cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health Services Research

The major barriers to the collection of primary population-based dental services data are: (1) Dentists do not use standard record systems; (2) few dentists use electronic records; and (3) it is costly to abstract paper dental records. The value of secondary data from paid insurance claims is limited, because dentists code only services delivered and not diagnoses, and it is difficult to obtain and merge claims from multiple insurance carriers. In a national demonstration project on the impact of community-based dental education programs on the care provided to underserved populations, we have developed a simplified dental visit encounter system. Senior students and residents from 15 dental schools (approximately 200 to 300 community delivery sites) will use computers or scannable paper forms to collect basic patient demographic and service data on several hundred thousand patient visits. Within the next 10 years, more dentists will use electronic records. To be of value to researchers, these data need to...
Interaction of Two Metastable Triplet Helium Atoms

Ab initio quantum‐mechanical calculations have been performed for the 5Σg+, 3Σu+, and 1Σg+ states arising from the interaction of two 1s2s3S helium atoms. A rigorous upper bound to the quintet potential was found by use of the variational principle. Crude estimates of the autoionizing singlet and triplet states were obtained by the “stabilization” method. The quintet‐state potentials exhibit a van der Waals minimum, and the triplet and singlet potentials exhibit more substantial minima. The behavior of the wavefunctions in the separated‐atom limit was studied, and the range of applicability of the effective Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian was tested on the calculated potentials.
Organic aerosol effects on fog droplet spectra

[1] Organic aerosol alters cloud and fog properties through surface tension and solubility effects. This study characterizes the role of organic compounds in affecting fog droplet number concentration by initializing and comparing detailed particle microphysical simulations with two field campaigns in the Po Valley. The size distribution and chemical composition of aerosol were based on the measurements made in the Po Valley Fog Experiments in 1989 and 1998–1999. Two types of aerosol with different hygroscopicity were considered: the less hygroscopic particles, composed mainly of organic compounds, and the more hygroscopic particles, composed mainly of inorganic salts. The organic fraction of aerosol mass was explicitly modeled as a mixture of seven soluble compounds [Fuzzi et al., 2001] by employing a functional group-based thermodynamic model [Ming and Russell, 2002]. Condensable gases in the vapor phase included nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonia. The maximum supersaturation in the simulation is 0.030% and is comparable to the calculation by Noone et al. [1992] inferred from measured residual particle fractions. The minimum activation diameters of the less and more hygroscopic particles are 0.49 μm and 0.40 μm, respectively. The predicted residual particle fractions are in agreement with measurements. The organic components of aerosol account for 34% of the droplet residual particle mass and change the average droplet number concentration by −10–6%, depending on the lowering of droplet surface tension and the interactions among dissolving ions. The hygroscopic growth of particles due to the presence of water-soluble organic compounds enhances the condensation of nitric acid and ammonia due to the increased surface area, resulting in a 9% increase in the average droplet number concentration. Assuming ideal behavior of aqueous solutions of water-soluble organic compounds overestimates the hygroscopic growth of particles and increases droplet numbers by 6%. The results are sensitive to microphysical processes such as condensation of soluble gases, which increases the average droplet number concentration by 26%. Wet deposition plays an important role in controlling liquid water content in this shallow fog.
Inclusão indígena e exclusão dos afro-descendentes na América Latina

The author analyses the causes of the disparity in collective rights gained by indigenous and Afro-Latin groups in recent rounds of multicultural citizenship reform in Latin America. Instead of attributing the greater success of indians in winning collective rights to differences in population size, higher levels of indigenous group identity or higher levels of organisation of the indigenous movement, it is argued that the main cause of the disparity is the fact that collective rights are granted on the basis of possessing a distinct group identity defined in cultural or ethnic terms. Indians are generally better positioned than most Afro-Latinos to claim ethnic group identities separate from the national culture and have therefore been more successful in winning collective rights. One of the potentially negative consequences of basing group rights on the assertion of cultural difference is that it might lead indigenous groups and Afro-Latinos to privilege issues of cultural recognition over questions of racial discrimination as bases for political mobilisation in the era of multicultural politics.
Is there evidence to support the need for routine surgeon presence on trauma patient arrival

The trauma center certification requirements of the American College of Surgeons include the expectation that, whenever possible, general surgeons be routinely present at the emergency department arrival of seriously injured patients. The 2 historical factors that originally prompted this requirement, frequent exploratory laparotomies and emergency physicians without trauma training, no longer exist in most modern trauma centers. Research from multiple centers and in multiple varying formats has not identified improvement in patient-oriented outcomes from early surgeon involvement. Surgeons are not routinely present during the resuscitative phase of Canadian and European trauma care, with no demonstrated or perceived decrease in the quality of care. American trauma surgeons themselves do not consistently believe that their use in this capacity is either necessary or an efficient distribution of resources. There is not compelling evidence to support the assumption that trauma outcomes are improved by the routine presence of surgeons on patient arrival. Research is necessary to clarify which trauma patients require either emergency or urgent unique expertise of a general surgeon during the initial phase of trauma management. Individual trauma centers should be permitted the flexibility necessary to perform such research and to use such findings to refine and focus their secondary triage criteria.
Long-term photometry of the asynchronous polar BY Cam: a period study

