cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen evolution by cobalt tetraimine catalysts adsorbed on electrode surfaces

Aryl-substituted tetraimine complexes related to Co(dmgBF2)2(MeCN)2 (dmg = dimethylglyoxime) were synthesized and are active for hydrogen evolution. Co(dmgBF2)2(MeCN)2 can be adsorbed to a glassy carbon electrode. The chemically modified electrode is active for hydrogen evolution in aqueous solution at pH < 4.5, with an overpotential of only 100 mV.
Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast: a series of 24 patients.

: Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) is a benign mesenchymal proliferative lesion of the breast. In 2005, only 109 cases had been reported since its initial description in 1986 by Vuitch et al. Our 24 cases represent one of the largest series to be reported from a single institution. We retrospectively reviewed data from 2004 to 2010 of patients diagnosed with PASH by surgical excision or image-guided biopsy. All pathological specimens were reviewed by a single pathologist. The samples were stained for estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR), CD34, and the lymphatic marker D2-40. All but one of 24 (96%) patients presented with breast masses either on imaging or clinically. Fourteen of the 24 patients (58%) were diagnosed on surgical excision, 10 (42%) diagnosed with core needle biopsy, and five (20%) were diagnosed using both techniques. The tumors ranged in size from 0.3 cm to 7.0 cm. All women except two were premenopausal or perimenopausal at diagnosis. Nineteen samples were available for hormonal receptor staining and of these 18 of 19 (95%) were ER or PR positive. PASH was diagnosed in two men, a transgender male on hormones and the other with gynecomastia. The patients’ ages ranged from 18 to 86 years old. In addition to PASH other benign histopathological findings include stromal fibrosis and atypical ductal or lobular hyperplasia. Imaging revealed no distinguishing feature for PASH with benign histology. One patient had synchronous ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS). Patients were treated with local excision or observation. This study suggests that PASH is primarily a diagnosis of premenopausal and perimenopausal women. Our series supports a hormonal basis for its development due to the positive staining for hormonal receptors. Management is conservative surgery for larger masses with careful observation being an option in patients not at high risk for breast cancer.
Factors Associated with the Development of Nonmetropolitan Growth Nodes in Producer Services Industries, 1980–1990*

Over the 1980-1990 period, employment in producer services industries in the nonmetropolitan United States increased substantially. This growth resulted in the development of nonmetropolitan growth nodes in producer services industries. A growth node refers to a nonmetropolitan area that contains a greater than average concentration of employment in a particular industry sector relative to other nonmetropolitan areas. Moreover, this industry concentration not only increases over time, but also represents an important source of employment growth within the area. With nonmetropolitan counties as the spatial unit of analysis, 317 growth nodes in producer services industries are identified for the 1980-1990 period. Access to workers with clerical and administrative support skills, access to highly educated workers, higher earnings per employed worker, access to recreational amenities, and proximity to metropolitan areas were associated with the development of nonmetropolitan growth nodes in producer services industries during this period.
No Race in Any Direction: State Welfare and Income Regimes

This paper has two objectives. First, we examine state adoption and implementation of income support policies under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. We develop a composite measure of income support that includes welfare programs that scholars traditionally investigate and adds optional policies that encourage independence through work. Second, we engage a substantive focus on the administrative ability and willingness of states to adopt and implement sophisticated income support policies. We investigate the extent to which state government professionalism, ideology, economic resources, and racially based policies have shaped state policy. We find that the percentage of the state population is liberal; state racial demographics and governmental professionalism are critical determinants of state welfare and income support regimes. Significantly, we find no evidence that states are converging toward high-quality, effectively financed welfare policies or income regime policies to help the poor move into and economically survive in the job market.
Time-domain receiver design for MIMO underwater acoustic communications

In this paper, we propose a time-domain receiver design scheme for high data rate single carrier multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) underwater acoustic communications. In this scheme, each received packet is artificially partitioned into blocks for processing. The MIMO channel is initially estimated using training blocks at the front of transmitted packets from all transducers. With the estimated MIMO channel, one data block following the training blocks is equalized. The phase rotation in the equalized data block is compensated by a group-wise phase correction operation, before symbol detection. The newly detected data block along with K - 1 previous data (or pilot) blocks are utilized to re-estimate the channel, which is employed to equalize the next new data block. The block-wise processing procedure is repeated until all blocks in the received packet are processed and demodulated. The proposed receiver scheme is tested with MakaiEx05 experimental data measured at Kauai, Hawaii, in September 2005. Processing results show that it works effectively with 2 times 8 BPSK, QPSK and 8PSK transmissions at the symbol period of 0.1 milliseconds. The average uncoded bit error rate (BER) is on the order of 8 times 10-4 for BPSK, 3 times 10-2 for QPSK, and 8 times 10-2 for 8PSK transmission.
Sex Workers and Cultural Policy: Mapping the Issues and Actors in Thailand

