cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
218Ra alpha reduced width and its consequences for alpha clustering in the heavy elements.

Nuclei of /sup 218/Ra were produced in the reaction /sup 208/Pb(/sup 13/C,3n-italic). After being separated from the beam by a velocity filter, they were implanted in a Si(Au) surface-barrier detector and their ..cap alpha..-particle decays were observed in the same detector. From these ..cap alpha..-decay events the half-life of /sup 218/Ra was measured to be 25.6 +- 1.1 ..mu..s, almost a factor of 2 greater than the previously reported value of 14 +- 2 ..mu..s. The resultant ..cap alpha.. width fits well into the overall picture of ..cap alpha..-decay-rate systematics and weakens one piece of evidence quoted for the existence of ..cap alpha.. clusters in heavy elements.
More than a Decade On: Mapping Today’s Regulatory and Policy Landscapes Following the Publication of Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: Opportunities and Uncertainties

It is now more than a decade since the release of the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering’s (RA/RAEng) seminal report on nanosciences and nanotechnologies. The report, for the first time, brought together the spectrum of scientific and societal issues underpinning the emergence of the technology. In articulating 21 recommendations, the RA/RAEng provided the United Kingdom Government—and others—with an agenda on how they could, and should, deal with the disparate aspects of the technology. The report provides a baseline to measure progress against. By focusing on the eight recommendations that dealt specifically with regulation and governance, I reflect on the extent, and nature, of this progress; identify key actors in shaping the evolving governance framework; and, importantly, distinguish areas where progress appears to have lagged.
Does clinical improvement of symptomatic degenerative lumbar disease impact obesity

OBJECTIVE Obesity and low-back pain associated with degenerative spondylosis or spondylolisthesis are common comorbid conditions. Many patients report that the pain and disability associated with degenerative lumbar disease are key factors in their inability to lose weight. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine if there is an association between improved functional status and weight loss following a successful transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) procedure. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent single-level TLIF was performed. Inclusion criteria were preoperative body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2, achievement of minimum clinically important difference in the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI, defined as improvement of 15 points), and minimum 1-year postoperative followup BMI. Preoperative and postoperative BMI, ODI, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were compared. A subgroup analysis of patients who achieved substantial clinical benefit (SCB, defined as a net improvement of 18.8 points on the ODI) was also performed. RESULTS A total of 56 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the study population was 55.6 ± 13.7 years. The mean preoperative BMI was 34.8 ± 4.6 kg/m2, the mean preoperative ODI was 66.2 ± 10.1, and the mean preoperative VAS score was 7.1 ± 1.7. The mean change in ODI was -33.1 ± 13.5 (p < 0.01) and the mean change in the VAS score was -4.1 ± 2.1 (p < 0.01). The mean change in BMI was +0.15 ± 2.1 kg/m2 (range -4.2 to +6.5 kg/m2; p = 0.6). SCB was achieved in 46 patients on the ODI. The mean preoperative BMI for patients with SCB was 34.8 ± 4.8 kg/m2, and the mean postoperative BMI was 34.7 ± 5.0 kg/m2. The mean change in BMI was -0.03 ± 1.9 kg/m2 (p = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS Despite successful surgical intervention via TLIF with achievement of improved function and pain, obese patients did not have significant change in weight postoperatively.
CEO international experience: Effects on strategic change and firm performance

Despite the growing importance of CEOs’ international experience (IE), we have yet to gain sufficient insights into its conceptualization and effect on firm outcomes. Based on prior research and work experience models, we suggest a new framework for measuring IE, including three components: length of time, number of countries, and cultural distance, along with their interactions. Drawing upon social and cognitive learning theories, we explore the impact of CEOs’ IE on two outcomes: strategic change and firm performance. We argue that IE components affect the two outcomes by enhancing executives’ international knowledge and general competencies. While international knowledge may affect firm performance directly, general competencies may affect firm performance both directly and indirectly through strategic change. Using a sample of 387 new CEOs, we found that time abroad had a positive effect on strategic change and firm performance, while number of countries and cultural distance positively moderated these relationships. Additionally, we also found that these components affected firm performance both directly and mediated through strategic change. Our findings have important theoretical implications for the conceptualization and impact of CEOs’ IE and practical implications for executive development and promotion.
Link protein N-terminal peptide and fullerol promote matrix production and decrease degradation enzymes in rabbit annulus cells.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Intervertebral disc degeneration is a major cause of back pain. Novel therapies for prevention or reversal of disc degeneration are needed. It is desirable for potential therapies to target both inflammation and matrix degeneration. Materials and Methods: The combined regenerative potential of link protein N-terminal peptide (LN) and fullerol on annulus fibrosus (AF) cells was evaluated in a 3D culture model. Results: Interleukin-1α (IL-1α)-induced AF cell degeneration was counteracted by fullerol, LN, and fullerol + LN, with the latter having the greatest effect on matrix production as evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction and glycosaminoglycan assay. IL-1α-induced increases in pro-inflammatory mediators (interleukin-6 and cyclooxygenase-2) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, -2, -9, and -13) were also counteracted by fullerol and LN. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that LN and fullerol individually, and in combination, promote matrix production and have anti-inflammatory a...
Using Read-Alouds of Grade-Level Social Studies Text and Systematic Prompting to Promote Comprehension for Students with Severe Disabilities

