cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Esophageal Obstruction in a Tracheostomized Infant

Partial esophageal obstruction was an unusual complication of tracheostomy in an infant. Emesis and failure to thrive prompted a modified barium-swallow study, which revealed that the tracheostomy tube was causing an obstruction in the proximal esophagus. Use of a shorter, customized tube eliminated the esophageal obstruction, allowing normal feeding and weight gain.
Mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis: role of activated myofibroblasts and NADPH oxidase

A common feature of pathological fibrosis involving the lung and other organs is the persistent activation of myofibroblasts in injured tissues. Recent evidence supports the role of a member of the NADPH oxidase (NOX) gene family, NOX4, in myofibroblast differentiation, matrix synthesis and contractility. Additionally, NOX4 may contribute directly or indirectly to alveolar epithelial cell death, while myofibroblasts themselves acquire an apoptosis-resistant phenotype. Thus, NOX4 may be responsible for the cardinal features of progressive fibrosis - myofibroblast activation and epithelial cell dysrepair. Therapeutic targeting of NOX4 is likely to be effective in progressive cases of fibrosis involving multiple organs.
What knowledge is important to a software professional

Efforts to develop licensing requirements, curricula, or training programs for software professionals should consider the experience of the practitioners who actually perform the work. We surveyed software professionals representing a wide variety of industries, job functions, and countries to learn which educational topics have proved most important to them in their careers and to identify the topics for which their education or current knowledge could be improved.
Chemotherapy Options for Patients With Metastatic or Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

The purpose of this review is to provide readers with guidance concerning treatment of patients with advanced, recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) in the context of clinical trial data. We discuss issues surrounding the treatment of patients with SCCHN, with an emphasis on recommendations based on results from phase II and III clinical trials published since 1980. Many options exist for the treatment of patients with SCCHN. The most important decisions involve determining which patients are in need of treatment and which are most likely to benefit from treatment. Although many chemotherapy treatments have been shown to induce responses, survival improvement remains an unfulfilled goal. Definitive data do not exist on the effects of chemotherapy on quality of life or progression-free survival as measures of clinical benefit in this setting. Performance status, history of prior treatment, extent of tumor, and need for palliation are the most important factors in the ...
Effects of verb meaning on lexical integration in agrammatic aphasia: Evidence from eyetracking

Relatively little is known about the time course of access to the lexical representations of verbs in agrammatic aphasia and its effects on the prediction and integration of the verb's arguments. The present study used visual-world eyetracking to test whether verb meaning can be used by agrammatic aphasic individuals to predict and facilitate the integration of a subsequent noun argument. Nine adults with agrammatic aphasia and ten age-matched controls participated in the study. In Experiment 1, participants viewed arrays of four objects (e.g., jar, plate, stick, pencil) while listening to sentences containing either a restrictive verb that was semantically compatible only with the target object or an unrestrictive verb compatible with all four objects (e.g., Susan will open/break the jar). For both participant groups, the restrictive condition elicited more fixations to the target object immediately after the verb. Experiment 2 differed from Experiment 1 in that the auditory sentences presented were incomplete (e.g., Susan will open/break the…). For controls, restrictive verbs elicited more target fixations immediately after the verb; however, the effects of verb type were noted downstream from the verb for the aphasic listeners. The results suggest that individuals with agrammatic aphasia have preserved ability to use verb information to facilitate integration of overt arguments, but prediction of upcoming arguments is impaired. Impaired lexical-semantic prediction processes may be caused by damage to the left inferior frontal gyrus, which has been argued to support higher-level lexical processes.
Reduced optical scattering loss in vertical-cavity lasers using a thin (300 /spl Aring/) oxide aperture

Calculations show that significant optical scattering loss persists as standard quarter-wave (800 /spl Aring/) thick, dielectrically apertured vertical cavity laser diameters are reduced below 4 /spl mu/m and that thinner apertures can reduce the scattering loss, By using a thin (300 /spl Aring/) AlAs-oxide defined aperture, optical scattering loss has been dramatically reduced over the quarter-wave AlAs-oxide defined vertical-cavity laser. The optical loss reduction results in 2.3 /spl mu/m diameter lasers with differential efficiencies of 0.43 (80% of the value of broad-area lasers) and continuous-wave single-mode powers of 1.2 mW.
137 and 165 GHZ radiometer measurements of hot electrons in LDX

