cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Globally Optimal Networks for Multipressure Distillation of Homogeneous Azeotropic Mixtures

In this article, a methodology for the globally optimal synthesis of a network of vapor–liquid equilibrium flash separators that can operate at multiple pressures and separate an azeotropic mixture is presented. The objective function minimized is the total flow entering the network flashes. The proposed synthesis methodology employs the infinite-dimensional state-space (IDEAS) conceptual framework, which is shown to be applicable to the problem under consideration. The resulting infinite linear programming (ILP) IDEAS formulation is shown to have several properties that allow its simplification. The approximate solution of this IDEAS ILP is pursued through the solution of a number of finite-dimensional linear programs (FLPs) of ever increasing size, whose optimum values form a sequence that converges to the ILP’s infimum. The proposed optimal design methodology is general in nature and can be used to separate any number of pressure-sensitive azeotropic mixtures, with or without use of an entrainer. The m...
Development of a Web-Based Tobacco Cessation Educational Program for Pediatric Nurses and Respiratory Therapists

Background Nurses can be effective in providing advice and counseling to tobacco-using parents of hospitalized pediatric patients. However, lack of training in effective interventions is a barrier to the incorporation of tobacco cessation interventions into routine practice. This article describes the development and evaluation of a web-based tobacco cessation educational program aimed at pediatric nurses and respiratory therapists. Method The program was developed with input from four focus groups of nurses, respiratory therapists, and educators. The interactive training program was evaluated by 33 nurses and 17 respiratory therapists employed at a children's hospital. Results After completing the program, participants reported a significant change in their knowledge, attitudes, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy toward providing tobacco cessation interventions to their patients' parents. Conclusion The results of the evaluation of the program were extremely promising, and further investigation is warranted.
The Short-Tailed Shrew and Field Mouse Predation

The ecological relationship between short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) and mice (chiefly Microtus pennsylvanicus) has long been a matter of conjecture and study. As early as 1842, Plummer (1844) fed live mice to a captive shrew and described the destruction of the mouse by the shrew. Morden (1883), Merriam (1886), Shull (1907), Babcock (1914), and Hamilton (1930) have published reports of a repetition of this early experiment. Merriam (op. cit.) concluded from such evidence that "the Short-tailed Shrew preys largely upon mice, and is, consequently, of great economic value to the farmer .. ." Shull (op. cit.), using similar evidence plus the significant fact of finding a Blarina nest composed exclusively of the hair of voles with three carcasses and the legs and tails of twenty others nearby, came to the conclusion that this shrew preys heavily on mice. Hahn (1908) and Bailey (1923) present evidence of the actual pursuit and capture of voles by Blarina under natural conditions. Hamilton (1930 and 1941) made detailed studies of the food of the short-tailed shrew by analyzing the contents of a total of 460 stomachs. He found mouse remains in only 14 stomachs (3 percent) and concluded from this direct evidence that "the short-tailed shrew has been credited with greater mouse destruction than it is capable of committing." The recent discovery by Pearson (1942) of a poisonous material in the saliva from the submaxillary glands of Blarina suggests that this shrew may have greater potentialities as a mouse destroyer than has been recognized in recent years. Further evidence was sought on this shrew-mouse relationship during the late winter and early spring of 1943 at Ithaca, New York. This resulted in the discovery of several winter nests, their associated burrows, over 200 well preserved scats along with other less well preserved droppings, and various mouse remains in the vicinity of the nests.
A two-magnet strategy for improved mixing and capture from biofluids

Magnetic beads are a popular method for concentrating biomolecules from solution and have been more recently used in multistep pre-arrayed microfluidic cartridges. Typical processing strategies rely on a single magnet, resulting in a tight cluster of beads and requiring long incubation times to achieve high capture efficiencies, especially in highly viscous patient samples. This report describes a two-magnet strategy to improve the interaction of the bead surface with the surrounding fluid inside of a pre-arrayed, self-contained assay-in-a-tube. In the two-magnet system, target biomarker capture occurs at a rate three times faster than the single-magnet system. In clinically relevant biomatrices, we find a 2.5-fold improvement in biomarker capture at lower sample viscosities with the two-magnet system. In addition, we observe a 20% increase in the amount of protein captured at high viscosity for the two-magnet configuration relative to the single magnet approach. The two-magnet approach offers a means to achieve higher biomolecule extraction yields and shorter assay times in magnetic capture assays and in self-contained processor designs.
Observations on the Survival of Mosquito Pupae on Moist Soil

Field observations were conducted on Aedes nigromaculis, A. melanimon, Culex tarsalis, and C. stigmatosoma on moist, heavy soils in Fresno and Yolo Counties, California. Pupae here were subjected to high temperatures, low humidities, and lack of free water. Even under these severe conditions large numbers of pupae remained alive 24 to 48 hours, and absence of standing water did not prevent emergence of adult mosquitoes. A simulated habitat designed to protect pupae from these elements appreciably enhanced survival and subsequent emergence. The findings indicate that larvicide operations, in order to assure a high degree of effectiveness, should take into account all damp depressions which may hold water periodically for relatively short periods of time.
Use of computers to test orthopedic knowledge.

