cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel technique for use of cyanoacrylate in Mohs surgery.

BACKGROUND Many Mohs procedures involve the handling and manipulating of thin, fragile skin tissue, particularly eyelid skin. After excision of such tissue, proper handling of the tissue becomes critical for tissue orientation and histologic processing. OBJECTIVE The authors present a novel way to handle thin, friable tissue after excision in Mohs surgery with the direct application of cyanoacrylate onto freshly excised tissue. METHODS Nonsterile generic cyanoacrylate can be applied along the epidermal surface edge to excised thin tissue sections before inking the margins, sectioning, and processing. CONCLUSIONS The superglue increases tissue rigidity and provides for easier handling while staining and orienting the tissues. The added glue does not alter tissue integrity and shows minimal artifact upon histologic examination. This technique furthermore is inexpensive and adds little time to the Mohs procedure. Clinical photographs and histologic pictures are presented.
Forest operations, extreme flooding events, and considerations for hydrologic modeling in the Appalachians--A review

The connection between forests and water resources is well established, but the relationships among controlling factors are only partly understood. Concern over the effects of forestry operations, particularly harvesting, on extreme flooding events is a recurrent issue in forest and watershed management. Due to the complexity of the system, and the cost of installing large-scale hydrologic studies, data are usually limited. Therefore, hydrologic models are employed to evaluate specific land use issues during extreme conditions. Our objectives were to review literature regarding: (1) relevant forest hydrology concepts, (2) the effects of silviculture and forest operations on peak discharges and flood yields, and (3) the suitability of existing modeling approaches for assessing these effects on extreme peak discharges. Numerous studies have shown that the effects of forest operations on streamflow vary, and that the influence of vegetation, soils, and land use on streamflow generation diminishes as larger volumes of water are introduced to the system. The most significant impact forest operations might have on extreme flows is by routing via poorly located and designed road networks. Extreme events appear to have different hydrologic controls than lower-flow events, and that sharp thresholds may exist between these paradigms. There are a large number of hydrologic models currently available that have been developed for a wide variety of applications. Issues such as uncertainty, overparameterization, extrapolation of flood data, and logistic issues limit the use of hydrologic models for evaluating the specific controls and outcome of land-use change on extreme peak discharges.
Acoustic assessment of the nasal airway

Instrumental assessment techniques are needed to acquire quantitative information concerning the form and function of the nasal cavity. Until recently, aerodynamic methods were virtually the only source of such information. Two additional instruments are now available that purport to provide information useful to clinicians interested in assessing nasal form and function. This paper describes both the Nasometer and the acoustic rhinometer. In addition, a more traditional measure involving acoustic analysis of nasal consonants is discussed. Both the known and potential benefits and limitations of each technique are discussed.
Applying a Strengths-Based Practice Approach in Working with People with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families

This article integrates key concepts of a strengthsnbased practice approach and social work practice with people with mental retardation and their families. Principles of a strengths approach are d...
DNA Methylation Profile and Expression of Surfactant Protein A2 gene in Lung Cancer

Knowledge of the methylation profile of genes allow for the identification of biomarkers that may guide diagnosis and effective treatment of disease. Human surfactant protein A (SP-A) plays an important role in lung homeostasis and immunity, and is encoded by two genes (SFTPA1 and SFTPA2). The goal of this study was to identify differentially methylated CpG sites in the promoter region of the SFTPA2 gene in lung cancer tissue, and to determine the correlation between the promoter's methylation profile and gene expression. For this, we collected 28 pairs of cancerous human lung tissue and adjacent noncancerous (NC) lung tissue: 17 adenocarcinoma (AC), 9 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and 2 AC with SCC features, and we evaluated DNA methylation of the SFTPA2 promoter region by bisulfite conversion. Our results identified a higher methylation ratio in one CpG site of the SFTPA2 gene in cancerous tissue versus NC tissue (0.36 versus 0.11, p = 0.001). When assessing AC samples, we also found cancerous tissues associated with a higher methylation ratio (0.43 versus 0.10, p = 0.02). In the SCC group, although cancerous tissue showed a higher methylation ratio (0.22 versus 0.11), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.35). Expression of SFTPA2 mRNA and total SP-A protein was significantly lower in cancer tissue when compared to adjacent NC tissue (p < 0.001), and correlated with the hypermethylated status of an SFTPA2 CpG site in AC samples. The findings of this pilot study may hold promise for future use of SFTPA2 as a biomarker for the diagnosis of lung cancer.
Optic neuritis incidence is increased in spring months in patients with asymptomatic demyelinating lesions