Summary form only given. The levitated dipole experiment (LDX) is investigating a levitated dipole magnetic configuration as an alterative confinement concept for fusion plasmas. A 1.1 MA, 68 cm mean diameter, 560 kg superconducting coil (F-coil) is floated for up to 3 hours between cryogenic recoolings by a 280 kA levitating coil during which time plasmas are pulsed by electron cyclotron breakdown and heating (ECH). Up to a total of 15 kW ECH power from three sources at 2.45 (2.5 kW), 6.4 (2.5 kW), and 10.5 GHz (10 kW) are pulsed to sustain plasmas for up to 14 s with a slowly decaying afterglow detectable for over 20 s. Electron densities in the range of 1011 cm-3 with highly peaked profiles (~1/r4) are diagnosed with a 4-channel 60 GHz interferometer. Significant hot electron synchrotron emission has been observed with two heterodyne radiometers, at 137 and 165 GHz, 3 GHz double sideband (DBS) each and noise temp, of 3000 and 2000 K DBS, respectively. The receivers' field of view (FOV) where combined by a 4-port corrugated Al waveguide beamsplitter (quartz) block and transmitted in HE11 mode by a 35 mm dia., 1.1 m long ceramic waveguide to a quartz vacuum widow (>95% trans, at 137 & 165 GHz) located below the F-coil. About 9 dB attenuation was necessary in the waveguide to avoid receiver saturation. The radiometer views were directed vertically upward 28 cm from the dipole axis in X-mode orientation. A 2.3 m distance from window to plasma peak resulted in 1/e2 plasma FOV diameters of 29 and 24 cm at 137/165 GHz, respectively. Equivalent blackbody temperatures at 137/165 GHz as high as 620/410 eV were observed at the vacuum window during sustained plasma operation, dropping to about 110/60 eV within 1 s at the start of the afterglow and then deceasing exponentially to 0.2/0.1 eV about 24 s later. These are lower limits for the actual peak plasma emission because the receiver FOVs aren't uniformly filled by the plasma and are partially obstructed by the F-coil catcher. Interpretation in terms of the hot electron parameters requires integration over many ECE harmonics. The magnetic field varies over 0.4-3.1 Tesla along the peak density flux contour crossing the FOVs putting all the ECE harmonics from the 2nd to 14th in view. An initial evaluation of the ECE emissivity coefficient for observed 137/165 GHz ratios and signal levels results in a sustained hot electron temperature of about 100 keV with a lower limit on density of 2x109 cm-3 and afterglow confinement, ?>6 s.
Insights into Large Audit Firm Sampling Policies

SUMMARY: Changes in the audit profession after Sarbanes-Oxley, including mandatory audits of internal control over financial reporting and PCAOB oversight and inspection of audit work, have potent...
Improving Shareholder Monitoring of Corporate Management by Expanding Statutory Access to Information

A central issue in contemporary corporate law is the effectiveness of shareholders as monitors of corporate management. For example, in a series of recent articles, legal scholars have debated whether the rapid growth in the equity ownership positions of institutional investors, the relative stability of their shareholdings in each company, and their increased activism in corporate governance matters, will lead to better monitoring by shareholders and improved corporate performance. However, two predicates to effective shareholder monitoring are that dispersed investors have information about the companies they invest in and that they can communicate this information to other investors so that they can act collectively.
THE ACULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF CHRONIC PAIN: FLAWED REALITY CONSTRUCTION AND THE PROBLEM OF MEANING*

Pain folklore is inadequate to make sense of chronic pain. As a result, chronic pain sufferers feel frustrated and socially isolated. They encounter further difficulties in social settings, where problems regarding the management of pain remain unsolved. They cannot find refuge in retreating to certain knowledge of their private inner states, for their troubles are located not in pain but in language and culture. The problems of chronic pain sufferers suggest a form of suffering which transcends physical pain.
Abnormalities of human vitreous structure in diabetes

Patients with diabetes experience vitreous degeneration, characterized by “precocious” liquefaction and posterior vitreous detachment. Biochemical studies have detected that hyperglycemia alters vitreous collagen, changes that might be responsible for the observed vitreous degeneration. This study was undertaken to identify if there are morphological changes within the vitreous of diabetic patients that are consistent with the biochemical data and to identify how these could under-lie the observed clinical phenomena. Ten eyes from 5 humans (4 normals aged 6, 11, 56, 82; 1 aged 9 with type I diabetes) were obtained at autopsy. Eyes were dissected in the fresh state and studied by dark field slit microscopy without fixatives or dyes. In normals, a transition was observed from a homogeneous structure in youth to one that contained fibers in middle-age, which degenerated and were associated with significant liquefaction in old age. In the diabetic child, the vitreous structure contained prominent fibers whose appearance was similar to middle-aged normals and not the age-matched controls. This study characterizes the morphological manifestations of precocious senescence of vitreous in a patient with diabetes. The abnormal vitreous fibers are likely the result of biochemical changes in collagen that are related to hyperglycemia — a phenomenon that could be inhibited by drug therapy.
Recurrent pancreatitis in a patient with choledochal cyst and anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction.

