cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Monte Carlo simulations of radiatively accelerated GRB fireballs

We present a novel Dynamic Monte Carlo code (DynaMo code) which self-consistently simulates the Compton scattering driven dynamic evolution of a plasma. We use the DynaMo code to investigate the time-dependent expansion and acceleration of dissipationless GRB fireballs by varying their initial opacities and baryonic content. We study the opacity and energy density evolution of an initially optically thick, radiation-dominated fireball across its entire phase space - in particular during the $R_{\rm ph} < R_{\rm sat}$ regime. Our results reveal new phases of fireball evolution: a transition phase with a radial extent of several orders of magnitude - the fireball transitions from $\Gamma \propto R$ to $\Gamma \propto R^0$, a post-photopsheric acceleration phase - where fireballs accelerate beyond the photosphere, and a Thomson-dominated acceleration phase - characterized by slow acceleration of optically thick, matter-dominated fireballs due to Thomson scattering. We quantify the new phases by providing analytical expressions of Lorentz factor evolution, which will be useful for deriving jet parameters.
Induction of β-Lactamase Activity and Decreased β-Lactam Susceptibility by CO 2 in Clinical Bacterial Isolates.

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of clinical isolates is a crucial step toward appropriate treatment of infectious diseases. The clinical isolate Francisella philomiragia 14IUHPL001, recently isolated from a 63-year-old woman with atypical pneumonia, featured decreased susceptibility to β-lactam antibiotics when cultivated in 5% CO2. Quantitative β-lactamase assays demonstrated a significant (P IMPORTANCE β-Lactamase induction and concurrent β-lactam resistance in respiratory tract pathogens as a consequence of growth in a physiologically relevant level of CO2 are of clinical significance, particularly given the ubiquity of TEM and SHV β-lactamase genes in diverse bacterial pathogens. This is the first report of β-lactamase induction by 5% CO2.
The Role of Interferon in Immunity and Prophylaxis

The term interferon (IFN) was first used by Isaacs and Lindenmann in 1957 to describe a factor, present in the supernatant of cultured chick chorioallantoic membranes previously injected with heat-inactivated influenza virus, that could render fresh chick membranes resistant to challenge with live virus. Since that time, studies performed in many laboratories have not only confirmed this phenomenon, but have greatly expanded our understanding of the IFN family of proteins and their role in viral infections. Moreover, a number of clinical trials have suggested that IFNs may be of use in the prophylaxis and therapy of herpesvirus infections. We will discuss the role of IFNs in the biological response to herpesviruses and review the trials addressing their clinical utility.
Effects of ethanol and varenicline on female Sprague-Dawley rats in a third trimester model of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Abstract Perinatal ethanol exposure disrupts a variety of developmental processes in neurons important for establishing a healthy brain. These ethanol-induced impairments known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are not fully understood, and currently, there is no effective treatment. Further, growing evidence suggests that adult females are more susceptible to ethanol, with the effects of perinatal ethanol exposure also being sexually divergent. Female models have been historically underutilized in neurophysiological investigations, but here, we used a third-trimester binge-ethanol model of FASD to examine changes to basal forebrain (BF) physiology and behavior in female Sprague-Dawley rats. We also tested varenicline as a potential cholinomimetic therapeutic. Rat pups were gavage-treated with binge-like ethanol, varenicline and ethanol, and varenicline alone. Using patch-clamp electrophysiology in BF slices, we observed that binge-ethanol exposure increased spontaneous post-synaptic current (sPSC) frequency. Varenicline exposure alone also enhanced sPSC frequency. Varenicline plus ethanol co-treatment prevented the sPSC frequency increase. Changes in BF synaptic transmission persisted into adolescence after binge-ethanol treatment. Behaviorally, binge-ethanol treated females displayed increased anxiety (thigmotaxis) and demonstrated learning deficits in the water maze. Varenicline/ethanol co-treatment was effective at reducing these behavioral deficits. In the open field, ethanol-treated rats displayed longer distances traveled and spent less time in the center of the open field box. Co-treated rats displayed less anxiety, demonstrating a possible effect of varenicline on this measure. In conclusion, ethanol-induced changes in both BF synaptic transmission and behavior were reduced by varenicline in female rats, supporting a role for cholinergic therapeutics in FASD treatment.
Report of the ALCTS Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group Meeting. ALA Annual Conference, Chicago, June 2017

The ALCTS Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group (TSMALIG) meeting at ALA’s 2017 Annual Meeting had 39 attendees present. Following the format used in recent years, meetin...
Jackson and Whittle Networks

This chapter describes the equilibrium behavior of Jackson and Whittle networks. In such a network, the numbers of discrete units or customers at the nodes are modeled by multidimensional Markov processes. The main results characterize the equilibrium distributions of the processes. These distributions yield several performance parameters of the networks including throughput rates, expected customer waiting times, and expected busy periods for servers.
Antigenic and antiheparin properties of human platelet factor 4 (PF4)

