cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alcohol Outlets and Neighborhood Crime: A Longitudinal Analysis

This article examines the relationship between the number of alcohol outlets in block groups and the number of incidents of street crimes in Norfolk, Virginia. Cross-sectional and longitudinal panel designs are used to explore the relationship. Results were corrected for spatial autocorrelation and controlled for variation in size of population, socioeconomic disadvantage, and a dummy variable for being the downtown area. The cross-sectional analysis revealed a strong relationship between the number of alcohol outlets and the number of street crimes for on-premises and off-premises outlets. A panel design was then used to examine the effects of newly established outlets on the change in the number of street crime events over three periods. All three panels showed significant relationships between the number of alcohol outlets and the number of street crime events controlling for prior levels of crime, socioeconomic disadvantage, population size, and a spatial lag.
Design Analysis of Staggered InGaN Quantum Wells Light-Emitting Diodes at 500–540 nm

Staggered InGaN quantum wells (QWs) are analyzed as improved active region for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting at 500 nm and 540 nm, respectively. The calculation of band structure is based on a self-consistent 6-band kmiddotp formalism taking into account the valence band mixing, strain effect, and spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations as well as the carrier screening effect. Both two-layer staggered InxGa1- xN/InyGa1- yN QW and three-layer staggered InyGa1- yN/InxGa1- xN/InyGa1- yN QW structures are investigated as active region to enhance the spontaneous emission radiative recombination rate (R sp) for LEDs emitting at 500 nm and 540 nm. Analysis of the spontaneous emission radiative recombination rate (R sp) shows significant enhancement for both two-layer staggered InGaN QW and three-layer staggered InGaN QW, in comparison to that of the conventional InzGa1- zN QW. The studies of the carrier lifetime indicate a significant reduction of the carrier lifetime for staggered InGaN QWs, which contribute to the enhancement of the radiative efficiency for both two-layer staggered InGaN QW and three-layer staggered InGaN QW LEDs emitting at 500 nm and 540 nm.
Importance of Intrinsic- $Q$ in Microring-Based Optical Filters and Dispersion-Compensation Devices

We investigate the impact of the intrinsic-Q of the resonant poles on the performance of multiring-based optical filters and dispersion-compensating devices. We highlight the role of quality factor by defining figures-of-merit for some specific filter configurations.
Cerebrospinal Fluid β Chemokine Concentrations in Neurocognitively Impaired Individuals Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

Macrophages express the chemokine receptor CCR-5, a coreceptor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry. This receptor is ligated by beta chemokines, which influence HIV type 1 (HIV-1) replication in CCR-5-bearing cells in vitro and could influence the course of infection in the central nervous system. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 73 HIV-infected men were assayed for macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1alpha), MIP-1beta, and regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). Distributions of all three were positively skewed. CSF chemokine concentrations were correlated with each other and were higher in demented patients. In a multivariate analysis, demented subjects were more likely to have detectable CSF MIP-1alpha, elevated CSF HIV RNA levels, and lower CD4+ cell counts. However, among those with detectable CSF MIP-1alpha, levels were lower in demented patients. CSF beta chemokine elevation is consistent with the macrophage activation known to occur in dementia and with studies of beta chemokine mRNA expression in the brain. Low, but detectable, levels of CSF MIP-1alpha were strongly associated with dementia, suggesting that higher levels may have neuroprotective effects.
A plastic interval timer synchronizes pubertal development of summer- and fall-born hamsters.

Summer and fall decreases in day length induce reproductive regression in adult hamsters and delay reproductive maturation of their young. The following year pubertal development is triggered by an interval timer (IT) that renders animals refractory to inhibitory short day lengths after ∼25 wk. Timing of gonadal and somatic development was examined among offspring born to Siberian hamsters in early-August vs. late-September day lengths. Pubertal maturation was delayed in both groups until late winter. Gonadal growth occurred at significantly later ages among August- vs. September-born males as did late-winter spurts in ponderal growth of both sexes. Timing of reproductive and somatic development depended on postnatal rather than prenatal photoperiod exposure and was unrelated to the circadian entrainment status of dams. When developmental patterns were assessed in relation to time of year, group differences were largely eliminated. Because the IT triggers these developmental events, its duration must be plastic. This plasticity facilitates a relative synchronization or entrainment of developmental milestones in hamsters born into different late-summer/early-fall photoperiods.
Federalism and ethnic conflict in Ethiopia: a comparative regional study

This book offers a thorough and sophisticated analysis of ethnic federalism and its consequences in contemporary Ethiopia. The author draws considerable new empirical material from in-depth studies...
Abstract 19338: Calcium Dose During Resuscitation from Asphyxial Cardiac Arrest in Developing Rats Affects Heart Rate and Blood Pressure but Not Survival

