cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tapetal effect of an azalide antibiotic following oral administration in beagle dogs

Abstract Tapetal Effect of an Azalide Antibiotic Following Oral Administration in Beagle Dogs. Fortner, J. H., Milisen, W. B., Lundeen, G. R., Jakowski, A. B., and Marsh, P.M. (1993). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 21, 164-173. An azalide antibiotic (CP-62,993) was administered at 100 mg/kg by oral gavage once daily for 35 consecutive days to 3 normal Beagle dogs (tapetal) and 3 Beagle dogs lacking a clinically apparent ocular tapetum (atapetal). The total dose delivered was approximately 100-fold the recommended clinical dose. Bilateral ophthalmoscopic changes were observed in the treated tapetal dogs on Day 36, consisting of mild to moderate tapetal decoloration with loss of the normal color change at the junction with the nontapetal fundus and muting of reflectivity of the normally highly reflective tapetum: treated atapetal and all control tapetal and atapetal dogs had no ophthalmoscopic changes. Microscopic examination of ocular tissue revealed rudimentary tapetal cell layers in the correct location in untreated, clinically atapetal eyes. Tapetal cells from treated tapetal and atapetal dogs were swollen and vacuolated, and contained intracytoplasmic, electron-dense debris but no recognizable tapetal rodlets. Lysosomal lamellar bodies were observed in the retinal ganglion cells of both treated groups and were neither enhanced nor reduced by the presence of a functional tapetum. Necrosis and inflammation were not observed in any ocular tissue. The altered ophthalmoscopic appearance of treated tapetal dogs was not influenced by the retinal changes because any effect on retinal transparency would have been seen in treated atapetal dogs. The decoloration and muting of reflectivity observed clinically in the tapetal fundus of dogs following prolonged exposure to high levels of CP-62,993 result from unique changes within the ocular tapetum itself and cannot be interpreted to be of consequence to nontapetal species including humans.
Role of hepatocyte direct hyperplasia in lentivirus-mediated liver transduction in vivo.

Lentiviral vectors have been used for gene transfer into the liver, but the ability of these vectors to efficiently transduce quiescent hepatocytes remains controversial. Regardless, lentivirus-mediated gene transfer is greatly enhanced when delivered during hepatocellular cycling. For this reason, the present study was designed to determine the role of hepatocyte proliferation in the enhancement of lentiviral transduction by using three different modes of liver regeneration: (1) compensatory regeneration stimulated by two-thirds partial hepatectomy, (2) direct hyperplasia after intragastric administration of the primary mitogen 1,4-bis[2-(3,5dichloropyridyloxy)] benzene (TCPOBOP), and (3) a combination of modes 1 and 2. Vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G)-pseudotyped lentiviral vector expressing b-galactosidase was administered to mice via the peripheral circulation after a regeneration stimulus. Gene transfer as measured by 5-bromo-4-chloro-3indolyl-b-D-galactoside (X-Gal) staining showed 30-fold higher levels of liver transduction in groups 1 and 2 as compared with the non-liver-manipulated control group ( p , 0.005). The combination of TCPOBOP and partial hepatectomy (group 3) resulted in an ,80-fold increase in transduction efficiency compared with the control animals. The enhanced transduction was consistent with higher levels of hepatocellular proliferation observed in animals that received both treatments compared with either single treatment alone. Importantly, the hepatocytes were the predominant cell type transduced, although transgene expression was observed in a low number of nonparenchymal cells regardless of which liver stimulus was received. Biodistribution studies confirmed that most of the gene transfer was limited to the liver and spleen. Taken together, this study suggests that disease-induced cellular proliferation in the liver will enhance the utility of this vector in treating diseases such as viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and cancer.
Permittivity estimation for breast cancer detection using particle swarm optimization algorithm

In this paper, particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to estimate the permittivities of the tissue layers at microwave frequency band. According to the literature, microwave radiometry (MWR) is potentially a promising cancer detection technique. In addition, breast cancer is an appropriate candidate of MWR due to the breast's exclusive physiology. Several algorithms have been evaluated for analyzing the measurement data and solving the inverse scattering problem in MWR, and different levels of accuracy have been reported. In this paper, the potential of PSO in solving this problem is demonstrated at 1–2.25 GHz. Two distinct algorithms are developed for the two considered scenarios. In the first scenario, we assume no a priori knowledge of the tissue under the test, whereas, in the second scenario, a priori knowledge is assumed. It is noteworthy that, there are only a few research articles studying PSO for permittivity estimation. However, since these studies underestimate the loss encountered by the test samples, the methods are not valid for body tissue case. Here, measurement-based loss coefficients, reported in the existing literature, are included in the calculations. It is shown that the algorithm converges relatively fast, and, distinguishes between different tissues with an acceptable accuracy.
A fourier tool for the analysis of coherent light scattering by bio-optical nanostructures.