SUMMARY Valid, reliable evaluation of orthopedic knowledge is an essential part of our efforts to maintain a high quality of orthopedic practice and education. Current methods of evaluation have made important contributions to the field of orthopedics and will continue to do so, but they have limitations. Computers currently help score and interpret test results as well as evaluate test items. With the development of item banks, computers can aid in test and item construction. Development of a central computer item bank with appropriate programming for specialized test construction would allow computerized test administration on home computers. The most exciting potential contribution of computers to evaluation of orthopedic knowledge will be in the development of computer simulations. Computer simulations can closely replicate the processes of making a diagnosis, directing treatment, or planning and guiding the performance of a procedure and thereby overcome some limitations of current tests. Developing methods of measuring student performance on simulations and establishing the validity and reliability of simulations as evaluation instruments will require considerable effort, but they offer the promise of providing an important method of assessing orthopedic knowledge.
Abstract 434: LDL Apheresis Significantly Alters HDL Cargo and Function in Familial Hypercholesterolemia Subjects

In addition to cholesterol, HDL transports a wide-variety of cargo including vitamins, nucleic acids, and a diverse set of proteins. Outside of the reverse cholesterol transport pathway, HDL has alternative functions that contribute to its anti-atherogenicity, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and signaling capacities. Recently, we found that HDL transports and delivers functional microRNAs to recipient cells, which likely confers HDL’s ability to suppress adhesion molecule expression in endothelial cells. As such, changes to HDL’s cargo impact many of these alternative functions, and thus its protective capacity. HDL dysfunction has been identified among patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), an inherited disease due to mutations in the LDL receptor and associated with severe elevations in LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, which may necessitate LDL apheresis (LA) in management. Here we demonstrate that LA significantly alters HDL’s miRNA and protein signatures. We believe that these changes may have profound consequences on HDL’s protective capacity. Using density-gradient ultracentrifugation, we found 31 proteins to be significantly altered on HDL after LA, as determined by shotgun proteomics and multidimensional protein identification technology analysis. For example, vitamin D-binding protein (1.74-fold) was increased, while lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (-1.92-fold), platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (-2.06), and apolipoprotein A-V (-2.4-fold) were found to be decreased. Gene ontology and KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated roles of these proteins in response to stress, coagulation, hemostasis, and vesicle-mediated transport. Fast-protein liquid chromatography was used to further purify HDL for miRNA profiling using TaqMan OpenArrays, and we found 8 HDL-miRNAs to be significantly altered -- 3 down (miR-302b -13.9-fold, miR-224 -1.8, miR-572 -2.4-fold) and 5 up (miR-7 9.8-fold, miR-208b 16.2-fold, miR-34a-3p 3-fold, miR-627 2.4-fold, miR-1183 4.8-fold). Both miR-302b and miR-224 decreased; these are miRNAs previously reported to suppress proliferation through targeting AKT2 and apoptosis, respectively. As such, these changes likely alter HDL’s function in FH subjects.
A general persistent code caching framework for dynamic binary translation (DBT)

Dynamic binary translation (DBT) translates binary code from one instruction set architecture (ISA) to another (same or different) ISA at runtime, which makes it very useful in many applications such as system virtualization, whole program analysis, system debugging, and system security. Many techniques have been proposed to improve the efficiency of DBT systems for long-running and loop-intensive applications. However, for applications with short running time or long-running but with few hot code regions such as JavaScript and C# applications in web services, such techniques have difficulty in amortizing the overhead incurred during binary translation. To reduce the translation overhead for such applications, this paper presents a general persistent code caching framework, which allows the reuse of translated binary code across different executions for the same or different applications. Compared to existing approaches, the proposed approach can seamlessly handle even dynamically generated code, which is very popular in script applications today. A prototype of the proposed framework has been implemented in an existing retargetable DBT system. Experimental results on a list of applications, including C/C++ and JavaScript, demonstrate that it can achieve 76.4% performance improvement on average compared to the original DBT system without helper threads for dynamic binary translation, and 9% performance improvement on average over the same DBT system with helper threads when code reuse is combined with help threads.
Ancillary Studies on Neoplastic Cytologic Specimens

