bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empowerment and public administration: revolutionary advance or passing fancy?
Authors: Kernaghan Kenneth
Published: March 2008

Abstract: There is much debate about the usefulness of the concept and practice of empowerment in public sector organizations. It is important, therefore, to examine the origins and meaning of empowerment, the extent to which it has been introduced in Canadian public organizations, and the obstacles to its successful implementation. It is important also to analyse the political and managerial implications of empowering employees and organizations and to assess the compatibility of empowerment with the constitutional convention of ministerial responsibility. Effective implementation of empowerment is a difficult, risky endeavour, but the payoff is likely to be worth the price.

Sommaire: Il y a une vive controverse sur le sens et l'utilitéà la fois du concept et de la pratique de la délégation des pouvoirs dans les organismes du secteur public. Il importe done d'examiner les origines et le sens du fait que l'on accorde une plus grande autonomie personnelle aux fonctionnaires, la mesure dans laquelle ceci a déjàété mis en oeuvre dans les organismes publics au Canada, ainsi que les obstacles s'opposant au succès de cette démarche. Il importe également d'analyser les conséquences politiques et gestionnelles de cette dévolution d'autorité aux employés et aux organisations, et d'évaluer la compatibilité de ce processus avec le principe constitutionnel de la responsabilité ministérielle. La mise en oeuvre efficace de ce processus de délégation des pouvoirs est difficile et risquée, mais le résultat en vaut probablement la chandelle.
Partnership and public administration: conceptual and practical considerations
Authors: Kernaghan Kenneth
Published: March 2008

Abstract: In recent years, there has been a proliferation of partnerships involving public organizations. The use of partnerships has evolved from an ad hoc response to particular problems to a general approach to problem‐solving and to improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness of public organizations. Partnerships are also used to empower individuals, groups, and organizations outside government by enabling them to make a genuine contribution to government decisions affecting them. It is important, therefore, to explain the meaning and types of partnership, to examine their purposes, benefits, and participants, and to assess their political implications. In‐depth evaluative studies of partnerships are scarce, but there are enough data on partnerships and enough sufficient and theoretical materials on inter‐organizational relations in general to formulate hypotheses about the requirements for successful partnerships.

Sommaire: Au cours des dernieres annees, on a assiste a une proliferation des partenariats impliquant des organismes publics. Leur utilisation a evolue, passant de la simple reponse concue pour un probleme particulier a une approche generate visant a resoudre les problemes et a ameliorer l'efficacite et la receptivite des organismes publics. Cette forme d'association sert aussi a deleguer davantage de pouvoirs aux particuliers, aux groupes et aux organismes non‐gouvernementaux en leur permettant de contribuer vraiment aux decisions gouvernementales qui les touchent. II importe done d'expliquer la signification et les differents types de partenariats, d'examiner leurs objectifs, leurs avantages et leurs participants, et d'evaluer aussi leurs repercussions politiques. Les etudes sur ce sujet sont rares, mais il existe a cet egard suffisamment de donnees et de materiel conceptuel et theorique sur les relations interorganisationnelles en general, pour pouvoir formuler des hypotheses sur les elements qui garantissent la reussite d'une association en partenariat.
Training police for intercultural sensitivity: a critical review and discussion of the research
Authors: Ungerleider Charles S. , McGregor Josette
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Conventional wisdom suggests police officers are insensitive towards members of cultural groups different from their own and, thus, are in need of training. This paper uses meta‐analysis to examine the educational interventions that have been used to modify police attitudes towards others.

Sommaire: On s'entend generalement pour dire que les agents de police montrent peu de sensibilite envers les membres de groupes culturels differents du leur, et qu'ils ont done besoin d'y etre sensibilises. Le present article fait appel a la meta‐analyse pour examiner les types de formation auxquels on a fait appel pour faire evoluer l'attitude de la police envers les autres.
Human N6-Methyl-AMP/DAMP Aminohydrolase (Abacavir 5'-Monophosphate Deaminase) is Capable of Metabolizing N6-Substituted Purine Acyclic Nucleoside Phosphonates
Authors: Schinkmanová Markéta , Votruba Ivan , Shibata Riri , Han Bin , Liu Xiaohong , Cihlar Tomas , Holý Antonín
Published: March 2008

