cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stabilization of Volar Ulnar Rim Fractures of the Distal Radius: Current Techniques and Review of the Literature

Background Distal radius fractures involving the lunate facet can be challenging to manage. Reports have shown the volar carpal subluxation/dislocation that can occur if the facet is not appropriately stabilized. Literature Review Recent emphasis in the literature has underscored the difficulty in managing this fracture fragment, suggesting standard volar plates may not be able to adequately stabilize the fragment. This article reviews the current literature with a special emphasis on fixation with a specifically designed fragment-specific hook plate to secure the lunate facet. Case Description An extended flexor carpi radialis volar approach was made which allows access to the distal volar ulnar fracture fragment. Once provisionally stabilized with Kirschner wire fixation, a volar hook plate was applied to capture this fragment. Additional fracture stabilization was used as deemed necessary to stabilize the remaining distal radius fracture. Clinical Relevance The volar marginal rim fragment remains a challenge in distal radius fracture management. Use of a hook plate to address the volar ulnar corner allows for stable fixation without loss of reduction at intermediate-term follow-up.
Internal Flows in Fluidic Spray Control

An original fluidic control method in an axisymmetric spray orifice is investigated using both experiments and CFD. Cavitation images, droplet size measurements, discharge coefficient, unsteadiness measurements and CFD are incorporated to study the causes resulting in small droplets. A secondary flow is introduced through an annular slot in the orifice wall to control the cavitation, and thus the spray, at pressures up to 550 kPa driving pressure difference. The orifices are nominally axisymmetric with 0.81 mm diameter and 5.08mm length. Two types of orifices are made with different secondary flow slots. The cavitation and spray were photographed with a high resolution CCD digital camera. Droplet size measurements were made with a laser diffraction particle-sizer. The cavitation frequencies were explored using a laser deflection technique. CFD codes developed by Chen and Heister were used to model the internal flow. 54 cases were run, including 5 slot locations, 5 slot orientations, and 4 secondary flow rates. The agreement between CFD and experimental results is good except for hydraulic flip. Generally a high pressure region upstream of the slot, large high pressure variations over time, and longer cavitation length are the favorable conditions for creating small droplets. The CFD together with experimental measurements correlate the flow structures with droplet sizes. Understanding the relationship between flow structures and droplet sizes can help to design orifices to create desired droplet sizes.
Potential pediatric applications for US contrast agents: lessons from the laboratory

Objectives. The goals of this review are to familiarize the reader with the physical basis for microbubble contrast effect and to summarize experimental studies exploring their potential pediatric applications.¶Materials. Animal studies conducted over a 4-year period using an experimental US contrast agent for imaging the central nervous system, kidney, testes, hip joints, and malignant tumors are reviewed with respect to imaging efficacy of the agent, possible use for quantification of tissue blood flow, and potential non-vascular imaging applications.¶Conclusions. US contrast agents hold important potential for many clinical applications in imaging the pediatric patient.
Naturalizing Gender through Childhood Socialization Messages in a Zoo

We draw on public observations conducted in a zoo to identify three instances in which adults make use of its specific spatial and symbolic resources to transmit socialization messages to children according to “naturalized” models of hegemonic gender difference. First, adults attribute gender to zoo animals by projecting onto them human characteristics associated with feminine and masculine stereotypes. Second, adults mobilize zoo exhibits as props for modeling their own normative gender displays in the presence of children. Third, adults discipline boys and girls differently in the context of the zoo’s built environment, and in doing so, they communicate socialization messages to children regarding how to behave in conventionally gendered ways. In emphasizing the context of the zoo as a site for the naturalization of gender categories, we identify how adults transmit gender socialization messages to children that promote gender stereotypes associated with the biological determinism of the natural living ...
Computation of Tumor Burden in the Pediatric Patient

The application of morphometry (i.e., the construction of volume, area and shape) to neurological disease is not uncommon, and with the advent of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), the role of computer-assisted morphometry has grown[1,2,3,4]. Typically, a sequence of MR images is taken through a region of interest (ROI) and those pixels which belong to the structure or system under measurement are identified (segmented) within the image. Since the pixel-to-real-geometry conversion factors are known (i.e., voxel dimension in mm 3 is known), simple sums of pixels give rise to volumes and/or areas. These techniques tend to be manual (or semi-automated at best), since the primary difficulty in this procedure is the attachement of labels to image pixels i.e., the association of pixels to known anatomic structures. Some techniques make use of multiple echoes in MRI to employ cluster/classification strategies[2,3,5,6,7], but again the bulk of these necessitate some form of human interaction in the segmentation process. This paper describes the strategy we are pursuing to eliminate human intervention by employing a mixed cluster-topological approach to direct morphometry.
SEDspread: Sediment-Basin Design Tool for Construction Sites

AbstractSediment runoff rates from construction sites can be substantially higher than those of other land uses. Construction stormwater regulations require detailed stormwater pollution prevention...
The triterpenoid CDDO-imidazolide reduces immune cell infiltration and cytokine secretion in the KrasG12D;Pdx1-Cre (KC) mouse model of pancreatic cancer