This article deals with the deeply controversial side of cultural tourism in mapping the position of the sex industry. In doing so, it places sex tourism in two epistemic contexts: one context expands the notion of cultural policies, the other notes the implicit and explicit origins and effects of cultural policies affecting sex work, although these positions are not mutually exclusive. Sex tourism, we argue, poses a particular challenge to the understandings embedded in these contexts. The sex industry points us to the limits of cultural policies, both in terms of expanding the scope of cultural industries and also in documenting their effects. So far, while we expand the list of cultural industries, the sex industry remains as the industry that must not speak its name. Officials do not want to name it; neither do they do much to stop it. Naming and mapping sex tourism is then a useful place to start. For empirical substantiation, Thailand is our case study. We document the cultural and economic importance of sex work. In doing so, we also remain sensitive to the context of racism, stigma, trafficking, and HIV/AIDS issues that intersect sex work.
EASiER: encryption-based access control in social networks with efficient revocation

A promising approach to mitigate the privacy risks in Online Social Networks (OSNs) is to shift access control enforcement from the OSN provider to the user by means of encryption. However, this creates the challenge of key management to support complex policies involved in OSNs and dynamic groups. To address this, we propose EASiER, an architecture that supports fine-grained access control policies and dynamic group membership by using attribute-based encryption. A key and novel feature of our architecture, however, is that it is possible to remove access from a user without issuing new keys to other users or re-encrypting existing ciphertexts. We achieve this by creating a proxy that participates in the decryption process and enforces revocation constraints. The proxy is minimally trusted and cannot decrypt ciphertexts or provide access to previously revoked users. We describe EASiER architecture and construction, provide performance evaluation, and prototype application of our approach on Facebook.
CONDUCTOR: a model for reliable interprocess communication

The authors introduce a model for reliable interprocess communication based on an extension of the gentleman administrator model. The architecture of the CONDUCTOR model provides increased concurrency and a simplified user view of a distributed system. The increased concurrency stems from the potential for multiple instances of administrators to coexist within administrator groups. Users communicate directly with a conductor process instead of a variety of administrators. The new model provides an abstraction which hides administrators needed to service user requests. This form of multiprocess structuring is in keeping with the philosophy of the original Thoth system. A basis for reliable communication between administrator groups and the conductor process is presented. Reliable communication in this model is provided by enforcing atomicity of message delivery and ordering of messages. The architecture of the CONDUCTOR model is robust inasmuch as it is process failure tolerant. A mechanism for detecting and replacing failed administrators of a failed conductor using N. Natarjan's (1988) watchdog processes is presented. >
Relative amplitude and phase features for resonance-region radar target identification

A set of features is proposed for radar target identification. The features are derived from multifrequency radar returns in the resonance region. They are related to target geometry, target aspect angle, wave polarization, and frequency, but are independent of other radar-system parameters. A nearest-neighbor algorithm is proposed for target identification that utilizes the feature set. Computer simulation of the algorithm based on measured radar returns of scaled model ships found that with three frequencies the probability of misidentifying a target was 0.1 if the noise level was about one half the standard deviation of the feature magnitudes. >
Hepatic lecithin: Retinol acyltransferase activity is induced in vivo by retinoic acid, but not by triiodothyronine, in vitamin A-deficient, hypothyroid rats

The activity of the enzyme lecithin; retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) is extremely low in the liver of vitamin A-deficient rats, but is rapidly induced after administration of retinoic acid (RA). The nuclear receptors for RA are closely related to the receptors for thyroid hormone, and molecular cross-talk between these receptors has been observed in vitro and in cultured cells. Therefore we have examined whether retinoid status and thyroid hormone status interact in the regulation of hepatic LRAT activity in vivo. Vitamin A-deficient male Lewis rats, either euthyroid or made hypothyroid by treatment with propylthiouracil, were treated once or three times with 20 μg of all-trans-RA, 10 μg/100 gm body weight of triiodothyronine (T3), or both hormones. Hepatic LRAT activity, which was negligible in all retinoid-deficient rats, was induced by RA (P < 0.0001) regardless of the animal's thyroid hormone status. T3 by itself had no ability to induce hepatic LRAT activity (P = 0.42), nor did co-administration of T3 with RA increase or decrease the response to RA (P = 0.13). In retinoid-sufficient rats, hypothyroidism did not alter hepatic LRAT activity; however, LRAT activity was reduced by half (P < 0.05) after three treatments with T3. Therefore we conclude that thyroid hormone status alone does not regulate LRAT, nor does thyroid status affect the ability of RA to induce hepatic LRAT in retinoid-deficient animals. However, in retinoid-sufficiency, repeated treatment with T3 may reduce the hepatic esterification of retinol by LRAT.
23-Year-Old Man With Fever and a Sore Thumb

