cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
70 EFFECTS OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND BALLOON INFLATION ON STABILITY OF DRUG-ELUTING STENT POLYMER: AN IN VITRO STUDY

Background Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) of bare-metal stents appears to be free of any potential adverse clinical effects. However, the effect of MR scanning on polymer coating of drug-eluting stents might potentially cause disruption or peeling of polymer and potentially affect anti-restenosis benefits. We performed an in vitro study of drug-eluting stents to determine stability of polymer coating under simulated cardiac MR scanning conditions and to determine effects of balloon expansion on polymer integrity. Methods Six Cypher (Cordis, Miami, FL) and three Taxus (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA) stents were studied. The stents were imaged with an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) before and after balloon expansion to nominal stent inner diameter. Expanded stents along with weight ballast were then placed in the center of a clinical 1.5 T MR scanner (Sonata, Siemens). Imaging protocols were performed to simulate a complete clinical cardiac examination (multiple cines were obtained using a steady-state free precession and viability images with an inversion-recovery gradient echo). Stents were observed with ESEM after 1 simulated cardiac MR scan and again after 5 repeated MR scans. The stents were observed in an FEI Quanta 600F ESEM (FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR) equipped with field emission electron gun and Oxford energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer. The ESEM was operated at 15 kV and chamber pressure of 1.5 Torr, which allowed direct observation and elemental analysis without a conductive coating. Results The polymer coating was intact in both stent types prior to balloon expansion. After balloon inflation, Cypher stent showed multiple microfractures ( Conclusions There are no observable deformities of the polymer induced by MR scanning of the two commercially available drug-eluting stents in this in vitro experiment. Clinical implications of adhesions and peeling following balloon expansion of Taxus stent and microfractures on Cypher stent are unknown.
Infected nonunion of the femur and tibia.

Abstract The data presented in this article support the view that first saucerizing the infected bone and then grafting give good results. Immediate bone grafting, that is, bone grafting within a few days or weeks of saucerization, will fail when insufficient care has been employed in preparing the area for bone grafting. Using finely divided cancellous bone combined with a suitable fixator is important. Treatment of a nonunion can be successful without bone grafting if, after complete saucerization, stability is achieved by a brace, cast, or external fixator. Failure in all categories of patients is, in the main, due to failure to control the infection or inadequate stabilization. Posterolateral bone grafting may be an excellent alternative and was used in 20 per cent of the patients with tibial nonunion and a substantial loss of tibial shaft.
Adapting IRIS, a Non-Interactive Narrative Generation System, to an Interactive Text Adventure Game

The IRIS story generation system is a narrative planner that is designed to create suspenseful stories at the story-action level. The system has been previously shown to be able to create suspense in a non-interactive context. We show that, when a series of transformations on the original IRIS output are applied, the IRIS framework is also effective at creating suspense in the context of an interactive text adventure game.
Sampling in Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Domains: A Unified Approach

Sampling theory is a fundamental area of study in harmonic analysis and signal and image processing. The purpose of this paper is to connect sampling theory with the geometry of the signal and its domain. It is relatively easy to demonstrate this connection in Euclidean spaces, but one quickly gets into open problems when the underlying space is not Euclidean. We focus primarily on Euclidean and hyperbolic geometries.There are numerous motivations for extending sampling to non-Euclidean geometries. Applications of sampling in non-Euclidean geometries are showing up areas from EIT to cosmology. Irregular sampling of bandlimited functions by iteration in hyperbolic space is possible, as shown by Feichtinger and Pesenson. Sampling in spherical geometry has been analyzed by many authors, e.g., Driscoll, Healy, Keiner, Kunis, McEwen, Potts, and Wiaux, and brings up questions about tiling the sphere. In Euclidean space, the minimal sampling rate for Paley-Wiener functions on \(\mathbb{R}^{d}\), the Nyquist rate, is a function of the bandwidth. No such rate has yet been determined for hyperbolic or spherical spaces. We look to develop a structure for the tiling of frequency spaces in both Euclidean and non-Euclidean domains. In particular, we establish Nyquist tiles and sampling groups in Euclidean geometry, and discuss the extension of these concepts to hyperbolic and spherical geometry and general orientable surfaces.
Data quality issues for synchrophasor applications Part I: a review

Synchrophasor systems, providing low-latency, high-precision, and time-synchronized measurements to enhance power grid performances, are deployed globally. However, the synchrophasor system as a physical network, involves communication constraints and data quality issues, which will impact or even disable certain synchrophasor applications. This work investigates the data quality issue for synchrophasor applications. In Part I, the standards of synchrophasor systems and the classifications and data quality requirements of synchrophasor applications are reviewed. Also, the actual events of synchronization signal accuracy, synchrophasor data loss, and latency are counted and analyzed. The review and statistics are expected to provide an overall picture of data accuracy, loss, and latency issues for synchrophasor applications.
Isolated prehospital hypotension correlates with injury severity and outcomes in patients with trauma

