cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The CT and MR imaging features of carcinoma arising in thyroglossal duct remnants.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Carcinoma arising in thyroglossal duct remnants is a well-described entity in the pathology and surgery literature, but it has little recognition in the radiology literature. Preoperative diagnosis may alter surgical management, although this diagnosis is rarely made. This study was undertaken to determine the radiologic features that might differentiate carcinoma from benign thyroglossal duct cysts. METHODS: Twenty-one cases of nonpediatric thyroglossal duct anomalies imaged at our institution during a 15-year period were reviewed retrospectively. The images were assessed for lesion wall thickness, enhancement, soft-tissue component, calcification, and loculation of the cystic component. Three additional cases of thyroglossal duct carcinoma obtained from outside institutions were reviewed for these features also. RESULTS: Six cases of thyroglossal duct carcinoma were reviewed. All cases of carcinoma had solid soft-tissue elements visible on CT scans or MR images, compared with three of 18 cases of benign thyroglossal duct cysts. The malignant component was seen as a small peripherally based mass in relation to a cyst, a solid mass in the expected course of the thyroglossal duct, or a complex invasive mass also in the midline of the neck. CT only revealed calcification in cases of carcinoma, within either the primary carcinoma mass or a metastatic node. CONCLUSION: Thyroglossal duct carcinoma should be suspected in an adult patient in the presence of a solid nodule or invasive features in association with a thyroglossal duct lesion visible on CT scans or MR images. The presence of calcification, which is seen best on CT scans, may be a specific marker for carcinoma.
Prevalence of serotypes of Xanthomonas maltophilia from world-wide sources.

Abstract Since its development in 1988, a serologic typing scheme for Xanthomonas maltophilia, based on 31 O antigens, has been successfully used to serotype isolates involved in nosocomial outbreaks in the United States. To determine if this serotyping scheme would be useful in typing X. maltophilia isolates from world-wide sources, we obtained additional isolates from 10 countries; of 900 isolates tested, 795 (88.3%) were typable. In order of predominance, the three most common serotypes were 10, 3 and 19. These three serotypes were most frequently associated with respiratory and blood isolates. This serotyping system is useful as an epidemiologic screening method for universal typing of outbreaks of X. maltophilia infections.
A human supervisory approach to modeling industrial scenes using geometric primitives

A three-dimensional world model is crucial for many robotic tasks. Modeling techniques tend to be either fully manual or autonomous. Manual methods are extremely time consuming but also highly accurate and flexible. Autonomous techniques are fast but inflexible and, with real-world data, often inaccurate. The method presented in this paper combines the two, yielding a highly efficient, flexible, and accurate mapping tool. The segmentation and modeling algorithms that compose the method are specifically designed for industrial environments, and are described in detail. A mapping system based on these algorithms has been designed. It enables a human supervisor to quickly construct a fully defined world model from unfiltered and unsegmented real-world range imagery. Examples of how industrial scenes are modeled with the mapping system are provided.
Computer Controlled Pulsed Pecvd Reactor for Laboratory Scale Deposition of Plasma Polymerized Thin Films

A pulsed PECVD reactor has been successfully constructed for laboratory scale studies of plasma polymerized thin films. A computer control system based on National Instrument’s LABVIEW software controls power supply sequence, feed injection, and introduction of RF energy. An optical fiber and a photo diode allow the user to monitor the emitted light for each pulse. A fast ionization gauge is used to characterize the pressure evolution over time, subsequent to acetylene gas injection. Substrates with diameter as large as 10 cm can be accommodated within the reactor. Both aniline liquid and acetylene gas have been used as reactor feed. The deposited plasma-polymerized films were characterized using AFM and SEM. Electrical conductivity of plasma polymerized acetylene film was also measured
Methods of meta-analysis: an analysis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To understand the principles of systematic reviewing and meta-analysis, using recent examples from the medical literature to highlight some of these points. RECENT FINDINGS The word 'meta-analysis' is an intimidating one, and its associated jargon makes it seem incomprehensible. Actually, it is only a mathematical maneuver to add up data in a systematic review; it might be better called 'meta-addition'. The systematic review is a process of using the best available evidence to answer a particular clinical question. Data combination (usually done with meta-analysis) increases the power to see small differences and makes a more precise estimate of a treatment effect. Its major drawback is heterogeneity (the proverbial problem of adding apples and oranges). Systematic reviews have been used by medical societies to create position statements. Such statements have suggested that parenteral nutrition is far less efficacious than previously believed. Systematic reviews in some areas of nutritional support have clarified type II errors. Problems exist, however, in a number of the published meta-analyses of aspects of this therapy. SUMMARY Especially in an era of resource restraint, we need to become more skilled at interpreting evidence from clinical research.
Mob-1, a Ras target gene, is overexpressed in colorectal cancer

