cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validation of the Pre-licensure Examination for Pre-service Teachers in Professional Education Using Rasch Analysis

Teacher education is recognized as having a crucial role in preparing future teachers and in shaping quality education. One of the crucial tasks a teacher education institution has to do is preparing its teachers for the national licensure examination and in meeting national standards. The primary purpose of this study was to provide preliminary validity evidence for a 200-item Pre-Licensure Examination Test for Teachers which is designed to measure the knowledge and skills of 152 pre-service teachers on Professional education as preparation for taking the real Licensure Exam for teachers. This paper is divided into two major sections: a literature review about the role of assessment in student learning and a report of the findings from validating a test instrument for pre-service teachers. The first part discusses what literature says about the importance of assessment in learning and the use of tests in the classroom. It further enumerates the psychometric qualities of a good test. The first section also highlights a discussion about classical test theory and item response theory specifically Rasch analysis. Part two of this paper presents the results of the validation done on the mock test given to pre-service teachers before they take the Licensure Examination for Teachers. The analysis shows that each of the 7 construct measures what it should measure and each construct has good psychometric qualities. Three of the constructs (curriculum, educational technology and teaching profession) have all items which have the required fit; social dimension has only 1 item which was under fitting; assessment has 2 ‘misfit’ items, social dimension has 1 under fitting item, principle of teaching having 1 under fit item and theories of education with 1 over fitting item. Items of each dimension possess a good discrimination power of separating the student which has a high ability from the less performing students. However, putting all the items together to measure the general construct on understanding and application of professional education created a problem thus, there is a need to review the competencies in each construct vis-avis the general goal of professional education as a whole.
Advanced aging phenotype is revealed by epigenetic modifications in rat liver after in utero malnutrition

Summary Adverse environmental exposures of mothers during fetal period predispose offspring to a range of age-related diseases earlier in life. Here, we set to determine whether a deregulated epigenetic pattern is similar in young animals whose mothers’ nutrition was modulated during fetal growth to that acquired during normal aging in animals. Using a rodent model of maternal undernutrition (UN) or overnutrition (ON), we examined cytosine methylation profiles of liver from young female offspring and compared them to age-matched young controls and aged (20-month-old) animals. HELP-tagging, a genomewide restriction enzyme and sequencing assay demonstrates that fetal exposure to two different maternal diets is associated with nonrandom dysregulation of methylation levels with profiles similar to those seen in normal aging animals and occur in regions mapped to genes relevant to metabolic diseases and aging. Functional consequences were assessed by gene expression at 9 weeks old with more significant changes at 6 months of age. Early developmental exposures to unfavorable maternal diets result in altered methylation profiles and transcriptional dysregulation in Prkcb, Pc, Ncor2, and Smad3 that is also seen with normal aging. These Notch pathway and lipogenesis genes may be useful for prediction of later susceptibility to chronic disease.
RESUSPENSION POTENTIAL OF DEPOSITED COHESIVE SEDIMENT BEDS

Surficial layers of fine, cohesive sediment beds in estuaries typically consist of partially consolidated sediments deposited from flow. Such layers tend to have a high water content and exhibit a non-uniform variation of the shear strength with depth. Predictive modeling of estuarial fine sediment transport requires an appropriate description of the erosive behavior of deposited beds. Most available descriptions however are based on laboratory tests using mechanically placed beds. Such beds possess relatively uniform properties and are representative of settled, consolidated estuarial beds. A laboratory test methodology for investigating the resuspension potential of deposited beds is described. Tests using beds of kaolinite show that the rate of erosion varies exponentially with the excess bed shear stress. The influence of bed consolidation time and water chemistry on the rate and the critical shear stress for erosion has been investigated. The derived expression for the rate of erosion can be suitably incorporated in the resuspension routines for estuarial fine sediment transport models.
Refinement of the sphere packing bound for symmetric channels

We provide an improved sphere packing bound for positive and symmetric discrete memoryless channels that significantly improves the pre-factor in front of the exponent. Specifically, the presented bound decays only polynomially in N. Further, for the binary symmetric channel, the order of our pre-factor is tight.
Volunteer Work, Religious Commitment, and Resting Pulse Rates

Research indicates that greater involvement in volunteer activities is associated with better health. We aim to contribute to this literature in two ways. First, rather than rely on self-reports of health, measured resting pulse rates serve as the dependent variable. Second, an effort is made to see if religious commitment moderates the relationship between volunteering and resting pulse rates. Data that come from a recent nationwide survey (N = 2265) suggest that volunteer work is associated with lower resting pulse rates. The results also reveal that the relationship between engaging in volunteer work and resting pulse rates improves among study participants who are more deeply committed to religion.
The Importance of Team Sex Composition in Team-Training Research Employing Complex Psychomotor Tasks.

