cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Individual- and Area-level Unemployment Influence Smoking Cessation Among African Americans Participating in a Randomized Clinical Trial

African Americans suffer disproportionately from the adverse health consequences of smoking, and also report substantially lower socioeconomic status than Whites and other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. Although socioeconomic disadvantage is known to have a negative influence on smoking cessation rates and overall health, little is known about the influence of socioeconomic status on smoking cessation specifically among African Americans. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to characterize the impact of several individual- and area-level indicators of socioeconomic status on smoking cessation among African Americans. Data were collected as part of a smoking cessation intervention study for African American smokers (N = 379) recruited from the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area, who participated in the study between 2005 and 2007. The separate and combined influences of individual-level (insurance status, unemployment, education, and income) and area-level (neighborhood unemployment, education, income, and poverty) indicators of socioeconomic status on continuous smoking abstinence were examined across time intervals using continuation ratio logit modeling. Individual-level analyses indicated that unemployment was significantly associated with reduced odds of smoking abstinence, while higher income was associated with greater odds of abstinence. However, only unemployment remained a significant predictor of abstinence when unemployment and income were included in the model together. Area-level analyses indicated that greater neighborhood unemployment and poverty were associated with reduced odds of smoking abstinence, while greater neighborhood education was associated with higher odds of abstinence. However, only neighborhood unemployment remained significantly associated with abstinence status when individual-level income and unemployment were included in the model. Overall, findings suggest that individual- and area-level unemployment have a negative impact on smoking cessation among African Americans. Addressing unemployment through public policy and within smoking cessation interventions, and providing smoking cessation treatment for the unemployed may have a beneficial impact on tobacco-related health disparities.
Defining recurrence after paraesophageal hernia repair: correlating symptoms and radiographic findings.

Background Laparoscopic repair of paraesophageal hernia (PEH) has been shown to result in excellent relief of symptoms and improved quality of life (QOL) despite a high radiographically identified recurrence rate. Because there is no uniform definition of PEH recurrence, it is difficult to compare studies reporting on this. This study attempts to introduce consistency to the definition of PEH recurrence based on correlation of symptoms and radiographic findings. Methods This is an analysis of data derived from an ongoing prospective study. From April 2009 to December 2012, we enrolled 101 patients who underwent elective laparoscopic PEH repair with bioprosthesis buttressed over a primary cruroplasty. A validated gastroesophageal reflux disease-specific QOL tool was administered to patients before, and at 2 and 12 months postoperatively. Upper gastrointestinal barium contrast examination (UGI) was performed at 1 year. Results Of 101 patients, 13 were not available for follow-up, 58 reached the 1-year milestone for interval UGI, and 1 patient required reoperation for symptomatic recurrent PEH. There was no relationship between total QOL score and radiographic recurrent hernia (RRH); however, significant deterioration in many symptoms was seen in RRH > 2 cm. Based on these findings, we defined recurrence as RRH > 2 cm and calculated our recurrence rate as 28% (n = 16). Conclusion Our analysis of symptom scores after laparoscopic PEH repair suggests that significant worsening occurs with RRH > 2 cm. Given that there is no consistent description of recurrent PEH, we suggest this as a possible standardized definition. Overall, patients with recurrent PEHs continue to experience excellent QOL and rarely require reoperation.
Correlates of Physical Activity Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Literature Review

Background: Adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) tend not to regularly exercise. It is important to identify correlates associated with physical activity (PA) in this population to promote positive behavior change. Purpose: To conduct a systematic review to identify the biological, psychosocial, and environmental factors associated with PA behavior among adults with T2DM. Methods: Research articles were selected meeting the following criteria: adults ( ≥ 18 years) with T2DM, PA as the dependent variable, and identified correlates of PA. Results: Eighteen articles were identified as evaluating the association between physical activity and psychosocial, biological, and/or environmental factors. A majority of the studies were cross-sectional, 2 were qualitative, and 3 were prospective. Consistently correlated biological factors included body mass index (BMI), age, gender, and disease status. Psychosocial factors included self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and perceived behavioral control. Environmental factors...
Optical Properties of Antimony and Bismuth in the Far Ultraviolet

We have measured the reflectance of antimony and bismuth films at various angles of incidence, for photon energies between 10 and 26 eV. Reflectance values have been used to calculate the optical constants n and k, which in turn yield ∊1 and ∊2 as well as the real and imaginary parts of ∊−1. For antimony, the ∊−1 function can be closely fitted with the inverted Drude–Sellmeier formula. The center of the resonance is at 16.0 eV, with a half-width of 5.2 eV, corresponding to a decay time of 1.2 × 10−16 sec. The bismuth data cannot be fitted with a simple Drude–Sellmeier model, but it is in good qualitative agreement with the known electron-energy absorption properties.
Behavioural measures of the spectral sensitivity of the dark-adapted goldfish.