Mutations in the ras oncogenes have been linked to many different cancers. In contrast to the extensive body of knowledge related to the genetics of ras activation, relatively little is known of the transcriptional events triggered by ras. In previous work we have used differential display to identify Mob-1, a member of alpha-chemokine family, as one of the immediate transcriptional targets following Ras activation. Here, we provide additional experimental evidence to support this finding by the use of an inducible H-ras expression system, the treatment of Ras farnesyl transferase inhibitor and activation of endogenous Ras by serum growth factors. We further demonstrate that IP-10, the human homolog of Mob-1, is overexpressed in the majority of colorectal cancers.
Improved Computation of Induced Drag for Wakes of Arbitrary Shape

In 1976, Blackwell provided a robust method for calculating the induced drag of an arbitrarily shaped wake at the Trefftz plane. However, to acheive an accuracy within one percent, the required discretization may exceed the number of panels that can be used in a typical vortex lattice method or panel method. Alternatively, a method given by Lundry fits a sine series to a set of loading points and obtains high accuracy by computing induced drag using the lifting-line theory formulation. Unfortunately, this is valid only for planar wakes. Therefore, the authors developed a hybrid method that uses Lundry’s method for sine series fitting to interpolate additional lifting elements to then use with Blackwell’s method for a general wake shape. The predictions from these three methods were compared for a prescribed loading and the hybrid method demonstrated significant improvement over Blackwell’s method. However, when the predictions were implemented following a loads calculation from an aerodynamics model, the improvement was reduced.
Toward Robotic Robbery on the Touch Screen

Despite the tremendous amount of research fronting the use of touch gestures as a mechanism of continuous authentication on smart phones, very little research has been conducted to evaluate how these systems could behave if attacked by sophisticated adversaries. In this article, we present two Lego-driven robotic attacks on touch-based authentication: a population statistics--driven attack and a user-tailored attack. The population statistics--driven attack is based on patterns gleaned from a large population of users, whereas the user-tailored attack is launched based on samples stolen from the victim. Both attacks are launched by a Lego robot that is trained on how to swipe on the touch screen. Using seven verification algorithms and a large dataset of users, we show that the attacks cause the system’s mean false acceptance rate (FAR) to increase by up to fivefold relative to the mean FAR seen under the standard zero-effort impostor attack. The article demonstrates the threat that robots pose to touch-based authentication and provides compelling evidence as to why the zero-effort attack should cease to be used as the benchmark for touch-based authentication systems.
Hemodynamic effects of alpha-adrenergic blockade during hypoxia in fetal sheep

During hypoxemia there is a redistribution of cardiac output in the sheep fetus associated with increased vascular resistance in some fetal organs. The role of the alpha-adrenergic blocking drug to eight chronically instrumented hypoxemic sheep fetuses. We measured arterial blood pressure and heart rate, determined cardiac output and organ blood flows by means of radionuclide-labeled microspheres, and calculated vascular resistances in fetuses before and during hypoxia, and after injection of phenoxybenzamine 15 mg into the inferior vena cava of the hypoxemic fetus. Hypoxemia resulted in an increased vascular resistance in certain vascular beds. Alpha-adrenergic blockade during hypoxia abolished the increase in vascular resistance of the fetal body and caused an increase in the blood flow to some tissues which had a hypoxia-induced vasoconstriction. After alpha-adrenergic blockade during hypoxia, mean arterial blood pressure decreased from 48 +/- 6 to 42 +/- 6 mm Hg (p less than 0.05) and heart rate increased from 128 +/- 19 to 235 +/- 51 beats per minute (p less than 0.001). Cardiac output increased 23% and blood flow to the brain was maintained. We conclude that the alpha-adrenergic system is important in maintaining the redistribution of cardiac output that occurs in hypoxic fetal sheep.
Freshman Engineering Students At-Risk of Non-Matriculation: Self-Efficacy for Academic Learning.

Students identified as at-risk of non-academic continuation have a propensity toward lower academic self-efficacy than their peers (Lent, 2005). Within engineering, self-efficacy and confidence are major markers of university continuation and success (Lourens, 2014 Raelin, et al., 2014). This study explored academic learning self-efficacy specific to first-year engineering students with at-risk indicators. The at-risk determination was made through trajectory to matriculate, classified by cumulative grade point average of academic studies. An adapted version of the Self-efficacy for Learning (SEL) scale, modified by Klobas, Renzi and Nigrelli (2007), was administered to freshman engineering students identified at-risk and not at-risk of matriculation. Internal consistency of the SEL was analyzed and once deemed satisfactory (Cronbach alpha = .94), item-level outcome comparisons between student subgroups were made for each of the 22 instrument items.
New measures to capture end of life concerns in Huntington disease: Meaning and Purpose and Concern with Death and Dying from HDQLIFE (a patient-reported outcomes measurement system)

