cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Condensation on Lubricant-Impregnated Nanotextured Surfaces

Nanotextured superhydrophobic surfaces have received significant attention due to their ability to easily shed liquid drops. However, water droplets have been shown to condense within the textures of superhydrophobic surfaces, impale the vapor pockets, and strongly pin to the surface. This results in poor droplet mobility and degrades condensation performance. In this paper, we show that pinning of condensate droplets can be drastically reduced by designing a hierarchical micro-nanoscale texture on a surface and impregnating it with an appropriate lubricant. The choice of lubricant must take into account the surface energies of all phases present. A lubricant will cloak the condensate and inhibit growth if the spreading coefficient is positive. If the lubricant does not fully wet the solid, we show how condensate-solid pinning can be reduced by proper implementation of nanotexture. On such a surface, condensate droplets as small as 100 μm become highly mobile and move continuously at speeds that are several orders of magnitude higher than those on identically textured superhydrophobic surfaces. This remarkable mobility produces a continuous sweeping effect that clears the surface for fresh nucleation and results in enhanced condensation.
Preventing AIDS through education: concepts, strategies, and research priorities.

: Concepts related to the design and implementation of AIDS education programs in schools are presented. For each concept, the rationale and implications for auricular planning are described and health education research priorities are outlined. Teachers can make a major contribution in preventing HIV transmission among youth, perhaps the single largest contribution of any professional group. To do so, however, may require letting go of familiar roles and assuming a redefined and expanded role. Improvements in the theory base for school health education provide guidelines that can be used by teachers to clarify and reinforce curriculum efforts and to adapt to this new role.
Unresolved issues in the pathogenesis of Bartter's syndrome and its variants

Recent physiologic information concerning the renal response to potassium deprivation has been used to reevaluate potassium wasting in Bartter's syndrome. Experimental patient data support the notion that failure of potassium conservation is due to an imbalance between tubular secretory and reabsorptive processes. Suggestions are presented for the further evaluation of potassium reabsorptive pathways in the distal tubule.
Thermochemistry of binary liquid gold alloys: The systems Au-Ni, Au-Co, Au-Fe, and Au-Mn

In this paper we report enthalpy of mixing data for the liquid alloys of gold with manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel obtained by a Calvet-type calorimeter at 1378 K. The enthalpies of mixing are compared with Gibbs energies calculated from earlier emf and vapor pressure studies to yield information on the excess entropies of mixing. The limiting enthalpies of solution of the liquid transition metals in liquid gold are compared with values predicted from the semi-empirical model of Miedemaet al. and with earlier data for the same transition metals in liquid copper. The calculated values of the excess entropy of solution in liquid gold are compared with the corresponding values in liquid copper near 1400 K. For Ni, Co, and Fe as solutes we observepositive shifts of 5 to 9 J K−1 mol−1 which are attributed to vibrational entropy terms. For Mn there is a strongnegative shift of about 35 J K−1 mol−1. This shift probably is due to “complex” or “associate” formation between gold and manganese atoms.
A new look at urban alienation : The effect of neighborhood disorder on perceived powerlessness

Using data from the 1995 survey of Community, Crime and Health, a representative sample of 2,482 adults in Illinois age 18 to 92 (with linked data on respondents' census tracts), we find that urban residence is associated with perceived powerlessness. Most of the effect, however, is due to the sociodemographic characteristics of people living in the city. Yet even when we adjust for sociodemographic characteristics, a small effect of urban residence on subjective powerlessness remains. This remaining effect is explained by the experience of disorder in one's neighborhood. People who live in urban areas and high-poverty neighborhoods report more neighborhood disorder ; this disorder, not the city nor the neighborhood poverty per se, affects perceived powerlessness. People who report living in a disordered neighborhood have significantly higher levels of perceived powerlessness, in small part because they lack social ties with neighbors.
Maintaining New Markets: Explaining Antitrust Enforcement in Central and Eastern Europe

While others have examined the implementation and/or the stringency of enforcement of antitrust laws in post-socialist economies, this paper is the first study that attempts to explain the patterns of antitrust enforcement activity across post-socialist countries using economic and political variables. Using a panel of ten European post-socialist countries over periods ranging from 4 to 11 years, we find a number of significant factors associated with enforcement in these countries. For example, our results suggest that countries characterized by more unionization and less corruption tend to engage in greater antitrust enforcement of all types. Countries more successful in privatizing have filed fewer cases, while more affluent or developed countries investigate fewer cases of all types, consistent with an income-shifting motivation for antitrust. In general, countries have tended to increase their enforcement efforts over time.
A case of treponematosis from pre-Columbian Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Although numerous cases of treponemal infection have been identified in prehispanic New World skeletal remains, none has been reported from Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Chaco Canyon was the epicentre of a broad culture system that spanned the Four Corners region of the pre-Columbian Southwestern United States. A burial recovered from the central Great House of Chaco Canyon, Pueblo Bonito, exhibits lesions indicative of treponematosis. However, the pathological condition of this individual has heretofore been only tentatively diagnosed because the skeleton was collected from a commingled context and distributed across four separate catalogue numbers. Now reassociated, these remains exhibit a pattern of pathological changes strongly indicative of treponemal disease. This case not only adds to the growing body of literature on the clinical expression and geographic distribution of pre-Columbian treponematosis, but also demonstrates the utility of painstaking reassociation of commingled human remains. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trends in cervical cancer in Fiji, 2000-2010.