Recombinant human abacavir monophosphate deaminase (hABC-MP deaminase) was compared with the recently described ratN6-methyl-AMP (meAMP) aminohydrolase. hABC-MP deaminase, a 42 kDa polypeptide, exists predominantly as a monomer under non-denaturing conditions. Similar to the rat enzyme, hABC-MP deaminase efficiently catalyzes the hydrolytic deamination of natural substrates meAMP (5),N6,N6-dimethyl-AMP (13) and medAMP (6). Acyclic nucleoside phosphonate (ANP)N6-cyclopropyl-2,6-diamino-9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]purine (cPrPMEDAP) (1), an intermediate intracellular metabolite of antileukemic agent GS-9219, was effectively converted to the corresponding active guanine analog by hABC-MP deaminase. In addition to cPrPMEDAP (1), a number of other biologically activeN6-substituted purine ANPs are alternative substrates for hABC-MP deaminase. The efficiency of their deamination depends on the character ofN6-substitution in the adenine and/or 2,6-diaminopurine ring. ANPs withN6-cyclic substituents are deaminated more readily than corresponding compounds with aliphatic substituents of the same length. The deamination of ANPs is also influenced by modifications at the phosphonoalkyl side chain. Among 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl] ANPs, (S)-enantiomers are preferred to (R)-enantiomers. Alternatively, the presence of extended 9-[2-(phosphonoethoxy)ethyl] moiety leads to a moderate increase in the reaction velocity compared to cPrPMEDAP (1). Comparison of hABC-MP deaminase and the rat meAMP aminohydrolase across a broad spectrum ofN6-substituted substrates revealed a strong correlation of their substrate specificities. Similar to the rat meAMP aminohydrolase, hABC-MP deaminase was highly sensitive to deoxycoformycin monophosphate, but not to the guanine product of cPrPMEDAP (1) deamination. Together, these data demonstrate that hABC-MP deaminase is human meAMP aminohydrolase involved in the intracellular activation of biologically activeN6-substituted nucleotide analogs.
CAN GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE SUSTAIN SINGULARITY-FREE TRAPPED SURFACES?
Authors: MBONYE MANASSE R. , KAZANAS DEMOS
Published: March 2008

In singularity-generating space–times both the outgoing and the ingoing expansions of null geodesic congruences θ+ and θ- should become increasingly negative without bound, inside the horizon. This behavior leads to geodetic incompleteness, which in turn predicts the existence of a singularity. In this work we inquire whether, in gravitational collapse, space–time can sustain singularity-free trapped surfaces, in the sense that such a space–time remains geodetically complete. As a test case, we consider a type D space–time of Dymnikova which is Schwarzschild-like at large distances and consists of a fluid with a p = -ρ equation of state near r = 0. By following both the expansion parameters θ+ and θ- across the horizon and into the black hole, we find that both θ+ and θ+θ- have turning points inside the trapped region. Further, we find that deep inside the black hole there is a region, 0 ≤ r < r0 (which includes the black hole center), which is not trapped. Thus the trapped region is bounded from both outside and inside. The space–time is geodetically complete, a result which violates a condition for singularity formation. It is inferred that, in general, if gravitational collapse were to proceed with a p =-ρ fluid formation, the resulting black hole might be singularity-free.
Interleukin-2-Based Biochemotherapy for Patients with Stage IV Melanoma: Long-Term Survivors Outside a Clinical Trial Setting
Authors: Hess Viviane , Herrmann Richard , Veelken Hendrik , Schwabe Michael
Published: March 2008

Background: The role of Interleukin-2 (IL-2)-based biochemotherapy (BCT) for patients with metastatic melanoma remains controversial and few data of patients treated outside a specialized trial setting are available. Methods: Sixty-six consecutive patients treated with BCT for stage IV melanoma were analyzed retrospectively. All patients received BCT consisting of dacarbazine, cisplatin and vinblastine (CVD), interferon alfa-2a (IFN), and IL-2. IL-2 was administered at two different dose levels: 3 × 106 U/m2/day (BCT-3) and 9 × 106 U/m2/day (BCT-9), each intravenously on 4 consecutive days (days 5–8, 17–20, 26–29). Results: Nine of 66 patients achieved a complete (CR) and 11 patients a partial response (PR), resulting in an overall response rate of 30%. Five responses (2 CR and 3 PR) were observed in the 29 patients treated according to the BCT-3 protocol, 15 responses (7 CR and 8 PR) in the 37 patients treated according to the more IL-2 dose-intense BCT-9 protocol (17 vs. 41%; p = 0.033). Median overall survival (OS) for all 66 patients was 10 (range 3–119+) months. Responders had a superior OS than nonresponders (14 vs. 7 months, p < 0.001). After a median follow-up of 70 months, 5 patients are alive. Among them, 4 are in stable CR at 30+, 48+, 79+ and 119+ months, respectively, amounting to a disease-free survival rate of 6% (4/66). Conclusions: Long-term disease-free survival for patients with stage IV melanoma can be achieved with BCT outside a highly specialized clinical trial setting. Better selection criteria are needed in order to avoid the unnecessary toxic treatment of the majority of patients.
Writing in Multimodal Texts
Authors: Bezemer Jeff , Kress Gunther
Published: March 2008

Frequently writing is now no longer the central mode of representation in learning materials—textbooks, Web-based resources, teacher-produced materials. Still (as well as moving) images are increasingly prominent as carriers of meaning. Uses and forms of writing have undergone profound changes over the last decades, which calls for a social, pedagogical, and semiotic explanation. Two trends mark that history. The digital media, rather than the (text) book, are more and more the site of appearance and distribution of learning resources, and writing is being displaced by image as the central mode for representation. This poses sharp questions about present and future roles and forms of writing. For text, design and principles of composition move into the foreground. Here we sketch a social semiotic account that aims to elucidate such principles and permits consideration of their epistemological as well as social/pedagogic significance. Linking representation with social factors, we put forward terms to explore two issues: the principles underlying the design of multimodal ensembles and the potential epistemological and pedagogic effects of multimodal designs. Our investigation is set within a research project with a corpus of learning resources for secondary school in Science, Mathematics, and English from the 1930s, the 1980s, and from the first decade of the 21st century, as well as digitally represented and online learning resources from the year 2000 onward.
The Internal Process of Therapeutic Touch
Authors: Coppa Denise
Published: March 2008

Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a complementary healing modality used by health care providers to reduce anxiety, accelerate relaxation, decrease pain, and enhance immunity. Research studies report outcomes of TT treatments, but few describe the specific process. This qualitative research study was conducted to describe the nature of the core process of TT in adults and full term infants as practiced by five professional nurses, each treating one adult and one infant. Analysis of data obtained from interviews and focused participant observations was conducted. Findings provide empirical data to depict an overall process divided into three phases: (a) preparation, (b) treatment, and (c) termination, that adheres to the standard process as described by Krieger. It expands on the description of each phase, including two new subcomponents, orienting and disengagement, not previously seen in the literature. Lastly, the study describes the modification of the TT process with infants compared to adults.
Distinguishing Nursing Art: Patient, Researcher, and Student Views: “Justine's Story” and the Art of Nursing
Authors: Baker Paige
Published: March 2008

The author of this response to Dr. Kathryn Gramling's research on the art of nursing as perceived by patients agrees with patient Justine's assessment of the art. The author believes that the expression of a nurse's personality during the caring process creates the art. Justine saw all her nurses, even the brusque one, as performing in a caring way, each according to his/her own personality. The author believes this definition of the art of nursing is valid.
Racial and Ethnic Variations in Caregiver Service Use
Authors: Scharlach Andrew E. , Giunta Nancy , Chow Julian Chun-Chung , Lehning Amanda
Published: March 2008

Objectives: This article examines whether race and ethnicity contribute to the differential use of caregiver support services, when controlling for caregiver and care recipient characteristics, as represented by predisposing, enabling, and need factors included in the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Methods: The study includes 1,508 individuals who provide care to an ill or disabled adult aged 50 or older, identified through a random digit dial telephone survey of California households. Logistic regression analysis is utilized to examine factors that predict use of caregiver support services. Results: Race and ethnicity do not contribute significantly to caregiver service utilization, when controlling for relevant covarying factors such as age, education, emotional support, family contribution, care recipient service use, and care recipient impairment. A significant interaction exists between ethnicity and family closeness, with reduced rates of service use among Asian and Pacific Island caregivers whose families are brought closer by the caregiving experience. Discussion: These findings suggest that racial and ethnic disparities in caregiver service use found at the bivariate level are attributable to covarying predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Further research and theoretical development are suggested to clarify the impact of sociocultural factors on caregiver service use.
Education and Psychological Distress Among Older Chinese
Authors: Ross Catherine E. , Wei Zhang
Published: March 2008

Objectives: The goal of this research is to see if more highly educated older Chinese have lower levels of distress than do their poorly educated counterparts and whether engaging in cognitively stimulating activities such as reading and playing mahjong explains the association. Method and Results: Using the Chinese Healthy Longevity Survey, the authors find a significant negative association between education and psychological distress. Much of the association is mediated by activities, but not all in the ways expected. Reading, playing mahjong, and watching television all negatively correlate with distress. Discussion: Better-educated older Chinese have lower levels of distress than do their less-well-educated counterparts in part because they engage in cognitively stimulating activities, have better economic circumstances, and engage in more physical activity.
Life Course Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Cognitive Function Among the Elderly Population of Seven Capitals in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Cat Tuong Nguyen  , Couture Marie-Claude , Alvarado Beatriz E. , Zunzunegui Maria-Victoria
Published: March 2008

Objectives: To examine the influence of life course socioeconomic disadvantages (SED) on cognitive function in later life. Method: Data originate from a survey of people 60 and older living in seven Latin American and Caribbean cities. Cognitive function was measured with a modified Mini-Mental State Examination and the Pfeffer Scale of Functional Capacity. Homogeneity tests were used to pool data. Associations between cognitive function and SED were evaluated, fitting logistic regressions. Results: Cognitive impairment (CI) prevalence ranged from 0.3% to 6.5% in men and 1.2% to 10.1% in women. Childhood rural living, poor childhood health, illiteracy, housewife or farmer occupation, and insufficient income were associated with CI in all seven cities. The odds of CI increase with cumulative exposure to disadvantages along life course. Conclusions: Life course SED is related to cognitive function later in life. Difficulty in properly distinguishing cognitive function from test performance remains an issue.
Mixing Methods for Full-Strength Results
Authors: Sosulski Marya R. , Lawrence Catherine
Published: March 2008

This article discusses the practical application of mixed quantitative and qualitative designs. Mixed methods designs can be especially powerful in illuminating policy solutions and directions for social action, thus supporting the social justice goals of social work and other helping professions. However, the decision to combine methods must be appropriate for the study, elevating the integrity and strength of the results. This article uses two studies of U.S. welfare policy to describe the decisions researchers made during the design, implementation, and combined statistical and interpretive analyses of the two research projects.
Photo-Text Topographies: Photography and the Representation of Space in W. G. Sebald and Monika Maron
Authors: Horstkotte Silke
Published: March 2008