Objective Patients normotensive in the trauma bay despite documented prehospital hypotension may not be recognized as significantly injured. The purpose of this study was to determine whether isolated prehospital hypotension portends poor outcomes and correlates with injury severity. Methods Prospective cohort study conducted at a level 1 university trauma center. The lowest recorded prehospital systolic blood pressure (SBP) and the first recorded SBP on hospital arrival were used to divide patients into either the normotensive (NP) or hypotensive (HP) group. Patients who failed to achieve normotension on hospital arrival were excluded. Hypotension was defined as SBP≤110 mmHg. Results Compared to NP (n=206), HP (n=81) had lower Glasgow Coma Scores both prehospital (12.81±0.44 vs 14.38±0.13) and at hospital admission (12.78±0.47 vs 14.37±0.14). Injury Severity Score positively correlated with prehospital hypotension (HP 12.27±1.12 vs NP 9.22±0.49). Prehospital hypotension positively correlated with intensive care unit (ICU) admission (HP 56.79% vs NP 22.82%), ICU length of stay (LOS) (HP 3.23±0.71 vs NP 0.71±0.17), hospital LOS (HP 8.58±1.39 vs NP 4.86±0.33), ventilator days (HP 3.38±1.20 vs NP 0.27±0.08 days), and repeat hypotensive episodes during their hospital stay (HP 81.71% vs NP 38.16%). HP also required more packed red blood cells in the first 24 hours after admission (22% vs 6%). Significance was set at p Conclusions Isolated prehospital hypotension in patients in the trauma and emergency department correlates with increased injury severity and portends worse outcomes despite a normal blood pressure reading at admission. Prehospital hypotension must be given heavy consideration in triage, as these patients may be transiently hypotensive and appear less critical than their true status. Level of Evidence Level II, Prognostic study.
Genetic Factors in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis, the cause of coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke, is in reality not one disease but many different diseases, each with a similar endpoint (vascular lesions) but differing in genetic and environmental contributions. In genetic terms, atherosclerosis is very “heterogeneous.” Within particular populations, genetic differences appear to be of primary importance in determining who will develop atherosclerosis, and its consequent clinical sequelae, and who will not. Between populations, particularly between those populations consuming different levels of dietary fat, environmental influences predominate.
Investigating and improving introductory physics students’ understanding of the electric field and superposition principle

We discuss an investigation of the difficulties that students in a university introductory physics course have with the electric field and superposition principle and how that research was used as a guide in the development and evaluation of a research-validated tutorial on these topics to help students learn these concepts better. The tutorial uses a guided enquiry-based approach to learning and involved an iterative process of development and evaluation. During its development, we obtained feedback both from physics instructors who regularly teach introductory physics in which these concepts are taught and from students for whom the tutorial is intended. The iterative process continued and the feedback was incorporated in the later versions of the tutorial until the researchers were satisfied with the performance of a diverse group of introductory physics students on the post-test after they worked on the tutorial in an individual one-on-one interview situation. Then the final version of the tutorial was administered in several sections of the university physics course after traditional instruction in relevant concepts. We discuss the performance of students in individual interviews and on the pre-test administered before the tutorial (but after traditional lecture-based instruction) and on the post-test administered after the tutorial. We also compare student performance in sections of the class in which students worked on the tutorial with other similar sections of the class in which students only learned via traditional instruction. We find that students performed significantly better in the sections of the class in which the tutorial was used compared to when students learned the material via only lecture-based instruction.
TRAFFIC ASSIGNMENT MODEL OF AL-AMARAH CITY

The initiation of this study was made with the objective of loading or assigning the flow of traffic in the base and target year (expressed as a matrix identifying the number of trips generated and distributed in the previous study from each Traffic analysis zone (TAZ) to every other within the study area) on a road network of Al-Amarah City. The traffic assignment process is usually implemented in two steps. The first step is constructing the network dataset of road network of Al-Amarah city for obtaining the optimal route between each node to all other nodes depending on two criteria; distance and time for evaluation the accessibility of all nodes in the road network. The second step uses stochastic user equilibrium and system optimum assignment models to assign the traffic distributed between all possible origins and destinations to the road network itself. The analysis is done using TransCAD software ver. 4.5 and Network Analysis/Arc GIS 10.3 for Al-Amarah City. Results showed that in the base year, The results of the stochastic user equilibrium assignment model there is no link in Al-Amarah network has v/c ratio between the range (0.81-1.00) and over which represent level of service equal to or more than D. The overall evaluation of Al-Amarah road network is level of service (LOS) equal to B and there is an improvement in the work of Al-Amarah road network by using the system optimum model. In the target year, the results of two assignment models are proximally similar. The black color (v/c >1.0) is appeared clearly in the assignment result map especially on the two main bridges in the city (Al-Yugoslavi Bridge and Al-Jumhuriah Bridge). When the red color (LOS E) is appeared in the links in near the centers of sectors (1,2, and 4). The most links ranges between (LOS D and LOS C) with v/c ratio Range (0.70-0.90).
Notch-mediated lateral inhibition is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism patterning the ectoderm in echinoids