Use of calcium during resuscitation from cardiac arrest remains controversial. Current AHA guidelines, drawing on small clinical studies, only recommend calcium use in hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia, hypermagnesemia and overdose of calcium-channel blockers. Yet, a large proportion of critical care physicians, especially in pediatrics, utilize IV calcium when cardiac arrest victims are resistant to epinephrine and vasopressin. We tested the effect of two different doses of calcium chloride - 10 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg - on blood pressure, heart rate, lactate and survival in a model of pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest and resuscitation in developing rats. Seventeen to 19 days old Long Evans rats were anesthetized with isoflurane, endotracheally intubated and mechanically ventilated. The femoral artery and external jugular vein were cannulated for blood pressure monitoring and medication administration, respectively. EKG and EEG were continuously monitored. Anesthesia was discontinued 2 min prior to arrest to minimize confounding effect of isoflurane on outcomes. Asphyxial cardiac arrest was induced by discontinuing mechanical ventilation under neuromuscular blockade. After 9.5 minutes of asphyxia, rats were resuscitated using mechanical ventilation with 100% O2, chest compressions, epinephrine, NaHCO3, and either a standard resuscitation dose of 10 mg/kg CaCl2 (n=34) or a reduced dose of 1 mg/kg (n=40). Short-term (1 hr) survival did not differ between the two groups (85% in the 10 mg/kg group vs. 87% in the 1 mg/kg group, χ2, p > 0.05). Heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were calculated from 10 second intervals at 1, 5, 15 and 25 min post-resuscitation. Post-resuscitation HR was higher in the 10 mg/kg group (two-way ANOVA, p = 0.003 for calcium dose). Post-resuscitation MAP was also higher in the 10 mg/kg group (two-way ANOVA, p = 0.004 for calcium dose). Post-resuscitation whole blood lactate was lower in the 10 mg/kg group (5.8±1.1 mMol/L) compared to the 1 mg/kg group (6.8±2.1 mMol/L) ( t -test with unequal variances, p = 0.04). We conclude that in this clinically-realistic model of asphyxial cardiac arrest, lower dose CaCl2 during resuscitation does not affect short-term survival but is associated with lower post-resuscitation cardiac output.
Human α-Galactosidase: Characterization and Eukaryotic Expression of the Full-Length cDNA and Structural Organization of the Gene

Human α-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22) is a lysosomal hydrolase encoded by a single gene located in the chromosomal region Xq21.33-q22. The deficient activity of this enzyme results in Fabry disease, an X-linked recessive disorder which leads to premature death in affected males. For studies of the structure and function of α-galactosidase and for characterization of the genetic lesions in families with Fabry disease, the full-length cDNA was isolated, sequenced and used to obtain the human chromosomal gene. The 1393 bp full-length cDNA had a 60 nt 5’ untranslated region and encoded a precursor peptide of 429 amino acids including a signal peptide of 31 residues. The functional integrity of this cDNA was demonstrated by transient expression in COS-1 cells. The entire ~12 kb chromosomal gene, including ~9 and ~11 kb of 5’ and 3’ flanking sequence, was isolated. The gene had seven exons whose sequences were identical to those in the full-length cDNA. The 5’ flanking region of this housekeeping gene contained Spl and CCAAT box promoter elements as well as sequences corresponding to the AP-1, “OCTA” and “core” enhancer elements. Four direct repeats of the “chorion box” enhancer were preceded by an upstream “HTF” island. All intron-exon splice junctions conformed to the GT/AG consensus sequence. The novel lack of a 3’ untranslated sequence in the α-galactosidase cDNA was confirmed by sequencing the genomic 3’ region.
Thermally Activated Reactions of Titanium Thin Films with (100) 3C-SiC Substrates

The reaction of thin Ti films deposited, in situ , onto (100) 3C-SiC has been studied by Auger Electron Spectroscopy, and Low Energy Electron Diffraction. The effects of reaction temperature and SiC surface condition were investigated as part of a program to obtain a high temperature electrical contact for this wide band gap semiconductor. The results indicate that the interface reaction is dominated by the formation of TiC in SiC, and the liberation of Si which diffuses to the surface. The amount of liberated Si depended on the relative amounts of free surface C and of deposited Ti. In the presence of excess carbon, the reaction of Ti with SiC was suppressed and a (TiC + C) surface layer formed which was stable after 500 hours at 800°C.
BOOK REVIEW: Conservation of Shared Environments: Learning from the United States and Mexico . Edited by Laura López-Hoffmann, Emily D. McGovern, Robert G. Varady, and Karl W. Flessa. 2009. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. 320 pages. $24.95 paperback (ISBN 978-0-8165-2878-3); $60.00 cloth (ISBN 978-0-8165-2877-6)

As its title suggests, Conservation of Shared Environments is a discussion of the various social, political, and environmental challenges facing the transboundary areas between the United States an...
Wing Damage in Overwintering Populations of Monarch Butterfly at Two California Sites

