cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relations among Single Mothers’ Awareness of their Adolescents’ Stressors, Maternal Monitoring, Mother-Adolescent Communication, and Adolescent Adjustment

The goal of this study was to examine the relations among mothers’ awareness of their adolescents’ stressors, mother-adolescent communication, maternal monitoring, and adolescent adjustment in single-parent families. Measures of adolescent stress, communication, monitoring, and adolescents’ anxious/depressed and aggressive behaviors were completed by 82 adolescents and their single mothers. The findings indicated that single mothers were aware of about half of their adolescents’ stressors and not as aware of the importance to their adolescents. Adolescents in the group characterized by high stress/low agreement reported more problem behaviors. Moreover, monitoring mediated the relationship between awareness group membership and adolescent adjustment as high agreement groups reported more monitoring and fewer problem behaviors than did low agreement groups. Thus, during early adolescence when adolescent stress increases and family communication and monitoring change, monitoring by single mothers may increa...
Stratigraphy of Lower Triassic Sandstone of Northwest Algerian Sahara, Algeria

Within the past few years, there has been an active petroleum exploration and development program in Triassic sandstone of the northwestern Algerian Sahara. This stratigraphic unit has not been named formally, and no significant fossils have been found in the 150,000-sq km area involved in the program. From the limited data available, analysis of sedimentologic characteristics, correlation, and stratigraphic relations indicate that the Lower Triassic sandstone in the northwest part of the Algerian Sahara was deposited on a post-Hercynian erosion surface. Some variation in thickness, 0-200 m, is related to irregularities in the Paleozoic erosion surface, and an apparent shoreline is indicated by nondeposition. Sediments are believed to have been derived from local folds, s ch as the eroded Hassi Messaoud anticline, and from broader uplifts in north-central Algeria.
Macrophage cell adhesion and inflammation cytokines on magnetostrictive nanowires

A common problem with medical implants is the biofouling response which can detrimentally damage implants or prevent the implant from function properly. This response is characterized by a thick, frequently avascular, layer of proteins and cells over the implant. To study this problem, we have examined here the adhesion of macrophages and the subsequent expression of inflammatory cytokines on nanowire arrays. We found that the cells on the nanowires typically occupied less area and were more circular than on a flat surface of the same material as the nanowires or tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) in both the presence and absence of fetal bovine serum. Furthermore, this difference was amplified by pre-coating the surfaces with collagen. The smaller area and circular shape indicated that the cells were not thriving on the surface. Since there was potentially a high amount of cell death on the material, and biofouling is frequently characterized as a chronic inflammation, an eighteen cytokine Luminex † panel was performed on the supernatant from macrophages on nanowires, control wafers, and TCPS. As a positive control for inflammation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was added to macrophages on TCPS to estimate the maximum inflammation response of the macrophages. Our results indicated that the nanowire structure results in the up-regulation of production in macrophages of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1a, and IFN-g and the down-regulation of IL-6, compared to control wafers. In addition, the nanostructure also increased the production of IL-10 which is known as an inhibitor of inflammation. Our results showed that the nanoarchitecture can disrupt cell adhesion and may lead to an inflammatory response.
Comparison of two synthetic food-odor lures for captures of feral Mexican fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Mexico and implications regarding use of irradiated flies to assess lure efficacy

Feral Mexican fruit flies, Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae), were trapped in a citrus orchard in Mexico by using two types of synthetic food-odor lures, the AFF lure (Anastrepha fruit fly lure, APTIV, Inc., Portland, OR) and the BioLure (two-component MFF lure, Suterra LLC, Inc., Bend, OR). In Multilure traps (Better World Manufacturing, Inc., Miami, FL) containing water, BioLures captured about the same numbers of flies as AFF lures. In Multilure traps containing antifreeze solution, BioLures captured 2 and 5 times more flies than AFF lures in two experiments. BioLures, and AFF lures did not differ in attractiveness when used on sticky traps (Intercept trap, APTIV, Inc.; and sticky cylinder trap). Multilure traps captured >4 times as many flies as sticky traps with the exception that captures of females did not differ between Multilure and sticky traps baited with AFF lures. The percentage of females captured in Multilure traps was greater when traps were baited with BioLures compared with AFF lures, but the reverse was true for sticky traps. Sticky cylinder traps captured a higher percentage of females than Multilure traps. The most effective trap/lure combination was the Multilure trap baited with BioLure and antifreeze. In comparison with tests of these two lures in Texas, results were similar for Multilure traps, but they differed for sticky cylinder traps in that AFF lures were consistently more attractive than BioLures in Texas, but not in Mexico.
Phase Boundaries, Particles, and Pores

In ceramic materials, as in other materials systems, interfaces are the most important region of the material because that’s where most of the action takes place. PBs are particularly important because they are the interfaces between dissimilar phases.
Reliability in Plantinga´s Account of Epistemic Warrant

