cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An outbreak of diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

An epidemic outbreak with the main clinical feature of diarrhea was investigated.Epidemiological survey,etiological examination and the clinical features showed that the well water contaminated with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli was the source of outbreak of diarrhea.
Submicron CMOS gate electrode discontinuity: electrical signature and effect on circuit speed

The importance of vertical continuity of the gate electrodes of submicron CMOS circuits is discussed. A high frequency technique for assessing this continuity is demonstrated. An example of a gate structure with poor vertical continuity is shown, and the effect on circuit operation is presented. >
Toward a More Sustainable Trajectory for E-Waste Policy: A Review of a Decade of E-Waste Research in Accra, Ghana

Global flows of e-waste from the Global North to the Global South continue to damage local environments and harm human health. Weak e-waste regulations and limited use of safety measures for e-waste workers in Accra, Ghana, foster an exploitative environment within the industry, and pose health risks for those working and living near e-waste processing sites. This paper presents an integrated review of over 40 e-waste studies specific to Accra, with particular emphasis on the well-studied e-waste processing site in Agbogbloshie, and synthesizes the existing research base across interdisciplinary themes of human health, environmental health, globalization, trade and informalization, and public policy. Despite significant international attention to Accra’s e-waste problem, loopholes within international environmental regulations and treaties provide few incentives and resources for Ghana to strengthen protections for human and environmental health. After a decade of e-waste research in Accra, the crisis continues to intensify; we present a renewed vision for sustainable e-waste policy reform in Ghana and beyond.
Diruthenium-DMBA compounds bearing extended cross-conjugated ligands

Abstract A series of bis(alkynyl) Ru 2 ( DMBA ) 4 ( DMBA = N , N ′-dimethylbenzamidinate) compounds bearing extended, acyclic, cross-conjugated frameworks (number of acetylene units ≥ 3), namely Ru 2 ( DMBA ) 4 ( L1 Si i Pr 3 ) 2 ( 1a , see Scheme 1 for the definition of L1 and L2 ) and Ru 2 ( DMBA ) 4 ( L2 Si i Pr 3 ) 2 ( 2a ), were prepared under aerobic, weak base conditions in good yields. Compounds 1a and 2a showed moderate stability and underwent protiodesilylation aided with the addition of (n-Bu) 4 NF to the free ethynyl compounds Ru 2 ( DMBA ) 4 ( L1 H) 2 ( 1b ) and Ru 2 ( DMBA ) 4 ( L2 H) 2 ( 2b ), respectively. An X-ray structural study of 1a revealed a significant deviation from the idealized D 4h geometry in the coordination sphere of the Ru 2 core, accompanied by one of the shortest Ru-C α bonds reported thus far. Electronic absorption spectral measurements imply that compounds 1a and 1b possess a smaller HOMO-LUMO gap ( ca . 1.38 eV), while the gap of 2a and 2b ( ca . 1.40 eV) is closer to the range of typical Ru 2 ( DMBA ) 4 (C 2 R) 2 -type compounds ( ca . 1.42 eV). Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate a subtle interplay between structural and electronic properties, dependent only on the placement of the intervening olefin across the conjugation pathway.
Professional Use of Social Media Among Surgeons: Results of a Multi-Institutional Study.

Objective Among surgeons, professional use of social media (SM) is varied, and attitudes are ambiguous. We sought to characterize surgeons' professional use and perceptions of SM. Design Surgical faculty and trainees received institutional review board-approved e-mail surveys assessing SM usage and attitudes. Regression analyses identified predictors of SM attitudes and preference for professional contact. Setting Surveys were administered to surgical faculty, fellows, and residents at 4 academic medical centers between January and April 2016. Participants Of 1037 surgeons, clinical fellows, and residents e-mailed, 208 (20%) responded, including 132 faculty and 76 trainees. Results Among 208 respondents, 46 (22%) indicated they preferred some form of SM as their preferred networking and communication modality. A total of 145 (70%) indicated they believe SM benefits professional development. The position of clinical resident predicted preference to maintain professional contact via SM (p = 0.03). Age Conclusions Most of surgeons responding to our survey used some form of SM for professional purposes. Perceived barriers include lack of value, time constraints, and personal and patient privacy concerns. Generational differences in surgeon attitudes suggest usage of SM among surgeons will expand over time.
Lifecycle Contraceptive Choice in Sub-Saharan Africa

Understanding how and why women use contraceptives is essential to understanding the fertility transition in sub-Saharan Africa, a region of the world where high fertility may impede development. However, there has been little examination of African women's lifecycle contraceptive demand. In this descriptive paper, we examine several facets of African women's lifecycle contraceptive demand including: (1) how contraceptive use varies with age; (2) how the probability of stopping contraceptive spells varies with age and method; (3) how use of different methods is affected by marriage and parity; (4) how use of different contraceptive methods relates to use of traditional methods of fertility control at different ages; and (5) how the reasons women provide for terminating contraceptive spells vary by method used and age. To assess these aspects of contraceptive behavior, we estimate individual fixed effects regressions on a unique monthly frequency retrospective panel dataset we create from all available contraceptive calendars collected by the Demographic and Health Surveys in sub-Saharan Africa. We find a collection of results consistent with women using injectables and pills primarily to space births when aged 25-40, using implants and female sterilizations primarily to limit births when aged 40-49, and using condoms primarily when unmarried and having less frequent sex than married counterparts. Together, our results suggest that women's lifecycle contraceptive demand is driven by different fertility needs at different ages of their fertile life.
Microstructure of clay fabric in electrokinetic dewatering of phosphatic clay dispersions

