cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of interventional rodent control for monitoring and early warning in natural foci of plague

Objective To investigate the application of interventional rodent control for monitoring and early warning in the natural foci of Meriones unguiculatus plague. Methods The population density of M. unguiculatus was monitored by 24 hour arch trap method and was predicted using the classic quantitative prediction formula for animals, and early warning was made in consideration of the local conditions. The anticoagulant brodifacoum was used as a rodenticide, and the poison bait with a brodifacoum concentration of 0.008% was put at the gerbil holes. Results On average, 10 kg of poison bait was applied per hectare; 14 days later, over 99% of gerbils were killed, and the mean population density of M. unguiculatus was decreased from 31 gerbils/hm2 to 0.25 gerbils/hm2. Conclusion In the high-risk areas of the natural foci of M. unguiculatus plague, the interventional rodent control measures using brodifacoum can effectively decrease the population density of main plague host, inhibiting the risk factors for plague outbreak among animals.
Application of Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR in rapid screening of enterovirus of hand-foot-mouth disease

Objective To establish the Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR for rapid screening of enterovirus of hand-foot-mouth disease. Methods 324 specimens were collected from 172 children with hand-foot-mouth disease occurred in Lishui from April to May 2008. Cox A16 and EV71 gene fragment were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) referring to Hand-foot-mouth Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines (2008 edition, Ministry of Health), and the method of Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was also used to detected the sampls. The results of two different methods were compared and the sensitivity and specificity of Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method were obtained. Results 324 specimens were detected by Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, 70 specimens had general nucleic acid of Entervirus, 22 specimens had nucleic acid of Cox A16, 15 specimens had nucleic acid of EV71. The detective result of Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method was 100%, which was accordance with that of RT-PCR method. Conclusion Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method with high sensitivity and specificity is an ideal method for rapid screening of enterovirus of hand-foot-mouth disease.
A Study on Revising the Medical Device Manual, Labeling and Packaging Regulation

The paper analyzed current problems of medical device manual,labeling and packaging in China by literature research and questionnaire method,and pointed out some advices for revising the Medical device manual,labeling and packaging regulation,in order to guarantee the safety and efficacy of medical device.
A New Forward Secure Signature Scheme using Bilinear Maps.

Forward-secure signatures are used to defeat signature forgeries in cases of key exposure. In this model, the signature key evolves with time and it is computationally infeasible for an adversary to forge a signature for some timeperiod prior to the key’s exposure. In this paper a new forward-secure digital signature scheme is presented, which is based on the use of bilinear maps recently advocated by Boneh and Franklin [9]. This scheme is efficiently constructed and can be used with a large number of time periods with a log magnitude complexity. The signing and key-update operations are very efficient when compared with other previously available schemes. A formal definition, as well as a detailed analysis of the security performance or this scheme, is presented. The security proof for this scheme is based on the Computational Diffie-Hellman assumption, which leads to a unique approach to proving security in the random oracle model. Furthermore, within the proof both the hash oracle and the signing oracle are constructed in an innovative manner.
Challenges in creating long continuum robots

We discuss the design and control issues in creating continuous backbone continuum robots at lengths of multiple meters. At this scale, many of the design techniques and materials properties which have proved advantageous in creating continuum robots at smaller scales are not applicable. This leads to problems with reduced load capacity and poor internal stability. Using two example cases, a thin tendril and an extensible pipe, we illustrate the issues and discuss potential successful design alternatives.
Scaled Least Squares Estimator for GLMs in Large-Scale Problems

We study the problem of efficiently estimating the coefficients of generalized linear models (GLMs) in the large-scale setting where the number of observations $n$ is much larger than the number of predictors $p$, i.e. $n\gg p \gg 1$. We show that in GLMs with random (not necessarily Gaussian) design, the GLM coefficients are approximately proportional to the corresponding ordinary least squares (OLS) coefficients. Using this relation, we design an algorithm that achieves the same accuracy as the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) through iterations that attain up to a cubic convergence rate, and that are cheaper than any batch optimization algorithm by at least a factor of $\mathcal{O}(p)$. We provide theoretical guarantees for our algorithm, and analyze the convergence behavior in terms of data dimensions. % Finally, we demonstrate the performance of our algorithm through extensive numerical studies on large-scale real and synthetic datasets, and show that it achieves the highest performance compared to several other widely used optimization algorithms.
Embodying Practices: The Human Body as Matter (of Concern) in Social Thought