This essay considers the role of layout in intermedial photo-texts, arguing that the scrapbooking of visual material and printed text constitutes an integral aspect to these texts' rhetoric and semantics. Through a close reading of novels by W. G. Sebald and Monika Maron, I show how photographic inserts can be used to connect distant or incommensurate spaces: the represented space inside the photograph; the space of representation (of the photograph itself); and the extratextual space of the reader. However, the establishment of such a connection crucially depends on the imagination of the beholder of photographs, and the more skeptical photographic readings in Maron's novel illustrate that photos can also be used to block off incommensurate times and spaces. The meaningful layout pattern established by both authors is broken up in the English translation of their works, and the essay closes by considering the problematic nature of translated photo-texts.
Preparation of Closed Macroporous Al2O3 Membranes with a Three-dimensionally Ordered Structure
Authors: Zhao Kui , Fan Yiqun , Wang Rong , Xu Nanping
Published: March 2008

3D-ordered closed macroporous Al2O3 was prepared by the codeposition method using PMMA as the template and Al2O3 colloidal particles as the building block. The ordered closed structure of the macroporous Al2O3 was affected by the pH value of the dispersions, the volume ratio of the PMMA and Al2O3 particles, and the feature of the template’s surface charge.
A Novel Luminescent Organogel Containing Dysprosium Ions Quenched by Gel-to-sol Transition
Authors: Wang QianMing , Ogawa Keishiro , Toma Kazunori , Tamiaki Hitoshi
Published: March 2008

A synthetic amphiphilic gallamide bearing three hydrophobic tetradecyl chains and a hydrophilic triethoxysilyl group formed a gel in ethanol at room temperature, which complexed with dysprosium ions to show an “on–off” switchable emission property at the phase-transition point (ca. 48 °C).
Electronic encounters: fathers' experiences of parental support
Authors: Nyström Kerstin , Öhrling Kerstin
Published: March 2008

Summary

A group of fathers met regularly during their child's first year through an e-meeting portal. (This was part of a larger study which was designed to describe mothers' and fathers' experiences of an intervention to provide parental support.) The technology allowed meetings by web-based videoconferencing, both one-to-one and in groups. The leader of the electronic encounters was a man with comprehensive experience in leading parental support groups with fathers. The fathers were interviewed using a narrative approach twice, once midway through the study and once at the end. Qualitative content analysis was applied to the interview data and three categories were identified: being unfamiliar and insecure talking about fatherhood, sharing experiences and being confirmed, and being supported and limited by the electronic encounters. Most fruitful and rewarding in the meetings was the fathers sharing other fathers' experiences. It was important to talk about things they did not talk to others about. Some fathers expressed a wish for more structure in the meetings. The fathers in this study expressed a wish to meet other fathers in a support group during the whole childhood period.
Spazio geografico, etnografia ed evangelizzazione nella Synagoge di Ippolito
Authors: Andrei Osvalda
Published: March 2008

The article offers a contribution to the discussion raised by P. Nautin about the identity of the author of the several works transmitted under the name of ‘Hippolytus’ and argues that the Synagoge (Chronicon) of 235 A.D. is the work of Hippolytus (so-called ‘oriental’ or ‘exegete’), not simply identical with the author of the Elenchos (Refutatio omnium haeresium). The article observes that the long section on the Diamerismos-Stadiasmos (Synagoge 43-613) shares the polemical thrust against Iulius Africanus's Chronographiae as well as the theological profile of the ‘Logostheologie’ of Hippolytus. Besides this coherence of the Synagoge there are important divergences in the work. There is a “partitioning/populating” of the earth by

θνη, χ

ραι and ν

σοι (Synagoge 44-52.56-197) (developed in opposition to Celsus's Alethes Logos by the interpretation of Gen 10) and – apart from this – a prosopographical ethnography according to languages intended to be an interpretation of Gen 11 (Synagoge 199-201), that is completed using geoethnographic material (Synagoge 202-238) and an itinerarium of the Mediterranean Sea (Synagoge 240-613). Thus, while the Diamerismos of the author of the Elenchos (the first part, i.e. Synagoge 45-195) aims to illustrate the universal ethnographic movement starting after the Flood, the Diamerismos of Hippolytus (the second part, i.e. Synagoge 198-239) introduces an ethnic-linguistic “division/fragmentation” starting with Babel and perpetuating itself in the history. For Hippolytus, only a new human and divine initiative, of course that of the incarnate Logos and the transmission of the gospel all over the world, will overcome this “sin of division”. Hence, thanks to its combination of exegetic and literary features, Hippolytus's descriptio temporum links the universal dimension of time (the scheme of 6000 years) with the universal dimension of space. This combination has a great significance in the development of Christian chronography.
Praetextatus – Verteidiger des römischen Glaubens? Zur gesellschaftlichen (Neu-)Inszenierung römischer Religion in Macrobius' Saturnalien
Authors: Frateantonio Christa
Published: March 2008

The Christianisation of the Roman Empire in the late decades of the 4th century stopped the public celebration of traditional feasts as the Saturnalia. That's why Macrobius, proconsul Africae in 410 and praefectus praetorio Italiae in 430, wrote his Saturnalia, describing a convivium with scholarly discussions and aristocratic behaviour. The feast of the Saturnalia itself is extensively discussed, and in this way, the Roman religion is the subject of long explanations. Between the fictive persons introduced by Macrobius the person of Euangelus is the only one who is not knowing the rules of Saturnalia and the background of the Roman religion. Perhaps the name of Euangelus is similar to “euangelium” not only by chance, but the person named Euangelus can be considered as a representative of Christianity, considered as rude and uneducated person. So, perhaps Marcobius wrote his Saturnalia supporting the ideas of a pagan and noble culture which is superior to the new Christian culture. In this way, the Saturnalia are probably a kind of pagan “counter-concept” discussing several subjects claimed by Christian theology as strong evidence for the superiority of Christianity.
Mercury concentrations in blood and feathers of prebreeding forster's terns in relation to space use of san francisco bay, california, usa, habitats
Authors: Ackerman Joshua T , Eagles-Smith Collin A , Takekawa John Y , Bluso Jill D , Adelsbach Terrence L
Published: March 2008