Abstract Electrokinetic dewatering is considered a promising method for separation of water from clay dispersions in the mining industry. Numerous studies over the past few decades have been conducted on electrokinetic dewatering process in order to identify potential performance improvements. However, little is known about the impact of process on clay microstructure that determines its water content. Here, for the first time, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to study the impact of electrokinetic dewatering process on clay fabric microstructure. The studies were conducted on three experimental platforms including 1) a gravity settling experiment to determine the clay structure in the absence of an electric field, 2) a cylindrical tank in which a static electrokinetic separation process was conducted under an electric field applied along the tank height and 3) a continuous dewatering system in which electrokinetic separation took place in two stages along a conveyer belt. The studies suggested that formation of honeycomb microstructures was responsible for poor settling and an acidic environment promoted a more voluminous honeycomb with a higher water content. Under an electric field, a less-ordered structure than a honeycomb was formed during the electrophoresis separation process near the region where the pH was above the point of zero charge. The less-ordered structure was later compressed (i.e. the structure partially collapses) in the 2nd stage of the continuous system in which an already formed clay cake was dewatered through the electro-osmotic process. The insight provided in this study can help improve the performance of electrokinetic separation process.
Holy Water and a Twig: Catholic Households and Women’s Religious Authority in Modern Ireland

This article examines Irish Catholic households from 1850 to 1950, arguing that the material culture of the household was overseen by women—grandmothers, sisters, daughters, and particularly mother...
A TLR/AKT/FoxO3 immune tolerance–like pathway disrupts the repair capacity of oligodendrocyte progenitors

Cerebral white matter injury (WMI) persistently disrupts myelin regeneration by oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). We identified a specific bioactive hyaluronan fragment (bHAf) that downregulates myelin gene expression and chronically blocks OPC maturation and myelination via a tolerance-like mechanism that dysregulates pro-myelination signaling via AKT. Desensitization of AKT occurs via TLR4 but not TLR2 or CD44. OPC differentiation was selectively blocked by bHAf in a maturation-dependent fashion at the late OPC (preOL) stage by a noncanonical TLR4/TRIF pathway that induced persistent activation of the FoxO3 transcription factor downstream of AKT. Activated FoxO3 selectively localized to oligodendrocyte lineage cells in white matter lesions from human preterm neonates and adults with multiple sclerosis. FoxO3 constraint of OPC maturation was bHAf dependent, and involved interactions at the FoxO3 and MBP promoters with the chromatin remodeling factor Brg1 and the transcription factor Olig2, which regulate OPC differentiation. WMI has adapted an immune tolerance-like mechanism whereby persistent engagement of TLR4 by bHAf promotes an OPC niche at the expense of myelination by engaging a FoxO3 signaling pathway that chronically constrains OPC differentiation.
Extra-articular osteochondromatosis: A collection of four clinical cases of different localization

Synovial chondromatosis is known to be frequently intra-articular and more rarely extra-articular. We present four cases of extra-articular chondromatosis in four different localizations: in the retro-olecranon bursa, in the sheath of the flexor of hallucis longus muscle, in the extra-synovial space of the knee and within the muscle’s fibers of brachialis muscle. Plain radiography, ultrasonography, tomodensitometry and magnetic resonance imaging show imaging characteristics, which help in differential diagnosis. Surgical excision is the gold standard treatment to avoid recurrence or malignancy transformation and to achieve a normal articular mobility.
Association of IL-4RαQ576R gene polymorphisms and IL-4,IFN-γ cutokines and total IgE levels in β-Lactam allergic patients.

Penicillin considered the most familiar β-lactam antibiotic that causing allergic reactions with an incidence rate of 0.7-10% of all population. Excessive release of IL-4and IFN-γ is thought to be important in development and regulation of atopic and other allergic disorders.To estimate the possible role of IL-4RαQ576Rgenes polymorphism in development of immune reaction against penicillin,and study the effect of IL-4 and IFN-γ in regulating of allergic reactions.Measurement ofserum levels of IL-4,IFN-γ and total IgE done by using enzyme linkedd immunosorbentt assaya (ELISAa) technique. IL-4RαQ576Rgene polymorphisms were genotyped by using polymerasee chainn reactions restrictions fragments lengths polymorphisms (PCRr-RFLPp).Comparing with ccontrol subjectss,there was a significant higher levels of IL-4,IFN-γ and IgE in patients group,they were (348.53 pg/ml) versus (284.72pg/ml) and (194.33pg/ml) versus (159.82pg/ml) and (357.28pg/ml) versus (124.88pg/ml) respectively with P=0.001. The IL-4RαQ576Ralleles were significantly higher in penicillin allergic individual compared with apparently healthy control subjects. Results suggested that IL-4and IFN-γ cytokines play a crucial role in modulating of B-lactam allergy. IL-4RαQ576Rgene polymorphismsmight involvein development of penicillin hypersensitivity.
MSCs in Reconstructive Surgery

