cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medical Histopathology Laboratories: Remote Teaching in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic required the rapid conversion of medical school curricula to virtual instruction. Prior to the crisis, histopathology teaching laboratories at UT Health San Antonio included completion of an Individual Laboratory Quiz before the laboratory session, a Team Application Exercise released and completed during the laboratory session with guidance from faculty, and a graded Team Laboratory Quiz at the end of the laboratory session. Adaptation of this interactive, in-person activity to a fully online platform included releasing the Team Application Exercise earlier to provide ample time for students to work virtually with their teams, conducting laboratory sessions using Microsoft Teams, with 5 to 6 teams led by a single instructor, and requiring the Team Laboratory Quiz to be taken individually for ensuring quiz security and test integrity. For incentivizing collaboration while completing the Team Application Exercise, the final score was either the student's individual score on the Team Laboratory Quiz or their team's average, whichever was higher. Comparison of student scores on the modified Team Laboratory Quiz to Team Laboratory Quiz scores using the earlier laboratory format prior to COVID-19 showed a significant decline; however, scores on other weekly quizzes or examinations were unaffected. Students welcomed the early release of Team Application Exercise and easier access to faculty but indicated that the modified Team Laboratory Quiz decreased peer-teaching and learning experience and increased anxiety. Faculty indicated the loss of personal interaction with students as a major theme. These data suggest that novel pedagogical approaches are required for online histopathology instruction to accommodate differences in learning styles while maintaining the benefits of team collaboration.
Dynamic Breakdown Voltage of GaN Power HEMTs

This work develops a new method to measure the transient breakdown voltage (BV) of a non-avalanche device in ultra-short pulses, based on the unclamped inductive switching (UIS) setup. For the first time, the transient BVs of two types of 600/650-V enhancement-mode p-gate GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) are measured across the pulse duration from 25 ns (dv/dt > 100 V/ns) to 2 s. The BV is found to increase with the decreased pulse width, up to 500 V higher than the static BV. This behavior is explained by the reduced buffer trapping and the resulted lower peak electric field in shorter pulses. Slightly different BV dependences on pulse width are observed in the two types of devices and the mechanisms are unveiled. Repetitive UIS tests are also conducted, revealing that this newly-found "dynamic BV" can provide GaN HEMTs additional overvoltage and surge energy margin in power applications. These findings provide critical new insights on the BV and ruggedness of GaN HEMTs.
Singular enrichment for multi-material corners with application to assessing the risk of fracture in semiconductor devices

Abstract A computational method for multi-material corners that enables accurate estimations of generalized stress intensity factors with relatively coarse and uniform discretizations is described in this paper. Specifically, explicitly modeled geometries of material junctions, crack tips and debonded interfaces are isoparametrically and hierarchically enriched to construct approximations with the known local behavior. The analysis procedure is termed enriched isogeometric analysis since the enrichments are constructed directly (explicitly) on the parametric spline geometry of the vertex or crack face unlike in procedures where the influence of the enriching entity is implicitly inferred on the underlying mesh. The developed method allows direct extraction of generalized stress intensity factors without needing a posteriori evaluation of path independent integrals for decisions on crack propagation. The numerical implementation is first validated through analysis of a bi-material corner and growth of an inclined crack in a homogeneous solid. Next, a detailed analysis of a representative back end of line structure of a semiconductor chip with multiple singular corners is carried out to identify critical corners susceptible to crack initiation. The developed procedure demonstrates rapid convergence to the solution stress intensity factors with relatively fewer degrees of freedom, even with uniformly refined coarse discretizations.
Melody valve to replace the mitral valve in small children: Lessons learned.

Objective: Infants requiring mitral valve replacement have few viable options. Recently, stented bovine jugular vein graft (Melody) has been surgically implanted in such cases. Herein, we report our experience, elaborating on evolution of implantation technique, pitfalls, as well as long-term outcome (including late dilatability). Methods: Seven Melody valves were implanted (2013–2019). The median patient age and weight were 6.7 (1.8–30.5) months and 5.8 (4.6–9.5) kg, respectively. The indications for implantation were mitral stenosis and/or regurgitation postatrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) repair (5), congenital mitral valve dysplasia (1), and Shone's complex (1). Operative technique involved shortening the valve and creating a neo-sewing ring at 2/3 (atrial)–1/3 (ventricular) junction. Implantation was followed by intraoperative balloon dilatation. Results: Five out of seven patients survived the perioperative period (one death due to technical failure and the other due to acute respiratory distress syndrome postcardiopulmonary bypass). Two out of five medium-term survivors got transplanted (1) or died due to acute myeloid leukemia (1). No valves were replaced. The mean echo gradient at discharge was a median 4 (2–6) mmHg. None of the patients showed left ventricular outflow tract or pulmonary venous obstruction. Two Melody valves were dilated late (5 months and 3 years postoperatively), resulting in decreasing mean gradients from 6 to 1 and from 17 to 4 mmHg. At last follow-up, surviving Melody had a mean gradient of 4 (1–9) mmHg. Conclusions: Mitral valve replacement with a Melody valve is feasible in infants, is reproducible, shows good immediate results, and offers the possibility of later dilatation. This technique offers a better solution compared to the existing alternatives for infants requiring a prosthetic mitral valve.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a Patient With a Systemic Autoinflammatory Syndrome due to an NLRC4 Inflammasomopathy