We examined mercury concentrations and space use of prebreeding Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri) in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, to assess factors influencing mercury levels in piscivorous birds. In 2005 and 2006, we collected blood and feathers from 122 Forster's terns and radio-marked and tracked 72 terns to determine locations of dietary mercury uptake. Capture site and capture date were the most important factors explaining variation in blood mercury concentrations (geometric mean ± standard error: 1.09 ± 0.89 μg/g wet wt), followed by sex and year. Accordingly, radiotelemetry data revealed that Forster's terns generally remained near their site of capture and foraged in nearby salt ponds, managed and tidal marshes, and tidal flats. In contrast, capture site and capture date were not important factors explaining variation in feather mercury concentrations, probably because feathers were grown on their wintering grounds several months prior to our sampling. Instead, sex and year were the most important factors explaining mercury concentrations in breast feathers (9.57 ± 8.23 μg/g fresh wt), and sex was the most important factor for head feathers (6.94 ± 7.04 μg/g fresh wt). Overall, 13 and 22% of prebreeding Forster's terns were estimated to be at high risk for deleterious effects due to mercury concentrations in blood (>3.0 μg/g wet wt) and feathers (>20.0 μg/g fresh wt), respectively. Breeding terns are likely to be even more at risk because blood mercury concentrations more than tripled during the 45-d prebreeding time period. These data illustrate the importance of space use and tissue type in interpreting mercury concentrations in birds.
Modeling the toxicity of copper and zinc salts to wheat in 14 soils
Authors: Warne Michael St. John , Heemsbergen Diane , Stevens Darryl , McLaughlin Mike , Cozens Gillian , Whatmuff Mark , Broos Kris , Barry Glenn , Bell Mike , Nash David , Pritchard Deb , Penney Nancy
Published: March 2008

Interest is mounting in developing and utilizing soil-specific soil quality guidelines. This requires quantifying the effects that soil physicochemical properties have on various ecotoxicological endpoints, including phytotoxicity. To this end, 14 agricultural soils from Australia with differing soil properties were spiked with copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) salts and used to conduct 21-d plant growth inhibition tests using wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in pot trials. The toxicity of Cu and Zn was similar with 10% effect concentration (EC10) values ranging from 110 to 945 and from 235 to 965 mg/kg, respectively, while the corresponding median effect concentration (EC50) values ranged from 240 to 1,405 and 470 to 1,745 mg/kg, respectively. Copper toxicity values (EC10, EC20, and EC50) were best modeled by the logarithm of cation exchange capacity (CEC) and either soil pH or electrical conductivity. Zinc EC50 and EC20 values were best modeled using the logarithm of CEC, while the EC10 data were best modeled using soil pH and the logarithm of organic carbon. These models generally estimated toxicity within a factor of two of the measured values.
Bioavailability and biodegradation of nonylphenol in sediment determined with chemical and bioanalysis
Authors: de Weert Jasperien , de la Cal Agustina , van den Berg Hans , Murk Albertika , Langenhoff Alette , Rijnaarts Huub , Grotenhuis Tim
Published: March 2008

The surfactant nonylphenol (NP) is an endocrine-disrupting compound that is widely spread throughout the environment. Although environmental risk assessments are based on total NP concentrations, only the bioavailable fraction posses an environmental risk. The present study describes the bioavailability and biodegradability of NP over time in contaminated river sediment of a tributary of the Ebro River in Spain. The bioavailable fraction was collected with Tenax TA® beads, and biodegradation was determined in aerobic batch experiments. The presence of NP was analyzed chemically using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and indirectly as estrogenic potency using an in vitro reporter gene assay (ERα-luc assay). Of the total extractable NP in the sediment, 95% ± 1.5% (mean ± standard error) desorbed quickly into the water phase. By aerobic biodegradation, the total extractable NP concentration and the estrogenic activity were reduced by 97% ± 0.5% and 94% ± 2%, respectively. The easily biodegradable fraction equals the potential bioavailable fraction. Only 43 to 86% of the estrogenic activity in the total extractable fraction, as detected in the ERα-luc assay, could be explained by the present NP concentration. This indicates that other estrogenic compounds were present and that their bioavailability and aerobic degradation were similar to that of NP. Therefore, we propose to use NP as an indicator compound to monitor estrogenicity of this Ebro River sediment. To what extent this conclusion holds for other river sediments depends on the composition of the contaminants and/or the nature of these sediments and requires further testing.
Partitioning and matrix-specific toxicity of bifenthrin among sediments and leaf-sourced organic matter
Authors: Maul Jonathan D , Trimble Andrew J , Lydy Michael J
Published: March 2008

