cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous Integrations on Silicon Substrates (Bridges)

Through-silicon via (TSV)-interposer is very expensive [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Silicon bridges are one form of silicon substrates to support heterogeneous integrations. Basically, a bridge is a piece of dummy silicon with RDLs (redistribution-layers) and contact pads, but without TSVs (through-silicon vias), i.e., a TSV-less interposer. Usually, the RDLs and contact pads are fabricated on a dummy silicon wafer and then diced into individual bridges. In this chapter, the fabrication of Intel’s EMIB (embedded multi-die interconnect bridge) [11, 12, 13] will be mentioned. Also, imec’s bridges [14] for the communications of heterogeneous integrations will be briefly discussed. Finally, ITRI’s TSH (through-silicon hole) interposer (bridge) [15, 16, 17, 18] will be presented.
Schoolhouse Democracy: Public Opinion and Education Spending in the States:

Using new estimates of state-level public opinion, I explore the relationship between support for increased education spending and statewide per-pupil expenditures from 1986 to 2013. In the 1980s, ...
Measuring health care students' attitudes toward interprofessional learning, perceptions of effectiveness as an interprofessional team member, and competence in managing adult cardiac arrest.

Abstract Background and purpose Interprofessional education can be used to prepare healthcare graduates for teamwork. Simulations, when used with interprofessional education, create realistic clinical situations that promote teamwork. Faculty assessed changes in pharmacy and nursing students' competence in treating adult cardiac arrest and perceived readiness for interprofessional learning and teamwork. Educational activity and setting Eighty-three pharmacy students and 57 nursing students participated in a high fidelity simulation focused on adult cardiac arrest as an expectation of their respective courses. This study took place at a single campus College of Health Professions located at a public land grant institution. Findings The Readiness for Health Care Students for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and Team Skills Scale (TSS) were used to develop a survey administered prepost simulation. A paired t-test indicated statistically significant increases of mean values prepost (p Discussion This research supports using simulation in interprofessional education to increase competence and promote changes in attitudes toward interprofessional learning and teamwork. Summary An interprofessional simulation increased student's perceived competence and positively increased perceptions of learning and working with other health profession students.
Prescriber responses to a pain clinic law: Cease or modify?

Abstract Background Pain clinic laws are designed to cease or modify high-risk prescribing behavior. However, prior evaluations have not differentiated between these types of prescriber responses in their analysis, even though they may have different implications for patients. The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the effect of a 2016 Tennessee pain clinic law on the two types of prescriber responses. Methods We used data on opioid prescriptions from the Tennessee Controlled Substances Monitoring Database (CSMD) between July 1st, 2015 and July 1st, 2017. Prescribers were assigned to the cessation or modification group based on the date of their last opioid prescription during the time period July 1st, 2015 to July 1st, 2018 and its relationship to the change in law. A risk score was developed based on five indicators to capture two categories of risky prescriber behavior: increased risk for diversion or increased patient’s risk of overdose. Within-prescriber differences were used to assess the effect of the law on several outcomes that capture the quantity and content of opioid prescriptions. Results There was a significant decline in the number of prescriptions (cessation mean = −45.18 pval Conclusions Prescribers who ceased prescribing in response to the pain clinic law disproportionately contributed to overall declines in opioid prescriptions.
A Model for Improving Students' Test Experience Through Small Groups

A model is presented that counselors in small groups may use to improve students' test-taking skills and motivation and to enhance students' self- knowledge and decision-making ability through bett...
Telepharmacy and Quality of Medication Use in Rural Areas, 2013-2019.

Introduction Pharmacy closures in rural areas is an increasingly common problem. Closures disrupt medication access and decrease adherence to prescription medications. Telepharmacy is a potential solution to this problem; however, research on the relationship between telepharmacy and the quality of medication use is scarce. Our study sought to address this gap by comparing the quality of telepharmacies serving rural areas and traditional pharmacies that support them. Methods We obtained dispensing data for the first 18 months of operation from 3 telepharmacies and 3 traditional pharmacies located in the upper Midwest. We evaluated adherence for noninsulin diabetes medications, renin-angiotensin system antagonists, and statins, as well as inappropriate use of high-risk medications in older adults and statin use in persons with diabetes. All metrics were calculated using Medicare Part D specifications. We estimated the differences between telepharmacies serving rural areas and traditional pharmacies using generalized linear regression. We adjusted our models for potential sociodemographic and clinical confounders. Results A total of 2,832 patients contributed 4,402 observations to the quality measures. After covariate adjustment, we observed no significant differences between telepharmacies and traditional pharmacies for noninsulin diabetes medications, renin-angiotensin system antagonists, statins, and high-risk medications. However, statin use in persons with diabetes was higher in telepharmacies than traditional pharmacies. Conclusion We found that the quality of medication use at telepharmacies that serve rural areas was no worse than at traditional pharmacies. For communities considering the adoption of telepharmacy, results indicate that telepharmacies provide a suitable solution for expanding medication access and that using telepharmacy would not negatively affect the quality of medication use.
Trends in neuropharmacologic medications over time in mechanically ventilated children

