cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Who should you be following? The top 100 social media influencers in orthopaedic surgery.

Background Social media has been credited with the potential to transform medicine, and Twitter was recently named "an essential tool" for the academic surgeon. Despite this, peer-to-peer and educational influence on social media has not been studied within orthopaedic surgery. This knowledge is important to identify who is controlling the conversation about orthopaedics to the public. We hypothesized that the plurality of top influencers would be sports medicine surgeons, that social media influence would not be disconnected from academic productivity, and that some of the top social media influencers in orthopaedic surgery would not be orthopaedic surgeons. Aim To identify the top 100 social media influencers within orthopaedics, characterize who they are, and relate their social media influence to academic influence. Methods Twitter influence scores for the topic "orthopaedics" were collected in July 2018 using Right Relevance software. The accounts with the top influence scores were linked to individual names, and the account owners were characterized with respect to specialty, subspecialty, practice setting, location, board certification, and academic Hirsch index (h-index). Results Seventy-eight percent of top influencers were orthopaedic surgeons. The most common locations included California (13%), Florida (8%), New York (7%), United Kingdom (7%), Colorado (6%), and Minnesota (6%). The mean academic h-index of the top influencers (n = 79) was 13.67 ± 4.12 (mean ± 95%CI) and median 7 (range 1-89) (median reported h-index of academic orthopaedic faculty is 5 and orthopaedic chairpersons is 13). Of the 78 orthopaedic surgeons, the most common subspecialties were sports medicine (54%), hand and upper extremity (18%), and spine (8%). Most influencers worked in private practice (53%), followed by academics (17%), privademics (14%), and hospital-based (9%). All eligible orthopaedic surgeons with publicly-verifiable board certification statuses were board-certified (n = 74). Conclusion The top orthopaedic social media influencers on Twitter were predominantly board-certified, sports-medicine subspecialists working in private practice in the United States. Social media influence was highly concordant with academic productivity as measured by the academic h-index. Though the majority of influencers are orthopaedic surgeons, 22% of top influencers on Twitter are not, which is important to identify given the potential for these individuals to influence patients' perceptions and expectations. This study also provides the top influencer network for other orthopaedic surgeons to engage with on social media to improve their own social media influence.
Scavenging Residual Energy from Wi-Fi Sources Using a Rectenna Circuit

With the increasing popularity of wireless devices, the need to develop ways to charge, or to expand the battery life, also increases. This paper proposes a hybrid rectification circuit for collecting energy from nearby Wi-Fi networks. The circuit scavenges the energy emitted, but not used, by routers when they send information through the air, and stores the energy within a capacitor. The proposed architecture consists of two main building blocks: a bridgeless converter, and a diode bridge. The incident power on the antenna of the harvester is passed through the network of the LC lumped circuit, which helps in rectifying and boosting the voltage level. The second building block takes the output of the first block and further rectifies it, helping to further enhance voltage. The proposed system has been tested by using two distinct capacitive loads: 0.47 uF and 1000 uF. It was found that in the case of 1000 uF, the capacitor was able to charge 2.47 V within a span of 16.5 hours when kept directly next to the transmitting source antenna. In the case of 0.47 uF, it was able to charge within a span of 12 hours when kept 10 feet away from the transmitting source. The energy stored was used to light an LED, which was successful in the proximity circuit, albeit briefly.
Exploring relationships of grocery shopping patterns and healthy food accessibility in residential neighborhoods and activity space

Abstract Spatial access to healthy foods has drawn much attention due to its potential to facilitate healthy eating habits, and subsequently reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, the associations of healthy food accessibility with grocery shopping patterns depending on various spatial contextual units remain little known. This study aimed to (1) compare healthy food accessibility among residential neighborhoods with varying buffer sizes and activity space; (2) examine the associations of grocery shopping patterns and healthy food accessibility in residential neighborhoods and activity space; (3) explore the differences in healthy food environment and the associations between healthy food accessibility and grocery shopping patterns by populations density depending on residential neighborhoods and activity space. Data came from GPS-based Household Interview Survey for the Cincinnati Ohio Region conducted during 2009–2010, of which final sample consisted of 1625 participants. The results illustrated that (1) healthy food accessibility in activity space had greater variability than in residential neighborhoods; (2) healthy food accessibility had significant associations with grocery shopping patterns across various spatial contextual units; and (3) healthy food accessibility and its associations with grocery shopping patterns differed significantly by population density in residential neighborhoods but not in activity space. This study provides a deeper insight into the relationships between grocery shopping patterns and healthy food accessibility by accounting for various spatial contextual units. It also improves nuanced understanding of the spatial heterogeneity in healthy food environment and its associations with grocery shopping patterns between more urbanized areas and more rural areas depending on residential neighborhoods and activity space. One implication is that improving healthy food exposures to people's residence and other routine activity destinations may encourage them to visit the healthy food stores for food purchase. Another implication is that future research should carefully consider the place effects in evaluating people's food environment in residential neighborhoods and its associations with grocery shopping behaviors.
Assessment of Student Engagement