Analysis of 15 yr of photometric monitoring of the asynchronous magnetic cataclysmic variable BY Cam leads to revised assignments of the periodicities in the system. The surprising stability of the 197.4-min period suggests that this is the orbital period. We confirm the 7.3-d beat period between the orbital period and the white dwarf spin period, and show that the observed periods of the orbit, spin and beat are consistent to within the errors. In earlier work, the 197.4-min period has been assigned to the 2ω - Ω sideband. Because of the observed stability of the 197.4-min period in our data, the synchronization time of BY Cam is >3500 yr (much larger than that in other asynchronous polars) if the earlier period assignments are adopted. We also suggest that ∼145-d periodicity seen in our data may be due to precession of the rotational pole of the white dwarf.
Fine Structural Alterations in Cell Particles During Chemical Carcinogenesis : II. Further Evidence for Their Involvement in the Mechanism of Carcinogenesis. The Swelling of Rat Liver Mitochondria During Feeding of Amino Azo Dyes

Swelling under carefully controlled conditions has been used to study alterations in the structure of rat liver mitochondria as a result of feeding azo dyes. The changes of the swelling properties of the mitochondria during feeding of the hepatocarcinogenic 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene are essentially comparable to those observed previously with the microsomes, under the same dietary conditions. These alterations in mitochondrial swelling are not related to changes in the amount of these cell particulates per unit weight of tissue, during feeding of this azo dye. As with the microsomes, feeding of the isomeric but relatively noncarcinogenic 2-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene does not affect swelling. The structural differences between liver and hepatoma mitochondria show up not only in the rate and extent of swelling but also in the form of the curves of pH dependence. The influence of ketones and sulfhydryl compounds on the swelling of normal liver mitochondria were studied, with particular emphasis to the role of sulfhydryl groups in membrane permeability. The sudden steep rise in the tumor incidence in groups of rats fed 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene for increasing intervals of time occurs at about 4 weeks. This time correlates with the point of the minimum swelling of microsomes and mitochondria isolated from the livers of rats fed this same dye. Thus, a correlation is established between the alterations of the swelling properties of these particulates and the carcinogenic process.
Tannic Acid Down-Regulates the Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Through a MAPK-Dependent Mechanism

In the present study, we investigated the effects of tannic acid (TA), a hydrolysable polyphenol, on angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) expression in continuously passaged rat liver epithelial cells. Under normal conditions, exposure of cells to TA resulted in the down-regulation of AT1R-specific binding in concentrations ranging from 12.5–100 μg/ml (7.34–58.78 μm) over a time period of 2–24 h with no change in receptor affinity to angiotensin II (AngII). The inhibitory effect of TA on AT1R was specific and reversible. In TA-treated cells, we observed a significant reduction in AngII-mediated intracellular calcium signaling, a finding consistent with receptor down-regulation. Under similar conditions, TA down-regulated AT1R mRNA expression without changing the rate of mRNA degradation, suggesting that TA's effect is mediated through transcriptional inhibition. Cells expressing recombinant AT1R without the native promoter show no change in receptor expression, whereas a pCAT reporter construct possessing the rat AT1R promoter was significantly reduced in activity. Furthermore, TA induced the phosphorylation of MAPK p42/p44. Pretreatment of the cells with a MAPK kinase (MEK)-specific inhibitor PD98059 prevented TA-induced MAPK phosphorylation and down-regulation of the AT1R. Moreover, there was no reduction in AngII-mediated intracellular calcium release upon MEK inhibition, suggesting that TA's observed inhibitory effect is mediated through MEK/MAPK signaling. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that TA inhibits AT1R gene expression and cellular response, suggesting the observed protective effects of dietary polyphenols on cardiovascular conditions may be, in part, through inhibition of AT1R expression.
General Intelligence and Hypercomputation

From its revolutionary arrival on the behaviorismdominated scene, the information-processing approach to both understanding human intelligence, and to the attempt to bestow such intelligence on a machine, has always proceeded under the assumption that human cognition is fundamentally computation (e.g., see (vE95) in connection with CogSci, and (Hau85) in connection with standard AI). But this approach can no longer leave it at that; it can no longer rest content with the coarse-grained creed that its allegiance is to the view that intelligence consists in processing information. There are two reasons: First, AGI is now on the scene, insisting, rightly, that general intelligence should be the focus. Second, ours is an age wherein the formal science of information processing takes quite seriously a detailed mathematical framework that generates a dicult and profound question: \What kind of
Microvalve Enabled Digital Microfluidic Systems for High-Performance Biochemical and Genetic Analysis