Platelet factor 4 (PF4, a heparin-neutralizing protein) was isolated from washed human platelets. It was found to be homogenous by SDS- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunodiffusion, and immunoelectrophoresis, when tested with monospecific antibody produced in rabbits. PF4 is a heat-stable protein, but its antiheparin activity and antigenicity are destroyed by trypsin. The molecular weight of PF4 as calculated by amino acid analysis is approximately 8000 and by SDS- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with beta-mercaptoethanol, 7100 daltons. PF4 migrated to the cathode at pH 8.6. The interaction of PF4 with heparin resulted in the formation of a complex which migrated to the anode, as tested by immunoelectrophoresis. Incubation of purified PF4 with its antibody at 37 degrees C resulted in a loss of antiheparin activity. The presence of antiheparin activity and of PG4 antigen in material released during platelet aggregation by various agents and at various stages of the preparative procedure closely correlated. It has been concluded that PF4 antigen and antiheparin activity are two properties of the same protein. Comparison of human and pig PF4 revealed significant biochemical and antigenic differences.
An Overview of Long-Range Casimir Interactions

I can still remember, these many years later, my excitement on learning that there was a rather strange force between two neutral parallel plates. If the plates are ideal conductors and infinite in extent, the force per unit area (the force is infinite for plates of infinite area) depends only upon the separation z of the plates and the fundamental constants c and ħ; the z −4 dependence of the force per unit area is not what one expects, and one might not expect c to enter, since there are no rapidly moving particles. (If one interprets the limit c → ∞ as the nonrelativistic limit, one has the additional peculiar result, for ideal walls, that the force per unit area is infinite in the nonrelativistic limit.) The wall-wall interaction (Casimir, 1948) is perhaps the simplest, most beautiful, and most astounding of the Casimir effects, but there are others which are also striking. Thus, for example, the nonrelativistic R −6 interaction (van der Waals, 1873) between atoms is valid for a separation R larger than a few a 0, but not for R arbitrarily large; it is replaced by an R −7 interaction (Casimir and Polder, 1948) for R rather larger than 137a 0 if one accounts for the fact that the speed of light is finite. The remarkable feature is that the effect is not a small correction; the correct interaction for sufficiently large R is not proportional to (1/R 6)[1 + O(v 2/c 2)], with v some characteristic velocity. Rather, it is a change in the very form of the interaction.
Fiscal Policy under EMU

The introduction of the common currency, the Euro, managed by a common central bank, the European Central Bank (ECB), is the most obvious sign of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) that has started on January 1, 1999. The road to EMU was set out in the 1989 Report of the Delors Committee and the 1991 Maastricht Treaty on EMU. The monetary part of EMU forms the replacing of national currencies by a common currency and implies the last step in completing the process of monetary and financial integration in the European Union (EU). In EMU, national monetary policy is replaced by common monetary policy managed by a common monetary institution, the ECB.
Evidence for myocardial conversion of angiotensin I.

Experiments were carried out using the blood perfusedLangendorff dog heart preparation to determine if myocardial tissue can convert angiotensin I to angiotensin II. The administration of angiotensin I directly into the main coronary artery of the isolated heart was accompanied by an immediate increase in coronary resistance. The increase in resistance caused by the injection of angiotensin I was prevented by the simultaneous administration of antibody to angiotensin II or by converting enzyme inhibitor. These experiments clearly demonstrate that the heart can convert angiotensin I to angiotensin II and suggest a possible role for these peptides in controlling coronary blood flow.
Logging Brand Personality Online: Website Content Analysis of Middle Eastern and North African Destinations

The travel and tourism industry has always been regarded as having the greatest potential in promoting peace and social harmony throughout an advancing global society. Despite this innate characteristic of bringing world cultures together, travel and tourism is vulnerable to existing economic, social and geopolitical conditions (Clements & Georgiou, 1998). As apprehension and insecurity creeps in, the image of a destination changes in the mind of a would-be traveller. Any perceived or actual risk associated with travelling to a region or country where one’s basic need for personal security is compromised affects the tourism system. Several scholars have assessed the impact of terrorism and security issues on tourism from a Western, European, and Asian Pacific perspective (Chen, Chen, 2003; Henderson, 2003). Few researchers have assessed how destinations in the MENA manage their brand image from the perspective of the traveller while these destinations are at the heart of civil, religious and political unrest. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the perceptions of travellers to Middle East and North African (MENA) destinations through their Internet travel blog postings. Using Aaker’s (1997) brand personality framework as a guide, the study compared keywords that potentially describes MENA for the purposes of developing marketing campaigns with positive messages about the region as a tourism destination. The study utilized CATPAC, a neural network analysis computer program optimized for analyzing text, to examine 346 online travel journal entries (travel blogs) from travellers who were visiting or had already visited any of the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries. Findings from this research suggest that the dimensions relating to brand personality for MENA are excitement and ruggedness. A discussion follows on the importance of Internet blogs as a source of customer information useful in conducting market research.
Major Depressive Disorder Screening Remains Low Even Among Privately Insured Adolescents.