Because the 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer remains under 10%, new drugs are needed for the prevention and treatment of this devastating disease. Patients with chronic pancreatitis have a 12-fold higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. LSL-KrasG12D/+;Pdx-1-Cre (KC) mice replicate the genetics, symptoms and histopathology found in human pancreatic cancer. Immune cells infiltrate into the pancreas of these mice and produce inflammatory cytokines that promote tumor growth. KC mice are particularly sensitive to the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as only 48% of KC mice survived an LPS challenge while 100% of wildtype (WT) mice survived. LPS also increased the percentage of CD45+ immune cells in the pancreas and immunosuppressive Gr1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cell in the spleen of these mice. The triterpenoid CDDO-imidazolide (CDDO-Im) not only reduced the lethal effects of LPS (71% survival) but also decreased the infiltration of CD45+ cells into the pancreas and the percentage of Gr1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cell in the spleen of KC mice 4-8 weeks after the initial LPS challenge. While the levels of inflammatory cytokine levels were markedly higher in KC mice versus WT mice challenged with LPS, CDDO-Im significantly decreased the production of IL-6, CCL-2, vascular endothelial growth factor and G-CSF in the KC mice. All of these cytokines are prognostic markers in pancreatic cancer or play important roles in the progression of this disease. Disrupting the inflammatory process with drugs such as CDDO-Im might be useful for preventing pancreatic cancer, especially in high-risk populations.
Reproducibility of urinary biomarkers in multiple 24-h urine samples.

Background Limited knowledge regarding the reproducibility of biomarkers in 24-h urine samples has hindered the collection and use of the samples in epidemiologic studies. Objective We aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of various markers in repeat 24-h urine samples. Design We calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of biomarkers measured in 24-h urine samples that were collected in 3168 participants in the NHS (Nurses' Health Study), NHSII (Nurses' Health Study II), and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Results In 742 women with 4 samples each collected over the course of 1 y, ICCs for sodium were 0.32 in the NHS and 0.34 in the NHSII. In 2439 men and women with 2 samples each collected over 1 wk to ≥1 mo, the ICCs ranged from 0.33 to 0.68 for sodium at various intervals between collections. The urinary excretion of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, sulfate, and other urinary markers showed generally higher reproducibility (ICCs >0.4). In 47 women with two 24-h urine samples, ICCs ranged from 0.15 (catechin) to 0.75 (enterolactone) for polyphenol metabolites. For phthalates, ICCs were generally ≤0.26 except for monobenzyl phthalate (ICC: 0.55), whereas the ICC was 0.39 for bisphenol A (BPA). We further estimated that, for the large majority of the biomarkers, the mean of three 24-h urine samples could provide a correlation of ≥0.8 with true long-term urinary excretion. Conclusions These data suggest that the urinary excretion of various biomarkers, such as minerals, electrolytes, most polyphenols, and BPA, is reasonably reproducible in 24-h urine samples that are collected within a few days or ≤1 y. Our findings show that three 24-h samples are sufficient for the measurement of long-term exposure status in epidemiologic studies.
Improving Literacy Outcomes for At-Risk Kindergartners through an Afterschool Tutoring Program: Results from a Feasibility Study

Background: Students from low-income backgrounds are at-risk for academic difficulties. Although a considerable number of students from this population attend community-based afterschool programs, little is known about their effectiveness in promoting academic learning. The purpose of this feasibility study was to examine the impact of an afterschool tutoring program on the literacy skills of kindergartners and youth from low-income homes. Method: This study incorporated a quasi-experimental pre-posttest design that included 10 kindergartners and 13 youth who participated in the program and a comparison group of 10 kindergartners. Following completion of an assessment battery, kindergartners and youth read in dyads for 10 weeks after which they were re-assessed on the same measures. Results: Kindergartners who participated in the program had significantly greater gains in phonological awareness as compared to the comparison group. Although participants described that the program was beneficial, no other comparisons on scores for kindergartners or youth reached statistical significance. Conclusions: These results provide evidence that this brief, low-cost program may have a positive effect on aspects of participants’ reading skills. This is one avenue that may narrow the achievement gap for at-risk students, although additional research is warranted. These findings support that providing students from at-risk backgrounds with experiences that target academic skills, specifically literacy, outside of the traditional school context may enhance educationally relevant learning.
Spa, MD: When Dermatology Meets Aromatherapy

Medical spas (medi-spas) are a multi-billion dollar industry characterized by the delivery of cosmetic medical procedures in a spa setting. Out-of pocket payment for high margin cosmetic procedures and the sale of proprietary cosmaceuticals typify medi-spas. Ethical questions may arise concerning the marketing, management, and supervision of these practices. In addition, there is the potential for conflicts of interest for physicians whom own and operate medi-spas.
Nevada gaming : Revenues and taxes (1945-95)