Notch signaling is a crucial cog in early development of euechinoid sea urchins, specifying both non-skeletogenic mesodermal lineages and serotonergic neurons in the apical neuroectoderm. Here, the spatial distributions and function of delta, gcm, and hesc, three genes critical to these processes in euechinoids, are examined in the distantly related cidaroid sea urchin Eucidaris tribuloides. Spatial distribution and experimental perturbation of delta and hesc suggest that the function of Notch signaling in ectodermal patterning in early development of E. tr ibuloides is consistent with canonical lateral inhibition. Delta transcripts were observed in t he archenteron, apical ectoderm, and lateral ectoderm in gastrulating e mbryos of E. tribuloides. Perturbation of Notch signaling by either delta morpholino or treatment of DAPT downregulated hesc and upregulated delta and gcm, resulting in ectopic expression of delta and gcm. Similarly, hesc perturbation mirrored the effects of delta perturbation. Interestingly, perturbation of delta or hesc resulted in more cells expressing gcm and supernumerary pigment cells, suggesting that pigment cell proliferation is regulated by Notch in E. tribuloides. These results are consistent with an evolutionary scenario whereby, in the echinoid ancestor, Notch signaling was deployed in the ectoderm to specify neurogenic progenitors and controlled pigment cell proliferation in the dorsal ectoderm.
A comparative study of chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate for directing three-dimensional chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise for cartilage repair given their relative abundance, ease of isolation, and chondrogenic potential. To enhance MSC chondrogenesis, extracellular matrix components can be incorporated into three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds as an artificial cell niche. Chondroitin sulfate (CS)-containing hydrogels have been shown to support 3D chondrogenesis, but the effects of varying CS concentration and hydrogel stiffness on 3D MSC chondrogenesis remains elusive. Heparan sulfate (HS) is commonly used as a growth factor reservoir due to its ability to sequester growth factors; however, how it compares to CS in supporting 3D MSC chondrogenesis remains unknown. We fabricated photocrosslinkable hydrogels containing physiologically relevant concentrations (0–10%) of CS or HS with two stiffnesses (~7.5 kPa and ~ 36 kPa) as a 3D niche for MSC chondrogenesis. CS is a more potent factor in enhancing MSC chondrogenesis, especially in soft hydrogels (~ 7.5 kPa). A moderate dosage of CS (5%) led to the highest amount of neocartilage deposition. Stiff hydrogels (~ 36 kPa) generally inhibited neocartilage formation regardless of the biochemical cues. Taken together, the results from this study demonstrated that CS-containing hydrogels at low mechanical stiffness can provide a promising scaffold for enhancing MSC-based cartilage tissue regeneration.
Applied Behavior Analysis: Definitional Difficulties

A new science should provide an intensional definition of itself to delineate the necessary and sufficient conditions for an activity to qualify as an instance of said science (Baronett, 2013, pp. 46–48). However, current definitions of applied behavior analysis offered in leading ABA textbooks are descriptive instead of intensional. Therefore, an intensional definition of ABA is offered.
Micro-pulse, differential absorption lidar (dial) network for measuring the spatial and temporal distribution of water vapor in the lower atmosphere

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Montana State Univeristy (MSU) are developing a test network of five micro-pulse differential absorption lidars to continuously measure high-vertical-resolution water vapor in the lower atmosphere. The instruments are accurate, yet low-cost; operate unattended, and eye-safe – all key features to enable the larger network needed to characterize atmospheric moisture variability which influences important processes related to weather and climate.
Left atrial rhabdomyosarcoma diagnosed by Emergency Department point-of-care echocardiography.

Abstract Background We present a case of intracardiac rhabdomyosarcoma associated with cardiopulmonary instability which was diagnosed by emergency providers using point-of-care echocardiography. Case report A previously healthy 49-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with progressive dyspnea and hypotension. Emergency providers identified a left atrial mass using point-of-care ultrasound. Expedited advanced imaging and surgical management showed a malignant cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this? This case report highlights the utility of point-of-care ultrasound in the work-up of patients with undifferentiated dyspnea and hypotension, even in cases of rare diagnoses. Early diagnosis and management of both benign and malignant intracardiac tumors is essential to preoperative planning and patient prognosis. Ultrasound findings consistent with intracardiac masses should be recognized and used to guide further consultation, advanced imaging, and treatment.
Cellular and genetic mechanisms of convergence and extension.