Setting: Cancer patients recorded in Fiji’s National Patient Information System (PATIS) from 2000 to 2010. Objective: To identify trends in cervical cancer using case numbers incidence rates and case fatality in Fiji over the decade 2000-2010. Design: Retrospective descriptive and analytical study. Results: Between 2000 and 2010 1234 patients were registered with cervical cancer of whom 845 (68%) were indigenous Fijians and 357 (29%) were Indians; only 32 (3%) were of other ethnic groups. Mortality rates were much higher among Fijian women and were far higher in women aged 45 years. Conclusion: The high incidence rates of cervical cancer in Fijian women between the ages of 35 and 45 years reflect ethnic differences in social norms. The higher case fatality and mortality rates in these groups indicate that more work is needed to improve access to and quality of screening and treatment services.
Any further progress in smoking cessation treatment

The release of the US Public Health Service's quantitative review of smoking treatments, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence (TTUD; Fiore, Bailey, Cohen et al., 2000, AHRQ Publication, USDHHS), is a fitting occasion to revisit a question posed by Shiffman (1993, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61:718-722): has there been any recent progress in smoking cessation treatment? Using TTUD meta-analyses as a rough guide, we present an overview of current elements of clinical treatments (structure, content, and pharmacotherapy) with statistical claims to efficacy. We note characteristics of treatment, or treatment research, that may retard accumulation of critical knowledge, including the hegemony of multi-component treatments and a seeming disinterest in treatment process. Finally, we sketch avenues of potentially generative research that might foster new insights and improved treatments. It is concluded that not much has changed since Shiffman's (1993) review, and that his call for a rededication to basic research is still prudent but largely unanswered.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate promotes the differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells into endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expressing endothelial-like cells.

Background Adipose tissue provides a readily available source of autologous stem cells. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been proposed as a source for endothelial cell substitutes for lining the luminal surface of tissue engineered bypass grafts. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a key protein in endothelial cell function. Currently, endothelial differentiation from ASCs is limited by poor eNOS expression. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of three molecules, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), bradykinin, and prostaglandin-E1 (PGE1) in ASC endothelial differentiation. Endothelial differentiation markers (CD31, vWF and eNOS) were used to evaluate the level of ASCs differentiation capability.
Earnings signals in fixed-price and Dutch auction self-tender offers

Abstract Studies by Vermaelen (1981) and others indicate that the positive excess stock returns around self-tender offer announcements are the result of a signal of future earnings improvements. Comment and Jarrell (1991) , Lee, Mikkelson and Partch (1992) and Persons (1994) argue that the signal in fixed-price self-tender offers should be stronger than the signal in Dutch auction self-tender offers. This study tests whether the earnings improvement following fixed-price self-tender offers is greater than that following Dutch auction self-tender offers. We find some evidence that earnings improve following both types of self-tender offers. However, we find no difference in earnings improvement between the two types of offers.
Hyponatremia in heart failure: the role of arginine vasopressin and diuretics.

Purpose To provide an overview of the role of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the development of hyponatremia in patients with heart failure (HF), the role of diuretics, and the potential for vasopressin-receptor antagonists in the treatment of HF.
Chordoma of the lower cervical spine

Vertebral chordomas are rather rare tumours, especially in the lower cervical region. We present a patient with a C7 vertebral body chordoma and a discussion of pertinent literature is given. Only three C7 chordomas have been reported previously. Diagnosis is sometimes difficult to establish and is based on radiological examinations. Once the histological diagnosis is available, one should aim at a total resection. If this is not possible, adjuvant radiotherapy should be given. For limited cervical lesions, we advise a corporectomy with fusion by an iliac crest graft and osteosynthetic plate stabilisation.
ON THE ALLOCATION OF A SUBSET OF NODES TO A MINI-HUB IN A PACKAGE DELIVERY NETWORK