Objective To determine if screening for major depressive disorder (MDD) increased in a national sample of privately insured adolescents following the US Preventive Services Task Force 2009 endorsement of universal screening for adolescent MDD. Study design This was a retrospective cohort study of 12- to 14-year-old adolescents, continuously insured from 2010 to 2014 based on the MarketScan database. The primary outcome was the frequency of MDD screening, defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision or Current Procedural Terminology code within the context of a well-visit. Multivariable analysis identified factors associated with MDD screening. Results Adolescents (n = 413 080) were 49% female and 89% urban, and 21% had a family history of depression. Adolescents averaged 2.9 ± 1.6 well-visits during the 5-year study period. Of the cohort, 1.8% had MDD screening coded. Coding for MDD screening was more likely for urban residents (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.69-2.25; P Conclusions MDD screening remains insufficient to address the youth mental health crisis. Furthermore, this study captures those adolescents most able to receive such services, given their continuous enrollment in private insurance. Disparities persist, with adolescents who are rural, less frequently seen, and with poor continuity of care less likely to receive screening.
Left atrial appendage closure device implantation in patients with prior intracranial hemorrhage

Background The Watchman device (Boston Scientific), used for left atrial appendage closure (LAAC), was approved for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and an appropriate rationale to avoid long-term oral anticoagulation. Patients with AF and prior intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) were excluded from clinical trials because of perceived risks of perioperative anticoagulation. Objective The purpose of this study was to study the efficacy and safety of LAAC using Watchman in patients with AF and prior ICH. Methods In a multidisciplinary AF/stroke prevention clinic, 38 consecutive patients with AF and prior ICH underwent Watchman implantation. Patients were enrolled in a prospectively maintained data registry. Results Patients' mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 5.0 ± 1.3 and HAS-BLED score 4.2 ± 1.0. Prior ICH events were intraparenchymal (60%), subdural (24%), or subarachnoid bleeds (16%). The median event-to-implantation time was 637 days (minimum 60). Watchman was implanted in all patients with no procedural complications. All patients completed 45 days of anticoagulation with warfarin (55%), apixaban (37%), or dabigatran (8%). Transesophageal echocardiograms at 45 days showed no peridevice leak, and 1 patient had a small filamentous echodensity on device that resolved with anticoagulation. While undergoing anticoagulation, none of the patients developed recurrent ICH. Minor bleeding occurred in 1 patient (trauma-related lower extremity hematoma at 19 days postimplantation). At 13.4 months (quartiles 8–19) of follow-up, there were no strokes, ICH, or deaths. Conclusion AF patients with prior ICH tolerated short-term anticoagulation for the purpose of Watchman implantation. LAAC with attendant short-term anticoagulation seems to be both safe and effective in this patient population.
Existentialism in Occupational Therapy: Implications for Practice, Research, and Education.

As the profession of occupational therapy enters a second century, its growth in an increasingly complex and globalized world requires an adaptive and diverse philosophical foundation. The existent...
Quantifying the Time Used for Renal Dietitian's Responsibilities: A Pilot Study

Objective The purpose of this study was to quantify how dialysis dietitians spend their time and whether the activities that were most frequent varied based on the ratio of patient to full-time equivalent (FTE) dietitian. Methods This study is a cross-sectional, observational, time-and-motion study carried out using the Work Activity Measurement by Activity Timing software/method for time recording. This study was carried out in 14 dialysis centers in and around Cleveland, Ohio. Fourteen registered dietitian nutritionists participated in this study. The mean time/experience of these nutritionists in dietetics was 26.6 ± 8.5 years. Percent of time in direct care (e.g., patient interaction) versus indirect care (e.g., documentation and plans of care, professional communication) versus other responsibilities (e.g., administrative work, education of self or others). Results The mean number of tasks recorded per 3-hour observation session was 38.3 ± 14.0, including 18.5 ± 7.7 indirect care tasks, 7.7 ± 6.2 direct care tasks, and 9.7 ± 5.4 other tasks. The mean number of unique patients seen per observation session was 6.9 ± 5.4; the mean direct care time per patient encounter was 6.95 ± 4.05 minutes. Indirect care took the highest proportion of observed time, 56.0 ± 22.2%, followed by direct care, 24.9 ± 18.8%. Increasing the ratio of patient to FTE had a moderate negative correlation with the percent of time spent in direct patient care (r = −0.35, P = .21), but there was no relationship between the ratio of patient to FTE and direct care time per patient (r = 0.02, P = .94). Conclusion About 25% of dietitians' time was available for direct patient care. This is much less than that reported in previous studies and may not be sufficient to improve the nutritional status. Limitations of our study include a small sample size from a single region. Further work is needed to understand the balance of responsibilities among renal dietitians and their impact on patient outcomes.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Rate and Duration Determine whether Sensory Pairing Produces Neural Plasticity.

