cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of school gardens in academic instruction.

Abstract Objective To determine the status of gardens in California schools. Design A self-administered Internet and mailed survey was sent to all California principals (N = 9805). Participants 4194 California school principals. Variables Measured School garden practices, attitudes associated with the use of gardens in schools, and perceptions of barriers to having and using school gardens in academic instruction. Analysis Descriptive statistics and chi-square; P Results A 43% response rate was achieved. The most frequent reason for having a garden was for enhancement of academic instruction. Gardens were most commonly used for teaching science, environmental studies, and nutrition. Principals strongly agreed that resources such as curriculum materials linked to academic instruction and lessons on teaching nutrition in the garden would assist in the school garden being used for academic instruction. Principals deemed the garden as being not to slightly effective at enhancing the school meal program. Conclusions and Implications School gardens appear to be predominantly used by most schools to enhance academic instruction. There is a need for curriculum materials and teacher training for gardening and nutrition. The link between the garden and the school meal program is an area that clearly requires attention. School lunch would be a logical setting for provision of edible produce, in addition to taste-testing of fresh produce in the garden or classroom setting.
A Quantitative Assessment of Charge Collection Efficiency of N+ and P+ Diffusion Areas in Terrestrial Neutron Environment

Using a detailed memory failure cluster analysis we demonstrate a novel direct measurement of the charge collection efficiency ratio of N+ and P+ diffusions for 90 nm CMOS in the terrestrial neutron environment. For the first time, we have proved empirically that the Nwell junction is a strong barrier to charge sharing, and experimentally measured the ratio to be 4.5 for the 90 nm CMOS technology. This result provides a critical parameter for SEU circuit simulations. In addition, the accurate measurement of this parameter provides circuit designers a quantitative way to size the transistors based on their types for design hardening.
Effects of Laboratory Consolidation on Petrophysical Properties of Fine-Grained Marine Sediments: Electron Microscopic Observations

Abstract Pliocene-Recent marine sediments, recovered at site 1125 by ODP Leg 181 on the eastern New Zealand margin, were subjected to laboratory consolidation tests and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after consolidation test. The primary objective of this study is to document the effects of consolidation on microfabric and petrophysical properties. X-ray diffraction and grain-size distribution data indicate that the samples are mineralogically and texturally similar and thus are ideal for the present study on the role of consolidation solely on petrophysical properties. Porosity was measured before and after each consolidation test, and permeability was estimated indirectly based on the theoretical method. SEM photomicrographs show details of changes of pore geometry and distribution after the consolidation test that account for the porosity loss.
Speech enhancement using a state-based transform model

An analysis/synthesis technique based on harmonic sinusoidal modeling of speech is used to develop a new hidden Markov model (HMM) based speech enhancement algorithm. State sequence estimation is done using a standard HMM-based approach. State-based enhancement is carried out by assuming a harmonic model for speech, i.e., by representing each block of speech as a sum of sine waves in terms of a set of amplitudes, phases, and harmonically related frequencies. Given the maximum a-posteriori probability (MAP) state sequence, the amplitudes, phases, voicing, and fundamental frequency are estimated. Simulation results are presented, comparing the performance of the proposed algorithm to that of a standard HMM-based approach. The proposed method was found to reduce the structured residual noise normally associated with HMM-based algorithms. >
Understanding delivery of computer-based intensive insulin therapy

Intensive insulin therapy (IIT), a nurse-driven protocol combining frequent blood glucose testing and insulin administration to tightly control blood glucose, became the standard of critical care following a 2001 study. Many institutions subsequently implemented computer-based clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) for IIT. However, recent studies question IIT’s benefit and safety. Whereas previous research investigated effects of patient characteristics on IIT performance, this dissertation evaluated IIT CDSS with respect to the interaction of people, process, and technology. An organizational analysis using institutional theory explored the influence of peers, regulators, and professions in IIT adoption. A literature review and case study demonstrated the underreported role of social, organizational, and contextual factors affecting IIT CDSS. A quantitative analysis of system records established the frequency and effect of blood glucose data mismatches as well as characteristics and effects of nurse dosing overrides on IIT CDSS performance. An ethnographic study of nurse workflow yielded understanding of how IIT CDSS functions with respect to other clinical information systems and care processes. Using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach informed by social theory, this research demonstrates how sociotechnical interactions affect IIT CDSS and may be leveraged to improve care delivery.
Study of Electrochemical Deposition of Copper and Microstructure Evolution in Fine Lines

