cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Availability of personal protective equipment and infection prevention supplies during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic: A national study by the APIC COVID-19 task force.

Background SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease was first discovered in China in December, 2019. The disease quickly spread globally, with the first US case identified in January, 2020; it was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Soon after, anecdotal reports indicated that many US hospitals and healthcare facilities were running low on personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies. Methods An online survey was administered to all Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology members in March, 2020 to assess access to PPE, hand hygiene products, and disinfection supplies. Results In all, 1,201 infection preventionists participated. Participants reported running a bit low to almost being out of all PPE types. More had sufficient gloves (63.4%) compared to all other PPE types (P Conclusions Many US healthcare facilities had very low amounts of PPE, hand hygiene products, and disinfection supplies early on during the pandemic. A lack of these supplies can lead to occupational exposures and illness as well as healthcare-associated transmission of COVID-19 and other diseases.
Electrochemical disinfection of irrigation water with a graphite electrode flow cell.

In this work, we report experimental studies on the disinfection of irrigation water using a flow cell assembled with low-cost graphite plates as both anode and cathode. Natural irrigation waters collected from two irrigation locations (Reservoir 225 and Bott Well Pond) in Hawaii were used, and synthetic irrigation waters were prepared based on the chemical analysis of natural irrigation waters. The concentration of chloride was 10.2 mg/L in the synthetic Reservoir 225 water and 6.9 mg/L in the synthetic Bott Well pond water. Escherichia coli K12 ER2738 was selected as a model bacterium to evaluate the disinfection capability of the flow cell. Experiments performed in the synthetic irrigation waters showed that E. coli was inactivated by free chlorine species electro-generated from oxidation of chloride ions at the graphite anode. Complete removal of E. coli was achieved within 10 min in the synthetic irrigation waters. The disinfection of the natural irrigation waters took about four times longer than the disinfection of the synthetic irrigation waters. This result is most likely due to the presence of organic matter (and possibly other oxidizable species) in the natural irrigation waters. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Electrochemical flow cell disinfects to 99.9% with commercial graphite electrodes. E. coli is removed in 10 min from synthetic irrigation water by a flow cell. E. coli removal takes 4× longer in natural irrigation water. A minimum current density of ≥1 mA/cm2 is required for disinfection. The primary disinfection mechanism is through chlorine generated from chloride ions.
Volitional tank spawning of domestic striped bass (Morone saxatilis) using human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa)- induced ‘pace-setting’ females

Abstract Seventy-one tank spawning trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of exogenous hormone compounds and a novel “pace-set” strategy for inducing volitional tank spawning behavior in 5th generation domestic striped bass. Female fish (4.74 ± 0.73 kg; mean ± standard deviation) were treated with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 29 trials), gonadotropin releasing hormone analog (GnRHa; 39 trials) or received no hormone treatment (control; 3 trials). Spawning trials were conducted using single females placed in spawning tanks with two (12 trials) or three (38 trials) males or with paired females placed in spawning tanks with three (4 trials) males. Significant differences in egg production, fry production, hatching rate, and fry/kg female body weight were generally not observed between exogenous hormone treatment groups (alpha = 0.05), with the exception of egg production differing between paired females spawning with three males (Student's t-test, p = 0.0255). However, a trend suggesting that increasing the number of males or females within the tanks improves yield of larvae (fry/kg female body weight) was observed. The untreated control females failed to spawn within 7 days. The pace-set spawning was conducted whereby one female treated with either hCG (7 trials) or GnRHa (7 trials) was placed in a spawning tank with one untreated female and multiple males. The results of these trials show for the first time that a hormone-induced female striped bass can be used to stimulate successful volitional spawning of an untreated female in the same tank with fry/kg female body weight production similar to that of hormone-treated fish. Microsatellite-based parentage of select tank spawns and four additional trials conducted with an increased number of males (19 trials total) showed that female striped bass typically spawn with at least two males; a single pair mating was only observed for one spawning trial. These data allowed for the determination of effective broodstock size (Nb) of each tank spawning trial at between 2.00 and 5.60 when considering all male contributions. The Nb generally increased as the number of males and female fish in the tank increased (from 2.53 for one female and two males to 5.52 for two females and six males). These results indicate that domestic striped bass are promiscuous and will generally reproduce in captivity using tank spawning procedures that allow for a high level of genetic diversity to be retained among the offspring. The pace-set method reduces hormone use and may be applied to commercial striped bass production as well as captive spawning of other fish species.
Elucidating dynamics and regulation of alternative splicing in osteogenic differentiation