Microfluidic devices offer unparalleled capability for digital microfluidic automation of sample processing and complex assay protocols in medical diagnostic and research applications. In our own work, monolithic membrane valves have enabled the creation of two platforms that precisely manipulate discrete, nanoliter-scale volumes of sample. The digital microfluidic Automaton uses two-dimensional microvalve arrays to combinatorially process nanoliter-scale sample volumes. This programmable system enables rapid integration of diverse assay protocols using a universal processing architecture. Microfabricated emulsion generator array (MEGA) devices integrate actively controlled 3-microvalve pumps to enable on-demand generation of uniform droplets for statistical encapsulation of microbeads and cells. A MEGA device containing 96 channels confers the capability of generating up to 3.4 × 10(6) nanoliter-volume droplets per hour for ultrahigh-throughput detection of rare mutations in a vast background of normal genotypes. These novel digital microfluidic platforms offer significant enhancements in throughput, sensitivity, and programmability for automated sample processing and analysis.
THE TAXATION OF COOPERATIVES: SOME ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS

Although the question of the tax treatment of cooperatives has been approached from the ethical, legal, business and philosophical standpoints, little economic analysis has been used to examine this controversy. This paper offers theoretical arguments in support of existing tax laws covering cooperative institutions. The argument that cooperatives should be taxed as ordinary corporations is countered with an economic analysis of cooperatives and the economic impact of extension of the income tax to cooperative institutions is compared with its impact on ordinary firms. The results of the analysis point to the possibility of a severe misallocation of resources in the cooperative sector if cooperatives are taxed in the same manner as a profit seeking enterprise. The economic models constructed in this paper support the contention of cooperatives that they are significantly different from private firms and thus warrant special tax treatment. Bien que la question de la taxation des cooperatives ait ete abordee tour a tour du point de vue ethique, legal, commercial el philosophique, peu ďanalyse economique a ete employe pour examiner ceue polemique. Ce papier offre des arguments theoriques aľappui des lois contribulives existantes qui s'appliquenl aux institutions cooperatives. La these qui insiste que les cooperatives devraienl etre comme des societes ordinaires est contrecarre par une analyse economique des cooperatives et par une comparaison de la portee economique ďune extension des contributions directes sur les institutions cooperatives par rapport a ses effels sur les maisons ordinaires. Les resultats de ľanalyse indiquent la possibilite de graves erreurs dans ľallocation des ressources dans le domaine cooperatif si ces cooperatives sont taxees de la meme maniere que les entreprises a but lucratif a la recherche du profit. Les modeles economiques construits dans ce papier soutiennent ľaffirmation des cooperatives qu'elles sont sensiblement differenles des maisons privees et qu'elles meritent done une imposition speciale.
Invasion of Privacy and Judged Benefit of Personality-Test Inquiry

(1968). Invasion of Privacy and Judged Benefit of Personality-Test Inquiry. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 79, No. 2, pp. 177-181.
50% PAE WCDMA basestation amplifier implemented with GaN HFETs

A high performance GaN HFET WCDMA basestation power amplifier is presented, which uses an envelope tracking bias system to achieve high linearity and efficiency. The measured overall power-added efficiency (PAE) reached 50.7%, with a normalized power RMS error of 0.7% and ACLR of -52dBc at an offset frequency of 5MHz, at an average output power of 37.2W and gain of 10.0dB for a single carrier WCDMA signal. To the authors' knowledge, this corresponds to the best efficiency reported for a single stage base station power amplifier. Digital predistortion (DPD) was used at two levels: memoryless DPD to compensate for the expected gain variation of the amplifier over the bias envelope trajectory, and deterministic memory mitigation, to further improve the linearity. The signal envelope had a peak-to-average power ratio of 7.67dB.
Chest-accelerometry for hemodynamic trending during valsalva-recovery

Chest-worn accelerometers have been shown to detect acoustic and mechanical signals corresponding to cardiovascular activity. This paper aims at investigating and characterizing two different components of chest acceleration (seismocardiogram) along two orthogonal axes: firstly, the sub-10 Hz ballistic signal components dominant in the vertical axis and secondly, the 10–50 Hz acoustic signal components more dominantly expressed in the radial axis. Acceleration signals from five subjects in response to a valsalva maneuver were measured. Correlations of features from the two above acceleration components were computed with respect to reference measurements of stroke volume and pulse pressure obtained with a Finapres continuous blood pressure system. The peak amplitude of the vertical ballistic and radial acoustic signal components were found to correlate well with stroke volume (R=0.78 and 0.83, for vertical ballistic and radial acoustic, respectively). Comparable correlations were found between beat RMS power (R=0.77 and 0.83) and stroke volume. Similarly, correlations were also observed between pulse pressure and peak amplitude (R=0.74 and 0.86) and the beat RMS power (R=0.74 and 0.86).
Landlessness, War, and Displacement in Literatures of Mindanao and Sulu