Optic neuritis (ON) patients can be divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of asymptomatic demyelinating lesions (ADLs) on brain MRI. The presence of ADLs is associated with an increased risk of progression to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS). The clinical data and brain MRI of 110 patients with acute unilateral ON were analyzed. Patients with ADLs had a significantly higher incidence of ON in spring months as compared with patients with no ADLs (p = 0.0024). Increased incidence of ON in spring months was seen in patients with ADLs whether or not they were diagnosed with CDMS on follow-up.
Metal Concentrations in Tissues of American Lobsters (Homarus americanus, Milne-Edwards) with Epizootic Shell Disease

ABSTRACT Environmental contaminants have been suggested frequently as causative factors in crustacean shell disease. This study explored the relationship of environmental contaminants to epizootic shell disease in the American lobster (Homarus americanus). Trace metal loads were analyzed in lobsters showing signs of shell disease and those without signs of shell disease collected from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island Sound, and Long Island Sound in 2007. In addition, trace metals were analyzed in lobsters collected in 2008 from a single station in Narragansett Bay and a reference site in Maine for a multiparameter, multiinvestigator study (the “100 Lobsters” project). Analyses focused primarily on hepatopancreas and hemolymph tissues, but muscle, shell, gills, and ovaries were also analyzed to examine the partitioning of metals between various component tissues. Sediment from the “100 Lobsters” collection site was also analyzed. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure 10 di...
"Drinking in the dark" (DID) procedures: A model of binge-like ethanol drinking in non-dependent mice

This review provides an overview of an animal model of binge-like ethanol drinking that has come to be called “drinking in the dark” (DID), a procedure that promotes high levels of ethanol drinking and pharmacologically relevant blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) in ethanol-preferring strains of mice. Originally described by Rhodes, Best, Belknap, Finn, and Crabbe (2005), the most common variation of the DID procedure, using singly housed mice, involves replacing the water bottle with a bottle containing 20% ethanol for 2e4 h, beginning 3 h into the dark cycle. Using this procedure, high ethanol drinking strains of mice (e.g., C57BL/6J) typically consume enough ethanol to achieve BECs greater than 100 mg/dL and to exhibit behavioral evidence of intoxication. This limited access procedure takes advantage of the time in the animal’s dark cycle in which the levels of ingestive behaviors are high, yet high ethanol intake does not appear to stem from caloric need. Mice have the choice of drinking or avoiding the ethanol solution, eliminating the stressful conditions that are inherent in other models of binge-like ethanol exposure in which ethanol is administered by the experimenter, and in some cases, potentially painful. The DID procedure is a high throughput approach that does not require extensive training or the inclusion of sweet compounds to motivate high levels of ethanol intake. The high throughput nature of the DID procedure makes it useful for rapid screening of pharmacological targets that are protective against binge-like drinking and for identifying strains of mice that exhibit binge-like drinking behavior. Additionally, the simplicity of DID procedures allows for easy integration into other paradigms, such as prenatal ethanol exposure and adolescent ethanol drinking. It is suggested that the DID model is a useful tool for studying the neurobiology and genetics underlying binge-like ethanol drinking, and may be useful for studying the transition to ethanol dependence.
Instance-based Sentence Boundary Determination by Optimization for Natural Language Generation

This paper describes a novel instance-based sentence boundary determination method for natural language generation that optimizes a set of criteria based on examples in a corpus. Compared to existing sentence boundary determination approaches, our work offers three significant contributions. First, our approach provides a general domain independent framework that effectively addresses sentence boundary determination by balancing a comprehensive set of sentence complexity and quality related constraints. Second, our approach can simulate the characteristics and the style of naturally occurring sentences in an application domain since our solutions are optimized based on their similarities to examples in a corpus. Third, our approach can adapt easily to suit a natural language generation system's capability by balancing the strengths and weaknesses of its subcomponents (e.g. its aggregation and referring expression generation capability). Our final evaluation shows that the proposed method results in significantly better sentence generation outcomes than a widely adopted approach.
On parasitic capillary waves generated by steep gravity waves: an experimental investigation with spatial and temporal measurements