Purpose: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) patients who require mechanical ventilation (MV) frequently receive neuropharmacologic agents like benzodiazepines, opioids, neuromuscular antagonists, and dexmedetomidine. The United States Food and Drug Administration recently warned against the use of some neuropharmacologic agents in young children due to risk of neurotoxicity. Our group recently reported increasing prescription of many neuropharmacologic agents in patients mechanically ventilated for bronchiolitis, and a concurrent increase in use of rehabilitative services. The aim of this study is determine if similar trends exist in a more heterogeneous cohort of young children undergoing MV in …
Modulation of solute diffusivity in brain tissue as a novel mechanism of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

The breadth of brain disorders and functions reported responsive to transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) suggests a generalizable mechanism of action. Prior efforts characterized its cellular targets including neuron, glia and endothelial cells. We propose tDCS also modulates the substance transport in brain tissue. High resolution multiphoton microscopy imaged the spread across rat brain tissue of fluorescently-labeled solutes injected through the carotid artery after tDCS. The effective solute diffusion coefficient of brain tissue (Deff) was determined from the spatio-temporal solute concentration profiles using an unsteady diffusion transport model. 5-10 min post 20 min-1 mA tDCS, Deff increased by ~ 10% for a small solute, sodium fluorescein, and ~ 120% for larger solutes, BSA and Dex-70k. All increases in Deff returned to the control level 25-30 min post tDCS. A mathematical model for Deff in the extracelluar space (ECS) further predicts that this dose of tDCS increases Deff by transiently enhancing the brain ECS gap spacing by ~ 1.5-fold and accordingly reducing the extracellular matrix density. The cascades leading ECS modulation and its impact on excitability, synaptic function, plasticity, and brain clearance require further study. Modulation of solute diffusivity and ECS could explain diverse outcomes of tDCS and suggest novel therapeutic strategies.
Individually Fair Ranking

We develop an algorithm to train individually fair learning-to-rank (LTR) models. The proposed approach ensures items from minority groups appear alongside similar items from majority groups. This notion of fair ranking is based on the definition of individual fairness from supervised learning and is more nuanced than prior fair LTR approaches that simply ensure the ranking model provides underrepresented items with a basic level of exposure. The crux of our method is an optimal transport-based regularizer that enforces individual fairness and an efficient algorithm for optimizing the regularizer. We show that our approach leads to certifiably individually fair LTR models and demonstrate the efficacy of our method on ranking tasks subject to demographic biases.
Unraveling the mysteries of the thin film composite reverse osmosis membrane

A recent article in Science by Culp, Kumar, Gomez, and colleagues introduces a new approach to characterizing reverse osmosis thin film composite membranes to provide critical insights into understanding how polymer membrane microstructure affects water permeability. Such approaches offer a degree of microstructure characterization that has up until now been unavailable to the membrane science community. Combined with modeling of water diffusion coefficient in the polymer membrane itself, this effort has begun to answer decades-old questions about how polyamide reverse osmosis membranes function.
Build It and will They Come?: The Effect of Investing in Cultural Consumption Amenities in Higher Education on Student-Level Outcomes

Despite a climate of fiscal scarcity, higher education institutions are making big investments in campus consumption amenities while reducing instructional expenditures and growing increasingly reliant on tuition revenue. Few empirical studies exist exploring why universities increasingly invest in these amenities; however, one compelling explanation is that in an increasingly competitive market universities use amenities as a means of attracting students. Using resource dependency theory, this article examines these investments through the lens of marketization of public services. A unique dataset of HEI investments in cultural consumption amenities from 2000 to 2016 is used to estimate the effect of investing in cultural consumption amenities on various student-level outcomes. The evidence suggests that consumption amenities investments are associated with an increase in the yield rate (the proportion of admitted students who choose to enroll in the institution) and a decrease in the percentage of students paying in-state tuition. Also, higher-value investments are associated with a modest increase in out-of-state tuition, a decrease in in-state and out-of-state fees, and an increase in SAT scores. Taken together, the findings suggest that cultural consumption amenities investments may help attract more lucrative students and students who are strongly considering enrolling (as indicated by their application).
Interpersonal Communication Influence on Health-Protective Behaviors amid the COVID-19 Crisis.