The effect of autoinflammatory diseases on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection remains unknown. We report a case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a patient with autoinflammation with infantile enterocolitis with inflammatory flares due to a mutation in the inflammasome component NLRC4. This case highlights the role of immunosuppression in patients with autoinflammation with COVID-19.
Self-oriented competitiveness in salespeople: sales management implications

We explore the complexity of salesperson competitiveness and the concept of self-oriented competitiveness (SOC). Study 1 develops and validates a measure of SOC within a nomological network of achievement-related and personality constructs. Study 2 leverages a field experiment with a corporate sales force to explore alternative financial incentive structures facilitating performance across salespeople possessing different types of competitiveness. Using a contingency approach to leadership behavior and a multilevel field study with salesperson–sales manager dyadic data, Study 3 shows that other-oriented competitiveness (OOC) and SOC lead to conditionally distinct salesperson behaviors and differential performance outcomes. Collectively, the three investigations suggest that SOC is a unique construct having important sales management and future research implications.
Effect of growth regulator on seed germination of wheat and corn in vivo

The study examined the effects of kinetin (KIN) and indoleacetic acid (IAA) applied as seed treatment of salinity stressed. Plants were grown in pots containing peat and perlite in 1:1 (v/v) mixture. Different treatments including (1) control (nutrient solution alone), (2) salt stress [100mM sodium chloride (NaCl)], (3) 100mM NaCl and 1mM kinetin (KIN), (4) 100mM NaCl and 2mM KIN, (5) 100mM NaCl and 1mM indole acetic acid (IAA), (6) 100 mM NaCl and 2 mM IAA, (7) 100mM NaCl and 25mg L −1 KIN and (8) 100mM NaCl and 25mg L −1 IAA were designed. The seeds were soaked in KIN or IAA solution for 12h. Salt stress reduced the total dry matter, seedlings length and relative water content (RWC), but increased activities of APX and CAT. However, seed treatments with KIN or IAA did not improve salinity tolerance in wheat and maize plants. Furthermore, seed treatments with KIN and IAA reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the salt stressed-plants.
A Polynomial Lower Bound on the Number of Rounds for Parallel Submodular Function Minimization and Matroid Intersection.

Submodular function minimization (SFM) and matroid intersection are fundamental discrete optimization problems with applications in many fields. It is well known that both of these can be solved making $\mathrm{poly}(N)$ queries to a relevant oracle (evaluation oracle for SFM and rank oracle for matroid intersection), where $N$ denotes the universe size. However, all known polynomial query algorithms are highly adaptive, requiring at least $N$ rounds of querying the oracle. A natural question is whether these can be efficiently solved in a highly parallel manner, namely, with $\mathrm{poly}(N)$ queries using only poly-logarithmic rounds of adaptivity. An important step towards understanding the adaptivity needed for efficient parallel SFM was taken recently in the work of Balkanski and Singer who showed that any SFM algorithm making $\mathrm{poly}(N)$ queries necessarily requires $\Omega(\log N/\log \log N)$ rounds. This left open the possibility of efficient SFM algorithms in poly-logarithmic rounds. For matroid intersection, even the possibility of a constant round, $\mathrm{poly}(N)$ query algorithm was not hitherto ruled out. In this work, we prove that any, possibly randomized, algorithm for submodular function minimization or matroid intersection making $\mathrm{poly}(N)$ queries requires $\tilde{\Omega}\left(N^{1/3}\right)$ rounds of adaptivity. In fact, we show a polynomial lower bound on the number of rounds of adaptivity even for algorithms that make at most $2^{N^{1-\delta}}$ queries, for any constant $\delta> 0$. Therefore, even though SFM and matroid intersection are efficiently solvable, they are not highly parallelizable in the oracle model.
A model for the evolution of quasars and BL Lacs

A few years ago we (Stocke and Perrenod, 1981=SP) proposed a simple model which describes the basic evolutionary patterns of the quasars. In this model the evolution of quasars is driven by the evolution in the density of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in which the quasar and its host galaxy are situated. Quasars exist only in those environments which possess an IGM density below some critical value (ρ c); above ρc the quasar broad-line gas is either stripped or evaporated by a dense/hot IGM. These “stripped” objects are identified as cluster radio galaxies or, if their radio jets are pointed towards us, as BL Lac Objects.
Synthetic factor VIII peptides with amino acid sequences contained within the C2 domain of factor VIII inhibit factor VIII binding to phosphatidylserine