The focus of this volume is on evidence-based practical strategies to enhance student engagement at school and with learning. A key element of intervention is assessment. Student engagement is ideally suited for identification of risk, linking assessment to intervention, and monitoring student progress (Reschly et al. Int J Sch Educ Psychol 2:106–114, 2014). The purpose of this chapter is to describe the assessment of academic, behavioral, and cognitive/affective engagement, with specific examples of how to assess indicators of each subtype. Research with the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI; (Appleton et al. J Sch Psychol 44:427–445, 2006)) and extensions of the SEI to elementary and college-age populations is described in detail. The chapter concludes with practical considerations and promising areas for educators in the assessment of student engagement.
The efficiency of routine infant immunization services in six countries: a comparison of methods.

Few studies have systematically examined the efficiency of routine infant immunization services. Using a representative sample of infant immunization sites in Benin, Ghana, Honduras, Moldova, Uganda and Zambia (316 total), we estimated average efficiency levels and variation in efficiency within each country, and investigated the properties of published efficiency estimation techniques. Using a dataset describing 316 immunization sites we estimated site-level efficiency using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA), and a published ensemble method combining these two approaches. For these three methods we operationalized efficiency using the Sheppard input efficiency measure, which is bounded in (0, 1), with higher values indicating greater efficiency. We also compared these methods to a simple regression approach, which used residuals from a conventional production function as a simplified efficiency index. Inputs were site-level service delivery costs (excluding vaccines) and outputs were total clients receiving DTP3. We analyzed each country separately, and conducted sensitivity analysis for different input/output combinations. Using DEA, average input efficiency ranged from 0.40 in Ghana and Moldova to 0.58 in Benin. Using SFA, average input efficiency ranged from 0.43 in Ghana to 0.69 in Moldova. Within each country scores varied widely, with standard deviation of 0.18–0.23 for DEA and 0.10–0.20 for SFA. Input efficiency estimates generated using SFA were systematically higher than for DEA, and the rank correlation between scores ranged between 0.56–0.79. Average input efficiency from the ensemble estimator ranged between 0.41–0.61 across countries, and was highly correlated with the simplified efficiency index (rank correlation 0.81–0.92) as well as the DEA and SFA estimates. Results imply costs could be 30–60% lower for fully efficient sites. Such efficiency gains are unlikely to be achievable in practice – some of the apparent inefficiency may reflect measurement errors, or unmodifiable differences in the operating environment. However, adapted to work with routine reporting data and simplified methods, efficiency analysis could triage low performing sites for greater management attention, or identify more efficient sites as models for other facilities.
Artificial Intelligence in Dermatology: A Primer

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important in dermatology, with studies reporting accuracy matching or exceeding dermatologists for the diagnosis of skin lesions from clinical and dermoscopic images. However, real-world clinical validation is currently lacking. We review dermatological applications of deep learning, the leading artificial intelligence technology for image analysis, and discuss its current capabilities, potential failure modes, and challenges surrounding performance assessment and interpretability. We address the following three primary applications: (i) teledermatology, including triage for referral to dermatologists; (ii) augmenting clinical assessment during face-to-face visits; and (iii) dermatopathology. We discuss equity and ethical issues related to future clinical adoption and recommend specific standardization of metrics for reporting model performance.
Unexpected sounds non-selectively inhibit active visual stimulus representations

Abstract The brain’s capacity to process unexpected events is key to cognitive flexibility. The most well-known effect of unexpected events is the interruption of attentional engagement (distraction). We tested whether unexpected events interrupt attentional representations by activating a neural mechanism for inhibitory control. This mechanism is most well-characterized within the motor system. However, recent work showed that it is automatically activated by unexpected events and can explain some of their non-motor effects (e.g., on working memory representations). Here, human participants attended to lateralized flickering visual stimuli, producing steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) in the scalp-electroencephalogram. After unexpected sounds, the SSVEP was rapidly suppressed. Using a functional localizer (stop-signal) task and independent component analysis, we then identified a fronto-central EEG source whose activity indexes inhibitory motor control. Unexpected sounds in the SSVEP task also activated this source. Using single-trial analyses, we found that sub-components of this source differentially relate to sound-related SSVEP changes: while its N2 component predicted the subsequent suppression of the attended-stimulus SSVEP, the P3 component predicted the suppression of the SSVEP to the unattended stimulus. These results shed new light on the processes underlying fronto-central control signals and have implications for phenomena such as distraction and the attentional blink.
Chapter 48 – Public Key Infrastructure