Drawing on a multiplicity of mass media and health behavior theories, we propose an integrated health communication (IHC) framework to understand and leverage the ways in which mass mediated and interpersonal sources of health information influence the public's health behavior in the context of their prescription drug decisions. Building on the agenda setting theory, two-step flow theory, and the Health Belief Model, we dig into the interrelationships between mass media and interpersonal information sources and information seeking engagement. Employing survey methodology, our framework was tested using a sample of U.S. adults (N=628). The major results include (a) information gained through interpersonal sources and perceived benefits of the prescription drugs positively and sequentially mediate the association between mass media exposure and intent to seek prescription drug information, (b) interpersonal health information positively moderate the mediation of mass media exposure-perceived benefits-intent to seek prescription drug information, and (c) the inexpert interpersonal information's positive interaction effect with mass media exposure on intent to seek prescription drug information mediated through perceived benefits was greater with high expert interpersonal communication. These results impart valuable theoretical contributions and have the potential to guide integrated health communication (IHC) campaigns.
A Behavioral Animal Model for the Study of Pain Mechanisms in Primates

Recent neurophysiological studies in primates have increased significantly our knowledge of neural pathways that play a role in pain sensation and reaction. In the peripheral nervous system, neural populations have been identified which respond exclusively to intense or noxious stimuli applied to the skin (Burgess & Perl, 1973). Similarly, some neurons in the spinal cord dorsal horn with axon projections to the thalamus respond only to tissue-threatening or tissue-damaging stimuli (Willis, Trevino, Coulter, and Maunz, 1974; Price and Mayer, 1975). However, the situation is complicated by the finding that many spinothalamic neurons have a wide dynamic response range to innocuous and noxious mechanical stimuli (Willis et al, 1974; Price and Mayer, 1975). What role do such neurons play in pain? Furthermore, all of these studies have been performed under general anesthesia or after surgical brain lesions, both of which alter ongoing and evoked central neuronal activity. For example, dorsal horn neurons activated by noxious mechanical stimulation in a spinalized cat do not respond to similar stimuli in a decerebrated animal (Brown, 1971). Other studies have shown that cold block of the cervical spinal cord in anesthetized cats results in a significant increase in the sensitivity of lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn neurons to noxious heat stimuli (Zimmermann and Handwerker, 1974). Since the responsivity of these neurons is dependent upon the waking state of the animal, only tentative conclusions can be drawn from such experiments about the functional role of different spinal cord populations in pain.
The persistence of birefringence of polyethylene above its melting temperature

It has long been known that polyethylene shish-kebob crystals show birefringence which can persist up to 150°C or higher, while the equilibrium melting temperature is 141,4°C. Birefringence in macromolecules may be due to crystallinity or to orientation in the amorphous state. By carrying out parallel birefringence and heat of fusion measurements it is shown that polyethylene shish-kebob crystals are metastable and have a zero entropy production melting temperature of 134–135°C. Their melting region is shifted to higher temperature due to effects of orientation in the amorphous portions of partially crystallized molecules.
Legislative Branch Pressures on Monetary Policy: 1914–1994

The history of Congressional involvement with monetary policy in this century has two distinct aspects. The first is Congress’ concern with the structure of the central bank, particularly whether it would be controlled by political appointees or by representatives of the financial sector, specifically the banking industry. The second aspect is the legislative branch’s concern with the management of monetary policy. While there is overlap between the two concerns,1 Congressional focus on each is concentrated in two distinct time periods. Involvement with private sector versus political control occupied the Congressional consciousness for the first third of the century, interrupted by Congressional dabblings in monetary policy management in 1921, 1926, 1928 and 1933. The control issue was resolved in favor of political appointees by the Banking Act of 1935. Since 1935, legislation has perennially but unsuccessfully been brought before Congress which would increase the power of executive branch appointees to the Federal Reserve Board. For the second half of the century, Congressional concern shifted to the management of monetary policy. It came into prominence with the emancipation of Federal Reserve monetary policy from Treasury control in the Accord of 1951, an event in which Congress played a pivotal role. It was the centerpiece of reforms in the mid 1970s which required biannual Congressional oversight hearings on monetary policy. The management of monetary policy resurfaced in 1994 when Congressional pressure resulted in increased Federal Reserve accountability (less secrecy) regarding its policy intentions.
Fuzzy Content-Based Retrieval in Image Databases

Image data is a very commonly used multimedia data type and usually have visual characteristics that have imprecise descriptions. Fuzzy retrieval of images that are stored in an image database is a natural and effective way to access image data. Recently, some work has been done on fuzzy content-based retrieval systems but to the authors knowledge none of them rely on a defined model for fuzzy query processing part. In this paper, an approach for fuzzy content-based retrieval using the Fuzzy Object-Oriented Data (FOOD) model will be described. A novel way of determining the fuzzy values from extracted color features will also be presented.
The geography of diversification in the mormoopids (Chiroptera: Mormoopidae)

