cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of plasticity index and dust ratio on moisture-density and strength characteristics of aggregates

Abstract Unbound aggregate base and subbase layers distribute wheel load induced stresses to protect subgrade. Standards such as AASHTO and individual states specifications have set several quality control limits for a variety of properties of aggregates used in the pavement base and subbase courses. Most standards and DOT specifications suggest that the ratio of percent passing No. 200 sieve to percent passing No. 40 sieve should not be greater than two thirds, and plasticity index of the material passing No. 40 sieve should be less than 6%. The ratio of percent passing No. 200 to percent passing No. 40 sieves is called the dust ratio (DR). There are many states that have either waived the standard limits or adopted their own quality control method. In this study the effect of dust ratio, percent passing No. 200 sieve and plasticity index (PI) affecting moisture-density and strength characteristics of crushed limestone aggregates are investigated. The prepared samples represented one of the most commonly utilized dense-graded standard aggregate gradation in Illinois, i.e. CA6. Standard Proctor compaction and soaked California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were conducted on specimens to determine the moisture-density and strength characteristics of the material with moisture content, respectively. In addition, two staged triaxial tests using three confining pressures were performed to study the effect of confining pressure and fine quantity on strength of aggregates. According to the results, the effect of percent passing No. 200 sieve on strength variation is significant in unbound aggregates. The sensitivity of aggregate strength to moisture content variation is also discussed.
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Investigations Using Animal Models of Emphysema

Animal models of disease help accelerate the translation of basic science discoveries to the bedside, because they permit experimental interrogation of mechanisms at relatively high throughput, while accounting for the complexity of an intact organism. From the groundbreaking observation of emphysema-like alveolar destruction after direct instillation of elastase in the lungs to the more clinically relevant model of airspace enlargement induced by chronic exposure to cigarette smoke, animal models have advanced our understanding of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) function. Experimental in vivo models that, at least in part, replicate clinical human phenotypes facilitate the translation of mechanistic findings into individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and with AAT deficiency. In addition, unexpected findings of alveolar enlargement in various transgenic mice have led to novel hypotheses of emphysema development. Previous challenges in manipulating the AAT genes in mice can now be overcome with new transgenic approaches that will likely advance our understanding of functions of this essential, lung-protective serine protease inhibitor (serpin).
Journalism Education in a Global Context: The Center for International Media Education, 1997–2007

(2007). Journalism Education in a Global Context: The Center for International Media Education, 1997–2007. American Journalism: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 175-191.
The Role of Pharmacists in Preventing Falls among America’s Older Adults

Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in people aged 65 and older and can lead to significant costs, injuries, functional decline, and reduced quality of life. While certain medications are known to increase fall risk, medication use is a modifiable risk factor. Pharmacists have specialized training in medication management and can play an important role in fall prevention. Working in a patient centered team-based approach, pharmacists can collaborate with primary care providers to reduce fall risk. They can screen for fall risk, review and optimize medication therapy, recommend vitamin D, and educate patients and caregivers about ways to prevent falls. To help health care providers implement fall prevention, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Death and Injuries) initiative. Based on established clinical guidelines, STEADI provides members of the health care team, including pharmacists, with the tools and resources they need to manage their older patients’ fall risk. These tools are being adapted to specifically advance the roles of pharmacists in: reviewing medications, identifying those that increase fall risk, and communicating those risks with patients’ primary care providers. Through a multidisciplinary approach, pharmacists along with other members of the health care team can better meet the needs of America’s growing older adult population and reduce falls.
False ictal-appearing EEG from a frontal sinus pseudomeningocele

A 71-year-old woman had 2 clusters of generalized convulsive seizures; a motor vehicle accident 21 years prior, resulting in a traumatic brain injury, was an epilepsy risk factor. Head CT showed extensive encephalomalacia and a pseudomeningocele extending within the left frontal sinus (figure 1). EEG showed rhythmic, heart rate time-locked pulsation artifact over the left frontopolar region with morphologic and amplitude pseudo-evolution (figure 2). Arterial pulsation was not palpable beneath the Fp1 electrode, and electrode repositioning did not alter its presence.1 Pseudomeningocele CSF pulsation is a source of artifact that can confound EEG interpretation by mimicking an ictal EEG discharge.
Treatment of 9-bromonoscapine induces irreversible mitotic arrest and apoptosis in cigarette smoke condensate-transformed human breast epithelial cells

