cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assigning Integration: A Framework for Intellectual, Personal, and Professional Development in Seminary Courses.

This article explores assignments as a core teaching practice essential to integrating the cognitive, personal, and professional identities of seminary students. These core practices emerge in seminary curricula where there is a strong focus on the teaching of canonical texts and a goal of achieving textual mastery. We propose that carefully chosen and constructive assignments achieve the kind of integration necessary for building content knowledge and the professional, spiritual, and religious identities of our students. While the difference between the educational goals of clergy-training in a seminary and training graduate students in the academy can be sharp, we argue here for ways to make that contrast both productive and generative.
A nulling performance comparison between a single- and multiple-aperture multiple-beam antenna

Discussed in this paper is the nulling performance of a single- and a multiple-aperture multiple-beam antenna (MBA). A linearly constrained minimum power algorithm incorporating both main beam and derivative constraints is formulated and simulated. The nulling resolution of the multiple-aperture MBA is shown to be superior to that of the single-aperture MBA. In addition, a method for illuminating a region in space with constant gain while simultaneously nulling interfering signals within a fractional single element beamwidth of this constant gain region is illustrated. A flat gain pattern is achieved by spacing derivative constraints over the spatial region where the desired signals are known to be transmitting. Derivative constraints are particularly useful when the precise directions of arrival for the desired signals are not available to the beamformer. >
Fast convergence with fast reroute in IP networks

It has been observed that even in well managed networks, failures of links and routers are not uncommon. In order to satisfy the demand for high availability in case of a failure, fast restoration of loop-free forwarding along the optimal paths is imperative for a routing scheme. Failures can be circumvented quickly with local rerouting but packets take potentially long detours. Global recomputation of new optimal routes incurs a convergence delay and can cause forwarding loops during convergence. Attempts to avoid transient loops may also increase the convergence delay. The recently proposed SafeGuard mechanism overcomes these problems, i.e., it is always loop-free, and minimizes disruption time and convergence delay. One drawback however, is that SafeGuard needs each packet to carry multiple-byte information about the path cost. We propose an alternative approach, fast convergence with fast reroute (FCFR), that employs a fast reroute scheme such as NotVia and needs just one additional bit in the packet header. We evaluate the performance of FCFR, and show that it performs comparably to SafeGuard, with much less per-packet overhead.
The Effects of Plate Type, Angle of Ilial Osteotomy, and Degree of Axial Rotation on the Structural Anatomy of the Pelvis

Unilateral triple pelvic osteotomy was performed with three variations in technique on canine cadaver pelves. The following variables were studied: the angle of the ilial osteotomy (perpendicular to the long axis of the ilium and 10 degrees, 20 degrees, and 30 degrees off perpendicular); the degree of axial rotation (20 degrees, 30 degrees, and 45 degrees); and the type of fixation (canine pelvic osteotomy plate [CPOP] or a 2.7-mm dynamic compression plate [DCP]). Structural changes measured were the pelvic inlet and acetabular area, interischiatic tuberosity distance, and degree of acetabular version. Means and standard error of the means were determined for all pelvic measurements and were analyzed by three-way analysis of variance (P < .05). As the axial rotation increased from 20 degrees to 45 degrees an ilial osteotomy angled 10 degrees, 20 degrees, or 30 degrees resulted in a significantly greater decrease in the pelvic inlet area and significantly less deviation of the interischiatic tuberosity distance and degree of acetabular version from normal than an osteotomy directed perpendicular to the long axis of the ilium. Compared with the CPOP, as the axial rotation increased from 20 degrees to 45 degrees, the DCP resulted in a significantly greater decrease in the pelvic inlet area, an increase in the interischiatic tuberosity distance and degree of acetabular version, and less of an increase in the acetabular area. The results of this study suggest that to maximize dorsal acetabular coverage, while minimizing disruption of normal pelvic architecture, a CPOP and an ilial osteotomy angled 10 degrees to 30 degrees are preferred for all degrees of axial rotation.
affective and Behavioral PathS toward the acquired caPacity for Suicide

Suicide is a major public health concern and, as such, research that elucidates potential mechanisms contributing to suicide risk is highly important. Along these lines, prior research has linked high levels of distress tolerance with elevations in a specific component of suicide risk: the acquired capability for suicide. The following two studies aimed to examine whether sensation seeking—the tendency to seek out activities involving risk or thrill—moderates the previously established relationship between distress tolerance and the acquired capability, such that a heightened ability to tolerate emotional distress was more strongly related to the acquired capability amongst people with greater risk taking tendencies. Study 1 examined this possibility using self-report measures in an undergraduate population. Results indicated that individuals reporting high levels of both distress tolerance and sensation seeking exhibited the highest level of the acquired capability. In Study 2, using a separate undergrad...
Intervention Programs for Young Handicapped Children in Europe: An Overview

