cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations between bovine, human, and raw milk, and beef isolates of non-O157 Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli within a restricted geographic area of the United States.

A survey for Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli in raw milk and beef was conducted within a defined geographic region of the United States. Prevalence rates based on detection of Shiga toxin gene (stx) were 36% for retail beef, 23% for beef carcasses, and 21% for raw milk samples, which were significantly higher than were Shiga toxigenic E. coli isolation rates of 7.5, 5.8, and 3.2%, respectively. Seasonal prevalence differences were significant for stx positivity among ground beef and milk samples. Distribution of stx subtypes among isolates varied according to sample type, with stx1 predominating in milk, stx2 on carcasses, and the combination of both stx1 and stx2 in beef. Ancillary virulence markers eae and ehx were evident in 23 and 15% of isolates, respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated associations between food isolates and sympatric bovine fecal, and human clinical isolates. These data demonstrate that non-O157 Shiga toxigenic E. coli is present in the food chain in the Pacific ...
Accuracy of clinical variables in the identification of radiographically proven constipation in children.

Study objective To determine whether clinical variables accurately identify children with radiographically proven constipation. Methods Prospective, cross sectional case series of children 2-12 years of age with abdominal pain (AP) requiring radiographic evaluation. Constipation was defined radiographically as the presence of fecal material throughout the colon. The presence of other pathology was noted. The pediatric emergency department (ED) physicians recorded a comprehensive history and physical examination and a provisional diagnosis was made. Radiographs were initially interpreted by the pediatric ED attending physicians; the official interpretation was later provided by a single board certified pediatric radiologist who was blinded to the ED interpretation. A discriminant analysis was performed to identify variables that could best discriminate between patients with, and without, radiographically proven constipation. Results In total 251 patients were enrolled over a 12 month period. Four variables were noted to be more common in constipated patients: a history of normal or hard stools, absence of rebound tenderness, presence of tenderness in the left lower quadrant and stool in the rectal vault on exam. Stool present on rectal exam was the best discriminator between patients with and without constipation. The discriminant analysis model had a sensitivity of 77%, specificity of 35% and a negative predictive value of 55%. Conclusion No clinical variable, either as a single variable or in a model, accurately identified patients with abdominal pain and radiographically proven constipation.
Pigeons and pigeon holes in finite-state machines

We present a basic proof strategy that is based on the pigeon-hole principle. We demonstrate the utility of this basic strategy by using the strategy to prove that a given language is not regular and to prove the minimum number of states that a finite-state machine recognizing a given language must have. The strategy can be used to prove the non-regularity of any language that is not regular. In contrast, the pumping lemma, which is commonly used for non-regularity proofs in undergraduate theory classes, cannot be used to directly prove the non-regularity of a language if the language satisfies the pumping lemma. The strategy presented here can also be used to prove a lower bound on the number of states that a finite-state machine for a given language must have. When the lower bound proved is the greatest lower bound on the number of states, the bound is the number of states in a minimum-state finite-state machine for the given language.
Abstract 971: A novel long noncoding RNA, onco-lncRNA 230, induces apoptosis and invasion in lung squamous cell carcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNAs that are longer than 200 base pairs and do not translate into proteins but have been shown to play roles in all aspects of biological regulation. LncRNAs have also been shown to regulate gene expression including chromatin organization, transcriptional regulation, and post-transcriptional control. In addition, they are now emerging to be important players in our understanding of cancer and have been shown to promote tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms driving the advancement of tumor progression to metastasis is poorly understood. To identify lncRNAs critical to tumorigenesis, our lab conducted a pan-cancer analysis of normal and primary tumor tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas to discover lncRNAs that are commonly altered across cancer types, which we termed ‘onco-lncRNAs’. During our analysis, we discovered a novel unannotated onco-lncRNA, onco-lncRNA-230, that was significantly up regulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) tumors relative to matched adjacent normal tissues, when available. We chose to focus on onco-lncRNA-230 as it displayed more than seven fold increase in LUAD and more than thirty seven fold change in LUSC tumors relative to adjacent normal. First, we validated this finding by quantitative PCR which revealed greater than a two fold enrichment of onco-lncRNA-230 expression in two out of seven LUAD and all six LUSC cells lines compared to a normal lung cell line. Because we observed the greatest increase in expression in HCC95 LUSC cells, we next sought to determine if modulating the expression of onco-lncRNA-230 promotes oncogenic phenotypes. Silencing of onco-lncRNA-230 in HCC95 cells did not change cellular proliferation but significantly increased apoptosis. Furthermore, silencing onco-lncRNA-230 resulted in a decrease in cellular invasion by transwell assay. Taken together, this represents the first study reporting that onco-lncRNA-230 is dysregulated in multiple cancer types, significantly up-regulated in lung cancer patient samples and lung cancer cell lines, and confers oncogenic phenotypes. Moving forward, we intend to explore how onco-lncRNA-230 mechanistically promotes lung cancer with the objective of utilizing onco-lncRNA-230 as a novel cancer diagnostic and therapy. Citation Format: Cynthia Y. Tang, Jessica M. Silva-Fisher, Ha X. Dang, Nicole M. White, Christopher A. Maher. A novel long noncoding RNA, onco-lncRNA 230, induces apoptosis and invasion in lung squamous cell carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 971.
A fluorescence-based high-throughput assay to identify inhibitors of tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase activity