The effective activation of factor X by factor IXa requires the co-factor activity of activated factor VIII (FVIII). Factor Xa formation is also dependent on the presence of negatively charged phospholipid. A phospholipid binding domain of FVIII has been reported to be present on the FVIII light chain. Recent observations on a subset of human FVIII inhibitors have implicated the carboxyl-terminal C2 domain of FVIII as containing a possible phospholipid binding site. The purpose of this study was to investigate directly the role of the C2 domain in phospholipid binding. Twenty-six overlapping peptides, which span the entire C2 domain of FVIII, were synthesized. The ability of these peptides to inhibit the binding of purified human FVIII to immobilized phosphatidylserine was evaluated in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Three overlapping synthetic FVIII peptides, 2303-2317, 2305-2332, and 2308-2322, inhibited FVIII binding to phosphatidylserine by greater than 90% when tested at a concentration of 100 mumols/L. A fourth partially overlapping peptide, 2318-2332, inhibited FVIII binding by 65%. These results suggest that the area described by these peptides, residues 2303 to 2332, may play an important role in the mediation of FVIII binding to phospholipid.
Spinal dorsal horn synaptic plasticity: involvement of Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the recent data obtained in laboratory related to the contribution of the Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) types to generation and maintenance of synaptic plasticity of spinal cord dorsal horn (DH) neurons under normal conditions and following tissue or nerve injury. The factors that underlie the changes in spinal cord neuronal processes contributing to pain-related behaviors in rat peripheral neuropathy model is summarized. The chapter shows significant facilitation in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in facilitation in NMDA-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons in the slice preparation that persists for a relatively long time independent of primary afferent inputs. This finding indicates that mechanisms underlying nerve injury caused neuropathic pain is mediated by neuronal plasticity resulting from long-term facilitation of increase in NMDA-elicited [Ca2+]i levels and the subsequent activation of intracellular cascades within the SG of the spinal cord. In addition, these data suggest that mGlu5 receptors play an enhanced role in spinal nociceptive processing following the development of peripheral neuropathy. Thus the data further support a neuromodulatory role of the endogenous NMDA system, and Group I mGluR system, in the SG neuronal function and the central sensitization following peripheral tissue or nerve injury. The use of animal pain models is essential for understanding the neural mechanisms involved in the development of persistent and chronic pain conditions in the clinical populations.
Design at King Edward VII Community College, Leicestershire

King Edward VII is a 14-18Upper School in the Leicestershire Plan with approximately 95014-16 year old students. Design is part of the core curriculum and is taught to mixed ability groups. The Faculty is organised departmentally into 3D, 2D, and Home Economics and offers the following curriculum options to incoming 4th years : 3D Studies; 2D Studies (including Ceramics) ; Technical Graphics; Fabrics and Home Economics . Technology is taught as an option and jointly staffed by Science and Design. There are no traditiona l craft options, and the entire Faculty uses the MEG Jointly Certificated Design Syllabus as the basis of its courses.
Effect of corticosterone on the prolactin response to psychological and physical stress in rats

Both corticosterone and prolactin (PRL) levels increase in response to stress. In these studies we examined the effect of corticosterone on the PRL response to both physical (footshock) and psychological (novel environment) stress. Three groups of rats were used: sham adrenalectomized (SHAM), adrenalectomized (ADX), and adrenalectomized with corticosterone replacement (ADX+CORT). The corticosterone-treated animals received 80 micrograms corticosterone/ml drinking water. Blood samples were drawn via an indwelling cannula and PRL values determined using radioimmunoassay. ADX rats showed a consistently greater PRL response to being placed on a platform above water (novel environment) or when receiving intermittant footshock than did ADX+CORT rats. The PRL response of the latter group was similar to that of the SHAM animals. These findings indicate that corticosterone levels of an animal can significantly attenuate the magnitude of the PRL response to both physical and psychological stress. These findings further emphasize that the PRL response to stress is dependent not only upon the immediate action of the stressor, but also the prior stress history of the animal.
Dilution of Microbicide Gels With Vaginal Fluid and Semen Simulants: Effect on Rheological Properties and Coating Flow

Microbicides are agents applied topically to the vagina to prevent HIV transmission. Microbicide products formulated as semi-solid dosage forms or "gels" coat vulnerable tissue to deliver active ingredients. Effective microbicide delivery vehicles must have appropriate rheological properties to ensure appropriate deployment in vivo. Microbicide products become diluted by fluids in the vagina after application; dilution affects vehicle rheological properties and mechanics of vaginal distribution, thus affecting efficacy. To simulate the changes that might occur after application, this study analyzed the effects of small dilutions (10-30%) with vaginal fluid and semen simulants on three semi-solid vaginal formulations: a cellulose lubricant (KY Jelly), a polyacrylic acid moisturizer (Replens), and a carrageenan prototype microbicide (Carraguard). Rheological behavior was characterized using cone-and-plate rheometry. Data were fitted to either the power-law, Carreau, or Herschel-Bulkley model. Rheological parameters from these fits were input to models of coating flow due squeezing, and the simulated area coated output from these models was used to compare the responses of the different formulations to the two diluents for varying degrees of dilution. There were differences in the responses of the three materials to dilution. Even small dilutions altered the rank order of vaginal coating rates compared to the undiluted formulations.
Testing optimally weighted combination of variants for hypertension

