereocilia, and hair cells of the bird cochlea. IV. How the actin filaments become organized in developing stereocilia and in the cuticular plate.

Abstract In 8-day-old embryos stereocilia can be identified on the hair cells of the chick cochlea; within each is a small population of actin filaments which extend from the tip of the stereocilium to the apical cytoplasm of the cell. These filaments are not ordered in a regular way, however, and tend to be found near the lateral margins of the stereocilia with large spaces between adjacent filaments. By 9 days the spaces between adjacent filaments are reduced and there are regions where the crossover points of adjacent actin helices are in register even though in cross section the actin filaments do not lie on a regular lattice. By 10–11 days the actin filaments become progressively more crossbridged together and we can recognize in longitudinal section horizontal stripes caused by the periodicity of the crossbridges. In transverse section the filaments begin to lie on a hexagonal lattice. Each stereocilium, however, contains less than 100 actin filaments. Evidence is presented that once crossbridging is maximal and the filaments hexagonally packed (Days 11–12), the stereocilia increase in width by the orderly addition of actin filaments to the lateral margins of the existing filament bundle so that by Day 16 we find up to 400 filaments all packed on a hexagonal lattice. Thus there are two stages in bundle formation. In the first a small number of filaments condense into a hexagonally packed, crosslinked bundle. In the second, the bundle increases in diameter by addition of filaments to the periphery of the bundle in a process akin to crystal growth. From observations on the elongation of filaments in the rootlets and stereocilia, we conclude that rootlets grow by addition of subunits at the nonpreferred end while stereocilia elongate by addition to the preferred end. What makes this interesting is that these two modes of addition occur at different developmental times.
Gamma-vinyl GABA inhibits cocaine-triggered reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in rats by a non-dopaminergic mechanism

Relapse to drug use is a core feature of addiction. Previous studies demonstrate that gamma-vinyl GABA (GVG), an irreversible GABA transaminase inhibitor, attenuates the acute rewarding effects of cocaine and other addictive drugs. We here report that systemic administration of GVG (25-300 mg/kg) dose-dependently inhibits cocaine- or sucrose-induced reinstatement of reward-seeking behavior in rats. In vivo microdialysis data indicated that the same doses of GVG dose-dependently elevate extracellular GABA levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, GVG, when administered systemically or locally into the NAc, failed to inhibit either basal or cocaine-priming enhanced NAc dopamine in either naive rats or cocaine extinction rats. These data suggest that: (1) GVG significantly inhibits cocaine- or sucrose-triggered reinstatement of reward-seeking behavior; and (2) a GABAergic-, but not dopaminergic-, dependent mechanism may underlie the antagonism by GVG of cocaine-triggered reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior, at least with respect to GVG's action on the NAc.
Community design of DLESE's collections review policy: a technological frames analysis

In this paper, I describe the design of a collection review policy for the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE). A distinctive feature of DLESE as a digital library is the “DLESE community”, composed of voluntary members who contribute metadata and resource reviews to DLESE. As the DLESE community is open, the question of how to evaluate community contributions is a crucial part of the review policy design process. In this paper, technological frames theory is used to analyse this design process by looking at how the designers work with two differing definitions of the “peer reviewer”, (a) peer reviewer as arbiter or editor, and (b) peer reviewer as colleague. Content analysis of DLESE documents shows that these frames can in turn be related to two definitions that DLESE offers of itself: DLESE as a library, and DLESE as a digital artifact. The implications of the presence of divergent technological frames for the design process are summarised, and some suggestions for future research are outlined.
One Need Not Be a House to Be Haunted: On Enactment, Dissociation, and the Dread of “Not-Me”—A Case Study

This paper examines psychic trauma as experience so shockingly strange that it exceeds the threshold for cognitive processing and begins to flood the mind with unintegratable affect that threatens to disorganize the internal template on which one's experience of self-coherence, self-cohesiveness, and self-continuity depends. A detailed clinical vignette illustrates how the unprocessed “not-me” experience held by a dissociated self-state as an affective memory without an autobiographical memory of its traumatic origin “haunts” the self. It remains a ghostly horror even in an otherwise successful psychoanalysis unless a new perceptual reality is created between patient and analyst that alters the narrative structure maintaining the dissociation as though the past were still a present danger. The analyst's making optimal use of dissociative processes in an intersubjective and interpersonal context enables the patient more readily to self-regulate affect in those areas of implicit memory where trauma has left...
Single vs. Multiple Discount Rates: How to Limit “Influence Costs” in the Capital Allocation Process*