Recurrent Pancreatitis in a Patient With Choledochal Cyst and Anomalous Pancreaticobiliary Junction
Correction: Impact of cardiovascular magnetic resonance on management and clinical decision-making in heart failure patients

Correction Following the publication of our article [1] we have noticed that the figure legends for Figure 2 and Figure 3 have been reversed. The figure legends should read as follows: Figure 2. Example of a Change in Management. A 65 year-old man was referred for assessment of ventricular function and viability testing. CMR unexpectedly revealed a large apical thrombus, for which the patient was admitted to hospital for initiation of systemic anticoagulation. Figure 3. Example of a New Diagnosis. A 32 year-old woman with sickle cell anemia was referred for evaluation of iron overload by T2* imaging, which was normal. However, nearly transmural hyperenhancement (white arrows) was seen in the apical inferior wall on late enhancement imaging, indicative of previously unrecognized myocardial infarction. Please note, these changes do not affect the conclusions made in the original publication.
Ethnicity in Survey Research Methods: The Changing Consumer Demographics and Implications

This paper examines common methodological problems encountered in consumer research of ethnic minority populations. Problems with respect to category construction and population focus, establishing conceptual, functional and measure equivalence, dealing with sampling issues, as well as establishing data collection equivalence are discussed. Specifically, conceptually and methodologically based suggestions together with suggestions for sampling and data analysis are delineated for dealing with some of the concerns in consumer research with ethnic minorities. Ethnocentric and reporting considerations are also addressed. These suggestions are offered in the spirit of encouraging further consumer research in minority populations.
Discordant aspects of aldosterone resistance in potassium depletion

Aldosterone resistance, defined as absent kaliuretic response to exogenous hormone, has been described in K depletion. It is not clear whether the absent kaliuresis is due to activation of K-conserving mechanisms or to failure of activation of the Na-K pump in cortical collecting tubules (CCT) by mineralocorticoids. Adrenalectomized male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to either a normal or low-K diet. Na-K pump activity (pmol.mm-1.h-1) in microdissected CCT and medullary collecting tubules (MCT, inner stripe of the outer medulla) was determined at 7 or 21 days after allocation to the dietary groups before and after exogenous aldosterone (50 micrograms twice daily, for 3 days). K depletion led to progressive hypertrophic changes in the CCT and MCT manifest in an increase in basal Na-K pump activity. In both K repletion and short-term K depletion (7 days), aldosterone led to the expected increase in CCT Na-K pump activity. With long-term K depletion, the CCT Na-K pump response to aldosterone was blunted...
Electrical treatment of nonunions. Its use and abuse in 100 consecutive fractures.

Summary Electrical stimulation can be useful as a primary treatment for a variety of fracture problems, particularly in the tibia. However, the method should not be oversold to either the physician or the patient as a substitute for adequate fracture management.
Abstract # 1787 Unique immune profiles in children with autism who experience gastrointestinal co-morbidity

Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are 6–8 times more likely to have persistent gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. In addition, intestinal and peripheral inflammation, altered microbiome profiles, and impaired intestinal permeability have also been observed in children with ASD who exhibit GI issues. To further assess immune dysfunction and relationship to behavior in children with ASD and GI co-morbidities, we analyzed samples from children placed into the following study groups based on responses from standardized GI questionnaires: children with ASD who experience GI symptoms (ASDGI), children with ASD without a history of GI symptoms (ASDNoGI), or typically developing (TD) children. Cytokine analysis of supernatants collected from stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, revealed elevated innate immune responses from ASDNoGI including increased levels of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta and TNFalpha after stimulation with Toll-Like receptor (TLR)-4 ligands compared to TD. The ASDGI group produced increased levels of mucosa-relevant cytokines IL-5, IL-15 and IL-17 compared to ASDNoGI following TLR-4 stimulation. Interestingly, the production of regulatory cytokine, TGFbeta1, was decreased across all stimulatory conditions in ASDGI compared to either ASDNoGI or TD groups. Furthermore, ASDGI scored worse on the Aberrant Behaviors Checklist than ASDNoGI. Overall, data from this study found evidence of reduced regulatory cytokines and increased mucosa-related cytokines in ASDGI which suggest that children with ASD and GI symptoms have an imbalance between regulatory and inflammatory pathways.
Light-mediated Formation and Patterning of Hydrogels for Cell Culture Applications.

Click chemistries have been investigated for use in numerous biomaterials applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, and cell culture. In particular, light-mediated click reactions, such as photoinitiated thiol−ene and thiol−yne reactions, afford spatiotemporal control over material properties and allow the design of systems with a high degree of user-directed property control. Fabrication and modification of hydrogel-based biomaterials using the precision afforded by light and the versatility offered by these thiol−X photoclick chemistries are of growing interest, particularly for the culture of cells within well-defined, biomimetic microenvironments. Here, we describe methods for the photoencapsulation of cells and subsequent photopatterning of biochemical cues within hydrogel matrices using versatile and modular building blocks polymerized by a thiol−ene photoclick reaction. Specifically, an approach is presented for constructing hydrogels from allyloxycarbonyl (Alloc)-functionalized peptide crosslinks and pendant peptide moieties and thiol-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) that rapidly polymerize in the presence of lithium acylphosphinate photoinitiator and cytocompatible doses of long wavelength ultraviolet (UV) light. Facile techniques to visualize photopatterning and quantify the concentration of peptides added are described. Additionally, methods are established for encapsulating cells, specifically human mesenchymal stem cells, and determining their viability and activity. While the formation and initial patterning of thiol-alloc hydrogels are shown here, these techniques broadly may be applied to a number of other light and radical-initiated material systems (e.g., thiol-norbornene, thiol-acrylate) to generate patterned substrates.
Measurement of sternal curvature angle on patients with pectus excavatum.