In 1931, Nevada legalized casino gambling, an act which allowed its “gaming industry” to develop. Because many jurisdictions outside Nevada are now embracing legalized gambling as a path to a brighter economic future and because this proliferation presents Nevada with new challenges and opportunities, it is a good time to review the Nevada experience. Here, the focus is on gaming revenues and gaming tax collections during the 1945–95 period. We find that the growth rate of Nevada's gaming industry has slowed over time, with the relative importance of gaming in the Nevada economy peaking in the late 1970's. The Nevada economy has since been gradually diversifying, something which will increasingly pressure Nevadans to look for government revenue sources other than gaming if current levels of government services are to be maintained.
The Dian and Dong Son Cultures

Neolithic communities settled in the river valleys of Yunnan and northern Vietnam evolved into politically stratified societies known as the Dian and Dong Son during the second half of the first millennium BC. Synonymous with bronze drum using cultures, the Dian and Dong Son present two independent polities whose central leadership drew on a similar array of material symbols and prestige goods to extend their influence. This discussion traces their political development in the context of regional trade, organization of bronze metallurgy, and settlement histories, highlighting the ways coercion, ritual, and ideology configured elite power during the Bronze Age.
A comparative study of American and Chinese college students’ motives for food choice

Abstract Previous cross-cultural research has examined college students' food choice decisions in different countries. The current study aimed to add to the literature by examining similarities and differences in motives for food choice between American (N = 328) and Chinese (N = 333) college students. The Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) was used to measure the participants' motives for food choice. Students’ perceptions on the importance of diet and on their body satisfaction were also obtained. Results show that, while there are many similarities between the two cultural groups on the FCQ items, there are also significant differences. Specifically, the two groups view sensory appeal, weight, health, mood, and familiarity in a similar way, but the American participants score higher on price and convenience whereas the Chinese score higher on natural content and ethical concerns. We believe contextual cultural factors of each country may be related to these results. Women view sensory appeal and weight as significantly more important than men. Interactions between culture and gender are also found. For example, American women score significantly higher than American men on mood whereas there is no gender difference in the Chinese group; on the other hand, Chinese men score significantly higher on price than Chinese women whereas there is no gender difference in the American group.
Measuring the Creative Process: A Psychometric Examination of Creative Ideation and Grit

Within the investment theory of creativity (Sternberg & Lubart, 1996), creativity is defined as a 2-part process of buying low by investing in unusual ideas and then selling high by convincing othe...
Quantitative optical discrimination of benign and malignant human colon pathologies using spatial frequency domain modulated imaging

A spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) was used to image ex vivo human colon tissues. Significant differences were observed between absorption, scattering, scatter slope, total hemoglobin and spatial heterogeneities of benign and malignant tissue groups.
Formulation, Development, and In Vitro Evaluation of a CD22 Targeted Liposomal System Containing a Non-Cardiotoxic Anthracycline for B Cell Malignancies

Doxorubicin cardiotoxicity has led to the development of superior chemotherapeutic agents such as AD 198. However, depletion of healthy neutrophils and thrombocytes from AD 198 therapy must be limited. This can be done by the development of a targeted drug delivery system that delivers AD 198 to the malignant cells. The current research highlights the development and in vitro analysis of targeted liposomes containing AD 198. The best lipids were identified and optimized for physicochemical effects on the liposomal system. Physiochemical characteristics such as size, ζ-potential, and dissolution were also studied. Active targeting to CD22 positive cells was achieved by conjugating anti-CD22 Fab’ to the liposomal surface. Size and ζ-potential of the liposomes was between 115 and 145 nm, and −8 to−15 mV. 30% drug was released over 72 h. Higher cytotoxicity was observed in CD22+ve Daudi cells compared to CD22−ve Jurkat cells. The route of uptake was a clathrin- and caveolin-independent pathway. Intracellular localization of the liposomes was in the endolysosomes. Upon drug release, apoptotic pathways were activated partly by the regulation of apoptotic and oncoproteins such as caspase-3 and c-myc. It was observed that the CD22 targeted drug delivery system was more potent and specific compared to other untargeted formulations.
Tutorial Teaching of Psychiatry: Effects on Test Scores, Attitudes, and Career Choices of Medical Students

A tutorial teaching program for medical students, previously found highly effective at Ohio State University (OSU), was adapted for use at the University of South Carolina (USC). Three classes of USC students obtained mean scores well above average on the psychiatry National Board Examination; at OSU a similar trend has persisted for seven consecutive years. Students also reported positive attitudes toward psychiatrists and psychiatry and entered psychiatry residency training at a rate higher than the national average. Tutorial teaching is effective for increasing cognitive knowledge, for promoting positive attitudes, and perhaps for increasing interest in psychiatry as a career choice.
Relations Between Solutions to a Discrete and Continuous Dirichlet Problem