Testing rare variants directly is possible with next-generation sequencing technology. In this article, we propose a sliding-window-based optimal-weighted approach to test for the effects of both rare and common variants across the whole genome. We measured the genetic association between a disease and a combination of variants of a single-nucleotide polymorphism window using the newly developed tests TOW and VW-TOW and performed a sliding-window technique to detect disease-susceptible windows. By applying the new approach to unrelated individuals of Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 on replicate 1 chromosome 3, we detected 3 highly susceptible windows across chromosome 3 for diastolic blood pressure and identified 10 of 48,176 windows as the most promising for both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Seven of 9 top variants influencing diastolic blood pressure and 8 of 9 top variants influencing systolic blood pressure were found in or close to our top 10 windows.
On the numerical implementation of discrete finite Hilbert transform for image reconstruction

ABSTRACT The finite Hilbert transform plays an essential role in the recently developed derivative back projection (DBP) image reconstruction methods. The accuracy of the numerical methods in implementing the finite Hilbert transform has a significant impact on the reconstruction algorithms performance. A number of numerical implementations using linear and sinc interpolation kernels have been developed to carry out the Hilbert transform. In this study, we propose a new numerical method using a non-linear interpolation kernel to implement the finite Hilber transform. We evaluate the performance of the proposed non-linear implementation of the finite Hilbert transform in DBP image reconstruction and compare it with that of the implementations using the linear an d sinc interpolation kernels, in which the contrast-to-noise ratio, noise power spectrum and modulation transfer function are investigated. The preliminary results show that the finite Hilbert transform implemented with the nonlinear interpolation kernel exhibits slightly better noise performance than the ones implemented with the linear or sinc interpolation. Keywords: CT, region-of-interest image reco nstruction, finite Hilbert transform, interpolation, noise
Optimal control of the activated sludge process.

Abstract This paper describes an application of modern optimal control theory techniques in the regulation of the activated sludge process. The process is simulated using multicomponent biological reactor and dynamical thickening models. The control problem is formulated with recycle and wastage rates as control variables and is characterized by high dimensionality and system model nonlinearity. The solution is obtained by a Newton-type successive approximations control method. In the case study, this approach is compared with (1) the commonly proposed recycle ratio control strategy and (2) a constant recycle and wastage rate stategy. Wastage regulation is shown to be a much more effective control input than recycle for reducing effluent organic variability. The control framework proposed can be extended to include other regulation schemes and account for process and input uncertainties.
Differentiating risk factors for acute and chronic pouchitis

Background & Aims: Pouchitis is the most common complication of ileal pouch anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis. In some cases the inflammation becomes chronic and requires long-term medical therapy. The clinical course and medical therapy are different between acute pouchitis and chronic pouchitis. The aim of this study was to determine if there are predictors of risk for acute vs. chronic pouchitis. Methods: Patients with acute pouchitis (N = 40) and patients with chronic pouchitis (N = 40) were matched with a control group who never had pouchitis (N = 40). Data were collected for multiple pre-, peri-, and postoperative factors and follow-up telephone calls were performed. Case-control univariable analyses and multivariate logistic regression were used to measure the association between covariates and pouchitis. Results: Multivariate logistic regression showed that extensive colonic disease (odds ratio [OR], 2.99; P = .045 for acute pouchitis; and OR, 4.61; P = .010 for chronic pouchitis) and extraintestinal manifestations (OR, 2.88; P = .037 for acute pouchitis; and OR, 2.69; P = .047 for chronic pouchitis) were associated with both acute and chronic pouchitis. Postoperative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use was associated with chronic pouchitis, but less so with acute pouchitis. Patients with fulminant colitis as an indication for surgery had a decreased risk for developing chronic pouchitis (OR, 0.22; P = .036), but no such association was seen for acute pouchitis. Conclusions: Extensive colonic disease and preoperative extraintestinal manifestations are associated with increased risk for both acute and chronic pouchitis. Fulminant colitis leading to colectomy is protective from development of chronic pouchitis. Postoperative use of NSAIDS is a risk factor for chronic pouchitis and possibly for acute pouchitis, and thus should be discouraged for patients who undergo ileal pouch anal anastomosis.
Internet sexuality research with rural men who have sex with men: can we recruit and retain them?