As computer chip technologies evolve from aluminum-based metallization schemes to their copper-based counterparts, Electrochemical Deposition (ECD) is emerging as a viable deposition technique for copper (Cu) interconnects. This paper presents the results of a first-pass study to examine the underlying mechanisms that control ECD Cu nucleation, growth kinetics, and post-deposition microstructure evolution (self-annealing), leading to the development and optimization of an ECD Cu process recipe for sub-quarter-micron device generations. The influence of bath composition, current waveform, type and texture of Cu seed layer, and device feature size (scaling effect) on the evolution of film texture, morphology, electrical properties, and fill characteristics was investigated using a manufacturing-worthy ReynoldsTech 8” wafer plating tool. Resulting films were analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), four-point resistivity probe, Focused-Ion-Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). These investigations identified an optimized process window for the complete fill of aggressive device structures with pure Cu with resistivity ∼ 2.0 µΩ-cm and smooth surface morphology.
Selection for freezing tolerance in St. Augustinegrass through somaclonal variation and germplasm evaluation

With 4 figures and 1 table Abstract St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] is the least cold-hardy turfgrass species. Development of freezing-tolerant St. Augustinegrass cultivars would greatly benefit home owners in many southern states of the US. Towards this breeding goal, 7800 plants regenerated through tissue culture and 36 germplasm accessions were screened for improved freezing tolerance. Among the conditions tested, 1 week at 13°C followed by another week at 3°C, then freezing at −3 to −5°C for 3 h, was found to be suitable to distinguish genotypes in freezing tests. The experiments revealed that germplasm accession Elm4 was significantly more freezing-tolerant under a controlled environment than ‘Raleigh’, the current commercially available, most freezing-tolerant cultivar. In addition, out of 7800 regenerated plants from tissue culture, somaclonal variant SVC3 showed significantly more freezing-tolerant than its parent ‘Raleigh’.
Effect of pulmonary TNF-α overexpression on mouse isolated skeletal muscle function.

TNF-α is a proinflammatory cytokine that is involved in numerous pathological processes including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the present study, we used a transgenic mouse mode...
RT-Level Deviation-Based Grading of Functional Test Sequences

Functional test sequences are often used in manufacturing testing to target defects that are not detected by structural test. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of functional test sequences. However, it is very time-consuming to evaluate the quality of functional test sequences by gate-level fault simulation. Therefore, we propose output deviations as a metric to grade functional test sequences at the register transfer (RT)-level without explicit fault simulation. Experimental results for the open-source Parwan processor and the Scheduler module of the Illinois Verilog Model (IVM) show that the deviations metric is computationally ef?cient and it correlates well with gate-level coverage for stuck-at, transition-delay, and bridging faults. Results also show that functional test sequences that are reordered based on output deviations provide steeper gate-level fault coverage ramp-up compared to other ordering methods.
The effects of material selection for backing and wear protection/quarter-wave matching of piezoelectric polymer ultrasound transducers

Selection of the proper backing material for a piezoelectric polymer ultrasonic transducer demands careful design consideration. Many ultrasonic transducers also require a front layer to protect the otherwise exposed electroding from the environment. By carefully choosing the right front layer material, one can also improve acoustic performance with the use of a quarter-wave matching layer. However, there are few practical materials which can be effectively used for quarter-wave matching polymer transducers. This paper describes the practical selection of materials for the design of the backing substrate and front wear/matching layers for piezoelectric polymer ultrasound transducers.
Aminoglycoside-nucleic acid interactions: remarkable stabilization of DNA and RNA triple helices by neomycin.

The stabilization of poly(dA).2poly(dT) triplex, a 22-base DNA triplex, and poly(rA).2poly(rU) triple helix by neomycin is reported. The melting temperatures, the association and dissociation kinetic parameters, and activation energies (E(on) and E(off)) for the poly(dA).2poly(dT) triplex in the presence of aminoglycosides and other triplex binding ligands were determined by UV thermal analysis. Our results indicate that: (i) neomycin stabilizes DNA triple helices, and the double helical structures composed of poly(dA).poly(dT) are virtually unaffected. (ii) Neomycin is the most active and triplex-selective stabilization agent among all aminoglycosides, previously studied minor groove binders, and polycations. Its selectivity (DeltaT(m3-->2) vs DeltaT(m2)(-->)(1)) exceeds most intercalating drugs that bind to triple helices. (iii) Neomycin selectively stabilizes DeltaT(m3)(-->)(2) for a mixed 22-base DNA triplex containing C and T bases in the pyrimidine strand. (iv) The rate constants of formation of triplex (k(on)) are significantly enhanced upon increasing molar ratios of neomycin, making triplex association rates closer to duplex association rates. (v) E(on) values become more negative upon increasing concentration of aminoglycosides (paromomycin and neomycin). E(off) values do not show any change for most aminoglycosides except neomycin. (vi) Aminoglycosides can effectively stabilize RNA [poly(rA).2poly(rU)] triplex, with neomycin[being one of the most active ligands discovered to date (second only to ellipticine). (vii) The stabilization effect of aminoglycosides on triple helices is parallel to their toxic behavior, suggesting a possible role of intramolecular triple helix (H-DNA) stabilization by the aminoglycosides.
Amplitude Accuracy Enhancement Techniques for the HP 8566A and 8568A Spectrum Analyzers