Purpose Huntington disease (HD) is an incurable terminal disease. Thus, end of life (EOL) concerns are common in these individuals. A quantitative measure of EOL concerns in HD would enable a better understanding of how these concerns impact health-related quality of life. Therefore, we developed new measures of EOL for use in HD.
Quantifying Striped Bass ( Morone saxatilis ) Dependence on Saltmarsh-Derived Productivity Using Stable Isotope Analysis

Each winter, populations of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) migrate north from the coastal mid-Atlantic region of the US to the coastal waters of New England. During this migration, striped bass spend significant time in estuaries and saltmarshes, presumably to forage. However, the extent to which saltmarsh productivity supports striped bass remains unresolved. We used a three-isotope Bayesian mixing model to determine the relative contribution of three primary producers [C4 saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina spp.), phytoplankton, and benthic diatoms] to striped bass tissue. Phytoplankton (51 % contribution) and Spartina-derived sources (44 % contribution) are the primary sources of production to striped bass, while benthic diatoms made a relatively small contribution (5 %). Our results highlight the importance of saltmarshes to striped bass by showing that primary producers unique to saltmarsh ecosystems support a large proportion of striped bass production.
Effect of Plasmatic Procoagulant Factors in Thrombin Generation Parameters in a Platelet-Poor Plasma Model System.

Abstract The evolution of the thrombin generation (TG) concept and the recent technical advances in automated TG measurement have made its clinical utility practical but the clinical relevance of all parameters thrombin generation provided still remain unclear. In the current study we investigated effects of various procoagulant plasmatic factors in the TG parameters, such as rate, peak, lag time and area under the curve (AUC), in a platelet poor plasma model system using the calibrated automated thrombography (CAT). The plasma model system was made by mixing well-characterized commercial normal pooled human plasma with plasmas that are deficient in various procoagulant factors (factor VIII, IX, II, X, V and VII) to reach factor levels between
A Bird in the Hand: Aesthetics and Capital in the Anthology Poetry After 9/11

This essay considers Dennis Loy Johnson’s and Valerie Merians’s anthology Poetry After 9/11 as a collection of poems that both confronts and takes comfort in the literary aftermath of 9/11 as the greatest terrorist attack on American soil. Cleary focuses his discussion on poems by Miranda Beeson and Vicki Hudspith, both of whom chose to embody their “perpetual and impactful” meanings of 9/11 in complementary metaphors for tragedy, its corollaries, and its consequences. In so doing, both poets attempt to draw an aesthetic experience out of their reactions to 9/11, and they ultimately discover that the capital necessary for such experiences—cultural for Beeson and human for Hudspith—lends itself to rereadings and misreadings of 9/11 as both an historical event and the source of a possible, perhaps even hoped for, aesthetic of the tragedy.
Studies on the technique of vitreous fluorophotometry

We examined, the sources of artifacts of vitreous fluorophotometry (VF), a technique used to assess the permeahility of the hlood-retinal harrier. By performing in vitro measurements in a model eye and in vivo readings in humans, we investigated the influence of various concentrations offluorescein in the anterior chamber and in the retina on the measurements performed in the vitreous. Upper limits for the artifactual effects are set under clinical conditions, and a way to account for them is proposed. Special attention is given to depth resolution, which was investigated as a function of the region being scanned, the beam width, and the probe size. Further, preliminary results indicate that a procedure to account for light attenuation by the lens is feasible. It appears that reliable quantitative results can be obtained by VF, provided, that the artifacts are acknowledged, minimized, and corrected. (INVEST OPHTHALMOL VIS Sci 22:668-674, 1982.)
Entropy and Independence

As Chapters 2 and 8 illustrate, the basic dichotomy between weak mixing and compactness for p.m.p. actions can be expressed not only using the probabilistic notion of independence and its representation-theoretic translation as orthogonality in the case that two sets are at play, but also through the combinatorial notion of independence, which connects it in a precise technical way to a corresponding theory of tameness and weak mixing in topological dynamics. From each of these viewpoints the concept of weak mixing can be formulated as asymptotic independence along a sequence of group elements, and so the dichotomy with compactness can be seen as one of infiniteness versus finiteness. In the combinatorial set-up, weak mixing reduces precisely to the question of whether or not independence occurs across an infinite subset of the group as it acts on tuples of sets.
The Birth and Maturation of Chemokines and Their Receptors

Chemokines were initially discovered in the context of inflammatory pathologies and were the curiosity of a limited number of researchers. Receptors for these cytokine molecules were identified shortly thereafter and determined to be members of the large G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. Collectively, these basic observations provided a framework to understand mechanisms by which leukocyte subsets could migrate into tissues in a specific manner. Nonetheless, as the field evolved, so came a realization of the broader impact of this family on diverse biological processes, which include the regulation of leukocyte trafficking in hematopoiesis, innate and adaptive immunity, angiogenesis, cancer, and viral pathogenesis. We begin this volume with an overview of research on chemokines and their receptors and then subsequently migrate into a brief discussion of key findings that defined the maturation of this field. As members of the GPCR superfamily have historically dominated drug development programs, so too has interest in chemokine receptors as therapeutic targets.
Exsolution and crystal chemistry of the sodium mica wonesite

