cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative effectiveness of mechanically and electrically powered negative pressure wound therapy devices: A multicenter randomized controlled trial

This study was designed to compare the ultraportable mechanically powered Smart Negative Pressure (SNaP) Wound Care System (Spiracur, Sunnyvale, CA) with the electrically powered Vacuum-Assisted Closure (VAC) Therapy System (Kinetic Concepts, Inc. [KCI], San Antonio, TX) in a multicenter, comparative efficacy, noninferiority-powered, randomized controlled trial. We enrolled 132 people with noninfected, nonischemic, nonplantar lower extremity diabetic and venous wounds. Each subject was randomly assigned (1:1) to treatment with either system in conjunction with appropriate off-loading and compression therapy. The trial evaluated treatment for up to 16 weeks or complete wound closure (defined as complete reepithelialization without drainage). Primary end point analysis of wound size reduction found that SNaP-treated subjects demonstrated noninferiority to the VAC-treated subjects at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks (p = 0.0030, 0.0130, 0.0051, and 0.0044, respectively). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no significant difference in complete wound closure between SNaP- and VAC-treated subjects at all time points. Device related adverse events and complications such as infection were also similar between treatment groups. These data support similar wound healing outcomes between the SNaP system and the VAC system in the population studied.
Managed Mental Health Care: Attitudes and Ethical Beliefs of Child and Pediatric Psychologists

Objective: To examine child and pediatric psychologists’ ethical beliefs and attitudes toward managed mental health care. Methods: In a survey mailed in spring 1997, 252 child and pediatric psychologists responded to three vignettes depicting ethical dilemmas related to working with managed mental health care (confidentiality, restriction of services, misdiagnosis). Data were collected about psychologists’ ethical choices and reasons given for choices, attitudes toward managed care, the extent to which managed care affected ethical decision making, and level of managed care involvement. Results: Differences were found in choices made for the ethical dilemmas in regard to what participants thought they should do, would do, and actually did do. Overall, participants endorsed negative attitudes toward managed care. Participants reported that managed care somewhat affected their ethical decision making for the vignettes. Level of managed care involvement was not related to ethical decision making or attitudes toward managed care. Conclusions: The findings suggest areas for examination as new ethical standards are created for work in managed care environments.
Transformaton of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by the aquatic plant Myriophyllum spicatum

The ability of the aquatic plant Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) to transform 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was investigated in a series of batch assays. The TNT was added to plant cultures in single and multiple consecutive additions, at various initial concentrations, to determine its transformation kinetics, identify products formed, evaluate phytotoxic effects, and to determine the effect of light deprivation on the TNT transformation process. Rapid disappearance of TNT from the plant culture media was observed. The TNT disappearance rate was a function of both plant and TNT concentration (i.e., followed mixed, second-order kinetics). The TNT transformation occurred only in the presence of plants and was inhibited by the addition of sodium azide. Phytotoxicity leading to plant chlorosis was observed in batch plant cultures with an initial TNT concentration above 5.9 {micro}M. Reductive transformation of TNT to aminodinitrotoluenes and lower levels of hydroxylaminodinitrotoluene and diaminonitrotoluenes detected in the plant culture media accounted for less than 10 to 20% of the total TNT mass added. Extraction of plant material at the end of batch incubations when all TNT was depleted from the media yielded low levels of TNT and aminodinitrotoluenes and accounted for only 3.4% of the initially added TNT mass. Light deprivationmore » decreased both the rate and extent of the reductive transformation of TNT.« less
Optimal detection in a distributed multisensor architecture

A detector defines a subset of inputs for which a detection is declared, as such, the performance of a detector is limited by the input set. The optimal detector which is presented in this paper defines the detection set which provides the maximum probability of detection for a given probability of false alarm. Further improvements in detection performance require a change to the input set. Inclusion of additional measurements insures that performance will not decrease. This paper considers the performance of the optimal detector when the input set is the union of measurements made by multiple sensors which maybe distributed across several platforms.
Successful transition to sulfonylurea in neonatal diabetes, developmental delay, and seizures (DEND syndrome) due to R50P KCNJ11 mutation

Mutations in KCNJ11 cause majority of cases of permanent neonatal diabetes (PND). Multiple reports of PND with successful transitioning to oral sulfonylurea had been reported except for those with DEND syndrome. This case report highlights a case of successful sulfonylurea treatment in a patient with DEND syndrome.
Laboratory tests on neutron shields for gamma-ray detectors in space

Shields capable of suppressing neutron-induced background in new classes of c-ray detectors such as CdZnTe are becoming important for a variety of reasons. These include a high cross section for neutron interactions in new classes of detector materials as well as the ine$cient vetoing of neutron-induced background in conventional active shields. We have previously demonstrated through Monte-Carlo simulations how our new approach, supershields, is superior to the monolithic, bi-atomic neutron shields which have been developed in the past. We report here on the "rst prototype models for supershields based on boron and hydrogen. We verify the performance of these supershields through laboratory experiments. These experimental results, as well as measurements of conventional monolithic neutron shields, are shown to be consistent with Monte-Carlo simulations. We discuss the implications of this experiment for designs of supershields in general and their application to future hard X-ray/c-ray experiments. ( 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma (Klatskin tumors) with hepatic resection or transplantation