Objective:The relationship between team sex composition and team performance on a complex psychomotor task was examined because these types of tasks are commonly used in the lab-based teams literat...
ΔT j control of switching power devices at thermal boundaries via physics-based loss manipulation

To optimize the lifetime of switching power semiconductors, this paper presents improvements in the performance and coordination of a control system to regulate power device junction temperature, T j , and its change during power cycles, ΔT j . This research proposes a ΔT j control law which closes a control loop on the rate of change state, T j , and subsequently introduces active thermal capacitance and conductance to the closed-loop thermal system dynamics. Also proposed in this paper is a supervisory state machine which ensures thermal control interrupts nominal system-level control only when temperature bounds are exceeded, and coordinates smooth transitions as T j (k) or ΔT j (k) approach their respective boundaries. Experimental evaluation of the proposed control methods illustrates well damped T j (k) and ΔT j (k) responses and gradual adjustment of the manipulated inputs switching frequency and duty ratio. The paper also provides models to decouple the cross-coupling of manipulated inputs, allowing independent manipulation of conduction and switching losses.
Clinical Practice Patterns of Anti-Xa Monitoring During Low Molecular Weight Heparin Therapy

Abstract Introduction: Therapeutic low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) regimens were developed empirically based on patient weight and renal function without the need for laboratory monitoring. The role of anti-Xa monitoring for patients receiving LMWH has yet to be fully established and is routinely performed only in high risk patients. At our institution, guidelines for monitoring LMWH recommend drawing anti-Xa levels for patients with chronic kidney disease or those with obesity requiring long-term therapy. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate compliance with institutional guidelines for monitoring anti-Xa levels for patients receiving LMWH, including indication for anti-Xa monitoring, timing of anti-Xa level in relation to drug administration, and follow up actions of providers in response to abnormal anti-Xa levels. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of adult patients who received therapeutic LMWH (enoxaparin or dalteparin) and were ordered for an anti-Xa level between September 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015. Patients were excluded if they were ordered for an anti-Xa level while on a prophylactic dose of LMWH or while on a non-LMWH factor Xa inhibitor. Data collected included patient demographics, LMWH dose and indication, ordering service, presence of a Hematology consult, reason for anti-Xa monitoring, timing of the level after the previous LMWH dose, and provider response to the level. Results: One hundred patients met inclusion criteria, 99 of whom received enoxaparin. Venous thromboembolism was the most common reason for LMWH therapy (85%) followed by atrial fibrillation (11%). The most frequent doses of enoxaparin administered were 1 mg/kg every 12 hours (52%), 1 mg/kg every 24 hours (22%) and 1.5 mg/kg every 24 hours (21%). The most frequently specified indications for anti-Xa monitoring were renal dysfunction and acute kidney injury (30%), followed by abnormal body mass index (13%); no indication was specified by the prescriber or pharmacist in 36% of cases. Of the 100 anti-Xa levels in the study, 65 were drawn at the correct time (3-5 hours after the previous dose of enoxaparin); of the 35 drawn at an incorrect time, 33 had levels measured more than 5 hours after the previous enoxaparin dose. Fifty-four of the initial anti-Xa levels were not within the therapeutic range for the dosing interval of LMWH; of these, follow up action was taken for only 21 patients (39%), most frequently resulting in a dose increase or decrease. Conclusions: In clinical practice, the use of anti-Xa monitoring is inconsistent and commonly done without a documented need. The majority of anti-Xa levels at our institution are drawn at the appropriate time after the previous dose of LMWH, but action is generally not taken in response to non-therapeutic levels. Additional guidance on the use of LMWH monitoring is needed. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
What is significant about a single nursing session? An exploratory study.

Objectives Researchers and clinicians specializing in breastfeeding often rely on measuring one nursing session to characterize the breastfeeding relationship. However, less is known about the descriptive or statistically predictive characteristics of one nursing session. The purposes of this study are twofold: (1) to explore the relationships between variables in a single nursing session; and (2) to study the association between variables in a single nursing session and infant length-for-age (LAZ) and weight-for-age (WAZ). Methods In 63 nursing mother-infant pairs in the United States, anthropometric measurement and observation of a single nursing session revealed six nursing session variables: fore milk fat percent, hind milk fat percent, infant milk intake, duration of session, time since last session, and time of day of session. Results A principle factor analysis, undertaken to explore latent variables underlying the six session variables, revealed two factors: (1) loaded highly on fore and hind milk fat percentage, reflecting the overall fat percent in a feed; and (2) loaded highly on milk intake and hind milk fat percentage, indicating the process of breast emptying. In multivariate analyses of all session variables on infant LAZ and WAZ, only hind milk fat percentage was significantly negatively associated with LAZ (β = −0.14, P = .01 (two-tailed), R2 = 0.070), confirmed by a significant negative association between LAZ and factor one (β = −0.32, P = .05 (two-tailed), R2 = 0.090). Conclusions This research describes the dynamics of a single nursing session, and has the potential to help explain variation in infant growth and nutrition.
Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Attaches Tumor Suppressor PTEN to the Membrane and Promotes Anti Pseudomonas aeruginosa Immunity