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is a safe, rapid, and cost-effective diagnostic procedure that is widely used for evaluating lesions at virtually any site in the human body. In order to provide valuable information that enables oncologists to make optimal therapeutic decisions, the use of ancillary studies as diagnostic adjuncts in cytology is often required. Ancillary studies allow us to document a lesion to be neoplastic or nonneoplastic, benign or malignant, primary or metastatic malignancy, and the possible primary origin of a metastatic neoplasm. In addition, some tests may provide prognostic and predictive information and assess eligibility of the patient for certain targeted therapies. Immunocytochemistry is the most commonly used ancillary method on cytology specimens; flow cytometric immunophenotyping is a very useful adjunct for the diagnosis of hematopoietic neoplasms. Recently, advances in molecular biology and biomedical research have had a major impact on the practice of pathology including cytology. As a result, cytogenetic and molecular studies have been increasingly applied in daily practice. It is noteworthy that ancillary test results should be evaluated in concert with cytologic features, clinical and radiologic findings to avoid erroneous interpretation. This chapter outlines the utility of immunocytochemistry, flow cytometric, cytogenetic, and molecular studies in the cytologic diagnosis of neoplastic lesions including their indications, sample requirements, reliability and limitations.
Primary marginal zone lymphoma of the cns presenting as a diffuse leptomeningeal process.

Primary CNS (PCNS) lymphoma accounts for less than 3% of all primary brain tumors1; primary extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma of the CNS, which includes the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma subtype, is extremely rare, comprising up to 5.4% of PCNS lymphomas.2 PCNS MALT lymphomas are localized, low-grade lesions that occur more frequently in women, often present with indolent neurologic symptoms and focal seizures, and manifest as meningioma-like dural-based discrete masses on neuroimaging.3,4 This case illustrates a novel presentation of a rare CNS malignancy.
Overview of Nicotine Withdrawal and Negative Reinforcement (Preclinical)

Abstract This introductory chapter describes the features of tobacco smoking and nicotine dependence in humans and animal models, discusses the roles of positive and negative reinforcement processes, and provides an overview of the possible neurobiological mechanisms that underlie positive and negative reinforcement. The vulnerability to nicotine addiction may be related to initial sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of nicotine, but recent conceptualizations regarding the development of addiction have introduced the hypothesis that compulsive nicotine seeking and taking likely involve negative reinforcement that is driven by the loss of reward system activity and recruitment of brain stress system activity. The combination of excellent and validated animal models that incorporate the negative reinforcement processes that are associated with nicotine withdrawal and a better understanding of the neurocircuitry and neuropharmacological mechanisms that underlie nicotine motivational withdrawal has provided viable targets for future drug development.
C-Reactive Protein Protects Myeloma Cells from Apoptosis Via Activating ITAM-Containing Fcγ RII.

Human C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase protein, and elevated levels of CRP are present in patients with infections, inflammatory diseases, necrosis such as myocardial infarction, or malignancies including multiple myeloma (MM), lymphoma, and carcinoma. CRP is able to bind a variety of ligands and receptors, activating the classical complement pathway. Accumulating evidence strongly suggests that in cardiovascular disease CRP is not only a marker of inflammation, but also contributes to pathogenesis of the disease. These findings led to our hypothesis that CRP may have a functional effect on tumor cells. The present study was undertaken in a myeloma setting to determine whether CRP might affect tumor cell growth and survival. When added to the culture of primary myeloma cells isolated from patients, CRP promoted cell proliferation and reduced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. To confirm this result, we examined the effects of CRP on myeloma cell lines under stressed conditions and showed that CRP protected myeloma cells from apoptosis induced by serum starvation or IL-6 deprivation. More importantly, CRP also protected myeloma cells from apoptosis induced by dexamethasone or melphalan, two common chemotherapy drugs for MM. The protection was significant since CRP reduced cell death by 50 to 60%, and may be clinically relevant because the results were reproduced in myeloma-SCID mouse models. Injection of CRP prior to treatment of myeloma-bearing mice with dexamethasone or melphalan significantly undermined the therapeutic effects of these chemotherapy drugs. Mice receiving CRP with dexamethasone or melphalan had significantly larger tumor burdens compared with mice treated with dexamethasone or melphalan alone, whereas treatment with CRP alone had no effects on the tumor cells. CRP protected tumor cells from apoptosis by downregulating Bax expression, inhibiting phosphorylation of Bcl-2, and upregulating phosphorylation of Bad, which led to inhibited caspase-9, caspase-3 and PARP activation induced by dexamethasone. We next examined cell surface receptors for CRP and found that CRP bound Fcγ RII CD32A and/or CD32C, but not CD32B. Specific siRNAs that inhibited CD32A or CD32C but not CD32B expression, and antibodies against CD32A/C that blocked receptor-ligand interaction abrogated CRP-mediated protection of cell apoptosis. These results indicate that CRP mediated its effects via activating immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-containing Fcγ RII. By binding to these receptors, CRP increased the level of phosphorylated Akt, ERK1/2, and IkBa; relocalized NFkB p65 to the nucleus; and inhibited p38 kinase activity. Inhibitors against these signaling molecules blocked the activity of these pathways and abrogated CRP-mediated protection of myeloma cell apoptosis induced by dexamethasone. Therefore, our results provide strong evidence for a novel effect of CRP on myeloma cells. This study also implicates CRP as a potential target for MM therapy.
Prevalence of lymph node metastasis and prognostic significance of lymphadenectomy in apparent early-stage malignant ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors.