The zebrafish blastula consists of a mound of blastomeres that lies atop a large syncytial yolk cell (Fig. 1). Around the mid-blastula stage, the initial dorsoventral polarity of the embryo has already been established (see Sakaguchi et al.; Hibi et al., this Vol.) and the induction of mesendoderm has begun (see Kimelman and Schier, this Vol.; Warga and Stainier, this Vol.). During the course of the next 10h of development, cells within the blastoderm will acquire specific fates (see Hammerschmidt and Mullins, this Vol.), as well as engage in morphogenetic movements to secure appropriate positions in the nascent embryo. These cell migrations and rearrangements transform the mound of blastomeres into an embryo that features a typical vertebrate body plan. During gastrulation, epibolic movements spread the blastoderm and the yolk syncytial layer towards the vegetal pole. Germ layer formation begins when mesendodermal cells move beneath ectoderm (see Kane and Adams, this Vol.). Epiboly and mesendoderm internalization take place in a relatively uniform manner along the entire dorsoventral axis, except for a small region in the gastrula organizer. This chapter focuses on the third gastrulation movement, convergence and extension, through which dorsoventral and anteroposterior embryonic polarity become morphologically distinct. The process of convergence and extension fashions the dorsoventral axis of the nascent embryo by narrowing its tissues from back to belly.
Hypokalemia may Mask Primary Aldosteronism: A Case Series

ABSTRACT Objective: To highlight the importance of hypokalemia correction in the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA), which is not emphasized sufficiently in the literature or clinical guidelin...
Reconstitution of centrosome microtubule nucleation in Drosophila

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the in vitro complementation assay to determine that the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) is required for Drosophila centrosomes to nucleate microtubules. The assay is based on earlier studies of complementation of inactivated mammalian centrosomes by Xenopus egg extract. The assay involves inactivating isolated Drosophila centrosomes with potassium iodide (KI), which leaves a salt-resistant core “scaffold,” and then complementing this inactive core with an embryo extract or pure proteins. Electron microscopy revealed that the scaffold proteins appear to be organized into 10-nm filaments. The complementation assay has provided a means of partially assembling the centrosome in vitro and characterizing proteins involved in microtubule nucleation, as well as those to which the microtubule nucleating machinery attaches. The complementation assay can be used to study proteins involved in microtubule nucleation as well as centrosome composition and assembly in a very powerful way. Several studies have shown that the components of this system are functionally highly conserved—components from a variety of organisms can be mixed, resulting in the restoration of microtubule-nucleating activity.
Healthy lifestyle-based approaches for successful vascular aging

This review summarizes a presentation given at the 2016 Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting as part of the Vascular Aging Workshop. The development of age-related vascular dysfunction ...
Molecular Cytopathology Correlations: Interpretation of Molecular Diagnostic Results

An expanding knowledge of the molecular basis of disease and the application of molecular diagnostics in routine clinical practice have resulted in increasing volumes of cytology tissue samples being utilized for molecular testing. The importance of cytopathologists being able to incorporate molecular pathology into their clinical practice and translate molecular diagnostic results into patient care cannot be overemphasized. With the increasing use of molecular diagnostics in cytopathology, cytopathologists are expected to interpret diagnostic and theranostic genetic information in the appropriate clinicopathologic context and include specific prognostic and predictive information in their reports. A basic understanding of the principles of molecular testing and the application of these ancillary studies in the field of cytopathology are critical for judicious utilization of tissue samples, implementation of molecular testing in these samples, and the integration of molecular results into cytopathology practice for appropriate patient care.
Prescription opioid misuse among U.S. Hispanics

Abstract Background As a risk factor for addiction, heroin use, and overdose, the misuse of prescription opioids represents a critical public health challenge. While public attention has primarily centered on opioid misuse among White individuals, less attention has been devoted to opioid misuse among one of the United States' fastest-growing demographic groups: Hispanic immigrants and their descendants. This study therefore examined prescription opioid misuse among U.S. Hispanic adults, with attention to within-group differences and the role of acculturation-related characteristics. Methods Data were derived from the 7037 U.S. Hispanic adults in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (2012−2013). Weighted proportions, adjusted odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were computed for past-year and lifetime prescription opioid misuse. Binomial logistic regression models examined the association between acculturation-related characteristics and prescription opioid misuse. Results Past-year prevalence of prescription opioid misuse among U.S. Hispanic adults was lower in the first generation (1.6%), compared with the second (4.1%), third (6.8%), and higher-than-third (6.2%) generations, and a similar pattern was observed for lifetime prevalence. Higher generation, greater English language orientation, and length of time living in the United States were significantly associated with higher odds of past-year and lifetime prescription opioid misuse. Conclusions Relying solely on comparisons of prevalence between ethnic groups may obscure significant variations within ethnic groups. Second, third, and higher generation Hispanics are higher-risk subgroups, with rates of prescription opioid misuse approaching or surpassing the rates reported among non-Hispanic Whites.
Adult congenital heart disease incidence and consultation: a survey of general adult cardiologists.