Tyrosylprotein sulfotransferases (TPSTs) are Golgi-resident enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a sulfuryl group to the side chain hydroxyl of tyrosine residues. Sulfotyrosine residues are involved in protein-protein interactions in the extracellular space. These interactions are important for chemokines to bind cognate receptor, for cell adhesion and trafficking, and for pathogen entry into cells. To better understand the role of TPSTs in cellular processes and disease states, we are interested in identifying small molecules to modulate TPST activity in experimental systems. Towards that end, we developed a fluorescent peptide assay for TPST2 activity. Here, we demonstrate that this assay can be used to screen the 1280 compound LOPAC library in a 384-well format and in a high-throughput manner. We identified 19 primary hits for a hit rate of 1.5%. Three of the primary hits were verified by dose-response assay and confirmed as inhibitors by a secondary mass spectrometry assay for TPST activity. One hit, suramin, possessed inhibitory properties consistent with a competitive inhibitor of substrate binding and molecular docking revealed a good fit into the TPST2 substrate-binding pocket. This assay can be used to screen larger libraries to identify small molecules that inhibit TPST sulfotransferase activity.
Left ventricular global longitudinal strain predicts mortality and heart failure admissions in African American patients.

BACKGROUND Several studies have demonstrated the importance of left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) as a reliable prognostic indicator in patients with heart failure (HF). These studies have included few African American (AA) patients, despite the growing prevalence and severity of HF in this patient population. HYPOTHESIS LV GLS predicts long-term HF admission and all-cause mortality in AA patients with chronic HF on optimal guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). METHODS We enrolled 207 AA adults, age 56 ± 14.5 years, with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I through III HF on optimal GDMT from the University of Illinois HF clinic between November 2001 and February 2014. LV GLS was assessed by velocity vector imaging using 2-, 3-, and 4-chamber views. Patients were followed for HF admissions and death for 3 ± 3.0 years. LV GLS value of -7.95 was used as the optimal cutoff point that maximizes sensitivity and specificity RESULTS: LV GLS < -7.95% was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality and HF admissions in Kaplan-Meier survival curves (log-rank P < 0.001). After incorporation in multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, GLS < -7.95% was found to be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-15.32; P = 0.04] and HF admissions (HR = 3.86; 95% CI: 1.38-10.77; P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS In AA patients with chronic stable HF on GDMT, more impaired LV GLS (< -7.95%) is a strong and independent predictor of long-term all-cause mortality and HF admissions.
The Production Function of the Regulatory State: How Much Do Agency Budgets Matter?

How much will our budget be cut be this year? This question has loomed ominously over regulatory agencies for over three decades. After the 2016 presidential election, it now stands front and center in federal policy, with the Trump administration pledging over $50 billion in cuts. Yet very little is known about the fundamental relationship between regulatory agencies’ budgets and the social welfare outcomes they are charged to produce. Indeed, the question is scarcely studied in scholarship from law, economics, or political science. This article lays the groundwork for a new field of theoretical and empirical research, using what we call the “regulatory production function,” to understand the marginal effects of changes in regulatory agency budgets (both reductions and increases) on the levels of benefits they produce. Our proposed theoretical framework and empirical findings have important implications across the regulatory state on the relationship between agency funding and outcomes for public health, safety, and welfare agencies. This model of the regulatory state informs agency-scale decisions regarding institutional design and instrument choice as well as the broader set of decisions regarding the balance of federalism and reliance on private governance as a supplement to public authority. Part I describes relevant scholarship on the broad topic of regulatory agency resources and outcomes, showing a paucity of theoretical and empirical analysis of the question. Using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and environmental quality as a case study, Part II develops a conceptual model of a regulatory production function for thinking more clearly about linkages between agency funding and regulatory outcomes. Using this model, Part III turns to generating hypotheses that could explain why EPA funding levels may or may not have a strong effect on environmental quality. Part IV uses regression analyses to test whether there is a statistically significant relationship between agency funding and air pollution. In the face of significant data and modeling constraints, we found none. Part V then explores the important research questions that emerge from the study and proposes a research agenda going forward. Much as the tools of cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment have transformed the study of policy choice and legal design, development of the regulatory production function model and the data needed to study it will allow scholars to examine fundamental questions of the regulatory state.
Bone: Towards a better management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis?