Pectus excavatum (PE) is a chest deformity characterized by marked sternal depression. The objective of this study was to quantify the sternal curvature observed in patients diagnosed with PE using the sternal curvature angle (SCA). A retrospective review of lateral chest X-rays of patients with PE from 2006 to 2013 was performed. The SCA was measured in a manner similar to the method of Cobb’s angle is used to measure spinal curvature. SCA and Haller index were calculated from the chest X-rays for all patients. Lateral chest X-rays of 202 PE and 196 normal control patients were analyzed. The mean SCA ± SD of PE patients was 40.56° ± 12.88° compared to 22.02° ± 7.65° for normal patients. The difference was statistically significant with a p value of <0.0001. No significant concordance between SCA and Haller index measurements in the PE group was found (Kendall τ = −0.00015, p value = 0.9975). The difference in sternal curvature as measured by the sternal curvature angle between the pectus excavatum and normal patients was statistically significant. Our data suggest that sternal depression evident in PE patients is not a simple linear depression of the sternum but due to curvature in the sternal body.
Forum Editor’s Note: Spectacles, Partisanship, Status, Place, Donald Trump, and the Power of Resentment

Our second edition of The Forum contains two provocative features for your consideration. The first is a symposium—with an author’s response—reviewing Katherine J. Cramer’s important new book, The ...
Cervical spine injury patterns in three modes of high-speed trauma: A biomechanical porcine model

Cervical spine fractures and dislocations account for a large number of deaths and disabilities in the United States each year. More knowledge of the anatomic injuries produced by known trauma may yield practical information regarding injury mechanisms and treatment alternatives. In this experiment, 16 porcine cervical spine three-vertebrae segments were subjected to flexion-compression, extension-compression, and compression-alone trauma modes. The resultant injuries were scored by anatomic dissection. The results were analyzed for variance with trauma mode using nonparametric analysis. The three modes of trauma were found to have statistically significant differences in the degree of injury to the spine and its structural components. Extension-compression trauma produced the greatest injury scores to the whole spine and to the anterior structures. Flexion-compression trauma produced the highest posterior element injury scores. Compression trauma alone produced the lowest injury scores and no definitive pattern of anatomic injuries. The severity of anatomic injuries in this model relates most to the addition of bending moments to high-speed axial compression of the spine segment.
Defective acid hydrolase secretion in RUNX1 haplodeficiency: Evidence for a global platelet secretory defect.

Background RUNX1 haplodeficiency is associated with thrombocytopenia, platelet dysfunction and a predisposition to acute leukaemia. Platelets possess three distinct types of granules and secretory processes involving dense granules (DG), α-granules and vesicles or lysosomes containing acid hydrolases (AH). Dense granules and granule deficiencies have been reported in patients with RUNX1 mutations. Little is known regarding the secretion from AH-containing vesicles. Methods and results We studied two related patients with a RUNX1 mutation, easy bruising, and mild thrombocytopenia. Platelet aggregation and 14C serotonin in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) were impaired in response to ADP, epinephrine, collagen and arachidonic acid. Contents of DG (ATP, ADP), α-granules (β-thromboglobulin) and AH-containing vesicles (β-glucuronidase, β-hexosaminidase, α-mannosidase) were normal or minimally decreased. Dense granules secretion on stimulation of gel-filtered platelets with thrombin and divalent ionophore A23187 (4-12 μmol L−1) were diminished. β-thromboglobulin and AH secretion was impaired in response to thrombin or A23187. We studied thromboxane-related pathways. The incorporation of 14C -arachidonic acid into phospholipids and subsequent arachidonic acid release on thrombin activation was normal. Platelet thromboxane A2 production in whole blood serum and on thrombin stimulation of PRP was normal, suggesting that the defective secretion was not due to impaired thromboxane production. Conclusions These studies provide the first evidence in patients with a RUNX1 mutation for a defect in AH (lysosomal) secretion, and for a global defect in secretion involving all three types of platelet granules that is unrelated to a granule content deficiency. They highlight the pleiotropic effects and multiple platelet defects associated with RUNX1 mutations.
Leishmania incidence and prevalence in U.S. hunting hounds maintained via vertical transmission.