To the Editor: Of the approximately 1.3 million adult survivors with congenital heart disease (CHD) living in the United States, only a small percentage appears to be receiving specialized care in accordance with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2008 Guidelines for the Management of Adult
Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization: A Systematic Review and Effect-Size Analysis.

Objective To determine the overall effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) in improving range of motion (ROM), pain, strength, and patient-reported function in order t...
Napoli, Donna Jo (b. 1948)

This article is a biography of Donna Jo Napoli (b. 1948), a syntaction whose interests include syntax, phonetics, phonology, morphology, historical and comparative linguistics, Romance studies, structure of Japanese, structure of American Sign Language, Poetics, Poetry workshops, dialogue, fiction and a creative writer, whose works include co-edited anthologies of poetry composed by linguists. The article details Napoli's life story, surveys her achievements and most prominent accomplishments, and provides a representative selection of her writings.
The Game of Drones: rapid agent-based machine-learning models for multi-UAV path planning

The goal of this article is to provide basic modeling and simulation techniques for systems of multiple interacting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, so called “swarms”, for applications in mapping. Also, the paper illustrates the application of basic machine-learning algorithms to optimize their information gathering. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the concepts.
Development of a New Large-Animal Model for Composite Face and Whole-Eye Transplantation: A Novel Application for Anatomical Mapping Using Indocyanine Green and Liquid Latex.

Background Recent advances in the field of vascularized composite allotransplantation have revolutionized reconstructive surgery and demonstrated opportunity for restoration of orbital content and perhaps vision. The development of an animal model that would facilitate study of surgical technique, nerve regeneration, vision restoration, and immunosuppression is needed. The aim of this study is to describe three different large-animal cadaveric models suitable for composite face and whole-eye transplantation. In addition, the authors introduce a novel colored liquid latex and indocyanine green mixture for vasculature identification and visualization. Methods The authors studied three different flap designs using cadaveric Yorkshire swine and modified them for face and whole-eye transplant harvest. Flaps harvested included a chimeric flap, a monobloc flap, and a bipedicled free flap. The authors injected selected vasculature with colored latex to better delineate vascular anatomy supplying the orbit and face. Indocyanine green was added to the latex solution to allow for visualization of the vascular supply using near-infrared imaging. Results Colored latex and indocyanine green injections were successfully visualized in all cadaveric dissections. All three modified flap designs showed a well-defined and consistent vascular network within each face and whole-eye transplantation flap using laser-assisted near-infrared imaging. Conclusions The authors present the feasibility of composite face and whole-eye transplantation models using a novel mixture of liquid latex and indocyanine green in a porcine cadaver. Further study in large animals is needed to appraise the surgical feasibility of this procedure and potential for clinically relevant outcomes, including vision restoration. The authors believe this study establishes a foundation for translation into live animal models for optic nerve regeneration.
Gender differences in funding among grant recipients in emergency medicine: A multicenter analysis.

Abstract Objective To describe differences in funded grants between male and female faculty in two academic emergency departments. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of grant funding at two academic emergency departments from January 2012-September 2018. We queried the grants department databases at each institution and obtained records of all funded grants for emergency medicine (EM) faculty. We extracted the following information for each award: gender of the principal investigator (PI), PI academic rank, grant mechanism (government, institutional, industry, organizational), and percent effort. Differences by gender were compared using Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test and Wilcoxon-rank sum. Results One-hundred and thirty grants were awarded to EM faculty at the two institutions during the study period. Of the funded grants, 35 (27%) of recipients were female. Among grant recipients, females held lower academic ranking than males (p-value Conclusion In this multicenter analysis, gender discrepancies exist among funded grants of EM faculty. Male recipients had higher academic ranking than their female counterparts. Female recipients were less likely to have government, institutional, and industry grants but received a greater percent effort on funding that was awarded.
Air/Sea Transfer of Highly Soluble Gases Over Coastal Waters

Author(s): Porter, JG; de Bruyn, WJ; Miller, SD; Saltzman, ES | Abstract: The deposition of soluble trace gases to the sea surface is not well studied due to a lack of flux measurements over the ocean. Here we report simultaneous air/sea eddy covariance flux measurements of water vapor, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and momentum from a coastal North Atlantic pier. Gas transfer velocities were on average about 20% lower for SO2 than for H2O. This difference is attributed to the difference in molecular diffusivity between the two molecules (DSO2/DH2O = 0.5), in reasonable agreement with bulk parameterizations in air/sea gas models. This study demonstrates that it is possible to observe the effect of molecular diffusivity on air-side resistance to gas transfer. The slope of observed relationship between gas transfer velocity and friction velocity is slightly smaller than predicted by gas transfer models, possibly due to wind/wave interactions that are unaccounted for in current models.
Prevalence and correlates of bullying behavior among Nigerian middle school students