Nearly all human multi-exonic genes undergo alternative splicing (AS) via regulation by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), but few studies have examined the temporal dynamics of AS and its regulation during cell differentiation in the bone niche. We sought to evaluate how AS, under the control of RBPs, affects cell fate commitment during induced osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived multipotent stem/stromal progenitor cells (MSPCs). We generated a time-course RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) dataset representative of induced MSPC differentiation to osteoblasts. Our analysis revealed widespread AS changes, coordinated with differential RBP expression, at multiple time points, including many AS changes in non-differentially expressed genes. We also developed a computational approach to profile the dynamics and regulation of AS by RBPs using time-course RNA-seq data, by combining temporal patterns of exon skipping and RBP expression with RBP binding sites in the vicinity of regulated exons. In total we identified nine RBPs as potential key splicing regulators during MSPC osteogenic differentiation. Perturbation of one candidate, KHDRBS3, inhibited osteogenesis and bone formation in vitro, validating our computational prediction of "driver" RBPs. Overall, our work highlights a high degree of complexity in the splicing regulation of MSPC osteogenic differentiation. Our computational approach may be applied to other time-course data to explore dynamic AS changes and associated regulatory mechanisms in other biological processes or disease trajectories.
Mental Health Considerations in Football

There are growing concerns of the prevalence and understanding of mental illness in young adults in the United States. Participation in football does not offer the student-athlete immunity from this fact, and in some circumstances, participation in football may trigger or exacerbate a present psychological concern. With the continuing rise of mental illness in the demographics found in student-athletes, the appreciation on this growing prevalence of mental health concerns in football players by athletic trainers and team physicians is vital. Athletic trainers and team physicians should enhance their skills in recognizing and referring football players with mental health concerns. Understanding and understanding the mental health impact of injuries to football players is an important component in providing holistic care.
Hyperscroll dynamics: Vortices in four-dimensional networks.

We investigate a network of excitable nodes diffusively coupled to their neighbors along four orthogonal directions. This regular network effectively forms a four-dimensional reaction–diffusion system and has rotating wave solutions. We analyze some of the general features of these hyperscroll waves, which rotate around surfaces such as planes, spheres, or tori. The surfaces evolve according to local curvatures and a system-specific surface tension. They have associated local phases and phase gradients tend to decrease over time. We also discuss the robustness of these network states against the removal of random node connections and report an example of hyperscroll turbulence.
Special Issue: Dark Sides of Digitalization

The digitalization1 1 Digitalization and digitization are two conceptually overlapping terms with some nuanced differences. Digitization refers to the process of converting analog streams of inform...
Decreasing the Use of Sentinel Lymph Node Surgery in Women Older than 70 Years with Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer and the Impact on Adjuvant Radiation and Hormonal Therapy

BACKGROUND In 2016, SSO Choosing Wisely guidelines recommended against routine sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery in women ≥ 70 with HR+ cN0 breast cancer. Following this, we identified a group of women at low-risk of nodal positivity where SLN may be omitted (grade 1, cT1mi-T1c, or grade 2, cT1mi-T1b). This study evaluates the impact of these changes on our practice. METHODS Retrospective chart review of women aged ≥ 70 years with HR+ cN0 breast cancer at our institution from 2010 to 2020. We compared SLN use before (2010-2016)/after (2017-2020) guideline release according to clinical risk and the association with adjuvant therapy. RESULTS A total of 1015 breast cancers in 987 women identified. SLN surgery rate significantly decreased from 90.6% (2010-2016) to 62.8% in 2020 (p < 0.001). This was driven by breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with SLN rates of 88.2% (2010-2016) and 46.7% in 2020. During 2017-2020, SLN use varied by risk within BCS patients: 52.2% low-risk, 81.9% higher-risk, p < 0.001. In contrast, in mastectomy patients SLN was performed in ≥ 98% regardless of risk level. SLN positivity was 13.4% overall: 7.4% in low-risk and 20.8% in higher-risk, p < 0.001. After adjusting for age and clinical risk, SLN use was not associated with adjuvant radiation [odds ratio (OR) 1.61, p = 0.11] or endocrine therapy (OR 1.12, p = 0.71). CONCLUSIONS The Society of Surgical Oncology guideline release, followed by implementation of a clinical tool to stratify by nodal risk, was associated with decreased SLN use in women aged ≥ 70 years, in those with clinically low-risk HR+ disease surgically treated with BCS. Adjusting for confounders, omission of SLN surgery was not associated with use of subsequent adjuvant radiation or hormonal therapy.
Induction therapy is not associated with improved survival in large cT4N0 non-small cell lung cancers.

Abstract Background The 8th edition staging for non-small cell lung cancer reclassified tumors >7 cm as stage IIIA (T4N0); previously, such tumors without nodal disease were considered stage IIB (T3N0). This study tested the hypothesis that induction chemotherapy for these stage IIIA patients does not improve survival compared to primary surgery. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried for non-small cell lung cancer patients with tumor size >7 cm who underwent surgical resection from 2010 - 2015. Patients with clinically node-positive disease or tumor invasion of major structures were excluded. Patients undergoing induction chemotherapy followed by surgery (IC) were compared to patients undergoing primary surgery (PS). Propensity-score matching was performed. Results In total, 1,610 patients with cT4N0 disease based on tumor size >7 cm and no tumor invasion underwent surgical resection: 1,346 (83.6%) comprised the PS group and 264 (16.4%) the IC group. After propensity-score matching, IC had a higher rate of pN0 (78.4% vs 66.0%, p Conclusions Patients with cT4N0 non-small cell lung cancer based on tumor size >7 cm and no tumor invasion of major structures have similar overall survival with either IC or PS. IC should not be routinely given for this subset of stage IIIA patients.
Characterizing the CH3SSCH3–Au(111) System From Single Molecules To Full Surface Coverage: A Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Study