The tumor suppressor PTEN controls cell proliferation by regulating phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) activity, but the participation of PTEN in host defense against bacterial infection is less well understood. Anti-inflammatory PI3K-Akt signaling is suppressed in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), a disease characterized by hyper-inflammatory responses to airway infection. We found that Ptenl-/- mice, which lack the NH2-amino terminal splice variant of PTEN, were unable to eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the airways and could not generate sufficient anti-inflammatory PI3K activity, similar to what is observed in CF. PTEN and the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) interacted directly and this interaction was necessary to position PTEN at the membrane. CF patients under corrector-potentiator therapy, which enhances CFTR transport to the membrane, have increased PTEN amounts. These findings suggest that improved CFTR trafficking could enhance P. aeruginosa clearance from the CF airway by activating PTEN-mediated anti-bacterial responses and might represent a therapeutic strategy.
A repeatable and scalable fabrication method for sharp, hollow silicon microneedles

Scalability and manufacturability are impeding the mass commercialization of microneedles in the medical field. Specifically, microneedle geometries need to be sharp, beveled, and completely controllable, difficult to achieve with microelectromechanical fabrication techniques. In this work, we performed a parametric study using silicon etch chemistries to optimize the fabrication of scalable and manufacturable beveled silicon hollow microneedles. We theoretically verified our parametric results with diffusion reaction equations and created a design guideline for a various set of miconeedles (80–160 µm needle base width, 100–1000 µm pitch, 40–50 µm inner bore diameter, and 150–350 µm height) to show the repeatability, scalability, and manufacturability of our process. As a result, hollow silicon microneedles with any dimensions can be fabricated with less than 2% non-uniformity across a wafer and 5% deviation between different processes. The key to achieving such high uniformity and consistency is a non-agitated HF-HNO3 bath, silicon nitride masks, and surrounding silicon filler materials with well-defined dimensions. Our proposed method is non-labor intensive, well defined by theory, and straightforward for wafer scale mass production, opening doors to a plethora of potential medical and biosensing applications.
Estimating Biomass in California's Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub Shrublands

Despite being one of the most extensive vegetation types in the North American Mediterranean Climate Zone, information on the amount of biomass and carbon stock associated with shrubland vegetation is still largely unknown. Efforts to quantify shrubland biomass through fieldwork consist of either direct measurement using destructive vegetation sampling or indirect measurement through the combined use of stem measurements and allometric equations. Both methods have their own benefits and shortcomings, resulting in substantial variation in how shrubland biomass is reported. Here we aim to provide a comprehensive review and synthesis of available shrubland biomass data from studies based in California to provide a concise and reliable source for natural resource managers. We conducted a literature review of 37 studies published over a span of 72 yrs to compile estimates of aboveground biomass (live, dead, and total), leaf biomass, stem biomass (live, dead, and total), litter biomass, and belowground biomass for three prominent shrubland communities and four shrubland species in the California Floristic Province. Overall aboveground biomass in shrub communities was greatest in mixed chaparral (3461 g/m2), followed by chamise chaparral (2114 g/m2), and coastal sage scrub (1583 g/m2). In each community total aboveground biomass increased with the age of the stand. Leaf, stem, and litter biomass estimates were also highest for mixed chaparral compared to the other communities. Of the four shrub species we summarized biomass data for, Ceanothus greggii A. Gray (Rhamnaceae) had the highest average aboveground biomass, followed by Adenostoma fasciculatum Hook. & Arn. (Rosaceae), Quercus berberidifolia Liebm. (Fagaceae), and C. cuneatus (Hook.) Nutt. By compiling these studies and summarizing the biomass data reported in them, we provide a single resource to characterize the amount of biomass of three different shrublands and four species over their life cycle. This is an essential resource for land managers and practitioners who need field-based biomass and carbon stock figures for monitoring and reporting purposes.
Ectopic Pregnancy: Diagnosis and Management

Preface 1. Incidence, aetiology and pathophysiology of ectopic pregnancy 2. Clinical presentation of ectopic pregnancy 3. Biochemical diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy 4. Sonographic diagnosis 5. Surgical diagnosis 6. Practical management of suspected ectopic pregnancy 7. Extratubal and unusual ectopic pregnancies 8. Medical treatment of ectopic pregnancy 9. Conservative surgery 10. Radical surgery 11. Future aspects Bibliography Index.
Decentering in Mindfulness and Cognitive Restructuring for Social Anxiety: An Experimental Study of a Potential Common Mechanism:

The present study examined whether cognitive restructuring (CR) or mindfulness led to increases in decentering and whether changes in decentering were related to changes in anxiety and willingness to approach anxiety-provoking situations. Forty-six individuals with social anxiety completed speaking tasks before and after receiving CR, mindfulness, or control instructions. Overall, anxiety decreased and willingness increased from the first to second speech, with no differences across conditions. Decentering (measured by the Toronto Mindfulness Scale [TMS]) increased, with those in the mindfulness condition reporting more decentering. There was a nonsignificant, medium-sized effect on decentering, as measured by the Experiences Questionnaire (EQ)-Decentering factor, with those in CR reporting more decentering. Increases in decentering were associated with changes in self-reported anxiety and willingness. Findings indicate that mindfulness and CR led to changes in decentering, and that changes in decentering were related to changes in some, but not all, measures of anxiety.
Judaism and health: a handbook of practical, professional, and scholarly resources: edited by Jeff Levin and Michele F. Prince, Jewish Lights Publishing Woodstock, VT $23.99 Paperback

Levin and Prince’s collection of essays, Judaism and Health: A Handbook of Practical, Professional, and Scholarly Resources (2013), provides a Jewish-specific source book to the scholarly and profe...
Overview of Movement Disorders

Movement disorders are conditions in which there is either a paucity or excess of movements. Classification systems are based on clinical findings, anatomy, pathology, etiology, and genetics, none of which are perfect. Classification by genetic etiology is complicated by heterogeneity, in which many genes cause the same phenotype, as well as pleiotropy, in which mutations in a single gene can result in different phenotypes. Genetic counseling for movement disorders is also complicated by having both Mendelian and multifactorial causes of disease. This section reviews the different types of movement disorders and the issues for genetic counseling.
Effectiveness of Lifestyle Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care: the REAL HEALTH-Diabetes Randomized Clinical Trial

Intensive lifestyle interventions (LI) improve outcomes in obesity and type 2 diabetes but are not currently available in usual care. To compare the effectiveness and costs of two group LI programs, in-person LI and telephone conference call (telephone LI), to medical nutrition therapy (MNT) on weight loss in primary care patients with type 2 diabetes. A randomized, assessor-blinded, practice-based clinical trial in three community health centers and one hospital-based practice affiliated with a single health system. A total of 208 primary care patients with type 2 diabetes, HbA1c 6.5 to 25 kg/m2 (> 23 kg/m2 in Asians). Dietitian-delivered in-person or telephone group LI programs with medication management or MNT referral. Primary outcome: mean percent weight change. Secondary outcomes: 5% and 10% weight loss, change in HbA1c, and cost per kilogram lost. Participants’ mean age was 62 (SD 10) years, 45% were male, and 77% were White, with BMI 35 (SD 5) kg/m2 and HbA1c 7.7 (SD 1.2). Seventy were assigned to in-person LI, 72 to telephone LI, and 69 to MNT. The mean percent weight loss (95% CI) at 6 and 12 months was 5.6% (4.4–6.8%) and 4.6% (3.1–6.1%) for in-person LI, 4.6% (3.3–6.0%) and 4.8% (3.3–6.2%) for telephone LI, and 1.1% (0.2–2.0%) and 2.0% (0.9–3.0%) for MNT, with statistically significant differences between each LI arm and MNT (P < 0.001) but not between LI arms (P = 0.63). HbA1c improved in all participants. Compared with MNT, the incremental cost per kilogram lost was $789 for in-person LI and $1223 for telephone LI. In-person LI or telephone group LI can achieve good weight loss outcomes in primary care type 2 diabetes patients at a reasonable cost. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02320253
Expert Perspectives on Intimate Partner Violence Power and Control in Pediatric Healthcare Settings

Abstract Objective Childhood exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health epidemic with profound impact on child health. While past work has demonstrated how abusive partners exert control over IPV survivors in a variety of settings (eg workplace, courts, home), scant research has examined how IPV power and control behaviors manifest themselves in pediatric healthcare settings. In this study, we explore the perspectives of pediatric IPV experts about: (1) behaviors used by abusive partners to control IPV survivors in pediatric healthcare settings; (2) how controlling behaviors impact healthcare access and quality; and (3) recommendations for the pediatric healthcare team. Methods Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with pediatric IPV experts recruited through snowball sampling. Interviews were individually coded by two research team members and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Twenty-eight pediatric IPV experts participated. Participants described several types of controlling behaviors including limiting healthcare access, dominating conversations during medical visits, controlling medical decision making, and manipulating perceptions of the healthcare team. Participants acknowledged the challenges of recognizing controlling behaviors and provided several recommendations to addressing behaviors such as leveraging the expertise of multidisciplinary teams. Conclusions Participants described how abusive partners may attempt to control or discredit their partners in pediatric healthcare settings, using subtle behaviors that may be easily missed by the healthcare team. These results set the stage for further research and clinical practice innovation including triangulating the findings with IPV survivors, examining how frequently these behaviors occur, and developing multidisciplinary IPV training for the pediatric healthcare team.
Abstract P270: Prediction of Telomere Shortening Using a Genetic Risk Score: The Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (mesa)