Transmission electron microscopy; wonesite from the Post Pond Volcanics, Vermont. A new method of deriving the chemical compositions of the phases in fine lamellar intergrowths from electron microscope X-ray analyses is described. The method, which utilizes the bulk chemical analysis of the intergrowth as a standard, is used to derive the chemical compositions of the intergrown talc and mica. The exsolution of wonesite provides a structural analogy for amphibole exsolution phenomena that involve the amphibole A-site.--Modified journal abstract.
On the Use of ISO 10110-8 for Specification of Optical Surfaces with Mid-Spatial Frequency Errors

The ISO 10110 standard describes preparation of drawings for optical components, with Part 8 specifying surface texture requirements. We present examples showing ISO 10110-8 is insufficient for specifying components with residual mid-spatial frequency surface errors.
Tools for Treating Behavior Problems in Young Latino Children

Behavior problems in very young children including aggression, property destruction, self-injury, hyperactivity, and noncompliance are common. Research has shown that 50% of children with moderate behavior problems, without intervention, will continue to have behavioral difficulties well into their school years when they are more intractable to treat. Consequently, early intervention is necessary, and providing evidence-based programs tailored to treat such issues in very young children is important. This is especially true for a diverse population of children living in poverty, including Latino children, where early behavior problems are even more prevalent. This chapter describes the Early Pathways Program, a culturally adapted, home-based mental health program for young children with behavior problems. Eight in-home sessions are included to help parents better understand and manage their young children’s behavior problems. This chapter also includes measures to assess program outcomes and several parent handouts in Spanish that are used throughout the intervention.
Finding the “right” answers for customers

This talk will present a few NLG systems developed within Thomson Reuters providing information to professionals such as lawyers, accountants or traders. Based on the experience developing these system, I will discuss the usefulness of automatic metrics, crowd-sourced evaluation, corpora studies and expert reviews. I will conclude with exploring the question of whether developers of NLG systems need to follow ethical guidelines and how those guidelines could be established.
Stress concentration around a cylindrical cavity in a bone treated as a poroelastic body

Two-phase poroelastic material is taken as a model of a living bone in the sense that the osseous tissue is treated as a linear isotropic perfectly elastic solid, and the fluid substances filling the pores as a Newtonian viscous fluid. Using Biot equations, derived in his consolidation theory, and assuming a plane state of strain governing equations involving fluid excess pressure and the stress function are derived. Laplace transform technique enables one to find explicit solutions for stresses. It is found that under a constant external load the bone element starts to creep, so that the viscoelastic properties of the adopted bone model seem to be in agreement with the experimental findings ofSedlin.
Hormonal Domains of Response: Actions of Glucocorticoid and Thyroid Hormones in Regulating Pleiotropic Responses in Cultured Cells

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pleiotropic responses of thyroid and glucocorticoid hormones in cultured hepatoma cells (H35 and HTC) and cultured anterior pituitary cells (GH3). Both hormones influence a limited and highly specific domain in each cell type. Approximately 1% or less of the detected gene products are affected by each hormone. Evidence presents that there is only a very limited overlap in the glucocorticoid domains of HTC and H35 cells, as only tyrosine amino-transferase is induced by dexamethasone in both cell types. There can be heterogenity in glucocorticoid domains among parenchymal cells from livers of the same strain of rats. Alternatively, differences in the levels of expression of domain members or transformation-dependent influences on the glucocorticoid domains of different cell lines can account for these results. In addition, the glucocorticoid hormone domains between GH3 and either HTC or H35 cells are almost completely non-identical. Overlap between the glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone domains has been demonstrated in GH3 cells. The two hormones can regulate the same gene product in one of three ways: conduction, co-repression, or induction by one hormone and repression by the other. Both glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones are capable of inducing and repressing individual domain members.
Characterization of Biological Polymers by Laser Raman Scattering

From Raman scattering we can measure certain vibrational frequencies of biological polymers, many of which cannot be obtained from infrared spectroscopy because of selection rules, intensity differences, or interference from solvent bands. The frequencies can be used to determine force fields of the polymers, and various spectral features can be used to perform structural studies on the polymers.
Hearing loss as the initial presentation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare type of spongiform encephalopathy. Affected patients present with constitutional symptoms, which progress to severe mental deterioration and movement disorders. ...
Variations in Trabeculectomy and Glaucoma Drainage Device Use for the Treatment of Glaucoma in the United States