Synthetic pyrethroids readily partition from the aqueous to the solid phase in aquatic systems. Previous work has focused on pyrethroid partitioning to sediment matrices. Within many aquatic systems, however, other carbon-containing materials are present and can be critically important to certain invertebrate species and ecosystem functioning. For example, some invertebrates readily process leaf material, and these processes may represent an additional route of contaminant exposure. To our knowledge, estimates for partitioning of pyrethroids to these nondissolved organic matter matrices and associated toxicity have not been examined. The objectives of the present study were to examine variation in organic carbon (OC)–based partition coefficient (KOC) among three size fractions of particulate organic matter from sugar maple (Acer saccharum) leaf litter and sediments for the pyrethroid insecticide bifenthrin and to examine variation in toxicity to Hyalella azteca among bifenthrin-bound organic matter matrices and sediment. Log KOC of [14C]bifenthrin was greatest within sediment (6.63 ± 0.23; mean ± standard deviation throughout) and lowest in coarse particulate leaf material (4.86 ± 0.03). The H. azteca median lethal concentration was 0.07, 0.11, and 0.15 μg/g OC for leaf material, sediment, and a 50% mix of leaf and sediment, respectively. Nonoverlapping 95% confidence intervals occurred between the leaf treatment and the leaf–sediment treatment. This pattern was supported in an additional experiment, and at 0.22 μg/g OC, H. azteca survival was greater in the leaf–sediment mixture than in sediment or in leaf material alone (F = 29.5, p < 0.0001). In systems that contain sediment and leaf material, both greater partitioning of bifenthrin to the sediment fraction and preferential use of leaf substrates may drive H. azteca survival.
Modelling sediment transport during snowmelt- and rainfall-induced road runoff
Authors: Westerlund Camilla , Viklander Maria , Hernebring Claes , Svensson Gilbert
Published: March 2008

In this paper, a simple conceptual model is presented to describe the dynamics of total suspended solid (TSS) transport during snowmelt- and rainfall-induced road runoff from a small urban runoff plot in northern Sweden. The study period (28 March to 28 May 2000) included both snowmelt and rainfall. A temperature-index method is used to describe snowmelt and the accumulation and transport of TSS is described by a linear build-up function and a wash-off model. The model was verified through measurements taken from 22 March to 22 May 2001. The simulation results showed that the simple model concept was capable of describing the dynamics of road runoff and TSS well, based on the continuous course of events for the whole modelling period. However, if the model was used for simulating a snowmelt period, or single events during snowmelt, the model approach would be too simple.
Public Health Interventions and Overdose-Related Outcomes Among Persons With Opioid Use Disorder
Authors: Nataraj Nisha , Rikard S. Michaela , Zhang Kun , Jiang Xinyi , Guy Gery P. , Rice Ketra , Mattson Christine L. , Gladden R. Matthew , Mustaquim Desiree M. , Illg Zachary N. , Seth Puja , Noonan Rita K. , Losby Jan L.
Published: April 2024

Importance

Given the high number of opioid overdose deaths in the US and the complex epidemiology of opioid use disorder (OUD), systems models can serve as a tool to identify opportunities for public health interventions.

Objective

To estimate the projected 3-year association between public health interventions and opioid overdose-related outcomes among persons with OUD.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This decision analytical model used a simulation model of the estimated US population aged 12 years and older with OUD that was developed and analyzed between January 2019 and December 2023. The model was parameterized and calibrated using 2019 to 2020 data and used to estimate the relative change in outcomes associated with simulated public health interventions implemented between 2021 and 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Projected OUD and medications for OUD (MOUD) prevalence in 2023 and number of nonfatal and fatal opioid-involved overdoses among persons with OUD between 2021 and 2023.

Results

In a baseline scenario assuming parameters calibrated using 2019 to 2020 data remained constant, the model projected more than 16 million persons with OUD not receiving MOUD treatment and nearly 1.7 million persons receiving MOUD treatment in 2023. Additionally, the model projected over 5 million nonfatal and over 145 000 fatal opioid-involved overdoses among persons with OUD between 2021 and 2023. When simulating combinations of interventions that involved reducing overdose rates by 50%, the model projected decreases of up to 35.2% in nonfatal and 36.6% in fatal opioid-involved overdoses among persons with OUD. Interventions specific to persons with OUD not currently receiving MOUD treatment demonstrated the greatest reduction in numbers of nonfatal and fatal overdoses. Combinations of interventions that increased MOUD initiation and decreased OUD recurrence were projected to reduce OUD prevalence by up to 23.4%, increase MOUD prevalence by up to 137.1%, and reduce nonfatal and fatal opioid-involved overdoses among persons with OUD by 6.7% and 3.5%, respectively.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this decision analytical model study of persons with OUD, findings suggested that expansion of evidence-based interventions that directly reduce the risk of overdose fatality among persons with OUD, such as through harm reduction efforts, could engender the highest reductions in fatal overdoses in the short-term. Interventions aimed at increasing MOUD initiation and retention of persons in treatment projected considerable improvement in MOUD and OUD prevalence but could require a longer time horizon for substantial reductions in opioid-involved overdoses.
Socioecologic Factors and Racial Differences in Breast Cancer Multigene Prognostic Scores in US Women
Authors: Parab Ashwini Z. , Kong Angela , Lee Todd A. , Kim Kibum , Nutescu Edith A. , Malecki Kristen C. , Hoskins Kent F. , Calip Gregory S.
Published: April 2024

Importance

Disproportionately aggressive tumor biology among non-Hispanic Black women with early-stage, estrogen receptor (ER)–positive breast cancer contributes to racial disparities in breast cancer mortality. It is unclear whether socioecologic factors underlie racial differences in breast tumor biology.