Resident in Internal Medicine, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL (J.A.C., W.C.P.); Adviser to residents and Consultant in Community Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL (O.M.P.). A 23-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 3month history of recurrent objective fever and malaise. He was otherwise asymptomatic, reporting no chest pain, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. His medical history was notable only for a bicuspid aortic valve, and his only past surgery was a dental procedure 4 months before presentation. He was currently taking no medications but noted allergy to penicillin and cephalosporins, leading to type I hypersensitivity. His family history was remarkable only for hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus in his father. He did not use alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs and was a college student. On physical examination, the patient was febrile (temperature, 38.2 C). His cardiovascular examination revealed an early grade 3/4 diastolic decrescendo murmur, loudest to auscultation in the third left intercostal space with radiation along the left sternal border. Carotid pulses were bounding with a rapid upstroke and collapse. His lung sounds were clear on auscultation bilaterally. Abdominal examination revealed a soft, nontender, nondistended abdomen with normal and active bowel sounds and no hepatosplenomegaly. His integument examination revealed a tender nodule on the right thumb. Results of laboratory testing, including complete blood cell count and electrolyte panel, were all within normal limits, except for a leukocyte count of 24.6 10/L (reference range, 3.5-10.5 10/L). Electrocardiography revealed sinus tachycardia. Chest radiography documented no consolidation, but mildly increased interstitial markings with mild cephalization of the vasculature were noted, findings suggestive of mild pulmonary vascular redistribution and interstitial edema. On initial blood stains and cultures, 4 of 4 specimens in 2 of 2 blood culture sets yielded gram-positive cocci in chains.
Association Between I2 Binding Sites and Monoamine Oxidase‐B Activity in Platelets

An I(2) imidazoline binding site on monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) is known to be encoded by a noncatalytic part of the enzyme, different from that which recognizes mechanism-based inhibitors. Herein, the relationship between I(2)-imidazoline binding sites and MAO-B activity has been assessed using a semi-purified source of MAO-B: platelet mitochondrial membranes. A positive correlation between I(2) sites and MAO-B activity was observed (r = 0.61, P = 0.0016) among 24 human subjects. Nevertheless, the variance in MAO-B activity cannot be completely accounted for in relation to I(2) sites. Therefore, I(2) density and MAO-B activity are only weakly correlated in platelets.
Effect of essential fatty acid deficiency and high fat diet on fatty acid composition of rat gingiva

The fatty acid composition of total lipids of rat gingiva was significantly altered in essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. The changes consisted of an increase in the levels of palmitoleic and oleic acid, a decrease in linoleic and arachidonic acid and an accumulation of 5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid (20:3 ω9) in gingival lipids of EFA-deficient rats. Reduction in arachidonic acid induced by EFA deficiency may result in lower prostaglandin levels in gingiva. Increasing the dietary level of corn oil from 7 % to 20 % did not result in a further increase in arachidonic acid levels in gingiva.
The linker region of NS3 plays a critical role in the replication and infectivity of hepatitis C virus

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3-4A is required for viral replication and assembly. We establish that virus assembly is sensitive to mutations in the linker region between the helicase and protease domains of NS3-4A. However, we find that the protease cleavage, RNA binding, and unwinding rates of NS3 are minimally affected in vitro. Thus, we conclude that the NS3 linker is critical for mediating protein-protein interactions and dynamic control rather than for modulating the enzymatic functions of NS3-4A.
Comparative growth of six Amaranthus species in Missouri

Abstract Amaranthus species, commonly referred to as “pigweeds,” are among the most troublesome weeds in many crop production systems. Effective control of these species often begins with an understanding of their biological and reproductive characteristics. At two sites in Missouri, six pigweed species (redroot pigweed, common waterhemp, spiny amaranth, tumble pigweed, smooth pigweed, and Palmer amaranth) were established in 60-m rows spaced 1.5 m apart. At biweekly intervals, plant heights and dry weights were recorded for each species; seed numbers were estimated at the end of the growing season. Dry weight of Palmer amaranth was up to 65% greater than those of all other species 2 wk after planting (WAP). Palmer amaranth biomass accumulation remained greater than those of the other species throughout the season and at the end of the season was 1.2- and 2.7-fold greater than those of redroot and tumble pigweed, respectively. Palmer amaranth was approximately 10 cm tall 2 WAP (37% taller than the next ta...
Notes on the taxonomic identity of Bystus hirtulus (Kirsch) and transfer from Endomychidae to Coccinellidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), with designation of a lectotype for Alexia hirtula Kirsch