Summary form only given, as follows. The excdlent gain stability are repeatability of these analyzers pemi ts meaningful scalar error modeling; which, along with apxopriate m?asxerent techniques, can result in significant irqxovenent of both relative ard abmhte a~plitude accuracy. investigation of the stability a d repatability of the principal error sources of t3e XP 9506A ard 8568A Spctrum This paper will present the results of analyzers.
Restructured Beef Steaks from Hot‐Boned and Cold‐Boned Carcasses

Restructured steaks were manufactured from paired hot-boned (HB) and conventionally chilled beef (CB) rounds from carcasses that averaged USDA Good, yield grade 2. Salt (0.75%) was added to half of each HB and CB treatment during mixing. Panelists in triangle tests could not distinguish between HB and CB restructured products. Trained sensory panel scores confirmed triangle test results for flavor, texture and acceptability when restructured HB and CB steaks were compared. Panelists in triangle tests detected a difference (P < 0.01) between salted and unsalted restructured steaks. Trained panelists rated salted samples higher (P < 0.05) for flavor, texture, acceptability and cooking loss, but lower for discoloration.
Memantine: a treatment for Alzheimer's disease with a new formulation

In nearly 20 years, aside from cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine is the only drug approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Memantine is an uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist that blocks pathological glutamate activity while permitting normal physiological function, thus preventing glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Three Phase III pivotal trials demonstrated memantine’s efficacy in treating moderate-to-severe AD, which led to its initial approval by the EMA in 2002 and US FDA in 2003. The recommended target dose is 10 mg twice daily. The US FDA recently approved an extended-release (ER) formulation of memantine for once-daily 28-mg dosing. Memantine ER was evaluated in a 24-week placebo-controlled trial of patients with moderate-to-severe AD, which found significant benefits for cognition, global assessment, behavior and caregiver burden, but not function. The most common adverse events were headache, dizziness, diarrhea, hypertension, anxiety and influenza. Overall, m...
Nonepileptic Behavioral Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment

Purpose of Review: This article will review the important steps in making an accurate diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic events or episodes (PNEE), and recent developments in diagnosis and treatment. Recent Findings: Several clues can be obtained from the history to help the clinician suspect the diagnosis of PNEE. While none of these clues are diagnostic on their own, each is valuable, and there are often multiple clues in a given patient. Clinical clues have limitations, and once PNEE is suspected, video-EEG monitoring remains the gold standard and the only way to make a definite diagnosis of PNEE. Like most tests, video EEG has its limitations, but in most cases the diagnosis can be made and is not difficult. Regarding treatment, growing evidence exists that psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavior therapy, is effective, and a recent finding is that pharmacotherapy may have a role. Summary: The diagnosis of PNEE can be made reliably, but the management of PNEE remains problematic, in large part because of the insufficient involvement of mental health professionals.
Plant cell wall extensibility: connecting plant cell growth with cell wall structure, mechanics, and the action of wall-modifying enzymes

The advent of user-friendly instruments for measuring force/deflection curves of plant surfaces at high spatial resolution has resulted in a recent outpouring of reports of the 'Young's modulus' of plant cell walls. The stimulus for these mechanical measurements comes from biomechanical models of morphogenesis of meristems and other tissues, as well as single cells, in which cell wall stress feeds back to regulate microtubule organization, auxin transport, cellulose deposition, and future growth directionality. In this article I review the differences between elastic modulus and wall extensibility in the context of cell growth. Some of the inherent complexities, assumptions, and potential pitfalls in the interpretation of indentation force/deflection curves are discussed. Reported values of elastic moduli from surface indentation measurements appear to be 10- to >1000-fold smaller than realistic tensile elastic moduli in the plane of plant cell walls. Potential reasons for this disparity are discussed, but further work is needed to make sense of the huge range in reported values. The significance of wall stress relaxation for growth is reviewed and connected to recent advances and remaining enigmas in our concepts of how cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectins are assembled to make an extensible cell wall. A comparison of the loosening action of α-expansin and Cel12A endoglucanase is used to illustrate two different ways in which cell walls may be made more extensible and the divergent effects on wall mechanics.
Treatment of pemphigus vulgaris: current and emerging options.