Objective

To examine individual-level (insurance status) and contextual (area-level socioeconomic position and rural or urban residence) factors as possible mediators of racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of ER-positive breast tumors with aggressive biology, as indicated by a high-risk gene expression profile.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective cohort study included women 18 years or older diagnosed with stage I to II, ER-positive breast cancer between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015. All data analyses were conducted between December 2022 and April 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the likelihood of a high-risk recurrence score (RS) (≥26) on the Oncotype DX 21-gene breast tumor prognostic genomic biomarker.

Results

Among 69 139 women (mean [SD] age, 57.7 [10.5] years; 6310 Hispanic [9.1%], 274 non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native [0.4%], 6017 non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander [8.7%], 5380 non-Hispanic Black [7.8%], and 51 158 non-Hispanic White [74.0%]) included in our analysis, non-Hispanic Black (odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.23-1.43) and non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native women (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.01-1.86) had greater likelihood of a high-risk RS compared with non-Hispanic White women. There were no significant differences among other racial and ethnic groups. Compared with non-Hispanic White patients, there were greater odds of a high-risk RS for non-Hispanic Black women residing in urban areas (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.24-1.46), but not among rural residents (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.77-1.41). Mediation analysis demonstrated that lack of insurance, county-level disadvantage, and urban vs rural residence partially explained the greater odds of a high-risk RS among non-Hispanic Black women (proportion mediated, 17%; P < .001).

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this cohort study suggest that the consequences of structural racism extend beyond inequities in health care to drive disparities in breast cancer outcome. Additional research is needed with more comprehensive social and environmental measures to better understand the influence of social determinants on aggressive ER-positive tumor biology among racial and ethnic minoritized women from disadvantaged and historically marginalized communities.
RheumMadness Over Two Years: Engaging Participants in Active Learning and Connecting Early Trainees to the Rheumatology Community
Authors: He Lauren , Katz Guy , Garren Akrithi , Kellogg Ben , Macklin Michael , Bair Courtney , Qaiser Iman , Usmani Sabahat , Balbach Meridith , Lueck Benjamin , Sparks Matthew , Criscione‐Schreiber Lisa , Leverenz David
Published: April 2024

Objective

RheumMadness is an online learning collaborative that seeks to actively engage the rheumatology community. The objective of this manuscript is to analyze the educational experience of RheumMadness over two years.

Methods

Direct measures of participant engagement were obtained using web‐based analytics. An electronic survey was created after the tournament to capture self‐reported engagement and educational experience using the Community of Inquiry framework. Data were analyzed according to the following objectives: (1) compare demographics, engagement, and educational experience of participants between 2021 and 2022; (2) describe the educational experience of those who created scouting reports; (3) explore the impact of RheumMadness on early learners (medical students and residents).

Results

Compared with 2021, the 2022 tournament had more participants who submitted a bracket, more early learners, and more scouting report creators. Self‐reported engagement and educational experience was high in both years of the tournament among all participants. Over 85% of scouting report creators reported that making a report was a fun and valuable learning experience. Early learners reported significantly higher levels of knowledge integration, sense of belonging in the rheumatology community, social connection, and overall learning experience compared with more advanced participants. Eighty‐five percent of early learners reported that RheumMadness increased their interest in rheumatology.

Conclusion

RheumMadness expanded from 2021 to 2022, engaging more participants in collaborative learning. Our results demonstrate that RheumMadness is particularly impactful among medical students and residents by helping them explore rheumatology topics and connect with the rheumatology community.
A TLR4‐Targeting Bioactive Peptide Hydrogel to Regulate Immune‐Microenvironment for Diabetic Wound Repair
Authors: Jian Chuanjiang , Wang Minjia , Qian Yunyun , Song Xuejiao , Wang Li , Li Ling , Huang Lulu , Wang Guan , Shi Xianjie , Dong Jinqiao , Li Hao , Lin Ang , Shi Leilei
Published: April 2024

Persistent inflammation and disrupted immunoregulation are critical factors in impeding diabetic wound healing. While immunoregulatory hydrogel dressings hold significant promise for clinical applications in diabetic wound healing, the current application often demands intricate interventions and high‐cost treatments involving cytokines and cell therapies. The development of single component immunoregulatory hydrogels remains a complex challenge. To address this issue, an active peptide hydrogel with immunoregulatory properties targeting the TLR4/NF‐kB pathway, aiming to promote rapid diabetic wound healing, is engineered. The hydrogel sequence comprises naphthalene derivative, phenylalanine, and glycine to modulate hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics. The amino group on arginine contributes to tissue adhesion and regulation of intermolecular forces, ultimately yielding stable gels. The results underscore the formation of the peptide hydrogel (NFA) via the physical crosslinking of self‐assembled nanofibers in water, thereby affording both excellent injectability and tissue adhesion. Notably, NFA demonstrates significant potential in promoting wound healing in a mouse model with full‐thickness wounds by regulating macrophage responses in the inflammatory microenvironment through the TLR4/NF‐kB pathway.
Beyond Conventional Charge Density Wave for Strongly Enhanced 2D Superconductivity in 1H‐TaS2 Superlattices
Authors: Li Zejun , Lyu Pin , Chen Zhaolong , Guan Dandan , Yu Shuang , Zhao Jinpei , Huang Pengru , Zhou Xin , Qiu Zhizhan , Fang Hanyan , Hashimoto Makoto , Lu Donghui , Song Fei , Loh Kian Ping , Zheng Yi , Shen Zhi‐Xun , Novoselov Kostya S. , Lu Jiong
Published: April 2024