Overwintering monarch butterflies collected from two California sites did not show a progressive wing deterioration. Butterflies collected earlier in the season showed magnitude of wing area loss (≈2%) similar to that in butterflies collected later in the season. Wing damage frequencies attributed to wing area loss among males increased significantly in March and were associated with mating activity. Females did not show this increase in wing damage frequency but had a significantly greater total wing area loss than males. Although hind wings were damaged more frequently than forewings, the amount of missing wing area was not significantly different.
Genetics as a molecular window into recovery, its treatment, and stress responses after stroke

Stroke remains a major source of adult disability in the USA and worldwide. Most patients show some recovery during the weeks to months following a stroke, but this is generally incomplete. An emerging branch of therapeutics targets the processes underlying this behavioral recovery from stroke toward the goal of reducing long-term disability. A key factor hampering these efforts is the very large degree of variability between stroke survivors. Available data suggest that genetic differences could explain an important fraction of the differences between subjects. The current review considers this from several angles, including genetic differences in relation to drugs that promote recovery. Genetic factors related to physiological and psychological stress responses may also be critically important to understanding recovery after stroke and its treatment. The studies reviewed provide insights into recovery and suggest directions for further research to improve clinical decision-making in this setting. Genetic differences between patients might be used to help clinical trials select specific patient subgroups, on a biological basis, in order to sharpen the precision with which new treatments are evaluated. Pharmacogenomic factors might also provide insights into inter-subject differences in treatment side effects for pharmacological prescriptions, and behavioral interventions, and others. These efforts must be conducted with the strictest ethical standards given the highly sensitive nature of genetic data. Understanding the effect of selected genetic measures could improve a clinician's ability to predict the risk and efficacy of a restorative therapy and to make maximally informed decisions, and in so doing, facilitate individual patient care.
Inventory of Constructed Wetlands in the United States

During 1990 and 1991 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sponsored an effort to identify existing and planned constructed wetlands in the U.S., and to collect readily available information from operating systems. In addition to inquiries by telephone and mail, the effort included site visits to over 20 operating subsurface flow constructed wetlands. The inventory documented the presence of over 150 constructed wetland systems for wastewater treatment, including both free water surface (FWS) and subsurface flow (SF) systems. The majority of the systems identified were SF systems for treating municipal wastewater. FWS systems were separated into three groups based on the design level of effluent water quality. SF systems were separated into three groups based on the basic design approach. The inventory indicated that neither between nor within these groups was there consensus regarding basic hydraulic and engineering design criteria, system configuration, or any other aspect, such as type of vegetation, size and type of media, or pretreatment. Information on location, type of system, design approach, hydraulic and organic loading rates, costs, and other aspects is presented. Information gathered and "lessons learned" from the site visits are presented. Insufficient oxygen for nitrification appears to be a problem for both FWS and SF systems. Insufficient hydraulic design appears to be a problem for SF systems.
Alkoxysilyl functionalized polynorbornenes with enhanced selectivity for heavy hydrocarbon separations

Two systematic series of novel polynorbornenes with varying ethoxy content were synthesized using addition-type and ring-opening metathesis polymerization techniques. Pure gas permeation studies revealed that ethoxy substitution doubled heavy hydrocarbon (C3+/CH4) selectivities and obtained high gas permeabilities compared to unmodified polynorbornenes, demonstrating the promise of these membranes. Ethoxy substitution enabled crosslinking via sol–gel routes, influenced gas permeation due to the high mobility and bond rotations of the pendant ethoxy groups, and produced more rubber-like polymers that demonstrated reverse selectivity, favoring permeation of heavy hydrocarbons over methane. The transport properties and crosslinking correlated with X-ray diffraction results, which demonstrated that pendant ethoxy substitution increased intermolecular spacing and subsequent crosslinking of the films decreased intermolecular spacing. The synthesized polymers were further characterized spectroscopically and thermally by FTIR, 1H-NMR, TGA and DMA. Success of the polymerizations varied with catalyst type and reaction conditions, which had profound effects on both molecular weights, yields, as well as processability.
Introduction to limb-salvage surgery for sarcomas.

This article provides a history of limb-salvage surgery and definitions of terms used to describe aspects of the procedure. Staging is also discussed.
Sex Determination in Reptiles

Publisher Summary The sex-determining mechanisms (SDMs) of reptiles are remarkably diverse, ranging from systems that are under complete genetic control to those that are highly dependent upon temperatures that embryos experience during development. Because reptiles exhibit a remarkable diversity of SDMs, this group provides excellent models for addressing critical questions about the proximate mechanisms of sex determination, as well as its ecology and evolution. The goal of this chapter is to integrate studies from different disciplines (e.g., ecology, evolution, physiology, molecular biology) to broadly summarize the current understanding of reptilian sex determination. An additional goal of this review is to provide an awareness of different perspectives on reptilian sex determination, as well as to identify gaps in our knowledge and finally to provide suggestions for future research. Introduction of the diversity of SDMs found within reptiles by detailing the specifics of genotypic sex determination (GSD) and the variations in reaction norms that describe temperature dependent sex determination (TSD) is provided. Further, a brief overview of the taxonomic and phylogenetic distribution of alternative SDMs (the “who” question) is provided, and the evolutionary transitions between systems discussed. The chapter also addresses the proximate mechanisms involved in reptilian sex determination. The timing of sexual lability during embryonic development (the “when” question), and compares different methods for addressing this issue is also explored.
Mester es que las palabras sepa bien silabificar . Estudio filológico del libro de Miseria de omne