THE eye of the goldfish has a single rod photopigment with a peak spectral absorption at about 522 nm, together with three different photopigments of the cones1. The spectral sensitivity curve of the electroretinogram (ERG) in the dark-adapted goldfish has been found to be considerably broader than the rod pigment absorption function, suggesting a significant contribution of cone response to the dark-adapted ERG2. This ERG result contrasts with those from very similar experiments on humans which show that the spectral sensitivity of the scotopic ERG is very closely related to the absorption spectrum of the visual pigment of the rods3. To elucidate more fully the relations between the psychophysics and physiology of goldfish vision, a behavioural method was devised to determine spectral sensitivity functions in fish. This method has previously been used to measure the spectral sensitivity of the goldfish in light-adapted conditions4,5.
Plasma concentrations of lidocaine resulting from instillation of lidocaine jelly into genitourinary tract prior to cystoscopy

Plasma concentrations of lidocaine were measured over a period of three hours following the instillation of lidocaine jelly (Xylocaine 2% Jelly) into the genitourinary tract of 30 patients (15 male, 15 female) scheduled for cystoscopy. The mean quantity of jelly instilled was 21.4 Gm (11-27.5 Gm) and of lidocaine HCl administered thereby 428 mg (218-550 mg). Plasma concentration reached measurable levels in only 5 cases, never exceeding 0.2 microgram/ml.
Personality‐Based Subtypes of Chemically Dependent Patients

Jackson's Personality Research Form E (PRF) was administered to a large, heterogeneous group of adult inpatients with diagnoses of alcohol and/or drug dependence. Cluster analysis of PRF factor scores yielded five distinct patient subtypes: hostile-dependent, cooperative-nonreflective, socially uninvolved, impulsive-unsociable, and hostile-overcontrolled. The subtypes differed on two MMPI canonical variables and on self-reported high risk factors for substance usage. Implications of the findings for more appropriate matching of patients to chemical dependency interventions are offered.
On-line multichannel Raman spectroscopic detection system for capillary zone electrophoresis

An on-line multichannel Raman spectroscopic detection system for capillary zone electrophoresis using a charge-coupled device as the detector is described. Resonant, near-resonant and non-resonant excitation Raman spectroscopies are employed. The 400 cm−1 spectral window provides adequate information to identify resolved and unresolved compounds. The use of analyte velocity reduction to allow increased data acquisition times is described. With near-resonant enhancement, the technique is shown to allow detection of 500 attomoles of methyl orange from a 5-nl injection volume, corresponding to 1 · 10−7M.
Acute kidney injury: taking aim at colistin

We appreciate the contribution of Rocco and colleagues [1], whose retrospective study in a recent issue of Critical Care evaluated risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients receiving colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) or other nephrotoxic antimicrobials. The following key thoughts occurred to us after reviewing the study. We would like to address the criteria the authors used to qualify AKI. The authors note using RIFLE (Risk, Injury, and Failure; and Loss, and End-stage kidney disease) criteria to assess kidney injury, and note the degree of increase of serum creatinine from baseline in categorizing patients. However, the authors do not comment on urine output in these patients. Both urine output and serum creatinine are critical variables in recognizing kidney injury in a timely manner [2]. As noted, the literature on CMS pharmacokinetics is limited. A recent study investigating the pharmacokinetics of colistin noted that the maximum plasma concentration-to-minimum inhibitory concentration was much lower for Pseudomonas species than for other Gram-negative rods [3]. This implies that higher doses of CMS, and potentially more nephrotoxic doses, are required for treating Pseudomonas infections. Additionally, for those patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy, the effective dose of antibiotic received may vary. It would be interesting to see what relationship, if any, exists between AKI and targeted bacteria species in critically ill patients on CMS. We appreciate the contribution of the authors to the literature on the prediction of AKI in critically ill patients receiving nephrotoxic antimicrobials. Further investigations into both the efficacy and potential harm of this antimicrobial are warranted.
Effects of A Synthetic Resin on Differential Thermal Analysis of Loess

Synthetic resins offer a possible method of soil stabilization for roads; aniline-furfural is a synthetic resin showing commercial possibilities. Differential thermal analysis is a useful tool for interpreting the relation between aniline-furfural and the soils that have been stabilized by this resin. Differential thermal curves were run on several loess soils that had been stabilized with varying amounts of aniline-furfural. The clay fraction of these soils had previously been identified as predominantly interlayered illite-montmorillonite minerals. The <2 micron clay fraction varied from 7.4 to 37.0 percent. The thermal curves showed characteristic exothermic organic reactions in the treated soils and relationships were found between the thermal reactions, the percent aniline-furfural, and the percent clay. Double peaks were observed on the curves of all soils containing 2 percent or more of aniline-furfural. The area under the organic double peaks was found to be a function of the percent aniline-furfural. The double peak is believed to be caused by initial burning of readily available aniline-furfural followed by final burning of the remaining aniline-furfural. The release of the resin responsible for the second peak may be due to a breakdown of the clay crystal structure at about 550° C. This indicates a close association of the resin and the clay minerals. The foregoing statement is further strengthened by a linear correlation of distance between peaks and the amount of clay present. Higher aniline-furfural contents increase the area under the second peak; this increase indicates that a larger amount of the resin is being utilized in cementation of grains and is reflected by the mechanical strength of stabilized soil specimens.
Localized electron transfer rates and microelectrode-based enrichment of microbial communities within a phototrophic microbial mat