Abstract Objective The aim of this retrospective population-based study was to investigate the prevalence of lymph node metastasis in patients with apparent early stage malignant sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs) and the effect of regional lymph node sampling/lymphadenectomy (LND) on their survival. Methods A cohort of patients diagnosed with malignant SCSTs between 1988 and 2012 was drawn from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Overall and Cancer Specific Survival, stratified by performance of LND, were calculated following generation of Kaplan-Meier curves. Comparisons were made using the log-rank and Breslow tests. A multivariate Cox proportional analysis was performed to determine the effect of LND on overall mortality. Results A total of 1156 patients with SCST met the inclusion criteria; 1000 (86.5%) and 156 (13.5%) patients had apparent stage I and II disease, respectively. LND was performed in 572 (49.5%) patients. Lymph node metastases were pathologically confirmed in 19 patients (3.3%). Five-year cancer specific survival (CSS) was similar, 92.7% and 94.7%, for patients who did or did not undergo LND, respectively. According to multivariate analysis overall mortality did not differ between the two groups after controlling for age, histology and apparent stage. Conclusions Regional lymphatic mode metastasis in patients with apparent early stage SCSTs is uncommon and lymphadenectomy did not confer a survival benefit in this cohort.
Fuchs syndrome: a case of fever, mucositis and conjunctivitis.

A 5-year-old boy presented with fever and cough of 2 weeks’ duration, conjunctivitis and lip swelling with blistering for 6 days, and 1 day of skin rash. His past medical history was significant for incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD) at 3 years of age with no cardiac sequelae. Significant findings on physical examination included bilateral conjunctival injection with perilimbic sparing, red and cracked lips with crusting, oral mucositis and ulcerations of the buccal mucosae and tongue (figure 1), and a mild generalised maculopapular rash. He was systemically well otherwise, and there were no target lesions evident on his skin. …
Spillway jet regime and total dissolved gas prediction with a multiphase flow model

A numerical model, based on the open source code OpenFOAM, was developed to predict jet regimes and total dissolved gas downstream of spillways. The model utilizes the volume of fluid method to tra...
Rehabilitation technology services and employment outcomes among consumers using division of rehabilitation services

Purpose: The primary goal of the study was to evaluate how the use of rehabilitation technology impacted closure status for consumers receiving services in fiscal year (FY) 2014. Materials and Methods: Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA-911) Case Service Report FY 2014 archival dataset was obtained from the U.S. Department of Education (2014) and secondary analyses was performed for this study. RSA-911 archival data is updated on an annual basis and consists of all state-federal rehabilitation consumers who were served in the specific fiscal year. The dataset contains information related to each consumer's demographic information (e.g. age, gender, race) and other supplemental information (e.g. weekly earnings at closure, cause of disability, services provided). Results and Conclusions: A multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized and revealed that white consumers receiving rehabilitation technology (RT) services have significantly higher closure rate than consumers of other races, RT services differ by the employment status at application, RT services differ by the type of disability, educational level at application for people receiving RT services did predict closure status (i.e. exiting with an employment outcome), IEP status did not predict closure status, weekly earnings at application did predict closure status and the interaction effect between IEP and RT services is statistically significant. The odds ratio (ORs) were presented at the 95% confidence interval (CI). Vocational rehabilitation counselors needs training to correctly identify appropriate RT services for consumers, so that the likelihood of exiting with an employment outcome is obtained. Implications for Rehabilitation RT services significantly improved their chances of successful employment compared to those who did not receive RT services. Education at closure would also have some significant impact on employment outcomes. Training in Assistive Technology (AT) for Vocational Rehabilitation counselors will assist in the proper identification of AT requirements, which may lead to a higher likelihood of consumers exiting with an employment outcome.
A Passport to Education: Undocumented Latino University Students Navigating Their Invisible Status

This chapter explores the experiences of undocumented Latino college students in Southern California (United States). Their invisibility shaped both their autonomy at college and their inability to interact fully in the classroom and engage in classroom debates. Participants described an overwhelming feeling of fear, anxiety, and hopelessness due to the hyper hate community that surrounds the university and other societal factors. Educational resiliency and educational citizenship are concepts to better understand the participants’ experiences. We provide recommendations for universities, professors, support staff, and political action.
DNA methylation signatures as biomarkers of prior environmental exposures