Most finance textbooks suggest that companies evaluate investment projects using discount rates that reflect both the debt capacity and the unique risks of the project. In practice, however, companies often use their company-wide WACC to evaluate such investments because of the difficulty of (and subjectivity involved in) estimating the risk of individual projects, and the potential for managerial bias and influence to distort the estimates. This article proposes a practicable method for calculating the cost of capital that produces different discount rates for investment projects with different risks while minimizing the “influence costs” that arise when managers have discretion in the choice of discount rates. The proposed approach makes use of market information (in the form of the firm-wide costs of debt and equity), thereby limiting managerial discretion, while typically still providing a good approximation of theoretically correct, project-specific discount rates. The key to the method's effectiveness is its use of a project's debt capacity to define the capital structure weights, where debt capacity is defined by the amount of debt financing the project will support without lowering the firm's credit rating.
Family Needs in Child Neglect Cases: A Cluster Analysis

Whereas research has identified risk factors for neglect, there has been little attention to examining subgroups of neglecting families. The purpose of this study was to see what types of parental, family, and poverty-related needs were present in child neglect cases and to determine if coherent clusters of needs could be identified. A case record review of 160 substantiated child neglect cases from a public child welfare agency were reviewed, and cluster analysis with step-down bivariate analyses was used to determine groupings. Results revealed three distinct subgroups of family needs: low needs, substance abuse, and economic/domestic violence/mental health. The need for integration of interventions for these subgroups, and potential directions for such integration, are discussed.
Family Contexts: Parental Experiences of Discrimination and Child Mental Health

Research on the mental health correlates of discrimination traditionally has been intra-individual, focusing exclusively on the individual directly experiencing discrimination. A small number of studies have begun to consider the links between parental experiences of discrimination and child mental health, but little is known about potential underlying mechanisms. The present study tested the independent mediating effects of parent mental health and household socioeconomic status on the associations between parental experiences of discrimination (past-year perceived discrimination and perceptions of being unaccepted culturally) and child mental health (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) using a bootstrapping analytic approach. Data were drawn from racial/ethnic minority (n = 383) and White (n = 574) samples surveyed in an urban Midwestern county. For all measures of discrimination and child mental health, findings supported an association between parental experiences of discrimination and child mental health. Whereas parent mental health served as a significant mediator in all analyses, socioeconomic status did not. Mediation findings held for both the White and racial/ethnic minority samples. Results suggest that parental experiences of discrimination and mental health may contribute to child mental health concerns, thus highlighting the role of family contexts in shaping child development.
The effect of calcium on the respiratory responses of corn mitochondria

Tightly coupled respiring corn mitochondria (Zea mays L.) respond to calcium addition with a transitory respiratory increase, proton extrusion, and Ca2+ binding. The extent of response is dependent upon the level of endogenous phosphate, and a large sustained respiratory increase can be obtained with addition of phosphate. However, calcium does not act as a permeant cation in that it will not penetrate with acetate. It appears that the transitory respiratory increase must be linked to the uptake of a calcium phosphate complex, but there is no evidence that transport of the complex serves to produce an electrophoretic calcium uniport. It is believed that calcium phosphate transport in corn is a constitutive property, and not produced by membrane damage.
Parenteral nutrition in foals: a retrospective study of 45 cases (2000–2004)

Summary Reasons for performing study: Adequate nutritional support of sick foals in critical care is an important aspect of treatment. When enteral feeding is contraindicated, parenteral nutrition (PN) provides a source of energy and protein. However, no study has critically assessed the use of PN in a large group of foals. Objective: The administration of PN to clinically ill foals was examined retrospectively to determine the effects of PN formulation and variables on the incidence of PN-associated complications and outcome. Hypotheses: There was no effect of PN formula on 1) the occurrence or type of complications; 2) of PN formula on outcome; 3) of disease severity on the occurrence or type of complications; and 4) of disease severity on outcome. Methods: Medical records of 45 foals, presented to the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, which received PN, were reviewed for the years 2000–2004. Results: The indications for PN were recumbency, depression or gastrointestinal conditions. Formulation of PN was not associated with the development of complications, and there was no association of PN formula with patient survival. Disease severity was positively associated with the development of PN complications and the occurrence of PN complications was associated with an increased risk of nonsurvival. Conclusion and potential relevance: The use of lipid-containing PN solutions facilitates the delivery of energy to the critically-ill foal without increasing the risk of deleterious side effects. Severely ill foals are more prone to develop complications associated with PN and to have a poor outcome.
Effects of Cross-Linking on the Morphology of Structured Latex Particles. 1. Theoretical Considerations