Purpose To estimate geographic variations and surgeon and patient characteristics associated with the use of trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage devices (GDDs) to treat glaucoma among US Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries. Design Observational cohort study of a Medicare claims database. Participants US Medicare Part B FFS patients (age ≥65 years) and their glaucoma surgeons. Methods Analysis of Limited Data Set claims for the 5% sample from Medicare Provider and Utilization and Payment Data was used to identify trabeculectomy and GDD claims with diagnosis codes for patients treated in the United States from January 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015. The number of patients who underwent trabeculectomy or GDD placement was calculated for each US census region. Regional variations were evaluated with the extremal quotient. Multivariate binomial logistic regression was performed to analyze surgeon (career stage and sex), patient (age, race, sex, and ICD-9-CM diagnosis code), and regional characteristics associated with trabeculectomy and GDD placement. Main Outcome Measures Rates of trabeculectomy and GDD placement performed for Medicare Part B FFS patients by US census region. Results From January 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015, the odds that patients received trabeculectomy versus GGD placement varied by region. Patients in the South (odds ratio [OR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.74–2.66; P Conclusions High regional variation in trabeculectomy and GDD placement was observed. Placement of a GDD was more likely to be performed in the South. Placement of a GDD was more likely in African American patients and patients with glaucoma associated with vascular disorders, and was more likely performed by early-career surgeons.
Determining clinical significance in repeated laboratory measurements. The "Clinical Delta Range".

A study of healthy subjects was conducted at the University of Florida wherein 52 routine clinical laboratory procedures were measured during normal operation of the clinical laboratories. The goal of the study was to quantify nonsignificant personal variation for a number of laboratory procedures referred to as a “Clinical Delta Range.” which results from taking several samples per day, several days during the week. Results of the statistical test of hypotheses are given together with summary statistics for the 52 different laboratory procedures. A discussion of the model and testing methods are provided. Further, examples are given to illustrate the methodology and certain limitations associated with the concept of a Clinical Delta Range.
Caring for and assessing pediatric patients: Aspects to consider as a pharmacy practitioner.

Purpose Pharmacists care for patients of all ages. Pediatric patients are not smaller versions of adults; thus, they provide a unique challenge to pharmacists. Basic components of patient assessment and considerations for medication dosing and administration for pediatric patients are reviewed here. Summary Each pediatric patient is different, and physiological changes occur as a patient ages. Growth, vital signs, and laboratory tests are common assessments for all patients. However, there are unique factors to consider within the pediatric population, and a pharmacist must understand how to assess and interpret these data for pediatric patients of all ages. Additionally, individualized medication dosing is based on patient factors such as age, weight, or body surface area in this population. Key information about the administration of medications and understanding of dosage formulations for this patient population is an area where pharmacists can make recommendations to prescribers and counsel patients and caregivers in order to improve patient outcomes and increase adherence. Conclusion Patient assessment by the pharmacist is a key step in developing a patient treatment plan. Assessment factors in the pediatric population can differ from those in the adult population. A working knowledge of differences within the pediatric population and understanding how to assess them is essential for providing optimal patient care to this population.
A Methodological Approach to Weaponizing Machine Learning

The current literature is replete with studies involving the use of machine learning algorithms for defensive security implementations. For example, machine learning has been utilized to enhance antivirus software and intrusion detection systems. The use of machine learning in defensive cybersecurity operations is well documented. However, there is a substantial gap in the literature on the offensive use of machine learning. Particularly, use of machine learning algorithms to enhance cyber warfare operations. Cyber components to modern conflicts, whether those conflicts are cyber or kinetic warfare, are a fact of the modern international political landscape. It is a natural progression to explore applications of machine learning to cyber warfare, particularly weaponized malware.
The Intersectionality of Race and Trajectories of African Women into the Nursing Career in the United States.

This paper uses narratives of Malawian-born registered nurses working in the United States to capture pathways through which African women are entering the nursing profession. The paper highlights how race, immigrant status and language acts as potential sources of discrimination within the nursing profession. The paper utilizes intersectionality as a feminist framework that places black women’s experiences at the center of analysis to capture the multidimensionality of their experiences. The qualitative study highlights the multiple pathways through which African immigrant women enter the nursing profession and how being African, immigrant female nurses predisposes them to discrimination in their interactions with employment institutions and patients. Focusing on African women’s experiences as recent immigrants enriches the global migration narrative and helps contextualize the intersectionality of race, gender and discrimination within particular contexts.
Experimental study of substrate roughness on the local glass transition of polystyrene