The adsorption process of dimethyl disulfide onto the Au(111) surface was resolved with subnanometer resolution at temperatures below 130 K. We report two temperature dependent adsorption studies t...
Time dependent zero valent iron oxidation and the reductive removal of pertechnetate at variable pH

Abstract Elemental iron Fe0 is a promising reductant for removal of radioactive technetium-99 (Tc) from complex aqueous waste streams that contain sulfate, halides, and other inorganic anions generated during processing of legacy radioactive waste. The impact of sulfate on the kinetics of oxidation and reduction capacity of Fe0 in the presence of Tc has not been examined. We investigated the oxidative transformation of Fe0 and reductive removal of TcO4- in 0.1 M Na2SO4 as a function of initial pH (i.e., pHi 4, 7, and 10) under aerobic conditions up to 30 days. Tc reduction was the fastest at pHi 7 and slowest at pHi 10 (Tc reduction rate pHi 7 > 4 > 10). Aqueous fraction of Tc was measured at 0.4% at pHi 7 within 6 h, whereas ≥ 97% of Tc was removed from solutions at pHi of 4 and 10 within 24 h. Solid phase characterization showed that magnetite was the only oxidized crystalline phase for the first 6 h regardless of initial pH. Lepidocrocite was the most abundant oxidized product for pHi 10 after 5 days, but was not observed at pH of 4 or 7.
A Narrow Band Model Based on the Absorption Coefficient and its Application to the Calculation of Radiative Transfer in One-Dimensional Enclosures

Abstract A narrow band model (NBM) with the absorption coefficient as the fundamental radiative property is investigated so that numerical solution methods compatible with the differential form of the radiative transfer equation (RTE) may be employed. The advantage of a NBM based on the absorption coefficient rather than the transmissivity is that the expression for the mean absorption coefficient is independent of the functional form of the probability density function for spectral line intensities, P(S). Accordingly, it is seen that the narrow-band mean absorption coefficient κ ¯ η = S ¯ d , where S ¯ and d are the mean line intensity and mean line spacing, respectively, of a narrow band. The mean absorption coefficient κ ¯ η may be directly used in solving the differential RTE without having to specify a path length. Two approaches were considered for obtaining the ratio of S ¯ and d. The first, referred to here as NBM with EM2C data, involves using S ¯ d values tabulated in the EM2C narrow-band property database. In the second approach, denoted as NBM with spectral averaging, κ ¯ η is evaluated by directly averaging the line-by-line absorption coefficients over the narrow band. Accuracy of the two NBM approaches is investigated through comparison with three other methods for calculating spectral radiative properties: (1) line-by-line (LBL) calculations that serve as the benchmark, with the spectral absorption coefficients obtained from the HITEMP 2010 database, (2) spectral line-based weighted sum of gray gases (SLW) method, and (3) wavenumber-selective line-by-line (WS-LBL) calculations wherein the absorption coefficients are directly picked from the LBL spectrum at discrete wavenumbers separated by an interval equal to the width of the narrow band. The five spectral approaches – NBM with EM2C data, NBM with spectral averaging, LBL, SLW, and WS-LBL – are applied to compute the radiative fluxes and flux divergences in a number of 1-D, non-gray enclosures. The enclosure cases were chosen to study the effects of medium optical depth, as well as inhomogeneities in medium temperature and species concentrations, on the accuracy of the narrow band models.
Anomalous Dispersion of the Electronic Kerr Effect n2

Measurements of the bound electronic nonlinear refractive index n2, using picosecond DFWM and beam distortion, show a region of anomalous dispersion where n2 eventually turns negative between the two-photon absorption edge and the fundamental edge.
The Misdirection of Current Corporate Governance Proposals

This written testimony accompanied Professor J.W. Verret's oral testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Development. This testimony argues that corporate governance reforms under consideration in the Senate, including the Shareholder Bill of Rights, will work to limit shareholder choice in corporate elections and risk undermining the role of states in corporate governance.
Mathematical Foundations of Classical Variational Theory