Abstract Background: Because of the rarity of hilar cholangiocarcinoma, its prognostic risk factors have not been sufficiently analyzed. This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate various pathologic risk factors which influenced survival after curative hepatic resection or transplantation. Methods: Between 1981 and 1996, 72 patients (43 males and 29 females) with hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent hepatic resection (34 patients) or transplantation (38 patients) with curative intent. Medical records and pathologic specimens were reviewed to examine the various prognostic risk factors. Survival was calculated by the method of Kaplan-Meier using the log rank test with adjustment for the type of operation. Survival statistics were calculated first for each kind of treatment separately, and then combined for the calculation of the final significance value. Results: Survival rates for 1, 3, and 5 years after hepatic resection were 74%, 34%, and 9%, respectively, and those after transplantation were 60%, 32%, and 25%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that T-3, positive lymph nodes, positive surgical margins, and pTNM stage III and IV were statistically significant poor prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis revealed that pTNM stage 0, I, and II, negative lymph node, and negative surgical margins were statistically significant good prognostic factors. mFor the patients in pTNM stage 0–II with negative surgical margins, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals were 80%, 73%, and 73%, respectively. For patients in pTNM stage IV-A with negative lymph nodes and surgical margins, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals were 66%, 37%, and 37%, respectively. Conclusions: Satisfactory longterm survivals can be obtained by curative surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma either with hepatic resection or liver transplantation. Redefining pTNM stage III and IV-A is proposed to better define prognosis.
THE ROLE OF PERIPHERAL MU OPIOID RECEPTORS IN THE MODULATION OF CAPSAICIN-INDUCED THERMAL NOCICEPTION IN RHESUS MONKEYS

Capsaicin produces burning pain, followed by nociceptive responses, such as allodynia and hyperalgesia in humans and rodents. In the present study, when administered subcutaneously into the tail of rhesus monkeys, capsaicin (0.01–0.32 mg) dose-dependently produced thermal allodynia manifested as reduced tail-withdrawal latencies in 46°C water, from a maximum value of 20 sec to approximately 2 sec. Coadministration of selective mu opioid agonists, fentanyl (0.003–0.1 mg) and (d-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4, Gly5-ol)-enkephalin (0.001–0.03 mg), dose-dependently inhibited capsaicin-induced allodynia. This local antinociception was antagonized by small doses of opioid antagonists, quadazocine (0.03 mg) and quaternary naltrexone (1 mg), applied locally in the tail. However, these doses of antagonists injected s.c. in the back did not antagonize local fentanyl. Comparing the relative potency of either agonist or antagonist after local and systemic administration confirmed that the site of action of locally applied mu opioid agonists is in the tail. These results provide evidence that activation of peripheral mu opioid receptors can diminish capsaicin-induced allodynia in primates. This experimental pain model could be a useful tool for evaluating peripherally acting antinociceptive agents without central side effects and enhance new approaches to the treatment of inflammatory pain.
ANTEROSPECTIVE DATA FOLLOWING CHILDHOOD LOSS OF A PARENT. II. PATHOLOGY, PERFORMANCE, AND POTENTIAL AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS.

IN a recent article, I9reviewed retrospective studies concerning the frequency of childhood parental loss among delinquents and adult Psychiatric patients, and extended the analysis of anterospective data provided by Hathaway and Monachesi11concerning the frequency of delinquency and high school dropout among a statewide sample of adolescents. Rates of delinquency, and of high school dropout among nondelinquents, were found to be elevated among those who had previously lost a parent by separation or divorce, and those who had lost the parent of the same sex by death. There appears to be a dearth of studies involving relationships between psychopathology among college students and childhood loss of their parents. However, Ingham14reported a significantly higher frequency of parental separation among 138 neurotic college students than among 370 control students. He found no significant difference between neurotics and control subjects with respect to
Synthesis of Polycrystalline Zeolite Films and Thermal Conductivity Measurements by a 3-Omega Method

Zeolites (nanoporous crystalline aluminosilicates) have important applications in catalysis and separations [1,2], and are also being considered for adsorption-based heating and cooling systems [3]. We are investigating the use of zeolite films in the fabrication of more efficient adsorption heat pumping and refrigeration systems that use water vapor as the working fluid. The thermal conductivity of the adsorbent is an important property affecting heat transfer in an adsorption heat pumping system. There are few reports (e.g. [4]) of the thermal conductivity of zeolites, which is measured by compacting the zeolite powder into a disk sample and using a model to extract the ‘intrinsic’ thermal properties. Another approach [5] relies on molecular dynamics simulation using parameterized force fields to predict the intrinsic thermal conductivity.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Impact of Gelation Conditions and Structural Breakdown on the Physical and Sensory Properties of Stirred Yogurts