An experimental investigation of steep, high-frequency gravity waves (∼ 4 to 5 Hz) and the parasitic capillary waves they generate is reported. Spatial, as well as temporal, non-intrusive surface measurements are made using a new technique. This technique employs cylindrical lenses to magnify the vertical dimension in conjunction with an intensified, high-speed imaging system, facilitating the measurement of the disparate scales with a vertical surface-elevation resolution on the order of 10 μm. Thus, high-frequency parasitic capillary waves and the underlying gravity wave are measured simultaneously and accurately in space and time. Time series of spatial surface-elevation measurements are presented. It is shown that the location of the capillary waves is quasi-stationary in a coordinate system moving with the phase speed of the underlying gravity wave. Amplitudes and wavenumbers of the capillaries are modulated in space; however, they do not propagate with respect to the gravity wave. As capillary amplitudes are seen to decrease significantly and then increase again in a recurrence-like phenomenon, it is conjectured that resonance mechanisms are present. Measured surface profiles are compared to the theories of Longuet-Higgins (1963) and Crapper (1970) and the exact, two-dimensional numerical formulation of Schwartz & Vanden-Broeck (1979). Significant discrepancies are found between experimental and theoretical wavetrains in both amplitude and wavenumber. The theoretical predictions of the capillary wave amplitudes are much smaller than the measured amplitudes when the measured phase speed, amplitude, and wavelength of the gravity wave are used in the Longuet-Higgins model. In addition, this theory predicts larger wavenumbers of the capillaries as compared to experiments. The Crapper model predicts the correct order-of-magnitude capillary wave amplitude on the forward face of the gravity wave, but predicts larger amplitudes on the leeward face in comparison to the experiments. Also, it predicts larger capillary wavenumbers than are experimentally determined. Comparison of the measured profiles to multiple solutions of the stationary, symmetric, periodic solutions determined using the Schwartz & Vanden-Broeck numerical formulation show similar discrepancies. In particular, the assumed symmetry of the waveform about crest and trough in the numerical model precludes a positive comparison with the experiments, whose underlying waves exhibit significantly larger capillaries on their forward face than on their leeward face. Also, the a priori unknown multiplicity of numerical solutions for the same dimensionless surface tension and steepness parameters complicates comparison. Finally, using the temporal periodicity of the wave field, composite images of several successive wavelengths are constructed from which potential energy and surface energy are calculated as a function of distance downstream.
Performance of $n$ -Type InSb and InAs Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors

The electronic structure of highly scaled InSb and InAs nanowire (NW) field-effect transistors (FETs) is calculated with an eight-band kmiddotp model. Cross sections of 4 nm or less result in bandgaps of 0.8 eV or more. For these cross sections, all devices are single moded and operate in the quantum capacitance limit. Analytical expressions for the transconductance, cutoff frequency, and gate delay time are presented and compared to numerical results. The dependence of the intrinsic cutoff frequency on drive current is weak, scaling as radic{ID} with values in the 4-7 THz range that are good for RF applications. The gate delay times strongly depend on the drive current, scaling as ID -3/2 with values ranging from 25 to 132 fs which are competitive for digital applications.
Distributed detection in dependent nonGaussian noise

Finding optimum distributed detection schemes is a difficult mathematical problem which has received very little attention. Cases with dependent non-Gaussian impulsive noise are of particular interest and have not yet been studied. A two-sensor known-signal detection problem is considered where additive impulsive noise, which is dependent from sensor to sensor, corrupts the observations. The noise is modeled as a mixture of Gaussian distributions, a typical model for impulsive noise. A criterion of Bayes risk is adopted for cases with fixed fusion rules. The optimum sensor tests are shown to be different from the best isolated sensor tests (likelihood ratio tests) in several cases. Further, a methodology for predicting the form of the optimum sensor tests is presented.
Laboratory Diagnosis and Characteristics of Breakthrough Varicella in Children

The atypical features of varicella in vaccinated persons (breakthrough varicella [BTV]) present diagnostic challenges. We examined varicella-zoster virus (VZV) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG serologic test results for confirming BTV cases. Among 33 vaccinated children with varicella-like rash, we identified wild-type VZV in 58% overall and in 76% of those with adequate tissue specimens; no vaccine-type virus was found. Of the 12 subjects with PCR-confirmed BTV and acute-phase serum samples, 9 had detectable IgM, and all had highly elevated acute-phase IgG titers. Six subjects with negative PCR results had lower IgG titers and negative IgM results. Although PCR is the preferred method for laboratory confirmation of BTV, a positive serum varicella IgM test result should also be considered to be diagnostic in a suspected BTV case; however, a negative IgM test result cannot be used to rule out the diagnosis. The value of highly elevated IgG titers needs further evaluation. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results.
Re-adopting classical nuclear receptors by cholesterol metabolites

Since the first cloning of the human estrogen receptor (ER) α in 1986 and the subsequent cloning of human ERβ, there has been extensive investigation of the role of estrogen/ER. Estrogens/ER play important roles not only in sexual development and reproduction but also in a variety of other functions in multiple tissues. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) are ER lignds that act as agonists or antagonists depending on the target genes and tissues, and until recently, only synthetic SERMs have been recognized. However, the discovery of the first endogenous SERM, 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC), opened a new dimension of ER action in health and disease. In addition to the identification of 27HC as a SERM, oxysterols have been recently demonstrated as indirect modulators of ER through interaction with the nuclear receptor Liver X Receptor (LXR) β. In this review, the recent progress on these novel roles of oxysterols in ER modulation is summarized.
Animal Blood Games on the Verge of Extinction