In das paper 1 consider the reliability condition in Alvin Platinga’s proper functionalist account of epistemic warrant I begin by reviewing m some detail the features of the reliability condition as Platinga has articulated a From there, 1 consider what is needed to ground or secure the sort of reliability which Plantinga has m mind, and argue that what is needed is a significant causal condition which has generally been overlooked Then, after identifying eight versions of the relevant sort of reliability, I exam me each alternative as to whether as requirement, along with Platinga’s other proposed conditions, would give us a satisfactory account of epistemic warrant I conclude that there is bale to no hope of formulating a reliability condition that would yield a satisfactory analysts of the sort Plantinga desires
GABAergic circuits in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes four sources of gamma-aminobutyric acid–releasing (GABAergic) innervation to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and the synaptic circuitry into which they enter; yet two observations suggest that this list is incomplete. First, the fact that the pretectum provides GABAergic innervation to the LGN suggests that other intermediate- or long-distance GABAergic projections to the LGN may exist. Second, the sources of many GABAergic terminals in the LGN have not been identified. Many are likely to be from intrinsic interneurons, such as the sources of F2 terminals, and other pre-synaptic dendritic profiles that contact geniculate Y cells. Physiological evidence suggests that GABA plays a major role in modulating the transmission of visual information through the visual thalamus. Anatomical studies reveal that the GABAergic circuitry in the LGN is complicated with a large cast of intrinsic and extrinsic players. The cast may be functionally expanded because some of these players assume more than one role.
Minimum Wages and School Enrollment: New Evidence from Commuting Zones

This paper mainly examines the effect of the minimum wage on school enrollment for aged 16-19 teenagers in the United States. I first confirm that a traditional two-way fixed-effect model yields a negative effect of the minimum wage on school enrollment. However, my model, which allows year fixed effects to vary across 741 Commuting Zones (CZs), suggests no adverse enrollment effect. My findings show that the negative estimated relationship between the minimum wage and school enrollment is spurious and driven by insufficient controls for spatial heterogeneity in the traditional approach. My results are robust to the restricted sample in cross-border CZs, the inclusion of the linear state-specific time trend and the selection of different sample periods. For teenagers who are enrolled in school and have part-time jobs, I find that higher minimum wages do not reduce part-time working hours but increase part-time hourly wages. I do not find any adverse effect of the minimum wage on college enrollment.
Selective Association of Electrocardiographic Abnormalities with Insulin Sensitivity and Beta-Cell Function in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Cross Sectional Analysis.

Background We investigated the association of electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities with markers of insulin resistance and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction in a cross-sectional study of type 2 diabetes patients. Methods Electrocardiographic criteria were evaluated in the Penn Diabetes Heart Study participants (n = 1671; 64% male; 61% Caucasian), including a sub-sample (n = 710) that underwent oral glucose tolerance testing. The Matsuda Insulin Sensitivity Index and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) estimated insulin sensitivity; Insulinogenic Index and homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function assessed beta-cell function. Multivariable regression modelling was used to analyse associations of ECG changes with these indices. Results In unadjusted analyses, subjects in the highest quartile of Matsuda index had the lowest prevalence of Q-waves (6.3% versus 15.3%, p = 0.005). In adjusted models, an inverse association was seen between Q-waves and log Matsuda index [one standard deviation increase; OR = 0.59 (95% CI 0.43-0.87 p = 0.001)]. In the full Penn Diabetes Heart Study, there was a direct association between Q-waves and HOMA-IR [one standard deviation increase; OR = 1.43 (95% CI 1.13-1.81, p = 0.003)]. In adjusted models, left ventricular hypertrophy also was inversely associated with Matsuda index and directly with HOMA-IR. Higher Insulinogenic Index scores were associated with a lower prevalence of nonspecific ST changes [OR = 0.78 (95% CI 0.62-0.98, p = 0.032)]. Conclusions In type 2 diabetic patients, both oral glucose tolerance testing-derived and HOMA-derived measures of insulin resistance were associated with pathologic Q-waves and left ventricular hypertrophy on ECGs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
West-Central European Late Iron Age

The Late Iron Age encompasses the latter stages of the Sub-Atlantic Climatic Era, when temperatures were lower than today and precipitation higher, but by 2200 b.p. the climate approached that of modern times. Today three major environmental regions can be defined: the Western European coast, the Mediterranean coast, and continental Europe. The Western European coast is cool and wet, the Mediterranean coast is relatively hot and dry, while continental Europe has warm and humid summers and mild winters. Within continental Europe, however, the Alps form a dominant topographic feature; they are a barrier between northern and southern Europe, and create tundra and even glacial regions as elevations rise.
Disparities in receipt of modern concurrent chemoradiotherapy in glioblastoma