Cryptographic algorithms are used for important tasks such as data encryption, authentication, and digital signatures, but one problem has to be solved to enable these algorithms: binding cryptographic keys to machine or user identities. Public key infrastructure (PKI) systems are built to bridge useful identities (email addresses, Domain Name System addresses, etc.) and the cryptographic keys used to authenticate or encrypt data passing among these identities. This chapter will explain the cryptographic background that forms the foundation of PKI systems, the mechanics of the X.509 PKI system (as elaborated by a number of standards bodies), practical issues surrounding the implementation of PKI systems, a number of alternative PKI standards, and alternative cryptographic strategies for solving the problem of secure public key distribution. PKI systems are complex systems that have proven to be difficult to implement properly. This chapter aims to survey the basic architecture of PKI systems and some of the mechanisms used to implement them. It does not aim to be a comprehensive guide to all PKI standards or to contain sufficient technical detail to allow implementation of a PKI system. These systems are continually evolving, and the reader interested in building or operating a PKI is advised to consult the current work of standards bodies referenced in this chapter.
False-negative results in urine benzodiazepine immunoassay screening

Abstract A 77-year-old woman with an anxiety disorder was prescribed 0.5 mg bid lorazepam. Urine drug testing results from an immunoassay for benzodiazepine were repeatedly negative. Benzodiazepine liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method with a hydrolysis step revealed the presence of lorazepam at concentrations ranging from 1135 to 1624 ng/mL. Given that most of the drug is excreted as lorazepam glucuronide and the immunoassay has a cutoff of 602 ng/mL for lorazepam, it is not surprising that the immunoassay did not detect lorazepam glucuronide yielding negative results for this patient.
Misclassification of Hospital Performance Under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Implications for Value-Based Programs.

Importance The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) use point estimates of 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates (RSRRs) to compare hospitals under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). An important characteristic of this measure is that it is a point estimate with a margin of error, which may affect the CMS’s ability to accurately evaluate and distinguish hospital performance in the program. Objective To determine the number and percentage of hospitals with a penalty status misclassified under the HRRP. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used the bayesian deconvolution method to estimate the rate of penalty status misclassification for hospitals participating in the HRRP in fiscal year 2019, using data from the CMS Hospital Compare website that were collected between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2017. Beneficiaries of Medicare fee-for-service coverage who were 65 years or older and hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia in hospitals with 25 or more discharges per condition were included in the data set. Data analysis occurred from November 2019 to July 2020. Exposures None. Main Outcomes and Measures The rate of penalty status misclassification for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia under the HRRP. Results The study included 1633, 2626, and 2705 hospitals for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia, respectively, that participated in the HRRP in fiscal year 2019. The percentages of hospitals that should have been penalized, but were not, were 20.9% (95% CI, 16.0%-25.8%) for acute myocardial infarction, 13.5% (95% CI, 9.8%-17.2%) for heart failure, and 13.2% (95% CI, 10.3%-16.1%) for pneumonia. In contrast, the percentages of hospitals that were incorrectly penalized by the HRRP were 10.1% (95% CI, 5.8%-14.4%) for acute myocardial infarction, 10.9% (95% CI, 7.2%-14.6%) for heart failure, and 12.3% (95% CI, 9.9%-14.6%) for pneumonia. Conclusions and Relevance The margin of error associated with the 30-day RSRRs resulted in the misclassification of condition-specific penalty status for up to 31% of hospitals. These findings suggest that the hospital-level 30-day RSRR measure may not reliably distinguish hospital performance in the HRRP. This has important implications for CMS value-based programs that use risk-standardized outcomes to evaluate and compare hospital performance.
IEEE 2020 World Congress on Services Message from the Technical Committee Chair on Services Computing of IEEE Computer Society

IEEE 2020 World Congress on Services Message from the Technical Committee Chair on Services Computing of IEEE Computer Society
Mechanical bound states in the continuum for cavity-less optomechanics

We demonstrate a new paradigm of phonon trapping using mechanical bound states in the continuum in slab-on-substrate phononic crystals and show its prospect for realizing quantum optomechanics without using microcavities.
What Counts as Commute Travel? Identification and Resolution of Key Issues around Measuring Complex Commutes in the National Household Travel Survey:

We use travel diary data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) Georgia subsample to address critical issues associated with analyzing complex work journeys. To define the work journ...
Teaching Students to Be Problem-Solvers and Dispute-Resolvers

No matter what area of law students might end up practicing, dispute resolution and practical problem solving (“ADR” and PPS) will play a central role. Litigators resolve far more cases through voluntary processes than through trial. Transactional lawyers negotiate the terms of a deal. Government lawyers often are called to resolve interagency disputes and claims against the government. Defense attorneys and prosecutors routinely negotiate plea arrangements. In-house counsel work both internally and externally to resolve conflicts on behalf of their company. Reports on what lawyers should know, including the MacCrate Report and Educating Lawyers, regularly list problem-solving, negotiation, and dispute resolution as skills that lawyers should have. Best Practices for Legal Education called for law schools to educate students in problem-solving and in practical wisdom, in order to solve clients’ problems effectively and responsibly. Law schools can, and many do, educate future lawyers in the knowledge, skills, and values inherent in the problem-solving approach in two ways. The first is to develop a specific and distinct Alternative Dispute Resolution curriculum. It is a best practice for every law school to make such courses available to every law student. The second is to incorporate the problem-solving orientation and skills throughout the curriculum. This is an emerging best practice. Both are addressed.
Liberation of hydrogen ions and pH dependence of a protein-iodine reaction.