Recent developments in molecular biology and the neurosciences on body–environment interaction and interdependence have led the natural sciences to prominently challenge the social sciences to refurbish some of the central elements of their theoretical apparatus and enter into joined empirical research. In the neurosciences, and departing from older perspectives, perception, cognition and knowledge are increasingly seen as integral elements of action, dynamically situating/embedding ‘cognitive agents’ in their socio-cultural-natural environments. Likewise, recent research in epigenetics suggests that bodily practices, shaped by their social and material environments within which they are performed, imprint a body that becomes highly susceptible to both past ‘experiences’ of and to present changes in its social and material environment. In this chapter, we critically review the research (practices) that prompted this challenge and discuss how it affects, but does not consider, social theories of interaction, habituation and inheritance. In a second step, we develop a social and practice theory on the basis of a co-laborative research agenda of ‘embodied practice’ that stresses the somatic context, performativity, historicity and dynamic situativity of embedded bodies. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and methodological implications of such an endeavour.
Computer-Aided Experiment Planning toward Causal Discovery in Neuroscience

Computers help neuroscientists to analyze experimental results by automating the application of statistics; however, computer-aided experiment planning is far less common, due to a lack of similar quantitative formalisms for systematically assessing evidence and uncertainty. While ontologies and other Semantic Web resources help neuroscientists to assimilate required domain knowledge, experiment planning requires not only ontological but also epistemological (e.g., methodological) information regarding how knowledge was obtained. Here, we outline how epistemological principles and graphical representations of causality can be used to formalize experiment planning toward causal discovery. We outline two complementary approaches to experiment planning: one that quantifies evidence per the principles of convergence and consistency, and another that quantifies uncertainty using logical representations of constraints on causal structure. These approaches operationalize experiment planning as the search for an experiment that either maximizes evidence or minimizes uncertainty. Despite work in laboratory automation, humans must still plan experiments and will likely continue to do so for some time. There is thus a great need for experiment-planning frameworks that are not only amenable to machine computation but also useful as aids in human reasoning.
Manufactures in European Economic Literature of the Enlightenment: The Description des Arts et Métiers and the Schauplatz der Künste und Handwerke

The year 1750 marks the start of a great outpouring of economic literature. Besides documenting that in various ways, both statistical and otherwise, I will show that the fastest growing part of that literature, far from being generally descriptive of the economy or prescriptive in advancing arguments relating to economic policies, was practical. It was intended to be useful. It recounted best practices in agriculture, and it described how best to ply certain crafts and manufacture a variety of goods. The works mentioned in the title of this essay are above all exemplars of the new emphasis on producing goods. Finally, I will argue that these works had a significance that transcended their texts as embodiments of technological information. Implicitly, though rarely explicitly, they contributed to contemporary debates about economic freedom and the values attached to work, especially work with ones hands. They represented a break with old ways, and in their raising of aspirations, their use of the intellect to advance knowledge, they should be viewed as important elements in what we term the Enlightenment.
Spatiotemporal analysis of structural changes of the lamina cribrosa

Glaucoma, a progressive and degenerative disease of the optic nerve, is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Mechanical deformation of the lamina cribrosa (LC) under high intraocular pressure (IOP) can lead to axonal death of optic nerve fibers. To explore the effect of pressure on the LC, we utilize an experimental setup where longitudinal 3D optical coherence tomography (OCT) images are acquired at different levels of IOP administered via a well-controlled external force. Structural changes are measured via image deformations which map all observed images simultaneously into a common coordinate space. These deformations encode local patterns of structural and volume change across the image sequence, resulting in quantification of the spatiotemporal deformation pattern of the LC due to variation of pressure. We also describe a 3D segmentation algorithm to restrict our deformation analysis separately to the beams or pores of the LC. A single case study demonstrates the potential of the proposed methodology for non-invasive in-vivo analysis of LC dynamics in individual subjects.
Observing the effects of multi-zone disks

Current generations of hard disk drives use a technique known as zoned constant angular velocity (ZCAV), taking advantage of the geometry to increase total disk capacity by varying the number of disk sectors per track with the distance from the spindle. A side effect of this is that the transfer rate also varies with sector address. We analytically estimated and measured this effect on file system performance on a BSD Fast File System, showing a drop of roughly 25% in peak transfer rate depending on head position. We also show that, while ZCAV effects cannot be ignored, a simple linear model adequately estimates the performance from the few parameters normally available in disk drive spec sheets.
Carotid-cavernous fistula: current concepts in aetiology, investigation, and management

A carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) is an abnormal communication between arteries and veins within the cavernous sinus and may be classified as either direct or dural. Direct CCFs are characterized by a direct connection between the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the cavernous sinus, whereas dural CCFs result from an indirect connection involving cavernous arterial branches and the cavernous sinus. Direct CCFs frequently are traumatic in origin and also may be caused by rupture of an ICA aneurysm within the cavernous sinus, Ehlers–Danlos syndrome type IV, or iatrogenic intervention. Causes of dural CCFs include hypertension, fibromuscular dysplasia, Ehlers–Danlos type IV, and dissection of the ICA. Evaluation of a suspected CCF often involves non-invasive imaging techniques, including standard tonometry, pneumotonometry, ultrasound, computed tomographic scanning and angiography, and/or magnetic resonance imaging and angiography, but the gold standard for classification and diagnosis remains digital subtraction angiography. When a direct CCF is confirmed, first-line treatment is endovascular intervention, which may be accomplished using detachable balloons, coils, liquid embolic agents, or a combination of these tools. As dural CCFs often resolve spontaneously, low-risk cases may be managed conservatively. When invasive treatment is warranted, endovascular intervention or stereotactic radiosurgery may be performed. Modern endovascular techniques offer the ability to successfully treat CCFs with a low morbidity and virtually no mortality.
Mechanism of Inhibition of Novel Cox-2 Inhibitors