Early childhood and special education programs in the United States have roots in Western Europe and Great Britain. Many parallels now exist, and a period of cross-fertilization may be at hand. Socio-cultural forces, professional interests, and evolving practice have reached a stage at which Europe offers a great deal in the variety and quality of its programs and services. Five countries are represented in this topical issue of JDEC—Germany, England, France, Italy, and Swiizerland-each by a leading authority currently involved in both the policy and the practice of early childhood intervention. Dr. McCleary has worked closely with them in their countries and in the preparation of the articles that follow. In her overview she establishes a perspective on education in Europe generally and on specific conditions and practices at the growing-point.
Topical tretinoin for rosacea: a preliminary report

Nineteen adult women with stubborn papulo-pustular rosacea received low-strength 0.025% tretinoin cream (Retin-A, Johnson & Johnson) for 6 to 12 months. This dosage was surprisingly well tolerated, with only one dropout after 2 weeks. Although the response was slow, half the subjects achieved nearly complete clearing, which persisted for 6 months after stopping tretinoin. An unexpected and unprecedented finding was lessening of erythema and partial to complete disappearance of telangiectasia. Tretinoin has not previously been tried in rosacea, probably because of the prevailing notion that the main or sole action is comedolytic; comedones of course are lacking in rosacea. On the other hand, photodamage is an invariable feature of the disease and tretinoin has been shown to improve actinically damaged facial skin. Moreover, the ability of tretinoin to suppress inflammation may also be an ameliorating factor.
DECODE: Exploiting Shadow Fading to DEtect COMoving Wireless DEvices

We present the DECODE technique to determine whether a set of transmitters are comoving, i.e., moving together in close proximity. Comovement information can find use in applications ranging from inventory tracking to social network sensing and to optimizing mobile device localization. The positioning errors from indoor RSS-based localization systems tend to be too large, making it difficult to detect whether two devices are moving together based on the interdevice distances. DECODE achieves accurate comovement detection by exploiting the correlations in positioning errors over time. DECODE can not only be implemented in the position space but also in the signal space where a correlation in shadow fading due to objects blocking the path between the transmitter and receiver exists. This technique requires no change in or cooperation from the tracked devices other than sporadic transmission of packets. Using experiments from an office environment, we show that DECODE can achieve near-perfect comovement detection at walking speed mobility using correlation coefficients computed over approximately 60-second time intervals. We further show that DECODE is generic and could accomplish detection for mixed mobile transmitters of different technologies (IEEE 802.11b/g and IEEE 802.15.4), and our results are not very sensitive to the frequency at which transmitters communicate.
Moderation may be the best fad diet for urinary stone disease.

With recent increases in obesity throughout the United States and other industrialized nations, fad diets continue to gain in popularity. Although little formal research has been undertaken regarding the health impact of these fads, each has its own questionable health benefits as well as potential health risks, including lithogenic effects (1).
On Scheduling Some Transport Systems with Discrete-Time Passenger Arrivals

A transportation system is operated with one vehicle and N service points. At one terminal of the system passengers arrive in groups only at discrete points in time; at the other service points, riders enter steadily at constant rates. Vehicle travel times between adjacent service points are random variables. The problem addressed in this paper is that of devising the operating strategy which minimizes average waiting time for passengers of the system. Using different kinds of probabilistic analysis, we obtain optimal policy statements both when the discrete-time arrivals occur at fixed instants of equal spacing, and when these arrivals occur in Poisson fashion. Some specific applications are discussed.
Characteristics of Rural Household Wastewater.

In order to effectively study and improve methods of on-site treatment and disposal of wastewaters from individual homes, quantitative and qualitative characterization of household wastewater is necessary. To enhance the existing characterization data base, field studies were conducted at the University of Wisconsin as part of the Small Scale Waste Management Project. Water use was monitored at ll homes for a total of 434 days. Various individual household events were studied and their usage characteristics were determined, including frequency of use, flow per use, and flow per capita per day. Daily and weekly flow patterns were also developed. Wastewater quality characterization was accomplished for the various households events by sampling at four homes for a total of 35 days. For each event and the various quality parameters, the concentration and mass of pollutants per event occurrence, and the mass of pollutants per capita per day were determined.
Design and Analysis of Partitioned Square Loop Antennas

A novel antenna design is presented for operation at 5.8 GHz with omni-directional pattern characteristics. The antenna employs square loop geometry of one wavelength perimeter. The loop is partitioned with capacitive elements in order to minimize phase variations in the current flow and thereby enhance the radiation efficiency. Five capacitive elements are used to achieve optimal loop current flow, resulting in phase variations smaller than ± 6°. The performance of the antenna is first analyzed with a thin-wire antenna using method of moments (MoM) solver and later validated using a custom finite difference time domain (FDTD) package. The calculated radiation pattern in the plane of the loop is close to omni-directional with directive gain of 1.5 dBi. A printed circuit antenna is manufactured with alternating top- and bottom-layer conductors, with the overlapped regions acting as physical capacitors. The measured radiation patterns of the printed antenna confirm the predicted omni-directional behavior in the equatorial plane, while the input impedance demonstrates a close match to 50 Ω. The mean value of the gain is 2.15 dB at 5.869 GHz. A second printed antenna, having top- layer conductors only and gap capacitors, is simulated using finite element (FEM) software, and the performance is nearly omni-directional with a directive gain of 1.66 dBi. Both designs are very sensitive to the dimensions of the physical capacitors and require a highly accurate method of fabrication.
The nature of protein interactions governing globular protein-polymer block copolymer self-assembly.