A new publication by the ACR provides clear recommendations for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in patients being treated with glucocorticoids, but will they improve the historically inadequate management of this patient population?
Using SMS technology to survey low-income youth: Lessons from a vocational education tracking study in Kenya

Tracking graduates of job training programs is increasingly important, given high youth unemployment and the need to understand labour market outcomes to inform policy and program decisions. We describe the strengths and weaknesses of using text messaging to survey 2180 graduates of Vocational Training Centres in three Kenyan counties. The response rate was 18 percent. The short message service survey over‐represented urban graduates and those from private Vocational Training Centres, and 39 percent were answered by someone other than the intended respondent—seriously jeopardizing data quality. We report lessons learned and offer recommendations for designing graduate tracking surveys. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract IA12: Intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity and response to therapy in mouse models of SCLC

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma that accounts for ~15% of all lung cancers and causes over 200,000 deaths worldwide each year. The majority of SCLC patients have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis; for these patients, the median survival, even with treatment, is 7-12 months, and the 5-year overall survival is To dissect the molecular changes that regulate SCLC progression, it is critical to analyze purified SCLC cells from tumors at known stages of tumorigenesis. This has not been possible previously using either mouse models or human specimens due to the 1) limited access to lung cancers at defined stages of malignant progression, 2) inability to unambiguously isolate SCLC cells away from stromal cells, and 3) difficulty in performing genome-wide analyses on the few cells that can be isolated from metastases in mouse models or patient biopsies. To overcome these obstacles, we have developed mouse models of SCLC including Cre/lox-mediated deletion of key tumor suppressors (p53, Rb, and the Rb family member p130) as well as activation of fluorescent reporters. This triple-knockout (TKO) model recapitulates the genetics, histology, and metastatic ability of human SCLC. Using this mouse model, we have recently identified new levels of intratumoral heterogeneity in SCLC tumors, including the presence of tumor-propagating cells (TPCs) as well as Notch-active non-neuroendocrine tumor cell population that promotes the growth of TPCs in a non-cell autonomous but tumor-intrinsic manner. Using TKO mice, we have also uncovered distinct mechanisms of intertumoral heterogeneity during tumor progression; in particular, we have shown that one group of tumors gains metastatic potential by upregulation of the Nfib transcription factor and extensive changes in their chromatin state, while others become metastatic in absence of Nfib-driven chromatin dynamics. These observations will be discussed in the context of how SCLC tumors respond to chemotherapy and candidate targeted therapies. Citation Format: Jing Shan Lim, Dian Yang, Yan Ting Shue, Monte Winslow, Julien Sage. Intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity and response to therapy in mouse models of SCLC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Modeling Cancer in Mice: Technology, Biology, and Beyond; 2017 Sep 24-27; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(10 Suppl):Abstract nr IA12.
Are We Having Fun Yet? How Teachers Use Manipulatives to Teach Mathematics

Teachers often comment that using manipulatives to teach mathematics is ‘fun!’ Embedded in the word ‘fun’ are important notions about how and why teachers use manipulatives in the teaching of mathematics. Over the course of one academic year, this study examined 10 middle grades teachers’ uses of manipulatives for teaching mathematics using interviews and observations to explore how and why the teachers used the manipulatives as they did. An examination of the participants’ statements and behaviors indicated that using manipulatives was little more than a diversion in classrooms where teachers were not able to represent mathematics concepts themselves. The teachers communicated that the manipulatives were fun, but not necessary, for teaching and learning mathematics.
Mutational profiling of resected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

e15675Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is an aggressive neoplasm with increasing incidence and mortality. Resection is the only potential curative treatment and is associated with ...
A Semi-Supervised Active-learning Truth Estimator for Social Networks

This paper introduces an active-learning-based truth estimator for social networks, such as Twitter, that enhances estimation accuracy significantly by requesting a well-selected (small) fraction of data to be labeled. Data assessment and truth discovery from arbitrary open online sources are a hard problem due to uncertainty regarding source reliability. Multiple truth finding systems were developed to solve this problem. Their accuracy is limited by the noisy nature of the data, where distortions, fabrications, omissions, and duplication are introduced. This paper presents a semi-supervised truth estimator for social networks, in which a portion of inputs are carefully selected to be reliably verified. The challenge is to find the subset of observations to verify that would maximally enhance the overall fact-finding accuracy. This work extends previous passive approaches to recursive truth estimation, as well as semi-supervised approaches where the estimator has no control over the choice of data to be labeled. Results show that by optimally selecting claims to be verified, we improve estimated accuracy by 12% over unsupervised baseline, and by 5% over previous semi-supervised approaches.
Parents' Perceptions of 5210 Nutrition Messaging and Child Weight Status.