Consider the Dirichlet problem on the planar region W consisting of the unit disc minus a sector:\(W = \left\{ {x = \left( {{x_1},{x_2}} \right):0 \pi\) (see Fig. 1). We denote by L i , i = 1,2, the line segment \(\left\{ {\operatorname{x} :argument\left( x \right) = {{\left( { - 1} \right)}^{i - 1}}{a_i},0 \leqslant |x| \leqslant 1} \right\}\) in ∂W. Let ϕ be a piecewise continuous function on ∂W which vanishes on L 1 U L 2 and let u(ϕ,•) be the harmonic function on W with boundary values ϕ. Thus △ϕ = O. The discrete analogue, or the analogue for a simple random walk with step size h, is a function u h (ϕ, •) on hℤ 2 which satisfies $${\Delta _h}{\mu _h}\left( {\varphi ,\chi } \right): = \frac{1}{4}\sum\limits_{i = 1}^2 {\left[ {{\mu _h}\left( {\varphi ,\chi + {h_{ei}}} \right) + {\mu _h}\left( {\varphi ,\chi - {h_{ei}}} \right)} \right]} - {\mu _h}\left( {\varphi ,\chi } \right) = 0$$ for x ∈ hℤ2 ∩ W, where e i is the i — th coordinate vector. Moreover u h (ϕ, •) should be “close to ϕ on the discrete boundary of W”. We prove an asymptotic relation (as h ↓ 0) between u h ϕ, hv) and u(ϕ,hv) for fixed υ ∈ ℤ2. This can be used to find the asymptotic behavior (as n → ∞) of the probability of a simple random walk “starting at ∞” to hit the “triangular” region \(\left\{ {x \in {Z^2}:|x| \leqslant n, - {\alpha _2} \leqslant \operatorname{argument} \left( x \right) \leqslant {\alpha _1}} \right\}\) near the origin. This kind of estimate is useful for a modified version of Diffusion—Limited Aggregation.
Airway Epithelial Differentiation and Mucociliary Clearance.

The lung is continuously exposed to particles, toxicants, and microbial pathogens that are cleared by a complex mechanical, innate, and acquired immune system. Mucociliary clearance, mediated by th...
Refining a Reflective Practice Template Using a Survey of Citation Management Instructors.

In reflective practice, librarians think back on their instruction to improve it, and this study addresses guidance provided for reflection on citation management instruction. We refined a previous...
Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Scattering from Triplet Electronic States: Experimental and Theoretical Study of Resonance Enhancements.

Femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS) is a spectroscopic technique that probes the structural dynamics of molecules. The technique typically relies on an electronic resonance condition to ...
Classification of brain tumor isocitrate dehydrogenase status using MRI and deep learning

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status is an important marker in glioma diagnosis and therapy. We propose an automated pipeline for noninvasively predicting IDH status using deep learning and T2-weighted (T2w) magnetic resonance (MR) images with minimal preprocessing (N4 bias correction and normalization to zero mean and unit variance). T2w MR images and genomic data were obtained from The Cancer Imaging Archive dataset for 260 subjects (120 high-grade and 140 low-grade gliomas). A fully automated two-dimensional densely connected model was trained to classify IDH mutation status on 208 subjects and tested on another held-out set of 52 subjects using fivefold cross validation. Data leakage was avoided by ensuring subject separation during the slice-wise randomization. Mean classification accuracy of 90.5% was achieved for each axial slice in predicting the three classes of no tumor, IDH mutated, and IDH wild type. Test accuracy of 83.8% was achieved in predicting IDH mutation status for individual subjects on the test dataset of 52 subjects. We demonstrate a deep learning method to predict IDH mutation status using T2w MRI alone. Radiologic imaging studies using deep learning methods must address data leakage (subject duplication) in the randomization process to avoid upward bias in the reported classification accuracy.
Moving Oral Contraceptives over the Counter: Theory-based Formative Research to Design Communication Strategy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that oral contraceptives (OC) should be available over the counter (OTC). This study explored women’s attitudes toward OC O...
Luis Ángel Ramorino Meschi (1935 - 2020)

Una gran tristeza nos embargo al saber del fallecimiento de nuestro amigo y colega Luis Ramorino Meschi, para sus cercanos Luigi o Lucho, ocurrido el 26 de mayo de 2020, despues de haber mantenido bajo control por mucho tiempo una enfermedad que finalmente gano la batalla. Se desempeno por mas de 40 anos en la academia, iniciando su carrera academica en el Instituto Pedagogico de la Universidad de Chile, para posteriormente incorporarse como Ayudante de Laboratorio a la Estacion de Biologia Marina de Montemar, actual Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y de Recursos Naturales de la Universidad de Valparaiso. Se desempeno en diversos cargos, hasta alcanzar el de Director de esta institucion.
Advising Experiences of First Year International Doctoral Students

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how international doctoral students were matched with their faculty advisors and how their advising experiences and satisfaction were shaped by their academic discipline. We applied the lens of developmental advising to situate the advising experiences of our sample because of the framework’s emphasis on holistic support and student development. We conducted individual semistructured interviews with 21 international doctoral students attending a large research-intensive university in the Southeast. Most participants were assigned to an interim advisor, but the data revealed concerning differences in the type of advising experiences and support based on academic discipline. This study contributes to the body of literature by exploring advisor–advisee matching among international doctoral students and by further analyzing how disciplinary cultures shape perceptions of satisfaction with advising.
ES&T in the 21st Century: A Data-Driven Analysis of Research Topics, Interconnections, And Trends in the Past 20 Years.

Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) has served a leadership role in reporting advanced and significant research findings for decades and accumulated tremendous amount of high-quality literature. In this study, we developed tailored text mining methods and analyzed 29 188 papers published in ES&T from 2000 to 2019, and we performed data-driven analyses to reveal some critical information and guidance on what has been published, what topical changes have evolved, and what are the areas that deserve additional attention. While top research keywords remained stable (water, sorption, soil, emiss, oxid, exposur), the trending up and emerging keywords showed clear shift over the years. Keywords related to nanobased materials (nanoparticl, nanomateri, carbon nanotub), climate and energy (climat, ch4, greenhouse gas emiss, mitig, energi), and health (exposur, health, ingest) demonstrated the strongest uptrend in the past 10 years, while plastics and PFAS were among clear emerging topics in the past 5 years. Co-occurrence analysis showed distinct associations between media (water, soil, air, sediment), chemicals (pcb, humic subst, particulate matt), processes (sorption, remov, degrad), and properties (kinet, mechan, speciat). Furthermore, a rule-based classification deciphered trends, distributions, and interconnections of articles based on either monodomains (air, soil, solid waste, water, and wastewater) or multidomains. It found water and wastewater cross-discipline articles tended to have higher citation values, while air domain tended to stand alone. Water and air monodomains consistently increased their shares in publications (together 56.3% in 2019), while shares of soil studies gradually declined. This study provides new data-driven methods on literature mining and offers unique insights on environmental research landscape and opportunities.
Patient Experience and Satisfaction with Telemedicine During Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Multi-Institution Experience.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) heralded an unprecedented increase in telemedicine utilization. Our objective was to assess patient satisfaction with telemedicine during the COVID-19 era. Methods: Telemedicine visit data were gathered from Stanford Health Care (Stanford) and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Patient satisfaction data from HSS were captured from a Press-Ganey questionnaire between April 19, 2020, and December 12, 2020, whereas Stanford data were taken from a novel survey instrument that was distributed to all patients between June 22, 2020, and November 1, 2020. Participants: There were 60,550 telemedicine visits at Stanford, each linked with a postvisit survey. At HSS, there were 66,349 total telemedicine visits with 7,348 randomly linked with a postvisit survey. Main Outcomes and Measures: Two measures of patient satisfaction were used for this study: (1) a patient's "overall visit score" and (2) whether the patient indicated the highest possible "likelihood to recommend" (LTR) score (LTR top box score). Results: The LTR top box percentage at Stanford increased from 69.6% to 74.0% (p = 0.0002), and HSS showed no significant change (p = 0.7067). In the multivariable model, the use of a cell phone (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-1.23) and tablet (aOR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.07-1.23) was associated with higher overall scores, whereas visits with interrupted connections (aOR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.42-0.57) or help required to connect (aOR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.42-0.56) predicted lower patient satisfaction. Conclusions: We present the largest published description of patient satisfaction with telemedicine, and we identify important telemedicine-specific factors that predict increased overall visit score. These include the use of cell phones or tablets, phone reminders, and connecting before the visit was scheduled to begin. Visits with poor connectivity, extended wait times, or difficulty being seen, examined, or understood by the provider were linked with reduced odds of high scores. Our results suggest that attention to connectivity and audio/visual definition will help optimize patient satisfaction with future telemedicine encounters.
Novel Presentation of Aphasia and Tremor in Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy

The authors present a unique case of immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy in a 60-year-old female who presented with aphasia, tremor, and progressive muscular weakness. To the best of our knowledge, the presentation of aphasia and tremor has not been previously reported in immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy. This rare presentation may mimic a variety of other central nervous system and myopathic disorders. Delays in prompt diagnosis and treatment of immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy can be detrimental to the physical and mental well-being of the patient and additionally leads to inefficient use of healthcare resources. Therefore, it is beneficial for clinicians to be aware of this symptomatic presentation in order to include immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy as a key differential diagnosis. Awareness of aphasia and tremor as potential symptoms of immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy will improve the quality of patient care.
‘If you are going to treat someone like a human’: White supremacy and performance programmes in Northern California’s correctional facilities

This study draws on the experiences of eleven individuals working for six organisations in Northern California to identify ways White supremacist ideals operate in performance-related programmes in...
Conventional Laparoscopy Is the Better Option for Tubal Sterilization Reversal: A Closer Look at Tubal Reanastomosis

Background: Permanent sterilization is one of the most common methods of birth control in the United States and around the world. A small subset of women will regret their decision and desire future fertility. For these women, the options include in vitro fertilization (IVF) or surgical reversal. Surgical reversal, specifically via tubal reanastamosis, is an important choice to consider. Surgical reversal can be accomplished via three different general approaches including laparotomy, conventional laparoscopy, and robot-assisted approaches. Unfortunately, surgical reversal is becoming a lost art. Objective: To compare and contrast pregnancy success rates, ectopic pregnancy rates, and cost between the surgical methods and IVF. Methods: We conducted a literature review via Pubmed with keywords as listed below. Conclusion: Laparoscopic tubal reanastomosis is the best approach for women <40 years of age due to pregnancy outcomes that are comparable to other methods, cost effectiveness, and favorable safety profile of minimally invasive surgery.
The Flexural Strength and Flexural Modulus of Stereolithography Additively Manufactured Zirconia with different Porosities.