The traditional explanation of the distribution of the Mormoopidae is that this family originated in southern Central America or northern South America, later expanding its range north to Mexico and the West Indies, and differentiating into eight species. An alternative fossil-based hypothesis argues that the family originated in the northern Neotropics, reached the Caribbean early in its history, and dispersed to South America after the completion of the Isthmus of Panama. The present study analyses new and previously published sequence data from the mitochondrial 12S, tRNAval, 16S, and cytochrome b, and the nuclear Rag2, to evaluate species boundaries and infer relationships among extant taxa. Fixed differences in cytochrome b often coincide with published morphological characters and show that the family contains at least 13 species. Two additional, morphologically indistinct, lineages are restricted to Suriname and French Guiana. Phylogeny-based inferences of ancestral area are equivocal on the geographical origin of mormoopids, in part because several internal nodes are not resolved with the available data. Divergences between Middle American and Antillean populations are greater than those between Mexico/Central America and South America. This suggests that mormoopids diversified in northern Neotropics before entering South America. A northern neotropical origin for mormoopids is congruent with both the Tertiary fossil record and recent phylogenetic hypotheses for the sister family to the Mormoopidae, the Phyllostomidae.
Analysis and Discrimination of Electrical Tapes: Part II. Backings

Keywords:forensic science;trace evidence;electrical tape;backing;discrimination;stereomicroscopy;Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy;pyrolysis�gas chromatography/mass spectrometry;scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy Abstract: The backings of 90 black electrical tapes were analyzed to evaluate the chemical components of these films, the ability of individual techniques to discriminate samples, and the ability of the techniques combined to distinguish samples. The techniques utilized and their respective discrimination results were stereomicroscopy and physical measurements, to include observation of surface features of the backing, width, and thickness measurements (c. 64%); Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) using a microscope accessory (c. 83%); pyrolysis�gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS; c. 81%); and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS; c. 87%). Ninety-four percent of the backings were discriminated through this combination of analytical methods. Finally, evaluating these results in conjunction with previously published data on the analysis of the adhesives from the same set of electrical tapes provided an overall discrimination of nearly 96%.
Avoiding Destructive Remediation at DOE Sites

Public perceptions and regulatory agreements have forced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to spend tens of billions of dollars for environmental cleanup of relatively low levels of contamination of soil and water within the nuclear weapons complex. Much of this costly remediation has caused significant ecological damage, but has not resulted in corresponding reductions in public health risks. This Policy Forum offers a potential remedy involving continued federal control of the larger DOE lands and cleanup criteria based on long-term protection of ecosystems and public health, rather than criteria based on the protection of hypothetical future site residents. Recent DOE policy to avoid unnecessary environmental damage using a risk-based strategy is briefly described.
Mediating Silence: The Media's Role in Silencing Religious Dialogue Among U.S. Muslims

Using the spiral of silence as a theoretical framework, survey data were gathered to examine the degree to which the mass media influence dialogue about religion among Muslim Americans. Survey data were collected from members of religious and cultural organizations across the United States in summer 2012. Participants (N = 166) responded to an electronic questionnaire that addressed several variables, including media use, religiosity, willingness to communicate about religion, tolerance for disagreement about religion, and receiver's apprehension about religion. The results show that Muslims who watch more television are less likely to be willing to communicate about religion within the context of an interpersonal relationship. This study contributes to the scholarship of media and religion by providing evidence of the spiral of silence phenomenon when the minority group is a religious one.
Laser-assisted particle removal from silicon surfaces

Abstract Laser-assisted particle removal (LAPR) is a new technique capable of removing micron and submicron scale particles from solid surfaces. In LAPR, the contaminated substrates are dosed with water vapor or other condensible gases as an energy transfer medium which preferentially adsorbs in the capillary spaces under and around the particles. The dosed substrate is then irradiated with a pulsed laser causing explosive evaporation of the energy transfer medium and propelling the particles off the substrate surface. In our experiments, LAPR was used to remove 9.5 μm Al 2 O 3 , 5 μm Al 2 O 3 , 1 μm Al 2 O 3 , and 1 μm polystyrene (PS) particles from Si substrates. Removal threshold measurements were obtained using a TEA CO 2 laser (TEM 00 mode) at wavelengths of 9.6 μm and 10.6 μm. The temperature rise in the energy transfer medium, water, was estimated at the LAPR threshold. The results suggest that superheating of the water droplet is a reasonable mechanism for LAPR. Reflection and scattering for a cw Ar + laser parallel to the substrate surface at various displacements indicated the presence of a shock wave, water vapor and ejected particles. These results are similar to time-resolved measurements of polymer ablation in which shock wave generation, propagation away from the surface at supersonic speeds and ablated particulate materials travelling at slower speeds were observed. To determine the conversion efficiency and the threshold of the shock wave, we used a self-similar approximation. The results show that we can remove particles from the surface at laser fluences significantly below the shock wave threshold.
3-Deazauridine (NSC 126849): an interesting modulator of biochemical response.