Noncentrosymmetric transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers offer a fertile platform for exploring unconventional Ising superconductivity (SC) and charge density waves (CDWs). However, the vulnerability of isolated monolayers to structural disorder and environmental oxidation often degrade their electronic coherence. Herein, an alternative approach is reported for fabricating stable and intrinsic monolayers of 1H‐TaS2 sandwiched between SnS blocks in a (SnS)1.15TaS2 van der Waals (vdW) superlattice. The SnS block layers not only decouple individual 1H‐TaS2 sublayers to endow them with monolayer‐like electronic characteristics, but also protect the 1H‐TaS2 layers from electronic degradation. The results reveal the characteristic 3 × 3 CDW order in 1H‐TaS2 sublayers associated with electronic rearrangement in the low‐lying sulfur p band, which uncovers a previously undiscovered CDW mechanism rather than the conventional Fermi surface‐related framework. Additionally, the (SnS)1.15TaS2 superlattice exhibits a strongly enhanced Ising‐like SC with a layer‐independent Tc of ≈3.0 K, comparable to that of the isolated monolayer 1H‐TaS2 sample, presumably attributed to their monolayer‐like characteristics and retained Fermi states. These results provide new insights into the long‐debated CDW order and enhanced SC of monolayer 1H‐TaS2, establishing bulk vdW superlattices as promising platforms for investigating exotic collective quantum phases in the 2D limit.
Electronic Spin Alignment within Homologous NiS2/NiSe2 Heterostructures to Promote Sulfur Redox Kinetics in Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Huang Chen , Yu Jing , Zhang Chao Yue , Cui Zhibiao , Chen Jiakun , Lai Wei‐Hong , Lei Yao‐Jie , Nan Bingfei , Lu Xuan , He Ren , Gong Li , Li Junshan , Li Canhuang , Qi Xuede , Xue Qian , Zhou Jin Yuan , Qi Xueqiang , Balcells Lluís , Arbiol Jordi , Cabot Andreu
Published: April 2024

The catalytic activation of the Li‐S reaction is fundamental to maximize the capacity and stability of Li‐S batteries (LSBs). Current research on Li‐S catalysts mainly focuses on optimizing the energy levels to promote adsorption and catalytic conversion, while frequently overlooking the electronic spin state influence on charge transfer and orbital interactions. Here, hollow NiS2/NiSe2 heterostructures encapsulated in a nitrogen‐doped carbon matrix (NiS2/NiSe2@NC) are synthesized and used as a catalytic additive in sulfur cathodes. The NiS2/NiSe2 heterostructure promotes the spin splitting of the 3d orbital, driving the Ni3+ transformation from low to high spin. This high spin configuration raises the electronic energy level and activates the electronic state. This accelerates the charge transfer and optimizes the adsorption energy, lowering the reaction energy barrier of the polysulfides conversion. Benefiting from these characteristics, LSBs based on NiS2/NiSe2@NC/S cathodes exhibit high initial capacity (1458 mAh·g⁻1 at 0.1C), excellent rate capability (572 mAh·g⁻1 at 5C), and stable cycling with an average capacity decay rate of only 0.025% per cycle at 1C during 500 cycles. Even at high sulfur loadings (6.2 mg·cm⁻2), high initial capacities of 1173 mAh·g⁻1 (7.27 mAh·cm⁻2) are measured at 0.1C, and 1058 mAh·g⁻1 is retained after 300 cycles.
Photochemical Design for Diverse Controllable Patterns in Self‐Wrinkling Films
Authors: Yuan Wenqiang , Deng Xinlu , Wang Zehong , Ma Tianjiao , Yan Shuzhen , Gao Xiaxin , Li Jin , Ma Xiaodong , Yin Jie , Hu Kaiming , Zhang Wenming , Jiang Xuesong
Published: April 2024

Harnessing the spontaneous surface instability of pliable substances to create intricate, well‐ordered, and on‐demand controlled surface patterns holds great potential for advancing applications in optical, electrical, and biological processes. However, the current limitations stem from challenges in modulating multidirectional stress fields and diverse boundary environments. Herein, this work proposes a universal strategy to achieve arbitrarily controllable wrinkle patterns via the spatiotemporal photochemical boundaries. Utilizing constraints and inductive effects of the photochemical boundaries, the multiple coupling relationship is accomplished among the light fields, stress fields, and morphology of wrinkles in photosensitive polyurethane (PSPU) film. Moreover, employing sequential light‐irradiation with photomask enables the attainment of a diverse array of controllable patterns, ranging from highly ordered 2D patterns to periodic or intricate designs. The fundamental mechanics of underlying buckling and the formation of surface features are comprehensively elucidated through theoretical stimulation and finite element analysis. The results reveal the evolution laws of wrinkles under photochemical boundaries and represent a new effective toolkit for fabricating intricate and captivating patterns in single‐layer films.