Leishmania is the causative agent of leishmaniasis, a deadly protozoan disease which affects over 1 million people each year. Autochthonous cases of canine leishmaniasis are generally associated with tropical and subtropical climatic zones. However, in 1999, U.S. hunting dogs were found to have leishmaniasis with no history of travel outside the country. Transmission of this disease was found to be primarily vertical. In endemic areas, dogs are a dominant domestic reservoir host for Leishmania infantum. This study evaluated L. infantum infection prevalence and incidence within US dogs tested over a nine-year span (2007–2015). This investigation used both passive and active surveillance, following an initial outbreak investigation by the Centers for Disease Control. L. infantum infection incidence and prevalence over time and across regions were examined to evaluate whether transmission was sufficient to maintain ongoing infection within this population. These studies also established whether this disease is becoming more or less prominent within this reservoir host, dogs. There was no significant difference between prevalence and incidence rates via as measured by passive vs. active surveillance. Although due to fluctuations in sample submission there were significant changes in both incidence and prevalence of L. infantum in US hunting dogs over this nine year span, these differences were not outside of the interquartile range and therefore there is likely to be a steady-state of transmission within U.S. dogs. Based on these findings, if vertical transmission is the primary means of L. infantum spread in U.S. dogs, with appropriate husbandry and infection control procedures, elimination of L. infantum from US dogs could be possible.
Publication Rate and Impact Factor for Society of Military Orthopedic Surgeons. Annual Meeting Presentations, 2009-2013.

ABSTRACT Introduction: The Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons (SOMOS) is a robust academic organization with more than 1,000 members and has held annual academic scientific meetings since 1958. Currently, there is a paucity of data regarding the volume and quality of orthopaedic surgery presentations accepted for peer-reviewed publication. The purpose of this study was to answer the following questions: (1) What is the publication acceptance rate for abstract presented at SOMOS meetings? (2) What is the distribution by orthopaedic subspecialty for SOMOS presentations accepted for publication? (3) What is the overall quality of these publications? Materials and Methods: Abstracts of podium presentations at SOMOS were reviewed from 2009 to 2013. Author institutional information was obtained. Abstracts were then queried in PubMed to obtain publication status, time to publication, and impact factor of the journal in which the manuscript was successfully published. Results: From 2009 to 2013, 592 abstrac...
The Circadian Clock Regulates Adipogenesis by a Per3 Crosstalk Pathway to Klf15.

The generation of new adipocytes from precursor cells (adipogenesis) has implications for systemic metabolism and is a commonly used model for studying the process of cell differentiation in vitro. Previous studies from us and others suggested that the peripheral circadian clock can influence adipogenesis in vitro, but the mechanisms driving this activity and the relevance for adipogenesis in vivo are unknown. Here we reveal that mouse adipocyte precursor cells (APCs) contain a circadian clock that oscillates in vivo. We expose context-specific features of the clock in APCs: expression of the canonical core clock component Per1 does not significantly oscillate, whereas the lesser-understood paralog Per3 has a prominent rhythm. We discovered that deletion of Per3 promotes adipogenesis in vivo by a clock output pathway in which PER3 and BMAL1 directly regulate Klf15 expression. These findings demonstrate that Per3 has a major role in the APC clock and regulates adipogenesis in vivo.
Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery—What Does Certification Mean?

There are advantages and disadvantages of subspecialty certification for physicians, trainees, patients, and society at large. As female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) became the second subspecialty of urology to offer subspecialty certification, understanding the effects of FPMRS subspecialty certification on the healthcare system is important. While subspecialty certification may improve training, identify experts, and ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes, certification might also be unnecessary for some physicians, weaken residency training, and limit the number of physicians who are deemed qualified to offer certain treatments. As pelvic floor disorders can considerably affect quality of life, and their prevalence is expected to increase with the aging population, high-quality FPMRS care is needed. In this article, we describe the history of FPMRS subspecialty certification as well as its potential advantages and disadvantages as suggested by literature. There are advantages and disadvantages of FPMRS subspecialty certification. Further research is needed to assess the effect of FPMRS subspecialty certification on patient outcomes.
Approaches Used for Derivations and Approximations

This chapter provides background on different approaches, results, and techniques that are used in several of the chapters. Some of the topics: order statistics and direct integration; random walks and the reflection principle; ballot problems; the Karlin–McGregor theorem; Poisson and compound Poisson approximation; Bonferroni bounds; the Q2/ Q3 Markov-type approximation.
14 – NONEQUILIBRIUM THERMODYNAMICS APPROACHES

Linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics has some fundamental limitations: (1) it does not incorporate mechanisms into its formulation, nor does it provide values for the phenomenological coefficients, and (2) it is based on the local-equilibrium hypothesis, and therefore it is confined to systems in the vicinity of equilibrium. Also, properties not needed or defined in equilibrium may influence the thermodynamic relations in nonequilibrium situations. For example, the density may depend on the shearing rate in addition to temperature and pressure. The local-equilibrium hypothesis holds only for linear phenomenological relations, low frequencies, and long wavelengths, which makes the application of the linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory limited for chemical reactions. In the following sections, some of the attempts that have been made to overcome these limitations are summarized.
The Nature and Significance of Culpability