During an examination of type material of the New World endomychid genus Bystus Guerin-Meneville (Anamorphinae), the type series of Alexia hirtula Kirsch from Peru was found to contain a mixture of different taxa, none of which belong to the genus Bystus, the subfamily Anamorphinae, or even the family Endomychidae. Alexia hirtula is transferred to Delphastus Casey (Coccinellidae: Microweiseinae: Serangiini), establishing the new combination, Delphastus hirtulus (Kirsch), and a lectotype is designated. Of the three paralectotypes, one appears to be conspecific with the lectotype, one is identified as an undescribed species of Microscymnus Champion (Coccinellidae: Cryptognathini), and one, a partial specimen lacking the head, pronotum, and one elytron, is identified as a species of Leiodidae in the tribe Scotocryptini, probably Aglyptinus Cockerell. A diagnosis and redescription of D. hirtulus is provided, and Gordon’s (1994) key to Delphastus is modified to accommodate the newly transferred species. The historical classification of D. hirtulus is discussed along with characters justifying its revised placement.
Disruption of lipid homeostasis in the Gram-negative cell envelope activates a novel cell death pathway

Gram-negative bacteria balance synthesis of the outer membrane (OM), cell wall, and cytoplasmic contents during growth via unknown mechanisms. Here, we show that a dominant mutation (designated mlaA*, maintenance of lipid asymmetry) that alters MlaA, a lipoprotein that removes phospholipids from the outer leaflet of the OM of Escherichia coli, increases OM permeability, lipopolysaccharide levels, drug sensitivity, and cell death in stationary phase. Surprisingly, single-cell imaging revealed that death occurs after protracted loss of OM material through vesiculation and blebbing at cell-division sites and compensatory shrinkage of the inner membrane, eventually resulting in rupture and slow leakage of cytoplasmic contents. The death of mlaA* cells was linked to fatty acid depletion and was not affected by membrane depolarization, suggesting that lipids flow from the inner membrane to the OM in an energy-independent manner. Suppressor analysis suggested that the dominant mlaA* mutation activates phospholipase A, resulting in increased levels of lipopolysaccharide and OM vesiculation that ultimately undermine the integrity of the cell envelope by depleting the inner membrane of phospholipids. This novel cell-death pathway suggests that balanced synthesis across both membranes is key to the mechanical integrity of the Gram-negative cell envelope.
Dynamic Modulus of Asphalt Mixtures: Evaluation of Effects on Pavement Performance Prediction

Mix properties that deviate appreciably from the design properties during the production and construction of asphalt mixtures can lead to premature pavement distress or even failure. The objective of this study was to quantify the differences in the dynamic modulus of specimens prepared during design, production, and construction of dense-graded asphalt pavements and their effects on pavement performance prediction. For the achievement of this objective, Superpave® mixtures were collected from Iowa, Florida, Virginia, Michigan, South Dakota, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin during design [laboratory-mixed and laboratory-compacted (LL)], production [plant-produced and laboratory-compacted (PL)], and construction [plant-produced and field-compacted (PF) specimens]. The nominal maximum aggregate size was kept constant at 12.5 mm. An indirect tension dynamic complex modulus (IDT |E*|) was measured for the three specimen types (i.e., LL, PL, and PF). Results showed that laboratory-compacted and field-compac...
Morphology and Evolution of the Wrists of Burrowing and Nonburrowing Shrews (Soricidae)

Forelimb burrowers are expected to have traits in the wrist that restrict freedom of movement relative to nonburrowers, preventing deflection of the hand by obstructions and reducing the energetic cost of digging. Wrist skeleton and ligaments were compared among representatives from several lineages of shrews. Only two traits differ between burrowers and nonburrowers; neither affects wrist function. In addition, all shrews have several traits expected to be present only in burrowers, indicating that wrist evolution was conservative and that the shared traits may have been inherited from a burrowing ancestor. The few wrist traits that differ indicate that functional interactions between anatomical elements may play a role in determining patterns of morphological evolution.
Crystallization, Melting, and Structure of Water Nanoparticles at Atmospherically Relevant Temperatures

Water nanoparticles play an important role in atmospheric processes, yet their equilibrium and nonequilibrium liquid–ice phase transitions and the structures they form on freezing are not yet fully elucidated. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations with the mW water model to investigate the nonequilibrium freezing and equilibrium melting of water nanoparticles with radii R between 1 and 4.7 nm and the structure of the ice formed by crystallization at temperatures between 150 and 200 K. The ice crystallized in the particles is a hybrid form of ice I with stacked layers of the cubic and hexagonal ice polymorphs in a ratio approximately 2:1. The ratio of cubic ice to hexagonal ice is insensitive to the radius of the water particle and is comparable to that found in simulations of bulk water around the same temperature. Heating frozen particles that contain multiple crystallites leads to Ostwald ripening and annealing of the ice structures, accompanied by an increase in the amount of ice at the expense of...
Simulated impacts of climate change on phosphorus loading to Lake Michigan

