cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Queering Healthcare: Why Integrating Cultural Humility into Medical Education Matters for LGBTQ+ Patients

The medical field is still grappling with how to understand and situate LGBTQ+ patients within healthcare settings. The medicalization of LGBTQ+ identities and the legacy of heteronormativity in the medical field has situated these patients within narrow understandings of gender and sexual orientation. In this paper I outline how the medicalization of queerness and medical management of breast cancer have marginalized LGBTQ+ breast cancer patients as they proceed through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Next, I link medicalization to the broader process and context of medical education, specifically the patient-provider relationship, where cross-cultural communication strategies, such as cultural competency training, are being utilized in an effort to understand LGBTQ+ health disparities. However, this approach has limited clinicians’ abilities to examine how their own cultural standpoints influence the care of LGBTQ+ patients. In response, I discuss how an alternative approach, cultural humility, motivates clinicians to examine their own cultural biases and assumptions as well as the power imbalances inherent in the patient-provider relationship. Data collection included reviewing studies related to cultural humility, LGBTQ+ health disparities, and how medical education approaches LGBTQ+ health. Using an integrative analysis of the literature, I outline how these studies suggest cultural humility is efficacious in equalizing patient-provider relationships and generating growth through awareness of how identity is relevant to health and healthcare. In conclusion I explore how this change in medical education revolutionizes our understanding of LGBTQ+ individuals’ health both by centering and privileging the voices of LGBTQ+ patients and examining how the patient-provider interaction is shaped by sociocultural context.
Liquid-phase turbulence measurements in air-water two-phase flows using particle image velocimetry

Abstract Liquid-phase turbulence plays a vital role in determining various gas-liquid two-phase flow parameters, such as void fraction distribution, bubble morphology, bubble-bubble interactions, and interfacial area concentration. In this study, a two-phase flow database including both the gas- and liquid-phases measurements was developed focusing on three bubbly flow conditions in an air-water two-phase flow loop with a vertical one-inch diameter circular pipe test section. A particle image velocimetry (PIV) system integrating an optical phase separation method, i.e., the planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique using fluorescent particles and optical filtration, was applied to measure the liquid-phase turbulence information, including the time-averaged velocity, Reynolds stress, and turbulent kinetic energy for the liquid phase. The PIV measurements were taken at three ports along the test section at 14.5, 51.5, and 88.5 pipe inner diameters downstream of a bubble injector. In addition, a double-sensor conductivity probe was used to measure radial distributions of the local time-averaged void fraction and gas velocity. The measured liquid-phase turbulence was used to benchmark Sato's turbulence model considering the bubble-induced shear stress for the three tested bubbly flows. The benchmark results showed good agreement between the PIV measurements and model predictions. In the two bubbly flows tested that have low void fractions being less than 3%, the effect of the bubble-induced turbulence was found not significant. However, the bubble-induced shear stress becomes important with the increase of the void fraction.
At the Annex of Service and Higher Education: A Multidisciplinary Assessment of the Role of Service Learning

Competency-based education has received significant attention from education leaders, policy makers, and learning scholars in recent years. With courses to degree programs centered on this concept, the discourse has been fueled by renewed discussion on students’ ability to “master skills” in college. As strategies in teaching, learning, and higher education continue to evolve, we argue that service learning plays a critical role in this shift to competency-based education frameworks but that other important methods of teaching competencies are equally important. We conducted interviews with instructors and students in a wide array of academic disciplines, as well as organizational leaders in various nonprofit sectors. Sampling diversity helps capture the range of perspectives around service learning and competency development. This research has important implications for instructors and faculty seeking best practices in designing service-learning courses and for community partners engaging in service-learning relationships with educational institutions. Subscribe to JNEL
Virtual Interviewing Tips for the Otolaryngology Match Cycle During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Virtual interviews are planned for the upcoming 2020-2021 residency cycle. This presents a unique challenge for medical students. Due to the importance of the interaction of applicants and intervie...
Cerebrovascular Accident in A 9-Month-Old With Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease

Introduction: In adults, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) are often the result of atherosclerotic disease, underlying cardiac arrhythmias, or hypertension. CVA are rarely seen in pediatric patients, but cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) patients are at increased risk of a thromboembolic event. Cyanotic CHD patients with a single ventricle undergo multiple procedures in the palliation of their heart lesions including the Glenn procedure, a direct anastomosis of the superior vena cava to the pulmonary arteries. These procedures improve but do not resolve underlying systemic cyanosis, which leaves patients susceptible to polycythemia, anemia, and reduced end-organ perfusion at …
Preoperative nomogram to predict posthepatectomy liver failure.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, it is often difficult to predict the risk of PHLF in an individual patient. We aimed to develop a preoperative nomogram to predict PHLF and allow better risk stratification before surgery. METHODS: Data for patients undergoing a partial or major hepatectomy were extracted from the hepatectomy-specific NSQIP database for years 2014-2016. Data set from 2017 was used for validation. Patients with Grade B/C liver failure were compared with patients with no liver failure. RESULTS: A total of 10 808 patients from 2014-2016 data set were included. Of these, 316 patients (2.9%) developed Grade B/C PHLF. In the multivariable model consisting of preoperative variables, the following were predictive of Grade B/C PHLF (all p < 0.05): male gender, biliary stent, neoadjuvant therapy, viral hepatitis B or C, concurrent resections, biliary reconstruction, low sodium, and low albumin (model c statistic-0.78). This model was used to construct a nomogram. In the 2017 validation cohort of 4367 patients the nomogram again demonstrated good c-statistic (0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Our nomogram provides patient-specific probabilities for PHLF, and is easy to use. This is a valuable tool that can be utilized for preoperative patient counseling and selection.
A Human Experiment Using a Hybrid Agent-Based Model

Agent-based modeling (ABM) provides a means to investigate the emergent phenomenon generated from interacting autonomous agents. However, there are some concerns with this modeling approach. One concern is how to integrate strategic group formation, into ABM, without imposing macro-level aggregation rules. Another concern is whether the computerized agents’ behavior is reflective of actual human behavior. Collins and Frydenlund developed a hybrid modeling approach to address the first concern in 2018. The focus of our paper is on the second concern, in the context of the hybrid model. An experiment was conducted to help determine whether a person’s experiences affect their behavior and whether their behavior is similar to those generated by the hybrid model. The experimental results confirmed these two assertions. Our experiment used a standard cooperative game-theoretic game, called the glove game, as its base scenario.
Predictors of postoperative pain using PROMIS pain interference two-years following knee surgery.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to identify preoperative factors associated with worse PROMIS Pain Interference (PI) two years following knee surgery. Methods Participants completed surveys preoperatively and two years postoperatively. Data collected included demographics, medical history, and multiple patient-reported outcomes measures, including PROMIS PI. Results After controlling for confounders, lower income, smoking, worse PROMIS Anxiety, worse Numeric Pain Score body pain, and worse Marx Activity Rating Scale were independent predictors for worse PROMIS PI two years after surgery. Conclusion Worse PROMIS PI two years after elective knee surgery is associated with multiple socio-demographic patient identifiers.
The Effect of Promoting Access to Community Colleges on Educational and Labor Market Outcomes

Community colleges offer an affordable post-secondary education and serve as a stepping stone to a four-year college degree. I evaluate two policy counterfactuals designed to promote access to community colleges: 1) tuition subsidies for community colleges and 2) easier transition from two- to four-year colleges. I estimate a structural model of employment and college choices, including two-year colleges, which provide post-secondary education at a lower cost and an opportunity to transfer to four-year colleges. First, I find that full tuition subsidies at two-year colleges increase the average number of years spent at community colleges by 0.63 years and mostly attract students who would have not attended college otherwise. This increase in enrollment in two-year colleges translates into an increase in students' average present discounted value of lifetime income by $20,812, which is larger than the average cost of $12,550; however it does not translate into an increase in the number of transfers and four-year college degrees completed. Second, when two-year colleges better prepare students for the transition to four-year institutions, I find that the average number of years spent at two-year colleges increases by 0.33 years, and the completion rate at four-year colleges increases by 3.1 percent. The average present discounted value of lifetime income increases as well by $16,589.
Inferential Logic for Experimental Research

This chapter begins with well-recognized pitfalls in the use of words, known as “logical fallacies.” The mental process of deriving conclusions is the product of argumentation done within oneself. The varieties of the movements of these vehicles, as formulated by logicians, are summarized in this chapter. Formal statements, known in logic as “propositions” or “premises,” serve as the vehicles for the thought process. Experiments lead to inferences, and inferences lead to conclusions. Words are the medium through which one can move from experiments to inferences to conclusions. The appropriate use of words is, thus, the key to deriving the right inferences from the experiments. That logic is the art (or science) of reasoning is a truism. The purpose of any research, particularly experimental research (so far as it can be distinguished from theoretical research) is to draw inferences from the results, as recorded or observed, of the experiments. The inferences can be in the form of either statements or arguments.
A differential detection scheme for DS/CDMA spatial diversity

A differential detection scheme for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) DS/CDMA link is presented, where neither the transmitters nor the receivers know the channel state information (CSI). The transmission provides for full spatial diversity gain by a simple detection scheme, which is the natural extension of differential detection combined with an orthogonal transmit diversity (OTD) approach. Moreover, a capacity analysis for this scheme is illustrated. The capacity analysis and simulation results show that 3 dB loss is paid for differential detection compared to coherent detection.
International Migration and the Developing World