The effects of protein surface potential on the self-assembly of protein–polymer block copolymers are investigated in globular proteins with controlled shape through two approaches: comparison of self-assembly of mCherry-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) bioconjugates with structurally homologous enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-PNIPAM bioconjugates, and mutants of mCherry with altered electrostatic patchiness. Despite large changes in amino acid sequence, the temperature–concentration phase diagrams of EGFP-PNIPAM and mCherry-PNIPAM conjugates have similar phase transition concentrations. Both materials form identical phases at two different coil fractions below the PNIPAM thermal transition temperature and in the bulk. However, at temperatures above the thermoresponsive transition, mCherry conjugates form hexagonal phases at high concentrations while EGFP conjugates form a disordered micellar phase. At lower concentration, mCherry shows a two-phase region while EGFP forms homogeneous disorde...
Abstract 3713: Chemoprevention of prostate carcinogenesis in TRAMP mice by α-santalol by causing cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC α-santalol, a major component of sandalwood oil inhibits growth of cultured prostate cancer cells in vitro by causing apoptosis. The present study was undertaken to determine the in vivo efficacy of α-santalol using TRAMP (Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate) mice as a model. The i.p administration of α-santalol (50 mg/kg) did not cause any side effects or weight loss throughout the study. Administration of α-santalol (50 mg/kg) showed a trend in decrease in average wet weights of urogenital weights compared to control mice (∼34% decrease in α-santalol group compared to control). Furthermore, the dorsolateral sections of prostate from α-santalol-treated mice exhibited decreased cell proliferation in association with induction of apoptosis. Western blotting analysis of prostate tumor samples from α-santalol-treated group revealed an increase in the expression levels of cleaved PARP, phospho p53 (ser 15), cleaved caspase-3, cyclin B, p21 and a modest reduction in antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL compared to control samples. In agreement with these results, α-santalol treatment resulted in G2/M cell cycle arrest in cultured prostate cancer cells. In conclusion, the present study indicates that α-santalol administration inhibits the development of prostate cancer in TRAMP mice by decreasing cell proliferation, causing cell cycle arrest, and inducing apoptosis. This study was supported by Wilkes University Type I grant, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and by Translational Cancer Research Center funded by South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development. Citation Format: Ajay Bommareddy, William Eggelston, Stacy Prelewicz, Andrea Antal, Adam L. VanWert, Hiral Patel, Aleona Chinikaylo, Linda S. Gutierrez, Santha Sreevidya, Chandradhar Dwivedi. Chemoprevention of prostate carcinogenesis in TRAMP mice by α-santalol by causing cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3713. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3713
Kinetics of monocyte 1 alpha-hydroxylase in renal failure

In chronic uremia, the requirement of supraphysiological doses of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] for the normalization of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] levels has been attributed to impaired substrate availability to renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase. Because serum 1,25(OH)2D3 can also be corrected by 25(OH)D3 supplementation in bilaterally nephrectomized patients, we examined the role of substrate availability on 1,25(OH)2D3 production by peripheral blood monocytes (PBM). In hemodialysis patients (HP), 25(OH)D3 uptake was 50% lower than normal, and the maximal velocity (Vmax) and apparent Michaelis constant (Km) for 25(OH)D3 of 1 alpha-hydroxylase were 2.7- and 4-fold above normal, respectively. When serum 1,25(OH)2D3 of HP was corrected by intravenous 1,25(OH)2D3, 25(OH)D3 uptake, Km, and Vmax returned to normal values. The effect of 25(OH)D3 supplementation was also examined. In normal adults, 25(OH)D3 administration had no effect on serum 1,25(OH)2D3 levels nor on the Km or the Vmax of PBM 1 alpha-hydroxylase but caused a 11-fold increase in serum 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3[24R, 25(OH)2D3]. In HP, 25(OH)D3 therapy raised serum 1,25(OH)2D3 and reduced the Km and Vmax of PBM 1 alpha-hydroxylase, which correlated negatively with serum 1,25(OH)2D3. However, serum 24R,25(OH)2D3 only increased slightly above basal. These results demonstrate that, in HP, 1) impaired uptake of 25(OH)D3 and low affinity for substrate determine the need for high 25(OH)D3 levels to normalize serum 1,25(OH)2D3, despite higher enzymatic activity; 2) 1,25(OH)2D3 deficiency plays a role in enhanced 1,25(OH)2D3 synthesis and impaired access of 25(OH)D3 to PBM 1 alpha hydroxylase; and 3) abnormal 25(OH)D3 delivery also affects 24-hydroxylation.
You Are What You Do