Abstract Phosphorus (P) loading to the Great Lakes has caused various types of eutrophication problems. Future climatic changes may modify this loading because climatic models project changes in future meteorological conditions, especially for the key hydrologic driver — precipitation. Therefore, the goal of this study is to project how P loading may change from the range of projected climatic changes. To project the future response in P loading, the HydroSPARROW approach was developed that links results from two spatially explicit models, the SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes (SPARROW) transport and fate watershed model and the water-quantity Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). PRMS was used to project changes in streamflow throughout the Lake Michigan Basin using downscaled meteorological data from eight General Circulation Models (GCMs) subjected to three greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Downscaled GCMs project a + 2.1 to + 4.0 °C change in average-annual air temperature (+ 2.6 °C average) and a − 5.1% to + 16.7% change in total annual precipitation (+ 5.1% average) for this geographic area by the middle of this century (2045–2065) and larger changes by the end of the century. The climatic changes by mid-century are projected to result in a − 21.2% to + 8.9% change in total annual streamflow (− 1.8% average) and a − 29.6% to + 17.2% change in total annual P loading (− 3.1% average). Although the average projected changes in streamflow and P loading are relatively small for the entire basin, considerable variability exists spatially and among GCMs because of their variability in projected future precipitation.
“John Donne, Anne Donne, Vn-done” Redone

(1989). “John Donne, Anne Donne, Vn-done” Redone. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 2, Seventeenth-Century Poetry. Edited by John Shawcross, pp. 101-103.
Development and Validation of a Health Information Technology Curriculum: Toward More Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records:

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) initiative of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in the United States was intended to promote meaningful use...
Transradial Peripheral Interventions

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is the consequence of atherosclerosis in the arteries of carotid, vertebral, abdominal mesenteric, renal, and extremity arteries. Patients presenting PAD are at significant threat of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, primarily due to stroke (from cerebrovascular atherosclerosis) and myocardial infarction (from coronary atherosclerosis). The occurrence of PAD rises with age. Among U.S. individuals aged 40–59 years, 3 % will develop PAD; in those aged 60–69 years, 8 % will be affected; and in those above age 70, 19 % will develop PAD.
Transcriptional Variation of Diverse Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolates under Virulence-Inducing Conditions

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) bacteria are a diverse group of pathogens that cause moderate to severe diarrhea in young children in developing countries. EPEC isolates can be further subclassified as typical EPEC (tEPEC) isolates that contain the bundle-forming pilus (BFP) or as atypical EPEC (aEPEC) isolates that do not contain BFP. Comparative genomics studies have recently highlighted the considerable genomic diversity among EPEC isolates. In the current study, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to characterize the global transcriptomes of eight tEPEC isolates representing the identified genomic diversity, as well as one aEPEC isolate. The global transcriptomes were determined for the EPEC isolates under conditions of laboratory growth that are known to induce expression of virulence-associated genes. The findings demonstrate that unique genes of EPEC isolates from diverse phylogenomic lineages contribute to variation in their global transcriptomes. There were also phylogroup-specific differences in the global transcriptomes, including genes involved in iron acquisition, which had significant differential expression in the EPEC isolates belonging to phylogroup B2. Also, three EPEC isolates from the same phylogenomic lineage (EPEC8) had greater levels of similarity in their genomic content and exhibited greater similarities in their global transcriptomes than EPEC from other lineages; however, even among closely related isolates there were isolate-specific differences among their transcriptomes. These findings highlight the transcriptional variability that correlates with the previously unappreciated genomic diversity of EPEC. IMPORTANCE Recent studies have demonstrated that there is considerable genomic diversity among EPEC isolates; however, it is unknown if this genomic diversity leads to differences in their global transcription. This study used RNA-Seq to compare the global transcriptomes of EPEC isolates from diverse phylogenomic lineages. We demonstrate that there are lineage- and isolate-specific differences in the transcriptomes of genomically diverse EPEC isolates during growth under in vitro virulence-inducing conditions. This study addressed biological variation among isolates of a single pathovar in an effort to demonstrate that while each of these isolates is considered an EPEC isolate, there is significant transcriptional diversity among members of this pathovar. Future studies should consider whether this previously undescribed transcriptional variation may play a significant role in isolate-specific variability of EPEC clinical presentations.
P60 Left frontal lobe abscess secondary to paranasal sinusitis. a case report

Introduction Brain abscess is a rare but life-threatening condition in children which may result from contiguous site infection, haematogenous seeding, penetrating traumatic injury, neurosurgical procedure or cryptogenic source. Clinical case A twelve-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with severe, progressive left-sided frontal headache of 3 weeks’ duration associated with increased somnolence of three days’ duration and one episode of vomiting. These symptoms were associated with a left sided periorbital cellulitis, five days after the onset of headache, which was treated in the community with two weeks of oral flucloxacillin and had resolved at the time of presentation. This child’s medical history was unremarkable. Neurological examination including gait assessment and fundoscopy were normal. Emergent imaging (CT and MRI) revealed a thick-walled, rim enhancing lesion in the left anterior inferior frontal lobe with associated oedema and mass effect. Left ethmoid and frontal sinusitis were also apparent on MRI. The patient underwent transfer to a neurosurgical facility for emergency burr hole aspiration of left frontal lobe abscess and subsequent naso-endoscopy and sinus decongestion. Streptococcus intermedius was isolated from microbiological samples. She completed five weeks IV antimicrobial therapy followed by three weeks high dose oral therapy. Follow-up imaging revealed a small residual area of enhancement without evidence of persistent abscess. Clinically she remains well without sequelae. Conclusions The presentation of brain abscess is diverse with headache (70%), nausea and vomiting (50%), fever (40%), seizures (25%), focal neurological signs (50%), and nuchal rigidity (25%). Only 10% of children with a brain abscess will have an absent underlying medical condition that increases their risk of brain abscess. 15% will have a preceding Frontal sinusitis and only 2.5% a preceding Ethmoid sinusitis. In children with chronic progressive headaches sinister aetiologies must be excluded and appropriate neurological imaging performed.
Bordetella bronchiseptica bloodstream infection in a renal transplant patient