Temozolomide given concurrently with radiation after resection/biopsy improves survival in glioblastoma (GBM). The disparities in receipt of adjuvant single-agent chemotherapy and their association with outcome have not been well established. Observational study of a prospectively collected database, the National Cancer Database (NCDB), from 1998 to 2012 with median follow-up 12.4 months. Among the 114,979 patients in the NCDB with GBM, 44,531 patients were analyzed for disparities, and 28,279 patients were analyzed for overall survival (OS). Associations were assessed in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Median age was 58 years. Chemotherapy use was associated with male gender, white race, younger age (≤50), higher performance status (≥70), more extensive surgery, insurance status, higher income/education, and treatment at academic centers (all p < 0.05). We found improved OS associated with type of insurance (private insurance HR 0.91, 95 % CI 0.85–0.96 and Medicare HR 1.24, 95 % CI 1.16–1.33, both p < 0.01 compared to uninsured) and treatment at academic programs (HR 0.86; p < 0.01). MGMT methylation status predicted improved OS (HR 0.54; 95 % CI 0.41–0.70, p < 0.01). 1-year OS for patients receiving chemotherapy was 55.9 % versus 35.3 % for those without (p < 0.0001). After adjustment for confounders, chemotherapy use remained associated with improved OS (HR 0.64, 95 % CI 0.63–0.66, p < 0.01). Chemotherapy utilization increased from 26.9 to 93.3 % during the study period. We have identified specific disparities in the use of chemotherapy that may be targeted to improve patient access to care. Widespread adoption of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy after resection or biopsy for GBM appears to improve OS.
ESRD Payment Reform: First Do No Harm.

“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status – Laurence J. Peter ( American educator & writer; 1919–1988) ” The continued growth of the number of patients receiving RRT levies not only a personal toll on families and communities, but also an
James Hume and Exponents

(1950). James Hume and Exponents. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 7-8.
Russell’s Deceptive Desires

Few topics have elicited more controversy from philosophers than selfdeception. The idea that people deceive themselves has wide acceptance, but no stable and received interpretation.' In this essay I shall try to extract, or at least construct, an interpretation of self-deception which may be found in a neglected section of Bertrand Russell's The Analysis ofMind. I think the particular account I give of his ideas in the context of the concerns of other philosophers will illuminate problems that may be found in the literature on self-deception: problems about its content, the difference between selfdeception and wishful thinking, and the phenomenology of self-deception.
Localization of sequences for the basal and insulin-like growth factor-I inducible activity of the fatty acid synthase promoter in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts.

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) plays a central role in fatty acid synthesis and its expression is under nutritional and hormonal control. We have investigated insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) regulation of FAS by transfecting into 3T3-L1 fibroblasts chimeric genes comprising the 5′-flanking region of the FAS gene linked to a luciferase (LUC) reporter gene. First, the basal promoter activity of the 5′ serial deletions from nucleotides −318 to −19 of the FAS gene were compared. Deletions of the promoter sequences from −136 to −19 resulted in a step-wise decrease in the promoter activity, with the −67 LUC and −19 LUC plasmids retaining 40% and 16% of the luciferase activity of −136 LUC. Regulatory sequences important for the FAS basal promoter activity in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts are, therefore, located within the −136 to −19 region. Treatment with 10 mM IGF-I also increased luciferase activity 1.8 +/- 0.2-, 1.8 +/- 0.3- and 2.5 +/- 0.1-fold in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts transiently transfected with −136 LUC, −110 LUC and −67 LUC plasmids, respectively. Deletion of sequences from −67 to −19 resulted in the loss of responsiveness to IGF-I. Physiological doses of insulin (10 nM), however, did not increase luciferase activity in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts transfected with any of the above plasmids. Only upon treatment with pharmacological doses of insulin (1 microM), probably through IGF-I receptor, did luciferase activity increase 4.3 +/- 0.4-, 3.2 +/- 0.4- and 3.5 +/- 0.5-fold when transfected with −136 LUC, −110 LUC and −67 LUC plasmids, respectively; there was no increase with −19 LUC. The half-maximal effect of IGF-I on FAS promoter activity was observed at 3 nM and a maximal effect was reached at 10 nM. These results indicate that the increased promoter activities observed are probably mediated through the IGF-I receptor. Furthermore, sequences responsible for IGF-I regulation of the FAS gene are located within the proximal promoter between nucleotides −67 and −19 of the FAS gene.
Identification of kill sites from GPS clusters for jaguars( Panthera onca ) in the southern Pantanal, Brazil

