cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Etiology of the comorbidity between RD and ADHD: Exploration of the non‐random mating hypothesis

The present research sought to test the validity of the non-random mating hypothesis in a community sample in order to determine whether it contributes significantly to the comorbidity between attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disability (RD) and to test whether the two disorders segregate independently. Data were gathered from 394 twin participants of the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center (CLDRC) and their biological parents. Parents were asked to complete retrospective questionnaires regarding their own ADHD and RD symptomatology as children, as well as rate their children on DSM-IV ADHD symptomatology before age 12. Twin RD was assessed by a composite score consisting of several reading measures. Chisquare and correlational analyses assessed the presence of non-random mating, as well as whether the two disorders were transmitted independently. Non-random mating between those with ADHD and those with RD did not significantly contribute to the comorbidity of the two disorders. Furthermore, there was some evidence that these two disorders did not segregate independently in this sample. These results are consistent with recent evidence that ADHD and RD are often comorbid because of significant
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Preventive Care: An Analysis of Routine Physical Examination Among Adolescents, 1998-2010

Routine health care plays a central role in health promotion and disease prevention for children and in reducing health disparities. The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of routine physical examination among racially and ethnically diverse adolescents at 5 different time points. The study used data from the Minnesota Student Survey. Measures include frequency of physical examination by race/ethnicity, poverty status, and family structure. The analytic sample included 351 510 adolescents (1998, n = 67 239; 2001, n = 69 177; 2004, n = 71 084; 2007, n = 72 312; and 2010, n = 71 698). There were significant differences by racial/ethnic group at each time point. For example, in 2010, never having a physical examination was reported by 9.2% American Indian, 8.7% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 7.0% Hispanic/Latino, 4.3% Black/African American, 3.7% mixed race, and 2.6% of White respondents ( P < .001). Patterns of association emerged when the measure of routine physical examination was stratified by poverty and family structure.
Overherd: designing information visualizations to make sense of student's online discussions

Overherd is an information visualization tool that makes patterns of interaction and activity in online discussion boards visible so that instructors can more easily analyze their students' contributions. Our system uses the forums tool from the Sakai learning management system (LMS) to create visual representations of online behavior. We describe the design and development of Overherd, and provide design recommendations for "mashups" that extend the functionality of LMS yet rely on existing data within these learning environments.
Bimodal effect of oxidative stress in internal anal sphincter smooth muscle

Changes in oxidative stress may affect basal tone and relaxation of the internal anal sphincter (IAS) smooth muscle in aging. We examined this issue by investigating the effects of the oxidative st...
Area-scaling of Organic Solar Cells and Integrated Modules

We report on the improved performance of large-area organic solar cells and modules by integrating metal grids directly with the indium tin oxide (ITO), thereby reducing the series resistance contribution from the ITO. Devices with different areas (0.1, 7, and 36.4 cm2) were prepared to study the area-dependency of the organic solar cells based on pentacene and C60 heterojunctions. Modules were prepared in which four individual cells (7 cm2) were connected in series and parallel. For the series connected modules, VOC scales linearly with the number of cells while parallel connected modules exhibited multiplied current density as expected.
Serum concentrations of retinol and retinyl esters in adults in response to mixed vitamin A and carotenoid containing meals.

Previous studies using spectrophotometric methods for vitamin A analysis concluded that fasting prior to blood collection is not necessary for determining vitamin A status of children or young adult subjects. We measured the effect of mixed vitamin A and carotenoid containing meals with less than 3, 50, and 100% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin A on serum concentrations of retinyl esters, retinol, and carotenoids in elderly and young adults after an overnight fast. Retinyl ester concentrations rose significantly in both age groups with a numerically higher rise over baseline in the elderly subjects: 6.0 +/− 0.9 micrograms/dl for elderly (p less than 0.001), 5.0 +/− 0.5 micrograms/dl for young (p less than 0.001) at 50% RDA; 9.0 +/− 1.3 micrograms/dl for elderly (p less than 0.001) and 6.8 +/− 1.6 micrograms/dl for young (p less than 0.05) at 100% RDA. We conclude that in both young and elderly adults, but especially in the elderly, fasting conditions are necessary for the accurate as...
Rate and predictors of human papillomavirus vaccine uptake among women who have sex with women in the United States, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009-2012.