Culpability is not a unitary concept within the criminal law, and it is important to distinguish different culpability concepts and the work they do. Narrow culpability is an ingredient in wrongdoing itself, describing the agent’s elemental mens rea (purpose, knowledge, recklessness, and negligence). Broad culpability is the responsibility condition that makes wrongdoing blameworthy and without which wrongdoing is excused. Inclusive culpability is the combination of wrongdoing and responsibility or broad culpability that functions as the retributivist desert basis for punishment. Each of these kinds of culpability plays an important role in a unified retributive framework for the criminal law. Moreover, the distinction between narrow and broad culpability has significance for understanding and assessing the distinction between attributability and accountability and the nature and permissibility of strict liability crimes.
A 486 µW All-Digital Bluetooth Low Energy Transmitter with Ring Oscillator Based ADPLL for IoT applications

this paper presents an all-digital Ring Oscillator (RO) based Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) transmitter (TX) for ultra-low-power radios in short range IoT applications. It employs a wideband ADPLL featuring an f RF /4RO, with an embedded 5-bit TDC. A 4X frequency edge combiner is used to generate the 2.4GHz signal. This helps reduce the power consumption and enhance its phase noise performance at the same time. A switch-capacitor PA is optimized for high efficiency in low power mode. The TX is designed at the phase noise limit for BLE and in low power mode it consumes 486 µW while configured as a non-connectable advertiser, which has been validated by wirelessly communicating beacon messages to a mobile phone.
Robotic Gastric Bypass/Duodenal Switch

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic bariatric surgery was approved in the United States in 2000. The robotic platform provides the advantages of durable instruments, stable three-dimensional optical imaging, and three robotic arms for performing the operation. In bariatric surgery, the robotic platform is particularly advantageous because it decreases mechanical strain from a thick abdominal wall and allows working in space that is limited by visceral fat. Even though the wristed instruments allow ease of hand-sewn anastomoses, the robotic arms have limited range of movement and make multi-quadrant operations challenging. Therefore, initial operative cases reported longer operative times and often incorporated a hybrid approach that used the robot for the hand-sewn anastomosis. Also, lack of haptic feedback sometimes led to iatrogenic injury and conversion to open surgery during earlier cases. Ultimately, a learning curve was defined, and operative times and outcomes have equaled or surpassed laparoscopy. Overall, the robotic-assisted Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and robotic-assisted biliary pancreatic diversion with duodenal switch are safe and valuable alternatives to laparoscopic bariatric surgery.
Institutional Barriers to Innovation: Lessons From a Digital Intervention for Underrepresented Students Applying to College

AbstractThis article draws upon two conceptual frameworks—institutional culture in education and innovation studies—to contextualize findings from a digital intervention for underrepresented studen...
Event-based diagnosis of flight maneuvers of a fixed-wing aircraft

Abstract Despite all efforts to improve the reliability of aircraft, the possibility of failure occurrences cannot be completely eliminated, and hence, airplane safety forever remains as a post-developmental concern. In times of peril, flight crews have a minimal amount of time to detect and determine an occurred fault. An automated fault diagnosis tool can help timely detect occurred faults and increase the flight crew’s odds of recovering the plane before a possible crash. As a solution, this paper proposes a diagnosis tool that provides diagnostic information based upon the pilot’s corrective inputs to level an aircraft’s wings. For this purpose, this paper models a fixed-wing aircraft as a discrete event system (DES). The constructed model is then used to develop a diagnosis tool, a so-called diagnoser, for detecting, isolating, and identifying fault occurrences in the ailerons (left and right) of the aircraft. The developed diagnoser can be asynchronously activated during the aircraft’s operation and provides diagnostic information in real time.
Women Too: Explaining Gender Ideologies of Ethnopolitical Organizations

What explains the gender ideologies of ethnopolitical organizations? Recently, scholarship has cast attention to the determinants of violent organizations’ female recruitment patterns. Others have ...
Fungicide Efficacy Against Pseudoperonospora humuli and Point Mutations Linked to Carboxylic Acid Amide Resistance in Michigan.

Hops have expanded as a niche crop in Michigan and other production areas in the eastern United States, but growers in these regions face annual downy mildew outbreaks incited by Pseudoperonospora ...
Interactions between home, work, and sleep among firefighters

Background Firefighters endure large occupational burdens and generally operate under conditions of chronic sleep deficiency and circadian disruption due to long shifts, plus interrupted sleep due to emergency calls during the night. A typical shift for firefighters is 24-h on/48-h off, and firefighters are expected to use time-off to recover from any sleep debt, while balancing social, family, and home responsibilities. This qualitative study sets out to assess family dynamics and how firefighters prioritize sleep and recovery at home based on relationship or family status, as well as a fire department's current shift schedule. Methods Focus groups were conducted via convenience sampling in Portland, OR, with full-time firefighters, battalion chiefs, and their spouses. Grounded theory, using NVivo 12 Plus, was used to code transcripts to reveal reoccurring concepts and themes. Results Major themes centered around the increase of nonemergent calls contributing to compassion fatigue. Spouses can help improve the sleep of firefighters by creating opportunities for recuperative sleep at home. However, spouses also conveyed underlying tones of "resentment" relating to their firefighter being unavailable for emotional and instrumental support. While married firefighters discussed choosing family and home obligations over reducing sleep debt to maintain relationships, single and divorced firefighters spoke of fewer conflicts impeding their ability to prioritize sleep at home. Conclusions These results improve our understanding of how firefighters prioritize sleep at home based on family dynamics and can inform future decision-making for fire departments in addressing concerns related to work-family conflict, sleep loss, and compassion fatigue among their members.
Infrared Detection and Thermoelectric Coupling Simulation Analysis of 220 kV Insulator Abnormal Heating