Abstract Learning social studies content is important for all students, including those with severe disabilities. However, there is a limited amount of research that specifically examines teaching social studies to this population of students. Therefore, educators must look to research-based practices in other academic areas (e.g., English language arts) to determine new strategies to teach this important content. Using a multiple probe across participants design, three fifth-grade students with severe disabilities were taught to answer comprehension questions during read-alouds of social studies text using a modified system of least prompts and graphic organizer. Findings indicate all students improved on the correct number of comprehension questions answered independently. Implications for practice and ideas for future research to teach social studies to students with severe disabilities are discussed.
Abstract 4292: Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) enhances efficacy of Gemcitabine in leiomyosarcoma

Introduction: Adjuvant Gemcitabine have recently been shown to improve progression free survival in some types of leiomyosarcoma. Adequate cellular uptake of the drug remains a challenge. We aimed to evaluate the role of nucleoside transporter activator (I3C) in increasing the in vitro efficacy of gemcitabine in the treatment of leimyosarcoma. Methods: Leiomyosarcoma cells (SKLMS) were incubated with DMEM+10% FBS + 1% Antibiotics. Dose response curves were generated for gemcitabine and I3C to identify the IC-50 values. Triplicates of cells were then plated in 96 well plates (3000 cells/well) and allowed to adhere. The adherent cells were further treated with gemcitabine in the presence or absence of I3C and compared with controls (DMSO treatment). MTS cell viability assays were done and absorbance was monitored in a micro-plate reader. Flow cytometry was performed with Propidium Iodide (PI) staining. Scratch assays were done to assess cell migration. Results: Viability assay showed significant increase in the cytotoxicity of gemcitabine in presence of I3C compared to controls. Flow cytometry data showed gemcitabine alone treatment has arrested the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase without increase of cell death. On the contrary, use of gemcitabine in combination with I3C increased the cell death by at least three folds compared to control as well as gemcitabine alone treated cell population. Scratch assay over a 16 hour period showed that the rate of cellular migration significantly dropped by 1.5 folds upon treatment with gemcitabine combined with I3C compared to gemcitabine alone. Western blots showed increased expression of membrane transporter hENT-1 with I3C treatment. Conclusion: The use of I3C enhanced cellular uptake, transport and cytotoxicity of gemcitabine in SKLMS cells. Further studies are warranted and underway to elaborate on intracellular mechanisms of action to optimize the use of I3C as a potential adjunct in preclinical and clinical leiomyosarcoma treatment. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Sujit Suwal, Alexandra Moran, Ana Paz-Mejia, Lorena Flor, Omar Picado, Basem Azab, Jonathan Trent, Fiorella Pendola, Alan S. Livingstone, Danny Yakoub. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) enhances efficacy of Gemcitabine in leiomyosarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4292. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4292
Interrogating Translation as a Doubly Political and Contextual Act

This introductory chapter lays out the basic framework for the volume and discusses the “doubleness” of translation in terms of its context and politics. It emphasizes the fact that translation is a transformative act that can only produce a portrait, not an exact copy of an “original” and offers a brief overview of some of the elements that shape and exercise pressure on the work of translators and the reception of their translated texts. The chapter explains how the different contributions in the volume consider the various ways in which the historical and sociocultural conditions as well as the politics of reading and rewriting/translation can intersect and influence the highly charged act of translation.
Some Fundamental Properties of Quantum Mechanics

This chapter illustrates some of the characteristic features by which quantum mechanics differs from classical theories. In Section XIII.1, using a gedanken experiment with the Stern-Gerlach apparatus it is shown that a polarized beam (a pure state) cannot be split by the magnetic field, and that the splitting of such a beam is a consequence of the measurement. In Section XIII.2 we derive the predictions of quantum mechanics for spin correlation measurements in the singlet state of pairs of spin-2 particles. In Section XIII.3 these predictions are confronted with Bell’s inequalities, which follow from a hypothesis first proposed by Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen. We conclude with a short discussion of hidden-variables theories.
Longitudinal Associations Between Formal Volunteering and Cognitive Functioning.