PURPOSE: Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are capable of fabricating complex geometries with different porosities. However, the effect of such porosities on mechanical properties of stereolithography (SLA) AM zirconia with different porosities is unclear. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the mechanical properties namely flexural strength, and flexural modulus of AM zirconia with different porosities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A bar (25×4×3 mm) for flexural strength test (ISO standard 6872/2015) was designed by CAD software program and standard tessellation language (STL) file was obtained. STL file was used to fabricate a total of 80 bars in four groups. Three experimental groups each contained 20 samples were manufactured using SLA ceramic printer (CeraMaker 900; 3DCeram Co) and zirconia material (3DMix ZrO2 paste; 3DCeram Co) with different sintering post process to achieve different porosities including 0%-porosity (AMZ0), 20%-porosity (AMZ20), and 40%-porosity (AMZ40). The same STL file was used for subtractive manufacturing or milling of 20 zirconia bars as control group (CNCZ) with the same dimensions using a commercial zirconia. Three-point bending tests were performed for all groups following ISO standard 6872/2015 specification using a universal testing machine. Outcomes measured included load at fracture, mean flexural strength, and flexural modulus were compared across the experimental groups using a 1-way ANOVA. Post-hoc pair wise comparison between each pair of the groups were performed using Tukey test. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the four groups, in terms of fracture load, flexural strength and flexural modulus using one-way ANOVA. AM zirconia with 0% porosity (AMZ0) showed the highest value for fracture load (1,132.7 ±220.6 N), flexural Strength (755.1 ±147.1 MPa) and flexural modulus (4,1273 ±2193 MPa) and AM zirconia with 40% porosity (AMZ40) showed the lowest fracture load (72.13 ±13.42 N), flexural strength (48.09 ±8.95 MPa) and flexural modulus (7,177 ±506 MPa). Tukey's pairwise comparisons detected a significant difference between all the possible pairs for all variables except flexural modulus between AMZ0 and CNCZ. The Weibull moduli presented the lowest value for AMZ20 (4.4) followed by AMZ40 (6.1), AMZ0 (6.1) and the highest value was for CNCZ (8.1). CONCLUSION: AM zirconia with 0% porosity shows significantly higher flexural strength and flexural modulus when compared to milled and AM zirconia with 20% and 40% porosities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Penicillin-Binding Component of Bacillus cereus

14C-penicillin is irreversibly bound by Bacillus cereus 569. Incubation of penicillin-treated cells in a cell wall digestion medium results in solubilization of approximately 60% of the irreversibly bound lable. The extent of the solubilization is the same when cells are prepared by either a cold or 37 C treatment procedure. However, spheroplasts prepared by the cold treatment are leaky. When the resulting spheroplasts are incubated in supplemented medium, reduced rates and levels of penicillinase synthesis, relative to induced whole-cell controls, are observed. Spheroplasts from both cold and 37 C prepared cells exhibit this phenomena, although the spheroplasts from 37 C prepared cells synthesized approximately sixfold higher levels of penicillinase. The size distribution of the label solubilized during the preparation of spheroplasts was examined by using Bio Gel P-150 columns. Although no label appeared in the exclusion volume fractions when the cell wall digest of the 37 C treated cells was chromatographed, approximately 10% of the label from cold-treated cells did appear. These results suggest that the presence of irreversibly bound penicillin is required for the synthesis of induced levels of penicillinase and that the irreversibly bound penicillin can be solubilized as a labile complex with material which is excluded from BioGel P-150. It may be concluded that the penicillin-binding lipoprotein complex which has been previously observed is the penicillin-specific binding site. However, the location of this complex in relation to the cell membrane could not be determined.
Cambridge University Press et al. v. Georgia State University: A Lawsuit Regarding Digital Course Packs and Possible Implications for Writing Teachers

This brief note summarizes the complaint filed by the plaintiffs in the above referenced case, and discusses possible implications for writing teachers.
Indexing and retrieval of handwritten medical forms

POSTER PAPER. This paper proposes an approach of indexing and retrieving degraded handwritten documents. We present a modified version of the popular Vector Model in information retrieval (IR). Our model incorporates top n candidates from a HR system into the scheme of calculating the term frequency (tf) and the inverted document frequency (idf). Standardized IR Tests show that the proposed approach outperforms the retrieval of ordinary HR text in terms of mean average precision (MAP) and R-Precision.
Cleavage specificity of type IV collagenase (gelatinase) from human skin. Use of synthetic peptides as model substrates.