Abstract Objective To explore parent perceptions of child weight status and 5210 nutrition messaging recommendations, including daily consumption of 5 fruits and vegetables, limiting child screen time to ≤2 hours, incorporating 1 hour of daily physical activity, and no consumption of sugary, sweetened beverages. Methods Using the Convergence Model of Communication as a framework, qualitative focus groups (n = 5) were conducted at 4 Head Start sites across 1 Ohio County. Twenty-eight parents aged 20–60 years comprised the groups. A deductive analysis technique with respondent validation was used. Results Parents have limited understanding of 5210 messages delivered by the program. Parent food preferences, family finances, and children's picky eating were identified as barriers to integrating healthy eating habits at home. Parents prefer practical strategies regarding how to integrate healthy eating habits into the home environment. Participants expressed concern about children's psychological health and happiness vs weight status. Conclusions and Implications Understanding parental perceptions of 5210 messaging and program-reported weight status may assist Head Start programs in addressing childhood obesity through focused parent education and support.
Improving Response to Suspected Sepsis: Results of a Hospital-wide Quality Improvement Initiative

Title Improving Response to Suspected Sepsis: Results of a hospital-wide quality improvement initiative Purpose Guidelines and quality metrics recommend initial antibiotic administration within 60 minutes of severe sepsis recognition, though published data suggests low compliance. Through a hospital-wide QI initiative, we aimed to increase compliance with antibiotic administration < 60 minutes for children with suspected sepsis in the ED, ICU and high-risk inpatient settings. Methods This was a single-center quality improvement project at a tertiary care children’s hospital. Six unit-level sepsis improvement teams were provided with quality improvement and …
Use of Routine Complete Blood Count Results to Rule Out Anaplasmosis Without the Need for Specific Diagnostic Testing.

Background Anaplasmosis presents with fever, headache, and laboratory abnormalities including leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the preferred diagnostic but is overutilized. We determined if routine laboratory tests could exclude anaplasmosis, improving PCR utilization. Methods Anaplasma PCR results from a 3-year period, with associated complete blood count (CBC) and liver function test results, were retrospectively reviewed. PCR rejection criteria, based on white blood cell (WBC) and platelet (PLT) counts, were developed and prospectively applied in a mock stewardship program. If rejection criteria were met, a committee mock-refused PCR unless the patient was clinically unstable or immunocompromised. Results WBC and PLT counts were the most actionable routine tests for excluding anaplasmosis. Retrospective review demonstrated that rejection criteria of WBC ≥11 000 cells/µL or PLT ≥300 000 cells/µL would have led to PCR refusal in 428 of 1685 true-negative cases (25%) and 3 of 66 true-positive cases (5%) involving clinically unstable or immunocompromised patients. In the prospective phase, 155 of 663 PCR requests (23%) met rejection criteria and were reviewed by committee, which endorsed refusal in 110 of 155 cases (71%) and approval in 45 (29%), based on clinical criteria. PCR was negative in all 45 committee-approved cases. Only 1 of 110 mock-refused requests yielded a positive PCR result; this patient was already receiving doxycycline at the time of testing. Conclusions A CBC-based stewardship algorithm would reduce unnecessary Anaplasma PCR testing, without missing active cases. Although the prospectively evaluated screening approach involved medical record review, this was unnecessary to prevent errors and could be replaced by a rejection comment specifying clinical situations that might warrant overriding the algorithm.
Geoffrey of Vinsauf’s Master Trope: The Development of the Doctrine of Transsumptio

In this article, I trace the evolution of Geoffrey of Vinsauf’s doctrine of transsumptio as it developed from his Documentum de modo et arte dictandi et versificandi (late 12th century) to the Poetria nova (1202–1213). Although scholars have conflated transsumptio with translatio (or metaphor), this article argues that transsumptio is Geoffrey’s attempt to schematize how occupying a position of difference (or the transference of the self into an alternate mode of being) reveals metaphorical possibility in language. I close by imputing the development of Geoffrey’s doctrine of transsumptio to a reinvestigation of the Rhetorica ad Herennium between composing his two major treatises.
Common Bile Duct Exploration

About 10–20% of patients with cholelithiasis present with choledocholithiasis. 1–2% of patients who undergo a cholecystectomy will present with retained stones postoperatively if intraoperative cholangiography is not done. Open common bile duct (CBD) exploration was the conventional method of stone extraction in the operating room; however, with the advent of laparoscopic surgery, newer options have been developed. CBD stones can present anywhere along a spectrum from silent (incidentally noted), to biliary colic, to obstruction of the ampulla of Vater, and all the way to obstructive jaundice and ascending cholangitis. There are two generally accepted ways to approach a CBD exploration to include transcystic or transcholedochal approaches. The approach used is dictated by stone size, location, and duct morphology. With either approach, completion cholangiography should always be done.
2616 Concomitant Appendectomy in Patients with Pelvic Pain: Can we Predict Abnormal Appendiceal Pathology?