Abstract Repeatedly pairing a brief train of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with an auditory stimulus drives reorganization of primary auditory cortex (A1), and the magnitude of this VNS-dependent plasticity is dependent on the stimulation parameters, including intensity and pulse rate. However, there is currently little data to guide the selection of VNS train durations, an easily adjusted parameter that could influence the effect of VNS-based therapies. Here, we tested the effect of varying the duration of the VNS train on the extent of VNS-dependent cortical plasticity. Rats were exposed to a 9 kHz tone 300 times per day for 20 days. Coincident with tone presentation, groups received trains of 4, 16, or 64 pulses of VNS delivered at 30 Hz, corresponding to train durations of 0.125 s, 0.5 s, and 2.0 s, respectively. High-density microelectrode mapping of A1 revealed that 0.5 s duration VNS trains significantly increased the number of neurons in A1 that responded to tones near the paired tone frequency. Trains lasting 0.125 or 2.0 s failed to alter A1 responses, indicating that both shorter and longer stimulation durations are less effective at enhancing plasticity. A second set of experiments evaluating the effect of delivering 4 or 64 pulses in a fixed 0.5 s VNS train duration paired with tone presentation reveal that both slower and faster stimulation rates are less effective at enhancing plasticity. We incorporated these results with previous findings describing the effect of stimulation parameters on VNS-dependent plasticity and activation of neuromodulatory networks to generate a model of synaptic activation by VNS.
Revealing the Structural Complex of Adsorption and Assembly of Benzoic Acids at Electrode–Electrolyte Interfaces Using Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Self-assembly of benzenecarboxylic acids on well-defined noble metals has been intensively investigated using surface-sensitive techniques. However, most studies were focused on the formation of nanostructures via benzenetricarboxylic and benzenedicarboxylic acids, which are composed of multiple carboxylic acid functional groups in either the meta or para positions of the benzene ring, allowing the formation of long-range ordered molecular arrays through −COOH-mediated intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Two-dimensional nanostructures of benzoic acid molecules that are composed of a single carboxylic acid functional group on the phenyl ring at metal–electrolyte interfaces were rarely reported using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) because there is only one carboxylic acid functional group for each benzoic acid available to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds, making it difficult to construct long-range ordered nanoarchitectures. In this work, we employed electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM)...
Behavioral indicators of child maltreatment.

While dentists as a group may be sufficiently knowledgeable of the physical signs of child abuse and neglect, many are unaware of the associated behavioral indicators presented by the maltreated child. The beliefs, feelings, and attitudes, as well as the specific behavior of such children, are discussed, along with behavioral peculiarities of the abusive adult. The longer a child is abused or neglected, the greater the impact is on his physical, emotional, and intellectual development. Integrating observations of the physical and behavioral indicators exhibited by the child, the behavior of the parent, and the interaction of parent and child will enable dentists to diagnose properly and report suspected cases of child maltreatment. Language: en
Chapter 2 – Preliminary Considerations

This chapter discusses what needs to be considered well in advance of giving your presentation. These considerations include: whether the format is a formal oral or poster presentation; the venue or where the presentation will be made; the time allocated for the presentation and questions; preparing an outline to ensure a good organization and cue cards for quick reference if needed during your presentation; and dressing for the occasion that discusses appropriate attire for handling a microphone and transmitter and has a multicultural focus on wearing ethnic dress.
Three Dimensional Nuclei Segmentation and Classification of Fluorescence Microscopy Images

Segmentation and classification of cell nuclei in fluorescence 3D microscopy image volumes are fundamental steps for image analysis. However, accurate cell nuclei segmentation and detection in microscopy image volumes are hampered by poor image quality, crowding of nuclei, and large variation in nuclei size and shape. In this paper, we present an unsupervised volume to volume translation approach adapted from the Recycle-GAN using modified Hausdorff distance loss for synthetically generating nuclei with better shapes. A 3D CNN with a regularization term is used for nuclei segmentation and classification followed by nuclei boundary refinement. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can successfully segment nuclei and identify individual nuclei.
The effects of zinc on radiation-induced dysgeusia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Many head and neck cancer patients who receive radiation therapy experience radiation-induced dysgeusia (RID), which has no standard treatment. The only supplement controlled clinical trials have evaluated for the treatment of RID is zinc. However, the results of these and other studies investigating the use of zinc for RID have been inconsistent. To assess the validity of zinc as a treatment for RID, we conducted a systematic literature search and performed a meta-analysis to determine the extent to which zinc affects RID incidence and the degree to which ongoing RID responds to zinc. We searched the Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies investigating the use of zinc-based therapy for RID in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation that were published between January 1, 2003, and November 9, 2017. Using American Society of Clinical Oncology criteria, we selected studies with a high level of evidence for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Of the 32 full-text articles eligible for inclusion, three were included in the final review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that, compared with placebo, zinc reduces the incidence of RID (risk ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.67–0.92) but does not improve taste acuity more rapidly following radiation therapy (risk ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.97–6.88). Our findings indicate that zinc-based therapy reduces the incidence of RID but has a minimal effect on ongoing RID. Our findings also highlight the need for additional evidence-based research on this topic.
Mining Lithium from Seawater