Cross-linking of the seed latex polymer introduces elastic forces into the thermodynamic analysis of the morphology of composite particles. By determining the elastic storage energy necessary to maintain a deformation within the seed latex particle (as in an occlusion of second-stage polymer), it can be combined with the interfacial energies internal to the particle and at its aqueous phase boundary to compute the total free energy of a specific particle morphology. At low levels of cross-linking it is found that the elastic and interfacial energies are of the same order of magnitude, with the final morphology determined by the balance between them. Elastic energies are dependent upon the state of deformation within the particle, and this makes the thermodynamic equilibrium morphology analysis dependent upon cross-link level, seed latex particle size, stage ratio (second polymer/seed polymer), and the interfacial tensions at the polymer/polymer and polymer/water interfaces. Computational results are prese...
Carnal Connections: On Embodiment, Apprenticeship, and Membership

This article responds to the special issue of Qualitative Sociology devoted to the author's book, Body and Soul: Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer (vol. 28, no. 3, summer 2005). Four themes are tackled: the positioning of the inquirer and the question of social acceptance and membership; the dynamics of embodiment(s) and the variable role of race as a structural, interactional, and dispositional property; the functioning of the boxing gym as miniature civilizing and masculinizing machine; apprenticeship as a mode of knowledge transmissioin and technique for social inquiry, the scope of carnal sociology, and the textual work needed to convey the full-color texture and allure of the social world. This leads to clarifying the conceptual, empirical, and rhetorical makeup of Body and Soul in relation to its triple intent: to elucidate the workings of a sociocultural competency residing in prediscursive capacities; to deploy and develop the concept of habitus as operant philosophy of action and methodological guide; and to offer a brief for a sociology not of the body (as social product) but from the body (as social spring and vector of knowledge), exemplifying a way of doing and writing ethnography that takes full epistemic advantage of the visceral nature of social life.
Lipid biochemistry of echinochloa crus-galli during anaerobic germination☆

Abstract Seven day old seedlings of Echinochloa crus-galli var. oryzicola (Vasing) had a higher total lipid content when germinated under N 2 than in air, although ungerminated seeds contained more lipid than either seedling. The triacylglycerol pool was not depleted under anaerobiosis as it was in air and only air-grown seedlings showed a net increase in free fatty acids and polar lipids. Concentrations of most of the individual acids of the total fatty acid profile declined during germination in air and in the free acid and polar lipid fractions of these seedlings the relative proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids increased. Compared to air-grown seedlings, ungerminated seeds and N 2 -grown seedlings had a similar qualitative and quantitative lipid composition. Our results show that mobilization of storage lipids was apparently severely inhibited under anoxia. The importance of lipid metabolism to the germination and growth of Echinochloa during anoxia is discussed in terms of maintaining membrane integrity and serving (indirectly) to reoxidize pyridine nucleotides.
Abiotic production of primitive protein and formed microparticles.

Amino acids, aspartic acid and the formulation of spherular forms can be produced abiotically
Extra Smoothness Requirements for Galerkin Methods for the Wave Equation

Rauch [SIAM J. Numer. Anal., 22 (1985), pp. 245--249] studied the convergence of a continuous-time Galerkin approximation of the second-order wave equation. He showed that using piecewise linear functions over a mesh of size $h$, the initial data must have three derivatives if the error is to be $O(h^2)$. This corresponds to one "extra derivative" when contrasted with approximation theory or with results for parabolic differential equations. Rauch also suggested that some extra smoothness would be required for higher-order splines. Using similar techniques, sharp results are presented here which show how much extra smoothness is needed on the initial data for higher-order cases. For splines of order $k$ on a uniform mesh, one needs $k + (\frac{1}{2})(\frac{k}{(k-1)})$ derivatives to have convergence of order $k$; the extra smoothness is between $\frac{1}{2}$ and $1$ derivative.
Analysis of optimum shape for magnetic amplifiers