Study Objective To determine the prevalence of appendix pathology (i.e. endometriosis, fibrous obliteration, tumor, acute/chronic inflammation) in patients with chronic pelvic pain. To determine whether preoperative symptoms, age (≤ 35 or >35), or intraoperative appendiceal appearance were associated with appendix pathology. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Two Large Metropolitan Academic Hospitals. Patients or Participants 135 patients between the ages of 16 to 52 with chronic pelvic pain undergoing minimally invasive excision surgery with concomitant appendectomy for suspected endometriosis from January 2012 to June 2017. Interventions Data on appendix pathology, preoperative symptoms, age, and intraoperative appendix appearance was collected from medical records, operative reports, and postoperative pathology reports. Measurements and Main Results Among the 135 patients with chronic pelvic pain, 54 (40%, 95% CI:31.7-48.3%) had underlying abnormal appendiceal pathology: 18 (13.3%, 95% CI:7.6-19.1%) with endometriosis, 25 (18.5%, 95% CI:12.0-25.1%) with fibrous obliteration, 4 (3.0%, 95% CI:0.1-5.8%) with tumors, and 7 (5.2%, 95% CI:1.4-8.9%) with inflammation. Dyspareunia was the only statistically significant preoperative symptom that was associated with appendiceal pathology (p=0.04). Gastrointestinal symptoms (i.e. dyschezia, constipation, nausea, and diarrhea), dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, dysuria, right lower quadrant pain, left lower quadrant pain, back pain, and presence of ovarian cyst were not significantly associated with appendiceal pathology. Rates of appendiceal pathology were not significantly different between age groups (≤ 35 vs >35) (p=0.24). Thickening, scarring/adhesions, discoloration, nodularity, vascular congestion, or irregular shape of the appendix were not significantly associated with underlying appendix pathology. Conclusion Neither age (≤ 35 or >35) nor intraoperative appendiceal appearance was associated with underlying appendiceal pathology, which had a prevalence of 40%. Only preoperative dyspareunia was associated with appendiceal pathology, a connection that requires further study. Thus surgeons should consider concomitant appendectomy in patients with chronic pelvic pain.
Understanding HIV Program Effects: A Structural Approach to Context Using the Transportability Framework.

BACKGROUND Implementation science focuses on evaluating strategies for delivering evidence-based interventions to improve HIV prevention and treatment. The effectiveness of these implementation strategies is often context-dependent and reconciling the desire to produce generalizable knowledge in the face of these contextual interventions is a central challenge for implementation science researchers. METHODS We provide an overview of the causal transportability theory and conceptualize context under this framework. We review how causal graphs can be used to illustrate the assumptions necessary to apply the results of a study to a new context, and we illustrate this approach using an example of a community adherence group intervention that aims to improve retention in HIV care. Finally, we discuss several key insights highlighted by the transportability theory that are relevant to implementation science researchers. RESULTS By adopting causal transportability to consider how context may affect the success of an implementation strategy, researchers can formally diagnose when the results of a study are likely to generalize to a given setting. Moreover, selection diagrams can highlight what additional measurements would be needed in a target population to estimate the effect of an implementation strategy in that target population without having to repeat the initial study. CONCLUSIONS Transportability translates intuition about context-dependent interventions and external validity into actionable and testable insight.
The dangers of interpretation: C.A.W. Manning and the “going concern” of international society:

C. A. W. Manning was an important figure in the early days of what became known as the English School, and was one of the most philosophically explicit articulators of the interpretivist approach t...
Differences in Body Mass Index (BMI) in Early Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared to Youth with Typical Development

Adolescence is a time of exceptional physical health juxtaposed against significant psychosocial and weight-related problems. The study included 241, 10-to-13-year-old youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, N = 138) or typical development (TD, N = 103). Standardized exams measured pubertal development, height (HT), weight (WT), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and Body Mass Index (BMI). Analysis of Variance showed no significant between-group differences for HT, WT, HR, or BP (all p > 0.05). There was a significant difference in BMI-percentile between the groups (F(1,234) = 6.05, p = 0.01). Using hierarchical linear regression, significant predictors of BMI-percentile included diagnosis, pubertal stage and socioeconomic status. Pre-to-early pubescent children with ASD evidence higher BMI percentiles compared to youth with TD suggesting they may be at heightened risk for weight-related health concerns.
Phonon-induced decoherence of a spin based qubit made with asymmetric coupled quantum dots