Abstract In this chapter, I discuss the recent academic research on international migration, focusing on the causes and consequences of emigration from developing countries and the motivations behind the restrictions imposed by the developed countries on immigration. My aim is to identify facts about international migration relevant to those concerned about why labor moves between countries, how these movements affect the countries that send these laborers, and why the receiving countries are so selective about the immigrants that they admit.
Specification error: A generalized test

Abstract Savin and White [14] suggested a simultaneous test for two sources of specification error. In this paper we generalize their test to cover all four common sources of errors in specification: functional form, autocorrelated disturbances, heteroscedasticity, and missing variables. The Savin-White test, as well as the standard tests for only one source of error, are special cases of the test developed. The generalized test is applied to data in an illustrative example.
Preparation and photoelectron spectrum of the ‘missing’ (H2O)4- cluster

Abstract We report a rational synthetic approach for the preparation of the negatively charged water tetramer anion, the only member of the homogeneous ( H 2 O ) n - series that has been curiously ‘missing’ in previous reports of these cluster anions. The synthesis was carried out using argon cluster-mediated anion formation. The identity of the ( H 2 O ) 4 - cluster is confirmed using negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy, and the resulting spectrum suggests the presence of three isomeric forms for this species.
Local responses to globalization: new opportunities for San Diego-Tijuana region

En este articulo se examinan las condiciones politicas, sociales, administrativas y economicas de las ciudades de San Diego y Tijuana, haciendo enfasis en este ultimo aspecto y en la interrelacion entre ambas ciudades, mismas que actualmente se encuentran en paulatina decadencia economica. Se realiza ademas una revision conceptual que permita abordar el estudio de la problematica de la region, asi como un analisis comparativo tanto de modelos norteamericanos como europeos, que puedan proveer informacion util para implementar estrategias de desarrollo regional. Se toca tambien el tema de la "desmilitarizacion" de San Diego, y sus efectos en la economia local. Por ultimo, se proponen planes alternativos de desarrollo para la zona, tomando en cuenta los problemas relacionados con la frontera internacional, y se plantean hipotesis del posible resultado de cada uno de estos planes
National Capital, Transnational Culture

In the two decades following the Great War, foreign singers, dancers, films, and magazines streamed into Belgrade, then the capital of newly unified Yugoslavia. Popular culture was both accessible and attractive to ordinary Belgraders. State officials, prewar Serbian conservatives, and elites, however, blamed the residents’ reorientation toward foreign fun for a number of problems such as bad taste, social degeneracy, and, most importantly, a disruption to Yugoslav unification. Yet as critics discredited foreign popular culture in interwar Belgrade, urbanites embraced it with equal fervor. This article examines how foreign popular culture, as well as the debates surrounding it, established the foundation for a transnational urban identity that Belgraders shared with other European city-dwellers.
Treaties in the Supreme Court: 1946-2000

This paper, a chapter in a forthcoming book on International Law and the Supreme Court, examines the treaty decisions of the Court during the postwar era, up until the second Bush Administration. Three patterns stand in the many (roughly 130) decisions. First, the Court acted as if the immediately preceding period – the New Deal, then the War – created a sharp break with the past, freeing the Court to address many questions as novel rather than rooted in settled practice. Second, the Court largely resisted the invocation of treaties as authority contradicting congressional statutes and executive practice regarding matters of public law, but gave greater effect to treaties that addressed what the Court perceived as matters of private interest – disputes over property ownership, contract enforcement, and liability for torts. Third, the Court did invoke treaty-based rules in cases where it perceived the desire of Congress and the President to draw on international law to fill out the meaning of particular statutes.
Error Adaptive Classifier Boosting (EACB): Leveraging Data-Driven Training Towards Hardware Resilience for Signal Inference

The continued scaling of CMOS technologies and consideration of post-CMOS technologies has elevated hardware reliability to a first-class challenge, particularly in energy- and resource-constrained embedded sensor applications. In such applications, there is an increasing emphasis on inference functions. Machine-learning algorithms play an important role by enabling the construction of data-driven models for inference over data that is too complex to model analytically. This paper explores how data-driven training can be exploited to also overcome computational errors due to hardware faults within an inference stage. FPGA emulation with randomized fault injections shows that the proposed architecture restores system performance to the level of a fault free system, with $ 1% of the hardware requiring explicit fault protection, and with digital faults affecting $>$ 2% of the circuit nodes in the rest of the hardware. To train an error-aware inference model, a training algorithm is presented whose hardware (memory) and energy requirements are reduced by 65 $\times$ and 10 $\times$ compared to previously reported algorithms (AdaBoost and FilterBoost respectively), thereby enabling model construction entirely on the device.
Ionic processes in cumene and p-xylene