El presente trabajo, basado en la descripcion del componente fonico del castellano en su perspectiva diacronica, fundamentada en el analisis de los rasgosvmetricos de los textos, tiene como objetivo determinar la caracterizacion de la lengua originaria del autor del libro de miseria de omne. Para ello se parte de una descripcion historico-literaria con la finalidad de entender los acontecimientos historicos, los rasgos literarios e incluso la ideologia de una sociedad sumida en una crisis espiritual y material. todo ello con la finalidad de datar una de las obras castellanas medievales mas relevantes sobre el menosprecio de los males del mundo.
Effects of nose flap devices applied to calves on cow and calf performance, carcass traits, and heifer fertility

The effects of calf nose flap (NF) presence and duration on dam performance, steer carcass traits, and subsequent heifer fertility were evaluated. Angus and Angus × Hereford primiparous cows (n = 245) and calves at 2 locations were allocated to treatments: (1) NF for 30 or 31 d, removal from dam on d 30 or 31 (LT-30R); (2) NF for 4 or 5 d, removal from dam on d 30 or 31 (ST-30R); (3) NF for 4 or 5 d, removal from dam on d 60 or 62 (ST-60R); and (4) no NF, removal from dam on d 30 or 31 (CON-30R). Among ST-60R cows, BCS was reduced (P < 0.05) on d 60 or 62 and change in cow BCS from d 0 to 60 or 62 was greater (P < 0.05) than all other treatments. At both locations, LT-30R calves gained less (P < 0.05) by d 30 or 31 than other treatments. However, there was a location × treatment interaction (P < 0.05) for calf BW where ST-30R and ST-60R calves gained less (P < 0.05) than CON-30R calves at one location, possibly due to differences in forage quality and availability. Subsequent pregnancy rate among CON-30R heifers (that had been calves in the prior year) were (P = 0.05) reduced versus other treatments. Results indicate both presence and duration of NF weaning devices can reduce preseparation calf BW gain, but use of NF in calves can improve subsequent-year heifer reproductive performance without affecting steer carcass quality.
The Philosophical Letters Addressed to a Lady

It is your frankness and your sincerity that I love and respect most of all. Imagine, then, how much your letter surprised me! These amiable qualities in you charmed me from the moment I met you; they led me to talk to you about religion. Everything in your environment constrained me to remain silent. So imagine once again my astonishment when I received your letter.1 Madame, that is all I can say to you about the opinion which you presume that I have formed about your character. Let us drop the subject and proceed at once to the serious portion of your letter.
Alternative Testing Models For Testing Chemical Toxicity

A new comprehensive approach is being developed for testing chemicals for safety that rely on assays using tissue culture models, algorithms, and nonmammalian organisms. The approach is a distinct departure from the historic models using animals and is the result of the lack of data on the safety of thousands of chemicals, research showing important differences in response to xenobiotic chemicals between humans and test animals, and society’s concern for the humane use of animals. The article will introduce the reader to the history of animal models and briefly discuss a wide range of models that are currently in use and new models under development. The National Academy report on Toxicity Testing in the 21st century is explained along with ToxCast, which comprises, in part, the EPA’s responses to the report. The reader is introduced to new advances in the development of organ-on-a-chip models to mimic whole body physiology and that have the potential of offering an apical test that better recapitulates responses to xenobiotic chemicals. More in-depth knowledge of the topics covered can be attained by further readings compiled by the authors.
Puruṣavāda: A Pre-Śaṅkara Monistic Philosophy as Critiqued by Mallavādin

The Advaita literature prior to the time of Gauḍapāda and Śaṅkara is scarce. Relying on the citations of proponents and their opponents, the picture we glean of this early monism differs in many aspects from that of Śaṅkara. While Bhavya’s criticism of this monistic thought has received scholarly attention, the chapter Puruṣavāda in Dvādaśāranayacakra (DNC) has rarely been studied. Broadly, this conversation will help ground classical Advaita in light of the contemporary discourse on naturalism. In particular, this examination will help contextualize the early Advaita that lacks clear imprint of Mahayana Buddhism. The doctrine of Puruṣa, central to this paper, sidelines the role of avidyā or ignorance, and provides a realistic picture of the world. I have relied on the commentary Vṛtti upon the Vākyapadīya as has been substantially cited in DNC in order to advance the arguments. As a consequence, the examination on Puruṣa also paves the path for advancing arguments on linguistic monism.
Silences and Stories

The brilliant Audre Lorde (1980) once admonished, “Your silence will not protect you.” Of course she is right, although, at times, in those small moments of everyday cowardice, it can feel as if it might.
Characterization of the Ornithine Hydroxylation Step in Albachelin Biosynthesis