Rome and Lands (1975) demonstrated that certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), exemplified by indomethacin, displayed time dependent inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) and that this type of time dependent inhibition is consistent with a two step model. The first step in this model represents the association of enzyme and inhibitor to form a rapidly reversible complex. The second step represents formation of an extremely tight, non-covalent complex that is only slowly reversible. With the recognition of distinct isoforms, it has also been established that COX-2 selective inhibitors are time dependent inhibitors of COX-2, but not of COX-1. This difference in mechanism of inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 is the basis for their selectivity (Copeland et al., 1994). Time dependence of COX-2 selective inhibitors has been correlated to the presence of a side pocket present in the active site of COX-2 but not COX-1 (Gierse et al., 1996).
Adverse effects and cognitive function among primary care patients taking opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain.

Chronic opioid therapy is commonly prescribed for chronic nonmalignant pain. Few published data describe the adverse effects experienced by patients with chronic nonmalignant pain being treated by primary care physicians. A prevalence study was conducted on a sample of 1,009 patients (889 receiving chronic opioids) being treated by 235 primary care physicians. Standardized questionnaires and medical record reviews were used to assess rates of addiction, pain diagnosis and severity, opioid adverse effects, and mental health. The mean daily dose of opioids was 92 mg using a morphine-equivalent conversion. Side effects included constipation (40 percent), sleeping problems (25 percent), loss of appetite (23 percent), and sexual dysfunction (18 percent), with patients on daily opioids experiencing more side effects than subjects on intermittent medication. The Medical Outcomes Study Mental Health Inventory (MOS-MHI) cognitive functioning scale indicated poorer cognitive function in the overall sample of chronic pain patients as compared to a general clinical sample (Δ x 95 percent CI = 9.28, 13.76). However, there were limited differences in MOS scores between chronic pain subjects on daily opioids vs. intermittent opioids vs. no prescription opioids. A regression model suggests that psychological measures and pain severity are more predictive of decrements in cognitive function than specific opioid preparations or daily opioid dose. Physicians should closely monitor patients for adverse effects and adequacy of pain control when using chronic opioid therapy for chronic pain treatment. Psychological health, an important predictor of cognitive dysfunction, is a particularly important measure to actively monitor and manage.
Stimulation of cotton root growth and yield by ammonium polyphosphate applied to soil with high levels of available phosphorus

A number of studies in the southern United States have shown that lint yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) may be increased by applying low rates of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) liquid fertilizer at planting, even on soils that test high in available P. This field study investigated the effect of APP on cotton root growth and lint yield in a soil with 240 mg kg−1 Bray 2-extractable P. Significant increases in root length density were observed in treated plots. Differences were greater early in the season, and sometimes disappeared by early bloom. More important, lint yields were significantly increased by the surface band and 20 kg ha−1 in-furrow treatments in two of three years. Hence, APP starter fertilizer may stimulate early season root growth of cotton, resulting in higher lint yields.
From Global Governance to Global Disorder? Implications for Russia and China

The format and process that China and Russia engage in the existing global governing mechanism have been largely shaped by their historical departure from their respective communist legacies. China’s gradualist reform and rebuilding process helped it join the capitalist world trading system. The rapid change in the former Soviet Union left considerable frictions and contradictions in Russia and its “near-abroad” areas, orienting the post-Soviet space more toward geopolitical frictions than economic interdependence. Although both countries increasingly face a less friendly West in the new millennium, they have so far resisted the temptation to form a formal alliance due to their historical learning experience from their volatile interactions during the Cold War and their extensive ties with the Western liberal international order thereafter.
Abstract 4765: The impact of the Medicare Part D donut hole closure on use and out-of-pocket costs for aromatase inhibitors