Aims and objectives To examine rates and associated correlates of human papilloma virus vaccine uptake in women who have sex with women in the United States, and to determine whether they differ from those in women who do not have sex with women. Background Women who have sex with women are at risk for human papilloma virus infection but are less likely to receive preventive gynaecological services. Little research has been carried out to evaluate human papilloma virus vaccination rates and associated predictors of vaccination uptake in this population. Design Cross-sectional descriptive study. Methods Data from two consecutive cohorts of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the United States’ Centers for Disease Control were analysed. Results The sample (N = 1105) consisted of women aged 18–26 years. There was no difference in human papilloma virus vaccine uptake between women who have sex with women and women who do not have sex with women. Overall, the vaccination rate was low (32·5%). Having health insurance and more education were significant predictors of vaccine uptake in women who have sex with women. Higher education and younger age were predictors in women who do not have sex with women. Conclusions Vaccination rates of women are far lower than the national target of 80%. The predictors of vaccine uptake were different in women who have sex with women than for women who do not have sex with women. Relevance to clinical practice Women in their 20s (regardless of their sexual orientation) should be recognised as an undervaccinated population and require targeted interventions to improve vaccination uptake.
Fertilization and Embryology

One of the wonders of life is the manner in which the single-cell fertilized ovum develops into a sentient human being, with several trillion cells of over 200 individual types. This is not the place to consider the details of embryonic development; however, a brief overview may be appropriate. Following ovulation and fertilization of the ovum, the latter of which normally occurs in the fallopian tube within minutes of ovulation, the zygote (the cell that results from fertilization) divides sequentially to form the morula (a solid ball with 16 cells), then the blastocyst in which a fluid filled cavity forms. At the end of the first week post-conception, upon reaching the uterus, the blastocyst implants into the endometrium/decidua that lines the uterine cavity. The impetus for implantation is derived from the blastocyst and its metabolic products, which result in invasion of the uterine decidua and small blood vessels. By week 3 post-conception, cell division continues with the inner cell mass giving rise to the embryo. The blastocyst outer cell mass develops into trophoblast cells, the early placenta. Soon the blastocyst develops three layers of cells, the germ layers from which body organs and tissues arise. These include the innermost layer, endoderm (or entoderm), that gives rise to the epithelial cells of the lungs, digestive organs and other intra-abdominal viscera; the middle layer, mesoderm, from which arise the skeleton, muscles, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, and connective tissues; and the outer cell layer, ectoderm, which gives rise to the brain, nervous system, and integument including the skin. Recognition of pregnancy by the maternal organism includes a number of processes, including prolongation of the life-span of the ovarian corpus luteum to ensure secretion of progesterone, and tolerance by the maternal decidua of the semiallogenic graft of the placenta and fetus. The Embryonic period extends until the end of the seventh week of gestation, at which time the major organ systems have commenced their development. From the eighth week onward, the developing conceptus is referred to as a fetus.
Evaluation of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of a weld joint using nonlinear Rayleigh waves

Abstract Nonlinear ultrasound (NLU) has been shown to be sensitive to microstructural features including precipitates and dislocations. The heat-affected zone (HAZ) of welded austenitic stainless steels can be susceptible to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). This research uses NLU to evaluate the microstructure of the HAZ with an emphasis on dislocations, precipitates, grain size/morphology and sensitization, which is the formation of chromium carbide precipitates at the grain boundaries. The results show that there is a large increase in the measured acoustic nonlinearity parameter in the vicinity of the HAZ, which can be used to monitor changes in microstructure such as sensitization.
Oxytocin Augmentation in Spontaneously Laboring, Nulliparous Women: Multilevel Assessment of Maternal BMI and Oxytocin Dose.

Background:Synthetic oxytocin, the primary tool for labor augmentation, is less effective among obese women, leading to more unplanned cesarean deliveries for slow labor progress. It is not known i...
Bounding the diameter of the Brauer graph of a block of a solvable group

We define several graphs related to the p -blocks of a solvable group. We bound the diameter of these graphs when the defect group associated with the block is either abelian or normal and when the group has odd order. We give examples to show that these bounds are met.
The Repetitive Rhetoric of Miscavige’s Battle: A Preliminary Look at the Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology is currently experiencing a rash of negative publicity regarding its belief system, organizational structure, and practices. Amidst this controversy, Ecclesiastical Leader David Miscavige has continued to make speeches celebrating the church. But he has remained notably silent regarding the challenges facing his church. This short essay aims to: (a) provide an introduction to the church, (b) examine the rhetoric of Miscavige in light of the church’s practices, and (c) offer up some initial suggestions regarding how the two can, and do, relate to each other. The tentative conclusions drawnsuggest that, at best, Miscavige is providing his followers with a positive vision of the church; at worst, his rhetoric threatens to engender more criticism and further isolate the church.
Analyzing the Impact of Compliance with National Guidelines for Pancreatic Cancer Care Using the National Cancer Database.