Abstract Type IV collagenase (gelatinase) has a marked substrate specificity for denatured collagen (gelatin). Cleavage site specificity of type IV collagenase from human skin was determined using small collagenous peptides with varied sequences around Gly-Leu or Gly-Ile. Type IV collagenase showed essentially the same order of preference for the peptide substrates as did interstitial collagenase. Both required a peptide with a minimum of six amino acid residues to demonstrate significant gelatinolytic activity and were able to cleave uncharged molecules more rapidly than charged molecules. the repeating Gly-X-Y-Gly sequence of collagen is not an absolute requirement for either enzyme since both digested AcPro-Leu-Gly-Ile-Leu-Ala-Ala-OC2H5 at 70% of the rate of the best substrate peptide, AcPro-Leu-Gly-Leu-Leu-Gly-OC2H5. Km and kcat (Vmax) values were determined for several of the peptides and for the native substrate. Turnover numbers with type IV collagenase were similar to those with interstitial collagenase (Weingarten, H., Martin, R., and Feder, J. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 6730-6734). However, the Km for all peptides investigated was approximately 10-fold lower for type IV collagenase than for interstitial collagenase. Because type IV collagenase does not cleave helical interstitial collagens, the data support the conclusion that secondary structure determines whether the peptide bond can be hydrolyzed at any potential cleavage site.
Measurement of differential group delay in a recirculating loop

We show for the first time the measurement of DGD in a recirculating loop for specific fiber realizations. With this capability we measure DGD distribution in the loop with and without scrambling.
Emergence of Leadership within a Homogeneous Group

Large scale coordination without dominant, consistent leadership is frequent in nature. How individuals emerge from within the group as leaders, however transitory this position may be, has become an increasingly common question asked. This question is further complicated by the fact that in many of these aggregations, differences between individuals are minor and the group is largely considered to be homogeneous. In the simulations presented here, we investigate the emergence of leadership in the extreme situation in which all individuals are initially identical. Using a mathematical model developed using observations of natural systems, we show that the addition of a simple concept of leadership tendencies which is inspired by observations of natural systems and is affected by experience can produce distinct leaders and followers using a nonlinear feedback loop. Most importantly, our results show that small differences in experience can promote the rapid emergence of stable roles for leaders and followers. Our findings have implications for our understanding of adaptive behaviors in initially homogeneous groups, the role experience can play in shaping leadership tendencies, and the use of self-assessment in adapting behavior and, ultimately, self-role-assignment.
Weakly secret bit commitment: applications to lotteries and fair exchange

The paper presents applications for the weak protection of secrets in which weakness is not just acceptable but desirable. For one application, two versions of a lottery scheme are presented in which the result of the lottery is determined by the ticket numbers purchased, but no one can control the outcome or determine what it is until after the lottery closes. This is because the outcome is kept secret in a way that is breakable after a predictable amount of time and/or computation. Another presented application is a variant on fair exchange protocols that requires no trusted third party at all.
Contemporary Outcomes of Repeat Aortic Valve Replacement: A Benchmark for Transcatheter Valve-in-Valve Procedures

Background Reoperative aortic valve replacement (re-AVR) after previous AVR is a complex procedure involving redo sternotomy and removal of a previous prosthesis. With increasing use of valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement for failed aortic bioprostheses, an evaluation of contemporary outcomes of re-AVR in patients with bioprostheses is warranted. Methods The study included 3,380 patients from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (July 2011 to September 2013) who underwent elective, isolated re-AVR after a previous AVR. Outcomes in these patients were compared with those of 54,183 patients with isolated primary AVR during the same period. A subgroup analysis of explanted bioprostheses in re-AVR (previous bioprosthetic valve: n = 2,213) was performed. Results Re-AVR patients were younger (66 vs 70 years, p p p p = 0.02), postoperative aortic insufficiency mild or greater (2.8% vs 1.7%, p p p = 0.04). For the explanted previous bioprosthetic valve group, operative mortality was 4.7%, composite outcome was 21.9%, stroke rate was 1.8%, and pacemaker requirement was 11.5%. Conclusions Re-AVR is now performed with an acceptable operative mortality, which is higher than primary AVR. The overall incidence of stroke, vascular complication, and postoperative aortic insufficiency was low although higher than primary AVR. These results may serve as a benchmark for future analysis of valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement and may have an effect on future choice of transcatheter aortic valve replacement vs re-AVR.
From Peoplehood to Church Membership: Mormonism's Trajectory since World War II

Christians of every stripe are bound into faith communities by two sets of identifying metaphors. One, the body of Christ, is derived from the New Testament's account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The other, drawn from Hebraic prophecy, is linked to the understanding that Jesus was of the house and lineage of David. As the crucified Messiah, he stood at the head of the house of Israel as both Lord and Christ. In the practical terms spelled out in the Pauline letters, the first of these metaphorical congeries describes the church as Christ's body, an entity with members and a head. The second turns Christ's followers into a kinship group that is a party to a new covenant with God. Despite its heterogeneity, its inclusion of Gentiles as well as Jews, this group—along with the Jews—is one that the ancient of days selected to be his chosen people.
Black carbon's long trip to the abyssal plain

Black carbon, or soot, is the second most important anthropogenic driver of global climate change, taking a backseat only to carbon dioxide. Whether from wood in a cookstove, coal in a power plant, or trees charred by a wildfire, black carbon is produced by the incomplete combustion of organic matter. Once it gets into the environment, black carbon lowers the albedo when it settles on land, increasing warming and enhancing snow and ice melt. In the atmosphere, black carbon both helps and inhibits the formation of clouds.
Therapist Sexual Orientation, Gender, and Counseling Practices as They Relate to Ratings of Helpfulness by Gay and Lesbian Clients.