Background: Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare, chronic, autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering disease. The disease can progress to involve the skin and multiple mucosae. Pemphigus vulgaris can be associated with a high morbidity and significant mortality rate. Treatment of the condition can be challenging. Conventional therapy primarily consists of systemic corticosteroids and immunosuppressant agents. In some patients with pemphigus vulgaris, these agents fail to provide an effective clinical response or have significant adverse effects. Methods: We evaluated data on 792 patients with pemphigus vulgaris retrieved from PubMed, covering the period 1973–2004. Only patients reported in the English literature were included in this review. Recently, several new therapeutic agents and treatment modalities have been described for the treatment of patients with pemphigus vulgaris. Some therapeutic agents that were used in the past and abandoned have recently regained favor. This review focuses on the therapeutic uses of dapsone, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, chlorambucil, dexamethasone-cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, immunoablative therapy with cyclophosphamide, plasmapheresis, and extracorporeal photochemotherapy. Newer agents, such as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy and rituximab (an anti-CD20 chimeric monoclonal antibody), are also discussed. Results and conclusions: Among the oral agents, dapsone may be considered a first-line agent. This is primarily because the risk of potentially fatal adverse effects with this drug is lower than that associated with other available chemotherapeutic agents. In patients who are refractory to oral agents, alternative treatments have been used to prevent further disease progression. Recently, the use of IVIg therapy, with a defined protocol, has been reported to be beneficial. This therapy is promising since it may allow for discontinuation of all other therapies and is safe. The adverse effects from IVIg therapy are minimal. Furthermore, compared with other therapies, it provides a better quality of life.
New Genera, New Species, New Synonyms, and New Combinations in North America and Caribbean Phylinae (Heteroptera: Miridae)

Adenostomocoris, new genus, is described to accommodate Maurodactylus semiustusVan Duzee and Adenostomocoris pintoi, new species, both occurring only on Adenostoma spp. (Rosaceae) in southern California and adjacent Mexico. Arctostaphylocoris, new genus, is described to accommodate Chlamydatus manzanitaeKnight and Arctostaphylocoris arizonensis, new species, both of which breed on Arctostaphylos spp. (Ericaceae) in the far western United States. Aurantiocoris, new genus, is described to accommodate Sthenarus cuneotinctus Van Duzee and Aurantiocoris purshiae, new species, recorded from Arctostaphylos spp. (Ericaceae) and Purshia sp. (Rosaceae), respectively, from far western North America. Gonoporomiris hispaniolae, new species, is described from the Dominican Republic. Guentherocoris, new genus, is described to accommodate Psallus atribibialis Knight, which breeds on Acacia spp. (Fabaceae) in the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. Megalopsallus ellae, new species, is described as occurring on Ephedra sp. (Ephedrales: Ephedraceae) in the Imperial Valley of southern California. Oligotylus ribes Schuh, 2000, is treated as a junior synonym of Oligotylus pluto (Van Duzee, 1917), new combination. Pruneocoris stonedahli, new genus and new species, is described as occurring on Prunus spp. (Rosaceae) in California and Nevada. Vanduzeephylus, new genus, is described to accommodate Reuteroscopus falcatus Van Duzee, known to breed on a variety of deciduous trees in western North America.
Molecular nature of the antigenic entity transferred from antigen donor cell to antigen presenting cells during cross presentation

Cross presentation involves, among other steps, transfer of antigen from the antigen expressing or antigen donor cell to the professional antigen presenting cells ([1][1]). There is considerable discussion about the nature of the antigenic entity that is transferred. It has been argued that the intact antigen itself is transferred and processed further within the antigen presenting cells ([2][2], [3][3]). Another line of inquiry suggests that the antigen is processed within the antigen expressing cell and the peptides generated within such cell constitute the form of antigen transferred to the antigen presenting cells ([4][4]-[6][5]). Our recent studies ([7][6], [8][7]) have led to observations that unify the conflicting reports in the literature and demonstrate that generation of peptides in the antigen donor cell is essential for cross presentation of ovalbumin-derived SIINFEKL epitope. This abstract was published in Cancer Immunity , a [Cancer Research Institute][8] journal that ceased publication in 2013 and is now provided online in association with Cancer Immunology Research . [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #ref-4 [5]: #ref-6 [6]: #ref-7 [7]: #ref-8 [8]: http://cancerresearch.org/
Time-restricted feeding reduces adiposity in mice fed a high-fat diet

Disruption of the circadian rhythm contributes to obesity. This study tested the hypothesis that time-restricted feeding (TRF) reduces high-fat diet-induced increase in adiposity. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed the AIN93G or the high-fat diet ad libitum (ad lib); TRF of the high-fat diet for 12 or 8hours during the dark cycle was initiated when high-fat diet-fed mice exhibited significant increases in body weight. Energy intake of the TRF 12-hour group was not different from that of the high-fat ad lib group, although that of the TRF 8-hour group was slightly but significantly lower. Restricted feeding of the high-fat diet reduced body fat mass and body weight compared with mice fed the high-fat diet ad lib. There were no differences in respiratory exchange ratio (RER) among TRF and high-fat ad lib groups, but the RER of these groups was lower than that of the AIN93G group. Energy expenditure of the TRF groups was slightly but significantly lower than that of the high-fat ad lib group. Plasma concentrations of ghrelin were increased in TRF groups compared with both AIN93G and high-fat ad lib groups. Elevations of plasma concentrations of insulin, leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 by high-fat ad lib feeding were reduced by TRF to the levels of mice fed the AIN93G diet. In conclusion, TRF during the dark cycle reduces high-fat diet-induced increases in adiposity and proinflammatory cytokines. These results indicate that circadian timing of food intake may prevent obesity and abate obesity-related metabolic disturbance.
Thinking for Tomorrow