Are you at home or perhaps on the road? Maybe you are in an airplane? Are you reading online, in a library, or listening to this book as you jog or drive down the street? Regardless of your location, the chances are that other people are not far off. We share this planet and co-create its successes or failures. As philosophers and scientists observe theoretically and empirically, our lives are socially constructed (Gergen 1997). How we behave is experienced by others, which generates collective meaning as we go about living our lives. We all have a hand in shaping this world, one day at a time.
A reliable alternative of OptKnock for desirable mutant microbial strains

Genome-scale metabolic models have lead to the development of computational methods to understand the underlying mechanism about the metabolism of an organism. With the foundation of Flux balance analysis (FBA), optimization methods are developed to suggest optimal knockout strategies to achieve the maximum production of the target metabolite of interest including industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals. Many of these existing methods employ bi-level optimization formulations to maximize the production of the desired biochemical at the outer-level while the organism still maintains living modeled as the inner-level optimization model, for example, by maximizing biomass production yield under the constraints imposed by gene knockouts as in the well-known OptKnock. OptKnock always selects the most optimistic flux for the production of the desired biochemical under the maximum biomass condition although the actual flux can be less than this maximum. This is because optimal knockout strategies derived in such a bi-level optimization framework may heavily depend on the closeness and robustness of the inner-level optimization model in capturing actual cell survival states. By examining the non-uniqueness of the surviving mutants from the inner-level optimization model and the fact that there may be a non-cooperative environment between the inner-level and outer-level decision makers, the suggested mutants produced by OptKnock may be different from the actual knockout strategies in practice. In order to prevent these limitations of the optimistic OptKnock, we propose a modification of it through a novel pessimistic bi-level optimization perspective. We compute pessimistic knockout solutions and compare with those from OptKnock on a core E. coli metabolic network, and observe that the solutions through pessimistic view are more reliable and perform better. For future research, we believe that the proposed pessimistic bi-level optimization model will lead to more practical and robust knockout strategies.
Dendritic cell vaccines: A review of recent developments and their potential pediatric application

ABSTRACTFor many cancers the use of conventional chemotherapy has been maximized, and further intensification of chemotherapy generally results in excess toxicity with little long-term benefit for cure. Many tumors become resistant to chemotherapy, making the investigation of novel approaches such as immunotherapy of interest. Because the tumor microenvironment is known to promote immune tolerance and down regulate the body's natural defense mechanisms, modulating the immune system with the use of dendritic cell (DC) therapy is an attractive approach. Thousands of patients with diverse tumor types have been treated with DC vaccines. While antigen specific immune responses have been reported, the duration and magnitude of these responses are typically weak, and objective clinical responses have been limited. DC vaccine generation and administration is a multi-step process with opportunities for improvement in source of DC for vaccine, selection of target antigen, and boosting effector cell response via adm...
Women's experiences with HIV-related stigma from health care providers in Lima, Peru: “I would rather die than go back for care”

In Peru, HIV/AIDS is increasing among heterosexual women. In this qualitative study researchers examined HIV-related stigma among 14 women in Lima, Peru, who were HIV positive and at least 18 years of age. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and indicated that women experienced stigma from health care providers. Two broad themes emerged from the data: forms of stigma and response to stigma. Within these themes, subthemes included maltreatment during care, neglect of patients' rights to confidentiality and privacy, and the process of women speaking out. Stigma from health care providers had a long-term, negative impact on women's willingness to seek treatment. Future stigma reduction initiatives, on a global level, should include health care workers.
Clinical Management and Treatment of Vascular Tumors

Vascular anomalies may be classified as either vascular malformations or vascular tumors. While the most common vascular tumors, infantile hemangiomas, are often benign and resolve without intervention, they can interfere with vital functions and be life threatening. Rare tumors, such as kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) and tufted angioma (TA), can be more aggressive and be associated with Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia). Given the wide spectrum of disease for all vascular tumors and rare nature of KHE and TA, evidence-based recommendations for treatment do not exist, and management must be individualized, often necessitating consultation with an experienced multidisciplinary vascular anomaly center.
Manfred Züfle, Prosa der Welt: Die Sprache Hegels: Einsiedeln: Johannes Verlag. Pp. 373

(1970). Manfred Zufle, Prosa der Welt: Die Sprache Hegels. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 77-78.
Imagining and Moving beyond the ESL Bubble: Facilitating Communities of Practice through the ELL Ambassadors Program.