Context Understanding predator–prey relationships is important for making informed management decisions. Knowledge of jaguar (Panthera onca) predation on livestock and native prey is imperative for future conservation of jaguars in Central and South America. Aim As part of an investigation to determine predation patterns of jaguars in the southern Pantanal, Brazil, we examined spatial, temporal and habitat variables, which are useful in categorising location clusters as kill sites and non-kill sites. Methods Using GPS-collars on 10 jaguars we obtained a total of 11 784 locations, from which 877 clusters were identified, visited and examined for prey remains. Of the 877 clusters, 421 were associated with a kill and 456 clusters were not associated with a kill. We used univariate and multivariate models to examine the influence of spatial (distance to nearest: water, dense cover, road; dispersion of points), temporal (season, time, number of nights, duration) and habitat (percentage of seven habitat classes, dominant habitat class) variables on categorising clusters as kill or non-kill sites. Key results We found the time a jaguar spent at a cluster (duration), the dispersion of points around the centre of the cluster (dispersion) and the number of nights spent at the cluster were all reliable predictors of whether a cluster was a kill or non-kill site. The best model predicting the likelihood a cluster was a jaguar kill site was a combination of duration and dispersion. Habitat variables were not important in discriminating kills from non-kill sites. Conclusion We identified factors useful for discriminating between kills and non-kill sites for jaguars. We found that as a jaguar spent more time at a cluster and as the dispersion of points around the centre of the cluster increased, the higher likelihood the cluster was a jaguar kill. Similarly, as the number of nights spent at the cluster increased, the greater the probability the cluster was a kill. Implications Our results will increase the efficiency of field investigations of location clusters in determining predation patterns of jaguars in Central and South America. Being able to prioritise which location clusters should be investigated will assist researchers with limited time and resources.
Warmth and legitimacy beliefs contextualize adolescents' negative reactions to parental monitoring.

This study sought to identify conditions under which parents' monitoring behaviors are most strongly linked to adolescents' negative reactions (i.e., feelings of being controlled and invaded). 242 adolescents (49.2% male; M age = 15.4 years) residing in the United States of America reported parental monitoring and warmth, and their own feelings of being controlled and invaded and beliefs in the legitimacy of parental authority. Analyses tested whether warmth and legitimacy beliefs moderate and/or suppress the link between parents' monitoring behaviors and adolescents' negative reactions. Monitoring was associated with more negative reactions, controlling for legitimacy beliefs and warmth. More monitoring was associated with more negative reactions only at weaker levels of legitimacy beliefs, and at lower levels of warmth. The link between monitoring and negative reactions is sensitive to the context within which monitoring occurs with the strongest negative reactions found in contexts characterized by low warmth and weak legitimacy beliefs.
Memantine was better than placebo in Alzheimer disease already being treated with donepezil.

Source Citation Tariot PN, Farlow MR, Grossberg GT, et al. Memantine treatment in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease already receiving donepezil: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA...
Techniques of Perturbation Analysis

A historical summary of stellar-perturbation analyses is presented, followed by a discussion of the attainable accuracy and the sources of observational errors. A provisional value for the mass-density of astrometric companions is found to be 0.063±0.018 (p.e.) solar masses per cubic parsec.
Seasonal Variations in Saturn's Plasma Sheet Warping

Composite images of hydrogen and oxygen energetic neutral atoms (ENA) obtained from 2005 through 2015 from the Ion Neutral Camera (INCA) on Cassini reveal the structure of Saturn's plasma sheet out to ~40 RS (1 RS = 60268 km). Seen from either the dawnside or duskside at low latitude, these composites reveal the plasma sheet is concave upwards (northwards) near Saturn's southern solstice, has no concavity near equinox, and is concave downwards (southwards) near Saturn's northern solstice. This seasonal variation confirms the Arridge “bowl” model developed early in the Cassini mission based on limited magnetometer data, with the concavity depending on the tangent of the Sun's latitude at Saturn and a “hinge” parameter rH. The best fits to the ENA data indicate rH ≈ 25-30 RS, which is close to the 29 RS originally suggested by the magnetometer results. The bowl structure suggests other magnetodisks in the solar system and beyond may also undergo similar warping dynamics and may not have a “flat” geometry.
Cultural Logics and the Search for National Identities

The current appearance of the search for national identities may be understood in contexts of broader cultural structures. One such structure is Western Modernity, and provides a background which plays a multiple role in the search for identity: in its secular form it provides an opposition to national/ethnic groups of specific religious type; in its technical form it provides means for economic transformation or military enhancement; in its homogenizing universality, it sets a tone for postmodern movements and anti-modern oppositions; in its individuating form it becomes an attraction for freedom and liberation. This essay explores the relationships of Western modernity to various nationalistic and ethnic movements and, in a final analysis, raises a question concerning the constitution of nationality
The Case of Dr. Oz: Ethics, Evidence, and Does Professional Self-Regulation Work?

Dr. Mehmet Oz is widely known not just as a successful media personality donning the title “America’s Doctor®
Hourglass Arrays and Other Novel 2-D Sparse Arrays With Reduced Mutual Coupling