I am deeply aware of the privilege and honor you have accorded me when you elected me your President, and I want genuinely to fulfill your expectations. I hope, therefore, that your notion of the function of the presidential address is not too different from mine—namely, to set some basis for thoughtful deliberation and directions for the Association; a template, if you will, against which particular issues can be examined. Hopefully, my themes will induce some degree of resonance in each of you. A decade ago, in “The 1973 Presidential Address,” Eugene Michels stated, “The presidency is above all else an experience. It is a rich, rewarding, enlightening, and sobering experience.” In the space of one brief year, I have witnessed the truth of that statement.…
On the Cultural Politics of Asian American Sports

(2015). On the Cultural Politics of Asian American Sports. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. ix-xx.
Strain-Induced Elevation of the Spontaneous Polarization in BaTiO3 Thin Films

A manmade ferroelectric-paraelectric heterostructure, a BaTiO3 / SrTiO3 superlattice, was studied to explore the effect of strain on ferroelectricity. An atomically abrupt BaTiO3 / SrTiO3 superlattice was grown on a (001) SrTiO3 substrate by reactive molecular beam epitaxy. Both BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 layers were grown with their individual thicknesses less than the critical thickness for the formation of interfacial misfit dislocations, leaving the entire superlattice fully coherent with the substrate. This resulted in a uniformly and highly strained BaTiO3 layer to study the effect of strain on ferroelectricity. Quantitative high-resolution transmission electron microscopy was employed to examine the atomic positions of cations and anions in the strained BaTiO3 layers. It was found that the relative static displacement of cations (Ti4+, Ba2+) to anions (O2−) is larger than that of bulk BaTiO3. Our observation thus illustrates the strain-induced elevation of spontaneous polarization in BaTiO3 thin films.
Carpetbaggers in the Reconstruction South: A Group Portrait of Outside Whites in the “Black and Tan” Constitutional Conventions

RA DICAL Reconstruction in the South commenced when conventions assembled, between November 1867 and February 1869, to frame the new constitutions that Congress required of ten former Confederate states.' Contemporary critics mockingly referred to these bodies, which contained both black and white delegates, as "black and tan" conventions, and this epithet and others have obscured their real significance for many years. Today, scholars realize the true importance of these gatherings. The conventions contained the first large biracial group of officials-blacks, southern whites, and outside whites-elected in this nation to cope with the long-term social, political, and economic consequences of slavery and the immediate issues arising from emancipation and the Confederate defeat. Despite recent realization of their significance, these conventions and their members have still not received the attention they merit from historians.2 A group portrait of their carpetbag delegates-of the individuals who provided much of the leadership-can offer fresh insights into Congressional Reconstruction. The manuscript returns of the 1870 census3 and other sources were examined for information needed to classify all the convention delegates to determine how many of them actually were outside whites. These sources indicated that the 1,011 delegates in the Reconstruction con-
Simulation Research of Bidding Evaluation Mechanism in Multi-Attribute Auction Based on Multi-Agent

In the practices,the bid attributes usually are classified into two groups,technical attributes and business attributes.Taking bounded rationality as precondition,there would be that raising and pressing grades was increasingly severe,the difference between two groups increasingly and objectiveness worse and worse.So a group of integrative experts were set or some criteria related with two groups of attributes were added to improve current mechanism.Prototype system was described,meanwhile the multi-agent simulation frameworks were structured.After the attributes of each agent,decision rule and the way were defined in which different agents used for exchange and collaboration,the simulation procedure was given specifically.Then the analytical system of bidding evaluation based on Matlab GUI was realized after defining correlation behaviour parameters.The comparison results demonstrate that two improved mechanisms could adjust standard for evaluation reasonably,could control the difference increasing between two groups effectively and improve the fairness of evaluation.It indicates the effectiveness of improved mechanisms.
Impact of sarcopenia on treatment tolerance in United States veterans with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP-based chemotherapy