This review demonstrates the growing body of evidence connecting DNA methylation to prior exposure. It highlights the potential to use DNA methylation patterns as a feasible, stable, and accurate biomarker of past exposure, opening new opportunities for environmental and gene-environment interaction studies among existing banked samples. We present the evidence for association between past exposure, including prenatal exposures, and DNA methylation measured at a later time in the life course. We demonstrate the potential utility of DNA methylation-based biomarkers of past exposure using results from multiple studies of smoking as an example. Multiple studies show the ability to accurately predict prenatal smoking exposure based on DNA methylation measured at birth, in childhood, and even adulthood. Separate sets of DNA methylation loci have been used to predict past personal smoking exposure (postnatal) as well. Further, it appears that these two types of exposures, prenatal and previous personal exposure, can be isolated from each other. There is also a suggestion that quantitative methylation scores may be useful for estimating dose. We highlight the remaining needs for rigor in methylation biomarker development including analytic challenges as well as the need for development across multiple developmental windows, multiple tissue types, and multiple ancestries. If fully developed, DNA methylation-based biomarkers can dramatically shift our ability to carry out environmental and genetic-environmental epidemiology using existing biobanks, opening up unprecedented opportunities for environmental health.
Promoting Health from Outside the State: La Comunidad, Migrants, and Hometown Associations

Migrants and organizational collectives, such as hometown associations (HTAs), have sent remittances to their countries of origin in an attempt to alleviate unmet health care needs. Additionally, migrants will use collective funds to rehabilitating roads; improving sewage systems and water quality; constructing recreational facilities; and refurbishing community buildings. All of these projects contribute to public health. The question explored in this paper is how remittances from abroad potentially contributes to the health of hometown communities. This focus on health and related issues allows for exploring HTA cross-border work as particularly informative in understanding state/society relations. In effect, we bring light to how a migrant transnational social movement can attempt to address health needs in its hometown. The Comparative Immigrant Organization Project (CIOP) is used to answer this question. For this paper, the level of analysis for the CIOP is organizational.
Shared decision-making in vascular surgery.

Abstract Background Ideally, patients' decision-making regarding surgical options should reflect myriad implicit values. The informed consent process is meant to ensure that patients' values mirror clinical decisions regarding expectations for outcomes, such as quality of life, life expectancy, and subsequent pain and suffering. However, surgeons are not always equipped to discuss patients' values. Methods Shared decision-making is a method that could help surgeons elicit patients' values and subsequently improve the patient's knowledge and satisfaction, among other important outcomes. Yet, several barriers hinder implementation of shared decision-making in the clinic, such as time, interpersonal characteristics, and trust. To address concerns, several tools and approaches have been developed to increase shared decision-making in the clinic. This article highlights two strategies: the three-talk model and decision aids. Conclusions Shared decision-making is a tool that could be especially valuable in discussions regarding elective surgery. Further research is needed to determine how best to implement shared decision-making in the surgical setting. Without full integration of patients' values into discussions of surgical options, there will continue to be a disconnect between the surgical procedures, outcomes, and patients' values.
Treatment for Challenging Behaviors: Are IDEA Part C Interventionists Using Functional Interventions?.

Little is known about the specific practices of early interventionists, despite many young children receiving early intervention services through Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Educati...
Determinants of County-Level Voting Patterns In the 2012 and 2016 Presidential Elections

County-level data are used to estimate the incumbent-party share of the two-party vote in the 2012 and the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections. Using a ‘seemingly unrelated estimation’ procedure the r...
Team Communication in Theory and Practice

Teams are ubiquitous in organizations. Yet, little is known about their dynamic team processes. One particular gap in our understanding is when and how often these types of processes are necessary. To address this gap, we examine longitudinal team communication exchanged among team members collaborating under different working conditions. In this chapter, we begin by summarizing what is known about longitudinal team communication. We then introduce the two theoretical frameworks used to guide our research, namely Marks et al. (2001) recurring phase model of team processes and Bartunek and Woodman’s (2015) temporal dimensions of organizational change. As well, we acknowledge that teams collaborate within a variety of contexts. Herein, we describe two aspects of context upon which we focus: communication media and time availability. The chapter concludes with an overview of the book and rationale for why researchers and practitioners may find value in reading it.
The Rescue of Joshua Glover: A Fugitive Slave, the Constitution, and the Coming of the Civil War; and Finding Freedom: The Untold Story of Joshua Glover, Runaway Slave