Abstract A semiconductor heterostructure made with two asymmetric coupled self-assembled quantum dots (ACSAQDs) has been studied. Such a structure can serve as a spin based quantum dot qubit which is an important manufacture for quantum communication and quantum information processing . The shape of the confinement potential, the used semiconductor materials and the size of the investigated quantum dots have been chosen to be comparable to the fabricated and the experimentally studied quantum dots. The spin-flip decoherence and more specifically the effects associated with acoustic phonons have been researched. A rather sophisticated theoretical model (8-band strain dependent k ⋅p theory) has been employed to evaluate the carrier eigenfunctions and eigenvalues within the quantum dots. Using the Fermis golden rule, the spin-flip relaxation time (T1) due to phonon coupling to electrons has been evaluated. The volume of the quantum dots is a parameter of crucial importance for controlling the spin-flip relaxation mechanism. Moreover, other parameters like the space between the coupled quantum dots, the lattice temperature and the presence of an external applied magnetic field (along the quantum dots growth direction) have considerable effects on the spin-flip relaxation time.
The Double Game: The Demise of America’s First Missile Defense System and the Rise of Strategic Arms Limitation: by James Cameron, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2018, 248 pp., £59.00/$78.00 (hardback), ISBN: 978-0-19-0459925

James Cameron seeks to explain the development of United States nuclear strategy and the emergence of strategic arms control throughout the 1960s in The Double Game. Yet, whilst the book’s title im...
Computed Tomography During Bronchoscopic Lung Splinting for Atelectasis

A 64-year-old man experienced persistent atelectasis of the right lung after right upper lobectomy. To simultaneously visualize the airways and lung parenchyma in real time, chest computed tomography was performed while pneumatically splinting the lung open via insufflation through the working channel of a bronchoscope. The bronchi were patent but peripheral consolidations within the remaining right lung were visualized, representative of pneumonia. The patient fully recovered with antimicrobial therapy. Computed tomography during bronchoscopic pneumatic lung splinting is an advanced diagnostic for the investigation of persistent atelectasis.
Host-specific symbioses and the microbial prey of a pelagic tunicate (Pyrosoma atlanticum)

Abstract Pyrosomes are widely distributed pelagic tunicates that have the potential to reshape marine food webs when they bloom. However, their grazing preferences and interactions with the background microbial community are poorly understood. This is the first study of the marine microorganisms associated with pyrosomes undertaken to improve the understanding of pyrosome biology, the impact of pyrosome blooms on marine microbial systems, and microbial symbioses with marine animals. The diversity, relative abundance, and taxonomy of pyrosome-associated microorganisms were compared to seawater during a Pyrosoma atlanticum bloom in the Northern California Current System using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, microscopy, and flow cytometry. We found that pyrosomes harbor a microbiome distinct from the surrounding seawater, which was dominated by a few novel taxa. In addition to the dominant taxa, numerous more rare pyrosome-specific microbial taxa were recovered. Multiple bioluminescent taxa were present in pyrosomes, which may be a source of the iconic pyrosome luminescence. We also discovered free-living marine microorganisms in association with pyrosomes, suggesting that pyrosome feeding impacts all microbial size classes but preferentially removes larger eukaryotic taxa. This study demonstrates that microbial symbionts and microbial prey are central to pyrosome biology. In addition to pyrosome impacts on higher trophic level marine food webs, the work suggests that pyrosomes also alter marine food webs at the microbial level through feeding and seeding of the marine microbial communities with their symbionts. Future efforts to predict pyrosome blooms, and account for their ecosystem impacts, should consider pyrosome interactions with marine microbial communities.
Knowing and Not Knowing about Fertility: Childless Women and Age-Related Fertility Decline

Knowledge claims may play an essential role in reproductive decision-making, as individuals seek out, assess, reject, and use information about health and fertility gathered from numerous sources. This paper focuses specifically on childless women’s self-perceptions of knowledge about infertility and age-related fertility decline. How knowledgeable do childless women perceive themselves to be about fertility and infertility in general, and from where they do they obtain this knowledge? Furthermore, how knowledgeable do childless women perceive themselves to be about their own fertility and ability to conceive, and to what do they attribute this knowledge? Data for this project was gathered through semi-structured interviews with 72 childless American women; the interviews were inductively and thematically coded using qualitative-analysis software. Childless women assessed their general knowledge of fertility as confident , self-doubting , or novices , and they claimed multiple sources as the basis of this knowledge, including formal education and training, media and popular culture, and family members and peers. When assessing knowledge about their own fecundity, the women tended to rely on two additional sources: biomedical diagnostics and embodied knowledge. Childless women’s awareness of average statistics of age-related fertility decline did not necessarily translate to individual self-knowledge about their own bodies and fecundity. Because knowledge claims were based on multiple information sources given unequal weight, this raises questions about authoritative knowledge—that is, the knowledge that “counts” for women as they make decisions regarding their future childbearing.
Long-Term Evolution Uplink Impacts on Aeronautical Mobile Telmetry