Unlike conventional land-based resources for lithium (Li), which are concentrated in a few geographic locations (e.g., closed-basin brines, pegmatites, lithium clays, and zeolites), seawater provides a massive and evenly distributed global Li reserve (230 billion tons), albeit at low (
The Precious Commodity of Time and Sub-Saharan Africa's Success in Keeping COVID-19 at Bay

Most sub-Saharan African countries acted early and aggressively in response to the WHO COVID-19 warning by closing schools, international borders, limiting domestic travel and restricting large gatherings. The six most populous sub-Saharan African countries, at the beginning of July 2020 with the exception of Republic of South Africa, all had relatively modest COVID-19 case counts compared with European, North and South American and some Asian countries in spite of access to more limited medical resources and technologies. Shutdowns or shelter-in-places were put in place for 5 out of 6 countries surveyed well before the first reported COVID-19 death. Timely action to enact comprehensive public health measures are irreplaceable and cannot be substituted by later use of medical resources or technologies. In the case of Republic of South Africa, earlier and multiple instances of virus introduction may have made infection control much more difficult compared with other sub-Saharan African countries.
Violence Against Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: Social Interventions of the Twenty-First Century

Victimization of sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender diverse youth) has gained substantial national attention (Russell et al., 2011; Toomey et al., 2010). A number of studies find that SGMY are more likely to experience violent victimization than their peers (Burton et al., 2013; Fedewa & Ahn, 2011; Kosciw, Greytak, Bartkiewicz, Boesen, & Palmer, 2012). In schools, obligatory learning environments for youth, victimization may come not only from other students but from teachers that may perpetuate or ignore bullying in their students. Victimization can be particularly isolating in rural environments or in environments in which affirmative role models are not present (De Pedro, Lynch, & Esqueda, 2018). In this chapter, we review the SGMY victimization literature and reflect on possible points of intervention. Specifically, we suggest that resilience and post-stressor growth may be best fostered through targeting minority stress experiences from a variety of intervention points (e.g., family, school, counseling). Improvements to behavioral health, given these interventions, will be examined.
Comedy, Physicality, and Ludic Dance Gestures: The Comic in Ballet and Tai Chi?

What happens to the ludic in movement systems such as ballet and Tai Chi? The concern here is to understand the physical nature of the ludic, how the comic is embedded in bodily actions and gestures, and how comedy then appears in the bodily practices of theatre, dance, and Tai Chi. How is it that dance gestures and dance meaning often become caricatures, and are even theatricalized, when comic sensibilities are expressed? Merleau-Ponty’s discussion of the gesture will be used as evidence for understanding the interior physical smile found within aesthetic forms of body training.
Infertility in the Midwest: Perceptions and Attitudes of Current Treatment.

Background Although infertility affects an estimated 6.1 million individuals in the United States, only half of those individuals seek fertility treatment and the majority of those patients are White and of high socioeconomic status. Research has shown that insurance mandates are not enough to ensure equal access. Many workplaces, schools, and medical education programs have made efforts in recent years to improve the cultural humility of providers in efforts to engage more racially and economically underrepresented groups in medical care. However, these efforts have not been assessed on a population of patients receiving fertility care, an experience that is uniquely shaped by individual social, cultural, and economic factors. Objective This study aimed to better understand the racial, cultural, economic, and religious factors that impact patient experiences obtaining fertility care. Study Design A cross-sectional self-administered survey was administered at an academic fertility center in Chicago, Illinois. Of 5000 consecutive fertility care patients, 1460 completed the survey and were included in the study sample. No interventions were used. Descriptive univariate frequencies and percentages were calculated to summarize sociodemographic and other relevant patient characteristics (eg, race or ethnicity, age, household income, religious affiliation, insurance coverage). Rates of endorsing perceived physician cultural competency were compared among demographic subgroups using Pearson chi-squared tests with 2-sided P Results Members of our sample (N=1460) were between 20 and 58 years of age (meanadjusted, 36.2; standard deviation, 4.4). Among Black participants, 42.3% reported that their physician does not understand their cultural background compared with 16.5% of White participants (P Conclusion Of the patient characteristics investigated, racial and ethnic subgroups showed the greatest degree of variation in regard to worries and concerns surrounding the experience of fertility treatment. Our findings emphasize a need for improved cultural humility on behalf of physicians, in addition to affordable psychological support for all patients seeking fertility care.
Nanotechnology to deliver cannabinoids in dermatology