Review of: "The Rescue of Joshua Glover: A Fugitive Slave, the Constitution, and the Coming of the Civil War," by H. Robert Baker and "Finding Freedom: The Untold Story of Joshua Glover, Runaway Slave," by Ruby West Jackson and Walter T. McDonald.
Synchronization of cell division in vivo through the combined use of cytosinearabinoside and colcemid.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the synchronization of cell division in vivo through the combined use of cytosine arabinoside and colcemid. Despite the encouraging results obtained from in vitro systems, attempts to attain comparable degrees of synchronization in the intact animal have been, for the most part, substantially less rewarding. The basis for the difficulties encountered in vivo can be attributed to a large extent to the inherent diversity in the proliferative capacity of mammalian cells. On the basis of the differences in the growth kinetics of their cell populations, all tissues of the body can be placed into either of three major categories: (1) permanent nonproliferating cells, that is, those that have lost the ability to proliferate under any circumstances, for example, neurons, (2) resting cells, and (3) cells programmed for continuous replication. To determine the degree to which this synchronization of cell division was maintained, animals were given either 0.9% NaCl solution or Ara-C at zero time and CCM 12 hours later. Groups of rats were then killed at 2-hour intervals beginning at 14 hours and terminating at 24 hours after the initial injections.
Total carotenoid intake is associated with reduced loss of grip strength and gait speed over time in adults: The Framingham Offspring Study.

Background Lower antioxidant serum concentrations have been linked to declines in lean mass and physical function in older adults. Yet population data on the effect of dietary antioxidants on loss of muscle strength and physical function are lacking. Objective We sought to determine the association of antioxidant intake [vitamin C, vitamin E, and total and individual carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and lutein + zeaxanthin)] with annualized change in grip strength and gait speed in adults from the Framingham Offspring study. Methods This prospective cohort study included participants with a valid FFQ at the index examination and up to 2 prior examinations and at ≥2 measures of primary outcomes: grip strength (n = 2452) and/or gait speed (n = 2422) measured over 3 subsequent examinations. Annualized change in grip strength (kg/y) and change in gait speed (m/s/y) over the follow-up period were used. Linear regression was used to calculate β coefficients and P values, adjusting for covariates. Results Mean ± SD age of participants was 61 ± 9 y (range: 33-88 y). Median intakes (IQR, mg/d) of vitamin C, vitamin E, and total carotenoid across available examinations were 209.2 (133.1-394.2), 27.1 (7.4-199.0), and 15.3 (10.4-21.3), respectively. The mean follow-up time was ∼12 ± 2 y (range: 4.5-15.4 y). In the sex-combined sample, higher intakes of total carotenoids, lycopene, and lutein + zeaxanthin were associated with increased annualized change in grip strength [β (SE) per 10-mg higher intake/d, range: 0.0316 (0.0146) to 0.1223 (0.0603) kg/y)]. All antioxidants except for vitamin C were associated with faster gait speed [β (SE) per 10-mg higher intake/d, range: 0.00008 (0.00004) to 0.0187 (0.0081) m/s/y]. Conclusions Higher antioxidant intake was associated with increase in grip strength and faster gait speed in this cohort of adults. This finding highlights the need for a randomized controlled trial of dietary antioxidants and their effect on muscle strength and physical function.
Association of Health Literacy Among Nulliparous Individuals and Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes.

Importance Health literacy is considered an important social determinant of health that may underlie many health disparities, but it is unclear whether inadequate health literacy among pregnant individuals is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Objective To assess the association between maternal health literacy and maternal and neonatal outcomes among nulliparous individuals. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a secondary analysis of a large, multicenter cohort study of 10 038 nulliparous individuals in the US (2010-2013). Participants underwent 3 antenatal study visits and had detailed maternal and neonatal data abstracted. Data analysis was performed from July to December 2019. Exposures Between 16 and 21 weeks of gestation, health literacy was assessed using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine–Short Form, a validated 7-item word recognition test. In accordance with standard scoring, results were dichotomized as inadequate vs adequate health literacy. Main Outcomes and Measures On the basis of theoretical causal pathways between health literacy and health outcomes, a priori maternal and neonatal outcomes (determined via medical records) were selected for this analysis. Multivariable Poisson regression models were constructed to estimate the associations between health literacy and outcomes. Sensitivity analyses in which education was removed from models and that excluded individuals who spoke English as a second language were performed. Results Of 9341 participants who completed the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine–Short Form, the mean (SD) age was 27.0 (5.6) years, and 2540 (27.4%) had publicly funded prenatal care. Overall, 1638 participants (17.5%) had scores indicative of inadequate health literacy. Participants with inadequate health literacy were more likely to be younger (mean [SD] age, 22.9 [5.0] vs 27.9 [5.3] years), have less educational attainment (some college education or greater, 1149 participants [73.9%] vs 5279 participants [94.5%]), have publicly funded insurance (1008 participants [62.2%] vs 1532 participants [20.0%]), and report they were a member of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group (non-Hispanic Black, 506 participants [30.9%] vs 780 participants [10.1%]; Hispanic, 516 participants [31.5%] vs 948 participants [12.3%]) compared with those with adequate health literacy. Participants who had inadequate health literacy had greater risk of cesarean delivery (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.23) and major perineal laceration (aRR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.03-2.01). The adjusted risks of small-for-gestational-age status (aRR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.14-1.58), low birth weight (aRR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07-1.65), and 5-minute Apgar score less than 4 (aRR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.16-6.65) were greater for neonates born to participants with inadequate health literacy. Sensitivity analyses confirmed these findings. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that inadequate maternal health literacy is associated with a variety of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Anterior cingulate cortex activation during attentional control as a transdiagnostic marker of psychotherapy response: a randomized clinical trial