This monograph attempts to clarify the relationships of Filipino Americans to the diaspora of Christian settler colonists in Mindanao with the hope of facilitating solidarity between Filipino Americans and the peoples of Mindanao and Sulu. It begins with a consideration of Carlos Bulosan, perhaps the most prominent figure within the discipline of Filipino American Studies, in terms of the brief appearance of Mindanao in America is in the Heart. The bulk of the monograph, however, is centered on literatures of the Southern Philippines, a region that is often overlooked within the discipline of Filipino American Studies, and in particular it examines the historical evolution of landlessness, displacement, and war in the Southern Philippines through the close reading of texts produced there. The first text is “Blue Blood of the Big Astana,” a story from the Commonwealth period of US-Philippine history, written by Ibrahim Jubaira, the mostrecognized Muslim writer in English from the Philippines. Jubaira’s story is notable for its depiction of the persistence of ideas concerning land tenure, status, and kinship from a time just prior to US colonial rule within a context determined by the increasing inroads of merchant capitalism fostered by the US colonial state. However, Jubaira’s story is very partial when contextualized in terms of debates concerning the fate of Mindanao and Sulu during the years preceding the formal independence of the Philippines. The monograph then moves to the near-present to consider a story by the Maranao writer Loren Hallilah I. Lao, “The Trip to a Forbidden Land,” as a plea for peace that is constrained by the middle-class setting of the story. Finally, the emphasis shifts to a set of oral histories collected in the volume Land Tenure Stories in Central Mindanao. The shift to this set of texts corrects an urban and middle-class bias in the stories of Jubaira and Lao that would prevent Filipino American readers from understanding the concerns of Muslims and indigenous peoples and the causes of conflicts in the Southern Philippines. The stories of a specific conflict over land told by Muslims and Manobos in Land Tenure Stories highlight the importance of land as a necessary part of the livelihoods of many of the indigenous, Muslim, and Christian people of Mindanao and the ways in which landlessness and the lack of livelihoods are causes of conflicts in the Southern Philippines.
General Equilibrium Returns to Human and Investment Capital under Moral Hazard

We present a tractable general equilibrium model with multiple sectors in which firms offer workers incentive contracts and simultaneously raise capital in stock markets. Workers optimally invest in the stock market and at the same time hedge labour income risk. Firms rationally take agents’ portfolio decisions into account. In equilibrium, the cost of capital of each sector is endogenous. The distortion induced by moral hazard generates counterintuitive effects on the real economy. For example, the value of labour market participation may be higher under moral hazard than under first best, further a positive productivity shock may decrease welfare in the moral hazard economy. In addition, our model generates predictions on the effects of moral hazard on asset markets. For example, in the presence of moral hazard, the capital asset pricing model fails because firms, by choosing optimal incentive contracts, transfer risk both through wages and through the stock market. This leads to several cross-sectional asset pricing “anomalies”, such as size and value effects. As we characterize optimal contracts, we can also present empirical predictions relating workers’ compensation, firm productivity, firm size, and financial market abnormal returns.
Discovering Biofilms: Inquiry-Based Activities for the Classroom

In nature, bacteria exist in and adapt to different environments by forming microbial communities called “biofilms.” We propose simple, inquiry-based laboratory exercises utilizing a biofilm formation assay, which allows controlled biofilm growth. Students will be able to qualitatively assess biofilm growth via staining. Recently, we developed a biofilm assay exercise for a high school biology class and found success in increasing students’ interest in biology and explaining ecological concepts. Because of this success, we feel that biofilm assay laboratory exercises would be an excellent addition to any science teacher’s curriculum.
A Fast Hardware Approach for Approximate, Efficient Logarithm and Antilogarithm Computations

The realization of functions such as log() and antilog() in hardware is of considerable relevance, due to their importance in several computing applications. In this paper, we present an approach to compute log() and antilog() in hardware. Our approach is based on a table lookup, followed by an interpolation step. The interpolation step is implemented in combinational logic, in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), resulting in an area-efficient, fast design. The novelty of our approach lies in the fact that we perform interpolation efficiently, without the need to perform multiplication or division, and our method performs both the log() and antilog() operation using the same hardware architecture. We compare our work with existing methods, and show that our approach results in significantly lower memory resource utilization, for the same approximation errors. Also our method scales very well with an increase in the required accuracy, compared to existing techniques.
Effective Sizes and Dynamics of Uniparentally and Diparentally Inherited Genes