Abstract Pulse radiolysis and γ-radiolysis data are presented which indicate that ions play a more significant role in the production of excited states in the liquid alkyl benzenes than previously thought. A lower limit to the excited state yield produced via ion precursors in the condensed phase is G≈1·0. The 60Co γ-irradiation of pure cumene glass at 77 K gives rise to trapped species which are shown to be the cation and anion of cumene both having spectral maxima at 400 and 555 nm. Ion neutralization results in the formation of the excited single state of cumene. Excitation of p-xylene to the third excited state by two photon laser excitation with γ = 3471 A light shows that this state may be quenched by the ion scavengers methanol and N2O.
Mapping Pathways of Ethnic Conflict Onset: Preferences and Enabling Conditions

Recent quantitative studies of ethnic conflict tend to have characteristic strengths and weaknesses. Strengths are typical of sophisticated statistical work: the influence of many explanatory variables is examined across large datasets. Weaknesses are largely traceable to shortcomings of theory and measurement. Territorial and other ethnic conflicts are sometimes pooled with other types of internal conflict, which seem likely to have a different range of causes. Also, theory indicates that different conflict pathways have varying probabilities of giving rise to territorial ethnic conflict. These pathways involve different types of elite-level preferences, for either the outsider ethnic group or state side of a potential conflict, and for either incumbent or challenger elites. The pathways are also likely to be conditioned by different constraints. Yet little effort has been made to measure variation along these discrete pathways. More readily measurable variables, such as economic development and dependen...
On rationality: Contemporary geography and the search for the foolproof method

Abstract Recent works on geographic explanation rest on an almost unanimous belief in the existence of a universal, discoverable form of rationality. At the same time, works in other disciplines — notably anthropology and the philosophy and history of science — are more circumspect; they suggest that there may be several or even many types of rationality. Because the question of the nature of rationality has decided implications insofar as other issues — of relativism, for example — are concerned, it is worth considering in more detail. Analysis suggests that those who believe in a universal form of rationality more fundamentally are expressing a desire for the creation of a foolproof method in geography, one based in part on a deep-seated but unquestioned belief in progress.
The role of extracorporeal irradiation of blood in treatment of leukemia

Abstract The historical and technical aspects of extracorporeal irradiation of blood (ECIB) are outlined. Factors inherent in the leukemic process itself and extrinsic considerations which might influence the outcome of the treatment of leukemias by ECIB are discussed. We believe that ECIB has a potential role in the therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). ECIB, early in the course of CLL, may result in a reduction of total body leukemic mass. Such an outcome, maintained for sometime by repeated courses of ECIB, is expected to permit postponement of chemotheraphy with its unavoidable toxicity. In addition to its potential value in chronic myeloid leukemia patients with high peripheral counts and/or unresponsiveness to chemotherapy, application of ECIB might also be worthwhile to reduce initial tumor burden prior to the application of chemotherapy. ECIB has already demonstrated its effectiveness in rapid control of threatened leukostasis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Potential of ECIB in AML to induce cell synchronization preparatory to the institution of chemotherapy needs to be further evaluated.
The development of a microscale strain measurement system applied to sheet bulge hydroforming

Abstract Micro and multiscale sheet metal forming processes represent new and attractive solutions to many manufacturing problems. However, evaluating the strains in these products is a difficult endeavor. Larger organizations are utilizing commercially available microscale digital image correlation systems to measure the strains in microscale parts or on macroscale parts with critical microscale features. The cost of these strain measurement systems is preventing smaller research and development organizations from entering this challenging area or they are forgoing the ability to determine strains. The present paper describes the development of a method for creating microscale grids and measuring strains on microscale parts or microscale locations on larger parts. The method developed was able to measure true strains up to 0.618 for square grids that are 127 μm measured from center-to-center. Microscale strains resulting from sheet bulge hydroforming experiments using 11 mm, 5 mm, and 1 mm diameter dies were evaluated and material properties of the sheet metal were estimated based upon the strains measured in conjunction with FEA simulations and compared to analytical solutions and microscale tension tests. The material properties determined using the strains and FEM approach were consistent with the other methods.
The effect of doubly excited states on emission line ratios and absolute powers used in spectroscopic diagnostics

Summary form only given. Emission line ratios have been used as an effective diagnostic for the determination of the plasma parameters. However, the treatment of doubly excited states in such models can affect the ionization dynamics which can subsequently alter the emission line ratios and absolute powers used for plasma diagnostics. Prior models have also assumed that the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is Maxwellian, but previous experiments have measured electron beams and Ka line emission. The Ka emission was produced as a result of the electron beams ionizing an inner-shell electron from lower ionization stages. The presence of such hot electrons suggests that the EEDF is simply not Maxwellian and requires a modification in the high energy tail. These high energy electrons can also produce doubly excited ions with inner-shell vacancies, alter the ionization kinetics, and furthermore impact line ratios used to determine the plasma parameters. The effect of doubly excited states on emission line ratios and absolute powers from a multi-zone non-LTE copper pinch model with radiation transport using coupling coefficients will be presented and discussed in light of experimental data.
Regulation of ketogenesis and clinical aspects of the ketotic state