Phototrophic microbial mats frequently exhibit sharp, light-dependent redox gradients that regulate microbial respiration on specific electron acceptors as a function of depth. In this work, a benthic phototrophic microbial mat from Hot Lake, a hypersaline, epsomitic lake located near Oroville in north-central Washington, was used to develop a microscale electrochemical method to study local electron transfer processes within the mat. To characterize the physicochemical variables influencing electron transfer, we initially quantified redox potential, pH, and dissolved oxygen gradients by depth in the mat under photic and aphotic conditions. We further demonstrated that power output of a mat fuel cell was light-dependent. To study local electron transfer processes, we deployed a microscale electrode (microelectrode) with tip size ~20 μm. To enrich a subset of microorganisms capable of interacting with the microelectrode, we anodically polarized the microelectrode at depth in the mat. Subsequently, to characterize the microelectrode-associated community and compare it to the neighboring mat community, we performed amplicon sequencing of the V1-V3 region of the 16S gene. Differences in Bray-Curtis beta diversity, illustrated by large changes in relative abundance at the phylum level, suggested successful enrichment of specific mat community members on the microelectrode surface. The microelectrode-associated community exhibited substantially reduced alpha diversity and elevated relative abundances of Prosthecochloris, Loktanella, Catellibacterium, other unclassified members of Rhodobacteraceae, Thiomicrospira, and Limnobacter, compared with the community at an equivalent depth in the mat. Our results suggest that local electron transfer to an anodically polarized microelectrode selected for a specific microbial population, with substantially more abundance and diversity of sulfur-oxidizing phylotypes compared with the neighboring mat community.
Emergence of the Positive Column in an Atmospheric Air Discharge

The initial stages of electrical breakdown of atmospheric air have been captured with a fast-framing camera. The peak voltage is 100 kV with a duration of 60 ns and is applied to a 4.6-cm gap. The camera captures the start of the positive column, the initial cathode spot, and the development by ionization waves into a hot channel.
Common variants in 8q24 are associated with risk for prostate cancer and tumor aggressiveness in men of European ancestry.

BACKGROUND Recent whole genome association studies have independently identified multiple prostate cancer (PC) risk variants on 8q24. We have evaluated association of common variants in this region with PC susceptibility and tumor aggressiveness in a sample of European American men. METHODS Forty-nine tagging SNPs including three previously reported significant variants (rs1447295, rs6983267, rs16901979) and seven variants in the 5′ upstream region of the MYC proto-oncogene were tested for association with susceptibility to PC and tumor aggressiveness in 596 histologically verified PC cases and 567 ethnically matched controls. RESULTS Significant associations with susceptibility to PC were found at 17 SNPs, four of which (rs1016342, rs1378897, rs871135, and rs6470517) remained significant after adjusting for multiple corrections. One of the associated SNPs, rs871135, is located in the putative gene POU5F1P1 within the 8q24 region. An in slico analysis showed that the associated variant of this SNP alters a transcription factor implicating a plausible regulatory role. Additionally, one of the significantly associated SNPs, rs6470517, with PC susceptibility showed a significant over-representation of the G allele in cases with aggressive tumor. CONCLUSIONS Although this study does not directly confirm associations of the three specific SNPs (cited above), it corroborates reported signals of association in 8q24 reaffirming that genetic variation on 8q24 influences susceptibility to PC in men of European ancestry. Although our study did not confirm the allelic association of rs1447295, meta-analysis of this SNP provided support to previous reported associations. Further, this study implicates the 8q24 region with aggressive forms of PC. Prostate 69: 1548–1556, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation following acquired brain injury: a meta-analytic re-examination of Cicerone et al.'s (2000, 2005) systematic reviews

The present study provides a meta-analysis of cognitive rehabilitation literature (K = 115, N = 2,014) that was originally reviewed by K. D. Cicerone et al. (2000, 2005) for the purpose of providing evidence-based practice guidelines for persons with acquired brain injury. The analysis yielded a small treatment effect size (ES = .30, d(+) statistic) directly attributable to cognitive rehabilitation. A larger treatment effect (ES = .71) was found for single-group pretest to posttest outcomes; however, modest improvement was observed for nontreatment control groups as well (ES = .41). Correction for this effect, which was not attributable to cognitive treatments, resulted in the small, but significant, overall estimate. Treatment effects were moderated by cognitive domain treated, time postinjury, type of brain injury, and age. The meta-analysis revealed sufficient evidence for the effectiveness of attention training after traumatic brain injury and of language and visuospatial training for aphasia and neglect syndromes after stroke. Results provide important quantitative documentation of effective treatments, complementing recent systematic reviews. Findings also highlight gaps in the scientific evidence supporting cognitive rehabilitation, thereby indicating future research directions.
Sintering Rates for Pristine and Doped Titanium Dioxide Determined Using a Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer System