While sarcopenia has been associated with decreased overall survival in diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL) patients, the impact of sarcopenia on treatment tolerance has not been well-studied. We evaluated the association of sarcopenia with febrile neutropenia hospitalization, treatment-related mortality, and ability to complete standard number of cycles in a retrospective cohort of United States veterans diagnosed with DLBCL between 1998 and 2008 and treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, with or without rituximab. Baseline body composition parameters were evaluated using computed tomography analysis. In total, 522 patients were included in the study, of whom 245 (47%) had baseline sarcopenia. After controlling for other variables, baseline sarcopenia was independently associated with increased risk of febrile neutropenia hospitalization (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-2.65) and inability to complete standard number of treatment cycles (aOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.02-2.16) compared with no baseline sarcopenia. There was a non-statistically significant trend toward higher treatment-related mortality in sarcopenic patients than non-sarcopenic patients (aOR 1.77, 95% CI 0.92-3.41). Sarcopenia is associated with increased risk of treatment intolerance and may be useful in guiding treatment planning and supportive care measures. Am. J. Hematol. 91:1002-1007, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Oncofertility considerations in adolescents and young adults given a diagnosis of melanoma: Fertility risk of Food and Drug Administration–approved systemic therapies

Background Melanoma is the most common cancer diagnosed for patients ages 25 to 29 years, the group with the highest birth rates in the United States. Oncofertility is a new field addressing the reproductive needs of patients with cancer facing fertility-threatening treatments. Objective We sought to assess gender-specific fertility risk for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved melanoma therapies with a new risk category system. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of FDA, European Union, and Health Canada regulatory filings, along with previously published reports to grade fertility risk of systemic melanoma therapies. The proposed fertility risk category system is analogous to the FDA's A/B/C/D/X/N pregnancy-risk categories. Results For female patients, 58% of treatments represent a fertility risk (Category C and D), 33% have unknown risk (Category N), and 1 therapy (vemurafenib) did not show animal ovarian toxicity (Category B). For male patients, 33% represented a fertility risk (Category C and D), 50% of treatments had unknown risk (Category N), and 17% did not show animal testicular toxicity (Category B). Limitations Data on fertility risk for melanoma therapies approved after 2009 are limited to preclinical animal studies. Conclusion Dermatologists have an opportunity to discuss fertility preservation, make appropriate referrals, and steward registries on reproductive outcomes for patients with melanoma.
Risks and Epidemiology of Infections Associated with Ventricular Assist Devices and Heart Transplantation

The “gold standard” intervention for refractory systolic heart failure is heart transplantation, which is accompanied by a range of potential bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infectious complications. In recent years, the growth of mechanical circulatory support has brought with it an additional sphere of infectious challenges, both during left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support and also after a successful bridge to heart transplantation. In particular, LVAD patients may experience driveline site infections that require additional management considerations after transplantation. However, the prevalence of infectious complications of heart transplantation has been decreasing overall, in part due to routine prophylaxis against bacterial and viral infections as well as improved intraoperative and critical care management. Cytomegalovirus remains a significant concern after heart transplantation, especially given its association with the development of coronary vasculopathy. There is evolving experience in immune function monitoring, which may enable attainment of a finer balance between the relative risks of infection and graft rejection.
Improved Blood Pressure Prediction Using Systolic Flow Correction of Pulse Wave Velocity

Hypertension is a significant worldwide health issue. Continuous blood pressure monitoring is important for early detection of hypertension, and for improving treatment efficacy and compliance. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) has the potential to allow for a continuous blood pressure monitoring device; however published studies demonstrate significant variability in this correlation. In a recently presented physics-based mathematical model of PWV, flow velocity is additive to the classic pressure wave as estimated by arterial material properties, suggesting flow velocity correction may be important for cuff-less non-invasive blood pressure measures. The present study examined the impact of systolic flow correction of a measured PWV on blood pressure prediction accuracy using data from two published in vivo studies. Both studies examined the relationship between PWV and blood pressure under pharmacological manipulation, one in mongrel dogs and the other in healthy adult males. Systolic flow correction of the measured PWV improves the R2 correlation to blood pressure from 0.51 to 0.75 for the mongrel dog study, and 0.05 to 0.70 for the human subjects study. The results support the hypothesis that systolic flow correction is an essential element of non-invasive, cuff-less blood pressure estimation based on PWV measures.
THE SANITARIAN'S RESPONSIBILITY IN MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

In the meat and poultry industries, efforts should be made to improve the environment of large animals just prior to slaughter. Part of the apparent problem of cross-contamination among animals is a matter of stress, not clear-cut cross infection between animals. The organisms are there all the time. Because of physiological and psychological stress caused by crowding, the animals begin to shed normal intestinal organisms more readily than before. If sanitation is to be improved, real effort should be put into steps beyond the slaughter stage such as improving equipment design and materials, sanitizing methods, control of rodents and insects, and studying the worker's role in the transmission of contamination. Particularly important is the control of temperature at all stages subsequent to slaughter. This includes loading rates, stacking arrangements, and other factors which may impede heat transfer and enable some portions of the food to be in a range where microbial growth can get started. Once they are...
Techniques in Reproductive Surgery