SYNOPSIS. The fundamental dichotomy between incoherent (phase independent) and coherent (phase dependent) light scattering provides the best criterion for a classification of biological structural color production mechanisms. Incoherent scattering includes Rayleigh, Tyndall, and Mie scattering. Coherent scattering encompasses interference, reinforcement, thin-film reflection, and diffraction. There are three main classes of coherently scattering nanostructures—laminar, crystal-like, and quasi-ordered. Laminar and crystal-like nanostructures commonly produce iridescence, which is absent or less conspicuous in quasi-ordered nanostructures. Laminar and crystal-like arrays have been analyzed with methods from thin-film optics and Bragg’s Law, respectively, but no traditional methods were available for the analysis of color production by quasi-ordered arrays. We have developed a tool using two-dimensional (2D) Fourier analysis of transmission electron micrographs (TEMs) that analyzes the spatial variation in refractive index (available from the authors). This Fourier tool can examine whether light scatterers are spatially independent, and test whether light scattering can be characterized as predominantly incoherent or coherent. The tool also provides a coherent scattering prediction of the back scattering reflectance spectrum of a biological nanostructure. Our applications of the Fourier tool have falsified the century old hypothesis that the non-iridescent structural colors of avian feather barbs and skin are produced by incoherent Rayleigh or Tyndall scattering. 2D Fourier analysis of these quasi-ordered arrays in bird feathers and skin demonstrate that these noniridescent colors are produced by coherent scattering. No other previous examples of biological structural color production by incoherent scattering have been tested critically with either analysis of scatterer spatial independence or spectrophotometry. The Fourier tool is applied here for the first time to coherent scattering by a laminar array from iridescent bird feather barbules (Nectarinia) to demonstrate the efficacy of the technique on thin films. Unlike previous physical methods, the Fourier tool provides a single method for the analysis of coherent scattering by a diversity of nanostructural classes. This advance will facilitate the study of the evolution of nanostructural classes from one another and the evolution of nanostructure itself. The article concludes with comments on the emerging role of photonics in research on biological structural colors, and the future directions in development of the tool.
Postfire Recovery of Two Shrubs in the Interiors of Large Burns in the Intermountain West, USA

ABSTRACT. Shrub canopy cover can take between 10 and >50 years to recover to predisturbance levels following fire in sagebrush communities. The high degree of unpredictability of shrub recovery following prescribed fires and wildfires makes it difficult to prioritize restoration efforts and develop long-term plans for restoring or maintaining the integrity of sagebrush communities. Our overall goal was to develop a hypothesis based on descriptive data that describes the temporal pattern of recruitment for 2 important shrubs, Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. vaseyana (Rydb.) Beetle and Purshia tridentata (Pursh) DC., in the interiors of large burns where little seed input from surviving shrubs occurs. We had 2 primary questions: (1) are there distinct temporal patterns of recruitment in the interiors of large burns that determine the recovery rate of the shrub canopy layer for species largely dependent on seedlings for reestablishment and (2) can we generate hypotheses that explain this variation in shrub r...
PKA enhances the acute insulin response leading to the restoration of glucose control

Diabetes arises from insufficient insulin secretion and failure of the β-cell mass to persist and expand. These deficits can be treated with ligands to Gs-coupled G-protein-coupled receptors that raise β-cell cAMP. Here we studied the therapeutic potential of β-cell cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity in restoring glucose control using β-caPKA mice. PKA activity enhanced the acute insulin response (AIR) to glucose, which is a primary determinant of the efficacy of glucose clearance. Enhanced AIR improved peripheral insulin action, leading to more rapid muscle glucose uptake. In the setting of pre-established glucose intolerance caused by diet-induced insulin resistance or streptozotocin-mediated β-cell mass depletion, PKA activation enhanced β-cell secretory function to restore glucose control, primarily through augmentation of the AIR. Enhanced AIR and improved glucose control were maintained through 16 weeks of a high-fat diet and aging to 1 year. Importantly, improved glucose tolerance did not increase the risk for hypoglycemia, nor did it rely upon hyperinsulinemia or β-cell hyperplasia, although PKA activity was protective for β-cell mass. These data highlight that improving β-cell function through the activation of PKA has a large and underappreciated capacity to restore glucose control with minimal risk for adverse side effects.
The functional consequences of relative substrate specificity in complex biochemical systems