Sintering rates of pristine and V-doped TiO 2 were obtained using a tandem DMA system. A range of experiments were conducted to first map out the variation of mobility size of a monodisperse (by mobility) agglomerate with time at three fixed temperatures. Using relationships of the surface area to the mobility size, the sintering equation was solved to determine the activation energy and pre-exponential factor. The value of the activation energy was 236 (± 46) kJ/mol for pristine TiO 2 and 363 (± 1) kJ/mol for V-doped TiO 2 . The corresponding pre-exponential factors were 7.22 × 10 19 and 2.22 × 10 12 s/m 4 K, respectively. These values were then used to predict changes in mobility diameter at different temperatures, and good agreement was obtained with measurements. Possible reasons for faster sintering rates of V-TiO 2 relative to pristine TiO 2 were conjectured.
Realizing organizational collaboration through semantic mediation

Realizing organizational collaboration requires a greater level of information sharing between knowledge agents - both the people within an organization and the information systems that support them. Achieving this level of information transparency relies on fundamental improvements in today's systems and data mediation architectures. This paper describes how semantic Web technologies can be leveraged within the context of service oriented architectures to support dynamic, meaningful exchange of information both within and across organization boundaries.
Assessing Content Validity Through Correlation and Relevance Tools A Bayesian Randomized Equivalence Experiment

Content validity elicits expert opinion regarding items of a psychometric instrument. Expert opinion can be elicited in many forms: for example, how essential an item is or its relevancy to a domain. This study developed an alternative tool that elicits expert opinion regarding correlations between each item and its respective domain. With 109 Registered Nurse (RN) site coordinators from National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators, we implemented a randomized Bayesian equivalence trial with coordinators completing ''relevance'' or ''correlation'' content tools regarding the RN Job Enjoyment Scale. We confirmed our hypothesis that the two tools would result in equivalent content information. A Bayesian ordered analysis model supported the results, suggesting that evidence for traditional content validity indices can be justified using correlation arguments.
Cyclosporine-mediated allograft fibrosis is associated with micro-RNA-21 through AKT signaling.

Summary Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) are potent immunosuppressants with associated long-term nephrotoxicity mediated by tubular epithelial cell injury and arterial vasoconstriction. We hypothesized that CNI-induced renal injury is regulated by specific microRNAs (miRNAs). In this study, we found that 46 miRNAs were significantly altered in human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HPTECs) following exposure to cyclosporine A (CsA), particularly miR-21 (5.47 ± 0.47-fold versus vehicle, P = 0.002). This increase was accompanied by alterations in epithelial–mesenchymal transformation (EMT) markers including vimentin (2.80 ± 0.28-fold; P = 0.03), S100A4 (2.29 ± 0.29-fold; P = 0.04), and α-SMA (5.0 ± 0.31-fold; P = 0.03). Notably, transfection of HPTECs with miR-21 precursor also resulted in significant induction of EMT-associated genes, which were inhibited by a single-stranded nucleic acid inhibitor of miR-21. miR-21 induction resulted in a rapid increase of phosphorylated AKT and downregulation of PTEN. While CsA induces SMAD7 downregulation and TGF-β1 upregulation in HPTECs, such changes were independent of miR-21. Moreover, there was no effect on ERK phosphorylation. We confirmed these changes using a mouse model of CsA toxicity. Collectively, our results suggest that miR-21 mediates CsA nephrotoxicity via PTEN/AKT signaling pathway. Further exploration into the epigenetic response to CsA exposure may provide new therapeutic targets to ameliorate CsA nephrotoxicity.
Evidence-based Assessment of Pediatric Pain

Objective To conduct an evidence-based review of pediatric pain measures. Methods Seventeen measures were examined, spanning pain intensity self-report, questionnaires and diaries, and behavioral observations. Measures were classified as “Well-established,” “Approaching well-established,” or “Promising” according to established criteria. Information was highlighted to help professionals evaluate the instruments for particular purposes (e.g., research, clinical work). Results Eleven measures met criteria for “Well-established,” six “Approaching well-established,” and zero were classified as “Promising.” Conclusions There are a number of strong measures for assessing children's pain, which allows professionals options to meet their particular needs. Future directions in pain assessment are identified, such as highlighting culture and the impact of pain on functioning. This review examines the research and characteristics of some of the commonly used pain tools in hopes that the reader will be able to use this evidence-based approach and the information in future selection of assessment devices for pediatric pain.
Trademark Use and the Problem of Source