Linear [one-dimensional (1-D)] sparse arrays such as nested arrays and minimum redundancy arrays have hole-free difference coarrays with $O(N^2)$ virtual sensor elements, where $N$ is the number of physical sensors. The hole-free property makes it easier to perform beamforming and DOA estimation in the coarray domain which behaves like an uniform linear array. The $O(N^2)$ property implies that $O(N^2)$ uncorrelated sources can be identified. For the 2-D case, planar sparse arrays with hole-free coarrays having $O(N^2)$ elements have also been known for a long time. These include billboard arrays, open box arrays (OBA), and 2-D nested arrays. Their merits are similar to those of the 1-D sparse arrays mentioned above, although identifiability claims regarding $O(N^2)$ sources have to be handled with more care in 2-D. This paper introduces new planar sparse arrays with hole-free coarrays having $O(N^2)$ elements just like the OBA, with the additional property that the number of sensor pairs with small spacings such as $\lambda /2$ decreases, reducing the effect of mutual coupling. The new arrays include half-open box arrays, half-open box arrays with two layers, and hourglass arrays. Among these, simulations show that hourglass arrays have the best estimation performance in presence of mutual coupling.
Abstract 152: John Henryism Active Coping, Blood Pressure, and Arterial Stiffness in Korean Americans

Introduction It is well known that blood pressure (BP) is inversely related to socioeconomic status (SES). John Henryism Active Coping (JHAC) is defined as a strong behavioral predisposition to cope with psychosocial stressors in an active and determined manner, and has been used to explain cardiovascular disparity in African Americans. According to JHAC hypothesis, the inverse relationship between cardiovascular risk and SES is more prominent for the individuals with high JHAC. High levels of psychological stress and high prevalence of hypertension (32%) have been reported in Korean Americans (KAs). Purpose The study was conducted to examine the main effects and the interaction effect of SES and JHAC on cardiovascular risk (measured by BP and arterial stiffness) in KAs. Methods Sample - 102 KAs (aged 21-60 years, 60% women) Measures - Age, gender, BMI, SES (measured by education and income), JHAC(measured by the 12-item JHAC Scale), BP, Arterial stiffness (measured by carotid and femoral pulse wave velocity [PWV]) Data Analysis - Two way factorial ANOVA and Duncan’s test by SAS 9.2. Results SBP (p=.03) and DBP (p=.01) were significantly higher in the low education group. The interaction effect of education and JHAC on SBP was significant (p=0.02), indicating that the education effect on SBP was greater in the low JHAC group. The main effect of education on PWV was not significant (p=0.64). However, the JHAC had a significant main effect on PWV (p=0.02), showing that the group with low JHAC score had higher PWV than the group with high JHAC. The interaction between education and JHAC on PWV was also significant (p=0.02), thus the effect of JHAC on PWV was greater in the low education group. Discussion The results demonstrated that the inverse relationship between education and cardiovascular measures was more severe in the low JHAC group, contrary to JHAC hypothesis. Furthermore, arterial stiffness, an important biomarker of cardiovascular disease, was predicted by JHAC, but not by education, showing the subjects with low JHAC had significantly higher arterial stiffness. This phenomenon was also more prominent in the subjects with low education. The findings suggest that JHAC has beneficial effect on cardiovascular health in KAs.
Expansion Measurement Using Short Cylindrical Seal: Theory and Experiment

In this paper we examine the effect of the seal length on the magnitude of residual stresses and the expansion differential derived from them. Two potential errors can arise which, if uncorrected, can lead to substantially lower values of expansion differential. The first error arises due to the finite length of the seal which changes the three-dimensional stress distribution significantly, and makes the standard formulas based on infinitely long seal invalid. It is necessary to modify the standard formulas by introducing the shape factor which depends on the geometry and elastic properties of the seal members. The second error is associated with attributing the observed birefringence (tangential viewing) solely to the axial stress. This error, which is absent in the infinitely long cylindrical seal, can be eliminated by taking into account the contributions of radial and circumferential stresses. The theoretical solution is obtained via finite element analysis for glass-to-glass, glass-to-Kovar and glass-to-steel seals of different aspect ratios.
Automatic Polyp Detection via a Novel Unified Bottom-Up and Top-Down Saliency Approach

In this paper, we propose a novel automatic computer-aided method to detect polyps for colonoscopy videos. To capture perceptually and semantically meaningful salient polyp regions, we first segment images into multilevel superpixels. Each level corresponds to different sizes of superpixels. Rather than adopting hand-designed features to describe these superpixels in images, we employ sparse autoencoder (SAE) to learn discriminative features in an unsupervised way. Then, a novel unified bottom-up and top-down saliency method is proposed to detect polyps. In the first stage, we propose a weak bottom-up (WBU) saliency map by fusing the contrast-based saliency and object-center-based saliency together. The contrast-based saliency map highlights image parts that show different appearances compared with surrounding areas, whereas the object-center-based saliency map emphasizes the center of the salient object. In the second stage, a strong classifier with multiple kernel boosting is learned to calculate the strong top-down (STD) saliency map based on samples directly from the obtained multilevel WBU saliency maps. We finally integrate these two-stage saliency maps from all levels together to highlight polyps. Experiment results achieve 0.818 recall for saliency calculation, validating the effectiveness of our method. Extensive experiments on public polyp datasets demonstrate that the proposed saliency algorithm performs better compared with state-of-the-art saliency methods to detect polyps.
Current asthma and asthma-like symptoms among workers at a Veterans Administration Medical Center.