Abstract Recent studies of the regulation of ketogenesis are reviewed. Under circumstances of relative or absolute insulin deficiency there is a mobilization of free fatty acids from adipose tissue to the liver. While an increased delivery of fatty acids to this organ is important in providing substrate for ketone body formation, it is emphasized that enhanced uptake of fatty acids by the liver is not sufficient in itself to initiate maximal ketogenesis. It appears likely that a major determinant of the rate of ketogenesis is competition for the fatty acid substrate between the β-oxidative and triglyceride synthesizing pathways. While it is widely held that the rate of triglyceride synthesis is primary and that only those fatty acids not utilized for esterification become available for oxidation, evidence for the reverse sequence is presented. It is considered likely that fatty acids are utilized for triglyceride synthesis only insofar as they escape uptake and oxidation in the mitochondria. Regardless of the mechanism, fatty acid oxidation is increased in the ketotic state with the consequence that acetyl-CoA production is accelerated. Since the utilization of acetyl-CoA for fatty acid synthesis and, to a much lesser extent, its oxidation in the Krebs cycle is impaired, the synthesis of acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate is stimulated to a remarkable degree. The hepatic overproduction of ketones appears to be coupled to a limited capacity for their utilization by peripheral tissues, the combined effect of which accounts for the life-threatening acidosis seen in diabetic coma. From a clinical standpoint, newer studies relating to the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis have been covered, with particular attention paid to the problems of late cerebral edema, paradoxical acidification of the cerebrospinal fluid during treatment, shifts of the oxygen dissociation curve due to 2,3-diphosphoglycerate depletion and initial hypokalemia. Recommendations for therapy designed to minmize complications are presented.
Electrical transport and structural study of CuCr1 − xMgxO2 delafossite thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract The growth and properties of delafossites CuCr1 − xMgxO2 thin films are examined. These films are grown by pulsed laser deposition. As a class of materials delafossites have received recent interest since some members show p-type behavior. While not considered true wide-bandgap materials due to a narrow indirect bandgap that fails to adsorb light due to a forbidden same parity transition, optical transparencies greater than 40% in the visible can be observed. In order to be useful for transparent device applications, CuCr1 − xMgxO2 films are needed with low resistivity and high optical transparency. Epitaxial films of CuCr1 − xMgxO2 were grown on c-sapphire, examining the effects of oxygen pressure and growth temperature on film properties. Films were realized with resistivity of ~ 0.02 Ω-cm and optical transparency of 40% in the visible. The formation of a problematic secondary minority spinel phase of (Cu,Mg)Cr2O4 is discussed. While conductivity increases substantially with Mg doping, the incidence of the spinel phase increases as well.
Fundamental condition for the existence of microcrack clouds in monophase ceramics

Abstract Conditions for the existence of a microcrack cloud about a primary crack front in monophase polycrystalline ceramics are examined. With the assumption that microcracks initiate from sub-facet flaws, and that these flaws scale with the grain size, an expression is derived for the cloud radius. The cloud radius diminishes rapidly with grain size, from unlimited dimensions at the critical size for spontaneous, general microcracking to sub-grain level at some fraction of the critical size. The corresponding grain-size ‘window’ is dependent on the flaw size but is restrictively small for typical monophase ceramics.
Advances in the immunodiagnosis of parasitic infections.

In summary, with the availability of commercial reagents, the growth of parasitic serology is rapidly accelerating. I believe the diagnostic work being performed today represents an investigation of the “tip of the iceberg.” Unless some policy of evaluation and certification is initiated, we risk the appearance of poor reagents in the diagnostic laboratory and the publication of critical articles suggesting that our tests are nonspecific and useless. Technical developments have brought us to the full or partial automation of serologic tests. Research on the purification and isolation of parasitic antigens has not kept pace with the development and evaluation of serologic methodology. Evaluation of sophisticated methods, such as radioimmunoassay, for the diagnosis of parasitic infections is only beginning to appear in the literature. Greater emphasis must be placed on the use of such sensitive methods in the diagnostic laboratory. With the exception of the Asian workers, who have reported the recovery of antigen in the urine of patients with parasitic diseases, and recent reports of antigen in the serum of patients with schistosomiasis in the United States, the entire focus of parasitic serology has been on the detection of antibodies. Since parasitic antigens have been shown to circulate in the serum and body fluids of individuals with a number of parasitic infections, both specific and sensitive methods must be evaluated for their detection. In the serology of parasitic infections, the diagnosis of protozoan infections is most highly developed. For the helminth infections we require enhanced sensitivity and specificity, especially in areas where more than one species infects man. The serology of nematode infections requires the most work. Toward this end, we have to encourage further work on the separation and purification of parasitic antigens for use in the diagnostic laboratory.
Scrotal Reconstruction Using Rapid Intraoperative Tissue Expansion: A Preliminary Report