This paper mediates a scholarly debate regarding the existence and desirability of a trademark use doctrine. It argues that trademark use is a predicate of liability under the Lanham Act, but those who advocate treating trademark use as a threshold question put much more weight on that concept than it can bear. Courts cannot consistently apply trademark use as a distinct element of the plaintiff's prima facie case because trademark use is not separable from the question of likelihood of confusion. Under modern trademark law, courts can determine whether a defendant has made trademark use of a plaintiff's mark only by asking whether consumers are likely to view the defendant's use as one that indicates the source of the defendant's products or services. Because such an inquiry is, by its nature, highly context-sensitive, trademark use is not a concept capable serving the limiting function advocates hope. The trademark use debate, however, reveals a fundamental problem in modern trademark law and theory. Consumer understanding, and particularly consumer understanding of source, defines virtually all of modern trademark law's boundaries. But as trademark law's dramatic expansion aptly demonstrates, these boundaries are never fixed because consumer understanding is inherently unstable, particularly with respect to an ill-defined term like source.
3D Process Technology Considerations

Both form-factor and performance-scaling trends are driving the need for 3D integration, which is now seeing rapid commercialization. While overall process integration schemes are not yet standardized across the industry, it is now important for 3D circuit designers to understand the process trends and tradeoffs that underlie 3D technology. In this chapter, we outline the basic process considerations that designers need to be aware of: strata orientation, inter-strata alignment, bonding-interface design, TSV dimensions, and integration with CMOS processing. These considerations all have direct implications on design and will be important in both the selection of 3D processes and the optimization of circuits within a given 3D process.
Evolutionary Dynamics of GII.4 Noroviruses over a 34-Year Period

Noroviruses are a major cause of epidemic gastroenteritis in children and adults, and GII.4 has been the predominant genotype since its first documented occurrence in 1987. This study examined the evolutionary dynamics of GII.4 noroviruses over more than three decades to investigate possible mechanisms by which these viruses have emerged to become predominant. Stool samples (n 5,424) from children hospitalized at the Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC, between 1974 and 1991 were screened for the presence of noroviruses by a custom multiplex real-time reverse transcription-PCR. The complete genome sequences of five GII.4 noroviruses (three of which predate 1987 by more than a decade) in this archival collection were determined and compared to the sequences of contemporary strains. Evolutionary analysis determined that the GII.4 VP1 capsid gene evolved at a rate of 4.3 10 3 nucleotide substitutions/site/year. Only six sites in the VP1 capsid protein were found to evolve under positive selection, most of them located in the shell domain. No unique mutations were observed in or around the two histoblood group antigen (HBGA) binding sites in the P region, indicating that this site has been conserved since the 1970s. The VP1 proteins from the 1974 to 1977 noroviruses contained a unique sequence of four consecutive amino acids in the P2 region, which formed an exposed protrusion on the modeled capsid structure. This protrusion and other observed sequence variations did not affect the HBGA binding profiles of recombinant virus-like particles derived from representative 1974 and 1977 noroviruses compared with more recent noroviruses. Our analysis of archival GII.4 norovirus strains suggests that this genotype has been circulating for more than three decades and provides new ancestral strain sequences for the analysis of GII.4 evolution.
Intrapleural haemorrhage complicating pulmonary arteriovenous fistula

Rupture of a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula caused intrapleural haemorrhage in a young woman with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia and multiple bilateral fistulas. Bleeding was limited and exsanguination was probably prevented by pleural adhesions. Treatment included decortication, excision of the bleeding fistula, and prophylactic sclerosis of the opposite pleural space.
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY. XIII. EFFECT OF MICROSTRUCTURE ON CONDUCTIVITY OF SINGLE-PHASE CERAMICS

The thermal conductivity of Al2O3, MgO, TiO2, and CaF2 single crystals and single-phase poly-crystalline aggregates of controlled microstructure was measured between 0° and 1000°C. The conductivity of pure single-phase dense polycrystalline aggregates agrees with that of the corresponding single crystals at temperatures below the onset of radiant-heat transfer. Small amounts of impurities and the pore geometry may considerably affect the conductivity of aggregates.
Anthropology in the 20th Century and beyond

This article reviews the growth of knowledge in the four fields of anthropology. It is not an intellectual history but, rather, focuses on what I consider to have been the important developments in substantive knowledge. [Keywords: U.S. anthropology, four fields, 20th century, substantive knowledge]
Movements of the Mitral Valve