Near the end of the eighteenth century, Lagrange observed that a function u*(x) ∈ C 0 1 [0,1] which minimizes the functional K: C 0 1 [0,1] → ℝ given by $$ {\text{K}}\left( {\text{u}} \right) = \int_0^1 {{\text{F}}\left( {{\text{x,u}}\left( {\text{x}} \right),{\text{u'}}\left( {\text{x}} \right)} \right){\text{dx}}} $$ where u′ = du/dx, also makes the bivariate functional δK(u,η) vanish, where $$ \delta {\text{K}}\left( {{\text{u,}}\,\eta } \right) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{\alpha \to 0} \frac{{\partial {\text{K}}\left( {{\text{u}}\,\,{\text{ + }}\,\,\alpha \eta } \right)}}{{\partial \alpha }} $$ $$ \,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\, = \int_0^1 {\left( {\frac{{\left( {\partial {\text{F}}\left( {{\text{x}},\,\,{\text{u,}}\,\,{\text{u'}}} \right)} \right.}}{{\partial {\text{u}}}}\eta \,\, + \,\,\frac{{\partial {\text{F}}\left( {{\text{x,}}\,\,{\text{u,}}\,\,{\text{u'}}} \right)}}{{\partial {\text{u'}}}}\eta '} \right)} {\text{dx}} $$ and η is an arbitrary element in C 0 1 [0,l]. Here C 0 1 [0,l] is the linear space of functions continuously differentiable on the interval [O,1] and which vanish at 0 and 1, F: ℝ3 → ℝ has continuous partial derivatives of order ≥ 2 with respect to each argument (ℝ is the real line and ℝ3 = ℝ x ℝ x ℝ), and α ∈ ℝ.
Simplicidad en tiempos complejos: seis principios para enseñar a los talentosos

The world has become increasingly complex. Curriculum methods for the gifted are likewise. Extracted from these seminal and ongoing curriculum approaches are six rules based on best practices and research from our field, which can be grasped easily and applied by teachers anywhere. When teachers work from a set of principles they can adapt to needs of students and support growth, regardless of context. Using principles strengthens teaching and supports gifted students, and perhaps all students. The six principles include: a) focus on unique pattern of strengths, b) group students by interests or abilities at least part of the time, c) move as far and as fast in the basic skills as possible, d) enrich individual interests, e) offer mediation, counseling, mentoring and facilitation, and f) provide the tools for life-long learning.
X-ray photoemission measurements of La1-xCaxCoO3 (x=0, 0.5).

X-ray photoemission measurements of the core levels and valence electronic structure of LaCoO3 and La(0.5)Ca(0.5)CoO3 high quality epitaxial films are presented. Shifts of the core levels and main valence band features are consistent with a doping-induced change in the chemical potential. Oxygen states are found to significantly contribute to a peak in the valence band at 1 eV binding energy, verifying earlier results of cluster calculations. A Fermi level crossing of this same band upon doping is observed, yielding a high Fermi level density of states.
The Silent Language

Leading anthropologist Edward Hall analyzes the many aspects of non-verbal communication amd considers the concepts of space and time as tools for transmission of messages in this fascinating study. The Silent Language is a work of interest to both the intelligent general reader and the sophisticated social scientist.
Coherent light-driven electron transport through polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon: laser frequency, field intensity, and polarization angle dependence.

A laser field is a potential control tool for operating ultrafast electronic devices due to a wide variety of options such as field strength, frequency, and polarization. To investigate these variables upon electron transport through a single-molecule device, we simulate a phenyl-acetylene macrocycle (PAM) within a linear-polarized laser field using single-particle Green's functions combined with the non-Hermitian Floquet theory. In the absence of the laser field, the PAM behaves as a perfect insulator due to destructive quantum interference. In the weak-field regime, field-amplitude power laws for one-, two-, and three-photon assisted tunneling are evident in the computational results. The study reveals a range of experimentally feasible field strengths for the observation of picoampere current caused by photon assisted tunneling. In addition, we find that the light-driven current is proportional to the cosine square of the polarization angle, and molecular electronic structure is revealed by the current-frequency characteristics. The origin of these behaviors is established using non-Hermitian Floquet perturbation analysis. The computations show that PAM-based optoelectronic switches have robust large on–off switching ratios under weak-field operating conditions, which are not sensitive to asymmetric molecule-lead couplings.
RIPARIAN VEGETATION COMMUNITIES OF THE AMERICAN PACIFIC NORTHWEST ARE TIED TO MULTI-SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL FILTERS †

Riparia surrounding low-order streams are dynamic environments that often support distinct biodiversity. Because of their connection to nearby uplands, riparian vegetation communities at these streams respond to many environmental filters—climatic, physical, chemical or biotic factors —that restrict what species can occur at a given location from within larger regional species pools. In this study, we examined how environmental filters originating atthelandscape, watershedandreachscales correspondtoriparianplantcommunity compositionacross the interior Columbiaand upper Missouri River basins, USA. We correlated riparian vegetation to environmental filters, identified unique communities and partitioned the variance within riparian vegetation data among filters originating at different scales. Riparian vegetation composition was strongly correlated to landscape-scale filters including elevation, precipitation and temperature. Watershed-scale filters such as grazing and reach filters indicative of fluvial setting were also correlated to vegetation composition, often differentiating communities with similar landscape settings. We identified 10 distinct vegetation communities. Forested communities occurred at higher elevation, moderate gradient reaches with high mean annual precipitation. Shrub–forb systems corresponded to fluvial and watershed disturbances and occurred within climates that could preclude forest establishment. Meadows corresponded to high water tables and/or high grazing activity. Variance partitioning showed that landscape-scale filters explained the most variance within vegetation communities. Global change will alter many of the environmental filters that drive vegetation. Vegetation change may occur rapidly if local filters (e.g. fluvial process) change rapidly or may occur more slowly if larger-order filters (e.g. climate) change slowly and without influencing local hydrogeomorphic filters. By identifying filter–vegetation relationships at large spatial scales, hypotheses can be constructed on how riparian vegetation communities may change under future environmental conditions. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Mechanism of S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine- and S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-homocysteine-induced renal mitochondrial toxicity