A biochemical activity, that is, enzymatic reaction or molecular interaction, frequently involves a molecule, for example, an enzyme, capable of interacting with numerous substrates or partners. Specificity is a fundamental property of biochemical activities, and relative specificity refers to the situation whereby a molecule interacts with multiple substrates or partners but with different affinities. Here, a hypothesis is proposed that any molecule, such as an enzyme, would have a range of preferences or relative specificity for its many native substrates, which differentially impacts the phenotypes of these substrates and hence shapes the relevant biological processes in vivo. While the mechanisms underlying the specific recognition between enzymes and individual substrates have been studied extensively, whether any enzyme exhibits intrinsic selectivity towards its ensemble of substrates is often overlooked, and whether this selectivity has any functional consequences is much less appreciated. There are, however, several lines of evidence in the literature that are consistent with the hypothesis and reviewed here. Furthermore, this hypothesis is supported by our analyses of a number of diverse biochemical systems at a large scale. Thus, the human microRNA processing machinery possesses relative specificity towards its hundreds of substrates, which might contribute to differential microRNA biogenesis; the promoter binding affinity of the transcription factor Ndt80 might regulate Ndt80 target mRNA expression in the budding yeast; Cdk1 kinase specificity might lead to variable substrate phosphorylation in vivo; and the density of HuR deposition to its thousands of RNA targets might partly explain differential RNA expression in human cells. It is proposed, therefore, that relative specificity is a universal property of complex biochemical systems and that the hypothesis could denote a general principle in biology.
A Review of: “Thomas Rid and Marc Hecker. War 2.0: Irregular Warfare in the Information Age.”

Thomas Rid and Marc Hecker examine the intersection of technology and insurgency in their study, War 2.0: Irregular Warfare in the Information Age. Whereas previously military applications spurred ...
Is Administration Leaner in Charter Schools? Resource Allocation in Charter and Traditional Public Schools

There is widespread concern that administration consumes too much of the educational dollar in traditional public schools, diverting needed resources from classroom instruction and hampering efforts to improve student outcomes. By contrast, charter schools are predicted to have leaner administration and allocate resources more intensively to instruction. This study analyzes resource allocation in charter and district schools in Michigan, where charter and tradition public schools receive approximately the same operational funding. Controlling for factors that could affect resource allocation patterns between school types, we find that charter schools on average spend $774 more per pupil per year on administration and $1141 less on instruction than traditional public schools.
1 mm Dual-polarization science with CARMA

We have constructed dual polarization 1 mm receivers for the CARMA array. A key science goal for these receivers is to map the linearly polarized thermal emission from dust grains in interstellar clouds, which may be used to infer the magnetic-field morphologies in these regions. Polarization fractions of a few percent are typical of this radiation. For an aperture synthesis array like CARMA it is advantageous to measure this weak linear polarization by cross-correlating the signals from circularly polarized feeds. To observe circular polarization, we install a waveguide polarizer between the feed horn and the OMT (orthomode transducer), at a temperature of 4 K, to convert incoming circularly polarized signals into linearly polarized signals. The receivers use waveguide OMTs to split the incoming radiation into orthogonal linear polarizations. The two OMT outputs are coupled to separate SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) mixers and WBA-13 LNAs (low-noise amplifiers).
Application of machine learning methods to describe the effects of conjugated equine estrogens therapy on region-specific brain volumes

Use of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) has been linked to smaller regional brain volumes in women aged ≥65 years; however, it is unknown whether this results in a broad-based characteristic pattern of effects. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess regional volumes of normal tissue and ischemic lesions among 513 women who had been enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years, beginning at ages 65-80 years. A multivariate pattern analysis, based on a machine learning technique that combined Random Forest and logistic regression with L(1) penalty, was applied to identify patterns among regional volumes associated with therapy and whether patterns discriminate between treatment groups. The multivariate pattern analysis detected smaller regional volumes of normal tissue within the limbic and temporal lobes among women that had been assigned to CEE therapy. Mean decrements ranged as high as 7% in the left entorhinal cortex and 5% in the left perirhinal cortex, which exceeded the effect sizes reported previously in frontal lobe and hippocampus. Overall accuracy of classification based on these patterns, however, was projected to be only 54.5%. Prescription of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years is associated with lower regional brain volumes, but it does not induce a characteristic spatial pattern of changes in brain volumes of sufficient magnitude to discriminate users and nonusers.
Environmental illness: educational needs of pediatric care providers