Management of pancreatic cancer is complex, requiring coordination of multiple providers. National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, developed for standardization and quality improvement, recommend a multimodal approach. This study analyzed national rates of compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommendations, assessed factors affecting compliance, and evaluated whether compliance with evidence-based guidelines improved overall survival. This is a retrospective review of adults diagnosed with pancreatic cancer entered into the National Cancer Database. Patients included had stage I and II pancreatic cancer, and complete data in the database. Patients were classified as compliant if they underwent both surgery and a second treatment modality (chemotherapy, radiation, or chemoradiation). Clinico-pathologic variables were analyzed using univariate and multivariate models to predict overall survival. Hospital-based national study population. Patients with stage I or II pancreatic cancer. Compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommendations, factors affecting compliance, and overall survival based on compliance. A total of 52,450 patients were included; 19,272 patients (37%) were compliant. Patients were found to be most compliant in the 50–59-year-old range (49% complaint), with decreased compliance at the extremes of age. Male patients were more compliant than female patients (39 vs 34%, p < 0.0001). Caucasians were more compliant (39%) than African Americans (32%) or other races (32%, p < 0.0001). Patients treated at academic/research centers were more compliant than patients treated at other facilities (39% compliant, p < 0.0001). Patients with stage II disease were more compliant compared with stage I disease (43 vs 18%, p < 0.0001). Compliance was shown to improve overall survival (p < 0.0001). Adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for pancreatic cancer patients improves survival. Compliance nationwide is low, especially for older patients and minorities and those treated outside academic centers. More studies will need to be performed to identify factors that hinder compliance.
Principles for Prescribing Exercise in Cardiovascular Disease

The practice of prescribing exercise in sedentary healthy people, in patients with clinically manifest disease, and even in high-performance athletes is more similar than you might think. Despite any obvious differences in performance level among these three groups or concerns you may have about exercise-related complications being more likely to occur in one group versus another, there are two basic tenets that apply to everyone when establishing an exercise training program. These are specificity of training (e.g., mode or type of training) and progressive overload (i.e., intensity, duration, and frequency of training) (1)
Spiritual Leadership and Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace

This reflective chapter discusses the emerging consciousness and the need for a corporate focus on the triple bottom line as a result. The triple bottom line can be maximized through spiritual leadership and faith and spirituality in the workplace. A research-based model of spiritual leadership is presented and defined. Three key emerging themes in the field are discussed.
Effects of a small, volatile bacterial molecule on Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria using whole cell high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and genomics

In the present study, high-resolution magic-angle spinning (HRMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was applied to live Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) bacterial cells to determine the metabolome of this opportunistic Gram-negative human pathogen, and in particular, its response to the volatile aromatic low molecular weight signaling molecule, 2-aminoacetophenone (2-AA). Multi-dimensional HRMAS NMR is a promising method which may be used to determine the in vivo metabolome of live intact bacterial cells; 2-AA is produced by PA and triggers the emergence of phenotypes that promote chronic infection phenotypes in in vitro and in vivo (animal) models. In the present study, we applied one-dimensional and two-dimensional proton (1H) HRMAS NMR to PA cells which were grown with or without 2-AA in order to examine the associations between metabolites and cellular processes in response to 2-AA. We also compared whole-genome transcriptome profiles of PA cells grown with or without 2-AA and found that 2-AA promoted profound metabolic changes in the PA cells. By comparing the whole-genome transcriptome profiles and metabolomic analysis, we demonstrated that 2-AA profoundly reprogramed the gene expression and metabolic profiles of the cells. Our in vivo 1H HRMAS NMR spectroscopy may prove to be a helpful tool in the validation of gene functions, the study of pathogenic mechanisms, the classification of microbial strains into functional/clinical groups and the testing of anti-bacterial agents.
The reflex character of stereotropism and galvanotropism in the salamander, Triturus torosus

The common salamander of the Pacific coast, Triturus torosus, responds stereotropically to excitation of the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the body, head and tail. Contact stimulation of the ventral surface is without effect except when applied between the pairs of legs. It is here only that negative as well as positive stereotropic reactions are displayed, positive with weak, negative with strong stimulation. The amputated tail constitutes a preparation which reacts to contact, bending actively toward the point touched. If the skin is removed the reaction fails, or if the nerve cord of the tail be destroyed with a bristle the reaction likewise is destroyed. This proves that stereotropism in the preparation is the result of typical spinal reflexes.
Rural child welfare practice from an organization-in-environment perspective.

Miriam J. LandsmanAn "organization-in-environment" perspective canhelp researchers understand how rurality influenceschild welfare practice. Drawing from theoretical per-spectives on environment and organizations, research-ers find rural/urban differences in practice at the levelof the organization, which is the immediate environ-ment of child welfare practice, and also in the relation-ship between organization and environment. Resultschallenge previous findings of few differences betweenrural and urban practice and offer particular implica-tions for rural child welfare practice.
Problèmes de l'étude du déclin de la fécondité européenne