Advances in gynecologic minimally invasive surgical techniques coupled with basic and translational research have led to the development of multiple laparoscopic surgical applications for fertility preservation. Procedures discussed in this chapter include salpingolysis and fimbrioplasty for tubal occlusion, reversal of tubal ligation and tubal reanastomosis, treatment of hydrosalpinx or salpingectomy to improve in vitro fertility rates, and removal of hysteroscopic sterilization devices. In addition, laparoscopic approaches for oophoropexy and ovarian transposition to prevent recurrent torsion or to avoid damage secondary to radiation treatment are reviewed.
Femoral Neck External Size but not aBMD Predicts Structural and Mass Changes for Women Transitioning Through Menopause.

The impact of adult bone traits on changes in bone structure and mass during aging is not well understood. Having shown that intracortical remodeling correlates with external size of adult long bones led us to hypothesize that age-related changes in bone traits also depend on external bone size. We analyzed hip dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry images acquired longitudinally over 14 years for 198 midlife women transitioning through menopause. The 14-year change in bone mineral content (BMC, R2 = 0.03, p = 0.015) and bone area (R2 = 0.13, p = 0.001), but not areal bone mineral density (aBMD, R2 = 0.00, p = 0.931) correlated negatively with baseline femoral neck external size, adjusted for body size using the residuals from a linear regression between baseline bone area and height. The dependence of the 14-year changes in BMC and bone area on baseline bone area remained significant after adjusting for race/ethnicity, postmenopausal hormone use, the 14-year change in weight, and baseline aBMD, weight, height, and age. Women were sorted into tertiles using the baseline bone area-height residuals. The 14-year change in BMC (p = 0.009) and bone area (p = 0.001) but not aBMD (p = 0.788) differed across the tertiles. This suggested that women showed similar changes in aBMD for different structural and biological reasons: women with narrow femoral necks showed smaller changes in BMC but greater increases in bone area compared to women with wide femoral necks who showed greater losses in BMC but without large compensatory increases in bone area. This finding is opposite to expectations that periosteal expansion acts to mechanically offset bone loss. Thus, changes in femoral neck structure and mass during menopause vary widely among women and are predicted by baseline external bone size but not aBMD. How these different structural and mass changes affect individual strength-decline trajectories remains to be determined. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Coronary artery calcification identification and labeling in low-dose chest CT images

A fully automated computer algorithm has been developed to evaluate coronary artery calcification (CAC) from lowdose CT scans. CAC is identified and evaluated in three main coronary artery groups: Left Main and Left Anterior Descending Artery (LM + LAD) CAC, Left Circumflex Artery (LCX) CAC, and Right Coronary Artery (RCA) CAC. The artery labeling is achieved by segmenting all CAC candidates in the heart region and applying geometric constraints on the candidates using locally pre-identified anatomy regions. This algorithm was evaluated on 1,359 low-dose ungated CT scans, in which each artery CAC content was categorically visually scored by a radiologist into none, mild, moderate and extensive. The Spearman correlation coefficient R was used to assess the agreement between three automated CAC scores (Agatston-weighted, volume, and mass) and categorical visual scores. For Agatston-weighted automated scores, R was 0.87 for total CAC, 0.82 for LM + LAD CAC, 0.66 for LCX CAC and 0.72 for RCA CAC; results using volume and mass scores were similar. CAC detection sensitivities were: 0.87 for total, 0.82 for LM + LAD, 0.65 for LCX and 0.74 for RCA. To assess the impact of image noise, the dataset was further partitioned into three subsets based on heart region noise level (low 110HU). The low and medium noise subsets had higher sensitivities and correlations than the high noise subset. These results indicate that location specific heart risk assessment is possible from low-dose chest CT images.
Experimental Study of Bund Overtopping Caused by a Catastrophic Failure of Tanks

Cylindrical tanks are widely used to store liquids in industry, where liquefied natural gas (LNG) poses a unique hazard to personnel, assets, and the surrounding community because of its flammability and cryogenic nature. There are regulations, such as National Fire Protection Association standard NFPA 59A, requiring dikes to mitigate the risk in the case of a catastrophic failure of an LNG tank. Dikes help to control pool spreading, limit vaporization, and mitigate the vapor cloud, but these effects would be undermined if the liquids overtopped the dikes. Previous studies of overtopping involved small-scale tests and a medium-scale quadrant setup. In this work, the overtopping study was further enhanced by investigating dike and tank configurations, dike materials, and liquid types through both laboratory-scale and field tests. A CFD model was developed to understand the physics, and the results of CFD simulations were compared with experimental results. The findings of this work can help to provide scie...
“Smoking Revolution”: A Content Analysis of Electronic Cigarette Retail Websites

Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been increasingly available and marketed in the U.S. since 2007. As patterns of product adoption are frequently driven and reinforced by marketing, it is important to understand the marketing claims encountered by consumers. Purpose To describe the main advertising claims made on branded e-cigarette retail websites. Methods Websites were retrieved from two major search engines in 2011 using iterative searches with the following terms: electronic cigarette, e-cigarette, e-cig, and personal vaporizer. Fifty-nine websites met inclusion criteria, and 13 marketing claims were coded for main marketing messages in 2012. Results Ninety-five percent of the websites made explicit or implicit health-related claims, 64% had a smoking cessation–related claim, 22% featured doctors, and 76% claimed that the product does not produce secondhand smoke. Comparisons to cigarettes included claims that e-cigarettes were cleaner (95%) and cheaper (93%). Eighty-eight percent stated that the product could be smoked anywhere and 71% mentioned using the product to circumvent clean air policies. Candy, fruit, and coffee flavors were offered on most sites. Youthful appeals included images or claims of modernity (73%); increased social status (44%); enhanced social activity (32%); romance (31%); and use by celebrities (22%). Conclusions Health claims and smoking-cessation messages that are unsupported by current scientific evidence are frequently used to sell e-cigarettes. Implied and overt health claims, the presence of doctors on websites, celebrity endorsements, and the use of characterizing flavors should be prohibited.
The new Sultan: Erdogan and the crisis of modern Turkey

The New Sultan is a well-researched, comprehensive window into Erdogan’s emergence, his consequential decisions in Turkey and beyond. Soner Cagaptay’s book is as much a guide to Erdogan as it is a ...
Thermodynamic Stability of Molybdenum Oxycarbides Formed from Orthorhombic Mo2C in Oxygen-Rich Environments

Molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) nanoparticles and thin films are particularly suitable catalysts for catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) as they are effective for deoxygenation and can catalyze certain reactions that typically occur on noble metals. Oxygen deposited during deoxygenation reactions may alter the carbide structure, leading to the formation of oxycarbides, which can determine changes in catalytic activity or selectivity. Despite emerging spectroscopic evidence of bulk oxycarbides, so far there have been no reports of their precise atomic structure or their relative stability with respect to orthorhombic Mo2C. This knowledge is essential for assessing the catalytic properties of molybdenum (oxy)carbides for CFP. In this article, we use density functional theory (DFT) calculations to (a) describe the thermodynamic stability of surface and subsurface configurations of oxygen and carbon atoms for a commonly studied Mo-terminated surface of orthorhombic Mo2C and (b) determine atomic structures for oxycarbide...
Attracting men to nursing: what will they find important in their career?

This study was designed to increase understanding of the career choices of men in nontraditional careers such as nursing by exploring what they find important in their career, their sex role identity, and their personality components. The instruments used in the study were the Important Components of a Career Scale, Bem Sex Role Inventory, and the Cattell 16 Personality Factor measure. Questionnaire packets were mailed to a total of 1,000 potential respondents in the following five groups: male and female nurses and early educators, and male engineers. The response rate was 46%. The men in nursing (n = 57) and early education (n = 76) valued relationship-oriented components of their careers more than the men in engineering (n = 103) (F [2,233] = 35.39, p less than .01).
Child Witness to Violence

Violence is a pervasive challenge in the world today. At least 3 million children are exposed to violence within their homes; several million more confront violence either in their communities or through the media. Vastly different statistics estimating the rates of violence exposure abound, varying by type of exposure and method of data collection. The initial response for a child of exposure to violence may be anxiety, depression, or stress symptoms. Schools are taking an active role in developing violence prevention programs and in many cases are using a public health model to organize a comprehensive approach to the problem.
Vital Few and Useful Many Foster Families From Start to Finish

Abstract The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80–20 rule, is the observation that 20% of input (e.g., workers) produce 80% of the results. Consistent with this principle, previous research has identified a group (20%) of families, the Vital Few, who provide a disproportionate amount of foster care and are more willing to foster children with special needs. The ability to predict the emergence of these families has important implications for recruitment, support and placement stability, as well as longevity of foster families. This study replicated and extended previous research by conducting a follow-up study of 107 families (90% response rate) 17 years after pre-service training. Consistent with previous research we found a small proportion (10%) of families who provide a disproportionate amount of care in terms of length of service and number of children fostered, approved to foster, adopted, and removed at families' request. At the completion of pre-service training Vital Few families were more likely to have had previous foster parent experience and one or more children in their homes; mothers and fathers in the Vital Few were older, and fathers reported less education. Also, at pre-service training more Vital Few families said they would foster sibling groups (100 vs. 64%), but there were no other differences in terms of willingness to foster children with special needs. This study further validates the utility of the Pareto Principle for understanding foster families and, by extension, has important implications for the well-being and stability of foster children.