N-Hydroxylating monooxygenases (NMOs) are involved in siderophore biosynthesis. Siderophores are high affinity iron chelators composed of catechol and hydroxamate functional groups that are synthesized and secreted by microorganisms and plants. Recently, a new siderophore named albachelin was isolated from a culture of Amycolatopsis alba growing under iron-limiting conditions. This work focuses on the expression, purification, and characterization of the NMO, abachelin monooxygenase (AMO) from A. alba. This enzyme was purified and characterized in its holo (FAD-bound) and apo (FAD-free) forms. The apo-AMO could be reconstituted by addition of free FAD. The two forms of AMO hydroxylate ornithine, while lysine increases oxidase activity but is not hydroxylated and display low affinity for NADPH.
Facile and scalable fabrication of highly loaded sulfur cathodes and lithium–sulfur pouch cells via air-controlled electrospray

Abstract Lithium – Sulfur batteries provide prominent benefits such as being environmentally friendly and cost-effective, and offering a high capacity and energy density. Although this battery chemistry carries many advantages, it is offset by the major challenges of producing cathodes with high loading of sulfur and applying them to large pouch cells for commercialization and ultimately realizing their value as the next generation energy storage system. Developing large and highly loaded sulfur cathodes are elusive because it introduces other problems such as causing the cathode to become less conductive and inducing the effect of polysulfide dissolution and shuttling to amplify. Herein, we present a facile approach to potentially solve the problem. We fabricated sulfur cathodes by air-controlled electrospraying/gas-assisted electrospinning. To elaborate, gas-assisted electrospinning was implemented to form mesoporous carbon nanofiber web substrates and sulfur particles were subsequently air-controlled electrosprayed onto these fibrous materials. The same substrates were also applied as an interlayer between the cathode and separator to enhance the cycling performance. This strategy enables 3.5 mg cm −2 loading of sulfur which exhibits an exceptionally high capacity of 1554 mA h g −1 during the initial cycle and 1223 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles at C/4. It also shows great rate capability, maintaining the capacity about 900 mA h g −1 at 2C. The cell with even higher sulfur loading of 6.2 mg cm −2 , exhibited a high capacity of 1526 mA h g −1 during the initial cycle, and 1005 mA h g −1 and thus an areal capacity of 6.2 mAh cm −2 after 100 cycles at C/4. In addition, we fabricated a large-sized thin film pouch cell (5.08 × 7.62 cm) with 5.5 mg cm −2 of sulfur loading which delivered a capacity of 1532 mA h g −1 during the initial cycle and 845 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles at C/4. These results, demonstrate that the approach based on air-controlled electrospray of sulfur solution on a mesoporous carbon nanofiber substrate is quite promising for developing highly loading sulfur cathodes and feasible for generating large-sized pouch cells with high capacity.
Building the Case: Changing Consumer Perceptions of the Value of Expanded Community Pharmacist Services.

Background:The role of the community pharmacist has traditionally been a medication dispenser; however, community pharmacists’ responsibilities must expand to include more direct patient care servi...
Management of Antiviral Resistance in Chronic Hepatitis B

• Antiviral resistance in HBV infection is becoming an increasingly encountered clinical problem. • Characterizing and standardizing definitions of antiviral resistance is of paramount importance in defining a framework within which efficacy may be judged. • The different classes of antiviral agents have varying risks of resistance. The development of resistant mutations may limit future treatment options due to cross-resistance to other antiviral agents.
Enumeration Under Group Action

In Chaps. 5 and 6 we considered the quotient poset B n ∕ G, where G is a subgroup of the symmetric group \(\mathfrak{S}_{n}\). If p i is the number of elements of rank i of this poset, then the sequence p 0, p 1, …, p n is rank-symmetric and rank-unimodal.
Taking Religion Out of Civil Divorce

In the United States, the question of the role of Islamic religious tribunals in relation to family law matters is an emerging one. While scholars have explored the validity and enforceability of Religious Tribunal Awards (“RTAs”) under state and federal arbitration law generally, few have focused exclusively on such awards related to family law issues. The role of RTAs in relation to issues involving divorce and child custody raises important policy questions related to gender equality, personal autonomy, and religious freedom and thus demands that courts and legislators confront the complex issue of how to protect Muslim religious freedom without sacrificing the basic tenets of gender equality that have evolved over time in the United States. The tension is most obvious in cases of divorce in which the parties are Muslim and have obtained a RTA relating to divorce and seek to enforce or invalidate the award. This scenario raises important questions related to gender equality, freedom of religion, and state action. This Article explores these tensions and proposes a legal framework to resolve them.
Choosing Schools, Reproducing Family Inequality? Race, Gender, and the Negotiation of a New Domestic Task