This article deals with a question in hub-and-spoke network design: are some nodes better off sending their interactions through a local mini-hub, rather than through a single central facility, and where should the hubs be located if this form of allocation is allowed? While the allocations are obtainable by a simple calculation for fixed facility locations, it turns out that additional model formulation decisions have to be made to best capture the reality of the way that these interactions are allowed to be routed through the network. In particular, the analyst must determine whether the system being represented (a) allows interactions to make more than one stop; (b) requires the interacting nodes to deal with each other through an exclusive mini-hub “club”; or (c) permits each interacting pair to select its own least cost route (consistent with the number of allowed stop overs). In order to reflect the “reality” of time-windows, the research finds that it is necessary to constrain the maximum distance, of the service region for the mini-hub. This is accomplished by adding a simple covering constraint to the location model. Then, given the model design choice, it is relatively easy to formulate and solve appropriate location/allocation models for the problem using integer programming. The article is illustrated with examples of these formulations, and sample solutions are provided for a well-studied lest data set.
Visual recovery in a patient with total hyphema, neovascular glaucoma, long-standing retinal detachment and no light perception vision: a case report

Introduction: We report the case of a patient with total hyphema, neovascular glaucoma, long-standing retinal detachment and no light perception vision, who regained counting fingers vision with complete regression of neovascularization following anterior chamber washout, intravitreal bevacizumab, pars plana vitrectomy, and silicone oil placement. This represents a rare case in which a patient with no light perception vision was able to regain functional vision. Case presentation: A 63-year-old Caucasian man with a 55-year history of long-standing retinal detachment after trauma presented to our facility with pain and redness, a total hyphema, no light perception vision and an intraocular pressure of 60 mmHg (right eye). He had a history of diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. Following anterior chamber washout, he was found to have neovascular glaucoma, for which intravitreal bevacizumab was administered. After washout and intraocular pressure control, his visual acuity improved to light perception. He subsequently underwent vitrectomy, membrane peeling, endolaser and silicone oil placement to reattach his retina, and then a second retinal reattachment procedure. Following these procedures, he had visual recovery to counting fingers vision in his right eye at five metres, complete regression of neovascularization, and intraocular pressure of 10 to 12 mmHg on one antiglaucoma medication. Conclusion: Functional vision can be regained despite long-standing retinal detachment.
Considering structural, individual and social network explanations for ecologically sustainable agriculture: an example drawn from Washington state wheat growers.

As acceptance of the concept of agricultural sustainability has grown, it has become increasingly recognized that notions of sustainability and how to promote it will necessarily vary depending on the commodity in question. It thus becomes important to investigate how movements towards sustainability are emerging for different commodities. The objective of our paper is to present the results of an analysis of Washington wheat producers that investigates the degree to which interest in sustainability exists amongst those farmers and whether structural factors and farmer personal characteristics are more or less significant than social network factors in explaining farmers’ views of possible sustainable methods. Our findings indicate that a measure indicating use of local social networks to gain information is associated with a higher degree of interest in new production methods aimed at improving agricultural sustainability.
A flexible parametric model for combining current status and age at first diagnosis data.

SUMMARY. In some cross-sectional studies of chronic disease, data consist of the age at examination, whether the disease was present at the exam, and recall of the age at first diagnosis. This article describes a flexible parametric approach for combining current status and age at first diagnosis data. We assume that the log odds of onset by a given age and of detection by a given age conditional on onset by that age are nondecreasing functions of time plus linear combinations of covariates. Piecewise linear models are used to characterize changes across time in the baseline odds. Methods are described for accommodating informatively missing current status data and inferences based on the age-specific incidence of disease prior to a landmark event (e.g., puberty, menopause). Our formulation enables straightforward maximum likelihood estimation without requiring restrictive parametric or Markov assumptions. The methods are applied to data from a study of uterine fibroids.
Image Comparison by Compound Disjoint Information

In this paper, we study disjoint information as a metric for image comparison and its applications in image matching, alignment, and video tracking. Disjoint information is the joint entropy of random variables excluding the mutual information. This measure of statistical dependence and information redundancy satisfies more rigorous metric conditions than mutual information. For image comparison, compound disjoint information is derived from the marginal densities of the image distributions. By using marginal densities other than color histograms, it can overcome the difficulties (such as a lack of spatial information) inherent in histogram-based mutual information methods and enrich the vocabulary of image description. Disjoint information is not sensitive to illumination and appearance changes, and it is particularly suited for multimodal applications.
End-Stage Renal Disease in Patients with Fabry Disease

Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is a rare cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Renal pathology in AFD is notable for diffuse deposition of glycosphingolipid in the renal glomeruli, tubules, and vasculature. Light microscopic findings include a “foamy” appearance of the glomeruli with diffuse
Evaluating the Effect of Project Longevity on Group-Involved Shootings and Homicides in New Haven, Connecticut:

Beginning in November 2012, New Haven, Connecticut, served as the pilot site for Project Longevity, a statewide focused deterrence gun violence reduction strategy. The intervention brings law enforcement, social services, and community members together to meet with members of violent street groups at program call-ins. Using autoregressive integrated moving average models and controlling for the possibility of a non-New Haven–specific decline in gun violence, a decrease in group offending patterns, and the limitations of police-defined group member involved (GMI) categorization of shootings and homicides, the results of our analysis show that Longevity is associated with a reduction of almost five GMI incidents per month. These findings bolster research confirming the efficacy of focused deterrence approaches to reducing gun violence.
Volume of distribution of radiosulfate as a measure of the extracellular fluid.