3-Deazauridine (NSC 126849) is a structural analog of uridine that inhibits the biosynthesis of Cytidine-5′-Triphosphate by competitive inhibition of Cytidine Triphosphate synthetase which is considered to be the primary mode of action of this nucleoside analog. Despite a paucity of clinical attention given to this drug as a single agent, it has generated much enthusiasm as a biological response modulator because of its synergistic effect with a number of antitumor agents including Cytosine Arabinoside, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, 5-azacytidine, thymidine and D-galactosamine, although only the cytosine arabinoside/3-Deazauridine combination has been explored clinically. In this paper, the current status of the drug and future perspectives will be discussed.
Distributed AEC Databases for Collaborative Design

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) design process for a facility involves participation of many design specialists. These participants are architects, engineers (structural, mechanical and electrical) and contractors, who may be independent design professionals or design teams within an organization. From the viewpoint of information processing, two characteristic features distinguish the AEC design process from many other design domains. Firstly, there is a massive volume of design data involved in the design of each of its component specialties. Secondly, the specialization of the disciplines themselves warrant substantial autonomy. For design automation, this autonomy should be realized without sacrificing the collaborative nature of the multidisciplinary AEC design process. We propose autonomous AEC databases to deal with the first issue, and a global constraint maintenance mechanism for the second. Autonomous design databases can support the existing local applications in architectural, structural and mechanical engineering, and construction domains. However, a set of inter-disciplinary constraints needs to be enforced to ensure spatial and functional consistency of the design. A global constraint checking mechanism frees designers from the burden of keeping track of various design changes that may result in cross-functional conflicts. In this paper, we discuss the relevant issues for constraint management on distributed AEC databases. Although specific AEC examples will be used, the presentation is general enough to be applicable to other design domains, such as VLSI and manufacturing.
Staging of Primary Malignancies of Bone

Staging of bone sarcomas is the process whereby patients are evaluated with regard to histology, as well as the local and distant extent, of disease. Bone sarcomas are staged based on grade, size, and the presence and location of metastases. The system is designed to help stratify patients according to known risk factors. Proper staging helps define the prognosis for patients and helps guide their treatment. Furthermore, staging allows meaningful comparisons to be done among groups of patients.
Broker-dealers need to respond to recent focus on cybersecurity threats

Purpose – To alert broker-dealers to several regulatory developments relating to cybersecurity threats. Design/methodology/approach – Reviews four regulatory developments in the cybersecurity area and provides several steps broker-dealers should undertake to review and improve their cybersecurity and information technology protocols and practices. Findings – While FINRA’s new cybersecurity sweep appears to be an exploratory and learning exercise to obtain regulatory knowledge and intelligence, firms should be cognizant of the fact that both FINRA and the SEC have imposed significant sanctions against Firms when it has found inadequate cyber security policies and procedures. Practical implications – Broker-dealers should review the White House’s recent Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity and evaluate their own cybersecurity preparedness under the key areas of the Framework. Originality/value – Practical guidance from experienced privacy and securities regulatory lawyers that consolidates several recent developments in one piece.
Hypertension and multicystic kidney.

Abstract The optimal management of the asymtomatic patient with a multicystic kidney remains a dilemma. The risk of nephrectomy in a neonate or infant with this lesion is small and the morbidity is minimal. The alternative to elective nephrectomy is life-long follow-up with blood pressure determinations, beginning in infancy. We report herein two infants with multicystic kidney (MCK) in whom hypertension was cured by its removal. Since accurate blood pressure measurements are relatively difficult to obtain in infants and since periodic long-term follow-up is difficult in the best of circumstances, we are concerned that hypertension caused by a retained MCK goes undiagnosed perhaps more frequently than a review of the current literature suggests. Such hypertension may result in contralateral renal damage and arteriosclerosis, so that later removal of the MCK may not have a beneficial effect on the elevated blood pressure.
Structural Analysis of a Periplasmic Binding Protein in the Tripartite ATP-independent Transporter Family Reveals a Tetrameric Assembly That May Have a Role in Ligand Transport

Several bacterial solute transport mechanisms involve members of the periplasmic binding protein (PBP) superfamily that bind and deliver ligand to integral membrane transport proteins in the ATP-binding cassette, tripartite tricarboxylate transporter, or tripartite ATP-independent (TRAP) families. PBPs involved in ATP-binding cassette transport systems have been well characterized, but only a few PBPs involved in TRAP transport have been studied. We have measured the thermal stability, determined the oligomerization state by small angle x-ray scattering, and solved the x-ray crystal structure to 1.9 A resolution of a TRAP-PBP (open reading frame tm0322) from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima (TM0322). The overall fold of TM0322 is similar to other TRAP transport related PBPs, although the structural similarity of backbone atoms (2.5-3.1 A root mean square deviation) is unusually low for PBPs within the same group. Individual monomers within the tetrameric asymmetric unit of TM0322 exhibit high root mean square deviation (0.9 A) to each other as a consequence of conformational heterogeneity in their binding pockets. The gel filtration elution profile and the small angle x-ray scattering analysis indicate that TM0322 assembles as dimers in solution that in turn assemble into a dimer of dimers in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. Tetramerization has been previously observed in another TRAP-PBP (the Rhodobacter sphaeroides α-keto acid-binding protein) where quaternary structure formation is postulated to be an important requisite for the transmembrane transport process.
Continuous motion analysis of the head-neck complex under impact