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 2243 In previous studies, we have shown that cigarette smoke condensate (CSC), a surrogate of cigarette smoke, transforms in vitro the spontaneously immortalized normal breast epithelial cell line, MCF10A. In the present study, we have determined the chemotherapeutic efficacy of 9-Bromonoscapine, a naturally occurring alkaloid, on MCF10A and CSC-transformed MCF10A-CSC3 cells. The results from cytogenetic analysis showed that 9-Bromonoscapine-induced polyploidy and chromosomal fusions in MCF10A-CSC3 cells, while MCF10A cells remained unaffected. By using fluorescence staining we further demonstrated that MCF10A-CSC3 cells were susceptible to mitotic catastrophe on exposure to 9-Bromonoscapine and failed to recover after the withdrawal of the drug. MCF10A-CSC3 cells also exhibited 9-Bromonoscapine-induced aberrant multi-polar spindle formation which irreversibly impaired the alignment of replicated chromosomes to the equatorial plane and resulted in cell death. On the other hand, MCF10A cells, which also showed some metaphase catastrophe of 9-Bromonoscapine treatment, recovered fairly well after the withdrawal of the drug. The results from florescence activated cell sorting analysis reconfirmed that MCF10A-CSC3 cells were more susceptible to cell death as compared to MCF10A cells. Our results suggested that the decreased level of cdc2/cyclin B1 and cdc2 kinase activity were responsible for the 9-Bromonoscapine-induced mitotic cell arrest leading to cell death in MCF10A-CSC3 cells. This study explores the underlying mechanism of 9-Bromonoscapine-induced mitotic catastrophe in MCF10A-CSC3 cells and suggests that 9-Bromonoscapine can be developed as a potential chemotherapeutic agent for cigarette smoke-induced breast carcinogenesis. The financial support for these studies was provided to Satya Narayan by the grants from NCI-NIH (CA-097031 and CA-100247).
Assessment of frozen section margin analysis during olfactory neuroblastoma surgery

Objectives 1) assess the performance of the intraoperative frozen section procedure to correctly classify biopsies obtained during olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) surgery; 2) define the relationship between posttest probabilities and pretest probabilities from frozen section analysis; and 3) review incorrectly classified specimens. Study Design Study of diagnostic accuracy. Methods We searched our institution's pathology database for patients who had ONB surgery between January 1, 2000 and November 16, 2012. We only included patients who had a definitive diagnosis of ONB prior to surgery and frozen sections obtained during surgery. All frozen sections in this study had corresponding permanent sections available to serve as a gold standard. This database was analyzed to obtain classification statistics. The confidence intervals for classification performance were obtained using the bootstrap sampling method. Confidence intervals for posttest probability curves were derived using the Taylor series expansion. Finally, we obtained and reviewed the slides from ambiguous or incorrect reads. Results A total of 459 specimens from 33 patients were analyzed. We found the following performance characteristics: sensitivity: 0.89 (0.81, 0.94); specificity: 0.96 (0.94, 0.98); accuracy: 0.95 (0.92, 0.96); likelihood ratio positive: 24.4 (14.5, 44.1); prevalence: 0.20 (0.17, 0.25); positive predictive value: 0.86 (0.78, 0.92); and negative predictive value: 0.97 (0.95, 0.99). Histopathologic review revealed that crush artifacts and inadequate specimen size were major sources of incorrect reads. Conclusion We found frozen section assessment of ONB specimens to be an excellent tool for the assessment of intraoperative margins. Level of Evidence NA. Laryngoscope, 127:1735–1741, 2017
Spatial mismatch beyond black and white: Levels and determinants of job access among Asian and Hispanic subpopulations:

United States (US) based research suggests that distance between residency and employment constrains labour market outcomes for black Americans. Work on this phenomenon, termed spatial mismatch, su...
Static and Dynamic Solution Behavior of a Polyzwitterion Using a Hofmeister Salt Series

Polymers made from zwitterionic repeat units (bearing no net charge) have intriguing solution properties, especially in contrast to polyelectrolytes, such as an apparent indifference to salt concentration. These polyzwitterions (PZs) have come under renewed scrutiny because of their use in high performance antifouling coatings. Here, an amidosulfobetaine polymer was used to shed light on the complex and poorly understood response of PZ solution conformation to ionic strength. A Hofmeister anion series NaX, where X = SO42–, Cl–, Br–, NO3–, ClO4–, and SCN–, provided a systematic way to tune PZ/ion interactions. A consistent picture of PZ conformation emerged, where the role and location of counterions (how they pair with the polymer chain) depend on their position in the Hofmeister series. At least four regimes of PZ conformation/interaction as a function of ionic strength were observed, the last showing no change in coil size (hydrodynamic radius) as a function of ionic strength for all monovalent salts in...
A meta-analytic review of coping with illness: Do causal attributions matter?