Soft tissue defects remain a major challenge in modern medicine and ­represent a significant burden, affecting not only physical and mental health but also productivity, healthcare expenditure, and long-term morbidity. Even under optimal conditions, the healing process leads to some element of fibrosis or scarring. Cell-based treatments involve the transplantation of progenitor/stem cells to patients through local or systemic delivery and offer a novel approach to many diseases. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult progenitor cells of great interest as cellular therapeutics because numerous studies have shown that MSCs, derived from bone marrow and other tissues, possess the ability to suppress activation and proliferation of immune cells, differentiate along multiple tissue lineages, and participate in the tissue healing process through a variety of other paracrine mechanisms. Better understanding of these potential interactions could translate to the development of clinically relevant, novel cell-based therapies for soft tissue reconstruction. The clinical role of tissue-derived MSCs, though not well understood, holds promise for many applications in novel cell therapies and regenerative medicine.
A Microstructural Approach to Fracture of Concrete

A mathematical model for concrete has been developed by combining a multiple-plane plasticity and fracture model with a cap model for compaction. The model provides for the anisotropy of tensile and shear behavior and also for nonlinear compaction. The model is primarily intended to represent the response of concrete structures to impact loading.
DNA Polymerases That Perform Template-Independent DNA Synthesis

DNA polymerases typically catalyze the incorporation of mononucleotides into a growing primer using a DNA or RNA template to properly guide each incorporation event. However, several members of the X-family of DNA polymerases are capable of replicating DNA in the complete absence of a templating strand. This form of template-independent DNA synthesis typically occurs during the repair of double-strand DNA breaks. In addition, there is one exceptional polymerase, denoted as terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, that exclusively replicates single-strand DNA rather than duplex DNA. This chapter describes the biological roles for the ability of these DNA polymerases to perform template-independent DNA synthesis during nonhomologous end joining. The biochemical mechanisms for how members of the X-family of DNA polymerases perform this type of replication are compared with other “conventional” DNA polymerases that perform template-dependent synthesis. Enzymatic steps encompassing the binding of DNA and dNTP substrates, the involvement of conformational changes that precede chemistry, and kinetic steps associated with product release are described. The influence of other cellular proteins on the activity of these DNA polymerases during nonhomologous end joining is discussed. Finally, the roles of these specialized DNA polymerases in pathological conditions such as cancer are described with a special emphasis on several new nucleoside analogs that function as therapeutic agents against these DNA polymerases.
Pulmonary stenosis and interatrial communication with cyanosis: Hemodynamic and clinical study of ten patients

Abstract 1.1. Clinical and hemodynamic data have been presented in ten cases of pulmonary stenosis and interatrial communication with cyanosis. The clinical similarity between these patients and those with tetralogy of Fallot was noted. 2.2. Of the ten patients, cyanosis was stated to have been present in eight at birth or in infancy and it probably began in infancy in one other. In the remaining patient transient cyanotic episodes were noted in infancy and persistent cyanosis started at seven years of age. 3.3. Considerable variation was noted in the cardiac shadow on x-ray examination. The pulmonary artery shadow was visualized in eight of the ten patients on the routine anteroposterior roentgenogram of the chest. It was prominent in five patients. 4.4. Three of the patients had combined valvular and infundibular stenosis. Six had valvular stenosis only, and one had infundibular stenosis only. 5.5. One patient had a right-sided aortic arch. To our knowledge this is a very rare finding in a patient with pulmonary stenosis, interatrial communication and intact ventricular septum. 6.6. Systemic blood flow was greater than pulmonary flow in each case. In five patients the right-to-left shunt was 50 per cent or more of systemic flow. 7.7. The technic of selective injections of T-1824 was of great value in demonstrating the existence and localizing the site of the right-to-left shunts in the absence of any shunt from left to right.
Impacts of Early- and Late-Terminated Cover Crops on Gas Fluxes