Numerous computer simulations have shown that local dynamics associated with the glass transition can be slower next to rough interfaces compared with smooth interfaces. Even though the impact of surface roughness has been frequently considered computationally and theoretically, almost no experimental studies exist investigating these effects. Using a hydrogen fluoride vapor treatment, we created silica substrates with an increase in roughness that left the surface chemistry unchanged. The local glass transition temperature Tg near silica substrates with an increase in roughness was measured using fluorescence, finding an increase in local Tg of 10 K with an increase in the root-mean-square roughness Rrms from 0.5 nm to 11 nm. Characterization of the substrate roughness needed to create an experimental change in local Tg was found to be quite large, leaving the mechanism for this observed behavior uncertain. We discuss possible causes associated with polymer chains being more readily able to make surface contacts and adsorb to roughened interfaces.
Minority Stressors and Identity Affirmation as Predictors of Condomless Sex Among Self-Identified Bisexual Men: The Role of Partner Gender

Bisexual men are at increased risk for HIV/STI and early pregnancy involvement compared to heterosexual men, and minority stressors (e.g., enacted and internalized stigma) are associated with sexual risk behavior in samples of gay and bisexual men. However, few studies have specifically focused on bisexual men, and little is known about the unique predictors of sexual risk behavior in this population. Further, few studies have focused on positive sexual orientation-related factors such as identity affirmation, which may be protective against sexual risk behavior. As such, the goals of the current study were to examine minority stressors and identity affirmation as predictors of condomless sex among self-identified bisexual men, and whether these associations differed as a function of partner gender. We used four waves of data spanning 24 months from a subset of self-identified bisexual men in a larger cohort of gay and bisexual men ages 16–29 years at enrollment. At each wave, participants reported on up to four partners, allowing us to examine within-person associations. We used mixed effects negative binomial models to examine the associations between our predictors (discrimination, internalized binegativity, and identity affirmation) and condomless sex acts. In addition, we tested whether partner gender moderated each of the associations by including interaction effects in each of the models. Results indicated that higher levels of internalized binegativity and lower levels of identity affirmation were associated with less condomless sex with female partners, but they were not associated with condomless sex with male partners. Discrimination was not associated with condomless sex with male or female partners. These findings suggest that predictors of condom use among self-identified bisexual men differ as a function of partner gender, and they highlight the need to identify strategies to promote sexual health while also supporting positive identity development in this population.
Prospecting for molecular glues.

Two recent studies identified CDK12 inhibitors that bind to CDK12–cyclin K complexes and act as molecular glues to stabilize an interaction with the ubiquitin ligase CUL4–DDB1, leading to cyclin K degradation.
The next generation air transportation system of the united states: Vision, accomplishments, and future directions

Abstract To address concerns about anticipated increases in air traffic, leverage the capabilities of new technologies to enhance service, and accommodate new classes of airspace users, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and its partners embarked on a modernization effort known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. NextGen encompasses a wide-range of improvements in communications, navigation, surveillance, and Air Traffic Management (ATM) automation systems. NextGen also includes many procedural improvements to leverage new technologies and advances in the science of ATM. This article describes the vision for NextGen, discusses the planning framework (including the business case for the investments), enumerates the major implementations to date, and describes the implementation challenges. Finally, the article discusses the future direction of NextGen.
Pacemaker use for the treatment of reflex-mediated syncope: 40-year experience at a single paediatric institution.

INTRODUCTION Reflex-mediated syncope occurs in 15% of children and young adults. In rare instances, pacemakers are required to treat syncopal episodes associated with transient sinus pauses or atrioventricular block. This study describes a single centre experience in the use of permanent pacemakers to treat syncope in children and young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients with significant pre-syncope or syncope and pacemaker implantation from 1978 to 2018 were reviewed. Data collected included the age of presentation, method of diagnosis, underlying rhythm disturbance, age at implant, type of pacemaker implanted, procedural complications and subsequent symptoms. RESULTS Fifty patients were identified. Median age at time of the first syncopal episode was 10.2 (range 0.3-20.4) years, with a median implant age of 14.9 (0.9-34.3) years. Significant sinus bradycardia/pauses were the predominant reason for pacemaker implant (54%), followed by high-grade atrioventricular block (30%). Four (8%) patients had both sinus pauses and atrioventricular block documented. The majority of patients had dual-chamber pacemakers implanted (58%), followed by ventricular pacemakers (38%). Median follow-up was 6.7 (0.4-33.0) years. Post-implant, 4 (8%) patients continued to have syncope, 7 (14%) had complete resolution of their symptoms, and the remaining reported a decrease in their pre-syncopal episodes and no further syncope. Twelve (24%) patients had complications, including two infections and eight lead malfunctions. CONCLUSIONS Paediatric patients with reflex-mediated syncope can be treated with pacing. Complication rates are high (24%); as such, permanent pacemakers should be reserved only for those in whom asystole from sinus pauses or atrioventricular block has been well documented.
Encoding Taste: From Receptors to Perception.