This study examines the utility of internet banner ads for recruiting rural MSM and identifies correlates of internet HIV risk survey initiation and completion. Banner ads were shown on a popular internet dating site for one month and resulted in 1,045 rural MSM, from 49 States, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, and 5 from other countries initiating the questionnaire. Logistic regression indicated that progression beyond screening questions was negatively related to “expecting pay, but not being paid” and positively related to “using chat rooms to find friends” and identifying as gay. Linear regression indicated that the absolute number of responses by consenting participants was positively correlated with reimbursement, number of sexual partners, motivated by money, and having been HIV tested. Overall, this sample represents one of the largest rural MSM samples; survey completion was high and strengthened by reimbursement and possibly by awareness of HIV risk. Generalizability was limited by low participati...
Atomic structure of defects and interfaces in TiO2-B and Ca:TiO2-B (CaTi5O11) films grown on SrTiO3

The bronze polymorph of titanium dioxide, TiO2-B, characterized by a crystal structure with a relatively open layered geometry, is a material of interest for various energy applications, including photovoltaics, catalysts, and high-rate energy storage devices. The related phase, CaTi5O11, which serves as an effective template layer, when deposited on (100) SrTiO3, for the growth of high quality single crystalline films of TiO2-B, is also of interest for such applications. For both materials, a detailed understanding of the film growth and defect structure is deemed critical to the successful realization of these applications in thin film devices. Thus, using results obtained with aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, we present an analysis of the defects and interfacial structure in CaTi5O11 films grown on (100) and (110) SrTiO3 substrates, as well as in the TiO2-B film grown on (001) CaTi5O11.
Human γδ + T cells respond to mycobacterial heat-shock protein

MOST T cells recognize antigen through the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR)αβ-CD3 complex on the T-cell surface1. A small percentage of T cells, however, do not express αβ but a second type of TCR complex designated γδ (ref. 2). Unlike αβ+ lymphocytes, γδ+ lymphocytes do not generally express CD4 or CDS molecules3–5, and the nature of antigen recognition by these cells is unknown. To study antigen recognition by γδ+ lymphocytes we raised a γδ+αβ−–CD4−CD8− line from an individual immune to PPD (purified protein derivative). This line showed a specific proliferative response to PPD and to a recombinant mycobacterial heat-shock protein (HSP) of relative molecular mass 65,000 (65K)6. The γδ+ line was shown to exhibit a major response to HSP in the presence of autologous antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Minor responses occurred, however, with APCs matched for some HLA class I or II antigens, whereas no response occurred with HLA-mismatched APCs. These findings, therefore, document the requirement of HSP-reactive γδ+ lymphocytes for histocompatible APCs.
Comparison of thermodilution bolus cardiac output and Doppler cardiac output in the early post-cardiopulmonary bypass period

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of measuring cardiac output (CO) in the early post-cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) period by comparing thermodilution with Doppler methods. Design: Prospective and blinded human trial. Setting: Academic medical center. Participants: Thirty adult patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Measurements and Main Results: Thermodilution CO (TCO) was obtained in triplicate. Doppler CO (DCO) in triplicate was obtained at the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), aortic valve (AV), and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). CO measurements were made (1) before CPB (baseline), (2) immediately after CPB, (3) 15 minutes after CPB, and (4) 30 minutes after CPB. Before CPB, the DCO at LVOT, RVOT, and AV showed good correlations (r = 0.87, r = 0.88, and r = 0.84, respectively) with TCO. Bias analysis showed no significant difference among TCO and 3 DCOs (p > 0.05 each). Correlation between DCO and TCO decreased but remained significant after CPB (r between 0.57 and 0.85, p < 0.001). The bias among TCO and each of the DCOs at the LVOT, RVOT, and AV increased immediately after CPB (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.05, respectively) and remained significant at 15 minutes and 30 minutes post-CPB except for DCO at the AV. TCO exceeded DCO by 0.44 to 0.72 L/min immediately after CPB. The CO measured by both thermodilution and Doppler methods gradually decreased over time post-CPB. The decrease in CO was significant at 30 minutes post-CPB (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study adds further support that DCO is a clinically acceptable method to accurately assess the CO in patients even during periods of uneven regional body temperatures as may occur in the early post-CPB period. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Mucopolysaccharidoses type I and II: New neuroimaging findings in the cerebellum

Background: The neuroimaging literature on mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) is focusing mostly on supratentorial findings. Our study aims to extend the spectrum of neuroimaging findings in patients with MPS focusing on the cerebellum. Methods: Twelve patients were included (7 MPS type I and 5 MPS type II). The median age at last MRI was 9.9 years (mean age 10.1 years, range 1.8e28.8 years). All available brain MR images were retrospectively evaluated for infratentorial and supratentorial abnormalities with semiquantitative analysis and qualitative evaluation. Results: Infratentorialfindingsincludedenlargedperivascularspaces(PVS)inthecerebellumin 7/12, mega cisterna magna in 3/12 and macrocerebellum in 2/12 patients. Enlarged cerebellar PVS developed later than those in the supratentorial brain and showed mild changes in size over time. The macrocerebellum developed progressively and seems to be caused by a thickeningof the cortical cerebellar gray matter. Enlarged PVS inthe brain stemwere foundin 10/12 patients. Supratentorial findings included enlarged PVS in all patients. Ventriculomegaly and white matter signal abnormalities were noted in 8/12, cerebral atrophy in 7/12 patients. Conclusion: Involvement of the posterior fossa structures in MPS I and II is not uncommon. Our study revealed two neuroimaging findings that have not been previously described in MPS: enlarged PVS in the cerebellum and a macrocerebellum. The pathogenesis and clinical significanceofthesenewfindingsremainunclearandshouldbeassessedinalargercohortofpatients.
Development of a simplex polymerase chain reaction-based assay for the detection of Neisseria meningitidis.