Three hundred ninety-two lesbian and gay volunteers described their experiences with 923 therapists, reporting therapist sexual orientation, therapist gender, and perceived helpfulness of the therapist in each case. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual therapists of both genders and heterosexual female therapists were all rated more helpful than heterosexual male therapists. Participants also reported whether each therapist exhibited 9 negative and 4 positive practices. Relative risk ratios indicated that 8 of the 9 negative therapist practices were significantly associated with (a) client designation of a therapist as unhelpful and (b) termination after 1 session. All 4 of the positive practices were inversely associated both with unhelpful ratings and with termination after 1 session. Therapist practices accounted for more of the variance in ratings of helpfulness than did therapist demographic characteristics.
“Liquid-like” biomineralization protein assemblies: a key to the regulation of non-classical nucleation

Over the past several decades, numerous studies have attempted to define the general role that proteins play in the nucleation of biominerals in organisms. Recently, with the emergence of the non-classical nucleation scheme involving pre-nucleation cluster formation, amorphous mineral cluster assembly, and maturation/stabilization scenarios, there is a growing realization that proteins could efficiently regulate many steps in this process, resulting in precise control over the development of biogenic crystals or the indefinite stabilization of amorphous mineral phases in a wide variety of organisms. In this Highlight, we present a generic scheme where nucleation-specific biomineralization proteins containing intrinsically disordered and aggregation-prone sequences assemble to form a liquid- or fluid-like phase similar to that formed in the polymer-induced liquid phase (PILP) and in vitro liquid protein systems. This assembled protein phase is compatible with the physical-chemical properties of prenucleation clusters and amorphous mineral clusters, and can provide an environment for subsequent stabilization and/or transformation of the mineral phase under appropriate conditions and locations. We foresee some important applications arising from Nature's use of protein assemblies to create, stabilize, and transform amorphous mineral precursor phases.
Analysis of the Role of Glutamine 190 in the Catalytic Mechanism of Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase

Abstract To determine the catalytic role of Gln190, a member of the highly conserved LPQG motif in Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase, we carried out site-directed mutagenesis of this residue to generate Q190N and Q190A. Both mutant proteins exhibited a significant loss in their polymerase and pyrophosphorolysis activities with a more pronounced effect noted with the Gln → Asn substitution. The catalytic efficiencies of the mutants exhibited a 40–70-fold reduction with poly(rC) and poly(dC) templates in the presence of Mg2+ and a 10–20-fold reduction with poly(rA) template in the presence of Mn2+. Interestingly, the K m for NTP exhibited only a moderate 3–10-fold increase irrespective of the template-primer and the metal ion. Photoaffinity labeling of both the mutant and the WT enzymes exhibited an identical affinity for RNA·DNA and DNA·DNA template-primers. However, unlike the WT enzyme, the mutant enzymes exhibited a significantly reduced ability to catalyze the nucleotidyltransferase reaction on the covalently immobilized template-primer. An examination of the rate constants for the first and the second nucleotide for the mutant enzymes indicated dissimilar rates, indicating that Gln190 may be involved in a rate-limiting, conformational change step both before and after the phosphodiester bond formation. Furthermore, the processivity of DNA synthesis by the mutant enzymes was decreased severely, which may result from the lower catalytic efficiency as well as translocation defect.
New Probes with Deep of Gas Flows within Galaxies at Intermediate Redshifts

Instead of using background QSO’s, we suggest using the light from galaxies to probe cool gas flows within their own halos. We highlight two DEEP projects based on this idea, one by Sato et al. (2009) that uses NaD absorption lines of galaxies at low redshifts z z ∼ 1.4.
Patterns in surface driven flows

Flow in a rectangular basin driven by a surface force is considered. The problem is motivated by flow in geophysical bodies of water driven by wind at the water surface. Results are obtained via numerical computations of the Navier–Stokes equations assuming constant density. The numerical integration is achieved with a splitting method, with Crank–Nicolson for the linear terms, and Adams–Bashforth for the nonlinear terms. Spatial derivatives are treated with finite differences. The forcing has a sinusoidal variation across the top with a sequence of length scales. The results show a symmetric steady stable flow for small Reynolds numbers. As the Reynolds number is increased, the system experiences either a subcritical or supercritical pitchfork bifurcation to an asymmetric steady stable flow, or a local Hopf bifurcation, depending on the aspect ratio of the container and the length scale of the forcing. The asymmetric flow is cellular for forcing length scales commensurate with the depth. For smaller forc...