SummaryRadiosulfate becomes distributed within 15 to 20 minutes in a reproducible space which is 16% of the body weight in man. It is suggested that this space may correspond to the extracellular fluid.
The Effectiveness of Variables for Predicting Academic Achievement for Business Students

(1964). The Effectiveness of Variables for Predicting Academic Achievement for Business Students. The Journal of Experimental Education: Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 189-192.
80 ENDOTHELIAL SIGNALING BY SIMVASTATIN IS MEDIATED BY INTEGRIN β4.

The statins, a class of HMG CoA-reductase inhibitors, are used clinically for their ability to lower serum cholesterol levels and reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease. However, not all of their clinical benefits can be attributed to their lipid-lowering properties. We have previously reported the direct effects of simvastatin on endothelial cells (ECs), including the up-regulation of integrin β4 gene and protein expression. Whereas the role of integrins has been described with respect to a variety of pathways, including both Rho GTPase and MAP kinase signaling, the role of integrin β4 in EC signaling is poorly characterized. In this study, human pulmonary artery ECs treated with simvastatin (5 μM, 16 hours) demonstrated a significant increase in both cytosolic Rac activation (Rac-GTP) and integrin β4 protein expression (95% and 50%, respectively). Compared with controls, simvastatin-induced (5 μM, 16 hours) Rac activation was markedly attenuated in ECs transfected with siRNA specific for integrin β4 (38% decrease), with no change in total Rac noted. Additionally, LPS-induced (5 μg/mL, 10 minutes) Erk phosphorylation was inhibited in ECs treated with simvastatin (5 μM, 16 hours), an effect that may contribute to the antiangiogenic properties of statins, whereas Erk phosphorylation was significantly enhanced in ECs transfected with integrin β4 siRNA (100% increase). Finally, RT-PCR confirmed that IL-8 RNA was markedly increased in integrin β4-silenced ECs compared with control cells (≈threefold increase), whereas LPS-induced (5 μg/mL, 10 minutes) IL-8 expression was significantly attenuated in simvastatin-treated (5 μM, 16 hours) ECs compared with LPS alone (30% decrease), findings that may account for the anti-inflammatory properties of statins. Our results indicate a novel regulatory mechanism of Rac and Erk activities and the expression of IL-8 in ECs that is mediated by integrin β4. These data advance our understanding of the complex effects of statins on EC signaling and may ultimately lead to the identification of novel clinical targets. Funding: HL077134-01, Parker B. Francis Fellowship.
Common problems and status on drug registration application dossier(4):pharmacological and toxicological studies

The dossier completeness and data traceableness of drug registration application are important preconditions for conducting technical review.Through check and analysis on 1450 applications for dosage form change and generic of Traditional Chinese Medicines and chemical drugs,common problems and status on these applications are discussed in aspects of administrative information,CMC,pharmacology and toxicology,and bioequivalence sections.We expect drug registration applicants will attach great importance at application dossier preparing.This paper focuses on pharmacological and toxicological studies.
Predicting perceived infidelity from gender and interpersonal traits

AbstractThis study investigated whether perceived infidelity may be predicted from gender, communion, fear of intimacy, and rejection sensitivity. Undergraduates (272 women, 82 men) completed a questionnaire assessing these variables. MANOVA and regression analyses revealed that women, high-communion individuals, and low fear-of-intimacy individuals were more likely to perceive sex-based acts (e.g. sexual intercourse) and emotion-based acts (e.g. falling in love without acting on the feelings) as constituting infidelity, compared to men, low-communion individuals, and high fear-of-intimacy individuals, respectively. Rejection sensitivity did not predict perceived infidelity. This research has implications for perceived threats being a function of one's level of commitment to their romantic relationship, and applications for partners in counseling to work on the relationship and understand one another better.
Remote sensing of species dominance and the value for quantifying ecosystem services