Abstract Objective: The present meta-analytic review assessed the relations between causal attributions, coping, and psychological adjustment in individuals with physical illnesses or undergoing medical procedures. A theoretical model predicting psychological adjustment was proposed. It was hypothesized that causal attributions would be both directly related to psychological adjustment and indirectly related to psychology adjustment via coping strategies. Methods: Relevant methodological and statistical information was extracted from 27 target studies. Weighted correlations from 27 studies were used as the unit of analysis to test the theoretical model. Results: Overall, internal, unstable, and controllable attributions were indirectly associated with positive psychological adjustment through the use of Approach and Emotion-Focused coping ( P P Conclusion: These results suggest that attributions guide some motivated cognitions and behaviors within the context of illness, and are related to specific coping strategies. The discussion focuses on the predictive validity of these findings using the proposed theoretical model.
Values, program evaluation and the new public management

The Information Age, while offering public managers great opportunities in networked organizations and relationships using New Public Management (NPM) techniques, also presents great challenges if traditional public sector ethical approaches and value orientations have been replaced with postmodernist logic. Using the backdrop of NPM and postmodernism, this article examines the ability of one tool - program evaluation - to continue to offer useful information for public managers and the elected leaders they serve.
hfplayer: Scalable Replay for Intensive Block I/O Workloads

We introduce new methods to replay intensive block I/O workloads more accurately. These methods can be used to reproduce realistic workloads for benchmarking, performance validation, and tuning of a high-performance block storage device/system. In this article, we study several sources in the stock operating system that introduce uncertainty in the workload replay. Based on the remedies of these findings, we design and develop a new replay tool called hfplayer that replays intensive block I/O workloads in a similar unscaled environment with more accuracy. To replay a given workload trace in a scaled environment with faster storage or host server, the dependency between I/O requests becomes crucial since the timing and ordering of I/O requests is expected to change according to these dependencies. Therefore, we propose a heuristic way of speculating I/O dependencies in a block I/O trace. Using the generated dependency graph, hfplayer tries to propagate I/O related performance gains appropriately along the I/O dependency chains and mimics the original application behavior when it executes in a scaled environment with slower or faster storage system and servers. We evaluate hfplayer with a wide range of workloads using several accuracy metrics and find that it produces better accuracy when compared to other replay approaches.
Simulation-based performance assessment of an implant scheduler in semiconductor manufacturing

The processes of implanting tools in semiconductor production involve a variety of setup parameters, suggesting utilization of a scheduler for planning lot allocation in a reasonable manner. However, a scheduler is complex by design, making evaluation difficult without appropriate aids. We describe an approach using discrete event simulation software for assessing the performance and supporting the parameterization of an implant scheduler. Furthermore, rolling-horizon approaches are discussed and the scheduler performance is compared to two dispatch rules.
Relationship between dosimetric leaf gap and dose calculation errors for high definition multi-leaf collimators in radiotherapy.

Abstract Background and purpose Dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) is a parameter to model the round-leaf-end effect of multi-leaf collimators (MLC) that is important for treatment planning dose calculations in radiotherapy. In this study we investigated on the relationship between the DLG values and the dose calculation errors for a high-definition MLC. Materials and methods Three sets of experiments were conducted: (1) physical DLG measurements using sweeping-gap technique, (2) DLG adjustment based on spine radiosurgery plan measurements, and (3) DLG verification using films and ion-chambers (IC). All experiments were conducted on a Varian Edge machine equipped with HD120 MLC for 6X, 6XFFF, and 10XFFF (FFF: flattening filter free). The Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm was used for all dose calculations. Results The measured physical DLGs were 0.39 mm, 0.27 mm, and 0.42 mm for 6X, 6XFFF, and 10XFFF respectively. The calculated doses were lower by 4.2% (6X), 3.7% (6XFFF), and 6.8% (10XFFF) than the measured, while the adjusted DLG values with minimum errors were 1.1 mm, 0.9 mm, and 1.5 mm. The IC measurement errors were Conclusions The calculated doses were systematically lower than measured doses with the physical DLG values. It was necessary to increase the DLG values to minimize the dose calculation uncertainty. The optimal DLG values may be specific to individual MLCs and beams and, thus, careful evaluation and verification are warranted.
Enhancing Natural Reward Responsiveness Among Opioid Users Predicts Chronic Pain Relief: EEG Analyses From a Trial of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement.

AbstractObjective: Although opioid-treated chronic pain patients evidence blunted responsiveness to natural rewards, focusing on naturally rewarding stimuli can produce analgesia in these patients....
Natural Logic and Natural Language Inference

We propose a model of natural language inference which identifies valid inferences by their lexical and syntactic features, without full semantic interpretation. We extend past work in natural logic, which has focused on semantic containment and monotonicity, by incorporating both semantic exclusion and implicativity. Our model decomposes an inference problem into a sequence of atomic edits linking premise to hypothesis; predicts a lexical entailment relation for each edit; propagates these relations upward through a semantic composition tree according to properties of intermediate nodes; and joins the resulting entailment relations across the edit sequence. A computational implementation of the model achieves 70 % accuracy and 89 % precision on the FraCaS test suite. Moreover, including this model as a component in an existing system yields significant performance gains on the Recognizing Textual Entailment challenge.
Characterization of the chicken GCAP gene array and analyses of GCAP1, GCAP2, and GC1 gene expression in normal and rd chicken pineal.