In earlier communications (1, 2), we described a specific reaction of iodine with the sulfhydryl groups of proteins, and presented evidence that the initial product of this reaction is the sulfenyl iodide group. Part of this evidence involved spectrophotometric determination of the stoichiometry of the iodineprotein reaction. In this communication, we describe the measurement of a second product of this reaction, hydrogen ion, since the ratio of iodine consumed to hydrogen ion liberated is characteristic of the level of oxidation of iodine in this system. The establishment of this ratio has provided a further confirmation of the formation of stable sulfenyl iodide groups in native proteins.
The strange history of the Washington consensus

The term "Washington Consensus" was originally used to describe a list of ten reforms that I argued were practically universally agreed in Washington to be desirable in most Latin American countries as of 1989. It acquired alternative meanings over the years, one of which was a summary of the policies toward their client countries of the Washington-based international financial institutions (IFIs), and another of which was what critics imagined the policies of those institutions to be (a list that tends to consist of policies that never did command a consensus, even in Washington). It is argued that in its original sense, the Washington Consensus consists of policies that still amount to a sensible--but incomplete--reform agenda, but that some of the deviations between my original list and what the IFIs have advocated are undesirable. However, even the original list needs to be supplemented in order to provide a policy agenda for Latin America today. The paper sketches the reform agenda recently laid out ...
Yard Crane Pools and Optimum Layouts for Storage Yards of Container Terminals

As more and more container terminals open up all over the world, competition for business is becoming very intense for container terminal operators. They are finding out that even to keep their existing Sea Line customers, they have to make them happy by offering higher quality service. The quality of service they can provide depends on their operating policies and the design of the terminal layout. Existing layouts based on designs prepared a long time ago pose inherent limitations. We summarize some of these problems, and report on newer operating policies and designs which can help improve performance.
The influence of reactor operations on the design and performance of tokamaks with solid-breeder blankets

Conceptual tokamak studies have focused primarily on the design and performance issues of systems essentially operating at full rated power. Operational aspects of tokamak reactors and the characteristics and responses of system components during power variations are equally important. This is an overview of an extensive effort to determine the influence of reactor operations on the design and performance of tokamaks. The authors also report on a comparison of our findings between tokamaks and tandem mirrors, using for the latter, the recent START/TM study.
SU-E-I-90: Characterizing Small Animal Lung Properties Using Speckle Observed with An In-Line X-Ray Phase Contrast Benchtop System

Purpose: We demonstrate a novel X-ray phase-contrast (XPC) method for lung imaging representing a paradigm shift in the way small animal functional imaging is performed. In our method, information regarding airway microstructure that is encoded within speckle texture of a single XPC radiograph is decoded to produce 2D parametric images that will spatially resolve changes in lung properties such as microstructure sizes and air volumes. Such information cannot be derived from conventional lung radiography or any other 2D imaging modality. By computing these images at different points within a breathing cycle, dynamic functional imaging will be readily achieved without the need for tomography. Methods: XPC mouse lung radiographs acquired in situ with an in-line X-ray phase contrast benchtop system. The lung air volume is varied and controlled with a small animal ventilator. XPC radiographs will be acquired for various lung air volume levels representing different phases of the respiratory cycle. Similar data will be acquired of microsphere-based lung phantoms containing hollow glass spheres with known distributions of diameters. Image texture analysis is applied to the data to investigate relationships between texture characteristics and airspace/microsphere physical properties. Results: Correlations between Fourier-based texture descriptors (FBTDs) and regional lung air volume indicate thatmore » the texture features in 2D radiographs reveal information on 3D properties of the lungs. For example, we find for a 350 × 350 πm2 lung ROI a linear relationship between injected air volume and FBTD value with slope and intercept of 8.9×10{sup 5} and 7.5, respectively. Conclusion: We demonstrate specific image texture measures related to lung speckle features are correlated with physical characteristics of refracting elements (i.e. lung air spaces). Furthermore, we present results indicating the feasibility of implementing the technique with a simple imaging system design, short exposures, and low dose which provides potential for widespread use in laboratory settings for in vivo studies. This research was supported in part by NSF Award CBET1263988.« less
Biochemical studies of the developing embryo