Purpose: Extensive scrotal skin loss can pose a difficult management problem. In most cases delayed scrotal approximation is feasible due to the redundancy of scrotal skin. However, large defects usually require reconstruction using flaps or grafts. We present a novel technique of scrotal closure using rapid intraoperative tissue expansion to manage select extensive partial scrotal defects.Materials and Methods: Between January 1996 and April 2006, 3 patients underwent delayed closure using rapid intraoperative tissue expansion for approximately 75% scrotal skin loss. Intraoperatively the residual lateral scrotal and medial thigh skin, and subcutaneous tissues were dissected, creating bilateral cavities for the placement of round 300 cc tissue expanders. Gradual inflation for a total of 20 minutes allowed adequate tissue expansion of the 2 thigh flaps, enabling tension-free scrotal closure.Results: Each patient was followed for 12 months. The resulting reconstruction provided a tension-free, cosmetically ...
Ecosystem Function in Appalachian Headwater Streams during an Active Invasion by the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Forested ecosystems in the southeastern United States are currently undergoing an invasion by the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). Previous studies in this area have shown changes to forest structure, decreases in canopy cover, increases in organic matter, and changes to nutrient cycling on the forest floor and soil. Here, we were interested in how the effects of canopy loss and nutrient leakage from terrestrial areas would translate into functional changes in streams draining affected watersheds. We addressed these questions in HWA-infested watersheds at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in North Carolina. Specifically, we measured stream metabolism (gross primary production and ecosystem respiration) and nitrogen uptake from 2008 to 2011 in five streams across the Coweeta basin. Over the course of our study, we found no change to in-stream nutrient concentrations. While canopy cover decreased annually in these watersheds, this change in light penetration did not translate to higher rates of in-stream primary production during the summer months of our study. We found a trend towards greater heterotrophy within our watersheds, where in-stream respiration accounted for a much larger component of net ecosystem production than GPP. Additionally, increases in rhododendron cover may counteract changes in light and nutrient availability that occurred with hemlock loss. The variability in our metabolic and uptake parameters suggests an actively-infested ecosystem in transition between steady states.
The cell biology of β-amyloid precursor protein and presenilin in Alzheimer's disease

It is a truism of modern biomedical science that the development of therapies expected to slow or arrest the progression of a disease requires as detailed an understanding of its molecular and cellular pathogenesis as possible. In turn, the cloning of novel gene products implicated in a disease often leads to new insights about fundamental features of protein structure and function. A particularly compelling example of this beneficial interplay between basic and applied cell biology arises from the exciting recent progress in deciphering Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review discusses the current understanding of the cell biology of two proteins crucial for the pathogenesis of AD, the beta-amyloid precursor protein and presenilin.
A knowledge-based prototype for optimization of preventive maintenance scheduling

Abstract A methodology has been developed, and a prototype tool, the Maintenance Advisor, has been designed and implemented based on this methodology which would assist the scheduling and decision-making for performance of preventive maintenance activities in a plant, based on probabilistic judgedment and probabilistic inference rules. Using data on failure rates, repair times, repair costs and indirect economic costs (e.g. power replacement and accident risk), and within the imposed deterministic constrainst, the program develops an optimum (minimum expected cost) maintenance schedule for the various pieces of equipment described by the model. The Maintenance Advisor is a frame-based object-oriented tool, programed in KEE and Lisp. Equipment and other objects are represented as complex units, containing a complete set of characteristics, data and functional capabilities. Functional relations between the units are described in terms of two relations: TYPE-OF and PART-OF. The hierarchies formed by these relations serve as the basis for probabilistic and other inferences.
TEACHING NOTES: COLLABORATION AMONG SOCIAL WORK AND JOURNALISM STUDENTS AND FACULTY: AN INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL

The authors describe an instructional model designed to promote interdisciplinary collaboration among students pursuing master's degrees in social work and journalism. This unique model involved active collaboration among social work and journalism graduate students and faculty to create a single-issue magazine focused on a diverse range of social welfare issues. After describing the development and format of the model as well as requisite resources, the authors discuss emergent learning opportunities for both groups of students, including identification of role tensions between the 2 professions, deepened understanding of the social work profession and its associated roles, and methods for collaboration to advance the social justice purposes of both professions.
The Effect of Fluid Flow on the Stress Corrosion Cracking of AISI 304 Stainless Steel in 0.01M Na2SO4 Solution at 280 C