Background : This study was undertaken to develop a sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae that could ultimately be incorporated into a multiplex assay designed to screen cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for a panel of pyogenic bacterial species associated with bacterial meningitis. Methods : N. meningitidis -specific primers were designed from porA gene sequences with the aid of a commercial software program and were used to develop and validate a clinical assay using a liquid hybridization-gel retardation detection system. The analytic sensitivity of the assay was determined using CSF spiked with N. meningitidis and comparing the PCR-based results with culture. Results : Analytic sensitivity experiments showed the assay's limit of detection to be 100 fg purified input target DNA and 0.0125 colony-forming units of N. meningitidis spiked into CSF. Specificity experiments showed the assay could detect all strains of N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae tested, but did not support amplification of the commensal neisserial species or a panel of other human bacterial pathogens. Conclusions : This PCR-based assay for pathogenic neisserial species is sensitive and specific and suitable for incorporation into a multiplex assay for the clinical differentiation of aseptic and septic meningitis.
Behavioral evidence of HIV testing stigma.

To avoid HIV testing stigma, people may engage in non-stigmatized behaviors to conceal their interest in HIV testing. We examined 165,828 outpatient visits in a 2002–2007 national survey to explore whether people receiving an HIV diagnostic test, compared to people receiving non-stigmatized, diagnostics tests (mammography and blood pressure testing), listed their interest in testing more frequently as a non-primary reason for visit, listed a greater number of reasons for visiting the clinic, and listed more reasons for visit unrelated to the testing performed. Among people who reported HIV testing as a reason for visit, 42.39% requested HIV testing as a non-primary reason for visit (mammography: 13.77%; blood pressure: 18.01%), and on average listed more reasons for visiting the clinic. The odds of requesting additional unrelated services for HIV testing patients was almost 5 times that of patients requesting blood pressure tests and over 20 times the odds of mammography patients. Together, we interpret these results as initial behavioral evidence of people’s avoidance of HIV stigma in health care settings. We hope that this manuscript serves as a call to action for future research exploring causal relationships between health service usage and HIV stigma.
Calculation of the Optical Constants of PbTe from Augmented-Plane-Wave k. p Energy Bands

The augmented-plane-wave method has been used to calculate the energies and wave functions of eleven levels at the origin of the Brillouin zone (BZ) of PbTe. From the wave functions, momentum matrix elements have been calculated and these have been used in a k\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}p expansion of the energy bands. The k\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}p secular equation has been solved throughout the BZ and the results have been used to calculate the inter-band contribution to the optical constants in the random-phase approximation. The calculated value of ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}(\ensuremath{\omega}=0)$ (40.0) compares favorably to the measured value (${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}=31.8$), and the calculated reflectivity agrees with experiment to within 10% in the frequency range $0l\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}l3$ eV.
Adolescent hemodialysis: results of the 2000 ESRD Clinical Performance Measures Project.

In 2000, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) 2000 ESRD Clinical Performance Measures (CPM) Project, was expanded to obtain demographic characteristics and clinical information on all adolescent (age ≥12 years, <18 years) patients receiving in-center hemodialysis on 31 December, 1999. Of the 486 patients identified, 433 (89%) had the minimum required data submitted. Demographic characteristics included mean age of 15.8 years (±1.6 years). Forty-nine percent were white, 42% black; 21% were Hispanic. Congenital/urologic disease and focal and segmental sclerosis were the leading causes of end-stage renal disease. Forty-one percent had a catheter as their dialysis access, while 37% had an AV fistula and 22% an AV graft in place. The mean Kt/V was 1.47 (±0.38) and 79% had a mean calculated Kt/V≥1.2, although residual renal function was not included in this measurement. After multivariate logistic regression, male gender and black race were among the factors predictive of mean calculated Kt/V<1.2. The mean serum albumin was 3.85 g/dl (±0.51) in patients with bromcresol green measurements and 3.62 mg/dl (±0.52) in patients with bromcresol purple measurements. The mean hemoglobin was 10.99 g/dl (±1.6) and 55% had a mean hemoglobin ≥11 g/dl. After multivariate logistic regression, lower epoetin dose and mean serum albumin ≥3.5/3.2 g/dl (BCG/BCP) remained predictive of mean hemoglobin ≥11 g/dl. These data provide important information about the clinical status of adolescent hemodialysis patients in the United States. Continued data collection and analyses are planned to identify areas for potential improvement in patient care.
Clonal analysis of cell lineage patterns in plant development