The objectives of this research were to understand structure-function relationships between the initial yogurt gels and stirred yogurts made from these gels. Yogurt gels were made from milk preheated at 75 or 85 degrees C for 30 min and incubated at 32, 38, or 44 degrees C. Yogurt gels were sheared at 5 s(-1) for 1 min to make stirred yogurts. Small amplitude oscillatory rheology and shear rate sweeps (flow curves) were performed to determine the dynamic moduli and apparent viscosity of yogurts, respectively. Confocal scanning laser microscopy was used to examine the microstructure. The sensory properties of stirred yogurts were determined using quantitative descriptive analysis. Yogurt gels made from high preheating temperatures and low incubation temperatures tended to have an increase in storage modulus, apparent viscosity values at structural breakdown, yield stress, and a decrease in the maximum in loss tangent values and permeability. During the shearing of intact gels, there was an initial increase in apparent viscosity in the low shear rate region, because of the resistance derived from the intact network; commonly used models for stirred yogurts could not adequately describe this type of viscoelastic behavior. Increasing milk preheating temperature and decreasing incubation temperature resulted in stirred yogurts with increased apparent viscosity, oral viscosity, and sensory mouth coating attributes. Storage modulus values of the initial gels were positively correlated with the apparent viscosity at 10 s(-1) (r = 0.61), oral viscosity (r = 0.77), and mouth coating sensory attributes (r = 0.72) of stirred yogurts. A significant negative correlation was observed between maximum in loss tangent values of initial gels and shear stress values (r = -0.68) of gels at structure breakdown, and in stirred yogurts, the oral viscosity (r = -0.85), and apparent viscosity at 10 s(-1) (r = -0.78). Permeability was negatively correlated with the oral viscosity (r = -0.84) and apparent viscosity at 10 s(-1) (r = -0.82) in stirred yogurts. These highly significant correlations demonstrated that the structure of the initial gel network and structural breakdown process had a major impact on the physical and sensory attributes of stirred yogurts. The presence of a yield stress and the elastic nature of gels at low strains resulted in commonly used models that could not adequately predict the behavior in the very low shear rate region, although they were able to predict the remainder of the flow profile.
On the meandering of steps on vicinal GaAs (100) surfaces

Abstract Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we determine the terrace-width distribution on molecular-beam epitaxially grown vicinal GaAs(100) surfaces. We find a pronounced peak in the frequency at 4 nm, independent of macroscopic tilt angle. To explain this preferred terrace width, which is found by us and other authors, we introduce a simple numerical model of step meandering. The model accounts well for the shape of the terrace-width distribution found experimentally. This suggests that the preferred terrace width of 4 nm can be explained as a direct consequence of the thermodynamics on the surface, without introducing any long-range step-step interactions.
Role of renal medullary adenosine in the control of blood flow and sodium excretion

This study determined the levels of adenosine in the renal medullary interstitium using microdialysis and fluorescence HPLC techniques and examined the role of endogenous adenosine in the control o...
The Emotional and Intellectual Aspects of Protest Music

Abstract Within the context of community organizing, protest songs have historically functioned to educate, motivate, and raise consciousness by affecting listeners both emotionally and intellectually. Such songs can be used in the classroom much as they have been used in practice: to simplify, concretize, and reinforce specific ideologies, and to foster group solidarity. Social work educators can add an emotional component to their classrooms and enhance student learning by teaching historical struggles, protests, and forms of oppression through song. Additionally, by teaching about the ways in which protest music has influenced specific movements and organizations, educators can provide students with opportunities to experience this music as a potential tool for community organizing.
Molecular sieves as subtractors in gas chromatographic analysis

Abstract The use of Linde Company “Molecular Sieves” in gas chromatography to irreversibly adsorb particular components was discussed. The behavior of various homologous series and special components of general interest on columns run at 100° is shown. Since those compounds not adsorbed pass through with virtually no retention time, they may be conventionally separated by partition on adsorption columns placed in series with the “Sieves”. This property may be used to aid the identification of components in unknown samples or for the removal of one component whose elution band overlaps that of a peak of interest. The temperature limitations of their use are discussed.
An X-Ray Study of Rubber Hydrochloride

Abstract The x-ray diagram of rubber hydrochloride is a worthy addition to those of other natural high polymers and derivatives, and its study is a fruitful field for investigating the internal structure of such materials. Various peculiarities have been pointed out which have raised a question as to whether the properties of rubber hydrochloride can be explained on the basis of a chemical structure consisting of long, chlorinated, paraffin chains. These disturbing facts are (1) the effect on the x-ray diagram of the first addition of hydrogen chloride; (2) the failure to secure the theoretical chlorine content; (3) the possibility of vulcanization; (4) the amorphous diagram of balata hydrochloride, and (5) the shortening of the chains compared to normal paraffin chains. A partial departure from the strict formula may, in turn, lead to a colloidal structure which may be essential for such properties as the elasticity shown at higher temperatures and the ability to rack. The interpretation of the x-ray dia...
Political Freud: A History