Heat and pollution flash caused by surface contamination are one of the common defects of insulators. If not discovered and eliminated in time, it will cause the deterioration of the insulator and seriously affect the service life of the insulator. If we can grasp the temperature distribution characteristics of the insulator in the state of contamination, the infrared temperature measurement can be used to quickly find and eliminate defects in a timely manner. This paper introduces a large area heating defect of porcelain post insulator and composite suspension insulator in 220kV equipment area, whose temperature distribution showed the rule of overheating at the high-voltage end and the temperature gradually decreasing toward the low-pressure end. Based on the field infrared temperature measurement and thermal image characteristics, it preliminarily analyzed that the heating was caused by insulator contamination and damp. Then, combined with pollution sampling, three-dimensional model establishment and thermoelectric coupling simulation calculation, the correctness of the above conclusions was verified, and preventive measures and suggestions were put forward.
Home Style Opinion: How Local Newspapers Can Slow Polarization

Local newspapers can hold back the rising tide of political division in America by turning away from the partisan battles in Washington and focusing their opinion page on local issues. When a local newspaper in California dropped national politics from its opinion page, the resulting space filled with local writers and issues. We use a pre-registered analysis plan to show that after this quasi-experiment, politically engaged people did not feel as far apart from members of the opposing party, compared to those in a similar community whose newspaper did not change. While it may not cure all of the imbalances and inequities in opinion journalism, an opinion page that ignores national politics could help local newspapers push back against political polarization.
Mutated MYD88 Homozygosity Is Increased in Previously Treated Patients with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, and Associates with CXCR4 Mutation Status and Ibrutinib Exposure

Abstract Somatic mutations affecting MYD88 are present in >90% of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (WM) patients, with nearly all of them being heterozygous [mutant allele frequency (MAF) 50% were present in 10-12% of untreated WM patients, a phenomenon that was attributed to acquired uniparental disomy (aUPD) and copy number alterations (Treon et al, NEJM 2012; Poulain et al, Blood 2013) at chromosome 3p. CXCR4 WHIM-like mutations are the second most common mutations in WM, affecting 30-40% of patients and almost always are associated with mutated MYD88 (Hunter et al, Blood 2014). Further to these studies, we evaluated the MAF of MYD88 in 236 WM patients (130 untreated and 106 previously treated), and observed MAFs >50% in 42/236 WM patients (17.8%), that was particularly striking in previously treated (26/106, 24.5%) versus untreated (16/130, 12.3%) patients (p = 0.017). To better understand the mechanism for increased MYD88 MAFs in WM, Sanger sequencing, copy number (CNA), and aUPD analysis were performed using CD19-selected BM mononuclear cells. Sanger sequencing of MYD88 L265P was used to establish the ratio of mutant versus wild-type allele expression. TaqMan real-time PCR assay was used to determine the MYD88 copy number. In total, 42 patients were screened for MYD88 copy number, with 6 patients (14.3%) being copy number altered (3 amplifications, 3 deletions). For patients with a MAF >50%, and an unaltered copy number, the presence of aUPD was determined by analyzing the tumor/germline allele balance in as many as 14 germline heterozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms using TaqMan genotyping assays. Fifteen out of twenty-one (5 untreated, 10 previously treated) patients tested were determined to have aUPDs. Several of these patients were also validated using next-generation sequencing, with the percentage of MYD88 mutant reads highly correlating with our Sanger estimates (r=0.9). As shown in Figure 1, CXCR4 mutations were similarly distributed between untreated patients with a MYD88 MAF >50% (6/16, 37.5%) and MAF 50% did not differ significantly based on previous treatment status (p=0.063), except in the context of CXCR4. Among previously treated patients, CXCR4 mutations were more prevalent among those with a MYD88 MAF >50% (19/26, 73%) versus MAF 50% (7/15, 46.7%) versus patients not treated with ibrutinib (19/91, 21%; p=0.049). Our findings show that mutated MYD88 homozygosity is increased in previously treated patients with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, and associates with CXCR4 mutation status and ibrutinib exposure. Download : Download high-res image (138KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Disclosures Castillo: Abbvie: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding. Treon: Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding.
It’s Not You, It’s Us