Cover crops (CCs) could alter soil processes, but the effects of early versus late termination of CCs on gas fluxes are not well known. We evaluated temporal changes in fluxes of CO, NO, and CH and related soil properties in no-till corn ( L.) with and without winter rye ( L.) CCs that were terminated early (30 d before planting) or late (at planting) in a rainfed silty clay loam and an irrigated silt loam in Nebraska from April 2016 to June 2017. Gas fluxes, soil temperature, and soil water content were measured biweekly to monthly, and wet aggregate stability and particulate organic matter concentrations were measured seasonally. We also compared our results with a global literature review. Late-terminated CCs did not affect CH fluxes but increased daily CO fluxes by 59% compared with no CC at both sites and NO fluxes by 92% at the rainfed site only. Early termination did not affect gas fluxes. Termination date did not affect cumulative fluxes and had minimal effects on soil properties. The literature review supports our study results, which indicate that CC effects on (i) CO fluxes are driven by plant respiration during the CC growing period, and (ii) NO and CH fluxes are minimal under grass CCs. Overall, under no-till, CC termination date has small effects on NO and CH fluxes, but late CC termination can increase CO fluxes in spring due to greater biomass yield compared with early termination.
Study of a novel adaptive passive stiffness device and its application for seismic protection

Abstract The present paper proposes a novel adaptive passive stiffness (APS) device which can produce variable stiffness in an adaptive fashion. This APS device consists of four springs arranged in a rhombus configuration and a guidance template. The stiffness of the device is controlled through varying the angle of the rhombus configuration. The function of the guidance template is to relate the angle of the rhombus to the targeted system response such that the stiffness can be varied in an adaptive manner, without the need for feedback or external energy. Two analytical models are developed to capture the behavior of the APS device which shows good agreement with the experimental data. Experimental result indicates that the proposed APS device can produce adaptive stiffness as expected. A cubic nonlinearity is produced and deployed in a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system to form a hardening Duffing oscillator. Dynamic tests show that the experimental characteristics of the Duffing system agrees well with the numerical results, thereby demonstrating that the APS device is effective in producing smoothly and continuously adaptive stiffness in an adaptive fashion. In addition, a fourth order even function is used as the guidance template to produce a softening-hardening adaptive stiffness. The performance of this adaptive stiffness is numerically evaluated for seismic protection. It is found that the structural responses can be reduced effectively when using this softening-hardening adaptive stiffness. The key value of this APS device is that the guidance template can be easily changed to any desired continuous function such that the targeted adaptive stiffness can be obtained. This provides possibility for controlling the vibrations of structures in a passively adaptive manner.
Le peintre dévorant la femme: by Kamel Daoud, Paris, Stock, 2018, 220 pp., €17 (softcover), ISBN 978-2-234-08373-8

In this inaugural work in Editions Stock’s new series ‘Ma nuit au musee’, Kamel Daoud reflects on a solitary night spent at the Musee Picasso, on rue de Thorigny in Paris’s third arrondissement. As...
Effects of training and display content on Level 2 driving automation interface usability

Abstract Introduction Level 2 driving automation features, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) combined with lane centering, primarily communicate their operating statuses through the instrument cluster. It remains unclear how interface-specific training and display content influence the ability to understand Level 2 activity in production vehicles. Methods Eighty participants viewed videos recorded from the driver’s point of view in a variety of driving scenarios with Level 2 activity displayed in the instrument cluster of a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Half viewed one of two instrument cluster layouts (simple or complex), and half received an orientation to the interface before the experiment. After each video, they were asked about the scenario they had just seen. We then examined what information in the displays participants used to identify Level 2 activity and the usability of the displays. Results Training improved recognition accuracy of when lane centering was temporarily inactive and understanding of why it was inactive. Neither training nor display content affected the ability to recognize when ACC had adjusted the vehicle’s speed or detected a vehicle ahead, or when ACC initially did not detect a lead vehicle and understanding of why it had not detected it. Both factors influenced which sources of information participants used to determine Level 2 activity. Recognition accuracy of system activity improved when participants used valid sources of information. Training, but not display content, improved lane centering usability, but not ACC usability. Discussion Basic training improves detection of notifications that potentially require further driver action, but not of those that display persistent status information. Training does not result in full understanding of all system notifications or functional limitations, which reinforces the need for intuitive, salient communication about system behavior and its limitations.
Impact of epicardial adipose tissue and catheter ablation strategy on biophysical parameters and ablation lesion characteristics.

Background Epicardial adipose (EA) tissue may limit effective radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Objectives We sought to evaluate the lesion formation of different ablation strategies on ventricular myocardium with overlying EA. Methods Bovine myocardium with EA was placed in a circulating saline bath in an ex vivo model. Open-irrigated (OI) RFA was performed, parallel to the myocardium, over fat at 50 W for variable RF durations, variable contact force, catheter configurations (unipolar RF vs bipolar RF), and catheter irrigants (normal saline vs half-normal saline). Ablation was also performed with a needle-tipped ablation catheter (NTAC), perpendicular to the myocardium. Results Increasingly thick EA attenuated lesion size regardless of ablation strategy. RF applied with longer durations and increasing CF produced larger lesion volumes and deeper lesions with ablation over EA more than 3 mm but was unable to produce measurable lesions when EA less than 3 mm. Similarly, ablation with half normal saline irrigant created slightly deeper lesions than bipolar RF and unipolar RF with normal saline as EA thickness increased, but was unable to produce measurable lesions when EA more than 3 mm. Of all ablation strategies, only NTAC produced effective lesion volumes when ablating over thick (>3 mm) EA. Conclusions While EA attenuates lesion depth and size, relatively larger, and deeper lesions can be achieved with longer RFA duration, higher CF, half normal saline irrigant, and, to a greater extent, by utilizing bipolar RF or NTAC, but only over thin adipose ( 3 mm) EA with this model.
The Effect of Enforcement Fairness on Environmental Performance