Sil'on classe les pays du monde d'apres leurs taux bruts de natalite, c'est-a-dire d'apres le nombre de naissances par mille habitants, ils se regroupent en gros en deux categories : les pays dont la natalite n'atteint pas 20 pour mille, et ceux ou elle excede 40 pour mille. II y a tres peu de taux nationaux entre ces deux chiffres. La premiere categorie comprend le bloc des pays de civilisation occidentale et le Japon, tous fortement industrialises et urbanises. Le reste du monde appartient a la seconde categorie. Si les pays du Tiers Monde avaient pu etre observes vers 1800, ils auraient probablement revele a peu pres les memes taux de natalite qu'aujourd'hui. Les pays du groupe occidental par contre avaient alors une natalite au moins du double de ce qu'elle est aujourd'hui. C'est le declin rapide dans l'entretemps qui forme le sujet de cet article.
The Night-Traveler: Theories of Nocturnal Time, Space, Movement

This piece explores the mysterious figurations of the night-traveler: namely, those who master patterns of nocturnal movement and intricately choreograph their infiltrations/escapes around the hours of mass oblivion. To trace the shadow temporalities and spatial imaginaries of the night-traveler, a focus is brought to two specific examples from the contemporary Middle East: first, a Beirut nightclub situated in a devastated district of the city known as “The Quarantine,” and which takes the ominous shape of a bunker with a large retractable metallic roof opening and closing each hour past midnight; second, a Palestinian film installation that stages a fictive dialogue between a rebel leader and a psychoanalyst, the former charged with “narrative terrorism” for planting false relics in the earth and treating myth, memory, and futurity as deceptive art forms. Ultimately, these fascinating images of the night-traveler will allow us to develop new theories of restlessness, wandering, and dromological power tied to a philosophy of the after-dark.
Intraoral JP4-039 to ameliorate irradiation-induced mucositis in tumor-bearing Fanconi anemia (FA) mouse model.

2571 Background: The DNA repair defect in Fanconi anemia (FA) patients makes radiotherapy of head and neck cancers a challenge due to mucositis as a dose limiting toxicity. We tested intraoral deli...
Length of Stay and Opioid Dose Requirement with Transversus Abdominis Plane Block vs Epidural Analgesia for Ventral Hernia Repair.

Background Major abdominal operations often requires postoperative opioid analgesia. However, there is growing recognition of the potential for abuse. We previously reported a significant reduction in opioid consumption after implementation of an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery protocol after ventral hernia repair focusing on opioid reduction. Epidural use was routine for postoperative pain control in this protocol. Recently, we have transitioned to transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block instead of epidural analgesia. We hypothesize that this modification reduces length of stay and lowers opioid use in ventral hernia repair. Methods All patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair were recorded prospectively in the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative database. All patients receiving either TAP or epidural between February 2015 and March 2018 were identified. Additional review was performed to quantify opioid use in morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). Primary outcomes were length of stay and opioid use. Results Epidural was used in 172 patients and TAP block in 74. There were no significant comorbidity differences between groups. The TAP group had a slightly higher BMI (33.6 kg/m2 vs 28.3 kg/m2) and slightly smaller hernias (8.8 cm vs 10.8 cm). There was no difference in 30-day surgical site infections. Hospital length of stay was significantly shorter with TAP block (2.4 vs 4.5 days; p Conclusions Use of TAP block significantly reduces length of stay and decreases opioid dose requirements in the early postoperative period compared with epidural analgesia.
VUCA and the Legal Environment of Business

The legal environment is a significant source of disruption for business. With this disruption also comes the opportunity for innovation by firms willing to understand how legal systems function. This manuscript shows how firms can respond to legal volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) in order to capture value and manage risk. Firms can manage legal volatility by developing an agile organization that is able to exploit new regulatory opportunities before competitors. Firms can overcome legal uncertainty by harmonizing legal and business functions and embracing lawyers as a source of value. Effective management of legal complexity eliminates unnecessary confusion and optimizes the diffusion of legal knowledge so firms can respond better to legal challenges. Firms can thrive in legally ambiguous environments by careful experimentation and developing a learning organization. Law remains one of the last great sources of untapped competitive advantage, and managing legal VUCA successfully can keep a firm ahead of its rivals and promote innovation in the organization.
Dean's Perspective on Academic Communities at UC San Diego, School of Medicine.

Introduction and background:In 2010, the UC San Diego School of Medicine launched a new curriculum, the integrated scientific curriculum. As part of this curricular redesign, the school instituted ...
Slepyan's dynamic contribution to studies of fracture.