Objective: Nonadherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy among women with breast cancer increases with higher out-of-pocket costs, particularly among older women. In 2006, Medicare Part D was introduced to provide prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, but it had a large coverage gap, also known as “donut hole.” In 2011, a provision of the Affordable Care Act was implemented to slowly eliminate the coverage gap, starting with a 50% reduction in brand-name drug pricing within the coverage gap. Also in 2011, several generic aromatase inhibitor (AI) medications became newly available to patients, further lowering their prescription drug costs. We examined whether the initial donut hole closure affected use of AIs and related out-of-pocket (OOP) costs. Methods: We used a 5% sample of Medicare claims data for 2010 and 2011 (the first year of the donut hole closure) and included women ages 65 and older with a breast cancer diagnosis who filled one or more prescriptions for an AI in the first quarter of 2010 and had at least one AI fill in 2011. We used a difference-in-difference (DID) linear model to compare changes in the number of AI fills and OOP costs per fill between the standard population of individuals affected by the coverage gap to individuals who did not face the coverage gap because of low-income subsidies (LIS), adjusting for sociodemographic factors (e.g., race, age, dual status). Results: Overall, 4,054 women filled an AI prescription in the first quarter of 2010 and had one or more fills in 2011; 37.59% received LIS, and thus were unaffected by the donut hole closure in 2011. After the initial donut hole closure, non-LIS beneficiaries had more AI fills (9.53 in 2011 versus 9.04 in 2010), and lower OOP costs per fill ($33.23 vs. $93.50). Conversely, LIS recipients filled fewer AIs in 2011 compared to 2010 (9.87 vs. 10.26) and had a smaller decrease in their OOP costs per fill ($2.96 vs. $4.40). The adjusted DID model estimates that after the initial prescription coverage gap closure, non-LIS Medicare beneficiaries had an additional 1.6 AI fills and $53.32 lower OOP costs per fill compared to LIS recipients (both p Conclusion: The first year of the closure of the prescription drug coverage gap led to greater use of AIs and lower OOP costs for women with breast cancer affected by the policy. Whereas treatment nonadherence among women prescribed AIs is associated with increased risk of recurrence and mortality, findings from this analysis suggest that the donut hole closure and concurrent introduction of generic AIs to the market may increase treatment adherence and improve health outcomes for older women with breast cancer. Citation Format: Ilana Graetz, Janeane N. Anderson, Cameron M. Kaplan. The impact of the Medicare Part D donut hole closure on use and out-of-pocket costs for aromatase inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4765.
Spontaneous Resolution and Timing of Intervention in Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction.

Importance Although the overall rate of spontaneous resolution in congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) and efficacy of probing have been documented in the literature, the optimal timing of intervention has not been established. Objective To report new findings regarding spontaneous resolution in a large cohort of children with CNLDO. Design, Setting, and Participants The medical records of 1998 consecutive infants diagnosed with CNLDO from January 1, 1995, through December 31, 2004, while residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, were retrospectively reviewed. Data were analyzed between January 1, 2015, and January 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Rate of spontaneous resolution over time and by sex. Results The cohort, diagnosed at a median age of 1.2 months (interquartile range, 0.4-3.6), was 48% girls (n = 959) and 89% white (n = 1626; 173 were unreported). Among the 1998 cases, 1669 (83.5%) spontaneously resolved, 289 (14.5%) underwent treatment, and the remaining 40 (2.0%) were lost to follow-up. Of the 1958 infants followed up, CNLDO in 925 (47.3%) spontaneously resolved by age 3 months, in 1300 (66.4%) by 6 months, in 1472 (75.7%) by 9 months, and in 1516 (78.4%) by 12 months. The rate of resolution was 35% faster (95% CI, 23%-47%;P Conclusions and Relevance Based on this large cohort of children with CNLDO, probing between age 9 and 15 months may be reasonable given that the rate of spontaneous resolution plateaued after 9 months and initial probing success declined after 15 months. This time frame supports both an earlier and narrower range of ages for intervention compared with the current practice of probing after age 1 year.
Social and nonsocial reward moderate the relation between autism symptoms and loneliness in adults with ASD, depression, and controls.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report high levels of co-occurring mood disorders. Previous work suggests that people with ASD also experience aberrant responses to social reward compared to typically developing (TD) peers. In the TD population, aberrant reward processing has been linked to anhedonia (i.e., loss of pleasure), which is a hallmark feature of depression. This study examined the interplay between self-reported pleasure from social and nonsocial rewards, autism symptom severity, loneliness, and depressive symptoms across adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; N = 49), TD currently depressed adults (TD-dep; N = 30), and TD never depressed controls (TD-con; N = 28). The ASD cohort reported levels of social and nonsocial anhedonia that were greater than TD-con but not significantly different from TD-dep. Across cohorts, both social and nonsocial hedonic capacity moderated the relationship between autism symptoms and loneliness: individuals with low capacity for pleasure experienced elevated loneliness regardless of autism symptom severity, while those with intact capacity for pleasure (i.e., less anhedonia) experienced greater loneliness as a function of increased autism symptoms. Loneliness was the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms across clinical cohorts. Our findings suggest a putative pathway from trait-like anhedonia in ASD to depression via elevated loneliness and indicate that variability in hedonic capacity within the autism spectrum may differentially confer risk for depression in adults with ASD. Results underscore potential mental health benefits of social skills interventions and community inclusion programs for adults with ASD. Autism Res 2019, 12: 884-896. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: The relationship between autism symptoms and loneliness depended on one's ability to experience both social and nonsocial pleasure. Adults who experienced less pleasure reported high levels of loneliness that did not depend autism severity, while adults with high capacity for pleasure were especially lonely if they also had many autism symptoms. Loneliness was the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms, compared to capacity for social and nonsocial pleasure and autism symptoms.
La nationalité en procès: droit international privé et monde méditerranéen