Background Assessing the impact of children's exposures to environmental toxins is an emerging new subspecialty in clinical pediatrics. However, pediatric health professionals in practice may not be familiar with critical information necessary to diagnose and manage environmental toxic exposures in children. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the perceptions of pediatricians, nurses, and nurse practitioners regarding their own practices and educational needs concerning pediatric environmental exposures. Methods Health professionals attending a general pediatric postgraduate course were administered a 22-item questionnaire on their practices and educational needs in children's environmental health. Results A total of 93% of participants returned usable questionnaires. Within the previous 6 months, over 90% of pediatricians and nurse practitioners had diagnosed food poisoning; almost 50% had diagnosed lead poisoning; 50% had diagnosed a child's illness as due to exposure to a toxic chemical; and 24% had diagnosed ‘building-related illness.’ Although 90% of pediatricians and 82% of nurses and nurse practitioners stated that they routinely asked families about parental occupations, only 35% of both groups asked about parental hobbies. Only 58% of the groups asked about smoke detectors in the home, and only 18% of nurses and 9% of pediatricians queried families about their use of radon detectors. Over 70% of all three groups indicated a high interest level in the following postgraduate educational topics: taking in environmental history, breast milk contaminants, food allergies, food contamination, and illness related to tobacco smoke. Topics that did not garner as high an interest level included: childhood lead poisoning, radon poisoning, and building-related illness. Conclusion Pediatric health professionals commonly diagnose environment-related illnesses, and they include such topics during well child care. They indicate a variety of educational needs concerning pediatric environmental health issues. Implications for practice Health care professionals are increasingly asked by parents to include environmental toxins among the possible causes of a child's ill health. Our results suggest that clinicians recognize their own need for further training in the principles of pediatric environmental health. Further research is needed in determining which modalities are best suited to achieve such educational objectives.
Care of the skin of the newborn infant—prevention of infection

Summary During the last two and one-half years 1,734 newborn infants havebeen cared for without any initial cleaning or bathing and without further bathing or oiling of the skin during their stay in the hospital (ten to fourteen days). The decreased incidence of skin irritations and almost total lack of pyodermia have been truly gratifying.
Linear Feedback Stabilization of Arbitrary Time Varying Uncertain Systems

The stabilization of linear systems subject to possibly fast time varying uncertainties using linear feedback control is analyzed. Based on the earlier developed method of computing the upperbound of uncertainty size allowed for retaining quadratic stability, this paper develops a scheme to design a stabilizing output feedback control. For a comparable design, an earlier algorithm requires a three level iteration, two of which are to search extrema and the other is a bisection searching. The approach developed in this paper will eliminate the bisection process and bring the other two optimization processes to the same level, thus can drastically reduce the computational costs.
From Antiwar Politics to Antitorture Politics

This paper examines the political status and cultural salience in the United States of the law of war during the era of the Vietnam conflict, for the sake of comparison with the post-9/11 centrality of concerns about detention and torture. The main question is why, when the violations of the laws of war were so much worse in the earlier period, they were not the fulcrum of public debate around war. The answer proposed is that the presence of a powerful social movement agitating against the war itself -- which meant concern about aggressive warfare to the extent international law figured in public debate at all -- marginalized concerns about the conduct of war. Even once My Lai came to light, atrocity consciousness fed an antiwar movement. The main groups and figures covered are the Lawyers Committee Concerning American Policy in Vietnam, Richard Falk of Princeton University, and Telford Taylor of Columbia University.
Identification of the Dominant Electron Deep Trap in a-Si:H: A Critical Test of the Defect Pool vs . Defect Relaxation Pictures

Modulated photocurrent (MPC) measurements in intrinsic a-Si:H reveal a prominent band of electron deep traps with a thermal emission energy near 0.6 eV. The authors have identified this defect band by directly comparing MPC and ESR spectra for both an intrinsic and a lightly n-type doped sample for a various metastable states such that the Fermi level, E{sub F}, ranges from less than 0.5 eV to more than 0.7 eV below E{sub C}. This comparison unambiguously demonstrates that the MPC band arises from the D{sup 0} charge state of the defects (specifically, the D{sup {minus}}/D{sup 0} transition). This identification is also confirmed when the quasi-Fermi level is varied by the application of light bias even though the peak emission rate from the MPC defect band is changed by more than a factor of 100. These observations specifically rule out the possibility of large populations of charged defects in intrinsic samples predicted by proponents of the defect pool model. Instead, observed behaviors have a natural explanation in terms of a defect relaxation process.
A film on schemes for interactive curve design

The accompanying film shows some general sessions of working with an interactive graphics system to design free-form curves and surfaces. In particular, it demonstrates the use of a very general B-spline curve package that allows the user to specify desired attributes like degree, shape, type of parametrization, and periodicity. Other schemes that show the use of "tension" as a parameter in design will ge presented.
A cohort study of the safety and feasibility of intraventricular urokinase for nonaneurysmal spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage.