The mechanism by which the nephrotoxic S-conjugates S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (DCVC) and S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-homocysteine (DCVHC) produce toxicity in rat kidney mitochondria was studied by examining their effects on mitochondrial function, structural integrity, and metabolism. Both S-conjugates inhibited succinate-linked state 3 respiration and impaired the ability of mitochondria to retain Ca2+ and to generate a membrane potential; 30-60 min were required for maximal expression of these functional changes. Mitochondrial structure was damaged, as indicated by enhanced polyethylene glycol-induced shrinkage of matrix volume and by leakage of protein and malic dehydrogenase from the matrix; 60-120 min were required for maximal expression of these structural changes. Much shorter incubation times (15-30 min) were required for DCVC and DCVHC to decrease ATP concentrations, to alter the concentrations of several citric acid cycle intermediates, and to inhibit succinate:cytochrome c oxidoreductase and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities. Lipid peroxidation and oxidation of glutathione to glutathione disulfide also occurred. The relative time courses of these pathological changes indicate that the initial effects of DCVC and DCVHC in renal mitochondria are the inhibition of energy metabolism and the oxidation of glutathione. These changes then lead to alterations in mitochondrial function and ultimately to irreversible damage to mitochondrial structure.
Oil Price Shocks and the U.S. Stagflation of the 1970s: Some Insights from GEM

Using a variant of the IMF's Global Economy Model (GEM), featuring energy as both an intermediate input into production and a final consumption good, this paper examines the macroeconomic implications of large increases in the price of energy. Within a fully optimizing framework with nominal and real rigidities arising from costly adjustment, large increases in energy prices can generate inflation persistence similar to that seen in the 1970s if the monetary authority misperceives the economy's supply capacity and workers are able to temporarily resist some of the erosion in their real consumption wages resulting from the energy price increase. In the absence of these two responses, the model suggests that energy price shocks cannot generate the type of stagflation witnessed in the 1970s. The analysis goes some way toward reconciling the results found in the empirical literature on the changing nature of the macroeconomic implications of oil price shocks.
Higher Education and the Negotiated Process of Hegemony Embedded Resistance among Mormon Women

This article examines how 20 female college students who identified as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) negotiated its gender ideology to legitimate their educational goals. The young LDS women creatively employed equality, professionalism, and essentialist discourses to craft a coherent identity as a “good LDS woman” that incorporated their pursuit of higher education. Beyond providing an in-depth look at how college-age LDS women “do gender,” the analysis informs our understanding of the persistence of women's participation in patriarchal religious institutions, the process of women's resistance, and women's role in the negotiated process of hegemony. The authors argue that while women embrace the LDS gender ideology of womanhood, their pursuit of higher education is a form of resistance—embedded resistance—often neglected by scholars. The findings suggest the importance of nomos and meaning in understanding women's participation in and manipulation of patriarchal religio...
Characterization of antigen-antibody complexes by size-exclusion chromatography coupled with low-angle light-scattering photometry and viscometry

In this paper, the molecular masses (M(r)s) of the complexes of monoclonal anti-BSA (antibody to bovine serum albumin) (clone: 33) and monomer BSA were determined on-line by using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled with a low-angle laser light-scattering (LALLS) detector and two concentration detectors, ultraviolet (UV) and refractive index (RI) (SEC-LALLS/UV/RI system). Also, the size and M(r)s of the complexes were evaluated by the SEC-LALLS/UV/viscometer (VISC) system. This study demonstrated that, for small size macromolecules, the combination of light scattering and viscosity detection was a suitable choice for determining their M(r)s and sizes.
Impact of metformin, oral contraceptives, and lifestyle modification on polycystic ovary syndrome in obese adolescent women: do we need a new drug?

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) presents in adolescence and obesity is a common finding. The benefits and risks of alternate approaches to the management of PCOS in obese adolescent women are not clear. Objective: We investigated the effects of metformin oral contraceptives (OCs) and/or lifestyle modification in obese adolescent women with PCOS. Design: Two small randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials were performed. Patients and Participants: A total of 79 obese adolescent women with PCOS participated. Interventions: In the single treatment trial subjects were randomized to metformin placebo a lifestyle modification program or OC. In the combined treatment trial all subjects received lifestyle modification and OC and were randomized to metformin or placebo. Main Outcome Measures: Serum concentrations of androgens and lipids were measured. Results: Lifestyle modification alone resulted in a 59% reduction in free androgen index with a 122% increase in SHBG. OC resulted ina significant decrease in total testosterone (44%) and free androgen index (86%) but also resulted in an increase in C-reactive protein (39.7%) and cholesterol (14%). The combination of lifestyle modification OC and metformin resulted in a 55% decrease in total testosterone as compared to 33% with combined treatment and placebo a 4% reduction in waist circumference and a significant increase in HDL (46%). Conclusions: In these preliminary trials both lifestyle modification and OCs significantly reduce androgens and increase SHBG in obese adolescents with PCOS. Metformin in combination with lifestyle modification and OC reduces central adiposity reduces total testosterone and increases HDL but does not enhance overall weight reduction.
Role of carboxylesterase 1 and impact of natural genetic variants on the hydrolysis of trandolapril