Cet article emploie la microhistoire d’une affaire transnationale qui se deroulait entre l’Italie et la Tunisie pendant les annees 1870 et 1880 pour eprouver le droit international grâce a une approche qui va au-dela des frontieres de l’Occident. L’affaire Samama contre Samama presente un litige fort complique, examine par les cours de justice italiennes pendant pres d’une decennie. La principale difficulte du proces concernait la nationalite de Nissim Samama, un juif ne a Tunis, et, partant, l’ordre juridique qui pouvait decider de sa succession. Le Code civil italien promettait de respecter les droits nationaux des ressortissants etrangers, mais ces derniers etaient a priori consideres comme occidentaux uniquement. Or une affaire ou il etait question a la fois du droit tunisien et du statut des juifs interrogeait les fondements memes de l’ordre juridique international. En portant devant les tribunaux le probleme de la nationalite de Samama, le proces devoilait plusieurs failles et tensions au sein des theories emergentes du droit international : comment des Etats non occidentaux tels que la Tunisie pouvaient-ils s’integrer dans l’ordre juridique international naissant ? Comment le droit international envisageait-il le droit musulman ? Quel etait le statut de la nation juive dans un monde de nationalites de plus en plus exclusives ? Les actes d’un tel proces permettent de prendre la mesure des debats et des reflexions entre les specialistes de droit international sur les ambiguites propres a leur discipline. De meme, ils donnent un acces privilegie a la facon dont les Maghrebins concevaient le droit international. Les controverses qui en resultent mettent au jour les tensions inherentes a un droit international qui ne cesse d’hesiter alors entre particularisme occidental et universalisme.
Introductory: On the Ethos of Good Taste or Gentility

The first section, entitled “The Antinomy of Taste”, describes a deep-seated conflict over the idea of taste in Western societies. Whereas one cultural tradition identifies taste with highly personal and more or less arbitrary preferences, the other conceives of it as a capacity for rendering refined judgments that deserve to be heeded. The rest of the chapter presents a genetic account of the antimony, with the author suggesting that the notion of good taste originated with the birth of the gentility.
An Experimental Analysis of Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Families (PTR-F):

A single-case withdrawal design replicated across three families was used to evaluate the impact of the manualized Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Families (PTR-F) process for addressing challenging be...
Cryptodamages: Monetary value estimates of the air pollution and human health impacts of cryptocurrency mining

Abstract Cryptocurrency mining uses significant amounts of energy as part of the proof-of-work time-stamping scheme to add new blocks to the chain. Expanding upon previously calculated energy use patterns for mining four prominent cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Monero), we estimate the per coin economic damages of air pollution emissions and associated human mortality and climate impacts of mining these cryptocurrencies in the US and China. Results indicate that in 2018, each $1 of Bitcoin value created was responsible for $0.49 in health and climate damages in the US and $0.37 in China. The similar value in China relative to the US occurs despite the extremely large disparity between the value of a statistical life estimate for the US relative to that of China. Further, with each cryptocurrency, the rising electricity requirements to produce a single coin can lead to an almost inevitable cliff of negative net social benefits, absent perpetual price increases. For example, in December 2018, our results illustrate a case (for Bitcoin) where the health and climate change “cryptodamages” roughly match each $1 of coin value created. We close with discussion of policy implications.
Ethanol-paired stimuli can increase reinforced ethanol responding.

Abstract While ethanol-paired stimuli are frequently postulated to increase drinking motivation and thus increase ethanol responding and precipitate relapse, no study has demonstrated increases in ethanol-reinforced responding following presentation of an ethanol-paired stimulus that had not previously been part of a contingent relationship. Previous studies have shown that food-paired stimuli can increase food responding that is at low rates and increase food consumption in food-sated rats. In Experiment 1, we show that an ethanol-paired stimulus can increase ethanol responding that is at low levels late in the experimental session, presumably due to satiation. However, these increases may have resulted from either associative or non-associative mechanisms. In Experiment 2, we compared the effects of an ethanol-paired stimulus to those of the same stimulus in a Truly-Random-Control group. In a Truly-Random-Control, the stimulus and ethanol each are presented on independent random schedules, and thus any differences between the effects of the stimulus in the experimental and control groups is likely attributable to the association between the stimulus and ethanol. The stimulus increased ethanol-reinforced responding in both the experimental and control groups, but these increases were greater in the experimental than the control group. Thus, both stimulus-change and the pairing of the stimulus with ethanol may result in increases in ethanol-reinforced responding.
The development of a next-generation human reliability analysis: Systems analysis for formal pharmaceutical human reliability (SAFPH )