Objectives The present study examines the association between formal volunteering and cognitive functioning over time. We also examine the moderating roles of race, sex, education, and time. Method Using 11,100 participants aged 51 years and older and nine waves of data from the Health and Retirement Survey, we simultaneously modeled the longitudinal associations between engaging in formal volunteering and changes in cognitive functioning using multilevel models. Results Formal volunteering was associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning over time, especially with aspects of cognitive functioning related to working memory and processing. This association was stronger for women than it was for men, and for those with below average levels of education. The positive association between formal volunteering and cognitive functioning weakened over time when cognitive functioning was conceptualized as memory, but strengthened over time when conceptualized as working memory and processing. Discussion Volunteering is a productive activity that is beneficial not just to society, but to volunteers' levels of cognitive functioning in older age. For women and those with lower levels of education, formal volunteering appears particularly beneficial to working memory and processing.
Humanistic approaches for teaching technical writing service courses better meet the needs of our students (and our discipline)

This paper argues that the technical communication survey course occupies a unique position as a humanistic methods course obviously connected to the major disciplines of an institution's students. Humanistic technical communication pedagogy can thereby be used to organize or rationalize other humanistic interventions in the curriculum, especially with STEM majors. Examples are described for two approaches to integrating rhetorical considerations into junior-level technical writing courses. Senior capstone courses for STEM majors are also considered as sites for challenging students to consider social implications of technological development. Finally, results from a study at Georgia Tech support the authors' contention that students are open to considering technical communication as a rhetorical enterprise.
The Topology of Political Freedom

By adding the place of discord to the topology of the state found in classical political thought, Machiavelli maps out a new conception of the political body. This new concept of the political body is illustrated by the “mixed body” (corpo misto) of the Roman republic that emerges with the entrance of the people into the constitution through the institution of the Tribunate. Just like political life, after the event of Brutus, cannot be reduced to the activity of establishing and securing rule but must include the practice of no-rule, so too the political body that supports this expanded conception of political life cannot be reduced, after the Tribunate, to the organic or purposive totality of the state. In Machiavelli the mixed political body is irreducible to the form of the state: the republic is not a kind of state; it exceeds the limits imposed by political form as such. Machiavelli’s analysis of the process through which the people’s desire for no-rule becomes instituted demonstrates the irreducible character of the political body with respect to the form of the state because it shows that the state can only occupy the totality of the political space, and thus also the place of discord, if it can suspend its very force as state. In order to impose its form over the political body, the state must internalize into its form the negation of itself as form. In other words, the people enter political life through special institutions, like that of the Tribunate, that contrast the proper activity of the state, i.e., the administration of rule. These institutions of political contrast, or counter-institutions, carve up the state so as to clear a space in which to voice and act out the demands of no-rule.
Abstract P177: Projected Change in Outpatient Management of Blood Pressure in the United States with the Implementation Of JNC-8 as Compared to JNC-7 Criteria

Background: The 2014 Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-8) hypertension management guidelines support less restrictive blood pressure (BP) criteria among patients with age ≥ 60, diabetes or chronic kidney disease than the 2007 recommendations (JNC-7). We compared the proportion of patients for whom treatment escalation is recommended according to the JNC-8 guidelines vs. JNC-7. Methods and Results: We analyzed the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 2008-2010 dataset of about 76,000 US adult (>18 years old) outpatient visits representing 820 million annual outpatient visits. A clinical history of hypertension was present in 33.3%, and BP was recorded at 67.1% of all visits. Of these, 41.7% clinic visits involved patients ≥60 years old, and 15.5% included those with diabetes or non-diabetic renal disease. We restricted further analysis to those with measured blood pressure. Among patients without a prior diagnosis of hypertension, BP management should be initiated for 6% fewer patients (13.4% vs. 19.4%, p Conclusions: In this U.S. representative sample of outpatient visits, implementation of the JNC-8 hypertension guidelines decreases the need for initiation or intensification of anti-hypertensive treatment in about one out of six outpatients visits than JNC-7 guidelines. Thus, such shifts may influence treatment decisions for more than 100 million outpatient encounters annually. The actual implementation and associated change in patient outcomes need to be studied.
Ground motion processing and observations for the near-field accelerograms from the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake

Abstract Processed accelerograms define the ground motion input for a variety of engineering and scientific analyses. The Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake of 25 April 2015 currently has data from six near-field seismograph stations, recorded from within Nepal, available in the public domain. However, only the USGS sensor from the Kantipath (KATNP) station in Kathmandu has a processed data set available. The remaining acceleration time series are only provided in raw form, which require additional signal processing to be properly utilized for analysis. This paper discusses three different processing schemes for the accelerograms that may be used based on the intended application. Based on these processed records, some observations of the ground motions are then discussed. Fourier and response spectra results are presented to illustrate the effects of the processing procedure and the frequency contents. The processed ground motions are compared to applicable ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) for peak ground acceleration (PGA) and velocity (PGV). It is shown that existing GMPEs generally overestimate the PGA and PGV. Due to the presence of long period pulse-like behavior in the time series, two pulse extraction models are used to estimate the pulse parameters, including the pulse period (TP). By comparing the pulse period to an MW–TP relationship from the literature, it is shown that the recording from the rock site is an excellent match, while the other five soil sites have shorter periods than predicted. The MW-TP relationship shows longer pulse periods in rock sites than soil sites for magnitudes greater than MW 7.8, which is also observed from the results of this study. The observed long period peaks in the response spectra are attributed mainly to directivity effects.
CONVECTION OF BRAIN INTERSTITIAL FLUID

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the convention of brain interstitial fluid (ISF). A proposal has been made that the blood–brain barrier can be viewed as a secretory epithelium with a NaCl-coupled fluid transport from capillary plasma into brain. The rate of ISF drainage has been estimated from brain in two mammalian species: (1) rat and (2) rabbit. The chapter reviews these mechanisms using measured parameters of the system with the aim of providing new insights into the proposal that the blood–brain barrier can be viewed as a secretory eptithelium. The chapter describes the methods for studying convection of brain ISF and the evidence that the rate of drainage of this fluid from the central nervous system can be estimated. In a study described in the chapter, convection was studied by following the removal of extracellular tracers from brain following microinjection into the interstitium. Anatomical tracers were used to outline the pathways of flow and radiolabeled extracellular tracers to study the dynamics of exchange.
Student Content Analysis of Business News Coverage

Content analysis of media coverage provided a setting for group work, critical thinking, research, and data analysis. The analysis was motivated by a series of news stories that had damaged the reputation of the local community. The question was whether local news coverage was negative toward the business community. A business class addressed the problem and found that articles that business would view as favorable predominated. Based on their research, the class formulated a public relations strategy. Although this setting is a business class, content analysis of news media would work in other classes that emphasize critical thinking and problem solving.
Phage T7 lysozyme mRNA transcription and translation in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract The experiments reported here show that T7 lysozyme mRNA synthesis is under the control of T7 RNA polymerase (gene 1), both in vivo and in vitro . In addition, the translation of T7 lysozyme mRNA is significantly diminished in male cells, even though potentially translatable lysozyme mRNA is present. These data support the previously reported conclusion that certain T7 mRNAs are subject to a translational control system mediated by the F-factor of the E. coli host.
MEASURES WITH MINIMUM UNCERTAINTY ON NON-COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRAS WITH APPLICATION TO MEASUREMENT THEORY IN QUANTUM MECHANICS

Publisher Summary The product of the variances of two general elements may possess a nontrivial lower bound, a property that is the generalization of the Heisenberg uncertainty relations in quantum mechanics. Significant progress is made in that area by creating a fuzzy probability measure theory in which characteristic functions are replaced by confidence functions on the direct product of the spectra of the elements of the algebra. For the position and momentum operators in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, invariance of the measures may be used to determine the confidence functions and measures. This chapter presents the analog to the Cauchy–Schwarz–Bunyakovsky inequality for positive linear functionals. It explains that rather than considering "observables" as a primary object to be defined for a proposition lattice, one should first define an analog of joint probability functions and then obtain the "observables" by marginality.
Basic Science of the Shoulder Ligaments

The joints of the shoulder enable a large range of motion, but because they are relatively unconstrained, they can be inherently unstable. These shoulder joints are supported by numerous ligaments, which contribute to the strength and stability of the system. Knowledge of the material and structural properties of the shoulder ligaments is important in understanding shoulder function and in determining approaches to develop improved methods for repair and reconstruction of injured shoulders.
The Effect of Salmonella Enteritidis on Immune Genes in Three Different Lines of Chickens

Spleens from twelve Broiler, twelve Leghorn, and twelve Fayoumi chickens were randomly chosen from a group of 212 birds that were either unchallenged birds or had been given Salmonella Enteritidis. The birds were 5-7 month old and were given 1x10 8 Salmonella dose 3 times by way of mouth. The spleens from these birds were removed 10 days after the infection. The expression levels of the mRNA of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, MIP1 , INF-y, TGF 1, and Rantes were analyzed by qRT-PCR analysis. Line, challenge, and line by challenge interaction were all considered fixed effects and were tested. All non-significant effects left out. The Student’s T test was used to determine rankings of each effect. Two line effects along with a line by challenge interaction were observed. There was a line effect associated with INF-γ expression. There was also a line effect observed in RANTES. Fayoumis expressed RANTES significantly lower than Broilers or Leghorns. Lastly, there was a line by challenge interaction observed for IL-6. The difference in the expression levels displayed by the three different lines may indicate the use of very distinct immune mechanisms. This could be used in future breeding strategies to produce a bird that is resistant to Salmonella Enteritidis and other pathogens.
Why so Many Chinese Students Come to the U.S. for their Higher Education