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a gram-negative coccobacillus that infects animals, but rarely affects humans. B. bronchiseptica has been reported to cause disease in immunocompromised hosts. We present a case of a 61-year-old man with a renal transplant who developed B. bronchiseptica bacteremia likely as a result of close contact between dogs and his skin cancer biopsy sites. The patient was successfully treated with 2 weeks of oral levofloxacin. This case alerts physicians to B. bronchiseptica as a cause of bacteremia in solid organ transplant patients with exposure to animals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Long-term growth rates and effects of bleaching in Acropora hyacinthus

Understanding the response of coral growth to natural variation in the environment, as well as to acute temperature stress under current and future climate change conditions, is critical to predicting the future health of coral reef ecosystems. As such, ecological surveys are beginning to focus on corals that live in high thermal stress environments to understand how future coral populations may adapt to climate change. We investigated the relationship between coral growth, thermal microhabitat, symbionts type, and thermal acclimatization of four species of the Acropora hyacinthus complex in back-reef lagoons in American Samoa. Coral growth was measured from August 2010 to April 2016 using horizontal planar area of coral colonies derived from photographs and in situ maximum width measurements. Despite marked intraspecific variation, we found that planar colony growth rates were significantly different among cryptic species. The highly heat tolerant A. hyacinthus variant “HE” increased in area an average of 2.9% month−1 (0.03 cm average mean radial extension month−1). By contrast, the three less tolerant species averaged 6.1% (0.07 cm average mean radial extension month−1). Planar growth rates were 40% higher on average in corals harboring Clade C versus Clade D symbiont types, although marked inter-colony variation in growth rendered this difference nonsignificant. Planar growth rates for all four species dropped to near zero following a 2015 bleaching event, independent of the visually estimated percent area of bleaching. Within 1 yr, growth rates recovered to previous levels, confirming previous studies that found sublethal effects of thermal stress on coral growth. Long-term studies of individual coral colonies provide an important tool to measure impacts of environmental change and allow integration of coral physiology, genetics, symbionts, and microclimate on reef growth patterns.
Invitation to Witness: The Role of Subjects in Documentary Representations of the End of Life

This article considers recent media texts from four Western countries that invite audiences to watch someone die. When dying people resist the default of social invisibility by participating in documentary media, they challenge hegemonic attitudes about dying and physical fallibility, even as they introduce this aspect of life into the logics of media visibility and self-disclosure. I focus on their invitation to witness and the faith in the possibilities of media visibility they express by agreeing to die on camera, bearing in mind the power relations among dying people, media professionals, and audiences within which this invitation occurs. The participants in these texts articulate a desire to deprivatize the deathbed in order to help other dying people and their caregivers. Their motivation speaks to the idea that seeing death may puncture the neoliberal fiction of the autonomous, invulnerable self.
A Study of Cancer Heterogeneity: From Genetic Instability to Epigenetic Diversity in Colorectal Cancer

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment over the past two decades, cancer continues to present a serious challenge to oncologists, especially when the disease has already spread to a distant site at the time of diagnosis. The high degree of variation in gene expression, observed not only in tumors arising from different tissues but also in tumors arising from the same tissue, and sometimes in distinct areas of the same tumor, is likely to be responsible for evolutionary adaptation and consequently tumor survival.
A community-pharmacy-based callback program for antibiotic therapy.

Abstract Objective: To develop a telephone callback program to reinforce basic patient counseling given at the time of dispensing. Design: At the time each prescription was filled, the pharmacist or pharmacy student recorded the patient's name, telephone number, date of birth, diagnosis, drug regimen, prescriber, relevant concurrent medications, initial comments, and date. Follow-up phone calls were then made when appropriate to assess patient progress in therapy. Results: Telephone assessment of 521 patients revealed that while 51.1 % reported their condition had improved, 15.1 % had worsened. Of the 79 therapeutic failures, 47 patients repeated the initial therapy or received a different antibiotic without another physician visit, 32 were referred back to their physicians, and 5 each resulted from noncompliance or adverse effects. Conclusions: A callback program is an effective and inexpensive mechanism for assessing and improving drug therapy outcomes.
Development of the Perspectives on Caring for Older Patients scale: Psychometric analyses.