Somatic sectors induced by ionizing radiation provide a great deal of information about cell lineage pattems in both plants and animals. Somatic sectors arise when the dominant allele of a mutation with a visible, cell-autonomous phenotype is lost as a result of a deletion or somatic recombination. In addition to marking the fate of cells in a primordium at different stages of development and in different tissues, this technique also provides information about the distribution, orientation, rate, and duration of cell division. The technology and underlying assumptions of this method, termed clonal analysis, are described in this paper. IN ORDER TO DEFINE the cellular processes that control morphogenesis it is important to have detailed information about the number of cells and their fate in a primordium and an accurate picture of the pattern of cell division, cell expansion, and cellular differentiation in the primordium at different stages in its development. This.descriptive information is crucial for subsequent experimental analyses of the morphogenetic process and provides important clues about the factors that govern morphogenesis. Unfortunately, this information is not easily obtained. Although a wide variety of methods can be used to observe cell behavior in animal systems in vivo, in plants many of these approaches are either impossible or difficult to exploit. Thus, much of what we know about the cellular dynamics of plant morphogenesis has come from histological analyses of specimens killed and fixed at different stages of development. Although this approach has proven extremely useful, it has some serious drawbacks, such as the tedium involved in conducting quantitative studies on sectioned ma
Atomic and Electronic Structure of a Dissociated 60° Misfit Dislocation in Ge x Si \(1-x\)

Electron energy loss spectroscpy (EELS) spectra and atomic column images were obtained from a dissociated 60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} misfit dislocation at the ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{x}{\mathrm{Si}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$ substrate interface of a strained Si quantum well. Silicon ${2p}_{3/2}$ EELS spectra from the stacking fault show splitting of the ${L}_{1}$ conduction band minimum caused by third-neighbor interactions at the fault. Spectra from the 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} dislocation show a similar splitting as well as in-gap defect electronic states. Spectra from the 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} dislocation also show evidence of in-gap states but do not show the ${L}_{1}$ splitting. An extended core structure based on a double period pairing reconstruction may be able to explain this lack of ${L}_{1}$ splitting.
Client certificate and IP address based multi-factor authentication for J2EE web applications

Secure and encrypted authentication is an important aspect of J2EE web application security. SSL client certificate authentication provides an encrypted log-on mechanism and a single sign-on capability that does not involve the use of passwords. Unlike SPNEGO-protocol-based Kerberos authentication, which requires both parties to be in the same domain, client certificate authentication works across domain boundaries as long as the user registry for the application server is properly set up to handle the certificate. But client certificate authentication comes with some shortcomings---especially when the client certificate is used from an unauthorized machine. We will examine this potential vulnerability of client certificate authentication and show how to make this type of authentication more secure by using multi-factor authentication. Adding an IP-address-checking servlet filter to the web application is one good approach. We will provide implementation details as well.
Hamartin and Tuberin Expression in Human Tissues

Tuberous sclerosis (TSC) is a bigenic autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in one of two tumor-suppressor genes, TSC1 and TSC2, resulting in benign hamartomas and low grade neoplasms in multiple organs including brain, heart, kidney, and skin. We report the results of an immunohistochemical study of the expression of the TSC gene products, tuberin and hamartin, in multiple tissues obtained at autopsy from 12 non-TSC affected patients ranging in age from 20 weeks gestation to 8 years, and surgical specimens from some organs. Tuberin and hamartin are expressed and are colocalized in most tissues. Contrary to a previous report, immunostaining with our antisera detected hamartin in liver, small and large intestine, prostate, and testes. We did not detect significant developmental differences in tuberin or hamartin expression in comparable tissues from patients of different ages. Although tuberin and hamartin colocalize in most tissues and cell types, we provide data that hamartin is more abundantly expressed than tuberin in cells within some tissues including the distal nephron and a population of cells of the endocrine pancreas. These data support the hypothesis that hamartin and tuberin interact and may function together in many tissues where they are co-expressed, but also suggest that hamartin has a discrete and specialized function in certain cell types.
Conversion of 124 into 123+CuO and 124, 123 and 247 phase regions in the Y- Ba-Cu-O system

Abstract The phase diagram of the Y-Ba-Cu-O system is given as a function of temperature and partial pressure of oxygen over the range between 500°C and 1000°C and 10-6
‘Samurai’ politics: Japanese cultural identity in global sport – The Olympic Games as a representational strategy

Modern Japan has considered global sport an appropriate forum for not only defining the national cultural identity of Japan but also for conducting its international diplomacy. The recent phenomenon of Japanese baseball athletes ‘defecting’ from Japanese leagues to play for the American baseball leagues has often been described in political terms. This paper argues that the current trend of analysing Japanese nationals playing baseball in America in political terms can be historically contextualized by reviewing the bids by Japanese cities for the 1940, 1964, 1998 and 2016 Olympic Games.
Gastric Bypass and Nesidioblastosis — Too Much of a Good Thing for Islets?