This study focuses on why Chinese students come to the U.S. for their higher education. This student population plays a vital role in American colleges and universities, and provides a much needed source of financial revenue. The results indicate that Chinese students are seeking education with a worldview and opt to break from the Chinese system of learning. This article seeks to offer both academicians and university administrators a better understanding of the reasons of these Chinese students, and contributes to the knowledge area extant on this population.
The emotional attentional blink is robust to divided attention

The emotional attentional blink (EAB) refers to a temporary impairment in the ability to identify a target when it is preceded by an emotional distractor. It is thought to occur because the emotional salience of the distractor exogenously captures attention for a brief duration, rendering the target unattended and preventing it from reaching awareness. Here we tested the extent to which the EAB can be attenuated by inducing a diffuse top-down attentional state, which has been shown to improve target identification in an analogous attentional phenomenon, the attentional blink. Rapid sequences of landscape images were presented centrally, and participants reported the orientation of a ± 90° rotation of a landscape target. To induce a diffuse state of attention, participants were given a secondary task of monitoring for the appearance of a colored dot in the periphery. We found that emotional distractors impaired target recognition performance to comparable extents, regardless of whether or not participants concurrently performed the peripheral-monitoring task. Moreover, we found that performance of the secondary task led to an impaired ability to ignore neutral distractors. Subjective ratings of target vividness mirrored the behavioral accuracy, with frequent reports of intermediate levels of vividness suggesting that the EAB might impair target visibility in a graded manner. Our results demonstrate that the EAB is robust to manipulations of top-down attention, suggesting that the temporary capture of attention by emotionally salient stimuli involves processes that are distinct from those that produce the attentional blink.
The Great Decoupling: The Disconnection Between Criminal Offending and Experience of Arrest Across Two Cohorts

Our study explores the arrest experiences of two generational cohorts—those entering adulthood on either side of a large shift in American policing. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979 and 1997), we find a stark increase in arrest odds among the later generation at every level of offending, suggesting a decoupling between contact with the justice system and criminal conduct. Furthermore, this decoupling became racially inflected. Blacks had a much higher probability of arrest at the start of the twenty-first century than both blacks of the generation prior and whites of the same generation. The criminal justice system, we argue, slipped from one in which arrest was low and strongly linked to offending to one where a substantial share of Americans experienced arrest without committing a crime.
CPG Control for Harmonic Motion of Assistive Robot With Human Motor Control Identification

Various movements in human life, such as walking, bicycling, cleaning, chewing, swimming, and so on, are periodic or repetitive. This paper proposes a method for designing a feedback controller for a robotic system to help a human with periodic (harmonic, in particular) motion tasks. The control objective is to stabilize a human-intended oscillatory movement while reducing the required human effort. For the control architecture, we adopt the central pattern generator (CPG), which is a neuronal circuit for rhythmic motor pattern. Animal locomotions under CPG control are capable of complying with various environment dynamics to yield different oscillatory movements. We take advantage of this adaptation property of the CPG controller that acts as a nonlinear damping compensator and removes part of the resistive forces in the system, thereby reducing the human effort without interfering with the human intention. It is shown that the resulting human-intended oscillation is a locally stable harmonic solution of the closed-loop human–robot CPG system, assuming a simple model of the human motor control. The proposed control method is experimentally validated for a simple robotic arm, with a system identification of the human motor control.
CSF sTREM2 correlates with CSF tau in advancing Parkinson's disease

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and affects 1% of the population above 60 years old. Although PD commonly manifests with motor symptoms, a majority of patients with PD subsequently develop cognitive impairment which often progresses to dementia, a major cause of morbidity and disability. PD is characterized by α-synuclein accumulation that frequently associates with amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau fibrils, the hallmarks of AD neuropathologic changes; this co-occurrence suggests that onset of cognitive decline in PD may be associated with appearance of pathologic Aβ and/or tau. Recent studies have highlighted the appearance of the soluble form of the Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) receptor in CSF during development of AD. Given the known association of microglial activation with advancing PD, we investigated whether CSF and/or plasma sTREM2 increased with progression to PD dementia. We examined 165 participants consisting of 17 cognitively normal elderly, 45 PD patients with no cognitive impairment, 86 with mild cognitive impairment, and 17 with dementia. Stratification of subjects by CSF Aβ and tau levels revealed that CSF sTREM2 concentrations were elevated in PD subgroups with abnormal tau, but not Aβ, CSF concentration. These findings indicate that CSF sTREM2 could serve as a surrogate immune biomarker of neuronal injury in PD that is associated with cognitive decline. One sentence summary CSF sTREM2 correlates with CSF tau in PD
Transvenous implantation of the Occlutech Atrial Flow Regulator: Preliminary results from swine models.