Acknowledgments Introduction: Political Freud 1. Psychoanalysis and the Spirit of Capitalism 2. Beyond the Blues: The Racial Unconscious and Collective Memory 3. In the Shadow of the Holocaust: Rereading Freud's Moses 4. The Ego at War: From the Death Instinct to Precarious Life 5. From the Maturity Ethic to the Psychology of Power: The New Left, Feminism, and the Return to "Social Reality" Afterword: Freud in the Twenty-first Century Notes Index
Early Appearance of Neuropeptides During Development: Neuromodulatory and Neurotrophic Roles

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the presence of several neuropeptides during early neuroembryogenesis. The high but transient endogenous levels of some peptides such as somatostatin (SRIF), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P (SP), neuropeptideY (NPY), and neurotensin (NT) has led to the conclusion that these peptides are involved in early mechanisms of neuronal differentiation and growth. Although the research on the ontogeny of neuropeptide receptors is not extensive, the decline in receptor binding sites from development to adulthood is supportive evidence that neuropeptides have neuromodulatory actions during early neuroembryogenesis. Recent research attempting to explore the neuromodulatory actions of neuropeptides during early brain development clearly demonstrates that neuropeptides are actively involved in neuronal homeostatic balance via their influence on neuronal survival and the establishment of neuronal phenotypes by influencing neuronal plasticity during early neuronal differentiation.
Integrating GIS and Maximal Covering Models to Determine Optimal Police Patrol Areas

This chapter presents a new method for determining the most efficient spatial distribution of police patrols in a metropolitan region, termed the police patrol area covering (PPAC) model. This method employs inputs from geographic information systems (GIS) data layers, analyzes that data through an optimal covering model formulation, and provides alternative Integrating GIS and Maximal Covering Models 215 Copyright © 2005, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited. optimal solutions for presentation to decision makers. The goal of this research is to increase the level of police service by finding more efficient spatial allocations of the available law enforcement resources. Extensions to the model that incorporate variations in the priority of calls for service based on the type of crime being committed, and the need for an equitable distribution of workload among police officers are discussed. Examples of the inputs from – and outputs to – GIS are provided through a pilot study of the city of Dallas, Texas.
A definitive blood test for post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common conditions in gastroenterology [1], and is also one of the most challenging for clinicians. This is in part due to the lack of specific biol...
Serum amyloid A, properdin, complement 3, and toll-like receptors are expressed locally in human sinonasal tissue.

Background There is a growing appreciation of the role that nasal mucosa plays in innate immunity. In this study, the expression of pattern recognition receptors known as toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the effector molecules complement factor 3 (C3), properdin, and serum amyloid A (SAA) were examined in human sinonasal mucosa obtained from control subjects and patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Methods Sinonasal mucosal specimens were obtained from 20 patients with CRS and 5 control subjects. Messenger RNA (mRNA) was isolated and tested using Taqman real-time polymerase chain reaction with primer and probe sets for C3, complement factor P, and SAA. Standard polymerase chain reaction was performed for the 10 known TLRs. Immunohistochemistry was performed on the microscopic sections using antibodies against C3. Results Analysis of the sinonasal sample mRNA revealed expression of all 10 TLRs in both CRS samples and in control specimens. Expression of the three effector proteins was detected also, with the levels of mRNA for C3 generally greater than SAA and properdin in CRS patients. No significant differences were found in TLR or innate immune protein expression in normal controls. Immunohistochemical analysis of sinonasal mucosal specimens established C3 staining ranging from 20 to 85% of the epithelium present. Conclusion These studies indicate that sinonasal mucosa expresses genes involved in innate immunity including the TLRs and proteins involved in complement activation. We hypothesize that local production of complement and acute phase proteins by airway epithelium on stimulation of innate immune receptors may play an important role in host defense in the airway and, potentially, in the pathogenesis of CRS.
Effect of the Implementation of a New Electronic Health Record System on Surgical Case Turnover Time

Many health care providers, hospitals, and hospital systems have adopted new electronic health records (EHR) to streamline patient care and comply with government mandates. Commercial EHR vendors advertise improved efficiency, but few studies have been performed to validate these claims. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the effect of deploying a new EHR system on operating room efficiency and surgical case turnover time (TOT) at our institution. Data on TOT were collected after implementation of a new EHR (Epic) from June 2015 to May 2016, which replaced a legacy system of both paper and electronic records. These TOTs were compared to data from the same months in the preceding year. Mean TOT and standard deviations were calculated. The two-sample t-test was used to compare means by month and the F-test was used to compare standard deviations. There was a significant increase in TOT (63.0 vs. 53.0 min, p < 0.001) in the first month after implementation. This improved by the second month (59.0 vs. 53.0 min, p < 0.001), but the relative increase persisted until the end of the fifth month after which it remained around the pre-implementation baseline until the end of the study. The standard deviation significantly decreased after the fourth month post-implementation and persisted throughout the studied period. We found that implementation of an EHR led to a significant decrease in efficiency that persisted for five months. While EHRs have the potential to improve hospital workflow, caution is advised in the case of operating room implementation. While the mean TOT did not improve beyond the pre-implementation baseline, the standard deviation was significantly improved after the first four months.
Analysis on published scientific papers by professionals of Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province from 2001 to 2006