Models to determine the temporal dynamics and spatial heterogeneity for maternally and paternally inherited genes were derived for populations that may or may not exhibit spatial subdivision. Results were compared to those for diparentally inherited genes. The models permit definition of parameters for mean and variance of litter sizes, breeding group (subpopulation) sizes, and numbers of female mates per male, dispersal rates, and multiple paternity. Exact solutions for asymptotic effective size and spatial divergence (F(LS)) for maternal and paternal genes are derived. It is shown that solutions for effective size and F(LS) are transformations of the same quadratic equation. When compared to values for diparentally inherited genes, it is shown that effective sizes for maternal genes may be considerably higher when female dispersal is low as in many mammalian taxa. Likewise, effective sizes for paternal genes may be higher than for diparentally inherited traits when male dispersal is relatively low, as in many species of birds. The traditional assumption that the effective size for maternal genes is approximately equal to the number of females is seldom realized. Spatial heterogeneity and temporal dynamics of genes are inextricably linked as is shown by the interdependency of effective size and spatial heterogeneity.
The Quest for a Targeted and Effective Title I ESEA: Challenges in Designing and Implementing Fiscal Compliance Rules

Title I ESEA faces a fundamental tension in achieving its goal of improving outcomes for disadvantaged students. On the one hand, districts may fail to target federal funds to the intended recipients. On the other hand, regulations meant to ensure proper targeting can interfere with the efficient use of funds. Congress attempted to address concerns that Title I's fiscal regulations limit flexibility and lead to fragmented instructional programs by authorizing the use of schoolwide programs. We argue that, despite increasing uptake of the schoolwide option, misconceptions of Title I's fiscal rules likely still prevent many schools operating schoolwide programs from taking full advantage of the flexibility the schoolwide designation allows and putting Title I funds to their best uses.
Pyruvate and lactate metabolism in the in vivo dog heart.

Pyruvate increases the phosphorylation potential in perfused heart to a greater extent than the closely correlated substrate L-lactate. Therefore, metabolism of these compounds was studied in the m...
Realization Research of Integration Platform of Ensemble-based Hospital Information System

Objective To study the integration of all hospital systems with HIS.Methods A technical configuration was established based on the existing information communication standards such as DICOM HL7,so as to realize the data integration of the whole information system.Results The integration platform implemented the data exchange between the hospital internal information systems,and executed the integration of hospital operation flow to standardize the processing of the data from all sources.Conclusion The integration platform integrates IHE and HL7 standard and provides an practical and extendable platform for hospital information integration.
Influence of weight in the induction of ovulation with human menopausal gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin.

Patients failing to ovulate and conceive on clomiphene citrate (CC) or CC plus human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or patients with pituitary gonadotropin deficiency are candidates for human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) plus hCG therapy. The duration and number of ampules needed to stimulate ovarian response leading to ovulation and/or pregnancy vary individually. Seventy-one patients who had complete follow-up evaluation and accurately documented body weights at the time of therapy were considered for the study. Of these 71 patients, 41 (57.3%) conceived in 293 cycles. The average number of ampules of hMG used by patients with 10% to 20% below ideal body weight (IBW) was 13.9 ± 6.3 (mean ± standard deviation [SD]). The average number of ampules used by patients with normal ± 10% IBW was 142 ± 3.5. Patients who were overweight by 10% to 25% used 15.3 ± 5.4 ampules, and patients overweight by ≥ 25% used 20.9 ± 5.6 ampules of hMG. Eleven patients with severe hypothalamic chronic anovulation needed an average of 20.6 ± 62 ampules. The data reveal a direct relationship between IBW and the amount of hMG needed to induce ovulation and/or pregnancy; however, in the presence of chronic hypoestrogenic conditions, it is expected that these patients will need higher amounts of hMG, regardless of body weight.
Chemical Construction of Immunotoxins

Immunotoxins are chimeric proteins consisting of an antibody linked to a toxin. The antibodies most frequently used for the preparation of immunotoxins are murine monoclonal antibodies belonging to IgG isotype. The most used toxins for the chemical construction of immunotoxins are Ricin toxin A chain in its deglycosylated form and recombinant Pseudomonas endotoxin with the cell-binding domain deleted. The linkage of the antibody to the toxin can be accomplished by chemical methods using reagents that crosslink antibody to toxin. The usual crosslinkers attach disulfide groups into the antibody molecule to form a disulfide bond between the antibody and the toxin. Disulfide bonds are susceptible to reduction in the cytoplasm of the targeted cells thereby releasing the toxin so that it can exert its cytotoxic activity only into the cells (e.g., tumor cells) binding the antibody moiety. This article describes various methods to obtain antibodies and toxins and several procedures for their crosslinking as well as “in vitro” and “in vivo” testing of the immunotoxins efficacy.
Wounds traversing two or more cardiac chambers. Case presentation of two survivors and review of the literature.