Many empirical studies explore the effects of regulatory enforcement on environmental behavior and performance. Within this literature, a few empirical studies explore environmental regulators’ approach to enforcement, such as the contrast between a coercive strategy and a cooperative strategy. However, very little empirical research explores the role of fairness, which we interpret broadly to include multiple dimensions, e.g., similar treatment of similarly situated regulated entities. This study empirically analyzes the effect of enforcement fairness on the extent of compliance with wastewater discharge limits imposed on U.S. chemical manufacturing facilities. For this analysis, we use a subjective measure of the degree of “fair treatment” of the regulated facilities by the environmental regulator, as perceived by facilities and reported in response to an original survey. The empirical results robustly reveal that a less fair enforcement approach leads to better environmental performance, i.e., greater compliance.
Mammalian community response to historic volcanic eruptions

It is clear that ecosystems are devastated after a volcanic eruption coats the landscape with a layer of ash; however, the ecological recovery of mammalian communities after eruptions is poorly understood. Volcanic eruptions vary with magnitude and type and only a fraction of them have been analysed for effects on mammalian communities. To better understand mammalian community recovery, I investigated how species richness, evenness, and similarity change across volcanic boundaries in the 1980 Mount Saint Helens (MSH), Washington, and 1914–1917 Mount Lassen, California, eruptions. I compared these eruptions to Mount Rainier, Washington and Mount Shasta, California as controls for regional changes in the fauna. Richness and evenness remain relatively unchanged in Lassen. MSH saw an immediate drop in richness, followed by an increase over 5 years to pre-eruptive levels. Chord distance analysis suggests no long-term change in the Lassen fauna. The pre- and post-MSH fauna are different from one another. The post-eruptive fauna was more similar to neighbouring regions. It is clear from my results that larger eruptions tend to have a greater impact on mammalian community recovery than smaller eruptions, but ultimately, mammalian populations are robust and the presence of neighbouring communities is important for recolonizing devastated areas.
Kant, Linnaeus, and the economy of nature

Abstract Ecology arguably has roots in eighteenth-century natural histories, such as Linnaeus's economy of nature, which pressed a case for holistic and final-causal explanations of organisms in terms of what we'd now call their environment. After sketching Kant's arguments for the indispensability of final-causal explanation merely in the case of individual organisms, and considering the Linnaean alternative, this paper examines Kant's critical response to Linnaean ideas. I argue that Kant does not explicitly reject Linnaeus's holism. But he maintains that the indispensability of final-causal explanation depends on robust modal connections between types of organism and their functional parts; relationships in Linnaeus's economy of nature, by contrast, are relatively contingent. Kant's framework avoids strong metaphysical assumptions, is responsive to empirical evidence, and can be fruitfully compared with some contemporary approaches to biological organization.
Management of high-risk pulmonary embolism in pregnancy

Pregnancy-associated high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) is among the most frequent causes of maternal mortality in the Western world, by causing hemodynamic instability and circulatory failure through a large thrombotic pulmonary obstruction. The very challenging management of these dramatic situations comprises the need to quickly select a therapy of pulmonary reperfusion or hemodynamic replacement, while taking into account both maternal and fetal risks. In this review, we discuss the role of risk stratification in pregnancy-associated PE and the available evidence to support the use of thrombolysis, catheter-directed thrombectomy/thrombolysis, surgical embolectomy and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Despite the lack of comparative studies and solid evidence, most reported cases of high-risk pregnancy-associated PE have been treated with thrombolysis, with high maternal and fetal survivals, and thrombolysis is suggested by guidelines in life-threatening PE. For women in the peripartum and early post-partum period, non-fibrinolytic treatments may be preferred as a first-line treatment, if available, because of the particularly high bleeding risk. In all cases, pregnancy-associated high-risk PE requires a multidisciplinary approach involving PE response teams and obstetricians.
Distilling pedagogies of critical water studies

Writing as both instructors and students who worked together in the undergraduate course Water Justice, we reflect on the limits and possibilities of engaging in anticolonial teaching-learning prac...
Family Members' Understanding of the End-of-Life Wishes of People Undergoing Maintenance Dialysis.