The National Advanced Spectrum Communications Test Network conducted a test campaign to evaluate impacts of advanced wireless services - 3 long-term evolution uplink (1755 MHz - 1780 MHz) signals on adjacent L-band (1780 MHz – 1850 MHz) aeronautical mobile telemetry air to ground links. The test campaign applied a host of field and laboratory-collected long-term evolution uplink waveforms to an aeronautical mobile telemetry system in a highly automated, cabled testbed. We showcase the test methodology and lessons learned of a susceptibility study in the adjacent band as applied to a telemetry receiver under test.
Blood Plasma Cholesterol Changes during a Physical Training Program

Abstract Blood plasma cholesterol levels were followed in six experimental and six control subjects during a five-week training program (two-mile run for time, five days per week) and an eight-week detraining period. Plasma cholesterol levels were determined by the Duboff-Stevenson ultramicro method. Plasma cholesterol levels were significantly reduced during the course of intensive training. A temporary rise in plasma cholesterol occurred during exercise, probably indicative of fat mobilization and ultimate utilization during physical exercise. Plasma cholesterol levels returned to pretraining levels within four weeks after training was stopped. The diurnal and weekly blood cholesterol variations were rather small, 2 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively. The pathways by which exercise assists in the lowering of plasma cholesterol levels are discussed.
Effects of Temperature-Dependent Material Properties on Temperature Variation in a Thermoelement

The dependency of temperature variation in a thermoelement on the temperature-dependent material properties was analyzed under the prescribed temperatures at its two ends. Based on the homotopy perturbation method, an analytical solution of the nonlinear governing equation for thermoelectric heat transport was obtained and then used for the analysis. Four different thermoelectric materials were used in the current work to study temperature variation along the thermoelement. The results calculated by the analytical solution of the nonlinear differential equation showed significant differences in temperature variation from those calculated by the analytical solution of linear differential equation which is based on the constant material property assumption. These differences in temperature distribution affect the accuracy of the predicted power and thus the predicted performance of thermoelectric modules or devices.
Foraging Strategies of Plant-Visiting Bats

Approximately 250 of the 850 known species of bats (about 29%) are partially or wholly dependent upon plants as a source of food. These bats are involved in a mutualistic exploitation system with plants in which the bats obtain food in the form of nectar, pollen, or fruit while providing mobility for the plant’s pollen grains or seeds. Coevolutionary aspects of these bat-plant interactions are discussed in detail (Chapter 9). In this chapter I will discuss our present knowledge of the foraging strategies of plant-visiting bats and will be minimally concerned with the potential consequences of chiropteran foraging behavior on plant populations.
When Antitrust Fails: Public Health, Public Hospitals, and Public Values

Current antitrust thinking is ill-equipped to resolve the conflict between consumer welfare and the well-being of the poor. In most markets, this conflict is analytically irrelevant: antitrust normally regards the poor as not "entitled" to most goods or services. But healthcare is different. Because antitrust enforcement policy ignores this difference, it mistakenly assumes that lower prices inevitably enhance social welfare. The economic principles that inform antitrust analysis are blind to the concerns of public hospitals. Moreover, institutional constraints, such as rules of standing and of evidence, along with traditional notions about the limits of judicial competence, foreclose antitrust: courts from undertaking the kinds of wide-ranging inquiries necessary to comprehend and remedy the competitive disadvantages of public hospitals. As a result, antitrust policy overlooks the "market" for public health, a shortcoming that marks not just a failure of antitrust policy, but a failure of unregulated competition in the market for hospital services. This article first describes the great wave of mergers that has occurred in the hospital and managed care industries over the past few years. It then discusses the responses of antitrust courts to this dramatic increase in concentration. Finally, concluding that antitrust doctrine does not and cannot usefully consider the social implications of this concentration, it argues that renewed regulation of the hospital industry is both inevitable and necessary, not only because it is a moral imperative but also because unbridled competition in this area does not serve society well.
School Daze: A Proposal for Education Code Reform in California

Truancy is a tremendous problem in the state of California. The costs, both fiscal and social, associated with children who fail to comply with the state’s compulsory education laws are staggering. The unnecessarily complicated and time-consuming procedures that are encompassed in the current Education Code are ineffective, and do not provide any meaningful consequences for noncompliance. This article proposes an efficient and expedient procedural system in which to handle truancy issues. To begin, this article details the complexities and redundancies found in the current Education Code. It maintains that the educational window in a child’s life is small, and that accordingly, time is of the essence when addressing the matter of truancy. Next, this article explains how various counties and cities in the state are finding ways to subvert the Education Code, and it does so from a practitioner’s perspective. Finally, this article suggests a solution to this problem. It proposes eliminating portions of the current California Education Code dealing with truancy, and utilizing existing sections of the California Welfare and Institutions Code and the California Penal Code in their place. Not only would the government be relieved of the task of repetitively informing children that they must attend school, but it also would do away with the laws and procedures in place to remind parents of their role as parents. If parents are more actively involved in the raising of their children, including the task of requiring them to attend school regularly and on time, the government will save precious resources, and parents can assume a responsibility that they never should have surrendered to the state in the first place.
Responses of Blood Glucose, Insulin and Cortisol Concentrations to Common Equine Diets