ABSTRACTWhen educators do not facilitate English language learners’ (ELLs) social integration in schools, this can perpetuate ELLs’ marginalized status and the plateauing of ELLs’ English language development. This study highlights a program for secondary ELLs called the ELL Ambassadors program, which partnered ELLs with non-ELLs based on shared extracurricular interests. Comparing the stories, perspectives, and test scores of five newcomer ELLs from varied countries of origin, this article shows how program participants strengthened their English language skills and achieved academic success, demonstrating tremendous agency as they gained access to, and were socialized within, interest-based communities of practice. Further, this article documents how youth imagined and claimed new identities, moving beyond the insulation and isolation of the ESL bubble to gaining confidence through interest-based learning with other peers. Findings suggest that interest-based peer programs at schools may create importan...
Electrical characterization of soluble anthradithiophene derivatives

Organic semiconductors remain an active subject for device physics and material science because of their varied electrical properties and potential for low-cost, high-throughput roll-to-roll processing. Several high-mobility oligomers, such as pentacene and rubrene, have been identified yet most are incompatible with current manufacturing methods because of issues such as insolubility or poor thin film structure [1–3]. One benefit of working with organic semiconductors is the ability to modify chemical composition to tune both the electrical and physical properties, specifically HOMO-LUMO levels and solubility. Such recently developed organic semiconducting materials are among the forefront of recent advances in the field of organic electronics [3,4]. Organic thin-film transistor electrical characterization of two such newly developed partially fluorinated anthradithiophene (F-ADT) derivatives will be presented.
Kvβ1.1 (AKR6A8) senses pyridine nucleotide changes in the mouse heart and modulates cardiac electrical activity

Cardiac electrical activity is mediated by ion channels, and Kv4.2 plays a significant role, along with its binding partner, the Kvβ1.1 subunit. In the present study, we identify Kvβ1.1 as a sensor...
Biomimetic Proteoglycans Mimic Macromolecular Architecture and Water Uptake of Natural Proteoglycans

Aging and degeneration of human tissue come with the loss of tissue water retention and associated changes in physical properties partially due to degradation and subsequent loss of proteoglycans. We demonstrated a novel method of fabrication of biomimetic proteoglycans, which mimic the three-dimensional bottlebrush architecture and physical behavior of natural proteoglycans responsible for tissue hydration and structural integrity. Biomimetic proteoglycans are synthesized by an end-on attachment of natural chondroitin sulfate bristles to a synthetic poly(acryloyl chloride) backbone. Atomic force microscopy imaging suggested three-dimensional core-bristle architecture, and hydrodynamic size of biomimetic proteoglycans was estimated at 61.3 ± 12.3 nm using dynamic light scattering. Water uptake results indicated that biomimetic proteoglycans had a ∼50% increased water uptake compared to native aggrecan and chondroitin sulfate alone. The biomimetic proteoglycans are cytocompatible in the physiological range...
The effects of natural structure on estimated tropical cyclone surge extremes

The past 12 years have seen significant steps forward in the science and practice of coastal flood analysis. This paper aims to recount and critically assess these advances, while helping identify next steps for the field. This paper then focuses on a key problem, connecting the probabilistic characterization of flood hazards to their physical mechanisms. Our investigation into the effects of natural structure on the probabilities of storm surges shows that several different types of spatial-, temporal-, and process-related organizations affect key assumptions made in many of the methods used to estimate these probabilities. Following a brief introduction to general historical methods, we analyze the two joint probability methods used in most tropical cyclone hazard and risk studies today: the surface response function and Bayesian quadrature. A major difference between these two methods is that the response function creates continuous surfaces, which can be interpolated or extrapolated on a fine scale if necessary, and the Bayesian quadrature optimizes a set of probability masses, which cannot be directly interpolated or extrapolated. Several examples are given here showing significant impacts related to natural structure that should not be neglected in hazard and risk assessment for tropical cyclones including: (1) differences between omnidirectional sampling and directional-dependent sampling of storms in near coastal areas; (2) the impact of surge probability discontinuities on the treatment of epistemic uncertainty; (3) the ability to reduce aleatory uncertainty when sampling over larger spatial domains; and (4) the need to quantify trade-offs between aleatory and epistemic uncertainties in long-term stochastic sampling.
The Contributions of Southwest Asia to the Study of the Origin of Modern Humans

The current debate concerning the origins of modern humans centers around a few questions: (1) How do we classify and date the human fossils of the Late Quaternary, and what are the implications of each classification? (2) Does a “multiregional evolution” model better explain the fossil and cultural records than the “Out-of-Africa” model? and (3) “Why,” “when,” and “where” did the transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic occur? Each of these questions implies that we would like to know what is their meaning in terms of the evolution of human behavior. Currently these “big” questions end up, in the Western World, in their more mundane, simplified version when colleagues, journalists and learned people, who often implicitly hold a Eurocentric approach, demand to know, Who were the Neanderthals? How different were they from those who inhabited the Near East during the Last Glacial? Is it possible that two human types defined on the basis of a few skeletal remains were contemporary and for how long? Are there any signs of the interbreeding of these two populations? Are the stone tools of the Near Eastern sites evidence the Out-of-Africa movement of humans? And so on. It is quite obvious that we do not have satisfactory answers and even worse a large number of scholars disagree on how to interpret the available fossil and archaeological records.
8 The “Poxed” and the “Pure”: A Bioarchaeological Investigation of Community and Marginalization Relative to Infection with Acquired Syphilis in Post-Medieval London