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) response during attentional control in the context of task-irrelevant emotional faces is a promising biomarker of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) outcome in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, it is unclear whether this biomarker extends to major depressive disorder (MDD) and is specific to CBT outcome. In the current study, 72 unmedicated patients with SAD (n = 39) or MDD (n = 33) completed a validated emotional interference paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging before treatment. Participants viewed letter strings superimposed on task-irrelevant threat and neutral faces under low perceptual load (high interference) and high perceptual load (low interference). Biomarkers comprised anatomy-based rostral ACC (rACC) and dorsal ACC (dACC) response to task-irrelevant threat (>neutral) faces under low and high perceptual load. Patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of CBT or supportive therapy (ST) (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03175068). Clinician-administered measures of social anxiety and depression severity were obtained at baseline and every 2 weeks throughout treatment (7 assessments total) by an assessor blinded to the treatment arm. A composite symptom severity score was submitted to latent growth curve models. Results showed more baseline rACC activity to task-irrelevant threat>neutral faces under low, but not high, perceptual load predicted steeper trajectories of symptom improvement throughout CBT or ST. Post-hoc analyses indicated this effect was driven by subgenual ACC (sgACC) activation. Findings indicate ACC activity during attentional control may be a transdiagnostic neural predictor of general psychotherapy outcome.
Flap Reconstruction for Esophageal Perforation Complicating Anterior Cervical Spinal Fusion: An 18-year Experience.

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a common surgical intervention in the treatment of traumatic and degenerative changes of the spine. Esophageal injury is a rare but devastating complication of ACDF, with a reported incidence of approximately 1%.1,2 The pattern of esophageal injuries after ACDF is bimodal. Iatrogenic injuries typically present early in the perioperative period, whereas late perforations are generally ascribed to soft-tissue erosion of the posterior esophagus by spinal hardware, bone grafts, or osteophytes. The management of esophageal perforations remains a significant reconstructive challenge as a poor intrinsic blood supply, contamination, and flow of saliva through the perforation impair wound healing. In the setting of ACDF, treatment is further confounded as the native soft-tissue surroundings have been replaced by a more hostile postoperative milieu of scar, unyielding bone and bone graft, and exposed metal. In cases where adequate bony fusion has not yet occurred, fixation hardware must often remain in place, which can complicate bacterial eradication and impose repetitive friction and persistent pressure upon an already tenuous posterior esophagus. Finally, unlike head and neck cancer esophageal reconstructions, there is minimal surgical room to maneuver to expose and repair these perforations. Primary closure has been successful in select cases; however, high rates of recurrence led to the development of reinforced primary repairs with vascularized tissue flaps incorporated into the reconstruction.3–6 Flap interposition serves to bolster against further erosion, increases antibiotic delivery, contains leaks, and is associated with decreased rates of recurrence and earlier reintroduction of oral feedings.3,7–9 Grillo and Wilkins6 first described the concept of a buttressed esophageal repair using vascularized pleural flaps for thoracic perforations, and since this introduction, a myriad of flaps have been utilized, including pedicled pectoralis major,8,10–14 sternocleidomastoid (SCM),3,4,11,15–19 longus colli,20 free radial forearm,8,11,14 and omental10 flaps. Given the low incidence of this complication, there remains a paucity of data and lack of consensus regarding optimal flap selection. Given the significant nature of esophageal perforations, with reports of up to 18% mortality, it is an important problem to address.5 In this article, we present our experience with 18 years of flap reconstruction for perforation in the context of ACDF. We intend to describe our surgical technique, lessons learned, and how our practice has evolved in the care of this challenging problem.
Prenatal and Neonatal Speech, “Pre-speech”, and an Infantile-Speech Lexicon

The beginnings of Speech, for a given individual, dramatically precede the birth instant, and demonstrably so. Sound-spectrographic and cineradiographic analysis of neonatal cry and crysound reflec...
Heat Load Sharing in a Capillary Pumped Loop With Multiple Evaporators and Multiple Condensers

This paper describes the heat load sharing function among multiple parallel evaporators in a capillary pumped loop (CPL). In the normal mode of operation, the evaporators cool the instruments by absorbing the waste heat. When an instruments is turned off, the attached evaporator can keep it warm by receiving heat from other evaporators serving the operating instruments. This is referred to as heat load sharing. A theoretical basis of heat load sharing is given first. The fact that the wicks in the powered evaporators will develop capillary pressure to force the generated vapor to flow to cold locations where the pressure is lower leads to the conclusion that heat load sharing is an inherent function of a CPL with multiple evaporators. Heat load sharing has been verified with many CPLs in ground tests. Experimental results of the Capillary Pumped Loop 3 (CAPL 3) Flight Experiment are presented in this paper. Factors that affect the amount of heat being shared are discussed. Some constraints of heat load sharing are also addressed.
Media with a Mission: Why Fairness and Balance Are Not Priorities in Lebanon’s Journalistic Codes