Taste information is encoded in the gustatory nervous system much as in other sensory systems, with notable exceptions. The concept of adequate stimulus is common to all sensory modalities, from somatosensory to auditory, visual, and so forth. That is, sensory cells normally respond only to one particular form of stimulation, the adequate stimulus, such as photons (photoreceptors in the visual system), odors (olfactory sensory neurons in the olfactory system), noxious heat (nociceptors in the somatosensory system), etc. Peripheral sensory receptors transduce the stimulus into membrane potential changes transmitted to the brain in the form of trains of action potentials. How information concerning different aspects of the stimulus such as quality, intensity, and duration are encoded in the trains of action potentials is hotly debated in the field of taste. At one extreme is the notion of labeled line/spatial coding – information for each different taste quality (sweet, salty, sour, etc.) is transmitted along a parallel but separate series of neurons (a “line”) that project to focal clusters (“spaces”) of neurons in the gustatory cortex. These clusters are distinct for each taste quality. Opposing this are concepts of population/combinatorial coding and temporal coding, where taste information is encrypted by groups of neurons (circuits) and patterns of impulses within these neuronal circuits. Key to population/combinatorial and temporal coding is that impulse activity in an individual neuron does not provide unambiguous information about the taste stimulus. Only populations of neurons and their impulse firing pattern yield that information.
Single-resonator dual-frequency AIN-on-Si MEMS oscillators

This paper reports on the design, implementation, and phase-noise optimization of low-power interface IC for dual-frequency oscillators that utilize two high quality factor (Q) width-extensional bulk acoustic modes of the same AlN-on-silicon resonator. Two 0.5-μm CMOS transimpedance amplifiers (TIA) have been designed, characterized, and interfaced with two dual-mode resonators operating at 35.5/105.7 MHz (first/third order modes) and 35.5/174.9 MHz (first/ fifth order modes). One TIA uses open-loop regulated cascode (RGC) topology in the first stage to enable low power operation, whereas the second one uses an inverter with shunt-shunt feedback to deliver higher gain with lower phase noise. An on-chip switching network is incorporated into each TIA to change the oscillation frequency based on the different phase shift. The effect of TIA on the phase-noise performance of oscillators is studied and compared for both topologies. The measured phase noise of low- and high-frequency modes at 1 kHz offset from carrier are −114 and −108 dBc/Hz for the 35/105 MHz oscillator, and −108 and −105 dBc/Hz for the 35/175 MHz oscillator, respectively, whereas the far-from-carrier reaches below −140 dBc/Hz in all cases.
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The processing and formulation (dosage form) of a drug may affect important pharmaceutical propertie…
Expanded-spectrum nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors inhibit clinically relevant mutant variants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1

A research program targeted toward the identification of expanded-spectrum nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors which possess increased potency toward K103N-containing mutant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and which maintain pharmacokinetics consistent with once-a-day dosing has resulted in the identification of the 4-cyclopropylalkynyl-4-trifluoromethyl-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)quinazolinones DPC 961 and DPC 963 and the 4-cyclopropylalkenyl-4-trifluoromethyl-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)quinazolinones DPC 082 and DPC 083 for clinical development. DPC 961, DPC 963, DPC 082, and DPC 083 all exhibit low-nanomolar potency toward wild-type virus, K103N and L100I single-mutation variants, and many multiply amino acid-substituted HIV type 1 mutants. This high degree of potency is combined with a high degree of oral bioavailability, as demonstrated in rhesus monkeys and chimpanzees, and with plasma serum protein binding that can result in significant free levels of drug.
Spatially Restricted Increase in Polysialic Acid Enhances Corticospinal Axon Branching Related to Target Recognition and Innervation

The polysialic acid (PSA) modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) has been shown to alter the responses of developing axons to their environment. We have studied the potential role of PSA in regulating the innervation of the spinal cord by corticospinal axons, which occurs by a delayed formation of collateral branches from the parent axons. Developmental changes in the distribution of PSA were examined immuno-histochemically using light and electron microscopy. Whereas NCAM is distributed along the entire pathway of rat corticospinal axons as they grow from the cortex to the spinal cord, PSA-modified NCAM does not become evident until later. When PSA becomes evident, it is restricted to the distal segment of these axons from the caudal hindbrain through the spinal cord. The increase in PSA on corticospinal axons coincides with the time that they begin to form collateral branches in the spinal cord. This unique spatiotemporal distribution of PSA suggests its involvement in corticospinal axon branching. To test this hypothesis, PSA was selectively removed by an in vivo injection of endoneuraminidase N. This treatment did not seem to interfere with the pathfinding of corticospinal axons; however, PSA removal delayed the onset of collateral branching by corticospinal axons within the spinal cord and later diminished the magnitude of branching. These findings indicate a role for PSA in the regulation of interstitial axon branching, a crucial step in the process of target recognition and innervation by corticospinal axons.
MBE growth of high conductivity single and multiple AlN/GaN heterojunctions