Abstract Aim The purpose of these studies was to determine the reliability and validity of the 24 item Perspectives on Caring for Older Patients (PCOP) scale and further develop the scale as a useful tool for measuring nurses' perspectives toward caring for older patients. Background Ageism has long been an issue in the U.S. as well as globally and is reflected in the attitudes of nurses caring for older patients. Most research in this area utilizes scales that measure attitudes toward older adults or aging in general which is different from how nurses feel about caring for older patients. Methods Instrument development studies using the PCOP scale were conducted involving two independent samples for exploratory and confirmatory analyses. Study 1 included nurses and nursing students from six hospitals in the U.S. while Study 2 included students in a baccalaureate nursing program. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted in Study 1, and confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling was performed in Study 2. A test of structural invariance was used to confirm stability of factor structure across samples. Results Exploratory factor analysis using split samples (Study 1) resulted in a PCOP scale with 12 items, and structural equation modeling confirmed a 9-item factor structure. The test for invariance also showed an excellent fit to the data. Conclusions The revised nine-item PCOP scale is a reliable and valid tool for use in measuring nurses' perspectives toward caring for older patients in the U.S. and internationally.
Utility of Cardiac Ultrasound Imaging in Oncology, a Case Based Illustration

Cardiac Ultrasound imaging (Echocardiogram) is an integral modality for the investigation of patients undergoing chemotherapy. In this chapter we briefly discuss the evolution and provide case based illustrations to exemplify the use of this modality.
Dechlorination of Pentachlorophenol and 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene Using NaBH4 and NaBH4/LiCl AT 125–315°C in Glyme Solvents

Abstract Dechlorinations of pentachlorophenol and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene were achieved using NaBH4 in tetraglyme at 290–315°C and by NaBH4/LiCl at 125–135°C in diglyme, triglyme or tetraglyme after premixing at room temperature.
Conducting A Focus Group

Conducting focus groups seems to be a process that is practically intuitive. However, this key practice in qualitative research requires that a novice facilitator must do his or her homework. This article describes the process by which I became more cognizant of the tools necessary to be successful in planning and running focus groups. The article provides information about books and articles that were useful in providing practical information. It also details the use of the “learning-by-doing” journey embarked upon at my institution, whereby we conducted 56 town hall meetings over a four month time period using a focus group approach to gain understanding about key constituents’ beliefs about engagement at the institution. Key Words: Qualitative Research, Focus Group, Traditional Face-To-Face Focus Groups, and Group Interviews A researcher must sometimes hone skills that might seem to be intuitive or common sense. Conducting focus groups seemed to me to be a skill set that might not require extensive training. In my role as executive director of quality assessment of community and institutional effectiveness, a large scale project on assessment of institutional “engagement” became a main focus and occupied 75% of my time over a three-year period. The project, in cooperation with the Gallup organization, included the development of three separate, web-based surveys for three distinct constituent groups (alumni, employees, and students). It included the collection of the data using a webbased tool, coordination of the interpretation of the data, dissemination of the results, and organizing the training of more than 300 supervisors to complete commitment plans for quality improvement at this higher educational institution, based on the data. At first blush, the project did not encompass the need for the use of data collection from focus groups. However, as the project rolled out, the university’s chancellor, along with his leadership team, determined that his personal commitment plan to enhance dialogue among the 4000+ employees at the university would best be served by holding “town hall meetings”, essentially focus groups. These meetings were designed by me, with input from colleagues in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, to gather additional information and input from constituents regarding how the institution might improve internal communication and about issues facing faculty, staff and administration that impact providing quality education by highly engaged workgroups, each working to best serve students. In order to carry out a quality research project that utilizes qualitative methodology, the researcher should be well versed in all aspects of data collection. In this particular instance, it became quickly apparent that there were many decisions and questions to be answered prior to actually engaging in the data collection process. Understanding the various methods available would improve the decision-making
Analysis of clinical oral medicine practices at the University of Pennsylvania: a 5-year retrospective study