For centuries, animals have played an integral role in human entertainment. Cockfighting, dogfighting, bullfighting, hunting and other animal blood games have deep cultural roots in societies around the world. Indeed, in many corners of Earth, these bloody games constitute legitimate “sport” activities that enjoy government endorsement. A comprehensive analysis of the term “sport” in legal literature and other scholarly works reveals the subjective nature with which society has defined the term to fit cultural acceptance at a particular point in time. Thus, for instance, cockfighting – a sport once legal in the United States – is now banned from all 50 states and is subject to animal cruelty laws and felony charges in multiple jurisdictions. This cultural rejection of cockfighting and similar sports in America is fairly recent and, in large part, the result of changes in the last generation or two. The nationwide ban on cockfighting and increasing public awareness of animal rights raises interesting issues for the future of sport hunting, which continues to enjoy a healthy societal support. This piece argues that hunting as a “sport” is heading in the direction of other animal blood games that have become legally extinct. It considers the historical-aspect rationale set forth by supporters of other animal blood games to demonstrate that hunting, at least for mere recreational purposes, does not meet the contemporary criteria of a sport and, therefore, has no legal basis to exist.
The Art and Architecture Thesaurus: Controlling Relationships through Rules and Structure

The Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) staff developed a set of associative, interconcept relationships to interconnect terminology contained in 33 hierarchies. Each of the 20 relationships is tightly defined and is applied under strict rules. The result benefits the user by providing reliable, standardized links between concepts. This chapter describes the logic, methodology, and impact of the AAT approach to relationships.
Cyclic stretch stimulates mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and Nox4 signaling in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

This study was designed to determine whether cyclic stretch induces a persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) phenotype of increased NADPH oxidase (Nox) 4 signaling in control pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC), and to identify the signal transduction molecules involved. To achieve this, PPHN was induced in lambs by antenatal ligation of the ductus arteriosus at 128 days gestation. After 9 days, lungs and PASMC were isolated from control (twin) and PPHN lambs. Control PASMC were exposed to cyclic stretch at 1 Hz and 15% elongation for 24 h. Stretch-induced Nox4 expression was attenuated by inhibition of mitochondrial complex III and NF-κB, and stretch-induced protein thiol oxidation was attenuated by Nox4 small interfering RNA and complex III inhibition. NF-κB activity was increased by stretch in a complex III-dependent fashion, and stretch-induced cyclin D1 expression was attenuated by complex III inhibition and Nox4 small interfering RNA. This is the first study to show that cyclic stretch increases Nox4 expression via mitochondrial complex III-induced activation of NF-κB in fetal PASMC, resulting in ROS signaling and increased cyclin D1 expression. Targeting these signaling molecules may attenuate pulmonary vascular remodeling associated with PPHN.
The Granby Pumping Plant: A Symposium: Foundations and Design

At Granby Reservoir, in Colorado, the peculiarities of the foundation material and an unusual margin of forebay fluctuation dictated the special features of the pumping plant built to divert water ...
The Relationship of Pencil Grasp on College Students’ Handwriting Speed and Legibility

To be successful in school, it is important for students to be able to communicate to teachers what they know and have learned through exams, papers, daily assignments, and projects. The primary way students display this knowledge during these tasks is in written form, and thus, the skill of handwriting is essential. School-based occupational therapists commonly evaluate and correct the ways students grasp their pencil, because pencil grasp is believed to play a significant role on overall handwriting skills, like speed and legibility (Schneck, 1991).
A Comparison of Factors Affecting Use of Marketing Information in Consumer and Industrial Firms

Despite recent attention to organizational issues in the management of advertising, sales, new product development, and channels, there has been little empirical study of the management of the mark...
Aquatic Community Characteristics Influence the Foraging Patterns of Tree Swallows

During periods of inclement spring weather, Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were observed foraging close to the surface of a series of experimentally manipulated ponds. Censuses of foraging swallows during these periods indicated that the use of ponds for foraging was positively affected by earlier additions of nutrients and the removal of fish from the ponds. Collections of emerging insects from these ponds indicated that nutrient additions and the removal of fish greatly increased the numbers of insects emerging from those ponds. The ability of Tree Swallows to exploit local concentrations of food may be critical to their ability to return to the breeding grounds before aerial insects are reliably available.
The prevention of blood clotting by Dakin's sodium hypochlorite solution:

It has been shown by Austin and Taylor that Dakin's solution dissolves necrotic tissue in wounds and washes away blood clots. Sweet has stated that the dressing of wounds with this solution favored hemorrhage from them. We made experiments to determine whether the solution prevented the clotting of blood in vitro and wish to record some of the facts observed.We found that Dakin's solution of sodium hypochlorite added to blood in vitro was able to prevent clotting. If blood of a dog is drawn directly into Dakin's solution in the proportion of one part of Dakin's to ten of blood, clotting is usually prevented entirely. In a few instances such blood showed the formation of small, soft clots after standing several days. In no case was there any sign of clotting when as much as 1.5 c.c. of Dakin's to 10 c.c. of blood were used, even after standing as much as four weeks. There is a slight difference between the blood of different species; thus cat blood is prevented from clotting by rather smaller amounts than ...
Case Report: Anaerobic Mediastinitis Complicating Median Sternotomy