PURPOSE This study had three objectives: (1) to characterize the structures of the chicken GCAP1 and GCAP2 genes; (2) to determine if GCAP1, GCAP2, and GC1 genes are expressed in chicken pineal gland; (3) if GC1 is expressed in chicken pineal, to determine if the GC1 null mutation carried by the retinal degeneration (rd) chicken is associated with degenerative changes within the pineal glands of these animals. METHODS GCAP1 and GCAP2 gene structures were determined by analyses of chicken cosmid and cDNA clones. The putative transcription start points for these genes were determined using 5'-RACE. GCAP1, GCAP2 and GC1 transcripts were analyzed using Northern blot and RT-PCR. Routine light microscopy was used to examine pineal morphology. RESULTS Chicken GCAP1 and GCAP2 genes are arranged in a tail-to-tail array. Each protein is encoded by 4 exons that are interrupted by 3 introns of variable length, the positions of which are identical within each gene. The putative transcription start points for GCAP1 and GCAP2 are 314 and 243 bases upstream of the translation start codons of these genes, respectively. As in retina, GCAP1, GCAP2 and GC1 genes are expressed in the chicken pineal. Although the GC1 null mutation is present in both the retina and pineal of the rd chicken, only the retina appears to undergo degeneration. CONCLUSIONS The identical arrangement of chicken, human, and mouse GCAP1/2 genes suggests that these genes originated from an ancient gene duplication/inversion event that occurred during evolution prior to vertebrate diversification. The expression of GC1, GCAP1, and GCAP2 in chicken pineal is consistent with the hypothesis that chicken pineal contains a functional phototransduction cascade. The absence of cellular degeneration in the rd pineal gland suggests that GC1 is not critical for pineal cell survival.
Overview of craniosynostosis

Although craniosynostosis is a well-described entity, advances in genetics and radiology equipment have brought to light new evidence, which can possibly change the imaging approach. A number of genes and mutations related to the disorder have been indentified, whereas foetal MRI appears to be quite reliable in the clarification of fetal ultrasound findings. This article includes the latest medical literature data on craniosynostosis with emphasis to those concerning or even affecting diagnostic imaging. It appears that cranial ultrasound and foetal MRI, along with specific MRI techniques for the skull, will be the future in the imaging of craniosynostosis. Literature data on the normal sutures' anatomy, as well as on the disorder's classification, aetiology and treatment, have also been included.
Little-Group Approach to Gauge Theory

Factor representations of the nonsemisimpleE(2)-like little group for massless particles are usedto construct free gauge theories for arbitrary spin,which explicitly solves the dichotomy between the unitary requirement and the appearance of gaugedegrees of freedom. This conceptually new approach mayhelp us understand the deep relation between gaugetheory and space-time symmetry.
Dangerous Gamble: Child Support, Casino Dividends and the Fate of the Indian Family

Casino dividends have created significant wealth for many Indian tribes and have greatly improved the lives of their members. However, these benefits do not come without a price. Other scholars have noted the negative effects of gaming on tribal membership, culture, and identity but, there has been virtually no discussion regarding how casino gaming may hurt the Indian family. A recent case from the Florida Court of Appeals vividly illustrates how casino dividends can be used in ways that harm Indian families. In Cypress v. Jumper, the Florida court completely relieved an Indian father of any and all financial obligation to his children due to his children’s receipt of tribal casino dividends. In this article, I explore both the basis for, and ramifications of, this decision. I conclude that the court’s decision is not supported by previous case law permitting the consideration of children’s income but rather, is the result of the parties’ Indian ethnicity and the historic and continuing negative perceptions regarding Indian parents. I then explore the importance of child support and demonstrate that the benefits of paying child support are not simply monetary, but are also emotional and psychological. These additional benefits are especially important for Indian children who, given the centuries long assault on the Indian family, are more likely to experience family break down and the emotional and psychological effects of such breakdown than non-Indian children. Consequently, I argue that the Cypress decision creates a dangerous precedent that if followed, will allow Indian gaming to significantly harm Indian families.
Differences in medical care costs for recurrent versus de novo stage IV cancer by age at diagnosis.