After a brief review of atomistic theories of defect dynamics in solids, a summary of Slepyan's first computation of dynamic fracture in a lattice is presented. Some of the main extensions and clar...
Regional Structure in the Marine Heat Wave of Summer 2015 Off the Western United States

One of the largest warm water anomalies (marine heat waves [MHWs]) ever recorded occurred in the northeast Pacific during 2014--2016. This MHW was caused by large-scale atmospheric ridging and affected fisheries and ecosystems from Alaska through California, including a bloom of toxic algae spanning the entire coastline. Regional variations in MHW severity are common along coastlines worldwide but are generally unexplained. During the 2014--16 MHW, the summertime sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies were often stronger along the southern half of the coastline off the western continental United States. The reason for this north-south difference in severity of the MHW within the California Current System (CCS) has remained unclear. The scientific community's lack of understanding of regional variations within MHWs prevents accurate prediction of SST anomalies and resulting ecological and economic impacts. We show the north-south difference in SST anomalies was due to a known wind pattern determined by the coastline shape. The wind anomalies in summer have a quasi-dipole structure: the northern lobe extends southwest from Washington/Oregon, and the southern lobe has opposite sign and extends south from Cape Mendocino in a triangle due to a hydraulic expansion fan in the marine boundary layer. The alternating wind intensifications and relaxations typically last several days. However, the large-scale ridging during the MHW was associated with unusual persistence in this pattern: in summer 2015 a single wind relaxation in the southern lobe lasted two weeks. These wind anomalies induce changes in SST, likely via changes in wind-driven vertical entrainment of cold water from below the mixed layer, and mixed-layer shoaling; the net air-sea heat flux anomaly is small. The July 2015 wind relaxation persisted so long that the changes in SST exceeded pre-existing SST variations. The resulting SST anomalies have a dipole pattern similar to the wind anomalies. These dipole SST anomalies explain the north-south asymmetry in the CCS MHW. We suggest that during future persistent ridging events, the SST anomalies off the western continental U.S. will develop a north-south split structure similar to July 2015.
Perceived programmatic and institutional fit for faculty in public administration, policy, and affairs: An empirical study

This study undertakes an evaluation of candidates and their hireability within programmatic and institutional contexts. The focus is on applicant qualifications, characteristics, and perceived fit ...
Likelihood of Aortic Valve Preservation During Repair of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection

BackgroundWe sought risk factors for replacement of the aortic valve with or without the root (AVR/root) in the setting of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAD) repair.MethodsAll ATAD repairs at ou...
Safety, Efficacy, and Impact on Quality of Life of Palliative Robotic Cystectomy for Advanced Prostate Cancer.

Abstract Objectives To report surgical outcomes, palliative durability, and quality of life (QOL) after palliative robotic cystectomy (RC) for symptomatic advanced prostate cancer (PC). Methods Retrospective review of patients who underwent RC (n=10) at our institution from 2013-2018. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Bladder Cystectomy (FACT-BL-CYS) questionnaire was administered to assess QOL. Patient characteristics, peri-operative outcomes, changes in pre-operative symptoms, and FACT-BL-CYS scores were assessed post-operatively. Results Mean age was 70 years (IQR, 64-72), and median follow up was 505 days. Five patients (50%) had prior radiation therapy (RT). Rates of perioperative and delayed complications were 30% and 30%, respectively. There were no cases of rectal injury. At latest follow up, there were no cases of urinary obstruction, hematuria, or pelvic pain, and 80% of patients remained symptom free. Six of ten patients responded to the questionnaire and completed the FACT-BL-CYS. Individual sub-domain scores (physical, social, functional, emotional, bladder specific) and overall scores were similar to post-operative radical cystectomy populations in other studies. 100% of responding patients would repeat RC. Conclusion RC appears to be a safe and effective option for advanced PC refractory to other interventions. The majority of patients would repeat the procedure. However, given the differences in goals of care for patients undergoing surgery for curative intent vs for palliation, we lack the ability to make true inferences regarding measurable improvements in quality of life; this highlights the need for high quality multi-institutional studies to better understand the impact of RC on QOL.
Interdisciplinary Considerations for Nasolabial Repair During a Global Pandemic.

Background At the declaration of the global pandemic on March 11, 2020, many hospitals and institutions developed a tiered framework for the stratification and prioritization of elective surgery. Cleft lip and palate repair was classified as low acuity, and nasoalveolar molding (NAM) clinics were closed. Anticipating the consequences of delayed cleft care and the additional burden this would cause families, we reassessed our risk-stratification and perioperative algorithms. We hypothesized we could safely optimize nasolabial repair without burdening our care systems and without increasing COVID-19-related morbidity/mortality. Methods Our multidisciplinary cleft team reevaluated patient selection to maximize surgical impact. Perioperative protocols were adjusted, and COVID-19 preoperative testing was utilized before nasolabial repair and prior to suture removal under anesthesia. Results Early in the pandemic, unilateral cleft repair was prioritized and successfully completed on 9 patients. There were no complications related to COVID-19. Nasoalveolar molding clinic was reopened after total patient volume was significantly decreased. Conclusions We offer an approach for surgical management of nasolabial clefts during a global pandemic. Although guidelines have suggested postponing all cleft care, we found that at our dedicated pediatric hospital with low burden of COVID-19 and adequate resources, we could follow a strategy to safely resume cleft care while decreasing burden on our patients' families and care delivery systems.
Patient on Immunomodulatory Therapy Experiencing Joint Pain and Skin Lesions: A Case Report.