A review of the literature on patients who have survived wounds traversing two or more cardiac chambers is presented and two further cases are documented. The initial management of the patient should be directed toward control of hemorrhage or treatment of cardiac tamponade or both. Cardiopulmonary bypass is helpful in repair of many intracardiac defects but is not absolutely essential for survival. Surface myocardial wounds should be sutured during the initial procedure to allow for immediate survival. A subsequent procedure may be indicated to correct intracardiac defects. Repair of injuries to the mitral and aortic valves should be directed at an attempt to reconstruct the damaged valve. If this is impossible, a prosthetic valve should be inserted. Injuries to the tricuspid and pulmonic valves probably warrant a conservative approach. Septal defects can be treated easily with Dacron patches or primary suture closure. Postoperative complications include all of those commonly seen with thoracic procedures, but infection is less prominent than one would anticipate, even when prostheses have been implanted. With early, aggressive management it is anticipated that more survivors of these serious wounds will be recorded.
Abstract A75: Excess of proximal microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer in African Americans from a multiethnic study

Background: African Americans (AAs) have the highest incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) compared to other US populations and more proximal CRCs. The objective is to elucidate the basis of these cancer disparities. Methods: 566 AA and 328 Non-Hispanic White (NHW) CRCs were ascertained in five Chicago hospitals. Clinical and exposure data were collected. Microsatellite instability and BRAF (V600E) and KRAS mutations were tested. Statistical significance of categorical variables was tested by Fisher9s exact test or logistic regression and age by Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Over a ten-year period, the median age at diagnosis significantly decreased for both AAs (68 to 61; P Conclusions: Patients with CRC have gotten progressively younger. The excess of CRC in AAs predominantly consists of more proximal, microsatellite stable tumors, commonly presenting lymphocytic infiltrate and less often associated with toxic exposures or a higher BMI. Younger AAs had more distal CRCs than older ones. These data suggest two different mechanisms driving younger age and proximal location of CRCs in AAs. Citation Format: Rosa Xicola, The Chicago Colorectal Cancer Consortium, Sonia Kupfer, Carol Braunschweig, Nathan Ellis, Xavier Llor. Excess of proximal microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer in African Americans from a multiethnic study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A75.
A retrospective comparison of helicopter transport versus ground transport in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) extend the reach of a tertiary care center significantly. However, its role in septic patients is unclear. Our study was performed to clarify the role of HEMS in severe sepsis and septic shock. This is a single-center retrospective cohort study. This study was performed at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, in years 2007–2009. This study included a total of 181 consecutive adult patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit meeting criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock within 24 h of admission and transported from an acute care facility by a helicopter or ground ambulance. The primary predictive variable was the mode of transport. Multiple demographic, clinical, and treatment variables were collected and analyzed with univariate analysis followed by multivariate analysis. The patients transported by HEMS had a significantly faster median transport time (1.3 versus 1.7 h, p < 0.01), faster time to meeting criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock (1.2 versus 2.9 h, p < 0.01), a higher SOFA score (9 versus 7, p < 0.01), higher incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (38 versus 18 %, p = 0.013), higher need for invasive mechanical ventilation (60 versus 41 % p = 0.014), higher ICU mortality (13.3 versus 4.1 %, p = 0.024), and an increased hospital mortality (17 versus 30 %, p = 0.04) when compared to those transported by ground. Distance traveled was not an independent predictor of hospital mortality on multivariate analysis. HEMS transport is associated with faster transport time, carries sicker patients, and is associated with higher hospital mortality compared with ground ambulance services for patients with severe sepsis or septic shock.
Transient Tissue-Scale Deformation Coordinates Alignment of Planar Cell Polarity Junctions in the Mammalian Skin.

Planar cell polarity (PCP) refers to the collective alignment of polarity along the tissue plane. In skin, the largest mammalian organ, PCP aligns over extremely long distances, but the global cues that orient tissue polarity are unknown. Here, we show that Celsr1 asymmetry arises concomitant with a gradient of tissue deformation oriented along the medial-lateral axis. This uniaxial tissue tension, whose origin remains unknown, transiently transforms basal epithelial cells from initially isotropic and disordered states into highly elongated and aligned morphologies. Reorienting tissue deformation is sufficient to shift the global axis of polarity, suggesting that uniaxial tissue strain can act as a long-range polarizing cue. Observations both in vivo and in vitro suggest that the effect of tissue anisotropy on Celsr1 polarity is not a direct consequence of cell shape but rather reflects the restructuring of cell-cell interfaces during oriented cell divisions and cell rearrangements that serve to relax tissue strain. We demonstrate that cell intercalations remodel intercellular junctions predominantly between the mediolateral interfaces of neighboring cells. This restructuring of the cell surface polarizes Celsr1, which is slow to accumulate at nascent junctions yet stably associates with persistent junctions. We propose that tissue anisotropy globally aligns Celsr1 polarity by creating a directional bias in the formation of new cell interfaces while simultaneously aligning the persistent interfaces at which Celsr1 prefers to accumulate.
LNA Design for Variability