Abstract Activities of various CO 2 fixation enzymes have been studied in embryonic chicken and fetal dog livers. It is observed that pyruvate carboxylase, α-keto glutarate carboxylase, and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase activities appear in the early stages of embryonic chicken liver development, whereas these enzymes are virtually absent in fetal dog liver and only appear 60 hours after birth and reach peak activity in 7–10 days. Glucose 6-phosphatase activity is fully developed in chicken embryo at an early stage and this activity is comparable to normal adult chicken liver preparations. Under similar conditions fructose diphosphatase activity doubles from fetal to full adulthood. Both these enzymes are present in fetal dog liver preparations, but reach peak activity in 7–10 days after birth, which is comparable to normal adult dog liver preparations. In fetal dog the enzymic activity of CO 2 fixing enzymes parallel glucose production, but in embryonic chicken the glucose production is normal although activity of these enzymes is only 50% of the normal value.
Master of Judicial Wisdom

He was always alert to detect cant, hypocrisy, or pettifogging. He had an innate sense that told him when a seemingly irrefragable legal argument was leading to an impossible result, and was therefore necessarily flawed; a conclusion he often telegraphed with the terse observation, "ain't law wonderful." More than anything else, however, what made him one of the very great judges was his judicial wisdom. A scholar's knowledge of American institutions and deep understanding of the nature of the judicial process, both tempered with good common sense, gave him a mastery of the proper limits of judicial power--of the limited role even the best judge may properly play in a democratic society. Because his wisdom accurately defined that role for him, he could effectively play it to the hilt. One of the most important tasks of a state supreme court justice is to interpret and enforce the Constitution of the United States and of his own state. Justice Traynor of course wrote many outstanding opinions in this area.' He fought valiantly to have the court make sense of the powers of administrative agencies to find facts;2 a battle not to be won until after he had left the court.3 He was constantly concerned with the meaning of the constitutional provision prohibiting reversal of a judgment for error unless the error resulted in a "miscarriage of jus-
Fetal spirithood and fetal personhood: The cultural construction of abortion in Japan

Abstract Despite a high incidence of abortion and a declining birthrate in Japan, there is not a large or well-supported pro-life movement there. Due to the Japanese concept of fetal spirithood, the American abortion rights discourse, which centers on the rights of women versus the rights of the fetus, is not salient in Japan. Focusing on the context of Japan, this article explores the history of abortion as culturally acceptable birth control, religious rituals performed to appease demands made by aborted fetuses' spirits, and the incidence of mother-child homicide-suicide.
A technique for selective fetal hypophysectomy in utero.

and with traction on the end of the Foley catheter the anterior vaginal wall and bladder were brought into normal position. The Foley catheter was then pulled, in retrograde fashion, through the remaining portion of the urethra which was then reanastomosed. The vaginal lacerations were then repaired. Postoperatively the patient was treated with vitamin C, stilbestrol, Polycillin, and whole blood. The patient did well postoperatively and the retention sutures and Foley catheter were removed one month later. Three months after operation the lacerations had completely healed and the patient has remained well.
China's Port Reform and Development: Policy Analysis

Driven by globalization and the Chinese export-oriented economy, ports in China have experienced exponential growth in the past decade. The Chinese port industry has gone through several stages of reform, from a central-control system with inadequate investment and poor efficiency to a large-scale and highly competitive system with various types of public-private partnerships. Today, the Chinese port industry is characterized by rapid growth, large-scale foreign investment, and liberalization of port policy. Of the top 10 container ports in the world, six are in China. This accomplishment is largely because of port reforms; in recent years, corporatization and joint venture have become the hallmark of port development in China. This study reviewed the evolution of China's port reform and policy changes supported by port statistics, examined a brief case study of port development in Shanghai, China, and analyzed policy changes in port governance, legal framework, and funding mechanisms. The analysis integr...
Modeling interstellar pickup ion distributions in corotating interaction regions inside 1 AU