A woman in her late fifties was admitted to the Family Medicine Inpatient Service directly from Rheumatology clinic for polyarticular pain and erythema with concern for infection. She was taking im...
Assessment of Compassion in Physician Assistant Students.

PURPOSE It has been shown that empathy erodes in the later phases of education of both medical students and physician assistant (PA) students. This brief study assessed compassion in PA students at different levels of training to explore if a similar phenomenon occurs. METHODS Students at entry, midway, and at the end of PA training were surveyed using Pommier's Compassion Scale. RESULTS Although overall compassion scores were lower when comparing students further along in training, differences were not significant. Females scored significantly higher on the kindness subscale overall. Scores for the common humanity subscale declined for both males and females. CONCLUSIONS Unlike scales measuring empathy have shown, scores using a compassion rating scale did not decline with progression through PA school. Further research is needed to elucidate differences in subscales of compassion.
Parapharyngeal tuberculoid mass: A rare complication of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy for urothelial carcinoma in situ.

Local and systemic complications of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy are important to recognize as they require prolonged antimicrobial therapy; molecular genomic testing may be key to diagnosis when culture data are inconclusive.
Self-assessment of health status among lesbian, gay, and bisexual cancer survivors in the United States.

BACKGROUND Research is lacking for understanding the health disparities in cancer survivorship in the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population in the United States. Self-reported health status is used as a predictor of health disparities. METHODS This secondary data analysis study used 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to analyze cancer survivorship characteristics by sexual orientation and sex through the use of logistic regressions. RESULTS Overall, 17,656,329 US cancer survivors were included in this study after weighting, with percentage estimates of 1.52% for gays/lesbians and 1.41% for bisexuals. LGB participants were younger and more ethnically diverse. Significantly, bisexuals had current smoking (32.3% vs 13.6%) and binge drinking rates (17.1% vs 9.1%) twice those of heterosexuals; 16.6% of bisexuals versus 4.1% of heterosexuals reported no health insurance coverage (P < .0001). After adjustments for socioeconomic, health-related behavioral risk, and health care access factors, bisexual females reported poorer general health (odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.36) as well as mental health (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 2.39-2.46) than their heterosexual peers (P < .0001). Bisexual males were 5.14 times more likely to be told that they had depressive disorders than their heterosexual counterparts (95% CI, 5.05-5.23), whereas bisexual females were 3.23 times more likely for the same outcome (95% CI, 3.18-3.28). All LGB groups reported significantly more inadequate sleep than their heterosexual counterparts (especially lesbians: OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 2.10-2.18). CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that LGB cancer survivors have worse survivorship than their heterosexual peers with heterogeneity in subgroups. Future studies should use larger sample sizes, further investigate disparities, and promote survivorship in LGB populations. LAY SUMMARY It has been observed that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) cancer survivors may face challenges in cancer survivorship that are not as prevalent in the heterosexual community. This cross-sectional study has found that LGB cancer survivors, especially bisexuals, have overall poorer physical and mental health, are more likely to be told that they have depressive disorders, and have worse sleep quality in comparison with their heterosexual counterparts. These results also differ by sex, and this can provide rationales for future studies and guide interventions to relocate resources to better promote equality.
A label efficient two-sample test.

Two-sample tests evaluate whether two samples are realizations of the same distribution (the null hypothesis) or two different distributions (the alternative hypothesis). In the traditional formulation of this problem, the statistician has access to both the measurements (feature variables) and the group variable (label variable). However, in several important applications, feature variables can be easily measured but the binary label variable is unknown and costly to obtain. In this paper, we consider this important variation on the classical two-sample test problem and pose it as a problem of obtaining the labels of only a small number of samples in service of performing a two-sample test. We devise a label efficient three-stage framework: firstly, a classifier is trained with samples uniformly labeled to model the posterior probabilities of the labels; secondly, a novel query scheme dubbed \emph{bimodal query} is used to query labels of samples from both classes with maximum posterior probabilities, and lastly, the classical Friedman-Rafsky (FR) two-sample test is performed on the queried samples. Our theoretical analysis shows that bimodal query is optimal for two-sample testing using the FR statistic under reasonable conditions and that the three-stage framework controls the Type I error. Extensive experiments performed on synthetic, benchmark, and application-specific datasets demonstrate that the three-stage framework has decreased Type II error over uniform querying and certainty-based querying with same number of labels while controlling the Type I error. Source code for our algorithms and experimental results is available at https://github.com/wayne0908/Label-Efficient-Two-Sample.
Influence of selection systems and shelterwood methods on understory plant communities of longleaf pine forests in flatwoods and uplands