In epidemiological studies, telomere shortening has been associated with age-related diseases and mortality. We assessed whether a genetic risk score (GRS) combining seven telomere length (TL)-asso...
Provocative Angiography, Followed by Therapeutic Interventions, in the Management of Hard-To-Diagnose Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Despite significant advances in imaging and endoscopic diagnostic techniques, adequate localization of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) can be challenging. Provocative angiography (PROVANGIO) has not been part of the standard diagnostic algorithms yet. We sought to examine the ability of PROVANGIO to identify the bleeding source when conventional radiography fails. Patients undergoing PROVANGIO for GIB during 2008–2014 were retrospectively included. Demographics and periprocedural patient characteristics were recorded. PROVANGIO was performed in a multidisciplinary setting, involving interventional radiology, surgery and anesthesiology teams, ready to intervene in case of uncontrolled bleeding. The procedure included conventional angiography of the celiac, superior and inferior mesenteric arteries (SMA, IMA) followed by a stepwise bleeding provocation with anticoagulating, vasodilating and/or thrombolytic agent administration, combined with angiography. Twenty-three PROVANGIO were performed. Patients were predominantly male (15, 65.2%), and hematochezia was the most common presenting symptom (12, 52.2%). Patients with a positive PROVANGIO had lower Charlson comorbidity index (1 vs. 7, p = 0.009) and were less likely to have a prior history of GIB (14.3% vs. 87.5%, p = 0.001). PROVANGIO localized bleeding in 7 (30%) patients. In 6 out of 7 patients, the bleeding source was identified in the SMA and, in one case, in the IMA distribution. The bleeding was controlled angiographically in four cases, endoscopically in one case and surgically in the remaining two. No complications related to PROVANGIO were detected. In our series, PROVANGIO safely identified the bleeding source, and provided that necessary safeguards are put into place, we recommend incorporating it in the diagnostic algorithms for GIB management.
Next generation sequencing to promote the diagnosis and treatment of rare genetic diseases

Next generation sequencing (NGS) based test provided us an unprecedented power for the molecular diagnosis of rare diseases with genetic etiology, thus enabling the practice of precision medicine. In order to maximize the clinical utilities of NGS-based test, attention should be paid to the improvement of the sequencing technology, data quality and the accuracy of data interpretation, as well as the clinical correlations and pre- and post-test genetic counseling services. In doing so, it is believed practice of NGS-based test can bring expected benefit to many patients and families.(Chin J Lab Med, 2017, 40: 486-488) Key words: Genetic Diseases, inborn; High-throughput nucleotide sequencing; Genetic counseling
Private Interests in a Public Profession: Teacher Education and Racial Capitalism

Background/ContextThis article offers an analysis of the contemporary policy context surrounding teacher education in the United States. It lays out recent policy shifts that have come to frame the...
Associations Between Service Members’ Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Partner Accommodation Over Time

When service members manifest symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intimate partners may engage in behaviors to accommodate their partners' experiences (e.g., helping service members avoid situations that could make them uncomfortable, not expressing own thoughts and feelings to minimize PTSD-related conflict), which may inadvertently serve to maintain or increase PTSD symptoms over time. In a sample of 274 male service member/female civilian couples, we evaluated hypothesized bidirectional pathways between self-reported service member PTSD symptoms and partner accommodation, assessed four times over an approximately 18-month period. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model disaggregating between and within effects revealed that, on average, couples in which the service member had higher levels of total PTSD symptoms also scored higher in partner accommodation, between-couple correlation, r = .40. In addition, at time points when service members' PTSD symptoms were higher relative to their own average symptom level, their partners' level of accommodation was also higher than their personal average, within-couple correlation r = .22. Longitudinally, service member PTSD symptom scores higher than their personal average predicted subsequent increases in partner accommodation, β = .19, but not vice versa, β = .03. Overall, the findings indicate both stable and time-specific significant associations between service member PTSD symptoms and partner accommodation and suggest that higher levels of PTSD symptoms are a significant driver of later increases in partner accommodation. These findings add further support for treating PTSD in an interpersonal context to address the disorder and concomitant relational processes that can adversely impact individual and relational well-being.
Structure and noncanonical Cdk8 activation mechanism within an Argonaute-containing Mediator kinase module

The Cdk8 kinase module (CKM) in Mediator, comprising Med13, Med12, CycC, and Cdk8, regulates RNA polymerase II transcription through kinase-dependent and -independent functions. Numerous pathogenic mutations causative for neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer congregate in CKM subunits. However, the structure of the intact CKM and the mechanism by which Cdk8 is non-canonically activated and functionally affected by oncogenic CKM alterations are poorly understood. Here, we report a cryo-electron microscopy structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CKM that redefines prior CKM structural models and explains the mechanism of Med12-dependent Cdk8 activation. Med12 interacts extensively with CycC and activates Cdk8 by stabilizing its activation (T-)loop through conserved Med12 residues recurrently mutated in human tumors. Unexpectedly, Med13 has a characteristic Argonaute-like bi-lobal architecture. These findings not only provide a structural basis for understanding CKM function and pathological dysfunction, but also further impute a previously unknown regulatory mechanism of Mediator in transcriptional modulation through its Med13 Argonaute-like features.
Atypical histologic presentation of Pneumocystis pneumonia as granulomatous lung nodules