* Abbreviation: URiM — : underrepresented in medicine In this issue of Pediatrics , Montez et al1 found the trend in proportions of underrepresented in medicine (URiM) trainees was unchanged in pediatric residencies (16%) and decreased for pediatric subspecialty fellows from 2007 through 2019 (14.2% to 13.5%). Importantly, URiM representation among pediatric trainees was far lower than that of the US population. As a community of pediatricians, we have long asserted the importance of a diverse pediatric workforce and have issued multiple calls to this end.2–4 The thoughtful analysis of the data compiled by Montez et al1 compels us to question why we have not achieved our goal. The authors highlight the challenges we face in URiM recruitment and retention across the spectrum of training. These challenges have previously been presented as a “leaky pipeline.” This metaphor has been challenged5,6 because it can inadvertently place the responsibility for leaving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics … Address correspondence to Patricia Poitevien MD, MSc, 593 Eddy St, Department of Pediatrics, Providence RI 02903. E-mail: Patricia_poitevien{at}brown.edu.
Tugging on Superman’s Cape: Why Some Insurgencies Are Targets of Foreign Militaries

Why do foreign militaries attack some insurgencies and not others? Although foreign involvement in civil conflicts is on the rise, many insurgencies are not targeted militarily by external powers. ...
Hindutva as Political Monotheism: by Anustup Basu, Durham, NC, Duke University Press, 2020, 296 pp., $27.95 (Paperback), ISBN 978-1-4780-1094-4

In this deeply relevant and engaging book, Anustup Basu analyzes Hindu political monotheism in India through three main lenses: how a unified Hinduism was constructed by figures in India and Europe...
Targeting fronto-limbic dysfunctions via intermittent theta burst stimulation as a novel treatment for Functional Movement Disorders

Background. Neuroimaging studies suggest that corticolimbic dysfunctions, including increased amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli and heightened fronto-amygdala coupling, play a central role in the pathophysiology of functional movement disorders (FMD), although there is no direct causal evidence of this relationship. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has the potential to probe and modulate brain networks implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, including FMD. Therefore, in this proof-of-concept study, we investigated safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of fronto-amygdala neuromodulation via targeted left prefrontal intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) on brain and behavioral manifestations of FMD. Methods. Six subjects with a clinically defined diagnosis of FMD received three open-label iTBS sessions per day, for two consecutive study visits. Safety and tolerability were assessed throughout the trial. Amygdala reactivity to emotionally valenced stimuli presented during an fMRI task and fronto-amygdala connectivity at rest were evaluated at baseline and after each stimulation visit, together with subjective levels of arousal and valence in response to affective stimuli. FMD symptom severity was assessed at baseline, during treatment and 24 hours after receiving the last iTBS session. Results. Multiples doses of iTBS were well-tolerated by all participants. Intermittent TBS significantly decreased fronto-amygdala connectivity and also influenced amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli. These neurocircuitry changes were associated to a significant decrease in negative valence and an increase in positive valence levels following iTBS. Furthermore, we also observed a marked reduction in FMD symptom severity post stimulation. Conclusions. Corticolimbic modulation via iTBS represents a promising treatment for FMD that warrants additional research.
Cytogenetics of Pearl Millet

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the available information on different aspects of pearl millet cytogenetics. It provides useful information to cytogeneticists and breeders engaged in the improvement of pearl millet and other forage species of Pennisetum. Pearl millet is a favorable organism for genetic research. Several favorable features of the chromosome complement, for example, small number and large size of chromosomes with one distinctive pair of nucleolar organizers, make pearl millet a suitable organism for cytogenetic studies. Protogynous flowers and outbreeding system of pearl millet make it ideal for interspecific hybridization and for breeding work. Although pearl millet has a remarkable ability to grow on soils of marginal fertility, it responds very well to proper fertilization that helps in realizing the high yield potential of its hybrids. Pearl millet has a remarkable ability to grow in some of the driest agricultural conditions. In terms of annual production, it is the sixth most important cereal crop in the world. Pearl millet has an efficient photosynthetic (C4) pathway and responds very well to fertilizers. It also responds very well to heterosis breeding.
On the commutation properties of normal-mode operators and vertices in the theory of the relativistic quantum string

We study the commutation properties of the creation and annihilation operators of the theory of the relativistic quantum string with the vertex of interaction that describes the splitting and joining of strings in the transverse gauge. As a result of the change of boundary conditions, annihilation operators acting on the vertex are partially transmitted through the vertex and partially reflected as creation operators. A compact formalism is established to describe this effect, and an application is made to study the singularities of the string operators at the point of splitting. The results of this approach are compared with the previous results obtained on the three-string interaction vertex.
Direct observation of the CRAND proton radiation belt source

[1] Observations of geomagnetically trapped 27–45 MeV protons following the November 2003 magnetic storm show a gradual intensity rise that is interpreted as a direct measurement of the cosmic ray albedo neutron decay (CRAND) source strength. The intensity rise is simulated by combining the detector response function with a model CRAND source, obtained by drift-averaging neutron intensity from Monte Carlo simulation of cosmic ray interactions in the atmosphere. The simulation, for 2.4<L<2.7, matches the data within statistical uncertainties, verifying the CRAND model. Another simulation includes the effects of solar proton trapping and other known radiation belt processes. It further shows that the CRAND source was predominant, while radial diffusion and magnetic storm losses effected minor corrections in certain L ranges.