We present a modeling study of interstellar pickup ion (PUI) distributions in co-rotating interaction regions (CIRs). We consider gradual compressions associated with CIRs formed when fast speed streams overtake slower streams in the inner heliosphere. For the analysis, we adopt a simplified magnetohydrodynamic model of a CIR [Giacalone et al., 2002]. The Energetic Particle Radiation Environment Module (EPREM) [Schwadron et al., 2010], a parallelized particle numerical kinetic code, is used to model PUI distributions using the focused transport equation, including adiabatic cooling/heating, adiabatic focusing, and parallel and perpendicular diffusion. The continuous injection of PUIs is handled as a source term with a ring distribution in velocity space that is produced from the local neutral density obtained from a hot model of the interstellar neutral gas. The simulated distributions exhibit a harder spectrum in the compression region and a softer spectrum in the rarefaction region than that in undisturbed solar wind. As an additional result, a v−5 power-law tail distribution above the PUI cut-off speed (a knee in the distribution) emerges for a particular velocity gradient in the CIR. The tail above the PUI cut-off is sensitive to the CIR velocity gradient, and in one observational case studied, this relationship adequately explains the observed spectrum from 2 to 4 times the solar wind speed. This suggests that the velocity gradient associated with the CIR formation can efficiently create a seed population of PUIs before a shock forms even without stochastic acceleration. Thus, local CIR compressions without shocks may play a significant role in the acceleration process as suggested previously [e.g., Chotoo et al., 2001; Giacalone et al., 2002; Ebert et al., 2012].
Effects of Healon, N,O carboxymethyl Chitosan and Vitreon on conjunctival cells and human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Hyaluronic acid (HA) and perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL) are used during and after intraocular surgery to maintain normal ocular structure. We present the results of our studies on the effects of vertebrate HA (Healon), N,O carboxymethyl Chitosan (CMC), and PFCL (perfluorophenanthrene, Vitreon) on conjunctival epithelial cells and human peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL). No cytotoxic effects were observed with HA or CMC on conjunctival epithelial cells. PFCL flattened cultured conjunctival cells and was cytocidal. CMC was associated with the formation of monocyte/macrophage syncytia in mitogen stimulated PBL cultures. CMC and PFCL inhibited PBL proliferation and interferon-/spl gamma/ (IFN-/spl gamma/) production by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA) and Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) stimulated PBL. Our results indicate that HA and CMC are not toxic to conjunctival epithelial cells but suggest that CMC may affect monocyte/macrophage functions associated with T cell proliferation and IFN-/spl gamma/ production. PFCL is cytocidal to conjunctival epithelial cells in stationary cultures and suppresses PBL proliferation and IFN-/spl gamma/ production.
A decade and a half of protein intrinsic disorder: Biology still waits for physics

The abundant existence of proteins and regions that possess specific functions without being uniquely folded into unique 3D structures has become accepted by a significant number of protein scientists. Sequences of these intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and IDP regions (IDPRs) are characterized by a number of specific features, such as low overall hydrophobicity and high net charge which makes these proteins predictable. IDPs/IDPRs possess large hydrodynamic volumes, low contents of ordered secondary structure, and are characterized by high structural heterogeneity. They are very flexible, but some may undergo disorder to order transitions in the presence of natural ligands. The degree of these structural rearrangements varies over a very wide range. IDPs/IDPRs are tightly controlled under the normal conditions and have numerous specific functions that complement functions of ordered proteins and domains. When lacking proper control, they have multiple roles in pathogenesis of various human diseases. Gaining structural and functional information about these proteins is a challenge, since they do not typically “freeze” while their “pictures are taken.” However, despite or perhaps because of the experimental challenges, these fuzzy objects with fuzzy structures and fuzzy functions are among the most interesting targets for modern protein research. This review briefly summarizes some of the recent advances in this exciting field and considers some of the basic lessons learned from the analysis of physics, chemistry, and biology of IDPs.
Forbidden waters: colonial intervention and the evolution of water supply in Benin City, Nigeria

The history of pipe-borne water supply in urban areas of Nigeria, such as Benin City, illustrates how critical decisions affecting land tenure, residential segregation, and public investment in water supply laid the foundations for present-day inequality. In cities across the world, millions lack access to potable water. Networked infrastructure does not change at the same pace as political leaders or discourse around development. Colonial government decisions made under prevailing ideologies impact present day-water systems. The purpose of this paper is to show how such choices marked the start of disparate and inadequate investments in piped water needed to serve a growing city. This is attempted through an exploration of two critical periods in the city’s history that affected subsequent public water provision—the introduction of piped water along the Ogba River leading to water rate protests that ended in 1939 and the commissioning of a new waterworks along the Ikpoba River in 1987. The colonial legacy of unequal distribution of services continued throughout the postcolonial period and into the present day, in which universal provision of basic services has not been achieved.
Genetic implications for major affective disorders.