This research evaluates mortuary evidence from post-medieval burials (N = 823), including 5 with evidence of acquired syphilis, e.g., “the pox,” from four London cemeteries to determine if the strong social stigma and community exclusion associated with this disease during life continued in death. Mortuary context of skeletons evidencing syphilis was assessed against those without, but no evidence of non-normative burial was detected. However, this may be less reflective of the effects of stigma than pervasive poverty, an intense pressure to efficiently bury large numbers of dead during the high mortality early industrial era, and social pressure to have a normative burial.
Enhanced Flux and Electrochemical Cleaning of Silicate Scaling on Carbon Nanotube-Coated Membrane Distillation Membranes Treating Geothermal Brines

The desalination of inland brackish groundwater offers the opportunity to provide potable drinking water to residents and industrial cooling water to industries located in arid regions. Geothermal brines are used to generate electricity, but often contain high concentrations of dissolved salt. Here, we demonstrate how the residual heat left in spent geothermal brines can be used to drive a membrane distillation (MD) process and recover desalinated water. Porous polypropylene membranes were coated with a carbon nanotube (CNT)/poly(vinyl alcohol) layer, resulting in composite membranes having a binary structure that combines the hydrophobic properties critical for MD with the hydrophilic and conductive properties of the CNTs. We demonstrate that the addition of the CNT layer increases membrane flux due to enhanced heat transport from the bulk feed to the membrane surface, a result of CNT’s high thermal transport properties. Furthermore, we show how hydroxide ion generation, driven by water electrolysis on t...
Are Psychiatric Inpatients at Risk of Developing Wernicke’s Encephalopathy Being Identified and Adequately Treated?

Objective Wernicke's encephalopathy is caused by thiamine deficiency and occurs predominantly in alcohol-dependent individuals but also develops in those who are malnourished due to other reasons including medical and psychiatric disorders. This study examined the frequency rate and management of Wernicke's encephalopathy in alcohol-dependent and non-alcohol-dependent patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Methods Data were retrospectively collected from electronic medical records of psychiatric inpatients admitted to a teaching hospital located in Texas between September 2013 and March 2014. The diagnostic criteria of Caine and colleagues and thiamine dosing strategies were used to identify cases of suboptimal management. Results A total of 486 charts were reviewed. Nine patients (1.85%) had clinical signs of Wernicke's encephalopathy, and 36 (7%, n = 486) were at a high risk for developing the disorder. None of these patients received adequate doses of parenteral thiamine, and of those who were prescribed thiamine, the majority, including high-risk patients, were prescribed oral thiamine at the traditional dose of 100 mg/d. Conclusions The findings suggest that Wernicke's encephalopathy is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Our study also highlights the need for clarifying diagnostic criteria, identifying the risk factors for thiamine deficiency, and improving awareness among physicians about diagnosis, prevention, and adequate treatment of Wernicke's encephalopathy in alcohol-dependent and non-alcohol-dependent patients.
Development of Proximal Junctional Kyphosis After Minimally Invasive Lateral Anterior Column Realignment for Adult Spinal Deformity.

BACKGROUND Development of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) after correction of adult spinal deformity (ASD) undermines sagittal alignment. Minimally invasive anterior column realignment (ACR) is a powerful tool for correction of ASD; however, long-term PJK rates are unknown. OBJECTIVE To characterize PJK after utilization of ACR in ASD correction. METHODS A retrospective multi-institution cohort analysis per STROBE criteria was conducted of all patients who underwent lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) or ACR for ASD from 2010 to 2015. All patients obtained preoperative and follow-up upright radiographs, assessing spinal alignment and development of PJK. Patients without proper imaging or minimum 1-yr follow-up were excluded. RESULTS A total of 73 of 112 patients who underwent either LLIF or ACR for ASD met inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up was 22.8 mo. There was significant improvement of all spinopelvic parameters. Overall, PJK and proximal junctional failure (PJF) rates were 20.5% and 11%, respectively. The incidence of PJK increased with greater corrective surgery (0% LLIF, 30% ACR, 42.9% ACR + posterior column osteotomy (PCO); P < .001). PJF rates increased (0% LLIF, 11% ACR, 40% ACR + PCO; P = .005). Risk factors included location of the upper-instrumented vertebra at T10-L1 vs L2-L4 (P = .007), age (P = .029), severity of ASD, and overcorrection of sagittal imbalance. CONCLUSION The incidence of PJK after minimally invasive ACR is slightly lower than reported after open surgery but greater than in LLIF only and increases with PCO utilization. The PJK rate increases when crossing the TL junction, sagittal imbalance severity, and overcorrection. Elderly patients are at an increased risk, suggesting need for age appropriate correction goals.
Computers as teachers: learning from animations.

The effectiveness of an interactive multimedia computer program, the "Electronic Textbook in Human Physiology," in improving the knowledge of students studying cardiovascular physiology was determi...
Formation of dimers in ultraviolet-irradiated DNA.