Abstract The stress corrosion cracking of sensitized AISI 304 stainless steel in high temperature (280 C) 0.01M Na2SO4 solution has been studied as a function of flow velocity and applied potential over a range that spans the critical potential for intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). Flow velocity (0 to 8 cm/s) was found to have no discernible effect on the critical potential for IGSCC, with the possible exception of a greater propensity toward intergranular fracture under static as opposed to flowing conditions at a potential of −500 mVH.
The rewetting of an inclined solid surface by a liquid

When a thin layer of liquid flowing down an inclined solid surface becomes unstable, a dry region may appear. It is of general engineering interest to identify the parameters which control the ability of the liquid to rewet the solid so that a uniform film of liquid can be reestablished. The role played by the contact angle in the rewetting process is investigated by performing a specific set of experiments of the type introduced by Huppert [(Nature 300, 427 (1982)]. It is found that a small static advancing contact angle promotes rewetting, while a large value of the angle does not.
Sol–Gel Processing for Optical Communication Technology

Sol-gel is a versatile technology offering advantageous processing of complex shapes as well as material compositions. In the realm of optical communications, the applicability of a number of dielectric and hybrid materials in various photonic devices makes the technology particularly appealing vis-a-vis the vapor-phase methods that dominate the field today. One can find numerous reports of sol-gel processing for photonic components, although instances where this has been developed for product manufacture are far fewer. Here, we examine the different classes of optical communication devices from fibers to waveguides to photonic crystals and the ability of sol-gel processing to address their needs. Successful deployment appears to depend on two aspects: making innovative modifications to the traditional concept and developing supporting technologies to overcome the key drawbacks.
Evidence for slow (2–) and gamma frequency coherence between spike trains and local field potentials in the cerebellum

Abstract A method for detecting relationships between single-unit spike trains and local field potentials (LFPs) was developed and applied to recordings from rat cerebellum. LFPs were repeatedly filtered with a shifting frequency window. The resulting traces were transformed into peak-time point processes for comparison with spike trains using “relative-phase” analysis (Biol. Cybernet., in press). Discharge of some Purkinje cells was phase-related to LFP oscillations in the 2– 10 Hz and 30– 50 Hz frequency ranges. This analysis method revealed hidden coherency between spike-trains and LFPs. The findings suggest that cerebellar activity is, to some extent, temporally organized according to both slow and fast rhythms.
PEG‐Hemoglobin: Effects on tumor oxygenation and radiosensitization

Derivatization with polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a biocompatible method to improve the therapeutic benefit of administered proteins by increasing their biological half-life. The ability of a PEG-bovine hemoglobin preparation (2–8 ml/kg) to increase the oxygen content of hypoxic tumor regions was determined in rats bearing the 13762 mammary carcinoma using an Eppendorf pO2 histograph. Administration of PEG-hemoglobin decreased the percent of pO2 readings ≤ 5 mmHg in animals breathing air or breathing carbogen, respectively. In rats, PEG-hemoglobin has a circulating half-life of 20 hr. A single administration of PEG-hemoglobin was able to provide increased tumor oxygenation on the following at least 3 days if atmospheres of 28% oxygen or carbogen were breathed. PEG-hemoglobin administration along with fractionated radiation therapy (2, 3 or 4 Gy × 5) resulted in radiation dose modifying factors of 1.2 ± 0.2, 1.4 ± 0.2 and 1.5 ± 0.2 when the animals breathed air, 28% oxygen or carbogen prior to and during radiation delivery, respectively. Using the EMT-6 murine mammary carcinoma tumor cell survival assay, administration of PEG-hemoglobin (6 ml/kg) prior to single dose radiation therapy resulted in dose modifying factors of 1.4 ± 0.2 1.8 ± 0.2 and 1.9 ± 0.2 when the animals breathed air, 28% oxygen or carbogen prior to and during radiation delivery, respectively. In EMT-6 tumor growth delay, administration of PEG-hemoglobin (6 ml/kg) along with fractionated radiation therapy (2, 3 or 4 Gy × 5) resulted in dose modifying factors of 1.2 ± 0.2, 1.5 ± 0.2 and 1.7 ± 0.2 when the animals breathed air, 28% oxygen or carbogen prior to and during radiation delivery. Administration of PEG-hemoglobin only on the first treatment day of a 5-day fractionated radiation therapy regimen resulted in dose modifying factors of 1.3 ± 0.2 and 1.4 ± 0.2 if the animals breathed 28% oxygen or carbogen prior to and during each radiation fraction delivery. Further investigation of this potentially clinically important oxygen delivery agent is warranted. Radiat. Oncol. Invest. 4:200–210, 1996. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Prevalence and characteristics of children at increased risk for complications from influenza, United States, 2000.