This article reviews the current outcomes of twin, adoption, and family epidemiological studies. Psychlatric genetics research has made a major paradigm shift from epidemiology studies to molecular genetic research. The manner in which affective disorders are inherited continues to elude scientists. Nurses, in collaboration with patients, families and scientists, can facilitate the research process. Merging our professional caring with the biological research outcomes will assure our professional contribution in this expanding research and assist the affected persons from further stigmatization.
Use of B-type natriuretic peptide as a screening tool for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis patients without clinical cardiovascular disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting ~1% of the population.(1) Patients with RA have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including a two-fold increased risk of heart failure (HF) compared to the subjects without RA.(2) In addition, patients with RA and HF are more likely to have preserved ejection fraction compared to HF patients without RA, and the HF in RA patients is less likely to be preceded by CVD.(3)Furthermore, RA patients have a higher prevalence (31%) of any left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) compared to non-RA subjects (26%; age and sex adjusted).(4) Nonetheless, the prevalence of moderate/severe LVDD was similar in both groups (8% in RA compared to 11% in non-RA). Despite this, routine screening for LVDD in RA patients remains controversial due to expense and the lack of accurate screening tools, as well as efficacious therapies for LVDD. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is cardiovascular biomarker that is released primarily from the ventricles and the atrium in response to increases in volume or pressure.(5, 6) BNP is a useful adjunct to clinical assessment of patients with HF and has been suggested as a potential screening tool for LVDD in the general population.(7) However, the high false positive rate may lead to a high percentage of unnecessary echocardiograms. Indeed, using BNP to screen for LVDD would require echocardiograms in 12% of those screened, resulting in mostly negative echocardiograms (75%) and missing the majority (59%) of patients with LVDD. Further, whether it operates similarly in patients with RA is unknown. Indeed, few studies have examined the association between BNP and LVDD in patients with rheumatic disease. (8–10) The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of BNP as a screening tool for LVDD in RA patients and non-RA subjects without CVD.
Effects of variable permeability on aqueous humor outflow

Abstract All previous efforts to quantify the aqueous humor (AH) outflow resistance in the juxtacanalicular tissue (JCT) of the human eye have attempted to treat the tissue as a homogeneous porous material. In this study, we treat the JCT as a heterogeneous tissue with variable permeability. The variable permeability of each sub-region of the JCT is estimated from Quick-Freeze/Deep-Etch images using Karmen–Kozeny theory. Finite element simulations of the fluid flow using Darcy’s law are computed at a micron resolution using a parallel algebraic multigrid (AMG) algorithm. Analyzing strictly the JCT, the overall resistance of this tissue is increased by 35–68% when assuming variable permeability instead of a homogenous tissue. Further, the resistance increase associated with the inclusion of the IW is 2–5 fold greater with a heterogeneous tissue compared to a homogeneous tissue. Because cellular and extracellular structures become denser proximal to the inner wall (IW) endothelium, resistance to AH outflow in this region of the JCT and funneling effects created by pores of the IW become amplified. Overall, the resistance of the JCT/IW domain is under-predicted when treating the JCT as a homogeneous tissue.
Low-Dose Carcinogenicity Studies and Mechanisms

Abstract One of the major deficiencies of cancer risk assessments is the lack of low-dose carcinogenicity data. Most assessments require extrapolation from high to low doses, which is subject to various uncertainties. Only four low-dose carcinogenicity studies and five low-dose biomarker/pre-neoplastic studies have been performed. The four carcinogenicity studies involved exposures of 24,192 mice to two acetylaminofluorene, 4,080 rats to nitrosamines (NDMA and NDEA), 40,000 rainbow trout to dibenz[a,l]pyrene, and 20,00 trout to aflatoxin B1. The low-dose biomarker/pre-neoplastic studies involved exposure of 1,145 rats to MeIQx, 2,000 rats each to DEN or DMN, 1,920 rats to PhIP, and 50 rats to potassium bromate. In most cases there was some evidence for a threshold effect for the induction of cancer or biomarkers of cancer. However, absolute proof of a threshold effect for carcinogenicty could not be demonstrated unambiguously by any of the carcinogenicity studies due to the limited number of animals used....
Post-Divorce Adjustment of Black and White Single Parents

This study addressed the post-divorce adjustment of black and white single parents. It improved upon previous studies by assessing the adjustment of nationally-representative samples of black and white divorced parents, by focusing exclusively on divorced single parents, and by assessing adjustment in several life domains. The National Survey of Families and Households was used, with 486 white divorced parents and 126 black divorced parents in the sample. Results indicated that, as hypothesized, after controlling for socioeconomic status and time since divorce, black divorced parents were more satisfied with being parents than were white respondents, black females were less likely than white females to indicate that someone in the home had a substance abuse problem, and black males were more likely than other groups to be satisfied with their work both in and out of their homes. There were no significant racial differences on measures assessing depression, health, life satisfaction, and quality of life si...
Thermogravimetric study of the recovery of oxygen‐deficient superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−δ oxides in ambient oxygen

The oxides of oxygen‐deficient YBa2Cu3O7−δ with δ≂0.32 in both powder and chunk form were annealed in ambient oxygen to investigate the behavior of oxygen indiffusion. Thermogravimetric measurements were used to monitor in situ weight gain during the annealing at constant heating rates between room temperature and 580 °C. The temperature for achieving a definite oxygen stoichiometry changes with the heating rates, which were varied from 0.1 to 15 °C/min. By measuring the rate dependence, the activation energy of oxygen diffusion in the powder oxide was determined to be 1.25±0.05 eV, in good agreement with the value obtained by previous resistivity measurements. However, the activation energy obtained from the chunk oxide is higher, i.e., 1.52±0.06 eV. A longer diffusion distance in the chunk oxide which requires diffusion across grains might be responsible for this discrepancy.
UV‐absorbing compounds in the coral Pocillopora damicornis: Interactive effects of UV radiation, photosynthetically active radiation, and water flow