In this article, I explore gendered patterns in the tasks parents perform when choosing a school for their children. I analyze interviews with 18 fathers and 70 mothers in Chicago and confirm patte...
Dose-Response Relationship Between Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Muscle Function in People With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a viable intervention for improving impaired muscle function in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there is limited evidence about the dose-response relationship between NMES and muscle function in these individuals. Objective The objectives of this study were to investigate the dose-response relationship between NMES and muscle function in individuals with RA and to establish the minimal NMES training intensity for promoting improvements. Design This study was a secondary analysis of data obtained before and after an NMES intervention in a randomized study. Methods The study took place at a research clinic. Only adults diagnosed with RA were included. The intervention consisted of 36 NMES treatment sessions for the quadriceps muscles over 16 weeks. Muscle function was measured before and after the intervention; quadriceps cross-sectional area and muscle quality were assessed using computed tomography, and strength was measured with an isokinetic dynamometer. NMES training intensity was calculated as a percentage by dividing NMES-elicited quadriceps muscle torque by the maximum voluntary isometric contraction. Improvements in muscle function were calculated using paired-sample t tests. The dose-response relationship was determined using curve estimation regression statistics. The minimum NMES training intensity was defined as that sufficient to significantly improve all muscle function measures. Results Twenty-four people (48 legs) participated (75% women; mean [SD] age = 58 [8] years; mean body mass index = 32 [7] kg/m2). Quadriceps cross-sectional area, muscle quality, and strength improved after the intervention. Associations between NMES training intensity and muscle quality (r2 = 0.20) and strength (r2 = 0.23) were statistically significant, but that between NMES training intensity and muscle cross-sectional area was not (r2 = 0.02). The minimum NMES training intensity necessary to improve all measures of muscle function ranged from 11% to 20% of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction. Limitations The relatively small sample size was a limitation. Conclusions The minimum NMES training intensity for significant gains in muscle function was ∼15%. Higher NMES intensities may promote better muscle quality and strength in individuals with RA.
Cost Analysis of Medicare Patients with Varying Complexities Who Underwent Total Knee Arthroplasty.

The effort to reduce overall healthcare costs may affect more complex patients, as their pre- and postoperative care can be substantially involved. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use a large nationwide insurance database to compare (1) costs, (2) reimbursements, and (3) net losses of 90-day episodes of care (EOC) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients according to Elixhauser's comorbidity index (ECI) scores. All TKAs performed between 2005 and 2014 in the Medicare Standard Analytic Files were extracted from the database and stratified based on ECI scores, ranging from 1 to 5. ECI 1 patients served as the control cohort, while ECI 2, 3, 4, and 5 patients were considered study cohorts. Each study cohort and control cohort were matched based on age and sex, resulting in a total of 715,398 patients included for analysis. Total EOC costs, reimbursements, and total net losses (defined as total EOC costs minus total EOC reimbursements) were compared between the cohorts. Overall, total EOC costs increased with ECI. For example, compared with the matched ECI 1 cohorts, the total EOC costs for ECI 5 patients ($56,589.19 vs. $51,747.54) were significantly greater (p
Lipid Droplet-Derived Monounsaturated Fatty Acids Traffic via PLIN5 to Allosterically Activate SIRT1

Lipid droplets (LDs) provide a reservoir for triacylglycerol storage and are a central hub for fatty acid trafficking and signaling in cells. Lipolysis promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism via a SIRT1/PGC-1α/PPARα-dependent pathway through an unknown mechanism. Herein, we identify that monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) allosterically activate SIRT1 toward select peptide-substrates such as PGC-1α. MUFAs enhance PGC-1α/PPARα signaling and promote oxidative metabolism in cells and animal models in a SIRT1-dependent manner. Moreover, we characterize the LD protein perilipin 5 (PLIN5), which is known to enhance mitochondrial biogenesis and function, to be a fatty-acid-binding protein that preferentially binds LD-derived monounsaturated fatty acids and traffics them to the nucleus following cAMP/PKA-mediated lipolytic stimulation. Thus, these studies identify the first-known endogenous allosteric modulators of SIRT1 and characterize a LD-nuclear signaling axis that underlies the known metabolic benefits of MUFAs and PLIN5.
Systematic review of voxelotor: a first-in-class sickle hemoglobin polymerization inhibitor for management of sickle cell disease.

Voxelotor, a sickle hemoglobin polymerization inhibitor, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat sickle cell disease (SCD) in November 2019. This article reviews published data about voxelotor treatment of SCD based on a search of MEDLINE, Embase, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. In a phase I/II trial, voxelotor demonstrated a dose-dependent pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic response and was well tolerated in healthy volunteers and patients with SCD. In a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, phase III trial (HOPE trial), a significantly higher percentage of patients randomized to voxelotor had increased hemoglobin (> 1 g/dl from baseline) compared to placebo. A greater reduction of hemolytic markers was also observed in the voxelotor-treated group, whereas the incidence of adverse effects was comparable. Three case series or reports also demonstrated the efficacy and safety of voxelotor use in a limited number of SCD patients in the real-world situation, although one patient with SCD, severe anemia, and a history of autoantibody-mediated hemolysis failed to respond to voxelotor. An ongoing trial (HOPE-KIDS) is designed to establish the use of voxelotor in younger pediatric patients with SCD. There is a theoretical concern that voxelotor may impair oxygen delivery, due to modification of the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin, which needs to be further evaluated. As a first-in-class hemoglobin modulator, voxelotor offers a new treatment option targeting the root cause of SCD.
Assessments of fit and usability of work-life supports in the context of diversity and perceptions of fairness