WHEN designing a device or component, the engineer is faced with the problem of how to optimize its shape to make the best use of the materials.
Who did the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has served as the igniting spark in the laparoscopic surgery explosion; however, it is unclear who created the spark. The question remains: Who did the first LC?
A new method for the numerical solution of Fredholm integral equations of the first kind

This paper describes a new approach for the numerical solution of Fredholm integral equations of the first kind (FIEFK). Examples of where this kind of problem may occur in chemical engineering include determination site-energy distributions, determination of pore-size distributions and using chemically reacting tracers to measure temperature profiles in plug-flow systems. FIEFK also occur frequently in other fields of engineering and science. Several numerical examples are used to illustrate the new technique.
Spontaneous cataract in nude athymic mice: Ultrastructural analysis

Abstract Spontaneously occurring cataracts were observed in 20% of a group of 60 adult nude, athymic mice (35–40-day-old). This strain of mouse is derived from a BALB/c strain homozygous for the gene nu nu . Lens cells from the cataract were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The anterior, superficial and mid-cortex lens fibers were irregular in size, shape and density. Additionally large swollen cavities were observed within the anterior superficial to mid-cortex regions of the cataractous lenses. Clear appearing lenses also were examined similarly. Occasionally, apical swelling within anterior epithelial cells and peculiar “bulls eye” formations in elongating fiber cells (of the bow region) as well as localized swelling within anterior mid-cortical fiber cells were encountered in these leases.
Wackenroder and the Doctrine of the Soul

The writings of Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder (1773–1798) constitute perhaps the most powerful and original source in the early German Romantic discourse on autonomous music, itself a spearhead of a European trend that matured at he turn of the eighteenth century. Wackenroder's perfervid yet strangely lucid and insightful observations on art and music are founded on the notion of Kunstreligion (‘art religion’), which he uses to replace the rational explanations of art, based on knowledge and representation of the external world, and derived from classical philosophy.
Typicality‐based learning and generalisation in aphasia: Two case studies of anomia treatment

Background: Simulation models (Plaut, 1996) and anomia treatment (Kiran & Thompson, 2003b) have found that training with atypical items resulted in greater generalisation than training with typical items. The Complexity Account of Treatment Efficacy (CATE) predicts that therapy will produce greater generalisation when more complex items are trained (Thompson, Shapiro, Kiran, & Sobeck, 2003). Furthermore, learning and generalisation may be maximised when semantic training is directed towards semantic deficits (Plaut, 1996). The authors would like to thank SA and RB for their participation in and commitment to this project. Aims: The clinical application of Plaut's model and the CATE was investigated in typicality‐based learning and generalisation, following anomia treatment in one participant with mainly phonological deficits and one participant with both phonological and semantic deficits. Methods & Procedures: Participants were trained with a semantic treatment to name typical items in one semantic categ...
Analog computer simulation of abnormal periodic breathing

The human respiratory system is compared to a techno logical feedback control system. Oscillation of the tech nological system is discussed and related to abnormal oscillation of human respiration (Cheyne-Stokes breath ing). A mathematical model of the human respiratory control system, utilizing CO 2control of respiration only, is derived and programmed on an analog computer. The resulting computer study has shown that, as in the tech nological system, an increase of open-loop gain and/or delay time around the open loop can cause the respiratory system to become unstable and oscillate in an abnormal manner.
Cracking Damage/Deterioration and Rehabilitation Considerations of Some Birmingham, Alabama, Interstate Bridge Decks

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has more than 4830 m of major Interstate bridges (three to five lanes wide) near downtown Birmingham, Alabama, that have significant levels of deck cracking and deterioration. The bridges are part of the Interstate 65 and Interstate 59 highway system through the city and are approximately 27 years old. It appears that deck cracking is primarily the result of (a) early drying and thermal shrinkage, (b) early concrete obstructed settlement, (c) thin and flexible decks, (d) light and flexible superstructures, and (e) heavy traffic volume and loadings. The deck condition versus age and the crack classification/width versus age curves are presented for three typical bridge decks, along with a photographic portrayal of the state of deck cracking and deterioration. Comparisons of experimental and theoretical load deflection behavior of two of the bridges are presented. The rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge decks that are approximately 55 740 M2 is a matt...
Reciprocal Rights and Responsibilities in Parent-Child Relations.