Objectives Through analyzing the published scientific papers by the professionals of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province(GDCDC) from 2001 to 2006,to put forward some suggestions for the research management,the discipline development and the personnel training.Methods Literature quantitative analysis and health statistics methods were used to analyze these papers.Results The professionals of GDCDC published a total of 924 papers with an annual average of 154 in 114 kinds of periodicals from 2001 to 2006 of the 924 papers.264 papers(28.6%) were published in the key Chinese periodicals,320 papers(34.6%)in the South China Journal of Preventive Medicine,68 papers (7.4%)in the Chinese Journal of Health Laboratory Technology and 51 papers(5.5%)in the China Public Health.Of the 924 papers,433 papers(46.9%)belonged in the field of health laboratory technology,354 papers(38.3%)in the field of disease prevention and control,and 70 papers(7.6%)in the field of public health.During the six years,79.2% of the total professionals Published at least one paper,58professionals published at least six papers.Of the 924 corresponding authors.56.8% aged 30～40 years old.48.9% had a bachelor degree,and 45.9% had a senior professional title.Conclusions In recent years,the quantity and quality of papers published by the professionals of GDCDC were improved.The professional's ability to conduct scientific research was enhanced and the research level of GDCDC wag raised year by year.The predominant specialties of the academic research were in the field of health laboratory technology and disease prevention and control.But the professional work and discipline development of Public health should be sirengthened further. Key words: Center for disease control and prevention; Professional; Bibliometrics
Ischemia-responsive protein 94 is a key mediator of ischemic neuronal injury-induced microglial activation.

Neuroinflammation, especially activation of microglia, the key immune cells in the brain, has been proposed to contribute to the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. However, the dynamics and the potential mediators of microglial activation following ischemic neuronal injury are not well understood. In this study, using oxygen/glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) with neuronal and microglial cell cultures as an in vitro model of ischemic neuronal injury, we set out to identify neuronal factors released from injured neurons that are capable of inducing microglial activation. Conditioned media (CM) from hippocampal and cortical neurons exposed to OGD/R induced significant activation of microglial cells as well as primary microglia, evidenced by upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase, increased production of nitrite and reactive oxygen species and increased expression of microglial markers. Mechanistically, neuronal ischemia responsive protein 94 (Irp94) was a key contributor to microglial activation since significant increase in Irp94 was detected in the neuronal CM following ischemic insult and immunodepletion of Irp94 rendered ischemic neuronal CM ineffective in inducing microglial activation. Ischemic insult-augmented oxidative stress was a major facilitator of neuronal Irp94 release and pharmacological inhibition of NADPH oxidase significantly reduced the ischemic injury induced-neuronal reactive oxygen species production and Irp94 release. Taken together, these results indicate that neuronal Irp94 may play a pivotal role in the propagation of ischemic neuronal damage. Continued studies may help identify Irp94 and/or related proteins as potential therapeutic targets and/or diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers for managing ischemia-associated brain disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Lightheadedness After Concussion: Not All Dizziness is Vertigo.

Objective:To characterize the presence and degree of postconcussion lightheadedness in relation to postconcussion vertigo and dizziness, and to determine whether lightheadedness influences overall symptom duration.Design:Prospective, cohort design.Setting:Nationwide Children's Hospital, Sports Concu
Performance limit of monolithically integrated Gaussian modulated coherent states quantum key distribution receiver in silicon-on-insulator CMOS

For the silicon-photonics implementation of a continuous-variable quantum key distribution system using Gaussian modulated coherent states, we investigate the performance limit of balanced receivers in the presence of thermal noise, predicting a multi-gigabit/sec secure data rate in 28nm SOI CMOS technologies for monolithic integration.
Knowledge and Truth in Data Science: Theory Without Theory?

Essay contemplation on whether Data Science with its correlation without explanation, in particular without need of cause and effect explanation, normatively ought to be the new scientific method. This essay argues it should. Not only is statistical correlation the next step in scientific progress for its epistemology necessary to deal with the huge amount of information and data that is now available and that will increase as Technological Society progresses, but it also provides a predictive and pragmatic methodology that avoids the illogic and paradoxes of cause and effect and induction. Furthermore, statistical correlation has a potential for allowing morality and ethics to logically and structurally avoid Hume's Guillotine.
Admiral Bill Halsey: A Naval Life. By Thomas Alexander Hughes. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2016. Pp. 483. $35.00.)