There is a robust literature that examines outcomes associated with work-life supports. Scholars have considered the ‘fit’ between employee needs and the supports available while others have examin...
Data Privacy in Retail: Navigating Tensions and Directing Future Research

Abstract To understand data privacy in retailing, one must consider a myriad of consumer, retailer, and regulatory tensions, trade-offs, and compromises. Scholarly research on consumer data privacy in retailing remains a fruitful area of inquiry precisely because it confronts these critical tensions. As a scholarly domain, data privacy research investigates questions and contexts that are fraught with persistent conflicts and paradoxes. Despite some important advances, many pressing questions remain, leaving various tensions unresolved too. In this editorial, we review the role of data privacy in retailing, attending to focal consumer and retailer tensions. We also provide an overview of the unique contributions offered by the articles in this issue, stressing the novel insights they provide for retail theory and practice. This overview exposes three promising research directions that offer particular promise for informing the critical data privacy tensions that we identify and for expanding the relevance of data privacy research to encompass a broader set of retail implications. These research directions in turn may motivate future scholarly inquiry in retailing, inform retail management, and suggest public policy options.
Teaching Anatomy: Effective Use of Modified Team-Based Learning Strategy

In the twenty-first-century medical education, the integration of basic sciences in the preclinical medical curriculum has caused a reduction in time to teach anatomy. Team-based learning (TBL), which engages students in their learning, is an ideal pedagogical strategy to teach anatomy despite its conceptually challenging nature. TBL combines various aspects of the adult learning theories in a unique way, so that learning is self-directed but guided by the faculty. The model of TBL focuses on learning defined by pre-class preparation that utilizes a content-specific learning/study guide, followed by in-class team discussion. Team discussion is an effective form of peer teaching; session content is discussed and clarification questions answered that allow students to reflect upon their learning and remediate any content-specific knowledge deficits. There is improved learner engagement with the course content that allows development of higher levels of learning—application, analysis, and evaluation. Adopting TBL improved class attendance and performance.
Chu limit and non-Foster radiation for sound

We show that the quality factor of a small passive acoustic radiator is fundamentally limited by its volume normalized to the emitted wavelength, imposing important constraints on the bandwidth and efficiency of compact acoustic sources. We overcome this bound, known in electromagnetics as Chu’s limit, by realizing a piezoelectric transducer loaded with a non-Foster circuit, showing that its radiation bandwidth is fundamentally limited only by stability considerations. Based on these principles, we experimentally observe over a threefold bandwidth enhancement compared to its passive counterpart, paving the way towards non-Foster acoustic elements and metamaterials that overcome the bandwidth constraints of passive systems.
Risk Factors of Emergency Room Visits for Bleeding Complications Following Transurethral Procedures in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose Transurethral procedures, including transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and laser prostatectomy, are often linked to emergency room (ER) visits for postoperative bleeding. Although some studies have been conducted, the risk factors associated with these ER visits are not completely understood. This retrospective cohort study identified potential risk factors associated with ER visits for postoperative bleeding. Patients and Methods Preoperative assessment data and operational and postoperational parameters recorded at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan between December 2015 and January 2017 for patients who underwent elective transurethral procedures were analyzed to identify potential risk factors. The primary endpoint was ER visits for gross hematuria within three months following operation, and the secondary endpoint was ER visits for blood clot-induced urinary retention (clot retention) within three months following operation. Results A total of 665 patients who underwent elective transurethral procedures were enrolled. The transurethral procedures included monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (M-TURP), bipolar TURP (B-TURP), greenlight photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP), thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) and thulium laser transurethral vaporesection of the prostate (ThuVARP). Regarding ER visits for clot retention within three months, multivariable logistic regression revealed significantly lower rates of clot retention in patients who received B-TURP than in those who underwent ThuVARP (AOR, 0.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.04-0.82, p = 0.027). Moreover, significantly higher clot retention was observed in patients who underwent two or more rounds of manual irrigation (AOR, 9.51; 95% CI, 1.66-54.43, p = 0.011). Conclusion Multiple manual irrigations shortly after operation can be considered a novel predictor of postoperative clot retention-related ER visits. Among the transurethral procedures, ThuVARP was associated with a higher risk of clot retention-related ER visits than was B-TURP.
Chaos in Physics and Recurrence in Arithmetic Sets