Abstract Introduction Healthcare workers are at increased risk for respiratory disorders. The purpose of our respiratory health survey was to estimate the prevalence of current asthma and asthma-like symptoms and their association with workplace exposures and tasks among healthcare workers at a Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center. Material and methods Information on respiratory health and work characteristics, including tasks performed, products used, and exposures, were collected by questionnaire from a convenience sample of workers employed at the VA Medical Center during 2012–2014. Associations of asthma and asthma-like symptoms with cleaning and disinfecting tasks and products as well as exposure to dampness and molds, and construction dust were evaluated using log-binomial regression. Results The prevalence of current asthma was 17.6% and almost half of all workers reported asthma-like symptoms. We observed elevated prevalence of current asthma among the VA healthcare workers compared to the U.S. general and working adult populations. Asthma and asthma-like symptoms were significantly associated with mold, dampness, and construction material exposures; cleaning and disinfecting products; and cleaning or disinfecting tasks. Conclusions Workplace exposures and tasks associated with current asthma and asthma-like symptoms were identified but further research is needed to investigate the temporal association between workplace exposures and current asthma and asthma-like symptoms.
The “New Racism” of K–12 Schools: Centering Critical Research on Racism:

While organizing efforts by movements such as Black Lives Matter and responses to the hate-filled policies and rhetoric of President Donald Trump are heightening public discourse of racism, much le...
Stateless techniques for generating global and local test oracles for message-passing concurrent programs

Abstract A test oracle for a concurrent program is a method for checking whether an observed behavior of the program is consistent with the program's specification. Abstract specification models for message-passing concurrent programs are often expressed as, or can be translated into, a labeled transition system (LTS). Stateful techniques for generating test oracles from LTS specification models are often limited by the state explosion problem . In this paper, we present a stateless technique for generating global and local test oracles from LTS specification models. A global test oracle uses tests generated from a global LTS model of the complete system to verify a global implementation relation between the model of the system and its implementation. Global test oracles, however, may require too many test sequences to be executed by the implementation. A local test oracle verifies local implementation relations between individual component models and their implementation threads. Local tests are executed against individual threads, without testing the system as a whole. Verifying the local implementation relations implies that a corresponding global implementation relation holds between the complete system model and its implementation. Empirical results indicate that using local test oracles can significantly reduce the number of executed test sequences.
Couple-based mind-body intervention for patients with metastatic lung cancer and their spouses.

179Background: Given the incurable nature of metastatic lung cancer, patients and their spouses are at risk of experiencing psychological and spiritual distress. To address these concerns, we developed a couple-based mind-body (CBMB) intervention. This formative research aimed to examine intervention acceptability and initially efficacy in patients with metastatic lung cancer undergoing treatment and their spouses. Methods: We first conducted focus groups followed by a single-arm trial. Focus group participants completed program exercises and then semi-structured interviews and written evaluations including Likert-scale and open-ended questions. In the single-arm trial, the four intervention session were delivered over a 2-week period focusing on cultivating mindfulness, interpersonal connection, gratitude and purpose. Couples completed measures of depressive symptoms (CES-D), cancer distress (IES), spiritual well-being (FACT-Sp) and sleep disturbances (PSQI) before and after the program. Results: Focus g...
Negotiating Structural Absences: Voices of Indigenous Subalterns of Eastern India

Historically, indigenous people have been struggling with the issues of material and communicative absences and their voices systematically erased from discursive spaces. Critical-cultural framewor...
A translational model of chronic kidney disease in swine

Animal models of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are critical for understanding its pathophysiology and for therapeutic development. The cardiovascular and renal anatomy and physiology of the pig are ...
Helicobacter pylori: Lessons of “Slow” Bacteria for the Host-Parasite Interaction

Publisher Summary The hallmark of H. pylori infection is the presence of inflammation in the gastric mucosa. Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric tissue shows an inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria including both T and B lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells, eosinophils, and neutrophils. In addition, there is disturbance of epithelial gland structure and function, with infiltration by inflammatory cells and diminished mucus production. This lesion is called chronic superficial gastritis (CSG), it is present in essentially all H. pyloon-infected persons, and it now is clear that H. pylori causes this tissue injury. It persists for decades (probably for life) in most infected persons. Unlike other persistent bacterial agents that spend most of their tenure in the human host in dormancy (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis), H. pylori is undergoing active replication. Infection with H. pylori may lead to disease (such as cancer or ulceration) years or decades after its introduction; however, disease is not an inevitable consequence of infection. Unlike other host–microbial interactions in which the result is an all-or-none phenomenon, H. pylori infection represents a dynamic equilibrium in which neither host nor microbe can eliminate the other, so they coexist for long periods.
APL: A Classic Tale of Bench to Bedside