Aims To evaluate in domestic pigs the histopathological processes after implanting the Occlutech Atrial Flow Regulator (AFR). Methods and results Eleven pigs were chosen and had successful implantation of the AFR. Five pigs were sacrificed at 28 days, and 5 pigs at 90 days. One pig was sacrificed at day 3 after device embolization. Each pig had echocardiography performed at 3 weeks to check patency. Post mortem evaluation included Gross evaluation, radiographic evaluation, histology, and electron microscopy. Nine of the 10 devices implanted remained patent at time of autopsy with no thrombus and minimal inflammation. One device placed in the PFO closed by day 28 and the other embolized on day 3. Conclusion The Occlutech AFR has shown to be safe and easy to implant with good results [Krizanic et al. J Invasive Cardiol. 2010;22(4):182.]. This study has further shown that histologically the device does not cause any end organ damage, causes minimal inflammation, with almost no thrombus formation and can remain patent and secure in the atrial septum.
Prenatal oxidative balance and risk of asthma and allergic disease in adolescence.

Background Fetal oxidative balance (achieved when protective prenatal factors counteract sources of oxidative stress) might be critical for preventing asthma and allergic disease. Objective We examined prenatal intakes of hypothesized protective nutrients (including antioxidants) in conjunction with potential sources of oxidative stress in models of adolescent asthma and allergic disease. Methods We used data from 996 mother-child pairs in Project Viva. Exposures of interest were maternal prepregnancy body mass index and prenatal nutrients (energy-adjusted intakes of vitamins D, C, and E; β-carotene; folate; choline; and n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFAs]), air pollutant exposures (residence-specific third-trimester black carbon or particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm [PM2.5]), acetaminophen, and smoking. Outcomes were offspring's current asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergen sensitization at a median age of 12.9 years. We performed logistic regression. Continuous exposures were log-transformed and modeled as z scores. Results We observed protective associations for vitamin D (odds ratio [OR], 0.69 [95% CI, 0.53-0.89] for allergic rhinitis), the sum of the n-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (OR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.66-0.99] for current asthma), and the n-3 PUFA α-linolenic acid (OR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.64-0.95] for allergen sensitization and OR, 0.80 [95% CI 0.65-0.99] for current asthma). Black carbon and PM2.5 were associated with an approximately 30% increased risk for allergen sensitization. No multiplicative interactions were observed for protective nutrient intakes with sources of oxidative stress. Conclusions We identified potential protective prenatal nutrients (vitamin D and n-3 PUFAs), as well as adverse prenatal pro-oxidant exposures that might alter the risk of asthma and allergic disease into adolescence.
Online social support among breast cancer patients: longitudinal changes to Facebook use following breast cancer diagnosis and transition off therapy

Active social engagement, both on and offline, is widely recognized as an important buffer against the negative effects of cancer-related stress. Nevertheless, studies show that social stigma can lead to a decrease in available social support following cancer diagnosis. This study examines whether Facebook friends provide continuous, health-promoting social support to breast cancer patients following transitions in care. To examine support provided to breast cancer patients, we hand-coded 21,291 status updates and wall posts with respect to both post content and support exchange. We then use descriptive statistics, pairwise t tests, and temporal maps to show whether posts received more likes, comments, or unique commenters following breast cancer diagnosis and the post content that was most likely to garner positive responses from Facebook friends. Results showed an initial increase across all three support metrics (likes, comments, and unique commenters) after cancer diagnosis but that all three metrics decrease steadily over time. Results also revealed significant decreases in the average number of comments and number of commenters following transition off cancer treatment. Taken together, our results reveal that while support is available through Facebook, support may be sporadic, characterized by limited engagement and low cost. There is also limited support available through Facebook to weather the stress of transition off cancer treatment. Facebook is an important feature in people’s lives, particularly among the demographic most impacted by breast cancer. Our results suggest that social media can be useful in accessing support but should be used with caution.
Removing barriers to health care for transgender people with and without cancer

Summary Medical institutions are attempting to shift practices to better support transgender and gender diverse people receiving health care. Transgender and gender diverse people have particular insight regarding potential changes that could make health care more patient-centered, accessible, and effective for them. Given this, a series of qualitative studies were conducted regarding the experiences and recommendations of transgender and gender diverse patients, along with cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and intersex patients, with and without cancer. Patients suggested that providers be comfortable with patients; share medical decision-making ; and address the social context of health disparities . Patient-derived guidelines for physicians generally and oncologists specifically could add considerably to our understanding of potential legal, ethical, and procedural changes to provider and institutional practices which may improve experiences for transgender and gender diverse people.
Association Between Statin Use, Intensity and Acute Liver Injury in Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Uninfected US Veterans