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the cohort of oral medicine (OM) patients, characterize OM clinical practices at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), and inform training for future OM specialists. Study Design Nonprobability sampling of OM resident patient logs for all Penn OM patients presenting for clinical care from 2008 to 2013 was conducted after obtaining institutional review board approval. Patient data were filtered according to inclusion criteria, and data validation was implemented to exclude redundant and inconclusive entries from the analysis. The OM resident patient logs included clinical diagnoses, International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition (ICD-9) codes, medical histories, clinical procedures, Current Procedural Terminology codes, names of attending physicians, and resident participation notes. For outpatient OM medical practices, diagnoses were classified into domains of oral mucosal diseases, salivary gland dysfunction, orofacial pain, oral chemosensory disorders, and other head and neck pathologies. For hospital inpatients consulting with the OM service, admitting medical diagnoses were grouped into associated medical disciplines. Procedures performed in outpatient OM medical practices were also catalogued. For outpatient OM dental practices, patient comorbidities were categorized according to medical disciplines. Frequency and percentages were tabulated for clinical diagnoses (ICD-9), medical histories, and clinical procedures. Additional data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results Outpatients in OM medical practices (n = 6024) averaged 1.56 diagnoses from OM specialists. Orofacial pain (45.02%) and oral mucosal diseases (34.28%) comprised the majority of OM diagnoses, followed by salivary gland dysfunction (6.09%), oral chemosensory disorders (5.61%), and other head and neck pathologies (5.55%). The most frequent procedures performed were tissue biopsies (59.34%) and treatments for temporomandibular disorders (29.9%). Hospital inpatients (n = 313) comprised 3.46% of Penn OM patients; cardiovascular disorders (38.99%) were the most common admitting medical diagnoses, followed by leukemias (12.2%) and hematologic diseases (6.85%). In OM dental practices (n = 1648), 42.05% of outpatients presented with a median of 3 medical comorbidities (range 2–11), among which cardiovascular (27.13%) and immunodeficiency disorders (16.67%) were most prevalent. Conclusions Analysis of Penn OM clinical practices emphasized the breadth and multidisciplinary nature of OM services, as well as the importance of comprehensive postdoctoral training in all domains of OM for future OM specialists.
Risk of Mortality Associated With Atypical Antipsychotic use: A National Cohort Study of Older Adults With Depression and Parkinson's Disease.

Abstract Objectives This study examined the risk of all-cause-mortality in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and comorbid depression using inappropriate atypical antipsychotics (AAPs), based on the 2015 American Geriatrics Society Beers criteria. Methods A retrospective analysis of 2007–2010 Minimum Data Set linked Medicare data was conducted using a propensity-matched approach. The cohort included PD patients aged 65 years or older without schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who started AAPs. All patients had a diagnosis of comorbid depression. Risk of 6-month all-cause-mortality was compared across appropriate AAPs (aripiprazole, clozapine, or quetiapine) and inappropriate AAPs (olanzapine, asenapine, brexpiprazole, iloperidone, lurasidone, paliperidone, risperidone, or ziprasidone) using robust Cox regression models involving the matched cohort. Results All-cause mortality rate was 15.65% in appropriate AAP group (n = 6,038) and 16.91% in inappropriate AAP group (n = 6,038) over 6-month follow-up in the matched cohort. The robust Cox proportional hazards models revealed increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.13 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.01–1.28)] for patients who used inappropriate compared to appropriate AAPs. Risk of death was also higher for risperidone compared to quetiapine (HR: 1.20 [95% CI: 1.03–1.40]) in sensitivity analysis. However, there was a significant relationship between pneumonia and death in all analyses. The impact of inappropriate AAP use on mortality was not significant when pneumonia was modeled as a mediator. Conclusions Inappropriate AAP use is associated with a higher risk of all-cause-mortality in older patients with PD which is mainly mediated by pneumonia. Therefore, inappropriate AAP use should be avoided to improve quality of care in PD.
Flint, Michigan Through Children's Eyes: Using a Teaching Circle and Projects to Re-envision a City

The city of Flint, Michigan switched its water source in April, 2014, and, to reduce costs, anti-corrosion agents were omitted from water treatment. Consequently, lead leached into pipes, contaminating the water supply and exposing Flint’s children to lead well beyond safety standards. The event became known as the Water Crisis, and now dominates Flint’s public image. This paper portrays a project that arose out of one community response to the situation in Flint, the provision of quality child-care to families living in the affected areas by the University of Michigan-Flint. As part of this effort, a group of Early Childhood faculty and center head teachers participated in a Teaching Circle (Hutchings in Making teaching community property, American Association of Higher Education, Washington, DC, 1996), in which we read and studied the book, Reggio tutta: A guide to the city by the children (Reggio Children, Reggio Emilia, 2000) and teachers were inspired to share questions with their classes. Our analysis of the Teaching Circle and those projects uses children’s perspectives and interpretations of campus and the city to focus on the beauty and resourcefulness of the Flint community. Seeing the city of Flint through the children’s eyes is a remarkably joyful and uplifting experience.
Short Parenteral Courses for Young Infants With UTI

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur in ∼7% of febrile infants in the first 2 months of life.1 The American Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guideline for the management of UTIs includes infants between 2 and 24 months of age, but does not provide guidance for infants <2 months.2 This has resulted in significant variability in duration of parenteral therapy in young infants with UTIs, although the factors that drive this variation are less clear.3 In this issue of Hospital Pediatrics , authors of two retrospective studies evaluate patterns in parenteral therapy use for UTI treatment in infants during the first 2 months of life. Marsh et al4 studied 112 infants ≤28 days of age hospitalized for UTI without bacteremia at 2 academic centers. The median duration of parenteral therapy was 49 …