6611Background: To address the paucity of data on costs of cancer recurrence, this study estimated medical care costs of patients diagnosed with recurrent breast, colorectal or lung cancer, and com...
How Do Narcissists Really Feel About Themselves? The Complex Connections Between Narcissism and Self-Esteem

Narcissism and self-esteem are both characterized by positive forms of self-regard, and common sense would suggest that these two constructs should be strongly and positively related. However, research has demonstrated that the associations between narcissism and self-esteem are quite complex and that there are critical differences between the two constructs that contribute to this complexity. This chapter aims to highlight some of these intricate relationships and important conceptual differences with a focus on three specific areas. First, we outline key differences in the content of the positive self-views that are associated with each construct. For example, narcissistic self-views are, by definition, exaggerated and overblown, whereas the self-views of individuals with high self-esteem may or may not be accurate. Second, we discuss how various conceptualizations of narcissism (e.g., the narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept [NARC] model) and self-esteem (e.g., fragile versus secure forms of high self-esteem) inform our understanding of their association with each other. Lastly, we review proposed evolutionary origins of both constructs (e.g., sociometer and hierometer theories) that may shed light on the potential functions of narcissism and self-esteem in the social lives of humans.
Hyperglycemia and risk of ventricular tachycardia among patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction

Little is known about the association of hyperglycemia with the development of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) which we examined in the present study. The objectives of this community-wide observational study were to examine the relation between elevated serum glucose levels at the time of hospital admission for AMI and occurrence of VT, and time of occurrence of VT, during the patient’s acute hospitalization. We used data from a population-based study of patients hospitalized with AMI at all central Massachusetts medical centers between 2001 and 2011. Hyperglycemia was defined as a serum glucose level ≥ 140 mg/dl at the time of hospital admission. The development of VT was identified from physicians notes and electrocardiographic findings by our trained team of data abstractors. The average age of the study population was 70 years, 58.0% were men, and 92.7% were non-Hispanic whites. The mean and median serum glucose levels at the time of hospital admission were 171.4 mg/dl and 143.0, respectively. Hyperglycemia was present in 51.9% of patients at the time of hospital admission; VT occurred in 652 patients (15.8%), and two-thirds of these episodes occurred during the first 48 h after hospital admission (early VT). After multivariable adjustment, patients with hyperglycemia were at increased risk for developing VT (adjusted OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.23–1.78). The presence of hyperglycemia was significantly associated with early (multivariable adjusted OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.11–1.73) but not with late VT. Similar associations were observed in patients with and without diabetes and in patients with and without ST-segment elevation AMI. Efforts should be made to closely monitor and treat patients who develop hyperglycemia, especially early after hospital admission, to reduce their risk of VT.
Review of Immune Therapies Targeting Ovarian Cancer.

The rise of immunotherapy is the greatest advance in oncology to occur over the last several years, but applications in gynecologic malignancies lag behind other tumors. The term “immunotherapy” envelops monoclonal antibodies as receptor mediators, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI), cancer vaccines, and adoptive immunotherapies alone or in combination with other therapeutic approaches. The purpose of this review is to summarize the status of immunotherapy trials in ovarian cancer and to specifically highlight data published in the last 1–2 years.
Exploring the uncertainty of activity zone detection using digital footprints with multi-scaled DBSCAN

The density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) method is often used to identify individual activity clusters (i.e., zones) using digital footprints captured from social ne...
Platform economics and antitrust enforcement: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Although the economics of multisided platforms has developed important insights for antitrust policy, there are critical respects in which the body of academic knowledge falls short of providing useful advice to enforcement agencies and the courts. Indeed, there is a substantial risk that recent scholarship will be misapplied to the detriment of sound antitrust policy, as evidenced by the US Supreme Court's recent decision in American Express. In this note, I identify several areas in which economics research could potentially make significant contributions to the practical antitrust treatment of platforms.
Accounting, Risk Management and the Aftermath of a Control Debacle

Despite the widespread adoption of risk management systems in the financial services industry, recent control debacles highlight the apparent lack of top managerial attention to risk controls. Yet in order to understand the workings and uses of risk controls (or any other control innovation), one needs to take a closer look at the multiple control package that accommodates these. Taking a multiple control perspective, this paper investigates a control debacle and its aftermath in a financial services company. The study unravels the workings of a set of accounting and risk controls, put in place to control the troubled insurance division of the group, and discusses how and why particular management control systems shift into (and out of) top managerial focus. The study investigates Simons' (1990, 1991) argument that it is top management's knowledge of key strategic uncertainties that motivates their choice of control systems to be used interactively. The case offers a two-step-theory to explain why top managers' choice of interactive controls changes over time. First, behind the various control systems there are active controller groups who, in competition for executive-level visibility, further their particular framing and solutions for organizational issues (agenda building). Second, top management's interactive use of a particular control system sends a signal to external stakeholders as well, about the internal control style and management priorities of the firm. Therefore, the control choice is motivated both by the relevance and the institutional appropriateness of particular controls. As external requirements change, and the definition of institutional appropriateness shifts as well, new organizational control groups get the opportunity to become implicated in interactive control and agenda setting. In the special case of conflicting control systems (when managers have to choose between alternative representations of the underlying firm performance) the selection becomes more complex, as the competing controller groups strive to demonstrate higher informational relevance and greater institutional appropriateness. In this case study institutional appropriateness was the stronger requirement - the lack of it prevented the otherwise informationally relevant risk control system from prevailing as an interactive control system.
Incorporating Career Exploration Into an Introductory Organizational Behavior Course