Two cases of mediastinitis and bacteremia caused by Bacteroides species following median sternotomy are described. In both patients, purulent sternal drainage and signs of systemic toxicity led to the diagnosis. Surgical reexploration and administration of appropriate antibiotics effected clinical cure. Although there is only a single previous case of anaerobic mediastinitis following median sternotomy incision reported, these two cases suggest that this unusual infection may not be so rare as previously thought.
L’histoire naturelle du reflux gastro-œsophagien

La litterature comporte un nombre limite de donnees relatives a l’histoire naturelle et l’epidemiologie du reflux gastroœsophagien (RGO). En revanche, les mecanismes pathogeniques de l’œsophagite sont mieux connus mais les connaissances demeurent encore fragmentaires. Entre 12 et 36 % de la population presentent du pyrosis, 40 a 60 % des patients souffrant de pyrosis presentent une œsophagite reconnue par l’endoscopie, et parmi les patients porteurs de lesions d’œsophagite endoscopique, 8 a 10 % ont un œsophage de Barrett. Certains patients souffrant de reflux gastro-œsophagien presentent seulement des signes histologiques de maladie par reflux, en l’absence d’anomalies endoscopiques. Chez la majorite des patients souffrant d’une maladie par reflux decelee a l’endoscopie ou par l’histologie, on constate des recidives systematiques et des rechutes chroniques des symptomes, entrainant une prise en charge therapeutique a long terme. L’histoire naturelle de la pathologie du reflux et de l’œsophagite a ete modifiee dans le sens favorable depuis l’utilisation des antagonistes H2 a l’histamine, de l’Omeprazole et des medicaments prokinetiques. Grâce a une comprehension amelioree des mecanismes pathogeniques de l’œsophagite, le traitement de cette affection chronique va vraisemblablement s’ameliorer et modifier par consequent, l’histoire naturelle du reflux gastro-œsophagien.
Electron tomography of rabbit cardiomyocyte three-dimensional ultrastructure

The field of cardiovascular research has benefitted from rapid developments in imaging technology over the last few decades. Accordingly, an ever growing number of large, multidimensional data sets have begun to appear, often challenging existing pre-conceptions about structure and function of biological systems. For tissue and cell structure imaging, the move from 2D section-based microscopy to true 3D data collection has been a major driver of new insight. In the sub-cellular domain, electron tomography is a powerful technique for exploration of cellular structures in 3D with unparalleled fidelity at nanometer resolution. Electron tomography is particularly advantageous for studying highly compartmentalised cells such as cardiomyocytes, where elaborate sub-cellular structures play crucial roles in electrophysiology and mechanics. Although the anatomy of specific ultra-structures, such as dyadic couplons, has been extensively explored using 2D electron microscopy of thin sections, we still lack accurate, quantitative knowledge of true individual shape, volume and surface area of sub-cellular domains, as well as their 3D spatial interrelations; let alone of how these are reshaped during the cycle of contraction and relaxation. Here we discuss and illustrate the utility of ET for identification, visualisation, and analysis of 3D cardiomyocyte ultrastructures such as the T-tubular system, sarcoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and microtubules.
The effect of serum fractions on embryo growth

In order to determine optimal culture conditions for embryos, human fetal cord serum (HCS) small- and large-molecular-weight fractions of HCS, and human serum albumin were employed as media supplements. In the first phase, embryos were cultured with the various protein supplements for 96 hours and observed morphologically every 24 hours. In the second phase, embryos were cultured with the various protein supplements and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine for 29 hours. Blastomere number, sister chromatid exchange (SCE), micronuclei, and chromosomal aberrations were observed. Morphologically, any protein supplement was better than no media supplement. Whole HCS and large-molecular-weight fraction provided the best conditions for embryo growth. Blastomere number was increased with whole serum when compared with no supplementation, small-molecular-weight fraction, or human serum albumin. In the analysis of SCE, all supplements had a lower SCE number than no serum supplement, and HCS supplement demonstrated a significantly lower SCE number than the other supplements. No difference in micronuclei or chromosomal aberration was observed in any of the supplements. In conclusion, whole HCS provides optimal conditions for culturing embryos, compared with the various serum fractions, and the beneficial components are primarily found in the large-molecular-weight fraction.
Psychological Distress Mediates the Association between Food Insecurity and Suboptimal Sleep Quality in Latinos with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Evidence increasingly indicates that poor sleep quality is a major public health concern. Household food insecurity (HFI) disproportionately affects Latinos and is a novel risk factor for poor sleep quality. Psychological distress may be a potential mechanism through which HFI affects sleep quality. Sleep, food insecurity, and distress are linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Objectives: We examined the relations between HFI, psychological distress, and sleep quality and tested whether psychological distress mediates the relation between HFI and sleep in people with diabetes mellitus. Methods: Latinos with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 121) who completed baseline assessments for the CALMS-D (Community Health Workers Assisting Latinos Manage Stress and Diabetes) stress management intervention trial completed the US Household Food Security Survey, and measures of depressive symptoms [Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-8)], anxiety symptoms [Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-short], diabetes distress [Problem Areas in Diabetes Questionnaire (PAID-5)], and sleep quality [Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)]. Psychological distress was operationalized with the PHQ-8, PROMIS-short, and PAID-5 scales. We used unadjusted and adjusted indirect effect tests with bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% CIs on 10,000 samples to test both relations between variables and potential mediation. Results: Mean age was 61 y, 74% were women, and 67% were food insecure. Experiencing HFI was associated with both greater psychological distress and worse sleep quality (P < 0.05). Depressive symptoms (adjusted R2: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.27, 3.42), anxiety symptoms (adjusted R2: 1.70, 95% CI: 0.87, 2.85), and diabetes mellitus distress (adjusted R2: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.11, 1.32) each mediated the relation between HFI and worse sleep quality with and without adjustment for age, education, income, marital status, and employment status. Conclusions: Household food insecurity is a common and potent household stressor that is associated with suboptimal sleep quality through psychological distress. Efforts to improve food security and decrease psychological distress may yield improved sleep in this high-risk population. The CALMS-D stress management trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01578096","term_id":"NCT01578096"}}NCT01578096.
MDMX under stress: the MDMX-MDM2 complex as stress signals hub