Abstract Objectives Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for children at high risk of complications from influenza due to underlying medical conditions, but few children are vaccinated. Vaccination also is encouraged for all children aged 6 to 23 months when feasible. This study describes the prevalence and characteristics of at-risk children nationwide. Study design A descriptive analysis of the 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was conducted among children in the United States aged 6 months through 17 years with identified high-risk conditions, and among all children aged 6 to 23 months. Results Approximately 5.2 to 10.0 million children aged 6 months through 17 years (7.4%-14.2%) had high-risk conditions indicated for influenza vaccination. Asthma accounted for the majority of conditions. An estimated 7.7 million children would be aged 6 to 23 months during influenza season. Most young children and older children at high-risk have access to and frequently utilize healthcare services. Conclusions Existing doctor visits are important opportunities for vaccinating children with high-risk conditions, or for those aged 6 to 23 months. Additional efforts are needed to implement and evaluate efficient strategies for annual influenza vaccination of children aged 6 to 23 months and for older children with medical indications.
PENNY-PACKINGS WITH MINIMAL SECOND MOMENTS

We consider the problem of packingn disks of unit diameter in the plane so as to minimize the second moment about their centroid. Our main result is an algorithm which constructs packings that are optimal among hexagonal packings. Using the algorithm, we prove that, except forn=212, then-point packings obtained by Graham and Sloane [1] are optimal among hexagonal packings. We also prove a result that makes precise the intuition that the “greedy algorithm” of Graham and Sloane produces approximately circular packings.
Cloning and Comparison of Xylanase Genes from Ruminal and Colonic Bacteroides Species

The gene encoding xylanase activity in the ruminal bacteriumBacteroides ruminicola D31d was cloned and expressed inEscherichia coli with the plasmid vector pUC18. The gene was isolated on a 4.7-kilobase pair partialPstI genomic DNA fragment. The xylanase activity expressed inE. coli was cell associated and could degrade both oatspelt xylan and Remazol Brilliant Blue-xylan. The xylanase did not have detectable activity against carboxymethylcellulose. Utilization of an endogenous promoter byE. coli was indicated by expression of xylanase activity after subcloning of the insert into pBR322 in opposite orientations. TheB. ruminicola D31d xylanase gene was compared by Southern hybridization analyses with xylanase genes cloned fromB. ruminocola 23 andB. ovatus V975, a human intestinal isolate. The D31d xylanase gene did not cross-hybridize with either of the other two genes. In addition, the 23 xylanase gene did not cross-hybridize with the other two genes according to the same technique. These results indicate that the three cloned genes do not share a high degree of genetic similarity, despite the similar enzymatic activities. This is the first study to compare cloned genes from ruminal and colonicBacteroides species.
Impact of Research Orientation on Attitudes Toward Research of Social Work Students

This study explored the relationship between orientation to research and attitudes toward research among social work students. Orientation included the students' beliefs regarding the importance of research, the usefulness of research, and its validity. Attitude included the student's research anxiety and interest. Surveys were administered to 283 undergraduate and graduate social work students in 2008 and 2009. The Ordinary Least Squares regression found that belief in the importance of research increased the research interest of students. Belief in the usefulness of research decreased research anxiety and increased research interest. Strategies for enhancing a positive orientation and attitude toward research are proposed.
Metamorphosis starts with Met

Juvenile hormone (JH) has long been known to be a potent regulator of metamorphosis in most insects, but learning how it acts has been hindered until now by failure to find an entry point for its mechanism of action. Using the beetle Tribolium castaneum, Konopova and Jindra (1) have achieved a result long and fruitlessly sought in Drosophila, which is reported in this issue of PNAS. They have identified a key component of the pathway JH uses in controlling metamorphosis; this component is the gene TcMet.
Ion Solvation in Polarizable Chloroform: A Molecular Dynamics Study

The structural, thermodynamic, and dynamical properties of the alkali-metal cations and the halide anions in liquid chloroform are investigated using molecular dynamics simulation techniques. From the atomic radial distribution analysis, the chloroform molecules are found to form well-defined solvation shells around the alkali-metal cations and the halide anions. The size of the solvation cage and the coordination number both increase with increasing ion size. In liquid chloroform, all these ions are shown to induce a strong orientational order in the surrounding chloroform molecules as evidenced by the angular distribution functions. We found that the mean electric potentials induced by the chloroform molecules shifted to smaller magnitudes with increasing ion size. Because of the greater electric polarizabilities of the larger ions, the average induced dipole moments were enhanced with increasing ion size. The diffusion coefficients of the alkali-metal cations and the halide anions in liquid chloroform ...