A direct relationship exists between irradiance of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and concentration of UV-absorbing compounds, know as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), in the Hawaiian reef coral Pocillopora damicornis. However, MAA concentration is also influenced by flow regime and the irradiance of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). High irradiances of UV radiation in reef environments are correlated with high PAR and high water velocity, because all three parameters diminish exponentially with increased depth. This correlation can also be found along horizontal gradients on reefs. The clearest water is typically found on outer reefs growing in oceanic water. These ocean reefs typically experience high water velocities due to ocean swell when compared to the more turbid lagoon reefs exposed only to small wind-driven waves. Flow-modulated photosynthetic rate seems to be a major factor affecting the observed changes in MAA concentration when P. damicornis is grown under different flow regimes and identical irradiances of UV and PAR radiation. High PAR and high water velocity significantly enhance the effect of increased UV radiation on MAA concentration.
Molecular mechanism of the antimicrobial action of pyocyanin

The mechanism by which pyocyanin inhibits bacterial growth was investigated. Several organisms possessing varying levels of superoxide dismutase were analyzed for their sensitivity to pyocyanin to test the possibility that reduced pyocyanin univalently reduces oxygen to superoxide, thus causing cell death. No correlation was found between the amount of superoxide dismutase possessed by an organism and resistance to pyocyanin. In addition, it was demonstrated that organisms growing anaerobically with nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor were as sensitive as, or more sensitive to the action of pyocyanin than organisms grown under aerobic conditions. We thus rule out the possibility that excess superoxide generation is the primary mechanism by which pyocyanin exerts its antibiotic effect. Oxygen electrode and radioisotope studies demonstrated that pyocyanin does inhibit bacterial respiration and active transport of solutes. Thus, it was concluded that the mechanism of action is the result of pyocyanin interacting with the cell membrane respiratory chain in such a way to render the cell unable to perform energy-requiring, membrane-bound metabolic processes such as active transport.
Sociobiology and Moral Discourse

In the intellectual lineage of sociobiology (understood as evolutionary social science), this article considers the place of moral discourse in the evolution of emergent systems for mediating behavior. Given that humans share molecular systems, reflex systems, drive systems, emotional systems, and cognitive systems with chimpanzees, why is it that human behavior is so radically different from chimpanzee behavior? The answer is that, unlike chimps, humans possess symbolic systems, empowering them to override chimplike default morality in favor of symbolically mediated moral codes. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the power of religious symbols to influence moral behavior by reprogramming emotional systems.
Physics: A cosmological life

Robert P. Crease weighs up two takes on Stephen Hawking — including the theoretical physicist's own.
The World, the Flesh, and the Devil: The Politics of Race, Gender, and Power in Post-Apocalyptic Hollywood Cinema

Ranald MacDougall's The World, the Flesh, and the Devil (1959) is a complex and ambitious film that combines the post-apocalyptic science fiction film, and the social problem or message film, to su...
The use of rational-emotive therapy techniques in the drug-free therapeutic community.

(1986). The Use of Rational-Emotive Therapy Techniques in the Drug-free Therapeutic Community. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs: Vol. 18, The Therapeutic Community: The Third Decade, pp. 261-266.
The existence ofd-polytopes whose facets have prescribed areas

Three positive numbersa(1),a(2),a(3) are the lengths of the sides of some triangle if, and only if,a(i1)+a(i2)<a(i3) for each permutationi 1, i2, i3 of 1,2,3. Here we extend this result to the areas of facets ofd-polytopes.
Pediatric rehabilitation: Defining a field, a focus, and a future

Pediatric rehabilitation is a collaborative endeavor. The collaborative nature of pediatric rehabilitation and a formal mechanism for communication among professionals are its defining characteristics. Multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary teams are three distinct arrangements of the collaborative disciplinary model. In this paper, we identify conditions and disabilities that clearly fall within the purview of pediatric rehabilitation. Some health conditions, biobehavioral disorders, and psychosocial/behavioral concerns may also appropriately receive attention from pediatric rehabilitation specialists when professionals from multiple disciplines collaborate. Research studies that identify potent characteristics of collaborative teams, barriers to team development, barriers to effective service delivery, and training needs of pediatric rehabilitation specialists are necessary. The “best practices” of pediatric rehabilitation will undoubtedly continue to evolve and must focus on assisting children with disabilities in achieving their highest potential.