Abstract Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) is classically described as presenting histopathologically as frothy intra-alveolar exudates. Less commonly, it can present with focal granulomatous lesions in patients with or without underlying acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Here we present a series of cases of granulomatous PJP in patients without AIDS and describe the key features for diagnosis by histopathology. Histopathology and microbiologic cultures were performed by standard methods. Molecular confirmation of identification was performed by polymerase chain reaction of the fungal ribosomal RNA gene or cdc2 gene. Three patients are presented with various causes of immunosuppression who developed granulomatous PJP. The pathology and staining results are reviewed, along with the corollary information required for final diagnosis. Granulomatous inflammation is an under-recognized, but not entirely rare, presentation of PJP. Pathologists must be aware of this entity and must be prepared to make the diagnosis in cases where clinical suspicion is low and to differentiate it from other common infectious causes of lung granulomata. Molecular confirmation may be required when histomorphology is not definitive.
Wideband Bandpass Filter for 5G Millimeter- Wave Application in 45-nm CMOS Silicon-on-Insulator

In this letter, a wideband bandpass filter for 5G application is proposed. The filter is implemented in GF 45-nm CMOS SOI (silicon-on-insulator) and is a 4-pole/ 4-zero design which greatly enhance the filter selectivity and out-of-band rejection. Measurements show a filter 3-dB bandwidth of 22-44 GHz, and covers the millimeter-wave 5G 26/28/39 GHz bands. The minimum insertion loss is 1.5 dB with a return loss better than 10 dB and a filter size of 0.07 mm2. The work shows that wideband high-performance filter can be integrated as part of the wideband/multiband RF front-end on CMOS SOI.
Cognitive response to testosterone replacement added to intensive lifestyle intervention in older men with obesity and hypogonadism: prespecified secondary analyses of a randomized clinical trial.

Background Both obesity and hypogonadism are common in older men which could additively exacerbate age-related declines in cognitive function. However, little is known about the effects of lifestyle intervention plus testosterone replacement therapy in this population. Objectives In this secondary analysis of the LITROS (Lifestyle Intervention and Testosterone Replacement in Obese Seniors) trial, we examined whether testosterone replacement therapy would improve cognitive function when added to intensive lifestyle intervention in older men with obesity and hypogonadism. Methods Eighty-three older, obese hypogonadal men with frailty were randomly assigned to lifestyle therapy (weight management and exercise training) plus testosterone (LT + Test) or lifestyle therapy plus placebo (LT + Pbo) for 6 mo. For this report, the primary outcome was change in the global cognition composite z score. Secondary outcomes included changes in z score subcomponents: attention/information processing, memory, executive function, and language. Changes between groups were analyzed using mixed-model repeated-measures ANCOVAs following the intention-to-treat principle. Results Global cognition z score increased more in the LT + Test than in the LT + Pbo group (mean change: 0.49 compared with 0.21; between-group difference: -0.28; 95% CI: -0.45, -0.11; Cohen's d = 0.74). Moreover, attention/information z score and memory z score increased more in the LT + Test than in the LT + Pbo group (mean change: 0.55 compared with 0.23; between-group difference: -0.32; 95% CI: -0.55, -0.09; Cohen's d = 0.49 and mean change: 0.90 compared with 0.37; between-group difference: -0.53; 95% CI: -0.93, -0.13; Cohen's d = 1.43, respectively). Multiple regression analyses showed that changes in peak oxygen consumption, strength, total testosterone, and luteinizing hormone were independent predictors of the improvement in global cognition (R2 = 0.38; P Conclusions These findings suggest that in the high-risk population of older men with obesity and hypogonadism, testosterone replacement may improve cognitive function with lifestyle behaviors controlled via lifestyle intervention therapy.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02367105.
Communicating and Connecting: Associations Between Daily Adolescent Disclosure and Mother-Adolescent Responsiveness.