Cannabis-derived compounds and therapies targeting the endocannabinoid system (ECS) are demonstrating benefit for clinical conditions beyond current indications. As our understanding of the ECS in the skin continues to develop, cannabinoids are rapidly showing promise for treating cutaneous pathology. However, unstable pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and skin permeability have been significant constraints on their utility in dermatology. As cannabinoids shift from commercial herbal preparations to prescription drugs, nanosized drug delivery strategies can tackle these physiochemical limitations and allow well-designed clinical trials to establish safety and efficacy. This review summarizes the latest evidence for cannabinoids for skin disease, details the challenges of formulating cannabinoids, and highlights how the success of nanomedicine across therapeutic fields can translate to novel nanocannabinoid therapeutics in dermatology.
Connecting the Dots: Bridging Virtual to In-person Physical Assessment

Abstract When restrictions imposed by COVID-19 prevented prelicensure nursing students from practicing skills in the simulation center, the faculty designed a plan to bridge the gap from virtual to in-person skill performance for physical assessments. The faculty anticipated an inadequacy of head-to-toe assessment skills related to the lack of face-to-face clinical. Therefore, the faculty used the Plan-Do-Study-Act model (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2020) for quality improvement to address the skill performance issue. The plan used colored adhesive "garage sale" dots to identify anatomical landmarks to help students with correct stethoscope placement during their first in-person simulation after a virtual semester. Pre- and post-tests were administered to assess confidence in assessment skills. Using this method on standardized patients in simulation, nursing students reported increased confidence in stethoscope placement. Students of all healthcare disciplines could benefit from the economical dotting process to learn correct stethoscope placement.
Power based Fault Detection Method for PV Arrays

Faults occurring in solar PV systems could subsequently lead to safety hazards and negatively impact reliability and system efficiency. While many fault detection methods exist for fault identification and protection of solar PV systems, recent studies revealed several shortcomings under certain conditions such as partial shading, and low irradiance. This paper investigates faults in PV systems and conducts pattern analysis for changes in PV systems occurring during faults. Several quantities are considered such as changes in power, fault current, and voltage under both homogenous and partial shading conditions at a variety of fault resistances and fault locations. The observed patterns are then exploited to develop a simple approach for detecting faults in PV systems under homogeneous and partial shading conditions. The proposed approach can also differentiate between the occurrence of faults and partial shading. The effectiveness of the method to detect faults has been verified under various atmospheric and partial shading conditions through MATLAB/Simulink simulations.
Four Wicked Cases

In this chapter, we discuss in more detail the four major environmental controversies introduced in Chapter 1. These four examples—restoration of the Everglades, management of Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, carbon trading in the European Union, and management of the Sierra Nevada national forests—illustrate the breadth of environmental challenges that fall into the category of wicked problems. The cases involve a range of socioeconomic contexts in both developed and developing countries and center on a variety of natural resources. Forest planning in the Sierra Nevada will be our primary case study throughout the book, but we will draw on the other three cases frequently to illustrate our points.
Go-With-The-Winners Heuristic

Go-with-the-winners (GWW) is a simple but powerful paradigm for designing heuristics for NP-hard optimization problems. We give a brief survey of the theoretical basis as well as the experimental validation of this paradigm.
Motivation and Outline

To continue along the lines of thoughts of George Whitesides, the primary focus of this thesis is on fabrication or, to be more precise, the generation of symmetric surface patterns via colloidal crystallization. As such, the self-assembly process of colloidal particles to form highly ordered, two-dimensional crystals is at the heart of the projects introduced in this thesis.
Reduced concreteness of worry in generalized anxiety disorder: Findings from a therapy study

A sample of clients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) provided descriptions of the two major problems they worried about and of potential negative consequences associated with these problems, once before and once after they received cognitive–behavioral therapy. When descriptions were rated for concreteness and compared to those of normal controls, results showed that untreated GAD clients provided less concrete descriptions of their major worries relative to controls. After successful therapy, problem descriptions of GAD clients showed the same level of concreteness as those of controls. These findings add further support to the reduced-concreteness theory of worry. Moreover, they indicate that concretization of worries may play a prominent role in the reduction of pathological worry.
Mitral Regurgitation in Coronary Artery Disease

Over a period of 5.25 years, 1,530 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent catheterization; 104 had associated mitral regurgitation (MR), and 60 had no complications. Twelve patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), with both pre- and postoperative angiograms. Nine of the 12 patients (75 percent) were in functional class 3 or 4. Left ventricular ejection fraction ranged from 34 to 75. The MR was considered severe (3+) in three, moderate (2+) in six, and trivial (1+) in three patients. Following CABG, all except two patients were in class 1. Of the 43 patients medically treated, 31 patients (72 percent) were in functional class 3 or 4. Angiographic results showed that five patients had 3+ MR, 14 had 2+ MR, and 24 had 1+ MR. The EF was less than 30 in 23 patients and greater than or equal to 30 in 20 patients, and left ventricular filling pressure was elevated. Twenty patients died, with a mean follow-up period of 11 months. Our study demonstrates that the surgically treated patients showed angiographic improvement in MR, improved functional status, and relief of symptoms compared with medically treated patients. We believe that a subset of patients with MR and CAD would benefit with CABG.
The validation of freely diffusible tracer methods with NMR detection for measurement of blood flow.