Evidence has been obtained that in UV-irradiated native DNA, pyrimidine dimers are preferentially formed in long pyrimidine tracts. This effect is not the result of the existence of more dimerizable thymine in the long pyrimidine tracts. The preferential formation of dimers in long pyrimidine tracts is enhanced as the dose of irradiation is decreased. These results suggest that the formation of dimers in native DNA occurs by a cooperative mechanism. Quite likely, dimers are formed only in regions of native DNA that are locally denatured (breathing), in which the bases can be aligned. The formation of a dimer in such a breathing region would tend to lock it open and could lead to cooperative formation of dimers in such regions. If this mechanism for the cooperative formation of dimers is operative then it should be restricted to double-stranded DNA. The pyrimidine tracts of irradiated single-stranded DNA all show virtually the same dimer content, irrespective of the length of the tract. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that dimers form cooperatively in breathing regions.
A Novel Approach for Melt Electrospinning of Polymer Fibers

Abstract Polymer fibers with diameter below a few microns, due to aspects such as high surface area to volume ratio and specific strength, find applications in wound healing, drug delivery, and structural composites, just to list a few. Typical polymer nanofiber fabrication is carried out via a solution electrospinning. This method fabricates polymer fiber from a solution of the polymer in a solvent, which mostly evaporates during the fabrication process. However, this residual solvent can be very unattractive for industrial scale-up due to solvent toxicity among other things. In this study, we have presented a novel melt electrospinning method, in which a Joule heated wire that is coated with the polymer of choice is used as the polymer source to fabricate the fibers. We have compared the fiber diameters obtained from our method to those obtained by existing melt electrospinning methods. Through the use of a wire rather than traditional syringe melt electrospinning, we were able to reduce the fiber diameter by over 75%. We have explained the generation of thin fibers (a few microns in diameter) in terms of variations of the electrostatic fields around the wire tip, which controls the size and shape of the melt electrospun jet.
Simulation of a medication and methylation effects on triglycerides in the Genetic Analysis Workshop 20

The GAW20 simulation data set is based upon the companion Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) study fenofibrate clinical trial data set that forms the real data example for GAW20. The simulated data problem consists of 200 simulated replications of what might happen if we were to repeat the GOLDN clinical trial 200 independent times, for these exact same subjects, but using a new fictitious drug (called “genomethate”) that has a pharmaco-epigenetic effect on triglyceride response. For each replication, the pre-genomethate values at visits 1 and 2 are constant (ie, pedigree structures, age, sex, all phenotypes, covariates, genome-wide association study (GWAS) genotypes, and visit 2 methylation values), the same as the real GOLDN data across all 200 replications. Only the post-genomethate treatment data (ie, methylation and triglyceride levels for visits 3 and 4) change across the 200 replications. We postulate a growth curve pharmaco-epigenetic response model, in which each patient’s response to genomethate treatment is individualized, and is dependent upon their genotype as well as the methylation state for key genes.
CD97 Is Associated with Poor Overall Survival in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous, hematologic malignancy characterized by clonal proliferation of myeloid precursors. Overall survival for patients with AML remains dismal ( Methods:CD97 mRNA (RNA Seq V2 RSEM) expression and Z-score data was downloaded from TCGA. We generated Kaplan-Meier survival curves to compare overall (OS) and event-free (EFS) survival between patients with CD97 high (Z≥1) and CD97 low (Z Results: Patients with cytogenetically normal AML (CN-AML) had significantly higher CD97 expression than cytogenetically abnormal AML (CA-AML) (1.31 fold, p=0.023). Patients with high CD97 expression had significantly higher WBC count (median: 56.1 vs 13.1, p=0.004) and % bone marrow blasts (median: 83 vs 71%, p=0.019). CD97 was significantly higher in patients with NPM1 mutation (n=48) compared with patients with NPM1 wild type (n=125) (1.56 fold, p The OS of the CD97 high was significantly shorter than that of the CD97 low patients (median: 7.35 vs. 24.1 months; p=0.0015). Patients with CD97 high expression had significantly shorter EFS than that of CD97 low (median: 5.35 vs. 12 months; p=0.0015). Furthermore, in CN-AML CD97 high patients had shorter OS than CD97 low patients in CN-AML (median: 7.5 vs 20.5 months; p=0.0045; Figure 3B). In multivariate survival analysis, CD97 high expression was associated with shorter OS when adjusted for age, cytogenetic risk and transplant status (HR= 1.96; 95% Cl: 1.19-3.24; p=0.009). Because CD97 expression was associated with NPM1 mutation in AML, we stratified patients according to NPM1 mutational status and found that in patients with wildtype NPM1, CD97 high expression was associated with significantly shorter OS (Median survival: 6.35 vs 22.3 months; P= 0.0081) and EFS (Median survival: 5.35 vs 13.4 months; P=0.0006). In patients with NPM1 mutation, a similar but not significant association was observed with CD97 high expression and shorter OS (median survival: 7.5 vs 24.1 months; P=0.1) and EFS (median survival: 5.8 vs 11.1 months; P=0.27). Furthermore, in patients ≥ 60; CD97 high expression was associated with shorter OS compared with CD97 low (median survival 3.3 vs 11 months; p=0.0019) and EFS (Median survival 2.9 vs 9.2 months; p=0.0092). Similar but not significant association was observed in in patients Conclusion: Patients with high CD97 expression had shorter OS and EFS. CD97 was higher in CN-AML compared with CA-AML patients. Additionally, high CD97 was also associated with NPM1 mutation. Our findings demonstrate that CD97 expression contributes to the clinical outcome of patients with AML, particularly in older patients. This study provides rationale for further functional and mechanistic studies aiming to understand the role of CD97 in AML. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Combating insulin resistance with the paleo diet