One often sees what one has been conditioned to see, regardless of what is actually there. The reviewer assumed the title of this book was “Admiral Bull Halsey” and actually had read quite a bit of...
Nanocrystalline Si Films and Devices Produced Using Chemical Annealing with Helium

We report on growth of nanocrystalline Si:H films and devices using a layer-by-layer growth technique, where the growth of a thin amorphous layer by PECVD is followed by chemical annealing in a Helium plasma. The films and devices were grown using a remote, low pressure ECR plasma process. It was found that the structure of the films grown using the layer-by-layer technique depended critically upon whether the annealing was done with hydrogen or helium, and the time taken to do the annealing. When the annealing was done in a hydrogen plasma, the films remained amorphous; in contrast, when the annealing was done in helium, and the annealing time was increased to 20 seconds from 10 seconds, the films became crystalline. The crystallinity of the films was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The result obtained here shows that it is not necessary to have a high hydrogen dilution to obtain nanocrystalline films. Rather, the amount of hydrogen already present in an amorphous film is enough to cause crystallization, provided that enough ion flux and perhaps energy are available for converting the amorphous structure to a crystalline structure. Proof - of - concept p+nn+ junction devices were fabricated in these chemically annealed materials, and they showed classical nanocrystalline Si solar cell type behavior.
Atrophied Brain Lesion Volume: A New Imaging Biomarker in Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Lesion accrual in multiple sclerosis (MS) is an important and clinically relevant measure, used extensively as an imaging trial endpoint. However, lesions may also shrink or disappear entirely due to atrophy. Although generally ignored or treated as a nuisance, this phenomenon may actually be an important stand-alone imaging biomarker. Therefore, we investigated the rate of brain lesion loss due to atrophy (atrophied lesion volume) in MS subtypes compared to baseline lesion volume and to new and enlarging lesion volumes, and evaluated the independent predictive value of this phenomenon for clinical disability. METHODS A total of 192 patients (18 clinically isolated syndrome, 126 relapsing-remitting MS, and 48 progressive) received 3T magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and 5 years. Lesions were quantified at baseline, and new/enlarging lesion volumes were calculated over the study interval. Atrophied lesion volume was calculated by combining baseline lesion masks with follow-up SIENAX-derived cerebrospinal fluid partial volume maps. Measures were compared between disease subgroups, and correlations with disability change (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS]) were evaluated. Hierarchical regression was employed to determine the unique additive value of atrophied lesion volume. RESULTS Atrophied lesion volume was different between MS subtypes (P = .02), and exceeded new lesion volume accumulation in progressive MS (298.1 vs. 75.5 mm3 ). Atrophied lesion volume was the only significant correlate of EDSS change (r = .192 relapsing, r = .317 progressive, P < .05), and explained significant additional variance when controlling for brain atrophy and new/enlarging lesion volume (R2 .092 vs. .045, P = .003). CONCLUSION Atrophied lesion volume is a unique and clinically relevant imaging marker in MS, with particular promise in progressive MS.
Activation of toxin ADP-ribosyltransferases by eukaryotic ADP-ribosylation factors

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are members of a multigene family of 20-kDa guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that are regulatory components in several pathways of intracellular vesicular trafficking. The relatively small (∼180-amino acids) ARF proteins interact with a variety of molecules (in addition to GTP/GDP, of course). Cholera toxin was the first to be recognized, hence the name. Later it was shown that ARF also activates phospholipase D. Different parts of the molecule are responsible for activation of the two enzymes. In vesicular trafficking, ARF must interact with coatomer to recruit it to a membrane and thereby initiate vesicle budding. ARF function requires that it alternate between GTP- and GDP-bound forms, which involves interaction with regulatory proteins. Inactivation of ARF-GTP depends on a GTPase-activating protein or GAP. A guanine nucleotide-exchange protein or GEP accelerates release of bound GDP from inactive ARF-GDP to permit GTP binding. Inhibition of GEP by brefeldin A (BFA) blocks ARF activation and thereby vesicular transport. In cells, it causes apparent disintegration of Golgi structure. Both BFA-sensitive and insensitive GEPs are known. Sequences of peptides from a BFA-sensitive GEP purified in our laboratory revealed the presence of a Sec7 domain, a sequence of ∼200 amino acids that resembles a region in the yeast Sec7 gene product, which is involved in Golgi vesicular transport. Other proteins of unknown function also contain Sec7 domains, among them a lymphocyte protein called cytohesin-1. To determine whether it had GEP activity, recombinant cytohesin-1 was synthesized in E. coli. It preferentially activated class I ARFs 1 and 3 and was not inhibited by BFA but failed to activate ARF5 (class II). There are now five Sec7 domain proteins known to have GEP activity toward class I ARFs. It remains to be determined whether there are other Sec7 domain proteins that are GEPs for ARFs 4,5, or 6.
The Suboxic Zone of the Black Sea