Background: People receiving maintenance dialysis must often rely on family members and other close persons to make critical treatment decisions toward the end of life. Contemporary data on family members9 understanding of the end-of-life wishes of members of this population are lacking. Methods: Among 172 family members of people undergoing maintenance dialysis, we ascertained their level of involvement in the patient9s care and prior discussions about care preferences. We also compared patient and family member responses to questions about end-of-life care using percent agreement and the kappa statistic. Results: The mean (SD) age of the 172 enrolled family members was 55 (±17.0) years, 136 (79%) were women, and 43 (25%) were Black. Sixty-seven (39%) family members were spouses or partners of enrolled patients. A total of 137 (80%) family members had spoken with the patient about whom they would want to make medical decisions,108 (63%) about their treatment preferences, 47 (27%) about stopping dialysis and 56 (33%) about hospice. Agreement between patient and family member responses was highest (though still fair) for the question about whether or not the patient would want cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (percent agreement 83%, kappa 0.31) and substantially lower for questions about a range of other aspects of end-of-life care including preference for mechanical ventilation (62%, 0.21), values around life prolongation versus comfort (45%, 0.13), preferred place of death (58%, 0.07), preferred decisional role (54%, 0.15) and prognostic expectations (38%, 0.15). Conclusions: Most surveyed family members reported they had spoken with the patient about their end-of-life wishes but not about stopping dialysis or hospice. While family members had a fair understanding of patients9 CPR preference, most lacked a detailed understanding of patients9 perspectives on other aspects of end-of-life care.
Safety of opioid prescribing among older cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND Cancer survivors receive more long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) than people without cancer, but the safety of LTOT prescribing is unknown. METHODS Opioid-naive adults aged ≥66 years who had been diagnosed in 2008-2015 with breast, lung, head and neck, or colorectal cancer were identified with data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registries linked with Medicare claims. Survivors with 1 or more LTOT episodes (≥90 consecutive days) occurring ≥1 year after their cancer diagnosis and before censoring at hospice entry, another cancer diagnosis, 6 months before death, or December 2016 were included. The safety of prescribing during the first 90 days of the first LTOT episode was measured during follow-up. As a positive safety indicator, the proportion of survivors with concurrent nonopioid pain management was measured. Indicators of less safe prescribing were the proportion of survivors with a high average daily opioid dose (≥90 morphine milligram equivalents) and the proportion of survivors with concurrent benzodiazepine dispensing. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify clinical predictors of each safety outcome. RESULTS In all, 3628 cancer survivors received LTOT during follow-up (median duration, 4.9 months; interquartile range, 3.5-8.0 months). Seventy-two percent of the survivors received multimodal pain management concurrently with LTOT. Eight percent of the survivors had high-dose opioid prescriptions; 25% of the survivors received benzodiazepines during LTOT. Multivariable analyses identified variations in safety measures by multiple clinical factors, although none were consistently significant across outcomes. CONCLUSIONS To improve safe LTOT prescribing for survivors, efforts should focus on increasing multimodal pain management and reducing inappropriate benzodiazepine prescribing. Different clinical predictors of each outcome suggest different drivers of safe prescribing.
Paleomagnetic and cyclostratigraphic constraints on the synchroneity and duration of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion, Johnnie Formation, Death Valley Region, CA

Abstract Paleomagnetism and rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy of the Rainstorm Member of the Johnnie Formation near Death Valley, CA provide chronostratigraphic constraints on the duration and synchroneity of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion. Magnetic reversal stratigraphies at three localities, the Desert Range of western Nevada, and the Nopah Range and Winters Pass Hills of southeastern California, show consistent polarity zonations with paleomagnetic poles that correspond to Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran) reference poles for cratonic North America. The magnetostratigraphy demonstrates that the nadir of the Shuram Excursion (SE) occurred just after a transition from reversed to normal polarity, and is synchronous at the two localities within Death Valley. Time series analysis of magnetic susceptibility from the Nopah Range and Winters Pass Hills localities shows statistically significant spectral power in frequency bands with orbital-scale ratios (short eccentricity, obliquity, and precession). An astrochronologic interpretation of the cyclostratigraphy yields an estimated duration of 818 ± 122 kyr for the SE between values of δ 13 C −3.9‰ before the nadir to a recovered value of −9.3‰ after the nadir. Extrapolation of this estimate yields a duration of 8.2 ± 1.2 Myr for the entire excursion, which is in agreement with an independent estimate based on chemostratigraphic correlation of sections containing radiometric dates of ash beds.
Chapter 27. NMR Spectroscopy in Biological Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the recent application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to the study of metabolism as it occurs in in situ and perfused organs and in cellular suspensions. Phosphorus-NMR (PNMR) spectroscopic studies have provided a wide variety of information on ex vivo brain tissue metabolism of the resting organ and more recently on the effects of hypoxia on a mammalian system. In brain metabolism, PNMR can be utilized to ascertain the intracellular pH and the bioenergetic status of the organ, and this can be correlated with changes in the function. A natural extension of this is the clinical application of NMR spectroscopy to study human, particularly neonate, cerebral function. Although the clinical applications of in vivo PNMR spectroscopy are far reaching, most basic research is still in the domain of the perfused animal model. Hydrogen-NMR (HNMR) spectroscopy is now being used to study the muscle preparations and extracts. H is more sensitive to the NMR experiment than P, and because of its ubiquitous distribution, a more complete range of tissue metabolites becomes accessible. In vivo PNMR spectroscopy has been applied determining the concentration and turnover of high-energy phosphates in the heart under various conditions. Recent progress in the study of liver metabolism by NMR spectroscopy has seen the use of carbon-13 surface coils. A recent review of the application of in vivo NMR spectroscopy to cancer covers metabolism by dispersed cells, excised tumors, and in vivo tumors. This diversity of available nuclides in tandem with further improvements in probe design and pulse sequences will, ensure the future of NMR spectroscopy as a viable technique for the study of biological systems.
Comparison of 30 second cycling sprint field tests with the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test