Cinefluorographic analysis of mitral valve motion in intact dogs provided evidence that the motility of the valve cusps is restrained by tension exerted through the chordae tendineae throughout the cardiac cycle, except for the rapid filling phase. At the onset of ventricular systole, early contraction of the papillary muscles may play an important role in approximating the mitral valve cusps. During ventricular ejection, the mitral cusps and valve ring move toward the apex of the heart. During diastole, separation of the valve cusps is remarkably slight. The valves were observed to fling wide during rapid ventricular filling when the heart was much smaller than normal, immediately after surgery.
Smooth muscle phenotypic diversity is mediated through alterations in Myocardin gene splicing

Myocardin (MYOCD) is a smooth and cardiac muscle-specific transcriptional coactivator that is required for the proper expression of contraction-related genes. Through its function to transactivate effector genes, MYOCD plays an essential role in mediating the switch between contractile and non-contractile phenotypes, particularly in smooth muscle cells (SMC). There are at least two known transcript variants of MYOCD that are expressed in SMC, differing only by the presence (+) or absence (Δ) of Exon 11. To date, no functional role has been assigned to the domain encoded by Exon 11, nor have any notable differences between the ability of each isoform to activate contraction-related genes been observed. In this study we compared sequences for Exon 11 among several mammalian species and identified a highly conserved, putative target sequence for glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) phosphorylation, suggesting a regulatory role for Exon 11 that can be modulated by alternative splicing. The function of Exon 11 was investigated by altering MYOCD splice selection in cultured porcine SMC with small interfering RNAs (siRNA) and specific chemical inhibitors, resulting in a relative increase in expression of ΔExon 11 variants in the endogenous pool of MYOCD mRNA. The relative increase in ΔExon 11 mRNAs correlated with a reduction of contractile phenotype in the porcine SMC as evidenced by morphological assessment and molecular analysis of effector genes. Together, these data suggest that MYOCD ΔExon 11 may participate in modulating SMC phenotype, potentially acting as a dominant-negative repressor of contraction-related genes.
Microfluidic Investigation of Nanoparticles’ Role in Mobilizing Trapped Oil Droplets in Porous Media

The flow of multiple fluid phases in porous media often results in trapped droplets of the nonwetting phase. Recent experimental and theoretical studies have suggested that nanoparticle aqueous dispersions may be effective at mobilizing trapped droplets of nonwetting fluid (oil) in porous media. Hypotheses to explain the observation include the nanoparticles' modification of solid wettability, droplet stabilization, and changes in interfacial tension and interface rheology. However, because it is difficult to observe droplet behavior on the pore scale, how those factors contribute to oil droplet mobilization has not been fully understood. In this work, we investigated the nanoparticles' role in nanoparticle-based improved recovery of the nonwetting phase through the direct observation of the mobilization of trapped oil droplets in microfluidic structures that mimic pore-throat geometries. A microfluidic platform was constructed for this study, on which different displacing liquids including aqueous surfactant solutions and nanoparticle suspensions were tested. We found that the nanoparticle concentration is positively related to the oil mobilization efficiency. An approximate mathematical model for calculating the maximum size of an oil droplet trapped in a pore-throat geometry for a fixed flow rate matches the experiment result for displacing liquid with no nanoparticles. The model still holds when the nanoparticle suspension is a displacing liquid. We concluded that nanoparticles mobilize oil in these geometries in a mechanism similar to that for surfactants, which is an increase in capillary number rather than an effect of other fluidic or interfacial properties such as the dynamics adsorption of nanoparticle or dilational rheology of a nanoparticle-adsorbed interface.
Research: Patients’ Acceptance of Traditional and Nontraditional Immunization Providers

Objective To examine patients' acceptance and reported use of traditional and nontraditional immunization providers and settings. Design Survey. Setting: Stratified sample of private family physician clinics, family medicine residency training programs, community pharmacies that provide immunizations under standing order protocols, and nonimmunizing community pharmacies, all located in Iowa. Patients or Other Participants Individuals presenting for medical care or pharmacy services. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Sources of past immunizations, access to immunizations, importance of immunization records, and future use of different health care providers and settings for immunizations. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the relationships between patient demographics and recruitment site on the question responses. Results 420 surveys were returned (67% response rate). Respondents frequently received immunizations at sites other than physician offices. Younger patients and those living in smaller towns were more likely to report receiving an immunization from a nonphysician. Patients recruited in immunizing pharmacies more often reported previous immunization by a pharmacist ( P Conclusion Iowans report accessing different health care providers and settings for their routine immunizations. In general, they are more likely to support using traditional immunization providers and settings for childhood immunizations but are less exclusive about where they receive adult immunizations. Pharmacists should consider focusing initial efforts on administering adult immunizations, due to greater patient acceptance of nontraditional immunizers for adult immunizations.
Chemistry and Structure of Natural Rubbers