Remote sensing (RS) is a powerful tool to measure and monitor Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) and their environmental drivers. Despite this potential, stronger integration between remote sensing experts and the ecological community could better support biodiversity initiatives. Here we highlight opportunities to harness remote sensing technology to better understand biodiversity patterns, ecological processes and the consequences for ecosystem services (ESs). We argue that tracking many EBVs using remote sensing should prioritize the monitoring of dominant species, a scalable property across multiple EBV classes, for several reasons. First, a few dominant species in an ecological community disproportionately contribute to the satellite spectral signature. Second, a focus on dominance would enable a stronger links to ecological research, as dominance reflects the ecological community context (i.e. relative abundance of coexisting species). For example dominant species should be especially important contributors to many ecosystem functions and services that rely on abundance or biomass, such as carbon storage or nutrient cycling, because of their greater representation in a community. Furthermore, global change impacts on communities may be reflected in changing dominance structure before the losses of species, thus tracking dominance provides an early-warning sign of community change for EBVs. Finally, focusing on dominant species should improve understanding of spatial and temporal dynamics of dominance-driven ESs through RS mapping. Given the importance of dominant species to ecological communities and ESs, monitoring dominance under changing environmental conditions and human impacts should be a global priority.
Zoonoses emergentes e reemergentes e sua importância para saúde e produção animal

The factors for disease emergence or reemergence are little known and understood, but the main one is the expansion of the human population. Other factors include climate change, globalization, and intensification of animal production. This is disturbing, given that 75% of emerging or reemerging human diseases of the last century are zoonoses, that is, animal diseases, which, besides causing human and animal fatalities, affect the economy of countries. It is estimated that the impact of animal diseases exceeds 20% of the losses in animal production worldwide. Brazil is a major agricultural producer and has most of its territory in the tropical region, harboring the greatest environmental biodiversity of the globe. Studies have pointed the Amazon region as a hot spot where diseases have emerged or will emerge. In this context, the formation of a cooperation network with strategic actions for monitoring, research, communication, and training is recommended. It is essential to foster partnerships in the areas of health, agriculture, and environment for a prompt national and global response. The objective of this work was to address the main factors involved in the emergence or reemergence of zoonoses, as well as future threats and the strategic importance of Brazilian research and surveillance.
Pimozide cf. Haloperidol in Tourette Syndrome

Pimozide (3.4 mg/day) and haloperidol (3.5 mg/day) therapy for Tourette syndrome were compared in a double-blind, 24-week, placebo-controlled crossover study of 22 patients, aged 7-16 years, at the Institute of Psychiatry, Charleston, SC.
Chemical optogenetic modulation of inflammation and immunity

The immune system is an essential component of host defense against pathogens and is largely mediated by inflammatory molecules produced by immune cells, such as macrophages. These inflammatory mediators are regulated at the transcriptional level by chromatin-modifying enzymes including histone deacetylases (HDACs). Here we describe a strategy to regulate inflammation and immunity with photocontrolled HDAC inhibitors, which can be selectively delivered to target cells by UV irradiation to minimize off-target effects. We strategically photocaged the active moiety of an HDAC inhibitor and showed that mild UV irradiation leads to the selective release of the inhibitor in a spatiotemporal manner. This methodology was used to decrease the amount of pro-inflammatory mediators produced by a subpopulation of macrophages. Our approach could ultimately be used to control inflammation in vivo as a therapeutic for inflammatory diseases, while minimizing off-target effects to healthy tissues.
Spice-y Kidney Failure: A Case Report and Systematic Review of Acute Kidney Injury Attributable to the Use of Synthetic Cannabis.

Introduction Spice is a synthetic cannabinoid that is readily available for purchase in smoke shops at relatively low cost. Spice is not detectable upon routine drug screening, making it an increasingly popular new street drug. Case report A 21-year-old man presented with new-onset seizures. During the next 2 days, he developed uncontrollable hypertension, agitation, respiratory failure requiring intubation, pulmonary hypertension, and acute kidney injury (AKI) with a maximum blood urea nitrogen/creatinine level of 54/7.90 mg/dL. A complete renal workup was negative, but his urine sediment revealed granular casts. A discussion with family and friends revealed that this patient had smoked Spice during the last month. His renal function started to improve with supportive therapy, and his AKI resolved by the time of discharge without renal replacement therapy. Discussion Spice differs from marijuana because it is a cannabinoid receptor type 1 and 2 agonist. The pathologic mechanism of AKI remains unclear, but the condition likely is attributable to acute tubular necrosis or acute interstitial nephritis, as proven by biopsies performed in previous case series. It is important to raise awareness that a new Spice strain that may be circulating in the Southern California Inland Empire can endanger young users who may develop seizures, respiratory failure, and AKI.
Power spectra constrained IVA for enhanced detection of SSVEP content

The detection of steady state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) has been identified as an effective solution for brain computer interface (BCI) systems as well as for neurocognitive investigations of visually related tasks. SSVEPs are induced at the same frequency as the visual stimuli and can be observed in the scalp-based recordings of electroencephalogram signals, though they are one component buried amongst the normal brain signals and complex noise. Variations in individual response latencies as well as the presence of multiple biological artifacts complicate the use of direct frequency analysis, thus making blind source separation methods, such as independent component (ICA) and independent vector analysis (IVA) desirable solutions. IVA is a recent extension of ICA that decomposes multiple datasets simultaneously and has been been shown to be capable of enhancing and improving the detection of SSVEPs by exploiting the complimentary information that exists across EEG channels. In this work, we present a novel extension of IVA which incorporates a priori information to constrain the power spectral density (PSD) of the source estimates, known as constrained PSD IVA (CP-IVA) and demonstrate its improved SSVEP detection performance as well as stability over standard IVA and temporally constrained IVA (C-IVA).
Is Clostridium difficile infection a risk factor for subsequent bloodstream infection