The tumor suppressor p53 plays a central role in safeguarding cellular homeostasis. Upon various types of stress signals such as DNA damage or oncogenic stress, p53 is promptly activated to prevent and repair damages that can threaten the genome stability. The two major negative regulators of p53 are MDM2 and MDMX, two homolog proteins that control p53 activity and turnover, hence keeping it in check during normal cell cycling. In the event of cellular stress, they have to be inhibited in order to relieve p53 from their suppression and allow its activation. As the essential upstream modulator of p53, the MDMX-MDM2 complex integrates multiple signaling pathways regulating p53 response to perturbations of cellular homeostasis. Given its predominantly cytoplasmic localization in normal conditions, we hypothesize that MDMX, rather than MDM2, is the first recipient of signaling cues directed towards the MDMX-MDM2 complex and aimed at modulating p53. In this review we give a synthetic overview of the phosphorylation sites of MDMX that are known to affect its degradation, ubiquitination, intracellular localization and interaction with MDM2 and p53, ultimately modulating the stability and activity of p53. The role of MDMX in response to the main types of cellular stress is also briefly discussed, along with the potential of the MDMX-MDM2 complex as therapeutic target to restore p53 activity.
Hardware implementation of a series of transform matrices based on discrete hirschman transform

In this work, we present a fast computational structure for the discrete Hirschman Transform (FHT) family on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Compared to the traditional FFT, the FHT has better performance in spectral estimation, FIR convolution, and especially in Compressive Sensing (CS). We implement our design of the DHT by using circular shifting of shorter terms of the FFT. This algorithm generates a series of DHT matrices of dimension N based on integer multiplications of N = K L which provides us alternative choices that have varying computational efficiencies and accuracies. Our design is presented on the Cyclone II DE2 board. Its simulation shows that the FHT is superior to the FFT in computational speed, space requirements, and rounding error performance.
Principles on Court-Ordered Reparations: A Guide for the International Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda

This publication relates to principles and standard guidelines for court ordered reparations’ proposed for use by the International Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda (ICD). The ICD is responsible for the prosecution of international crimes linked to the armed conflict in the North of Uganda, which wrought much suffering over 20 years. These guidelines and standards on reparations were developed as part of ASF’s project, “Promoting national accountability processes for mass atrocities in Uganda” which aims, partly, to ensure that the transitional justice mechanisms proposed by the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are rendered operational in keeping with principles of international criminal justice. An attempt is made to locate these mechanisms, in particular how they work and the principles and methods they apply, within mainstream international criminal justice while taking into consideration the need to respond to local imperatives.
The post-Soviet “Orient” in stories by Vladimir Makanin and Liudmila Petrushevskaia

ABSTRACTThis article analyzes a paradoxical feature in post-Soviet Russian literature and film, where an anti-imperial message coexists with colonial tropes. It focuses on two short stories: “Slabye kosti” (“Weak Bones,” 1988) by Liudmila Petrushevskaia and “Kavkazskii plennyi” (“Prisoner of the Caucasus,” 1995) by Vladimir Makanin. Set respectively in Central Asia and the Caucasus, these stories reflect on the troubled Russian and Soviet relationship with these regions. Despite their artistic complexity and anti-imperial messages, these works are trapped by the literary tropes and cultural stereotypes of the past. These stories relate to a broader cultural trend characteristic of post-Soviet Russian culture. On the one hand, Russian culture has remained unreceptive to post-colonial discourses adopted by Western intellectuals. On the other hand, the resurgence of imperial preoccupations in contemporary Russia, as well as the anxiety surrounding Russia’s territorial integrity, preclude the development of R...
Overexpression of µ-Opioid Receptors in Peripheral Afferents, but Not in Combination with Enkephalin, Decreases Neuropathic Pain Behavior and Enhances Opioid Analgesia in Mouse