While the general theory of measuring organ perfusion using exogenously administered freely diffusible tracers was originally formulated over 40 years ago, the application of NMR techniques for tracer detection is a recent development. A brief theoretical review and discussion of the literature validating the use of deuterium and fluorine as NMR-detectable tracers is provided. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Some simple structure significance tests for exploratory component analysis with market survey data

Several uncertainties continue to hinder researchers using exploratory factor analysis. Among other decisions, the choice of the number of factors to retain and the interpretability of the rotated solution remain problematical. In this paper, we suggest a simple structure criterion as a general framework for choosing the number of factors and for interpreting the rotated factor structure matrix. The proposed methodology is demonstrated with demographic data from a consumer panel. The results show the importance of increasing the information yield from exploratory factor analysis.
Physics, technology, and applications of x-ray free-electron lasers

Free-electron lasers, can produce femtosecond pulses of coherent 0.1nm X-rays, with peak power of ten Gwatt, opening novel ways of exploring atomic and molecular systems. We review the physics and technology of these lasers, and of the projects to build them.
Disfluencies in Child-Child and Child-Mother Speaking Situations

Disfluencies of 20 children, ages 3.5 to 5 years, were counted in two situations. In each session a child spoke with his mother for 10 minutes, a second child spoke with his mother for 10 minutes, ...
Shearography: A New Optical Method For Strain Measurement And Nondestructive Testing

This paper presents a new optical method referred to as shearography. Shearography is an interferometric method which employs an image-shearing camera. It permits full-field measurement of derivatives of surface displacements. The object under study is illuminated by laser light, and it is imaged by an image-shearing camera. The image-shearing camera produces two laterally sheared images in the image plane. When a photographic film in the image plane is doubly exposed with the object being deformed between the exposures, the processed photograph yields a fringe pattern which depicts the surface displacement gradients. Theory of the method as well as its applications to strain meausrements and nondestructive testing are presented.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Appearance of the Shoulder After Subacromial Injection With Corticosteroids Can Mimic a Rotator Cuff Tear

Subacromial injections have been used to treat rotator cuff problems. Previous studies have noted the difficulty in performing accurate injections into this area. In addition, one must also question the effects that misplaced corticosteroids could have on the surrounding tissues. In this case, a 51-year-old woman presented with several weeks of left shoulder pain and was diagnosed with rotator cuff tendonitis. After a subacromial injection with betamethasone and lidocaine, the patient noted 3 weeks of near complete pain relief, followed by a return of her symptoms. A magnetic resonance imaging scan obtained 7 weeks after the injection showed a full-thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon. Five weeks later, the patient underwent arthroscopic evaluation of the shoulder and subacromial decompression. The rotator cuff tendons were noted to be intact and normal in appearance. The patient eventually had full resolution of her symptoms. Six months postoperatively, she underwent a new scan that showed a normal supraspinatus tendon. Apparently, the subacromial injection penetrated the anterior half of the supraspinatus tendon, causing a transient effect and signal change. One should use caution in the interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging scans of the shoulder soon after the injection of corticosteroids.
The Accountant Who Lost Arithmetic: A Case Report of Acalculia With a Left Thalamic Lesion

Acalculia is usually from dysfunction of the dominant parietal cortex. We report a case of acalculia associated with a lesion of the left thalamus.
Atom-at-a-time radiochemical separations of the heaviest elements: Lawrencium chemistry

The isotope260Lr, produced in reactions of18O with249Bk, was used to perform chemical experiments on lawrencium to learn more about its chemical properties. These experiments involved extractions with thenoyl trifluoroacetate, elutions from cation exchange resin columns with ammonium alpha-hydroxyisobutyrate, and reverse-phase chromatography using hydrogen di(2-ethylhexyl) orthophosphoric acid to investigate the chemical properties of Lr. The results from the elutions gave information about the ionic radius of Lr(III) which was found to elute very close to Er. An attempt to reduce Lr(III) with hydroxylamine hydrochloride was unsuccessful.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors: Are they here to stay?