Abstract Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a common nosocomial diarrheal illness increasingly associated with mortality in United States. The underlying factors and mechanisms behind the recent increases in morbidity from CDI have not been fully elucidated. Murine models suggest a mucosal barrier breakdown leads to bacterial translocation and subsequent bloodstream infection (BSI). This study tests the hypothesis that CDI is associated with subsequent BSI in humans. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 1132 inpatients hospitalized >72 h with available stool test results for toxigenic C. difficile. The primary outcome was BSI following CDI. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, colectomy, readmission, and ICU admission. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were developed. Results CDI occurred in 570 of 1132 patients (50.4%). BSI occurred in 86 (7.6%) patients. Enterococcus (14%) and Klebsiella (14%) species were the most common organisms. Patients with BSI had higher comorbidity scores and were more likely to be male, on immunosuppression, critically ill, and have a central venous catheter in place. Of the patients with BSI, 36 (42%) had CDI. CDI was not associated with subsequent BSI (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.44–1.08; P = 0.103) in unadjusted analysis. In multivariable modeling, CDI appeared protective against subsequent BSI (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.34–0.96; P = 0.036). Interaction modeling suggests a complicated relationship among CDI, BSI, antibiotic exposure, and central venous catheter use. Conclusions In this cohort of inpatients that underwent testing for CDI, CDI was not a risk factor for developing subsequent BSI.
More Than a Tick Box: Medical Checklist Development, Design, and Use

Despite improving patient safety in some perioperative settings, some checklists are not living up to their potential and complaints of "checklist fatigue" and outright rejection of checklists are growing. Problems reported often concern human factors: poor design, inadequate introduction and training, duplication with other safety checks, poor integration with existing workflow, and cultural barriers. Each medical setting-such as an operating room or a critical care unit-and different clinical needs-such as a shift handover or critical event response-require a different checklist design. One size will not fit all, and checklists must be built around the structure of medical teams and the flow of their work in those settings. Useful guidance can be found in the literature; however, to date, no integrated and comprehensive framework exists to guide development and design of checklists to be effective and harmonious with the flow of medical and perioperative tasks. We propose such a framework organized around the 5 stages of the checklist life cycle: (1) conception, (2) determination of content and design, (3) testing and validation, (4) induction, training, and implementation, and (5) ongoing evaluation, revision, and possible retirement. We also illustrate one way in which the design of checklists can better match user needs in specific perioperative settings (in this case, the operating room during critical events). Medical checklists will only live up to their potential to improve the quality of patient care if their development is improved and their designs are tailored to the specific needs of the users and the environments in which they are used.
Cell-size-dependent upregulation of HGF expression in dermal fibroblasts: Impact on human skin connective tissue aging

Abstract Background Aged human skin is primarily attributable to loss of collagen, the main structural component of skin. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) acts as an anti-fibrotic factor by suppression of collagen production. It is not known whether HGF is involved in age-related collagen deficit in human skin. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of HGF in human skin, and the underlying mechanisms of age-related elevation of HGF expression. Methods The expression of HGF in young (25 ± 5 years, six subjects) and aged (75 ± 6 years, six subjects) human skin was determined by laser capture microdissection (LCM) coupled real-time PCR and immunohistology. The underlying mechanisms of age-related elevation of HGF were investigated by reducing dermal fibroblast size, which is a prominent feature of aged skin fibroblast in vivo . Results HGF is predominantly expressed in human skin dermal fibroblasts, the major cells responsible for collagen production, and is significantly elevated in aged human skin in vivo . Mechanistically, reduced fibroblast size, which is a prominent feature of aged skin fibroblasts in vivo , is responsible for age-related elevation of HGF expression. Cell-size-dependent upregulation of HGF expression is driven by increased c-Jun and impaired TGF-β signaling. Restoration of fibroblast size normalizes increased c-Jun expression and impaired TGF-β signaling, and thus reversed the elevated HGF expression. Finally, we confirmed that application of retinoid (ROL), which has been shown to improve aged human skin, significantly reduced elevated HGF mRNA expression in aged human skin in vivo (78 ± 4 years, six subjects). Conclusion These data reveal a novel mechanism by which reduction of fibroblast size upregulates HGF expression, which in turn contributes to loss of collagen, a prominent feature of aged skin.
Recruitment and therapeutic application of macrophages in skeletal muscles after hind limb ischemia.