Abstract Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) and carboxylesterase 2 (CES2) are the major hydrolytic enzymes responsible for the metabolism of numerous therapeutic agents as well as endogenous substrates. CES1 and CES2 differ distinctly in their substrate specificity and tissue distribution. In this study, we investigated the role of CES1 and CES2 in converting the antihypertensive prodrug trandolapril to its more active form trandolaprilat, and determined the influence of two newly identified CES1 mutations p.Gly143Glu and p.Asp260fs on trandolapril metabolism. Western blot analysis demonstrated that CES1 is expressed in human liver microsomes (HLM) but not in human intestinal microsomes (HIM). In vitro incubation studies were conducted to contrast the enzymatic activity of HLM as well as HIM upon trandolapril hydrolysis. Trandolapril was rapidly hydrolyzed to its principal active metabolite trandolaprilat after incubation with HLM. In contrast, in HIM, where CES2 is predominantly expressed, incubations did not produce any detectable trandolapril hydrolysis. Furthermore, hydrolysis of trandolapril catalyzed by wild type (WT) and mutant CES1 were assessed utilizing transfected Flp-In-293™ cells stably expressing WT CES1 and two variants. WT CES1 efficiently hydrolyzed trandolapril to trandolaprilat with Vmax and Km values of 103.6 ± 2.2 nmole/min/mg protein and 639.9 ± 32.9 μM, respectively. However, no appreciable trandolapril hydrolysis could be found after incubation with both p.Gly143Glu and p.Asp260fs variants. Thus, trandolapril appears to be a CES1 selective substrate while CES2 exerts little to no catalytic activity towards this compound. CES1 mutations p.Gly143Glu and p.Asp260fs are essentially dysfunctional enzymes with regard to the conversion of trandolapril to its more active metabolite trandolaprilat.
Virulence of Streptococcus mutans: An Antibiotic-Suppressed Rat Model for Studies of Pathogenesis

A simple and effective method of antibiotic suppression of the total indigenous microbial flora of rat dams and their offspring has been developed. This method allowed more effective challenge and subsequent colonization of wean-ling rat pups with a test Streptococcus mutans, since S mutans 6715 was isolated from 95% of the treated rats and only 50% of the non-treated offspring following challenge with a single inoculum of this test microorganism.
The whole chain.

A commercial port town on the East China Sea, a bustling manufacturing city in Ireland, and a scenic city on the Mediterranean coast—what ties together these regions and their people, economies, and environments? They could be part of a product's supply chain. Because the global economy rests on the maintenance of such chains, there needs to be a shift in perspective, from considering supply chains as isolated parts to optimizing them as sustainable wholes. The good news is that academia, industry, government, and civil society organizations recognize this and are seeking ways to work together to achieve sustainability across supply chains.
Multidisciplinary Management of Esophageal Cancer

This article reviews the current management of esophageal cancer, including staging and treatment options, as well as providing support for using multidisciplinary teams to better manage esophageal cancer patients.
Hopelessness in undergraduate students around the world: A review

A search was made for all studies which administered the Beck Hopelessness Scale to undergraduate students. Sixty-one studies were found for the United States and 28 for other countries. The mean scores of American students on the Hopelessness Scale were significantly lower than those of students in other nations, and there was a small but significant trend for the hopeless scores of American students to have increased from 1978 to 2010.
Diaryldimethylpiperazine ligands with μ- and δ-opioid receptor affinity: Synthesis of (+)-4-[(αR)-α-(4-allyl-(2S, 5S)-dimethylpiperazin-1-yl)-(3-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]- N-ethyl-N-phenylbenzamide and (-)-4-[(αR)-α-(2S, 5S)-dimethylpiperazin-1-yl)-(3-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-N-ethyl-N -phenylbenzamide

We have explored the synthesis of compounds that have good affinity for both mu- and delta-opioid receptors from the (alphaR,2S,5S) class of diaryldimethylpiperazines. These non-selective compounds were related to opioids that have been found to interact selectively with mu- or delta-opioid receptors as agonists or antagonists. In our initial survey, we found two compounds, (+)-4-[(alphaR)-alpha-(4-allyl-(2S,5S)-dimethylpiperazin-1-yl)-(3-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-N-ethyl-N-phenylbenzamide (14) and its N-H relative, (-)-4-[(alphaR)-alpha-(2S,5S)-dimethylpiperazin-1-yl)-(3-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-N-ethyl-N-phenylbenzamide (15), that interacted with delta-receptors with good affinity, and, as we hoped, with much higher affinity at mu-receptors than SNC80. The relative configuration of the benzylic position in (+)-4-[(alphaR)-alpha-(4-allyl-(2S,5S)-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-(3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-benzyl alcohol (10) was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis of a crystal that was an unresolved twin. The absolute stereochemistry of that benzylic stereogenic center was unequivocally derived by the X-ray crystallographic analysis from the two other centers of asymmetry in the molecule that were known. Those were established from the synthesis via a dipeptide cyclo-L-Ala-L-Ala in which the absolute stereochemistry was established.
The solution of mildly singular integral equation of the first kind on a disk