As the obesity pandemic continues to worsen and medical interventions remain only moderately effective, bariatric surgery is at present the only method that reliably results in major, long-term weight loss.1,2 The most successful procedures durably reduce body weight by about one third and ameliorate nearly all obesity-related complications, most notably — almost miraculously — type 2 diabetes mellitus.2 Not surprisingly, bariatrics is the fastest-growing surgical subspecialty. The number of bariatric surgeons registered with the American Society for Bariatric Surgery increased by almost 50 percent per year during the past several years, and the number of bariatric operations nearly doubles . . .
Epitaxy in the crystallization of feldspar gels and glasses

The crystallization behaviors of stoichiometric feldspar gels and glasses before and after seeding have been compared, and the role of epitaxy in their crystallization upon seeding has been studied. The crystallization products were mainly determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and epitaxy upon seeding was examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). It was found that upon isostructural seeding, Na-and K-feldspars crystallized epitaxially from their gels and/or glasses. Little or no seeding effect was found in CaAl2Si2O8 and SrAl2Si2O8 gels and glasses. Isostructural seeding in BaAl2Si2O8 gels increased the formation of Ba-feldspar (monoclinic celsian) epitaxially, whereas without seeding hexacelsian was the crystallization product.
Analysis of Cocaine, Its Metabolites, Pyrolysis Products, and Ethanol Adducts in Postmortem Fluids and Tissues Using Zymark Automated Solid-Phase Extraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Abstract : Cocaine (COC) is one of the most widely abused illicit drugs in America. COC abuse transcends all social, racial, and economic boundaries. Following the introduction in the mid-1980s of a new form of cocaine called crack, cocaine use has been on the rise. Because of its intense high, crack smoking has become very popular. Despite its popularity, crack smoking is a particularly dangerous form of COC use. Additionally, COC and ethanol are frequently used together, resulting in the formation of a biologically active molecule that is nearly as psycoactive as COC but produces a longer lasting and toxic effect. Demonstrating the presence or absence of COC and COC-related molecules in postmortem fluids and/or tissues can have serious legal consequences and may help determine the cause of impairment and/or death. We have developed a simple method for the simultaneous determination of COC and the COC metabolites benzoylecgonine, norbenzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, ecgonine, and norcocaine, as well as anhydroecgonine methyl ester (a unique byproduct of COC smoking), cocaethylene (a molecule formed by the concurrent use of COC and ethanol) and their related metabolites, anhydroecgonine, norcocaethylene, and ecgonine ethyl ester. This method incorporates a Zymark RapidTrace automated solid-phase extraction system, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and PFP/PFPA derivatives. The lower limits of detection ranged from 0.78 - 12.5 ng/mL, and the linear dynamic range for most analytes was 0.78 3200 ng/mL. The extraction efficiencies were from 26 - 84%, with the exception of anhydroecgonine and ecgonine, which were from 1 - 4%. We applied this method to 5 aviation fatalities. This method has proven to be simple, robust, and accurate for the simultaneous determination of COC and 11 COC metabolites in postmortem fluids and tissues.
Aluminum nitride piezo-acousto-photonic crystal nanocavity with high quality factors

We develop a piezoelectrically actuated, one-dimensional acoustic and photonic crystal nanocavity fabricated from aluminum nitride (AlN). Through simultaneous band structure engineering in both photonic and acoustic domains, we obtain high-quality piezo-acousto-photonic crystal nanocavities with intrinsic optical Q of 1.2 × 105. The piezoelectric actuation of the confined mechanical mode at 3.18 GHz is demonstrated with mechanical Q exceeding 10 000. Such piezo-acousto-photonic crystal nanocavities will find important applications in cavity optomechanics that desire effective coupling to the electrical degree of freedom.
Oxygen and hydrogen photocatalysis by two-electron mixed-valence coordination compounds

Abstract Two-electron mixed valency is a useful design concept for hydrogen and oxygen photocatalysis. As single-electron mixed-valence compounds react in one-electron steps, two-electron mixed-valence compounds may react in two-electron steps at the constituent redox sites, whether they are metal- or ligand-based. With the redox centers working in concert upon photoexcitation, two- and four-electron transformations are promoted along excited-state pathways. Such a strategy is ideally suited to the activation of small molecules. We describe the photochemistry for hydrogen and oxygen activation using two-electron mixed-valence complexes of three different motifs: (a) Mn–Mn+2 bimetallic complexes, (b) tetrapyrrole macrocycles and (c) externally bridged di-iron(III) μ-oxo porphyrin dimers.
An empirical study on Web-based services and customer loyalty

E-business success is tied to the ability to foster customer loyalty. Businesses that deliver superior value derived from excellent services and quality products are likely to win customer loyalty. This paper examines Web-based services and the effects of three sets of factors: pre-purchase, transaction-related, and post-purchase services on customer loyalty (measured as repeat purchase intention from a given Web-based store) in a business-to-consumer environment. Based on the study's results, pre-purchase services that support search and evaluation of products replete in e-commerce systems have limited effect on customer loyalty. Among transaction-related services, transparency of the billing mechanism positively impacts customer loyalty. Customers shun any hidden costs associated with product acquisition. Post-purchase services consisting of support of order tracking, on-time delivery, and customer support positively influence customer loyalty. These findings imply that Web-based stores need to pay more attention to post-purchase services in their strategy to retain customers. This is what will keep customers satisfied and willing to continue the relationship with a company over the long term.