Background and Purpose —Small case series have reported potential benefit from thrombolysis after spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Our objective was to review our experience using intraventricular urokinase (UK) in treating selected patients with IVH. Methods —Using medical records, we identified all patients who received ventriculostomies for CT-confirmed nonaneurysmal nontraumatic spontaneous IVH from December 1992 through November 1996. We reviewed charts and CT images and examined the data for associations with specific outcomes. Results —We identified 40 patients, 18 treated with ventriculostomy alone and 22 receiving adjunctive intraventricular UK. The initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of the two groups were similar ( P =0.5). While there was a trend for patients with any intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH) to receive UK ( P =0.07), the mean size of IPH in those who received ventriculostomy alone was larger than in those who received adjunctive UK ( P =0.002). There was lower mortality in the group treated with UK (31.8 versus 66.7%; P =0.03), but there was only a trend toward an increase in favorable outcome (22.2% versus 36.4%; P =0.3). Overall, the most significant association with outcome was neurological condition at presentation (GCS >5 versus ≤5; P =0.003). Receiving UK did not increase the occurrence of complications or hospital length of stay for survivors ( P =0.5). Conclusions —Intraventricular UK remains a safe and potentially beneficial intervention. While it appeared to lower mortality, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial is needed to explore whether the therapy can increase the incidence of favorable outcomes.
Rediscovering Third Party Visitation Under the Common Law in New York: Some Uncommon Answers

In this article, I examine a leading decision of New York's highest court (Matter of Ronald FF v. Cindy GG) which ruled in 1987 that non-legally recognized parents (de facto parents) may not go to court to seek court-ordered visitation over the objection of the legally recognized parent. This decision has meant that same-sex partners (or step-parents) who have helped raise children since their birth are entirely without a legal remedy to try to maintain a relationship with their children after the adult relationship has ended. Many have criticized this result on policy grounds. I do not do so in this article because New York's highest court did not decide the case on policy grounds. Instead, it purported to decide it in accordance with what it claimed are venerable common law principles. I attempt in this article to demonstrate, through a careful analysis of New York's common law, that the case was wrongly decided on its own terms and that New York's common law had longed allowed cases of this sort to be filed. The current understanding of the law is that Matter of Ronald FF refused to change the common law to adapt to changing circumstances of modern family life and, instead, held that any right to seek visitation would have to come from the Legislature. This article seeks to demonstrate that, properly understood, Matter of Ronald FF did the opposite. It actually was the case that changed the common law and, for the first time, denied persons who had a significant relationship with a child to seek court-ordered visitation over parental objection. I believe this article has important implications not only for reform in New York, but in those many other jurisdictions that today prohibit de facto parents from seeking visitation orders.
Endoscopic Ultrasound for Staging Rectal and Anal Cancer

Rectal endoscopic ultrasound (RUS) has proven very beneficial in the staging of malignant neoplasm in the anus and rectum (1,2). Typically, imaging is performed using an adult standard radial ultrasound endoscope, commonly used in evaluation of the upper gastrointestinal tract (3). Based on RUS, the normal rectal wall architecture consists of a mucosal layer (muscularis mucosa and lamina propria—also referred to as superficial and deep layers), submucosa, muscularis propria, and surrounding perirectal fat tissue without a serosa/adventiaa layer (2). Carcinoma appears as a hypoechoic mass lesion with partial or total destruction of the normal wall layer. RUS has also been useful in examining for tumor invasion in the surrounding regional organs: which in males would include evaluating the bladder, seminal vesicles, prostate, and internal anal sphincters (IASs)/external anal sphincters (EASs); and in females would include evaluation of the bladder, uterus/vagina, and IASs/EASs (2,2). Moreover, RUS is very helpful in evaluation of malignant lymphadenopathy. All of these features are useful in the pre-operative staging of rectal and anal carcinomas (1,2).
Choice of Entity Issues: Single-Member LLCs vs. ‘Regular’ Sole Proprietorships

While the federal and state income taxation of regular sole proprietorships and single member LLCs taxed as sole proprietorships and the taxation of the owners of such businesses is substantially the same, there are a number of tax and non-tax differences that should be taken into account in deciding upon the type of business entity to use for business operations. In the case of small businesses with no employees, there is little difference between the two types of entities except, perhaps, with respect to the treatment of liabilities of the owner and of the business and the state tax treatment of the business in some states. On the other hand, for more complex businesses that have employees and/or are subject to federal excise taxes, the single member LLC is treated as a separate tax entity for reporting, deposit, and payment obligations, whereas the regular sole proprietorship is not. Further, the single member LLC has easier options to change the way in which it is taxed than does the regular sole proprietorship. In summary, this article covers some of the more important tax and non-tax differences between the two types of entities.
Mastogenius guayllabambensis MacRae, A New Species from Ecuador (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Haplostethini)

Mastogenius guayllabambensis MacRae, new species, is described from the Andes Mountains of northwestern Ecuador. The species is fully described, and photographs of the holotype and type habitat, a line drawing of the male genitalia, and comparisons to similar species in the genus are presented.
Proportional Distribution of Patient Satisfaction Scores by Clinical Service: The PRIME Model