We consider the equations $$\int_{\left| y \right| \leqslant 1} {\frac{{F(y)}}{{\left| {x - y} \right|^\lambda }} dy = G(x)(\left| x \right| \leqslant 1)} $$ where x and y ∈ Ep, p ≥ 3 and λ < p. For λ ∈ (p-2,p) we show that this equation has at most one integrable solution which if G is twice differentiable actually exists and is, in fact, given by an explicit formula in terms of integral operators acting on G and its derivatives. When λ ≤ p-2 and λ ≠ −2j (j=0,1,⋯) the equation also has at most one integrable solution for which, assuming it to exist and G to be sufficiently smooth, there also is an explicit formula; in this situation, though, the explicit formula does not usually provide an integrable solution, because, in general, such solutions do not exists when λ ≤ p-2 and λ ≠ −2j (j=0,1,⋯), no matter how smooth G is. In the remaining case λ = −2j (j=0,1,⋯), neither uniqueness nor existence holds for solutions of the equation.
Meal patterns and glucoprivic feeding in the guanethidine-sympathectomized, adrenodemedullated rat☆

The feeding behavior of rats sympathectomized by neonatal administration of guanethidine (GUA) and/or adult adrenal demedullation (MDL) was investigated. GUA treatment tended to decrease body weight gain and food intake, chiefly by decreasing meal size and increasing satiety ratios. It also attenuated the increase in food intake caused by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG; 150, 300, 450 mg/kg, IP) but not by insulin (3, 6, 9 U/kg, IP). MDL altered meal patterns in the same manner as GUA treatment but the effects were of smaller magnitude. It did not influence the response to either glucoprivic challenge. Combined GUA treatment and MDL generally produced additive effects. These results suggest that the major sympathetic influence on feeding is through adrenergic innervation and not circulating catecholamines. The hypothesis that the alteration in feeding patterns produced by ventromedial hypothalamic lesions is due to decreased sympathetic activity was not supported.
Humor works: communication style and humor functions in manager/subordinate relationships

This study explored humor production and communicator style within the dyadic communicative relationship between organizational managers and subordinates. Research questions considered positive, expressive, and negative humor functions and manager‐subordinate relational style, communication style, sex, and dyad characteristics. Results indicated that both organizational managers and subordinates report using conversational humor, mostly positive and expressive humor. Results also indicate communicator image, dominant or affiliative communication style, and sex are related to the type of conversational humor initiated by organizational managers and subordinates. It appears that organizational power/dominance and sex are better predictors of humor usage than other characteristics. Overall, results suggest that relational factors, such as one's humor, may be important to the enactment of organizational citizenship behaviors among subordinates.
Use of midazolam in the treatment of refractory status epilepticus

Status epilepticus is an epileptic seizure that lasts at least 30 minutes or is repeated at sufficiently brief intervals to produce a continued epileptic condition lasting a total of 30 minutes without the patient fully regaining consciousness. Various combinations of anticonvulsant agents, including benzodiazepines, phenytoin, and phenobarbital, have been used to manage this condition. However, at least 9% of patients with generalized convulsive status epilepticus do not respond to conventional first-line agents, and additional intervention is required. Refractory status epilepticus refers to sustained seizures that do not respond to initial drug therapy and persist longer than 60 minutes. Reports on the response to first- and second-line agents suggest that the incidence of refractory status epilepticus is between 2000 and 6000 cases per year in the United States. Refractory status epilepticus is a major medical and neurologic emergency that requires immediate treatment to avoid significant morbidity and mortality. The anticonvulsive agent midazolam has proved to be effective, well tolerated, and fast acting when used to treat refractory status epilepticus in both adults and children. Its pharmacodynamic effects can be seen within 1 to 5 minutes of administration, and its anticonvulsive effects are apparent as early as 5 to 15 minutes after administration. This article reviews the pharmacology of midazolam and recent clinical reports on the drug's tolerability and effectiveness in the treatment of patients with refractory status epilepticus.
Examining individual and collective level mathematical progress

A challenge in mathematics education research is to coordinate different analyses to develop a more comprehensive account of teaching and learning. We contribute to these efforts by expanding the constructs in Cobb and Yackel’s (Educational Psychologist 31:175–190, 1996) interpretive framework that allow for coordinating social and individual perspectives. This expansion involves four different constructs: disciplinary practices, classroom mathematical practices, individual participation in mathematical activity, and mathematical conceptions that individuals bring to bear in their mathematical work. We illustrate these four constructs for making sense of students’ mathematical progress using data from an undergraduate mathematics course in linear algebra.
The Effects of Manufacturer Disclosure on Consumer Perceptions of Private Brand Grocery Product Attributes