Abstract Objective Peripheral arterial disease can cause not only ischemia but also skeletal muscle damage. It has been known that macrophages (MPs) play an important role in coordinating muscle repair; however, phenotype transition of monocyte-MP in ischemic muscle has not been well defined. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the temporal recruitment of MPs and to explore their therapeutic effect on ischemic muscle regeneration. Methods Unilateral femoral artery excision was performed on C57BL/6 mice. Myeloid cells were isolated from the ischemic muscles, characterized using flow cytometry. Bone marrow-derived MPs were injected (2 × 10 6 cells) into the ischemic gastrocnemius muscle 24 hours after injury. Blood flow recovery was measured using laser speckle imaging. Functional outcome was evaluated by assessing the contractile force of ischemic muscles. Histologic analysis included quantification of myofiber size, collagen deposition, number of inflammatory and MyoD-expressing cells, and capillary density. Results Neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes-MPs were present at day 1 after injury. The mature MPs then remained elevated as the dominant population from day 5 to day 21 with the observation of regenerating fibers. Functional measurements revealed that the force production was significantly enhanced after treatment with proinflammatory M1 MPs (94.9% vs 77.9%; P P Conclusions We demonstrated the dynamics of myeloid cells in skeletal muscle after ischemic insult, and the administration of exogenous M1 MPs in a temporally coordinated manner successfully improved angiogenesis and skeletal muscle regeneration. Our results suggested that cell therapy using MPs may be a promising adjunctive therapeutic approach for peripheral arterial disease.
Scalp Arteriovenous Malformation (Cirsoid Aneurysm) in Adolescence: Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature

Background Scalp arteriovenous malformations, also known as cirsoid aneurysms, are rare lesions that are congenital, traumatic, or postinfectious in nature. These lesions may be found incidentally or owing to signs and symptoms that they produce, such as an enlarging pulsatile mass, headache, tinnitus, or bleeding. These lesions often constitute high-flow arterial blood from the superficial temporal or occipital arteries with venous outflow into extracranial venous structures. Methods We describe diagnosis and management of 2 cases of congenital scalp arteriovenous malformations in adolescent patients. One case had more typical vascular supply and outflow, whereas the other case demonstrated more uncommon arterial blood supply from extracranial ophthalmic arteries as well as a component of transosseous venous drainage into the intracranial superior sagittal sinus via emissary veins. Results Treatment of these lesions usually consists of endovascular embolization followed by surgical resection. Conclusions Both scalp AVMs described were successfully excised after transvenous embolization. Consideration of risks of intracranial venous drainage must be taken into account when evaluating AVM anatomy.
Resilience and Transformation in the Red Zone

Although not generally recognized in policy and research agendas, cases where humans who face disaster, conflict, or stress turn to greening as a source of resilience abound. Such examples cut across organizational scales, as demonstrated by the greening efforts of individuals and of groups of youth and adults who plant gardens and trees under the harshest of conditions, including during war, in communities approaching a threshold and at risk of becoming what Norton has referred to as ‘feral cities’, in refugee camps, in small villages, and in major cities. In some instances greening may have symbolic meaning and broad implications for the resilience of entire nation-states. We provide a brief overview of the term resilience as it has been used at the individual level and then go into more depth regarding its use at the scale of social-ecological systems, with particular reference to crisis settings that open up possibilities for transformation to more desirable states. Whereas we recognize the well-documented role of greening in adaptation to ongoing, relatively small changes at the individual level, we focus on how greening comes to the fore when social-ecological systems – a village, a city, a region dependent on a particular natural resource, or even a whole nation-state – undergo transformations following a major perturbation.
Effectiveness of an Early Ultrasound Training Curriculum for General Surgery Residents.

Ultrasound (US) is fast becoming an extension of the physical examination in most surgical settings. Unfortunately, few residency programs offer a formal US training curriculum to their general sur...
New Developments in Gifted Education

This chapter discusses advances in gifted education that took place in recent years and thus serves as an introduction to other chapters presented in this part of the Handbook. Specifically, it compares today’s topics in gifted education with those of about 25 years ago. The chapter found that, with one exception, the central topics and categories of gifted education are about the same today as a quarter century ago. The one exception deals with identifying and teaching gifted minority children and youth that is by far the single most common topic. The chapter reviews such important topics as definition of giftedness, identification of the gifted, and guidelines for teaching highly able students.
A Simulation Perspective: The Potential and Limitation of Ge GAA CMOS Devices

The electrical characteristics of n/p Ge nanowire transistors (NWTs) with the cross section of $6\times 6\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}^{2}$ have been studied. The ION performance and the subthreshold swing are simulated by multi-subband Boltzmann transport equation and ballistic quantum transport solvers, respectively. The performance of nGe NWTs is sensitive to the barrier height of interfacial layer due to highly-anisotropic $\Lambda$-valleys. The dimension-dependent k·p parameters based on tight-binding full band are used to address the strong confinement of pGe NWTs. Comparing to Si NWTs, the intrinsic I ON is twice as high for both n/p Ge NWTs at 28nm channel length. As the channel length is scaled down, such ION benefit is maintained till the tunneling effect comes in and degrades the subthreshold swing.
Orienting and memory to unexpected and/or unfamiliar visual events in children and adults.