Abstract Medication errors originating in community pharmacies are a serious patient safety hazard. However, due to the complexity of the community pharmacy environment, current experimental and observational studies are insufficient to address these problems. Furthermore, the static nature of traditional, model-based human reliability analyses (HRAs) are not able to handle the dynamic environmental elements that can impact human performance. To address this issue and allow analysts to accurately predict medication error rates, we develop a new HRA called the Systems Analysis for Formal Pharmaceutical Human Reliability (SAFPH ). This method addresses the limits of previous HRAs by combining concepts from the Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM) HRA with probabilistic model checking, a computational tool for automatically proving properties about complex, stochastic systems. In this paper, we use SAFPH to analyze a common community pharmacy dispensing procedure, compare our results to published error rates, and use our results to explore interventions that could reduce error rates. We ultimately discuss our results and explore how our method could be developed in future research.
TRPV1 activation stimulates NKCC1 and increases hydrostatic pressure in the mouse lens

The porcine lens response to a hyperosmotic stimulus involves an increase in the activity of an ion cotransporter sodium-potassium/two-chloride cotransporter 1 (NKCC1). Recent studies with agonists and antagonists pointed to a mechanism that appears to depend on activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ion channels. Here, we compare responses in lenses and cultured lens epithelium obtained from TRPV1-/- and wild type (WT) mice. Hydrostatic pressure (HP) in lens surface cells was determined using a manometer-coupled microelectrode approach. The TRPV1 agonist capsaicin (100 nM) caused a transient HP increase in WT lenses that peaked after ∼30 min and then returned toward baseline. Capsaicin did not cause a detectable change of HP in TRPV1-/- lenses. The NKCC inhibitor bumetanide prevented the HP response to capsaicin in WT lenses. Potassium transport was examined by measuring Rb+ uptake. Capsaicin increased Rb+ uptake in cultured WT lens epithelial cells but not in TRPV1-/- cells. Bumetanide, A889425, and the Akt inhibitor Akti prevented the Rb+ uptake response to capsaicin. The bumetanide-sensitive (NKCC-dependent) component of Rb+ uptake more than doubled in response to capsaicin. Capsaicin also elicited rapid (<2 min) NKCC1 phosphorylation in WT but not TRPV1-/- cells. HP recovery was shown to be absent in TRPV1-/- lenses exposed to hyperosmotic solution. Bumetanide and Akti prevented HP recovery in WT lenses exposed to hyperosmotic solution. Taken together, responses to capsaicin and hyperosmotic solution point to a functional role for TRPV1 channels in mouse lens. Lack of NKCC1 phosphorylation and Rb+ uptake responses in TRPV1-/- mouse epithelium reinforces the notion that a hyperosmotic challenge causes TRPV1-dependent NKCC1 activation. The results are consistent with a role for the TRPV1-activated signaling pathway leading to NKCC1 stimulation in lens osmotic homeostasis.
Patient-Derived Xenograft Models of Pancreatic Cancer: Overview and Comparison with Other Types of Models

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is anticipated to be second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States by 2030. Surgery remains the only potentially curative treatment for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of PC. Multiple recent preclinical studies focus on identifying effective treatments for PDAC, but the models available for these studies often fail to reproduce the heterogeneity of this tumor type. Data generated with such models are of unknown clinical relevance. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models offer several advantages over human cell line-based in vitro and in vivo models and models of non-human origin. PDX models retain genetic characteristics of the human tumor specimens from which they were derived, have intact stromal components, and are more predictive of patient response than traditional models. This review briefly describes the advantages and disadvantages of 2D cultures, organoids and genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of PDAC, and focuses on the applications, characteristics, advantages, limitations, and the future potential of PDX models for improving the management of PDAC.
Diabetic Foot Infection and Select Comorbidities Drive Readmissions in Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy.