One of the most fascinating and unexpected discoveries during the US-Turkish Expedition to the Black Sea in 1988 was the detection of a suboxic zone at the oxic-anoxic interface. The suboxic zone was defined as the region where the concentrations of oxygen and sulfide were both extremely low and had no perceptible vertical or horizontal gradients. The suboxic zone is a site of intensive redox cycling of species of sulfur, nitrogen, manganese and iron. Further analysis showed that the features of the vertical profiles occurred on characteristic density surfaces, which means they can be reproducibly sampled. Similar reactions appear to occur in hemipelagic marine sediments but are more difficult to study. In the oxygen minima of the world’s oceans the extent of the redox reactions is less complete, Thus, the Black Sea is a natural laboratory to study these reactions because the complete progression of redox reactions is well resolved on characteristic density surfaces within a suitable depth range for resolution by pump-type sampling. In this paper we review our knowledge of the suboxic zone and present five hypotheses for future study.
Biomarkers in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Making the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) can be challenging. However, with the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of anti-fibrotic therapies for IPF, distinguishing IPF from other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) has become increasingly necessary, as this distinction appreciably modifies patient management. Furthermore, the clinical course of patients with IPF is particularly variable. Currently, clinicians make use of clinical, radiological, and physiologic testing to diagnose IPF, define disease severity, and predict disease progression. Biomarkers are quantifiable biological indicators that can be objectively measured in an accurate and reproducible manner. In diseases such as IPF biomarkers provide the potential for diagnosing disease, predicting and evaluating responses to disease-specific therapies, and accurately estimating disease prognosis. The use of biomarkers in IPF is still in its infancy. In this chapter we review the current IPF biomarker literature and comment on current biomarker strengths and limitations.
Discordance in LVEF Between Nuclear SPECT and Echocardiography in Patients With Moderate Reduction in LVEF

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is vital to manage heart failure (HF). Studies have reported variable correlations for LVEF between echocardiography (ECHO) and single-photon emission comp...
Unsettling evidence: an anticolonial archival approach/reproach to Federal Recognition

Current procedures of Federal Recognition—the “legal acknowledgement” of the sovereign and separate political status of tribal nations by the US government—require tribes to document their history, race, culture, and genealogy, and to submit the evidence for review to the Office of Federal Acknowledgement (OFA), where federal agents sit in critical judgment of the petitioning groups’ identity and tribal status. However, many of the types of evidence required and accepted by the OFA as legitimate and official have been destroyed, or removed, or appropriated from these groups; are held, undisclosed, by the very federal agencies that require their production; or were created by non-Indians or the state itself with a clear intent of Indigenous dispossession. This paper argues that evidence, as currently conceived, used, and legitimated by the OFA, perpetuates settler colonial anxieties and practices of exclusion, racism, appropriation and erasure. Rooted in colonial and legal conceptions of evidence, the Federal Recognition policy fails to consider the contexts, temporalities, histories, and cultures of the petitioning tribes. Applying ethnography of the archive/document ethnography, the paper first examines the role(s) that colonial archives play structurally in the Federal Recognition process, particularly in supporting the ways in which settler colonial thinking permeates and predetermines those processes. Secondly, it investigates ways in which archivists could assist tribes in navigating this convoluted and biased process by formulating and legitimizing anticolonial conceptions of evidence that take into account tribal contexts and practices of creation. Finally, it considers how this conceptual, epistemological and practical shift can lead to a more unified effort to decolonize archival praxis within tribal sovereignty claims and purposes.
Hybrid Flocking Control Algorithm for Fixed-Wing Aircraft

This paper investigates the fixed-wing aircraft flocking problem with nonholonomic constraints, speed limits, conflict avoidance, and the efficient use of airspace taken into account. It is challen...
Effectiveness of Capital Outflow Restrictions

This paper examines the effectiveness of capital outflow restrictions in a sample of 37 emerging market economies during the period 1995-2010, using a panel vector autoregression approach with interaction terms. Specifically, it examines whether a tightening of outflow restrictions helps reduce net capital outflows. We find that such tightening is effective if it is supported by strong macroeconomic fundamentals or good institutions, or if existing restrictions are already fairly comprehensive. When none of these three conditions is fulfilled, a tightening of restrictions fails to reduce net outflows as it provokes a sizeable decline in gross inflows, mainly driven by foreign investors.
The RNA-binding protein SART3 promotes miR-34a biogenesis and G1 cell cycle arrest in lung cancer cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are small, noncoding RNAs that are implicated in the regulation of most biological processes. Global miRNA biogenesis is altered in many cancers, and RNA-binding proteins play a role in miRNA biogenesis, presenting a promising avenue for targeting miRNA dysregulation in diseases. miR-34a exhibits tumor-suppressive activities by targeting cell cycle regulators CDK4/6 and anti-apoptotic factor BCL-2, among other regulatory pathways such as Wnt, TGF-β, and Notch signaling. Many cancers exhibit down-regulation or loss of miR-34a, and synthetic miR-34a supplementation has been shown to inhibit tumor growth in vivo. However, the post-transcriptional mechanisms that cause miR-34a loss in cancer are not entirely understood. Here, using a proteomics-mediated approach in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, we identified squamous cell carcinoma antigen recognized by T-cells 3 (SART3) as a putative pre-miR-34a–binding protein. SART3 is a spliceosome recycling factor and nuclear RNA-binding protein with no previously reported role in miRNA regulation. We found that SART3 binds pre-miR-34a with higher specificity than pre-let-7d (used as a negative control) and elucidated a new functional role for SART3 in NSCLC cells. SART3 overexpression increased miR-34a levels, down-regulated the miR-34a target genes CDK4/6, and caused a cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. In vitro binding experiments revealed that the RNA-recognition motifs within the SART3 sequence are responsible for selective pre-miR-34a binding. Our results provide evidence for a significant role of SART3 in miR-34a biogenesis and cell cycle progression in NSCLC cells.
Risk of Acute Kidney Injury Associated With Medication Administration in the Emergency Department.