The Proportional Responsibility for Integrated Metrics by Encounter (PRIME) model is a novel means of allocating patient experience scores based on the proportion of each physician's involvement in care. Secondary analysis was performed on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys from a tertiary care academic institution. The PRIME model was used to calculate specialty-level scores based on encounters during a hospitalization. Standard and PRIME scores for services with the most inpatient encounters were calculated. Hospital medicine had the most discharges and encounters. The standard model generated a score of 74.6, while the PRIME model yielded a score of 74.9. The standard model could not generate a score for anesthesiology due to the lack of returned surveys, but the PRIME model yielded a score of 84.2. The PRIME model provides a more equitable method for distributing satisfaction scores and can generate scores for specialties that the standard model cannot.
331 FEASIBILITY OF BEDSIDE FRACTURE RISK ASSESSMENT IN HOSPITALIZED OLDER WOMEN.

Background Osteoporosis is underdiagnosed and undertreated, and hospitalization for any cause in older women increases the risk of subsequent hip fracture. We sought to determine whether bedside osteoporosis screening is acceptable to hospitalized women, and whether osteoporosis screening influences diagnostic or treatment decisions following discharge. Methods Hospitalized older women, who were not being treated for osteoporosis, were offered screening using calcaneal ultrasound (Hologic). In addition, participants received personalized fracture risk information and low-literacy education material. Patients identified a primary care physician and were encouraged to ask their doctor about definitive diagnosis and treatment. The primary care doctor also received the patient9s fracture risk information, as well as educational material and helpful osteoporosis Web sites. Response was assessed using a telephone interview 2 months after discharge. Results 18 women met study criteria. The mean age was 76 and the majority were black (77.8%). The most common admission diagnoses were congestive heart failure (n = 6) and emphysema (n = 5). One-third (n = 6) were receiving corticosteroids, and nearly two-thirds (n = 11) had fallen within 12 months of hospital admission. The median T-score was negative 2.2 (range 24.2 to 0). Of the 18, 10 thus far have completed telephone interviews. One participant had died. Of the remaining 9, 8 made at least 1 behavioral change. Only 1 recalled speaking with their doctor at follow-up appointment about fracture risks, received a DXA, and started a prescription antiresorptive. However, 3 women initiated calcium and vitamin D upon the recommendation of their physicians, 1 initiated calcium and Vitamin D on her own, and 4 more increased dairy intake by an estimated 600 mg/day. Four reported making home safety changes, 6 initiated physical therapy or exercises, and 4 reported new/increased use of their walking aid. Conclusion Bedside fracture risk assessment and education are feasible in hospital settings and identify women with low bone density and fracture risks. Women identified as having risks for fracture using this approach undertake measures to reduce fracture risk. Supported by the Methodist Foundation.
Multidimensional targeting for tailoring: a comment on Ogden (2016)

In a well-argued, compelling article, Ogden (2016) takes the position that standardised models of health-behaviour-change techniques may limit innovation and offer little to the individual practice...
The Bradyrhizobium japonicum LRP Gene Controls Uptake of ALA, a Heme Precursor

We proposed previously that ALA (δ-aminolevulinic acid) uptake by B. japonicum allows bacterial heme synthesis from plant-derived ALA in legume root nodules, thereby rendering B. japonicum ALA synthesis nonessential for symbiosis (reviewed in O’Brian, 1996). Accordingly, the vigorous ALA uptake activity found in B. japonicum is deficient in rhizobial species that require the hemA gene for nodule formation (McGinnis, O’Brian, 1995). ALA is taken up by the dipeptide permease (Dpp) system in E. coli (Verkamp et al, 1993). Herein, we identified a B. japonicum genomic library clone that complemented both ALA and dipeptide uptake activities on E. coli dpp mutants. The complementing B. japonicum DNA encoded a product with 58% identity to the E. coli global transcriptional regulator Lrp (leucine-responsive regulatory protein), inferring the presence of Dpp-independent ALA uptake activity in those cells. The B. japonicum lrp homolog conferred pro-gly-gly-dependent growth on both dpp and dpp + E. coli proline auxotrophs, but not on an opp strain suggesting that complementation was due to induction of the oligopeptide permease (Opp) system. An E. coli lrp strain also grew on the tripeptide, and the oppABCDF operon is repressed by Lrp, thus we speculate that the B. japonicum lrp homolog interferes with the repressor activity of the endogenous Lrp in E. coli, allowing Opp-dependent uptake of ALA and tripeptide. Expression of E. coli lrp from a high copy plasmid in a dpp + strain inhibited ALA uptake suggesting that Lrp can repress the Dpp system as well. A B. japonicum mutant strain that expressed the lrp homolog from a constitutive promoter was deficient in ALA uptake activity. ALA uptake activity was restored when leucine was added to the growth media, consistent with a role for leucine as a negative effector of Lrp. The data show that Lrp negatively affects ALA uptake in E. coli and B. japonicum. Furthermore, the product of the isolated B. japonicum gene is both a functional and structural Lrp homolog, and thus it is not restricted to enteric bacteria.
Magnetoelectric Coupling and Overall Properties of a Class of Multiferroic Composites