Background:The current study used recombinant herpes simplex virus type I to increase expression of µ-opiate receptors and the opioid ligand preproenkephalin in peripheral nerve fibers in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. It was predicted that viral vector delivery of a combination of genes encodin
Expanding Capacity to Treat Hepatitis C: Overcoming Barriers and New Innovations

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a global public health burden and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite significant advances in the safety and efficacy of antiviral therapy since 2014 due to the rise of oral direct acting antiviral (DAA) regimens, ongoing deficits persist across the care cascade in the USA which will limit success in achieving the objectives of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the World Health Organization to eliminate chronic HCV in the USA and worldwide. In this review, we discuss the critical role of expanding treatment capacity to enhance these efforts through a multifaceted strategy which incorporates education, training, and multidisciplinary support across clinical settings such as specialty centers, primary care, community health centers, methadone and substance use programs, prisons, and pharmacy-based clinics. Further investment by multiple stakeholders including governmental and non-governmental organizations, public health agencies, medical societies, and advocacy groups will be necessary to meaningfully effect change.
Effect of a Home-Based Lifestyle Intervention on Breastfeeding Initiation Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged African American Women with Overweight or Obesity

Abstract Background: Socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) African American women with overweight or obesity are less likely to breastfeed. Objective: To test whether a home-based lifestyle interve...
Marble Provenience by Computer-Assisted Analysis of Xeroradiographs

Currently there are four methods of determining marble provenience: (1) isotopic analysis of the stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen (Craig and Craig, 1972; Herz et al., 1977; Herz and Wenner, 1978; Coleman and Walker, 1979; Herz, 1982 a and b; Herz, 1985; Herz, 1985, Herz, 1987), (2) analysis of trace elements by neutron activation (Rybach and Nissen, 1965; Conforto et al., 1975; Manfra, 1975; Cordischi et al., 1983; Oddone et al., 1984; Oddone et al., 1985; Moens et al., 1986; Moens et al., 1987; De Paepe et al., 1988; Mello et al., 1988; Lloyd et al., 1988; Maniotis et al., 1988; Moens et al., 1988; Moens et al., (in press), (3) electron spin resonance of manganese, (Cordischi et al., 1983; Lloyd et al., 1988), and (4) petrographic analysis by light microscopy (Herz, 1985; Moens et al., 1988). The present paper describes a fifth method. This method uses computer assisted pattern recognition technology to read and numerically characterize xeroradiographs of 2mm sections of marble to indirectly assess differences in contaminating minerals as well as their distribution, characteristics determined by marble’s chemical composition, heat, pressure, conditions of oxidation-reduction, and rate of cooling during formation.
Thin Film Multi-Electrode Softening Cuffs for Selective Neuromodulation.

Silicone nerve cuff electrodes are commonly implanted on relatively large and accessible somatic nerves as peripheral neural interfaces. While these cuff electrodes are soft (1–50 MPa), their self-closing mechanism requires of thick walls (200–600 µm), which in turn contribute to fibrotic tissue growth around and inside the device, compromising the neural interface. We report the use of thiol-ene/acrylate shape memory polymer (SMP) for the fabrication of thin film multi-electrode softening cuffs (MSC). We fabricated multi-size MSC with eight titanium nitride (TiN) electrodes ranging from 1.35 to 13.95 × 10−4 cm2 (1–3 kΩ) and eight smaller gold (Au) electrodes (3.3 × 10−5 cm2; 750 kΩ), that soften at physiological conditions to a modulus of 550 MPa. While the SMP material is not as soft as silicone, the flexural forces of the SMP cuff are about 70–700 times lower in the MSC devices due to the 30 μm thick film compared to the 600 μm thick walls of the silicone cuffs. We demonstrated the efficacy of the MSC to record neural signals from rat sciatic and pelvic nerves (1000 µm and 200 µm diameter, respectively), and the selective fascicular stimulation by current steering. When implanted side-by-side and histologically compared 30 days thereafter, the MSC devices showed significantly less inflammation, indicated by a 70–80% reduction in ED1 positive macrophages, and 54–56% less fibrotic vimentin immunoreactivity. Together, the data supports the use of MSC as compliant and adaptable technology for the interfacing of somatic and autonomic peripheral nerves.
Tetramethoxyluteolin for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