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a distinct subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is characterized by a unique molecular aberration, the presence of circulating promyelocytes, and, frequently, a life-threatening coagulopathy. The outcome of the patients with APL has improved dramatically over the last 40 years. Discovery that in APL the (15;17) translocation is associated with rearrangement and fusion of retinoic acid receptor-α (RARα) and promyelocytic leukemia (PML) genes and the clinical observation that APL is uniquely sensitive to all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) provided a foundation for the further breakthroughs in understanding the mechanism of the disease. Development of sophisticated molecular techniques led to improved diagnosis and monitoring of patients with APL and provides an invaluable tool in guiding therapy. Multiple clinical trials have explored the optimal doses, schedules, and duration of chemo- and targeted therapy, with the goals of minimizing toxicity without sacrificing the outstanding outcomes now readily achieved in most patients. In this chapter we have summarized the basic mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of APL as well as the targeted therapeutic strategies that transformed APL from one of the most lethal acute leukemias to one that is highly curable.
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor, Corticosteroids, Stress, and Sugar: Energy Balance, the Brain, and Behavior

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the adrenocortical system and the role of glucocorticoids under basal conditions, in the absence of stressors. It deals extensively with the role of adrenal steroids on energy balance through their actions on both the body and brain. It discusses the impact of chronic sustained or repeated stressors on energy balance, and the responsivity of the stressed brain to new stimuli. It discusses the inputs that are emphasized by the state of chronic stress, and the requirement for high glucocorticoids in the implementation of this state. It provides evidence that supports the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system as a primary activator of the stress state, and discusses specific sites in brain that are activated by stress and CRF, and that interact with corticosteroids. Further, it discusses the adaptation to repeated stressors and the paraventricular thalamus. It also discusses how the CRF glucocorticoid axis is modulated by interactions with the gonadal axis. It delineates the major effects of sex hormones on both energy balance and function in the HPA axis.
Abstract WP369: Triaging Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Across a Network of Hospitals is Safe and Reduces Transfer Denials for Thrombectomy

Introduction: The introduction of thrombectomy into evidence-based stroke care has dramatically increased the volume of stroke patients transferred to comprehensive stroke centers (CSC), often over...
Water splitting activity of oxygen-containing groups in graphene oxide catalyst in bipolar membranes

Abstract Graphene oxide (GO) is a very effective catalyst for splitting water into H+ and OH− ions in bipolar membranes. This research investigated the catalytic activity of six oxygenated functional groups in GO for water splitting. Moller-Plesset second order perturbation method (MP2) simulations were performed to calculate activation barriers for proton acceptance and release reactions with and without an applied electric field. The relative catalytic activity for the functional groups on GO was independent of the electric field intensity and dielectric constant. The catalytic activity for accepting and releasing a proton linearly correlated with the pKa of the functional groups. The edge carboxylate site had the highest catalytic activity for water splitting, and had activation barriers that were 0.2 to 0.4 kcal/mol higher than a model tertiary amine. This suggests that the high catalytic activity of GO results from a high catalytic site density, as opposed to a chemical effect.
Evaluation of rainfall trends in the South Island of New Zealand through the innovative trend analysis (ITA)

In this paper, an investigation of the temporal rainfall variability in the South Island of New Zealand has been carried out using a high-quality monthly dataset of 152 rain gages with more than 50 years of observation. Possible trends in seasonal and annual rainfall values have been detected by means of the Mann–Kendall test and of a new graphical technique, Sen’s method, which allows the trend identification of the low, medium, and high values of a series. As a result, different behaviors emerged in the South Island, with a rainfall increase in the southwest regions and a decrease in northeast areas. Moreover, the comparison of the trend methodologies has revealed different trend results (increasing, decreasing, or trendless time series). In particular, this study shows that Sen’s method could be successfully used in the evaluation of peak and low values of data for the trend analysis of seasonal and annual rainfall values.
Common-Mode Characterization of a Modular Multilevel Converter in a Megawatt-scale Medium-Voltage DC Test Bed

An undeniable innovation of future naval medium voltage dc (MVDC) power systems is the use of power electronic converters. The switching events from these devices can produce undesirable effects, such as common-mode (CM) currents, i.e., ground leakage currents, through coupling of the power system and the ship's hull or between system components. Characterization of these megawatt-scale CM drivers and their impacts are of broad and current interest to the naval community. This paper presents investigation into the CM characteristics of a megawatt-scale MVDC testbed, using a modular multi-level converter (MMC) acting as a standalone ac to dc rectifier. The MMC is the only CM voltage (CMV) source in the test setup. A CM equivalent circuit of the test setup is created and validated against experimental results. Tests show that the experimental CMV is consistent with the simulated CMV. Yet, the CMV frequency spectra features vary with different dc voltage references and base switching frequencies. Comparison of the CM current (CMC), calculated by way of the equivalent circuit, is consistent with measured CMC.
Diabetes Insipidus After Discontinuation of Vasopressin Infusion for Treatment of Shock.