In this chapter we present a widely useful composite model for the calculation of magnetoelectric coupling and all other properties of a two-phase multiferroic composite consisting of aligned piezomagnetic (or piezoelectric) spheroidal inclusions in a piezoelectric (or piezomagnetic) matrix. Both perfect and imperfect interface conditions are considered. Among the many features of the properties reported is the intriguing magnetoelectric coupling that signifies the \( ``0+0 \to 1" \) product effect of the multiferroic composite. It is also reported that, due to the piezoelectric-piezomagnetic interaction, the elastic C 44 of the composite can be substantially higher than that of either of the two phases. We have used the theory to calculate the 17 independent material constants: 5 elastic, 3 piezoelectric, 3 piezomagnetic, 2 dielectric, 2 magnetic, and 2 magnetoelectric coefficients of a transversely isotropic BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 composite, and show how these magneto-electro-elastic constants depend on the volume concentration, aspect ratio of inclusions, and the interface condition. We conclude by pointing out that a weak interface model is often required to capture the experimentally measured data of a bulk multiferroic composite.
Fate and Transport of Viruses in Porous Media

Microbiological contaminants (e.g., bacteria, protozoa, and viruses) pose one of the greatest risks in water resources. About 70% of the waterborne microbial illness outbreaks in the United States has been associated with groundwater. Although viruses are not the only pathogens known to contaminate groundwater, they are much smaller in size than bacteria or protozoan cysts and are not filtered out to the same extent in the porous soil matrix. Knowledge of the factors that influence the fate and transport of viruses in soil and aquifers is critical to making accurate determinations of groundwater vulnerability and to developing regulations that are protective of public health. In this paper, we review the current state of knowledge on fate and transport of viruses in porous media which include (i) mechanisms and modeling of virus sorption, (ii) virus survival and factors affecting virus inactivation in the natural environment, and (iii) mechanisms of virus transport in porous media and available modeling approaches. Because viruses are surrounded by a protein capsid and are expected to behave similarly to proteins, an overview on the mechanisms of protein sorption and denaturation is also provided. Factors such as solution chemistry, virus properties, soil properties, temperature, association with solid particles, and water content have been found to influence virus sorption, survival, and transport in porous media. A review of protein literature provides some insights as to what mechanism might be involved in virus sorption that have so far not been studied. Some needs for future research are suggested.
Decade of Game Making for Learning: From Tools to Communities

This chapter recounts the game-making resurgence in the twenty-first century. It focuses on how various tools and communities for game making have been utilized thus far by constructionists to heighten children's learning in and around schools. The chapter examines how the value of game making for learning has shifted over the years in terms of educational outcomes. It provides an overview of the educational software currently available to youth and identifies the salient elements of what qualifies as an effective game design tool. Low floors, high ceilings, and wide walls offer some visage of a metaphorical house in terms of what game-making tools should look like. But here a fourth component to the consideration of computational construction kits is presented: New Windows. The chapter concludes by looking forward to the future of game making and how the various tools and communities are increasingly becoming intertwined.
The occurrence of aspiration pneumonia after emergency endotracheal intubation.

Abstract Study objective Adverse events, including aspiration, occur during Emergency Department (ED) intubation, but their contemporary incidence is not well described. We sought to estimate the rate of aspiration pneumonia potentially related to emergency intubation. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study of adult patients who were endotracheally intubated in the ED. Using a standard definition, we determined the proportion of patients who developed aspiration pneumonia after intubation. Aspiration pneumonia was defined as any of the following in patients without a diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia, healthcare-associated pneumonia, or aspiration prior to intubation: pathogenic growth in sputum culture, unexplained hypoxemia, or radiographic evidence of pneumonia in the first 48 h after intubation. Baseline characteristics and intubation details were compared for those with and without aspiration pneumonia. Results 879 patients were enrolled over a 30-month period. Intubation was facilitated by video laryngoscopy (49%), direct laryngoscopy (45%), nasal intubation (4%), a intubating laryngeal mask airway (1%), and a surgical airway (0.1%). 85% were intubated on the first attempt, 12% on the second, 3% on the third or more attempts. 25% of patients experienced an oxygen saturation Conclusion Aspiration pneumonia occurred commonly in this cohort. Although we did not identify any intubation factors that differed between those with and without with aspiration pneumonia, these findings should remind emergency physicians that emergency endotracheal intubation remains a high-risk procedure, and all care should be taken to minimize the risk of peri-intubation complications.
A large-scale investigation of the quality of groundwater in six major districts of Central India during the 2010–2011 sampling campaign