It is objected that the positions taken by child liberators would add to the rights of children by increasing the responsibilities of their elders, and sacrifice the welfare of children to their presumed rights. To grant that children should have all the rights now possessed by adults contradicts four propositions which have gained wide popular and scientific support: (a) children undergo successive qualitative transformations requiring commensurate changes in social status as they pass from one stage of development to the next; (b) children are inferior to adults in the competencies required to survive independently and therefore require special protection; (c) self-determination in adulthood is a product of maturation and not a gift bestowed by permissive caretakers; and (d) adult authority properly exercised in the early years is positively related to later independence. The ethically insupportable feature of the children's liberation movement is its failure to acknowledge that dependent status precludes possession of the full rights of the emancipated person. The principle of reciprocity in parent-child relations is thereby rejected, and indeed, adults are expected to assume new duties so that children may exercise new rights.
Electron capture detection in gas chromatography

Abstract During the past 15 years, a fundamental understanding of electron capture detection has been gradually developed. This review consolidates and surveys individual research reports into three majors areas-the theoretical basis for electron capture detection, the relationship between molecular structure and sensitivity, and operating parameters. In doing so, the strengths and weaknesses of electron capture detection have hopefully been sorted out and thus areas for further research have been brought into focus.
Evaluation of protein fractionation systems used in formulating rations for dairy cattle

Production efficiency decreases when diets are not properly balanced for protein. Sensitivity analyses of the protein fractionation schemes used by the National Research Council Nutrient Requirement of Dairy Cattle (NRC) and the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) were conducted to assess the influence of the uncertainty in feed inputs and the assumptions underlying the CNCPS scheme on metabolizable protein and amino acid predictions. Monte Carlo techniques were used. Two lactating dairy cow diets with low and high protein content were developed for the analysis. A feed database provided by a commercial laboratory and published sources were used to obtain the distributions and correlations of the input variables. Spreadsheet versions of the models were used. Both models behaved similarly when variation in protein fractionation was taken into account. The maximal impact of variation on metabolizable protein from rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) was 2.5 (CNCPS) and 3.0 (NRC) kg/d of allowable milk for the low protein diet, and 3.5 (CNCPS) and 3.9 (NRC) kg/d of allowable milk for the high protein diet. The RUP flows were sensitive to ruminal degradation rates of the B protein fraction in NRC and of the B2 protein fraction in the CNCPS for protein supplements, energy concentrates, and forages. Absorbed Met and Lys flows were also sensitive to intestinal digestibility of RUP, and the CNCPS model was sensitive to acid detergent insoluble crude protein and its assumption of complete unavailability. Neither the intestinal digestibility of the RUP nor the protein degradation rates are routinely measured. Approaches need to be developed to account for their variability. Research is needed to provide better methods for measuring pool sizes and ruminal digestion rates for protein fractionation systems.
The prevalence and natural history of untreated isolated central perivenulitis in adult allograft livers.

Central perivenulitis (CP) in the allograft liver can be associated with portal-based acute cellular rejection and autoimmune hepatitis or can occur in isolation (isolated CP). Although several studies have demonstrated the significance of CP, the prevalence and natural history of untreated isolated CP have not been well studied. We examined 100 adult allograft liver recipients who had long-term follow-up, had routine protocol biopsies, and received no treatment for isolated CP. Isolated CP was identified in 28 (28%) patients. It occurred late at a mean of 658 days. Interestingly, patients with late isolated CP (defined as >3 months posttransplant) usually manifested only mildly to modestly elevated liver function tests. However, late isolated CP was associated with prior and subsequent allograft complications. Nearly all (94%) cases of late isolated CP occurred in patients who had early episodes of CP and/or acute cellular rejection. Of 13 patients who developed adverse outcomes in their allografts (zone 3 fibrosis in 10, de novo autoimmune hepatitis in 3, and ductopenia in 3), all experienced episodes of prior CP, and 12 (92%) had late CP; 1 patient required retransplant for chronic rejection, but all were alive within the last year. In summary, “transplant-associated” isolated CP occurs in 28% of adult patients, early CP is predictive of late CP, and late CP (often present as isolated CP) is associated with long-term liver injury in some patients. Liver Transpl 14:625–632, 2008. © 2008 AASLD.