New food label disclosures are frequently proposed. One such proposal, the identification of manufacturer or packer of private label food items, has potentially far-reaching effects upon food choice decision making and ultimately upon the cost and availability of private label food products. This experimental study examined consumer perceptions of private brand grocery product attributes before and after manufacturer disclosure. Attribute evaluation scores from the experiment were compared against each other and against a control group. Subjects appeared to be influenced by the information, but the effects varied by product and by attribute. The overall impact of mandatory manufacturer disclosure should be carefully weighed against the consumer's right to know. Much more needs to be known about consumer use of this information before implementing this requirement.
Challenges inherent to t'ai chi research: part I--t'ai chi as a complex multicomponent intervention

ABSTRACT In this, the first of 2 companion papers, we present a framework for viewing t'ai chi as a complex, multicomponent intervention that integrates numerous physical, cognitive, and ritualistic components. We discuss how the richness and complexity of t'ai chi poses challenges related to the traditional distinction between specific versus nonspecific effects, the development and interpretation of valid sham controls, and more generally, to the reductionist causal approach of attributing observed outcomes to single, independent component factors. We also discuss parallels between t'ai chi research and the emerging field of whole systems research, and how t'ai chi research may benefit from the use of an ecologic framework. In a second, companion paper, we discuss additional challenges inherent in defining the t'ai chi intervention itself, and more comprehensively outline the benefits and limitations of commonly used clinical research designs to evaluate the efficacy and safety of t'ai chi.
Predesquamin Extends Maturation of Cultured Keratinocytes

Abstract Predesquamin is a glycoprotein that we have isolated from human epidermis. Its monospecific polyclonal antibody immunolocalizes to the lower stratum corneum. We have previously found that it is not expressed ordinarily in primary keratinocyte cultures, but that it is expressed in a serum-containing medium that is supplemented with interferon-γ. Under these conditions, we observed larger outer squames and a more mature pattern of desquamation. We now demonstrate, by adding predesquamin directly to the culture medium without the cytokine, that the morphological changes are caused by predesquamin (and the role of IFN-γ in the previous experiment was to stimulate the expression of predesquamin).
Transformations in Special Relativity

By using the principle of relativity alone (no assumptions about signals or light) it is shown that a relativisitic group of linear transformations of a spacetime plane is, if infinite, either Galilean, Lorentzian or rotational. The largest such finite group is a Klein 4-group, generated by space-reversal and time-reversal. In the infinite case an invariant of the group, denotedc, appears. Whenc is real, nonzero, noninfinite, then the group is a Lorentz group andc is identified with the speed of light. Lorentz transformations are represented through an algebra ℝ ofiterants that provides a link among Clifford algebras, the Pauli algebra and Herman Bondi'sK-calculus.
Quantitative autoradiography of serotonin receptors in the rat brain.

The distribution of serotonin receptors in the rat brain was studied using a new, quantitative autoradiographic technique utilizing tritium-sensitive LKB sheet film, and densitometric analysis of the film images. OD values above 13 were found in the dentate gyrus, subiculum, substantia nigra and ependymal tissue throughout the brain. ODs between 7 and 11 were found in the globus pallidus, anterior hippocampus and CA1 field, dorsal raphe nucleus and interpeduncular nucleus. The lowest densities were observed in the thalamus, cerebellum, and over white matter, between 0.1 and 0.4 OD units. Other brain nuclei have intermediate values. Serotonin1 receptor distribution is found to correlate with 5-HT levels, corticosteroid and estrogen receptors in some but not all brain regions.
Marginal Fluctuations in a Bose Glass

The possibility of Bose condensation into the lowest-energy, extended, Hartree-Fock eigenstate in the presence of a random potential is studied. Using the existing folklore about Anderson localization, and adding interactions, we find that the fluctuations are logarithmically divergent and that stable broken symmetry is impossible for $ng~2$.
Performance study on ATM adaption layer

In an ATM network, the ATM Adaptation Layer(AAL) is used to support the connection between the ATM and non-ATM protocol layers. The AAL consists of two sub-layers: the Convergence Sub-layer(CS) and the Segmentation And Re-assembly Sub-layer(SAR). In the CS, a packet from higher layers is broken up into a number of sub-packets, which are further divided into ATM cells in the SAR sub-layer. The performance of the AAL is investigated through the analysis of a network of queues that is constructed based upon the functions of the AAL. Among those individual queues in this queueing network, we found the queue representing the SAR sublayer to be the most difficult and the most critical one to solve. The arrival process to this queue is assumed to be an IBP [x] in order to capture the traffic burstiness property in ATM networks. In this paper, we focus on the analysis of this critical queue, with a more general queueing model, IBP [x] /Geo/1/K queue. The mean waiting time, blocking probabilities. and the generating function of the interdeparture time distribution for this queue are presented. We also fit the departure process from this queue to a two-state MMBP. Using this MMBP as an arrival process of the downstream queue, the remaining queues in the network of queues can be easily analyzed.