Abstract Background Patients who develop acute kidney injury (AKI) have a 2-fold increased risk for major adverse events within 1 year. An estimated 19–26% of all cases of hospital-acquired AKI may be attributable to drug-induced kidney disease (DIKD). Patients evaluated in the emergency department (ED) are often prescribed potentially nephrotoxic drugs, yet the role of ED prescribing in DIKD is unknown. Objective We sought to measure the association between ED medication administration and development of AKI. Methods This was a retrospective 5-year cohort analysis at a single center. Patients with a serum creatinine measurement at presentation in the ED and 24–168 h later were included. Outcome was incidence of AKI as defined by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria in the 7 days after ED evaluation. Medication administration risk was estimated using Cox proportional hazards model. Results There were 46,965 ED encounters by 30,407 patients included in the study, of which 6461 (13.8%) patients met the criteria for AKI. For hospitalized patients, administration of a potentially nephrotoxic medication was associated with increased risk of AKI (hazard ratio [HR] 1.30 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.20–1.41]). Diuretics were associated with the largest risk of AKI (HR 1.64 [95% CI 1.52–1.78]), followed by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (HR 1.39 [95% CI 1.26–1.54]) and antibiotics (HR 1.13 [95% CI 1.05–1.22]). For discharged patients, administration of antibiotics was strongly associated with increased risk of AKI (HR 3.19 [95% CI 1.08–9.43]). Conclusion ED administration of potentially nephrotoxic medications was associated with an increased risk of AKI in the following 7 days. Diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and antibiotics were independently associated with increased risk of AKI. Nephroprotective practices in the ED may mitigate kidney injury and long-term adverse outcomes.
Maternal contributions to gastrulation in zebrafish

Gastrulation is a critical early morphogenetic process of animal development, during which the three germ layers; mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm, are rearranged by internalization movements. Concurrent epiboly movements spread and thin the germ layers while convergence and extension movements shape them into an anteroposteriorly elongated body with head, trunk, tail and organ rudiments. In zebrafish, gastrulation follows the proliferative and inductive events that establish the embryonic and extraembryonic tissues and the embryonic axis. Specification of these tissues and embryonic axes are controlled by the maternal gene products deposited in the egg. These early maternally controlled processes need to generate sufficient cell numbers and establish the embryonic polarity to ensure normal gastrulation. Subsequently, after activation of the zygotic genome, the zygotic gene products govern mesoderm and endoderm induction and germ layer patterning. Gastrulation is initiated during the maternal-to-zygotic transition, a process that entails both activation of the zygotic genome and downregulation of the maternal transcripts. Genomic studies indicate that gastrulation is largely controlled by the zygotic genome. Nonetheless, genetic studies that investigate the relative contributions of maternal and zygotic gene function by comparing zygotic, maternal and maternal zygotic mutant phenotypes, reveal significant contribution of maternal gene products, transcripts and/or proteins, that persist through gastrulation, to the control of gastrulation movements. Therefore, in zebrafish, the maternally expressed gene products not only set the stage for, but they also actively participate in gastrulation morphogenesis.
Financial Reporting Consequences of CEOs’ Early-life Exposure to Disasters and Violent Crime

Understanding the behavior of chief executive officers (CEOs) enables investors, regulators, and others to better appreciate the corporate decisions a CEO makes. Among the many aspects that determine CEO behavior are early-life experiences, we examine whether a CEO’s exposure to two important events — fatal natural disasters and violent crime — during the individual’s formative years is associated with the firm’s financial reporting quality. We provide evidence of a non-monotonic association between early-life exposures to such events and financial reporting outcomes. When a CEO has moderate levels of early-life exposure to deaths associated with natural disasters or to violent crimes, financial reporting quality is lower, consistent with the CEO being over-confident in dealing with risk. However, as exposure increases to extreme levels, the CEO becomes more aware of the risk effect and, as a result, more careful about decisions that could elevate the firm’s risk; thus, we find evidence of higher financial reporting quality.