Abstract Background Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) facilitates early patient discharge, but readmissions prior to completion of therapy may offset its advantages. The objective of this study was to evaluate unplanned readmissions of patients undergoing OPAT at our institution and to identify risk factors. We hypothesized that host factors were most relevant. Methods We retrospectively identified all patients discharged to receive OPAT during 2017 who experienced at least one unplanned readmission to the hospital prior to its completion. We determined the proportion of patients readmitted, and the causes for readmission. Using a control group, we identified risk factors through multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Out of 684 patients, 17% had an unplanned readmission while receiving OPAT. Causes included worsening infection in 18%, venous access problems in 11%, acute events unrelated to infection in 19%, treatment intolerance in 19%, progression of underlying comorbidity in 20%, and social and other problems in 13%. In multivariate analysis diabetic foot infection (OR 3.24; 95%CI 1.38–8.31; p = 0.01), the presence of chronic kidney disease, decubitus ulcer or heart failure (OR 2.65; 95% CI 1.51–4.70; p Conclusions Unplanned hospital readmissions were frequent and due to very heterogeneous causes. Diabetic foot infection, selected comorbidities, and discharge on opioids were identified as independent risk factors. In the efforts to decrease readmissions among patients receiving outpatient parenteral antimicrobial a focus on these high-risk groups is a priority.
Household Savings and Residential Mobility in Informal Settlements

Strategies to help the one billion people worldwide who live in informal settlements have mainly focused on slum upgrading, sites and services programs and tenure security. In contrast, there has been less attention on what enables slum dwellers to transition into the formal housing sector, which has the dual benefits of improving service access and escaping social stigma. In this paper we investigate residential mobility among slum dwellers in Bhopal, India. Our analysis shows that one in five households succeeds in getting out of a slum settlement, and a major determinant is the household's ability to save on a regular basis. Due to limited outreach of institutional housing finance, most slum dwellers rely solely on household savings for purchasing a house. These findings underscore the urgent need to improve savings instruments for slum dwellers and to downmarket housing finance to reach the poorest residents of rapidly growing cities in developing countries.
On the role of aerosol radiative effect in the wet season onset timing over the Congo rainforest during boreal autumn

Abstract. The boreal summer dry season length is reported to have been increasing in the last 3 decades over the Congo rainforest, which is the second-largest rainforest in the world. In some years, the wet season in boreal autumn starts early, while in others it arrives late. The mechanism behind such a change in the wet season onset date has not been investigated yet. Using multi-satellite data sets, we discover that the variation in aerosols in the dry season plays a major role in determining the subsequent wet season onset. Dry season aerosol optical depth (AOD) influences the strength of the southern African easterly jet (AEJ-S) and, thus, the onset of the wet season. Higher AOD associated with a higher dust mass flux reduces the net downward shortwave radiation and decreases the surface temperature over the Congo rainforest region, leading to a stronger meridional temperature gradient between the rainforest and the Kalahari Desert as early as in June. The latter, in turn, strengthens the AEJ-S, sets in an early and a stronger easterly flow, and leads to a stronger equatorward convergence and an early onset of the wet season in late August to early September. The mean AOD in the dry season over the region is strongly correlated ( r=0 .7) with the timing of the subsequent wet season onset. Conversely, in low AOD years, the onset of the wet season over the Congo basin is delayed to mid-October.
Cortisol activity partially accounts for a relationship between community socioeconomic position and atherosclerosis

Abstract Compared to others, individuals living in communities of socioeconomic disadvantage experience more atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a greater extent of preclinical atherosclerosis. Although the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear, it is widely hypothesized that alterations in normative cortisol release from the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis may play a role in linking lower community socioeconomic position (C-SEP) to CVD risk. The current study examined this hypothesis in relation to a marker of preclinical atherosclerosis among 488 healthy midlife adults (30–54 years, Mean age= 43, 52% Female, 81% White). All participants were employed and without clinical CVD. C-SEP was estimated from census tract data, and atherosclerosis was measured as intima-medial thickness of the carotid arteries (cIMT) by duplex ultrasonography. Four indicators of HPA activity [cortisol at awakening and the cortisol awakening response (CAR), rate of diurnal decline in cortisol (diurnal slope), and total output expressed as area under the curve (AUC)] were derived from salivary cortisol measurements obtained from 5 samples on each of 3 working days. Path analyses were used to examine associations of C-SEP with cIMT and HPA activity and to test whether individual differences in HPA activity could account for any association of C-SEP with cIMT using bootstrapping (5000 iterations). All models were adjusted for age, sex, race, and composite measures of both individual-level socioeconomic position (income, education, occupation), and cardiometabolic risk (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, fasting lipids and glucose). Lower C-SEP was related to both greater cIMT (b = −0.004, p = .021) and a flatter diurnal slope of cortisol (b = −0.001, p = .039). An indirect effect showed attenuated diurnal slope to partially mediate the relationship between C-SEP and cIMT (95% CI = −0.0018 to −0.0001), and a residual direct effect of C-SEP on cIMT remained significant (95% CI = −0.0097 to −0.004). These results suggest that low C-SEP associations with preclinical atherosclerosis may be due in part to correlated variation in adrenocortical activity.
Modeling and validation of delivered fluence of a continuous Dean flow pilot scale UV system: monitoring fluence by biodosimetry approach