Abstract Although longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.) forests have mostly been managed with even-aged methods, interest has been rising in uneven-aged systems, as a means of achieving a broader range of stewardship objectives. Selection silviculture has been practiced on a limited scale in longleaf pine, but difficulty of using traditional approaches and absence of an evaluation across a range of site types has left managers in doubt about its suitability. This study was conducted to quantify the effects on understory plant communities of applying single-tree selection, group selection, irregular shelterwood and uniform shelterwood in longleaf pine forests on flatwoods and uplands of the southeastern United States. Wiregrass ( Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.) and numerous other graminoids are highly desirable understory species, because they facilitate the essential ecological process of recurrent surface fire that sustains longleaf pine ecosystems. Forbs such as partridge pea ( Chamaecrista fasciculata (Michx.) Greene) and low shrubs such as gopherapple ( Licania michauxii Prance), blueberries ( Vaccinium spp. L.) and huckleberries ( Gaylussacia spp. Kunth) are also desirable as components of good wildlife habitat. Selection treatments reduced stand basal area to ∼11.5 m 2 ha −1 and shelterwood treatments left a basal area of ∼5.8 m 2 ha −1 . While higher levels of logging traffic from shelterwood treatment caused a significant decline in saw-palmetto ( Serenoa repens W. Bartram) cover and increases in wiregrass at the flatwoods site, on the upland site it resulted in a sharp decline in wiregrass and silverthread goldaster ( Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt.). Absence of prescribed fire during the post-treatment years led to progressive increases for shrub cover broadly across the flatwoods. Group selection caused modest understory change in flatwoods (temporary decrease in shrubs and increase in wiregrass), but resulted in a doubling of understory plant cover on uplands, with significant increases for hardwood tree seedlings, shrubs, vines, wiregrass, forbs and ferns. Single-tree selection caused no lasting impact on saw-palmetto, a decline in gallberry ( Ilex glabra (L.) A. Gray) and increase in wiregrass in flatwoods and was related on uplands to increases in oak ( Quercus spp. L.), dangleberry ( Gaylusaccia frondosa (L.) Torr. & A. Gray ex. Torr.), broomsedge bluestem ( Andropogon virginicus L.) and several forbs. Single-tree selection produced less change in the forest than group selection, which caused less alteration than shelterwood treatment. Selection silviculture appears to be a lower risk option for guiding longleaf pine forests along a trajectory of gradual improvement, with adjustments provided by frequent surface fires and periodic tree harvest. Long-term observation is needed to verify that selection can sustain diverse plant communities on sites characterized by differing environments.
Invasive pneumococcal disease in children. A retrospective review (1993–2004) supporting universal immunization

The objectives of this study were to describe a series of children with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), evaluate the proportion with defined risks for pneumococcal disease and to assess the impact of the new UK pneumococcal vaccination schedule in preventing IPD. We conducted a review of case notes of children aged 0–16 years admitted to a large district general/teaching hospital in East Birmingham from September 1993-December 2004. Fifty-six children were identified with IPD; case notes were available for 54 children (55 episodes). The median age at diagnosis was 15 months (inter-quartile range 8–37.5 months). Only 14 (26%) had pre-existing risk factors for developing IPD. A significant age difference was found between those with co-existing risk factors and those without (median 37 months vs. 11 months; P
Unified approach to H/sub 2/ and H/sub /spl infin// optimal control of a hypersonic vehicle

The hypersonic vehicles (HSVs) have many desirable features such as large increase in speed, altitude and range and at the same time pose tremendous challenges to engineering community in terms of integration of aerodynamics and air-breathing propulsion, thermal management and absence of ground-based testing facilities at the hypersonic speeds. In this paper, a unified approach which alleviates the difficulties of "over crowding" of the roots inside the unit circle and the corresponding numerical difficulties in working with the traditional z-transform domain, is applied to design controllers for HSVs. A modification to unified approach to problems with quadratic performance index involving output is carried out. The unified approach has a very attractive feature of its applicability to both continuous-time and discrete-time domains simultaneously. In particular, some simple H/sub 2/- and H/sub /spl infin//-based optimal controllers are designed for a linearized model of a typical HVS.
Dynamic vehicle routing with stochastic requests

This paper considers vehicle routing problems (VRP) where customer locations and service times are random variables that are realized dynamically during plan execution. It proposes a multiple scenario approach (MSA) that continuously generates plans consistent with past decisions and anticipating future requests. The approach, which combines AI and OR techniques in novel ways, is compared with the best available heuristics that model long-distance courier mail services [Larsen et al, 2002]. Experimental results shows that MSA may significantly decrease travel times and is robust wrt reasonably noisy distributions.
In vivo approaches to neuromuscular structure and function.