School bullying has received considerable criminological, psychological, educational, and governmental attention. However, much of the attention is focused on bullying in western, Asian, and Scandinavian countries. There appears to be scant, if any, attention paid to this problem on the African continent. Using cross-sectional data from a sample of 1,192 junior secondary school (middle school) students in Nigeria, this study examines the prevalence and correlates of bullying in this sample of secondary school students in Nigeria. Bullying prevalence rate in this sample was 59.9%. The study finds that males were more likely to bully than females, and the most prevalent form of bullying behavior for both genders was making fun of someone. Correlates for bullying perpetration were association with delinquent friends, negative school climate, attending a private school, and ethnicity.
Divergent effects of Wolbachia on host temperature preference

Heritable symbionts can modify a range of ecologically important host traits, including behavior. About half of all insect species are infected with maternally transmitted Wolbachia, a bacterial endosymbiont known to alter host reproduction, nutrient acquisition, and virus susceptibility. Here, we broadly test the hypothesis that Wolbachia modify host behavior by assessing the effects of eight different Wolbachia strains on the temperature preference of six Drosophila melanogaster-subgroup species. Four of the seven host genotypes infected with A-group Wolbachia strains (wRi in D. simulans, wHa in D. simulans, wSh in D. sechellia, and wTei in D. teissieri) prefer significantly cooler temperatures relative to uninfected genotypes. Contrastingly, when infected with divergent B-group wMau, D. mauritiana prefer a warmer temperature. For most strains, changes to host temperature preference do not alter Wolbachia titer. However, males infected with wSh and wTei experience an increase in titer when shifted to a cooler temperature for 24 hours, suggesting that Wolbachia-induced changes to host behavior may promote bacterial replication and influence Wolbachia transmission rates. Modifications to host temperature preference likely influence host thermoregulation, and understanding the fitness consequences of these effects is crucial for predicting evolutionary outcomes of host-symbiont interactions, including how Wolbachia spread to become common.
Cutaneous Considerations in Lateral Craniofacial Reconstruction

Soft tissue reconstruction of head and neck defects is a broad, challenging task. The key to a successful operation is choosing an appropriate reconstructive option based on the location, size, and characteristics of the defect. This chapter describes the main principles to consider when deciding on a primary reconstructive option for the defects created by oncologic resection. These principles include placing scars in relaxed skin tension line, minimizing donor defects, and reconstructing entire facial aesthetic subunits. This chapter also focuses on the reconstruction methods that maximize function and minimize aesthetic deformity.
PRACTICE OF ERGONOMICS AMONG THE BANKERS OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS

OBJECTIVETo compare the knowledge and practice of ergonomics among bankers of private and public sector.METHODA cross-sectional study was conducted on bankers of Karachi over a period of 6 months. 200 participants were recruited from one of the reputed public sector bank of Karachi for the observational study. Another group of 200 members was taken from different private banks of Karachi. Convenience, sampling technique was chosen for data collection by using self-administered Questionnaire. Data entry was done on SPSS Version 20. Mean is calculated by using One sample T-test and considered significant at p value <0.05. In addition, the frequencies and percentages were taken as descriptive statistics for categorical variables. RESULTSThe workshop on ergonomics revealed statistically significant difference between the mean values 1.82, (p =0.00) and 1.95 (p=0.06) in the private and public sector bankers respectively. In addition, the means of back care were also calculated between the two sectors; showing higher mean values (1.83,) among the public sector bankers as compared to the private sector bankers (1.72, p=0.00).CONCLUSION`Our result shows that private sector bankers are more vigilant about their health and posture as compared to the public sector. The above result appears to be useful indicators of determining the risk of musculoskeletal problems among bankers.
Opioid-free recovery after laparoscopic-assisted redo pull-through and loop ileostomy via sacral and thoracic erector spinae plane blocks

Abstract Multi-modal analgesia with a reduction in perioperative opioid use has been a goal for many institutions due to the ongoing opioid epidemic. A reduction in opioid use can also limit undesirable side effects such as nausea, respiratory depression, and ileus in the perioperative and postoperative periods. In this case report, we describe a child who had excellent pain control for colorectal surgery after receiving a novel sacral erector spinae plane block (ESPB) along with bilateral thoracic ESPB's with sustained-release liposomal bupivacaine (Exparel). While there is ample literature describing the efficacy of thoracic and lumbar ESPB's for post-operative analgesia, there is a paucity of information regarding the sacral approach to the ESPB when combined with liposomal bupivacaine and its application to perineal, perianal, and colorectal surgery.
Infinite Riemann Sums, the Simple Integral, and the Dominated Integral