Abstract Natural rubbers are synthesized in thousands of species covering most plant families; moreover, rubber has been obtained commercially from over a dozen of them. A later report has suggested that polyisoprene formation is limited to dicotyledonous angiosperms. In recent years there has been renewed interest in developing alternative sources of natural rubber, different from Hevea brasiliensis. In particular there has been considerable development of guayule as a source of natural rubber. As a result there is a considerable body of recent results, using new techniques and extending older work concluded in the 1950's, which give new insight into the production of rubber in plants. This paper will mainly deal with guayule because it can ideally serve as a background for understanding the production of rubbers in other plants, including hevea. First, it is necessary to describe the physical nature of the rubber from guayule and where in the plant it is formed. Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a stem ...
Secular Judaism in Israel

Secularity among Israel’s Jews retains many elements associated with traditional Judaism. Comprising 80 % of Israel’s Jews, they define themselves as secular but nevertheless “do Judaism” by performing rituals and hold to traditional religious worldviews and values. Such behavior is comprehended in Eisenstadt’s “multiple modernities” as well as Berger’s multiple “altars” and “coexistence.” Such behavior may be explained in a new balance between the traditional triad of Peoplehood/Torah[The Law]/and the Land of Israel that has characterized Judaism through the ages and found expression by a Hebrew-speaking people who imported new and diverse modern concepts and sources of authority in the return to their homeland where they constructed a “Jewish” state of ambiguous meanings.
Comparison between major and minor surgical procedures for the treatment of chronic staple line disruption after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Abstract Background Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become the most common weight loss surgery procedure. The procedure's most dreaded surgical complication is staple-line disruption (SLD). So far, no definitive treatment modality has been established for this complication. Objectives The aim of this study is to review the treatment options used at our institution for patients with SLD after LSG and to evaluate the outcome of different interventions. Methods A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of all patients who underwent SLD between January 2005 and April 2014 was performed. SLD was defined as a leak identified on computed tomography or upper gastrointestinal series. We compared the cure rate between a major surgical procedure and patients treated with a variety of other minor treatment modalities. Special focus is given to the technique of proximal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy (PGEJ). The procedure consists of the en bloc resection of the proximal stomach immediately proximal to the gastroesophageal junction and including the fistulous tract. The jejunum is transected 50 cm distal to the ligament of Treitz and reconstruction of the gastrointestinal tract is performed with a Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy. Results Thirty-one patients had SLD after their LSG. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the treatment modality: Group A (PGEJ) and Group B (minor surgical procedure). Group A (n = 19) had 1 releak. Group B (n = 11) had 5 releaks. The cure rate for patients who underwent PGEJ was 94.7%. The cure rate for patients who were treated with a different approach was 54.5% ( P = .01). Conclusion Our experience demonstrates that the cure rate of PGEJ is high. Minor surgical procedures are effective in approximately half of the patients, so when the leak becomes chronic, PGEJ can provide a long-term solution.
Sparse Linear Regression (SPLINER) Approach for Efficient Multidimensional Uncertainty Quantification of High-Speed Circuits

This paper presents a novel linear regression-based polynomial chaos (PC) approach for the efficient multidimensional uncertainty quantification of general distributed and lumped high-speed circuit networks. The key feature of this paper is the development of a modified Fedorov search algorithm based on the ${D}$ -optimal criterion that expeditiously locates a highly sparse set of nodes within the multidimensional random space where the original network needs to be probed. Specifically, the number of selected nodes is kept equal to the number of unknown PC coefficients of the network response, thereby making this approach substantially more efficient than the conventional linear regression approach which is based on an oversampling methodology. Additionally, due to the ${D}$ -optimal criterion, this approach ensures highly accurate recovery of the PC coefficients. The validity of this paper is established through multiple numerical examples.
Comparison of Two Common Approaches to Public Transit Service Equity Evaluation

Understanding the equity effects of transit service changes requires good information about the demographics of transit ridership. Onboard survey data and census data can be used to estimate equity effects, although there is no clear reason to conclude that these two sources will lead to the same findings. Guidance from the FTA recommends the use of either of these data sources to estimate equity impacts. This study made a direct comparison of the two methods for the public transit system in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area. The results indicated that although both sources were acceptable for FTA compliance, the use of one or the other could affect whether a proposed service change was deemed equitable. In other words, the outcome of a service change equity analysis could differ as a result of the data source used. To ensure the integrity and meaning of such analyses, FTA should recommend the collection and use of ridership data for conducting service change analyses to supplement approaches that a...
Analysis on Electrical Parameters and Eletromagnetic Transient of 1000 kV Compact Transmission Line