Abstract Record-low sheet-resistance of ∼ 128 Ω / sq have been obtained in two-dimensional electron gases at ultrathin single AlN/GaN heterojunctions by optimizing the metal fluxes used in molecular beam epitaxy growth. Multiple 2DEGs have been found in AlN/GaN superlattices, with the net electron density measured > 1 × 10 14 cm − 2 at room temperature. This very high electron density also leads to a further lowering of sheet resistance to values far below what is achievable in single nitride heterojunctions. These low resistance channels are induced entirely by polarization in nominally undoped heterostructures, and are attractive for various device applications such as high speed transistors and intersubband detectors.
Effects of Vapors of Aromatic Chemicals on Fungi

The in vitro antifungal properties of the vapors of 196 aromatic chemicals were tested against growing cultures of four fungi. The data presented indicate that 63 per cent of the vapors inhibited the growth of at least one of the test organisms. Phoma betae was found to be the most vulnerable. In general, the vapors of the groups of chemicals were found to possess the following order of decreasing antifungal activity: acids, aldehydes, alcohols, ethers, miscellaneous, ketones, esters, lactones, and acetals.
Techniques for Virtual Stenting of Intracranial Aneurysms

Intracranial aneurysms are pathological dilations of the arteries in the brain, whose rupture is often fatal. Surgery and endovascular embolization are the two most common methods of treatment. Surgery involves opening a portion of the skull and placing metallic clips at the aneurysm neck thereby preventing blood flow into the aneurysm. In the case of embolization, a catheter is used to pack platinum coils in the aneurysm reducing the inflow and promoting thrombus formation. Due to its less invasive approach endovascular embolization is preferred over surgery. Nevertheless this approach also has some serious aftereffects. Coil compaction followed by the re-growth or the formation of the secondary aneurysm is the most common problem. The endovascular embolization approach also has a serious shortcoming that the coils alone cannot be used to block every type of aneurysm. Wide neck or fusiform aneurysms are coiled with the help of stents. Recent studies show that stent, which is a hollow cylindrical mesh, can be successfully used to limit the flow of blood into the aneurysm. However these studies have been conducted using idealized in-vitro and numerical models. Studies conducted using patient-specific models generated from medical images will provide a more realistic approach to computationally investigate the effects of stents on intra-aneurysmal flow patterns. However generation of computational grids inside the parent vessel and around these stents is a challenging task. In this paper an algorithm to map the stent to a patient-specific vascular model and an adaptive unstructured embedded gridding technique to model flow around stents are presented. Finally these techniques are demonstrated on patient-specific cases to prove their feasibility.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
ETHICS FOR THE WEEKENDS: THE CASE OF RESERVISTS

Abstract This essay argues that a military's reserve force occupies an important and overlooked ethical position. It shows that, among other things, reservists pose special challenges to virtue ethics accounts of military personnel, an understanding of the relationship between a government and its military, as well as standard questions about jus in bello.
Initial Coupling of Binding to Gating Mediated by Conserved Residues in the Muscle Nicotinic Receptor

We examined functional consequences of intrasubunit contacts in the nicotinic receptor α subunit using single channel kinetic analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, and structural modeling. At the periphery of the ACh binding site, our structural model shows that side chains of the conserved residues αK145, αD200, and αY190 converge to form putative electrostatic interactions. Structurally conservative mutations of each residue profoundly impair gating of the receptor channel, primarily by slowing the rate of channel opening. The combined mutations αD200N and αK145Q impair channel gating to the same extent as either single mutation, while αK145E counteracts the impaired gating due to αD200K, further suggesting electrostatic interaction between these residues. Interpreted in light of the crystal structure of acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) with bound carbamylcholine (CCh), the results suggest in the absence of ACh, αK145 and αD200 form a salt bridge associated with the closed state of the channel. When ACh binds, αY190 moves toward the center of the binding cleft to stabilize the agonist, and its aromatic hydroxyl group approaches αK145, which in turn loosens its contact with αD200. The positional changes of αK145 and αD200 are proposed to initiate the cascade of perturbations that opens the receptor channel: the first perturbation is of β-strand 7, which harbors αK145 and is part of the signature Cys-loop, and the second is of β-strand 10, which harbors αD200 and connects to the M1 domain. Thus, interplay between these three conserved residues relays the initial conformational change from the ACh binding site toward the ion channel.
Mössbauer spectroscopy of iron compounds found in West Virginia coals

Abstract Mossbauer measurements were carried out in several coal samples from various seams in West Virginia. The presence of iron pyrite and iron (II) sulphate was observed in all the samples studied. The two different mineral compounds were clearly identified from their isomer shift and quadrupole splitting, and the Mossbauer spectral area was used to determine their amounts. This method is recommended as a complementary technique for the measurement of the amount of sulphur bonded to iron in coals. No evidence of organically bound iron in coal was found for more than forty different samples analysed. Using the Mossbauer effect, unequivocal evidence of the formation of a new mineral species during the low-temperature ashing process was found.