Investigating why fairness and balance are not priorities in Lebanon, this article suggests that the country’s historical and sociopolitical evolution favored a partisan model where press institutions are either owned by or supportive of political blocs, parties, or personalities. Factors such as the za’im system, foreign patronization, institutionalized sectarianism, social inequality, and the civil war reinforced partisan affiliations and created a double, unwritten social contract: An unspoken pact joins journalists and media owners, with the former serving the interests of the latter through their reporting. At the same time, an unwritten agreement connects journalists and citizens, who see the media as indicators of political opinion.
Application of the assimilative mapping of ionospheric electrodynamics (AMIE) procedure to cusp identification

This paper presents a brief review of the Assimilative Mapping of Ionospheric Electrodynamics (AMIE) procedure and discusses potential uses of the procedure in support of cusp related studies. The algorithm estimates distributions of electric fields and other electrodynamic quantities over the polar regions by synthesis of diverse types of data. In the past the procedure has focussed primarily on investigating global magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere interactions via the study of temporal and spatial variations in ionospheric electric fields and conductance. Some recent efforts point to a useful role in investigating smaller scale features such as the cusp and cleft.
Comment on ``Nonextensive theory of dark matter and gas density profiles''

Self-gravitating systems with nonlocal, long-range interactions are described by nonextensive statistics. Recently, Leubner demonstrated that the nonextensivity parameter $\kappa$ should be negative for self-gravitating, pressureless systems, such as dark matter halos. The equation for the spherically symmetric nonextensive dark matter halos has also been derived. Here we demonstrate that this equation is identical to the classical Lane-Emden equation describing the structure of self-gravitating polytropic spheres. This establishes an intimate connection between self-gravitating polytropes and nonextensive thermostatistics. Moreover, based on this fact and observational data, we put a stronger constraint on $\kappa$, namely $\kappa<-3.4$.
DC to 1 gigahertz multikilovolt voltage probe

We describe here the design and electrical model of a resistive-capacitive voltage divider for very wide bandwidth high voltage measurements. The divider smoothly transitions from a resistive topology at low frequencies to a capacitive topology at high frequencies, giving it a very flat attenuation curve from DC to a 3dB point at 1.0 GHz. The design is novel, employing a combination of distributed and lumped element compensation. The divider, while compact, can handle voltages up to 15 kV, limited to short pulses by power dissipation. Frequency range is ultimately limited by the self resonance of lumped capacitors and also by resonance of the high voltage interconnect with distributed input capacitance. The voltage divider has a 1000x voltage ratio with output to 50-ohm termination. This probe's broad range of functionality makes it a practical bench-top scope probe or a permanent fixture within pulse generators
Obstacles and an approach towards concurrent engineering

The integration of design-for-testability (DFT) and built-in self-test (BIST) into early stages of the overall design process is examined. Obstacles to concurrent engineering (CE) are briefly examined; they include short-sighted view of management, the ignoring of life-cycle costs by design management and contractors, area/functionality/performance myths, the view of testing as someone else's problem, lack of knowledge by design engineers, and lack of tools for supporting DFT and BIST. An approach toward CE is illustrated, with the focus on the example of the ADAM; (Advanced Design AutoMation) system. Specifically, ADAM includes the TEST system, a knowledge-based system that incorporates DFT and BIST considerations into the early stage of the design cycle of a product. It is believed that, with the cooperation of management, the proper set of CAD (computer-aided-design) tools, and designer training CE can become a reality. >
Getting past nature as a guide to the human sex ratio.

Sex selection of children by pre-conception and post-conception techniques remains morally controversial and even illegal in some jurisdictions. Among other things, some critics fear that sex selection will distort the sex ratio, making opposite-sex relationships more difficult to secure, while other critics worry that sex selection will tilt some nations toward military aggression. The human sex ratio varies depending on how one estimates it; there is certainly no one-to-one correspondence between males and females either at birth or across the human lifespan. Complications about who qualifies as ‘male’ and ‘female’ complicate judgments about the ratio even further. Even a judiciously estimated sex ratio does not have, however, the kind of normative status that requires society to refrain from antenatal sex selection. Some societies exhibit lopsided sex ratios as a consequence of social policies and practices, and pragmatic estimates of social needs are a better guide to what the sex ratio should be, as against looking to ‘nature’. The natural sex ratio cannot be a sound moral basis for prohibiting parents from selecting the sex of their children, since it ultimately lacks any normative meaning for social choices.