Ammons, Walter Carl, F., Master of Science, September, 1990 Health and Physical Education A Comparison of 30 Second Cycling Sprint Field Tests with the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test (32 pp.) Director: Kathleen E. Miller, Ph.D. A comparison of similar duration field and laboratory sprint tests was conducted to examine the similarity of standing and sitting test portocols. The need for examining the similarity of controlled environment laboratory tests such as the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test (WnAT) with field tests is seen in the general literature. Use of indoor laboratory tests to help ascertain the fitness level of cyclists is very important to the athlete and coach. Systematic evaluation of cyclist's fitness throughout the racing season and off season would enable the careful design of optimal training schedules for cyclists. The scope of this research was to examine the similarity of a 30 second laboratory test with a 30 second field test. Secondary research questions looked at were the similarity of standing and sitting laboratory sprint tests at two different resistance settings (normal and +5%) with corresponding body position field tests on flat or 5% incline hill. From a subject pool of 50 subjects, 29 sucessfully completed all of the lab and field tests. Correlational anaylsis of the different tests revealed similarities between increased workload of hill sitting and flat sitting field tests, the increased workload standing vs normal standing WnAT, and the increased workload sitting vs normal sitting WnAT. Finnaly all flat field tests were significantly correlated with the standing and sitting normal WnAT as well as the +5% increase WnAT. Field sprint sitting and standing tests were there significant correlations. Increased resistance lab sprint tests correlated with with standard resistance setting sprint lab tests. Standing and sitting field sprint tests did not correlate with any lab sprint tests. The flat sprint field tests correlated with all the lab sprint tests. Non-sign if icant standing field tests suggest that a greater degree of skill complexity may be required to complete the standing test which which requires a greater degree of muscular involvement when sprinting (supporting, as well as propelling themselves). The results indicated the important relationship of designing specific duration tests to test specific power measures in human subjects. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express his appreciation to Drs. Kathy Miller, Richard Lane, Michael Zupan, Don Latham, Thomas Whiddon, and Lawrence Burger for their continued inspiration and encouragement. Special thanks to the Missoula, MT; Spokane, WA; and Salt Lake City, UT; area cyclists for their persistance and interest in the completion of this research.
Dynamic Modeling and Simulation of Gaseous Systems

A computer-based model for analyzing air/gas system dynamics has been developed. A set of generic elements are interconnected by generalized junction structures to represent a variety of system configurations. The response of pressure, flow, temperature and heat transfer rate at any point or station in a system is then determined due to a wide range of fluid, thermal and mechanical disturbances. The model has been used to analyze furnace implosions in fossil fuel power plants. A coal-fired plant model has been constructed and simulated. The model simulations of the furnace pressure excursions are in close agreement with the data from the field tests.
The Mouse Gene PDCR Encodes a Peroxisomal Δ2,Δ4-Dienoyl-CoA Reductase

Abstract Here we describe the identification and characterization of a novel mouse gene, PDCR, that encodes a peroxisomal Δ2,Δ4-dienoyl-CoA reductase. The mouse PDCR cDNA contains an 892-base pair open reading frame and is predicted to encode a 292-amino acid protein with a deduced molecular mass of 31,298 Da that terminates in a consensus type-1 peroxisomal targeting signal. Purified recombinant PDCR protein was generated from Escherichia coli and catalyzed the NADPH-dependent reduction of Δ2-trans,Δ4-trans-decadienoyl-CoA with a specific activity of 20 units/mg. Enzymatic characterization followed by high pressure liquid chromatography analysis of the products revealed that PDCR converted Δ2-trans,Δ4-trans-decadienoyl-CoA to a Δ3-enoyl-CoA but not to a Δ2-enoyl-CoA. Kinetic analyses demonstrated that PDCR is active on a broad range of Δ2,Δ4-dienoyl-CoAs. Although the observed substrate preference was to Δ2-trans,Δ4-trans-decadienoyl-CoA, PDCR was also active on a C22 substrate with multiple unsaturations, a result consistent with the role of peroxisomes in the oxidation of complex, very long chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids. The presence of a type-1 peroxisomal targeting signal Ala-Lys-Leu-COOH at the C terminus of PDCR suggested that this protein may be peroxisomal. We observed that tagged PDCR was efficiently transported to the peroxisome lumen in normal human fibroblasts but not in cells derived from a Zellweger syndrome patient with a specific defect in peroxisomal matrix protein import. We conclude that this protein resides within the peroxisome matrix and therefore represents the first mammalian peroxisomal Δ2,Δ4-dienoyl-CoA reductase to be characterized at the molecular level.
Child Development and the Law