Although undergraduate students value preparing themselves for careers that have personal meaning, relatively little curricular attention has been paid to facilitating this goal. In this article, w...
Abstract P300: Cluster Analysis of Discrepancies Between Self-Reported and Investigator-Assessed Biomeasures of Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Introduction: Hypertension and obesity are major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors that affect huge numbers of Americans. Although hypertension and obesity are largely preventable and manag...
FUCTIONAL OUTCOME OF ACUTE DISSEMINATED ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN CHILDREN

Objective: To determine functional outcome of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in children and factorsaffecting outcome at The Children’s Hospital, Lahore.Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study.Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pediatric Neurology, The Children’s Hospital and Institute of ChildHealth, Lahore from Nov 2014 to Oct 2015.Material and Methods: Fifteen patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis fulfilling the inclusion criteriawere enrolled. Detailed history, examination, prior febrile illness and modified Rankin scale score for functionaldisability at presentation and discharge were recorded through study proforma. All patients underwent lumbarpuncture and neuroimaging. Data were analysed in SPSS (v.20) and Chi-square test was applied to find p-value.Results: Out of 15 patients, there was male predominance (10 male 66.7%) with mean age 7.4 ± 2.5 years.Encephalopathy 100% (n=15) followed by fever, fits 73.3% (n=11) and motor deficit 60% (n=9) were commonpresentation. About 46.7% (n=7) cases had prior febrile illness. MRI brain had >5 lesions in 86.7% (n=13) withsub-cortical area 93.3% (n=14) periventricular area 86.7% (n=13). Functional outcome was good in 80% (modifiedRankin scale of 2 or less at time of discharge). Consciousness level and disability score at presentation werestatistically significant factors affecting the outcome (p-value 0.004 & 0.002 respectively).Conclusion: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in children had variable clinical presentation. It has goodoutcome with level of consciousness and disability score being significant factors affecting outcome.
Systemic markers of fibrinolysis after unsuccessful intracoronary streptokinase thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction: Does nonreperfusion indicate failure to achieve a systemic lytic state?

Reasons for the failure of intracoronary streptokinase (STK) to result in coronary thrombolysis were examined in 45 patients with acute myocardial infarction presenting with angiographic evidence of total coronary occlusion. In 25 patients (group A), clot lysis was initially successful; in 20 (group B), reperfusion was unsuccessful. The STK dosage in group A ranged from 84,000 to 310,000 units (mean 188,000 ± 12,000); STK dosage in group B ranged from 160,000 to 360,000 units (mean 267,000 ± 11,000 [p
Universal Health Literacy Precautions Are Associated With a Significant Increase in Medication Adherence in Vulnerable Rheumatology Patients.

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine the impact of the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, adapted for rheumatology, on medication adherence, patient satisfaction, and feasibility in all patients; its effect on the clinical disease activity index (CDAI) was studied in a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) subpopulation. METHODS Data collected during a 6-month prospective quality assurance intervention was compared with data from a prior 6-month period. Interventions included 1) encouraging questions, 2) teach-back communication, and 3) brown-bag medication review. Analysis was performed using linear regression or generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression. RESULTS During the intervention period, 46 physicians completed 1737 patient visits. Questions were encouraged, and teach-back communication was performed in more than 90% of visits. Brown-bag medication reviews were performed in 47% of visits overall and 69% of visits in a subgroup that received additional reminder calls. Visit duration and patient satisfaction were not significantly increased. Adherence for rheumatology-related medications that were prescribed both before and during the intervention increased by 22% (P ≤ 0.001; by GEE). Teach-back communication predicted a statistically significant improvement in medication adherence in this subpopulation (by linear regression). The mean CDAI did not improve; however, African American race and Hispanic ethnicity were associated with a decreased CDAI (by GEE). CONCLUSION Implementation of the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, adapted for rheumatology, improved medication adherence in our safety-net clinic, with particularly strong effects seen with teach-back communication. In certain populations, use of the toolkit may also improve RA disease activity. This is the first study to document improved medication adherence with this intervention in a real-world setting.
Opportunities to improve oral nutritional supplements for managing malnutrition in cancer patients: A food design approach

Abstract Cancer patients often report poor appetite, along with reduced food enjoyment putting them at an increased risk for malnutrition and reduced quality of life. Although oral nutrition supplementation is a clinically proven strategy to augment nutrition, the compliance is low, partially as a result of treatment-related side-effects. Multiple approaches are needed to be taken in order to formulate oral nutritional supplements that cater to the needs and sensory abilities of patients. We have highlighted specific product limitations and strategies to improve flavor, texture, and energy density to improve compliance. Food scientists and clinicians together can improve the palatability of oral nutritional supplements.
Teacher autonomy for improving teacher self-efficacy in multicultural classrooms: A cross-national study of professional development in multicultural education