The objective of the present study was to analyze the localized kinematic biodynamics of the human head-neck complex under impact loading. Unembalmed human cadaveric head-neck complexes were subjected to axial compressive forces delivered using an electrohydraulic testing device. The head-neck complex was aligned along the stiffest-axis; musculature was simulated using preloaded springs and cables; and retroreflective targets were inserted into the vertebral body, the facet joint articulation, and the spinous process at every level of the cervical column. At dynamic loading rates (1.8-5.1 m/min), mid to lower cervical spine injuries consistently occurred in these preparations. Continuous motion analysis of the components (vertebral body, intervertebral disk, facet joint, and the spinous process) at all levels of the cervical spine showed the temporal order of the transfer of the external load. Injuries documented by computed tomography and cryomicrotomy techniques correlated with the kinematics of the structure. The application of dynamic loading to the head-neck complex coupled with high-speed, continuous-motion analysis of the intervertebral components of the entire cervical column makes possible the definition of the temporal kinematic mechanics that are fundamental to the understanding of the biodynamics of cervical spine trauma. Using these procedures, we have correlated the kinematics with the onset and pattern of neck injury secondary to impact forces.
Factors contributing to the rise of buprenorphine misuse: 2008-2013.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to examine the motivations underlying the use of buprenorphine outside of therapeutic channels and the factors that might account for the reported rapid increase in buprenorphine misuse in recent years. METHODS: This study used: (1) a mixed methods approach consisting of a structured, self-administered survey (N=10,568) and reflexive, qualitative interviews (N=208) among patients entering substance abuse treatment programs for opioid dependence across the country, centered on opioid misuse patterns and related behaviors; and (2) interviews with 30 law enforcement agencies nationwide about primary diverted drugs in their jurisdictions. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that the misuse of buprenorphine has increased substantially in the last 5 years, particularly amongst past month heroin users. Our quantitative and qualitative data suggest that the recent increases in buprenorphine misuse are due primarily to the fact that it serves a variety of functions for the opioid-abusing population: to get high, manage withdrawal sickness, as a substitute for more preferred drugs, to treat pain, manage psychiatric issues and as a self-directed effort to wean themselves off opioids. CONCLUSION: The non-therapeutic use of buprenorphinehas risen dramatically in the past five years, particularly in those who also use heroin. However, it appears that buprenorphine is rarely preferred for its inherent euphorigenic properties, but rather serves as a substitute for other drugs, particularly heroin, or as a drug used, preferable to methadone, to self-medicate withdrawal sickness or wean off opioids. Language: en
Spanking, corporal punishment and negative long-term outcomes: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies☆

Social scientists continue to debate the impact of spanking and corporal punishment (CP) on negative child outcomes including externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and cognitive performance. Previous meta-analytic reviews have mixed long- and short-term studies and relied on bivariate r, which may inflate effect sizes. The current meta-analysis focused on longitudinal studies, and compared effects using bivariate r and better controlled partial r coefficients controlling for time-1 outcome variables. Consistent with previous findings, results based on bivariate r found small but non-trivial long-term relationships between spanking/CP use and negative outcomes. Spanking and CP correlated .14 and .18 respectively with externalizing problems, .12 and .21 with internalizing problems and -.09 and -.18 with cognitive performance. However, when better controlled partial r coefficients (pr) were examined, results were statistically significant but trivial (at or below pr = .10) for externalizing (.07 for spanking, .08 for CP) and internalizing behaviors (.10 for spanking, insufficient studies for CP) and near the threshold of trivial for cognitive performance (-.11 for CP, insufficient studies for spanking). It is concluded that the impact of spanking and CP on the negative outcomes evaluated here (externalizing, internalizing behaviors and low cognitive performance) are minimal. It is advised that psychologists take a more nuanced approach in discussing the effects of spanking/CP with the general public, consistent with the size as well as the significance of their longitudinal associations with adverse outcomes.
The denver X-ray conferences