Simple integrability of a function f (defined by Haber and Shisha in [2]) is shown to be equivalent to the convergence of the infinite Riemann sum $$ \sum\limits_{k = 1}^\infty {f\left( {{\xi _k}} \right)\left( {{x_k} - {x_{k - 1}}} \right)} $$ to the improper Riemann integral \( \int_0^\infty f \) f as the gauge of the partition \( \left( {{x_k}} \right)_{k = 0}^\infty \) of [0,∞)converges to O. An analogous result is obtained for dominant integrability (defined by Osgood and Shisha in [5]). Also certain results of Bromwich and Hardy [1] are recovered.
Parenting with Digital Devices

Parents have always faced challenges in managing the family environment. Within the past decade, these challenges have increased as digital devices and media have become more ubiquitous in the home. The issues faced by families include the appropriate age for children to interact with these devices, whether children's cognitive and social skills may be negatively impacted by the use of devices, and the role of parents in setting limitations and rules regarding the use of digital devices in the home. The use of digital devices may also have a positive influence on family management. Parents are now able to stay in contact with their children during the day, which helps in managing the time of children and parents. Social interactions with extended family members as well as with other children can be enhanced with digital devices and allows for visual contact with others. Unfortunately, there is little research that helps in advising families on how to manage digital devices in the home and how to accommodate the constant changes that occur in technology. The research itself has antiquated methods for assessing the role of digital devices in the lives of families and children. Thus, newer methods will need to be created in order to track how families are using digital devices to organize and manage their lives. There is a clear demand for more research on how technology is changing the family environment and that will be the challenge for the next decade of research. Keywords: technology; parenting; development; monitoring; home environment
Purification and Characterization of a Soluble Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase from Carrot Suspension Culture Cells.

Previously we reported the presence of a soluble phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI 4-Kinase) in carrot (Daucus carota L.) suspension culture cells (C.M. Okpodu, W. Gross, W.F. Boss [1990] Plant Physiol 93: S-63). We have purified the enzyme over 1000-fold using Q-Sepharose ion exchange, hydroxylapatite, and G-100 gel filtration column chromatography. The Mr of the enzyme was estimated to be 83,000 by gel filtration. PI 4-kinase activity was recovered after renaturation of the 80-kD region of polyacrylamide gels, and an 80-kD peptide cross-reacted with antibodies to the yeast 55-kD membrane-associated PI 4-kinase on western blots. The isolated lipid kinase phosphorylated PI but not lysophosphatidylinositol or phosphatidylinositol monophosphate. Maximal PI kinase activity occurred when the substrate was added as Triton X-100/PI mixed micelles at pH 8. The enzyme required divalent cations. At low concentrations (1-5 mM), Mn2+ was more effective than Mg2+ in increasing enzyme activity; however, maximal activity occurred at 25 to 40 mM Mg2+. Calcium from 0.01 [mu]M to 1 mM had no effect on the enzyme activity. The Km of the enzyme for ATP was estimated to be between 400 and 463 [mu]M. The enzyme was inhibited by adenosine (100 [mu]M); however, ADP (up to 100 [mu]M) had no effect on the activity. The biochemical characteristics of the carrot soluble PI 4-kinase are compared with the previously reported PI 4-kinases from animals and yeast.
Fourier Transform Near‐Infrared Raman Spectroscopy

The sections in this article are Introduction Nature of Noise Lasers Collection and Filtering Interferometers Detectors Standard Operations
Location Models in Transportation

The demand for transportation services is a derived demand (Manheim, 1979). In other words, the demand for such services arises from the need to move goods and/or people from one location to another and not from some inherent desirability of transportation in and of itself. Transportation is necessary only because people and/or goods are not located where they need to be when they need to be there.
Pcoord: a decentralized network coordinate system for internet distance prediction

Several recently emerged Internet services make use of application-level or overlay networks. Examples of such services include overlay multicast, structured peer-to-peer lookup services, and peer-to-peer file sharing. Many of these services could benefit from enabling participating end hosts to estimate their relative network locations within the overlay. In this thesis, we present PCoord, a peer-to-peer network coordinate system for overlay topology discovery and distance prediction. The goal of PCoord is to allow participating peer nodes in an overlay network to collaboratively construct an accurate geometric model of the overlay network topology in a completely decentralized peer-to-peer fashion. We evaluate the PCoord approach through extensive simulations using both real network measurements and simulated topologies. Our simulation results indicate that PCoord can embed hosts in a low dimensional Euclidean model with a small median prediction error. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Suprapubic cystostomy: a bizarre complication of catheter migration causing ureteric obstruction

Suprapubic catheters are used routinely for bladder drainage; however, complications are commonly reported. These complications could be attributed to surgical technique or the catheter itself. Complications related to surgical technique can be controlled and reduced, but catheter-related complications are unavoidable and unpredictable. We report a rare catheter-related complication leading to obstruction of the ureter in a solitary kidney in a patient with neurogenic bladder and voiding dysfunction managed with suprapubic catheter drainage.
A Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Model for Paraoxon in Rainbow Trout