Objectives Vasopressin has achieved common usage for the treatment of catecholamine-requiring and catecholamine-resistant shock. Diabetes insipidus is a syndrome characterized by excretion of abnormally large volumes of dilute urine. To date, very few reports of diabetes insipidus after discontinuation of vasopressin infusion have been published; the majority of previous reports describe neurosurgical patients. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the occurrence rate of diabetes insipidus after discontinuation of vasopressin infusion among patients treated with vasopressin infusion for shock. Design Retrospective analysis of electronic health records of patients receiving continuous vasopressin infusion for the treatment of shock within a 5-year period (2012-2016). Setting Medical, surgical, and cardiothoracic ICUs within one academic medical center. Patients One-thousand eight-hundred ninety-six patients received vasopressin infusion for the treatment of shock. Interventions None. Measurements and main results The occurrence rate of diabetes insipidus after discontinuation of vasopressin infusion was 1.53% among all patients. Sixteen of 29 patients with diabetes insipidus after discontinuation of vasopressin infusion had undergone cardiothoracic intervention, such as coronary artery bypass graft and valve replacement surgery, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and placement of ventricular assist devices. No neurosurgical patients were identified in our cohort. In a control group of patients receiving norepinephrine but not vasopressin infusion for treatment of shock, criteria for diabetes insipidus were observed in two of 1,320 subjects (0.15%). Conclusions Despite a paucity of published reports, diabetes insipidus after discontinuation of vasopressin infusion appears not to be a rare phenomenon, and is likely to be encountered by intensivists who regularly employ vasopressin for the treatment of vasoplegic shock. Previous reports consisted predominantly of neurosurgical patients. Our findings demonstrate the occurrence of diabetes insipidus after discontinuation of vasopressin infusion among patients with septic shock as well as vasoplegic shock after cardiothoracic intervention. The mechanism of diabetes insipidus after discontinuation of vasopressin infusion remains to be elucidated but may involve transient downregulation of V2 receptors induced by exposure to supraphysiological doses of vasopressin.
CHAPTER 6 – Sensory Methods of Texture and Viscosity Measurement

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses sensory methods of texture and viscosity measurement. Sensory evaluation is the measurement of a product's quality based on information received from the five senses: (1) sight, (2) smell, (3) taste, (4) touch, and (5) hearing. Sensory texture measurement is perceived primarily by touch, although the eyes and ears can provide information on some important components of the total texture profile of a product. The signals generated at the nerve endings of the senses are transmitted via the central nervous system to the brain where they are integrated with past experience, expectations, and other conceptual factors before the opinion of the response is summarized. The sensory methods are the ultimate method of calibrating instrumental methods of texture measurement. Even though sensory methods are generally time consuming, expensive, and not subject to absolute standards, the fact remains that eventually all objective measurements have to be calibrated against the human senses.
An epidemiological analysis of Anthrax outbreak in Hinggan League of Inner Mongolia in 2011

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and the cause of infection of an Anthrax outbreak in 2011,in Hinggan League of Inner Mongolia,and in order to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control of Anthrax.Methods The epidemiological data was from investigation of an Anthrax outbreak and disease monitoring and reporting system of Hinggan League.Time,regional and population distribution of Anthrax cases were analyzed,and the pathogen of Anthrax cases in Hinggan League was detected in August to September 2011.Diagnosis of Anthrax was based on "Anthrax Diagnostic Criteria" (WS 283-2008).Results The Anthrax outbreak was occurred in 4 counties,11 townships (towns) and 20 villages of Hinggan League.A total of 55 Anthrax cases had been reported,of which 43 cases were suspected cutaneous Anthrax; 7 cases were clinically diagnosed; 7 cases were confirmed cases; 3 cases were died; 53 cases were cured.The cases of 72.73％(40/55) were reported in the period from 28~ August-8~ September; 47 cases were male patients,male to female ratio of 5.88:1.00; 70.91％(39/55) patients were aged 30-＜ 55 years and 85.45％(47/55) were farmers.All pateints had history of slaughtereing or contacing died animals and them products.Etiological examination results showed that no one Bacillus anthracis was isolated from all 55 blood samples,and there were 7 smear staining positive samples and 7 strains Bacillus anthracis were isolated from 55 skin exudate samples.Conclusions Young adults and farmers are at a high risk of Anthrax.The main cause of human Anthrax is slaughtering infected or died animals or meat contacting.Do not slaughtering,do not eat sick animals and do not sell dead livestock are the most effective measures for prevention and control of Anthracnose. Key words: Anthrax ; Outbreak ; Epidemiological characteristics
Blood clots and TAM receptor signalling in COVID-19 pathogenesis.

We suggest that the exuberant blood clotting and immune hyper-reaction seen in patients with COVID-19 may be exacerbated by depletion of the same regulator. This agent is protein S, which is both an anticoagulant in the blood coagulation cascade and an activating ligand for the immunosuppressive TAM family of receptor tyrosine kinases. In this Comment, Greg Lemke and Gregg Silverman propose that the excessive blood clotting and immune activation seen in severe COVID-19 may be mechanistically linked through protein S, a ligand for the immunosuppressive TAM receptor family.