We sought to evaluate the relationship between acute liver injury (ALI) and statins utilizing the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) database. This retrospective cohort study, spanning January 2000–December 2018, compared ALI (aminotransferase > 200 U/L, severe ALI, and hospitalization with ALI) in statin users and non-users among uninfected, hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infected, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV co-infected, and HIV mono-infected veterans within 18 months. We estimated adjusted Cox proportional hazards models comparing statin users and non-users and comparing statin intensity level with non-use; and estimate Cox proportional hazards models utilizing time-dependent coding of statin intensity. Adjusted models included restricted cubic splines of the propensity score as an adjustment variable. From a total of 166,439 patients who met the study criteria, statin initiators were older, had higher values of body mass index, higher values of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, and lower values of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. HCV mono-infected and HIV/HCV co-infected cohorts had the highest rates of ALI, and statin users had lower rates across all outcomes of ALI compared with non-users in unadjusted analysis. Statin use is associated with a lower risk of all ALI outcomes compared with non-users. Patients on a high intensity are not associated with a statistically significant increase in risk for any ALI outcome. For each additional 30 days of treatment, there was a reduced risk of any ALI outcome across all cohorts. Statin initiators had a lower risk of any ALI outcome compared with non-users within 18 months regardless of HIV and/or HCV status.
Overview of prognostic factors in adult gliomas

Gliomas represent the majority of malignant central nervous system tumors, with the most aggressive subtype, glioblastoma, accounting for almost 57% of this entity. Type of glioma and its incidence can vary depending on the age of presentation. In turn, outcomes can vary significantly based on the actual type of glioma (histologically and molecularly) and age of the patient, as well as various tumor specific factors such as size, location, comorbidities, etc. In the last decade we have been able to identify key molecular features that have provided us with greater insight into the behavior of these tumors, but the spectrum of treatment options remains limited. In addition, ultimate causes of death in patients with gliomas are variable and stochastic in nature. Given these complicated factors, prognostication for gliomas remains extremely difficult. This review aims to discuss prognostication in low grade versus high grade gliomas, variability in treatment of these tumors, clinical features of poor prognosis, and differences in prognostic understanding between patients, caregivers, and providers. We will also make some general recommendations where appropriate on how to approach this subject from a palliative care perspective.
Vegan parents and children: zero parental compromise

Marcus William Hunt argues that when co-parents disagree over whether to raise their child (or children) as a vegan, they should reach a compromise as a gift given by one parent to the other out of...
Influence of hydrolysis on the sorption of metal cations by smectites: Importance of edge coordination reactions

A comparison was made between the adsorptive behaviors of Cd2+ and UO 2 2+ relative to two smectites that differed in their ratio of edge sites to fixed-charge sites. Adsorption varied with both pH and ionic strength, consistent with sorptive contributions of ion exchange and coordination reactions to edge hydroxyls. Both clay minerals exhibited a greater affinity for UO 2 2+ than for Cd2+, and the clay with a higher proportion of edge sites retained both ions more strongly. A computational model including fixed-charge sites and edge hydroxyls resulted in a good prediction of overall UO 2 2+ and Cd2+ uptake to both smectites.
Metrology Statistics for NIF Tuning Campaign

AbstractDelivering targets whose parameters are repeatable within specifications is critical to a successful ignition campaign. Knowing the repeatability of the metrology techniques and determining random error bars is central in achieving this goal. In this paper, we will discuss the relationship of specifications and actual target variability to the processes we have developed to adequately characterize them. The paper covers five broad categories of capsule specifications: dimension, composition, homogeneity, surface finish, and point defects. The instruments include contact radiography, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray absorption edge spectroscopy, precision radiography system, sphere mapping, and phase-shifting diffraction interferometry.
A note on selection of basis quantities for dimensional analysis

Dimensional analysis transforms a dimensionally homogeneous model into its simplest form; the number of input variables can be reduced. Such a reduction is very helpful in statistical design and an...
Improved Modeling of Thioamide FRET Quenching by Including Conformational Restriction and Coulomb Coupling.