The Denver X-ray Conferences are known to X-ray analysts all over the world and the August meetings are looked forward to with cosiderable entusiasm by the conference regulars. Even those who have never been fortunate enough to attend one of the meetings are able to follow the presentations by means of the excellent conference books Advances in X-ray Analysis which appear in the Spring following the meeting. The following contribution has been prepared by Professor Newkirk of the University of Denver, who has been active for a number of years on the local Denver Conference committee. Professor Newkirk gives a short history of the conferences and includes some interesting insights into the technical and doemstic arrangements.
Construction of a cloned library of expressed embryonic gene sequences from Xenopus laevis

Total Xenopus laevis poly(A)+RNA from embryos at stage 10 (early gastrulae) and stage 41 (tadpoles) was copied into double-stranded cDNA, inserted into plasmid pBR322 by poly(dA:dT) tailing, and introduced into Escherichia coli. Recombinant DNA libraries were obtained consisting of 5000 clones derived from stage 10 poly(A)+RNA and 12,500 clones from stage 41 poly(A)+RNA. We selected at random 860 clones for analysis by colony hybridization with [32P]cDNA prepared from stage 10 and stage 41 poly(A)+RNA populations. About 20% of the clones gave a detectable hybridization signal with the homologous probe. We estimate from reconstruction experiments that any clone containing a sequence present at a level of about 0.06% in the [32P]cDNA probe can be detected. Poly(A)+RNA from stage 10 embryos is dominated by a few very prominent sequences while stage 41 poly(A)+RNA is characterized by a larger array of less abundant species. The colony hybridization method allows us to evaluate the developmental behavior of a large number of abundant RNA sequences.
The first enantiospecific total synthesis of the 3-oxygenated sarpagine indole alkaloids affinine and 16-epiaffinine, as well as vobasinediol and 16-epivobasinediol

Abstract The first enantiospecific total synthesis of the 3-oxygenated sarpagine indole alkaloids affinine ( 1 ) and 16-epiaffinine ( 2 ) as well as the synthesis of vobasinediol ( 3 ) and 16-epivobasinediol ( 4 ) was accomplished from d -(+)-tryptophan methyl ester.
A comparison of 60, 70, and 90 kDa stress protein expression in normal rat NRK-52 and human HK-2 kidney cell lines following in vitro exposure to arsenite and cadmium alone or in combination.

Arsenite and cadmium are two potent nephrotoxicants and common Superfund site elements. These elements are included among the stress protein inducers, but information regarding relationships between toxicity produced by combinations of these agents to the stress protein response is lacking. In this study, the immortalized cell lines normal rat kidney NRK-52E and human kidney HK-2 were exposed in vitro to arsenite (As3+), cadmium (Cd2+), or to equimolar As3+ plus Cd2+ mixture combinations for 3 and 5 h over a concentration range of 0.1–100 μM. After a 12-h recovery period, cultured cells were then evaluated for expression of the 60, 70, and 90 kDa major stress protein families. Results indicated that expression of stress proteins varied depending on the species of kidney cells exposed, the exposure concentrations, and the length of exposure to each element on an individual basis and for combined mixtures. For the HK-2 kidney cell line, increased levels of the 70 kDa stress protein was observed for single and combined element exposures whereas there was no change or a decrease of stress proteins 60 and 90 kDa. Increased 70 kDa expression was observed for 10-μM doses of single elements and for a lower dose of 1 μM of the As plus Cd mixture at 3- and 5-h exposures. NRK-52 kidney cells exposed to equivalent doses of As3+ and Cd2+ alone or in combination showed increased levels of all stress proteins 60, 70, and 90 kDa. This increase was seen for 10 μM of the As plus Cd mixture at 3 h whereas for single element exposures, increased stress protein levels were generally observed for the 100-μM doses. At 5 h- exposure, 60 and 90 kDa levels increased for 10 μM of Cd2+ and 60 kDa levels increased for 1 μM of As3+. However, exposures to 10 μM of the As plus Cd mixture decreased 60 kDa protein expression to control levels at 5 h. For both kidney cell lines, there was a decrease in the stress protein expression levels for all three stress protein families for 100-μM doses of the mixture combination for 3- and 5-h exposures. These data indicate a dose- and combination-related correlation between depression of the stress protein response and the onset of overt cellular toxicity and/or cell death. The threshold for these changes was cell line specific. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 16:24–32, 2002; DOI 10.1002/jbt.10015
Involvement of HIF-1 in Invasion of Mum2B Uveal Melanoma Cells