Lifestyle changes that include adopting a healthy diet, such as the paleo diet, can help prevent prediabetes and T2DM. This article explores the potential benefits of replacing low-calorie diets with the paleo diet. As primary care providers, NPs are positioned to help inform patients, particularly those with prediabetes and T2DM, about healthy lifestyle choices and provide them with resources to achieve weight loss success.
Sustained Releasing of Methotrexate from Injectable and Thermosensitive Chitosan-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Hydrogels Effectively Controls Tumor Cell Growth.

Injectable thermosensitive hydrogels have been widely investigated for drug delivery systems. Chitosan (CH) is one of the most abundant natural polymers, and its biocompatibility and biodegradability make it a favorable polymer for thermosensitive hydrogel formation. The addition of nanoparticles can improve its drug release behavior, remote actuation capability, and biological interactions. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been studied for the use in drug delivery systems, and they can act as drug delivery vehicles to improve the delivery of different types of therapeutic agents. In this work, carbon nanotubes were incorporated into a thermosensitive and injectable hydrogel formed by chitosan and β-glycerophosphate (β-GP) (CH−β-GP–CNTs). The hybrid hydrogels loaded with methotrexate (MTX) were liquid at room temperature and became a solidified gel at body temperature. A number of tests including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction w...
Mathematical Flexibility: Aspects of a Continuum and the Role of Prior Knowledge

Psychologists and mathematics educators have long viewed flexibility as critical to students’ mathematical development. In this paper, we focused on the multidimensional nature of flexibility to be...
MR IMAGING OF THE THORACIC AORTA

MR imaging is an effective modality for noninvasive morphologic and functional assessment of the thoracic aorta. MR imaging provides several advantages for vascular imaging, including intrinsic contrast between the blood pool and vascular structures, multiplanar imaging capability, and the absence of ionizing radiation. By combining imaging and flow-sensitive techniques, MR imaging can be used to delineate morphology and to quantify bloodflow volume and velocity. In patients who need sequential examinations over time to monitor disease severity, a noninvasive technique such as MR imaging is desirable.
APC mutational patterns in gastric adenocarcinoma are enriched for missense variants with associated decreased survival

Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutations are causally associated with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and are recurrent somatic events across numerous tumor types, including gastric adenocarcinoma. Severity of disease in FAP correlates with specific APC mutations, but the impact of given mutations on phenotype in gastric cancer is not well studied. Sequencing data from the Genomic Data Commons (GDC) demonstrate an APC mutational pattern in gastric cancer that differs dramatically from that seen in colon cancer. Exome sequencing data from APC-mutant colon and gastric adenocarcinomas in GDC was filtered for single nucleotide variants (SNVs) using MuTect2 Variant Aggregation and Masking pipeline, Somatic Aggregation Workflow. APC mutations were found in 57/441 gastric (12.9%) and 309/433 colon adenocarcinomas (71.4%). There was a significant difference in the proportion of stopgain, frameshift, and missense mutations between tumor types(P < .00001). Colon tumors were predominated by frameshift and stopgains, comprising 47.7% and 35.7%, respectively. In contrast, 47.1% of gastric mutations were missense. Gastric tumors harboring missense mutations showed decreased overall survival relative to other mutational subtypes(P = .008). In the gastric samples, 25.9% of frameshift and stopgain mutations are in the 3' portion of the gene, compared to 1.4% of colon samples. APC mutations demonstrate different distributions in gastric and colon adenocarcinoma, with a shift toward missense variants in gastric tumors and worse survival in gastric tumors harboring them. As different mutations confer variable degrees of protein dysfunction and resultant clinical manifestation, expanded investigation of specific mutational patterns will prove integral to future-risk stratification strategies.
Scale Estimate and Stability Analysis of Networked Control Systems with Random Time Delays and State Compensation

In order to overcome the constraints of Net-worked Control Systems (NCS) such as random packet delays or disorders, it is a natural idea to estimate the system state and compensate for the time delays on the controller side. However, it is rarely studied how this idea changes the structure and scale of the system. This paper provides an estimate on the scale of the complete dynamical system using this idea of control. The structure of the complete system is clearly illustrated. Then a concise sufficient and necessary stability condition is provided. In the numerical example, it is shown that a seemingly small system turns out to have a very large scale if random time delays and state estimates are present.