Publisher Summary A number of technical advances have permitted longitudinal studies of neuromuscular innervations over hours to months in vivo . The staining and imaging techniques have provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying neuromuscular development and maturation in normal, diseased, and manipulated animals. This chapter describes the practical aspects of these techniques and discusses their applications, strengths, and limitations. Skeletal muscle and its innervation are ideal for in vivo analysis as they are accessible in living animals without extensive invasive surgery, muscle innervations is relatively simply organized, and motor neurons and muscle fibers can be easily and separately manipulated. Studying dynamic alterations in neuromuscular innervations in living animals over time requires several complementary experimental approaches. Modifications to commonly used microscopy equipment, repeated surgical exposure of muscles of interest, vital fluorescent staining of selected cells, digital imaging of neuromuscular junctions and muscle fibers of interest, and manipulation of innervation or of muscle fibers are discussed.
A Review of “Dynamics of Catholic Education: Letting the Catholic School Be School.”

Catholic educators continue to wrestle with two central questions: (1) Just what is the relationship between the Catholic school and the institutional Church? and (2) In light of the complexity and...
Silence and secrets in Domenico Fetti's Portrait of a Man with a Sheet of Music

Domenico's Fetti's Portrait of a Man with a Sheet of Music has confounded attempts to identify its sitter and perplexed viewers with its unexplained narrative. The foreground presents a seated man who glances up from the page in his left hand. At the lower right corner of the canvas, two small figures emerge from a doorway. The first of these men points to the sitter, while the other puts a single finger to his lips, his head turned right to address an unseen presence beyond the frame. With this gesture, he hushes both his fictive companion and the viewer. This essay re-examines both the identity of Fetti's sitter and, more importantly, the role of these painted intruders. I argue that the marginal figure's gesture of silence serves to thematize visual art's always fraught relationship with sound. Further, I propose that early modern viewers would have associated this gesture with admonitions to discretion and secrecy. This novel rumination on silence and secrets would have proved ideal for the representation of a new and socially liminal class of musical theatre composers and performers at the Mantuan court that Fetti served.
Virtual companies reconsidered

An important recent report recommends the creation of ‘rirtual companies’-companies formed from electronically linked workers who rfmain employees o f their regular firms . This paper criticizes that model, instead suggesting that uirtual companies have their o m employees. The assessment of the implications of both ppes of virtual compay points to the need for majar national poliy changes with respect to employment practices and mechanisms to conty wealth to people.
Composition and Structure of Si3n4 Implanted with Ti AT 900°C

Ti+ ions were implanted to high fluences (up to 5 × 1017 /cm2 ) into Si3N4 substrates heated to around 900°C. Composition vs depth profiles were obtained by RBS (in conjunction with RUMP analysis) and microstructures were examined by TEM. At a fluence of 4 × 1017 /cm2, the Si concentration was considerably reduced at the Ti peak depth but enriched near the surface. By 5 × 1017 /cm2, Si was nearly depleted from the implanted layer, leaving a Ti-rich nitride layer merging continuously into Si3N4. TEN detected TiN precipitates up to several pm in diameter, and coherent with Si3N4 crystallites. A Si-Ti-N ternary phase diagram is used to interpret the observed solid state reactions.
Sequence of the DNA-binding protein of a human subgroup E adenovirus (type 4): comparisons with subgroup A (type 12), subgroup B (type 7), and subgroup C (type 5).

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of the gene for the single-stranded DNA-binding protein of adenovirus type 4 (Ad4) has been determined. The gene codes for a protein of 512 amino acids. Comparison of the amino acid sequence with those previously determined for Ad5, Ad12, and Adz allowed identification of regions that are conserved between the four serotypes. These include stretches of 9, 9, and 12 amino acids in the carboxy-terminal domain of the protein; these sequences are similar to those identified in the single-stranded DNA-binding proteins of procaryotes as being important for interaction of the protein with single-stranded DNA. A conserved region of four amino acids in the amino-terminal domain is identical in sequence to a region of the SV40 large T antigen that has recently been implicated in the nuclear localization of the protein. Other conserved amino acids that may be important for the three-dimensional structure of the protein have also been identified. The overall homology between the DBPs of the four serotypes is 17.2% in the amino-terminal domain, 47.8% in the carboxy-terminal domain. Two-way comparisons between the DBPs of the four serotypes indicates that the DBP of Ad4 is most closely related to that of Adz.
Methods for retaining agriculture land in the urban fringe in the U.S.A.

Abstract Peterson, G., 1983. Methods for retaining agriculture land in the urban fringe in the U.S.A. Landscape Plann ., 9: 271–278. The urban fringe is the battleground between urban development and rural land use, with the latter, particularly agricultural use, usually being the loser. This article examines the effectiveness of three programs that have been used to retain agricultural land use — zoning, differential taxation assessment and purchase of development rights. Finding all of these, at least by themselves, either ineffective over the long term or too expensive to be a major deterrent against farmland conversion, a model requiring federal, state and local government action has been provided to overcome the conversion problems associated with the urban fringe.