Abstract The inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in water and high transmittance liquid foods has been studied extensively. The efficiency of the process is relatively low for treating opaque liquid foods using traditional UV systems. This study evaluated the ability of UV-C light to inactivate foodborne pathogens in a simulated opaque fluid (6.5 to 17 cm−1) at commercial relevant flow rates (31.70, 63.40, 95.10 gph) using a pilot-scale Dean Flow UV system. In this study, a mathematical model for the prediction of delivered fluence was developed by the biodosimetry method. The results revealed that increased Reduction equivalent fluence (REF) rates were observed with increased flow rates due to additional turbulence. The experimental and calculated REF were well correlated with the UV-C absorption coefficient range of 6.5 to 17 cm−1 indicating efficient mixing in the reactor. REF scaled up linearly at experimental conditions as an inverse function of flow rate and absorption coefficient, and a linear mathematical model (R2 > 0.99, p 0.05). It is demonstrated that the developed model can predict the REF, thus microbial inactivation of microbial suspensions in simulated fluid with the absorption coefficient of 6.5–17 cm−1 and flow rates of 31.70–95.10 gph. The pilot system will be field-tested against microorganisms in highly absorbing and scattering fluids.
The Impact of the I-SAVE Program on First Semester Student Self-Efficacy in an Associate Degree Nursing Program

Nursing education is evolving; improvements and advancements are necessary in response to the nursing shortage. The Associate Degree Nursing Program is fast-paced, rigorous, and attracts a diverse student body due to the completion time of approximately four semesters. The nontraditional student, one that has multiple responsibilities, is attracted to the shorter program. A student may feel that simply getting accepted into the nursing program is the real challenge while missing the foresight of the arduous program requirements, both didactic and practicum. Nursing program retention rates are a global problem and implementing specific strategies to decrease attrition is essential. Developing interventions to promote self-efficacy for the diverse Associate Degree student body provides support that may benefit the student, if attrition is decreased the institution benefits, as well as the nursing profession. Student self-efficacy is a critical component of program success and techniques to strengthen a student’s self-efficacy may impact the success rate.
Treatment of bacterial infections in obese adult patients: how to appropriately manage antimicrobial dosage

Obese patients may require bigger initial antimicrobial doses but the optimal approach to maintenance dose selection is limited. Key pharmacokinetic system parameters are higher in obese patients but often not proportional to total body weight (TBW). Fixed-dose selection risks under exposure while TBW-based dosing risks over exposure in obese patients. Alternate body size descriptors limit overdosing in obesity that is vital for antimicrobials with a narrow therapeutic index. Maintenance dose calculation of antimicrobials in obese patients is challenging in the absence of therapeutic drug monitoring. Approaches to antimicrobial dose selection in obesity based on estimated kidney function serves as a lesser but clinically applicable alternative.
Linear Time Approximation Schemes for Vehicle Scheduling

We consider makespan minimization for vehicle scheduling problems on trees with release and handling times. 2-approximation algorithms were known for several variants of the single vehicle problem on a path [16]. A 3/2-approximation algorithm was known for the single vehicle problem on a path where there is a fixed starting point and the vehicle must return to the starting point upon completion [13]. Karuno, Nagamochi and Ibaraki give a 2-approximation algorithm for the single vehicle problem on trees. We develop a linear time PTAS for the single vehicle scheduling problem on trees which have a constant number of leaves. This PTAS can be easily adapted to accommodate various starting/ending constraints. We then extended this to a PTAS for the multiple vehicle problem where vehicles operate in disjoint subtrees. For this problem, the only previous result is a 2-approximation algorithm for paths [10]. Finally, we present competitive online algorithms for some single vehicle scheduling problems.
High performance bidirectional Cuk converter for telecommunication systems

Telecommunication systems mainly need highly reliable power supplies with high efficiency. Other important issues are related to the noise and electromagnetic interference (EMI), which are produced by the power supply. Low EMI means low shielding cost and low distortion of the main communication signal. To meet such essential requirements, a high performance bidirectional Cuk converter-based power supply is proposed in this paper. The converter provides high efficiency, low noise, and low EMI. In addition, the converter has high power density, low cost, and electric isolation. These advantages are achieved from integrating the magnetic components of the converter, the input inductors, the output inductor, and the isolation transformer, on one magnetic assembly. In this paper, the conventional 42 VDC power supply architecture for telecommunication systems is briefly described. A modified system that utilizes the integrated magnetics bidirectional Cuk converter is explained. Finally, the full design integrated Cuk converter, simulation results, and practical performance evaluation are presented.
Analysis of the Wobble of a Spinning Disc at Launch (P117)

Field observations (Hubbard and Hummel, 2000) and numerical simulations (Crowther and Potts,2007) of spinning discs in flight often show a wobble of the disc immediately after launch. This component of the motion causes an undesirable drag penalty, and its source is not well understood, occurring for a wide range of initial conditions.