In this issue of the AJHP , a review of the data behind the marketing approval of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor vorinostat is presented.[1][1] The review is timely, as another HDAC inhibitor, romidepsin, received marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November
The Value of Bronchoscopy in the Diagnosis of Mycobacterial Disease: A Five-Year Experience

During five years, 6,879 patients underwent bronchoscopic study at the Mayo Clinic. Mycobacterial cultures were obtained from 4,120 (60 percent). Mycobacterial organisms (typical or atypical) other than Mycobacterium gordonae were isolated in 70/4,120 (1.7 percent) patients. During the same period, 209 patients had culture-proved M tuberculosis from various sources. Bronchoscopy was performed on 34/209 (16 percent) patients. Washings or secretions from bronchoscopy grew M tuberculosis in 32/34 (94 percent) cases. Bronchoscopy and bronchoscopic cultures were important in the diagnosis of M tuberculosis in 16/34 (47 percent) patients. Atypical mycobacteria were cultured from various sources in 428 patients during the period of study. In 254 of these, M gordonae was isolated, but it was considered to be nonpathogenic in all. Of the remaining 174 patients with culture-proved atypical mycobacteriosis, 40 (23 percent) underwent bronchoscopic studies. Of these 40 patients, 24 had active disease and 11 had saprophytic colonization; in five, the disease activity was indeterminate. Bronchoscopic cultures of secretions or washings or both were positive for atypical organisms in 38/40 (95 percent) patients.
Average Values of Quantities Appearing in Multiple Output Boolean Minimization

In connection with the problem of two-level minimization of systems of Boolean functions, formulas are obtained for the following statistical quantities: average number of k cubes, prime k cubes, and essential k cubes of a system of Boolean functions. The parameters appearing in the formulas are the number of variables, the number of functions of the system, and the number of ``one'' vertices of each function. Numerical evaluations are given. Increasing by one the number of variables n of a system of m functions roughly results in multiplying the average numbers of cubes and prime cubes by a factor of about 2.2 to 2.3. The ratio of the average numbers of essential cubes and prime cubes rapidly decreases increasing n or m, so that the minimization algorithms, which obtain the essential cubes before the prime cubes, seem statistically unsuitable to solve ``large'' minimization problems. The average occupation memory occurring in Quine, McCluskey, and Bartee algorithms is also evaluated. Its rate of increase with the number of variables is about 2.5.
Medical Students’ Willingness to Engage in Television Promotional Activities

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising poses significant ethical challenges. We conducted a survey about the likelihood that medical students would endorse pharmaceutical and herbal remedies on television. A survey asked how likely all medical students enrolled at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine in the spring of 2009 would be to promote products on television. Hypothetical scenarios varied according to whether products were beneficial, whether they had potential for harm, and how much money was offered for the promotion. Seventy-four percent of respondents were likely to promote at least one product, yet 73% indicated medical professionals should avoid such activities. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications were more likely to be promoted compared with herbal remedies (p < .001). Students were more likely to endorse low- versus high-risk products (p < .001). There was a significant increase in likelihood to endorse based on increasing amounts of remuneration (p =...
The unusual metal clusters of nitrogenase: structural features revealed by x-ray anomalous diffraction studies of the MoFe protein from Clostridium pasteurianum.

Abstract Nitrogenase (EC 1.18.6.1) catalyzes the conversion of dinitrogen to ammonia, the central reaction of biological nitrogen fixation. X-ray anomalous diffraction data were analyzed to probe the structures of the metal clusters bound by nitrogenase MoFe protein. In addition to one FeMo cofactor, each half-molecule of MoFe protein binds one large FeS cluster of a type not previously observed in a protein. The FeS cluster contains roughly eight Fe atoms, comprises two subclusters, and is separated from the FeMo cofactor by an edge-to-edge distance of 14 A. The inorganic framework of the FeMo cofactor is not resolved into subclusters, but the Mo atom is located at its periphery. FeMo cofactors in different half-molecules are 70 A apart and cannot promote binuclear activation of dinitrogen by two Mo atoms.
Polyethylene Crystal Orientation Induced by Block Copolymer Cylinders

We examined the solid-state structures of two cylinder-forming semicrystalline diblock copolymers, where polyethylene forms the continuous matrix in both, using simultaneous small- and wide-angle X...
Planning priorities for empowered teams.

The Gaines Dog Food plant in Topeka KS is built around self‐managing work teams. It opened in 1971 and has been 20% more productive than similar, traditional plants for two decades. The Procter & Gamble Co.'s Paper Products Division implemented self‐managing teams at the same time; by 1975, it knew that the division was significantly more productive than traditionally organized plants. In the mid‐1980s, AT&T's American Transtech subsidiary cut its prices to customers by 50%, then avoided layoffs, then became even more profitable by moving to more fully self‐managing teams. And tiny Litel Communications (now LCI) used teams to cut time to process a service order from two weeks to one day.
The masking effect of multiple scattering on the determination of the two-nucleon correlation from π - - absorption experiments

Abstract Calculations of π−-meson absorption reactions by two-nucleon pairs within complex nuclei indicate that the ratio of escaping n-n to n-p pairs is considerably different from the ratio of n-p to p-p pairs that initially absorb the π−.