After briefly recalling the concepts of recurrence and chaos in physics, the recurrence properties of arithmetic sets are examined following Gauss' method, as exposed in part three of his Disquisitiones Arithmeticae. This problem in number theory is related to the physical problem of recurrence in deterministic chaos. Most possible forms of moduli are examined in detail with respect to their recurrence properties, for application to the generalized Bernoulli mapping. The emphasis is put on period lengths, rather than on congruences. In an annex the recurrence properties of Arnold's cat map are briefly examined.
Virtual Worlds, Inside and Out

A place, physical or cognitive: the difference between simply being here, and knowing here, can be profound. This knowing, or virtuality, reflects one’s ability to craft a dynamic internal —virtual— model of the world. The paper postulates that, being overly-dependent on media-supplied information, we are allowing our virtual sense to diminish. This renders us less capable of finding our way in both physical and conceptual space. However, a new technology, virtual world technology, permits us to understand virtuality and simulate its use through immersion in deliberately designed, computer-generated virtual worlds. Understanding this inside-outside relationship may provide the foundation for a new science of virtuality. This science may be able to unify the current potpourri of spatially oriented disciplines (environmental psychology, behavioral geography, sociology, urban design, and so forth), each with its own dogma and limitations, that attempt to define the human experience of space.
The natural history of acute hepatitis C: clinical presentation, laboratory findings and treatment outcomes

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 33: 559–565 Summary Background Acute hepatitis C has variable modes of presentation and frequently results in chronic infection. Its optimal management has yet to be defined. Aim To establish natural history and complications of treatment of acute hepatitis C. Methods Data from all patients presenting with acute hepatitis C to the National Institutes of Health between 1994 and 2007 were reviewed. Results Twenty-five patients were identified. Symptoms were reported by 80% and jaundice by 40%. Aminotransferase levels and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels fluctuated greatly; 18% of patients were intermittently negative for HCV RNA. Five patients recovered spontaneously whereas 20 developed chronicity or received interferon-based therapy during the acute phase. Among 15 patients treated during the acute phase with peginterferon with or without ribavirin for 24 weeks, all became HCV RNA negative within 4–8 weeks, and all except two (HIV-positive) achieved a sustained virological response. Side effects (particularly psychiatric) were common and limited treatment in 30%. Conclusions Among 25 patients with acute HCV infection, fluctuating illness was common and spontaneous recovery occurred in only 20%. Anti-viral treatment with a 24-week course of peginterferon and ribavirin was highly effective, but marked by frequent and severe side effects.
Eating Fried Foods: Negotiating health, taste and tradition in the Spanish Caribbean

This paper explores food preferences and perceptions around fried foods in the Spanish Caribbean (SC) community in New York City, as part of traditional diets. The consumption of fried food has bee...
Protograph based low error floor LDPC coded modulation

In this paper we propose an innovative LDPC coded modulation scheme. We design binary low density parity check (LDPC) codes that are combined with high level modulations such as 8PSK and 16QAM with and without a channel interleaver. At the receiver a demapper transforms the received inphase and quadrature samples to produce reliability information that feeds the binary LDPC decoder. Using this scheme, the same encoder and decoder can support various modulations. Analysis of ensemble average weight enumerators shows that the minimum distance of the proposed LDPC codes grows linearly with block size. Our constructions are based on protograph structures that support high-speed decoder implementations. We also show that precoding can be used to lower the threshold of LDPC codes. The decoding thresholds of the proposed codes, which have linearly increasing minimum distance in block size, outperform that of regular LDPC codes. Furthermore, a family of low to high rate codes, with thresholds that adhere closely to their respective channel capacity thresholds, is presented. For maximum variable node degree 6, the iterative decoding thresholds of these codes outperform the best known unstructured irregular LDPC codes reported in the literature. Iterative decoding simulation results are provided for BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, and 16QAM modulations over the additive white Gaussian noise channel. FPGA simulation results for the proposed LDPC codes with input block size of 4096 and QPSK modulation (throughput=1 bps/Hz) show that a frame error rate of 10-8 and a bit error rate of 10 -10 can be achieved at Eb/No=1.50 dB
Improved forward and inverse analyses of saturated-unsaturated flow toward a well in a compressible unconfined aquifer

[1] We present an analytical solution for flow to a partially penetrating well in a compressible unconfined aquifer that allows inferring its saturated and unsaturated hydraulic properties from drawdowns recorded in the saturated and/or unsaturated zone. We improve upon a previous such solution due to Tartakovsky and Neuman (2007) by (1) adopting a more flexible representation of unsaturated zone constitutive properties and (2) allowing the unsaturated zone to have finite thickness. Both solutions account for horizontal as well as vertical flows throughout the system. We investigate the effects of unsaturated zone constitutive parameters and thickness on drawdowns in the saturated and unsaturated zones as functions of position and time; demonstrate the development of significant horizontal hydraulic gradients in the unsaturated zone in response to pumping; validate our solution against numerical simulations of drawdown in a synthetic aquifer having unsaturated properties described by the van Genuchten-Mualem constitutive model; use our solution to analyze drawdown data from a pumping test conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey at Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and compare our estimates of van Genuchten-Mualem parameters with laboratory values obtained for similar materials in the area.