This chapter discusses the low-noise amplifier process variation effect. Extensive analytical equations are derived. The adaptive substrate bias technique to reduce the process variation effect on the low-noise amplifier is presented.
Metal particulate-containing conformal coatings for improved IT hardware reliability in harsh environments

A method to overcome IT hardware corrosion-related failures in geographies with highly concentrated atmospheric pollution is presented. Metal particulate was incorporated into a standard silicone conformal coating to form composite materials in which the metal particulate acts as a sacrificial material to react with elemental sulfur. Metal particulates (copper and silver) were chosen based on their strong propensity to corrode in sulfur-rich environments. Through absorption of sulfur into silicone composites, the metal particulate is able to react to form either copper sulfide or silver sulfide before reaching the underlying metallic architectures, thus preventing failures. This approach resulted in up to a ~123% life improvement of the coated component over that of a standard silicone conformal coating. In addition, this approach has shown that the sacrificial material can slow the rate of metal sulfide formation at the metallic interface of thick-film surface mount resistors. The metal particulate-containing conformal coatings developed here overcome many limitations brought about by the use of non-silicone conformal coatings, potentially leading to its incorporation into IT hardware to prevent metallic corrosion of components in harsh environments.
PACKING AND SINTERING RELATIONS FOR BINARY POWDERS.

Mixtures of coarse and fine powders are commonly used for processing refractory bodies. Compared with uniform fine powders, mixtures have higher green densities and less shrinkage when fired. The presence of coarse particles can provide a control for achieving fired bodies with a specific level of porosity. As a filler, the coarse particles may also reduce the cost of the raw material. A major disadvantage of mixtures is the limited strength of the fired body because of the large grains in the microstructure.
Calpain: A Novel Mediator of MPO (Myeloperoxidase)-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction

See related article, pp 761–770 MPO (myeloperoxidase) is released from cytoplasmic granules of neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages.1 MPO uses hydrogen peroxide as a substrate to generate reactive species that oxidize a variety of molecules, contributing to tissue injury and damage.1,2 In addition, MPO-generated products have microbicidal activity, playing an important role in host defense.1 The multiple and opposing properties of MPO pose difficulties in the development of therapeutic strategies that target this enzyme. In the current issue of Hypertension , Etwebi et al3 propose a paradigm that focuses on the endothelial actions of MPO, and thus, it may not compromise its host defense effects. Specifically, these authors suggest that signaling molecules, which are located in endothelial cells downstream of MPO, can provide novel targets for the treatment of MPO-induced endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. Using pharmacological tools and genetically modified mice, Etwebi et al identify, for first time, calpain and its modulators as novel pharmacological targets downstream of MPO. They demonstrate that MPO reduces phosphorylation of eNOS (endothelial NO synthase) at serine 1147, causing a reduction in NO production, which consequently increases calpain activity by reducing its nitrosylation. Increased activity of calpain then leads to PP2A (protein phosphatase 2A)- and AMPK (5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase)-dependent reduction in eNOS phosphorylation. This last event results in a decrease in NO generation and subsequent augmentation of calpain activity (Figure). Figure. MPO (myeloperoxidase) reduces phosphorylation …
Workspace Design for Maintenance

Abstract The accelerating costs of maintenance, especially in the military and in the aircraft industry, have forced attention towards maintenance techniques which are cost effective, efficient and safe. Workspace design has been identified as one of the more important areas requiring improvement. This paper describes the principles of workspace design for maintenance activities -specifically those involving human visual access, physical access, mobility, and physical strength and endurance. The importance of biomechanics and anthropometry in defining workspace in 3-dimensions has been emphasized. Guidelines are given for workspace design; and the appropriateness of 3-dimensional computerized models for future data compilation discussed.
Abstract 20260: CD4+ T- Lymphocyte Recruitment Into the Failing Heart is Indispensable for the Progression of Adverse Left Ventricular Remodeling

Inflammation is a hallmark of chronic heart failure (HF). Previously, we showed diffuse helper T-cell (Th) expansion with increased cardiac infiltration of Th2 and Th17 cells, and regulatory T-cell...
Serum alkaline phosphatase and 30-day mortality after surgery for spinal metastatic disease

Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase has been previously studied as a biomarker for progression of metastatic disease and implicated in adverse skeletal events and worsened survival. The purpose of this study was to determine if serum alkaline phosphatase was a predictor of short-term mortality of patients undergoing surgery for spinal metastatic disease. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried for patients undergoing spinal surgery for metastatic disease. Bivariate and multivariable analyses was undertaken to determine the relationship between serum alkaline phosphatase and 30-day mortality. For the 1788 patients undergoing operative intervention for spinal metastatic disease between 2009 and 2016 the 30-day mortality was 8.49% (n = 151). In patients who survived beyond 30-days after surgery, n = 1627 (91.5%) the median [interquartile range] serum alkaline phosphatase levels were 126.4 [75–138], whereas in patients who had 30-day mortality, the serum alkaline phosphatase levels were 179.8 [114–187]. The optimal cut-off for alkaline phosphatase was determined to be 113 IU/L. On multivariable analysis, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase levels were associated with 30-day mortality (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.12–2.32, p = 0.011). Elevated preoperative serum alkaline phosphatase is a marker for 30-day mortality in patients undergoing surgery for spinal metastatic disease. Future retrospective and prospective study designs should incorporate assessment of this serum biomarker to better understand the role for serum alkaline phosphatase in improving prognostication in spinal metastatic disease.
Funds of knowledge mentors: Partnering with Latinx youth to incite dispositional shifts in teacher preparation

This article describes how preservice teachers and Latinx students can collaborate to effect change in the way that K–12 educators support students from traditionally marginalized groups. We build ...
Response of Two Salix L. Species to Water Deficit

Abstract Physiological responses and growth of two Salix species — S. miyabeana and S. cinerea — were compared during one and two drought cycles. Photosynthetic rate (Asat), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration (E) were determined for each species. The highest total biomass and root: shoot ratio were recorded for S. cinerea. After two drought cycles, S. cinerea had significantly higher Asat at wilting and recovery stages compared to S. miyabeana. In addition, after two drought cycles, the stem water potential and water use efficiency were higher in S. cinerea than in S. miyabeana. Based on the results obtained in this study, S. cinerea is more drought tolerant than S. miyabeana.
Predictors of need for urgent enteral feeding access in esophageal cancer patients during neoadjuvant or definitive chemoradiation.

e15054 Background: Adverse effects of neoadjuvant or definitive CRT can cause or worsen malnutrition and dehydration/electrolyte imbalances in esophageal cancer patients. Disruption of treatment ca...
Clinically Significant Gains in Skillful Grasp Coordination by an Individual With Tetraplegia Using an Implanted Brain-Computer Interface With Forearm Transcutaneous Muscle Stimulation

Abstract Objective To demonstrate naturalistic motor control speed, coordinated grasp, and carryover from trained to novel objects by an individual with tetraplegia using a brain-computer interface (BCI)-controlled neuroprosthetic. Design Phase I trial for an intracortical BCI integrated with forearm functional electrical stimulation (FES). Data reported span postimplant days 137 to 1478. Setting Tertiary care outpatient rehabilitation center. Participant A 27-year-old man with C5 class A (on the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale) traumatic spinal cord injury Interventions After array implantation in his left (dominant) motor cortex, the participant trained with BCI-FES to control dynamic, coordinated forearm, wrist, and hand movements. Main Outcome Measures Performance on standardized tests of arm motor ability (Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension [GRASSP], Action Research Arm Test [ARAT], Grasp and Release Test [GRT], Box and Block Test), grip myometry, and functional activity measures (Capabilities of Upper Extremity Test [CUE-T], Quadriplegia Index of Function-Short Form [QIF-SF], Spinal Cord Independence Measure–Self-Report [SCIM-SR]) with and without the BCI-FES. Results With BCI-FES, scores improved from baseline on the following: Grip force (2.9 kg); ARAT cup, cylinders, ball, bar, and blocks; GRT can, fork, peg, weight, and tape; GRASSP strength and prehension (unscrewing lids, pouring from a bottle, transferring pegs); and CUE-T wrist and hand skills. QIF-SF and SCIM-SR eating, grooming, and toileting activities were expected to improve with home use of BCI-FES. Pincer grips and mobility were unaffected. BCI-FES grip skills enabled the participant to play an adapted “Battleship” game and manipulate household objects. Conclusions Using BCI-FES, the participant performed skillful and coordinated grasps and made clinically significant gains in tests of upper limb function. Practice generalized from training objects to household items and leisure activities. Motor ability improved for palmar, lateral, and tip-to-tip grips. The expects eventual home use to confer greater independence for activities of daily living, consistent with observed neurologic level gains from C5-6 to C7-T1. This marks a critical translational step toward clinical viability for BCI neuroprosthetics.
Contradictory governance norms within world society: energy development strategies, environmental protection, and carbon dioxide emissions

World society theory argues that international organizations generate norms, or scripts, that push nations states to adopt similar governance strategies. This article focuses on an understudied set...
The Politics of Lists

Theorists of materiality frequently present lists of objects in which humans and human-made structures appear with natural objects and phenomena. These lists are importantly symptomatic of the theo...