This paper investigates the groundwater quality in six major districts of Madhya Pradesh in central India, namely, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Dhar, Jhabua, Mandla, and Seoni during the 2010-2011 sampling campaign, and discusses improvements made in the supplied water quality between the years 2011 and 2017. Groundwater is the main source of water for a combined rural population of over 7 million in these districts. Its contamination could have a huge impact on public health. We analyzed the data collected from a large-scale water sampling campaign carried out by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Government of Madhya Pradesh between 2010 and 2011 during which all rural tube wells and dug wells were sampled in these six districts. Eight hundred thirty-one dug wells and 47,606 tube wells were sampled in total and were analyzed for turbidity, hardness, iron, nitrate, fluoride, chloride, and sulfate ion concentrations. Our study found water in 21 out of the 228 dug wells in Chhindwara district unfit for drinking due to fluoride contamination while all dug wells in Balaghat had fluoride within the permissible limit. Twenty-six of the 56 dug wells and 4825 of the 9390 tube wells in Dhar district exceeded the permissible limit for nitrate while 100% dug wells in Balaghat, Seoni, and Chhindwara had low levels of nitrate. Twenty-four of the 228 dug wells and 1669 of 6790 tube wells in Chhindwara had high iron concentration. The median pH value in both dug wells and tube wells varied between 6 and 8 in all six districts. Still, a significant number of tube wells exceeded a pH of 8.5 especially in Mandla and Seoni districts. In conclusion, this study shows that parts of inhabited rural Madhya Pradesh were potentially exposed to contaminated subsurface water during 2010-2011. The analysis has been correlated with rural health survey results wherever available to estimate the visible impact. We next highlight that the quality of drinking water has enormously improved since 2011 in all six districts as a result of rigorous treatment of extracted subsurface water on the ground before supplying to rural habitations as well as efficient distribution from healthy wells. Our research could provide impetus to the state government to develop innovative solutions for improving groundwater quality in these areas as existing solutions are largely protective techniques. We have identified specific ions responsible for groundwater contamination in different districts which would allow the development of district specific effective mitigation strategies.
Characterization of decision commitment rule alterations during an auditory change detection task

Flexible decision stopping rules confer control over decision processes. Using an auditory change detection task, we found that alterations of decision stopping rules did not result in systematic c...
Employment Concerns of People with Blindness or Visual Impairments

Seventy-six consumer members of the American Council of the Blind with primary disabilities of blindness or visual impairment responded to an Employment Concerns Questionnaire which was developed b...
System User Pathways to Change

This study was motivated by observations of user innovation within a study of functional gains to a complex system; the user changes introduced novel function with a seemingly minimal reliance on material change. To better understand how users were realizing these changes, empirical research of user change behaviors was accomplished. This present research unpacks user change behaviors through an inductive analysis of four cases of user design. Although material changes were observed, they were not a necessary condition for functional gain; rather, system users demonstrated a reliance upon the introduction of novel system configurations (operational change) and novel user task structures (human change). This paper presents this inductive study, considers the pathways for change employed by system users, and motivates future research for leveraging these pathways for change.
A HYPERBOLIC PDE DESCRIBING THE EVOLUTION OF A CLASS OF RANDOMLY SWITCHED DELAY SYSTEMS AND STOCHASTIC STABILIZATION

Abstract The class of alternating stochastic systems is considered. These are described by a linear system, with parameters switching randomly between two known values (i.e., an alternating system). The hyperbolic backward equations are obtained. For alternating systems, the functional partial differential equation is explicitly computed, and its diffusion limit is derived. The latter sheds light on the stability of the system. In addition, applications to vibrational stabilizability are discussed. We also make some connections with white noise analysis.
Correlation Between Levels of Humic Acid and Fecal Indicator Bacteria: A Potential Predictor of Biosolids Stabilization

Abstract For safe land application, biosolids are stabilized and treated to reduce pathogen levels. Fecal indicator levels are usually measured with culture-based methods, which are time consuming and laborious. Thus, there is a need for alternative indicators that could expedite the classification of biosolids. This could be accomplished through the quantification of humic acids (HAs) as a surrogate, since the natural degradation of organic matter simultaneously breaks down and mineralizes, while also synthesizing humus, which includes the stable polyphenolics humic and fulvic acids and humin. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether HAs and fecal bacteria exhibit an inverse correlation, supporting the notion that the level of HAs could potentially serve as an indicator for stabilized biosolids. This entailed using laboratory-scale anaerobic digesters at two temperatures (25°C and 37°C), with levels of pathogenic (Salmonella spp.) and fecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli, Enterococci, and...