Adolescents who share information with their parents tend to have more positive parent-adolescent relationships. This brief report examined daily variability in adolescents' disclosure to mothers and mother-adolescent responsiveness. Using a 7-day intensive longitudinal design with 109 mother-adolescent (14-18 years) pairs, multilevel models revealed the amount of information adolescents disclosed to mothers varied day-to-day, according to both adolescent and mother reports. On days when adolescents perceived mothers to be more responsive than usual, adolescents were more likely to disclose. On days when mothers perceived adolescents to be more responsive than usual, mothers perceived more adolescent disclosure. Lastly, more responsive adolescents disclosed more on average across the week according to both adolescent and mother reports of disclosure compared to less responsive adolescents.
Trust and Relationships Remain at the Heart of Primary Care

Trust in medicine is at a low ebb. Although 3 highly effective, safe vaccines against a highly contagious virus that has caused at least 728,000 US deaths have been widely available at no cost (often accompanied by financial incentives) since the spring of 2021, nearly 1 in 5 adults has not received
Recursion Unrolling for Divide and Conquer Programs

This paper presents recursion unrolling, a technique for improving the performance of recursive computations. Conceptually, recursion unrolling inlines recursive calls to reduce control flow overhead and increase the size of the basic blocks in the computation, which in turn increases the effectiveness of standard compiler optimizations such as register allocation and instruction scheduling. We have identified two transformations that significantly improve the effectiveness of the basic recursion unrolling technique. Conditional fusion merges conditionals with identical expressions, considerably simplifying the control flow in unrolled procedures. Recursion re-rolling rolls back the recursive part of the procedure to ensure that a large unrolled base case is always executed, regardless of the input problem size. We have implemented our techniques and applied them to an important class of recursive programs, divide and conquer programs. Our experimental results show that recursion unrolling can improve the performance of our programs by a factor of between 3.6 to 10.8 depending on the combination of the program and the architecture.
Non‐Monogamous Copulations and Potential Within‐Group Mating Competition in White‐Faced Saki Monkeys (Pithecia pithecia)

Many primates display within-species variation in social organization and mating system. Individuals of these species may be confronted with both the challenges of between-group competition to exclude same-sex competitors as well as within-group competition for mating opportunities. Free-ranging white-faced saki monkeys (Pithecia pithecia) live in both male–female pairs and small multi-male, multi-female groups. Despite commonly held views that this species is monogamous, there are currently no published accounts of mating patterns in the genus Pithecia. I recorded copulations and sexual behavior from three free-ranging groups of white-faced sakis at Brownsberg Naturepark, Suriname over a period of 17 months. Groups displayed both monogamous and polygynandrous mating. Individuals in polygynandrous groups were not observed to mate more frequently with certain partners. Copulation harassment occurred in 8.6% of copulations (total N = 81) and was performed by both sexes. This harassment successfully prevented ejaculation in six out of seven instances and harassment by males resulted in male–male aggression on four occasions. Two cases of female-directed sexual aggression by males were also observed, which may indicate that males use sexual coercion to influence female mating behavior. Although based on a small number of groups, these data show that white-faced sakis display variability in mating system and that this variability is not directly dictated by social organization. Furthermore, groups with promiscuous copulations exhibit behaviors indicative of within-group mating competition. Am. J. Primatol. 75:817–824, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An examination of voluntary versus involuntary security issuances by commercial banks The impact of capital regulations on common stock returns

Abstract This paper examines differences in stock price reactions following voluntary capital injections by commercial banks and involuntary capital injections required to meet regulatory capital requirements. Empirical tests document that stock price declines associated with voluntary common stock issues are significantly greater than those associated with involuntary common stock injections, consistent with Ross (1977). Empirical test also confirm that for both voluntary and involuntary stock issuances, the abnormal stock price reaction is negatively related to the relative size of the offering and positively related to managerial ownership prior to the security issue, although these relationships are stronger for voluntary issues.
The Natural History of Indeterminate Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury

Importance The Denver criteria grade blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs) but fail to capture many patients with indeterminate findings on initial imaging. Objective To evaluate outcomes and clinical significance of indeterminate BCVIs (iBCVIs). Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective review of all patients treated for BCVIs at our institution from January 1, 2007, through July 31, 2014, was completed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those with true BCVIs as defined by the Denver criteria and those with iBCVIs, which was any initial imaging suggestive of a cerebrovascular arterial injury not classifiable by the Denver criteria. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes were rate of resolution of iBCVIs, freedom from cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and 30-day mortality. Results We identified 100 patients with 138 BCVIs: 79 with true BCVIs and 59 with iBCVIs. With serial imaging, 23 iBCVIs (39.0%) resolved and 21 (35.6%) remained indeterminate, whereas 15 (25.4%) progressed to true BCVI. The rate of CVA or TIA in the iBCVI group was 5.1% compared with 15.2% in the true BCVI group ( P = .06). Of the 15 total CVAs or TIAs, 11 (73.3%) resulted from carotid injury and 4 (26.7%) from vertebral artery occlusion ( P = .03). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, there was no difference in freedom from CVA or TIA for the 2 groups ( P = .07). Median clinical follow-up was 91 days. Overall and 30-day mortality for the entire series were 17.4% and 15.2%, respectively. There was no difference in long-term or 30-day mortality between true BCVI and iBCVI groups. Conclusions and Relevance Detection of iBCVI has become a common clinical conundrum with improved and routine imaging. Indeterminate BCVI is not completely benign, with 25.4% demonstrating anatomical progression to true BCVI and 5.1% developing cerebrovascular symptoms. We therefore recommend serial imaging and antiplatelet therapy for iBCVI.
Going Mobile: Developing Apps for Your Library Using Basic HTML Programming (ALA Editions Special Reports) by Scott La Counte