Abstract Trout were exposed to an aqueous solution of 75 ng/ml paraoxon for 5 days at 12°C. The relationships among paraoxon concentration in water and target organs, AChE inhibition, and carboxylesterase (CaE) detoxification of paraoxon were characterized quantitatively by development of a PBPK–PD model. The PKPD model structure consisted of brain, heart, liver, kidney, and remainder of the body, which were interconnected by blood circulation. The paraoxon tissue/blood partition coefficients were: plasma/water, 1.46; liver/plasma, 5.89; brain/plasma, 3.90; heart/plasma, 2.91; kidney/plasma, 0.45; and blood/plasma, 0.91. Turnover of AChE was characterized from a dose–response study, in which its zero-order synthesis rate and first-order degradation rate constant were determined in several tissues; for brain they were 7.67 pmol/min and 7.31 × 10 −5 hr −1 . The uptake and depuration clearances of paraoxon (Cl u = 0.651 and Cl d = 0.468 ml min −1 g body wt −1 ) were determined using a compartmental model. During continuous water exposure to paraoxon, AChE activity in the tissues declined to new steady state values that were maintained by the synthesis of new AChE. CaE was shown by simulation to be an important pathway for detoxification of paraoxon.
Introduction: Contesting Equity in the Twenty-First Century

Equity has long been one of the main goals of public education in the United States, even though public schooling has often fallen short of the ideal in practice. Notions of what educational equity requires have shifted over time. Currently, as this issue's articles show, many ideas about educational equity are contending with each other in policy and politics. The political environment is not just complex but also challenging. At a time when resources for public institutions are increasingly scarce, the demographic disparities between the school-aged population and the older population may make the pursuit of equal opportunity especially contentious, particularly as seniors are more likely to vote than younger adults. Our goal for this issue is to participate in the ongoing scholarly debate on equal opportunity, with the ultimate goal of a deeper understanding of how equal-opportunity policies work and what kinds of politics produce and either sustain or undermine these policies.
Purification of antibodies to bacterial antigens by an immunoadsorbent and a method to quantify their reaction with insoluble bacterial targets

Abstract A combination of procedures was employed to develop a radioimmunoassay which quantified the binding of antibodies to antigens of either intact Propionibacterium acnes or to antigens of insoluble extracts derived from the bacteria. Reactive antibody populations were purified by use of bacterial immunoadsorbents which were prepared by coupling P. Acnes to diethylaminotheyl cellulose. Binding of antibodies was detected with [ 125 I]staphylococcal protein A ([ 125 I]SpA) and optimal conditions for the assay defined by varying the amounts of antibodies, bacterial antigenic targets and [ 125 I]SpA. In antibody excess, 100% of available [ 125 I]SpA was bound by the target-antibody complexes. However, when antibody concentration was limiting, a linear relationship was demonstrated between per cent specific binding of [ 125 I]SpA and antibodies bound to bacterial targets. These results were achieved only with immunoadsorbent-purified antibody populations and not with hyperimmune sera or IgG. The radioimmunoassay detected subtle antigenic differences and similarities between P. acnes, P. acnes extracts and a variety of unrelated microorganisms.
Server operating systems

We introduce server operating systems, which are sets of abstractions and runtime support for specialized, high-performance server applications. We have designed and are implementing a prototype server OS with support for aggressive specialization, direct device-to-device access, an event-driven organization, and dynamic compiler-assisted ILP. Using this server OS, we have constructed an HTTP server that outperforms servers running on a conventional OS by more than an order of magnitude and that can safely timeshare the hardware platform with other applications.
TrkB-like immunoreactivity in the song system of developing zebra finches.

Abstract The neural song system in zebra finches develops for approximately the first 2 months after hatching. During that time, male-biased sexual dimorphisms emerge in the volume of song control nuclei as well as in the number and size of neurons within them. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been documented in song control nuclei at various stages of development. Its high affinity receptor (tyrosine kinase B; trkB) is also in the song system, at least at around 1 month of age. The present study was designed to more completely describe the timing and potential location of BDNF action by investigating trkB expression during sexual differentiation of the song control nuclei. The pattern of immunoreactivity to a trkB antibody was examined in male and female zebra finches at post-hatching days 3–60. Labeling in somata and neuropil appeared to define the telencephalic components of the motor pathway (high vocal center and robust nucleus of the archistriatum) for song production in males from days 30 to 60, and in females on days 45 and 60 (high vocal center). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the receptor, and its ligand BDNF, play a role in processes related to song learning in both sexes, including perhaps the motor component exhibited by developing males.
Electrochemical assessment of spray-applied thermoplastic coating barrier properties

Flame-sprayed thermoplastic powder coatings act as barrier-type coatings for corrosion protection. Characteristic electrical properties for this type of coating are high resistance and capacitance, and low permeability to water and ions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to evaluate the corrosion protection performance and electrical resistance of this type of coating during immersion in 3% NaCl solution.