Two experiments were conducted to determine the response of blood glucose, insulin and cortisol levels to four common equine diets. Experiment 1 was designed to determine the diurnal variation of glucose and two glucoregulatory hormones, insulin and cortisol, in four fasting geldings. No diurnal variation was observed in either glucose or insulin levels during the 24-h sampling period. However, cortisol levels did exhibit a circadian rhythm, with elevated values observed in the morning and low values in the evening. Experiment 2 investigated the response of glucose, insulin, cortisol and selected amino acids to four isoenergetic equine diets. Four 2-yr-old quarter horse geldings were used in a Latin square design. Pelleted isoenergetic diets were composed as follows on a digestible energy basis: 100% alfalfa (diet A), 50% alfalfa and 50% corn (diet AC), 100% corn (diet C) and 90% corn and 10% corn oil (diet CO). A single meal was fed after an overnight fast. Blood samples were taken via a jugular catheter from 0800 to 1700 h. Analysis of variance by repeated measures and mean response area for glucose showed no difference between diets. However, postprandial peak glucose levels were elevated (P less than 0.01) over prefeeding levels in diets AC and C. Analysis of variance by repeated measures and mean response area for insulin showed differences (P less than 0.05) between diets. Cortisol showed no meal-related responses to any of the diets within its expected circadian rhythm.
The role of the positive emotional attractor in vision and shared vision: toward effective leadership, relationships, and engagement

Personal and shared vision have a long history in management and organizational practices yet only recently have we begun to build a systematic body of empirical knowledge about the role of personal and shared vision in organizations. As the introductory paper for this special topic in Frontiers in Psychology, we present a theoretical argument as to the existence and critical role of two states in which a person, dyad, team, or organization may find themselves when engaging in the creation of a personal or shared vision: the positive emotional attractor (PEA) and the negative emotional attractor (NEA). These two primary states are strange attractors, each characterized by three dimensions: (1) positive versus negative emotional arousal; (2) endocrine arousal of the parasympathetic nervous system versus sympathetic nervous system; and (3) neurological activation of the default mode network versus the task positive network. We argue that arousing the PEA is critical when creating or affirming a personal vision (i.e., sense of one’s purpose and ideal self). We begin our paper by reviewing the underpinnings of our PEA-NEA theory, briefly review each of the papers in this special issue, and conclude by discussing the practical implications of the theory.
Assessing invader roles within changing ecosystems: historical and experimental perspectives on an exotic mussel in an urbanized lagoon

It is often difficult to accurately assess the long-term effects of invaders because of a lack of data and the changing nature of ecosystems. However, available historical information can be used to make comparisons with current conditions and generate hypotheses that can be tested experimentally. This approach was used to examine changes in the bivalve community of Mission Bay, San Diego, California, USA. A 20-year dataset on subtidal bivalves shows a marked increase in abundance of the exotic mussel Musculista senhousia, and concomitant declines in species richness and the abundance of the native Solen rostriformis. Currently, Musculista also dominates the tidal creeks of a remnant salt marsh and an adjacent restored marsh, and is 100 times more abundant than any native bivalve species. A comparison of the bivalves now present in the remnant marsh creek to the community present 35 years ago demonstrates that while Musculista increased in abundance, the native Chione fluctifraga disappeared from the creek. In the same time frame, two other natives, Macoma nasuta and C. undatella, appeared in the system. Experiments demonstrate that the growth and survivorship of the surface-dwelling, suspension-feeding Chione spp. significantly decrease in the presence of Musculista, whereas the deeper-dwelling, deposit-feeding Macoma nasuta shows no such inhibition. Viewing these results in the broader context of physical change within the wetland explains some patterns of observed change and suggests effects due at least in part to Musculista, but also demonstrates the complexities associated with assessing long-term patterns in systems affected by multiple factors.
Adaptive responses to illness and disability. Healthy denial

The authors attempt to understand the nature and sources of "resilience" by a comparison of three individuals who showed unusual courage in the face of death, illness, and congenital disability. Various adaptive traits that enabled them to function effectively and remain optimistic are discussed. The authors specifically consider the role of "healthy" denial and argue that it does not fully explain or account for their singular optimism confronting adversity. The term "resilience" is proposed to describe both the particular cognitive style of "hardiness" and the "ego strength" that characterize such patients. Possible sources and origins of resilience are suggested. Finally, implications for the treatment of such patients are considered.