Abstract With the increasing diversity in classrooms, teachers are called upon to have the efficacy of teaching students in multicultural classrooms. Professional development in multicultural education (PDME) has been implemented across the world for equipping teachers with the efficacy that meets the educational needs of diverse students. Using data from 47 countries in the Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018, this study shows that PDME helps teachers develop teacher self-efficacy in multicultural classrooms (TSMC). We further find that teacher classroom autonomy strengthens the positive relationship between PDME and TSMC. Acknowledging that diversity in schools will continue to grow, this study provides implications for teacher learning and development, multicultural education, and the school organization.
Music, Emotion, and Relationship in Christian Worship

Why do we sing during public, corporate worship? What is it about the act of singing—of making music more generally—that renders it “indispensable” to borrow Brian Wren’s term? 1 Certainly, there i...
Philosophy of Existentialism and the language of the Absurd Theatre in Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story

This study aims at pointing out the philosophy of existentialism and the language of absurd theatre in Edward Albee’s play The Zoo story. The data has been collected in the form of dialogues from the text of the play. The text has been analyzed to point out the themes of isolation and language’s disability for communication. The communication done with the help of dialogues shows that language is not enough to communicate in this world. On the other hand, the theme of the play gives us a hint about the existentialist philosophy in the paly. Edward Albee was inspired by the great playwright Samual Becket. It should be remembered that the Becket wrote the most famous play of that era “Waiting for Godot”. These plays explore the nature of human existence by emphasizing experience of the human subject. The life of the protagonist Jerry in the play paints the picture of a man’s need for communication in this modern world to express his personality and the issues faced by him in his life. The language used by Albee for communication is full of Non Sequiturs, Puns, Repetitions and Cliches. Language of play if analyzed with linguistic lens shows that it conveys very less meaning and it is just used for meaningless purposes. The finding of the study is that the language used in the plays influenced by the philosophy of existentialism is mere a sound pattern rather than a token for human interaction and communication.
Mix and Mask Actor-Critic Methods.

Shared feature spaces for actor-critic methods aims to capture generalized latent representations to be used by the policy and value function with the hopes for a more stable and sample-efficient optimization. However, such a paradigm present a number of challenges in practice, as parameters generating a shared representation must learn off two distinct objectives, resulting in competing updates and learning perturbations. In this paper, we present a novel feature-sharing framework to address these difficulties by introducing the mix and mask mechanisms and the distributional scalarization technique. These mechanisms behaves dynamically to couple and decouple connected latent features variably between the policy and value function, while the distributional scalarization standardizes the two objectives using a probabilistic standpoint. From our experimental results, we demonstrate significant performance improvements compared to alternative methods using separate networks and networks with a shared backbone.
Plan for Configurational Analysis: Summary of Illustration Case

This book presents a systematic method for pattern recognition in a difficult area of observation, that of human nature, individual personal problems and personality styles, and process and outcome of psychological change. This method, which is called configurational analysis, aims at clarification of psychological life. The approach is to segmentalize behavior and experience into states that recur; each state is then explained in terms of the schemata that organize it, and the transition of states is described in terms of how representations and expressions of meaning are regulated.
Building Digital Libraries for Children: Reviewing Information Literacy of Students and Teachers

Research on student and teacher information literacy from the US is reviewed in relation to the issues needed to ensure that digital libraries will be able to adequately meet the needs of education. Student use of Internet for research while increasingly common is not efficient or critical. Teacher skills in information literacy instruction are critical for improving student capabilities. Recommendations are made for potential tools and services that will be a key for improving library functionality.
Dynamic pole placement and the connection to geometry

The pole-placement problem is formulated in terms of autoregressive systems. It is shown that the space of dynamic compensators with a fixed McMillan degree has the structure of a smooth compact manifold and that the pole-placement map can be reviewed as a central projection from the compensator space. Using techniques from algebraic geometry, the authors give necessary and sufficient conditions for the pole-placement map. >
Dynamic deformable models for enhanced haptic rendering in virtual environments

Currently there are no deformable model implementations that model a wide range of geometric deformations while providing realistic force feedback for use in virtual environments with haptics. The few models that exist are computationally very expensive, are limited in terms of shape coverage and do not provide proper haptic feedback. We use dynamic deformable models with local and global deformations governed by physical principles in order to provide efficient and true force feedback. We extend the shape class of Deformable Superquadrics (DeSuq) to provide compact geometric representation using few parameters, while at the same time providing realistic haptic viscoelastic feedback. Dynamics associated with rigid and deformable bodies are modeled by the use of the Lagrange equations. Implementation of these is currently under progress using GHOST/sup TM/ libraries on a PHANToM/sup TM/ haptic device.
Three-Dimensional Sonographic Findings Associated With Ectrodactyly-Ectodermal Dysplasia-Clefting Syndrome