The propensity of uveal melanoma cells for invasion and metastasis is critical factor for the clinical outcome of this form of cancer, and the essential biology of its aggressiveness is not completely understood. In the present study we investigated the involvement of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) in uveal melanoma migration, invasion and adhesion, the hallmarks of aggressive behavior of cancer cells. We demonstrate that exposure to hypoxia increased migration, invasion and adhesion of uveal melanoma cells in in vitro assays. The "silencing" of HIF-1alpha, the oxygen-regulated subunit of HIF-1, using RNA interference technology resulted in a marked decrease of the uveal melanoma cell migration, invasion and adhesion. GeneChip microarray analysis revealed that a number of genes which regulate cancer invasion and metabolism such as CXCR4, angiopoietin-related protein, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) are also activated by hypoxia in a HIF-1-dependent manner in Mum2B uveal melanoma cells. We further demonstrate that serum deprivation resulted in HIF-1 and CXCR4 activation, suggesting specific metabolic regulation of HIF-1 in these cells. Microarray analysis of serum-deprived cells identified among the upregulated genes a number of cancer invasion-related genes, some of them being known HIF-1-regulated targets. Taken together, these results suggest that the involvement of HIF-1 in uveal melanoma tumorigenesis is significant and complex, and that metabolic regulation of HIF-1 activation in Mum2B uveal melanoma cells has its specificities.
REACTIONS OF PHENOXYL RADICALS WITH NADPH-CYTOCHROME P-450 OXIDOREDUCTASE AND NADPH : REDUCTION OF THE RADICALS AND INHIBITION OF THE ENZYME

Phenoxyl radicals are intermediates of one-electron oxidation of phenolic compounds by various peroxidases. This report describes reactions of phenoxyl radicals with human NADPH-cytochrome P-450 ox...
Local anesthetic orbicularis myotoxicity: a possible unrecognized cause of post-blepharoplasty lagophthalmos

Injection of local anesthetics into the upper and lower eyelids is routinely performed during a variety of common surgical procedures, including cosmetic blepharoplasty. Although skeletal muscle injury is a very well documented side effect of virtually all local anesthetics, there are few reported cases of orbicularis myotoxicity despite its common exposure to periocular injections. Post-operative localized and occasionally persistent orbicularis oculi weakness may be presumably attributable to local anesthetic myotoxicity. A non-randomized retrospective clinical case series identified 32 patients seen in a tertiary care referral oculoplastic practice over a 7-year period. Follow-up ranged from 0.5 to 7 years with an average of 1.3 years. Patients demonstrated varying degrees and duration of orbicularis oculi dysfunction manifesting primarily as lagophthalmos. Although most patients improved with observation alone, 6 of 32 patients did not. Orbicularis oculi dysfunction may result from local anesthetic injections. In most cases, this complication is transient, yet permanent dysfunction can occur. To minimize the risk of developing this complication, local anesthetics should be judiciously administered in low volume and concentration away from the critical pretarsal orbicularis. Additionally, patients should be counseled preoperatively about the potential risks of local anesthetic use. Level of Evidence: Level IV, prognostic / risk study.
Mathematics Screening and Progress Monitoring at First Grade: Implications for Responsiveness to Intervention

The predictive utility of screening measures for forecasting math disability (MD) at the end of 2nd grade and the predictive and discriminant validity of math progress-monitoring tools were assessed. Participants were 225 students who entered the study in 1st grade and completed data collection at the end of 2nd grade. Screening measures were Number Identification/Counting, Fact Retrieval, Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) Computation, and CBM Concepts/Applications. For Number Identification/Counting and CBM Computation, 27 weekly assessments were also collected. MD was defined as below the 10th percentile at the end of 2nd grade on calculations and word problems. Logistic regression showed that the 4-variable screening model produced good and similar fits in accounting for MD—calculation and MD—word problems. Classification accuracy was driven primarily by CBM Concepts/Applications and CBM Computation; CBM Concepts/Applications was the better of these predictors. CBM Computation, but not Number Identifi...
Mount Etna: The Anatomy of a Volcano

First, let me say that one should be prepared to purchase two copies of this book. The office copy will be permanently on loan to colleagues and students, while the home copy will be yours for enjoyment and reference. This immensely informative book by the British Etna study group, led by John Guest of University College London, will, I am sure, be very popular. It amply fulfills the authors' aims of synthesizing the results of many published and unpublished multinational studies into a coherent picture of Europe's largest and most active volcano.
In situ sensing and manipulation of molecules in biological samples using a nanorobotic system

Abstract Background Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful and widely used imaging technique that can visualize single molecules both in air and solution. Using the AFM tip as an end-effector, an atomic force microscope can be modified into a nanorobot that can manipulate objects in nanoscale. Methods By functionalizing the AFM tip with specific antibodies, the nanorobot is able to identify specific types of receptors on cells' membrane. It is similar to the fluorescent optical microscopy but with higher resolution. By locally updating the AFm image based on interaction force infromation and objects' model during nanomanipulation, real-time visual feedback is obtained through the augmented reality interface. Results The development of the AFM-based nanorobotic system will enable us to simultaneously conduct in situ imaging, sensing, and manipulation at nanometer scale (eg, protein and DNA levels). Conclusions This new technology opens a promising way to individually study the function of biological system in molecular level.