Perhaps the hottest topic in libraries today is how to provide services to mobile devices. Many libraries do not have staff with sufficient technical expertise to build these connections in-house. ...
Written informed consent for living liver donor evaluation: Compliance with centers for medicare and medicaid services and organ procurement and transplantation network guidelines and alibi offers

We examined written informed consent forms for living liver donor evaluations to determine whether they incorporated elements required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and suggested by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). We contacted each of the 41 US centers that performed at least 1 living donor liver transplant in 2011; 37 centers reported active living donor evaluation programs. Twenty-six centers shared their consent form for living donor evaluation (response rate = 70%). Each document was double-coded for consent element content. We found that 57% of the centers included the 9 mandated CMS elements. Although the OPTN guidelines are non-binding, 78% of the centers used consent forms that addressed at least two-thirds of the elements recommended by OPTN. Only 17% of the centers provided written offers of an alibi to donors who withdrew from the evaluation. On the basis of our findings, we offer suggestions that may be relevant to ongoing revisions to the OPTN living liver donor consent policy and may help centers to improve the clarity of their written consent forms. Liver Transpl 20:416–424, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.
Group Identification and Decision Disclosure Effects on Costly Decisions to Reduce Group Risk

Our experiment investigates using group identification and decision disclosure to reduce partners' tendencies to risk partnership assets for personal gain. We manipulate group identity (weak, strong) and decision disclosure (yes, no) and ask participants to decide whether to protect partnership assets from their randomly-determined bad outcomes. We find that (1) strong group-identity participants are more likely to protect their group than weak group-identity participants; (2) weak group-identity participants are more likely to protect their group when protection decisions will be disclosed; and (3) the strong group identity advantage declines when protection decisions will be disclosed. These findings are important to decentralized professional partnerships hoping to reduce reputational risk without restructuring compensation and to researchers studying incentive effects in professional settings.
Ikaros imposes a barrier to CD8+ T cell differentiation by restricting autocrine IL-2 production

Naive CD4(+) T cells require signals from the TCR and CD28 to produce IL-2, expand, and differentiate. However, these same signals are not sufficient to induce autocrine IL-2 production by naive CD8(+) T cells, which require cytokines provided by other cell types to drive their differentiation. The basis for failed autocrine IL-2 production by activated CD8(+) cells is unclear. We find that Ikaros, a transcriptional repressor that silences IL-2 in anergic CD4(+) T cells, also restricts autocrine IL-2 production by CD8(+) T cells. We find that CD8(+) T cell activation in vitro in the absence of exogenous cytokines and CD4 help leads to marked induction of Ikaros, a known repressor of the Il2 gene. Naive murine CD8 T cells haplo-insufficient for Ikzf1 failed to upregulate Ikaros, produced autocrine IL-2, and differentiated in an IL-2-dependent manner into IFN-γ-producing CTLs in response to TCR/CD28 stimulation alone. Furthermore, Ikzf1 haplo-insufficient CD8(+) T cells were more effective at controlling Listeria infection and B16 melanoma growth in vivo, and they could provide help to neighboring, non-IL-2-producing cells to differentiate into IFN-γ-producing effectors. Therefore, by repressing autocrine IL-2 production, Ikaros ensures that naive CD8(+) T cells remain dependent on licensing by APCs and CD4(+) T cells, and it may therefore act as a cell-intrinsic safeguard against inappropriate CTL differentiation and immunopathology.
A high efficiency L-band microstrip antenna

The design of a high efficiency circularly polarized nearly square patch antenna at L-band is presented. One way to improve the efficiency of the inherently low efficiency microstrip antennas is to use substrates with a low permittivity. A low permittivity substrate with /spl epsi//sub r/=1.1028 was obtained by using a combination of Rogers RT/Duroid 5880 and Rohacell hard foam. The effect of a 5 mils thick Rogers RT/Duroid 5880 superstrate on the efficiency was also studied. Results of the antenna efficiency and bandwidth for both the low dielectric substrate and superstrate are presented. The results were obtained using the 1E3D software package and compared with measured results. Efficiencies of the order of 85% for a single patch element were obtained.
Electrochemical Processing, Organic

The technology for electroorganic synthesis is surveyed. Cell design and electrode materials, including the use of diaphragms in certain cases, are discussed, as are cell current distribution and mass-transport phenomena. Features influencing good product specificity with certain cell designs are presented, together with a sampling of commercially available cells. Cost analysis for electroorganic synthesis is reviewed. A number of electroorganic processes that have been commercialized or carried out at pilot-plant scale are presented. Keywords: electrochemical processing; electrosynthesis; commercial processes; cell design; product recovery; adiponitrile; montan wax; small-scale processes; sebacic acid; perfluorinated compounds