Ectrodactyly-ectrodermal dysplasia-clefting (EEC) syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant genetic syndrome. This condition is characterized by varying degrees of ectrodactyly and syndactyly of the hands and feet, a cleft lip with or without a cleft palate, and ectodermal dysplasia. In addition, abnormalities of the genitourinary system occur frequently in association with this syndrome. The wide clinical variability of EEC syndrome has been well documented in the literature, and none of the 3 cardinal signs seem to be obligatory. We present a case of classic familial EEC syndrome diagnosed by prenatal sonography at 17 weeks' gestation. In addition to tetraectrodactyly and a unilateral cleft lip and palate, renal dysplasia was noted on serial sonographic evaluation. Three-dimensional (3D) surface rendering was used to supplement traditional 2-dimensional (2D) imaging to further evaluate the fetal phenotype.
In vitro lymphocyte response to Treponema refringens in human syphilis.

The response of lymphocytes from patients with syphilis and normal subjects was studied in vitro by using phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), streptolysin O (SLO), and a preparation of Treponema refringens. Normal lymphocytes exhibited a dose-response curve to treponemes. Although lymphocytes from patients with primary and secondary syphilis responded normally to PHA and PWM, their response to SLO was suppressed and they failed to show significant stimulation by treponemes. Serum from syphilitic patients did not affect normal lymphocytes, and culturing lymphocytes from patients with syphilis in normal serum did not restore their responsiveness. Six to 10 weeks after syphilitic patients had been treated, the degree of stimulation by treponemes was the same as for normal subjects. These data give indirect support to the hypothesis that immunological suppression occurs during active infection with T. pallidum.
Fluctuations in sawgrass and cattail densities in Everglades Water Conservation Area 2A under varying nutrient, hydrologic and fire regimes.

Abstract A 6 year (1986–1991) study in Water Conservation Area 2A (WCA2A), a remnant portion of the Florida Everglades, was conducted in which multiple plots within six study sites across a surface water nutrient gradient were monitored for water quality, depth, and sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense Crantz) and cattail (Typha domingensis Pers.) densities. A negative logarithmic relationship was demonstrated between total P concentrations and distance from the nutrient source (levee L-39). Dense cattail stands illustrated by remote sensing in 1987 coincided spatially with high sediment total P concentrations measured in 1990. Cattail density appeared to increase more rapidly than did sawgrass densities during wet years. Cattail decline was greater at nutrient enriched sites than at the low nutrient site during dry years. Drought stimulated sawgrass expansion at nutrient enriched sites, but not at the low nutrient site. Cattail increased at both nutrient enriched and low nutrient sites following fire, yet fire and nutrient enrichment together appeared to stimulate greater increases in cattail density. Multi- and univariate ANOVA revealed significant nutrient effects on plant density during the last 3 years of the study (P
On the steady shear flow of a dipolar fluid in a porous half-space

Abstract The plate-driven flow of an incompressible, homogeneous, dipolar fluid in a porous half-space is studied. The exact solution to this problem, which corresponds to the porous media version of the steady-state Stokes’ first problem for dipolar fluids, is obtained and an in-depth analytical and numerical investigation is carried out. Specifically, special cases of the physical parameters are determined and investigated, asymptotic results are given, physical interpretation(s) are discussed, and connections to other areas are noted. Most significantly, the analysis shows the following: (I) that a back flow can occur; (II) the flow velocity is predicted to exceed that of the (driving) plate for certain values of the physical parameters; (III) that a connection exists between the golden ratio and the solution presented here; (IV) that the flow is mathematically equivalent to the unforced motion of a damped harmonic oscillator.
Use of routine wound cultures to evaluate cutaneous abscesses for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

1132. 11. Francis JS, Doherty MC, Lopatin U, et al. Severe community-onset pneumonia in healthy adults caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carrying the Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes. Clin Infect Dis. 2005;40:100-107. 12. Buck JM, Como-Sabetti K, Harriman KH, et al. Communityassociated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Minnesota 2002-2003. Emerg Infect Dis. 2005;11:1532-1538. 13. Chavez-Bueno S, Bozdogan B, Katz K, et al. Inducible clindamycin resistance and molecular epidemiologic trends of pediatric community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Dallas, Texas. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2005;49:2283-2288. 14. Fiebelkorn KR, Crawford SA, McElmeel ML, et al. Practical disk diffusion method for detection of inducible clindamycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci. J Clin Microbiol. 2003;41:4740-4744.