BACKGROUND Most neurodegenerative and other brain disorders, especially Myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to elude objective biomarkers and effective treatments. Increasing evidence indicates that such diseases involve focal inflammation of the brain. OBJECTIVE To review the role of cytokine-neuropeptide interactions in the pathogenesis of inflammation of the brain and the beneficial role of natural flavonoids. METHODS Medline search was conducted (2000-2017) for articles using the terms allergy, amygdala, atopy, autism, brain, chemokines, cytokines, hypothalamus, immunity, inflammation, mast cells, microglia, neurotensin, peptides, substance P, and TNF. RESULTS Neuropeptides and cytokine stimulation of mast cells and microglia can result in focal inflammation in the hypothalamus and amygdala, thus explaining most of the symptoms at least in ME/CFS and ASD. Some of the triggers may be corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), neurotensin (NT), and substance P (SP), which have synergistic action on IL-33. The natural flavonoids luteolin and tetramethoxyluteolin inhibit these processes and have neuroprotective actions. Tetramethoxyluteolin is also more metabolically stable and has greater oral absorption. CONCLUSION Inhibition of inflammatory processes unique to the brain with intranasal formulations of tetramethoxyluteolin could provide new possibilities for the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Lung Nodule Manager App Review

Intermediate lung nodules are frequently discovered in CT imaging as either incidental or part of cancer screening. The Lung Nodule Manager allows for a quick retrieval of guidelines by physicians and health care professionals to determine the proper management and follow-up for patients.
Amount and time exert independent influences on intertemporal choice.

Intertemporal choices involve trade-offs between the value of rewards and the delay before those rewards are experienced. Canonical intertemporal choice models such as hyperbolic discounting assume that reward amount and time until delivery are integrated within each option prior to comparison1,2. An alternative view posits that intertemporal choice reflects attribute-wise processes in which amount and time attributes are compared separately3–6. Here, we use multi-attribute drift diffusion modelling (DDM) to show that attribute-wise comparison represents the choice process better than option-wise comparison for intertemporal choice in a young adult population. We find that, while accumulation rates for amount and time information are uncorrelated, the difference between those rates predicts individual differences in patience. Moreover, patient individuals incorporate amount earlier than time into the decision process. Using eye tracking, we link these modelling results to attention, showing that patience results from a rapid, attribute-wise process that prioritizes amount over time information. Thus, we find converging evidence that distinct evaluation processes for amount and time determine intertemporal financial choices. Because intertemporal decisions in the lab have been linked to failures of patience ranging from insufficient saving to addiction7–13, understanding individual differences in the choice process is important for developing more effective interventions. Amasino et al. show that when humans decide between earlier or later monetary pay-outs of smaller or larger amounts, patient choices result from processing the information about amount and time successively, focussing first on amounts to be gained.
The use of 3D scanning for sporting applications

This paper describes the process and research that went into creating a set of 3D models to characterize a golf swing. The purpose of this work is to illustrate how a 3D scanner could be used for assessing athlete performance in sporting applications. In this case, introductory work has been performed to show how the scanner could be used to show the errors a golfer made in a swing. Multiple factors must be taken into account when assessing golfers’ swings including the position and movement of the golfer’s hands, arms, and foot placement as well as the position of the club head and shaft of the golf club.
Properties of solvent-cast chitin membranes and exploration of potential applications

Abstract Wound healing is a complex and dynamic process that requires suitable environment to promote the healing process. Biomaterials have been used to augment and treat tissue wounds and injuries. In this regard, chitin-based materials are receiving increased attention due to their unique and appealing biological properties. Chitin membranes prepared by dissolution of the polymer in ionic liquid (IL) and subsequent freeze-drying were previously shown to be flexible, highly porous, and stable. In this work, these membranes were used as support substrates for growth of two mammalian cell types: NIH 3T3 and HEK293T. The membranes did not exhibit any obvious cytotoxicity and supported attachment and proliferation of these cells. Chitin membranes were also used as a matrix for loading and prolonged in vitro release of the antibiotic bacitracin as well as quorum-sensing (QS) inhibitory compounds. These results suggest that the chitin membranes are promising candidates for application in next-generation wound treatment systems and support the concept of using wound dressing materials for tissue engineering and drug delivery purposes, especially for patients suffering from chronic wounds.
Full body 3-D scanners

Abstract Three-dimensional scanning of the body has been used by apparel researchers and the industry for the last two decades, since the technology was perfected for capturing the whole body. Early scanners were used for custom fit, automated size selection, dress form manufacture, and anthropometric studies. Early scanners were expensive and had a large footprint. Although some scanners were set up as mobile units, most were stationary. These scanners mainly used white light or lasers for their light sources, though microwaves were also used. With the development of infrared sensors and improved computing, 3-D body scanning can now be done using handheld or mobile units, increasing the usefulness of scanning for the apparel industry. Issues such as resolution, format of the output, format of extracted data, calibration, and participant interaction with the technology must be understood to make best use of the new scanning systems for the apparel industry.