Electrical parameters,power frequency overvoltages,secondary-arc currents,switching surges and so on of inverse triangle arranged 1 000 kV compact transmission lines are analyzed and compared with those of conventional types of transmission lines.Comparison results show that the compact transmission lines possess higher natural power and their electrical parameters are balanced better.To meet the demand on restricting power frequency overvoltage and secondary-arc current,it is necessary for compact transmission line to possess higher capacity of high voltage shunt reactor and larger reactance value of grounding reactor connected to the neutral.It is found in the research that the neutral voltage of high voltage shunt reactor for 1 000 kV compact transmission lines is high,and in the calculation example of this paper it exceeds corresponding withstand voltage level in ultra high voltage(UHV) pilot project.For this reason,it is recommended to properly enhance the insulation level of the neutral of high voltage shunt reactor for 1 000 kV compact transmission lines.Besides,in view of that the phase spacings of compact transmission lines are obviously less than those of conventional transmission lines,so it is necessary to check the inter-phase insulation level.If necessary,the four-star connection of metal oxide arresters(MOA) could be adopted to restrict the inter-phase switching surge of compact transmission lines.
Status and influencing factors of glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients over 35 years old in Nanning City

Objective To understand the control status of type 2 diabetes in urban and rural communities in Nanning City,and to analyze the influencing factors of blood glucose control. Methods A total of 500 patients with type 2 diabetes( 300 cases from urban,200 cases from rural areas) were selected and investigated with questionnaires in 2012,on whom physical and biochemical examination was performed. With fasting glucose 7. 0 mmol /L as dependent variable,logistic regression was used to analyze the factors that influence blood glucose control. Results A total of 496 questionnaires were collected with a retrieval rate of 99. 20%. The overall rate of blood glucose control was 67. 94% in patients with type2 diabetes living in Nanning,of that,69. 23% for the urban and 66. 67% for the rural. There was no statistically significant difference between urban and rural areas( X2= 0. 36,P = 0. 550). The factors influencing blood glucose control were physical exercise( OR = 2. 116,95% CI: 1. 308-3. 421) and diabetes duration( OR = 2. 721,95% CI: 1. 484-4. 989). The predominant adverse factors affecting blood glucose control were course of the disease,followed by lack of physical exercise. Conclusions For patients with type 2 diabetes,early detection,diagnosis and treatment were necessary. Furthermore,strengthened guidance for physical exercise during the follow-up management is believed to be helpful for control of blood glucose and for the quality life of patients with diabetes.
Mollett v. Netflix, Inc.

Legislation … is enacted, it is true, from an experience of evils, but its general language should not, therefore, be necessarily confined to the form that evil had theretofore taken. Time works ch...
Gγ7 proteins contribute to coupling of nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) opioid receptors and voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in rat stellate ganglion neurons

The nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) opioid receptors regulate neurotransmitter release via inhibition of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (CaV2.2) in sympathetic and sensory neurons. Stimulation of NOP receptors by its endogenous agonist, nociception (Noc), leads to membrane-delimited, voltage-dependent (VD) block of CaV2.2 channel currents mediated by Gβγ protein subunits. Previously we reported that the pertussis toxin-sensitive Gαi1 and Gβ2/β4 isoforms mediate the functional coupling of NOP opioid receptors with CaV channels in rat stellate ganglion (SG) sympathetic neurons. In the present report we extended our studies by identifying the Gγ subunit that forms the heterotrimer within this signaling pathway. Small interference RNA (or siRNA) was employed to silence the expression of the natively expressed Gγ subunits. Initial PCR assays indicated that SG neurons expressed seven Gγ subunits. Silencing Gγ3 subunits did not alter signaling between NOP receptors and Ca(2+) channels. However, after Gγ7 isoforms were silenced, the Noc-mediated inhibition of CaV channels was significantly decreased when compared to SG neurons transfected with scrambled siRNA. We observed that Gγ10 and Gγ11 mRNA levels increased 2.5- and 2.7-fold, respectively, after Gγ7 subunits were silenced. However, this compensatory increase in mRNA expression did not appear to fully rescue the NOP receptor coupling efficiency. Additionally, both Gγ2 and Gγ5 levels increased 50 and 75%, respectively, while Gγ3 and Gγ4 expression levels remained relatively unchanged. Taken together, our findings suggest that the Gαi1/Gβ2(β4)/Gγ7 heterotrimeric G protein complex determines the NOP receptor-mediated modulation of CaV channels in SG neurons.
A predictive psychometric model to identify personality and gender differences of college majors

This research applies Cattell’s 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) (Cattell & Schuerger, 2003) to compare and contrast personality traits among undergraduate men and women enrolled in business and liberal arts colleges. Specific attention is given to what personality differences exist between accounting as the most popular business major, and that of psychology as the most popular liberal arts major. For added comparison, we further juxtaposed marketing, which contains a combination of consumer psychology and analytical business skills. Analysis of variance among the three majors found the differences in 10 personality factors to be significant and a multivariate analysis of variance determined gender a significant covariate. While this research provides a detailed personality profile unique for each major, stepwise discriminant analysis isolated one personality factor providing a predictive model of 42.8% while gender contributed 5.1% for a predictive psychometric model of 47.9%. This research is unique as it compares personality differences among business majors with a popular nonbusiness major, isolates the impact of gender, and provides a parsimonious predictive model that can be used to identify a compatible fit between personality and gender by college major.