In this chapter, I illustrate ways in which the accumulated knowledge of developmental processes can assist legal authorities by focusing on two areas of research—child witness testimony and the resolution of divorce and child custody disputes. Researchers have shown that children of all ages are capable of providing detailed information about their experiences but that the way they are questioned greatly affects the accuracy of the information they provide. Thus, when forensic interviewers adopt practices informed by developmental research, they dramatically affect the quality of information obtained from alleged victims children about their experiences. Similarly, research on parent-child relationships and on the effects of divorce have created a knowledge base that can be used to guide decisions about desirable living arrangements for children whose parents no longer live together. In both cases, scholarly research informs practice in the real world, promoting children's welfare and best interests in the process. In addition, close study of children's actual experiences and performance in real-world settings (the court room, the forensic interview, the disintegrating family) has enhanced our cumulative understanding of developmental processes. “Basic” and “applied” research thus complement one another. Keywords: child custody; child development; divorce; forensic interviews; law; witness testimony
Egg Production of Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) Is Influenced by Number of Eggs in Nest after Incubation Begins

Abstract Cockatiel eggs hatch asynchronously because most eggs are laid after continuous incubation begins. We manipulated numbers of eggs in the nest after cockatiels began incubating to determine whether number of eggs in the nest influenced clutch size. We also measured plasma prolactin 2, 7, 12, and 17 days after egg laying began to determine whether clutch size covaried with prolactin concentration. We found that total egg production was stimulated in pairs for which the rate of egg accrual was reduced by egg removal, while total egg production was inhibited in pairs for which the egg accrual rate was increased by egg addition. Female, but not male, plasma prolactin concentrations correlated negatively with egg production on day of lay 17 but not before. We conclude that egg production in incubating cockatiels is influenced by feedback from the number of eggs in the nest and that clutch termination may be signaled by rising prolactin levels in females.
Phosphorylation of activating transcription factor in murine splenocytes through delta opioid receptors.

Delta opioid receptors (DORs) modulate TCR signaling through the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ERKs 1 and 2. These studies determined whether a DOR agonist alone ([D-Ala(2)-D-Leu(5)]enkephalin; DADLE) affects phosphorylation of the activating transcription factor (ATF-2) and its interaction with the MAPK, c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK). DOR expression was induced on murine splenocytes by anti-CD3 and then quiescent cells were treated with DADLE. DADLE, itself, dose-dependently induced maximal phosphorylation of ATF-2 within 5-10min; naltrindole, a specific antagonist, abolished this. Anti-ATF-2 immunoprecipitates from control and DADLE-treated splenocytes showed a dominant 59kDa phosphorylated band and a 71kDa band. DADLE stimulated phosphorylation of both bands, although the 71kDa band was selectively immunoprecipitated by anti-JNK. Thus, DADLE stimulated phosphorylation of 71kDa ATF-2 and its association with JNK, suggesting that JNK is activated through DORs. Along with previous observations, these studies suggest that lymphocyte DORs can affect the activation of MAPKs by TCR-independent stimulation (e.g., JNK) or indirectly by modulating TCR-dependent stimulation (e.g., ERK).
Demographic Predictors of Smoking at Initiation of Antenatal Care

The purpose of the retrospective epidemiologic study was to determine smoking prevalence and its correlates among pregnant women. Data for the study were collected from 477 randomly selected medical records of pregnant women attending a Kentucky obstetrical clinic. Logistic regression analysis, when controlling for age and education, showed that significant predictors of smoking prior to pregnancy were being married and being a woman of color. Significant demographic predictors of smoking at initiation of antenatal care were being married, being a woman of color, early age at onset of smoking, and number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Short-term variation in extracellular phosphatase activity: possible limitations for diagnosis of nutrient status in particular algal populations

Species-specific extracellular phosphatase activity (PA) was studied in natural phytoplankton with an emphasis on short-term variation in PA and its consequences for the diagnosis of inorganic phosphorus (P) deficiency. Extracellular PA was measured over 3 days at 4-h intervals to compare variations in algal PA in two distinct aquatic environments: in the Řimov reservoir and acidified Plesne Lake. PA was directly detected in an epifluorescence microscope using fluorescently labelled enzyme activity; the fluorescence signal was quantified using image analysis. High short-term variation was found both in the total PA of the samples and specific PA of Ankyra ancora (G. M. Smith) Fott, Monoraphidium dybowski (Wolosz.) Hind. and Kom.-Legn., and Chlorogonium fusiforme Matwienko. The specific PA of these species varied between zero and 157 fmol cell−1 h−1. The PA of Chlorogonium fusiforme showed a significant relationship with the time of day. During the study period, populations of the certain species were present that differed in physiological status and activity due to diurnal or random changes caused by mixing in the reservoir or lake, or both. Therefore, species-specific extracellular PA should be interpreted carefully, as an indicator of P deficiency in freshwater phytoplankton if based on limited number of samplings.