Thioamide-containing amino acids have been shown to quench a wide range of fluorophores through distinct mechanisms. Here, we quantitatively analyze the mechanism through which the thioamide functional group quenches the fluorescence of p-cyanophenylalanine (Cnf), tyrosine (Tyr), and tryptophan (Trp). By comparing PyRosetta simulations to published experiments performed on polyproline ruler peptides, we corroborate previous findings that both Cnf and Tyr quenching occurs via Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET), while Trp quenching occurs through an alternate mechanism such as Dexter transfer. Additionally, optimization of the peptide sampling scheme and comparison of thioamides attached to the peptide backbone and side chain revealed that the significant conformational restriction associated with the thioamide moiety results in a high sensitivity of the apparent FRET efficiency to underlying conformational differences. Moreover, by computing FRET efficiencies from structural models using a variety of approaches, we find that quantitative accuracy in the role of Coulomb coupling is required to explain contributions to the observed quenching efficiency from individual structures on a detailed level. Last, we demonstrate that these additional considerations improve our ability to predict thioamide quenching efficiencies observed during binding of thioamide-labeled peptides to fluorophore-labeled variants of calmodulin.
A "hot Spot"-Enhanced paper lateral flow assay for ultrasensitive detection of traumatic brain injury biomarker S-100β in blood plasma.

Abstract Currently colorimetric paper lateral flow strips (PLFS) encounter two major limitations, that is, low sensitivity and severe interference from complex sample matrices such as blood. These shortcomings limit their application in detection of low-concentration analytes in complex samples. To solve these problems, a PLFS has been developed by utilizing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for sensing signal transduction. In particular, a hierarchical three-dimensional nanostructure has been designed to create “hot spots”, which can significantly amplify the SERS sensing signal, leading to high sensitivity. As a result, this PLFS has demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.0 pg mL−1 toward detection of S-100β, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) protein biomarker in blood plasma. The PLFS has been successfully used for rapid measurement of S-100β in clinical TBI patient samples taken in the emergency department. Availability of PLFS for blood testing would shift the paradigm of TBI patient management and clinical outcome in emergency departments. It is expected that this type of PLFS can be adapted for rapid detection of various human diseases due to its capability of measuring a low level of protein blood biomarkers in complex human fluids.
#MeToo on TV: Popular feminism and episodic sexual violence

After the tremendous response to actor Alyssa Milano’s 2017 #MeToo tweet, U.S. television series began incorporating explicit #MeToo episodes. As feminist scholars amply demonstrate, television has...
Radical Challenges to Psychiatry and the Conventional Treatment of Mental Health in the late 1960’s and 70s: Review of Break on Through: Radical psychiatry and the American Counter Culture, edited by Lucas Richert, Cambridge, MIT Press, 2019, 209 pp

Break On Through: Radical Psychiatry and the American Counter Culture by Lucas Richert delineates the landscape of highly contested space that comprises the late 60’s and the decade of the 70’s in ...
Defining clinically significant outcomes following high tibial osteotomy with or without concomitant procedures

Abstract Introduction The threshold values needed to achieve MCID and PASS following HTO with or without concomitant procedures are not well known. Objectives To determine values and variables predictive for achieving the minimally clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) of patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores following high tibial osteotomy (HTO) with or without associated restoration procedures for the correction of varus deformity. Methods A prospectively collected HTO outcomes registry was retrospectively reviewed for patients who underwent HTO between 2001 and 2018. Collected PROs included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Lysholm scores. A distribution-based approach was used to calculate MCID, and an anchor-based approach was used for the calculation of PASS. Results Fifty-five patients were identified (n = 43 males; n = 12 females) with a mean age of 37.9 ± 9.0 years at surgery and average follow-up of 3.3 ± 3.1 years. The MCID and PASS for IKDC were calculated as 12.5 and 40.23, respectively. MCID and PASS values for each of the KOOS subscales were as follows: symptoms: 9.9 and 71.43; pain: 11.3 and 72.22; daily living: 12.0 and 77.94; sports: 16.0 and 40; quality of life: 15.1 and 56.25, respectively. Conclusions Based on calculated values for MCID and PASS following HTO using IKDC and KOOS subscales, higher preoperative PROs, prior medial meniscectomy, higher BMI, concomitant ACL reconstruction and worker's compensation status were associated with failure to achieve clinically significant outcomes. Prior ACL reconstruction was found to be predictive of MCID for KOOS-symptoms.
Performance Analysis of First-order Optimization Methods Using Interpolation Conditions Without Function Evaluations

We present necessary and sufficient conditions for the interpolation of a set of points and gradient evaluations by a smooth and strongly convex function. The conditions are expressed as quadratic constraints over doubly hyperdom-inant matrices. The current literature focuses on interpolation conditions involving both gradient and function evaluations. An extension of these results to use only gradient evaluations requires factorial growth in the number of constraints. Our approach avoids the factorial growth when the interpolation conditions are applied to both finite step and asymptotic optimization algorithm analysis. We present a numerical example demonstrating that the use of these interpolation conditions in the asymptotic analysis setting can produce tighter bounds than are currently available in the literature.