Abstract For children, new experiences occur very often, and learning to differentiate between old and new events is a fundamental process necessary for appropriate reactions to stimuli. Thus the present study is concerned with maturation of brain responses to repeated novel events. We examined the effect of repetition of familiar (meaningful) and unfamiliar (meaningless) symbols on the event-related-potentials (ERPs) recorded during novelty oddball and recognition memory tasks from children, adolescents and young adults. During the novelty oddball task, repetition of the familiar symbols elicited a reduction in the novelty P3 in the ERPs of all age groups, while repetition of the unfamiliar symbols elicited a reduction in novelty P3 amplitude only in children. As expected, recognition memory performance improved with age and was better for familiar than unfamiliar symbols. For all age groups, ERPs to correctly recognized familiar old symbols elicited a larger positivity than ERPs to correctly identified new symbols, indicating a reliable memory effect. However, ERPs to unfamiliar old and new symbols did not differ in adults and adolescents but did differ in children. The data suggest that children process familiar visual symbols in a similar fashion to that of adults, and that children process unfamiliar symbols differently from adults.
Photophysical Processes in Rhenium(I) Diiminetricarbonyl Arylisocyanides Featuring Three Interacting Triplet Excited States.

We present a series of four transition-metal complexes based on the rhenium(I) tricarbonyl 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) template, with a lone ancillary arylisocyanide (CNAr) ligand to yield metal–org...
Equiaffine characterization of Lagrangian surfaces in ℝ4

For non-degenerate surfaces in ℝ4, a distinguished transversal bundle called affine normal plane bundle was proposed in [K. Nomizu and L. Vrancken, A new equiaffine theory for surfaces in ℝ4, Internat. J. Math. 4(1) (1993) 127–165]. Lagrangian surfaces have remarkable properties with respect to this normal bundle, like for example, the normal bundle being Lagrangian. In this paper, we characterize those surfaces which are Lagrangian with respect to some parallel symplectic form in ℝ4.
Visual Diagnosis: The Blue Baby: An Infant Presenting with Severe Respiratory Distress.

1. Jane Soung, MD* 2. Sriram Ramgopal, MD* 3. Brett McAninch, MD* 1. *Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA An 8-month-old previously healthy girl presents to the emergency department with concerns of “not breathing right.” Just before arrival she awoke from her nap screaming. She appeared grey and was breathing rapidly. Her babysitter called 911, and she was brought to the emergency department for further care. The patient had an isolated tactile temperature 4 days before arrival and has been having nasal congestion for approximately 1 week. There are no sick contacts in the household, and the child attends an in-home child care. Her medical history includes term vaginal delivery, up-to-date immunizations, and a maternal uncle with cystic fibrosis. In the emergency department the child is cyanotic and is crying vigorously. Her pulse oximetry is 66% on room air, although there is difficulty getting a proper reading on the pulse oximeter. She is afebrile, her heart rate is 186 beats/min, blood pressure is 112/66 mm Hg, and respiratory rate is 58 breaths/min. There is bilateral air entry on the respiratory examination without audible wheeze or crackles. Cardiac examination is significant for tachycardia but with regular rhythm and without gallop or appreciable murmur. The remainder of the child’s examination findings are normal. She is placed on a nonrebreather mask, her color improves, and pulse oximetry increases to the 80s. A venous blood gas shows pH 7.23, Pco2 of 51 mm Hg, and a bicarbonate level of 21 mEq/L (21 mmol/L). Given this child’s respiratory distress and decreased oxygen saturation, a portable anteroposterior chest radiograph is obtained (Fig 1). Figure 1. Initial anteroposterior radiograph showing almost complete opacification of the right hemithorax (arrow). Note no mediastinal shift and normal …
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

Neutron activation analysis has become a major analytical tool in the field of archaeology, providing sensitive trace-element analyses of artifacts and raw materials. Samples are first irradiated with the flood of neutrons generated by a nuclear reactor, creating radioactive isotopes of elements present. By monitoring the subsequent decay of these radioisotopes, it is possible to identify and precisely quantify the elements present in a broad range of artifact types. The technique is widely employed in provenance determination, where the artifact is linked to its geographic origin by matching its trace-element composition to that of raw material sources. Other applications include authentication, explorations of materials science and manufacturing technology, as well as investigations into diet and nutrition.